#<- approx translation?

[mikumoduleoftheday]

Today’s Miku Module of the Day is:

桜歌爛漫綺譚蒐 by kirisame !

[demigodpolls]

calling all PJO fanfic readers!

In the interest of acknowledging great works by fandom writers, DemigodPolls is going to share a big year-end collection of 2024 Percy Jackson fanfic recommendations! In the comment section below or on this AO3 post, leave recommendations for the best PJO fanfics you've read - but there is one major rule: they MUST have been published or last updated in 2024! No exceptions! Reblogs are turned on, but please do NOT leave your recommendations in the reblogs/tags! They will not be considered! Before commenting, make sure that you read the additional specifications below the cut first. If you have nothing to recommend, please do reblog to help support fandom writers and spread the word! Thank you!!!

What we want:

strong grammar

strong writing skills

accurate/interesting depictions of PJO characters

angst/romance/drama/adventure/friendship/character studies/etc

accurately tagged stories (i.e. stories that don't surprise you with untagged triggering content)

stories written with love for the percy jackson universe and its characters

What we DON'T want:

stories that were published/last updated before 2024

stories about ships that would be age-inappropriate in canon, unless the characters are CLEARLY aged up in the story (e.g. no olympians x teenage characters, unless the younger character is explicitly an ADULT when they first meet in the fanfic)

stories that contain non-c*n, inc*st, p*dophilia

stories under 1000 words

stories that fall under "character x everyone"

stories about original characters (stories that contain some OCs in non-protagonist roles are fine, character x reader/self-inserts are fine)

stories that bash other ships/characters (i.e., don't recommend percabeth fics that bash rachel/perachel)

stories that contain non-PJO crossovers (except for RRverse crossovers, i.e. pjo + tkc is fine, toa alone is fine, tkc alone is not, pjo + harry potter is not)

stories that contain gore/extreme violence/extreme bodily harm

stories that contain cheating/infidelity (I just don't want to read those, sorry)

dialogue-only fanfics/texting-only fanfics

stories that contain W*TTG sp0ilers

can I recommend multiple things?

yes! just make sure to categorize them correctly under the relevant prompts.

can I recommend my own story?

yes, but you are highly, highly encouraged to simultaneously recommend at least one other fanfic that you yourself did not write - let's spread the love! (not required)

is smut okay?

yes! but you must specify clearly that the story contains smut in your comment, and please don't use explicit/overly sexual language in your recommendation. I also reserve the right to refuse to consider stories that contain k*nks I don't want to engage with. (ab0, hardcore bd$m, parental name k*nk to name a few)

are non-english fanfics okay?

you are absolutely welcome to recommend non-english fanfics to others in the comments! but I will not be able to put them on the final recommendation list, because I only speak english and I cannot personally vet their contents, cannot observe their grammar, and could be terribly misled by a translator. I'm very sorry! however, if you would like to put together a similar recommendation collection of non-english stories, I'd be happy to promote it on this blog.

is percico okay?

someone asked about this specifically, so here's my stance: percico is a controversial pairing due to the debated inappropriateness of the canon age gap (approx. 3 years). I personally consider 3 years between minors to be juuust beyond my comfort zone (2 years), so please respect my decision to abide by my own comfortability and refuse to consider stories that feature age gaps of this size or larger involving minors. however, you can recommend percico fics where the age gap is explicitly made smaller, or fics where nico and percy are both explicitly adults! this same rule applies to any other ship in a similar circumstance - check the wiki for canon ages if you're unsure! (and to be clear, this is solely about ages, not about the individual merit of the pairing itself. respectfully - this is me drawing a boundary about what I am comfortable with, so do not argue with me on this topic).

is caleo okay?

this pair is even more controversial nowadays, so here's my stance when it comes to weird magical circumstances: within the logic of the pjo universe, some things that seem strange from a mortal perspective are standard within the books. i.e., it's not weird to date fellow demigods, even if the person you're dating is technically your aunt/uncle/cousin/etc. likewise, it's not "weird" for a teenager to date an immortalized or de-immortalized teenager, because... I genuinely don't know, that's just how the book logic works. for that reason, caleo works are accepted. we're going to apply this same logic to pairs like theyna, which could also potentially have murky circumstances (although I do consider thaluke to be especially iffy, because it heavily depends on the situation that people write them in - so if you're unsure, go ahead and submit it, and I'll use my best judgement from there). however, I cannot begin to express my extreme disinterest in discourse about immortal dating ethics - like, I would rather do anything else. not trying to be sassy here, but I'm going to ask you guys to not pick a fight about these topics, for the simple reason that I have zero interest in debating over situations that could never occur in real-life.

are incomplete/discontinued stories okay?

yes! I'd prefer stories that have at least three chapters, but this is not required. completed one-shots are also fine!

If someone already recommended a story that I like, should I vouch for it?

if you would like to, then absolutely!! you can respond to the appropriate prompt from this account in the comments, or you can reply to the person making the recommendation. just make sure to explicitly state which story you're advocating for.

Comments that do not follow these guidelines may be deleted!

How to make recommendations:

There are two places in which you can make your recs! You can click here to leave them on an AO3 mirror of this post, or do so in the comment section below. If the latter, continue reading. Please leave the story name, author username, story rating, main ship, and main characters in your comments - and if you'd like, definitely add some words about why you like it! AO3 direct links are not necessary, but super appreciated. But if it's not on AO3, please ensure that you make clear where exactly I can locate the story. In the comments below, you'll see comments that you can reply to, sorted by ships/lack thereof. Please sort your recommendations by replying to them accordingly (i.e. if you want to recommend 2 solangelo fics and 1 valgrace fic, leave the 2 solangelo recs under the solangelo prompt, then do the same in the valgrace prompt). You MUST explicitly state somewhere if the fanfic contains smut. If you're not sure where to put your recommendations, make your best guess - but absolutely do NOT intentionally mis-categorize your recommendations (i.e, if the pair is not canon, do not put it in the canon pairing section. Seriously. This makes things much more difficult for me while organizing fics, and I'll probably delete your comment anyway.) Lastly, please be mature about shipping. Nothing irritates me more than fighting about percy jackson ships in 2024. If you see fanfics recommended about pairings (or characters!) that you hate, do the mature thing and just scroll past it/do not engage. Character hate and ship hate is not tolerated on this blog. I am very serious about this - if you are starting a fuss about ships/characters, your comments will be deleted and your account will be permanently blocked. Respect your fellow fandom-mates! I will do my best to moderate this comment section, but before looking through them, please understand that I am not responsible for your individual well-being, and there may be fanfic recommendations that are not appropriate for minors/might contain triggering content/etc.

Here's a little form for those of you who find this easier to use, but you don't have to use it!! However, PLEASE do include the following information in your comment regardless:

story name: author: rating: ship: main characters: additional comments (what's it about? why do you like it? etc):

Don't forget, fanfics published/last updated in 2024 only!

Thank you so, so much for participating! The collection won't be published on this blog until late December, so until then, take your time, check those bookmarks, and read new PJO fanfics! Much love to all of you ♡

- demigodpolls

(art by @viria)

(dividers by @cafekitsune)

[idiotmf]

Alien scientists who just really want to study you

Another one of my most recent favorites is my alien boy Xyon. Can you tell I'm a whore for 'y' in names? It's a curse, really.

Also, in case it's not blatantly obvious... I'm introducing characters and beings that I wanna write some good ol' smut on later. (▰˘◡˘▰)

For good measure: Minors scram, for the rest: there's going to be NSFW themes but they are more biological in nature.

A/N: Please feel free to point out typos and grammar wrongdoings so I can obsessively fix them. I write these on my phone and chances are I'm fat-fingering this tiny keyboard, since I use my thumbs for typing. Also, English isn't my first language, so there's also that.

This post is pretty long and covers a more in-depth explanation of this Alien species because I wanna use this as a reference sheet later...

Anyways, here's some random lore dumping about Xyon, Xenians and Xen'jai, their native planet.

As you may have already noticed, I loooooove naming patterns. In the previous post it was my shadow demon boys Aryllus and Oryllion, here it's Xyon, his planet Xen'jai and as you'll come to find, most of the other things related to his planet also start with an X. Here is why:

1. Language:

In the native language of Xenians, the X represents a prefix referring to a life form. Xenians are the people, Xen'jai is their planet, and Xyon is a person. Linguistically speaking, especially for humans, the X doesn't translate as such, it is a complicated sound that a human cannot reproduce and the closest possible sound for an accurate translation. (Can you tell I spend way too much time world building?)

Speaking of their native language, Xenians do not speak the same way as humans do; rather, they communicate via a mixture of various noises, including clicking and verbal sounds that could only be described as waving sheet metal in the air. Imagine this but less goofy and with various pitches, echoes and clicks.

For storytelling convenience, they of course possess a translator that can both pick up foreign languages and translate their own. Although I have one story where they just fully cannot communicate for a long time and that one's wholesome as heck.

2. Appearance:

Xenians are in principle considered humanoid. They have two legs, two arms, a head and a torso. Their posture is slightly different, due to the differing gravity on their planet, so their spines are entirely straight, rather than curved like a human's, which gives them a rather uncanny look at first glance. Although if you do meet a Xenian, honestly that is probably the last thing you notice about them.

The first thing is most likely their height. Xyon himself is between 2.5 meters (approx. 8'2) and 2.8 meters (approx. 9'2), which is considered average for a male of his species, with females being slightly taller on average at 3 meters (10 feet). A male Xenian, if threatened or putting on a mating display, can stretch its spine and torso to appear larger and more threatening. Females are incapable of doing so, but as larger and more intimidating presences, they have no need for it.

The bodies of Xenians are covered in fine, dark blue fur, even if it appears as skin to the naked eye of a human. Like the fuzz you have on your face, but more prominent.

Their gray skin underneath is almost leathery to the touch, which can be examined on their long, almost reptilian tails that serve multiple purposes, such as balance, showing emotions and affection, or can be simply used as an extra arm to grab onto things.

Their faces aren't exactly faces. It resembles more the face of a cat, featuring a short snout and a flat nose, although there are no visible nostrils, as Xenians have millions of microscopic openings in their noses to absorb and filter air. Just like felines, Xenians have sharp teeth and retractable claws, paw pad like palms and soles and most importantly, slit pupils, making some humans speculate that perhaps they are a species of highly intelligent bipedal felines. Xenians do not have whiskers or any of the like, since their tail does most of the work for them.

Unlike humans, Xenians do not wear clothes. Despite being a highly advanced race of what used to be carnivorous hunters, Xenians have no sense of embarrassment from appearing naked. They do wear an exoskeleton which serves various protective functions, however their genitals are sheathed, making Xenians appear genderless to the unschooled human eye.

3. Social Constructs:

Xenians are social creatures. They live in large groups, much like humans, often with their families until they are old enough to train for their purpose.

Unlike humans, Xenians are born with a 'purpose', a path chosen for them that they must follow; Xyon's purpose lies within studying intergalactic life forms. Thanks to their technology, calculations for things such as possible base intelligence, strength and overall health are possible before a Xenian even hatches, promoting not only the growth and increasing intelligence of an already highly advanced race but also unethical practices, such as culling of unhatched eggs with undesired traits. This may appear highly disturbing to humans but is extremely common and even considered a relief amongst Xenians, as they lay between five and twenty fertilized eggs that may hatch, yet only ever one to three Xenians hatch and reach maturity due to culling, keeping their race from overpopulating their rather small planet.

Xenians, while not the sole creatures of their planets, are the most intelligent, much like humans on earth. They have moved past their need for food, instead consuming gel-like substances with all their needed nutrients and calories, yet they will occasionally initiate fake hunts with competing parties as entertainment, much like a human would play a game of soccer with a friend. However, they do not kill any animals, rather using their own version of AI to calculate intricate escape routes and keep the game interesting.

While Xenians have both male and female as a base sex, gender and gender roles do not exist to the same extent as with humans. Taking care of hatched eggs is usually done by either of the parents, sometimes a different party entirely, as some Xenians live in mating groups. It is usually the male-coded Xenians that try to impress female-coded mates with their displays of stretching their torsos, however, same sex relationships are common, since mating isn't about offspring but mainly about spirituality.

Which brings us to the point you probably came here for lol...

4. Mating:

Unlike humans, Xenians mate for life, using pheromones present in their sexual fluids to claim each other once a bond is established. Mating is considered highly spiritual, finding a mate is an extremely important part of a Xenian's life.

As mentioned before, some Xenians will live in mating groups, featuring various different partners, which is a fairly new occurrence and sometimes frowned upon by followers of traditional mating practices, which are still upheld on Xen'jai but due to their beliefs in equality, those who frown upon this practice are usually frowned upon themselves.

Xenians with male genitalia possess two sheathed and usually hidden phalluses, which are extremely close together, like fingers on your hand. Both can be slightly moved and serve different purposes. The upper, smaller one can be quite similar to that of a human in both size and shape, it serves to fertilize eggs present in a Xenian with female genitalia, which renew with a new cycle of their native moons. This smaller phallus is extremely sensitive, much like a clitoris and the only of the two that can ejaculate.

The larger one on the bottom is solely used for pleasure, as female-coded Xenians have a mechanism that only allows for impregnation during heightened pleasure, thanks to an additional opening inside their equivalent of a vagina, which only stretches during arousal to let sperm through. Being used for pleasure, their larger phallus has evolved to be able to bring just that. It is both thick and long, covered in small bumps that secrete lubricant for ease of mating but also serve to stimulate the insides of their partners.

