#/ an awkward king who could barely speak and flustered every time she looked at him

[calledkore]

@anonymous: Did you fall in love with anyone else before Hades?

"Don't know if I'd say love now..." A moment to think back to a time before, to when she was Kore, living with her mother in that little farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. Wasn't like she saw a whole lot of people, not really -- kept under Demeter's thumb as she was. But there were a few, now and then. Mortal boys working out in the fields. Nymphs who played in the river out back.

"Back then, I'm sure the girl I was would've said yes. In that silly, girlish way, I fell in love often. But no, I wasn't ever in love with anyone before him. Or since."

Send my muse anons about their relationships.

[taeyongdoyoung]

summary: you are a mermaid and you save a handsome man from drowning but little do you know it’s not his first rodeo when dealing with mermaids. seonghwa, a former prince, is currently hongjoong’s first mate and boyfriend. hongjoong is the captain, the pirate king of the most savage crew across the seas. and you want nothing to do with them. not because they’re pirates, but because they’re humans…

ship: mermaid!reader x prince/pirate!seonghwa x pirate!hongjoong

genre: little mermaid!au, pirate!au, angst, romance, humour, fluff

author’s note: once again i apologize for not updating regularly, uni takes up so much of my free time, hope you guys enjoy this new short chapter!

warnings: some jealousy, the usual antics, joong not getting any sleep because of y/n and hwa not getting any sleep because of joong, affection ew, wooyoung being a brat

word count: 1.4k

chapter one ☠️ chapter two ☠️ chapter three ☠️ chapter four ☠️chapter five ☠️chapter six ☠️ chapter seven ☠️ chapter nine ☠️ chapter ten ☠️ chapter eleven ☠️ chapter twelve ☠️ chapter thirteen ☠️ spotify playlist

You waited until everyone went to sleep and it got dark enough. You knew Hongjoong had seen Seonghwa kissing you and you needed to talk to him. From what you gathered earlier when speaking to Yeosang, Seonghwa and Hongjoong were on something of a break. You knew that you were largely responsible for their arguing but you still hadn’t heard the whole story. 

Despite not meaning to hurt anyone, you still felt like you owed Hongjoong some sort of explanation. But you felt like it’d be wiser to approach him without Seonghwa around. Yeosang had informed you that he was currently residing in his room so that was good for you. As much as you cared for Seonghwa, you feared that he would get into another fight with Hongjoong and you wouldn’t be able to pull them apart. 

So you waited. When you were fairly certain that you had located the window of Hongjoong’s room, you set your plan into motion. You started catching random fish and throwing them at the window to capture the captain’s attention.

“Sorry, pals,” you apologized to your sea friends after they returned back into the sea with a loud splash, swimming away in a hurry, obviously shocked by being mistreated in such a way.

Soon enough, Hongjoong was woken up by the noisy attacks on his window and opened it. Noticing that it was you, he groaned in frustration.

“What do you want from me in the middle of the night?”

“Come out of your room and into the sea, we need to talk.”

“Seonghwa doesn’t sleep in my room anymore,” he didn’t want to give you the satisfaction of knowing that but did so anyway, even though you were aware of that already.

“Yeosang told me,” you shrugged. “Now come out. I promise I won’t lure you to the sea bottom.”

Hongjoong rolled his eyes and closed the window. A couple of minutes later, you were pleasantly surprised by the fact that he did as you asked.

“What is it, then?” he repeated.

“I wanted to thank you for saving me and my sister from Mingi. If you hadn’t arrived on time, we both would have died without water…”

Hongjoong sighed guiltily.

“It was my fault you were there to begin with,” he confessed.

“What do you mean?” you whispered in confusion.

“I mean…I lied to Mingi, told him that you mermaids had killed the sea witch. And we both know who’s actually responsible for that.”

“You did that to protect Seonghwa, didn’t you?” you nodded thoughtfully.

“Well, yeah, but mostly because of my jealousy. In any case, I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Regardless…I’m grateful you came for us. I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been for you. Considering how you feel about Seonghwa…and how he feels about me.”

“Are you here to rub salt into my wounds?” Hongjoong chuckled coldly.

“No, I’m here to let you know I’m going back home. I’ve caused enough trouble as it is.”

Hongjoong furrowed his brows.

“Why are you telling me this? Seonghwa is in Yeosang’s room…”

“I can’t bear to say goodbye to him,” you shook your head.

“You don’t have to,” Hongjoong insisted. “He’s happier with you around.”

“But you aren’t,” you pointed out. “And I hate to see anyone suffering because of me. Even you.”

“Why would you give a shit about me after the way I’ve treated you?” Hongjoong asked in utter disbelief.

“You still came for me, didn’t you? Despite your jealousy, you came for me. That’s gotta mean something, right?”

Hongjoong visibly disagreed.

“I came because of my crew. They voted to save you and Soojin. I was the only one against.”

“But you could have ordered them not to go,” you argued, still eager to give him the benefit of the doubt. “As their captain, they would have been forced to obey you.”

“I guess…” Hongjoong sounded unconvinced. “Look, I’m happy you’re alive and stuff, but if you leave without saying goodbye, Seonghwa will think I killed you.”

“Fair point,” you laughed. “So what now? Are you willing to tolerate my existence?”

“I can try. For both our sakes and Seonghwa’s.”

“Will you come closer?” you asked.

“Why? So you can drown me?” Hongjoong eyed you suspiciously.

“Come on,” you giggled.

And despite his reservations, he swam closer to you. Before he could register what was happening, you quickly kissed his cheek.

“Thank you,” you repeated.

Hongjoong was so flustered he simply stared at you. A couple of moments later his unexpected promise came.

“I can build a pool in the ship. So that you can stay there from time to time. If you wish.”

You nodded gratefully and kissed his cheek once again.

He was even more flustered.

“You gotta stop doing that,” Hongjoong chuckled.

“Three times for good luck,” you joked and kissed him once more. “Go back to sleep. And sorry for waking you.”

“It’s alright,” Hongjoong replied. “I didn’t mind.”

And to your amazement, he meant every word.

☠️☠️☠️

Seonghwa’s POV

No sooner had I seen the sunrise than I distinctly heard loud noises of…repairs? It was too early for this. Who had the audacity to disturb everyone’s peaceful sleep? We’d been through so much yesterday, what with confronting Mingi, as well as saving Y/N and Soojin. 

I could really use a break but someone had decided to make this despicable hubbub for whatever reason. I angrily got out of bed only to find that Yeosang was not sleeping soundly. Was he responsible for the noise? Despite his hospitality, I was going to murder whoever deemed it an appropriate time for fixing the ship or whatever that mysterious scoundrel was up to. 

Once I was out of the room and onto the deck, I saw Hongjoong squatted, working on something with a bunch of tools.

“What in Blackbeard’s name are you doing?” I yelled at him, not at all caring if I woke anyone else up. It seemed highly unlikely that Hongjoong’s loud antics had not brought everyone out of bed.

“I’m making a pool inside the ship.”

“What for? If you want to go for a swim, be my guest, we’re surrounded by the vast sea, you idiot!” I hissed sarcastically.

“It’s for Y/N and Soojin. So that they can stay here whenever they want and not have to go back to sleep at the bottom of the sea.”

My angry expression suddenly disappeared off my face.

“Oh,” I managed.

Hongjoong just gave me an awkward smile and continued working on the pool.

“Why are you suddenly being nice to them? I thought you hated mermaids,” I was being suspicious of his motives but I figured I had every right to be, after everything he had done.

He shrugged.

“I figured they’re not so bad.”

“Did anything happen in particular?” I pressed him further for information. “To make you have a change of heart?”

“Y/N kissed me,” Hongjoong whispered, a look of longing apparent in his eyes, as if he was still in disbelief.

“She did what?” I accidentally raised my voice.

“Oh, please, you don’t get to be jealous. I saw you kiss her, too, you know? And besides, it was just on the cheek.”

I rolled my eyes.

“I’m not jealous. Just surprised she would do that.”

“Why? Am I not handsome enough to deserve her attentions?” Hongjoong groaned.

“You’re handsome, alright,” I scoffed. “But not nearly nice enough to her.”

“I’m trying, okay?” Hongjoong sighed, pointing at the mess he’d made in the attempt to build a pool.

“You need help with that?” I suggested gallantly.

“I thought you didn’t want to stay in the same room with me?” Hongjoong reminded me of my own words.

“Well, technically, we’re not in a room right now,” I pointed out. “But let’s just say I’m willing to reconsider.”

“Does that mean you’re going back to our bedroom tonight?” Hongjoong blinked hopefully.

“Don’t push your luck,” I warned. “Let’s get to work.”

“Hey, we want to help, too!” Yeosang interjected out of nowhere. Wooyoung and San were peeking right behind him, curiously observing us.

“For how long have you been standing there?” I grumbled in annoyance.

“Long enough to know Mom and Dad are getting back together!” Wooyoung teased.

“We are not,” I tried to deny it. “Not yet,” I added, barely audible.

Hongjoong was the only one who heard me and gave me a grateful smile, only reserved for me. And honestly, that was all I needed.

To be continued…

[xhanisai]

Only idiots try to woo those who are already in love with them

Read on AO3 / FFN

Summary: "So...Marinette Dupain-Cheng Noir, huh?"

Oooh, Adrien wasn't going to let her get away with that so easily. His lady seems to have a crush on him, Chat Noir him! And there's no way in hell he's going to let that go. However, he has a plan and he refuses to go off tangent.

"Personally, I think Marinette Agreste has a nicer ring to it, don't you think?"

~(x)~ . . . Doki Doki... Doki Doki... Whack! Ladybug let out a silent whimper and then rubbed the sore spot below her collarbones after smacking it so hard. She mumbled out silent curses in Mandarin, words that her mother would skin her alive for if she ever uttered them out loud in her presence and willed for the blood rushing to her cheeks to stop. This was the umpteenth time now and it was starting to drive her teeth towards the edge. The heroine scowled at her partner like a child would at a jar of cookies that was placed in a shelf far too high for them to reach. Not that Chat Noir was unreachable. Hell! If she wanted to, she could jump at him right now and permanently glue their lips together. The boy would swoon with indescribable joy! Shaking her head, Ladybug exhaled through her nose sharply as if to scold her brain for concocting up the millionth...LadyNoir...fantasy. The teen directed her attention back at the catboy who was busy consoling their latest akuma victim. The victim was a little girl, no older than four, maybe five. She was giggling at the funny faces that Chat pulled to cheer her up, clapping her hands with a cute blush as the boy followed suit. He was really kind and sweet...especially with the little ones... Chat Noir would make such a loving father in the future. No doubt about it. And perhaps... A loving husband- Ladybug's brain abruptly shut down on the spot and her legs immediately turned to jelly, causing her to trip over the roof tiles and fall off the building with as much beauty and grace a headless chicken would have. The befuddled girl awaited her fate as a soon to be splat on the pavement, too disorientated to even use her damn yoyo- "My Lady!" 

Oh. Forget about being a red and black polka dotted splat on the dirt crusted grimey floor. She's going to be a puddle of goop at this rate. Holding her bridal style, was none other than her one and only Chaton. Suddenly, Ladybug was hypersensitive to every sound, smell and touch. The way his strong, well toned arms flexed under her thighs and waist, transferring a delicious warmth through her body like skin on skin contact... The way his broad chest loomed over her entire being like a thick, fluffy blanket on a cold winter's night... The way the crisp scent of the outside lingered on him like a breath of fresh air, sending welcomed shivers down her spine... Ladybug felt herself heat up from head to toe much to her dismay and she wouldn't be surprised if her face mirrored a tomato right now. He's too close. Way too close. "Heh, I guess angels really do fall from the sky, hmm?" His voice came out as a dark, gravelly purr, causing the poor heroine's heart to go haywire and slam against her ribcage like a gymnast on twenty espresso shots. Why did he have to say it like that!? Not to mention the way his green eyes glinted under his long lashes in such an illegal way! Absolutely unfair! "Eh-erm-ugh- HMPH!" The word soup that spilled out of her lips as a response was the final nail to the coffin, forcing Ladybug to jump out of the confused boy's arms like his namesake. Her hands flailed around in odd gestures as Ladybug carried on trying to speak, only to fail with more stutters and awkward, fake laughs. Dammit. She's fallen for him. And she's fallen for him hard! When did this happen? How did this happen? Why did this happen? Ridiculously unfair. What's with her and stupidly kind blonde boys with sinfully, beautiful green eyes!? "AHAHA- I think I've left my pet crocodile unattended- Eek! Gottagobyehotstuff-" With a speed that could rival a racecar, Ladybug swung away without letting a bewildered Chat Noir utter as much as a word, screaming into the distance: "I can't believe it's happening aga-aaaaaaaaaaaa..."

