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cloveroctobers · 1 month ago

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SYMPHONY — Boone [October Prompts] 🧡

A/N: Taking another stab at writing this thing for Boone baby during this spooky season! Hope y’all like it.

PROMPTS ARE FROM HERE & I’m using: 19. You’re stuck in the house of mirrors + 20. 7 minutes in heaven but make it Halloween.

WARNINGS: I dabble in a little bit of explicit content somewhere in here but it’s not my specialty so don’t go too crazy lol + language, & mentions of characters being under the influence just a smidge!

⋆｡‧₊°♱༺𓆩❦︎𓆪༻♱༉‧₊˚. ⋆｡‧₊°♱༺𓆩❦︎𓆪༻♱༉‧₊˚. ⋆｡‧

The fireflies and the cicadas were live in Arkansas even when the carnival was forty-five minutes away from shutting down for the night. The wranglers all branched from drunk off their asses, engaged in some special green, or comfortably buzzed but it was Lily who suggested they play this last minute game.

They used Boone’s fireworks (of course he bought more) with their hands holding onto the end and rested their foreheads above as they spun around. Yeah it wasn’t the smartest thing but you work with what you got! Once they were done spinning around at least five times, the player had to cover their eyes with their hand and point somewhere along the circle. Whoever their aim landed on, that was their target to spend seven minutes with.

You were the last to go, knuckles whacking the side of someone’s face unintentionally.

“Ow!”

That sure sounded a whole lot like Boone.

So when you opened your eyes, you confirmed what you had thought as he now held onto your hand (to stop any further assault) while rubbing his cheek with the other followed by a pout.

“Booone! Booone! Booone!” Tyler started chanting while clapping his hands and slapping his knees, slowly getting the rest to join in.

Kate just shook her head but still sent a lazy smile your way.

“Alright, alright.” Boone interrupted, “where are you sending us?”

That’s when the group of friends all spun around looking for an attraction that had little to none or some type of action going on. Javi ended up being the first one to announce, “I vote: House of mirrors for the lovers!”

Smirking to yourself, Boone immediately shakes his head, “I don’t know where you came up with that—

Javi raised his brows, ready to challenge that but Kate flings her own spread out knuckles back against the curly haired man’s mouth, stopping him from saying any more.

“You really don’t want him to answer that, do you?” Dani quizzed as she held onto her heineken bottle, while glancing back and forth between you two.

Awkwardly Boone rubs at the back of his neck while you’ve already moved in the direction of the supposed haunted attraction unfazed at what they were all hinting at. You’re swinging your hands back and forth now walking backwards.

“Who’s starting the timer and what are we doin’?” You ask as everyone starts to follow you towards where an employee stood outside, hanging along the banister texting away on his phone, appearing very bored and over his shift.

Kate and Tyler stand in the middle on the dirt, where the rest of the wranglers lined up on either side of them. That left you and Boone to start making your way up the maze of the ADA aluminum ramp.

The two blondes gazed at each other and then at the rest of the tornado wranglers who all grinned at each other. Lily and Boone were initially the ones who were vlogging this entire outing, with Boone having the headgear since he tended to be all over the place, shout-out ADHD! and Lily decided to go with a camcorder for this particular outing, which means it’ll be just as much as a blast editing as they were all experiencing it. Tyler loved going to all of the fairs, festivals, and carnivals that Arkansas had and he was even more thrilled to have Kate be part of it.

Boone was his best friend and all Tyler wanted was for him to find another piece of happiness. He thought that could be you and although the first time you and Boone hooked up, which may have been casual at the start, Tyler (along with the rest of the wranglers) had a feeling it could be something more. Although Boone tried to deny it, it was pretty obvious with the twinkle in his eye whenever he was caught looking at you when you did tag along or felt dejected whenever you flirted away with random people at gas stations and diner’s.

Tyler didn’t even think you did it deliberately.

He knew a thing or two about charisma but he also got to know you. Tyler felt if you knew about Boone’s true feelings for you, you wouldn’t flirt with anybody else but him. So this is why sending just you two off into the house of mirrors was the perfect plan.

Supposedly.

“As you know, you both will have seven minutes,” Kate starts while the both of you nod, “To get through the maze—

Lily mutters with a exaggerated groan while fake stretching, “Or each other.”

Which earns snickers from Dani and Javi.

Boone sends them both a middle finger.

“What you do within that time is completely your business,” Tyler adds with his own laughter lines showing on his face, “Just as long as you make it out before then. If not—

“You’re gonna pay the employee to lock us in for the night or something?” You predict, while Boone widens his eyes to look over at you.

The group of tornado wranglers all glance at each other while Boone pinches the space in between his brows, just grumbling, “Don’t get any ideas…don’t get any ideas…”

“Actually that’s not bad.” Dani says after sipping at the last of her beer, “Give it up for y/n for the bright ideas!”

They all give you a round of applause while you mockingly bow and curtsy.

“No,” Kate reassures Boone, “We’ll think of something…else.”

“Alright love birds!” Tyler begins as you start leading the way up the ramp, leaving you to shake your head and for Boone to give his best friend a mean side eye, after tossing Tyler the camera around his head off to place a trucker hat on instead, “Time starts as soon as the kind gentleman lets you two disappear from our sight. Boone, you set your own timer alright?”

“Yeah sure, dad.” Boone responds dryly but clicks his tongue and points at the older man in amusement, after getting higher up on the ramp.

The employee continues waving you two to the main entrance; where there’s music that sounds like a strange tune full of a creepy organ instrumental being played.

“Good luck you two!” Lily calls out.

You glance over your shoulder, sending a wink to the locked up haired girl, “We won’t need it.”

Which makes Lily raise one hand in surrender and step back with the camcorder aimed at you two while the rest let out a chorus of, “oooo’s.”

You reach back for Boone’s hand intertwining your fingers as you turn to the right, being welcomed with a gush of cool air before disappearing behind the velvet drapes.

“Seven minutes starts now.” Boone informs surpringly quiet, after setting the timer on his phone before shoving it back into his cargo shorts pocket.

You don’t let go of his hand replying, “Uh huh. Not much of a challenge for me though.”

“Speak for yourself.” Boone mutters as he glanced at his reflection to his right.

The lights flickered from white to Antarctic blue as you lead the way, your free hand feeling for the glass but moving at a speed that feels faster than normal to Boone.

“Don’t tell me you don’t like a little maze?”

“You know I got left in a maze once,” Boone tells, “A cornfield maze. Of course I found my way out but much later than everyone else and got chased by the headless horseman. Nearly lost my own freakin’ head too!”

You kept your laughter at bay, stopping to turn and cradle Boone’s face, “Don’t worry Boonie Babe, I won’t leave you.”

“Even if Dracula or Frankenstein decides to jump through one of the mirrors?” He asks, trying to keep his eyes on yours instead of your lips and your surroundings.

You peek up at the ceiling, which is also covered in glass, “Frankenstein might be a problem for me.”

“That guy really?”

“Oh there’s no fear in my heart when it comes to him. I’m just saying that I might be able to snatch him from his bride.” You sigh dramatically while Boone blinks, not expecting you to have a crush on that vintage horror icon but then again there was a quote on your spine that he still was trying to figure out.

Boone decides to toss in, “Wouldn’t need to take him from his bride, when you could just be mine instead?”

Is this what the kids call rizz?

“Oh, is that so?” You tilt your head to the side, your devil horns slide a bit from the cap that covered your hair.

Boone reaches up to fix them for you, “Yup, and I know what I’m being for Halloween now instead of cousin IT. Let’s go.”

With that he takes charge, tugging you along through the mirrors with quick strides but that was short lived as he walked face first into the mirror, that you tried to warn him of but just a little too late. The both of you tumble back onto the ground, with a groan and Boone holding onto his nose.

“Awl shit, is it bleedin’?” He asks, scrambling to get off you since you took the brunt of it.

You sit up with a wince and reach out to lift his chin, “No you’re good.”

“Never mind that, did I hurt you?”

“Course not. This ain’t my first tussle you know?” You tease.

Boone licks his bottom lip, “…How can I forget?”

Laughing a little you grip his sturdy shoulders, using them as leverage to get back on your feet. Boone’s hands go to your hips, peering up at you like the goddess you are. He even ran his tongue along his lip again, getting a view of your thigh tat that wrapped around your flesh.

“How much time left do we have?” You query, feeling the change in the air.

Boone lifts his shoulders, “Don’t matter,” before pulling you close. His chin rests against your stomach for a moment and as you caress his face, you squat down until you’re seated in his lap, “that’s better.”

“I bet it is,” you laugh with your arms over his shoulders and his muscular arms wrapped tightly across your back.

When you take your horns from your hat to rest beside you two, you also turn your hat backwards, which makes Boone moan at the sight of you now. And you have no problem tasting that moan as you place your lips right on his. Boone doesn’t waste any time slipping his tongue into your mouth after you turn the kiss into an open mouthed one.

“I know we don’t have much time,” you breathe breaking away as Boone leaves scratchy open mouthed kisses along your neck, taking in the aroma of you, “But I think I miss you just as much as you missed me.”

Your hands work to loosen his belt just so you can manauver your hand inside. He grunts once you’ve gotten a hold on him, finger circling the sticky that’s right at the tip. “Oh yeah, you’ve missed me real bad, Boonie babe.”

“Yeah, you get the idea, don’t you? It’s just right there in your hand, sweetheart.” His head rests back against the mirror as you bury your face into his neck, and he doesn’t hesistate to give you more access looking towards the pathway of mirrors instead.

He didn’t even care if the rest of employees got a show right now. Boone just needed and wanted you bad. So he manages to grip your wrist from moving any further, gaining your attention. “I think I can put my guy to better use, don’t you?”

“Not with the time we have left…” you slowly peck his lips.

He’s fully unbuttoning his shorts, lifting his hips just enough to free himself and that he did, “Fuck it.”

You have to stand again to lower your own but Boone stops you as you get to your festive panties, “Keep ‘em on, they’re no bother.”

Sitting once more with your legs locked around Boone, his finger trailed against the pattern of the bats at the center. Boone’s always known that they were your favorite animal with you once referring to them as, “Pups with wings,” so he shouldn’t be surprised that you had a pair on for him to enjoy too.

“Boone,” you warn as he trailing his finger agonizing around and around slowly, “No teasing.”

“You think it’s fair that’s what you’ve been doin’ to me all this time?” He sharply looks at you underneath his eyelashes, “When you should know I’d do just about anything to have you all the time?”

“What?” You breathe, feeling the cool air of the maze much lower now that he moved your orange panties to the side.

Angling himself just right, you welcome him in, doubling over with a moan as your hand slams against the glass to hold onto now that you’re one.

“Just for now, baby.” He shushed you, burying his bruised nose against your shoulder, “Want you to feel all of me and what more I can give.”

“Boone.” You hiss, once you’re able to lean back and meet his brown eyes, “I cant—We can’t.”

Being like this would be torture, you knew it.

He rests the pad of his thumb against your mouth, “Don’t show your fears, feel ‘em with open arms.”

With a roll of your eyes, you think this is new. Not the whole underling meaning to what this was but more so Boone pulling this. Normally it was always about action but this was different. Time-consuming. Meaningful. You’d like to think it over some more later but Boone was making this oh so difficult, stretching you so nice and letting it soak was almost evil.

And not once did you ever think Boone was that.

Just taking all of him with no intentions of finding more, which you knew he could. You had to give him credit, this was intense and you knew Boone meant it with the way he stared into your eyes and massaged your thighs. Your mind was in overload and you knew you could move if you truly wanted but you were always up for a challenge. Lightly bumping noses, you lower your lips to nip his bottom one before kissing him once more with a sigh.

The way you always felt against Boone was a gift within itself. He wanted you to know that if you just gave him a chance, for real this time that he would give you more than just his body. But for right now, this was the type of intimacy he was offering. With the potential of everlasting passion. That’s right, Boone could be much more than what was on the surface and he couldn’t hide it much when he was around you. Sure he could blame it on the whiskey and shared joint with Lily but he wouldn’t, Boone knew how he felt about you beyond the high.

And he was going to show you as soon as possible.

Those thoughts are interrupted as the rattling of glass is heard and it’s not by either of your doing.

You pull your lips from his, looking to your left from the path in which you two came.

“Hello—

Boone starts but you slap your hands over his mouth, sharply turning to look at his widened eyes, “Have you not seen any scary movies? You never greet the dark.” You whisper to him, taking a deep inhale.

Deciding that it was best to ease yourself from Boone, who misses your warmth already you’re on your feet, but not without shifting your view from the ground to grab your shorts and that rattling path to the side of you.

“Guess play time is over,” Boone muttered while beginning to fix himself as well.

Instead of the usual flicking of lights, you’re both engulfed in complete darkness for a good ten seconds. The haunting music is still playing and as you both listened carefully, gaze lifting to the ceiling at the whistling of wind, that actually starts to shake the building.

“Whoa! This don’t feel right.” Boone comments.

With a nod you step to go back the way you came but what happens next feels like slow motion. The glass above your head comes crashing down, making you both crouch to shield your faces from the material while the house of mirror shuts down, going completely quiet.

“Boone?” You call out once you feel the coast is clear, until a sickening creak begins to cave the attraction inwards.

His hands find yours in the dark, “I got you!” He calls over the noise, “We got to get movin’! See if we can find the exit.”

Shaking the glass from each other, you get to your feet, both searching your pockets for the flashlight on your phones.

“Tornado?” You question.

Boone shined his light over your frame to make sure you weren’t hurt before answering, “Maybe or a hurricane at least? Let’s move.”

He leads the way this time and it isn’t anymore comforting now with the lights out. He can hear you clacking away on your phone trying to text and call the rest of the tornado wranglers…but of course there’s suddenly no service.

“Watch it!” You say just in time as something falls on top of the ceiling from the outside, raining more glass over what would have been on Boone’s head.

He puffs out a breath, “Thanks.” He says over his shoulder while you just nod, “Looks like we’re gonna have to crawl through now. Hope you’re not claustrophobic?”

“Nooo,” you blow out a raspberry.

Boone gives you an expressionless look. The twist of your bottom lip and you lightly biting down on the corner was a dead giveaway.

“You want to hold my hand?”

“I would…but how is that going to work with your ass in my face? It’s not like there’s enough room to crab walk side by side?”

He decides against making a crude joke as he feels a spike of anxiety radiating off of you now.

Boone grips your shoulders, “You won’t leave me remember? So I won’t let go of you, alright?”

“Alright.” You trust him with a dip of your head, as Boone grabs a hold of your hand again to place a scratchy kiss along your fingertips.

Crawling through the dark of a house full of mirrors was not exactly on your bucket list. Sure you were a rough around the edges kind of girl, just like the rest of the tornado wranglers, who liked adventure every now and then but in a way you were more like Dani and Dexter who focused on the mechanics. You wished you were like Dexter in this moment and chose to stay home but then again, would this night have played out any differently for Boone? You loved riding in your truck, tailgating, and shooting your shotty but chasing storms wasn’t what you did for a living.

Being a Forest and Conservation Tech was more your speed but when Dani found you through Tiktok, she somehow felt you would be good on the team. It was a part time thing to be honest, Tyler couldn’t fully ring you in and he was never one to be overbearing but he saw something in you as well.

