#07s and 08s bow down to me

[beomiracles]

how ima be stepping into school on Monday as a mf seniorrrrrr

[jihyoruri]

ofc!!! and thank you so much!!

THINGS IN AESPA!YNS CAMERA ROLL ✮

#01. a video of ningning putting a whole bunch whipped cream in yn’s mouth to the point that yn starts choking on whipped cream

#02. a video that giselle took of jimin walking up to yn who laid on her back on the floor and snatched the blunt out of yn’s mouth.

#03. a video of her practicing her high note in drama

#04. a video that mark took of yn who sat on his bed ( “I actually need to shit so bad” “not in my house bro.”)

#05. a video that yn screen recorded that a fan took of her tripping at a award show with the caption “my fav loser”

#06. a photo of yn holding bada’s bangs up against the dancers will.

#07. a video from when yn was 10 that was taken by paparazzi of her and her siblings golfing.

#08. a video of yn and johnny doing karaoke singing bring me to life.

#09. a video of yn and mark standing in front of an abandoned toilet outside that yn set on fire.

#10. a video ryujin took of yn who sat at her set up playing gta with mark as yn and mark yell and scream while they got shot up trying to make a drug deal (you can hear ryujin’s laughs in the background)

#11. a photo of yn crying while standing beside tiffany from snsd (her ultimate bias)

#12. a video that winter took of yn falling at the skate park

#13. a video of yn covering in my dreams by rv

#14. a photo of yn and karina while they were filming the drama mv.

#15. a video of mark filming his tv as he laughs at yn with her family on the news doing holiday greetings, making fun of the families english accents when they speak in english.

#16. a video of yn trying to play fight with bada.

#17. a video from when yn was 12 and was standing behind her dad with the rest of her family as he did a press conference and she thought it was good idea to throw up a gang sign which resulted with her mom slapping her hand and her siblings laughing quietly.

#18. a photo that giselle took of yn after finding yn passed out on the floor of her bedroom with a bag cheetos on her stomach and a bottle of milkis.

#19. a video that mark took of yn falling down the stairs while bada helps her up.

#20. a video of 9 year old yn pushing her dad in the pool.

#21. a photo of yn kissing yunjin’s cheek.

#22. a video of karina kissing yn while yn tried to film a fake vlog on her phone.

#23. a video that mark took of yn who kept making fun of taeyong’s ��BOW BOW BOW.” trend.

#24. a photo of yn and tyler the creator throwing up their middle fingers when she met him when she was like 14.

#25. a photo of yn lifting up her shirt to show fans her South Park belt.

[sparklingchim]

long way home 25 | jjk

pairing: jungkook x reader

word count: 1.7k

genre: dilf!jungkook, friends to lovers, angst

rating: pg

warnings: birth place of baby jaykay's insecurities <3

summary: the one where jungkook isn't enough for you.

a/n: hi hi <3 m so incredibly sorry for the long wait but life has been hectic & stressful :') here's a new chappie tho !! the last flashback of the series 🫂

chapters: 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |

masterlist | long way home masterlist

⭒☆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☆⭒

8 years ago

Jungkook is nervous. He has been thinking about this moment for a while, and although he has prepared himself for it, he can't quite hinder his heart from skipping a beat every time he thinks about it.

It’s a foolish fear – he knows it. But the giddy feeling won’t leave his system as he walks down the street to your home.

Jungkook goes over the line he has prepared. It’s a simple question, there isn’t a lot to mess up, but Jungkook doesn’t want anything to go wrong. He wanted it perfect because it was you.

It is a week before the Winter Ball and Jungkook wants to ask you out. He knows it's just a silly dance in school, nothing too fancy but still, he has wanted to ask you out for quite some time now, and today he finally had the guts to do it. He meant to ask you in school today, but he didn’t find the right moment. Between having to get rid of an annoying Namjoon with too many school related questions about classes, exams and tests, and your random ramblings while Seulgi grinned teasingly at him because she knows Jungkook’s intention, he never stood a chance.

He had considered asking over the phone, but Jungkook immediately dismissed the idea, because this way he has an excuse to see you.

Jungkook rings the doorbell.

Your mother opens the door. A smile spreads across her face as she recognises Jungkook in front of her. Jungkook bows, a polite greeting follows from his lips.

“Oh! It’s nice seeing you here, Jungkookie. Come in,” she says, a warm hand on his shoulder to welcome him inside.

Jungkook exchanges his shoes for a pair of slippers. “Y/n is in her room. Have you eaten yet? I can heat something up for you,” your mother offers but Jungkook declines with a shake of his head.

“No, thank you. I had dinner at home.”

She smiles at him. “Next time eat a spoon or two more for me, yeah? You should eat well.” Your mother pinches his cheek playfully.

Jungkook laughs. “I will.’’

“Jungkookie, I didn’t know you were coming today.” Your dad emerges from the kitchen and Jungkook turns to the voice. He bows to your dad and greets him as well.

“It was a bit spontaneous,” Jungkook answers with a hesitant smile.

Your father steps closer to ruffle Jungkook’s hair. “How are things at school? Are you doing well?”

Jungkook goes blank for a second. He thinks about the grade he got in the last English exam. And the memory of the fight he had with a boy two weeks ago is still fresh in his mind. Jungkook swallows. “Yeah, I’m - I’m doing fine.”

Your father nods approvingly. “That’s good to hear.”

Jungkook could fix that. Well, not the dude’s face he fought with, that could do the hospital, but he could fix his English grade. Sort of.

“We’re in the living room if you two need us,” your mother declares.

Jungkook makes his way to your room, but he turns around again. “Actually, I have a question.”

Your parents look at Jungkook curiously.

Uneasily, Jungkook scratches the back of his head. “Is y/n allowed to go the winter ball next week?” After a second of silence passes, Jungkook adds with a pounding heart, “I would like to go with her.”

Your mother is the first to speak. “Y/n will go. We’re going shopping for a dress tomorrow.” A fond smile curls her lips. “I think y/n would be extremely happy if you asked her.” Her grin reaches her eyes and Jungkook has to fight against a timid smile forming on his mouth. That was nice to hear.

“As friends, right?” Your father suddenly calls out.

Jungkook’s eyes flicker to him. Under your father’s gaze, he feels called out and the confidence that was coursing through him a second ago has completely vanished.

“Yes,” Jungkook utters with a little too much enthusiasm. He clears his throat. “As friends.” A stab goes right through his heart as the words passes his lips. It feels strange.

Your dad gives him a curt nod.

With uncertain steps he leaves to get to your room. When Jungkook is around the corner, he hears your mother speak up.

“You shouldn’t have said that,” she chides. “You made his precious smile drop from his face the moment you said it.”

A sudden surge of warmth dispels the unease in Jungkook at the sight of your mother’s protectiveness. Jungkook hides behind the corner. He wants to hear where the conversation will lead.

“He has to know which boundaries he can’t cross,” your father replies.

“Jungkook has a pure soul. He is a good friend for y/n.”

‘’Yeobo, I know he's a good friend to y/n, but I can't let him get the idea that he could be our girl's boyfriend.

Having one of his greatest fears confirmed by your father is the strangest feeling of all. His words send a cold shiver down his spine. It's not like Jungkook had high hopes of a chance with you, but now even the smallest spark has vanished into thin air in a second.

‘’There are just kids. They’re not thinking that far yet.’’

Jungkook hears your dad scoff at your mother’s statement.

‘’They are teenagers,” he stresses. “We should make it clear that he doesn’t have the qualities to be more than a friend to our daughter. Jungkook is not good enough for her.”

Jungkook’s throat tightens.

“I don’t think a boy raised by his aunt is good enough for our y/n.”

Jungkook can feel the punch strike his face as he perceives your father’s words.

Your mother sighs deeply. "We can't blame him for his parents abandoning him," she says disapprovingly. "Jungkook is an innocent boy and a loyal friend. Don't interfere with their friendship."

While Jungkook appreciates your mother defending him, he can't blame your father for thinking that way. He wants the best for you and so does Jungkook, so his wishful thinking and what if assumptions about you should end from now on.

When Jungkook realises what he is doing, he saunters into your room. He shouldn't spy on your parents. They are right in what they say anyway - Jungkook is not enough for you. You deserve more, something better.

Jungkook knocks at your door. When your soft voice invites him in, he finds you sitting at your desk with your school book open in front of you.

Your eyes widen at the sight of Jungkook. “Jungkook?” The light sparkles in your eyes. “What are you doing here?”

“Just...” Jungkook trails off, leaning against your desk. “Thought I could stop by for a little?”

“Sure,” you smile. “You’re always welcome here.”

Jungkook is aware that it shouldn’t, but his heart warms at that.

You rummage in a folder. “Here,” you say, handing him a few sheets of paper. “We got these in English today. I took some for you.”

“Thanks.” He puts the sheets of paper next to him.

“Why weren’t you in class?” You level him with curious eyes from below.

Jungkook breaks eye contact for a brief moment. “Wasn’t feeling well.”

In reality he was hiding in the girl’s restroom, making out with a girl from Biology, but Jungkook thinks that you’re both better off if he doesn’t tell you.

You stare at him with the same expression on your face and Jungkook worries you’ll ask more questions, but then you turn your attention back to the books in front of you. “Wanna do English homework with me?”

Jungkook winces. “Why would you even ask.”

You giggle. “You can’t pretend English class doesn't exist forever, Koo."

“Yeah, I can,” Jungkook says like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. You roll your eyes at him.

Jungkook taps his fingers against the desk. “So...”

You look up at him expectantly.

“You’re going to the ball next week?”

You nod with way too much excitement for a silly school ball, but Jungkook adores it.

“I’m going shopping with my mum to look for a dress tomorrow,” you reply. You’re buzzing with anticipation.

“So like, would you...” Jungkook pauses. He doesn’t know why he finds it so hard to just ask the question. You look so pretty as you’re looking up at him, the way you bite down on your lip with interest. “Would you like to go to the ball with me?”

You grow shy under Jungkook's gaze. A tentative smile unfurls on your face.

Jungkook’s heart drops at the beautiful sight in front of him.

“Sure. I’d like to go with you, yeah.”

But then your father’s words loom in Jungkook’s mind and his stomach plummets.

He swallows the lump in his throat before he speaks, “But just as friends. We’ll go there as friends.”

Your smile falters the tiniest bit. “Yes, I – I know. I didn’t assume -” You laugh nervously. “I know that we’re just friends, Koo.”

Jungkook nods. How can it be that his heart feels lighter and heavier at the same time? He thought he would feel more relieved after asking you – and he did, but the reassurance didn’t last long.

While you continue to do your homework, Jungkook gets lost in his thoughts.

He shouldn’t dwell on all the crushing emotions that make him clench his jaw in disappointment. Jungkook is angry at himself for ever being foolish enough to develop feelings for you. Your dad was right in everything he said.

Jungkook emits a little sigh that has you looking up from your paper for a second. He shouldn’t feel this way. He should just be happy to have you as a friend. That’s enough for him. Jungkook is happy enough to have you in his life. He shouldn’t want more than that.

And so he grabs the pen you are writing with and holds it above his head.

“Yah!” you shout in annoyance, trying to reach the pen.

Jungkook giggles and you easily fall into silly banter, because that’s what you both do best – just being friends.

[sunriseabram]

Aaron after the car crash

Aaron after the car crash | 08/07

CW / Parental Death, Car Crash

Aaron stared at the police officer on his doorstep with disdain. He hated it when they came around in their pompous little uniforms. The police knew the Minyards well by now due to Andrew’s juvie record and Aaron hated to see them. 

“Are you a relative of Tilda Minyard?”

The name made Aaron freeze. He hadn’t expected it.

“She’s my mother, Sir,” he said, a hand gripping the door.

The office swallowed, his face twisting into some contorted expression. He bowed his head, staring at Aaron with pity and grief. Aaron knew whatever the officer was about to say wouldn’t be pretty. A part of him hoped that Tilda had just been arrested for illegal drug use, or gotten into a petty fight. 

A part of him knew.

“May I come inside, Son? I think it is best for you to sit down. Is anyone else home?”

The world narrowed. Aaron could hear his heart thumping inside his ears, trying to leap out. He felt too much, too deeply. Nothing ever good came from such a home visit.

“No Sir. Mom said no cops allowed in here.” She will hit me if she finds out. “Just tell me now.”

With a sigh, the officer put a hand on his heart.

“It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you your mother and brother were in a bad accident. Despite the best efforts of paramedics, your mother sustained injuries that she was unable to survive—”

Although the officer kept speaking, Aaron could no longer hear him. Reality hit him so hard that he staggered backwards away from the door, collapsing to his knees. His mother was dead. His mother was never coming back again.

His brother. 

The brother he had just met had been taken. His whole family was gone, taken by a cruel accident, and there was nothing he could do. Was this a punishment from God? Was he destined to live life alone? Was it his fault?

“No,” Aaron said—or at least, he thought he did. His ears were ringing, his hands shaking and his breathing rapid.

“Your twin brother is in hospital. His injuries are not life-threatening, and he is expected to make a full recovery.”

Aaron let out a cry of relief. The seal broke, salty tears wetting his cheeks one after another. Once they started, he couldn’t stop. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t think. 

Andrew was alive.

“Let me see him.”

[osamusriceballs]

Ten Nights

Iwaizumi x fem Reader

Warnings: NSFW

Words: ~ 1,4k

About: A series of your most important moments with Iwaizumi- from your very first meeting to your relationship! Smut included~

___________________

"Go, ask for her number!"

"What? Why should I do that?"

"You've been eyeing her all night, Iwa-chan."

The brown-haired setter grins and takes a long zip from his drink, apparently not bothered by the annoyed grunt from the former ace.

"Quit it."

His eyes roam towards the bar, towards the direction of the woman he just bumped into- you. Your shy but polite smile, the way your cheeks reddened when you held eye-contact with him, and how you smelled so good when he walked past you- you positively put him under a spell. And Oikawa- of course- witnessed the whole thing and non-stop teased him about the little encounter.

One deep breath later, and Iwaizumi silently grabs his phone and heads towards your direction- with a slightly nervous smile on his face and hope in his heart.

xx

2:04 am - Iwaizumi: "Hey, it's me- Just wanted to check if you're home already."

2:06 am - You: "Hey, Hajime! I'm home safely. Thank you for worrying <3"

2:07 am - Iwaizumi: "Sure. I had a great time tonight- wanna hang out sometime again?"

