#I’m THIS close to making him a checkmate kid guys

[saytrrose]

Sorry Princely but I have priorities

[theocddiaries]

*On a GUN private jet* Abe: Hey, I found this little guy here. [shows a chessboard]: Any of you guys want to play to kill time? Shadow: Pass. Sonic: Sure thing. Abe: Nice. I might teach you a few things. [goes to set the pieces] Sonic: Oh, it's okay, I can play; Tails taught me. Shadow: Isn't that wonderful… [grabs Sonic's arm and pulls him close. Whispers]: Let him win. Sonic: What? Shadow: He's a grumpy loser. He mopes, he makes the face, he slams the door, then he said he didn't slam the door. It'll be better for everyone that he wins. Sonic: Shadow, please, stop being stuck on things that happened over fifty years ago. Shadow: Fifty years ago? I’m talking about how he acted last week because some agent’s kid beat him up at the Hungry Hippos game. Sonic: … Okay, I'll lose. [moments later, they've come back and are in GUN HQ] Abe: Thank you for your assistance, Sonic. Sonic: Always a pleasure to help. Abe: I'm glad you're not upset about our chess match from earlier. Nobody likes a sore loser. Sonic: So I've heard. Abe: I've got a kid's guide to chess back in my office. I can give it to you before you leave? Sonic: ...No, I'm good. Abe: You sure? You can color in the little players with your crayons. Rouge [comes in and walks to Shadow]: Hi. What's going on? Shadow: Towers and Sonic played chess. Rouge: And you told him to lose, right? Shadow: Yes, don't worry. Rouge: Good. Momma needs some extra cash this Christmas. Abe: Or you can give it to your fox friend. Maybe he can teach you better the second time. Sonic: … Are you calling my brother stupid? Rouge and Shadow: Damn. Sonic: You know what? Let's play a rematch. Rouge: Shadow. Abe: Okay. Game on. Now, I want you to go first. Now remember, try to open up the middle of the board. I'd have moved that guy two spaces. Rouge: Shadow, please, do something. Shadow: Don't worry, just because Tails taught him doesn't mean he can actually-- Sonic: Checkmate. Shadow: Or maybe he can and we're gonna have to go through one of those weeks.. Abe [blinks]: Huh? What? How'd you do that? Sonic: Want me to bring you the kid's guide so you understand it better? Shadow: Sonic. Sonic: Hey, you told me to let him win the first time, nothing about the other times. Abe [turns to Shadow and Rouge]: You did what? Why tell him to lose to me? Shadow: Because you're like a baby when you don't win. With the kicking and the eyebrows and the angry eating of the sunflower seeds. [Chittering] Abe: That's not true. Rouge: Oh, honey, it is. We're still picking up the shells from the horrendous episode of the Hungry Hungry Hippos. Abe: I don't mind losing to a chess genius. Sonic: Well, I wouldn't say genius. Shadow: True. That was an average move. He's not even as good as I am. Abe: You're not that good in chess. I beat you on our first mission together. Shadow: Did you really? Or did I let you win that one too? Abe: …You didn't let me win. Shadow: Hm. Why would I sacrifice my queen for your pawn, Abraham? Huh? Huh? Abe: I got it. Stop saying that… Rouge: Well, I guess we'll never know! Abe: Or we can find out right now. Rouge: No, it's-- Shadow: Are you sure you want to do this in front of people? Rouge: Shadow-- Abe: Sit down and let's settle this. Shadow: Gladly. Rouge [saddened]: I just wanted a pair of boots… [MOMENTS LATER] [through a phone call] Tails: Hey, Sonic, everything okay? Sonic: Yes, buddy, sorry for not calling. I arrived but I--uh--I kinda can't leave. Tails: Why not? What happened? You okay? Sonic: Yes, it's just-- Abe [in the background]: Stupid lab rat--Take this! Shadow: Damn it! Listen, I lose and I burn this whole facility with everyone inside! Sonic: It's just some déjà vu I'm feeling kind of icky about…

[dreamsclock]

THE ULTIMATE DREAMSCLOCK UPDATE!

hello. hi. as most of u are probably very unsurprised to hear, i have bit off WAY more than i can chew in terms of personal projects. this is now something i am beginning to belatedly realize is A Problem for many reasons. mainly a) i am chronically overwhelmed esp with the biggest exams of my LIFE next months and b) i can’t take on any more projects realistically that i want to begin.

poll + more info under readmore bc i have chronic can’t-shut-up syndrome (adhd)

SO. in order to actually produce content for you guys i am Cutting Back Which Fics I Work On. at least until july. this SHOULD allow me to finish at least some fics and hopefully move on in the summer to other ones, but since im indecisive i thought i’d let YOU guys decide which fics i continue to work on!!! so here’s a poll.

the top five will continue to be worked on, and i plan to finish checkmate + hold him close in the next week anyway. so vote for your next five faves, and from there i’ll figure out which ones i’m gonna continue

this SHOULD help me make a good dent in these fics while also working on stuff that makes people happy :]

IN ADDITION TO THIS. i am also only streaming three times a week. ‘only?’ you might be thinking. ‘sparrow dreamsclock, you don’t even stream ONCE a week!’ to which i say Be Quiet. kidding but i’ve been putting way too much pressure on myself to try and stream every night and then beating myself up when i’m too tired 😭 so hopefully limiting myself to three times a week helps!!

STREAM DAYS: Monday, Wednesday, Saturday

I could stream more than this!! But at the very least you’re promised three streams a week unless something goes horribly wrong.

AO3 UPDATES: Wednesday, Sunday

AGAIN this is to try and give you guys some kind of consistency 😭😭 i know im very erratic + unreliable when it comes to uploading so i wanted to try and provide a schedule. no idea WHAT updates these will be, but you know Something will be posted there which is awesome

YOUTUBE UPLOADS: Beginning May

‘but sparrow!’ you may be saying. ‘you just said the most important exams of your life happen in may!’ to which i say Be Quiet. Yes. I Know. I’m An Idiot. but i wanna start providing youtube content Too!!! whether this be dsmp analysis or stream highlights or original minecraft choose-your-own-ending games i’ve made, i’ll be uploading (hopefully consistently) beginning may!!!! more info to come. unless i forget of course.

ANYWAY. if you’ve sat through all of this then HELLO HI!!!!! sorry. this announcement sounds self important and dumb but honestly even writing this out has eased like a load of my anxieties. ever since the end of 2021 i’ve been so overwhelmed with the frankly dumb amount of projects ive given myself, and it’s most of the reason ive been burned out since then too :’) thank u for being understanding and thank u for being such a source of inspiration for me and thank u thank u THANK U for being the best people ever muah ily

this starts from TODAY Btw!!! will be uploading a chapter of checkmate tonight and also streaming which i’m looking forward to. we’re gonna Chill until summer and then i can go crazy with projects again. but this feels more manageable!!!!

tune in for my stream tonight at 9pm (fnaf time FUCK YEAH) and thank u again :]

[callsign-jinx]

Oh. My. GOODNESS!!!!! JINX!!!! My Love!!!! You absolute mastermind of a writer, you!!!!! Incredible!!! Spectacular!!!! A M A Z I N G!!!! Awesome!!!!

Checkmate (Part II) is perfect!!! A true masterpiece!!! I can't even find the words to describe how it made me feel, it is just incredible!!!!

Again, as always, long message ahead, I'm sorry, I can't help myself, I need to gush over this perfection!

"The stairs go up into the house, but for you, it feels like a direct descent into hell." - okay, this description??? Poetic! Did it give me chills? Absolutely! Does it rival with Shakespeare? You bet!!!

"“He has three different chefs. Eight-hour shifts.”", "“This guy is absolutely bonkers.”" - as always, Red is 100% correct

"“Where’s my son, Gregory?”" - ✨priorities✨ and my heart melting again... 💗

"You find him laying down in a chaise longue, his body turned in an unnatural way." - my baby!!! And they couldn't even bother with placing him down in a comfortable position?!?!?! They truly are monsters and deserved to die just for this alone, not to mention all the other crimes!

"“Let me check if he’s alive.” You grunt" - again, ✨priorities✨ and loving pritective Mama Bear Red™ with my whole heart 💗

"“And here I thought I would never have to see that disgusting face again.” Jake mumbles, dropping his gun on the floor. This isn’t how this was supposed to go." - I know things are going in the wrong direction and it is so intense in this moment, but I couldn't help laughing at "that disgusting face", hahahaha

"You shift his position to prevent him from waking up in pain and kiss his brow. “Mama will get you out of here, little prince.”" - the sweetness!!! And their mother-son relationship is so precious!!! 🥹💗

"“Jake has a gun on his neck, Liam is knocked out, and you feel like this is something to celebrate? You should seek professional help.”" - Love that Red calls him out like that! Such a power move!

"There’s a chess board in front of you, all the pieces are missing except three. There’s the white king, and a white pawn behind him. Gregory and Liam. In front of the king, there’s a red knight. Jake." - have I told you how much I love the symbolism (more than 3 times) already? Because I love it so much!!! It is incredibly well done and fitting and just, ahhh, so, so good!!!

"“Your blood? I’m pretty sure that you weren’t the one that got me pregnant.”" - hahaha! And thank goodness for that!! Hahaha!

"You question, looking around the office carefully." - this is so smart!!!! I love that you have Red use her brain and strategic thinking instead of just relying on brute force and unplanned luck, this is (partly) why this is such a masterpiece!

"your gaze fixed on Jake. He nods, telling you without words that you need to get Liam and leave the house. He needs to know that at least you two are safe.", "He escaped once, he can do it again.", "“I’ll take Liam.” With your eyes closed and waves of nausea attacking your stomach, you make your decision. It’s not because of the pregnancy; it’s just the idea of having to leave Jake here with this psychopath." - the tension!!!! This is so heartbreaking!!! Having to choose between them! And Jake again, with having Liam as the priority! And I know he is Red's priority too, but I still love how she is checking with Jake before doing it! It just shows their love so well and so beautifully!!! I love them so much! 💗💗💗

"You walk over to the chaise longue, grab Liam, and hug him tightly, inhaling the cologne residue on his clothes. He’s okay, he’s safe. You have him back." - I could actually feel this hug while reading it, not even kidding, your description is so good!!! 💗

"You close your eyes, forcing the tears to come out. Let him think that you’re not as strong as you seem to be. Let them think that you’re just a weak, emotional, and scared mother who has been trying to play something she’s not to get her child back." - again!!! So! Smart! Words cannot express how great this is!!!

"When the tears fall, you look at Gregory. “Can I please hug your son before I go? Just a quick hug, please.”", "Jake runs to you once Vlad lowers the revolver, hugging you and Liam so close it physically hurts. He leaves kisses all over his face, checking, just like he did, that he doesn’t have a single scratch. “You need to leave now, sweets.”", "You don’t need to fake the tears anymore. “I can’t leave you here, Jake.”" - and the heartbreak!!! And again, so, so palpable and beautiful! 💗💗💗

"“I love you, my queen.”", "“I’ll come back for you.”" - my heart can't cope with all this pure love!!! Absolute tear inducing beauty!!! 💗

"“I could kiss you right now if you weren’t my cousin.” You say, looking at DiNozzo and McGee. “Doc told you?”" - yess!!! Yess!!! Yess!!! Doc needs a huge hug! So do DiNozzo and McGee!!! Love them. Love reliable family members!

"You cut DiNozzo’s rambling. “He’s a coward. The only guy that worries me in that room is the one that is pointing a gun at Jake’s head. Just call the SWAT, bring a sniper, or whatever. If you go to the neighbor’s house’s terrace, you’ll have a clear view of the office. Vlad and Jake are in front of the window; it should be easy to just shoot a bullet to his head.”", "You grab the gun and the tiny earpiece that he hands you, pushing it inside your ear. “We need a mic.”", "“Do I have permission to shoot?”" - so. Smart. So! Smart!!! Did I mention smart? And also, smart?? Amazing, incredible, show stopping-. Asking for permission to shoot??? Yess, Queen!!!! 😍

"Gregory doesn’t know what he's gotten himself into. He had seen Red, pretty much like the rest of your family. But nobody has seen the Red Queen. It’s time to unleash her." - I loved how you made the destinction between Jake and Hangman in the previous part, and this has the same effect!!! It sent chills down my spine, it is so good!!! Even better that this is a completely new side of her that we get to see in full, and I love it!!! Amazing! 💗💗💗

"“I’d rather dehydrate, thank you so much.”" - said it before, will say it again: it is incredible how well you work in the humour and add some levity to the moment without diminishing it! Awesome! And hilarious!!

"Gregory wipes his face with the red handkerchief that he has on his jacket. “Pathetic." - says you??? Look in the mirror old man!!!

"“I had so many things to do, it was impossible for me to waste time with a kid.”" - sorry for the cursing, but what an actual asshole

"“I think I can answer that question.” Jake has never been more glad to hear his wife’s voice in all his life." - what an entrance!!! Love it!!!

"“Now we’re gonna play by my rules, Greg.”", "You smirk, and move the gun to his leg, shooting him on the knee." - Greg, hahaha, and what power moves, my goodness! So good! And he totally deserved getting shot in the knee!!!

"“I married a queen. And you should know better than to mess with one.”" - love proud husband Jake so much!

I was tempted to copy the whole story bit, because it is so incredibly well done and such a fun, entertaining and useful way of winning time, I absolutely love it! Again, it is so smart!!! And insightful! I am so glad they got the confession out of him about killing Jake's grandpa!!!

"“Checkmate.”" - A - MAZ - ING!!! Such a powerful ending!!!!

"“It’s over now. It’s finally over. You saved me.”", "“I said I would come back for you” You whisper, your body shaking now that the adrenaline is gone.", "“Let’s get you out of here, my love.” He says as he leads you to the door, kiss pressing against your temple." - tears!!!! TEARS! I tell you!!!! Beautiful!!! This is love!!! Oh my goodness!!!!! I love them!!!! 💗💗💗💗💗

"You take the queen and hit the king, making it fall down. That’s how you win a war." - BOOM! That's it! That's how it's done!!! Red is the ultimate Boss™! So satisfying, and gratifying and so powerful and incredible and just all around amazing and truly, truly awe inspiring. Perfection!!!!!!!!

My Darling, my Love, you amazing, incredible, wonderful Beauty, you have created a masterpiece. I know the epilogue is coming, and I cannot wait to see the amazingness that Tasting the Ashes and Paper Hearts (Burn Easily) are going to be (I am sure they are going to be just as awesome and masterful as Seeing Red, no doubt about it!!!), but I have to say it now: Seeing Red is truly something special, and I count myself incredibly lucky to have had read it as you were writing it. Thank you so much for sharing with us your talent and genious, and for allowing us to experience this thrill ride of a series! It is amazing and beautiful and incredible and touching, and I could keep on listing these all day. It is a wonderful story.

Thank you!

Lots of love and hugs to you my Dear 💗💗💗

(your fiancée italics anon 💚)

MY BEAUTIFUL FIANCÉE ITALICS ANON 💚 I LOVE YOU AND ALL YOUR COMMENTS AAAAA

"The stairs go up into the house, but for you, it feels like a direct descent into hell." - okay, this description??? Poetic! Did it give me chills? Absolutely! Does it rival with Shakespeare? You bet!!!

Well, Shakespeare did better things (even tho he's a prick and I don't like him)

"You question, looking around the office carefully." - this is so smart!!!! I love that you have Red use her brain and strategic thinking instead of just relying on brute force and unplanned luck, this is (partly) why this is such a masterpiece!

Red isn't Lieutenant Commander for nothing!

"Gregory doesn’t know what he's gotten himself into. He had seen Red, pretty much like the rest of your family. But nobody has seen the Red Queen. It’s time to unleash her." - I loved how you made the destinction between Jake and Hangman in the previous part, and this has the same effect!!! It sent chills down my spine, it is so good!!! Even better that this is a completely new side of her that we get to see in full, and I love it!!! Amazing! 💗💗💗

As a beautiful anon said before, no one comes between a Mama Bear and her cub. Gregory did, and he had to pay for it. Since the very beginning, Red had told everyone to call her Red, not Red Queen, because she herself knows the difference between those 'personalities'.

"“I’d rather dehydrate, thank you so much.”" - said it before, will say it again: it is incredible how well you work in the humour and add some levity to the moment without diminishing it! Awesome! And hilarious!!

I've never been in this kind of situation (thaNK GOD) but I have been in serious situations before, and the sarcasm is strong, mate. Is very strong.

My Darling, my Love, you amazing, incredible, wonderful Beauty, you have created a masterpiece. I know the epilogue is coming, and I cannot wait to see the amazingness that Tasting the Ashes and Paper Hearts (Burn Easily) are going to be (I am sure they are going to be just as awesome and masterful as Seeing Red, no doubt about it!!!), but I have to say it now: Seeing Red is truly something special, and I count myself incredibly lucky to have had read it as you were writing it. Thank you so much for sharing with us your talent and genious, and for allowing us to experience this thrill ride of a series! It is amazing and beautiful and incredible and touching, and I could keep on listing these all day. It is a wonderful story.

Omg dear, thank you so much for your beautiful words. This series is really something else, and I can't believe is only been... 27 days since it began. I had so much fun writing it and it's been such a wonderful journey!

It made me discover a bit more of me as a writer and I had met a lot of you along the way! I'll always be grateful for this series and that's why a got a little crown on my header now hahahah

[imonthinice]

The Criminal Psychology Majors, Jason Todd x Fem!Reader Part 3/?

Word Count: 1.5k

Author’s Note: Y/N - Your name, A/N -Any name (your best friend’s name)

Part 3! Date 2 is going to be underway with this one. Enjoy!

I had to change my pfp and my header cause they were being dickheads so just be aware if you liked looking at the batboys when clicking on my profile lmao <3

Warnings: Swearing, no beta bitch we die like Jason Todd, Dark humor.

(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6) (Part 7) (Part 8) (Part 9) (Part 10) (Part 11) (Part 12) (Part 13) (Part 14) (Part 15)  (Part 16) (Part 17) (Part 18) (Part 19) (Part 20)

Y/N woke up the next day feeling like she could take on the world, energized, with a new crush, and full of life, a stark shift from how she usually was. She was never normally a morning person and had a severe addiction to caffeine. I mean, the addiction was still there and she still needed coffee before she could go to her 3pm class and meet up with Jason again, but she was happy. She would put on her clothes and pack her bag before even getting coffee.

“G’morning, A/N!”

“Who are you and what did you do with my best friend?” A/N joked.

“Down girl, I’m just peppy today, it’ll probably wear down and it’s probably a once-in-a-blue-moon deal,” Y/N said as she started brewing her coffee.

“You got a date with Jason today?”

“I do!”

“That explains it,” A/N joked again.

“Says the one with a boyfriend,” she shot back.

“He’s not my boyfriend, we’re just hooking up right now, trust me, if he was, you’d know, darlin’.”

“So what did dreamboat ask last night?” A/N asked.

“Well I said ‘What do you want to know?’ and he said ‘We’ll talk about it today, maybe during notes or maybe during our lunch date, we’ll see how i’m feeling.’ so I think that’s good?”

“You kidding? You got that man wrapped around your finger, respect.”

“Shut up.”

“No thanks, I have free speech y’know.”

“Yeah you can say whatever, but I can also use my free speech rights to tell you to shove it, so, checkmate,” you sneered at her.

“That’s fair,” A/N paused and then changed the subject, “Have you heard Brutal yet?” she asked.

“You’re damn right I have, I wonder where that was for me at 17. But to be fair, I would still blast it now at my parents just to make them irk.”

“They would kill you for listening to that song instead of their Christian Rock.”

“Worth it, I’ll die swinging and singing.” Y/N mused.

“It really is Brutal out here.”

“Leave, get out, that sucked, blocked, friendship over.”

---------------------------------

She walked up to her 3pm class, to be greeted by Jason at the door, with of course, her new knowledge of the tabloids and their minions, she questioned why he’d do this.

“Hey, Y/N.”

“’Afternoon, Jason.”

“I’m trying to give the tabloids a show, don’t mind me.” he mused.

“I’m not surprised, but class is in 5.”

“Then I guess we should sit down and get ready to write at lightning speeds.”

She went to sit down, followed close by Jason. She couldn’t help but notice everyone was staring, but she didn’t care. This is going to be fun, she thought, I’m glad they’re gonna get a fucking kick out of this, she finished her thought.

Class went on as usual, with her scribbling down the notes so quick her arms hurt by the end of it, and Jason just sitting around making sure she wasn’t losing her arms to the writing, and casually laughing at the Professor. Then, the Professor brought up Barry Allen. Dr. Barry Allen and what he does for the criminal psychology people. 

“Forensics go hand-in-hand with criminal psych, normally we can tell, as scholars, from the hitting of the weapon why and who might’ve done it.” The Professor said.

 She saw Jason tense up a bit, and whispered over to him;

“You know Dr. Barry Allen don’t you?”

“He’s my uncle,” he whispered back.

“Well, be sure to tell him I’ve read some of his essays when I wanted to go into forensics instead of criminal psychology.”

“Really? He has essays?”

“Many. Very good writing. 10/10.”

“You’re going to make his week if you keep talking like this.” he mused.

“Good.” you mocked.

---------------------------

“So, you’re intermixed with a renowned journalist, a legend in forensic testing and you’re the son of Bruce Wayne?” she asked Jason, she couldn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth, but there they were, all cards on the table.

“Yeah, I know this is all new to you but famous people tend to know other famous people.” he joked with her.

“Well that’s fair, I guess I kind of know Clark, I met him once at a office party with my mum.”

“He’d probably remember you.”

“Enough of your family ties, huh? You said you wanted to know more about me?”

“Yes, that, did you tell your roommate to pick up your car?” he asked her.

“I did, why was I meant to do that, by the way?” she asked him.

“Because, we, you and I, Y/N, are going to go for a joyride on my motorbike and try to get away from these,” he lowered his voice, “bitch ass cameras,” he grabbed her hand and started running towards his bike, dodging all the paparazzi who just wanted the snag shot of the two. They don’t even know my name, and they’re going off about this, she thought.

When the two met his bike, she looked over it fondly. This guy really likes his red, she thought, that’s fair, I do too.

“Nice bike.”

“Thank you, Y/N. We can ride this bad boy out to the country and try to escape the cameras, which kind of cuts into the lunch date, but hey-”

“That’s just the life someone famous has to live?” she questioned.

“You’re catching on.”

“I could have been a detective if I wanted it.”

He laughed and sat down on his bike and like instinct, she sat behind him and wrapped her hands on his chest and leant in. She didn’t know how to passenger a motorbike, but he didn’t say she did it wrong.

“You ready?”

“Jason, are you going to kill me?”

“Well if the shoe fits.” he mused.

“I’m ready.”

And off they went.

There was something about the way the bike drove through the streets of Gotham that she loved so much, she had already fallen in love with the restless city and called it home long before right now, but this was exhilarating for her. Somehow driving at 120mph was amazing, it brought out this feeling of freedom, something she hadn’t ever felt back home in Metropolis.

