#Eyes of Shan MC

[anxietytwist]

𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐦 of the 𝐍𝐨𝐢

𝑪𝒓𝒐𝒘 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒂𝒎𝒋𝒐𝒈𝒐

[ 𝟸𝟺 | 𝟼'𝟶" | Cis Woman | Bi | ❤︎��!𝐘𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐮𝐧 ]

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⟨Notes⟩

ᴘʀᴏɴᴏᴜɴꜱ➙ She/Her ʙᴜɪʟᴅ➙ 𝘈𝘵𝘩𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘤 ꜱᴄᴀʀ➙ Marring the length of her back ᴄʟᴀɴ➙ 𝐍𝐨𝐢 (雷) meaning: “𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳” ᴘʀᴇꜰᴇʀʀᴇᴅ ᴡᴇᴀᴘᴏɴ➙ 𝘎𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘷𝘦 ʟᴇᴀᴅᴇʀꜱʜɪᴘ ꜱᴛʏʟᴇ➙ Friendly ʜᴏʙʙʏ➙ Embroidery

She's quite fond of 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗼𝗸 🐓

𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐦 is a very organized person (preferring to keep her living quarters as neat & tidy as possible)

She's entomophobic (primarily flying insects ... especially butterflies 🦋)

Despite being total “polar opposites”, she views 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐥 as her most trusted friend/older brother (𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐦 honestly wishes she could be as hopeful/positive as 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐥 sometimes, but she's comfortable being crule enough for the both of them)

She suffers from a total LACK of self-preservation ... rarely does she think of her own health/safety when someone else's is endangered 😤

𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐦 is NOT a fan of crowds ... too many unpredictable people in close proximity to her person

𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐦 has NO qualms about using torture to get intel out of people (her tactics can border on “sadistic” depending on the prisoner being interrogated 🗡); after interrogating 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐤 she brutality killed him

Her favourite colour is “teal”, most of her off-duty outfits have the colour incorporated in some fashion

𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐦 suffers from survivors guilt (she's haunted by nightmares of jars filled with silver eyes 😰)

Her prized childhood memory was the time she sprained her ankle while iceskating

𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐦'𝐬 oathstone is a chipped piece of 𝘦𝘺𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘦

...

𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐦 (바람 - unisex) meaning “𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥”

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𝐼𝐹: @eyesofshan-if

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Picrew used:

[wonderingcheese]

my sweet boy (draw him splattered with blood)

One of my Commanders from @eyesofshan-if <3

[hampsdesu]

Im back on my @eyesofshan-if brainrot, braincells have been activated because of the new chapter 🫡 I reaallly loved that scene with the eagle hunt memory , so I wanted to draw something based on it 👉👈

(Hc, Eun then started comparing ever single bird he came across to the majestic eagles, which made him unpopular with birds 🤡 )

The third sketch is a childhood crushes AU with the emperor because i have to cope somehow 😔

[timmurleyart]

The ruler’s back. 💵☝🏽🎤🎧

[kansastan]

pov: you're Hansol and took a nap and now you're the Commander's canvas Jongin is my mc for @eyesofshan-if

[mxtxfanatic]

Book of the Week: Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage

Author: Qian Shan Cha Ke (千山茶客)

Genre: ancient setting, josei

Rating: M (very mature, dark themes but not too graphic of depictions)

My Synopsis: What happens when a girl gets tired of being nice and decides to go apeshit? You get Shen Miao, our adorable 30+ year-old protagonist recently stuffed back into her 14-year-old self and ready to eat the flesh and drink the blood of her enemies! Using this new lease on life, she’ll methodically and maliciously ruin every antagonist’s life using the tools in her versatile skillset, including: knowledge of the future, a psychological understanding of assholes, weaponized gender stereotypes, and men. And lest we forget our love interest, Xie Jing Xing: the boy/man (cause god forbid the author know how old anyone BUT Shen Miao is…) who thought he had it all figured out until he discovered that Shen Miao is a horny drunk. See just how far they’ll go to bathe in the blood of their enemies while keeping their loved ones safe in this very long but extremely satisfying novel.

My Actual Review: It’s so satisfying to see a previously downtrodden character scheme her way into a happy ending, and Shen Miao fucking deserves it. Some reviews that I’ve seen have claimed that the LI eventually takes over her revenge schemes, but I didn’t see it. They just partner up and she uses his manpower to do what she wants. There are also places where their separate goals intersect, so it just makes more sense for him to do the cleanup. The thing about Shen Miao is that she has no issues with letting others do the work for her, especially if it’s against people she wasn’t invested in putting work against to begin with. It’s the empress in her, I fear. As for the main pair as a couple, I loved their every interaction, and their descent into romance felt natural and gratifying. Greatest thing about this romance is the fact that it truly kicks off because Xie Jing Xing did not know to guard against horny drunk Shen Miao lmao!

The translation is pretty good outside of some clunky grammar, but once you train your eyes to glaze over the the five-millionth time the translator inserts directly into the story to complain about how often the LI is described as hot (unlike every other character, I guess???) as if this book is their early 2000s fanfic, it gets even better! Another thing that may or may not be here nor there is that this author is really weird with age consistency. Like, “MC is forever un-aging while everyone else ages 2 years every few months” weird. Shen Miao is forever 14 until the time skip in which she is forever 16, while Xie Jing Xing goes from “the same age as the students” to “17/18ish” to “vaguely in his 20s” during the same course of time where we literally never see Shen Miao acknowledge a birthday in any year. As for more serious content warnings, this story involves underage relationships (including non-explicit sex, marriage, and pregnancy), rape as a weapon, (assumed) incest between cousins, child abuse, and described but not explicitly shown torture. Though there are some humorous parts, this is not a lighthearted story. Read if you want something dark with an ultimate happy ending.

Translation: complete

[eyesofshan-if]

I think I have to agree with that other anon about Raon; the whole tasting the medicine KNOWING that it might be made with Shan eyes was very 😬 as a first impression for me. I'm sure other people's MC's might not be phased by that, but my usually stoic MC was very "WTF", when that happened to say the least. I definitely have mixed feelings about Raon now.

i think raon's personality might be that way to many people!! unfortunately, raon has a very practical and straightforward outlook on her work as a physician - if this medicine made of shan eyes can cure the murmuring death (a disease that has plagued hae for decades), then she will make sure to discover how to make it.

as for the ethical implications of it... rather than ignoring them completely, it's safer to say that they don't cross her mind when she is pursuing knowledge

[jollyinteractive]

DashingDon Recs

The Seven Heirs of Ophaesia- Author: Fawkes(COG forum). Very short demo. MC is the seventh (and neglected) child of the king. Mostly world building and character background. Seems to be abandoned.

You are EVIL!- Author: Odin(COG forum). Short demo. MC awakens in a cabin with amnesia, being watched over by an elderly couple. Apparently, you are the former emperor, known for your evil and depraved acts. Are you still that person? Seems to be abandoned.

The Heroes Prison- Author: Panagiotis Zois (no link found). Very short demo. MC is a magic user, a hero. Personal tragedy throws your life in a very different direction. Little backstory/world building. Seems to be abandoned.

Eyes of Shan: Book One- Author: @eyesofshan-if Long demo. MC is the commander of the force responsible for protecting the emperor, as well as their personal slave. When the people of your homeland seem to be gathering for war, you must decide where your loyalties lie. Story is a WIP.

❗️+18 only❗️Ink and Intrigue- Author: @leiatalon Long demo. MC is sent by their king (and uncle) to persuade (by a variety of means) a council of powerful magic users to assist your kingdom in a war that's brewing. Story is a WIP.

[100s-of-random-things]

I saw that you have a descendants oc named Trace.

If you don't mind telling, what are they like and who's kid are they?

