#also my enderal trio

[squiddy-god]

octo trio ocean plushi S/o

Re-upload from terminated blog squid-god-supreme

Azul Ashengrotto 🐙🌊💜

The plush you have is like the one on my bg, a huge squid/octopus with long Tenticals perfect for coddling, it’s about as big as you and is your favorite color

Legit almost had a heart attack when he first saw you all cute and cuddled up to a massive plushi octopus/squid as big as you were

Tbh it kinda gives him a confidence boost. He isn’t happy with a lot of things about himself and his octo body is one of them so seeing his s/o cuddled up to a octopus plushi makes him melt

Probably has a picture of you sleeping with it ngl (he keeps it in his wallet)

Gets a little pouty and jealous if you spend more time with it then you do him. But then he remembers that it’s a plushi

Azul finds it endering how fondly you hold it and how fond of it you are

Let him take a nap/sleep with you while you cuddle it, it’s so soft and he understands why you love it so much

Discreetly asks if you can hold him instead (please hold him)

Honestly you haveing and cuddling a giant octo plush makes him more willing to let you see him in octo form because he’s knows you won’t judge him.

Is most jealous when it gets to sit in your lap because hey! That’s his place!

Azul also likes to cuddle it while you two sleep (100% not because it smells like you and that comforts him) he thinks it’s so soft and plush and just all around great

*discreetly gets you more plushis *

When you sleep and cuddle the plushi it’s Samwiched between you two, Tenticals intertwined with both of your legs

Jade Leech 🐬🍄🌊

The plushi you have is an eel plushi (of course). It’s about half your size and extra chonky. It’s also more of a patch work style, large button eyes and odd quilt like fabric in patchwork styling.

Honestly he loves it. It makes you look so cute and smoll when you hug it like a child and watch him work on his little Tereriams

Go’s into cardiac arrest when he says something cute/flirty and you giggle and Nestle into the plush to hide your blush because ajskxnziekenfks so fucken cute

Smiles and takes a picture when he sees you sleeping with it, low-key thinks of the future and how cute it’s goona be with kids

Chuckles when he sees you just chilling with it in the dorm rooms and teses you lightly about being so cute he could just eat you up (sir is that a threat?)

Kinda embarrassed that he’s gotten jealous over the plushi when you snuggle it. Will never admit this and will take it to his grave

If your gone for whatever reason and didn’t take the plushi he low-key holds it in his lap like you do, he has no clue why but it’s becoming a habit of his (it’s because he misses you)

When you sleep he likes to be big spoon so he spoons you while you cuddle/spoon the plushi

First time he saw you with it was when he walked in on you takeing a nap. He just gave you a smile and made sure you were covered by blankets

Floyd Leech 🦈🌊💙

The plushi you have is like 2-3 times as big as you, legit 2-3 of you long, and it’s also about as thicc as a normal body pillow. It’s dark blueish grey with muted teel fins, imagine the eels from little Mermaid.

The most vocal about how cute he thinks his little shrimpy is all cuddled up to a huge plushy of him

The first time he saw you with it was when you were just chilling in your room and he came in. There you were, sitting in comfy clothes, the tail of a eel plushi wrapped around your waist and legs. Needless to say you and the plush were promptly swooped up into a tight squeeze

Has tones of pictures of you sleeping with it on his wall

Gets high key jealous of the plush and will give it a death glare when you aren’t looking. Of course it’s nothing hugs and cuddles can fix

Loves it when you can sit between his legs/in his lap while the huge plushi is wrapped around you two.

Teses you 25/8 about how much you love the plushi but don’t you dare stop because he thinks it’s cute

Is determined to take it’s place and become your favorite body pillow

When sleeping with Floyd there are 3 outcomes

One is that you end up on the floor because he accidentally pushed you off the bed and you couldn’t move him because he’s heavy, Two, Floyd clings to you like a koala in a vice grip you can’t escape from no matter how hard you try, And three he uses you as a human blanket and likes to hold you while you lay on his chest

In one you just cuddle the plushi, in two, the plushi is tangled and wrapped around both of you also acting as a pillow while Floyd squeezes the both of you, in three the plushi is right beside Floyd and tangled in both of your legs while he holds you on his chest

[slightlytoastedbagel]

A prediction on Kohane's assignment

Well, we made it. Kohane 5 will be when Vivid Bad Squad officially puts on the event that will surpass RAD Weekend. Overlooking the amount of discourse in the fandom over this, OVER RAD SQUAD is going to be a very significant event and almost certainly the 3rd arc ender for Vivid Bad Squad. It will also be where we finally learn Kohane's assignment, and while I have been throwing my predictions out for months now I thought I would take this time to present what I think will be the actual assignment, especially knowing that their current goal will finally be achieved here.

Preemptively I will say that I am not fully caught up on Vivid Bad Squad's events, having only read everything before World Link (except Walk On And On which I will be reading today and tomorrow alongside the rest of this arc). My predictions are based off of what I am aware of in those events from others talking of it (Toya doing set list, Arata being hinted to return, An being the one to make Vivid Street take them seriously) as well as my own personal biases when it comes to just what I want Kohane's 5th focus to mean for her.

I think that Ken's assignment to Kohane is tied to presenting the emotions of Vivid Street and Vivid Bad Squad through her singing, and for this he has asked her to lead the event like she did in Kick It Up A Notch. There, Kohane was asked to lead Crawl Green by Taiga as part of her training. She also found an answer to the question Taiga had asked both her and Arata at different points of the story. Her answer is sourced from the love Vivid Street holds for street music and how she finds that she loves it all with everything she has. In that way, Kohane has already connected the feelings of the community with her own and presented it in her singing, however that was before Light Up The Fire. Since the truth had come out, Vivid Street has been left hopeless and lacking the life Vivid Bad Squad had brought through their events. Akito and An's assignments have brought that hope in them back, as well as restoring the fire for music. However, there will undoubtedly still be some concern, and even frustration, within the communiy. That will be where Kohane comes in.

Kohane shares this feeling of frustration, she very clearly states this to Vivid Bad Squad and the Vocaloids in On Your Feet. Combining this with what Ken has seen of her (he was present for Crawl Green), it could very easily be that Kohane's task was to be able to express this feeling in her voice, in a way that also allows for Vivid Street's frustration to be addressed. This would bring the atmosphere that was present at RAD Weekend, an atmosphere they know they need to replicate, and also make it known they aren't just the second RAD Weekend. It will be Kohane that silently asks their audience "is this all that you want to be?" RAD Weekend is more or less Vivid Street's legacy. RADder is Vivid Street's legacy. It encapsulates their love for music and the resolve to be the greatest in the world. But they couldn't reach that, and now it is an unfinished dream of the people. Isn't that frustrating? That such a talented trio were robbed of their chance? That they were set to go to America and make it big but couldn't? That Taiga refuses to let anyone else carry on that dream (despite it being Nagi's wish) to the point he would crush the spirits of the people that could? Of the people that supported them through it all?

The event to surpass RAD Weekend will represent Vivid Street's love for street music, as well as the frustration that RAD Weekend is all that they, RADder and currently even Vivid Bad Squad will ever be. It is a legend, a commemorative moment to Nagi Kotaki, it has ultimately kept them in limbo for years. In that way, Kohane Azusawa - the rookie, the one that represents how that love can touch people outside of Vivid Street and motivate them to do great things, the one that truly represents what Nagi had wished RAD Weekend would do (motivate the next generation, let their voices reach people) - is perfect for letting out that message.

Now, I do also believe this will be what finally let's people see Kohane as Kohane and not being like Nagi. Yes she would be doing what Nagi did for RAD Weekend, but at this point Vivid Street are hooked ON Vivid Bad Squad. I do believe this will be how Kohane is finally recognised as herself, a sentiment I have brought up a lot. I also do believe Arata will be back before the event itself starts, possibly even with a conversation between him and Kohane to link things back to Taiga (it is said in the event summary that Kohane is looking back on everything, I definitely think her mentoring under Taiga will be a big part of that). However this is already very long and possibly incoherent and my phone battery is running out so I will just leave this here. If anything jumps out at me from reading over the more recent events or I remember something else I will add onto this in reblogs. Anyway happy OVER RAD SQUAD everyone, I am very VERY excited for this event.

[aloesnake]

if ur up for reqs i would love to see what a clingyduo or beeduo fusion (su style) would look like to you, ive got them on my mind >:3 also ive been following your main for FOREVER and only now am i finding your sick ass art blog? censorship of the people frfr

Bane o' Ender!!!!

and an unnamed clingy fusion :D

i had to make myself some bench trio refs to properly find the 'defining features' of each of em. (i dont have a solid revivedboo design but this is a good approximation of what i think theyd look like :D)

[jaz-it-up]

the big lore videos™ thoughts:

the way avid says "has it been a thousand years?" fucking HURTS. O U C H

s. suburban hell?? sounds a little redundant to me but i've lived in suburbs my whole life so idk lol

the image of this sad, empty, grayscale husk of avid wandering into a waffle house is unfortunately sending me into hysterics it's so funny

what the fuck is leon's deal?? i mean his flirting with olm is hilarious and i'm definitely not thinking about his addiction to- i'm fucking sorry did he say get in the sink

anyway leon is fascinating why does he have access to limbo like that

HEY WAIT ENDER AVID RETURNS?????? THE FUCKING CASTLE???????? LIKE LIZZIE'S CASTLE???????????

dude. so does this mean, bc it was actually olm that requested the castle, that lizzie is also in cahoots with olm? does it mean that lizzie and leon are coworkers? look i know this is an avid video and leon's doesn't drop til monday but i will be thinking about the leon/lizzie/olm trio forever

okay onto marm's video

someone give avoid a hug and some hot cocoa

yooooooo the untubing

[hermitshell]

(Building off of your Gem world hopping lore a bit here)

Maybe this won’t make any sense, but I’ve had this idea rattling around in my head for a while about Gem being something like the universe’s champion. Not a god, not someone all powerful, but a player with the world’s blessing in all she does.

You’ve got her connection to the End, which is already one of the most iconic parts of the game. Then you also have her mentioning that dreaming is the key to dimension hopping, which is easily comparable to the end poem. And, of course, her whole thing with ender dragons, which really finished the trio off.

That lore is cool on its own, but it’s also in her play style. She’s drawn to villages, and while she did it in HC9 the worlds that really stand out to me are two of her hardcore worlds, where she’s based in villages, remodeled them, and protected the villagers, whom she gave names and personalities. She delights in the mundane or common parts of the game. Things like that.

It’s like how Etho feels uniquely Minecraft-y because he’s been around for so long, as ancient as the lands around him. Gem doesn’t have the same old world feel- she’s younger, bursting with potential. Maybe she has some sort of grand mission, maybe that mission is simply to live, to experience. No matter what, the player has played the game well

OH MY GOD ❤️_❤️ anon thank you for the ask I am staring at this so hard

Gem who's entwined with the universe... it's champion.... The key to finally opening the end in the life series and fully immersed in the worlds she inhabits yet unimpeded by the laws that govern places such as empires.

You mentioned her hardcore worlds and that also reminds me of the time she got the villager origin in afterlife, and stuck to that village the entire series. She became it's stalwart protector up until her death. So even there she continues that theme.

The universe loves all it's players but it's like it's given her the master's key to unlock any door she wants, to dream however and wherever she wants to. To open a door in dawn and step out into hermitcraft, to open the end, to escape the end of a world, anywhere she wants to go, anywhere she wishes to dream. Perhaps even guide her here or there with a little blue flame? AUGH

[nightwanderers12081]

hi im back again with more aus

so a little while ago i was talking to a friend about a streamer au(can be both secret trio or just danny phantom) and wanted to share a bit about it here lmao

Danny became a streamer, and gained a small audience outside of amity park(he doesn't have many Amity park viewers, he does not want them), I imagine his online name is Phantom(bc ofc it is), but people know his real name is danny and will switch off which name they use

Because few people from amity park watch him, He will just appear as phantom sometimes(He went live once as phantom on accident and just rolled with it), and told people it was just a cosplay/outfit he liked wearin

He does gaming streams bc were biased(/j)

Us and my friends made jokes about how he has the thermos on his desk while he streams so his fans(who absolutely adopted the name phans and have a phandom) make jokes that the thermos is his mascot, Danny is on board with this and every april fools he changes all of his accounts to the thermos

My friend says he has a cutout of something(dont know what just that its super random), and new people would be like "why do you have a cutout of ___ in the background" and older fans would be like "we dont question it"

We have fun ideas planned for people finding out about Danny phantom in amity park, also alot of fun ideas with incorporating the other two from the secret trio(bc lets be so fr Randy would 100% thrive as a streamer/musician, he is like the wilber soot of this world(/j /nsrs, me and our friends joke about this alot tho lmao)

if yall are interested we'll answer any questions you guys have on the au n just talk about it more ~ Whisper/Ender

[aurorawest]

2023 Reading Wrap-Up

Is it February of 2024? Yes! Am I still going to post my favorite books that I read in 2023? Also yes!

