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zhuoyichenpretty · 3 months ago

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Ep 22-23 Commentary

Ha...I was inexplicably nervous for eps 22-23 and it looks like I was right to be (-: What a rollercoaster. Spoilers below!

I've just come out of ep 23 and uh????? holy shit????? ZYC????

Ok ok but to backtrack, let's do my comments semi-chronologically:

Ep 22:

A carry-over from ep 21 that I have to mention—heck yeah PSJ give WZY hell. She doesn't have all that many lines but she sure knows how to make them count. Also seeing PSJ and WX get screen time just the two of them makes my brain go "yay <3"

Back to ep 22, loved the fake-out sundial ayeee that was a nice Chekhov's gun that also brings the real sundial back into relevance for later. Also me eating up the PSJ and ZYC crumb of an interaction has brought to my attention how starved I am of their screen time together.

This whole ep was a great lament towards the feared inevitable. Every sad downcast look from ZYC, every complicated glance WX gives him. A wonderful, terrible crossroads for these characters. I love that for ZYC especially, it's such an incredible mess of emotion coming to a head. Bad enough that he's come to care about the demon who killed his family and ruined his life, bad enough that he's sworn a blood oath he regrets and tied himself to punishing someone he no longer finds culpable, bad enough that ZYZ's life or death depends solely on his choice and ZYZ is constantly practically begging for death when ZYC wants him to live. How much immensely worse it makes the whole situation that WX is literally ZYZ's soulmate. And obviously the whole team has only grown more and more attached to ZYZ, too. ZYC's personal turmoil aside, how heavy must that responsibility and guilt be? For the finishing blow that only he can deliver to also deeply threaten every other person he cares about? Everyone understands in the abstract what must happen and why, but just like seeing ZYZ lose control firsthand, the gulf between understanding and experiencing is so unimaginably wide. If he kills ZYZ, can there really be no resentment from his friends? From WX?

Also it seems ZYC only wears cloaks so that he can give them to other people lmao

Ah fuck, the farewell drinks. I didn't even factor in how ZYC might not survive the encounter (''': The drama truly was like hm can we possibly give ZYC a worse day than that night his whole fam died? Maybe give him a bunch of new family members and also the blade and the fate and the sole responsibility to potentially irrevocably scar said family members with? And he might die in the process too? (-: haha maybe? (((-:

Oh. Oh. Addendum. I forgot this til I saw it mentioned in another post—ZYC recounting his oath as he watched WX smile when they discussed reviving the tree...I could feel him weighing those words against his own life, against ZYZ's life, against WX's happiness. One way out of this impossible situation is indeed to doom himself. I'm in pieces.

Damn if WX isn't dedicated heart and soul, going into the sundial like that. I'm sad no one could keep her company for those 300 years but also I guess that's kind of an impossible ask (and maybe not survivable for the other non-goddess mortals? I'm admittedly very unclear on sundial time loophole logistics). It would have been nice to see someone offer though, even just to be turned down.

Ooh I like the soul needle fake-out, given this show's penchant for retroactive "actually we had a plan all along" moments. A good subversion of the narrative's own style.

Also I saved this for the end because it doesn't really fit the linearity of my comments but what the fuuuuuuuck oh my god I absolutely flipped out at this scene:

I am at once rabidly intrigued and at the same time not sure if I'll be satisfied with whatever payoff will come for this so I don't want to overindulge in theorizing and setting my own expectations too high. Maybe this is just a fevered hallucination, maybe it means nothing (I hope it means something). But damn!!! What a gorgeous man crazy scene.

In conclusion, ep 22 had some good stuff for me. Plot development and reflection and tension enough that I may have been satisfied with just that one episode. But they gave us two, so onward to ep 23 comments!

Ep 23:

I like how many solid reasons the team has to suspect ZYC being possessed. Even though I withheld judgment during my watch given how quickly the show usually confirms that kind of stuff with a possession mark, just simply casting that doubt made the whole build up that much more intense.

ZYC slowly walking down the corridor with the whole grounds lit a somber and haunting gold—*chef's kiss*

ZYC's monologue to a catatonic ZYZ is so important to me. The closest we'll get to his internal monologue about this whole situation. The kinds of things said when we think there's no conscious listener.