It felt like all of them did, including Boone.

You were hardly one to vocally doubt yourself but everyone had some type of flaw in them.

That’s called being human.

Yours so happened to be wishing you were in a forest right now instead of having whiskey in your veins and stuck in a house of mirrors with a guy that you were open to exploring more with.

“No freaking way!” Boone says after his third kick to the exit door, that the both of you had to stomp over glass to get to.

Sighing you finally state with a hint of sarcasm, “Are you ready to admit that we’re going to spend longer than seven minutes in here?”

“Har-Har!” Boone mumbled yanking his cap off to clip along his waistband to tie one of his signature bandanas over his dark hair instead, “I guess!”

Standing up again you point, “Let’s see if we can find a final room as shelter.”

“A what?”

You nudge your head after handing him back his phone.

After another somewhat lengthy loop trying to find said final room and flinching every time it felt like the attraction could split you two in half at any moment, you’re led to the room that shined light from its main mirror with a coffin held open in front of it.

“The hell is this?” Boone questions, “Are we supposed to climb into that?”

There’s a sickening creaking that can be heard in the distance, making Boone shine his flashlight from left to right while you put yours away to save some battery for when you did get service again.

Whipping around you kiss Boone’s lips again and he almost melts but still keeps a sturdy arm around your waist. When you break away you say, “If we don’t make it—

“Nope!” Boone yelps, “Say it to my face when we’re both sober and not going through whatever this is.”

There’s no sound of a loud horn that the both of you can pick up on, but you’re also unaware of how deep you’re in the house. The both of you couldn’t pinpoint what exactly was happening but you wanted to put it out there just in case.

He exhales, latching onto your hand and cautiously moving towards the open coffin. Boone peers back at you and with one eye closed, he peeks into the coffin to find it…empty.

“Okay…no signs of Dracula! We’re good to go, just like a bathtub I suppose.” He climbs up first, sitting down before holding his arms out for you.

Swallowing at how disturbing this is, you look around the almost empty room one last time before taking Boone’s hand and also climbing in and resting on your side while Boone turned to face you as well.

“I didn’t expect this to be so roomy.” You whisper as you look up into the dark.

Boone snorts, “Kinda romantic huh?”

“If you say so.”

“All we’re missing are the dead roses.”

“You can stop talking now.”

“I’m nervous, sorry.”

“…we can finish what we started in the hallway?” You tease.

He perks up, “Oh really? In here? Should we close the top?”

“No Boone! Just hold my hands and pray for this to pass quickly.”

Boone caressed your cheek before leaning forward to kiss you, “Man, I can absolutely do that for you, sweetheart.”

The pressure and creaking gets too much to bear, even with you holding on tightly to Boone’s hands, you let go to embrace him instead. The both of you bury yourselves into each other’s shoulders and hold on as best as you could in the house of mirrors.

The rapid beating of each other’s hearts were felt each other’s frames the tighter you held onto each other and that was the greatest symphony to provide peace to you two while you weathered the storm.

⋆｡‧₊°♱༺𓆩❦︎𓆪༻♱༉‧₊˚. ⋆｡‧₊°♱༺𓆩❦︎𓆪༻♱༉‧₊˚. ⋆｡‧

Continue with my October anthology prompts here.

#queued #twisters 2024 #twisters film #boone twisters #boone twisters x reader #tyler owens #kate carter #javi rivera #dani twisters #lily twisters #october prompts #brandon perea

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simplydannie · 6 months ago

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@kais-va no angst as you asked lol this is one I did awhile ago but forgot to post it! (I scrolled through my account and I swear I didn’t see this one anywhere!)

The twins have been doing community service under the watchful eye of the Trolls. This time their service takes them to Vacay Island where a day off means a day in the sun… unfortunately, for Vennie, that’s doesn’t turn out so great.

It was really bright and really sunny day on Vacay Island. On top of that, it was very busy. Tourists have been swarming in left and right; tourists of all species.

On the beach near the water were 3 figures: two tall with green hair and pale skin, one little purple one no bigger than a tennis ball. Velvet wore a two piece golden suit and a large sun hat. Her long hair tied in a flamboyant ponytail, bangs curled around her forehead. Round sunglasses shaded her eyes and rose pink lipstick on her lips. Her brother was to her left. He wore golden trunks to match his sister and black round sunglasses. His hair wasn’t styled in his normal updo. Instead he let the water take its role, allowing his hair to sweep in a type of faux hawk near his eyes. He no longer wore his green lipstick to match his sister; this time he was his own man.

In between them lay a small little purple Troll sprawled out on a small beach chair. Green rectangular sunglasses blocked his eyes, a smile across his face. The three sighed in unison.

“This...” said Floyd.

“Is...” continued Velvet.

“Perfect.” finished Veneer.

The three lay with their arms behind their head as they soaked up the bright, smiling sun.

“...Wow! Revenue up 40%. Let’s get some more cheese melted for some more nachos! Let’s get those drinks up and ready. We got more coming in.!” Bruce’s voice trickled and boomed as he got closer to the trio. “Velvet, your idea of opening our doors to Mount Rageons everywhere was Sp-ec-tac-U- lar!”

A sly smile crossed Velvets lips, “I know, I know.” She beamed.

“Ahem.” Floyd coughed, lowering his sunglasses side eyeing her.

“I mean, you’re welcome. Anything I can do to help.” She rolled her eyes and sighed.

“Maybe a little less attitude, but better.” Floyd beamed.

“I really don’t know why I am going through this behavior intervention. It’s really pointless.” Velvet said.

“I don’t know, you seem more barable now... fun even.” Veneer smirked. Velvet grabbed her towel smacking her brother across the face.

“And you’ve became a more smart ass than usual... I hate it.” She sneered.

“Love you too sis.” Her brother laughed.

“This conversation is going a lot better than most-oooohhhhh wow.” Floyd took off his small sunglasses and gasped towards Veneers direction.

“What?” Veneer gaped. Velvet turned towards her brother for a good look…. She then bursted out laughing.

“Oh my god- what?...What? ...WHAT!?” His voice began to grow shaky and nervous.

“ I don’t know, you tell me. Can I have some grilled cheese with the that tomato soup sir?” Velvet said between laughs. Tears began rolling down her eyes as the laughter continued. Veneer gaped at her clueless.

“What?! Tell me!?” He begged. Before Floyd could respond Poppy and Branch joined the trio… their eyes going wide when they saw Veneer.

“Omg Vennie!” Poppy exclaimed, “Like red is definitely your color but not like this!”

Branch joined Velvet in laughter…. Which made Veneer even more anxious… Why is Branch laughing too? He thought.

“Dude, have you ever heard of “sunblock”?” Branch asked with a smirk on his face.

“Duh! Floyd gave me some!” Veneer desperately tried to look around for something to see himself on.

“ Which one? I gave you two, and one was NOT sun lotion.” Floyd declared. Velvet continued laughing handing her brother her mirror.

“Priceless.” She sneered.

Upon looking at himself.... he saw it. His cheeks were flushed red. The redness flushed his face, neck, torso…all the way down to his legs. Velvet was right, he looked like he had jumped in tomato soup.

“No, no, no, no, no!!” He stammered. He reached for his towel and wrapped his entire body... well as much as he could. “No one said anything!”

“Well I didn’t get a good look at you until now.” Floyd said, “you better put something on before it starts peeling.”

“Oh Vennie, youll be fine! It doesn’t look that bad.” Poppy tried to say.

“I look like a freaking tomato, Poppy!” Veneer said.

He eyes the beach from side to side: it was jam packed with people. Anyone could’ve of seen and anyone was going to see if he walked out of there... a red glowing stick.

“Vels hand me your towel!” He demanded.

“You have your own!” She exclaimed.

“Ya but yours is longer. Covers more. Pleeeeeaaase!” He begged.

“I mean there’s not MUCH to cover anyways.” She smirked as she laid back closing her eyes again.

“Velvet.” She turned to see Floyd standing up right with his arms across his chest. He lifted one eyebrow giving her a stern look.

“Uuuuggghhh. Boys are much more drama queens than girls are yknow. Here moron.” She tossed him her towel.

“Thank you!” Attempting to wrap himself like a burrito, Veneer stood up and made his way toward the resort.

Leaving his sunglasses on, he twisted and turned, avoiding any eye contact that he could.

“Excuse me. Sorry. Coming through.” He said as he weaved his way around the crowd. ‘Almost there, almost there’, he thought to himself..….

OOF.

He accidentally ran into a Vacationer carrying a tray of food and drinks. Veneer tumbled to the floor loosing grip of his towel.

“Sorry my dude… whooooaaaa.” The Vacationers eyes widened upon seeing Veneers red glowing skin.… Everyone there gaped as they saw him….everyone.

“No, no thats my bad!” Veneer desperately reached for the towel and wrapped himself up again. “Uuuh have a good day!” He ran…. He ran straight toward the room he was staying in.

Once inside he went straight towards his bed, burying his face into his pillow…. He was NEVER going to show his face after that again.

“Stupid Veneer.” He told himself as he buried his face deeper into his pillow.

#trolls band together #trolls 3 #velvet and veneer #veneer #velvet #trolls veneer #velvet and veneer trolls #velvet trolls #trolls 3 veneer #trolls 3 velvet #veneer trolls #trolls velvet #trolls movie #trolls #trolls au #trolls fanfic #fanfics #fanfic #fanfiction

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jfleamont · 8 months ago

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Hey for your jily muse, out of order <3

Okay this is unforgivable, I know. You sent this prompt over two months ago. TWO. This ask has been sitting in my inbox since the 18th of January, so you probably won't even remember sending this but I promise you I've been thinking about it constantly and waiting to have free time to work on it and I have this tendency to leave things unfinished so this is me working through that as well lol

Without further ado, here it is ❤️

Out of Order - 744 words

Evans is in the boys' bathroom. She's in the boys' bathroom and she's crying.

One of her hands is gripping the sink, while the other fruitlessly wipes the tears that keep escaping.

She hasn't noticed his arrival, and Sirius doesn't bother clearing his throat. “I'm sure there's a perfectly logical reason for this.”

She makes a startled noise and turns to face him, her expression a mixture of anger and sadness. It's comical, really, so Sirius laughs.

“There is,” she mutters as she wipes her nose with the sleeve of her jumper. Her voice lacks the edge she usually aims at him— and at James, too, though Sirius can't help but notice a slight difference there.

He walks towards her and hands her his monogrammed tissue - he's never used it for this purpose specifically, but it has proved to be useful during the occasional prank or after a rough full moon - which she grabs immediately. She doesn't thank him, but he doesn't expect her to.

“Ah well, that's all I needed to know. It's not like you're invading my personal space or something.”

She lifts an eyebrow and eyes him curiously, looking more like her usual self. “I'm sorry, is there a plaque or an inscription that I haven't noticed? Does House Black monogram bathrooms as well as tissues?”

“Not that I'm aware of, no. Don't give my mother ideas, though, she might actually try to do that.”

She makes an attempt at a smile, but it quickly turns into a quiet sob.

“Apparently there can only be one crying girl per bathroom, and Myrtle has claimed the one across the corridor as hers so it's out of order,” she explains as she tries to regain control of her emotions, “and I thought this one was empty since everyone is heading down to watch the match.”

“You were right... for the most part. Why aren't you going then?”

“No reason,” she replies, her voice even, but she's not looking at him.

Sirius thinks he knows why. He suspects it has to do with the good luck kiss that Cornelia Kettleburn gave James at breakfast and how quickly Lily disappeared after that.

“Cool. I'm not going either. Fancy going to the Astronomy tower for a smoke?”

She looks taken aback. “I— wait, why aren't you going?”

In truth Sirius wants to go, and James is going to kill him for this, but lately he's been claiming that he no longer has feelings for Lily, and Sirius hates being lied to, so technically this is just payback.

“James got on my nerves so I'm skipping the match in protest,” he adds with a shrug and it's the truth, because it wouldn't be fair to lie. “So, are we smoking or not? Got a fag I can borrow?”

She's not an idiot: she knows this is an olive branch of sorts. Sirius can tell she's deciding whether to believe him or not; after a moment she sighs, and Sirius knows he's won.

“Haven't you got your own? Merlin, you're cheap,” she says while producing a pack of cigarettes from her satchel and handing it to him, a smirk on her face. He's glad to see that she seems to have calmed down significantly.

“I'm trying to quit so I stopped carrying them around,” he replies and grabs one, putting it in the breast pocket of his vest.

“Looks like it's working,” she notes as she fixes her appearance in front of the mirror and readies herself to leave the room.

“Absolutely.”

“Why are you mad at Potter anyway? Thought you two were inseparable,” she asks as she walks towards the door, a step ahead of him so that he can't see her face.

“Can't tell you, it's a secret.”

She huffs. “You lot are starting to sound ridiculous with all these secrets,” she whips her head towards him, her disapproval clear on her face, though he's almost certain this is just another way of disguising her curiosity. “Is this little group of yours a cult or something?”

“It's a counterculture,” he explains as he exits the bathroom, “how else are we going to beat those bigoted dickheads? The only way to fight a cult is with another cult.”

He's just joking, but the idea doesn't sound half bad to his ears.

Apparently Lily disagrees, because she snorts. Loudly. “Not sure about that logic but you do you, I guess.”

“Thanks for the support.”

“Anytime, Black.”

#thank you again for the prompt and I'm so so so sorry about the delay lol #I LOVE THIS FRIENDSHIP #does this count as jily? idk you guys tell me #I'd hate to spam the tag with non jily stuff but there's jealous Lily so I think it counts even if there are no interactions #jily #it's almost 2 am here :)#can't be arsed to check it for typos so I'll do that tomorrow goodnight folks x #jfleamont rambles #jple #jily fic #platonic blackevans #lily evans #sirius black

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gachabastard · 7 months ago

Text

Limbus Company Sinners as Fallen London Companions

Smashing my two hyperfixations together like dolls and making them kiss. What I'm seeking (lol) to do here is not to conflate the Sinners to existing Companions, but rather create Companions based off of them instead. If you know both things then this won't take any explaining.

For people who know Limbus Company but not Fallen London: Fallen London is a browser game made by Failbetter Studios. It is an alternate history of an 1800s London that has sunk deep below the earth into a subterranean cavern known as the Neath and is now overseen by the mysterious Masters of the Bazaar. You begin the game as a Surface-dweller who has recently descended into the Neath for certain reasons, which you are able to decide for yourself and act upon as you progress through the game. Companions are "equipment" of sorts that you can equip to increase (or lower) your character's stats. A full write-up of FL's mechanics could be another three separate posts on its own, so I recommend the wiki's Beginner's Guide and other resources therein to understand the mechanics I'll detail here. If you enjoy the writing in LCB you will most likely also love FL's writing. Please play it, it is awesome. (And lmk if you do, I'll add you as a friend and definitely not stab you in the back)

For people who know Fallen London but not Limbus Company: Limbus Company is a mobile game made by Project Moon. It is the third in a series of games, preceded by Lobotomy Corporation and Library of Ruina, which are both available for purchase on Steam, though Limbus Company can be played independently of these if you want; the player avatar is an amnesiac so things are generally explained as needed (though Lobcorp and LoR are also very good and I recommend them, but you do have to buy those, so). The game centers around a department of the titular Limbus Company, the Limbus Company Bus Team (often shortened to LCB), the twelve individuals referred to as Sinners who make up the team, and their amnesiac Manager named Dante as they brave the ruins of the old branches of Lobotomy Corporation to retrieve strange objects known as Golden Boughs. All of the major characters in LCB are based off of classic literature (for example, Dante is based off of Dante's Inferno). If you like FL's writing you may enjoy LCB, but it is a gacha game which turns a lot of people off. For character info you can visit the Fandom wiki (yeah I know, it's a Fandom wiki), and if you want to read the story so far without playing the game you can check out this github page which contains all of the story text.