As you may be wondering, does a Xenian of the female sex have two vaginas, then? The answer is no. During mating, eventually both phalluses may be inserted into the female, which is a lot easier than you likely imagine, since their insides aren't as tight as that of a human (which is a delightful discovery Xyon makes when he gets to fuck a human for the first time).

Unlike female humans, Xenians do not possess a clitoris, another delightful find for Xyon, all of their pleasure is derived from the nerves inside of their vagina, most of them connected to the muscle that controls whether sperm can be let through or not.

Just like humans, Xenians have contraceptives, since sex is occasionally rather casual. They work differently, however. It is a gel, that must be applied to the smaller phallus, killing sperm as it comes out and blocking the production of mating pheromones that initiate a bond, by triggering the partner to release their pheromones as well. In case of a relationship that is made of two males, both must apply this gel, in case of female only, it is neither but can be triggered with a pheromone dispenser to initiate a female-female pheromone bond.

This is considerably longer than I thought it would be and I still left a lot out to shorten it... Like I didn't even mention that you have to teach him what kissing is and Xyon gets obsessed with it, or that they subconsciously wrap their tail around things and people they like, which... I'm sorry but that is adorable to me... (╥﹏╥)

At first I tried doing the cool headcannon thing some people do with bullet points but I just cannot keep myself short enough to do that*. I also just have a preference for flowing sentences, rather than bullet points. But man...

Anyways, yes, this is a reference sheet once I get into writing some good ol' Xyon x reader smut. (≧◡≦)

I also have another Xenian boi, Xenon, who is a geologist, rather than a biologist but he is still very new and there isn't a lot established yet. Xyon is far more fleshed out and I'm going to introduce him a bit more too, maybe along with some smut.

* as evident from this ending note lmao

Dear gods, I have so many established fantasy worlds I wanna share, so my next lore dump is probably in sight, if I'm not already writing another one.

[cabinyote]

I couldn't get my hands on the Delicious in Dungeon Manga (at least not for under 20-40€ PER VOLUME FROM 3RD PARTY SITES.), so I did what any sane person would do....

I downloaded each manga page individually, put them into a pdf file, imported the pdf file into a book-making website, created a cover for the book and ordered it to be made :))))))

And the trial and error-process only took approx. 12 hours!!!

Sane! Yippee!

-

I just wanna add to this:

•) This is self use only- And the translated version/pages was/were downloaded from a site where people translated the Manga themselves!! :> They had a Ko-fi. I bought them a Koffee. Sure I could've bound the book myself. But I didn't have the recourses, space, time nor mental capacity,,,

•) No I can't share the pdf files :( I wouldn't know how. I can barely even figure out how to use tumblr haha. Hah... hhh

•) I used a website called "Bookmundo"! There's lots of daughter-websites that do the same thing for different countries! (Please just make sure you set the book on PRIVATE so you're not selling it because... obviously that can get you in hella trouble)

•) "Canva" was used for the book cover! It's a site where they offer free templates for covers and you can modify them to an extent!

[antimony-medusa]

But Why Is Quackity Studios Selling Merch?

To do the sloppiest math possible: 11 Eggmins * French Minimum Wage (roughly 1,500 a month) is 16,500 a month. That’s assuming that the translator works for free, they are hosting the sever off a computer in Quackity’s closet and don’t pay for the electricity, their dev and building and writing and art costs are all nil, and no other RP admins need to be paid.

Quackity has approx 1k subs on Quackity and we can assume the same on QuackityToo, which does not make their stats public. Assuming Quackity is putting every penny of his income into the server, at a 70% split, that’s 7000 a month.

Which would be why they’re trying to make more money.

[petermorwood]

Flammkuchen / Tarte Flambeé / "German pizza"

This evening I found a slab of Speck (strong-smoked bacon) in the freezer that I didn't know we had, there was half an onion and a tub of Lithuanian sour cream in the fridge, so @dduane decided to try Flammkuchen.

Originally, so the story goes, it was made by bakers as a pre-thermometer way to check the temperature of their wood-fired ovens (and provide a quick snack at the same time).

Tarte flambée is the French name, but "German Pizza" or indeed any sort of pizza it certainly isn't; there's neither tomato sauce nor cheese, and no yeast in the dough.

Whether it's German or French depends on who you ask, since it originates from the province of Alsace, an area which has changed hands a lot in the past couple of centuries and whose ownership has been A Source Of Friction Between Guess Who for almost as long.

To stay neutral, the recipe DD used is Swiss. ;->

Here's the translation:

*****

Alsatian tarte flambée

This delicious speciality from Alsace is also ideal for an aperitif. Thinly rolled bread dough with sour cream, onions and bacon cubes!

350g flour (12½ oz) 1.25 tsp salt 2 dl water (6.7 US fl oz / .42 US pt) 2 tbsp olive oil 200 g crème fraîche / sour cream (7 oz) 2 onions (we had less, so used less...) 120 g farmer's (thick, well-smoked) bacon in slices (4¼ oz) a small grind of pepper

And this is how it's done:

Mix flour and salt in a bowl. Pour in water and oil, mix and knead into a soft, smooth dough. Form the dough into a ball, cover and let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 240 degrees (464 F). Halve the dough and roll it out into an oval shape about 3 mm thick (1/10 inch) on a lightly floured surface. Place the dough on two baking sheets lined with baking paper.

Spread the crème fraîche / sour cream over the dough, leaving a border of approx. 1 cm (½ inch) free all around. Peel the onions, cut them into fine rings, cut the bacon into strips, spread both over the crème fraîche / sour cream and season.

Baking per tray: approx. 12 minutes each on the bottom shelf of the oven.

*****

Since this was our first time making Flammkuchen, we baked them one at a time to check for errors. There were none (Swiss recipe!) and 12 minutes was exactly right to produce this result both times:

DD needs to be careful because of IBS so they were made with mostly bacon on one side, mostly onion on the other, and with a glass of cool white wine they made an excellent Sunday supper.

Next time, now we know how well this recipe works, we'll be more generous with the toppings. :->

Incidentally, rather than baking-trays or the pizza stone we need to replace (ceramic utensils, tile floors and gravity Do Not Mix Well) we used the cast-iron griddle which in summer often goes on the BBQ...

... and gave the oven a thorough pre-heating, then transferred the Flammkuchen in and out with a peel, all of which worked splendidly.

That tip about using baking paper is excellent, BTW: no sticking, no spillage, no washing up. I bet it'll work with other things as well.

Like, for instance, more Flammkuchen... ;->

[poppitron360]

Rome wasn’t built in a day.

But this fanfic was written in one! This is a continuation of this post that I made (suggest you read it first for context). Basically Jason and Leo had a baby through divine intervention and Piper is the surrogate. I literally started adding to it this time yesterday and now it’s over 3,000 words long. Whoops!

Credits to @xixovart for helping me with the Spanish, I also used google translate for some, so please forgive any mistakes that I made (there are probably loads).

Tagging also: @fictionalmenaremytype @lavenderfairiez @sleepyycapybara @puzzled-pegasus @im-always-lost-in-a-book @keefessketchbook @imnoturfriend-im-a-swiftie13 @hollow8007 @euryvices @ottpopfic @child-of-helios @ginnyluna

Summary: Lost Trio Baby is born, and it doesn’t go well.

Disclaimer: I get everything I know about childbirth from watching episodes of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. I have no idea if this is accurate or not.

CW: The Miracle Of Birth™, Potential Major Character Death (Or maybe not! No spoilers!!)

Word Count: Approx. 3,870

The Birth

(…Part 1?)

"FASTERRRR!!!!!!" Piper screamed, straining against the seatbelt in the back of the car.

"I'm already pushing the speed limit!" Leo screamed back, his voice just as panicked as Piper's.

"Stay calm, everyone!!" Jason shouted.

"AAAAAARRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Piper roared. Jason and Leo joined in the yelling as they barrelled down the highway.

Then Piper caught fire.

"Piper!" Leo yelped. He began to turn to check on her.

"WATCH THE ROAD!" Jason yelled, pushing Leo towards the steering wheel.

"But-"

"I'll check on her," Jason assured him. He unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned into the back. Piper's whole body was aflame- luckily Leo had fireproofed the leather seats of the car- she was writhing in agony, but she seemed unharmed by the fire.

"Piper, just breathe, okay? We're gonna get through this."

"Is she okay?" Leo yelled.

"She's fine!" Jason called back.

"No I'm not!" Piper screamed, "I've got an angry demigod baby trying to destroy my uterus!"

Jason slipped on a dragon-hide glove and reached out, gripping Piper's flaming hand. He felt a jolt of electricity shoot from Piper's grasp. “PUTAIN ÇA FAIT MAL!!” Piper shouted in French.

"WE'RE ALMOST THERE!" Leo shouted. The tires screached down the road. Jason let go of Piper's hand and sat back down, throwing his seatbelt on before the car skidded to a halt on the country path. Leo threw open the driver-side door and walked over to Piper. Jason did the same, and together they unbuckled her from the back and heaved her out. She wrapped her still-flaming arm around Leo's body- which was also starting to smoke. The three of them stumbled up half-blood hill, where Will Solace waited for them, alongside Kayla, Austin, Nico, and Chiron. They rushed them into the infirmary.

Jason watched through the window of the delivery room. The fire was getting dangerous now, so only Piper, Leo, and Will were allowed to be present. Will was wearing a full-body dragon hide suit and a welder’s mask to protect him from the flames. Leo was half of the problem. Every time Piper yelped and he became more agitated, fire crackled and spit around him. The flames were up to the ceiling now. Jason couldn't see what was happening exactly through the inferno. He paced outside the door.

“I should be in there,” He muttered, “I should be with them.”

Nico put a hand on his shoulder, “It’s okay, Jason. Will’s got this, he’s delivered babies before.”

“No but-“ He gestured towards the blaze in the delivery room. He continued pacing, running his hands through his hair, “What if Piper doesn’t make it? What if the baby gets hurt? What if-“

“Look, just stay calm, Jason,” Kayla soothed.

“I’m not helping anyone worrying out here! I should be in there-“

“Jason…” Chiron chided.

“It’s not safe,” Nico urged, “Piper has some sort of magic protecting her and the baby. Leo’s… Leo. Will has these fireproof potions from Hecate cabin, but still, he shouldn’t be in there, he has to-“

Suddenly, Leo rushed out the door, still aflame, breathless and panicky. The fire outside the window was swirling wildly, and Jason could sense strong winds circling around Piper.

"A storm..." He gasped, "Piper..."

"Is she okay?" Jason asked.

“I… I hope so.”

"Is Will okay?" Nico asked.

Leo looked back at the door.

"It's getting too dangerous in there," Chiron said. He threw open the door and entered the burning room.

Leo put his back against the wall and sank to the floor. Jason sat down next to him.

"It's not looking good, Jason."

"What? Is she-"

“Sh-She might not make it,” Leo said, shakily, “There’s a chance… but that magic around her isn’t strong enough. It’s meant to protect the baby, not her.”

Jason rested his head against the wall and closed his eyes in despair. He heard the inferno whirling inside the room behind them.

Nico walked over and punched him in the arm, "If Will gets hurt in there, Valdez, I'm gonna..." He trailed off when he saw Leo crying.

"It's my fault..." Leo whimpered, "It's because of me..."

"No, cariño, no..." Jason soothed.

"It's my power, Jason. It's my power that's killing her."

“That’s not true, Leo. It’s mine as much as yours, for one thing. Also, it’s not your fault. You didn’t choose-“

"This is what I did to my mom," Leo continued, "She must’ve went through all this giving birth to me. And she was mortal. And she was on her own- she couldn’t tell anyone… oh, gods, what did I put her through? What am I putting Piper through? And what about this baby? Am I cursing them to have the same miserable life as I did?”

“Leo…”

“I don’t what this kid to turn out like me, Jason. If they’re anything like me we’ll be going to their funeral sixteen years from now. But with this fire… I don’t want Piper to suffer the same fate my mom did. If something’s wrong with the birth-“

“She’ll be fine,” Kayla cut in. She walked over and sat by Leo, “Chiron will help. Will knows what he’s doing. We’ve got ambrosia and nectar on stand-by. And Piper’s strong. She’ll get through this.”

Jason wrapped his arms around him, "Happiest day of our lives, remember? Focus on the positives. Let’s review baby names.”

“No dead people,” Leo recited, “At least no-one who died young. Names have power.”

“That’s right,” Jason agreed, “If it's a girl..."

"Isabella. Or Daniella.”

"And if it's a boy?"

"Either Antonio, Benjamin, or Leo Jr-"

"I said no to that one."

"I think we should keep our options open."

Jason laughed, and Leo’s mood brightened a little. Jason could tell he was still terrified- they all were- but their hope kept them going.

“How about Jason Jr?” Jason suggested.

“I don’t know… I just think “Leonidas Valdez the Second” sounds badass,” Leo said.

“That’s if it’s a boy, though.”

“Leonidas could be a girl’s name,” Kayla pointed out.

“Gender is relative,” Austin added, joining Kayla on the floor next to them.

“And what will the baby call us?” Jason asked.

“You’re Dada, I’m Papa,” Leo recalled.

The fire in the room behind them increased in rage. Nico sat to the side of Jason, and closed his eyes in silent prayer. The four of them sat in silence, listening to the burning room behind them.

Then, suddenly, the door to the infirmary swung open, and Percy, Annabeth, Frank and Hazel rushed in.

“Is the baby born yet? Did we miss it?” Hazel asked, excitedly.

Leo looked down and stifled a sob.

Percy saw the blaze outside the window and rushed to take a closer look.

