#HIM CALLING SAN BEAUTIFUL WHEN SHE WAS LITERALLY ABOUT TO KILL HER??? | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

maddogofshimano · 1 year ago

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The Boss’s Date Coaching

oh baby it's another Goromi event! this one's a board game with Nishida as our protagonist

the board music was Receive You the Madtype

I thought it was kind of funny that they were squeezing another Goromi event in when her character story and past event already covered............. basically every single moment available in YK1! but that's okay.

because this one doesn't take place in YK1

as a brief aside on pronouns, I’m sticking with she/her for any references to Goromi. the term for boss Nishida uses for her, 親父, is explicitly masculine in the same way that patriarch in english is, but I’m not factoring that in for this translation

I will put a content warning that there's a brief attempted sexual assault in this, it's only a few lines and is resolved very quickly but it is there

summary: It is 2006. Goromi is waiting for Kiryu to arrive at SHINE to help out a hostess so she can (once again) surprise him. Nishida has a date coming up, and in her boredom Goromi decides she'll teach him the secrets of a woman's heart.

[2006] [After Kiryu Kazuma was released from prison….] (Tl note: the first time I completely blew past the fact that this said 2006 and not 2005. But I guess 2006 is technically after Kiryu was released from prison, so.) Goromi: ……Kiryu-chan, you're takin' so long~.

Goromi: Nishida! Are ya absolutely sure ya actually emailed him?

Nishida: Y-Yes! I'm positive I did...

Goromi: Then why ain't he come here? Nishida: Kiryu-san is… a really busy person, so… he must have gotten himself caught up in something…. (tl note: Nishida refers to Kiryu as Kiryu no ojiki, which is literally your uncle who is younger than your dad, and in yakuza terms usually means a patriarch less senior than your own. I'm going with -san for simplicity of showing he's being deferential)

Goromi: ……..Well, a burly guy like Kiryu-chan probably gets tons of invites. Goromi: But I got all this time to kill~. …Nishida, ain't there just nothin' interesting? Nishida: I-I guess so… Goromi: Kaaa~… When there's a girl this cute with nothin' to do, ya oughta be helpin' her kill some time! <phone buzzes> Nishida: …! (tl note: this is literally the first time Nishida has looked not extremely worried)

Goromi: Oh! Is it from Kiryu-chan!?

Nishida: N… No, it wasn't. Goromi: What the hell. Who's it from? Nishida: Umm… well… Goromi: …You're stallin'. Give it here! Nishida: Ah… Goromi: …"I had a lot of fun on our date on Saturday, Rina"… This is… Nishida, did'ya get yourself a girlfriend? (Tl note: it's not……….. it's not YK1 SHINE hostess and known lesbian Rina, right? it's a different Rina……. right???) Nishida: No, it's not that serious…! We just met when I went to a group-dating event the other day… Nishida: Then we emailed a little… and she ended up asking me out on a date… Goromi: Ohh~… Seems like she's into ya. What kinda girl is she? And what do ya think of her? Nishida: Umm… here's a picture from the group dating. Nishida: She's a really sweet, attentive, and kind, and we get along… I think it'd be really great if we ended up dating…

Goromi: ……… Nishida: …Boss? Is something wrong? Is there something strange about the photo? Goromi: …Just shocked. A beautiful lady like her is all but wasted on ya. Nishida: …Y-Yeah, I think so too. I'm not even sure why she ended up contacting me at all… Goromi: ….I got it! This situation calls for me to step in and help ya, yeah? (Tl note: Goromi is using "washi" as her personal pronoun here, which is what Majima usually uses when he's speaking as a boss, or "ore". Goromi usually goes with "watashi" but does use "ore" when Kiryu catches her off-guard) Nishida: Eh? Goromi: To make sure yer date goes well, I'm gonna teach ya all about a woman's heart! Nishida: Eh… Goromi: And I've got tooons of free time right now… aren't ya lucky~! Goromi: Hang tight! This is gonna be "the heart of a woman: lesson 1"! <Goromi leaves, presumably to make slides or get props or something> Nishida: I-……… I have a bad feeling about this… Nishida: I think my boss is just… doing something absurd to me to kill time while waiting for Kiryu-san to show up… (Tl note: lol this time it was actually -san. just gotta be EXTRA formal talking about Kiryu around Goromi, I guess) Nishida: No… it's bad to assume. It's possible that my boss might honestly be trying to help me… Nishida: …She said this was lesson one on a woman's heart… How many lessons is she planning? <scene transition to later> Goromi: …I've come~! And I've brought pleeenty of booze~! (Tl note: Goromi says お・ま・た～！ which I presume is a shortening of お待たせしました as in "sorry to have kept you waiting" but omata on its own is uh. it's vulva. it's vulva and that sort of crotch area. hence my translation of trying to get some kind of weird double entendre there) <sound of a cork popping> Nishida: Wh-Why are you filling that tower of glasses with alcohol… Goromi: I thought I'd show ya how to drink. I brought a buncha different kinds. Goromi: Sake, shochu, wine, whiskey, cocktails, plum brandy, beer, take your pick! Go on, drink whatever ya want! Nishida: A-Alright… Nishida: (…Boss… did say she was going to teach me about the hearts of women… so does that mean this is a test?) Nishida: (In that case… a cocktail is probably bad… that's something a girl would pick, I think…) (tl note: NISHIDA NO DON'T LOSE TO THE TOXIC MASCULINITY) Nishida: …Boss. I'd like a whiskey and cola to drink, please. Goromi: Ohh… Whiskey, huh…? Nishida: Well then… cheers. Nishida: (The way I drink will probably also be judged… the manly way to do it is in one shot…)

<horrible gulping sounds and the glass hitting the table> Nishida: …Thank you! Goromi: Oooh, yer a big drinker, huh? Goromi: Although… did ya notice anythin' strange? Nishida: Eh? Something strange…? Now that you mention it, the taste was a little bit peculiar… <stomach noise> Nishida: My… my stomach's… Wh-What did you put in that, boss!? Goromi: Dumbass! You were so complacent ya didn't even realize that thing was fulla laxatives! Nishida: L-Laxatives!? Why did you.. guhh… Goromi: And now ya know lesson one of how women's hearts work: "I don't want to be with a man who would easily be poisoned to death!" Goromi: If you're a man, ya gotta be cautious of anythin' that gets served to ya, cause ya could get poisoned!

Nishida: Th-That's… unreasonable… Nishida: (…I think my worries were correct… She's just using me for amusement to kill some time…) <stomach gurgling> Nishida: Ughhh… S-Sorry… gotta… bathroom… Goromi: …No can do. If ya wanna go to the bathroom, ya gotta beat up that guy. Nishida: …Eh? <footsteps> Beefy Majima Family Member: …Sorry, Nishida no aniki. Boss says I gotta.

Nishida: Y-You… Goromi: Now, after poisonin' ya, this ruffian's here to snatch your pretty girlfriend! Goromi: Nishda! Endure that stomach ache 'n win! Show Goromi-chan somethin' good! Nishida: Ughuugh… Y-Yes… boss!!!! Beefy Majima Family Member: Well… I hope you'll forgive me, Nishida no aniki. (Tl note: I did shorten that name to "beefy member" and then reconsidered)

<fight happens> <sounds of a toilet flushing> Nishida: Haa… Haa… Just in the nick of time… Goromi: Heh, ya gotta a lotta willpower to avoid havin' an accident like that, huh? Here, drink this so ya don't get dehydrated. Nishida: Ah, some water? Thank you, Boss. <drinking sounds> Nishida: …What the… it's a little bitter…? Boss, what's up with this water-- <Nishida hits the ground> Goromi: Dumbass! I just told ya, don't make it so easy to slip ya sleepin' pills like that! Goromi: …When ya wake up, I'm gonna train ya until ya can identify every kind of poison by taste. Buckle up, buttercup. Nishida: Uugh… uughhh… that's……. impossibleee…. <END PART 1>

[While waiting on Kiryu to finally arrive, Goromi learns of an upcoming date and uses her free time to instruct Nishida on the matters of a woman's heart.] [After drinking poisoned booze, Nishida has learned lesson number one, "girls don't want guys who are easily poisoned".]

Nishida: (Boss… She told me to wait outside for the next lesson on a woman's heart…)

Nishida: (This lesson comes after poisoning… What sort of terrifying part of the female psyche is she going to teach…) Goromi: I've come~ 🎶 (Tl note: yeah. yeah it's the same one. yeah) Nishida: Ah, boss. What's the next lesson going to… be? <Goromi appears with a whole army of goons> Goromi: A woman's heart: lesson 2! "Obviously I like strong men 🎶"! (Tl note: this is probably the same line she says to Kiryu about her type of man, but I'm too lazy to double check OR look up what she exactly said in english)

Goromi: A man's not a real man at all if he ain't tough! Now you're gonna tussle with these guys! Goromi: Smash up these ten opponents, and show a gal what she likes to see in a man! Nishida: No… this is… just the boss's pastime… Nishida: She said this was about a woman's heart… but this is more like training in a battle manga… Goromi: Let's get it rollin'! Get it done nice 'n quick! Goromi: Oi, everyone! No goin' easy just cause it's 10 on 1, I want everyone goin' all out against Nishida! Majima Family Members: Roarrrrrrrr!!!! Nishida: ….Crap… Guess there's no avoiding it…! Nishida: Haa… Haa… (tl note: THIS WASN'T THE OBLIGATORY FIGHT? I THOUGHT THIS WAS GOING TO BE THE FIGHT IS THERE ANOTHER??)

<a goon slides in> Nishida: !?

<Nishida gets smacked> Nishida: Guh…! <A new goon slides in> Majima Family Member A: Haa! Nishida: Crap! <Nishida steps away> Nishida: Haa… Haa… Nishida: (When there's this many opponents… while you're busy with one guy, another will circle around behind you…) Nishida: (They're not that strong if I can take them on one by one, but I can't fight them properly when they're in my blind spots…) Nishida: (What the hell do I do…) Nishida: …..! That's it….! Goromi: …Seems like ya figured it out. Goromi: Everyone! What're ya standin' around for! Go beat the shit outta Nishida! Majima Family Member A: Y-Yes! <scene change> Nishida: Yes… right here…

Majima Member A: Oi! It's too cramped to go together! Majima Member B: Shit… this is… too narrow! Nishida: (Yes… This narrow alleyway forces them to come down it one at a time…) Nishida: (Since I don't have to keep watching my back, this negates their numbers advantage in close quarters.) Nishida: …What's wrong, come at me! Otherwise it'll be the boss that's hitting you! Nishida: …Time to go…! Nishida no aniki! Please don't hold this against me!

Majima Member D: Gahh…

Nishida: Haa… Haa… Somehow… I won… Goromi: Ya did it, Nishida! Now ya don't gotta be worried when ya get jumped by a buncha thugs!

Nishida: Um… I think I will still be worried… Goromi: Well, if they really wanted ya dead they woulda done ya in the first time you stumbled… Goromi: Eh, we'll call it good enough this time. Ya passed lesson 2 of a woman's heart, "Obviously I like strong men 🎶" ! Nishida: Th-Thank you very much… Goromi: Now, this will be the final thing I can teach you about a woman's heart… A woman's heart: lesson 3… Are ya ready? Nishida: Y…..Yes. Nishida: (Next is the final one, huh…) Nishida: (I figured that if she's just doing this to kill time, she'd get tired of these sorts of antics… but this is faster than I thought.) Nishida: (But I can't let my guard down. Lessons 1 and 2 were seriously absurd… What on earth will lesson 3 be?) <music changes to the more emotional soft track> Goromi: A question for ya. Right now… what do ya think Goromi-chan wants? (Tl note: I misread it as "what do you think of Goromi-chan" at first and was like, so scared to continue. I was shook by the possibility of Goromi emotional vulnerability momence)

Nishida: …Eh? Goromi: What's wrong? Answer already. I wanna know whatcha think I'm after. Nishida: Eh… Well… Nishida: (What do I say… The number one thing my boss would probably want is to fight with Kiryu-san.) Nishida: (But, that would be way too easy for this quiz… what the hell… what is it…) Goromi: …Figured out your answer? Nishida: ……….. Nishida: ……Sorry, I don't know. Nishida: I thought getting to fight Kiryu-san would be it, but… I'm not confident enough in that to commit to it. Goromi: …Ya got it. "I dunno" is the right answer. Nishida: Eh? Goromi: The final lesson on women's hearts: "Don't presume to know a woman when you're only looking at one side of her".

Goromi: Every woman has her own circumstances. Goromi: A woman who loves sweets can still have days where she wants something spicy, and there are women who will claim to hate what they actually like. (Tl note: .............................................................................hey when this is in direct response to Goromi's number one desire being a fight with Kiryu. there's. hmm.) Goromi: So, don't look at just one aspect of a woman and think ya know everything about her, okay? Goromi: Women are deeply complex, living beings, despite what men think. ...Got it? Nishida: Y-Yes...! I will take your words to heart! Goromi: ...Alright, good. I taught ya about the female psyche, so make good use of it on your date. Nishida: Y... Yes! Goromi: Well then, time to head back to the club. I got a feelin' that Kiryu-chan might be there soon.

<she leaves> Nishida: While the other two were obviously farces... it feels like that last one was surprisingly genuine. Nishida: Guess it makes sense, after she got tired of doing the absurd. But, that doesn't seem quite right... hmmm... Nishida: Still, something to make use of on my date... Nishida: "Don't presume to know a woman when you're only looking at one side of her" is good to keep in mind... Nishida: But "I don't want to be with a man who would easily be poisoned to death!" and "Obviously I like strong men 🎶" are-- Nishida: Maybe not as helpful... <END PART 2>

[I'm skipping the recap lol but today's the day of the date] Rina: Hehe, I thought the same thing during the group date, but talking to you is really easy, Nishida-san...

Rina: I was really nervous to ask you out, but I'm glad I gathered up the courage 🎶 Nishida: Oh, nah... I was worried we wouldn't be that good of a fit, too. Nishida: ........ Rina: ...? What's going on? You keep looking around the perimeter. Do you have a friend here? Nishida: Ah, no... it's nothing. Sorry, it's just nerves. Rina: Ah, no worries then! Really, I thought it was cute, you looked like a baby animal. Nishida: C-Cute...? Is that so... Nishida: (I can't tell her that I'm traumatized from my boss's training, and that I'm looking for a good spot to fight a pack of thugs...) Nishida: (Or that I'm being cautious about drinking the water brought to me in case it's been poisoned...) Nishida: (The boss's lessons on a woman's heart... my body sure remembers them, huh... ha...) Rina: Ah, that's right! Listen to this! I'm not making this up, the other day at the park, I saw a squirrel-- (Tl note: I thought that was just, the end of her sentence at first. she's just REALLY excited about squirrels) <scene transition to outside> Rina: Nishida-san, your recommendation of restaurant was delicious! I'm definitely bringing all my friends there 🎶

Nishida: I'm glad. I like going there because it's fairly cheap while still being delicious. Rina: Cheap and delicious restaurants are the best. I feel like it being cheap makes it taste even better, you know? Nishida: Ah, I get you! It's really a question of mood. This restaurant here is also good. There's this pork fried with ginger and grated daikon on top-- Rina: Hehe, you sure know your eateries Nishida-san. I'll have to rely on you next time I can't decide where to go eat~. Rina: ................So...... What are you doing after this? (tl note: NISHIDA SCORES?) Nishida: Eh? Umm... What am I doing. Maybe... getting drinks? Rina: ...Could we go somewhere to rest a bit? There's a place where we can talk slow and relaxed. (tl note: NISHIDA GETS SCAMMED?) Nishida: Eh? Somewhere to rest and relax? That's... Rina: Hehe... You'll have fun if you go. Come on. <another scene transition> Nishida: This is... the place?

Nishida: (BAR, huh... The hallway to the bathroom would be good to use if I'm outnumbered...) (Tl note: yeah the bar is named. BAR. in english. which is just great for translating) Nishida: (I'm still hung up on my boss's training, it really messed me up... I'm not the protagonist of a battle manga...) Rina: What do you think? I find it very relaxing, and since it's a hole-in-the-wall kind of place there's not crowded so you can really take your time and talk. (Tl note: very funnily hole-in-the-wall is fairly direct, the jpn being 穴場 or "hole place") Nishida: Ahh, you're right, this is a very relaxing place. Rina: Yeah. ...Hmm? Nishida-san, did you perhaps think it was something naughty? (tl note: well I sure did) Nishida: N-No... I-It's nothing like that...! Rina: Hehe, no need to panic. I just said it to make you conscious of it 🎶 (Tl note: struggling with the second sentence here, it's ふふっ、慌てなくてもいいですよ。ちょっと意識させようと思って言いましたし🎶) Nishida: Eh...? Muscular Bartender: ...Are you ready to order?

Rina: For me, a kahlua milk! Nishida: Umm... How about... Barley shochu. (Tl note: 麦の水割り, which probably has a better word for it but that's my best guess) Bartender: ...Alright. Here's your kahlua milk and barley shochu. Rina: Well then, kanpaiii 🎶 Nishida: Ahh, kanpai! (Tl note: Nishida why do you say kanpai in full kanji you fucking dweeb) Nishida: (I keep thinking my boss might emerge from beneath the bar, so I'm worried about this drink being poisoned...) Nishida: (There's no way it's actually poisoned... though... hmm... there's a bitterness...) Rina: ...? Is something wrong, Nishida-san? Nishida: No... it's just, this tastes like the sleeping pills my boss made me take... Bartender: ....! Nishida: Yep... My boss made me take sleeping pills over and over, and this... tastes exactly like those sleeping pills. I don't know why it would be sleeping pills... Rina: IIII have no idea why that would be. Right, bartender? Bartender: ...Sir, we are an upstanding business. We don't take false accusations lightly. Nishida: Ah, no, I didn't even say you put them in there... Nishida: But someone could have put them in there to cause trouble for you, so the police should check the other drinks to be sure Bartender: ....Tch. Oi. <a bunch of thugs jump out> Nishida: !? Bartender: You all, this guy's making up lies about us. Shake him down for some apology money to make up for it. Nishida: No, I'm not accusing you of anything. All I'm saying is a quick confirmation-- Bartender: You all! Get him! Nishida: (They aren't listening... I'm getting the feeling that the sleeping pills weren't in there on accident.) Nishida: (I'm up against 4 opponents. If they surround me I'm done for..... that's it! I just need time.) Nishida: Rina-san! Hide in the bathroom! Rina: Uh... r-right! Bartender: Wait! Do you really want to hide somewhere with no exit? Bartender: ...What's the point...? Is he going to bunker down in the hallway... Nishida: I know there's no way out of this... Only Rina-san will be hiding. Nishida: (This narrow corridor in front of the bathroom, it'll force them to come one at a time. This is my only way to win.) Bartender: ...Heh... You went through all that trouble to run, only to go for a narrow hallway with no way out.

Bartender: You'll regret ever speaking a single false word about my drinks!!!!

Bartender: S-... stupid...

<he hits the ground> Nishida: Haa... Haa... That was close. Nishida: If I didn't make use of those tight quarters, I would have been a goner as soon as they got behind me. Nishida: All thanks to that training my boss gave me on fighting multiple opponents... Nishida: And the fact that I had to drink sleeping pilsl and laxatives so I'd know what they tasted like... that ended up being useful too. <the door opens> Rina: N-Nishida-san... are you okay? ...Eh!? You... beat all of them? Nishida: Yeah... somehow, I managed it. I think we should get out of here before they wake up. Rina: Umm, no... I'm... Nishida: ....? What's wrong? Rina: I-It's... it's nothing... L-Let's go. <back outside> Rina: ...Yeah, I had no idea it was that kind of establishment. I really never thought they would attack you and try to take your money...

Nishida: ...Hey, Rina-san. Earlier, why did you want to stay in the bar? Rina: Eh... th-that's... well... Nishida: ......... Nishida: ............If... If you're... an accomplice to that bar, it would be a good idea to stop doing that. Nishida: If you keep it up... I think you'll end up in a really bad situation some day. Rina: .....That's my choice, isn't it? Nishida: Eh...? Rina: ...Don't start talking like you're my boyfriend after one date! All you are to me is a source of revenue! Nishida: R-...Rina-san? Rina: It was me, I'm working with that bar, I took you there specifically to fuck you over! So? Happy now!? Rina: And now you've ceased to be useful to me. ...Never contact me again. <she leaves> Nishida: R-Rina-san... Nishida: ...I thought she was nice girl, too... Nishida: "Don't presume to know a woman when you're only looking at one side of her", huh. It's exactly like my boss said. Nishida: Boss... There's no way you expected all of this to happen, right...? Nishida: Rina-san went back to the store. I wonder... does she plan on doing the same thing again? Nishida: ............. <END PART 3>

Bartender: Shit... What's with that helmet bastard.... (Tl note: this is when I realized this was for real in 2006 and not a typo or a timeline mistake. which also means that Goromi hostess dates with Kiryu were a recurrent thing)

<Rina enters> Rina: .................. Bartender: So you're back... Why the fuck did you bring such a huge pain in the ass here? Rina: ......I already told you, this is was the last time. I'm done. Erase the photo of Keiko from your phone. (Tl note: name is 恵子 which has multiple readings) Bartender: What was that? Rina: The nude photo you took of Keiko and blackmailed me with! You said you'd erase it if I brought 10 people here! Bartender: Ain't happening. I didn't get any cash from that last one. You gotta do it again. Rina: That's bullshit! You all messed up, not me! Rina: If you try to make me do any more I'm going to the police, so hurry up and delete the photo already! Bartender: You really want your bestie's nude erased, huh. If so... going to the cops is going to be a problem. Bartender: So... <another goon slides in> Rina: !?

Bartender: I'll just have to get a photo of you next, so that doesn't happen. <goon grabs her> Rina: L-Let go...! Bartender: Just some nudity won't be enough for opposing me. We'll make an extra hard video... heheh. Rina: N-.... No-- <the door slams open> Bartender: !? <a punch lands> Strong looking man: Guh...

<he hits the floor> Nishida: ...I heard what you said. Rina-san, you did this all to help your friend.

Rina: N-Nishida-san... Why did you come here? Nishida: "Don't presume to know a woman when you're only looking at one side of her", that's what my boss taught me. Nishida: It was a really horrible feeling, when I thought I had been betrayed by a girl who seemed nice and kind. Rina: ........ Nishida: But, at the same time I had another thought. Fucking me over was just one aspect of you. Nishida: So I came here to see the whole picture and be able to understand it. Nishida: ...I'm glad I believed what my boss taught me. I would have regretted it if I left the situation alone, thinking I understood it. Rina: Nishida-san... Bartender: Heh, I get to see some cheap melodrama. It's real convenient you came back here, shithead.

Bartender: I was careless last time, but it won't happen again. You're going to regret coming back to rescue that woman!!!! Nishida: (This time I won't be able to make use of the bathroom hallway.) Nishida: (So far I've been able to scrape by thanks to my boss's special training...) Nishida: (But I wasn't taught anything for this situation. This will be a test of my own strength!) Nishida: I may not have any help from my boss, but... I will protect Rina-san, with my own power!

Bartender: Fuck... er...

<he hits the floor> Nishida: Haa... Haa... I... won... <Nishida also hits the floor> Rina: N-Nishida-san! <and he's back up> Nishida: ...I'll be fine... Quick, go delete... your friend's photo from his phone, please. Rina: Ah, r-right! <scene transition, police sirens wail> Nishida: ...Sounds like the cops are coming. Rina: Seems so. I'm... going to tell the police everything. I'm not going to run from my punishment. Nishida: You only did it because you were being threatened... I'm sure the punishment won't be that harsh.

Rina: ...Nishida-san. <she hugs him> Nishida: ...!

Rina: ...Thank you. Rina: My boyfriend is going to be mad that I'm saying this, but... you looked really hot... seriously, thank you. (Tl note: ohhhhhhhh I knew this wouldn't work out but RIP Nishida. he never scored) Nishida: Eh... <outside now> Nishida: ...Well, I guess she really has a boyfriend.

Nishida: But, it's fine. It's not like this kind of thing is about dating. Majima Family Member: Oh! Nishida! Are you okay!? I've been worried sick! Nishida: ...Eh? Wh-What? Majima Member: Lately, there's been a lot of nasty sleep-robbery bars. There was this picture of a woman floating around that we're supposed to watch out for... Majima Member: Here, this woman. And someone saw you walking around with her, so I got worried, you know? (Tl note: bisexual rebound time?)

Nishida: This is... Rina-san!? I guess she did say she'd done that a lot, so it makes sense there would be rumors... Majima Member: Hold on... You already knew? Nishida: Ah, yeah... But, she's washed her hands of it all, so could you please stop circulating that photo? Majima Member: ...Well, if you don't want me to, then I guess there's nothing more to be done. Nishida: I'm glad... Um, did that photo possible get shown to our boss? Majima Member: Hm? Ah, yeah he was shown it. About 3 days ago, I think. Nishida: 3 days ago... So all those lessons about a woman's heart from yesterday were... for this. <flashback> Goromi: What kinda girl is she? And what do ya think of her?

Nishida: Umm... here's a picture from the group dating. Nishida: She's a really sweet, attentive, and kind, and we get along... I think it'd be really great if we ended up dating... Goromi: ......... Nishida: ...Boss? Is something wrong? Is there something strange about the photo? Goromi: ...Just shocked. A beautiful lady like her is all but wasted on ya. <flashback over> Nishida: (Now I understand that reaction... Boss must've realized who Rina-san was...) Nishida: (All those lessons about a woman's heart... In the end it was what saved me.) Nishida: (Was... all of that just so... I wouldn't get sleep-robbed...!?) Nishida: ...Do you know where our boss is right now? Majima Member: The boss? Pretty sure she said something about waiting for Kiryu-san at SHINE. Nishida: Thanks. <Nishida walks off> Majima Member: H-Hey. Nishida! (tl note: RIP unnamed Majima Family Member, he never scored)

<now at SHINE> Nishida: Umm... The boss is... there!

Nishida: Boss! Thank you so much! Because I kept all of your lessons in mind, the date today went perfectly! Nishida: Boss... You knew about what Rina-san was up to, didn't you... So you secretly did all that for my sake-- Goromi: ...Ooh, Nishida! Perfect timin'! Nishida: Eh...? Goromi: Kiryu-chan just came to the club! The plan was a massive success! Goromi: That surprised look on Kiryu-chan's face... Fun conversations leading to a fun fight! I had the greatest time!

Nishida: A-Ahh! Is that so! That's really great! Nishida: So anyways boss, about what I was telling you regarding the date... Goromi: Your date? What's that got to do with Kiryu-chan? Nishida: Um... nothing I suppose... Goromi: Then why would I wanna hear about dumb shit like that? Goromi: I'm busy draftin' up a plan for my next fight with Kiryu-chan! Ya better get plannin' right away too!

Nishida: Ah, r... right... Got it. Goromi: Hehe, my blood's already pumpin'! Now, what next to entertain Kiryu-chan~! (Tl note: "blood's already pumping" is 腕が鳴るでえ which is more literally "my arm is ringing/rumbling" or "I'm itching to put my skills to use") <she leaves> Nishida: (...Well, that's fine. No matter what the truth is, I'm certain that it's all thanks to my boss that I'm still alive.) Nishida: (More importantly... I need to properly return the favor.)

Nishida: Boss! Wait up, please! I'll think of something great too! <END>

and then here's all of Nishida's various thoughts on things from the board game:

Kiryu-no-ojiki

A man known as the Dragon of Dojima who is absurdly strong in a fight. He’s my boss’s very favorite. Only as a fighter, though...

Alcohol

Drinking alcohol is a great stress reliever! But you have to be careful not to over do it. You should drink rather than be drunk.

Boss’s High Heels

My boss wore these while working at a cabaret club and turned them into a deadly weapon. Getting kicked by them would surely kill...

SHINE

A cabaret club where my boss occasionally works as a hostess. The store has a good reputation, but the customers my boss serves must have a difficult time...