And if you don't know either...I don't know why you're reading this, but I hope my explanations and provided resources are enough to help you understand it regardless.

Okay, wall of text out of the way, let's get into the actual point of the post. This isn't meant to be balanced or anything this is just for fun because I'm diseased. Also LIMBUS SPOILERS THRU CANTO VI sorry.

Starting off with Sinner #1, Yi Sang:

Mirror-Marred Litterateur In the Mirror's glass, he observed endless possibilities. One such possibility observed him back. Watchful +4, Glasswork +2, Bizarre +1

Reasoning: Honestly? I thought about Sang Yi chilling in Parabola and that colored my whole concept here. But for real the whole Mirror thing is too perfect. Yi Sang defines Glasswork.

Sinner #2, Faust

Hell-Touched Engineer She hasn't the eyes of a devil, but builds infernal machinery previously unseen outside of Hell. Claims to know all outcomes, but shares precious little. Dreaded +2, Artisan of the Red Science +2, Decreases Nightmare build up

Reasoning: Something something Faust something something Mephistopheles something something her base EGO heals SP.

Sinner #3, Don Quixote

Dreaming Knight The only weapon stronger than a dream is delusion. Dangerous +5, Mithridacy +2, Increases Scandal build up

Reasoning: DQ is so skilled in Mithridacy she's got herself convinced of untruths, man. She's also allowed little a Scandal. As a treat.

Sinner #4, Ryoshu

Bohemian Blademaster Her masterwork blade is her brush; her enemies, her canvas. Legend has it that even the Boatman respects her work. Dangerous +4, Dreaded +2, Monstrous Anatomy +1

Reasoning: I feel like this one's pretty self-explanatory. I added a point of MA since I feel like she'd want to be a bit knowledgeable in monster anatomy for Art Reasons

Sinner #5, Meursault

Chained Stranger "The Neath is a prison," he says matter-of-factly, "And I am here because I am meant to be." Despite this, one could swear they saw the sun reflecting off his eyes. Persuasive +2, Respectable +3, Reduces Scandal build up

Reasoning: Hehe did you see what I did there. I referenced the thing. Anyway aside from being pretty blunt, he's probably the best candidate out of the whole group for Respectable.

Sinner #6, Hong Lu

Bright-Eyed Debonair New to the Neath, from an affluent Surface family. The Neath's many delights confuse and excite him. Persuasive +2, Shadowy +1, Kataleptic Toxicology +1

Reasoning: I think Hong Lu being new to the Neath fits with him being sheltered in canon. Also +1 KA cuz you know that boy is hittin that Honey. The Honey-Dens of Veilgarden already know him by name.

Sinner #7, Heathcliff

Bereaved Ruffian He knows the backstreets of London like the scars on his hands. He remembers that which the world does not, and waits. Dangerous +8, Shadowy -3, Chthonosophy +1

Reasoning: Oops Canto VI colored the fuck out of this one oops oops oops. Happy Firmament Day btw have some Chthonosophy. :)

Sinner #8, Ishmael

Zeefaring Pathfinder She's hunted the most feared creatures known to the Zee, losing her way to chart a path for her mad captain. Her compass will see that she never loses sight of her path again. Zeefaring +2, Monstrous Anatomy +3, Increases Nightmares build up

Reasoning: Ishy-Fishy you were made to embody Zeefaring and MA.

Sinner #9, Rodion

Lacre-Drowned Cardshark Born in a run-down corner of London where the Lacre falls thickest at Sacksmas, she knows a thing or two about cards. She wouldn't mind teaching you...for a price. Persuasive +4, Watchful +6

Reasoning: Heart's Desire vibes. That's it.

Sinner #10, Dante

Timepiece Manager An infernal timepiece ticks away where a head should be. They have no memories of their own, but they can never forget again. Chthonosophy +2, Steward of the Discordance +1, Dangerous -5, Reduces Wounds build up

Reasoning: Congratulations Dante on being the only bitch to not have the Discordance because the Discordance isn't real. Ummm I went off vibes here but tbh I think Dante should decrease your Dangerous by way more actually. Hell, let's make then decrease Dreaded too. Let's make them a Weasel of Woe.

Sinner #11, Sinclair

Unrealized Prodigy Young and anxious, jumping at every shadow. His potential is very promising. Dangerous +6, Dreaded +1, Increases Wounds build up

Reasoning: Sinclair may be baby. But he is Scary Baby.

Sinner #12, Outis

Commanding Oneironaut She's led the forces of Parabola to victory more times than you could count. Don't ask her any questions. Dangerous +8, A Player of Chess +2, Glasswork +1

Reasoning: Everybody shut the fuck up Parabolan War General Outis is everything to me, you hear me. EVERYTHING. She favors the Chessboard, obviously, with that +2 to APoC.

Sinner #13, Gregor

Metamorphic Veteran A large insectoid pincer sits where a right arm should be. He'll talk about pretty much anything but the details around that. Seriously, be careful around that thing. Dangerous +5, Shapeling Arts +3, Bizarre +2

Reasoning: You had to know Gregor would be the only bitch to get Shapeling Arts. Look me in the eyes and tell me he wouldn't. I wanted to give him Persuasive due to his amicability but also he actually. Sucks at being persuasive like canonically, so. Dangerous it is.

BONUS! Vergilius

The Red Gaze The most feared Fixer in the Neath. Whatever could you have done to strike up an alliance with him? Watchful +30, Shadowy +30, Dangerous +30, Persuasive +30, Greatly reduces Nightmare build up

Reasoning: He's the Red Goat I ain't gotta explain shit.

anyway hope you enjoyed even though you definitely didn't. i have a headache now so i'm gonna go consume painkillers and caffeine and go run mirror dungeons in lcb for that limbus battle pass.

#limbus company #fallen london #sorry this is long sorry im mentally ill

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mjanelupinblack · 7 months ago

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starving creatures | chapter three🖤

pairing: xu minghao x reader // jun x reader (mainly lol)

description: starving creatures have arrived at your homeland in forks. little do you know, they not only intend to drain the blood out of you... they'll also to break your heart in two.

genres: slowburn (please bare with me), fluff, angst, vampire!au, ceramist!hao

warnings: blood drinking, lot of blood related themes, repressed emotions, family issues, miscommunication, kinda toxic friendship with cheol? blood and smut will be mixed. emotionally and physically starved vampires oops. did i mentioned blood?

minors dni!!!

fic playlist

CHAPTER THREE

He’s never been easily forgiving. And even if he was, the events after his transition couldn’t possibly be ignored like he was ignoring them. Joshua remembers it with such clarity—a young student with big dreams suddenly crushed by the weight of a life that wouldn’t find death. The morning after the attack, a maddening hunger made Vernon lock himself in a room for days. He made him swear not to let him go out until his appetite would miraculously vanish –which, of course, didn’t happened.

Joshua agreed to his terms, even though he knew they were sadic and unrealistic. With his bare hands, he tore apart the neck of a hen. He dampened his friend’s lips with some fresh blood and saw the color gradually abandon his face. Three days passed like this. Vernon grew more irrational and aggressive until Joshua understood he was stupidly trying to starve himself to death. He knew too well that the first thirst wouldn’t just go away with some stinky animal waste. So he got his hands dirty. He took the life Vernon refused to steal and fed the blood to his friend.

Vernon still punishes himself about it. And Joshua is still trying to convince himself that the person he attacked from the back would understand, if only he knew how desperate he felt in that moment.

In Vernon, he had found a companion. A friend for a life sentence he thought he would be serving alone. Should he feel grateful or enraged at Boo Yejin and his perverse brother? While he arrives at the Boo residence, he tries to get rid of all the conflictive thoughts he knows Seungkwan will read through like a kid’s book.

He knocks on the door like a civilized person. His fists are hidden at his back, clenched so hard that pain almost numbs his senses. If only he were strong enough, he wouldn’t hesitate to smash his way to the hallway. A servant asks for his name and, after checking with the master, reluctantly invites him to wait in the foyer.

The carpets are crimson red. There are no beams of natural light passing through the dense curtains. His childhood home used to have the same chandelier that is now hanging over his head. It has thick branches and crystal tears. And his stomach turns at the experience of revisiting the past without a warning.

“Took you long enough,” Seungkwan says, after a few minutes of letting his rage brew in the entrance. He is dressed pretty uncomfortably. An elegance no one would consider to carry at his own house. “I see this bloodsucking life suited you well enough. You look different from the student we cornered at the library”.

“Don’t you look into your enemies?” Joshua asks. “It’s hard to believe you’re oblivious to every trace of his face.”

“Enemies?” Seungkwan snorts. “Your pig-fed family is no enemy to me. If you think about it, a wolf doesn’t see a lamb as much of a danger. But for the lamb, well… the wolf is a significant threat.”

“Why did you send the mirror to my house?” Joshua asks, trying to ease his anger so he won’t lose himself in Seungkwan’s twisted game. “You thought it would be fun to mock us? You weren’t even capable of bringing the mirror by yourself. You had the girl doing all your dirty work.”

“She offered when I told her. She is very helpful, like a housewife but you don’t have to pay nor marry her,” he says that in a disdainful way “In response to your question, no. We weren’t trying to mock you. What you were given is a relic and an honor, even though you’re too ignorant to see it.”

“An honor?” Joshua asks, taken aback by the audacity of the statement. “Why would you want to honor us? You don’t even respect us.”

Boo Seungkwan and his family's contempt for animal-fed nocturnals is not a secret well kept.

“I was hoping to make amends.”

Joshua laughs. If Seungkwan was really hoping to reconcile, the making up of his wrongdoings would take a lot more effort than an old mirror.

“A hundred years have passed. One would assume your friend grew accustomed to this.”

He 's wrong. Vernon never got used to this life, he just went with it.

“Never contact us again.”

“Wait,” Seungkwan insists. And he grimaces at the bitter taste of having to plead someone so inferior to him. “Walk around town. Take your made up family with you and watch how you don't get turned into dust the instant you leave the house. Let all of that sink and ask yourself how hard it's going to be to abandon that ten, maybe fifteen years from now. Then come back."

“What are you…?”

“Agnes!” Seungkwan abruptly cuts his sentence. “Please, escort him out.”

You can’t stop thinking about Minghao. The cold wind bites the end of your feet, and even though the weather slaps your face with constant reality checks, the thought of him insists on spinning around your head. Like you had been bewitched.

Autumn is coming. You and the guys decided to go downtown to handle flyers for the Harvest Moon Festival, an annual event organized by the state cultural committee, also known as Seungcheol’s brother, Wonwoo. Of course Hoshi took advantage of the situation and spread the word of the party he would be throwing Saturday night without the permission of his parents. You don’t know half of the people he invited. You wonder whether Minghao would want to join the party. Of course your friends won’t invite him but, if they did, would he want to be there?

Something tells you he wouldn’t. Something tells you he’d rather stay home among brushes and wine and clay. You wonder how ridiculous he would think you are if he could get into your head and find out you think of him so deeply.

Next time you see Jun, you want to ask him so many questions about his brother. Like how old he is or what movies he likes to watch when the weather is too foggy and rainy. Jun does seem to be able to read your mind, so you try to dispel the thoughts before you end up ruining your auntie’s business because of a stupid infatuation.

“Will Professor Han be doing his weird representation of the Spirit of Autumn again?” Dino asks, while absentmindedly handing out pamphlets to random passersby.

“Much to our disgrace,” Seungcheol says. “I tried to convince Wonwoo to not let him. But he said he’s got some important shit to say.”

“Important?” You ask. “Last year he said to watch out for a fairy infestation.”

Your friend Dino scratches his nose while Seungcheol charmingly smiles at the tall blond girl he handed his last pamphlet to.

“He’s an old man and a frustrated storyteller,” he tells you. “The least we can do is bare with him.”

“He told me I was going to sprint my ankle last year and I did,” Soonyoung adds. “Thinking ‘bout throwing him an invite to the party.”

You laugh at your friend's joke. Then he forgets his pamphlet-handling duty and tries to seriously convince you about how awesome it would be to have Professor Han come to his house with lots of tequila shots at his disposal. You laugh until you can’t find the stomach to keep doing so anymore. It feels like air has been sucked out of your lungs when you see Minghao a couple of steps from you, smoking a cigarette.

Fortunately his brother is sharing the cigarette with him, equally intimidating but you’ve grown accustomed to the weight of his presence. He glances your way, almost as if he detected your doubtful glare the second you placed it in the cloud of smoke they are breathing. You must say hi. But Minghao looks like he’s been taken right out of a painting.

You’re about to greet them when your best friend grabs you by the arm.

“C’mon, t/n, let’s grab a milkshake,” he says as he abruptly diverts you from your neighbors’ pathway.

Before you lose sight of them, you can see Jun nodding at your friend with a smug, almost provocative smile. Minghao simply looks at you two, stone cold.

“What the hell, Cheol?” You ask when you arrive at the cafeteria. The cashier looks at your friend like he’s a boyfriend in a tight spot.

“What do you mean?” He asks obnoxiously, just before ordering for two oat milk lattes.

“Don’t play dumb,” you say. Or maybe at this point you're begging. “We’re not like this.”

You're not quite sure what changed, but the fluctuations in Seungcheol’s character became evident shortly after he turned the sweet age of eighteen. His shoulders are always stiff. The only way for him to loosen up is by downing a full package of beer. Most times he forgets his promises and the worst part is, he won't talk to you about it. He rather party it off and call it for the night.

It shocked you when he called from Sweden to tell you he had traveled unexpectedly.

“Don’t act like I didn’t do you a favor,” he tells you. “You said you didn’t like them.”

“Yeah. There was no need for being rude though,” silence falls between the two of you until the cashier hands him your drinks. “I'm going to apologize.”

“T/n, wait…”

“Hoshi can have the latte.”

There you go, running away from the cafeteria like you run away from home each time shit gets too hard to handle. You love Hoshi; he’s a good friend to you. Yet there’s hatred in the words you spit at Seungcheol. Maybe you shouldn't blame your friend for his poor coping mechanisms. Who told you yours were better to begin with?

“Running away from Prince Charming?” Jun teases you from behind. He takes you by surprise, like an always attentive wolf with his favorite deer for hunting.

“Shut up,” You say, turning to him and realizing your tone could’ve been nicer. “Fuck, sorry Jun. It’s just… I’m not in the best good mood.”

His self-satisfied smile turns into a concerned gesture.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to be nice to me because my family is your client,” Jun says. “You can tell me if I’m being an asshole.”