2: 07 am - You: "I'd love to! Maybe lunch tomorrow?"

2:08 am- Iwaizumi: "Text me the time, and I'll pick you up."

2:08 am - You: "Perfect. See you then <3

2:08 am - Iwazumi: "See you tomorrow, y/n. Can't wait."

xxx

Iwaizumi runs his hand through his hair once again, nervousness clouding his features, yet he still manages to look handsome, even when he's simply leaning against his car.

He looks at his phone again, reading your short "I'll be there in a sec <3" for the third time, hoping to appear a bit calmer on the outside than he feels on the inside. Will you like his outfit? Will you like him? Will you think he's an arrogant guy, trying to impress you with his fancy car? It was his first big investment after his first salary, and it's something he'd wanted to have for forever, but if you-

His train of thoughts gets interrupted when you suddenly open the door to the apartment complex and immediately blink a few times to let your eyes adapt to the sunlight.

You're beautiful. The color of the dress compliments your hair, your make-up making your features more charming, and the smile on your face- stops his heart for a second. You're absolutely breathtaking.

"Hey!" You still smile when you step closer to hug him- and he allows himself to get lost in your flowery scent for a few moments while he wraps his arms tightly around you. "Hey." He returns your smile and quickly steps back to put a respectful distance between the two of you. He smoothly opens the door to the passenger seat and playfully bows while keeping eye contact to see the slight blush that he loves so much appear on your face. "Shall we?"



xxxx

It's perfect.

The perfect date, the perfect moment, and the perfect person. It feels natural when he holds your waist and leans down to slowly bring his lips to yours- and fireworks erupt in your stomach when he finally kisses you. You wrap your arms around his shoulders and return the kiss, enjoying how his body feels perfect against yours and how perfect this moment is.

Your very first kiss with him.

xxxxx

"Please- I need you-"

You gasp and wrap your arms around his neck to pull him down towards you- and he is quick to connect your lips with his once again. His hips are rutting against yours, and you feel his hand moving under your panties to tease your clit, causing you to slightly bite into his lip in surprise. You pull back with wide eyes, but there is a hungry glint in his features, and his fingers rub your clit one last time before he pushes two of them inside after finding out that he's got you soaking wet with just a bit of dry humping. Not that he's any better, with the hard-on he's been sporting ever since you moaned his name when he had kissed you in the car.

"S-sorry," you gasp, and your thumb brushes against his lower lip but he quickly shakes his head with a grin on his attractive face.

"That was hot, baby."

The nickname turns your cheeks even redder, and he suddenly curls his fingers inside of you, causing you to gasp and arch your back against his body.

"Like that, baby? Don't worry, I'll take care of you so well tonight."

xxxxxx

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." You stop fidgeting with your fingers and focus on Iwaizumi, who is sitting right next to you.

"You sure? You seem so absent. "

"I'm just nervous."

"Why should you be nervous? You're with me, baby. Just you and me."

You smile and lean in for a quick kiss in the busy cafe- and decide to let it off your soul right here and now.

"I know. I was just thinking about how I should tell you that I love you. That's all."

You try to sound calm and collected, but the slight shaking of your voice reveals your true feelings.

You're nervous about being vulnerable.

About confessing your feelings, and taking this big step first, and you just hope that he feels the same.

Iwaizumi freezes- his attractive face not giving away what's going on in his head- and then the realization seems to sink in. He almost breaks his cup with how fast he's smashing it down on the table before he cups your cheeks with his hands and looks deep into your eyes.

"I love you too, y/n- So, so much."

xxxxxxx

"Please move in with me."

"Huh?"

You raise your head from his chest and look into his sleepy eyes. You blink confused, slightly shifting your body into a more comfortable position on top of him while the roaring sounds from "Godzilla" echo through the room.

Moving in so suddenly?

But it's moving in with Iwaizumi. How could you say no to that?

"Okay."

xxxxxxxx

You're without a doubt overwhelmed and don't know what to say when you look at the man in front of you on his knees- and towards the ring in his hands.

"Will you marry me?"

xxxxxxxxx

One of the most memorable moments of your wedding is without a doubt Oikawa's face- full of happy tears while sobbing "Congrats, Iwa-chan, y/n-chan," and how he tries to give his speech in which he declares that it was him who brought the two of you together, while clearly being drunk already.

The moment that you will truly never forget, however, is Iwaizumi's face when he sees you in your wedding dress for the very first time. Absolutely stunned, full of love and admiration, and it was all for you.

The way he gently held your hand during the ceremony, and how he simply wrapped his arms around you and lifted you up to carry you, causing the wedding guests to swoon and laugh.

x

"My beautiful wife." He whispers and presses another kiss against your calf. "So, so beautiful." He travels towards your knee and leaves a trail of sweet and teasing kisses, holding your leg steady to keep you from squirming. He finally reaches the fabric around your upper thigh and wraps his teeth around it to pull it down on your leg.

You wiggle under his lips, your breath already shallow and fast, you feel almost dizzy from watching the handsome man working between your legs- his tie loosened and his dark hair messy from how many times you've been running your hands through it tonight. Your wedding dress is bunched up around your hips, exposing your legs and underwear to Iwaizumi, but you know that you won't wear the dress for much longer.

Iwaizumi's lips curl into a triumphant smile as soon as he manages to free the wedding band from your body. "Look, I got it." You smile at his almost childish triumphant expression and suppress a laugh that threatens to burst out of you. That's exactly the man you've fallen for at that night five years ago.

He is quick to dive back between your legs though, and you gasp his name when he directly kisses your pussy through your white underwear. "Don't worry, my dear wife. Your husband is here with you now. Forever and ever."

[out-with-the-boys]

The Dance- Fic for 'The Boys' Master Post

Ongoing fic. Appx words to date (November 1st, 2024): 69k. 18+

Homelander x Supe OC

Canon divergent around the beginning of season 2. Enemies to lovers, then back to enemies again. Slow burn. Eventual smut. Specific content warnings for each chapter will be applied in notes prior to the text to help avoid spoilers.

Summary:

Hand-picked by Stan Edgar, Morgan Daly's new role as the latest member of The Seven is anything but glamorous. Behind the scenes, she’s been tasked with a dangerous mission: keep the world’s most powerful superhero, Homelander, in line. Her telepathic abilities make her a valuable asset, but navigating the ruthless game within Vought’s elite team could cost her more than she bargained for. As tensions rise and the line between ally and enemy blurs, Morgan must decide whether she’ll play by Vought’s rules—or risk everything to outmaneuver a man who could destroy her without a second thought.

AO3 Link | Fic Playlist | Ship Playlist

Tumblr Chapter Directory

Chapter 01- Tightrope Chapter 02- Control Chapter 03- Take a Bow Chapter 04- Shot Me Down Chapter 05- Smile Chapter 06- Under Pressure Chapter 07- Losing My Religion Chapter 08- Not About Angels Chapter 09- Everybody Knows Chapter 10- I'm Not the One Chapter 11- You're Somebody Else Chapter 12- I Gave You All Chapter 13- Samson Chapter 14- Night of the Dancing Flame Chapter 15- Falling Chapter 16- Hollow Crown Chapter 17- Landslide Chapter 18- All the Good Girls Go to Hell Chapter 19- They Weren't There Chapter 20- The Dance Chapter 21- Once Upon Another Time Chapter 22- Give It Up (WIP)

[exitvelocities]

writing patterns

rules: share the first line of your last ten published works or as many as you are able and see if there are any patterns!

tagged by @la-muerta! ok going to try to avoid repeating fic from the last time i did this, which shouldn't be too hard since wow i've written a lot since then? doing the version with first and last lines because i think it's interesting and also i can steal my own formatting.

01-03. can't cut the root, T, mysterious lotus casebook meme dump; i'm going to cheat and use the last three posted first: "why, lao di," li lianhua says, lips nearly brushing di feisheng's cheek where he's flinched away like a nervous horse, "are you shy?" last: they can learn together.

first: rain streaks down the windows, neon-slashed night rubbing up against the tired building like an aggressively friendly creature with more teeth than sense. last: "let's get you changed," he says. "i'll help you with that."

first: “no,” di feisheng says, holding a hand out, “don’t touch me.” last: “i’ll be free of it someday,” di feisheng says, and bends to press his mouth to li lianhua’s fully.

04. i see you and i reach, G, mysterious lotus casebook first: wind soughs over the lip of the crag, metal guardrail sighing, and di feisheng cups his hands around his cigarette, touching the tip of it to li xiangyi's. last: "we both are," di feisheng says, looking up at the moon. "always have been."

05. can't read my poker face, E, mysterious lotus casebook; this is a co-written fic so i'm just grabbing the first and last sentences i wrote for it. first: Fast forward a couple weeks, and Li Lianhua is better rested, if no less fascinated. last: “Oh, no,” he says. “You’re not living it down that easily.”

06. laws of physics lose their way, G, oh no! here comes trouble first: The day Pu Yiyong wakes up, Cao Guangyan comes sliding upstairs on socked feet and stares at him for what feels like years before lurching through the door of his room and falling at his bedside. last: “So there’s this voice…”

07. i'm a fox and you're a burrow, T, mysterious lotus casebook first: “You know,” Li Lianhua says one night, tangled up in bed with Di Feisheng, ink-dark hair spilling over his pillow, “we never actually did our three bows.” last: They’ll have time tomorrow and the next day and every day after. It’s fine.

08. another way to tell the truth, G, mysterious lotus casebook first: It’s something like a science experiment, Li Lianhua reasons. last: “Come on,” he calls, sure A’Fei will follow, “Let’s go home.”

09. i'll stay underneath, E, mysterious lotus casebook first: Di Feisheng lets down Li Lianhua's hair with the practiced ease of familiarity, running his fingers through it a couple times before retrieving the comb from the vanity. last: Laundry and whatever else can wait until tomorrow.

10. everything grows stronger in the light, E, mysterious lotus casebook; i did do this one last time but this time i'll do the original ending line before the porn coda first: “this is biological warfare,” di feisheng says, looming large over li lianhua’s tiny kitchen table. last: the chopsticks drop from li lianhua's suddenly lax fingers.

hmmm i end on dialogue a lot more often than i thought i did? also when i'm trying to write a 'proper' ending i tend to invoke tomorrows and things being fine, lol. my first lines are mostly scene-setting whether they're dialogue or descriptive and i think there's a decent mix of both. idk! i'm bad at analyzing my own writing.

tagging @floatingonyourback, @momosandlemonsoda, @yletylyf if you feel like doing it!

[thiamblogger]

judging ttpd to fit tdps: (cause you know i'm delulu).

01 Fortnight [ft. Post Malone] - once in a fortnite, explosions, the fun in the harm.

02 The Tortured Poets Department - ...

03 My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys - neil's dad (or maybe even todd's?? )

04 Down Bad - duh.

05 So Long, London - mr. keating 😭😭

06 But Daddy I Love Him - duh x2.

07 Fresh Out the Slammer - what would've happened if we were given a fee more years.

08 Florida!!! [ft. Florence and the Machine] - it's fatm, which is enough to be dps.

09 Guilty as Sin? - GAY.

10 Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me? - nwanda.

11 I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) - um.. chris?

12 Loml - anderperry!!

13 I Can Do It With a Broken Heart - todd.. 😭😭

14 The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived - neil.

15 The Alchemy - just everything.

16 Clara Bow - icon.

17 The Manuscript (Bonus Track) - also just everything.

[biffhofosho]

Prisoner to Temptation | Chapter One

Fandoms: Monsta X

Genre: Royal AU, Romance, 19th Century period piece

Pairing: Hyungwon x OC

Chapter Word Count: 9.4k

Tropes: Arranged marriage, strangers to spouses to lovers

The Vibe: Lonely prince meets reluctant princess, the typical royal intrigue, period-appropriate writing style, beautiful costumes and lavish historical settings, friends with benefits-adjacent (though it’s more like royals with obligations), slow burn but also loads and loads of smut (like, I mean it, a lot lol) of every kind in between because arranged marriage, jealousy, angst, misunderstandings, confused feelings, falling in love with your husband, HAPPY ENDING BECAUSE FAIRYTALE DAMNIT

Synopsis: Naran has never fit the mold of a princess. She’s brash, disinterested, and nomadic at heart. It is only unlucky circumstance that has cast her as the sole hope of the Moghulikhan empire. With no brothers to secure the realm’s lineage, shaky borders ringing them from all sides, and a sister too young to understand any of that, peace only seems possible through an alliance, but that hasn’t stopped Naran from scheming up a way out. That is, until a handsome prince charming makes her an offer she simply can’t ignore.

A/N: First things first, happy birthday to my beloved Hyungwon. He’s too special and good for this world. He’s a living muse, and watching him work constantly inspires me (in ways it definitely shouldn’t lol). 

Anyway, I just cobbled this AU together out of lots of bits and bobs because I can. Really went for a style of writing and dialogue that you might find in your Jane Austens or Emily Brontës, so this may or may not be for you.

Let’s set it somewhere in the early 1800s though I took a lot of liberties with bygone kingdoms (all real at one point or another, though that doesn’t mean this is historically or geographically accurate—I’m just fucking around). In this universe, western and eastern cultures mingle freely. You’ll get the drift. I mean, I’m here for the romance, but I’m also a slut for worldbuilding. Please join me, your resident lost cause, on this time-traveling, bodice-ripping adventure.

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Naran felt her head drooping with every second that passed with the Viscount LaCroix. At least she’d been trained well enough to blame it on the stuffiness of the hall or the port she’d just downed, but it was becoming clearer by the second that she needed an escape or she was liable to outright fall asleep standing up, and the last thing she needed was to fall into the red-cheeked buffoon’s arms and have him convinced he’d found his fourth wife.

Desperate, Naran scoped out the ballroom looking for a friend to save her, but servants weren’t allowed in except the wait staff and neither were commoners. Even her sister was too young to attend this meat market, for that was what this was—an excuse to haggle wares, only the wares were noble sons and daughters.

At last, her eyes fell on her mother, who was already scowling at her. That scowl only deepened as Naran turned to the old man next to her and bowed lightly.

“Excuse me, your grace, I see my mother is calling for me. Thank you for the… discourse.”

She should have added “delightful" or some other outwardly false adjective in front of the last word, but Naran wasn’t in the mood to play ballroom politics—not that she ever was.

On the way across the room, she snatched another wine from a waiter and downed it, wishing it was kumis instead. She found her mother, Queen Jigme, crouching like a snow leopard in the corner, cunning eyes always vigilant for prey, only now they were narrowed on a very different obstacle.