Okay so, having finished this episode and looking back, Li Lun's hands coming up from behind ZYC was not to denote possession (at least in this episode), potentially is a visual from ZYZ's POV, and seems related to the above screencap. I am so, so curious. Once again, I'm stopping myself from further speculation because I want to be surprised but ahhhhhhhhh

PSJ shooting at Ao Yin is so gorgeous. Her action scenes seriously never disappoint—the creativity of her fight choreos!! Also very cool that the whole team is getting to take part in the action, not just the two male leads.

Bai Jiu possession was not on my bingo card but I sure do love that we literally saw the possession take place and I still didn't connect the dots. Good shitttt. Also oh no ): ZYC was telling the truth about the soul needle, he was just tricked ):

Seriously from the Ao Yin case to getting PSJ released to reviving the Divine Wood to getting tricked by possessed!Bai Jiu to making pear soup to fighting ZYZ to fighting Li Lun—when will ZYC get a single goddamn vacation day holy shit.

Also when will WX tear up that contract so ZYZ can stop having a mild heart attack every time he wants to kiss her ): &I love that they saved the 300-year montage for this moment. While their ship doesn't give me brainrot personally, who could be unmoved by that incredible and undisclosed sacrifice? That's soulmatism.

Okay, I'd seen clips of them filming the ZYC and Li Lun fight but damn I did not expect it'd be happening right now!! Right after already taking damage from ZYZ? And my god is Li Lun brutal. The two actors did such an impressive job on this entire fight, what with Li Lun's ease and ZYC's suffering. I really appreciated the extensive hand-to-hand combat after Li Lun literally obliterated ZYC's sword. (Also though, given the origin of that sword, I kept hoping for a flashback to ZYC's brother once it broke, but alas, no dice.) Anyway, the show does not play around about ZYC whump it seems. I was very very shook by that throat punch; that shit legitimately looked like it hurt.

Honestly, I had a hard time with the extended ZYZ and Li Lun conversation at the very end because oh my god someone please heal ZYC lmao. But of course, that's the end of the episode~~

Y'all...check on your local ZYC stans because I was not okay after all that (': I need a heaping dose of comfort after all that hurt, but as always I'm cautious of hoping for much from canon itself. So yeah! Ep 23 was solid, but I would probably be in better shape if today's release just ended on ep 22 ((':

Time to go wait for the cast's Hi6 episode to drop so I can heal my battered heart ;-;

#fangs of fortune #zhuo yichen #tian jiarui #fangs of fortune spoilers #gonna go watch TJR on blind box travel to tide myself over til hi6 #thank god he is the literal embodiment of sunshine irl he never fails to make ppl laugh #i assume i will need much of that by the end of this drama #also not to MJTY on a FoF post (MJTY spoilers incoming!) but this level of TJR whump just takes me back to GSJ nearly killing GYZ #I was so hollowed out by that and since GYZ wasn't one of the leads I was trying very hard to resign myself to the fact that he might die #bc of course he was my fave #it ended up okay but he had GSJ to care about him #who does ZYC have ): obvs he has the whole demon hunting team but tbh more and more I see him as an outsider to ZYZ and WX's soulmatism #there's a heavy depth to ZYC's feelings for both ZYZ and WX #and I would say so far it is kind of unrequited in both cases (or at least any reciprocation is comparatively underdeveloped)#rip #why did i go and make myself sadder #episode commentary #meta

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kiruamon · 3 months ago

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What the heart desires AU - Introduction

For everyone who maybe wants some more context for the au the explanation story starts after the first two sketches.

For you, music has always been like breathing. It felt so natural to have it in your life that you never questioned your love for it. Simply cherishing its existence with all your heart. You could still remember the time when, as a child, your little hands felt far too small for the many keys of your uncle's old piano, when he let you sit next to him while he played some of his favorite pieces. Sometimes you think you spent more time at his place rather than at home or with friends. Going through his books with all those notes that at first had felt like seeing a secret code, whispering to you to find out it's hidden meaning. Had it been anyone else, you might have wondered if your constant presence was bothersome. But now you believe that your uncle must have enjoyed having you around. To share his passion, even if you were just a little rascal and certainly not someone to have deep meaningful conversations with. And yet, whatever silly question had come to your mind and left your mouth, he would answer it for you in a way that even a child could understand. He was the one who told you how to read the notes - the secret code - in his books. How to move your fingers on the keys. Guiding you without pushing you and letting you just explore and enjoy your journey that took you deeper and deeper into this world of tunes and melodies with each year.

