#BUT I KNOW AT ONE POINT YOU GO TO STAY WITH JUMIN

[justiceforjumin]

So, you know in that infamous chat on Day 7 between the MC, Jumin and Zen, where Zen is freaking out bc Jumin is being lowkey horny in the groupchat ? Yeah, so, there's kind of a huge detail that was lost in the English version. At one point, Zen tells Jumin to take MC back home and adds "don't be pervy and make her stay", to which Jumin replies "Don't assume that all men are like you. But more than that, what do you mean 'pervy' ? I never had such intentions. What in the world is inside your head !"

...only to completely contradict that like 2 texts later (if the MC says she's glad he's not denying the fact that he did indeed have thoughts™, which again, is really weird to have as an option after Jumin supposedly says he "never had such intentions") by saying he's been having inappropriate thoughts ever since MC arrived.

Well. That's because that's not what he tells Zen in the Korean version. He doesn't say "I never had such intentions". This is how this part of the conversation actually goes.

Zen : Hurry up and take her home! This is an inappropriate hour to be with a lady! MC : I don't mind staying, though? Jumin : If MC wants to stay, then she can stay. Zen : What are you talking about? Even if she wants to stay, a real man should escort her home. Jumin : Why should I force her to leave? Zen : Because you're a man. Jumin : You shouldn't assume all men are like you. But more importantly, why do you keep calling it an "inappropriate hour"? Do you have inappropriate thoughts only after a certain time? I wonder what's going on in your head.

Jumin isn't wondering what kind of thoughts Zen is having. He knows. No, the thing he doesn't understand is why Zen keeps acting like men are supposedly only having thoughts™ after a certain time and that's really weird to him. And I swear ever since I played that chat in Korean, it's been living in my mind completely rent-free.

[bluejay-writes]

MysticTober 2024 - Day 15: Bad End: Waiting.

Rating: T (Violence) Prompt: Empty/Hurt WordCount: 2225 Summary: Saeran is saved. They've made it to the party at long last. But they didn't account for every variable, and it's going to cost them. Author's Notes: MC in this fic is named Abigail, nickname Cal, and she's the feature MC of a new full-run messenger fic I have in the works with a friend, @rogue-knifehead. If you're interested in more shenanigans with Cal, including "how did we get here" and "but what's the good ending like", stay tuned.

Saeran looked around the party venue, somewhat uncomfortable as he stood near the bar with Vanderwood. He knew what the plan was. He knew what was coming, and still, he felt like he was going to be sick.

Vanderwood quietly put a hand on his shoulder, and he turned to look at the former agent.

“We’ve planned for this. You have to trust them to do their part, or what’s the point?”  Vanderwood was right, of course, but what Saeran was most afraid of were the parts of the savior’s plan… no, of Rika’s plan that he didn’t know about, that they couldn’t plan around. He wanted to be sure they’d be fine, but some of the pessimism that he’d steeled himself with before he left Magenta was soaking back in, despite his best efforts.  If something happened to Cal, or to Saeyoung, or heaven forbid any of these other idiots… he would never forgive himself.

Cal was busy greeting the rest of the guests as they entered, and Saeran was honestly happy to stay out of the way, out of the spotlight. Things were already tense, and he didn’t particularly want to draw the attention of the Believers he knew would be in the crowd.  They were unlikely to clock him at first glance - he was wearing a white suit, and Unknown.. Ray… they wouldn’t have been caught dead in white before they left.  White was the Savior’s Color.  But when Saeyoung had offered it to him, he knew. It was his best chance of blending in.  Sure, sure, it had pink lapels, which made the pink tips of his hair stand out more, but was that really a bad thing?  Zen had said he looked a bit like a KPop star trying to dress down, and he thought that seemed… odd, but then he knew nothing at all about music these days. Or any days, if he was being honest.

Everything he did know about Mint Eye’s infiltration plans they had a counter for. Jaehee had completely rebuilt the presentation from absolute scratch overnight, even including the graphics they’d been planning on using, given how much Saeran knew about the embedded subliminals, it was the safest choice.  Saeyoung had made new firewall algorithms to keep out hacking attempts.  Jumin had doubled the number of bodyguards, adding an equal number of plain-clothes operatives amongst the partygoers as his usual black-tie squad obviously keeping things orderly.  Vanderwood was, while a guest themselves, his very own bodyguard.  No one had even had to ask them, they appointed themselves.  It was probably because Cal was worried, but Saeran wasn’t going to turn down the friendly gesture.  The agent was part of his life at this point, no matter what else happened.

The party had gotten well underway, and nothing untoward had happened.  Everyone seemed to be relaxing, but Saeran was more and more on edge.  Something was wrong, and he knew something was wrong.  He’d moved over to stand with Cal, Vanderwood at his side as usual. He looked up, and saw something that broke the thin layer of ice holding back his panic.  Cal was holding the teal and pink sport bottle he always saw her with on the cameras, about to take a long drink of water. Only… she’d left that bottle at the apartment. 

“Cal!” He called to her, his voice choked with panic, reaching out towards her bottle.  She stopped suddenly, just as his hand reached hers, and the motion sloshed the water out of the bottle to splash at his feet. His panic spiked into abject terror as the liquid soaking into the cuffs of his tuxedo pants wasn’t white but distinctly…. mint green.  The smell of it wafted up to greet him and he clapped a hand over his mouth, his jaw locked tight against his body’s instinctive response to purge.

Cal looked at Saeran and knew she needed to get him out of there and to a bathroom where he could vomit in peace but also where she could try to rinse the teal liquid out of his cuffs.  The smell was wretched, sickly-sweet but also acrid in a way that made her hair stand on end. She almost drank that the way she drank water. She’d have had half of the bottle down her throat before she knew she had a problem.  A shiver ran down her spine, and she knew that later she was going to fall apart, but right now Saeran was in no way capable of handling the situation, and it was his turn to be not-okay. She’d worry about her own mental situation later. As usual.

“Can you take him to the bathroom? I’ll catch up.” Cal said to Vanderwood, who nodded, and started leading Saeran out of the banquet hall toward the restrooms.

She capped the bottle, turned, and caught Zen’s eye.  She’d only met the actor in person today, but he was just as insufferably narcissistic and affectionate as he had been in the messenger. Surprisingly uptight due to the internalized misogyny, but just as good a friend in person as in text. Way taller than she expected, and definitely as hot as advertised…. oh. Her focus was shot.  Apparently her look gave something away, because he came over immediately, sensing the problem, and she handed him the bottle. 

“Take this to Jaehee. Do not open it. Do not drink it. Tell her it’s evidence, and that Rika is or has been here.”  Zen nodded, and she almost couldn’t tell that he’d been shocked by what she’d said, but the slight widening of his eyes gave him away.  He turned and walked off, and Cal took a breath before turning to head out to catch up with Vanderwood and Saeran.  Sure, Vanderwood was perfectly capable of taking care of Saeran and protecting him, but the thought of leaving Saeran during all of this made her intensely uncomfortable.

Cal hurried down the hallway, grateful in that moment that she’d chosen to wear flats.  She was short enough that heels wouldn’t have made a difference in height for her the way it did for Jaehee, but the flats definitely let her move faster and more silently. She paused to take a breath when she reached the bathroom.  She knew they’d chosen the family bathroom so Saeran could have some privacy, which would also be much less awkward than her sitting in the men’s room with him. She was so caught up in her thoughts, she missed the telltale sound of heeled footsteps.

“Looks like they got a little careless, and left their new party planner all alone.” A saccharine-sweet voice said behind her, and Cal swiveled to see a blonde woman, taller than Cal but still short, with piercing green eyes. This must be Rika. She thought, considering the photos she’d seen, the woman looked sharper somehow.

“Is there something I can do for you ma’am, or someone I can find? I’m just on my way to the restroom, but—” It’d be easier to get out of this if she didn’t try to accuse Rika of anything right off the bat….. despite the sheer number of things the woman had done that were horrible, not to mention illegal.  She had to convince Rika to go back to the party, where all of the guards were, where people who knew what she looked like would spot her, where everyone would be safer.

“Oh, I’m here looking for you in particular.” Rika said, taking a step closer. “I’m surprised you managed to notice I was here before you drank your water.  This would be so much easier for you if you were cleansed, Abigail.”

Cal shivered. It wasn’t that she didn’t like her given name, but hearing it from Rika just made her incredibly uncomfortable. “Ma’am, I think you should go back to the party.” Cal said, hoping to get her to leave the area Saeran was in. “I can’t really help you with anything out here, but if you look for anyone with an RFA lanyard, I’m sure they can help you out until I return.”

“Hmm. So formal.” She stepped closer again, almost toe-to-toe with Cal, who refused to step back. She had to keep this woman from getting to Saeran or finding out where he was, no matter what.  He was safe with Vanderwood, so long as Rika couldn’t get back in his head. “That scent…”  her eyes flared hot. “You.  It’s You. You Did This.”

Cal flinched. She wanted to stand strong in the face of the suddenly angry woman in her personal space, but the fire of that anger burned so hot and fast that it overwhelmed her.

“You stole Ray from me.” Rika continued, her voice shifting manic, with a sharp laughter to it. “So, who else will you take from me? Will you take all of my believers one by one?  Will you hold all of the RFA in your tiny hands so that none of them are free to come to Paradise?”

Cal took a breath. “I have so many things I could say to you, Rika.”  She hated how airy her voice was right now, but this woman was legitimately frightening, and at this point she was just trying to buy time so that someone would come check on her.

“Lies, of course.  Would they be the same lies you told my Ray?”  Something in her tone was terrifying. All of the light had gone out of her eyes, and Cal felt herself starting to tremble from the adrenaline.

“Alright, I think we should both calm down.” Cal said, holding her palms out and taking a step back from Rika. “We’re getting agitated, and that never helped anyone.”

“Ray promised me that he would stay with me. That he would help me reach the pinnacle of our paradise together. Why would he break his promise?” 

Was she not listening to anything I just said?

“You stole Ray, and now V has also gone missing.  I created the Mint Eye and saved people… What is all that ever for, without them? You’re just the same… You’re just like those people who thrust me into darkness! I trusted them. Trusted… Believed in…  And now my light is gone. My sun. My moon.  I truly loved them, and you took them from me.  They will only come back to me when you’re gone.”

Rika lunged forward and grabbed at Cal’s collar, pulling her forward even as she sank a knife into her stomach, its blade hot and sharp.

Cal sucked in a breath through her teeth, the pain robbing her even of the voice to scream.

“I’ll finish this scene for the both of us.” Rika said darkly, plunging the knife into Cal repeatedly before pushing her away, allowing her to slump to the floor, boneless.

Saeran heard what could only be Rika’s voice raised in anger, and struggled his way out of the panic that gripped him simply at hearing her.  If Rika was here, if she was somewhere that he could hear from the bathroom, then… Cal was in danger.

“Vanderwood… Cal…”  He rasped out through the panic, and Vanderwood nodded, leaving the restroom.  

Saeran scrambled to his feet to follow the agent, making it out of the door just in time to see Cal slump to the ground.  The Savior was laughing and running the opposite direction, and Vanderwood looked at him and then at Cal, and at her attacker. The shock at seeing Cal covered in blood broke through the panic, and Saeran nodded at Vanderwood.

“Go get her, I’ve got Cal.”  He ripped his phone out of his pocket and dialed Jumin, calling for help, even as he sunk to his knees next to Cal, his suit jacket pressed against her wounds to try and keep as much blood in her body as he could.

The party had been shut down at that point, everyone sent home, and an official investigation into Cal’s attack and the cult began.  They couldn’t sit back and let it continue in quiet, not now that someone had been grievously injured by its leader.  Saeran told them everything he could, no longer afraid for his life while Cal’s hung in the balance.  

Surgery to repair her injuries took hours. Long hours under the knife, and so so much blood.  Even after the doctors proclaimed her stable, she didn’t wake.  They said this could happen, with her body under so much stress, she’d slipped into a comatose state.  She could wake up anytime… or never.