Though the princess was taller and slighter, more often than not, she was bent from boredom (a trait her father always said made her more grassland reed than girl), and the queen could loom over her with just a few words.

"That was very rude to leave the Viscount hanging like that, child of mine,” the silver-haired woman scolded from behind her own wine glass.

“Wouldn’t it have been ruder to die of tedium in his presence?” Naran challenged without bothering to keep her own voice down. There was no one else in this corner of the ballroom anyway.

"You know, I knew you were going to be the trial of my life when I almost didn’t survive your labor, and here you are, nearly bringing me to my death again. Your grandfather threw this ball in your honor, I’ll remind you.”

Naran rolled her eyes. “Like I could forget. I only heard it every time the carriage hit a pothole the entire fortnight it took to get here.”

“Yes, well, it took many other guests here just as long or longer to arrive, so I won’t hear any more of your complaining.”

“Mother, it’s not like they came here for me. Deda may have told you this ball was for my benefit, but that’s certainly not what he told all these poor royals.”

Her mother pursed her lips, the wrinkles from the many years of sparring with her daughter etched into her face. “It may not have been on the invitations, but none of these people are fools.”

Naran rolled her eyes again toward the Viscount, and her mother smiled before her well-weathered purse returned.

“Very well, most of them aren’t,” the older woman continued. “They have traveled from all across the continent with the express purpose of sizing up rival empires and aligning themselves with ones that are worthy or tactically advantageous. We are here to do the same, Narangerel. Why do you think I married your father, hm? If it weren’t for your grandfather’s meticulous planning, you wouldn’t be here. No one senses an alliance like he does.”

Dread prickled up Naran’s spine the same way sweat did. “Please tell me not the Viscount…”

“Of course not. The First Princess of Moghulikhan should set her sights on someone of far greater importance than a middling pseudo-royal from Limoges.”

“Mother, we’ve been over this—”

“And we’ll go over it as many times as we need to until you understand your role in protecting our kingdom. We are cunning and strategic, Naran. We are survivors. This is how Moghulikhan has endured for centuries.”

“Off the backs of saleable daughters.”

Queen Jigme glared at her. “You are very tiresome, young lady, but do not think you can break my will with tacky jokes and passive aggression. I know what you’re doing because I’ve done it all myself.”

Her mother meant it as a warning, but it came across as one of an entirely different kind.

If her mother was once as free-spirited as Naran fancied herself, then there was no outrunning her fate. She would marry, and she would do it for country, not for herself.

“I’m here, aren’t I?” grumbled Naran.

“In body, maybe. The spirit must be coaxed,” the queen volleyed back.

Or broken, Naran thought bitterly as she took another long draft of wine.

The women stood side-by-side for a while, appraising the room. There were lots of marriageable prospects among the crowd—the princess’s grandfather had seen to it—but most were decades too old or so feeble that they spent most of the night observing their options from their chairs. On the other hand, there were some so young that Naran suspected their governesses or caretakers were lurking just outside the hall.

Her future was dimming by the second.

“Come now,” added her mother, “it’s not so bad as all that. I did let you wear your deel instead of a Western dress, a decision I am regretting now that I see you’re the only one in a costume of your homeland.”

“Shouldn’t that please you? I stand out.”

“Yes, though I think it remarks more on your stubbornness than anything else. Even those from Goryeo went Western traditional.”

Naran sighed.

“What about Prince Hyungwon?” Queen Jigme continued with a sly voice that betrayed her.

The princess narrowed her eyes at her mother. “What about him?”

“No matter which way you look at it, he's a better prospect for you than anybody here.”

Against her will, Naran’s eyes slid across the lavishly appointed ballroom to the tall, thin man with long charcoal hair, a beardless face, and an inscrutable expression. There was an air in his posture that made him look richer than anyone else in the room, though part of that no doubt came with the fact that his empire was certainly one of the largest. In reality, though, it was down to the way he wore his suit—jacket unbuttoned, dress shirt open two buttons too deep just the same as his cuffs, and cravat unspooled like he was heading to bed at any moment. None of these other stuffed-shirts would dare to look so relaxed.

Not that she was paying attention of course…

“What on earth would possess you to say that?” the princess snapped to her mother as she polished off her port.

“He’s certainly the handsomest man out there,” observed the queen.

“Oh, and he knows it.”

Again, since Naran definitely hadn’t been watching him all night, she hadn’t picked up on the way the prince chatted with every pretty girl in his vicinity... And she definitely hadn't studied the way his face collapsed into perfect apathy the moment he was ready to move on to more fertile grounds, leaving a string of bereft royals in his wake.

“To say nothing of the fact that his kingdom abuts ours,” the queen continued. “We’re already neighbors.”

“Oh, so he’s obligated to choose Moghulikhan just because we share part of a border? Our lands may be vast, Mother, but half of them are empty desert. We’re not resource-rich like Chalukya or Lotharingia nor do we have the breadth of their armies. Why on earth would Prince Hyungwon ever marry me over Princess Bhataki or Princess Flavia when their empires are twice as wealthy and neither of them openly balks at Court obligations? He won't have to settle for anything less than exactly what he wants. It's not like he has a clock ticking.”

“Sometimes I wonder about you,” Jigme said with a gentle shake of her head. “Clearly, I’ve indulged you far too much. You know nothing of politics, Narangerel. Prince Hyungwon may be a man, but he's also the last of his line. With no other heirs, he will need to provide some for his throne lest he throw his realm into chaos.”

“That may be, but unlike us,” the princess objected, “he can have children at any age.”

“My darling child, a throne may sit on solid ground, but it can be overturned at any moment. With no other heirs behind him, his family line is less and less secure every day. The Chae lineage may be storied, but people will talk. They already are talking. The longer Goryeo hesitates on forging a match, the closer things march toward open season on its reign. Nothing is secure in this life, dear, least of all power.”

“So, what? The prince is here tonight to find a bride?”

“Well, he certainly didn’t travel twice as far as we did for just for caviar.”

Naran glared at her mother, but as annoyed as she was, she couldn’t keep her eyes on her now that her interest had been reluctantly piqued. It had nothing to do with the prince’s looks, of course, but intrigue was intrigue, she told herself. It was only natural.

Prince Hyungwon did not look back. He was too busy feigning attention to the Countess de Bourgh, who was prattling on about her new summer villa, no doubt, as she had to any poor fool who had crossed her path that night. But when Naran could convince her eyes to finally stray from his button mushroom nose and jutting, plump upper lip, she found someone else who seemed to have just as much interest in the young prince’s company as she did.

Seated at the most prominent table in the center of the room was the Emperor of Goryeo himself, the prince’s father, Emperor Gongmin. He was a much smaller man than his son, with a round, flat face and perceptive eyes. It was clear the prince favored his mother’s elegant looks as well as her attention span, as she was lost in her wine glass while the Empress of Wu yammered on beside her.

Queen Jigme smiled and said shrewdly, “You see now, don't you?”

Naran shrugged a shoulder. “They seem like they're having a nice time.”

“Perhaps the empress is enjoying herself, but you know the emperor hasn't eaten so much of a grain of rice tonight. He has eyes on everything.”

“Very well, Mother, I will play your silly games. On whom does the emperor have eyes?”

“I would say there are two frontrunners. The Princess of Champa and the Princess of Dai Viet. Princess Binh is plenty young enough to bear many heirs and from to an exotic kingdom without an heir apparent while Princess Tham is newly widowed, still young, and has only borne two daughters. The Fates would say she is due for a boy. And I have heard the Dai Viet palace is covered in gold while their mountains are said to be filled with precious stones. It would be a good alliance to make.”

“I suppose either one would make a suitable match if it weren't for one problem,” Naran said with an eyebrow raised.

“Oh, and what is that?”

“The prince isn’t interested in either one of them.”

The queen hummed. “What makes you say that, my sun?”

“Princess Binh is far too talkative and he cares little for conversation, and Princess Tham flatters him far too much. It makes him uncomfortable.”

The corner of the queen’s mouth twitched. “Does it now?”

“Not that I've been watching,” Naran added. “It’s just what I’ve heard other guests saying over their wine goblets.”

“Hm. Well, in the end, we both know that doesn't matter, does it, my child? The prince will marry whomever the emperor tells him to marry.”

“I suppose you're right about that, as you’ve been right about nearly everything tonight.”

Queen Jigme nodded, an odd light illuminating the dark wells of her eyes. “How pleased I am to hear you say that because I should like to return to the discussion about the third and best option for the prince’s marriage.”

There was a long pause as understanding simmered between mother and daughter, and slowly, a red aura crept above the collar of Naran’s deel.

“Mother, you cannot be serious!” she snapped, loud enough that a few other nearby royals glanced their way.

The queen hushed her daughter with a pinch to her side and a heavy sneer. Despite the Court decorum her mother otherwise fought to uphold, she gripped both of the princess’s arms and squared her daughter to face her. Jigme’s voice was low but firm as she said, “Naran, this is our one chance at protection from Goryeo’s might. Especially with your father still ill, we are doomed without this union.”

The princess tried to shake the older woman’s grip, but it was relentless. Though she tried to sound cavalier, Naran’s voice wavered as she said, “You’re being dramatic again, Mother.”

“Hardly. Goryeo has been overthrowing kingdom after kingdom. Perhaps you’re too young to remember Ladakh, but no doubt you learned about it in your schooling.”

“I did.”

“So you know what happened to them, to my people,” said the queen. Her voice was clipped and her eyes were tight. “Goryeo took them over in a week. A week, Naran. And they were Moghulikhan’s direct neighbor, the only kingdom left between Goryeo’s might and ours. Now that our lands share a border, I’m sure it won’t be long before that irks Emperor Gongmin. Moghulikhan might be large, but as you pointed out, we don’t have the population Goryeo does. It’s been but thirty years since that takeover, and no doubt the Emperor's hunger for power and country has only amplified.

“Still, he’s a tactician at heart. He knows our army might not be as large as his, but we are fierce and brutal, and our kingdom is like four in one. It would be devastating to the unfamiliar army once they hit, say, the Gobi. But that need never come to pass if our kingdoms unite peacefully.”

The princess rolled her whole head with her eyes. “And I’m supposed to fix that how?”

“Don’t be obtuse, Narangerel. You were raised in a court. You know that alliances are the only way to secure one’s self and one’s vassals, and there’s no alliance stronger than a blood alliance. If Prince Hyungwon selects you as his princess before other arrangements are made, then there’s nothing to worry about any longer. No one would dare trifle with our kingdom with the strength of Goryeo behind us.”

“You’ve just described the worst kind of bully. Why on earth would I want to marry someone like that for all the good looks in the realms? Do you know your daughter at all?”

Jigme rubbed the princess’s arms before she squeezed Naran’s hands. “Indeed, I do, my love. You think I would propose Saran to such a family? Your sister could never conquer them. She’s too sweet and gentle. She’d be swallowed up. But you, my sun, my strength… You have the wit and the courage and the cleverness to make men fear you.”

“So why don’t I just make them so afraid of me they leave us alone entirely?”

“And there’s the wit. Naran, you must learn to look beyond what your eyes can observe the way you trust Altantsetseg on the steppe. Let me be your eagle in this hunt, my love. I know the battlefields better than you do; I’ve lived my entire life on them. Emperor Gongmin may be a shrewd monarch, but Prince Hyungwon is malleable. He is his own man, a man who will one day be king. In the right hands, he will be merciful and kind. In the wrong ones, he will be a foolish puppet. What would you have, child?”

“I would have you talk sense,” Naran quipped. “Through a twist of fate, I may have been born into this world, but it is not my world, Mother. I could never be ‘the right hands.’ I care nothing for the games of idle men. I care only for an open sky and a wind-swept bluff.”

Jigme looked softly at her daughter. She brushed a stray tendril of mahogany hair behind the princess’s ear and said, “Be that as it may, the choice is not yours to make. You will make your way to the prince, and you will introduce yourself with a smile. Once he sees that, everything will fall into place, I’m sure of it. You are very beautiful tonight, my daughter, as always, and never more so when you offer up one of those rare smiles.”

“And what happens when he ignores me as he has every other woman tonight? What of all your schemes?”

The older woman quirked one of her silver brows. “That is an outcome I cannot accept. I am confident I have read the omens right.”

“Mother—”

“Shall I make the introduction?”

“Don’t bother. It will be over before you finish it. Let me embarrass myself alone.”

It went against tradition, but the queen knew better than to argue when she’d already won. “Go now, Naran. The prince is waiting for you.”

With that, Queen Jigme plucked the wine glass from her daughter’s hand and folded back into the ring of elder monarchs surveying the hall from stations along murals of bygone conquests. Even in the perfect silence of the vast grasslands, Naran had never felt so alone.

She was stunned to the point of paralysis. There it was, her future laid out with horrifying clarity. She was expected to pair up and breed like a mare only with far less freedom. It didn’t matter if the stud they’d chosen for her was significantly younger and more agreeable-looking than the rest of the stable—the fences were closing in all around her until, slowly but surely, she would be broken.

From his vantage point across the room at one of the many white-clothed tables, Naran’s grandfather smiled at her as though it was all going according to plan. As if to underscore this, his eyes slid further down the dance floor to the corner, where Chae Hyungwon, Crown Prince of the Goryeo Empire, watched the ruby port inside his goblet twirl like a skirt.

Naran was trembling. She’d faced off with packs of wolves the same as packs of thieves and lived through them, and while the rush of adrenaline coursing through her veins was identical, the anxiety swelling her throat was something new, something she’d never felt before.

With a heavy breath, she shuffled inelegantly in her kitten heels across the ballroom floor and tried to call forth her eagle’s fearless spirit.

“Give me strength, Altantsetseg,” she whispered, and she swore she felt the beat of its wings in her gut.

The prince had his back to Naran, which was a thousand times more terrifying than if he’d seen her coming, for now she had to beg for his attention, and the princess hadn’t begged for a thing since she’d been a petulant runt at their chef’s knees, whining for treats after a day out in the grasslands. This was as far as she could get from such whimsies.

Though Naran was tall for a woman, taller even than many of the men here tonight, Hyungwon was a whole head taller than she. His jacket strained against shoulders so broad, they looked like they could rival her eagle’s wingspan, and again, she felt that unusual flutter inside her. The princess had to remind herself quickly that she was in charge of her fate, not her mother and not some handsome stranger who embodied everything she hated about Court.