“What’s going on?” Annabeth asked, “Is Piper-“

“She’s got magic protecting her and the baby,” Austin explained, “But the exhaustion might be too much for her to take. And Will’s still in there- he’s got protection, but he’s-“

Without a word, Leo stood up, walked over to the other end of the room, and burst into flames.

“Chiron’s helping, though,” Jason continued, “And he’s immortal.”

“I’m going in,” Percy said, “I’m a little fireproof.”

“And I’m a big fireproof, and I couldn’t even go in there, with the storm,” Leo retorted, “That’s not a little fire. Percy-“

“Do you think a huge water-pipe bursting above their heads would hurt the baby?”

“Let’s not risk it,” Jason warned.

Hazel had walked over to Leo and was trying to soothe him. Frank was standing uncomfortably in the middle of the room, looking back and forth between the fire that was Piper, and the fire that was Leo.

“Wait- what’s happening?” Frank asked.

“Leo and Jason’s powers,” Kayla explained, “The baby has both of them. It’s currently trying to burn its way into the world at 500 degrees Fahrenheit, complete with atmospheric thunderclouds. It’s a spectacle fit for the likes of my father.”

“So does that mean-“

Suddenly, the fire inside the room died. The windows were blackened with soot, so they couldn’t see through. Everything was quiet. They were all still. Leo stood up and rushed into the room before Jason could stop him. Jason followed.

Will, covered head to toe in fireproof gear, stood, looking very shaken. He was holding something sticky with blood and covered in soot. It was wailing at the top of its lungs. A shrill, high-pitched sound. Piper was unconscious on the bed, but breathing.

“Let her get some rest,” Will said, nodding towards Piper, “She’s exhausted.”

“Is she gonna be okay?” Leo asked.

“I th-think she’ll be fine.”

Chiron carefully took the child from Will’s arms. “You need rest too, young man,” He ordered, “I will get the baby cleaned up.”

Will nodded, sleepily. He walked over to the door, but before he left, he turned to Jason and Leo. “It’s a girl, by the way,” he told them.

Jason walked over to Leo, and gave him a massive hug.

“Holy Hephaestus, I just had a baby,” Leo muttered.

“We just had a baby,” Jason agreed.

“We are parents to an actual human child…”

A few moments later, Chiron trotted back to them, and handed them a freshly de-sootified newborn baby.

“I give you three some time to get aquatinted,” he whispered, then he left.

Leo sank into a chair, the child cradled in his arms. The world was so quiet.

“A girl,” Leo whispered, “Mi bebita.”

Jason pulled up another chair next to the bed where Piper was asleep.

"Hi!" Leo cooed, "Hello! Aw, you caused quite a blaze there, didn't you? You take after Tu Papá."

The man who had been so tense merely seconds before softened so much when he held the child.

“Hola, mi estrella,” Jason said to her.

Leo looked up at him and smiled. The most joyous smile Jason had ever seen. “Mi vida, mi alma, mi hermoso fuego,” He whispered.

He rocked her in silence for a few seconds.

“She looks like my mom,” Leo said, “Don’t you think?”

“I-I never met her,” Jason reminded him.

“She looks like Mom.” Leo decided, “Her Abuela. But she’s got your eyes.”

Jason looked at the child. She did have piercing, ice-blue eyes, just like his own.

Leo passed the baby over to him. She was warm to the touch, cooling down from the oven. He stared at the tiny thing. Her beautiful face, her slightly pointed nose, her winning smile, her dark skin, all like Leo’s. But those eyes were Jason’s. He held her in his arms, his daughter. She was his, and she was Leo’s. She was made from their love and their partnership. He looked at Piper, his best friend, snoring quietly in her bed. He looked at Leo. The three of them had made this, together. They would always be together.

The four of them stayed there, in that ash-covered room, peacefully. And for once in their lives, everything was as it should be.

[…]

They stepped out, Piper with the baby, Jason and Leo either side of her, onto the porch of the big house, where a sea of campers and friends were waiting.

“Guys,” Leo announced, “Meet Isabella!”

The campers around them gasped.

Suddenly, Chiron’s knees buckled into a bow. The others began to kneel too.

“All hail Isabella Valdez,” He boomed, “Legacy of Jupiter, king of the Cosmos, Lord of the Sky, Bringer of Lightning, Ruler of the Gods. Legacy of Hephaestus, Bringer of Fire, God of Creation, Master of the Forge, King of Volcanoes. Hail Isabella Valdez, daughter of Jason and Leo Valdez.”

As they watched, two floating symbols appeared over the newborn’s head. A still image of glowing gold eagle mid-flight- and a glowing red, fiery hammer. Jason smiled, recalling the same hammer floating over Leo’s head all those years ago, and then just about remembering the eagle above his own head, when he was barely a toddler. The symbols hovered next to each other for a few seconds, then vanished.

Percy, Annabeth, Frank, and Hazel approached.

“So you’re okay?” Annabeth asked.

“Yeah…” Piper said, “They wheeled me into recovery, gave me ambrosia and nectar. Still a little sore from being on fire and summoning storms. Leo, how do you do it?”

Leo grinned, “I’m a special boy.”

Suddenly Jason was attacked by a hug. He turned.

“Thalia!” He cried, and hugged her again. Then, she pushed him off, and turned to the child in Leo’s arms.

“Is that my niece?” She demanded.

“Yup,” Leo said, holding Isabella up. Thalia came in close, and the baby reached up and grabbed her pinky finger with her whole fist. Jason watched his sister melt with pure joy.

“She’s got her auntie’s strength, I see,” Thalia said. Jason could tell she was fighting back happy tears.

Chiron trotted over. He nodded to Jason, Leo with the baby, and Piper.

“I’d like to speak to the three of you. Privately.”

The others nodded and left.

Chiron led them into the Big House, and gestured for them to sit down on the couch facing the fireplace. Piper took the armchair and began to breastfeed the baby. Leo and Jason respectfully turned away from her. The Centaur’s back legs compacted into his wheelchair, and he wheeled it towards the furniture, so they were sitting in a semicircle around the hearth.

“Wh-what is it, Chiron?” Jason asked.

The Centaur’s expression turned dark.

“This child…” Chiron said to the three of them, “She has power never before seen in this century… storm and fire…”

“What are you saying?” Piper asked, looking up from her task, “Is she-“

“We can’t know anything yet,” Chiron said, “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to worry you, but-“

“Is she…” Leo began. The fire began to crackle more. Jason squeezed his husband’s hand, “Is she dangerous?”

“We… we can’t be certain of anything right now,” Chiron said, “But, considering how rare it is to inherit the godly powers of both parents- particularly of powerful demigods such as yourselves- this clouds the future somewhat.”

“What do you mean?” Jason asked.

“Well, usually the most powerful demigods only appear when something big is about to happen,” He looked directly at Leo when he said this, which caused the fire to spit violently, a spark narrowly missing the carpet and fizzling out on the stone hearth, “And I haven’t seen a legacy this powerful since… well, not for a long time.”

“Something big, you say? Something… bad?” Piper asked, tentatively.

“Well, knowing our luck, then… it’s quite probable,” Chiron said, “Her power might be linked to the fact that she was birthed by a third very powerful demigod. It could just be that, or-“

“But even then, I barely survived that delivery,” Piper said, “Chiron’s right, I don’t think this is just a random occurrence, I think-“

One of the logs in the fireplace burst from the heat, splintering the wood.

“Look, however my daughter turns out, I’m gonna love her,” Jason said.

Chiron put a hand on his shoulder, “I’m not saying that at all, Jason. I just think the future-“

“Yeah? Well, the future’s not now, is it?” Jason didn’t mean to snap, but he could see Leo was getting agitated. If the conversation continued much longer, the fireplace would explode, “Right now, I’m gonna focus on looking after my baby. We can worry about the future- about paying for college, about demigod life- we can worry about it all another time. I’ve spent my whole life worrying about saving the world. Can I please, for once, live normally? Can I put my baby down for a nap and watch vine compilations with my husband and my best friend- who both seem to know all the words to them for some reason? Can you hound me with the future tomorrow? Please?”

Chiron’s eyes twinkled with understanding. He nodded, “Of course, of course, I shouldn’t have put this on you right now. You can go.”

But of course, the future couldn’t wait forever.

The next day, Nico, Will, Percy, Annabeth, Frank, Hazel, Thalia, and Reyna, who had arrived that morning, plus Nyssa and Harley from Hephaestus cabin all crowded around Jason, Leo, and Piper with the baby. Several more onlookers began to approach the gaggle, including Rachel Elizabeth Dare.

“Aww, is that Isabella?” She asked, joining the circle of people around them.

Suddenly, she shuddered, and swooned. She collapsed, and Annabeth caught her. Several campers rushed to her side.

“What’s happening?” Hazel asked.

“A prophecy!” Percy gasped.

Rachel’s eyes began to glow. Green smoke poured out of her mouth. Will found a stool, and lowered her onto it. She sat upright, swaying slightly, like some sort of freaky zombie. Then she raised an arm, and pointed.

Directly at the baby.

She opened her jaw, and began to recite.

“To three of the seven a child is born,

Crest and laurel wreaths adorn

Turn and face Olympus’ might

In sixteen years, her final night”

Pandemonium ensued. Campers hurried around, some running to tell Chiron, some bringing Rachel water, some turning to face them. The world erupted with the sound of a billion questions. Jason began to feel light-headed. He felt Percy’s hand on his shoulder, “Are you-“

He stopped. Amidst the chaos, Leo had crumpled to the floor. He was crouched down with his hands wrapped around his head, rocking backwards and forwards. Jason hurriedly knelt down beside him. Percy rushed off to help Annabeth, who was escorting Piper and the baby out of the crowd.

Several campers formed a circle around Jason and Leo, asking a barrage of questions.

“Give them some space!” A voice yelled. It was Rachel. She got up off her stool, and waved her hands to disperse the congregation. She knelt down, and put a hand on Leo’s shoulder.

“Shoot- I’m so, so, so sorry you guys,” She said to them, “I didn’t mean- I know you don’t- I just-“

“Wha-What did that mean, her f-final night?” Jason stammered.

“I don’t know…” Rachel said, “Prophecies are tricky, it doesn’t necessarily mean… Look, I know that was NOT what you wanted to hear. At all. But we don’t know it was definitely about her!”

“To three of seven a child is born,” Jason recited, “Me, Leo, Piper. Three of the seven half bloods from that other prophecy. You started glowing green as soon as you saw her. You pointed at Isabella.”

“But that doesn’t mean it has anything to do with the last line! A couple Great Prophecies ago, there was this line- “A Hero’s soul cursed blade shall reap”- we all thought Percy was gonna die, but turns out a totally different guy died instead, so it’s fine!”

Leo began to sob.

“No- it’s okay, the guy that died was totally evil. He killed loads of people,” Rachel explained.

Jason wrapped his arms around Leo and cradled him, “Shh, Leo, mi cielo, it’s gonna be okay.”

The thing was, Jason didn’t know if it was gonna be okay. But no matter how terrified he felt, his first instinct was to always comfort Leo.

“Sixteen years…” Leo muttered, “That’s what she said. Sixteen. Just like… Oh Gods…”

“Leo, no-“

“I was right!” Leo cried, “I was right, wasn’t I, Jason? I was cursing her. I told you. I said “If she’s anything like me, in sixteen years we’ll be going to her funeral.” I told you, didn’t I?”

“Leo…”

“It’s all my fault.”

“It’s not your fault, amorsito. I know that much. I don’t know what the future holds, but I know that whatever happens, you’re not to blame.”

“Yeah, Leo, don’t think that,” Rachel agreed, “This isn’t because of you.”

“Except… I died at Sixteen. And if she’s like me… if she has my powers…”

“That doesn’t make it your fault,” Jason said.

“I don’t believe you,” Leo replied, simply.

“Leo-“

Suddenly, Piper came rushing over, breathless. “Annabeth is watching the baby,” She explained. She sat down next to Rachel. “What… happened? Was that really a prophecy?”

“Afraid so,” Rachel said, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to land that on you guys like that. And Leo, it’s not your fault.”

Piper raised an eyebrow, “Is Leo blaming it all on himself, again?”

Jason nodded.

“What’s his excuse this time? “I should’ve preempted this and invented an anti-prophecy device!””

“No it’s “The baby has my powers and therefore will die at sixteen because I died at sixteen!” Which, I have to say, is less plausible than the machine thing,” He turned to Leo, “You don’t control genetics, hermoso. You couldn’t have had a say in what powers she got.”

“But still…”

Piper reached forward, and grabbed Leo’s hand, “This is not your fault, Leo. How many times do we have to tell you that before you start to listen?”

Leo sighed, and said “Okay.” But Jason could see in his eyes that he wasn’t buying it. He would still always believe it was his fault.

The seven of them, Nico, Reyna, Will, Thalia, and Rachel all gathered around the cot in Cabin One.

“So… what do we do?” Frank asked.

“There’s nothing we can do,” Rachel said, sadly, “Thwarting Prophecies is never a good idea.”

Leo glanced at Jason.

No, Jason said, with a glare, I know what you’re thinking, and no. It’s not your fault.

I thwarted a prophecy, Leo seemed to say back with his eyes, And now I’m facing the consequences.

Leo… Jason glanced back. Leo turned away, not wanting to have this conversation any more. Piper shot Jason a look, like she had read the discussion perfectly.

“We can wait, we can hope. And when the time arises…” Rachel trailed off.

“I will fight for my daughter,” Jason said, “Her fate is not set in stone, it never is. We still have choices to make. I don’t know what this prophecy means for my girl, but Gods help me if I don’t go to the ends of the earth to protect her.”