It’s worth it, she thought, it’s forever going to be worth it.

-------------------------------------

Pulling her off of his bike, the two of them laid underneath the tree on the small hill Jason pulled over by.

“Do you think we escaped the pap?” she asked him.

“Probably not.”

“Festive.”

“So, Y/N, it’s your turn to open up about your family. Besides your mum, I already know about your mum.”

“So, my twin sister goes to our rival school, the Metropolis one, I think she’s more of a people person than I’ll ever be. My parents are still together, they got married after they had my sister and I, so I’m a bastard,” she laughed, “I always like telling people I’m by definition a bastard, a lot of them get mad all like, ‘don’t call yourself that you’re a lovely girl’ and it’s just funny to me,”

He laughed, “You call yourself a bastard out of spite?”

“Am I supposed to not? I think it’s funny-”

“It’s pretty funny. I live out of spite too,” he said, almost like he was pulling out a bad memory, but she egged him on slightly,

“Spite who?” she asked.

“Spite God.”

She let out a laugh, and he seemed to let go of whatever memory he had clung onto to watch her laugh. It was clearly a distracting laugh.

“God tried to strike you and you just went ‘Nah mate, go away’? Respectable. I would do that.” she said while laughing.

“That’s exactly what happened, Y/N-” and his phone pinged, he turned it over, it was Dick.

“Mind sharing who that is?”

“I don’t mind, it’s my older brother sending me an article of us today. We really gave them a show holding hands,” he began reading, “ ‘Millionaire’s Son, Jason Todd, Caught Holding Hands with the Mystery Girl.’ “

“One day they will know my name. And it will be a massive article. Like a gender reveal.”

“Like a gender reveal?!” he said back to her, laughing so hard his smile reached ends she didn’t expect it to be able to go.

“It wasn’t that funny of a joke, Jason,” she said.

“It’s a better joke than my brothers and sister could ever come up with, Y/N, and they’ve had Galas to practice for,” he retorted.

“I’ll set it ablaze like the California gender reveal,” she continued with the joke, expecting this to be too far, but this also showed her that Jason liked dark humor, and she did too.

He burst out laughing at this, and she smiled.

“You have perfect teeth, Jason.”

“Is that what you’re focused on?” he asked.

“They are the forefront when you smile, it is hard not to.”

“Romantic,” he mocked her.

“I can be more romantic next date, if you want it,” she said, inclined towards him saying I want it. She was right.

“I want it.”

[restlessfandoming]

“ice fishing” (pt. 5) (chilumi fic)

[part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 4] 

“Childe invites Lumine to the annual Snezhnayan holiday dedicated to the Tsaritsa. There, she meets his entire family, and all the conflict that comes with them.”

notes: thanks for your patience as always ;__;

love you guys <3

[Fic Masterlist] // [AO3 Link]

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

“ice fishing” (pt. 5)

“So Misha just asked you about besting me in combat?” Childe asked. 

“She seemed to get a real kick out of it,” Lumine said. 

He smiled through gritted teeth. “Of course she did.” He put down a chess piece. “Well apparently that was enough to convince her. She’s a completely changed person.” 

“I like sister Misha like this!” Tonia chirped behind Lumine as she tried braiding the traveler’s blonde hair. 

“It’s the first time I’ve seen her smile so much!” Teucer added from Lumine’s lap where he was reading a book. 

“It’s a little weird,” Anthon commented. “But I guess I like it too.” He moved a chess piece opposite Childe's. “Aaaand checkmate!”

“You beat me again, Anthon,” Childe said, exasperated. 

“You let an 11 year old beat you at chess?” Lumine asked. 

While Anthon giggled, Childe turned his nose up. “It’s not as easy as you think.” 

The five of them were sitting in one of the den rooms, gathered there after dinner. A large fireplace burned in front of them, as the cold Snezhnayan night frosted on the great windows. The rest of the family had already turned in for the night. 

“If only Alexei wasn’t so weird,” Tonia mumbled. 

“Why do you think he’s weird?” Lumine asked. She was curious as to the children’s opinions of their eldest brother. 

“When Mommy got sick, he stopped playing with us! He wouldn’t talk to us either…,” she replied. 

“He was always really mad when talking to Mommy or Daddy,” Teucer said sadly. 

Anthon gripped a chess piece in his hand. “It’s like he has a dark cloud following him.” 

Childe’s brows furrowed. “Don’t worry guys. He’ll be gone soon; the holiday is almost over.”

“Does that mean you and Lumine will be leaving too?!” Teucer cried, dropping his book, and turning to wrap his arms tightly around her waist. “I don’t want you to leave…” 

“Can you stay forever?” Tonia begged. 

“Ah...uhm...maybe one day?” Lumine hesitantly responded. She smiled sadly. “I have a...mission I have to finish first. Maybe after that?” 

“Okay!” Tonia stepped around Lumine to face her. She held up her pinky finger. “Do you pinky promise?”

Lumine looked down at the little girl’s finger, her hopeful face. I...I…

Her heart broke. I can’t make that promise. 

As much as she loved her time here, there was no telling where her journey would lead her. And what happened if—when—she found Aether? 

And would Childe even still be at her side?

She glanced at him, surprised to find him already staring back at her, his own eyes wondering, waiting for her response. 

She looked back at Tonia’s awaiting hand, biting the inside of her cheek. 

Protect the children’s dreams, she thought. She raised her hand, ready to seal the promise. Ready to lie to this sweet little girl. 

Childe’s gloved hand gently closed over Tonia’s. He knelt down, so he was face to face with his sister. “Let’s not make Lumine promise something like that, okay?” he said quietly. “It’s a big promise to ask of someone.”

Tonia blinked, her doe eyes glistening, and her little mouth turned into a frown. She put her hand down. “Okay…” 

Childe smiled at her, then ruffled her hair. “Thank you, Tonia.” He stood, then turned and walked out of the room without another word. 

There was something wrong, and Lumine knew it. She stood as quickly as she could, picking up Teucer out of her lap. “Keep playing, kids. I’ll be right back.” She ran into the hall, the children’s noises of protests fading behind her. 

The hallway was dark, the only source of light was the pale moonlight streaming in through the large windows. 

She caught up to Childe, grabbing his arm. “What’s wrong?” 

He stopped in his tracks. She heard him take a small breath in. He turned, and there was a smile on his face. “Nothing’s wrong.” He continued walking. 

Lumine frowned. A lie. 

She stepped in front of him. “Tell me.” 

He looked at her. The smile dropped, and he looked tired. “How much longer do we have, Lumine?” 

Lumine blinked at him. “...What do you mean?”

“You have your mission; you have to find your brother,” he said. “Then what? You find him, then bring him back here?” His eyes were concerned. “Would he even want to come here? Would you even want to come back?”

He...He’s worried. Worried about their future together. 

Sure there was a lot of uncertainty. And that was something she battled for a long time. But for the first time in a long, long time, she felt safe and warm. Comfortable. Loved. 

Lumine stepped close, wrapping her arms around Childe. He hesitantly hugged her back. “You’re right. I don’t know. I don’t know about a lot of things in the future,” she told him. “But...I do know that...I love you. That I want to be with you. For as long as I can.” 

A soft laugh. “You…” He put his index finger under her chin, tilting her head up, his thumb on her lips. “You always know what to say,” he leaned down, close, his breath on hers, his voice getting quieter, “to make me fall in love with you even more.” 

They shared a kiss—a soft, sweet kiss. A soft promise of being together, for as long as they could. 

Then there was a shuffling behind them, and they broke apart to see the three children scurrying back to the den. 

“I told you, Tonia, they were just gonna be kissing out there!” they heard Anthon whisper aggressively down the hall. 

Tonia giggled and Teucer let out an “ewwwww!” 

“You sure you want to come back to that?” Childe asked, teasingly. 

“Of course,” Lumine said. “It’s family.”

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Lumine awoke in the middle of the night. Childe was sound asleep next to her. She curled up next to him, laying her head on his chest. 

She tried falling back asleep to the rise and fall of his breathing, but to no avail. Something was keeping her up. 

She sat up, yawning and stretching as quietly as she could, then slid out of bed. She left the room. Hopefully a stroll around the house will help. 

She walked down the corridor, passing closed doors, making her way to the stairs. She heard footsteps coming from the adjacent hallway. Someone else is awake?

She turned the corner and saw Alexei walking down the hallway, to his mother’s room. Clutching something in his hand. 

“Taking everything that’s rightfully mine.” His chilling words rang in her mind. 

She stepped towards him. “Stop,” she said, her voice bouncing around the stone hallway. 

He froze, then slowly turned towards her. His eye twitched. “Ah, Lumine,” he said with a strained smile. “Whatever are you doing up at this hour?”

She crossed her arms. “I couldn’t sleep. And you?” she asked, eyeing his clenched hand. 

His gaze flickered to the hand as well. “Giving my mother her nightly medicine.” He opened his palm, revealing a small vial of liquid. It looked medicinal enough. But is it?

Lumine took a step towards him, and Alexei took a step back. Nervousness. Or defensiveness. “Why do I not believe you?”

“You’ve only just met me, dear,” he said. “Of course you don’t trust me.”

“You pulled a dagger on me.”

He laughed. “Apologies for that. I do get unreasonably angry when people compare me to Ajax.” He bowed slightly. “Other than that, I haven’t wronged you, have I?”

She scoffed. “You said you were going to take what’s ‘rightfully yours.’ And, you said you would only hurt me if I got in your way.” She glared at him. “So forgive me if I’m not exactly trusting of you.” 

“How about this?” he said, pocketing the vial. “You let me go, and I’ll do the same for you.” 

“Absolutely not.” 

Alexei shrugged, a quick exhale escaping from his nose. “Your loss.”

He charged at her, taking out his dagger speedily. 

Too easy. Lumine materialized her blade, catching his dagger. “Same old trick, Alexei?”

He smiled. “Hmm...not quite.” Suddenly, the dagger glowed purple, and sent out a sphere of Electro energy. 

What?! 

The wave shocked Lumine point blank, sending her flying backwards, landing on her side. The air was knocked from her lungs, and now her entire body was in pain. 

Alexei didn’t have a Vision before—?!

She looked up to seeing him examining the weapon. “You know, it took me a while to find a black market Delusion,” he told her. “But with this, I’ll be able to easily take on anyone with a Vision.” 

Of course...that power was stronger than a Vision. She had been unprepared for it. Now her body was suffering because of it. 

“So...what now...Alexei?” Lumine said heavy breaths. “You...you going to murder...your family?” 

He raised an eyebrow. “Is it that obvious?” He laughed wickedly. 

“And...and for what?”

“For everything, of course. The wealth, the power, blah blah blah.” He came and crouched in front of Lumine. She weakly held up her sword in defense. He continued, “There’s no place for weakness in this world. So my parents have to go. My siblings? They never saw me as superior.” He grimaced. “Always Ajax…” He glared at her. “So they all have to go.” 

He stood, raising his dagger, charging it with massive amounts of Electro energy. “And now that you decided to get in my way, you’ll have to go too, dear Lumine.” He tilted his head. “A pity. I was just getting to know you.” A laugh. “Oh well!” 

The dagger came rushing down. 

Lumine took a deep breath, starting to muster her energy to conjure enough Anemo power to hopefully blast the attack away. But she didn’t have to. 

A large wave of Hydro energy splashed in front of her—a shield—sending the Electro energy sparking back. 

“Just like I said,” Childe said behind her as he helped lift her up, “Stirring up trouble as always, Lumine.” 

“Seems like trouble just seems to find its way to us.” 

“You let Alexei almost beat you?” 

She glared at him. “Of course not. I was caught off guard.” She lifted her sword, turning to Alexei. “I won’t let it happen again.” 

Alexei let out a haggard laugh. “What a lovely power couple.” He charged up a ball of electricity in his palm. “Will it be enough to stop me though?” 

“Alexei, you always lost to me,” Childe said, Hydro energy swirling around him. “What makes you think this time is different?” 

The eldest brother grinned. “You may be strong, Ajax. But you never were very good at chess.” 

He shot the electricity at the door behind him. Into his mother’s room. 

The entire wall crumbled, sending debris flying down the hall. Childe and Lumine dropped to the floor, dodging the pieces. When they looked up, Alexei had disappeared. They heard the sounds of people approaching. 

Misha stood there, looking dazed and confused, along with Feliks. “What happened?!” she asked, eyes on the blown out wall. 

“That’s—That’s Galina’s room!” Feliks yelled. He rushed forward, but Childe stepped in front of him. 

“It’s too dangerous,” Childe said. 

Lumine nodded. “You two take the kids and get away from here.” 

“Where’s Alexei?” Misha asked. 

Childe’s jaw clenched. “Who do you think started this?” 

She frowned. “That crazy bastard.” She unsheathed her own sword. “Let me help.” 

“No,” Childe said. “He has a Delusion now; you two don’t have Visions. You need to get Tonia, Anthon, and Teucer out of here.”

Misha paused, then sheathed her blade. “Okay...But give him a piece of my mind for me.”

“Alexei…,” Feliks murmured, incredible sadness crossing his face. 

Lumine set a gentle hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay. We’ll handle it,” she reassured. “Now, quickly, get out of here!” We’ve wasted enough time…

Feliks and Misha nodded, turning the corner to the hallway where the kid’s bedrooms were. 

Lumine and Childe nodded at each other, then ventured through the rubble into Galina’s room. 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Half of the wall had been destroyed in the blast, letting the cold night air rush in. Little snow flurries floated in, and the moonlight casted a blue hue throughout the room. Alexei knelt in the middle of the room, Galina in his arms. Her eyes were closed. 

Lumine raised her sword while Childe raised his Hydro spear. 

Alexei looked up at them. Then, “Too late,” he said, a sardonic grin splitting his face. He held up the empty vial.

He dropped her on the floor where she fell limply. 

Lumine’s heart froze. No—!

Next to her, Childe was still, as if all time had stopped. His eyes were unblinking as he looked at his mother on the ground. 

Alexei stood. “Look at what happens when you worry about family too much,” he said. “If only father and sister didn’t show up, maybe you would’ve stopped me in time.” He charged up his Electro energy in his hand again. It was growing more unstable, lightning strikes lashing out at random. “One down. Eight more to go.”

He shot the attack towards Lumine and Childe. 

Childe caught it in his bare hand, holding the ball of energy as the electricity crackled around him, up his arm. He bared his teeth, biting down so hard Lumine saw a trail of blood leak from his lips. His face was twisted in pure anger. 

…

“ALEXEI!” he screamed, his voice becoming heavily distorted. 

He’s—! Lumine automatically knew what was happening. She dove to the side, getting as far away from him as she could.

Childe absorbed the Electro energy he held, his whole body becoming engulfed in the sparking electricity. Then, Lumine heard the familiar sound of metal crashing together as heavy armor clashed onto his body. 

Alexei’s eyes widened. 

The lightning cleared, and floating before them was Tartaglia: complete in his Foul Legacy Transformation.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[part 6]

[dokifluffs]

Babysitters | Ushijima, Sakusa

Pairings: Ushijima X Reader (gender neutral), Sakusa X Reader (gender neutral)

Genre: fluff tehe 

Request: “Can I request babysitting with Sakusa and Wakatoshi (separate)” - anonnie

Author’s Note: Of course you can tehe. Thanks for waiting patiently while I cleared some things off my plate. This, like always, was fun to write. Thank you for requesting and happy reading! PS, i might’ve gotten a lil carried away writing these scenarios aksjdhaksh

Ushi: 

“Hey, guys!” You bent down and swept your niece and nephew up as they ran into your arms, almost knocking you over

“You’ve gotten so big!” You swung their little hands in yours

“Thanks for taking them tonight,” you stood and hugged your sister as she stood near your front door. She had asked you to take care of her kids for the night as she had to head back to work for a meeting

“It’s nothing, plus I haven’t seen them in so long, and Ushi and I can entertain them.” You saw your sister off as she drove off before getting back to the living room, following the sound of the voices of your nephew

You walked into the sight of Ushi standing as your nephew hung from his hand, squealing in excitement while your niece looked in amazement, wanting to go up too but was too shy to ask, clinging on to the bottom of his shorts instead

“They’ve grown so well like last summer’s harvest amshjd,” Ushi looked to you

“And they remember you,” you smiled. You plopped down onto the couch, your niece letting go of his shorts and stood at the edge of the couch, her stuffed bunny in hand

“Hey, sweetie,” you picked her up and she sat down in the little space by your legs, snuggled up beside you as she watched at how “high” her brother was in Ushi’s grasp

You could remember the first time they had seen him, the fear in their eyes seeing such a stoic man, his tall and broad stature looking menacingly down to them when they were even younger

He wasn’t the best at it but you had to get him to smile to make them trust him and think he was a good guy, which indeed he was

It was still early in the evening, just around dinner time which was perfect

“Do you guys want pizza for dinner?” You didn’t know what other response you were gonna get as they cheered loudly, chanting for cheese pizza 

You ordered it online and began playing twister while waiting. Their energies were endless, giggles never ceasing as they played 

You sat leaned into the back of the couch as Ushi tried his best to play along, trying also to not crush them with his body if he lost 

which he did... numerous times, also because he wasn’t the most flexible 

but after a bit, your nephew found one of Ushi’s volleyballs behind the couch near the corner, out of the way. He picked it up and asked what it was and asked to play with it 

The two of you saw no reason to not play so on went the shoes and into the backyard, your laptop sitting on the couch that faced the glass sliding door so you could see how far the pizza was in the stages of it being made and delivered 

The kids stood in front of him as he knelt down to explain volleyball, patient whenever they jumped in, asking a question about how to play and etc while he was in the process of doing to already 

He positioned their bodies, showing them the proper form of how to receive, pass the ball back up

the two of them were pretty bad but they loved it. They didn’t care about the burn of the leathery ball when it bounced off their arms, they wanted to keep playing, even when the pizza already arrived 

they were so eager while eating, the entire topic over dinner about volleyball and Ushijima 

they were filled with so much curiosity, it even made him unsure about what to say sometimes where you fortunately stepped in 

Dinner went by a lot faster than you realized. When they finished their last bites, they were so eager to go back outside but it was too dark and they would’ve been eaten alIve by the mosquitos

“How about you show them some of your games?” you offered as they pouted, sulking on the couch, the ball sitting between the two of them 

“Is it alright?” he asked. He felt like he should put something more entertaining to watch like an adventure movie or something or played more board games and what not instead 

“of course. they had so much fun earlier. Who knows, maybe they’ll even grow to play when they’re a bit older and maybe even go pro like you.” You brushed your fingers through his hair, ruffling the sides as he nodded, listening 

He looked up a couple videos and casted it to the tv. All the gloomy auras around the two of them were off and they were suddenly sitting on the ground, their eyes glued to the screen 

“Woah, that’s you?” Your nephew stood as he frantically pointed to the tv, his eyes wide as he stared back to Ushijima 

“Yes,” he smiled 

The two of you sat back on the couch in amusement watching the two of them watch the game 

their little minds were blown and they wanted to play more 

when you tried to get them to sleep, for the first time, it felt impossible. They were glued to Ushi’s hips so he had to be the one to put them to bed in the guest room, promising them that he’ll take them one day to the gym where they could really learn to play for real 

Sakusa: 

“I am leaving.” Sakusa didn’t even step through the door when he saw you carrying your brother’s baby, your baby nephew

You had told him you were going to be busy with something today and that he was welcome to join but he didn’t know you were going to be babysitting

And babies were the germiest of germs

The thought itself was enough to make him shudder- how they crawl on their hands and legs across the floor then proceeding to play with their toys that’s been bitten and chewed on, left on any surface which who knows has been last cleaned

He almost gagged

“Aw, Kiyoomi, don’t be like that. Just stay with me today?” You asked. “Look how cute he is,” you spoke in a baby voice bouncing him at your side, making the biggest smile appear

“He’s covered with germs,” he grimaced at the young child who looked up to him with such bright eyes. “You should wear your mask and gloves…. I’ll go get some, I have extras in my car-“

“Kiyoomi, no,” you called out to him but there was no point, he was already opening his trunk where he kept a special drawer type of compartment that constantly disinfected and cleaned his gloves and masks

When he returned, you rejected his offer. “Kiyoomi, I’ll be fine, just, please come in. You came all this way just to turn back?” The drive itself was almost an hour away from your guys’ place

“Yes,” he deadpanned before he turned away

“You’re going to leave me all alone, omi?” Your voice itself was enough to stop him in his tracks, turning around to see your saddened look, the feeling of burning guilt swelling up inside of him

You looked down to the ground as you nodded and turned back into the house, walking away from the door as it slowly swung shut by your foot. Checkmate

He could feel his brow twitching knowing exactly what you were doing and the worse part was that it was working

“Weeee, airplane~ Yay~” he could hear the sound of your voice as he walked down the hall, his mask and gloves on as he approached you

He stood hesitantly in the doorway at the end fo the hall that opened up to a tall living room, the golden rays of the sun being blocked by white blinds that made the room glow with a light ambiance

“Wanna fly again?” You asked in a babying voice to your nephew as he burst into a fit of giggles, his hands reaching toward you

“One- two- three, weee!” You lifted him up an arms-length above you

“Do you wanna fly with Uncle Omi?” You turned toward him and approached, Sakusa’s feet stuck to the ground as he stood there

It was too late for him to leave you now that he was here, the door shut behind him

Your nephew clung to your shirt, his infant eyes bright as he looked to your boyfriend, their eyes locking

You were taken aback when your nephew reached his hands out for him, usually not boding well with strangers but he whined meaning he wanted him as Sakusa staggered back

“No, no way,” Sakusa shook his head firmly. “I’m here but I’m not holding him or touching or anything with him.”

“Please? He wants you, omi. Plus, I need to use the bathroom. Can’t you just hold him till I get back?”

