#bring back extravagant updos like this

[fleursscaptives]

okay i know alot of people dont like the 1870s and i find that so insane cause have you SEEN the hair

[atelierhosjaipur]

Marriage and Wedding Adornments - What's Moving?

Gems is an exceptionally private undertaking, as we definitely know, and ladies are extremely worried about it. As the wedding season shows up, we have a few functions and gathering to join in. Furthermore, on the off chance that it is an Indian Wedding, it brings a breathtaking shopping binge out!

It's the season when most couples seal the deal and learning patterns will assist them with upgrading their looks. Hold tight, we are going to uncover the shocking wedding adornments patterns for all Ladies, Bridesmaid, Visitors and Family.

Pearl Choker Neckbands

Off-shoulder outfits and sarees are profoundly requested nowadays and you can hardly hold on to establish an exceptional connection with extravagant neckwear. You might attempt pearl chokers with a gemstone pendant as a highlight. The most ideal choice for ladies lean toward moderation and soberness. Most choker neckbands are matched with stud hoops. You can make enchantment with a side hair updo.

Crazy (and Larger than average) Explanation Rings

Add a sensational component to your viewpoint with a sheer curiously large precious stone assertion ring. The manner in which ladies love to parade precious stone solitaire rings as their wedding band, the equivalent goes for an assertion ring. Indeed, it needn't bother with to be round the circle; multi-finger rings and unassuming rings are eye-popping ones.

Buy like a master by picking a precious stone ring with a smidgen of diamond tones so you can make entrancing difference with your outfit. A precious stone assertion ring has the ability to keep eyes snared on it with your hand motions. In this way, ensure you do it in the most effective way.

Precious stone Ceiling fixture Studs

Precious stone Ceiling fixture Studs have managed for a really long time and the pattern will not appear to disappear. The ladies at their gathering needing to wear something lightweight should go for the ceiling fixture style. They will continue to sparkle in the ear cartilage and will make for the truly amazing pictures.

There are multitudinous assortments accessible. For example, with an ethnic subject, you can pick Polki or whole jewel studs. Fashionable precious stone light fixtures with next to no gemstones make for a gaudy gem - a fantasy of each and every lady.

Diamond Studded Tennis Arm bands

Rose Gold Arm band Plans, the ones moving 2 years back is still in pattern yet you can definitely try. A symmetric tennis wristband that just reflects extravagance is the best pick. You can browse a solitary line to a multi-line tennis wristband. It is likewise accessible in jewel + precious stone blend and furthermore as a sole precious stone wristband.

For more info:-

atelierhos

[bucky-bucky-bucky-bucky]

In Harm's Way | Bucky Barnes x Reader

Hi, friends! This request comes from the wonderful @glxwingrxse! 🌹

Send me your comments, requests, and / or submissions! 🥰

Tag list: @beefybuckrrito @shadytalementality @everything-burns-down @rainbow-unicorn-pony @mandersshow @breakablebarnes @glxwingrxse @psychoticmason @deepsketchsupernaturalcowboy @lonewolf471 💘

Warnings: Jealous Bucky, unprotected PIV sex, commando Bucky, fake relationship, angry sex

-----------------------------------------

The team strode confidently through the front doors of the mansion, looking like completely different people. Bucky and Torres flanked you on either side, clad in black tuxedos that Nat warned them not to "fidget" in. You swatted Torres on the sleeve when you saw him out of your peripheral vision doing exactly what Nat had cautioned him against. He cleared his throat and straightened his shoulders as Bucky rolled his eyes.

He'd complained about Torres coming along, but he was the only one who was well versed enough in tech while also being unrecognizable. If Bucky covered up his metallic limb, no one ever recognized him- his short hair made sure of that. The silky black dress that clung to your shape practically guaranteed that no one would know who you were, as they’d all be too distracted by your body- and Bucky fell victim to it over and over again.

The three of you joined the crowd in ogling at the excessively extravagant house of Ки��илл Сидоров, an international arms dealer selling black market vibranium to make weapons invented by Hydra. He was a known associate of Ulysses Klaue, only bigger, badder, and infinitely richer. His distribution list, suppliers, manufacturers, and associates were all stored in the computer in his office, which no one had been able to crack remotely. It was on Torres to get into his office and extract the information while everyone was focused on the VIP guests attending Сидоров's 45th birthday event.

Anyone who was anyone in the 'big bad' community was in attendance, leaving you with an icky feeling that made you want to shower. As the party picked up and attendees began getting sloshed, Torres broke off from you and Bucky to find the office. "May I offer a glass of champagne to the beautiful woman?" Bucky asked as he presented you with a crystal champagne flute that definitely cost more than your dress. You blushed at his comment and took the drink with one shaky hand, hating how easily he could make you melt. He watched as you pressed the glass to your lips, realizing for the first time in his life that he was jealous of a champagne flute.

"You're doing that staring thing Sam warned me about..." you joked as you noticed Bucky's fixed gaze. He rolled his eyes at you and cursed Sam for always bringing that up before taking a long sip of his pricey whiskey. The two of you stood close, Bucky keeping his eye on the door located behind you while your eyes followed Сидоров‘s every move. It took every ounce of your strength and determination to keep your focus on the bad guy with Bucky standing so close that his cedar wood and bergamot cologne filled your lungs. If you leaned in just a few inches, you could press your lips to his neck…but you didn’t.

Bucky’s eyes wandered, eventually, from the door to your form and his eyes locked longingly on your throat. He craved the feeling of his lips against your pulse, his hands in your hair, and your nails digging into his back. You looked utterly flawless with your fancy dress and perfectly executed hair and make up, but Bucky wanted to mess it up. He ached to smear your lipstick with his mouth and make your hair fall from its updo as he pressed you firmly into his mattress-or up against the nearest wall.

"Hey, we're the only ones not on the dance floor...care to join me?" Bucky asked as he offered you his hand- which you rejected. You didn't want to get on the dance floor with Bucky and risk being distracted from Сидоров. If he started moving toward Torres, the two of you needed to jump into action and being pressed up against Bucky's body while the two of you moved in time to the music would definitely distract you. Just the thought of his hand gripping your waist while his face was millimeters from yours made your mind foggy.

"We're not the only ones," you corrected, "Plus, we can't take our eyes off Сидоров- I know it'll be hard for you, cause he's nowhere near as stunning as me, but-" you snickered as Bucky took another sip of his drink, secretly loving the way you pushed his buttons. He huffed dramatically and swirled his whiskey in his glass, wishing he could join Torres in Сидоров's office.

A tall, broad security guard crossed with a purpose toward the arms dealer, making your heart race. "Hey- ten o'clock," you whispered, "He knows about Torres- he's going to tell Сидоров. We're fucked". Bucky shook his head and tried to offer you a rebuttal, but you spoke over him, "we need a distraction". Bucky whipped his head around and shot you a sharp shake of his head, but you weren't having it. "Buck, we need a distraction. I'm gonna go over there and-" you tried to say, but Bucky grabbed your upper arm and held you in place.

"No, you're not going over there. You're not going anywhere near him- it's way too dangerous," he growled, "you know how he is with women". Bucky's concern for you was sweet, but you knew Torres's life was on the line if he were to be discovered, so you made a sacrifice. With a harsh jolt of your arm, you wriggled out of Bucky's grip and snaked your way through the crowd of partygoers.

As soon as you broke through the sea of guests, your eyes locked with Сидоров's. His steely gray eyes raked over your form, taking in your tight black dress that hugged every curve in just the right way. He was notoriously handsy and well-known for his "use, abuse, lose' treatment of women, meaning you were the perfect distraction. He put a finger up to his security guard and strode confidently over to you, unable to resist a beautiful woman.

"прекрасный..." he murmured as his hands roughly encircled your waist and immediately pulled you into his body, sending an unpleasant shiver up your spine. Bucky watched on helplessly as Сидоров's greedy hands dragged you onto the dance floor and roamed over your body with abandon; he wanted nothing more than to kill the cocky so of a bitch in the middle of his own party for as much as touching you. His attention didn't leave your form for even a second and he forgot about Torres and the intel altogether. He'd sabotage the mission completely if it meant keeping you safe.

You made quiet conversation with Сидоров as he kept you in his grasp, laughing at his jokes and flirting with him as intensely as you possibly could. He remained distracted by the smooth curves of your body and the curious burning behind your eyes, granting Torres plenty of time to get the job done. When he leaned in to kiss you, you couldn't recoil, and allowed him to press his lips to yours. It was the definition of unpleasant but you were in too deep, and kissing him back was the only option.

The sight stirred up a previously untapped rage in Bucky, and if he hadn't restrained himself, he surely would've crushed his whiskey glass into a fine powder. Every time Сидоров broke eye contact with you- usually to stare down your dress- you flicked your eyes to the door in search of Torres, but he failed to appear. As the time ticked by, your dance partner became all too entranced by you and lost all interest in his party.

"Come with me...," he commanded in a thick accent as he released his grip on your waist and led you by the hand toward the back staircase. This hadn't been part of your thought process when you'd resolved to distract Сидоров, but now it was too late. Very real fear seeped into your chest and you felt your blood run cold as you imagined what the rest of your night looked like. Your mind kicked into overdrive as you worked to steel yourself against the nightmare that was going to unfold once Сидоров got you alone.

Bucky's heart stopped as he watched you climb the steps and before he knew it, he was pushing through the crowd in your direction. He didn't have a plan, but he couldn't let Сидоров get you alone in his bedroom after all the stories he'd heard of women going 'missing' after a night or two with the man.

"Sweetheart!" Bucky called obnoxiously, feigning a drunken slurring, "where you goin'?" His voice immediately quelled the racing of your heart, and both you and Сидоров turned in his direction. "That's my WIFE, man!" Bucky continued, "Baby, I'm sorrrrrry, don't go runnin' off with him!" You stifled a giggle at Bucky's convincing performance and assumed the role of his vengeful wife with pleasure, "don't get started with me! I saw you grab that waitress's ass!"

He let out a loud huff and rolled his eyes, throwing Сидоров a 'bitches be crazy' kind of look, "Woah, woah, gorgeous- I didn't grab anybody's anything! I have no idea what you're talkin' about!" Bucky's Brooklyn accent peaked through just a little more than usual as he put on a tipsy demeanor, making you smile to yourself. "Don't act all innocent!" you yelled, "I can't believe you would-"

A firm hand wrapped around your upper arm, and you realized that Сидоров had called security on both you and Bucky for making a scene. As the guards were escorting the two of you out of the room and into the hall, you finally felt your heart rate begin to slow- never in your life had you been so relieved to be forcibly removed from a party by armed guards. Сидоров's henchmen left the two of you in the foyer and told you to work it out or leave before turning around and heading back into the party.

Before you could catch your breath, Bucky was puling you through a random door and into a quiet room. When he flipped on the lights, Сидоров's large library full of quite possibly every book in the world was revealed to you. "What the hell were you thinking? I told you it was too dangerous" he snarled, his eyes burning with rage and something that resembled fear. "But I distracted him, didn't I?" you retorted with a quirk of your brow, sending Bucky into an eye roll. He wanted to scream at you, to yell, to take you in his hands and shake some sense into you- but he didn't.

Instead, he kissed you hungrily, sucking the breath from your lungs. "Do you have any idea how- were you trying to make me jealous?" he asked when he finally pulled away. The combination of his desperate kiss and mention of jealousy sent you into a dizzying storm of confusion and shock, rendering you unable to form sentences. "I...no. I- I was distracting-" you stammered. Bucky let out a dark laugh and nodded sarcastically at your failed argument, "yeah, you were distracting me, all right". Anxiety and anger pushed Bucky into a fit of nervous pacing as you tried to work out what he was talking about.

"Okay, wait- why were you jealous?" you finally managed to get out. Your words were enough to make Bucky stop pacing and he stared at you completely deadpan, unable to believe that you could be such a fantastic agent while also being so completely oblivious to his feelings for you. "My god, doll. I've had the biggest fucking crush on you- ever since your joined the team. Everyone knows- even Torres" he stated matter-of-factly, "you didn't know that...?"

You shook your head innocently and wondered how you could've mistaken Bucky's every kind word and not-so-subtle hint as simple platonic gestures. "I'm so angry at you, doll," he muttered quietly, "you put your life in danger without even thinking. I'm not okay with that...you can't just put yourself at risk for the sake of a mission!" The unique combination of fear for your wellbeing and anger at the disregard for your own safety had Bucky riled up. He stared you down with a fervent desperation to hold you, claim you- teach you a lesson.

You weren't sure if the burning in Bucky's eyes scared you or made you want to inch closer to him, but you didn't have the opportunity to the decide. His lips were suddenly on yours once more and you moaned into his mouth as your hands grabbed greedily at his hair. The growing desire you'd held for him all these months was finally being unleashed, and it felt like you could breathe now that his mouth was pressed against yours. He backed you against a wall, locking you in place with his hands around your hips. It took no time at all for you to feel the fabric of your underwear becoming slick with arousal and it was only made worse when the sensation of Bucky's hardened cock pressed up against you.

He was going to take you right there, hard and fast in the mansion of one of the world's most dangerous and notorious criminals, and you weren't complaining. His strong hands grabbed at the fabric of your dress and yanked it up over your hips, giving him almost direct access. His gloved, metal hand easily ripped your thong into pieces, and you watched him shove the ruined piece of fabric into his pocket. Your hands made quick work of his belt, button, and fly, eagerly slipping his tuxedo pants down his hips.

"Really, Barnes? You went commando in a fucking tuxedo...?" you teased. He swiftly grabbed your wrists and pinned them against the wall on either side of your hips, quirking a brow at you, "Complaining, sweetheart?" he retorted. You opened your mouth to give him more attitude, but the words were stopped in your throat by Bucky lifting one of your legs and wrapping it around his hips, pushing his cock into you without warning. The burning stretch was somehow unpleasant and sickeningly pleasurable at the exact same time.