Ginn Hale's Cadeleonian Series, the second half of which I read in 2023: Champion of the Scarlet Wolf, Book Two; Master of Restless Shadows, Book One; and Master of Restless Shadows, Book Two

This series begins with Lord of the White Hell and continues with Champion of the Scarlet Wolf, then concludes with Master of Restless Shadows. Each duology follows a different set of characters, but it's a true series so you need to read them in order. It's a toss-up for me whether I preferred Champion of the Scarlet Wolf or Master of Restless Shadows. Both are fantastic duologies. I particularly loved getting Atreau's story in Master because he's sort of an unlikable playboy-esque character in the preceding books...but wait! Turns out there's more to him after all.

After Francesco by Brian Malloy

Who would think a book about living through the AIDS epidemic in NYC in the 80s would be as funny as this book is? It will also tear your heart out and stomp on it. Also takes place partly in Minneapolis (and is by a Minnesotan author).

Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh

Folklorist meets the Green Man and they fall in love. This is the first half of a duology, the second being Drowned Country, which I just finished today so can't included it on my 2023 wrap-up. All the dark and violent whimsy of the mythic past and the most brutal versions of fairy tales, plus a lovely romance.

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

Imagine the love child of Lost, Person of Interest, and Battlestar Galactica, but queer and with multiverse shenanigans thrown in (the author has cited Ender's Game as a huge influence). I don't want to say anything more than that, because I feel strongly that you need to go into this book knowing nothing. The twists and turns are so good, the main trio are wonderful, complicated characters, and the world is super cool.

The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley

In some ways the most heartbreaking of Pulley's novels. Also probably her most dreamy and magical. It's my least favorite of her books, but my least favorite Natasha Pulley book still ended up on my best of 2023 reading list.

The Half Life of Valery K by Natasha Pulley

This book awakened in me a latent love of Soviet queers. You'll see this book filed under sci-fi by booksellers, but it isn't really—it's historical fiction about a very real nuclear disaster in the USSR that was covered up for decades. Like all of Pulley's books, the characters are deeply complicated and flawed. The pleasure is really in reading the way she tells a story and her beautiful use of language, so even if you're not interested in Soviet nuclear disasters, I absolutely recommend you read this. Also, you'll probably be interested in Soviet nuclear disasters when you're done.

The Lost Future of Pepperharrow by Natasha Pulley

Haha, you thought The Watchmaker of Filigree Street punched you in the chest with feels? Get ready for the sequel, which will have you Curled Into A Sobbing Ball On The Floor™. Join Thaniel Steepleton, Keita Mori, and their adopted Waifish Victorian Orphan, Six, as they go to Japan, where things are weird, there are ghosts, and Thaniel and Mori still somehow don't understand what they mean to each other.

The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley

"What if France won the Napoleonic Wars because of time travelers" shouldn't have shattered me the way this book did, but of course it's a Natasha Pulley novel so it absolutely did. Missouri Kite is the most Gay Little Man™. And Joe, poor Joe. The PINING. The YEARNING. When the reveal happens, I had to go back and read prior sections of the book and good god do they hit different. Different and SADDER. This book is my favorite of Natasha Pulley's novels.

Tommy Cabot Was Here and Peter Cabot Gets Lost by Cat Sebastian

The first two books in Cat Sebastian's The Cabots series. The books are historical fiction that follow various queer men in the Cabot family. The Cabots are one of those old money, liberal New England families—think Kennedys. Both books are about Sad Gay Men™ finding love in soft, tiptoeing Cat Sebastian fashion. Peter Cabot is a road trip romance and a bit longer, so the characters have some time to breathe.

Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly

This was probably a Stucky fic at one point, right? I mean. No shade though, truly! This was my favorite romcom that I read in 2023. It was also a comp for Strangers to Husbands, haha. I love the setting—hiking the Pacific Crest Trail—and I love the main characters, Alexei and Ben. Alexei came out to his family recently and got rejected, while Ben is from a big, accepting Portuguese family. Funny, touching, and an excellent love story.

Cattle Stop by Kit Oliver

Looks like a romcom but will stab you in the heart repeatedly. Kit Oliver has a gorgeous way with words and captures the dynamic between two people who have no idea how to talk to each other so well. I'm also a sucker for farm settings.

The Sugared Game and Subtle Blood by KJ Charles (The Will Darling Adventures)

I've read almost all of KJ Charles's books at this point, but the Will Darling Adventures are my favorites (I read the first book in the series in 2022). I love the combination of romance and action/adventure. I've never met a m/m book set in the interwar period that I haven't loved. Will and Kim are wonderful characters, and sometimes I think about what other adventures they had after book three ended.

Honeytrap by Aster Glenn Gray

An FBI agent and a GRU agent get assigned to work a case together in 1959 and they fall in looooove. There's a road trip, a family dinner, and FEELS. I'm not sure I've ever had a time skip hit me in the gut so hard. Remember how I said I love Soviet queers? Here's another example.

Wranglestone and Timberdark by Darren Charlton

What if the real dystopia isn't the zombie apocalypse, but "normal" life? I don't know if I've ever read a YA series that sucker-punched me as hard as this one. I know I've never read a zombie book that sucker-punched me as hard as this one. I don't think these books have even been published in the US (only in the UK), but if you can get your hands on them, they're worth it. Really beautifully written in a style that evokes the emptiness of the great national parks of the American west.

Honorable mentions:

The Charioteer by Mary Renault

The Scottish Boy by Alex de Campi

A Power Unbound by Freya Marske

[moku-and-his-madness]

Moots!

(this is for my pinned post im re-doing it)

@thinkingaboutctommy @strangleetomz @wiblursaystuff @ena-526 @salineroses @duckwithacapitald @irarelypost @clinically-delusional @thetiredyuk @paldeanbooper @gay-mooshrooms @dead--hate-deactivated20231004 @colleenispunk @teagica @rottinnymph @mayhem-moth @dzikiemaliny @soot-sympathiser @vopixx oop why is @vibestillaxxx not here wtf jeesus and @haunted-headset chwist @dobry-slimak @officially-a-simp13

@ anyone i forgot im sorry!! ill update it gradually

@buffporcupine @goosebeing @ender-outlaw @21-cats-in-a-trenchcoat

@gweb-is-dead <- my art bestie who is also my bf's bestie we are the bestie trio woohooo words of admiration and shiattt yayyyy ^^

@kuroyamikusho new friend!!! :DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

[codajaiden]

@ender-niffler "Immediately flying in with the boi ✨COLLE✨ share your visions"

I HAVE WAITED FOR THIS MOMENT TO SHARE MY FAVOURITE RED STEVE HEADCANONS FOR DAYSSSSS /hj

• Colle usually is the artist among the Elite Trio, with him carrying his journal around and such. He sketches out various things he discovers while he explores, like the sweet berries he found in the forest in the first episode. I like to think that he sketches out the weapons he got and see, like the trident that the Ocean King gifted him.

•^ Along with this idea, I like to think that he would also sketch out the Steves or animals he met. Like while waiting for Forest Steve to get down from the tree, he sketched out the "red chicken" for fun and wrote down some notes about it. And after meeting the Forest Steve, he keeps looking out the window and sketches some of the Forest Steve's below near the center of the village. He keeps notes about what everyone can do so he can report it to Boss.

[voidimp]

🍀🌂🍩 for your main trio?

🍀 - What originally inspired the OC?

so the funny thing about all three of these ocs is they all started as characters for different games that just kinda ended up getting dragged into different things. without getting into much detail (bc this post would be a mile long):

oli is my captain in sunless sea, so of course i pulled the whole cannibalism & spending a lot of their time at sea from that (the vampire thing was unrelated & originally meant to be a substitute for the cannibalism but then i added it back bc it makes things more interesting).

jules is my bloodborne character, & the reason hes kind of twitchy & prefers to do things in the company of others is bc i am so bad at bloodborne & always hit the wrong buttons & need help with the game. honestly idr why i ended up making him a vampire. possibly just so he would still be alive by the time oli was around? idk.

cameron was meant to be my character in a blades in the dark game that never really took off (i sat out the first bit to Observe ao i never actually ender up playing them), & so the whole thing of them being part demon & having some control over weather stuff & also their drug problem was like... literally just from that. honestly cameron probably had the fewest changes getting kicked over to this setting but that might also just be bc they were the least developed at the time lmao

🌂 - What genre do they belong in?

im. not really sure yet?? im gonna be honest my grip on genres is. not good lmao. & i have plot elements but not an actual full plot yet. does supernatural count as a genre? its not really horror i dont think. the setting is definitely futuristic (although the aesthetic is largely historical) but i dont think it really counts as like... scifi... i would like to have some sort of mystery going on but maybe not enough that it would be considered A Mystery Story?? is it a fucking drama. like not a romantic drama bc its definitely not a romance but like drama as in There Sure Is Shit Happening All The Time??? idk what the actual factors are that qualify something to be a drama. also i have some sort of dislike for that term but i think thats just bc it is so often grouped w romance. but it feels a bit Too Much to be slice of life so that seems like the next step up... i do want some scenes that have some action but overall i definitely wouldnt consider it one..... what else is there im sure im forgetting something

anyway yeah short answer is idk sorry lmao

🍩 -Who is your OC’s arch-nemesis or rival?

honestly this is something i need to think on a bit more for oli & jules... idk if theres really anyone in particular. for cameron i guess its their dad tho. fuck that guy

[lauren-no-why]

alex for the character thing?

Oh good choice good choice.

First impression: BEN WHAT THE FUCK YOU JUST DROP A NEW REDMAYNE ON US WITH NO WARNING AND NEVER FOLLOW UP?? TELL ME MORE? IMMEDIATELY?? and then you TEASE A GANG WAR AND DON'T FOLLOW UP? FUCK????

Impression now: All of this with MORE SHOUTING because there have been YEARS to follow up and that hasn't happened, and also a lot more headcanon as I look at this empty bowl and fill it with so much extrapolation from what little we can glean. I love him, I love all of his potential, I love how much absolute faith that Johnnie has in him and I have so many thoughts about the kind of person that it would take to be in charge of a gang like this one and have enough success at it where he is respected not just by his brother, but respected and defended AT KNIFEPOINT TO BUCK'S THROAT by anyone who came across that stray white boy. The guy is quiet, thoughtful, steady as a rock, he loves and cares for so many people in his life even if he's not great at showing it, and if you cross him he will not even blink at ruining yours with abrupt and brutal violence.

Favorite moment: I mean, canon gives us no moments, not even a single spoken line (this is an utter waste of Peter Mendoza's talents btw, the guy is amazing and does so much in movies and theater and TV and all he is in this is just a face?). So all of my favorite moments instead have come out in fic and lengthy enormous amounts of RP writing.

If we ever get to watch him taking on Z'Oiseau out of revenge for his little brother I'm here for it, I'll just say that.

Idea for a story: Lots. But I'd love to see how he got to where he is now. We know that previous leaders of the World Enders were picked by Cobb Avery after he imposed ridiculous tasks like riding blindfolded toward a cliff in a game of chicken. He wants people who will follow him without question, who are utterly fearless, who will stop at nothing to get what they want. What did Alex do to earn this honor? I haven't decided yet but it's something I think about coming up with.

Unpopular opinion: I don't have an answer for this, I don't think enough people have opinions on him for there to be popular or unpopular ones.

Favorite relationship: Oh, him and his brothers, for sure. That is one hell of a nightmarish trio for a lot of people in LA but look at the love and support between them. Picture what they've been through, so that they know they can rely on each other. That's the whole point of this fic, and I could write dozens more like it as they grew up and navigated some really difficult things.