Here's Trace's info:

Full Name: Trace Francis Tremaine

Alternate Names: Noble Of Unholiness, BLT (short for Bad Little Trace), Li'l Reaper (by older members of the Hell Raisers, a motorcycle club his father leads), Bike Boy (by Uma), Tracey Boy (by Harry), Traitor (by his arch enemy Zac, the son of Yzma, who I'll also have information on)

Gender: Male

Age: 15

Eye Color: Gray

Hair Color: Blonde

Skin Color: Pale

Family: Lady Tremaine (grandmother), Sir Francis Tremaine (deceased grandfather), Travis Tremaine (father), Francine Tremaine (desceased mother whose maiden name is unknown), Drizella Tremaine (aunt), Anastasia Tremaine (aunt), Dizzy Tremaine (cousin), Anthony Tremaine (cousin)

Sexuality: Straight

Profession: Hell Raisers MC VP (formerly), Student at Auradon Prep (currently)

Personality: Loving, nice, friendly, sweet, kind, caring, gentle, loyal, down to earth, generous, reliable, humble, honest, romantic, charismatic, humorous, witty, clever, polite, intelligent, stubborn, protective, hot tempered, shy (sometimes), brutal (sometimes), maniacal (sometimes), scary (sometimes), violent (sometimes)

Love Interest: Mad Maddy (ex-girlfriend), CJ Hook (one-sided crush on her side), Razelle Fitzherbert (daughter of Rapunzel and Eugene Fitzherbert) (girlfriend)

Allies: Mal, Evie, Jay, Carlos, Dizzy, Celia, Ben, Doug, Jane, Lonnie, Razelle, Maria (daughter of Merida), Anti-Heroes Club

Enemies: Chad, Audrey (formerly), Jordan, Uma's Pirate Crew, Mad Maddy's Crew, Tina (daughter of Tinker Bell), Zac's Crew

Pet: Scarlett (daughter of Scar, pet lion cub)

Powers & Abilities: Hand-to-hand combat, marksmanship, driving, mediumship, high intelligence, athleticism, technological expertise

Possessions: Motorcycle, biker chain necklace, knife, various firearms

Movies: Descendants, Descendants 2, Descendants 3, Descendants: The Royal Wedding

Cartoons: Descendants: Wicked World

Books: The Isle Of The Lost, Return To The Isle Of The Lost, Rise Of The Isle Of The Lost, Escape From The Isle Of The Lost

Biker-themed VK.

A bit of a short dude at 5'7".

Wears a purple t-shirt, black denim vest, black bandana, black motorcycle gloves, ripped black jeans, a pair of old black and white sneakers, and a biker chain necklace in the first movie.

Wears a black t-shirt, black biker durag, purple denim jacket, purple jeans, and black tennis shoes in the second movie.

Keeps the gloves and necklace for that one.

Wears another black t-shirt, purple motorcycle jacket, his original motorcycle gloves, black jeans that aren't ripped, and black steel-toe boots in the third movie.

Wears a black suit with a purple skeletal design on it at Ben's coronation.

Wears an inverted version of that suit at the cotillion.

Has tattoos on his hands and arms.

Has been friends with Mal since he was five.

Met Evie right around that same time.

Met Jay and Carlos when he was ten.

Rumored to have been taught hand-to-hand combat by his father Travis, Gaston, Shan Yu, and Captain Hook.

Rolls his eyes into the back of his head Undertaker-style to scare the living daylights out of people (that's if you know who the Undertaker is).

Has a high tolerance for pain.

Is also close with Hayden, the son of Hades, and Eddie Balthazar.

Was quite the chick magnet at Dragon Hall.

His symbol is two Grim Reaper scythes crossing over each other to form a cross.

Is religious but not Claude Frollo-level religious.

His first line in Rotten To The Core goes, "You call me unkind. You call me cruel. But I do not mind. I think it's cool."

His second line goes, "People fear me here... for a reason. Why would they come near... this one demon?"

What do you think?

[amyreads]

jdjdh , i was not expecting for one of my favourite if authors to follow me back, but heey! i was the anon who sent the anime/manga recs ask and mentioned daisy jones and the six TV show.

i am currently eagerly awaiting to be free to play A's route, I'm so ready for the slowburn. 😩

i love all the ros, but there's something about emotionally constipated ROs that hit different for me, they're just such babygirl material (gn). 🤌

if you are looking for more emotionally constipated ros, i recently played the demo for an if called precious: eyes of shan by @precious-if and you might like the ro insu. i normally don't really like friends to lovers trope, but when i tell you that another ro called hansol had me on a chokehold throughout the demo, the tension between him and the mc was chefs kiss. and i highly recomend it if you like historical fantasy.

i also forgot to ask if you had any manga/anime faves. sorry for cluttering your inbox with another ask lol, i just have the brain of a peanut.

AH!! "emotionally constipated" is so funny but thats exactly the ROs go for. I also like indifferent ROs. The less they care about MC the more I want them...

and OMG i've had my eye on that IF but i've been so swamped with Infamous I haven't been able to play more than the first two pages :( but the writing is so god omg that, fallen hero and Speaker are next on my list.

i love fantasy so bad so im EXCITED

as for manga/anime im purely a shoujo lover asdhffdhhsdhd but i've been trying to branch out and been keeping my eye on the most hyped ones on anitwt rn so i have plans to jump on the jojo train, jujutsu kaisen, mha, demon slayer, i never finished AOT unfortunately </3 tho i did spoil the ending of the manga for myself....(that ending made me go FERAL), spy x family !! i want to watch that one real bad it's literally all over my TL on twitter

OH I BEGAN WATCHING YURI ON ICE BUT NEVER CONTINUED EBEN THO IT WAS REALLY OGOD

ALSO I FORGOT WHAT ITS CALLED but the anime with the two guys who are scret agents and kill the father of the child they are now co-parents for?@#$%^ thats at the top of my list

im too busy to actually scour for animes and rare gems so ive just been following the hype and letting it do the discovering for me lolz my friends watch all those so its easier because i can at least get into shows i can talk about with people

if there are any rare ones or any hidden gems you have i'd love to hear it !

ALSO DAISY JONES AND THE SIX....ALL I CAN SAY IS CAMILA >>>>> BILLY

its so funny because i write an affair in infamous but i hate cheaters so bad and i want to fling billy into the sun

sorry for the long answer whew

[queenbirbs]

the violet hour | Kieran x MC

Book: The Cursed Heart

Pairing: Prince Kieran x f!MC

Rating: E

Word count: 2.7k

Summary: Days after the battle with the Sun Court, Brienne tends to Kieran. Post B1x16. Title from T.S. Eliot's "The Waste Land." 

“Nasty little things they are, mind you, with a bite that packs quite a punch.” 

“But they were no match for you.”

Nursing a cup of tea, Sir Montgomery nodded and continued his oft-heard story of when he fought off twenty pond gremlins. Washing the last of the dishes, Longclaw added her commentary over her furry shoulder. Their housekeeper-in-training, Shan, peeled potatoes and peppered them with questions. With the fire crackling away under the stove, it was a peaceful afternoon in the kitchen. After the last century, Brienne figured the Moon Court was owed one. 

The coronation was in less than two days. Longclaw would take her rightful place on the Sun Court’s throne and the rule would pass to her for the next two seasons. Kieran would then start recruiting more nobles to the Moon Court’s ranks. With all the terror and excitement of the last few days, Brienne was glad to have this calm before the storm. She listened to their chatter with half an ear. Busy with a personal project of sorts, she added a handful of bell clover and ground it into the stone mortar. 

“What are you making?” 

She did not jump, but it was a near thing. Snapping her head up, she took in Kieran’s quizzical look with a smile. 

“A surprise.” Dipping a finger into the bowl, she rubbed the mixture to test the quality. “For you.”