It had been heartbreaking when he passed away. Leaving you with his last gift. One you could never be grateful enough for as he left you his house with everything in it. Over the years, you have made the place more and more your own, while still leaving some things untouched, simply because they felt too nostalgic in a way that was comforting. It would feel… wrong to replace the old shelves full of sheet music and records in the study with different ones.

While your passion for music had simply grown, it wasn't too surprising when you made it into more than a hobby. It wasn't always easy. But you were certainly happy when you reached the point in your life where you could afford to live from what you loved so much. It wasn't so much about being heard or having a big audience. You just loved what you were doing and that was it. To put your very own feelings into each and every tune.

You never thought about what it would be like if you were unable to play again. To sit there in front of the row of black and white keys and not be able to lure out the melodies that resonated in your heart. But after the accident, your fingers were so stiff that it was frustrating to say the least. It was like seeing the goal right before you, but being unable to reach it since the doctors had explained to you that there was no way to fully recover your old flexibility.

Of course, you knew that it wasn't the end of the world per se, even though it felt disheartening. You could still enjoy music by listening to it. Make up your own tunes. Surely you could learn to compose with the help of a computer if you tried. But you missed playing yourself. It was different to play on a real instrument. And you felt sorry for not being able to use your old friend anymore. To fill the living room with whatever melody were resting in your heart and mind.

Truth be told, you were already at the point where you considered maybe trying to learn to play the piano with your feet, as your life once again took a… very curious turn of events. You had just finished preparing your afternoon tea when you heard the doorbell ring. Could be the mailman, was your first thought as you put down your cup and went out of the room to open the door. Only to find that it was definitely not the mailmen. The figures in front of you, towered tall in your doorframe. A smug grin plastered on their oddly shaped faces, revealing teeth that looked more like fangs to you than it would be normal for a human. Well… not that the two suspicious fellows in front of you looked much like humans to begin with. Horns, tails, their fingertips resembling claws. As silly as the thought seemed, the word demon popped into your head.

"Congratulations, Shooting Star! It's your lucky day. Since we have decided to give you the chance to become one of our costumers. All we need is a tiny bit of your time," said the figure on the left. Bright blue eyes on a yellow face, checking you out as if he was a cat and you his next meal, while his voice still sounded all smooth and friendly as if he was putting some extra effort into making it sound as unthreatening as possible. "We'll make it worth your while," a second voice chimed in. Sounding somewhat calmer than the energetic one of the yellow fellow with the two horns as two pairs of eyes were now directed at you.

You blinked. Finally feeling yourself able to move again. The stiff fingers of your right hand still curled around the doorknob, which you slammed shut tight the next moment. "Sorry, I'm not buying anything," you found yourself shouting through the closed door. Not sure what to do. Call the police? Or an exorcist? A priest? Or are you just seeing things? And what the hell would they even want from you? Was this some kind of Grim Reaper thing? Where you close to death and they had come to take you with them? Was that even how it worked? You still felt pretty much alive and well after all. Maybe it was just a very elaborate PR-promo of some company trying to sell some Halloween-themed items? At least it sounded more reasonable than the demon theory.

"Hey! Wait! Don't treat us like we are trying to sell you a cheap vacuum cleaner," you heard a desperate plead from the other side of your door. You thought it was the voice of the yellow-faced one. "Sun, stop it… You sound like a whining child." The comment was swiftly followed by an offended gasp. "What? I am not!" "Sheesh… just let me handle this." Before you knew it, you found yourself chuckling quietly at the ongoing conversation outside. Could those guys really be demons? Maybe they were just some weirdos in very good costumes. Well… for some obscure reason, you found yourself not feeling so scared anymore. After all, it wasn't like they tried tearing down your door or anything crazy like that.

You carefully leaned your back against the heavy door. Allowing yourself to relax a little. "You should at least hear us out." Another attempt from outside. "Wouldn't you like to have your old life back? We can help with that." The implication of these words caught you by surprise. How did they… You can't help as to feel curious. Even if it might just be a trick to get you to listen to them. But it is one that works.