Favorite headcanon: I... have so many I don't even know how to pick because of how much I have had to invent, though not wholly from nowhere. Honestly I guess just his personality in general. Also his tattoos. And the idea that his preferred weapon is a big fuckoff chain that can either be spiked, or wrapped and dipped in fuel and lit on fire. Mounted combat, street gang style. Dude is a warlord on a motorcycle and he knows it.

I have drawn up his tattoos, those will get posted with Dale's and Johnnie's once I finish all three.

[salternateunreality2]

somehow the Genesis Ratsodos shtick reminds me (specifically where it says that the bestest princess is Sephikitty) of this book series I'm reading where this trio of guys are dragonlords (and they all are love interests in their respective female lead's stories). however, they became dragonlords when one of them was obsessed with finding dragons (Teddy Prince) , another had the means of transportation (Drake Huntsman), and the third tagged along (Ian Featherwell). at the ripe old age of 11. their main transportation (magic carpet) got ripped out of the sky at one point and the Drake got briefly kidnapped by a wyvern, they had to fight a ton of rock monsters, until FINALLY they got to the dragon eggs. Drake got the green dragon of destruction, Teddy got the black dragon of death, and Ian got the gold dragon of lust. and since they were 11, they named their dragons, wait for it

Jello (green)

Princess (Teddy Prince)

Goldie (glittery gold) (Ian has to take a bath after riding on Goldie because he gets covered in glitter)

I can definitely see Sephikitty being Princess, the dragon of death, Genesis Ratsodos being Goldie, dragon of lust/being flashy in general, and I'm not sure who Jello, the dragon of destruction would be

thoughts??

Clearly Angeal, who is going to sit on all of them for their crimes.

Who is a greater threat than the squisher of death and ender of lust? None; the mighty Jello of Destruction sits on all who oppose him.

What purpose is there in destruction of there is not order, honor, and dreams? He upholds his values stringently, and expects others to as well. He becomes destruction when others trigger his wrath.

Anger not a good man, for his wrath is righteous and his justice swift.

Is it not also fitting that his name is Jello? For he is a dragon who cooketh and shareth honorably. Being green speaketh to his hobby of gardening.

It feels like the easy answer to name the third in a trio after the third in another trio, but there is something there, imo.

(side note, and I'm sorry, but one of my favorite phrases is that glitter is the herpes of craft supplies and I can't I can't let this post go without saying that I can't I'm sorry use protection kids)

[gimmie-a-sammich]

Absolution | Chapter 4 | I Know

Pairings: Resistance!Ateez x Fem!Original Character, Resistance!??? x Fem!Original Character, feat other idols

Genre: (18+ Minors DNI) Dystopian au, smut, angst, fluff

Summary: Absolution: act of absolving; a freeing from blame or guilt; release from consequences, obligations, or penalties. Haunted by the guilt of her choices, Serafina desperately searches for a way to atone for her sins. In a world ruled by power and corruption, will she find the forgiveness she seeks? Is she worthy of absolution? Maybe stumbling upon the resistance is the answer she's been looking for.

Chapter Warnings: nothing crazy in this one, just some cute Woo and Sera, Yunho and Sera, and Sera figuring out their not-so-secret secret.

Word Count: 11.7k

read here on AO3

Absolution Masterlist

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**

Yunho’s claim regarding Wooyoung’s breakfast making abilities reigned true, even if he did have help from both Jongho and Seonghwa. Pancakes won out from their original argument, but it didn’t stop there. The trio also made eggs, hash browns, sausage, and cut up a variety of fruits much to Sera’s pleasure, all under Wooyoung’s watchful eye and direction. The pancakes weren’t just your average pancakes, though. Some were loaded with blueberries, others had ripened bananas mixed into the batter, and some more savory with bacon crumbles. As much as Sera wanted to try them all, her stomach was in no position to indulge. The weeks of rationing truly had taken a toll on her, both internally and externally. 

Continuing to take in the chatter around her, Sera kept her ears open for any hint of what this group could be while enjoying the meal. Nothing said so far steered her in any certain direction, but she assumed that if there was more to them they would be doing their best to hide it from her- a stranger they knew absolutely nothing about. Conversations even amongst the eight seemed superficial, centering on trivial things like whose turn it was to do dishes and make  dinner. All the while these statements and questions intermixed with jokes and laughs. Their bonds ran deep. 

It made Sera miss Jay and Jiwoo and their own inside jokes. 

For a fleeting moment, she even missed Ender and Chankgyun.

Most of all she missed Ryland. 

Plates quickly emptied and soone people steadily started filing out. Mingi and Yeosang reluctantly had dish duty, getting to work on those almost immediately. Wooyoung excused himself to his ‘garage,’ but not before shooting a blinding smile at Sera. Hongjoong followed him out of the kitchen, mumbling something under his breath that she couldn’t quite catch. Seonghwa and San took off towards the back hallway Hongjoong, Yunho, and Seonghwa went through the night before. Jongho left in the same direction as Wooyoung and Hongjoong. 

“Alright, Just Sera… how about we go get your room set up?” Yunho asked, nudging her with his shoulder before he stood. He grabbed the empty plate in front of her to place in the sink for Mingi and Yeosang. The two grumbled slightly due to the sheer amount of dishes piled around them. 

“Are you sure you don’t have other things to do?” Sera questioned as she too stood, skooching the stool back under the raised counter. It seemed everyone in the house had some sort of task at hand. Maybe she would be able to sneak some answers out of Yunho about what those were.

“You have my undivided attention, at least for the moment.” Yunho didn’t miss a beat.

Together they walked out of the room, both briefly acknowledging Yeosang and Mingi before they left. Instead of walking up the stairs, Yunho led her to the hallway on the other side of the staircase. Doors also lined this hallway Yunho made no mention of what most were, but Sera took note of how some had keypads. Why were keypads needed on so many doors?

“I figured you would want your laundry before we did anything else�� unless you want to wear my clothes for the entirety of your stay,” he said with a wink as he opened one of the doors. “You do pull off that hoodie quite well.”

It was a dedicated laundry room, not large by any means, but large enough to house two washing machines and dryers. Cabinets hung above the machines, as well as along the back wall. The counter space beneath the window had some folded clothes already on it and laundry baskets. One basket held Sera’s clothes, her backpack resting next to it. 

“You’re awfully flirtatious, Yunho,” she retorted, even though she’d love to keep the oversized garment. Still she smiled as she walked past to grab her belongings. “Did you find anything good in my bag?”

Yunho raised an eyebrow at her, crossing his arms as he leaned against the door frame. “Why do you think I would go through your bag?”

“As much as I think you offered to do my laundry out of the goodness of your heart, I think I can safely assume you wanted to go through it to see if there was something hidden. Weapons. A bug. Something along those lines.” 

His initial speculation regarding Sera’s intelligence of her was correct. Yunho had in fact sifted through every inch of her bag, going through each pocket meticulously. He even brought it to Wooyoung to search for anything electronic hidden within, knowing Wooyoung would be able to sense anything mechanical and short circuit it immediately if need be. He hoped to find something to indicate who and what she was to the military or something regarding her family, anything about her. But Yunho found nothing besides ration wrappers and dirty clothes while Wooyoung found no form of electronics. 

He clutched at his heart, grimacing and scrunching his eyes as if in pain. “You only assume the worst of me,” he teased, but his expression quickly shifted into something more serious. “But, I think we both know that if I went through your things and if I found something, you would have known. Hypothetically speaking, of course.” 

Sera added her backpack to the laundry basket. It looked just as clean as her clothes since Yunho also ran it through the washing machine. “Well, hypothetically speaking, I’m sure that would explain Hongjoong’s difference in demeanor this morning.” She picked up the laundry basket, never breaking her gaze from Yunho.

His eyes twinkled back at her, a smug smile plastered on his face. “He may also have a bit of a soft spot for military deserters.” 

“Flirtatious and forthcoming this morning I see.” 

Yunho stepped into the laundry room to open one of the cabinets along the back wall. He rummaged through it, grabbing a set of sheets and a blanket. “No need to lie to you, Just Sera.” 

This time Sera led the way out of the laundry room back into the main area, eyes scanning every inch of the house she could manage now that sunlight poured through the windows in the living room and entryway. The entire house seemed homey and well loved. Sera noticed another door with a keypad before turning to go up the staircase. 

“This way, m’lady,” Yunho said smoothly, squeezing around Sera and walking to the door opposite his. It opened without a scan or code despite the keypad. “Looks like Seonghwa already cleaned it up a bit.” 

The room was set up very similarly to Yunho’s, only more bare. The only glaring difference being a much larger window residing over the bed along the back wall. Through the panes, Sera saw the lake not far off from the house, the breeze creating small ripples on the otherwise calm waters. Still a good distance away, but much closer than Sera thought.  

“I’m going to change before we do anything,” Sera stated, heading straight for what she assumed to be a bathroom. 

Her assumption was correct, only this one did not have the large, stand alone glass shower like Yeosang and Yunho’s. A large bathtub and shower combo took up most of the wall, a toilet residing on the other side. Not a speck of grime could be found on the pristine white counter and sink. A cabinet to hold towels and other supplies sat next to it

In the mirror, Sera looked the most well rested she had in weeks. Color returned to her face, even if the bags beneath her eyes remained dark. A few more days of sleep in a legitimate bed and home cooked meals would only continue to do her body well. 

Rummaging through the laundry basket, Sera grabbed a pair of black cargo pants and sage green cropped tank top to replace Yunho’s sweats and hoodie. She looked even more like herself now that she wasn’t swimming in Yunho’s clothes. 

Back in the room, Yunho started putting the sheets onto the bed. He glanced back when he heard the bathroom door open. Instantly his eyes went to the vine twisting up her arm, following it up and across her collar bone, before noticing the leaves and flowers peeking out of the space between her top and the waistband of her pants. They didn’t linger long on any given part, yet long enough to realize how large the piece was despite a majority of it still being hidden. 

“How many of those do you have?” he asked very casually, quickly going back to tucking in a corner of the sheet. 

“Not enough,” she said with a smile. Sera made her way over to help, going to the opposite side of Yunho to tuck in the edges securely. Yunho quickly found the triangles on her other forearm when they worked together to lay the comforter on top of the freshly made bed, but didn’t mention anything else about the artwork on her skin. “Thank you again, Yunho. I really do appreciate this. All of it.” But now seemed the perfect time to question him. “How long were you in?” Her voice was quiet.

The question didn’t take Yunho by surprise, expecting his military past to arise. “Two years… more than enough for me.” 

Silence filled the air. Two years. Sera wondered what happened within that timeframe to drive him to leave. Deserting was common in the military, especially under the rule of Sera’s father.  Although most of those who did leave did not feel the air of freedom for long. Many were brought back, but most were killed. 

“I think it’s only fair you tell me now, Sera. You want answers from me… I want some from you. Give and take,” Yunho added. 

With a sigh, she crossed her arms. A give and take of information made sense. General questions wouldn’t give away her true identity, and her fake backstory would provide answers for anything more specific. “Five.” 

“So we would have had a little crossover time in the academy…” he murmured. Wheels turned in his head while he tried to remember if he ever crossed paths with Sera. An ability like that would be hard to forget.

Given the number of units and classes within the academy, odds of them ever crossing paths would be slim, especially with the further separation by entry year. After two years, those with powerful or remarkable abilities received specialized training, taking a completely different route than most students. Unbeknownst to him, Sera was given a fake identity for the entirety of her four years at the academy with only select officials knowing the truth. Even if he had heard of her and her abilities, it would have been under the guise of Amelia Lee until receiving her code name of Echo. 

“Maybe a little bit, unless you were impressive enough that you received specialized training.” 

Yunho cocked an eyebrow, smirking slightly. He spent extra time fluffing up one of the pillows while debating on how to answer her. As simple of a statement, but a very telling one for both of them. 

“Those were a fun two years, weren’t they?” A simple enough response in return. Not a yes, but definitive enough to tell Sera that he had been on a  tactical team, or at least something similar. Not only that, it meant he had an ability, a remarkable one at that. For Yunho, it was more confirmation of Sera’s importance.

