#and once her shoulders relax she finally feels Human yknow

[kiwibongos]

peko is softspoken and tough and all but she definitely has a hyena laugh and loses her shit if you say the right thing

[playingbaseballwithyourson]

A Comprehensive List of Why REFLEKDOLL is One of the BEST EPISODES

1. I mainly come to this show to watch Ladybug and Chat Noir bitch at each other for a solid 15-20 minutes and, my god, does this episode deliver.

2. “You’d better get going before you lose your clown costume.” I C O N I C.

3. For real, confirmation that Ladybug sees Chat as as much of a goddamn clown as the entire fanbase, it’s great. 

4. I know people get on this episode because the ladynoir banter is apparently “”mean-spirited””? But honestly like, banter between friends CAN sound this mean-spirited from an outward perspective while all the friends involved in it are totally fine and in complete understanding that it’s all just joking and in good fun. Ladybug really starts tearing into him (jokingly) and Chat still finishes the sequence by bouncing away yelling “SEE I WAS RIIIIIGHT!” in an upbeat, teasing tone. Like, they’re fine. This is just how they talk to each other as friends and it’s clear neither Ladybug nor Chat Noir take their banter very seriously. (Honestly my banter with my friends can be far more scathing than anything in this episode. XD)

5. Watching Juleka and Luka interact... It’s pure. It’s good. :’3 Just an all around good scene. It’s also nice to follow up on how Juleka’s been dealing with her issues since Reflekta, even though it does turn out she’s made very miniscule progress.

6. Alya’s galaxy brain moment of inviting Adrien to help Marinette with a fashion shoot: Makes a lot of sense and is a great way to capitalize on both the love square’s hobbies to get them to hang out more! It’s the single part of this episode that isn’t a contrivance! 

7. Adrienette look cute in the matching outfits. Sorry but they do.

8. Okay, the thing that is truly great about this episode is that everything about it is a massive contrivance to make the kwami swap happens. ML wants it’s fucking kwami swap and it’s going to bend over backwards to make it happen, and it is NOT shy about it and it is NOT sorry. And honestly?? I FUCKING LOVE THAT. Does a kwami swap make logical sense for it to occur without the heroes having planned for it? No. Are we going to do it anyway? YES!!!! BECAUSE A KWAMI SWAP WOULD BE FUCKING FUN!!! That’s what’s great about ML, and this episode is a great showcase of ML’s priorities as a cartoon (which is probably why this episode rubs some of the fandom the wrong way). A kwami swap is illogical, but it’s fun as fuck, so the show is going to do it. That’s the priority above all else. FUN. AND IT PAYS OFF!

Seriously, everything is a contrivance. Why akumatize Juleka again? Reflekta’s power can handicap the kwamis’ abilities to find their humans in the commotion. Why have Marinette and Adrien change for the photo shoot? Get them to take their miraculous off. Why have them keep the kwamis in the car instead of in their pockets? So they can’t find their own kwamis right away. This episode is jumping through flaming hoops to make this happen and it’s fucking gold. Might there have been a much more natural way to have a kwami swap? Yeah, sure, most likely. But literally WHO EVEN CARES cause this episode starts out fun and ends fun, and it works well enough that I don’t give a flumpty. Hell, I appreciate it even MORE for not being shy about its priorities in this episode. Kwami swap fun? Then kwami swap will happen. Fuck everything else.

9. “Are you okay, Marinette?” “YEAH. HE’S TOO HOT. I MEAN--” This is a top tier Marinette flub.

10. I recognize I’m a minority on this, but I fucking love Mayura. She is a goddamn queen. So gosh darn fabulous with the long coat and the fan. I just love it whenever she shows up so I’m glad she’s here. Makes the villains a touch more intimidating in this episode since there’s two, which pairs well with Marinette and Adrien being somewhat off their game due to the kwami swap.

11. Literally any time Tikki and Plagg interact together is great. 

12. Adrien telling Marinette to hide in the car... TTToTTT <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

13. No one ever believes me when I say Marinette is pure chaotic energy but she HECKING IS! When she finds Plagg with the cat ring, this girl does not waste a goddamn second. Will swapping powers probably mess them up? Yes, but FUCK IT PARIS IS IN DANGER AND WE NEED HEROES NOW SO GIMME THAT RING. SHE JUST DOES NOT WASTE A GODDAMN SECOND TRANSFORMING. SHE CAN TAKE ANYTHING AND ROLL WITH IT. I LOVE MARINETTE.

14. Also Ladynoire’s design is fucking choice.

15. Okay, go onto youtube right now, look up Mister Bug’s transformation sequence, and look at the way he puts on his mask.... I know right??? :D

16. This is a very personal thing, but I love seeing Adrien powered-up without the cat eyes. This is the only time you ever see it, and trust me while I fucking love the cat eyes, it’s a really eye-catching change to see him with his normal eyes here! Think about it, Ladybug has never seen her partner’s real eyes until this episode. It’s cool! (Marinette with the cat eyes, on the other hand, is neat as well, but I don’t think she wears them as well as Chat Noir.)

17. Adrien smacking himself with the yo yo.

18. I’ve said this before but I find it absolutely adorable how, when swapped, Marinette and Adrien base their new names off of each other, rather than making up new ones from scratch. Mister Bug? It’s Ladybug, but boy. Ladynoire? It’s Chat Noir, but girl. Seriously that’s adorable.

19. ADRIEN USING LUCKY CHARM AND GETTING EXACTLY WHAT HE WANTED IS ONE OF THE SINGLE FUNNIEST MOMENTS IN THE ENTIRE GODDAMN SHOW. I’M SORRY BUT IT IS. IT’S FUCKING HILARIOUS. JUST ADRIEN BY SHEER LUCK SCHOOLING MARINETTE WITH HER OWN POWER, AND THE COMPLETELY OFFENDED LOOK ON HER FACE AFTERWARDS-- IT’S PEAK ML COMEDY.

20. I’m not the first one to make this comparison, credit goes to @buggachat on that, but Marinette in this episode is like the parent trying to teach their kid how to drive but ends up flipping their shit the second their kid touches the gas pedal. And it’s fucking funny. X”D Marinette has a strong sense of responsibility along with an incredibly specific way of how she likes to do things as Ladybug. Her process is you battle the akuma, gather info about your opponent, use lucky charm at the exact right time that only she knows in order to take them down, and then capture the akuma and/or amok. Her routine is pretty broken in this episode, since it’s now Adrien who needs to do all those things, so that combined with Marinette’s acute awareness of Adrien being a Child Who Causes Problems On Purpose has her veerrryyy on edge this whole episode and it’s just fun to watch. Her asking Adrien if they should switch back, correcting him every time he mis-speaks about how to do Ladybug correctly. It’s not a side of Marinette we get to see every day!

21. Additionally, getting to watch her relax for once in a fight since she’s now in the canonical clown costume is wonderful. I love Marinette. I want good things for Marinette. Relaxation and fun are good. She’s got a lot on her shoulders so this episode is nice, especially with the s3 finale in context.

