#Oh well oh well. These films won't watch themselves.

[wh0reforcoriolanussnow]

please do one where they were like in a secret relationship and one day reader went live for her fans and idk maybe Tom walked in and now the secret's out. It's up to you how you go abt it. Have a nice day!!

Caught in 4k || Tom Blyth x gf!reader

A/n: Anon you read my mind.... I had this idea sitting in my drafts for quite some time!

Warnings: none!

Wc: 983

Divider by @pommecita

You stir in your sleep when you feel light kisses on your arm. "Good morning, love," He says, his morning voice making you smile as you turn around and place a kiss on his cheek, a smile adorning his lips. His arms wrap themselves around your waist as you both lay still, neither wanting to pull away from the embrace.

"I'm going to go for a shower," You say against his neck, his hands coming to your hips as he massages them. "Can I join?" His tone teasing as you consider the idea. "I fear if you do, we won't make it out of the bathroom for quite a bit," A smirk forms on his lips as you get out of bed, his hand still clinging to yours.

"I don't mind!" He calls out as you flip him off, not bothering to turn around as you shut the door behind you. After the calming shower, you wrap your body in a fluffy white towel as you squeeze out the excess water from your hair, letting it air dry.

You start to brush your teeth as you hear the bathroom door opening. Tom enters in only his boxers as he makes his way to you, arms wrapping around your towel cladded body as you lean back against him. You smile at him through the reflection you mouth frothy with the toothpaste as he smiles back at you.

You bend over to spit out the toothpaste as Tom pretends to fuck you from behind as laughs erupt from your mouth. You lean back up, slapping him across his chest as he smiles innocently at you. Going on your tippy toes, your arms loop around his neck and place a kiss on his lips, a few actually, as you both smile in between them.

"I feel like making pancakes, do you want blueberries or chocolate chips in yours?" You ask him whilst applying lip balm on your lips as he turns the shower on. "Chocolate chips please," He grins at you as give him a thumbs up and walk out picking out an outfit.

You pull back the curtains revealing dark clouds that littered across the sky of Brooklyn. You smile to yourself knowing today was going to full of cuddles and watching Harry Potter films with Tom. Walking down stairs, a thought plagued your mind.

You wanted to go live on Instagram as you felt as if it had been too long since the last time you did one. You leaned your phone up against a fruit bowl as you start the live. "Hey guys!" You smile as you watch thousands of people join in a matter of seconds.

You then continued to pull out the ingredients to make pancakes as you answer some of the questions that people asked. Tom walks down a few minutes later, wondering who you were talking to as your voice travelled upstairs.

He sees you in the kitchen, your back towards him as you talk about the weather. He decided to surprise you so he slowly walked up behind you and wraps his arms around you as you slightly jump. "Fucks sake, you scared me!" You sulked as Tom laughs, peppering the side of your face with kisses as your hands go up to his arms around your neck.

"Oh shit," You silently curse as you freeze, remembering you were still live on Instagram, "What?" He asks confused. You discreetly glance back and mentally face palm yourself as your phone was directly aimed at the two of you which meant that thousands of people witnessed it and most definitely concluded that you and Tom were together, which was very much the truth.

"I'm live on Insta," You whisper as you feel Tom physically pause as well, probably processing your words. He turns his head and makes eye contact with himself on your phone as he awkwardly chuckles. "Oh hey.." He trails off as you burst out laughing. "I'm going to go put a shirt on," Tom quickly says as he runs up stairs to get one.

You watch as comments blow up and you couldn't contain your smile. Everyone was going crazy as they flooded the comments with questions. You hear Tom walk back down, a shirt on his previously naked upper body as you hold out you hand and he takes is. "Well, guess it's out," He chuckles as the both of you read the comments.

Tom leans his hand against the counter as you rest your head on his arm. "Shit, I almost forgot the pancakes!" You panic as you go back to the stove and continue cooking the batter. You and Tom kept your relationship as private as you could, fans speculated that you were dating each other but nothing was confirmed, well until the live of course.

"How long have you two been together?" Tom reads out loud as you get plates for the two of you. "3 years now is it?" You say as Tom thinks about it, "Yeah, 4 years coming this September," he smiles. You come up beside him, resting your chin on your hands that were on the counter as you read through the comments, too immersed to notice that Tom was staring down at you with a huge smile on his face.

A comment mentioning how Tom is looking at you makes you look behind you, "What?" You shyly laugh as he says nothing, shaking his head. Tom takes over with making the pancakes and eventually they are done. "Well guys I'm going to end the live here and eat these pancakes with my wonderful boyfriend, bye!" You say as you end it.

You make eye contact with Tom as you both start laughing. He hugs you and kisses your forehead. "At least we don't have to keep hiding this in public anymore," He says as you agree with him.

[ginnysgraffiti]

coach as reader, nervous and attention-deprived art.

&. ART DONALDSON x yn.

you could sense that art was nervous just by witnessing his presence.

you could see it in the way his muscles kept tensing, in the way he kept chewing the same gum for half an hour and it would have certainly lost its taste by now, and in the way his tennis shoes kept tapping on the slippery floor of the locker room as if he was in the throes of a nervous tic.

you had been his personal coach for a while now -he begged for it- and his progress was surprisingly evident during the season's tournament.

there was to say that you were also his girlfriend, even if, lately, you refused to believe it was right to call yourself so.

despite everything, you were a coach who was paid by other high or inspiring tennis players at the foundations of the profession, and this meant that you had to show up at their tournaments and at their awards ceremonies as well.

a set of events and organizations that were meticulous or complicated to fit together, so you weren't surprised if you rarely saw art or if you barely managed to train him.

that day, he had prepared for a very important match, and unfortunately you hadn't been able to train him.

you had entrusted your boyfriend to another coach on campus, who was nevertheless capable and well informed on the work points that art had to satisfy.

at the same time, you couldn't know if during training he had kept his feet fast, his wrists down, or if he had made sure to not pull back too far before he hit the drop volley; and that made you feel horrible.

"baby...it'll be okay. you'll play amazingly." you put up a smile, sitting in front of him.

"oh yeah? that coach didn't even manage to improve my serve, to not talk about the return."

"c'on art...he's very good."

"not for me. i wanted you..." he pouted childishly, looking down.

"you know well i train other players."

"but...you had been barely around me..." he complained again, still looking at his soles nervously wearing themselves against the floor.

you got up just to put the last two rackets inside his bag and give it to him.

his expression didn't change one inch, he still looked exhausted and worn out.

you could perfectly tell that days without you had him limp and feeble.

"babe...hey, look at me."

you kneeled in front of his seat, kissing his bare knee as you waited for him to meet your gaze.

"mh?"

"you'll do amazing today. i'll be there watching and cheering for my talented boyfriend. i promise, after today's match we'll go to the hotel and spend time together. we can cuddle and watch films, and i won't go anywhere."

he seemed to hesitate a little.

"promised...?"

"promised."

your lips met in a soft and eager kiss.

as you pulled back, you fixed his blonde hair and rested one hand on his cheek.

you made sure he would spit his gum in your palm, before kissing him again and walking towards the stands to wait for the match.

[mangocustard16]

📁....Seventeen's reaction to having an actor/actress s/o₊˚🎬📼🎥✩｡

genre: fluff warnings: pet names, cursing lmk if i missed something w.c: 970 a/n: thank you! anon and I'm sorry i won't be covering another req that asked me to write about ghostface/scream cuz i already saw someone write about it<3 sorry anon!

#Seungcheol 

He is very supportive of your career and is proud of your accomplishments. He's clearing out his schedules to attend premieres, to silently cheer you on, and is not afraid to publicly express his admiration for your talent. Would casually appear during your shootings with your favorite flowers and snacks for everyone. "Babe! Aren't you supposed to be on the other side of the country?" "No, I'm supposed to be wherever you are."

#Jeonghan 

Oh boy! he's taking tips, no jokes. He's got his notepad out and is ready to jot down directions and suggestions. He is ready to polish his acting skills which will come in helpful when bluffing others during the mafia game.  Bonus: he shares the prizes he wins from "Going Seventeen Mafia Games" with you. "Hannie that's the third Dyson air wrap you've won this year!"

#Joshua 

Your supportive lil' boy. He helps you practice your lines and gives valuable advice. Everything flows smoothly until you reach a scene involving a kiss. joshua.exe has stopped functioning. He's momentarily frozen, and you can't help but wonder if he's even breathing. He had anticipated a kiss scene cuz you were the main lead, but it still bothered him a little to see you kiss someone else who is not him. But he's definitely not insecure or anything, just a peculiar sensation. And for the cure, just kiss the living daylights out of him so hard that he forgets the world except for you.

#Junhui 

Well....he's an actor himself, so it's quite obvious that he's exceptionally proud of you. He's shamelessly promoting your movie/drama every chance he gets. Dedicates an entire Weibo live suggesting your movies and dramas to carats while explaining the plot in great detail. "You know The Dreamcatcher's plot twist caught me so hard that I almost fell off my seat"

#Hoshi

He wants to accompany you everywhere – to set, to your trailer as you practice your lines, to premieres and other events. He adores the world you live in and wishes to learn more about it. He tried out acting(a period drama) and continued talking in that manner for days. "What an interesting food this is, 'twixt two buns lies a delicacy that-" "It's just a burger calm down."

#Wonwoo 

He would be so proud of you. He'll be your silent cheerleader. When the two of you are alone, he will lavishly compliment your acting and take you out to a lovely meal to celebrate the premiere. So, while it may not appear to others that he makes a big deal out of it, you'll know how proud he is.

#Woozi

Please DO NOT bring him to events – Woozi almost blends in with the numerous cameramen and women, his own phone in hand as he photographs picture after picture of you as you go into the premiere of your new film — he's a very proud boyfriend, after all. "Look here! babe. Damn you look so good"

#Seokmin

He is gonna hype you up so much omg. He like, Jun, won’t hesitate to promote your movie every chance he gets. His darling is building a name for themselves, and he'll be damned if he doesn't do everything he can to help them. He's always bugging Carats to go see the latest movie. Whenever you watch the movie alone, he will be more sincere and serious in his compliments. "No problem, carats! If you've already seen the film, you should go watch it two more times."

#Mingyu

He'd be captivated by your performance and would shove his face very close to the screen every time you appeared. And, while he may not shamelessly promote you as some of the other members do, he will certainly speak highly of you and your acting abilities to everyone he knows. That's all he talks about when he's out with his '97 liner buddies. Literally. "Y/n had to act like they had not found the killer while sitting right beside them. They are so cool!"

#Minghao 

Minghao is buying the CD regardless of whether he could simply ask you for a copy of the movie you're in or even if he's seen it hundreds of times. He is one of your biggest fans; he owns all of your movies, has seen all of your shows, and knows all of your interviews by heart.  "Are you watching y/n’s movies again? Aren’t you tired?" "Fuck off"

#Seungkwan

He actually got to know you during an event promoting your latest drama. He's your biggest fanboy, watching every drama/movie you've ever starred in, and bombarding you with compliments. Winces slightly whenever he sees you kiss a fellow actor on screen. "So your type is Song Jung" "Come on!! Stop sulking, we filmed that 6 years ago" 

#Vernon

Leaves 15-line reviews on your movies complimenting your acting skills. He is always pulling out your movies during movie night and doesn't understand why wouldn't wanna watch your own movie for the nth time again. "Babe, we have watched Wandering Dreams more than 20 times" "So, do you wanna watch 'Written in Sand'?" *dies* Bonus: All the movies you've starred in receive an obvious 5-star rating.

#Chan

He'd be so freaking excited! It wouldn't be strange to spend endless nights practicing your lines with him. Coffee would be essential for those nights, as the caffeine would keep you up as you practiced. And whenever someone pointed out how much the critics praised you, he'd say, "Yeah, of course, my love did amazing." It's as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.

BONUS:: Sends coffee trucks to the set during shooting: Minghao, Seungkwan, Jeonghan, Joshua ♡

[erensfeed]

OKAY BUT.

I woke up this morning with like, a flashing need to send you an ask about your LADS Actor AU, which sometimes just consumes my thoughts at random times.

👁️ But the boys recording the MYTHS.

Angst CENTRAL ANGST.

I just remembered the last update where they were doing Caleb's death (haha temporary of course, he's just taking a break) and she's acting out how she passes out and he pops up next to her like, why so sad?

And like... Recording the HEART BREAKING bits of their myths?

Spoilers ahead in case you HAVEN'T seen them all, won't go into detail but...

Dying in Xavier's arms? Forseer Zayne reading her fate and giving up everything for her? Rafayel having to chose between her life and his people's?

Whatever the fuck Sylus has got goin on? With the whole stabbing in the chest?

I was just consumed by the thought of them having to get into that headspace before the scene, having to pretend to see her die or hurt or knowing they won't see her again, when it's fake.

The aftermath of it too, getting out of that, maybe they're all whipped (yes) and just need a good hug and to ground themselves. Method acting you know...

Anyway 👁️ I've ranted enough 👁️

Thank you for reading through this whole ass paragraph, hope your day is wonderful!

content: how i imagine they’d be as actors when filming their myths. * some minor spoilers from me on xavier as well ! * ૮ ˶ᵔ ~ ᵔ˶ ა

you literally have no clue how i literally love you for still thinking ab those silly hcs😭 THANK YOU THANK U THANK UUU !! AND STOP BC THIS IDEA??? ate down.

cause omg they’d literally be love interests who grew head over heels in love with the main co-star in a fr deep(ressive) story. and it’s like gawd. what a life they’d come to lead if they really were actors then LMAOO

but anyway ! they would be told and agree (months prior), that method acting would be the best thing when filming each of their intense myths. and i know for a fact that rafayel would be the one waayyy too into that method acting stuff because it’d all end up feeling really personal.

‘i can totally work with this’ were the exact words that came from him as you watched and listened to him, munching on his box of donuts (this was a habit between you two — going over to the other’s trailer to snack on whatever the other got to eat). not to mention the times he’d re-read his copy of the script analysis for the nth time / before main rehearsals, and how he’d be all “pft, i wonder why [main director’s name] thinks acting all of this would ever even get to me”. and that never aged well at ALL because he ended up being more attached to it than he expected, as his natural reactions were already in tune with his lemurian character anyway.

but anyway during the era of, rafayel would suddenly stay to himself a little more / even got confused on his real feelings for you (?). and of course he’d recognize that and try to keep things professional, but he would also catch himself sometimes looking at or treating you like mc. and it’s like oh ! all this because he somehow tied everything to your irl friendship / dynamic ??? LOL

but anyway much like rafayel, xavier would also see you as the mc. just in a different way of course. cause it doesn’t help that you just so happen to naturally act like the mc, even off camera.

now when acting the real deal of his myth — when you lay lifeless in his arms — he would imagine that you really were the mc, keeping his head down as the feeling of the idea of holding the one he loved but couldn’t save hit him. his eyes would also be vacant during this scene, especially as he held the star tassel, the weight of it feeling heavier as he envisioned you giving it to him before dying.

in this same scene where he had to hold one of your limp hands in his, it actually felt colder. this didn’t show in the final take because xavier acts so authentically, but it did catch him off guard — as no one told him your hands would actually have to be cold for the real scene. and that made the moment feel even more real and intensified this ache in his chest at the thought of losing you. (lolol ofc the directors kept that because gawd everything was so realistic)

he’d tell himself it was just that scene that got to him but he’d eventually grow to randomly start reaching out to hold your hand in his more often, just to feel its warmth.

stop im giggling now bc im abt to go read smth angsty w xavier

moving on though ! zayne and his foreseer myth? especially dawnbreaker?? .. let me not go there bc this would be longer than needed. though i will say that zayne hadn’t planned on being “affected”. but he would quietly start to observe you more, as his way of not directly discussing his emotions. (this was also what prompted him to be quick to protect you on set)

in conclusion. rafayel as an actor, who has the biggest soft spot for you, would pull back just a little while in that headspace. quietly growing to wonder if you’d also forget him & all the moments you shared, once love and deepspace was over. and he would also start joking about his feelings more to mask them during that time. xavier, on the other hand, would develop a habit of finding lame excuses to have your hand in his whenever you were together, since feeling your cold hands that day did actually do something to him. zayne wouldn’t want to admit how it actually affected him but he would eventually be vulnerable about it with only you. lastly and not surprisingly enough, sylus would remain the only sane one regarding his character's darker lore LMAOO. so i’ll just leave that there (until his myth comes out).

but even though their well hidden feelings for you complicated things, they were great actors so it wouldn’t really affect them terribly for long, as they had ways to separate their personal lives from their roles by all the way you’d comfort them after you found out.

a/n: THIS WAS SO FUN & FUNNY TO ADD ONTO. althoughhh i personally don’t feel like this is 100% spot on & tied to the (1st) actor au hcs, as it’s just some ways i think they’d react but that could just be bc i wrote this in one sitting. didn’t also plan on talking that much and ab my glorious 6ft prince rafayel either but anyway thank yeww for this pooks. (also, im giving you a moon emoji for all our next discussions bc i look forward to them🙂‍↕️ )

[ghouldtime]

Bit of a humorous ask. What would happen if König accidentally saw his neighbor compromised? Like, they are doing something embarrassing in their home and doesn't realize their window is open and they happened to glance up at each other at the same time 😭😭

I may or may not have been dancing to ABBA in my bathrobe and my neighbor was walking past and we made solid eye contact with each other for at least 10 seconds before we started laughing. I was in my bathrobe and my nightgown I was so embarrassed. Luckily she laughed with me and danced a little too.

(Anon, in your defense, ABBA is absolute PEAK for that kind of thing. Anyone who wouldn't do the same is either a liar or has no sense of joy in their lives. I'm glad that it was short lived embarrassment and your neighbor has a great sense of humor but still 😭)

Oh man, he'd be mortified.

His social anxiety, as well managed as it is, has him in a chokehold with those things. Second hand embarrassment is one of his worst enemies. As in, he will pause a movie and will exit it if it relies on it for "humor". It's just TOO painful for him to sit and squirm through, he hates it.

He cannot and does not want to deal with it, he'd rather pretend those things don't exist if it's that level of embarrassing. Alas life has a cruel sense of humor and things like that are bound to happen. So he goes the classic route of action: immediately diverts his eyes, pretends like he was conveniently doing something else, and acts like he never saw anything in the first place. He's never going to bring it up or mention it. Even if you swear he saw it, he won't say a word and forces it from his mind.

That being said, it really depends what it is and what happened though - because if it's something endearing where they're just enjoying themselves, living their life, it's really bad! What's "embarassing" usually depends on our own perceptions anyhow.

He may watch for a few moments with a small smile on his face before he diverts his attention before he can be caught. Since we all have those moments where we do things like that and it's a part of our nature to just be silly and to live our lives, it's something to enjoy. It's a moment of calm, normalcy, and tranquility in his otherwise tumultuous life, that he can savor because that can be gone in an instant. He knows that all too well. It's just humans being humans in the absolute best way and THAT is heartwarming and nothing to be embarrassed about. He'll cherish that and the good that he sees whenever he finds it in this world.

He's all for being yourself and enjoying life as you see fit. Go splash in those puddles, go feed the birds, go talk to the little flowers you see growing. Life is too short to waste in on worrying what others think when doing so would hinder your own. His cheeks might tinge a bit crimson if you make eye contact and he's looking away instantly, but that's not from embarrassment - those are just other, more heart warming feelings that are making him flush.

Still, he doesn't like to intrude on private moments (his curtains are usually drawn and he has privacy film on most of his windows) so you're usually going to be in the clear anyhow! But either way, nothing to be embarrassed about. He's not bringing it up either way and if it's bad, it's scrubbed from his mind. If not, he's instead doing his damn best to memorize it and cherish it, among the other small moments that you share together 💚

[thenervousmedic]

Got inspired to write again, mostly from @boredth's Vampire-Wick art (sorry for the tag <3) Seriously, go check out their work, their art style is immaculate and there's lots of fun AU stuff there too!

It’s just a short nearly 2k ramble for our beloved supernatural assassin. It was supposed to be a Halloween fic but i'ma little late aaaa happy late Halloween!