"Fuuuuuck, Barnes..." you moaned as you let your head fall against his shoulder. His large, strong hands gripped your hip and thigh, holding you in place so he could punishingly pound into you. "Don't ever- don't ever do that to me again", Bucky muttered as he continued to fuck you silly. Your hands found his hair and tugged on it with abandon, sending white hot ecstasy throughout Bucky's body. You'd been trying to contain your moans, but with Bucky relentlessly attacking your sweet spot with each thrust, it became impossible. The repetitive thud of your body being slammed against the wall was impossible to hide, but there was no way anyone could hear it over the roar of the party.

Your vision began to get fuzzy as Bucky once again plunged deep into you, applying as much pressure as he possibly could against your g-spot. It was a dizzying sensation that buckled your knees and would've sent you falling to the floor if it hadn't been for Bucky's strong arms. He watched as your chest rose and fell ever quicker, knowing you were close to coming for him and putting his own release in sight. Your breath became trapped in your chest and your heart hammered against your ribs as your orgasm took hold of you completely. He let out a low growl as he followed right behind you, still thrusting into you as he reached his high.

The two of you remained locked together as you caught your breath, a small snicker falling from your lips. "Wow...didn't expect that," you joked, eliciting a playful eye roll from Bucky. He gently placed your leg back down on the floor and made sure you were steady before taking your destroyed underwear from his pocket and wiping away his cum from your thigh. "Well maybe don't put your life in the hands of an international arms dealer next time," he quipped. Your hands found the lapels of his jacket and gripped them tight, using them to pull him closer to you, "No, no, if this is what I get for putting myself in danger, I'm about to start taking waaaaaay more risks".

His face took on an air of seriousness at your statement and his eyes burned with anguish. "Please- don't," he murmured, "I know you're kidding, but...you're too important. Can't lose you, sweets." Your playful expression faded into one of sincerity as you placed a hand on his cheek. "I'm sorry, Buck. I'll be careful-I promise," you whispered.. He nodded and firmly pressed his lips to yours, wanting to keep you within his protective grasp forever. "And you know", you said as you pulled away, "I have a fucking massive crush on you. You crush me, Barnes." Shock splashed across his face at your words, making laughter erupt from your lips, "guess I'm not the only oblivious one..."

The two of you stood close together, softly kissing against the wall until Bucky's phone began to buzz. "Torres, what's the update?" he asked as he finally remembered that there was actually a mission in progress. Bucky hung up after a few moments and turned back to you, offering you his hand, "He's in the foyer. Let's get out of here".

The two of you emerged from the library and saw Torres waiting anxiously by the front door. He examined you and Bucky, noticing your mussed hair, smudged make up, and crooked gait paired with the lipstick staining Bucky's collar and mouth. "Um...hey, guys", he said awkwardly, "soooo I guess it was you two who were angry fucking in there?"

"Don't know what you're talking about", Bucky retorted as he took your hand in his. Stifling your laughter, you gave Bucky's hand a squeeze and continued walking toward the door, mentally claiming the mission as a success.

[themadearl]

“Real life is more fictitious than fairy tales.”

Note: This was a last minute project written to celebrate Halloween, but I procrastinated so oops. 

Cinderella! Yuu

“Wake up.”

“Yuu, WAKE UP.”

Like any reasonable person that was rudely awaken by someone shouting to wake up, Yuu threw the closest object near her at the direction of the voice

The object must have hit someone as a scream followed shortly with an audible gasp

At this point, Yuu can’t fall back to sleep and so she gets up to see who was the person screaming at her

And there stood Epel and Cater at the doorway, both wearing an extravagant gown that reached the floor

Before Yuu can say anything, Epel and Cater marches up in front of Yuu and starts talking

“How dare you throw something at me, you filthy servant!”

“And a useless servant at that, you didn’t even finished washing all the dishes and clothes before you slept.”

Yuu’s mind is lagging from watching the scene unfold in front her as both of them keeps talking on and on

“What a pity that our step-father, Rook, passed so early. If he didn’t passed so early, maybe you would still be a noble lady.”

what

Another figure elegantly strolls up in a even flashier dress than Epel and Cater with a cat in his chest

“Epel. Cater. It’s time to got Madam Brooke's boutique to pick out your dresses for the ball.”

The blonde hair, the violet eyes and the familiar face Yuu saw daily when he stayed at the Ramshackle dorm, it was none other than Vil Schoenheit

the

“And Yuu, if you don’t finish your chores, you won’t get dinner.”

With that, Vil turns his back on Yuu and walks out with Epel and Cater following behind

Yuu’s lovely step-sisters(?) continue to turn and make mocking faces silently towards her as they leave

heck

What happened during the time she slept? What is this weird stage play she seems to be stuck in? 

The presence of 2 step-sisters, step-mother, a ball called by the king and a heroine stuck with chores brings Yuu to the conclusion that the story Yuu is in is ‘Cinderella’

Thinking that this is some sort of dream, Yuu pinches her arm

. . it hurts

Since Yuu has already been teleported to another world once, maybe getting stuck in another world as Cinderella isn’t too far-fetched

Once again, someone calls out Yuu’s name but in a hushed tone

Ace and Deuce were standing near the door, wearing what seems to be servant garbs

“Are you okay? We heard that Lady Vil isn’t going to bring you to the ball.”

“Yeah, uh, I’m fine.”

Both of them looks at Yuu with a look that says ‘she’s sad and is lying to hide that fact to look not sad’

Deuce lets out a sigh and starts pushing Yuu out of the room

“Leave the chores to us and go get some rest.”

Even as Yuu insisted that they don’t have to, Ace joins with Deuce to push her out of the room

“. .I wasn’t planning on doing the chores anyway.”

Yuu can only mutter to herself as she lets herself wander out the chateau

Finding a nice spot on the bench at the garden, Yuu looks up at the sky

The gentle shine of the moon and the stars feels too real for this to be dream

“What’s wrong, child of man?”

The image of a 202-centimeters man with horns and black robes seems the furthest stray from the traditional blue robed fairy godmother

“Ah. You must be sad that you didn’t get to go to the ball.”

“Not really? I’m sad because-”

Malleus quickly cuts Yuu off with a flick of his black wand and Yuu’s plain brown dress was no more

Instead, the gown Yuu has was of a pure white that glimmers under the light like diamonds. 

On her feet were a pair of crystal clear glass slippers as it wouldn’t be Cinderella without them

Even Yuu’s hair was made into a meticulous updo with a matching white headband 

“Um, thanks?”

Thinking that Yuu’s still unhappy face must be due to him missing something, Malleus quickly pulls out his wand 

“That reminds me, a lady needs a carriage, a coachman and footman to go to the ball.”

Yuu doesn’t have the heart to tell Malleus who was thinking so seriously that she just want to go home

With another flick of his wand, turning a nearby pumpkin into a black carriage while the coachman and footman were made of thunder and a silver sword respectively

Wait no, wasn’t it supposed to be a horse and a dog???

Yuu could clearly tell that her newly-made servants were just Sebek and Silver in a different costume

Anyway, there was this sparkle in Malleus’s eyes that seems to be proud over his work and as if a child waiting to be complimented

“Wow, er, thank you so much for the dress and the carriage! Now, I can surely go to the ball and meet the prince and make him fall for me.” 

The fake enthusiasm Yuu adds into her sentence almost makes her gag but at least Malleus looks happy that he helped Yuu

“You should leave now, child of man, or else you’ll be late for the ball.”

Malleus ponders a little longer before letting out the iconic line of Cinderella

“Remember to return before the clock strikes 12 o’clock as the magic will come to end.”

Since there wasn’t any clue on how to escape from this weird world, Yuu might as well go along with the progression of the story. Maybe she’ll go back home or at least back to Ramshackle dorm when the story ends.

But it might take a while for Yuu to be able to get on the carriage as she watches Sebek shake Silver violently to get him to wake up and do his job

Sebek was surprisingly good at driving the coach as Yuu didn’t feel any bumps while sitting in the carriage. The only downside being hearing Sebek shouting every five minutes at Silver.

Reaching just on time, Yuu sees a servant coming out to announce the arrival of the Queen, Riddle Rosehearts and the Grand Duke, Trey Clover

. . . . . Yuu is tired at pointing out all the inaccuracies

Riddle opens the ball with a short speech while Trey continues to stand at his side

Looking around the floor, Yuu wonders who is the prince of the story

The only remotely princely person she could think about would be Leona who wins by default by being an actual prince out of the other NRC students (except Malleus who already took the role of fairy godmother)

“Oi, herbivore.”

Think of the devil and he appears, Yuu turns around to see Leona leaning against the railing with a pissed off expression

Leona’s face turns even more moody as he notices Yuu trying to stifle her giggles after looking at him

“Pleased to meet you, Prince Leona.”

Yuu says so while imitating a curtsy she saw from the other ladies

“Be my cover for the ball.”

Without waiting for Yuu’s reply, Leona drags her along to the center of the ballroom

Riddle perks up as he notices his ‘son’ dancing with a lady he has never seen before and promptly winces as Yuu steps on Leona’s feet for the third time

“It’s your fault for not letting me to say that I can’t dance.”

Yuu mutters under her breath to Leona

“Tch. This should be common etiquette for a noble lady.”

Nevertheless, Leona is a good dancing partner as he leads Yuu along with a grace she never saw before

With another twist and twirl, Yuu and Leona bows towards the other as the song comes to an end

Time really flies in this weird world as Yuu quickly notices that the clock is about to strike 12 o’clock after a dance with Leona

“I’ll be taking my leave now, Prince. Thanks for the dance!”

Yuu grabs her dress and quickly runs off mid-sentence as she can’t wait to leave the stuffy ball

“Wait-”

Just like before, Leona quickly grabs onto Yuu’s wrist in an attempt to stop her from running off and Yuu instinctively struggles from getting grabbed suddenly 

The two way tug of war is a terrible decision as both of them are on top of the stairs

Which makes Yuu failing down the stairs an inevitable fate

Adrenaline starts pumping and time seems to go in slow motion, Yuu rises her arms to brace for the impact of landing on the bottom of the stairs  

Then she woke up, staring at the ceiling of the Ramshackle dorm with her legs on the bed and the rest of her body on the ground 

“. . . . maybe I should stop reading fairytales before sleep.”

[bimswritings]

To The Winner Goes The Love

Han x Leia (with a bit of jealous Holdo)

My addition to the Valentines day server collab (@starwarsfandomfests) for @the-shanone! Brought back a lot of feels when I remembered what happened later in the series, but for now I can ignore that and enjoy this, and I hope everyone else enjoys it as well!

_______________________________________

‘If I have to pretend to smile for one more second, my face is going to split.’

Han had never been a fan of these parties Leia always dragged him to. Sure, they were good for the rebellion, helping bring in money to help the war effort and maintaining connections to keep someone from turning on them, but by the maker did he hate them. From the stiff clothes and posture, to the equally stiff conversations. He could talk anyone’s ear off about anything, but politics were above his head. He could feel his eyes glaze over every time the conversation lasted more than two minutes. As a result, Leia left him more often than not, allowing him to explore the free drinks and food while she navigated the political pools. He had to hand it to her though, he knew she hated it just as much as he did. Her affinity for action over words was clear to anyone who met her, yet her natural draw of people to lead them was unmistakable. If she had it her way, she would be out in one of the fighters alongside the others. But pleasantries could sometimes get you further.

So, that’s how Han found himself standing in the most isolated corner he could find, quietly nursing his dozenth drink of the night. Leia had left him long ago, giving him the all knowing look of ‘keep out of trouble or I’ll kill you’. And so he did, trying to ignore how the starched collar of the creme button up she had managed to wrangle him into. Just a few more hours, he thought to himself. Then they could go with Leia’s business taken care of and his job as her escort served. No problems at all. A done and done deal. Well, it seems not everyone seemed content with letting him have his peace.

“Well hello there.” Han jumped, surprised as a woman took the seat across from him. He quickly looked around for anyone else she may have been talking to or even mistaken him for, yet there was no one around that wasn’t already in their own conversation.

“Me?”

The woman laughed. “Of course. Who else?”

Han didn’t know what to say to that, lapsing into an awkward silence as he racked his brain, trying to figure out who of the many people Leia had said he would be there, yet came up with nothing but blanks. As if sensing his confusion, she extended her hand and introduced herself. “Anett Rays. Next in line to rule the moon of Cerline.”

He nodded, halfheartedly shaking her hand as he tried to remember where that was.

“And you are?”

It hit Han like a speeder; this woman didn't know who he was. If she did, then there was no way that she would be talking to him right now. Nobody messed with Leia Organa.

“Han.”

“Han?” She smiled, her teeth a blinding white. It was clear she came from money, from her complicated updo, to the shimmering pastel dress she wore. A bit extravagant when this was for a rebellion meeting, but not any different from the rest in the room. All dressed up to the nines when there were others wearing rags and giving everything they could to the effort. Still, despite his distaste for the elites, he forced a fake smile. Fake pleasantries were everything in politics, Leia had once told him.

“I couldn’t help but notice you were all alone over here. Such an odd thing for such a handsome man.” She leaned over, closing the distance even more and furthering his discomfort. As much as he wanted to tell her to bug off, he didn’t want to risk the chance of offending someone important.

“Politics aren’t really my thing.”

“Mine either. These parties are great and all, but I like to spend my nights doing…other things.”

They fell into another silence, Han unsure of how to proceed as the woman eyed him from polished shoes to slicked back hair. If it were a younger him, he would have been ecstatic at her attention. Now he simply found it a bother on a night where he would already be anywhere else. For the next half hour he answered her questions, keeping his answers short and attention on his drink, which he had already had three more of. It was exhausting by this point, and the woman’s determination was impressive. He would have given up a long time ago if he were her. Yet she babbled on, talking his ear off as if she were an ambassador herself. There was no way this night could get any worse.

As soon as he thought it, he knew he had made a huge mistake, and the voice that spoke up was the universe punishing him for his belief that it was done with him.