“You’re not an asshole,” you laugh. “Just annoying… at the very worst possible time.”

“Maybe we can share a drink and talk about the appropriate and non-so appropriate moments to annoy you,” He offers. “I’m afraid my brother won’t be able to join us.”

You arch an eyebrow. What a devilish vestige for the angelical figure of his brother.

“Sorry,” he apologizes this time. “I guess the timing was wrong for that too.”

III

Minghao got turned into a nocturnal creature a hundred years ago. One must say he did it by own choice, except Jun’s recklessness didn’t make the decision feel like a matter of volition at all.

It had been a beautiful night; lively with intense candlelights and people dancing and chatting to the sultry melody of a saxophone. Minghao had attended Jeonghan's gathering in hopes of releasing the tension work had left on his back. A girl asked him about his job and he would have confessed his hatred for nursing if it wasn’t for the unexpected arrival of Junhui.

Four years younger and not mature enough to take no for an answer.

“What on earth are you doing here?” He had inquired. The girl, still peering over his shoulder in hopes for him to resolve his problem fast.

“I was invited. Hard to believe?”

“Han said you could come, he didn’t invite them. Why you have to act like such a kid all the time?"

“They’re my friends even if you don’t fucking like them, alright?” he blurted, cheeks turning red from the blood that was still circulating through his veins. “I swear if you get to know them…”

“They're older than you. They’re always wrapped in some shit. There’s nothing else.”

Minghao’s own temperature was beginning to rise at a slow but certain pace. Not only were his words true but the group had embraced Jun as a puppet for them to handle at their own pleasure.

Some wine? Jun could bring it. A party they hadn’t got an invite to? They would sneak out with the kid.

“I’ll kick them out myself.”

“Wait!” Jun had stopped him by the arm, fear draining the color from his face. “Let me do it.”

It was a mistake to let him go like that. He knows it now, forty years have passed, and he got the chance to memorize that evening like a hateful poem. He reproduces it in his dreams. Sometimes, he even tries to change it. Each word is cruel and it sticks to his mind like tick legs that are just impossible to rip off. Jun’s friends weren’t friendly. Apparently they had forgotten what humanity was like, just like the Boo Family had when they beat the shit out of Vernon and force him into eternity without him doing nothing to earn it.

Minghao had read about it in Vernon’s diary; midnight, late night studying and the clock ticking amid the silent of the empty library. Boo Yejin had sent his brothers to ambush Vernon for his poor decision of not choosing her love over his studies. If only he had gifted her with a pinch of his affection… then, he wouldn’t be here. Alive and suffering.

Minghao wakes up panting on the sofa. If his heart was still beating, it certainly would be sticking out of his chest. He’s home, luckily. So the initial confusion fades away pretty quickly. Like today, the majority of his nightmares are about his brother and his friends. Their stories always terrify him because they weren’t given the chance to choose or refuse this life. They were just thrown into it.

His shirt is soaked in sweat; his face is hot and throbbing and there’s a reddened hand diligently squeezing his own. It feels soft; so soft he could easily crush it with a little more pressure. It’s also warm and gentle. He has to force himself to let go because, in such a long time, he hasn’t allowed himself to feel such tenderness.

He doesn’t deserve it.

“Hey, it’s okay,” you tell him in a soothing voice. You’re wearing a raincoat. A crimson red raincoat. “You’re fine. Your family is fine. Everything’s okay now.”

“Where 's Jun?”

“We found you screaming when we got here,” you explain. “Your brother went to find Joshua. We tried waking you up, but nothing worked and you scared the shit out of us... You had a nightmare or sleep paralysis, I’m not sure. It must have been terrifying. All the things you said…”

“What did I say?”

Minghao's voice carries a sense of worry –not only had he dreamt about his brother. The taste of your blood had also been a recurring theme in his dreams.

“Just Vernon and Jun’s name... And something about them to please don’t hurt them.”

A beautiful full moon outshines the stars through the window. It pierces Minghao’s sight like the blade of the sun when the day is too bright to handle.

He had withdrawn from your touch. He didn’t want you to lay a hand on him, yet there was something about the tightness of his body and the shivering of his lips that made you feel profoundly sad when you looked at him.

That something was the need to be held. You could see it in his eyes; a skin starvation that had him rotting instead of living. The craving for a gentle touch.

The feeling leads you to briefly comb his hair with the hem of your fingers, affectionate but not too much. Loving but not too intimate. And you must have been right because as you caress him, your neighbor closes his eyes. His lips, so red like he had just bitten a strawberry.

He has to stop you, but he can’t. You need to go home, but you can’t stop brushing your fingers through the strands of his snow white hair.

The texture tricks you into believing you’re caressing the soft fur of a lamb. But what if it’s just a facade? What if he’s truly a predator?

Seungcheol wouldn’t trust him.

“Sorry,” you say in a faint voice. “I have to go. If you feel better I will just…” it physically pains you to remove your hand from his hair. “My aunt has to take her meds,” Why are you escaping? Is little red riding hood scared to be hunted by the wolf? “I left some chamomile tea in the kitchen. You should have some. It’s good for the nerves.”

“I will,” he says. But all that occupies his mind is the desperate, almost childlike need for five more seconds of your time. Chamomile won’t do anything for him when his fangs hurt inside his mouth. They will tear his skin open if he keeps pushing them back. “Thank you.”

You smile faintly. Your lips form a curve that’s meant to be as friendly as possible, but you want to touch him again.

“Anytime.”

You need to feel him as much as he needs to feel you.

Taglist 🖤 @90s-belladonna @milopenne @angel-ishere @cheiyoma @hipsdofangirl @hayleyfields33 @sojuxxi

masterlist | next chapter

#minghao x reader #seventeen #seventeen imagines #seventeen the8 #seventeen x reader #minghao fluff #jun x reader #jun angst #jun fluff #jun smut #minghao angst #minghao smut #junhao #vampire au #seungcheol angst #seungcheol x reader

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factual-fantasy · 11 months ago

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25 asks again :0000 🎄🎄🎄

Never??? What part of my content ever suggested that I would ever draw anything like that??

The snowy forests they tend to camp in are actually the forests attached to Snowdin :0 They tend to end up there a lot <XD No ones found them out there before so they've deemed Snowdin forests a safe camping spot..

I'm not sure what you mean by a cliffhanger. My Octonauts stuff wasn't following a timeline or anything. I was just goofing around and drawing what ever I felt like.

If you're talking about the crab comic? I abandoned that comic on a cliff hanger because I didn't like how I wrote the comic and I didn't feel like re-writing it. :/ The Captain ends up totally fine in the end so its ok-

(Also thank you! :} )

Thank you! Merry Christmas to you too!! :DDDD 💖🎄💖

It kind'a depends.. what really exhausts him is making multiple mirrors back to back that all lead to different places. And how long he holds them open is also a factor..

Maybe a good guestimate is.. about 5? Maybe if he makes 5 mirrors in less than 3 days that would be enough to completely wipe him out. Maybe even knock him unconscious..

But its okay, the group usually is good at avoiding that scenario. Usually they jump into an AU and stay there for a few days before jumping into a new one. That way Jevil has time to rest and recover.

@couchwow

:DD Thank you! We wish the same to you as well! :}} 🎄💖🔥

Oh yeah, very protective I imagine XD He wouldn't put him down or let him out of his sight for even a second.

@ocinstituterep

I'd like to think he kept it and hung it on his bedroom wall yeah. But Knowing Peso and how much of a sweetheart he is.. I can totally see him giving it to Pinto for a keepsake/to show it off to his friends :}

Only when they're using their magic in someway yeah. :0 The more magic they're using/the more they're straining, the more visible their pupil becomes.

And it can extend to their emotions. The more mentally unstable/emotional/afraid the cat is.. the more cracked and deformed their pupil can become..

@bunny-coffee

Shellington got some angry cousins frfr XDDD

(Post in question)

Ehh.. not exactly.. that situation with that Papyrus ended up getting really dangerous, and really scary, really fast.. They end up fleeing that AU and leave that Papyrus behind.. :(

@fallingbones (post in question)

WWAAAHHAGDG THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! THAT MEANS A LOT TO MEEEEE!!😭😭💖💖💖😭

That's because I was gonna draw a comic revealing her new name but I never got around to it.. 💔

(Still keeping it a secret in case I change my mind lol-)

ACTUALLY! I had an idea that if Jevil rushes a mirror, he just has less control over it and will have no idea where the mirror will end up. And one time Jevil hastily made a mirror and when they jumped though.. they all got dumped into a river 😬 which is very bad for nearly everyone involved-

Seam's chains got caught on a branch and he got stuck while everyone else got swept down stream. He was able to just barely get his chains free and drag himself onto land.

Grillby doesn't die or anything, but boy is it incredibly painful. Thankfully he's able to scramble out of the water rather quickly and collapse on land..

Spamton has a phobia of water so by the time him and Jevil are able to get out he's breaking down from a panic attack :'(

Goner kid cant really swim but she was very lucky and was able to grab onto some branches and scramble out of the water.

Asgore wasn't really in any danger but he did struggle to get out of the water. He was eventually able to latch onto a branch as well and pull himself out.

The group recollected and probably camped out in the nearby forest for a few days to mentally and physically recover from that ordeal-

Upon Googling it, it appears to be a fangame about the yellow soul..? I also saw "Undertale yellow controversy" uh oh- I'm not sure what I think about it <XD

Although I've never played/seen a playthrough of Resident Evil.. this sounds right up my ally! XD

Also thank you! Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you as well! :DD 🎄🎉

XD Yes! I also have these two but they're not as cool/polished/original to me as the other 7 are-

@octonauts16

Ultimately my thoughts are, "It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be/could have been. 6 outa 10, would watch again and recommend to my friends 🎤🐻👍"

And as for a sequel? I'm not sure if they'll make one.. if they do, I kind'a hope it'll be about the second game and they'll up the horror a bit more this time 👀

@cupofmaplesyrup

waaa thank you!! :DD

I'm not sure.. I imagined Bibi likes the stuff I make, simply because I made it. I'm not sure what the rest of them would think.. :0

Although the 20k comic was a biggie. They all thought that project was cool XD

@beryl-shade

I did! It seemed fitting for him. Also it helps visually distinguish him from Glamrock Freddy :00

XD She has that effect on people

When the when When?

@love-is-the-multiverse

That's just how I draw skeletons that don't look really creepy :( 💔

#my response #fnaf security breach #fnaf movie #undertale #deltarune #factual fam #seam and jevil #seam deltarune #jevil #bibi

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sharkneto · 4 months ago

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maybe a weird question, but have you ever thought about how lila might slot into the JT/HIT universe? she might be an awkward fit into the SM universe proper but seems like she'd have fun being a complete menace with number!

Have I? Have I!? Yes lol

The main version I rotate is Lila is with our Hargreeves and thus lands with them for the events of HIT. It's fun for everyone! Rob gets the brief joy of "Five has a friend!" before being hit with their fucked up history between Five killing her parents and his weird relationship with her abusive adoptive mother (@non-plutonian-druid has made art of this HERE). Lila has fun meeting Number, I think they hit it off, too, to Number's bemusement. Number has a personal crisis about the fact Diego is going to be a father. Good times all around.

For a larger picture of how Lila fits in the JT-HIT multiverse, @non-plutonian-druid had a great line of logic, that I will now share here like it is my own: Lila only exists in Five's timeline, because she was pulled out of it before it branched into Number's (and Shifting Mirror's) timeline. Because she grew up outside of time, with the Commission, she wasn't there to be "duplicated" by the branch point. She can jump between them fine, and if she jumps to the branch point (arguments can be made for if that's November 2002 or January 2013), she'd become duplicated and have to watch out for Paradox Psychosis and whatnot, but as long as she stays away from that exact point, there's only one of her (in these timelines).

#i feel like i could have phrased that second paragraph better but it is late and i've been meaning to answer this ask for a few days #so this is just as good as its going to be #i prescribe to the idea that Five and Patch would have been friends if they met #which feeds into the larger idea i prescribe to by lila and five being friends that five just always gets along with diego's girlfriends #which diego doesn't know why or what that says about him but he's not going to think about it too hard #just be annoyed by it when they gang up on him and make him feel stupid #but importantly this means number also just gets along with diego's girlfriends so he and lila would get along #it's just fun that way #been a minute since i got to ramble about characters like this - should have put it in the actual post instead of the tags #tua #sharkneto speaks #ask response #lila pitts #number five #number #jt #hit

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lyshasgf · 1 year ago

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Before TBT, I always thought of Branch as Transmasc, but after TBT, I honestly thought, what if Branch was Transfem instead? (I kinda thought of it for a while and then i saw it on A03 and went OMG YES)

I have always HC'D Branch liked wearing dresses and honestly i can see Branch being Transfem tbh(T4T Broppy real)

I can imagine Poppy and Branch with that audio that goes

"What- What's wrong? What is it?"

"How I love being a woman!"

A few weeks after Branch got her colours back, she looks at herself in a mirror with a black dress on and starts crying happily to herself that she found out what she felt comfortable with (and the snack pack help her way through it!!)

I can imagine Branch not focusing on her gender when she was grey due to fear of bergans and honestly just went by any pronouns for a while

But after getting her colours back, she finds out how uncomfortable she is by being called "He/Him" and finds herself staring at other girls dresses/clothing, admiring how beautiful they looked and wondered what it would look on her. Obviously, Satin and Chenille immedietely volunteered to help.

She would still wear the vest Floyd gave her but only ocassionally, where she didn't feel the need to dress up. (she would try to incorporate it into some of her outfits but would fail miserably)

Her bros definitely support her and would call her 'lil Sis'. They would also murder anybody who dares to deadname or call her by the wrong pronouns on purpose.

Just a small idea lol

I also like to think that her new name would be like Brenda(just a rando girl name) or Brynn(meaning hill) or smt

Remember to eat,drink and that people love you!!

Til next post<3

-Dolly♡

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miabebe · 1 year ago

Text

I Am What I Am (IV)

A man of the shadows and a woman who belonged in the skies - fate could not have brought two more different people together. But was this fate or was this a choice?

Pairing - Im Changkyun x OC, Kim Mingyu × OC

Word Count - 9.9K

Warnings - guns, mild violence, mentions of blood, death, mild exhibitionism but not really lol I don't know how else to explain it but basically people think they are having sex in the bathroom?

Chapter summary - Every coin has two sides that cannot see each other but Na bi has finally seen them both. Yet, rather than the coin being tossed, it was her that was being spun between two worlds - She had to crack them before they broke her.

| Previous chapter | Masterlist |

When Na bi's eyes fluttered open, the stars stuck on her ceiling were gone.

She blinked at the plain concrete, brows slowly pulling into a frown. That can't be right. She would never remove them....

The bed under her was a lot softer too. The room felt warmer than usual, there was a strange smell of damp wood and lilies, and the crakling of a fire was the only thing audible. Rolling onto her side, Na bi raised her head, looking around, eyes slowly adjusting to the dimness. She could barely see anything except the silhouettes of furniture placed around a room - a room that was definitely much bigger than her apartment......that's when she realised, eyes widening.

She was not home.