“Yeah!” Leo said, and Jason saw his face harden into a determined grin, “She may have a difficult future, but she has two dads who are both willing to do anything for her.”

“Not to mention her Auntie Piper,” Piper added, stepping forward.

“And me!” Frank said.

“Me too,” Hazel promised.

“We’re in,” Percy announced, his arm around Annabeth’s shoulder, “We’ll see to it that no harm comes to her.”

“Us too,” Nico spoke up, grabbing Will’s hand.

Reyna put a hand on Jason’s shoulder, “She has my full support, understand? I will lend her all of my strength if she needs it.”

“Aww, hell yeah, that’s my niece!” Thalia cried, punching her fist into her palm, “She’s got the most powerful demigods in the world protecting her. If some prophecy wants to hurt her, I’d like to see them try.”

“You guys…” Jason said, addressing the group, “This will be hard. There will be troubles ahead, things we’ve never had to face before…”

He looked around at his friends, all standing, ready to fight. He looked at Leo, the love of his life, who he’d do anything for. He looked at the little girl in the cot, staring up at the thunderclouds in the ceiling of the cabin.

“But with your support, we can make it through this. I can feel it. Things might arise that we might not be able to deal with, but Gods damn us if we don’t try.”

————

Guys...

Should I write a Part 2?

[roosteraloha]

infirmarian

jake seresin x reader

wc - approx 7.2k

warnings - angst, general discussion of sickness, description of vomit/throwing up, brief description of panic attacks.

disclaimer - ANY BLANK/AGELESS BLOGS WILL BE BLOCKED!! I also DO NOT give permission for any of my works to be copied, shared, compiled, translated or posted onto other sites!!

a/n - this is wrote itself. being chronically in pain sucks, sorry it took so long to get out, been the longest flare up of my life :(

reblogs & comments are greatly appreciated!!

A few days had passed since Jake had received any communication from you, you’d have your schedule rammed full of new work projects and meetings, not leaving much time for a social life, at least the kind that you longed for. This wasn’t something uncommon, Jake himself had a hectic day to day schedule, and the addition of your new work responsibilities was something that neither of you had enough to fully consider the amount of time that you’d have left to share with each other.

Fresh off an eight week deployment, Jake was eager to spend time with you however he could, swallowing down the bitter taste of disappointment that he came home to you being far busier than you’d let on in your limited communication. With only a few weeks left before you’d get back to your usual schedule, you had gotten to the point of longing for Jake’s company too. Eight weeks having been too long to not be able to hug him and snuggle up to him after another draining and exhausting day.

Jake had been home for close to two weeks when he started to see signs that you weren’t doing too well. You were overworking yourself again, and there were tell-tale signs that you were about to get sick. Something that you would never admit, choosing to deny the facts, even when you’re exhausted and tucked in bed with a fever.

Slipping his key into the lock, Jake frowns. The door is already unlocked. This normally wouldn’t be a cause for concern, but today, Jake hadn’t expected you to be home already. You were meant to be at work, at least that was what you had told him in between many incessant kisses this morning as Jake got himself ready. So he could have got confused, too distracted by the beauty he had in his bed, not that he would ever complain about your company.

Tossing his keys onto the hall table, Jake calls out to you. He has a small smile flickering on his lips, Jake could get used to this. It felt nice to have someone to come home too, it felt right. Wandering down the hall, Jake peers into the living room, face lighting up when he sees you curled up on the couch, typing away on your laptop.

Coming up behind you, he places a soft kiss on the top of your head. You had a rule about Jake coming home after flying, he would reek of jet fuel, and while that had slowly become a comforting part of your life, mainly because it reminded you of him, it was a smell that permeated fabrics. There was one incident with a throw blanket, luckily one you didn’t like, Jake had used it one day after a particularly tough day in training, only for you to pick up the next day and the smell was so strong, it may as well have been a rag for him to use on preflight checks. Weeks had passed and no matter how many times you washed it, the smell remained. Now, it was that Jake would shower before leaving base and then change as soon as he got home.

Quickly changing into some sweatpants, Jake joins on the couch, legs outstretched onto the sectional, an arm loosely thrown around your shoulders to pull you into him. Jake eyebrows furrow when he makes contact with your skin. You normally ran cold, hence the otherwise insane amount of blankets and oversized hoodies that you owned, but your skin was burning under Jake’s touch.

He shifts to get a better look at you, your cheeks are flushed, a light sheen on your forehead, your hair is knotty. All signs that something isn’t right. Jake quickly mentally ran through any important dates in your relationship, then running through any mentions of tensions or meetings at work when he failed to recall missing anything. Pressing his palm to your forehead, Jake’s concern grows, you’re overheated, not quite a fever, probably just dehydrated, which was especially likely considering the fact that you probably hadn’t moved around much since you got up and settled on the couch to work.

You still hadn’t actually looked over at Jake since he got home, too invested in furiously typing away, filling in countless mindless admin forms that your coworkers were too lazy to do. The only acknowledgment that you had given to Jake, was a distracted hum when he asked about your day. To be perfectly honest, you were in a work focused daze. These forms needed to be done by the fast approaching deadline, and not a single one of your coworkers had bothered to even try to follow the new formatting, leaving you to pick up the slack. Not like you already had your plate full with the rest of your role.

Jake leans against the kitchen counter thoughtfully, observing you work in your stressed state. It was obvious that you were overworking yourself, more than usual, and quite frankly, more than your coworkers and managers would acknowledge.

After mentally processing through the potential options to help you, Jake settled on what he is hoping will work. If not, he’d have to pull out more drastic measures, which he’d strongly prefer not to have to do. You’d hate him for it, and honestly, he’s hate himself for letting you get so bad in the first place.

Pushing himself off the counter, Jake approaches you, albeit a bit cautiously, he wasn’t entirely sure how you’d react. You almost seem paler than before, and you’re sniffling intermittently, eyes bloodshot and dry from staring at your computer screen for way too long.

"Sweetheart, please stop. You've done enough work, you need to rest." Jake’s low and quiet tone cuts through your daze, your eyes flickering over to him for the first time since he got home. Sighing in relief, Jake smiles softly at you, which falters when he realises that you’re not exactly looking at him, as much as looking in his direction. But that alone was progress and Jake could work with that.

Gently reaching out, Jake pulls your laptop away from your lap, saving your work quickly, then turning it off and placing it closed on the wooden coffee table. This grabs your attention, eyes darting straight to meet Jake’s concerned gaze. You open your mouth to protest but his stern look has any complaints dying on your tongue. Blinking up at him, it takes you a few moments to realise that Jake had taken your work away, the panic and stress soon taking over your features.

You scramble helplessly towards your laptop, Jake’s grip around your waist pinning you to his side. A frustrated cry rips from your throat, clawing at Jake’s arm, begging him to let you go. “No! No, no, no, no. JAKE NO! I need to finish my work!” Your voice comes out weak and wracked with emotion, mainly frustration and hurt that Jake wasn’t letting you finish what you’d started.

Jake’s response is to curl his arm tighter around you, his other hand coming up to caress the side of your face soothingly. He mummers quietly in your ear, hoping to help calm you down before you got yourself into a worse state, “Darlin’. Darlin’, look at me. You need to rest, trust me.”

There’s a moment where all you can hear is the breathing of you both, processing Jake’s gentle coos. A soft whine escapes your lips, “But…”

Jake’s grip loosens a fraction as he shifts to get a proper look at your face, fixing you with a firm stare, “Stop complaining, sweetheart.”

Huffing, you instantly relax in his hold, snuggling back into his chest, burying your head in the crook of his neck when he pulls you close. Finally having gotten through to you, all the tension leaves Jake’s body. While he still had a long way to go with you, to try and get you to understand it was okay to take breaks, that working yourself until you burn out is no way to go through life.

The sheer exhaustion of the stress you’d been under the past few weeks was definitely catching up to you. Jake kept a soothing touch on the back of your head, holding you close to his chest, a quick look down at you told him you needed this rest more than he initially realised. You could barely keep your eyes open for more than a few seconds at a time, yawning softly at regular intervals, snuggling closer to him every time.

Feeling content with you settled so comfortably on his chest, Jake exhaled deeply, leaning his head back against the sofa. Closing his eyes, Jake’s breath evens out, yes he had a long way to go to get you to rest properly, but this with you looking so peaceful laying on him, well, Jake could get used to this.

Dinner was takeout, Jake being too tired himself to cook and secretly didn’t want to disturb your sleep while he attempted an old Seresin family recipe. Settling on your favourite, Jake only moved to wake you after the food arrived and he’d dished out the portions.

You were still asleep when Jake came back, still curled up on the couch under a fluffy blanket, wearing an old sweatshirt of his. A small smile flickered across his lips, as Jake’s heart swooned at seeing you so peaceful and wearing his clothes, something you’d initially been too insecure to try.

His smile was short lived, you’d barely roused from your slumber while Jake was busy in the kitchen, or while he was doing odd jobs around the house while waiting for the food to be delivered. There were more and more red flags to Jake that there was something more serious going on with you, than simply being overworked.

A small frown of concern lingered on his face when you barely responded when he shook you gently to try and get you to eat something. Then, when you eventually woke fully, you declined the food, pushing the dishes away, choosing to move away from him, curling the opposite direction instead.

Jake, drawing this up to your over-exhaustion for now, just took your plate away, carefully portioning the food into some tupperware, hopeful that you’d be hungry later. Turning back to the couch, he frowns again, you still remained curled tightly away from him.

Displeased and slightly frustrated with your decision, Jake returns to your side, shaking you awake, despite your groans in protest. When you finally open your eyes, the harsh glare you send his way has Jake internally wincing. He hated to see you like this, but deep down he knew this was the only way to get through to you.

“Darlin’…”

He trails off, unsure of what else to say to you. His brows pull in together, forming a deeper frown. You weren’t okay, he just needed you to admit it. Glancing down at your clenched hands above the blanket, he takes note of the slight tremble of your hands, eyes darting up to your face, searching your eyes for any answers.

There’s a glistening to your eyes that wasn’t there before when you finally make eye contact with Jake. You felt the panic building, like an icy hand gripping your chest tightly. Your mind running a million miles a second, unable to pinpoint a single cohesive thought. Tears streaming down your face, gasping to catch your breath. Reaching out a shaky hand, you try and catch Jake’s wrist, desperate for any direct contact with him, seeking his comfort any way you could.

Jake is immediately by your side, pulling you close to his side, “It’s okay sweetheart. You’re okay darlin’.” Your teary eyes focus on his worry stricken face, Jake was blindsided but your sudden emotional reaction, he knew something was wrong, you’d been withdrawn, but he hadn’t expected you to be so quick to break down the minute he pressed you for answers. “Darlin’. What’s going on?”

You shrug, looking away from him, not really knowing why you feel the way you do. Jake sighs heavily, sometimes he knows you better than you knew yourself, “It's okay, you don’t have to tell me now. Just breathe, nice and slowly, okay?” You hum softly, nodding gently against his chest, “I promise you, you don’t have to hide this stuff from me. I’m always gonna be here for you darlin’.”

Smiling softly down at you, Jake presses a soft kiss to the top of your head, pulling you closer to his side, “Not that I don’t love being used as your personal heated pillow darlin’, but I think we’d both be far more comfortable in bed.” You giggle softly, but agree, Jake was a comfortable pillow of lean muscle, but your bed was so soft and comfortable, and with Jake there to hold you close, you couldn’t think of anything better.

“You’re adorable when you’re so sleepy darlin’.” Jake croons softly, brushing loose strands of your hair back behind your ear tenderly. You shrug playfully, with mock offence at his words, “It’s not my fault that you’re so comfortable to lay on Jake!”

Jake tries and fails to keep a straight face, soon joining you in soft laughter, shaking his head at your antics. He much preferred you to be this happier version of yourself than the one that had a panic attack on the sofa after a stressful work week.

You whine wearily when Jake leads you towards the adjoining bathroom rather than getting straight into bed, which you’d much prefer. The sheer exhaustion from the past few weeks had finally caught up to you, you couldn’t help but yawn as Jake lifted you to sit up on the counter, your usual place when you’d get ready together, whether the pair of you were getting ready for the day, or just going to bed.

You huff heavily, annoyed that Jake seems to be taking his sweet time getting around to whatever he was doing, moving to the edge of the counter, ready to just jump down and head to bed yourself. “We’re almost done, love. Just stay a little bit longer.” Jake’s soothing tone, paired with the calming circles he was gently rubbing on your knee, has you shuffling back on the counter, resting your head back tiredly against the cold mirror.

You must’ve started to doze off, as the next thing you know, Jake is stirring you gently, a soft squeeze on your shoulder, and a gentle touch on your cheek. You groan, eyes flickering shut again quickly at the harsh light in the bathroom. “Can we go to bed now?” Your soft whines have Jake chuckling as he moves to pick you up in his arms, cradling you against his chest, smiling contently to himself when you bury your face in his neck, hiding from the bright lights.

“You’re so cute when you’re so tired.” Jake teases as he places you gently onto the bed, wrapping the blanket and sheets around you, before climbing in next to you and doing the same. He hums thoughtfully as he feels you snuggle closely up to his side, tangling your ice cold feet with his own. You prop your chin up on his shoulder, watching your boyfriend who was deep in thought.

“Jake…” Your voice is a quiet whisper, not wanting to startle him from his thoughts, knowing how he could react when startled by others in the past. You only continue when he hums softly in acknowledgement, looking down at you, a soft smile appearing on his face when he takes in your concerned expression. Jake didn’t need you to continue, he could read you like a book on most occasions, especially when you were this sleepy and worn out.