Boss

My boss. Occasionally my boss puts on a dress and works as a hostess, but there’s never been any complaints. Though, would anyone really push on that...

Butterfly Necktie

The necktie I wear while working as a waiter. It may look like a ribbon, but it’s actually very common in formal settings.

Downtown Chinpira

Is this guy running shakedowns!? Bullying the weak is something only cowards do! Guys like this need to be taught a lesson!

The Majima Family A leading group within the Tojo Clan that's known for its violent conflicts. The family is a group of ruffians, I don't know why I ended up in it...

Majima Family Members

They're a violent and strange bunch, but if you take the time to really talk with them they’re surprisingly pleasant company. Well, they do still look scary...

Kamurocho

Painted in gaudy neon, it’s Japan’s number one entertainment district. The first time I came here, I was shocked at how many people there were.

and VERY FINALLY bonus stuff, namely the two cards! Goromi, the dreadful luck hostess, and Nishida, the mad dog’s errand boy.

this one was sooooooooooooooooooo long but also we got lore that Goromi was NOT a one-off event. which is so much more than I could have ever hoped for. I also love that Kiryu has apparently gotten the text from Nishida on multiple occasions and is shocked every time that Goromi is there waiting on him. and they still go on the date, every time

it’s not even rituals at that point they’re just using Nishida as a date coordinator with the flimsiest pretext in the world. this is that guy fighting the waffle house cook levels of pretext

#yakuza #rgg #rggo #Ryu ga Gotoku #ryu ga gotoku online #Goromi #Nishida #like a dragon

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moanz111 · 7 days ago

Text

✩°⋆｡ system error ⋆｡°✩ - 34

chapter 34 ✧ - i'm sorry - written +texts

< previous ✧ m.list ✧ next >

synopsis ✧ you've always dreamt of having your fantasy-like love story. naturally, hearing the sweet melodic ring of your love alarm was what you wanted the most, right? until it actually happened. four times.

wc ✧ 1.4 k

pairing ✧ uni student! choi san x fem! uni student! reader

warnings/tags ✧ instant attraction (just soulmates stuff), party mentioned, getting drunk (but not to the point of not being able to make decisions), angst, miscommunication (more like not enough communication)(sorry), san's kind of insecure, heartbreak, unhealthy coping mechanism (self-distancing), this is very long so get ready, everyone's confused, use of a pet name (yunjin calls reader baby but she always does so...)(i always forget to tag it sawryy), lmk if i've missed something

Being a senior in university wasn’t as fun as many would think. Too many classes, too many assignments, too many dance routines to memorise and quite literally nothing of much interest happening around you.

At least, that was San’s reality. Wake up, work out, go to classes, practice with Yeonjun and Wooyoung, go home, sleep, repeat. It wasn’t like it was that bad, but a little fun wouldn’t kill anyone, right?

San kept wondering what was missing, what was that thing that his soul kept yearning for? He had considered taking a gap year or even completely changing his major, but nothing seemed to really hit home the more he thought about it. Start a job? With that schedule it was out of the question. Dating? Well, there were potential prospects around him, but it was too much work and emotional investment.

That was until the day he met you.

At first, it wasn’t anything evoking excitement in him. As usual, his friends were going to drag him to the freshman welcoming party to “scare” the newcomers, but San didn’t really want to do that or talk to any people or get drunk or dance, but duty called, as Wooyoung had said back then, and had dragged him to Changbin’s front door mercilessly along with their roommates. All San had to do was put on his most charming smile, hang around for an hour or two and then he would make his escape with Yunho so they could play video games in peace.

Plans change, though, and very drastically even.

San knew your friends very well - Yunjin and Jongho had the same majors so he saw her often at their plays (whenever Jongho let him come, of course), Beomgyu and Jeongin were his gaming buddies and Kai was their friend so of course, he had hung out with him too, but the only mysterious person in there was you. He thought you looked beautiful with your messy hair and your casual clothes on, with your shy smile and blushing cheeks as you shook his hand while saying your name quietly.

He couldn’t say he had fallen in love before and he didn’t really believe in love at first sight, but that weird feeling growing inside his heart was definitely something he had to keep an eye on. He had liked people and had dated a few times which all ended in disappointment, but secretly all he wished for was for his love alarm to ring. All these romance movies that kept him up at night, the fated meetings they portrayed - he kept wondering if that was something you could actually experience or was it just a play, orchestrated for poor hopeless romantics like him? Not that he had ever found someone he could share his thoughts with.

The night he met you he was no different - it wasn’t as if he suddenly gained the courage to strike a conversation or even flirt like Wooyoung liked saying he was supposed to when he saw someone he was interested in. So he did what he did best - he admired you from a distance. Occasionally, you would sit together or would exchange a word or two in the middle of all the chaos that was happening around you, with hundreds of students surrounding you, but nothing more until Mingi gathered all of your friends together to play truth or dare in Changbin’s bedroom while the party downstairs was at its peak.

San thought it was the most childish thing in the world but he still sat down opposite of you and joined the game reluctantly. Only because you were there.

He didn’t know why he took so much interest in you or why his heart fluttered when your laugh echoed in the room or when you smiled sweetly at him. There was some sort of a pull as if you two were two opposites of a magnet about to collide and he couldn’t wrap his mind around what all of that meant, especially not after he had taken 5 shots as a penalty for refusing to answer Wooyoung’s invasive questions.

After a while, all of you had got bored and had just splattered around the room, engaging in quiet conversations with each other, enjoying the peacefulness of the night. Gathering his courage, San had approached you after your friends had left your side and he, once again, was surprised with himself. He truly thought you wouldn’t want to stay next to him on the floor in front of Changbin’s bed, but you did. You talked and talked and talked about anything and everything, you joked, you laughed and when you leaned on his shoulder, San thought his heart was going to explode.

It must be the alcohol. But it wasn't. San felt more sober than ever. He felt alive and the night was still young so after taking one more shot each, both of you went downstairs to join the party.

And just like that, you were standing in front of him, the purple and blue neon lights illuminating your features and all San could do was try not to stare too much. The loud music, engulfing any other sound in the room, was drumming loudly and you swayed your body to the rhythm, laughing and holding San’s hands in an effort to make him let loose and have fun. It was working because he didn’t remember when he had had fun like that with anyone else. At a party. In Changbin’s house.

The more you danced, the more San was letting the butterflies in his stomach erupt. He believed dancing could reveal a lot about the person and he thought you were stunning. But he had already thought that at least a million times before. His drunken brain, however, couldn’t come up with many creative and showstopping compliments at that moment but mentally he made a note to tell you much more the next time he saw you which he hoped was going to be very soon.

Suddenly, a slower song started playing. San couldn’t really remember its name but the next thing he knew was that your hands were around his neck, his on your hips and you were both mere centimeters away from each other. Your soft shining eyes were looking at him with such intensity that he thought he was going to melt there and then. Slowly moving together, San felt as if you two were the only people in the room.

The world had stopped spinning for a few moments, he could’ve sworn. Only you, your warmth and your shimmering eyes were all that mattered. His grip on you tightened and now you were closer than ever. San could feel your breath on his neck as you buried your head in its crook and your heartbeat (or was it his?) was pulsating between you two, making his cheeks burn.

As the song came to an end and a new one started, you pulled away from him slightly, making him pout at the loss of contact. “San, I…”

San could swear he was going to pass out right there, in your arms, as your fingers dug into the back of his neck, brushing against his hair. His eyes were on your lips, still shining from the lipgloss you were wearing, and then he moved his gaze to your pleading eyes. You were so close, yet so far as San started leaning down slowly and then

Ding.

San hadn’t heard a sound like that before. It seemed like a normal notification but it also sounded different. Maybe a bit higher? A bit more melodic?

And then you pulled away, leaving him breathing in and out slowly. What if that was the love alarm? Was it yours? Or his? Was he just hearing things?

“I’m sorry, I think Yunjin is calling me. I’ll go over to the kitchen to call her,” you said, raising your voice in an attempt to fight the noise and San nodded. It wasn’t as if he was going to just leave you. Especially not after what was about to happen before your phone had rung.

He watched you make your way through the crowd and just now San noticed how many people were around you two. Maybe even your friends were somewhere here but he couldn’t recognise anyone, not while his brain was in this dazed state.

Taking out his phone with trembling hands to check for any texts, San furrowed his brows as he saw the top notification.

from 1111

Congratulations! You have found your match!

note ✧ here it is finally - san's pov! i wasn't really sure how to handle this situation and if i did it well; this was probably the hardest chapter to ever write just because i wanted to convey san's feelings and pov the best way possible and actually make it make sense and be valid 😭 he just needs a hug and so does reader :( dealing with feelings of any kind is never easy.

i really hope you liked this chapter (i rewrote it around 5-6 times) and feedback will be greatly appreciated because it's my first time writing something angsty like this 😭 i promise not to make it too painful from now on but a growth in both of them is needed so bear with me :<

taglist ✧ @flamingi @huachengsbestie01 @minihong99 @staytinyluv @luvpeachkes @gh9sty @dawn-iscozy @zaraxnid @latisthegenderfluidwannabealone

taglist is open! <3

#✩°⋆｡ system error smau #ateez fake texts #ateez social media au #ateez scenarios #ateez fanfic #ateez imagines #ateez fic #san x reader #choi san smau

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kurowdayo · 3 months ago

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Kemono Jihen Chapter 95: Summary + Page-by-Page Translation

Translated by me, proofread by @stinkigami

I know, it’s late, the Chapter has been out for a while but duh

Chapter 95: No One Dies

Summary:

Shiki informs Kabane about Ibaraki-Facility. Unlike the breeding farm in Hokkaido, the research facility is Mikage’s castle, so they better prepare carefully for their mission. His watch rings, jt’s a call from Yui who reports their success in Hokkaido since they managed to get the documents and take care of the mamono… but Akira can’t fight anymore.

Flashback to Yamabuki thanking Akira for killing everything in the facility. Then she talks to Ume that she can’t do the job she was sent for (transporting the mamono) since they’re all dead. She then asks if he knows Akira and whether or not she should tell the other ministers.

Back to “now” where Yui says he informed the others. Akira has further flashbacks and then laments that he wanted to save everyone but put in too much power and ended up killing everyone. He calls himself pathetic for wishing “nobody dies” without being strong enough to actually achieve something like that. Yui comforts him with similar words that Akira used when Yui was saved from the Nilestone.

Ume interrupts them by farting, claiming it happens when he listens to naive chatter. He laments that he doesn't like young people cuz they think they can achieve everything when they try hard enough and explains how “no one dies” is practically impossible but “to keep trying it” is important.

Ume leaves for his plane, Tsubaki stays behind for a bit and explains that, not long ago, she lived her life wanting everyone (in her village) to die but in truth, she wanted someone to come and save her. The reason Akira suffers now is cuz he hasn’t stopped trying and that his chosen path is a difficult one. Then, she leaves too.

Back to Kabane, Kon, Shiki who agree on going to Ibaraki. They get a call from Mayo who says that the equipment is ready. He also asks them to let Urabe join the party. Kabana asks how Urabe has been and Mayo tells him that Urabe chose his ex-wife and daughter’s current home with the new husband as his hideout cuz he has some ntr-fetish. We see a short scene of the family and Urabe on the couch preparing for the mission.

Setting changes to IbarakiPrefecture, Tsukuba-City to Mikage’s facility. Mikage is checking on the various experiments. One of the test subjects wants to know if she’ll really turn into what she wants and Mikage is reassuring. All she wants is to be an asset to Kaidou and receive a strong, beautiful name from him.

Kaidou’s wife drops by and chastises Mikage for always apologizing to those lower than him. Mikage wants to know when Kaidou visits again to which the wife replies that he will when Mikage makes new Kaiju for him. Mikage is jealous because he, apparently, likes Kaidou very much and doesn’t like that the wife can see him everyday but he can’t. He thinks that he is more useful to Kaidou cuz he creates Kaiju for him while his wife doesn't.

Mikage looks up what to do when the person you like has a wife and finds “adultery” Then he starts infecting one of his test subjects, enters her body and takes control of it. He now looks like a (very much exposed) Mushroom-Loli

-End

Page-by-Page Translation

Page 1

Kabane: What did Tsunamayo-san say?

Shiki: He said to wait it out a little more. We should stay on alert a little longer. The laboratory is not just a breeding facility, it’s more like the castle of Minister of Mamono Mikage, so we better prepare for it carefully. Hey, Mukuro, you’re too close to the TV! (Mukuro is literally inches away from the screen)

Kon: I wanna leave for the attack soon.

Kabane: Is that so…

Shiki: Oh? (His Smartwatch rings, it’s a call from Yui)

Yui: It’s Yui… I’m calling to report our results.

Page 2

Yui: We obtained the documents and wiped out all the mamono at the farm. I could say the mission was carried out perfectly but… Akira has lost the will to fight.

Kabane: Eh?

Page 3

Tsubaki: Well…. We have to get our next plane back to Tokyo. Akira… why don’t you take some time if you need it before returning home?

Page 4

(Flashback last chapter, big shot of the frozen Gao)

Yamabuki: (in Akira’s mind) Thank you, Akira-kun. You killed all the Mamono

Page 5

(Flashback Yamabuki talking to Ume)

Yamabuki: Well then, Mr. Chief Secretary, we’ll take our leave. The Mamono we were supposed to bring back to Tokyo… ah, no, every single one of these things was wiped out.

Page 6

Yamabuki: So you are an acquaintance of Akira-san? Our job was obstructed by an outsider with ties to the Chief Secretary. I should share that with the other Ministers, right/shouldn’t I?

Ume: U kiddin’ me!? You were the trigger for everything!

Yamabuki: I? Fufufu… hahahahaha! I haven't done anything. Everything that happened was done by others acting on their free will.

Page 7

Yamabuki: Let’s go, Mayu.

Mayu: What do you mean? Is it over?

Yamabuki: Ah right, Akira-kun… I’d absolutely love to meet you again.

Voice in Akira’s head: Please remember what I said.

Page 8

(back in real time)

Yui: Akira. How are you feeling? I reported everything to Yashima.

Akira’s voice in a flashback: I don’t think the mamono here are the bad guys. They are all still babies! I will take care of them! (lit. become the dad of everyone, oh Akira). That’s the real purpose of the true “Nobody-Dies Squad. It is my vision.

Akira in real time: …I …

Page 9

Akira: I tried to stop Gao-chan… but I put in too much power. I didn’t make it in time. The Zookeepers and Gao-chan… everyone died because of me… It’s all my fault. I wanted to save them all. “Nobody dies” Why did I… How could a weak guy like me even dare to believe that!!! (Poor guy is completely done)

Page 10

Yui: Akira, we’re the other one’s half. / We are two halves of the same

Akira: Eh…?

Yui: Did you forget already? What you told me after I destroyed our hometown. And this time, it’s me who wants to say these same words to you: Let’s bear it together! We’re twins, we share everything.

Akira: (sobbing) B- big brother…

Page 11

(Yui and Akira hug and Ume farts)

Ume: Oops, my bad. Happens when I listen to naive talk.

Yui: What!?

Ume: That’s why I don’t like young people with bright futures.

Page 12

Ume: They think they can do just about anything if they put in a little effort. How awesome. Aren’t you guys great at being delusional?

(Akira/Yui look at Ume)

Ume: Got it? Our little “No one dies” idea is basically impossible. You can’t take a zebra outta a lion’s mouth just as it might be stupid to try and save someone who has already accepted their fate. That would be some tale out of a dream. But anyway… We won’t stop trying! That’s the essence of our Don’t Die Squad.

Page 13

Ume: It’s It’s not your fault, so stop concerning yourself with it!

Yui: Mr. Umetarō

Page 14

(Ume farts again)

Ume: Heh! I gotta take a shit

Tsubaki: Our flight is coming up.

Ume: (leaves Tsubaki behind) Then wait for me!

Tsubaki: Akira-kun. I’ve lived my life thinking that everyone around me deserves to die…

Page 15

Tsubaki: Because that was the quickest way to break out of my narrow world. But the truth is that I always wanted someone to come and help me. The reason you are suffering is that you haven’t given up yet. If things aren’t going well, it's because you chose the difficult path. We’ll be waiting for you in Tokyo. (She leaves)

Page 16

(Back to Kabane, Shiki, Kon)

Kabane: Alright, then let’s head to the research lab. I think Akira is feeling down right now because he’s kind, not because he’s weak.

Shiki: …that’s right.

Kon: Then let’s report the Hokkaido news to the spider girl with the courier. She was so loud about this.

Shiki: Aren’t you nice?

Kon: No way!

Page 17

Mayo: (tinkering on something?) Yo, it’s all ready!

( calling over smartwatch)

Shiki: Ah, it’s Mayo.

Mayo: Select the members tomorrow and come to the set location but I want you to include Urabe join your team.

Kabane: Urabe-san!? How has he been?

Mayo: Fine, fine! That guy’s more monster than human.

Page 18

But now that Tokyo is like that, he’s deliberately lurking in his ex’s new family’s house (with new hubby) as his hideout. He’s got some crazy NTR-Hobby / What a deranged cuck, huh? (wtf Urabe…)

Page 19

Miki (Urabe’s daughter): Mom! Didn’t I ask you to put carrots in my curry? [Kansai]

Miki’s Mom: Miki, stop speaking Kansai-dialect

Mom’s new hubby: Ah, that’s fine, Miki just loves her Kansai quirks. (Miki stacks several か as in Kansai dialect, consonant sounds are oftentimes doubled)

(While the others eat, Urabe polishes a gun)

Urabe: Alright, this is okay. [Kansai]

Page 20

Setting changes to Ibaraki-Prefecture, Tsukuba-City and the Mamono research center run by Minister Mikage (a mushroom Kemono who only received a proper body and mind through the mamono virus)

Mikage: Good evening, everyone! It’s time for the evening check-ups! How are you feeling? (To one of the specimens in an experimental pod) Please tell us your race, sex and sample number.

Test-subject: I am BM136, a female shoujou. It’s not bad and my joints don’t hurt.

Page 21

Test-subject: Hey, are my specifications really, exactly what I asked for? The only thing I care about is being worthy enough for Kaidou-sama to give me a name, something that would symbolize my beauty! (this is a bit loose but conveys better)

Mikage: Eh? I can’t tell you. It’s a rule. Butbut you’ll turn into a super strong Mamono.

Text: BM (self-destruction all out attack type]

Test-subject: Oh really? You look really weak so it's hard to believe you.

Mikage: Is there anything that you’re not happy with? Any food you dislike? Are there any complications (He checks on other subjects). Hmhm, everyone is progressing well.

Page 22

Mikage: Oku-sama! (Kaidou’s wife appears) (oku-sama is a very polite way to refer to another man’s wife)

Oku: Dr. Mikage. I might be Kaidou’s wife but you don’t have to call me that. My name is Ranbo.

Mikage: Yes, true. I’m sorry.

Oku/Ranbo: So could you stop doing that?

Mikage: Eh?

Oku/Ranbo: I was watching you doing your round. If you keep apologizing to those below you, you will quickly lose your reputation no matter how great of a scientist you are.

Mikage: Err… ehhm… I’m sorry…

Page 23

Oku/Ranbo: So.

Mikage: Ah, when is the next time that Kaidou-kun will visit?

Oku/Ranbo: Well, as soon as you create new Kaijus (that’s what Kaisou’s ape-kemono + other animal fusions are called) Lately, you have been prioritizing Inari-sama’s orders.

Mikage: Yes, of course. Inari-sama is my benefactor. She is the one I must cherish above all else. Mrs. Wife, are you able to see Kaidou-kun every day?

Oku: Of course? I am his wife after all.

Mikage: But… why can you? You don’t even create Kaijus for him. What’s the difference between you and me?

Page 24

Oku: What are you implying(With a rather confrontational expression)

Mikage: Ehm… ehm…

(Oku is gone and Mikage looks up “The person I like has a wife” on the internet because he doesn’t understand the concept, remember he is 2 years old… and a mushroom. A search result is “cheating / adultery”)

Mikage: A- adultery…Is having friends considered cheating too? Thank goodness, I haven’t done anything wrong. Kaidou-kun, I haven’t seen you in a week. Am I the only one who wants to meet you (probably wondering if Kaidou wants to meet him too)

Page 25

Mikage: Yes… (He goes to the first subject he checked on earlier) BM136, I’m sorry but I have to do something bad. (He starts infecting? her, shrooms sprout all over her body and it transforms)

Page 26

Mikage: Kaidou’s wife can be with him anytime, so if I become like her, maybe he too would want to be with me.

(Infection complete, Mikage entered the body fully)

Wah, awesome! This is a mammals brain

Page 27

Mikage exits the experimental pod with the body he has claimed… he’s a Mushroom-Loli now…

Mikage: I want to be Kaidou-kun’s number 1… I wonder if I can…

End

#kemono jihen #kemoji #kemoji spoilers #kemono jihen spoilers

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skaruresonic · 1 year ago

Photo

Colonizers are something else…

—

This entire thread is evil. I have no other way of describing it.

“The reservations are bad because they made them that way.”

No, reservations are in poor condition because when the government finished killing most of us, they shunted the survivors onto prisoner of war camps situated on shitty land in the hopes of breaking our spirits so badly the last of us would die out.

I’m not even going to bother addressing the rest of the reply because it’s sneering at mixed Natives over blood quantum, something the federal government invented in order to “breed” the Indian out of us.

People tend to misinterpret decolonization through a settler lens. Because they personally cannot conceive of a scenario in which Native people are stewards of the land because their ancestors took it through industrialized violence and force, they automatically believe Indians would seize power in some bloody coup if given half the chance. Yet they don’t realize the contradiction inherent in believing we’re too small and weak to affect such change while also believing we’d play the part of violent savages.

Which is it? Are we too dangerous, or too stupid, for our own good?

This is literal fucking fascist thinking.

Nobody in this Chili’s knows how tribal adoption practices and mourning raids work, and I wish they would all shut up about it.

When tribes went to war, they lost people. Mourning raids - called such because of associations with grief over those lost - would be conducted as a form of compensation in which families, usually women and children, from the enemy’s side would be captured and adopted into the tribe.

While I won’t lie, slavery did take place among Native tribes, this particular Redditor is acting as though mourning raids and slavery are equivalent, which is erroneous.

It wasn’t assimilation in the sense that colonization is assimilation, because assimilation requires a complete shedding of the previous identity, while adoption did not. The adopted were allowed to retain some of their old ways, which were instead integrated with the new.

People who act like the settlers and the Indians threw hands the moment they clapped eyes on each other due to some assumed inherent incompatibility are selling you some heavy fascist historical revisionism, and I am not exaggerating in the slightest when I say that. Because this is also not accounting for the fact that some settler demographics we think of as white today managed to find common ground with us even outside of the context of adoption. From what scant I understand (and I apologize if I’m inaccurate), this mixing of cultures into a unique culture, neither strictly one or the other but both, is the basis of the Métis. In addition, I’ve read about Highland Scots and Natives peacefully coexisting due to similarities in culture and histories of oppression by the imperialist machine.

Of course, regular old adoption sans war takes place as well (present tense, because we still practice it). There are records of colonists confusing adoption for sacrificial rites: the most famous case being John Smith’s.

You know why he made up that story of Matoaka (her name’s not Pocahontas; also, she was ten) rescuing him? Because, in addition to having a fetish for making up stories where a Beautiful Exotic Girl from whatever culture he was annoying at the moment rescued him from ~a most horrible death~ at the last minute (ew), he saw something he didn’t understand and he was like

Call it assimilation if it makes you feel better, but you should really know that mourning raids were considered a way of strengthening the tribe by bolstering numbers, since we don’t consider skin color a factor in one’s indigeneity. You could be the blondest, most blue-eyed, most pale-skinned white person in the world, but if your tribe recognizes you as one of their own, that’s it, you’re one of us now. No questions asked.

Also, because you’re considered a part of the tribe once you’re adopted, you’re not supposed to talk about it in a way that draws special attention to it. Talking about it in such a way implies invalidity. You wouldn’t draw attention to the fact that your adopted children are adopted over your biological children when both are your children. Making a distinction is just shitty.

That’s not how landback works, you fascist ignoramus. You are literally espousing White Replacement Theory.

The brainrot has left them so bereft of critical thinking that they can’t possibly conceive of the notion that fighting for the right to sovereignty and self-determination is not colonization.

Actual Manifest Destiny bullshit.

I’m… legit in awe.

Ah yes because victim-blaming never gets tired.

“They should have teamed up but they hated each other so much that some tribes helped the colonizers then the colonizers enslaved them afterwards.”

(stares in Haudenosaunee, literally a “confederacy of Six Nations” which came together in peace hundreds of years before colonization)

Also, they’ve got it backwards. The colonists did the enslaving first, and because Indians were the most convenient “resource” in the early days, they shipped Native people off before the chattel trade.

Knowledge is power indeed.

“We straight up gave them a bunch of land, and many tribes have a significant level of UBI because of their casinos, and I’ve yet to see a beautiful, well-cared for reservation.”

A.) God, I wish we had UBI. Not every tribe gets UBI, much less from “casinos.”

B.) A bunch? Bitch where? Reservations can’t even be called pittances because they were a tactic of assimilation, not an offer of generosity.

And as my own tribe’s history proves, the state is always trying to encroach upon even that. We gave you all this land, except when we need it to build a dam. Then we’ll take half the rez and bulldoze your farms and homes, forcing you to relocate on the place you were originally forced to relocate to. Because you clearly weren’t using that land, you see. Aren’t we so generous uwu.

C.) It was shitty land, land believed to be uninhabitable and unfarmable because again, the intent was to break the survivors’ spirits so badly that they would have no other choice but to die out or assimilate. And when it turned out sometimes that land turned out to have some hidden resource, like oil, the Natives were murdered over it. Killers of the Flower Moon wasn’t fiction.

D.) Reservations were originally PRISONER OF WAR CAMPS, you fucking heartless bastard.

E.) The aforementioned coupled with trauma and the intergenerational transmission of poverty (nobody hires Indians if they act “too” Indian, thus perpetuating the cycle) are the reasons most reservations are destitute. You made this shithole, stuck us in it, and now cluck your tongue at us for not sweeping up. Unreal.

F.) Assuming reservations aren’t “well-cared for” is racist, and the mere expectation that they’d be neat and tidy after we endured, essentially, genocide to the point of apocalypse, is utterly heartless.

“Two completely opposing cultures can never live peacefully together.” - oh you must be a joy to have at parties

“One will always destroy the other.”

I would now like to direct your attention to the Two Row Wampum. It is the peace treaty between the Haudenosaunee and the Dutch settlers:

The metaphor being that, although our ways are different and we may not always see eye-to-eye on certain matters, we can coexist in peace, or row down the river in parallel, as equals.

“Neither will attempt to steer the other’s vessel,” “Together we will travel in Friendship and Peace forever” - what was that about Natives inevitably foisting colonization and violence onto everyone else because Muh Evil Human Nature? sorry I can’t hear you over all this ding dong you are wrong

oh but ig the Two Row Wampum doesn’t count because we were all such bloodthirsty savages, right. We saw settlers making homes for themselves and we didn’t convene or discuss the matter in a peaceful and organized manner or extend them any help. Our savage minds were automatically like crush maim kill destroy and that’s why boarding schools are justified.

Funny because we believe no one owns the Earth, either. Funny how we already believed that.

Your friendly reminder that Natives were beaten, killed, and arrested for practicing their spirituality until the seventies.

“sometimes I can still hear their voices”

—

That’s it. Jesus. Which one of you ungagged Governor Radcliffe?

This entire thread is trash and just ignorant fascist talking points. While normally I would ignore it, I feel compelled to point out that this shit was posted three hours ago. A veritable case study in why it is always morally correct to punch fascists in the face.