Instantly scrambling between the black and grey sheets, she sat up, forehead breaking out into a cold sweat as she frantically looked around in the darkness. Panicking at the lack of visibility, she slipped out of the warmth of the bed, reached for the floor length curtains of the nearby windows and pushed them open, biting back a gasp.

Trees.

Thick and tall and lusciously green trees as far as the eye could see, the vibrant colour eventually blending into black shadows. Birds sat perched on branches, some flying around, circling the bark and then up into the sky. The late afternoon sun struggled to seep between the canopies, barely illuminating the forest floor that was nothing but mud and roots.

She was in the middle of nowhere. She was in the middle of fucking nowhere.

Trying not to let the realisation terrify her, Na bi took a step back and then two, finding herself in the centre of the large bedroom. Her head began to spin as she turned, looking around, eyes falling on all the contents - a king size bed against a stone wall, a fireplace burning away wood, a set of stairs leading up to what seemed like a small loft, a huge mirror beside a small study space, books lining the shelves, couches placed below them and finally, finally, a door. Finding her only way out of here, without thinking twice, Na bi sprinted towards it.

She didn't know what exactly she was expecting on the other side, but for some illogical reason, it was not a house. To be specific, it was a corridor lined with a glass railing, opening to the view of an elegant, unfathomably large living space, ominously coloured in shades of black, grey and green.

Surprisingly, Na bi nearly lost herself in the beauty of it all - the way the rugs and couches were arranged, the way it all led into a simple, efficient looking open kitchen, the way the roof was almost two floors tall and high. She stood entranced, till her wandering eyes fell on the floor to ceiling windows that spanned across the space and the view outside - the forest.

Heartbeat picking the pace again, she turned on the heel of her foot and rushed down the stairs, the edge of her long dress dramatically caressing each step. Eyes immediately finding the large oak doors at the far end, she ran towards it, pushing them open with all her might, only to be welcomed by the sight of more trees. Taking one last glace at the house behind her, she submerged herself into the woods, trying to run away as far as possible.

And Na bi ran for what seemed like forever.

She had no idea what she was running from or where she was running to, but for miles, all that was around her were trees, trees and more trees. She tried screaming for help but it only dried her throat up. Her bare feet were now a collage of mud and twigs lodged in her soles, her dress formed a shredded trial behind her as they got ripped by the bushes and her whole body was cold and sore, begging for relief, for an escape. It was only when she could no longer breathe that she finally stopped running, panting as she gripped the sides of her hips, looking up at the barely visible sky, praying.

For what Na bi?

All of a sudden, as though her dormant brain had just woken up, Na bi compelled herself to think about what she was doing. As though her body was stuck in a flight response, she had just been running and running, without so much as trying to figure out why. Ignoring the searing pain in her head, she racked her brains, trying to recall the last of her memories. She remembered going to the grocery store today. She remembered being chased down an alley. She remembered the phone call. She remembered a black van....

Na bi took mindless steps, wandering further into the forest. That black van, where had she seen that before? Why did it seem so familiar?

She didn't ponder over it for long - she couldn’t when her ears caught the sound of water. Desperate for hydration, she ran in its direction, pushing her way through the forest floor, feeling the mud get looser beneath her feet and the air get cooler, stronger. As she made her way out of the last of the branches, her feet landed in the soft golden-white sand of the beach, eyes falling on the gentle waves going to and fro from the shore.

Na bi felt every cell of her body freeze. It was a beach.

She was standing right in the middle of a beach that stretched endlessly on either sides, curving away at the corners. She was standing right in front of the sea coming up to lick the sand one minute and going back to meet the sky the next. She was standing right in the middle of possibly the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen - the sun slowly making its way across the pink sky to sink into the waters for night. It was all so mesemering and stunning except..... Seoul didn't have a beach.

It was at that moment that she felt her head spin uncontrollably and before she knew it, she was one with the softness of the sand. Staring at the clear blue sky, hair fanning out behind her, dress blending into the golden sand, her eyes slowly found the darkness she was running away from.

When Na bi's eyes fluttered open, the stars stuck on her ceiling were gone. Again.

She stared at it, wondering if she was stuck in some strange time loop - she had the same pain in her head, felt the same softness of the bed, saw the same greyness in the ceiling. But one thing was different this time - this time she smelt whiskey and roses.

Raising herself on her elbows, she blinked her heavy eyes open, which didn't have to struggle to adjust, not with the all lamps turned on. The curtains were open as she had left them, except it was pitch black outside, like night had finally fallen. Pushing the thick duvet off her, she swung her legs off the bed, wincing in pain as they touched the wooden floors. She looked down at her feet to see they were no longer covered in mud and sand but had white bandages wrapped around, the execution of which was honestly-

"Mediocre at best, I know."

Na bi turned at his voice, eyes falling on his broad back as he sat crouched by the fireplace, poking the firewood ambers. His presence didn't surprise her. The whiskey and rose scent had already told her he was here.

"It can be better." She muttered as he stood, brushing the ash off his hands and tucking them in his pocket as he turned towards her.

"Ms. Baek."

"Changkyun."

She breathed in the sight of him yet again.

He was dressed in a black shirt, black slacks, matching the ambience of the room. His hair was falling down into his eyes like he needed a little trim, his face beautiful as ever. Na bi gripped the sheets hard, ignoring the sinking feeling in her stomach. He walked up to the bed, getting on a knee before her, picking up her foot as he studied it, his fingers softly running across the sole. He then reached for a box she hadn't noticed by the wall and slid it onto her lap, opening it to reveal a pair of white sneakers.

"For whenever you wish to leave."

Na bi looked down at the new shoes that seemed to be exactly her size.

"How did I even get here?" She glanced at him who seemed to be inspecting the other tiny cuts and bruises she sustained on her arms, thanks to the multiple twigs and thorns in her way. "Where am I?"

"In my house."

Na bi blinked at him, shocked. "Y-your house? This is your house?? This is where you live??"

"Yes, yes and yes." He answered, counting diligently, as he got up and walked to the shelves.

"It's...." Na bi followed him, stopping at the centre of the room, taking it all in once again. Earlier she had missed the many details of the room - the tiny gold accents hidden everywhere, the splashes of green amidst the heavy tones of black and grey, the random placement of tiny tables and books and empty vases here and there. She didn't realise how minimal yet luxurious the whole place looked, strangely homely yet forbidding. Na bi was never really a fan of dark colors but somehow, she wasn't so repelled by the sight around her. "It's so beautiful."

"Thank you." Walking up to her, Changkyun held out an ointment, looking pointedly at her wounds. "Apply this twice everyday to avoid scarring. My doctor strongly recommends it."

Na bi took it, turning the tube in her fingers, recognising the medicine approvingly before raising her eyebrows. "You have a doctor who's not me?"

He chuckled, cocking his head. "I need someone who'll be by my side till the end. You're not going to, are you?"

Na bi felt her heartbeat in her ears. His question seemed to holder a greater depth than he meant, yet his eyes as usual, remained unreadable. But she had her answer. Stepping closer to him, she grabbed fistfuls of the fabric of his shirt on either sides of his waist, earning a curious look, but he didn't stop her.

She pulled the tuck out of his pants, dragging the shirt up his body, ignoring his sculpted abs as she moved closer to him, breaths mingling in the loud silence, gaze fixed on each other. When she finally tore her eyes away, she looked over his shoulder at the mirror behind him, catching sight of the knife wound she had once tried to heal. It looked better, but definitely not at its best.

"You're not going to make it till the end without someone like me." She pulled back, hands slowly letting the fabric go, eyes meeting his again. "I would've done a much better job."

"I don't doubt that." He replied, stepping away, but not taking his eyes off.

"Is that why I'm here?"

He shook his head, amused. "You sustained a mild concussion earlier today Ms. Baek. Clearly, its affecting your otherwise impeccable analytical abilities." He smoothened the fabric of his shirt slowly. "Let's start over. What is the last thing you remember? Before you got here this afetrnoon?"

Na bi stared at the dark wooden flooring, trying to recollect the scene once again.

"I was coming back from the grocery store when I had this strange gut feeling that I was being followed. I looked around and there was no one, but I couldn't shake off the feeling that I was being watched. I started walking faster, then I noticed footsteps getting louder behind me so I began running and suddenly about 5 to 6 men appeared, chasing me down the alley. I tried to call the 112 for help and I was around a corner when a black van stopped right before me and pulled me in...." Na bi trailed off finally piecing it together. Of course. "Wonho. It was Wonho's van." She sighed, rubbing the spot on her head that she had knocked against the door when she was forced in. "So I've been kidnapped yet again."

Changkyun let out a small laugh, walking away from her to the table, pouring a glass of water. "You've been rescued yet again Ms. Baek."

Na bi blinked. "From whom?"

"I'm guessing the same people who attacked me." He walked back, handing her the glass. "It seems you too have been compromised."

"But.... but I thought it was all over?" She took the glass from him, frowning hard. "I thought they didn't need me anymore since they already found you."

"Figured me, yes. Found me? No." He glanced at the darkness outside the windows, turning to it. "Perhaps they were trying to get a hold of you so they could bait me into coming out of hiding."

"You think they wanted to get to you through me?" She scoffed, taking a sip. "Why? What could I possibly mean to you?"

"I believe they've identified you as someone I care about."

Na bi looked at Changkyun in the reflection of the windows only to find him already looking at her. Someone he cared about.

She cleared her throat, looking away. "So you're telling me they might know who I am, where I live, all of it?"

He hummed in response, nodding.

Na bi cursed under her breath, downing the last of the water. "So what do I do now? How am I supposed to go back home? That place isn’t safe for me anymore."

"I can have more men stationed around for your safety." Changkyun offered, taking the empty glass from her. "They can guard your house, even accompany you when needed-"

"I've seen what these people are capable of doing Changkyun, to both you and your men." Na bi placed herself between him and his reflection. "I may not be particularly afraid of dying but I sure as hell am not willing to lose my life over something this insignificant to me. There has to be a better option."

She could see the way his jaw tightened, hand gripping the empty glass tight.

"The safest place for you now is probably right here, in my house but I can't possibly ask you to stay."

Na bi swallowed the phantom lump in her throat. "Why?"

"Ms. Baek, my house is no better than a prison, if you can't already tell." He looked over her shoulder pointedly. "There's no life here - it's quiet and dark and lonely. Don't be fooled by the magnificence of the things around you. This place can, quite literally, be hell."

Na bi stared at him, once again failing to read his expression. Hell?

"But you live here."

He nodded.

"Then I can too."

"Despite seeing what's out there?" His head inclined curiously. "That was just the beginning-"

"Doesn't matter what's out there or in here." Na bi curled her hands into tight fists. "Right now all I know is that if I want to be safe, this is my best choice, you're my best choice. I can't trust anyone else."

"Can you trust me?" He smiled at her cockily. "I thought you had no reason to."

Na bi felt her heart thumping in her chest. She didn't have a reason. Not a single one.

"I'll..... take my chances." She drawled slowly, looking at him side eyed. "Unless you don't want me to stay..."

"Then I wouldn't have offered."

"Right." Na bi let out a deep breath, looking around. "So I guess..... I guess I'll be staying here then, till you sort things out."

Changkyun gave a single nod.

"I'll need some of my things though..."

"Whatever you need will be arranged."

"And uh... should I stay here? In this room or?"

"If its to your liking." He slipped his free hand into his pocket. "There's another guest room down the corridor if you're not comfortable here."

"No no, I think I'm fine. I don't mind...."

She trailed off into a loud silence. A few days ago, she didn't know if she would ever see him again and now suddenly, she was living with him, in his house? Oddly, it was all aligning too well, too easily.

As she tried to navigate through the silence, she watched him, also at a loss of words. What was going on in his head?

"I have to go Ms. Baek. I'm-"

"Y- you're going?" Na bi stuttered. "Oh I....I just wanted to ask if-"

"In due time." He promised, walking back to the door. "You need rest and I have business to attend to."

"I know, but I was just wondering if....." She took hurried steps towards him, halting abruptly as she caught her reflection in the mirror, her question drying up in her throat. That floor length, flowery dress was most definitely not her style. Or even her dress. "Did you.... did you change my clothes?"

Changkyun smiled at her, amused. "There's a lot you're yet to learn about the this place Ms. Baek." He raised the empty glass at her mimicking a toast. "Welcome to Asphodel."

And with that he shut the door behind him and disappeared.

Na bi shut her eyes as the warm water of the shower ran down her body, taking away all the mud, sweat and tears.

She was crying.

The moment she stepped into the shower, unwarranted, tears just began flowing down her cheeks. She wasn't particularly upset or sad or hurt by anything, just.... tired. Tired of it all. Tired of always running, tired of never being allowed to stop, tired of never being able to take a breath in peace. Everything had barely just fallen into place and she was already exhausted.

Scrubbing a very sweetly scented soap down her body, she cleaned herself, wondering if it will truly wash away all that was dirty about her. She didn't like anything about the way things had turned out. She didn't like Changkyun walking back into her life again. She didn't like having to stay in his house. She didn't like any part of what she was about to do. But with a mask on her face, she pushed through it, knowing why it was necessary to.

When she opened her eyes, everything around her spun again and her empty stomach attempted to throw up nothing. She needed to get over this concussion as soon as possible so she could function at her best again. She needed to get it together.

Wrapping a towel around her body, she vigorously rubbed another one into her wet hair, catching sight of her reflection in the large mirror above the sink. She looked worse now that she was cleaner - the dark circles stood out more, her eyes were swollen and empty, cheeks sinking into her face. Leaning forward onto the ledge of the sink she stared at herself, whispering.

"Get it together Na bi. You need to get it together."

Knowing she had no other clothes in this house, she settled on wearing the same long dress again, wondering who's it was. If she wasn't wrong, she hadn't woken up in this dress the first time. She was definitely wearing something red - she remembered catching sight of it in the reflections of the windows and in the pieces that lay torn on the forest floor. This dress didn't have a single rip on it, it wasn't the same.

The walk in closet beside the bathroom wasn't the same either. When Na bi went past it about half an hour ago, she was certain it was empty but looking at it now, her jaw dropped. Every shelf was full. There were dresses, pants, blouses, all kinds of footwear, bags, accessories, and in the drawers, even neatly folded innerwear. That wasn't even the surprising part - it was the fact that nearly everything in here was blue. There were a hundred different shades of it splayed before her, some light, some dark, some patterned, but all of them were most definitely blue. He still remembered.

Na bi felt her lips involuntarily curl into a small smile as she walked in slowly, getting a closer look of it all. It wasn't all her style and every piece looked new, like the kind who's price tag carried a number way too big. On the ottomon, there were more things laid out for her use - a neatly folded nightgown, a fresh set of white bandages, and a bottle of shea butter body lotion, the only scent she ever used. He....noticed?

Her smile slipped away from her as his words rang in her ears. I believe they've identified you as someone I care about. Everything in this space was a testament of that. But why on earth did he care about her? How did he manage to arrange for whatever she needed and so much more? Why did he even bother?

Ignoring the bandages and lotion, she grabbed the nightgown and changed into it, taking one last look at herself in the floor length mirror, sighing, reminding herself yet again.

"Get yourself together Na bi."