“Saeran, you need to get some rest. Go home, shower, rest.  Take a few days for  yourself. I swear to you that we will call the instant something changes.” Jaehee was worried, of course, about him. And for Cal.

He looked up from his vigil next to Cal’s bed and shook his head. “She could wake up.  I need to be here when she wakes up. She needs to know that I’m fine. That everything is going to be alright.”

Jaehee sighed, knowing she wasn’t going to win this argument. They’d had it countless times in the past three weeks.  She’d saved him, all of him, so many times.  Waiting for her was the least he could do.

Wake up, Cal, I need you. We need you.

[fictionfixations]

LMAO ZEN (doesnt it happen for everyones routes though? i havent done like another story yet tho)

anyway before i get into talking about jumin (as the route im on rn) i wanted to wonder

yknow how certain things happen but only on someones route?

like zen has the echo girl thing, idk what yoosung has i forgor but i think jaehee had that one project??? that got her interested in like coffee stuff? jumin has the arranged marriage?? and seven has like. well. the hacker stuff.

but it never gets mentioned on someone elses route ? i dont think? i feel like itd be more cooler if it was all happening at once as like little references (but either something they can handle or cant handle outside of the route. just like maybe a vague mention of trouble to interest the player in that route, while still making sense from like a timeline standpoint???)

like. people doing things but its not because youre the one pushing it towards that. i like that more. and im curious how chaotic itd be

anyway

JUMIN. (disclaimer: I dont like him)

WARNING i start venting in this post. theres only one mention of a triggering thing (which is warned before the actual vent part but i dont want to put here to bring the mood down more cause in all honesty im over it. im just kind of projecting.)

i think ive said before how i can understand the liking of possessive partners

but. okay maybe its just that i dont like jumin as much as the others but. this is kinda way too much. or maybe its that i value my own independence a whole lot or maybe its because i really dont like the thing with his cat (and i LIKE cats. so giving me a character who likes cats and making me not like them??? ahgeiudhf)

like 'dont leave or ill go insane and make your face known everywhere so i can find you again' like the fuck no w h y CAN I LEAVE

I want to leave i dont care if i get the bad ending get me out of here 😭 (actually i think the bad ending mightve been if we encouraged being compared to like his cat and like. was willing to stay forever.)

e w NO like CHILL

maybe. im. being too extreme. and im just too on edge. but like. can you not. i am not your property?? i am not an object??

now LISTEN i understand marking. like like yknow biting and so and so as like a claim over your partner. and now that? thats hot and i like that. but thats ONLY for the bedroom there comes a point where too much of a thing is a bad thing

ALSO we've known each other how many days has it been. eight?? WE've known each other EIGHT days dont be horny bonk

g o o d . this is good.

STOP. dont talk like you know whats best for a person. like its some thing that'll happen, not a what if.

AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. now if he was being more weird id say go home but hes. OKAY. ish. now. like hes trying. and anyway getting him to not do it takes time. and also this is a game of romance fantasies where creepy shit gets played off as kinky or something. (not a jab towards mysme its just the kind of thing its trying to do which can result in uncomfortable parts if you take off your rose-tinted glasses of wOAH ROmANCE. its expected since ppl think certain things are hot when in reality its kind of very not that great)

…CAN I GO HOME???? like BRUH im not gonna accept you just cause you do so and so

why does this feel like a 'nice guy'. maybe this is my bad because this is making me really want to leave buth gdiuhfuih

trigger warning. i vent. mention of kermit sewer slide but nothing actual.

ive been pushing the 'stay here to help jumin feel more calm' but. i do also need to prioritize my own well being and my well being is not happy here rn 😭 (on a serious note though while its important to be there for your partner, its NOT a good thing to give everything to make sure your partners okay, because y'all are equals and as you help them stand they need to help you stand too or you'll collapse under all that and it really wont be a good time. im telling you its very draining. and why i promote the idea of get your shit together before you get with someone because there comes a point where you can be too dependent on your partner which isnt good for you or for them [and they can feel hesitant to express their feelings because they dont want to hurt you, or hesitant to do anything too stressful because theyre like that support pillar for them, and they dont want to do anything that causes otherwise because they dont want their partner to get hurt. it can also mean they go along with what the other wants even if they dont really want to because they dont want to hurt them. am i projecting? ithink im projecting. cause like. ive been there. and honestly i think it kind of fucked me up cause there was like a power imbalance in that one was significantly more fragile and vulnerable then the other, which made me feel like i should be going along with it because i didnt want them to be hurt when they didnt have anyone else they could rely on but me. [i tried to get them to make more friends cause relying on a single person is very unhealthy but no dice] but that also meant that they didnt respect my boundaries or respect me when i say no and instead just gave off excuses to make me change my mind or made me feel like i had to do what they wanted or theyd deliberately hurt themself. so.. it was a lot. anyway it really fucked me up cause i felt like i was in the wrong for not going along with it. blah blah blah. we split. i genuinely have no idea if it was true or not but they'd started saying things to make me feel bad and just not a fun time at all. they were probably in a really dark time in their life but im gonna be honest. i dont know in what scenario its okay to go 'im gonna kermit sewer slide if you dont [blah blah blah]'. so yknow. and this is not really the same but it still feels the same in walking all over boundaries and lines and is especially why i do not like this character a bit. yay trauma.])

i might actually get a bad ending because i. really dont like this.

[marshmallowprotection]

i know saeran’s hair is a sensitive subject for him but omg he looks so pretty with red hair…how do you think secret ending saeran would feel if i complimented him on it?

SE Saeran is definitely apathetic to the world around him.

He probably would have continued to bleach his hair if it wasn't for the fact that he couldn't do it anymore. As if his brother was going to trust him alone with the tools to dye his hair properly. Unfortunately, given his track record, his brother thought it was best to babysit him and keep him away from anything that could hurt him.

So, the only way he's going to be able to get his hair done is if he cooperates with his brother and that's the last thing he wants to do. So, what happens is the roots come back in and his hair turns red. He just doesn't have the energy to care anymore. He knows the people are going to compare him to his brother no matter what he does, and that's one of the reasons why he goes out of his way to stay away from the RFA but that's not what you're asking about.

Needless to say, he has a lot of complicated feelings wrapped up when it comes to his appearance. He doesn't want to be seen as an extension of his brother, but they are twins and they will always be seen as a package deal no matter how they try to exist as people. 

He doesn't like the thought of being put into situations where people only want him there for the sake of his brother, and if people only want him around to make his brother happy, then he doesn't want to be around them. There's another reason why he doesn't like to be around the RFA, and that just has a lot to do with the fact that he has to come to terms with what he did to them, as well as the fact that two of them in particular uncomfortably remind him of the two most pointed figures in his life. It's not their fault, but he can't be around Yoosung or Jumin.

You want to know if he would be okay with compliments towards his hair that are for him, they are meant for him and only him. You think he's beautiful with his red hair, his natural hair, and you want him to know that you'll love him with the red or not.

Listen, if you have earned the right to be in his life because he doesn't mind you, he already wants to be around you. You don't have anything to prove because getting close to him means that you have not only respected him as a person, but you have worked hard to let him know that he has autonomy over every situation he's in. You're not going to make him do anything he doesn't want to do. You want him to be comfortable on his terms, and you're already winning in that regard. 

His hair might be a sensitive subject but when it comes from you, he won't mind the compliment. For the longest time, he tried to get rid of the red because it felt like he had no right to it anymore.

He couldn't have it because his brother took it away from him and he needed to erase it so he could look into the mirror without feeling sick to his stomach. Now he can look into the mirror and see himself for who he is, but even though the red is back, he still feels sick. It's going to take him some time to realize it's not about the hair or his appearance that really bothers him, it's the torture he went through and how they used his body against him. 

Go ahead and compliment his hair as much as you want to, as long as you make sure he knows that that compliment is coming from a place in your heart that cares about him, and wants him to feel affirmed in his appearance, then there's nothing to be afraid of. It might be a sensitive subject but it doesn't always have to be that way, and as long as you treat him with love and care, maybe someday he'll be able to look in the mirror and not feel so bad about himself. 

This question also comes up a lot so I'll go ahead and link it so you have it just in case you want to read it. People always want to know what he is going to do with this hair and what he's going to do with the tattoo.

[Tattoo Post]

[heyheydidjaknow]

Hey, how's your fancy little otome project going bestie

My life is going to be shorter because of my silly lil otome project. I don’t think I’ll be able to share what I’m done here at any point— honestly, I don’t think people here specifically would care to see it— but I’m using this opportunity to do a fun thing for me.

Mystic Messenger Love Interests Ranked By How Likely I Would Be To Encourage My Friend To Dump Their Ass (From Least To Most Likely)

Jaehee Kang: I have no complaints about a motivated career woman who likes musicals and is freaked out by understandably strange things. Black belt in Judo? Green flag: girl knows how to defend herself and you. I would wish you (you are my friend in this scenario by the way) the best with your coffee shop adventures and only judge you a little for entering into a business with a woman you just let.

Hyun “Zen” Ryu: He’s an alcoholic, smoking, struggling actor with an inflated ego but he seems to treat you well enough and he has the decency to offer his place to keep you away from the bomb apartment you decided to wander into so he’s okay. If he’s your type, he’s your type; who am I to judge?

Jihyun “V” Kim: His being in an organization named after his dead fiancé whose apartment you’re now living in is a bit unfortunate but he makes stable money and has cool hair and has only threatened your safety via negligence so he’s okay for now. Thin ice with that boy but he’ll slide for now.

Yoosung Kim: The first time you tell me he has compared you to his dead cousin is when he goes from a soft yes to a firm and definitive no. It’s one thing to compare someone you’re interested in to an ex, but comparing them to a family member puts you into a weirdly familial role that you shouldn’t be in. I understand he’s a cute subby softboy gamer but you can aim higher even amongst the singles in this pool.

Saeyoung “707” Choi: You met a man who didn’t tell you his name for the majority of your time together and let you stay in an apartment with a bomb in it that he installed even after his homicidal twin brother showed up and threatened to kill you and then treated you shitty because he couldn’t figure out his feelings and now wants you to risk your life to find said homicidal brother instead of waiting for him to come back from a dangerous mission that you have no business being a part of because of an e-relationship you had which consisted mostly of him telling you not to like him because he’s a walking red flag and exchanging memes? Oh, and he thought putting a bomb in an occupied apartment building was a good enough idea to put into action? Great idea, man; trauma’s the most solid foundation for a relationship.

Jumin Han: I know that you have a daddy kink. I am not kink-shaming you. I know you think he’s classy and funny. I will concede his suits are nice. This does not excuse your desire to stay with a man who is keeping you in his apartment against your will and is fully ready to keep you in a cage as a replacement for his cat. He treats the only for-sure green flag like shit and seemingly only likes you because you’re the first person to think he’s hot for reasons only tangentially related to his money. Do not wander into a random apartment twice. Get on Tinder and find yourself a better sugar daddy that knows what a safe word is and had friends.

Saeran “Ray” Choi: You want the physically abusive cult higher-up who kept you against your will in cult headquarters? The one who was nice to you for maybe half the time you knew him and then starved you until you put out? The one who just totally ignored your lack of consent and tried to arrange for your torture? Because you say he’s changed back into being a nice guy and was just being manipulated by magic juice? I don’t know how high he got you to let yourself get into a windowless van for a fun field trip to play some video games but it was apparently incredibly strong and should honestly be sold to the government. Send your address so I can come pick you up and get you laid so you never do that shit again.

[natasha-in-space]

I FINALLY have the time to gush about the new CG for mm's 7th anniversary, so I'll make the most of it despite my tired and sleepy brain!

AHHH AND I MUST SAY, this is SUCH a soft CG this time around! The last one we got was so fancy and grand, while this one gives off much more wholesome and sentimental vibes. I LOVED the 6th anniversary CG btw! Just pointing out the details! Everyone's masquerade outfits still have me in a chokehold ngl

It's wedding themed! Which we knew already, but boy, oh boy, does it hit different to actually see it. I have such a huge silly grin on my face as I look at this CG. It just makes me feel all happy and fuzzy inside! :) I love how the artist managed to make each and every one of them similar yet different in one way or another. They're all happy, and they're all looking at you, but their facial expressions are unique to their each individual personality and their journeys up until this point. Makes me all emotional to just think about it.

