#001: dae x nari

[daeyangs]

There was undoubtedly a change of pace, one that Dae had not accounted for. His curated decisions generally led to a fallout with his parents yet they had never spiralled to pulling down an entire nation. He didn’t even have the time to allow Nari’s questions to settle, to find an answer and a solution to the predicament of their marriage, to the unlikelihood that he would be allowed to marry her even if he pleaded. Faces that passed them were a mix of those he was familiar with and those he had never cared to meet, wrapped up at home in the safety of books. He didn’t care about them until they were herded into a tight space, embedding and flowing in their attempts to find an inch of breathing space. “Wait, Nari.” The mention of Jia should have been his cue to grasp her but he was a beat too late, his hand chasing after a ghost because once she slipped into the crowd, he could have believed she ceased to exist. “Nari!” He bolstered through those in front of him and while they lunged forward, he was pushing right in the direction that he had seen Nari last. At one point, he swore he had crossed Axel with a demand to find Jia, although he felt it may have been a hallucination. The heat was unlike anything he had ever experienced, it sunk deep into his chest with every breath and those around him were gasping for a breath of fresh air that wasn’t coming. The commotion had blocked out Dae’s understanding, the calls of loyalty to the Queen punctuated with screaming, by panic that threw him back with enough time to lay his eyes on Nari. It was easier to move forward while everyone else threw themselves in the opposing direction. He hadn’t noticed the blood until he was the one leaving behind ghastly footprints. His movements weren’t coordinated with the swell of thoughts in his mind, not even as his foot connected with the man’s shoulder that had clasped Nari’s ankle. “Get your fucking hands off her.” Laughter erupted from behind him, although he didn’t turn to its source, focused instead on grasping Nari by the forearms and attempting to force her to her feet. “If it isn’t the Lord himself, wait until mummy and daddy hear what you’ve done.” The voice continued to taunt him, several others appearing to join in, while the cries of his own people were pulling him apart, those nearby turning to him for command. He was suddenly thrown into senior authority for the Seven Seas, a position that he had never been required to fill, always another in a room that led the masses. Never in his life had he desired his father’s, or even his siblings, presence so desperately. “You’re going to find Axel, he’ll have Jia and you’re going to do everything he tells you to do. You won’t fucking look back.” Surprised by the calm in his own voice, dropped to a whisper for Nari alone before he turned to the assailants. “How about a trade? Everyone in this room gets to leave and you get me? I’ll even toss in a deal that won’t my parents sink you to the ocean floor when they get their hands on you bastards.” It may well have been suicide but as the massacre continued, Dae didn’t know what else to do to stop them painting the room with the blood of the Seven Seas.

There was undoubtedly a change of pace, one that Dae had not accounted for. His curated decisions generally led to a fallout with his parents yet they had never spiralled to pulling down an entire nation. He didn’t even have the time to allow Nari’s questions to settle, to find an answer and a solution to the predicament of their marriage, to the unlikelihood that he would be allowed to marry her even if he pleaded. Faces that passed them were a mix of those he was familiar with and those he had never cared to meet, wrapped up at home in the safety of books. He didn’t care about them until they were herded into a tight space, embedding and flowing in their attempts to find an inch of breathing space. “Wait, Nari.” The mention of Jia should have been his cue to grasp her but he was a beat too late, his hand chasing after a ghost because once she slipped into the crowd, he could have believed she ceased to exist. “Nari!” He bolstered through those in front of him and while they lunged forward, he was pushing right in the direction that he had seen Nari last. At one point, he swore he had crossed Axel with a demand to find Jia, although he felt it may have been a hallucination. The heat was unlike anything he had ever experienced, it sunk deep into his chest with every breath and those around him were gasping for a breath of fresh air that wasn’t coming. The commotion had blocked out Dae’s understanding, the calls of loyalty to the Queen punctuated with screaming, by panic that threw him back with enough time to lay his eyes on Nari. It was easier to move forward while everyone else threw themselves in the opposing direction. He hadn’t noticed the blood until he was the one leaving behind ghastly footprints. His movements weren’t coordinated with the swell of thoughts in his mind, not even as his foot connected with the man’s shoulder that had clasped Nari’s ankle. “Get your fucking hands off her.” Laughter erupted from behind him, although he didn’t turn to its source, focused instead on grasping Nari by the forearms and attempting to force her to her feet. “If it isn’t the Lord himself, wait until mummy and daddy hear what you’ve done.” The voice continued to taunt him, several others appearing to join in, while the cries of his own people were pulling him apart, those nearby turning to him for command. He was suddenly thrown into senior authority for the Seven Seas, a position that he had never been required to fill, always another in a room that led the masses. Never in his life had he desired his father’s, or even his siblings, presence so desperately. “You’re going to find Axel, he’ll have Jia and you’re going to do everything he tells you to do. You won’t fucking look back.” Surprised by the calm in his own voice, dropped to a whisper for Nari alone before he turned to the assailants. “How about a trade? Everyone in this room gets to leave and you get me? I’ll even toss in a deal that won’t my parents sink you to the ocean floor when they get their hands on you bastards.” It may well have been suicide but as the massacre continued, Dae didn’t know what else to do to stop them painting the room with the blood of the Seven Seas.