He shakes his head calmly, pressing a loving kiss to your forehead when your concerned frown doesn’t fade. “I promise you that I’m okay darlin’. I’d tell you if I wasn’t, you know I would.” Pursing your lips, you study his face carefully, for any signs that he wasn’t being one hundred percent honest with you about this. Finding no obvious signs of dishonesty, you nod once, kissing his cheek softly and nestling your head back on his chest, inhaling his comforting scent deeply, sighing softly with content.

You feel Jake take a few deep breaths, then tighten his arm around your body, holding you securely against his own. It was something he’d started doing very early on in your relationship, and something the both of you had grown to love and crave whenever you cuddled together. The intimacy of being so close to each other was something you hadn’t known you’d love so much, but having Jake so close to you, him holding you close, well that something you would never tire of. And for Jake, he would forever be grateful to be able to go to sleep holding the love of his life, and her still be there in the same position, tucked comfortably into his side, the next morning. No matter how much the pair of you moved around in the night, he still got to wake with you by his side, and now, Jake couldn’t see himself spending his life any differently.

Waking up the next day, your throat is scratchy, eyes burning and bloodshot. Groaning, you snooze your blaring alarm, sending a quick text of ‘Hey Jake, I’m not feeling too great, can we push date night?’, to your boyfriend. While technically you lived together, Jake would often spend evenings at his best friend Javy’s house, it was closer to base and helped him to unwind from a stressful workday with someone who understood the ins and outs of the job. You didn’t take any offence to this, as Jake had been expecting you too, it was a way for Jake to unwind, and honestly, it was probably why your relationship was so healthy. Jake got the time to process his feelings, to then be able to get home to you and express them in a healthy manner. You would always support Jake’s out of work time with his squadron, it was almost like a second family, something you all desperately needed after the uranium mission.

It wasn’t uncommon to go to bed alone, especially if Jake had been having a stressful run at work, only to wake with a strong arm wrapped carefully around you, holding you close to his chest, your head resting on him like a pillow. You admired the relationship that Jake and Javy shared, the pair had been through a lot in such a short time, and where most people would have drifted apart, it only solidified their need for each other, feeling and acting more and more like brothers with each day they spent together. But it was when Jake came home to you acting off, that his worries couldn’t be soothed by his wingman. You were everything that Jake had ever dreamed of, and more if he was being honest, and when you acted not like yourself, it set alarm bells ringing for Jake. He had just found you, and in no world was he ready to lose you, especially not so soon.

Jake had been preoccupied all day, you had been withdrawn all evening, and slept through your first alarm, the one you routinely set so you could kiss Jake goodbye. It was something that Jake had grown to love, a simple addition to his morning routine, something he looked forward to each time he awoke to his alarm, getting to kiss you before he left always put him in a better mood, something that his fellow squad members had noticed, and perhaps teased him for.

Javy was the one who approached Jake about his sullen mood, there had been plenty of opportunities for Jake to tease and antagonise the others, yet the absence of Jake’s cocky tone over the radio was concerning to all. Jake’s demeanour had been so off that you woke to a string of concerned texts from Javy, asking if you were okay, if Jake and his family were alright, and the last, rather frantic message demanding to know if you’d broken up with him. If you didn’t feel as bad as you did, you would be texting Javy back with just as much concern for your boyfriend.

You busied yourself with as much work as you could while at home, cleaning, laundry, mindless admin for your job. The occasional tickle of a cough in the back of your throat, an unnecessary reminder that you were unwell. All you’d wanted to do since Jake got back from his deployment was to spend as much quality time together as physically possible, and being sick wasn’t in your plan.

Truthfully thinking, it was probably a bug that Jake had brought back with him. Unfortunately for you, Jake had an absurdly strong immune system, he rarely was ill, often just carrying the bug home to you, which consequently caused you to be unwell. You had a decently strong immune system, but the intensity of your symptoms often left you bedridden with a fever for days.

Gently tucking a strand of loose hair from your messy sleep hair, Jake finally voices his concerns, “Don’t even think about going to work today.” It takes you a few long moments to process Jake’s words, to which you immediately start to protest, mumbling on and on about how you had to work, denying that you weren’t feeling your best.

Furrowing his brows, Jake is again growing more and more concerned about you. Deciding with a different tactic, Jake reaches out to slowly halt you buttoning up your work uniform, “Would you rather go to work, and suffer all day, because you obviously don’t feel well, or stay in bed and get cuddles and forehead kisses and watch movies with me?”

The halting of your weak movements and silence has Jake relaxing, he knew you well enough to know that you were giving in, thinking over the two scenarios. You never could get enough cuddles and kisses from Jake. Never.

Turning slowly towards him, you look sheepishly up at Jake, hands tugging at your uniform, a desperate attempt to get out of the restrictive and stiff material and back into Jake’s sweatshirt. A ghost of a smile flickered across his lips, on the rare occasion you did get sick, you were so needy, having to have Jake nearby at all times as a comforting presence.

Helping you out of your uniform, Jake carefully pulls his sweater back over your head, kissing the crown of your head lovingly. A soft whine slips through your lips, the sudden movements making your head spin, fingers digging into Jake’s arms, desperate for something to ground you.

“Get back in bed. Now. You don’t need to be up and about right now. You need to rest darlin’.” Too lightheaded to even attempt to argue, you allow Jake to gently manhandle you back into bed, tucking your comforter up to your shoulders, making sure your pillows were fluffed and positioned just right, as to prevent any cricks in your neck.

Huffing, as you shift around, trying to get comfortable with all your aches and pains, you try to fight against Jake’s fussing, but soon giving up, too exhausted from just trying to get ready for work. You blink tiredly up at him, eyes dry and bloodshot, “You don’t have to stay and do this Jake. I’ll be okay.” You sit up slightly, pushing yourself against the pillows, “Anyways, you have training. You shouldn’t be here because I’ll get you sick.”

Jake doesn’t dignify your complaining with a verbal response, raising one eyebrow at you, keeping his stare strong and bordering on the edge of harshness. A stare which soon had you shifting uncomfortably under his gaze, shuffling back down in the bed, giving him what you hoped was an equally annoyed stare, but the way Jake’s shoulders shook, told you that it didn’t appear as you’d hoped.

Pouting, crossing your arms across your chest, you huff up at Jake, frustration creeping in as the sickness starts to fully take its toll on you. He sighs heavily, moving closer to your side, to which you continually avoid his gaze, growing more and more frustrated with Jake’s fussing, no matter how much you’d secretly crave, but would never outright admit.

Jake was never one to give in, especially where you were concerned. To his advantage, the two of you act eerily similar when you weren’t feeling your best, a lot of stubbornness and pushing the other away. He switched tactics, continuing to put away all your work clothes and tidying the room up, all the while keeping a close eye on you in case things got worse.

You soon grew tired of Jake’s approach, frustrated that you knew why he was doing what he was, and hating how effectively it’s working. Whining softly, you reach out for him, to which Jake finishes putting away your clothes and slowly moves back to your side.

A wave of nausea overcomes you as you stir from a much needed nap. Screwing your eyes tightly, you pray that the unpleasant feeling will pass, breathing shakily.

Scrambling off the bed, your feet momentarily tangling in the sheets in your haste, you dart into the bathroom, holding your breath and locking the door behind you. There were just some things you’d rather not have the love of your life see. Being this violently unwell was one of them.

There had been countless times when you’d tended to Jake when he was in your position, but the way you’d grown up often meant you’d have to take care of yourself. Even with someone as selfless as Jake, you struggled with the actual complexities of opening up and letting someone take over that caretaker role, the one you’d spent years perfecting for yourself.

The burn in the back of your throat is actually welcomed, the promise of feeling even a little better after throwing up, lingering in the back of your mind. There’s a soft knock on the door, then, a more concerned rattle of the door handle when you fail to reply, too busy trying to catch your breath in between heaves.

Your hair is pulled gently back from your face and neck, soothing fingers rubbing soft circles across the base of your skull. Jake. He ties your hair loosely into a very messy bun, the one he’s seen you do effortlessly, yet his not quite measuring up to the elegant flair yours did. Not that it mattered to you. Jake’s insistence to be a constant presence by your side was all you could dream for.

A few weaker dry heaves later, Jake is leaning away, reaching up to the sink, dampening a soft face cloth and tenderly wiping your face, then turning to grab a clean towel, dabbing your face dry as gently as he could. Your shaking fingers cling feebly to the cold tiles, a desperate plea for the nausea to wane.

A soft whimper of his name had Jake shushing you gently, pressing gentle kisses to your forehead, “You’re going to feel so much better after this, the worst part is over darlin’.” Another soft whimpery sigh is his reply, too drained by this sickness to form any verbal response. The back of his hand on your clammy forehead told him your fever still wasn’t improving, despite your previous insistence that you were ‘fine’.

Sighing deeply, Jake braces himself, pulling himself to stand and bringing you up gently with him, letting you rest heavily against the counter, swaying slightly with each shuddering breath. His large palms cup your face, his worried green eyes searching yours for any sign that you could actually understand him.

“Darlin’…” He trails off as your eyes shift to meet his concerned gaze, “I know you’re gonna hate me for this, but I- We have to get that fever down. You need to shower.” An instant feeble protest from you comes in whines and shifting hesitantly away from him, a move which Jake preempts, catching your arm in gentle hold, just enough is this state to keep you in place. His soothing tone washes over you, eyes flickering closed and nodding cautiously at his next words, “I promise we will get you all cleaned up and feeling so much better when we’re done. I promise you darlin’.”

The spray of the shower is a shock to your clammy skin, much colder than you normally preferred, one that has you hugging yourself closely to Jake’s body, both for warmth and stability.

“I know you hate being sick, but you need to let me care for you. Let me take care of you, okay?”

Instead of the protests Jake is anticipating, he’s met with a weak nod, and your body going more lax under his touch, letting him manhandle you as he saw fit, something you usually fought against with every scrap of energy you could. Now even more concerned with your health, Jake moves you both fully under the water, allowing the spray to cascade down your back and freshen you up.

You blink heavily, in a daze, as Jake methodically dries your body, applies your body lotion, and towel dries your hair, before blow drying it enough for you to sleep comfortably with. Jake’s soft mummerings of soothing praises and reassurances never cease, not as he helps you get dressed, or as he cleans up the bathroom as you sit and watch him from the bathroom counter.

Reaching a hand out to him, Jake ceases his tidying, by your side in one stride, cupping your face gently, peppering kisses across your face. An act which always elicits a soft giggle from you, no matter how you feel. A soft smile on his lips mirrors your own, you struggle to let Jake in enough to let him help you fully, but this was a fight he’d won, one that you willingly let him help you with. That alone was a major step forward in your relationship together.

Guiding you back to bed, Jake is cautious with each movement, all too familiar with how a sudden movement could cause another flare up of nausea. A soft pout is on your lips as he settles next to you, a knowing, sympathetic smile on his.

“I feel so gross and disgusting. I could’ve handled that myself. You didn’t have to see me so disgusting.”

A soft shake of his head, and Jake is lowering his head to meet your gaze, gently guiding your face up to try and catch your eye line.

“Shush, you aren’t disgusting at all sweetheart, it’s only natural.” When you refuse to meet his gaze he continues, “And you’ve seen me in way worse states than that. From drinking too much with Coyote to nightmares after deployments, you’re always there for me.” You finally flick your eyes to his glistening green ones, “Let me take care of you darlin’.”

Swallowing thickly, blinking back stinging tears, you nod sharply, emotions bubbling up with his loving words. Jake wasn’t one to open up fully either, you guess that’s why you work so well together. A pair of people too accustomed to looking after themselves, to observing the most minor changes in their partner, to now allowing someone else to help them.

You shift closer to Jake, snuggling into his side, resting your head on his shoulder, “Thank you. I know I’m stubborn when I’m sick, but thank you for always being here to look after me.” A curt nod, and Jake is pulling you impossibly closer to his side.

“You’re welcome. You don’t have to thank me for looking after you. Ever. But you’re welcome darlin’.”

You drop the eye contact, shy, but nodding in understanding. This is how it’ll always be with the pair of you, you’ll always look after each other, no matter how much the other tries to fight the help. You’d always be there to support each other.

The pair of you stay like that for a while, in your feverish state, you’re unsure of how much time passes. All that matters is that Jake is by your side. Jake eventually pulls away from you slightly, shushing your complaints before you can even voice them.

“I’m just going to grab you something to eat. Just something plain. It’ll settle your stomach enough so you can get some medicine and hopefully some proper sleep.”

Scrunching your nose up in displeasure of this plan, you shake your head slowly, “No way am I even thinking about eating something right now Jake! My throat hurts so badly- And no to that disgusting medicine you’re gonna try to give me.”

A smirk twitches on Jake’s lips, you knew him too well, and vice versa. With a soft kiss to the crown of your head, Jake shifts away from you, tucking you back in bed properly. He pauses momentarily in the doorway, and looks back at you with a serious look on his face.

“If I see or hear you leave that bed, even once, I’m going to physically manhandle you back into it.”

Knowing full well that Jake is dead serious on his threat, you nod once and give him a mock salute, a small signal to him that you’re already beginning to feel more like yourself. He returns your salute with his own smirking, then he makes his way downstairs to grab you some saltine crackers and some water, along with a few medications to help you fight this illness.

The glare you send in Jake’s direction when he returns, does not have the desired effect. Instead of discouraging him to try and get you to cooperate with the food and medicines, all it does is make him chuckle as he resumes his position by your side, with a playful nudge.