Summary: With a blood shortage hitting the Vampiric underbelly of the city, John finds himself no longer paying attention to the movie you'd come over to watch. [Fic below the cut] _____________

There are things you've learned since meeting John… little things. You weren't ignorant to the world sitting under your feet, not at all, the nightlife of the city had always been on your radar even if you personally didn't go digging into it.

Smartest decision of your life, really, to not go poking where others would readily risk themselves with delusions of grandeur; assume they won't be torn up and spat back out like any other powerless shmuck.

Still. What little you did learn was never not interesting, you'll give it that.

A lot of werewolves are more like weredogs than anything, there is still very much a way to summon demons (though not many are of the right bloodlines to do so), and vampires are very rarely accurately portrayed in the media.

He was staring again. You'd picked up on the subtle things, the minute expressions and inflexions in tone with his speech, so it didn't take long to realise this was the wrong type of staring. “... John.”

“Mm?” The way his eyes snapped to yours, narrowing as though they'd been a million miles away before his name had hit his ears.

He's usually so careful. So organised. The vampire population is substantial enough in the city that hunting is a thing of the past, with places like the Continental having under-the-table dealings with blood banks and hospitals, taking what they can spare. But lately… 

Shortages always hit hard, if he were a lesser man he likely would have already chosen an innocent bystander to tide over his hunger until the next stable arrangement could be made. But he wasn't. He couldn't be the lesser man, the world couldn't afford it.

“Are you going to tell me what's wrong?” You ask with almost trace amounts of caution. You were afraid of him, which was… good in a way. Smart. That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt a little to hear the mild concern flickering in your voice.

“Running low on rations is all,” He huffs, putting on a tired-looking smile that slips away as quickly as it had come, a courtesy really, trying to turn his attention back to the TV.

“Running low?” Oh, the concern in your voice was so painfully sweet. Like you'd been told someone was off their medication, the way you sat up a little for a more serious conversation, the movie was now a backburner to the topic at hand.

“Decrease in donations, increase in demand…” He has to take a steady breath, leaning his head into his hand to pinch and knead at the bridge of his nose. He's been listening to the steady cadence of your heartbeat over the dialogue in the film and the way it picked up ever so slightly was far more effective of an appetiser than he’d expected. “I'm sorry, I should've called off tonight.”

“No, it… it's fine-” You start, almost immediately backtracking with a quiet “Well it's not ‘fine’, obviously, but-”

So you were right, he was having some thoughts. Involuntary ones, albeit, and clearly not something he wished to subject you to. It made you ache in a way you didn't quite understand, not quite pity or sympathy, but something.

“I can help.”

The words slip your lips before you can really think them over, and you can almost see the way he bristles at whatever images that sentence puts into his head.

“No.”

“John-”

“No. I am not taking from you.”

“You're not taking, I'm offering.”

He has to look at you again to confirm you're really saying the words that he's hearing, and not just making up a narrative in his thirst-addled brain to justify his runaway thoughts. The thudding of your heart had picked up considerably, and though he knows you can't hear it, probably can't even feel it, the sound to him was a thunderous drumbeat like tinnitus. But the look on your face. The look on your face.

Determination in the twitch of your brow, worry in the backs of your eyes. Stubborn. Kind. But not stupid.

He didn't need to tell you that it’d hurt or that there was a risk of taking too much, he knew you’d gone through that conversation in your head already and weighed the pros and cons.

“You don't have to.”

“I know. I want to.”

John is no fool. There are implications he hasn't the mind to dig into right now but the truth of the matter is food is scarce and if he turns down a willing participant then there's no guarantee he'll find another before getting to the inevitable breaking point even his nigh-impregnable discipline has.

The look of resignation on his face must hurt you so, with how your shoulders gently slope before you pull off your jumper and work on rolling up your sleeve.

“Let me.”  His hands came to you with a sort of gentle reverie you hadn't seen from him before. He’d never treated you as delicate or fragile, but the way the roughened pads of his fingers took your wrist with nary a squeeze was almost feather light, pulling your sleeve back down to re-roll it much tighter, sitting like a makeshift tourniquet around your upper arm.

The pad of his thumb pressed to your wrist, feeling the consistent pulse inside before it pressed a little higher, and again a little higher, working up the inside of your forearm with measured precision. Searching for something.

The right spot to bite. Just below the inside of your elbow, that ever-so-soft zone between your sliding muscles that would repair fairly quickly and have the least risk of harsh damage. Somewhere the bruise that’ll likely last almost a week won't be a hindrance on your day-to-day.

John was one for eye contact, it could be both sweet and unnerving depending on his expression, but the way he looked now- Eyes affixed to your skin, still clearly restraining himself, and not once glancing up at your face as he moved to sit closer and angle you more comfortably…

“Sharp scratch.” His soft rumbling tone brought you back to your senses, tensing with a hiss through gritted teeth but making sure not to flinch when his teeth sank in.

You’d pricked yourself with pins and had many-a blood tests and injections, but those were small, thin, metal barbs. These were fangs. It felt like getting stuck with two shards of frosted glass, even with how gentle he was being, the spark of pain and flare of heat from angry flesh brought a little water to your eyes.

It took everything in him not to draw. To just allow the pressure to do the work as the thick liquid welled and spilt into his mouth.

He was so fucking thirsty, and this… gods above this outclassed bagged blood by a million miles. It was warm and full, untainted by excess adrenaline, with a flavour he knew likely existed in other willing prey but could only in this moment associate with you. 

His eyes rolled shut with a long languid breath, that hard line of his furrowed brow turning up and dissolving. The hand still holding your wrist up softly squeezing and relaxing, kneading as if on reflex, while the other he'd placed on your thigh to lean over only relaxed some weight onto you.

The worst of the pain was over, and though it still hurt the only thing you could focus on was how his frigid lips had made a seal over your skin and, though there was no sucking, his tongue had started to lave back and forth over the punctures between an occasional swallow. The anticoagulants in his saliva thin your blood, keeping the stream steady while a relaxed hum rose involuntarily from the back of his throat.

Your eyes had fallen closed too, you couldn't recall the point when they did but you could still hear the television playing. Your own heartbeat. Both the quiet gulps and sighs coming from him and, less pronounced but no less present, the near-silent breaths leaving his nostrils to ghost over your arm.

Was it minutes? Was it hours? It was hard to tell with your head getting light.

At some point, the warmth spreading from your shoulder and chest, pooling deep in the pit of your stomach, had been replaced with a strange coldness, like an ice pack. Your limbs were a touch shaky and your skin had gone pale, a pallor John seemed to take note of when he pulled his mouth away to check on you, pupils blown wide, jaw slack and hung open.

It's as though he’d stolen your heat, the fresh feeding having put some colour into his skin and warmed the usually corpse-like coldness of his hands, you could almost swear you saw huffs of vapour from his parted lips. “Dizzy?” He grunted, looking you over as he lowered your arm and moved your free hand to the bite to keep some pressure on it so he could go fetch a cotton ball or two to stem the flow and let it seal. “Lay down.”

With a quick trip to the kitchen and the foyer, a pair of towels were spread on the couch cushions under your arm, the wound was dressed with the gauze pads and secured with tape, and he'd set a bottle of high-fructose fruit juice into your hand. “You'll be tired. More so than after a blood draw, our bites contain a mild sedative. Makes prey… docile,” He murmurs, seemingly hitching on the word ‘prey’ as though it wasn't intended to be said aloud.

This was not what you were expecting when you come over for movie night.

When did the film end, anyways? Did the disc skip and start buffering, or had you just spaced out the whole time?

Everything is a bit hazy and not quite piecing together.

Sipping at the bottle, you make no attempts to get up and move, just watch him carefully as he walks back across the room to flick a button on the player. “... Can we watch The Thing?”

There was a pause, the slight reflectiveness of his red eyes catching the dim lights of the room in sharp contrast to the loose and almost content way he looked as he glanced back at you. “... Yeah.”

_____________

Hope y'all like that. here's the AO3 link if anyone wants it <3

[eleni-cherie]

a thief's origin✨ || bts • kth - chapter 0.6

"you're afraid I won't wait." "I'm afraid you will."

a criminal and a doctor should be as different as the sun and the moon - but unexpected things happened every day. like him finding his safe haven in her.

© 2024 | eleni_cherie

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masterlist: here

— genre: thief au, gangster comedy, adventure, romcom, humour, angst, fluff, sexual tensiON, slowburn, mutual pining, strangers to friends to lovers s2f2l

ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE. CHARACTERS NOT NECESSARILY LIKE THE REAL PERSONS. ALSO VERY UNREALISTIC PLOT LOL - JUST PRETEND READING A MANGA/COMIC OR WATCHING A FILM, REALLY.

SUGGESTIVE THEMES. MENTIONS OF VIOLENCE & BLOOD (BUT NOTHING TOO GRAPHIC, IT'S STILL A COMEDY!)

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The inside of the embassy looked much like the outside let assume.

Fancy furniture with tasteful vases and decoration, wallpaper-covered walls and paintings hanging on them. A big mirror placed across from the entrance hall caught their attention, seeing themselves in it when entering. Their eyes lingered on their reflection a little longer. They looked like actually belonging there along with the other guests.

Taehyung gently guided her to the direction string music was heard from, following the other attendees inside. As they entered the ball room, she let the blazer fall from her shoulders, returning it to him.

"So, what's the plan?" Cassandra whispered, eyeing everyone around them eagerly as he put it back on. "Eavesdropping on a diplomat? Observing the guests? Keeping track of the security? I counted five guards nearby so far."

He chuckled at how serious she was taking her role, flattening the collar of his shirt. "First, I have to meet the guys. They sneaked in my gun, so I gotta get it from them."

Right, made sense. He couldn't have sneaked it in with the metal detector at the entrance.

"Oh okay, and what am -"

"You'll take your seat at our designated table and wait, okay?" Before she could even revolt, Taehyung tapped his in-ear and pivoted towards the back of the room only to disappear in the sea of well-dressed people.

Cassandra huffed, taking a handful of tulle into her fists before trotting to the direction of the tables at the side. The invitation said she'd be at table 16 and soon she spotted the card with the number. And the place card with her fake name on it.

Ms Cassandra Vasques. A fake research scientist in the medical field.

At least the field of profession wasn't so far off. Probably chosen on purpose by Jimin to minimize the potential of her blowing her cover. A medical researcher was easier than pretending being an international lawyer or engineer.

With disappointment spreading inside her, she took a seat and propped her chin into her palm. As if her insecurities hadn't been enough, now she was left to sit there alone like a loser. Besides, she could swear the old lady in her dark blue dress sitting at the table next to hers was scrunching her nose at her. Great.

Cassandra's arms instinctively folded in front of her in an attempt to cover the décoleté, although she could spot some other ladies with similar deep necklines or daring side-cuts while still managing looking classy.

She dragged a breath when sensing someone approaching her. A waiter from the look of his red vest and the silver tablet he was holding.

"May I take your order?"

"Red wine and.. and any cocktail you have with blue curacao, please." The waiter rose a mildly startled brow but only gave her a bow before leaving again.

If she had to go through this night feeling like a fool she might at least enjoy herself with a cocktail. She rarely got to drink any, so might as well tonight.

The drinks arrived soon and she immediately took a few sips of the deep light blue drink. Contently wiggling her shoulders when tasting the sweet-sour taste.

Unsure if much time passed or she simply drank too quickly, something she tended to unfortunately despite a cocktail's high alcohol percentage, her drink had eventually reached the lower half of the glass.

She felt a light buzz taking over, her mind beginning to float lightly and a sheepish smile plastered over her lips as she observed the people dancing to the string quartet's music in the dimly lit ballroom. Making her head sway to its rhythm, mimicking their movements.

She wasn't drunk, nor really tipsy. She had only begun to loosen up a little when she decided to take another sip before checking her make-up, just in case. The small pocket mirror in her purse coming in handy, she noticed that of course some of the the brownish-red lipstick had faded by now and she attempted to fix it with the lipstick she'd bought, when the reflexion of something black appeared behind her. Her eyes narrowed and in a mindless move, she turned her head and let the lipstick disappear back inside the purse.

Taehyung was standing behind her, having returned and now glancing down at her with a soft grin on his face. His hand stretched out towards her.

She looked at it suspiciously, making him laugh under his breath.

"May I have this dance?"

Cassandra shrugged, not try hiding she was sulky of him abandoning her among strangers. All her social awkwardness she thought she'd left behind in university, resurfacing after all in an unknown environment.

"Sure, but I have no clue how to dance."

Taehyung noticed her sullen mood but decided not to go into it and instead make up for his, admittedly, unpolite behaviour.

"You're lucky I don't mind you stepping on my feet."

Somehow this along with his boyish naive smile managed coaxing out a small laugh from her after all and her expression softened. Usually she wasn't so fast in giving in, but he made it easy.

Eventually, she placed her hand in his bigger one and let his fingers close around it and Taehyung gently pulled her up from her seat. Leading her through the crowd, until they reached the centre of the dancefloor. A clear vision of the band playing on the stage. Along with a clear sight on the French embassandor. Cassandra looked behind her to see what he was looking at and recognised the man. She hadn't attended totally unprepared after all, having looked up photos of him and his wife online, remembering Taehyung's task - which naively enough also in some way felt like hers, too - to keep an eye on the embassandor and warn the others if he attempted to leave and go upstairs.

Another couple bumped into her, not paying attention while dancing and she redirected her focus on Taehyung. He held her hand firmly, his other arm loosely wrapped around her waist. Pulling her closer in the narrow space, to prevent her from bumping into another person. And Cassandra swallowed at the almost non-existent gap between their chests.

"You have something.. there." He gestured to the corner of his lips and she frowned for a moment before realising she must've smudged the lipstick when seeing him behind her. And she cursed under her breath because of course, her clumsiness just never gave her a break.

"Wait, I -" She attempted to let go and get her purse but his thumb was already wiping off the faint smudge and she paused startled. Her eyes blinking rapidly. "T-thanks."

He nodded, his hand going back to holding hers as they began to move among the others.

"I really don't know how to dance, I wasn't joking," she mumbled embarrassed as she felt her feet almost tripping with every move, glancing up at him with an apologetical smile. He only breathed out a chuckle and she felt her skin tingling where his hands were laying on her. 

"Just follow the rhythm." His mellow voice almost drowning in the soft melody around them.

It was so strange. Like a fever-dream. Swaying with him among strangers who were most likely by far more important and wealthy than her. She felt like Cinderella. A poor maid in disguise at the king's ball, dancing with prince charming himself.

And as they kept moving, her body following his eloquent moves, she felt the tingle develop into a burning, spreading on every inch of her skin like wildfire. And she wasn't sure if it was the liquor, opening her blood vessels on its surface, or the warmth of his touch that caused it.

There had always been an attraction simmering under the surface for Taehyung, she couldn't deny that. It'd been there four years ago when she'd first met him and it'd still been there over a year ago when meeting him again.

However, Cassandra had never dared to see him as more than a friend before, knowing it would've been pointless with their vastly different lives.

But moving along his lead under the sparkling lights of the dimlit room in such close proximity along with the palm of his hand leaving her waist to lay flat right at the ribbon on her lower back, made her feel deezy.

Right now, her mind had completely shut down and all she could hear was her beating heart putting her skin on fire and all she could see was his dark irises, getting lost in their depth - along with that damn lonely curl on his forehead.

She was an internist. She knew the neuro-biology behind attraction, inflatuation, sex and even the feeling of love.

Neurotransmitters, hormones, endorphines.

At the end, it all came down to serotonine, dopamine, β-endorphine and noradrenaline.

She also knew, however, that this cocktail of messengers alone would only cause a feeling of happiness, lust and content, no deeper feelings. It was humans themselves putting meanings into them. And right now, Taehyung was causing her neurological system to have a complete meltdown.

His hand slid off from her lower back then and he stepped back, making her spin before stepping in and catching her again. And she held her breath for a moment before giggling, seeing an equal amused glint in his eyes. His hand finding her waist again. "Would've never guessed you'd be such a good dancer," she teased. Her natural response to distract from her flustered face.

He shrugged non-chalantly, spinning her again. Her giggles making him smile while he glanced above people's heads. Spotting the embassandor talking with other guests next to a pillar at the side.

"Picked up some moves at all these sleazy parties we attended."

"Mhm, to dance with all the pretty girls I see.." she grinned.

He only breathed a laugh, his attention back to Cassandra. Sensing her hand gliding from his chest to his back. Briefly brushing over the pistol grip that stuck out from the waistband and pressed onto his lower back under the suit jacket.

A slower song began playing and she leaned her head against his shoulder to rest her - surely alcohol-induced - spinning head. And they began moving slower. His breathing hitching along with their movement.

Her eyes closed then and she let herself take in the feeling of Taehyung holding her in his broad arms like this. Forgetting completely where they were and why. For just a minute, she wanted to be in a bubble of her own instead.

Taehyung smiled to himself, pressing his cheek against her sweet-scented curls.

The bare curve of her back fit perfectly under his fingertips and he wondered if that was even possible or if he just made things up by now. Like the aching in his chest and the cloudiness of his mind at the feeling of Cassandra's delicate body swinging in his arms.

"No, you're the only pretty one so far."

His thoughts mindlessly slipped out of his lips, not meant to actually be said out loud. And the thief realised he had to snap out of whatever this was he was letting himself get lost in.

They were only there as a cover so he could keep an eye out for the job.

And moreover, Cassandra was a friend. A dear friend. One of those friends you didn't need to see every day to know they were there. A friend who, no matter how much time apart, it would always feel like not even a day had passed by since the last time you'd joked with them. No matter how far away, they still cared for you. And you for them.

That was the kind of friend Cassandra was to him. A special one. He knew, after all, that a friendship like this wasn't a given. Especially considering his busy and beyond legal life.

So no, he couldn't allow himself to feel anything beyond that. He couldn't allow himself to dwell or surrender to that looming feeling. Or the way his chest contracted irregularly when sensing her fingers fisting his suit jacket when hearing his words.

Cassandra's heart skipped a beat at his warm breath brushing over her ear and she swallowed. She wanted to believe she knew him well enough to know he'd never say something ingenuine, he wasn't the type to wrap others around his finger just for fun.

"Glad my dress is 'fitting' enough," she quietly joked, reciting his previous choice of words to ease the sudden tension between them. His chest vibrating against her cheek.

"Mh, green is my favourite colour."

Her eyes fluttered open at this and she slightly heaved her head to look at him.

"You're lucky, then," she smirked, "If it was available in blue or red, I'd have chosen them instead."

"Huh." His lips shaped a small grin. "Are these your favourite colours? Blue and red?"

"Mhm, and their pastel shades."

He nodded, licking over his suddenly dry lips. "Yeah, I can see that. Emeralds, sapphires, rubies.."

She faked offence with a pout then to keep herself from blushing. "No diamonds?"

For a moment, he simply stared at her dark-frame eyes, mesmerized and perhaps a bit bewitched by their intenser look that night. "Diamonds are awfully common, they wouldn't suit you," he said matter-of-factly as they danced in a circle. The song changing into a more up-beat one. "They just became popular thanks to good PR."

Her lips formed a small 'o'. "Really? I didn't know that." Intentionally dismissing the subtle compliment between his words - unsure if she could handle herself otherwise - she was surprised by this information, seeing him nod.

She hummed then, looking away for a second before giving him an amused smile.

"Wow, what good promo can do. So no diamonds then.. good thing I was never a big fan of them anyway."

His brows rose, not having expected that as most people were, thanks to aforementioned advertisement.

"No?"

"No, though there's one exception.."

Now he was intrigued. "And what would that be?"

Her lips curled and she bit back a cheeky grin. "I wouldn't say no to a pink diamond like the Pink Panther."

At this Taehyung couldn't help but burst out laughing with a chesty sound. Of course she'd be referring to a classic heist film, he thought. His head falling back before he tried containing himself as a few people around them already glanced in utter bewilderment at his sudden amusement.

Flashing her a square grin then, still chuckling. "A pink diamond would suit you indeed."

Cassandra smiled contently and placed her head back onto his shoulder. Feeling her cheeks warm. "Thank you."

His glance left her then and instead wandered up, looking around in the sea of important people and to the direction of his main person of interest. Only to freeze, coming to an abrupt halt.