You jutted your lip out just the slightest bit. He couldn’t believe how practically identical the two of you looked but caved

“Fine.” He took your nephew from him, holding him securely in his hands but not bringing him any closer than his arms-length as you went down the hall, disappearing

He bit his lip not wanting to be near your nephew’s face, almost gagging and fainting when snot dribbled down his nose

“Y/N, come back,” he called, his voice echoing in the spacious house but nothing

You stood in the bathroom listening to him, not using it at all

“Y/N?” No answer

“Ugh, gross, he commented as he sneered at him behind his mask

But your nephew was entranced by Sakusa

He looked up to him with bright eyes, his hands reaching out and his whines getting louder and more demanding, wanting to be closer

“No, Y/N is gonna come back and take you away. I won’t touch or do anything with you today,” he huffed, looking down to him

But his eyes and aura were too menacing for him. You could hear your nephew as he cried and wailed, squirming in Sakusa’s grasp

“Hey- stop, you’ll fall,” he tried to readjust his hands until your nephew was about to fall, only for Sakusa to wrap his arms around him, securing him in his grasp but now he was pressed to his body

Your nephew’s cries died down a bit now that Sakusa held him close

He instantly clung to his shirt as tears dripped off his chin making little wet spots on Sakusa’s shirt

“Ew, don’t get your snot on me,” he was disgusted seeing his teary face so close to his now, making him feel like he was exposed despite still wearing gloves and mask

“Blow,” he demanded as he grabbed a tissue from his pocket, holding it lightly over his tiny nose. Obeying, your nephew blew into his nose and Sakusa was quick to dispose of the tissue into the trashcan in the kitchen

You peeked your head out of the bathroom hearing running water and followed it toward the kitchen

“Wash all the germs away,” Sakusa held your nephew over the sink counter as he rubbed his hands that were lathered with kid-safe soap, the water warm enough so it wouldn’t burn him

You had to cover your mouth from laughing at such the Sakusa thing he was doing with your nephew, teaching him how to properly wash his hands

Although your nephew wasn’t old enough to talk yet, he looked up to Kiyoomi like he was understanding every word as easy as breathing

“Are your hands dried yet?” Your nephew waved his damp hands around before Sakusa caught them in his, drying them with more tissues. “Alright, let’s go find Y/N,” he took your nephew into his arms and turned, finding you with a sly smile on your face with your arms crossed, your back leaned on the wall

“Seems like you make a pretty good babysitter, after all,” you reached for your nephew, only for him to wrap his short arms around Sakusa’s neck

“No!” He whined, your jaw practically dropping to the ground

“Wow, his first word and he says no to me.”

