#I find this QUITE the humorous excursion

[star-trekster]

Star Trek TOS: S4E20 The Brownie Incident

Also love of my life (hallucigenia)

Based on @/Punkitt is here Iconic MLP Comics: 1 2

[smokeys-house]

Puukko’s Travel Log 1 & South, for What Ails

(See this post first!)

A leather bordered journal with a wrap closure. It's clearly quite old but not yet well used, and the cover is embossed with a sailing ship. The front page has an anchor sketched on it with an ornate border, beneath it reads "Property of Puukko"

Passage from Puukko's Travel Log

Used to be I'd just wind up on an excursion like this. Fell into trouble like one falls overboard, soaring through the air and into the drink with a splash. A rare treat to start one voluntarily, if poorly planned. I'm headed down through the valley toward the old Moominhouse. Kind folk down there, gon' stop by for a cup o' something warm and t' exchange words of the same if they'll have 'em. 

I intend to stay with the moomins a while and charter a ship to head southward. Not rightly sure on the where, but I do know the when. Wond'rin' if they'll remember me down there. Moominmama and her husband were always some that I'd considered friends. At least since I came to the valley anyway. Feels like they've always been here. 

Day 1

Signed Puukko

(Full story under the cut!)

The leaves scattered along worn footpaths, carried haphazard and carelessly by a crisp autumn wind. Moominvalley was as peaceful an idyll as it ever was as Puukko made her way to the home of the Moomins. There waiting on the veranda was none other than Moominpapa, enjoying his coffee and a well-deserved break from his memoirs. 

"Ahoy there!" The old moomin woman cleared her throat. It had been some weeks since she'd spoken to someone other than herself, and some years since she'd met with anyone in the valley.

"Well would you look at that, I was just thinking of you! Mama had mentioned paying you a visit just the other day, but I was convinced you'd taken to the seas long ago." He stood and smiled brightly. "Won't you come in for a visit?"

He took her bag and set it by the coat rack, ushering her into the kitchen area. It was warm and inviting, though the chairs were a little small for the likes of Puukko. Still, she made herself comfortable as Moominpapa mused about the comings and goings of the valley inhabitants. 

"I'd been meaning to pay you a visit myself as well, my son's old pocket knife has seen better days. After all, he's not got pockets!" He chuckled aloud. "Mama! Might we have some more coffee please? An old friend has come to visit!"

Moominmama rounded the corner. She hadn't changed much over the years, still with her classic handbag and apron. "Oh, Miss Puukko! I thought I had smelled smoke, but Papa's pipe is still on his desk." She ribbed gently. It wasn't normally like her to poke fun, but she was well accustomed to her guest's sense of humor.  

The Moomins had a way of making it feel as though no time had passed, their welcoming attitude and general hospitality created a comforting atmosphere. Moominmama prepared a fresh pot of coffee as her husband delighted in his endless story telling. The three swapped tales of recent times, remarks on the weather, and other pleasantries for a time before getting to the reason for such an uncommon visit. 

"I've plans to venture back onto the high seas. Been sittin' too long. I reckon I'm fit to burst should I not feel some wind in me sails again." The old pirate stared into her mug, paws wrapped around its sides. 

"I do hope you're not thinking of going back to your old job, dear. I very much doubt you'll find today's ships to your liking, anyhow." Moominmama's eyes betrayed her words, she made it clear with a look that she'd rather have a friend in the mountains than one on the run. 

"Nothing quite like that, worry ye none!" She gave a hearty chuckle. "I'm just lookin' t' see her again. The sea, I mean. A taste of salt, nothin' more." 

Moominpapa passed the table salt over without a word, pleased with his joke regardless of whether the other two took note. "Not to dissuade you, I am partial to a journey, especially one by sea, but you haven't got a ship, have you?" He was very clearly suggesting something, and eagerly so. 

"Cunning as ever, Moominpapa. I'd hoped to 'ave you and yer l'il craft ferry me to a port where I could charter a ship." 

"Ah, an excursion at sea with a real pirate, how exciting!" He stood on his chair and struck a gallant pose. 

"She's not a pirate anymore, dear." Moominmama was quick to correct. "Where is it you're heading, Miss Puukko? I'm afraid it's a little late in the season for a long journey."

"Italy, I think. Ne'er been, always wanted to. Knew someone what were tossin' that idea about, lifetimes ago." 

Moominpapa put aside his excitement and scratched at his snout. It was always obvious when he was thinking, he carried a familiar look of determination. "You could borrow The Adventure, if you could promise a safe return." He didn't seem thrilled at the prospect of losing his own vessel. 

"I'd be leaving her at port, and I fear I do not trust to leave her by her lonesome so far from home. Perhaps it's best I wait fer Spring afore I head out." Puukko tried to hide her disappointment. She couldn't fault the Moomins for hibernating, after all, she too was at the mercy of the seasons. She had only just awoke from her own hibernation at the arrival of Autumn. 

"Do you know the Snork?" Moominmama offered reassuringly. 

"Clever feller with those glasses tied 'round his ears? Aye, made him a lovely l'il folding knife couple'a years back. Redwood and gold. He got a ship?" 

"He's quite the inventor. He's just finished work on his flying ship." 

"Flying as in it goes real fast?" Puukko shot a perplexed look at both of the Moomin parents. 

"Flying as in it sails the sea of the skies!" Moominpapa delivered poetically, and with much gusto. Moominmama reflexively rolled her eyes with affection at her husband's playful nature. She laid her paw gently across the old pirate's wrist, assuring her that they weren't just playing a prank on her. 

"It flies? In the air?! I've heard tell all kinds of tall tales but ne'er once a ship with wings!" 

"Well this version doesn't have wings, but she is seaworthy– er, sky worthy? Perhaps it's best to let the Snork show you himself. I'm sure he'd be eager for another voyage." Moominpapa's excitement returned to him as his taste for adventure grew. Moominmama wordlessly packed a few things in a basket for the Snork, and the three headed out to his workshop. 

Along the way, Moominpapa told the story of Snork and the many trials he faced in building a flying ship. He told of all the help the people of the valley gave in building the workshop, then rebuilding it after it exploded in an incident with the Muffle, and the first flight tests. He left out mention of the witch so as not to diminish Snork's accomplishment. 

"Ah, here we are. We're in luck, it would seem the Snork is already here, and working rather hard." Moominpapa opened the door without knocking, much to Snork's bemusement. The Snork's workshop was quaint and open, with no shortage of tools and equipment covering the walls in an organized fashion. Its rustic appeal did much to abate the otherwise proper order of its owner. 

"Moominpapa!" The Snork scrambled to hide the pages he had been working on at the drafting table, pencils and tools clattering to the floor. "This is the workshop of an inventor, you know! Many people might like to steal any secret designs within."

"Perhaps you ought to consider locking the door, dear." Moominmama teased. 

"And who's this you've brought with you? And into my private workshop no less!" 

"Check yer pockets, sonny. My name's on the inside of the grip o' yer knife. To my mem'ry, yer exact instructions were 'simple and efficient, but not without class'. Redwood and gold, convex edge, and no thumb stud." Puukko set her bag down by the door and took a lean against the wall, took out her pipe and chewed on the stem. 

"Ah, Miss Puukko! How nice it is to see you. I had meant to contact you about servicing said knife, but I've been so busy with my flying ship, you see."

"Seems a trend in the valley. The meanin' t' come see me, I mean. Perhaps I ought to start makin' regular maintenance trips down here..?" She scratched at her snout in thought for a moment. "Anyhow. So it's true that you've got a ship what can fly? And I'm supposin' this mightn't be it. She motioned to the airship, which was taking up most of the room in the work space. 

"Indeed! I invented it myself and now I'm both an inventor and the first ever skyship captain. Or, pilot, I suppose." He puffed out his chest slightly with his paws on his hips. Puukko walked around the ship, running her paw along its hull. She inspected the planks and admired the craftsmanship. 

"She's a fine vessel. Permission to board her, captain?" She chuckled. She was still dubious towards the idea of a flying ship, but her excitement at the prospect won out over her doubts. 

"Permission granted, but please do be careful around the levers!"

Puukko boarded the ship and began looking around as Moominpapa explained the situation, and what brought them to his workshop in the first place. 

"-and you see, going to Italy is quite a long trip. Mama says it's too late in the season to be out at sea even just to take Miss Puukko to the nearest major port. And my thinking was, it might be a bit faster as the Snork flies er- I mean as the crow flies." 

"Quite right Moominpapa, but I'm afraid you and your wife would have to stay here. My flying ship can only hold one passenger at a time." Snork patiently reminded him. "I'm working on a new version large enough to take many more but it's going to take some time and rather a… lot of.. supplies…" Snork's cadence slowed as an idea hatched in his mind. "Miss Puukko?"

"Yes Mr. Snor– ack!" Puukko hit her head on the doorframe of the ship's control room as she stood to face the Snork. She swore under her breath, collected herself and sighed. "What is it, my dear short inventor friend?" 

Snork did not follow the "short" comment and chose to ignore it. 

"I imagine you intended to pay for the trip in your usual odd fashion, what would you say to waiving your payment and return trip in lieu of me picking up some supplies when we make our landing?" 

"I believe I'd be amenable to that Mr. Snork. Need an excuse t' be at sea anyhow. Talkin' o' ships, how's about you tell me how this tub gets up in the sky with no wings?" She shot him an incredulous look. 

"One of the keys to the success of my flying ship is in its round flight balloon. My first flying ship was a flop, wings simply aren't as efficient when dealing with a ship of this size. A round balloon was the solution, the idea was all thanks to a dream Moomin had." 

"Why are you saying 'round' like that?" 

That evening, Puukko stayed with the Moomins. It was a pleasant change of pace for her, having company. The house was mostly quiet, save for the boisterous and hearty laughs of an old pirate and the jovial expressions of young Moomintroll. She told him tales of the sea, omitting of course many of the harsher realities of piracy. He'd begged her to drop by and visit again soon to teach him the proper way to use a sword. She of course agreed, provided he asked his mother's permission. Despite the time that had passed, Moomintroll still seemed to be a cheery and eager youth with a taste for the dramatic. The fact that not much ever changes for long in the valley filled Puukko with a complex feeling. She couldn't quite parse it at the time, but it was both a comfort and a curse. After Moomin headed to bed, Puukko delighted in the simple presence of Moominpapa and Moominmama. It was both the longest and the shortest night at once, with laughter and stories, and the aching melancholy knowing it would soon end. For Puukko, being lonely wasn't the same as being alone. She'd always liked to spend her time by herself, but that made the company of others all the sweeter. 

Morning brought with it the cool breeze of autumn, and for Puukko, a tangible excitement she hadn't felt in decades. She felt the thrill of a new adventure climbing her back and the anxiety of something new altogether in her stomach as she made her way to the launching ground near Snork's workshop.

"Ahoy there!" Moominmama smiled with her eyes and gently waved her paw. "We thought we'd come early to help Snork get things set up. Did you see the pancakes I left for you on the table?"

"That I did! And the lovely note. Yer hospitality leaves none to be desired Moominmama. A fairer maiden there's ne'er been." Puukko put aside the thought of one other woman. 

"Ahem." Moominpapa coughed.

"And her fine husband, o'course." Puukko placated him with a playful eye roll. 

"Have you got all the things you need for the trip, Miss Puukko?" The Snork exited the cabin of the flying ship, wiping oil from his paws with a rag. 

"This'un here's me an' mine, and all I'm bringing along." She gave the bag at her side a hearty slap. "Seems a might bit heavier today, though I'm sure that's just nerves." She winked at Moominmama, who in turn looked away coyly. 

"Well if you're all set, climb aboard!" Snork re-entered the control room. He returned shortly with a rope ladder, and tossed it overboard. The balloon atop the ship was full, and the hoses used to fill it cast aside. Though it was still for the moment, the lift provided by the balloon made it seem lighter than air, as if it would be blown away by the wind any moment. Puukko trusted the Snork's capabilities and the word of the Moomins, but she couldn't help but feel a little timid now that it was time to take off. She boarded and set her bag down in the control room. 

"Wait just a moment." Snork's expression narrowed. He adjusted some levers and knobs, much beyond the ken of the old pirate standing just away from him. "You know, my first design was intended primarily as a proof of concept, which meant cutting out additional weight such as quarters and storage. Which means…" He spoke as if not to his passenger, but aloud for the room. He stretched his arm above him, reaching into a space replete with various complex parts of the ship. 

"Hey, watch it!" 

Someone was hiding in the small chamber. Snork lowered his arm, revealing he had found a small girl dressed in red. 

"Well if it isn't Little My. I would've thought by now you'd have grown tired of stowing away. You've made multiple trips aboard my flying ship by now! I knew you'd be in here, you may be small, but there aren't many places to hide in he– yeowch!"

"Don't go interrupting other people's naps!" The uninvited guest shouted with a voice much larger than herself. Little My had bitten Snork's finger, loosening his grip on her. She bolted through the open door and over the side with a pitter-patter of little shoes all along the way. Puukko, bewildered by the sudden appearance of a strange and violent child, still laughed aloud at Snork's misfortune. 

"'ave ye a problem with stowaways often?" She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, catching her breath from her laughter. Little My's cackling continued to trail off into the distance as she made her escape. 

"It's usually just the same stowaway every time." He nursed his paw. "Would you mind pulling up the ladder?" 

"Aye aye, captain." She continued to chuckle. She rolled up the ladder and tossed it onto the deck, waving her goodbyes to Moominmama and Moominpapa. The two smiled and waved in return. 

The ship began to lurch, and the propellers to each side spun up. The whirring was loud and unsettling to Puukko, who had little to no experience with machines.

"Strike me pink!" She shouted over the wind as she dug her claws into the railing, ducking down somewhat. She watched as Moominvalley began to pass by her faster and faster, at first just the empty patch surrounding Snork's workshop, and then the whole valley itself. The speed and intensity of the wind coupled with the climbing height was both thrilling and terrifying.

"Well I'll be scuppered! We're actually flying!" She continued to muse and laugh in disbelief as the world below grew further and further away. "Snork! Can ye pass by me homestead? I should like to see it from above!" Once the ship had reached a steady altitude, Snork stepped out of the control room to meet with his passenger. 

"It's a long way to Italy. I imagine we won't be seeing each other for some time. This isn't goodbye, is it?" Snork grew concerned, wondering if he'd set off too eagerly before anyone had the chance to say a proper farewell. 

"I should think not, cap'n. Though I fear I might be gone awhile. My yearnin's keep me wanderin', but me heart belongs in Moominvalley." Puukko never once looked over to him, staring off at the great expanse below. "Bless me tail! I still can't believe we're flying…" She thought on how this would make for another good tale to tell, if only the beginnings of one, and at last, she thought of one person she'd like to tell it to more than anyone else.

[mediaevalmusereads]

Bea Wolf. By Zach Weinersmith and Boulet. First Second, 2023.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Genre: graphic novel

Part of a Series? No

Summary: Listen! Hear a tale of mallow-munchers and warriors who answer candy’s clarion call!

Somewhere in a generic suburb stands Treeheart, a kid-forged sanctuary where generations of tireless tykes have spent their youths making merry, spilling soda, and staving off the shadow of adulthood. One day, these brave warriors find their fun cut short by their nefarious neighbor Grindle, who can no longer tolerate the sounds of mirth seeping into his joyless adult life.

As the guardian of gloom lays siege to Treeheart, scores of kids suddenly find themselves transformed into pimply teenagers and sullen adults! The survivors of the onslaught cry out for a savior—a warrior whose will is unbreakable and whose appetite for mischief is unbounded.

They call for Bea Wolf.

***Full review below.***

Content Warnings: mild violence

Overview: I was totally unaware that this book existed until my dissertation director sent me a copy out of the blue. As I was in a reading slump, I decided to pick it up right away, and to my surprise, I found it not only to be a fun retelling of Beowulf, but a very smart, educated retelling with energetic art and a wealth of humor. Weinersmith clearly understands the appeal of the original poem and Boulet is clearly invested in creating art that is both eye-grabbing and well-composed, so for those reasons, this book gets 4.5 stars from me.

Writing/Art: Weinersmith's writing took me by surprise in the best way. From page 1, every line of this book is an imitation of the original poem, using alliteration, kennings, apposition, and other medieval literary devices to craft a narrative that is both incredibly smart and funny. I particularly loved Wienersmith's creativity when it came to apposition and alliteration; not only did he use evocative imagery, but he managed to make the rhythm and meter feel poetic. If i had any criticism, I will say that I noticed Weinersmith reused some images, but honestly, I was so impressed by the sustained style that i didn't much care.

Weinersmith's writing is complimented by Boulet's unique and stylized art. I loved the exaggerated facial expressions, the energetic lines, and the bold use of blacks, and I especially loved that no page felt half-assed. Too often, I've found that some graphic novels simplify their art too much for my personal taste; with Boulet's art, I didn't feel like the pages were rushed or details were left unfinished. Instead, I felt like there was always something interesting to see, and I loved looking at each page.

Plot: This book is a retelling of the Beowulf poem from the opening lines to the after-party following Grendel's defeat. Unlike other retellings, however, this book reimagines the Danes/Geats as children and their foes as teenagers and adults, with Grendel being reimagined as an uptight, fun-hating adult named Mr. Grindle.

There's a lot about this book that is quite clever. I loved, for example, that Heorot was reimagined as a treehouse and the sounds of the hall involved junk food, loud music, staying up past bedtime, etc. - all things parents and adults oppose. I also really loved that the kids had their own "monarchy" with kings/lords that distributed toys and treats to the worthy. It felt simultaneously like I was reading a retelling and that I was thrown back into the parenting style of my childhood, when kids were more or less left to create their own (unstructured) fun.

But what made this book enjoyable for me was that it included scenes that other Beowulf retelling tend to cut. For example, the first few sections of this book tell the story of Carl (Scyld Scefing's child counterpart) and how the crown passed down to the current king, Roger (Hrothgar's counterpart). I also loved that this book included scenes such as Bea Wolf's fight with the sea monsters, the retelling of Heidi's excursions (meant to reference the heroism of Hygelac), and the praise song that lauds Bea Wolf alongside other child legends (which corresponds to the Sigurd legend sung by the scop). As a medievalist, I loved all the nods to the original poem, and I felt like I was reading a retelling by people who knew and understood the epic, not people who wanted to get rid of everything except the monster fight.

Characters: The characters in this book are charming and delightful, in part because of Weinersmith's creative reimagining and in part due to Boulet's superb design.

Bea Wolf is memorable for her incredible bravery and the fact that she wears a stuffed bear on her head. I loved that she was unafraid to stand up to Mr. Grindle, and rather than seem prideful, she came across as having that child-like confidence that nothing could possibly defeat her.

Mr. Grindle is also memorable in that he's portrayed as having a magic power: to age kids up with a single touch. In my opinion, this power feels threatening and it feels especially dreadful because kids essentially view adults as some other species. The fact that they view teenagers and adults as "old" gives them a kind of Peter Pan attitude, so Grindle's aging powers feel particularly loathed. Moreover, Boulet draws Grindle as a balding, bespectacled, lanky (yet round) man whose obsession with bland things (flossing, stocks, etc) contrast nicely with the kids' chaos.

Supporting characters are likewise memorable for the way they reference their medieval counterparts. I loved that characters such as Sceld Scefing, Hygelac, Unferth, and Aescere were reimagined as kids, as well as fabled kid heroes that are seen as legends among the children; having such a wide range of child characters made the world of the story feel a bit richer.

TL;DR: Bea Wolf is a delightful, smart, and funny retelling of Beowulf that reimagines the fight between Beowulf and Grendel as a struggle between children and adults. This retelling stands apart from others due to the deep love the writer has for the original poem and the bold, energetic art that the artist uses to convey action and emotion; by incorporating literary techniques from the poem (such as alliteration, apposition, kennings, etc) and filling each page with beautiful, stylized art, this book is sure to be a favorite amongst medievalists and other readers who appreciate clever, creative adaptations of literary classics.

[cryptid-killjoy]

HC: Bastien has had a lot going on in his head lately. Feral is fun in it's own way. Looting is it's own joy. Instead of watching out for cops or nosey citizens who can't mind their business he mostly watches out for rogue zombies. Delta tried to keep them herded back at Skull Rock for awhile, but that's easier said than done. They roam off. They're around considering the huge population. He likes to pretend he's in The Walking Dead now only... he actually is. Thank goodness for his "troll" hammer.

He's created several hoard hubs he's now calling Fox Holes. He's not quite sure where the lingo came from, but when that sort of thing happens 8 times out of 10 it's because Jetsam is mixing in. He might not be controlling Bastien but he leaves an imprint from possessing him so often, souls touching, like wires crossing. It's that out in the swamp language coming out. He doesn't necessarily dress like Jet, because if he ever could have afforded whatever he wanted he might have styled up. But, since he's been looting the rock look might be incorporated more than it used to be because he's been able to find it all his own Bastien-way without spending the cash- just the way he likes it.

