#anyway i really do get the discontent over the romance

[thenugking]

Perseverance “Percy” Ashton (she/her)

(Percy's costume evolution throughout the game. She's getting her Hot Girl makeover! The fact that she's losing every trace of individuality isn't important!!)

Race: Asmodeus Tiefling Class: Cleric of Ilmater (Life Domain) Background: Acolyte

Personality: Percy is a Good Person. She’d like everyone to be aware of this. She’s a Good Person and therefore all her actions are Good things a Good Person would do, and if those Good Actions result in the deaths and suffering of hundreds of people, it wasn’t that bad and they deserved it and it wasn’t actually Percy’s fault anyway!!

Percy is a conflict-averse doormat who doesn’t want to cause problems and supports her friends unconditionally. Unfortunately, her friends are the kind of people who want to do things like serve evil goddesses, become gods themselves, and kill thousands of people. But hey, they’d totally have done all that anyway, there was nothing Percy could have possibly said to stop them! She was just being a good friend!

She believes strongly in not giving up and continuing in your beliefs and actions, no matter what kind of odds (or common sense) are stacked against you (this being why she named herself Perseverance). She’s extremely ambitious, though she’d never admit it, and desperately wants to be held up as a paragon of virtue in front of the entire Ilmater church. She’s smart, though lacking the wisdom score she really needs as a cleric, and a great lover of reading.

And, of course, she is deep in self-delusions. Ilmater finally stops lending Percy divine power after she helps Astarion ascend, and she completely refuses to notice that the god she spent decades worshipping has gone, and Loviatar’s stepped in instead.

Backstory: Percy grew up in the Outer City, where poverty and anti-tiefling racism were often issues. Fortunately, she found support at the Open Hand Temple and was grateful enough to that as a teenager, she started working there herself, wanting to be able to help others as she’d been helped. Unfortunately, she slowly started taking on a lot of shitty doctrine and a huge martyr complex.

Despite Father Lorgan attempting to gently suggest otherwise, Percy believes that suffering is holy, and by suffering in the service of others, or even just generally Going Through it, she’s a better person. She dedicated her life to helping as much as she possibly can, eagerly going without meals, forcing herself up after only a few hours sleep, and refusing to ever take a day off, in the hope that eventually someone would look at her and say, “Wow you’re so much more selfless than everyone else here, you’re truly the greatest person I’ve ever met, I can’t believe no one’s noticed how incredible you are before!!” And while she was far too nice to say anything, she spent years stewing in resentment over anyone who stopped to take care of their own needs, and clearly weren’t as good people as she is. 

Her home life wasn’t much better. Percy married her childhood sweetheart, Kairon, at 19. When Baldur’s Gate starts, they’ve been married for twenty years, have two kids together, and the spark has gone out completely. Kairon… wasn’t an amazing husband, and should probably have noticed how discontented his wife was, but Percy sure did love to repress her negative feelings and constantly insist she was fine and refuse to actually ask for anything she needed. They’d probably both be a lot happier if they’d broken up ten years ago.

Anyway, by the start of the game, Percy’s worrying that she’s wasted her life on a man who never really appreciated her, and that she’s old enough now that no one ever will. Her sex life, which had dried up completely in the past few years, was never very satisfying because she’s a Good Christian Girl who just wants to please her husband and can’t admit to having any desires of her own. The most joy she’s felt in the past several years is secretly reading steamy romance novels and the occasional piece of Loviatan literature. For, yknow, research into the enemy!

Also, I decided she’s the person who wrote this.

Relationships: When Astarion suggests he can do more for Percy than her husband ever has, she takes a long, thoughtful, angst-ridden two minutes to consider it before jumping into bed with him. She’s not thrilled when the sex break happens, but he’s sweet and broken and he cares about her, so she’s willing to do anything for him as long as it doesn’t mean tearing her family apart! They’re both very much trying to be the person the other wants them to be and oh boy does that not go well. She eventually lets Astarion ascend and becomes his spawn, and the two of them spend the next several years being miserable.

After Astarion, Percy is closest to Gale during the game. They drift apart afterwards, as Gale focuses on being a god, during which time Percy becomes closer to Shadowheart, leaning on her more for advice, and begging regular access to the Mirror of Loss so she can forget everything that makes her worry she might not be a great person. None of them see Lae’zel again, after she goes to serve Vlaakith. 

Percy always secretly disliked Wyll a little. Nothing to do with jealousy over his reputation as a folk hero constantly helping others, or publicly being made to Suffer when Mizora turned him into a devil! He wasn’t immediately fine with suddenly growing horns as part of a violent non consensual body modification, so he’s probably racist against tieflings and therefore awful!! She and Karlach are friends for a while, but things fall apart in Act 3, after Karlach “betrays” Percy by telling her husband about the affair, and makes a fuss over her allying with Gortash. Neither Wyll nor Karlach survive the events of Percy’s game, but that’s a whole thing that we don’t have room for here.

Percy never recruited Jaheira or Minsc, due to supporting Shadowheart in her dreams of becoming a Dark Justiciar, and let the Mistresses of Souls wipe Minthara’s mind. (She was a Bad Person, why would Percy ever think of rescuing her?) Halsin eventually quietly separates himself from the group, after growing discontent with the paths a lot of them are taking, and Percy’s constant attempts to get his endorsement over her cheating because she can’t tell the difference between that and polyamory.Speaking of which, Percy cheats on Astarion with Mizora while he’s still a vampire spawn and the sex pause is ongoing (so really it was his fault--). As much as Mizora’s main aim was causing trouble, she does find herself a little bit enamoured by Percy’s absolute dedication to twisting the truth, and their shared passion in being a massive asshole to Wyll. She turns up again a few years after the events of the game, when Percy’s really starting to want out of her relationship with Astarion, offering protection and freedom from him in return for Percy’s services as her warlock. The two of them eventually begin a relationship which is practically healthy by Percy’s standards! For her, anyway, not for anyone else who has the misfortune of being around the two of them.

[copperbadge]

Ah. If you like to “go deep”, and avoid the initial idealization phase, aka “romance”, then point-and-click dating sites are definitely NOT your cuppa. Have you considered the possibly old fashioned institution of the “social club”? Or is that firmly a thing of the past? (Yes, I am so dated I have my own geologic layer. 🦕)

I've tried a couple of social clubs over the years, geek meetups and board game clubs and a ukulele group and such, but generally I wasn't a good fit. Which...it's not great reason to join a club anyway, is it? It always felt predatory to me, joining a social club in order to date. And I don't need to join them for company, I have a friends group that is actually stable, and expanding since I got on the Adderall.

While there are people in that wider social group who I certainly wouldn't mind getting to know better, pretty nearly everyone is happy with their romantic situation as-is. That's fine; it's not like I'm getting rejected, I'm just capable of seeing when someone isn't interested, and by policy I don't do infidelity/affairs. It's just one of those perils of being single in one's forties -- most people are set with their relationships or have baggage that I don't wish to carry.

It's why I tried the dating apps again, because at least there's intentionality there, like we all know why we're on the app, but man. There is no way to be authentic on a dating app. Even if you try, it just comes off sounding fake, and the apps worth using are also designed so that communication with others, unless you're paying, really isn't very possible anyway. If I'm going to pay I might as well make the investment and go with a matchmaker agency where at least a real human can tell me what I'm doing wrong or find someone who's doing things wrong the same way as I am.

Which I might, but I've been alone a long time and while I'm discontented about it I wouldn't say it's severely impacting quality of life. I'm not ace or aro but I am also not great at relationships and like my own space too much to think I'd be easy to cohabitate with, so on balance this is the better place for me right now, I guess. I'm fortunate that I don't want kids or I'd really have been in a bind, but I'm happy being uncle to R's kid, and hopefully to a few more on the way in the coming years.

Nobody gets their ideal life in all aspects; I'm not miserable, I make enough to pay the bills and buy good food, I love my friends and my pets, and that's sufficient. Someday I might feel differently, but the last swing at the dating apps taught me that I'm not going to be a good partner to anyone anyway if I think of dating as an anxiety-inducing chore.

[delicatecherrys]

is there a protocol on here to talk about “last reblog”?

i don’t wanna clog their post with my opposing view in their tags. i see their point, but i kinda disagree? i think it’s great to interpret media without caring about what the author meant, and we will always continue to do that even if the author comes outright and says they meant it the opposite way. (hell, is that not what we do with “canon divergent” fanfiction that explores characters reacting differently in a situation than they did when the author wrote them?)

but i don’t think it’s fair to dismiss authorial intent like that. art DOES become more (or less) meaningful if it was put together with thought & intent, rather than being the product of accident. i DO care if the author meant to portray love that was meant to read as queer, rather than accidentally (badly!) writing brotherly love. i’ll have my own interpretation, but i want to know what they were trying to say, if i can.

it sucks that we have to speculate. it sucks that heterosexuality is the default and we have to seek validation for our queer interpretations. but that IS reality.

and i do agree it takes away from art being subtle & dynamic, which is not a good thing, but i guess…i dunno. i don’t know what the solution is. but when we get continually harassed for our queer reading of a piece of media…

it’s not my business how other people interpret art, but the heteronormativity of the spaces we exist in means that being confident in my own reading of something is not enough. it means someone is gonna hold it over my head and laugh and be bigoted, because there isn’t “proof”. is it really so unbelievable that queer people are seeking that validation? or at the very least hoping not to see heteronormativity shoved into every work that can read as queer, giving ammo to every asshole out there to act like we’re delusional for reading queer subtext in a story?

idk what i’m saying, this has been bothering me given the increased harassment & homophobia i’ve personally experienced on twitter since 431 came out. i think it’s a bit dismissive to say “just be content with what you got and interpret it your way, why do you need proof/validation”.

(which we never did, at least i didn’t. all i was asking for was there to be a space left to interpret things in a queer way without an emphasis on your typical het ship. if there really was censorship involved & author’s hand was forced, i think 431 is the kindest way it could have happened for us queer folks. but it’s undeniable that it still fucking sucks.)

nobody follows me here so i don’t expect anyone to read/respond to this lol, just needed to rant. if you did read it, sorry, it probably didn’t make much sense.

if op of that post happens to see this (i really hope they don’t), this wasn’t an attack on you or your take, you make solid points, i just happen to disagree.

anyways. good job horikoshi on going from writing a flawed but nonetheless interesting trope subversion of your main female “love interest” type character, to burying your one explicitly queer character and having her love be used as a way to push a het ship & reducing your female lead’s arc to be all about love/all about the boy she loved, ALL in one chapter. himiko’s treatment in this manga is truly a slap on the face, and i’m not even a himiko stan. can’t imagine how her fans feel. and ochako doesn’t even make sense. even if this chapter was a product of censorship and forced by editors/publishers, there were many more tasteful ways to accomplish teasing the het romance than…whatever that was.

also apparently this volume is selling a tonne which could be for any number of reasons (bonus cards, promise of bonus content, final volume, vol 1 parallel nostalgia, etc) but given its success, it really does make me feel small in my discontent. at the end of the day, as loud as our corner of the internet may be, it’s not enough. 🥲

[marshmallowgoop]

It’s not “Born Sexy Yesterday,” y’all.

I had the great fortune of catching up with the fifth season of Samurai Jack just in time for that episode, and, well, there’s a lot I could say.

But I want to just focus on one thing: what bothers me about so much media criticism---and this is coming from someone who engages in quite a bit of it---is that, in attempting to call out issues of objectification of women and sexism against women, critics often do just what they’re criticizing themselves, stripping away female characters’ agency and personalities in their commentary, painting them as little more than helpless, pitiful things.

And that’s exactly my issue with the “Born Sexy Yesterday” video---and exactly my issue with the “Born Sexy Yesterday” trope being applied to Ashi.

(Well, aside from the fact that the whole video in question is a Jonathan McIntosh video, who was a co-writer and producer for the first season of Feminist Frequency’s “Tropes vs Women in Video Games” series, which has this issue on top of a whole host of others, but that’s a discussion for another day.)

The Trope

For a sort of “textbook” definition of the trope in question, McIntosh defines the “Born Sexy Yesterday” character as so:

McIntosh: She has the mind of a naïve, yet highly-skilled child, but in the body of a mature, sexualized woman. She also serves as our hero’s love interest. “Profoundly naïve, yet unimaginably wise” captures the essence of this trope.

“Born Yesterday” is an idiom meaning “extremely naïve, inexperienced, or ignorant.” As a media trope, “Born Sexy Yesterday” has both a figurative and, in many cases, a literal meaning.

From here, McIntosh adds that the “Born Sexy Yesterday” character has “the mind of a child manifest in a mature, female body” and is “brought into the human world already fully formed.” The character is “deliberately framed in a sexualized way” and is “defined by their innocence and inexperience of worldly things---especially when it comes to sex, romance, or basic social interaction.” Notably, they are “deliberately written to be completely unaware of their own sex appeal.” 

However, a “Born Sexy Yesterday” gal---despite her newness---is still “often highly skilled in something that men will respect” (often combat), which emphasizes what McIntosh stresses is the most important part of the trope: “Born Sexy Yesterday” is more of a relationship trope than anything---and it’s a male-fantasy relationship trope at that. The guy who ultimately hooks up with the “Born Sexy Yesterday” gal is just as crucial to the trope as the “Born Sexy Yesterday” gal is herself.

And the “guy” part of “Born Sexy Yesterday” is, as McIntosh describes:

McIntosh: Typically, he’s a straight, red-blooded man who has---for a variety of reasons---found himself alone or unsatisfied in love. He finds himself disenfranchised, or otherwise directionless. He either can’t find---or doesn’t want---a woman from his own world---a woman who might be his equal in matters of love and sexuality. 

He does have one thing going for him, though. He knows all about living life as a normal human being.

Of course, so does every other guy on Earth, which should make him... unremarkable. Except, to a woman born yesterday. Because she’s presumably never known another man, he would seem like the smartest, most amazing guy in the entire universe.

And here’s where we start to see how the trope is constructed as a male fantasy. It’s precisely her naïvety and her innocence that allows her to see something special in him---something that other, less innocent---or more experienced---women cannot.

In other words, a “Born Sexy Yesterday” gal, as described by McIntosh, is nothing more than a wish-fulfillment sex object for loser guys who can’t get with anyone else.

In other other words, to say that a female character fits the “Born Sexy Yesterday” trope is to say that any hopes, dreams, ambitions that she might have outside of a man---and, you know, that whole personality thing---mean nothing. To say a female character fits the “Born Sexy Yesterday” trope is to say that she is nothing more than a silly, doesn’t-know-anything sex object, because that is literally what the trope describes.

And that’s why the trope doesn’t sit well with me in the first place. It seems far more interested in bringing down women and reducing them to items of male pleasure than criticizing the writing for depicting them in that way.

Ashi

But bringing this back to Ashi and Samurai Jack, the nasty nature of this trope is also why I dislike it being used to criticize Ashi. Just like every other character that might be described as a “Born Sexy Yesterday” gal, the trope reduces Ashi to nothing more than Jack’s sexy arm candy and completely glosses over and ignores her own growth, her own journey, and her own agency.

Ashi has arguably been as much of the main character of Season Five as Jack has been. The narrative has detailed her horrific childhood, her constant love for nature, her compassion even when she was trained and ordered to have none, her wonder as she sees everything that was hidden from her, her stubbornness in her ways, her turmoil as the truth becomes impossible to deny... and that’s just in the first few episodes! 

From there, Ashi gets to wander the world and learn about the world on her own, gets to discover herself and who she wants to be on her own, gets to face her mother and defeat her mother on her own---and that’s just scratching the surface. Ashi has so much growth and development separate from Jack that emphasizes that she is so much more than just some pretty “prize” for him because he can’t get any other girl (which, c’mon, seriously? Jack is hugely adored in-canon, is damn good looking, loses his clothes all the time, and is sexualized up the wazoo just like Ashi is. Ain’t no way this dude would have trouble getting some if he were really looking.).

In any case, the idea of Ashi fitting the “Born Sexy Yesterday” trope so insulting because it conveniently forgets everything about her that doesn’t have to do with Jack and her “childishness” that stems from her sheltered upbringing. Despite all of Ashi’s experiences, she’s reduced to a naïve baby who can’t handle herself and doesn’t know anything. While it’s true that Ashi’s childhood leaves her highly inexperienced in the world, her story---which the narrative has so focused on and placed so much significance on---is all about gaining experience. It honestly grosses me out that everything Ashi went through and her journey to understand what was stolen from her is just completely pushed under a rug to pigeonhole her into a demeaning trope. 

Think of it this way: would you consider Rapunzel from Disney’s Tangled an example of “Born Sexy Yesterday” due to her sheltered upbringing? I certainly wouldn’t! Rapunzel is so, so, so much more than Eugene’s clueless girlfriend, and her story is all about gaining experience and independence. To say that Rapunzel fits the trope would be to erase basically the entire movie---and I feel just the same about Ashi in Samurai Jack.

And in fact, the video itself actually debunks the idea of Ashi fitting the trope at all!

McIntosh: ...the problem with this trope [“Born Sexy Yesterday”] is not necessarily with the female characters themselves. If these were simply stories involving naïve, extra-terrestrial women who learned about love and humanity, then that wouldn’t be an issue. Likewise, if the male hero was also inexperienced and our two protagonists could discover love and sex together, then that would avoid most of the troubling power dynamic issues.  

So, for example, Cameron from the Sarah Connor Chronicles TV show fits the trope, but her relationship with the young John Connor is framed as much more of a mutual exploration.

This season of Samurai Jack has been a story nearly just as much about Ashi---if not as much---as it is about the titular Jack. Season Five hasn’t just been some lame male-fantasy romance, because any and all "romance” has just been left to this one episode---one, out of eight, in which Ashi has always been prominently featured and her story of self-discovery has always been of utmost significance.

Equality

The idea of Ashi fitting the “Born Sexy Yesterday” trope is also insulting because of another aspect noted in the quote above: equality. While “Born Sexy Yesterday” is a trope that “fetishes the stark power imbalance between a wiser, more experienced man and a naïve, inexperienced woman” and is “the ultimate teacher/student dynamic,” Jack and Ashi’s relationship is defined by learning from each other. Jack “shows Ashi the world,” if you will, and Ashi does the same for him later, saving Jack from himself by “showing” him all the good he’s done in the world with her words. Jack fights his own personal demons, and Ashi fights hers---and they support each other through it, as equals and friends, not master/object or teacher/student.

Especially in this contested episode, Jack is never depicted as “a wiser, more experienced man” than Ashi---right from the very beginning! Jack tries to seem like he knows what he’s doing when he orders food, but he clearly doesn’t have a clue (as eating the stuff turns his head into a fish). Ashi, meanwhile---the one who is so argued to be naïve and inexperienced---is wise enough to know not to eat the seafood. She may have been sheltered and hidden away from the world, but she’s not a clueless child who doesn’t know anything.

All the sexual metaphors in the episode also point to Jack and Ashi’s equality---or at least, to the fact that Jack is not someone significantly above Ashi in terms of romantic/sexual experience. They are both high school-level awkward around each other. They both don’t know how to figure out the “device,” and they both have to fiddle and fiddle and fiddle with it until they get it right. Neither knows what they’re doing, and they have to figure that out together, just like the Cameron and John example from the Sarah Connor Chronicles.

And, to address the naked elephant in the room, Ashi has, again, wandered around the world without Jack. She knew to cover her nakedness because of social norms---why else would she have made her dress? Ashi’s confusion at Jack’s flustered reaction to her nakedness in episode 8 seems more to me as her being confused that someone like Jack would be flustered about nudity in a literal life-or-death situation. Jack is the one acting like an immature child here, not Ashi.

Finally, from a narrative standpoint, Jack and Ashi are also presented as people put in similar, equal situations. Jack was raised to fight and kill Aku. His childhood was dedicated to the task, and in the series proper, it is still his goal. While Jack wasn’t exactly sheltered per se, he didn’t get to experience the world much as an ordinary person because he was always laser-focused on this weighty, fate-of-the-world task.

In the same way, Ashi was raised to fight and kill Jack. Her entire life was dedicated to the goal. She had no chance to experience the world as an ordinary person---and much like Jack was flung into the future and had to learn how to live in a new world, Ashi has to learn to live in a new world, too.  And as shown in episode 8, they’re both still getting the hang of it!

These are people who “get” each other. They were born to fight. They were tossed into a strange new world. They’ve never had the chance to be “normal” citizens. They are both naïve and trying to figure things out together. 

Jack is never presented as a grand power over Ashi. She holds her own and stands up for herself. She is not Jack’s mindless, clueless arm candy. She is not “Born Sexy Yesterday.” 

Of course, I am not saying that there aren’t legitimate criticisms towards the romance. I’m not saying that people shouldn’t be upset. I’m not saying that anyone has to like the direction the series took. I’m not saying that the backlash is unwarranted or undeserved. 

But to criticize Season Five because of “Born Sexy Yesterday” is demeaning, insulting, and just plain wrong. 

And, personally, I find it incredibly disappointing that a video essay that should, by definition, inspire critical thinking has only seemed to do the exact opposite.

[shiftingparadise]

hey bbyyy! i am back with another request! 🙈 i saw the feitan one, but i couldn’t read it cause you said it was spicy 😩😩 but hey it’s hunter x hunter! and i immediately wanted a killua fic from you 🥺🥺

so hear me out, it’s like canon events where they go on adventures and follow gon around as he tries to track down his horrible dad. reader took the hunter exam with the gang and befriends everyone and gains a stupid kid-crush on killua! and killua gains a crush on reader too, and it’ll be a super sweet and comedic romance cause they’re only twelve ya’know! we can expect petty fights and teasing and making fun of random strangers killua style and it’ll be so freaking cute 😆😆

Oh and if it’s possible, can you please not have the fic take place during the chimera ant arc? i’m still not through that cause i literally had to take a break because it overwhelmed me so much lmaoo 💀💀

and of course this is a no pressure request, i’ll understand if you’re not comfortable with writing a fic about someone as young as them, or if you’re not comfortable with writing this particular fic in general! anyways, have a great day luv and remember to stay healthy 💛💛

I thought this request was soooo cute lol 🥺 I really kept it as innocent and cute as possible 🥺. I'm sorry it took a while, but I struggled with writing this because I wanted to keep it interesting but innocent at the same time.