"Is it true? Can you really help me?" you ask. The door wide open again. Your eyes look up into the faces of the two guys in front of you. You see a dark glint in their eyes. Sparkling with satisfaction. "Piqued your interest, didn't we?" the one with the nightcap chuckles. A wry smile on his lips. Knowing full well that he has gotten through to you. "How about letting us in so we can have a nice little talk with each other?"

That was pretty much how you ended up sitting at your coffee table with two demons. Providing them each with a cup of tea as you were sitting in the armchair facing the couch on which they had settled down. Now that you'd had time to give them a closer look, you were convinced that they weren't just some guys in costumes. The proportions of these two wouldn't allow anyone to hide inside. You still feel a bit as if having a fever dream though. But you decided to just roll with it. "So…" you start, unsure of what to say as you place your hands in your lap. "…you two are… ?" you let the words hang in the air between the three of you. And thankfully, the lanky yellow one, who had let himself flop down into the large cushions of the backrest with one leg crossed over the other, is taking you up on your question.

"Exactly what you think we are," he says, his left arm resting on the backrest behind him. It gives him a rather casual, yet slightly dignified appearance in his form-fitting long red and black coat. If you had tried to sit like that, it would have come off as lazy. His right hand comes up, waving lightly through the air as he goes on, while your eyes can't help but stare at the sharp looking fingertips of his. They look like they could do some serious damage if they cut through anything other than air. "But let me introduce ourselves to you," he continues as the star shaped tip of his tail gently taps against the couch. "I am Sun. And this here to my left is my dear brother… " "Moon," the one you called Nightcap in your head finishes. Moon. Your eyes wander to him. You take in his face, which, with its darker right side and paler left, reminds you of a crescent moon. Unlike his brother Sun, you can only spot a single horn on his head. It's… funny. How they look alike and not at the same time. But yes, now that they have told you that they are brothers, it is hard not to see the resemblance.

"It's, uh… nice to meet you?" Hmm, not your best delivery. But you are still a bit unsure of what to make of all this. They don't seem too offended by your reaction. A small chuckle even leaves Moon's mouth before he brings the cup in his hands up to take a sip. "What a very polite one you are." His eyes almost seem to glint as he speaks to you, though it was hard to tell in the bright daylight streaming in through the window.

"Let me assure you, we are only here to offer our most sincere assistance to you," Moon continued. Suuuure… because demons were really well known for being all benevolent when it came to such things. Your knowledge might only come from movies and books, which certainly wasn't the best source to rely on, but your instincts were also telling you to better not take every word of theirs for granted. And yet… at least you wanted to hear them out. Not that you had much of a choice now that they were inside your house anyway.

You hummed nervously in thought. Considering his offer again, you looked down at your hands. Feeling the stiffness in your fingers more than ever in this very moment. Calm down. It wouldn't hurt to ask. You just had to be careful. "What exactly does it mean when you say you can help me? That I could get my old life back?"

The moment you ask, you can see their eyes lightening up even more. A hint of excitement in them that Moon knows better to hide as Sun does. But even Moon gets betrayed by the light flicker of his own tail as the crescent-shaped end swishes through the air like the pendulum of a metronome. "I am so glad you ask. Please, let me explain. Even though it is very, very simple. Even a human like you will be able to understand without any problems," Sun has taken over the conversation once more, which doesn't seem to bother his brother. With a grand gesture and in one single smooth movement, he stands up. Posing like an actor on a stage. Looking proud and as if he had been waiting for this moment to finally come. Which you didn't doubt was pretty close to the truth.

It's hard to not feel a tad amused despite the nature of this whole situation. For demons these two surely were… very different than anything you ever pictured those beings would be or act like. "In that case, please go on," you offer him politely, holding back a chuckle as you feel your shoulders relax more. You even reach for your own cup of tea. Making sure your fingers have a good grip on it before you lift it and take a sip while hearing him out.

Sun has set himself in motion. With two long steps, he walks around the table to stand closer to the patch of sunlight coming through the window, as if to set the stage for his 'great' explanation. "You see, me and my dear brother here have the power to grant you your heart's deepest desire. You want fame? To be back on stage? To be the one who comes up with tunes that can sway the hearts of billions? To be loved? Or maybe you want a body that never falls ill again? Which isn't as fragile as your current one? Whatever it may be. We can fulfill it for you. And all you have to do is make a tiny little deal with us."