“I’m not fond of those.” Despite his griping, he stepped closer to inspect her work.    

“You’ll like this one.” She reached for an empty jar, only to find none left. Nudging Kieran back with her elbow, she cleared a space on the counter and boosted herself up onto it. 

“What in the devil are you doing?” 

“Getting something.”

He scoffed, the sound turning to one of alarm when she stood. Two hands immediately wrapped around her hips to hold her steady. Enjoying the opportunity to get a rise out of him, Brienne made a show of stretching up for a new jar. 

“Do you wish to break your neck?” The question was little more than a growl. 

“Not particularly.” Glasses clanked as she pushed the larger ones aside. “I had an entire castle fall on top of me and fought off a legion of Sun Court guards. I think I can handle a measly leap from the countertop.” Clutching her prize, she turned in his hold and smiled sweetly. “But since you’re here, would you mind…?”

With a quick roll of his eyes, Kieran tightened his grip and helped her down. “You are the most aggravating creature I’ve ever met.”

“Your current housekeeper is twenty-one hands high and I can’t do magic. How else am I to reach up there?” She wiped clean the area she’d been standing on and resumed her work. 

“There has to be a ladder somewhere in this palace,” he grumbled. 

“There is. In the library.”

“Then have Sir Montgomery fetch it for you when—”

“I am not having him drag a ladder to and fro every time I need—”

“Best get used to it, dear,” Longclaw said to Shan, her voice breaking through their bubble. 

Brienne blushed, having forgotten they had an audience. Chuckling at their expense, Longclaw wiped her paws dry with a towel. “They may have only known each other for a few weeks, but they bicker like a long-wedded couple. Now, why don’t we set aside those potatoes you’ve got there and start on gathering some carrots, hmm?” 

The two of them drifted out the back door, empty baskets in hand. Sir Montgomery followed them out as he headed off to the stables. The kitchen was quiet, save for the fire’s soft pops and crackles. Kieran leaned a hip against the counter, content with watching Brienne as she combined her many mysterious ingredients. 

“Is this another one of your mortal remedies?”

“Yes, actually.” She transferred the coarse mixture into the jar and held it aloft for him to smell. “Nice, isn’t it?”

He hummed and tipped his head towards her in agreement. “Yes, though the texture gives me pause.”   

“You liked that salve I made you.”

“I liked having your hands on me more,” he said with a wolfish smirk. 

She screwed a lid onto the jar and shot him a satisfied grin. “Then join me after supper.” 

The first streaks of sunset colored the sky outside the en-suite’s large window. In the center of the room sat a double slipper bathtub. The hammered copper shone in the low light. Brienne set the jar of scrub onto a small stool nearby and stoked the fire, before lighting each candle throughout the room. Their flames flickered on the glassy surface of the water. Locating a length of ribbon, she gathered her curls and tied them up into a bun. She wrestled with a few stubborn pieces in the mirror before turning and catching sight of Kieran in the doorway. He had already shed his coat and boots. Half-buttoned, his silk undershirt was loose enough to show off the warm planes of his chest. His dark eyes tracked her as she neared the tub.

“How did you fill it?” he asked.

“Like most of us humans do. With a bucket.”

He heaved out a sigh and shook his head. “You needn’t go through all that trouble.”

“It wasn’t that difficult. And I’m stronger than I look,” she reminded him, satisfied with the way he tipped his head in agreement. 

“Yes, but still—”

“I do need your help with heating it, though. I wasn’t about to carry boiling water up here.”

“That,” he said with a grin, “I can do.”

He sauntered across the room and dipped a finger into the water. Wisps of steam curled from its surface. Brienne reached behind her back for her dress ties. With a few tugs, the garment slipped down her body, soon followed by her underthings. The fabric puddled at her feet in a pile of silk and lace. She ignored the hitch in Kieran’s breathing and stepped into the tub. Unable to bite back a soft groan, she closed her eyes and slid deeper into the heat. The water was just this side of too hot, but it felt wonderful on her sore muscles. When she opened her eyes a few moments later, Kieran still loomed over the tub, a searing glint in his gaze as it roved over her.       

“This is the part where you join me.” 

Reaching down, he forwent the rest of the buttons and peeled his shirt off. Brienne watched, not bothering to hide her hunger as he stripped off the rest of his clothing in that lackadaisical way of his. When he made to round the tub and slip in behind her, she held out her hand.

“Uh-uh.” 

Kieran took hold, his palm warm against hers. He settled into the cradle of her legs, letting her ease him back against her chest. Brienne gathered his long hair up, making sure to drag her nails across his scalp, and twisted it into a sloppy bun. A low, satisfied hum emptied out of him. She brushed her hands along his shoulders and nape, wetting the skin and massaging with the sharp points of her knuckles. Kieran’s eyes soon glazed over at the attention, his head lolling back against her shoulder. His own hands did not keep idle, though, and instead drew nonsensical patterns along her legs.  

After a few minutes, she reached for the jar and scooped out a handful of the scrub. She began to rub it across his back in slow, steady circles. The sweet scent of honey and sugar filled the air, followed by the rich, earthy scent of bell clover. Outside the window, the clouds bloomed with pinks, oranges, and reds. The last bars of sunlight cast across the landscape, the distant treetops drenched in a patina of gold. Under her touch, the taut line of his shoulders softened. Her hands skated down his spine until she reached the waterline. 

“On your knees,” she said. 

Kieran sent her a heated look over his shoulder, irritation and amusement simmering just beneath the surface. Gripping the sides of the tub, he rose onto his knees. Rivulets of water streamed down his golden skin. She followed him up and circled her hands lower and lower. Leaning in, she let her breasts slide over his back and felt the way his pulse quickened. The muscles in his arms tightened, his knuckles growing pale with the force of his grip. 

“What brought about such an idea?” he asked.

“You haven’t been sleeping well.”

“I’m… unaccustomed to sleeping through the night.”

“I’m sure. But that’s not the only reason, is it?” 

She hadn’t missed the muscle tightening in his jaw. He was quiet, long enough that she was gearing up to prod him once more when he relented. 

“I’ve been having dreams.” Kieran’s breath stuttered on an inhale. “Terrible ones. Of you— of that night in the Sun Palace.” 

Brienne stroked up and down his arm in encouragement. He dropped his chin to his chest and swallowed. “Either I kill you before you can break me free,” he continued, his voice thick with emotions. “Or you do, but it’s still too late. By the time I return to myself, you… you are already gone. Nothing I do can bring you back to me.”

“Oh, Kieran,” she murmured. Her heart ached, recalling the past few nights and how she had woken to him holding her tight. “It’s normal to have nightmares, especially after such a harrowing experience. But we’re safe. We’re together.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. “Because you came back to me.”        

“Only because you came for me first.” He placed a hand over her arm and squeezed. “My brave Brienne.”

“Turn around.” She pressed a kiss to his dampened hair. “Please.”

Kieran shifted in the water, those potent eyes of his now focused on her. She kissed him once, then again, and again, hoping he could feel every ounce of reassurance she poured into them. He splayed a hand across her back, anchoring her against him. Eventually, she eased back to retrieve more scrub. Working it across his chest, she enjoyed his hums of pleasure. When she swept her hands down his belly and around his hips, he cursed under his breath. 

“Is this all right?” she asked as her touch circled further and further down.  

“You have to know what you do to me.” 

She laughed, low and husky. “I have some idea, yes.”

Those strong hands gripped her hips. The proof of her attention pressed hot and firm against her belly. Dipping her hands down into the water, she brought handfuls up to rinse the scrub away. It reminded her of their dip in the river, though she much preferred a warm bath over a cold spring. She set her lips to his clean skin. From his jawline and down his throat, to the jutted rise of his collarbone, she traced a path down his body. The sounds she coaxed from him made her feel powerful. As if she alone could tap into the darkness inside him. When her tongue caught a trace of the sugared texture, she reached down for more water. 