I've rewritten this story so many times by now, but I think this one's cute, so I chose this version :3 I hope you enjoy this one! I had fun writing it, so I'm happy you requested this 😇✨

Word count: 3744

‘Here you go’, you smiled at the white-haired boy, ‘You need this, right?’.

You tilted your head, confused by his distrust. You’d spend forever looking for this badge, he could at least take it without being so defiant about it. 

‘No’. 

‘H-hey! I know you need this!’, you placed both your hands next to your body in discontent. 

‘I’ve already collected enough badges, don’t need that one’, the white-haired boy had his hands stuffed away in his pockets, a disinterested gaze met yours.

‘B-but I-‘. ‘Don’t care’, the boy closed his eyes, now turning his back to you. 

You didn’t want to cry, to show you were weak, but you went through so much trouble for nothing. 

‘Huh?’, Killua frowned when he could hear some cute, sniffling sounds from behind him. ‘I-I just w-want a friend’, you wiped your tears away with the sleeve of your pink sweater. 

‘H-hey, are you crying?! Stop crying!’. ‘J-just l-leave me alone!’, you quickly turned around, running as fast as you could from the white-haired boy. 

‘Tch, idiot’, Killua gritted through his teeth before walking the other way, ‘Who takes a hunter exam to make friends’. 

Killua stopped walking when he considered his own words. Images of Gon forced themselves into his head. 

‘Idiot, idiot, idiot!’, Killua felt frustrated. Why did you have to say something like that? Why did you have to remind him of himself? He knows better than anyone what it’s like to long for a friend, and since you went to all this trouble… Even participating in the hunter exam… ‘Fine!’, Killua turned back around, ‘I can hear her sob from here, it’s not like I would waste much time’. 

It didn’t take long for Killua to find you. You were sitting on the ground, head resting against the trunk of a tree. 

‘Go away’, you sniffled into your sleeve, eyes overflowing with tears. ‘Here, you dropped this’, Killua tossed the badge towards you. 

You reluctantly caught it, a sulking expression now on your face. 

‘How many badges do you have?’. 

You frowned, confused by his question. What did it matter? It was obvious he didn’t want to be friends with you. 

‘Take as many as you want’, you tossed your bag towards the boy. 

‘W-what?’, Killua’s eyes widened when he could see you'd collected over 10 badges, ‘How did you get these?’. ‘Stole them’, you slowly stood up from the ground, wondering what his intentions were. 

‘How?’. 

‘W-what do you mean ‘how’?! You don’t think I’m capable of doing so?’, you raised your voice. He underestimated you, so much was clear. ‘Hm’, Killua raised his shoulders, both of his hands still in his pockets, ‘Let’s make a deal’. 

Killua couldn’t help but be intrigued by you. There weren’t many kids his age that were as strong as him, but you and Gon might be the exceptions. 

‘A deal?’, you crossed your arms, eyes fixed on the bag that was laying between the two of you. ‘If you can get your bag back, I’ll be your friend’. ‘R-really?’, you intertwined your hands, ‘S-so it’ll be like a game?’. ‘Guess so’, Killua smiled, closing his eyes. ‘Deal!’, you smirked, focusing your eyes on your bag. ‘Okay, see you’, the white-haired boy smirked before he picked up the bag and disappeared into the distance. 

---

You sighed, dragging your feet while walking down the crowded streets, ‘Eh, I’m tired’. ‘Just a little bit further. Leorio’s waiting for us in that restaurant’, Gon smiled at you. ‘Good, I’m starving’. ‘I told you to eat some breakfast!’, Killua smacked against the back of your head, ‘Idiot!’. ‘Hey, you’re an idiot!’, you pouted while rubbing over the spot where he’d hit you. 

‘Let’s try to be kind to each other, okay?’, Gon nervously meddled, ‘You can order something, I’m also hungry. ‘That’s because you haven't had any breakfast either! You’re both idiots’, Killua scoffed while grabbing both of your heads, ‘Now we’re going to waste time because you two didn’t listen to me!’. 

You let out a guilty giggle, Gon quickly following your lead. The two of you knew Killua was right, he always was. It was a trait you both came to love and hate at the same time. 

‘We need to get money to buy Greed Island, we can’t waste time like this’, Killua let go of your heads, ‘I hope Leorio has figured something out. I don’t like the idea of hunting down Spiders’. 

--- 

‘If he calls, run. If he calls, run. If he-‘. 

‘You told me you two were the only ones? I’m starting to feel like I’m running a daycare, damn brats’. 

Adrenaline immediately rushed through your veins when you could hear the dissatisfied grunts of your friends.

You quickly jumped away from the window, now looking at the unfamiliar face. ‘Who are you?’. 

‘Phinks’. 

‘Y/N run’, Killua never sounded so serious before. All the playfulness, all the mockery, the sarcasm… There wasn’t any trace left of it in his tone. 

‘Don’t’, the tall man tightened his grip around their arms, ‘I’ll kill them if you try’. ‘What do you want?’, your eyes were lingering on the burn marks around Killua’s ankles.

You wanted nothing more than to shove the man’s face into the concrete wall next to you, but the fact that he’s managed to catch both of your friends told you everything you needed to about his strength – he could easily kill you if he wanted to. 

‘Do you know the chain user?’. ‘Chain user?’, you frowned at the unfamiliar name, ‘Maybe… Maybe not. What’s it to you?’. 

‘Idiot!’, Killua broke free from the man’s grip, tearing his shirt in the process. 

You noticed the way that the man’s eyes widen, he obviously didn’t expect Killua to be so strong. 

‘Why would you lie? You know we’re dealing with one of the spiders, right? I told you to run when I say so! What’s wrong with you? Do you want to get yourself killed?’. ‘I was trying to get us out of here! Why do you need to be like this? I’m strong too, you know?’. 

Phinks frowned, trying to grasp what was happening before him. Was it arrogance? Were you two mocking him? Were you trying to distract him? He swiftly looked at the boy he was still holding onto, maybe his expression gave something away. 

‘We’re friends, don’t worry’, Gon smiled while looking at the blonde, ‘They’re always like this’.

‘Enough’, Phinks grabbed Killua’s arm again. ‘Hey, Mr. Sweatpants, I was talking to him!’. 

You froze when you could sense another unfamiliar presence behind you, his aura just as horrible as the man standing before you. 

‘What’s taking so long? Can’t handle a couple of kids? Pakunoda and Machi are already waiting in the car’. ‘I’ve only got two hands Nobunaga’, Phinks smirked, ‘You can take the little girl. Watch out, she’s got an attitude’. 

---

‘Don’t worry your little girlfriend will be fine’, Phinks sighed while sitting down on a stone, ‘Machi and Pakunoda were in the car behind us, they’ll be here soon’. ‘G-girlfriend?’, Killua raised his voice, cheeks red, ‘S-she’s not my-‘. ‘Oh?’, Gon looked with big eyes at his friend, ‘I really thought you liked her’. ‘Why would you think that? You’re as big as an idiot as her!’, Killua pressed his nose against Gon’s, his digit pressed against his head. 

‘Then why are you blushing?’. 

Phinks couldn’t help but let out a small smile at how innocent Gon sounded in contrast to his friend. He tried to grasp how they could be so skilled that they’d managed to track his fellow spiders without them noticing. 

‘Get off me! I can walk myself!’. 

‘There’s your little ray of sunshine’, the blonde massaged his forehead when he could hear your voice again, ‘She never shuts her mouth, does she?’. ‘You get used to it’, Killua and Gon both simultaneously replied. 

‘I know you have the same IQ as Gon, but please don’t say anything about Hisoka’, Killua looked at you, hoping you would be smart enough to pretend you never saw him before. 

‘This one doesn’t know anything about the chain user either’. 

You scanned the room, trying to count how many people were in it. 

‘Huh?’, you smiled when you saw the magician, ‘Hisoka? Is that you?’. 

‘Idiot’, you could hear Killua’s voice in the back of your head.

‘And you are?’, Hisoka smirked while playing with his cards.

All eyes were on the two of you. Everyone seemed to be interested in your relationship with their fellow troupe member. 

‘I took the Hunter exam with you’, you smiled, ‘I wanted to be your friend, remember? Brought you the badge you needed’. ‘Ah yes, I remember. You two were there too’, Hisoka pointed at Gon and Killua. 

---

‘Again’. 

You could see how Gon’s hand started to bleed, little drops of blood falling onto the cold stones underneath him. 

‘K-killua?’.  

The only thing you could see in his eyes was anger. 

‘Killua? I’m scared’. 

A symphony of fear and sadness flooded your eyes. You didn’t want to feel like this, but neither one of you was strong enough to fight off one of the spiders, let alone the bunch of them. 

‘Huh?’. Your soft sobs seemed to pull him out of his trance. Two blue eyes were now staring into yours, ‘Gon’s fine, don’t worry’.

‘A-ai, don’t worry Y/N, it doesn’t hurt’, Gon forced a smile on his face, a determined look in his eyes. 

‘But-‘, ‘Too much noise, need quiet’. 

You froze when you felt someone pulling your arm behind your back, nearly breaking it. 

‘Shut up or I’ll break it’. 

‘Try and I’ll kill you’. 

Killua’s aura completely changed. His usually bright blue eyes went dark, a villainous grin on his face. 

‘Sorry, can’t let that happen’. Two of Hisoka’s long fingers pressed a card against Killua’s neck, keeping him in his place. 

‘Fei stop’. The man they called ‘Nobunaga’ sounded calm, as if it was normal to threaten a child. 

‘Scared, huh?’, Killua’s soft voice grounded you, ‘I always knew you were a scaredy-cat’. 

You knew this was his way of distracting you from what was happening around you, from the pain in your arm. You knew he must be on edge too, with Hisoka threatening him… even so, he wanted you to feel okay, to stay strong. 

‘Tch’, the man behind you – reluctantly – let go of you, pushing you away from him. 

‘Y-Y/N?’, Killua genuinely felt overwhelmed when he felt your hands grabbing around his arm, your head pressed against his shoulder, ‘You know Hisoka’s standing behind me, right?’. 

Ah, there it was again, Killua’s grumpy voice. A sound you grew to adore over the last few months. 

‘Hm, so sweet and innocent’, Hisoka smirked, pulling his card away when he saw Killua’s burning cheeks. 

---

‘Killua? Gon?’, you softly knocked on the door of your friends' hotel room. ‘What’s wrong?’, Gon opened the door, a startled look in his eyes. ‘I-I can’t sleep, I-I’m scared and Leorio won’t answer his door… I think he’s having a party with Zepile’. 

‘Idiot’. You could see Killua sitting on the ground, a smug look on his face. ‘You always sleep in a room together! It’s not fair!’. ‘No need to fight’, Gon once again tried to meddle, ‘You can stay here’. ‘Let’s watch a movie!’, you smiled, immediately jumping on the big bed. 

It didn’t take long for the three of you to be sitting next to each other on the bed. Gon and Killua smiling next to you, eyes flickering with joy. 

‘Oh Killua, I want to be able to fight like that!’, ‘We already do, idiot’.

‘Hm’, you smacked your lips together after yawning, ‘So tired’. 

You didn’t notice the way your head fall onto Killua’s shoulder; you were too tired to wake up from his scoldings. 

‘Oh’, Gon gently tapped on your shoulder, ‘Seems like she’s asleep’. ‘Get her off me! I can’t sleep like this’, Killua looked the other way, hoping Gon wouldn’t notice his cherry-red cheeks. ‘Are you okay? Do you have a fever?’, Gon widened his eyes when he noticed Killua’s red cheeks. ‘W-what? No, I’m fine’, Killua turned his head further away, ‘Let’s just go to sleep, it’s not like we’ll be able to wake her up. You know how she gets once she’s sleeping’. 

---

‘Hey Killua!’, you tried to catch up once you noticed your friends were already walking ahead, ‘I’m hungry’. 

‘Again?! We’ve just entered the game!’, ‘I’m hungry too’, Gon nervously chuckled. ‘Fine! Why’d I even expect to start playing right away when I’ve got you two idiots with me’. 

‘Let’s go there!’, you pulled Gon behind you, ‘Seems cozy’. 

---

‘I’m scared, it’s so dark’, you whispered, hoping your eyes would still adjust some more to the darkness of the night. ‘It’s fine, we’re here’, Gon’s kind voice made sure you felt more at ease. 

‘Eeee!’, you jumped into the air, quickly hiding behind Killua, ‘I-I felt something!’. Your hand grabbed Killua’s, the other wrapped around his arm. ‘H-hey!’, he turned his head to look at you. 

His eyes softened when he could see the way your cute little nose was pressed against his arm, your eyes closed in fear. He felt a sudden warm and fuzzy feeling when he realized you felt safe with him, that you ran towards him to protect you. 

‘D-don’t worry, I’ll protect you’. 

‘H-huh?’, your eyes widened when you could feel Killua’s hand tightening around yours. ‘Don’t worry Y/N. I’ll keep you safe’. You blushed when you could see him smiling at you, ‘T-thanks Killua’. 

You knew your voice must sound fragile, since you felt too embarrassed to talk properly. 

‘Ai! I’ll protect you too!’, Gon appeared next to Killua, his smile as bright as ever, ‘We’re your friends, we’ll always be there for you, no matter what’. 

[fanmoose12]

Partners

Characters: Petra Ral, Levi, Hanji Zoe x Levi

Genre: Action / Mystery / Romance

Rating: T

Detective!au

Summary: when Petra was promoted to a detective and partnered up with legendary Levi Ackerman, she felt like the happiest person in the world.But, as she soon found out, detective Ackerman she used to admire so much was actually a far cry from the ideal policeman Petra thought he was. He was rude, harsh and easily annoyed. And, in addition, he still hadn’t moved on from the death of his previous partner - detective Hange Zoe.

Chapter 14/14

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Сhapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Сhapter 7

Сhapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Standing at the entrance of a police precinct, Petra couldn’t help the cheerful smile that consistently pulled at her lips.

It was barely eight in the morning, yet the whole place was already full of life.

The main hall was bustling with activity. Officers were swimming around – some were hardly awake and trudged along the floor slowly, spent and exhausted after a night’s shift, some were equally tired and held onto their coffee cups with a dimmed desperation, and some – just like Petra – were walking around with a bright smile, ready and happy to start a new day.

Petra crossed the threshold and got swept in that current, becoming one with a crowd. She let it bring her to the elevators and then a little further, to a hallway that led to the west wing of the precinct.

There, the amount of people had noticeably lessened and Petra let herself slow her steps down.

She wasn’t in a hurry, the start of a new shift was almost an hour away. Besides, he most probably would be late anyway. So instead of hiding inside her new, but disappointingly small office, Petra decided to take her time and enjoy the walk to it for a bit more.

As she got closer and closer to the office, she saw more and more familiar faces. She nodded at everyone she recognized, muttering a soft greeting every once in a while. She received a tight hug from Nifa, returned Moblit’s warm smile, stopped to chat with Abel and Keiji.

Petra was thinking of making a detour to the coffee machine, she could never say no to a hot cup of latte and her partner would probably like some cappuccino to chase the morning sleepiness away.

Just as she was approaching a coffee machine, the voices appeared – one loud, almost shrill and another, quiet and husky.

Smile pulling on her lips, Petra stopped a little distance away, observing the peculiar couple.

There seemed to be an argument of sorts, if Petra were to judge by wild gesticulations and irritated retorts.

It was only eight in the morning, what they could possibly be arguing about so early in the morning?

“I think Hange wants another cup of coffee,” a deep voice behind her suggested. Petra turned and saw Captain Erwin standing there. He wasn’t looking at Petra, too lost in watching his two best friends. A soft, fond look made his handsome features even more attractive. “And I think Levi tries to stop her.”

“What’s so bad about coffee?”

“The amount of it. It isn’t Hange’s first cup of the day, that’s for sure. Knowing Hange, she definitely had one cup at home, after waking up. And knowing Levi, he definitely bought her another one as they drove to work.”

Petra watched the bickering couple, chuckling heartily. She wondered how long they were already standing there, each of them unwilling to back down.

“Levi has a hard time saying no to Hange,” Erwin revealed to her. “But he also has a hard time quelling his protective instincts when it comes to her. And so the unstoppable force once again meets immovable object.”

Petra mused who was who in that metaphor. Although observing two detectives… the answer was kind of obvious.

“It can take them a while to stop,” Erwin suppressed a yawn, pushing off the wall he was leaning against. “Mostly, because they don’t want to. It’s their way of flirting. God, they never change.”

“They don’t?” Petra frowned. After all that had happened… after all Levi and Hange must have revealed to each other… could they really stay the same as they were?

“Not at all. They are the same Levi and Hange they always were. As weird and insuperable as they always are and will be. The only difference is that they started making out. It’s a good thing you don’t share office with them,” Erwin winced. “It can get very intense sometimes. Almost broke my desk, the assholes.”

Petra giggled, struggling to imagine something like that. Levi definitely didn’t seem like a person who would do such a thing. Although, if there was anyone in the world capable of convincing him to do something crazy like that, it was Hange.

“Well, the duty calls,” Erwin straightened up. “As much as I’d like to stay and watch our resident weirdos be weird together, I have to go. Good day, Petra.”

Petra smiled, wishing him the same. Just as Erwin disappeared inside his office, Hange and Levi apparently came to some kind of an agreement. Hange was smiling and Levi’s face was relaxed in a soft expression he only wore when his partner was around. Their hands were intertwined as they walked away together.

Petra couldn’t help but coo a little, charmed by that small, tender scene.

When Hange and Levi left, she hurried to the coffee machine. It was almost nine and the shift was already starting. It was time to properly start the work day.

Balancing two cups of coffee in her hands, Petra walked to her office and opened the door with her elbow. Despite her assumption, Oluo was already inside, shifting through stacks of papers on his desk.

“Morning,” he grumbled, looking up to meet Petra’s gaze. The discontent in his own eyes vanished as he saw what Petra was holding. She handed him his cup, snickering at the way Oluo instantly dived into his coffee. “Damn, you’re a saint…”

“That I am,” she agreed, walking over to her desk. Just as she was close enough to Oluo, Petra leaned down to gently peck him on a cheek, delighting in his enamored sigh.

Petra straightened up with a resolute grin.

“And now, let’s get to work, partner.”

[hopeshoodie]

What do you think Hannah's character arc would've been like if she had stayed from the beginning? Like if Marisol or someone else got sent home first?

This is SUCH a good ask and you are wasting it on me. Someone plz reblog this with your ideas because I love this prompt. 

So Marisol would’ve gone home, obv. If Gary was a bit less shallow, maybe he would’ve picked the girl who seemed interested in him over the objectively hot one. But I don’t blame him because… it’s Marisol. 

So if Gary picked her and sent Marisol home,  I think Hannah would’ve stayed simping for Gary for a couple of days. But then, once he starts flirting with MC and just generally being a lad, she loses interest. Plus she was never REALLY into him, so being forced to couple with him would make her realize how uninterested in him she is. 

I think she would’ve stuck with Lottie, but been really reticent during the Lottie/Priya fights. Lottie would always speak for Hannah and assert that she’s on her side, and Hannah wouldn’t say anything. Deep down, she’d grow disenchanted with Lottie’s behavior while still being really attracted to her. 

But Lottie and Gary would’ve gotten together a bit earlier, for sure, and I think Hannah would’ve resentfully ended up with Rocco. Lots of fighting because Lottie says “well you weren’t interested in Gary anymore so it didn’t hurt you when I coupled up with him” and Hannah shouting back “that’s not your choice to make for me!” It’s one of those nasty rows that you definitely had with your childhood best friend. You know, the best friend that you loved most in the world and it was definitely not a homoerotic friendship no maam she was not my first kiss. The arguments are never really about Gary, they’re about Hannah being mad at Lottie’s behavior and Lottie being defensive. 

In the midst of that, I think Hannah goes to Priya. She apologizes for the nastiness Lottie did, and that she never said anything. Hannah definitely says some negative things about Lottie, bemoans that she didn’t see it sooner, but Priya gets the vibes that even though she’s saying “I hate her”, she doesn’t MEAN it. Priya reassures her that it’s okay, and the more they talk the more she realizes what a simp Hannah is. She encourages her to make up with Lottie, and shrugs when Hannah says “I would never >:( she’s the one who owes me an apology”. 

I do think Hannah wouldn’t mind being with Rocco. She’s polite (and a little naive) enough to be genuinely entertained by his stories, and I think a lot of his over the top dramatics would impress her. She wouldn’t take it too much to heart when he flirts with other girls (honestly idk if she’d even notice), and in general would be /fine/ being his partner. Since Marisol’s not there, I don’t think Rocco gate would happen. 

Or at least, Rocco Gate wouldn’t be as big of a deal. I genuinely don’t think Priya and Hope had any reason to get involved- Rocco just casually asked if they were interested (you know, like Rahim and Bobby and Gary all did). 

But if Priya and Hope mention it while Hannah are in the middle of fighting, Lottie’s sense of ‘girl code’ is what brings her and Hannah back together. She’ll go to Hannah like “listen, I know you hate me and I’m not asking you not to, but you need to know…” I’m thinking Hannah will be like “so?” and Lottie won’t understand why she doesn’t care. Lottie would antagonize Rocco anyways, despite Hannah telling her not to, because that’s how she and Gary bonded and also because she thinks she’s avenging Hannah. The only other way they make up is if MC takes Gary. If Gary discards her, Lottie will crawl to Hannah for support.