Noir stood still, gaping on the spot before bringing out his inner model and quickly composed himself, clutching his chin as a deep red blush barely peeked under his mask. One hand grasped his arm whilst the other cradled his chin as he bit down on a finger to see whether or not he was dreaming. The sharp pain that ricocheted through the digit when his sharpened fang pierced the flesh snapped him back into reality and Chat Noir was left muttering in awe. The awe then turned into a chuckle of endearment and a beautiful smile full of love took over as he shook his head and then faced the direction that his Lady vaulted off to. "Dammit Marinette...only you would give your identity away like that," His words came out as a soft whisper, unheard by anyone else. Relief lightened his shoulders of its burden from the months of dilemmas between loving two girls, only to find out they were one and the same. The relief was soon replaced with confusion and a touch of misery when he realised that she was treating him the way she treated his alter ego. Like he's some sort of cold king who would bite off her head. 'Not that I would mind biting if she's into that- BUT ANYWAYS.' Chat Noir brushed off his not-so-innocent thoughts and his trademark optimism shined through when he concluded that he will do anything to make his Lady feel good around him. Now, what to do of the supposed 'other boy' she likes... "I'm going to die fighting for her even if it's the last thing I do. Couffaine? Kurtzberg? I don't know which one of you is the other boy but no matter what, I'm marrying her..." ~(x)~ "Wanna tell me why you're starting to doodle that in the corner of your books now~?" A gleeful Alya held away the book from Dupain-Cheng as she nosely flickered through the pages with a smile wider than a Cheshire cat. Her free hand was preoccupied in pushing the flustered Asian's face away as she attempted to snatch her notebook back, whines and protests falling on deaf ears as the rest of the class made way out of the room to go home. Just another day to them all, much to their amusement. "Speak any louder and you lose your macaron privileges, Alya!" Mari reached for the book once more in a giant pounce, only for Césaire to duck and the former to end up in a pile of limbs against the wall. An adorable pout rested on her lips and her eyebrows furrowed when Alya's giggles turned into fully blown out laughter. "Don't worry Marinette, never have I told your secrets to anyone else, right?" The brunette's lips soon zipped shut guiltily as Marinette gestured her eyes towards Nino who helped her up along with Adrien. "That was one time girl~" Marinette's pout only deepened despite Adrien's chuckles. "I think that's enough teasing our class president for today, Alya," The blonde dusted off (the now blushing) Marinette, skimming his eyes down her body quickly to make sure she wasn't hurt. His Lady could be a tad bit too energetic sometimes. "What could possibly be written in there that provoked Mari into jumping on you like that?" He delivered a cheeky smirk, eating up the way Marinette gawked at him in betrayal and the way Alya's glasses glinted mischievously. "Why you! It's a secret! No one needs to know and certainly not you!" The raven haired teen scoffed, flipping her hair before gesturing to Alya for her notebook back. Her cheeks were turning rosier and rosier and Adrien was dying with curiousity to know what mystery laid in that book. "Oh? Now I really want to know," This time Nino snickered at Adrien's response, fully used to the boy's deviousness and curiousity that could rival a cat. A side of the usually sweet, reserved boy that was kept hidden. "S-So what? No one's allowed to know and Alya will sensibly hand me back my notebook. So hah!" "I don't know, it looks like she's more willing to hand it to me..." "That's because you're egging her on!" "Am I now?" "You can be so infuriating, Agreste." "Ouch. You wound me, Cupcake~"  Adrien flawlessly delivered a well timed wink, relishing the way that Marinette was left in a flustered stupor before speeding towards Alya and grabbing the notebook with the heroine in disguise hot at his heels. He jumped over a few desks, dodged the benches with practised agility yet it was nearly impossible to shake Marinette off his tail. Though, his wide grin that could counter his alter ego's never left his face. "Adrien! Give it back! Don't be such a brat- OOF!" Marinette found herself glomped by both Alya and Nino, the duo holding her down in a tight hug whilst the petite girl was left complaining and mustering all her strength to lift them both off of her. Turns out that all the parkour and part time hero-ing the boyfriend and girlfriend did occasionally gave them an advantage of extra vitality in their civilian sides. So, Marinette resorted to begging. "Adrien ple-eeeeeeease..." Her eyes shimmered like they belonged to a puppy, causing Adrien to falter on his steps and almost choke on his saliva. 'That's not fair, Princesse. You're too fucking cute and I won't be able to handle it any longer and the next thing you know, I'll be pushing you against the wall and kissing you like no tomorrow-' Blinking back out of his thoughts, Adrien cleared his throat and looked away dramatically to avoid the sparkling baby blues. "Open it dude! Quick before Marinette pushes us off! I can feel ourselves slipping!" Nino groaned out, completely put off guard by Marinette's sudden determined strength and he and Alya scrambled to keep her held down. The green eyed boy didn't hesitate and ignored the defeated "Nooooo..." Marinette let out. . A beat went past. Sweat accumulated on Marinette's forehead as Adrien's face went through a variety of motions whilst he skimmed through the book. First his eyebrows were raised and his lips parted in bafflement. Then he squinted his eyes as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Next, his face became unreadable and his lips were pursed.   The only thing Marinette could hear was her heart pounding and the blood rushing through her face and ears. She so was going to kill Alya once she's snapped out of her embarrassment. "So...Marinette Dupain-Cheng Noir, huh?" Adrien rested the tip of the book against his lips as he raised a brow, sighing as Marinette stumbled through a couple of excuses. The girl in question shot up, victoriously pushing her friends off her and immediately snatched the book away, hugging it against her chest with a tight lipped smile. "I'm just testing my calligraphy skills! Nothing more!" Oooh, Adrien wasn't going to let her get away with that so easily. His lady seems to have a crush on him, Chat Noir him! And there's no way in hell he's going to let that go. However, he has a plan and he refuses to go off tangent. "And the hearts? The doodles of you and Chat Noir holding hands? The names of your three future babies with him? Doesn't seem like calligraphy to me." The annoyed frown he purposely slipped out caused his three friends to let out silent gasps, taken aback by his serious expression. Was he...jealous? "A-Adrien...?" Marinette gulped as the boy was abruptly by her side, face lowered so that his cheek brushed hers. The girl couldn't help but enjoy the sensation of his soft, silky lips against the shell of her ear and almost jumped when he spoke again. "Personally, I think Marinette Agreste has a nicer ring to it, don't you think?" His words were nothing but a low whisper, a husky tone that sounded so scandalous and drove Marinette's hormones to the extreme, evident in the way her knees almost buckled beneath her. Totally unfair! How the heck was she supposed to react!? Adrien pulled away, frown still in place and then squeezed Mari's upper arms with a nod but then leaned in again, eyes narrowed and the strands of his hair mingling with her fringe as their foreheads shared a tender kiss. "I'm not losing you to some cat boy." His emerald orbs twinkled with strong emotions, lips only a breath away from hers that Adrien couldn't help but graze Marinette's lower lip with his thumb. He finally turned around and made way out of the door, beckoning his jaw-dropped best friend to come along. A pinch on her thigh- most likely from Tikki who for some reason was hiding in Marinette's trouser pocket, brought her back to the world and before anyone knew it, the girl held Adrien back by the wrist. It was rare for her to initiate physical contact so Adrien couldn't help but halt with surprise. Marinette brushed off all her embarrassment and muddled feelings, fixing a glare at the nonchalant looking model. "He's not just some cat boy. He's one of the most kindest, strongest person I know! He's saved my life more times than I can remember, saves Paris on a daily basis and without him...there would be no Ladybug! So don't...don't just dismiss Chat Noir like that." Adrien furrowed his brows, holding his burning stare against her stern eyes for a bit before leaning in once more, taking Marinette's grip off his wrist and then held her hand in his possessively. The tight squeeze he gave the appendage didn't go unnoticed to the girl and the rest of the audience. "Sorry...I'm just sick of other boys turning your head towards them...when I've been hoping for you to glance at me, just once...for a long time..." His voice wavered between vulnerable and melancholy before settling on determination. Without missing a beat, the boy swiftly kissed the corner of Marinette's lips, cherishing every groove and warmth that emitted from her and then promptly stalked out of the classroom before anyone else could see him turn redder than a strawberry. 'At this rate, she should figure out my civilian identity soon. She has to! With a declaration like that, I should be on her mind for a bit and maybe...she could develop feelings for my civilian side too...?' A hopeful grin took place on his lips whilst Nino ran after him and babbled about how shook he was by the blonde's actions. . Meanwhile, poor Marinette was left frozen in the classroom, wheezing like a kettle and cheeks brighter than a traffic light while Alya squealed with happiness, thanking dieu that she captured everything on her phone. "So, Marinette? Will it be Adrien or Chat Noir~?" Alya's question was met with a defeated wail and a slap against her shoulder. The brunette couldn't keep the devilish smirk off her face. "He's been waiting for me to glance at him!? Is he BLIND!? I have been drooling over his stupid self for like a YEAR! Ugh Alya! What am I gonna do-ooooo?" ~(x)~ She should be suited up right now in her signature spots. She should be battling the akuma right now who was preoccupied in setting fire on everything he saw like a madman. But no. "Princesse...just dump me somewhere in an alleyway and run! Please..." Chat Noir, who was terribly injured, grimaced as Marinette kept on running, fingers digging into the boy's legs as she held him piggyback style. She thanked the kwamis that she was familiar with the thirteenth arrondissement like the back of her hand. She merely huffed as a response and sped up before finally finding a decent hiding spot in the abandoned China town. Much to her delight, the pharmacy shop where her maman usually goes to was empty and open so Marinette didn't hesitate to storm inside. The groans and whimpers that the hero let out as Mari gently placed him against a chair shattered her heart and the teen couldn't help but wince at his injuries. "You stupid...stupid cat! Why did you take that hit for me? You should have dodged!" Marinette spat out, masking her pain with anger as she gathered the medical kit with a mission to alleviate her partner's wounds. The boy responded with a cocky smirk, as if his shoulder wasn't burnt to a crisp and his legs weren't shredded with gashes. This akuma was the first to pierce the magical suit and it was taking everything for Marinette to not fall into a panic attack. Not even the battle on heroes' day was this nerve wracking. "I like my women alive, not barbecued." Noir rasped but then yelped as Marinette knelt down to his level and applied ointment to the burns. This time, tears streamed down his eyes and his claws dug into the plush carpet below him. His faux ears plastered themselves against his hair and his tail whipped against the chair and wall beside him as if to emphasise how much pain he's in. "Stupid flirt...stupid cat...always have to be so self sacrificing...what if that hit killed you!? What would Ladybug have done then!?" Cheng sobbed, letting her forehead flop onto Chat's uninjured shoulder. Her arms wrapped around his middle, squeezing the blonde against her as tight as she could whilst Chat helplessly reciprocated her actions. He soothed her with hushes and encouraging whispers, combing his claws through her loose tendrils, pulling her flush against his body whilst his face remained in the crook of her neck so that the sweet scent that lingered on her body kept him grounded. The next words that he uttered momentarily stopped her heart. "If I didn't take that hit, there would be no Ladybug..." The duo stiffened, the younger of the two plagued with multitudes of questions. Marinette wanted to pinch herself, hope that she misheard what he said but the strong smell of antiseptic that filled the room, the atrocious scent of burnt flesh and blood and the warm, secure arms that kept her in an iron hold proved otherwise. "I...How...?" Marinette gasped, pulling back far enough so that she could see her partner's bashful face. "I was so careful and...and...dammit! Either I released my transformation in front of you by accident or you're one stupidly smart cat!" The ebony-haired teen was far too emotionally exhausted to delve into this and simply accepted her fate. He knew now. This time, there's no time or space to come up with another convoluted plan to knock him off the trail like when Mme. Mendeleiev got akumatised. "I'm a clever cat, your clever chaton, My Lady," Chat Noir couldn't help but gaze down at Marinette lovingly, eyes softened and heart racing. The raspberry hue that took place on her cheeks did wonders to him. "Maybe, if we were strangers, I wouldn't have found you as quick-" He wasn't able to finish his sentence as two fingers were pressed against his lips. "It's...it's dangerous enough that you know who I am...I can't know who you are, Minou. Master Fu-" "-is wrong. He's just as capable of making bad decisions as anyone else. That time he took Plagg and Tikki away from us is proof of that. I firmly believe that the idea of us not knowing who the other is for the sake of our safety is pretty much bullshit at this rate." He kissed her fingers, eyes never leaving hers in a gaze so intense that Marinette felt like her entire body was lit up in flames. "We've been partners for a long time, our trust in each other is beyond comprehensible and you know for a fact that I'd rather die than waver my loyalty to you, Marinette." He pulled her towards him in another embrace, burying his nose into the nape of her neck and let his lips trail on the soft, sweet skin with butterfly kisses. The kiss burned more than the fire that the akuma plagued on Paris. Each and every pucker took Marinette's breath away and the way he tugged her hair so that he could have access to her throat was downright sinful. When his teeth grazed the sensitive area below her ear, Marinette's eyes fluttered closed and a soft sigh escaped her lips. "Chat Noir..." Her voice would have been inaudible had it not been for the boy's heightened hearing. This of course encouraged a deep purr to rumble from the hero and his lips got closer and closer to hers... "My name...say my name, Marinette," Chaton's lips brushed against Dupain-Cheng's as he spoke, voice so hoarse and exposed. Familiarity filled Marinette from head to toe but she couldn't for the love of god figure out why. Instead, she frowned and bowed her head down in defeat. "I don't...I don't know..." She raised her head back up when Chat Noir tsked in response, squeezing her tighter. "Minou..." The familiarity was starting to weigh down on her like a boulder and it was driving Marinette crazy. "Find me. Please. I love you...all of you. If you're not going to let me tell you who I am then you have to find me. You're a smart girl, My Lady. So smart. I can see that you're close to figuring it out." He kissed her cheeks softly and then darted back to her neck, this time to distribute an open mouthed kiss and suck the skin hard. "Chat Noir!?" Mari gasped, face rouged and teeth biting down her bottom lip to avoid any shameful sounds from coming out of her throat. When he pulled away, Marinette bumped her forehead against his with irritation, scoffing at his pained yelp. "What was that for!? O-ooooooh if the cleansing light doesn't heal this, how am I going to explain this to my parents? Alya? AH- and Adrien!? He's going to be so annoyed..." It took everything for Chat Noir to hide his smirk, rubbing his fingers against Marinette's hips. "Then he'll know that this princess is off limits, no~?" "Stupid, possessive, blonde, idiots!" "Hey, I'm smart, not stupid like model boy," "UGH! Fuck you!" "Is that an offer?" "JUST SHUT UP AND LET ME BANDAGE YOU BACK UP SO THAT WE CAN KICK THE AKUMA'S ASS AND THEN I'LL KICK YOUR ASS YOU STUPID ALLEY CAT!" "That wasn't a no~" ~(x)~ Adrien gawked in horror from the doorway when the scarf that was wrapped around Marinette's neck unravelled and spilled onto the floor. The girl quickly slapped her hand against her neck to hide the hickey but she couldn't avert her eyes from his. It was just the two of them in the locker room. Probably the two few remaining students in the building since they had extra curricular activities. "OH- Erm...hi Adrien? I was not expecting to see you here hahah! Did you manage to beat Kagami this time or-" Marinette ended her default babbles with a squeak as the blonde haired teen stormed towards her, peeling her hand off her neck only for his eyes to widen at the 'gift' that the cat bestowed. "Marinette...you chose him?" The boy laid out the kitten eyes, internally cackling at the way his lady scrambled for words. Plagg may have warned him of the rage of a Ladybug but dieu, the shit eating cat inside him couldn't help but keep up the tease. Sure, acting jealous of his alter ego wasn't going to be much help in Marinette solving his identity but at the same time, he didn't want to make this too easy for her. It wasn't fair that he's fallen head over heels for both sides of her since the beginning and struggled with those feelings for such a long time while it's only recently that she began crushing on his vigilant half, right? To summarise, he was the equivalent of a naughty, bratty kitten trapping a bug under his paws and he loved every second of it. "I haven't chosen anyone- not yet...I...I don't know what to do." Now, a tiny bit of guilt was gnawing on Adrien's chest. Maybe he's gone a bit too far? "The two of you have thrown me in quite a loop, confessing left and right..." Her sweet blush wiped the guilt off his chest clean. Maybe...simple, ordinary Adrien Agreste has a chance? Just maybe...she's starting to have feelings for him too...? "Has he kissed you?" Adrien leaned closer, placing his hands against the locker that Marinette was backed up against, pinning her in place. Forward but not aggressive. With the way she eyed him beneath her lashes, his actions was more than happily received. "Not really..." "Can I kiss you?" His lips were barely brushing hers now. "...please," Immediately, their lips crashed into one another without any finesse. All pent up feelings, all raging emotions, all were expressed in this one, deep kiss like a ferocious fire. Adrien tangled his fingers with Marinette's, pressing his body tight against hers and tilted his head ever so slightly to deepen the kiss. Heat and hormones drove their bodies on autopilot. Marinette moved her arms around his neck, slipping her digits through Adrien's hair whilst the boy in question wrapped his arms around her waist, hands wondering dangerously low and cupping every part of her with desperation. The familiarity that laid low in Marinette's mind soon jumped back by ten folds as sharp teeth nipped the rim of her lips, parting the soft pair so that his tongue could slip in and bring her even closer. Her mind kept on rebooting at every touch, every nibble, every sound, every kiss until she forgot her own name. Suddenly, a small hiss of pain escaped Adrien's throat, causing Marinette to break the kiss, heaving and notice that he was edging his shoulder away from her fingers. "Adrien...?" "Ignore it." The boy grunted, slamming his lips back onto hers, this time cupping her cheek with one hand and pulling the bands of her hair so that he could comb his fingers through the smooth, silky locks. Familiarity stroke back to Marinette despite the distracting, excitable kiss. Adrien began to trail his lips south, parallel to the hickey that Chat Noir left till he reached the area below her collarbones. Unlike his roaring passion that started the kissing session, Adrien ended it with a sweet, subtle kiss on her skin. The way Marinette heaved and panted sent many thoughts and fantasies to the dishevelled boy's head, concluding that he indeed needed to take a cold shower as soon as he got home. "Adrien..." Marinette breathed out sweetly, cheeks flushed beyond compare and fingers tangled with the fabric of his shirt as she struggled to stay upright. "That's my name," Adrien cutely bumped his nose with hers and then backed off, smirk growing when she slid down the locker and onto the floor in a daze. "I'll see you around, Princesse," With a wink, the boy patted her cheek and then slinked off with that enviable model grace of his. A few minutes went past yet Marinette refused to move. Adrien's last few words kept circling in her mind. 'That's my name- that's what he said. But why did he say that? That's such a weird thing to say, right? And since when did he start calling me Princesse-' . . . Insert a record scratch. Tikki, the poor kwami who had to witness the entire endeavour simply shook her head with a sigh, praying that her holder didn't murder Plagg's kitten. "DAMMIT ADRIEN AGRESTE! FUCK YOU!!!!" "At least take me out to dinner first~!" The stupid boy's voice came from the window outside the locker room and Marinette didn't think twice before running towards it to see his shit eating grin plastered on his face from below. ~(x)~ "So all this time you were in love with civilian me, ever since I gave you my umbrella?" "Mmhm." "And you were suppressing your feelings for cat me for around the same time?" "Yep." "So basically I was being an absolute, obtuse idiot who's been cockblocking myself?" "Uh-huh." "Wow. Well fuck me!" "After the days of grief you've given me in choosing between you and you, you don't even deserve a kiss let alone getting laid." "Dammit...so...you gonna untie me now or are ya gonna leave me hanging upside down on the tower forever...?" "Heh~ you're gonna stay there and rot till eternity Chaton." "NoooOOooOOoOOooooo..." . . . ~(x)~

[sativaasiren]

Line without a Hook-Chapter 2

Pairing: Oikawa Tooru x Reader

Genre: slow burn, fluff

Summary: Y/N is a shy student, but with a cat sized curiosity. Will her curiosity get the best of her when she overhears about Great King and his Kingdom? Will he even notice her in a crowd of adoring fans?

Notes: I was really surprised by the overwhelming amount of support so I decided to make this a smaller fic instead of a one shot! Trying to do Oikawa justice but i’m way out of practice on fic writing so bear with me.I appreciate you all and I hope to write another chapter soon! If you have anything you wanna see, comment and i’ll see what I can do :)

You’ve been completely done in. Rational thought escaped you for the weeks that followed the match where the great king played. You replayed the game over and over in your head, but never seemed to remember any new details about any of the other players in the match. He was captivating and you needed to see him again.

This wasn’t like you, to be so throughly flustered and by a guy you spoke less than a paragraph to. Your thoughts wandered to his smile and you spiraled again, stuck in your daydream train of thought. While you only casually listened in on conversations of your classmates at Karasuno before, now you were in full spy mode.

You were able to gather from hallway and classroom gossip that Oikawa Tooru played for Aoba Josai, and his role was the setter. Granted, you hadn’t learned any more about the position than you knew before that game, but he looked incredible no matter what he was doing. Yes, Oikawa was cute, but that wasn’t what caught your eye on first impression. It was his sheer love and talent for this game, he made it look so easy.