[narimoons]

Everything was unfolding too quickly for her to grasp, managing to move at the same pace Dae had set for them. Nari understood the minute he whispered in her ear that this was no longer a game, she only remembered one instance when his tone changed much like today, and it was years ago. Which made it clear to her that danger was following behind and would do anything to hurt them. “Okay.” The only word she could find after delivering a speech to those wanted to slaughter two more sea souls. Nari read about situations like these yet it never occurred to her that she’d be right in the middle of it all. How would she cope? The percentage of someone losing their mind after experiencing something trauma was high, she couldn’t afford to lose her mind not after being proposed to by the man she loved. “Wait, these are Damned..” Before she could finish her sentence, Nari found herself in a carriage much different than ones from Seven Seas which sparked an idea. “Trust me.” Nari figured he’d toss her out if she spoke of trust one more time, but this time she knew what needed to be done. She crawled her way towards him, hands gripping her gown as she lifted the fabric to swing over her leg, and essentially sitting comfortably on his lap. “You need to calm down for me, look at me.” Her hands rose to unzip her gown far enough that the Seven Seas lining was hidden beneath her breasts, pressing her chest against his own to hide any evidence that they were from another house. Nari placed her hands on either side of his neck, thumbs pressing against his jawline before she leaned in to capture his in a kiss so passionate that even those directing the carriage would be able to feel. This was the grand scheme, Overseers would be thrilled a war is breaking out and it would be reason to celebrate; Her thoughts screamed at her for this to work, ears ringing as she heard a halt then the wiggle of the door handle until two men were peering into the carriage. “Overseers always finding reasons to procreate.” It was the last thing she heard before the door slammed shut, Nari peeled away from his lips after a steamy session then it was pure panic. “I can’t believe that worked—Are you okay? Am I okay? I can’t fucking think straight. How are we getting home?” There was so many unanswered questions, Nari always thought about visiting Damned but the conditions were different. “I’m planning a panic attack, bear with me here.”

[daeyangs]