To picture Bastien having a dressing room movie montage in all the abandon stores, thrift shops, and people's empty homes trying on all sorts of different looks with Hugo and the gang at his side is something Delta would pay money to see on a big screen.

There is another store he looted which might have been humorous to watch. The lingerie store down the way from the bridal shop Maddy went to with Piper. Yeah, he went there all by himself holding up dainty things trying to figure out what to bring home as a surprise for his wife. Hmm. Hmm. Hmm. Ticket worthy experience for sure. That said, when he brings home this bag to his wife he will say, "I would have brought more, but I couldn't figure out how they went on. Ladies undies are very confusing. Laverne told me to relax because all I need to do is figure out how to get you out of them. But, I still only picked out the easy ones... well I mean, and the pretty ones. The good ones." But he would expressly explain how beat he was over it taking a whole day on pantie decisions. "I had no idea how much stress underwear was for you ladies." Then he'd dump several six packs of boxers and briefs in his size. So easy in plastic packages. All the same and shove them in his drawer.

In his mind though his daily excursions like this were yet another way he was providing for his family. He still had a big fuck that debit card Esme gave him attitude and now hoarding instincts were kicking in big time because opportunity was knocking. He didn't know when times would change again. He never believed anything would last forever so, he was staking claims everywhere he was allowed. He was dragging all sorts of items to his personal property and storing it there. He asked for a room at the Blue Piper from Kuzco. Kuzco allowed him a room and Bastien was filling it from floor to ceiling with just... stuff. Stuff in his mind they may need some day.

He even started to claim places he used to hang out, old trap houses, and buildings weren't his property, but were his spots back in the old days. Delta had the whole dang city. When she noticed what he was doing and questioned his activity she even gave them to him. So, in his mind these were business transactions between him and his boss. As long as his loyalty remained he earned these properties as his own for just a small favor which gave him more work. He liked work. He liked feeling like he was doing something and useful. He had to hoard for Delta too.

Now, she already technically had everything within the ring, but what he was doing for her was organizing special items he might run across for her. So he had a hoard building for that too. Maybe this didn't mean much now, but if the city of Feral ever thrived with any populace again, Bastien would be quite the land owner when people did come in. The time he was putting in now was being looked at as an investment for his future whether Feral had much more of future than it did now or not.

Back to Jetsam, after the whole Father's Day pull Bastien would have wanted to across the sea for a visit. The only thing holding him back is Bastien's incessant hoarding obsession lately and his closeness to his brother. Believe it or not Bastien's close enough with Flotsam to know this isn't a good time and was holding back on purpose. As much as everyone loved Jet, Flo is the living person, and who Bastien bonded with that fated Halloween. He vowed to remain open for Jet for Flo's sake and even Bastien worries about the effects sometimes. It's only since then he's gotten closer to Jet. He won't be able to help it if Jet takes over completely of course, but he's tried to wait despite the pulling sensation to go due to conversations with Flo who's going through a lot right now. He never wants to make things worse for Flo. He also doesn't want to lose the connection and have Jet jump into someone else when he feels this is his duty to his friend and doesn't want to let him down, or have Jetsam take aim at him for not being cooperative. So it's a balancing act he feels he's playing all the time. However, he'd go soon because Flo would actually call him up for music reasons. That meant he was ready.

Jet is small stressor in Bastien's large room of voices that like to mess with his head. There's the gargoyles. Then new ones pop up sometimes.

Like one time he was looking for Frankie with his night vision goggles and his mind started to play tricks on him. It was like all the night visions movie sequences started to play in his head. Too many video games. He's looking around and suddenly he's got a commander in his ear telling him which way to go and where to look like he's on a covert mission, secret ops. It was like having VR on and when the visual hallucinations start popping up. He's blasting monsters with an imaginary gun he wasn't even carrying like he's in Men In Black. He freaks out and tears the goggles off disappointed and hyped he hesitated to shoot the girl with the lab equipment only to see Frankie sitting there with her pacifier safe and sound. Like okay. What just happened?

Not a monster. Not lab equipment. His hands are empty. Yeah, he needed some weed. Time to reduce stress right now. Something. That one freaked him out. Nothing happened. Nothing at all happened. But, for a split second he almost thought he about shot his kid. Hallucinations. Visual disturbances. Schizophrenia. Mentally challenged. Different. Ability to see into a different world. Magic vision. Whatever anyone wanted to call what Bastien went through off and on that one scared him. He didn't like the goggles anymore. He didn't like mirrors. He didn't like sunglasses. He sure as Hell wasn't going to play VR with anyone.

He liked cars though. Now that he didn't believe he was going to hurt anyone by driving key collecting was also a new hobby. Finding which keys went to which cars. There were abandoned car lots full of new and used cars. Feral was a land of plenty for the people there.

Everything that happens only makes him more protective of Frankie even if the threat is unreal. In his mind the threats are out there and possibly from another world/realm and could pop out at any time. Whoever they are is trying to trick him. So, if he seems extra paranoid of who knows what, in protective daddy mode, husband mode, even minion of Delta and Frank mode, he's got his reasons.

[reflections-of-mobius]

How familiar. The little taps of his shoe on the ground, as if impatient or energetic, wanting to move forward. Tempest was tempted to smile by the smallest fraction- a hint of warmth that was stifled as soon as it appeared.

"I'll do my best." Slip-ups would inevitably have to be chalked up to not being able to 'tell fiction from reality' or something similar- perhaps pretending to reference a book or game. "I'll just say I was thinking of a game, if any slip-ups occur." Honestly, she'd probably do her best to not speak to the general population regardless. There was no telling what was true here that was also true back home,...and what wasn't. "There is a lot that Eggman can't afford to know about, it would seem."

That blank look, she did recognize, at least. It was one she (very rarely) saw on Azure, but the hedgehog still pulled something similar at times. So the town probably didn't exist here...not great, but not the end of the multiverse. Worst came to worst,...she'd still have two options.

Aether and Phanes...

"To my knowledge, there are no other worlds besides my own where I exist. So- you may call me by name- Tempest." She moved to gingerly test the flexibility of her limbs- grateful when all of them seemed to function normally. There were inklings of pain that sparked from the nerves, but it was nothing that couldn't easily be handled. "It is quite pleasant to meet you both, Aether and Phanes. Regardless of the circumstances."

Tempest cautiously stretched her arms and legs. Giving her limbs time to react to it, to catch up. It wouldn't be a big problem to be stuck on this world for a few days. Her friends would undoubtedly come looking for her eventually when she failed to return from her excursion- but that would be quite some time off, yet.

"I do admit. It would have been nice to find a Mobius without Dr. Eggman, though." Dry as it was,...it was an attempt at a fraction of humor. Something she'd picked up over the years, through a hint of effort. "He seems to be quite prevalent in all realities, alongside you two and several others." Tempest packed up what supplies of the medical kit she'd used. "Thank you."

Shadow had nodded at the approval and got to work on cleaning and bandaging every injury the other showed him. He was deliberate and gentle while wrapping the rug burns with fresh gauze. All while Sonic watched and listened. One foot tapped out of habit until a gentle striped elbow nudged his shin.

He offered a sheepish grin and stopped.

“Shads’ll have ya fixed up in no time.” That was something the speedster could say in confidence and looked towards the east. Chun-Nan was a quick jog for either hedgehog, but the name of the town the other was looking for drew a blank from Sonic. In the time it took for Shadow to finishing bandaging, he could have ran the continent and seen if the city was even where the other suspected it was.

“Beside the two of us, the only other that knows of interdimensional travel is Tails so it may be wise to keep the information from the general population.”

“Not t’ mention we don’t need Eggman finding out about it. I can’t imagine that would end well.” Still the hero gave the other a smile and used a thumb to gesture to himself. “Ya can call me Aether.”

“I have been dubbed Phanes.” Ruby eyes had shifted to the speedster beside him to imply who had come up with it before he was back to finishing the last bit of wrapping he could manage with the limited supply. He would have had an easier time if they had been on the Ark. Oh well, the majority of the injuries had been handled and now they could focus on the other issue.

Making sure the other made it home safe.

“What about you though? What should we call ya while you’re here?”

[kadvacorpx]

Happy Birthday Wishes for Friend

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[alexanderhamilton1778]

My dearest Alexander,

I hope you are faring well. I miss you more and more everyday— Before I move on to business, I have a favor to ask of you. Do you think Elizabeth would be kind enough to watch after Athena while I’m here at camp? I do not believe she should be subjected to the atrocities that be committed here. These men are all filthy animals with offensive humors though they hide well behind their uppity and snood demeanors. But anyhow, when be the wedding? I’ve went ahead and requested I take a week off, for a “relative’s” wedding shouldn’t be something I’m to miss. Especially when I’ve been asked to be the best man. Tis only right I do everything in my power to be there for you and Eliza.

As for business, I’m certain you’re already aware of my predicament, though I haven’t heard back from you about it. Twas probably safer that way on any note. I’ve been fitted for the dreadful uniform. Tis quite itchy and smells of damn fool. I swear, every second I wear it I feel the shameful entitlement ooze from my very soul. God help me.

I’m to join Cornwallis in North Carolina tomorrow and I swear to try and lend you any info of his tactics, strategies and plans of attack. This must be done. But it must be done carefully and cautiously. I trust no one but you with such a task, Alexander. With all my heart, I wish to hold you again. To kiss your rosed cheeks and each and every inch of your alabaster skin. To count every freckle on your face and watch as the rising sun sets your hair aflame in such a mesmerizing way. My love… my dear boy… please keep me in your thoughts… and pray for my strength—

Affectionately yrs,

John Laurens

"My dear Jack,

I fare as well as one can when their lover be in the face of danger and miles from their safe embrace. My Betsey has accepted with great pleasure, she adores children and will treat Athena with as much care and protection as she would her own flesh. Not only for the child, but assistance for yourself as well, my dear. We have concluded the wedding shall commence on the 20th of this month. Pray you make it, my love. I have written to my father about such an event, and have pleaded him to come and witness it. I have not seen him in years, and while receiving word from him is sometimes long to wait for; I nearly leap for joy whenever a letter of his has made it into my hand. I have supplied him with all the funds necessary to make such an excursion, if all goes well then there should be no reason for fail. I am most eager to introduce my fine patriarch to not only my beautiful bride, but my handsome best man. I am most certain he shall love the both of you.

Shall I inform the general of your recent scheme? I think it most important to relay such information to him. Although admittedly I had delayed such with the hesitant thought you would change your mind.

You cannot even begin to imagine the bittersweet taste of your words, my dear. To know you're only miles away, from where I could travel to see you, but this war and the armies bar us apart. The winter is frightfully cold, but it is moreso now without you here. The family all inquires about you and where have you gone, they are all under the bliss you have safely returned to South Carolina to pursue familia ambitions. I can barely feel my soul with your absence as a cold partner of empty space in my bed. I miss your light chuckles, I miss your rough but gentle hands. And while I miss your eyes, I sometimes find solace in staring at the sky in which shares that same daring color of spirit I've come to adore.

Always yrs,

Alexander Hamilton"

[fandomsimagined]

Corn Maze (Bradley Bradshaw x Reader)

Title: Corn Maze

Pairing: Bradley Bradshaw x Female!Reader

Summary: Bradley decides to take the reader to a corn maze for a night out. Unfortunately, he’s not very good at mazes.

Word Count: 1.1k

Warnings: None, unless you count tooth-rotting fluff.

A/N: This is so cheesy and probably out of character so sorry lol also I’m very bad at titles

           Bradley Bradshaw was many things. He was one of the finest aviators that the United States Navy had ever seen. He’d gone through some of the most rigorous training known to man. He’d flown several “impossible” missions and lived to tell the tale. All things considered, a corn maze designed for children and tipsy teenagers should have been easy to navigate. Should have being the operative words.

           As it turned out, being a highly decorated aviator didn’t equate to much when it came escaping cornfields. It had been an hour since they’d made the mistake of entering the labyrinth, and they were still staring at a wall of cornstalks with no method of escape.

           “Bradley?” (Y/N) raised her eyebrows at the lieutenant humorously. He could tell that she was biting her tongue.

           “Yes, darling?” He huffed. He was very aware of where this was going, and he was just hoping that it didn’t end with her calling Maverick or any of the others. The only thing that he maybe regretted more than introducing them was deciding that a corn maze would be a good idea for date night.

           “I distinctly recall you saying that you would have us out of here in an hour.” She tried (and failed) to suppress the grin forming on her lips. He had to admit, it was slightly funny, of course, at the time, his pride didn’t think so. Phoenix was going to have a field day with this one when she inevitably found out.

           “I don’t recall ever saying that.” He shook his head, his lips curving into a smile. “I think you have me confused with someone else.”

           “Mmhmm, yeah.” She rolled her eyes, playfully. “You know there’s no shame in asking for help. I mean, it certainly beats dying in a corn maze and traumatizing whatever group of children stumbles across our dead bodies.”

           “Who are we going to ask, the corn?” They had decided to go on a Wednesday night. It was a slow day; most people were getting ready for school or work the next day, not getting lost in the middle of a corn field in the middle of nowhere. It was a brilliant plan, really. Except for the part where they ended up lost.

           It was quite rare that they had an abundance of time together given his career path. It was one of the more unfavorable aspects of his job. He loved flying for the Navy, but he didn’t love not seeing his favorite person for sometimes months on end. That was why he always wanted to make sure that the few date nights that they had were special and that they could spend as much time alone together as possible. He supposed that he got his wish. They were very much alone.

           “That’s fair enough…” She bit her cheek in concentration, trying to formulate a plan. “You would think that someone would’ve come looking for us by now. It’s been like an hour and a half.”

           “Well, they probably thought that two grown adults would be able to find their way out of a corn maze designed for kids,” he laughed. Maybe it wasn’t so bad. Sure, the situation wasn’t exactly ideal, but he had to admit that he enjoyed being able to spend time together without any distractions.

           “That was their second mistake.”

           “Oh yeah, what was their first?” He shot her a curious look.

           “Letting us in in the first place,” she giggled. “This is almost as bad as when we got lost on that hiking trail last year.”

           “I don’t think anything can be as bad as the hiking trail last year.” By the end of their excursion, (Y/N) had ended up with a sprained ankle, he was questioning his entire career path, and Maverick had to drive down to pick them up once they’d finally been able to get a call through.

           “In my defense, we had an outdated map.” A very outdated map. He wished that he could say that he did the proper amount of research before deciding to go hiking on that particular trail, but it would be a lie. In reality, he’d found said map in one of his dad’s old atlases. From 1984.

           “That would only be a valid defense, if you weren’t the one who provided the map.” It was a fair point. “You know, I think I remember reading somewhere that if you keep your right hand on the inside wall of the maze, that eventually it’ll lead you to the exit.”

           “Does that still apply if said maze is made out of corn?” Bradley was unsure of the logistics of said plan, but he’d be willing to try anything if it meant not having to call someone for help, though the service was spotty, so that may not have even been an option.

           “I don’t know, but we could try?” (Y/N) shrugged. The sky had faded from blue to a mixture of pink and orange, meaning they had a limited amount of time to get out before they lost their light source.

           “Yeah, we’d better hurry. I’d say we have about forty-five minutes before sunset.”

           “Alright, let’s test out the theory then. I don’t know about you, but the idea of being here after dark, is not that appealing to me.” (Y/N) placed her right hand on the wall of corn stalks and used her free hand to grab his own, intertwining their fingers.

           “You know, if you just wanted to hold my hand, you could’ve said so,” he teased.

           “Shut up.” A pink tint rose to her cheeks, despite the fact that they’d been together for quite a while, and it definitely wasn’t the first time they’d ever held hands. If he hadn’t known better, he’d think that they were teenagers again, sneaking out after dark.

           “Oh, come on, you know you love me,” he smirked. “You’d be lost without me, admit it.”

           “What are you talking about? I’m lost with you,” she retorted. Another fair point. “But I wouldn’t want to be lost with anyone else, so I guess I forgive you.” She kissed his cheek. Now it was his turn to blush as they continued their trek through the maze. They had run into a far less number of dead ends, so he hoped that meant that her theory was correct, and they’d be out before dark.

           It only took about ten minutes before they finally reached the end of their quest. He had to admit, despite the quite brutal hit to his ego, he’d had a good time, although, he wasn’t in a rush to do anything like that again.

           “You know, I think next date night, we should just watch a movie like normal people,” he suggested.

           “No, I happen to like our adventures.” She smiled.

           “Well, if that’s the case, we can go camping next time,” he chuckled. “There’s no way that would possibly blow up in our faces given our track record.”

           “Yeah, don’t push it.”

[a-gal-with-taste]

High-Noon Heat (Oneshot)

Warnings: SFW. Chapter 2, pre-relationship, flirting, fluff, humor, romance, domestic-fluff, camp-interactions, mild AU (Micah's dead, because I say so), cook!Reader, John being an annoying little brother

Gift for @sweatandwoe ♡

It was high-noon, and even with the breeze, you could swear Arthur already looked more heated than Hell, with cheeks already reddening as he approached the stewpot you were bent over, fresh from another several-day excursion around the country. 

"Arthur."

"... Miss." 

There it was again - the start of your first name, before habit, courtesy, and just the barest hint of flusteredness entered his gruff tone, and he fell back onto a far-more respectful greeting than just your first name. 

"Been back for a hot minute, I'm sure you're famished," You say, smiling up as you glanced towards him. Noon-high caught the gold in his hair, bright enough that you had to resist the urge to squint. "Hope you've had smooth traveling, sure been gone awhile..." 

"Well, someone's gotta, ever since Micah..." One burly shoulder shrugged, half in nonchalance, and half in the direction of the cliff giving the Outlook its name. "I'd take Lenny, but kid's still shook-up, 'bout losing so many the last few months..." 

"I'm sorry," You say, softly. You didn't know those who came before.

The Callander boys were men of legends, apparently, and Jenny sounded like such a sweet girl - all gone long before you arrived. Perhaps it was the nature of things, but the first death you'd encountered among the camps-ranks was hardly even met with a subdued reaction. Some drank a bit more excessively, but there were a couple more jokes than mournful jeers... Mr. Van der Linde, however, had shut himself in his tent for the night after. 

You didn't quite know why, Mr Bell hadn't exactly been charming - in fact, your skin crawled at the memory of him - but you still kept your tone cautiously respectful, "I don't... I hope it's not a loss that's leaving you to suffer, since you take his job as well as your own?" 

"Suffer? Nah... tempted to thank God, if I'm honest. For ending his suffering, and ours." 

Pearson glanced up from the rabbit as your sudden, inappropriately-timed snort, unable to hold back the stern note in his reminder, "Not in the stew, Miss! Got enough seasoning in there already, don't need snot to go along with it!" 

"I know, Simon, I know!" The friendly-eye roll you gave was met with a scoff, but when you turn back to the main-muscle of the Van der Linde Gang, your cheeks heated under much more than the sun when you caught Arthur staring, watching you smile playfully with a peek of his own grin beneath the rim of his hat. 

A hat that lowered sharply as he ducked his head, suddenly finding the Overlook grass very fascinating, particularly as he scuffed it with his boots. 

"Well... I'm glad you seem to be enjoying the roads, Arthur. Seems like you're gone most the time..." 

"Not by choice, but we all gotta eat, gotta work... speaking of," He glanced back at you, cornflower-blue eyes meeting yours, before he again glanced away, fingers tapping a beat on his belt. "You uh, got any special requests for when I'm out on the trail?" 

You blinked, "Oh, I wouldn't want to take you from your work, Arthur-" 

"Top three-choices, Miss. Sound 'em off, I'll get 'em for you." A pause, before he added, a bit hastily. "Ain't no trouble... never is." 

Tongue prods the inside of your cheek for a moment, as you studied him, while he made his own studies with the outlining shrubbery of the camp. "... Turkey would be nice, good for hearts. If you come across rosemary, Hosea could also use some for his breathing," The old fool was sharp, and smarter than anyone else in the gang, but a fool nonetheless, acting like you couldn't hear him wheezing half-a-tent away... "Oh! Wild carrot too, it's good for the stew... plus Jackie could use the veggies." 

"And the kid was 'bout just begging me for a cocoa-bar... gonna feel lilttle betrayed about this one," Another small grin crossed his features, one you couldn't help but share as, stirring done with all the chopped herbs freshly-submerged, you reached for a tin-bowl. 