22. Yknow, I can very happily buy that chataclysm doesn’t work on sentimonsters, since it’s already been established that Miraculous magic can protect from chataclysm. (See: Miraculer)

23. I’ve written already about why Mister Bug wasn’t actually bad with the ladybug miraculous, so I’ll only touch on a couple of those points again. But it is weird to me how people cry about Mister Bug being shit at the ladybug miraculous when he’s so clearly not? He just has a lot of stuff to think about that he usually doesn’t have to worry about cause it’s not his job. When to use lucky charm, HOW to use lucky charm, when to use miraculous ladybug, capturing the akuma once it’s released, capturing the amok. He just quite literally never has to put thought into any of that so it’s pretty understandable that he doesn’t have a handle on it just, automatically. Meanwhile, Marinette doesn’t have a ton of extra things to think about with the cat miraculous, AND she’s canonically naturally talented with handling different miraculous, so it’s very believable that she’d be fine? I get people don’t like that cause they have a problem with Marinette (and any WOC) being competent in general, but she’s just a talented girl. We see her take and roll with anything to stop the villain in every episode of the show, so there’s not actually a reason for her to notably struggle with the cat miraculous. But hell, she actually DOES make things worse by chataclysming Reflekdoll, which might have not happened if she paused before just rushing in and using her power (after proudly declaring she is now the Team Clown). But it’s understandable that she didn’t predict the sentimonster to react how it did, and I can see Adrien making the same mistake, so eh. 

24. But my point is that in terms of this discourse, I think this episode is fine. It’s about Ladybug and Chat Noir learning that they’re both quite good and very comfortable in their default roles. She’s great at handling her job and he’s great at handling his. That’s a perfectly fine lesson for this episode, and it’s not super necessary for them BOTH to learn that their partner’s job is actually super hard! The episode starts with them teasing each other about their roles, and it ends with that little bit of conflict between them being eased away due to their experiences from the kwami swap. Chat Noir is still a clown, Ladybug still is too concerned with her usual responsibilities to spend a lot of time clowning with him in fights, and that’s okay. They both learn to relax about it. It’s a good lesson for them to learn about each other, and it feels natural for the show to spend some time exploring their dynamic as partner heroes! 

25. I actually fucking love how it’s established that the lucky charm works differently for different people. This episode BASICALLY CANONIZES that Marinette’s lucky charm is so insane because SHE HERSELF, IS SO INSANE. Adrien thinks much simpler (which I’ve written about how that’s not a bad thing in previous posts), so his lucky charm is just: You need a mirror? Okay, here’s a mirror. And it’s actually very fun and interesting to me that his ability to use his lucky charm was handicapped specifically becuase he’s only ever watched Marinette use it. Marinette’s lucky charms always yield wildly complicated plans, and that’s the exact thing she’s shouting at him the whole episode, so he expects it to be complicated and thus can’t figure out how to use the mirror. It’s only when they sit down and realize that they’ll have to think on Adrien’s level instead of Marinette’s that they figure out what to do with it! Marinette’s spent the whole episode basically backseat driving for him (understandably), so the fact that the resolution is her meeting Adrien at his own spot and working on his level instead of hers- It’s a good way to wrap the episode up! 

26. Duuzu.

27. dID HE JUST DAB?!?!

28. Oh my god he did. And people actually hate this episode, smh.

29. Marinette flirting with Chat Noir will always give me life, and we get so much of it in this episode! Her calling him Bugaboy is this perfect combo of flirtatious and teasing that’s just very on-brand ladynoir. It’s perfect in this episode for literally so many reasons that I don’t even have time to list them cause this essay is already really long.

30. Adrien and Marinette interacting with the others’ kwami? Wholesome. Marinette and Adrien reuniting with their kwamis? Very wholesome. They’re both so attached to their kwamis in different ways, and they’re also together with their kwamis practically every waking moment of their lives. I can imagine being apart from them even for a little must’ve been a touch anxiety inducing, so it’s nice to see how sweet everyone is when they’re reuniting!

31. Adrien says at the end that he’s not cut out to be Ladybug and honestly y’all... That’s okay. Adrien has his role and he’s incredibly good at his role, and Ladybug is incredibly good at hers. They’re both SATISFIED with their roles. He’s not upset when he says he’s not cut out to be Ladybug, not even a little. He very happily takes Plagg back and steps back into his usual territory. Again, he wasn’t bad at the ladybug miraculous. It just came with more to think about than he really wants to, things that Ladybug is very HAPPY to think about, and if their dynamic already works, then he’s perfectly happy to focus on his part and leave her job to her. That’s great!!!

32. Juleka getting to do the fashion shoot... Yay. :’D I just want good things for Juleka.

In conclusion, this episode is pure unbridled fun from start to finish. It’s chaotic, it’s got top tier banter, it’s a phenomenal change of pace from the rest of the series. I actually love watching this episode with folks for the first time because seeing the look of complete shock and glee on their face as Marinette grabs that cat ring from Plagg is just FUN! And at the end of the day, this episode is a statement on three things:

- Marinette is a talented girl. -Adrien is great at his job. - And ML as a show’s priority will always, first and foremost, be fun.

And none of those are a bad thing. 

Hope you enjoyed the essay! :D

[leftenant-sinani]

Tales from Grudgewill - Love of Our Lord  Chapter 2

Here it is, maties. Yall waited long enough for this to go public, eh? Either way, third chapter is ready, but i still need to check it if there are some critical mistakes, just in case, yknow. Dont know when i will make fourth chapter.. probably this weekend, as i want to continue in it and include another love interests in it. Perhaps i will get drunk again tonight just to get inspiration like with the first paragraph. :P  I also thank you all for the support on the first chapter, i love you all. And lets not forget about the main individuals who help me to get through this thing : @witharsenicsauce, @avengercommander, @smixcom and @myrddinderwydd

Chapter II : A Long Boring Day

Valnin woke up from the dreamless sleep, but didn't open his eyes yet. He rolled on the right side of his bed, wanting to continue in his precious sleep, but he couldn't. He knew that he had a lot of responsibilities, and the kingdom wouldn't move a single step without him. He still felt overwhelmed despite the fact he was already ruling this kingdom for two years now, and yet, it was still too much on his shoulders, especially with all the recent events. All those runners from other provinces and the Empire itself were making him annoyed at best times. Sometimes, he had an inkling that he would just create that magic portal again and go back to the land where he came from. But it wasn't that easy, he made a deal with that damned Watcher that was surely eyeing him right now from the void, watching his every move. The Lord had no idea why it HAD to be him of all people who got to speak with an entity that has maybe even more power than the gods he knew from his world. "Oh, Azura. Why have you forsaken me, and left me to the Watcher's mercy?" He said in weak and tired voice. He wanted to curse aloud, but knowing it would interrupt his peace he still has, he rather did not. He sighed, continuing to think about this whole mess he got into. Valnin knew that his life was in danger back in Morrowind, and the only choices he had was taking that cursed offer. Of course he wanted to live when he barely lived one quarter of his life. Oh, how naive he was when he thought that he can finally enjoy his life more than he ever did now that he got a second chance. "Ruling a kingdom, heh. You've surely couldn't get me a worse job than this." He scoffed quietly. Nevertheless, he finally opened his eyes. He immidiately covered his face before the sunlight that was shining into his pale visage. He then rubbed his eyes, so he could see clearly. He was just sitting there for a while, thoughtless, scanning his room. It was funny to him, he slept countless nights in this very room, and yet, he still sometimes paused and curiously watched the room. It felt like it wasn't really his own, despite the fact was that this whole castle was his, and he still couldn't believe it. To him, it almost felt like he became a ruler yesterday when realized how much he still has to learn. The Lord finally woke from the trance, and got out of bed in slow motion. His bare feet touched the wooden floor, not too cold, not too warm, it's tempeature was just fine. He stood up, feeling kind of broken from that endless sitting in his throne. Valnin looked into the mirror he had right next to the bed, studying his own reflection. The first thing he noticed, like always, is how wild his hair is looking after every night. No wonder though, his black hair was reaching almost the lowest part of his back. He sometimes thinks about cutting it, but then he always says to himself, that it is not that long yet... For Elf at least. His eyes then fixed on the overall look of his. All that he had on him, was just those black "pants" he was always wearing for sleep, which left top of his moderately muscular, light blue body completely revealed in its full beauty. He sighed on the sight of those Telvanni paints on his upper body, realizing that he still missed his world a lot. "Oh, to Oblivion with you, Watcher" He said to himself, hoping that his "rescuer" was listening right now.