When she walked down the stairs of the loft, back into the room, the smell made her insides turn ravenously. On the table was a plate of hot kimchi rice, the scent so alluring, that the moment she laid her eyes on it, she rushed to devour it, not caring for the way it burned her mouth. Breathing in relief as life flooded back into her, she sank onto the couch nearby, chomping away on the unbelievably delicious meal. Glancing at the clock, she realised this was her first meal in over 24 hours - her day had been a whirlwind for a while now.

Everything was supposed to end 10 days ago. Changkyun was gone, the threat on her life was gone, the whole fiasco was over. All that she was left to deal with was her idiotic month long suspension.

At first Na bi was furious about it - it was unfair, illogical and no one was even willing to listen to her side of the story. But eventually, she got around it - afterall, she was finally getting a break. She had the time to spend on herself, to catch up on those shows she stopped watching years ago, to make her home a more habitable place, perhaps even shift to a nicer neighbourhood, closer to the hospital. She could now try to learn making something other than the damn kimbap, she could peacefully listen to her favourite artists, she could maybe date once again.

Na bi's throat tightened as she thought of Mingyu. Following her suspension, he had been the sweetest person possible, constantly checking up on her, making sure she was doing fine, even cheering her up with a handmade pretty bracelet of butterflies that was now missing from her hand. Na bi felt like she was finally finding solace in a decent, appropriate person, even looking forward to going out with him, curious to learn more about him. It was on her fourth date with him that things changed. Forever and for good.

They had gone to his favourite pizza place just the day before for what he called the best pizza in the world. Na bi had to agree, it was truly better than any pizza she had before. In fact, it was so good and she had focused on gobbling it down so fast, she barely remembered the conversation he was trying to have with her. Now they were out at her favourite restaurant, an Indian place in the middle of the city and as usual, the food was absolutely delicious.

Na bi wasn't a huge fan of cocktails, and considering they had quite a lot of beer just the day before, she straight up refused the drink Mingyu ordered for them. He insisted, asking her to just try it once and to her surprise, it wasn't too bad. In fact, it was nice enough for her to finish a whole glass in one gulp, making her head immediately spin. As she tried to pull herself together and stared at Mingyu who turned to order another glass..... everything clicked into place. Everything finally made sense.

Mingyu. Police officer Kim Mingyu. The seemingly sweet, innocent Kim Mingyu who was handing her another drink. A drink that tasted the same the night she first met him, the night she first went out with him, and every night he insisted she drink with him.

Third time is fate Dr. Baek.

"Mingyu."

He looked at her, eyes innocently big, features molded in question.

"We need to talk."

"Yeah sure, is something wrong? Are you-"

"Not here." She got up, nearly toppling her chair as she began walking away. Mingyu looked confused till he saw her head towards the washrooms, his expression changing as he followed. Hesitating, he stepped into the ladies room where she had disappeared into.

"Na bi, I shouldn't-"

He choked to a stop as his eyes fell on her standing right in the middle, sliding her thong down her legs from underneath her dress. Ignoring his absolutely stunned expression, she walked past him, hanging it on the handle of the door as a very evident symbol of what was about to happen inside and shut it. Mingyu watched as she walked back, softly brushing against his shoulder and slid onto the granite counter of the sink, beckoning him closer. Mingyu took a wavering step towards her.

"You wanna do it here?......"

His words drowned out as she pulled him by the collar, smashing her lips onto his, making him groan against it. At first he didn't respond, holding himself back from causing a scene in a very inappropriate place but when she softly bit his lower lip, Mingyu couldn't stop himself anymore. Running his hands up her thighs under the dress, he gripped them hard, pulling her closer, right against his chest, wrapping her legs against his waist as his tongue slipped into her mouth.

They had kissed after their dates, in the car, on the streets but it was nothing like this. She hadn't felt him like this since that night in the bar. The thought of their first meeting twisted something inside her guts. How did she not realise? There was no such thing as a coincidence, eveything happened for a reason.

Moaning against her skin, Mingyu moved down her jaw, latching himself against her neck. Na bi let her hands wander down his chest, trailing them to his back, finally, finally getting hold of what she wanted.

The look on Mingyu's face was of pure betrayal when he stepped back realising what had happened - when his eyes fell on the gun in her hands, the one she just pulled out of his holster. Na bi looked at it before looking up at him, face looking equally betrayed.

"Na bi, that's dangerous. It could-"

"I'm not an idiot Mingyu, I know what a gun does." She caressed it carefully before raising it, pointing right at his chest, making him flinch. "I, however, don't know what you do, which makes you more dangerous."

Mingyu frowned at her. "What do you mean?"

"I was a fool to not see beyond your sweet little boy act." She cocked her head at him. "You've been drugging me."

His Adams apple shifted as a drop of sweat rolled down his neck.

"That's not true."

"I know my tolerance Mingyu. I know what alcohol does to me, I know how much I can handle. Yet every time I had a drink with you, things just did not go right. I had less control over myself, my actions were more impulsive," She recalled that night she kissed Changkyun - it was the first night she met Mingyu. That night, when she had that ridiculous dream about him, that was also after meeting Mingyu. "I thought I was losing it. Turns out its been you all along."

Mingyu exhaled, defeated. "I can explain-"

"You can explain drugging me?" She looked at him incredulously. All this while she had only suspected but his attempt to clarify confirmed it. "Mingyu, aren't you a cop? How could you-"

"I'm not."

Na bi felt fear grip her throat. Mingyu ran his hands through his hair, kicking wall behind him frustrated, making her flinch and grip the gun in her hand tighter.

"But you came to the ER that day. You were wearing a uniform....."

"I am a cop, but not really. I....." He looked at the gun still pointed to him and pulled out a badge from his pocket. "I'm a member of the NIS, National Intelligence Service of Korea and I've been working undercover as a cop because I'm on a mission. A mission to get Seoul's infamous, or rather I should say, barely known mastermind," He walked up to her, eyes surprisingly narrowing in accusation. "I.M."

If Na bi wasn't already sitting, she was certain she would have felt the ground slip beneath her feet. Changkyun? Mingyu was looking for Chankgyun. Through her.

"Who-"

"You can drop the act Na bi, I'm aware that you know him." He leaned closer. "I know a lot more than you think."

Na bi stared at him, speechless.

"I was hoping everyone was wrong. I was hoping that you were not one of them. I really hoped...." Mingyu stared at the gun in her hands. "Perhaps I was wrong."

"What do you mean?" Na bi felt her ears turn hot, as panic rose in her and she finally lowered the weapon. "You think.... you think I'm with him?"

"You did side with a criminal-"

"I did not side with anyone."

"Did you not let his men escape from the hospital?"

"No! God, no, I had nothing to do with that-"

"Did you not let him hide in your house?" Na bi's mouth hung open, unable to say anything. "Did you not let him safely leave from there?"

"You're reading everything wrong." She slid off the surface, when Mingyu moved away from, like her inability to give any answer had given him all his answers. "It's not like that-"

"Did he or not stay in your house?"

"He was injured. He came to me bleeding, I gave him a few stitches." She looked at him desperately. "I'm a doctor Mingyu, I just did my job-"

"Why didn't you call the cops?"

That was a question many people had asked her. Changkyun, Seokmin, she herself and now Mingyu. Every time she didn't really have a valid answer.

"He was right there, he would know!" She justified, covering up her actions. "My life would be in danger. I'm sorry I wasn't able to think beyond myself-"

"Is that the only reason?" Mingyu neared her, making her take a scared step back. "Not because you're working for him?"

"No!" Na bi looked at him incredulously. "Of course not. Why would you even-"

"We found bullets in your house Na bi." He clenched his jaw. "In the kitchen drawer. There were bullets that belong to the make of a gun that, forget legal, is not even found in this country-"

"You searched my house? How could you-"

"You were helping a criminal!" Mingyu raised his voice, the sharp sound of it nothing like she had ever heard before. "You chose to protect him, a man who's responsible for what happened to your friend. You chose to-"

"My friend?" Na bi's eyes widened. "You... you know about Ana?"

Mingyu leaned against the door of the stall behind him. "Ana was the reason it all started."

He took a shaky breath, taking his phone out, scrolling through it, before holding it up. "She's dead."

The moment her eyes fell on the image, Na bi instantly felt everything in her stomach violently turn. It was her. It was Ana lying on the ground, lifeless, blood all around, her wrists slit. Both of them.

Na bi leaned against the wall behind, to stop her knees from giving away.

"When....when did that happen?" Her voice barely left her. "What happened?"

"The day after our second date." Mingyu recalled. My men have found lead on Ana. "It was I.M."

"No." Na bi whispered. I will do what I can. "How can it be him, he promised-"

"And he's the epitome of goodness so of course he'd stand by it, right?" Mingyu looked at her scoffing. "You see that, the slits on both her wrists? I'm sure you're not unfamiliar with that in the ER. That's his signature, Na bi. That's how he kills, by letting his prey slowly bleed to death. That's how Tartarus functions."

Na bi frowned, confused and overwhelmed. "What's Tartarus?"

Mingyu raised an eyebrow. "You don't know Tartarus?"

Na bi swallowed the bile rising in her throat again, feeling anger course through her veins. "For the last fucking time, I don't know a damn thing. I don't know anything because I have no part to play in any of this. Why won't you believe me?"

Mingyu stared at her in thought for a bit before he continued. "Tartarus is I.M's secret organisation, made of criminals, assassin's, fighters and many others. They wreck havoc in the city to get what they want and if they don't, then they kill, using their signature move to send a message." Mingyu sighed, "Tartarus used to be run by the Blackjack before he was taken down in the WipeOut. We assumed after his death the organisation would have crumbled but it seems to have shifted to a new leader and is operating more ruthlessly and more efficiently from the shadows." Mingyu stared at himself in the mirror, his voice strained with anger. "They've been showing us hell for years now and we barely know anything about them - who I.M is, how to identify the people working for him, where they operate from, what-"

"Ana knew." Na bi whispered softly. "Ana knew who he is. She knew where to find him."

Mingyu frowned at her. "How would Ana know?"

"I don't know. He doesn't either. He said he wanted to find her so he could ask her himself. He said he had a lead on her location that night but...."

"Perhaps he's gotten the answers he wanted" Mingyu mulled. "and then got rid of her, now that she's of no use-"

"Don't talk about her like that-"

"You're mad at me? What about the man who actually-"

"I know!" Na bi slammed the granite. A violent desire to claw out her own skin ran through her body. She saved a murderer. If she hadn't perhaps Ana would still be alive. Perhaps she would've been okay. It was all her fault.

"How did you...." She looked up at the man before her. "I need you to start from the beginning Mingyu. I feel like I'm losing my mind."

Minyu held out his hand slowly. "Give me the gun and we'll talk."

She looked at him disbelief. "You really think I'm with him?"

"I don't, I want to believe you're innocent because my gut says so. I've been waiting to hear your side of the story, I promise but, " He sighs. ".... please, let's just put the gun aside."

Na bi shook her head. "I've had enough placing blind trust in people. The gun stays with me. Either you talk or I use it." She raised it, pointing at his chest once more. "And don't doubt it, I know how to."

Mingyu stayed silent, staring at her like he was weighing his odds.

"A few weeks ago, a missing report for Ana was filed at a local police station." He started. "When the cops investigated, they felt her disappearance was suspicious so they sent the case to us. Most cases that disappear for too long tend to be linked to I.M and usually, we either find them dead or our investigation reaches a dead end. As usual, without much hope, we began investigating on our own, following her trail when one day, surveillance noticed a woman broke into her house." Mingyu looked at her pointedly. "You."

Na bi frowned at him. "Those people in her house that day were....you guys?"

Mingyu nodded. "Local police. We had them keep the house under observation, as a part of protocol. Usually it doesn't lead to anything significant but that day, we saw you. More suspiciously, as we tried to go after you, you were picked up and rescued in a flash, making us wonder how you might be involved in all this."

Stupid Wonho and his stupid black van.

"We found your fingerprints on the closet and managed to identify you on our database. We wanted to get a hold of you first without making a legal scene, just to verify facts before taking any action but you were guarded 24/7. There were people who always had their eye on you, who were always looking out for you, it was nearly impossible. We couldn't approach you as investigators and that's why I met you in the bar."

Mingyu looked at her guiltily.

"There's a serum being developed by the R&D team at the NIS. It's still in its trial stage but it supposedly has the ability to selectively depress the nervous system, allowing people to lower their inhibitions and be more...." Mingyu swallowed, speaking faster. "...willing to speak, willing to tell the truth. We wanted to extract information from you with that but that night, you ran away."

Na bi recalled the events that followed their first meeting. She had shot a man. She had barged into Changkyun's hideout. She had thrown herself at him like he was all she wanted. God.

"The next day the ER escape incident happened and our suspicions that you were tied with I.M were confirmed." Na bi opened her mouth in protest but Mingyu continued. "I know you said you have nothing to do with it but there were too many things pointing at you. We also knew that he was out there somewhere, unguarded and perhaps injured in the same fight as his men but the very next night, we received intel that he had gone back into hiding. That was on the night of our second date where I gave you the serum again. The night you tested my knowledge about the mafia. The night you didn't let me in your house."

Na bi shook her head, sighing in defeat. Everything was perfectly fitting a very, very inaccurate picture.

"Since that day, we established that you were one of his people and that we probably couldn't get any information from you directly. The plan was that I would continue to pursue you and given your suspension, we'd have both time and a sympathy factor to get closer and I would be able to find out more about I.M but here we are...."

"How convenient for you, that my suspension would align so well...." Mingyus face continued to look guilty and Na bi felt her ears grow hot. "You had me suspended."

"It was my team leaders doing." He confessed immediately. "I swear, I didn't know that was the plan...."

Na bi felt a pure, unadulterated desire to put a bullet through him and everyone who had walked into her life the last few weeks. She had become a joke, a toy for everyone to play around with, to use as they wished. If there was no knocking on the door, her anger would have perhaps started her mass elimination with Mingyu.

"Five minutes!"

"Miss, I'm afraid this is not allowed-"

Na bi walked up to Mingyu, and harshly stepped on his foot, her heel bruising the middle of his foot and covered his mouth, turning his loud shrieks of pain into muffled groans. The person on the other side of the door instantly shut up.

"Five. minutes." She repeated as Mingyu looked at her, hurting. She didn't feel sorry. It was his stupid low inhibition, truth telling serums fault.

"Now," She removed her hand and stood back, as he straightened himself, wincing. "Let me tell you the truth."

And Na bi told him everything. Her accidental kidnapping, her being set free, her being stalked, revisiting Changkyun, him coming home, him leaving to find Ana. Everything. Everything except his name. That sounded like venom in her mouth, she couldn't bring herself to even say it.

"That can't be right." Thankfully, Mingyu spoke only after she was done. "He kidnapped you accidentally, then let you go. You went to Ana's house and he let you go. You revisited him at his hide out and he still let you go? He even came to you when he was in danger? For your help?"

"I told you, he was using me as bait so I was his safest choice. And apparently using me has become a very common mode of action these days-"

"Na bi, Tartarus is a massive underground organisation of hundreds of people. They lack humanity, they have no regard for rules, and they are in every inch of the city. Are you telling me a man with all that in his disposal, needed your help?" She blinked at him, lost in thought. "He's one of the most powerful people out there, even if there was a threat to him or he was in danger, trust me, eliminating it is not hard. There's clearly something else he wants...."