"Partners in crime, you and I are, Mister Morgan," You teased, filling up the bowl with a generous, hearty helping before passing it into his hand. The calloused he brushed against your fingers left tingles, but you managed to keep your voice light. "I won't tattle if you won't." 

"I'll be going to my grave in silence, Miss," He vowed, shoveling a dented spoon in to take a large chunk from the bowl - already half-empty by the time he takes his sentence, and you wonder if Arthur even swallows by the time he chugs the final portion of his bowl. 

"... 'M sorry," He said, sheepish under your wide-eye glare at his ravenous appetite, even though you're far from displeased. "Long ride and... good food. Gotta get it when you can." 

"Right... well, I'll be sure to have plenty for you when you get back," You promised him standing up while brushing off your hands on your apron, before holding one out to him with a smile, warm as the noon-high sun above. "Well, happy travels, Arthur. Be safe." 

A beat passes, before, once more, your skin tingles pleasantly with the feel of warm callouses brushing along your skin. The handshake Arthur gives is only one good, hearty pump between you - but while the man had muscles that could no-doubt crush you in an instant, the grip around your hand was so tenderly gentle, that it almost made you melt... 

And then he had to speak - low, and voice husked enough that you very-nearly turned into a puddle, "'course I will, Miss. You keep safe, too... be looking forward to that meal when I get back."

"Hope so. I'll have it hot and ready for you." 

Arthur's hand stilled so much in yours, you feared he became a statue. 

And then he was moving fast, hand pulling away, chin ducking as he turned on a heel to walk away, burly shoulders up high enough to red-tipped ears.

Your own ears were burning as you watched him walk, and you-yourself quickly tried to reverse the blush on your own face by returning to the game table, joining a carefully-oblivious Pearson in preparing the new additions to the stewpot... 

It would've worked, the new distraction to try and push aside the fluttering in your chest, and the warmth on your cheeks. But, as if it was a temptation too sweet to even try to ignore, John succeeded in making your face burn an even hotter-temperature with a mocking-drawl of your words after his fellow retreating gunslinger. 

"Yeah, Arthur, be safe..." 

"You be safe too, John. Don't let the mosquitoes eat ya while you're lounging 'round. Wolves already had their bite, ain't gonna be much left..." 

Hosea, ever the calm mediator from halfway across the camp, "Delinquency should be well behind you both, gentlemen! You're making Sean look more grown...!" 

It was high-noon, and you swore your face was hotter than the sun.

Maybe even hotter than Hell-itself.

[ponyam]

terms of endearment ♡

prompt: terms of endearment/pet names i think some genshin characters would use

characters: kaeya, beidou, eula, albedo

fluff!

a/n: i will be working on requests shortly, so hang tight! just wanted to get this one out there <3

kaeya

sweetness, love, angel

frequently uses pet names; probably more often than your actual name, so be prepared

a huge tease; will often use these to get a rise out of you

might get a lil handsy with you in public which, if you've been dating long enough, is a stunt you're fairly used to

but he's not gonna let you ignore him, no, he will get a reaction out of you

this menace will lean in real close--and i mean real close--and seductively whisper in your ear, "you're blushing, love"

save yourself

once he's gets the reaction he wants, he'll go even further by lovingly poking fun at you, much to your embarrassment

might get even more handsy if he's feeling especially flirty, or he'll simply coo at you, saying something along the lines of, "look at my angel, getting all worked up for me"

and yes, you're his angel, and yes, he will remind you

as coy as he can be, kaeya also has his softer moments in which he is more tender and sincere, but he'll usually still carry hints of his flirtatious tone

when he notices you're a bit down, or is just looking for some extra affection, he'll sometimes beckon you into his arms by saying, "come over here, sweetness"

get comfortable; you won't be going anywhere for a while

beidou

gorgeous, baby, hun

she isn't quite as openly flirty as a certain someone, but she will use these as a way to express her affections

as captain, she does have the tendency to be away at sea for a while, so cute little reunions with her are fairly common

expect to be met with a bone-crushing hug and a, "archons, i missed you so much, baby" upon her arrival

she loves you very much, and will want to be around you as much as possible once she gets back

while she does usually have business to attend to with several merchants, nothing will stop her from actively seeking you out throughout the day

when she does find you, or if you decide to visit her, beidou's face will very visibly light up before pulling you close and greeting you with a kiss and a "there you are, gorgeous"

now, while she does have to leave your side often, there is always the occasional sea excursion in which you are fortunate enough to tag along

and because she cares about you very much, she will constantly be looking out for you even if she seems focused on something else

especially in poor weather conditions, she'll check up on you more frequently

she can be very doting when she wants to be, and is the type to say something like "be careful, hun, the deck is slippery" when she sees you emerge from below deck just after a rainstorm

god, she's just so smitten with you

eula

darling, sunshine, beloved

despite her serious demeanor and sometimes morbid sense of humor, eula uses very sweet nicknames for you

even as a lawrence who is only infiltrating the knights of favonius to enact vengeance, she does take her job very seriously, and will fight for you when and if it is necessary

but even if there is no immediate danger, eula will be constantly looking out for you regardless

she's subtle about it though, and may just use excuses like, "take my hand, darling. i can't have you getting lost now, can i?" to get closer to you

her reason being, that standing near her is safer than anywhere else and totally not just because she really likes holding your hand

she also has the tendency to wake up very early to get a head start on the day, but has no problem if you wish to sleep in

on work days, she's usually gone by the time you get up, but occasionally on her days off, she'll be waiting for you in the kitchen, usually fully dressed, before she gets up to greet you with a sweet kiss and a "good morning, sunshine. did you sleep alright?"

she's also willing to give you dance lessons, if you're open, and won't complain if you step on her toes a few times she actually finds it quite cute

and on nights when it's just the two of you, she might spontaneously ask you to dance with her, usually by offering you her hand and saying, "care to dance, beloved?"

she can be quite the romantic when it comes to you

albedo

honey, sweetheart, starlight

honestly is a total sweetheart himself, and he's not shy about it

you're often the subject of many of his artworks, so try not to freak out too much if you catch him staring at you intensely with a pencil in hand

he just wants to get your proportions right! that and he's totally enamored with you

albedo finds everything about you to be beautiful, and will constantly praise you for looking "absolutely ethereal" (his words)

even if all you've done was pose for him for about thirty minutes, a never-ending stream of praise and words of encouragement will continue to fall from his lips

once he's finished he'll sit back to look at his work, smile, get up, walk over to you, and hit you with a, "thank you, starlight. you always know how to inspire me" and a soft kiss to your cheek

enjoys having you with him to keep him company in his lab at the favonius headquarters, and will often ask for your insight or assistance

and don't be surprised if that request for assistance comes in the form of, "honey, have you seen my crucible?"

he also appreciates having you accompany him on research expeditions in dragonspine, but will become insistent that you bring the proper clothes and warming potions with you at all times

as passionate as he is about his studies, he will check in with you frequently to see how you're doing

will typically ask, "are you sure you aren't cold, sweetheart?" while waiting for a set of test results to come through

you will have to reassure him frequently that yes, you are fine, but if you show the slightest indication of being tired or cold, suddenly he's whipping out everything you could possibly need from his satchel and inspecting you like he would a test subject

he means well though, and will offer to hold you close if that is something you'd prefer

overall, albedo would probably be the most doting lover out of everyone on this list; there, i said it

[alpaca-clouds]

Fluffcember Day 15: You (Don't) Choose Family

Today's prompt was Wool Socks.

Fandom: The Owl House

Characters: Amity, Hunter, Edric, Emira, Alador, Darius

Genre: Fluff and Humor

Length: 983

[Ao3 Link]

The logic of the world was still not quite clear to Amity. How had Emperor Belos trying to kill all the witches ended her in this situation.

“Just take an extra pair of socks,” her father beckoned. “It's cold out at the Knee.”

“Dad.” She groaned, her fingers at the bridge of her nose. “I've been out at the knee before. You remember. With Ed and Em?”

Her father blinked, looking at her with an empty expression. He did not remember. Of course, he didn't. But until everything had gone down, he had barely ever noticed anything going on outside of his laboratory, did he?

Now Darius walked through the living room, too. “Ah, don't worry, Alador. The kids will be fine!”

This prompted her father to mirror her expression, fingers at the bridge of the nose. “The kids will get themselves in trouble. I am telling you. The next thing we'll know…”

Darius came over to him, putting a hand onto his shoulder. “Relax, Alador. The kids will be just fine.”

“We will be out there for only two days. I mean, come on, dad. I can fight for myself.” And she would make sure that this time nobody would accidently wake any wild beasts while they were out there. No, this was just a little excursion. Just her, Luz, Gus, Willow – and Hunter of course. Speaking of which. “Where's Hunter?”

“Still packing,” Darius replied with a shrug.

Amity groaned. One should think one additional brother would not make that much of a difference, but somehow it did. While Hunter had the appearance of a teen maybe a year or two older than her, he was still like a child in many regards. Leaving her dad – and whatever Darius was meant to become – alone, she stormed off to Hunter's room, only to find her worst fears confirmed.

Hunter was sitting there on a bag way too big for a two day trip surrounded by the twins, who were now leaning onto him, brabbling along.

“See, Hunter,” Emira said, “if you want to win the heart of a lady, the best way to access it is through her stomach! So what you want to do…”

Edric interrupted her. “Quite literally, actually. So if you try to go and open up her mouth.”

“Ugh. El. Now you're getting disgusting.”

Edric laughed. “I am just saying. There is more than one way to win a heart.” He cast another illusion, summoning a beating heart into his hand.

Even Emira chuckled at this. “What I was saying, Hunter. You need to woo her. Somehow. Like, just bring her some nice food. Or maybe, I don't know… That girl, Willow, she likes flowers, right?”

Amity cleared her throat. “Hunter, we wanted to leave now, didn't we?”

He stared at her, his eyes wide with desperation. “Uhm. Err. Yes. Leaving. We wanted to…” He tried to hoist up his bag – and failed.

Seeing his desperation Amity went over to him. She cast a simple spell as well, changing the bag into a much smaller one. “You won't need all that stuff. Trust me.”

“Are you sure? I mean, what if something happens and we end up…”

“Don't worry.” She put a hand onto his shoulder and smiled.

There was still glee on her sister's expression. “Don't forget what I was telling you! To win her heart…”

Amity turned around to her. “He'll figure that out on his own.”

 A little sigh escaped Hunter, as they made their way down the stairs. She was not even sure what to say to him. After all everything was quite new for him, wasn't it? So she just put one hand onto his shoulder. “I know Em and Ed can be a lot, but you'll get used to this.”

His smile was faint, but still there. “I guess I will.”

“Are you sure you don't want to pack an extra pair of socks? I had the abominations make two pairs just for you!” Her father got out two pairs dripping with abomination goo, just as they were crossing the living room.

She stopped herself from sighing as well, thankful for Darius' hand on her father's shoulders.

In a way she got it. Her father was trying to make up for the time he had been mostly an absentee dad. But still… This was a bit much. She went over to him, taking his hand with a smile. “Really, dad. We will be fine. We will just go out there, have a nice evening around the fireplace, enjoy nature and sleep in tents.” She would share a tent with Luz! “Nothing major is going to happen.” She gave him an encouraging smile. “Or how big do you think the chance for another egomaniacal maniac trying to destroy the world just showing up months after the last one is?”

Her father frowned. “Well, I do not quite know the exact formular, but with probabilities there is always the thing that even one beneath 1% is never quite zero. So…”

“I think she was being hyperbolic, Alador,” Darius muttered.

“I was,” Amity replied and smiled at her father. “Really, dad. Nothing is gonna happen. You just... relax and build some new abomination or something. And we will be back by tomorrow evening, alright?”

A deep and tired sigh came over her father's lips. “Yes. Yes. Alright. I am sorry, Amity. I am just…” Now he put both hands onto her shoulders. “Take care, will you?” He looked over to Hunter. “Both of you.”

Even now Hunter did clearly feel awkward about their little family. “Sure,” he muttered.

Now she allowed herself to break apart from her dad, picked up her own back and turned towards the door. “You take care as well.”

“We will.”

With that Ghost turned into her staff, allowing for her and Hunter to sit on it. Before they both took off.

[umbran6]

Hogwarts Houses for the Heroes of Olympus, Apollo, and Meg.

I’ve seen a lot of people do this, so I thought I should do this and explain as to why I wanted them there. Spoilers are abound through Heroes of Olympus and Trials of Apollo as I explain my reasoning. 

Percy Jackson: Hufflepuff. Look, I know a lot of people place him in Gryffindor. That’s a reasonable outcome one can reach, considering his feats could be considered immensely brave. However, Percy has often participated in his quests out of a sense of loyalty towards those he loves, whether it’s his mom (The Lightning Thief), Camp Half-Blood (The Sea of Monsters), Annabeth (Both The Titan’s Curse and Battle of The Labyrinth), and in The Last Olympian, all of them. What really pins him in place is when he willingly fallis to Tartarus alongside Annabeth by the ending of The Mark of Athena, which is a remarkable yet insane feat of both love and loyalty. He also has a work ethic, which is revealed during The Tower of Nero. Rather than just go straight to New Rome and live a happy life, he went to a hellish military school just so he could graduate from there with a high school diploma. If that’s not a work ethic, I don’t know what is. Loyalty and work ethic are key Hufflepuff traits, and Percy has shown all of them. 

Annabeth Chase: Slytherin. Annabeth has often shown a lot of intelligence, but also a lot of resourcefulness and cunning during her time in the series. She literally tricked both Arachne and Nyx in what were impossible situations, and her goals are extremely ambitious, with her wanting to become an architect so she could build something that could last a thousand years. She also has a lot of Ravenclaw traits, to the point she repeated Odysseus and listened to the Sirens so she could learn what she desired the most. However, that was only once, and most often she used the knowledge she was given in resourceful and cunning ways, such as during the Last Olympian where she used the statues from Daedalus as a way to defend Manhattan. Needless to say, in my opinion she is a Slytherin first and Ravenclaw second. 

Jason Grace: It’s quite tricky, considering we don’t get to see any key defining traits, but I have decided to put him in Gryffindor. Jason’s shown plenty of bravery, fighting Giants and Titans during his quest, but he also has honor and chivalry, which he shows during Blood of Olympus, and later on, The Burning Maze. Specifically, in the scene where he makes a deal with Kymopoleia, promising to make shrines not only to her, but to all of the hundreds of minor gods of Greek Mythology. As we later see during The Burning Maze, Jason was completely willing to honor such a deal, working on the shrines even while he was living the closest thing to a normal life one could achieve as a demigod. And of course, we can’t ignore the fact that he was brave to fight Caligula just so his friends could escape. 

Piper Mclean: Slytherin. This is because during most of the time we’ve seen her, Piper fights dirty. She doesn’t stab a monster in the dagger, but charmspeaks the monster and stabs him in the back while he’s distracted. When claiming the position as Cabin Counselor in the Aphrodite Cabin during The Lost Hero from Drew, Piper uses the rules against her to get the position, rather than straight-up fighting her at the very beginning. Furthermore, rather than fight Khione upfront during the House of Hades, she bides her time and stalls the goddess until she can find a way to win. Though she has some traits that could go along with the other Houses, Slytherin tends to stand out the best. The only way she isn’t Slytherin in terms of traits is that she lacks ambition — we never see her have a higher goal beyond the quest, or any plans for what she’s going to do after everything’s done. Overall, she’s Slytherin through her actions, not her words, ironically. 

Frank Zhang: Gryffindor. This is because Frank performs a lot of actions that are by any standard, brave, and often selfless and self-sacrificial. Specifically, a lot of the sacrifices he performs throughout the series. In Son of Neptune, he was willing to be the distraction against the Laestrygonians so that Percy and Hazel could start their escape plan. He was literally willing to burn his own life force (his stick) so that Thanatos could break free despite the very large risk it posed to him. He even stood in the way of a Giant, pushing him all the way to the Canadian border. And as we learn in The Tyrant’s Tomb, he was willing to repeat his sacrifice if it meant Caligula and Commodus were killed.  Frank is a Gryffindor through and through, though he does have some minor Ravenclaw traits such as his use of tactics against his opponents, way of making plans, or recalling ancient Roman history. 

Hazel Levesque: Once again, this was another difficult one. Mainly because Hazel is split right down to the middle between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. On one hand, she was so loyal to her mother that despite the fact that the lady got them into this mess, Hazel willingly sacrificed Elysium so her mom wasn’t punished. On the other hand, she was also willing to sacrifice herself so Alcyoneus couldn’t rise again despite the fact that it would lead to her and her mom’s death. Finally, I decided she deserved to go to Gryffindor, because of the fact that she willingly went towards the quest to rescue Thanatos in The Son of Neptune despite the fact that it was very likely that the god of Death would take her back to the Underworld. That takes immense amounts of bravery, not only because it’s the right thing to do, but she’s also putting herself at immense risk of being dragged down to the Underworld. 

There are some Slytherin traits, such as when she made a plan to trick Sciron during the House of Hades, or the plan to trap Nike. However, Hazel’s a lot more defined by her bravery and empathy, which are more Gryffindor traits. If she had more ambition, a big goal after the quest it could be understood, but overall her Gryffindor traits are more prominent. For example, let’s compare how she got to Praetor and Octavian got to Praetor, and later on, Pontifex Maximus. Octavian often used a lot of word-twisting and dirty tactics to get his position, and only got there because Reyna left her post so she could help Jason. In comparison, the legion willingly raised her on a shield and collectively voted her into the position due to her bravery during the fight against Tarquin in The Tyrant’s Tomb. 

Leo Valdez: There have been arguments over where he should go. All of them want him in one house or the other, but the most convincing ones were either having him in Slytherin, or in Ravenclaw. And I can definitely agree with both — Leo has shown immense amounts of intelligence and cunning throughout the series.  He’s also intelligent in the sense that he created the Argo II, multiple weapons, the Holographic Scrolls, and even Buford. 

However, after looking through his actions, I found that he leans more towards Slytherin. Although his façade of cheerfulness and humor was used to disguise trauma, he also used said humor to make himself appealing towards bullies so they didn’t beat him up. He often used his cunning to morph himself to social situations such as his façade as a jokester to look less threatening in comparison to others. 

During the times we see him fight, he’s also the one to not only play it smart, but also using tactics and dirty tricks, rather than focusing on swordplay or his own fire powers. The only time we see him go ham with his pyrokinesis is when he’s fighting Khione during The Lost Hero. Furthermore, in The Mark of Athena, rather than straight-up fight the nymphs and Narcissus to get the celestial bronze he needed to make repairs, he uses himself as a distraction and has Hazel manipulate the bronze in a place where she can’t be seen, which is a plan that needs a lot of manipulation of the opposing parties.

What finally acted as the nail in the coffin for me was his plan to defeat Gaea during Blood of Olympus. It involved a lot of manipulation of both enemies and allies, and in the ended it succeeded so brilliantly that everybody got what they wanted, with none of them being aware of the plan until Frank and Hazel explained it, and they were the very few people in the know regarding Leo’s sacrifice. Developing such a plan takes immense amounts of cunning and ambition, which are both Slytherin traits. Although he may be chaotic, mischievous, and annoying, Leo is the guy you don’t realize is a Slytherin until it’s too late.

Nico di Angelo: The thing about a guy who was pretty much a loner throughout most of his time in the series is that it’s hard to tell what values he has. Ergo, we should look at his actions rather than his own words. Nico, although mainly dominated by his naïveté during his younger years, has shown himself to be extremely brave. For example, there was him openly defying his father by saving Percy from his imprisonment, and later actively convincing Hades to stop his vow of neutrality and fight alongside the Olympians in The Last Olympian. Finally, there’s his excursion to Tartarus and later his willingness to transport the Athena Parthenos during Blood of Olympus. Nico willingly went there to see if the Doors of Death were over there, and later transported the Athena Parthenos to Camp Half-Blood even if it meant he would fade into the shadows forever. All feats are insanely brave, and therefore I argue that he should go to Gryffindor. 

Reyna Avila Ramirez Arellano: Hufflepuff. Most of Reyna’s actions aren’t inspired by bravery, honor, or chivalry, though from a certain point of view they are brave. Reyna often performs most of her actions out of loyalty for those she cares about, almost in a Percy-ish kind of way. Her interrogation and cold nature towards Percy in Son of Neptune? Suspicion that he would be a threat to Camp Jupiter. She metaphorically fought against Octavian’s power advances because she knew his own ambitions wouldn’t help New Rome. Willingness to cooperate with the Greeks before the Eidolons screwed up everything? She believed that it was best for New Rome. Willingness to brave the Mare Nostrum all by herself? Both her loyalty to Jason and that she believed that waging war against Camp Half-Blood was not the best for the legion. Her loyalty and ethic just make her a shoe-in for Hufflepuff. 