I think the first version is more interesting. Lottie will openly antagonize Rocco, and Hannah will scowl at her and say stop. Then when Rocco gets voted off, Hannah will sink in on herself a bit and admit that he wasn’t everything she wanted. I can kind of see Hannah and Henrik pairing up before the disaster re-coupling? If only as friends because Henrik feels bad about what all happened. 

I don’t think Hannah vibes with anyone hard enough in CA. Her and Felix could be okay, but he’s really focused on romancing Priya. I think the boy she would most take a shine to is Elijah, but she wouldn’t be willing to hurt her new friend Chelsea for him. 

So she comes back single, is safe by default, and pairs with Henrik for the rest of the show. They’re very much a friendship couple, and Hannah’s visibly grown discontented with the whole situation. She’s lost a lot of the constant cheerfulness, and doesn’t laugh at a lot of Henrik’s jokes. 

Cut to prom. My girl does NOT wear that boring two piece silk dress because that is so painfully not her. You’re lying to me if you say that girl doesn’t want to wear tulle. She wants to wear SO much tulle. She wears something like this and lives her best Christine Daae fantasy. 

But prom happens and Gary does his “lol we’re so different weird that we’re together” speech. Instead of being all flattered, Lottie has a come-to-jesus moment where she realizes that this isn’t going to work. There’s no reason for her to do all of this when Gary can’t think of a single unique thing to say (doesn’t matter if that’s who he is and he doesn’t articulate it well, Lottie has Had It). So after the speeches Lottie sulks off to the roof terrace to seethe, and later Hannah follows her up.

They talk about what a disaster it’s been for them both, and kiss like… a lot. This makes it even spicier when one of them goes home and still potentially kisses MC, because now there’s SO MUCH sapphic messiness. But regardless, one of them goes home, and the other one follows soon after.

They don’t get together after the show, until a couple of years later when they’re both attending MC’s wedding. Instead of propositioning MC, they both come with that intention then realize it wasn’t about MC, it was each other. They run away together and kiss kiss fall in love. The end.

[missskzbiased]

The Three Lessons (2)

Genre: Angst, Romance, Fluff (Hm…), Witch! Au, Love Triangle

Pairing: Chan X Fem! Reader X Seungmin

Word Count: ~7,8K   [I’m sorry]

(The First) (The Second) (The Third)

Warnings: (Mild) Mentions of (Hunting and deboning [Literally just the word, I didn’t describe anything], burning witches)

Notes:  Well, I won’t lie... I’m quite sad because I really liked to plot this and I don’t think many people liked it but as I liked to write it, so I just shrugged it off USHAHUSAUHSHUAUHS That’s my ninja way. 

I really hope those who read and enjoyed it like this one too though LOL and I’ll warn you that I may have thrown some things around but it’s because I intend to write some spin-off for this au with the other boys. It’s not random! USHAHUSAUHUASH It just looks like it is

Tagging: Please, send me an ask/DM me if you wish to be tagged

                                                      ////

  CHAPTER 2: The Second Lesson

    Yerkir ─ The Earthy Elder ─ scoffed as soon as you stepped in the haven.

    You glanced at her, watching as she shifted to a new position on the stump ─ left leg bending to rest her foot on the woody surface while her right foot twisted to plant itself firmly on the ground ─, letting her arms resting sloppily on her knees; eyes directed to the woods. You averted your eyes to look straight ahead, ignoring her, and the reassuring squeeze you felt on your shoulder made you fix your gaze on your Grandma.

    “So… How was the hunt?” Yerkir asked in a knowing tone, clearly aware that you didn’t have anything in your hands but still choosing to mock you. She tapped her foot on the stump while groping her dress, searching for something through her pockets. She finally found it ─ some kind of dried root that looked like a stick ─, chewing mindlessly with her eyes still fixed on the horizon.

     “Why don’t you go look for something better to do, Yerkir?” Grandma muttered, rolling her eyes as she let go of your shoulder. She stopped, fixing the staff on the ground before leaning on it, eyes fixed on her old friend ─ which was promptly returned. The Earthy Elder fixed her gaze at your grandma for a few seconds, a blank expression almost flattening her wrinkles, her blinking showing her astonishment.

     “Maybe because I’m blind” The Elder pointed out, grimacing obnoxiously. She turned her eyes to you ─ as if she knew you were about to giggle ─, studying you for a moment before clicking her tongue and pursing her lips, sending a shiver down your spine under the intensity of her gaze.

    Yerkir's milky eyes always had the power to terrify you; her icy-bluish eyes seemed to be capable of diving into your soul and exposing all your deepest secrets to the world. You didn’t have anything to hide but it still scared you. Her gaze was stern, unwavering, and it had the power to freak you out; studying you slowly as if she just knew whatever was going inside your body and mind.

     “We had some… Issues” Your Grandma waved her hand dismissively “The animals preferred to retire themselves” She added, getting a snort as an answer. Yerkir leaned back on her palms, throwing you both an amused look before tilting her head, lips quivering in a silent mockery.

     “Yeah, I could tell this much” She nodded, her amusement morphing into a serious frown “I guess Nature wasn’t so satisfied with you for helping out a… Man” She spat the last word with disgust as if just the mention of it twisted her stomach “You should have let him die” She muttered darkly, averting her eyes to the cottages on her left expectantly, prompting you to do the same.

     “What was it?” The Airy Elder came out from her cottage, voice sounding like a soft breeze, a gentle huff that tinkled in the air “Has someone called me?” She inquired, eyes attentive as she swiveled her head to look around the place.

    The open space ─ a simple circular terrain with a bunch of stumps and rocks randomly arranged around a campfire ─ was surrounded by The Four Elders' cottages and The Tent in a placement that resembled slightly a pentagram but not really. The other’s cabins could be easily seen from there, scattered around the clearing, which made the small place just perfect for all the sixteen of you to hang out. The few of you who stood there at the moment, though, had to shake your head, getting a confused frown from the elder.

    “The voices are getting more chaotic each day…” She complained under her breath, fixing her gaze on her friends “Are you two fighting again?” She scolded, hand to her hip as they looked at her with arched brows.

    “Go talk to the wind, airhead!” Yerkir sneered, fighting back a smirk “Let me fight wet-pants in peace!” She rolled her eyes, waving her hand dismissively. Your Grandma rubbed her temples, sighing before looking at you, holding your gaze for just a little bit before averting her eyes to the sarcastic elder.

    “Look, it wasn’t his time” She stated, speaking slowly so Yerkir would pay attention to her words “I can’t ignore what Nature wants because you hate mankind” She rolled her eyes, fed-up with the woman “Caeli, please blow some sense into her mind” She pleaded, averting her gaze to The Airy Elder.

    “Some people don’t have anything inside their brains” She shrugged, giving a judging look to Yerkir “The earth magic is solid enough to block her ears… Have been like this for years now” She sighed, shaking her head in disappointment “She just can’t listen to us”

    “Next time try saying something smart” She spat angrily “I have a lot of things inside my brain! One of those is a fucking head trauma! Thank you very much for asking” She sat straight, getting up from her stump and glaring at the other two “Should I remind you that this solid magic was what kept your child safe?” her eyes buried imaginary holes into Caeli’s brain.

     If you tried hard enough, you could cut the tension with a knife.

     “That’s enough!” The Fiery Elder interjected, voice spreading like fire on dry grass before vanishing suddenly, getting everyone’s attention. The Tent entrance’s fabric rustled, giving way to the old lady to come out; stern eyes darting between the other three elders, a frown wrinkling her face, casting shadows over her eyes “We should be handling The Coven issues, not fighting over silly things” She added, crossing her arms.

     “Issues?” Grandma asked surprised, looking to the other ones “Something happened while I was out?” She added, furrowing her brows with a serious expression, dropping the taunting. Yerkir mumbled something incomprehensible, casually sitting cross-legged on the ground in a rapid motion, fingers gripping her chin in a pensive way.

    “Something has been messing up my vision” She began, resting her elbow on her knee and curving her back forward “There is too much magic permeating the woods, I can no longer see clearly…” She admitted, letting go of her chin and straightening up again, gaze fixing on you “What did you do in the woods? I suddenly lost track of you before you got to the… Boy” She scrunched her nose to the last word.

    “Nothing?” You answered unsurely “I mean… Something strange happened…” You glanced nervously to your Grandma, biting your lip before continuing, “I think the wind talked to me” You admitted before looking at Caeli “Maybe my powers are awakening?” You suggested, uncertain, and she pursed her lips, nodding in wonder.

    “Well, you’re seventeen… Months away from your eighteenth birthday” She mused “It’s quite possible… It’s about time for your powers to show up anyway” She shrugged, looking at Yerkir “It could be magic enough to mess your senses… The Winds were quite agitated earlier” The Earthy Elder hummed, tapping her chin before tilting her head in deep thought.

    “And you, Wiha?” She asked, staring at your Grandma “What was that? A memory spell? You know far too well it’s not your specialty” She pointed out, arching her brow “Last time I checked, your earth magic was bullshit” She scorned, and your Grandma grimaced at her in discontent.

    “Well, last time I checked your lazy ass didn’t want to help me out so I had to do it all by myself” She sneered, glaring at the old woman. They held each other’s gaze for a while, a silent battle for dominance; pursed lips and fierce eyes determined to win their competition.

     “Not the point here” Isati reminded, sighing tiredly “There is no doubt other witches are alive and enchanting the woods along with us… The mixed signals we’re receiving must be from this” She mused, averting her gaze to Caeli “The voices sound familiar? Do you think they are trying to locate us as well?”

    “I can’t discern the voices that well anymore… The enchantments are getting in the way somehow” She sighed, lowering her head “I have been sending messages around, though… None of my whispers were answered until now… I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful” Isati hummed, waving at her to dismiss any concerns.

    “It’s the same for me” Yerkir agreed “The ground is too embued with magic… It seems like they have been planning something… Maybe an attack? There is just so much I can see now, so I can’t locate them for us… The other Covens were well hidden before but never like this” She sighed, averting her eyes “It’s like they took my vision all over again”

    “The boy had other enchantments beside mine” Your Grandma added “They know we are close to them… It would be impossible not to sense my magic in the river” She pinned her chin, thinking deeply about something “Did they choose to ignore us, or are they challenging us?” She raised her eyes to Isati, a serious frown taking over her features.

    “There is no reason for witches attack each other” Isati stated firmly but Yerkir scoffed, nodding sarcastically.

    “Are you kidding me? We don’t know what they have been through… There are twenty years behind us! This is enough time to change someone” She pointed out, skeptical “It will be safer if we make sure they don’t want any trouble… Imagine fighting some old hags with a bunch of useless kids” She gestured to the witches and warlocks around “Most of them didn’t even get their powers yet! They will die on spot”

    “What if they attack us when we find them?” Isati arched her brows and Yerkir scoffed.

    “Well, what if they attack us when they find us?” She retorted “It’s better to be attacked out there than giving away our location to them… What if they track us without magic? We don’t know anything about them! It’s better to show ourselves and actively try to reach for them and talk this out” Everyone nodded in agreement, a heavy silence falling upon all of you.

    The Elders exchanged a look, concerned about the worried expressions all of you held at once, the tension building to a point that it was impossible not to feel uncomfortable. The Earthy Elder cleared her throat, tapping her feet on the ground in a calming rhythm while The Airy Elder whistled, both of them trying to ease your mind and soul. One by one, each one of you seemed to finally calm down, releasing the withhold breath in your chest and relaxing your bodies.    

     “We’ll need a plan” Isati announced, eyes roaming around “We can have a private meeting later… For now, we should keep our activities” She decided, throwing you a look “We should increase your sessions if your powers are beginning to show up” She suggested “Meet me at the tent when you’re ready” And that being said, she turned around, arms crossed on her back before she walked out.

    You stared at her hands.

    To be more precise, to the lack of them.

    “Didn’t your Grandma teach you that staring is impolite?” Chan whispered in your ears, his warmth suddenly registering in your mind. You let out a yelp, turning around to meet his playful eyes, a thin smirk adorning his lips. How could he be so beautiful? “I see you’re keeping my coat to yourself… You didn’t need to hide it, you could just ask me for it” He joked, and you widened your eyes.

     Oh, Mother Nature! His coat…

     “Oh, yeah! Haha…” You forced a smile, your fake laughter being way too obvious to him. He raised his eyebrow, curious “Well, about that… I may have given it away to the boy Grandma saved” You looked away, ashamed to admit it.

     “Oh” He said in realization, brows arching up in surprise “That’s okay… It wasn’t really special or anything” He shrugged “It was just an old coat, I can live without it… Maybe you can help me buy a new one when you turn eighteen” He said shyly, looking away “We can buy it at the village or something” He concluded flustered.

      Was it just you or Bang Chan was asking you out on a date?

      “Wow… This must be the most awkward flirting I have ever witnessed” Minho spoke up, carrying a bunch of sticks to the campfire “It amazes me how you guys managed to spend seventeen years of your life being gross” He decided to add, dropping the sticks to the ground and dusting off his hands, eyes averting to you.

      It would be impossible to ignore his resemblance with The Earthy Elder.

      “It amazes me how you managed to spend eighteen years of your life by giving opinions no one ever asked” You retorted, grimacing at him. Chan chuckled beside you, looking at his friend in amusement, while Minho feigned a laugh, hands going to his hips.

      “Sixteen to be more precise” He corrected “I’ve only learned to speak at the age of two”

      You just rolled your eyes at his antics.

                                                                              /////

     The sessions with The Fiery Elder wasn’t helping at all.

     The blurry scene flipped over and you could feel the hard pang on your stomach ─ as if someone carried you like a sack of potatoes ─, pain increasing as said someone trotted, jerking your body up and down and making the trip too uncomfortable. The next thing you distinguished was some kind of fabric falling over your head, muffling all the sounds around and rustling on your ears, prompting you to shake your head eagerly to drop it.

      The first thing you noticed when the fabric fell to the ground was the casting glows on everyone’s blurred faces ─ a stunning dance that distracted you for a brief moment, drawing you to roam your eyes around to discover its source. The second thing that got to your senses was the increasing heat that emanated at your back, enticing you to turn around, and the burning feeling that hit your cheeks disturbed you.

     But not as much as what you saw.

     The nameless figure was consumed by the flames right before your eyes, and you could swear she looked right into them before shouting her lungs out ─ the most vivid sound you ever heard. The screech seemed to engrave itself on the back of your mind; the contradictory effect that it had with the stunning flames overwhelming you to the point you felt your soul getting out of your body before it struck back to you.

       The screech that slipped from your lips morphed into hers.

     You shoot your torso up ─ gasping for air as if your life depended on it, chest going up and down with the heavy breathing ─, eyes roaming around the place bewildered, trying to make sense out of the wall right before your eyes instead of the burning flames. You blinked rapidly, taking a few seconds to realize that the intense noise that filled your ears right now had nothing to do with the crowd but with the constant slamming of the windows and the door caused by the boisterous wind.      

      Chan stormed in, eyes darting around the place and hands raised to protect himself from the random objects that flew in every direction, crashing on the walls with loud thuds that startled you even more. You met his eyes for a second, and he must have noticed the horror in them because he rushed in your way, hunching his shoulders to avoid being hit, while you returned your gaze to the gale forming inside your house.

      “What happened?! Are you okay?” He yelled for you to listen, hands wandering around your arms, groping them to look for bruises “I heard you scream… What happened?” He shouted when you didn’t answer him, eyes too focused on the ruckus caused by the wind. You felt the mattress sinking, his body beside yours as he cupped your face, guiding your gaze to meet his; eyes diving deep into yours “Y/N? Answer me, Sweetheart… What happened? Are you okay?” He asked softly.

     This time you actually focused on him and the twirling wind dissolved into a calm breeze just like magic; the silence that followed it quickly broken by all the clattering and thudding from the objects falling to the ground. You ignored it all, focusing on his eyes and your uneven breathing, letting yourself get lost in his gaze for a moment before your eyes darted to his lips ─ his pink and plump lips that broke apart to gasp ─, returning to dive into his eyes once more.

      He tried to focus his eyes on yours but you noticed how he darted them to your lips twice before he bit his own, blushing profusely and adjusting his hold on your face with trembling fingers; head tilting slightly to the side as if he would lean for a kiss. You felt your heart race into your chest, ramming into your ears as you withheld your breath, spreading some kind of warmth all over your body as you felt yourself blush, all flustered and expectant.

    The moment was broken by a sudden burst that made you yelp, hundreds of sparks crackling from the ground to form a shaky translucent figure in the middle of your room: The Fiery Elder’s concerned spiritual projection, looking around the place with a frown before finally fixing her gaze on you. The way that Chan jerked away from you ─ stumbling backward, trying to straighten himself before bowing respectfully ─was nothing but comical, and you had to fight back a chuckle as you got out the bed, bowing to the elder.

    She raised her hands to dismiss the formalities.

    “W-We didn’t do anything!” He stuttered, floundering his hands in the air anxiously “I heard her scream and rushed to see what happened! That was it! I wasn’t going to ki—“ The Elder snorted, interrupting his rambling, shaking her head in amusement.

    “Calm down, son” She arched her brow, eyes glinting playfully “I sensed something wrong… I was just checking on her” She looked around the place, studying the untidy floor for a bit, humming “Was it your powers?” She asked, and you nodded when her eyes laid on you again “This kind of manifestation is not a good sign… We’ll need to fix it” She sighed, glancing at him.

    “Yes, Ma’am?” He asked promptly, crossing his arms behind his back and fixing his gaze on her, pursing his lips.

    “Bring her to me, Mr.Bang” She requested, looking at the ceiling “Vivi, can you please tidy this up? We don’t need Wiha whining when she returns from the village” She added, getting the vines to slowly untangle from the beam “Also…” She smirked, figure beginning to flicker “Try to keep your hands to yourself, son… It’s just a few months” the mocking grin was followed by the crackling sparks consuming her projection before bursting in the air, letting both of you alone once again.

                                                                          ////

    The spear crossed the air like an arrow, sticking in the trunk behind you.

    You widened your eyes ─ body pressed against the tree as if you tried hard enough you could pass through it ─, knees giving away as soon as the beast hissed, as startled as you, running away instead of attacking as it intended to do just a few seconds earlier. You slid down, trembling and groping the trunk as you sat down on the grass, raising your glossy eyes to meet an upset Chan striding in your way.

     He gripped the spear filled with anger, yanking it out and throwing you a look.

     “What the hell?” He fumed, clenching his jaw before scoffing “Do you think it’s a game or something?! You could have died, Y/N!” He yelled, sticking the shaft to the ground “What were you thinking?!” He asked in a demanding tone, eyes burying into yours.

      You shrunk under his tone, gripping the grass and lowering your head, ashamed.

     “I heard someone…” You muttered, risking a glance at him “They called my name” You added, bringing your knees closer to you “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” You felt the tears coming to your eyes, the sudden faltering on your tone getting his attention immediately.

    “Don’t cry” He sighed, letting his shoulders relax and squatting next to you, hand trailing to your jaw, inviting you to look at him “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that” He brushed your cheek, letting go of your face and supporting himself on the shaft “You can’t get distracted like this on a hunt, Y/N… It could have costed your life” He took a deep breath, exhaling heavily.

    “I know… You’re right, I should be more careful” You agreed, sighing and adjusting yourself to get up. He was faster than you, standing up and extending his hand for you to take, helping you out “My Grandma would kill you if I died on your watch” You chuckled, and he snorted nodding.

    “My mother would have killed me on spot” He joked “The first lesson to the new witch would be murdering young handsome warlocks out there” He added, smirking when you shot your head to look at him, arching your brows in amusement.

    “Murdering a young handsome warlock?” You scoffed, playfully shocked “You’re flattering yourself again…” You shook your head in feigned disappointment, mocking him.

    “I’m just saying what is inside your mind” He teased, and you brought your hands to your hips, letting out an offended gasp “What? Your head is filled with me” He sang, poking your forehead fondly.

   “Well, I wasn’t the one trying to kiss you earlier” You reminded him, grimacing.

   “You weren’t stopping me either” He retorted, smirking smugly at you, making you roll your eyes and pull your hand away from his grip.

   “Stop flirting with me, Channie” You poked his cheek “I’ll be eighteen soon enough” You teased, and this time he blushed, looking away “Oh? I see… Is Channie’s head all filled with me?” You mocked, poking his cheek again, laughing when he didn’t retort you “Looks like the young handsome warlock is whipped” You hummed, smirking.

    “You’re the one to talk” He chuckled, tilting his head and taking your chin between his fingers, leaning closer to your face. You felt your face burning, looking everywhere but his eyes before he scoffed, prompting you to look at him “Just a few more months before I can finally—“ He couldn’t finish his sentence, knocked to the ground suddenly by someone crashing into him. The violent impact startled you but the yelling followed right after it and the grip on your wrist, yanking your body, was even more baffling.

    “Run!” The stranger demanded, sprinting with you.

    You followed his call, too surprised to think straight, sprinting with him for a few seconds before the realization hit you. You looked back, glancing over your shoulder to see an enraged Chan tugging his spear from the ground and preparing to shoot it your way, cold-steel eyes focused on the guy that dragged you with him. You returned your gaze to the stranger, his warm brown hair flew in the wind, whipping his cheeks, and you caught a glimpse of his widened dark eyes and red lips, a frown on his face suggesting that he was as scared as you.

    Kim Seungmin.

    “Wait!” You yelled, trying to dig your feet on the ground but his fear was enough to give him the strength to haul you “Stop!” You tried again, struggling to overpower him before the sudden sharp noise got to your ears. You didn’t even have the time to register what it meant, eyes snapping to the spear crossing the air as fast as an arrow, curving just enough to miss you and impale Seungmin’s head “Watch out!” You shouted, jolting your body to take away his balance, throwing both of you to the ground.

     The next few moments were a blurry mess.