Dae had entered the carriage with seconds to spare, attendants were rushing to take their places and see off the Overseers of the Damned swiftly. The moment that he was in his seat though, he hadn’t expected the weight of Nari to fall into his lap. At first, he had believed she was searching for comfort until her dress began to slacken and he understood exactly what she was attempting. He didn’t argue, it would have been his next plan if she’d given him the opportunity, his hands were swift to occupy her waist and slowly beginning an exploration of her frame. Mouth matching the feverish energy, a moment that he wished would have been locked in joy and not anxiety. The secondary voice only edged him on to sell the story, his fingers tangled deep into her hair and dragging her closer to him. “It was foolproof.” He almost wanted to laugh when the door slammed shut and the carriage jolted to a start, but his concern for her had his expression hardening. Fingers unravelled from her to seize a hold of her wrists once her frenzy had begun. “We’re going to have to jump once we’re out of Paramount’s boundaries.” Dae kept his head low as they passed by the fortress walls of the house, the guards head turning with every passing carriage and luckily, they weren’t one of the unlucky few that were halted. Their occupants were forced out into the street for verification and he had attempted to glance at the faces, holding his breath in fear of finding someone he knew amongst the shadows, but they had passed too quickly. “There’s a fork in the road about five minutes after their boundary line that leads to Devotion. We can flag down one of their carriages on that road, they’ll help us.” For the first time he had been certain of a plan, thankful that Deity Devotion was a house that dealt regularly with the Seven Seas, but housed citizens that were much more forgiving. His hands released the grasp on her wrists, slipping his arms around her frame and silently beginning to readjust her gown, zipping it back into place. “I’m going to get you home.” Home felt so far away and he yearned for it, but he knew the trouble he would be in on his arrival - this massacre would be on his head. “Are you ready?” His gaze darted free from her and out the window, the landmarks were hard to spot in the dark but it was enough to tell him they were free from Paramount’s hold on them. 

Everything was unfolding too quickly for her to grasp, managing to move at the same pace Dae had set for them. Nari understood the minute he whispered in her ear that this was no longer a game, she only remembered one instance when his tone changed much like today, and it was years ago. Which made it clear to her that danger was following behind and would do anything to hurt them. “Okay.” The only word she could find after delivering a speech to those wanted to slaughter two more sea souls. Nari read about situations like these yet it never occurred to her that she’d be right in the middle of it all. How would she cope? The percentage of someone losing their mind after experiencing something trauma was high, she couldn’t afford to lose her mind not after being proposed to by the man she loved. “Wait, these are Damned..” Before she could finish her sentence, Nari found herself in a carriage much different than ones from Seven Seas which sparked an idea. “Trust me.” Nari figured he’d toss her out if she spoke of trust one more time, but this time she knew what needed to be done. She crawled her way towards him, hands gripping her gown as she lifted the fabric to swing over her leg, and essentially sitting comfortably on his lap. “You need to calm down for me, look at me.” Her hands rose to unzip her gown far enough that the Seven Seas lining was hidden beneath her breasts, pressing her chest against his own to hide any evidence that they were from another house. Nari placed her hands on either side of his neck, thumbs pressing against his jawline before she leaned in to capture his in a kiss so passionate that even those directing the carriage would be able to feel. This was the grand scheme, Overseers would be thrilled a war is breaking out and it would be reason to celebrate; Her thoughts screamed at her for this to work, ears ringing as she heard a halt then the wiggle of the door handle until two men were peering into the carriage. “Overseers always finding reasons to procreate.” It was the last thing she heard before the door slammed shut, Nari peeled away from his lips after a steamy session then it was pure panic. “I can’t believe that worked—Are you okay? Am I okay? I can’t fucking think straight. How are we getting home?” There was so many unanswered questions, Nari always thought about visiting Damned but the conditions were different. “I’m planning a panic attack, bear with me here.”

[narimoons]

daeyangs​:

A part of him believed that Nari would retract her acceptance, that the threat of war would cause a collapse in her emotions, rather bolster confidence in a union. Dae’s fingers flexed instinctively on her waist with her confirmation that she would marry him as if physically securing her in his hands would stop keep her from backing out. “You did, but I was giving you a chance to flee.” His eyes were locked on hers, the room that was opened up to them now falling away, although he could sense the clip of heels and the gasps from those within the flock that had followed him from the Seven Seas. He had yet to realise the trouble that would land on his head once his parents heard the news. They would be married, it was so nonsensical that he laughed at her solidified acceptance, although the sound held no malice. Until twenty minutes ago, he believed that she hated him, and here she was, his fiancée. “Stuck?” His eyebrows rose although he had no time to linger on the statement when her mouth was tracing his and the lilt in his chest had him following her lips. His mouth showed no signs of hesitation in catching hers, drinking in the taste of her regardless of those that looked on. Hand sliding to press the small of her back, an action made to pull her taut to him yet ridden useless by the step he took to place a leg between her knees. “Let’s go home.” Words were partially lost in the hollow of her mouth, certain that the guards around them would have more to say on releasing them so carelessly to the carriages, but Dae didn’t care for the demands they were forced to follow. He had his own rules to abide by, and that required returning to the Seven Seas as quickly as possible. “I must announce you to my parents.” He didn’t care to explain the haste, a desire to get to his family before gossip carried it to them first. His body still slid comfortably against hers, a light sigh airing once he tilted his head back to view her clearly. “Tell them I am stuck with you.”