“I should’ve brought a pitcher,” she lamented with a soft chuckle. 

“I’ve a better idea.” 

A wicked smirk flashed across his face. It was the only warning she got before Kieran tipped them backward into the water. Brienne shoved off of him, sputtering, and broke the surface, where her hands immediately went to her soaked hair. 

“Now I look like a drowned rat.” In retaliation, she knocked a wave of water into his face, which he unfairly blocked with his magic.

“You look nothing of the sort,” he assured. 

The sun now gone, candlelight painted his form with shadows. Reaching behind her, he untied the ribbon to free her damp curls. That damned smirk of his grew into something fonder as he carded his fingers through her hair and guided her up for a kiss. The taste of him was something she would never tire of. She encouraged his mouth to part, nipping gently at the deep groove in his top lip. With a groan bordering on desperation, Kieran crowded her back against the tub’s raised end. Still warm from the water, the copper sent goosebumps across her wet skin. 

“Now,” he purred against her ear, “it’s my turn to tend to you.” 

He traced the slender curve of her neck and down to the swell of her breasts. Teasing at first, his touch grew bolder until her skin tightened and pebbled from his attention. Damp flesh slid over damp flesh as he moved down and took her breast into his mouth. With a gasp, she raked her nails across his shoulder and up into his hair. 

“Yes, please, Kieran—” A high, keening sound tore from her throat. 

Snaking a hand down into the water, he worked his thumb against her. Heat flushed through her and pooled in the depths of her belly. She pleaded for more, rocking her hips up into his touch when he acquiesced. “Let me have you,” she begged. “Let me—”

Kieran surged up and caught her mouth with his. He dug his fingers into the flesh of her thighs and shoved them wider, slotting his hips perfectly into the space he made. 

“You will always have me.” 

The words were more than a breathy promise. To Brienne, they were immutable, absolute. 

Done with his teasing, he gripped himself and eased inside of her. She arched her back against the unyielding surface behind her. Then – finally, blessedly – he moved. She hooked her legs around his waist and gripped the sides of the tub, heard the scratch of her nails against metal as she moved her body in time with his. The heat she felt before was nothing compared to this. Desire lit through her like a match to kindling, burning every other thought but her need away. 

Kieran kept a tight hold on her hips, driving into her with heady abandon. Water sloshed over the sides of the bath and onto the floor. Her arms came around his shoulders, her nails pricking into his skin, marking him as hers. She urged him down for a messy kiss. 

“That’s it, my love,” he growled against her lips, his hot breath mingling with her own. “Let me feel you come undone.”

When he spoke like that, how could she refuse? Pleasure scored through her like a flame, searing everything in its wake. Her body clenched tight around his as he fell into the deep with her. They collapsed as one against the raised end. Lazy kisses to her overwarm skin welcomed her down from her high.

“I didn’t even notice the water go cold,” she realized with a laugh.

Making a show of it as he always did, Kieran skimmed his fingertips across the surface. The water returned to a pleasant degree. Outside the window, the night had taken over. Bright clusters of stars spread across the dark, velvet blanket. The moon that once heralded pain and torment for her prince hung just over the treetops, little more than a sliver.

“I would do it again.” At his lifted brow, she continued. “Come for you, I mean.”

“Oh, I happily would, as well.” 

Brienne tried to smother her smile and shook her head in exasperation. “Scoundrel. I meant to save you.” She smoothed her thumb across his cheek. “Whether it be from an enemy or yourself.”

He caught hold of her hand and pressed his lips to her palm. “I would never ask you to risk yourself again.” 

She shrugged. “I know you wouldn’t, but I would. I always will.”

“I do not deserve you.”

“It’s not about deserving. You matter to me, and I love you, so that’s it.” She knitted her fingers through his and brought their joined hands down for a kiss. 

He broke into that wonderful smile – the one he reserved only for her. “We are of a similar mindset, then, my love.” 

[sherbet-shark]

•»Monica Cyrus Profile«•

This is not my art. This art belongs to @millybesippin.

Gender: Female

Age: 18

DOB: October 17th

Height: 5”2’ / 157.4cms

Eye color: Dark Brown

Hair color: Black

Homeland: Unknown

— — — —— — — —— — — —— — —

Family: Adoptive two brothers and parents

Magic Academy: Night Raven College

Dorm: Ramshackle Dorm

Class: 1-A

Dominant hand: Right

— — — —— — — —— — — —— — —

Favorite Food: Oranges

Least Favorite food: Overly sweet things

Best Subject: Magical History

Club: Equestrian

Unique Magic: [None]

Likes: Books, Mythology, and sightseeing

Dislikes: Math and abandonment

— — — —— — — —— — — —— — —

Appearance: Monica at first wears the standard schoolboy uniform but has asked Crowley to make her shorts.

The longer Monica stays in Twist, the more confident she becomes in her appearance, as seen in the art above. She wears a skirt, a white blouse, a tie, white leggings, and a cardigan.

Monica has pierced ears and has a petite and fragile look. Monica has a light tan complexion that gets darker when she tans and freckles on her face and under her right eye. Her hands have light scars from horse ridding in her youth. The ghosts had made her and Grim a dorm uniform to feel like an official student in the school and have something fancy to wear, even if it has a straightforward design.

— — — —— — — —— — — —— —

History: An adopted orphan from another magic-less world, she’s transported from her home to this strange alien world with tales that oddly seem like the ones she’s grown up with but with a dark twist. As her journey starts, Monica navigates through this twisted rhythm of this world while still holding onto her fiery loyalty to her family and desire to return home. What will she find under the cracks of TWST?

— — — —— — — —— — — —— — —

Personality—

Monica is a loyal, quiet, and reasonable young woman, and she’s pretty skeptical and wary of this new world. Due to her skepticism and wary nature, she was distant and pessimistic with those around her. But as time passes and she gains experience, her cold outer shell melts and reveals a sweet resourceful woman enthralled by the magic of this world and its people.

— — — —— — — —— — — —— —

Fun facts:

Monica has a jade necklace in the shape of a dragon that she proudly wears, she’s very protective of it.

She cuts her hair during the Chapter 6 events.

Monica is my Mc/Yuu oc, her initials are M.C.

She’s loosely based on Disney’s animated Mulan, the legend of Mulan irl and Shan Yu

Monica was very young (4) when she was adopted. While she may not fully remember her time there, she still has habits from when she was raised.

[hopeshoodie]

Let's say the S2 cast play Snog, Marry, Pie instead of the beach day (day 21). Who does what to who? Let's say MC is doing a loyal Bobby route as that seems like the default option (since he hasn't got a secondary romance and only gets the girl if you couple up with their default partner), and saved Lucas from the day 18 dumping.

oooooh anon this is SUCH a fun questionnnn.

So I feel like you could take this in two directions- everyone stays in the villa and plays together, or beach day still happens but instead of the Shannon/Jo drama they play fuck marry kill.

I think the second option is better narratively because it gives the girls a chance to bond after the Shannon/Jo/Elisa/Chelsea debacle, fits into the preexisting story, and it gives the player a reason to be honest to better work in the game mechanics. If it were the second option, I’m NOT gonna tell the truth in front of Rahim (even if it means screwing up my route in the game) because Sveta's straight up not going to tell him she'd marry his best friend and fuck him. So it’s a problem because if the devs are trying to change what route you’re on based on your answers, players might not chose the honest answers because of the circumstance of the choice. 

But with that second option you do have room for fluffy "i'd marry you babe, uwu" "awwww, come here love" moments with your love interest. And you get drama/reactions from more characters, more of which have been in the game since day 1. So it'd be better/worse depending on what you value in the game.