Lord Valnin was sitting in his throne, wearing his usual fancy robe, waiting for runners, people to be judged or someone who needed help with something. Three hours had already passed, and yet so far, only one runner came today, which was odd to Valnin, since most of the days were just endless talking to someone, judging or helping somebody. Today was calm however. Way too calm. Valnin had his suspicions that maybe there are closed borders because of the plague. Empire has history of being careful, so they probably ordered a strict traffic by putting dozens of patrols on every possible way to Icestand. The option sounded a little bit harsh, but it was possible with the state this province is currently in. Nevertheless though, he enjoyed the peace he had been thirsting for the day before. He waited five, then ten minutes. Nothing. He was getting more and more bored by every minute that passed. In the meantime, he was scanning the throne room, sometimes playing with his hair or checking his nails. "Well, I've waited enough." He said to himself. He got up from his throne and turned to his protector who was standing by his side the whole time "You stay here, my loyal servant. If something happens, I'll be in gardens." the guard just nodded but stayed quiet, his face not moving one bit, as if he was made of stone. Valnin smiled at him, and was on his way.

The gardens were were one of Valnin's favorite places in his whole castle. The sweet smell of all the fruit trees and bushes was like a harmony to his nose. He could spend hours in this place: relaxing, taking a walk or even just doing nothing. The Lord was softly smiling the whole time as he slowly strolled through this beautiful place. It was like a magic. A magic that calmed his soul, and with the light wind caressing his face and of course the wonderful smell... he was feeling numb, but in a good way. However, something caught the corner of his eye. When he took a look into the gazebo, he noticed that there was someone fighting. He took a closer look, and it was no one other than Master Assassin Vallinor training her young human student. Curious, he got close enough, so he could see it fully but without interrupting them. He leaned against one of the pillars that was serving there as a decoration. He barely managed to register everything that was happening; the Student was quick with his moves, trying to dodge or block every attack from his Master, however Vallinor was even faster than him. The poor boy didn't stand a chance, and yet, he continued to fight bravely, even though he was slowly losing. His chaotic counter-attacks had almost no effect as the Master managed to dodge most of the attacks and parry the rest without issue and it was obvious that the student didn't know what to do to defeat her. The Lord couldn't help but to notice how smooth Vallinor's moves were... almost like a dance. Still, while the boy was way more clunky, he was holding his ground as he could. It was going like this for a good minute until the Assassin got to hit a strike which completely set the Student off-balance, and in the blink of an eye, Vallinor managed to grab him and do a foot sweep and the poor kid was on the ground. The Master held her blade close to the Student's face which seemed to made him freeze a bit. Her face then softened as she smiled "I must say, this time it was better, my young apprentice". She helped him on his feet again and once they both were finally standing straight, the difference in heights between her and the boy was evident. The Student was probably about 185-190cm, and Vallinor was nearly 240cm tall, a truly astronomical difference. Not to mention the looks... the Master was, according to her words, a human before. Until her former masters did change her into this... creature which only resembled human. Blue skin which was almost of the color same as Valnin's, glowing magenta eyes, sharp teeth which looked like little blades when she smiled, those strange markings on her head, unnaturaly long body which made her so tall and a voice that was hypnotising on one hand, but also creepy on the other. "So did I do well, Master?" The boy asked. The Assassin rose her head "You did good enough since the last time, Curnol. But you still need a lot of training.". The Student looked kind of disappointed, but then his Master gave him a sharp smile "You have what it takes to be a great swordsman in the future, my student. That inner fire which makes you the true warrior. And one day, with enough training, that fire will be strong enough to melt metal, and bright as the sun itself." A smile has shown on Curnol's sweat-covered face, it almost looked like he is going to shed a tear. But before anything else happened, Valnin has stepped forward. When Vallinor noticed her ruler approaching, she quickly dropped to one knee and her student did the same right after her. "My Lord. It is an honor to see you here." The Assassin said with sincere tone. Valnin smiled "The honor is mine, lady Vallinor". Vallinor got up again, so did her apprentice "What can I do for you, Lord Valnin?" she asked. The Lord's smile never left his face "Well. It is more of a... personal matter, Master Assassin." The Master nodded and turned to her student "Curnol, get some rest, you've earned it. Just don't forget we will be training again tomorrow." "Of course, Master." Curnol said while bowing, and then left.