“Well, what do we have here?” It was smooth, almost purred, and his temper rose a notch before he even saw the owner.

‘Oh great’ he thought to himself, ‘Another problem’. Not even bothering to fake a smile this time, he turned to face Holdo. There she stood, in all her high and mighty glory. Her hair was the same vibrant hues of purple and pink as it always was, almost as if she were trying to mimic the nebulas themselves. The small, shining jewels placed sporadically through her hair did nothing to help the illusion.

“Holdo. How nice of you to stop by.”

He expected just as dry of a treatment from her, as she normally did, but to his surprised she did almost the complete opposite. Sliding into the booth next to him, she threw an arm around his shoulder and placed a kiss on his cheek. He didn’t know who was more stunned, him or the other woman.

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you. It’s not nice to leave your date alone at such an event you know.”

He wanted to say something, knew he had to say something, but the words simply wouldn’t come out.

“I didn’t know he was already with someone.” Anett huffed, eyes narrowing. Her tone was laced with hardly concealed annoyance, upset that someone had interrupted her attempts at flirting.

Holdo, just as well versed in weapons of words, was quick to shoot back. “Well, now you do, so if you could take your wondrous self and leave, that would be fine by me. I have more pressing matters that require my attention.” Dismissive and firm, just like Holdo herself. Yet Anett did nothing but huff, grabbing her drink and stomping off through the crowd in her clicking heels.

As soon as she was out of sight, before Han even had a chance to question her, Holdo was pushing him away, nose scrunched as she wiped at her lips in disgust. He shuffled to the other side of the booth where their guest had previously been.

“Does Leia ever bathe you? I thought she took better care of her pets.”

“What was all of that?” He finally managed to stutter out, finding his voice for the first time.

She fixed him with a glare, something he was much more familiar with. “Would you have preferred I left you to flounder with that floozy? Maybe let it go on long enough for her father to find you, or maybe Leia to stumble upon the scene. You know how well that would go over.”

He did, having the unfortunate experience happen once before. Someone had gotten a little too friendly with him when they were on a scouting mission and Leia had found out, resulting in him receiving the silent treatment not only from her, but the rest of the crew as well. He knew she hadn’t come and saved him for his own good, and he wasn’t hesitant to voice it.

“I just wanted to make sure that you remembered Leia’s birthday. It’s coming up soon and I know how oblivious you can be when it comes to others.”

He bristled at the comment. “I have. In fact, I made plans for us to visit Naboo.”

“Good.” Holdo smiled. “I would hate for anything to happen between you two.”

Han wanted to snap back, because he knew that was exactly what she wanted, or so he thought. Sure there were many who had tried to sway Leia with good looks and credits, but none of them had anything on him. Well, maybe when it came to the credits part, but the good looks were all him. None other had ever made him sweat, even come as close, as Holdo had. She had backed off eventually, but he knew she always kept an eye out. That only made her previous actions all the more confusing.

“Listen, I don’t know what kind of trick you’re trying to pull but I’m not-”

“Please.” She interrupted him with a wave of her hand. “If I tricked you, you wouldn’t even know about it. No, the simple fact is that if I win, I’ll win my own way. Through politics.”

“Han.” Speak of the General and she would appear. Leia stood at the edge of the table, brows furrowed in confusion as she looked between her friend and boyfriend. “I was just trying to find you, but I can see you found your own entertainment.” Holdo promptly stood, bringing Leia into a tight hug that lasted just a second too long for Han’s taste.

“It’s been ages since I’ve last seen you.” She beamed, Leia smiling back just as brightly. Not the fake, tight smile she would give other politicians, but one of genuine joy.

“Yes, we must make it a habit to see each other outside of these awful meetings. Tell me,” Holdo’s smile shifted ever so slightly to a smirk. “When was the last time you visited the Spas of Naboo?”

“Oh ages! What I wouldn’t give to go back to the times when we would go there every summer.”

Han’s body went stiff as he realized what the pastel serpent was trying to do, jumping from his seat and looping his arm around Leia’s waist.

“It was nice seeing you Amilyn,” The thin woman grit her teeth at the casual use of her first name, and he could have sworn he saw her eye twitch. “But we must get going. Never want to see a wookie angry, you know.” They all laughed, only two of the three anywhere near genuine.

“I’ll see you later.” Leia called as Han quickly pulled her away, practically dragging her through the crowd as he threaded his way through. He chanced one last look over his shoulder, Holdo now watching them go with open annoyance as she glared holes into Han’s head. Was making her mad a good idea? No. But what could he say, he just had that charm on people.

“You seemed eager to get out of there.” Leia commented as he helped her up the ramp, making sure her heels didn’t catch on any of the seams between the metal platforms. “It wouldn’t have anything to do with Holdo now, would it? I know you two don’t exactly see eye to eye.”

“What? Me? I get along with everyone. Now,” he grabbed her shoulders looking her in the eye as he spoke. “I how do you feel about a little time away.”

Leia sighed, already having had this conversation with him before. “You know I can’t do that Han. There’s so many things to prepare, plans to make, meetings to oversee.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it Princess.” She raised her brow at the nickname, the annoyance having grown on her through his persistence in using it. “I spoke with the admiral and managed to convince him to give you a break, a little getaway for the both of us.”

“Do I even want to know how you managed that?”

“Hey,” his town was a mask of offended. “Do you know who you’re talking to? I can swing anything.”

She sighed, resting her head on his shoulder as he began threading his fingers through her hair, taking it out of the elaborate updo she had it in. He much preferred her signature braids, but she could pull any other style off just as well. Sometimes he wondered why she bothered at all with the time consuming styles. They all tended to give her a headache after too long of wearing them, and she already had enough other things to give her those. Briefly, he wondered how a smuggler like him had ended up with a woman like her. Something he pondered often, attributing it to his affinity for stubborn headed women. He knew that under that confident exterior she was just as scared as he was for what the future would hold. All the more reason to hold her close, relishing in the quiet moments they had, something he wouldn’t let anyone, be it Holdo or the empire. If they wanted Leia, they would have to fight him tooth and nail, and he had no doubt she would do the same.

“Come on.” She finally broke away, pulling him further into the ship. “I think Chewy can handle piloting himself. Those senators can talk your ear off, and I just want to rest.”

“For you, your highness,” he placed a kiss on her forehead. “Anything.”

[leviiattacks]

How about Levi x reader, where they get set up on a blind date by their friends as a prank, but actually end up liking each other

note :: honestly not my best at all but it was cute i guess T___T kinda an opposites attract thing also it’s a modern au !!

for some reason hange and sasha wake up one morning and decide they want to wreak havoc

it’s not peculiar coming from them

after all they are always up to something

like the one time sasha purposefully trapped herself in an elevator with a hot guy

or the time hange tried to make coffee with an energy drink mixed in it??

OR-

okay you’re getting sidetracked

but the point is they have no real reason for this new venture of theirs

when do they ever have a reason though?

somehow today their scheming has led to them begging you to go on a blind date

“he’s not my type i mean he’s old and whatever but you would like him” sasha’s stuffing her face with a buttery croissant

she doesn’t sound very convincing

then again, you have no objections to the idea

you’re single

you’re lonely

if it doesn’t end in love well ??? guess you could fuck

and if you don’t fuck well ?? you got to go outside and get some fresh air

BUT

the idea of blind dating makes you squirm

the uncertainty which comes along with the situation is intimidating

honestly, part of you is worried you’ll end up making a mortal enemy at dinner, not a lover

the other portion is petrified you’ll end up on a date with a murderer

what if it ends up like that one netflix show and you end up getting stalked????

you shudder at that thought

BE OPTIMISTIC Y/N!! YUP YUP OPTIMIST ERA!!!

levi feels the same way but his version of nervous is very different to your own

his fears are very different

what if his date appears prim and proper but it’s really just a huge facade hiding how their house is a pigsty?

imagine the third date in is a movie night in and he walks into a landfill site...

what if his date chews their food obnoxiously loud?

what if they just dislike him?

that’s why ideally he would prefer dating someone he knows beforehand

but there’s no one he knows already that he’s interested in

that’s exactly why when hange calls levi and asks him if he’s willing to go on a blind date on such short notice he scoffs and tells them that maybe if they got a life they would know that his answer is a straight no

he’s used to people not pairing well with him

he guesses it’s because of his sardonic personality, maybe it’s his occupation - he is constantly busy after all. perhaps it’s his foul mouth

erwin told him the last time he had a date that he should probably ease up on the cursing but it’s levi...

he isn’t going to change for anyone.

and really if him being little mean is that much of a deal breaker he won’t bother looking for anyone

he’ll go it solo he supposes

“LEVI. PLEASE. you both would fit together like jigsaw pieces.” hange is practically begging

then they stop for a second and wiggle their eyebrows “that can have many alternative meaningssss~”

levi purses his lips and shoots them a hard glare

“shut it, i’m not going. i’m busy.”

“busy doing.....?”

“cleaning i need t-”

“NO??? do it some other time please they’re smart, fun AND not boring at all.”

hange gives him a pleading look then explains how his mystery date has already agreed for sasha’s sake and he really can’t stand you up

“you want me to go on a blind date with one of SASHA BRAUS’ friends????”

he looks at hange in utter disbelief because that means you just have to be loud mouthed and annoying like jean or connie

or just be as stupidly unfunny

he shakes his head rejecting the idea completely

“i enjoy sophisticated people.”

hange sighs heavily

“give it a chance! c’monnn what if i bribe you?”

little does levi know hange and sasha have purposefully picked you out because of the way you’re both polar opposites

where levi loves order you’re disorderly, where he follows his own rules you don’t follow any at all, where he is disagreeable you’re agreeable in every way of the word

where he is cold, you are warm, he��s a night owl, you’re an early bird, you’re day and he’s night

everything about the two of you is different

that isn’t necessarily bad, but sasha and hange find it hilarious enough to set you both up on this date

if it fails it’ll still be funny

you’re rummaging through your closet looking for your favourite perfume because to be frank you are NOT showing up unprepared

like?? what if he moves in to hug you and he smells the scent of the chicken you were cooking today

yeah you did have a shower but sometimes you wonder if the smell lingers

you KNOW it doesn’t but it’s a matter of principle

imagine he leans in and smells marinated chicken

you think you’d die on the spot if that were to ever happen

shoving a pack of mints in your purse along with your emergency pepper spray you give your outfit a once over

it’s nothing too extravagant but it’ll do the job

at this point, everything is great! you’re walking out of your door and you’re pumped up

you’ll be early for once and there’s a spring in your step

making a good first impressions is key here

you’re so close to your uber BUT

then you hear it

it’s almost inaudible but you’re sure you hear a mewl come out of the alleyway to your right

you’re about to ignore it because you aren’t even sure if you’ve heard it correctly

and it’s late you don’t feel like wandering into an empty alleyway

but the sound only repeats itself

fuck.

cautiously venturing inside you see it.

eyes softening you look at the stray kitten in front of you and bite your bottom lip and scoop him up in your arms you’re debating if running back to your apartment and leaving him there is the best option

what’s the other option?

well you could bring the cat along with you...

it would be a funny story for the future if the date goes well

now. unlike you levi is nowhere near late

in fact he’s ten minutes early waiting promptly outside of the restaurant in his white button up

he fiddles with his collar and wonders how the actual hell he got talked into doing this

hange offering to buy him cleaning supplies free of charge is probably it

8:15pm, you were meant to be here five minutes ago

if you’ve stood him up he’s going to end hange for wasting his precious free time

especially when he rarely interrupts his schedule for anyone.

a few moments of silence pass and he thinks

how do you look? 

not like it matters to him

but he’d just like to know

okay, so.

it’s 8:30pm now

levi is royally pissed off that you even have the audacity to show up

you’re holding your knees as you puff in and out

“I’M SORRY. i know i’ve wasted all your time but i saw a stray on my way here and i couldn’t leave him”

the updo your hair is in is disheveled and fly aways stick out

you’ve ran here after your uber broke down that much is obvious.

to be fair, your explanation is believable and he would have let it slide if and only if

you had NOT brought the fucking cat along with you???

he’s eyeing it with disgust as it purrs up against you and you coo at it stroking its fur

“you want to sneak a cat into the restaurant?” he asks in pure disbelief

sheepishly grinning and scratching the back of your neck your response is “well i know we can’t but if you tried to i wouldn’t mind because i really like this cat :-(”

when hange said he’d have fun they were lying

but at least they didn’t lie about you not being boring.

he picks the cat up with one of his hands

looks it in the eyes

sighs then places him carefully into your purse

“don’t let him be seen.”

you light up and try to hide the grin forming on your face

he isn’t that bad

he’s a little too serious for your liking but you can handle that.

the two of you walk into the restaurant and fuck you because the cat has to start mewling and screeching

coughing rather aggressively to cover it up it miraculously goes unheard

he shoots you a sturdy glare because he’s able to hear the muffled sounds

luckily, no one else is standing near you or is within earshot.

gulping you realise this is not a good first impression at all

late to the date, bringing a cat with you, begging him to help you sneak the cat in

you feel guilty, he probably expected way better

“oi, move your ass” he snaps

you look up realising you’ve been too lost in thought to see levi walking in front of you

“sorry” you mumble

he doesn’t respond but he does look back at you

you can’t gather anything from his face because it’s either plain or he’s got his brows furrowed

currently it’s showing no signs of distaste so he must be accepting your apology

he’s kind enough, steps out of the way to offer you the space to sit down first

he sits after you and you have no idea where to look

then the cat cries again from your purse

“lucifer, shhhhh”

you’re patting him and try to silence him

“you’ve named it already?”

laughing to yourself you’re happy he’s initiated the conversation first

“he’s a little sneaky so i called him it. do you have any other names you’d like?”

“why would my input in this matter be relevant?”