The embassandor was gone from his spot and nowhere to be seen.

Dammit, he wasn't able to spot him.

Cassandra frowned, mirrowing his expression. "What h-"

"Come," he said in a stern tone and tugged at her hand. Rushing out of the crowd. "I lost sight of him," he explained over his shoulder when reaching the spot he had last seen him at.

Her eyes widening in mild panic as well, now also frantically looking around.

With quick steps, he held her close to him as they left the ball room. His eyes intense and it worried her, the last time she'd seen that expression on them was when they'd been chased through Barcelona half a year ago.

He scanned their surroundings, his eyes seemingly a shade darker and he tapped his in-ear transmitter then. "Guys? Stay alert, I lost sight of him."

"What?" Jimin's raised voice was heard from the other line. "How? Weren't you paying attention?"

"I-" He briefly peeked at Cassandra. Feeling disappointed in himself for acting like a noob and letting himself get distracted. "I shortly lost focus," he eventually muttered.

"Yeah, can imagine with what," his friend chuckled then and he felt his cheeks turning red.

"We're almost done," Yoongi spoke up then, "Just make sure he isn't entering his office in the next ten minutes."

"Got it."

According to the blueprint, the office was in the second floor, at the end of the left corridor. Right there where Jimin and Yoongi were located at right now.

He took a last glance into the ball room, ensuring he hadn't missed him.

"Can you see him?"

Cassandra shook her head. "No, but I can see his wife. Wait."

Before Taehyung even realised she had left his side, she was already walking up to the embassandor's wife, a blond woman in her forties in a deep lavender-coloured dress currently holding a martini while chatting with another woman. Only when he saw her green dress flowing a few metres away from him, he realised what she was planning to do. His eyes widening, about to run after her and hold her back when the blonde turned and smiled at Cassandra. The three women began to chat away for a moment. Cassandra giggling at something the brunette woman in the blue dress said, bowing at her before walking back to him.

Already spotting Taehyung's inquiring look. "What did you-"

"Her husband apparently lost his cufflink and went to replace it with another pair in his office. He's supposed to deliver a speech in fifteen minutes and didn't want to do it without it."

"How did-"

She shrugged, cutting him off. "I just introduced myself with the fake name and explained my work in the medical field. The other woman was the leader of a women's health organisation, I recognised her. So it was easy to strike a conversation. Then I casually wondered where the gala's host was and she told me."

His lips parted, taken aback by how smoothly she obtained the information, almost reminding him of the other smooth-talker he knew, Jimin. However, something else caught his attention then.

"Office you said?"

She nodded.

Fck.

He slid off his suit jacket, wrapping it around her shoulder. "Wait outside for me, okay?"

"Wh-why? Where are you going?"

"Saving their asses."

And with that he ran off, leaving her back. Again. If she didn't know better she'd have thought he was Cinderella and it was close to midnight.

Holding his blazer tightly, Cassandra went back to the ball room, passing by the dancing crowd and towards their table where she picked up her purse before making her way out of the stuffy atmosphere. Past the foyer with the big mirror which she intentionally ignored and exiting the building, the cool night air hitting her heated skin.

- Heated from the drinks and the heat from so many people in the room of course.

At least there were also other guests lingering around there. Some only now arriving, others gathered in small groups for a smoke.

She held the suit jacket closer to herself when she felt several pairs of eyes on her, stepping more to the side where she hopefully wouldn't gain any attention. And she waited.

Usually, she wasn't someone who liked being in the dark, but she understood this wasn't a common situation for her. Her only role was to get Taehyung in, nothing else. She was supposed to stay out of trouble. So she tried actually listening this time and simply let him do his job.

However, after awhile she felt bored and didn't know what exactly to do with herself, so she observed other guests when suddenly faint pop-sounds echoed above her.

She glanced up, unable spotting anything out of the ordinary that could've caused it. It seemed like nobody else had heard it though, most likely due to the loud background noises of chatter and music.

Minutes passed and she grew more impatient while waiting outside in the chilly air, another sound being heard then. This time it was a creaking from around the corner.

The young woman tensed, again no one else but her having heard it. Sparkling her curiosity once again, she turned around the corner only to be almost hit by someone landing right in front of her on the grass. And she squealed, clutching her purse tightly until realising it was none other than Taehyung who had appeared out of nowhere.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered in a hiss as he brushed over his black dress shirt. His hair dishevelled by now.

He quickly pressed a finger to his lips then, shushing her. And with wonderous eyes she observed him sliding the magnum out from between his waistband along with a small cylinder. Screwing it onto the gun barrel. Next, he pressed himself against the wall, peeking around the corner and aiming at the side-building on the opposite side of the courtyard.

He knew they were at a blind spot which the guards couldn't spot, but if he leaned out too much he'd be caught by them so he had to act quick and careful.

His tongue slightly darted out as he focused, firing one precise shot at a window in the first floor then. Everyone present stirred up at the shilling sound and the security from the entrance immediately rushed inside. The people who had been outside in the courtyard all looked up at the window while raising their voices in confusion. Confused mumbles about what it could've been, some guessing a stone having been thrown. No one having guessed a gunshot as the silencer prevented it creating a loud enough noise for the to hear with the background buzzing.

Content by their reactions, Taehyung tapped his in-ear then. "Quick."

At his command, Yoongi's head followed by Jimin's appeared out of the window in the second floor. And the two began climbing out the windowsill to slid down the gutter pipe. Half-way through though they slipped and landed in the bushes beneath them, with butts first.

Taehyung and Cassandra stifling a  laugh at the hilarious sight.

"Haha funny."

"Well, quite an elegant way to go," Yoongi chuckled in self-irony as he picked leaves out of his hair.

"Something that wouldn't have happened if someone had done his job correctly," Jimin coughed then. A knowing smirk on his lips as he glanced at Taehyung from the corner of his eye. Before the younger one could counter something though, he already waved him off. "Anyway. Let's get out of here before they notice."

They nodded, Taehyung turning to her then. "Cas, wait at the gate for a few minutes. We'll get the car and pick you up."

"Wh-"

"Just trust me, okay?"

She swallowed at his look of appeal and nodded. Watching them sneak behind the bushes to the very back of the high metal fence, which immedietally subjected to Yoongi's katana as if it was nothing but butter under a knife. And the three escaped from the hole and into the night.

Perplexed and a little unsure, Cassandra slowly walked out and making sure no one had seen her appearing from behind the corner when she heard loud voices coming from the open window in the second floor. Security probably having entered the office.

Acting as if she hadn't had a clue about what had gone down, she innocently walked across the courtyard and through the corridor to the entrance. The grip around Taehyung's suit jacket firm when she entered the chill night at the open street. Even humming while letting her gaze wonder around, pretending she didn't notice any of the uproar from inside the building. Glancing at her imaginary watch then, she acted as if she was waiting for someone and they were late which technically was true.

Finally, the familiar black limousine appeared in front of her and she hurried to the backseat where Yoongi greeted her with a nod. And they drove off.

"Alright. What even happened?" she asked then, a rush of adrenaline still running through her veins as she began shifting in her seat and glancing at each of them.

Taehyung dragged out a tired breath from the passenger seat, recalling the events of the past twenty minutes. How the embassandor had indeed been heading to his office. How Taehyung had to knock out a security guard to create a commotion in the first floor for the embassandor and his security to go check out. And then him escaping by climbing out the window before they reached the source. "Nothing."

Cassandra blinked with a scoff. "Nothing? Seriously now?"

"Just had to do create a little distraction."

Was that the noise she had heard? "What distraction?"

He smirked into his palm that was propping up his chin. "Oh, you know. Had to get a little creative." By basically making his own firecrackers.

"Don't worry, love, no one saw us and we got what we were there for," Jimin smiled brightly from behind the steering wheel, glancing at her in the rear-view window before adding with a wink, "Nice dress, by the way. I can see why Taehyungie got so distracted."

Taehyung's brows rose at this, his hand slipping from his chin. He probably would've fought his friend if he hadn't been driving right now, surpassing cars at speed limit.

"This had nothing to do with anything," he said with a scowl, keeping his voice calm and unphased. Cassandra only folded her lips, nodding to ensure she believed him. His attention then returning to Jimin. "And you, can you not flirt with any female for just five minutes?"

He was just glad he had offered her his blazer so they didn't actually get to see the whole dress or otherwise Jimin wouldn't have stopped pestering her.

He heard the master thief groan in annoyance then. His gleeful mood by their successful stunt, sullening with Taehyung's irrational agitation. "Man, chill. She looks good, that's all I said."

"It's alright, seriously," Cassandra giggled bemused by their quarreling, patting Taehyung's shoulder reassuringly from the back. She leaned over between the seats then to flash Jimin an appreciating grin. "And thanks. Wasn't quite sure about it so I'm glad someone likes it."

Jimin's eyes widened at this, peeking at Taehyung dumbfounded. "Don't tell me I'm the only one who complimented you tonight."

"Well," she laughed under her breath and sat back, "I also heard it'd be 'fitting' for the occasion. I took that as a compliment."

"I-it definitely was," Taehyung assured, earning an eye-roll from Jimin who found him unbelievable.

"You do look good," Yoongi spoke up then from beside her. Giving her a small encouraging smile, which she reciprocated happily.

"Thank you, Yoongi!" It felt great to hear all these compliments, even if it was just out of politeness.

Her eyes briefly wandered to the passenger seat then, lingering there a moment when an inaudible sigh escaped her. Adverting her eyes from him then and instead looking out at the passing buildings across the illuminated Danubian bank.

As they turned into a side-street and away from the river, Jimin's phone vibrated in his pocket. Cassandra didn't really think much of it, but Yoongi and Taehyung exchanged an alerted glance. There were only two reasons someone would call him after all.

Either it was Arabella, wanting to persuade him into helping her out again or it was interpol being on their tail.

Honestly, they didn't know which one was the worse trouble.

By the light scowl on Jimin's face, though, and the lack of flirting and heart-eyes while speaking to the caller, it was most likely not Arabella.

"Alright, thanks dear," he said then and ended the call. A groan leaving his lips before he faced them with an uneasy laugh. "Well, seems like pops found our hide-out. The nice old neighbour called me. I'd asked her to let me know if someone showed up and she said some tall, handsome guys with trenchcoats were questioning them."

"Sounds like pops and his entourage," Yoongi nodded, being glad Jimin was charming enough to convince nice old ladies to help them out and inform them if cops showed up, "How far is the airport?"

"Pops? You mean that interpol agent?" Cassandra's eyes grew twice in size when recalling that nickname, "He found you here? How?"

They shrugged. "That's his job, after all. He'd quite suck if he didn't do it right occasionally," Jimin chuckled, taking a sharp turn and earning some honking from other drivers.

"You think it'd be smart to head to the airport now though?" Taehyung wondered out loud then, "Last time they were already surveillancing all airports and stations. Maybe we should just head to another city and lay low instead."

"You got a point," Jimin agreed then, "But then we gotta change cars. They'll probably soon find out about this one."

"Crap."

They fell silent and Cassandra looked around. "Well, how about you hide somewhere like my hotel room for the night and then think of something in the morning? I mean, no one will search you there, right?"

They perked up, Taehyung instantly shaking his head. "No. You already got enough involved."

"But no one knows that yet," she deadpanned, making his jaw clench. "No one will find you there."

"She got a point.."

"No, she doesn't," he protested in vain. He knew she was right, but he simply couldn't accept that.

"Alright, you got another idea then?"

"The one I suggested."

"You forget that last time they were also barricading the main roads in and out the city," Yoongi countered then, "So got any other idea?"

He didn't.

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Thankfully, and much to Taehyung's relief, they didn't have to actually all cramp in Cassandra's hotel room since the room next door was unoccupied. It was easy for them to pick the old lock after sneaking into the building from an open window without anyone noticing that they were even there. The perks of old, small hotels.

When they parted, Cassandra's body was still buzzing from the gala. The exhilarating feeling not having fully subdued yet.

After entering her dark room, she first freed her feet from the stilettos and kicked them as far away as possible, not wanting to ever see them again. However, she didn't feel like taking off her dress as well yet and shedding off the elegant feeling of the night so soon.

It was still fairly early, not even midnight yet, and she decided to sit outside at the small balcony for a moment to cool down and recall the last few hours. Taking one of her jackets with her as she'd already returned Taehyung's blazer.

It was silent in the backyard of the hotel, save for the faint melody of music coming from an open window somewhere. The little tables in its centre sitting lonely among trees and bushes.

It was ironic in a way, how no one out there could imagine what had happened on the other side of the city that night. As if it was a parallel universe.

Standing there for awhile enjoying the peaceful silence and reliving the evening in her head - while intentionally not dwelling too much on specific moments, or feelings - she  decided to go back inside. It was getting cold, even with her thick jacket on, and a sudden exhaustion overcame her after all when the sound of someone stepping out on the balcony beside hers made her pause in her tracks.

She knew it must've been one of the guys and yet, whoever it was probably went out to be alone just like her, so she didn't want to intrude.

So she dared an attempt to sneak inside. Only to get hindered by a low chuckle.

"You stalking me now?" The teasing smirk was audible even from behind the partition. And Cassandra exhaled in relief before huffing jokingly.

"Excuse me, I was here before you?"

Taehyung tsked and leaned his folded arms over the railing right beside her. Letting his eyes wander over the dark scenary of the night. The music had stopped awhile ago, only a stray cat pushing a can echoed through the peacefulness now.

She leaned a bit over to catch a glimpse of him behind the thin cement wall then.

His side-profile shone under the sparse lighting of a lamp underneath them, its serene expression captivating. Unsure if she'd ever seen it before.

She was fond of it, though, just as she was fond of his strong brows, the curves of his nose and lips and all the other soft edges complimenting them. And she was especially fond of the way the night breeze was swaying his tousled strands, not much of their previously sleeked back state evident anymore. Causing them to fall right into his eyes before he pushed them back with his long fingers.

In that moment she made a mental snapshot of this sight, the sight only she got to see and nobody else. She knew with time, her memory wouldn't be able to fully capture this placid nature anymore, but she knew the emotions it triggered inside her would forever be engraved in it.

Her gaze wandered out into the old buildings then, she inhaled deeply and ignored the lingering chemical reactions underneath the surface of her skin. Pushing it all away. Or at least, pretended to.

"I had fun tonight."

Taehyung hummed in acknowledgement and tilted his head to face her better. In the faint lightning, her round face glowed like the mood. And he observed her tuck away a brash curl which had fallen into her view and got caught in her long eyelashes. Warm eyes absentmindedly staring at nothing in particular and he noticed the tiniest reflections of light dancing in them.

His mind instinctively remembering the similar sight in the ballroom only a few hour ago. When she was in his arms in the sea of people.

A shaky breath left his lips at that memory and he averted his eyes from her again. Focusing on the dark silhouette of a building in the distance instead.

"Me, too," he eventually breathed and pushed himself off the railing. "But don't expect this to happen again," his tone turning into a warning one then, "This was the first and only time you'll get involved in a heist."

He had to stifle a laugh when hearing her offended huff, imagining her folding her arms in front of her with an adorable confusion.

"What, why? It was so exciting! And I did my part well, didn't I? Not my fault if you blew it." A dull sound followed her mini rant along with her small yelp and he already figured out that she hit her elbow against the metal railing. Shaking his head, he was about to argue when she continued, blowing out some air. "Besides, it hardly counts as 'participating in a heist' anyway."

"And why doesn't it?"

"Because I barely noticed anything from the action."

Her complaint made a laugh brush past his lips. "Good. Let's keep it this way. It was the last time this happens anyway," he simply stated then and she pouted.

"Fine, you meanie."

"Cas-"

"I said 'fine', I get it," she sighed then, "I'm not naive, I know it can get far more dangerous than that. No reason to keep lecturing me. But it was still fun and I don't regret it. When else could I dress up and attend a gala after all?" She smiled and he could tell she genuinely meant it.

Taehyung nodded, biting back a smile.

"You looked beautiful tonight, by the way."

Her breath hitched and she stayed quiet for longer than she intended. "Oh, so not just 'fitting'?"

And Taehyung folded his lips, unable to retort anything as the mocking, even if playful, felt deserved.

Why had he struggled so much telling her before?

He should've told her way sooner, face to face with no partition seperating them. It had been on the tip of his tongue all night long, but something inside him feared crossing a line if saying it out loud. He felt like a coward right now.

But what if he didn't even mean to say 'beautiful'? What if the word he much rather preferred was 'breathtaking'?

"No. You.. you looked great."

His firm voice put a smile on her face, feeling the chemical reactions inside her gaining intensity all over again. She straightened herself then and cleared her throat.

"Thank you. You looked quite handsome, too, cool guy." Like someone who drank his vodka martinis 'shaken, not stirred' -type of handsome.

She found herself silly for not telling him sooner either, for some reason overthinking it the whole evening. So she couldn't really judge him for only complimenting her now. She wondered if he had struggled as much as she had.

"Ah, did I?" Taehyung laughed under his breath, masking his own blush.

"Mh, I'm sure you already knew."

"No, I didn't actually," he grinned, "But thank you."

And they enjoyed the silence of the night for a little bit longer.

»»»

next chapter: 0.7 here

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[hocuspocusbabyy]

Learn to love it:

A Fic request from @selfcestmovies who also provided the beautiful cover art ⬇️

Rating: 18+ (E)

Pairing: Young Agatha Harkness x Older Agatha Harkness

Warnings: Public sex, faint daddy kink, alcohol consumption, selfcest.

Agatha needed a drink. Like a real fucking drink, one paid for by some seedy guy at a bar that she didn't know the name of. The kind of guy that made her skin crawl, but then again enough seedy guys and free drinks the crawling starts to feel more like a shiver, something almost bearable. She waltzed up to the bar crop top and leather jeans, heeled boots helping her view the liquor available for selection. Rows upon rows of brightly stained glass form every country imaginable, every poison available to her. The light seemed to catch a dusty bottle in the back corner with the image of a green fairy catching her eye - the young woman was taken back to her time in Paris, with her... Agatha swallowed thickly flagging down the bartender with the flick of her perfectly painted black nails.

Thinking about her always had this effect, which often led to drinking, drinking into forgetting. Though how else would one forget themselves? Lose how perfectly their reflection moved without influence. Free for viewing, a wilderness many would never experience. Agatha longed for the nights where her shadow split in two.

Three years ago…

She rests her hand on the stained bar, intersecting circles left behind from long-ago drinks. Green absinthe poured into a glass, a cube of sugar floating above it. Agatha watched as the barkeep meticulously dripped water over the club till it dissolved into a sugary film.

She turned to face the room, glass in hand, balanced between her slim fingers. There are couples curled together in dark corners, there are writhing bodies against one wall, moans of pleasure dampened by indie music from the band upstairs. The pool room catches her eyes, round five men were arguing over-rules and tactics, it would be easy prey for her to get a few games in at their expense. She loved to hustle, after all, she was just an innocent girl who needed a man to teach her how to play - right?

"Princess!" Agatha looked towards the noise and grimaced, "We see you over there, come play doubles with us," Some taller button-down wearing nobody shouts from where he's crammed into the pool room with his two friends all three dripping with their own apparently sleaze as they eyed Agatha up and down. The brunette merely smiled, she could practically smell the trio from where she stood all cheap beer, too much clone and bad dental plans. The perfect targets for a couple of free drinks and a pool hustle.

Agatha pulls on her best sickeningly sweet smile, giggling childishly "oh I don't know fellas, I'm not very good" she plays with a strand of her hair, walking towards the pool room. The men now grinning between themselves, elbows nudging, drinks spilling.

"I'd hate for you to lose, because of me" Agatha continued as she reached the table swinging her knees together, the perfect image of innocence to lure these idiots into a false sense of security.

"Not a problem Sweetheart." One particularly potent blonde states swinging an arm over the brunette and smiling, his eyes most definitely fixating a little too often in her breasts as he spoke. "You'll be playing with me and well— I won't lose." He winks, nudging her lightly and the other two set up the game, howling like dogs to support his claims.