Your one goal was to overhear the next game. Most normal people would ask their friends or go up to a player and ask, but you didn’t have a close enough relationship with anyone in your class and it would be painfully awkward. Luck shined down on you that Thursday. Chi, your loud but informative classmate, was going on again to her severely unimpressed friend.

“I don’t care, Chi, I’m not going to a game that isn’t at this school.”

“Come on” Chi dragged out with a whine that made you cringe. “I need to see Oikawa again tomorrow, Sayu!”

“Go by yourself then. Shiratorizawa Academy isn’t that far from you and I don’t need to mop up your drool again”

Chi leaned over in her seat, pouting for dramatic effect. “Fine then, suit yourself, you’ll be sorry when Oikawa finally notices me and I don’t have time for you anymore”

You had to hold back a chuckle, it wouldn’t have looked good if you were caught, even if Chi was yelling her words loud enough for neighboring classes to hear. She once again came through for you. Never had you imagined that having the loudest fangirl in your class would later be beneficial.

It bothered you though. You didn’t want to admit it, but she bothered you. Why did she bother you now at all times? How are you jealous over a guy you barely know? Mind reeling, you threw yourself into your classwork, keeping yourself distracted from the King.

You walked home alone, it left you with space to think and mull over your ideas for tomorrow. It helped to pre-plan your schedule and potential conversations with people before a social event. You were convinced that rehearsing a conversation before it happened would make it easier to have once the time came.

It did not.

If time could move both fast and slow at the same time, it was. You couldn’t help but look at your phone or at the clock every 15 minutes, trying to speed through the day. You had planned on leaving school as soon as you were free, allowing you to get changed into something more you and make the trek to Shiratorizawa.

Standing in front of the mirror, you carefully recited for the 50th time what you planned to say to the Great King today and you would NOT feel stupid this time. Going with something more relaxed but stylish, the only thing you felt was missing about your outfit, was a scrunchie.

Your favorite scrunchie, the one that matched everything, resided with Oikawa. You weren’t even sure if he kept it, he probably gets gifts from girls like Chi all the time. He must be running out of shelf space anyway. Rifling through your dresser, you dug out a deep blue velvet scrunchie instead. This should make do, even if it doesn’t perfectly fit the outfit you were going with. “Let’s not give this one away” you grumbled to yourself as you tied it around your ponytail.

You jogged to the match, unable to repress the excitement bubbling in your stomach and the buzzing in your legs. This is crazy, you don’t even like volleyball yet but you felt like throwing up from the thrill of it all.

You didn’t like volleyball but you liked him

Finding a seat among the other Oikawa fangirls, you felt both out of place and where you belonged at the same time. At this point, I guess you were his fangirl. You gave him your scrunchie for God’s sake but were you really just like the rest of them? Probably, Oikawa probably can’t tell any of them apart.

When Oikawa walked in, everyone around you stood up and cheered, yelling and screaming kind words and exclamations of love and all the while, the King smiled and waved. He looked like he was in pure bliss, this is what he wanted to do, and he loved being here. It was intoxicating.

The match was not going how you expected. Shiratorizawa was squashing Aoba Josai like they had no skill to begin with and you could feel your spirts souring. You were stunned. How was there a team with more skill that Oikawa? He was the Great King right?

“You’re being stupid, you’ve only seen one game remember? What would you even know about skill?” You silently chastised yourself.

Oikawa was sweating, both physically and mentally, he was really giving his all to win this match and nothing he did was enough. Ushijima stared him right in the face and showed him who’s the real talent in the prefecture. But Oikawa smiled, beaming at his cheering fans. “I won’t let them down, I want to make them proud of me, even if we don’t succeed today”

Oikawa persisted, but it wasn’t enough. The game was lost and he felt the pit in his chest grow. He had to be the best, and today, he was not. He made his way through the sportmanship line and hesitantly made him way to the bleachers where his fanclub had set up camp, including you. He took a beat to breathe before he turned on his persona for his adoring crowd.

It hurt him to let his fans down, but it hurt worse to let himself down. He was his own worst critic. “I’m sorry ladies, I promise to do better next time!”. The group chattered various reassuring words and mixed in jabs about Shiratorizawa in the process. Oikawa was listening intently but stopped when he locked eyes with you, the only person not speaking in the crowd.

Oikawa took careful steps over to you and you looked up at his towering figure above you. You were shaking and hoped to he couldn’t tell. “Y/N, you came back to see me?” He smirked, and it ignited sparks in your chest, and you absently grabbed at it before letting go of your top, praying that he didn’t notice.

You’re gorgeous, Oikawa Tooru, i’ll have to give you that.

“Yeah...I wanted to see more of the sport and any game with you is worth watching” you quickly spat while completely lost in his gaze. “You’re amazing, Oikawa”

Oikawa laughed and you wanted to run, far far away from him and this gym. The feelings were going to kill you. You would have followed him off the face of the earth if he asked. “So do you like volleyball or just me?”.

The lump that had made its way into your throat didn’t move and your mouth was still parted, waiting for the words to come out. You practiced damnit, why was this so difficult?

“I-I suppose it’s both”.

Oikawa leaned down towards you and the fanclub glowered behind him, jealousy radiating. If you wanted to run before, now you were ready to move to another country. “You suppose? Have you given any of the other players your things?” His smirk grew wider and you screamed in your mind, trying to keep a straight face and failing miserably.

“N-no but it’s just a scrunchie. Nothing special” you waved your hand, trying to dismiss your eager yet not thought out move from before.

“I beg to differ, Y/N, but we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one.”

A teammate was waving and yelling, trying to get Oikawa’s attention and he sighed. “I have to go, but I hope to see you at my next game, Y/N, it never hurts to have a little cutie in the crowd who can’t keep their eyes off me”. Oikawa turned and started to head down the stairs.

He knew, he knew you were staring at him the entire game. You started wringing your hands and looking down at your feet, and the sudden burst of bravery kicked in, better late than never.

“Did you keep it?” You half-shouted, but after the words left your mouth, you were now afraid of the answer. This could hurt you, and time froze. So much for being ready for anything huh?

Oikawa didn’t stop moving this time, still making his move down the stairs. “Yeah, I did actually....I happen to love strawberries”. He looked back in your direction and winked.

You’re falling, and there’s nothing to break your fall, but you can’t help but smile wider than you have in a very long time.

“When can I see him again?”

All chapters released available here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28001310

[afterthelastreset]

Rules Of One’s Soul Ch10 A Small Trip

(Mak belongs to @wasted-church )

The night was crisp. Clear. And the recent days of rain made everything smell fresh. It was nights like this he liked, it meant he could walk and clear his head. But right now he was finding that extremely difficult to do with the amount of emotions swimming through his mind. Anger at the fact these two were treating this whole situation as a game. Stress from all the distractions and foolishness from the past few days. An empty feeling in his gut nagging him to turn around on the spot and go apologize to his soulmates- Another rumble and slight pain shot tbrough him. Making him wince. .....And the fact he hadn't been able to find one decent thing to eat all day. Except candy. But that wasn't healthy or fit for his body at all. I mean who in their right mind would eat candy for every meal?....Jevil that's who. But he wouldn't lower his standards to his level. He had a job and reputation to uphold after all. He couldn't afford to be distracted with these absolute fools just because they wanted to play cupid at.....Soul matching day....Where other's confessed their love.

Oh god. That sick feeling in his stomach returned in full making him stumble a few steps as he mindlessly stumbled towards his home.

That holiday would always have a reminder of that fateful day-.....He still remembered that holiday. He still remembered that day. ...He could never forget her-

***********************************

The day was absolutely beautiful. Shiny pink and red hearts and souls decorations lined the walls of the castle and the lively bustle and excited chatter of servants around the halls was absolutely wonderful to everyone's ears. ...Well almost everyone. The giant spade huffed at the onslot of lovy dovy emotion being thrown around like common courtesy. God. Hathy"s and their stupid customs. Dragging everyone else into the stupid holiday mood. Most were too busy in their own desires that they didn't notice the Spade King's sour mood. Except for one loyal servant.

"Tis not e-everything to t-thou's liking mine majesty?"

The giant spade slowly tilted his head partially to give any kind of indication that he was looking at him behind the black abyss of the facehole the spade adorned with the hood. The king didn't look very pleased to say the least. He shifted in his giant throne and tapped his large hand on the arm more. The worm gave a giant nervous grin and the skin on his face began to melt slightly from the prolonged silence of the giant spade before him. The king was known for his unruly temper.

"D-Doth thou not enjoyeth thine festivities? "

The spade gave off another huff. His face still giving a clear frown. "What I would enjoy dear Duke if my subjects and guards didn't frolic around idiots drunken on lust," he spat out with a deep growl, "Heart was always one for sentimental stupidity. "

The worm was starting to get more nervous now. As he nervously chuckled and rubbed his hands together. "B-B-But Sire. D-Does not thy Queen likest t-thine holiday?"

The king grunted before leaning to his side and placing his head in his hand. Giving Rouxls a moment to relax somewhat now that the giant king wasn't looking directly at him. Using the Queen as a tool to deflat the king's anger was something he ptefered not to do but when one's anger was like that of a volcanos you'd have to do things one would normally not want to do. Luckily the Queen usually didn't mind in these situations. She was known for being the more....levelheaded of the two spade monarchs and usually her presence would be enough to calm the spade.

"Of course she does." The king's sudden voice made him flinch and stare at the king. He stared out the window at nothing in particular. His voice now a tad less annoyed sounding.".....I haven't forgotten."

"Of course n-not, Sire. S-Shall I send f-for a royal florist Sir? Everyone haseth been giving thy King of Heart's s-special flowers on thine day-"

He was stopped when the king held up a hand. "No. I won't join into the idiotic foolishness. ...Go. Leave me."

The worm didn't have to be told twice as he quickly bowed and made his way towards the giant doors leading to the throne room. To say he was glad to be dismissed now would be an understatement. He was darn happy to be away from the angry atmosphere the Spade King produced. But at least it gave him time to enjoy the little freedom he had away from the monarch. Sighing he dared to give off a rare smile in public and began to walk away from the doors down the large castle hall. The smiles and giggles given off from others fueled that smile on that nervous face of his. He barely registered a small group of hathys nearby. One gave him a shy wave with one of her tentacles, to which he gave an awkward smile back and waved politely. Making said hathy fluster a bright green followed by giggles from her surrounding friends. Rouxls gave a cough and quickly made his exit away from the hathys. Admiration went out to the ones who skillfully decorated the castle under King Heart's command. An excellent sight of red and pinks scattered throughout the place, though it would've been nice to include other soul colors. He knew himself that his soul wasn't a bright pink or red. But red was the color of love and passion, suitable to others who wish to find their lovers this day-

His heart beat faster at the thought of his own love that stole his heart. Her smile. The way she brought him kindness in such a stressful job. Her beautiful voice-

"Rouxls?"

That voice.

He stopped and turned around. The regal form standing just a few feet away from him.

"Mine Queen."

***********************************

Red no longer showed passion or love for him. Red was turned to the Spade's anger. Love was kept secret between those who had it. The holiday forgotten. But Lancer was determined to bring it all back it seemed. For him it'll be just another duty he'll have to attend to. He wondered how Lancer was doing right now? It was only a day sure but his little worm would be dealing with a massive ball and duties as king without him and surrounded by that crazy loon for who knows how long.

Another rumble and pain shot through him.

"Shut up I knoweth I needs nutrition l," he snapped down to his stomach.

First thing first though. He needed to get something solid inside himself. Mumbling to himself, he walked a bit faster towards his destination. Which wasn't far thankfully. The hip shop came into view just up the dirt trail. The door was shut with the closed sign present which pleased him. At least no one would've went in while he was gone for a couple hours. Upon coming upon the door he swung it open to a sight he found to his satisfaction. The place still mostly clean from his hard work from that morning and everything looked like it had been left untouched. Good. He hated it when his hard work went to waste. Sighing in releif, he made his way over to the counter to where the bag Seam had left wad sitting.

He rose a brow at the old tattered thing but sighed and reached out towards the thing. He might as well see what the cat dragged in so to speak. He reached a blue hand in and pulled out multiple dark candies and dark candy tree leaves that bounced on the counter but luckily none of them fell to the floor. Followed by them was his missing books on poetry and the spare blanket at the bottom Seam promised to return. .....Wait a minute. He blinked back towards the book. Did Seam take these because he enjoyed poetry too or or because he planned on selling them? He shook his head and decided to put all these things away. ....Along with the laundry dangling from the ceiling above his head. He sighed and slumped his shoulders forward. It was going to be a long rest of the day. And this was supposed to be a first day of a 'relaxing' vacation. The rumble of his empty stomach made him groan and turn to the shelves.

There had to be some kind of food leftover around here. Surely they couldn't have taken everything. A quick scan of the shelves proved him wrong as any canned product he had was gone....and the worms in the jars were probably expired by now. He groaned before a long forgotten thought made its way into his mind. Didn't Seam say he left something edible in the cabinets? The thought made his stomach churn.

Turning his sights to the cabinet he strode on over and yanked it open without hesitation. To his surprise, there was a small box. The same small box that Jevil presented the cake in. The thought of eating such a sweet unhealthy thing after having an empty stomach all day and something made by that love bond imp no less made him gag enternally. But his stomach would be the death of him. So with reluctance, he reached inside and grabbed the box.

He went to sleep much later that night. But it was once again a dreamless slumber and once again woke up more tired than he should be. The overly sweet taste of last nights cake still stinging his taste buds. The whole thing tasted and felt like a giant oversweet marshmallow. Too sweet for even Lancers young taste buds.But at least he didn't receive a rude awakening this time round. Thankfully. But that still didn't deter him from the possibility of the crazy Jester or cat showing up unannounced. Which meant the lock still needed repairs. Now Rouxls was never a morning person. Even as a young boy. But when something needed to get done, you'd bet he wouldn't stop until it was perfected to his satisfaction, which meant dragging himself out of the warm bed and forcing himself into an orderly fashion to get what needs to be done today. Which meant a trip to the local blacksmith. Frankly he was quite dreading the long walk to said blacksmith on the other side of the dirt roads, but opted to instead of teleporting. Walking would be more likely to wake up his still tired body. And work off the candy and cake he was forced to eat for breakfast. All those calories wouldn't be good for his body and must be worked off somehow.

What really bothered him was that he'd have to walk past the 'sheap' he left yesterday. But he would simply walk past that fast. He didn't have time for that nonsense today. Well....that plan backfired as soon as he wondered out onto the open road. Rouxls got maybe halfway down the path between the hip shop and sheap when he spotted a familiar tall cat lurking just outside the sheap sitting in some old worn out chair. Book in paws. He didn't even lift a whisker as the duke approuched. ...Ok. Maybe he just wanted to relax and not be bothered today as well. Suited him perfectly fine. One less thing to worry about.

So the duke confidentially took longer strides to pass the old cat quicker. He gave Seam a raised brow as he neared passing him but quickly looked away. Now was the time to be not deal with such-

"Good morning to you friend." He froze mid step. "Where are you heading off this early in the morning?"

The worm looked over his shoulder but Seam continued to scan his one eye over the book in his hands. Rouxls stood there for a few seconds just staring at the reading cat before huffing and turning back around.

"Its none of thou's business! ......But if thou must knoweth, I amst getting mineself a lock for thine shoppe door to properly keep pests out...Not that tis any of thee's business."

"Of course not." He agreed without looking up from the book. "I was just curious. That was all."

"Curiosity killeth thine cat," Rouxls mumbled to himself-

"Satisfaction brought it back you know...Or not. I guess it depends on which cat you refer to. Hehe."

Rouxls froze...before sputtering and walking off. Seam chuckling behind him.

******************************************************************

~Time skip to about 2 hours later~

The day was pretty nice. He was never too fond of the rain anyways. Always was a pain to make sure his stitches were all held together after a bath. Not that hed have any problems with sewing or anything. Just seemed more of an annoyance than anything, but it was a great opportunity to get some fresh air and air out the sheap's stuffy air. But it looked like he wasnt the only one to think so too today. He wasn't expecting to see the duke anytime soon after the whole lot of events packed within two days, but he had to give credit to the determination the worm seemed to posses. And his reaction was pretty funny. How many people could squawk like a rabbick and turn a brilliant shade of blue? The thought made him chuckle. Apparently the worm hadn't known of his hearing range. He causally turned the next page- His ear twitched at the sound of approuching feet and a moment later Mak stuck their head out of the entrance way.

"Im bored!"

"Did you already get bored of the shiny things Jevil brought to you?,

"Yeah.....Can I have the shiny white hair?"

"Mak, neither of us have shiny white hair."

"Not you."