“Jake…” You whined in protest when he offered you the open packet of crackers, a small detail not gone unnoticed by you, “I’m really not hungry right now. I just wanna sleep.”

Shrugging, Jake took a cracker for himself, crunching away at your side. You frown, those crackers were your crackers, and now your boyfriend, with a seemingly endless appetite, was tucking in to your snack. Huffing indignantly, you snatch the packet from his grasp, shifting to face away from him, slowly nibbling away at one.

Behind you, Jake has a content smile playing on his lips. His tactic of eating your food worked, again. He knew you’d know that’s what was happening, hence why you turned away from him. Jake was content enough to know that you were starting to feel better, it was often baby steps when you were this unwell. This was a big step in the right direction.

After nibbling your way through half the packet, you chance a glance over at Jake, who is carefully watching you and presses a kiss to your temple, “There you go darlin’. Do you think you could drink some water? It’ll make you feel a bit better.” Jake dips his head to catch your gaze, when you avoid eye contact, a move you pulled when you really didn’t want to do something he asked of you.

Focusing back on his hopeful gaze, you blink cautiously at him, unsure if your body could handle any more. While the strong wave of nausea had settled, it still lingered if you thought too hard about eating or drinking anything.

His gentle nudge drew you out of your overthinking, eyes flickering down to the glass in his outstretched hand. The familiar burning sensation of tears filling your eyes returns, which has Jake on high alert, immediately placing the glass down, out of your sight, concern and worry filling his own.

“Hey, hey, hey. It’s okay darlin’, what’s wrong?” His soothing tone is laced with poorly hidden panic at your emotional state. Jake hated to see you cry, especially when it was something out of his control that caused it, something he couldn’t fix. “Hey, look at me sweetheart. It’s okay, just please try and drink a little, for me?”

Wrapping your arms tightly around him, you cry softly into his chest, shaking your head gently. His hand carefully cradles the back of your head as he holds you tightly to him. Your voice is weak and cracks with emotion, “Jake… I really don’t think I can. It’s just-.” You cut yourself off and look up at him, resting your chin on his chest, “You always take such good care of me. No one has ever done that before.” Jake nods in understanding, he already knew that, it just adds to his confusion as to why you’re suddenly crying over him offering you a glass of water. “You made sure it was iced water, and you got me a straw because you know how much I don’t want to drink it. Jake, you’re so sweet and thoughtful, and I wish I wasn’t so sick because I just want to kiss you so badly.”

Jake nods once more, pulling you back close to his chest, finally understanding that he hadn’t done something wrong and crying just happened to be your go-to emotion when you didn’t feel well. He chuckles softly and presses multiple kisses to the top of your head, “No kisses until you’re better darlin’. You know the rules.” He’s sorely tempted to kiss away the pout that forms on your lips, he just knows that one sick person in the household was enough. It wouldn’t help either of you, if you had to call Javy to bring you food and medicine. Well, it'd be fun for you, Jake on the other hand would never hear the end of it from his squadron.

Offering you the glass again, Jake cradles the back of your neck as you take slow sips, not wanting you to choke or spill any. You don’t miss the way he shifts slightly to reach for the medicine bottle either. Narrowing your eyes at him, you pout, hoping that by some miracle he’ll give in, “I’m not having that stuff again Jake. It tastes gross. In no world does lemon taste like that.”

Jake chuckles softly, running a soothing hand back and forth over your back, fingers occasionally lightly scratching your scalp. “You’ve gotta try some of this, even just a little bit. I promise it’s not that bad darlin’, just try it.” Shaking your head vehemently, you scoot as far as you can to the edge of the mattress, until you’re perched precariously.

Jake reaches an arm out, curling his fingers around your shoulders and pulling you back towards him, your back pinned against his chest. Knowing you’re stuck now, you give in, going limp in his hold and leaning your head back on his shoulder.

He kisses your forehead softly, “Just try. For me?” He brings the small medicine cup up to your lips, as your eyes narrow at him. He gives you his signature shrug and smirk, you mock him as best could which pulls a chuckle from him. Reluctantly, you swallow the foul tasting syrup, immediately reaching for the water that Jake already had in his grasp. You gulp hurriedly, trying in vain to wash away the lingering taste, your glare returns, “If I didn’t love you so much, I’d hate you right now.”

He nudges you playfully, “What? I got you to take it. Did you seriously think the taste would’ve changed after a few months?” Huffing, you playfully shove him back, then when his laughter bubbles up again, you quickly press a kiss to his shoulder.

“I should’ve known better, but it said ‘new and improved recipe’! And you! You looked so disappointed that I wasn’t gonna take it, and you know I can’t say no to you when you look like that!” Jake has the audacity to do his smirk-shrug combo again, which has you laughing weakly along with him.

He swings his arm loosely around your shoulders, tucking you into his side. Finding Jake to be his usual personal body heater, you snuggle impossibly closer to him, head resting on his chest, listening to the soothing sounds of his heartbeat. Your poorly disguised yawn does not go missed by Jake, who’s now concerned that you probably haven’t slept properly in days, “Get some sleep, you need rest darlin’.”

Shaking your head vehemently, you curl around him, burying your head into the crook of his neck, inhaling deeply, whining when he tries to pull away so he could look at your face. “I don’t wanna sleep Jake.” You whine into his neck, “I just got you back, I don’t wanna lose any more time with you than I have too.”

Jake exhales slowly, it’s not the first time you’ve expressed this when he comes back from an extended deployment. Not that he particularly minded you being so invested in spending quality time together, it’s just this time with you being so unwell, you needed rest over anything else right now.

“Just go to sleep. I’ll still be here when you wake up.” There’s one more indignant huff from you, before a bigger yawn escapes you, he nudges you gently, kissing your forehead lovingly, “C’mon sweetheart, you know you’ll feel better for it.” When you peek a look at him, he can see the fear on your face. You’re scared he won’t be there when you wake you, that this was all a dream and he was still on deployment, or worse. He could see it so clearly now, the pain and deep-rooted fear in your glossy eyes. He had never seen you so fearful, it made his heart clench painfully.

“Darlin’. I promise you that I’ll be here when you wake up. I won’t leave your side. I promise.”

His smile is soft and for the first time since he got home, he feels relaxed knowing that you’re not suffering alone anymore. It occurred to him, more frequently the longer your relationship continued, that he never wanted you to be alone like that again, that he’d do anything to ensure you were looked after for the rest of your life. Well, more like the rest of his life, because he couldn’t see himself now without you. Jake needed you in his life, and it was clear now that you are going to spend the rest of your lives together.

He presses a soft kiss to the crown of your head as you doze lightly on his shoulder, eyes flickering momentarily over to his dresser where he’d placed the box a few weeks earlier. Resting his head against yours, he takes a moment to rest his eyes while he thinks over what the rest of his life was going to look like.

He was going to ask you to marry him soon.

He was going to marry you.

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@els-marvelvsp @sky2nd @nouis-bum @atarmychick007 @solo2leo @jessicab1991 @avengersgirllorianna

[orphiclovers]

Yoo Joonghyuk's timeline (approx.)

The scenarios start when he is 28 years old. We know this from the first time Kim Dokja activates Character Summary, so at least that's for certain.

And we actually get his POV of the first time he went through the first scenario. Here's what World Of Zero has to say for himself.

There's a couple of things here. When he talks about 'discord between teamates and director's high-handedness' he's talking about events of Yoo Mia side story, which he said happened 'years ago'.

Since then, he has stopped going out of the house, so, become a shut-in, and is 'staying under the radar'. Presumably, he's not working as a pro-gamer anymore.

One other thing he mentions is that his sister was left to him when he was 'on the fast track to success'. More on that later.

Here he quickly summarizes his whole pre-scenarios life, skipping some details. All of this is expanded on in yoo mia side story, but it's nice to have corroboration from the main story.

Onto Yoo Mia Side story. Let's say it happened 3 years before the start of the scenarios for simplicity's sake, since that's an amount of time that could be described as 'years ago' while also not so long ago that the media would have forgotten him completely. So Yoo Joonghyuk would be 25 years old in Yoo Mia side story.

He had been on Team Ash for 3 years total at this point, since he was 22 years old. A year into his gaming career with Ash, at 23, he got a big break and became famous.

This must be around when he got Yoo Mia left at his door.

If she wasn't a newborn, she was still very young. I think if she was 1 year old at the time, she would be 3 years old in Yoo Mia side story and 6 years old at the start of scenarios, which makes sense to me. She already knows how to talk in Yoo Mia side story, but her sentences are quite simple and she baby-talks a lot, which would match the development of a 3 year old. Kang Woohyun seems to think her language skills are lacking for her age, but that's probably because she (is implied to have) some kind of speech impediment.

(This would mean post timeskip, she's the youngest transcendent in history at 9 or 10 years old. Also, she calls Gilyoung and Yoosung 'oppa' and 'eonni', meaning they are older than her. If they at 11 years old and she is 6, that tracks.)

One thing that makes no sense is that Yoo Joonghyuk says she's 'about 68 cm tall'. That's the height of a 10 month old baby, which she definitely isn't, as she walks and talks and eats solid foods. I'll assume Yoo Joonghyuk is just bad at judging heights and leave it at that.

Back to Yoo Joonghyuk.

Here he is reminiscing on meeting Park Jinsang 3 years ago at 22 years old.

Before that, he was at his first 'workplace' - Director Kim's camp. This is his earliest memory, as Zero tells us, the 'illegal work site' he conveniently spawned in.

He worked there for an unknown amount of time until Park Jinsang took him away. Probably somewhere between a couple of months and 4 years, since the impact it left on him leads me to believe it wasn't less than a month and it couldn't have been much before he was 18, since Zero says this and he's probably right.

Yoo Mia side story Yoo Joonghyuk says it a little differently, that he 'doesn't remember when he started living alone.'

I interpret this as his first memory is still spawning at Director Kim's camp, but he just assumes there must have been something before that, as he's younger and less shrewd than Zero and hasn't accepted the supernatural nature of his amnesia.

Okay, there's one more thing and then this damn post can be over.

Yoo Joonghyuk at one point calls his past with Park Jinsang his 'teenage years' when he would have been over 20 at that point. If this isn't a translation error, I think Yoo Joonghyuk is being hyperbolic here in that it feels like 'teen years' to him as it's his earliest memories and he was a lot more naive back then. It's the only way I can figure it all making sense in a cohesive way...

Aaaaand that's it! Yoo Joonghyuk's life from around 18 to 28 years in reverse chronological order :P

[onegirlatelier]

October, 2023 | Two-pieced skirt from Southern Song Dynasty (intro+tutorial)

Introduction

(Note: for now I’m not making a bibliography for this article, but if you are interested I’m more than happy to send the sources.)

The two-pieced skirt (liǎng piàn qún) is a type of skirt from the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). It is also known as xuàn qún (literal translation: circle/swirl skirt). As far I know, there are two sets of surviving samples of these skirts, one from the tomb of Ms Huang Sheng (this was her full maiden name - she died at 17, one year after getting married, in 1243) and the other from the tomb of Ms Zhou (also her maiden name - she died possibly at 35 and was buried in 1274). The main stylistic difference between these two sets of two-pieced skirts is that those of Ms Zhou had a relatively large difference between the hem and waist measurements (the hem is 15~20cm wider than the waist circumference), whereas those of Miss Huang Sheng had a small difference (approx. 10cm).

Below is a diagram showing the construction. The skirt is composed of one upper piece and one under piece. Each piece consists of two panels which are trapezoids or (roughly) rectangles. For the sake of convenience, we shall call them the centre panel and the side panel. You can see that the centre panels of the two pieces overlap, and the whole thing is fixed onto a waist band. All surviving samples have relatively wide waist bands—about 10-14cm in width. One strip on each side of the waist band is used to tie the skirt.

Pattern details

The modern common agreement is that the panels are usually right trapezoids (trapezoids with two right angles). I don’t know whether this is historically accurate, as some people think they were pentagons, but I doubt we can ever find out from what is currently available, just because the fabrics had been damaged and distorted over time. Assuming that they are right trapezoids, there are two different ways to piece the panels: you can sew the edges with two right angles together, or you can sew together the opposite edge with two non-right angles together (see diagram). They yield different results. A skirt made with the first method would have more of an A-line and more flowy. One made with the second method would wrap more snugly around the torso and give an H-shape.

You might have noticed that the centre panel is a bit wider than the side panel. This is because the centre panel would be worn in the back and the side in the front. A good starting point is to make the centre panel 10cm wider, but this of course depends on one’s body shape.

Another modern agreement is that the skirt better compliments a flat body shape with gentle curves (as has been the mainstream high-class aesthetics for the female body for a very, very long time right up to now). The most prominent issue with a difference between waist and hip measurements is that the skirt will bunch up at the lower back. To alleviate this issue, darts are used on the sides. Another way is to wear a petticoat, some underpants, or just something around the waist to enlarge the waist measurement. The skirt is not designed to accommodate a large difference between waist and hip circumferences (>30cm probably, though it starts to get difficult at 25cm).

Applying your measurements

(Numbers, when applicable, are in centimetres.)

You need your waist and hip circumferences. The skirt is usually full length. I like to make it as long as possible without the danger of tripping. It could be made shorter for thicker stiffer fabrics or a more modern look. Keep in mind that the skirt has a very high waist.

The length of the waistband is usually 1.7-1.9*waist circumference. In any case, it cannot be shorter than 1.3*hip circumference or it won’t close properly.

Now that you have the length of the waistband, you can calculate the upper edges of the panels. Let a be the length of the waistband, b the finished upper edge of the side panel. Then the finished upper edge of the centre panel is roughly b+10. Using the information discussed in the previous section, we have an equation: a=2b+b+10. This is your starting point—adjust as needed.