That sounded… like a total scam. Never trust anything that sounds too good to be true, your mother had always told you when you were young. That, and not to trust TV commercials. But for now, you decided to amuse them to find out more. After all, you felt there was still some information missing. "A deal?" you asked Sun, who was watching you with the hungry eyes of a predator.

"Oh. Nothing big," he replies as if it wasn't anything too upsetting, while he slowly moved closer towards you. Letting you feel even smaller this time, when sitting there in your armchair and with him towering over you at full size. "You see. In exchange for your wish to come true, we need a little compensation. It's only fair. Something that would be considered an adequate exchange." Yeah… you kind of have a bad feeling by now. With how his blue eyes are piercing right through you. "And what would be considered… as something adequate?"

"Your soul, for example." Your… soul? You blink up at him. Well… that sounded very clichéd, you had to admit. And also interesting. So souls did exist? "You want my soul?" Sun grins, slowly backing away from you again as he straightens up and takes a step back. He puts one arm in front of his chest, while the elbow of the other rests on top of it. His index tipping lightly against his chin. "It is a very good deal. I doubt you will find a better one anywhere else," he says amused.

"But isn't a soul something that's really important?" you ask, a bit stunned. "It's not like you humans really know what to do with it anyway or do you?" Hearing Moon's calm but teasing voice suddenly right next to your ear, makes you almost spill your tea. You find yourself faced with a thin, playful grin when turning your head around. His arms are resting on the back of the chair as he looks down at you from behind it. When had he moved over here?

It takes you a moment to shake off your stupor. Well, perhaps he has a point. You are not sure what a soul is for. But… that doesn't mean it couldn't be a very important part of you to function, right? Similarly, if you didn't know how every little part in a car worked, you wouldn't just shrug it off if something was missing from the engine. You put the back of your head against the back of the armchair. Looking at Moon and Sun as you think about what to say. "It is true. I don't know anything about souls. But… I feel like this wouldn't be a very good deal." You feel nervous speaking so openly with them. Will they be angry now? Will they pressure you into giving in? But there is not anger in their eyes as they look down on you.

"Not a good deal, you say?" You feel how Moon shifts his weight. Reaching down for your hands that are holding much too tightly on to your cup. His clawed fingers work with great caution as they loosen your grip to take the cup away from you. He hands it to Sun before lifting your hand with his own to take a closer look. "Is it not your greatest desire to use these here again for what they were meant to do?" You feel called out. But still… that wasn't… it wasn't enough of a reason to give away your soul, was it? You can't help but look at your hand. Resting there in his. Being confronted once more with thoughts of what could have been, if they would fully work again. A deep sigh leaves your lips. Before you slowly pull your hand away, finding that he doesn't try to stop you from doing so. Of course you would love to play once more. To be able to fill the living room again with your own melodies.

But the risk simply seems too high. And you didn't want to end up with losing something that might be just as important as your hands. "Sorry. But I think it's not a very equal exchange. After all, even if I can't play with my hands anymore, it's not like my life is over. I can still enjoy music. I can still compose. And I don't really care for any extras like the whole becoming famous part. If we were talking about you wanting my voice that would be different, but I don't feel comfortable with giving away my soul," you admit with a sheepish smile on your lips. The silence that follows your words is a bit awkward and you are actually thankful when Moon breaks it.

"Hmmm… so you would consider your voice a fairer price if it meant your fingers could be restored?" Moon eyes you thoughtfully. As if he is taking your words seriously. "Moon! You are not actually considering such a half-baked deal, are you?" Sun sounds a bit more baffled by his brother's reaction. And you can see the two of them exchanging silent glances with each other. As if having a conversation that you are not able to hear since none of them is saying a word. You can't read much in Moon's face. But with Sun it's different. Disbelief and slight irritation turn to curiosity when he tilts his head before a smirk crosses his face. "You might be right," Sun says after a moment. Bringing his attention back to you. "Oh, you are such a lucky little human. We are willing to make a deal with you on your terms, my dear. Isn't that nice of us?"