Naran cleared her throat, but the prince did not turn. She had to get this over with quickly, like landing the mercy blow to wild game, and the simplicity and familiarity of the image spurred her tongue to action. She defaulted to English as she had all night, but if Prince Hyungwon didn’t speak it, all the better. Since she didn’t know a word of his language, she could be gone with a cordial bow and her duty would end.

“It appears I may be the only lady in this ballroom with whom you have not spoken tonight, my lord.”

Prince Hyungwon turned on his heel, and the air rushed out of her lungs. This close, he was arresting. Gone was the aloof gaze he had sported much of the night, replaced instead by keen eyes the color of roasted pine nuts that were just as warm and comforting. The baubles of his cheeks were high with a half-smile, and for a second, Naran thought she was the only person in the room with him.

“Are you jealous?” he said in perfect English and an unexpected flavor of cockiness, and that, more than anything, returned her senses to her.

“Hardly,” the princess retorted. “But others expect an interaction, so I’m obliged to give one for show.”

Hyungwon recoiled, genuine horror in his eyes. “I’m sorry, my lady. I fear the wine has loosened my lips. I meant no offense.”

“And I take none, sire. I am merely telling you that I am here as an emissary of my mother, Queen Consort of the Kingdom of Moghulikhan. She bade me greet you on behalf of our country. I am Princess Narangerel.”

Naran bowed, which Hyungwon echoed with one of his own, and when he came back up, his ears were pink and his grin was sheepish.

“It seems I have not made as good of an impression on the princess as I have on the queen. Will you forgive me?”

“There’s nothing to forgive, my lord.”

Hyungwon cocked his head to the side as he studied her. “Really? Because it seems like you’re already looking for a way out of this conversation.”

“Don’t take it personally. I look for a way out of most conversations.”

“Perhaps I should though,” he persisted. “You conversed with the Viscount LaCroix for quite a while.”

Naran’s jaw dropped. He’d noticed that?

“It wasn’t for lack of trying, my lord, I assure you.”

Hyungwon smirked. “Very well then. I am satisfied.”

“I’m so pleased,” she deadpanned before she could stop herself. Thankfully, instead of affronted, the prince looked surprised with the vaguest hint of amusement. As far as torture went, things could have been much worse.

And then they were.

Out of the corner of her eye, Naran caught her mother, who only ever had clear vision when it came to her daughters and what they weren’t doing, edging discreetly closer. Panic set in. If the queen overheard any of this absurd and impolite conversation, she would be mortified and the princess would probably be permanently chaperoned. Who knew what untold horrors would be foisted on her? A shiver ran through Naran at the thought of all the potential obligations she couldn’t escape, and before the bile could rise in her throat, she doubled down on the lesser of two evils.

“Just go along with this, my lord, and everything will be over faster, yes?” she whispered to a very confused prince before she proclaimed much louder, “How handsome His Highness looks this evening! And how well you converse! I’ve never seen such happy manners on a prince before.”

Hyungwon blinked. “What on earth are you—”

Still louder, Naran said, “Your kingdom is very lucky to have such a genial lord at its helm. I see your long travels haven’t fatigued you at all. I trust the palace is to your liking?”

The prince was stunned into silence for a moment before those full lips tightened. “Listen, my lady, I’m not in the mood for—”

“Oh, shut up, and just agree with anything I said, so we can move on,” she hissed.

“Wait, you don’t want to be here?”

“Of course not. And neither do you. Thanks to that scowl, I could tell that from across the ballroom.”

“I thought this sort of thing is what all maidens wanted?”

“‘Maidens,’ huh? Please. To be paraded like ponies at auction in hopes of a high bid? I think not. And what of the other twenty maidens who go home with disappointed hopes of proving valuable to families that only care for their male heirs? We maidens must sit in our rooms wondering what we did wrong and how we could have done better because if we’re not bearing heirs, then we’re just a waste of resources, aren’t we? So tell me again how odious this party is for you—and how elegant your suit looks, my prince! Did you have it custom-tailored or is it a family heirloom?” Naran’s voice switched into a strained soprano as she caught her mother leaning in closer.

Hyungwon stared at the princess in utter confusion, and exasperation was setting in. As low and as sharply as she could manage, she grumbled, "Say something, please."

His eyes flicked to Queen Jigme only to find his father now beside the gray-haired woman, and, at last, he nodded. “Ah, um, yes, it was tailored just for tonight. I’m glad it is to your liking, my lady.”

“Oh, thank God,” the princess mumbled. If she could have wiped her brow, she would have.

“Would you like to dance, Princess Narangerel?”

What! No, no, no!

Her heart was in her throat and her eyes zipped back and forth for a way out though there was none. Hyungwon’s offer had been overheard by the ears that mattered most, and there was no way to refute him without the greatest offense.

“I guess I have to say yes now,” she answered quietly enough that the prince could hear her and her mother could not.

Hyungwon blinked his big brown eyes before he narrowed them. “Did I misunderstand something? That wasn’t what you wanted?”

“No! Now they’ll think you have some sort of interest in me. You haven’t asked anyone else to dance all night. You must fix this, sire.”

“And how am I to do that?”

Naran growled. “Have you never been to a ball before? And my mother thinks I’m clueless! Obviously, you’ll have to ask a few other ladies to dance to throw them off the scent or we’ll be associated with one another from here on out. Is that what you want?”

“I don’t know what’s going on,” Hyungwon admitted, the pinkness back on his ears. “You have me completely bewildered, my lady. All I wanted was to retire to my room for the night.”

“Well, now you can’t. We must dance and you must then dance with others. There’s no getting around it. How can you know so little of Court when you are prince of one of the realms’ greatest empires? Honestly, who raised you?”

Gone were any pretenses for civility, and Naran knew she had overstepped about a hundred rules of polite society, but she was feeling anything but polite.

Unlike her carelessness, the prince raised his glass to his lips, took a long drink, and said coolly, “You’re awfully brash for a woman.”

“And you’re precisely as thick for a man. Now, walk me to the dance floor so we can get this over with.”

The prince offered his hand, and Naran took it because she had no choice. Even so, she jolted at the feel of his hot skin under hers. His hands were smooth and babied and perhaps had never seen a day’s labor, where hers were rough and calloused from handling a bow and knives. She wished she’d worn gloves as her mother had urged.

Together, they waited at the edge of the dance floor alongside a dozen other couples, some married, some courting, but all staring at the unlikely pair. Naran held her head high and straight and tried not to collapse under the weight of so much perception. Neither said a word to the other as they waited awkwardly, hand-in-hand for want of any other option, while the previous dance concluded. The moment it did, Prince Hyungwon gestured for her to take to the floor, and they parted, her hand throbbing as she buried it in the folds of her skirt to dry it off.

Naran didn’t dare look back to her mother, especially knowing the Emperor of Goryeo waited right by her side. She focused, instead, on the billowing folds of the prince’s shirt and the flashes of his glossy chest that peeked through when the tie at his collar pulled taut.

As the orchestra reset for the next dance, the room fell silent save for a babble of whispers as rhythmic as the wind through the reeds. Her grandfather’s ballroom was large and magnificent, yet Naran felt the walls closing in around her, especially when she spied the old man’s sun-beaten, smiling face leaving the conductor’s side.

At last, the music swelled, and much to her horror, she recognized it as a waltz. Naran wasn’t good at the waltz. It had come over from the West, and she had only practiced it a few times before tonight at her grandfather’s behest in the hopes she might impress a Western lord. She didn’t expect it to be familiar to Prince Hyungwon either, but if he was uncomfortable, he masked it well.

She took the first steps toward her partner as he met her half-way. His hand opened, and hers filled it again as required. They met and parted a few times to the gentle melody before joining more permanently side-by-side for the next few bars. Once she’d gotten the flow down well enough that she could keep her feet under her without constant coaxing, the princess’s painful awareness of her predicament returned to her.

“Curse him,” Naran whispered under her breath, but since the prince was at her side, he caught her words.

“Are you cursing me?”

“Soon enough, no doubt,” she said boldly, but he didn’t take her bait. As they split across from each other for a series of inelegant hops that Naran had to meticulously count in her head, she grumbled, “I’m going to embarrass you, sire. I’m not very good at this.”

“You’re lovely.”

“I feel like a fish tossed on land. This is nothing like our traditional dances.”

Hyungwon hummed as his hand lifted hers aloft for her to spin under it. “What are those like?”

“Lively,” she said. “Noisy. Fun. Elegance and restraint have no place in Moghul dances. It’s a celebration, not a funeral.”

“You're a very singular woman, Princess Narangerel.”

She scoffed. “And there's yet another falsehood. There are many women like me, but few who have the luxury having of such a mouth or a mind. If you think all women long to sit at home all day nursing babies and picking out garlands for the next gala, you are well and truly misinformed, my prince, just as not all men think of conquering every surrounding kingdom to increase the size of their manhoods.”

The prince’s hand squeezed a little tighter around her shoulder before they parted for a fresh orbit around one another. “That feels like a very thinly-veiled opinion of someone I might know.”

“I have no idea what you mean, my lord. My god, will this song ever end?”

Hyungwon laughed. “It just started.”

Why wasn’t her brazenness putting him off? This was torture.

Naran growled and kept her focus hard and fast to her feet, which were supposed to be light and fluttery, but that heavy sensation stayed rooted to her stomach. “Is everybody still watching us?”

“I’m afraid so. You can look at me, too, you know,” the prince informed with a smile evident in his voice.

“It’s not a good idea,” the princess insisted. “I don’t want people to get any more of the wrong impression.”

Their toes met and then their hands as they completed the next turn in the dance.

“Which is?”

“That you’re interested in me,” she answered. Naran risked a glance up at his face and instantly regretted it. “It would be helpful if you stopped smiling, sire.”

Another turn, another kiss of their fingertips.

“I can’t help it,” Hyungwon said. “You’re the first entertaining person all night.”

“How can I convince you otherwise?”

The prince’s smile only broadened, and as soon as she caught a glimpse of it, she had no hope of looking at anything else.

“You know, I do know who you are, Princess Narangerel. Your reputation as a spirit-crusher precedes you."

"Ah, is that what they say about me? How delightful. That should be warning enough for you then, yes?”

“No.”

Naran scowled. “Then would you like to know your reputation, my prince?”

“I doubt I’ll like it as much as you like yours.”

“Oh, very true, but since I’m a spirit-crusher, I'll tell you anyway. You, sire, don’t speak until spoken to unless it’s a pretty serving lass with an ample bosom.”

Hyungwon pressed his lips together as his brow knitted. “Is that really what they say?”

“Indeed. Do you disagree with it?”

“I probably should.”

Naran smiled despite her better judgment.

“At least there’s no shortage of bosom on display for you tonight,” she added.

“Unfortunately, it comes with expectations. The serving lasses have none.”

“You’re as frank as I am, my lord.”

Hyungwon looked down at the princess, and there was a fondness in his gaze that she really didn’t trust.

“What a pair we make,” he said softly.

But what Naran lacked in decorum, she made up for with a hunter’s perceptions. Before her, Hyungwon had played the part of a respectful suitor until the amusement of the moment wore off and his true indifferent colors shown through. Granted, he had taken it up to the next level with this dance, but there was no reason to expect any other outcome. At least she could cling to that.

Hyungwon lifted his hand, and again, Naran was obliged to twirl once beneath it. The skirt of her deel flared around her ankles, stirring a breeze up her legs.

“You dance very well, Princess.”

“Your usual company is serving lasses, so I'll take that compliment with a grain of salt.”

The prince laughed, and the sound was so buoyant, her chest leapt with it. And then resentment immediately crept back in.

“I’m glad one of us is enjoying ourselves tonight.”

“You couldn’t be more wrong, you know,” Hyungwon replied. “This party is just as much torture for me as it is for you. You don’t know what it’s like to support the weight of an entire kingdom on your shoulders.”

“Shows what His Highness knows. I have no brothers, hence no heirs. I’m Moghulikan’s only hope for stability. If I do not marry well, our line could be overthrown before my sister even comes of age to do what I can not.”

“Then, you are right. I am wrong. We are in the same boat.”

Naran narrowed her eyes at him. “I appreciate your concession, my prince, but perhaps it’s time we stop looking so familiar with one another.”

“Now, that will be difficult.”

Naran cocked her head. “Why is that?”

“Because this is the part where the tempo slows.”

Just then, the music dipped and the dance shifted from arm’s length fleeting touches to a fixed hold. They lined up, hip to hip, the princess facing one way and the prince facing the other. It would have been the best outcome were it not for Hyungwon’s hand curling across her stomach around her waist in a way that hers had to mirror on him, and as he tugged their sides flush, their free hands met overhead to lock them into a pirouette.

Together, they spun like tops across the floor as the final movement wound on for what felt like eternity. Around her, faces blurred, but one thing was clear—everyone in the hall was watching them.

“I’m going to be sick,” Naran confessed.

Hyungwon held her tighter as he assured, “It’s almost over. Just look into my eyes, Princess. It will steady you.”

It did and it didn’t.

Those dark orbs stared down at her, framed by the soft pillows of his lids as he smiled lightly, and it was more dizzying than the constant spinning.

At last, the music concluded to a polite round of applause from the assembly. The other couples had separated to bow to one another, but Hyungwon still held her waist. Naran wriggled her hand free to hold her temples and slow the spinning in her brain.

None of this should have happened. It was just supposed to be a rushed introduction to get her mother off her back and the prince out of the running for Savior of Moghulikhan, yet here Naran was, breathless and antsy and side-by-side with any other princess’s dream catch.

“What do you say to another dance, please, your grace?” asked Prince Hyungwon, his hand hanging mid-air in offer.

“Out of the question,” Naran hissed, her eyes darting to the shadowy faces gawking from the sidelines.

Undeterred, he said, “Would you rather take this discussion into the hall?”

Her stomach dropped. As suggestive as it was dancing two songs back-to-back with the same partner, sneaking away was outright confirmation of an understanding or worse, an illicit relationship, and there was no way Naran could risk that, just as she couldn’t risk abandoning him slack-jawed on the dance floor for the gossipmongers and her very angry mother.

“Fine, but it ends after this. I feel like I’m suffocating.” The princess tugged at the collar of her deel, but it may as well have been a noose tightening around her throat.

The music kicked up, and once again, Naran spotted her grandfather leaving the band’s station. Instead of a rather suggestive waltz, it was a smooth and patient minuet that left far too much time for conversation in between the languid notes.