#submission

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madamspeaker · 1 year ago

Text

Whether to run again, however, is also intensely personal for Pelosi. That’s in part because it’s an open secret that one of her four daughters, Christine, is eager to claim the seat and because San Francisco’s disorder landed all too literally on the family’s doorstep last year.

“These nuts almost killed her husband,” as Agnos put it, lauding Pelosi’s fortitude. “Do you ever ever hear her complain about it?”

Indeed, when I offered that the city’s crime problem was no longer theoretical to her, she ignored my witness-leading and responded with a practiced update on Paul Pelosi’s recovery. She did allow that the assailant’s case was coming up “so we’ll see how his spirits go with that” before calling her husband “a beautiful, lovely man.”

Known for being almost entirely apolitical — and happier in San Francisco and Napa than Washington — Paul Pelosi surprised his wife, and me, by showing up at the last event of the day: a fundraiser the former speaker headlined for vulnerable House Democrats.

She was delighted to see him as he arrived near the end of the reception at a city art gallery. I didn’t ask him if he got a vote on the matter of his wife’s plans but he seemed to register his view when we got to talking about their end-of-August trip to Italy.

You’re not going to be ambassador after all, I said, reminding the Pelosis of the incessant speculation that she would end her career as America’s ambassador to the country of her roots.

“It wouldn’t go away but she was very clear,” Paul Pelosi said of the rumor: “’I don’t want the job, I’m done, I’m done.’”

It was when he said the “done” part that I noticed his wife’s hand clench his in that way spouses do when they want to quietly convey something to one another, in this case: Please don’t say anything more on that topic to this reporter.

#nancy pelosi #madam speaker

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yanderefairyangel · 1 year ago

Note

Engage for the choose violence ask meme, 1, 3, and 22?

Thanks for the ask

1/A character everyone gets wrong

Oh boi, there is so many of those case when it comes to Engage, but I had to pick one, I'll go with Zephia. She is NOT being redeemed in the slighest in her death scene, if anything, the death scene serves as a closure for the Hounds side plot and that's it. Also, people make fun of her goal but let's be real : her motivations perfectly aligns with the theme of family and loneliness present in Engage and it makes her an interesting retelling of the mythic Mélusine. She is lonely and wants to fill the void in her existence, but since she believes no one would love her, she ends up believing Sombron that only a child born from her ribs would give her the absolute ultimate love she seeks for, the literal worship she seeks, and that's why Zephia ends up wanting whatever Sombron have with his kids... and she aslo wants him as the dad because he is literaly the only person who accepts her, she thinks no one else would take her since she is hated by humans and has nowehere to go but by Sombron's side not to mention that her wanting to be loved would mean she wants to monopolize her child, and therefore it would make sense for her to have it with someone whom she knows doesn't care about anyone.

3/screenshot or description of the worst take you've seen on tumblr

Cue me everytime I see someone saying that the game's story or writing is bad because it's not. Not even close. It's clumsy, it's sometimes weak, but it's not bad at all, the writing is very competent and solid.

22/ Your favorite part of canon everyone else ignores

Idk if it's ignore but I think it weird no one talks about Lumera's past more. It makes her a perfectly written character despite the little screetime she gets. We learn how she lost her family, friends, and her entire kind was killed. And how she had to fight because, as the Divine dragon, as Elyos's hope and "ligt" if she did, the world would be doomed, which makes it that the advice she gave to Alear in chapter 2 about never running away or the promise she made with them on her deathbed that they should never run away sounds even more personal, and important : That's something she had to apply to herself in the hardest moments. And the fact that her being the goddess of Elyos makes it that she feels so lonely having no one who loves her as she is, making a parallel with how Alear hates being worshipped and craved for a relatioship from equal to equal, well Lumera wanted that too and she could have had that with Alear, whom she ended up loving like her own child. Her relationship with Alear is just soooooo beautiful, the way they look at her with such tender eyes and call her "ka-san". And how also, Lumera is clearly someone who is portrayed at not being able to do everything right : she is powerful, but she isn't some deity who can solve everything by rubbing her nose, she can't save everyone, and that might lead people to lose faith in her, but this comes from the fact that she refuses to let people see her weakness, else she fears they would lose faith in her, which is the opposite of how Alear is, very open about how they are.

#fe engage #fire emblem engage #fire emblem #queen lumera #lumera #zephia fire emblem #fe zephia #zephia

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sorryimananti-romantic · 3 months ago

Text

HAHA YES WELCOME BABES HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR STAY GJFHKDG

not you roasting joong and praising his leadership in one breath fdkghdffkjg

ALSO STUFF YOU FOR POINTING OUT THE SHEEPS i always make that mistake and always catch it and regret it later AHAHAHA

yes dom hongjoong taking it out on the reader in the form of some spicy stuff DID I NOT TELL YOU OOPS (surprise bbygorl)

yes hehe exploiting ppl is like the first thing you must do as an aspiring politician in this era (like how come nothing else ever works) but yes it's really not a yumi fic without some political seasoning hehe

LOOK MY THESIS WAS BORING ASF STAY AT HOME SCENE but a girl can dream right dkfjghjkdf

fr hwa can breathe and i'd be a goner so i don't blame the reader for simping like that AND YES AHAHAHA THE LICKING HIS THUMB TO WIPE YOUR WHATEVER UGH I GOT THAT PICTURE IN MY HEAD. I DIED. I WRITE. :D

yes hehehe the last line thing i got that inspo from love next door they did that with their episode names (pls watch love next door)

RIGHT LIKE HOW THE STARS ALIGNED TO MEET THE JEONG YUNHO ON A BLIND DATE I'M SAT I'M READY I DO NOW KISS THE BRIDE

yes omg i basically wrote you (keep dreaming)

omg but real i do that sometimes too with the scale and hand measuring how can i not man his hand is so big ugh i cannot

YES this is basically guerrilla 2.0 bc i literally could not be bothered to come up with anything else i'm so sorry but also it's really really fun to write him as a sunshine serial killer and YES THOSE QUOTES he's literally the sun how could i not :'))

omg thank you for appreciating yeo's moodboard :D it really is fitting right? i can imagine him in a medical setting perfectly, preferable in a darker medical setting like this one

omg thank you for appreciating the characterisation too maybe i'll make this a separate fic one day LOL but yes we stan a man who still cares, even when he's uh killing ppl (FOR THE GREATER GOOD)

i said it before i say it again, there cannot be a yeo fic without chicken mention. if that happens with my fic, that's not me. that's an impostor.

LOL NOT YOU WAITING FOR ANOTHER PLOT TWIST WHEN THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A SHORT CUTE LITTLE SCENARIO have i traumatised you

RAHHHHHH YES DADDY SAN ANY DAY AND LMAOO doing what ;) what do you think ;) (he sleeps, ofc)

YES SAN A GREEN FLAG AS A RED FLAG SO BASICALLY A... BROWN FLAG?

the woo cameos are very unintentional but he's so side character coded LOL

YES AHHAHAHA EXECUTIONER WHO THIS IS JUST THE CHOI SAN WE KNOW AND YES YOU LIKE HOW I THINK RIGHT HE REALLY IS A GREEN FLAG

hmm you're craving royal mingi fics? time to write my royal beauty and the beast au break who we don't get breaks in this household loren has wished for a royal au and her wish is my command-

AHAHAHAHA this may be the first time she gets called song's girl but you bet that's all she's gonna be called from now

LMAO YES WOOYO BEING THE SAME PIECE OF SHIT I MAKE HIM EVERY TIME AHAHAHAHA HE'S SUCH A LOVEABLE BRAT

i almost made him a pyromaniac and made reader a firefighter but i guess i can do that some other day 😔✌️

LOL AHAHAHAHA idk what's with me and writing woo e2l smutty fics it just hits every time hehehehe

MONSTER OF CAPITALISM SHOULD HAVE BEEN HIS TITLE FR AND YES ITS CEO X CEO RIVALS AU

bruh when i tell you i thought i wrote turns tables and went to double check AFTER writing the correct phrase clown energy fr

YES OMG idk what it's about jongho but he's so daddy coded and when he says terms like darling or sweetheart you bet it's gonna hit 100x harder

you really are colourblind to red babes idk AHAHAHAHAHA but yes if it's jongho *gets down on my knees* yessir

THANK YOU SO MUCH BABES NGL it was scary to write this without you validating every trope and every plot LMAO and i was worrying if this felt half-assed but it turned out okay :') BUT YES. BREAK. MUCH NEEDED MUCH DESERVED BREAK I'M FREEE

thank you so much for your support babes <33

Ateez as Villains

disclaimer: read at your own risk. do not interact if not comfortable with any tropes. reminder that this is a work of fiction and must be treated so.

warnings: absolutely no morals here, 18+ mdni, illegal acts (abduction, murder, physical abuse, stalking, trafficking, financial crimes, dirty politics, corruption), suggestive/nsfw scenes, explicit language (swearing, insults), death, violence, blood & injuries, weapons, smoking, drugs, alcohol

a/n: couldn't have done this without @eightmakesonebraincell's and @chronicvagabonds' validation lmao also tribute to tite kubo for coming up with the juiciest dialogues, some of which i quoted here

Hongjoong

The Manipulator

hongjoong always knew he had leadership skills

from being the team leader whenever he played games as a young child, to growing up and eventually influencing people

he was often told that he has a certain way of pulling people’s attention and leave something stirring inside them with his words

so it is no surprise that hongjoong is where he is today. a renowned businessman, philanthropist and… politician

hongjoong adjusts the sleeves of his shirt and glances at you from the mirror

you are standing behind him, holding his coat for him. he wears it with a proud smile and holds his chin high

“tonight is very important. for me. for this country.”

he goes on about how there will be people from all over the country

people who are the foundation of this nation. people who care about the future of this world

and if you weren’t so blinded by the adoration you have for this man you would have called him delusional

but the fact is that you are deluded by him. hongjoong has the ability to cast a spell with his words

he feeds his supporters the lie of a better world in the near future, and they bow to him

hongjoong smiles devilishly at the thought of what entails the events of tonight

he can picture it clearly- the cheers and desperate screams of his followers as he steps on the podium

the cries of these people, as helpless as sheeps in a herd, waiting for an upright politician to save this nation

he can feel the thrill just imagining what it will be like tonight when he addresses the nation as the new face of his political party

to a common person, he would just be another man with a good heart striving for a better change

but the common person is weak, and for them… he is their salvation

they will hear his words tonight- words he has carefully crafted himself. the cues will register in their minds, and they will end up seeking him to announce their undying support and loyalty, to shower in his glory

you straighten hongjoong’s coat and smooth over his shirt, your hands unsteady with anticipation

“aren’t you happy to be right next to me when i conquer the stage tonight?” he whispers, lifting your chin up

you meet his eyes and he can see his answer there

you hope he doesn’t see the conflict in your eyes. the conflict is to be concealed in your heart, in the deepest, untouchable corner of it

you are blessed, they tell you, to be the politician’s favoured

and you are- you truly are. hongjoong loves you. he adores you

in fact… he’s almost obsessed with you

and why wouldn’t he be? you were the one who led him here

you were the one who held his hand and showed him the right path- his partner, and now his secretary

oh, how you sometimes wish you could turn back the hands of the clock and go back to when hongjoong was hopeless and thought that the world was a wretched place beyond saving

that is when you told him that the only way to run this world was to join hands with the elites of this nation- or to become one

it must be the fates that led him to where he is today

after all, isn’t he a king without a crown? a ruler without a throne?

he is a born leader and a strategist. he has always been good with his words

it’s how he earned the favour and graces of the elites and the politicians and made a place for himself- not under them, but beside them

but to stand beside those people, you have to be a little… corrupt. and morally ambiguous

the world is not run by saints, after all

“sweetheart?” he calls when he sees you are distracted

you don’t miss the warning tone in his voice. tonight, you have to be on your toes

you have to seek out willing supporters and show them that they mean the world to hongjoong and his political party

but more importantly… you need to target other politicians, find their weaknesses and if lucky, have some join hands with you

“i’m here,” you tell him and he nods firmly, pressing a kiss to your temple

“i will see you tonight,” he promises, and you know what he means

he always gets such a thrill out of playing the leader

he gets so much energy, and he has to take it out one way or another

and what better way to take it out in the form of lovemaking?

you feel warmth course through your body as he trails his finger down the middle of your chest purposely

he almost smiles maniacally as he leaves first, giving you a moment to gather your wits

you pour yourself a glass of drink- you can’t possibly do this sober

you join hongjoong as he gives his first speech- a very normal talk about how this nation is on the verge of collapse

corruption, crime, inhumanity, dirty politics? you name it

you admire his resilience, really. whatever he is talking about comes straight from his heart, and he has been talking about these issues for a long time now

you also admire his pompousness and the audacity to talk about dirty politics, when he is the face of dirty politics

you join the audience when they clap for him, your heart full of pride

there is a break where he meets with the high-profile people and asks them to consider joining hands with him

‘to make a better world for the future generations’. such inspiring words from such a young political leader

except hongjoong’s trick is that he always, always has something over them

he has a team dedicated specifically for this task- to dig dirt on his political targets so he can wield them like the blade of a guillotine over their heads

despite his evil means to climb the top, somehow, his image and reputation remains far too clean

and that is because he knows to take these actions behind the scenes, away from any eyes

a true politician, he’s been dubbed

it is about midnight when the hall almost empties, leaving only the members of your party and some new faces- people who are willing to hear him out and decide if they want to join his party

you wish you could tell them that it is a trap- hongjoong will promise that their efforts and support will lead them to something great

‘the greater good’, he always says, except these people do not know what they are getting into

they are merely sacrificial lambs, the stepping stones that will lead hongjoong closer to his utopia

they will, for the sake of loyalty, put a blindfold over their eyes. they will hold him in high reverence as he becomes their lord, their saviour

he will feed them copper pellets and claim that this is the best that they can get while he himself sits on a throne made of gold

and when they empty every last drop of whatever they have to offer- their blood, sweat and tears

hongjoong will discard them without remorse. that is who he is- a master manipulator

when you are done wrapping up the event in the deep, dark hours of the night, hongjoong finds you in your bedroom

his chest is heaving with energy that is threatening to combust from within him

he outstretches his hand and you saunter over to him

his hands are dominating when he holds you, though his kiss is soft and unrushed

until that too becomes scalding hot

he is quick to lead you to the couch where you sit on his lap, finding him painfully hard

he groans loudly and starts to unbuckle his pants, and you instantly know what he wants- you always know what he wants

he easily slides his hard length inside your warmth and groans heavily in relief, resting his head back and just letting you both stay still

you only move to rest your head against his shoulder. he can have you like this for as long as he wants

“we have a lot of new supporters tonight,” he begins, chuckling deeply, “the polls seem to be in our favour too.”

his dark curls caress your face as you snuggle against him

“we also managed to score deals with many influential politicians and businessmen tonight,” he tells you and you look at him with pride as he names them

“soon,” he begins, trailing his hands under your dress and squeezing your thighs, “soon… we will have our people in every sector- in business, healthcare, industrial, courts… we will be controlling the nation- we… we are the leaders of this nation.”

his cock twitches inside you as he finishes that sentence and you bite your lips in thought

“what are you thinking, love?” he asks, caressing your face

“i just sometimes wonder,” you begin- can you admit your bare thoughts to him?

he squeezes your thigh as a sign to go ahead

“i wonder how we got here, joong,” you admit, “you know that we are exploiting people-”

“for the greater good-”

“for the greater good, yes,” you finish, nodding and he furrows his brows in concentration

“these people are just like us. we were once slaves of this society, but now we are the leaders. and they are our slaves. but…”

“they will offer us what they have,” hongjoong replies softly, “and we will make the best out of it. isn’t that right?”

you nod. there is no more space for any more questioning

you have never like the darkness in his eyes when you question his- your- methods

all he knows is that he is right

he knows what he is doing is wrong in essence, but it is about the bigger picture- he is doing this for his nation

and you cannot expect to run a nation claiming to be a saint

the nation is run by wolves, and to make space there, you must be some sort of a predator. that is who he has become

his grip on your thighs tighten and he starts to grind your body on him

between the sounds of pleasure is the groan of pain as he spanks your thighs and remind you of your place

“all you have to do is follow me,” he breathes into your ear, trailing his lips across your cheek. “all you have to do is stay with me. together…” he thrusts hard inside you. “together, we will rule the world one day, you and i.”

you nod and he swallows your moans as he kisses you, thrusting with all his might until you both come crashing down

he takes you to the shower and you both quickly clean up and get in bed

as you watch his figure relax and succumb to sleep, you confess to him

“you are a great politician, hongjoong,” you tell him and the corners of his lips curl in a smile. “i’m just afraid of going too far with you. every day, we learn that we can get worse than we are, yet…”

“yet, it has become my addiction and my duty,” he whispers, hand finding your bare arm and caressing it. “don’t you want to rule the world?”

“you will rule the world. i will be treading on your shadow, following you closely and sharpening my teeth… but afraid.”

“afraid of what?”

“of you,” you breathe and he opens one eye

“you won’t leave me, will you?” he asks innocently, yet it is there- the warning in his tone

you are responsible for who he is today. you are an accomplice

every person he ruins to get closer to the top, you are equally responsible for it

“of course not,” you tell him, “i can’t leave you.”

hongjoong notices your choice of words

you can not leave him- you do not have a choice

he holds you close and kisses you like he means it that night

it would be such a shame if he would have to throw you away after all of this, right?

it would truly be such a shame if you are just like the others in the end- weak and helpless

since you know exactly what is going on inside hongjoong’s head, you tell him you love him like you really mean it and you let him hold you close

it may be a trap, but you don’t mind being trapped if this is where you end up every night- in his arms

your lord, your saviour

The Manipulator and the Manipulated

Seonghwa

Jekyll

park seonghwa is a man who is adored wherever he goes

be it at work- at a prestigious university as a neuroscience professor, dr. park, or at social gatherings, formal or informal

he is a man born with the best manners, the most caring and generous heart

you’ve seen him around the department as a masters student and attended a few of his classes

but you never got to interact with him personally until it’s time to choose a thesis supervisor and you learn that you have a chance with him

it’s purely because he’s amazing at what he does

your subfield matches with his specialty so it will be better if he’s your supervisor (and it’s only a bonus that the man is painfully hot so you’ll never be bored)

your professor recommends you to seonghwa and he goes over your synopsis which leaves him intrigued because coincidentally, he’s researching in molecular neuroscience as well

he gladly takes you on because he believes you both will be helping each other along the way

plus, he recognises your name- you’ve always had a different air about you (and he remembers you from somewhere else too)

he’s looking forward to working with you, that’s all

so when you arrive on your first day as his supervisee and research assistant

you catch him in his natural habitat- unaware of his surroundings, humming a tune to himself and swiping his hair hurriedly to the side with the hand that’s holding a clear solution of some sort while struggling not to drop his notes on the table that has a few microscope slides

basically, moments away from a disaster

he spots you and grunts as if asking for help and you immediately drop your bag to rush towards him, only now noticing that somehow, he’s holding his glasses by his teeth

you first take those out of his mouth and he groans in relief. “can you please help me wear my glasses? those cultures are moments away from expiring.”

“oh goodness,” you mutter and you lock eyes with him as you put on his glasses for him

and your intrusive thoughts take over because you simply cannot take how his hair is poking his eyes so you gently brush his hair out of his eyes

for a moment, time is frozen for all sorts of reasons

before seonghwa takes a deep breath and you blink, immediately getting out of his way and holding his notes for him

the notes apparently hold the readings on how much solution he needs to pour so you read it for him and consequently save him from a disaster

as soon as he is done freezing the cultures, he holds the edge of the table to save himself from slumping in relief

and you share a laugh, the ice breaking just like that

he tells you that the student assigned for taking care of the cultures had an emergency and he had to rush from another department

and he thanks you for helping him

you both move to his office to go over your thesis and he helps you create a timeline

you wrap up the meeting with a clear direction of what’s next and with a schedule of shifts where you will be assisting him

it doesn’t take long to get used to being a part of his team of five calm students with a little streak of crazy

and you suppose dr. park has an eye for people like that because you fit right in

you are all very dedicated so he seems to be at ease when you are working, though he does monitor you more closely since you’re new

you start to spend more time in the lab simply because you like how it feels there

it is like a little cocoon where you can tune out the rest of the world and work on your thesis without distractions (plus, it helps how people from your team pop in once in a while to throw some suggestions at you)

you like how it is there- neat and clean

the sound of metal against metal, glass against glass. the smell of the cleaning agent which calms you since it is something familiar now

and then there’s dr. park himself, gentle and composed, yet at times clumsy and rough which results in the room cackling with laughter

however, there’s a side to him that you only see when you’re alone with him

you’re not sure if he’s like that with everyone- he must be, right?

does he pay as much attention to everyone else as you?

perhaps, you’re delusional. that must be it

seonghwa knows you must think that, because he has not been very obvious but he has not been subtle either

it’s just that he remembers you from that time. he remembers seeing your face in his friend wooyoung’s data

wooyoung, who is an expert at singling out people like them

people like seonghwa who have a little streak of crazy in them, yet manage to be a part of the society almost seamlessly

wooyoung’s company does a good job at managing these people because they ultimately help the black market grow

seonghwa is half convinced wooyoung’s company is just a faction of the government but of course he can’t confirm that

all he knows is that he cannot act out too much and get caught

in return, he knows when someone like him is in his radar

here you are, glasses perched on the tip of your nose as you examine different slides under the microscope, muttering to yourself about the readings as your scribble them

he can’t help but notice how you always wear that one specific shade of deep red on your lips or how your hair falls in the most irresistible way in front of your face

he’s never looked at a student this way- ever- but you’re not just a student now, are you?

so when he makes his move, approaching you from behind as silently as he can

he’s not disappointed when you turn- he didn’t make a sound, yet you knew

you’re not even surprised, and that excites seonghwa to no end

“ah, dr. park,” you go casually, as if him sneaking behind you was normal behaviour. “can you approve of these hypotheses?”

seonghwa hums and stands awfully close to you, your sides brushing against each other

he purposely crowds in your personal space as he leans in to confirm the readings of the specimens on the table

“everything’s perfect,” he announces, meeting your eyes

you’re still sitting so you have to look up at him and lord. what a sight he is even from this angle. you could totally get used to it-

“what are you looking at, sweetheart?” seonghwa smirks knowingly

you have to physically struggle to maintain your composure because you are pretty sure you were gawking

“nothing, just zoned out,” you say, which isn’t a lie but not the whole truth either

he knows though. he knows the effect he has on you because he hasn’t been subtle

from the casual touches to the unnecessary (but not undeserved) praise

from the prolonged eye contact to the suggestive smirks

there is something electric between the two of you, an undeniable tension

and while you’re not one who sticks to the rules, you can’t help but wonder just why is dr. park playing with you?

“you sure you’re okay?” seonghwa leans in and searches your eyes for any signs of lies

upon finding none but gaining satisfaction from the way your lips part in surprise, he draws back

you try your best not to make things awkward for the rest of the time you’re with him

and in the following days, his advances only start becoming stronger in nature

you like the attention he gives you. you like how he always puts his hands on your shoulders and gives them a little squeeze whenever he finds you sitting

you like the way his warm breath caresses your cheek when you’re both sitting side by side inspecting a specimen

you enjoy the sound of his gentle voice as he instructs you

it’s almost as if he knows. it’s almost as if he’s asking for it

does he not know that once you become obsessed with something, you’ll try- no, you will possess it at all costs?

so one night when you’re both working at late hours, busy with wrapping up one section of your thesis

you can’t take it when seonghwa scolds you teasingly for being clumsy

“you’ve got pen on your chin,” he says and before you can take care of it, he himself scoots closer-

too close for it to be professional anymore because at this point, he can probably count the freckles on your face too-

and begins to rub at your the skin near your lips gently

he frowns when it doesn’t come off, and then he has the audacity to lick his thumb and rub your skin again

“dr. park,” you mutter, about to remind him how you are supposed to be a teacher and student

you’re not friends (despite the very friendly relationship you have developed with him)

seonghwa only hums and you can’t help but notice how he stifles a smirk as he moves his thumb to your lower lip and swipes it, all the while maintaining eye contact

you raise a brow in challenge, silently questioning why he’s still holding your chin

he leans in as if to kiss you and you stop breathing

except he tilts his head to whisper in your ear

“would you like to attend the next soul society meeting with me, love?”

to say that you freeze is an understatement

you don’t move when his lips caress your cheeks as he stays in that position

you don’t move when he purposely trails his lips along your cheek as he draws back

“what’s your classification?” you manage to ask, your voice barely a whisper

the way seonghwa smirks is something you’ll never forget

“jekyll,” he says. “nice to meet you, hyde.”

there’s a moment of silence where all you can do is stare at the man in front of you

a moment of pure static

as soon as you take off your mask and your lips curl in a smirk, it happens

you don’t know who took the first step but you’re both kissing each other

it’s rushed, passionate and desperate, the air filling with your grins and giggles and you’re only glad you’re not in the lab right now because the way seonghwa clears the table with a swipe of his hand, making the notes fall on the ground

only to lift you up and seat you there so he can kiss you better? being in the lab would have done some damage alright

between kisses, you learn how seonghwa recognised you

you ask him if he lured you here somehow, but he tells you it’s just luck that you’re here as his student right now. you don’t quite believe him though

but you let it be- if he’s jekyll, that means he’s got the brains to scheme

he tells you that he’s glad to have found his hyde because he would prefer someone else to do his dirty work for him

you agree- it’s been far too long since you’ve had an adventure, and you’ve heard about the notorious jekyll in the soul society too. you just never connected the dots

he takes you to his private lab (not before feasting on you and fucking you on that very table)

for the next few weeks, you familiarise yourself with his actual research

mind altering chemicals and drugs, anything to do with control

very illegal stuff, but the soul society funds him with whatever he needs

he can’t believe he found you- you’re perfect for him

seonghwa believes he has morals and he can be a good person

so you make the perfect partner because you can be the bad person in his stead

you’re his alter ego, the voice in his head that he never lets come out

you’re the person who not only matches his freak but helps bring it into manifestation. you are now his face

while he advances in molecular neuroscience in the world, you advance, on his behalf, in the underworld

there’s no blood on your hands- you both only produce drugs. you’re not responsible for what is done with them

you do sometimes assist in the practical work, which seonghwa avoids, because after all, he has a reputation to maintain as dr. park

no one suspects a thing. you’re just supervisor and supervisee who share a similar obsession with research

nothing to worry about

Jekyll and Hyde

Yunho

The Hunter

when you finally got to a blind date that your friend begged you to go to, you didn’t expect to meet a man who would actually catch your eye

there is something about this man, jeong yunho, that instantly pulls you in as if you really are tied by a thread

for starters, he is incredibly handsome and has a soft vibe to him that exudes warmth

his voice has a soothing quality and his mannerisms are as gentle as his gaze. his laugh is pure and he makes quite a good company

he just makes you feel comfortable and safe right away, which is kind of surprising

so when yunho tells you about himself, confirming that he is indeed a corporate lawyer at a well-known firm, you are simply in awe

you thought your friend was bluffing when she told you that she is trying to set you up with a ‘beauty with brains’

she was not lying, is all you can think now

you’re a simple school teacher, you tell yunho with a laugh

however, the man’s eyes are practically twinkling as he hears your stories about school

you’re only telling him because he insisted, and now he can’t stop appreciating your profession, saying that it’s admirable how you are able to connect with children and educate them

the conversation steers to your likes and dislikes, your preferences, and what you’re looking for in a partner

surprisingly, the two of you have a lot in common

you both have a special place in your heart for food. you both love travelling. and there are some things he does not need to say out loud

like how he’s a caring person- always making sure you’re comfortable and your bowl is full, draping his coat over your shoulders when you leave the restaurant and scour the streets for something sweet

the hand that he offers you is not suggestive and you like that (you also like how tall he is and how his hand engulfs yours almost entirely)

just two people who talk about anything and everything- that’s who you become by the end of the night

as you settle in bed later, you’re still smiling about how his eyes twinkled when he learned that you too have a thing for gaming too

you have good feelings about this person so far but there’s a feeling scratching at your heart that has you restless

it is the way his eyes darkened almost dangerously, only momentarily, when you insisted that you could get home on your own

he was a gentleman, no doubt about it, insisting that you could never be too sure these days especially with the news being so horrible lately, the crime rate spiking up dramatically in the past few months

you just did not like the idea of having a stranger accompany you all the way to your home, even if it was this gentleman- this was only your first meeting

so he made you promise to call him and let him know when you get home

and here you are. you dated him for a few months before you both decided to move in together into an apartment that suited your needs

he’s perfect in every way- attentive, responsive, caring, funny, and he gives you space when you need it

which matters the most because you value your personal space a lot

he understands the importance of personal space very well and even though you share a room, you both let each other be

you let him be when he’s gaming, and he lets you be when you’re staring at the ceiling or reading

more often though, he’ll have you sit on his lap as he games

since he’s so much bigger than you, you’ll curl on top of him to read or scroll and he’ll be focused on his game, liking your presence

it doesn’t always lead to something but when it does, it’s always fun

he has you smitten- his kisses still make you feel like it’s your first time sharing a kiss (and he’s damn good at it)

his touch lingers on your skin throughout the day and you cannot wait to be back in his arms again

it is just another night when you decide to walk and take the longer route back home because apparently yunho was going to be late and you did not want to be home alone

it gets quieter as you navigate through the streets and alleys

and when you take a turn and notice a familiar figure, you stop in your tracks

is that… not yunho? the back and the height looks pretty much the same

the man is watching a woman at the end of the street who is using her phone as if waiting for someone

the woman catches the man watching her and grows wary- you can tell even from the distance

you can tell that she is very much pretending to be on call when she starts moving

despite every cell in your body urging you to ignore this and go back home, you start to follow the man when he starts to follow the woman

you are careful to maintain a distance, cursing yourself internally for being a curious little shit who seeks thrill like there’s no tomorrow

but the woman takes a left, and the man takes a right, leaving you standing in the middle of the street, taking a few deep breaths

nothing happened, you think. you turn and start to trace your path back

and just a minute later, there’s an unmistakable sound of a woman’s scream filling the air

every hair on your body rises as your heart drops and eyes widen

you’re frozen in one spot with no idea what to do next- should you go check on the woman? see if it was the same person?

not once do you think of calling the police though

you walk back home, lost in your thoughts with the image of the man’s familiar figure branded in your mind especially since you are pretty damn sure that those were little sunflowers embroidered on the hem of the hoodie

sunflowers that you embroidered on yunho’s hoodie

when you open the door to your apartment, though, you hear the sound of the TV and yunho is sitting very casually on the couch

“ah, you’re home,” he grins and waves, just like he usually does

he’s not wearing the hoodie anymore

“i thought you were gonna be late?” you ask

“you’re late,” he counters. “why did it take you so long to get home?”