"Oh well." Agatha tutted, fighting the desire to roll her eyes, "I guess you wouldn't mind us playing one on one then? Make things fair?" She asks, fluttering her eyelashes adorably.

The blonde laughs looking at his friends like a dog in heat, scratching his stubbled jaw pretending to think about it. "You know what gorgeous, you're on I'll even bet on it." He states cockily slamming down a $50 on the table.

Agatha cocks her brow slightly, surprised at his confidence just knowing how much more fun it will be even if she eventually beats him. Sliding a hand into her own back pocket, not ignorant to the way all three men followed her hand like a magnet, the brunette placed her own $50 onto the table - $100 on the line, easy money she grinned.

"Alrighty then," Agatha started, downing the last of her drink and dumping her empty glass in one of the nameless hands. She bit her lip, making a show of eyeing up the cues, weighting one in each hand before choosing her own to chalk up. "But take it easy on me." She winks, her voice dripping like honey as the blonde bends down to break the table and start the game.

"You got it, princess." He grins as he takes aim to pot a striped ball by bouncing it off the top left corner rather than the solid straight shot in front of him. Obviously trying to show off. He potted but missed on the second go, sighing heavily and calling himself a twat, something that Agatha was honestly inclined to agree with.

Agatha watched the move, and grinned to herself - men were so predictable she thought, shaking her head. Bending over the table, the brunette lined up her first shot, shifting a solid red ball from the bottom left of the table into the top right corner with ease. The cue gliding gently between her fingers, the chipped black polish tips pressing gently into the green.

"Nice" one of the men stated at the ball potted, earning the glare from his friend.

"Beginners luck" she shrugged, bending over the table again to line up her next shot. The blonde watching with amusement knowing she was blocked by his stripped ball. The brunette smiled at the smugness before aimed over the ball, switching down at the last second so that the ball chipped and bounced over the blondes own, potting.

"Fuck" the blonde muttered shocked, each of his friends looking a similar shade of blue, the realisation they had been sharked dawning on them.

Agatha grinned at the shot, making a show of standing back up, slowly drawing her hand back up her cue before leaning on it - cocking her hip.

"What's the matter, boys? Haven't you seen someone chip in pool before?" She grinned, watching the blonde man panic about where to place his next shot. The brunette smirked at the scene, each man looking a little more heated and well- sweaty knowing Agatha could actually play pool.

The blonde missed his shot, potting the white, and the game contained on. All the while Agatha couldn't shake the feeling she was being watched... She was used to the attention, especially in bars like this one after all she was the only thing in the place that was washed within the last 72 hours. Not to say that she wasn't pretty, Agatha knows she was- is hot, but attraction and looks in this place really was second to inebriation and stimulation.

But this feeling was different, it was warm and cold all at the same time - it made the hair of her arm stand on edge. It felt familiar. As though standing in the plains between mirrors - two ways.

She took a chance glancing over her shoulder as she lined up her next shot, but missed for the first time that night when she was met by the most perfect eyes she'd ever seen in her life. Ones she'd seen everyday since birth.

The older woman sat at the bar, perfect legs crossed intensely watching the pool game from across the room. She had a high set of cheekbones coloured by the dark light in the room. A sharp jawline that could probably cut skin if you touched it just right, and then that regal slope of a nose enough for Agatha’s fingers to itch around her cue. Suddenly desperate for a pen, a paintbrush, anything to depict such beauty on a substantial thing - the walls would do. Her lips plump, the bottom one pulled between two rows of perfectly white pearly teeth as her gaze flicked up and down her body - causing a shiver.

Her shoulders sloped into toned arms that rested against the bar behind her, the stretched elder relaxed stance complimenting her slender neck, the Agatha couldn't help but lick her lips at the pale white flesh like a river after months of drought.

She was exactly how she’d always imagined herself and she was waiting.

Agatha couldn't think of a better canvas for her art, the mystery replicas battered, brushed and bitten skin the paint, and Agatha mouth the brush creating the most perfectly arousing mosaic of pinks, reds, purples...

Piercing blue eyes boring into hers with an intensity that sends shivers down her spine. The woman is smirking at her, as Agatha realises she missed her shot. The trio of men all cheered with relief.

Agatha suddenly feels extremely flustered as those blue eyes travel from her face and downwards. They fixate on her cleavage for several seconds, and when a pink tongue pokes out to lick at those plump lips, Agatha gulps.

The replica’s eyes continue to flicker over her without her consent and she sighed, lining up her next shot. She was wreaking havoc on her pool game. Her gaze switches from the tempting replica to the trio of baboons she had the displeasure of playing pool with; wanting nothing more at that moment to take their money and buy that variant a drink. Not that a woman like that would give her time the time of day. She shot, potting her final ball and looked around ready to line up the black and finish the game.

A corpus of groans emitting from the men around her, that quickly turned to giggles as they realised they'd snookered her. Two stripped balls balling her final shot at the black. Agatha sighed, standing straight and perusing the table for any possible chance to take a winning shot. It was tuff but not impossible, not if she got her angle right.

Leaning over, Agatha took her time ribs resting delicately on the table as she lined up the shot. However, Before she realises what's happening a body is behind her, a hand gripping at her lower hip, dangerously close to her backside. A slender hand running up her arm slowly. The action sent a series of goosebumps all over the brunette's skin. Agatha gulped audibly, tilting her head to see the replicas from the bar now stood beside her, their hips sinfully aligned, as a curtain of red consumed her and voice graced her ear.

"Why don't you show these idiots what's what, pot that final ball and meet me in the bathroom honey?" The replicas smirked, obviously amused by the startled look on Agatha 's face at their close proximity. The replica's gaze flicks up at the view of the men in the room, grinning before she leans down to bite the shell of her ear gently, teasing the skin and flicking it with her tongue before pulling away - making a true show of things. Staking her apparent claim.

The brunette gasps at the sensation, the two still pressed together against the table in this very public pool room.

"Thank you for taking such good care of my girl here, gentlemen I'm sorry you couldn't beat her." She winks taking in the men around them, tapping Agatha arse lightly with her palm before she straightens her back and walks off back towards the bar and aforementioned bathroom.

Agatha practically shook, grinning as she takes her final shot, potting the black and grasping the $100 from the table; stuffing it in her back pocket. "Good game fellas" she smiles, practically throwing her cue at one of them, "but if you will excuse me" she doesn't wait for an answer as she turns in her heels and rushed off in the direction of her replica.

All three of the men left stood high and dry, their jaws slack, clutching their pool cues - all a little more worked up about the show the two women had put on for them than losing $100.

She stumbles for a few steps before catching herself on shaky legs, swallowing several times as she manages to straighten herself out, rolling back her shoulders fluffing her hair lightly. The last few steps to the door are excruciatingly slow, and her hand trembles as she reaches the poorly eliminated sign of a feminine gender sign. Its glow now tainted a dull brown from years of long hours and dead flys collecting at the bottom of the bulb.

Her fingers wrap around the handle; she took a moment for herself, drawing in a series of deep long breaths. Pulling till she hears it click and jerk down, sliding open with a creak a mass of sawdust collecting along the bottom from the floor. Before Agatha can talk herself out of it, she slips inside and closes the door smoothly - there's no lock she notes as her palm lays flat against the wood pressing it undeniably shut.

"I was beginning to think you weren't coming"

Agatha has to shut her eyes at the sound. Every part of her was suddenly alert and on edge, her back still to the voice. The brunette couldn't help he wonder if this was what it was like for those who faced Medusa on Sarpedon; the fearful temptation all the more overwhelming that with the promise of ethereal beauty they just had to sneak a peak - despite the consequences.

She turns around slowly, letting her eyes flutter open to land on the old woman leaning over the sink on the other side of the bathroom. She was even more gorgeous in this light, one leg propped up against the counter, a hand raised to check her makeup and then another crossed over her chest, her features bathed in the harsh fluorescent glow of the flickering light bulbs above the sink.

"Well with a proposition like that, how could I not?" Agatha gave with a laugh, The replicas' eyes gliding over the brunettes reflected features in the mirror-like a predator.

"Humm how could you indeed." The other woman hummed finally turning towards the younger woman. Her back pressed against the bathroom counter, arms places behind her to hold the dominant stance. Half drank a glass of whiskey beside her. "did you win?"

"of course I did" Agatha states proudly, almost offended at that idea she may not have.

"I've been watching you little one." The replica started sucking her teeth audibly, "But you already knew that, didn't you?"

Her eyebrow quirks, lips twitching into an almost unnoticeable smirk.

The term left her lips and Agatha could instantly feel the ache between her legs grow unmistakably. She presses her legs together, swallowing thickly, before nodding her head. Having an attraction to one’s self was natural surly? Having the ability to act on it… another.

"Use your words, sweetness." The replica's smirk grows, and she pushes away from the door to take a tentative step towards Agatha . "I couldn't possibly give you what we want, without your verbal consent." Her perfectly wet tongue peaking out to dampen her lips. The telltale signs of her teeth were imprinted on the delicate skin.

Agatha had to fight not to lose her balance, the closer the woman came the harder it was for her to maintain her composure - a faint yet sharp fragrance of pomegranates and bourbon consumed her. A small moan leaving her lips as her eyes flicked up to meet a familiar blue, never in her life had being asked for consent been such a turn on. She supposed the older woman had the advantage of experience, she knew what you liked better than you ever could, would… she would always be one step ahead.

"Yes." Agatha chokes out, her back slowly moulding to the wall as the replica steps closer to her, barely an inch each time. "Yes, I could feel you watc—watching me." The older woman leans in to tuck a lock of hair behind Agatha's ear and she hummed softly at the response. The air between them is thick with tension, her gaze falling down to the younger woman's lips, licking her own before returning her gaze to her younger self.

"And is that why you're here sweetness? Because you enjoy me watching you?" She teased leaning, a hand on either side of the brunettes head, her nose running along the a-line of the taller woman's neck. Agatha a faucet, a drowning mess beneath her.

"Yes," Agatha whispers, a small smile reaching her lips as her mind begins to calm down, two could play this game. "All night," she graces, blue eyes flitting down to the copy’s lips, "I couldn't stop thinking about you kissing me." She reaches up, unclamping her clammy fist to stroke a thumb across the older woman's lower lip. "Touching me."

It’s all she could think about really, ever since last semester when they had come across a spell to attract variants. The opportunity to see yourself in every reality, the rest of the class had buzzed with the concept of questioning, learning from their future and past self through every plain of existence. Agatha however, hadn’t been able to shake the feeling, the idea of enjoying herself further. How could anyone satisfy them better than themselves?

The replica whimpered then laughed. Taking a final step, now pressed flush against Agatha , pressing her lightly against the door. She's warm and soft - softer than Agatha would expect with all those lean muscles on down - subconsciously Agatha arched into the touch. The soft silk material of her dress pressing against the exposed skin of her torsos, the older woman's hands run down along the wall, tracing the outline of Agatha 's body behind her.

"What else?" The woman's lips ghost across Agatha 's cheek, her breath like the wind against her heated skin.

"Fucking me." The brunettes breaths leaning in to graze her teeth against the shorter woman's earlobe.

"All you had to do was ask." The replica grins, surging forward, capturing Agatha 's lips with her own. Fused shades of lipstick, saliva, an audition of new touch, noise. A sensation that sets their bodies alight.

Her hands coming up to grasp Agatha 's hips firmly as she pushes her harder against the door. A moan breaks out between them as their hips grind together. Agatha tangles her fingers into the thick straight red hair tugs hard until the old woman grins and licks into her mouth tugging roughly at the flesh of her arse.

The wet glide of the replicas's tongue against hers sends Agatha reeling, and her moan is deliciously filthy as the brunette's hand slides up to cup her breast. Strong fingers knead her roughly through her dress. A strong thigh comes to rest between her legs, black red bottoms pushing her feet aside

She tugs at Agatha 's hair, breaking the kiss with a sharp gasp as she arches her chest against her hand.

"Why'd— Why'd you stop?" Agatha breathed, their lips pulling away with an audibly smack, her chest heaving while the older woman still looked to be with the perfect state of grace. All but her eyes were now clouded, a dark film overcoming her earthy eyes like an ocean storm.

"Open your mouth." The replica states simply the hand in the brunette's hair drawing her head back so that her chin was pointed up.

Agatha complied, still a little confused until the older woman's hand comes to grasp her jaw their lips almost touch before she slowly spits down into her mouth.

The warm liquid hitting her tongue and rolling back down into her throat. Agatha moaned, untamed, grunting at the taste.

"Swallow" The copy whispered her tongue coming out to lick across the brunette lips as she closed them to swallow the other woman's essence, like the sweetest shot she'd ever tasted.

"Please" She croaks, voice rough and desperate, and the variant smirks in the most infuriatingly sexy way as she pulls back to stare at Agatha with hooded eyes.

"Please what, Little one?"

Instead of answering, Agatha pushes the woman back until she has control, or At least the illusion of which, pressing the replicas against the bathroom sink. One hand reaching to tug upon her dress, the other roughly shoving the straps aside to reveal a stiff, aching breast.

The replicas chuckled as she was suddenly engulfed by a warm, wet mouth. Agatha lavished her tongue against her nipple roughly before sucking on it, and she gasps feeling a gush of wetness between her legs. The brunette young and talented fingers teasing the waistband of her panties.

"Oh I knew we’d have fun, baby girl" She laughed, hissing lightly as Agatha’s teeth grazed against her breast. The brunette moaned against her skin as the nickname left her lips. "Humm, you liked that one? Huh? Baby girl?" The replicas hummed, repeating the endearment again.

Agatha pulled back a string of saliva stringing from her bottom lip and the other woman's breath, breathing heavily. Mouth agape, wet and wanting as she nodded hungrily.

"What's my name sweetness?" She asked with her hands raising the grasp on either side of the brunette face roughly, she had a feeling she'd respond to it well. Her thumbs pressing into her cheekbones, palms touching every crevice of her skin, fingers imprinting themselves along her jaw. "Say it and I'll give you everything you want."

The rasp of her voice was more intoxicating to Agatha at that moment than any other substance known to man; if she'd asked her to scream she'd scream, to get on her knees she'd crumble - Agatha Harkness was well and truly incapacitated by her older self.

"Daddy." She whispered, their lips brushing with every syllable, every shuddered breath.

"Good girl." The replicas smirked, kissing her lips quickly, hardly enough to quench either of their thrusts. Even as Agatha had her pressed against the counter in a public restroom she was still quite obviously the dominant one, completely in control of the situation as her hand ran down her torso to pop the top button of Agatha 's tight leather jeans.

"Can you stay quiet for my little one? We wouldn't want anyone to walk in and see just what a good little slut you are now would we?" She mocked, the brunette shaking her head fiercely as the replicas rewarded her with a kiss, her underwear uncomfortably wet. Like this woman, this goddess of a woman, who smelt like pomegranates, leather and tastes like expensive liquor; Agatha doesn't think she's ever tasted anything better.

She breaks away from the kiss for a second, gasping for air as she moves to suck and nip on the replicas' neck. The thought of leaving her possessive mark there, her undeniable claim had her trembling and clenching, and she can't stand being touched for another second.

"No marks baby. Not yet anyway" she smirks, as Agatha bites down at her neck drawing back to admire her work, using a thumb to clean her own face.

The brunette shrugs at her own disobedience, "Hardly anything there; and oh look, seems like I'm not the only one who's wet." Agatha giggles the final word falling from her lips with a thick tut of her teeth.

The replica tightens, her eyes visibly darken, a possessive groan emitting from her throat as her hand slipped into the younger woman's underwear. "Listen here brat." She whispers scowling lightly, "Keep that pretty mouth of yours shut and I'll fuck you so good you won't be about to walk straight, but keep it up with that little attitude and I'll leave you here, like the sopping mess you are understood?"

Agatha whimpers, the ghostly feeling of fingers brush against her clit.

"I said, am I an understood slut?" The woman repeats.

"Yes!" Agatha cries out tears forming at the idea of not being touched, "yes Daddy I'm sorry, I'll be good" is promises kissing the replica’s jaw for good measure, burying her face within the soft and welcoming flesh of her neck as she is finally given what she wants, those slender, elegant fingers finally gliding through her slick folds, parting her and dipping into her wetness.

It was everything she could have ever hoped for and more, there was a distant level of understanding or knowing that circled beneath each variant's skin. Heightened and maddening - how could anyone ever compete?

"God, Baby girl, you're so fucking wet" The older woman groans, tilting her head up to kiss Agatha 's neck as she strokes at her clit. Agatha shudders and bucks against her hand, desperate for more friction. The replicas' fingers slip down to her entrance, dipping just inside to tease her and gather more wetness, before moving back up to rub tight circles against the aching bud. Agatha cries out as sparks of pleasure shoot up her spine, and her knees buckle under her. The replicas steady her easily, pressing her into her body more firmly, her other hand coming up to grasp her thigh and pull it around her hip. The change of angle has Agatha silently crying out biting down on her own hand that grasps against the woman's shoulder, in an attempt to adhere to her orders.

"Would you rather me be gentle with you?" She whispers, taunting. Agatha could picture perfectly the smug look of faux confusion on her.

The brunette shook her head no, vigorously. The older woman chuckling darkly as She leaned forward, lips at her ear once more. Agatha whimpering involuntarily as the lobe of her ear was sucked in briefly. She bit her lip to stop herself from letting out noise at the sensation.

"You're doing so well baby," The other woman cooed, pulling back. Agatha groaning at the loss of warmth, before the hand inside her began to move in earnestly. Her pace was rough, unyielding. She pulled her finger out almost all the way out just to the tips, that circled her entrance before slamming back in, pounding in and out until Agatha lost all ability to form a coherent thought. One of her hands groped at the mystery woman's chest, pinching her nipple hard. She cried out, and Agatha grinned wickedly. She rewarded her lapse in control by moving the hand down her body, treating her clit with the same roughness as she did the rest of her.

The woman moaning throatily against her lips. Heaving Agatha 's thigh further up her hip, grip tight enough to leave bruises. Both women's hands working tirelessly.

"Oh, fuck daddy" Agatha sobs, clenching and fluttering wildly around the long digits, and she can't stop herself from bucking her hips, desperately trying to fuck herself on the talented fingers. The brunette sets a quick pace on her lover's clit, slick sounds filling the room as her hips thrust and the replicas's fingers pump into her swollen cunt, and soon both of them teetering on the edge of coming.

"Hold on baby, I want us to cum together," the replicas gasps, arching as Agatha leans down to take her nipple into her mouth again. She scratches her nails desperately against the brunette's scalp, and Agatha growls and biting down on the aching nipple.

The other woman circling her fingers, the stretch had Agatha 's spine arching and her whole body tensing as the replicas thrust faster and harder into her. When she curls her fingers deep inside her and drags them firmly against her swollen front wall Agatha screams, a desperate cry ripped from her chest. Her own thumb pressing firmly against the other woman's clit.

"Cum for me please" Agatha whispers, practically begging for her release while chasing the own. "Please Daddy" she whimpers bitting down on the other woman's lip until a familiar Natalia taste flooded her mouth.

Their orgasms hit together; a heat spending across their skin that flushed so bright they practically glowed as their bodies pressed together firmly - each woman clutching the other to them tightly. Their chests heaving, a mixture of giggles, moans, whimpers filling the room.

"Well fuck." The older variant flicked her head back from where it rested on Agatha 's shoulder, running a hand through sweaty yet annoying still perfect hair. "You're just full of surprises aren't you little one." She grinned, her tongue running along her teeth and lip cleaning up her own blood that had started to dry there. Then teasingly she removed her fingers and sucked them clean; the simultaneous taste of cum and blood filled her senses. "You taste amazing too, better than I ever dreamed."

Agatha laughed out her chest heaving, forehead pressed against the replica's collarbone. "Well, I aim to please." She winked, suddenly feeling excruciatingly thirsty. Her eyes flicker up to the mirror behind them over the replica's shoulder taking in her frankly destroyed appearance; her own lipstick and the other woman's spread across her face like spilt ink in an old painting. Her mouth was swollen and bitten almost blue; The only comfort being that the older woman looked just as thoroughly fucked too.