“Damn it all to hell,” Naran whispered as they circled each other. “You’ll have to dance with at least four other ladies now.”

Her partner stared back at her with a perfectly blank face. “I have no intentions of doing so.”

“Really, Prince Hyungwon, why must you be so obstinate? If you do not, then everyone will presume an understanding has been made between us, which will obligate us to marry. Is that what you really want?”

The prince shrugged. “It’s less loathsome than the thought of marrying any of these other royals.”

Shock took a backseat to outrage as Naran’s eyes bolted to his blank stare. “No, no, no, no, no. Did you ever consider that I do not wish to marry?”

“Am I that repulsive of an option?” he asked, and Naran could hear a hint of hurt in his husky voice that made even her feel a little guilty.

“My prince, it’s not a matter of marrying you. Perhaps I do not wish to marry at all. There’s no glamor in that, contrary to what the fairytales promise. It’s tedious obligation after tedious obligation, and excepting weddings and births, you’re always bound to your stupid castle. If I do not become queen, then I am free to exist as I wish. I can sleep until midday or bathe under a waterfall or stargaze on the open plain if I so desire.”

“And what if I offer you that same freedom with this marriage?”

Naran laughed. “You’re serious? Why on earth would you ever wish for a wife who cares so little for court or you?”

“Maybe because I have no wish to marry either, but as the sole heir to Goryeo, I have no choice. If I don’t decide, things will be decided for me. At least with you, I know I’d have my own freedoms.”

“But I’d still be expected to bear your heirs, sire.”

The implication was inescapable, and they both stiffened in each other’s arms.

Hyungwon nibbled on his bottom lip before he finally nodded. "There’s no getting around that, I suppose.”

“There is not.”

“I take it you never had any desire for children?”

“On the contrary,” Naran replied, “I’d love them, which is why I would never wish for the responsibilities of this life to fall on them.”

Hyungwon hung his head, laden with his own understanding. “We could raise them differently. Just as our marriage would be unconventional and without expectations, we could choose to raise any children we had as such.”

“You surprise me, my prince, and, if I’m honest, it’s more than a little tempting all things considered, but I think we both know that would be impossible. We may be at the height of our realms, but we answer to everyone instead of no one.”

Thin as he was, the prince looked heavy again under the weight of his tremendous burden.

“If I may,” Naran continued as she dipped under his hand for another twirl, “why don’t you dance with Princess Ophelia? She’s a quiet sort of girl from a robust kingdom and would likely leave you your peace while acting like a true queen when the time comes. My mother also thinks Princess Binh might be a good match for you.”

“You’ve talked about me?” Hyungwon said rather hopefully, and Naran swallowed hard. His charms were too pervasive.

“My mother did,” she corrected. “And speaking of, I should get back to her…”

Naran broke her hand from his and started toward the now-aghast Queen Jigme when the prince grabbed her wrist and jerked her back to him. She landed with an oomph in his arms, the sticks pinning up her hair clattering somewhere behind her. Her face was lost in the folds of his shirt and the smell of intoxicating oils like yuja and clove beneath it. She wondered if he’d rubbed them on his own chest or if someone else had had the duty of anointing him.

Her heart hammered though her lungs caught as she hoped against hope that she would fade into him like a shadow until no one in the room noticed her at all. But it was for nothing. The music still played, but it became background noise beneath the murmur of royal bystanders.

Suddenly, Hyungwon’s cheek was in her hair, his mouth finding her ear through her unraveling black tresses.

“Princess Narangerel, my father intends to invade Moghulikhan. Marry me and we can prevent this.”

It was just as Queen Jigme feared, and Hyungwon knew it. Naran was faced now with turning her back on her family and her entire kingdom with full knowledge and selfishness or falling in league with a handsome prince who promised to give her the life she sought anyway. It was no doubt an empty promise, but even if it were, the threat was now real. Knowing what she knew, could she really turn him down?

“Damn you,” she whispered back, her nails digging in through the thin silk of his shirt.

“Is that a yes, princess?”

“Yes,” she seethed.

“Then I will go to my father at once and arrange everything. We shall make the announcement tonight.”

Hyungwon released her and stalked over to his father, ushering him out of the ballroom and leaving the princess red-faced and shaking in a sea of jealous and shocked gawkers. The room whirled, and her stomach lurched. Everything Naran had ever known had just been undone in the span of two songs.

Her mother was at her side in an instant, smoothing her hair and thumbing at the rosy bloom in her daughter’s cheeks.

“Oh, my sun, you’ve made the right decision! I knew you would!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mother,” Naran insisted, hoping that her denial would alter reality.

“Did the prince not propose? Did you not say yes?”

“It was a dance. Just a dance.”

“A dance? When Prince Hyungwon has danced with no one but family in years? When his lips were in your hair? Surely, you jest, my child. No, this means everything. You have saved your homeland. Our people will adore you for it. Saran will adore you for it. When she comes of age, there won’t be a royal in all the realms who won’t seek to woo her. She will have her choice of kingdom thanks to your enviable match. It will silence at last the issue of heirs amongst our own people, for Goryeo’s backing will be incentive enough to dissuade usurpers until your sister can bear the next king.”

Naran’s throat was drier than the Gobi. She pinched her eyes shut against the onslaught of cold knowledge relentlessly bombarding her. “That’s just what I want—my little sister having to endure this nonsense.”

“She will not have to, darling! Suitors will come to her. She can marry for love or country.”

“She can have everything I cannot.”

Queen Jigme took her daughter’s face in hand and smiled warmly at her. “Who is to say that you cannot? Duty may bind you, but it doesn’t have to unmake you, dearest. There is something to your prince. When you’ve survived as long as I have in the world, you can see it. Only someone special like you, my Narangerel, can awaken it. Is Prince Hyungwon not handsome?”

Reluctantly, the princess nodded.

“Is he not charming?”

“When he wants to be.”

The queen’s voice dropped hard and low as her grip tightened. “Did he give you a reason to fear him?”

Naran pictured Hyungwon’s soft cinnamon eyes studying her as they twirled across the dance floor, and though her chest tightened at the memory, it wasn’t founded in the same kind of fear she felt when she squared off with a pack of wolves. The princess shook her head. “No, nothing like that.”

The queen let out a relieved sigh. “Good, because I would not part with you for all the alliances in the realms in trade for your safety. So, it is only your pride that holds you back?”

“Not pride, Mother. Freedom.”

“Do you respect the prince?”

“I hardly know him.”

Jigme glowered at her. “That has never stopped my daughter from making a snap judgment before.”

Naran didn’t want to say yes. That was the same thing as condoning the whole preposterous arrangement. And yet… It was hard to forget the gentleness in his cheeks and the calmness in his voice as he promised things she knew she shouldn’t dream of any longer.

“I suppose more than I do these other preening fools.”

“Then take heart, my sun. If there is respect, there can be love. You will want for nothing. There will be peace further than your eagle can soar. You have already done more for your kingdom than most rulers can ever hope to do.”

Strangely, Naran felt her heart in her throat. It was yet another promise that seemed impossible to deliver. “That presumes Emperor Gongmin will approve the match…”

Before her mother could even open her mouth to answer, Prince Hyungwon sped across the ballroom faster than she had imagined such a cavalier man ever moving. The entire party was watching as he bowed deeply to Queen Jigme before extending his hand to the princess.

Naran had no choice, she had to take it, and instead of simply holding her hand, he laced his fingers through hers so she had no way to pull away. His skin was hot and sweaty, but so was hers, and at least she could take comfort in the fact that he was as uncomfortable with this unbearable spotlight as she was.

“What’s going on?” she whispered. “Did your father not approve our arrangement?”

Even if the match had never been something she had wanted for herself, it would be even more humiliating to be turned down.

Worryingly, Hyungwon did not answer though he also did not stop pulling her to the head of the hall. There, beneath a fresco of a khan and his warrior bride surveying a battle from a mountain ledge, the prince stopped and tugged Naran close to his side. His hand tightened in hers, and it felt almost like he was using her to keep upright. She didn’t bother to balk because she needed the same.

Heavy footsteps approached from the side, and Naran lifted her eyes. Emperor Gongmin seemed to fill the room like a great balloon, puffing mightier and mightier with each passing second. All eyes had already turned to the front of the hall in anticipation of what the greatest ruler in the East had to say.

The emperor raised his glass to the party and grinned with a hollowness that Naran had yet to find in his son. His voice boomed across the room, even vibrating in the glassware on the tables. “First, I would like to extend my gratitude and appreciation to the mighty Toqu Khan for hosting us all at his beautiful palace this week. For many of us, this may be the only time we visit Kipchak, but it will remain forever in our hearts. It has been many long years since I have had the privilege of visiting, but I am happy to report this time has added a fondness for this charming land that I might never have anticipated, because it is thanks to the great Khan’s generosity that I can announce to all the realms that my son, Crown Prince Hyungwon of Goryeo, has finally found his future bride.”

A collective gasp filled the hall to its rafters, and Naran fought to hide her embarrassing tremble. As the spectators tightened ranks, she scanned the rainbow of faces to find her mother and grandfather watching with proud smiles. If they were happy, so too must she try to be. While she couldn’t bear to look at the man beside her, the princess worked hard to cobble some kind of smile together for them.

Emperor Gongmin continued, “Today, I am pleased to announce the joyful union of the Empire of Goryeo to the Kingdom of Moghulikhan. Henceforth, Princess Narangerel will move to Namgyeong to be with her new family, where the happy couple will marry before the whole empire. Please join me in wishing them all possible happiness.”

Applause thundered around them. For as many sycophants and saccharine grins as there were, there were just as many barely concealed scowls and glares, particularly a few other princesses Naran had spied talking up the prince earlier.

“To their many heirs!” shouted someone in the crowd, which was followed by cheers and more applause.

Her grandfather signaled for the band to kick back up as small glasses of clear liquor made their way suspiciously quickly through the ballroom, almost as though they’d been waiting for just such an announcement. The moment the tray appeared to her, Naran shook off Hyungwon’s hand to grab two glasses and down them with lightning speed before the burn of the alcohol could even sear her tongue. Beside her, her husband-to-be eyed her as he nursed his lone glass.

No sooner were the glasses emptied than the emperor had extended his hand to his future daughter-in-law. “Would you honor your new father with a dance, Princess?”

Without so much as the bliss of drunkenness, her body churned and her mind swam as Emperor Gongmin led Naran to the edge of the dance floor and dove right in mid-promenade. She could barely keep her feet under her as they waltzed through the line of raucous partygoers.

“What an enviable match you have made for yourself, Princess Naran,” the emperor observed as they ducked through a tunnel of hands.

“Yes, Your Highness,” she said tightly.

They emerged at the end of the tunnel only to add to it by joining their hands above them for the next dancers. Naran tried to keep her attention on the dance, but the beady eyes of the emperor were relentlessly demanding, and she knew in her bones she needed to rise to his challenge. She met his gaze head on, and the corner of his mouth quirked, pulling a crow’s foot at the edge of his cheek.

“I confess I have never seen my son so interested in his future,” Gongmin added, “which is why I approved the match without first meeting you. He appears genuinely pleased.”

“I am happy to hear so.”

They paired off again for a series of turns about the dance floor, which gave the emperor a chance to soften his voice further. “But I do not have the luxury of being so easy. My son has always been as prone to whimsy as he is to idleness, and this is all very sudden.”

Now, the alcohol was kicking in, mercifully giving Naran the strength she needed in the face of the Lord of the East. “Is that not how most matches are made, Your Highness?”

“Indeed they are, but I’m sure you can appreciate my desire to protect my empire.”

“Excuse my candor, sire, but I don’t believe anyone worries about the future of Goryeo.”

Emperor Gongmin’s hand squeezed hers unexpectedly tightly. “I do, Princess Narangerel, I do. So long as you commit to your new homeland and deliver the promised heirs, we will get along perfectly well. Now, I suggest you two revel in tonight’s festivities for as long as they’re offered. Goryeo always remembers to show its deep appreciation to its hosts, especially when they’re now family.”

The soon-to-be in-laws finished out the last few bars of the dance before they bowed to one another. As the emperor came up, he added with a softer, if disingenuous, smile, “You will make some very pretty children.”

With nothing else to say, Naran bowed again.

As Gongmin stepped aside for his son, he looked at the pair and said, “Enjoy your party, you two.”

Prince Hyungwon joined Naran’s side and offered her the next dance, but she shook her head. “I’m too dizzy. I mean it.”

“Would you like to sit down?”

“I would like to shoot you with an arrow,” she snapped though she took a chair along the wall and let her head rest against the tapestry there as she steadied her heart. “I hope you're happy.”

Hyungwon raised an eyebrow, “About the arrow? Not so much, but otherwise, I am, and so should you be.”

“You just blackmailed me into marriage. Happiness is the last thing from my mind.”

“You’re not the least bit glad to have settled on someone who will at least respect your independence, princess?”

Under the swell of the violin, Naran scoffed. “If you respected my independence, you would have left me to my plan of faking a deadly illness until my sister came of age. Then I could miraculously recover only to live my life as a spinster roaming the plains and hunting with my eagle.”

“You have a very elaborate imagination, my lady,” he said teasingly.

“It’s hardly imagination, my lord. I was set to contract dropsy this very evening.”

Hyungwon laughed. “You don’t contract dropsy; you develop it. Do not worry, the libraries in Changdeokgung are second to none, and they will all be at the princess’s disposal. You can pretend to contract all the illnesses you want when we arrive.”

Naran seethed. Thankfully, the folds of her dress concealed her fists.

“For all that’s just occurred, I am glad I met you, Princess,” said the prince as the orchestra wound down, and the tension left her hands at once. There was a tenderness in his voice that Naran almost let herself mistake as genuine affection, but either way, it made her breath catch. “This is the first time in my whole life I haven’t dreaded my future.”

He was being kind, and maybe it was even working were it not for the fact that it was the first time in Naran’s life that she did dread hers.

“I meant what I said,” Hyungwon continued. “I mean to give you every independence I can in our marriage. We don’t have to love each other so long as we respect each other, and if we can do that, maybe we can be something great for our people—and maybe even each other.”

The prince looked down at her, that beautiful smile showcasing brilliant teeth and lush lips. Naran longed to trust such beauty, but she knew those things were fleeting. Once the chandeliers had been snuffed, the silverware put away, and the spectators dispatched, only cold reality would encroach on them, and she wondered what kind of man her husband would truly be then.