He looked up from his book to look at them and they pointed a paw up the road ahead. He curiously turned in that direction to see none other than a familiar blue skinned white haired man making his way down the road back towards them. He heard the worm duke before he clearly saw him. What sounded like angry mumbles turned into a few curses he'd rather not repeat. The worm looked angry and was a deep blue in the face, stomping his feet up the pathway back towards his home. Seam rose a brow but didnt really say anything.

"Of all the stupid low things to sayest to mineself-"

"Greetings Duke." The cat gave a calm smile to the angry worm. "I see you came back. How was your trip?"

The duke stopped and turned a blue face towards the cat. "Thine trip was a waste of mine precious time!" Before Seam had a chance to ask what he meant he continued. "'Come back when you have actual money' he said! "I always get paid first' he said! Doth he knoweth who he is dealing with!? Rouxls Kaard tis nay to best trifled with the likes of that Malius scum!"

"Oh. So Malius is still doing that 'pay me first' policy eh?"

"I couldst haveth him thrown in thine dungeon for this! Who doth he thinks he is-?!"

"A Darkner who doesn't want to be cheated out of his labor." Seam interrupted before Rouxls could start on another tyrade. "Why don't you just pay the man first and save yourself the trouble?...Or not. Its not my business how you handle your shop."

Rouxls finally stopped and all anger dispated from his face. It was still a dark shade of blue but now it looked like he was more....flustered now.

"I.....cannot."

"Why not? "

The worm looked down and reached a hand up to rub his neck. "Mine register tis....e-empty....a-and mine funds are loweth."

"Aren't you on paid leave?"

"Yes.....But m-mine payment has yet to cometh...Lancer tis nay good at organizing lawkeeping."

A look of realization came over Seam as he stared at the duke of puzzles. "Then how are you affording anything? ...What have you been eating?"

Rouxls gave a flat look. "I amst broke at thy moment. And for thou's information I happen to know how to takest care of mineself. There art many worms and....candy to eateth for mine time away from mine royal duties! I shan't needest any help from the likes of a commoner!"

With a huff and turn of his body, the worm trudged off back down the path away from the staring cat and bat. After a moment of just staring after the Duke, Mak turned back to Seam and tugged his cloak.

"Does this mean I don't get new shiny stuff?"

[infiniteshawn]

Since We’re Alone | 2

a/n: 3k words. an opportunistic dilemma.

“I don’t know why I did it,” Phoebe sighed, keeping her voice low. The break room was always a setting for warmly welcomed gossip, but not when it revolved around her own pseudo-romantic relations with an A-list celebrity.

“I just knew, fuck,” she spoke, catching the eyes of a nosy member of the cleaning staff as he mindlessly wiped one of the round tables. Her voice was barely a whisper, “his reputation is really clean, and he was having an off-moment, and the only thing on television was literally his pissed-off face.”

“So,” Phoebe’s co-worker, Sophie, was an interesting being. Good advice, terrible ideas. Phoebe kept this in mind as Sophie spoke, “you thought kissing him on national television would,” she paused, “fix it?”

“I don’t know,” Phoebe’s head lowered into her dry hands, “I knew it was gonna be bad, and I knew it would be the cover of every snapchat-and-whatever-else news story, and I knew I’d be right there in the photo, sitting right be-fucking-side him.”

“Right,” she nodded, “so you thought it would be better to be on the cover of every snapchat-and-whatever-else news story right on-fucking-top of him. I see.”

Phoebe rolled her eyes. It was no use. The logic wasn’t all there, but something had told her to just do it in the moment. So, she did. And as annoying as the influx of backlash was, she had a hard time denying that she was enjoying herself.

“Would you just drop it?” Phoebe questioned with a sly grin, popping the last bite of her turkey sandwich into her mouth, “it’s over now, anyway.”

“Don’t speak so soon,” Sophie muttered, nodding her head in the direction of their boss, Margaret.

Margaret Adams. She was the bane of Phoebe’s existence. She was needy. She was demanding. She was everything a boss was supposed to be—and everyone hated her for it.

“Bray!” Margaret called from only a few feet away, causing Phoebe’s attention to leave her picked-at cuticle and land on Margaret, red-faced and flustered.

Phoebe didn’t have the chance to answer before Margaret began speaking—speaking about exactly what Phoebe did not want to talk about.

“Why the hell are you on Twitter moments?”

Phoebe took a deep breath. This really wasn’t going away anytime soon.

____________________

Remaining low-key had always been the goal. Letting them know what she was thinking—whoever “them” may have been—was never an option for Phoebe Rose. Silent but deadly. A wallflower, perhaps. She was a shark.

With a double-major in philosophy and English lit, Phoebe was a shoo-in for her position with Toronto Life Magazine. Unfortunately, the only opening was with Margaret’s department, which took pride in covering celebrity news stories. It made Phoebe sick.

It was invasive. It was greasy. Toxic, even.

But a position was a position, and anything was better than waitressing at Joey’s, a higher-end restaurant at Yonge and Dundas that was home to pretentious late teens and margarita-sipping wine moms.

As if on cue, Phoebe caught the 504A streetcar at 6:03. It was packed. It was always packed at this time. Especially on a Tuesday.

They stood like sardines holding onto the germ-ridden handles and she peered between the heads of two older women, mesmerized by the cookie-cutter financial buildings. They were all different. But the same.

They buzzed with the same aura, radiating stress and poise and money in the way each window stretched from floor to ceiling. Phoebe wondered what it took to become somebody in this grey, cubic city, miserable as that somebody may truly be. The bankers seemed to really hate it.

She liked to think of Toronto that way—cubic. She wasn’t quite sure why, but it made sense.

Phoebe thought back to her family trip to London when she was fifteen. It, too, was grey, but regardless of the weather it always seemed to be vibrating with life. Five-street intersections. The intense complexity of the tube. The history—Phoebe could have a field day just thinking about the past lives of all of those buildings.

It wasn’t until she returned home all those years ago, peeking out of the way-too-bright window of the 747 that she noticed how grid-like Toronto was. Every street was carefully engineered, the rest of the ground littered in houses and buildings that appeared to all be a uniform greying beige. It was lifeless. Modern. Cubic. Robotic, even. And Phoebe loved it.

She gazed out the window freely, now, as the two older ladies had gotten off at Spadina. Cars trailed behind the street car slowly, unable to pass as a result of the illegally-parked vehicles on King. Most restaurants were empty. Phoebe knew that Tuesdays in February were detrimental to the food industry. She wondered when exactly the calendar marked the beginning of patio season. April? May? She wasn’t sure. It reminded her of the way she always forgot she had Springtime allergies until spring rolled back around, or how often it rained in Toronto until winter ended and the arctic tundra that encapsulates the city melts away.

She realized she was going in mindless circles. Phoebe did this often.

The woman spoke. The bell that measured distance and location and stops sounded. Phoebe got off, stepping into the crisp whipping wind and again stepping into the lobby of her apartment building.

Chester had swung the glass vestibule door open before she could go fishing for her key card. She shot the doorman a crooked smile with something between a nod and a head shake, and then cursed herself for being so awkward. But it didn’t matter--the leftovers in her fridge seemed far more important.

So important that she hadn’t looked at the screen of her ancient iPhone 6 in an hour and a half. And she probably shouldn’t have.

She practically dropped the damn thing when she saw the twenty-seven-minute-old notification.

@shawnmendes has requested to follow you.

____________________

“I declined it,” Phoebe spoke sternly, trying her best to conceal her voice’s urge to waver.

“You,” Sophie paused, stopping dead in her tracks. Phoebe couldn’t help but giggle, slightly embarrassed that Sophie’s rigid frame was splitting the mass herd of tired commuters walking up Church Street. It reminded her of Moses liberating the Israelites—except this was not like that. At all. She finished her question, even though it was more of a judgemental statement, “declined it?”

Phoebe pursed her lips, sticking her hand out to pull Sophie along. A male passerby in a blue suit was seemingly very annoyed.

“Come on,” she giggled.

“Only because I’m at risk of being trampled,” Sophie spoke curtly, crossing her arms and continuing their morning sojourn. She rejected Phoebe’s outstretched hand.

“Accepting it would come with a wave of teenage girls also requesting, and I really don’t need to be sifting through that. Also, I don’t know that my phone could take it,” Phoebe explained, now stopped on the corner as they waited for the LED walking man’s permission to cross the street, “just looking at my Snapchat memories crashes the damn thing.

“Plus,” Phoebe added after a brief pause, sorting the short list of reasons-not-to-jump-into-this that she’d mentally drafted the night before, “if I messaged him, he wouldn’t see it. He must get millions of DMs. And how the hell did he even find me? Bet he’s a total creep.”

“Excuses, Pheebs,” Sophie whined. She didn’t really whine, but she did in the brain of Phoebe—who didn’t want to hear it. “Just admit it.”

“Admit what?”

“That you’re a pussy,” Sophie spoke, but this time with a sly grin. Phoebe was many things, but a pussy was not one of them.

“You’re saying that to piss me off and then guilt me into condoning this behaviour,” Phoebe replied, trying her best not to get defensive. She was independent. Self-sufficient. Quiet, but brave. Not a pussy.

“Might be,” Sophie teased, tossing her empty coffee cup in a city garbage can as Phoebe grabbed the door to their office building, “really, though, just think about it.”

____________________

Heads had turned in the lunch room. Only three days since the incident, and Phoebe was positive they’d all seen her face on the cover of Daily Mail. She cringed.

It was like she was having a slightly more intense déjà vu as she spotted Margaret barreling in her direction, leather pants whaling “please save me” with each stride. Phoebe clenched her thighs, bracing herself for whatever was coming.

“Blondie,” Margaret called, and Phoebe tried her best not to roll her eyes. She wasn’t even blonde anymore; the winter’s lack of sunlight had turned her hair a light golden brown. But the unfortunate nickname stuck. “Phone’s for you. My office.”

The walk to Margaret’s office was nerve-wracking and so incredibly exciting that Phoebe was trying not to lose her lunch. Her space was nice. Not twentieth-floor-nice, but they were the gossip department, after all. This was as good as it could get.

“Who is it?” Phoebe asked gently, barely a whisper. She knew better than to question Margaret.

But Margaret Adams was a self-proclaimed “slut for pop culture.” And that’s why she couldn’t contain that she was ecstatic when she exclaimed, “It’s Mr. Andrew Gertler.”

Phoebe almost choked on nothing in particular. This really wasn’t going away.

Margaret sat across from her when she answered the phone. Phoebe’s eyes were trained on the roof of Kensington Market—a place she didn’t particularly like, but wished she was at in this particular moment.

“Hello?”

“Miss Bray,” she recognized the voice. It was indeed Andrew Gertler, the man who encouraged Shawn to “sell” that he was just happy to be there. What a fucked-up industry.

“Speaking,” Phoebe replied, unamused. Margaret shot her a look.

“Listen,” the man spoke, “nobody’s mad at you. That stunt you pulled was, well,” he paused, and Phoebe scraped her chapstick off her lower lip with her teeth. “Impressive. You’re sharp. You know the business. And while your actions were,” he paused again, and Phoebe’s stomach churned, “unacceptable, really, it made sense and it saved Shawn’s ass. He’s grateful.”

Phoebe nodded, and then realized he couldn’t see her, and then opened her mouth to verbally agree but Andrew was speaking again.

“It’s left us with one problem, though.”

“Uh,” she answered, meeting Margaret’s wide gaze, “yeah?”

“Shawn Mendes doesn’t have a girlfriend.”

____________________

“So?” Margaret questioned, her almost-black hair bouncing as she spoke with such animation. Phoebe wanted to crawl in a hole.

“You heard, I said I’d think about it.”

“Miss Bray,” Margaret began, and Phoebe clammed up a bit. It felt like she was in trouble, “you’re an intern for a serious magazine. And this,” she motioned to the phone, its wire coiled into an upward curve as if it was smiling at Phoebe. Mocking her, almost. “This is your department. Don’t you want this?”

“Want what?” Phoebe asked, leaning in a bit, not quite understanding.

“Phoebe,” Margaret spoke, flattening her frizzy hair to her head. It sprang up again. “You’ve been presented with the opportunity to be a part of a publicity stunt. Don’t you know how many doors that would open?”

Phoebe stared back blankly. The idea made her feel a little sick.

“Honey,” it felt as if Margaret was guilting her, now, “you’d see the ins and outs of the business. You’d meet high-profile people—the kind of people we write about. And you’d come out of it with a damn good story. One that people could read.”

That woke her up a little. Margaret was insinuating that Phoebe, an intern, might come out of this with the possibility of being published. She kept listening.

“They fly you around. You become known, people start reading us more to learn about you. You do this, Phoebe, and you’ll leave here the girl who fetches my coffee. You’ll return as a member of the team.”

Phoebe nodded and left Margaret’s office. She wondered if kickstarting a career was worth the price of dishonesty.

____________________

Andrew Gertler’s mysterious phone call was haunting, almost. It echoed in Phoebe’s ears as she rode the elevator to the fourth floor, remembering what it was like to run around the same very building as a little kid.

Her parents had split when she was only three or four months old, and her dad worked every Saturday. He’d send Phoebe to spend the day with his sister--her aunt--downtown. They did things. Explored Toronto and all its crevices, ensuring weekly day trips to places like the ROM and the AGO and the very niche, expensive shops in the Distillery District. It was magic.

Phoebe was only nineteen when her aunt died. She’d left her the apartment.

Things were so simple, then, Phoebe thought to herself with a chuckle. She once walked the winding hall as a four-year-old with nothing but the museum gift shop on her mind, but things were different now. It was time to grow up.

Phoebe was shocked to discover that Andrew seemed to have researched her entire life. He’d mentioned that he contacted the event staff and obtained a list of the names of each seat filler (which was massive). He then realized he could have just asked Rita—the headset-wearing lady with the clipboard—who it was that had planted herself in the lap of Shawn Mendes. Then he began the deep dive.

Found her Facebook, magically knew she’d attended the University of Guelph and graduated a year prior. He found it oddly convenient that like Shawn Mendes, she, too, was a Toronto native. “It makes too much sense,” he’d said. Phoebe disagreed. It made zero sense. At all.

He’d asked her if she liked her job. She answered, “I like my path.” This only encouraged Andrew, as he began to explain the benefits to her projected career that a stunt like this would provide. Phoebe couldn’t deny it—it did seem very sound.

But something was deterring her. Dishonesty? Taking part in the slime that was Hollywood? Serving the unfulfilling purpose of being nothing but a piece of arm-candy?

“Like, a prop?” she’d asked, in search of justification for the degrading feeling that was eating her from the inside-out, “I’m sorry, I just don’t see the point.”

She didn’t want to feed the beast that was show business. She knew it was toxic and unacceptable and just plain bad. But she saw the possibilities, and they were endless. This was her department. This was her—unfortunately—area of expertise. And this was her career. She was ready to call him back when her phone lit up, the pink square making her nervous. Instagram.

@shawnmendes has requested to send you a message.

She took a deep breath. Upon opening it, she laughed.

I really hope Andrew didnt scare you was all it said. It was innocent, and the lack of an apostrophe was making her antsy but she was reminded of his naivety and probable sloppiness. He was just a goofy twenty-three-year-old. And he didn’t ask for any of this.

She wasn’t sure if she was going to respond. Decided she’d sleep on it, because making decisions was always a better idea a few hours later.

Phoebe picked up her book, and Atwood’s words freaked her out.

They look around, bright-eyed, cocking their heads to one side like robins, their very cheerfulness aggressive, and I can’t help staring.

The women teeter on their spiked feet as if on stilts, but off balance; their backs arch at the waist, thrusting the buttocks out.

She wondered what she was getting herself into. Hollywood. Magazines. Glitz and glamour. She questioned if it was worth it.

We are fascinated, but also repelled.

I bet, Phoebe thought. The industry was a repulsive one. She was hesitant to read further.

“Excuse me,” he says to both of us, politely enough. “They’re asking if they can take your picture.”

The foreshadowing was uncanny. She wondered if her dead aunt or the wizard in the sky or some impossibly higher power was laughing at her from their living room in the clouds.

Modesty is invisibility.

It is in this business.

“Excuse me,” says the interpreter again, to catch our attention. I nod, to show I’ve heard him.

“He asks, are you happy,” says the interpreter. I can imagine it, their curiosity: Are they happy? How can they be happy?

Phoebe wondered if she was happy, and if she was about to become far less happy. If stepping into the public eye would make her into the shell of a woman that she feared so deeply.

We are secret, forbidden, we excite them.

Phoebe’s plump lips turned upward at the corners. Somewhere deep down, she longed to be a muse. A puppet, something to get the people talking. She thirsted for that power.

“Yes, we are very happy,” I murmur. I have to say something. What else can I say?