For the rest of the day, your nephew was clung to Sakusa’s side like he was his father but the sight was memorable for you since you’ve never seen a parental- type of side to him

~~~~~ Thanks for reading! Masterlist for more! Please do not repost anywhere else!

Tags (let me know if you wanna be tagged for all my haikyuu posts): @yams046  @mazey-chan  @sunboikyo00  @kara-grayson04​  @fortheloveofbakugo​ @tsumtsumsemi​ @osamuonigiri @sam-ate-giorno​​​ @1-800-wholesome​ @realityisoftendisapointing@plantisnotplant @k-eijiakaashi​ @pink-panda-pancakes​ @differentballooncollection

[fiction-boys-rule]

Imagine...joining the Leverage team and liking Eliot.

Pairing: Eliot Spencer/(Y/N)

Warnings: slight violence, fluff

Word Count: 2,200

Boring real life has been very stressful lately so writing has been non existent. If any of you have any ideas or requests, I am happy to take them. The characters I write for are very limited and this year I’m working on changing that, so my apologies. Hope you enjoy :)

You blow out the candles, smiling as the team claps and cheers. Nate holds up his glass from his position on the couch, making you roll your eyes and smile. 

“Did you make a wish?” Parker asks, gazing up at you. 

“Yeah.” 

“What was it?” Hardison asks. 

Parker quickly slaps his forearm, making him protest and glare over at her. 

“What the-“

“You know that if you say a birthday wish out loud it doesn’t count!”

“Why not? That’s kids stuff.” He frowns.

“It doesn’t come true! And it’s not kids stuff!” Parker glares at him. 

“Alright, guys. I won’t say my wish, okay? Let’s just have some cake.” You intervene.

Sophie smiles over at you before you cut the cake and serve everyone. Later, you gratefully take a glass of whiskey from Nate and enjoy the silence of the apartment. Everyone else has gone off to do other things while Nate and you  decided to stay behind. 

“I know I promised I wouldn’t say my wish, but can I still say it?”

Nate leans back in his chair, lazily looking over at you.

“Well, I don’t believe in those things. If you don’t put it out there and chase it, how will you get it? I guess you can consider me the devils advocate here.”

“Alright. I’ll indulge you. My wish was to finally be able to go out and help you guys.”

“Help us?” He eyes you warily.

“Yeah. I mean I know I do already in my own way but I just really want to see what it’s like out there. Even if it’s just being in the background.”

“You’re already in the background. With Hardison. Safe background.”

You roll your eyes.

“Not what I meant. Don’t you want me to see how this works? I mean you always complain that I don’t get it. So let me get it. Come on. I promise I’ll listen to you and play it safe. But let me have some fun, please!”

“That’s the problem. It’s not ‘fun’ out there, kid. It’s a job. I don’t know if you can handle it.”

“Handle it? You know what I can’t handle? Hardison for one more day! No offense to him but I can’t stand another day stuck with him in that hot van! I can’t, Nate! I’m going crazy! Stir crazy! Can you at least let me do this once? Please!”

“What’s so bad with Hardison?”

“Parker this, Parker that. He’s always talking about her and I wouldn’t mind it if he actually went and told her how he feels! He reminds me of someone I know and I can’t stand it!”

“That person you know is that bad?”

“Yes, he is! And he’s not granting me my birthday wish!”

You lean back and sigh, glaring at him. He sighs, holding his face in his hands. 

“Bad enough I have to accommodate everyone else and now you? You’re the one I like because you never ask for anything!”

“I’m asking for one thing and suddenly you don’t like me?”

He grumbles, sighing heavily and rubbing his face. 

“The alcohols not going to kill me, it’s going to be you or Sophie.”

“Oh, I guarantee you that. We’re already planning your murder. We have plans A to C done. How much does your ex hate you by the way?”

He suddenly looks up and sends you an annoyed glare. You laugh softly, running your fingertips on the rim of your glass. 

“You remember how I had that friend whose dad owns a whiskey company? Well, they offer care packages for people they know and the discounts are so good. But it’s not my favorite and I don’t want it to go to waste. Don’t want my friend to think I’m taking advantage of them. But they did offer me a full tour of their distillery. Full of test tasting, complimentary dinner, drinks-“

“Sophie is going to kill me.” He groans, shaking his head side to side.

“Well that was going to happen either way.”

He groans, taking a bigger swig. 

“Just listen to everyone and don’t get in the way of them doing their job. I’m pairing you with Eliot. So far you’ve been getting along. I think he likes you.”

“Likes me?” You stutter. 

How would Nate know about your crush on Eliot? How would anyone know?

“Yeah, well he brings you your favorite drink every day and he got you that gift.”

“He doesn’t like me.”

“I’m not doing this right now. Leave me in peace and regret and I’ll update the team later.”

You slowly get up and smile as soon as you close his office door. Checkmate.

Time Skip

"While I'm proud of you, we don't know who we are dealing with exactly. You've seen it before. Us, the professionals, even get in trouble sometimes. But we trust Nate to make a plan to bail us out." 

You frown as you see all of the orange soda in the fridge. Choosing to just grab bottled water, you close it and turn to a very worried looking Sophie. 

"I'm going with Eliot. It'll be fine. I’ll be fine." 

"By any chance, did you have a say in who you were joining?" 

She peers innocently at you. 

"No. Nate just said and I went along with it." 

You take a swig and watch as she looks away. 

"Ah, I see.” 

“Why?" 

"It's nothing." 

She gives you one last undecipherable look before heading to the couch and sitting next to Parker. You frown. Even being with the team almost a year, you didn't know everyone that well yet. When you had applied for a “secretary title with a concoction of ever changing duties” position working alongside Nate, this was the last thing you expected. You’re glad you took a risk and gave them the benefit of the doubt. It took a while to gain their trust, but they eventually liked you and included you more and more in what they actually did. It was probably because they liked the extra manpower and variety than their already established and constant team members. You sit on the couch and wait for Nate to come reveal the big plan. 

"So, you're tagging along with Eliot?" Hardison asks while typing away at his laptop. 

"Uh, yeah." 

He clicks his tongue while shaking his head. 

"You're going to regret it. Eliot isn't the best or easiest to work with." 

“Then who is?" 

He looks over at you with a “really?” look.

"Obviously me. I would love to teach someone my skills." 

You nod slowly and laugh. 

“What's so funny?" 

"Eliot also said that about you, remember?" 

"You mean the Denzel case?" 

"Yeah." 

"He doesn't know what he's talking about." 

You laugh and look over at the door opening. You see Eliot and he comes in, sitting next to you. 

"Hey." You smile. 

"Hey. Where's Nate?" 

"Probably getting drunk in his office. Want me to go get him?" 

"You shouldn't. He'll come out eventually. Probably thinking about his big plan." Sophie says. 

"Alright! Is the whole team here?" 

You all turn your heads towards Nate. 

Time Skip

"A basement is a pretty bad place to hide a bunch of cash. Just saying." You mumble as you follow Eliot through a hallway. 

“Yeah, well some people aren't as smart as others." 

You quickly turn your head around a corner to check for any guards. 

"You know, I thought you would be mad, or even annoyed, that Nate let me tag along." 

He turns his head around a corner. 

"Yeah, well I think it's a good way to learn something. I like to teach. Just don’t make Hardison my student.” he grumbles.

You run towards a door. He opens it and you squeeze in. 

"Alright. That's the control room. See a metal box?" Hardison says. 

You tune out Hardison's orders to Eliot while you look for any guards. 

“Hey, I'm going to go check the other door. That should be the door to the basement. If it's a basement." You whisper. 

Eliot nods, cutting a cord. 

"Yeah, go. Tell me if you see anything." 

"Y/N, be careful. Just because there haven't been any guards yet, doesn't mean you should get confident." Nate says. 

"I'll be fine. The door is right here." You whisper.

You open it and look in. 

"It's just a big room with nothing in it. Just some vaults. There could be something in here.“ 

You hear footsteps behind you and turn to greet Eliot before a fist comes at you and you feel pain before darkness greets you.

"Y/N, hey. Hey. It's okay. How you feeling?" 

You groan, adjusting your eyes to a bright light. Your head is pounding and your jaw is feeling sore.

"What? Where am I?" 

"She's alive!" Parker yells, making you grimace.

"You okay, Y/N?" Nate asks. 

Eliot clears his throat forcefully. 

"A guard found you. Knocked you out pretty good. The guard blew us. We're going to have to find another way out. You okay? Not feeling dizzy? You might have a concussion."

"Yeah, I'm fine. What about the basement?" 

"Forget about it. We just need to get out of here." 

“We could use the window in the basement. It's small, but I bet we could fit. It leads to the backyard. All we have to do is run across the yard in the blind spot of the cameras, climb the fence and we're out of here." 

"You remember all of that? Damn, Nate. She deserves a promotion." Hardison says. 

"Thanks." You say softly.

Eliot shakes his head, "Lets get out of here, then." 

The moon is bright after you had escaped the house and were waiting for the team to pick you up. You were leaning against a wall next to Eliot, letting the cool night breeze hit your face. You were listening to Hardison and Nate bicker about something. 

"Thanks for uh-saving me, I guess." You say suddenly, breaking the silence. 

Eliot looks over at you. He motions for you to take out the ear pieces and you do. He takes yours and his, and puts them in his pockets. 

"What was that for?" You ask. 

“We don't need to hear Hardison complaining. We get that enough already." He says. 

You both laugh. 

“But seriously. Thanks for helping me. But I just want you know for the future I would rather get caught than risk-" 

He shakes his head, frowning. 

"I don't like to think about that. Point is, it didn't happen." 

You nod, looking at the moon. 

"I think you did good. For your first time. I wouldn't mind having you tag along again." He says. 

You smile, looking into his beautiful blue eyes. "Thanks. I enjoyed myself. And I think I’ll have a bump on my head to remind me about this little adventure." 

“Well, at least you’ll still have a head, darlin’.” 

You both laugh softly. He moves to stand in front of you and lays a hand on the wall.

"Just be more careful next time, alright? I don't want anything bad happening to you." 

"What, I worry Big Bad Eliot?" You tease. 

“Yes, you do." He says. 

His low voice sends shivers down your spine. He slowly starts to lean in until his face is inches from yours. His eyes gaze at you softly. You move a hand up to his neck and gently move him closer. You both close your eyes as his lips place a small kiss on yours. Soft and slow. You shiver from an incoming gust of wind and pull him closer. You kiss him back harder as his other arm hugs your waist. He grips your waist harder and pushes you more against the wall. You moan, gently scratching at his neck. As he pulls away slowly, he bites your lower lip. He moves back and nuzzles his face in your neck. His lips press against your shoulder blade and his facial hair tickles your skin. 

“Happy Birthday, Y/N.” He whispers. 

You bite your lip and your arms surround his back. 

“Two gifts in one day. Wow.” 

You both laugh softly and he kisses your neck, holding you and comforting you with his warmth.

"So...." you whisper. 

He pulls back to look down at your face and smiles.

"So...the team is here." 

You quickly look over and see the van waiting at the end of the alley. Eliot grabs your hand and motions with his head. You smile and walk beside him as he leads you to the curb. He opens the van door and Hardison's shocked face greets you. 

"One time. One time. And Eliot's stupid charm overtakes you. Unbelievable." 

You laugh and hide your blush as you get in the van, sitting next to Eliot. 

"So, I take that it went well?" Nate asks, looking at you with a knowing look.

“Yeah. Perfect." Eliot says, looking over at you with a smile. 

You blush and lay your head on his shoulder. 

“Surprising but it worked out in the end.” You chuckle.

Nate laughs, shaking his head as Hardison mumbles rapidly, driving all of you away.

[leaderoffestivals]

Secret Service: GLOBALISM Chapter 11

Kohaku: —For now, your kidneys… let’s have you leave one of them behind…

Season: Winter Author:  Akira Characters: Madara, Kohaku, Hiyori, Jun, Gatekeeper

Kohaku: —You’re full of openings, old man.

Gatekeeper: (…!? This—this is Oukawa Kohaku!

This guy—what is he doing here!? No, now ain’t the time to be worrying about that—it's going to cause serious problems if a member of the Oukawa clan enters the equation right now!

I was too careless! I let my guard down for a second because of those idiots who appeared on the temple roof—No… was that their intention from the start!? That they were decoys all along!?)

Kohaku: Well, this seems to be as far as you go. 

Now that we’re this close, it’s checkmate (1i) for ya~

—For now, your kidneys… let’s have you leave one of them behind… (2) 

Gatekeeper: (Gwah! That’s bad—the kidneys are vital organs that ain’t protected by any skeletal structure! That's why most martial arts prohibit attacks on them—)

Kohaku: I won’t take your life. You ain’t a job I was commissioned to take on.

However, you’ll probably live just long enough to see the end of SS, I guess?

Gatekeeper: … …?!

Madara: Rider Kick! (3) 

Gatekeeper: Gw—aah!?

Kohaku: Ohh? Don’t get in the way, ya dolt, I was just about to deal a finishing blow (1ii)! 

Madara: Take a good look, Kohaku-san.

Gatekeeper: … …

Kohaku: (… … A gun? Did he just pull it out in that instant just now? If I had gone for his kidney, I might have dealt him a severe wound, but he would have taken my life.

It was only because Madara-han gave this guy who calls himself the Gatekeeper a flying kick that caused him to lose his balance—

Otherwise I would’ve been the one knocked out of the game; I was completely caught by surprise and off-guard.）

Gatekeeper: Mikejima, you punk—My face!

Madara: Quick! Get out of here, Gatekeeper!

Gatekeeper: … …?

Madara: You need to escape, your survival is key for me to climb to the top of the idol world. I’d seriously be in a bind if it all ended here—

That’s why, leave everything here to me and get yourself to a safe place quickly.

Kohaku: Madara-han, you little—!

Madara: Fufun. In any case, I’m reeeally sorry that it has all come down to this... However, for the sake of making my dream come true, I’m taking sides with the Gatekeeper now. 

In other words, I’m gonna have to fight you and anyone else who intends to do him harm.

Kohaku: You seriously mean to do it this way, do you?!

Madara: Yup! A samurai’s word is his bond! 

Kohaku: Since when did you become a samurai? And do you really think you—some amateur—could beat me?

Madara: Even if I can’t win, I can definitely stall for time. You’re a good and kind kid, Kohaku-san, so there’ll definitely be some psychological resistance to killing me, right?

Even if it was only for a moment, even if our paths were only brought together by chance, we’re comrades who have been fighting together.

Kohaku: … …

Madara: That’s why you won’t be able to find it in your heart to kill me. No matter what you do, you’re going to hesitate when you strike—and that's when I’ll have a chance for victory.

Kohaku: Are you serious? It’s our business—We're trained to take out our parents and siblings without battin’ an eyelash. 

What’s more, you're neither my family nor my friend. You're just a mere passin’ acquaintance, an utter stranger who happens to be with me.

You think I'd hesitate to smash down and crush somethin’ like that?

Madara: You’re hesitating now. 

Kohaku: Stop talkin’ about me like you know me.

Madara: Yes, I was not able to become part of your family after all. However, as we stood on stage together, I was the one who got closest to touching your soul.

That’s how I know you better than you know yourself.

You’re a good boy, Kohaku-san. You’re a good boy… who just happened to be born into a bad house.

Kohaku: You… That goes for you too—!

Hiyori: Kohaku-kun! Don't just stand there staring at him, we have to go after that guy who calls himself the Gatekeeper!

Kohaku: He’s long gone from here; He scrambled away while Madara-han was standing there, blockin’ the way with that gargantuan body of his. 

In the meantime, Vice-Prez-han and his private army are already lurking around the mountain, searchin’ for the Gatekeeper.

The way he carries himself is uncanny though; it’s probably gonna be impossible to catch him.

Who is that guy, seriously?

I've heard that he's a big player in the underworld who was based overseas—and it turns out that he can move surprisingly well too. He’s a battle-hardened veteran, a rare thing in this day and age.

Jun: As for me, I’m more taken aback by how Sakura-kun moved so quickly to confront a dangerous opponent like that...

I know it was probably cos’ it was so dark in here, but I couldn’t see any of your movements at all!

Hiyori: Yes, yes! Madara-kun’s dropkick was amazing too! Humans can move like that too, huh?

Kohaku: Spare me from both yer spectator comments, won’t ya? The two of you had better hurry back to a hotel where you'll be safe. Why did y’all follow me here in the first place? I said that it would be dangerous, didn't I?

Hiyori: “Why,” you ask? That’s a boring question, Kohaku-kun!

It’s a lot stranger to be leisurely sipping tea in a hotel—all without a care in the world!—after hearing that your precious family is in trouble!

Jun: That’s right. I know we're probably more of a hindrance than help, but I wanted to help rescue Nagi-senpai who's being held captive out here.

Kohaku: Well, to be honest, I was grateful for the flashy diversion from the both of ya. However, it’s ain’t over yet, so don’t let yer guard down. 

—I won’t be able to relax, not until I beat this idiot up black and blue, and rescue Nagisa-han.

Madara: … …

(To be continued) 

------------------------------------------------

Previous | Next

Translator’s Note:

Kohaku is using shogi/chess terms. (1i) checkmate 詰み tsumi and (1ii) a direct attack on the opponent’s king piece 王手 oute 

So, it’s not officially stated as such, but it seems like Kohaku can remove organs with his bare hands much like Killua Zoldyck, the child assassin from HunterxHunter. 

Rider Kick: From the actual hero show, Kamen Rider. Kamen Rider’s signature move, a flying side kick used to finish off the Monster of the Week. https://kamenrider.fandom.com/wiki/Rider_Kick  (Please think about Madara and his sister as children, watching hero shows together on weekends… yeah.)

https://twitter.com/huyucotton/status/1412403223063896068?s=21 This is just funny. 

This chapter is unproofed, so if you spot any mistakes, please PM me!

[hacked-by-jake]

Call me 'Master of Chess'

A/N: Hi guys, little random fic for between, hope you like it and have fun :)🤗  Mistakes may be included, excuses this

Pairing: JakexMc

Words: 795

Written from Jessy’s point of view

Warning: Fun fight

-

Watching MC and Jake playing chess is really like watching a war movie. I’ve never seen two such aggressive chess players before, and I don’t know if that’s healthy.

The game’s been going on for two hours.

Richy plays Gta and I watch them play.

MC’s making coffee for all of us as Jake chooses his next move. "Bishop from g7 to e5" tells Jake MC about his train.

"Okay, Knight from b5 to d6" she challenges him.

He looks dissatisfied but puts the figure on the place.

"Jessy?" MC calls me.

"Yeah, I know," I grin, "yep is on the right place, d6," I assure her.

While MC is making the coffee I have to be careful that Jake doesn’t cheat and places the figure somewhere else.

For safety’s sake, she writes every move of him and herself on a sheet.

"Rook from h4 to d4"

"Bishop of b3 on a4"

"Pawn from b7 to b5, thanks for the pawn" Jake shouts and grins triumphantly as he takes MC’s figure off the board.

"Ha! Thank you! Bishop from a4 to b5! Also thank you for your Pawn. A couple of seconds ago you put my Bishop there,  you were too hasty babe"

"Crap" Jake mumbles and removes his figure from the playing field.

"King from e8 to f8" he makes his next move.

"Oh, now you’ve got scared and save your king fast?" you hear laughing from the kitchen.

"Just say your next move," he grumbles.

"Queen from b1 to b3" she announces.

"Pawn from f5 to f4"

"Rook from e1 to f1"

"King from f8 to e8"

"Rook from f1 to e1"

Jake tries to escape with his king because he has no protection from other characters.

She could checkmate him right away.

"King of e8 to f8"

"Rook from e1 to f1"

"King from f8 to g8"

MC turns around and claps her hands.

"Now let me teach you how to lose," she giggles.

"Yes, I can imagine that you are an expert in this, as much experience as you have," Jake answers. MC’s mouth opens and she stares shocked at Jake. Then she pinches her eyes hostile.

Even Richy looks scared, "Oh God, run, bro, run," he mumbles, and I giggle.

"Oups, um, that’s not what I meant" Jake immediately tries to save himself and raises his hands in surrender.

"Come here" growls Mc

"Why?" Jake asks nervously.

"Just come here"

"No, you’ll beat me"

"I would never beat you" MC smiles hypocritically.

"Of course you would" I chuckled in and get a nasty look from Jake.

"Then I’ll come to you" Puffs mc and runs towards Jake.

He jumps up and flees in the direction of the bathroom to hide.

MC grabs a chess piece and throws it behind Jake, who can close the door just in time and the piece bounces off.

"Do you want to kill me?" he asks through the door.

"I’m still thinking about, when you get out, we’ll both see what decision spontaneously come to my mind"

"I’m sorry, okay? I was just kidding, so I didn’t mean it," sounds jakes voice muffled.

MC crosses the arms in front of the chest and taps impatiently on the floor with the foot.

Challenging, she watches the door, waiting for it to open.

"I’m coming out now, please don’t throw anything"

The door slowly opens with a creak and Jake sticks his head through the gap.

MC jerks up her arm and Jake pulls his head quickly back to safety.

MC starts laughing and he realizes that she was faking it. With his hands raised he comes out of the bathroom.

"Truce?" he asks reconciling.

MC grabs with her hand at the chin and acts like she’s thinking about it.

The hacker grins at her crooked to see if he can manipulate her. With time we all understood that sometimes it’s enough when Jake grins. Just like it works the other way around.

"I forgive you if..." She takes a dramatic break.

"If?"

"If we look tonight 'finding Nemo' " she sets the condition.

"But he’s so sad," Jake grumbles.

MC is anxious to take a new figure to throw but he gives up quickly, "Okay, okay! We’re watching Nemo."

A smile as of an angel appears on her face. She bends down to the chessboard and reaches for her Queen.

"b3 to g8! And checkmate! Call me 'Master of Chess' " she winks at him and turns around to go back to the kitchen.

"What? How could I not notice?" the hacker rushes to the board to hit his forehead with his flat hand, "the rook was just a distraction?"

"Do you all want cake too?" shouts MC from the kitchen and I can hear the proud grin.

--

Masterlist

[morceid]

Beating The Dead Swan

Chapter 4: hold on for your life

read on ao3

<- chapter three

Summary: The team makes progress on the case and Spencer makes progress with Derek.

Word Count: 1.8k

Category: angst, some fluff

Content Warnings: drug mention, general criminal minds stuff

A/N: so sorry this took so long to finish writing! i just had some other things i needed to do for school stuff before i did this but enjoy!!

The next day Derek walked into the BAU, ready to give Hotch a rundown of how they were handling the case, but something caught his eye.

Through the windows of the office Spencer now occupied, there was an art easel propped up next to the couch. A sheet covered in various paints and colors laid on the floor as Spencer brushed a sky of purple and blue on the canvas.

“Whatcha doin’ there, kid?”

“Oh, oh hi Agent Morgan, I hope this is okay, I just wanted to paint.” Spencer stammered.

“It’s fine, it looks good too. How long have you been painting?”

“I’m fairly certain I was 8, could’ve been 9 though, my dad left around then and it’s all kind of blurry.”

A thick silence surrounded the two, the only sound being the brush against the cloth canvas.

“Um, I’m sorry. Anyways, what are you going to be doing today?” Spencer swiped his finger through the purple color he’d mixed and dabbed it across the wet paint.

“Well, Garcia is looking through the bank records of all the victims. If there’s anything suspicious then she’ll look into it and we might even take the case as a team, but for now it’s just me and her. I’m going to talk to my boss right now, I’ll talk to you later though.” Derek turned towards the doorway but Spencer stopped him.

“Morgan, uh, do you think, do you think you’ll catch whoever did this to Camille?”

“I sure hope we do. You deserve some closure. We all do.”

“Yeah, yeah just sometimes, it feels, I don’t know, captivating in all the wrong ways.”

“I know. But it gets better, I promise you. See you in a bit.” Derek left the office and headed towards the bullpen.

Spencer exhaled and studied the paint on his hand. The cold feeling, the intense smell, and the sound as he slapped it across the canvas.

“Hey, any updates?” Hotch asked Derek as he opened the door to his office.

“Nah, not really. All the people we’ve interviewed are completely innocent. Penelope’s checking men with sexual offenses that our victims could’ve interacted with but I’m not sure we’re gonna find anything.”

“Alright, you should probably check on that now, I’ll see you later if there are any updates.”

“See ya, boss.” Derek said as he walked back down the steps and across the hall to Penelope’s office.

“Hello my soulmate and love of my life Derek Morgan, how can I help you today?” Penelope excitedly exclaimed as Derek walked into her office.

“Hey baby girl, get anything from your search?”

“Unfortunately, no. None of the victims had close family that had both a connection to the company or a sexual offense, in fact there are no sex offenders in the area that have any connection to the company at all. They really do triple check everyone’s background.”

“There has got to be some connection somewhere. Did the M.E. do another tox screen?” Derek asked.

“Yep, and it seems that all of the victims had massive doses of ketamine in their systems.”

“Camille had ketamine in her blood?” Spencer walked into the office and started the two.

“Oh! Spencer, you can’t be in here, not right now.” Derek rushed to take him out of the room.

“Wh- why can’t I? Camille was my friend, I deserve to know about her. Did she have drugs in her body?”

“Spencer, you can’t be interrupting an investigation. I’m sorry, but you need to go back to your office.”

Spencer stops trying to push against Derek and exhales, trying to catch his breath. They walked back towards the office they now called home while squeezing his hands in intervals of three, a trick to calm himself down Camille had taught him. He fell onto the couch and fell asleep quickly, deciding not to fight the tired feeling his eyes gave him.

They woke up what felt like around thirty minutes later, but the digital clock he set on the table next to the brown leather couch read 11:43. He got up and grabbed flannel pants and a sweater from his bag of clothes and headed to the bathroom to change into the pajamas. They grabbed his chess set from his office and went into the breakroom. Their stomach growled and they recalled that they went to Penelope’s office earlier to ask if he could have the rest of the soup. He looked around the bullpen, wondering if they’d mind if he ate something from the fridge.

Agent Rossi walked out of his office and took notice of Spencer.

“Hey, what are you doing up? The only person here this late is generally that guy.” Rossi pointed towards Agent Hotchner’s office. The microwave on the counter now displayed 12:06.

“I-I took an unexpectedly long nap and uh, I didn’t eat lunch or dinner to- well technically yesterday now, uh, c-could I have something from the fridge?” Spencer stammered.

“Of course, kid. In fact, there’s some of my signature pasta in there. I make it weekly for the rest of the team, but today Derek ordered something for lunch so he didn’t eat his. You can have it if you want.”

“Thank you, Agent Rossi.” Spencer took the tupperware container out of the refrigerator and put it in the microwave.

“You can just call me Rossi, you don’t have to do the whole Agent thing,” Rossi said as he sat on the other side of Spencer’s chess game. “I didn’t know you played.”

The microwave beeped and Spencer took the bowl out and stirred it around with a fork. They brought it to the table, eating it as they moved a chess piece.

“Yeah, Camille gave me this set for my birthday, which actually isn't for another couple weeks but she didn’t want to wait.”

“You know, I had this old friend, Jason Gideon, he played chess. I think you’d like him. He’s the one who taught me.” Rossi moved his own chess piece.

“He sounds interesting. I fell asleep before Morgan could tell me anything, but have you made any good progress on the case?”

“A little. We found out how all of the girls died but we just can’t seem to figure out why the unsub did this.”

“Unsub?” Spencer said, moving another chess piece.

“Unknown Subject, it’s what we call the murderer. I’ve looked over your files, you seem like a really smart person.”

“Yeah, I uh, I can read pretty fast. I have an eidetic memory, too. I was a pretty good punching bag as a kid.”

“The world will see something amazing and try to take it for their own.” Rossi absentmindedly moved a piece.

“Yeah, I guess that’s one way of looking at it.”

“So, I’m assuming you don’t have much of a record with the ladies?”

“None at all. I’ve been intrigued by a couple guys, but they’ve all turned me down or turned out to be assholes,” Spencer laughed and moved another one of his pieces before taking another bite of spaghetti. “What about you? You’ve got to have courted some girl with this amazing pasta.”

“Yeah, I have, I actually got three ex wives.”

“Wow, that’s impressive.”

“Depends on your definition of impressive,” It was Rossi’s turn to laugh and move a piece. “You’ve got your eyes on him, don’t you?”

Spencer looked puzzled for a second before Rossi nudged the tupperware lid that had Derek’s name written across the top.

“Maybe, just a little bit. I’d be lying if I didn’t think he was attractive,” Spencer moved a piece. “Check.”

“I think he might like you too.” Rossi moved a piece.

“I don’t. He’s nice, but I don’t think he’d like me back.” Spencer moved a piece.

“I know you haven’t known me for long, Spencer, but I’m right about this,” Rossi moved another piece. “Checkmate. You’re smart, but you’ve still got a lot to learn.”