Triangular darts. There are a few ways to make them and this is just one of them. Let c be the width on each side of one dart. c=(hip-waist)/4. This means each dart will eliminate half of the (hip-waist) difference, and there are two darts.

c+b= total width on the upper edge of the panel. The bottom edge (i.e. the hem) of the same panel would be about 5cm wider than the upper edge.  

The width of the waistband. If you would like to wear it without folding, 6-8cm is good. If wearing with a fold (which sometimes also helps reducing the bunching at the lower back), make it 10-14cm. Note that you need to cut the waistband doubling the width plus allowance.

The ties are usually 2-3cm wide. As for the length, try start from waist circumference+0.6*skirt length. I like to make it 20cm longer because I like long billowy ribbons. Like the waistband, you cut the ties doubling the width since you will fold it in sewing.

Then you would have something like this:

(measurements used: waist 65, hip 89)

Be careful that you need extra fabric because of the fold created at the dart. (You’d need less fabric if you cut away the excess fabric in the dart.)

Fabric suggestions

This is important. Very very important. Because only the right fabric is worth your time and produces the desired result.

In general, choose something soft, drapey and that conforms to your body. Two or three centimetres of difference in calculation hardly matters when you use a good silk.

Silk: a Chinese specialty called Luo is probably one of the best. Other types of soft drapey silks of medium weights are all fine. I don’t like the right side of silk charmeuse because it reflects the body curves a bit too much.

Viscose: use silk as a guide. I find that twill weave or crepe tends to be more drapey than plain weave.

Cotton/linen/wool: some of these are fine too. If using a thicker wool, only use it for the top piece and use a thin fabric for the under piece of the skirt.

An extra note on cutting out the pieces:

If you are making a skirt with contrasting colours/prints, pay attention to where you cut so that the best part of the pattern of the under piece can actually show through the slit.

Construction

Piece together the side panel and the centre panel, using French seams to make the side seam. Sew all the way from top to bottom.

Sew the dart and press it towards the back. (Alternatively, you can cut away excess fabric, or even make a pocket at the side seam.)

Do Steps 1 and 2 for both the upper and under pieces. Finish the allowances on the sides by folding twice and doing an invisible edge stitch. Leave the hem unfinished.

Lay the upper and under pieces together, baste and check fit. Sometimes the centre panel don’t overlap perfectly and that’s fine.

Finish the ties, including the shorter edge not attached to the waistband.

Sew the outer side of the waistband to the skirt panels by laying them right sides together. Press open.

Fold the waistband right sides together and sandwich the tie in between. If wearing the waistband unfolded, you need to attach the tie along the top of the waistband on the under wide and in the middle of the waistband on the upper side (see picture). Sew. Do this for both short edges of the waistband.

(You can interline the waistband if the fabric is too soft. I used a non-adhesive cotton interlining and cut it without allowance and stitched it onto the allowances of the skirt panels. Whatever method suits you should work.)

Turn the right side out and finish the inner side of the waistband by folding in the allowance and using an invisible stitch/felting stitch.

Finish the hem. For the corner, I prefer to do a three-fold corner so that I don't have to trim away the excess.

Wash and press. Et voilà!

[kanmom51]

Ahm... HAPPY BIRTHDAY JK

And happy JK day Jikookers.

What a morning to wake up to!!!

You open your eyes and this is what you are hit with.

The black and white couple in BLACK & WHITE.

Happy birthday Kookie indeed.

Yes, that was JM's hashtag: Happy birthday Kookie or Kookie's birthday, depending on your translator.

I am definitley still processing.

Well JM, you have definitely out done yourself.

Better than even this:

Ok then, did I not say that JM will not disappoint us? He NEVER does!!!

And yes. JM posted it to his account. Not a story. Not something that will be deleted or go away within 24 hours.

No.

JM posted this photo of the two of them in Connecticut on his IG timeline for forevers!!! Right next to his hot boyfie's Hot 100 post.

Yes JM, we know your boyfie is Hot and he's all yours. And you have now told us all just that. You claimed him!!! He is definitley yours.

Had a hoot reading the comments, lol. Someone asking if they are together, and the answers. Many answer yes (surprising), but then, the denial some people are in. Besties. Brothers. Ok then. 🤣🤣🤣 Those calling them besties are probably same ones that ignore Jikook moments, ot7-fy them, dismiss them, but now they are besties... Well, my partner is also my bestie, so...

Good thing my timeline is curated, lol. I cannot imagine the way the fandom is imploding. I think this is kind of a good description though:

So yeah, JM did not disappoint.

And dropping it at the start of the day for all of us to go nuts for the whole day too, lol.

Now, doing that, posting so early on (may I remind you that the last couple of years he posted toward the end of the birthday or even just after the day ended?), I cannot help wonder if there is more coming for us today...

I mean, JK's live, well an 9 minute live, an all new record for him. Funny how his records are how short his lives are, lol.

What do we know so far?

JK was out to dinner with others that he was practicing with.

Took photos with fans that saw him out.

Posted for his birthday on 31.8.23 at 23:55 or 11:55 pm.

Coming home, still in same outfit as he was eating out, JK goes live for 9 minutes. A new record low (well, apart from his Mingyu live), lol. Shorter than his panty folding live.

He was a man on a mission. Coming to say hi.

Showing us the 2 aces. Army. Yep.

Doing a card trick.

Saying love ya, a term used multiple time by JM.

And diving out of there.

So, I wonder.

First of all, was there someone there already or someone he was expecting to arrive?

Same someone that posted that mind blowing pic to set the fandom on fire.

JK's live was at 00:55 am KST. Going for 9 minutes approx. JM posted at 1:33 am KST. I wonder. I wonder if they picked out that photo together, lol.

Oh, I got sidetracked, didn't I?

Because my point was meant to be: Is this all we are getting this year?

No cake? No long karaoke live? No long live period? No TikTok post from our birthday boy, who told us he is now a TikTok content creator? No Jikook live?

I mean, JM's pic, well it's a gift. But is it gift enough?

And no, I'm not being greedy here talking about a gift for us. I'm talking about a gift for JK. Because JK wants that damn live together. Giving him that live together, that would definitely be a worthy gift for his birthday!! Lol.

Just saying...

Did I mention everything I wanted to? Probably not. I'm writing this off the top of my head rushing to post, cause I need for this to be out there, like 2 hours ago, lol.

Kind of hoping that as the day goes by there will be more to talk about. Kind of counting on it, lol.

Oh wait, did I mention JK was wearing same brand as JM?

Ooh, and forgot to mention that PolyC reposted JM's post:

And last thing before I go:

I just loooooove seeing that JM, can't help myself.

Ok, so this gif does not do the JM justice. Watch the live and see just how pronounced it is!!! LOOOOOOOVE it.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KOOKIE!!!

[scrumptiousstuffs]

i dont think FK used to really do fanservice the way were used to seeing it but they are now and it makes me wonder what has changed.

Hemm…I’m not sure what you mean. We only have these 2 as CP officially from 2022. Don’t quote me on this, cause I’m now just speculating, but I got the impression when they first got partnered up the boys (esp Khao) were trying to find the dynamics on what they want to show to the fans on-screen (so, if that’s what you meant by fanservice - then yes, it seems the boys are more comfortable with just showing how clingy they are together).

However, I mention previously on another asked, it’s the off-screen behaviour that strikes me the most. Even before they were partnered officially, First and Khao were already flirting on Twitter (it’s amusing to see this on Twitter now - cause as FK are slowly gaining more traction internationally, we have Thai fans kindly translating their posts from 2020 - WAY before they were officially a CP. Plus, from what I could gather - they used to be even more unhinged before they were official. The boys did live IGs where they called each other handsome/cute to the point we have fans from both camp wanting them to be CP even back in 2020. Not to mention we have First wanting so badly to act with Khao, he even auditioned in Tonhon Chonlatee).

Also, when Khaotung was officially promoting with Pond (during TC area) - we have First basically turning up to their events, happily third wheeling. And if you recall the infamous BTS video, where we have First back hugging Khaotung while Pond is next to him, P’Som and Pond just shrug 🤷🏽‍♀️ it off, saying that these are common behaviour for these 2!

I also recall during a promo of one of the concert (I think LOLfanfest?), when CPs were asked to describe each other - and we have PondPhuwin describing FirstKhao: Pond bluntly said “P’First, there is not much to say. He just follows P’Khaotung everywhere.”

I guess, what I’m trying to say is that it seems off-screen they are just as clingy and sticky on screen (but they are now just more comfortable showing them?). Everyone in GMMTV knows this - we have people like Ploy, Book, Jojo and Joong showing us wonderfully unhinged content of our boys BTS (but notice it’s never our boys doing the photos/videos themselves - so I can’t even call it fanservice when they seem just to act them subconsciously/naturally and it’s other people around them that amusingly clocks on how close the boys are!)

After saying all the above though, both FirstKhaotung are method actors. And some Thai fans from Twitter did wonder whether the off-screen clinginess we are currently seeing maybe stemming from their characters (of KantBison in The Heart Killers). Either way, I think even taking that into account, these 2 are just so codependent on each other. FK went into mini-meltdown when Khao was away for GMMTV Musicon (that’s the only way I could describe them with Khao calling First at least twice? before the show and then we have First joining Khao’s gym 😂 permanently…or when Khao was hosting GMMTV Live House, he could not helped but mentioning his bestie 13 times (someone calculated) during the entire run of a show that lasted for approx 1 hr - that’s like 1 per 5 mins 🫣. Or Khao shyly mentioning he wants to bring First during his solo events next time.

Anyway, the boys can flirt and be clingy all they want on my social media. I will happily lapped it up.

[nickandros]

the number of people who have messaged me interested in the táin and which translation i've used: is anyone also interested in approx 50+ articles/chapters on early medieval ireland / sub-roman britain? because i have a google drive folder just sitting there that i need an excuse to organise.

[silvyavan]

A personal message from Tabata in regards to the series moving magazines

The translator said that this message was written in much shakier writing than what Tabata usually writes.

From the sounds of the message, a lot of people in twitter theorised that Black Clover would end in 5ish chapters, but the letter essentially confirms we're nowhere near that, as Tabata stated there are some stories he absolutely needs to write and some he wants to write. And that with this new schedule, he'll have more creative control in the writing and better deadlines to abide to (3 months for 60 pages = approximately 20 pages per month, compared to WSJs approx 80).

While we don't know exactly HOW much is gonna go into each chapter, from the sounds of it, Tabata won't be fighting with editorial over creative direction which was a theory on why the energy and vibe of black clover has been changing.

Let's all support Tabata now that he's working in a much better environment!

[sgiandubh]

For very grumpy people: Baby the Dog's Thai Honey Glazed Wings

What are you usually cooking after a very long day of packing, sorting, cursing, procrastinating and sulking? Especially when you need to pull out something (relatively) quick and (extremely) comforting?

This evening, Baby the Dog and I whipped up a batch of our not so secret Thai Honey Glazed Wings. You'll find approximations of this very basic Asian recipe all over the Internet, and with a little more time (and fresh ginger) on my hands I would have certainly made Braised Coca-Cola Wings (Kele Jichi), one of the finest Chinese contributions to humanity. But, it is what it is and the reason these are named after Baby the Dog' is this pic. Taken when he was still a Godzilla Terminator Puppy, bribed with some Frosties to let me cook in peace:

For a 10 wings batch you will need:

4 Tablespoons/60 grams thick honey, 2 to 3 Tablespoons/30 to 45 grams Sriracha (mandatory), the juice of 1 lemon (can be replaced by a lime, which is what I always do), 4 Tablespoons/60 gr dark soy sauce, 1 Tablespoon/15 grams น้ำพริกเผา (naam priik pla) which is often translated as chili jam (but it's not really true) and which I always replace by sweet chili sauce (whatever brand does the trick). Optional: sesame seeds, to play it cool.

Preheat your oven at 200 C (approx 400 F/gas mark 6). If you feel fancy or are serving these to people, you can separate the flats and drumettes - it also tastes much better and is easier to maneuver.

In a bowl, add and mix all the ingredients for the marinade in the same order I wrote them down. Only mix with a wooden spoon, until you feel no resistance from the thick honey.

Add in and rub vigorously the wings, cover with saran wrap and leave be for at least 10 to 30 minutes. You can torture yourself and place them in the fridge overnight, but it does nothing for the final taste. So, nope. This is a very satisfying quick fix, let it remain so.

Line with parchment paper a 13x8 baking pan, add the wings one by one, bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Halfway through it, pour the rest of the marinade on the wings. Take out, pour all the reduced sauce still in the pan over it and mix (if necessary), sprinkle some sesame seeds on top and pretend it's takeaway. Let cool for five minutes (will it last? nope). Sinfully delicious hot or cold.

This is a very, very easy and effective ego fix for grumpy days. Mark me. You're welcome.

[bluekittyworld]

Still with YOU.

Hi! I have had this idea for a while, I am just trying to put into words for this fanfic.

Pairing: Devil Jimin x Human (f) Reader

Warning: 18+ (some chapters include smut and death)

Genre: Angst, Yandere, Smut (Fluff if you squint your eyes)

Please any feedback will be appreciated! Your words and likes motivate me to write more :)

Also please don't copy, or post/translate my work on other platforms, thank you.