I'm not one for analysis, but I do wanna gush! (Plus Imma start reblogging and crying over other people's wonderful analysis' soon enough ♡)

I love those pink accents on Zen so much!! 😭 Especially the ribbon in his hair. It's so simple and yet so very charming and cute in a way. Never knew how much I needed to see Zen in some pinks before today. And dare I say he looks absolutely smitten with his mc's. I sure love seeing that dreamy and peaceful look in his eyes. He has nothing to worry about. Because you're by his side to support him.

I AM VIBRATING AND PUNCHING MY PILLOW, LOOK HOW GORGEOUS JAEHEE LOOKS OH MY GOD

Ahem, yeah, we love and adore Jaehee Kang on this blog. I love seeing her dressed up in a way that makes her feel pretty and true to herself. She wasn't allowed that much in her life. But now, she is literally glowing from within. Sure, her dress is beautiful, but it's her inner beauty that makes me get all mushy. I would honestly just look at her with hearts in my eyes like a cat does to its favorite person. That's me. I'm that cat.

I love Jumin's smile!! Look at him!! He's so happy to see you! We need more of Jumin just being comfortable and happy. I love that for him. His full smile is really lovely <3

Saeyoung is my best buddy, and I am SO happy to see him with his glasses on for once! But, more than that, I love how they depicted him here. Sure, it'd be great to see his huge mischievous grin, but his smile here is bashful, light, peaceful. It's the type of smile you make without even realizing it. He's completely relaxed here, and that fact alone makes me feel emotional. He truly looks at you like he sees an entire galaxy in your eyes. And, he's more than willing to get lost in it. Because he knows you'll keep his heart safe.

Is this my new lock screen? Yes. Did I cry about it? Yes. Were those happy tears? Absolutely.

Saeran, oh, Saeran... His eyes say it all. We don't have to see a big smile on his face to know that his heart is fluttering right at this very moment. You just know he'd gladly stay with you in this moment for all eternity if he could. I am crying over his adorable blush. Saeran is a blushy boy, and I adore that about him. His cheeks still go all red even after all these years of knowing you. I just know he's gently pressing his lips to the petals and imagines that it is your lips he's kissing. It may be silly, since he can kiss you anytime he wants now, but he still finds these small things a little sentimental. I certainly don't mind.

Yoosung and Jihyun are looking absolutely wonderful as well, I just didn't really have anything noteworthy to say about them! And yes, there are flowers, and like I said in my tags, flowers are something to cry over. I won't be analyzing the meaning of them in my post, but I will cry my eyes out about them under other people's posts!

Happy 7th anniversary to Mystic Messenger and all the wonderful folks in this lovely fandom I hold so dear! Time sure does fly...

[mrs-han]

Hi Mama Han! 💜 Please know my Happy Birthday wishes are meant to be sent the day of your birthday and not before 🙏 (in my country is considered bad luck to greet someone for their birthday days before 😅)

I thought of asking for something sweet like MC making Jumin sleep on her lap on the days at his penthouse when he obviously didn't sleep, but THEN I remembered this video:

https://youtu.be/d_sa4Ur04QU

And the masterpiece that was "The Trilogy of the Marias" with Thalia and I thought: Jumin's route, but as a Mexican telenovela with the funniest tropes we love from the medium (the rich boy, the poor girl, the evil stepmom, AMNESIA, lost relatives, Soraya! Pick your choice! )

Basically I hope you can write something you can have fun writing 😊 and Happy Birthday (in a few days)

Omo, hello Darling!! *huggu*

(Don’t worry, I totally understand — my family will only say it the day of, too! I got caught saying ‘Happy Birthday’ to my father the day before his birthday, and I got LOOKS.)

AND OKAY UM, MEXICAN TELENOVELAS?! Omo. Omo, I just got an idea based off of a show modeled after a telenovela 😂 if you know, you know! (My mom loves that novela, by the by 😂)

Okie!! Here goes!! And ¡¡¡Muchas gracias por tu petición!!! Siento haber tardado tanto ><

Jumin had never attended a unisex baby shower before. His father’s more lucrative partner insisted on a gender-neutral theme, something Jumin heavily admired. The colors were very pleasing to the eye.

But as the party progressed, Jumin couldn’t stop noticing the combined glow and irritability of the mother-to-be. She kept complaining of the room being too hot, or too cold. She had even thrown a gifted pair of slippers at her husband’s head at one point.

“Ah, sweet love.” Standing next to his best friend, V casually leaned against Jumin’s sturdy figure. “Take it in, Jumin. One day, that will be us. At the mercy of our dear —”

“What the hell is this?” The mother-to-be demanded, lifting up a pair of slim-fitting jeans. “Who would buy me this now?! Do I look like I can fit into jeans?!”

V awkwardly lifted his glass to his lips. Jumin bit back a laugh.

“Hey Jumin, she’d like jeans, wouldn’t she? She can wear them after she gives birth, right?”

“Honey, try to calm down —”

“How can I stay calm when some idiot thinks I can fit into a size two after this?!”

Slipping out of the room like an eel between rocks, V set his wine glass down and exhaled shakily.

“I’m not an expert, but —”

“Shut up, Jumin.”

Laughing softly, Jumin’s eyes fell to his blurry reflection echoed in the wine’s dark red color.

“Kind of makes you think, doesn’t it?” V asked.

“About?”

“Settling down. Having kids.”

Jumin was ready to object, but his best friend was right. His mind did wander to the possibilities of siring heirs one day, but that meant meeting a woman and…

Ehm.

Still. Jumin’s age combined with the lack of an heir to the Han family name got to him.

A little bit.

“I have no interest in dating anyone at the moment, much less marrying them. Children are, unfortunately, a very distant goal.”

Finishing his wine, V smacked his lips, much to Jumin’s chagrin. “Sure, if you stay in your bubble.”

“Sure, I should be just like you,” Jumin scoffed. “Rambling to the park attendant about the speeds of rollercoasters and eventually throwing up in the nearest trash can once the ride is over.”

“… You said you’d never bring that up again.”

“It’s safe to say that you and I aren’t siring any heirs anytime soon. Women repulse me, and you, well —”

“Yes, yes, I’ll probably puke all over the next woman I talk to. Right?”

“… No, but why not.” Jumin grinned.

V’s eyes grew as a thought came to mind. “Ready for a crazy idea?”

Jumin took another sip of his wine. “Why not, the night is still young.”

“Let’s donate sperm tomorrow.”

Spitting everything up, Jumin’s eyes bore into V. “Are you — what? Why?”

“Well, like you said. We aren’t having kids anytime soon, and with how much busier our lives are going to get, it’s not a bad idea.”

“V, do you really —”

“We’ll be giving the gift of life to a couple. Or a well-off single mom!”

“… I don’t know. Maybe. I’ll think about it.”

“Come on, Jumin. We both know you’re going to say yes.”

“Doesn’t it bother you? There will be a young man or woman that will one day look like you, or me. We aren’t in the private eye, Jihyun.”

“Who cares about all that. Why are you so worried?”

Jumin felt the uncomfortable churn of jealousy over V’s more carefree nature. “I… well, there’s no harm in checking it out —”

“I already made an appointment for us.”

“You wha — delete it.”

A shame V refused to listen. The following day, Jumin found himself sitting in the waiting room of a sperm donor facility.

“No, that’s literally impossible.”

“Ma’am… I’m sorry, but…” laughing nervously, the doctor looked at you, then at the paperwork in her hand. “The results prove otherwise. When was your last period?”

“Uh, a I’m a little late, but —”

“How late?”

“Two, three weeks? Look, I shouldn’t be pregnant. I can’t be pregnant, I’ve never had sex! I’m here for the results of a Pap smear, not to —!!”

You cut yourself off. You had to, or the swirling sensation you felt would eventually tip you over.

The doctor’s eyes gradually widened. “… You… were the Pap smear appointment at 0900 hours on Tuesday?”

“Yes!!”

“… Oh!” Her laughter almost calmed your nerves.

Almost.

“I confused my appointments, you see… I had an artificial insemination appointment with another client… forty-five minutes after you… I must have gotten you two mixed up…!”

“Are you kidding me?!” You yelled. “How could you confuse the two?!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I didn’t — I had a lot on my mind that day! You see, I had —”

“Oh my God, I don’t want to hear it!!” Throwing your hands up, you couldn’t stop focusing on the anxious churning in your stomach. Hell, maybe it was the seed suddenly aware that it shouldn’t be there.

“There are options for you to take —”

“You know what, you’re done. I want a new doctor.”

“Ma’am, it’s the end of the year… and if you want to schedule an appointment with a new provider, you need to wait until after New Years…”

“After New Years.”

“And our staff at the front desk is going to inform you that the wait will be about two months out…”

You had never been more furious in your life. Sliding off of the examination chair, you (tried to) take as many deep, controlling breaths as possible. You were too afraid to ask about your options, and while abortion was the most reasonable, this doctor would probably end up giving you cyanide to injest.

“If I may,” the doctor voiced timidly, raising her finger.

You shook your head, agitating the budding headache against your temples. “I really don’t want to hear any suggestions, thanks.”

“No, you see… the sperm donor asked that I inform him of when his sperm was ever used —”

“His sperm should have never been used.”

“Nevertheless… would you like to know…? Who…”

The timidity of your doctor’s voice frustrated you further. “It doesn’t matter. I doubt I’ll keep it.”

“Which is reasonable, given the circumstances! But, I’m wondering if you, too, would like to know… given you may not keep —”

“Fine. Who is it.”

She stared at you, fumbling with her fingers. “Are you familiar with Han Jumin of C&R International…?”

You stopped breathing. Your fingers tingled, your throat went dry, and your jaw clenched so tightly that you felt your teeth grinding rigidly against each other.

Han Jumin. The heir to the massive business conglomerate, C&R. Of course you knew him. Well, not personally. You were currently reading one of his books, The Successful Path of a Certain Man, for your Business Intelligence & Analytics final.

He was a business magnate, a flawless negotiator and the role model for business majors everywhere.

And you were inseminated with his seed.

“I have to go.”

“Um, wait — ma-am!”

Ignoring your doctor completely, you grabbed your coat and rushed out of the facility. It was too much for you to absorb, and you had so many questions.

Like, what was the Han Jumin doing at a sperm bank?

How would you go about suing your doctor?

Why did you schedule your first freaking Pap smear towards the end of the year?!

You wanted to go home, curl under a huge pile of blankets, and disappear from the world.

But something else captured your attention. A ping from your phone.

Unknown: … Hello…? Can you see this?

[pillowxtalk]

Biho listened to Yunjin with genuine interest while his lips curled up into a smile, that showed he was enjoying their conversation. "I'm the same. I work out as well if I can't sleep or I'm stressed. But working on new music can help with the sleeplessness too." The young male said and chuckle followed. "We don't have a gym in the apartment building we currently have our dorms in. But I know one not too far from it where I like to go. I usually go before or after work depending on what the schedule of the day holds in store." He explained before tilting his head slightly to the side while thinking. "I am sure at some point people will see our efforts if you choose the right workouts to build up your muscles."

The member of Dreamscapes practically beamed at his company as she said she was looking forward to their comment. And knowing she listened to their music while being at the gym made him pretty bashful. "Sometimes I listen to some of your songs too. Also trying to learn your choreography for fun is a nice workout too." Biho added and the smile stayed on his lips. Once the meat was brought to their table he busied himself with it and he also added some bell pepper onto the grill. "I meant it too as I said I was a fan of yours."

"Alright, I will keep that in mind. I usually answer as quickly as I can if I'm not busy with something. But even if I'm at work I try to check my messages now and then while getting my makeup down for example." The young male paused before adding: "The only time during which I won't respond is while I'm at the studio with Minki and Jumin." He then said before taking the wrapping from Yunjin with a thank you. "I like both too." He explained before taking a lettuce leaf too and putting the rice wrapper in it, then rice, then meat, then some sauce and some bell pepper slices. "I agree with you even though today I'm not that into spicy." Biho added with a chuckle.