“just decided to take a walk,” you smile, ruffling his hair and planting a kiss on the top of his head before going to your room

you grab your clothes and move towards the bathroom to take a shower, and it is then that yunho’s eyes widen

“ah, babe?” he calls, his voice uncharacteristically high

when you don’t answer, he rushes towards the bathroom and finds you standing in the doorway

your eyes are fixed on the sink which is a pale shade of pink with handprints on it

yunho curses himself internally- he rushed to hide his hoodie as soon as he got home, jumped in the shower, spotted the bloody sink from when he first washed his hands and decided to make it look like he had been home for a while before cleaning the sink

only he fucking forgot

it doesn’t look as bad- it’s not a bloody red, for starters

“ah, i forgot to clean that up,” yunho awkwardly laughs, proceeding to move inside and open the tap, taking a sponge and cleaning the edges of the sink

yeah. it does not look that bad

“i accidentally spilled that red ink you have in the room- i don’t know why i got curious and messed with it.”

that’s not the colour of your ink, though, and you know it never leaves stains like these

“don’t worry about it,” you tell him, but your eyes are wider than usual. yunho notices that

he lets you shower in peace, all the while thinking if you suspect something

truth be told, he saw you when you were following him back there which is why he took another turn to mislead you

he also knows you are far too observant for your own good

he can’t lie- one of the reasons he fell for you is because of that. you are just like him

though you are free of sin unlike him, your mind is a mess

you notice too much that is not meant to be noticed. you sometimes say things that even he has not thought about. you question if human morals are an actual thing or a made up construct

is it from reading too much fiction? he thinks not

when you come out of the shower, something possesses you to move to the balcony

and that’s another thing yunho likes about you (which also scares him a little at times)

it is your intuition- which leads you to inspect the little corner where you pile up useless stuff. you can see the sleeve of his hoodie there

you pick it up and find it wet in certain spots

on its black base, you can’t tell what it is, but the sunflowers are stained a suspicious red colour, and it’s definitely not your ink

you look towards your right where yunho is standing, vigilant

there is a moment of silence before you lower the hoodie

“it really was you,” you say, unwavering

your heart is not speeding because you’re scared- it is speeding because you are right

yunho is still, contemplating how to deal with this

did he think he could hide his secret from you forever? no. was he prepared in case he gets caught? no

he just never imagined it would unfold like this

and now… will he have to hurt you if you threaten to expose him? he can’t bear to hurt a hair on your head

you bring out all the good in him. he does not know how you do that, but you make him believe that he can love with all of his heart too, just like any other person

you make him feel whole, and it would be such a shame if things fall apart now

to his surprise, you drop the hoodie back and walk towards him until there’s little distance between the two of you

you hold both of his hands in yours and look at him earnestly

“are you going to tell me what you have been up to?”

yunho is surprised at how calm your voice is and how accepting your eyes are

he sighs deeply before steering you to the couch in the living room

and then he bares his heart to you

he is a monster. that is it. he hurts people and it satisfies this ugly part of him

he does not always want to, he justifies, but sometimes, he just can’t help it

and the only reason he gets away with it is because he is not stupid and carefully chooses his victims- people who are miserable. people who have no one around them

“well then… i’m lucky to have one person in my life, right?”

yunho’s eyes widens at your response

you fulfil the criteria of being his victim- you have no one

you have no one but him- how did that happen?

he thinks back to your first date and he can’t help but feel overwhelmed

he buries his face in the crook of your neck, his head about to explode

why are you not running away from him? why are you caressing his head and holding him close?

you don’t tell him everything right away. you only ask him to trust you

so he trusts you and waits for you

he learns little bits about you- you, who do not care who yunho is, as long as he is transparent with you

you, who has a twisted sense of morality. you, who might be as bad as yunho, even worse

though, your hands are clean, you tell him sarcastically, it’s just your head that is a mess

and it’s a blessing that you two are together and can be honest about this too, right? how lucky you are to have each other

“you, without sin, are like the sun,” he tells you one night as he kisses the top of your head and holds you close

“you, even with sin, are like the sun,” you respond.

The Hunter and His Guide

Yeosang

The Mad Scientist

there is something about the innocent features of his face, the gentleness in his mannerism, the absolute ethereal aura about him

that contrasts strikingly with the pitch black (or maybe, just two shades lighter) of his soul

the man only knows how to scheme and how to take the best possible route towards his goals

the goals are all related to science

sure, he is contributing to the scientific area, doing researches no one else would do

doctor kang yeosang- a scientist and philosopher, held in high reverence in the medical field, contributing with numerous researches centering the human body

nobody needs to know exactly how he gets such extensive, solid results to support his theories

he comes off as a soft-spoken man, someone who possesses a kind heart

he is willing to overwork himself in order to make life easier for others

he is much appreciated by his peers

they don’t need to know that behind his neat and professional setup is a dark, cold space that holds his real workspace

the endless corridors lined with shelves upon shelves of jars

jars containing the human body parts within them

from the brain to the spleen, from the heart to the liver

each jar meticulously lined in an organisation such that only yeosang could close his eyes and know where to pick what he needs

each organ in the jar has a story of the human that it once was- the story that yeosang himself scribes and tucks in the safe (and in a corner of his heart)

taking it out only to read and reminiscence, or to make another addition

such as the one that he is about to make now, sauntering with an almost skipping manner, highlighting his delight in the events about to unfold

his pristine white lab coat flows behind him, a symbol of everything that he would not be doing tonight, which only adds to the irony of it all

he finds you mirroring his expressions, eyes wide with anticipation and lips curled in a stifled smile

and he can’t help but smile wider, the sound of his footsteps echoing loudly as he speeds towards you so that he can finally hold you after the long day he had, tired of playing it cool in front of everyone

you are snaking your arms around his neck immediately as he bends down to capture your lips in a fierce kiss, earning a surprised but pleased yelp from you

you let him have his moment, kissing him back with equal passion until he draws away and rests his forehead against your shoulder

“long day, huh?” you press your lips against his temple. “how did the presentation go?”

the presentation being at a conference of the national medical association where yeosang was the chief guest, awarded for his valuable insights to the medical world

“i sometimes wonder if i’m the only one wearing a mask,” yeosang confesses.

you know what he means

there surely must be others just like him

you can’t expect to make medical advancements while sticking to the stupid laws and regulations they have carved for you

the medical associations do not allow anyone freedom

“it’s tiring to pretend my research was simply a result of my team’s hard work,” yeosang continue, “they didn’t do batshit. i wish i could credit you instead.”

“but you can’t,” you caress his dark locks. “that would certainly raise suspicion since i’m… underqualified.”

well, that’s arguable

you may not be as good as yeosang at what you do but considering that you come from a non-medical background, yeosang would say that you are pretty close

in fact, overqualified

“i don’t think there’s anyone more qualified than you,” yeosang lifts his head to look up at you, eyes scanning your face. “you’re an expert of the human body.”

you are an expert, that is true

you did what you had to do to survive as a young girl who lost her way

you were meant to be a test subject yourself but you created your own path and proved that you were good with your hands- almost artistic

and that you could open up humans as long as you had a good knife

your skills were a bit rusty when yeosang found you in the black market

but he was thoroughly impressed and made an offer. it was an offer that you couldn’t resist

you would no longer be bound to be a slave for the rest of your life

you would be his equal. an accomplice

“but you are the mad scientist. i’m just your unofficial assistant,” you pat his cheek in answer

it’s a wonder that you’re here now, in his arms

a muffled sound interrupts your little moment

you both steer towards the big room and yeosang looks around for a moment to take in the glory of his workplace

the crisp white walls and clean tiles smelling of antiseptic, marred with red stains of blood that is dripping from the man’s limbs

the man who is currently tied to a stretcher in the middle of the room

the instruments and tools that he would be using tonight to open his test subject up are glinting with silver, ready to be used

he has chosen the perfect target- a relatively healthy, middle-aged homeless man

really, no one would care if he went missing

in fact, you were doing him a favour by putting an end to his miserable life, right?

surely, he did not wish to live without a home and the means to survive

though here he was, sedated but struggling nonetheless, as if finally having found the will to live

“ah, he created a mess,” yeosang begins, clicking his tongue in disappointment as he inspects the bruises around the man’s wrists. “i’m sorry you had to wait so long, hmm?”

it’s almost eerie, how yeosang’s voice drips with pity

but that’s what you like about him

he thinks of the greater good. he is doing all of this for the greater good

there is no personal desire to kill random human beings, no

he simply needs test subjects to study the human body, so there can be advancements in the medical world

he just can’t believe that the world does not have a cure or even a prevention for most of the diseases in this age

he has taken it upon himself to contribute to the medical world so people do not have to suffer anymore

he complains about this a lot

if people had guts, they would have done this ages ago

sometimes, he refers to the awful medical experiments done by humankind- especially on women

he is different from them, he claims

he cares about their pain- that is why he makes sure to make his subjects’ death quick and painless before he starts to conduct his experiments

it’s just too bad that he doesn’t have much time after the person passes to study certain functions of a living human

(so sometimes, he makes exceptions and asks god for forgiveness. easy peasy)

you watch yeosang with a sort of wonder and a little something that resembles fear as he caresses the man’s head in farewell

he asks the man to say his last words, to choose them carefully, to take his time and to make peace with the fact that there is no way out

the sedatives seem to have made the man somewhat placid

the test subject stops resisting to lock eyes with the doctor

he says something about the regrets he’s had in his life and how he just wants his misery and pain to end now

yeosang’s brows are furrowed in concentration as he listens to each and every word, nodding along as if he aims to fulfil every desire this man possesses

his hand is gently caressing the man’s head

when the man is done, yeosang tells him that his contribution to medical research won’t be forgotten

he looks at you to find you already staring at him with an unreadable expression

he signals you to get the job done and you inject the medicine meant to stop the man’s heart

you watch the man take his last breath, his face contorting in pain as his heart ceases to function

yeosang has already moved on from the little moment he had, putting on medical gloves and snapping them against his skin rather dramatically

“let’s get to work, shall we?”

you smile in response, following his instructions

soon, you are testing the functioning of the man’s abdominal organs with various equipment and drugs that yeosang has bought from the black market

you have to work quickly before necrosis begins and hinders you

yeosang is very careful with his methods. his hands are steady as if he has done this a thousand times already

and though he comes off as clumsy in the public eye, he is anything but here

his eyes are focused, darting between the electrodes placed on the man’s liver to the readings on the screen

it goes on like this for a while, yet another failed experiment as the liver fails to respond as desired to the electric shock and necrosis takes over

it doesn’t disappoint any of you though

yeosang has a strong vision and no amount of failed experiments is going to stop him

plus, there’s always something you learn even from failure

you begin to clean up when you notice a broken nail lying on the stretcher

you pick it up with tweezers and inspect it- it must have broken when the man was struggling to break free

yeosang catches you looking at the discoloured nail with curiosity and he hums in question

“hair and fingernails are beautiful ornaments.” you ask, “so why do they seem so baleful when they are removed?

yeosang stands beside you, pondering

“the answer is simple. they are previews of what is to come. of death.”

you look at him to find his eyes twinkling with the knowing glint of someone who’s seen it all

after you both finish recording the data of tonight’s session, yeosang is back to being the cute and clumsy person that you absolutely adore

the man is craving chicken after today’s hard work so you fulfil his wish and take him to his favourite place

you both sit across each other, drinking beer and savouring the juicy meat while talking about casual stuff- just an assistant and her boss

just two friends who met by chance and felt an instant pull towards each other

just two lovers, fated to be together and find solace in each other’s company

as if the stars have aligned for you yet again, a familiar face walks in and sits on the table next to you

you meet yeosang’s eyes and you both stifle a smile

it’s one of the potential test subjects you’ve had in your file, due for observation

and what better observation than to sit next to them in a casual setting and eavesdrop naturally?

yeosang raises his beer glass in toast and you share a knowing smile, raising your own glass in toast

just two partners in crime. that’s who you are

The Mad Scientist and his Accomplice

San

Executioner

choi san works hard during the day

he goes to the school and makes sure his students are in top shape

as their p.e. teacher and coach, he has every student’s physical status on his fingertips

he knows their strengths and their weaknesses. he also knows their desires

so if a student is not a good runner but wants to run better, he would never tell them to give up, he would personally coach them and make sure they know that their body is not the limit

they can be a good runner, a good player, a good swimmer- anything

as long as they are steadfast, they can conquer the world

so choi san is loved and respected by the students, known to be a very caring teacher

but choi san works harder at night. no one needs to know that

certainly not his colleagues who always go about how hardworking a teacher he is

when he is free from the school, he goes to his home and changes before driving to his friend’s place- a warehouse where a few of you hang out

someone programmes, another composes, another works out

just an innocent hideout that you’re all using even in your early thirties

except that you also huddle around to read the new request you receive on your app

“i am a twenty-one year old female. two years ago, the man who dated my older sister killed her, but due to lack of evidence, he did not receive the jail time he deserves. he claims that he is innocent, but ever since he got out, he’s been bothering me because he had to serve his short sentence anyway. he is threatening to kill my family and then me if i go to the cops. i am scared to leave the house because he is stalking me and i can always see him wherever i go. please help me. i won’t go to the cops anyway- they didn’t do anything then, and they will not do anything now.”

san is contemplating if he should accept this request

you look at wooyoung who is immediately weighing the pros and the cons

you look back at san who is still deep in thought and you gently rest your hand on his thigh, bringing him out of his head

“i’ll take it,” he mutters. “accept the request, y/n.”

you nod and go back to the computer to accept the request

you have a phone call conversation with the client where you set up a meeting

it’s you and wooyoung who go to meet with the respective parties. san works in the shadows

the next night, san finds you deep in thought outside, leaning against the worn out wall of the warehouse

he joins you, hands in the pockets of his baggy jeans

“i know what you’re thinking,” san begins, glancing at you. “you’ve been awfully quiet since the meeting.”

you shrug in defeat. “i know i can’t change your mind.”

“it’s not going to be the same,” san refers back to the one time you all took a request from a 19 year old girl who was being bullied by her seniors

it got to a dangerous point and had you been a little late, you might have lost the girl

san lost his temper that time, though

and while he couldn’t physically harm the kids who were bullying the girl, he had them locked in a room for one night while he educated them

and funnily enough, san was scarier that night

scarier than every other time he actually wields a weapon

you asked him that night if there were any just people left in this world full of evil

“all people are evil. to believe that you are just, you must believe that someone else is more evil than you”

was his response. safe to say, the girl was living her best life now, but you saw a new side of san that night

a side you had never seen all your life, and that was saying something since you were childhood friends

“we won’t let it get to that point,” san assured, outstretching your hand and you pouted before taking it

he caressed your knuckles, his voice assertive. “i will take care of it. properly. i always do.”

“do you think i only worry about things going wrong?” you finally say out loud, the words that you want to say to him every time he goes out in the field

san, despite himself, breaks into a smile that would seem so out of character to anyone who has not known him for long

“you can’t smile your way out of this,” you sulk further, snatching your hand away and folding your arms

“baby,” san begins, trying to take your hand again but you’re not having any of it

“i’m worried you’ll get hurt. i’m worried about the pain you’re willing to go through so you can lessen the pain of others.”

san stops teasing then, mimicking your position as he leans against the wall next to you

there is a thick silence surrounding you and you wonder what wooyoung is doing inside- is he napping?

“it’s something i have to do. something only i can do. you know that, right?”

“i know,” you say, almost a whisper. “and that’s what makes this more frustrating.”

because it was originally your idea

on a summer night when you were all about to graduate, a tragedy happened in your town

a man went on a spree, killing and wounding multiple women and children for weeks

you, who knew one of the victims personally, were shocked by the act and disgusted at how lazy the police were being

it turned out that the assailant was a high-profile businessman and the police were trying to cover the case up as per the orders of their superiors

the three of you were hanging out in the warehouse, each burdened by their own train of thoughts, until you finally said it out loud

“what if we were some sort of a private service where we help the victims? especially when the police can’t?”

it was wooyoung who agreed first, and san who disagreed

it took him some convincing to finally agree, and you set rules

you were not going to kill anyone- only maim

if it’s a serial killer, you maim their hands so they can never hold a weapon again

if it’s a bully, you maim their mouth so they think before they speak

the three of you are a team, but san is the executioner

wooyoung is his eyes and feet, and you are the brains

so it is ironic how worried you are about san now, when you gave him this role

“i know that i can get hurt,” san begins, taking a deep breath. “but there is no pain as long as i keep my eyes on the balance scale.”

this time, when he outstretches his hand, you take it. he plants a sweet kiss on your knuckles

“don’t worry about me, hmm?” he tugs you closer so you can rest your head against his firm chest as he embraces you. “i can’t focus when you’re so worried.”

“i can’t help it,” you tell him. “you’ll just have to get used to it.”

san lifts your face with his thumb below your chin, his brows furrowed with concentration and worry as he looks at you

his eyes are sharp as he scans you so you smile

immediately, his body relaxes and the corners of his lips curl in a smile as he pecks your lips- once, twice

and it is about to turn into a deeper kiss when wooyoung claps loudly to get your attention

“alright, lovebirds. get inside. we have a heads-up.”

you scowl at wooyoung who smirks in response but you both immediately join the youngest inside

your client has texted to let you know that she’s about to go out so you can stalk her stalker

you and wooyoung take your equipment to the van and san prepares himself

he’ll be observing tonight, but he is prepared in case the stalker catches on

just like that, you observe the stalker for a few days, assuring your client that she is safe

you plan a trap to lure the stalker to an abandoned area where san will have a little chat with the stalker

and when the day comes, all your client has to do is threaten to call the cops on him

he comes after her and that is when san knocks him out with a punch

the stalker finds himself tied to a chair in an empty room when he opens his eyes

there is the stale smell of something resembling death in the room, and that makes the man resist

from the darkness, san emerges, clad in all black, his face covered with a mask

and his favourite weapon, the dagger, in his hand

you and wooyoung are watching from the camera embedded on his coat

you can see the glint of the dagger as he twists it dramatically in his hand

san circles around the man once as if to gauge the room

even through the camera, you can tell how thick the air must be feeling

san meets eyes with the man and removes the tape over his mouth, wincing when the man screams his lungs out in hopes that help would come

there is no help, not for miles

“who are you?” the stalker spits on the ground near san’s feet

san only shuts his eyes in mild annoyance. he is not easily riled up

“you have been found guilty of the crime of stalking. tell me… what should be your sentence?”

the man pales, fresh beads of sweat trickling down his forehead

“it will be better if you admit to your wrongdoings and give me a fair number. you don’t want to leave it in my hands.”

“what do you mean sentence?” the stalker starts struggling fiercely, almost falling off the chair. “i have already served!”

san grins under the mask, closing in like a cat and stomping on his foot, making the man let out a guttural groan of pain

he leans in to whisper in his ear

“but… that was for murder. and unfortunately, i am not charging you for murder tonight. otherwise… you would not have walked out alive.”

the man gulps loudly, meeting eyes with who has to be the person he has heard so much about in prison

most of the people in prison feared this man- the judge, they called him

the man was the judge, jury and executioner for criminals, feared more than the cops or actual prosecutors

“surely… you’re not him, are you?”

you wince at the fear in the stalker’s voice and meet wooyoung’s eyes

san never confirms if he is that. he simply finishes the job right there

the stalker’s screams are heard for quite a distance, even outside your earpieces

you shut your eyes momentarily and when you open, you can see the blood oozing out of the man’s left leg

san is wiping the dagger with the man’s own jacket as he tells him that he will never be able to stalk people again

the man screams and screams, waiting for something more, but nothing else comes

san’s job is done

he tosses a broken piece of glass near the chair for the man to free himself if he wishes to

when san comes back to the van, the air is sombre, just like after every finished request

wooyoung pats his shoulder in acknowledgement and mutters a joke in an attempt to lighten the mood, which works

“they still call you the judge, huh?” wooyoung teases as he drives

“judge, jury, executioner. how scary, choi san.”

san raises a brow at your comment- he can tell what you’re referring to

you’re referring to the first time when he came back covered in blood

and the first time he realised that no matter what he did, you would never be scared of him

and that you and wooyoung would always have his back and guide him

“i think i’m only the executioner. you both are the judge and jury.”

“makes sense,” wooyoung agrees. “but the world does not need to know that.”

Judge, Jury and Executioner

Mingi

The Overseer

“the future, pitch black, upside down”

mingi dips his brush into the onyx ink, finishing writing the words on the big canvas

the canvas that is a splash of colours- red for the blood on his hands. white for the innocence he lost too soon. blue for all those nights he spent trapped with only the moon as his friend

and finally, black for the future. the future is the only uncertainty in his life

despite being a leader of a notorious gang, he can never be certain about his future. there are always people after his life

he cannot trust anyone- not one soul-

“sir,” a voice interrupts and he knows who it is instantly

even if he did not hear your voice, he knows you are the only person who would dare interrupt him in the middle of his private time-

“tea, sir. you’ve been cooped up in here for too long,” you say, placing the mug on the table

-for something as meagre as tea

mingi spares a glance in your direction, noticing how you are still dressed in your usual all-black fit

which means you have not gone to sleep yet, even though it’s well past midnight

“and what are you doing up so late?” he asks as he picks up the cup and sips it, finding it exactly to his liking. a flavour only you can nail

“watching you paint,” you confess without hesitation

because in this place, in this room, between the two of you, there may be truths hidden, but there are no secrets

mingi is amused to hear that though he does his best to hide it

“and what do you think of the painting?” he asks, allowing you to take a closer look

you smile at his permission to inspect his art and you inch closer to the painting, now standing beside your boss

you read the words on it in a whisper and cock your head in thought

“isn’t this too dark, even for you?” you question

mingi shakes his head in amusement and looks down. only you could have made this observation, having been at his side for a solid seven years now

where others would say that his paintings were too ‘colourful’ considering the kind of person he is, you still find them too dark and void of life

you’d know better, because you know mingi inside out

he first found you when he was a street thug in the process of becoming something big

all he had was his raw strength, a strategic brain, a few rusty weapons and some loyal friends

he went on to fight gang after gang, always emerging victorious and merging the losing team with a good deal- it’s how he earned respect around and gained a reputation

every other gang knew not to stand against him unless they wanted to risk losing everything they had

when he first opened his office in the darkest part of the town, he found you purely by chance

you were nearing the end of your teens- a rebellious little girl who cut ties from her family and ran away from home

at that time, you had multiple part-time jobs trying to make ends meet, hoping to find a place to live

and one fateful night, you found yourself in front of a building to deliver chicken, peering up at the light coming from the 4th floor- this must be it

although… you weren’t sure if the loud sounds coming from the floor were just men having a good time or if something had gone really, really wrong

men will be men, you thought, wanting to get the delivery done with so you could move on

only when you reached the 4th floor, you spotted men lying on the ground and clutching their limbs, blood all around

while every sane part of your brain screamed at you to pretend you saw nothing and go back, you recalled how when you received the order, they promised a big tip to the rider

you could not miss that, could you? you had to find a place to live, and you needed every penny

so you started with the men who seemed to be unconscious. you took any cash they had, being careful to hide your face in the hoodie

you moved to the office, hearing a crashing sound and flinching

you made quick work of grabbing more cash from the thugs- they had to be thugs

they all had guns, for fuck’s sake

you went into one of the neater rooms and placed the bags of fried chicken there

and you froze when a burly man made his way inside, wiping blood from the edge of his mouth

“ah… you must be song’s girl, eh?” he snickered, scanning you up and down

“i- i’m delivering chicken,” you pointed at the table. “i’ll be on my way then-”

“not so quick,” his gaze darkened

instinctively, you grabbed the nearest object, which so happened to be a mug and chucked it at the man, successfully hitting his head

he clutched his head in pain and you made a dash outside, bumping into another man

the tall man seemed mostly unscathed save for a bruise on his cheek

he held your wrists to steady you and his eyes darted in the man’s direction who was clutching his head no more

“oi, song!” the burly man called. “teach your girl some manners, will you?”

the man called song pushed you to the side and a gunfight ensued

you took shelter behind a shelf, observing how the taller man successfully shot his every target

when he thought he was done- and was out of bullets, he looked in your direction and tsked loudly

you were about to come out of the shadows when you noticed one of the supposedly unconscious men take aim of song’s head

your eyes widened and almost instinctively, you grabbed a heavy metal object from the shelf and rushed to the man who was targeting your saviour

to say that mingi was surprised to see a young girl save him from his enemy by nearly crushing the man’s skull?

he knew you were something special right away

you both stared at each other for a long time before he told you to go back to his office, lock the door and not come out until he comes back

he was done sooner than you thought, and while his men cleaned his mess, he found you in his room, sitting rather calmly

“so you’re the delivery girl,” he narrowed his eyes

“i hope the chicken is still warm,” you responded. “if you can just pay me so i can leave-”

“why did you do that earlier?” he asked, voice low and rough that sent shivers up your spine

“i don’t know,” you answered truthfully

mingi paid you more than extra that night and told you to come next time they place an order

the next time would turn out to be the last time you would ever work a part-time job

mingi offered you a place in his gang, and you took it

you are still not sure what your position in this gang is though- they smuggle drugs but keep you away from the work, so what are you doing here?

personal assistant? chef? manager? all of these?

sometimes, you are accompanying wooyoung in the field- the gang now has an official base and a few legal businesses

sometimes, you stay in the kitchen with seonghwa and wooyoung to cook

other times, you sit with yunho and hongjoong to plan and offer your opinion on their strategic takes

you aren’t sure if you are qualified for that- you probably aren’t

somehow, though, the gang members respect you for whoever you are

you are the light in their dark life, they joke. you are someone’s friend now, sibling to some, secretkeeper for others

but you still aren’t sure what you are to mingi

whenever you ask him why he took you in, mingi always responds with something different

“you were clever grabbing all that money from our enemies”

“you saved me- though i must say i could have handled it”

“you looked like a lost cat”

“you didn’t report us”- excuses, all of them

truth be told, mingi has no idea what you are to him either

he has a certain fondness for you that he has for no one else. of course, it didn’t happen instantly

he took you in because he realised you had a strategic mind and he could really use that

he insisted the office needed a ‘feminine touch’ even though it came in the form of a cranky teen who wouldn’t stop asking questions

but somehow, the two of you formed an unbreakable bond

he finds solace just being with you in one room, even in complete silence

he loves to hear you talk, even though you mostly question his morals

because he is not a good person, you found out

song mingi is not conventionally good. he is a man of principles, but he does not have the best morals

despite all that, you learned a lot from him. the world is a harsh place, and only he can protect you

he learned a lot from you too. the world is a harsh place, and only you are his safe space

when at times things get stressful, he comes to seek you. he finds you in the shared residence and sits with you

if he is feeling down, you will have him lay his head in your lap. you will caress his head and let him be

if he wants to talk, he will. otherwise, he will watch you for a long time until he falls asleep, unguarded

when he gets tired, he will seek your arms. all he has to do is show up and you will know what to do

you will drop whatever you are doing and spread your arms

it is his home at this point. that’s how things are like

are you in a relationship? you don’t know

all you know is that song mingi is the most important person in your life

it doesn’t matter if he lives life the way he does

it doesn’t affect you anymore- the blood on his hands or the chaos in his mind

it doesn’t bother you because you know his heart, and that is all that matters

so standing in his private space right next to him, inspecting his painting with a critical eye, you tell him that the painting is not him

he tells you to pick a colour and you reach out for a box, making him chuckle

“really?” he asks

“the future may seem black, but…” you begin. “it doesn’t feel so dark when i’m with you.”

mingi takes a deep breath at your words. you always get him like this, and he is not sure if he can restrain himself anymore

your heart aches when you see him curl his fists, a sign that he is holding back some words or an action

“tell me what you’re thinking,” you request, though it registers like a command in the gang leader’s brain

“i’m thinking that i never should have given you this life.”

you shake your head at that- how many times has he voiced out that he wished you had lived a better, normal life, away from the clutches of the underworld?