Her eyes flickered down to the replicas's forgotten malt drink, picking it up she took an indulgent sip humming slightly as the burn of liquor raced down her throat. The older woman's watched her intensely as the brunette raised the glass and suddenly drew a gasp from between her lips, the cool brown liquid new racing down her chest. The replicas grunted at the sudden burst of frost that hit her heated flesh, Agatha merely smirking before chasing the liquid with her tongue.

"Hmmm" Agatha made a sound of appreciable as she drank from upon the other woman's skin; begging sure to lick the flesh perfectly clean. Before raising her head, blue meeting blue.

"That was my drink." The older woman complains, a faux frown on her features and the younger woman grins.

"Oh, I'm sorry where are my manners?" She smirked raising the glass teasingly to the other woman, "here let's share." She continued pulling the glass back towards herself indulging in the final slip before grasping the back of the other woman's neck - connecting their lips and spilling the contents of her mouth in between her lips. The whiskey, their lips, silva and tongues mixing in a perfect serenade of sex and alcohol poisoning.

"Don't say I never gave you anything" Agatha whispers teasingly kissing the older woman's bruised lips before pulling away slightly. The replicas merely gazed at her in awe, her hand still groping at her hips and arse tightly. Agatha 's thumb swiping gently at the side of her face, to clean up the drizzle of alcohol that ran across her flesh. The brunette takes a moment to truly take the older woman in her blue eyes, flushed skin, her bloodied, bruised and cut lip.

Agatha tutted slightly reaching into the empty whiskey glass beside them to retrieve a piece of ice. Holding it up between them, the replicas cocked her brow in question before the brunette's free hand came to rest beneath her chin tilting up slightly before pressing the cool substance against her sore lip.

The replica hissing at the soothing yet stinging sensation; Agatha smirking slightly as she worked at nursing the other woman's lip with the ice gently, intensely focused on the broken flesh never looking away until satisfied with her work.

The other woman watched her closely, admiring the way the harsh light bounced off her soft auburn hair. The slope of her deep round cheekbones, the indentation of dimples clean upon her skin.

That's when she decided; This couldn't be a one-time thing. She had to see her again.

"There," Agatha stated, running her thumb gently across the broken lip, pulling it down slightly.

"You a nurse or something." The other woman's laugh, grasping the brunette's hand sharply before she could pull it away. Sucking her thumb into her mouth, tongue swirling around it delicately rehashing in the taste of her own dried essence.

"Or something" Agatha shrugged watching as her appendage pulses in between the replicas's lips; before drawing it with an audible pop.

"You think anyone heard us?"

"Oh most definitely, we'll have to work on their volume control little one." The older woman complains smirking, leaning down gently then slipped her own underwear off and into their palm before stand up straight again, a bundle of red lace handing off the index and pointer fingers.

"I'll go pay our tabs. Meet me outside, ten minutes." The replica ordered kissing the brunette quickly before drawing her mouth open with her tongue and stuff the underwear in. "In the meantime to keep that pretty little mouth quiet and busy, look after those for me."

Agatha moaned at the taste of the other woman against her tongue, the Lacey material scratching the roof of her mouth perfectly.

"Understandable baby? Clean up, mouth shut, outside ten minutes." She stated, kissing her forehead gently as Agatha nodded slowly, groaning around the fabric in her mouth. The replicas grinned wildly, pulling away with one final kiss on the younger woman's hair before exiting the bathroom. The image of excellence rather than someone who was just got fucked in a public bathroom.

Agatha watches her leave utterly perplexed at what had just happened, gazing at her reflection in the mirror, legs in steady as she grips the dirty porcelain sink. Her mouth filled with a mysterious woman's expensive underwear, legs slick with her own desire, fingers rained with another. She shivered all the utmost exhilarated at the thought of what could possibly happen next.

[lookingfts]

Omgomg, please have Anthony remind Kate of their new agreement next time she's obviously wanting him to make a move. He literally won't touch her without her explicitly saying what she wants 😈

*sexy snippet below*

Kate was practically vibrating out of her skin. Anthony's arm was chastely around her shoulders as they watched the film, his fingers idly playing with the ends of her hair. In the past, when they'd found themselves in a similar position, Anthony's hand would wander lower and lower, teasing her, until he was toying with her nipple, drawing those little noises from her that she never made for anyone else.

But he was sticking to his new agreement, a perfect gentleman. He still touched her, often - a stroke of his fingers against her cheek, an arm around her waist, a soft kiss in the morning when she woke up to find him admiring her. And Kate liked those little displays of affection, as well. But she ached for more.

If you want me, you can have me. It wasn't like Kate hadn't seduced him during the course of their arrangement, but it was easy to be confident when he was all over her, all the time. This was something new and a little nerve-wracking.

"You think very loudly," Anthony said, sounding amused. "What?"

Oh, for fuck's sake. Why was this so hard? They were wildly attracted to each other, and he had hired her pretty much specifically for the purpose of fucking her. She was just unused to asking for what she wanted. To getting it.

"Anthony." Her voice was a little shaky, and he turned to face her, surprise in his eyes. His hand settled against the back of her neck, and Kate almost moaned at the contact, at the way he would only need to tighten his grip to make her submit. "Please."

His expression darkened. "Please what, baby?"

"Don't make me say it."

"You have to," Anthony tutted. "I promised not to touch you unless you asked me. So ask me."

She was so wet. It was uncomfortable, arousal soaking through her knickers and making them cling to her skin. "I don't know-."

"Ask. Me," he goaded, his hand growing firmer around her neck.

"I want you to fuck me," Kate breathed, the words coming out in a rush. "I want you to bend me over the table, I want you to make me come until I can't take it anymore, please."

Anthony looked inordinately pleased, digging his fingers into her thighs and yanking her towards him a little roughly. "There you go, sweetheart. Was that so hard?"

[mocolococoffeesimp]

Can we have Testament relationship headcanons? :)

Ah, another one of my favorites. Let's see what I can come up for them.

-Your first meeting was at a cafe, as they were trying something new, a new kind of tea that is. You just happened to be the server for them. And, you immediately took interest in them. Their appearance was like something out of a fairy-tale, which made you approach them, as your shift ended.

-Their attention turned to you, as you sat down on the opposite side of the booth. They were intrigued by this stranger approaching them. You weren’t sure how to start off without sounding like a total creep, so you just greeted them.

“Hey.”

“Greetings.” Testament waited for you to continue, but words got stuck in your throat. They noticed how you were, bit embarrassed so, they continued the discussion.

“So, what brings you here, stranger?”

“Oh, I just.. Really like your outfit. It’s so cool looking.” Testament was a bit taken aback by this as people rarely approach them, but to compliment their fashion sense, was just all the odder to her. 

-After some talking, Testament found enjoyment in your company, which made this little chit chat into weekly chats. And, soon they turned into daily ones.

-With Testament there is always something to do. The amount of hobbies they have makes you think that they don’t even sleep at all. Which isn't that far off from the truth. They really don’t sleep. Which means your bed is usually reserved for one. But, they still lie somewhere nearby, doing their own thing. 

-Their familiars love you, they also like to mess with you. Testament tells you that is how they show affection. On date nights, the familiars leave Testament’s side, to go to you. They want to make sure you look your best for the evening. They have different takes on what would look good on you, so they often bicker in front of you while holding different accessories.

-Your date nights vary in activities, sometimes it is just a simple restaurant date, sometimes it is a walk around town and sometimes a paintball match.

-Testament suffers from dark thoughts. From the time being under Justice's control. You have to assure them that it wasn't their fault. They just were at the wrong place, wrong time.

-There are only a few things Testament doesn't like, but whenever that is present, they won't sweet coat it.

"Did you have to be so rude to Sol? I know you don't like him, but still. That stung what you said."

"I was simply telling the truth, besides he is a big guy. He can handle it."

"I sure hope so."

-Testament will praise you for everything you do. You cleaned up the dishes? Good job. You made sure no one was coming after them? Great. They want to make sure that you feel comfortable in your relationship. They would hate themselves, if someone that made them feel so special didn't feel like the relationship was special.

-You borrow their clothes, and in turn they borrow yours. "It is an opportunity for both of us." Testament had claimed the first time they had worn some of your clothing. You mix and match both your clothing. Sometimes, the outcome is less than appealing.

-You aren't sure how Testament had gotten hooked on B-films, but they shared it with you. At times you wondered if this was the same Testament with such refined taste in other things. But, seeing their enjoyment you silently watched the movie with them. Oftentimes you found yourself enjoying the movie, even if it was bad. But, Testament's presence alone made the movie better.

-You have tried to use their scythe. It did not go well. The end of the scythe was the heavy part, which was difficult to control. You managed to get in a couple swings at the practice dummy, before the blade almost cut your leg. Testament hurried to you as they took the scythe to their other hand.

"Are you okay?" They asked from you. You nodded to them, as both of you looked down where the scythe had cut. There was a clean cut on your pants, implying the blade hadn't been many cents off from your skin.

"Well, that was close" You exclaimed, which got a chuckle out of them.

"Indeed it did. Let us find a better weapon for you to handle." You spent the rest of the time trying to figure out a good weapon for you to use.

-They have tried to paint you, to varying degrees of success. It's not, that they aren't trying, its just... They aren't that good at it. The first time you posed for them, you were excited to see how turns out. But, when you saw it, you cringed a little bit. Luckily, Testament took that as a smile.

"Do you like it? I do think it looks quite like you."

"Yeah, I do, it looks great." You told them, somehow managing to keep a straight face. Testament was glad you liked it, they went as far as to put it on a showcase in their room. Every time you go there, you are reminded of that.

-You visit bath houses often, those without a roof are the best ones. That way you combine all three, stargazing, bathhouses and Testament cuddled next to you. 

As you step into the warm water, you can feel your muscles relaxing from a long day of walking. As you sat down in the bath, you heard the water moving around, turning your gaze around you saw Testament entering the water, looking glorious as usual. They come near you with a smile. You cuddle to them, as you place your head on their chest listening to their heartbeat. Neither of you say anything, until they break the silence.

“Do you want me to tell you about the stars? They’re looking quite radiant today.” You decided to be a bit sappy, as you gazed into their crimson eyes.

“Not as radiant as you.” Testament chuckled before giving you a forehead kiss. They rested their forehead against yours. 

“That makes two of us then. Both being radiant and magnificent.” With that you made yourself comfortable in their lap, as they started to explain about the star signs and such. As you listened to their voice, being enveloped by the warm water and their hands, the moment felt perfect.

[denimbex1986]

"Oh, I'm matching the chair. Thank you. Yeah. What's so extraordinary about the film is, uh, it's been out here for a good wee while, but it's just come out in, in the UK and Ireland, and so it's sort of - it's taken off, the film is just sort of, the flight has taken off, so it's lovely that it's out in the world. But what's so extraordinary is um, people say: 'Do you know what line in that film killed me?' And you're like: 'Yeah?' And they say - and it's always something completely different. Um, and I think it's a, it's a testament to the movie actually because there's so many bits in the movie that are, are so devastating to people, and people see themselves in - whether they're parents or uh, you know, whether they're grief-stricken in some way and that, you know, I always; the film is a little bit about, about grief, but grief doesn't necessarily manifest itself just when somebody dies. It can be grief about a relationship or whatever, so I think it just - I've never really had it with, with a film before, or even with theatre in that sense where it just has such a broad spe, spectrum of, um, of reaction to it; so many different people reacting to it in a different way. So it's completely wonderful."

"It's, it's um, it's one of Paul Mescal's lines actually, because I find it really - oh jeez! I was about to say I find it difficult to watch myself and then, then Godzilla in white up there appeared. Uh, uh, it's one of Paul's lines. It's when he, he - I don't know there's just something that's so beautiful about uh Paul's performance in, in that, uh, and he just talks about how easy it is to lose himself; and it's just the sort of, um, empathy in his, in his, uh, in his eyes. I think the film is so incredibly compassionate, you know; it's really tender and so raw, and I think that's why it kills people so much."

"Well there's a sort of twist in the, in, in the, in the film but it's - it's a strange film; it's sort of a little bit like a dream, and so people - there's a sort of a, I'm hesitant to call it a plot twist, but there is a sort of twist at the end. But I always, for those of you who haven't seen it or, or those of you even who have, have seen it, people sort of want to sort of get the, get the answer right - 'Have I got this right?' But I always equate it to like a dream; you know, sometimes when you wake up from a dream and you can feel really desolate, or you can wake up laughing, or you can - there's so many different reactions, and you don't necessarily look to the dream for logic. You just, you just accept the, the strong feeling and that's what I would say to people, you know; that it's just, it's whatever you kind of want it to be, um, yeah."

"Uh, well, I, I don't know; it's really interesting about sex scenes - I think it's really important. We were very, we were very protected you know, with the rise of intimacy coordinators, I really, um, really welcome it because it makes you feel safe, and actually, it means that you're able to have a conversation um, where you're able to express your fears a little bit and actually it allows you to be a bit more daring in some way because you feel like frankly if, if you, if you don't like it, it won't end up in the movie; if you feel uncomfortable. And so that allows you to just be a bit more free rather than like: 'Oh I don't want to, um, show this side of myself.' But, you know, what I, while that was important that we got those scenes right, I think what was really wonderful about our director was he was like: 'It is just another scene and sex is just physical communication. It's, it's a way of communicating, it's - it's physical communication rather than verbal communication.' So you have to sort of, um, improvise in that sense and you have to sort of listen, but you just have to listen with your body. I'm very, very proud of those, um, those scenes because I think they tell the story very well, and I think it's, it's beautiful. And actually what I think is so radical about the film isn't necessarily the sex scenes, but the scenes that are around the sex scenes, and I think sort of tenderness between, uh, two men particularly, I think is radical because I think there are certain, um, prejudiced, uh, factions of the community who can understand sexuality, but what they find challenging is actually tenderness between two male characters. And I think that's important that that's, uh, represented in that way because um, you know, our vulnerability is our, is our, is our greatest power."

"Nobody - nobody wants that. What? I don't know; I, I don't speak with them anymore - no, no, I'm joking! I don't know like, they, they, they have seen it yes, they have seen it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Do you have some particular questions for me?"

"It was completely chaotic. I know it's kind of weird, for those of you who haven't seen the film, Jamie Bell is 10 years younger than me and he's playing my father. So it's this beautiful, it's this beautiful idea; you don't, what? It's a weird thing to clap at. Uh, but, uh, so that's what the, the premise of the, the film is; is this beautiful idea that um, what would you say if you could speak to your parents at the same age that you, more or less the same age, that you are now? And it's a beautiful cinematic sort of idea. So you have this grown man who's going in, in children's pyjamas, to, to uh, you know, cuddle with his parents while - when he feels scared and uh; it's sort of, it sort of turns into this weird, um, thing where his father turns into Paul Mescal. Easy. And, and so um, so, so, so, uh, wow, uh, and um, so uh yeah, It was just funny because we were in this 1980s, uh, creaky bed and Paul had to sneak - Jamie had to sneak out of the bed and become Paul - and this rickety bed, and we had to have this very, very serious, uh, sort of duologue myself and Claire without; so we just - it just like, I don't know. What happens when you're doing um, uh, quite serious films is that you end up - you can't be serious all day, you know; you can't - it's like holding water, you know, it's - you have to keep your imagination alive, so you find yourself just hysterical the whole time because you can't just be um; you can't just be - you have to be ready I always think in acting. You have to be, particularly in sad movies, I always think in - when you're playing something that's soulful I think you have to be looking for the light, and I think when you're in comedy, you have to be looking for the soul. So, I think you always have to be ready in a so-called sad film for, for lightness to happen because I think if you took a snapshot of any human being on the worst day of their life, they wouldn't necessarily always be ashen-faced, because the beautiful thing about human beings is that we're - we try, you know, we try, we have to, we have to eat lunch and there's somebody who makes a joke. You know what I mean? We do that - we, we look towards the light and I think what's so, uh, beautiful about the film is that it's nuanced in that sense, it's - it understands that um, you know, we contain multitudes on, on any, on any given day."

"Oh well, it's a lovely question. Um, it's - I'm just starting to um, to, to process it really, because it's, you know a film like this, you know I'm from, uh, Ireland and when I was sixteen - Hey! Thank you, hey! Uh, uh, so when I was 16, it was illegal to hold somebody's hand, to walk down, down the street, so the fact that this film exists is completely miraculous to me. I went home, myself and Paul who's also an Irishman, we went home to, and had the, the, the Dublin premiere of it, and it was so emotional just to be able to um, to be seen in that way and um, it means an enormous amount. And I think what's really, really moving about it I think; it's something America was saying there about we think that there are films that are for particular types of people, but I like this movement towards this idea that you can see yourself in, in so many different types of cinematic and, and theatrical characters. And what I love is that people of all, um, different walks of life have, have responded to the film, and I think what can be insidious as, as a sort of minority, is that you feel like you're only seen for just that, that just people see the label. And I think if we could just in some ways market our films and talk about our films in a way that uh, uh, is less cynical, and just realise that actually uh, we can all see ourselves in completely opposing, um, nationalities or genders. We could - our souls are, are, um, are such a distinct thing and you know, you don't necessarily have to look like somebody, um, in order to understand them deeply and, and that's what, that's what the purpose of, of, you know, dramatic art I think is, you know so."

[celestie0]

MAKE THEM FUCK LIKE RABBITS IN TBE NEXT CHAPPPPPPP. Like wdym bae u got the athlete stamina? Physical touch is your love language? You've been dying to touch me? my cooter won't let him leave till I've had my fill (pun intended) 😀😀😀😀

Ok jokes aside just finished reading the recent chap + the headcanons and oh god I have THOUGHTS. Kai and his loser clique can all rot, leave it to insecure men to try dragging you down to their level because your ambition scares them and reminds them of just how incompetent they truly are. I'm not a film major but in somewhat similar humanities field and personally I could relate so much to that scene of a group of guys putting a lone girl in such an intimidating situation just to "teach her a lesson" because they consider themselves experienced. Like go to hell. Kudos to her for immediately slapping that cunt and putting kai in his fucking place.

And as for our main couple oh my god 😭 yn you broke my heart by what you said to gojo (I can't imagine how terrible she'd feel once she finds out his past like it's just so heartbreaking to have lost so much and have to hear that you have it easy. Ily bby toru), but watching her accept that she was wrong and how they both communicated really warmed my heart. Fucking finally he admitted he likes her and wants to be with her. Now go be w your girl!!

Thank you for this chapter!😙 it was well worth the wait and I've been in such a good mood ever since reading it. Thank you for your efforts 🫂

like rabbits 😭😭😭🤣🤣 i am unfortunately putting gojo in celibacy camp for next chap bc he needs to master abstinence🧍🏻‍♀️it’s a 7-day program so we’ll see if he survives /joking. YOUR COOTER COMMENT HAS ME DYING

“leave it to insecure men to try dragging you down to their level because your ambition scares them and reminds them of just how incompetent they truly are”

just exactly ditto. exactly this. i’ve no words to add, u 100% slayed w this. kiss 💋

im happy (but also not very happy) that u resonated w the bar scene. obv not so happy bc i hate that you’ve had to go through that but i rly hope it was some sort of representation for what you’ve had to face :””) i swear men who try to sabotage women’s careers bc of their own insecurities r the scum of earth

AND YES aaa reader’s dialogue in the argument 💔💔 it was so out of line but w everything she’s been dealing w i think it was just a cumulation of all the build up. it felt real to write that part bc ive been in situations where i’ve really liked men who just cannot show up for me the way i need them to, and just turning them into a “villain” was the easiest way to get over them, and i think that’s what was going through reader’s mind in that moment :”) but yes she apologized n i don’t think satoru holds it against her all that much bc he understands her well, but oof yea big chance the regret is gonna bite her down the line

SORRY FOR THE LONG RESPONSE BACK BB i’m so happy you enjoyed the chapter n you’re in a good mood after reading it omg 🥺💕 thank u so freaking much for the ask

[smolwritingchick]

The Bangtan Gal Chapter 83- I Need You On This

Chapter Summary:  BTS rent out a movie theater to watch Captain America Civil War. Jennie's dream which she had been talking about for years finally comes true. Jen has the honor to film with Yoon Mirae for the first episode of Celebrity Womance. Jennie and Jungkook spend time with his family. Jennie supports AGUST D's mixtape

Words: 9,000+

Author's Note: Bon Voyage Season 1 is next after this chapter! Also, don't panic, things will be fine :)

-------

The following morning, Jen received a phone call from one of her sisters while she was gaming with Jungkook.