Apollo/Lester Papadopoulos: Oh boy, he’s kind of at an in-between when it comes what house he should be in. If we were talking about him pre-Lesterfication, I would honestly say Hufflepuff, but he takes a good chunk of those traits and turned them into a darker way. He defeated Python because the snake monster had chased his mother off of Delphi. He alongside Artemis murdered Niobe’s kids because the goddess insulted Leto by saying she was better than her. When Asclepius is murdered by Zeus, he retaliates by murdering the Cyclopes who made the weapons. And finally, he punishes those who broke their vows He shows loyalty, but in a lot of darker ways that we don’t expect. He’s got Hufflepuff morals, but they’re in a darker, more warped way than we expect. 

If we’re looking at him post-Lesterfication, I would still say Hufflepuff, but now he does it in a brighter way and is also more Gryffindor. He was more willing to sacrifice himself if it meant saving those he cared about, such as when he willingly tried to kill himself during The Burning Maze if it meant Caligula would stop holding his friends hostage. He was also willing to commit more honorable gestures such as bringing Jason’s body to New Rome during The Tyrant’s Tomb. He was even willing to own up to his mistakes right in front of a god who had every right to hate him if it meant Meg and Reyna could be spared. He’s still a Hufflepuff, but he’s a more idealistic and less warped version of the values he had before he became Lester. 

Meg: In a way, she’s pretty much like Apollo. She’s a Hufflepuff, but in all the wrong ways at first. We see this in The Dark Prophecy when its clear that during that time, she was more loyal to Nero of all people rather than her fellow campers, to the point of accepting Nero’s gaslighting if it meant she could see the positive view of him. However, she’s also loyal to Apollo and her father, which we see in The Burning Maze because the main reason she guns for Caligula is because she often compares him to The Beast aspect of Nero, the person who killed her dad. She in the end is also willing to accept and finish her father’s legacy, planting the seeds that eventually become the Meliai. Tower of Nero is when she gains the will to stand up to Nero after support from Apollo and her friends, and is later on seen taking care of the other children Nero abused. In the end, she’s a Hufflepuff despite the fact that she may not look like it. 

Now, before you guys getting up in arms about there being no Ravenclaws, in my opinion the house is a lot more knowledge-focused, whether its discovering more knowledge, but also using it in a more academic and experimental way. Considering we don’t see this attitude or its corresponding values too much during the stories that we see since they’re more save-the-world mission focused. While Slytherin does have an intelligence-centric value such as cunning, its more focused on using such intelligence to manipulate and trick others, while Ravenclaw uses such intelligence in the discovery for knowledge. 

[hannie-dul-set]

— contrariety & confluence | jung jaehyun.

SUMMARY | there was not an instance in your life where your judgement was proven to be mistaken— especially with regards to infatuations outside of your own. after an unpredicted introduction with a far too remarkable farm boy, you took it upon yourself to find a suitable match for him, not realizing that perhaps this time; your usual correct judgements might have been incorrect. PAIRING | jung jaehyun x female! reader [slight johnny x reader and jaehyun x oc, mentions of dotae and other pairings] GENRE | emma! au, matchmaking! au, strangers to lovers! au, slowburn (like i mean slow slow), period romance, humor, one suggestive scene, very very tiny angst, also jaehyun falls on love too quickly LMAO WARNINGS | implied and borderline smut, other than that none <33 (omg there’s no SWEARING in this wow) WORD COUNT | 16.9k TAGLIST | @sehunniepot​ @ukiyoneo​ @roury66​ @nct-writers​ @czennienet​ @neowritingsnet​ @kpopscape​

a/n: i wrote this....in seven days (not even JSFSD) ANYWAYS i hope you like this huhu jaehyun really has gotten me in a spell lately HJFF inspired by jane austen’s emma! but it doesn’t follow the actual book’s plotline hehe

A pleasant afternoon was how one would describe the present air and scenery— the sunrays scintillating over the nearby stream in such a manner that made its blue tint rival that of the clear sky, a faint brustling of the wind that shuffled the neverending tall, forest trees, and distantly was a flowered meadow of the countryside that visually neared as the carriage horses took their light gallop on the dirt path towards it.

Indeed, it was a pleasant afternoon, yet your temperament was less than pleasant; it leaned more into the adjective “stormy” from the way your eyebrows knitted together to accompany your deep frown, only worsened when an envious bump interrupted your supposedly pleasant carriage ride.

“Father, perhaps it isn’t too late to reverse? To return back to the estate?”

You made no effort in hiding your sour expression in front of your dear father, who was sitting before you inside the small space of the closed carriage. “Now, Y/N, we would not want to be tiresome to Mr. Jeon, do we? Not when we are already a mere walks away.”

“Mr. Jeon would not be troubled by his own occupation,” you reasoned, but the debate was settled because as though your father was lenient and doting towards you, his only daughter, he was a sensitive man who considered the welfare of all those that surround— that included Mr. Jeon, the primary coachman of your estate.

Mr. L/N had never failed in being quick to catch your subtle tells, and this moment was no other. He saw your parted lips breathing out a sigh, your gaze in a faraway spell to the open window, and shoulders slacked in despondency.  “Eyes up, my little birdie,” your father called out. “I am aware that it is most upsetting for you to have lost a dear friend to the covetous hands of wedlock, but this excursion would prove to be a remedy for your mourning heart! Have I ever told you about kind Mrs. Lee and her children? Mrs. Lee, I have known far before you were born, but I have never been lucky enough to be acquainted with her children yet. Though I hear that they are quite pleasant fellows.”

The word pleasant simply grated your annoyance further. There was no such thing as pleasant when all your heart could feel was the grief brought about by the marrying of Miss Anna— your governess slash mother figure slash best friend— a week prior to today’s present. You had no pleasure in calling her Mrs. Qian, because quite frankly, you were still lamenting over the great sorrow of the loss of such a dear and close person, catalyzed by very much your own urgings and schemings.

It was an ideal match, her and Qian Kun. Highly congratulated and expected. A happy wedding for both parties except your own.

“Oh dear, how affected must you be for tears to well up,” your father cooed, leaning forwards to wipe away your cries with his handkerchief, to which you simply insisted him to sit back down as you had your own. “Miss Anna is in a very much happy disposition right now, my dear Y/N. And I predict that she would want the same for you.”

Your intellect was not ignorant of that fact, but your emotions pressed on to ignore Miss Anna’s wishes. It would take more than three-and-twenty excursions to Hollybrook Farm in order to fill the missing gap of one most cherished.

Mr. L/N’s heart was weighed heavier from having a front seat to your sorrows, and a thought came to him. A thought that he wished to never have thought of at all. “My dearest daughter,” he started in a shaky voice. “My only daughter. You aren’t going to leave your poor father this soon, are you not?”

“Oh what nonsense, papa!”

Your abrupt refute sang in line with yet another bump on the road, though your tenor was much less unaffected from your impenetrable indignancy.

“Such unthinkable, ineffable nonsense!” you cried in your seat, the lines of your embroidered handkerchief crumpling from your tight grasp. “I love you much too dearly to even ponder on marriage. You need not to fear that moment else you will only worry yourself into sickness.”

Your father’s silly notion had managed to ease you momentarily, allowing you to breathe and admire the natural scenery in a way that you were not able to a minute prior. Although that brief moment of serenity only lasted until the end of the ride. The ground crackled when you dropped down from the carriage, and you were once again hit by the wretchedness of the three or four realizations as you stood a reasonable distance from the farmhouse of Hollybrook; the first being the fact that Miss Anna will never be reverted back to maidenhood by a trivial excursion, or any excursion for that matter. The second, how shabby the presenting structure of Mr. and Mrs. Lee’s home appeared before you. And third, the idea that you were to stay here for an entire night and two half-days.

It was tortuous.

“Mr. and Miss L/N! How grateful we are to have you company! Oh, come, come, please do come in!”

Half forced was the smile that you willed to your face as you passed through the fence that surrounded the wide vicinity of the family’s land. Mrs. Lee was a rather chipper lady, having none to not talk about as each second her lips were steadily moving, and though she was polite, pleasant, and very much hospitable, you found her incessant speeches far too tiring to stand. “Mr. Lee is unfortunately not with us today for he and my eldest had business to be dealt with in town, but please oh please do not fret! My three sons and I will be sure to provide a pleasant enough company for the both of you.”

“It is you that must not fret, Mrs. Lee,” you smiled at her. A pleasant smile. Mildly forced. But politeness was a must. “My father and I are sure that our stay here will be much enjoyed considering how amiable the lady of the house is.”

“Oh, Mr. L/N. Your daughter is as much of a charmer as you are,” the lady guffawed at your remark, a fond smile on her weathered features. “We will forever be indebted to your kindness! If it weren’t for you, we would not even have a house to live in. Though brief— I do hope you enjoy your stay here at Hollybrook.”

As the two chatted away along the cobbled path, you took the moment to study the sight before you— a large house, not as large as yours at Whitland, but large enough to fit a family of six or seven. The grey brick walls were infested with an overgrowth of vines, painting it with a green that matched the surroundings of grass that stretched farther than you could see. It was a very pleasing structure if it weren’t for the muddy windows, wheelbarrows unkempt, and the evident disarray of shoes that you were welcomed with at the entrance. That enough was telling of the people that lived here, and though you disliked holding prejudices, it was something that you could not control.

You breathed in, drowning out the unwavering voice of Mrs. Lee in the background.

A less than pleasant afternoon. You could only hope for a more pleasant evening.

“Mark! Please do check on the oven— Jeno! Be a dear and set the table for our guests— oh my— Donghyuck!”

A snort of a pig.

“How many times must I tell you; do not bring Kosher into the house!”

A door slamming to a close.

It was far from a pleasant evening. In fact, it was even less pleasant than the afternoon, yet your father seemed to be pleased enough with the mess that was dinnertime preparation, even laughing along as he aided Donghyuck in luring out Kosher back into his pen. All you could do was sit in your chair at the very far corner, recollecting all the information that you have thus far observed from your new acquaintances— which only brought about a bitter taste of cold, chilling, malcontentment. Mrs. Lee was quick to judge, and so were her four sons; though one was absent, for you it was easy to formulate your discernment of his character— not quite concrete, but concrete enough to know that the eldest Mr. Lee was a hardworking whose sphere of concern is limited within the family, and the family only.

Quite an amendable quality so long as you were in the sphere. Not when you were a guest. He could have spared some time to accommodate you and your father, but as he did not wish so and so he did not.

Next in line was Mark Lee. Handsome, well-mannered, well-spoken— exemplary despite his upbringing, but the boy was lacking the respect of being the standing eldest of the three with his brother’s absence. Poor Mark was being buried in all of Donghyuck’s chores without his concurrence, but without any protests.

Jeno Lee was objectively the handsomest of the three, and arguably the most agreeable. He would be rivalling Roselake’s Jaemin Na in terms of manners, politeness, and overall gentlemanly constitution. If only it weren’t for his regretful fear of women, then he would have been a chivalrous candidate for marriage. He was inherently unable to send a glance at your way without wearing the prettiest shade of red on his personable features.

Lastly, Donghyuck Lee was very much like his mother— exceptionally good-humored, exceptionally unwavering, and exceptionally tiring just as she. You could not handle a minute of his presence and you were yet to arrange a plan on how to exactly to last the entire dinner alone. The deafening of one of your senses was enough to blind the other; it was truly a shame as he was both handsome and intelligent, too. Well, it did not matter since marriage was a bleak concept for you, but you could have set him up with someone you knew.

Dinner, which was supposed to be a quiet occasion with light and educated conversation, was beyond what you had prepared for. And as if Mrs. Lee’s and your father’s chatterings weren’t boisterous enough, as if the three brothers’ over the table deviltries weren’t rasping enough, your dinner was further intruded by the irksome knock of the door.

“Oh, dear Mark, would you please answer the door? Hurry, hurry!” at his mother’s command, the clattering of utensils was heard, and following after was Mark’s hurried steps. “How I have completely forgotten from all the frantic preparations— Miss Y/N, you have room for one more acquaintance, no?”

You were not given the proper opportunity to react— only enough time or you to open your mouth in preparation for speaking, yet you could not. It was either from your voice momentarily dysfunctioning, or perhaps from the inhibitions attracted by the intruders attendance. Though the most plausible conclusion would be both.

Both. Indeed it was both. How could one even think to speak when brought before the presence of such a man.

He caught your stare. You forced your mouth to a close.

“Jaehyun, how was the delivery? Oh, I hope the journey wasn’t too fatiguing.”

“Madam, fatigue is but a distant cousin that I have never come to know in years,” the man known as Jaehyun smiled, causing distinct indentions to sink on his cheeks. He diverted from your sharp gaze. Handsome, you drew, continuing to eye him as you took a subtle sip from your water. “The delivery and transaction went as usual. Though I would appreciate if you weren’t to worry each time,” a laugh— even his laugh was handsome. “Shall we sit, Mrs. Lee?”

The three sons cheerily greeted Jaehyun as he sat amongst them, though not before aiding the older lady to the seat of her own. Perfectly handsome, perfectly mannered, perfectly agreeable; never in your life had you been beheld to such a perfect subject of a man. Though his clothes were wrinkled and skin dusted, those measly details were little enough to be overlooked by his overall disposition.

He was almost far too perfect to be deemed true.

“Miss Y/N, allow me to introduce you to Mr. Jung Jaehyun—” nods and smiles exchanged across the table right before Mrs. Lee continued to speak. “He is almost like my own son after living with us since he was four! Now three-and-twenty and has grown into such a fine gentleman indeed!”

Ah, you clicked your tongue. There it was.

But an unknown background was something that you could work with.

“May I inquire your opinion on something, Mr. Jung?”

He flinched midway eating his meal; expectedly so since the first words you’ve spoken to him after all those unwavering and calculative stares was something so bleak and ominous. He gingerly settled down his spoon, replacing it with a napkin to wipe his greased lips. One look at him was impossible to discern his upbringing of being a farm boy. “Please refer to me as Jaehyun, Miss Y/N. That enough is all right.”

Your lips quirked into a smile.

“Never have I met someone so politely hypocritical,” you hummed. He simply pressed his lips into a thin smile. “Very well then, Jaehyun. How do you feel about daisies?”

Daisies. A quizzical question that entranced the entire dinner table— though the subject of your question did not take long to think and utter out his answer.

“Well, a small bouquet of daisies would be sufficient enough to comfort an ailing friend,” Jaehyun thought out loud, then a flash of concern flitted through his eyes. “Are any of your friends ill, Miss Y/N? I know of a nearby patch where you could pick them.”

It was a different kind of triumph that you felt when you heard of his practically perfect answer; the notion of is character to be knowledgeable from the brief explanation of flower, the poignancy from the thought of a misfortune of a friend of an acquaintance (not even friend of a friend), and the unconditional, compassionate offering a service.

At that point you had decided.

“Oh, not at all, Jaehyun. All of them are perfectly healthy. Thank you for providing a response,” picking up a fork, you sent him a full, satisfied smile. “Anyhow, I believe that is enough conversion for one night. Let us dine, shall we?”

That a man such as Jung Jaehyun does not deserve to be bound inside the fences of a farm, for the world has much more to offer.

It was without precariousness and uncertainty that you, Miss Y/N L/N, sole heiress of Whitland Estate, can conclude with no much further deliberation required, had not, in fact, slept a single wink.

Even Kosher the pig might have slept more soundly than you.

“Mrs. Lee, I’m going out!” you announced from the door. “Please tell father in case he looks for me when he wakes up!”

It was thirty before six, and since there was no hope for you to rest atop the rock hard bed that you were provided, you ultimately opted to take a walk outside for some early exercise. (Frankly, it was not that hard— you were simply not used to beddings apart from your own inside your estate. You didn’t blame the Lee’s for your inability to adapt). A heavily clouded sky met you outside as it had showered a few hours prior, therefore you took it upon yourself to watch your step so as to not slip and fall.

Despite the unclear sky, there were moments where sunlight had just managed to slip past the cloud, allowing for a brief moment of golden rain. You anticipated the said occurrence during each moment of your walk.

You were forced to a stop upon being met by a downhill slope, and there you realized that Hollybrook Farm was quite actually much larger than the front had presented itself to be.

“Good morning, Miss Y/N! Jeno wishes you a good morning to— hey! Did I say something wrong?!”

Your laughter was unprevented due to the younger boys’ antics. They were rather lively for it being too early— though they were probably used to waking at such a time, perhaps even earlier due to their responsibilities in the farm. Undeniably, your initial impression of the lot was quite critical and nit-picky, but you had no doubts on them being pleasant fellows (as long as Donghyuck does not speak a thousand words a minute, of course).

Smiling, you hurriedly trekked towards the two boys who were still quarrelling among the flock of sheep, and so you momentarily forgot about the rain that had occurred prior, subsequently forgetting about the risk of slipping on the soft dirt.

Therefore the next event was to no one’s surprise but your own.

A misstep. You let out a scream as you slid down.

With your eyes squeezed shut and with the wind racing past you in such a terrifying speed, the fear of crashing down was numbed by the adrenaline that coursed through your veins, and all you could was wait for the imminent impact that—

You squeaked.

—that never seemed to have come.

“O-oh,” your breath staggered, eyes lost from the heat of the moment, and your slanted figure was caught by an arm that caged you, serving as a barrier between you and the mudded ground. In an instinctive motion, your head snapped up, meeting the eyes of the one who had just been in time to save you. It was Jaehyun. “I—”

You did not know what were the appropriate words for such a situation, and apparently neither did he because all he did was stare at you wide eyed with mixture of worry and panic and relief, making you believe that he was just as frightened as you because of the fall. An exchange of eye contact; blinking and unblinking. Jaehyun released a sharp huff of relief, and quite unexpectedly, he lifted you off the ground and into his arms in a bridal carry.

Your heart stirred in bewilderment.

“Ex—excuse me, Jaehyun, but it is less than appropriate for a man like you to be—”

“I apologize, Miss Y/N, but I am less concerned with propriety and more so with the possibility of you sustaining an injury,” he declared. “I cannot allow you to walk.”

None more was said after. You were left to ponder on your thoughts.

Jaehyun had his nose pointed forward as he carried you, eyes ahead and shadowed by the tufts of his hair; a manly disposition overall in addition to his declarations prior. Your admiration was simply stretched further. Though, it was not an admiration that strung one’s heart in fleeting motions; rather it was a type of admiration that an aesthete would hold towards a work of art, unaffected and untouchable— though still open to refinery. Jung Jaehyun was indeed a walking piece of art.

It seemed as though you were not the only one to agree, because as you passed near the fence, still in his arms, you caught sight of a group of young girls. You inwardly scoffed. It was obvious that they were here to admire the boy. It was also obvious that they had to be content with merely admiring, as a single step closer would be an insult to Jaehyun. He deserved someone of the same degree.

Wait.

“Miss Y/N, I will be setting you down, now.”

You were far deep into thought to realize that you had settled into the barn, quite frankly in a daze when Jaehyun gently placed you atop a squared hay bale. He made sure not to linger his touch on your skin for far too long, but also making sure to not be hasty— treating you with such a delicate care that made you think: Mrs. Lee raised him well. Far too well.

“I apologize for my rudeness,” you said. “I haven’t even properly thanked you for saving me.”

Jaehyun squatted before you, wordlessly asking permission to check on your ankle, and you gave him a wordless response in return. He pulled your boots off of your feet. “Please do be careful next time, Miss Y/N. The soil gets slippery when it rains,” he mumbled. “Does this hurt?”

“Not at all.”

He sighed in relief. “All right. But you should remain inside to rest for the time being. I am afraid I would not get any work done if you remain. I would be far too worried.”

You appreciated the addition of the last sentence.

“Allow me to repay your kindness one day, Jaehyun.”

“There is no need, Miss Y/N. I just— ah, allow me to help you.”

Jaehyun did not even let you get off of the hay bale on your own despite your countless assurances that you could walk as fine as any other, but he insisted on escorting you outside of the barn, extending until the door of the farmhouse, and even when you mounted the carriage as you and your father were already to make your leave. You feared that your father might actually pass if you tell him about your accident, but luckily Jaehyun was there to assure him of all his worries.

He certainly deserved someone of the same degree.

“Please do visit again soon!”

And unlike when you arrived, the departure was far more pleasant. Because as you were gazing outside the window of the carriage with your countless thoughts, you had come up with the perfect match that was fitting for a man such as Jung Jaehyun.

The moon had already replaced the sun when you and your father returned to the estate, and there waiting was Johnny Suh— a close friend of your father despite being years and years younger. You did not view him as a friend; he was much like a fond annoyance that you perceived as familial at best, and nefarious at worst. Your ideals simply did not align, and more likely than not, it was the prerequisite for all of your arguments. Though, you would be lying if you said you did not find joy debating with him. The joy being found in his defeat.