They had more in common than either originally thought. A knock on the open door stopped both of them from any further conversation on the topic, wiping the small smirk from Sera’s face.

“I’m not interrupting something, am I?” San asked with his own smirk. Crossing through the room, he immediately threw himself on Sera’s newly made bed. “Yu, Seonghwa needs your help.” 

“Of course he does,” Yunho responded with a roll of his eyes. 

“Way to make yourself comfortable. I take it you’re on babysitting duty then?” Sera asked with a laugh. It made sense for them to have eyes on her at all times. 

San placed his arms behind his head, making his biceps bulge, and crossed his feet at the ankles. “Captain’s orders.” 

“Captain’s orders, huh?” Sera echoed. “I must seem more untrustworthy than I thought. I figured Hongjoong would’ve been a little more at ease knowing my bag was clear.”

She rightly assumed Hongjoong to be the Captain in question based on the events of last night. A correct assumption judging by San and Yunho’s faces. Slowly, Sera gained more information. She thought that getting it out of Yunho would be the easiest, but with how quickly San let this slip she shifted her sights to him. What else would he accidentally divulge?

“Just due diligence, Sera,” Yunho said with a sigh, ignoring San’s widened eyes. He didn’t bother reprimanding San, nor did he feel the need to come up with an excuse knowing full well Sera wouldn’t believe it. “Be nice to my girl, Sannie. She’ll beat your ass if you’re not.”

San rolled his eyes at Yunho, before looking back to Sera. “I’m sure she could try,” he teased with a dimpled smile and wink. 

Sera didn’t bother responding to the joke, not feeling the need to broadcast the true extent of her fight capabilities. Yunho knew enough and could make further assumptions based on their shared specialized training. Four drunk men were a walk in the park compared to some of the other battles she’d partook in. Just by looking at San she knew he would make for a challenging fight.

“Better not keep Seonghwa waiting,” Sera said to Yunho with a smile. 

“Yeah, I don’t want the stick shoved even further up his ass,” Yunho mumbled while he made his way to the door. “I’ll save you from San’s company later… but I mean it. Beat his ass if necessary.”

On that note, Yunho exited the room, leaving Sera to look at San laying in her bed. Unsure of how to navigate him, Sera sat down at the opposite end near San’s feet. Much like Yuhno and Woo, nothing about San screamed outright danger to her. But he had this aura about him, something dangerous beneath his warm cat eyes and dimpled smile. Regardless, she found it easy to be around him. 

“So, what does this babysitting duty actually entail?” Sera questioned, tucking her legs to sit criss crossed. 

Sitting up, San mirrored her positioning. He chuckled slightly, but looked slightly uneasy knowing he’d accidentally slipped up once. “Just eyes on you, Sera. You can’t blame us… we don’t know you, even though Yunho vouched for you.” 

“You act like you have something to hide, San,” Sera said. The pointed observation made San shift slightly. But the comment regarding Yunho stuck out to her. Why would he need to vouch for her? Beyond that, why would he so easily and readily?

“We’re just eight dudes living together,” San laughed, now much more aware of how he answered questions. He couldn’t risk another slip up. Hongjoong would kill him if he knew, but he didn’t think Yunho would mention the error to him. “I was actually going to see if you wanted out of the house. The storm last night was a doozy, and I want to make sure the trails around the house are clear and check on the dock.” He gestured towards the lake in the window behind him. 

“Getting out of the house sounds great actually,” Sera said without a second thought. Going near the water and out through the forest was exactly what she needed. As she followed San out the door she paused. “Wait, you’re not going to murder me in the woods, are you?”

“I guess you’ll have to find that out, Sera.”

**

Sera ended up spending the next week in the house. Yunho easily convinced her every day, with a little added help from Wooyoung, San, and Mingi. The conversation always went the same. “What’s one more day Sera?” The group made it difficult to say no. Over the course of her stay, the babysitting duty as Sera lovingly called it rotated between all eight men in the house, even though she spent most of her time with Yunho at his insistence. All showed her kindness, but some were more open than others. 

Understandably, Hongjoong kept her at arm’s length. However, he was very easy to converse with, his wit and intelligence seeping through every conversation the two had. He opened up to her slightly, especially with knowing her deserter status. Still uncertain as to why Hongjoong had a soft spot for them, as Yunho said, she could only assume it had something to do with him.

Yeosang also started to be more reserved with her, however she attributed some of that to his personality. Definitely one of the more quiet members of the house, he chose to listen rather than speak. He quickly showed her their small library, often sitting with him amongst the books. Here their conversations sparked into neverending discussions of their favorite books and authors. 

Seonghwa’s guard dropped slightly after a couple of days. Yunho made endless jokes about him finally removing the stick from his ass, although Seonghwa was less than thrilled about them. Often he sat with her on the one of the benches on the porch, doing his best to distract Sera from the comings and goings of the others. Still, Sera sensed hesitation from him, not blaming him in the slightest for being weary of her.

Jongho opened up to Sera almost immediately. She didn’t miss the perplexed look on his face during his first shift with her, but had no indication of what it meant yet. Despite that, he appeared to be very much at ease with her. He frequently disappeared into one of the rooms on the main floor that Sera wasn’t allowed in, always offering some form of lame excuse.

Mingi started off slightly cold with her, but quickly warmed up. Given his hard exterior, Sera was completely surprised to find that he was much softer, especially with Yunho. The three of them spent the most time together, giving Sera a clear view of their relationship. Always a show with them, the pair were almost always laughing or bickering with one another. Thanks to Yunho, Sera always found herself in the middle, often choosing to side with Mingi just to get a rise out of Yunho. 

San was a literal energizer. After a day or so he pounded on Sera’s door to come run with him. Although, he wasn’t thrilled about how she easily kept pace with him, nor how her endurance seemed to surpass his. It led to friendly challenges between the two, a toss up on who would win each time. Mostly, though, Sera enjoyed the time outside, always running the trails through the woods surrounding the house. Some days they wound up on the dock while they caught their breaths and stretched, falling into easy conversation and laughs.

Wooyoung found his way to Sera almost as often as Yunho did. Every morning they sat together, sometimes on the porch, sometimes in the kitchen, even going to sit on the dock one day, but always with a cup of coffee in hand. It became a nice little routine between the two of them, and quickly something Sera looked forward to each day. Her time with Wooyoung was some of the easiest, always filled with genuine laughs, smiles, and a touch of flirting.

Yunho was constantly by her side, each day finding more commonality between them. Often it came from implied comments and reading into questions and subsequent answers, neither choosing to be too upfront. This instant comfortability between them couldn’t be denied. 

Her time had been enlightening, to say the least. Thanks to some well timed eavesdropping, observations, and smart questioning she finally had the answer she searched for regarding the group. 

They were a part of the resistance, more than likely a focal piece at that. 

She speculated that when she saw the drones her very first night. Hongjoong’s hesitant behavior made all the more sense, not wanting any outsider to come into their small zone of safety. The secrecy, the constant eyes on her, their hushed conversations, and limited access through the house made all the more sense now. Sera quickly deduced they were planning something, especially when she overheard Hongjoong telling Yunho she needed to be out in the next couple of days. 

After testing the waters with Yunho, she decided today would be the day she addressed her suspicions with him. She hoped he would come clean with her probing days ago, but he stayed firm. An unmistakable twinkle entered his eyes whenever Sera hinted she knew more. Not once did he shut her down, but he never concretely confirmed her thoughts. 

Like every other morning, Wooyoung waited for Sera in the kitchen with a cup of coffee resting in her place at the counter. “You’re late,” he teased, leaning on his elbows across from her once she sat down. His own mug obscured half his face but did nothing to hide the crinkle in his eyes from smiling. 

“Or you’re early,” she retorted, wrinkling her nose at him before cupping her hands around the mug. Playfulness emerged quickly between them during their morning meetings. Hints of vanilla came from the liquid today. Wooyoung constantly shifted how he made her coffee, taking notes on which she liked the best. A smile bloomed on her face following the first sip. “This is good, Wooyoung. Really good.”

“Of course it is. Everything I make is good,” he said with a smug grin. “Gimme the ranking though. Don’t think you’re getting out of that.” 

“The hazelnut one still reigns supreme,” Sera said with a small laugh. The morning ranking also became a necessary part of their newly formed morning routine. “Has Yunho been down here yet?”

At the mention of Yunho’s name, Wooyoung's eyes narrowed slightly. For some reason, his mood changed whenever Sera mentioned Yunho. “No, he hasn’t. Why?”

“Just needed to ask him something is all,” Sera said with a shrug before looking out the window behind her. “It’s too nice out to be sitting inside. Porch?”  

Wooyoung stood upright and began walking towards the door in the kitchen. “Have I told you no yet?” 

A porch swing hung not too far to the right of the door. Sera found herself there frequently, especially with Wooyoung the past few mornings. She tucked herself into the corner, leaning her back against the side rail and pulling her knees to her chest. Wooyoung took residence in the opposite corner, also settling against the side railing to face her. Today their feet were much closer together, so close in fact that one of Wooyoung’s nestled between hers, their knees knocking together slightly as the swing swayed. 

Sera appreciated the easy and comfortable silence between them, especially this morning with her brain going a million different directions. As certain as she was that they were members of the resistance she hadn’t quite teased out their roles beyond Hongjoong. She speculated that both Yunho and Seonghwa were higher in whatever ranking they had here, but had nothing to confirm that thought. But Wooyoung and the others? Less of an idea. 

“You’re spacey this morning,” Wooyoung said softly, bumping his knee into hers. “Everything okay?” Light concern crept onto his face. 

Sera offered him a warm smile regardless of her running brain. “Just thinking about my next steps is all.” Not a complete lie, her plan just happened to be contingent on Hongjoong.

“Do you have a next step?” 

“Awfully blunt of you,” Sera huffed. She chose to look off into the distance instead of meeting his gaze. “Maybe… I don’t really know what’s next if I’m being honest.” 

Wooyoung carefully studied her profile. He found her stunning, even more so in the morning. The soft light hit her sharp cheekbones and cast a warm glow into her otherwise cool toned eyes. Quickly he shook the idea of her out of his head, remembering that she would be out of his sights very soon. 

“Talk to Hongjoong. Even if you don’t have an idea, go to him. He knows a lot of people�� he can steer you in a direction at least.” 

Still staring at the forest, Sera laughed softly. That was her intention, but not for Hongjoong to provide some sort of guidance, as Wooyoung implied, but to ask to stay. To join them. To be a part of something bigger than herself. 

Finally she turned to him, offering him a closed smile. “Not a bad idea at all, Wooyoung.”

She took in how the sunlight shifted his eyes from a deep brown into the color of warm honey and how fondly he looked at her. 

Mischief filled them quickly. “I’m more than just a handsome face, Sera. I do have a brain,” he bumped his knee into hers again. Flirtation between them had grown steadily over the last week. The corners of Sera’s mouth twitched, an acknowledgment that he did have an extremely handsome face. An acknowledgement he did not miss. 

Comfortable silence resumed, broken only by the intermittent creaking of the swing and the rustling of leaves. Questions silently rolled through both Wooyoung and Sera, some similar in nature. Was their attraction to each other mutual? And was it just that- an attraction? Sera never never let herself grow attached to others, Jay and Jiwoo being the only exceptions beyond her family. Feelings were a hazard. Something to be used against her. 

Wooyoung’s brain drifted towards Sera leaving their house. Selfishly, he wanted her to stay. To get to know her further Nor was he the only one who wanted that. Sera had become a near constant topic of conversation amongst the team, most showing genuine curiosity towards her.

Sera’s thoughts wandered towards the impending conversation with Hongjoong. Preferably she’d speak to Yunho first. Maybe even convince him to support her. Even though her time here had been limited, Yunho had somehow become an ally. On more than one occasion he provided her answers, albeit unclear ones, but answers nonetheless. He’d become a safe place for her, one that she found herself seeking out. But connections formed beyond Yunho and Wooyoung, her time with San and Mingi all the more evidence of that. 

Joining the resistance was everything Sera craved. A chance at retaking her life. A possibility to atone for the many, many sins. An opportunity to fight against her father’s tyranny. 

She just needed to be right about this. Rarely did her intuition steer her wrong. 