Though Na bi had an idea where Mingyu was going with this, she still asked. "What?"

"You." Mingyu stated like it was the most obvious thing on the planet. "All this while we wondered why I.M would choose someone like you to be on his side, now it makes sense. He likes-"

"Stop, stop, that's not possible." That night they were making out, Chankgyun stopped her. Everytime they looked at each other, he never seemed like he wanted more. Everytime she felt the slightest of sparks between them, he would always pull away. Changkyun was definitely not interested in her. "Trust me, I'd know if he felt like that."

"Think about it. Saving you so many times, having his men look out for you, opening up to you, listening to what you say, that's... that's a man who's interested." Mingyu stared at the design on the floor, brain working fast. "His world is different Na bi. Its not as simple as yours or mine. I think he was testing you, seeing if you'd actually be able to fit in his life and you do. Not only did you throw yourself at him-" Na bi winced at the choice of words. "-proving that you too were interested, you also saved his life and you let him escape. You're exactly what he's looking for." Mingyu looked at her, a strange something brewing behind his eyes. "And we have to make use of that."

If Na bi heard the word use another time from anyone's mouth, she swore, she would put a bullet through them.

"You said you're not on I.M's side right? That you were just trying to save yourself and not protect him?" Mingyu looked at her eagerly and she nodded. "Then prove it. Help us. Come on our side and help us take him down-"

"No." Na bi stared at Mingyu like he was insane. "None of this is my business, I was never supposed to be involved in any of this in the first place. I've barely gotten out of all this alive, if he even gets the slightest clue that I might be helping you, he'd have me killed-"

"How about for once," And the next set of word were too harsh for Na bi to even hear. "Just once, you think about someone other than yourself? Do you know how many lives you can save if he's gone-"

"That's not fair." She said softly. "I am in this mess because I cared about Ana. I am in this mess because I cared enough to save a dying man despite knowing he was not a good person. You're taking to me about saving lives? I'm a doctor Mingyu, I do that anyways."

"Then do it for Ana." His eyes looked softer now, almost like they were begging. "Don't you want justice for her? Don't you want to punish those who did that to her?"

Na bi felt her heart thumping in her chest.

"Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless you too have feelings for him-"

"What is wrong with you Mingyu-"

"You did admit to being attracted to him-"

"Attraction is temporary, fickle feeling. It's barely something you allow to cloud your judgement. " Na bi looked at him incredulously. "I don't know the man, I don't have any feelings for him, I never can." Disgust rose in her chest at the memory of Ana's lifeless body. "Not with someone like that. Just beacuse I couldn't keep it in my pants on a night that, let me remind you, you drugged me, it doesn't mean-"

"The serum only lowers inhibitions Na bi," Mingyu reminded her. "The choices are still yours."

"It was merely a primal response of a woman to a man." Na bi crossed her arms decisively. "But I am an evolved being Mingyu, I can differentiate between what's right and wrong."

"Then you'd know it's right to side with me." He moved closer to her. "That you should pick my side of this fight."

Na bi stared at Mingyu thinking about the last few days of her life. She was at the edge of a rabbit hole and if she let herself fall, there was no way out. No way back. She didn't want to get trapped again. She really didn't.

A sudden knocking frightened them both, making them jump in their skin, turning to the door.

"Sir, I'm afraid if you don't come out, we're going to have to call the cops."

Na bi sighed annoyed and finally handed Mingyu his gun which he immediately stashed away. She turned to the mirror, haphazardly arranging her fringes and smudged her lipstick at the corners, looking at his reflection.

"Would you rather people assume we had sex or have them find out that man from NIS, at gunpoint, confessed to drugging and violating the privacy of an innocent woman's life?"

Mingyu immediately unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt and ran his hands through his hair, neatly messing it. Giving him an approving nod, Na bi went over and opened the door to a bunch of waiters, security guards and a suited man.

"Ma'am, I must tell you-"

"We're done and we're going."

Na bi brushed them away, grabbing her underwear from the handle and tucked it in Mingyu's back pocket, widening everyone's eyes as she walked away. Mingyu followed, muttering a bunch of apologies, joining her as she stood by the empty road, looking down it.

"I think we are banned from ever coming back here." Mingyu looked over his shoulder at the manager angrily shutting the restaurant door behind them. "I'm sorry, you said it was your favorite-"

"There's a lot more things you should be sorry about that I've not heard an apology for."

"Na bi, I really am sorry, for everything. I was just doing my job." Mingyu insisted. "You know what's that like."

Na bi stared at the far end of the one way street.

"So will you help us?" He eyed her from the side. "Please, just think about it-"

"Help you how?"

"We'll figure that out. As long as you say you'll help, I'll talk to Jihoon. I'll convince him that your innocent and we'll formulate a plan. I just need you to assure me you'll help."

He looked at her so expectantly, though Na bi didn't owe him anything. But she did owe one person.

"For Ana." She turned to him. "Only for her. Only because I want answers for her."

The relief on Mingyus face was like no other. He immediately fished for his phone, mumbling a bunch of things under his breath. Na bi didn't care enough to hear - she had enough for the day.

When the cab approached, she flagged it down and got in without so much as looking at Mingyu. That was the second last time she saw him.

The last time she saw him was about five days ago, at the Chinese place downtown who's address Mingyu had texted her. The moment she asked for him at the counter, they led her to the "special seating in the basement" which turned out to be a long corridor of doors, ending at a storeroom fermenting wines of various kinds.

The table in the centre was illuminated by a dull lamp throwing light on all the papers and maps and laptops lying askew. Men in black jackets stood around it whispering in hushed voices, while the men in green stood in the shadows behind, holding their rifles agaisnt their chest. Na bi felt something cold trickle down her neck.

"Lover boy, your girl made it."

She turned to a man just about her height, walking past her to stand next to Mingyu, who she had just noticed. The bigger man flashed her his usual canine smile which she did not return. She wasn't here to exchange pleasantries.

"What is this place?"

"NIS special operations office." Mingyu answered, approaching her. "One of many. This is the branch we use for-"

"Sure, why don't you tell her the exact coordinates of all our other operative locations too?" The shorter man began flipping through the files before him, barely looking at her. The hostility towards her was not hidden.

Mingyu flushed, looking embarrassed. "That's Jihoon, team leader." He whispered. "That's just the way he speaks. He's a bit-"

"Bit of an ass." Na bi completed loudly for him, getting Jihoon to finally look at her.

"You have quite some nerve." He crossed his arms, anger evident in his voice. "I see why I.M would pick you."

Na bi rolled her eyes turning to Mingyu. "I'm not sure why I'm trying to help if your all-knowing team leader doesn't even trust me."

"Trust is earned Dr. Baek."

"Like you tried to earn mine by spiking my drinks every chance you got?" She raised an eyebrow at Jihoon. "Or by having me suspended for no damn reason?"

Jihoon was just about to retaliate when Mingyu stepped up, concerned. "Jihoon, I trust her. Her side of the story aligns, it makes sense. You said you trust my judgement." Jihoon rolled his eyes, turning back to his files. "Na bi, please give him time. We've been seeing you as an enemy for days. It's not easy to accept you on the other side of the fight." Na bi stared at the unbothered man before her and nodded unwillingly.

"Let's make this short and quick." Jihoon pulled up a chair before her, sitting with a manspread. "You can start with telling us everything you know about I.M"

Na bi stared at him angrily as Mingyu pulled up another chair for her and hurried to diffuse the situation.

"Jihoon, she doesn't know anything about him."

"She's met him, is there really nothing of value she can offer?" Jihoon leaned, interlocking his hands, elbows resting on his knees. "As far as we know, you're the only one who's ever seen him, Ms. Baek."

"Dr. Baek." Na bi corrected, deeply disliking the way he spoke to her. "I can describe how he looks, how vivid is your imagination on a scale of 1 to 10?"

"Save the smart talk for the sketch artist Dr. Baek." Jihoon scoffed. "We should arrange for one by next week. In the meantime, you can enlighten me about some other details, any clues that might help."

Na bi sunk into her chair, gathering her thoughts. She didn't really know that much about Changkyun. He had a lighter that be never seemed to part with, he smelt like whiskey and roses, he could tell if a gun was loaded by its weight, he wasn't a picky eater, and he was good at doing dishes. That was about the depth of her knowledge, none of which were helpful.

"I uh know the address of the warehouse that I was taken to the first time I was kidnapped."

"They might have abandoned it once you rediscovered them." Mingyu pondered.

"Yeah.. but you might find some clues there?"

"They wiped a whole hospital clean of their existence." Jihoon added. "You think a warehouse would be spared?"

"There's no harm in trying." She gritted between her teeth.

Sighing, Jihoon handed her a notepad and a pen, allowing her to scribble the location down. One of the men in black walked up and took it from her as the team leader whispered instructions in his ear.

"There's a man named Wonho, who is his right hand of sorts. He frequently roams around in a black van, that's what they used to kidnap me. Twice."

"A name and a car colour is not enough Dr. Baek."

"Well that's all I have." She snapped. "We didn't exactly sit and exchange life stories."

Jihoon stared at her, then Mingyu.

"We need to get her to him." Jihoon grabbed his phone from the table. "She knows nothing, but if she's by his side, she might learn more."

"What do you mean?" Na bi's eyes flickered between the two men.

Jihoons eyes scanned her up to down. "I hear you're his latest love interest-"

Na bi rolled her eyes. "He's not in love with me."

"In love, attracted, infatuated, whatever, I don't care. The key word is interested. If he's taken an interest to you and you have his attention," Jihoon cracked his knuckles. "then that shall be our weapon. You shall be our weapon. We'll put you right next to him, perfect to find and feed us intel - where his headquarters are, where his hideouts are, crucial details of his organisation-"

"You're asking me to pretend to return his apparent interest in me, collect information about him discreetly and report it back to you?" Jihoon nodded at her, like it was obvious. "You're insane. I agreed to help you, not kill myself. If he finds out what I'm up to, I'll be dead in an instant."

"Are you saying you disapprove of my idea Dr. Baek?"

"No, I'm saying that it's outright stupid and doesn't consider the risks that it holds for me." She sat upright. "I'm sure there's other things I can help with. We still don't know why and how Ana got involved in all this. Since I know her, I can work with Mingyu on that-"

"Dr. Baek, since you're so eager to give suggestions, let me remind you what exactly your position here is." Na bi could see the pulsation in Jihoon's temple. "You are still a suspect of being I.M's aid, proven by the fact that we found your fingerprints in Ana's house and bullets in your own house. The only thing saving you from being prosecuted right now is Mingyu's willingness to take your responsibility and your ability to help us. Should you back off now, imagine the effect that would have on your life? On your career?"

Na bi looked at Mingyu in disbelief. He didn't meet her eye as Jihoon continued.

"You will be prosecuted. You would be going in and out of court for years, trying to prove your innocence, only to be trampled by the judicial system that functions purely on hard facts and evidence, which I have. Have you considered these risks for yourself?"

Na bi felt like air was knocked out of her lungs. "Are you threatening me?"

"I'm reminding you." Jihoon threw her a photo of the bullets laying stashed in her kitchen drawer. "This is as important to you as it is to us. I hope you will start to take it as seriously."

Na bi stared at the picture in her lap. She never should have hidden the bullets from Chankgyun. One stupid, stupid move and she was trapped.

Picking up the picture, she ripped it, earning a glare from Jihoon and an inaudible, concerned whisper from Mingyu. She had no way out.

"I don't have any way to contact him." She threw the pieces on the floor. "How will I find out anything?"

Jihoon looked at Mingyu who got up immediately, walking to the table.

"If our theory of I.M taking a fancy for you is right, he must still have his eyes on you." Mingyu started. "It shouldn't be impossible for you to get a hold of him again."

"If he still has his eye on me, anything we try wouldn't work." Na bi wondered how on earth this man managed to work in intelligence. "He would have seen me hanging out with you for days now, and given your genius undercover role was that of a cop, he's not going to try and approach me anymore."

"Cops aren't a threat to him." Jihoon interjected. "Majority of the cops in Seoul don't even know about I.M and the ones that do, work for him anyways."

Na bi's eyes widened. "C-cops work for him? A criminal?"

"If good men were purely good, evil wouldn't exist Dr. Baek. How do you think the man has been able to stay so powerful? He's got his people everywhere." Mingyu nodded at her in agreement. "More frustratingly, there is loyalty for him everywhere. Over the years, any of his people that we've managed to get a hold of would rather kill themselves in custody than reveal anything about him.... That's why you're our only way." Jihoon looked at her very differently now. "The only thing that can take him down is betrayal. That's what you need to do."

Na bi gripped her thighs to stop them from shaking. It was getting all too much. Too much.

Jihoon got up, joining Mingyu at the table. "What was your plan?"

"We need to make him believe her life is still in danger." Mingyu started slowly. "If he truly cares, like we assumed, he will try to protect her again. We can start from there."

"And if he doesn't?" Na bi walked up to him, standing on the other side, glancing at his paperwork. "What if he doesn't fall for it? Or if he doesn't try to protect me again, then?"

"I bet my ass this would work." Jihoon clicked his tongue at Mingyu's choice of words, making him apologise before he continued. "We have back up plans. If not this, then-"

"Sorry, boss." The black jacket man from earlier returned, making all three of them turn towards the door. "I have intel. I enquired about address she gave. It's an old warehouse that stores spare parts of cars. It hasn't been used in years but a week ago..." He looked at Na bi then Jihoon. "There was electrical issue, a faulty wire that led to sparks and... the place caught fire. It's completely burnt down, there's nothing but ashes."

Jihoon glanced at Na bi who let out a shaky breath. She knew what his stare meant - she really was the only way out. She was their only solution.

That's how barely five days later, true to their plan, albeit at a much earlier time than she was informed, she found herself being chased down the alleys. And exactly as Mingyu predicted, Wonho 'rescued' her yet again, bringing her just where she had to be - right by Chankgyun.

She scrapped the last of her food off the plate, forcing it down her throat though all she wanted was to throw it all up. She needed to eat, she needed her energy - things were only just beginning. She had only entered hell today.

Tomorrow, she was to begin her mission to take down its king.

Next chapter

#changkyun series #changkyun smut #changkyun angst #mingyu series #mingyu smut #monsta x series #monsta x smut #monsta x angst #im changkyun #kim mingyu #monsta x changkyun #monsta x im #seventeen mingyu #mingyu #seventeen series #monsta x #changkyun

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eternal-armin · 2 years ago

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ii. SO, HOW SHOULD i begin this?

part two woo. hopefully i'll be able to catch up on this and maybe publish some other stuff now that i'm home a lot more often (yay pain and mobility issues), maybe some arcane stuff since that would be fun, branching out into my last hyperfixation again lol. i've proofread so it should be good :>

pairing : five hargreeves x male/transmasc reader [he/him pronouns]

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where : after trying and sort of succeeding to get on the hargreeves' good side, five and [y/n] try rationalizing the situation and figuring out something, anything, to do about it.