     You could tell you were rolling down a knoll; body jerking on the ground as the bunch of confusing and spinning images unraveled right in front of your eyes, making you dizzy and nauseous. A mix of muffled sounds reached your ears ─ partly from the leaves you crunched and partly from the rustling fabrics of your clothes ─ along with your hissing as the roots and shrubs in the way hit you both mercilessly, bruising your skin. The bewildering moment fogged your senses but you could still feel Seungmin’s arms wrapping around you, trying to protect you from further bruising.

     “Ouch!” You whined as you hit something particularly hard in the way, feeling that, finally, the speed seemed to decrease by the second. You raised your eyes, catching a glimpse of a focused Chan running your way, spear on hand, and prepared to throw it once more, studying the best opportunity.

     The opportunity he was looking for came sooner than you wanted, the rolling ceasing with Seungmin’s body hovering over yours, not giving you enough time to think of a plan. The mysterious boy tried to lift his body, bracing himself on the ground, unaware of the danger that he got himself into, checking to see if you were okay. You sensed the spear getting closer ─ enchanted to go straight to Seungmin ─, and before you could even think of what you were doing, your hand shot to the air while you embraced the boy, trying to protect him mindlessly.

     “No!” You shouted, a blast of air coming out of your hands, formed right from the thin air that surrounded you, projecting the spear away. You felt the boy tensing up, glancing at him with wide eyes as his head snapped to the side to verify if he wasn’t seeing things. He let his mouth fall agape, eyes landing on the spear before slowly trailing to you, terrified.

    “A-A witch?!” He stuttered, jerking away “Holy –“ He rolled to the side, getting away from you, trying to get up but stumbling over himself. You stood up, hands rose so he could see that you were harmless, cautiously stepping ahead to get closer to him “Don’t come near me!” He shouted, grabbing a random stick on the ground to threaten you, wobbling it in the air.

    “This is ridiculous…” Chan sighed, utterly done with the situation, flickering his hand to jolt the stick out of Seungmin’s hands, letting the boy flabbergasted, blinking repeatedly as he tried to understand what had just happened.

   “H-Holy cow…” He paled, one hand shooting to his mouth as the other rested on his stomach “H-He… He’s a witch… Holy mother of God” He gagged like he was about to vomit, a nauseous expression taking over his features “I didn’t mean to upset you guys! I-I thought he was harassing you... I-I mean! I didn’t mean to interrupt your… Mating?” He floundered, eyes darting between you as he tried to explain himself.

     “We’re not mating!” You interjected, offended “Look, Seungmin –“

     “How do you know my name?!” He asked high pitched, voice wavering like a string, hand trailing to his heart as his lips quivered in utter shock, and eyes as big as saucers fixed on you filled with horror. The way he wobbled ─ as if he was about to pass out ─ amused you, and you had to fight back a smile as you watched him shaking in fear, pinching the bridge of your nose and closing your eyes for a moment to concentrate.

    “Magic” Chan mocked, flourishing his fingers in the air as a joke, and you burst out laughing, pushing him lightly to scold him “Are all of you dumb like this?” He asked in contempt, and Seungmin didn’t find the courage to answer him right now, so he just stood frozen there “Just like I thought…” He sighed, rolling his eyes.

      “Seungmin, you can’t tell anyone about this” You warned, getting closer to him “Do you understand it?” You asked to make sure, looking deep into his eyes and squeezing his shoulder, tugging him out of his thoughts.

     “Wait! What?!” Chan blurted out, surprised “He won’t say anything because we will kill him, Y/N” Chan declared, confused by your phrasing, getting a questioning look from you; arched brows challenging him silently “He knows” He pointed out, raising his hand to evoke the spear from the ground, not disturbed by your outrage.

     “No, please!” The boy begged, tearing up “Please, spare me! I won’t tell it! I swear!” He kneeled on the ground, hands clasping together in a desperate plead as tears streamed down his face.

    “You can bet I’ll spear you” He spat, raising his weapon.

    “Wait, you can’t just kill him like this!” You protested, rushing to be in front of the boy, arms wide open “Grandma saved him yesterday! He’s not supposed to die yet!” You defended, and this information seemed to perk up the boy, who shot his head up, staring at you dumbfounded before getting up, grabbing your arms excitedly.

    “I knew it wasn’t a dream!” He chirped, hands sliding to your hands to hold them “You sang to me, didn’t you?” He asked flustered, squeezing your hands “The River is flowing… Flowing and growing…” he chanted in a hurried tone, eyes shining as he looked at you “I’m so sorry… I didn’t mean to offend you!” He widened his eyes, realizing his mistakes, and you shrugged him off, chuckling.

     “That’s okay” You reassured him, squeezing his hands back “Now you know we won’t hurt you—“

     “We?” Chan asked riled up “There is no way I will let him out alive” He said, grabbing your hands and tugging them away, a frown on his face as he glared at the boy “I don’t trust you” He hissed, pointing the sharp metal to Seungmin’s throat, prompting him to gulp down; the boy’s eyes darting to you before focusing on Chan again, cold sweat running down his face.

     “He won’t betray us! He owes us his life” You assured him, gripping his wrist “I know he won’t say it! I just know it! I can feel it in my guts!” You continued eagerly, and for a split of a second Chan glanced at you, wondering.

      “You’re being naive… We can’t trust him” He decided, returning his gaze to the boy.

      “The Wind itself guided me to him!” You insisted “He is the reason why my powers woke up! Nature wants him alive! Please, listen to me” You pleaded, and he scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief.

     “This is ridiculous, you can’t know that for sure” He grumbled, frowning but loosening his grip on the spear “He’s just a human… Nature doesn’t have anything to do with him” He concluded, tightening his grip again, pressing the weapon against the tender skin.

     As if on cue, the wind blew through the trees.

     “It’s just a coincidence” He muttered, averting his eyes to the twirling breeze that swept the leaves around “Also, if we were letting him go alive, we would have to take away his memories again and neither of us knows how to do this…” He pointed out “The bare minimum would be taking him to Yerkir” He stated matter-of-factly.

     “You know far too well that she would kill him!” You accused, pointing your finger at him.

     “If we let him go alive with his memories, she’ll kill us” He reminded you, and you rolled your eyes at him.

     “Listen to me just this once, Chan” You pleaded, cupping his cheek to guide his eyes to meet yours “You are connected to Nature… You have wind running through your veins… Please, make an effort! I know you can listen to it too” You continued, and he sighed under your touch, looking at you in defeat.

      “I can’t believe you’re making me consider it” He complained, retracting his spear from his throat and inhaling deeply before closing his eyes, exhaling slowly. The silence fell upon you three as he took deep breathes ─ a blank expression on his face, as if he was meditating ─ before he extended his hand to touch Seungmin’s face “What the—“ He shot his eyes open, gasping as he looked flabbergasted at the boy, hand jolting away.

     “What? What is it?” You asked curiously, and he threw you a quick look before clearing his throat and fixing himself, hand combing his hair nervously.

     “He’s fine… You can go, mate” He mumbled, nodding to the wood’s entrance. The boy frowned, confused, glancing at you before returning his gaze to him questioningly “What are you waiting for? Just go” Chan growled, and the boy’s curiosity seemed to fade away immediately, prompting him to walk in your way.

     “Thank you so much” He said as he grabbed your hands again, looking too deeply into your eyes for Chan’s taste “I owe you my life” He kissed the back of your hand, making you giggle “Again” He added, chuckling before kissing your knuckles.

     “Stop flirting and go away” Chan rolled his eyes, throwing him a disgusted look.

     The boy trotted away, turning back a few times to wave at you ─ which made the warlock scoff each time, obviously filled with jealousy ─, to what you gestured back, smiling to him. You chuckled and arched your brows, studying how Chan seemed to relax when Seungmin couldn’t be seen anymore, letting out a puff of air that he didn’t realize he was holding in. You nudged him before grinning teasingly, watching as he pursed his lips, averting his eyes from you and resuming his hunting, ignoring the way you looked at him.

     “Jealous, aren’t we?” You asked playfully but he didn’t answer “Hey, why are you acting like this? He’s fine! You saw it yourself! He won’t tell anyone and hopefully, he won’t come back to the woods” You whined, and he sighed, stopping in his tracks.

     “What if I am?” He muttered under his breath, and you tilted your head in confusion “What if I’m jealous?” He clarified, looking directly at you “Why didn’t you tell me that you guys were synchronized?” He asked displeased, averting his eyes ashamed “I’ve heard of it before but… I never met one myself” He sighed, hurt painting his face.

     “What are you talking about?” You asked, bewildered, looking at him as if he had grown a third head.

     “You’re synchronized…” He repeated himself, looking away “There is no way that he would betray you. Ever. Simply meant to be into each other’s life” He mumbled unwillingly.

     “Like a soulmate?!” You blurted out, eyes widened in shock.

     “Yeah…” He bit his lip, uncomfortable “Something like this”

                                                            /////

      The wind brought more voices.

      You stopped your motions for a moment, the knife buried into the meat as you deboned your hunt, wiping your sweat away with your hand and looking around to make sure that no one was talking near you. The indecipherable whisper seemed to increase ─ thousands of voices sounded in your mind at the same time, blabbering in your ears, echoing like leaves rustling in the woods ─ until they morphed into clearer patterns, the voices sounding incredibly clean inside your head.

    She met the boy again, The first understandable sentence echoed like sand falling in an hourglass. Don’t blame me when everything goes down the drain!

    The Earthy Elder.

    It will all be fine… The second voice sounded like a flowing river, calm and determined. Neither of them knows anything.

    Your Grandma.

    I had to tone down her energy again, Wiha… The crackling voice was warm and worried, a warning hanging in the air. I can’t push it away forever and you know it… Her powers got out of control today.

   The Fiery Elder.

    The way her power is manifesting is a bad sign, The soft twinkling voice agreed. If we keep her memories away like this, her powers will keep unstable… At least with a spell of that level.

    The Airy Elder.

     You frowned, pursing your lips as you tried to make sense of their conversation. The Elders were gathering on the tent right now, supposedly discussing the failed attempt to bring back a witch they sensed earlier in the village… The talking didn’t seem to be about it, though. Was it too much of a coincidence that the missing witch met some boy again and had lost control of her powers on the same day as you? The Fiery Elder herself had just said she helped to control this witch’s energy and she wasn’t even in the mission….

   There was no way they weren’t talking about you.

    If Yerkir wasn’t an asshole, she would fix my spell! Your Grandma hissed. You’re egoistic! You know far too well that it is dangerous for her to remind things! Especially since we’ve been lying to her all her life!

  They’ve been lying to you?

    We?! I didn’t want to lie to her! It’s all on you! It’s not my fault you were a coward! Yerkir barked. The girl should know her mother was murdered! You shouldn’t have taken this memory away from her!

   You let your shoulders drop, widening your eyes as you snapped your head to the Tent; mouth falling agape as you registered what they just said. The memory spell… She had used it on you! She had taken away your memories… She has been lying to you all this time… Your mother didn’t die giving birth to you.

   She was murdered.

   She wasn’t prepared! Your Grandmother yelled, and you could even hear the scorn on Yerkir’s voice when she scoffed. And she’s not prepared yet! We can’t have her wanting revenge! She’ll expose us!

   Really? Because I think you are too scared she can hate you now! Yerkir retorted. Her mother was a human, Wiha! They shouldn’t have killed her! She has the right to hate them all! You should hate them too!

   Your mother was a what now?

   You didn’t even know how you got so fast to the tent ─ gale following you closely as Yerkir’s voice hissed a “She’s coming! Everybody quiet!” ─, arms fluttering the entrance’s fabric before you shoot all of them a betrayed look, eyes filled with rage. The wind turmoiled into the place, sending chairs and blankets in a twirl in the air, startling The Elders for a second before Caeli forced everything down with her powers.

   The Elders stood up, attentive to your outburst but clueless, watching as you stormed in to point accusingly to Wiha. You heard some members mumbling behind you, close enough for you to feel them with your energy but not loud enough for you to understand what they were saying, though it was clear they were curious and puzzled.

  The Watery Elder held your wrist, confused by why you were acting like this, looking into your eyes in search of answers that she couldn’t find. You looked back straight at her, eyes watering as you felt your face twisting in a pained expression that baffled her for a moment before you finally decided to speak up.

   “You lied to me!” You growled, tears streaming down your face.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Sweetheart” She said calmly, fueling your rage. You yanked your hand away from hers, shooting her a glare before looking to the other elders, lips twisted down in a displeased frown “You should calm down” She suggested, glancing at the others so they could try to soothe you with their magic.  

  “I heard all of it! All of you! You’ve been lying to me my whole life!” You bawled, pressing your eyes for a moment to try and stop the tears “When would you tell me?! When would you say to me that my mother wasn’t a witch?!” You inquired, demanded her to answer you, and she let her mouth fall agape, taken aback by your question.

  “It’s not what it sounds like” She guaranteed, and you scoffed, grimacing at her “You’re a witch, it’s just that—“

   “I don’t want to hear it!” You growled, “I don’t want to hear your lies anymore!” You wailed, turning away “What about the second lesson?!” You asked, stopping in your tracks, face twisted in hurt as she tried to mumble something “What is the second lesson, Wiha?!” You yelled, turning to look at her, catching a glimpse of her disappointment as her name came out of your lips.

   “You’re home here… You don’t know the whole story” She said in a pleading tone, trying to get closer to you “Let me show you… I will give it all back to you” She promised, “You don’t understand…” She continued in a small voice, and you let out a humorlessly chuckle.

   “There is no way I can understand you… I don’t belong here, right?” You smiled bitterly “     Stick to your kind… There is where you will be welcomed and truly loved” You recited, lowering your head for a second “What is it? Something you made up after her death? Something you made up because you were afraid that someone like me would expose you all?” You snarled, resuming your striding.

   “You’re not a human! She wasn’t a witch but—“ She reached for you, grabbing your shoulder and forcefully turning you around to meet her, eager eyes looking to explain everything to you.

   You yanked your arms away from her, the sudden whipping motion blasting air out of nowhere and projecting her body back, knocking her down. The following scenes seemed to run in slow motion, and you stood there dumbfounded as you watched her head hit violently against the stump before thirteen heads snapped at you. The weight of twenty-six eyes filled with fear and perplexity crashed you as you noticed how her limbs went limp, neck wobbling before letting her head fall to the side, unconscious.

   “What is going on?” The Earthy Elder gave some lost steps forward, looking around in confusion, rubbing her feet in the ground and digging them a little, a frown on her face indicating that she couldn’t see anything; probably blinded by the magic running free out of you, “What happened?! Who was it?” She asked again when she met no answers, voice trembling as if she was about to cry.

    The shock gave away to shame.

    The shame gave away to disgus

     The disgust prompted you to run.

      And run you did.  

     You ran for dear life, hoping that somehow you could run away from yourself too as you left the haven behind you to go into the woods. The gale followed you closely, almost morphing into a storm as the sky seemed to darken above you, throwing shadows ahead that suddenly confused you to the core. The so well-known path felt like a maze right now ─ trees seemed to jumble together and the soil seemed too soft for your feet, dragging you as you tried to make your way through it ─, and you were quite sure it didn’t have anything to do with your teary eyes.

    The woods were being enchanted.

    I can’t see anything! I can’t track her! Yekir yelled to the four winds, clearly frustrated, and you could almost hear the way she punched the ground out of frustration, letting go of her pain on each blow.

   Yerkir! Caeli! Enchant it all! Boys! Track her down and bring her back! Isati ordered around like a general, burning in despair. Everyone else into the tent! Now! I need help with Wiha… She finished with a whisper, and you gulped down, filled with guilt, returning your focus to the woods ahead of you.

   The wind suddenly shifted to the left, as if it was calling you there, guiding you through all the magic that fogged your senses, and you followed it gladly, grateful though disoriented. You ignored how everything seemed to drag you down, to bind you and force you to stay. You ignored how you could listen to the boys ─ Chan, Minho, and Changbin ─ screaming your name from somewhere behind you, close enough for you to be sure that it wasn’t the wind anymore. You ignored how your heart faltered when you finally reached the entrance, the village right before your eyes.

     It was beautiful.

      “Y/N!” You closed your eyes, pursing your lips down as you breathed deeply “Y/N, please… Come with me” You turned back to see Chan getting closer to you, eyes so desperate that you almost agreed with him without thinking “They’re waiting for you… I am waiting for you… Please” He pleaded, tearing up.

     “I don’t belong there” You smiled sadly, getting closer to him to cup his cheek, making him lean for your touch “We don’t belong together, Chan” You muttered, fighting back your tears.

     “I love you” He blurted, holding your face with his hands, almost too afraid to touch you, as if he could just shatter you to pieces “I love you… I know we can’t be together yet but it will be just a few months… You will be eighteen and it will be alright… We can be together…” He mumbled, tears rolling down his face as he tried to convince you.

     You were sure that his powers showed he couldn’t.

     “We can run away!” He offered, voice trembling with despair, thin and fragile in the air “I’ll run away with you… We’ll be fine… I—“ He choked on his tears, and you caressed his cheek slowly, lovingly.

     “Stick to your kind, Chan…” You rested your forehead on his, sighing “I can’t truly love you… You said for yourself, didn’t you? I have a soulmate… You were right… We’re not meant to be after all” You grazed your thumb over his bottom lip, diving into his eyes “I’m sorry” You brushed your lips on his, blowing into his mouth before he fell to the ground, asleep.

     Not a real spell but it would have to do for now.

      You turned your back to him, looking up to the dark sky above you; the night already casting your shadows around, prompting people to get inside their houses. You inhaled deeply before exhaling slowly, trying to get all your feelings out of your chest. You resumed your running, following the wind and sliding through the houses, being as stealthy as you could even if you didn’t really think that people were still awake by this time.

      The wind suddenly stopped ─ right in front of a small house where a boy held a lamp right before his face, the flames dancing around and casting some lights on him, revealing a blurry figure that you knew to be Seungmin ─, so you just knocked on the door, expectant, waiting for a few moments before the confused boy opened his door to meet you with startled eyes.

      “What are you doing here?” He asked perplexed, studying you from head to toe.

       “I need a favor” You confessed.

       It was time for him to pay his debts.            

[gukyi]

ice prince (post-script) | jjk

summary: you travel the world together as the country’s favorite ice dancing couple and celebrity romance, but you can’t help but wonder what the future has in store for you and jungkook. 

{established relationship!au, ice skating!au}

pairing: jeon jungkook x female reader genre: fluff word count: 1k warnings: none a/n: thank you to @sopseokjin​ for commissioning this piece and donating to the #blacklivesmatter movement!! i had so much fun revisiting the ice prince couple. if you remember me writing the entire 22k fic in 4 days, you qualify for a veterans’ discount.

There is something different about hotel windows. 

They’re always enormous, always spanning the size of the wall, a big Plexiglass screen separating you from the world outside. They always come with two curtains, a semi-transparent one that lets you see into other people’s rooms, and a thick one with the pattern of an old wallpaper or vintage couch. 

And they always make you feel as though you’re both looking out into a sea of lights, into a city slowly beginning to fall asleep, and as if you were trapped inside, the window being your only source of contact. 

It’s no wonder you always find yourself staring out of it, wrapped in a white robe after hopping out of the shower, a long day of competing and skating behind you. Normally, you’d soak your feet in the bathtub as well, letting the water wash away of the soreness, but you feel quite light tonight. 

You gaze out into the city, looking over the roofs of buildings, over the air vents and grey cement that covers all of the skyscrapers that surround you. The yellow glows in the top-floor windows of the buildings are your stars tonight, lighting up an otherwise empty navy blue sky. It’s such a shame that there isn’t a cloud in the sky, and yet you cannot see a single star. Your window doesn’t even face the moon. 

“A penny for your thoughts?”

You look up to see Jungkook standing behind you in the reflection of the glass, soft brown hair tousled and messy, like he just got out of the shower and let it dry as is. He’s wearing an old shirt from your home rink and some shorts. Comfort clothes. 

“Just looking out the window,” you tell him, letting him come over and watching your reflection as he wraps his arms around you, swaying softly. 

“It’s pretty,” Jungkook meets your eyes in the window. 

“Is it weird that, no matter what city we go to, I always feel the same when I look out the window?”

Jungkook pauses for a moment, then says, “No. I feel it, too.”

Does he? 

Does he feel the way that even if the world changes you feel as though your place in it has remained stagnant? Feel like you’re trapped repeating the same few days over and over and over again? Ice skating is perhaps one of your truest passions in life, something that you seldom dread doing despite all of the injuries over the years. But it is as though you do not exist without your skates. That your sense of belonging is defined by being on the rink rather than off of it. 

You wouldn’t know who you are without ice skating. It’s brought you so much joy, so much love. It carried you to Jungkook. 

“I shouldn’t be complaining.” you say with a shake of your head, pulling yourself out of his grasp and settling down on the side of the bed. The sheets are tucked into the bed frame so tightly you’re half convinced that they might rip if you pull them any further. “We get to go to so many nice places and stay in fancy hotel rooms and skate for a living.”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t find negatives in what we do,” Jungkook says with his eyebrows turned down as he joins you on the bed. “You can be grateful and critical of things at the same time.”

“I just feel like…” you sigh, unable to find the right words. You aren’t by any means discontented with your life, with what you get to do. Every morning you wake up and look forward to what the day has to offer, look forward to tugging on your skates and getting onto the ice, look forward to seeing Namjoon and Hoseok and Taehyung and, especially Jungkook. “Like we’ll be stuck doing this forever.”

“You know that’s not true,” Jungkook tells you, reaching out to take your hand in his own. He strokes the back of it with his thumb, calloused fingers pressing against your skin. “We can dp whatever we want with our lives.”

“I don’t really know what I want,” you admit. You’ve always been rather indecisive. It is one of your greatest flaws. 

“You don’t have to know,” Jungkook assures you. He has always been so driven, so focused. He looks to the future fondly, rather than in fear. His heart guides him through each and every day, and even if he makes a mistake he knows it will never steer him in the wrong direction. “You just have to see where life takes you.”