“There’s my girl,” Yunho’s voice pulled Sera and Wooyoung from their silent thoughts. The chains of the porch swing rattled when Yunho grabbed them, angling his head downward to smile at Sera. 

Tilting hers up to look at him, she returned the grin. She no longer argued over his silly nicknames for her. “I was actually looking for you.” 

“Looks like you tried very hard to find me.” The teasing tone seemed to irritate Wooyoung. While the ongoing tension between them seemed minor, it was palpable enough for Sera to notice it. She didn’t know either man well enough to determine if this tension was just the nature of their relationship or a recent change. 

“Coffee is always my first priority,” Sera took an exaggerated sip from her mug.

“And let’s be honest, my company is much better,” Wooyoung sat up straighter. He made no attempt at hiding his brief glare, nor did Yunho hide his pronounced eye roll. 

Ignoring Wooyoung, Yunho’s focus returned to Sera. “Well, you’ve found me. What’s up?”

This conversation couldn’t be had with Wooyoung around. Annoyance appeared on his face when Sera gently pushed his leg away from hers to stand, but kept any comment to himself. “Just needed to talk to you. Do you have a minute?” At Yunho’s nod she turned to Wooyoung. Eyes met hers eagerly, but Sera found a hint of disappointment in them. “I’ll search a little harder for you afterwards, Wooyoung.”

His eyes lit up, playfulness returning, “Don’t think I’ll make it easy for you to find me.”

Sera followed Yunho back into the kitchen. The house was eerily quiet this morning, not another soul around. Yunho paused for a moment, eyes flicking towards the dining room table. Ignoring the invitation to sit, Sera latched onto Yunho’s wrist, pulling him towards the living room and entryway. Although his eyes widened in surprise, he allowed Sera to drag him upstairs into her room. 

“That was unexpected,” he mumbled once the door clicked behind them and Sera dropped his arm. “Before we get into anything, what’s going on with you and Woo?”

“What do you mean, what’s going on with me and Wooyoung?” The question caught her off guard and she furrowed her brows, immediately becoming flustered. Amusement only grew on Yunho’s face at her bewilderment.

He snickered slightly with a knowing grin. “Forget it… but what did you want to talk to me about, Just Sera?”

Suddenly Sera became nervous. What if she was wrong? Swallowing down the feeling, she raised her gaze. “I know. I know you’re part of the resistance. And I want in, Yunho. I want to stay. I want to fight.” 

A twinkle entered his eyes like it did any other time she implied she knew, his smile faint. “What makes you think that, Sera?” He took a step towards her, closing the distance between them even further. 

“Do I need to explain it twice, or can we just have one conversation with Hongjoong?” 

“Why do you think you need Hongjoong?” 

“I know he’s in charge,” she rolled her eyes, “San let that slip very quickly with the captain comment. It wasn’t hard to figure that out anyway, Yunho. I’d assumed as much after my first night. ” 

He crowded into her space, looking down at her once more. Not once did the smile drift from his lips. Their eyes locked together fiercely. While not small by any means, she was compared to him. Yet she stared up at him with resolution in her steely eyes. Yunho found it endearing.

“Let’s talk to Hongjoong then.” 

Yunho turned on his heel. Hongjoong was in their planning room already, working on finalizing the last pieces of their mission. Yunho had been with him until he went to grab Sera outside. Unless he had wrapped things up at an unrealistic pace he would still be pouring over the many lists, blueprints, and computer screens, accounting for every potential variable. Without a doubt Hongjoong would be upset about bringing Sera in there, but Yunho didn’t care. She had figured it out, just as he knew she would. He had no qualms or hesitations about her staying as long as she fit in with their group. Sera already meshed well enough with them personality wise, hopefully her ability would do the same. 

They walked in silence, Sera trailing close behind him. Once again they didn’t meet anyone on their walk through the living room, kitchen, or down the hallway. Everyone in the house was busy doing their last minute prepping for the mission. In the basement, San and Seonghwa went through their small armory, inventorying bullets and choosing what to bring on the mission. Jongho and Mingi organized the medical bay. Even though Jongho would be staying back, Mingi needed to make sure their kits were stocked in case of an emergency. Yeosang went over the vehicles in the garage/ They couldn’t run the risk of a flat tire or malfunction of any kind. Always with something to work on, Wooyoung fine tuned his circuit breakers for the upcoming mission in his workshop.

With bated breath Yunho scanned his thumb on the touchpad. As he opened the door he made sure to hide Sera behind him. A hand found its way to her side, tucking her in place to completely obscure her smaller frame. The gesture took her by surprise, but only for a moment. Her fingers drifted to his arm, holding onto it softly in search of reassurance.

“We need to speak with you.”

Hongjoong hadn’t moved, still pouring over papers strewn across the large table in the center of the room, pen tapping absentmindedly on the wood.  At their entrance his head slowly raised, an eyebrow moving upwards with his gaze. “We?” 

Sera attempted to step around Yunho, but he kept her hooked soundly behind his back. “Sera and I. She knows, Capt.” 

The pen dropped from Hongjoong’s hand with an audible sigh. He craned his neck to the side to find Sera lingering behind Yunho. “And you thought it was best to bring her in here for whatever conversation you feel needs to happen?”

Again, Sera tried to move past yet Yunho tightened his hold, spreading his fingers across her lower back. Sera shifted her weight to peek around him, unsure of why he was so determined to keep her place. Hongjoong looked annoyed, but not angry. 

“That’s exactly what I think is best, Hongjoong,” Yunho stated firmly. 

Another sigh escaped Hongjoong. Even if Sera knew, he wouldn’t let her know outright. Despite some slips, Hongjoong felt the team had done a good job of keeping things relatively underwraps with the exception of San. 

“Alright, Sera,” he shuffled the papers in front of him slightly, “what is it you think you know.” 

Finally Yunho removed his arm, allowing Sera by him. He moved closer to Hongjoong, crossing his arms and giving Sera an encouraging nod. She didn’t bother investigating the room, choosing to focus directly on Hongjoong. There would hopefully be time later to figure out the secrets of the house. After she convinced Hongjoong of course.

“I know that you are a part of the resistance. I know that you are in charge of this team. And I know that most of you, if not all, have some form of ability.” 

The corner of Hongjoong’s mouth twitched. Beyond that he kept his face straight, tone even. “And what evidence do you have for those claims?” 

“Night one I saw drones hidden in the garage… terribly hidden, if I might add. All the locks on the doors, moving around in secrecy. You’ve limited my access to a majority of the house and had someone constantly watching over me. Everyone has had some sort of job since I’ve been here, and you’ve been hiding those as well. Something is happening, and soon. If you want specifics, I can go into detail about how each member of your team has done or said something to point me to this conclusion.” 

Yunho and Hongjoong remained silent, giving Sera the space to continue speaking. Hongjoong’s face stayed void of any expression. Yunho did nothing to hide his smirk, his eyes screaming “I told you so.” 

“As for you being in charge? In the car on my way here Seonghwa immediately asked if my coming had been cleared by you. Your behavior in the kitchen and calling him and Yunho into your little meeting only solidified my thoughts. Not to mention San slipping up and calling you captain, Captain. He’s also how I determined you guys have supes… I overheard a nice little conversation between Mingi and him about how exhausting it is having to hide away. Not to mention how boring it’s been having to act ‘normal.’ I do know for a fact Yunho has one, or else he would not have received the specialized training at the academy.” 

“It would be San…” Hongjoong muttered with a scowl. He cast a glance over to a smug Yunho, relishing in the fact that he was right. “So, Sera, what are you wanting to do with this information?”

“I want in, Hongjoong.” Sera stated confidently. “I want to stay.” 

“There’s much more to just wanting in, especially if the intention is to stay here. You’re not wrong in any of your findings. We are a part of the resistance, specifically their response to the Crown’s tactical teams. A place within the resistance is easy to find, a place within this team is not,” Hongjoong stated matter of factly. Typically he would not have given up this information so easily, but over the week he had grown to trust Sera. Yunho seemed to trust her wholeheartedly almost immediately and shared all the information he gathered from her. The question of her being a spy constantly floated around the house, but the risk of someone infiltrating the resistance always happened with new recruits, especially those that were former military. There had been plenty of opportunities for Sera to hurt them, or worse, kill them. Yet everyone remained unharmed. 

Sera crossed her arms. She assumed she would be questioned more by him. That he would argue with her, try to hide what this group was. Without a doubt she would be an asset to the team. She only needed to prove it.  

“What do you need to see from me? I’m sure Yunho informed you of my specialized training,” she chewed her cheek, debating how much to share. In this case she wondered if sharing more would earn her more trust from Hongjoong. Or, would sharing her role in the military make them want to kill her on the spot. It was a huge risk, but one she needed to take. “I was on a tactical team for the entirety of my five years in the military. I’m not proud of the things I’ve done, but believe me when I say there is nobody who wants to see the Crown fall more than me. There shouldn’t be a question on my abilities, or my ability to fight.”

Air grew heavy in the room at her admission. While Yunho had told Hongjoong of her background, neither were aware of just how long she served on a tactical team. The two shared a fleeting glance, realizing just how dangerous Sera could be.

“I’m not questioning you, Sera.” Hongjoong chose to ignore half of her statement. He wasn’t one to hold the past over people. If that were the case Yunho would not be in the resistance, let alone on his team. “Nor am I saying you can’t stay. Since Yunho told me about the golden… blobs?” he sought confirmation from Yunho, who responded with a nod, “I can’t say we haven’t been curious about what your ability may be. I myself am surprised at how easily you’ve integrated here this week. Everyone already seems partial to you, but you have to bring something to our team in order to stay.” 

“How attached are you to that chair?” Sera asked, nodding towards one of the few settled around the table. 

Hongjoong blinked, face molding into confusion. “It’s just a chair?”

In an instant, Sera’s eyes shifted gold. Matter didn’t pour from her fingers, at least not yet. Instead her focus was on the chair, choosing to show this part of her ability first. The wooden seat liquified, pooling around the legs of the table. Soon that disappeared, replaced by golden mist that swirled around for a moment before the chair reappeared in its original place. It was identical to before, besides her new golden, floral additions along the arm and backrests. She smiled at the look of shock Hongjoong’s and Yunho’s face. Yet she hadn’t even showed them the extent of her powers.

Now she let the matter pour from her fingertips, allowing it to float around her in waves. “I have control over all forms of matter,” she said softly, continuing to play with the golden liquid around her. “My own is always gold, but I can manipulate everything in the world around me. Changing it. Reforming it. Creating something new.” 

The men were mesmerized. Sera created new shapes above her head, beginning with rudimentary spheres or cubes before shifting to more complex, multifaceted stars. Forming a ball in her hand, she tossed it to Yunho. He inspected it carefully, rubbing his fingers along the smooth curves before handing it to Hongjoong. They quickly saw potential in her ability, both in the field and outside it.

“Can I just say I think this is cooler than I thought it was going to be?” Yunho said with a laugh, beaming over at Sera. “Is there anything you can’t do with it?”

Sera shook her head. “Nothing I haven’t figured out at least. I can even play around with weight, textures, and consistencies.” The matter disappeared as her eyes transitioned, but the ball still remained in Hongjoong’s fingers. “There’s been some trial and error over the years, especially with what I can do around me. The easiest way to explain it is if it’s matter, I can control it. Even things like air, water, fire…” her voice trailed off at the end when visions of Ender’s flames burned into her head.

Still speechless, Hongjoong investigated the ball with wide eyes and opened mouth, the tip of his tongue poking out. “How come this stayed?” he questioned. “Same with the gold on the chair?”

“Because I wanted it to. When I put things back together they return to their original state and look, unless I add something to it. That is always gold.” 

“Well, Sera, I think you’re more than either of us anticipated you to be,” Yunho said with a smile. “Anything else ability wise? Not that what you showed us isn’t impressive enough.” 

Sera smirked. “Telekinesis.”

“And?”

“Adaptive reflexes and heightened senses.”

“And?” Yunho’s smile grew wider.

“Advanced healing.” 

“And?”

“That’s it.” 