Rossi got up from the table and started walking out to his car. Spencer packed up his chess set and made a pot of coffee before heading to their office. For the rest of the night they drank his coffee and worked on the painting still sitting on the easel. 

At around six in the morning Spencer was getting ready to brew another pot of coffee and JJ walked into the breakroom. 

“Oh! Hi, uh, are you gonna be here long?” JJ asked.

“Uh, no, why?”

“Uh, Agent Hotchner called us in because he found something with the case. You’re not gonna be allowed in here when he’s telling us, I’m sorry.”

“Oh it’s fine, I’ve been up all night so I should probably just go take a nap anyways.”

They shared an awkward laugh before Spencer went back into the office and promptly fell back asleep on the couch.

Almost six hours later Spencer woke up to Derek knocking on his door. They got up and straightened out their sweater.

“Hey, so Hotch wants you there to hear the profile, just thought you should know.” Derek said, taking in the pajamas Spencer was wearing.

“Oh, okay, thanks.” 

Derek went back out to the bullpen and Spencer closed the blinds of the office windows before changing his flannel pants to jeans. When they finished dressing he went out to the bullpen and sat on the edge of an unused desk. Police officers were scattered around the area.

“You look like you need this.” Derek said as he sat next to Spencer and handed him a cup of coffee.

“Aren’t you supposed to be presenting the case too?”

“No, Hotch wanted to do it himself.”

The two set their cups of coffee down at the same time and their hands brushed against one another.

“You’re comforting.” Spencer thought out loud.

Derek didn’t respond. He just took it in and they both faced away from each other, hiding the smiles from the other’s eyes and savouring the moment.

Hotch’s profile wasn’t all that detailed, but it was early in the case anyways. The unsub would have either no mother figure or a distant one, and the father would be abusive in some way or another. His estimated age range was 25-30 and he would likely have learned his behavior from someone close, possibly the same father that abused him. He would rarely go in public and when he did he wouldn’t talk to anyone unless he had to. He likely wasn’t someone everyone knew and would isolate himself in most situations.

Most of the details floated out of Derek’s head as Hotch spoke as he had already heard the profile once and his mind was already clouded with Spencer’s words. When the presentation was finished Derek walked with Rossi to Penelope’s office to see if she had any new findings.

“He’s kind of a pretty boy, isn't he?” Derek said.

“Who?

“Spencer.”

“Yeah, something like that.” Rossi gave a knowing smile as they walked into Penelope’s office.

TAGLIST: @heavenlydevil @hotpotatowoman @party-poisxn @endingsbeginnings @d3pr3ss3d-w33d-wh0re @ted-theodore-preston​ @moss0ntherocks​ @scandinavian-punk​ @doctorenby​ @penemily​ @izzyl13​ @leomo0n​ @tiedyedrose1705​ 

[psychedellic-phase]

Fifteen (pt 7)

A/N: This part contains more season 7 spoilers!

tw: language arguing

word count: 3.5k

masterlist

“Hey, it’s me.”

The voice belonged to Derek. 

It wasn’t you. Spencer was foolish to think it would ever be you. He stormed off to the chess table again. He didn’t want any visitors and what was it now? 6:15? 

“Reid? I know you’re in there,” Derek called in, but Spencer didn’t move from his position. He didn’t want to see anyone except you, and that wasn’t really an option. 

Derek knocked again, harder this time, “Kid I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

Spencer still didn’t budge; just staring out the window at the falling snow. If he did talk to Morgan, where would he even start? 

“Hey the love of my life moved across the country to get away from me but luckily she left me a box of stuff to cry over!” doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. 

After Emily went to London, Derek had become a close friend of yours. He became another one of your ‘girlfriends.’ He was who you would rant to when you’d argue with Spencer. He even got invited to ‘Girl's Nights’. When you officially broke up that went from close friends to basically inseparable. At work you’d go wherever Derek went. When you got home, you and Derek would go get drinks, or watch a movie, or literally anything else. When he’d ask where you were JJ would just give him a sad look and say “with Derek.” If Spencer hadn’t known any better he would’ve assumed you had gotten together. But he knew Derek was just being a good friend, letting you lean on him in your time of need. 

“Reid? We’re worried about you.”

Still nothing. 

Derek sighed, “We gotta talk about Y/N.”

Well that got his attention. He huffed and dropped the stacks of handwritten letters onto the chess table, knocking over several pawns. He opened the door and allowed Derek to enter. 

“Are you okay?” Derek started with. 

Spencer just looked at him. The bags under his eyes were a deep purplish gray color, and that was answer enough. He looked and felt like shit.

“What do you want to talk about?” His voice was strained and hoarse from all the crying and yelling. 

“We gotta talk about how you’re doing with all of this,” Morgan said, gesturing around at the mess of books and mugs that littered the room.

“I’m fine,” Spencer stated plainly, trying to play it cool. 

“I know you’re not fine. You’re allowed to not be fine, Reid. You just can’t hold it all in and close me out like you usually do.”

Spencer ran his hands through his hair and sighed before asking the one question he wanted the answer to most. 

“Did you know?”

“Did I know what?”

“Did you know she was leaving?”

Derek didn’t answer, which was an answer in and of itself. He knew. You had talked to him about it at length. 

“You knew?!” He snapped, “You knew she was leaving and didn’t tell me? You didn’t try to stop her?”

Derek paused, thinking of what he should say. 

“I did try to stop her and it worked for a little while. If it weren’t for me she would’ve left a month and a half ago.”

Spencer rolled his eyes. 

“She wasn’t happy here, Reid. You and I both know that.” Derek spoke calmly, hoping Spencer would follow suit.  He didn’t. 

“It was getting better! We were getting better!”

“Better? Reid, you only spoke to her at work as needed. It wasn’t ‘getting better’. It wasn’t fine when she was on mandatory leave for a month and you avoided her. It wasn’t fine when you broke up. It wasn’t fine when she took even more time off and you would show up at her door every night. And when she came back?” Derek took a deep breath, “The two of you could barely be on the jet together. We can’t work like that.”

Spencer nodded sadly, “I know. I was fixing it though. If only she gave me more time...”

“More time? Kid, she gave you two months. As much as I wanted her to stay, I couldn’t make her. She was miserable here. It’s been so hard on her–“

Spencer cut him off shouting, “Hard for her? Yeah Morgan, I know how hard it’s been for her. Did anyone ever think about how hard it was for me too?”

“I’m not saying it wasn’t, I’m just saying she had every right to leave. You blocked her out when she needed you most.”

“Oh is that what she told you? Did she care to mention how she couldn’t respect that I needed space on any of your platonic dates? Is that what they were Derek? Or is she just another body for you?” Spencer sneered, but didn’t actually mean what he said. He was just angry, so fucking angry. 

“You know that’s not fair. I took care of her the way you should’ve!”

They just stared at each other, daggers coming from Spencer’s eyes. 

“Get out.”

“Reid, c’mon I’m sorr—“

“I said get out,” Spencer practically hissed, knocking the books off his coffee table. 

Derek backed away slowly, edging towards the door. Before he left he calmed himself down. 

“Whenever you’re ready to talk about this, I’m here. I know you’re mad kid. I do. I miss her too but we can get through this, together.”

Spencer didn’t respond, sitting back at the chess table and staring blankly at the mess of wrinkled letters and chess pieces in front of him. If only this were as easy. He can always predict how many moves it would take to get a checkmate, but there's no magic formula for this. There’s no handbook on heartbreak.

He didn’t even look up to see Derek leave, eyes trained on the letters. He reached out for #6. 

“This is a group picture from JJ and Will’s wedding. This is the last time all of us were together. By all of us I mean the core of us: You, Me, JJ, Derek, Dave, Hotch, Penelope, and Emily. I miss those days. The eight of us were unbelievably close. We still are, to some extent. I call Emily when our schedules work and the six hour time difference doesn’t interfere. Derek is my closest friend right now. He let me lean on him so much in the last few months, it’s amazing. I can’t thank him enough. Pen will always be my go-to when I need to smile or laugh or find out someone’s life history. I’ll miss getting advice from JJ. She always knows what to say. I’m sure I’ll ask Rossi for recipes and Hotch for help running the field office. It’s not goodbye. I know I’ll see you all when Seattle gets a crazy serial killer or something else I’ll call you guys for. I love you all. But for now, I just need a break. I need to put down my own roots and not depend on people that I share with you Spence. I need my own people. It’s so hard to go. It is. It’s probably harder than anything else I’ve ever had to do. But it’s for the best. How lucky am I to have friends that make saying goodbye so damn hard?”

He sighed. He completely understood where you were coming from, but that didn’t make it hurt any less. In fact, maybe that made it hurt more. He knew that your connections in DC and Virginia were through your group mates. You rarely had the time to go out and make new friends, and now all your friends were also his friends. It was just too complicated. 

Part of him was now hoping that a twisted killer would spring up in Seattle soon, just so he would have to see you again. He knew it was wrong, but he couldn’t help smiling at the thought. 

“Okay anyways, back to the picture. Back to JJ’s wedding. The most beautiful and fun wedding I have ever been to. It looked beautiful; I expect nothing less from Dave. And you, God, you looked unreal. You always do, like you’re some kind of angel or statue carved by Michelangelo. And in a tuxedo? Otherworldly. 

Weddings always make me cry. They just do. Seeing two people love each other so much that they want to spend their lives together is too much for me. I miss feeling like that. I felt like that about you, and this is the night I realized that, among other things. 

When you were doing a magic trick with the rings for Henry. The smile on your face had never been wider. He giggled and asked you to do it again and again and you did. And you picked him up and spun him around until he laughed so hard he couldn’t breath. 

“Isn’t he just the best with him?” 

It was JJ. Stunning, beautiful, bride JJ.

“Yeah, he really is,” I said. I was looking at you dreamily, through the rose-colored glasses I’ve always viewed you through. 

“You know he wasn’t always like this?”

“Really?” I didn’t believe her. You were always good with kids for as long as I’d known you, which was not as long as she had. 

“Yeah, we used to call it the Reid Effect. Kids and dogs hated him.”

We both stood there admiring you and Henry. I should’ve seen that as my first red flag, but I didn’t. I didn’t see the way she looked at you with the same dreamy expression I had painted on my face. I was too busy falling even deeper in love with you. 

“He wants kids, you know?” JJ said. 

I nodded, “He told me he wants a village. As many as he can have.”

She smiled and grabbed my arm kindly, “I hope he gets that.”

“I want to give him that.” I blurted it out. I hadn’t even thought about it and suddenly it was out there. She just nodded and walked away, over to her real husband, as I looked at you. My heart was pounding because I saw everything right in front of me. 

“Hey Henry!” I said to him, interrupting your precious play time, “How are you dude?”

He smiled and shook his adorably long hair around. Seriously I don’t think any other kid can pull off that hair but him. 

“I’m good! Uncle Spencer showed me a magic trick.”

“Well can I see the magic trick, Uncle Spencer?” I said, squatting down to Henry’s level. You grinned at us, taking the ring out and making it magically disappear and reappear. 

“How do you do it?” Henry clapped. 

“A magician never reveals his secrets,” You said, squatting down with us and giving him the ring, “You can’t lose this Henry, okay? Mommy and Daddy really need it.”

He nodded and held onto that ring for dear life. 

That’s when I realized I wanted you to be the father of my kids. You’re so good with him. It makes my heart hurt to know that you will never be the father of my kids. You’ll be the best dad, Spence. I mean that.”

A dull ache bloomed around Spencer’s heart. He didn’t want kids unless they were with you. And you had gotten so close. It killed him to know that he was so close, but somehow so far away. 

“When we sat together, holding hands, watching JJ and Will devote their lives to one another, you squeezed mine. When we stood up to clap for them after their first kiss as man and wife, you snaked one arm around my waist and whispered “I love you, Love” to me. I could see that being us. White dress, flowers, rings, everyone we love watching us be in love. Derek would be your best man and Penelope would catch the bouquet. I could see it. Honestly, I still kind of can. At that moment, I realized that I wanted to marry you. I realized that I wanted to spend every moment of my time on Earth with you, Spencer. I wanted the house with the white picket fence. I wanted Christmas mornings with a village of kids. I wanted me and you, ninety years old in a nursing home still holding hands. I wanted forever with you and even that just didn’t seem long enough. It still doesn’t. Time always seems to get away from me. 

I didn’t tell you how I felt. I should have. That night I should’ve taken you aside and kissed you and asked you to marry me. I should’ve grabbed that minister before he left and kept us together. I wanted to spend my life with you so badly, Spence. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. But I didn’t. God, I wish I did.”

Spencer let out a shaky breath, memories of that wedding and so many other moments hitting him hard. He wished you had done all that; he wished he had done all of that.  

“I saw something that I also never told you about. And that thing is what stopped me in my tracks that night. We had taken a break from dancing. I went to get a drink and you were sitting at the table. You were watching JJ. You had a look in your eyes that I know well, because I saw it in my own every time I looked at you for years. Longing. Coincidentally it was the same way she was looking at you just hours before. On her wedding day. Minutes before she got married. 

I almost dropped my glass. 

I always had a sneaking suspicion that there was something between you two, but I never pressed it. She was your best friend, like Derek is to me. You guys were almost inseparable when I joined. I used to say you  were like Woody and Jessie. A dynamic duo. I realized then that it was more than that for you. There was more than a sibling love shared between you. I only ever knew JJ as a devoted mom. I knew her post Will and Henry, so of course you guys were just friends, right? I mean you’re her son’s Godfather. And it was her wedding Spence. You looked at her with love in your eyes as she devoted her life to a man who isn’t you. I had half a heart to stomp up to you and pick a fight, but using my better judgement I decided to believe that whatever was there was long over, just a meaningless crush. Well, I was wrong. Things that never begin can’t end, Spence. But there you were, staring at her the same way I stared at you a million times. 

That was the first time you broke my heart, Spencer Reid, and you didn’t even know it. I didn’t approach you. I didn’t trust myself to keep it together. It felt like you reached into my chest to rip my heart in half. I fumbled back to the bar, suppressed my tears and sipped my drink as I watched. I watched you go and steal JJ for a dance. An innocent little dance for the only person in the world who calls you ‘Spence’. Except I also call you Spence, and so do so many other people. But you only care about it coming from her. I watched you tense up as you put your arms around her. I wanted to hurl.  After a few minutes of watching you and your two left feet dance with the bride. I went inside. 

That’s where I saw Emily. 

Talk about a whirlwind of a night. 

We all knew coming back from the dead had been hard for her. Who wouldn’t have a hard time? She was going to see a therapist and seemed to be getting better. She had us. She had Sergio. She was going to be okay. That night she was off, and I know Em when she’s off. She was watching all of us like we were in a fish bowl, like she was an outsider. I had to talk to her. 

“What’s going on Em?” I asked her. 

She just avoided my gaze and I sat next to her, holding her hand, half for myself and half for her. “I got offered a job in London. Chief of their Interpol office.” 

She still didn’t look at me and I squeezed it. I knew she was leaving, again. 

“You’re taking it?” 

She just nodded, “Yeah, I-I just need to talk to Hotch I guess.”

I nodded. I wasn’t mad at her. I was just sad. It felt like we just got her back, and she was leaving again. I don’t know how much more leaving the team can take. I’m sorry for leaving too. 

“What’s going on with you, Y/N?” She asked me, clearly she was able to tell that I was distraught, “Is it me leaving?”

I shook my head, forcing the tears to stay inside, “No, not you. You should go. You should be happy.”

She sighed and said something then that I didn’t understand at the time. Now I do though. 

She said “I just can’t grab onto my old life and pretend that nothing happened.” 

I feel the exact same way right now. I can’t hold onto my old life. My life with you. And pretend that I’m not a different person now. I am. Maybe I’m not a better person, but I am definitely a different person. And I think I need to leave, just like Em, to go learn how to be that person now. You can’t fit a square peg into a round hole, and that’s what I’ve felt like for the last few months. I feel wrong. I can’t survive a life I built with you without you. So now it’s time for a new one.

So here’s the photograph of the last time we were all together. Admire it. Remember it. Miss it, I know I will. We’ll never be like that again.”

Spencer paused and looked at the photo, taking it all in. You were next to him with your arm on his chest, and his arm was around your waist, but he wasn’t leaning into you. He was leaning into JJ; classic ‘I’m attracted to you’ body language. He felt gross. 

He remembered that night and how distant you had been once you came back from the bar. You barely spoke, barely even looked at him. You hung around the bar much more than you usually would. He assumed it was because of Emily, but now it made so much more sense. He wished you would’ve told him so he could’ve told you that he did have feelings for JJ at some point in time, but they didn’t hold a candle to how he felt about you. If JJ was a flame, you were a forest fire.

He didn’t know about any of your feelings that night. He felt the same way of course. He knew he wanted to marry you the second you showed him those film festival tickets. He was certain he would marry you, and he almost had. You didn’t know that though. You didn’t know how he wanted you, and he didn’t know how you wanted him in the same way. How terribly sad it is when two people love each other but end up two worlds apart.

It dawned on him that it seemed he didn’t know about your feelings a lot of the time. You just took him on a roller coaster, from being absolutely ready to marry him to being heartbroken, to being double heartbroken because you were losing yet another person. Maybe he never did really understand you the way he thought he did. 

The photo was wrinkled on the corners and had “JJ&Will” and the date written on the back in the same handwriting that he had been pouring over for hours now. Your handwriting. He took it to the cork board and put it right next to the film festival ticket. He decided to put the locket and the book in front of the board too, collecting all the pieces of you he had left in one place. Kind of like a little shrine to the love he once knew. 

He stared at the photo some more. The way Garcia held onto Derek. The way Hotch was smiling with his whole face, something he didn’t see often. The way Rossi held Hotch and Derek’s shoulders like they were his own. Emily on the end next to you, smiling the last genuine smile he had ever seen from her. His heart ached. That family was still there, just in different places now. 

Family. What an interesting word that means so many different things to so many different people. To Spencer, it meant those people in that photograph. He had lost Emily, lost you, and he was done losing his family. He picked up his phone, which was at 27% percent. Just as you said, it was never above 30. He  plugged it in as he sent a message to Derek. 

“Meet me at 8”

And then he waited. 

Part 8!

taglist: @l0ve-0f-my-life  @aperrywilliams  @helloniallslovelies  @random-ravings  @ajwantsapancake  @andiebeaword  @boiled-onionrings  @frnks-stuff  @icantevenanymore1​

[sparklingchan]

Checkmate || Bang Chan (Stray Kids)

Pairing : Reader (fem.) X Bang Chan

Word count : 14k + ( oops-)

Warnings: A few cuss words , suggestive, mentions of death / murder / beheading and blood.NOT PROOF READ I’M SO SORRY.

Genre : Fluff, angst, romance ,strangers to lovers , Alice in Wonderland au, Royal au(a tiny bit) .

Description: Alice in Wonderland is just a story , or so you were made to believe.

A/N: This story is loosely based on the story of Alice in Wonderland. I always wanted to write Chan in a fictional universe and FINALLY I AM DONE WITH THIS STORY! I have twisted a few facts from the original story to fit my plot so not everything is the same.

Enjoy!

Weekends have had a special place in your heart ever since you were old enough to understand the importance of the last two days of the week in a normal human's life. For a long time , weekends meant going out with friends , partying, camping , eating , relaxing. Weekends meant your mom's scoldings in the morning , the sound of your dad's old radio, your brother's laughter. Weekends meant happiness.

But for sometime now, these definitions have changed. Drastically . Now weekends mean finishing presentations, cleaning your room , washing dirty dishes in the company of the empty corners of your solo apartment. Weekends now mean loneliness.

"Yes ,mom. I have been eating the herbal medicine you sent." You were never able to lie to your mom as a kid or even as a teenager. But the adult 'you' could easily do it. Lying to your mom was as easy as breathing now.

"Are you sure,y/n?" She asks in a stern voice.

You look at your small dining table , at the herbal medicine packet that lies there, as good new. And you let out a tired sigh , pressing your phone closer to your ear.

"Yes."

It had been an exceptionally tiring day at work today. And as you flop down on your couch with your mom still on call ,you wonder why you were feeling this sudden tiredness - all you did today at office was listen to your new boss boast about her achievements and your annoying colleagues kissing up to her as if she were some kind of Messiah.

"Aren't you coming home this weekend?" Your mom's tone now changes. She sounds worried, almost sad, "Dad and I miss you so much. Minho comes home often but we rarely get to see you."

Your eyes fall on the family picture hanging in the wall in front of the couch. It was the summer of your third birthday. Your mom and dad sat on the carpet while you and Minho stacked up legos to make a multi coloured house. The smile on your faces splash a wave of nostalgia towards you and you accept it wholeheartedly.

"I miss you guys too but I don't think I'll make it ,mom. I'm so sorry. " you say with a suppressed yawn, "But I will be going over to Minho's on Sunday so don't worry. We'll facetime you guys then." You feel your eyes get heavier but for the sake of your mom and your empty stomach ,you try your best to not fall asleep.

"Okay, okay. Sounds good. " your mom replies, "See you soon. Love you ,baby. "

You smile at her cheesy yet sweet words. Your mom has always been a fluff ball, just like your dad. But you and your elder brother didn't inherit that sweetness, sadly. "Love you too, mom." You reply.

And then the line goes silent.

You close your eyes, just to rest for a moment before having to cook dinner and working on your next week's presentation. But your eyelids feel like they suddenly weigh a lot more than they did a few minutes ago, like they were made of lead and you couldn't even lift them for a second more.

And before you know it, you've already drifted off into dreamland with your office clothes still on and your empty stomach growling.

For some reason , you'd always been a morning person. You've never had trouble waking up for school or college or work on time, where as your friends and colleagues were all heavy sleepers - they could sleep even through earthquakes.

You remember as kids ,all of your mom's friends would complain about how their kids wouldn't get their asses up for school in the morning and needed to be practically dragged out of bed while your mom just smiled and nodded in response. You probably adopted this habit from Minho ; he might be an annoying idiot most of the time but you have to give him credit where it's due.

And when your eyes open a few hours later, naturally , you expect it to be a bright , sunny morning.

But you're disappointed to see that it's still dark outside.

The lights of your living room are still on and the television is playing some stupid movie in the background , just the way it had been when you came back home from work and switched it on. Rubbing the sleep away from your eyes, you look at the clock on the wall. 3:45 AM, it reads.

"Goddamn it," you push yourself off the couch ,still groggy from your nap, your whole body aching . You grab your phone and office bag and waddle to your bedroom ,in hopes of finishing your much needed nap.

The hallways of your house are dark but familiar so it takes no time for you to find your room's door. Groaning , you close it behind you and walk towards your bed, a homely , comforting feeling enveloping you like a soft blanket. The lights of the room are switched off as usual , and the cold air of the room makes your skin tingle. You smell your signature perfume in the air and the room freshener you use, and surprisingly, a very strange, foreign smell that you are sure you had never smelt in your house before - the smell of grass and mud on a rainy day.

"What the-" you mutter to yourself as your mind finally starts functioning properly again , coming out of your post nap trance and all your senses suddenly switching to high alert mode.

It wasn't raining right now ,nor had it been raining in the evening when you came home so there's no way that this smell was carried in by you. You remember seeing droplets of rain run down the office windows during your lunch break, which means it had rained only a little bit during afternoon. Did someone enter your house in the afternoon?

Your heart starts hammering against your chest. Something feels wrong ,very wrong.

And you quickly realize you were right - because the moment you take a step away from your bed , your feet gets stuck onto something and you crash on the floor. Face down.

"Ow, shit - WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THAT?"

Turns out ,your feet didn't get stuck on a 'something ' , it was rather a                  ' someone '.

In all honesty, you had never seen a man as handsome as the one that lies on your bedroom floor right now, his hands and feet sprawled out as if he were sleeping on his own bed, his lips parted and hair damp. And if it weren't for his slow , steady breathing and the flush across his cheeks , you'd have almost thought he was dead.

You want to scream. And you do.

You should have called the police the moment you saw him, you think , but you didn't- more like you couldn't.

You are scared obviously, as you frantically check all your lockers and drawers to make sure he hadn't stolen anything. You check his pant pockets but find nothing. You even consider calling your brother but something was stopping you from doing so .

There is something about this man - maybe his extra silky looking clothes , maybe the weird pendant around his neck or maybe just the mere gut feeling that he might actually be the victim, not the criminal - that just wouldn't let you pick up the phone and call the authorities, even though you have their number on speed dial.

"Can I get another slice of bread ,please?" You snap out of your thoughts on hearing his husky, honey-like voice, call out to you, only to realize that you'd been staring at his face as if he were an alien.

Maybe he is an alien....

Embarrassed at being caught red handed, your cheeks flush as you nod your head and pass the man sitting on your dining table,right in front of you, his fifth slice of bread. Damn, he must have been starving.

"Thank you ,miss y/n." He replies with a polite smile, applying butter on the bread with the butter knife Minho had left at your place on your last birthday.

You want to return his smile ,you really do, but you can't find it in yourself to keep your curiosity suppressed anymore. You've never been so intrigued by a living,breathing human before, not to this extent at least.

A few hours ago, when he woke up after you dragged him off from the floor and laid him on your bed, you half expected him to attack you with a weapon or strangle you or threaten you for money but all he did was politely ask if you were the owner of this 'warm and cozy ' house and your name. He even called you ' a kind lady ' when you offered him breakfast and medicine for the slight fever he complained of , out of nothing but pure curiosity and intrigue.

"What was your name , again, sir?" You ask , putting down your chopsticks after deciding your breakfast wasn't that important anymore ,"and where do you come from?"

He sits up straight, the smile on his lips slowly dissolving into a frown. Did you say something wrong?

"I'm Bang Christopher Chan. But I usually go by Chan, " he answers the first part of your question and when he notices your anticipating eyes ,waiting for him to answer the next part , he looks down at his plate, as if embarrassed. "I wish I could tell you where I come from ,my lady ,but I can't and you wouldn't believe me either way. "

You furrow your eyebrows in confusion ; first of all ,this man - Chan - ends up in your room, passed out and sick , secondly he wears such expensive looking ,vintage clothes and lastly, the man speaks as if he were an actor in a Shakespearean play and now he refuses to tell you where he comes from.

He is feeding into your alien theory a little more than you expected.

"Well we won't know that unless you tell me." you reply with pleading eyes, curiosity getting the best of you. He shakes his head and presses his lips together in a firm smile, dragging his chair across the floor and standing up, "I'm afraid I can't do that."