“Mr. L/N,” Johnny started. The three of you were sitting around in the manor’s reception room, the usual tea and chat taking place. “If I were to be honest, I did not expect a trip to the countryside would do your daughter’s selfish grievances any better, but perhaps miracles do exist.”

You sent him a sidelong glance as you took a sip from your tea. Johnny returned it with a charming grin. The nerve.

“What makes you say that?”

“You left looking like a widower and returned looking like a newlywed. That is enough for me to draw my conclusions.”

A wispy laugh was released by your father, and for a moment you felt betrayed. You elicited a cough, placing the cup on the saucer that was held by your other hand. Johnny looked at you expectantly. “But is that enough for you to draw the reason as to why I’m in such a happy mood?”

“Unfortunately not. But I do have a bit of an idea,” he answered “You are scheming again, are you not?”

You smiled innocently. “What could you possibly mean?”

This was not an unnatural sight in the estate, seeing as your father was simply reading in silence as he listened to your back and forths. Johnny was not by any means amused by your lack of definitive response. He really wanted to know what, or who brought your spirits to such a high considering that you had practically been weeping not even a day ago. You would not simply let go of Miss Anna unless you found a new occupancy— and something like that was unlikely to be found at a farm.

“Oh? You feign ignorance when not even a month ago you were rejoicing your victory of finally getting Mr. and Mrs. Wong to be wed.”

“Ah, I simply pulled a few strings here and there.”

“And what about Taeyong and Doyoung?”

“They would not have gotten together if it were not for me mediating between their stubbornness.”

Johnny exhausted a sigh. “Y/N, you are quite frankly the impossible woman I have ever met.”

“I do not believe you have met enough women to surmise such a deduction.”

He was getting annoyed. You could tell from the way his jaw clenched. He ignored your quip and instead shifted back to the topic beforehand. “You are still acting innocent as if you are not scheming something when you are practically incriminating yourself by evidence that came from none other than yourself. Who is it this time?”

“I am not scheming, Johnny,” you pressed on, choosing to ignore the last question. “A scheme is something grand— elaborate. I am not even lifting a finger.”

“You never change,” he huffed. “Still as proud as ever.”

“Of course, as there is undeniably something to be proud of when you help in watering love to bloom,” you reasoned, and a subtle smirk glistened on your face. “Well, your indifference is quite understandable. A man that is five-and-twenty and unmarried would never—”

“Coming from someone who declared herself to be an old maid,” Johnny proclaimed in a loud voice, a glare shot into your direction. “You should be more sensible in who you point your fingers at.”

You scoffed. “That is a completely—”

“Y/N, my dear!”

It was fortunate that your father had interrupted before the both of you could verbally rip each other’s throats apart from a distance. You and Johny visibly calmed down, a simultaneous, unspoken truce as you breathed in and relaxed in your chair.

“Are you still to continue your hobby in matchmaking?”

Completely ignoring Johnny’s dirty stares and incoherent mumbling, you spread your lips into a bright, wide smile. “Why of course, dear papa! Vicariously romancing through the lives of others is the only way a destined old maid such as I could feel the profound experience of falling in love. There is no reason for me to stop, there not?” a  choked out laughter is heard from across the room, unmistakably from Johnny, but you simply responded by a threatening gaze, to which he promptly shut his mouth. “Oh, by the way, father. When is our dear, little Hwayoung returning from boarding school? Has she sent a letter, by any chance?”

Johnny chuckled, bringing the teacup to his lips. “You still call her little when she’s a mere year younger than you.”

“Then shall I call you uncle as you are four years older than me?”

Sohn Hwayoung was the daughter of a merchant in Roselake; a very pretty, very charming, and a very chipper young lady that had always followed you like a baby duckling since you were thirteen. She was like a little sister to you— always heeding your advice and exemplifying you as “Miss Y/N can never be wrong”. Apart from Miss Anna, you had always been especially fond of Hwayoung, and therefore you were devastated when you found out about her leaving, just as you were during your governess’ engagement. But now it was summer. She was to return to Roselake on any day this week.

Your father wore an approving smile, and you clasped your hands together in hopeful expectancy. “She is to return this Friday.”

A bright, beaming grin splendored your face, squealing, and you nearly jumped out of your place.

“Oh, what a joyous occasion! Shall we celebrate her return, papa? It has been far too long since a ball was held in the village.”

“I do not suppose why not,” he chuckled. “I will be calling Mrs. Qian for the arrangements.”

“Thank you so much, father!” you ran over to embrace him, to which he returned with one of his own. “Also, Mr. Jeon— will he be off tomorrow? You see, I would like to send a letter.”

This particular statement piqued the interest of Johnny, as he sat up in his seat with a n air of attentiveness and curiosity. The man was as sharp as ever, but you knew your way around him. “To Hwayoung?” he inquired, the subtle cock of his brow, but you simply gave him a secretive yet knowing smile.

“No,” you replied. “Not to Hwayoung.”

The streaks of sunlight leaking through the open window would have woken you from your slumber if it were not for Mr. Kim, a servant of the house, waking you up by a loud, hollow knock on your door in such an urgent manner.

“Miss Y/N, a visitor has come. Please hurry down.”

You were rather alarmed when that was the first thing that greeted you the moment you woke up, but a side of you somewhat expected this sudden visitation. Quickly, you raced down the halls of your manor, passing by lines and lines of windows, paintings, and statues in such a pace that did not allow you any moment to admire their intricacies. Mr. Jeon had departed yesterday to deliver your message— and it appeared that it was properly relayed. You were still in your nightwear when you had passed through the arch that led to the entrance hall, a shawl draped over your shoulders. When your eyes landed on the visitor that came in such a short notice, you couldn’t prevent the winning smile from replacing your previously drowsy expression.

He never came to disappoint.

“Miss Y/N!”

Jung Jaehyun sprang from the long sofa, a bouquet of daisies in hand, in such a frantic resolution that nearly made you feel guilty.

“Is everything all right?! Are you hurt?! Did you— wait, hold on, why are you standing? Dear god, did you walk all the way— you— you should not be—”

“It is quite appreciative that you have responded to my invitation with such an exemplary promptness, Jaehyun.”

He blinked at you, mouth opening and closing in a confused, convoluted manner that was almost comedic if you weren’t the precursor for his distress. You simply stood in front of him in the middle of the room with a fixed smile on your face. He was lost, disordered. And it reflected on the dirt on his clothes, the dust clinging onto is skin, and the tousled nature of his hair.

“I thought— I thought there was an—”

“There was no accident, Jaehyun. That was simply made-up.”

“But you said you were—”

“Alive and well, as you can see.”

“Then why did you—”

“Simply because I wanted you around,” you perked, eyes twinkling and hands politely folded behind your back. “You would not have come otherwise, am I correct?”

Prior to writing your letter to the Lee’s, you had come to a realization that a responsible man such a Jaehyun would not just abandon his duties at Hollybrook for something as trivial as tea time. You had to come up with a different reason— a more urgent, pressing, and important reason— even if that reason was a mere fabrication. Jaehyun seemed to have only realized it now. He was made to believe that you have gotten into an accident much worse than yesterday’s.

He flushed scarlet.

“Well—” Jaehyun stammered, embarrassed, unable to meet you eye to eye. You pressed your lips together in the hopes of preventing an amused smile from forming in such an inappropriate situation. But it was difficult with his ears getting redder by the second. Honestly, considering the situation, it was you that should have been the shameful one, not him. “If— if that is the case then I believe it is only right for me to take my leave.”

“On the contrary, I believe you should stay,” you quickly strided when he turned away and ready to leave through the doors, blocking his attempt of escape. “Apart from the—” you coughed. “—red herrings in the letter. Your presence is still highly welcome in the estate. How about extending your stay until tomorrow?”

Jaehyun let out a strangled cough at your suggestion. “I am afraid that would be highly inconvenient for you, Miss Y/N, as I have brought nothing but myself.”

“Well, you certainly brought along these lovely daisies with you,” he forgot about those, and you took the bunched up flowers from his right hand, the faintest brushing of your skin, and you smiled at him when you brought them up to your face to smell the grassy, earthy scent. His ears became redder. “Come. You need not to worry about clothing, toiletries or essentials, as the L/N residence has more than enough to provide. You do not have to worry about the farm either— I will be sending another letter to Mrs. Lee about your temporary absence. She would be delighted to hear that you will be staying a few days here.”

From how determined you were, there was no hope in objecting, but Jaehyun still had yet to try. “Miss Y/N,” he began, following your back as you started to leave the entrance hall. “I simply cannot be intrusive to your hospitality. I do not wish to be a burden.”

“Nonsense, Jaehyun!” you suddenly swiveled, meeting him face to face, the bouquet pointed against his nose. He swallowed hard. “I lured you here and therefore it is only rightfully so that I redeem myself by treating you as an esteemed guest.”

You carried yourself with such a confident and dignified air that Jaehyun simply cannot help but consent. The scarlet rouge seemed to have no intention of leaving his face— only darkening and growing warmer. You hadn’t judged him to fluster easily, but perhaps the hot weather was a contributing factor. You paid no mind.

“Well, anyway,” you hummed in satisfaction, leading him deeper into the manor. “Would you prefer a view of the front garden or of the back garden?”

After an entire day in Whitland, Jaehyun had proven himself to be even more agreeable that you had accounted for, which brought about no regrets in your decision of bringing him here to Roselake as it was the utmost sense of pride that you have ever felt. Not only was he such a fine dancer, he knew how to play the pianoforte and was highly cultured in music altogether. He even knew how to cook. And above all— he collected all sorts of poems, riddles, and charades that he penned in a small notebook, which simply accentuated your making of a good character for him. You had made no errors when you judged that he belonged in high society. He would fit right in.

All that was left was to do something about those drab costumes of his.

“Is it really all right for me to wear such an expensive attire, Miss Y/N?”

You had invited him for breakfast together as your father and Johnny went out into the village, and you simply did not like solitude when there were others around. He sat before you, across the table, squirmish and unsure. You frowned. The both of you were seated in such a beautiful spot inside the house— right beside the large window that opened to the gardens. This was no place for negativity.

“Why, surely!” you bellowed. “Would you rather run about uncovered, Jaehyun?”

It was instantaneous how he reddened.

“But of course, if that is what you wish, then—”

“Miss Y/N!” he stammered indignantly, his palm heavily dropping onto the table, causing it to rattle. “I— I had never expected vulgarities of any kind to be expressed by lips such as your very own.”

His flustered outrage was very much obvious by the way exhaled in such an exasperated manner, looking away into the window because it was far less perilous to eye the rose bush peeking from the glass. The red roses matched his face. “I believe this is not an appropriate topic to be discussed over a meal,” he sounded. “It is ill-suited in general.”

Jaehyun was unfortunately unable to catch the glimmer in your eyes. “You seem to boast a deep knowledge about vulgarities, yet you do not know that it is vulgar to speak about a lady's lips without her discretion,” he would not have choked on air if he had caught it.

“Oh my,” Your chair grated against the floor as you stood to help him, but he waved you off back to your seat “I was simply teasing, Jaehyun. I apologize, I really could not help myself.”

He drank from his glass of water, still rather ruffled from the event. “You seem to find a lot of joy from teasing others, Miss Y/N.”

“It is a lot of fun,” you agreed. Thankfully, Jaehyun seemed to have recovered now. “I would recommend the activity to you but I’m afraid you are far too nice to enjoy it.”

“Oh?” he pondered, a raise of a brow. It was about time that he took a bite from the prepared breakfast as he did not want to invade any further, but he was worried that it would be a waste. He took a fork from the table and started to eat. “How are you sure that I would not enjoy such a thing?”

Was he trying to challenge you? You chuckled. He may have seemed tolerant and forbearing over anything based on the air that he bequeathed as he went, but perhaps he hasn’t chosen to forgive you yet for pulling such a jest— he was extremely flustered, after all. You wouldn't have forgiven yourself, either. “It is a first that I have met a gentleman as constitutionally juxtaposed as you are. Are you upset that I teased you?"

“Not at all,” he said. “It would be rude for me to think ill of my host. I simply wonder how you’ve made so quick of a judgement when we've only met twice."

“Oh, judgement is arbitrary, Jaehyun. I draw conclusions as I wish and change them as I wish. Yet so far my impression of you has not changed one bit.”

He was silent for a moment, looking at you so intently that you could hardly recognize him as the same blushing boy as earlier. “Will I ever expect a change, Miss Y/N?”

This caught you by surprise.

It was vexing— how you had no theory on what prompted such a question, and what exactly kind of answer was he expecting and what he was to do with it. Jaehyun appeared to be anticipating your response; he stopped the clattering of utensils altogether and instead waited for you to speak in patience. You had no choice but to simply answer honestly.

“Oh, do you wish for it to change? But I believe my judgement of you is the best judgement one could ever make from a man,” you replied. “Well of course, that depends entirely on you, Jaehyun.”

You couldn’t tell if he was satisfied or less than, because all he affirmed with was a puzzling, thin smile that showed his dimples, followed by a reserved  “I see.”

Throughout the stretch of the day, Jaehyun had continued with his odd, dilapidated behaviour which brought you to the paramount of confusion, irritation, and inadmissible fluster. You could quite confidently assume that his sudden coquetry as you made a turn around the garden, his uncalled for compliments and comparisons, was to prove his insistence that he did, in fact, enjoy a little tease.

Gentlemanly yet competitive, you took note. He is such a character.

Jaehyun only stopped when you admitted defeat right before sunset, but you defended that your initial perception of him had still yet to change because he was still as contradictingly confluent as he was during your first meeting, and you were sure that it would never change. Confusing enough, he visibly dampened when you made him know of it, and you did not understand what was there to be disappointed about. Was he that bent on changing your idea of him? But you assured that your idea of him was nothing but agreeable.

It followed you until dinner with the three men, and by then, you had not the slightest idea that all it took to completely silence one Johnny Suh was a Jung Jaehyun. The reason why, you did not know and you did not care. You should invite him as often as you could.

“I sincerely apologize for my daughter calling you here under the guise of an injury,” your father sent you a berating stare through his glasses, the rhythmic sounds of knives and spoons and forks and plates filling in between the gaps of the conversation. “I hope it has not troubled you so, Jaehyun.”

“What would have been so troubling, papa?” you spoke up, switching your concentration into someone else. “Is Roselake not such a welcoming place, Jaehyun?”

“Well, I have only toured as far as your estate, so I have none much to say regarding the entire village. But you see I have this belief that a part greatly represents that of the whole,” a charming smile was flashed. “If Whitland is already this captivating, then Roselake might be all as well.”

There was a cough from the other side of the table— Johnny— and it stirred Jaehyun’s and your father’s concern. He assured the two that he was fine, but you didn’t fail to catch his expression— one that he always wore when held knowledge of something you did not know of. You opted to fish information from him after dinner.

“Such a well-spoken and well-mannered boy,” your father hummed, reaching out for a dish on the table. Jaehyun politely passed it to him. “Do stay as long as you wish, son. There is no such thing as overstaying your welcome here at  Whitland.”

“Oh, sir. I simply cannot abuse your hospitality.”

“Nonsense!” it was a familiar reckoning— your father’s remark. Jaehyun now knew where your persistence came from. “You would not have travelled all the way here if it were not for Y/N’s scheming. Please, Mr. Jaehyun. We are very much indebted to you.”

“Jaehyun,” you interrupted, smiling piquantly. “I would love for you to extend your visit until Friday.”

At that juncture, Johnny abruptly stopped his meal after spending the rest of it in silence. He shot you a look, to which you gave the look back. He was not even saying anything yet his peace was enough to be an annoyance. You really needed to have a word with him after this.

“Oh, that is right! We will be holding a ball on that very day, Jaehyun. It would be such a shame for you to miss out an occasion while you are already here.”

Jaehyun opened his mouth in an attempt to refute, but he caught your expectant gaze— the evidence of you looking forward to his attendance stopping him from saying what he had planned on saying. “If that is the case, then I suppose why not.”

“Excellent! You need not worry about your departure, son. I will prepare a carriage for you first thing on the seventh if you need to leave hurriedly.”

“Papa, how about inviting the Lee’s, as well?”

Jaehyun brightened at the mention, and your father was in no objection to accede.

Dinner had come to a close with a pleasant mood, and you went off to chase after Johnny who disappeared into the terrace right as the meal struck to an end. He thought he could run away from you. The nerve. You still had a bone to pick with him.

“Johnny Suh,” you announced your entrance, and he simply sighed without even turning around to acknowledge you. “What was that during dinner?”

That being, but not limited to, his constant, incisive stares directed to Jaehyun, his uncharacteristic quietness, and of course the moment he coughed in the middle of the scene which would have been dispensed by you if it were not for that irksome, knowing look on his face quite immediately after.

“Why do you not join Jaehyun and your father in the lounge?” he dodged.

“They are talking about farming," you grimaced. "Your presence is more welcomed than that. But anyhow—” you huffed, taking a stance right beside him. He was leaning against the railings in such an easy manner that annoyed you to bits. “Why do you not tell me what you have in mind?”

A moment of silence. He smiled at you knowingly.

“I have faith that you would know in due time.”

What?

“Johnny, I do not—”

“Moving on,” he brushed you off. You glared indignantly. The absolute nerve. “Hwayoung and Jaehyun?”

Ah.

Your eyes twinkled, your temper subsided. He looked at you with curiosity. You pursed your lips into a smile. “A good match, are they not? I believe this would be my greatest one yet,” you confidently declared and you had expected him to agree, to provide support despite his disagreements towards your pursuits as he usually did, but all you got from him was a painfully insulting laugh; sounding nothing but impertinent ridicule. If murder were not a crime, you would have pushed him off the balcony at that very instant.

“Miss Y/N, take this advice from a friend,” he breathed out in between chortles, needing to switch around his position as he was nearly stumbling in his own twisted amusement. “Do rethink your decisions. I am confident that this match will not go the way as you are used to.”

“Dear John,” you spat, venom lacing in each utterance. “You and I both know that I am miles closer with each of them than you are, I am more sympathetic towards the emotions of others than you are, and therefore it is not impetuous for me to conclude that I am a more fitting judge to this match’s success than you are.”

“And that is exactly where you fail.”

You blew a hot breath, appalled. Was he simply doing this to prove his superiority? To gravel you to the ends of the earth with a much more severe attempt?

“I am not saying to challenge you, Y/N. Do as you wish, I assure you that I will not go against,” he stated, ready to make his leave, walking from the railings to the terrace door, and your eyes followed him all the way through. Though before he left, he made sure to make one last testimony. “But do know that there are some things that can only be seen from afar.”

It was safe to say that this was the second night that you had not managed to fall asleep, but this time was for a different reason. That being the fact that Johnny’s words ceaselessly, obnoxiously echoed inside the taverns of your head like a damned curse in frequent enough episodes to drive to the very brink of insanity.

You were about to go insane— proven by the fact that you were quite literally mumbling to yourself inside the public space of Roselake Tailler Shop.

“That man speaks nonsense! Nothing but utter, indisputable, ridiculous nonsense! He thinks he’s sharper than me for simply being a few years older, when really he is none the wiser! Gosh, that stupendously arrogant—”

“Miss Y/N?”

A soft voice broke through. Dear lord, how you have forgotten.

Prior to your episode of madness, you had shoved Jaehyun into the hands of the dressmaker to fit his suit for tomorrow’s ball. It was on quite a short notice, but luckily you were acquainted with the owner, and that she already had a select few that suited Jaehyun’s frame and face with only a few alterations needed. Now, Jaehyun had emerged from the back of the shop, donning a dark tailcoat, cravat in a stylish ruffle, and bottoms that perfectly accentuated his tall height. You had nearly forgotten all your distresses from earlier.

“Is this all right?”

Yes, he was absolutely dashing, but could he please momentarily keep it down for the sake of your gradually withering rationality?

“My god, Jaehyun. That is by far the most foolish thing that I have ever heard you say.”

You marched up to him, evading the rolls of cloth and stands that littered the place, up until you found yourself standing right before him. His cravat was in a slight mess, and so you silently took it upon yourself to fix it, not realizing that you were far too close for Jaehyun’s comfort. You did not notice the way his eyes widened, the way his breath practically stopped when he could see how your lips pursed in concentration as you were very very close to his face. But what you did notice— albeit only when you looked up for a fleeting second— was that his ears were very much tinged red.

Johnny’s words echoed once more. You squeaked and stumbled away.

He is just poisoning your thoughts, that damned rat.