Hongjoong studied her expression, searching for anything more. Hiding her mind control abilities was something Sera was well accustomed to at this point. Her physical abilities should be more than enough to earn her place. While her mind control could make her even more of an asset, she had no desire to share that piece. She questioned if she would ever share it. She didn’t want to become a slave to the resistance, using her power for their own version of righteousness. Sera would never take the chance of someone else having control of her. The only person who had that right would be herself. The irony of it all suddenly sunk into Sera. With all of her ways to control and manipulate the world, she had never been in control of herself. Always under the thumb of her father and the Crown. Even Changkyun in a way. But not anymore.

Rising from his chair, Hongjoong stepped towards Sera. He immediately noticed the strange look on her face, but chose not to overwhelm her with more questions. “Despite me being captain, we make every decision as a team. I’ll get everyone together in the living room. We’ll vote on Sera joining us.” This decision couldn’t be his alone, even if his mind was already made up. With that he strode out of the room to gather the rest of his team.

Yunho’s hands found their way onto her shoulders. “You’re full of surprise, Just Sera,” he steered her out of the room with a soft grip. When Sera turned to look at his face she found a smile. His head dipped towards her ear, increasing the pressure through his fingers. “I hope you know my vote.” The pressure left her shoulders when they arrived in the living room, only for a hand to reach out for her wrist like she had done earlier in the morning. Tugging her down on one of the couches he sat beside her, arm running along behind her.

Through the week Yunho became slightly more physical with her, but nothing in a way that made Sera feel uncomfortable. Playful nudges here and there. Squeezes to her shoulders and arms. Even the random reach for her hips. But that only happened when she nearly fell down the stairs to chase after San and Mingi one night. Up until this point their conversations had only been laced with innuendos and shadowy references to their respective pasts. With everything on the table now Sera wondered just how much they would share with each other. Few people understood the type of military life Sera experienced. Even with what little had been shared, Sera knew Yunho was one of the few people who could understand her. 

Seonghwa and San entered first. “What’s going on?” San asked, bouncing onto the couch next to Yunho. “All Hongjoong said was go to the living room.” 

Seonghwa sat down on the large armchair, his typical spot in the living room, gaze not straying from Sera. “If I was a betting man, I would assume it has something to do with our guest, San.”

The rest of the team trinkled in. Mingi and Jongho’s chatter ceased when they sat down on one of the other couches. Instead of sitting on one of the other pieces of furniture, Wooyoung settled himself on the floor in front of Sera, but not before his eyes traced Yunho’s arm disappearing behind her back. He sat against her legs, shimmying about until comfortable. Tilting his head back, he gave her the warmest smile. Yeosang stood behind Seonghwa’s chair, leaning on the backrest. All eyes went to Hongjoong standing in front of them. He looked very much a leader, commanding attention without saying a word. 

“Sera has correctly figured out that we are a part of the resistance,” he began with a sigh. Not a single gaze drifted from him. “She has expressed the desire to join, more specifically join this team.” Wooyoung shifted in front of her, clenching his jaw. Hongjoong continued speaking matter of factly. “Her ability would warrant her a position here. However, you know we make all decisions as a team. We will be voting on whether or not Sera has a place here, not if she has a place within the resistance.”

“I think at a minimum we need to know what her ability is… and her full name,” Seonghwa responded first. His hesitation towards her continued. “A sense of trust comes from knowing those things, or else we are voting without having all the necessary information.” His gaze moved from his captain to Sera. “So, is it going to continue being Just Sera or-?”

“Sera Banks.” The name rolled off her lips easily. A common enough name to not draw attention, but one that made her feel closer to Ryland.  “As for my ability…” she closed her eyes. When they opened the six other pairs of eyes were met with pools of gold, liquid seeping out of her fingers. She provided it the same treatment, molding it into different shapes and navigating them around the room. Again she was met with the same looks of wonder from those who had not already seen her work. “I have control over my own gold matter, but can also manipulate everything in the world around me. I also have telekinesis, adaptive reflexes, heightened sense, and advanced healing.” 

“She melted a chair and put it back together, for further reference,” Yunho added, providing her yet another reassuring smile despite the tension flowing in the room. Following a pointed nod from Hongjoong she dissipated her matter.

Hongjoong picked up where he left off. “We’ll start with you, Yunho.” 

“Yes, obviously.” He placed his arm around her shoulder now, nestling Sera neatly into the space beneath his shoulder

“Mingi,” Hongjoong’s gaze shifted towards the other couch. 

“I’m saying yes, too.” 

“Jongho.”

He didn’t answer right away and took care to avoid Sera’s eyes. Finally, he spoke. “It’s nothing against you, Sera. But I can’t read you. I can’t get a grasp of your emotions or tell if you’re lying. After a week of you being here I can’t say that I trust you enough to let you stay. My vote is no.” 

Sera blinked in surprise. Jongho had given her no indication that he didn’t like her, quite the opposite actually. He was always friendly, albeit a little guarded. His quizzical expressions now made more sense, as well as his deeper form of questioning when they spent time together. Whatever his ability entailed, it had to be something with reading people. Her own powers blocked other forms of mental abilities, meaning he would be met with nothing whenever he probed into her mind or emotions

“Two yeses, one no,” Hongjoong reiterated. “Seonghwa.”

“I agree with Jongho. I feel like a week is too short of a timeframe to make a sound decision on whether or not she would fit into this team. The fact he can’t read her emotions or tell if she is lying makes me even more uneasy. My vote is also no.” 

Sera tensed beside Yunho. Two to two. Worry filled her. What if the vote didn’t go her way? Sensing her discomfort, Yunho pulled her even closer. Worry entered his mind, although he’d never admit that to Sera. Even Wooyoung beneath her wound one of his arms around her leg when he felt her tense. Sera fought the urge to reach out for his shoulders, instead choosing to keep her hands fisted in her lap. 

“Yeosang.”

“Yes,” he said simply. A man of few words, he didn’t feel the need to explain his choices. Jongho and Seonghwa would be upset with him since he typically sided with them on most matters. Already feeling Seonghwa’s glare he dipped his head down to the floor in avoidance. His response made Sera and Yunho breathe easier, especially following Jongho and Seonghwa’s firm nos. 

“San,” Hongjoong moved on quickly. 

“Yes from me.”

“And Wooyoung.”

“Yes,” he pressed against her calf, sighing deeply the moment the words left his mouth. 

Hongjoong kept a straight face only for a moment before letting a smile creep through. “Although my vote doesn't matter, it is also a yes. Sera Banks, welcome to the team.” 

Relief surged through her. She was staying and now had that chance for some form of redemption. “Thank you,” she began, “I promise you won’t regret this.” She turned to look at Jongho to find him avoiding her gaze. Seonghwa, on the other hand, stared directly at her, head cocked to the side. He didn’t look angry, only frustrated. She would need to figure out how to navigate them both moving forward.

“Now, in regards to the upcoming mission… Sera will of course stay back with Jongho, Wooyoung, and I to monitor from here. She can assist in the final prep, as well as start training consistently with everyone,” Hongjoong said. Eyes settled on Sera. “My intention is not to throw you into anything mission wise. You have built some trust with many of us, but more must be earned before we allow you to go with us. 

Sera nodded, respecting his decision. 

“Does this mean we don’t have to hide anything anymore?” San questioned. His face brightened significantly, a familiar twinkle entering it. 

“No, although from what I heard you weren’t doing a great job of that anyway.”

San gasped, lips coming out into a pout. “ME? I’m a steel trap… nothing comes out of this mouth that isn’t supposed to,” he tapped his lips for effect. The living room quickly filled with laughter and comments regarding San’s unintentional slip ups. Even Jongho participated in teasing the older man. 

“Hey, you and Mingi need to pay up, too,” Yunho boasted, smacking San in the chest with the back of his hand. “I won the bet… she figured it out in a week.” Pulling his arm from around Sera he placed both behind his head grinning smugly. 

Her head snapped towards him. “You did not make a bet about me,” she scowled, although she failed to contain her laughter. 

“You don’t want to know about the other bets then,” Mingi said with a mischievous smirk. 

“OTHER BETS?” 

All three men rolled with laughter. Sera could only imagine what bets they were referring to but knew there was a slim chance she would get it out of any of them. When said bets came to be, whether in or out of their favor, they would let her know. None of them were above gloating or wallowing.

“Enough about bets,” Hongjoong laughed. “Yunho, Seonghwa, Mingi, Yeosang, San, come back into the surveillance room with me. We’ll go over the blueprints of the building more indepthly. Woo, go get Sera fitted for our coms system and give her a real tour of the house. When that’s done take her to the med bay,” his gaze shifted to Jongho. “I’m assuming you’ll need to run baseline tests and do lab work, yes?” He pressed on at Jongho’s quick nod. “When everything’s done join us… we’ll run through the mission as a team.”

His firm overemphasis of the word team paired with a sharp glance at Seonghwa didn’t go unnoticed. The man paid his captain no mind and walked soundlessly out of the room, Yeosang close behind. 

“Alright, you’re with me then,” Wooyoung said with a grin as he stood, more than happy to show her around, and even happier with her staying. Yunho looked less than pleased at Captain’s orders. He wanted to be the one to show her around, to talk to her further about the happenings in the house, but with the importance of this mission knew better than to argue. 

Sera took his outstretched hand. Everyone filed out the room towards their respective destinations now. Yunho shot her a smile before disappearing with Mingi and San through the hallway. Wooyoung led her towards the same door she often saw him coming and going through. It led to a small breezeway with two more doors. One obviously led outside, the other to wherever Wooyoung was taking her.

“Welcome to my shop, Sera Banks,” he said with a dramatic flourish of his hand when he opened the door.

The shop in question was larger than Sera anticipated it to be. She had seen the building from the outside but never had any inclination of what it could be. Organized chaos was the perfect description. Tables filled with electronics lined the center. Half built machinery, tools, control panels, and scraps of metal were covering most of it. Utility carts were scattered around as well. Drawers and cabinets took up most of the wall space, all labeled with their contents. One wall was solely dedicated to an array of screens and keyboards, all looking as hightech as the ones the Crown used. Sera counted at least four tablets amongst the controls, as well as two laptops. A single staircase led upstairs to what looked like a loft, which must be where Wooyoung slept. A car had been pulled into the garage as well. The hood was propped open along with the two front doors. 

He sat down in the large, comfortable desk chair in front of the screens after he rolled over a simpler one. “C’mere,” he patted the cushion.

“This is quite impressive, Woo,” Sarah mused. 

“It’s my favorite place,” he said fondly. “I’m a technopath. So like how you have control over your pretty floating blobs, I have control over anything electronic and mechanical… and I’m a mean hacker and engineer. I can build just about anything.” 

Sera had the impression he downplayed his ability with his simple explanation. She hadn’t met many technopaths, not even through the military. Those she had met were pretty remarkable. It only made her all the more curious of Wooyoun and his rare gift.

“So you’re just as impressive then?”

Blush spread across his cheeks and he looked away from Sera. He didn’t bother pulling up anything on his larger screens, settling to use one of his tablets for whatever he needed to do. “Shit, I need a system first,” he muttered under his breath. Rolling a little ways down the panels, he grabbed a watch and small case. “So, this should be pretty similar to what you used in the military.” 

“You knew I was in the military?” Sera asked with a raised eyebrow. While she didn’t think it would be a secret, she hadn’t shared that information beyond Hongjoong and Yunho.

He didn’t bother looking up from the raised projections on the tablet, swiping and typing with ease. Sera was caught off guard by his focus, having only seen the fun loving version of him. “We all do, Sera. Don’t be mad… but we had to know who was staying with us.” 

“I’m not mad. It’s completely understandable.”

“That’s all we know though,” he continued swiping the figures. “Hand, pretty please.” He laid Sera’s hand on the tablet. His fingers lingered on hers even while the device scanned. “We use fingerprints to access our coms systems. All are connected, but it will only load the settings connecting to your fingerprint. So if you tried to unlock San’s, for example, it would open into your personal system, not his. We use different channels for actual communications. Some private. Some group. For missions we always change ‘em up just to be on the safe side, but we’ve never had an issue with others hacking us. Not that they would be able to, anyway.” 

“Seems simple enough,” Sera smiled. His hand still rested upon hers. “And to mess with my settings?” 

“On the watch, or on a tablet. I have one for you, actually.” He grabbed one from the desk and set it aside. Sera immediately missed the presence of his hand on hers. When he spun back towards her he positioned himself so that his legs were back on either side of hers. “I’ll bring it and a charging station up to your room later. We wear the watches constantly. These,” he gestured towards the small case, “are earpieces. They’re my own design, just like the watch. There’s already one inside ready to use, these are just extras if you need them.” 