[qserasera]

pareidolia; a secretive plotter fanmix

'Shut up and let go of Kim Dokja. Or else…" [Or else what?]

for secretive plotter from Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, partially one-sided secretive plotter -> kdj.

{{LISTEN ON SPOTIFY HERE}}

Song List below

{01 Bury my heart - Peter Gundry [instrumental] | 02 Bow Your Head - Hael 'Better be careful where loyalty lies / Turncoats and traitors get buried alive' | 03 Rewind You- Misamo 'When I remember, I start to miss you' | 04 Splinters - Archive 'My body's in splinters / All broken up / Lost and corrupt' | 05 All Figured Out - breathe 'You've nothing left / You've nothing left to prove' | 06 Envy - Digital Daggers 'Someday, maybe I'll know / what's behind that window' | 07 Unforgiven - (ft. Nile Rodgers) LE SSERAFIM 'Unforgiven / I'm a villain' | 08 Answer Me - Plaza 'Look in my eyes / See past the beast I am' | 09 Red Wine - Ivy & Gold 'I'm waiting on a train / but it's not moving, moving / If this is a game / what are you proving, proving? '|10 Crawl into the Night - Nuit Ocean 'My heart sink / into your bones' | 11 Pieces of Us - ft. King Princess 'I take it personal / Constantly comparing all my actions to the ones you knew' | 12 Back to Me - The Rose 'I can unmake all we were made to be / But I can't make you come back to me' | 13 Imaginary Love - Sin Fang 'But while I watch you sleeping / You send your love to others' | 14 Promises I Can't Keep - Mike Shinoda 'What's the difference between a loss and a forfeit / I tried to make it better, but I made it more sick' | 15 its worth it, in the end - a vow [ambient] | 16 Past Lives (slowed + rain effect) - aestheticmuzzic, Tommymuzzic'My ancient kingdom came crashing down without you' }

[keef-a-corn]

Rewatching TFP-

Giving you commentary of episode 6 -Masters and Students.

(I would talk about episodes 1 - 5, except I watched them yesterday and it made me realise that they stress me the hell out. Instead I’m going to cover episodes that don’t stress me out nearly as much)