“you’re basically his family now!”

he’s covering his mouth with his hands and you swear you can see the pink tinge of a blush creep upwards and flood his cheeks

but this man doesn’t seem like the type to blush over anything.

composing himself he sticks a hand out and finally asks “what’s your name?”

coming back to your senses you realize it’s been twenty minutes since you’ve met and you haven’t even had the manners to ask his name even after arriving late

“Y/N!! what’s yours?”

play it cool!!!

he doesn’t respond instead stares at your purse and points with his index finger

lucifer has escaped again and now you really are regretting bringing him along with you

whilst you’re grabbing the cat and hushing him your date hums “try to guess it.”

well, that’s spontaneous, he doesn’t seem like the type to entertain himself with games

you think hard, he’s serious but he is kind, you guess that’s why he reminds you of sebastian from the little mermaid

get it? because he’s sweet but he’s a crab so he’s crabby??

god that joke is AWFUL because it doesn't even take into account the actual character of sebastian the crab

but you have no other guesses available.

“hmm... sebastian?” you jokingly ask

“it’s levi.” he deadpans.

oh wow you couldn’t be more far off

playing around with your fingers in your lap you fidget nervously looking around for a waiter to interrupt the conversation

levi has to sense your unease because his tone loosens up

“...do i really look like a sebastian though?”

looking back up at him your bite your lip keeping a giggle in

you can sense the ghost of a smile on his face

“yeah like the crab from a little mermaid”

at that he scowls but he inquires what exactly that means

the rest of the date goes without a hitch, sure there’s a few moments where lucifer attempts to sneak away but levi has no problems stopping him

it takes a while but the conversation flows easily after the awkward barrier from before is broken down

it’s lighthearted and calm.

he’s humorous in a way you can’t describe

levi’s mannerisms are cute, everything about him is endearing despite the serious front he has

and you can’t quite put your finger on it but his demeanor is charming

overall you find yourself enjoying the date even more than you expected

now the two of you are walking away from the booth and the fresh night time air hits your face as you step outside

turning to him you smile radiantly and without allowing him to get a word in you take your opportunity by the reins

“second date?”

you don’t normally make the first move but you’re eager

and to your surprise he’s just as eager as you are.

it doesn’t even look like he stops to think before he nods and agrees to meet with you again.

exchanging numbers with him you wave as you and lucifer part ways with levi feeling satisfied

and to his shock after you leave it settles, levi thinks he just might enjoy your presence

well, that’s a first for him.

he guesses what they say about opposites attracting is true

[jimlingss]

Ducklings & Dimples 2

Original / Sequel

➜ Words: 17.1k

➜ Genres: 58% Fluff, 20% Adventure, 20% Action, 2% Angst, Historical!AU - kind of

➜ Summary: After your adventures with Yoongi, you head home to face your family and the duties you've run from. A year has passed since. But you never anticipated meeting him again with his fiancée.