Lord Valnin and Master Vallinor were standing in the gazebo, side by side, talking while looking into the snow land of Icestand as the gazebo was in pretty high position. They were like that for an hour, yet it felt like just 10 minutes to Valnin as he was enjoying this little yet long conversation between him and Vallinor. The Master was smiling all the time while talking to Valnin, sometimes wide enough to reveal her sharp teeth. She felt relaxed when she was near her Lord, almost as if Valnin had some magical aura around him, unlike her previous masters, her own "parents" who created her, who pretended that they had love for her, no, this was way different. Her new Lord was kind, honorable, good-hearted and even somewhat attractive. However, she couldn't say anything like that in front of Valnin, as she was shy to admit any of it. Either way, she was mostly talking in this case, Valnin was just listening to her, nodding here and there while looking into the distance. "... And so, my brother, Tessura, drank six shots of local strongest alcohol. You cannot imagine how noisy he was, your Lordship." She said with a slight smirk on her face. The Lord was surprised to hear all these little stories about her and her brothers, and it made him feel like they really WERE humans before "I see. So your brother did win the bet?". Vallinor smiled yet again "He did, but he was too drunk to actually remember that it was a bet, so he didn't get the coin nevertheless." They shared a moderate laughter, the combined sound of Assassin's raspy voice and Valnin's strong yet soft tone was slightly echoing in the chilly air of this frozen land. Then the laughter stopped, and there was a quite long moment of silence between them, the only sound that could be heard was the wind flowing calmly through the leaves of trees and bushes in the garden. Lord Valnin then broke the silence "I'm proud to have you as one of my masters, Vallinor. You and your brothers are making excellent examples for your students." The Assassin felt more than flattered, she felt honored which made her blush slightly "I thank you, Lord Valnin. It is an honor to serve under you and to have an apprentice of my own". Then her face morphed into expression of concern "Also I do not want to doubt your judgement, your Lordship, but my brother, Tessura, is not very good example with his behavior sometimes.". Valnin just smirked "He is special, my good lady. It is making him more human than he thinks.". The Master looked at him with a slight confusion, and the Lord continued "Which reminds me, my dear Vallinor... were you and your brothers truly humans before your previous Lords transformed you into this?". She sighed, and nodded "Indeed. At least my two brothers remember being human, I, however... do not remember anything from my previous life. It sometimes feels like I was truly just created by the False Gods.". Valnin didn't know what to say for a second, but then his iconic smile came back to his face again "Perhaps you were human, perhaps not. However, it does not change anything about that you are one of the best warriors, both cunning and beautiful.". Vallinor felt her heart skip a beat when she heard that last word. Did her own Lord really just call her beautiful? She never heard such compliment from anyone besides her big brother, but that was just a sibling love, this on the other hand felt like an actual love... but maybe she was just overthinking it, Lord Valnin is known for his kind words after all. "Once again, I am deeply honored to hear this from you, my Lord." She said while bowing. Valnin nodded while smiling as brightly as the sun of this planet. "Well then, if there is nothing else, I will be on my way agai-" Before he could finish the sentence, Vallinor quickly grabbed his arm with such might that Valnin even got scared for a second. "No, please..." She whimpered. Realizing what she did, she quickly got her hand off Valnin's arm. She then started to apologize in stuttering manner "I-I deeply apologize, my Lord... I-I... I just reacted and-" Valnin quickly stopped her "You do not need to apologize, Vallinor. I admit, I got a little bit scared at the moment, but I do not blame you for doing so.". "I should be more careful with my actions, your Lordship. I am really sorry for what I did, it was a reflex, I swear." She continued in her apology, her face one big look of concern. "Once again, I do not blame you, dearest Vallinor... however, I must ask, what was the real reason behind it?" Valnin curiously asked. The Assassin started to blush deeply, her blue cheeks turning bright purple, her eyes focusing on everything but Lord's blood red eyes. She had absolutely no idea how to say it in some professional way, but she couldn't care less for that right now, she just wanted to be honest with Valnin "Your Eminence, I want to confess to you. You keep saying amazing things to everyone, but you're the real one who deserves compliments the most, my Lord. I must admit, at first I was worried that you are going to be like my previous Masters and I was skeptical about this whole thing of starting a new life. Instead though, I got life I've always thirsted for; Living happily with my dearest brothers, having a free will, a Master who would be fair and kind, and even having a student of my own. I got all of this just because of you, Lord Valnin. There is barely anyone else I would want to serve under more than you.". This reminded Valnin of last evening, and he couldn't help it. Jaal's speech was more than sweet, but this one felt more honorable. Still though, both were good with words, and he already couldn't choose between his dear Captain or this charming Assassin. "So... you do feel something towards me~" Valnin said with bit of a flirty tone. Vallinor froze on a place where she stood, blushing ever so brightly that it almost hid the blue under it "Does that mean...". "Yes, dearest Vallinor. You passed my little test." The Lord said. "A... A test?" The Master asked, thinking about what that meant. "Indeed. A test to determine if you care for me" Valnin said happily. Vallinor stayed quiet, her magenta eyes obviously full of questions. "But... I do not kno-" She was interrupted by her Lord again "Do not hide your emotions, Assassin. It is clear as this day that you have eyes for me~" He told her with playful voice. She still had no idea what to think about all this. Her own Lord caring about her more than just a soldier or friend? On one hand, it was a big shock for her that someone like Valnin would care for her, on the other though, she was more than happy inside, knowing that someone truly loved her, it almost made her cry if she would not hold the tears back. Valnin was smiling as always, feeling happy that she was happy. He hugged her, and she hugged him back. Despite the fact the Lord barely reached Vallinor's chest, it was still a lovely sight. "Os e ohth." Valnin said. Vallinor didn't understand him, but she liked what he said nevertheless, it felt so mystical, mysterious and magical. When they released each other, Valnin started to speak again "Well, now I really need to go, but do not worry, my lady... I will be back.". Vallinor planted a kiss on his forehead "I am looking forward to it, my Lord.".

The day has flowed like a river. Today was a very boring day for Valnin, as barely anybody came. He was enjoying the peace, however, it was still suspicious to him. Almost every day was full of talking with runners from other provinces or the Empire, judging the people who have commited a crime or just dealing with servant's matters around the castle.Today however, was barely active, and all that Valnin had to do, was dealing with one runner from the Second Kingdom of Icestand and... that small precious moment with Master Assassin. The Lord was daydreaming almost whole day, thinking about Captain Jaal and Master Vallinor. However... there were still others who he did not encounter yet this week. Azura knows if they will share the same feeling. He honestly had hoped that they will not, as it would make this easier for him, but he also couldn't deny to himself that he felt something for them, and the feeling always gets on top when he is near those he seeks to be in love with. His head already was making the scenarios of what could happen if it all worked out. Some people would call it insanity to love six people at the time, but Valnin did not care much for judgement of the others who did not experience such thing. He always believed that if someone wants to do something to make them happy, then as long as it does not hurt anybody, they should do it no matter if it will be odd to others. As Valnin looked around the throne room, he realized he might check on his dear Captain, assuming he is still awake.

The Lord was wandering through the right wing of the castle with his hands behind his back. He liked walking through his castle at night, there was such a peace in the air, like he was there completely alone in the whole building, and the dim lights from the torches were adding to the peaceful atmopshere. It surely was not as good as the gardens, but for head clearing, it was good enough. As he approached to the Jaal's office, he straightened his hair a little, so he would look at least more normal, but he could not really control it, the hair had almost life on its own with how long it is. "By Azura, I swear I will cut this blazed hair one day." He cursed under his breath. He then knocked on the door, patiently waiting for the response. As he was waiting, he realized that the hair probably does not matter that much, because after all, Angara do not have hair... who knows, perhaps he likes it this way. He sighed when he realized that he was thinking about something completely irrelevant again, but it is still easier to get lost in his own head than doing actually what he has to do. Then he focused on the door again... no response. It was impossible that Valnin would not hear it, and even with his thoughts constantly interrupting him, he would've heard it since he has good ears, not to mention that if the Captain would notice that the door would not open, he would check it himself most probably. So, it is how Valnin thought it would be. The Captain is already asleep. "N'chow... Just my blazed luck." He said to himself. He wasn't sure what he is going to do now... Jaal was asleep, and knowing Vallinor, she was definitely asleep too during this hour. The Lord sighed as he was about to leave to his chambers. Then he paused when he saw a weak light coming from the room at the end of the corridor. "Wait... was this door opened when I got here?" Valnin asked himself quietly. He wasn't really sure if they were or not, therefore his main attention was somewhere else those few dozens of seconds ago. He got one step closer, then another, curious if there was actually someone there. When he was just one step from the door, it was just quiet, like there was no one there after all. "Perhaps someone forgot to blow out the candle..." he thought. That however changed when his eyes caught a glimpse of someone sitting on the other site of the table the candle was on. Valnin thought his heart jumped into his throat for a moment, but he did not move at all, as he was frozen on the place he was standing on. "Did we got lost in our own castle, Valnin?" The person said. The Lord immidiatly recognized the voice. It was Evfra de Tershaav. The Commander of the Royal Security. As he spoke, he shifted forward in his chair, so Valnin could see him clearly... at least part of him. His blue, bitter face was recognizable at first glance from other Angara men. Valnin already could see the judgement in Commander's eyes. He knew that Evfra was a closed person, and sometimes even cold from what Jaal has told him... which made him one of the best leaders. Still though, just his presence was already making the Lord feel somewhat uneasy. "Oh, no I did not, my loyal Commander." Valnin quickly responded. Evfra just answered with bitter "Hmph.". Valnin was getting slightly nervous from that response. "Tell me, Valnin... What was your original purpose here?" Evfra asked almost coldly. The Lord was getting more and more nervous by Evfra's every word, he then answered with slightly shaky voice "W-well, I just wanted to vi-visit Captain Jaal and-" Evfra then interrupted him "I know why too well, 'Lord' Valnin. You are seducing my best soldier." the Commander said slightly angrily while crossing his arms. Valnin started to feel really anxious. It was only three sentences, but each of them did hit like a dagger to the stomach. "You didn't think I would let that slide, did you?" The Commander continued. "B-but... I could not-" The Lord was trying to defend himself but Evfra interrupted him again "Don't even try. I bet you do not even know why I am angry at you.". This made Valnin freeze again, as he was quickly scrolling through his mind what was this about. He then ended up wide-eyed as he realized what was going on. By Azura, how could he forget about this? "Wait, don't tell me you are angry because-" He then stopped mid-sentence as he saw Evfra slowly nodding. "I thought you wanted to be with me, considering what all you did for me, Valnin." Evfra said with a sign of sadness in his voice. "Not to mention you even fell for that... woman, Vallinor." The Commander continued in his speech. Valnin then looked at him with horror in his eyes "How did you get to know this?". "Two years, and you still don't know that word travels too fast here, Valnin?" Evfra gave him a look of disapproval. Valnin thought for a minute, then he sighed "Well... we can still make this work, dearest Evfra". Evfra looked at him with unbelieving eyes ".... Are you serious? With Jaal and Vallinor in our way?". The Lord tried to smile "They do not have to be in our way necessarily. I can make time just for you~". The Commander frowned "Do you really think that would work now, Valnin?". Valnin tried to get a little closer to him, just so they could see eye to eye "It could. Just trust me, please.". Evfra's eyes fell down for a moment "Hmph. You know too well that you are probably the only alien person I would trust if anything.". Once Valnin got close enough so he could at least see into Evfra's eyes properly, he putted his hands on the table, his left hand not far from Evfra's "I know. Just know that I don't want you to feel uncomfortable, if you simply do not want to because of others being in my life aswell, then don't do it.". Evfra sighed deeply "I am not really sure with anything in this world, but you... you are different, jetevre.". A smile has finally appeared on Lord's face "I hear that a lot. But from you, it sounds so warmly, that it could melt an ice~". Evfra's lips seemed to have shifted into a slight smile until he got to talk again "Just... don't expect me to be like this in public, dibellen.". "I will not, Commander. You have my word on it." Valnin said with confidence in his voice. Evfra was looking at him, no longer with that death stare, but with affection, even when it could be barely recognizable in his face, since he couldn't really move it because of that uncomfortable-looking scar across the whole left part of his face. Evfra did not say anything, he just slowly reached for Valnin's hand with his own. They were like that for a while... just looking into each other's eyes, holding hands... Until the Lord said "I should go now. I will catch you later though, Evfra. Good night.". The Commander was just sitting there wanting to wish him back, but all he could at the moment, was kissing Valnin's hand. Valnin blushed as Evfra did let his hand go. "Now go. You need that sleep far more than you think." The Commander said with a warm voice. The Lord smiled at him as he was leaving, and then closed the door behind him. Evfra sighed one more time, hoping that this will really work as his Lord said. And with that final thought, he finally blew out the candle.