I value DRAMA so for this headcanon I'm gonna say that the game is with the whole villa AND each person is hooked up to the lie detector machine from S1 while they do it. Then you get angst if someone lies AND if they tell the truth.

So your version of MC goes and picks Snog Lucas, Marry Bobby, and Pie Lottie. Lottie protests that you can't pie her, MC asks why not, and Lottie pouts while Bobby gives MC a kiss. It's a cute fluffy scene, but also a little tangy because now Bobby is like 'oh shit, MC saved Lucas and now she's saying he's her second choice...'

Bobby goes and he says ‘marry MC, obviously, that ones easy. I’d pie… well, none of you… But I guess pieing off Hope would be a favor since she’s so out of my league.’ There’s chat about that, but if MC points out he didn’t pick someone to snog, his eyes dart over to Noah before saying ‘you lass, it’s all you’. If MC presses him by insisting he has to pick someone else, he says ‘Lozza, but only under duress!’ 

Rahim would try to lie and get really flustered. Like he’d say ‘I’m marrying Shannon and I’m marrying Jo- and-.. Wait. No, I would snog Shan-I’d snog.’ And then cringe really hard and throw up his hands. He wouldn’t answer if just someone like Lottie or Shannon got angry that he didn’t answer, and would just devolve into sulking or walk off. But if someone- like MC or a producer- presses him to give an actual answer with less emotion and more tact, he’d really quietly say ‘marry Shannon, snog Jo, and pie Priya’. The lie detector would show that’s a lie, but instead of clarifying he’d just shrug and pull the sensors off.

Noah would get all set up, say ‘marry Hope, snog MC, and pie off Bobby’, and the lie detector shows that’s the truth. He smiles and if Bobby protests he’ll shoot him a glowing grin. Hope’s going to seethe about how blatant Noah’s being about his attraction to MC, but he’d ignore it. When Hope snaps at him about it later, he says ‘I thought you’d be happier if I chose a girl that I already coupled with and then chose you over, instead of just some other girl for you to be jealous of. There’s no pleasing you.’ Which is both untrue and very typical of his refusal to take blame and burden shifting to Hope. But actually, he does want to snog MC. 

Lucas wouldn’t lie, he’d say marry Hope, snog Chelsea, pie MC. Even if he’s with MC. He’d say it to get under her skin and tease her, and he’d be so confident in it that the lie detector wouldn’t show it as a lie. 

Henrik would say ‘marry MC/his current partner, snog Lottie, pie off Marisol’ and it’d show as a lie which would genuinely confuse Henrik- the nervousness the lie detector picks up is because he wants to put Lucas somewhere in there but wasn’t thinking it was allowed. So it spiked his physical responses as if he was lying. He insists it’s not a lie, then if teased will be like ‘well I guess I don’t want to pie anyone, maybe that’s what it’s picking up on’. 

Gary wouldn’t think to lie and would just say marry MC, snog Lottie, pie Marisol. Lottie would definitely be incensed by that, and Gary would only halfheartedly reassure her that ‘I know you don’t want to get married, babes. Wouldn’t want to force you to.’ That wouldn’t satisfy her at all, and this would be the first late-game hint that Gary’s still carrying a torch for MC.

[tiramisiyu]

【未定事件簿】 Tears of Themis: Main Story 7-1 Translation

Translation Masterlist | Video

Chapter 7 – Rains of Monte Cristo: 7-1 / 7-3 / 7-5 / 7-7 / 7-9 / 7-11 / 7-13 / 7-15 / 7-17 / 7-19  ��️ ♦️  7-20 / 7-22 / 7-24 / 7-26 / 7-28 / 7-30 / 7-32 / 7-34 / 7-35

Nature Park

Early morning, in the nature park, a sanitation worker was in the middle of pre-opening cleanup work.

Sanitation Worker: It’s the last part – I should hurry and finish up.

Sanitation Worker: Urgh… it rained so heavily for the past few days, so it sure is cold right now.

He picked up a tree branch at random for use as a walking stick, walking forward with alternating heavy and light steps.

After the sustained rainfall, the uphill path had become unusually muddy and hard to traverse.

Sanitation Worker: …Hm? Over there…

He pushed aside the weeds in front of him and slowly got closer.

The sky had not lightened yet, and the murky light of day and night’s junction covered the thing in front of him in an indistinct coloration.

The sanitation worker squinted, carefully trying to identify it. Amid the bushes, fragmented objects appeared in a strange white color.

Sanitation Worker: T-this… this…

That was a bone that had poked out from the ground, and there was something moving back and forth between the bone cracks.

A cold wind blew past, and the leaves swooshed, as if they were the whispers of demons, startling him to the point where his scalp started tingling.

Sanitation Worker: Someone come – c-come…

Shuddering, the sanitation worker retreated. He didn’t want to look – he wanted to turn around, to escape, but his eyes refused to stray from the bone.

His weak, shaking voice did not transmit very far – not even the sleeping birds on the trees were startled awake. Until…

Sanitation Worker: Ah!

He tripped over a branch sticking up from the mud. Driven by his pain, he finally found a bit of internal survival instinct.

Sanitation Worker: Someone come! A dead person – a homicide!

Sanitation Worker: Call police – !

Startled awake by the screams, the group of birds flew up towards the sky in the mist like an explosion of black fog, eerie and ominous.

--

Zhao Fei’s Home

When Lu Jinghe and I arrived at Zhao Fei’s home, what greeted us was only an unlocked door and an empty room.

MC: This…

Lu Jinghe: …

I looked all around, observing the situation within the residence.

Compared to the last time I came here, the living room that had once been decorated with many starry sky photos now only held some essential furniture and furnishings.

This included that electronic photo display featuring Zhou Nan – every mark that belonged to Zhao Fei had vanished.

MC: There aren’t any obvious indications of a fight or breaking in, so we can exclude the possibility of him being taken away by force.

MC: But if he wasn’t kidnapped, why was the door open?

Lu Jinghe: He left the door open in wait for our arrival, yet he refuses to see us…

Lu Jinghe: Did he sneak off to avoid punishment…

MC: Are you talking about Zhao Fei poisoning Qin Shan?

When we were at the hospital earlier, Lu Jinghe said that Zhao Fei’s father was once a victim in Heirson’s staff rights infringement case.

And, before Qin Shan’s issue, he frequented the Green Island Hotel that Zhao Fei worked at. Thus, Lu Jinghe suspected that Qin Shan’s sudden illness had to do with Zhao Fei.

Lu Jinghe: Yeah. I was originally only speculating, but based on the situation now, what’s going on with him is definitely complicated.

MC: Another possibility is that Zhao Fei isn’t harboring illegal intentions, but his personal safety is under threat…

MC: He might be actively “escaping”.

Lu Jinghe: Let’s search around in here first – maybe we’ll find some clues.

Lu Jinghe: Zhao Fei promised that he’d hand over Xu Ping’s package. If he ran off without leaving it behind, then that’s sort of unreasonable.

MC: Sure, let’s take one room each.

--

We searched for around half an hour, but regrettably, we didn’t notice any useful clues.

Lu Jinghe: Compared to the living room, there are a lot more vestiges left in the bedroom, and it’s a lot messier.

Lu Jinghe: Looks like Zhao Fei left in a rush.

MC: But the vestiges left in the bedroom aren’t that useful… we can’t judge why he ran away based on them.

MC: And we couldn’t find the warehouse shipment records…

MC: Is Zhao Fei’s clue just going to vanish like this…?

As I pondered, my gaze moved around, when a decorative painting on the wall caught my attention.

MC: ???

Lu Jinghe: What’s the matter?

MC: Was it a painting that was hanging here before? I remember that it was a photo of the sky…

Lu Jinghe: Which one?

I pointed at a little decorative oil painting on the wall beside the balcony.