@for-yun

"See, I like to work out when I can't sleep or I'm stressed. My apartment building has a gym in it. So usually people aren't there when I am so they don't see. Then I go to work, and they're like hey you need to work out more, and I just.. kind of get annoyed like..I work out a lot.. you just don't see it." She laughed softly and shook her head. "Ooh, so your comeback is soon. I look forward to it. I really like your music. I listen to it when I work out truthfully.'

Soon enough, their food was brought, and she laid some meat on the grill to cook. She saw the text and saved his number smiling. "Oh yes. My company isn't as restrictive as others. I've seen a few of your tiktoks, and you do not hold back. I love them truly. I meant it when I said I was a fan." She flipped the meat so the other side could cook and started to cut it with the scissors with a soft smile on her face. She grilled some garlic, too, letting it char it nicely

"You can text me anytime I truthfully answer quickly even when I'm busy because if not, I won't respond at all. I'll forget. I'm either really good at texting or a really bad at texting. There's no in-between with me." She laughed softly, shaking her head. Once the meat was cooked, she pushed it to the side and handed him the wrapping. "Rice wrapping and lettuce. I like both." She took a lettuce and put the rice wrapper in it, then rice, then meat, then some some sauce with whole garlic clove and jalapeno slice. "This is the best way to do it.."

[sage-nebula]

ME: "Maybe I will play the other routes. I mean, I really do like Jumin and Jaehee a lot, and I'm sure the other routes would be interesting . . ."

ME: [imagines having to be in another character's house]

ME: [imagines having to flirt with another character when Seven is right there]

707: [does anything]

ME:

ME:

ME:

ME: ". . . never mind."

[omgjumin]

Omg Jumin with fem reader smut prompt #17 please HELP ME RELINQUISH MY THIRST MA'AM

the meeting - han jumin!

summary: you have jumin wrapped around your finger which makes him miss a meeting

tags: thigh riding, pet names (princess, love, baby), praise, manhandling (?), i think that's it

notes: id like to think that jumin has a marriage kink. anytime you call yourself his wife, he just loses his composure. there's only two things in his mind, work and his wife.

"you're going to make me late."

"and?" you stood firm in your beliefs as you followed jumin around the house, watching him get reading for the day. though you knew at one point you have to let him go, but now wasn't the time. "love, i have a meeting in 45 minutes." jumin sighed as your hands found its place around his tie once more. "oh really? what's the meeting for?" you asked as if you weren't begging him to fuck you then and there. "it's a meeting with an important client and if it goes well-" jumin paused, clearing his throat as you pulled him closer by his tie. "if it goes well, then i won't be as stressed in the months following." you hummed a response before wrapping your lips around a patch of skin on his neck. "princess... don't press your luck." jumin warned like you cared. "what? you don't want your precious wife to kiss you goodbye?" jumin gripped onto your hips, quickly flipping you around to lean against the wall. "now you know damn well enough that's not your intention here."

there's this look on your face that jumin has really never seen before. the low-lidded eyes that were filled with lust, eyes that if jumin kept looking into, he would be turned into dust. the small grin that has jumin gripping onto your waist tighter, letting out a curse because you've got him exactly where you wanted him to be.

"fucking brat." jumin swore under his breath. he was puddy in your hands, you knew that and used it to your advantage. though it doesn't surprise him— not one bit. it was often you had him around your finger just like that, so easily. it was so easy to beg him to stay just five more minutes in bed so you could bask in his warmth. five minutes that happened to have jumin's long slender fingers run down your body, into your pajama shorts, to tease at your sensitive clit. the five minutes that turned into 20 minutes as jumin fucked you against the bed. his lips just mere inches away from yours as he panted. "god... you feel so good." loud whimpers of your name fell past his lips as his hips began to stutter. "fuck- im sso close... yea, right there?" with a yelp of his name, your orgasm was ripped from you.

swiftly, jumin placed his knee in-between your thighs, forcing them to spread. "go ahead." with your lack of response, jumin pressed his lower thigh against your cunt. "get off on my thigh since you insist on being a brat." a low whimper only left your lips when you began to roll your hips against his clothed thigh. the friction of his thigh felt so euphoric yet you needed more. you grabbed onto jumin's arms to keep you steady. your cunt, only separated by one thin cloth from his flexed thigh made eager to feel more. jumin only laughed to see you to needy for him. the meeting long forgotten as he watched you struggle against him. you begged for jumin to help you, to use his hands to touch you, to keep your hips moving in a steady pace to reach your release. but he shook his head as if he was mocking your desires.

jumin bounced his thigh underneath you, a silent warning to keep going. "i didn't say you could stop, princess." you knew whining wasn't going to get you anywhere, especially with jumin, yet you did so anyway. "come on baby, you can do it. just like that, good girl." jumin leaned down to whisper, his hot breath tickling right underneath your ear. and just like you knew jumin was puddy in your hands from just a simple "please" from his wife, he knew you lost control just from his voice. a kink of yours he knew from the beginning. it wasn't hard to figure out when you kept begging him to moan more, to let you hear him. and it was especially not hard to figure out when your cunt would squeeze his cock ever so tightly when he whispered praises into your ear. "im so- ng cumming!" you yelped out as your hips faltered, stopping for a split second as you came against his thigh. "do you feel better love?" jumin chuckled as he brought your eyes to meet his before placing a soft kiss onto your lips. embarrassing enough, you nodded your head. beginning to shy away from jumin once you realized he let you use him for your own relief. "now don't shy away from your husband hm?" your eyes locked with his before looking down at his watch then further down to his used thigh. "your meeting!!" you gasped as you pushed jumin away from you. "im already late for that because of someone." burrying your face in your hands, you mumbled a 'sorry' before turning away. "don't apologize, after all, i did enjoy it too but-"

"but?"

jumin softly laughed before pushing stray strands of hair behind your ear. "what do you think your punishment should be?"

[a-muffin-full-of-poetry]

The Rfa gang at the Mc who takes forever to respond because they’re using google translate to understand them (catch me trying to learn Korean from these chucklef*cks).

Having played this game for five years, I can now proudly say I can just about talk to someone about a cat in Korean. Anyways! Thank you for the request, lovely, I laughed out loud when I got this request. This is also mainly just a supposed ‘chatroom’ post. Because I have no idea how that’d work in terms of phone calls so I’m just not going to think about it :))

Summary: you can’t speak or read korean, RFA notice

Warnings: swearing, i’m a sailor i apologise (i’m not but i totally would be i love ships), italics is meant to be korean but we’ll see?

707 MC! You appeared! I’m a wizard, you see that Yoosung?

Yoosung It wasn’t because of that, right, MC? You can’t be that good 707.

Jumin It was not because of 707 Yoosung. So do not worry.

707 No, no. I promise, it’s totally me.

To be honest, you had a feeling the exchange was meant to be quite funny, but you couldn’t quite tell. You kicked off of your office chair, spinning around to your laptop on the table. As quick as you could, you loaded up your laptop and typed in google translate.

Yoosung They’re not even responding to you, HA!

707 Excuse moi! They’re formulating a response to my skills.

MC Sorry Seven, correlation doesn’t equal causation!

Your hands came together as you prayed that Google translate was even a little accurate. As long as it was, you could play it off as being bad at typing.

ZEN Exactly Seven, they came here for MY good looks. Just couldn’t stay away from them, could you babe :) It’s okay, I understand.

Jaehee If that is true MC, I cannot say I really blame you.

Somehow, it always came back to Zen. Not that you minded too much, but you were quick to type in a response to Google and even quicker with your response.

MC As much as I do log on just to see your abs... I’m afraid I’m just here for a couple more party details. Last minute party guest suggestions, some emails to reply to.

During this time, everyone had stopped typing entirely. It had taken a bit longer than you would’ve liked, but you thought it was quick enough.

Jumin I know no one will mention it, but you Korean is quite broken MC.

Rude, first of all. Second of all, you had a feeling, but it’s really hard to understand what they’re saying when they talk really fast. Third of all, that was out of such a left field that you could barely keep up with the influx of messages. You were half tempted to cry type, but you simply took a breath and accepted your defeat.

ZEN Hey, jerk, it’s rude to point stuff like that out. You never know why it’s like that.

Yoosung Jumin... Why would you say that, that was really mean. ;-; ;-;

707 We haven’t been very accommodating. I suppose I can implement a translator... Oh, but it would be rather fun. New toys!

Jaehee I have no idea what you’re talking about as usual, but I can offer my assistance if you need anything MC. I will be busy but there is always an opening for you.

MC Appreciated Jaehee, ilyyyy And yes, I suppose my Korean is quite broken but I have no idea how to write it. So I’ve been using Google Translate.

707 My best buddyyyy!

MC She deserves a pay rise honestly. Well, I thought I was doing well keeping up, it’s why I take an age to respond ;-; And no, you weren’t rude Jumin, you were stating the obvious.

Jumin I see. Thank you MC.

Yoosung You should’ve told us, I feel really bad now. We were just talking and you couldn’t understand.

MC Oh, no, no, no. It’s fine. I’m trying to learn anyway! Elizabeth III is a beautiful cat. See, learning!

Jumin ...

ZEN MC! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU JUST WROTE? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?

Jumin Assistant Kang, is there anyway to print this out? I would like to have this framed.

ZEN OH NO YOU DO NOT.

707 It’s amazing when you don’t have to start anything. I can watch you all. Popcorn, Yoosung?

Yoosung I’m afraid of what happens if I accept that.

707 Good. You should be. MC, would you like different translation options?

MC Oh, yes please! If it’s not too much trouble.

Jaehee I am not the one you should be asking, Mr Han. After all, I really have no idea how to go about doing that. Although I suppose you could screenshot it and go somewhere to have it professionally printed and then go get it framed.

ZEN JAEHEE DON’T ENCOURAGE THIS.

707 Never! Okay, different options, do you want a Duolingo deal?

MC No. That bird haunts me, do not.

Jumin Hm... Thank you Assistant Kang, contact a professional printer. I would like to organise this as soon as possible.

707 One Duolingo bird coming right up!

ZEN What have you done MC?

Jumin As for your Korean MC, I will pay for your lessons and Assistant Kang can organise times for you to attend. Particularly if you continue with your current line of knowledge. It would be excellent to have an intelligent conversation with someone who can appreciate Elizabeth III.

707 But Jumin... I’m right here.

Jumin I did specify intelligent conversation, did I not?

ZEN I will personally teach you Korean if you never say that again.

Seven was probably enjoying a wonderful sight of you almost falling out of your chair from laughing. The robotic-ish voice of Google translate relaying a far more stilted rendition of the conversation you had missed out on to talk to your resident hacker. That plus the current argument was very entertaining.

But when an email flashed up, you remembered why you had originally logged on. The flurry of replies that people had decided to send you had your phone pinging all day. It was going to take a while to sort through them all. Both because translating and then your reply took a while, never mind thinking of something to type back.

And, unfortunately for you, you had to eat at a normal time today. So, you sighed.

MC As much as I appreciate all this, I need to go now. Emails... Work... T_T

707 Noooo!!! 606! Don’t leave me here all alone!

MC I’m sorry! I’ll do better next time!

ZEN Stop being so mean to MC. Honestly Seven. Don’t you know how to speak to a lady?

Yoosung Work...

Jumin It was nice speaking with you MC. My offer still stands, if you would like to get back to me, please call me or Assistant Kang.

Jaehee Or you could simply do it yourself...

707 lololol poor jaeheeee

Jaehee ... ... ...

Jaehee has left the chatroom

707 There goes Jaehee!

ZEN How do you get girlfriends?

707 I don’t ^^

Yoosung Neither do I! Neither... do... Yeah.

MC You will one day!

Yoosung MC!!! Thank you :D

707 Now the only one who needs a girlfriend is Jumin. Then he’d let me touch Elly~~

Jumin I must speak to Assistant Kang about that printers, please excuse me.

Jumin has left the chatroom

ZEN He ran away!

MC And I am too. Emails! Work!

707 Emails! Work!

MC Ha. Ha.