You only watch in awe as he walks towards your main door in strange yet elegant steps. He turns around to look at you, "I express my heartfelt gratitude for everything you've done for me, my sweet lady. You gave me shelter and food and your magical herbs cured my sickness. I will never forget this favour of yours."

Magical herbs? Is he talking about your mom's herbal medicine?

You gulp, not knowing how to reply to his sudden expression of gratitude. With an INTP personality type, you've always found it hard to express yourself to people around you, even if your life depended on it and this time isn't any different either.

"W-well it was my pleasure." You stutter, "But where are you going now anyway?"

He runs his fingers through his silky , fluffy blonde hair and licks his dry lips. "I'm going to look for a friend. He might be able to help me."

"How will you find him? Do you have his phone number or address?" You ask. He shakes his head, "I'm afraid not. What's a phone number, by the way?"

Your eyes widen at his question, your mind running wild with possibilities of what might actually be going on with Chan. You've only ever seen things like this in movies and shows - a random person with no memory whatsoever meets the main character and they set out on an adventure together. And as curious as you were to find out whether Chan brings adventure with him too , you didn't want to get yourself involved in something so messy.

"It's a number via which you can contact people using this device." You say , showing him the led screen of your phone.

His mouth gapes at you , his eyes shaking with curiosity.

Oh this one is a gone case ,you think.

"I'll help you find your friend. What's his name?" You ask him again.

Still in fascination with your phone , he barely whispers his friend's name but thankfully you catch it,

"Lee Felix."

You hate driving . Period. Especially on weekends when the roads are full of impatient cars going off to picnics ,goods trucks trying to finish business as soon as possible , two wheelers which are the location of all the PDA in the world. You aren't used to seeing such happy traffic.

But here you are ,driving this mysterious yet charming man to his friend's place.

Lee Felix ,as the internet tells you , is an owner of a medicinal shop and is pretty well known among people for his homemade medicines and ointments. It only took one tap on your search engine to find out his location.

"So who exactly is this friend of yours?" The car has been quite ever since you left your apartment and you couldn't take it anymore - not when Chan just sits beside you , his fingers tapping on his leg with anxiousness.

He looks up at you , "He's more like a little brother to me , honestly. I grew up with his family - playing with his friends and his siblings. But he moved out of our hometown to do business. He still comes home sometimes but lives here most of the time. "

Now, that's the kind of information you'd been seeking for since the morning. He's slowly but surely warming upto you.

"So you're here to take him home or what?" you ask.

He shakes his head with a grim expression. "No, of course not. I wish I could but he is happy here , tells me he has a lover now and lots of friends. I'm happy for him. And anyway ," he pauses for second , "I'm here to hide. "

You find your heart race at the last word. He's hiding, but from what? From who? Is he a criminal that is trying to save himself from punishment? Or something worse?

Shit. This is not a good idea at all.

If your brother were here , he'd have flicked your forehead so hard it would have hurt for days. Maybe you even deserve it this time.

"From what?" You ask ,your voice only a whisper.

He sighs ,leaning against the window and looking out with thoughtful eyes.

"I really can't tell you, my lady." He replies.

Before you could question him further ,you see a house emerging in the distance and immediately recognize it as Lee Felix 's home plus workshop. Reluctantly, you pull over in front of the huge wooden house.

"How do I open the door ?" Chan asks with an innocent smile when you're about to get out. You let out a small chuckle and put your hand on your own door handle, "Press the black button here and push the door gently. " You demonstrate and he picks it up quickly, joining you as you stand on the porch of this Felix dude's house.

Chan knocks on the door with urgency, and for the first time today, he seems a little relaxed now. Like a weight from his shoulders had been lifted, and you don't have the heart to tell him that there's a doorbell directly on his right.

You hear quick shuffling behind the door and within a second ,the door opens to reveal a man - probably Felix - with bright orange hair and a big smile.

Brothers , you remember Chan's words.

They really do look like brothers as Felix jumps on Chan,embracing him like he had just saved his life. You don't miss the quiet sniffing from Chan and the tears that accumulate in Felix's eyes as they pat each other on the back , mumbling ' I missed you's to each other.

"I was so worried, Chan." Felix pulls away , grabbing Chan's shoulders, " I thought you'd gone to Marmoreal . Why didn't you tell me you were here?"

The name Marmoreal rings a bell in your head ,for sure. You'd heard that place before many times but as you search through your memories and try to find the exact context of that name , you fail to find it. It feels like you'd heard it almost in a dream.

"I just arrived here last night. Wasn't a very pleasant ride ,if you ask me. " Chan says , giggling.

Felix giggles too and then his eyes land on your confused face , as he let's go of Chan.

"And who might this fair lady be?" He asks with a pleasant smile.

Brilliant. Another actor from a Shakespearean play.

"Oh,right," Chan chuckles. " This is y/n, the kind lady who let me stay at her house for the night. "

No,he ended up in your room out of nowhere, you want to say ,but you swallow the words. You didn't want Chan to think of you as rude.

"Hello, Miss Y/n. " he smiles, " You've done us both such favour by housing him. We will not forget this. " Felix says, bowing his head to you.

Awkwardness is what you feel as you force a smile and nod in response,your palms sweating from the unexpected words , "You're welcome,I guess. "

Felix leads the two of you inside the house and you are greeted by a lovely young lady, who looks about your age - Felix's lover ,you assume.She walks in with a freshly baked cake in her gloved hands, her eyes shining the moment she sees the both of you.

"Oh,my dear." She runs to you , " Prince Chan! I have heard so much about you. Felix talks about you all the time. And oh,my, who's this lovely lady?"

Prince Chan .

Prince Chan.

Chan is a prince?

You look at him ,your eyes wide with confusion and doubt and he looks back at you with a nervous expression, like he didn't want the girl to address him as a prince.

"Yeah, " Felix clears his throat, raising his eyebrows at the girl in front of you , as if asking her to keep quiet. "This is Chan and the woman who provided him shelter last night- y/n."

"Oh my apologies," she replies with a smile, probably getting Felix's message, "Hello, Chan, Y/n, I'm Felix's girlfriend, Tracy. " She says as she clings on to Felix's arm and he stares adoringly at her like she is a rare ,precious diamond that no man could ever have but him.

You've seen that look before - in your parents eyes when they tease each other , in your brother's eyes when he talks about his boyfriend , in your ex boyfriend's eyes. You almost feel jealous.

"Hello ,Tracy." Both you and Chan say at the same time and then awkwardly stare at each other.

Tracy giggles.

"Anyway, Chan and I have important things to talk about. " Felix wiggles out of her grip and takes Chan by the arm ," Tracy, my love, would you please see to it that Miss Y/n here is not bored."

And Tracy surely did make sure you weren't bored for a single second.

She takes you into their medicine workshop, showing you the different herbs and fruits and vegetables they use to make the herbal medicine. She shows you the various jars full of these medicines and ointments. Her eyes shine with passion when she talks to you and it makes you realize how happy this makes her.

It is not an hour later,when she offers you a slice of cake and a cup of coffee that you find in yourself to ask Tracy about Chan and Felix and whatever happened back in their hometown.

"Ah,right. Their home." A sad expression falls on her ,as she stirs her coffee, " I wish I could tell you , I really do but unless Felix or Chan ask of me , I cannot do it."

The same response, again and again. "But I'm curious..... and scared." You mutter.

Tracy clicks her tongue on the roof of her mouth ,"Sweetie, I know you are and I don't blame you. But it is not my place to decide if I can reveal a secret or not....yet I can tell you this- Chan is not dangerous or anything of that sort. He's in fact the one in danger, in need of protection. "

Shocked, you stare at Tracy ,not being able to form proper words. Your prediction was right, Chan was in fact the victim.

You feel chills down your spine.

"Do you come from that place too?" You ask again.

"Oh no, I wish , sweetheart, I wish but no. I'm from this city itself. Born and raised. " she replies with a slight chuckle.

You want to ask her if Chan and Felix had come from a different planet but you stop yourself just in time when the boys arrive into the workshop.

"I'm afraid we'll have to bid them farewell now, miss y/n." Chan says with a sad smile and you wonder if he said that to console his own self.

"You've been so ,so kind to Chan. I would just ask you to do one last thing for him -" Felix starts, " Can you please drop him at the Levanter hotel ?"

Your forehead creases with confusion, "Why ? Will he not be staying with you?"

"No, I'm afraid not. He'll be easier to find in my house out of all the places. He won't be very safe here." Felix admits, embarrassed.

"Then he can stay at my place. He doesn't have to live all alone." Your mouth speaks out those words without giving a second thought to the idea of Chan actually living with you - you said you didn't want trouble but here you were ,being a big ass hypocrite.

"Well I don't see a problem with that, "Tracy chimes in , grinning, "and besides ,I like to believe that Chan would rather enjoy your company than be alone."

Your cheeks burn red as Tracy yet again puts you and Chan in an awkward place. His eyes are fixed on your face while yours are everywhere but him.

"Its settled then. " Felix says as the couple escorts you and Chan to your car. And just before you drive off, you hear Felix say to Chan, "I think we can trust the lady. Tell her about Underland. Tell her about home."

You love listening to stories. You remember your dad telling you and Minho stories ever night when you were kids and how you found it difficult to sleep without listening to his stories. Stories make you happy, they make your mind wonder about the infinite possibilities in this vast universe and how you happened to be where you were at the exact moment when the story was told.

Stories fascinate you .

With a voice as serious as your dad's, Chan starts, "I and Felix come from a far, far away place called Underland. You humans might know of it as Wonderland because of that one writer who stumbled upon our kingdom one day and decided to write a stupid book about it." He almost sounds angry when he speaks the last line.

"Anyway, I and Felix belong to Underland, which was ruled by the First Great White Queen's descendants for centuries. But everything changed when my grand father - The Last White King passed away. My father were to take the throne by blood right but then a blood descendant of the First Red Queen arrived and claimed Underland as hers. She killed all remaining members of the White Queen's family, my parents, my brothers and sisters," he pauses for a second ,blinking away tears. Your heart clenches with sadness , "But she couldn't kill me; I was just a baby. The youngest of them all. So she banished me to the Enchanted Forest forever ,to live with The Hatters which was Felix's family. In the forest , I grew up with his siblings - Sana, Momo , Me and Felix were inseparable. And we played with the Dormouse , the Cheshire Cat, the White Rabbit , March Hare all day. It was lovely, almost like a dream. Never once did I want to live a royal life or desire my rightful throne back - I was happy. But when I turned twenty , the Queen wanted me to marry her daughter so that she could tighten her claim over the throne. I couldn't do that , I couldn't marry a woman I did not know and did not love. So my friends used their magic and helped run away from the Queen and her Red Knights. And that's how I ended up in your house. "

You blink a few times as everything comes crashing to you at once - his sudden appearance in your room, his weird clothes ,his accent ,his strange walk ,his cluelessness about the modern world , and Tracy calling him a Prince - he is a Prince. A Prince of a place you didn't know actually existed, a descendant of A Queen you'd only heard about in books and movies.

Marmoreal is the name of the White Queen's home , now you remember.

Wonderland was real. As real as you and Chan and Felix and Minho and Tracy. It very much exists .

"Y/n, please do not fear me,I beg of you. You can ask me anything you want but I want you to know that I will not harm you. I am your friend. At least I want to be. " he says , putting a hand on yours as your mind snap backs to reality.

You straighten up.

"Questions , right." you say, still blinking more often than you needed to .

"So the Red queen and the White queen are real? Like they're not just that Writer's idea?" You ask.

"Oh ,they are, I assure you. They were sisters but enemies, which led to the evil Red Queen's banishment centuries ago. Their descendants never got along with each other."

You nod, gulping hard. So the scary Queen with the big head was real. Brilliant.

"And The Hatters , are they the family of the Once Mad Hatter?"

"Yes, they are."

"Aren't they all mad?"

He chuckles, leaning closer to your face, "Darling, they're only as mad as you and I."

Your heart beat gets stuck in your throat , stopping you from asking him anything anymore.

Taking it as the end of the conversation Chan bids you a quick goodnight and heads over to the guest room you had given him.

But he stops just before the door, leaning against the door with a grin ,"Oh, by the way, my lady ,you might not want to skip that herbal medicine on your table anymore."

You frown, "Why?"

"I wasn't lying when I said they were magical - Felix makes them after all."

Oh, what a small fucking world!

The next morning, Bang Christopher Chan claims that he makes very ,very good morning tea that will give you a boost that normal ' human ' tea could never.

"Take one sip and you will crave for more, " he tells you as you provide him with the basic ingredients and watch him from the opposite side of the counter , making this supposedly mind blowing tea.

Now, to be very frank ,you weren't much of a tea person - you've only had boba a few times and the proper ,traditional tea only on the few times that your dad makes some. You were more into coffee. But you didn't tell him that.

You see Chan lean over the boiling pot of water on the gas , adding tea leaves and a little bit of cinnamon and then half a spoon of ground ginger. You observe him , your curiosity bubbling like the boiling water.

"Are you going to add ...magic too? " you couldn't help but ask the question as Chan stirs the mixture in front of him.

He chuckles , a warm , hearty laugh that lights up the lonely and cold corners of your small apartment. His eyes turn into crescent moons and his deep ocean dimples as he walks towards you and softly boops your nose , "Yes, of course! How would it be different from your normal tea otherwise?"

You see him walk back to the pot and then rub his forefinger and thumb together above the mouth of the pot , "Watch this ,my lady." You stare at him with shock as a sparkly , golden dust snows down due to the friction of his thumb and forefinger and gets mixed with the boiling tea.

And when the first sip of the freshly brewed,warm tea touches your lips and travels inside your mouth, you feel an explosion in your brain that you'd never felt before. You feel like there are literal fireworks in your head ,burning and cracking and fueling your energy levels. You want to run out on the roads and scream on top on your lungs for no goddamn reason.

"Chan, I didn't think I'd say this ,but this is the most delicious beverage I've ever tasted." You say , booping his nose like he did before, " Thank You."

In the evening , you take him out for shopping after calling Minho to cancel your plans with him. You told him that an old friend of yours was visiting from Australia and that he would be crashing at yours for the next few days. Minho didn't care much , as usual ,and all he said was, "Don't get pregnant." You remember rolling your eyes at his annoying remark.

So now here you are, scrolling through your phone while Chan tries on different clothes in the trial room.

"I do not like the shirt that shows my arms!" He yells from inside as the employees of the store giggle.

You sigh, " It's called a tank top,Chan. And I'm buying it whether you like it or not, it's summer for God's sake!"

You hear him mumble something under his breath and then the door of the dressing room creaks open to reveal a very different Chan. You can't help up but gawk at his perfectly toned arms and the very evident biceps that you did not expect to be there. You gulp hard. With his tousled hair and perfect smile and gorgeous eyes , he looks like a Disney Prince, the ones you used to obsess over as a child.

He is a prince, you dummy, you remind yourself again. Prince of Wonderland . (Underland, whatever)

He awkwardly hugs his arms around his body as the cool air from the AC grazes his bare arms ,his cheeks turning red from embarrassment.

" Hey, chin up !" You grin , and walk toward him.

He presses his lips in a line and mutters ,"I look ugly."

"No, you do not look ugly ,Christopher. You look anything but ugly ," you glare at him, "You look amazing. Just like... Park Chanyeol. "

His forehead creases and you see a ghost of jealousy in his eyes, " Who is that? Your lover?"

You laugh out loud, patting his cheek softly. " No, he is a...famous person. In our world. Just like you are of your kingdom."

You decide to take out Chinese food for dinner and even though you want to ask Chan if he was okay with that , you don't. Because he probably doesn't know what China even is .

"Do you want me to carry that bag for you?" Chan asks ,pointing at the take out bag on your lap as the both of you settle down in the backseat of the cab you had called. You wince as you realize how badly your feet hurt from all the shopping and snacking.

"No , thank you. Plus you have enough things to carry yourself." You reply, eyeing the tons of bags he carries, containing clothes and shoes and whatnot.

The drive to your house is long , owing to the fact that the city becomes more livelier at night - a scene you rarely get to see with your own eyes anymore, thanks to your stupid job. The cab driver plays a slow, romantic song and you automatically find your eyes scan Chan's face, looking for something that could help you relate to the song booming through the speakers.

But all you see is worry.

"Chan, are you alright?" You ask him, placing a hand on his arm.

He looks over at you , his eyes shining like the city lights that you hadn't seen in so long, " You're a very kind person ,my lady. I do not know how I will ever repay you for this; any of this! "

You feel a warm feeling spread from your chest, coursing through your veins and under your scalp and your ears.

"You can repay me by making that tea for me everyday. " you reply with a soft smile.

Chan scoots over closer to you ,then puts his head on your shoulders, " Well then I'm sure you wouldn't mind if I take a short nap - I owe you this one too."

You blush and look away from his captivating gaze ," Fine, whatever. Just make the tea for me. "

You know you want to add something but you swallow those words and repeat them only in the company of your own thoughts.

Thank you ,Chan , you think as you look out the car window ,cherishing the beautiful streetlights and the tall buildings and the neon signs of shops and the gentle pressure of Chan's head on your shoulder , Thank you for making my weekend less lonely.

Chan is a man of his word, you can guarantee that - An honorable , honest man who almost seems too good to be real sometimes.

As promised , he'd make you tea every morning for the next two months before you go to office while he spends most of his time in your house, trying out different things to keep him occupied while you were at work - learning how to use your spare laptop , cooking tutorials on YouTube , videocalling with Felix , practicing magic on your plushies, online window shopping because he apparently loved the way people in your world dressed.

He'd wait for you every evening with another interesting thing he had learnt and wanted to share with you , and a plate of freshly cut fruits that he prepared beforehand. Then you'd both make dinner together and spend the rest of the evening talking and laughing and gossiping .He would tell you about Underland and it's castles and magic and you would tell him about your world and how a stupid picture on the internet could go viral in a split second.

On weekends, you'd make a hearty breakfast for the both of you and then clean the house together,which Chan never once complained about. By the time evening comes, you would have already chosen what movie to show him while the popcorn cooks in the microwave. Or sometimes you'd spend the day at Felix's or sometimes drive down for a small picnic at a park.

Slowly but definitely, Chan becomes a part of your everyday life , your source of comfort, your escape . And he ,in turn , finds a caring friend in you , a teacher , a person he could lean on . Knowingly or unknowingly , you become his escape too.

It is on one such Friday night that Minho calls you during your movie session and you excuse yourself from a weeping Chan ( the movie you chose was Titanic) ,walking towards your own room.

" What's up?" You say into the phone as you jump on your bed .

"Are you seriously asking me that? Y/n , it's been weeks since mom or dad or I saw you. You keep cancelling plans for your Australian friend. Do you think I'm stupid?" He yells at you and you move your ear away from the speaker. Gosh ,talk about being so loud and annoying.

"He's coming home after years, Min. I can't just leave him here."

He sighs, "What kind of a friend stays over for two fucking months. " then adds ,with all seriousness, " is this some Christian Grey shit going on?"

You laugh - you have to ,even though you know your brother is pissed off ," Dude, do you even hear yourself ? I earn ten times more than that Anastasia bitch did. I don't need a sugar daddy."

"Then what's going on with this guy ? Tell me the truth ,y/n . You know I'll believe you." His voice now softens.

You sigh, rubbing the crease between your eyebrows.

Not this time ,you wouldn't believe me, you want to tell Minho.

But then decide that if you can't tell him the truth ,you could at least tell him half the truth.

"Look, Minho...my friend is not here for a vacation. He's here to hide. He's in possible danger. " you whisper to him.

"What kind of danger? Y/n,what if he's running from the police? What if he's in trouble with the government?" He asks,his voice filled with concern.

You hated the fact that he was so similar to you . And he had the audacity to call you adopted for so many years. Asshole.

"No, silly. Not that kind of trouble. He ran away from his engagement. The bride's mother is a bitch apparently ,trying to force him for his money and fame. "

You hear Minho heave a sigh of relief from the other side and naturally, you relax too.

"Well then if you can't leave him alone ,bring him along to our house. I'd love to meet this Australian guy in person."

And that was the end of the conversation.

When you live with someone , you find new things about them everyday - today is the day you find out that Chan looks exceptionally attractive in a tight black polo t-shirt and simple jeans. His blonde hair is pushed back a little, his forehead glowing under the bright Sunday sun and he wears a watch that Tracy and Felix had gifted him last week. Handsome as a Greek God.

"How do I look ?" He asks you as he scratches the back of his neck, smiling at his reflection in the mirror.

He's gained confidence .

"Like a Prince." You say, standing beside him.

Your eyes are focused on your reflections in the mirror,the close proximity of your bodies and the way you both look like any other couple in the world, makes you feel overwhelmed. You see the few millimetre gap between his hand and yours and if you reach out a little bit, you could easily lace your fingers with him.

"And how do I look?" You ask him with a small smirk.

He scans your image ; you wear a simple floral summer dress with short sleeves ,along with a pretty wrist bracelet and a simple pendant around your neck. You catch him blushing.

"Like a Princess. " he replies.

You badly want to hold his hand in yours. But you don't.

The drive to your Brother's place is filled with questions and replies and a few careless teasings thrown here and there.

"I hope your brother doesn't hate me for keeping you occupied all the time. " Chan comments when you turn to Minho's apartment street.

You shake your head, " No,no. Of course not. Minho is not like that."

Your brother has lived with his boyfriend, Jisung for about five years now . You want them to get married soon but they always make weird excuses about it. So you just assumed they enjoy this live in relationship without the pressure of marriage and children.

"Hey , y/n, oh my god! Long time ,huh?" Jisung hugs you tightly the moment you enter their living room ,his big toothy smile permanently plastered on his face. Minho stands behind Jisung ,his arms crossed over his chest and his critical eyes focused on Chan. You smile and jog up to your brother, wrapping your arms around him. His familiar scent makes you miss home and your parents and your old room. "Stop being so stuck up,Min." You whisper to him as Chan and Jisung introduce each other and Minho eyes them suspiciously.

He chuckles and hugs you tighter ,pressing a small kiss to your head. You grin as he pulls away.

"Chan,meet my brother Minho, " you bring Chan to stand in front of Minho , "And Minho ,this is Chan." Minho observes the way Chan walks - elegant and smooth and the way Chan talks , like he were a dude from the Victorian Era yet he wears modern clothes and uses a phone and air pods. Everything about this man is mysterious yet Minho couldn't find anything to hold against him. Perhaps he is being too hard on the poor man. He also notices how lovingly Chan gazes at you , looks out for you in the smallest possible ways and you look at him with the same adoration and concern. Were you two dating? You didn't say anything about that though.

So he asks you after dinner ," Do you like Chan?" The question comes out as natural as any other question Minho has ever asked you. You look down from his balcony at the streets and cars and people below then your eyes fall on your brother and the wine glass in his hands and on Jisung and Chan who chat inside the living room over dessert, having found a common interest in music making and lyrics writing.

Your blood turns cold - not because Minho had asked you that question but because this is the first time you're actually considering the possibility of that being true. It scares you.

You think about a similar incident that had happened almost ten years ago - when you were in middle school and Minho was in high school. You had a crush on your cute classmate but he chose your friend over you. Even at that tender age,you were heartbroken. No one at home noticed your sadness or disinterest in everything those days but Minho did - he always does.

"I don't know ." You lean against the railing of the balcony , "I don't want to think about it."

"Why?"

"Beacuse we do not belong together. We're from different worlds. " you whisper , "And I'm not sure if he feels anything like for me."

Minho frowns at you then flicks your forehead so hard that it stings.

"You keep suppressing your feelings all the time, y/n. You wouldn't know if he likes you or if you belong together if you don't tell him." He says.

You do know that you do not belong together. You do know that he may never like you back. But you don't mention it to Minho.

That night , as you are driving back home and Chan is sleepily looking out the window,you ask him , "Chan, there's something I have to ask you."

Chan sits up straight ,his attentive eyes focused on your nervous ones. He could sense your turmoil since you stepped out of Minho's house. He nods ," Go on."

"Um...actually, Jisung's cousin is getting married on Wednesday. Would you like to be my plus one for the ceremony?"

You'd never seen Chan smile so wide before, his eyes practically disappearing in the process. His cheeks tinted red and his hands tapping on his thigh .

"Do you want me to?" He asks. He hopes more than anything that you say yes.

" Hell yeah,dude! " You reply, chuckling.

He has never hugged you till now , you realize, as Chan jumps and wraps you in a warm embrace ,even as you are driving. Your heart hammers against your chest and your cheeks turn brighter than his own.

His smell fills you with a comforting ,homely feeling and you just hope he never lets go of the hug.

Remember when you said that Chan looked really good in a polo t-shirt and you thought it couldn't get any better? Well you take your words back now.

Your hands go limp by your sides when you see Chan walk out of his room , as you stare at him from the small crack of the door of your room. He looks ethereal. He wears a black suit with a pink, silky shirt inside paired with his locket and his watch. Nothing too fancy and yet you feel your knees growing weak below you.

You suck in a deep breath,looking at yourself in the mirror and trying to gather enough confidence to walk and face him. You wear a pink net shirt with black palazzo pants, accessorized with silver earrings and a rose gold ring on your thumb.

"Okay, come on ,y/n." you encourage yourself, your heart beating fast.

You had not really expected him to drop his jaw on the floor the moment he sees you but he did and it makes your heart flutter and cheeks red.

He offers you his hand, "You look gorgeous ,my lady."

And you slip your hand in his ," So do you ,your majesty."

The wedding venue is not really far from your apartment so it takes only about 30 minutes for you to reach there.

And rest assured, you both had turned all the heads in the wedding that night. Wide eyes and gaping mouths and silent whispers of jealousy, you noticed them all. You felt a little bad for stealing the spotlight from the bride and groom but you secretly wanted to show Chan off too.

"Attention grabbers." Minho had teased you during the wedding ceremony as the bride and groom took their vows , earning a pinch from you in reply.

The rest of the evening goes by smoothly and before you even realize it, Jisung pulls you and Chan to the dance floor when a slow,romantic song comes up.

"Uh. I don't know how to dance." You admit shyly as Chan offers you his hand.