Wait… what? His bright, fanged grin startles you less than his words. "My… my terms?" "Mhm. We will take your little voice and in exchange your hands and fingers will be as good as new." "Or is that still not good enough, even though you said so yourself?" Moon questions you, although it seems to be more rhetorical. As if he already knows your answer. And… this time he isn't that wrong about it. You find yourself actually willing to give in.

To give up your voice for the chance to play the piano again. The one thing you do actually want. For a price whose consequences you can understand much better. "No! I mean… yes… I think that would be fine for me."

So a few minutes ahead, you found yourself signing up a contract with two demons. Of course, after making sure there wasn't any hidden fine print in it - there wasn't - before you put your name on it. The process of signing the contract itself was surprisingly tame. There wasn't even the need for blood to seal the deal. No flickering lights or other creepy omens.

Moon and Sun seemed pleased when they read your signature, before Sun let the contract disappear with a little wave of his left hand that reminded you of those magicians from the shows you sometimes saw on TV as a kid.

"So. Any last words you want to say?" Sun asks you teasingly. Which could have sounded like a threat, if it wasn't for the fact that they would take your voice - and as they had promised you, this would happen without harming you in any way. So you felt only slightly nervous as you thought about it. "Oh, right. I guess it is the last chance for that, isn't it? So… uhm… thank you. Both of you," you find yourself smiling like an idiot. A bit too excited perhaps for someone who was about to lose their voice. But you don't care. Not when you know what you will gain for it instead. "O-okay. I'm ready. We can start."

"Good. Then just stay still and let us do the rest, Shooting Star." Each of the two took one of your hands into theirs. Holding them with great gentleness as if they were tiny little birds. You still remember how you heard them chanting something in a foreign language. How their voices had sounded when they built up to a harmony as they had fallen in sync with each other. The whole process couldn't have lasted much longer than a minute, but it felt longer. As if time had been stretched in some strange way. A shiver ran through your body. Building up to an ice-cold feeling in your throat as your fingers had clumsily tried to hold on to Sun and Moon's hands, whose fingers had curled around your own. And then it simply had been over. Just like that. No more chanting. The odd feeling gone as you looked at them. You were trying to say something only to find yourself unable to. Your voice was truly gone. Which, despite the fact that you knew it was going to happen, was only now really starting to sink in. It had worked… so… did that mean?

"Speechless?" Sun jested as he let out a little laugh. Lifting your left hand up and giving it free. The action mirrowed by his brother Moon. "You should give them a try, don't you think?" Moon looked at you. Waiting. You felt your heart leap as you slipped out of their grasp. Staring at your fingers in disbelief before swallowing the fear and doubt of what if it hadn't worked. Slowly you start moving your fingers. Stretching them. Wiggling them in every possible direction, one after the other, like you hadn't been able to since the accident. You almost cried as they moved again with such ease. They were doing exactly what you wanted them to do. You could play again! Gosh… you really didn't have to give up your love for the piano.

It was hard to tear off your eyes from your hands in order to look at Sun and Moon with an immense joy. Even if you couldn't voice it anymore. "I assume the outcome matches what you have wished for?" You nod your head at Moon's question eagerly. Giving the two of them each a thumbs up. It's hard to stop smiling like an idiot as you grin from ear to ear, which seems to amuse them. "Very well. In that case, we will take our leave. We still have other places to be. Take good care of yourself, little human." "Maybe we will check in on you another time. Just to make sure, you are doing well, Shooting Star," Sun says with a big grin as his tail bobs up and down.

You escort them back to the door. Waving at the entrance of your home as the two demons already make their way to the sidewalk. Actually, you are not minding the idea too much to maybe see them again sometime after what they had done for you today.

"Do you think it will work?" Sun throws a questioning look at Moon. Even though he had agreed to go along with his brother's plan. "Just give it some time. They will soon miss their silly little voice. And then they will beg us to get it back." There is no doubt in Moon's voice. A mischievous grin on his face. Pleased with his own plan that could be nothing else than absolutely foolproof. "And when they do so... " "They will have to give us their soul to get it back," Sun finishes his sentence with a chuckle. "How long do you give them, Moonie?" "A naive little thing like them? Two weeks at most."