MC has left the chatroom

A couple hours later, you opened the messenger again only to be greeted with a whole new option to help you translate. Paired with a suspiciously familiar looking bird. Although, it was coloured red with Seven’s signature glasses. And it meowed...

In your opinion, it seemed completely plausible that a bird would meow. You just didn’t realise that it would become a little menace you absolutely hated because it never, ever, ever left you alone.

[marshmallowprotection]

You’ve unlocked my special ability. I get to tell you about my Reverse AU that hardly gets talked about. I love your design interpretation for Seven! There is no right or wrong way to imagine a situation where the roles are reversed. If you’re more curious about mine, I’m delighted to share details with you about that! It’s not an AU I talk about a lot these days so it never hurts to share something for those that want to hear it.

Error 707 is the moniker for our titular lead in this reverse AU. However, in this circumstance, he isn’t given this title by the head of the agency. He is named for his very corrupted memory. He will never forget what was done to him and his twin. That’s why he has this name. It’s a full word. Error 707. Not Error and not 707. Error 707. He named himself. Much like how Unknown dons the name he uses, it was a personal choice.

Unknown, in canon, wanted no name. He leaves it blank. Call him nothing. He doesn’t want to be anything. He wants revenge for the pure fact that he had to become nothing. So, this is for the same reason. Error 707 refuses to forget the past and what happened. His circumstance isn’t the same as the one that our boy Saeran went through. He wasn’t stolen in the night and manipulated over time. He went into Mint Eye with V with consent.

V in this situation has lost his mind. His wish to save everything and everyone by force. Think of how he’s willing to do anything to save his loved ones. Imagine it to an extent where it’s corrupted. It’s already self-destructive but now he’s trying to pull everyone in this pit with him. He can’t have people abandon him like his father did to his mother if he saves them and they’re indebted to him. He turns himself into the very idea of what a Savior is.

He saves you and now you owe him all you have. This corruption is paired with the fact that people trust him. He’s a rich man who smiles, knows about the arts and wants to support you. People turn to him and see someone who believes in your passion. It’s hard to tell him no. This is why he and Rika break up. He wants to save her his way, and somehow, some way, she realizes that this isn’t the kind of relationship she wants. She idolizes and wants to be him.

She doesn’t love him. She loves the idea of being him. It’s not healthy.

She finds a better therapist and tries to better herself. V doesn’t appreciate that because she finds herself. She starts opening up to others and trying to let go of her mask... and V... well... he thinks saving Rika means he needs to snuff out her demons and bathe them in obsession. She is his muse. She needs to stay herself... she can’t change... neither can he. It’s not okay for her and it’s not okay for him. They both need help.

They fight and Rika realizes she needs to leave before he does something that’s unspeakable.

All the while that’s going on between Rika and V, the two of them have already saved the twins. Both of them. There’s no agency here. Rika and V pulled the boys out of there when Mother Choi was horribly drunk one evening and V had her sent somewhere ‘safe’ to get ‘help’, while Rika and V took the twins in to be sure they were safe. They were raising the boys happily for two years without a lot of trouble. The boys turned 15 when all hell broke loose.

Unbeknownst to Rika, V was already in the process of starting to build Mint Eye by the time a year had passed with the twins. He decided he needed to build a kingdom to keep his family safe and close to him. By that point, he had Jumin on his side, slowly but surely... he just needed to say the right thing. His friend never did doubt him.

“I want to keep them safe, Jumin. I don’t want to lose them like I lost my mother.” can easily become “Of course, V. I will do whatever it takes to save our family. I don’t want anyone lost.” That was ankle deep already. Those two were already started... but the Savior status... the cult religion... that comes later on. It started as something that was going to be a safe house... and it grew from there.

How does he sway the rest of the RFA if there’s no RFA?

Easy. Rika already visits Zen a lot. He loves seeing her and V looks after him a lot. He has a friendship with the two of them since they always come to his show that’s running, and because V chased him down after a show one night when he was drinking and driving. Jaehee already works for Jumin because V is the one who found her application in the first place. Jaehee has to follow him... but she’s got faith in V, too. He’s polite and always treats her well.

V gets into their heads.

What about Yoosung, you say?

Oh, that’s the fun part. I’ll get to that in a second. First, you need to know how he gets Saeyoung. So, after V reveals his plan to save everyone, Rika says that he has lost his mind. She wants to leave. She’ll take the boys and leave. He says it isn’t possible. She can try, but how can a girl without money and status like he or Jumin? How can she save them from the Prime Minister? How will she hide the boys? How is she no different than Mother Choi? They’ll just be dirt poor again... no hope. No salvation. No light. No more sun.

So, Rika makes a gain plan to leave and says nothing. She thinks V assumes that they’ll be moving with him and she’s given up. She hasn’t. V had a plan in case for that. He knew she’d fight it. So, what has he been doing? Oh, he’s out here giving Saeyoung notes to study. He’s helping training him to hack and code so they can “fight” his father better in the future. He’s been doing this without her knowing... or even Saeran. “You’re the strong one, Saeyoung. We don’t need to worry Rika or Saeran.”

So, one evening, V surprises the young Saeyoung with a trip to a place in the mountains where he can work remotely. It’s their new home to be. It has a lot in there that’s perfect to work with. Saeyoung is excited... it plays out well as he’s toying with the network... until later that evening. All is fine and well until V is in the room with him, he looks pained and rushed, and he shows Saeyoung a very crisp video of Rika leaving the house with Saeran. Not to go to a store.

They’ve got bags. He informs Saeyoung that Rika ran away with his brother... abandoned him to take her “favorite son” because she’s lost control of herself.

(In actuality, Rika saw an opening and took Saeran out. She was going to come back for Saeyoung. She knew that V made it hard to get to him alone so she had less to fear.)

Saeyoung wants to hunt her down but V tells him that they can. Together. He wants to save Saeran, too. Rika can be stopped but they need to work together to do it. They have to do this quietly to avoid Saejoong... and oh, wouldn’t you know it... V and Jumin have built a team for this... new members of Mint Eye... not just the nameless believers that are coming... but people who we know to be the former RFA. Zen... Jaehee... V... Jumin...

That’s how Error 707 is eventually born.

Through his anger, the elixir that V promises will help his night terrors, and the despair he feels.

Whereas, Rika has to go into hiding with Saeran to keep him safe. She can’t go near Yoosung. V knows him. She flees using the contact she once had with this man that came to the exhibition she met V at... a contact that leads her to speak to Vanderwood. An agent who wants nothing to do with this. She doesn’t want to sell out Saeran. But, she has secrets to sell about the rich world she was in with V and Jumin. As long as she gives those to Vanderwood to sell to his agency, it is okay. She’s got money to take care of them.

Vanderwood also trains Saeran in hacking, since the kid begged... knowing that he had to learn something. He isn’t strong. But, he wants to study hard to help his brother get away from their adoptive father... the stress of everything that he went through causes a deep fracture that already existed since childhood. Ray reveals himself to Rika. He’s not Saeran...  he’s the terrified part of him that is doing so much to protect him but he’s... soft... he’s not... good enough. But, he doesn’t want Saeran to become bitter and very angry... even though it’s already started.

So, that’s happening over there.

Now, the answer for Yoosung is simple. V takes him the second he knows that Rika stops speaking to him. He manipulates that situation and makes him think that Rika abandoned him, too. That’s how he’s pulled into Mint Eye. Not to hurt his cousin, but to track her down and demand answers... why did she leave him behind?

reverse au? mint eye au? seven has been on my mind nonstop ever since i read @marshmallowprotection ‘s little blurb about him so here’s some of the brainrot !!! (srsly check out their excerpt about it, it’s what sparked my interest in making my blorbo evil :3c)

if u saw me repost this ignore it <3

Mint Eye 707 AU

lots of inverted cross jewelry (necklace and earrings). a. bc i think it looks cool and b. probably because he’ll have a lot of pent up resentment towards catholicism after feeling abandoned by the church after going to mint eye

about mint eye: run by v (rfa members are there too <3). seven is looked to as a second in command, or at least as being high ranking due to his hacking abilities, closeness to v, and knowledge of ~secrets~

instead of being angry at saeran, he’s angry at rika— seven’s mindset is that he’s trying to bring saeran to mint eye so they can both be happy “like they dreamed of being”

as for saeran? i like him as a sort of reverse au — in the rfa with rika. (maybe he’s an agent now? i hope he has a cool agent name)

plug in for my art 👉👈 headcanon he takes in a stray cat and makes it all edgy. names it after a flower for saeran <3

[juminsmysticmc]

Can you do like rfa members were having a bad day so they come home and argue with a mc who isn't feel well or sick or faint that the rfa don't know. I hope you understand . Btw i don't know how many time i read your posts . They are awsome

RFA coming home stressed causing an argument with Mc who is feeling sick / and faints

Hey! I hope I got it right, I wrote it in two ways: Mc falling sick after the argument and before, I mixed it so that both versions can hopefully make you happy! Have a nice day and please give me feedback! LOVE YOU

Jumin

A big sigh left the mouth of the CEO in line as he stepped out of the car and walked towards the door where several of his bodyguards were waiting to open his door.

Somehow the stocks fell today and he couldn’t do much to stop it.

Jumin Han knew that little things like that couldn’t hurt the big company, but still - he had pride and at the moment he was pretty hurt.

The stocks fell under his surveillance and he was ashamed of himself.

Normally it would help him to see your smiling face and receive your warm hugs, but somehow it didn’t help.

You didn’t notice right away that Jumin was a bit annoyed since you were busy yourself with the newborn in your arms, just happy to have your husband with you as you felt feverish the whole day.

,,Jumin, you’re finally here. I missed you,’’ you whined and looked at him with almost puppy eyes.

The black haired man stayed mute and took off his shoes.

,,Could you please take him? I want to check if I have a fev-’’

,,You always whine even though you don’t even go to work!’’ he hissed, something he never did.

It was out of character, but right now his eyes were so dark and suddenly you could see the bags below his eyes.

,,You… you’re right, I’m sorry,’’ you mumbled. For you this was out of character too. Normally you would have said something back, but you felt so sick that you decided to just stay silent.

,,Take your time,’’ you mumbled and quickly walked back to the shared bedroom to place down the baby as you felt rather dizzy.

Maybe ten, fifteen minutes later, Jumin decided to check on you, regretting the harsh words towards you.

However, all he saw when he opened the door were your legs on the floor - your body on the hard floor.

The worst case scenario was in Jumin’s head as he saw you and even an hour later, when you were finally awake again after several doctors checked on you, Jumin still didn’t stop apologizing and feeling bad...

Zen

You were watching your boyfriend as he once again made a mistake while rehearsing.

Without noticing, you began to bite your lips as you observed Zen, not just as his girlfriend, but also as his manager.

You knew that Zen needed to calm down after the director made him take a break after the third mistake.

,,I was so shitty today!’’ he hissed when he came home, throwing his bag on the floor and making his way to the fridge where he quickly took out a can to drink a fresh, cold beer.

,,Hyun…’’ you sighed, approaching him and rubbing his shoulders.

,,Please don’t drink. Let's just rest today. You’re stressed and it’s totally normal to make mistakes when-’’ you couldn’t even finish when he began to hiss at you.

,,You don’t know anything!’’ he began.

,,I work so hard to get the roles and then this! You don’t do the hard work like I do! You can’t relate!’’ he added.

His words, even though you knew that he was just angry and stressed at the moment, hurt you and so you quickly tried to wrap up this argument, but also decided to not talk to him for the rest of the day.

One thing turned to the next and the days without exchanging words weren’t just a day, but two, three, four and finally five.

At some point, Zen thought that he finally had to apologize for his words as you went earlier than him, even though you would normally go to work with him, and come home later, even though you didn’t like coming home late in the evening.

Well, Zen never thought that the reason for you coming home so late was that you were doing unpaid work, overworking your body even though you had a slight cold.

He just noticed when you didn’t wake up one morning.

He thought you were dead, but as soon as he tried to wake you up and his hand touched your body, he immediately pulled his hand away. You were just way too hot.