[cbseung]

cobblestones : modern prince! hyunjin - [part 4]

[masterlist]

[pt 1] [pt 2] [pt 3] [pt 4] [pt 5] [pt 6] [pt 7] [pt 8] [pt 9] [pt 10] [final]

hi pals i’m so sorry this is super duper so late! i hope the amount of you x hyunjin having a date hangout in paris makes up for it 

a/n: we mention got7 (❁´▽`❁)*✲ﾟ* (also my fave is jinyoung let’s discuss) 

w/c: ~1500

pairings: hwang hyunjin x reader

description: spend your day inside the palace or go on a day trip to paris? if only it wasn’t for your super rude but sometimes nice handsome enemy ,,

alright fam

first order of business

you’ve had a night to mull over your conversation with yeji

so what’s up with these feelings for felix????

haha FEEEELix

like sure felix is a cool dude and all

but logically,,,

your stay in london is only for so long

and then it’s back to reality

so can you really afford these feelings right now?

logically, no

but honestly

can you really help it?

☆✼★━━━━━━━━━━━━★✼☆☆✼★━━━━━━━━━━━━★✼☆

“morning y/n! you’re up early today”

“morning felix! what’s your plans for the day?

“ah i have some things i have to finish up with my mother and yeji so unfortunately i won’t be able to go outside for long,, what about you?”

“ah you and yeji? then i’m not sure,,, any suggestions?

“how about a day trip to paris?”

“you’re kidding right. with what money? and with wHO?

“felix! y/n! how are you this lovely morning??” hyunjin says sweetly

“...you’ll go with hyunjin!”

“WHAT” you say while hyunjin simultaneously asks “oooh go where?”

“no way!!! this is supposed to be a relaxing trip!! i CAN’T go with hyunjin”

“ouch! my feelings!”

“come on y/n! you can spend time with hyunjin and realize that he’s not that awful!

“what do you mean i’m not that awful i’m not awful AT ALL” hyunjin says, hand over heart, like he was very very hurt by your words

“i can barely spend five minutes with him, let alone the WHOLE DAY” you exasperate 

“come on y/n, just spend the day with him,, please? for me?” felix says

“ugh fine,,, don’t make me regret this” you sigh, pointing at hyunjin

gasp “i would never!”

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you guys board the train from london to paris

so here’s what you were expecting

more like hoping

hyunjin shuts up and you put your earphones on and crank the volume up while you emotionally prepare for the day

you unconciously start humming and next thing you know..

“got7?”

........ that’s something you weren’t expecting

“...yes..”

“I LOVE GOT7!”

that’s

uh

“no way.. me too..”

“my favorite is jinyoung!” he excitedly shouts

alert alert alert

this hyunjin is scary

scary because he’s actually likeable

“my favorite is jinyoung!!”

“i met him one time, pretty cool dude”

“of course you did ,,”

“what can i say?? being the prince has it’s perks!”

you roll your eyes as you say “of course it does”

that ends your conversation, and surprisingly! it ends in a comfortable silence

wait omg

is this??

your first civil conversation with hyunjin?

and it was actually nice?

huh

☆✼★━━━━━━━━━━━━★✼☆☆✼★━━━━━━━━━━━━★✼☆

the 2 hr trip from london to paris wasn’t THAT horrible

you and hyunjin shared the snacks that you guys brought on the train

“oh my ,, snacks? you can’t last two hours without eating something?’

“HEY don’t make fun of me and my snacks”

and like there was SNACKS you weren’t about to NOT eat them

“hey you got a little dirt on your face” hyunjin says

“wHERE”

“right ..... there” he says as he points to your whole face

(╬ﾟ◥益◤ﾟ)

but you also learned more about him

“let’s play 20 questions!” you ask

“..... .. .... ookay”

“no seriously! it’ll be fun!”

whatever you say princess”

“... cats or dogs”

“dogs!”

“okay your turn to ask me a question”

“what? no i don’t care enough”

“WOW OUCH and of course you do i’m some pretty foreigner if i remember you saying that to felix the first time we formally met”

“pretty? more like petty” you hear him mutter

“HEY”

soon enough, you guys arrive in paris

and you’re basically jumping in your seat 

“woah dude calm down”

“don’t dude me i’m EXCITED”

“ook well ms. excited what do you want to do first”

“wow! hyunjin being considerate and asking what I wanna do FIRST?”

“oh shush i was nice during that train ride”

“well you were nicer than normal but anyways i wanna go to the louvre!”

“woah seriously? taste”

and with that said, you and hyunjin make you way toward the louvre

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“WOAH THIS IS MASSIVE”

“duh haven’t you seen pictures of the louvre”

“well yeah but i always thought it was just the glass triangle in the front”

“... you dummy”

you and hyunjin spend about two hours at the louvre,, but that still wasn’t enough

“but hyunjin!!! there’s still so much to see!”

“you do know it’s literally IMPOSSIBLE to see the all the louvre in one day”

“but i wanna see that psyche sculpture!”