Happy reading, and PLEASE give me feedback, tysm <3

Approx. 6 chapters, 14k words

Summary: Growing up, you didn't embrace religion as fervently as your grandmother did, but her deep faith often led her to take you to Sunday prayers. The Church is where you met a Priest named Jimin, you couldn't shake the strange attraction you felt towards him, a magnetic pull that seemed to defy reason.

Jimin takes you through each sin, corrupting your soul, in the end do you ultimately end up in hell?

Masterlist

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6 [End]

At the tender age of four, you had an imaginary friend like many other children do. He was a comforting presence, older and wiser, and you cherished the time spent playing together in the backyard treehouse that had stood for years before your family moved in.

But as you grew older, the visits to the treehouse became less frequent, overshadowed by the weight of tragedy and loss. The untimely passing of your parents in a tragic car accident cast a pall over your once vibrant world, stealing away the joy and innocence you once knew.

In the wake of such devastating loss, even the simple pleasures of childhood seemed to lose their lustre, leaving you adrift in a sea of grief and sorrow. The treehouse, once a sanctuary of imagination and play, stood silent and forgotten, a poignant reminder of happier times now lost to the past.

You moved into a cottage where your grandmother lived after the incident, you were just 9 years old. The cottage was situated in a small village just a couple of minutes away from the church.

Growing up, you didn't embrace religion as fervently as your grandmother did, but her deep faith often led her to take you to Sunday prayers. Despite not having many friends your age in the countryside, where mostly retired individuals resided, you found solace in the companionship of your grandmother's friends.

Over the years, you formed close bonds with them, cherishing the warmth and love they showered upon you. Their affection filled a void in your life, offering a sense of belonging and acceptance that you had yearned for. Yet, amidst the love and care they provided, you couldn't shake the lingering feeling of longing, a desire for deeper connections and a sense of purpose that seemed to elude you, maybe because your parents left you so early?

As adulthood beckoned, you made the conscious choice to pursue your studies through online lectures, opting to remain close to your grandmother rather than venture onto a distant campus. Some might have labelled you as immature for your decision, but you knew that your grandmother was your only family, and her time with you was precious and limited.

The thought of leaving her side, even for the pursuit of higher education, filled you with a sense of dread and guilt. You couldn't bear the idea of being apart from her, especially knowing that her time on this earth was drawing to a close. In your heart, you knew that being by her side during her final days was the most important thing, and you were willing to sacrifice other opportunities to ensure that she was not alone.

As your grandmother's health declined, it became increasingly difficult for her to visit the church on her own. Recognizing the importance of her faith in her life, you took it upon yourself to accompany her to Sunday prayers each week.

With the arrival of a new young priest at the church, you couldn't help but notice a sudden surge in the number of elderly ladies attending the services. It amused you how the presence of a handsome man seemed to reignite their religious fervour.

Shaking your head in amusement, you guided your grandmother to her favourite spot in the front row, ensuring she was comfortable before taking a seat beside her. Despite the comical circumstances, you couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude for the community of faith that had become a source of comfort and solace for your grandmother.

“I am Jimin, and I will be reading the passage from the Bible today” the young priest introduced himself and a sense of familiarity washed over you. His smile, warm and genuine, seemed to pierce through the crowd, locking onto your gaze with an intensity that made you slightly uncomfortable.

Despite your unease, there was something about him that tugged at the edges of your memory, a nagging sense of recognition that you couldn't quite place. How could you feel like you knew him when you had never met him before?

As Jimin began to read from the Bible, his voice resonating through the hallowed space of the church, you couldn't shake the feeling of being drawn to him, as if there were some invisible thread connecting the two of you across time and space. It was a mystery that lingered in the recesses of your mind, waiting to be unravelled.

Lost in a trance-like state, you found yourself more captivated by Jimin's physical presence than the words he spoke. His flawless, almost golden complexion seemed to glow in the soft light of the church, accentuated by the pitch-black cascade of hair that framed his strikingly dark eyes.

Your gaze lingered on his plush, pink lips as they moved in rhythm with the words of the passage, each syllable rolling off his tongue with a mesmerizing cadence. The sight of his Adam's apple bobbing with each word only added to the allure, drawing your attention like a moth to a flame.

It was as if time had slowed to a crawl, the world around you fading into insignificance as you became lost in the ethereal beauty of this enigmatic man before you. In that moment, nothing else mattered except the intoxicating pull of his presence, igniting a fire within you that threatened to consume all reason and restraint.

Feeling the weight of Jimin's gaze upon you, you were jolted out of your reverie by the sound of his throat clearing. Heat flooded your cheeks as embarrassment washed over you, realizing that he had caught you staring.

Quickly averting your gaze, you focused intently on your hands, your fingers fidgeting nervously as you tried to regain your composure. Determined not to get caught in his gaze again, you kept your eyes firmly fixed on your lap, refusing to let yourself be distracted by the captivating presence of the young priest.

As Jimin continued to read from the Bible, the words washing over you in a blur, you silently resolved to maintain your focus and avoid any further embarrassment. After all, you couldn't afford to let yourself get caught in his spell again, no matter how tempting it may be.

As Jimin made his rounds, handing out toffees to each granny with a considerate and sweet demeanour, you couldn't help but admire his thoughtfulness. It was clear that he knew how to brighten their day with such simple gestures of kindness.

When he finally reached you, his touch lingered a moment longer than necessary as he held onto your hand. Startled, you looked up to meet his gaze, only to find him squeezing your hand with a playful smirk playing on his lips. Confusion swept over you like a tidal wave, leaving you to wonder if perhaps there was more to his actions than met the eye. It certainly didn't feel like your imagination running wild.

Lying in bed that night, thoughts of Jimin lingered in your mind, his actions replaying over and over again like a broken record. Despite your best efforts to push them aside, you couldn't shake the strange attraction you felt towards him, a magnetic pull that seemed to defy reason.

You scolded yourself for harbouring such feelings towards a man of the cloth, reminding yourself of Jimin's role as a priest—a figure of reverence and devotion, not someone to be viewed through the lens of attraction.

Yet, try as you might to suppress those forbidden thoughts, they continued to bubble up to the surface, refusing to be ignored. In the quiet solitude of your room, you found yourself grappling with conflicting emotions, torn between the dictates of reason and the undeniable allure of desire. It was a battle you knew you couldn't afford to lose, but one that seemed to grow more challenging with each passing moment.

The following morning you woke up just past the afternoon, you felt a little lazy today oddly, normally you were always energetic and an early bird.

You heard your grandmother talking to someone, a male to be specific. Confused by the unfamiliar voice, you decided to investigate, not particularly concerned about your appearance. After all, your pyjamas were decent enough, and you quickly tied your hair into a messy bun before heading out of your room to see who it was.

Jimin was sat there having tea with your grandmother, you never regretted a decision so much before, you wished you had put a bit more effort into your appearance.

“Good afternoon _____” Jimin smiled and showed his pearly whites.

Did he really have to acknowledge your presence you thought.

Feeling too embarrassed to say anything, you meekly smiled back.

Jimin nodded “Your grandmother makes lovely tea, come join us.”

He patted the seat next to him, as soon as you were about to make an excuse…

“Yes, dear sit down, I brought your cup already” you grandmother said.

Jimin patted the seat next to him again, you awkwardly sat down, you felt a bit too warm being so close to him.

As the conversation ebbed and flowed around you, you found yourself lost in thought, quietly sipping on your tea as your mind wandered once more to Jimin. Despite the reverent atmosphere of the room and the presence of the holy man beside you, your thoughts strayed to decidedly less holy territory.

In your peripheral vision, you caught glimpses of Jimin, sitting beside the esteemed figure with an air of casual confidence that only seemed to enhance his allure. Despite your best efforts to remain focused on the conversation at hand, your mind couldn't help but drift to the image of him, a tantalizing presence that stirred something primal within you.

As you sipped on your tea, the warmth of the liquid failing to dispel the heat that suffused your cheeks, you couldn't help but entertain the not-so-holy thoughts that danced through your mind, fuelled by the magnetic pull of Jimin's presence

You finished your cup of tea, setting it down with a delicate clink. Summoning up the courage, you stole a quick glance at Jimin, only to find him already looking at you, that infuriating smirk playing at the corner of his lips.

For a moment, you entertained the idea of smacking that smirk right off his face. But then you realized, with a sinking feeling, that he seemed to have a knack for reading your thoughts. Or at least, you hoped not.

Finally you excused yourself, and went back to your room. At last you felt a bit cooler and those unholy thoughts calmed down a little.

Later that evening your grandmother said that she promised Father Park that you would help him with church duties. Who even was he? You thought to yourself.

“Who is Father Park?” you asked.

“Jimin, his full name is Park Jimin” your grandmother replied with a smile.

“Park Jimin” you whispered; even his name was as beautiful as him.

Then it suddenly hit you that your grandmother volunteered you to help him out, you felt so uneasy around him because of your own mind.

“Do I really have to help him?” you pouted.

“______, sweetie, it’s good to help others and you needed some sort of volunteering for your scholarship application, this is a great opportunity for that too” she replied.

She did have a point, so you just thought to give it a go for now, you could always quit later, right?

As Friday dawned, anticipation hummed in the air, a tangible excitement flowing through your veins as you made your way towards the church. With each step, you rehearsed the words in your mind, preparing to greet Jimin—Father Park—with the proper respect and deference befitting his position.

"Hi, Father Park," you whispered to yourself, the words rolling off your tongue in practiced cadence, each syllable infused with a sense of reverence and warmth.

As you neared the church, your heart quickened with anticipation, the echo of your rehearsed greeting ringing in your ears like a silent mantra. And as you stepped through the threshold, ready to embark on another day of volunteering alongside Jimin, you couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement building within you, eager to see what the evening would bring in the presence of the enigmatic Father Park.

He was expecting you and was waiting just by the door.

As you approached the church, you couldn't contain your excitement and blurted out, "Hi Jimin!" Instantly, you mentally scolded yourself for not sticking to your rehearsed greeting.

Jimin's smirk only deepened, teasing you with his playful demeanour. "Hi _____," he replied, amusement twinkling in his eyes. "Someone seems excited. Come to the back; we have a lot of scrolls to arrange by dates." His smile was infectious, melting away your annoyance and replacing it with a warmth that spread through your chest. With a flutter of anticipation, you followed him eagerly, eager to spend the day by his side once more.

As Jimin guided you through the corridors of the church, a familiar warmth enveloped you once more, causing a light sheen of perspiration to form along your hairline. Despite the coolness of the surroundings, the intensity of his presence seemed to ignite a fire within you, sending waves of heat rippling through your body.

When you reached the small room, well it wasn’t exactly small, but the large boxes placed around left little room to manoeuvre. As you surveyed the cluttered space, Jimin's sudden touch on your arms sent a jolt of surprise coursing through you, causing you to freeze in place.

“Umm… what are you-” you said.

“You look like you’re feeling really warm so I thought you might want to take off your jacket” he cut you off, was his voice always this attractive?

You took a step away from him, and took off your jacket, he held his hand out indicating you to give it to him, he hung it neatly on the hook behind the door.

As Jimin explained the task at hand, gesturing towards the box of scrolls with an air of casual confidence, your attention wavered, drawn inexorably to the sight of his hands—those elegant, mesmerising hands that seemed to possess a grace all their own. Despite your best efforts to focus on his words, your gaze remained fixated on the subtle movements of his fingers as they gestured and emphasized various points.

Nodding absentmindedly in response to his instructions, you found yourself lost in a haze of fascination, utterly captivated by the sight before you. Surely, arranging scrolls by date order couldn't be so difficult, not when Jimin's hands were there to guide you, effortlessly navigating through the task with a skill that bordered on the sublime.

You were now arranging the scrolls. The cool, aged parchment felt delicate beneath your fingertips as you carefully laid them out on the expansive wooden table before you.

The musty scent of history lingered in the air, mingling with the faint fragrance of incense, creating an atmosphere of reverence and tranquillity as you worked, you arranged them in a meticulous order.

“_____” Jimin spoke.

“Mhm?” you replied, trying to concentrate on the scrolls and not him.

“How was your childhood?” he asked.

What a random thing to ask you thought.

“It was okay, my parents passed away when I was nine years old” you replied.

“I’m sorry to hear that, but before that when you were younger, did you have many friends? Imaginary friends like some people say, even though they might be real.” He said mindlessly.

You stopped arranging the scrolls and looked at him, that is such an oddly specific question.

He chuckled, “Sorry you don’t have to answer it.”

“I did have 2 friends, and I think I had an imaginary friend too, I don’t really remember much, my memories are all mixed up from the trauma of losing my parents.” You replied a little emotionally. Jimin looked into your eyes, his gaze softened a bit, he tucked a piece of your hair behind your ear and patted your head… what was that for, it’s not like you’re five, you’re a grown woman, you thought.

As you returned home after your volunteering session, a sense of contentment washed over you. Surprisingly, the experience hadn't been as bad as you had initially feared; in fact, you found yourself considering the possibility of returning again. A smile tugged at the corners of your lips as you reflected on the past two hours, realising that you had actually enjoyed spending time at the church, particularly in Jimin's company.

Throughout the week, you found yourself eagerly anticipating your next encounter with him. There was something about him that made you feel at ease, something that drew you to him like a moth to a flame. You found solace in sharing your stories with him, comforted by his attentive ear and understanding demeanour.

Unbeknownst to you, however, your growing affection for Jimin was leading you deeper into his web of deceit. Little did you realize the true nature of his intentions, or the dangerous game he was playing. As the days passed and your feelings for him intensified, you remained oblivious to the lurking shadows that threatened to consume you whole.

Chapter 2

Masterlist

A/N: how was it? :) the next chapter will contain smut, only read if you're 18+