Lu Jinghe approached that painting, examining it over several times as a smile gradually appeared in his eyes.

Lu Jinghe: There’s something up with this painting.

MC: What is it?

Lu Jinghe: Is there something like a scraper knife in here?

MC: There’s one in the bedroom. I’ll get it for you.

--

I took a scraper knife out of the bedroom and handed it to Lu Jinghe.

He removed the oil painting from the wall, reconfirmed it, then started to scrape off the paint on the forest part of the painting.

MC: What are you doing?

Lu Jinghe: On this drawing, the forest portion of the paints haven’t yellowed like the other parts. It probably was painted the most recently.

Lu Jinghe: Didn’t you say that it was a photo, not this painting, that hung here before?

Lu Jinghe: Maybe this was the clue Zhao Fei left us.

Lu Jinghe explained to me as he continued his movements. Soon, he had scraped off all the paint on the forest part.

The moment that the last bit of green was removed, handwriting was revealed on the canvas.

MC: “Aoye Club… No.17… 9985…”

MC: Looks like the name of a place?

Lu Jinghe: I’ll have Wen Chen look up Zhao Fei’s whereabouts to see if there are any places related to this string of characters.

Lu Jinghe: Is there anything else you want to investigate in here? If not, we should leave as soon as possible.

Lu Jinghe: Though we don’t know why Zhao Fei ran away, I still keep feeling like we shouldn’t stay here for long.

MC: Looks like there aren’t any more clues in here, so let’s head back.

MC: Take the painting with you.

--

Zhao Fei’s Home Doorway

Lu Jinghe wrapped up the painting, locked up the main door of Zhao Fei’s house with the girl, then left cautiously.

Their silhouettes had just vanished when someone walked out of a corner in the corridor.

???: Yes, they’ve already found the clue on the thing.

???: … Understood.

One day later, Wen Chen found the “truth” behind that string of characters.

Aoye Club was a fitness club. Zhao Fei had signed up for a membership card there, which came with a locker numbered “17”.

And the password that opened this locker was “9985”.

--

NXX Base

Next morning.

In the quiet base, I looked at Lu Jinghe and Xia Yan who were in front of the computer, and couldn’t help feeling worried.

They were in the middle of cracking the storage card we’d found in Zhao Fei’s locker together.

Mo Yi: The data analysis work hasn’t finished quite yet, so how about drinking some tea and relaxing?

Mo Yi placed a cup of tea and a few little pastries in front of me.

MC: Thank you, Dr. Mo.

I nodded at Mo Yi, but when I saw the agitated expressions that Lu Jinghe and Xia Yan had, I didn’t have the heart to enjoy an afternoon tea.

Mo Yi: There’s no need to worry. With the combined efforts of those two, they will certainly be able to crack a mere storage card.

Zuo Ran: Keep calm – it should almost be done.

MC: But…

After being informed of the existence of “X-Note”, Zuo Ran and I took over for Xu Ping’s case of suicide out of avoiding punishment, which had been marked as abnormal.

As we investigated this case, we found out about the recipient of Xu Ping’s resale of the controlled substances by chance – Gong Cheng.

He invested in Moonriver Laboratories to develop an illegal drug called X03A, which included the dangerous ingredient NXX.

Using this as a starting point, we shifted the investigations afterwards to Heirson where Xu Ping held a position at and tried to find out the true reason behind his “suicide”.

But after investigating, the only useful clue left was Zhao Fei and the package he had.

Now, Zhao Fei and the package were missing, and this left-behind storage card would decide the direction of our movements hereafter.

MC: (No wonder why Lawyer Zuo, who’s clearly still recuperating, rushed over as soon as he heard news…)

MC: (I hope everything will go smoothly.)

Xia Yan: Got it.

Xia Yan stopped his movements, and I immediately walked up to see the results.

MC: How is it? What’s in the storage card?

Lu Jinghe: This…

MC: There isn’t any valuable information?

Lu Jinghe: That’s not it – it’s just that…

Xia Yan: There’s only half of the data in this storage card.

MC: Half?

Xia Yan projected the contents they’d gotten onto the screen.

Two decoded, processed documents sat quietly on the screen, but what was strange was…

Not only did the contents of these two documents cut off inexplicably around halfway, but all the ends of the sentences on the documents had not been finished.

It looked like the writer finished off the data entry in haste, for whatever reason.

Xia Yan: One of the contents that we can read for now on this storage card is the electronic version of the Heirson raw material warehouse shipment records.

Xia Yan: The other one is Zhao Fei’s “confession”, which looks like it was left for Zuo Ran.

Xia Yan: But as everyone can see, these two documents are incomplete, particularly this electronic warehouse shipment record.

Xia Yan: Aside from the titlepage and table of contents, the contents that we can display are all very normal. For now, there isn’t anything we want in them.

Xia Yan: On the other hand, there’s a bit more useful content in this “confession”.

Xia Yan looked at Zuo Ran.

Zuo Ran scanned over the screen quickly.

Zuo Ran: According to this letter, Zhao Fei’s father, Zhao Ping, died due to sudden organ failure a few years ago.

Zuo Ran: The official explanation given was that overwork resulted in organ damage, but Zhao Fei did not concede with this conclusion.

Zuo Ran: He did secret investigation and noticed that in recent years, abnormal bodily conditions appeared in many Heirson staff members.

Zuo Ran: He believed that his father and those victims fell ill due to contact with some sort of toxic substance during work.

Xia Yan: Zhao Fei and the family members of these victims demanded a response from Heirson regarding this, and this news even made it onto headlines.

Xia Yan: Of course, Heirson will definitely not make any response to such content. It used secret means to cover up this matter.

Xia Yan: In the end, these people could only secretly create a rights protection group, continuing to “fight” over these past few years.

Xia Yan: This mutual assistance little group was an unbearable disturbance for Heirson, and Xu Ping latched onto this, thus sending the package to Zhao Fei.

Xia Yan: He believed that he could borrow this group’s strength to protect himself and expose Heirson’s goal.

MC: So, it was because Xu Ping realized that he might be murdered that he sent the package?

Xia Yan: That’s right. After all, as the head of the resources department, Xu Ping is the most likely to know about the details of any illegal drug manufacturing.

Xia Yan: He might have wanted to use this for leverage to negotiate with Qin Shan…

Xia Yan: Or this was itself a cry for help to the outside world. After all, in that package was…

Zuo Ran: Aside from the warehouse shipment records we saw before, in the package that Xu Ping sent to Zhao Fei…

Zuo Ran: There was a small portion of a raw materials sample, as well as an instruction video.

Zuo Ran: He confirmed Zhao Fei’s speculation regarding toxic substances in the video and indicated that these toxic substances have always existed in Heirson’s production materials.

Zuo Ran: In addition, Xu Ping warned Zhao Fei that if anything happened to himself, then he should make the things in the package known to the masses.

MC: Based on this, it doesn’t seem like Xu Ping committed suicide to avoid punishment. It seems more like he was silenced.

Zuo Ran: But after Xu Ping vanished, Zhao Fei did not do as Xu Ping instructed.

Zuo Ran: Facilitated by his work time at Green Island Hotel, he directly put the raw material he’d gotten into Qin Shan’s food.

Lu Jinghe: So, Qin Shan’s stage IV stomach cancer is due to the toxic substances in the raw material? Could it be NXX?

Lu Jinghe: I remember that the toxic effect of NXX was, in severe circumstances, irreversible damage to internal organs.

Mo Yi: But based on what we know right now, the only confirmed toxic effect of NXX is delayed development.

Mo Yi: If we want to prove that the toxic substance that caused abnormalities in Qin Shan and the Heirson staff is NXX, we need more concrete evidence.