“alright you greek mythology nerd let’s go see it and we have places to go and people to meet!”

next, you guys stop for coffee and lunch because ya’ll needed to recharge for the day ahead of you

“wow coffee on cobblestone streets! believe it or not a lifelong dream of mine” you say

“.. that’s a fairly easy dream to achieve”

“no! it’s not! （╬ಠ益ಠ)”

the day is... weirdly going by super fast?

but you’re having fun? 

what is this sorcery

there has to be something in the paris air

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also..

what’s a staple in france?

that’s right

berets and baguettes

and you, being a typical tourist

drag hyunjin from store to store demanding that you guys buy berets

yknow, to commemorate the day!

you guys try to find the funniest berets you can find

and let me tell you

they make some funny ones in paris

so the afternoon was filled with silly pictures and laughs that you shared with 

none other than

the “devil” himself

hwang hyunjin

sadly (???? were you actually enjoying your day?) , your day has come to an end 

you and hyunjin decide to end your day by strolling through the jardin des tuileries

“... so you like felix huh..”

..... oh

yeah 

right 

you forgot your feelings (you’re confused huh) for felix was a thing

“i .. don’t know.. to be honest no one was really interested in me back home so i’m not sure how ““““feelings”“““ are supposed to work”

“hmmm interesting,, well they missed out on getting to know you for what my opinions worth”

“wow that’s the first nicest thing you’ve ever said to me!”

“yeah yeah whatever”

it was actually really nice having hyunjin as company

“come on,” he states, “we have one more stop”

“what??? but i’m TIRED”

“it’ll be worth it!!”

so hyunjin drags you to the eiffel tower

and you guys walk to the top

and it’s night

and so pretty

almost as pretty as him

“i thought the eiffel tower closed already?”

“being a prince has it’s perks”

“you got me there”

as you look out on the streets of paris

you can’t help but ask

“so... i shared my hopes and dreams... what’s yours?”

“..... to be normal”

“wow the prince wants to be normal? what a cliche! didn’t you just say being a prince has it’s perks?”

“it’s true! the cons DEFINITELY outweigh the perks! all the responsibility that they put on me?? crazy stuff”

“okay mister i hate responsibility what would you want to instead?”

 you’ve never seen hyunjin more in thought that he looked right now

“to be honest? a dancer”

“really now?”

“i guess”

“would have never taken you as a dancer”

“i guess i’ll just have to show you sometime”

you’re both tired

visibly

you can see it on each other’s faces

so you make your way back to the train station

in a nice, calming silence

☆✼★━━━━━━━━━━━━★✼☆☆✼★━━━━━━━━━━━━★✼☆o

“oh my gosh they’re so cute”

you hear squealing from the seat behind you

why tf are they so loud

as you slowly open your eyes

you realize you’re on a shoulder?

BUT WHO’S SHOULDER

but then you realize

you literally only came here with one person

prince hwang hyunjin

you’re PRETTY sure he’s sleeping so 

being the considerate human you are

you don’t move your head

BUT then all the events of the past hour replayed in your head

to be fair

you were a very tired bean at this point

you’re surprised you even made it to the train without passing out

“agh my airpods died” hyunjin sighs

“rich people problems am i right”

“hey let me share with you”

“what no get your own”

“silly they died remember”

“... ughh fine since you were so nice to me this trip” you say as you pull an earbud out

“thanks princess”

“shh stop calling me that”

“ooo why not that’s what you are”

“it makes me feel funny inside” you say as you slowly fall asleep

at this point you MENTALLY facepalm

you really JUST said that 

“you’re so cute”

“shhhut up let me sleep”

then you hear the girl behind you say

“she’s laying on his shoulder and he’s laying on her head AND they’re sharing earphones! that’s so CUTE”

and that’s the last thing you hear before you let sleep take over you once again

a/n: and this is the end of part 4! hopefully 5 won’t take too long! thanK YOU THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT 

[bestiatexere]

what even is this idk @lachalaine

From the familiar scent that had lingered on the path and that still floated around his front door, Kavik knew his brother was already inside the house (and had been there for a while).

Huh. Chesh was early? That was a rare occurrence for sure unless…he was up to something.

Of course.

Kavik rubbed his face and mentally prepared himself for what might come. Was it going to be a confetti explosion again? A hundred strings of twinkling lights wrapped around every surface? Or maybe, irritating Christmas songs playing each time he moved?

It had been a while since Chesh last did something crazy or went overboard. He loves this time of year, Kavik reminded himself in the effort to increase his tolerance, it helps him, just go with it.

Pushing down the dread, he opened the door and headed inside the house. His eyes immediately swept around for traces of trouble or Chesh, but aside from the shoes, travel bag, and clothes strewn around the entryway, there were no traces of the younger shifter’s antics.

No confetti. No lights. No songs or even decorations.

Kavik stepped further inside with slow, soundless steps while continuing his visual search. Nothing was out of place...How unnerving...He made his way through to the lounge, vigilant the entire journey, eyes restless.

Like the rest of the house, this room was designed with nature in mind, in natural tones and materials so that the shifter blood and soul would feel at ease. It was an open plan space, with support beams mimicking trees, and the impression that fauna and wildlife were blending into the building, welcoming each other.

The animal hearts were relaxed and free here, unlike within the stifling concrete and metal of the cities.

And there was Chesh. Unsurprisingly shirtless (shifters took every opportunity to be free from clothes) and flopped face down on the couch. Kavik approached with a frown and then jabbed a finger against his brother’s shoulder as if to wake him.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Kavik asked, his words heavy and blunt like a hammer, cracking the silence, his focus absolute.

Chesh flinched and groaned at the sudden touch, turning his head to eye him with a petulant pout, “What was that for?”

Kavik was immediately reminded of when 5 year old Chesh would give him that same look after being told it was time to get up or that he wouldn’t get his way. The image was clear in his mind, the little boy with messy curls, bright eyes, and expressions that would change in an instant. Chesh had been, and would always be, an emotional sort, the type who swung from mood to mood and wore his heart on his sleeve. To a degree, anyway. He hid things from most people, charmed his way out of reach, never let anyone see him down unless it was for some other purpose of his...

After growing up together, Kavik could tell (with 90% accuracy) when Chesh was being genuine or not, and it helped that he was one of the few that his brother did lower his guard and pretenses around.

The way Chesh currently slumped on the couch, like a fallen puppet whose strings of motivation and life had been cut, told him that something was not right. It was…uncharacteristic of Chesh to be so still and unenergized.

Kavik’s hard tone came again. “Just tell me. What’s wrong with you?”

“What do you mean? There’s nothing wrong with me.”

“Yeah, there is. There’s no Christmas shit all over the place. Where’s all the tinsel and lights?”

“Huh?” Chesh glanced around with a touch of confusion, a frown forming again. “You hate all that stuff.”

Hasn’t stopped you before, Kavik wanted to say with a snort, but instead he gave a little shrug and countered, “But you love it, always make a mess of my place with it. And besides, I don’t really hate it, I just don’t wanna do it or have it all through my house.”

Chesh blinked and seemed to take a minute to process that, then he shrugged too but otherwise made no move. “Oh, well, I just don’t feel like it this year.”

“That’s my point,” Kavik said with a roll of his eyes, “What’s wrong with you?”

“It’s not very nice asking it like that. And it’s the first thing you’ve said to me. Don’t I even get a hello anymore?”

He could sense the faux hurt Chesh was gathering, the attempt at guilt-tripping and distraction. Oh, here we go. He pinned him with a serious look to cut it off, “You’re avoiding the question.”