She slipped on the watch. Immediately it tightened perfectly to her wrist, loose enough it wouldn’t cut off circulation yet snug enough that it wouldn’t slip off. Her finger caught on the notch at the top, immediately clicking out the earpiece Wooyoung talked about. It was small. Unless you knew what you were looking for they would be extremely difficult to find in an ear. 

“Are you ready for your actual tour of the house now?” Wooyoung asked. His tongue pressed against his upper canine as he smiled. “Then off for you to get poked and prodded. Do you want me to stay around for that? I mean…”

“Since Jongho didn’t want me to stay?” Sera forced a laugh. It had occurred to her that her time with him may be tense moving forward for a bit. All she wanted to do was figure out a way to prove to him she was trustworthy. “I’m a big girl, I can handle it.” A conversation needed to happen privately between them, even though she knew Wooyoung would provide a nice buffer if she wanted. 

“I never said you couldn’t handle it,” Wooyoung said softly. Everything about him screamed sincerity. He let his hands rest on the outside of her legs, but only for a moment. They drew back quickly as that familiar red tint blossomed across his cheeks. He stood abruptly with an embarrassed smile.  “Tour time. I’ll be asking for your very honest review following it.” 

Taken slightly off guard by the moment of intimacy, Sera only smiled at him with blush tinting her own cheek. She rather enjoyed how his hands felt across her legs, how his thumbs brushed just as softly as his words before he pulled them away. They paused in the breezeway on their way back into the house. Wooyoung pointed to the two outbuildings, quickly explaining that one was the garage for their many vehicles and the other was basically a second house on a smaller scale. There were two other teams in close proximity to Hongjoong’s that they frequently collaborated with and if needed stayed there. At times other resistance teams or individuals traveling also stayed there. 

Wooyoung urged Sera along with a quick tap to her hips. One of his hands drug across her back as he slid by her, showing none of the embarrassment he had towards his lingering touches in his shop. With Sera staying Wooyoung slowly let the idea of her creep back into his head and couldn’t help his need to touch her.

He led her towards one of the few locked doors in the hallway, scanning his thumb quickly to unlock it. It opened to another staircase leading downwards. “If you’ll follow me,” he flicked on the lights. 

It led to a very familiar sight- a training room. While not as large as the one as in the compound, it had everything Sera could ever need. A couple of treadmills, punching bags, two power racks, and free weights were arranged in the room. Large mats sat on one end for sparring. It looked like home, and Sera was itching to get back to what she knew. 

A nudge to her ribs pulled her from her thoughts. “Pretty self explanatory room, right? I think San and Yunho are both pretty anxious to get you on that mat,” he laughed suddenly, sharp and loud. “Shit, that sounded awful. What I should have said is that San and Yunho have been curious about your fighting abilities. They make sure we all train up to their standards.”

Sera laughed along with him, just as curious as to how she held up against them. “I’m sure they are.” With all of Wooyoung’s teasing, she wanted to go right back at him. “I’m surprised you haven’t called first dibs on that.” 

An odd look crossed over his face. Some sort of combination of amusement and wanting. And as always, mischief. “Maybe I did, Sera. Maybe I did.” He gestured towards another door with a touchpad directly to their right at the bottom of the stairs. “Holding cells and the interrogation room are through here. We haven’t had to use them often, thankfully.” A hand pressed against the small of her back, pushing her towards the only other door in the room, also with a touchpad. Once again he unlocked it with a fingerprint, mentioning briefly that hers would unlock all the doors now besides the ones leading to bedrooms. “And this is our little armory.” 

Little was a complete understatement. Once again Sera was taken aback by the size of the room. The walls were lined with every form of weaponry imaginable. Short range guns, long range snipers, pistols, knives, throwing stars, and anything in between. A table took up most of the center space. Weaponry was arranged meticulously on it for the upcoming mission. Everything was separated into clear piles, one for each member going. Sera tried to deduce whose pile was whose based on who was going on the mission. 

“Besides the medbay, this is all of our lovely home,” Wooyoung leaned his back against the wall. “Which, of course, is our next stop. My offer still stands, ya know.” 

“And I very much appreciate the offer,” Sera paused looking at the weapons, tossing her long hair over her shoulder to turn to him. “But my answer is still going to be the same.”

Wooyoung rose up from the wall with a sigh, moving towards her. Sera turned to meet him. “Well, I for one am very glad you're staying, Sera.” 

“You did vote to keep me around,” she scrunched her nose at him, lightly tapping her finger against his chest. 

“Yeah… well the vote very easily could have gone in a different direction.” He surprised Sera further by tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, taking care to not catch his fingers on any of her earrings. Tension filled the air as they looked into the other’s eyes. Neither said a word. A shake of Woo’s head finally pulled them out of their trance. “Alrighty, off to Jongho,” he mumbled with a half grin. 

Sera closely followed Wooyoung out the armory and back up the stairs, hearing the door lock behind them. Once again he led her through the living and towards the final locked door: the medical bay. 

“Last chance.” 

Sera rolled her eyes, but smiled at Wooyoung’s care nonetheless. “I think you’re just trying to spend more time with me, Woo.” 

“You caught me there,” his tongue snuck out between his teeth with his mischievous grin. “I’ll save you a seat, okay?” Turning on his heel he managed a few steps before spinning around. “Wait, tour review.”

“Five stars, Woo,” she smiled. Wooyoung beamed at her before walking animatedly down the hallway. 

Tentatively, Sera knocked on the wooden door, receiving a muffled ‘come in’ in response. Opening it, she found Jongho sitting on a rolling stool at a countertop. He was laying out needles and other supplies necessary for whatever testing he needed to conduct. Overall, the room looked like a majority of medical bays Sera found herself in, just on a smaller scale. There were three beds in total, all crisp and white. Clear cabinets lined the wall above the countertop and a refrigerator was nestled in the space between those and the wall. What surprised Sera the most was the high tech device she only found in the Crown’s medical centers. It had the ability to perform x-rays, MRIs, CT scans, and even assist in surgeries. 

“You can take a seat on that bed, Sera,” he indicated towards the closet bed with a nod. 

Awkwardness lingered when she sat down and twiddled her thumbs. He kept his back towards her as he continued gathering a few things before rolling towards her, tablet in tow. Unlike in the living room, he met her gaze easily. 

“Are you afraid of needles?” The question was innocent, but made Sera burst out in laughter.

“Uh… Jongho… have you looked at me?” She brandished her arms, rolling them so Jongho had a clear view of the vine, triangles, and other small tattoos adorning her skin. “And these are just the ones you can see.”

The man shrugged, but smiled. “You could still be afraid of needles. I’m going to ask you some simple questions, okay? Just so we have your information in our system… it doesn’t go beyond this room,” he assured her quickly after seeing the look on her face. Thankfully he didn’t ask why she had such a look. Jongho was more than used to apprehensive patients. Normally though, he could get a read on them. “I’ll take your blood pressure, listen to your lungs and heart, and take a few vials of blood so I can run basic tests. Then we’ll be on our way. Sound good?” 

Sera nodded, “Easy peasy.” She had her own questions she wanted to ask, but she could wait. 

“Age and birthday.” 

“23, January 25th.” 

“Height and weight.”

“5’6, and to be honest I’m not sure about my weight any more from being on the run… typically was around 115 pounds.” 

Jongho raised an eyebrow at her, but continued on with his questioning. “Blood type?” 

“A negative.” 

“Any major injuries?”

“I was in the military for five years, Jongho… I don’t even know how many times I’ve been shot and injured. 

“See? Simple.” His smile was warm when he rolled away, returning the tablet to the countertop. When he rolled back over he pulled a wheeled cart along with him. He brought the arm pressure cuff to her arm first and clipped a blood oxygen reader to her index finger. In a swoop he placed the stethoscope in his ears. “Alright, breathe in deep for me.” 

Sera complied just as the cuff tightened on her arm, continuing to inhale deeply as Jongho moved the cool metal across her chest and back. Once the cuff loosened, Jongho immediately checked the readings. “You have a low resting heart rate, but everything looks and sounds normal.” Turning back to his cart, he placed the stethoscope, cuff, and clip in one of the drawers after registering the readings on the tablet. “Do you have an arm preference?”

Sera turned her left arm towards him, pressure once filling it when Jongho put on a tourniquet. The alcohol was cool on her skin when he cleaned the inside of her elbow. 

“Jongho? Can I ask you a question?” 

“Of course,” his said her her arm for the perfect vein. 

Sera swallowed. Nerves struck her. Never had she been uncomfortable around Jongho, but now she was worried about saying the wrong thing. “You mentioned not being able to read me…”

He chuckled slightly, but the needle in his hand didn’t tremble. He knew this question would come. “My ability goes with reading people. Their emotions. Their intentions. I have the innate ability to tell when people are lying, as well as manipulating and managing the emotions of others. It helps immensely as a medic, and for… other things that require my expertise. But whenever I try to gauge you, to get a sense of how you feel and your intentions, I find nothing.  There are very few people I’ve met that I can’t get a measure on. You being one of them makes me nervous for my team. Please don’t take my vote against you staying as me not liking you, Sera, because that’s not the case. But you need to earn more of my trust, and I didn’t feel confident in saying yes to you staying after only a week.” He paused, tapping her arm. “And just like that, I have what I need.” In the time it took for him to reach for a gauze pad to stop the bleeding, Sera’s arm had already healed. “Wow, you do heal fast.”

Subconsciously she rubbed the skin. It would still bruise slightly, may even be a little sore, but that would only last for a few more hours. Jongho’s words put her mind slightly at ease. He did like her, his only hesitation towards her coming from his own ability. 

“I told you so,” Sera smiled back at him. “And I’ll earn your trust, I can promise you that.”

The smile in return was a gummy one. “I’m sure you will, Sera.”

[mimicrygrievous]

Love this. Mind if I just reblog this with a loz au I used to think about a lot? (I hope not. 🧡💜🧡💜)

Emduo as Link and Ganon is just a yes, first of all. But I imagined chat as the Malice from botw or totk in my little au thing. (Chat being the voices of past reincarnations is also amazing tho—) but also, like, just telling chat to go feral as they transform into their favorite monsters would be crazy—

And it was Technoblade + Philza + Miss Kristin/Trixtin centric (whatever their little trio name is called) where Miss Trixtin was a Great Fairy abandoned and forgotten by the Goddesses. She wanted revenge, so she targets their (one of, if not the only) connection to the mortal plane. The Princess with the blood of the goddess. (Zelda is just Zelda and I disrespect her so hard in this au 😭😭😭 it's nothing personal gurl)

But Miss Trixtin cannot leave the flower fountain she is confined to, so eventually, hesitantly, she makes a request of her beloved. (Who has been WAITING for this like FINALLY YES WHATEVER YOU ASK MY LOVE) She wants Philza to gain the Princess’ trust, stab her in the back, and bring the Triforce of Wisdom here, to her fountain. He enthusiastically obeys. He gains the Princess’ trust, and he waits, for the perfect moment of chaos.

As Zelda rallies the soldiers, as Ganon reappears, as Philza and Zelda progress alone (just temporarily) to assess the situation, Philza kills her. Then, he extends to Ganon, an invitation.

Ganon (Technoblade) accepts. (Unsure if they had a preexisting bond, or Philza just wants to spite the mortals on his beloved’s behalf, but yeah.)

Technoblade and Philza, together, haul Zelda’s corpse to Miss Kristin’s Great Fairy Fountain, which is like halfway across Hyrule, probably. (Again, sorry Zelda did NOTHING to deserve this 😭😭😭 it’s the Goddess’ fault sweetie you just got caught in the crossfire 😭😭😭)

They probably get chased by the Sheikah Clan (which I renamed to the Ender Clan, for obvious reasons) the whole way, lots of fighting, lots of Techno and Philza and Chat as Malice (Chalice. Nice.) being savage af. When things get dicey the closer they get to their destination? A new challenger appears. On the side of evil tho lmao sorry Ender Clan.