“no, you’re thinking something else too,” you comment

“i’m thinking that i want you to stay here, with me, forever,” he responds

you nod in approval. “i’m right here. i’m not going anywhere.”

“you could get hurt,” mingi says, taking a step closer and closing the gap between your bodies

“i am a big girl now, mingi,” you laugh, wrapping your arms around his waist and hearing his erratic heartbeat

his arms are still by his sides for a moment before he embraces you

“i’m old now, in fact. how much longer will you keep me waiting?”

mingi grows stiff at your question. so you know

of course you do

mingi cups your face and locks eyes with you

“i won’t break,” you promise

“i know,” he smiles, pecking your forehead. “i’m afraid you will break me.”

your lips curl in a smile and he rests his forehead against yours

“are you sure about your choice?”

“yes,” you breathe. “i want you. i’m yours.”

mingi draws back

“i meant your choice of colour,” he tilts his head in the direction of the painting and the box of paint you picked for him

“of course you did,” you laugh at his attempt to distract you

mingi leans in to close the distance between your lips

it is soft and unrushed. you both have waited for the right moment, the right time for years and everything feels absolutely right at this moment

you go first, asking him to join you in your bedroom and he agrees

he assesses the canvas once again

as a finishing touch, he sprays a final splash of yellow- the colour you picked for him

yellow for hope, for all the light in his dark world

The Overseer and his Shelter

Wooyoung

The Maniac

it has always been a cat and mouse game with you and wooyoung

you chase after each other, running in circles with no start or end

it’s almost as if you both have sworn to keep your eyes glued on each other, watching every move, anticipating what is next

someone’s lips curls up in a failed attempt to restrain a smile- a smile that drips with mischief and mockery

someone else’s eyes glint with threat and promise that this is not over, their fists curled in anger

you chase after each other like cat and mouse

only…you’re not sure who is the cat and who is the mouse

sometimes, it is you chasing after wooyoung

jung wooyoung, the son of one of the richest businessmen in town

a privileged piece of shit who is not right in the mind

a crazy bastard who has made it his life’s mission to not only drive you to the edge of the cliff but to push you and laugh in victory as you fall

he takes advantage of you being a criminal investigator

some people jest that they can’t tell if wooyoung means to ruin your career or lead you to your promotion

with the amount of times wooyoung has gotten himself in trouble (and gotten away with it) he keeps your desk full of cases that you spend most nights investigating

while he keeps your hands full, what frustrates you to no end is that he almost always gets away with his crimes only because of his social standing and his connections

he gets away with petty crimes. he gets away with bloody fights that could very well have him spend one night in the station, cuffed

he gets away with major crimes such as money laundering and tax evasion

no matter how much you try to investigate, you cannot

there are the warnings of your superiors who threaten to fire you because this is not your worry

and even if you do start to investigate, wooyoung’s team is quick to wipe any evidence of said crimes

you’re pretty sure that at this point, he might be hiding a body somewhere in his house

you wouldn’t be surprised. man once set his enemy’s mansion on fire

to make things worse, he got away with it- even when he was the only one grinning and playing with a lighter on his way out

while the others scrambled like mice, he sauntered in style

he gets away with anything

you reputation at the station is already in shambles because of it

they call you his shadow at this point, considering how you are always following him

the truth is, you just want to wipe the shitty grin off his face for once

you want him to suffer defeat when you finally put him behind bars

you want him to chase after you like you chase after him

you might come off as delusional, but you’re half convinced that whatever wooyoung does is on purpose at this point- to get your attention

it wasn’t always like this, you and wooyoung

it started with a simple fight that broke out at a party where all the high-profile people were

someone was stupid enough to call the police- but you were more stupid because you went ahead and handcuffed wooyoung

you told him that you couldn’t waste this opportunity because you were investigating another case related to his father’s company anyway

and he? he laughed out loud like a maniac

you soon learned why, going home with the sound of your superiors scolding you still ringing in your ears

here you are, a few years and a lot of chasing each other later

except… you get something out of the chasing now

all he has to do is corner you. all he has to do is rile you up as he tells you why you lost this game yet again

with his burning gaze and honey voice, he pins you to the spot

with his fingers tracing the curves of your face, he tells you how much he loves you chasing after him

as if he’s all that you ever think about. he might be right

“don’t you think we’re meant for each other?” wooyoung questions almost innocently, licking his lips subconsciously as he trails his finger down the curve of your neck until he reaches the first button of your shirt

“don’t think too highly of yourself, wooyoung,” you respond, your chest rising and falling in controlled breaths

you can not let him know the effect he has on you

however, wooyoung doesn’t need any sort of confirmation

you can try to keep your gaze steel all you want. you can attempt to sound sure and fake indifference, but the fact is that wooyoung knows

all he has to do is take another step forward and fill the gap between you two

his warm breath caresses your face and you gulp despite yourself

he watches you intently and squeezes your neck just a bit, causing you to part your lips for air and then he brushes the tip of his nose against yours

his other hand is slowly but surely unbuckling the belt of your pants and taking it off

you can only thank god in an ashamed relief that you’re in a private space- the space being one of the empty rooms in a random building on a random street because you had been tailing wooyoung

(at least the door is locked)

wooyoung brushes his lips against yours as your pants fall on the ground and pool on your feet

the sound that makes has heat rushing to your face- this should not be happening

you are a fucking detective and wooyoung is your target

but you can’t complain when his fingertips dance along your hip bones

all he has to do is swipe his fingers up your panties

upon finding them soaked (as usual), he smirks and you smack his chest

he catches your fist in his hand, though

“all for me?” he asks

in a matter of seconds, your lips are upon each other, tongues in each other’s mouth as you wrap your legs around him

he picks you up effortlessly and places you on a very dusty table

he gets rid of his clothes all the while kissing you expertly, aiming to please you, dominate you

he sucks on your lips, your neck, anywhere he can get his mouth on

and when he finally takes off all your garments, he has more places he can get his mouth on

“admit it, detective,” he breathes against your clit. “you’re obsessed with me.”

“get to work before i cuff you and fuck your brains out, wooyoung.”

wooyoung’s laugh echoes in the room as he recalls that night- a night he is sure he can never forget

“does that mean i get to experience that again if i stop now?”

you are moments away from your high- how dare he ask if he can stop?

he gets the hint and gets to work, and he makes sure he does a good job, licking and sucking at your clit until you’re screaming

for bonus points, he dives his cock inside right after and stays still as he starts to kiss you eagerly

this time, you’re the one who loses to him and lets him take control

you let him thrust into you. you let him praise you and humiliate you to no end

truth be told, you’re addicted to him. there is no going back from here

wooyoung knows how to use his tongue and he whispers sweet nothings

he is also surprisingly good at aftercare, even though you don’t accept it from him

well, you try not to, but he is insistent

he takes you home and he invites himself in

you go to the shower and he goes to your room to admire the effort you put into bringing him down

loads of files and a board full of his ‘accomplishments’ staring back at him- nothing he doesn’t know

“you think your daddy will help you if i start to investigate the slush fund you have?”

“which one?” is his response, and he grins widely as you gape at him

he can practically see the gears in your head turning and he adores that

it is a cat and mouse game after all. he must give you something so you keep coming after him

(and you must give him something so he keeps finding you too)

while you’re still processing what he just implied, your phone rings

you flinch when you pick it up, getting an earful from your team leader once again, because where were you?

you were supposed to tail wooyoung to confirm that he is meeting up with a notorious gang member who does his dirty work

the case you’re team is on these days is targeting the gang, and yet again… wooyoung is involved

so what the hell were you doing, your superior asks

“jung wooyoung did not meet up with the gang leader,” you say into the phone, your eyes fixed on wooyoung

wooyoung has a shit-eating grin plastered on his face

“and how do you know that? i thought you lost the tail-”

“yes, i did lose the tail,” you bite your lips in thought- you can’t tell your team leader that wooyoung has a strong alibi this time-

but wooyoung goes ahead and snatches your phone from you

“detective lee,” wooyoung greets and you mutter a string of curses under your breath

you watch wooyoung charm his way through the matter

telling the detective that he was in a tight spot because of the gang they are investigating

and how it is a shame that a ‘civilised’ person such as himself is being linked to thugs

he tells him that he almost got attacked but you saved him, and you hid him in an abandoned building, being wise enough not to blow your cover

you can’t tell how he does it, but by the end of the call, your team leader is fully convinced that you did a good job today and he even praises you when you take the phone back

when you end the call, you glare at wooyoung

“what?” he shrugs. “i needed an alibi.”

“is that why you took me to the building to fuck me? because you needed an alibi?”

wooyoung watches you with mild curiosity

“did you think it meant something else?” he asks

it would have hurt if he really meant it, but that’s the thing

you both know he doesn’t mean what he says, especially about whatever is going on between you two

he has risked his position and even his life far too many times just to get you alone and fuck you

so you only smile and shake your head in response before telling him to fuck off and get out of your sight

(and he does. not before a second round)

when he leaves, you watch his car disappear from the window before going to the board and updating everything you got out of him tonight

everything about his business and his crimes. everything to make your case on him stronger

it’s truly a wonder how much you can get out of fucking someone right and you’re positive you can see the end of this case now

though… you’re not sure if you will ever take this to court. but that’s something you’ll worry about later

for now, you will follow him like a cat follows a mouse

and he will chase after you like a cat chases after a mouse

The Maniac and his Shadow

Jongho

The Tyrant

it is always a little too cold in the building for your liking

the building that is choi enterprises, located at the heart of the city, standing tall with numerous floors, laden in luxury

it is a workplace and home to some of the people in this city and a symbol of something untouchable to the others

as you enter the building, accompanied by your secretaries and a guard, you instantly feel the temperature drop despite the warm tones of the interior

the employees that greet you may have smiles on their faces but it’s all an act. you can tell, because you know what a genuine smile looks like

choi enterprises somehow always manages to keep the most calculating people to themselves. it might be why the company has flourished so much in such a short period of time

“to the private elevators, miss,” a man says and you recognise him as one of the ceo’s personal staff

you follow him and tug your jacket closer, wishing you had worn it instead of draping it over your shoulders

you catch your reflection on the golden glossy door of the elevator and straighten, lifting your chin up

you will not be pushed into submission, you repeat for the umpteenth time

however, things are not in your favour this time

in this never ending game of business rivalry, you and choi jongho have never seen eye to eye. you always stand in opposition, defensive or offensive

sometimes, you manage to outsmart him while making a new business deal or scoring a new project. other times, he is a few steps ahead and wins the game

except when you lose, somehow, the loss is much greater and a bit personal

your company always suffers more when you lose, which is why this little meeting you are going to have with jongho is no less than a negotiation- a war, if you must

sometimes, you wonder if jongho has a personal grudge against you. these meaningless battles start to seem like an excuse to see you

if not, then why is jongho looking like he just won the lottery at the sight of you?

“as beautiful as ever,” he says, scanning your figure slowly

you don’t move an inch, pretending those words don’t affect you

the secretaries move to another room, leaving you and jongho alone

jongho gets up from his chair and moves to the middle of the room, motioning you to take a seat

you watch as he pours a drink for you, his muscles flexing through the coat he’s wearing

you take the drink- you need something to calm your nerves

“i suppose the odds are not in your favour, considering you found your way back here”

an allusion to the time he said that you were meant to find your way back here again and again, that you were just a lost kitten and he was your master, controlling you

at that time, you thought he meant to spite you, but time after time, he proved himself right

you always find your way here, always as the opposition. this time, though… you won’t bend

“if the odds are in your favour,” you begin experimentally, downing the drink in one gulp and then pouring one for jongho. “would you like me to join hands with you?”

now this is new- jongho’s eyes slightly widen at your remark

“ah… how the tables have turned,” jongho started to chuckle lowly

you let him be for a moment, scoffing internally

jongho had earned the right title over the years since he stepped up as ceo of his father’s company

a monster of capitalism

known to be the owner of many questionable businesses, borderline illegal, evading taxes and having slush funds unashamedly, heavily involved in money laundering- the list goes on and on

a true financial villain- a true monster, yet… being able to get away with everything, unscathed. that’s who jongho is

he has bribed every soul who would dare go against him. and those who do not take the bribe? he makes sure they kneel

and you… you’re pretty close to being his next target- he did say you would look pretty on your knees for him

“is business not going well?” he asks, faking innocence. he knows

you are a rival company- seo enterprises. everything that jongho’s company is, but… more legal

your forefathers were once partners, and they created their independent companies without a hint of rivalry

they were the definition of true brothers (and partners in crime)

the difference between the values of your company came when you and jongho stepped up as ceo

you had made it your life’s mission for your company to earn a good reputation and moral image, while jongho seemed to have made it his life’s mission to simply conquer the world, no matter what or who the stepping stone is

“business is well,” you narrow your eyes at him. “it’s about the land in ilsan.”

jongho doesn’t seem surprised to hear that. it is always like this- he knows what moves you will make

“ah, the one where we are about to construct a gallery?” jongho asks

“we?” you repeat. “that land is a shared property. why have you not consulted us before going ahead and signing the documents? how could you begin this project without us-”

“the other option is selling it to the government because of the redevelopment project,” jongho leans forward, “and you know how much i despise the government getting their grubby hands on what’s mine”

you know he is right, and he knows that you are not here to argue about why he started this project without telling you

jongho relaxes back, considering all his options before deciding to strike. “you’re worried about your involvement in that project, is that right?”

“well,” you mirror his position, “i would like to keep my reputation clean unlike yours.”

he chuckles at that, proud of his deeds. “yeah, well, that’s going to be hard, sweetheart. that gallery is going to be an optimum location for storing money.”

you know what he means. the gallery is going to display priceless pieces of arts. those pieces are but a means of illegal transactions for the elites

you swallow your anger, taking a deep breath. “i’d like to have my shares back, then. before construction starts.”

“uh…” jongho gets up, fixing his clothes. “you’re going to have to convince me for that.”

“please,” you scoff, but he only shakes his head, ignoring that because he knows this ‘please’ was wholly sarcastic

“try harder,” he smiles mockingly before turning his back to you and moving to the window, putting his hands in the pockets of his pants and staring down at the city

a tyrant- that’s who he is

he expects to get the maximum output out of anything he set his eyes on, no matter the cost- money or lives

you join him by the window, pointing at a few spots. “that’s where people held protests against your company last week,” you tell him. “apparently, you have been exploiting labourers too.”

“that’s what they think,” he spits. “i gave them more than they deserve. they just never learn to accept. they never get pleased.”

you look at jongho- he sounds like he is saying the truth. he has the art of sounding like a victim at times, thus justifying his actions

“doesn’t all that venom in your heart make you dizzy?”

jongho glances at you, his lips threatening to curl into a smile at your words

“doesn’t it get tiring, pretending to be moral?” jongho asks, trying to read your guarded eyes

“there’s no pretending. i never claimed that i was full of morals, mr. choi,” you sigh. “i just wish for my business to have a legal foundation.”

“and it will, you don’t have to worry,” he responds, curling a section of your hair that had been resting on your shoulder in his fingers

you don’t flinch at his touch. you’ve known him since the beginning, and nothing he does fazes you anymore- except when he leans closer experimentally, locking eyes with you and trying to read you

“you will get your shares, but you will have to convince me,” he says, voice barely above a whisper

it is a challenge. it is always a challenge with choi jongho

“why are you so obsessed with me?” you laugh this time, swatting his hand away

he joins, and everything almost seems normal for a moment- just two friends with too many inside jokes, except… it only lasts for a moment

“how can i convince you?” you ask, sombre

“you know what i want from you, y/n,” he replies in a similar tone

he wants a true partnership, except his idea of a partnership is where you bend to his will (and so is yours)

“don’t turn this into a legal battle, jongho,” you warn, “i would hate to summon you to court.”

“don’t turn this into a petty rivalry,” he counters, “you will benefit from this project. you reputation won’t be harmed.”

“i don’t want my name next to yours,” you tell him in all honesty and you think you see hurt flash in his eyes

“that is not possible,” jongho declares. “our companies are not mentioned without each other. we are fated like that, you and i.”

that is true. no one dares to touch the two of you, so you two have always been alone

there is no one you both can trust. there is no one next to you

except the two of you are always together, wherever you go, be it business parties, political dinners, or high-profile events

you can only trust each other, because despite knowing everything about each other’s business, despite being at war with each other

you are always honest with each other- honest about your intentions and purpose

there is no one next to you because you two are always together, leaving no space for someone else

do you hate that? not really. does he hate that? he’s not sure

“you can buy my shares from me,” you start, “or you can shift them elsewhere. i can handle whatever loss comes with that.”

“or… you can let it be and use the revenue for something ‘moral’,” he taunts and silence envelopes the room

“no matter how much you try to maintain a clean image,” he starts, gentler this time, “you cannot undo the damage your forefathers have done to your company, y/n. seo enterprises will always be known as the company that exploited the weak to get to the top.”

you don’t wince at that, though your heart aches to hear that

“just like your company. except you are continuing in their footsteps,” you say

jongho nods, watching how your shoulders are curling inwards

“you are not weak, y/n, stand straight,” he almost scolds, taking you by surprise

you find yourself straightening at his words, confused to see how conflicted he looks

“you are the strongest person i know,” he tells you, and he means it. “i just don’t get why you are atoning for their sins.”

“i don’t know either,” you smile in defeat. “i just am.”

“well, if you ever get tired,” he gently places his hands over your shoulders, “i am here for you. you can lean on me.”

you lock eyes with him, scanning his face. his smile seems genuine

the way he kisses your forehead makes your heart melt

when he embraces you, you lean on him physically

and you almost give in, except…

“i can lean on you, huh?” you say, soaking in the warmth of his body, taking as much as you can before you continue

“so you can end my career, merge our companies and crown yourself king?”

you look up at him, finding him smirking

just like you thought

“not a chance, choi jongho.”

“how can you see right through me every time, y/n?” he laughs loudly as you smack his chest and move towards the sofa to grab your purse

“i’m the only person who knows who you are,” you tell him. “you can own the world, but you will never own me.”

his eyes glint almost dangerously

“challenge accepted,” he says

you mockingly wave goodbye before exiting the room

choi jongho never changes, and neither do you

but somehow… it gets more addicting and electrifying to be with him, to compete with him and to stand with him

even though he is a tyrant, and you are everything that he is not

The Tyrant and His Defiant Ally

#omg glad to hear my moodboard game has gotten better #THANK YOU SO MUCH BABES couldn't have done this without your validations #:'))#loren <33 #ateez x reader #ateez ot8 x reader #ateez scenarios #ateez imagines #ateez au #ateez headcanons #fic: ateez as villains

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zootplayz · 2 years ago

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Who Who

Hey all welcome to the prequel to my Not so Dr Who legacy challenge. Now initially the plan was to just be a famous legacy called Peach after Gretchen's creator Georgia.

But these two are too amazing for that and since I'm currently watching all of the Doctor Who episodes I've decided to make a Who Legacy. Now there is a time lord challenge already for the Sims 4 which, quite frankly is far more accurate than what I'm going to be doing. But I'm still doing it. The plan is I'm going to make each generation like the corresponding doctors. As such this lovely couple is generation zero, a prequel if you will, on where the doctors come from. So we're going to be pretty normal here for a bit before we get to the doctors but we are still Who's up in here.

Who! Who! Sorrynotsorry In case you couldn't tell and or didn't know, this adorable couple is currently living in San Myshuno so Gretchen has been able to bring in extra dough while busking in town.

She really doesn't have to though because Felix is already at the top of his career as a comedian so they are doing just fine.

Things are going so great before we knew it Gretchen went and got herself pregnant.

Felix's face is just kinda killing me, like uh what? I just woke up you can't be springing this on me right now. Now the Who's are doing just fine to survive in a tiny apartment in the city but there is literally no room for a baby. What the hell was the game thinking when they had those pregnant Bheedas in here? Zoot hates the city so I think it's time to move. But we don't have enough money so thanks to some loans and a little help from Felix's Dad living in retirement, we finally managed to scramble together enough simoleons to get the hell out of this place. Let me tell you I friggin love this house I found.

Gretchen's reaction upon moving in just says it all.

It's amazing I know. I just saw it and had to have it for the Who's. It does have that celebrity lot trait though so Felix is going to have to work on his fame rather than just bringing home dogs to fill the house with.

Luckily for us all Gretchen is already pregnant so we don't have to worry about this amorous duo throwing more kids at me.

But, well, pregnancies don't last forever and it was soon off to the races.

It's ok Felix, Gretchen is just fine with your beautiful baby girl.

No, wait, damnit.

...girls... Kill me. Just kill me now. I am so sick of multiples. Here are a couple pictures of Felix's puppy Dingo to make me feel better.

I mean just how cute is he? My friend DK was right a husky corgi mix is out and out adorable.

The Who's also have a cat, Gustav that you haven't really gotten to meet. But Felix's sister loves him.

So it's winter here in Del Sol Valley and Felix had to invite his whole family over to help with the tree.

Because it is his birthday after all he should be surrounded by loved ones on his big day.

While all this holiday stuff was going on the twins went and aged up and promptly made a huge mess.

Watcher help me, these kids are going to be a handful. So this little one here with the pigtails is Victoria or Vicki. Named after two of the 1st 2 doctors' companions. I mean why they had one named Vicki and another like 2 seasons later named Victoria seems a little uncreative. But anyways there you have it.

Vicki is not heir though. That honor fell to her older sister Dorothea or Dodo. Again another early companion and well Dodo is just fun to say.

And I'm out of things to say yet I still have three pictures in here. So here's some more of Vicki.

Felix getting some presents.

And the one, the only, the amazing... Gustav!

Read the full article

#doctorwho #drwho #notsodrwho #nsdw #prequel #sims4 #sims4legacy #simslegacy #thesims #thesims4

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usernamerenn · 3 years ago

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DISAPPEARING ACT

character. sanzu haruchiyo, hitto kakucho, kokonoi “koko” hajime

summary. he loses his child at the mall

note. this is a reupload. f!reader. likes and reblogs are always appreciated

sanzu haruchiyo

with sanzu, he honestly wouldn’t even realize that his son was gone until he made his way back to the car and noticed that he was alone

it would take sanzu less than a second to process this before he quickly ran back toward the mall in a panic, not caring for the many confused looks that were now being directed at him

at that moment, he couldn’t help but wryly think how funny it was that his three hours of sleep and five cups of coffee this morning wouldn’t be what finally killed him, rather it would be you

though, admittedly, if sanzu was to die to anyone, he would more than happily die at the literal hands of his beautiful wife

after continuously failing to find his son anywhere, sanzu solemnly resigned himself to his fate, about to call your number when a sudden announcement on the mall’s speakerphones caused him to sigh in relief

“um, can akashi haruchiyo-san please make his way to the first floor information desk? your son is looking for you. again, that’s akashi haruchiyo-san to the first floor information desk. thank you”

“where have you been?!” sanzu questioned after he had arrived at the information desk and recognized the young boy standing there. “i was this close to getting murdered by your mom”

“dad, you were the one who left me,” his son answered with a blank stare. “you said that you were going to step away for a few minutes to answer a phone call, but then you just left”

“huh,” sanzu commented in response. “now that you mention it, i do kind of remember that”

“you’re funny, dad,” the younger akashi said with a laugh. “come on, let’s go home already. mom’s making katsu for lunch today!”

hitto kakucho

“stay close to me,” was what kakucho had told his son before the young boy unexpectedly disappeared without a sound

despite his perfectly calm expression and demeanour at the moment, kakucho could feel himself becoming more panicked and worried as time went on with no sign of his son anywhere

kakucho would have to remind himself to breath, and it was then when he suddenly remembered the advice that he had once told his son, which was to stay where he was until you or your husband could find him

and so, kakucho proceeded to revisit the many stores from this morning, and it was only once he reached the jewellery store from earlier did tears appear in his eyes

“hi, papa!” his son greeted cheerfully, a look of surprise on his face as kakucho immediately pulled him into a loving hug

“what are you doing here, buddy?” kakucho asked in concern

“the lady from the store said that mama’s necklace would be ready at twelve,” his son explained happily before pointing to one of the many clocks placed around the mall. “it’s twelve now!”

and after hearing this answer, kakucho couldn’t help but laugh at his son’s amusingly simple and lackadaisical response

“son, i know that you’re excited about getting mama her present, but please don’t do that again. i was so scared when i realized that you were gone”

“papa was scared?” his son questioned with a curious tilt of his head

“i’m always scared when it comes to you and your mom,” kakucho replied with an adoring smile. “the two of you are my world”

partially understanding his father’s sentiments and concerns, the young boy simply nodded his head in agreement before apologizing, though all was already forgiven

kokonoi “koko” hajime

as a father, koko undoubtedly spoiled his daughter too much

she was his little princess, so he often found it difficult to deny her of her whimsical requests, like having sweets before dinner or buying an entire closet full of new and expensive clothes

on this occasion to the mall, you had challenged your husband to be strict for once, reminding him that his little princess would more than likely grow up to be conceited and spoiled if he kept acting like this

so after some hesitation, your husband eventually agreed, though he had never thought that it would be this painful and heartbreaking to say no

“p-princess, you already have plenty of dresses at home”

“but, papa, i want this dress!” koko’s daughter explained with bright, shining eyes

and it took all of koko’s resolve to not change his mind as gently refused with a tired sigh, unable to even offer an apology before his daughter disheartenedly ran out of the store while screaming, “i hate you, papa!”

hastily following after her, koko was immediately confronted with a large crowd of shoppers, his daughter nowhere in sight as he began to panickingly shout her name while ignoring the curious glances of the people around him

this went on for another ten minutes before koko reached a quieter part of the mall, and he felt his heart skip a beat in absolute joy and relief once he noticed a familiar-looking young girl

with a shout of her name, koko fell to his knees and opened his arms as his daughter quickly ran toward him with tears in her eyes

“p-papa! i’m sorry, i’m sorry!” she cried as she hugged him. “i-i was so scared that you would leave me here”

“why would i ever do that?” koko asked in amusement, though there were also tears in his eyes

“b-because i was being s-spoiled. i-i thought that you wouldn’t love me anyone and leave me here”

“that would never happen, princess. no matter what, your mom and i will always love you,” koko reassured with a comforting kiss on the top of her head. “never run away from me again, okay? you don’t know how scared i was when i couldn’t find you”

“i’m sorry, papa. i’ll be better from now on. promise!”

tokyo revengers taglist. @crown5 @blacksun-judar @chloee0x0 @zuuki @chiaki3nanami

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idontfudgingknow · 4 years ago

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Theory: What Silver Is Truly Twisted From

A Happy Belated Birthday Silver!!!!!!!