Perhaps Chesh realised that there was no fooling him, because he then sighed and seemed to somehow slump down more with a defeated grumble, “There’s nothing wrong with me, I’m just tired...”

With a slow breath to try shove down his frustration, Kavik rubbed his forehead and then studied his brother once more. Chesh was right, there was nothing wrong with him…physically at least. He was still fit and healthy, no scent of sickness on him. The emotional indicators were a little strange (seeming to signal a deep sadness) which would explain the current mood…but what he found most unusual was the strong presence of a human’s scent on him, and the fact that it seemed to have partially merged with Chesh’s own scent signature.

It was the sort of thing that happened when a shifter started to bond with someone else, most often when a pair became long-term mates at least. Had Chesh really connected with someone so much? With a human?

“There’s nothing wrong with me,” repeated Chesh, likely feeling the stare burning into him.

Bullshit.

But Kavik didn’t push further, choosing instead to ask, “Where have you been hanging around lately? You haven’t been to your place much and you haven’t gone around bothering me and everyone else in a while.”

“Aww, have you missed me?” The teasing, playful tone Chesh was most known for finally made an appearance, along with a smile. And it made Kavik roll his eyes yet again.

“No. Just answer the damn question.”

Chesh’s face, though half pressed against the couch, lit up with a momentary grin at the irritated response. It then faded, and he turned his face against the couch more, his voice a mumble, “I made a friend, that’s all...Is that okay?”

The question, despite being quiet, held the trace of a challenge. Rarely did Chesh ever push like that, even during his ‘rebellious’ phase as a teen. Strange.

Kavik’s expression tightened, but he took another breath and then relaxed and sat himself on one of the armchairs. “Depends if it’s gonna be a problem or not…-”

And it could easily become a big problem.

“-Why you getting so close to a human anyway? It’s affecting you.”

They both heard it. Chesh’s heartbeat speeding up.

Kavik watched him closely; watched the way his eyes darted away, and how he chewed his lip in an almost guilty way. He saw the faint flush on his cheeks and the moment the casual, nonchalant appearance took over his features to cover up the worry.

Chesh spoke the lies easily, “It’s not. It’s just that I’m around her a lot, yknow? It’s just scent transfer and all.”

Easily spoken, yes, but Kavik was not the easily convinced type. He raised an eyebrow and adjusted himself in the chair, affecting a more relaxed and nonthreatening position.

“Uh huh, right…” he said slowly, “So who is ‘she’?”

The heartbeat, which had just started to settle down, kicked into higher gear once again. Funny, how the sign of life was such a dead giveaway...

Hesitation permeated every inch of Chesh, brought in and held there by reluctance. He looked like someone who would make a run for it out the nearest exit at any moment, shouting something like ‘you’ll never take me alive!’

What was the big deal? Was he in some sort of trouble? Was the woman dangerous?

He’s not gonna answer…

Should he push him? Or just drop it? Curiosity and a certain protectiveness and worry prodded at him to push and push, but his logical side warned him that it might go very wrong. Chesh might close up completely and leave, the usually buried stubbornness coming out to the forefront and digging in.

Hmm. Maybe it was time to give Chesh a taste of his own medicine. A dose of guilt-tripping shouldn’t be too hard to come up with, right? Kavik was the direct sort (Chesh only liked to be so when it suited him) and disliked mucking around with games and manipulation, but it couldn’t be beyond his capabilities to mimic his brother’s methods. Just because he didn’t usually bother with it, didn’t mean he would be bad at it, did it? All he had to do was what he would do and get him talking-

“Jackie...”

The name came out in a sigh from Chesh and drew Kavik’s complete attention back to him, in time for him to see a soft smile brighten.

And suddenly Chesh twisted around and sat up, his words spilling out in a rush of energy, “She’s Jackie, and she’s the best. She’s really funny, and cute and so pretty and she’s a DJ and she has a cute kittycat called Lemon. She has amazing purple hair, Jackie I mean, not Lemon, Lemon is a white fluff ball. Jackie is not a fluff ball, except sometimes in the morning if her hair is crazy…but she is sooo cute and short! And really good at petting and cuddles and she has such a nice voice and she loves swimming and diving and she has treasures! And she has really pretty eyes and the best smile and laugh…”

The energy evaporated and Chesh trailed off, his eyes unfocused, his mind clearly elsewhere. If Kavik was the fanciful type, he might have imagined seeing love hearts floating around his brother’s head, like in some sort of cartoon. As it was, he could pick up on the emotional signals from him, the subtle scents that were now as obvious as flashing neon lights, and were perhaps the equivalent to the floating hearts, telling him that Chesh was filled with affection for this human, and their bond was growing stronger with each minute spent together.

Holy shit.

Silence flooded the room with its heavy presence, creating heightened awareness of what had just been said.

Chesh, who was never usually the type to be affected by embarrassment, held a faint blush once again and turned his face away to hide it.

Jackie. Funny. Cute. Pretty. Purple. Short. Petting.

It took a moment for Kavik to process the key words, and the fact he had never heard Chesh ramble about a woman like that before. Cute animals, games, movies, food, places…yes, he’d heard many excited rambles from his brother about those things, but…another person? No, it just didn’t happen. Unless famous people counted perhaps. Was this woman famous? It sounded as if Chesh almost idolised her…

There were feelings there in any case. Maybe Chesh would give everything away now.

Kavik let the silence sit for a moment longer before going against his usual behaviour and breaking it, “So…you’re ‘friends’ with this ‘Jackie’?”

“Yeah…” It was another of those lovey-dovey sighs, but was followed by a hesitant hum and addition, “Kinda.”

“Kinda.” Kavik repeated it flatly. Leopards were generally patient, able to wait until the right moment to strike during a hunt, but this had gone on too long. He wanted answers already, it wasn’t normally so difficult to get them! 

“What the hell does that mean?” he asked, forcing a growl out of his voice, “You’re either friends or something else. How’d you meet her? At a club? Or what, is she one of your hook-ups but you got attached?”

“No!” The scandalised look accompanying that emphatic answer might have been funny in a different situation. It was hard to believe that Chesh would linger long enough with someone to get attached…oh but maybe the reaction was more to do with not wanting to relegate the woman to the side of meaningless sexual encounters?

An ache began to push into Kavik’s head and eyes, as if he’d spent too long staring at a complex puzzle. Something was going on. Chesh was changing, had already changed, and he’d missed it, clueless about what his little brother was going through. His heart and stomach sunk with the failure but were lifted by a sense of determination to improve.

He rubbed at his temples and huffed out a breath. Frustration at himself and at being in the dark was starting to turn into confusion and curiosity, “So you’re not fucking her?”

He wasn’t sure what he expected from the crude question, another emphatic ‘No��� maybe…but Chesh gave a short, low growling huff instead and looked away.

“Of course I’m not…”

‘Of course I’m not’…Kavik’s mind stumbled over the words. He even leaned back further in his chair, as if distance from his brother would somehow help him see the bigger picture of what he meant.

Of course? As in…obviously? As in…’don’t be ridiculous, there’s no way I would’.

His brother. Chesh. The playboy. The flirt. The guy whose sex-drive was through the roof and who had the charm and looks to never have to spend the night alone…was not having sex with the woman he clearly had feelings for? ‘Of course.’

The headache grew stronger. Maybe everything was being thought about a bit too much.

“Alright then...” said Kavik, starting to have an uncharacteristically creative worry that he might have walked into some sort of alternate universe when he’d entered the house. It was simply too strange to see Chesh this way. ‘Jackie’ must be one special woman. “Does she know what you are?”