‘Let’s go home’ were abnormal words coming from someone who she spent her life avoiding. All she could remember was the pages in her journal, Nari wrote manifestations and affirmations every day without fail because it was her only way to feel close to him without being close. Nari attempted to grasp everything that happened within the past hour, including kissing him in an empty hallway, and in front of blank faces who would soon release the news to lands. She took time to think critically about the unfolding events, but nothing made sense when she replayed each moment. There was something missing, she wouldn’t be the reason for starting a war–would she? For kissing him in the halls? “Is this my fault?” Her voice filled with concern as she gradually detached herself from his grasp. “What happens when we go home? You announce me to your parents and it ends with me being sent somewhere else.” Did he even think about the consequences when he asked her to marry him? Did she even think about the consequences when she said yes? No, no.  Nari wanted badly to believe that this connection would end in living happily ever after in some part of Seven Seas–but it was impossible to not consider the negative aspects of choosing her to be his wife. “You’re not even sure if I can even marry you, Dae.” In this world, social status meant everything to the royals and being married to one without any status would create issues. Nari had no alliances, no bribing tactic that would help Seven Seas grow as a kingdom--but she knew how to clean off the ancient artifacts. All these negatives left her silent, Nari had completely ignored the missing presences of her best friend. “Wait, where’s Jia?” The room was emptying, she regretted pulling away from his grasp as the crowd grew bigger. Her arm extended to take hold of Dae, but the push and shove caused her legs to wave through the crowd. Since when did Paramount allow so many Sea folk? Nari focused in on the amount of people gathered by the doors which refused to open. “Why aren’t they letting us out?” Someone spoke with concern while others began to panic. The situation was questionable, why ask for them to leave then keep all of them trapped? Nari scanned the room, hoping to catch a glimpse of Dae or Jia except she had fallen to deep into the crowd. “For the Queen!” The snap of her neck was swift, following the voice into the crowd as a sword found way inside a woman’s chest. Another man declaring his love for the Queen as the man’s throat was sliced next to her, blood splattering over everyone in close proximity; Manic screams as bodies began to drop, naturally everyone headed towards the exit. Nari dropped to the floor, hands and knees, crawling over dead bodies as swiftly as she could. Heading towards a nearby table, hiding under was her only option to survive. “Where do you think you’re going?” She froze at the sound of his voice, halfway underneath the table before a hand wrapped around her ankle. Dragging her out from underneath her safe haven, it was her time to scream as she came face to face with the culprit. “Please, please…”

[daeyangs]