,,Mc! Mc, please! Wake up!’’ he suddenly sobbed.

,,Shit shit shit, towel, towel, towel!’’ he cracked and tried his best to help you.

Only half a day later, you finally opened your eyes and in that very moment Zen noticed how hard and what effect his dumb words had on you.

,,I swear, I will never ever say again that you don’t work as hard as me,’’ he whispered.

,,Your coworkers told me how hard you were working, I… I’m really speechless and sorry…!’’ he wholeheartedly apologized.

Yoosung

The crying woman held the paw of her beloved pet as Yoosung silently let a few tears roll down his eyes.

He failed. He wanted to become a vet because of Rika and her dog Sally, but even this job… even a task like that was impossible for Yoosung.

And so a long, hard, and stressed day went by and the blonde man couldn’t wait to finally be home and just cry.

Well, he would have loved to do so, but exactly on that day he and you argued and it seemed to be an endless argument.

,,I don’t understand why you can’t just talk to me! I understand that you go through hard times, but I am your wife!’’ you hissed.

,,I know but… I don’t want to talk to you! There’s no need to!’’ he hissed louder, making you flich.

,,Why?! Because I’m not Rika?!’’ you hissed back, angrier at you than him for that stupid comment of yours.

Yoosung, acting out of stupidity, even agreed with you, something he regretted immediately.

,,Wait, no, I’m sorry I-’’ he was about to apologize and try to clear the argument. 

You instead were just on your way, away from him, not because he hurt you. You totally ignored his mean words, but on the way to the toilet you slowly felt sick and had the urge to throw up your whole lunch.

Yoosung on the other hand, regretting his words, tried to pull you back, causing you to throw up in front of his legs.

The whole scenario came unexpectedly.

It was even worse that suddenly you felt dizzy and were slowly falling back, almost fainting into his arms if he didn’t catch you with his strong arms.

,,Mc?!’’ he gasped and quickly tried to lay you down on the couch to make you rest.

,,Please… can you clean it up?’’ you asked him, disgusted by yourself as your husband put something next to you just in case that you had to throw up again. 

,,I will. I will do everything for you because I am your husband and you are Mc, my wife,’’ he mumbled apologetically and suddenly all his bad feelings disappeared.

,,Yoosung,’’ you whispered lastly, ,,Whatever happened, it’s not your fault… some things happen for a reason and remember that you did your best,’’ you whispered before falling asleep, making Yoosung tear up again.

Jaehee

You proudly smiled at the documents you prepared for Jaehee while she was at the meeting for startups.

Knowing that lately she was very stressed, you thought you could help her by doing things for her. However, you were kind of wrong.

Jaehee came home angrily and somehow you said something she didn’t really enjoy hearing.

Jaehee couldn’t even remember what you said to her. She just knew that at the moment the two of you were yelling at each other, saying hurtful things and somehow managing to not talk to each other anymore at all.

,,I don’t understand. Maybe I should go to the meeting next time!’’ you hissed, pointing out that she seemed to be pissed at you every time she came from a meeting.

,,Right, you go so that we can close this shop right away,’’ she mumbled and left the room.

The papers you prepared caught her eyes. However, she felt way too proud to go back to you and apologize or even say anything like that.

However, she quickly regretted her words and actions when she saw the bathroom.

Medicine was all over the little table you had.

The heat packs were open on the bathtub and it seemed as if you threw up as the air somehow smelled sick.

Jaehee put on a grimace to go back downstairs to check on you.

And in that very moment, she was so happy she did as she saw you sitting on the floor, crying uncontrollably.

,,Mc…’’ she called you and noticed how hot you were.

,,Let’s go and get you well again… I’m sorry… let me help you… just like you helped me in the past as well as now. I’m sorry…’’ she honestly confessed and managed to get you into bed...

Saeyoung

,,I can’t even count on you for things like this!’’ Saeyoung hissed, something you didn't expect from him when he came home this afternoon.

Saeyoung must have been very stressed, you thought, and so you decided to not say anything back at him and instead grabbed your shoes and jacket to go shopping for some chips and Dr Pepper like he requested from you.

Not even a few seconds later, the long haired man went out of his room. ,,Did you see your fiancé?’’ Vanderwood asked him as he rubbed his hands together.

,,Yeah,’’ he hissed and actually began to regret his burst.

He could have gone to the shop himself, right?

Instead he hissed at you, making you feel bad.

But as if this wasn’t enough, Vanderwood told him that he wanted you to lay down.

,,I don’t know why, but she fainted today so I wanted her to lay down, but instead she came to meet you…’’ he mumbled.

In that very moment, Saeyoung’s heart skipped a beat and with his bare socks, he ran out of the house just to catch up to you.

,,Why didn’t you tell me?’’ he whined when he finally approached you, your eyes puffy and red as you were crying for a while now.

It didn’t take him long to take you in his arms and carry you back home.

,,The groceries…’’ you whispered, enjoying the warmth he gave you. ,,As long as I have you, I think that I can live without my chips…’’ Saeyoung confessed, but never noticed that you already fell asleep on his shoulders...

ᗰᗩᔕTEᖇᒪIᔕT

24.10.2021// 22:13 MEST

[weewoounderoos]

another 3 random hc’s for rfa members + v & saeran

warnings: suggestive content in yoosung and v’s and mentions of .’s in yoosung’s

i loved writing the first three and the feedback was absolutely amazing, so i felt like writing three more, haha.

ﾟ　　☆ ゜　　｡　　☆ 　　ﾟ。 ☆ ｡ ☆ ゜　　｡　　☆ 　　ﾟ。 ☆

jumin han

if you love netflix shows, he will sit down in his fancy movie theater built into the penthouse and try to watch them & follow the storyline- but we know he wouldn’t understand it (“there’s enough space on the wooden plank for jack too, rose just needs to move” “jumin, honey, stop-”)

goes to you for help on slang he doesn’t understand and would keep written notes on what it means

he loves it when you visit him during his lunch break, especially after stressful mornings. and on days he leaves for business trips, his face breaks into the softest smiles when he sees you waiting at the airport for him

hyun ryu (zen)

when going out for a drive, it’s the “driver picks music” thing so to solve arguments revolving around this, y’all have a spotify playlist for you both to add songs to. you’re welcome

loves having you around to recreate the kissing scenes for “practice” when he gets a new script, but also loves just having you there next to him to help him memorize his lines

always kisses you in the morning when he wakes up- usually he kisses the top of your head or your cheek or lips and he also always makes sure to text you good morning/night texts on nights he’s away for filming

jaehee kang

she keeps every single concert ticket to every movie/broadway/band show you both go to and creates a scrapbook at the end of each year out of them

on nights where she refuses to relax and continue pushing through and working, you tickle her to stop her- once she starts something she can’t ever stop

i feel like you both would have like a small toy/object or something you’d both hide around the shop, and if a customer finds it and reports it, you owe each other a dollar

yoosung kim

when you run out of pads/tampons when those days of the months come, he panics and poor boy ends up buying one of every pad/tampon in the whole aisle (“are you sure you need this sir?” “yes i think that’s what my girlfriend needs”)

you were his study buddy in college! you would work alongside him and help with flash cards, mini kahoot reviews and force him to study to the point he has to force you to help him study

tries to purposely get pocky for study moments. whenever he first got them, he didn’t know what the pocky challenge was until you did it to him and completely through him off. now he gets them for steamy kissing sessions ;)

saeyoung choi (707)

he loves when you indulge in his cosplaying hobby, so if you also want to join with him, he’d find couples for you to both cosplay as (you were probably flynn rider and he was rapunzel tbh)

he probably is too afraid to kill spiders so either you kill it or the spider will need to be charged rent :)

on days he’s a lot more serious and mellow, he just holds you closer, his kisses softer and gentle yet full of love. he spoons you on nights like these, enjoying the warmth being shared between you two

saeran choi

picnic dates are the dates he loves the most- sunny days by the beach or on top of a hill in the countryside are popular spots for these

you always do chores TOGETHER- if you start on them without him, he will literally pout and force you to let him help and have a visible frown on his face until you apologize, which will instantly boost his mood

watches romcoms and loves going “hey! why don’t we do that? :)” so you have to explain why he can’t hang from a metal bar on a Ferris wheel to get you to say yes to a date with him

jihyun kim (v)

is the type to write reminders on his hand, so he could have “store for milk” on his palm and “order coral blue #5” on his forearm

loves staying up with you at night sharing gossip and wine after making love to you- he will listen and talk about anything and everything, carefully attentive and gentle as you both fall asleep and deeper in love

you both have matching heart lockets, each containing a picture of you both from your wedding night at the beach

[marshmallowprotection]

Rika says that she didn't want Sally to go through the procedure for her eyes because it wasn't natural (which may be worse than being too prideful to get outside help depending on how you feel about it. I personally don't like it.) but she later regrets her decision and claims Sally "must of been so miserable she wanted to end her life". While I knew she projected a lot onto Sally I didn't really realize how much until this line. There are plenty of blind pets living comfortably decent lives. The dog more likely either smelled or heard something on the other side of the road and wanted to chase it but Rika jumped to blaming herself for making the dog miserable. Trust me when I say if an animal doesn't like you *they will let you know*. Sally wouldn't have protected her and stayed with her if she didn't. It makes me sad that she thinks everything hates her so much that they'd rather die :(

It also reminds me of how much Jumin projects onto Elizabeth. Jumin projects Rika onto Elizabeth and then Rika projects onto Sally. It's an interesting parallel.

It's neglectful and sad no matter how we slice it. Sally adored Rika, and that puppy was there for her from day one, barking and growling at her abusers to protect her from harm. I don't think Sally was ever miserable as her eyes continued to deteriorate, but that's my opinion, and that's 100% because Rika wholeheartedly believes by that point in her life that people would rather be gone from this world than stay with her.

The "it's not natural" comment does line up with the fact that she outright said "I'll get some vitamins and herbs for the believers" in those seasonal chats while Ray retorted, "No, I'll get more masks for the believers, my Savior." To be fair, those chats were user-created, but the fact that Cheritz approved it more or less leans into the fact that she'd say something like that.

It's possible that this view of hers could be tangled with her being too prideful, meaning that not only is she making a poor decision, but it's a decision that could be changed if she simply looked around and did the right thing as opposed to sticking her head in the sand. Rika, you could do better but you always choose to do worse.

Sally, Jihyun, and Mika were the only ones to get a view full of who Rika is as a person, and they all had a piece of a puzzle that couldn't come together because Rika was afraid of being genuine. She was so afraid of being herself that she felt like she had to split her innermost thoughts filled with intrusive thoughts and paranoia away from what she projected to the public to get them to like her as an angel instead of the devil she feared she was.

The fact that she convinced herself that Sally was miserable and wanted to get away from her is a reflection of just how bad her view of herself was at the time and how far she'd fallen into anguish. The only thing she could imagine about her life was that the people who knew the truth about her "devil" would do anything to get away from her, even disappear from this world.

When, that was never the case, Sally would've stayed with her until she died of old age and I've got no doubt about that. That dog was there for her through the most traumatic moments of her life and then some, and that dog wouldn't have left her until her body said it was time to cross the bridge and rest.

I do think Jumin projecting onto Elizabeth is also something of note, because his feelings of isolation and misery only come through when he speaks about Elizabeth. I want to rattle Jumin Han because he is a man aware of his privilege but at the same time, he denies himself all the right to say his life isn't perfect. He's the one trapped in a cage of societal and family standing, forced to keep a steady head and never complain once about what's been done to him by greedy, disgusting people.

"I was kidnapped a few times. It is of no concern, however, it merely happens. This clearly isn't normal but it happens to people such as myself all the time. I will not proceed to shrug and pretend it wasn't traumatic because what place do I have to complain as a wealthy man?"

"Women have harassed me my entire time, not just women who want to get into my pockets as an adult man, but women who had impure and disgusting thoughts about me as a young, helpless child. These experiences have made me wary of most people, but still, nevertheless, I march on. So, I will now proceed never to unpack this unless you play my route or Zen's Route."