Chesh sighed and flopped back on the couch. “No…She doesn’t even know I exist.”

Relief eased Kavik’s shoulders, but confusion scrunched his face as he processed the second statement, which was not even delivered in an overly dramatic fashion for once. “…What?”

“She doesn’t know me.” Chesh’s hands came up and covered his face, muffling the next words, “We…haven’t actually met properly.”

If the human scent wasn’t all over him, Kavik might have thought Chesh had well and truly gone nuts, and he might have doubted whether or not the human really was human. A witch seemed more likely. Some sort of love spell being involved would make sense.

“What do you mean you haven’t met? Who the hell is she?”

Chesh seemed to realise he’d said too much, he lowered his hands but avoided eye contact and appeared to find the couch cushions very interesting. But then there was a casual shrug. “I’m kinda…her…roommate? Uh…Pet? As a leopard…She, uh…calls him Kit.”

The recollection gave Chesh a smile, but apparently woke up ‘Kit.’ Kavik caught sight of the leopard in his brother’s eyes, and there was a light imprint of rosettes along his skin, a proper shift threatening to happen. Chesh shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. There was a faint, feline whine, but Chesh cut it off with a soothing ‘shh’ to his other side under his breath. He must have regained full control then, as the signs of the shift disappeared like they’d never been.

Likely to pretend that small incident hadn’t happened, Chesh spoke up again, this time with an explanation. “It was night and I was at the park, in a tree because I needed some nature time, y’know? And then she came along, and I accidentally scared her and made her hit her head a few times, and I couldn’t just shift back, but I wanted to make sure she was okay and all and then just…I dunno…I ended up staying at her place for a bit…and then more. And I really like it there…with her. We watch movies and stuff together and she pets me lots and she smells really nice and she’s so cuddly and soft. She decorated her place all pretty and Christmassy, but she’s gone to be with her family for the holidays…which is good, because I can be here without her wondering where I am…so it just works out well really…”

Silence settled in once again as the words faded and Kavik tried to wrap his head around them.

Oh, if only there was a rewind button, so that the rushed-out story could be recounted again (and maybe ‘paused’ so there could be a Q&A session). Maybe it would make more sense the second time. The only thing that was clear to him was that Chesh was trying not to miss the woman. And he was failing completely.

It was coming together now. He understood why the leopard had to be talked down moments ago, and why Chesh was struggling and moping. Shifters were not wholly human and were not wholly animal. They were both, two sides, two souls. Both needed acknowledgement and attention, especially from loved ones. It was never a good idea to suppress one side over the other…but of course there wasn’t much choice in this situation, Jackie was a clueless human, and that was another reason for caution.

“You need to be careful, Chesh, I don’t want SIAP on my ass. You know what could happen. Hell, it’s a miracle they haven’t already taken you in about this.”

Supernatural Incidents and Awareness Prevention. They weren’t afraid to interfere for ‘the greater good’ and wipe memories of humans that got too close to things they shouldn’t, the ones that freaked out and risked the balance of things.

Chesh winced, looking very much like he had just been punched in every vulnerable spot he had. No doubt he was imagining being banned from ever seeing Jackie again, at the very least. “Yeah…I’ll be careful. It’ll all be fine though, I’m sure she’ll…be okay with it.”

He didn’t sound all that sure. Kavik knew his brother well enough to know he would be second guessing ever telling Jackie about being a shifter, for fear of bringing the organisation down on her. 

But Chesh wouldn’t have to worry. Nothing was going to happen to him or to his human. It was a big brother’s job to take care of the younger and to stop bad things from happening after all, and Kavik might not have been perfect, but he was a damn good big brother when it came to protecting and things like this. He would do whatever he had to in order to protect the pair.

His mind was already running through the various possibilities and what he might have to do. It would be best if he gathered some more info on Jackie, gauged what sort of person she was, and it was probably a good idea to check in with his SIAP contact soon too, she might be able to see if there was anything going on there. 

With all of that in the back of his mind, he nodded at Chesh.

“Yeah, she sounds crazy enough to handle it,” he said, “She is living with a leopard already. Hasn’t she even questioned that?”

Chesh hummed and shrugged, “Sometimes she gets kinda suspicious of me…but I think she doesn’t wanna know or think about it, but…” He sighed and went on, “I wanna meet her properly. Talk to her…”

After he trailed off yet again, Kavik thought that was it, and he almost asked him what was stopping him from meeting her, but then Chesh grinned and added, “I did bump into her once, in person, nearly knocked her over. She was so cute, all dazed. And man, her hair has the most amazing colours in it! And it looks so soft and pretty, I just wanna touch it…But I can’t…”

Although he could understand and sympathise with the struggle Chesh had, of the position of being unable to do the simplest things with a loved one, of having to deny instincts and parts of himself…he didn’t really want to hear any more. Chesh gushing so much and being so lovesick was just too damn weird.

“Alright, alright, enough about all that.” Kavik stood and moved around the couch, lightly shoving his brother’s head on the way past. “Getcha ass up.”

Chesh huffed and tried to bat the hand away, rolling off the couch and following with a pout as he did so, “Why?”

“Because we’re gonna decorate this damn place.”

“But you-“

“Yeah, well you need a distraction and I know you like this shit.  S’better than having you mope around or be mushy, so hurry up and grab the box of stuff from wherever you hide it.”

His inner ‘Chesh sense’ started to ring in alarm. Oh no.

He tensed in preparation and half turned, in time for Chesh to dramatically fling himself on him like dying man onto his only hope. Kavik’s face screwed up and he huffed at the contact, having to adjust his stance so their combined weight wouldn’t topple them to the ground.

“The fuck are you doing? Get off me.”

Of course Chesh did the opposite and climbed up to cling even more with a whine, “But Kaaaaviiiiiiii…I miss her so much! I need lots of hugs!”

The statement was followed by the grip increasing and Chesh pressing his cheek against his in great affection. Kavik tried to turn his face away from him and pry him off, “That’s not my problem. Just don’t think about her.”

The crushing hug relented slightly, and Chesh seemed to be considering things.

“Just don’t think about her? Hmm…well I guess you’re right, decorating probably would be a great distraction…”

The Chesh sense started to ring again, and Kavik’s dread kicked in.

“But I dunno if it’s distracting enough, yknow?” Chesh went on, “It might not take up enough of my thoughts, because I do miss her sooo much. And she is the most amazing, most beautiful, bestest woman ever. And she doesn’t know who I am and its really sad and everything.”

They might be cat shifters, but Chesh had mastered the ‘puppy-eyes’ technique and was now aiming it fully at Kavik (who’s expression had not changed from distaste since the uncomfortable hug began).

“I could talk about it forever and ever…” added Chesh.

And Kavik sighed. “Unless...?”

There was a thoughtful (but unconvincing) hum, “Well…it would probably take up more thought if I had to tell you where to put all the decorations and stuff…don’t you think? Directing you instead of us both just doing whatever we want on our own.”

You little shit.

“...Fine. You can boss me around this one time, but no more hugging and no more going on about your woman.”

Chesh grinned and climbed down, clearly satisfied now that he had gotten what he wanted from the situation. He patted the top of Kavik’s head (earning a growl from him) and then went off to find the boxes of lights, tinsel, and baubles.

Regret was already knocking, but surely an annoyingly bossy and high-spirited Chesh, back to his manipulative trickster self, was better than a lovesick and mopey one…wasn’t it? It was okay as long as he was happy…right?

A tinsel tangled Kavik, only ten minutes in the future, would struggle to keep that in mind.