Her thumbs were unlocking her phone and typing a reply faster than her brain could stop her.

taglist: @ssweet-empowerment @tamegray @loveat2 @heyits-claire @martinimendes @shxwnmxndess @sunriseshawn @jollybonkpatroldonkey @jesuscheistkaren@casuallycoolcloud @sinplisticshawn @deafeningdeanhoagieturtle @rosieblondie @hannahlouiseee @change-perspective13 @abeautiful-and-cloudy-day @calthesensation @livsalzy

[imaginedanganronpa]

Please could you write some Saimatsu headcanons if you havent yet??

Saimatsu (Saihara Shuichi x Kaede Akamatsu) Headcanons!

These two met at Hope’s Peak Academy – they were in each other’s class but hardly ever talked at first. Saihara was friendswith Kaito and Kaede was friends with Maki, who eventually started falling forone another. Due to their mutual friends, Saihara and Kaede quickly bonded andsparked a loving, intense romance of their own.

Neither of them have a lot of dating experience, so they’re just a pair ofawkward lovebirds trying to figure this whole ‘relationship’ thing out together, one step at a time.

Although, Kaede is the one who really initiated everything. She’s the one whotook the plunge and asked Saihara out, as well as the one who planned theirfirst date and made things official. The Detective wanted to take charge,especially since Kaito had been encouraging him to ‘man up’ and do so, but hewas too flustered and hesitant to try.

Their first date was at a quaint little café shop – they lost track of the time andended up staying until closing. They were so lost in each other’s company and conversation that they didn’t notice the sun setting outside or just how many hours had flown by. 

Saihara walked Kaede home and made sure that she got back safely, and leaned in to kiss her cheek goodnight. He was too nervous to go in for a real kiss, but Kaede didn’t want to rush things so that wasn’t a big deal.

Needless to say, Kaede is the one who really leads their relationship. It was heridea to move in together, and she’s also the one who takes care of a lot of thechores and household necessities; but Saihara definitely isn’t a lazy partnerand does his fair share around the house.

They’re always holding hands; both of them love the physical contact and innocence in hand-holding. It makes them feel closer to one another. Kaede also likes resting her head on his chest when they’re in the privacy of their own home and listens to the relaxing sound of his heartbeat.

Typically speaking, Kaede wakes up first and will start preparing breakfast. Saihara will waltz into the tiny little kitchen not too long afterwards, still lazily blinking and half-asleep, then wrap his arms around her waist and nuzzle his face into her shoulder-blades before kissing her good morning.

But if he does manage to wake up first, he’ll silently memorize Kaede’s peaceful, sleeping face beside him. Saihara always wakes up to the feeling of her arms tangled around his body - it’s like when an animal falls asleep on you and you don’t want to move to wake it up. So, he patiently waits for his girlfriend to rise from her slumber, lovingly admiring all of her beautiful, soft features.

Kaede generally initiates the cuddling and kisses because Saihara is often too shy to do so himself, even after being together for a long time. She’s also much more clingy and dependent than he is, so that’s probably why she’s the one who usually asks for affection.

But when Saihara kisses her back, he does so passionately and roughly, which drives Kaede crazy. He’ll also gently rest his palm on the side of her face and wrap his fingers behind her head and in her hair, deepening the kiss and making it feel much more romantic.

Kaede loves resting her head in Saihara’s lap. He always becomes flustered when she does this, which is one reason why she loves it so much. His beet red, blushing face is the cutest thing.

And she wears his clothes all the time, too. Kaede will take them hostage and refuse to give them back, but Saihara thinks she looks so precious in his clothes that he doesn’t really complain. She’ll also be the kind of girlfriend to give them back after a few months when they stop smelling like him, just to get his scent back because that’s the biggest reason why she likes wearing them.

They love tracing each other’s skin. Running their fingers along the curves of their body, over the bumps, scars, stretchmarks and birthmarks. They love the feeling of having one another pressed tightly against their body and holding each other close, syncing their breathing…

They also really like taking baths together, especially bubble-baths. Intimacy is very discreet within their relationship and they don’t have the most exciting private life, so baths aren’t an inherently sexual thing for one another. It’s just the feeling of being so close and bare that they love so much. Saihara will also light candles around the bath and dim the lights to set the mood.

Holidays are a big thing for them - they go overboard when it comes to gifts, both spending lots of time and money on presents and trying to find the most romantic gifts possible. Kaede also decorates the house for everything - spooky decorations for Halloween, lights, wreaths, and mistletoe for Christmas, autumn leaves for Thanksgiving, and so on. They’re also the ones who host their Holiday parties for both friends and family because they love celebrating with loved ones.

They also make lots of crafty gifts - like cards, picture frames or collages, and very poorly drawn artwork.

Kaede wants a pet but Saihara is a little bit skeptical. After a lot of persuasion and convincing, they eventually settle on a black cat, since they’re pretty easy to take care of. Plus, Saihara likes the aesthetic of black cats.

Both of them are pretty nurturing and parental, taking care of one another when they’re sick. Because of this, if one of them becomes ill, they most likely will both be sick; then, they just lounge around in bed feeling like total crap for days, but they wouldn’t have it any other way.

And they’re both constantly checking up on one another, texting all the time, but they much prefer FaceTime so they can see each other.

When they’re texting, Kaede will send Saihara plenty of music memes and cute animal videos; he’ll send her some of those ‘wholesome’ memes.

They win Hope’s Peak’s Prom King and Queen for sure.

Kaede helps Saihara become much more confident in himself. After dating her, he becomes much more comfortable in his own skin and more vocal about his abilities. His self esteem skyrockets and he starts believing in himself much more, so he is truly thankful for her in every way possible. She’s helped make him a better man.

They’re a completely supportive couple, having each other’s back no matter what. They’re quick to come to one another’s defense if necessary and completely, utterly in love. It’s like they’ve never left the honeymoon phase of their relationship.

Sure, they bicker here and there but it’s never anything serious and they’re quick to make-up and apologize. It’s hard to stay mad at each other when their relationship is as healthy, smooth, and loving as theirs.

If Saihara has had a long day or deals with a particularly difficult Case, he’ll come home and Kaede will play the piano for him because it always helps him relax. He could listen to her play all day. Her music is one of his favorite sounds in the whole world, second only to her laughter.

- Mod Rantaro

[gatesofember]

Debut

PJO Arranged Marriage/Royalty AU Part 1

Rating: G | Pairing: Solangelo

Next | AU directory | Read it on AO3 (Recommended) | Arranged Marriage AU Masterpage

Summary: At six years old, Will is finally wearing grown-up attire like his father and older brothers and is old enough to attend public events, just in time for his aunt’s inauguration.  But Pluto is cold, his clothes are stiff and itchy, and the long journey in the carriage left Will sore, tired, and grumpy.  Just when Will starts to think that he’ll remain miserable for the rest of his life, his aunt introduces him to someone very special.

The journey to Venadica had been long and tiring.  Will hated sitting in a coach for longer than twenty minutes, so the weeks he had spent traveling had been miserable.  He’d ridden in the coach with his father and older brothers, Lee and Michael.  Michael had brought cards, so they’d entertained themselves by playing Quadratis for a while before they grew tired of it.  The scenery outside the windows of the coach changed as they left Jupiter and entered Pluto.  The golden fields that Will had seen on the countryside of Diana, his father’s duchy, had turned green as they traveled farther north.  The air became colder as the ground became rockier, and each day was more dismal than the last.  Early in the trip, Will had seated himself beside the coachman and had asked him questions about the new steering mechanisms from Vulcan, but as the weather cooled, Will found himself more interested in being inside even if the carriage was stuffy and crowded.

Apollo, along with occasional help from Will’s brothers, had spent part of the trip advising Will on how to behave when they got to his aunt’s ceremony.  Chiron—who was in the other carriage with Daphne, Will’s step-mother—had already gone over rules of conduct with him, but Will could be forgetful, so he appreciated the review, even if it was very boring.  This celebration would be Will’s first public appearance.  At six years old, he was finally grown up enough to go with his father and brothers and step-mother.  Will was relieved that he’d been given permission to attend the festivities; after all, Will’s aunt, Artemis, was being inaugurated the Matestra.

Artemis was not only a priestess—or soror, as priestesses were more properly called.  Long before Will was born, Artemis had left her younger twin, Apollo, to become the Duke of Diana when she took her Oath and joined the Sorority: the sisterhood of priestesses who served the protogenoi, cared for their temples, and led ceremonies in their honor.  It hadn’t taken Artemis long to be elected Soror Princepa, or high priestess, of Delphi—the most prestigious sororal position in Diana.  In fact, it was the most prestigious sororal position in all of Jupiter.  She had recently been elected Matestra of the Sorority, which made her the leading authority on all matters dealing with the protogenoi and worship.

Will liked his aunt Artemis.  He regretted that he would not be able to see her as often now that she would be living in Venadica, the headquarters of the Sorority.  Venadica was in Pluto, the northernmost of the three Romanus Terris, weeks away from Will.

Will was sore, cold, and grumpy when they finally arrived in Venadica.  He hadn’t been prepared for the weather; it wasn’t long before Pontonia and the temperature was pleasantly hot in Diana, but it felt like late autumn in Pluto.  Will worried that his aunt would never be able to get warm, but maybe if she was too cold, she’d come back to Diana to be with him.  After all, being Matestra was wonderful, but Will didn’t see any problem with being Soror Princepa of Delphi.

He, his brothers, and his father and step-mother stayed in a guest apartment in the Sororal Palace, while Chiron and the servants had rooms elsewhere.  Their apartment had five bedrooms, one for each of them, connected to a common room.  The Sororal Palace contained many guest apartments for occasions such as this, while the sorors themselves lived in another wing and the consors—non-sorors who trained and studied with sorors and helped the sorors with their duties—had rooms in a separate building.  Currently, some of the most powerful people in the world were gathering in Venadica for the inauguration—Will had heard that King Poseidon and his family were not staying far from them.  Will doubted he would have been invited if the new Matestra had not been his aunt; he was only a natural-born six-year-old boy, and not very important.

Venadica, despite the dreadful weather, was a beautiful city.  The architecture of the palace dated back nearly a hundred years, but the streets were modern; gravel laid over large stones in the ground to keep the streets flat.  All of the sorors wore grey and silver as a sign of their Oaths, while the puella—girls who were in training to become sorors but had not yet taken their Oaths—wore shades of brown.  In some ways, Venadica reminded Will of Phoebus, the capital of Diana, where Will lived with his family.  There were sorors and consors playing music at every corner, or showcasing their latest inventions, discoveries, and artwork at booths along the streets.  Will lost sight of his family a few times when he got distracted by a particularly interesting display, but Chiron always found him quickly.  Chiron knew to expect for Will to be absent-minded.  Will made friends with some of the youngest puella quickly and spent some time playing with them, but Chiron followed him and returned him to his family when he got too far away.

Will didn’t see his aunt until the inauguration, where he and the other members of Artemis’ family sat in designated seats in a balcony overlooking the Square of Aether—a large paved area directly in front of the Sororal Palace.  Each of the three royal and imperial families had their own balconies from which they watched.  The inauguration was followed by a celebration throughout the city, then there was a grand banquet in the dining hall of the palace.  Will spent the meal in silence, trying to behave himself.  His family was seated with Artemis and the families of King Hades, King Poseidon, and Emperor Zeus and even with all the reviews on proper etiquette and rules for conversation, Will was too nervous to speak.  Instead, he focused on using correct manners while eating, being sure to act politely and neatly.  Daphne caught his eye at one point and gave him a slight nod, as if she was trying to tell him he was doing well.

Later that evening, Will found himself sitting alone in the dining hall, resting his chin in his hands and sighing in boredom as a few groups of adults chatted about very important and dull sorts of things.  The rest of the adults were either dancing in the square or playing cards in the next room.  The puella his age had gone to bed by then.  Will probably should have, too, but he hadn’t wanted to leave his Aunt’s celebration.  Will’s older brothers were talking to puella and other guests their own age in the next room over, where they huddled around a table watching four people play a game of Quadratis.  Will wondered how Lee and Michael could stand it, after the rounds they’d played in the carriage; Will was sure he’d feel a sense of dread every time he saw a deck of cards for the rest of his life.  Meanwhile, Austin, who was three, was still in Diana with his governess, as he was too young to attend.  Will was at the awkward stage of being old enough to be present at the celebration with the adults and older children, but too young to really participate.

He’d had fun earlier that day, playing Stones-and-Stems and Wolf-in-the-Pasture with children from around the city.  They were mostly puella or the children of consors living in Venadica, but there were guests like himself, as well.  It had been fun to play outdoors after all that time sitting in the carriage, even though the weather had been terribly cold and Chiron had chided Will for getting dirt all over his clothes.  Will had been ashamed of himself; he’d been determined to act the part of a well-behaved, civilized young man at his first public appearance.  But despite his resolution, Will was devastatingly bored.

Will sighed again and shifted in his seat, trying to keep himself awake.  Maybe he should find Chiron to take him back to his room so he could sleep.  Before he could move, Daphne, who was conversing with a small group of sorors, gave him a sharp look and Will realized he was resting his elbows on the table, so he quickly removed them, sat up with a more polite posture, and ran his hands over the smooth, floral pattern of his purple waistcoat to straighten out the wrinkles.  It was stiff and itchy, but he had to admit that it was beautiful.  Will was still getting used to wearing the more grown-up style of clothing.  Daphne had attempted to tuck back Will’s unruly curls, but to no avail; none of Apollo’s servants were able to tame his hair.  They had at least managed to tie it back so he resembled something similar to a civilized young man.  His jabot had been tied far too tightly around his neck, but he resisted the urge to loosen it, reminding himself to be on his best behavior.

“Will?” said a voice Will recognized as his aunt’s.

“Your Divinity!” Will said in surprise, hurrying to get out of his chair and bow.  He nearly tripped and just barely stopped his chair from falling over.  “My apologies, Your Divinity.”  He bowed again, knowing that he was blushing to the tips of his ears.  His first appearance at a public event was not going well.  Will always ended up flustered when he met with his aunt.  After all, she was the Matestra.  He worried that he would disappoint her.

Artemis only smiled at him.  She looked stunning; Artemis was the youngest Matestra to ever be elected, and she wore the traditional silver sororal gown with effortless elegance.  Artemis had never needed to try to be beautiful, nor did she care much for fashion.  She was quite unlike the lords and ladies of Neptune Will had seen at the celebration, whose flamboyant sense of style was constantly evolving.  “No need to apologize,” she said.  “Can I not greet my nephew as kin?”

“Yes, Matestra,” Will answered with another bow.  “I’m honored.”

“You may take your seat, Will,” Artemis said kindly as she sat beside him at his table.  Artemis always had been fond of children.  She had inspired many young girls to become puella.  Will had heard rumors that Emperor Zeus’ daughter was intrigued by the idea of taking the Oath.

Will had always admired his aunt Artemis; a part of him secretly desired to follow in her footsteps and become a leader in the Sorority.  However, it was impossible for Will to do so; sorors were always women.  While Will was devoted and permitted to assist and become involved with the Sorority and its mission as a consor, he could not take the Oath.

Will and his siblings received a wonderful education, Chiron made sure of that, but Venadica still intrigued Will, even if it was unbearably cold.  Many young women and some young men travelled to Venadica for a formal education.  Venadica was known as the “City of Enlightenment” for a reason; the best minds in the world journeyed to Venadica to collaborate, study, and discover.  In fact, sorors and consors were sometimes called “venadi”—which meant “hunters” in the ancient language of Pluto—in reference to their search for knowledge.  Venadica itself was named for this pursuit of education, which was was often called “the hunt.”

Will thought he might want to become a consor to join “the hunt.”  Chiron was a consor and an excellent tutor, trained in Venadica just like Artemis.  Maybe Will could become a scholar, a tutor, or a healer, which sounded much more fun than being an earl of some county in Diana.  Plus, if Will moved to Venadica, he’d be able to see his aunt all the time.

Of course, it was a long way from home.  Will wasn't so sure he wanted to leave Diana.  If he already missed his younger brother so much, how would he fare if he wasn't able to see the rest of his family without traveling for weeks in a rickety, uncomfortable carriage?  And then there was the unbearably cold weather of Pluto to consider....

“Are you enjoying yourself in Venadica?” Artemis asked, pulling Will out of his thoughts.

“Oh, I am,” Will answered shyly, then he realized he was kicking his legs under the table and forced himself to stop and scolded himself for not behaving.  “I had fun in the city today.  The puella are very nice.”

“Yes, I’m fond of them, too,” Artemis agreed.  “I’ve always wanted to take you here.  I thought you’d enjoy it.”

“It’s too cold,” Will blurted out, then he blushed and stuttered out an apology.  “I do like it here, though.”

“It is quite cold,” Artemis said with a chuckle.  “Very different from Diana, isn’t it?”

“Yes, and very far,” Will said sadly.  “Will you come home to visit, Your Divinity?”

“From time to time,” Artemis answered.  “I will travel quite a bit now.  Maybe we’ll meet in a new city.  Wouldn’t that be fun?”