(Would you believe me if I told you, I had this in my drafts for a while now, only as part of a bigger post for all the ‘?’ students and decided to rework Silver’s bit as a belated Birthday Gift to him??? 😅)

So I’ve seen plenty of theories on Silver’s true identity and the most prevalent theory is that Silver is twisted from the Sword of Truth; the sword that killed Maleficent in the original ‘Sleeping Beauty’

And I’m very confident when I say that I don’t think that theory’s wrong.

I know the theory’s wrong.

Normally, I would NEVER say something as confidently as I’m saying this, so I hope that convinces you to give, what I’m about to say, a try.

So first thing’s first; if Silver’s not twisted from the Sword of Truth, what is he twisted from?

Well the biggest clue to his identity, sans icon, is the fact that he uses light magic for his Null attacks—meaning he’s not twisted from something villainous

What fueled this theory was actually another Silver theory; and that’s, that he’s twisted from Aurora herself.

The evidence provided for this speculation is the fact that he exhibits traits similar to Aurora; attracting animals, purple eyes, and a tendency to fall asleep.

But that’s also wrong.

Because while Aurora does indeed share those traits with Silver, it’s not because he’s twisted from Aurora—rather Silver is twisted from what she has.

In other words: Silver is twisted from the Three Good Fairies’ Gifts.

See:

Aurora’s purple eyes were a signifier of her literal enchanted beauty, the Gift of Beauty; Silver’s eyes are explicitly called aurora silver, both in the Magical Archives and in-game, referred to as ‘aurora’, and look purple—in fact if you look closer you’ll notice that his eyes have shades of blue and pink in them. Sound familiar?

Silver’s strange, natural affinity for animals, despite not being good at Animal Languages, is a carry over from Fauna’s Gift of Song, where Aurora’s singing would be so beautiful, animals couldn’t help but be drawn to her. Silver mentions how the animals would always come to him, when he was feeling particularly downtrodden, echoing how Aurora’s animal friends comforted her, when she was feeling lonely.

His tendency to fall asleep, which originally led to theories that he’s twisted from Maleficent’s Curse or the Spindle of the Cursed Spinning Wheel, but that’s already been disproven, by virtue of the detail of his Null Magic above. Moreover, Maleficent’s Curse was that Aurora would die; it was Merryweather that altered the curse so that Aurora would fall asleep instead. So ultimately, Silver’s sleepiness is a result of Merryweather’s Gift.

What gives this theory even further weight is the fact that very suspiciously, Silver of all Diasomnia students, has a classroom chat where he not only mentions a ‘princess from a long time ago’ who received magical gifts from Three Fairies, but name-drops all the gifts.

With his Birthday Suit Up, comes further lore, but also the eagerly anticipated pin, which looks like this:

[Credit to momori_0816 on Twitter for the Photo]

People were quick to point out the fact that the pattern behind the sword on the pin was none other than Aurora’s Crown itself. So naturally people doubled down on the Aurora Theory.

But remember.

Aurora’s Crown was also a gift.

“This one last gift, dear child for thee, a symbol of thy royalty; a crown to wear in grace and beauty, as is thy right and royal duty.” -Flora

And it was a gift from all the Three Good Fairies.

So then, how should I explain all the sword imagery, if Silver’s not twisted from the Sword of Truth?

Well it’s simple.

The Sword Icon for Silver is an analogue.

It’s supposed to be a physical way to represent the fact that Silver’s the Three Gifts, because let’s be honest, how are you supposed to visually depict something that abstract without the design getting overly complicated?

The Sword was picked because, it too, once again, was a gift; something from Flora to Prince Philip.

The best way to summarise the fact that Silver’s the Three Gifts is by hinting at it with another, more tangible gift.

And that, my fellow TWST Fans, is my evidence on what Silver truly is.

TL;DR

Silver’s twisted from the Three Good Fairies’ Gifts.

#twisted wonderland #twst #twst silver #twst theory #twisted wonderland theory #reblogs are appreciated #reblogs are MUCH appreciated #seriously #please spread this around!#I’d like for everyone to read it #happy belated birthday Silver!!!!!!

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thelargefrye · 2 years ago

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O M G HAVE I BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FOR SO LONG AND ITS FINALLY HERE! *cracks knuckles* get ready for a 15k word live reaction!!

oooo starting off great! love how you set up the stage for how the dragon oracles are treated by everyone else. really like how it mirrors the witches and how there are real witches and 'fake' witches.

the whole vision with jongho ooooo~ so 🤌 we love a possessive jongho. greed and possessive jongho makes the brain go brrrr 🥴

omg yeosang witnessing the "oracle stuff" i'm loving yn, she is definitely giving witch!yn vibes.

yesss, girl, steal a horse, we stan.

oooo yes, yn, kill the bastard.

omg her mother's name is rosa 😭 loving these easter eggs topaz.

HE BURNS FOR YN, MY ORACLE GIRL, YOU BETTER GET HIM.

Without another word, Jongho dropped his robe. He wasn’t wearing a stitch of clothing underneath it, but he did have something adorning his body. The same chains that bound him to human form were now made to frame his chest, falling along his shoulders and encircling his neck. You felt like your heartbeat was caught in your throat, like you had swallowed a hummingbird and it was looking to escape.

WOOOOOOOOOO YES MAAM!!!

wow that mating scene was so.... woooo *deep breath* that was perfect. like literally perfect for the two. jongho just submitting to yn and then asking to sleep with. to sleep with his mate. so sweet.

then the picking flowers with san. bruh. love it. even if they are just bickering, it really is just cute.

no stop, the relationship between her and seonghwa. THE VISION!!! the sneaking around hongjoong. 🤭🤭🤭🤭 omg love it.

AND THEN MINIG AND THE HATCHLINGS, THEY ARE LITERALLY THE APPLES OF MY EYES.

Then the tears began to pour. To have a new generation of dragons not look down upon you or your family meant more to you than you than perhaps Mingi understood. Or perhaps he understood perfectly well because his eyes were kind as he said it.

this is so beautiful and heartwarming. yn finally realizing that soon the clan won't look down upon her – and her family. i love it.

omg the fight scene with san 🤌🤌🤌 that is so good. i wish i could fight scenes like that 😭

You smiled slowly in cockiness. "Did you get turned on by my prowess?"

THIS!!! THIS RIGHT HERE IS WHY WE ARE HERE WITCHES AND DRAGONS!!!!

yn calling san "little flame" is literally everything i need 🤌🤌

omggggg wooyoung 😭😭😭😭 the literal best dragon boy. like yes jongho is great BUT WOOYOUNG IS THE BOY 😭😭😭 love him so much and i know this version of him will love oracle!yn just like how my version loves his witch!yn. so excited for the to meet.

omg wooyoung being raised by witches. i love it. ALSO THE COTTAGE FHSKDJFHSDJKF WE LOVE THAT DAMN COTTAGE

omg hongjoong ordering all the boys to be with her and making her apologize for running away. i absolutely love it. love how he's finally coming around to her – but probs only because of seonghwa i bet.

OMG GRUMPY SCALES PLEASE 😭😭😭 TOPAZ, YOU TOLD ME ABOUT IT AND I WAS WAITING FOR IT TO COME UP FHKSDJ also.... WOOYOUNG DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU JUST SUGGESTED FHSJKDFHK???????

"Perhaps," Yunho licked his lips in what you could only describe as a predatory way, "There's something of you that isn't worthless."

oh boy was i waiting for this line. ALSO WOOYOUNG HOW DARE YOU FALL ASLEEP LEAVING YN ON HER OWN. WAKE UP BOY!!

omg the ceremony and the BET 🤭🤭🤭 RREEEEEEEEEEE NO THATS JUST SO– FJSKDFSDJKFH

omg i can't believe i finished it. this was literally so beautiful and i'm honored you wrote this inspired by MY au. ughhhhhh, i literally have no words, you really did hit it out of the park. everything was so just so well written and i love how each member got a moment to shine. OMG YUNHO I LITERALLY WANTED TO CRY. i literally need a whole saga, chapter-saga, movie, visual novel, video game, bullet-point list, SOMETHING that tells me how, when, and where yn and yunho finally can be together peacefully. this was so precious, i just need more of yn and everyone. uggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh this was perfect.

Dragon Oracle

🐉Submission for @thelargefrye Starseed Jam event! 🐉Pairing: Choi Jongho x Reader (f) x Jeong Yunho 🐉Genre: enemies to lovers au, poly!ot8, fantasy au 🐉Word Count: 15,916 (yeah this bitch is wordy but it's an entire saga in one sitting, so sit back and enjoy the show) 🐉Warnings: fighting with swords, blood, death, penetrative sex with no barrier, overstim, mentions of mxm, dom!reader x sub!jongho, scratching/marking, dom!yunho x sub!reader, big cock! yunho, hair pulling, finger sucking, clit stimulation, degradation kink, choking, future fucks with San and seonghwa {separately dear God why did I write it like that no} and mingi (cunninlingus) , mentions of mate bond-testing sex with yeosang? 🐉Rated: 18+ MDNI, smut, angst, romance

🐉Summary: Dragon from the window au~ What if yn was born as a dragon oracle instead? (please read smalls headcanons and fics before you read mine, you will not regret it! especially mean hongjoong a la ugly dragon!)

🐉Dedication: @mejuii & @downtoamagicalland, my lovely beta’s. And to smalls: this is my love letter to the wonderful world you have created. Know that I will always be a fan of your work, your writing and this world 🥰

🐉🐉🐉

"Fraud."

"You're not even a true dragon!"

"Filthy oracle."

Your kind had fallen out of favor centuries ago. When the clans fought the witches, using their dark magic and assassins, they practically wiped the oracle's out. For you, the oracle's were now used for the desperate, for the weak, but never truly taken seriously by any of the high ranking dragons, including the prince. Especially considering that any oracle could not turn into a dragon. It was said that it was a curse on the oracles for failing the dragon clans all those eons ago…

You were from a long line of dragon oracles who could trace themselves back to the wars. The problem with that lie in that everyone was living a lie. Most of the way that the current oracles conjured their ‘visions’ was with a lot of smoke and mirrors, cheap tricks that fascinated the hatchlings and elderly but the sharp-eyed dragons of the clan never fell for it. You knew you were about to be hauled off to the council to vote if you were to remain in the clan if you attempted to fool one of the dragons who could see right through the cheap tricks. Finding one of them at your door was hardly a good omen.

Lucky for you, you kept out of their way, no matter how handsome some of the higher ranking dragons were. The prince certainly was haughty, noble and beautiful but some of his mates were also akin to sparkly jewels. That was until the day you learned that one of them was your mate as well.

You were residing in a hammock, swinging around in the incense-filled room that you shared with your hatchling brood, your ‘sacred sisters’, when your eyes clouded over. You began to scream in fear and fell from your hammock. One of your sister’s ran for the eldest oracle, guessing that she would be the best to help you in your current state.

While you were left in the arms of one of your other sisters, you saw something that didn’t quite make sense to you at first. You saw a man who was dressed like a dragon hunter and he brandished a weapon that made you feel like you just had received a punch to the gut. There was no doubt that that sword was made from your mother’s great silver talon.

You received a quick flash of your mother’s final moments, tragic and harsh, being lashed down to the earth by strong nets and to never fly again. Your mother had mated with your father, from that long line of oracles, much to the chagrin of her family. She had a true form which you always envied. That’s why it hurt you even more when you had lost her to dragon hunters. She always seemed to be the one true dragon who accepted you.

But that was not all you were privy to. You watched as the dragon hunter approached one of the prince’s mates. You saw the brown hair and knew it was Jongho. He struggled in his human form, a delicate but strong family of chains wrapping around him, prominently around his shoulders.

“Release me!” Jongho demanded with a bellow, never ceasing to fight his confines.

The dragon hunter chuckled. “Why would I do that when I have the clear advantage here? I’ll simply drag you back to our camp and we will harvest your dragon parts when we force you back into your more appealing form.”

Your heart dropped. Was this a vision of the future or was this happening in real time? You decided you didn’t care once the vision adjusted one more time.

You were shown a domestic scene full of love and adoration. You were holding Jongho and he was allowing you to card your hands through his hair. “You’re mine,” Jongho growled below you.

“Of course,” You murmured, placing a gentle kiss on the top of his head.

“But I have to share you,” Jongho said in a voice that had a slight whine to it.

“If I’m mate to one, I'm going to be mate to the rest of them, Jongho,” You told him in a calm voice.

“I just wanted something that was solely mine, for once…” Jongho admitted.

“You share the other’s fine,” You couldn't help but laugh under your breath.

“Yes, but I thought…” Jongho allowed himself a moment to pout. He was softer with you. You couldn't put your finger on it, but something had allowed him to open up and be vulnerable with you. “...I thought perhaps you would be my mate, and only mine. I didn’t think I would have to share.”

You rubbed your cheek into the crown of his hair. “Well for now, at least, it’s just you and me. It will take some convincing for the others.”

Your eyes slowly became unclouded and you were able to see the wrinkled face of the eldest dragon oracle within the clan. Awe was clearly written all over her face. “A true oracle. Finally!” she shouted.

Your sisters had all gathered around you and gasped as the elder spoke. “Surely you kid.”

The granny cupped your face with her withered hands and smiled happily, tears brimming in her eyes. “My grandmother was a true oracle. They killed her in fear that she would ruin the rest of our lives. But I saw her eyes turn cloudy only an hour before she predicted her death. They say that our eyes go cloudy because we gave up our dragon form for the ability to see. The clouds are our spirit selves flying the skies of the future.”

Your sisters murmured amongst themselves but you gently pushed yourself up from the ground, remembering your vision. “I must find Jongho!”

One of your sister’s screwed up her nose. “Why? That warrior will only spit on you if you talk to him.”

“He’s in danger!” You shouted, feeling sick to your stomach with fear.

The elder oracle pointed to the door. “If anyone would know of his whereabouts, it would be his other mates. You cannot approach Hongjoong or Seonghwa easily, but the other warriors will know where he patrols. Go, child, follow your vision!”

Based on your vision, you knew you would be fighting if you were going to help Jongho, so you quickly grabbed your sword that sat uselessly in its sheath by your bed. If you were good for anything, it was your sword fighting abilities. Your father trained you, first to protect your mother and later to protect yourself. You didn't have a dragon form to rely on, so you had to hone your human one.

You ran to the training grounds where most of the warriors honed their skills. There you found Yeosang with chain sickle. He was currently wrapping the chain around his arm and hand gripping the sickle part hard enough to make his muscles bulge. "Is Jongho out on patrol?" You demanded.

Yeosang stared you, looking you up and down, clearly unimpressed you were talking to him. "Aren't you from the oracle family? Why would you need to know where Jongho is?"

"Yeosang, please. I am a part of this clan. Set aside our differences and tell me where Jongho is. I might not have enough time to get to him!"

Yeosang gives you a look full of judgment. "He's gone to the forest east of here, patrolling all the way to the mountains. He could be anywhere."

You placed a hand on Yeosang's arm. "Thank you."

And that's when you saw clouds again, obscuring your vision and showing you a glimpse into the future.

"Do you…do you think you could forgive me?" Yeosang's eyes filled with sorrow as he looked at your bandaged arm.

"You just saw a human, you weren't thinking. Being in that much pain must have made your instincts as a dragon flare. I'm sure if--" your breath caught in your throat. There it was again. That guilt branded into your skull: you would never understand truly being a dragon.

"I'll take you out," Yeosang rushed out his words. "When you're better. I'll take you for a flight. Everyone from our clan should know how the wind feels on their face when they fly."

You couldn't help but feel emotional. "You don't have to do that," You declined softly.

Yeosang pushed your chin up so that you would meet his eyes. "You're my mate. I want to share that with you."

Your eyes unclouded and Yeosang looked at you with round eyes. "What was that?"

You smiled awkwardly. "Oracle stuff."

"Wha-?" Before Yeosang could make you explain yourself, you were gone.

You ran to the stables. The horses were there for farming and tilling the fields that helped feed the livestock that the clan ate. But this wouldn't have been the first time you hopped onto the back of one of the docile geldings. You were desperate to feel something of your dragon origins, so horses had been your bridge to that.

So you galloped through the eastern forest, weaving amongst the animal trails, eyes peeled for Jongho’s dragon form. You cursed under your breath, sure that you were going to arrive too little too late.

You bursted into a clearing and saw two small bodies in the distance. Could that be them? You urged your horse forward, whispering to him of the sweet sugar you would feed him later if he rode like the wind to get you to Jongho’s side. The horse tore through the tall grass and you confirmed it was Jongho struggling in his bonds before the dragon hunter who had killed your mother when you were young.

You let out a yell full of rage and fury and halted the horse, jumping to the ground. Your sword came free of its sheath and soon it was clanging against the hunters.

"Oh, dragon, is this human a friend of yours?" The hunter said through gritted teeth.

You bared yours at him in retaliation. "I'm your worst nightmare. A dragon who fights like a human."

You could tell the hunter had truly only used his strength against his opponents; he had no finesse. He barely was able to block any of your strikes and half of his were easy to dodge. He wasn't a fighter, he was a hunter. Bullying was in his nature, winning a sword fight was not.

With one final guttural yell, you pulled back your sword and plunged it into the gap of his neck and shoulder of his boiled leather armor. The man died with a quiet, bloody gurgle and then it was done.

You wiped the blade on his corpse and turned to check on Jongho. But first, you went to a knee. That last thing you wanted was to insult Jongho. "How can I help you?"

"Did you…did you just save my life? How?" Jongho said in disbelief.

"I saw you being captured in a premonition."

Jongho blinked at you. "And so you came to save me?"

"I…" You eyed the ground. "I had to. That hunter killed my mother. He was going to kill you."

"But I've never even acknowledged your existence. In fact, I'm pretty sure I've called your family a pale shadow of a dragon."

You grimaced in mental pain. "You are a part of my clan. You are the prince's mate. You are--" my mate.

"Quickly, help me get out of these chains. They're binding me to human form!" Jongho urged you.

You moved to stand behind him and found the clasp and it fell to the ground. Jongho rolled his neck and shoulders in relief. "Can you…should you transform?" You wondered, unsure if he would take insult.

Jongho turned and shook his head. "I don't think I should." He changed the subject immediately, "You fight like a feral creature!"

"The hunter was a--oh the sword!" You remembered how you identified the hunter in the first place.

You pulled the sword from underneath the dragon hunter and brandished it. The silver hue of an immortal creature turned rainbow tinged in the light. You could feel the connection to the sword; you could say with everything that made you you, that this sword had been carved from your mother’s talon.

"You should name it Rosa's Bane," Jongho suggested.

"You knew of my mother?" You frowned heavily.

"Of course I do. They tell us all her story so that we know what happens to bad little dragons." Jongho’s gaze dropped in shame.

"It's okay," You say softly, "I'm aware of what they say."

"But!" Jongho’s booted feet touched yours as he halted in front of you, teeth snapping shut. "You're a real oracle! And you saved my life."

"All I ask in return is for you to be kinder to the oracle family," You asked in a hushed tone. "I'll leave you be then."

Before you could turn and head back to the gelding, Jongho's hand went to your bicep. "Wait. I owe you an apology. You clearly aren't only about yourself and your tricks. There's more to you than meets the eye."

You let a small smile of hope pull the corner of your lips. "Apology accepted."

After saving Jongho, the elders of the clan held a council. You recounted your experience honestly. Hongjoong sat at his place--on a throne made from melted stone that could only be heated by dragon's fire--looking bored, head in hand. Your elder collaborated with your state, your urgency to save Jongho. Even Yeosang came before the council, his deep voice echoing against the old lava tunnels of the mountain. He confirmed your clouded vision state. And when Jongho took the center of the natural auditorium, passionately speaking of how you saved him and avenged your mother, and therefore were a hero of the clan, well, no one could deny that things were about to change.

Suddenly, you had your own rooms. They were filled with silk pillows and luscious smelling incense. You were given lost treasures of the clan that were put away in an old horde cave, for dragon's never disregarded their treasures, simply rotated through their favorites. An old copper bowl filled with embers for scrying. A large book and stand to record your visions. Even old toe bones of the first oracle dragon, said to speak the truth of your soul.

You were declared oracle of the dragon clan and had an official standing. You were on equal terms as Seonghwa, the right hand of Hongjoong himself. Hongjoong would have nothing to do with you, or so it seemed as if you never saw the prince. But Seonghwa, on the other hand, you saw a lot of.

Part of your official duties, especially as oracle, was to be privy to the decision making of the clan. Where the next patrol should be, when they should celebrate a new brood of hatchlings being brought into this world, the list went on. Seonghwa begrudgingly worked with you. You could tell he was unsure of you. He didn’t trust you, but clearly you had saved Jongho, so you got points for that.

“Seonghwa?” You dared to grab his attention as he was working on the details of the next feast.

“Yes?” He said in his clipped but coldly polite tone that he always took on when addressing you.

“What’s this map over here?” The edges of your vision were getting blurry and you were starting to learn that you were closer to a clue of a true seeing.

Seonghwa’s eyes flitted to what you were pointing to on the table. “That? Just Hongjoong planning on visiting a settlement. It’s nothing to worry about. The plans are all set.”

Your hand trembled as you moved to reach for it. Seonghwa was back to focusing on his writing, quill feather moving diligently. “Something about this map feels weird.”

Seonghwa scoffed. “Are you going to pretend you know something about it, Oracle?”

“Seonghwa, I’m serious!” You raised your voice at him.

Seonghwa’s eyes snapped up to watch you as you finally snatched up the map but no vision occurred. He let out a mocking laugh. “Looks like you can only see visions when it’s convenient for you, hmm?”

You narrowed your eyes at him and that’s when he gave up his writing and stood up. “You may be a bit of a warrior in your own right, but you forget your place. I am a dragon. I will put you down if need be.”

You threw up your hands in frustration. “Because God forbid I actually help someone. Do you know how close Jongho was to--”

Seonghwa’s long legs took him close to you but you side stepped him before he could touch you. You didn’t want what happened with Yeosang to happen right now. Even if it would prove to Seonghwa that you were a true oracle first hand, you didn’t want the knowledge that Seonghwa was also your mate. Not right now, at least. Seonghwa regarded you with suspicion but did not attempt again to grab you. “You're dismissed, Oracle. Sleep well.”

“Gladly,” You replied to him curtly and left the room posthaste.

You sped walk to your quarters and slammed the door for good measure. You also took your meal within your room as well. You were tired of having to fight for your spot. All you wanted to do was help the clan, but you couldn’t if both Seonghwa and Hongjoong were against you. You felt like your seeing abilities were a curse at this point.

Sometime in the evening, when the sun had been laid to rest and the moon watched over the world, there was a knock on your door. “Go away, Seonghwa!” You shouted, throwing a shoe at your door, “I don’t want to hear about how useless I am.”

“Oracle?” A different voice came through the wood of the door. “It’s Jongho.”

You rushed to your door, feeling chagrined. “Jongho, I’m so sorry!’

Jongho was sporting a slight frown. “Is Seonghwa causing you trouble? I could talk to him for you.”

You shook your head. “No. That’s my battle to fight. Don’t worry about it.” Your eyes took in the mysterious robe that Jongho had on. “How are you? I don’t think I’ve seen you since I rescued you.”

Jongho’s turned his head left then right, eyes searching the hallway before saying “Do you think I could come in?”

“Sure, sure,” You opened your door and let Jongho come into your room.

He took a few steps, head swinging to take in the different objects you had. “Have you had any visions…since that day?”

You shook your head and closed the door. “Either there is nothing important enough to see or it was a fluke,” You laughed bitterly.

Jongho spun around. “Don’t say that!”

You cocked your head in curiosity. “What’s wrong?”

Jongho grasped his robe near his collarbones with two hands. “You can’t say that your visions have been a fluke.”

You took a step closer to Jongho. “Because?”

“Because…” Jongho took a deep breath and looked you in the eyes honestly. “Because you saw we were mates, didn’t you?”

You gasped. “How did you…?”

“Oracle, I feel things for you that I have only felt for my other mates,” Jongho said in a hushed tone, his eyes dilating. “I burn for you.”

“I--Jongho--” You started to step backwards. You knew in theory Jongho was yours but nothing could have prepared you for this.

For every step you took backwards, Jongho took a step forwards. “I took the device that attempted to seal me to human form from that fateful day. I took it and made it into something as a memento; the day I met my mate.”

You shook your head, unable to find the words to tell him to stop. “You shouldn’t--does anyone else--?”

“Do you want to see it?” Jongho looked at you through his eyelashes flirtatiously.

You swallowed but couldn't find any moisture in your mouth. “Do I want to see it?”

“Oh, Jongho…” You said in awe of the picture he cut in the warmth of your candlelight.

“I have been trying to find the right moment to tell the others but I cannot hold back any longer. You saved my body and now I want to pay you back with that body. I must mate with you. I need to be inside of you,” Jongho begged, his eyes looking desperate.

“They will only hate me more!” You protested, “Don’t put me in that position, Jongho.”

Jongho shook his head. “I will not let them.” He placed a hand on the door that stood at your back, trapping you against it. “You protected me once, let me protect you now.”

Your last shred of protesting was cast aside then. So used to the cold attitude the majority of dragonkind treated you with, you caved under the need to be loved. You pressed your body and your lips to Jongho and he moaned into your mouth. "I'll take this offering of your body," You said in between eating up those plush lips of his.

"Please take me," Jongho whined again.

It was your turn to push while Jongho receded. Soon, the back of his legs hit the lounge you had in case your visions came on while looking into the embers or tossed the toe bones. He sat down heavily and you pulled up your diaphanous skirts to straddle Jongho’s leg.

Your forefinger traced Jongho’s collarbones and then both your hands raked your nails down his chest, pulling at his tight and sensitive nipples. Jongho let out a guttural grunt and you licked your lips in anticipation.

"What's this, Jongho?" You reached in between your body and his and found his cock standing to attention. It twitched in your hands and Jongho whimpered.

"It's yours, it's all yours," Jongho babbled.

"Mine?" You asked, interest coating your voice, "Don't you share this with others? Perhaps they might protest, hmmm?"

Jongho shook his head, his cheeks jiggling at his alacrity. "Yours, yours, yours, for tonight, my body is yours."

You started to pump his cock in your hand. Jongho’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and the back of his head hit the back of the lounge. "Please, your touch is so good. Feels so good." Jongho takes a moment to swallow and breathe out and he sounded like he was drowning in lust. "D-don't make me come in your hand. Mercy, please."