Tommyinnit. Leader of the Yiga Clan. Him and Techno go waaaaaaaaay back ;) Yeah anyway he’s awesome just casually trained a whole group of ninjas to defend Techno upon his return. CAN’T LET HIS BIG BROTHER DIE AGAIN JUST BECAUSE OF A STUPID ‘LEGEND’ NOW CAN HE‽‽‽‽‽‽

Lots of wholesome moments of Tommy getting his hair ruffled bc he is so proficient in fighting blah blah blah Zelda’s dead body gets dumped in Miss Kristin’s fountain (again, I am so sorry Zelda, it’s REALLY nothing personal I have nothing against you as a character) and the Great Fairy emerges from the foundation smaller, but even more powerful than before. She is free to walk Hyrule in this new form she has taken, and the legends have been rewritten. The three members of the Triforce, working in harmony, towards a terrible fate.

since I just mistook Zelda fanart for emerald duo, consider: 3/4 SBI as the triforce. Techno as Ganon rampaging in pig demon mode just having a swell time laughing his head off while Hylians scramble and scream. Chat is the voices of his past reincarnations. He hates the monarchy and distrusts the gods, trying to free the land to anarchy. With Techno’s might makes right motto and cycles of revenge theme, having him as the triforce of Power makes a lot of sense.

Tommy as Zelda, the Goddess Prime’s specialist little boy /neg. Wisdom in the more dnd sense, knowing people and how to catch a horse and which trees give the best apples and how to escape the confines of the castle no matter how many guards are meant to protect the prince. He’s only getting half kidnapped by Techno, it’s more like hanging out to him. Techno’s genius play is to get the prince on board with how cool and fun anarchy is, even if the past reincarnation think he’s stupid. Tommy loves bragging about how one day he’s going to help defeat Techno which probably means he’s even stronger than the triforce of power. Definitely.

Philza as Link. Green :) Philza is pretty task orientated and would do well with lots of quests and dungeons and side quests. But he also has that feral guy in that woods energy, blowing stuff up and jumping off waterfalls and what not. Plus the paraglider and elytra comparison is so good! He’s been Tommy’s personal guard since the day he was born, and is basically more of a dad to Tommy than the king, who tends to be busy. Which means he’s very annoyed at Techno, since all the explosions are not safe for his charge. Oh, and the world domination thing, or whatever.

[the-art-in-arthesia-is-loud]

I Don't WANT YOUR CHOCOLATE SHUT UP- Oh Wait Nevermind I'll Take It

:> :> :> :> :> :> :> :>

———

"Ugh, the lovey-dovey day." Destonio complained as he walked into the Realm of the Almighty's meeting room. He tiredly sits on a chair near the long table infront of him, before sighing heavily.

Valentine's Day. Needless to say, Destonio never cared about such a day. It's stupid, it's absolutely stupid. It's just gifting your loved ones chocolate and flowers or maybe confessing your love to them. Who the fuck knows what goes on here in the Realm of the Almighty? He already saw Ad Astra givingva bouquet of flowers to Moonlight when he was passing by the hallways of the main faction of the realm.

He really is sick of it.

He didn't notice that there were other people in the room besides him. Fate and Hikaru narrow their eyes down onto the God of Destruction, Hikaru giving a look of concern and Fate giving a deadpan look. World Ender is in another corner of the room, chatting with Callima, not caring about the trio at all. But those two aren't really important here either, so...

"What's got you so down about today, hm?" Fate asked nonchalantly, placing a hand on her hip. "Don't you understand? I fucking hate Valentine's Day! It's just giving chocolate and flowers and stupid cheesy shit like that! It's so...stupid." Destonio complained, finally looking up to the two Gods staring down on him.

"Heh. You're probably feeling that way because you don't have a Valentine!" Fate teased, giggling after seeing Destonio's reaction (literally looking like he's about to fucking punch her in the face). "Shut the fuck up! You're so goddamn annoying. I don't need a romantic partner in my life, got it?"

"Sure. I won't force it on you. But it sure is funny how your face is so red right now." Fate teased again, pointing a finger at Destonio as she tries her best to hold in her laughter. Consumed with even more rage, Destonio promptly stood up from his seat. "Shut the fuck up! Didn't I told you to do that?!" He shouted at her, and that's when the Goddess of Fate couldn't contain her laughter any longer, and so she let it out.

Hikaru looked at the two in concern. "Uh...please don't argue here, you two." He awkwardly ordered, and yet the two didn't listened and only bantered on and on...again. Because of course they would.

But even then, the thought of a romantic partner is embarrassing enough for Destonio. He doesn't wanna think about being in a relationship and doing sappy and cheesy shit like kissing and holding hands!

———

...

And yet...

"What...the hell is this?" Destonio asked, gently taking the box from Technicolour, before carefully inspecting it even further. Chocolate. This is a box of chocolate.

But why Technicolour?

Destonio expected no one to have any sort of romantic feelings towards him, and yet here they both are, in an awkward silence. "...Techni...do you really...?" The God asked, and the mortal simply jolted up in surprise. "A-ah! N-no, no! I- I don't like you in that way!" Technicolour denied, waving his hands around dismissively, a shade of red caressing his features every single second.

"I...I'm only giving you this as my thank you. For being a nice friend." He added, a small smile appearing on his face as he looked at Destonio. "I...still don't know why you'd see me as a friend, but alright, I guess. Thanks." The God replied, before adding, "But you do know that this is something that is done in a...romantic sense, right?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess. But I wanted to give chocolate to someone so badly! And if I gave some to Primeval, people might think I like her in that way! Which- which is clearly not true!" Technicolour explained. "She gets the extra chocolate I made, because she's also a nice friend."

"Right..." That was Destonio's only response as he looks back down on the box of chocolate. He's not really a big fan of sweets, but it seems like Technicolour put a lot of effort into making these, so it's best to just try them out either way.

But even then, the thought of Techni secretly giving these chocolates to him in a romantic sense never left the God's mind. It's...mind-boggling, to say the least.

Why the fuck is Destonio the way he is...?

[she-toadmask]

Fuck it OC posting time

Minecraft:

Aya, Dust, and Aspen: an Ender/Brine/Wither trio. Aya is based on my RP character from middle school, Dust is based on my RP partner's RP character(s), and Aspen is based on a self-insert I daydreamed about in high school

Aya is Ender Dragon hybrid (I don't have a better word for having wings, claws, etc yet and hybrid is what was used back in the day so it will have to stay that way until I can be more concise). She/her, was a princess when young and friends with Dust but a conquering king took over the kingdom she lived in and escaped to the streets. Joined an underground/black market group (I'm leaning assassin but she probably did other stuff before that). Ender dragon shit appeared some years after becoming proficient (I think at some point I was thinking it was while escaping the conquering king's guards after killing him and she takes flight to escape) and I don't remember how she goes from there to reuniting with Dust. She has claws she can lengthen at will, short horns, wings that are good for agility and speed, and a tail. Also high resistance to potions and magic.

Dust is Brinekin (also need a name for that). He/she, parents are/were merchants and they escaped the kingdom before it fell. He wanted to wait for Aya to sneak her out but his family had to leave before they were going to meet. She believed Aya had died and mourned her. His parents passed peacefully after she was capable of taking over the business. Something something power presents and panik. I don't remember if I was giving him white eyes or a color. She can summon raw materials, craft and uncraft items, summon lightning (inspired by this one type of Minecraft video where Herobrine did lightning and I'm pretty sure the backend was binding a summon lightning command to a stick), and fly. He can't craft potions without a brewing stand.

I also have a no-power concept in my head for these two where Dust witnesses Aya assassinate someone (she doesn't know it's Aya but Aya recognizes him) and there is the fear from Dust of Aya tracking him down so there are no witnesses and Aya has so many mixed emotions about seeing her again.

Aspen is Wither-cursed (better but I swear I had something else in mind once). She/her, her childhood is significantly less relevant but before becoming Wither she has an extremely close friend she travels with. Said friend does not have a name yet. They're adventurers pretty much. Aya and Dust both present completely at once, Aspen does not. One morning she has a nightmare and wakes up to graying skin somewhere on her body (probably arm). She tries to hide it but eventually her friend finds out and they decide to try to find research to fix this. Her friend also forges some new armor to give full cover once the fabric in contact with the graying skin starts to fall apart. They aren't able to find a solution and it keeps getting worse. They go into a kingdom to try and go in the library and something goes wrong and some armor comes off and panic ensues. The guards chase them and Aspen panics and summons a skull that explodes. The guards capture Aspen and Aspen's friend dies in the fight and Aspen blames herself. Aya and Dust break her out eventually once they learn of her existence. Aspen causes Wither effect on touch unless concentrating very hard and can summon both types of skulls (iirc one is big explosion and no Wither effect and one is small explosion and yes Wither effect). She would be able to fly in theory but she feels uncomfortable if out and about without full armor so she can't do more than hover.

There is also an unnamed trio of the same type that is mostly to replace the three evil TC characters that were A Thing on Wattpad so I can keep the daydream animatics without the bad people (Aya, Dust, and Aspen have a more defined story my heart would love to tell with them the unnamed trio is blank slate). They do have pronouns and powersets (Brine is she/they, can summon and dispel weaponry, channel fire, and fly faster than Dust; Ender is she/her, has dragon breath, and has more durable wings suited for long distances; Wither is she/her and is less potent than Aspen but that means she isn't weighed down by armor when trying to not cause mass damages and can move a lot faster) but their personalities are vague at best.

D&D:

Zephyr is a Wood Elf rogue who grew up in a traveling circus of mostly Tieflings. They became an adventurer when the last generation of performers retired because they felt uncomfortable with the idea of settling down. They have a nasty scar on their right forearm that they refuse to talk about. (They were trying to imitate one of their relatives who could juggle knives. It Went Poorly.)

I still haven't settled on a name for her but she's a half-elf Life Cleric who grew up as an arena fighter. Her parents were in debt and she was old enough to fight properly by the time they died so she had to fight to keep paying it off. By the time the debt was paid off she didn't know what else to do so she kept fighting. (The exact details here are fuzzy because it was tied into a campaign that never happened so the inciting incident of this part will change once she actually gets to play.) Some of her death-match opponents started to seem off. Aggressive in an unnatural way, or bestial when they had no history of fighting that way. She knew a local temple came to heal combatants sometimes and the next time she was near one she asked for help leaving and they accepted her. She eventually started traveling with adventurers because as much as it sucked, battle was in her blood after the years in the arena. She has many scars and is largely willing to talk about them (except I would have to figure them out). She largely refuses to use damaging spells, the magic is limited and if she can heal with them she feels like she must. (I am trying to figure out a phrasing that lets me use Sacred Flame the dex save is rough but I love Sacred Flame)

Pokemon:

When SwSh was on the horizon I kept trying to write an isekai-ish fic for it and I never got anywhere but I'm still kind of attached to the characters I wrote for it even if I don't remember their names

Young: written to channel an idealized version of young me. Very excited about being in the world of Pokemon, lots of energy for battling and exploring with her Pokemon. Chooses Grookey. Potentially becomes champion. Does not pursue a return route.

Oldest: never really got a handle on her character but is the most calculating of the three. Stays with the others to be a reasonable figure, battles to stay competent. Chooses Sobble. Does not become champion. Pursues a return route.

Middle: has depression and probably anxiety. Doesn't know what else to do and follows young to not be left behind. Is not present for starter selection and starts with Blipbug and Rookidee. (Actually the only one with any team comp: also has female Kirlia who never evolves and Mimikyu, I know for a fact there was something else but i can't remember what. I have notes somewhere.) Potentially becomes champion. Does not actively pursue return route, remains with Young. (Also chases down Hop after Bede is an asshole and attempts to be comforting/supportive.) (Middle also does not Dynamax until battling Rose while Young, Oldest, and Hop try to stop Eternatus. Is injured during the battle.)

TES honorable mention:

So there's this fic idea I never got around to actually writing and maybe I'll post more details later but the parts relevant to this post are that the Hero of Kvatch (Oblivion protagonist, HoK) and Last Dragonborn (Skyrim protagonist, LDB) meet due to LDB doing time travel.

HoK is a Redguard and uses heavy armor with sword and shield. High up in the Fighters' Guild and has many regrets over Martin's death.

LDB is a Breton mage with an interest in Oblivion Gates.

I might make a separate post transferring my notes about this fic and maybe someone can bully me into trying to fully write it.