"Yeah, my father and mother think of me as a robot without feelings, merely a cog in a machine. This upsets me deeply and while it is one of the FEW things I ask people not to do, I don't complain as much as I should to stop my friends from saying so."

He's able to face these demons in his route, but Elizabeth was only miserable because of his suffocation at the height of his mistakes. She adores Jumin and the love he gives her, and she is treated with the utmost care. But, in his route, he projected that onto her and it led to her being overwhelmed, stressed out, and desperate enough to run away. Not because she didn't care for her human, but because he caged her happiness, just as he caged himself in a box he never should've been in.

[asterjennifer]

Mystictober 2022 | Day 31 - Halloween

Collab with @marshmallowprotection<3

Summary: MC thinks they're going to the RFA's Charity Halloween Gala... but as it turns out, they're going to a different kind of scary party all together.

─────◇◇◇★◇◇◇─────

After getting in you paid no more attention to the surroundings for the time being. Driver Kim knew where to bring you according to Jumin’s promise over the messenger, although the exchanged conversation had happened over two hours ago. It’s somewhat confusing considering the party’s held downtown where the apartment you’re currently staying at was built. But you hadn't really questioned.

Maybe there was traffic, or more likely simple construction sites that had to be bypassed.

Whatever the reason might’ve been, it’s nothing to worry much over. The RFA’s quiet in the chatroom ever since you entered the car. At some point you decided to just play one of your new phone dating sims; after your friend let you in on it, it became a real addiction. Some of the characters reminded you of old or current acquaintances that had crossed your life in one way or another.

Trees and bushes flew past you and slowly but surely that fact got deeper under your skin. The ride became jerky over time and at the latest when you peeked out the window to find nothing but forest, you started to worry. Where the good God was this driver taking you? You should’ve arrived at the festival almost two hours ago.

You tried making out the face of his in the rearview mirror, however, it’s too dark to make out any personal features. “Um, excuse me but...” You gazed back down to the corner of the phone; having your voice stuck in the back of your throat. Since when did the connection vanish? “Ah? What?” This was becoming more and more ridiculous.

Didn’t you have connection before sitting down in the car? Was that the reason for Yoosung to not answer your latest text? You told him that you’re on your way and normally he sent a silly sticker back to acknowledge the information you shared for safety reasons. This time there’s none of that kind.

“I’m sorry but where exactly are you taking me? You know the Halloween party is downtown, right?” Perhaps it’s considered rude to doubt the driver’s skills, you couldn’t help the bad gut feeling though.

Something about this left the tips of your fingers to freeze.

The abrupt stop pressed the seatbelt into your belly, making you wheeze out the already thin air. Blinking away the sudden shift you turned back to the window only to meet the closure of the forest. “The hell...” You mumbled out as you swiped your phone’s features down in order to find the flashlight setting; you couldn’t make out a thing.

“What is it, sweetie?” Getting addressed by such an inappropriate nickname out of the blue had you gasp silently. He reached up to turn on the small light inside the car, the smile that met you afterwards sent a chilling shudder down your spine.

“Didn't you order a taxi? I can’t remember it to be the opposite.”

The faded noises of nature blurred out of your focus. “I...” You’ve seen Mr. Kim before, and this man had not a single similarity with Jumin’s personal driver. These icy blue eyes that stared back, paired with one of the calmest albeit wicked smirks you’ve ever seen.

An unknown man sat in the driver seat; now a clicking sound echoed in the back of your head. Color ran dry inside your face when you pressed yourself deeper into the leather seat of the car. “Who- What...”

The guy your age smiled wider; his hand held onto the other seat as he turned back more. Shocking white hair almost shimmering under the dim, yellow light of the car. He even wore a mask and your adrenaline shot through the roof when realizing he must’ve taken you somewhere completely different. Anywhere but the RFA Halloween festival.

“You took a long time to understand the situation, dear party coordinator.” He chuckled the words out. “I’d say you should work on your gut instinct. But that’s pretty useless now.”

He left the car faster than you could process; having your heart hammer in the tips of your ears. He knew you. That man was aware of your position in the RFA. He even located your current position and slowly the puzzle pieces formed the whole picture together. How have you not seen the danger the moment you stepped into the car without getting a greeting in return?

The moment he opened the car door you hectically unbuckled yourself to jerk away from his hand reaching out. “YOU- You get away from me! You’re one of the- the...” Well, what were they?

He raised an eyebrow by your intense reaction, looking so much bigger due to the pitch-black night outside of the car. “I’m what? Do you think you know?”

He asked in a mocking tone. “Perhaps you do know... I’m the one who brought you to the apartment, after all.” Your attempt to slap his hand ended in vain as he’s quicker in movement and took hold of your ankle. The force behind his action made you hiss out in pain.

The guy immediately loosened his grip seeing you pinch an eye close. Regardless, he made no effort to let go despite you wiggling in his grip. “It’s no use fighting, darling.” He tugged again. “You’re at the end of the world... Nobody will be able to rescue you.” The horror on your face seemed to amuse him.

“Be good and do what I say if you don’t want me to hurt you.” The words cut through your fear and left you no choice but to behave. You knew he’s not joking.

After driving for so long you truly had to be somewhere out of town; it wouldn’t surprise you if you’re out of Korea even. Feeling weak because of all the fear it took you a good moment to come out. Your legs wobbled as the stranger locked the car up. Why did he come for you now? Where were you? What would he do now that you’re basically served on a silver platter in front of his feet? The more your thoughts wandered the harder it was keeping tears of desperation repressed.

Now that you’re standing outside, the cold air made you shiver to the bone. October came with a weird taste of medium temperatures and yet there were winds that caused many to fall sick. The thousand colors of the leaves not visible around this time of the night, you forgot what time it was anyway. You hugged your arms for both comfort and warmth, doing your best avoiding the man’s gaze when keeping your eyes glued to the ground.

But the sudden touch on your elbow got you snapping your attention back up to his face. “Don’t shiver just yet,” He pulled, a subtle command to follow him. “I have planned something fun for you. I’m sure you will like it.”

“Wh- Why did you bring me here...!?” You hissed out by accident. Luckily, he didn’t appear affected by your rude tone of voice. He just kept his grip tight while dragging you in front of a huge building decorated with a turquoise roof.

The spit stayed away as you found it hard to believe that what you’re perceiving is real in the first place. “Oh my God...” Breathless, the words fell over your lips unconsciously.

Only the high hum of the stranger made you aware of your own reaction. “Glad you like it.” He looked over his shoulder for a split second, but that’s already enough to set you off again.

He ushered you in through a huge front entrance and inside the building itself was so much to examine that your vision got a little dizzy. Whitewashed walls mixed up with dark blue curtains and ceiling, somewhat giving the place a royal attitude. Some side tables with many species of flowers; most of them you didn't even know by name. But the decoration caught you off guard the most.

Some weird bats hung up on the walls, real pumpkins standing around in the corridors with judging stares engraved into their faces. There’s a struggle to have the place Halloween themed, yet it’s just that. A struggle. Since it appeared empty at the same time. “Don’t slack off.”

His voice muttered directly at you, guiding you through this suspicious place as if it’s a children's play. For you it’s a massive headache given there were countless corners and floors that he pulled you through. There’s no chance in hell you’d remember the way out. Unless someone’s going to help, it’s not like there weren’t other people that passed by.

Beyond your hope, something whispered into your head that neither the people nor this guy would be kind enough to help you back home. The people wore costumes, however, they all had one thing in common; their faces were mostly covered or hidden under thick hoods and masks. Like they couldn’t afford being recognized by anyone.

Most walked with their heads lowered, it’s odd for sure. “We're here.” The unknown man came to an hold in front of a door that’s looking like every other.

“Where...?” You wondered hesitantly, watching a certain shimmer rush over his eyes as he pushed the door open. “You’ll see soon enough.”

Obligated to obey, you let him bring you inside a small room with only one table. Clothing’s placed down tidily as he leaned against the door with his back. Was he blocking it on purpose? “This is your costume for tonight. Thank me, right?” You inhaled sharply.

Having the role of the party coordinator left you the choice not to dress up for the party; much like for the rest of the RFA. And this year you didn’t feel like dressing up as something particular. Nonetheless, him urging you changed the course of plans entirely. Not sharing his anticipation, you still walked over to figure out what he’s seeking to dress you up in. Why was he into this at all? So many questions.

It surprised you that it’s a yellow-colored outfit, reminded you of a specific Disney princess you’ve watched in your childhood. “Is that... A Belle costume!?” You squeaked and the stranger threw his head back when laughing. “Haha! Your reaction is just like I expected.”

With the fabric between your fingers, you turned around to read his expression. Or any little hint letting you know this was a big joke. Disappointment spread bitterly over your tongue as he waved his hand when leaving the room. “You have ten minutes.” He said shortly.

“I come back in whether you’re finished or not. So don’t waste time.” And with that, the door’s closed in your face. The snapping sound of a key letting you face the reality of being locked in.

Panic suffocated your chest; was this for real? Ten minutes? Why the hell should you dress up as Belle from all available costumes on this planet? Your eyes searched for some clue, a lack in security to escape. It didn’t take long until you came to terms with defeat and instead focused on getting the outfit on before he’s going to bust into the room.

Clumsily yet determined you managed to have it sit right a few minutes later. To be honest with yourself, it was a pretty costume. It didn’t feel cheap either. The fabric shimmered whenever you tilted it into different angles. You probably should’ve been fonder of your safety and tried breaking down the door; but once you made a reality check with your current situation it’s obvious you had no way out. The clock above the entrance did its job, ticking endlessly and after twenty minutes you felt deeply unsettled once again.

Didn’t he want to come back ten minutes ago? Where did he leave to? You fell out of thoughts by the vibration of your phone at the table, acquainted with the type of texting that popped up on your lock screen. The username and profile picture familiar much against your liking.

▹ Unknown: Are you ready to play, dear royalty?

The nickname as upsetting as before. You scanned the room from top to bottom, feeling the little rest of courage leave your system. Knowing you couldn’t procrastinate on your fate any longer you opened the messenger while biting your lip bloody.

▹You: I thought you come back after ten minutes...

▹Unknown: Change of plan. Tough luck, I know.

You frowned annoyed at the cocky response. Who did he think he was, really. Hopefully Seven or someone else noticed your absence and came to track your phone to rescue you. That’s the only thing you could bet on for the time being.

▹Unknown: We play a game tonight... So go to the garden.  I’m sure you’re smart enough to find it^^

What an insinuation. You cracked the door handle and for some reason the door actually opened up. Did he pass by to unlock it? This entire guessing game left your mind spinning. Weary, you observed the empty floor; nobody and nothing to find. Which didn’t mean you could put your caution to rest. He spoke of a game in the messages, it could mean literally anything.

As you slowly reached the end of the corridor, you could examine the beautiful garden on the other side of the windowpane. If it wasn’t almost worth being kidnapped for this outstanding view alone, you stopped in your tracks to just admire the flowers blooming under the moonlight. It’s somewhat ruined as there were tables and weird fake hedges put up. Although there’s some distance, you’re able to tell they’re not real.

You sighed. The smell of something undefinable sweet filled your nose; it’s nothing you’ve ever smelled before. If this game happened outside, perhaps the stranger named Unknown in the messenger prepared things with the help of the hedges, despite your prayers that not to be the case. Sadly your luck seemed to have run dry ever since he picked you up in front of the apartment. The buzz of your phone proved a small presumption you wished so badly to be false.

▹Unknown: Go out already and don’t stand there like an idiot. Let’s celebrate Halloween for what it is, hmm? We play like adults. I promise it will be fun.

However it’s possible; he’s aware of your whereabout and actions. Which could only mean one thing. Unknown was able to track and see you. Another shudder ran down your back after you took a deep breath and turned the doorknob to step outside. Your intuition told you this would be a lot to deal with, but nothing fun.  

————

There was not a doubt in your mind that he was going to push you into doing something you didn't like. This was the hacker, after all. He managed to manipulate everyone you knew many times and at this point, you had no idea what he was capable of.

Even if he was playing a game at this point that was meant to be out of your control, you didn’t know how long that game might last, even if he was allowing you to think you had a semblance of control, you didn't know how long that would last, and even if you figured out the way out of here, there was no chance it would help.