How? How in the name of the damned could you be so content with your current life? He had given you two weeks at max. And yet, even after three months, you still hadn't changed your mind in the slightest. Three months in which his patience was running thin. Three months consisting of visiting you multiple times a week to see if you felt the tiniest bit inconvenienced by your lack of voice. But no! Nothing! Instead, you used a stupid text-to-speech app on your phone or scribbled your answers in a notebook for him and Sun to read. And you even had started visiting a class to learn sign language. It was beyond him how you could be so happy with your new life. He let out a huff as he sat next to Sun in your living room that had grown much too familiar to them. The smell of freshly baked cookies hit his nose as he glanced at his brother who already helped himself to the baked goods while you filled their cups with some hot tea like the good host you always were. "Moon. Relax." Relax? How should he relax when they hadn't made even the tiniest bit of progress in three damn months? He throws a warning glance at Sun. Keeping his voice low so you wouldn't catch onto their conversation. "If you tell me to relax one more time, I swear I will strangle you." Was he being unfair and moody? Yes. But he didn't get how Sun could care so less over how slowly things progressed. "I think you are forgetting that we don't come here just so you can stuff yourself with cookies." Sun paused at that. Looking at third chocolat chip cookie he already had taken a bite off before avoiding Moon's stern gaze as if feeling called out and somewhat flustered before trying to regain his composure. "D-don't be silly, Moonie. Of course I know. But I fear, we are stuck in a long game now. And I am working very hard right now." Hard working? That's what he called this? "... eating cookies and sipping tea is not hard work Sun... ," he grumbled annoyed. "That's where you are wrong. I am building up trust with our little Shooting Star. And in doing so I will surely unravel another weakness or desire of theirs for us to use." Hmph... Sun better wasn't making that up. Because, he didn't felt fully convinced whenever seeing his brother's eyes spark up like a child's when there were some homemade sweets on the table.

- "Is everything alright? Anything I can get you two?" The artifical voice was coming from your phone after you had entered your question in the app and clicked on it to read the text out loud. With an innocent smile you looked at Sun and Moon. You don't think they have been aware how their conversation had stopped to be just a whispered back and forth between them shortly after it had started. So... you kind of have heard most of it even when you pretended that you didn't. After all... you pretty much enjoyed their visits that had become such a constant of your life. Their silly bickering and plans to get your soul never failed to brighten up your day. Sun's happy face when he was nibbeling on a cookie or piece of cake. Moon's mostly calm but sometimes grumpy scowls. It all made your house feel so much more lively. And you found yourself wishing for those days to never end.

- Ooooooooookay. That was the introduction part for this au. But, but, but, but, buuuuuut you get two more random, little bonus stories and sketches from this au. One for each of the boys. So please enjoy:

He was right above you. Pinning you down with his hands and knees between him and the couch. You felt trapped and guessed it was pretty much what he wanted to achieve. His thin neck was bent so that his face was close to yours as Sun's pretty blue eyes stared right into yours. His white and slitted, cat-like pupils still fascinated you whenever you saw them, and you murmured a silent pretty under your breath. "Hm? Did you say something?" he teased you with a grin. You doubted he knew exactly what you had said, and he confirmed your hunch right the next second. "Maybe asking me to stop? Too bad you dropped your phone so you can't tell me, hm?" Sun was clearly having his fun with you.

And honestly, you didn't minded the situation you were in too much. Although you weren't sure if he was trying to make you feel uneasy or straight up flirted with you. Perhaps both? You tried to keep a straight face for the moment. Not to grin, not to let your true feelings betray you. A clawed hand lifted your chin rather gently. "You have been veeeeery stubborn lately, Little Star. Declining all the things we offered you for your little soul. And yet nothing seems to catch your interest. But no human can always be satisfied. Your kind tends to constantly desire something."

You simply shrug your shoulders at his comment. "Pfffh, don't give me a 'I don't know'. Fixing your hands can't be the only thing you wanted in your life." Well, sure. But everything else isn't really something worth trading your soul for you thought. "I wonder what desire will bloom next in that heart of yours." Okay, now you do crack a tiny smile. It's funny how none of them seemed to have catched on to what you recently felt for these silly guys. You are staring right at him as you raise your hands to his face. Playfully you tug on one of his triangular rays, which causes him to fall completely silent. Sun looks down at you as a hint of red appears on his cheeks. "W-what do you think you a-are doing?" How cute. You chuckle without creating a single noise and gaze at him with an amused but tender expression. Your hand wanders further up until you are able to give him a few soft pats on the head, right between his horns, which only seems to irritate him more.