The country of Pegan is one you’ve never had the opportunity to venture into. It was a place that you teetered on, scaling the border, poking your head into one or two of the small villages just to sell in before you were on your way. But you had heard lots about it in his letters. You just never thought you would be visiting it in such a way. Ten round towers form a protective barrier around the elegant castle and are connected by firm walls made of gray stone. Refined windows are scattered generously across the walls in an asymmetric pattern. Beyond the gates are well kept gardens with fragrant flowers, gorgeous trees and many bushes that decorate the outside of the castle. The castle itself has clearly been around for at least a thousand years, but it doesn't seem like it will collapse any time soon. “Back straight. You’re slouching, Taehyung,” your mother barks to your youngest brother and sharply inhales when Jin purposely bumps into him with his broad shoulders, telltale signs he’s trying to instigate more bickering. “Stop that right now, young man. You’re supposed to set an example as the eldest.” “I wasn’t even doing anything!” Jin protests to no avail. Taehyung’s mouth curls as he jumps on the opportunity to berate his older brother, “You’re twenty six. You should act like it.” Seokjin’s mouth drops open. “How dare you bring my age into this.” “Can you guys please shut your mouths for one second?” Lia is exasperated and glares. “People are staring at us.” “Now, now, children.” Your dad clears his throat and brushes off his shoulders. “Let’s not give your mother a hard time and argue in front of the Duchess’ castle.” Your mother holds in her sigh temporarily and makes it to your sister, smoothing out her dress that’s been wrinkled from the carriage ride. “Hair in place, darling.” Then she makes it to the end of the line and looks at you. Your eyes meet hers and you anticipate nagging. Perhaps an insult of how strands of hair have fallen from your updo and around your eyes. Or how you should get rid of that frown off your face before she singes it off. But to your surprise, your mother merely smiles and swivels around. “Shall we enter?” She’s trying — you can see it and it’s an effort you appreciate. Your entire family climbs the marble steps leading up to the grand doors already open with folks filtering inside. It was the Duchess of Pegan’s birthday, a week long affair and evidently, a huge celebration. Much too extravagant for your own tastes, but it’s not like your opinion matters. “Kaela, Elden!” The man in the foyer comes over with a golden chalice and his wife trails after him. Immediately, your mother curtsies along with your sister and you dip down after a delayed second, momentarily forgetting the manners drilled into your brain. “Duke and Duchess Fesan. It’s a pleasure.” “Oh please, don’t be a stranger. It’s been too long!” The older man has silver, short hair that almost fully covers his thin, lived-in face. But his eyes are fond as if he has seen many good things in his lifetime. Fesan Winsor is a duke, brother to the king that runs Pegan. You only know such facts after the relentless history lessons with your overbearing tutor. He gives a light embrace to your mother and father, nods his head towards you and Lia, and shakes Seokjin’s hand. “Why, you’ve grown to be such a strapping, young man. Handsome, indeed. The last I’ve seen of you, you were but a wee boy.” “Thank you.” Jin practically beams over the praise and you and Taehyung roll your eyes. “Are you looking to get married any time soon?” His irises sparkle. “Do you have someone in mind, your grace?” The Duke barks out laughing at the witty quip and your mother audibly sighs. “Seokjin’s much too deep in finishing his studies to be considering marriage, unfortunately. And a bit too immature to handle the responsibilities of such a thing.” “Oh you never know about children,” Duchess Jacquelyn laughs boisterously. “They always grow up faster than we realize.” The Duchess is in a lavish dress that looks like it’s about to swallow her whole, flashy to the maximum and heavy diamonds are wrapped around her neck. It makes you wonder if it aches. Her golden hair is stark with a bit of gray, yet she is bright eyed and overly friendly as she squeezes the living daylights out of Lia and then you. It’s unusual how she has no respect for personal boundaries or what’s mannerly for a high-class lady that she is. There’s small talk made between your father and the Duke, but as the Duchess pulls away from you, her face lights up as if she recalls something. “Wait a moment! You are Y/N, correct?” “Uh, yes. I am, madam.” “Then you were the one who defeated that vicious dragon from the North with Yoongi, weren’t you?! Why your tale of bravery is infamous!” She grasps your hands with an excited smile. You swallow hard, not sure how you feel about being viewed as a hero when you’re not. But you don’t say anything for fear of having to explain. It’s not like you told your own family the true story. “Yes, what an amazing feat,” Duke Winsor marvels. “You must be very prideful to have such a hero in the family.” Your mother is visibly pleased while your dad plops a hand on your shoulder. “Y/N is indeed turning out to be the best sorcerer in our family.” “You would be too if you studied more,” Taehyung mutters to Lia and nudges her while she glares at him. “What about you, Mr. I’m-too-tired-to-practice-magic.” “Children,” your mother’s voice is full of scolding but a pleasant smile is placed on her features. It’s frightening and jarring how different her expression can be from what comes out of her mouth. “Oh, you must be so eager to see your old friend.” The Duchess turns over her shoulder. “Yoongi was here just a moment ago.” You nod stiffly, tight-lipped. “I’ll make sure to send my greetings to him later.” The middle-aged folks continue talking as you and the rest of your siblings stand there like stone statues that are decorating the castle. But as you look around the crowds, fearing the worst, you feel Jin poke you. “Was that the guy you were sending letters to every day?” he asks, referring to what Duchess Jacquelyn said. “Shut it.” Taehyung raises his brows with an amused smile, but no one speaks. It’s become a sensitive topic but always has been — you’ve never let any of them see your letters and you threw a big fuss on several occasions when Lia tried to sneak peaks. Now you regret it. Why did you spend so much time doing such petty, futile things. Eventually, you’re granted mercy when the Duke and Duchess continue welcoming new arrivals and everyone disperses for drinks. And unlike what they said, you’re not eager to see your old ‘friend’ at all. You’re trying to steer clear of him. “What are you doing standing here in the corner?” Your mother finds you reclusive with a flute of ale. It’s not the most sophisticated drink, but does enough to put you more at ease. Though, much to your dismay, she pries the glass out of your grip. “You should be socializing! Making connections. Like your brother!” She turns and you see Taehyung by the refreshment table with a younger girl who looks visibly uncomfortable. He barks out in deafening laughter, startling a few other guests and your mother sighs while you hold back a smile. “Maybe not quite like him.” “Is there something you want to say, mom?” It’s not like her to be so vague and to encourage you to talk to others. She’s always been apprehensive about you mingling, assuming you’re trying to scam them — which you usually are, so her caution isn’t unreasonable. “There’s a divine soul sorcerer,” she announces and instantly, you groan. “Of course there is.” “Don’t give me that look. You haven’t even spoken to him yet.” Unlike how you receive your magic from a legendary phoenix, divine soul sorcerers are blessed individuals who have a connection to divine beings. Whether they align with an ancient prophecy or their ancestor is an angel. They’re undoubtedly someone who could match the status of your family. You’re starting to suspect the reason your mother even came all the way over here was to get you to meet him. “Fine, I’ll talk to him,” you say, just to get her off your back. Your mother’s wrinkles crease when she smiles. “Good to hear. Now that’s one less issue off my plate— “ “I think Taehyung’s trying to impress that girl,” you interrupt, tilting your body over to the youngest who’s about to set the tablecloth on fire. Your mother practically swears underneath her breath and goes marching over without bidding you farewell. There’s a faint smile on your features and as a Halfling waiter passes, you grab a glass of manycherries wine. You release a long exhale, feeling your eyes bags deepen as exhaustion sets into you. Your eyes flicker to the fire roaring underneath the mantle. The rose and orange flames glow against your cheeks. Your fingers. And incidentally, it grows stronger. You feel the fire envelop you. The chatter of the room simmers down as you focus on the crackle and pop of the inferno. But unfortunately, it doesn’t last long. Not with the shrill voices close to you— “It’s a surprise, no? Even the Duke’s fiftieth birthday wasn’t as extravagant as this. All five houses are here and they even extended the invitations to families beyond Pegan.” “Well perhaps they had a good season or maybe one of the houses expanded their territory and we just haven’t heard about it yet. The Duke and Duchess looks after the entire territory and all the faction houses. It’s only natural they benefit from any changes, right?” “Don’t you two know?” “Know what?” “The reason this celebration is lavish….is because it’s practically an engagement party in disguise.” You exhale out of your nose, downing the glass of wine and when you finish, you see a familiar face in the midst. It’s a slender half-Elf with long blonde hair that’s half tied up and reaches to his ribs. Yorril. You remember his name after beating his ass with Yoongi in Bogsburrough a year ago. The memory causes the corner of your mouth to tug in a smirk. He sees you too and immediately turns away, walking off with his eyes wide. There are lots of people from different factions here, but you don’t know any of their names and don’t care to. Though out of the corner of your eye, you catch sight of a tall man in a white cape fluttering behind with his eyes focused right on you — undoubtedly the divine sorcerer your mother was referring to by his blinding aura — and you take Yorril’s inspiration and walk away as well. You drop your glass on a nearby table and zip into the dark hallway without looking back. You’re not sure where you’re going, merely winding down the corridors. But eventually your steps slow. Goosebumps raise all over the back of your arm. It feels like you’re being watched. Like there’s someone creeping. That there’s a presence behind you. But before you can turn around to discern what it is, a husky timbre makes you halt. “...alright?” At once your body seizes, freezing in its stop. Your blood runs warmer and your back meets the stone wall. There’s a sliver of light coming from the parted door inches away and you pull your orb out from the secret pocket you sewn into your dress. Gripping the object, you channel your magic and cast clairvoyance. The hearing sensor is placed behind the door. “Thank you, Yoongi.” It’s an unfamiliar soft-spoken voice. You hear his hum. “You’re welcome.” “I’m sorry. I know there’s a lot of people out there. I didn’t think my mother would invite so many people. It’s usually not like her to do this and—” “Hey, it’s okay. You don’t need to apologize. I don’t mind as much as you think I do.” “Really?” “I can’t say I enjoy it, but it’s not so bad every so often.” You swallow hard, feeling your heart clog your throat. Though before you can hear another thing, a hand plops down on your shoulder. And you nearly shriek in surprise. Out of all people, you turn to find dad wearing a mischievous smile that Taehyung and Seokjin inherited, and he nudges his chin to the door. “Your mother wouldn’t like you eavesdropping, you know. Come on, let’s go back.” You nod, following after him. The two of you return to the main room and step out into the terrace, away from the crowd. “There’s plenty of other men out there, Y/N.” “I know,” you mutter without looking at him, unable to help sulking. The older man smiles, having an inkling of why you’ve been so quiet. “It’s okay for you to be upset. Everything’s a process of trial and error. And it’s something that’ll come and go in due time.” You sigh lightly, trying to muster a smile that never really comes. “You want me to meet that divine soul sorcerer like mom, don’t you?” “Heavens no.” Your dad pats you on the back as you look out into the gardens. “I just want the best for my daughter.” You meet his eye and he grins. It’s moments like these that you’re glad you came home. “Elden!” The pair of you turn around as an older woman with cat-like eyes and a piercing stare steps out onto the terrace, her slender black dress sparkling like the stars. “My goodness, it’s been ages!” “Hyoyeon.” Your dad gives a laugh. “You haven’t aged a day!” They come to an embrace and she pulls away. “Oh, you’re too kind. Have you met my son yet?” Your worst nightmare emerges. Yoongi is dressed in a black tunic, pants, boots and a black velvet cape draped over his left side. He looks less like a knight on a quest and more like a prince. But one thing that hasn’t changed is his duckling-like hair. Strands of pale yellow that stand out. His eyes immediately center on you in surprise. As if he wasn’t expecting you here. And of course he wasn’t. You hated functions and celebrations like these, but once you heard the rumours, you couldn’t help but beg to come. Or maybe he’s giving you that expression because of how odd you look. You suppose he’s never seen you in anything other than braids and that peasant dress that you used to disguise yourself in. Now, your mother wouldn’t catch you dead in attire like that. But with him comes the Duke’s daughter, Fesan Klarinda, the Marquise of Pegan. She’s petite with spiral curls and dimples dotted in each side of her cheek. She’s the epitome of delicate. Instantly, the girl looks between you and Yoongi, realizing that your gazes are locked into one another’s. “Y/N.” He breathes it out and something swells inside your throat to hear him call your name. It’s hard to keep your face blank and impassive. Yoongi’s mother glances at him and then you. “You know each other?” “She was my partner during my adventure.” “She helped you defeat the dragon? Y/N from the great Phoenix family?” his mother gasps and nudges him. With her teeth gritted, she mutters, “Why didn’t you tell me that? Had I known….” Your dad’s laugh cuts through the suffocating tension. “Such a small world indeed. But I’m glad to finally meet the man who protected my daughter. Congratulations on your engagement, son.” “It’s nice to meet you,” Yoongi’s fiancée says with a demure smile and you give a curtsy without uttering a word. “Is your eldest son here, Hyoyeon?” “Oh, Hoseok unfortunately couldn’t make it to the occasion. He’s busy studying arcane magic in a monk temple in Baldur's Gate. So I only have my youngest with me today.” “Not at all! Education is of the utmost priority for the children.” While they speak, Klarinda clears her throat. “There must be a lot to catch up on since you and Yoongi are fairly close, I heard.” “Yes, he is a great friend to me, my lady.” Yoongi’s eye twitches, but you pay no mind. You don’t speak a single word to him and while it’s terribly awkward, you seize the opportunity to leave. “I find myself a bit parched. If you'll excuse me.” You get away as quickly as you can while grabbing fistfuls of your heavy dress, feeling more strands falling out of your updo. But being out of his presence doesn’t mean you’ve escaped. You feel the weight of Yoongi’s intent gaze on you all night, from across the room to the table. You’re barely able to survive dinner and the food’s not at all charred enough to your tastes. You’re beginning to regret coming here. Even when you knew you had to see it for yourself. “Excuse me. I believe you are Lady Y/N, right?” After dinner, the divine soul sorcerer finally corners you at a moment when your guard is down, having been too focused on Yoongi. The man has silver hair neatly coiffured, but the colour isn’t from age nor is it lackluster. It matches his cape and white attire. Undoubtedly, the sorcerer has an otherworldly appearance. He’s handsome and practically radiant to that of an angel’s. And he draws attention, causing girls to turn their heads and swoon for him. You can only imagine his power and it’s no wonder your mother has insisted that you meet him. But you are far from being impressed. “You are?” “Allow me to introduce myself! I am Jinha, a favoured soul sorcerer. Son of the magnificent Concordia House here in Pegan. My ancestor was the chosen one of the Goddess Mystra.” His palm opens and he glances at your hand. But you don’t entertain the idea of him kissing your knuckles, so he retracts his arm after an awkward moment. He clears his throat. “You look absolutely ravishing. The most beautiful person at this party aside from myself of course,” he quips. You deadpan, “Thanks.” “Are you enjoying the party?” Hardly. “I am.” “Have you tried any of the crab-stuffed lobster tail yet—?” “I much prefer the wine.” You grab a glass from the tray of a stubby butler passing by and you down half of it. When you lower the glass, you find that he’s still there, smirking like an idiot. While this relationship would be textbook perfect, you hate sorcerers. You are one, have three siblings that are, spent your childhood surrounded by them. So you know best how arrogant and entitled sorcerers can be. You bet he spends his free time looking in the mirror. Plus, there’s already enough magic in you for two people. “I happened to speak to your mother earlier, Lady Y/N.” “Did you?” “She said you’ve been traveling before. I have been traveling across the lands myself, so we have quite a bit in common.” “Yes,” you answer in a monotone and then your eyes light up as you spin around on your heel to him. “Actually, she might’ve not told you but I run a business.” “A business?” “I’m a business woman. It’s gotten a bit pushed to the side since I’ve gotten home, but maybe I should start it back up again.” “What kind of business is it?” Jinha stands straighter as if to show how capable he is. “I would love to help.” “Would you?” A feigned coy smile comes across your face and you lean in to graze his shoulder. “I have quite a bit of valuables collected and a lot of ancient potions I sell. All from my travels. You’re actually very fortunate since I have one with me. Would you like to buy one? I’ll be willing to give it to you at a reduced price of ten gold pieces.” Since the first time you’ve arrived, you feel energy return to you. But then much to your dismay, the damned sorcerer apologizes— “I don’t actually have any gold on me right now.” “How about your ring.” You point downward, never breaking eye contact. “This is once in a lifetime opportunity.” Either your skills are rusty or he’s denser than a rock because your persuasions don’t get through. “I would never dare to give you such a worthless ring, Lady Y/N! With so many shiny valuables practically overflowing out of the hundreds of rooms at my enormous manor, you deserve something much more precious. Perhaps we could arrange a time when you could come visit my massive estate.” You audible sigh, not even trying to hide it. For