Unfortunately for you, there was a dress form right behind, and from your stumbling, you had almost fallen over it, setting off a disastrous domino that would have led to an absolute mess inside the shop. But of course that never happened. Jaehyun had not let that happen. He was just in time to catch your fall, arm steadily hooked around your waist, the other swiftly moving to balance the dress form, and his handsome face just as close as ever.

“You seem to have an inclination for situations where you are destined to fall, Miss Y/N.”

Your mind was yet to fully register your current situation, yet your heart was already far too many steps ahead with the sudden flushing of heat, darting of your nerves, and sporadic fluttering of your eyes.

Oh dear god.

With a cough and a huff and a stutter, you hopped back onto your feet. “I—It is not like I deliberately put myself into these situations. I assure you that I am not as clumsy,” you straightened yourself, a stern look on your features, though somewhat forced. Johnny was the cause of this pitfall; had he not rooted those ridiculous notions into your head, this never would have happened. “Please put your hair up on the day of the event.”

He smiled at you. “Ah, I will keep that in mind. Thank you.”

You blamed Johnny for all the palpitations that you have endured and have yet to endure within your presence of this deadly man.

Easy, Y/N, easy, you inwardly sighed as the both of you finally left the shop, entering the main streets of the village. The tailor said that his suit was to be delivered later in the day. Everything will fall into place by tomorrow— this is simply a test of your fortitude.

Your assurance was generously granted as you and Jaehyun strolled through the streets of Roselake on the way back to your estate, because in every side and every corner, from passersby and lingerers, people seem to have been magnetized towards your companion. You smugly smiled in voluminous pride. A head turner was he indeed, though he seemed to pay no attention to the stray stares. It was either he didn’t know or he didn’t care, but you were granted to believe that the former was far too unlikely.

“Jaehyun,” you roused. “Are you aware of the attention that you’re garnering?”

“I am aware that people have been looking this way since earlier,” he sent a polite smile to a nearby group of young ladies that were sitting at the side, right before bringing his attention back to you. With how the rays of gold were showering atop his dark hair, highlighting all the high points of his face, one might believe that even the sun was magnetized by him. “But I believe it is you that they are looking at, Miss Y/N.”

You laughed. “Please do not impart with me your false modesty, Jaehyun. Even a child is enamoured by you.”

“You are far too kind.”

At the suggestion, a little girl had walked up to him along with her sister— Miss Hana, you had recognized. It was an endearing exchange, Jaehyun and the little girl, and though you were willing to wait, Jaehyun had cut the acquaintanceship short, much to Miss Hana’s dismay. Perhaps it was not only the little girl that was enamoured.

“It is simply the truth, yet you insist on pretending,” you sighed, lamenting. He only chuckled in response, striding beside you as you crossed the busy street. “I can already see it, Jaehyun. Almost everybody at the ball tomorrow will be wondering who is this esteemed gentleman that Miss Y/N L/N had brought along to Roselake. Why, dozens will be vying for your favour.” It was unusually crowded today, possibly due to the event tomorrow. All of Roselake was to be invited, after all.

“It is nice, but I do not necessarily seek the good favour of everyone around me. Your father, your good friend Johnny, Mr. Jeon, and you, Miss Y/N,” a horse carriage interrupted your walk, the vehicle passing just inches away from your side. Jaehyun gallantly pulled you away, his hand on the small of your back, and it elicited a quiet gasp from your part. You landed on his chest, and he looked you in the eye. “It is your good favour that I deem more important than those of a nameless dozen.”

Had you not been devoted to your pursuits, you as well would have been enamoured. He did not care about making a good impression on others, but unconsciously he is doing so.

You quietly thanked him, pushing yourself away once the street was once again cleared. “That you need not to worry about, Jaehyun, because I have assured you many times already. We must hurry if we wish to return to Whitland before sunset; there are still plenty of preparations, after all.”

The evening of the sixth was as lively as the stars in the sky.

Whitland estate was not shy of inviting guests, and just as you had anticipated, almost if not all of Roselake have welcomed themselves into your manor. Visitors and guests flooded inside the ballroom and out, the gardens and yards littered with the jubilant merriness of conversations and introductions. You gratifyingly smiled as you stood at the center of the ballroom, underneath the striking chandelier, and you greeted people as they came and went. The current guest being Mrs. Qian— who lended a generous hand in preparation for the ball.

“You have always had an eye for the littlest details. It is quite thanks to you that the mood is pleasantly heightened,” you said with great praise, yet your former governess simply laughed it off in modesty.

“Dear Y/N, none would be merry making right now if you had not designed the entire event,” she rebounded, the liquid in her glass swaying in tune with her movements. “You are most fitting to be the lady of the house, Y/N. All that is left is to marry, but of course, you have no plans in doing so.”

“I need not a man to run the estate, Madam,” you mused, not adding anything further thanks to a new presence arriving. “Oh, Mr. Qian.”

You humbly bowed, and he followed suit with a drawing smile before he took place beside his wife. “I apologize, Miss Y/N, but allow me to seize my wife for a moment.”

“No apologies needed, sir. You are very much inclined to do with her as you please.”

Your teasing remark elicited a hearty laugh from the couple, and right after they disappeared into the crowd. It was quite strange how unaffected you had become to your dear friend and governesses’ marriage despite being wholly wrapped in grief only a week ago, but perhaps it was about time that you had come to its acceptance. You were very happy for the two’s union, and happier when it was, of course, orchestrated by your command. You could not have thought of a better ending for the both of them.

Moments later, you had retired to a separate room which was far quieter primarily because there was a dance going about. You would have joined, but there were not enough willing men who wanted to partake, and that at every second there seemed to be a guest that wanted your conversation. You had just sent away Mr. and Miss Yoon because the daughter’s father could not stay up for too late, and despite it being already hours into the ball, you had still yet to meet Jaehyun or Hwayoung.

Perhaps they found themselves to each other, you jokingly thought as you readied to come inside once again. No matter how unlikely, that instance is still very much welcomed.  

Just was you crossed the frame of the open door, a voice called out to you.

“Miss Y/N!”

It was impossible to hold back a smile.

“Oh, Miss Y/N! Oh, how I missed you so!” in came Hwayoung running into your chest as she buried herself in a tight, gripping embrace. You laughed, caressing the crown of her head while she went on with her declarations of much she longed to see you while she was away. She turned her head up, a blooming excitement on her face.

“My sweet blossom!” it was against your better judgement how you decided to squeeze her plump cheeks in between your palms, planting a tender kiss on her forehead. You really could not help but to coddle the younger girl. “Are you well? Was the trip pleasant? Oh, I should have sent over one of our carriages so you’d been of best comfort.”

She managed somewhat of a response, though it was barely coherent (“ish okay!” she tried to say, but at least you understood). Prying your hands away from her face, she beamed at you, excitingly swinging your arms back and forth. “I am very happy to be back again!”

You smiled at her fondly. “I am very happy to have you back again as well, Hwayoung. Come, let us get inside.”

As you two passed by the many guests with Hwayoung clinging onto your arm, she had told you how it was like at the boarding school— her storytellings had always been convoluted, going back and forth from one scene to another, which was a fitting reflection of her bright and youthful nature. Though, when the both of you squeezed past the energetic dancers, the topic had shifted; and you more than welcomed the change of subject.

“Miss Y/N,” she started, a large, curious smile on her face as she talked. “I had been talking to Miss Hana as I walked toward the manor— oh! This was before I managed to find you— well anyway. She had told me that you had been acquainted with such a handsome gentleman while I was away! She says that he is more handsome and agreeable than Mr. Taeyong Lee which I found really surprising because Mr. Lee is quite the most dashing fellow I have ever seen! Is it true? Did you really meet such a man?”

Hwayoung looked at you with her big, round eyes with such an adoring enthusiasm that you could not help but release a chuckle.

“One at a time, one at a time,” you tapped her nose. “I cannot say whether he is more handsome than Mr. Lee,” you smiled, “I will leave you the judge of that, Hwayoung”

“Oh my, Miss Y/N!” she gasped. “Are you allowing me to meet him?”

“If that is what you wish, then who am I to say no?”

“I would love to, Miss Y/N! I should better express my thanks to him as he kept you company while I was away, even if it was only for short. I could only imagine how devastated you must have been with Miss— oh rather, Mrs. Qian marrying. You were not too lonely, were you, Miss Y/N? Oh, I do hope not; the very thought makes me so sad because Miss Y/N is far too great of a deal to ever feel sorrow.”

You did not have the heart to tell her that you had indeed been inflicted by troubles. You had many acquaintances considering your status in society, and you have indeed busied yourself with the company of Miss Jihye Kang from Hartlace, and sometimes even Mr. Renjun Huang whenever you were sick of the emptiness of your drawing room. At one point you had even invited Mr. Jaemin Na to your estate— which was quite unheard of because once the public had made news of you and him being in the same space, rumors were sure to arise and you simply found it far too cumbersome to deal with for the mere sake of having company.

Yet despite all these many acquaintances, none could take the familial position of Mrs. Qian’s wit and wisdom, nor could they rival the fondness of your dearest Hwayoung. It was blasphemy to even compare. But you didn’t have the heart to admit this to the girl.

Well, a thought flickered. There is one.

“Miss Y/N?”

“Oh, not at all, Hwayoung,” you flashed her a smile. “Come, let me introduce you to him.”

Jaehyun believed that he was struck with bad luck the moment he had entered the ballroom, because somehow, despite all of the odds (that were quite frankly stacked against him), there was not an instance where he had caught you alone. You were always with a person or two, never by yourself.

Was he to suffer the entire night?

“Miss Y/N—” you were skewed away by a Miss Kwon.

“Ah, Miss Y/N—” Donghyuck had decided that it was the perfect time to drag you into a dance.

“Miss—” he could not interrupt while you were so amiably conversing with a couple, could he?

He could not.

Once again, he could only sigh as he witnessed your retreating frame, presumably accommodating two of the guests who were ready to make their leave for tonight. He could not even garner the chance of telling you how beautiful you looked in burgundy and gold. He had come to accept that he will never get the chance to tell you.

“This is not an event of frowns, Jaehyun. Are you not enjoying the party?”

Mark, who was alone at the moment as the rest of his brothers were running about, had come to approach his evidently despondent friend with a drink in hand. If he could read his friend’s thoughts, which he could not, he would be able to hear him lamenting over the fact that he even styled his hair up tonight just as you had asked him to (with the assistance of Johnny, of course. The two got along quite well). You would not even be able to see it.

“I am just tired, Mark. No need to worry,” he pressed his lips into a thin smile. “And you?”

“Very much so!” he nodded. “Donghyuck seems to be in his element here, and Jeno has finally come out to join a few others after hiding behind the statues and pillars— Miss Y/N’s earnestness managed to force him out of his shell and— oh!”

Mark lit up in the middle of his thoughts, while Jaehyun only dampened at the mention of your name. Even Jeno had an opportunity to talk to you.

“Please do send our thanks to Miss Y/N for inviting us here! And of course, my gratitude is with you as well, Jaehyun. If Miss Y/N did not like you as much, then I believe we would not even be—”

“What?”

If Miss Y/N did not what?

“What are you saying, Mark. Miss Y/N simply views me as a friend.”

Mark knitted his brows in confusion.

“Oh, does she? Did I misunderstand? I thought she fancied you, really. She would not have called for your presence all the way here, in Whitland, in such a short and desperate notice if she did. Even insisting on your extended stay,” he drank from the glass, shrugging. “But I suppose I was mistaken.”

“Uh—” arranging his thoughts and words in a coherent manner was quite impossible considering his physical state and state of mind— his usual tells being reflected by his ears and Mark did not fail to notice but he remained quiet as he waited for Jaehyun to operate again. But out of further misfortune because his bad steak still had not yet come to an end, he saw you, unmistakably so, approaching him from a distance

The one time he wished not to confront you had to be the time that you decided to confront him.

Fate be damned.

“Jaehyun?”

He sped off in a rush and panic that hesitation could not even catch up.

Mark could not comprehend his friend’s sudden actions, but he could not go after him because at that very moment, you had decided to show up right in front of him.

“Was that Mr. Jung just now?”

Hwayoung asked, confused. You answered her, just as confused. “Indeed. I’ve no idea as to why he ran away, though. Mark?” your eyes flicked to the by who seemed to be in a trance. “Is there a problem with Jaehyun?”

“I’m not too sure either, Miss Y/N,” he answered, still dazed.

“Well,” you clicked your tongue, looking towards the entrance where he disappeared off to. An idea ventured inside your head. An opportunity just presented itself. You looked over to the younger girl. You inwardly smiled. “Hwayoung, would you mind checking up on the lad? He probably went off to the fountain.”

“Oh, should you not be the one to check on your friend, Miss Y/N?”

“Perhaps I had done something to upset him as he ran away the moment I approached,” you sighed in dismay and Hwayoung's expression was tugged down into a frown. “I believe it would be best if I leave him for the time being. But I do not wish to simply fester his constitution further.”

A look of concern shrouded Hwayoung. “Oh dear, that is most unfortunate! Would you like me to talk to him, Miss Y/N? To find out why he might have not wished to see you?”

“Such a kind girl, but there is no need,” you lifted your hand to her head in an affectionate pat, smiling. “I ask you to be in place of me, dearest. Your social gallantry will be sure to bring his spirits up.”

“Are you sure, Miss Y/N? Would it be all right to leave you alone?”

“Mark shall keep me company,” you beamed in assurance, grabbing the unsuspecting boy by the arm, who flushed scarlet at your sudden action. “You may go, Hwayoung.”

Now ascertained, Hwayoung nodded in determination. “Understood! I will be sure that Mr. Jung Jaehyun returns to Hollybrook without any misery or grief. Then I will be off, Miss Y/N!”

You sent her off with the fondest expression that you could ever manage. Mark was about to ask you of something, but the boy was far too slow to speak a syllable because not long after Hwayoung’s departure, you discreetly went off as well to follow her with a considerable enough distance as to not be noticed. Intrusive inquisitiveness was not your proudest trait, but you could not help yourself.

There, through the window, you watched as Jaehyun and Hwayoung animatedly conversed under the shining moonlight, and a smile stretched by triumph displayed on your features. You did not miss the way Jaehyun's eyes disappeared mid laugh from something she had said. It was far too impossible to not love a lovable girl such as Hwayoung. Things had been going just as you had predicted as the two seemed to be enjoying each other’s company, but of course your judgements were always correct. It was inconvenient that you couldn’t hear what they were conversing, but knowing their more than pleasing introduction to each other would suffice for now.

Introduction meant acquaintanceship, and acquaintanceship to friendship. All knew what came after next.

The morning after the ball, all the guests including Jaehyun, Hwayoung, and the Lee’s have left Whitland with as much pleasure as when they have arrived. You had not woken early enough to interrogate either of your two subjects on the happenings of last night, and therefore you had arranged a tea party with the both of them at their earliest convenience— which happened to be Wednesday of the next week.

It was for tea on the invitation, but of course you had other motives at hand. Johnny simply ridiculed you when you had told him. That was to be expected, but you only told him because you were determined to prove him wrong.

“She is quite the beauty, is she not? well-mannered too.”

You took a small sip from the teacup, eyes following the excitable girl as she collected flowers from the shrubs as you had instructed. It was at the back garden that you had arranged the small gathering. Hwayoung was not fond of tea so she went off to gather flowers for a new drawing of hers. You knew that of course. How could you not. You specifically settled for a tea party because Hwayoung would have still chosen to come, though she would simply not join you. That was the perfect opportunity to figure out what kind of opinion Jaehyun had for the girl.

Perhaps Hwayoung had noticed your stare, so she momentarily stopped picking the fresh blooms to send a bright smile and wave to your direction. You returned the gesture with an air of fondness.

“Although I have to say— she is a tad slow and air headed at times. But rather it adds more to her charm than making it fall short,” with a clang, you replaced the porcelain onto the saucer. “Do you not think so, Jaehyun?”

No answer. Your eyes flickered over to the boy.

“Jaehyun?”

“O-oh! Yes— uhm,” his gaze wavered, visibly startled unlike his usual disposition. His ears were pink. A shameful pink. As pink as the carnations decorating the table. Your curiosity was drawn. It was a relief that him running away from you during the ball was only a one time occurrence; you were afraid that he wouldn’t take your invite, but surprisingly he answered with much promptness and without any complaints or excuses. “I apologize, Miss Y/N. I admit that your words were not completely received by me.”

Your lips quirked upwards. That was easier than you had thought. “It is all right. Enjoying the scenery, perhaps?”

“The scenery,” he coughed out. “Indeed. A lovely scenery, indeed.”

“Is such a sight present in Hollybrook?”

“Unfortunately and quite fortunately not,” Jaehyun replied, the blush that had been painting his fair skin now fading but not completely subsiding, and his usual, dimpled smile taking place with an air of charm. “Such a sight can only be seen here.”

The smile on your face grew triumphantly wider, and your eyes directed back to the flower-picking Hwayoung, who had already filled the basket to the near brim. The summer leaves fell perfectly into place and you needed not to even intervene. It was only a matter of time until another successful match was to bloom thanks to your favor.

“As expected. Then I shall leave you to admire the scenery further, Jaehyun.”

He simply nodded, but you weren't looking at him to see.

Unbeknownst to you, Jaehyun's attention had been long riveted to the same spot ever since. He simply wondered how long it would take for you to notice.

To say that the next few days were eventful would be an understatement.

Your determination in getting them together alone in contrast with Jaehyun and Hwayoung’s insistence in keeping your company did not come into confluence, much to your frustrations and disheartenment. They are very clearly enraptured by each other— you were not amiss to the smiles they shared, to their heightened enthusiasm for the others’ presence, and the confirmation that you sought for was already given by Jaehyun during your time at the garden. But if they were far too shy to take their steps towards each other, you were left to take it upon yourself to string them together under the impression of destined, fated coincidence.

Today was also one of your devices.

“Mr. Jaehyun, I am very honored to be bestowed upon an opportunity to make a round in your lovely farm— granted it is my first time to visit one, but Hollybrook is a very refreshing spot to visit around the summer! I might have to schedule another trip here,” Hwayoung revelled in the natures of the area in the countryside, as she and Jaehyun strolled along the dirt path underneath the shade of the tall trees.

Jaehyun mirrored the younger girl’s smile. “I am glad that you think so, Miss Hwayoung. But it is quite a coincidence that we have been frequently running into each other as of late,” though welcomed, he had not expected Hwayoung’s arrival, as it was fully unannounced.

“Oh, but it is for sure such a delighting coincidence!” she beamed. “Miss Y/N and I were supposedly meeting here today, but quite unfortunately and on such a short and sudden notice, Mr. Johnny had come to visit. Poor Miss Y/N really did wish to come.”

Wait a minute.

Jaehyun stopped walking. “Miss Y/N asked for you to come here?”

“Why, yes. I had already departed when Mr. Jeon came and made news to me that she was not to come anymore. Oh, did you perhaps wish to see her? I believe she would not mind an unannounced visit if it is from you, Mr. Jaehyun.”

Miss Y/N had declined his letter of visiting Whitland earlier today, saying that she had somewhere to be.

Hwayoung had grown concerned at her companion’s sudden silence, but Jaehyun was yet to be ready to resurface from his thoughts. He was aware that this had not been the first time you had brushed him off, that you had deliberately made way to erase yourself from the narrative just so he and Hwayoung would be alone. Many a times have you invited him over only to be met by your absence, times that you left in a hurry over reasons that were questionable yet he did not choose to question. He was neither blind nor stupid nor unaware.

He simply did not linger for he cared too greatly about your opinion.

Even when that opinion was evidently unreciprocated.

“Mr. Jaehyun, did I say something wrong?”

But even if that was the case—

“Miss Hwayoung,” he started. Hwayoung was surprised by the sudden volume and seriousness of his voice. “I am afraid I must take my leave.”

“You slithering snake.”

Johnny simpered, looking you in the eye as he toppled over your King on the chessboard.

“It appears you still have a long way to go, Miss Y/N.”

You were starting to regret your decision of inviting Johnny over for a game of chess, but it was a very much needed excuse in order to make sure that everything was to work. From your calculations, Hwayoung was probably with Jaehyun at Hollybrook right now, as Mr. Jeon had already earlier in the afternoon from his task of making her know of your absence. You did not enjoy lying to any extent, only bending situations into your favor, which is why you were led to the very invite that you were oh so desperately trying not to regret.

This was the third game that finished with your defeat, and this was definitely not the last as you two decided to set up the chessboard once again. You were far too stubborn for a defeat. “Please,” you scoffed, lining up the pawns indignantly. “I have far too many thoughts running about inside my head at the moment, and it is not to my surprise that you have won this game by chance. I will win the next one.”

“Y/N, we have played chess many times in the past and never once have you won against me. But it is all right. I will pretend for the sake of your satisfaction,” he codded. “Do some of those thoughts involve Mr. Jaehyun and Miss Hwayoung, perhaps?”