You turn to him, watch his eyes grow bigger as they stare into yours. “Where do you want life to take you? When this is all over, what do you want to do?” When younger skaters far more talented than you will usurp you, will achieve far more complex jumps and challenging lifts, effectively sending you on a slow decline out of the top leagues. When the spotlight will no longer shine on you, lighting up your path on the ice, when no more medals will hang around your neck and no more trophies will be placed into your hands. 

“I’m not sure,” Jungkook says. “I’ve always wanted to learn piano.”

“You can do that now,” you remind him. 

“Not with our schedules, I can’t,” he says. 

“There’s a piano in the lobby,” you remember. It’s an upright, nothing too fancy, but no staff seems to play it and barely anybody spares it a second glance. “You can try.”

“Maybe some other time,” Jungkook says with a laugh, letting you rest your head on his shoulder. You’re still facing the window, but it’s different when you’re sitting down, further away from it. Like you’re watching a late-night movie. Like you’re not a part of the scene at all. “I’d also coach, maybe. Like Namjoon and Hoseok, I think that’d be fun.”

Ice skating will never leave him.

“You think we’ll still be together after all of this?” You ask. It’s a weird, hopeful sort of ask. Like you hope he says yes even if the odds are against it. There’s a part of you that fears, that has always feared, that ice skating was your only link, the only thing keeping you connected. You would not have known Jungkook without skating, and you know him now as someone who is just like you. But what will happen when all of that ends?

You feel the way Jungkook sits up straighter, feel how he stiffens, making you look up at him. It’s an honest, candid question. What does the future hold for the two of you? Is there even one to begin with?

“What do you mean?” He asks. “Of course I do.” A pause. “Do you… not?”

“No!” You tell him. There is nothing you fear more than being away from him, than losing the last part of your life that preserves what little personality you have left. “I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I just—I wasn’t sure.”

Jungkook reaches his other arm out, both of your hands wrapped up in his own, and he squeezes tightly, making you look at him. He’s got that steely, certain look to him, the same determination you see right before a competition performance. 

“I don’t know what goes on in that head of yours,” he begins, “but you have nothing to worry about. Not about ice skating, or competitions, or our future, or me. Because I love you, and I’m proud of you, and I know that whatever you end up doing will be beautiful and meaningful to all of the people whose lives you have touched. And I will always stand by your side, even when we stop skating, even when we are cranky coaches, and even when we are old and lazy.”

The words are music to your ears. A soft smile draws itself on your face, and he lifts a hand up to press it under your chin, leaning in to place a soft kiss on your lips. It’s incredible, what he makes you feel. 

“I’ll marry you, one day,” he promises. “And we can live wherever you want. We can have cats and dogs and plants and, maybe one day, we can have kids too.” 

“If we do have kids, I hope they don’t inherit your ego,” you tease, making him laugh. 

“No,” Jungkook says, shaking his head. “They’ll inherit my devilish good looks, instead.” You giggle, and Jungkook shuts you up with another kiss, taking away all of the breath in your lungs, making your skin tingle. “I love you, did you know that?”

You grin. You did, but you love hearing the words anyway. “I love you, too.”

↳ links are broken, but don’t forget i’m still taking commissions!

[chimtaera]

imagine prince jungkook.

adventure time! 

jungkook isn’t the crown prince so outside of his princely duties he can go questing! exploring! adventuring!

of course his family doesn’t really approve of his activities, but they’ve basically struck up a bargain that he’ll attend court and such without making a fuss, as long as he gets to run around when he isn’t needed.

of course he has protection with him, the court approved putting together a little adventure party, which is basically just all his best knight friends, i’m sure you can guess who.

these guys have been together most of their lives, always getting in trouble as kids, climbing what they shouldn’t be climbing, fighting what they shouldn’t be fighting, eating what they- ok you get my point.

imagine a seamstress running frantically around after jungkook before an event because he always tears his clothing somehow.

or being chased out the kitchen before a big banquet with flour in his hair.

everyone loves him though.

he’s the baby of the palace, everyone dotes on him and lets him get away with mischief, ‘cause it’s cute.

and the people down in the villages love him too.

they’re always excited to see him ride out on an adventure, or to see him coming back form a quest.

and he’s often invited in for a drink at the taverns, to tell stories from one of his quests.

and if there’s any loot he shares it, because he doesn’t actually need any of the gold and jewellery. 

boy is more likely to like, take a hedgehog he rescued with him as a pet, or like, keep a really round rock he found in a river when he stopped for water, than he is to hang onto any of the valuable stuff.

people in the tavern be like “ooh, look at all that gold.” and jungkook will be like “ok sure but guys this rock is so smooth, u gotta feel it.”

probably has separate room in the palace just for his adventure keepsakes, and he keeps it very organised and tidy.

oh and people write songs and poetry about jungkook and his brave knights’ many adventures, but the best songs are of course his own.

because, like any royal, jungkook is highly educated.

in everything from politic and war, to the arts.

and, like any good royal, he’s also a brilliant poet.

so how did you two meet? ok story time

you live in the woods somewhere far away, at the bottom of a mountain, just u and ur doggo.

you have a little cottage that’s been with your family in generations, it’s where you’ve grown up and you didn’t really know much else so you stayed. 

you travel to the nearest villages if you need something, about a day’s journey, but you’ve never felt very welcome. 

they’re not mean, it’s just- you’re an outsider, and an outsider you shall remain.

so your doggo wakes you up one morning and you’re like?? what is it

it’s clear the doggo has found something outside and desperately needs you to come see.

you’re like, did you find another baby bird that’s fallen out of its nest?? do i gotta raise a NOTHEr baby bird ?? istg

the answer is no, but also yes.

jungkook looks to be fast asleep in the moss and soft heather, he’s got a few scratches, but he’s got lovely pink nose and lips and seems quite healthy.

you gently prod him awake like, u ok my guy ?? you’re gonna catch a cold come have some tea.

he’s a little spooked at first, with his big round eyes snapping open to stare at you, rendering you a little speechless at first. 

but eventually you explain that you live here at the bottom of the mountain and that your dog just have smelled him because they woke you up to come find him.

doggo takes the opportunity to introduce themselves, you know, the way dogs do, and that’d the first time you hear jungkook giggle, and suddenly you understand what your grandma was warning you about when she said to stay away from the pretty boys.

you invite him to come warm himself in your cottage, you just put a log on the fire before going out, so it should be warming up by now.

he’s like umm uh sure

and you’re not sure why he’s so hesitant, you’re not a very intimidating figure even though you live in the woods by yourself.

but then as the two of you start making your way back to your cottage you start to realise he has some difficulty keeping up with you.

it’s dark, but you still se him grimace when you turn to look for him.

“oh no, you must be hurt!” how silly of you, why else would he be sleeping in the woods behind your house.

“ah, no it’s- i’m just, uh... yeah. okay, yes.”

turns out he’s twisted his ankle falling from his horse, and the way down the mountain in the night has only made it worse.

you help support him the rest of the way back, much to his embarrassment.

as you sit him by the fire and make tea and a little breakfast he explains that he was on his way back home from his quest when he lost his companions, and later his horse when it got spooked. 

when he finally got to the bottom of the mountain, which had taken him almost all night, he was exhausted and fell asleep as soon as he sat down to rest a little.

he seems a little embarrassed, so you tell him it’s the sort of thing that could happen to anyone, and maybe you tell him that story about how you fell down the mountain as a child and almost scared your grandmother to death, but by some miracle you survived with barely a scratch. 

anyway, he’s lucky you found him.

jungkook asks how far the nearest village is. his friends will be looking for him and perhaps he can find a horse there, or send word of his whereabouts.

you tell him it’s about a day’s walk and he’s not going anywhere on his ankle, it needs at least a few days rest, but he’s welcome to stay with you in the meanwhile.

in that case his friends will probably go back home, and gather a party to come search for him, it might take a few days.

again, he’s embarrassed but very thankful, and you find it adorable.

he is very cute actually.

like super handsome, he’s tall and seems strong, he’s so well-spoken and well-mannered he seems almost otherworldly to you, but he has a shyness to him, and a playfulness, and the way he takes everything in with his wide, enthusiastic eyes really adds to his boyish charm.

as the sun comes up you get some water so he can wash up, and help clean the scratches on his face and neck.

he’s actually?? so pretty ?? it’s very distracting, you’ve never seen anyone that looks like this and especially when he blushes wow

you think it’s just because he’s embarrassed, but in actuality it’s because you’re really close and kinda very cute and you smell so nice?? like earthy and warm and dried flowers and herbs.

you spend your day like you usually would, but with jungkook helping out where he can, like chopping wood because he can do that seated.

and it’s so nice to have his company tbh, you two talk about everything and nothing, and in the evening you make dinner, and sit by the fire in the dark.

and that’s when he starts humming.

and you’re like?? omg what is this

you’ve only ever heard your grandmother sing, or like drunk people in taverns, and you only know a handful of songs so this is new!!!

you ask him to sing for you, and he’s a little flustered but he does so gladly.

and it’s a m a z i n g omg let me tell you

imagine sitting by the fire? in a little cottage miles away from anything? cozied up with your doggo and a cup of tea? and jungkook? singing? songs about epic battles and tragic romances and awesome adventures?

you make him sing every song he knows and eventually you ask to hear some of them again, and you two sit up sooo late sharing songs and stories.

jungkook never mentions he’s a prince though.

you let him have the bed and sleep in a chair by the fire that night, although it takes a while to convince him.

another day goes by like that, and you’ve come to really enjoy his company.

you know he has to leave, but you know it’s going to be strange to be so alone again when he does, and you find yourself wishing he could stay forever.

you were never discontent with your life, but you realise you like sharing it with someone.

that night he insists you sleep in the bed, and after a little arguing you agree, but only if he'll sleep in it too.

and he’s very flustered but he agrees and you pretend you’re not flustered too.

you two sat up until late again, talking and singing, but it’s hard to fall asleep with all the butterflies in your stomach, and he smells so nice??

like, you don’t know what expensive smells like. 

but that’s what he smells like. 

just the lingering remains of exotic spices and perfumed oils.

it’s really nice to wake up next to jungkook.

like, really, really nice. 

like, your heart swells with warmth and fluff and it feels like it’s gonna burst or do a dance or something so you have to get out of bed, and only watch him sleep for a very brief minute.

at breakfast you notice that one of the scratches on his forehead looks a little inflamed, so you go out and pick some healing herbs while he chops more wood.

you’re both very quiet as you apply the paste you’ve made of the herbs to the cut.

he’s sitting in the chair, you standing over him, and watches you so closely with his shiny rounds eyes that it gets very hard to focus.

as you finish up you meet his gaze and find it impossible to pull away like you had intended to do.

without a word, like magnets, the two of you are drawn to one another and meet in a kiss.

carefully, he wraps his arms around you and scoops you into his lap, and you in turn wrap your arms around his shoulders and deepen the kiss.

and then the doggo barks.

you pull away from each other but can’t look away, just smiling shyly at one another for a moment before the dog barks again, and you decide you should probably check it out.

outside, you call the doggo and they appear through the trees, followed by jungkook’s search party.

you feel a little forlorn as they greet one another as old friends and you realise you will have to say goodbye to jungkook already. 

but you knew it would happen eventually, so you suck it up.

“are you ready to leave, your majesty?”

“your majesty?” because of course he is, i mean, look at him.

cat’s outta the bag.

jungkook realises all too late that he has to leave you too, and makes a hurried excuse that he has to fetch something inside, to get you alone.

once you’re alone he kisses you passionately and tells you in a rush that he’s a prince, that you are the most enchanting person he has ever met and that he will return to you as soon as he can, that while he is gone he leaves with heart with you.

and then he leaves.

and you don’t know this but when he comes home he writes many sonnets and sings many songs about you, and your little cottage in the woods, by the foot of the mountain.

so much so that he begins a whole new movement in literature, a genre idealising the simple life, chopping wood, gathering herbs in the woods and raising baby birds, all with the one you love, miles away from anyone or anything.

and when he comes back to see you he brings you a horse, so you can come and see him whenever you want.

[dreamwritesimagines]

Untouchable 10- Warmth In The Storm [Bucky Barnes x Reader]

A.N: Thank you so much for your feedback my loves, please keep it coming! <3

The previous chapters are on my masterlist<3

Pleasure has a price Bucky Barnes can’t afford. What happens when he falls in love with someone he shouldn’t have?

Summary: “Don’t you worry darling, I’ll take good care of your heart.” 

Characters: Reader x Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers

Word Count: 2806

Warnings: Mentions of sex, explicit language, 1940s.

Despite what your occupation would make people think, you actually had zero experience in boyfriends.

Clients yes, lovers no.

Would Bucky want you to stay the night? Considering you hadn’t slept together yet-

Would you sleep together?

You could feel your heartbeat getting faster by the thought of it, along with a smile pulling at your lips but you shook your head slightly, trying to put your thoughts into order. You stubbed your cigarette, reached for your lipstick and uncapped it, but before it could even touch your lips, someone knocked on your door.

“Come in!”

Shirley peeked inside, “There’s a package for you downstairs, and Linda is leaving.”

You rolled your eyes and put the lipstick down, then followed her to stop at the middle of the stairs as Thomas carried her luggage outside.

“I will miss you girls,” Linda said, “And remember, you can’t look anything less than perfect, even if I’m not here, hm?”

You grimaced, crossing your arms and leaned sideways to the railing as her eyes found yours. You tilted your head, shooting her a smirk and she narrowed her eyes at you, then turned around and walked out of the house.

“Should we open the champagne?” you muttered at Shirley, making her giggle, then she pointed at the huge package by the door.

“Thomas said it’s for you.”

You pulled your brows together, then went down, but before you could even approach it, Thomas had already came inside, then waved a dismissive hand.

“Don’t worry, I can carry it to your room.”

“Oh, thanks.” You said as he lifted the package and you, Shirley and him all made your way to your room. He put the package on your bed, then elbowed Shirley.

“What do you think is this?”

Shirley scrunched up her nose, “General started sending her jeweler bodies rather than actual jewelry?”

“The bastard doesn’t even have good taste, does he Y/N? I never saw you wear any jewelry outside.”

“She thinks they all have terrible taste,” Shirley said and turned to Thomas, “But I disagree, see, this necklace that I’m wearing was sent to her from another client.”

“Are we even allowed to talk about your other clients now? Or does the General want to think he is your first and only?”

Shirley giggled as you shot Thomas a repressed smile,

“I think that’s how we’re supposed to pretend,” you said, then lifted the lid off the box. The first thing you saw was a shiny dress but it was folded and on it there was another small jewelry box along with a letter. As soon as you opened the envelope, you could see that it was a formal invitation, and then your eyes skimmed the lines of the letter.

Birdie,

You will make every man at that ballroom jealous of me, I’m sure.

Miss me this week.

General Charles Richardson.

You scrunched up your face and gave it to Shirley so that she could see the letter with Thomas reading over her shoulder.

“He really doesn’t know how to do romance, does he?”

“He doesn’t care,” Shirley said, “It says here the ball is in two weeks though. Talk about enthusiastic.”

“People are still dying out there at the front and they’re having a ball?” you spat out, making Thomas heave a sigh.

You shook your head slightly, then pulled the dress out of the box so that all of you could look at it. It looked really expensive, you had to admit, it was a long, black satin dress, the fabric felt so soft underneath your fingers and it was embedded with sparkles over the dress. The long gloves in the box was obviously a part of it, along with the earrings and the bracelet. You couldn’t help the noise of discontent climbing up your throat and you shook your head, then hung it into your closet as fast as possible, putting the gloves and the jewelry into your drawer.

“It’s just disrespectful,” you managed to say, “Those poor people out there are still fighting, in terrible conditions, and what, when you rise up in the ranks you can just ignore that?”

“You can ignore pretty much everything when you’re rich, Y/N. You should know that by now.”

“Well it’s a disgrace.” You told Thomas and he held up his hands.

“Hey, I think the same. Doesn’t seem to stop higher class folk.”

“If anything, it’s a pretty dress.” Shirley commented and you shot her a look.

“Shirl.”

“Trust me, I know what you mean,” she said, “I’m in love with a soldier. I’m more than capable to seeing just how messed up this whole thing is.”

“I bet they’ll give a minute of speech for the troops out at the front and then eat and dance.” Thomas said, and you massaged your temples.

“I hate this. I will hate this.”

“You could say you’re sick?”

“That’s not an option,” you managed to say, and Thomas exchanged glances with Shirley.

“Well,” he cleared his throat, “I’m sure you have some….more pleasant plans until then.”

Shirley smiled instantly “I mean a week all to yourself?” she winked at you, “I would hope so.”

“I have a feeling it will not include ball gowns though.” Thomas grinned at Shirley and she giggled,

“Or any clothes at all.”

“Both of you, out,” you pointed at them and they pushed each other at the door, still laughing like children. You bit down a smile, shaking your head, then sat down on the seat in front of your vanity, fixing your hair before grabbing the lipstick.

                                                                ***

You were slowly getting used to finding your way around Bucky’s neighborhood. Sometimes, it reminded you of your own neighborhood where you grew up in, it wasn’t as poor as yours of course, but the friendliness of people and the structure of some of the buildings were similar, in a way. You turned a corner to approach the coffeehouse you and Bucky would meet, but as soon as your gaze caught the sight of Bucky and Steve outside, you pulled your brows together, they seemed like they were having an intense discussion.

“Steve, I’m telling you, you can’t keep doing this.”

“So what, I’m supposed to-“

“Yes.”

“Just stay here while everyone is out there-“

“Yes, why not?” Bucky asked, exasperated, “There’s plenty of things to do in here, plenty of jobs-“

“Bucky, that’s not fair and you know that!”

Were you supposed to wait it out, or….?

“What if they accepted you this time? Hm? What the hell were you going to do out there-“

“Fight, just like you, just like everyone!”

“Steve, you could get killed out there!”

“So could you!”

Your heart dropped to your stomach.

“Listen, I get it, I really do-“

“You think I can’t fight.”

“Well, you like to prove that to me every week at some back alley so no Steve, I do think you can fight, just like I think you could get fucking killed-“

“Bad timing?” you raised your voice a little, so that they could hear you over their own voices and they both turned their heads.

“Y/N,” Bucky said and you tried to smile,

“Oh, the cast is gone,” you said in surprise as he turned to you fully, and he smiled softly before you took a look at Steve, who was still breathing hard.

“Hi Steve.”

“Hi Y/N,” he shut his eyes for a moment, “Sorry, I- I forgot you two had a date.”

“Oh no problem at all, you could join us?” you offered, “I mean, we’re just going to have coffee anyway.”

Bucky cleared his throat, “Yeah, at least I could keep an eye on you.”

Steve glared at him, and you looked between them.

“No thank you,” Steve said, and you nodded.

“Next time then?”

Steve smiled slightly, as if he knew what you were trying to do.

“I’m not really good at double dates, he knows that.”

“Oh I’m not getting you in any double dates,” you shook your head, “I already have a friend who I’m sure would fall head over heels for you if she ever met you, so I’m keeping you two away. I need my peace too, you know.”

He rubbed the back of his neck, as if abashed, “I doubt she’d fall in love with me.”

“I don’t, but I’ll wait for you to warm up to the idea.” you told him, and he put his hands in his pockets,

“Have a nice day,” he smiled at you, basically ignoring Bucky and walked away as Bucky heaved a deep sigh, shaking his head.

“Hi,”

“Hey there, Sarge.” You pecked him on the lips, then reached out to smooth the frown lines between his brows, and his face relaxed almost immediately, “Do you want to walk a little? To… get your mind off?”

Bucky nodded slowly, still deep in thought and you entwined your fingers with his, getting closer to him as he nuzzled his nose into the top of your head before pressing a kiss into your hair.

“I have fights with my friends too,” you said calmly after a couple of minutes of silence as you both walked down the street, to get closer to the river, and he pressed his lips together.

“He’s going to get himself killed one day,”

“Bucky…”

“He will. He’s trying to get into the military, and you should see his file, Y/N, it’s basically a chronological list of illnesses that can be fatal on battlefield.”

“You can’t blame him for wanting to fight.” You said as you stepped closer to a bench and sat down, Bucky following you suit.

“I’m sorry I cussed around you, I didn’t know you were there.”

You couldn’t help the smile pulling at your lips, “Don’t worry about it.”

“My ma would yell at me for hours if she heard I cussed around my girl.”

The simple statement, along with the term of endearment was more than enough to melt your heart and you tried to ignore the warmth spreading through your body.

“Am I your girl then, Sergeant Barnes?”

His eyes gleamed with his smile, “I would hope so,” he said, “Otherwise, it means that my heart has been toyed with, by the most beautiful girl in Brooklyn- no, in the world.”

You couldn’t hide your smile at all, “Well, we can’t have that, can we?” you heaved a dramatic sigh, “I happen to be fond of your heart, Sarge.”

“Are you?”

“Very much so.” You tilted your head and shot him a mischievous look, “My heart cares deeply about yours, for some reason.”

Bucky leaned in slightly, as if he was hypnotized,

“Don’t you worry, darling.” He whispered against your lips, “I’ll take good care of your heart.”

With that, he pressed his lips to yours, and you let yourself get lost in the feeling of coming home, somehow.

                                                                ***

The weather seemed to have decided to contradict the warmth you were feeling, though. Just an hour or two after the weather got dark and the night fell, both you and Bucky caught up in a storm that interrupted your date. You squealed as Bucky pulled you through the street, making you laugh like crazy.

“I’m fine, I like the rain!” you insisted as both of you got to his porch, “Bucky, it’s lovely!”

“Doll, we’re both soaked,” Bucky let out a laugh as he unlocked the door, “You’re crazy, get inside.”

“Spoilsport.” You giggled, then followed him inside, and looked down.

“The floor will get wet though.”

“Don’t worry about that,” he told you as he walked to the fireplace to make a fire. You twisted your hair with the sleeves of your coat to get rid of the excess water, then checked your reflection in your small pocket mirror while he was still busy with the fire. You put it back into your purse, then held out your hands towards the fireplace to get warm as he straightened up.