the next ten minutes, the sorcerer bores you with speech about himself, his family, how he personally knows the Duke, how he’s expanding his manor to have two more gardens and five more fountains, and how delicious the crab-stuffed lobster tail is. You barely manage to escape, simply excusing yourself to find your sister. But as you turn the corner, away from prying eyes and ears, you grip your orb in your pocket and channel your arcane magic. You cast disguise self and at once, you take the form of the stubby butler from earlier. A foot shorter, larger, and white tailcoat with black breeches. Your empty glass even turns into a tray and you strut down the corridor with your head held high. You’re going to leave. Out the front door. Never to return. Coming here was a mistake — and confronting Yoongi isn’t something you think you have in you. You’re better suited to having no real relationships, no commitment, no attachments. Merely traveling around and scamming others is what you do best. After all, things were easier back then when you had no direction. There was less emotional turmoil. Fewer obligations. Fewer consequences. But regrets are a little too late, so in the heat of the moment, you throw away your hard-earned compromise with your mother and decide to run. Yet, before you can even think of launching yourself out the open arched window, your eyes grow wide at the man at the end of the hall. Yellow strands of hair catch your attention first. Then it’s the sleepy eyes. The tender features. Immediately, you pull your gaze away from him and stare ahead. It’s not too hard to make yourself unsuspicious when you’re disguised as a butler and Yoongi seems to pay no mind to you either. He merely walks past and you breathe a sigh of relief. But then strong arms wrap around your waist and your back meets a firm chest. The spell breaks. He saw right through you. Right through your illusion. Yoongi’s soft exhale causes goosebumps to rise all over your arms. “Thank god, it’s you. I was worried that it was really the butler.” His timbre is huskier than you remember. You stumble out of his embrace and turn around. “I apologize, sir. I wasn’t trying to create any trouble. ” “Sir?” Yoongi’s brows furrow, deep enough that it looks like it hurts. Neither of you say anything for a long moment as he stares at you and you divert your vision, preferring to admire how smooth the white pillars of the castle look. Then, his hand suddenly reaches out to graze the loose strands of hair that have fallen from your updo. It’s a gentle gesture and he quietly comments, “Your hair’s gotten longer.” But you don’t react. “How have you been?” he asks faintly. “Fine.” You keep your reply curt and short. Distant. “Congratulations on your engagement, sir.” “Y/N.” He sounds annoyed. “Let me explain—” But when you finally meet his gaze, your eyes are painfully stinging and his voice tapers off. You curse underneath your breath, having tried so hard to keep yourself together. Yet the effort to prevent humiliation is being swept down the drain, so you grab fistfuls of your dress and march away. “Y/N!” Yoongi doesn’t chase after you. You snivel violently, doing all you can to not let tears shed. You fail to watch where you’re going and you run into your older sister. “Where have you…..are you okay?” Lia looks down at you, her eyes wide at your state. You merely shake your head and her lips pout as she pulls you in. She doesn’t need to ask. “It’s okay. There, there. No one’s going to hurt you.” She’s wrong. You’ve already been hurt. // Min Yoongi is a bastard. You’ve sorely underestimated his abilities. He manipulates emotions better than you can, but you’re more so angry at yourself for misinterpreting memories. For allowing your imagination to take its course. After all, it’s easier to transform your hurt into anger than reveling in sorrow. You’ve never been the type to be passive. The morning after the banquet, there are tournaments out on the East field. You’re seated at the rows near the Duke and Duchess with the rest of your family. Taehyung is watching intently while Seokjin prefers to wave to girls seated a few seats down much to your mother’s dismay. You’re sitting beside Lia who has her parasol to shield the sun away and is fanning herself to keep sweat from her face. She hasn’t teased you about last night, not when it looked serious enough. But she hasn’t pried either, even though you know eventually she will. Curiosity has always been a fault in your family — second to recklessness. You watch as two men below fight, one with a bow and the other with a mace. You don’t recognize them, merely knowing they’re from different factions. And that they seem to be taking their hatred out on each other. “Ooh.” Taehyung sharply inhales when the Elf with the mace slashes the Half-Elf holding the bow. “That looks like it hurts.” The Half-Elf surrenders and the Halfling referee calls an end to the match. “It’s so hot out,” Lia pants and wipes her forehead with a handkerchief. “Since when did you care about sweating or not?” you ask, lolling your head to the side. She clicks her tongue. “Tch. Don’t you know how many potential suitors are here? I have to look my best. You should too.” “Can I leave?” you ask your mother, tilting yourself to her. Seokjin whirls his head around. “I second that.” “Absolutely not,” she hisses and glances over her shoulder, making sure that the Duke and Duchess aren’t listening. “We are honoured guests and it would be very rude.” “At least wait until the intermission,” your father adds with a charming smile. With that said, you sit back and try to get comfortable. From below, the Halfling referee steps up to his podium and announces through a cone, “For our next match, on the right is Jinha, divine sorcerer from the House of Concordia. And to our left is Yoongi, knight fighter from the House of Min and the Order of the Black Sun!” Your breath hitches in your throat. Immediately, Lia nudges you. “Who’s that?” Her eyes are pinpointed to the obnoxious man from last night who emerges while sweeping his hair back, his golden staff carried in his grasps. But you’re preoccupied with the other man. Someone with pastel yellow hair. Even from far away, it’s all too stark against his heavy armour. And you swear he’s looking right at you. Or maybe not. It could be for his fiancée who’s diagonal to where you are. That would make more sense. You damn yourself for being delusional again. “So that’s him?” Taehyung turns to you, asking, “The one you sent letters to?” “I never did such a thing,” you mutter. The Halfling shouts at the top of his lungs and the match begins. Yoongi grips his rapier in his hands and closes the distance. He hits twice, slamming down the blade onto Jinha with narrowed eyes and then surges forward for a critical hit. His accuracy and precision has become more refined since the last time you saw him fight. Yet, Jinha never bumbles or falls to his knees in spite of the brutality. He tightens his grip on his staff, jaw clamping down. He casts burning hands. His fingers spread and a thin sheet of flames shoots forth from his outstretched fingertips. It causes Yoongi to stumble back and the sorcerer turns his head, flashing a bright grin towards the rows, undoubtedly for you. But you aren’t fazed — not when you’re at the edge of your seat, gaze placed on Yoongi. Lia, on the other hand, is the one who’s impressed. Her jaw draws open, a soft gasp befalling her lips as she covers her mouth with a gloved hand. Across the field, your eyes lock into Yoongi’s. And then he’s moving again, blade slashing thrice. Jinha surrenders. “I should challenge you!” Taehyung suddenly breaks both you and Lia’s trance with his loud and startling voice, looking directly at Seokjin with a rectangular grin. “Do you want to fight?” “Actually, that doesn’t sound like a bad idea.” A wide smile spreads into your older brother’s face. “Do you think you could take me on?” Taehyung’s already rolling up his sleeves. “You’re just going to have to wait and s—” Your mother immediately pulls him down with the force of gravity itself. Her eyes pierce into your siblings. “Absolutely not! I won’t have any of my children fighting and hurting themselves!” The Halfling referee turns. “Does anyone want to challenge the victor of this mat—” You stand. “I do!” Your mother is absolutely mortified. Your father is taken aback. Taehyung is already smiling with a murmured ‘awesome’ while both Seokjin and Lia are visibly amused. There’s little your parents can do too when the Duchess starts clapping and hollering for you to enter the field and the Duke wishes you luck, citing that he’s excited to see the true capabilities of your household. “For our next match on the right is Y/N, phoenix sorcerer from the Kim Phoenix Household. And to our left is Yoongi, knight fighter from the House of Min and the Order of the Black Sun!” From the distance, no one can hear the two of you. No one can discern the way Yoongi’s looking at you. How he’s deflated, sword drooping by his side, his form not at all ready. “I’m not going to fight you,” Yoongi declares with the furrow of his brows. You scoff. “Then you’re weak.” Gripping your spellcasting focus, your blazing red and orange swirling orb, you channel your magic and cast fireball. A bright streak flashes from your pointing finger towards him, blossoming with a low roar into an explosion of flames. But it misses when he nimbly dodges out of the range. The spectators cheer, on the edge of their seats. Yoongi, realizing that you’re not conceding, moves towards you. He grips his rapier and hits twice, bringing his blade down to slash. You sharply inhale, but keep your feet rooted into the ground and as he raises his arm for the third time, it slips. The weapon falls to the ground. “Pick it up,” you spit at him in Elvish, straightening out your spine again. Gasping, you cast Melf’s Minute Meteors and six tiny meteors manifest. They float in the air and orbit you until you send both of them towards him. It misses, exploding on the ground instead. Yoongi grabs his sword, but when he hits you, it’s weak. It barely skims you. Doesn’t even break through skin. And he drops his rapier again. “Keep going! Don’t stop!” This time, the shout isn’t coming from you but from Duchess Jacquelyn who’s crazed as she grips the banister and cackles maniacally. The Duke stares at her in discomfort at how wrapped up she is and Yoongi’s fiancée, Klarinda, shakes her head. “Mom.” You have no plans of surrendering. Even if you drop dead here. You cast fireball again and this time, the blossoming roar of the flames consumes Yoongi. You hear him cry out in agony and you send two meteors orbiting you his way. One misses, but the other one explodes on his chest. Yoongi’s teeth clenches. His knuckles turn white. But before he surges forward with his rapier, the smoke dissipates and he sees you. Tears in your eyes. The trembling of your bottom lip. The quivering of your entire frame. And no one hears when you softly curse him— “Bastard.” Yoongi drops his sword into the dirt. “I forfeit.” At once, Klarinda races down the rows, grabbing fistfuls of her dress. “Excuse me, pardon me!” She races down the field undignified, but to resume to her fiancé’s side. She searches his expression. “A-Are you alright, Yoongi? I can heal you.” She casts cure wounds and presses her palms to his pectorals over his armour. And after she does so, she looks between you and Yoongi. But by that time, you’ve long grabbed your own dress and marched off the field, leaving the two lovers behind. At the exact same moment, a ghostly presence fades from the open arched window on the fourth floor, their eyes having been pinpointed on your figure for the entirety of the match. // There’s someone watching you. You can tell with the way goosebumps raise all over the back of your arm, hairs on the back of your neck lifted, how there’s a sudden weight of someone’s stare on your shoulders. It feels like there’s someone creeping, a presence behind you. Your heel pivots. “Yoon—” But it isn’t him or any of your siblings. A translucent force tries to push itself into your body, causing your words to choke in your throat, your weakened knees to stumble back. Your lungs wither and your throat dries as the remaining air inside you wheezes out. But you resist. With all the strength left inside of you. You use your remaining energy to prevent the force from taking control, from entering and intruding. And in the next moment, it slips out and flounders in front of you. What would be a terrified shriek ends up as coughs as you gasp for air. “W-What in the holy fuck—” It’s a ghost. A chubby man in white sleeping silks, his dark hair brushing against his shoulders, but his form translucent and feet floating inches off the cobblestone hall. Your seething fire running through your blood flares. It seeps out and magically wreathes around you as your eyes glow as hot coals. You lift your finger to him, threatening to attack and he steps back. “Hold on there! Don’t be hasty!” the ghost spits in panic. “I sincerely apologize for my blunder!” “Who are you?! What were you trying to do to me?!” “My name is Leo and I just wanted to borrow your body for a bit! You see...I have some unfinished business.” There’s an extended silence. Then you lower your arm and the fire drawn back into you. Your stare is unwavering and Leo musters a smile on his thin lips, wrinkles around his eyes creasing. “In hindsight, I should have asked. I apologize for intruding.” You scoff, guard still up. “What’s your unfinished business?” “Ah, I would like to see the sunrise one last time.” The ghost turns to glance out the window. “Someone once tried to banish me away, so now I’m in a quite unstable form. I am only able to venture in this realm when it is day or night when time itself is stable. I disappear every time there is a sunset or sunrise.” Your brow lifts. “So you’ve been haunting this castle?” “Well, I can’t leave if I have unfinished business.” Leo smiles at you, eyes almost hopeful. “Whoever tried to banish you should’ve done it properly,” you deadpan. Getting rid of this ghost could be your birthday present to the Duchess. “I don’t know the banishment spell unfortunately. But my older brother does.” You start to march down the hall, but the ghost follows after you frantically. “Please don’t banish me! I beg of you! Please!” It’s an opportunity and you seize it. Your feet halt and you twist to him with a smirk growing. “Then what will you offer me?” “Offer you?” “As payment.” Your arms cross. “We can strike a fair deal. If you want to borrow my body, I’ll let you. But only if you can give me gold.” The ghost bursts out in hearty laughter that streams from his chest. “I don’t have anything to my name anymore, dear sorcerer. Certainly not gold. I’m dead!” Your face morphs into impassivity, lips drawn into a tight line. “Then I’m afraid I can’t help you.” Yet, he still follows relentlessly, floating to your left and to your side, eyes plastered onto your profile. “Oh, but can’t you offer me even half a day out of the kindness of thy own heart? Surely you must feel pity for a ghost like me that’s forced to wander this castle with no end. I will leave when my business is complete, that I can assure.” “Why don’t you go bother someone else?” “But you are special.” At that, your steps slow and he smiles again. “You know magic well and it reminds me of a certain someone.” “Who?” He hums and frowns. “I can’t seem to remember.” You scoff. After years of your business, of persuasion and deception, you can tell he’s not being entirely truthful. But before you can press on and coax the ghost’s true intentions out, there’s a noisy interruption. “Y/N!” Taehyung approaches with his mouth lopsided. “Who are you talking to?” You turn to your side, but the middle-aged ghost has vanished in thin air. “It was a ghost.” “What?” He looks at you as if you’ve gone crazy and maybe you have. “There aren’t ghosts here. Are you okay?” “I’m fine.” “I came to tell you that mom’s looking for you.” At your exaggerated sigh, Taehyung grins. “Trust me, it’s a lot worse than what you think.” He’s right. Your mother’s caught wind that a few youngsters are going boating and of course, she has to push her children into the private affair. You’re largely unamused, not a fan of being stuck in large bodies of water, even if it’s just a lake. “You have to go.” The moment she sharply enunciates the word, she pulls on the strings on your back laced bodice with all her might and you choke on air. “How else are you going to get married?” She doesn’t see you roll your eyes in the mirror. “My plan isn’t to get married.” “Well you never know what might happen. Keep an open mind.” Somehow, she thinks marriage will quell her troublesome daughters, especially you. But you can’t blame her for holding such an idea. At this point, she’s trying everything she can. “It’s time to be a little more ladylike after the whole tournament fiasco.” In the meanwhile, Lia is sitting in the corner, amused. She has a frilly, puffed up skirt of her own, a shade of light pink and on top of her head, a giant hat with flowers. She’s always been the prettier one. But as you turn to the mirror in your own blue summer dress your mother’s putting you in, you find that you aren’t half bad. Your mother knows you tend to get yourself dirty and that you don’t particularly enjoy being dressed up, so your attire is much less obnoxious and more subtle. It’s proof she’s thought about you. Eventually, your eyes drift off of your reflection to the flames dancing in the fireplace. You stare at the crimson light it gives, the way the subtle smoke that rises from it, curling towards the chimney. “There we are.” Your mother secures the last pins in your hair and smooths out your skirt. “Not too shabby, darling,” she says with a smile as if satisfied from her own work. You wonder what’s the point of trying. It’s not like anyone will be enamoured with you. The person who matters the most after all has already been taken. “You look absolutely beautiful this fine afternoon, Lady Y/N.” Your trance shatters and you look at the man blankly. “Jinha.” “Dare I say, you may be more lovely than you were last night!” He grins and you answer him in silence. You allow the noise of the surroundings to respond instead — the cawing of the birds, the sloshing of the water on the edge of the grass, your brothers laughing as the boats bump into the pier. The only mercy given to him is when Lia quite literally bumps into you and clears her throat loudly. “Ahem. Hello. I don’t believe we’ve met before.” The sorcerer’s smile widens. “Excuse me, but you are?” “I am Lia, Y/N’s older sister. But I’m not that much older. Only by two years. I’m turning twenty four.” You’ve never seen Lia flounder so much. It’s amusing to behold. “Oh, I knew Y/N had a sister, but I would’ve thought you were the younger sister,” Jinha says smoothly and her expression lights up even further. He takes her hand, placing a kiss upon her knuckles and you’re glad she’s taken his attention. Heaven knows you aren’t interested. But as you’re about to walk away, your line of sight falls to a familiar girl with dimples. Klarinda, the Duke’s daughter, is wearing a brimmed hat and her expensive silk skirt flutters with her. If she’s here then where’s— Yoongi’s staring right at you. As if he’s a predator and you’re merely the prey. Immediately, you return to Lia being overly flirtatious with Jinha. It’s bearable for a few minutes until you join your brothers who are horsing around and