"Awesome! Thank you, we'll be there! I'll make sure of it! I have been waiting to see this movie!" Jennie happily got off the phone and turned to Jungkook excitedly as he chilled on the bed. "Oppa, let's watch Civil War, today! My sister's friend hooked us all up for a rented movie theater to watch the movie, today! We'll be alone with no one to bother us!"

Jungkook's ears perked up and he quickly turned to her, Jungshooked.

She finally said it...

Jennie realized what she had just said as her entire face flushed. It just slipped out, she meant to say his name but it just flowed naturally to call him that despite her not being a fan of saying the word often.

"Did you..." he trailed off as a huge smile came across his face. He stood up and walked over to her. "Did you say what I think you just said?"

Smiling softly, she nodded. "Yes, I did."

"Can you say it, again?"

"Oppa, let's watch civil war, today."

Jungkook immediately wrapped his arms around her and gently lifted her off her feet as she laughed. "Okay, Jagi. Let's watch Civil War, today!"

"I'll tell the others," she said after getting set down.

"Am I the first guy you said oppa to?"

She pondered for a moment. "As a matter of fact...yes, you are the first guy."

Jungkook smiled triumphantly, already planning to brag to his hyungs. "Good."

At the theatre, JenKook wore Marvel shirts for the special occasion and sat in the back while the rest of Bangtan sat further down, scattered around. Her sisters sat near the members.

"I hope y'all won't be doing anything dirty back there!" Vienna teased the couple.

"Hush and watch the movie!" Alani replied.

"Would y'all be quiet!?" Jen shouted as the previews finished.

As they watched Captain America Civil War, JenKook freaked out and spoke during the movie which amused the members.

"Look at this, look at this! Look at this perfection! Iron Man wishes he could do this!" Jen said as Captain America was shown fighting at the beginning of the movie.

During the scene where Tony gives the students a grant, Jungkook goes on to brag about Iron Man, "Captain America wishes he could give students a grant like Tony,"

"Oh shut up," she rolled her eyes.

"Be jealous~!" he teased.

The rest of the members laughed at the debate JenKook had rows behind them including her laughing at Tony getting beaten up and hit by cars.

"That wasn't funny!" Jungkook huffed.

"Yes, it was,"

The scene with Steve and Bucky talking about whether Bucky was worth it made Jennie tear up.

"You see the mess he made!? All of them are in cells! Captain America is better." Jen debated with him later on in the movie.

"They brought this on themselves,"

"How!?"

"Would you guys be quiet!?" Jin shouted.

"We knew this was going to happen," Namjoon laughed.

During the plot twist of Bucky being the one to kill Tony's parents, Jennie and Jungkook were shooked.

"No..." she covered her mouth.

"I hate him, I hope he dies," Jungkook furiously stared at the scene.

"No! I don't want Bucky to die-"

"He killed Iron Man's parents!"

"He was brainwashed! It wasn't him!"

"I don't care!"

"Well, I care!"

The final fight scene between Bucky and Captain America going after Tony got them hyped as they both cheered on their favorite superheroes.

A scream left Jen's lips when Bucky's arm was destroyed by Tony.

"NO! WHY!?" she yelled.

"NO!" Jungkook yelled in horror when Cap hit his shield in Tony's heart.

Jen covered her mouth again and started tearing up at the defeated Iron Man. He really got hit in the arc reactor.

"Jungkook..." she murmured, not knowing what to say.

"Do you see the destruction your Captain America has done!? He ruined everything!" he angrily said.

"Hey! Don't blame him! He was protecting his friend!" she snapped at him.

"People are hurt! He almost killed Tony! That's unforgivable!"

"Tony tried to kill Bucky! He blew out his arm!"

"He deserved it!"

"No, the hell he didn't! He's a changed man!"

"A-are they actually angry with each other? Are they really fighting?" Jin asked with concern.

"Nah, they do this all the time when they watch Marvel movies," Taehyung answered, calmly.

"Yeah, they're just bonding, no need to worry," Jimin reassured with a chuckle.

Near the end, Jennie laughed at Stan Lee's cameo, calling Tony, Tony Stank.

"Ha! I told you it was true! Tony Stank for the win!" she laughed.

"At least Tony is richer than everyone," Jungkook quipped.

"Oh ho ho...no the hell he ain't! Black Panther is richer! Um, hello he is a whole prince. He has almost 100 trillion! Don't get me started on my brothers,"

"Blah, blah, blah,"

After the movie finished, Jennie sighed in contentment. "Gosh, I hope they have a Black Panther movie soon! Like that'll be so lit. I can only imagine how awesome it'll be. What I wouldn't give to be a part of a Marvel movie. That would be a dream. Even if it's just a song or something or a small role, I don't even care,"

------

After the movie, Bangtan went shopping at the mall. When splitting up into groups at the mall, the members found their way back to each other after shopping at Forever 21. Everyone but Jennie had bought some things because all she was looking for was a certain brand of perfume that she could not find anywhere. That was until she finally spotted Victoria's Secret.

"Oh my gosh, finally! I gotta get something real quick!" she eagerly rushed in, surprising the guys with her enthusiasm. "Man, oh man, I hope they have it."

"Jennie...what are you planning on getting from here?" Jin's heart dropped as he walked into the store with fear, quickly following her.

"I think we all know exactly what she is going to buy from here." Hobi chuckled with Yoongi.

"Hey, hey, Jungkookie, do you think Jennie is going to buy something to wear for you?" Jimin teased, wrapping an arm around him as they walked deeper into the store.

'I-is she going to get some lingerie now? I-in front of the Hyungs? Is she ready for THAT??' Jungkook thought with wonder and astonishment as he began to blush.

Did she want to do THAT already?

His imagination was already beginning to wander...

Did she want him to go crazy?

Why couldn't she do this when they were alone? Not with the rest of the guys around them.

Jungkook's thoughts were interrupted by a large pat on the back by Namjoon. "I'm surprised she would be this bold. Don't you want to help her pick something out? We can wait out here."

Before Jungkook could answer, he peeped Jennie walking past all the underwear.

'Wait...why is she walking past the lingerie? Even the red underwear?? No...no, no, why?' Jungkook thought.

"Finally!" she happily announced and grabbed a few bottles of the perfume she wanted. "I have been trying to find these everywhere!"

Namjoon let out a laugh, looking stunned. "W-wow...perfume. Would you look at that? She came here for perfume."

Jin sighed out of relief. "I'm glad it was just that!"

"Yeah, of course. What did you think I was gonna get in here?" Jen stared at him like it was the most obvious thing she would get in the store.

Meanwhile, disappointment was clearly shown on Jungkook's face while the rest of the members felt salty that what she bought wasn't what they were expecting.

"Darn...I really thought she was going to get a set for Jungkook." Hobi whined.

"Bet the kid is upset, right about now," Yoongi added.

"Aw...tough luck, Jungkookie." Jimin giggled with Taehyung.

Back at the hotel, Jungkook decided to speak up about it and ask her about the stunt she pulled at Victoria's Secret.

"S-so you weren't planning on getting anything else?" he asked.

"Nope, just the perfume. Why?" she watched him as he averted his eyes.

She then realized what he had meant and felt her face heat up. "O-oh." she nervously laughed. "Well...the stuff in that store is not even what I would want to wear for you when I'm ready for that."

That sparked his interest as his ears perked up. "Well, what do you want to wear?"

"I guess you'll have to wait and find out one day." she teased, grabbing the controller to finish her game.

"When can I find out?" he eagerly asked.

"Shh."

"Can I at least know the color?"

"Shh."

"Can it be red?"

"Shh!"

-------

The next morning, all packed and ready to leave America, Jennie met with the rest of the members on the first floor.

"Jen," Diana, her manager called out.

"Yeah?" she turned to face her.

"You won't be going back to Korea just yet,"

That caused Jennie to furrow her brows. What did she mean? She was planning to go back with the members so what could possibly be left on her schedule? It made her nervous but decided to stay positive about it.

"Okaaaay. What else is on my schedule?"

"Last minute meeting Bang PD and I scheduled with some important people that want to meet you. Come on. They're waiting for us,"

Important people? Meeting? That she and Bang PD scheduled? What was going on?

After telling the members she'd be staying a while longer in America and saying her goodbyes, she went to follow Diana in a car that took them to the location of the meeting.

"You keep looking at me. What is going on?" Jen asked after she caught Diana staring at her longer than usual.

"It's nothing. Just relax. The meeting shouldn't take that long, anyway." she replied, trying to change the subject.

"Who am I meeting anyway?"

"You'll see when we get there,"

After arriving at the location, Diana escorted her to a meeting room to see two caucasian people. A man and woman in suits with welcoming smiles.

"Ah, Jennifer Walker. It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person," the man spoke first shaking her hand.

"Hi, nice to meet you as well," she politely replied.

The two introduced themselves and informed her that they were looking for potential musical artists to endorse Macy's. The idea did interest Jen as she thought it would be a good opportunity since she already endorsed Puma with BTS. 

"Any brands you enjoy wearing?" she was asked.

"Nike!" she beamed. "That's my all-time favorite brand,"

"Nike? Why that brand?"

"Oh, a lot of things. I have a whole collection of Nike sneakers. I just love everything about it. Their style, their clothes. It makes me feel empowered as weird as it sounds. Let me show you the collection of sneakers I have," she took out her phone, showing them the large collection of shoes.

Diana refrained from laughing while the two others looked impressed and pleased to see her so passionate about a brand like this. The exact passion they want to endorse a brand. 

Jennie rambled on and on about Nike as she showed tons of photos and stories about wearing the brand.

"...and these are the sneakers I wore on the night I debuted with BTS," she rambled on.

"If you wanted to create something, what would you want?" she was also asked.

"I'd love to create a whole line of Nike shoes for dance and Nike dance clothes. Sneakers, ballet shoes, everything Nike dance shoe related. Comfortable and cute clothes to dance in for Nike. I strongly believe dancing is a sport and I feel like dancing should have some representation. It would be a dream to create something like that for Nike one day."

"Hm...I see," the lady nodded and looked over at her partner.

The man took out a folder and placed it on the table with a smile, "Well, Nike would love to see this vision come true,"

It took a few seconds for his words to register in her brain as Jen stared at them in astonishment. Her heart dropped and her mouth went dry as words couldn't form in her head. 

Did he just say Nike wanted to see her vision come true?

Diana couldn't help but laugh and had to be the one to open the folder to reveal the Nike Endorsement contract waiting to be signed.

"We've had our eye on you for quite a while Miss Walker. Your passion for our brand is infectious. We would love to have you on board and put your vision into action."

"I had to talk to them to try to make something up. I didn't want them to go straight in and say they were from Nike," Diana giggled and turned to Jennie. "Wow, the look on your face. Are you going to say anything? I'm sorry, she's still trying to process all of this,"

"We understand. We've watched all those videos of her talking about Nike. We heard her passion loud and clear," the woman replied with a giggle.

Nothing came out of Jennie but tears as her chest felt heavy. Looking down at her lap, her sight was blurred with tears.

Was this another dream about Nike? It wasn't like the others.

"Y-you want me? To endorse Nike? You really want me?" she managed to speak, looking back up at them after wiping her tears with her sleeved arm.

"We've wanted you for quite a while now. We're pleased we were able to get to you due to your busy schedule. When we heard about Adidas wanting you, we were a bit worried that you would join them." they told her.

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Jen turned to Diana.

"I already looked over the contract. Bang PD discussed it with me as well. This is what you always wanted, although Puma will have to go away,"

Jen understood about Puma and was prepared for it as she tried to process that a contract from Nike was waiting for her.

"Will you do it?" Jen was asked.

Looking up at the Nike representatives, she smiled happily with tearful eyes, opening up a pen.

"Yes! Heck yeah, I will!" she answered proudly, signing her signature.

Diana could feel herself getting emotional as she watched Jennie sign the contract. She was so proud of her having this moment.

"Great! We will keep in touch, Ms. Walker. We are looking forward to working on this vision of yours,"

"Thank you so much! Thank you! You have no idea how much this means to me! Thank you for giving me a chance! Thank you for noticing me! Thank you for everything!" Jennie rambled on about her gratitude for this blessing.

After they left, Jen hugged Diana as more tears escaped.

"Thank you so much!"

"I got you. Always remember that. You deserve it," Diana beamed.

Pulling away, she took out her phone, still shaking from what just happened, "I-I gotta call my parents," she said, calling her mom up.

"What's wrong? Why are you crying?" her mom asked on the line.

"Are you all right?" her dad asked.

"I'm crying because I'm happy," Jen sniffed.

"What happened?"

"I got it..."

"Got what?" her dad asked.

"An endorsement deal with Nike."

"Aw, baby I'm so proud of you! I told you, prayer is a powerful thing!"

--------

After returning to Seoul from her meeting with Nike, Jennie still felt her body shaking from the news that Nike wanted HER. She was about to endorse the company that she dreamed of endorsing for many years. She couldn't wait to tell the guys.

"I'm finally back!" she announced, shutting the front door.

When she turned around, the lights went on and she was welcomed with loud cheers. She looked around in wonder, genuinely surprised as she saw a large banner that said 'Congrats on the Nike Endorsement' with various balloons and confetti around the room.

There were the boys who were patiently waiting for her arrival as they had bright smiles on their faces.

"No, you didn't," she covered her mouth as a smile grew on her face.

"Congrats Ennie!" V ran up to her, scooping her up in a hug.

"She's finally endorsing Nike!" J-Hope yelled proudly, jumping up and down

"A dream come true~! Jennie and Nike 2K16!" Jungkook shouted happily.

"I knew you were going to get it one of these days! I'm glad you remained patient," Namjoon praised.

"Nike X Jennie! Finally~!" Jimin yelled

"Wow, I feel like a proud father," Jin rambled, "I can't wait to ask my friends, is your daughter cool enough to get an endorsement from Nike? No? Well, my precious Jennie scored one and is going to break barriers with it!"

"We're proud of you smartie," Yoongi praised. "You deserve this. We're glad you went with your heart,"

"I wish we could have seen the look on her face when she found out," Hobi laughed with Namjoon and Jimin at the thought.

After being set down, she walked further into the room to see pizza and plates waiting at the table, along with a large cake that said congrats on the Nike endorsement. 

It took her a moment to realize that they all knew that she was going to get it. 

"Wait...you guys knew?!" she asked, taken aback. "That I was going to get it!? And you didn't drop any hints!?"

"Of course not! That eliminates the element of surprise," Jungkook giggled.

"Guys..." she said as she looked at them with tears falling down her cheeks.

"Aw, she's crying! I told you she was going to cry!" J-Hope laughed and pulled her in for a hug. 

The rest of the guys joined in, saying that it was all right. After pulling herself together, she smiled and thanked them for supporting her.

"Wow, Nike really has you now. How did the meeting go?" Jimin asked.

"I was nervous, I didn't know what I was getting myself into," she said and explained to them what happened.

In response, they teased her for her reaction.

"Finally that company opened their eyes to see a gem they have for an endorsement. They're going to be happy they chose you," Yoongi said confidently.

"If you need us to model for your brand or anything, let us know," V added.

"Free promo," Namjoon grinned

"Thanks, guys. Really. This is just so surreal. I'm still trying to wrap my head around this. Frickin' Nike...and Jennie of BTS. Bangtan is moving forward. V and his drama, our comeback we're working on. K-Con headliners, Yoongi's mixtape. I feel like as we progress, we're only going to be chasing more bags and success. Let's keep working hard," she high fived all of them as they cheered.

"That's the energy to have! How soon can you start designing what you want to do?" Jin asked as they all sat at the table.

"For now, they'll be in touch with me," she answered.

"Wait until ARMY finds out. They'll be ecstatic," V said.

"Are you going to tell them soon or wait a bit?" Jungkook asked.

"I want to wait a bit. Let it be a huge surprise when I announce it," she replied.

"Cool. Now dig in!" Jimin laughed and pushed her face into the cake with Jin.

--------

As a few weeks went by, Bangtan was back in America for LA's K-Con. The group went through a series of interviews to promote it. News about Suga's mixtape that he was working on had got out and he expressed his enthusiasm that Armies were excited about it.

"Jennifer has been the biggest supporter out of my journey working on the mixtape," Suga announced proudly as she looked at him in shock. "I would find her trying to peek in my studio to see if I'm working on it. I am happy to have a strong support system for my music. ARMY, I hope you like the finished product,"

She didn't expect him to acknowledge that and it made her feel good. The huge smile on her face did not go unnoticed by viewers and the members as Suga glanced over at her to give her a soft smile.

Fans commented on the YoonJen moment and expressed their excitement for his mixtape:

'Awww YoonJen!'

'Keep in mind Yoongi said, Jennifer. Not smartie. You know he serious af about her being supportive of him! I'm soft!'

'My heart! I can't wait for him to release it!'

After the interview, Jennie went out to roam around K-Con with Sejin and a bodyguard with her. She came across fans performing dance covers of BTS songs. It appeared to be a local dance group and she watched as they performed fire. What took her by surprise was the black male dancer performing her part.

'Wow!' she thought, mesmerized as he nailed her mannerisms. It was like she was looking at herself perform.

"Yasssss!" she shouted, which caught the attention of fans who began to scream. "Y'all killing it!"

A large portion of fans tried to get her attention for photos and autographs but she kindly told them that she wanted to watch the rest of the performance before any interaction. They respected it and watched as she happily danced to the beat of fire, enjoying the performance.

After the group finished, Jennie approached them and clapped.

"That was amazing! You guys killed it!"

"Oh my gosh, thank you! We can't believe you came out here!" one of the dancers said.

"I'm still a K-Pop fan at heart. I just wanted to drop in and say hey. How long have you been in a group? The synchronization was extremely good,"

"That means the world to us coming from you. We wanted to do it justice. We've been performing since 2014!"

"Wow, keep dancing, please! Don't ever stop. All of you are gifted,"

As more fans gathered around, she tried to take as many selfies as she could.

"Jennie! What do you think of NCT?" a fan asked.

"I tweeted about them! They are lit! Sooo many members. Firetruck is a bop," she beamed.

"Do you have a bias?"

"Not yet! Hard to choose,"

"I love you and Alex Reid. Have you met Alex yet?"

This had been a common question. Unfortunately, she still hasn't met the girl but eagerly wants to. Someone to relate to in this industry.

"Sadly no. But I really want to! I hope we can meet up one of these days,"

After going backstage, Jen felt like she could breathe easier since Bangtan wasn't until the end of the show. She spent time with Ailee and watched backstage as she performed. She had some mic trouble but she nailed the performance without music as the queen that she was. Her A cappella was on point and it blew her away.

"Jen!"

Her name was called out and she turned around to see Zico waving and walking over to her with Dean.

"Zico! Long time no see! How are you?" she pulled him in for a hug.

"Doing good. How you been?"

"Everything has just been blessings upon blessings. I got my Nike endorsement!"

"No way, you finally got it?! About time! They have a gem on their hands! I can't wait to see what you create with them!"

"Aw thank you!" she turned to Dean. "Hi! I'm Jennie! It's so nice to finally meet you, Dean! Your music is so dope. I love your sound,"

Dean was pleased to hear how much she praised his music and thanked her.

"Your vocals are like so soothing and I admire your work. I hope you get a ton of awards for your EP," she added.

"Thank you, Jennie. How does it feel headlining K-Con with BTS?" Dean asked with a smile.

"Surreal. I am so grateful,"

After talking with them, she stayed in BTS' dressing room.

"Hello! Is Jennie Unnie here?" a female voice asked.

Jennie turned around, pausing her conversation with Jimin to see the IOI members walking in.

"Ah! There she is!" the voice belonged to Somi.

All the members of IOI had walked in with bright smiles, dressed in their outfits to perform.

"Oh my gosh, hi!" Jennie rushed up to them.

She hadn't seen them in a while but watched closely at the survival show's results and their journey as a group. 