“A grave majority, Johnny. Not some.”

“Well,” he had a rook wedged between two of his fingers, his chin resting on the same hand as he looked at you smugly. You rolled your eyes in preparation for whatever ridiculous chide he had in mind. “From that statement alone, then I assume that your plans are not going as smoothly as you would like.”

You scoffed, raising a brow at him. It appeared that the next game was already to be postponed.

“Quite the contrary, actually,” you refuted, taking the fallen knight into your hands. “The past few days have been going exactly in my favour. Before you make any hasty conclusions, Johnny, I suggest that you see how the two are undeniably so perfectly enraptured in each other’s company. Hwayoung had always looked forward whenever Jaehyun was announced to be visiting, and Jaehyun had always been especially attentive to the girl. And my, and this very moment, they might already be professing their ardor for each other, just about—”

“Lady Y/N.”

The doors to the drawing room swung open, prompting your attention. Mr. Kim had made a sudden entrance.

“A Mr. Jung Jaehyun.”

You dropped the knight to the floor. A hollow sound echoed inside the room.

“Well,” Johnny hummed and you abruptly turned to face him, eyes widened. “Are you still to continue with your speech?”

You did not, for there were no words that your throat could manage.

The clattering of your heels through the empty hall, the tranquil air of the clear afternoon sky, and the faint brustling of the wind through the opened windows did not resemble the thundering storm of disorder that you carried inside your head as you chased towards the manor’s entrance.

Mr. Kim took much effort in running after you because your pace and temperament was just as fast as the throbbing of your heart that rang inside your ears like a tempest coming to whisk you away. You were wildering.

“Lady Y/N, please wait a moment. Please—”

You pushed the doors open without a moment to waste.

And there stood, a mere few meters away, was Jung Jaehyun.

What could he possibly be here for?

“Jaehyun, what are you— why are you here? Were you not with Hwayoung? What are you—”

“Miss Y/N, it is with great displeasure that I admit that I perhaps am not worthy of your good merit seeing as you are quite in shock and disappointed from my untimely arrival— but I am afraid that I cannot hold it off any longer,” he was breathless as he spoke, and he spared no breath for you to release either as within seconds of his speech, he took his place before you, clutching both of your hands, desperate and rattled, and you could feel it through his pulsing veins. “Therefore before I begin, I would like to ask for your permission.”

You looked up to him, eyes wide and tongue tied. His chest was rising in falling, heaving during the moment of brief pause, and you could not even bear to uncover the emotions running in troubling circles in his dark eyes. You nodded wordlessly. He swallowed.

“I am not as naive as you may believe me to be.”

You could hear your heart pounding.

“I hope that you would not be too gravely burdened by the next words that I am to say— that would be the least of my desires. Instead, I would rather you be freed from the burdens that you have been carrying onto yourself since the moment we first met. Would you like to hear it, Miss Y/N?”

Once again, you nodded.

“I like you.”

For a brief moment, you felt yourself slipping away, or so you thought because once again you were met by the reality of Jaehyun’s fervent confession as he was still holding into your hands with no less desperation as he had since the very first second. It was difficult to breathe at that point. He too, was experiencing the same, but that did not stop him from pouring all the depths of his senseless sensibilities, out of regret that he did not do so earlier.

“However I do not wish for you to be afflicted by affections as heavy as mine, because the mere fact that you are not turning away from my touch—”

There was a pause. Your eyes followed how he lifted your hands to his lips, pressing a soft, fleeting kiss on your knuckles with enough warmth to send your entire being ablaze. He looked at you. How he had never stopped looking at you.

“—is enough to satisfy my yearning heart for now. Good day, Miss Y/N. I bid you well.”

And with that, he left. He left, but not without leaving a memory of him behind closed eyes.

I like you.

It rang inside your head.

I like you.

Once more, it rang.

I like you.

It rang until you were already underneath your covers, the moonlight leaking into the window, but you could not sleep because closing your eyes would mean the recollection of Jaehyun’s ever enchanting visage as he repeated those words in your head until you became sick of it.

Jaehyun liked you. Not Hwayoung. You.

It did not make sense.

Did you mistake his kindness, courteousness, and attentive generosity as something it is not? You had been wrong? That was impossible. He had been far too kind, courteous, and attentive to Hwayoung for you to perceive it as anything else. There was always a special kind of thoughtfulness when he uttered a word to her, presented by his moments of contemplation just before making his utterance. A kind of thoughtfulness that you had only seen in gentlemen who wanted to assert a good impression on someone they liked, yet he decided that he liked you instead of her, which the very idea carried a great amount of absurdity because not once had you caught a subtle hint, even a mere glimpse from him that he carried such— such ineffable feelings for you. He never showed that he did

“Did he?”

Would you have been this heavily affected if he had not?

The moon outside your window had been calling you to sleep, and you deduced that it was about time that you did. You only hoped that your dwellings would cease to transpire in line with the moon, but the opposite occurred, because when the sun had come to rise, so did its never ending repetitions which you had finally come to terms with.

Jaehyun liked you.

This new mantra stretched until early noon, and Hwayoung had come to visit, just before it had started to rain.

And at that very moment— as you both sat in the middle of the drawing room— it occurred to you.

What about Hwayoung?

“Miss Y/N, you never told me that Hollybrook was such an enjoyable farm!” the girl gushed in such a cheerful radiance that contrasted your own casket-ready appearance. How were you to break the news to the poor girl? “The meadows and fields were all so very pretty and— oh! I had met with Mr. Jaehyun for a very brief moment, but he had to leave for reasons I do not know. He seemed to be very shaken, yes, so I assume it was urgent, but I do not hold it against him that he rushed to leave. He is a kind fellow, and how lucky was I that Mr. Lee— the eldest Mr. Lee— was there to—”

“Hwayoung.”

She stopped talking, taking notice of your grey countenance, dazed and unfocused, and she immediately grew worried.

“Yesterday—” you breathed in. “Yesterday a very puzzling thing happened.”

“Oh my, what could it possibly be to have troubled you so much, Miss Y/N?”

“Jaehyun came by.”

Hwayoung’s mouth dropped, pleasantly surprised. “Really? Is that why he left yesterday? Oh, what did he—”

“He says he likes me.”

There was silence. You drew in a deep, regretful breath. “Hwayoung, I—”

A squeal.

“He— he says he likes you? Mr. Jaehyun? He likes you?” she repeated it just as many times as it haunted you leaving you unable to speak or even think for that matter. “Miss Y/N, oh my— oh my, this is—!”

Your younger friend was practically bouncing in her seat from the joy and celebration but you did not understand. Heartache and sighs and despondency— that was what you had expected. But the response that she came up with was enough to somewhat bring you back to your senses.

“Hold on, should you not be upset?” Hwayoung deemed the confused bewilderment crawling onto your face ill-suited for disposition. She grew confused as well. The gap between you and her as you sat across each other seemed far wider than it actually was.

“Huh?” she blinked, cocking her head. “Why should I be upset when this is wonderful news?”

“He says he likes me and not you!”

The volume of your cry caused her to flinch, and you gasped, covering your mouth with your fingers. “Do you— do you not like him?”

“Why, should I not be the one to ask you that?”

“You do not like him?”

“Miss Y/N, you are being rather confusing right now.”

You blinked, mouth hung open in shock. You were wrong. Very wrong. You could not have been more wrong in your life.

“Mr. Jaehyun is a very nice, very good looking, very agreeable man, but I do not like him in the way that I believe you are asking. Not at all,” Hwayoung politely replied, her hands resting on her lap. You had only realized now that the rain had grown stronger. “I do not like him, But you, Miss Y/N.”

Your eyes flickered up to meet hers.

“Do you?”

Did you like him?

It was a difficult question, far more difficult than anything you had ever encountered because you had never— not in your twenty-one years of life— liked anyone in a way that Hwayoung had suggested. How were you to know something you feel when you have never actually felt it? How were you to be sure that this feeling is actually romantic when your emotions themselves cannot judge it? Perhaps this was why you had misjudged Jaehyun and Hwayoung’s opinion on each other; in actuality, you knew nothing of love. You simply did not know.

“Do I like him?”

“Oh dear, why are you asking me, Miss Y/N? It is you that should know the answer.”

But you did not

How did Mr. and Mrs. Qian come to know that it should be each other that they were destined to marry? How did your father come to realize that it was he and your mother that were meant to be? All these people knew what they were feeling, knew who their hearts were set out to, but you—

“Miss Y/N, what are— oh my!”

“Hwayoung.”

All of a sudden, you leapt from your chair and onto the floor right before the poor, startled girl without much of a warning for her to be prepared. You knelt right in front of her, quickly snatching her hands and placing the right on top of the left side of your chest. You looked at her with so much conviction and earnestness that she had no choice but to go along.

“Is my heart beating fast?”

“Yes,” she stuttered. “Quite fast.”

“Hwayoung.”

You had wasted no time to transfer her hands to your face, pressing both of her palms onto your cheeks.

“Is my face getting hot?”

“Yes, quite hot. You are getting quite— wait,” she knitted her brows in dumbfounded perplexity. “Miss Y/N, is this a physical examination? Are you feeling okay? Should I—”

Once more, you had changed the position, with you now holding her hands tightly on top of her lap. Hwayoung stared at you, wide eyed, and perhaps waiting for the next question that you were about to ask.

“Hwayoung.”

You started.

“Could you ask me who I am thinking of?”

“Who…” she echoed, slowly and surely. “Who are you thinking of?”

“Jaehyun.”

You answered at once, looking at her, but your eyes felt like they were looking elsewhere. The rain continued to fall— stronger than when it had started.

“I am thinking of Jaehyun.”

It was against your better judgement to run into the wind, rain, and mud with nothing but two thin layers, but all your judgements thus far have been proven to be false anyway, so who was to say that you were wrong? Hwayoung had called out to you to return to the manor, but you were already far too lost in your thoughts, and too far for your ears to hear because you had already slipped past the gates of Whitfield to your unprompted journey to Hollybrook.

It did not matter if your hem was six inches stained with mud, if you were wet, disheveled, or far beyond propriety’s sake, because all that mattered was for you to tell him about your far too late realization that you, more than you could quite possibly know, liked him.

Him. Jung Jaehyun.

And so you ran through the dampened dirt path, past the daises and all the trees and the linings until you were met by the looming visage of the farm house, breathlessly standing before the fence, until your eyes landed on the familiar figure of a boy sitting underneath the porch, who immediately stood up upon seeing you from a distance.

He was looking at you.

And you were looking at him.

There were no words nor time wasted when he ran up to you, fighting against the onslaught of raindrops to swing open the fence gate, grab you by the arm, and lead you inside the house where the rain was no longer. He sat you on the sofa while he went off to get something to dry you off with, and when he returned, a large cloth towel offered to you, he turned over to the unlit fireplace to start the fire. You had not even realized that you were shaking.

“Miss Y/N, I have not the slightest idea on what is your motivation for running into the rain and mud despite the risk of catching a cold,” he started with a sigh, back faced towards you as he crouched before the now kindled furnace. “But unfortunately if it is the Lee’s that you have business with, they have sadly left for a wedding in Oldham just this morning. I am sorry that your journey to Hollybrook has led to such a waste—”

“No,” you said. “Not a waste at all seeing as you are here.”

He stood up, turning around. The rain was muffled inside the walls of the house, so he could very clearly hear what you had just said.

“Jaehyun, I—”

You felt yourself withering under his stare when you looked up to talk to him, words choked up inside your throat because of his appearance; his hair, face, and skin drenched from running into the rain because of you, yet even with the disheveledness of his constitution, still nothing could compare. You pressed your lips tightly in guilt.

“I have been very, very stupid.”

“Please do not speak ill of yourself, Miss Y/N. You are—”

“I am!” your outburst caused him to flinch, the crackling of the hearth filling the momentary silence. “I am possibly— no, without a doubt the most foolish, stubborn, and idiotic person that you are most unfortunate enough to like because not only was I blind to the feelings that you garnered for me, I was also blind to the feelings of my own.”

He almost doubted the next words that fell from your lips.

“Jaehyun, I like you.”

He had to take a moment.

“Perhaps— perhaps I mistook my admiration for you as simply pragmatic because I had never, for the life of me, harbored any feelings of the sort but that is besides the point because I was very very wrong. I was wrong about a lot of things,” you were stammering, your usual air of self-reliance unable to be found by Jaehyun's eyes. It was a different disposition. He did not mind either one. “But this time—" your breath wavered. "This time I am more than certain that I like you.”

Somehow the rain kept coming, the fireplace kept crepitating, and Jaehyun spoke after a moment of silence.

“Are you sure?”

You looked at him, blinking, unable to decipher his expression. You let out an incredulous breath.

“After all I have said, that is what you respond with?” you huffed, standing up from your seat and marching up to him with heavy steps. ”Jaehyun, what more do I have to say and prove that I really do— oh!”

Too burdened by your indignation, you did not pay much attention to your surroundings, and this you tripped over your own dress that was given more weight after being soaked in the rain. You fell forward with a shrill scream, and just like the past few instances, Jaehyun had been there to catch you, an arm securing your waist, a hand holding your wrist into the air. Startled, you were fixed on him, and you had only caught the subtle grin on his face of amusement, ever charming and directed to none other than yourself. How had you missed it?

You batted your eyelashes. He intertwined your fingers together.

“Then, I am glad.”

This time, you did not miss the twinkle in his eyes, to which you responded with a flustered dumbfoundedness. Heart racing, you tried to push yourself off of him in mere embarrassment— you had completely forgotten how much of a mess you looked, all wet and muddy. But Jaehyun seemed not to care because the moment you let go of his hand and attempted to back away, he simply pulled you closer to him with a more humored expression. You squeaked when you hit his chest once again with a thud.

“What are you doing?” you exhaled, still dazed. He simply hummed with an airy laugh.

“Something I have been meaning to do for a while now.”

You could not even question. You did not get the chance to ask him what exactly he meant by that, but it was not any more needed because Jaehyun’s answer came in the form of a kiss that snatched the air out of your chest within seconds.

It was sudden, how easily you gave in, how within seconds you found yourself slowly slipping away from his touch, how any semblance of elegance, manner, and respectability was disparaged into nothingness in between tangled limbs, shallow breaths, and feverish lips on the cold, wooden floor that you had fallen onto. You gasped, positioned in between his legs and right onto his chest, pulling away to take a moment to stare at Jaehyun’s face, heated under the glow of the fireplace. He hummed a fluttering smile.

“Are you all right with this, Miss Y/N?” Jaehyun asked, running his fingers down your cheek, falling underneath your chin as he planted yet another kiss without a warning. You breathed out a staggered breath. “If you wish for me to stop, please say it now.”

“Is it not far too late for such a question?”

He mused, his hot breath tickling your skin as he drew near to your neck. “Are you sure?”

“You are such a tease.”

“It was you who refused to believe that I am,” he mumbled in between his wet, fleeting kisses all over your bare neck and chest, hands peeling away at your dress that stuck to your body from the rain and you had done nothing but gasp helplessly underneath him. You held onto the hope that he was giving you a moment to compose yourself, that was until he dipped down in between your thighs. “Must I prove it to you at once?”

“I—”

You had not prevented the moan from slipping past your lips as you unconsciously threw your head back when he started nipping on the skin of your inner thighs, his hot tongue darting over your sensitivity without much to hold back. His darkened eyes flickered over to you. “What was that, Miss Y/N?”

You were unsure how you were to last the entire night.

The rain had stopped when the next morning came.

It was thankful that the Lee’s were not yet to arrive until the afternoon, else they would see you and Jaehyun on the floor, in front of the dead fireplace, a mountain of blankets covering your huddled figures with the early sunlight showering over you from the windows up above. Jaehyun had long woken before you, yet he had not moved an inch as your head had been snugly resting over his arm for the entirety of your slumber.

There was a fond smile on his face as he watched you writhing, wanting to run away from the bright, morning rays in your sleep and he couldn’t help but release a laugh. Your eyes fluttered open momentarily after.

“Good morning,” Jaehyun mumbled into your hair, still half asleep when he decided to rest his large hand on your forehead. “You had not caught a cold, have you?” you stared at him, blinking, detached, until all of a sudden the events of the night prior crashed onto like yesterday's rainfall. Jaehyun figured that you had finally woken up when you let out a gasp of realization and attempted to self-consciously bury yourself under the covers.

“My, you are far more innocent than you presented yourself to be, Miss Y/N,” he chuckled as he caged you in his arms from behind, rendering you unable to run away. You squirmed when he tickled your fevered skin with a million kisses. “You may only run away once I am done with you.”

It was far too early in the morning for you to be breathless. You turned around so you could glare at him.

“I tell you that I like you once and now you believe that you can do with me as you—”

“Twice,” he cut you off with a kiss, noses touching, an annoyingly endearing smile on his face. His skin glowed underneath the streams of light. “You have told me you like me twice.”

You could not bear to continue with your indignancy.

It did not take you more than five seconds to bury yourself in his chest with a sigh, to which Jaehyun welcomed you with a fluttering laugh, gently running his fingers through the disheveled state of your hair. “You know, I was very worried yesterday,” you murmured. “I had not the slightest idea on how to tell dear Hwayoung that her feelings were not reciprocated. Only to find out that there were no feelings in the first place.”

“Y/N.”

You looked up to him.

“How am I to tell you that never once had I felt that your friend had liked me of any sort. I believe all knew that my eyes were set solely on you since the beginning.”

“Was I… the only one who did not know?”

“I believe so.”

A sound of anguish left your lips in the form of a defeated groan, burying yourself further into nonexistence. Had Johnny also known? That would explain everything, then. You could only sigh upon realizing how much of a clueless fool you have been— going after the pursuit of something that was already deemed futile before it even came to exist. You could have kissed Jaehyun earlier if only you were not so dense; his words, his actions, and all of the subtle hints that he had been leaving had clarified themselves to you now. It was ridiculous.

“But now you do, so there is no need to be upset,” he chuckled, brushing away the fallen strands of hair from your face. “Shall I accompany you back to Whitland?”

“No, my father will have your head the moment you step foot into the estate.”

You answered without even batting an eye and thus Jaehyun had to believe that you were being serious. You were serious. Your father would have the entire village after him. “Tomorrow,” you had come to a conclusion. “Can you wait until tomorrow?”

Jaehyun smiled at you, daylight not shying away from kissing his soft features. There was not a sound to be heard inside the near empty house— only the ticking of a grandfather clock and the chirping of birds that flew past the window. It was the most pleasant of mornings.

“I can wait until as long as you wish, Miss Y/N.”

© hannie-dul-set, 2020.

[therenlover]

The Bay (A Helmut Zemo x GN!Reader Drabble)

A/N: I wrote this on vacation while I was getting emotional about Lake Michigan and completely forgot about it... oops! Enjoy this shitty rushed love letter from my heart to both Helmut and my great state <3

Synopsis: You and Helmut enjoy the final evening of your vacation on the dock overlooking Grand Traverse Bay. 

Tags: Tooth Rotting Fluff, Kisses, General Pretentious Michigan/Great Lakes Experiences, Overly Floral Prose, Mosquito Bites

Rating: T

Warnings: Minor Mentions Of Casual Drinking, Slapping Mosquitos But Like... Not In A Violent Way

Word Count: 1100~

“Have you ever seen anything more beautiful in your entire life?” 

Your question was rhetorical at best. Of course, Helmut had seen things far more beautiful than the sight you’d set before him. He was rich and affluent, a man with ties to royalty and a private jet that would happily take him wherever he wanted to go, but still, you hoped he could humor your small-town sensibilities a bit longer as you enjoyed the final evening of your spur-of-the-moment weekend holiday. 

Before you, the Grand Traverse bay stretched out into the distance, glassy and still save for the gentle ripples made by your dangling, frozen toes. 

The sun was still relatively high up in the sky, nowhere near the horizon, but you could just begin to see purple streaking through the sky. Soon the sky would be filled with colors; red, yellow, orange, purple… a sunset more spectacular than anywhere else in the world. For the moment, though, the sky was still its usual cornflower blue. You wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Helmut hummed from his spot on the dock, reclined on a colorful beach chair, his latest book in hand. “It is… unique, in the best of ways,” Then, he grinned. “What’s so funny?” 

He chuckled a bit to himself before lifting up his sunglasses and smiling down at you. “I am simply enjoying the view,” 

“I thought you said it was unique,” 

“Perhaps, but I was only referring to the scenery. When I include you in the picture, though, any view automatically becomes the most beautiful I have ever seen,”

Despite the fact that you’d known Helmut for years, your cheeks still heated at his endless flattery. “Stop that, you know I was talking about the lake!” 