"H-hey! Quit it! I-I'm not a dog!" he complains with a half-hearted snarl. Well, that is true. Perhaps you should make it up to him. You pause for a moment to consider your next action. And then you curl your fingers carefully around his horns to pull him closer down towards you. "H-hey. I said to stop your foolery or… or I… " He falls dead silent when you place a small peck on his forehead. Sun doesn't move at all. Making you almost worry that you might have ended up breaking him by accident. But then you see a bright flickering glow coming from the tip of his tail behind him. Huh… maybe he just really liked it? Sun is still half frozen in place from the audacity of your actions. His blue eyes are wide open in shock as his yellow face turns even redder from the evident blush on it. His mouth opens and closes a few times as he pulls his head a bit up again. He looks so flustered and yet… there is a gleam in his eyes as he slowly inches closer. Looking as if he is about to kiss you any given moment.

He is only inches away when you see a shadow behind him. A hand grabs him by the back of his collar and pulls him away from you. "Sun! God dammit. Can't I let you two out of my sight for two minutes?" Moon throws an annoyed look at Sun and then down at you. "I swear, you two are worse than a couple of lovesick teenagers." You feel your ears warm up a tad at that remark, but you can't help yourself as you grin from ear to ear like a fool. "I was just trying to tempt the human into giving us their soul! I would never fall for them," Sun utters his excuse a touch too fast, as his voice climbs up a few pitches. It sounds not very convincing at all. "Urgh. Sure," Moon says with a deep, troubled sigh, as if he was bothered to be stuck here all alone with you two idiots. "And you," he says as he looks at you once more with a firm expression on his red and white eyes. "Stop teasing my brother. You are just making it worse."

Second bonus Story:

"How can someone lack any sense of self-preservation? It's frustrating, to say the least." Moon scolded you. Holding one hand over your face. Covering up your eyes with his large hand. Your not sure why but his odd metal-like skin always felt a little more chilly than Sun's. And yet his touch was as careful as one could be. Overly gentle as the tips of his claws rested against your soft human skin. As long as you held still, you knew you wouldn't end up with any scratches, even if he sounded all grumpy he rarely raised his voice ever.

"We are demons. Actual demons. If you toy around with us, we might forget our manners." Sometimes it's hard to tell if he's worried about you or just annoyed at how casual you interact with them. You know you have grown bolder with time. Pretending the affection you show them sometimes is just a way to tease them when it's actually the other way around. But honestly, you can't help it. And you can't help thinking that Moon as well as Sun have both become rather dear to you. Both of them holding a special place in your heart. Not that you have let them know or will so anytime soon. You lift your hands. Giving his arm a soft tap with your fingers to catch his attention.

"Hm? What is it?" Ah, seems like that had done the trick. You start slowly signing a few words. Hoping he might be able to tell them apart, even with the odd angle he has to look at them. Good that Moon and Sun are both very fluid in all kinds of languages. Including this one. "Urgh. Of course you would say that," he grumbles and it makes you chuckle a bit, even though no sound leaves your lips. You open your eyes. Trying to catch a glimpse of his face through the narrow gaps between his fingers, but instead you get a soft smack against your forehead, which only makes you laugh even more. "Don't laugh! I really should set your head straight. Something is clearly wrong in there. Seriously… you are… so… ," he falls silent and you wonder why. When you try to grab his hand to shove it away, he only presses it closer against your eyes. "…don't look. Not yet," he says, his voice usually so calm and collected carrying a hint of embarrassment, so you just let your fingers rest on the back of his hand as you close your eyes again. You don't mind letting the moment play out a little longer as you listen to the sound of your fluttering heart that tells you how much you love them both. -

So. That's mostly it! Just have a random fun headcanon-fact here at the end: Y/N will refer to Sun and Moon sometimes as his 'Silly Goose Boys' as time progresses. Mostly for all their shenanigans and because of their bendy/flexible long necks.

I hope whoever made it til here had fun with this post.

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