Also I watch Transformers Prime on Stan (I’m pretty sure Stan is only in Australia, but it’s a streaming service and has every episode of TFP), so if any of these time stamps don’t match up, I’m sorry.

~~~~I begin now~~~~

Not saying much about the first part because it’s pretty much as seen.

*intro*

02:52 - scenes like these where it’s just Ratchet and Optimus cannot be viewed without at least one ‘this is proof their marriage certificate exists’ moments.

03:14 - and there it is. Optimus literally just when ‘mm’ and Ratchet immediately switched up his approach, the second approach worked significantly better.

03:44 - I like how you can tell Optimus has significantly larger strides when running compared to Ratchet. He started off further away, but arrived faster and closer.

04:00 - NOTHING BOILS MY BLOOD MORE THAN WHEN MIKO SAID

‘Whoopsie’ LIKE WHO THE FRAG ARE YOU?! WHERE TF DID MIKO GO?!

04:02 - ‘h-what… in the allspark’. Ratchet pronouncing ‘what’ that way is all the proof that’s needed to come to a conclusion that he’s old. Take that clip outta context and everyone witnessing it will know that he’s closer to his deathbed than a mid-life crisis.

04:15 - Not even close to being an accurate comparison.

04:21 - DAMN RIGHT, RATCHET! THEY ARE MAKING A MESS! MIKO BEING WEIRDLY MESSY WITH THE PAINT, BEE AND RAF TRIGGERING FIGHT OR FLIGHT, JACK AND ARCEE… Being weird- I mean.. for the bots, wouldn’t that be like trying to construct a body?

04:27 - then why did you leave it to the last minute, Raf?.

04:34 - Soooo close, Ratchet, but Bulkhead doesn’t need to know about the solar system to help Miko paint, same with Bee needing to know about Volcanoes to assist in constructing a model like that.

04:33 ~ 04:46 - Optimus just standing but like ‘just gonna let him talk it out’

~sorry, not much to say either~

05:55 - I wanna know what Bee’s saying. It seems interesting!

05:58 - Honestly Raf saying that clues me in even less.

06:05 - OPTIMUS’S HAND ON BEE’S SHOULDERRRRR! It’s so big! Aaaaaa

06:06 - Optimus calling Bee awesome.

Also Optimus confirming Bee’s very young.

06:54 - I really like how Peter pronounces ‘Bumblebee’ in Optimus’s voice. Just makes it sound so regal, then you remember it’s the word ‘Bumblebee’. + Optimus had no reason as to choose Bumblebee (aside from plot), Bulkhead was most likely not needed because we saw Miko’s project was pretty much complete and Jack was most likely the only one that would require assistance from Ratchet as Arcee was clearly no help.

07:07 - damn, those two strong as hell.

07:40 - Gotta keep his Bee safe. + he looks so concerned as he watches Optimus walk away.

07:49- Starscream had a whole choreographed dance for ‘rise and serve’

08:15 - I like Skyquake. What a waste. ALSO HE LOWERS HIS UPPER HALF TO TALK TO STARSCREAM, BUT TECHNICALLY HE IS BOWING!

08:55 - LMAO he really just pushed him away.

09:11 - Aww Bee gotta check on Optimusss

09:39 - Optimus just watching them like: 🧍

09:40 - SLAY, SKYQUAKE!

10:11 - Scraaaaaaaaap I love Soundwave’s designnn (I know he shows up earlier in the ep, it was just at this point that I truly stopped to appreciate them)

10:37 - Bee’s eyes are so interesting.

10:50 - Gotta protecc his faaather.

10:56 - Ayo- Bee- WTF?? He really just tapped into his inner insect abilities.

11:01 - Optimus immediately stepping in when Bumblebee was down *cri*

11:04 - He really just threw Bumblebee.

11:30 - Optimus leans in a bit closer when saying ‘vehicle mode’ to Bumblebee. He doesn’t want Skyquake to hear. And Bee kinda perks up as he realises Optimus is right.

11:52 - Ratchet’s inner goat

12:17 - That’s me doing all the work in science because the rest of my group is an idiot.

13:40 - It took me four rewatches to understand that Soundwave repeats ‘must bear witness’ as a command he’s making.

14:00 - of Agent Fowler didn’t show up in this episode, I bet that Optimus and Bee would’ve benefited greatly.

14:22 - Now that I think about it… odds are, Skyquake isn’t calling Bee ‘bug’ because his name is ‘Bumblebee’, instead it’s more likely he called Bee ‘bug’ because he considers him a small inconvenience that could simply be squished. I feel ashamed that it’s taken me this long.

14:39 - Bee’s face rises ever so slightly- he’s obviously happy, it’s just that I never noticed it.

14:58 - See? He’s distracting the bots and giving Skyquake a vehicle mode.

16:33 - Starscream landing so nicely gives me life.

16:58 - he touched da boob.

17:18 - to disagree~ I’m sorry-

18:34 - Oh that must’ve hurt-

18:39 - Father watches son fly off on plane.

18:41 - Father immediately calls in only air support to retrieve son.

18:53 - Bee showing off his surfer skills, but also that he’s smart by committing mid air murder.

19:01 - whoever chose for Bee to make that sound when plummeting to his death, thank you. You couldn’t have chosen a more perfectly silly sound for this very dangerous situation./g

19:04 - yeas, it is, Fowler, so why are you waiting?

19:12 - Bee showing off perfect coordination abilities

19:40 - Damn- Bee teleports now-

19:56 - Optimus condemning the strategy before praising the performance is very smart. I will not explain further

20:08 - I DON’T CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS, TO ME, OPTIMUS SMILED WHEN RATCHET GOT EXCITED.

20:49 - if there’s a remote, why does the volcano have buttons?

21:08 - Optimus engages with a joke.. why does no one mention this?!

M’kay, those were my thoughts.

Lemme know if you thought differently/disagree with my points/have more to add.

I like hearing people’s perspectives.

[jimmyflemion]

Well Done

Well, 4 everyone paying attention,

we’ve served up :

Rare

Medium-Rare

Medium

Medium-Well

& 2day

07/07/2024

Well-Done

U learn. U practice. U rehearse.

U get dressed up. U take the stage.

U play your best. U give it your all.

U bow. U thank . U reflect. U put your best heart forward. The new album “Well-Done” has been released from its cage 2day. Its sounds can be relished on Sunshiny Spotify, Tittilating I Tunes, Angelic Amazon Music, Dynamite Deezer & all the other pleasing, pleasant, dignified, digitalized world leaders in sonic excellence. & as always my heartfelt thanx & love goes out 2 my brother Dennis 2day.

Love,

           Jimmy

Hell Patrol - 2000-12-08 North Star Bar, Philadelphia PA

Dennis & I drove down 2 The Smashing Pumpkins rehearsal space in June of 1999 where they were either rehearsing or recording. In their work area on a desk were 2 sheets of paper. They were projected song titles 4 songs being pitched 2 b in 2 different motion pictures for Billy Corgan 2 write. When Billy was asked about these ideas, he stated wasn’t interested in the idea or projects. Dennis said 2 Billy, Jimmy will write those songs. The next day after coming home on June 15, 1999, I wrote “Eat Me Alive” & “Hell Patrol”. The demo version on “Damaged Goods/Sinned In Reverse” is myself on acoustic guitar with distortion & this 1 live features the whole band IC (in control) & Double OC (out of control).

Written by Jimmy Flemion 06/15/1999

Copyright Tangerine Rabbit Music (ASCAP)a 

Negro On Fire - 2001-01-20 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis MN

3rd time attempted was a charm playing & scoring 2 a warm 7th Street crowd basking in a wonderful winter wonderland weather wind chill of minus 7.

Written by Dennis Flemion 11/06/2000

Copyright Candy Anarchy Music (ASCAP)

Enter I - 2001-03-30 The Five Spot, Philadelphia PA

This show was moved 2 a different venue at the last minute. It was a nightclub with velvet-lined booths & beaded curtains on the top floor of a building. There was an R&B dance party after the show & every one needed 2 exit quickly. The building burned down a few years later. The white van broke down 4 good on the way 2 this show. As the van was being towed away, I said 2 the van in Bob Uecker’s words, “Goodbye old friend”. Original demo was written as a slow ballad. Thinking of songs 4 inclusion on “Hopscotch Lollipop Sunday Surprise”, Dennis liked the song but knew we could use another rocker & suggested we sped it up uptempo. Speed it up we did & 2 & a half weeks before the album’s release we debuted the sped up stylized version at 7th Street Entry. 3 days prior 2 this show on 03/27/2001 we played The Skinny in Portland, Maine. We met Bebe Buelle who attended the show & I believe that is what influenced Dennis introduction at this show 2, “Send this out 2 Liv Tyler’s lips”.

Written by Jimmy Flemion 06/26/1990

Copyright Tangerine Rabbit Music (ASCAP)

Going To California - 2001-04-05 40 Watt Club, Athens GA

Closing time at the club, we had been given the 2 minute warning by the club, 2 minutes more 2 play as it was curfew. I dropped my Univox 2 D tuning, Brian “Beezer” Hill, followed suit & we did a 1 time, 1 night only version of “Going To California”. Growing up, I’m gonna put it out there but I did worship Led Zeppelin. To the point where I bought $40 bootleg albums recorded in the back row where I had to crank the stereo to 10 to hear anything & Dennis would awaken in the morning 2 1 of these & tell me 2 turn it off. Loved Jimmy Page’s guitar playing, thought it was just so advanced, couldn’t figure out how the hell does he play like that. Dennis would try & help me by recording & playing back “Heartbreaker” at half speed 4 me to decipher. When I lived in Austin, Texas I was at HEB, the local grocery store & I was walking in & I said 2 myself is that him, & I could tell 1 guy outside had the same thought & I didn’t say hi, I guess I was awestruck but it was, u guess ed it or u didn’t, Robert Plant. I remember Kevn Kinney ( a Milwaukee native) from The Prosecutors & Drivin’ & Cryin’ was at this show & afterwards went on about how great “Going To California” was. Was nice of him 2 say.

Written by Jimmy Page & Robert Plant

Copyright Bmg Rights Management, Tratore, Songtrust Ave, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Enjoy - 2001-09-28 The Knitting Factory, New York NY

Brian “Beezer” Hill was 2 play bass 4 this show but his flight was cancelled post 9/11. Ben Lee filled in on bass as we ran over some songs at his apartment before the show. This is the last song of the evening I play solo on acoustic. Unbeknownst to the audience Dennis was chatting with Ben Lee offstage, backstage behind the curtain during the song & then stops talking 2 Ben long enough with his microphone 2 add his backing harmonies.

Written by Jimmy Flemion 09/05/1995

Copyright Tangerine Rabbit Music 

La, Da, Da, Da, La, Da, Da, Dee, La, Da, Da, Dum, Dum - 2001-09-29 Middle East, Cambridge.                                    

Josh Silverman was recruited on bass 4 this show at Johnny Busher’s urging & ended up adding a 2nd acoustic guitar on this song, a rare occurrence. Josh had thought he had failed the audition but was asked to join on bass 4 future shows. An enthusiastic crowd member Britany, requested this song, the only time performed live & was given a close up seat smack dab right next 2 me on stage.

Written by Jimmy Flemion 04/04/1987

Copyright Tangerine Rabbit Music (ASCAP)

She Loves You - 2001-11-09 Khyber Pass, Philadelphia PA

The sound man shut off the sound system & ended the show early because he had better things 2 do. He had thought Dennis had insulted him earlier in the show, when he was really talking 2 me. A girl yells out, “I love u”, a guy then responds, “She loves u”, prompting Dennis 2 get the, “She Loves You” train rolling. 

Written by John Winston Ono Lennon & James Paul McCartney

Copyright Capitol Cmg Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Songtrust Ave, Sony / ATV Music Publishing LLC, Tunecore Inc.

Whisper - 2001-11-29 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis MN

Just so happens Britney Spears was just a whisper away, performing down the street this night. I begin playing the opening riff before throwing in some funk flavored rhythms & mention 2 Dennis, it’s like he’s playing with Ike Turner which prompts later in the set a cover of “Proud Mary”, which in turn prompts a drunk Billie Jean King doppelgänger 2 take off her top & take the Tina Turner vocal, which prompted me 2 take the Ike Turner backing vocal.

Written by Jimmy Flemion 12/30/1996

Copyright Tangerine Rabbit Music (ASCAP)

New York Shitty - 2002-01-12 Bowery Ballroom, New York NY

Headlining gig with The Moldy Peaches opening & The Strokes in attendance in the balcony. 2nd show after 9/11 so Dennis sings his rewritten, reworked lyrics & poetry 2 suit the song, the city & the aftermath.

Written by Dennis Flemion 06/06/1999

Copyright Candy Anarchy Music (ASCAP)

Come With Me - 2002-01-24 Southgate House, Newport KY

Only show ever in Newport KY, an 1866 church turned over 2 rock music, good lord. Part of the ending, u will recognize as “Come W/ Me ll”from “Damaged Goods / Sinned In Reverse” where Dennis moves over from drums 2 keyboards. 

Written by Jimmy Flemion 09/02/1999

Copyright Tangerine Rabbit Music

(ASCAP)

I’ve Got Drugs - 2002-01-31 Echo Lounge, Atlanta GA

4 the live version we added the exciting instrumental passage walk down chord progression that resurfaces on “Love Me Anymore ll” off of “Damaged Goods/ Sinned In Reverse”.

Written by Dennis Flemion & Jimmy Flemion 08/16/1986

Copyright Candy Anarchy Music & Tangerine Rabbit Music (ASCAP)

Devil Blues - 2002-04-13 Cactus Club, Milwaukee WI

Previously, the night before we opened 4 zany Zwan in chic Chicago. This night the crowd was denied an encore unknowingly courtesy of a noise complaint.

This is the version that would have possibly been the version on “Damaged Goods / Sinned In Reverse” unless we could have matched the electricity by giving it a shot recording in Dennis’ home basement.

Written by Dennis Flemion 01/01/2001

Copyright Candy Anarchy Music (ASCAP)

The Rubble & The Priest - 2002-12-20 Knitting Factory, New York NY

Festive NYC Christmas show & as luck would have it I was sporting a rare full beard, full on. Enthusiastic clapping from start to finish inspiring an inspired performance.

Written by Jimmy Flemion 11/03/1991

Copyright Tangerine Rabbit Music (ASCAP)

Fuck Off - 2003-05-14 Launchpad, Albuquerque NM

The only show in old or New Mexico. The finger picking version.

Written in a state of confusion, sadness & loneliness, opting 2 take the low road in song 2 heal the heart.

Written by Jimmy Flemion 02/04/1986

Copyright Tangerine Rabbit Music (ASCAP)

Homos - 2003-05-16 Knitting Factory, Los Angeles CA

A rare welcoming rendering with Dennis providing keyboard theatrics 4 punctuation & exclamation!

Written by Jimmy Flemion 08/16/1986

Copyright Tangerine Rabbit Music (ASCAP)

Where’s Jerry Lewis? -2003-11-13 Village Tavern, Mount Pleasant SC

Unexpectedly successful & heavily attended show in a Charleston suburb. A non-descriptive sports bar ill-fitted 4 a rock show with no stage. A moving keyboard deluxe rendition guaranteed 4 u & friends alike 2 get the search party out 4 Jerry Lewis.

Written by Jimmy Flemion 08/16/1986

Copyright Tangerine Rabbit Music (ASCAP)

A Holy Story - 2004-01-29 Blind Pig, Ann Arbor MI

Good but sparsely attended show because of a snowstorm that blew in. A drunken fan in the room provided much amusement & banter with Dennis. Some confused college students walked out in disgust at the start of this track. Legendary club where Nirvana & Pearl Jam cut their teeth in their early days. Autobiographical tale composed under composure by yours truly, evoking feelings of love, guilt, shame & regret with the sincere vocal melody continuously attempting 2 climb out of the quicksand all the time captured with a look of a Milwaukee buck in headlights.

Written by Jimmy Flemion 02/20/1989

Copyright Tangerine Rabbit Music (ASCAP)

Follow The Yellow Brick Road - 2004-03-06 Gabe's Oasis, Iowa City IA

Ginormous gathering. Johnny Busher’s last show on bass.

Instrumental “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” follows “Follow The Yellow Brick Road”.

Written by Harold Arlen & E.Y. Harburg 

Copyright Omni Publishing 

Magical - 2004-05-22 Lime Spider, Akron OH

C Major/ A minor / F Major/ G Major, the majestic, magnetic, 50’s chord progression that will send u through the roof catapulting u into another world. A magical song slated 4, “Damaged Goods / Sinned In Reverse” that only Dennis could conceive, create, imagine, prescribe, deliver & gift. As a former megalomaniac, my favorite line from the audience during the breakdown is, “Best band ever”.

Written by Dennis Flemion 03/05/2004

Copyright Candy Anarchy Music 

Stargirl - 2006-04-22 Cactus Club, Milwaukee WI

The buildup, the strumming, the drumming, the dynamics, drama fills the air, & here it is the final Milwaukee, Wisconsin hometown song ever performed by The Frogs. 

Written by Jimmy Flemion 09/27/1994

Copyright Tangerine Rabbit Music (ASCAP)

Bass Players : 

Brian “Beezer” Hill

Tracks : (01-04)

Josh Silverman

Tracks (07-15)

Additional Acoustic Guitar 

Track (06)

Johnny Busher 

Tracks (16, 19)

Jay Tiller

Track (20)

Remixed by Johnny Busher with assistance from Kelly Kerr

#jimmyflemion #dennisflemion #thefrogs #welldone #spotify

[unclenegan]

NO  SURRENDER:    a  negan  winchester  playlist    (  part  i.  )      listen  here.  (©️)

01.  how’d  you  like  me  now  by  the  heavy.    i’ve  been  a  bad,  bad,  bad,  bad  man    &    i’m  in  deep.    02.  game  of  survival  by  ruelle.    who’s  in  the  shadows?  who’s  ready  to  play?  are  we  the  hunters  or  are  we  the  prey?    03.  everybody  wants  to  rule  the  world  by  lorde.    even  while  we  sleep,  we  will  find  you.    04.  chosen  one  by  valley  of  wolves.    i  know  what  it  takes  to  be  the  king;  be  the  song  everybody  wanna  sing.    05.  the  river  by  blues  saraceno.  evil  comes  if  you  call  my  name.  the  wicked,  they  shall  rise.    06.  running  up  that  hill  by  placebo.    and  if  i  only  could,  make  a  deal  with  god?  i’d  get  him  to  swap  our  places.    07.  unholy  by  sam  smith  ft.  kim  petras.    a  lucky,  lucky  girl;  she  got  married  to  a  boy  like  you.  she’d  kick  you  out  if  she  ever,  ever  knew.    08.  fairly  local  by  twenty-one  pilots.    what  i  shouldn’t  do,  i  will.  they  say  i’m  emotional;  what  i  want  to  save,  i’ll  kill.  is  that  who  i  truly  am?    09.  i  will  not  bow  by  breaking  benjamin.    now  the  dark  begins  to  rise.  save  your  breath,  it’s  far  from  over.  leave  the  lost  and  dead  behind.    10.  feelin’  good  by  muse.    it’s  a  new  dawn,  it’s  a  new  day,  it’s  a  new  life  for  me.    11.  love  song  requiem  by  trading  yesterday.    emily  will  find  a  better  place  to  fall  asleep.  she  belongs  to  fairytales  that  i  could  never  be.    12.  black,  black  heart  by  david  usher.    i’m  on  fire.  i’m  rotting  to  the  core,  i’m  eating  all  your  kings  &  queens.    3.  radioactive  by  imagine  dragons.    welcome  to  the  new  age!    14.  9  crimes  by  damien  rice.    it’s  the  wrong  kind  of  place  to  be  cheating  on  you.  it’s  the  wrong  time,  she’s  pulling  me  through.  it’s  a  small  crime  and  i’ve  got  no  excuse.    15.  don’t  fear  the  reaper  by  blue  oyster  cult.    and  it  was  clear  she  couldn’t  go  on.    16.  empire  by  alpines.    i’m  building  an  empire.  i’m  building  it  with  all  i  know.    17.  everybody  loves  me  by  onerepublic.    head  down,  swinging  to  my  own  sound.    18.  crazy  train  by  ozzy  osbourne.    maybe  it’s  not  too  late  to  learn  how  to  love  and  forget  how  to  hate.    19.  black  by  kari  kimmel.    and  the  demons  all  around  you  waiting  for  you  to  sell  your  soul.

[quinloki]

Some Direction

Fem Reader x Roronoa Zoro

CW: Language, stalking, violence, sexual themes and situations, ptsd 18+ only

Chapter 1 - Table of Consent -

Chapter 3: Bad Directions

"The sun's still up, I'll be fine." You assure Mihawk again, but you can already feel yourself wilting. The stern man doesn't budge and won't take no for an answer.

The rest of the meeting had gone well. It was decided that you would move into the Dojo. Mihawk would be available to help mitigate you and Zoro adjusting to one another, you wouldn't be any further from your job than you already were, and there was help in breaking your current lease and getting moved. The Government did it's best to accommodate what it was forcing people to do, so that was a bit of tension off your shoulders.

"You are an impending member of this family now," Mihawk insists. "You two need to spend as much time together as you can. It might not seem so right now, but it will help to ease this transition."

"Ah, then I am in your care." You cave in and bow slightly as Zoro steps through the gate and waits for you to follow along.

The walk to the bus stop is quiet, but it wasn't much of a walk to begin with. You grab a bus schedule from the small shelter by the stop and begin to look through it. You know the bus schedules fairly well, but you want to be sure of what your new schedule's going to be to get to the library for work.

"You're taking all of this well." Zoro says. He wasn't looking at you, he was watching for the bus while you were looking over the schedule.

Not like there was much choice, you muse internally. "So are you."

Zoro grunts, and it makes you smile. There really isn't much else to say about it. It is what it is and it's going to be whatever it's going to be. You can make plans, and hope for the best, but this is something that takes two people to work and there's no way around that. If one takes the lead too forcefully over the other, then resentment could grow down the line.

"Tomorrow's Saturday, and I don't have a shift at the library, may I come over?"

"There'll be classes."

"If I don't disrupt them, may I sit in and observe?"

Zoro's dark eyes fall on you for a second before he goes back to watching for the bus. "Don't complain if you get bored."

"What time can I come over?"

"Breakfast is at 07:30. First class is at 08:30."

So as long as you showed up before one of those thresholds you wouldn't be disrupting anything. His sense of direction might be complete garbage, but at least he was easy to understand.

"If it's not rude of me to invite myself to breakfast, I'll be there at 7."

"... It's not."