“I’m not the idiot, you are.” It wasn’t the argument to be held in the situation, not while the blood of his people was seeping into the soles of his shoes. The sacrifice of himself would have been enough to absolve him yet Nari didn’t wish to conform to it. The headstrong nature within her that had caused them to battle throughout their youth had her threatening the enemy. “They’ll slit both our throats if you don’t…” It was too late for the warning, her physical attack causing a stir, evident that those who hadn’t expected Nari to fight back or hold any strength - Dae had known better than most not to underestimate the power in her legs. The memory of school made him laugh, ill-timed as there was another surge towards them but it had given Dae the strength to sink his fist into the oncoming male without mulling it over. It took a total of three hits to cause a stall in their attacker's advance, although they were making the reach for weapons rather than the use of their fists. “Just like in school, I’m going to need you to fucking run.” He had turned to shield Nari’s back, jolting against her with his full weight to force her into motion and towards the only exit. He could do little to protect her from any threat coming head-on other than to raise his left arm to hook around her frame and use his hand to shield her heart. “Go.” He was careless to throw out his right hand to cast aside those that closed in on them, a searing pain that shot up his arm and rooted in his shoulder, but he refused to look down at the damage. “Keep fucking going and don’t stop, I swear if you stop I’ll lose my damn mind.” His mouth was next to her ear, containing the desire to scream at her once they were out of the room and into the hallways. They were suddenly in the thrush of people, most of whom had been Seven Seas, throwing themselves forwards and towards the carriages that waited for them. Carriages that sparkled only twenty feet away, drenched in the colours of their houses and carrying their crest with pride, but they wouldn’t be able to mount them the way the others did. He unhooked his left arm from around her to take hold of her hand and drifted towards carriages that were encased in dark metal with intricately twisted skulls, waiting on the stragglers of the Overseer of the Damned that got trapped in the commotion. “They’ll be checking every carriage of the Seven Seas for us.” Dae lowered his voice, waving through the first few carriages of the Damned before settling on one at the centre of its command that had remained empty. He pulled open its door without a beat of hesitation, already beginning to strip off his jacket and slipping it around her shoulders to cover her clothing. “Get in, keep your head down and take off anything that’ll give us away.”

“What are you saying? Leave?” Did he ask her to leave him to become a victim of kidnapping? A hostage? Nari refused to believe he demanded something so bizarre from her. There had to be another way, she didn’t have to leave him behind–another way; The screaming of people clouded her thoughts as her nervous system began to signal that she was safe enough to get away. There was one issue with safety, Dae wouldn’t be there and it would drive Nari insane not knowing if he was dead or alive. As the men gathered women and children to release first, husbands went second after being stripped of any weapon, and her eyes darted over the soulless bodies on the ground. Counting exactly fifteen, all different age ranges with the youngest being at least twelve years old, Nari decided on her own that she would stay by his side. “No.” As bold as her statement was Nari was covered in fear, unsure of what might erupt due to her well-thought-out decision. “Why should I leave you with them? They murdered our people! The moment you step out that door, the minute you’re away from me then you know they’ll kill you. You’re not an idiot, Dae!” Her shaky voice echoed through the now empty quarters, rage filling her veins as she made eye contact with the culprits that took the lives of innocents. “I feel pity for the person who plotted this attack on Seven Seas because the next time we see you–the next time I see you, I will personally slit your throat along with the rest of your family.” Throughout the years, even when she was younger Nari had developed a trait from her unknown family tree which was anger. It became easy to control through the passing years, everyone knew to stand clear from Nari when someone antagonized her; An arm reached out to grab her, Nari swung full strength at the man before he could touch her again and without hesitating used pure will power to kick in his knee. “Don’t fucking touch me and don’t you dare touch him.” Her head turned to face Dae, speaking between teeth as she stood next to him on guard prepared to fight off men. “Do you remember when we took on those idiots in school? The ones who barely passed? I think these are those idiots.“ The silence was eating her alive, Nari left all the planning for someone with experience in royal situations, and having inserted herself in the issue possibly made things worse for everyone. "What should we do? Are you listening? I think I made him angry by hitting him back. Should we run?”