He chuckles and you notice how deep his dimples really are this up close.

"I can so don't worry about it. Just trust me. " he says, his eyes scanning your face

Smiling, you take his hand and put your other hand on his shoulder while he drapes an arm around your waist and pulls you closer. He indeed is a good dancer because soon you find yourself gliding around the dance floor effortlessly, flowing with the music and drowning in Chan's intoxicating eyes.

"This isn't so bad though." You comment when the lights are turned low and you see all the couples around you in their own bubble,doing their own thing, just grooving to the soft music ," I could get used to it."

Chan pulls both your arms and wraps them around his neck ,his hands finding a comfortable place around your waist.

"You should come to Underland some day. We could dance there all night. No one would disturb us." he whispers back,moving your bodies gently to the music.

Your smile fades , " I wish I could,Chan. I desperately do. "

He looks into your eyes and leans in closer, making your heart thump fast. Faster than it ever has.

"You can. You can come and go whenever you want, I promise you. " he says.

You nod at his efforts of making you feel better but you know that when he finally goes back to Underland, your heartache would be inevitable. You are so deeply ,madly and truly in love with the man in front of you that you will not be able stand a day without his warm presence in your otherwise dark and cold house. His absence would absolutely destroy you so you simply bury your face in the crook of his neck , breathing in his smell , enjoying his hands on you and sketching this moment in your mind forever.

"I'm going to miss you when you leave." you mutter in a silent voice as he runs his fingers through your hair , "Don't go,Chan."

You don't know why you're suddenly getting so emotional about him leaving when you always knew it would happen some day.

"Then come with me ,y/n." He whispers into your ears.

You pull away just enough to look into his eyes and then shift your gaze to his oh-so kissable , plump lips that you'd spent so many nights dreaming about.

Is this the right thing to do?

You no longer care.

He leans in first ,pulling your body towards him and softly yet hastily pressing his lips against yours.

Oh the bliss of having to kiss the man you've longed for since forever.

You're not even surprised when his lips fit perfectly in between yours as your whole body turns warm under his touch , like it had been waiting for him for a long time. And when you hold his cheek to control the pace of the kiss , you realise how much this means to him. How much you mean to him.

"I love you, Chan." You whisper after he pulls away, resting his forehead on yours.

He grins," I love you ,too."

The wedding ends shortly after but you guys stay back to wait for Minho and Jisung while they bid farewell to all of Jisung 's family and relatives.

"Be quick. " you tell Chan when he rushes into the boys washroom while you wait outside, your mind still replaying the intimate moment you had on the dance floor ( and Minho and Jisung teasing you about it later on). You shake your head ,smiling like an idiot.

Your beautiful thoughts are interrupted when someone- a tall ,muscular man wearing a peculiar red tuxedo - walks past you, bumping his arm harshly onto yours.

"Ow,dude,what the fuck?" You wince ,rubbing your arm as the arrogant asshole walks into the bathroom, "Piece of shit." You say when he doesn't even bother looking back at you.

You are about to go back to reminiscing your kiss with Chan but you hear a Chan yelling from the bathroom, his voice is as crisp and clear as the air in the mountains.

Your whole body goes cold.

"Get away from me !" You hear him yell and before you could stop yourself ,you feel your feet running into bathroom , pushing past the main door that clearly reads 'Male'.

"Chan? What's wrong?" You ask, your voice laced with urgency and adrenaline pumping through your blood.

What you see inside is something you'd never expected to see before but you were in love with a man who came from a place you didn't even know existed so this doesn't come as a big surprise to you. If Chan weren't in immediate danger, you might as well have been fascinated by it.

You see - Chan crouching on the floor , blood running from his nose and his hands covering his eyes , as if he's hiding. You see - the red tall asshole leaning against the wall, staring at Chan. You see - three very peculiar creatures surrounding Chan , shaped like the rummy cards with spades, diamonds and whatnot drawn on them and holding spears in what you assume to be their arms.

You almost regret coming in when all of them look at you with wide ,surprised eyes.

"Y/n! What are you doing here?" Chan gets up and walks toward you ,his lips quivering with fear.

The card creatures walk toward you,their spears pointed toward you as they growl something under their breath. You back away slowly.

"Hey! Stop it! She has nothing to do with it. Don't attack her." Chan yells at those things and thankfully ,they listen. They turn around and stand beside the asshole in the red suit.

Chan runs over you , tears starting to form in his eyes, "You shouldn't be here , y/n. Go back,now!"

You look into his eyes , your heart breaking at the sight of seeing him so in pain ,so vulnerable. It's like you're hurt ,too.

"D-did they do t-this to you?" You ask,pointing at his nose.

He blinks for a second then nods with a sigh ," That's why I'm telling you to leave ,okay? Y/n, sweetheart, please leave.Now." His voice is basically begging you and all you can do is stare at him and the others with horror.

"They found you. The Red Queen found you." You mutter to him,as he holds you by your shoulders.

"I'm so sorry ,y/n. I really thought...we had time. I really did. " his voice cracks as more tears stream down his face.

"We don't have all day long , Chan. Your future wife and her mother have been waiting for a long time." The man in red says sarcastically, "You've kept them waiting long enough."

You glare at the man then turn to Chan, who's a sobbing mess by now.

"They're going to get you married?"

The man in red scoffs, " He should be lucky if that's all they do. And knowing the Queen , she is very angry with him. He will not have it easy."

"Will they...execute him?" You ask ,running your hands over his face ,rubbing the mixture of blood and tears. Your heart shatters.

"No, the young princess is very fond of him actually. They will get married after he serves his punishment."

You see Chan wince in your arms as you pull him up in a crushing embrace. Probably the last one ever.

"I can call Minho and Jisung. They could easily take care of these bastards." You whisper into his hair, blinking tears away.

He clutches into you as if you were the only thing keeping him completely losing his mind.

He shakes his head, " No, don't, please. I cannot let more people get involved with me."

You pull away from the hug, just like you had on the dance floor, but it's different this time - more painful .

"Is there anything I can do...to stop this." You ask again ,desperate to not part from the man you've grown to love so bad.

He kisses your forehead,then holds your face in his hands. "I do not want any harm befalling you ,or your brother and Jisung or Felix or anyone of my friends in Underland, which is why I have to go and face my faith. I'm so sorry ,my love."

You let the tears flow.

Why was the Universe so unfair to people who deserved to be happy together? Why did the universe always favour those who mean ill to others?

"I love you ,Chan , remember that. " you say , " I always will."

He smiles through his tears, "and so will I. Always. I don't care if I am married or you are married or whatever, you're my princess till the end of Earth and till the end of Underland."

The asshole in red clears his throat, glaring at the two of you. Chan pulls away from the embrace and walks back to where he was originally when you came in.

You see all of them taking turns to drink from a vial with a purple liquid in it.

"Farewell,my lady." Chan whispers as a tear drop rolls down his face and falls on the floor with a soft splat. And in the blink of an , he is gone ,leaving behind nothing but a puff of golden smoke and his tear drop on the floor.

That's when you realise how real all of this is. And realise why exactly you didn't like the story of Alice in Wonderland as a child - its because the story is not a typical fairytale where the prince ends up marrying the princess, and because some day or the other, Alice had to leave everyone behind and come back to her real world.

You feel like it's been an eternity since you have been walking through the crowd of people in the wedding , people looking at you with disgust and fear, while you look for your brother or Jisung.

You enter the main hall and scan the room , sniffing away your tears and rubbing your bloody hands on your shirt.

You are a mess.

Finally ,you spot Minho in the far corner of the room ,speaking with a few guests with Jisung by his side. You sigh in relief but your body responds in the form of sobs.

You rush towards him and pull him by the end of his shirt, "M-Minho."

Jisung and Minho turn around ,their eyes widen at your crying, shivering , bloody sight .

Jisung immediately wraps his coat around you.

"Hey,what happened?" Minho demands as he pulls you in a hug ,and you sob into his neck, " Where's Chan?"

You feel Jisung rub your back soothingly.

"T-they got him ,Min. They took him and they punched his nose and it was all bloody and horrible and he was crying. Those things were so scary and ..." you say in between sobs, "..they'll punish him for running away and then marry him off, Min. I couldn't protect him."

"Who is them, y/n ?" Minho ask, rubbing your tears with his thumb.

"The Red Knights."

Jisung and Minho share a look of confusion with each other but they don't push you to explain your words.

"Okay,let's go home. We can talk there okay? Nothing will happen to Chan. We'll save him."Jisung says .

You shake your head , "No, we can't go home. We have to go to Felix. He's the only one who knows what to do. You guys can't save Chan without magic."

They want to believe you and whatever you say and they're worried about Chan too ,afterall both of them were so fond of him but they find your words rather hard to digest.

Nevertheless, your brother drives you to Felix's house.

His house once made you feel happy and complete but now it makes you feel horrible, like the freezing cold sensation you experience when you play out in the snow for too long.

And as you sit around his dining table , telling him about the incident and then him further explaining the whole story of you and Chan to Your brother and Jisung , you feel horribly empty.

"I'm so sorry ,Felix. I should have done something. I should have called out for help but I was so...scared. " you say , Tracy rubbing your back in comfort.

"Its not you fault, Y/n. Those knights are scary and the red man you talked about, he is the Queen's personal guard." Felix says ,"You're lucky he didn't do anything bad to you."

Jisung stares him blankly.

Minho paces up and down the room , his face twisted in confusion, " So you're telling me that the stupid story of 'Alice in Wonderland ' is true and Chan is from that place and you too?"

Felix hums in response.

"Bloody hell ", Jisung murmurs under his breath then adds , " so how do we go to that place and find him? I mean how do things work there?"

"Oh uh,no, we are not going anywhere. I will go . You are staying at home ,safe and secure!" Minho says to Jisung.

You frown in confusion.

"Wait, you believe it? You don't think we're all mad?" You ask.

They shake their heads.

"I trust you , y/n. You may be a pain in the ass and a crybaby but you aren't stupid or mad,as a matter of fact. We believe you ,of course." Minho shrugs.

You don't know if he's poking fun at you or if he actually believes you, but knowing Minho ,he rarely ever jokes around in situations like this.

"But how can we save Chan from there? Do we challenge the Queen and her claim on the throne or what? " you ask Felix.

Felix sighs , " It's not going to be easy . At all. That woman is dangerous...crazy even. She killed off Chan 's entire family , you think it'd be that easy to save him from her?"

There is genuine hatred and disgust in his voice when he speaks of the Queen. You'd only ever seen the portrayal of the First Red Queen in the movies and that woman was enough to piss you off . You couldn't imagine how someone from the same family tree could possibly get any worse.

"What are our options?" You ask ,tapping your fingers against your leg, a habit you'd picked up from Chan. You didn't realise it until just now.

"We cannot defeat her with physical power so dueling challenges and other such things are cut out. So that leaves us with either breaking him out from prison or being witty enough to fool the Stupid Red Head into letting him go " , He says . " and mind you, the Queen is very easy to fool because she's very ,very dumb but her daughter aren't. So we need a full plan to get him out."

You nod in agreement.

"Might I suggest something," Minho chimes in after giving much thought on whether he should speak up or not.

"Yes,please, of course." Felix replies.

"I think that the more important thing right now is to go to Wonderland - I mean, Underland- and as you mentioned earlier, talk to your friends and family. We can make a plan after we reach but first we need to know the severity of the situation there. "

Minho has always been smart but you don't want to admit it out loud - not in the presence of other people at least .

"Fine , yes. We must leave soon," Felix turns to Tracy , "Tracy, sweetheart, you will have to stay here and look over the shop . Jisung ,as Minho said,will stay back too. We don't know how long it will take but I promise I will be back."

And with that , you leave the two couples alone to bid their goodbyes and walk out to the porch, breathing in the cool night air.

"I promise I'll find you , Chan. I will find you and save you." you mutter into the air.

Funny things love makes one do.

The vial with the purple liquid feels cold in your hands as you uncork it .

"Do I pour it all in?" You ask nervously.

Felix stands on your left while Minho on your right, both of them holding the same vial in their hands.

"It doesn't matter. Just a drop does the work too." Felix shrugs.

You see him pour all the contents of the vial into his throat and then squint his eyes at the taste.

Minho and you share a look before doing the same.

And then your vision is fogged with a golden puff of smoke as you feel your body falling down a long, neverending , bottomless hole.

You've only ever heard about Underland from Chan and Felix ,and only ever seen this place through their eyes ,but now that you're actually here , it feels surreal, if you put it subtly.

The crisp and fresh air in the Enchanted forest runs chill down your spine and you hop over wood logs and thorny bushes with continuously moving leaves. Minho stays close to you, his hand never leaving your arm while his eyes try to absorb his surroundings.

Felix walks in front of you two , not wavered by the scene in front of him. And why would he be anyway,this was his home ,his domain.

"W-where are we,Felix?" You ask in a soft voice .

"We're in The Tulgey Wood . We're going to my house." He replies with a slight nostalgic tone.

The Enchanted Forest is so breathtakingly beautiful that it almost feels unreal to be walking right through it. The purple sky above you ,the rustling leaves around you , the trees that seem to follow your every movement and flowers that seem to have actual eyes, everything welcomes you rather warmly although you have a feeling you are yet to see the crazy side of this place.

"Well , I had expected you a little earlier, Felix." A sharp voice says from somewhere within the bushes, startling you and Minho and he jumps in front of you ,as if to protect you.

"What's that?" Minho asks,unable to mask his own fearful eyes.

Felix chuckles , " Don't be scared. This is my friend ,the White Rabbit. "

You hear shuffling sounds from the bushes and out comes the most cuddly looking rabbit you've seen in your whole life, hopping on his back limbs and wearing a waistcoat and carrying a stopwatch.

A waistcoat and a stopwatch....

Minho stares at the creature with awe while you bend over to take a closer look at it.

"Hey ,young lady ,back off!" The rabbit threatens you , squinting his eyes at you. And you immediately step back, blinking your eyes nervously.

"It's alright, she's our friend. Chan knows her too. " Felix says, crouching down to pat him , "This is y/n and her brother ,Minho. They're here to help."

At the mention of Chan's name , The Rabbit's eyes widen and he slumps down into Felix's arms and starts sobbing.

"Oh,my dear Felix , I'm afraid of what has become of The Prince. When we heard that the Knights brought him back , we were all so ...lost." he says as Felix cuddles him in his arms, "Dormouse and Cheshire have sneaked out from their duties of the Queen and gone to visit him . They say he looks scared to death. The Queen out him in a prison. With murderers and thieves and whatnot."

Your whole body goes limp at his words, your annoyingly vivid imagination creating those pictures in your head. You blink your tears away.

"How can we save him?" You ask in croaked voice.

The rabbit looks at you sadly , " Let's go to the girls first. They can help you."

"Who is he talking about?" Minho asks.

"My sisters," Felix replies , leading the way deeper into forest , "Come on, we're almost home."

The Hatters' live on a clear patch of land in Tulgey Wood , surrounded by trees for as long as the eyes could reach , in a huge house beautifully built like a Victorian top hat.

You were breath taken. And so was Minho because you could literally feel him hold his breath as you guys enter the house.

"Oh ,my gods , is that you Felix?" A high pitched female voice thunders from above you ,while you stand in what looks like the Study of the house. Your hands brush over a brown diary kept on the desk and the pot of ink sitting beside it. ' Medicinal Documentation ' the diary reads.

"Yes, it seems so. " Felix replies with a grin.

Your eyes fall on the steep spiral stairs in front of you that go up to the other floors of the house and you see two girls jogging down the stairs, big smiles plastered on their faces yet the sadness in their eyes cannot be hidden.

They are a tad bit shorter than you are , and they must not age more than Minho and as they jump on Felix ,squealing with excitement, one can almost immediately see the resemblance in the siblings' appearance ; bright orange hair , toothy smiles, and big ,sparkly eyes .

"And who might these lovely people be?" The shorter of the two girls asks ,as the white rabbit clings onto her long skirt.

"Oh,this is y/n and her brother Minho. They know Chan and want to help him." Felix introduces, " Y/n , Minho meet my sisters - Sana and Momo."

"Of course..miss y/n. We've heard about you." Sana ,the taller one ,walks up to you and bows her head lightly, "We're so grateful for what you're doing for the Prince, sweet one, we really are."

If Felix, Momo , Sana , Chan and the annoying ( but cute) rabbit were put in a Shakespearean play together , it would be a massive hit. Their accents are so good and elegant and graceful that you wish you could learn it too.

You smile at the compliment , "Please don't thank me. I haven't saved him yet. "

"Oh, enough of these formal courtesies, " the shorter girl, Momo , holds your arm and leads you up the stairs, "How about we talk over tea?"

The group reaches the top most floor of the house ,overlooking the beautiful forest through the window as you are made to sit around a long table .

Sana and Mina serve you a cup of tea while the White Rabbit passes you some freshly baked cookies.

"Wow,this...this tea is wonderful." Minho compliments when he takes a sip from his China cup , "Is this what Chan used to make for you ,y/n?"

You nod, as those memories dance around behind your eyes , " He was very good with it."

"Oh he always has been good at everything, I tell you ," Momo starts , " Sword fights ,archery, horse riding ,poetry , cooking, too bad a prince like him had to live with mere Hatters like ourselves."

"Hey,we weren't always this poor. " Sana adds, "This is all the Second Red Queen's doing, gods curse her!"

You scowl , " What do you mean? I thought she only harmed Chan's family . "

Sana let's out a woeful sigh while Momo and Felix look at each other with sorry eyes.

"I wish she'd only done that ,truth be told." Sana says.

"Yes, but instead she ruined everyone's lives who ever crossed paths with her." Momo says, "Our father was the Royal Hatter for Chan's family - the White Queen's descendants. And our mother was the Royal Physician . We lived a happy life , living in a big house near the palace in Marmoreal . "

"Marmoreal was the Summer Palace for the Royal family ,not very far from the capital town of Witzend. One such summer , when Prince Chan was only a year and a half old ,the banished heir of the Evil First Red Queen arrived in Marmoreal and her Knights butchered the royal family and killed every living creature in sight. Her dragons set fire to our house and the palace and the nearby villages. It was...horrible , to say the least. Only a few people survived , which included our family and the Young Prince. The Queen commanded us to take the infant away and never show up in front of her again and so we did - for a long time." Momo then looks over at Sana ,signalling her to continue telling the story.

"But that was until the Queen's only daughter - Princess Scarlet's 18th birthday celebration. We had gone to the parade fair in Witzend, just near the Queen's castle. No one knew us properly or Chan so we were safe. But the Princess saw Chan and fell in love with him...madly. She pursued him every chance she got and when she couldn't succeed , she used her mother's powers to force an alliance. Her mother was hesitant at first, given her history with Chan's family but then she too decided to force him into this alliance for her political good. And initially , Chan had to comply. But on the day of their wedding announcement, he escaped into your world."

"Through my rabbit hole,if I may add." The White Rabbit mumbles. You purse your lips, letting the story in slowly , word by word ,letter by letter. And when the realization sinks in,you purse your lips to stop yourself from crying.

"And I couldn't protect him. I am responsible for what happens to him." You whisper.

Everyone looks at you with disbelief.

"Hey, no! That is not true!" Felix says,almost angry ," You're the reason he was safe and happy for all those months. If not , if he were with me or worse,alone, he wouldn't last a week out there. You saved him, y/n."

"It's true, y/n. Our friends work in the Queen's royal kitchen and they've met Chan a few times in the prison - he only ever asks about a woman named y/n." Sana says.

Your heart drops into the deepest pits of your stomach. You didn't know what love really meant until you met him and although a stranger, in an unknown place , he still trusted you, believed you , cared for you , loved you.

You have to save him.

"Okay , anyone has any plans? Any ideas?" You ask ,after composing yourself.

"I don't have one but I really want to suggest we move this meeting to the medicinal garden in the backyard. That place helps me think. " The White Rabbit offers,scratching his fluffy ears.

As if something in your brain suddenly clicks , like a gear falling into place in a machine; Your eyes widen as you slam your hand on the table.

Everyone jumps up , startled.

"What's wrong ?"

You look over at the Rabbit and pat his head , "You are a genius."

"Huh?"

"You said your friends work for the Queen ,right?"

"Yes?"

You drag your chair away from the table, jumping to your feet ," I have a brilliant idea."

When the next morning arrives , you find yourself walking to the town of Witzend with The White Rabbit , Minho , Felix and his sisters by your side.

"Here,y/n, take this," Momo gives you something just before you enter the castle of the Red Queen. "You'll need it."

You gaze carefully at the shining vial in your palm.

"You know when to use it." She says.

You nod.

The Red Queen that you remember from the movies and the few excerpts from the original book of Alice in Wonderland that you'd only ever read once, you had expected her descendant to look a certain way too - big ,swollen head , scary eyes , loud voice.

But the woman sitting on the throne directly in front of you is definitely not what you had expected. At all. The Queen is a small woman ; and by small you don't mean skinny and short - she's literally small. She must not be more than three feet in height , you assume , but her features and face is that of a fully grown adult in her 40s. A human being who'd suddenly shrunk ( proportionally) like a raisin.

You wonder how someone so small could hold so much evil in themselves.

"Your majesty, " you bow down to her and so do the people standing beside you , scared yet worried for Chan. "It's nice to finally see you again."

You see a familiar gaze behind the throne, and you immediately recognize him - the Queen's personal guard - the asshole who had punched Chan bloody.

He smirks at you.

You curl your hands into fists.

"Yes? And what is it that you want from me?" The Queen asks, not really caring about the matter at hand. She picks at her cuticles while chewing her bottom lip.

Hesitant, you look at Felix asking for help.

Behind you , you could hear murmurs from the people waiting in line for their turn to put forward their complaint in front of the Queen.

"Your majesty, this is Miss y/n. She's come a long way from home to see you." Felix says ,his voice as gentle as the wind on a winter morning.

The Queen rolls her eyes, running her small hand through her red hair , " What can I do for you?"

That's the fakest thing you'd heard all day.

You clear your throat and pick up all your courage to speak, "I want your help to look for the man I love, your majesty. He's ...missing and possibly hurt I believe. "

" Why are you here instead of asking the Police to help you?" The Queen demands.

"Oh,because I'm afraid you're the one who has him."

The Queen stops picking at her cuticles, and raises her head to stare at you with her small , googly yet intimidating eyes. You realise now why the people were so afraid of her - the Evil curve of her lips and her deadly stare are enough to make you want to drop everything and run back home.

"What do you mean ,young lady?" The Queen asks, her interest now focused on your words.

A collective gasp runs through the throne room , starting from the citizens, then passing on to the Queen's staff and her card shaped Knights. They seem surprised at the Queen actually showing an interest in something for the first time.

"I'm talking about Prince Chan, your majesty." You say.

The Queen's eyes widen as you hear the room fill with murmurs and gasps and silent cries. How long had it been since a person dared to even mention Chan in front of the Queen?

"Mother,what is this woman talking about?!" You hear a loud shriek from somewhere beside the Queen .

And only when you squint your eyes hard enough can you actually see her ; the Princess of Underland who was hilariously so small (even smaller than her mother ) that you almost wanted to giggle. Now don't get me wrong, you weren't body shaming her or anything , but you'd never seen a person so terribly small in your entire life until now. You could only imagine what it would look like if Chan happens to marry her for real one day.

"Don't worry daughter , " the Queen gets up from her seat and walks up toward you, her guard close behind her , " Chan is only yours. No one else's."

Just when you're about to respond , you see two huge fishes - almost as tall as you - twirl up to the Queen and offer her a cup.

You'd never expected to see actual, living fishes out of water or wear clothes or hold trays and bowls or walk on their tails, but here you are .

"Wrong timing ,idiots!" The Queen screams her face red with anger yet she snatches the cup from the tray and gulps down all it's contents at one go.

What a peculiar woman.

"Go away now." The red asshole growls at the poor fish as they rush away from the scene.

You smile at the Queen as she stands in front of you , not even reaching your knees properly .

"You,girl, what do you want?" She demands.

You feel Minho wrap a reassuring arm around you , eyeing the woman in front of you with a hatred filled gaze. Felix stands close by your side.

"I want Chan to be released from prison , and be given his rightful throne back . That's all." You say.

The Queen scoffs , "His weak and worthless dynasty ruled over this excuse of a country and the useless people for years. I am only trying to make things better."

You can feel the disapproval of the citizens around you at being called useless.

"And? Do your people think you're doing a good job?" Felix asks.

You see numerous heads shake in a negative response,and you can slowly feel the tension in the room rising.

The Queen points her left forefinger at you while the other hand is on her waist , " You want the truth , peasant girl? So here it is - I do not care about anyone . I care nothing of this country and its citizens and its creatures. None of my ancestors ever had. We just like to sit on that extremely uncomfortable throne and enjoy the money and power we get from controlling these worthless citizens. Oh and I wish I could relive the screams of The White Royal family as I killed them. One by one."

The Queen gasps in realization of what she'd just said while the room falls completely silent for a second before the princess yelps , "Mother ,what is the matter with you?!"

The princess looks horrified as she runs up to her equally horrified mother.

You smirk - the plan of pouring in the truth potion in the Queen's tea had taken so less effort , thanks to the sweet Dormouse and benevolent Cheshire Cat and Felix's mother's medicine diary.

"Oh I hope you burn in hell . A whiny, good for nothing girl. You can't even fight your own fights without dragging me in. And as far as Chan is concerned , I don't care about you marrying him. I only wanted to secure my claim over the throne by forming an alliance with a person with actual rights to this kingdom." The Queen clamps a hand over her mouth, stumbling back from the shock.

The princess let's go off her mother,betrayal clear in his eyes.

"So you admit to your crimes?"

"Yes." The truth comes out as natural as those lies she'd fed the citizens and the princess and her servants and the Knights for years.

From the corner of your eyes , you see The Princess trying to sneak past everyone and run out of the throne room , guilty of her own wrong doings but Felix stops her with a firm grip on her tiny hand , "Where do you think you're going, little one? Didn't you threaten to kill my whole family if we didn't hand Chan over to you?"

The Red Knights close in to capture the Queen and her personal guard in their unbreakable grasp , giving up their oaths of protecting the Queen - their duty is only to serve Chan from now on.

Sana steps in now , turning to address the people who are witnessing this unusual incident, "My fellow lovely countrymen, as you can see right before your eyes and hear through your own ears , your Queen has intended nothing but to harm you and our kingdom for all these years. She means no good and never will - the true heir to the throne now lies injured and chained in her dungeons. What do you suggest we do?"