Something felt warm in your chest, and you smiled softly to yourself. Neither of you said more until the bus showed up. You got your bus pass out, and noticed Zoro was doing the same. You almost said something, but if he hadn't intended to get on the bus, he wouldn't have taken the pass out. He knew what Mihawk was thinking more than you, so there was no reason to point it out.

He inclines his head, and you get on before him, the soft beep sounding behind you signaling that you were getting escorted all the way home. There were plenty of empty seats, and you sat in the middle-ish of the bus, with Zoro sitting beside you.

He draped his arm behind the back of your seat and crossed his legs. It looked more like he was getting comfortable than anything else. The closeness was a little more than you had anticipated, and you felt yourself become overly aware of him. It was as the bus began to move that you realized you were still wearing the tie.

"Here, let me give this back to you before I forget." You say, loosening the tie and rolling it up for him.

He stuffs it sourly into his pocket, his disdain for the tie pretty obvious. You'll have to make sure that any suit he has to wear for the wedding doesn't require a tie. You were sure as the bride you'd be able to push back on Mihawk's love of tradition at least a little bit.

You manage to relax a little as the bus ambles along on its stops, slowly closing in on your apartment. With two more stops to go you feel a chill go down your back. It was like earlier, there was someone looking at you, but this was less of a look and more of a piercing gaze. You fingers clench on the tops of your thighs, and the air around you feels thick. You've struggled with social anxiety since the first few bad reactions from people regarding your past, but this felt like your instincts kicking in.

Zoro's arm shifts, and his hand rests on your shoulder.

"(Y/N)." He says it softly, and you look up at him with concern. His brows knit at the expression on your face and you notice his gaze slipping around the bus as his body tenses. The oppressive feeling fades after a moment and as you unclench a fist you pat the top of his thigh a couple times.

"It's passed," you say quietly.

Zoro's hand on your shoulder flexes, but he doesn't move it away, and you feel the rest of his body relax. Even with his body relaxed there's something that feels sharp coming from him. Most of the time he seemed to be extremely apathetic about everything, but right now it was like he was trying to be aware of it all. With him on alert in that way you felt yourself relax.

When you got to your stop, Zoro got off the bus with you. He took the top of your arm firmly and led you away from the bus stop a little way down the block. The look on his face stopped you from pointing out you were going the wrong way. He wasn't hurting you, or dragging you, but that sharp look and feeling were both back in force.

You waited until his grip relaxed before you said anything. "Everything okay?"

"How often have you felt that?"

"Felt?" You were confused for a moment before realization came across your face. "Earlier today, I felt something kind of similar. Not as... hostile though. I didn't think much of it, but it's not something that's been happening for weeks or months or anything."

"Tell me if it happens again." His sharp gaze was on you, and you nod.

"Is it safe to go to my home now?" You ask quietly.

Zoro lets go of your arm, looking around once more. "Lead the way."

You walk Zoro to your apartment. There's no real reason for him to remember the way, in a couple weeks you'll be moved into the Dojo, and you'll spend as much time as you can over there in the meantime.

"Um..." You feel your face flush even though you're not trying to do anything with him. "Did you want to come in? There's not much, but if you're worried about earlier, you can stay for a drink."

Zoro was still looking around, and not at you, but he mutters a "Yeah, sure." And you turn away from him and unlock the door before your blushing face becomes an issue. Your modest apartment was pretty sparsely decorated, but you had enough furniture and dishes to entertain a single guest.

"You can leave your shoes on, I don't have slippers." You state, slipping your own shoes off out of habit.

"It's fine." Zoro replies, his shoes already coming off.

You step further in, pointing as you explain the important parts. "You can sit anywhere in the living room, and the bathroom's through the bedroom on the left. What would you like to drink? I have water, tea, coffee and, uh, well, I think that's it."

"Whatever you pick for yourself is fine." He answers, walking through the apartment slowly.

You tilt your head a bit, but you don't say anything. You decide to make some tea, it was a little too late for coffee, at least if you wanted to be up in time to make it to the dojo by 7am tomorrow. After a few minutes you'd made two cups of tea and Zoro and stopped pacing around your apartment.

"Were you looking for cameras?"

"...Yeah."

"I'd be impressed if there were any in here." You admit, taking a sip of your tea and sinking back into your couch. "A few years back I got really paranoid that someone was watching me, and I started checking for bugs every time I got home from anywhere. It was exhausting, but it turned into a habit and I still check every week."

"I thought you said this wasn't ongoing." His grumbles.

"It isn't ongoing. That was like... six years ago. Today's the first time since then." You clarify.

"Did you report it?"

Your eyes stare into your cup and you fall silent for a moment. You sense Zoro's gaze fall on you and mutter your response before taking a drink. "No."

Zoro doesn't say anything more, and the two of you sip your tea in silence for a long while. The silence itself isn't uncomfortable, but you're both on edge, listening for any weird noises, and mulling over the events of the day. Despite his brusque nature, you were happy to realize you weren't afraid of him, even completely alone with him like this.

You weren't sure how much time had passed, but the sun was down when Zoro finally stood up to leave.

"I should head back."

You nod and stand up to show him out.

"Make sure you lock the door."

"Of course."

"Call me if something happens."

"Uh, sure."

"And, uh..." Zoro rubs the back of his neck. "Thanks for the tea."

"You're welcome." You reply, smiling happily. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Zoro grunts as he walks off. You try not to watch him, thinking it wouldn't do much good to make yourself worry about him getting lost. He's survived this many years one way or another, there wasn't much you could do about it anyway.

You lock the door, and the bolt, and decide to put the little chain thingy across the door as well. After a moment of thinking about it you go around all the rooms and double check that the windows are locked. By now your nerves are on edge, but you still need to try and sleep, so you decide to reinforce the door by putting the recliner in front of it. Grabbing a blanket, you opt to sleep in the recliner to add more weight to it.

Your assumption is, if someone breaks a window, you'll have a couple seconds to shove the recliner free and run out of the door. If someone comes through the door, you'll have plenty of time to call Zoro and arm yourself. Both scenarios feel acceptable, so you set an alarm, cover yourself with the blanket and sink into the cozy recliner with little effort.

. . . . . .

Sleep found you in fits. Your dreams had been more like nightmares, even though you couldn't remember them as you groggily shifted in the recliner for the half dozenth time. It'd been some time since you had such bad nightmares, and of course since you needed to be up early it was happening tonight.

The last few emotions from your nightmares left you feeling unsettled, but since it was still dark out and your alarm hadn't gone off yet, you tried to drift back off to sleep when something caught your attention and froze you in place.

The doorknob shifted. You could hear it and see it.

Your eyes went wide, and your senses were immediately on edge. You were 100% awake, and staring at the doorknob, straining every sense you had. There was a soft scratching sound from the other side of the door that went on for a few long seconds.

For a brief moment it sounded like mice in the walls, but you realized it was coming from the doorknob itself.

Then the lock popped.

... Shit.

Next Chapter

[mugiwara-no-toshokan]

Some Direction

CisFem Reader x Roronoa Zoro

CW: Language, stalking, violence, sexual themes and situations, ptsd -- surprisingly fluffy despite it all. 18+ only

Chapter 3: Bad Directions

"The sun's still up, I'll be fine." You assure Mihawk again, but you can already feel yourself wilting. The stern man doesn't budge and won't take no for an answer.

The rest of the meeting had gone well. It was decided that you would move into the Dojo. Mihawk would be available to help mitigate you and Zoro adjusting to one another, you wouldn't be any further from your job than you already were, and there was help in breaking your current lease and getting moved. The Government did it's best to accommodate what it was forcing people to do, so that was a bit of tension off your shoulders.

"You are an impending member of this family now," Mihawk insists. "You two need to spend as much time together as you can. It might not seem so right now, but it will help to ease this transition."

"Ah, then I am in your care." You cave in and bow slightly as Zoro steps through the gate and waits for you to follow along.

The walk to the bus stop is quiet, but it wasn't much of a walk to begin with. You grab a bus schedule from the small shelter by the stop and begin to look through it. You know the bus schedules fairly well, but you want to be sure of what your new schedule's going to be to get to the library for work.

"You're taking all of this well." Zoro says. He wasn't looking at you, he was watching for the bus while you were looking over the schedule.

Not like there was much choice, you muse internally. "So are you."

Zoro grunts, and it makes you smile. There really isn't much else to say about it. It is what it is and it's going to be whatever it's going to be. You can make plans, and hope for the best, but this is something that takes two people to work and there's no way around that. If one takes the lead too forcefully over the other, then resentment could grow down the line.

"Tomorrow's Saturday, and I don't have a shift at the library, may I come over?"

"There'll be classes."

"If I don't disrupt them, may I sit in and observe?"

Zoro's dark eyes fall on you for a second before he goes back to watching for the bus. "Don't complain if you get bored."

"What time can I come over?"

"Breakfast is at 07:30. First class is at 08:30."

So as long as you showed up before one of those thresholds you wouldn't be disrupting anything. His sense of direction might be complete garbage, but at least he was easy to understand.

"If it's not rude of me to invite myself to breakfast, I'll be there at 7."

"... It's not."

Something felt warm in your chest, and you smiled softly to yourself. Neither of you said more until the bus showed up. You got your bus pass out, and noticed Zoro was doing the same. You almost said something, but if he hadn't intended to get on the bus, he wouldn't have taken the pass out. He knew what Mihawk was thinking more than you, so there was no reason to point it out.

He inclines his head, and you get on before him, the soft beep sounding behind you signaling that you were getting escorted all the way home. There were plenty of empty seats, and you sat in the middle-ish of the bus, with Zoro sitting beside you.

He draped his arm behind the back of your seat and crossed his legs. It looked more like he was getting comfortable than anything else. The closeness was a little more than you had anticipated, and you felt yourself become overly aware of him. It was as the bus began to move that you realized you were still wearing the tie.

"Here, let me give this back to you before I forget." You say, loosening the tie and rolling it up for him.

He stuffs it sourly into his pocket, his disdain for the tie pretty obvious. You'll have to make sure that any suit he has to wear for the wedding doesn't require a tie. You were sure as the bride you'd be able to push back on Mihawk's love of tradition at least a little bit.

You manage to relax a little as the bus ambles along on its stops, slowly closing in on your apartment. With two more stops to go you feel a chill go down your back. It was like earlier, there was someone looking at you, but this was less of a look and more of a piercing gaze. You fingers clench on the tops of your thighs, and the air around you feels thick. You've struggled with social anxiety since the first few bad reactions from people regarding your past, but this felt like your instincts kicking in.

Zoro's arm shifts, and his hand rests on your shoulder.

"(Y/N)." He says it softly, and you look up at him with concern. His brows knit at the expression on your face and you notice his gaze slipping around the bus as his body tenses. The oppressive feeling fades after a moment and as you unclench a fist you pat the top of his thigh a couple times.

"It's passed," you say quietly.

Zoro's hand on your shoulder flexes, but he doesn't move it away, and you feel the rest of his body relax. Even with his body relaxed there's something that feels sharp coming from him. Most of the time he seemed to be extremely apathetic about everything, but right now it was like he was trying to be aware of it all. With him on alert in that way you felt yourself relax.

When you got to your stop, Zoro got off the bus with you. He took the top of your arm firmly and led you away from the bus stop a little way down the block. The look on his face stopped you from pointing out you were going the wrong way. He wasn't hurting you, or dragging you, but that sharp look and feeling were both back in force.

You waited until his grip relaxed before you said anything. "Everything okay?"

"How often have you felt that?"

"Felt?" You were confused for a moment before realization came across your face. "Earlier today, I felt something kind of similar. Not as... hostile though. I didn't think much of it, but it's not something that's been happening for weeks or months or anything."

"Tell me if it happens again." His sharp gaze was on you, and you nod.

"Is it safe to go to my home now?" You ask quietly.

Zoro lets go of your arm, looking around once more. "Lead the way."

You walk Zoro to your apartment. There's no real reason for him to remember the way, in a couple weeks you'll be moved into the Dojo, and you'll spend as much time as you can over there in the meantime.

"Um..." You feel your face flush even though you're not trying to do anything with him. "Did you want to come in? There's not much, but if you're worried about earlier, you can stay for a drink."

Zoro was still looking around, and not at you, but he mutters a "Yeah, sure." And you turn away from him and unlock the door before your blushing face becomes an issue. Your modest apartment was pretty sparsely decorated, but you had enough furniture and dishes to entertain a single guest.

"You can leave your shoes on, I don't have slippers." You state, slipping your own shoes off out of habit.

"It's fine." Zoro replies, his shoes already coming off.

You step further in, pointing as you explain the important parts. "You can sit anywhere in the living room, and the bathroom's through the bedroom on the left. What would you like to drink? I have water, tea, coffee and, uh, well, I think that's it."

"Whatever you pick for yourself is fine." He answers, walking through the apartment slowly.

You tilt your head a bit, but you don't say anything. You decide to make some tea, it was a little too late for coffee, at least if you wanted to be up in time to make it to the dojo by 7am tomorrow. After a few minutes you'd made two cups of tea and Zoro and stopped pacing around your apartment.

"Were you looking for cameras?"

"...Yeah."

"I'd be impressed if there were any in here." You admit, taking a sip of your tea and sinking back into your couch. "A few years back I got really paranoid that someone was watching me, and I started checking for bugs every time I got home from anywhere. It was exhausting, but it turned into a habit and I still check every week."

"I thought you said this wasn't ongoing." His grumbles.

"It isn't ongoing. That was like... six years ago. Today's the first time since then." You clarify.

"Did you report it?"

Your eyes stare into your cup and you fall silent for a moment. You sense Zoro's gaze fall on you and mutter your response before taking a drink. "No."

Zoro doesn't say anything more, and the two of you sip your tea in silence for a long while. The silence itself isn't uncomfortable, but you're both on edge, listening for any weird noises, and mulling over the events of the day. Despite his brusque nature, you were happy to realize you weren't afraid of him, even completely alone with him like this.

You weren't sure how much time had passed, but the sun was down when Zoro finally stood up to leave.

"I should head back."

You nod and stand up to show him out.

"Make sure you lock the door."

"Of course."

"Call me if something happens."

"Uh, sure."

"And, uh..." Zoro rubs the back of his neck. "Thanks for the tea."

"You're welcome." You reply, smiling happily. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Zoro grunts as he walks off. You try not to watch him, thinking it wouldn't do much good to make yourself worry about him getting lost. He's survived this many years one way or another, there wasn't much you could do about it anyway.

You lock the door, and the bolt, and decide to put the little chain thingy across the door as well. After a moment of thinking about it you go around all the rooms and double check that the windows are locked. By now your nerves are on edge, but you still need to try and sleep, so you decide to reinforce the door by putting the recliner in front of it. Grabbing a blanket, you opt to sleep in the recliner to add more weight to it.

Your assumption is, if someone breaks a window, you'll have a couple seconds to shove the recliner free and run out of the door. If someone comes through the door, you'll have plenty of time to call Zoro and arm yourself. Both scenarios feel acceptable, so you set an alarm, cover yourself with the blanket and sink into the cozy recliner with little effort.

. . . . . .

Sleep found you in fits. Your dreams had been more like nightmares, even though you couldn't remember them as you groggily shifted in the recliner for the half dozenth time. It'd been some time since you had such bad nightmares, and of course since you needed to be up early it was happening tonight.

The last few emotions from your nightmares left you feeling unsettled, but since it was still dark out and your alarm hadn't gone off yet, you tried to drift back off to sleep when something caught your attention and froze you in place.

The doorknob shifted. You could hear it and see it.

Your eyes went wide, and your senses were immediately on edge. You were 100% awake, and staring at the doorknob, straining every sense you had. There was a soft scratching sound from the other side of the door that went on for a few long seconds.

For a brief moment it sounded like mice in the walls, but you realized it was coming from the doorknob itself.

Then the lock popped.

... Shit.

[glcriouspvrpose]

ｐｌａｙｌｉｓｔ ； ｌｏｋｉ ｏｄｉｎｓｏｎ

→ full spotify playlist

01. look what you made me do - taylor swift ; but i got smarter, i got harder in the nick of time. honey, I rose up from the dead, i do it all the time.

02. you should see me in a crown - billie eilish ; i'm gonna run this nothing town, watch me make 'em bow, one by one by one.

03. emperor’s new clothes - panic at the disco ; heroes get remembered, but legends never die. if you don’t know, now you know. i’m taking back the crown.

04. would’ve, could’ve, should’ve, - taylor swift ; i damn sure never would’ve danced with the devil at nineteen ... now i'm scared of ghosts. memories feel like weapons.

05. anti-hero - taylor swift ; i should not be left to my own devices, they come with prices and vices, i end up in crisis.

06. control - halsey ; i can't help this awful energy, god damn right, you should be scared of me. who is in control?

07. the archer - taylor swift ; and i cut off my nose just to spite my face, then i hate my reflection for years and years ... who could ever leave me, darling, but who could stay?

08. immortals - fall out boy ; i’m bad behavior but i do it in the best way.

09. gasoline - halsey ;  you can't wake up, this is not a dream, you're part of a machine, you are not a human being ... i think there’s a flaw in my code, these voices won't leave me alone, my heart is gold and my hands are cold.

10. aimed to kill - jade lemac ; and i tried to save a life. with these diamond hands of mine, but they're sharper than a knife.

11. darkside - neoni ; there’s no heroes or villains in this place, just the shadows that dance in my headspace.

12. god sent me as karma - emilyn ; i'll drive you out your mind. i’ll bring the drama.

13. castle - halsey ;  all these minutes passing, sick of feeling used. if you wanna break these walls down, you're gonna get bruised.

14. temporary funeral - emilyn ; it's better to mourn and move on. it's easier killing you off.

15. bones - imagine dragons ; go ahead and throw your stones, there’s magic in my bones.

16. i did something bad - taylor swift ; i did something bad, then why’s it feel so good?

17. say amen (saturday night) - panic at the disco ;  all the people I know aren’t who they used to be, and if I try to change my life one more day, there would be nobody else to save

18. whatever it takes - imagine dragons ; never be enough, i’m the prodigal son, i was born to run, i was born for this,

19. you’re on your own, kid - taylor swift ; ‘cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned, everything you lose is a step you take, you've got no reason to be afraid.

20. villain - bella poarch ; i’ll be the villain tonight, i like when you despise me.