[narimoons]

“What are you saying? Leave?” Did he ask her to leave him to become a victim of kidnapping? A hostage? Nari refused to believe he demanded something so bizarre from her. There had to be another way, she didn’t have to leave him behind–another way; The screaming of people clouded her thoughts as her nervous system began to signal that she was safe enough to get away. There was one issue with safety, Dae wouldn’t be there and it would drive Nari insane not knowing if he was dead or alive. As the men gathered women and children to release first, husbands went second after being stripped of any weapon, and her eyes darted over the soulless bodies on the ground. Counting exactly fifteen, all different age ranges with the youngest being at least twelve years old, Nari decided on her own that she would stay by his side. “No.” As bold as her statement was Nari was covered in fear, unsure of what might erupt due to her well-thought-out decision. “Why should I leave you with them? They murdered our people! The moment you step out that door, the minute you’re away from me then you know they’ll kill you. You’re not an idiot, Dae!” Her shaky voice echoed through the now empty quarters, rage filling her veins as she made eye contact with the culprits that took the lives of innocents. “I feel pity for the person who plotted this attack on Seven Seas because the next time we see you–the next time I see you, I will personally slit your throat along with the rest of your family.” Throughout the years, even when she was younger Nari had developed a trait from her unknown family tree which was anger. It became easy to control through the passing years, everyone knew to stand clear from Nari when someone antagonized her; An arm reached out to grab her, Nari swung full strength at the man before he could touch her again and without hesitating used pure will power to kick in his knee. “Don’t fucking touch me and don’t you dare touch him.” Her head turned to face Dae, speaking between teeth as she stood next to him on guard prepared to fight off men. “Do you remember when we took on those idiots in school? The ones who barely passed? I think these are those idiots." The silence was eating her alive, Nari left all the planning for someone with experience in royal situations, and having inserted herself in the issue possibly made things worse for everyone. "What should we do? Are you listening? I think I made him angry by hitting him back. Should we run?”

There was undoubtedly a change of pace, one that Dae had not accounted for. His curated decisions generally led to a fallout with his parents yet they had never spiralled to pulling down an entire nation. He didn’t even have the time to allow Nari’s questions to settle, to find an answer and a solution to the predicament of their marriage, to the unlikelihood that he would be allowed to marry her even if he pleaded. Faces that passed them were a mix of those he was familiar with and those he had never cared to meet, wrapped up at home in the safety of books. He didn’t care about them until they were herded into a tight space, embedding and flowing in their attempts to find an inch of breathing space. “Wait, Nari.” The mention of Jia should have been his cue to grasp her but he was a beat too late, his hand chasing after a ghost because once she slipped into the crowd, he could have believed she ceased to exist. “Nari!” He bolstered through those in front of him and while they lunged forward, he was pushing right in the direction that he had seen Nari last. At one point, he swore he had crossed Axel with a demand to find Jia, although he felt it may have been a hallucination. The heat was unlike anything he had ever experienced, it sunk deep into his chest with every breath and those around him were gasping for a breath of fresh air that wasn’t coming. The commotion had blocked out Dae’s understanding, the calls of loyalty to the Queen punctuated with screaming, by panic that threw him back with enough time to lay his eyes on Nari. It was easier to move forward while everyone else threw themselves in the opposing direction. He hadn’t noticed the blood until he was the one leaving behind ghastly footprints. His movements weren’t coordinated with the swell of thoughts in his mind, not even as his foot connected with the man’s shoulder that had clasped Nari’s ankle. “Get your fucking hands off her.” Laughter erupted from behind him, although he didn’t turn to its source, focused instead on grasping Nari by the forearms and attempting to force her to her feet. “If it isn’t the Lord himself, wait until mummy and daddy hear what you’ve done.” The voice continued to taunt him, several others appearing to join in, while the cries of his own people were pulling him apart, those nearby turning to him for command. He was suddenly thrown into senior authority for the Seven Seas, a position that he had never been required to fill, always another in a room that led the masses. Never in his life had he desired his father’s, or even his siblings, presence so desperately. “You’re going to find Axel, he’ll have Jia and you’re going to do everything he tells you to do. You won’t fucking look back.” Surprised by the calm in his own voice, dropped to a whisper for Nari alone before he turned to the assailants. “How about a trade? Everyone in this room gets to leave and you get me? I’ll even toss in a deal that won’t my parents sink you to the ocean floor when they get their hands on you bastards.” It may well have been suicide but as the massacre continued, Dae didn’t know what else to do to stop them painting the room with the blood of the Seven Seas.