It wasn't like he was giving you a say in anything.

This was something that he had created specifically to get under your skin. You knew that you had to play along with everything because he held all the cards. He can make you do anything,

you thought. You didn't know where you were or how to get back. It didn't even matter at that point that you had a phone.

The connection wouldn't lead to anything but him.

You tried to send something back to the RFA but it just glitched and errored out. You weren't sure how far you were from the apartment, much less the city, and you blamed yourself for not thinking more clearly. This was your problem. You always trusted your gut and it didn't matter if your gut was wrong. You went through with it every single time.

Jumin had told you that it would be Driver Kim.

You trusted that without a doubt. You didn't even think to talk to him at first because it was always him who came to get you. It was that blind trust that had led you to this situation. It wasn't a bad thing, but now you were starting to regret how much you trusted yourself and the people around you. You always wanted to see the good in people. That's why you trusted him in the first place. Unknown wanted you to squirm when you thought about it.

Your phone buzzed again.

▹Unknown: Good. You’ve started walking. Now, if you haven’t noticed, you’re standing in front of a maze. I'm sure that somebody like you knows exactly what these things are all about.

▹Unknown: People assume that it's fun and games to send children into a labyrinth. But, is it? Is it supposed to be fun to send somebody into a never-ending maze that seemingly has no way out? Don't you think that's the only metaphor for Halloween that makes sense?

▹Unknown: I think it is. It's reflective of what the world truly is. You never know what's going to get you as it's waiting around the corner. Is it a savior, or is it a monster? People like to think there's always someone waiting for you on the other side that's going to save you from the monster. Well, I'm here to tell you that that's not the case.

▹Unknown: In this world of monsters and ghouls, there’s only evil waiting around the corner. There is no treat on the other side for people. Don't you know? That's what Halloween is all about. It's not about people having fun or getting treats. The real lesson is showing people that only good children are able to be rewarded. If you’re not allowed to partake, you’re just a trick. You can never have a treat if all you've ever been is a trick.

▹You: People say Trick or Treat for a reason. Do you mean to say that you only care about tricks?

▹Unknown: Haha…

▹Unknown: The real trick is letting people assume there’s always been a treat on the other side of their pleading.

▹Unknown: Let's not waste any more time on your foolish questions. The only thing that I need you to do is play along with my little game. If you do what I tell you and go along with it, maybe I'll let you have a reward at the end of the night. What do you say? It's not like you have anywhere else to be.

▹You: …

▹Unknown: Good. Now it’s very simple. All you need to do is escape my maze before the clock runs out. That doesn't sound very complicated, does it? I'm sure you've done this many times before in your childhood. It was a privilege for you. It was a fun little game for you to play just like all the other people in this world that think this is a game. Well, this is a treat for me. Do you think that you can get out?

▹You: Are you just going to watch me walk around this maze all night?

▹Unknown: Wouldn't you like to know, Party Coordinator?

▹Unknown: I think it's much more fun if you don't know what sorts of tricks are waiting for you inside. Maybe if you're lucky, you'll run into a treat.

▹You: You said there are no treats.

There was no response after that. You had no choice but to put your phone away and figure out what you were going to do. There were so many ways to go inside the labyrinth that every time you turned around it felt like you were losing yourself. It was twisting and turning around you every time you found a new corner. Every time you thought you were close to something, it turned into a dead end. There was no way to figure out which way was left and which way was right.

To you, it felt like this had been purposely designed to have no end in sight.

If you didn't know any better, you might have thought that he was watching from somewhere above that had given him a view of the entire maze. It was too dark for you to see if there were any cameras hiding in the tall grass. It was possible that he was watching you from a computer but you weren't entirely sure. Maybe that was his entire point? He wanted you to be afraid of what could happen instead of what might actually happen.

It was a way of making you feel afraid of everything. If you couldn't even trust the rules that you had been given, what could you trust? What could you believe if he could easily take it away? The only thing that you knew about the hacker was that he was crafty.

He knew how to say things without letting anyone be the wiser about what they meant. It was how he had easily tricked you to go into the apartment in the first place. He told you one story and made it more and more intricate as it went along. It was easier to believe him that way. It was hard to doubt him when he made it sound so simple. Unknown made it seem so casual to pop into the apartment and leave a note. It seemed to be the same way that he had led you into the situation, too.

The only thing that you could do was take a deep breath and hope that you could figure this out. It was obvious that he was amused by how frantic you were becoming. Whether it was a trick of the imagination or something else, you could hear the sound of somebody laughing in the distance. It was that haughty and menacing laughter that had taunted you moments prior. He was getting a kick of how frantic you were becoming.

Your outfit wasn’t making it easier to navigate things. The path that you were following was narrowing by the minute. You didn’t think your eyes were playing tricks on you in the dark. There was no doubt in your mind that you could feel the thickets of thorns digging into the

fabric. It felt like you were going to trip over your own feet if you continue to push through. Yet, you didn't want to stop yourself.

There had to be a trick to this, you thought.

But, there wasn’t. There wasn't enough light in the path to tell you where to go. It felt like every corner was the same as the last.

The only thing that told you that you were making any progress was the sound of his voice taunting you from afar. His voice wasn't clear but it was the one thing you could use. You had no way of knowing if you were heading back to the start of the maze or if you had gotten any closer to the end. It felt like your lungs were getting tighter inside your chest. Your anxiety was getting the better of you, too.

It was like a merry-go-round that wouldn't stop no matter how much you felt like you needed to get off. Even if you could pretend that you were cool, calm, and collected, there was no way that you could keep it up forever. You thought you could handle things that were thrown your way but even you had to admit that sometimes it was too much for you to bear. So much had happened since you’d first spoken to this man on your phone but now it felt like it was coming to a stuttering conclusion.

You took a left turn, then a right turn, then you went straight for a while, then you felt like you hit another wall, and then you had to repeat the process over and over and over again. Nothing that you did felt like it was getting you further. There were no lights or clues along the way. It was you, the darkness, and just the sounds of nature haunting you.

▹Unknown: What’s the matter, your highness? Are you getting scared that the wolves are going to catch up to you?

▹Unknown: You know what? I'll give you a hint that should motivate you. What’s the most dangerous thing in the world?

He was taunting you just because he could. Logically, you knew that there was only so much that he could do to you. You had no idea what he wanted to do with the RFA, but you knew that whatever he wanted to do to you to hurt them meant that he couldn’t remove you from this planet. Whatever it was that had made him so mad in the first place couldn't make him do something so terrible to you. He needed you intact.

If that wasn't the case, he could have done something a lot worse to you a long time ago and you wouldn’t have been here in the first place.

Right?

You went to put your phone away but you felt a hot puff of air against the back of your throat just as you began to lower your arm. Any thought that you had in your head was thrown out of the window almost instantaneously. Your skin began to crawl and your heart stopped briefly if only to pause before it started to thump loudly in your ears.

“It’s me.”

The shrill sound that echoed in that area, was you. Yet, you paid no mind to that because there was no reason for you to think about it. The only thing that you could think about was getting out of that dark and menacing tunnel that you had been lured into like a moth to the flame. It didn't matter if you were the bravest person in the world.

You’d been lured to a location with somebody that you didn't know. He was pushing you around and you had no idea what he was capable of.

Even if he was playing a game, you weren't sure you wanted to play along for his amusement anymore. It was becoming scarier by the minute. If he was following you around that meant that he was waiting for you to reach the right moment when he could do something. It wasn’t what you wanted to do. He never said that he was going to be chasing you down through the maze. He just said that you had to make it out to the other side.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are!”

Unknown’s laughter echoed all around you. You scrambled to find your way out of the spot you were in but at this point, it felt like you were seeing spots. You had to find a way out of here before he decided to change the way the game was presented. This was his game and he was the one that made the rules. There was nothing that said that he couldn't change his mind halfway through. It hadn't been clear to you what his game plan had been from the start.

The only thought in your mind had been: he wanted to see you squirm. It was like he found pleasure in the misery of others. It wouldn't surprise you if that was the case given how far he had gone to make you feel as though you were truly powerless in the face of every ability that he had amassed. It didn't matter. This wasn't the Halloween you wanted to play around and find out.

You stumbled through the thicket and found yourself pushing through the brush until you fell outside of it, tumbling on top of the pavement. You were breathing hard yet you could see that you were free from the labyrinth. Relief filled your veins as you realized that you made it out of his trap. You didn't know what the reward was for getting out but you knew that it had to be a better option than playing cat and mouse.

It was obvious that you needed to keep going but it wasn't like you knew where you were.

Even if you stumbled out of that place there was no way in hell that you were going to be able to get back to the car and figure out how to get back to the city. No matter what you tried you were going to be trapped. Unknown knew that. It had to be why the sounds of his footsteps had never gotten louder behind you. He knew he could walk because you were too terrified to turn around. You had played right into his trap. There were no treats. There were only tricks to be hard. What kind of lesson was he trying to teach you with this game?

It took a lot of work, but you managed to pull yourself off of the ground, and you realized that the area surrounding you had been decorated for a party. There were lights, streamers, candles, and decorative objects all over. For somebody who didn't seem to like the holiday, it felt like he had gotten a little too excited about the whole thing. It was kind of amazing. You dusted off the dirt but felt perplexed.

Had he tried to frighten you so badly just to bring you to a party?

You didn’t know what to say. You stood there, lost in thought, and it wasn’t long before Unknown found you. You knew he was coming from the sounds of his boots against the ground but you didn’t run this time. Instead, you stared at the fountain which shimmered with a liquid blue that seemed too bright to be natural. Who was this guy and what did he want? What was his purpose in doing any of this?

“I see you’ve won our little wager,” he said.

“And?” you countered, spinning around to face the masked man with piercing eyes. “What was the point in any of that? Is this just an elaborate scheme to terrify me out of my mind? I could have gotten this from the RFA. What's the point of trying to scare me like this? I don't get why you're doing any of this.”

Unknown’s hand was quick to grasp at your waist, yanking you forward so that you settled against his chest and had to look at him. “Oh, but you see, that’s the point. This is all about teaching them the true spirit of Halloween. They think that it's fair to play trick or treat by any means possible. It's a game to them when they have fun and think that their monsters are only real in their imagination. Those people are easily manipulated by the outside world. They think it's great to play these games when there are children who don't get to decide between getting a trick or treat.”

His hot breath fanned against your cheek. You couldn't help but quiver as the intensity of his words begin to invade your senses. “Why did they get to decide who gets what? Is it fair that some child gets nothing but a game of tricks over and over again? Why is it that they get all the sweet treats and people like me get nothing but a bag of rotten eggs? Do you think that's fair? Do you think it's okay for people to decide who is right and who is wrong?”

“I mean, think about it. Why do they get to decide who gets to have something sweet when somebody else's left out in the cold? Is it fair for them to think that they're allowed to believe that the world is justified as it is? Do you think it's okay that they get to lock away the monsters that they assume are evil just because of the way that they act or feel? After all, I thought that you said that you were the kind of person that doesn't judge a book by its cover… just like that princess you’re pretending to be,” his laugh was taunting at best, and judgemental at worst.

“So, I brought you here tonight to remind them of this reality. I think that I finally deserve to have a treat after all these years of being tricked. But do you even know what the best treat is for somebody like me? I'm sure you have your thoughts. But, the best treat for me is to play a trick on all of those suckers. I'm going to play the biggest trick on them and there’s nothing they can do about it. I made their party coordinator disappear. That's right, the treat for me is playing a trick on all of you.”

It was at that moment that a shiver ran down your spine. You knew that you weren't getting out of here. He had made that abundantly clear. It was all the more reason why he found it so easy to laugh at that petrified look in your eyes. Even if he was devilishly handsome underneath the moonlight, you knew that there was malicious intent in those eyes. Yet, his hand was gentle and didn’t pinch.

What was he?

“Happy Halloween,” Unknown whispered. He invaded every aspect of your personal and left you reeling, knees trembling, with nowhere to go but him. “I am the beast that takes good care of the princess.”