threatening to push one another into the lake. But out of the corner of your eye, you watch Yoongi and look away when your eyes meet. You know he’s watching you too. You try your best to stay focused on your surroundings. The strangers around were from different families and factions, civil with each other when they’re on the Duke’s grounds. At most, they send glares to their enemies. So you allow the polite, peaceful chatter to engulf you before everyone slowly gets onto the boats to row out and enjoy the lake. “Finally!” Taehyung suddenly twists around, holding a rope in hand. “I got it untied!” Jin facepalms himself. “You idiot! You’re supposed to untie the rope after everyone’s gotten in!” “What?” “Not to worry!” Jinha announces with a grin and nimbly hops inside the boat before it drifts too far off the pier. He holds out his hand for Lia and she gladly takes it with a giggle, being guided in. You watch at a loss for words as the boat gets farther and farther. Still, the divine sorcerer boldly holds out his hand for you. “Lady Y/N!” You hesitate. The boat is already full with four people and you’re not sure if it’s worth jumping in and potentially getting pulled into the lake. But suddenly, before you can make a decision, your waist is pulled back by strong arms. “It’s okay. She can come with me. There’s one left.” “Yoongi!” your gasp is sharp and you look up at him. But he remains unfazed. Your siblings have their brows raised. But by then, they’ve already drifted off and Taehyung wordlessly rows away. You don’t have time to react or object — not when Yoongi’s grabbed your hand and you stumble after him. The last rowboat rocks back and forth violently and you drop into a seated position on the seat before you can fall in. It takes three seconds. The rope is untied and Yoongi rows away from the pier. You notice his fiancée meters away in her own boat, sitting closely with girls chatting and giggling together. Yet, she pays no mind to her friends. Instead, she stares at the two of you. “Shouldn’t you be with her?” Yoongi follows your line of sight and mumbles, “It’s fine.” You’re stuck with him. Yoongi rows where no one else does and you watch the water cascade back. The soft sloshing fills the background as it gets quiet and much too uncomfortable. Yoongi’s husky timbre breaks the tension. “How have you been?” “Well, I’ve just been trapped in my house ever since I’ve returned, but things are great.” Your voice drips of venomous sarcasm, but when you lift your eyes, his gaze locks into yours. The blonde man wears a somber expression, his irises darkening and you sigh, speaking at a quieter volume. “I actually worked out a deal with my parents. As long as I behave and don’t tarnish my family name, I can do as I please. There’s more freedom than before. But it’s a work in progress full of compromise. If I want to leave, I’ll have to write a plan so they know where I’m headed. I just haven’t decided what I want to do next.” Your muttering gets quiet and your face hardens. “Obviously, you’re doing well.” Yoongi stops rowing. He allows the boat to drift. “The engagement was set up by my mother.” “Oh please, Yoongi.” Your eyes roll and you cross your arms, ready for his excuses that you knew were coming. “It was arranged. For all I know, I haven’t proposed to anyone yet.” “That doesn’t change that fact that you’re an engaged man!” Your teeth grit. “It doesn’t change the fact that you’re going to go off with her and have a bunch of kids and a big family together, so congratu-fucking-lations.” It’s unbearable. There’s nowhere you can run. He’s truly trapped you here to confront one another. “And when were you planning to tell me? All those letters and you didn’t mention it once!” Your eyes sting painfully as your vision floods, overwhelmed with emotion. You feel blindsighted. “I thought I wouldn’t have to tell you at all. I was going to take care of it. I didn’t know you were going to be here.” “You really think it’s easy to call off an engagement with the Duke’s daughter?!” you spit and he takes your onslaught of anger. The pain is visible on your visage. “If I didn’t come, were you going to tell me when you got to the altar? Or after you got back from the honeymoon? I...I feel like an idiot.” “I’m sorry.” Staggering exhales pull from your lungs after your tangent and silence fills the large distance between the pair of you. Yet, Yoongi’s gaze is too tender for you to bear. “My biggest regret is not kissing you that night,” he murmurs. “Or rather, not asking you to come with me.” “It’s too late.” “It isn’t.” “What are you going to do, Yoongi?” “I’m going to call it off.” “How?” “I’ll try.” His voice is low, eyes half-lidded. “Then what?” you spit in exasperation. “What reason would you have to call it off? It’s a great arrangement! A beneficial marri—” “I want to marry you.” The inside of your chest stutters. Your breath catches in your throat. Warmth rises to your face and heats your cheeks like a furnace. Yoongi isn’t a straightforward man, blunt but never honest with his feelings. That trait has bred so many uncertainties within you. But in this moment, you feel his sincerity. You can see it, how hard he’s tried to reach you, to tell you his intentions. It reminds you of that night in Rutherglen. The festival and fireworks, when you were so close to one another, when you would’ve gone anywhere with him. “You’re an idiot, Min Yoongi.” You stand. “I don’t feel like talking to idiots.” You pull your orb from your pocket and cast shape water. The waves rise and it splashes him. Yoongi’s yellow hair is soaked along with the entire side of his head. His visage washes over into impassivity, akin to a glare. But you don’t dwell, palms laying flat in the air as you manipulate the water and push the boat back to shore. The minute you get to the pier, you pull yourself up. “I learnt more spells other than fire magic since our fight with the Remorhaz,” you add, “if you even remember that.” You know it’s unfair, but you rush away before he can discern how in a few words, he’s given you hope. The very hope that you know can easily break your heart again. // It’s been less than two full days, but it feels like an eternity. You’re slouched over an open arched window, elbow propped on the stone with your chin rested in your hand. The valleys of Pegan are out in the distance behind the fogged clouds, countless adventures and creatures out there for you to discover and explore. But you find yourself rooted in your place, a sense of uneasiness and yearning preventing you from leaving. At sounds of quacking, your eyes drift from the scenery to the first floor. By the staircase is a white duck with an orange beak trotting along with a row of pale yellow, baby ducklings behind her. They follow their mother religiously, teetering from side to side, trying not to get too curious of the world around them and a smile graces your lips. “Are ducklings your favourite animal, sorcerer?” Your spine straightens in shock and the wandering ghost, Leo, grins at you. Your hand presses to your chest as you steady your breath. “Are you trying to scare me to death?!” “Of course not! That would be defeating the purpose. I can’t borrow your body if you’re dead like I am,” he chortles, arms behind his back as he floats from your right side to your left. “I wanted to merely apologize for this morning. I didn’t mean to be so invasive or startle you.” You glare at him, not yet accepting his apology. He continues nonetheless— “Also, I want you to help me.” You snort unattractively, having known he had other purposes in approaching you again. “Unless you agree to my deal, the answer is no.” “Please,” Leo pleads. “I can’t move on.” You push yourself off the wall and walk away. He follows after you, even after you quicken your steps. “Why can’t you possess someone else’s body and watch your stupid sunrise?” “That is not my greatest desire.” The ghost comes in front of you and you halt in fear of him entering your body. “I’m afraid I haven’t been entirely truthful to you, dear sorcerer.” Your brow lifts, waiting patiently and Leo swallows hard. “I await another lost soul and I wish to depart this world together with them. I can’t move on without them.” Your frustration makes your voice shrill. “It’s not only you who has problems, alright? I can’t even fix mine! What makes me think I can fix yours?!” As your annoyance boils over, you start running. It’s useless to try to elude a ghost who can’t get tired, but you try anyway. “Sorcerer!” And without looking, you turn the corner and collide with another body. “Woah!” Jin steadies you before the two of you can topple over. “Why are you not looking at where you’re going?” Lia is with him and regards you with wide eyes. “Are you okay?” You glance over your shoulder. The ghost never comes. “It’s nothing,” you mutter in a sigh. “Mom’s looking for you again.” “What is it this time?” The words come out in a tired exhale. Your older brother shrugs. “Might have to do with tonight’s dinner.” “Hey, Y/N.” Suddenly, Lia takes your hands. “Tell me honestly, do you like Jinha?” “No.” You warily eye her, not sure where she’s going with this. The corner of Jin’s mouth curls. “Why? You like him?” “Well, if she doesn’t like him, she should give him to me,” Lia mumbles, then quickly turns to you. “Of course, if you do, then by all means, our sisterhood is my top priority….” You pull your hand away from her. “I don’t like him, Lia. But he’s not mine to give away either. You can do whatever you want.” Your sister’s eyes twinkle with a kind of enthusiasm that makes you scoff with a smile. Jin’s mouth is quirked as well, but his curiosity has been piqued and he doesn’t hesitate to ask— “It’s because of him, isn’t it? He’s the reason you’re not interested. The youngest son of the Min faction. What was his name?” “Yoongi.” If possible, Lia’s features light up further and she steps forward, cornering you. “What happened on that boat ride, Y/N? It seemed like you were having a really intense talk.” “It was nothing,” you murmur. “He practically pulled you into the boat with him. I mean, did his fiancée mind?” In the midst of the interrogation, Jin shifts to you, eyes unwavering. “You started sending him letters the minute you got back, but now he’s engaged and he happens to pull you aside like that— What really happened on your adventure together?” Millpass, Bogsburrough, Rutherglen. The memories seep back into you. The fireworks and festival, the night at the roadside tavern, fighting together at the underground market. The way he rushed in front of you in the face of the white dragon, how the two of you sat on the hill and watched the sunset together. It’s overwhelming. “Who is he to you?” “I said nothing!” you lie and push past them, stomping in the other direction to get away from your overbearing siblings. “Hey!” Lia shouts after you. “Mom’s still calling you!” You ignore them, turning the corner then down the staircase lest the wandering ghost plagues you again or you run into Taehyung, your mother or father. For good measure, you depart outside without any direction but merely feeling the soft grass underneath your boots. You’re about to turn yourself invisible for a moment of peace or disguise yourself as a maid to escape, but with your unfortunate luck that’s been bestowed to you since you arrived, you run into dimples before you get the chance. A petite figure with spiral curls and an evening dress of modesty. Her brown eyes sparkle as your eyes lock with one another’s. With half a mind and all the etiquette training that had been slammed into you at childhood, you curtsy. “Hello.” “Good evening.” Klarinda smiles at you without a trace of malice. “What a coincidence meeting you here. I was about to head to my greenhouse.” “Yes.” You stiffly nod. “If you’ll excuse me…” But before you can march off, she twirls around. “Would you like to join me?” It’s an open space. The gardens seem to stretch on for miles, plant walls that border the perimeter. In the center of it all is a structure made of glass. The ceilings are high to let in sunlight and there are rows and benches of potted plants and flowers. “Some of these I grow simply because they’re beautiful. But a lot of these herbs have medicinal purposes.” “You’re a cleric, aren’t you, my lady?” “I am, like my mother. And you don’t have to address me by such formal titles. A friend of Yoongi’s is a friend of mine.” The girl smiles. “Klarinda is fine.” You nod and she quietly hums a song as she waters flowers. You follow after her until a particular plant catches your eye — verdant leafs, yellow petals and plump berries. “It’s a sunberry plant,” Klarinda says when she notices your curiosity. “Would you like to try one?” The Duke’s daughter happily plucks one off and holds it out in front of you. The second your teeth bites down, the sweetness explodes into your cheek. She giggles at your reaction. “Good, right? My dad likes to come in here and eat them when they’re in season, so they’re always gone.” “Good enough to sell. You should cast a protection or barrier spell on them.” “I should.” She grins, dimples dotted on both sides of her face. “But between you and me, I actually don't mind so much. It makes me happy that he enjoys something from my garden, even if he has to sneak in.” Most of your first impressions aren’t wrong. Within minutes of conversation, you can figure out if a customer is going to chase you down and try to fight you or might come back at a latter time to buy more. And you can tell her innocence isn’t a feigned facade. The Marquise is endearing enough that you like her for it. For a moment, you almost feel envious of Yoongi. But they’re undoubtedly a good match. A stoic, strong knight capable of shielding away a virtuous maiden who knows nothing of the world, but is kind and generous to a fault. It’s a portrait perfect couple. “This place is really beautiful.” You force yourself away from the thoughts that form a lump in your throat. “Thank you. It can get lonely though.” You hum, supposing a vast yet empty estate would do that to someone. “Don’t people from Pegan visit often?” “They do. They mostly arrive for business. I used to play with all kinds of children from the different factions, especially during holidays. But they can be……” “A bit much?” Klarinda laughs. “Yes! Some might say crazy or competitive, but much is a good word too.” You grin. “I’ve barely gotten to know how the factions work, but I can already tell. Some of them are so conceited.” Her eyes sparkle. “Like Jinha?” “Yes!” She giggles, her dimples creased deeper and her teeth shown in the light. Like this, she’s less of a proper and demure lady, niece to the king, and more like a girl you would’ve known on your travels. “He can be quite a gentleman, but he has an arrogant nature.” “My sister likes him, but I’m not sure why. Personally, I think she could do better. Then again, they wouldn't be bad together.” With the divine sorcerer’s willing-to-please nature and Lia’s incessant demands and high maintenance personality, it might work out better than intended. “I’m envious that you have so many siblings,” Klarinda says with a tender smile and you’re caught in surprise. You didn’t know it was possible she could be envious of you when you were envious of her in so many ways. “I’m an only child, so I’ve often wondered what it would’ve been like to have an older brother or younger sister. There’s nothing that beats family after all.” “You’re not missing out on much, trust me. Siblings can be quite annoying.” She laughs again. “Still, I think it would’ve been nice to belong to a bigger family.” A comfortable silence simmers as you follow after her and she moves to prune a plant. You break the quiet. “Actually, I was away from my family for quite a while. For a number of years.” “I thought you went adventuring for one year?” You shake your head. “They told everyone I went to go study arcane magic, but it isn’t true. I ran away and was gone for three.” Klarinda looks at you with a gentle expression, recognizing your solemnity. “What matters is that you’re here with them now.” You nod. “I don’t regret coming home. I’m glad I didn’t have to return when there was a funeral of my parents.” “Even if they’re overbearing?” she asks with a tiny smile. “Even if they’re overbearing,” you confirm. “You met Yoongi during your travels, right?” Immediately, you freeze, but she focuses on her plant, only stealing a simple glance at you. “He told me a lot about you from day one.” “Is that so?” “The engagement was a surprise to the both of us,” she murmurs, placing her shears down. “It happened less than a month ago. Suddenly my mother sat me down and told me about the arrangement. It was strange considering she had never spoken to me about it before and she’s never been one to make such an agreement. Anyway, a few minutes after I met Yoongi, he spoke about you. Rather fondly.” “Really?” You plaster on a polite smile. “Well, I’m flattered. He’s a great friend.” “Is he sincerely a friend to you?” Klarinda asks. Her gaze is piercing and you raise your guard. She’s going to threaten you — you know it. But you weren’t the one who made the decision and you don’t want any part of it. It doesn’t involve you. It never will. Having learnt from the best, your face becomes blank. “I am very happy that he’s finally engaged. He’s always been very popular, so settling down just seems right for him.” At once, the cleric grips her necklace. Against your will, she casts an enchantment spell and a fifteen foot radius sphere sweeps out from her. It keeps you inside. A zone of truth that prevents lies. “I’m sorry. But I need to know.” She looks at you solemnly. “Do you like Yoongi?” You cuss in Elvish underneath your breath. You can’t be deceptive, but you can still be evasive in your responses as long as it remains within the boundaries of the truth. “It’s not like I dislike him.” “Please be honest with me.” She searches your expression earnestly, pleading with you. Being with Yoongi has made you soft. You’re used to protecting your vulnerabilities until the end, but the truth spills from you as if it’s been dying to be said— “I’m in love with him.” The spell dissipates. Klarinda smiles. “Then I’ll call off the engagement.” “What?” “They can’t force me to do anything and I’d rather keep two great friends than having an unwilling husband for the rest of my life.” Her dimples crease. “I wouldn’t want that for him, myself or you.” “Wait! J-Just because I feel a certain way doesn’t mean he does or even that the engagement should be called off! This...this is something you should talk about with him, not me.” Her smile becomes sweeter. “Isn’t it obvious?” You blink at her. “Yoongi loves you too. What’s more that needs to be said?” The girl is so certain as if the answer has never been clearer. She’s a hopeless romantic. Utterly so. Someone who believes that love prevails above all and suddenly, you want to give into that urge as well. But before either of you can move, there’s a rumble beneath your feet. The ground itself tilts. Klarinda catches herself on the bench and you find your own balance. The pair of you tear your eyes away from one another to the roaring noise. The castle is shaking in its foundation. She notices the smoke that’s rising in the air. “Is...that fire?” Your eyes widen and you rush over, instincts screaming. The girl trails behind you and you pull yourself inside. There’s fire eating at the walls and you take your orb out, focusing your magic to snuff out the flames. To the best of your abilities, you extinguish