"Behead her!" "Free the Prince!" "Finish off the Reds!" "Be done with her guard too ." "Crown Prince Chan."

The room thunders with all sorts of suggestions and you make an eye contact with the White Rabbit ,who nods at you and you nod back ,smiling from ear to ear.

You've done it , he wants to say , you've freed The Prince.

The rooms in the castle were beautifully designed, but were in a terrible condition since most of the rooms were never used really and the Queen didn't feel it was important to get them cleaned regularly.

You had asked the White Rabbit to find some servants to get one of the rooms quickly prepped as the Red Knights carried Chan from the prison and into the castle - his birth home. Sana and Momo cleaned his wounds the moment he was laid down on the soft bed, changing his clothes and then softly pulling the covers over his body to keep him warm while he rests.

The White Rabbit brings you an apple but you don't eat it - you just sit by Chan's side ,praying desperately that he wakes up soon. You wouldn't be able to swallow a single grain of food until then.

You run your fingers softly over his arm ,drawing random patterns and spelling out your names on it.

"Please wake up ,Chan." You say in a whisper , scanning his calm yet beautiful facial features. "I found you ,Chan. I am here."

Your fingers find their way to his and naturally as ever ,wrap themselves around them.

Suddenly, Chan stirs in his position , a low groan leaving his parted lips. You stare wide eyed at him as he slowly opens his eyes, your hands still tightly intertwined.

"C-chan?"

He turns his head toward you , a lazy smile dancing on his lips and his eyes focusing on your face , which he'd yearned to see every second he spent in that horribly dark dungeon.

"Are you really here, y/n? Or am I finally going mad?" He asks you.

You lean in closer ,brushing a few strands of hair from his face.

"You're only as mad as the rest of us." You reply, "Welcome home ,your majesty."

Groggy and weak ,Chan pushes himself up in a seating position. "How did you deal with the Queen? Where is she? " He takes your face in his hands , "Did she hurt you?"

"She couldn't lay a single finger on me. And now she's locked up in the same dungeon as you were. She'll be given to the slave trader soon ,along with her daughter." You say. "Who knew a simple medicine and a few good friends could be enough to defeat a tyrant ?"

He giggles , pressing his forehead on yours. "Did you meet everyone else ? Momo? Sana? My friends?"

You nod with a grin. You'd come to adore his friends and family so deeply in a single day. You would hate to part from them.

"Thank you, y/n. I owe you everything. " he sighs, his breath fanning your face , "I love you so much I think it's going to drive me crazy!"

You chuckle at his cheesy words , "You're welcome. But I need compensation for all of this. An ' I love you ' is not enough."

You were joking ; hearing him confess his sincere love for you is more than enough but you liked playing with him. He looks very cute when flustered.

"Then what would the pretty lady desire?"

"You."

He shakes his head , leaning down to capture your lips in his plump ones.

This kiss was even better than the first one that you guys shared on the dance floor , mostly because you know now that even if he's taken away from you or you are taken away from him , you'll always find each other , in every world , in every universe. He pulls you up on his lap despite him being injured , and you let him.

You put your hand around his neck, pulling him closer and closer and closer . At one point ,you could no longer tell who he is or who you were. The only thing that mattered was that you loved him so much , you could deal with a hundred Red Queens for him. And you know he'd do the same for you.

"I have one last favour to ask of you ,my love." He whispers against your lips ,pulling away from the kiss. His red cheeks and sparkly eyes are a sight to behold ," I want you to stay here with me. Please."

You grin , knowing he'd say this and you were well prepared for it. Convincing Minho to let you stay was so much easier than you had expected really. All he did was shrug with a smirk and say, " Just don't get pregnant." In reality, all Minho really wanted was for you to be happy and healthy and he knew living here with Chan would make you the happiest.

"On three conditions." You reply to Chan ,who is staring at you like he'd seen a human like you for the first time.

"Okay. What are those?" He brushes your cheeks with his thumb.

"I can visit home whenever I want."

"Agreed, obviously.  You're not a prisoner, y /n."

"Then I also want to put up a small shop of my own in the main market square. I will not be wasting my time on stupid politics- that's your job."

"Agreed. I will help you with it whenever I can. What's the last condition?"

You smirk and lean your face closer to his. "Kiss me one more time."

And he does.

You smile into the kiss , wondering now that ' Alice in Wonderland '  might not have been that bad after all. She had a choice to stay or go back and she chose the latter. You had the same choices too , but you chose to stay. It wasn't about a happy or a sad ending ,after all. It was about the choices.

And as Chan holds your waist firmly, deepening the kiss , you know you've made the right choice too.

[sluttymickey]

Seven Days left~ Give us 7 favorite Shameless moments

Hey you didn't have to remind me that there are only seven days left😭 (these are not in order btw, except maybe the first and second ones)

1. "Don't. Don't what?":

I know I've rambled over this so many times and it's such a heartbreaking scene and probably that's why my favourite because ohmygod you can see the desperation in Mickey's eyes, and how he tries to hard to be nonchalant in the begining and keeps moving around the room because be can't stay still, Ian's here after idk how many days he's finally seeing him but Ian feels so off and then Ian says "Army" and "Four years, minimum" and you can see, you can see Mickey's heart break but he can only get the, "Don't" out and it just sounds so broken and he looks so broken....yeah that gets me crying everytime :)

2. Season 4 initial episodes where Mickey misses Ian:

I'm cheating a bit by clumping moments together, but I've always seen them in kinda of a group you know? It's just, Noel's acted so fucking well in this, and you can not only see, but feel the heartbreak, the longing, the desperation written on his face because Ian's gone and he's gone because of him and he's not gonna see Ian for 4 years minimum, and there's a chance he may never see Ian and it shows so well because I always feel like crying when I see the broken look on his face when he punches the glass, or tries to drink him away or when he asks the redheaded girl to get behind him and he closes his eyes to pretend it's Ian or just fucking shut off the world for a bit

3. "That your Grandpa?":

I fucking DIED at this scene. The way all the gods aligned to bring N*d to the store on that particular day and the way Ian was waiting for Mickey to ask him who he was like he barely let him finish asking when he replied w "Nah, just a guy I've been seeing 🙂" it was such a check and then "We mostly just fuck, like you and Angie" was fucking checkmate and poor Mick was steamrolled by Ian Petty Gallagher.

4. The Alley scene:

Their SMILES! They're just kids in love goofing around and Mickey's happy and running w a smile because he chose me he fuckin' chose me over that Grandpa and Ian's happy and running because he cares, he cares enough about me to beat him up

5. "Take your hand off the glass":

This was probably the first time somebody other than his family had showed up to meet him! And Mickey's so smiley you can see it on his face, his crush came to visit him in juvie and put money in his commissary and said he misses him!! And Ian's smile when Mickey says, "You can that again, I'll rip your tongue out of your head"!! Even when they've spent such less time he knows Mickey so well, he knows how to look past all of Mickey's brashness and just!!! They were just kids when they fell in love!!

6. "You are so much better than that":

This. This is Mickey talking about his dad for the first time and it's him opening up to Ian about his feelings and Ian making sure Mickey looks at him in the eye and believes how true his "you are so much better than that" is because he is, he is so much better than that.

7. "I, Mikhailo, take you, Ian" "I Ian, take you, Mickey 🥰"

This is an obvious one. The love in both of their eyes and the fucking depth with which they said and meant every single one of their vows......heartattack.

Abahjwwb I know they're all Ian and Mickey but their scenes are the ones I'm most attached to soooo 😬😬

[dimitribelikov]

The Belikov Chronicles: The Tasha Conundrum Pt.2

✶ This one got pretty long. I even ended it quicker than planned, so hopefully it’s not too overwhelming. Admittedly, this installment deals less with Tasha, and more about Dimitri’s feelings towards Adrian. **There will be a Pt.3 and probably a Pt.4. ✶ notes : All dialogue is straight from Frostbite, chapter 15. The rest is mine, based on characters written by Richelle Mead. ✶ warnings : some language ✶ ships : romitri ✶ Part 1 can be found here  |  more one-shots featuring my version of Dimitri can be found here

       My argument with Rose the day before had left me in such a darkened state, that I had completely forgotten about my original mission to check in with the guardians and find out more news on the Strigoi attacks. It was just as well, though. I knew there wasn’t going to be any big revelations unless someone where to come get me. I ended up spending the evening in Tasha’s company. Over dinner, she went on and on about her radical ideas for reforming the Moroi’s views on defense. Usually I ate her passion up with fascination, but I couldn’t help but find myself distracted. I mean, Adrian? Really?

Yet as soon as the vampiric morning came, I had only one thought on my mind as I left my room: to find Janine Hathaway to go over the tragedy that had happened and the ensuing arguments that had unfolded in the Moroi meeting. Janine was someone that I had always looked up to, and she seemed a bit more forthcoming with information than others. Surely with her, I could get a better grip on what was going on in our world. I knew that I could also provide some insight for the guardians into the Moroi side of things via Tasha’s conversation at dinner.

I was a one tracked mind, striding through the hotel’s hallways with no other worry in my head, let alone the fight with Rose. Until I heard her very voice from an open door. Damnit. Even in the wake of such important matters, her voice was able to bring me to a screeching halt, curiosity replacing my earlier determination.

I paused, wondering what she was doing in this wing of the resort. Almost immediately I realized that the open door belonged to none other than Adrian. Again?! Thoughts of her staying the night danced through my mind, but I pushed them out right away. 

“I just want to know what’s going on here,” she demanded of her audience.

Sure enough, when I stood just behind her and was able to take in the scene of Adrian’s room, it looked as though Rose had just arrived. Further puzzling was the appearance of Lissa there. Surely Adrian couldn’t be that much of a scoundrel, I thought. Then again, with the stories I’d heard, I wouldn’t put it past him. “Me too,” I said, announcing myself. I could hear the short tone in my voice, but was careful to keep my expression neutral as I studied every detail of the room.

Rose had turned to regard me with a surprised look, and though I loved the victory of catching her guard, I couldn’t help but notice the cloud fo perfume that surrounded her. Had she actually gotten dolled up for the Ivashkov loser?

My annoyance deepened at the thought and I invited myself in, clinging to the one weapon I had: my authority. “Male and female students aren’t supposed to be in each other’s room.” I’m pretty sure a younger me just rolled his eyes and made a gagging sound at the lame “adult speech”.

“How do you keep doing this?” Rose demanded of Adrian, ignoring my recitation of the rules.

“Do what?” he replied. Ugh, that fucking grin. I wanted nothing more than to smack it off his face!

“Keep making us look bad!”

“You guys are the ones who came here.”

Adrian’s reply snapped me back into the argument. The two, innocent, young girls were visiting his room unescorted? I was beginning to sound like my old headmaster, but I didn’t care. “You shouldn’t have let them in. I’m sure you know the rules at St. Vladimir’s.”

“Yeah, but I don’t have to follow any school’s stupid rules,” Adrian replied. I couldn’t believe he had the nerve to actually argue this. In that moment, the girls might have well not even existed. All I cared about what putting the rich brat in his place. Somewhere in my head, a logical voice was reminding me that the Moroi were above me. They come first. I shouldn’t be so harsh in my judgement of him, but I just couldn’t help it.

“Perhaps not. But I would have thought you’d still respect those rules.” Gross. Now I definitely sounded like my old headmaster. Before I could worry about that too much, though, Adrian fired back. And he hit below the belt.

“I’m kind of surprised to find you lecturing about underage girls,” he said cooly.

I froze, feeling anger grow at the audacity with which the Moroi spoke back to me. Under that anger, though, there was fear. What had he’d heard? Clearly that had to be a dig about me and Rose, but I’d been so careful. Surely no one else knew a thing. Right?

“Besides, nothing sordid was going on,” he continued. “We were just hanging out.”

Yeah. Hanging out. Alone in his room. Nothing sordid about that, I thought sarcastically. “If you want to ‘hang out’ with young girls,” I replied, taking another small step towards him. “Do it at one of the public areas.”

My anger was unexpectedly side tracked when Adrian laughed. There was something about that laugh that didn’t sit right with me. My suspicions were confirmed when he went off, rambling about the oddest things. It wasn’t a normal way to win an argument, that was for sure. My head tilted as I studied him, wondering if he was actually as unhinged as he sounded. Just how dangerous is this guy?

Finally he wrapped up the odd soliloquy by actually agreeing me. Though hearing Adrian admit that he was a bad influence didn’t earn much sympathy from me, I was grateful that the discussion was over. It had taken a turn into dangerous territory with a near accusation about me and rose–– and then whatever that was.

Lissa, Rose, and I took our exit into the hallway, starting the walk back into the lobby. “One’s marked with life, and one’s marked with death,” he had said. It was lunacy and I shouldn’t put too much thought into it, but I couldn’t help but feel a strange sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach.

“That was . . . strange,” Rose had said.

I couldn’t even be mad anymore. The odd turn in Adrian’s demeanor had cast a sobering spell over us all. “Very,” was all I could manage.

Stepping out into the hustle and bustle of the lobby woke me up from my tumultuous thoughts. I knew I couldn’t let Rose simply leave without trying to warn her. Whether I was jealous or not (and I adamantly promised myself that I wasn’t), I was her mentor. It was my job to steer her clear of danger and this situation was no different. “Rose. Can I talk to you?”

I saw her exchange a look with Lissa, but mercifully, the princess left us to our privacy. We moved to the side of a room, avoiding the groups of Moroi who were hurriedly checking out in the wake of the new attacks. Alone with Rose, I could feel my emotions begin to spike again. The jealousy of seeing her with Adrian, the protectiveness of needing to be a good mentor for her–– and now the scent of whatever perfume she’d gotten her hands on. She’d never worn any in the time I knew her, but the crisp, sweet fragrance toyed with my imagination.

Quickly pushing such thoughts away, I tried to figure out how best to tell her what was on my mind. I was still mad about her accusations the previous day, but this wasn’t about me. This was about her. “That was Adrian Ivashkov,” I said, trying and failing to keep the disapproval from my voice.

“Yeah, I know,” she replied quickly. I wonder just how much she knew about him. 

“This is the second time I’ve seen you with him.”

I was sure I could detect annoyance in her eyes, and knew I was losing her attention. “Yeah. We hang out sometimes.”

My stomach dropped as my eyebrow arched. That was the second time I heard that phrase used. I wasn’t oblivious to Rose’s reputation at the Academy, but I also felt that I knew her better than that. Sure, I’d caught her in a very compromising position with the Zeklos kid once, but she’d seemed to have learned from that. Or at least taken the lesson to heart in a mature way. Yet I wasn’t sure that there existed a world in which “hanging out with Adrian Ivashkov” could be anything innocent. “You hang out in his room a lot?” I asked, sounding more accusing than anything else.

I knew Rose too well, though. She wasn’t one to simply take a lecture and peacefully leave. If she felt backed into a corner, she fought. While that was usually something I admired in her, in this moment, I was worried about what rebuttal would come. 

Apparently, even my worst guesses weren’t nearly as bad as what she actually came up with. “What happens between him and me is none of your business.” It wasn’t lost  on me that she did a near perfect impersonation of myself the previous day. Shit, she’s good. Logically I knew that she was just trying to get back at me for the Tasha thing, but I couldn’t help the sudden assault of mental images of Rose and Adrian that bombarded my mind. Thanks to my guardian training, I was able to keep it all hidden from my expression.

“Actually,” I retorted, not missing a beat in my scramble to gain the upper hand. “As long as you’re at the Academy, what you do is my business.” Checkmate!

Rather than ending the argument there, however, it only ramped up, each of us firing back in quick succession. We were a good match for each other in the ring, and clearly that sparring spilled out into other areas of our life.

“Not my personal life. You don’t have any say in that.”

“You’re not an adult yet.”

“I’m close enough. Besides, it’s not like I’ll magically become an adult on my eighteenth birthday.”

“Clearly.”

“That’s not what I mean.” Was she actually blushing at that? “I meant––”

“I know what you meant,” I cut her off, not wanting to travel down that road right now. Adrian’s borderline accusations still bothered me. “And the technicalities don’t matter right now. You’re an Academy student. I’m your instructor. It’s my job to help you and to keep you safe.” I idly wondered who I was trying to convince more, her or me. “Being in the bedroom of someone like him . . . well, that’s not safe.” 

I hoped she understood what I was trying to convey. I didn’t want to fight. Our argument the previous day killed me, but I wasn’t going to let her self-sabotage herself, either. Rose had the potential to be great. Perhaps even one of the best. I wasn’t going to let a spoiled, rich, royal ruin that for her.

“I can handle Adrian Ivashkov,” she muttered. The sudden mental image of those two in a sparring ring did much to lighten my mood, but not enough to derail me from on the topic at hand. “He’s weird–– really weird, apparently–– but harmless.”

Well that was hardly true. Adrian might not be a killer or anything, but he certainly one of the least harmless guys I knew. What happened to Mason? Why wasn’t she with him? I actually like that guy.

A thought occurred to me just then. This whole time I’d justified myself not being jealous because I was okay with her being with Mason. Yet Mason was absolutely harmless. He was safe. It was obvious to anyone in the same room as those two that he was completely head over heels for Rose, but I never saw the same passion for him in her eyes. Her being with him never seemed like a threat–– ignoring the fact that I had nothing to be threatened with since I’m not even in the equation. I can’t be. It wouldn’t be right. But throw someone like Adrian in? Hell yeah I was suddenly threatened. Rose deserved better than him, but I knew how easy it was for him to get his way with that cocky grin.

Fuck. I really am jealous.

“Speaking of personal lives,” Rose said, mercifully cutting off my traitorous train of thought. At least, I thought it was a mercy until I heard what she was getting at. “I suppose you were off visiting Tasha, huh?”

My own personal revelation weighed too heavily to allow me a quippy, or even scathing, retort. “Actually, I was visiting your mother.”

“You going to hook up with her, too?” At least one of us was on their argumentative A-game.

My mind was too much of a mess to truly react to it, though I had to admit, it was a pretty good line. “No, we were looking over some new data in the Drozdov attack.” After that, any signs of jealousy or mentions of Tasha and Adrian were forgotten as we spoke about the Strigoi problem. Though the heaviness of the situation pressed in on us, I was glad that Rose could set aside our pettiness and take the real problems to heart. I kept calling her a young girl to Adrian, but she truly is mature beyond her years. That didn’t counter the fact that she’s underaged and shouldn’t be anywhere near that jackhole, but it reminded me that she’s more than just a student. One day soon, we’d be working side by side, and I looked forward to that. I may be assigned as her mentor for now, but as we spoke about the Strigoi threat and Moroi politics, I knew that Rose is more than that. She’s my equal. It felt right to divulge the guardian’s knowledge of the Strigoi’s whereabouts to her.

“Why’d you tell me this, anyway?” she asked eventually. “This is guardian stuff. Not the kind of thing you let novices in on.”

I paused, turning over the words in my head. Our heated emotions were gone, and in the wake that followed, I thought back to the way I had been treating her lately. I thought of her as my equal, but I didn’t treat her that way. I wanted to change that. “I’ve said some things . . .  the other day and today . . . that I shouldn’t have. Things that insulted your age. You’re seventeen . . . but you’re capable of handling and processing the same things those much older than you do.”

“Really?” she asked. The look of hope that kindled in her eyes melted my heart then and there. This was how I liked her best, full optimism and void of the anger that always seem to follow her.

I nodded, feeling the hint of a smile on my lips. “You’re still really young in a lot of ways–– and act young–– but the only way to really change that is to treat you like an adult. I need to do that more. I know you’ll take this information and understand how important it is and keep it to yourself.” I was man enough to admit when I was wrong, and my recent treatment of her had been just that. Surely it wasn’t too late to set things right–– and hopefully steer her away from certain disaster.

A moment passed between us. Looking into Rose’s eyes, I could swear that I could hear her thoughts. She wanted to be the kind of person that I wanted to treat her as. I think on some level, we both understood the burden that our futures carried as the last Dragomir princess’s guardians, but we were also both looking forward to carrying it out together.

That moment of peace was short lived, however, when a familiar voice greeted me. “Dimka!” With those two syllables spoken by Tasha Ozera, I felt the mood instantly shift between me and Rose.

to be continued . . .

[osakaso5]

La Danse Macabre

Episode 14

Chapter Index

14-1: Collision (1)

Fuga: ........

Arme: Fuga, I'm sorry.

Fuga: ........

Arme: Fuga, I'm sorry.

Fuga: ........

Arme: Fuga, I'm..!

Fuga: Ah, shut up! What do you WANT!?

Arme: I want to apologize, for making you angry!

Fuga: Ugh. ...It's fine, really. I was just in a bad mood, anyway.

Arme: And I'm sorry for hogging Libel all to myself!

Fuga: Huh? Excuse me!? What's that supposed to mean!?

Arme: He probably thinks he needs to watch me at all times, to keep me safe.

Arme: So, if I learn to defend myself, he'll have more time for you again.

Fuga: Y-y-you, what're you... I-I wasn't mad because I was jealous or anything..!

Arme: Oh, I know! You could teach me how to fight! Become my trainer!

Fuga: Say what? A little practice isn't gonna teach someone like you how to survive in a place like the Surface!

Arme: It'll still be better than nothing. And you never know, I might have some kind of hidden talent.

Fuga: ...Hah.

Fuga: You're such a weirdo... Is anything I tell you gonna stop you?

Arme: No, it won't. Now, what should I do first?

Fuga: Ah... lemme think. I guess we could start with punches. Straights, jabs, that kinda stuff.

Arme: Ooh. Straights and jabs!

Cura: ...He's a good kid, huh?

Libel: That he is. Despite envying the people of the Surface, he's got something we lack.  

Libel: I like that about him.

Cura: Haha, you and me both.

Libel: He also has the power to make people smile, without really trying.

Cura: True. I always feel the corners of my mouth curl up when I talk to him.

Cura: Maybe that's the Celestial's true power.

Libel: Maybe.

Cura: That being said, we can't make any more round trips. As soon as we replenish our rations at District 2, we need to hurry back to the base.

Libel: ...Yeah, that's fine by me. We'll contact the Ark as soon as we get home.

Libel: The time we spent with Arme wasn't wasted... Of that I'm sure. 

- - - -

Cura: Hey, look at that...

Fuga: District 2's usually a bustling city... But now it feels weird. Empty.

Libel: ...I think I smell blood.

Fuga: Really? Maybe your nose is just super sensitive.

Cura: Something's off. ...But we need those supplies. Can't just sneak around the place.

Libel: I'll go ahead and investigate. You guys should stay hidden.

Fuga: I'll come too, Libel.

Libel: ........

Libel: Okay, follow me. I'm counting on you, Fuga.

Fuga: .......! Yes, boss!

Arme: Be careful, both of you!

Fuga: Don't you worry your little head over us! Just sit right there!

Arme: Hahaha!

Cura: Well, aren't you two chummy all of a sudden. 

- - - -

Fuga: It's even worse up close. You think they got raided or something?

Fuga: Even I can smell the blood now.

Libel: ....... Look at the bullet holes in that wall.

Fuga: Huh? ...Who uses bullets that big? What caliber are those even?

Libel: Nobody on the Surface, that's for sure. Definitely not raiders.

Fuga: Then...

Qual: We finally meet again, Surface dwelling worms.

Fuga: !?

Leiden: Wow, they really came. I wasn't all convinced, but I guess our intel was correct.

Libel: ...The Unity Order.

Fuga: They came down here...

Libel: What did you do to the people of this city?

Qual: Exterminated every last one of them. They resisted us, you see.

Qual: Were you drawn in by the scent of their blood?

Fuga: What...!?

Leiden: Oh, did you have friends here or something? We put 'em all in a neat little pile over there, feel free to  dig around if you have to. 

Fuga: You monters!

Libel: ...Calm down, Fuga. We need to stay calm...

Qual: Enough trivial chatter. Where is the Celestial? Return him to us at once.

Libel: Hmph... I don't think he wants to go back just yet.

Qual: ...Ngh.

Qual: Nonsense!

Qual: Someone like him should not be allowed to so much as set one foot in this filthy place!

Libel: ...I see.

Libel: Arme doesn't think like the rest of you do. Now I definitely don't think it's right to let you take him.

Qual: D-did you just call him "Arme"..!?

Qual: For someone like you to use his name lightly...

Qual: It's unforgivable!!!

[Clang]

Libel: Hmph!

Qual: Uaaaaargh!

Libel: ...Ugh!

14-2: Collision (2)

Leiden: I guess Qual's got dibs on the stronger-looking one. Well then...

Leiden: I guess I'll just have to play with you, kid.

Fuga: Sure... Time for the side characters to have their own showdown.

Fuga: I've been mad at you guys for a looong while now!

[Ratatat]

Leiden: Ooh. So you're a gunslinger.

Fuga: ......! He dodged my shots at point-blank range!?

Leiden: And a pretty fast one, too. You're probably the best shot I've met on the Surface so far.

Leiden: But... there's an even faster shooter on our side.

Fuga: Huh!? I didn't even see him..!

Leiden: Try not to get knocked out in one hit, 'kay?

Leiden: Hmph!

[Thud]

Fuga: Ugh...!

Fuga: Urk... Coff, coff..!

Leiden: ...You're a real softie. Work on those abs some more, Surface dweller.

Fuga: Huff... huff..! Q-quit talking smack..!

[Ratatat]

Leiden: Ooh... At least you've got guts.

Fuga: Coff, coff..! This guy's crazy strong..!

[Ratatat]

Fuga: I need to put some distance between us..! I'm gonna be out of the fight if he gets me again..!

Leiden: Nice responses. If you hadn't been born down here, I might've liked you as a subordinate.

Fuga: As if..!

Leiden: Yeah, thought so. C'mon, here comes another.

Fuga: !? He jumpe---!

[Thud]

Fuga: ......!?

Leiden: Great, you're still conscious.

Fuga: ...Ah, crap... I'm gonna die...

Leiden: Haha, don't be stupid, kid.

Leiden: You're not getting off that easy. This is what you get for baring your fangs at us.

[Thud]

[Thump]

Fuga: Help...

[Thud]

Fuga: Help, me...

[Bash]

[Thump]

Fuga: Help...

Fuga: Libel. 

- - - -

[Clang]

Qual: Huff... huff...!

Libel: .......

Qual: You're strong...

Libel: It's a shame. Someone with power like yours should be able to help us.

Qual: Fool. Why would I ever do that?

[Clang]

Libel: We're both human, aren't we? Let's find a way to coexist.

[Clang]

Qual: ...Pardon?

Qual: Oh, I see. There's clearly a fundamental difference to how we view things.

Qual: Because I've never once thought of you Surface dwellers as human.

[Clang]

Libel: ........

Qual: You look like us, talk like us.

Qual: You swarm this thoroughly contaminated land, gazing up at us with watery eyes.

Qual: ...There's no telling what goes on in your heads. It's all so eerie.

Qual: Your very existense is repulsive.

[Clang]

Libel: ........

Libel: I know what this is about.

Libel: You're scared of us.

Qual: What..?

[Clang]

Libel: You're afraid that someday, we'll get revenge. That someday, our positions will be reversed.

Libel: You're afraid that the ones you've been oppressing will gain power.

[Clang]

Qual: I would never fear the likes of you..!

Qual: Save me your deluded ramblings... And know your place, maggot..!

Libel: Relax. There's nothing to fear, trust me. We're trying to bring  equality, not get revenge..!

Qual: Silence!

[Thud]

Qual: Damn..!

Libel: ...You're wide open.

Qual: !!!

Leiden: Stop!

Libel: .......

Qual: ...Leiden.

Leiden: Stop, or the kid dies. He's only barely hanging on as it is.

Libel: Fuga!

Fuga: ...Libel...

Libel: Don't speak. It's fine, just stay there.

Unity Order Troop: Captain, Leiden. We have the Celestial in our custody!

Arme: .......! I'm sorry, Libel!

Unity Order Troop: We've also captured Cura. We confiscated any explosives we could find on him.

Cura: Let me go, damn you!

Libel: Arme, Cura...

Leiden: Checkmate, Rebellion.

Qual: Aah... How glad I am to see you safe. Please excuse my tardiness.

Arme: ...Qual.

Qual: I've come to bring you home, Celestial. 

To be continued...