“Steve had some clothes here, they would fit you-“

“No,” you stopped him, “I’m alright.”

“Y/N, you’ll get pneumonia.”

“I’m alright!” you insisted, then sat down to the floor, still holding your hands out, “Sit beside me.”

He heaved a sigh, as if he wasn’t happy with your stubbornness, but grabbed the blanket over the couch and dropped it over your shoulders. You snuggled closer to him as he sat beside you, then rubbed your arms.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Cold?”

You shook your head, “I grew up very poor Sarge, cold isn’t very unfamiliar to me.” You mumbled, still holding your hands out towards the fire, “I know how to handle it.”

“I’m sorry,” his voice was soft and you stole a look at him, then smiled.

“Don’t be.” You said, “It was a long time ago. Now I know how the world is.”

“How the world is?”

“I um….” You took a deep breath, keeping your gaze on the fire, “I used to believe that- I imagined my future different.” You let out a bitter laugh, “Obviously. But um- you don’t really have to be poor to be cold, I learned that.”

His gaze on you made you feel almost as hot as the fire you were warming your hands with. “You don’t?”

“Not really,” you muttered, “It’s strange, really. You can be surrounded by pretty dresses and jewelry and stupid compliments by wealthy people and still feel cold. It’s there to stay, sometimes.”

Out of the corner of your eye, you could see that he swallowed thickly, “And now?”

You lowered your hands, then turned to look up at him,

“Depends,” your voice was almost silky, “Will you warm me up if I say I’m cold now, Sarge?”

He looked almost taken aback, and his blue eyes fell on your lips before they snapped up to your eyes,

"Do you want me to?" His whisper was soft and you felt your heart skip a beat before you nodded, and he leaned in to capture your lips with his. You cupped his cheek, pressing your body to his, and his hands went to the back of your dress to unzip it, and as if on cue, you felt that familiar haze fill your mind again, making you pull back and shake your head at yourself, your hand pressed over his chest, feeling his fast heartbeat right under your touch.

Bucky pulled his hands back as if your skin had just burned him.

"Darling?"

"I'm sorry, I just-"

"Don't apologize," his voice was low, "You never have to apologize. We don't have to do anything-“

"But I do want to," you looked up at him, "I do, I want you. More than you could imagine, I just.... I don't know how to focus, I think. And I don't want to miss it, for once."

Bucky pulled his brows together, "I…don’t follow.”

"I’m just-" you dragged your tongue over your bottom lip, deep in thought. You had never felt the need to explain this before- not that anyone asked or thought about your comfort before, but he wasn’t just one of your clients, he was-

Well. You feared to name it.

"I feel as if I float away,” You managed to say, “When I’m… when I’m with somebody, when it happens. But I don't want to float away this time, I want to stay here."

His eyes searched yours and you swallowed thickly, desperate to make him understand but you didn't need to say anything else. He nodded slowly, pushing a strand of your hair behind your ear, making you smile and look up at him.

“I love you,” the confession left his lips in a whisper, and you blinked dumbly, not even daring to breathe. It wasn’t the first time, really, almost every client of yours had fallen in love with you sooner or later, but somehow, this time, it wasn’t just that. It didn’t even feel like it had anything to do with sex, it was just-

It was just your heart, and his heart.

As simple as that, for once.

“Bucky, you shouldn’t-“

“I love you.” He repeated, “I need you to know that. Is… is that enough to make you stay?”

You were more than aware of the fact that it didn’t mean just that. It didn’t mean just now, it was a promise, for a future neither of you dared hope for, and yet, the glimmer was still there.

Against all odds, it was there.

You looked up at him for a second in complete silence, then pulled your dress over your head and reached out to pull him closer to you. His lips met yours, and somehow, for the first time in years, a spark of fire reached that ice at the pit of your stomach, buried deep down.

Then, the warmth surrounded you.

                                            ***

  @rhabakoli​​​​ @rmwest94​​​ @finnickfoxes​​​  @theskytraveler​​​ @asongofmarvelanddc​​​  @fictionwillneverdie​​​   @superwolfchild-fan​​​  @marauderskeeper​​​ @propertyofpoeandbucky @alwaysadreamingoptimist @lettersofwrittencollective @i-am-always-famished  @small-round-and-angry @captstefanbrandt @flowers-in-your-hayr @writeyourmindaway @geekandbooknerd @mamaraptor  @j-finco @the-omni-princess @supercarricat @anxietysucks @fortisfiliae @stopitchris  @nea90sweetie​ @inforapound​ @theladybiers​ @aikeji @littledarlinhavefaithinme @marvelgirl7 @to-the-road @starkrobb​​​ @noisyinfluencerstrawberry​​​   @paramorefold​ @alytavzla​​  @youclickedthislink​​​ @lexlikestoread​​

[elliepassmore]

These Feathered Flames review

5/5 stars Recommended for people who like: fantasy, magic, dual POVs, sister stories, Russian folklore, fairytales, court intrigue, powers, morally grey characters, lesbian MC I was excited coming into this book because Firebird is one of my favorite ballets, and while this is more a twist on the folklore behind firebird, it's premise was still exciting. Coming into it I was a little nervous and unsure how I'd like either character, since I wasn't feeling that attached to Asya after the first chapter and Izaveta can be kind of a bitch at times, but the book definitely lives up to itself. The world is lush and there's clearly a lot of lore and history within it. I thought Overy did a good job balancing the mundane, nonmagical bits with the more fantastical, such as glowing birds. I also liked how, despite the Fading occurring and the Firebird being A Thing, there were people who were resistant 1) to the idea of less magic, and 2) to the Firebird in general. Not that they didn't believe, but that the Firebird, despite being magical and part of the country's history, was something to be feared and even hated if it directly impacted you. I thought it made the world feel more real than if people had just been like 'oh, magic exists and the Firebird is doing the Right Thing, so it's fine.' I also thought Overy did a good job actually accomplishing and balancing the grey morality of her characters. Asya has a soft heart and wants to protect people. She isn't super thrilled with how the Firebird exacts its price, but as she grows used to the role, there's this change in her where she realizes that sometimes bad things have to happen in order to protect people. On the flip side, Izaveta is a harder character and more manipulative from the beginning. She's been raised in court and knows how to get what she wants, but over the course of the story she evolves to a more understanding and self-sacrificing nature. There are times I didn't like Izaveta's actions, but overall I really liked her as a character. (As a side, semi-unrelated note: Izaveta's story and characterization is similar to the what I would've liked to see in Neve in For the Wolf). Asya is the twin who was chosen to be the Firebird, which is an interesting choice considering she doesn't like seeing people or animals hurt and even turned to being a vegetarian after she was chosen. When the book first opens, she doesn't really get why the Firebird has to extract prices the way that it does and she doesn't like knowing that she'll one day have to do the same. Of course, she's thrust into the position anyway and is forced to grapple with not only her own dislike for the Firebird's actions, but also other people's dislike for it as well. Asya is someone who is lonely and desperately doesn't want people to be afraid of her, and yet I think she handles the fear and semi-rejection of the court well. Even though it's only 13 days, she comes to understand, in a way, that the Firebird does need to extract the price and that doing so, even if it hurts some people, is better than not doing it at all. as she comes into this understanding, she also acknowledges that people will likely always fear and question her and while she's never quite 100% okay with this, she's able to cope so long as she has some people on her side. I feel bad for her, but I also think Asya has a great character arc and is in a decent place character-wise by the end of the book. Izaveta, on the other hand, was chosen to be queen and has adapted to her role by the start of the book better than Asya had to hers. Scheming and manipulative, Izaveta looks at court like a zvess (fantasy chess) board, and is willing to do what it takes to succeed. She's in a tricky position throughout the book of balancing the things she wants, the crown and her sister, and the other schemers at court. Things don't always (read: almost never) go her way in the book, but Izaveta is an inventive character and is able to at least somewhat turn the tables in many of the situations she encounters in the book. Much like Asya, Izaveta also has to come into a realization that shakes her away from how she's been thinking and doing things. Mainly, she has a mirror arc to Asya, where Izaveta decides to become slightly more trusting and slightly less manipulative. I think Izaveta is a good example of a character who does bad things but does them (sometimes) for the right reasons. She's definitely more of a morally grey character than Asya, in my opinion, but she's enjoyable to read. There's a wide host of side-characters, each with their own motivations. Some of them are clearly antagonists from the get-go, such as Sanislav, while others are harder to read, such as Nikov and Villanovich/Yuliana. Many of the court characters are also scheming alongside Izaveta, though most of them are not scheming in her favor. There is multi-level manipulation going on in this book and it's very fun to read, if not sometimes difficult to figure out people's intentions. Romance is kept to a minimum in favor of developing other character relations. The only real pairing in the book is Asya and Yuliana, who obviously connect and like each other, but are in an...interesting situation to say the least. I think there is some potential for Nikov and Izaveta to pair up in the next book, but nothing's certain and I can just as easily see Izaveta not having a romantic arc. The plot was also good and centers around a Calling (someone who hasn't paid the price for magic use) that Asya is having trouble following. This tangles with Izaveta's desire to get the throne and her manipulations to prevent anyone from attempting to depose her. There's also the additional issue of strange things happening and discontent brewing about magic and the Firebird. Overy weaves the plotlines together well and drops little hints for readers to pick up on throughout the story. The climax/twist/whatever was well done and I actually didn't guess until we were right on top of it, which is unusual. Overall, this was a fantastic book that does a good job balancing character relationships/interactions with the plot. I'm looking forward to the second book and seeing how things play out for everyone.

[thebestestboyo]

Because I am stressed and my friend requested a prompt, we're gonna do one

Prompt #3: Drunk/Sloppy Kisses

Why Not?

Tw: Alcohol/Swearing/Mention of puking

Originally, Janus didn't mean to end up drunk at some stupid house party. At first, he was hoping on having a quiet Saturday night in for once. Get Chinese food from that nice restaurant down the street, watch documentaries about the social plannies of the world, and curl up with his snake Diana. He was not planning to end up shitfaced on the couch while chaos reigned around him, and he felt as if he was going to puke if he got up to leave.

But unfortunately for him, his stupid cousin Remy decided that he needed to get out more, and dragged him along to this stupid party so that he'd be able to 'socialize for once.'

Please, Janus socialized plenty! He had friends! Two close ones, to be precise. Virgil Timore and Logan Crofter, who he had known for several years and talked to daily. Hell, Wednesday he and Virgil bingewatched conspiracy theories together and got lunch afterwards. Janus was perfectly fine with his two friends thank you very much.

He had showed up to this party, which he was told would be small, and was disappointed, but not surprised to find that it was practically filled to the brim with drunk college kids. He couldn't go two steps without running into someone, let alone get to anywhere quieter in the house without someone probably trying to frisk him.

So he had to settle for the couch. For now. He was at least somewhat away from the action, well, as much as someone could be in this frat house crammed with people. Nursing a ginger ale he found in a cooler (unopened, he didn't trust any of the punch on the table. Was punch supposed to be green?), Janus was ready to stick it out sober. He didn't know any of these people, so why should he trust his drunk self with them?

...which is what he thought, until he saw him.

The absolute gremlin of the fucking year, Remus Whitby.

This little prick not only was in half his classes, but also managed to have a seat near him in every single one. He was absolutely infuriating, and if Janus didn't think better, he could have sworn that guy chose to sit next to him just so he'd have someone to piss off.

And to top it off, he wasn't even half bad looking! True he dressed like a walking fashion disaster, but it was at least a hot sort of fashion disaster. Somehow his smug little self managed to make floral and bright yellow work, while still wearing the most outlandish pair of cowboy boots to class, as if a dad and a gay cowboy had designed his outfit.

Not to mention he was always trying to get Janus to talk with him! All he had to do, was scoot his chair close to him in the lecture hall, spout some new bullshit of the day, and wait. Their most recent debate was about the reasoning why you shouldn't try to befriend wild possums with preprocessed cheese.

He was crude, he was a terrible dresser, he was smart but in a way that infuriated you, he ate weird concoctions in class that probably weren't compatible flavor palates, and Janus was utterly in love with him.

Now this was something Janus would normally take to his grave and never speak of to anyone, but he was bored, fed up, and altogether too headstrong to care right now.

So making what would probably be a bad decision for his future self, he grabbed a nearby bottle of whiskey, chugged half of it, and strode over to Remus in what he hoped looked confident, but more likely looked as if he was drowning in the crowd due to his shorter stature.

Remus perked up immediately at Jan's arrival, a smirk spreading across his face.

"Why hello, if it isn't the non-believer of making friends with garbage critters! And what might the distinguished Janus Milton be doing here?" His front tooth was slightly crooked, Janus noticed. It was cute, in a dork sort of way.

"I could ask you the same thing. Don't you have seagulls to train or something?"

"Usually I would, but unfortunately most seagulls aren't around during the day. I was trying to teach some of the frogs by the swamp to sing Never Gonna Give You Up though!"

"Of course you would." Was it just the overwhelming amount of people milling around them, or did Remus get a little closer to him?

"They all have names! My brother wanted to help but he was going to name them something too cute."

"Let me guess. Horror authors?"

"Close! Serial killers! I got Jack the Ribber, Dalmer..."

"Wait hold up. Jack the Ribber?" Okay he had to admit, it was a good name.

"Of course! It seemed to fit him. But that doesn't answer my earlier question cornsnake. What are you doing here? Doesn't seem like your thing."

"Normally it wouldn't be. But my cousin decided it would be good for me to get out." He didn't add the part about Remy thinking he was a shut in, that wasn't important. "But I'm not a cornsnake. Why would you even think I was a snake?"

"You do lie a lot, my slippery serpent."

"I most certainly do not."

"Ah, but you do! You even do that thing with your s's and c's when you are."

"I have no idea what you mean." Janus took that moment to take another swig of his whiskey, throat burning with the taste.

"Whatever you say Janny! You wanna go in the pool in the backyard? Beats being crushed by everyone here."

"Is there people skinny-dipping?"

"Not yet! Wanna be the first?" Was Remus...wiggling his eyebrows at him? No, it was probably the alcohol. He wasn't exactly known for having a high tolerance for it.

"I'm only going down to my pants."

"Aw you're no fun!"

_________________________________________

Since Janus hadn't fully undressed, Remus only went down to his boxers. By that time, Janus probably wouldn't have even noticed nor cared anyways, because he was already more than a little tipsy.

He was straight up (or gay up) drunk.

The two had already climbed out of the pool and stumbled to the front yard of the house (probably the least crowded place), Janus leaning into Remus for most of his balance.

"You certainly don't hold your liquor well do you cornsnake?"

"Shut, shut up Remus. I hold everything. Bags. Phones. Car keys. Six inch subs."

"Uh huh sure. Do you still have your phone?"

"Most certainly!"

Laughing, Remus held up what looked like...Janus's phone! How'd he get that?

"Hey! Give it back!" He attempted to reach for it, but due to his lack of dexterity while hammered, only managed to throw himself into Remus's lap. It was even more annoying that when he grumbed his discontent, Remus just laughed harder.

"I took the liberty of holding it for you. You left it in the backyard and I don't exactly know if anyone else is sober enough to keep track of both of you."

Before he could do more than open his mouth, Remus's hand began to card through his hair, smoothing out the still damp strands. While normally, the only people he'd ever let touch his hair was his friends, it felt utterly sublime, so he was in no mood to stop it.

"Hey Re? Heh, re."

Remus jolted a little at the sound of his voice, but answered anyways. "Yeah cornsnake?"

"Come ere' I need to tell you a secret."

"What? Why would you-"

"Shshshshshsh no! I need to tell you the secret!"

"Well okay?"

It took quite a bit of effort, but through Janus grabbing at Re's arms for leverage, he managed to sit upright in Remus's lap, leaned into his chest. "You can't tell anyone okay?"

"You needed to sit in my lap for this secret?" His voice sounded like he was teasing, but for some reason his face was just getting redder. Maybe it was Jan's imagination?

"Yes! It's important."

Waiting for dramatic effect (even drunk he was still a drama queen), Janus tilted his head up and kissed him, smiling afterwards. "I love you!"

Was his face always that red? Janus didn't know, but he really wanted to kiss him again. Maybe not at the moment though, right now his stomach was feeling a little sick-

Thankfully for Remus's clothes (and Janus's dignity, whatever was left of it) once Remus saw that look on Jan's face, he wrapped his arms around his middle and turned him to face the other way.

"...I think we ought to get you out of here cornsnake."

Wait was he disappointed? Did he not like Janus back? What was that tone in his voice?

He didn't know, so his drunk self elected to cry. Great.

"Nononononono it's okay! It's alright, fuck, I never expected you to be a sad drunk, it's okay." The arms around Janus's middle moved to cradle him, as Remus lifted him up and away from where they were sitting.

"I just-" He couldn't get through a sentence without hiccuping through the tears. "-You sound- so dissapointed."

"Janus I'm not dissapointed! I'm just, god am I...worried?"

"Re reeeeeee."

"Sorry, just thinking out loud. Look, I don't know where your dorm room is, so I'll take you back to mine okay? I'm not disappointed, you're all good, let's get some water in you and get you to bed."

_________________________________________

It was most certainly against road laws to have someone sitting on your lap as you drove, so Remus had to transfer a teary-eyed Janus to the passenger seat. For some reason, the only thing calming him down was if Remus would hold his hand (which, he did, that was nice).

It was strange, Remus driving while Janus sat in the passenger seat, playing with the fingers of Re's hand, but it was oddly nice. Beats having him stay at the party where he'd probably hurt himself.

Or tell more of his secrets. Like how he got that scar over his face. He seemed to hold that one pretty close to his chest, so it was unfair to learn it through his drunkenness.

He was actively ignoring the secret he was told, about how Janus loved him. If he thought about it right now, he'd probably end up crashing out of excitement of the fact that he himself had been pinning after him for a solid half of the school year to find that his feelings were reciprocated.

Maybe being drunkenly confessed to wasn't the best way to find out, but hey! He'd prefer it to the sappy romance novel way that his brother was always droning on about.

Once they pulled up to the dorms, Remus went around to Janus's side (not trusting that he'd be able to walk by himself) and lifting him up again, much to the delight of Janny.

"Look I'm your princess!"

"Mmhm, right now this princess has to drink some water, and maybe take a nap."

"Heh Sleeping Beauty took a nap for a long time."

"You wouldn't be sleeping beauty I think, you'd be little red riding hood. Because I'm the wolf, and I've stolen you off!" Tickling at his sides a bit, he pushed open his door as his face was already starting to tinge red. He never expected Janus to be a giggly drunk, then again, he never expected Janus to let himself get drunk. Musta been a tough party experience.

His roommate, Patton, was already asleep, so he didn't have to worry about him asking questions, at least till morning. A quick water break, and a successful attempt at getting Jan's shoes off later, Remus had tucked him up into his bed, planning on sleeping on the chair nearby in case he woke up.

"Re re waiiiiit!"

"Hm?"

"Can I have a goodnight kiss?"

He hoped that Janus wouldn't remember this in the morning, he had already shown so much of his softer side, that if he did, his reputation would be ruined. Part of him hoped he did remember anyways, as he lightly kissed Jan's forehead, going off to sleep.

_________________________________________

When Janus woke up, it was certainly jarring to be in a completely different bed than his own. In a different room, with a splitting headache. And...Remus was sleeping on a chair?

Wait....

Was this Remus's room???

Oh lord. He must have blacked out. It was stupid to drink that much, he always knew he was a lightweight, he probably made a fool of himself in front of Remus.

"You ok cornsnake?"

OH GOD HE WAS AWAKE.

"Considering my head feels as if someone is knocking a wrecking ball through it, I'm as good as I can be at the moment. What am I-"

"I uh, didn't think you'd be okay if you stayed at that place while you were drunk. You got pretty emotional."

Oh no.

"So I decided that, since your phone was locked and you had the dexterity of a clownfish stuck in a riptide, I'd let you chill here...?"

"Please tell me I didn't say anything that embarrassing."

Remus was making that face. He knew that face, that face was the same look a dog made when it had been caught digging in the trash.

"What was it."

"It was really, well, uh-"

"Remus please I'm hungover and tired."

"Yousortaconfessedyoulovedme."

"..."

...

Fuck.

"I mean! It was probably a fluke right? Drunk people always go confessing their love for random people, I know I have!" Remus looked...nervous? The world was too painful to look at for the moment to tell. But he was throwing him a line, so that they'd be able to forget it happened.

Well you know what? Janus was tired in two ways. Tired because he ran around a bunch last night and got drunk, and tired of pretending. So why not come out and say it.

"Actually, it wasn't a fluke."

"I- what."

This certainly wasn't the way he intended to go about this confession if it ever happened, but it would have to do.

"Due to your insistence on talking with me during classes, I've grown...fond of you. One might even say I love you."

Before Remus could get anything else out, Jan continued, knowing he was prolonging his inevitable rejection, but powering through anyways.

"And I while I doubt you hold these same feelings, I'd just like to clarify that I was not lying when I confessed to you drunk. So if you wish, we can both go about our seperate-"

"You dumbass! How can you be so smart and yet so dumb?? I've been in love with you ever since you talked to me about crabs!"

"Wait that's oddly specific-"

"It's true! And I'm gonna prove it."

Taking Jan's head in his hands, Remus looked for a nod of confirmation, before kissing him deeply before pulling away to breathe.

"So how bout it cornsnake?"

Hands looped around Remus, he only had one answer.

"Why not?"

[ddaenghoney]

chapter nineteen

masterlist link in blog description.

As a successful songwriter, you want nothing more than the acknowledgment that the chart-topping musical pieces are your own creations. But contracts, relationships, and the difficulty of facing the stakes involved head on, keep your mouth shut until pressure builds too much.

Pairing(s): Park Jimin x Y/N, Min Yoongi x Y/N

disclaimer: any characters depicted do not represent the actual personality of the respected idol in real life.