Sohye with a cute smile presented the large basket to her. "This is on behalf of us,"

"F-for me? Oh my gosh, thank you," she graciously accepted it and placed it on the table.

"A thank you for supporting us," Pinky added.

When Jennie opened it, she squealed in glee when she saw it was filled with packs of smarties. Her happy sound effect made the girls giggle, proud that she liked the gift. Meanwhile, Bangtan watched with amusement.

'You're becoming a great role model, Jennie,' Namjoon thought as he watched IOI look up at her in admiration.

"My smarties! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she went on to hug all of them. "How does it feel to be a group? Hard work paid off, huh? I see bright futures for all of you,"

"Yeah, we love it. It's so exciting to be here, too," Chungha answered.

"I'm glad. Make the most of everything. And if you need anything, I'm here for you,"

-------

Back in Korea, with the short amount of free time that they had, Jungkook wanted Jennie to join him to eat with his family. He thought it was the perfect time to tell them that they were dating, too. There was no doubt in his mind that they were going to be thrilled.

Once they made it to his parents' house, Jungkook turned to her with a smile.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"Butterflies are increasing as we get closer to the door," she admitted and took a deep breath.

"You'll be fine. I have a strong feeling they're going to be pretty excited to hear the good news," he grinned at her, making her mellow out.

Suddenly the door opened to reveal his mom smiling brightly at them.

"Jungkook! You're here!" she pulled him in for a hug. "Look at you. Are you eating well?" she pulled away.

"Always, Mom,"

"Good," she turned to Jennie as her smile got wider. "Jennie! I'm so happy you can join us!"

"Hi, Mrs. Jeon. Thank you for having me. This is for you and your husband," she presented her with a gift basket she created for them.

"Oh, thank you very much. Come on. Both of you. Your father and brother are in the backyard, Jungkook,"

"Okay," he responded and let Jennie walk in first. He followed her inside and closed the door.

'You okay while I go to the backyard?' he gave her a look, initiating a brief nonverbal conversation.

'Yes, go on ahead.' she nodded and returned the smile that he gave her.

As she watched him leave, Jennie turned her attention to his mom placing the basket on a table.

"I've been so excited to see you again!" she heard his mom say.

She has?

"Really? That means a lot, thank you!"

"Jungkook can never stop talking about you. It made me miss you more than I already have,"

"He talks about me a lot to you?" she chuckled softly, feeling her heart soar as she heard about her missing her.

"Oh, all the time. It was the cutest thing. Since you came along, I have seen a positive difference in his character. I'm not sure what is going on but whatever it is, I hope it continues,"

'Wow, all from us dating?' Jen thought optimistically.

A lot of people have been saying this to her lately. That Jungkook had been more lively and open. Was it really because of her?

"I hope so too," she smiled. "May I assist you?"

His mother looked at her with appreciation as she was preparing to finish up dinner. "Yes, I would love that. Please set up the table,"

"You got it,"

After finishing it up, she helped his mom put the food on the table.

"Jennie is here," she heard Jungkook as he walked inside with his brother and father.

"I'm glad that I finally get to meet her. You talk about her so much, it made me anticipate her arrival even more," his brother, Jung-hyun said to him.

"Hi! It's nice to finally meet you, Jung-hyun," Jennie greeted kindly.

"Likewise. It's nice to meet the 'most precious person' to my brother,"

That made her face heat up while he giggled at her and his brother's flustered reaction. He could easily tell something was going on and was happy his little brother found a significant other. He approved of Jennie right away just from Jungkook chatting about her and showing their photos over their years in Bangtan.

"H-hey! Cut it out!" Jungkook smacked his brother's arm for putting him on blast like that. 

His face turned slightly pink as he planned his revenge.

"Jennie! It's good to see you again, how are you doing?" his father asked.

"Very well! I'm happy to be here, Mr. Jeon,"

As they sat down for dinner, Jen sat next to Jungkook while they were across from his parents and brother.

"Jung-hyun, Jungkook showed me some of your art. It's amazing. You know my sister Alani likes to create DIY items,"

"Oh really? Cool. Thank you. I'd like to see them sometime," he grinned.

"She has an Instagram about it. I'll show you later,"

"How many siblings do you have?"

"Just two! Both sisters. Alani and Vienna. Alani is into communications and Vienna is starting to lean more into acting. Lately, she's been wanting to get into Broadway and been auditioning quite a bit,"

After more small talk, Jennie felt comfortable and relaxed further. Jungkook noticed and was happy that his family warmed up to her so easily.

"Are your sisters gamers, too?" his brother asked.

"Not as much as me. I'm more of the gamer out of the three of us,"

"She sucks at Overwatch," Jungkook laughed. "She died as soon as the match began. I wish we recorded it for our channel. It was hilarious,"

'Wooooow. Roasting me in front of your family?' Jennie thought, amused as her nervousness melted away completely.

"Hey, I'm still learning. And you show no mercy in these games. Whenever we play against each other you don't give me a chance to try to hit you," she pointed out.

"Of course not, I want to win," he teased.

"I think you should at least go easy on me so I can learn and then go full out,"

His parents watched them cutely bicker about video games and gave each other knowing looks. She definitely fitted right in. Her genuine smile towards their son was another significant factor. And how she praised him throughout the entire dinner touched their hearts.

"You game as often as Jungkook?" his dad smiled.

"All the time. You should watch our channel sometime. It's really funny," she grinned.

"She gets competitive a lot, Dad," Jungkook laughed. "Just like me. There are games that she's better at and tries to teach me,"

"Well just know that I will be rooting for you, Jennie," his father promised her.

"Dad, you're not going to be cheering me on?" Jungkook looked offended, while his girlfriend and mother giggled.

"It's nice to see you get beat once in a while in games,"

"Jennie, how is your family doing?" his mom asked her.

"Really well. There hasn't been much going on at home. Just working and enjoying summer,"

"One day it would be nice to meet them and have dinner together," his dad suggested.

That made her get butterflies in her stomach as she appeared Jenshooked. Was it obvious that she and Jungkook were dating because throughout this entire meal, they'd been talking a lot about the future and how Jungkook had changed happily because of her.

"Dinner with you and her family?" Jungkook looked Jungshooked for a moment.

"Of course! We're eager to meet your girlfriend's family!" his dad blurted out with a large smile.

"Dad..." Jung-hyun groaned. "We were waiting for them to announce it themselves,"

"Surprise ruined," his mom sighed.

His dad laughed nervously. "Whoops. Sorry. I mean look at them. Adorable. They've been holding hands under the table the entire meal. I had to say something,"

Jungkook and Jennie looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh. Jennie had nothing to worry about. Things were just fine.

"Wow, was it that obvious?" Jungkook smiled bashfully.

"Your body language, little brother," Jung-hyun pointed out. "And your lingering gaze towards her. It's cute,"

"Ah..." Jungkook looked down, feeling his face heat up.

Meanwhile, Jennie felt happier than ever at how excited they were to see them dating.

"How long have you two been together?" his mom asked.

"Since January. He's so good to me," she answered sweetly.

"Ah, beautiful. I for one am very happy to see my son with someone that brings out the best in him. You are a wonderful, sweet girl. I fully support this,"

That made Jennie tear up and blink the happy tears away. Wow. They approved. All of them. 

After they finished eating, his mom came out with a small cake. It was mouthwatering as Jen devoured it. After eating a second slice, Jennie asked if she could learn how to make it. The surprised expression on Jungkook's mom's face made her smile as she agreed and asked if Jen could teach her the recipe for the baked goods she baked for them a while back.

"I just wanted to say thank you for welcoming me with open arms and for your hospitality," Jen smiled.

"Of course. I'm so happy it worked out between you two. We are looking forward to having you over again soon when your schedules allow it," his father grinned.

--------

As summer went on for BTS, Jennie, and Jungkook were invited to film a variety show. With Jungkook, he was on Celebrity Bromance and paired up with Shinhwa's Minwoo. They spent the entire day together and even rock climbed as Jungkook began to feel more comfortable and open around him as the day went on.

After the cameras were off them for a brief period, Minwoo asked if there was any special young lady that caught his eye. His question earned an immediate smile from the Golden Maknae as he thought about Jennie.

"That's the smile of a man in love," Minwoo said with a light chuckle while noticing how his eyes shined brightly. "She must be exceptional,"

"She is. I kind of think of us as soulmates," Jungkook smiled shyly as a blush grew on his cheeks. Taking out his phone, he showed him a photo of them together, "This is my girlfriend. Her name is Jennie,"

"Wow, she's beautiful. You two are in the same group, too. Bangtan is very protective of her, I'm sure?"

"Absolutely. She is very precious to us,"

"Good. I bet she has quite the admirers. How did you two start dating?"

"She does. I wanted her so I was persistent for her to be my girlfriend. I made the first move to express my feelings and kissed her before her flight back home to America. Ah...I felt like my mom because she made the first move and went after my dad," he laughed with him. "She's the best...I'm very happy with her,"

"Treasure every day of your beautiful relationship. And don't let anyone, not even the media ruin what you have,"

"I will treasure it. Every day,"

---------

Meanwhile, when it came to Jennie, she starred in a new show called Celebrity Womance. A spinoff of Celebrity Bromance. Jen was honored to be in the first episode of this new show. She decided to meet the woman she was paired up with at a bubble tea shop, ordering tea for both of them.

"I am excited that they asked me to be a part of the first episode of Celebrity Womance. There's already a bromance version of it so it'll be fun to see who I am going to be paired up with. I have no clue who it might be," Jennie said on camera for a brief interview with the staff of the show.

She then went to sit back at her seat in the café to wait for the woman.

"I'm a little nervous..." she murmured and contemplated chewing a piece of gum to relax. 

But then chose to sip on her milk bubble tea instead, chewing on the bubbles that came up through the straw.

'Someone Appeared!'

Jennie turned in the direction of the door opening to see Yoon Mirae walking in with a bright smile.

"Hello!" Yoon Mirae greeted with a wave.

"Holy crap," Jennie blurted out in English under her breath as she stared at her, bewildered. 

She covered her mouth and felt embarrassed at the sudden statement while Yoon Mirae giggled. 

She stood up and bowed at the highly respected artist, "H-hi! Oh my gosh, it's an honor to meet you! My name is Jennie!"

"Nice to meet you, I'm Yoon Mirae. You can call me Natasha Unnie,"

'Unnie already?! Whoa!' Jennie thought in amazement.

"Wow. I...wow. I was not expecting this. You worked with my leader and now I'm sitting with you today,"

The show showed a montage about Yoon Mirae and said that she is one of the most highly respected artists. To Jennie, it was a dream come true.

"I've been watching you," Yoon Mirae smiled.

"You have?"

"You've caused quite a stir when BTS was announced. A black girl in the group. I bet you had to deal with a lot of negativity,"

"Yes. I don't even know where to start. It was ridiculous,"

"What has it been like for you as a black woman here?"

"When I first started, they tried to make me look paler. The makeup they would use would be lighter. It was embarrassing and so disrespectful because I was like hey, this is not my shade. Why do you have to try to make me look lighter? There is nothing wrong with my skin. I had to start talking with the stylists and educate them. I remember some started reading articles and watching YouTube videos on how to style my hair,"

"Have they stopped making you look pale?"

"Yes, thankfully. It took a little while but now my makeup looks more like it should for my skin. And before that, I started bringing my makeup and gave it to them to use instead. When I first started in BTS they always seemed to prioritize the boys and their make up but when it came to me, not so much. I'm happy to see the growth in my hair and makeup being a priority in BTS. You've been bullied a lot too, haven't you?"

"Yes, I have. Growing up I experienced a lot of racism and bullying. When my dad was in the army, we moved a lot when I was young. People would tell my dad that he was a sell-out because he married a Korean woman, why marry a Korean,"

Jennie frowned at that and shook her head. "I get so frustrated with that. If you love someone, you love someone. Whatever race you are or what you're into. I don't like it when people judge who you're dating, especially if they're biased towards people dating within their race. There is nothing wrong with interracial dating and I'm a full supporter of that,"

The two shared a long conversation about their time living in America and then coming to Korea. Jennie was amazed by her story. The fact that she had to deal with so much as a mixed woman and how traumatizing it was for her devastated Jennie.

When asked about the pressure of being the black girl in BTS, Jen broke down.

"Sorry," she tried to laugh away her pain but the tears were too much to stop as they ran down her face. "I'll admit it's been extremely hard over the years. All those hate comments, it was so hurtful to see them coming from the fans that were supposed to be supporting the group. All members of the group. I thought I would be protected by them, y'know? From all the rest of those hating on me. They would defend the rest of the members from the hate but when it came to me, I was just an afterthought. I'm just as important as the rest of the guys. I work just as hard as them and I love our fans just as much as them,"

Yoon Mirae reached out to hold her hand, listening to her as she expressed herself.

"Sometimes it can be overwhelming. And I used to feel like a burden being the only girl in the group. So many high expectations, being an African American in this country, people wonder if you can keep up with the guys, making sure the company is impressed with your work and doesn't think you're slowing down. It's something that was always on my mind," she went on.

"And you're still here. Still strong and performing," Yoon Mirae smiled. "I was happy to see you in BTS. And I was worried about the negative feedback you would get. But you've overcome a lot and you are still standing. You should be proud of that. And what I've dealt with as a kid made me stronger too,"

"Thank you. It definitely has. Things have been much better now. A lot of positives outweighed the negatives. And your music helped me a lot. I love your song Black Happiness. You are such an inspiration and I do hope I can become a well respected and influential artist. To have people look up to me and be a positive role model as a member of BTS is a big dream of mine,"

"I would say that you already are. Keep doing what you are doing, Jennie. Keep singing and working hard. You're a bigger inspiration to others than you think,"

After drinking bubble tea, the two decided to spend the day roller skating. There were a lot of laughs between them as they got to know each other. Both fell quite a few times and helped each other up. After skating, they ate at a booth by the roller rink.

"Do you have a significant other?" Yoon Mirae asked after the crew took a break from filming.

A bright smile came across Jen's face as she thought about Jungkook. 

She nodded happily, "I do! I'm happily dating Jungkook. We've been dating since early January,"

"Ah, your group member? That's cute. Who liked who first?"

"Well, he," she chuckled, "He did. He liked me for a long time and we became best friends. One night he confessed and kissed me hours before my flight back to America,"

"Wow, how bold,"

"Very. But I'm glad he did because it made me realize how strong my feelings were for him. And even if we weren't dating, we would always be best friends. I'll always have love for him. I feel like we're soulmates because I feel such a strong and deep connection with him. He makes me so happy,"

The smile didn't leave Jennie's face as she went on, "I'm still learning about love. I'm still young and experiencing a lot of things. I'm happy it's with him and I wouldn't change anything about it,"

"There's nothing like being with the one you love. That's how I feel about my husband,"

"Right? And I recently met his parents and brother for dinner to announce that we were dating. They were so happy and welcoming. It made me cry that they accepted me so quickly,"

Yoon Mirae smiled at that. She was proud of Jennie. Things were looking up for her and she hoped it continued for this young artist.

"There are days when I watch you and your husband together, being a strong duo in music, it makes me think of Jungkook and I. I want that. To be able to perform with him on stage, and have songs together. I'm not sure when we'll tell our fanbase about our relationship but for now, we are just trying to keep things private and away from Dispatch as much as possible," Jen added.

As the evening progressed, the two sat at the park to enjoy the summer night while eating water ice together.

"Time flew so fast and now our time is about to end," Jen sighed.

She truly enjoyed her day with her. She learned so much and got a lot of advice on performing and life in the industry. The two planned to keep in touch and exchanged contact information.

---------

"Jennifer," a deep voice called out.

Looking up from her phone, she turned her head to see him leaning up against the door of her studio. He appeared nervous as he wondered how he was going to ask her what was on his mind.

"Hey, what's up?" she kindly greeted.

"I want to talk to you...privately. Meet me in my studio when you're ready. I'll be here all night. Take your time," he said and walked away.

His studio...?

"I wonder what he wants to discuss," she murmured as she finished her break.

After she finished her work, she made her way down to his studio and shut the door. She watched gleefully as she noticed that he was working on his mixtape.

"Ah, you're working on it! I'm so happy!" she beamed.

He acknowledged her words with a soft smile and gestured for her to sit next to him.

"Yeah, about time, right? It's almost ready," he said proudly.

He had worked so hard. It was going to be worth the wait.

"I'm glad. I can't wait to hear it. So, what did you need from me?"

"I want you to listen to these two songs," he said and pressed play.

She checked out his computer screen to see that the first track was called The Last. He had played the song near the end as his raw lyrics and intense instrumental had her nodding her head to the beat. He then played So Far Away for her.

"Wow, these are..." she couldn't think of the right words to how powerful his music was.

"It's missing something," he stated.

She turned to him, confused. "Missing something? How? It sounds perfect,"

"Not without you,"

Her heart skipped a beat at his words. "What are you saying?"

"These songs are missing something. And it's you. No matter what I do, I don't feel like they are complete. I want something more on these tracks. And that's why I asked you here today. I want you to play the guitar for these two songs on my mixtape,"

'You want me...? On these?' she thought in astonishment.

"I want..." Yoongi stopped and shook his head, "I need you on this. The way you express your emotions through that instrument, I need that in these two songs. No one else can play the guitar like you. Your sound is what I need for this. Please,"

He gazed at her and held her hand, nervously waiting for her answer. 

Many thoughts went through his head. Was he being too forward? She could always decline the offer. But was he prepared for that?

"When do you want to get started?" she spoke, interrupting his thoughts.

His eyes widened slightly at how quick she was to accept his request. "You'll do it?"

"No one has ever asked me to play the guitar like this for their music. It's usually just my voice and a little feature. So, doing something like this for you will mean the world to me. And the fact that I'm the one you thought of for such an important project, how could I say no to you? I'd be honored to play."

"Jennifer...thank you,"

"Always, Yoongi,"

When they got situated, they spent a couple of hours on the songs. Jen was amazed at his story. He is a reserved person and the fact that he was letting all of this out in his mixtape got her emotional.

"H-hey, Jennifer, are you okay?" Yoongi stared at her with worry as he noticed tears running down her face.

"Sorry. The Last is just getting me worked up. What you've gone through I...I'm feeling it. All of it is from your lyrics. I'll play the guitar right and do it justice. Let's record,"

"Are you sure? You want to wait until you pull yourself together first?"

"No. My sound on the guitar is enhanced when I'm feeling the emotion. If I cry, I cry. Replay it from the beginning. And when it's my cue, press record. I don't need to wait,"

Her demeanor turned into work mode as she remained focused and listened to The Last with her guitar in her hands. She listened to every lyric he rapped in song as her fingers twitched in anticipation against her guitar.

Yoongi couldn't help but feel slightly concerned as she waited for her cue.

"Hey, if this is too sad for you or-"

She raised her hand, signaling him to be quiet as she continued to listen.

Deciding to do as she said, he watched her in her work mode. Lately, Jennie had been mirroring the emotion of whatever she played on her guitar on her face. This was a vulnerable song. And she couldn't help but shed tears as she listened, preparing to play.

Once she heard the drums, she began to aggressively strum through the strings as his rap played against her ears. He watched her astounded as it was everything he wanted in this song and more. The way she played sounded perfect against his voice. The powerful chords she played against his voice were going to leave a huge impact on the mixtape for sure. After she was done, she exhaled sharply and set down her guitar.

"Now I need a moment," she said, wiping her tears. "I felt that. All of that,"

"What you just did was amazing. I don't know what happened but it sounded perfect. Thank you," he praised.

"I try," she smiled and he went to check it out on the computer to fit it in the song.

Once he had done some finishing touches to the song, he replayed it for them to listen. Yep, he was right, it did sound perfect. Fully complete.

"Hey, before we work on So Far Away, can you play AGUST D? I've been staring at it and I'm curious about how it sounds," she requested.

"Sure," he clicked on it twice.

"Oh!" she shouted out after the first few beats. "Oh! Oh okay!"

He laughed at her reaction as she danced in her seat while they listened to the song.

They call me new thang

Shinbyeong watda jimeul badeo

"Whew! Okay!" she cheered, nodding her head to the beat.