“Yes, Your Divinity,” Will said.  “Although I do not like to travel very much.  It is very boring and makes my bum feel sore.”  Will blushed as soon as the words were out and clapped his hands over his face in embarrassment, apologizing to Artemis yet again.

Artemis was laughing, however.  “It isn’t very pleasant,” she admitted, and Will set his hands back in his lap politely, trying to recover and behave in a more respectable manner.  “But for now, what are you doing sitting out here all alone, Will?”

Will felt guilty; Artemis probably thought that Will wasn’t enjoying himself and he didn’t want her to feel responsible as the hostess.  “I suppose I’m just sleepy, and all of my friends have gone to bed.  I didn’t want to be a bother to anyone.”

“You are not a bother to me,” Artemis said with a fond smile.  “Would you like me to help you find Chiron to take you to bed?”

Will almost said yes, but he didn’t want to force her to look after him.  Surely he could manage to find Chiron on his own.

Before he could answer, though, Artemis said, “Or, perhaps I could help you find a friend to accompany for the rest of the evening?”

Will perked up at that.  “But I thought everyone had already gone to bed,” he said.

“There is one boy your age,” Artemis replied.  “He is in the square dancing.  Why don’t you go outside with me for a while?”

Will considered, then he nodded and slipped out of his chair to follow Artemis out of the dining hall.  “His name is Nico,” Artemis told Will as they walked.

“Like the Prince?” Will asked.  He’d been studying the names of important people that would be at the gathering.  Nico was the son of King Hades and about the same age as Will—

Wait.

Oh.

Oh.

Artemis seemed unaware of Will’s sudden panic and merely lead Will outside with her hand on his shoulder.  Will had never met a prince before; he hadn’t even been introduced to Princess Thalia or Prince Jason of the Juvian Empire, where he lived.  He quickly thought over the instructions Chiron had given him on what to do if he was introduced to someone of a higher rank than his own.

Outside, Aether’s Square was filled with light and music.  An orchestra of sorors was performing while a group danced on the paved stones.  Ordinarily, dances would take place indoors, but too many people had attended Artemis’ inauguration for it to be held inside; the celebration was open to everyone in Venadica and guests from all over the three countries had been invited.

Aether’s Square was beautiful.  There were lanterns on top of posts everywhere, so Will could see everything as clearly as he would if the sun had been up.  Chiron had told him that the square was always well-lit; it was located so that the daylight illuminated it starting at dawn, and the lanterns cast a warm glow when it was dark.  After all, the square had been named for the protogenos of light; the sorors considered it their duty to keep the area bright.

There was a massive fountain in the middle of the square depicting a scene from the aftermath of the famous battle between the protogenoi and their traitorous children, the titans.  Sculpted in the center of the fountain, the likeness of Gaea, protogenos of the earth, held the dying body of her daughter, Rhea: the only titan who had remained faithful to the protogenoi.  The story frightened Will’s younger brother, Austin, but Will thought it was beautiful.

Artemis stopped before the group of dancers and told him they would wait until that set had ended.  The formal dances that always started celebrations had already finished, and now there were more casual group dances.  Will preferred the group dances; they always seemed more lively.  Men and women danced, trading partners and meeting new faces while music filled their ears and the beautiful twirl of skirts mesmerized Will’s eyes.

“His Highness is on the other side of the orchestra, at the fountain,” Artemis told him, and suddenly Will’s anxieties were back.  He’d forgotten who Artemis was planning to introduce him to when confronted with the beauty of the square.

“Your Divinity, is it proper for me to meet His Highness?” Will asked nervously.  “Do I have permission to speak to him?”

“Certainly,” Artemis said, giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze.  “I am introducing you.  I know His Highness quite well; I have served the royal family on more than one occasion.  His Highness is an amiable young man; I think you will get along.”

Will didn’t know what “amiable” meant, but he felt reassured nonetheless.  When the dance ended, Artemis started to lead Will towards the fountain, but they were stopped by Will’s father.

“Your Divinity,” Apollo said with a polite bow to his sister.  “So you were with my son!  I was looking to ask you to join me in the next set of dances, but it appears you’ve already found a partner.”

Artemis scoffed good-naturedly.  “Are you neglecting your wife, brother dear?” she teased.

Apollo’s lips pursed, losing the good humor he’d had just a moment before.  “She is otherwise occupied.”

Artemis gave Apollo a look that Will didn’t understand, then she turned back to Will.  “I’m taking Will to meet Prince Nico,” she explained.

“Prince Nico?” Apollo repeated.  “Well, then, take Elpis with you, Will.  Act politely and you’ll do wonderfully.”  He looked at Artemis and said, “This is quite an honor you are giving my son.  Thank you.”

“Of course,” Artemis said, squeezing Will’s shoulder fondly.  “I’ll always look after my nephews.  Pardon me for a moment and I’ll return so I may accompany you for the next dance set.”

“Then I shall wait.  May the moirai smile on you, Will.”  Apollo bowed to his sister again before disappearing into the crowd.

Apollo likely meant to inspire confidence in Will, but he’d really done just the opposite.  He nearly jumped out of his skin when Artemis patted his back and started to lead him towards the Prince again.  Will had been prepared to talk to people of a higher status; he knew that as the family as the Matestra, he would be near the royal and imperial families.  However, Will had not been prepared to be personally introduced to the Prince of Pluto.

Artemis brought him to where a dark haired boy was sitting on the low wall around the fountain, watching as the dancers reassembled.  Will’s immediate thought was that he looked like a lively young man.  The Prince was smiling while he admired the dancers and the light from the lanterns sparkled in his dark eyes.  His legs were swinging back and forth, heels clacking against the wall in time with the orchestra.  He was dressed similarly to Will, but his clothes had a more Pluton style; the waistline was higher and the fabric looked heavier, and the outfit was far more radiant than Will’s.  The brocade was green with gold accents and the buttons on his waistcoat were impeccably polished.  He was quite pretty; his face was lovely and his expression was pleasant.  He had sharp, regal features like his father, King Hades, but he wore them entirely differently.  He looked bright and handsome rather than strict and serious.  Will had seen the Prince earlier that day, of course, but only from afar; he’d seen the royal and imperial families at the inauguration and he and the Prince had been at opposite ends of Artemis’ table during the banquet.  He looked less threatening than Will expected; in fact, he looked quite friendly.  And yet, Will felt intimidated.  Nico was still a prince.  He was dressed much more beautifully than Will, his hair was in place, and he looked perfectly at ease, while Will felt like he was going to shake right out of his breeches.

“Your humble servant, Your Highness; I hope you find this evening agreeable,” Artemis greeted when they reached the Prince.  She bowed and Will quickly followed suit.

“I wish you a good evening, Matestra!” the Prince said with a wide grin.  “I hoped I’d see you tonight!  Could we play a game of Acies later?”

“Of course, Your Highness,” Artemis answered.  “We’ll play tomorrow; it has gotten far too late to start tonight.  Besides, I would like to introduce you to my nephew.”  Artemis put her hand on Will’s back and urged him forward, as he’d been lingering slightly behind her, fidgeting nervously.  “Your Highness, may I present William, son of my brother Apollo, Duke of Diana.”

Will’s bow wasn’t low enough or long enough and he stumbled over his words when he said that he was honored to make the Prince’s acquaintance.  The Prince cocked his head to the side as he looked Will up and down curiously, then he grinned again.  “How do you do, William?  May I call you Will?”

Will nodded.  “Indeed, Your Highness, whichever you please,” he said, trying to sneak back into the comfort of his aunt’s shadow.

Artemis put her hand on his back to prevent Will from hiding.  “Then with your permission, Your Highness, I will take my leave.  I promised my brother a dance.”

Nico nodded, then Artemis bowed and gave Will a smile before she left Will with the Prince.  Nico looked Will over again with the same curious expression as before.  “Why are you all alone?” Nico asked.  “Have you no friends?”

Will was going to explain that his older brothers were busy and his younger brother was in Diana, and everyone else had gone to bed, but he was still so nervous that he only managed to shake his head.

“No need to worry; I can be your friend,” Nico said.  He patted the space next to him on the edge of the fountain.  “Come sit with me.”

Will nodded and tentatively walked over to the price before hoisting himself up on the wall.  He tried to keep his posture right, but Nico was leaning back on his hands, swinging his legs like he didn’t care about showing proper etiquette.  Will wished he could be that brave.

“You see that girl there in the green gown?” Nico said, pointing to the dancers.  A few children older than Will and Nico were dancing off to the side of the square, mimicking the steps that the adults took.  “She is my sister, Bianca.  Did you know that Bianca is the best archer in Pluto?  She won this year at the Rhegalia archery competition for young archers.  She told me that she wants to be in the Sorority but I don’t want her to be a soror because if she’s a soror I won’t be able to see her as often.  So I told her, ‘Oh, no, Bianca, that won’t work; you’ve got to be the queen.’  You know, during Rhegalia, Bianca gave me this ring as a gift.  She commissioned it from a silversmith in Vulcan, isn’t that amazing?”  When he held out the ring for Will to examine, Will nodded in appreciation and smiled, not quite sure what the right thing to say was.  He didn’t want to embarrass himself in front of Prince Nico.

Nico, however, didn’t seem to mind, and he kept talking.  “And see the boy in blue next to Bianca?  That’s my friend Prince Percy.”  Nico broke off with a giggle.  “Did you know Percy can sail?  He has a boat!  I like boats, especially the big ones.  Do you like boats?”  Will nodded—boats did seem amazing now that he’d heard Nico talk about them—and Nico cocked his head to the side.  “You’re very quiet,” Nico observed, but Will was unable to get a word in before Nico started talking excitedly again.  “Did you know that in ancient Pluto, they cut out people’s tongues if they were bad so they couldn’t talk?  Isn’t that wonderful?  Do you have a tongue?”  Will nodded and promptly stuck it out to demonstrate, then he quickly drew it back into his mouth and blushed, stuttering an apology for his behavior.  But Nico was giggling and he stuck his tongue out at Will, too.  Will stifled a laugh behind his hand.  Sticking your tongue out wasn’t terribly rude, but it was quite absurd.

“Say, have you ever played Acies?” Nico asked.  “I just started.  It’s quite a delightful game, you know.  My tutor is teaching me.  It’s just like a real battle!  I wish I could be in a real battle, but my tutor tells me I can’t have any weapons.  My sister gets to play archery, but no one lets me play.  Bianca is getting a new set of Acies figurines made for me.  Did you know that if you have a praetor and a centurion with the same color gemstone on one tile, they receive a bonus making their combined power equal two praetors?”

Will shook his head.  He’d seen people play Acies, but he never joined in; it was a very complicated game.  Will wasn’t able to keep the rules straight and he could never focus on the game long enough to finish a round.  After a devastating loss that had occurred in under ten minutes, Chiron had merely sighed and told Will he’d teach him to play when he got a bit older.  Will wondered how Nico was able to remember all the rules or sit through an entire round; he must be very clever to be so good at it.  Maybe he’d ask Chiron to try teaching him again when they got back to Diana.

“My new figurines will be made of black marble this time,” Nico went on.  “I had a wooden set before.  Anyway, what games do you like to do?  Do you like cards?  I love Quadratis.”

“Um, well, I am bored of cards,” Will admitted.  “I played them too much.”

“Really?  You can get bored of cards?  Then I should play them less often; I don’t want to get bored of cards.  You know, when I get older, I’m going to learn to play Belli.  My tutor says I’m too young for that game and it’s too difficult for me, but I don’t think so.”

“I like to play Wolf-in-the-Pasture,” Will piped up, thinking himself very brave for adding to the conversation.  He liked listening to Nico talk and he wanted to say something interesting, too.  Maybe he’d even impress Nico.

Nico looked puzzled.  “What’s that?” he asked.

Will was shocked that Nico had never gotten to play, but he politely explained the rules.  It was a game children liked to play outside in the summer, when one child would be the “wolf” who had to catch the other children, who were the “cattle.”  When the “wolf” caught a “cow,” that “cow” became a “wolf,” too, and that went on until all the “cattle” had been caught.

“That sounds amazing!” Nico said.  “We should play!”

“Oh, well, you need more than two people,” Will explained.

“That’s okay!  You might not have friends, but I do.  I will share them with you.  Follow me!”  Nico jumped off the wall and gestured for Will to hurry up.  He led Will to the children who were dancing in the square and, without hesitating to interrupt, he grabbed Bianca’s sleeve and tugged on it.  “Bi, listen!” he said.

The Princess missed a step in the dance and looked at her brother in irritation.  “Nico, I said I’d dance with you the next set,” she said.  “I promised Thalia first.”

“This is more important,” Nico said.  “Percy!  Jason!  Come listen!  My new friend Will has a game!”

Will suddenly found himself being stared at by three princes and two princesses while he stumbled through his explanation of how to play Wolf-in-the-Pasture.  Nico rocked on the balls of his feet excitedly as Will spoke, which Will found quite distracting.  He found himself blushing at all the attention he was getting.  Will didn’t enjoy being the object of everyone’s focus; he preferred to leave that to his older brothers while he stayed in the background with Austin.  However, Will did like the delight on Nico’s face when he nodded along as Will spoke, looking like he was very proud of the new friend he’d found.  

Nico insisted on being the wolf.  The others—Bianca, Thalia, Percy, and Jason—agreed without bothering to argue.  Will got the feeling that Nico usually took the lead when it came to games.  Percy said he knew a place that was less crowded where they could run around together.

Will had always been good at Wolf-in-the-Pasture; he was a fast runner and was usually the only cow left at the end, or, if he was the wolf, he’d catch the cattle quickly.  But usually, Will played during the day wearing much more comfortable clothing.  Will was counting on his usual speed to impress Nico, but he stumbled on a bit of uneven paving and Nico caught him by smacking his arm, then he laughed and said, “Now you're a wolf, too!”

Will shook off his mortification at having been caught so quickly when he saw how happy it made Nico, so he just smiled and nodded when Nico said, “Now you go get Jason!”

Thalia ended up being the last person to be caught; Will was proud to say that he had been the one to get to her in the end.  Nico beamed at Will in pride when the game was over and said, “You’re very fast, even if you are quiet.  How did you get so fast?  Did you let me catch you?  I want to be fast.  Are you fast because you don’t talk much so you keep all your breath for running?”

Will wasn’t sure how to respond, so he just smiled and said, “I enjoy running.”

“What about dancing?” Nico asked.  “Do you like to dance?  I like to dance.  Come dance with me!”  He took Will’s hand and called out to the others to follow him back to the musicians, where the six lined up to take part in the next dance.

Will had taken dance lessons, of course, but he forgot nearly all the steps when the music began.  He apologized when he almost stepped on Nico’s foot, then Nico frowned at him and said, “Don’t you know how to dance?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Will answered, his eyes focused on their feet.  “I...I forgot how this one goes.”

“That’s no matter,” Nico said cheerfully.  “I can help you.  Bianca and I like to dance together, so I’m very good at it.”  Nico was good at it.  In fact, there didn’t seem to be much that Nico wasn’t good at.  “See, fifth position, slide to fourth position, slide to third position, back to fifth.  Not so hard, is it?”

“No, Your Highness,” Will agreed, following along with Nico’s steps.

“Do you dance minuets?” Nico asked.

“I am learning,” Will replied.

“I love minuets.  Bianca and I practice the minuet together.  No, no, Will, that’s second position.  See?”

“Yes, of course, Your Highness.  My apologies.”  Will looked up at Nico and blushed.  They were about the same height, their bodies an appropriate distance from one another but still very close.  It suddenly occurred to Will that he had physically touched a prince a few times that evening, and he wondered if there was some rule against that.

Nico smiled brightly, his dark eyes glinting in the lantern light.  “You’re doing well,” he said, and Will forgot all about his concerns.

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Will said, flushing darker.  “You are very talented.”

“Yes, I practice quite often,” Nico repeated.  “If you practice, you can be good, too.”

Will nodded.  “I will, Your Highness.”

“Good.”  Nico nodded.  “Next time, we can dance a minuet.”

Will voiced his agreement without putting much thought into it.  He didn’t know when he would see Nico next, so he made a promise to himself to learn to dance a minuet when he got back to Diana.  He’d have to learn to play Acies so that they could play a round, too.  He’d talk to Chiron about it the next chance he got.

The dance ended and Nico scurried to steal his sister from Percy for the next dance, leaving Will without a partner.  Will stepped to the side quietly to wait, unable to ask any of the others to dance.  After all, they were princes and princesses, all older than he was.  He could not be the one to ask them to dance.

Will stood by alone, watching Nico and his sister dance in admiration.  The Princess was a much more skilled partner than Will and Nico kept up with the steps easily.  The siblings looked beautiful, with Bianca’s skirts fluttering and Nico’s laughter ringing in the air, their feet moving in perfect synchrony like they knew each other’s movements as well as their own.  Will wished he could dance like that.

“Well, nephew.  It seems your evening was a success.”