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warnings : mentions of trauma, threats [of physical violence and murder], reader is still totally exhausted because how could he not be, depression, dissociation, pain, bits of shouting, not necessarily a warning but viktor is always viktor in the multiverse because the boy deserves it okay, existentialism, philosophical nihilism, family issues.

five adjusted his clothes in the mirror. although he wouldn't be able to have a proper retirement, he could look like a retired old man, couldn't he? who would've thought that someone could get so excited for beiges and tans. he got an amused look of subtle approval from you. beyond that, it wasn't very hard to look past your façade if he was being honest, you looked hesitant; though could he blame you? there were probably millions of worlds where his family fucked you over or just straight-up killed you. and yet, you also looked too tired to care. he couldn't blame you for that, either.

he touched your shoulder again. in a flit of light, which once again made you feel horribly nauseated and woozy, you were downstairs. surprised exclamations roused from his family.

"anyone know where vanya and allison are?" five asked, glancing with narrowed eyes across the lacking table.

"nope." and after that short reply diego went back to finishing off his meal—for someone who often scarfed his meals down, he seemed to be taking his sweet time. either that or your fun conversation with five had not taken as long as you'd thought; either possibility was equally likely at this point, really.

"nuh-uh... sorry."

"not a clue, unfortunately. something wrong, tiny dancer?" klaus asked.

"well, we have a new problem."

"who's this guy?" luther pointed at you wish his thumb, not caring to cover his mouth; your nausea was worsened to see someone talking whilst eating. diego looked at you then, and you hated how his glare bore straight through your soul. he really, really didn't seem to appreciate your presence. how both of them could so willingly ignore the phrase 'we have a problem,' especially from five, was unknown to you.

"this is [y/n]. he's one of the sparrows."

you waved once to everyone. whether the sluggishness of the motion, and the weak smile which accompanied it, was due to shyness or exhaustion was incredibly murky and unclear.

"so now we're getting all buddy-buddy with the enemy? do you know how stupid that is?"

"i'm sorry, diego, did you not hear me say that we have a problem?"

"well, you say that a lot, little brother!" klaus leaned forward to see you clearer, giving you a smile. it didn't really placate your anxieties or your strong desire to run, however it was appreciated. he waved, and you again waved back politely, still feeling very... guilty for your earlier flub. it wasn't a new thing, either, and that made you feel even worse. "hello, little enemy! how do you look so young? do you use those, like, '10 years younger' face creams? i didn't know they worked that well—"

"that is not a relevant question, klaus, now can someone please tell me where allison and vanya are?"

you cleared your throat slightly. "vanya is most likely getting a haircut. allison is trying to get to claire, but she's... not going to find her." it left a bitter taste in your mouth to refer to viktor in such a disrespectful way, but you couldn't take that from him. upon receiving suspicious stares from the younger hargreeves brothers, you mumbled a quiet "maybe."

"mind telling us what the hell is going on before i deck this mini-muffin across the lobby?"

"hey, hey, do not use mini-muffin as an insult! those are beautiful things, there's nothing better than mini-muffins when you're on a bender at, like, three in the morning!" klaus got a confused and heavily judgmental look in return for that... beautiful insight.

"[y/n] has the ability to see all other timelines, so he can usually find out the most probable events. okay? good. now i need to find allison, so can one of you fetch vanya, please?"

"no, not good, and no thanks! after all we've gone through, we deserve a proper explanation!" klaus objected. after a second or two of awkward silence, and a scowling glare from five, he gave in with a curt sigh. it sounded more like a groan. the brothers looked at you; klaus was the only one to seem patient, showing the approval of a parent understanding a kid's fear of giving a speech; luther stared at you with a puzzling mix of intrigue and subtle impatience; and diego stared at you with a raised eyebrow, leaning his head in slightly as if to say 'i'm waiting.' five's glare, although still quite characteristic, was a bit softer when aimed at you. you could never feel more put on the spot.

"you've gotta say something, little man, we can't read your mind," klaus encouraged.

"well, uh... i don't know exactly what it is yet, but something is wrong."

"aren't you omniscient or some shit? you can see literally every reality!"

the shouting scared you quite a bit and certainly made your headache worse. you put one of your hands to your head, mumbling, wishing you could just get some painkillers. if only five had given them back.

"don't shout, for fuck's sake," five grumbled, annoyed in his own right.

"i'm not omniscient. if no other worlds know something, then i can't, and... no other world knows yet. but something is wrong." your quiet voice was juxtaposed to diego's, still loud and stubborn like back in the academy. around 79.4 percent of every single alternate world which had diego in it found him like this, angry and short-tempered; it was very interesting. "you aren't supposed to be here. you guys, as you are, don't exist here. i don't think reality appreciates you showing up all of a sudden. and if versions of yourselves already exist in this world, then something will need to... iron out the wrinkles, i guess." you pursed your lips for a second. "not to be too brash or anything, but, to really, really dumb it down, you're a mis—you're mistakes."

"seriously? five, i thought you said that this timeline would be safe to stay in." luther looked like a scolded puppy. you felt bad. he was far too sweet—naive? yes, naive—for this kind of life.

"yes, that's what i thought, but second opinions are pretty valuable in my line of expertise. turns out it was sorely needed." his brows pricked up a few times while he spoke. "but, like you said before, it may be a problem we can solve."

diego remained, unsurprisingly, unswayed. "you better not be including this wad of chewed gum in that 'we,' five."

"what is with you and insulting him? he wants to help. jesus christ."

"last time i checked, his entire family just kicked our asses out of our own house, i have a right to be pissed, and he's lucky i'm in no killing mood."

"i don't agree that he should be killed," luther began in solidarity, "but we have a reason not to trust him, right?"

you took a little breath and exhaled it in a quiet sigh. "i know my family can be... extreme. and bad sometimes. trust me. and i totally understand how you can be angry with them and with me and think that i'm not honest. but i never hurt anyone, and i want to help you guys. you're eccentric yourselves, but usually you're good people. you're, like, an actual family," you added, trailing off, "not a group forced to stay together for monetary gain."

five squinted at you slightly. was that one of the reasons you chose not to grow up? you couldn't be associated with the sparrows if you were half their age. throw on a pair of sunglasses and nobody could recognize you.

jeez. didn't that sound nice.

"you guys really deserve a place to rest. a stable place to live, even. and if we can figure this out, then maybe you won't have to live in constant fear of coming into contact with your doppelganger or something. live, like, normal lives. as normal as they can be, anyway."

diego, much to your surprise, seemed to listen to what you were saying. sure, he still looked quite ticked-off and impatient, but you couldn't really ask for too much from him, could you?

"and you're sure that this is a problem we can actually solve? for good?"

"i'm not exactly sure what the problem even is yet. all i know is that something is wrong. but every problem has a solution, even if it seems impossible sometimes." there was a twinge of sage, melancholic hopelessness somewhere in there, some subtle disbelief. "five is quite the expert in timelines and time travel-related problems and paradoxes, and i'm an expert in alternate realities and manipulating reality itself. if anyone can figure it out, i'm sure we can. and i have no doubt that all of you will also play large parts."

luther's face was screwed into an expression of brazen confusion. "so... we're, like, completely blind, and need to fight an enemy we know absolutely nothing about."

"pretty much," you mumbled.

"surprisingly poetic way to put that, luther, i'm impressed," five mused rather sarcastically. "unfortunately, however, it seems we're gonna have to do something terrible and unprecedented." perhaps for dramatic effect, perhaps to quell his own annoyances, he paused and sighed out a breath. "we're going to have to work together." he did not need to specify the parties specified in 'together.'

"well, personally, i think this is a splendid idea. perfect opportunity for family bonding, i'd say! we're surrounded by decent chinese food and competent beds and cable television. decent music, too! and diego can finally figure out some self-discipline by not constantly threatening to kill [y/n]! marvelous idea little ones." admittedly, klaus's unique way of talking and gesturing was quite calming to you. you were very grateful for him. oddly enough—maybe you should've stopped saying that when it came to the umbrellas—klaus seemed to be that pillar of tranquility for you. viktor as well.

"calm down, calm down. you know that he won't turn against us or whatever? you're sure?"

the question was directed at five but you answered for him. "i'm not strong and i've never been in good health. even christopher, without his powers, would be better at fighting you than i would."

"the fucking cube?" you nodded. he plastered a grin over a pouting scowl. he sighed, giving into the plan. perhaps some remaining distrust still lingered, however, he could deal with it. "we've gotta clue allison and vanya in now. i'll go get vanya."

"finally," five huffed, shaking his head. "i'm going to find allison. you said she's going to try and find claire? i'll go to her old house." and then, the next second, he was gone. a few seconds of... incredibly awkward silence passed, where luther was staring at you whole-heartedly.

"go on and take a seat, young whipper-snapper. do you have any dietary restrictions? or allergies? we've probably got something here you can eat, if you want."

you had asked to walk back home with five.

"why with me?" "it's a little bit selfish, but i really don't want to be alone right now, and you're the number one person i trust right now." "flattering," he muttered. "then why walk?" "i think better when i walk."

admittedly, walking was taxing for you right now, so it may not have been your brightest idea, but after this entire day you needed a nice break; the picturesque city sunset was nice, the breeze was subtle and sweet, and it smelled like food out there on the streets. viktor had offered to talk with marcus and try to make a deal; you'd asked him to be very, very careful. "i don't know if purposely seeking out the anomaly would be more effective, or if allowing it to reveal itself would be better. maybe we should seek it out."

five nodded slightly. "allowing it to reveal itself could mean that it becomes too powerful to stop."

"that's kind of what i was thinking. we don't know how it would reveal itself. what if it destroys something, or changes something? what if it hurts people?" your voice was quieter with that last proposition. it was the worst possible option in your mind; buildings could be rebuilt. changes could be undone, with enough time and patience. but people could not be undamaged, and they could not be brought back to life.

well, not permanently, anyway.

five's pace slowed a bit and he peered at you, strangely, for a moment. you avoided his eyes.

"surprisingly enough, i don't think this is the... worst outcome." "forgive me but i don't really believe you. we've got jack all on either side. essentially, we're alone." "you're used to it, five." "hmph. and you aren't?" "not in this way, i guess." there was more he wanted to say but you would not give him the opportunity to dig too deep. "there are worlds where your family is on board. trusts me, even, after some convincing. and there are also some where we narrow the options down. i'd love to be in one of those. but at least we aren't at each other's throats again, or diego's choking me to death." your voice soured. if you got too close, you could feel that pain. there your mind went then, trying to save your other selves out of some ethereal desperation you could never claw yourself away from.

"ow!" you hissed, clapping a hand to your neck where it had stung, sharp and sudden. "what was that?"

"you were seriously so spaced out you didn't see me?" five asked, though it barely sounded like a question. he sounded just barely concerned. you had looked like a glove without a hand. "jeez," he scoffed, shaking his head. "did you see anything helpful, at least? anything at all?"

your mind was still seared and shattered across uncountable realities and he could see that struggle to ground in your eyes. hear it in your breath. you had little mental fortitude left to respond. "sorry? can you repeat that?"

five didn't roll his eyes. unfortunately, he knew dissociation. he carefully took your hands in his, rubbing your knuckles like he'd seen you do before, and that seemed to give you... some amount of usable energy. it was also sort of difficult not to notice him, of all people, doing it, even while he sported an expression of general distaste for the situation; you couldn't tell if it was falsified or not. slowly, you were returning to your body, and it felt heavier than ever before. "what did you see?" he repeated, just as you asked, meticulously annunciating each word and using a decent pace.

you nodded slightly. "i saw a few other timelines. less fortunate ones." you didn't need to elaborate for five to understand what you were referring to. the broad strokes, anyway. "nothing really useful, though," you added after a second in total defeat.

"shit. well, that's alright." and though it clearly wasn't, you didn't say anything.

"how long have we been standing here?"

"... a minute or two."

"oh, great," you mumbled, shaking your head to yourself. your record was around two hours, sure, but it still sucked. "the... we should seek it out."

"wow. you remembered."

"we were having the same conversation a whole lot. given i was still alive and actually grew to trust you." it was a half-joke but it succeeded in getting a bare grin out of five. "we can't risk hurting other people."

"or destroying something," five added.

"or destroying something," you agreed, then furrowing your brow slightly. a cafe nearby was playing pleasant music; that was something keeping you tethered to this world in particular, as if five wasn't enough, but even he was quiet sometimes. "the only problem is we don't know where it is."

"or what it looks like. if it even looks like something at all. it could very well be invisible or incomprehensible." he scowled for a second, though not out of irritation, thinking rather loudly to himself. "we should start where we appeared, i think." you nodded in agreement. "if your... 'family' decides to work with us, all of us, then we can search a whole lot more. but we should get the basics out of the way."

"the beginning is always the most logical place to start."

"quaint way to put it, did you write the sound of music in another universe?"

"what part about 'literally any possible, feasible universe' do you not understand?" you joked, managing a small smile of your own, and five would be lying if he said he didn't feel a little bit relieved to see you humoring yourself again.

"i deserve that." he paused for a second. "i know you said that walking helps you think, and you definitely need to do that more, but you look like a dead man standing right now. i'd rather just drop you off at the academy and get back to my own family. are you okay to teleport?" you did not respond at first, taking careful account of how you felt and how you may feel after. eventually, and rather subtly, you nodded.

"my room is klaus's old room back in your universe."

"wow, that... makes it easier. safer, probably." that was the closest you were going to get to 'thank you' so you took it. you shut your eyes tight and breathed deep through that half-second nausea-bomb. you were happy to see your room when you opened your eyes; smelling like home, looking like home, feeling like pure comfort. five glanced about your room. somehow it looked exactly like what he expected from you, which was a compliment. it was cozy. well-lived—especially the bed. there were many blankets and pillows and a few stuffed animals, unmade, probably because you barely left it. he couldn't blame you, either.

looking at you, you seemed totally relieved and excited to be back home.

"are you going to let go of my hands now?"

five stiffened for a second, mumbling a hushed apology before letting go, shoving his hands in his pockets. you couldn't help but grin a little, tiredly, and he scoffed when he saw it. "don't look at me like that. i was helping you ground, since you evidently can't do it yourself sometimes." not that he could blame you, really. he couldn't imagine what it would be like to be... you.

you ignored the jab. "i'm surprised you're willing to wait to take care of this," you mumbled, hanging up your scarf and sweater, lazily rifling through your dresser to find something decently comfortable to pass out in. "you always insisted on getting things done quick. if not immediately."

"i'm desperate for one damn moment of peace. the world isn't being decimated just yet. i just want to sleep decently for once."

you smiled slightly. no one could work while exhausted, especially not when it came to your quandary. "go on and sleep then. i'll meet you at the obsidian again tomorrow."

"yeah. oh, uh, just remembered something. close your eyes for a few seconds."

"why?"

"just do it."

you scoffed, though without any sort of animosity or annoyance, shutting your eyes tight like he told you to. you heard the familiar sound of his blinking once, twice. "alright. you can look. here." he held out to you your bottle of painkillers. "nearly forgot to give them back."

"oh, sh—thank you." the relief on your face was quite plain and sort of comforting as well. he mustered a slight hum in response.

"good night."

"night, five. sleep well."

"hmph. we'll see."