Series warning(s)/genre(s): Chapter-based written fic, Slow-burn relationship(s), Fake-dating, Unrequited love, Songwriter/producer!oc, idol!Jimin, idol/songwriter/producer!Yoongi, friends with benefits, drama, romance, smut, angst, fluff (updated as needed)

Chapter warning(s): jimin redemption arc?... have y’all heard of that song... Promise..? yeah.

Word count: 5324

if you enjoy please, please let me know!

The company garage contains a normal amount of vehicles for the time of the day, and practically no one in sight as you and Yoongi reach his Audi. With his hand untangling from yours to find the keys in his pocket, you use both appendages to rub your face and muffle a loud groan into the skin. The electrical clicking of the car unlocking sounds as Yoongi turns back to face you, eyebrows perked.

“It’s catching up with you?” He asks though it sounds more like a comment. You just nod your head, still covering the majority of your face as the conversation plays over and over. Yoongi’s head tilts also thinking back upon the situation, and frankly not finding any of what you told Yerin wrong. Taehyung’s likely to get unnerved behind chuckles when he hears about the potential contract troubles you intend to land yourself into, but Yoongi completely respects the method to break free of the whole ordeal.

No matter what, SoundWave is not going to budge on their side. He imagines they’re willing to take the secret to the grave without ever leaning for a second in the direction of your favor. Though the risk to your reputation is high, Yoongi understands the current view perception you have in the public is not good already anyways. At least with this method there exists a greater likelihood of you being recognized as the victim Yerin made you into, and not the issue she tries to manipulate the world into seeing.

“How the hell am I supposed to explain myself in front of the press, or anything like that? What was I thinking?” Your hands fall away to clump into a tight bind in front of your torso.

“You were thinking that you shouldn’t be blamed for this anymore.” Yoongi’s feet come into your view as he steps closer. Gently his fingertips find your sides, easing tiny waves of warmth as he gently rubs. Ducking down to your level he continues fervently. “And none of this is your fault, so you should do this if it’s what you want to, angel.”

“But what if no one even believes me?” You glance up at him with worry, biting the corner of your lip. “Everyone already hates me, Yoon.” The crack in your tone triggers a small shake in your shoulders. Hushing the tension trying to stir, Yoongi’s lips place a small fluttering kiss against your forehead as his hands move you an inch or so closer. Your balled fists find his chest, pressing flat to feel the serene beat.

“I don’t doubt the majority of people will believe you though, baby.” He murmurs against your skin, dipping another kiss against your cheeks then they tighten from an unsure frown. “If SoundWave doesn’t say anything back then it proves you’re telling the truth. If they try to sue you, then it proves you’re telling the truth because the confidentiality clause of your contract is going to get into the public.”

“I’m just scared that whatever I say to a reporter is going to get twisted.” You lift your eyes up, finding Yoongi’s. “But if I try to do a livestream to explain this all, well,” You shrug, sighing. “Knowing me I’ll probably look super nervous and not explain the situation right.”

“No, a livestream wouldn’t be best.” Yoongi nods. “I know a couple of reporters who have always been good to me whenever I work with them. Let’s talk to one of them, alright? That way you can speak in a comfortable environment.”

You bite your lip. The closeness of this path’s fruition sends a rumble through your chest, as the wavering perspectives clash. The prickling feeling of guilt lingers, raising the volume of the distressed idols of SoundWave desperate to keep you quiet. One person speaking out to ruin hundreds of employees who were manipulated to various degrees.

“I need to tell Jihyo.” Your hands grip wrinkles on Yoongi’s shirt. The corner of his mouth divets in worry of your somberly building expression. “Give her and her group some warning.” Thoughts of their bright faces during promotion periods and cheerfully thanking you personally after award shows cross your mind. “And,”

Memories flood of early months in your career at SoundWave. Its modest appearance in those days feels reminiscent of a home left behind. The trainees were all uncertain, and the couple of active idols appreciated a moderate level of popularity. Long hours of work between you and others in the production department of music collected a camaraderie that cheerfully flourished with the appearance of consistent success. Pieces of a puzzle found their correct locations one after another creating a gleaming picture that shined when Jimin debuted.

You can easily remember the amount of detail into his debut album. The active involvement he made to attend as many meetings as possible despite not being allowed to contribute input where music was concerned. Bright and eager he’d run around the building with complete excitement for his debut that gained exponential traction from the concept photos alone.

More often than not the small handful of employees remaining in the building in the middle of the night would consist of him and you, so there was ample time to connect. Though initially you think he stuck around you with an apologetic ambience. Discontented by his lack of help while you conceptualized the lyrics of his album. And you told Jimin it was more than alright for you, because you were just as excited for so many of your songs to be used.

Genuinely expressing your willingness to let any of them perform the music under their names because at least it was being heard. At least you were doing what you wanted to do, modestly or not. You told him names weren’t important because you knew and that was enough.

“I need to tell Jimin.”

The tension in your hands drifts away, replacing itself with an airy nervousness. Scrambling in your mind, thoughts crash from the surprise of your candor. Yoongi grips your wrists, gently encapsulating them like a cushion for your wandering head. You look up at him as he maneuvers your arms down between the two of your bodies. Tangling your hands together, he nods slightly, the shadow of an empathetic smile barely visible.

“Yeah. You do.”

“Because I owe it to them, though-” He nods again, squeezing your hands.

“I know. I didn’t think anything of it, angel. I know he meant a lot to you.”

“Yoongi,” Your eyebrows crease, feeling bothered to leave this issue so simply. “You mean more to me.”

“You really,” He chuckles. Smile shifts into a softer tone. “Don’t need to explain yourself. I believe you-”

“But I don’t want you to worry-- or force away showing me that it makes you uncomfortable.” You remove your hands to rest them on Yoongi’s shoulders, watching as his smile dissipates. “I’m telling them--I’m telling Jimin because I don’t think it’s right of me to wreck their careers without even telling them that I want to tell the truth about everything. I’m not telling him because he means a lot to me, I’m telling him because I owe him that. You mean the most to me.”

Yoongi’s lips tighten to a line, feeling his heartbeat ricochet. He lets his arms find their way around you when you guide your lips against his. The worry in his throat lingers until the connection causes a dispersion. Like tiny enamored words silently press onto his lips, Yoongi can visualize your sincerity as your fingers individually squeeze onto his shoulders.

“You’ve always been beside me.” Your voice emits a clinging sensation as you speak mumbles on his mouth. “I’m so happy I’m with you, Yoon.”

Stinging blurs in his eyes, and Yoongi travels his thumbs to your cheeks to brush away the dots of glittery tears. “You’re sweet, angel.” He catches the slight widening of your eyes, but ignores the meaning to cover every instance of tears on your skin with a kiss. “You don’t need to cry about this.”

“They’re your tears, baby.” Yoongi hums as your words enter his ears, and he blinks to release another silent stream. Lips purse as your thumbs now rub along his face. He watches your gentle smile with a growing fondness clenching in his chest.

“I really did believe you before you told me that.” You listen to the murmur, glancing up to his eyes when his hands grip your sides. “I don’t doubt you.” A smile blossoms in front of your gaze, and Yoongi shrugs bashfully. “But what you said clearly made me really happy.”

Heat crawls in patches on your cheeks, as you peck another kiss against his lips intending for it to be a short moment before you speak again. However, Yoongi holds you there, following your movement and deepening the connection with endeared craving. One of your hands falls to his chest feeling the deep beat, and Yoongi’s thumbs press on the divet between your hip bones, lapping in the moment.

Parting allows breaths to flood the air along with his whisper, “You’re precious to me.”

“Are you going to try and make me cry now?”

“No,” He chuckles, shadowing his lips along the side of your mouth. “I just feel lucky someone like you came into my life.”

“Yoongi,” Your hand pats against his heart and he holds it in place with his larger appendage. You pout as he pulls his head back to properly look at you. “I really will cry--what are you smiling about that for?”

“You’re so cute.” Your growing pout only serves to promote the grinning expression. You sigh, trying to avoid his fond stare so your face doesn’t redden more.

“Sorry, I made you stand in the background of that whole thing, by the way.”

“That’s alright-- you were a badass, I enjoyed it.” Yoongi laughs as you shake your head and attempt to push him away from you out of embarrassment. “I have to meet Hoseok in about an hour and a half to tour a building.”

“Wow, you’re both working quickly.” You say in surprise as Yoongi releases your hand from the hold against his chest. He nods sheepishly,

“Well everything will take a while to get together so it’s best to start sooner than later. Do you want to tag along, angel?”

“Doubt Hoseok wants an audience.”

“Please,” Yoongi chuckles as he rubs his bangs from his face. “He won’t mind at all. Besides he likes you a lot anyways. He thinks you’re more fun than me.”

“Don’t pout.” You smile, poking your thumb into his cheek as Yoongi bitterly says his last sentence. He rolls his eyes, allowing your hand to remain on his face as you continue speaking. “I’ll go, but just because I want to hold your hand while I figure out what I’m going to say to Jimin and Jihyo.”

“So don’t talk to you while we’re touring.” Yoongi chuckles as you nod with complete seriousness of the idea. “That’s fine, I like having you around in general anyways.” He says nodding in the direction of his car steps away.

“Oh, just to look at?” You question over the top of his car as Yoongi rolls his eyes and simply slides into the driver seat. You stare inquisitively at him when you join, refraining from your joking smile to appear on your face. Dipping your head forward to the dash to remain in his peripherals, you nearly let out a giggle as he looks at you with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah-”

“Jerk.” You smile at Yoongi when he shakes his head holding back his own laughter. “I thought you just said I was precious to you-”

Yoongi kisses you to interrupt the sentence, content with the sight of your flustered smile as he pulls away. “Most precious, angel.”

---

Your groan muffles against soft fabric, while your legs curl beneath the warmth of your comforter. Clinging your hands tighter, they feel the rumbling of chuckles that your ears detect languidly above your head. One eye peeks open with enough time to watch Yoongi’s arm fall away to the mattress from where he tried to ease your body off his own. He simply looks up at the ceiling as the hand connected to his arm you lie on rubs tiny strokes on your back

“Thought you said you were going to sleep in.” Your voice lulls and you only curl closer to his frame. Yoongi hums vaguely, angling his face towards you so the view of his slowly waking expression reveals itself with the softness of sunlight through the windows painting it warmly.

“It’s almost one. We both have slept in, angel.” Yoongi says watching with amusement as your eyes quickly widen from surprise. He watches with interest as you pick yourself up on one arm to look over his body to the bedside clock corroborating his statement. “Sleep well?”

“I guess too well.” Your quiet voice is twinged with muted embarrassment, but considering how easily you drifted into a deep sleep you aren’t remorseful.

“It’s Sunday, so it doesn’t really matter anyways.” Yoongi admits with a sigh as he stretches both arms out in the air above you both.

“Well, it sort of matters since the reporter is coming in a couple of hours.” Your eyes fall back to Yoongi when the sensation of his hands against your waist register. Lazily he brings you down to him so that one of your arms presses between your bodies. He kisses you gently, then smiles when you immediately kiss along his jaw. “Guess what.”

“Hmm?” He barely manages to voice the retort, focusing more on the sudden spark of energy in your irises as you smile down at him.

“I’m really good at making pancakes.”

“Better than the burnt takeout you reheated the other day?” Yoongi’s head tilts, not bothering to hide the smile as you pout from his teasing.

“With that attitude, you won’t find out.” You cover his protestint mouth with a kiss, then scoot off the bed. “But you do have to help me.” You state as you press a finger to your phone screen. The sight free of notifications leaves a small well in your stomach.

Jihyo instantly responded to the text you left her with a phone call. A lengthy rant of words to you, dirtied with things you doubt she meant but hurt to hear all the same. The pleas she said felt more painful to listen to, each one taking a blunt hit against the wall of conviction in your head. Not managing to break through, but difficult to shut down.

The longer text message sent to Jimin, you anticipated a similar phone call in return. With the history between the two of you, there was little to stop the assumption that Jimin would wholeheartedly use that as a way to feel comfortable enough to call. This was the decision he was so afraid of that it ended the relationship between you both. Even with what he told you last at the cafe--even when he promised to support your decisions in the future, you can’t imagine this would sit so silently in his throat.

“Did he respond?” Yoongi’s voice brings you back, as his arms do a quick job to unconsciously comfort you. Encircling your hips, he brings you a step towards where he sits at the edge of the bed, letting his head rest against your waist.

“Nope.” You shimmy an arm free so that you can tangle the hand within Yoongi’s unkempt dark locks. “I’m not really waiting for him too, though. I still want to talk to the reporter.”

“Bugs you though?”

“I just expected him to say something--be mad at me like Jihyo was.” You lean yourself to sit against his thigh, while Yoongi lifts his head to look at you. The phone goes to the bed with a small toss as you look out the window at the rich summer day. It moves in slow motion like most Sundays with people casually out and about relaxed. You feel the same. “I’m kind of surprised that I don’t care that much about what Jihyo said in retrospect. Whatever Jimin decides to do too… I don’t feel weighed down by it really.”

“I was thinking that may be the case with how easily you fell asleep last night.” Yoongi says simply, shaking his head as you roll your eyes from the idea he’s joking. “Y/N, I mean you looked really settled. Sure about everything.”

“Sleeping me should teach awake me a thing or two then-” Your voice turns into a small yelp as Yoongi lightly pinches your hip to cut you off. Throwing your voice into a longer squeal, Yoongi falls back on the bed taking you with him.

“You’re sure of yourself either way.” Yoongi says as you shift around atop him to lie more comfortably on his chest. “You’re going to say what you want to, put SoundWave in its place, and go on to be an incredible songwriter and producer that everyone will finally get to see.”

The thought fills you with an excited breath, held back with a smile grateful for Yoongi's words. His positive outlook assists to diminish worry every time, but you can’t understand where the confidence for you comes from. You doubt that he would tell you something just to pacify worries if the words weren’t based in some type of understanding. “Why do you believe in me so much?”

Yoongi suddenly frowns at the question, though not irritated but instead perplexed. When he considers the inquisition, he doesn’t find his answer to be anything substantial or groundbreaking. He doesn’t need to tell you that talent alone is more than half the reason why he thinks so highly of where you intend to go in your career, because your work speaks for itself. But beyond that, what he believes feels very simple.

“You haven’t ever given up.” Yoongi says. In the following silence he grows more convicted to speak on as your hands curl against his chest and your eyes fill with surprise. “If it hadn’t been SoundWave that found you first, then you would already be successful. You’re talented, passionate-- I can’t see you stopping until you were happy with where you’re at, and that’s what you’re doing now. You deserve what you’re aiming for.”

A doorbell interrupts your chest from fluttering at Yoongi’s words. Your heads turn in the direction of the door in the other room. Whipping your gaze back to Yoongi, your voice fills with a surprised worry,

“Wait, is the reporter here already?” You stand up from him, rushing to a dresser to retrieve a pair of jeans. “I just woke up-- what’s he doing here this early,” You ramble along as Yoongi sits up with fretting brows.

“What if it’s not even him, angel?” He asks, but the words fall on deaf ears while you simply scramble into the bathroom. Yoongi sighs, shaking his head in amusement as he walks to the front of the bed for his sweatpants. “I’ll go let him in.”

“Give him water and apologize to him for me!” You call out frantically, missing Yoongi’s call of agreement as you turn on water to brush your teeth. Within minutes you manage to have your teeth cleaned and face washed. You pat a towel against your skin, thinking over the words that you really had yet to plan completely. You sigh, tossing the towel aside and stepping back into your bedroom to search for shirt that wouldn’t have wrinkles on it like the one currently hanging off your shoulders.

“Baby,” Yoongi’s voice startles you as you glance up. He stands at the entrance of the bedroom, hand clamped on the doorknob.

“You can use my kitchen to get him a snack if he wants-”

“It’s not the reporter.” Yoongi shakes his head, entering inside the room with the door shutting behind him. The material in your hands falls back into the dresser as you straighten up, looking towards your boyfriend in confusion. “It’s Jimin.”

“What?” Your voice practically gasps the shock as a similar stupor overtakes your face. Your eyes narrow, glancing towards the closed bedroom door then back to Yoongi. “Wait, he’s here? Like, right now?”

“He wants to talk to you.” Yoongi continues in an even voice, but you can tell that he’s evidently not comfortable with Jimin’s reasonings. For the smallest second your mind wanders about the direction of Yoongi’s worries, but his concerned, gentle voice helps you understand entirely. “If you don’t want to, then I’ll go tell him to go. I don’t want you to feel like you need to.”

The surprise of the situation leaves with Yoongi’s words. Calming your thoughts back to an even ground, you close the drawer shut, leaving your hands atop the furniture for a moment. Your head shakes gently, “No, I’ll talk to him. That’s okay.”

Jimin stands in your living space as you walk from the hallway. Blue hair is barely discernible as it hides within the confines of a cap on his head. Like most people around this time of the day, he’s dressed appropriately as though he plans to leisurely walk about after his stop at your apartment. He notices you walk in and takes no effort to stop the small smile that comes on his face. The sight of his complexion makes your mind stammer for a reason you can’t quite pinpoint.

“Just woke up?” He asks with his familiarly casual tone as you walk around the couch to meet him where he stands not too far from the front door.

“Maybe,” You can’t help the tiny reply out of embarrassment of your appearance. “Don’t tell me I look like it.”

“You don’t.” The teasing intonation laced in his words highlight the growing smile on his face. “Sorry about waking you up, I thought you’d be awake by now.” He explains, glancing beyond you as padding feet come into your hearing. You look back as Yoongi walks over to the kitchen quietly, and begins scavenging for items to begin cooking. You roll your eyes and bite back a nervous laugh as you turn back towards Jimin.

“We were already awake, it’s no big deal. But what brings you?” You ask, before shaking your head. “Or, I guess I already have an idea.”

“Yeah,” He nods, then bites his lip thoughtfully. Letting him collect his thoughts, you prepare yourself for the idea of having to retort against him just as you did with Jihyo. You were unprepared entirely that he would come to talk in person about the text message, but you can understand why he feels the need to face you directly. “You’re really going to tell everything about SoundWave?”

“I don’t want everything I did for them to go unrecognized anymore.” You say as though prompted to defend yourself. Readying the next statement, you open your mouth but freeze as Jimin softly nods his head.

“Yeah, I understand that.” In the background of your thoughts, you hear the sound of eggshells cracking and it feels reminiscent of the assumptions in your head feeling ready to shatter. “Actually, I just stopped here before going to the river for the festival. I have a performance tonight.”

“You do?” You dumbly say in a stupor, confused still about the intention of this entire conversation. You expected the argument at Seulgi’s party to replay with louder voices. “Wait, yeah, I knew that. I saw the lineup. Sorry, I’m spacing out here.” You laugh softly, as your hand reaches to rub your neck.

“That’s okay. I came unannounced, after all.” Jimin glances towards the floor while his hands shift in his jean pockets. You watch his lips tighten and his eyebrows narrow and again your heart feels the need to prepare itself. “Do you realize what could happen to your reputation if you say everything?”

Your heart beats in your chest like a loud thump and any other activity in the room seems to go silent at his question. You really don’t want to argue with him about why you’re unwilling to remain quiet with your mouth clamped shut. The last conversation you had with Jimin felt like it cleared the air better between you both, and reverting to harsh words would only leave things sour, but you can’t help it if that’s the case. So you speak freely,

“I know what could happen. I don’t care about that anymore though. I’m tired of letting everyone in charge of us control everything and not let anyone have a say.”

“Us?” Jimin repeats and if you didn’t see his lips contorting into an amused smile you would’ve felt the need to clarify. His head nods, keeping you quiet while you wonder what led him here. “I’m really tired of it too.”

Your lips part as his sentence falls into the air between you. With surprised irises you watch as Jimin rubs the arch of his shoulder and a sheepish smile grows on his lips. “I have a lot less to fall back on than you do, I guess though.”

“What do you mean?” You blurt in confusion, completely uncertain of the direction he intends to take the conversation. Farther and farther from the idea of him coming to talk you out of your plans, your mind drifts to the present where Jimin speaks so differently than what you anticipated.

“I finished making a song with Jeongguk-- well, he let me use his studio to make it, since SoundWave wouldn’t have enjoyed me making one on my own.” Jimin’s lips tighten into a line while he feels the vibration of his emotions behind his ribcage. “Instead of the last song scheduled on my set I’m going to perform it. And before I do that I’m going to apologize to everyone for pretending your music was mine.”

“Jimin,” Your hands clench at your sides while the bulk of your unabashed surprise overtakes your expression. “You’ll-”

“I told you I promise to support whatever you wanted to do.” No allowance for negotiation exists in the bright tone of Jimin’s voice. He smiles on at you as your vision clouds from the stinging feeling of the very late decision to truly take your side despite what it could mean for both of you. “It’d be better for my fans to hear it from me… Maybe some of them will understand where I’m coming from about why it happened, but,” He inhales and you can tell the worry of his efforts being wasted for his own career are weighing down his throat. “In any case, I won’t have to be mad at myself for lying to them anymore.”

You reach for your face to stop the first line of tears escaping your eyes, feeling your shoulders tremble. Without speaking, a comforting hand finds the disturbed shake of your spine where grateful tears well within.

“Jimin,” An inhale interrupts your sentence, as you try not to let your emotions shake your words. “Thank you.”

“You don’t need to.” Jimin smiles gently and watching him dip his head to hide beneath his cap’s bill as a hand quickly swipes against his cheeks makes your throat bang bittersweetly. “I should have done this a long time ago, Y/N.” Still under the cover of his hat you hear his lips take in a sharp inhale, before Jimin looks up to you properly and smiles beneath puffy eyes. “I’m just sorry the song I’m going to play is about you.”

“I can handle a diss track, it’s okay-”

“Then you should be able to handle one that isn’t that, just fine.” Jimin exhales, rubbing his hands together as though coming to terms with the gravity of this conversation. He nods his head, “I can’t wait to see you bring down Yerin. Take care of yourself, okay?”