With little more than a thoughtful hum he slipped from his seat and kissed you softly, the knees of his pants scuffing against the wood of the dock as the pages of his book, abandoned beside his glass of white wine on a small folding table, fluttered softly in the cool, late-afternoon breeze. 

Your combined laughter carried all the way up to the rental house.

You stayed that way for a good, long time. In fact, by the time you thought about anything besides the feel of his plush lips on your own, the mosquitos were out in full force, and a soft purple dusk was settling over the sky. 

The pair of you were squeezed onto the colorful beach chair as the sun descended, falling below the treeline across the water. Neither of you really knew how you’d gotten there exactly, not that you minded the closeness. His natural warmth meant you didn’t have to break away and retrieve your sweater from inside. He definitely wasn’t objecting either if the way his arms snaked around your waist was a good indicator.��

You broke the silence after pressing a soft kiss to his cheek, voice joining the chorus of frogs and grasshoppers alike. “I think I’ll swim tonight before we sleep. You can join me if you want to, but I get it if you’d rather stay inside,”

“I’ll consider it.” His hand fell away from the meat of your side after giving it a soft squeeze, reaching for his glass. “I don’t quite understand your obsession with torturing yourself in 45-degree water, but if it’s important to you, you know I will partake,”

That earned him a soft snuffle of your face against the warmth of his pulse. As he leaned into the touch, the last of his wine slipped sweet and cool down his throat. When you lifted yourself up to kiss him once more you could taste the last of it wet on his lips. 

“Should we turn in for the moment?” Helmut’s voice was soft, almost reverent against your flesh.

“Why would we? It’s gorgeous out here,” 

“Schatz,” a light smack against your flesh punctuated his sharp words, “you’re practically being eaten alive,” Sure enough, a quick glance at your stinging skin revealed a tiny crumpled mosquito, crushed beneath the weight of his palm. A sheepish sigh was the most you could offer in retaliation.

“Alright, alright! You’ve got a point. I just… five more minutes?” 

Helmut tensed, prepared to put his foot down in the very special, gentle way that only he could, but, unlike almost every other moment in your whole relationship where he insisted to know what was good for you, he relented, settling back down into his chair with little more than a smile and an apathetic shrug. “Five more minutes. Then we’ll find some bug repellant and we can get ready for our evening swim,”

Your eyebrow raised slightly. “Our?” 

“Did you think I’d allow you to be alone out here in the dark, falling prey to these blood-sucking fiends?” 

Once again, Helmut slapped your flesh and his hand came away with the telltale red smear of an unlucky bug. You were already starting to itch despite the relatively early hour, which was honestly to be expected so close to the still, marshy water’s edge the swarms of irritating monsters called home. Perhaps, if you were lucky, the chilly waters would numb your senses to what was sure to be an unpleasant amount of bites. 

Even if they didn’t heal your ills, there was something captivating about the seemingly endless waters that awaited you. The curved trees that drooped and swayed above and the blooming lilies that cradled the sunset below and all the endless ebbing, flowing waves that crashed against the pebbled shore in a whisper singing sweetly no matter where you rest- Come home to me! I waited for you! Do you recognize me? You’ve grown!

You’re home. 

The realization doesn’t come all at once. No, it’s a slow thing. The waves crash and the mosquitos hum and Helmut rubs his hands, cold with condensation from his glass, down the soft exposed flesh of your arms. Ever so slowly but all at once, the final piece clicks, and you smile. 

Somehow, you know you’re where you’re meant to be. 

The world would turn, that you were sure of. You’d wake in the morning and pack up your bags before running to wherever Helmut saw fit for your next worldly excursion, and that was fine. You couldn’t stay rooted in one place forever. Still, though, at that moment, you were sure you had found the path you were always meant to find. 

With that in your mind and heart, you leaned closer to Helmut and drew him in for one more soft kiss. Neither of you tried to pull away for a good long while. 

You wouldn’t have had it any other way.  

[guiltysecretpasttime]

Linzin Week 2021: Day 3 - Stargazing (part 3)

WIP Pre-Canon AU Lin x Tenzin Rating: Eventual M To the Linzin week 2021 organizers: Is it fine to post a WIP - a serialized contribution? Will post it in AO3 as well once completed ✌🏽 Read part 1 here.

Lin was looking forward to a quiet soak in the bath. She figured it was late at night enough that Tenzin would have retired to bed.

Upon opening the door, smoke wafted to her face. Something smelled… burned, she thought while coughing.

“Lin, is that you?” Tenzin’s voice came from the balcony.

“What happened?” Lin fanned away the smoke as she to him.

Tenzin was slouched on the outdoor chair, bottle of beer in hand. “I attempted to cook.” Tenzin’s face was pinched.

“Aw, you were supposed to have a dinner date?” She leaned on the doorway. “Scared the poor girl away?”

There was a strange look on the airbender’s face. “No…she didn’t show up.”

“I’m sorry.” She said and realized she was sincere about it. She pointed to him and waved to the still dissipating smoke. “Didn’t think to use airbending?”

“Oh.” Tenzin’s eyebrows furrowed. “To be honest, I wasn’t thinking straight.” Then he took a swig off the beer bottle.

Ah, it was that kind of night.

By all appearances, the airbender was a stickler for air nomad tradition. However, his parents both agreed to raised him and his siblings in a more liberal way. This resulted in the siblings to adapt any practices of their parents’ heritage into the quickly modernizing society.

And that includes the occasional alcoholic drink for this airbending master.

“How was work? A little bit late, isn’t it?”

“Terrible.” Lin slumped into the opposite garden chair and grabbed the bottle off Tenzin’s hand. “One of the detectives mucked up the paperwork. His sergeant and I had to work double time to meet the deadline for the indictment.” She took a gulp from the bottle before giving it back.

There was a relief in his expression that puzzled her.

“That’s grea- terrible indeed.”

She rolled her eyes. “Sarcasm still does not suit you, airhead.”

Tenzin continued to punctuate the otherwise quiet night air with comments about his day and questions about Lin’s.

They took turns from the bottle until Tenzin finished the last swallow. “This is nice.”

“Hmmm?”

“We haven’t had this long a conversation since... I don’t remember when.”

Huh.

Tenzin gestured to get more beer and she nodded.

She sat back, scratching her arm as she thought.

That was sad, in reality.

But nice. No expectations. Reverting to their old habits, their old patterns to before they became a couple.

She squinted.

That had been so long ago.

“Say, do you want to go up?” Tenzin held two bottles of bear, cold with icy condensation at its surface.

“I don’t see why not.” Lin stretched, took one bottle of beer then followed Tenzin to the rooftop.

There was no actual furniture on the rooftop, but there were some wooden crates that they had fashions into makeshift seats and tables.

Pulling up a crate, Lin remembered why they selected this apartment.

It was not in the more glamorous districts in the city. It was quite close to the suburbs, to be honest. That was something they both liked to have maybe in the future, a quaint quiet home in the suburbs. Until then, this is the closest they could get.

And well, they took it on because the apartment unit was at the top floor with easy access to the rooftop.

Tenzin settled little ways to the side, about two crates away from her.

She popped open both of their bottles.

“There isn’t a lot of stars tonight.”

A glance at Tenzin revealed he was observing the sky.

Lin simply shrugged. She knew him well enough to know that a Tenzin who has had alcohol is a talkative Tenzin.

“We were discussing about oral tradition earlier in class. One of the students shared about the Earth Kingdom superstition that you can actually use the stars to find your soulmate.” Tenzin hunched on his knees, picking at the label of the bottle. “Do you believe any of that?”

“Believe what?” She decided to humor him.

“Soulmates.” He replied quietly, not meeting her gaze.

“Soulmates…” Lin took a gulp of beer first, considering her words. “Can’t say I do.”

The airbender now turned to her. In his haste, his almost full bottle had liquid swished on the floor. “Why not?”

“I mean, look at people we grew up with,” Lin grimaced, using her fingers to count. “Uncle Sokka didn’t really settle down, did he? Was his soulmate the moon spirit? We can never know.” She took a tip and pointed out another finger. “My mom – we don’t even have to explain that further -.”

“But doesn’t the thought of someone out there to be with you sound, well, reassuring?”

“Not really. Sounds like a load of excuses not to put effort into a relationship since you knew from the get-go, you’re for each other.”

“So, you really don’t believe in soulmates?” Tenzin asked slowly.

“Pffft no, of course not. Soulmates? Oh, come on.” Lin decided a change in topic was needed as the current conversation was about to get maudlin.

 ---

He tore off the label of the bottle.

But, I do.

 ***

As with any of their annual vacations, aside from a day or two spent with the entire group, everyone was pretty much left to their own devices.

This made their farce a bit easier to pull off.

Tenzin decided early on to spend most of the time in their room. Lin was barely there anyway so it work.

Tock-tock-tock.

“I know you’re in there.”

Knowing that his brother will not leave until he acknowledged him, Tenzin opened the door.

Bumi entered without waiting to be invited in, hands behind his back. He made a face on the papers sprawled on the table and most of the other surfaces in the cabin room. “Come now, Tenzin – there’s a reason why it’s a vacation.”

“I need to get this done.” It was a weak argument, and he knew it.

Bumi knew it.

“We’ve seen more of Lin than you in the past few days. So that means you haven’t had a lot of couple time either.”

“We see each other all the time.” Tenzin prevaricated. Technically, they did occasionally cross paths at work.

 ---

Bumi rolled his eyes. “Sure – at work, eh? Well, if I can’t bring you out to the party – I’ll bring it here until to agree to get out.” He brought out his ammunition. “Uncle Sokka’s personal brew!”

Tenzin struggled to catch the tall suspicious (yet unfortunately familiar) bottle.

“I’m not drinking, Bumi.”

“Oh yes, you are.” He swiped the papers off the couch and plunked himself on it.

He did not really have any other agenda other than to get Tenzin relaxed enough to join them for tonight’s excursion.

Bumi grinned as his baby brother finally popped open his bottle.

 ---

But, whoo boy, a Tipsy Tenzin was a Talkative Tenzin.

 ---

“You’ve broken up for that long?! Spirits, Tenzin! Why didn’t you think to tell me or anyone?

“Look, I knew you were proposing to Izumi this week. We didn’t want to take that away from you.”

“Still.” Bumi pondered a bit. Maybe his brother needs a wingman now? “Do you want me to bring you over with boys, when we’re over at Republic City? We can introduce you or better yet, we can go around town now and -.”

“No, thank you, Bumi.”

“Don’t you still live together?”

“Yes.”

Are you stupid? “How is that going for you?”

“It’s fine. We’re now glorified roommates. It still gives me privacy from our parents, you know. And a bit of a sanctuary. And it’s fine. We do our own thing and it’s fine.”

“Bro, you said it’s fine too many times.”

“Lin’s totally fine with it.” A beat. “She’s a big girl, she can take care of herself. It’s not like she’d like to move back to their old house either.”

Bumi frowned but agreed.“To be fair – no one asked us about our relationship so we haven’t been lying.”

“Yes, you’ve been omitting the truth. I see you’re fitting really well in city hall, councilman.” Bumi patted him on the back.

 ---

Clunk.

“Oh, I’m sorry – did I wake you?”

The whiff of air that wafted towards him smelt of smoke, sweat, the odd smell of old alcohol, and something distinctly Lin.

“No, I was doing –.” His eyes scanned quickly the bedside table. “Some light reading.” He put up the pamphlet. “You didn’t disturb me.” He saw the clock say it was three in the morning.

“Sorry,” Lin was quickly pulling out clothes from her side of the cabinet. “Don’t worry – I’ll just take a quick shower and try not make a lot of noise. I’ll head on to bed too.”

Tenzin turned to his side of the bed, unwilling to think of what (or who, he thought distastefully) Lin might have been doing.

Not that she wasn’t in the position to do so. Of course, she was well within in her rights to do so.

Maybe telling Bumi wasn’t the smartest idea. True, he promised to keep it to himself.

Rather, Tenzin knew Bumi and the rest had gotten back to their accommodations a couple of hours earlier (judging by the racket when they were trudging nearby).

Usually, Bumi would have insisted to see to it that all of their party would have gone home together. But then again, knowing that Lin was now single, he probably did not mind if Lin had gone off on her own…

The sounds of the shower from the en suite can be heard.

Tenzin pressed his palms to his eyes.

He told Bumi it was fine.

Who was he kidding – it wasn’t fine. He wasn’t fine.

And, unfortunately, he didn’t know what to do about it since only one-half of the broken-up couple did not seem to be fine.

[ageofevermore]

Adore You

summary → in which Harry goes away for a few weeks and upon his highly anticipated arrival home your daughter doesn’t recognize him. 

word count → 1.7k

note → this was meant to be set when Harry’s in Italy, but I screwed up so he went to Miami instead. 

add yourself to my taglist 

Harry had been away for weeks, leaving you home alone with Goldie and a recently adopted goldfish named Finn. The coast of Miami was beautiful from your little corner of the world back in London but from speaking with Harry so frequently, his experience had been filled with bad luck and pissed teenagers. He had been productive in developing new business relations, but he missed you both immensely.

Goldie wasn't handling the separation well either. She had spoken to Harry on the phone nightly, but even then she was inconsolable between every nap and clung to your torso desperately. Your little daddy's girl was in desperate need of a proper cuddle, yet the man for the job was oceans away.

His flight was set to come in Monday, narrowly avoiding a wicked storm as it passed directly over London. Goldie had been reassured for weeks upon weeks that Daddy was coming home soon, but every night she pitched the same prompt that he was lost at the shops.

Her sweet worry had come from memory of a trip down to the shops a few months back with you and Gemma. She had dropped her favorite stuffed animal out of the trolley and had gone hours without saying anything, only when you got to the car did you notice the missing stuffed elephant.

You promised her night after night that Daddy wasn't lost at the shops, but every morning her little green eyes filled with tears upon his prolonged arrival home. When Monday came it would have the same reaction as Christmas, only making the wait even harder to bare.

The sun was setting overtop of London, signaling another bedtime prep filled with sniffled and mindless babbles. At almost two Goldie wasn't all the interested in talking. She could formulate coherent words and short sentences, but you and Harry knew her expressions well enough to cater without verbal assistance. Some would consider her spoiled, and you couldn't completely disagree.

Bath time had become an acoustic concert, Fine Line playing softly as yours daughters preferred lullaby. Her little green eyes were barely open as she soaked in the overpriced bath bubbles, your hand never straying far from her back in fear of her tipping over from exhaustion. When you had drained the bath water and covered her little body in Harry's sworn by lavender baby magic lotion, she was asleep against your chest in minutes. The night was stripped of routine whining and crying, and that almost made it worse.

She just couldn't understand that daddy was coming back. Three weeks was the longest she had ever gone without him, not that she would remember his absence having been a newborn, but this four week excursion was weighing on her patience.

You went to bed that night with a heavy heart, ready to have your husband home and warming the bed beside you.

-

Monday had finally come.

You had woken up that morning to Goldie. It had been months since your daughter woke up crying, startling you into consciousness. Your first instinct was to grab the baby monitor, but that had been forgotten downstairs after a fight to the wash room last night. Rushing to your toddlers aid, your baby was laying on her stomach, reaching for the two pacifiers she had dropped over the edge of her crib.

"Monkey." You cooed, catching her attention. Your palms were up towards the ceiling, ready to pick her up and hold her close. At this point you were just as desperate for Harry as she was, and cuddling with his mini-me seemed like the best coping mechanism. "I miss Daddy too." You promised her, allowing yourself to tear up briefly.

"Dada?" She pleaded, clammy hands pushed against your cheeks and squishing your lips together into a fish pout. Any other day she would have laughed at your tight featured, but her little eyes were filled with too much sadness to find humor. "'ome?"

"Yeah. Daddy's coming home." You promised, nuzzling your nose against the soft blush covering her cheeks. She didn't seem to believe your promise, not that she had in the four weeks since he left, but she laid her head down on your shoulder and let her lashes flutter anyways.

Your morning carried on as it normally did, however it was hard to push aside your desire for Harry. Breakfast had taken thirty minutes, whereas it typically took close to an hour. Goldie was fussy, you were running low on diapers, and the laundry had still yet to be done. Tasks were piling up as weeks went by without your best mate helping you along.

You had set Goldie up with some cartoons in the play space downstairs, finally getting to the cutlery keeping home in your dishwasher. It couldn't have been six minutes since you stepped away, but already had your curious toddler gotten into something. The sound of plastic hitting the wooden flooring an obvious give away to her clumsy discovery.

"Bubba." You cooed, bending down to your toddlers level when her eyes filled with tears. She had just dropped a cup of water all over herself after whining that she didn't need a lid. You couldn't find the strength to be cross with her trembling face, so you forgot about the puddle on the floor, instead cuddling the confused and frustrated mini-Styles to your chest. "A few more hours, Gold."

After you had fixed her up with Harry's new merchandise and requested princess slippers, she clung to you miserably. Her nose continued to rub against your collarbone while curious fingers shoved into your shirt and held tightly to your bra. She had been doing the same thing for months, finding comfort in being so close to you.

You had sorted through a load of laundry with her in your lap, curiously poking at the warm clothes as they came from the dryer. She had tried to help for a few minutes before tugging at your shirt, little eyes begging to nurse.

You had only just pulled your shirt back down and over your bra when the front door opened. Just over two months ago Harry had gotten the rusted hinges fixed, therefore giving him the capability of sneaking up on the two of you.

A grin broke out across your face, wanting nothing more then to rush into the arms of your husband, but having to be mindful of the fussy baby on your hip. You set Goldie down, thankful that she didn't wiggle her way back into your embrace, and turned her body towards Harry. He was dressed in your favorite grey sweatpants from Nike, and a black shirt, his worn adidas shoes loosely tied around his feet.

"Whose that, baby girl?" You cooed, brushing your fingers through her golden locks of hair. She giggled, ready to run when suddenly her face crumbled and she fell backwards into your embrace. Your brows crinkled, looking up to share a worried frown with Harry.

Goldie had never had that reaction towards her Daddy.

"Monkey," You cooed, "What's a'matter?" You picked her up, holding her tightly against your chest with panicked thoughts.

Walking her closer to Harry despite the increasing volume of her terrified sobs, your husbands heart looked like it had shattered into a million pieces. His hands, usually adorned with a multitude of rings were bare, and clammy as he wiping down the sides of his sweats. You passed the toddler off to him, wincing when she desperately grabbed a handful of your hair.

"No Mama." She cried, reaching out for you. You had seen her get worked up with strangers before, but that was always during tour when somebody would grab her from Harry after sound check. "No."

"Calm down, Petal." Harry tried to soothe the toddler, a hand pushing her face into his neck the way he knows she loves, "Just me, s'just Daddy."

You scanned Harry sadly, watching him try his hardest to calm the waterworks. Your eyes fell from his, down to the sculptured patch of light hair above his lip. Your heart hammered when you realized why your daughter was so distraught, and you giggled. She didn't recognize him, used to his bare face or occasional stubble. Stepping closer to the struggling pair, you gently grabbed one of Goldie's flailing limbs.

"Look. Hey, hey we don't hit, Indie." You reprimanded softly, bringing her little hand up to softly caress Harry's mustache, "It's just Daddy. I know, he's got that silly thing on his face, but it's just Daddy."

Harry knew you weren't fond of his mustache, you had made that very clear the minute you saw the first picture. What he hadn't prepared for though, was the possibility that his little love wouldn't recognize him. She was quite skittish, much like he was as a child, but he figured with your anxiety, he gave his little Goldie quite the fright.

"Be right back, love." Harry handed you the clingy toddler, rushing off towards your en-suite with a simple kiss to the forehead. Your eyes followed as he went, but you stayed with Goldie by the door. You figured familiarity was best right now, having never been in this position.

It was a few minutes later that Harry came back down, freshly shaven and barefoot. Goldie had calmed down since he left, but her usually bright eyes were puffy and red.

"Look at Daddy." You cooed gently, coaxing her into turning her head and looking towards the man that loved her more then anything in the world. You knew that if push came to shove Harry's first priority would be Goldie, and seeing him so distraught earlier only highlighted his complete adoration for her.

The blonde toddler in your arms squealed, whining and reaching out for Harry to hold her. You grinned widely at your husband, happy to see them both so relieved and ecstatic. Once he was close enough for Goldie to reach, she thrust herself into his arms. Her head down his chest and her hands went to wrap around his ringlets, sighing contently into his hold. Her little green eyes red, but filled with such love and admiration.

"Dada." She babbled, leaning closer to place a wet, open mouthed kiss on his collarbone. She had done the same thing nightly, and Harry hated how much he missed his slobbery kisses while in Miami.

"Yeah, Daddy's home, baby love."