Will nearly jumped out of his shoes when Artemis appeared next to him.  “Um, good evening, Your Divinity,” Will said sheepishly, suddenly becoming aware of the fact that his shoes were no longer shining, his clothes were wrinkled, and his hair was poking out of its tie.  Will brushed off his coat and shuffled his feet in shame.  “I was playing,” he offered in explanation.

“I can see that,” Artemis said, looking slightly amused.  “Chiron is taking your brothers to bed.  Would you like me to escort you to your room?”

Will glanced back at Nico and Bianca and the others, then said, “Can’t I bid His Highness goodnight?”

“Of course you may,” Artemis replied.  “I believe they will be taken to their rooms shortly, as well.  It is very late.”

“Thank you, Matestra,” Will said, playing with his sleeves nervously.  “I have behaved myself very well.  We are friends now.”

“I never worried,” Artemis said as the dance drew to an end.  Patting his back, she said, “Go on, Will.  Say your farewells.”

Will nodded and hurried over to the Prince when the music came to a close and bowed in greeting.

“Oh, Will, would you like to share the next dance?” Nico asked cheerfully.

“I....” Will glanced over to his aunt for guidance.  She had said it was time for bed, but it would be rude to turn down the Prince.  Artemis smiled and waved her assent, so Will turned back to Nico and said, “I would be honored, Your Highness.”

Will stumbled and shuffled and tottered through the steps as Nico reminded him where to move his feet, feeling very embarrassed, but mostly happy.  Will usually wasn’t a bad dancer, but he was so nervous that his feet wouldn’t do what they were supposed to.  But when Nico merely laughed every time Will lost his footing, Will laughed, too.

He was sad when the dance set ended, but he bowed to Nico and said, “Thank you for dancing with me, Your Highness.  I regret that it is late and I must take my leave.”

“I had a pleasant evening,” Nico said.  “Thank you for the new game, and be sure to learn to dance better for next time.”

“Yes, I will.  I bid you a good night, Your Highness.”

“A good night to you as well,” Nico said.  He held out his hand, palm facing down, and Will faltered for a moment before bowing and kissing the back of it.  He’d seen his father and mother being greeted that way, so he didn’t think he did anything wrong, but Nico giggled at him when he stood back up.  “Farewell, Will.  May Aether light your way.”

“And may Ouranos look on you kindly,” Will replied, and with another bow, he left Nico to return to his aunt.  Artemis looked pleased when she put her hand on Will’s shoulder and guided him back inside the Sororal Palace.

“It seemed to me that you enjoyed His Highness’ company quite a bit tonight,” Artemis observed as they climbed the staircase to the east wing.

“Oh, yes, Your Divinity,” Will answered.  “Many thanks for introducing me to His Highness, Matestra.”

“It was my pleasure,” Artemis said with a smile, her eyes looking thoughtful.  When they made it to the floor where his family was staying, Artemis added, “You would make a good friend for His Highness.”

“I hope I will be able to meet him again someday,” Will said.

“Yes,” Artemis agreed pensively.  “I hope for it, as well.”  She smiled and placed a hand on Will’s shoulder when they stopped in front of the door to Will’s family’s chambers, then she leaned down to look at him eye-to-eye.  “And I hope you’ll come to visit me here in Venadica every so often.  It may be very far and very cold, but I think you’ll find that the City of Enlightenment has much to offer a bright young man like yourself.”

“Do you mean...I could be a consor?” Will asked, his chest fluttering with warmth at the thought.  He could study in Venadica?  He would be able to see his aunt all the time and grow up to be bright like Chiron, and then, perhaps, he could be a tutor for Lee and Michael’s children.  He could be a healer.  He could be a philosopher.  If he became a consor, he’d be able to do nearly anything.  Even learn to dance a minuet and play Acies.

“Give it some thought,” Artemis replied.  “Sleep well, nephew.  We will say our farewells tomorrow, but I don’t believe the moirai will keep us apart for long.”

Next

[inkskinned]

“make the princess speak and you will have the crown of kings.”

my knees hurt, as usual, from scrubbing. technically i’m too high of Maid Station to help out with these things, but i like seeing what happens when you clean. the development of things. how a lot of effort can make something. i like learning and trying and working hard to get towards something.

and i’ve seen them, from the back of pillars, from behind cracked doors, from beside her (on the best days) the way they talk to her. oh beautiful won’t you just look at me. oh darling. if you speak i’ll be your prince. if you speak i’ll be your king. 

the princess, i know, finds the lines of suitors boring. it’s in the way her hands are always moving. she hides yawns, leaves early, we make her apologies. once, a man comes and tries to startle her into screaming. she rolls her eyes and looks directly at me. i have to hide my smile behind my sleeve. he is taken away while still screaming.

by accident, i find her once, crying. when we imagine princesses, they always cry daintily. hers is hoarse, angry, and something in it breaks me. in my station i should apologize and bow and leave. instead i am frozen, watching her shoulders heaving.

she looks up and spots me, her cheeks ruddy. i know i should go but instead i make a big show. i act as one of her princes. i make grand gestures and speak in deep voices. i frantically offer her handkerchiefs and trip over my own two feet. a smile crawls up over her, slowly. i dab my sweat away and offer her the used rag. i feign a fluster, turn a terrible cartwheel, make shadow puppets. the sound of her laugh, raw and rusty, sends shivers through me.

for a while, i do not see her after this. but then i am called to her chambers. she is crying again. i offer silly gifts, pebbles and dusting rags and a candlestick from her own kitchen, pretend to steal it, use it as a hat, rock it as a babe. she laughs more easily this time, gladly, and when she laughs i am taken by more important maids, thereby officially Excused.

it goes like this for months. the winter comes. i rarely see her. i spend my week thinking about ways to please her. i knick interesting cookies, show her shiny buttons, learn to cartwheel in a full skirt, and then promptly how to make it look foolish again. i learn how to juggle hot bread and dance as a man would, i learn how to balance on a ball and how to fall down without hurting myself, how to fake a fight with my own body, which colors she likes and which don’t please her.

i show up on a cold eve with a knotted line of scarves hidden down my sleeve, worried and breathless, wondering why she’s been crying. the door opens and she is sitting there, happy. at first i’m confused, but she waves me in. next to her is her small dessert, in two containers. i’m not sure how to respond, so i fake a fall to hear her laugh, and then sit at her feet. she gives me ice cream - so rare a treat. i know what went into making it - the hours of shaking. it’s smooth and tasty. i don’t feign my reaction, but she laughs anyway, kindly. 

it goes like this. i see her more frequently. she likes giving me new things, watching me discover i hate kiwi and love oranges and would die if it made her laugh breathlessly. i’ve made her keel over with cackling and she’s put a fire in me. sometimes we just sit there, quietly, enjoying each other’s company. 

it’s in her hands, always moving. little things i thought were just her, fidgeting. here’s how she says she’s thirsty, this is what her hands do when she needs a second to think, here’s how she shows she’s happy. this is how i learn to speak back to her. around her i spend much of my time smiling. i feel every visit is a gift. a new part to unravel. i find out she doesn’t respond to spoken things, that she needs to be looking in order to know you were speaking. sometimes she has me talk and she holds her hands to the base of my throat, her eyes wide and wondering. sometimes she just looks at me and i forget that i’m her jester in chief. i get caught up in her eyes, in how expressive they are when she’s happy, in how when she’s sad i feel like i’m drowning.

i never see the king or queen, but i know when she’s had a visit with them, because she never comes back happy. two winters i have known her, two winters and now we dine frequently. i am often called to stand beside her, to whisper translations of her desires into the ears of someone more important than i, someone who gets to be the voice of royalty. i can’t decide if i’m her friend or her plaything, but i don’t know i care much of the distinction. every moment i’m near her is a moment free of friction. i take stock of suitors and curtsy to them in daylight only to mock them in the candle’s eye later.

she asks me one night to stay. it has been a bad day. it’s completely not okay. i cannot say no but i cannot, by my station, stay. but she begs with her eyes and her hands and i know i’ll take the punishment. 

we lie beside each other. i make sure to turn to her when i speak. in the dark she can’t see me, so i move my hands in the way i’m learning. she asks if i am ever lonely. i cannot tell her that i am always lonely without her beside me, so instead i say i think all people are very lonely and just are pretending. she laughs a little at that and says she thinks her parents are the two most lonely people that ever met. her mother was like her; broke a fairy curse and talked, just once, although nobody knows what she said. well, excepting her father, who was the only one around, and who won her hand in marriage.

from her mother she learned the art of hands, of speaking without words - from her father she learned that who she was included a curse. that she just wanted someone who would make her open like a rose - someone who could fix her. how she stared out into the royal garden and wished on flowers to be what her kingdom needs.

she fell asleep pressed against me. i couldn’t breathe. i was still awake in the morning. 

the punishment never came. we spent nights like this. the handmaidens had grown to know me. whenever their princess was stubborn, i worked magic and made her lovely.

it was a terrible thing. i did too good a job, i think. the princess glowed too much or shone too brightly - or at least, i saw it that way, so who knows what the truth is. every day it felt like we were being rushed with princes. 

her father’s temper at hosting failed. it was the day before her twenty-first birthday and first time i’d ever seen him. he stormed in at the end of the session. “just speak!” he said, “it’s not that hard! do for others what your mother did!” 

“tomorrow is your last day of this,” he warned her, “either you pick a prince or i pick for you. i’m done with it.”

he stormed off. she was left shellshocked and trembling. that night she didn’t ask me to come, but i waited outside, just in case she changed her mind. i understood why she needed space. either she’d speak and be married tomorrow or she’d be married shortly. i heard her crying and it took everything in my power not to rush in and hold her, cradle her gently. but i cannot come into a room of a royal person without being invited. i stayed there, tears in my own eyes, thinking of treason.

the next day was a huge festival. what had been a birthday celebration was turned into a day about princes. i watched her shake her head. i tried to cheer her up. i tried everything. i frequently came inches from causing public humiliation, toed the line of mocking and failing to acknowledge my station. she wouldn’t smile. not once. not even for anything.

the day was long. the bonfire wore down. i watched her crumple into herself. i was out of ideas. i knelt at her feet. her eyes barely looked at me. just wait, i said to her with my hands, i’ll be right back. i took off running.

the price of stealing is losing my hands. these things that i spoke to her with. these things that mattered so much to me, that helped with my comedy and cleaning. 

i didn’t think of them. i bloodied my fingers when i ripped the royal roses from their stems. and then i ran, as fast as i could, back to her feet. i picked them to show you, i said, as she gasped, looking at my treason, they’re beautiful and nobody told them to open to reveal their secrets to the bees. they are unbroken. as you are. as you always will be. 

she fell off her throne and for a second i was beyond speaking, worried something had happened, or she’d fainted, or i’d said the wrong thing. but then she was on her knees, her arms around me, and i heard it. i heard the soft croak of her speaking. just one word, and it sent shivers down me. my name, in her voice, awkward and unwieldy, but full of love and passion, burning fire through me.

i felt a hand on my shoulder. i was pulled away from her. they already had me in handcuffs while i struggled to get back to her, to tell her i loved her, to beg her to run off with me or maybe just hold me around her, maybe just have her for a moment, because i couldn’t live without her for a moment longer.

they put me in the cells. i rotted in there, for a while or for no time at all, i’m not sure. the thorns scarred my palms. i watched the scabs build up and flake off. every time someone came down, i flinched, wondering if i would be the next to be taken and chopped into bits.

but one day the light was different. not the smoky torch of the jailer, instead a bright light in a lantern. at first when i saw her, my breath caught in my throat, mistaking her for my princess.

but she was my queen. at first we stood in silence. and slowly, i moved my hands to speak. is she married? is what came out, even though i should be more worried about me myself and me.

she is not. she bit her father on the arm when he tried to make her. then she fought him. and then ran away. it took us a bit to find her, i’m afraid. she threatened her own life and the life of everyone in this place. the queen was smiling. i was told there was a young woman who could make the princess speak, whom she would die to save, who brought roses to her feet. someone in a cell, rotting. are you her?

the memory of her voice rang through me. i’m she.

yes, her hands said, for even now, aren’t you speaking to the silent Queen?

she opened the door. come, she said, let’s get you cleaned up for the ceremony.

the crown of kings. when she wraps her arms around my neck and laughs next to me, i am royalty. when she smiles or makes a joke or asks to see my cartwheel again, i’m lost in her. i kiss her whenever i can, which is often. we have roses in a vase at the base of our bed, and for all of the kingdom, i’d give my hands if it would keep her laughing.

the next time she spoke was just once, at our wedding, where she said the two words i do to bind us for eternity. she had learned from me, from holding her hands over my voicebox, the way i learned from her how to use hands to speak. sometimes at night she says my name, just because she likes what it does to me.

i’m more blessed than a king. every day i spend with her is a day i spend happily. 

[jisungsmochi]

I Can’t Remember - Ong Seongwoo (college!au)

Here’s another installment of my wanna one x 5sos lyrics series! 

(lyrics are in itallics)

words: 2.5k 

college!au 

OK LETS GET IT

--

“Hey pretty girl” Ong Seongwoo approached you while you were walking to your next class on campus.  You knew who he was, you would be living under a rock if you didn’t. He and his friends were almost the kings of the campus. They threw the wildest parties, and overall had a reckless reputation. But not every person in the group was the same, otherwise you would never be friends with Hwang Minhyun. He was the one you felt had at least some idea on how to stay focused on actual school work. So when Seongwoo approached you, you had no idea how to react, you had never spoken to him before, despite being mutual friends with Minhyun, and you had no classes with him either. His personality seemed a bit too extreme for you, maybe that’s why you didn’t associate with him. It wasn’t like you hated him, you had no reason to, you just knew your personalities wouldn’t match that well.

“What’s your name?” he asked, placing himself so that his arms brushed against yours.

“it’s y/n” you bluntly answered while looking at the ground.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Ong seongwoo and while we’re conversing, what’s your number?” he slyly slipped into the conversation.

“I’m sorry, what?” you looked up at him for the first time since he started talking to you.

“what’s your number, there’s a party tonight, you can come if you wanna! I even have the keys to my dad’s yellow Hummer!” he explained quite quickly, leaving you more confused.

“I’m sorry, but I barely even know you, and parties aren’t my thing” you declined, feeling bad you turned down his offer after he kindly asked.

“Oh, it’s okay, maybe you’ll change your mind. Here’s the details though. See you around” he awkwardly smiled at you before walking away. You sighed softly, maybe he didn’t have such a big ego as people expected.

You were having your next class with Minhyun. While the teacher was writing notes on the board, you leaned over to him.

“Psst, one of your friends asked me to go to a party tonight.” You told him.

He looked at you with a blank expression before saying “and I’m guessing that was Seongwoo. Look, you don’t have to go, but I think you’ll have fun. And besides, Seongwoo doesn’t just simply invite people in person, he usually just sends a mass text to the invite list.” Minhyun explained to you. You were even more curious now. Why did Seongwoo only invite you in person? Even when he didn’t even know you that well.

“do you think it’s weird that he asked me?” you tried to find some perfect explanation.

“sort of. But you shouldn’t worry about it, just come. You’ll have fun and meet some new people. I’ll be there if you wanna leave, and I’ll walk you back to your dorm” Minhyun offered, giving you an encouraging smile. He seemed convincing enough.

“Okay fine, I’ll go. But don’t tell Seongwoo, it’s going to be a surprise” you chuckled to yourself, causing Minhyun to just nod along. Maybe you’ll have fun after all.

“Took a minute but I found my mates,

she was there acting cool

so we made her wait.”

Seongwoo showed up to the party later than the rest of his friends. He had been driving around in his dad’s yellow hummer, picking up alcohol and other party supplies they needed. Once he arrived, he instantly laid his eyes on you. You were standing next to Minhyun, with a cup of sprite in your hand and your arms folded as Minhyun was talking about his plans for the night, which consisted of taking care of the other boys. Seongwoo nervously walked up to the group of boys and you, greeting each boy. Once he reached you, he couldn’t speak. You gave him an odd look before greeting him instead,

“Hey, how are you?” you asked awkwardly, causing him to smile.

“I’m pretty well, I thought you said you weren’t coming” he continued.

“yeah, but I had a change of mind” you explained.

“You wanted to see me again, didn’t you?” his comment caused you to blush, you were flustered and didn’t know how to reply. He just laughed along, and shook his head.

“and may I just say, you look amazing” he whispered in your ear, causing you to look at him with your mouth agape. He laughed even louder at your expression.

You smacked his shoulder lightly before rolling your eyes.

The night was just getting started.

The night took many different twists and turns. Daniel and Sungwoon were dancing on tables, while Minhyun were smacking their feet in order for them to come down. Jisung and Jaehwan were observing Woojin and Guanlin playing ping pong using their heads. Daehwi was on the dance floor, challenging random people to have a dance battle. Jinyoung was recording him because he ended up dance battling a pot plant. Jihoon on the other hand was pouring water into people cups and telling them it was vodka, to see if they would act drunk. While all of this was happening, you were sitting outside of the reckless house, with no other than Ong Seongwoo.