You languidly pumped his cock. "Are you truly asking for mercy?"

"No," Jongho admitted quickly and squeezed his eyes shut in embarrassment. "I want you to ruin me for everyone else."

You leaned down to whisper into Jongho’s ear. "I could have you bent over on my bed, tongue in your ass and hand wrapped around your dick, making you fall apart for me but that is not mating, is it, my pet?"

When you pulled back, Jongho looked up at you with shiny, bright brown eyes. "No."

"Then," You brought his cock to your entrance and rubbed it against your leaking hole, "Let's join and become one, hmmm?"

Your own skin was feverishly hot, feeling the need for Jongho as much as he had for you. It wasn't until you pushed down on him that you felt some sort of relief.

Jongho’s hands flew to your hips, holding you there. "Wait, wait, I've wanted this for too long, let me--let me drink it in."

You lasted all of two seconds staying still before you clenched around him and he let out a strangled moan. "Please?"

"You forget your place," You said in a guttural tone as you began to weave your hips in a figure eight shape. "You said you were mine for the taking, remember?"

You turned Jongho’s face harshly and began to suck and lick up his neck. After each successful mark, you whispered "Mine" eliciting a shiver each time from Jongho.

When you finally get to his jawline you decided it was time to reward Jongho with a kiss to his lips. "Such a good pet, letting me take what I want from you, hmm?" You tugged at his bottom lip briefly with your teeth and he groaned for you again.

"I'm yours," Jongho whispered.

"Not until I take wholly what is mine," You growled.

You began a relentless pace, bouncing on Jongho’s cock. His whines were back, desperate and needy. "We will only be mated once you have come inside of me, Jongho. Need you to release your seed and then the deed is done."

You watched almost predatorily as the Adam's apple in Jongho’s throat bobbed up and down. "You--you first!" He said with a warbled shout.

You hooked a finger through Jongho's chained necklace and pulled him closer to you. "Was that an order?"

Jongho flinched at the sound of your dangerous purr. "No…"

“Then you will come. Now,” You commanded.

Jongho held you down on his cock and spurted inside of you, his noises of satisfaction and neediness filling the air. You slowed down your pace to simply winding your hips as Jongho came down from his high but you didn’t stop. His fingernails dug into your ass soon, however.

“Too much,” He said through gritted teeth.

“Too much?” You smiled, “Didn’t you say you needed to be inside of me? Didn’t you want me to come too?”

Jongho nodded but whimpered at the overstimulation of his cock. The urge to pull yourself off of him and kiss and lick his cock surged through you; to have another dragon in your thrall touched a side of you that you didn’t know had the potential to develop but you suppressed it. You needed to seal the deal. You knew it in your bones that this was a joint mission.

So you pushed Jongho’s hair out of his face and kissed his nose, his cheeks, even his eyelids until his whines of overstimulation became groans of a second climax. “You can do it for me, pet, you can endure it so that I can come for you, right? You’re doing so well for me, letting me take care of you like this, hmm? You trust me right?”

Jongho’s eyes were vulnerable and it was as if he was removing all of his layers to you and only you. “I trust you with my life.”

“Then let’s go again, shall we?” You nuzzled your nose against his and he nodded.

You began to build your pleasure back up, brick by brick, thrust by thrust, until you were tingling again. Jongho was practically dripping out of you, and with your own slick adding to his cum, your room was filled with wet, lewd noises.

Jongho was pussy-drunk again, however. His arms were lax at his side, his mouth open and drooling a bit, the only part of him truly moving was his pelvis muscles tensing for your bounce. “You’re so warm and wet,” He whimpered.

“You enjoy being inside of me that much, my pet?” You asked.

“I love your pussy,” Jongho moaned, his tongue coming out to lick at the drool from the side of his mouth.

“Then make this pussy come, Jongho,” You whispered sensually.

Jongho’s eyebrows furrowed cutely as he attempted to focus enough to aid you in coming. He pressed his lips together and fucked up into your pussy as you brought your hips downwards. When he started to hit that spongy part inside of you that was making you see stars, you knew you were getting close.

“Oh Jongho, just like that, hnnnnnn,” You started to whine as your climax got closer and closer and finally it bursted through you like a wave hitting a cliff. You dug your teeth into the meat of Jongho’s neck and dug your nails into his sides as you came hard.

Jongho was like a puddle below you, completely relaxed and satisfied in finally making you come. "My mate," he pouted.

You plopped down on the side of the lounge that was empty and Jongho laid with his arms wrapped around your waist and his head resting on your chest, the rest of his body in-between your legs. You carded you hands through his hair tenderly and Jongho's voice rumbled into your chest, "You're mine."

Tears came unbidden to your eyes. This was the scene, this was how you knew Jongho was your mate!

“Of course,” You murmured, placing a gentle kiss on the top of his head.

“But I have to share you,” Jongho said in a voice that had a slight whine to it.

“If I’m mate to one, I'm going to be mate to the rest of them, Jongho,” You told him in a calm voice.

“I just wanted something that was solely mine, for once…” Jongho admitted.

“You share with the other’s just fine,” You couldn't help but laugh under your breath.

“Yes, but I thought…” Jongho allowed himself a moment to pout. He was softer with you. You had to assume that saving him had allowed him to open up and be vulnerable with you. “...I thought perhaps you would be just my mate, and only mine. I didn’t think I would have to share.”

You rubbed your cheek into the crown of his hair. “Well, for now at least, it’s just you and me. It will take some convincing for the others.”

"Do you know for sure about the others?" Jongho wondered.

"I'll be honest, only Yeosang. I had a vision with him before I saved you."

Jongho rubbed his face further against your cheek and it brought out a low moan from you. Jongho smiled mischievously. "If I sucked your breasts through this dress would you be mad at me?"

"We need to sleep, greedy guts," You admonished him.

"Can I…can I sleep here? With you?" Jongho asked.

"Do you really want to be caught sneaking out of my rooms at dawn?" You chuckled.

"I want to sleep with my mate," Jongho admitted.

"Alright, you can sleep here, but you cannot hide behind my skirts if someone catches you."

"Can I sneak under your skirts and show them how to take care of you before they get to have you themselves?"

"Jongho!"

After the successful mating with Jongho, things seemed to get somewhat easier. With the possibility of you being a mate to the prince, the hushed conversations about you stopped, at least in public. Jongho must have spoken to the others on your behalf because Seonghwa was begrudgingly a little less cold to you. Yeosang began to take walks with you through the training yards to the stables. You thought perhaps he would be the next to succumb to the mating pull but it was someone else you did not expect.

You were frustrated with your abilities. The bad position you were in now with Seonghwa on top of things only pushed you to try the tools of the old oracles.

San accompanied you while you went on an outing to retrieve morning glories, the flower that your elder had said your predecessor had used. San carried the wicker basket as you two meandered the trails. You were pretty sure Jongho strong-armed San, perhaps literally, into joining you.

"So Jongho sounds like he's hopelessly in love with you," San said in a voice that sounded both mocking and mean.

So you threw the same attitude back at him. "Sounds to me like you're a tad bit jealous."

That stopped San in his tracks and he lagged behind for a bit and then caught up with you. "I'm not jealous. I'm just saying, you've fooled him well," San insisted.

"If you think I've fooled Jongho, then I'm not sure you know your own mate, San," You scoffed.

San was silent for a time, seemingly chewing on your words. You found a group of morning glories and began to cut them from the vines they were growing on. Then he deigned to speak. "I'm only here as a witness, so when you speak of how you didn't get the right flower and that's why you didn't have your vision, I can confirm to the rest of my mates that you are indeed a fake."

You swept up your basket without another word and made the long trek back to the castle. San accompanied you every bit of the way, albeit more silent and focused on your reaction. It wasn't until you arrived back in front of your rooms that he spewed his final toxic words.

"I hope for Jongho’s sake that your talents are true. Or do you need for me to fuck you too to prove it?" San threw a verbal dagger your way.

So you drew a real one. You let the flat of the blade play along the side of his neck. "You may have found me complacent and quiet when I had no standing in this clan but I am second only to Hongjoong and Seonghwa. You may be their mate but I am the left hand of the prince. You would do well to remember that." You pushed San towards the opposing wall and rushed into your rooms.

You carefully prepared the embers in the bronze bowl and consumed the morning glories by quickly folding them on top of your tongue. The green bitterness danced across your taste buds so you quickly looked down into the embers.

The body behind you was surely larger than your own. You could feel how both of his hands encompassed your waist. His thrusts inside of you brought a choked cry to your mouth. "Yu--"

One of those hands left your waist and wound itself in your hair. The hand tugged and guided you to arch your back. "Don't say my name, whore."

"But--" You still cannot manage to get a word out because how wonderful it felt to have a dick continue to hit the end of you.

"FUCK!" He roared and yanked your hair so hard that the back of your head was resting against his shoulder and chest. "Can't you just let me enjoy this? He hissed into your ear.

You attempted to press your lips together but still moans fell from them. You simply could not contain yourself. "Please," You whimpered and then groaned loudly.

"I frankly don't give a damn if you come," he snapped from behind you. "But I cannot be known as the only one who cannot pleasure you."

Long fingers were unceremoniously shoved into your mouth and still your tongue lathed at them. You moaned around them, knowing full well they'd be leaving your mouth soon. His fingers, wet with your saliva, found your clit and began to rub it harshly, well wedded with the snap of his hips against your ass.

You felt your climax build within you, the double sensations driving you mad with desire. "Yunho, Yunho please," You begged for the final time.

Yunho used his other hand and gently squeezed your throat. "Let's see if I can't make you have a vision, hmmm?"

You moved over to the book and stand you were gifted to document your visions. You read over your words and quickly begin to rip out the pages. But what else were you to believe? You could feel the pain and love you had been feeling in that moment. You knew, without a doubt, that Yunho was one of your mates. And that was not good.

San may be distrustful but at least he'd look at you and speak to you. Yunho… you had barely exchanged a word with. Hongjoong had no choice but to take on your council but you had yet to speak to him one on one. But Yunho would not spare you a glance. You thought he was simply ignoring you completely until you came across him and Seonghwa speaking to each other before your morning meeting with the prince the next day.

"They simply adapted," Yunho insisted to Seonghwa. "They've learned better tricks and deceived us like they always have."

"I don't know, Yunho," Seonghwa said, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. "The air felt like it was full of energy. Even though she didn't have a vision, I had Yeosang take another fly around the area of the settlement and they found hunters. Whatever she's doing… it's saving lives. I don't think she's the sniveling worm you call her to be!"

"I know what she did with Jongho," Yunho said with a disparaging tone, "He was bespelled by her cunt. I doubt it's that good."

"Perhaps we can speak of this in a place that doesn't have ears on the walls?" Seonghwa suggested, tight-lipped and hesitant.

Yunho nodded curtly and then put his hand against the wall, trapping Seonghwa between his body and the wall. "Don't let the thoughts of what we shared last night drive you too insane during your meeting," Yunho smirked and tilted his head.

Seonghwa smiled back, accepting a chaste kiss against the lips as an apology. "Nor you while doing your patrols."

They parted and you realized you better start moving or Yunho was about to witness you eavesdropping on him and Seonghwa. When Yunho passed you around the corner, his face was a mask of disacknowledgement; you might as well have been a ghost to him.

"Ah, Oracle, good morning," Seonghwa greeted you, a nervous shake to his eyes apparent.

You walked past him and entered the room in which Hongjoong heard your opinions and news about his kingdom. Seonghwa coughed at the awkwardness of you ignoring his greeting. “I was wondering if you might look over this list of names of hatchlings, perhaps?”

“And why would a sniveling worm do that?” You bite with your words.

Seonghwa’s shoulders fell forward in defeat. “So you did overhear us. You have to excuse Yunho, he’s simply--”

“--an ass,” you finished Seonghwa’s sentence, “He’s being an ass, Seonghwa.”

Seonghwa recovered his haughty expression. “That’s my mate that you’re calling an ass.”

You made eye contact with Seonghwa, who was full of all his dragon pride right now. “Yes, mine too.”

Seonghwa blinked profusely for a moment until your words sunk in. “Did the flowers work? Did you have a vision?”

“Would you even believe me if I said yes?” You couldn't help but let a bitter tone coat your tongue.

“That’s three of us now,” Seonghwa sounded contemplative. “Please, Oracle, look over this list. If you could tell us if we need to help any of these hatchlings before one of them gets sick…”

The hatchlings had done nothing wrong, they were innocent in simply being born of this world. They might grow up to become full adults and dragons, and look down upon you, but for now, they were innocent. You couldn't condemn them for their future, certainly. “I’ll look, Seonghwa. But not because you asked.”

A small smile twitched across Seonghwa’s face but then it was smoothed out and he was all business and pomp. “Here,” He offered the piece of scroll to you.

You took the paper and nothing set you off immediately. Your fingertip followed the line of names, the theme of flora being apparent with this brood. It wasn’t until your finger landed on the final name. Eunjoo. You felt a jolt of electricity run up your arm upon touching her name.

“Seonghwa,” You called over to him softly.

Seonghwa came to your side, accidentally bumping your hip in the process and pushed you into a full vision. Your eyes went cloudy and then you collapsed against Seonghwa unexpectedly.

Seonghwa’s hand was over your mouth. His eyes were wide with fear of being caught. But that didn’t stop his dick from moving in and out of you. Your leg curled around his waist, urging him forward, meanwhile…“Where did those two go?” Hongjoong cursed out loud in the meeting room.

The two of you were in a random room adjacent from the meeting room, unable to keep your hands off each other now that the bond thrummed between you two. Seonghwa’s hips worked desperately between your legs, the horror of Hongjoong catching you two turning him on. You made worried noises against his palm but he shook his head at you, strands of hair falling into his face.

It was like you two were teenagers, hormone-driven and unable to stop yourselves. Your hands dug into the nape of his neck, needing something to tug as your climax threatened to spill over.

“I will rake them over hot coals when I find them,” Hongjoong promised and then his heeled boots announced that he was gone.

“Seonghwa!” You whispered in urgency when he removed his hand from your mouth.

Seonghwa began to babble back. “Come, just come, love, please, I don’t think I can hold off any--”

You let out a sweet cry and clenched down on Seonghwa and then he was gone too, coming deep inside of you. The both of you were panting, exchanging air and kissing as you both came down from your highs.

“We can’t do that again,” You said with a sneaky smile.

“We’re definitely doing that again,” Seonghwa confirmed, a conspiratory smirk on his face as well.

Hongjoong was peering down at you when you woke up. Seonghwa had laid you on the floor while you passed out from the vision.

“Does she always faint?” Hongjoong cocked his head at you, a cold curiosity more than anything, like you were a bug he didn’t understand.

“I believe it was because she induced a vision last night. This one came from touching me. Hongjoong,” Seonghwa looked unsure, “I saw her eyes cloud over. It’s just like the scrolls--”

“Get her up,” Hongjoong snapped his fingers, interrupting Seonghwa’s thoughts. “We have work to do.”

Seonghwa knelt beside you but you held up your hands. “Please, one vision of you was enough.”

“I--” He looked pained at not being able to help you up.

You sighed heavily. “You know, don’t you.”

Seonghwa wouldn’t meet your gaze now. “I can…feel the bond…amongst other things…”

You groaned. “Great. Just do me a favor. Don’t tell Hongjoong. I don’t need to give him another reason to be against me.”

The meeting was…interesting. Seonghwa kept sending you sneaky little looks and Hongjoong was picking up that something was going on but he clearly didn’t know what, nor would his pride allow him to ask.

Your feelings about Eunjoo had been correct. She had been somewhat of a runt of the group, and had hidden in the hatchling room under a mountain of blankets. She had consumed something she should not have and Mingi was beyond worried for the small dragon. You came to visit the little one, curious as to if your ‘feelings’ had been any help.

Mingi cradled the toddler dragon in his arms, feeding her a solution of herbs to aid her in her recovery. Your heart clenched at the paleness of the small child’s face but Mingi beamed up at you when you came to visit.

“Thank you,” He said softly, “Because you caught onto her malady early, the healers say she will make a full recovery.”

Tears built up at the corner of your eyes. “I’m glad,” You said with a strained tone.

“I will whisper to her of the oracle that helped save her life,” Mingi promised, “She will know who to thank when she’s older.”

“Mingi…”

“Do you want to hold her? Skin against skin is the best for her right now, so she knows that someone is here supporting her while she is fighting the sickness.” Mingi’s eyes were solidly on yours, hanging off your next decision.

You nodded wordlessly and Mingi deposited the infant in your arms. You cradled her and she frowned in her sleep. Mingi continued to dip his finger in the solution and let the baby suck it from his finger. The domestic scene was doing something to you, waking up a side of you that you had put to bed a long time ago. You had convinced yourself that you weren’t going to bring another child into this world that had to endure the cruelty of being dirt amongst the clan, but perhaps, if the tide was changing…

“You’re good with her,” Mingi interrupted your thoughts, smiling at you again, his eyes disappearing into crescent moons. “It bodes well for--”

“What are you doing?”

Yunho’s quiet but angry voice cut through the air, making both you and Mingi jump. “Yunho, she saved Eunjoo!” Mingi protested.

“She probably poisoned her in order for it to seem like she saved her,” Yunho accused you.

You wordlessly gave Eunjoo back to Mingi and stood up. “I may be a lot of things, Yunho, but to accuse me of harming the hatchlings is going too far.” Your heart was both hurting and beating erratically.

Yunho used every inch of his height difference against you. “I am going to expose you for the fraud you truly are,” Yunho vowed, dark eyes looking down his nose at you.

You couldn't help but grin maniacally back up at him. “And when you’re wrong? What will you do then?”

Yunho’s eyes burned with a pure hatred for you. Clearly coming across you with Mingi and the hatchlings had triggered something inside of him. “That day will never come,” Yunho spat.

“Oh, what’s this, are you an oracle too?” You smirked.

Yunho narrowed his eyes, spun on his heel and was out just as quickly as he was in.

You had been regularly sleeping with Jongho, relieving the tension you both felt through your bond. The two of you were worried about the others. Mingi, Yeosang and Seonghwa were won over but San, Hongjoong and Yunho were still staunch in their separation that they would not be included. From what Jongho told you, it was affecting their bonds with each other as well. So when San showed up at your door, almost a deja vu of when he helped you get flowers, you were both surprised and not. It had Jongho written all over it again.

San was leaning against the door frame when you opened your door, looking up at you, head lowered and an inquiring eyebrow lifted up. "Good morning, Oracle."

"And to what do I owe this favor, oh esteemed mate of my mate?" You said dryly.

"Jongho still doesn't shut up about you saving him in human form. He also said that you only go to the training grounds when the other warriors aren't practicing. He thought that perhaps if you went along with me that the clan might accept you training among them," San said, cheek perched to the side in unsureness.

Your throat was tight with emotion. Jongho was going above and beyond as a mate, or so you felt, and it was really making your heart burst with love for the dragon. "Jongho is very kind," You opted with.

"Well, I have better things to do, but apparently, if I don't do this, I'm not getting any from him so here we are," San threw his hands up in the air and began to walk down the hall.

The other dragon warriors were wary when you entered the training grounds with San. They eyed him cautiously but spat on the ground as you passed. The muttering and grumbling that trash was now on the grounds were low but still audible. Some warriors put their weapons away and actually left. You tried really hard to not let it hurt your newly healed heart. San, with his ever watchful eye always looking for your reactions, remained silent, as was his way.

It became easier as the days passed. Soon, the other warriors either avoided coming to the grounds when you were there or grew used to your presence. San was the only one who truly became more and more sour as time passed. He attacked with a fervor that most would leave for an actual enemy and you were really starting to think that he might think you are one.

Still, you benefitted from practicing with San. Your father was well into his silver years, so he couldn't practice with you and so you had been limited to the dummies on the grounds. Being able to pit muscle against muscle, technique with experience really stretched your abilities to the max. And even though San's attitude was worse with each day, your spirits rose. Perhaps if San would acknowledge your skills, the other warriors might change their mind, maybe even Yunho--

San interrupted your thoughts by giving you quite a nasty cut on your arm as you were distracted. You saw his mouth move, probably giving some kind of mocking excuse for his bad manners. It was the training grounds, not a battlefield where there was no holding back. Your vision became red.

With a wild yell, you charged at San with your sword raised. San's eyes widened in surprise but still muscle memory kicked in and he blocked, but his muscles strained a bit to do so. You tried a large undercut sweep but San managed to jump backwards, curving his body to avoid the sword.

"Oracle," San chuckled nervously, "I'd almost swear you--" He yelped as he raised his broader blade to halt another swing of your sword.

When the overhanded strike was stopped with San's high block, sweat started to bead his hairline. You tried for more technique, faking a strike and instead thrusting forward. San had to avoid your blade, barely redirecting your blade with his. "Seriously, you're going to--" He grunted with effort to parry another thrust, the shing of the sword as the tip pinged echoing in both your ears.

That's when you decided you needed to disarm San. You prepared another swing in which both of your blades had to dance in a circle together, and then with a sharp twist of your wrist, San's blade was sliding across the straw-strewn stones.

San held his hands up in defeat. "I almost might be impressed with th--" He made a loud oof as you kicked him square in the chest.

You were on top of San as soon as he hit the ground, your body straddling his body as you brought your personal dagger to his throat. This time you didn't use the flat of the blade but the edge that you always kept razor-sharp. It pricked his skin and a small line of blood trailed down his glowing skin.

"Do you yield?" You growled.

"Does any dragon ever yield? Yielding is death!" San denied, sounding quite strained.

You brought the tip of the dagger under San's chin. "I've had enough of your shit attitude, San. Either you yield to me or I stop coming to these practices and Jongho starts withholding himself from you again."

San looked bewildered. "You would do that?" he said in a higher pitched voice.

You laughed mirthlessly. "That's the least I would do, warrior."

San hooked both of his legs around yours and threw his weight so that he could flip the situation. Now he was on top of you, your dagger knocked out of your hands. He may have the upper hand in the fight but he had revealed something that he should have kept hidden.

You smiled slowly in cockiness. "Did you get turned on by my prowess?"

"That's nothing," San denied immediately. You noticed a small pout that had never graced his lips before when he spoke to you. He was all sharp looks and this held such a curve to his mouth it almost looked kissable. "Adrenaline can make a man hard, that's all."

"Hard for a woman that you hate?" You said lowly, "That must hurt your warrior pride."

"I'm not--"

You took the moment to flip again, legs clamped on either of San's slim waist.

With an indignant shout, San flipped you again just as fast. "If you don't stop interrupting me, I am going to wrap my hands around that pretty neck of yours and test your ability to hold your breath."

You cocked your head in question. "No, I don't think that's how that would work."

"Don't think--" San began to get flustered and stumble over his words, "What's that supposed to mean?!"

You pushed San's shoulder gently and he allowed you to lead him to his back. "There's no one here, San, didn’t you notice?"

San didn't look around but instead kept his eyes solidly on you. "I noticed."

"You know, instead of me keeping Jongho away from you, you could have him, but I could have you too."

San scoffed, but his eyes kept leaving and meeting yours. "Ludacris. Why would I do that?"

You sat fully back on San's pelvis, allowing your plush ass to really sit down on San's still rock hard cock. San whimpered, biting down hard on his lip but let the flesh go slowly. When you took a moment to grind, winding your hips. San's hands find your hips, swallowing down his low moans at the stimulation.

"Perhaps that's why, San," You provoked him.

"Why are you so hot when you're this angry? I know you don't have a dragon form but your rage is red-hot like one," San said in pure confusion.

"I could take you on the training grounds right now and you wouldn't say no, would you?" You hummed, finger following a path along his breastplate.

San's adam's apple was moving up and down as he clearly attempted to find moisture in his mouth. "You…you would do that?"

"Only if…” You considered for a moment, if it was worth having a vision while San, who hated you, was watching over you. It had convinced all the others. And if you were being honest with yourself, it didn’t feel right to sleep with San without confirming first that he was indeed your mate.

“Only if…?” San prompted you for you to continue your sentence.

“Do you know what happens if I touch you?” You asked softly.

“You fuck me?” San answered, head empty except for thoughts of sex, clearly.

You snorted. “There’s no going back with my visions, San.”

San’s face grew hard and sharp, similar to the San that was desperate for you to be a fake oracle. “I don’t believe in your stupid visions.”

You let out a sigh. “Here goes nothing then.”

You cupped his face and then your eyes went cloudy and you collapsed against San’s chest.

"Are you sure you really want to be there?" You said in a condescending tone.

San whined between your legs, tongue out flat, and head worrying back and forth in response.

"You sure, little flame? I'm not feeling the enthusiasm from you." You squeezed his head with your thighs.

With a growl, San gripped both of your thighs tightly, went on his knees, and drove your back into the headrest of your bed. His arms strained as he held you aloft, tongue deep into your cunt. You could feel your walls parting for his eager tongue.

"Gonna make me come? Gonna show me how a good little flame makes his Mistress come?" You crooned.

San tongue-fucked you to completion, making your toes curl and screamed his name. When he was done, your back scraped against the headboard as he let you go but remained kneeling in front of you.

"I hate you so much," he cursed, using the back of his hand to wipe your wetness from his face.

You chuckled lowly. "Hate me so much you'd eat me up like I'm your last dinner, huh?"

San's eyes were dark but he rolled his eyes and groaned in frustration. He grabbed your face with both hands and made out with you. "I love you so fucking much, I can hate you a little bit," San whined.

You felt the love through your bond, so you knew San was being playful. "Well then, I hate you so much, I'm going to give you the suck of your life."

San's eyes became hooded. "I hate your mouth on me."

"I hate you too, little flame."

"Oracle?"

When you came to, San's hand was on your head, supporting it against his chest. "Did you…" he almost choked on his words.

"I'm--" You swallowed down a moan, your sex feeling swollen from your vision. "San."

"Fuck me?" San said in a whiney voice.

You lifted your head. "Are you admitting that you believe in my visions?"

San grinned, part bashful, part cocky. "Will that get my cock inside of you?"

You rolled your eyes and sat back up. "I'm gonna fuck the brat out of you."

"I get that a lot."

One night, when you dared to have a secret rendezvous with Seonghwa after a meeting gone late and Hongjoong dismissed you both, you woke up with a feeling of dread in your stomach. You left Seonghwa lying like a starfish on the table and moved to the nearest balcony. You thought perhaps you needed fresh air. Even still, you could not shake the heavy feeling that something was wrong. And then the vision hit you.

“Ah!” A man with red hair who you had never seen before yelled as a whip with a cruel metal cap tore a strip from his back.

“Just give it up already! We know you’re a dragon. Transform!”

“I don’t…know what…you’re talking about!” Insisted the redhead through clenched teeth.

Another man, one without the whip, slapped the redhead being tortured. “We’ve been watching you for days! Where is your clan?”

The dragon being tortured spat on the floor. “On their way to turn you into bones they’ll have to pick out their teeth.”

The whip hit once, twice, three times and the dragon’s back tightened in pain. “I like it! Hit me more!”

The man with the whip hesitated. “Is he crazy?”

The other man slapped the accused dragon several times more, until blood fell from the dragon’s mouth. “No, he’s just trying to throw us off. Leave him here to mull in his thoughts.”

The two torturer's left the basement and you saw a sign that said “the red belly of the beast”.

You came back too, hanging a little too precariously from the balcony. Lucky for you, because you threw up any food you had in your stomach. Fighting you could endure, but that level of torture was inhumane! It had to be hunters again but you didn’t recognize the dragon who was being tortured. Then why would you be shown this image? Unless…

“Father, this is Wooyoung.” You tugged forward Wooyoung to finally meet your father. He was actually the first dragon you were introducing to your family. You were growing to love and adore Jongho and Yeosang and Seonghwa, but Wooyoung was different. He didn’t have any relation to the clan so you knew it would be less scarring to introduce him to your father first.

“Wooyoung, huh?” Your father peered up at Wooyoung, rocking in his chair by the fire.