Xia Yan: Speaking of which…

Xia Yan: I received the Ministry’s identification results on Kong Moli’s notes before. There’s a name list of the Heirson staff who died of unnatural deaths.

Xia Yan: And based on her investigation contents, for these staff members who died unnaturally, a portion displayed mental state abnormalities…

Xia Yan: And the other portion displayed severe pathological changes in their organs.

Xia Yan: But Kong Moli’s investigation had only gone halfway when she passed…

Xia Yan sighed quietly.

Xia Yan: After this, we can continue to investigate in this direction.

MC: Also, I’m somewhat worried about Zhao Fei.

MC: He took away the hard copy of the warehouse shipment records, but he intentionally left the storage card.

MC: Combined with the situation at his place and the input abnormalities in the two documents on the storage card…

MC: Is it possible that Zhao Fei is asking for help from us?

Zuo Ran: That is possible, or Zhao Fei might have realized something but could not contact us in time, like Xu Ping.

Zuo Ran: He had to guarantee his safety first, so he temporarily left his residence.

Zuo Ran: But he wasn’t sure if he could escape, relying just on himself.

Zuo Ran: So, he took the hard copy document, then left the essential information in the painting.

Zuo Ran: Only you and I could have realized that painting had been switched. This would guide us to continue to pay attention to him.

MC: Which is why the door was open when we got to his place.

Lu Jinghe: So, after this, finding Zhao Fei is one of our important tasks?

MC: Yes.

MC: Although, speaking of tasks… I have a suggestion.

Lu Jinghe: Go ahead.

MC: I believe that we need to do a summary of the situation and some evidence organization.

MC: Ever since we started investigating using Xu Ping’s disappearance as an entry point, although we’ve gotten a lot of clues, they’re all very fragmented.

MC: And according to the discussion just now, we have new things to investigated. When so many things mix up…

MC: It would be better to organize them.

Lu Jinghe: That’s right. Plus, the doctor in charge of Qin Shan mentioned that Qin Shan’s illness developed rapidly.

Lu Jinghe: If we can’t make a move on Heirson as soon as possible, I’m worried that he won’t be able to hold on until he appears in court.

Zuo Ran: Then where do we start?

Zuo Ran: Right now, the evidence and clues that each of us have probably come from different sources and directions.

Zuo Ran: If we are to organize them in the most effective way, we need a method to link all the clues together quickly.

MC: …

Mo Yi: Then, perhaps we should change our thought process.

MC: Change thought processes? What thought process?

Mo Yi: Such as, starting from the endpoint, searching for the clues in reverse direction.

[cheri-translates]

[CN] Victor’s Delicacy Date (Eng Translation)

🍒Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for a date which has not been released in English servers!🍒

Note: This is a cancelled date which will unlikely come to EN :’(

More from this Collection: Gavin // Kiro // Lucien

The date begins with MC sitting in for a negotiation meeting between Loveland Financial Group (“LFG”) and Yuan Shan Company

The negotiation has been dragging on for 2 hours because both sides cannot agree on a price

Victor has been silent and no one knows what’s going through his mind

When he finally speaks, MC is startled because she has never seen Victor in full-blown work mode before

Lots of business jargon follow. Victor is basically really badass and shows he has done detailed research on Yuan Shan Company and knows that it’s not worth the money they are asking for:

Victor: You think LFG needs to rely on the little credit standing Yuan Shan has? Or do you think you’re in a position to discuss terms with me?

Victor: An LFG without Yuan Shan will still be LFG. Without LFG, what would Yuan Shan become?

Victor: I don’t plan to rescue a company that has decided to “commit suicide”.

Victor gives the representative of Yuan Shan Company another chance to re-consider, then leaves the room.

While MC is out for a breather, she overhears employees from Yuan Shan gossiping about Victor:

Yuan Shan Employee A: I heard early on that Victor is no-nonsense at work, but I never thought he’d be so…

Yuan Shan Employee B: He’s so domineering and arrogant, though you can’t deny he’s cool.

Yuan Shan Employee C: Sure, he’s cool, but if you were to live with him, the stress would be akin to shouldering an entire mountain.

Yuan Shan Employee A: What do you mean?

Yuan Shan Employee C: He’s basically an ice sculpture. I felt like I was going to suffocate in the meeting room… tch. His words are vicious! He’s so harsh! He clearly wants to swallow us up whole.

This lady… She actually gets it…

Yuan Shan Employee C: Also, I heard that last month, he fired an elderly worker who had been working here for five years because of some trivial reason.

MC: !?

Yuan Shan Employee A: Is that true? Don’t spread false rumours!

Yuan Shan Employee C: I already said I heard it from someone. Though… seeing him today, I wouldn’t rule it out as a possibility.

Yuan Shan Employee B: Just think about it. If he isn’t hard-hearted, how could LFG grow into what it is today in just 8 years? I also heard…

Their voices trail off, and I’m unable to hear what the employees say after this.

I originally saw Victor as just being plain overbearing, but I never thought…

MC starts getting flooded with memories of how Victor points out minor issues in her reports, his red-inked comments haunting her.

In the midst of her trembling, she sees Victor coming her way.

I panic and shift backwards, almost tripping because of my shaky feet. Victor quickly reaches out and steadies me.

At this moment, his black eyes, which look as deep as the sea, betray no hint of emotion. His frown, however, carries slight reproach.

Feeling shocked, I tear myself from his grip and jump to the side.

MC: S-sorry!

Before Victor says anything, he can only watch the girl’s retreating form as she hurriedly runs away.

Goldman: CEO, do you think MC is a little weird today, like she’s gotten possessed…

Victor doesn’t respond, only watching as MC grows smaller and smaller into the distance. He looks to be deep in thought.

MC continues to feel anxious as the afternoon goes on.

MC: Don’t think about it! Don’t think about it!

Victor: Don’t think about what?

Turning my head, I see a cold-faced Victor standing behind me.

MC: …!

Caught off guard, I am once again shocked out of my senses. With a ‘clang’, my lunch box falls to the ground.

Victor looks at the sight on the floor and frowns.

Victor: Why are you afraid?

MC: …Nothing…

I hurriedly squat to clean up the mess, but he reaches out to pull me up.

Victor: Come to the office with me.

MC: W-what do you want?

Victor doesn’t turn around, leaving me with the sight of his back.

Victor: There’s some wrong data in your report.

The curtains in the office are drawn and sunlight pours in through the window. The air is warm, but the only thing I feel is coldness.

The only sound in the room is the rustling of paper as Victor flips through the documents.

I stand in front of his office desk, like a child who has been punished.

After an inordinate amount of time, Victor finally speaks.

Victor: Do you have any questions for me?

I nod my head mindlessly, and then hurriedly shake my head.

In my heart, I mutter, “Weren’t you the one who came asking me about the wrong data…”

Victor: None? Very good. But I have a question for you.

Victor folds his arms on the desk and looks at me.

Victor: You’ve been avoiding me today?

MC: N-no I have not!

Victor: How so?

MC: …

I have nothing to say in response, and lack the guts to look at Victor. I stare at my toes.

I hear the sound of him getting up and his footsteps coming towards me. I feel his breath on my skin. I instinctively shift backwards, but he holds on to my waist to stop me.

I hear his voice from the top of my head.

Victor: Am I very scary?

I’m frozen to the spot, unable to answer.

The palm of his hand is slightly warm. The heat seeps through my clothes and onto my skin. I have nowhere to escape.

Victor: You look as if…

Victor pauses and lets out a sigh.

Victor: I let you sit in during the negotiation for you to learn. Not to let your wild imagination be used for things that serve no purpose. Ask me directly if you have any questions, instead of troubling your own IQ.

MC: …

Victor and his usual snarky comments.

I lift my head to look at Victor. His eyes lack the same coldness they had during the negotiation, but they carry an unreadable emotion.