You two had been talking for a while, just getting to know each other. While you were happily sipping on your 4th cup of sprite, he was downing whatever alcoholic substance he had been consuming throughout the night. You felt like you were dragging him away from the party, but he wouldn’t leave your side.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go and party?” you urged him slowly.

“But I like talking to you” he looked up at you, not saying anything else.

You didn’t know how to reply, but as you were about to open your mouth, Guanlin interrupted you.

“Um yeah sorry to interrupt, but Seongwoo, Jaehwan got his head stuck in a vase again. We don’t wanna break it because we know it’s your mum’s and like, what should we do?” Guanlin stuttered, feeling embarrassed of the situation.

“Oh for god’s sake, Jaehwan. I’m sorry but I’ll be right back” he spoke to you, you nodding in reply. He rushed up and ran into the house. You looked at your phone and saw it was only 10pm. You decided to find Minhyun and give him a break from controlling all those kids.

After Seongwoo was forced to smash his mother’s vase in order to get Jaehwan’s head out. He completely forgot you were outside waiting for him. Instead, his friends were offering him drinks to thank him for his sacrifice. Seongwoo skulled down the drinks, immediately feeling the after effects. He screamed at the top of his lungs and made his way to the dance floor, going absolutely ballistic.

Meanwhile you were outside with Minhyun, talking about your time with Seongwoo.

“So was I right? You had fun tonight, didn’t you?” he smirked, softly nudging you as you sat at the door step of the house.

“I hate it when you’re always right, but yes, I did have fun. Seongwoo is an interesting person, to say the least” you chuckled. Minhyun nodded in agreement.

“Does this mean that you likeeee him?” Minhyun teased. You shoved him hard, causing him to spill some of his drink.

“I don’t like him like that! He’s just good company!” you defended.

“Alright, whatever you say” Minhyun rolled his eyes at your response.

The next few events seemed almost unbelievable.

It wasn’t until the next morning, where everything had to be pieced together.

The 11 boys were scattered all over the house, falling asleep on the oddest places. Daniel and Sungwoon were laying on the kitchen counters with left over snacks surrounding them. Jihoon and Guanlin were asleep in the laundry, Guanlin laying on top of the washing machine as Jihoon found a comfy spot on the tiled floor. Woojin fell asleep in one of the storage closets, Seongwoo had in his house, using random items to use as a blanket and pillow. Jinyoung and Daehwi were passed out in the living room, but rather than laying on the couches, the boys’ bodies were distorted into some awkward positions as they laid on the carpeted floor. Jaehwan fell asleep while sitting on the toilet, he wasn’t using it, he was simply waiting until he sobered up, so he could go find a spare room to sleep in, but eventually just dozed off while sitting upright. And as expected, Jisung and Minhyun gained access to a guest bedroom and fell asleep peacefully.

As for Seongwoo.

There was a bit of a situation.

He woke up in his own bed, but he was lying next to you.

“Last night what a blur,

woke up lying next to her,

last night, made a mess

doesn’t get better than this”

Seongwoo’s eyes widened at the sight of you peacefully lying next to him, cuddled up with one of his pillows. You were dressed in one of his shirts, making him look at his own body to see that he himself didn’t have a shirt on. This made him worry even more. Did you and him do something last night? Did you, you know, do the deed? There were so many things going through his head. He wanted to ask you himself but felt bad if he woke you up. Instead he checked his phone, he had 25 texts and a call from his mum. Last night must have been good, because Seongwoo really can’t remember a thing.

Seongwoo made his way to his bathroom, to see Jaehwan sitting on his toilet. Seongwoo let out a high shriek, causing Minhyun and Jisung to wake up from the guest bedroom next door.

“What the hell?” Seongwoo groaned, pushing Jaehwan’s shoulder, who instantly woke up.

“Dude I’m sorry, I lost track of time and I was tired and ugh, wait. Bro, where’s your shirt?” Jaehwan questioned, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Ah, shit. I-it’s none of your business!” Seongwoo defended. At this point, Minhyun and Jisung were at the bathroom door.

“For god sakes Jaehwan, pull yourself together!” Jisung sighed before pulling the younger boy with him, downstairs.

Minhyun eyes Seongwoo up and down, realising that he was only in his boxers at this point.

“Minhyun! What the hell happened last night?!” Seongwoo frantically asked, pulling at his hair and pacing back and forth.

“You really don’t remember?” Minhyun chuckled lightly.

“No! and I’ve got the biggest headache, I need aspirin, my head’s killing me” Seongwoo opened the bathroom cabinet and pulled out some aspirin. Minhyun just rolled his eyes at the clueless boy and went downstairs to meet the rest.

Seongwoo groaned loudly, chasing Minhyun down the stairs.

“Tell me what happened!!” he yelled while skipping down the stairs, meeting the rest of the boys.

The boys were now all staring at Seongwoo, still in just his boxers, and laughed hysterically.

“Gosh you’re a mess” Daniel snickered, slapping Seongwoo on the shoulder.

“Hey, who was that girl from last night anyway?” Daniel further commented, causing the other boys to giggle in response.

“who? Y/n? WHAT DID WE DO? SOMEONE TELL ME!” Seongwoo spoke harshly.

“We didn’t DO anything” they all turned to see you at the bottom of the stairs, in Seongwoo’s shirt and shorts.

“Well, we didn’t do anything like what you’re intending” you sighed, crossing your arms as you joined the boys.

They were all speechless. You dragged Seongwoo upstairs again, back into his bedroom to explain everything. He secretly liked how you held his hand while dragging him up the stairs. You closed the door behind you, he took a seat on his bed while you sat across from him.

“you got really drunk last night” you started, not looking into his eyes.

“I think we had established that” he chuckled lightly, trying to make the air not so tense.

“Seongwoo, you went streaking passed your neighbour’s house! Someone was going to post it on Facebook. And if our professors see something like that, you could be in huge trouble” you began to explain. That would be a reason why he didn’t have a shirt on, sort of.

Seongwoo placed his head in his hands, unable to look at you at the moment.

You sighed before patting his shoulder, “But luckily you have the best friends on the planet. Daniel and Woojin went to beat up the dudes who were going to post it” you tried to relieve him. Seongwoo just nodded, not saying a word.

You felt awful that he was embarrassed of his actions. You pulled his hands from his face and held them in your lap. He looked up at you finally before saying

“I’m usually not like this. I know I party hard but I wouldn’t do this normally. There isn’t any excuse for my behaviour” he shamed himself, tears almost falling from his eyes. You sighed softly before further explaining.

“Do you know what you did for me last night?” he gave you a confused look before shaking his head, your hands still holding his.

“I got a bit tipsy myself, and you were the same, not as drunk as earlier. I kept complaining that I was cold in my dress and that I needed someone to hold me” you began, his smirked when you mentioned someone holding you.

“And you decided to literally take off your shirt and give it to me to change into, right in the middle of the dance floor in front of everyone. I appreciated it a lot because you did it so instantly! You also gave me a pair of these really cool basketball shorts which are comfortable as heck by the way!” you giggled softly at the entire situation, causing him to smile widely at you.

“and that’s why you’re still in boxers and I was next to you, because you held me through the rest of the night, and I appreciate it very much”

before he could say anything back, you pressed your lips against his, pushing him down on the bed, laying on top of him. His eyes widened with disbelief. He was really kissing you? You were kissing him? It seemed like a dream.

You pulled away shyly, pushing yourself off him. But he decided to pull you back down, looking at you softly.

“I really like you” he almost blurts out, still smiling like an idiot at you.

“I really like you too” you whisper before pecking his cheek lightly and pulling yourself away from him, sitting upright.

“I just have one question” he smirked at you, making you feel a little uneasy.

“sure” you shrugged it off.

“did you like the video of me streaking?” he winked at you before bursting into laughter. You hit him on the shoulder playfully as your face started burning red.

Gosh was he gonna be a handful.

[shoyoboops]

KIM TAEHYUNG’S NOT SO STRAIGHT TENDENCIES (a.k.a his gayest moments) PART 1

(I cannot provide media proof since that’ll take a lot of time, but if you observe Kim Taehyung, you’ll get what I’m saying. Also, my native tongue is not english so I’m gonna have to ask you to excuse my shortcomings lol)

Before anything, I’d like to say that I acknowledge that Kim Taehyung is definitely a beautifully unique person who has shown time and time again how a person can have so many different sides. I am aware that he is the embodiment of affection and appreciates physical contact BUT SOME THINGS BEYOND THIS ARE JUST HARD TO IGNORE.

1.      Muscle Kink

-This may be something the less observable fans may have overlooked. There have been several instances when our dear Taehyung had been a little bit too enthusiastic about feeling up other men’s biceps and abs. I have seen him many times, feeling up the other members, particularly Hoseok (in one of the latest Bon Voyage episodes), Seokjin (during their earlier days), Jimin (occasionally, I distinctly remember him feeling up Jimin’s abs) and Jungkook (on several different times, he even bit his biceps for fuck’s sake). Even Namjoon from time to time. And I’m certain that he had not only felt them up casually, if his lip bites were anything to go by. (BONUS: His whole reaction to that one shirtless crew member during one of the episodes in Bon Voyage S2?! He was definitely checking him out, look at the video I posted if you wanna know what I’m talking about)

-We all know he also has an affinity to being carried. I have never seen him show any negative reaction when being manhandled by his members. I expect that we all know his legendary moments when he purposely climbed onto other members’ backs for a piggy back ride or randomly clings onto them like a koala. I have seen videos from 2014 til today that can prove this. I remember that Seokjin tended to play around with him and carried him bridal style during their fansigns earlier back then. Also, he seemed very happy when Nate picked him up when they were saying goodbye during AHL. I’ve also seen him demand piggy back rides from Hoseok, Jimin and Jungkook. Sure, he may have complained during a particular BTS Festa back then about Jungkook throwing him whenever he annoyed the maknae, but seriously? Why would he even bother Jungkook again and again if he knew the outcome was him being thrown around their dorm? The maknae even said that he’d repeat annoying him for about thirty times? Something doesn’t seem right there. (Also, while “complaining” I didn’t really see him be seriously troubled by it? I don’t know if it’s just me).

-Did you also see how he held back his smile and tried to hide his excitement when he got a piggy back ride from one of is Hwarang members during a photoshoot? Our Gucci boy literally had sparkles in his eyes. (Also in Hwarang, when Hyunsik just did the ‘dip’ with him? Y’know that that step in salsa. During one of their photoshoots/interviews, when his hyung finally finished his shoot, he went and bulldozed Tae off his feet. I didn’t see him complaining though, he even had a huge smile).

-When Seokjin got pissed at them (him and Jimin) during ISAC 2017 and he carried Taehyung towards where he threw his shoes, our little Taetae was giggly the whole time and was completely flustered when it ended. (Also with Seokjin, when they were promoting the Wings album, he suddenly clung onto him and let himself be carried just like old times).

-The legendary Taekook moment during their concert in Japan. I forgot where it was (Nagoya?). It was around 2016, if i’m not mistaken, when he got on Jungkook’s back during their “Attack  on Bangtan” performance. He clung to him like a life line and he was truly enjoying himself. (Bonus: when he also asked for a shoulder ride).

-Let’s not forget the instances when he just praised other members’ bodies. Like, saying “Rapmon-hyung has the best body” and “Jungkook has a nice body”. I’m sure there are a lot more, but I can’t remember.

2.      Girls

-Before anything else, I’m not ruling out any possibility of him being interested in the opposite gender (because girls are fucking hot, trust me), but he has not shown any genuine interest in them? I know that some of the fans would mention the Star King thing? The one where this girl was teaching them exercises. I honestly get annoyed when they make inappropriate jokes about this because there was nothing really sexual about it at all? I mean, yeah, he glanced from time to time but wouldn’t it be awkward and disrespectful to not look at an instructor? (Others may say “but what about his facial expression?” Bitch, what facial expression? All I saw was him trying to do the exercise and being in slight pain while doing so because he doesn’t exercise regularly for shit). You can also see that he was seriously trying to get the position right so he observed well (he even did that cute little wall exercise for couples with the other male mc).

-I also notice that in award shows, he doesn’t look particularly enthusiastic about girl group performances. Sure, he dances along to the catchy ones but unlike other people, he doesn’t really give that much attention to it? (I understand that it is disrespectful for them to stare, but I don’t think he feels the urge to do so, he can give sneaky glances but I don’t see him doing that. Just pure enjoyment and appreciation of music).

-During YamanTV (?) I’m not sure if the title is correct. One male MC suddenly felt the need to voice out his opinion about Taehyung’s looks. Out of the blue, he praised Taehyung for being very handsome (which made him shy), and then added “you must be very popular with girls” which stopped him momentarily from talking (he laughed at the comment), but then just continued talking like nothing happened.

-His general non-chalance about how girls could perceive his actions. There are a loooooooooooooot of instances like this. When he was MC-ing with this other female idol, and he just acted naturally goofy the whole time; when he added sound effects to his comments when BTS and Twice were being interviewed about their songs (he got shy at first like how most people would react but he got over it instantly and went to do aegyo while imitating the girl group’s song); when he literally twerked over the speaker during New Year(?) while the other members of Red Velvet stared at him like he’s a madman during an award show; AND his shameless flirting with his members during award shows, while in the presence of female groups e.g. Taejin being playful at MAMA and TAEKOOK goofing off during Golden Disk Awards while girl group members were literally behind them).

 3.      Spontaneous moments

-I think he is generally a spontaneous person and gaddamit, he does some pretty questionable things when his bout of craziness comes around:

-When he kissed Jungkook’s ears during one of the Festas, I literally just stared for a few seconds because WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT? (That’s how not you get voted as the favourite hyung).

-Seokjin’s graduation where he swiped some cake from Jin’s lips with his thumb and literally sucked it, then smirking immediately after. (JESUS CHRIST)    

-In their earlier days when he grabbed the back of Seokjin’s head and pulled him in until they were nose to nose (in an AIRPORT WTF).

-Randomly acknowledging another man’s attractiveness. He would praise Hoseok from time to time, saying he’s the most handsome; suddenly saying that Jungkook is sexy during bon voyage season 1 AND (this one took me by surprise) When they were in one interview with the Hwarang cast and they were watching some memorable scenes, Tae said “You’re so handsome” out of the blue when he saw Hyungsik’s character THEN he proceeded to be flustered and looked like he didn’t have the intention to say it out loud like that. He said it with a somewhat exasperated tone that fangirls have when they come to admire their male crushes. He was so shocked that he voiced it out and became silent afterwards.

-Playing with male idols’ ears. This has somewhat become an endearing move when it comes to Taekook since he does it to the maknae all the time, BUT we should also take note that he does it to male idols who catch his interest (?) Bogum and Sungjae eventually became his friends, right? AND SPEAKING OF BOGUM. No, I’m not gonna talk about their Jeju date since straight men can also have “platonic dates”. Admittedly, it was very cute though. I am, however, gonna point out about Tae’s fixation on him. I have seen Tae interact with several idols and, for me, none of them had caught Tae’s interest as much as Bogum did. When he first saw him MC-ing during an award show, he immediately played with his ears and sent several glances in his direction the whole time. (Not to mention he barely even looked at Irene, who was also MC-ing with Bogum even though she was the one talking). It was also said that he approached Bogum first backstage and asked for his contact. Then when he was asked during celebrity bromance, he said that he contacted Bogum every day. Also, out of all his friends idol friends outside Bangtan, he only ever bothered to set up pre-planned dates with Bogum. You know what? I’ll talk about the Jeju thing anyway. Why would he choose to spend the day immediately after a tiring concert, to immediately fly to Jeju with him during one of their rare rest days? (I’m not implying that they’re dating, what I’m saying is that there is definitely an attraction that comes with that much effort, BONUS: have you heard of the Korean reddit user who said Bogum bought him a drink when he was in PULSE (a gay bar) and stated that Bogum had a super famous person with him that night and they left together?). Having said that, he may find comfort in hanging out with people who…share his sentiments.  

-Finally, the randomest shit he’s ever done this month. Sit on Jeon Jeongguk’s lap. Come on, you’re lying of you say that that didn’t surprise you at least a little bit. (BONUS they were both so GENUINELY flustered when it happened, it kinda looked like it felt awkward for the other members).

NOTE: This is part 1 and I basically put all the light stuff here. The heavy stuff is for the part 2. So, I’m sorry if you think this was a waste of time, but I think part 2 is where the serious stuff is at. I’ll be mentioning there his relationship with members, some BigHit stuff (Stigma and the like) and a little about his background

AGAIN: I AM NOT STATING THAT HE IS GAY. He may be perfectly straight and is actually just a very VERY touchy person BUT please respect my opinion and I will respect yours. I WILL LOVE HIM NO MATTER WHAT HE IS AND NO MATTER WHO HE LOVES SOOOO…UNTIL THEN :)