Wooyoung looked a bit embarrassed but smiled nonetheless. “Your daughter, she saved me.”

Your father grinned fiercely, pride clearly written across his face. “I taught her all I knew. She fights for her mother’s honor.”

“Father, I fight for our family,” You insisted, feeling emotional.

“You fight for your life,” Your father said gruffly, breaking eye contact with you and bringing a finger to his eyes to wipe away the happy tears.

Wooyoung, in his typical fashion, began to animatedly retell the story of when you saved him. Your father hung on every word, laughing and gasping in all the right places. And when Wooyoung finished his story, your father grabbed Wooyoung’s hand and then yours and brought them together.

“Your mother… she would have loved him like a son, Spitfire.”

You began to cry and hug your father while Wooyoung started to joke about the nickname Spitfire, doing his best to make you feel better. Wooyoung was your comfort when you needed it the most. He loved you unconditionally and he was yours, solely.

“Oh my god,” You attempted to collect yourself. You didn’t have time to cry or worry. Wooyoung was your mate and you needed to go save him.

You ran to your rooms for Rosa’s Bane, then to the stables, whispered an apology to the sleepy horses and you were racing out of the compound. When you had saved Jongho, you had only gotten there in the nick of time. You weren’t sure how much time you had with Wooyoung but you had a bad feeling that it was too late to stop those scars on his back.

The moon was high and left your path clear. You had no idea where this tavern was but you had spent enough time with your mates to know how to follow your bond. You and Yeosang often played a game together, where you took turns fleeing and hiding and finding each other through the bond--involved some quiet masturbation and passionate sex upon finding each other--however, it had taught you how to find your mates no matter what.

It was difficult on the back of a horse, however, and more so with someone you had not truly bonded with. It was becoming hard to separate your pull from Jongho, Yeosang, Seonghwa and San from Wooyoung. You doubled back several times and grew frustrated at your progress. The only thing that drove you was that the longer you took to find Wooyoung, the more scars he would have on his back.

Just when you thought that perhaps this was impossible and maybe you should have grabbed one of your dragon mates, your bond pulled hard and it made you gasp with how much fear and pain was coursing through you. You knew without a doubt where Wooyoung was so you raced in the direction that was filled with hopelessness.

The swing of the sign of the tavern almost mocked you as you approached it. The noises spilling from the door were merry and bright and it only made your rage burn brighter that these hunters were taking delight in their evening when your mate was suffering below in the basement.

You carefully pulled back the cellar door and crept down the stairs, silent but angry. Upon a quick glance, they had left Wooyoung to further stew in his wounds. A fire cast light on Wooyoung’s back and it took all of your self control not to gasp in pure horror. His back was practically shredded. His head was cast downwards and when you tipped his head back to look Wooyoung in the eyes, his face was beaten to almost beyond recognition.

"Wha did you com'er fur?" Wooyoung slurred his words because of his fat lip and more than likely the blood lose, "Come t'see how ter properly beat a dragon?" And through all his pain, Wooyoung smiled with such fierceness that you knew without a doubt: his body may be broken but his spirit was not.

"I've come to save you, brave boy," You cooed.

Wooyoung perked up immediately upon hearing your words. "Save me?"

The dumb hunters, comfortable in their surroundings, left the keys to Wooyoung’s manacles on a table where their torture tools were. You resisted the urge to destroy those tools; your sole mission was to save Wooyoung. Wooyoung collapsed upon you when you released him, and even then, each step for him was beyond painful.

And still Wooyoung asked, "What's a beautiful girl doing in a dump like this?"

You laughed in pain, out of breath to even get him to the stairs. "I see the future. You're my mate. I came to save you."

"That sounds pretty plausible. I knew my face was too pretty to be wasted on death." Wooyoung groaned when he lifted his foot for the first stair.

"Save your breath and help me get your pretty face up the damn stairs," You grunted.

The cuts on his back made it near impossible for him to walk. It took everything in you to get up those stairs with Wooyoung. And still the hunters continued to make merry in the tavern. You swore on your sword that you would come back with Jongho and he would burn the place to the ground with his dragonflame.

Wooyoung was in no state to go back to the clan with you. You pushed him up on your horse, his belly along the back of the gelding and you walked away from that tavern, putting one step in front of the other.

With all the time you spent with Seonghwa and Hongjoong in the meeting room, you had learned quite a few clan secret locations that any dragon could retreat to if the situation arose. There was a cottage built in a mountain. The legends told of how the mountain used to be filled with moving rock, hotter than even dragonflame. The mountain had long lain dormant and the cottage was a refuge for any dragons who required it.

The only healing you knew of was the bare minimum a warrior learns to stay alive until a healer can be summoned. Lucky for you, Wooyoung was a bit of a healer himself. So under his instructions, you fashion a poultice to sit on his wounds. Wooyoung faded in and out of consciousness and you could not afford to abandon him.

Luckily, you didn't have to leave, your clan found you.

A broad shouldered dragon entered the cottage where you had been humming to Wooyoung, who was in a blessed healing sleep. "San!" You shouted in elation and threw yourself at him.

You started to cry, pulling him as close to you as you could. "Please help me. I can't bring Wooyoung back myself, he'll tear open his wounds. Please help him!"

San pulled back, looking beyond confused. "Who is he?"

During the few painful hours when Wooyoung was conscious, in order for him to focus away from the pain, he told you who he was. Wooyoung, a clanless dragon, brought up amongst witches. It was how he had his knowledge of healing but also of who he was. Wooyoung may be clanless but he was not lesser.

"You saved someone you didn't even know?" San looked stunned, "You saved another dragon?"

That stunned look never left San's face. He transformed and transported Wooyoung back to the clan. You followed below on the trusty gelding and before you knew it, you were back home with your new mate. But there was much more to answer for.

"Where did you find her?" Hongjoong demanded soullessly. His cheek was smooshed against his palm as if he had better things to do than to listen to why you left.

"No doubt tricking another poor dragon into giving up his cock to her," Yunho said with all offense, lips pursed and refusing to look at you.

"Yunho!" Yeosang scolded his mate.

"Well?" Hongjoong demanded a second time, this time unfolding his legs and stamping his foot impatiently.

"She saved a clanless dragon," San declared. His chin was raised, almost challenging anyone to argue his facts. His fists were clenched at his side.

Jongho came up beside you and his palm slid against yours to hold your hand. "Don't you ever do that again."

"I'm sorry, Jongho," You said, looking at his side profile.

"I think you owe an apology to more than just Jongho," Hongjoong interrupted.

You cleared your throat. "I'm sorry, Your High--"

Hongjoong cut you off. "Not to me, you witless fool, to your other mates!"

Yeosang had his arms crossed over his chest, clearly fighting with trying to not look upset or worried. You met eyes with Seonghwa, who let you see exactly how betrayed he felt. San still stood to your other side, arms quivering with how hard he was shaking.

"I am sorry for leaving without telling anyone. All I could think about was saving Wooyoung. I won't ever do it again," You said with a rough voice laced with emotion.

"That's right, you won't ever do it again," Hongjoong declared, "Because you will spend every night with one of us, at least."

Mingi's mouth dropped. "But, we don't know--"

"What?" Yunho's quiet rage cut through everything. "Don't tell me you're starting to believe her lies?"

Hongjoong's eyes narrowed down at Yunho. "Do you not believe she is mated with Jongho? I witnessed him barely restrained by Mingi and Yeosang when you stated that she fled because she couldn't keep up with the lies anymore. He would have punched you for such an insult, Yunho. I myself held Seonghwa as he wept, worried that perhaps his inability to tell me of her was what finally drove her from our clan. San abandoned his duty to find her. We are all mates, Yunho. Do not tell me you didn't feel what I felt through their bonds."

Yunho's lips tightened further in anger. "I will not be a part of this."

Hongjoong laughed, a dangerous noise that made everyone in the throne room shudder. "No?"

"Yunho," Yeosang went to the only naysayer in the room. "Stop."

"When you say at least," You said nervously.

Hongjoong's dark eyes swung back to you. "Why, you have to take care of Wooyoung, do you not? He is your mate after all, didn't you say?"

The next few weeks were a bit of an adjustment. You had spent most of your life living amongst your hatchling sisters, never having a moment to yourself, but they were your family. You had grown spoiled to your singular rooms, your sanctuary away from anyone. Now, not a moment where you were left alone. It wasn't necessarily that you weren't trusted, but to make sure that if you did have another premonition and you did have to rush into action, there would always be a dragon mate with you.

The only one truly upset with this situation was Yunho.

The first night he found himself in your rooms, he dragged a chair into your room, put the back against the door, and stayed there the entire night. The second instance he watched with emotionless eyes as you tended to Wooyoung, who was healing progressively well.

"Some day I'm getting off my stomach and getting you on your back," Wooyoung said as you straddled his butt and applied more poultice to his back.

"Wooyoung," You scolded him, laughing at both his audacity and the nervousness of setting off Yunho.

"You've mated with everyone else you've had a premonition with, it's not fair," Wooyoung groaned.

You cleared your throat, well aware that was entirely untrue.

"No, she hasn't," Yunho's voice rumbled from his spot near the fire.

"I'll excuse your ignorance but she hasn't had a premonition with Mingi, even though it's clear he adores her regardless," Wooyoung replied flatly.

"I'm not talking about Mingi," Yunho corrected the clanless dragon.

Wooyoung turned his head to the side, the back of his hand lying against his cheek. "Sweetheart?"

"How do you know?" You demanded towards Yunho in a gruff voice.

Yunho laughed mirthlessly, tossing his head back like you had just told the funniest joke he had ever heard. "You don't think I feel the bond? Or is it you that cannot feel it because you aren't even a dragon?"

Wooyoung growled underneath you and you caressed the small of his back to calm him. "Wooyoung, don't."

"Even if you can't transform, that doesn't make you less of a dragon than him!" Wooyoung protested.

"I know, my brave boy, but it's not worth fighting Yunho on it. He can't be swayed."

"Maybe it is."

"Wooyoung, what are you saying?" You moved to get off your mate and off the bed.

"Hey Grumpy Scales, you ever think of fucking your anger out on the Oracle?" Wooyoung posed the question like he was asking Yunho if he ever considered eating blueberries for breakfast.

"I wouldn't touch her even if Seonghwa refused me his body. I am not San."

"No, you're certainly not. San has better shoulders and he isn't an idiot. Even he was convinced that being my sweetheart's mate isn't the worst fate. In fact, he's quite enjoying his nights now."

"Wooyoung," You attempted to hush your mate for a second time.

Yunho stood up, the fire giving him a red aura that was actually less intimidating than the actual face Yunho bore. "San is caught up in the trap. You all are."

" ‘Cept me, or weren't you listening? I believe in her and her powers. I love her. I haven't slipped my cock into her tight, wet heat yet, however. Nor has Mingi. So how do you continue to feed yourself on a lie that's unfounded, Grumpy Scales?"

"Tricked," Yunho shook his head but his face was already less tight than it was before Wooyoung spoke.

"Mmm, I do love a good trick," Wooyoung chuckled, "You know, if you sat on my hand in the right way, I might be able to--"

"You will not be doing anything in front of me," Yunho snarled.

"Wooyoung, I would like to not die tonight," You said in a hushed tone.

"Oh, but if you slept with the oracle, wouldn't you be showing everyone that you can fuck her without getting caught in her web? Won't that be interesting to find out that you're the strongest of them all, hmmm?" Wooyoung hummed. "All that wonderful wet pussy just for you, right Grumpy Scales? I bet she quivers for you."

"If you weren't injured, I'd be slapping you right now, Wooyoung, I beg of you, stop!"

"You will not be trapping me," Yunho announced. He was… suddenly very close to the bed.

You carefully turned around. You could not give Yunho your back. It went against your instincts. "Yunho, I trap no one."

"You've trapped Seonghwa," Yunho stared right into your soul with his dark eyes, "You don't think I've felt what Yeosang's felt when he's sliding his cock down your throat? You don't think Seonghwa's told me of being between your thighs, and sighing like he's talking about slipping into Mingi or being fucked by Hongjoong? You don't think I've heard you with Jongho, calling him your pet? How dare you lord over a dragon as if you were more than what you truly are? How dare San submit to you when he knew of your tricks."

Yunho was so close to you that you could feel the puffs of his breath hit the top of your head. "Is he right?"

"Wooyoung is wrong," You stated immediately.

"You're quivering for me right now." Yunho looked down his nose at you, his eyes hooded.

Your entire body was covered in goosebumps. You felt the pull in your bond, the lust spreading through your nerves. Your mate was calling for you to mate with him. Whether it was subconscious or not, Yunho now wanted to fuck you. Or was it Wooyoung? A quick glance showed that Wooyoung had fallen asleep with a smile on his lips.

"I do not want to mate with a dragon who thinks I am worthless," You hissed, holding back your need for Yunho by only a spider thread.

"Perhaps," Yunho licked his lips in what you could only describe as a predatory way, "There's something of you that isn't worthless."

The shame and lust that filled your veins was undeniable. You could slowly feel your resolve crumble beneath Yunho's stare. "That will bond us, Yunho. I know you don't want that."

Yunho chucked his fingers under your chin and you swallowed in response. "I am already bound to you through my mates. I cannot get rid of you, you've proven that with your little fleeing scene. So you will submit to me because you want it and it's the only thing I'll allow between us."

"Yu--"

Your words were cut off as Yunho moved his fingers to wrap around your throat. "I don't want to hear my name from your mouth one more time. You simply need to nod or shake your head. You are simply a hole for me, oracle."

This was it. This was your chance to decline, to scoff at him and tell him your worth, just like you had done with every single other dragon since you became oracle. The only one you should submit to was Hongjoong. But there was a look in Yunho's eyes that spoke of how much he wanted this. Wooyoung had been right. Yunho wanted to take his frustration out on you and he wanted to benefit from it. He wanted the high ground over you and you were about to concede to him.

You nodded and Yunho slowly smirked. "That's what I thought."

Yunho stripped you of your clothing until you were stark naked. His clothing remained on. He guided you to your lounge and made you go on your hands and knees there. His nimble fingers found your folds and he chuckled darkly at the discovery that you were drenched. "Surely that's not for me, whore?"

You pressed your lips together, trying to keep within the rules that Yunho laid out. You were certain that if you broke them, he would stop, or worse, leave. You urged your ass back onto Yunho's fingers as your only response.

"Ridiculous," his disbelief came as a rumble from behind you, "Wet for what? Because I put you in your place? Because you get a new cock inside of you? Or are you just an eager whore all the time?" You whined as his fingers brushed your clit. "Listen to the noises you make, you are an eager whore. I could have you coming over my fingers embarrassingly quickly, I imagine. How anyone else finds you alluring enough to fuck you will be beyond me. Are you wet enough to take me?"

You nodded and Yunho was busy undoing his pants. He rubbed his cockhead against your folds. You hissed as he sank into you. It was a stretch for you, you had to admit, but it was a damn good stretch. Yunho's fingers sank into the flesh of your ass until he bottomed out.

"Just a fucking hole," He growled and then started to nudge himself inside of you.

The loudest moan imaginable escaped your lips as he moved inside of you. The feeling of being stuffed, the feeling of that large cock moving against your walls, was truly like nothing you had felt. You weren't sure if you should be worried on how clouded your mind was, narrowed down to simply getting fucked by the man that utterly hated you.

Yunho's large body practically loomed behind you. You could feel how both of his hands encompassed your waist. His thrusts inside of you brought a choked cry to your mouth. "Yu--"

One of those hands left your waist and wound itself in your hair. The hand tugged and guided you to arch your back. "Don't say my name, whore."

"But--" You still cannot manage to get a word out because how wonderful it felt to have a dick continue to hit the end of you.

"FUCK!" He roared and yanked your hair so hard that the back of your head was resting against his shoulder and chest. "Can't you just let me enjoy this?" He hissed into your ear.

You attempted to press your lips together but still moans fell from them. You simply could not contain yourself. "Please," You whimpered and then groaned loudly.

"I frankly don't give a damn if you come," he snapped from behind you. "But I cannot be known as the only one who cannot pleasure you."

You felt your climax build within you, the double sensations driving you mad with desire. "Yunho, Yunho please," You begged for the final time.

Yunho used his other hand and gently squeezed your throat. "Let's see if I can't make you have a vision, hmmm?"

Your vision dimmed, fuzzy black waves clinging to the edges as Yunho denied you any air. You could feel your climax building and you knew you were about to come undone for Yunho and he had not even shown any signs of being ready to come. Was he going to use you more than once, was he--

"Yunho, I've brought you some food--"

Mingi's eyes grew wide and dropped the tray he had brought. The hatchling caretaker ran into the room and pulled Yunho back, before either of you could finish. Your air came rushing back and you gasped it in.

"What do you think you're doing?" Mingi accused Yunho. Mingi’s large hand came to your back to rub you through your shaking breaths.

A true vision overtook you, eyes growing cloudy and you slumped forward on the lounge.

Mingi's hands rubbed your overextended stomach. A smile of pure happiness was there before he bent over to kiss your stomach. "It's a male. I just know it."

You laughed quietly. "Mingi, even I don't know if it's a male or female, and I'm the oracle."

"The elders say when a female is craving spicy foods that it is a male," Mingi insisted sincerely.

"Well, they also say when you crave sweets, it's a girl and I…what exactly do you think you're doing?" You demanded.

Mingi had begun to kiss down your belly, moving beyond your line of sight. "Are other parts of you swollen?" His deep low voice rumbled through your skin.

"Ming-mingi!" You stuttered, "I'm--"

"You're big with the hatchling. You can barely get off this bed without help. I can simply take advantage of that, can't I?" Mingi had arrived at his destination, tongue swirling along his lips before he kissed your lower lips.

"Oh fuck, Mingi, that's---hnnnn, that's lovely," You couldn't help but moan.

"You deserve to be rewarded for carrying our hatchling so well, don't you think?"

Your back arched as Mingi's lips sucked down on your clit. "Want--want you Mingi," You admitted softly.

Mingi's head popped back up above your head, a satisfied smile tugging his lips. "The elders say fucking a pregnant female helps with the hatchling arriving later."

You groaned and laughed at the same time. "Was that your intention with your visit today?"

"My intention was to ensure that you are well," Mingi replied, suddenly more solemn. "I want what's best for the mother of our children."

"Oracle?" Mingi sucked in his bottom lip in worry, cradling you in his arms as you presumably collapsed on your lounge.

"I'm here, Mingi," You assured him.

Your eyes sought Yunho's immediately but his back was to you two, near the door. "You take over, Mingi, I'm leaving."

Mingi's serious eyes followed Yunho until he left without a word. Then Mingi's disposition changed. "Did you have a vision of us? I am your mate? What did you see? Is that rude to ask? Should I not know my own fate?"

Your heart clenched with each step that Yunho took away from your rooms but you couldn't help but laugh at Mingi's questions. "A hatchling, Mingi. You kept saying that I was the mother of 'our' children."

Mingi's mouth dropped. "A hatchling? But you cannot carry the eggs, you cannot become a dragon, how--?" Mingi wiped a hand over his face in disbelief, "Truly? A hatchling?"

"I don't know when that occurred, Mingi, that could be years from now--MINGI!"

Mingi lifted you high above him in celebration. You should have realized that the dragon that took care of the hatchlings would be beyond excited to hear that you would be the mother of his children--your mates children? Who…?

"First thing in the morning, I will demand an audience with the elders. They've been bugging Hongjoong about an heir for years, they'll be happy to hear that you will carry our children!"

Mingi put you on your feet but your head was still in the clouds. Hongjoong mating with you? How could you manage such a thing? "Mingi, wait!"

Mingi's large hands encompassed your head in a gentle squeeze. "I will help you. With your vision and my magic tongue, we'll make it happen."

You frowned, not understanding. "Your tongue?" Then it hit you. He wasn't talking about convincing the elders, he was talking about-- "Mingi!"

Mingi's tongue caught between his teeth, looking quite pleased with himself. "Do you doubt me?"

You thought back to your vision and found that you couldn't disagree.

Whether it was your vision, or Mingi's magic tongue, it was declared that a formal event would be held before the court. Hongjoong was going to acknowledge that you were his mate, and mated with the others, before the entire clan. The preparations were made and it was decided that you would perform a Seeing with all that was present. There was no doubt in your mind that Hongjoong was your final mate, so it wasn't the ceremony you were worried about…

"Hey," Jongho met your eyes as you stood across from him before the large doors that would open soon and what seemed like the third beginning of your life was about to start. "I love you," he told you.

You leaned upwards to peck at his pink lips. "I wouldn't have any of this without you, you know that, right?"

Jongho's gummy smile, one of your favorite things about him, stretched across his face. "I can't take credit for your visions. I like how that sounds, though."

"Jongho, please," You whined.

Jongho wrapped his arms around you and squeezed until you squealed. He then peppered your face with kisses, scolding you between breaths. "You didn't say you loved me back!"

"I love you, Jongho," You said quietly.

A horn was sounded and that signified the commencement of the event.

Jongho escorted you down the hard stone floor and helped you up the stairs but left you to join the rest of your mates. Hongjoong stood from his throne, beautiful and glorious in his power. He threw his arms open wide and began his speech.

"Today we celebrate our beloved oracle. Our clan has been gifted with one who can soar the skies of the future, having given up her second form in order to keep our clan safe. She has proven her abilities beyond reproach; she has saved my mates and her own from death. She has saved outlying clans, hatchlings, and she has even kept my body from danger. She has seen visions of each of her mates and our bonds have only grown stronger with her connection to us."

Hongjoong turned towards you and you locked eyes with him. "Today, we give the final proof for all to acknowledge. Today, our oracle will have a vision of my future, of my heir."

"Hongjoong," You whispered his name, finding your mouth void of any moisture.

A rare, special, and most importantly, genuine smile pulled at the corners of Hongjoong's mouth. "We've a bet, between us, Oracle. I hope you have a gentle vision of me because I wasn't planning on making the heir on this eve."

Were your mates betting on whether you had a vision full of sex with Hongjoong? It took everything in you to not send a glare over your shoulder. Men!

Hongjoong gentle grasped your hand and flipped it over to impart a kiss to your palm. Your eyes went cloudy and you fell into a vision. Hongjoong captured you in his arms, eyes on your face for when you woke up.

"Youngho, you are a prince, not a demon!" You shouted at the small boy who was cackling ahead of you.

"Come catch me, Mama!"

Your breath caught in your throat for the love of your son. His blue hair declared him his father's son, if his sassiness didn't prove it to you every day. You tried to love Youngho as fiercely and as strongly as your father had once gifted you with. You were certain that Youngho would not grow up to be the heart-scarred man that Hongjoong was. Your son would be happy upon his throne with his mates, you were determined to ensure he did not have a fate such as yours.

"Let him be devious," Hongjoong declared beside you, "He has a mind for being tricky and he loves scaring you."

You pursed your lips together. "I carried him for nine months within me, Hongjoong. I will decide on whether he is allowed to get away with everything or not."

Hongjoong smiled, the same one your son sent you after he had burst from a bush and scared your wits from you. "Well, I put him in you. Isn't that enough reason to have a say on his upbringing?" You scoffed and Hongjoong's smile only grew bigger. A low chuckle came deep from his throat. "Perhaps you need a second hatchling to prove to you that it was me?"

"Prince Youngho, if you don't get off that balcony right now, I will tell Dadda that you are not allowed to visit the hatchlings for a week!" You said in a firm voice, still looking towards Hongjoong. "You have your heir, Your Majesty. Besides, didn't we agree that it was Seonghwa's turn to father a child?"

Hongjoong's grin was at full brightness, mischievousness achieved. And then his face blanked to the cold, haughty leader face you had once only known from him. "We'll have nine months before they know it."

This time you laughed, something that lured Youngho back to your side. "Mama, what are you laughing at?"

"Youngho, did you know," You told him, pushing your hands through his hair lovingly, "Your father tells the funniest jokes? He thinks he can hide things from your other fathers."

Youngho frowned heavily, peering up at his father. "Father, Papa says he can smell when you lie. Don't be silly."

Hongjoong threw his head back and laughed, a belly laugh that seemed to be reserved for only his son. "Seonghwa does say that, doesn't he? I'm sorry for being silly, Spitfire."

Your emotions caught in your throat and you excused yourself, allowing Hongjoong a moment with his son.

"Oracle." Yunho approached you as you moved back to your rooms.

"Prince," You nodded curtly, your heart aching to reach out and touch your mate.

"It is my night with you," Yunho said primly.

"It is," You confirmed.

Yunho stepped closer to you, leaning in to speak to your ears only. "Don't get too wet for me, whore."

Your body was covered in goosebumps of shame and lust. Only one thing had changed in the years in which it took to conceive of Youngho, to nurture the young dragon to be capable of a loving prince, and that was that you had loved Yunho. But he still kept you at a heart's distance.

"Welcome back," Hongjoong greeted you as you rose from your vision.

You felt wetness on your cheeks and realized you had been crying. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I need a moment to collect myself."

Hongjoong's eyes traveled over every plane of your face. "What did you see?"

"A son," You choked out, "Youngho. He had your hair."

"A son," Hongjoong echoed back, looking both fierce and soft at the same time, somehow. His head snapped to your mates. "She says we will have a son!"

The crowd erupted into cheers. Hongjoong helped you up and raised your joined hands. "The oracle has declared there will be an heir and she will carry him!"

San and Wooyoung hugged in celebration. Yeosang slung an arm around Jongho's waist, both quiet in their happiness. Seonghwa and Mingi pressed their foreheads together, clearly excited for a hatchling. Yunho was not celebrating, however. His eyes were on yours, with a rage that only made lust curl within your stomach. You found that you could not meet his eyes any longer and broke contact.

"So," Hongjoong said under his breath, "Was it gentle like Yeosang's or rough like Seonghwa's?" He began to lead you back through the hall. It had been agreed on that the nine of you would celebrate privately after the event.

"Gentle, Your Majesty," You admitted.

Hongjoong smiled in triumph and it almost echoed the smile he had carried from your visions. "I knew it."

"And are you sharing your winnings with me, Your Majesty?" You said mirthlessly.

"Of course," Hongjoong bent his neck, acknowledging certain key members of the clan graciously.

"Of course?" You questioned his easy answer.

"My winnings is time with you and another of my choosing," Hongjoong revealed.

"You betted a damn--" The word threesome, it seemed, couldn't be spit out, "--the first time with me and another?"

"Seemed appropriate, at the time," Hongjoong shrugged.

"Who…" You cleared your throat, "Who did you pick?"

The large doors closed behind you and Hongjoong, a formality more than anything. The others would leave from the door behind the throne and join you in a room prepared for you all.

Hongjoong let go of your hand and walked with both of his hands held behind his back as he answered you. "Why, you are mine now, Oracle. And what's yours is mine as well now, it seems."

You made a noise of surprise. "You want Wooyoung? Why?"

"I want to be there, I want to be there to witness your first time with him. I want to be his first as well. I'm a greedy lover, you'll learn soon enough."

You felt like you had just been hit by a book. "Your--"

"--Hongjoong," The leader of your clan corrected you.

"Hongjoong!"

"There, much better." Hongjoong turned suddenly. "It's not going to be very fun if you continue to call me Your Majesty when I'll soon be filling you with my seed."

"Sweetheart!" Wooyoung screeched from the door where everyone was waiting. HIs grin said it all. "Hurry up! We have a bet to settle."

You swore you were going to pull every one of your mates ears in anger at having a damn bet about what kind of vision you were going to have with Hongjoong but the anger melted the minute you entered the room. You felt the overwhelming love and adoration through all your bonds and realized in this moment, you were the most loved you had ever been in your entire life. Perhaps it was worth a little silly moment of frustration.

Still, you couldn't help but scold them a bit. "If I see anyone betting about my visions in the future, I swear I'll make you all rue the day I became your mate!"

#ʚ・◞🍥 // moots.#joongiefryeverse #starseed jam.

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