This person… is he trying to explain himself because he can sense that I am avoiding him…

Victor: Do you still have any questions for me?

MC: …Yes, I have one question.

Victor: Speak your mind.

MC: …I heard that an elderly worker made a tiny mistake, one that could be ignored, but you fired him?

Victor:  You’re very free today. You even have time to listen to gossip.

I duck my head slightly in embarrassment. Victor sees this and laughs in a low voice. I feel his grip on my waist tighten.

Victor: What else?

I shake my head.

Victor: Listen well. I don’t have the time to bother myself with trivial mistakes. Furthermore, firing someone requires legitimate and reasonable justifications.

I feel Victor releasing another sigh. After pondering for a moment, he continues.

Victor: As for the negotiation earlier… that’s a necessary technique.

He really looks like… he’s explaining himself to me.

Right now, Victor may not be gentle, but he doesn’t come across as aggressive.  

Victor: Are you still scared?

With my face beet red, I shake my head again. Satisfied, Victor retracts his hand.

Victor: All right. Make a reservation at a restaurant then.

MC: Huh?

Why does he suddenly want to make a reservation? I haven’t even corrected the data yet…

Victor, as though reading my thoughts, continues.

Victor: Even though your data is strange, it doesn’t stump me.

MC: …

Victor: Don’t forget the restaurant.

MC: How about Souvenir?

Victor casts me a glance.

Victor: I’m very busy today.

I nod my head vigorously. He spent the entire morning on the negotiation, and having to cook at night… Even King Kong would be tired to the point of paralysis.

~

MC: I didn’t ask what kind of restaurant Victor wanted, or who he was going with…

MC leaves the office and looks for a restaurant on her phone. She finally decides on one and notifies Victor, who doesn’t reply. After a successful negotiation with Yuan Shan, he calls out to her:

Victor: Let’s go for dinner.

He says this naturally, but I don’t know how to react.

MC: …Don’t you have plans tonight?

Victor: You picked the restaurant yourself, so I should like it.

The restaurant is in a rather inconvenient location, so they have to walk quite a distance to reach it. MC is wearing an uncomfortable pair of stilettos. He notices that her expression is off.

Victor looks at my stilettos, takes my hand in his, and slows down his pace.

Victor: Idiot.

The temperature of his hand flows into other parts of my body. Although only a mere second passed, both my cheeks are already flushed. I unconsciously wiggle my fingers but his hand simply grips even more tightly instead.

Victor: Such thin high heels, are you trying to sprain your ankle?

MC: Of course not!

Victor: Then be obedient.

He doesn’t continue, leading me to the restaurant slowly.

MC: Victor, why did you suddenly invite me to dinner? I thought you were going to eat with some important guest, so I specially picked this…

…exorbitantly priced restaurant with a meal that will take hours to complete…

Victor: What, do you want to go somewhere else?

MC: …No need!

They proceed to have an evening of fine dining.

Victor: I didn’t expect that you’d be competent at picking out a restaurant.

MC: What do you mean by “didn’t expect”? It’s just picking a restaurant. My work is so much better than this…

The corners of Victor’s lips waver, but he doesn’t speak.

Under the warm yellow lights, I suddenly feel that the Victor in front of me and the Victor earlier in the day are two completely different people.

I ponder for a moment and decide to ask a question.

MC: Are the reports I give you really that bad? Is that why…

Victor continues ladling his soup, lifting his eyes towards me.

Victor: When I pick out mistakes, it means you have space for improvement.

Even though his answer is short, he says it seriously.

Their meal takes hours to complete.

While walking out the door, Victor naturally takes my hand in his.

Victor: Why is your hand so cold?

MC: Maybe the food we ate just now was on the colder side?

Victor: Let’s find a place to have something warm.

MC: Huh?

Did Victor not have enough? 

The portions just now were quite small, and easy to digest.

It’s already late, so most restaurants would be closed…

I think for a moment.

MC: How about going to a food street for supper!

As predicted, Victor’s expression reveals a look of distaste.

MC: It’s really delicious… I always have wonton and spicy stir-fried river snail there with Willow and Kiki!

[Note] Wonton is a type of Chinese dumpling

Seeing how my eyes sparkle excitedly, Victor can only give in.

Victor: All right.

Victor parks his car outside the food street and they go to the store.

MC: Boss, I want a big portion of spicy stir-fried river snail! And two bowls of wonton!

Boss: Yo MC, you’re alone today? Where are the other two ladies?

MC: They’re busy so they can’t come. I’m not alone though!

I introduce the boss to Victor, who is standing behind me with a cold expression on his face.

MC: This… this is my friend Victor.

Boss: Ah, this lad is not bad, rather serious hahaha~  Lad, spicy or non-spicy?

Victor: Either way is fine.

Boss: This MC – she can’t take spicy food but always wants maximum spiciness, and even adds a layer of chili powder into the soup hahahaha~

A little embarrassed, I stick out my tongue.

MC: That’s only because your wontons and chili powder are just so delicious that I can’t do without them!

Victor looks at me, his voice carrying with it a rare smile.

Victor: Wouldn’t have expected you to have such a quirk.

MC: What “quirk”? This is clearly an interest… No, a hobby!

Victor arches an eyebrow.

Victor: Quirk. It means the person has an interest that differs from other people.

MC: Fine fine fine, and this CEO likes collecting small toys!

Victor’s expression suddenly falls. Meanwhile, I continue treading these dangerous grounds.

MC: For example, a cute lamp…

Victor: …

The food is served and Victor tries them.

Victor: I’ve never had such… interesting food in a long time. It tastes very good.

MC: Ah? … Which tastes better – this or the food from the restaurant just now?

Victor taps the bowl of wontons and points to the food in front of us, probably saying that the food here tastes better.

I smile, my eyes crinkling in happiness.

MC: Come to think of it, the best things I’ve eaten would be the food you make, and the food prepared by the boss here would be in second place.

Victor laughs lightly.

Victor: You dummy. Food doesn’t exist solely to pander to one’s tastes or to fill one’s stomach. There’s something more important - “companionship”.

MC: ?

Victor: It’s okay if you don’t understand.

MC: I understand!

Victor turns to look at me, a serious look on his face. I think for a moment before speaking.

MC: It means that when you eat with certain people, even delicacies can become tasteless. And when you eat with certain people, even cold soup can become excellent!

Victor: Although the way you express it is a little lacking, the idea not wrong.

Must Victor’s agreement carry with it a flavor of ridicule as well…

When I look up again, I notice some sauce at the corner of Victor’s lips.

He doesn’t seem to have noticed, taking his time to finish the food in front of him.

Seeing him like this, I let out a laugh.

MC: Victor, come here a little~

Victor: ?

Victor leans towards me.

I reach out to help him wipe off the traces of sauce. He is stunned for a moment, then grabs onto my hand before I can retract it. His warmth travels across my entire body.

Suddenly, time seems to have stopped…

Under the luster of the lights, the steam from the food rises. Victor’s face seems to fill my entire vision. I can hear the faint noise from the crowd, food stall owners shouting, the sound of food being cooked…

These sounds tell me that time is ticking on…

It’s just… me…

I feel a thin layer of Victor’s breath slowly encasing my surroundings. I can almost hear his heart beat. It beats with strength.

He looks at my shocked expression, and slowly opens his mouth.

Victor: Just now, you asked why I invited you to join me for dinner. I think you already know the reason.

Through the steam, I can see a rare tenderness in his eyes. As well as the seriousness that has never left.

Victor: I know people think I’m unreasonable, or even scary. But the last thing I want is for you to be that person.

[kansastan]

Jong-in: I’m still practicing so it’s not very good... Hoseok: WE SHALL BE MARRIED IN THE MORNING my mc, Jong-in, for the amazing @precious-if wip