You’re only able to nod, rubbing your eyes free of any remaining tears as Jimin turns on his heel. When he reaches the door, you can imagine a shine as words manage to come from your mouth, “You too, Jimin. You’ll make it-- you have plenty to fall back on, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! I wrote songs, but they wouldn’t have taken off if it wasn’t you singing them. You’re talented too, Jimin.”

As he turns back towards you, Jimin’s complexion glitters with vibrancy that’s new to your eyes. As though a metamorphosis has undergone, Jimin appears reminiscent of the early days that you met him full of optimism, but now without the underlying nervousness. Now ready to simply exist as he wants and let the cards play out. “Thank you, lovely.”

The door shuts behind Jimin, leaving you to rub your face with a confusing mixture of sadness and gratitude for the conversation. The hand left on your back leads you to a small turn to meet the engulfment of Yoongi’s body. You instantly latch your arms around him, squeezing very tightly as you groan against his chest.

“You’re really strong-”

“I can’t believe that just happened!” You look up at him with remaining surprise lingering in your expression. You huff and shake your head. “Really-” Your words muffle when Yoongi rubs his thumb on your cheeks gently to catch any of the remaining tears staining the skin. “I didn’t expect that.”

“I thought I’d have to shove him out of here at some point to be honest-”

“You wanted to,” You ramble into his sentence and meet his pout with a kiss. “What just happened?”

“Another member joined the team, angel.” Yoongi says with a candid tone that makes you giggle against his chest at the obvious uncaring disposition rumbling beneath the surface at the idea of Jimin wearing the same jersey as the two of you.

“Can I say something honestly, but preface it by telling you I love you?” You speak casually, watching as Yoongi’s pouting expression quickly deteriorates and replaces with utter shock as he tilts his head down at you. Confused by his change in attitude, you grip tighter on his back, frown growing on your face as you look on at his widened eyes. “What?”

“You love me?”

“What?” You both drift into silence, simply staring at each other in shock. Your initial sentence replays in your head, and a boulder forms in your throat as you practically choke from your own words. “I,” You literally bite the side of your tongue to will thoughts back into an intelligible assortment in your mind that is not helped by Yoongi’s complete attention still presently peering down at you. “I do.”

“You do-”

“I love you.” Your voice only whispers but it cuts him off completely. Yoongi’s mouth clamps back shut giving your brain a second to pulsate at a high rate until the beginning speckles of a blush start covering his cheeks. You don’t think of speaking again, but words come out, “I really love you.”

Yoongi’s limp hands on your back suddenly slide to your sides, squeezing as the things you say appear to catch up with his head. While you look on at him, the words feel so sweet on your lips that you think you could say it over and over, and the mere fact makes your heart warm in its happy beat. You smile, happy to say it again until Yoongi decisively cuts off the endearment with his lips colliding with yours.

“I love you too,” Yoongi mumbles, smiling into the kiss as your hands drag along the back of his shirt. “So much-” Deepening the kiss, you both find yourselves compliant with the idea of silence so that you can continue in the longing kiss with freshly discovered intimacy.

“Wait,” You tug off of him, turning your head, “Did you turn the stove on-”

“Shit--the butter’s burning-”

if you enjoy please, please let me know via ask, comment, rb with tags– however ! i’d just really appreciate feedback 🥺 i hope you enjoy the series, i’m working really hard on it! : )

tag list (send an ask to be added): @jaiuneamesolitaiire​ @tsvkino-usagi​ @xionysus​​ @baebyjoonie​ @honeyoongles​ @betysotelo18​

[petalsmooth]

I really don’t have any faith they’ll repair Betty/Bughead in a manner that won’t involve me in some way having to swallow some discontent. TBH, I’m half/half on if they might continue the character destruction further. I’m not putting that beyond them despite all warning signs suggesting it would be suicidal for a crew to pursue with now only ONE Archie universe property left.

What I would like to see or what bothers me is really irrelevant to the show’s future. It’s just how I feel, no one else has to feel the same or interpret the scenes in the same way. The writers certainly don’t care and aren’t going to take what I say into account.

I just think back to the first season when they started this romance. Jughead was the one who pursued her. It was evident how he felt. There was some ambiguity on her part. Their first kiss they had Betty pull away with an idea. She clearly liked the kiss don’t get me wrong but...I remember Lili even taking about how she had some disagreement with it and wanted to have Betty initiate the next kiss so as not any doubt she returned the sentiment? Or did I imagine that? Then after the fight over if Jughead’s insecurities they ended up in Pops and I love the scene ...but we never really got a scene with them discussing the substance of those insecurities. Instead it turned into a moment for him to support her. Which was nice and certainly indicated deeper emotion since she never trusted anyone else to share that with but...the Archie thing wasn’t addressed. His feelings weren’t addressed. TBH I didn’t fully feel Betty was in as deep as Jughead until he announced the possibility of moving and then suddenly it was like a dam burst and we got the speech about him being more her family than her own mother and willing to cast Archie/Veronica away because they betrayed Jughead. From that point it was ride or die.

SO anyway....I don’t think she loves Archie. I DO believe she loves Jughead. I don’t think Jughead doubts she loves him, and not sure he’ll doubt it after this either.

I do like Jughead wonder about her level of commitment to him. Seems like it takes almost losing him to not take him for granted and maybe I’m tired of that a bit and would like to see her pursue him for a change. To have her be the one talking of the future without a life altering event precipitating it and maybe not being so oblivious to how her boyfriend feels when she reminiscences about Archie proposing to her or spends time with Archie at all. It just rubs me the wrong way that an argument over homework leads her to question her entire future and relationship with Jughead when he was willing to give up Yale and die to protect her. And sure that may be simplifying it a bit and it was a retcon of character but I don’t really care. 

I don’t need her to prove she loves Jughead, I don’t doubt she does. I need her to prove she’s as “in” as he is and there will be no more walks down memory lane with the Ginger Judas or kissing him if they have a fight. Because if she’s not able to give him that? He deserves better. And if that takes giving up Yale and cutting all ties with Archie so be it. I need the grand gesture from her because Jughead has more than shown his committment.

[labyrinth-of-headcanons]

Hairpin

Chapter IX

____________________________

Main Pairing: Kouen X Chaima (OC) Genre: Romance/Drama

Like the tradition requires, Chaima was supposed to give the hairpin to the  man she’d marry. While she never believed in the day to come, for her to  really follow her mother’s words, she couldn’t have foreseen one little  accident that would turn her life around in the little time they spent  together. However, with Kouen’s sharp words and keen mind, it was only a  matter of time until she found herself falling more and more for the  prince that captured her heart. ____________________________

For the last two days, her life seemed to spiral downwards more and more. Chaima had already forgotten the few laughs and good times she had with the prince. She just couldn't decide anymore what was worse: The accident on the street, the confrontation on the first day of the royal visit, meeting the prince at night and finding out that she was nothing to him, the sleepless night she had afterwards where she stared at the ceiling for hours, or this.

No, forget everything else, this was the worse. This loud, booming voice that yelled through the whole mansion. The shrieking of her name, followed by, "Where is she?!" full of anger and discontent. It was so bad that Chaima stood up from the bench where she had sat down to eat her breakfast, the moment she heard it. And it was so bad, Chaima shivered hard even before the person of the voice reached her.

It was then that the door to the servant's kitchen was torn open, revealing a rather unappealing figure. Parizade, still in a nightgown and a mask on her face - which didn't do anything, except vanishing in the thousands of wrinkles on her face - came into the light. She seemed furious, teeth bared in anger and eyes wide open, the blood vessels clearly visible against the white. 

"You!" she screamed, pointing devaluating at Chaima, who simply flinched. "Who do you think you are? What ghosts have made you think you could just sneak into a prince's room?" Rather than questions, her words were accusations. With a trembling voice, Chaima's first instinct was to answer them nevertheless. "He asked for me to escort him-" But she was harshly interrupted by the fury on top of the stairs.

"Silence! Do you even know who these people are and how important they are to our business? Are you trying to ruin this for us, Chaima?" This time, Chaima swallowed her reply, knowing it would only fall on deaf ears anyway. Like so many times the night before, she averted her eyes, staring down and at her hands, which were wringing with each other in disgrace. Biting her lip to the point it hurt, the maid couldn't hold back her tears after all she's been through. 

So she just stood there, trembling, ashamed, helpless. Waiting for it to be over. For the silence to return. "And oh, what did I hear? You were crying when you left his room? Have you no shame, you imbecile? Have we not taught you anything in all these years that you were with us?" Maybe the lady of the house expected a reply by now, but Chaima just couldn't anymore. She stood frozen at her place, completely motionless. Even her breathing came to a halt as she was too afraid to show any form of living.

"Oh, and now she is as silent as a lamb. Where's Hama? I want to talk to the head-maid! Now!" There was some motion around Chaima who's head still hung lower than her self confidence. The other workers were scared up, trying to find Hama before Parizade could shout anymore. But their effort was wasted by the fact that the old lady was already on her way to greet the angry woman.

"My, my. What has you so agitated, My Lady?" Hama asked, unconcerned by the words that had been shouted before. "Your-" By now even Parizade's voice left her, and she cleared her throat before continuing. "Your underling has kept the prince - our guest! - company for the night. How- Just how could you not take care of this matter? What if they leave now because she angered him or anything?" After a moment of heavy breathing and somehow gaining her composure back, the lady added, "Who's going to pay all your wages if this deal goes down the drain?"

Hama remained collected at the accusations, side-eying Chaima from the door she stood at. Chaima just knew what was reflected in the old lady's eyes. Disappointment, resentment, anger. After all, Chaima had done everything exactly like she shouldn't have. She hadn't taken care of her guest's well-being like she was trusted to do and hadn't kept away from the prince like she was advised too. If anything, Chaima had proven herself to be a failure, not even capable of being a maid. An ungrateful being who lived too much in her own world.

"I'll take care it will never happen again, Lady Parizade," Hama finally assured, curtseying politely to her boss, even though her old bones weren't made for this anymore. "Hama, you better keep this promise. I don't want to see her anywhere around the house at all. I don't care what she does, but I'll have her dragged out by her feet if she comes close to the guests, hell, the prince ever again." There was only a nod in response from the head-maid, and Parizade turned around to Chaima again, holding up her finger in a reprimanding manner.

"And you!" Slowly, Chaima straightened her back, looking at the furious woman in the kitchen doorway. "If the negotiations fail because of you, you will pay for this, Chaima." Parizade had already turned on the little heel of her shoe when she remembered something to add to her words. "Not that you should expect any compensation for your work this month after what you have already botched!" And with that, Parizade was gone.

A long, dry sigh was to be heard from Hama, and some sobs escaped Chaima's mouth. "Chaima, come up here, please," Hama grunted, reaching out for the door handle while the girl nodded quietly. She left behind the whole awkward mood in the kitchen, stumbling a little on the stairs before finally getting up and out of the door. The head-maid closed it behind her, and the two moved a few steps away so they couldn't be heard.

When they reached the start of the staircase, Hama came to a halt. It was a much dreaded moment for Chaima, and she just hung her head low, knowing that the scolding wasn't over yet. "I do not know-" Hama started, sighing in between her words, "-what you thought you were doing. In fact, I do not want to know. But let me tell you this: You can be very happy about the mistress not kicking you out right away."

"As of now, you are not allowed to move anywhere inside the house. I suspend you from all the service work that I have trained you for all these years." It hurt. It hurt Chaima so much to hear this words. As if the scolding wasn't enough, Hama just knew where to hit her right. "And as a compensation for all the work you make for the others, you will wash the laundry each day - no matter who was originally on duty - go to the market and buy everything that is needed alone as well as help Alinar in the garden."

Chaima nodded, tears still falling from her eyes. "Yes, ma'am," she whispered, knowing very well she had just agreed to the most exhausting and lowest jobs there were. "Just to be very clear, Chaima: You won't show your face to anyone this month, you hear me? Not to the residents, guests nor other servants, except you meet them in the hallways. You can use this month to meditate and come back to your senses, I think that this break will do you good."

"I understand," Chaima agreed. She still couldn't bear to look at the little woman. Everything around her seemed to whirl and fall apart, and even though Chaima wasn't fond of self-pity, she just felt miserable. "Don't eat with your colleagues either, Chaima. Just take your food somewhere else. And for today…" Hama sighed again, rubbing her old hands over her face. "Just do nothing. Go into your room and make sure no one hears or sees you. I don't want to have to deal with you today, either."

With that, Chaima was left alone in the dark, cold corridor. She hugged her exhausted body, feeling both the drowsiness of her sleepless night as well as the horror her life was suddenly deep inside her. Shakingly, she stepped up the stairs of the makeshift staircase, her right leg giving out just before the last step, making her slump down on top of it. All of her strength was needed to pull herself up and go to her room, carefully shutting the door behind her just in case anyone was still sleeping even after Lady Parizades screaming.

And then, finally, she sunk to the ground, hit herself behind her dresser and underneath the roof slope, and cried. Even though she muffled her sobs in her knees, she couldn't hold back all the tears wetting the fabric of her skirt. She remained like this for an hour, before the exhaustion finally knocked her out, leaving her slouched in the same position. Not like she had any energy left to care about it.

By the time Chaima gained control over her consciousness back, the sun had already set. The darkness in the room was bothering, and the fact that she had slept for almost the whole day drained her of strength even more. She tried to stretch her back, promptly bumping her head into the ceiling. Slouching over again, Chaima pressed her hands on the part of her head where she had collided. Just great, she thought.

Crawling out of her hiding spot, she used her arms to pull herself onto her bed. Of course, there was no way she could sit upright on it either, but it seemed like a better idea to her than the dusty corner. Chaima didn't have much strength, wobbling on top of the mattress more than pulling her body up, but she managed in the end, heaving out a long sigh. As if on demand, her stomach tightened, letting out a deep growl.

It was understandable - given she didn't even eat much of her breakfast - that she'd be hungry now. Then again, Chaima didn't feel like she had any options but to set out for the day on food. Maybe it was just around the time to eat, but being seen downstairs would only guarantee more trouble. She sighed again, letting her gaze wander over the few amenities in her room. It fell upon the papers with her writing practice, and instantly, the feeling of dread returned as she saw them.

Shaking her head lightly, she looked at the floor, seeing some more loose papers that peeked out from under her bed. Something in her mind told her that if she had nothing else to do, she might as well clean. And so Chaima did. She reached into every corner and even into her books, where she used some of the papers as bookmarks. There was a moment that her mimic faltered when she went and took the papers on top of the dresser, but the next second she climbed under her bed to fish for more.

Chaima flinched when she heard the soft knocking on her door, her body jolting upwards because of the surprise. Of course, she was stopped from getting up by the bedframe, and Chaima cursed in her mind that she had decided to clean. It was her room, who cared if it was going to be unorganized? The prince would, she told herself, a longing sigh escaping her mouth.

And then it hit her. Could it be? she thought. What if the person on the door was, in fact… Chaima made haste, crawling back out from under her bed, but the door creaked a little as it opened before she got out. The person that entered had very light steps, and her heartbeat picked up when she thought about who it was that would knock on her door to see her. 

A big part of her hoped it would be him. Maybe she was expecting a lot, considering she thought of him more as a fiend than a friend by now. But it was a little spark of hope that reassured her, and who could have known, maybe the prince would have been able to save the day for Chaima. And so she braced herself as she pulled her body back and into a kneeling position. For a second, she realized she probably looked awful, giving her a sense of shame back. Still, the happiness in her stomach almost surpassed every other feeling.

However, the moment she laid eyes upon the shoes of her visitor, her stomach instantly tightened, and her mood fell to its very low. No, it wasn't the prince. The outfit wasn't nearly as expensive as his, and the person couldn't even reach half of his statue. Chaima should have felt happy that it wasn't someone who would do her harm, like the lady of the house or this Ka Koubun guy she still dreaded. But she didn't. In fact, she felt nothing for the person at all.

"What do you want, Nysete?" Chaima crooked, her voice dry like straw and itching after having gone without talking for so long. Nysete popped a grape into her mouth, pointing at the plate in her hand and mumbled, "Food." Chaima must have looked very confused, but Nysete simply gave the door a light kick with her foot and then flopped down onto Chaima's bed. "You weren't at dinner, so I brought food," she explained once more, taking another grape from the well-stocked serving in her hand.

Chaima just hung her head in disappointment. This situation was awkward enough, and Nysete might just be the second most tactless person she knew - the prince being the first. "That is nice of you," Chaima whispered, afraid she might be heard through the thin wooden walls. "But you shouldn't-" Her voice stocked, and she felt the tears returning to her eyes. Chaima took a deep breath before continuing, "You shouldn't be here or doing that, Nysete." 

The black-haired maid's eyes simply fixated on her, as Nysete continued to munch on the fruits. "I don't care," she spilled between her chewing, leaving Chaima surprised by the snarkiness of her co-maid. "What are you going to do? Just waste away up here?", she made a short break to cut open a peach and eat the first slice. "You didn't even finish breakfast, and nobody has seen you since. You got everyone worried, Chaima." 

Chaima sighed internally. Now she was being scolded again. And of all people, it was Nysete who had her share on talking big, even though she was very well one of the reasons Chaima was in this disaster in the first place. "I was ordered not to go," she brought forth, trying to steady her voice the best she could. Chaima certainly had enough from being stepped on. Especially from this person eating away on all of the fruits that made her stomach growl again.

Hearing the eerie sound, Nysete grinned, cutting another piece of the peach and holding it out to Chaima. With a light blush of shame, she took the fruit and nibbled on it. It was gone faster than expected, her hunger having control over how fast she could eat something, but Nysete quickly provided one piece after another. "So, you just obeyed? So boring, Chaima," she criticized, the angelic smile on her lips not befitting for her words.

Chaima gave her the angriest look she could muster, eating away on the peach quickly. "It's partly your fault too, you know!" she replied, watching Nysete simply shrug for an answer. "I knew you weren't going to do anything with the prince. I was just teasing," she tried to explain herself. Rolling her eyes, Chaima finally got up from the ground sitting down next to her co-worker on the bed and taking an apple from the plate. 

"So, if it wasn't the thing I thought was going on, then what really happened?" Nysete asked, leaning forward to watch Chaima eat her apple. "Nothing was going on. I guess he wanted some company, and we talked about family and work." There was a stretched 'Huh' from Nysete, followed by a sigh. "That's boring. He didn't do anything?" Slowly Chaima really felt herself getting angry about these questions, giving Nysete an irritated, "No, nothing," back. 

The message finally reached over, and Nysete gave up, saying, "Alright, alright." She ate some grapes, while Chaima finished her apple, eating it down to the core, before placing it back onto the plate. Fruits were probably not going to solve her hunger for long, but they were a good start. She reached for the grapes, filling her mouth with three at a time, though when she heard Nysete's next words, the fruit got stuck in her throat, making her cough.

"I met him."

Chaima let out some loud and unpretty coughs before turning towards Nysete, who was staring at the ceiling in thought. She then met Chaima's eyes, giving her a nod as to say, 'Do you want to know what happened?' Chaima just turned around, mumbling, "Okay…" She didn't see Nysete grin at the red ears that the maid showed even from behind. "I was in the garden, doing laundry," she started, letting the words thrall off as she tried to reconstruct what happened.

"He came around and asked where you are." Chaima tried her best to stay calm, shrugging as a reply. But her heartbeat rang loudly in her ears and she had problems holding back the urge of wanting to hear more. "I said you are unwell, but he didn't seem to believe me. Sharper than his looks, isn't he?" At this comment, Chaima had to bite down on her lip, as to not smile. Yeah, that sounded like him.

"I told him you wouldn't be in service for a while and apologized for the inconvenience, and Chaima, he snorted at that." Finally, Chaima turned back towards her, a little surprised at the prince's reaction, so she asked, "And then?" Nysete took the plate in her lap and put it into Chaima's hands, searching around for something in her vest. "Then he more or less mumbled the same as you did just now and called my something like 'cocky', but I don't remember his wording anymore. He seemed like an ass, no wonder you ran out crying."

Shocked, Chaima gasped at her choice of words. "Nysete, what are you saying? He's a prince! A-And that's not the reason I ran out crying!" Nysete let out a long sigh before breathing out, "Well, you get the point." From her vest she pulled out a brownish bag. It looked very fine and expensive, wasted on both Nysete and Chaima. "He gave me this and…" She took a moment to pull out one more thing from the pockets inside of her clothes. It was a piece of paper, folded neatly. "This. Saying I should deliver it to you."

Handing both of the items to Chaima before getting up from the bed, Nysete walked over to the door, halting before she opened it. "You know. Even though he seems like a very stuck up person," she stopped her words, looking at the items in Chaima's hands before up and meeting her eyes. "I kind of get the feeling that he does like you." And with that, she was out of the door, shutting it behind herself and leaving Chaima behind. 

She didn't even have the time to thank Nysete for the food before the maid vanished in the dim light. Chaima put the plate aside, not feeling so hungry anymore. Instead, she felt rather warm, the last words of her co-worker still in her head, and her cheeks flushed with a pink color. Standing up, she walked over to her drawers, getting a box of matches from it and lighten the candle next to her bed. She put the plate on the floor and got out of her own shoes, before crawling into her bed and under her blanket, clutching the things she had just received from Nysete to her chest.

It felt so soft and delicate in her hands, probably because it was so different from her roughed up skin. She wondered if this had any deeper meaning to it or if he was just trying to fish her for the job offer. However, she still felt happy, knowing he had gone out of his way to get her something. Inside of the bag, she could feel something long, round, and sturdy. It had some archings, making her wonder if it was decorated. 

Pulling on the braided strings that held the bag together, Chaima remembered the letter. Once she got the strings loose, she picked up the paper and held it into the light, far away from the fire, so it wouldn't burn. There were only a few words, typical for the prince, but Chaima took her time to read them, wanting to make sure she got everything right.