Oh, this was lit! This song was going harder than she anticipated.

A to the G to the U to the STD

I'm d boy because I'm from D

Nan michinnom biteu wiye runachik

Raebeuro hongkongeul bonaeneun

My tongue technology

Jennie almost fell out of her seat from that lyric. "OH! Tongue technology!?"

Nan bekkineun geol bekkineun nomeul jabadaga

Hubaedeun seonbaedeun jekkineun nom

"Oh shi-okay!" she jumped up and down in her seat during his second verse. He was rapping so damn fast as she stared at him in disbelief. "Yoongi~!"

Hyeongdeure shigi jiltu deoge saenggineun soeum

"OOOOOOOOOOO~!" she shouted, covering her mouth against the side of her fist. "Yo replay that back! You going crazy right now! The delivery! The delivery of that! Replay it back please!"

Yoongi's stomach began to hurt from the amount of laughter he was doing from her reaction. She was adorable. Accepting her request, he scrolled back to the second verse after the chorus.

"Yoongi! Bro! Why are you going off like this? Like damn!"

He grinned bashfully at her praise. "Ah..."

"No, that second verse! How fast you were rapping!? Come on! That's amazing!"

-------

Once his mixtape was finished, Yoongi prepared to film two music videos. Once Jennie found out about it, she made plans to visit him during his AGUST D music video shoot. As soon as he left the dorm, she went to work to bake Agust D themed cookies for him.

"Yo yo yo~!" Jennie walked on the set with a box of cookies in her hands.

'AGUST D gets a visitor!'

Yoongi turned around and saw her smiling at him. A wide grin appeared on his face as he couldn't resist expressing how extremely happy he was to see her. He wasn't expecting anyone to come by during his shoot but the fact that Jennie came made his heart jump for joy.

"Smartie! What are you doing here?"

She laughed, "You know your biggest fan had to be here! You support me, I support you! Here. Your batch of Agust D cookies. It took forever to try to get the boys to not eat them,"

"You made me cookies? Smartie..." his gummy smile appeared on his face as he accepted them. "She baked me cookies. Her cookies are the best. If you get a chance to eat them, you won't regret it,"

"Aw, you flatter me," she smiled bashfully. "How's filming?" she asked as he took a cookie out of the box and ate one.

He sighed in joy at the deliciousness before answering, "Exhausting. This is honestly more tiring than BTS' music videos. But it's going great. I'm almost done and then tomorrow I film the rest of my music video,"

After visiting Yoongi and staying to watch him record, Jen was called to Big Hit's building for an urgent meeting and came back to the dorms visibly upset. It was abrupt that this happened but she was told by the company that she had to go home due to some visa troubles. She honestly thought things were fine with her paperwork and she could continue to do what she does but now she needed to pack and go home until everything got situated.

When Sejin arrived at the dorm with Jennie, the boys sensed something was wrong and immediately asked questions. Once Sejin gave everyone the news, the mood in the room went down and everyone was stunned by the abruptness.

"What!?" Jungkook exclaimed in disbelief as he shook his head in denial.

"You can't go home!" Jimin exclaimed.

"I think they messed up on some documentation or whatever. I don't know but all I know is I need to go home for a little bit until they fix the issue. Maybe it won't be for that long," she tried to stay positive about it.

"No way," Jin shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe this,"

"We need you. We need all 8 of us here. We're working on our comeback. Everything," Rapmon began to ramble.

She frowned. "I know...I'm annoyed. This is so poorly timed. I thought everything was straight with my stuff,"

"When are you leaving?" Yoongi frowned.

"Tonight," she sighed, which did not sit well with any of them as they tried to ask Sejin if there was anything to prevent it.

Meanwhile, Jen went to go pack as she was told while Jungkook accompanied her to her room. He sat on her bed as he watched her take out a suitcase and go through her clothes.

"Stupid visa..." she grumbled.

She tried to keep her emotions in check. She had plans to chill tonight and now had to spend it on a plane. With Jungkook, he was still trying to wrap his head around her leaving soon.

"Jagi, do you really have to leave...?"

Hopelessness and sadness were evident in the Golden Maknae's voice as he helplessly watched her pack.

He knew the inevitable.

She had to go home. And that meant they'd be apart for an unknown amount of time as Big Hit handled her visa situation. Sure there were times when she would go to America and then come back to Korea but from everything he was hearing, it seemed like this was going to take longer than usual.

On top of that, it was comeback season. That meant more stress as she wouldn't be there to be in his arms to cuddle when both of them felt overwhelmed from working on their comeback. She wouldn't be there to massage him whenever he stayed later from dance practice. Or nap with him after a long day. They wouldn't be showered with kisses, tickles, and derp faces from one another if they needed a good laugh to escape the stress. Finding out that she had to leave so abruptly made his heart shatter and frustrated him. Sure it was temporary but it bummed him out that it had to be this circumstance.

Their dog Tony, whimpered sadly, observing his parents. It was hard to watch Jennie pack up as he was lying in the middle of her bed with a sad expression. No special smartie belly rubs for quite some time. No JenKook bathing him like the family they were. This was going to be new to JenKook but perhaps this would make their relationship grow as they adjust to this brief long-distance relationship.

When Jennie turned to face Jungkook, she smiled sadly at his pouting expression. It was going to be difficult to leave him.

"You know I have to," she answered softly.

"I don't...want you to go," he murmured, looking down at his feet.

"I don't want to go either but it's just for a little while. I'll be back before you know it, Kookie,"

"Can I just come with you?" he looked up and asked as the idea popped into his head.

"As much as I would love that, you know you have to stay here,"

He frowned. It was worth a shot at least.

"It's just...I..." he hesitated.

He just wanted her to stay. She always knew how to make him feel at ease during the comeback season for Bangtan. Now that she was about to leave, it just wouldn't be the same. 

Sensing him overwhelming himself with negative thoughts, she strolled over to him. Standing in front of him as he continued to sit on the edge of the bed, she cupped his face.

"Hey," she softly called out, looking down at him. "No matter the distance, we'll make it work. We're the Golden Duo after all. This long-distance thing won't make us tap out. We can do it,"

He smiled at her words. "You're right. We will,"

He reached out for her as he pulled her into his lap. Smiling, she leaned down to kiss him slowly, trying to enjoy his lips as much as she could before she had to leave. She'll miss this.

"Don't do that..." he murmured against her lips and pulled back, panting softly.

"What?"

"Kiss me like that when you're about to leave. It'll drive me crazy," he admitted.

ARF! ARF!

Tony's barking caused them to turn in his direction. The dog happily jumped around after watching them. He jumped on them, causing JenKook to laugh at the sudden movement and break apart. She took a seat next to Jungkook instead. 

"I think our son is happy to see us trying to think positively about the situation," Jungkook giggled loudly as a bunny smile appeared on his face.

"Very happy. Hey, how about a belly rub before I leave? Would you like that, Tony?" she cooed.

She giggled softly as Tony eagerly barked and she moved to sit in the middle of the bed. The dog rolled around and exposed his tummy for her while she went to work on her affectionate belly rub. He soon began to relax and eventually dozed off. 

"It's going to suck when he wakes up and I'm gone," she frowned as she watched Tony sleep with Jungkook.

"We'll Facetime you," Jungkook promised.

"Please do. And make sure to send me memes and funny filter pictures of the guys,"

"I will. And I'll make sure to send you my progress on my song,"

"Good," she gave Tony one final look as she gently petted him and got off the bed to finish packing, "Make sure you don't feed him too many snacks while I'm gone. You know how you like to spoil him,"

"I won't. Our son is in good hands. I got it," he stood up and helped her.

Once she finished packing, she zipped up the suitcase. She was then gently grabbed by Jungkook and pulled in for a tight hug. Jennie sighed in contentment as she held onto him, enjoying his warmth. Their final hug for who knows how long.

[onaperduamedee]

Translation mine under the cut:

PREMIÈRE: At the end of season 1, Moiraine loses all her powers… In what state do we find her?

ROSAMUND PIKE: Moraine isn't the same woman anymore. She's traumatized and isolated like a wounded animal pushing away all those close to her. In this world, being cut from the One Power for a woman is one of the most painful traumas, akin to losing a child. So you're going to see how an incredibly strong character up to that point tries to fight her enemy without her greatest weapon.

Which new sides of her character did you discover?

She seems much more vulnerable. She feels like a fundamental part of her identity is missing. And that doesn't happen in the books, it's our writers' exploration. I was a little stunned: I liked Moiraine for what she was and I didn't want to see her suffer. So it was a challenge, not exactly pleasant, but very interesting.

Losing the One Power means losing her Warder's bond. How was the relationship between Moiraine and Lan affected?

Their dynamic takes a hit! In this universe, Aes Sedai and Warders are mentally linked as well as physically: this bond allows them to stay awake without food longer, but also to feel what the other feels. Suddenly, Moiraine and Lan find themselves in deafening silence, cut from each other. They have never needed to communicate because they always had this intense connection that did it for them. So Moiraine starts to distance herself, she doesn't feel worthy of him, she pushes him away and becomes very cruel. Daniel and I were separated for a long time in season 2 and we missed working together…

Will we dive deeper into this universe's mythology?

Oh yes, and it's incredible! The first season allowed us to set the rules, and season 2 goes into them in depth. We go further into the characters' exploration: there is a new major foe, the Seanchan, people from across the sea. They enslave women who can channel and use them as weapons. Their goal is to conquer the world: we see them seize cities, terrorize populations. But there are also new interesting female characters like Elayne Trakand, a new novice at the White Tower and future queen of Andor. She meets Egwene and their personalities clash.

Ultimately, wouldn't this season's main theme be sisterhood?

100%. It's one of the great appeals of the Wheel of Time. And that female power is depicted in diverse ways, there isn't just one example of what it should look like: in season 3 that we're currently filming, there are two incredibly powerful roles played by women over 70. And then we celebrate women, but not only! We play with genders, creating fluid characters. Our casting director is constantly finding brilliant and unusual faces, unknown to the audience. I won't be that interesting anymore when we reach season 3 because there are so many new fascinating characters! (laughs)

What can you tell us about season 3 of the Wheel of Time?

With the third season, we're opening up the field of possibilities. We're currently shooting an episode that's really avant-garde, almost psychedelic. We have the opportunity to push things as far with the studio's support. I think we're making a show that, I hope, will be watched in 20 years. The goal isn't to only touch our time, but to make something timeless.

[theimaginatrix27]

My Personal Approach to Fantasy AUs

I have received a number of comments on my Deep Space 9 Fairy Tale AU, Seven for a Secret, to the effect of "I love how you've kept everyone so in-character!"

I also recently sent a friend part of the first chapter of a prequel fic in the same setting, and they said they're not usually interested in AUs of this nature, because too often, they've seen characters written in ways that make them less recognisably themselves. But they did like my writing.

So I'm going to try and explain my process in a way that hopefully makes sense to everyone reading it. I'm absolutely not making this post to gatekeep fanfic, or to tell someone how to write their story, I'm just explaining what I do when writing a Fantasy AU within a fandom context.

For clarity, this post is about AUs where the characters were born into a high/epic/secondary world fantasy setting (I have heard all these terms before). It is not about charas being isekaied into fantasy settings for crossover purposes (that genre encompasses portal fantasy, doesn't have to involve the charas dying), though tbh I love those, too. Excellent fun. But the characters in those cases are still the canon ones, just being put in a situation. I actually plan on writing a series of DND campaign fics with the casts of my three favourite classic Trek series that are basically this premise, but that's not what I want to talk about today.

In a lot of cases, when someone has written a fantasy AU, the characters are changed so much that you could, theoretically, file off the serial numbers, switch out canon references and turn it into an original novel. This is also not strictly a bad thing—I've done it myself, and although that story never got finished, it paved the way for those that followed, so it's helpful in the creative process to recognise when you have enough material for an original spin on something.

However, for me especially, it is more fun to see and recognise the fandom characters, and then watch them navigate a story that is both unique and would not be the same without them.

Presenting Exhibit A: The Princess and the Dragon, a fanfiction for Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, written by my dear friend, @kohakuhime

This was one of the first fics of this nature that I came across in my wanderings through the blighted wastelands of FFN—Kohaku's fics were very much an oasis in the desert, so refreshing and vibrant were they, but this was her big fantasy baby, centred around a ship we both loved, and rich with lore and magic and mystery. It was also peppered with canon references, and all the characters were kept breathtakingly in-character—I won't get into spoiler territory, but let's just say I could hear the voice-actors saying so many of these lines, they were so good! My bar for this type of AU was set pretty high in large part because of this fic.

To be quite fair, Kohaku has said she could probably file off the serial numbers of TPATD, change some of the components of the magic system and release it as an original novel, as the concept itself (again, avoiding spoilers by going into details out of respect for this friend and her excellent story) is a fun twist on a particular trope. But although there are many original elements, it still feels like a Yu-Gi-Oh! fic, because of all the grounding points woven throughout, and how familiar the characters are.

This fic was not the only story I found that helped shape my approach back in 2012—there were a couple other fics in the Dragon Ball Z archive on FFN that also contributed, but they were both written a long time ago and I'm not sure they'd hold up nearly so well today. One of them was a fairy tale retelling (well, a Disney film retelling, but it was really good from my perspective as a fic newbie!), and this plus some other—shall we say, less interesting adaptations in the Yu-Gi-Oh fandom inspired me to write the fic now known as Wild Swans of Domino, which I'm not linking here because I am in the process of editing it up to my current standards. Seven for a Secret is, in its way, a spiritual successor to WSoD, though I do intend to finish the latter (and the sequels I developed over the years). WSoD was my practice ground for developing the approach I wrote this post to explain, and it kinda shows in the current version, because I started out simple, and then my brain started generating lore and places for more canon references to go and the story got away from me. That—happens to me a lot.

My approach with this type of AU comes down to one major point: If I am writing a fairy tale adaptation (it's usually a fairy tale adaptation that starts this for me), or some other fantasy story in an alternate universe which these characters are, for the purposes of the fic, native to, then both they and the setting must have some familiar aspects tying them back to the source material. The characters, especially, must still feel like themselves, or you may lose readers' interest, because "Benjamin Sisko wouldn't do that!" or "Seto Kaiba wouldn't react that way in this situation! Stop making him quote the movie's dialogue, it sounds so contrived it is painful to read!"

... Ahem, moving on from bad memories of bad fics.

WSoD and Secret are both based on a fairy tale I already have an original story idea for (several, actually), so I don't need or want either of them to be unique enough to divorce them from their fandom origins. Therefore, while developing them, I have done/am doing my utmost to weave in as many threads from canon as possible within the boundaries of the setting, and have also done my best to preserve the characters' personalities. And according to those aforementioned comments, I'm doing pretty well!

To be absolutely fair, in both cases, the fandoms in question are either another form of Fantasy or as close to Fantasy as a Sci-fi setting can get (Sisko's an honest to the Prophets Chosen one, for goodness sake!). But I do believe you can do this with any character, from any setting, if you put enough thought into it.

And maybe that's part of why I don't see it around as much, because some (often younger but not always) fic authors can have a concept float into their head or sent to them by another fan, and bang out a fic in a week that hits all the points they wanted it to without too much brainstorming behind it. Whereas I, a perfectionist and possesser of an increasingly plot-tribble-infested brain, can't make a single plot decision without pondering it for several days, and fret over little logistical details until I'm purple in the face (probably. I don't have eyeballs and thence can't look in a mirror). But I still think it's doable for any character.

To do this well, you must consider what fundamentally makes this character who they are. What traits would you absolutely have to keep (aside from physical appearance in most cases) to ensure this character was familiar to the reader who clicked on the fandom tag and subsequently your fic. If you ran across Sherlock Holmes in, say, the Pokémon world, how would you know he was Sherlock Holmes? Why, he'd be solving mysteries, and doing so by analysing all sorts of details, noticing things others failed to, putting pieces together that formed a solution others wouldn't have even considered, because the majority of those puzzle pieces were overlooked! And he'd probably be skulling shuckle juice when he didn't have a mystery to solve. And obviously he'd be autistic.

Are you imagining it? I hope you are. Now imagine a character, or several, from one of your fandoms, that you love. Imagine what you love best about them, what makes them who they are, from your perspective. Now imagine a setting that's different from their source material—there are any number of AUs you could pick. Now, think carefully about how you would write them in this setting, while focusing on changing as little about them as possible.

In Secret, Ben and Julian are both princes (this is revealed in Chapter 1, I don't mind telling you). The Dax symbiont is a Fae being magically bound to Jadzia, who is a mage. Their personalities are still familiar to the reader. Miles O'Brien has barely changed at all, because he doesn't need to.

And there's the single golden rule: When writing an AU like this, only change as much or as little as you absolutely need to for your story to work. You can, of course, have fun with how you change things—just check out Innate Conditions and its companion fics by @tokidokifish for a DS9 example (Cardassians are shapeshifting dragons! How cool is that?)

I hope all this makes sense. And again, this is not an attempt to dictate how you, personally, write your stories. I do hope you at least give it a little thought, though, if you haven't already. Most importantly, have fun!

[mochinomnoms]

OH PLEASE TALK ABOUT COCO AND THE BOOK OF LIFE my favorite topic tbh

I prefer the book of life i find the whole "these people that look like wooden dolls are meant to be the ones from the history while real people outside of the history don't have the wood look" amazing and a great detail and LA CATRINAAA??? gorgeous woman (also I should say that idia could be the xibalba in the Catarina and Xibalba dynamic there is just this vibe yk yk)

Book of life came before Coco (plus Disney didn't own the century whatever company that book of life originally was from) and when Disney did make their own Dia de los muertos themed movie they tried to TRADEMARK EL DIA DE LOS MUERTOS TO MAKE MERCH? Insane.

(Making Pastel de choclo and other chilean dishes like pebre but it just isn't the same with regular ingredients instead of your country ingredients yk? LIKE HARVESTED ON YOUR MOTHER COUNTRY it doesn't taste the same I would include that as a step in the recipe that I am giving Azul totally knowing my country doesn't exist in twst and Azul is taking that step seriously lmao)

-Vaquita

Oooh so I didn't have time to answer this yesterday since I was busy at work. But my general thoughts are that while I enjoy both movies and their portrayal of Día de Muertos, the book of life feels (and is) a story made for and by Mexicans for other Mexicans. You can tell from the music styling, the humor, and the artistic style itself! There are for sure some liberties taken (Xibalba is not a god in mythos it's the name of the underworld roughly) but it feels very true and faithful as an experience. Coco, while I enjoy it, feels more like a group of well intending white Americans wanting to make a movie about Día de Muertos, though I'll give credit they did have Latino artists and cultural workers involved. The style of the movie just also feels more American and, as part of a study I did in undergrad, most Mexicans and other Latinos in general feel that it was made with a very general audience in mind rather than Mexicans or Latinos at all.

La Muerte in the book of life is a very interesting version of her and her design is beautiful! Los muertos in general in the first movie have a more fun, varied design to them, while the second movie just looks and feels like another Pixar film. I don't think it's a bad movie, I loved it and the music is wonderful, but it doesn't feel as genuine, especially watching as a Mexican.

If you like the book of life, the creator also has Maya and the Three (set in the same universe) but also created the nickelodeon show Le Tigre and the CN show Victor and Valentino. He's a Mexican animator, so all his shows are set with that background in mind, but it's very enjoyable for anyone to watch! If you're a fan of the music the composer is Gustavo Alfredo Santaolalla, who also did the music for the Last of Us games and show, Brokeback Mountain, and also Maya and the Three.

As for the Disney trademark thing, I know their request was either revoked by Disney themselves or denied due to the backlash. For anyone not super familiar with Latin holidays and stuff, Disney trademarking Día de Muertos is the equivalent of Hallmark trying to trademark Christmas. The only thing they can trademark now is their specific characters and imagery associated with their film, but there's a lot of drama surrounding that and using the likeness of real people and their art in the film without permission.

(I feel you about the food tho, I can't make certain dishes without a very specific brands and items sometimes. I would actually refuse to cause it won't turn out right, and I'm not damning myself or my cooking abilities lmao. Azul would probably get so stressed out with both of us aslkjdalkj)