it. Klarinda stays with you, using her own magic to try to aid you. “Sorcerer!” In the midst of the pandemonium, a familiar voice and form comes from the walls. Leo, the ghost, floats to your side. “I need your help. You must come with me. Please!” Klarinda’s eyes widen. But you don’t notice. “Don’t you see what’s going on?! I can’t help you!” The ghost vanishes. There is smoke filling the halls, flooding the corridors and you cover your mouth with the sleeve of your dress, coughing into it. Members from different factions are rushing past with their own weapons and shields, swords gripped or magic at their fingertips. There’s shouting above the chaos, but you don’t know what’s going on. Not until you enter the main room and find your mother and Taehyung. “Mom!” There’s a dracolich in the center of the circular room, towering high enough to graze the dome ceiling. It’s a monster — once a dragon until it became undead. Now what’s left of it is bones instead of flesh and blood, open eye sockets and decayed wings. But instead of being buried underneath the ground or burnt to ash, it’s come back to life, roaring and whipping its tail to a group of terrified, screaming wizards. There are several death knights as well. Decayed bodies with rotting flesh and pinpoints of light in place of eyes. They’re undead warriors who have revived, having once been rangers and barbarians until they fell. And one of them lunges at Taehyung until your mother casts finger of death, causing it searing pain and making it drop to its knees. Three rays of fire shoot past her, firing onto the death knight. She turns her head. “Y/N!” “Where’s Jin and Lia?” “They went to go find your father. He’s with the Duke!” Another death knight comes running forward with an axe and Taehyung screams before splashing a bubble of acid on it. A beat later, your mother’s grasp on her wand tightens and she sends a frigid beam of blue-white light streak on the monster. A coldness sweeps through the room and you follow up with casting firebolt. The monster has slowed down, barely staggering and obviously wounded. Yet, it tries to swing and misses Taehyung by a long shot. “Not bad,” you comment. “Hey, I’ve improved a lot since the last time you saw me fight!” A rectangular grin is plastered on Taehyung’s face. But the conversation is cut short by the dragonlich’s tail. He jumps away before he’s attacked and joins the other side where a paladin is fighting another monster. “Go!” Your mother shouts. “It’s too dangerous!” “I’m not leaving!” You don’t know where these undead creatures came from, how they even came alive again, or who revived them. There’s no time to think and in the midst of the anarchy, you’re trapped. Sheer seconds as you realize you’re about to be struck, but you’re unable to do anything. You merely brace for the impact. But the monster drops dead in front of you. Yoongi pulls his rapier out in one smooth tug, the silver blade slicing through the air. You gasp for air and he immediately engulfs you in an embrace. The man with the light blonde strands of hair holds you tight as your breath steadies and you savour his warmth. There are no words spoken, nothing that needs to be said that can’t be translated through his desperate yet affectionate gesture. “Sorcerer.” The moment can’t last long when you’re interrupted by the ghost. It floats to you and Yoongi is on guard, lifting the tip of his weapon. But you place a hand on his arm and he eases. “Listen to me.” You’re calm enough to finally pay attention, to hopefully be given answers. And answers are what he offers you. “There is a lich where the old castle resides. You must find the phylactery and destroy it before things become worse.” “A lich?!” Liches are among the worst creatures of humanity — undead spellcasters of great power. They’re creatures who traded in their souls for a chance to exist forever. There are untold treachery and blasphemies they’ve done just to become what they are. But they’re given immortality unless someone destroys their phylactery, an object that stores their life essences. Before you can ask any more questions, the ghost dissipates in thin air. Klarinda, who noticed the transparent form, runs to you. She grabs your hands and searches your expression. “What did the ghost say?!” “T-There’s a lich in the old castle!” “I know where that is!” The Dragonlich roars deafeningly as a warlock casts hold monster and it becomes paralyzed. At the same time, Yoongi pierces a death knight that was barreling towards you. You turn to your mother who gives a glance and she doesn’t even take a moment of hesitation. “Go!” She trusts your decisions — her gaze tells you that. Klarinda nods and Yoongi takes your hand. The two of you follow after her as she twists through the halls. “How did you come in contact with that ghost, Y/N?” “I don’t know. He was the one who approached me after the tournament and he’s been bothering me since yesterday.” Klarinda turns down the hall. “Do you know who that ghost is?” “He told me his name is Leo.” “He’s King Lionel,” she says and your brows raise. Yoongi doesn’t appear surprised either. He wears a solemn expression, having recognized him as well. “There was a section of his life in my history textbook of Pegan. This place used to be his castle.” You’re baffled, completely rendered speechless. She continues, “There was a rebellion a thousand years ago. This whole place burnt down, but it was rebuilt during my grandfather’s generation.” “Were there ever mentions of a lich? Or someone who traded their soul?” Yoongi shakes his head. “No.” “He never had a wife. But there were rumours that he had a mistress. A wizard from far away lands.” Your eyes meet Klarinda’s. “His kingdom was taken down before they could get married.” “But why now?” You’re running out of breath as she climbs a staircase. “If this...mistress traded in her soul a thousand years ago, why is she trying to revive dragons and knights now?” “It isn’t just now,” Klarinda murmurs, her brows drawn into a tight furrow and jaw clenched. “Members of the royal family in Pegan have gone missing for generations. They’ve always swept it under the carpet and kept it a secret, but I think I’m about to find out the reason.” The three of you turn another corner, but come to a grinding halt when you see a flailing lady. “Mother!” Duchess Jacquelyn is in the middle of the corridor, wearing a bountiful and extravagant gown while her arms are full of jewelry boxes, dangling strings of pearls and diamonds. One string slips from the pile and rolls on the cobblestone to your friend’s feet. “D-Darling! What a surprise! What’s going on? The noise has been startling me!” Klarinda steps forward. “What are you doing?” “T-This?! Nothing! I was just re-organizing! Yes. Reorganizing.” “That’s grandmother’s ring.” She points, eyes narrowed in. “You’ve never brought it out since her funeral.” “Well...sometimes change is needed, sweetheart.” They stare at one another while you exchange looks with Yoongi. There is a pregnant silence, tangible tension that’s suffocating. Then you notice how Duchess Jacquelyn slips her hand to her side and something glistens in your eyes, blinding your vision. Your mouth draws open. “You’re not my mother!” — “Watch out!” The dagger strikes her. Klarinda cries as the back of her right hand is sliced. Yet she grabs the opportunity and grips her necklace, her spellcasting object. The girl’s left hand comes out and she holds her mother’s double by the wrist, casting inflict wound. The creature screams horrifically in sheer agony. “What did you do to her?! Where is she?!” You grip your orb, casting scorching ray. One beam of fire hits it and it screeches. A moment later, Yoongi lifts his rapier and strikes it twice, causing the monster to stumble onto its back. Its weapon clacks out of reach. Klarinda grabs the dagger and holds the creature to the floor. She presses the blade to its throat. All traces of her kindness and mercy have dissipated in the face of her rage. “Where is she?!” “O-Okay! Okay! I surrender!” It puts up its hands and shifts. The form of the creature is no longer the beautiful, middle-aged Duchess but a tall, elven gray-skinned humanoid. Its face is formless and eyes are pale and bulging. Its voice croaks, “I’m a doppelganger! I didn’t have a choice! The lich made me do it!” “My mother!” Klarinda shrieks and you lower yourself, squeezing her shoulder and she eases. Tears have filled her eyes, but when she glances at you, she’s able to compose herself. “She’s dead. Her soul’s been consumed.” Klarinda breaks down into sobs. You wrap an arm around her and she lets up on the doppelganger, but Yoongi makes sure to keep his foot down on its shoulder. “We have to get it.” She wipes at her tears, teeth sinking into her bottom lip. “We have to kill that lich, Y/N!” “We will,” you promise her. “We will.” Seconds later, you see Jinha come forward and he rushes over trying to get a grasp of the situation. “Can you take care of this?” you ask and he easily agrees. “O-Of course, lady Y/N.” He binds up the doppelganger and Klarinda casts cure wounds on herself, healing her gash. She takes your hand afterwards and you hold it. Yet, even as her frame shakes, there’s determination in her steps. A type of anger that has solidified her resolve and given her courage. “This is the passageway.” She pushes open a small stone door to reveal a crawl space after Yoongi helped push a bookshelf to the side in the corner of the library. “I found it as a kid, but I never went in too far. The servants found me and they tried to cover it up.” The three of you crawl through before it opens up and Yoongi helps you down onto the landing. There is consuming darkness until Klarinda casts light onto the dagger she has and you ignite a flame to dance into your hand. The empty void is collected with cobwebs, spiders and eyes of bats staring back at you, quietly observing your forms. Each of your steps echo and a cloud of dust emerges. You move slowly, scared that the steps of the staircase winding downwards will collapse under your weight. But you’re able to look around, at the crumbling paintings, the fragmented pillar pieces, the stone walls with scorched markings, and the ancient statues long lost and eaten by time itself. Never would you have guessed that the basement of the castle held all of this. That they had rebuilt themselves on top of what was once the castle of the entire kingdom of Pegan. You can imagine what this would’ve been like a thousand years ago. Children running with servants scolding them, advisors walking by King Lionel’s side, his lover waiting for him. Then you envision the screams, the devouring fire. You can see the charred marks along the banister. You can almost hear it, but you quickly shake it off before you can become frightened. “Destroying the phylactery is the only way we can get rid of the lich without it coming back, but how will we know where it is or what it is?” It could be any object in any room. You turn with the flickering fire in your palm, looking all around you. It’s endless. “If that monster is down here, there has to be a reason,” Yoongi offers, standing by your side. “It could’ve moved anywhere but it might be protecting its phylactery.” “I know where it is.” There’s a low voice and a familiar ghost descends in front of you with a saddened smile. “Your highness.” Klarinda bows her head. But you remain still, even after knowing his identity. King Lionel looks at you with his brows knitted together. “I am sorry for deceiving you, dear sorcerer. Or rather, holding the truth from you. I feared you would have denied my request had I been forthright about it. In hindsight, I could’ve prevented the devastation that has wrecked this place. Had I only known….” “Do you know where the lich is? Or where the phylactery is?” “It is in the last place where I perished.” The King smiles. “In our chambers.” He turns, floating away and Klarinda follows. You and Yoongi trail behind her and when you feel the back of his hand grazing against yours, you grasp it. Yoongi looks at you and you release your held sigh. “Why is it that we always find ourselves in adventures like these?” “You mean these life or death scenarios?” The corner of his mouth curls and he squeezes your hand. “We always manage. But you should’ve told me that you were talking to a ghost.” “I don’t think we were on speaking terms until recently, duckling.” Yoongi grins at the nostalgic nickname, the one you used to start each letter, and your own smile is tinged with sadness. You don’t know if either of you will live. If the pair of you have it in you to be an actual hero and defeat the greatest monster. And as these doubts fill you, so do the regrets that you harbour for not hearing him out, for not trusting in him. With such little time, you wonder if this is it. If this will be your last opportunity. Your steps slow. “Yoongi. I—” “How dare you enter my lair?!” There’s a snarling voice resounding above and instantly, the ghost of King Lionel vanishes. Klarinda turns behind her and looks at you and Yoongi. The hall has ended with a crumbling stone door in front of her. “Leave!” The voice shrieks deafeningly into multiple layers. “Leave!” You nod at her and she pushes the door open. The dust billows out, sweeping in front of your forms. The fire in your hand smothers and the strong gust of wind pulls through your hair. You can’t open your eyes, so you shield yourself away. Yoongi feels his grasp on you loosen. Your touch fades away from him. He shouts after you until his throat is raw, but it’s to no avail. He scrambles blindly until he’s able to open his eyes and finds himself in an empty void of darkness. “I know your greatest fear.” There’s a whisper in his ear and he jolts, turning around while drawing his rapier. But there’s nothing there, not even a shapeless figure. “Min Yoongi. I have read your thoughts.” “I have read your mind,” a second voice crackles to his left. The right snicker. “Your greatest fear is betrayal of your loved one.” “Whether that would be no longer sharing your affections.” “Or choosing another person to be with.” “Get out of my head,” he commands from deep within his stomach, his impassivity ruined by the furrow of his brows. But Yoongi feels a cold breath on the nape of his neck. “A lick of poison from her would destroy you for good.” Fire. You see it in front of you as you’re collapsed on the floor. The orange and rose glow are illuminated on your face. You’re sitting so close it seems to lick at your cheeks. Yet you’re brought into a lull as you listen to the crackle and pop, as you allow the smoke to fill your senses. You’re brought in a trance as you watch the fire burn a house down, a quaint home with a picket white fence and large windows with pink curtains. “Your greatest strength is your greatest fear.” There’s a murmur in your ear. It’s unrecognizable. “I know,” you mumble. “You are afraid of one day no longer being able to control the flames that seethes to be unleashed.” “But repress it no longer, dear,” the left voice seductively whispers, hissing softly. “Worry no longer.” “Your magic is incredible and oozes from you.” — “Give into it.” — “Allow it freedom.” “What….about...Yoongi?” you ask, tearing your eyes away from the fire into the darkness. You stand back on your feet, finding balance again. “No.” There’s a sharp inhale to your right. “Leave him.” You scoff automatically, the idea so utterly ridiculous that it’s unfathomable. “I’m not going to do that. I finally found someone that doesn’t find me annoying….” “You could be powerful.” The more it talks, the more you’re coming to your senses. “I already am powerful!” You twist around, dispelling away the hallucination of the burning house with the flicker of your hand. “And I already know how to control my powers! You think I’m some kind of amateur sorcerer?! It doesn’t control me. I control it!” Again, you ignite a fire in your hand and narrow your eyes. In the distance, you catch strands of pale yellow. And you run after him. The voices scream for you to stop, but you fight against the magic that threatens to pull you back. The moment you smother out the flame, you leap at Yoongi. Your arms are thrown around him in an embrace and immediately, his hands wrap around you. Yoongi stumbles back with an infectious smile expanding into his cheeks. The spell dissipates and you find yourself back in the underground remains of the ancient castle. “Don’t let go of my hand again, brat.” “I’m sorry,” you mumble against his neck. Suddenly, there’s a piercing scream that ricochets through the air — one belonging to only Klarinda. You pull away from Yoongi, eyes locked into one another and he sets you down. Your fingers interlace and you follow the sound, turning down the hall once more and entering through the large double-doors to the decaying chambers. A frame of a bed sits in the wide expanse of the room, grayed cloth ripped and drifting over the canopy. Ash and soot sits in a layer on the floorboards, the wardrobe and vanity along the back wall destroyed. There’s a large painting on the wall, but the faces of the couple have been torn and scratched by bleeding fingernails. Your eyes sweep the room within seconds before landing on Klarinda who’s been blighted. She’s fallen over and you come to cover her with your body as you look upon the lich. It’s angular and skeletal with withering flesh stretched tightly across visible bones, dressed in regal finery, reddened drapes that once was vibrant. Yoongi’s knuckles turn white at his grip and he runs towards the creature. He misses, but hits on his second try, slashing it across. He surges forward, yet it does little to the lich that still stands. “Foolish children,” she hisses and grips the blade of Yoongi’s rapier, rendering him immobile. “You aren’t heroes. Your recklessness will bring forth your death. I will not spare you from the choices you have made.” You cast immolation and flames wreathe the lich. She lets go of Yoongi’s weapon and the light of your magic is so bright that you’re forced to look away. At the same time, Klarinda cures her wounds and slowly comes to her feet again. “Do you really think you could defeat me?!” The lich’s snarling voice booms across the room. Pinpoints of crimson light burn in the empty sockets of where her eyes were before they rotted away. She glides forward as if floating on water and a sphere of poisonous gas billows to all corners of the room. “Yoongi!” You cover your mouth with your hand and the yellow-green fog obscures your view. You hear the clanking of metal where he hits the lich and you feel your vision blurring from the poison. But as you narrow your eyes, you’re able to make out the faint shadow of the lich’s form. And a thin green ray springs from your pointing finger in the spell disintegrate, allowing you to hear it’s deafening shriek. You give permission for your phoenix magic to unleash and you’re magically twined in swirling fire, eyes glowing as hot coals. Your flesh sheds bright light into the fog. Behind you, Klarinda murmurs words of restoration and you feel yourself being healed from the poison. The lich is toying with you. You know it. The moment you stepped into here, it could’ve immediately killed any of you with a single word, but instead, it chose to manifest those hallucinations and slowly suffocate the three of you in this poison. The lich glides towards you, but is stopped by Yoongi. Before you can pull him out of the way, she lifts her finger, and he drops to his knees. He screams from the sheer agony that courses up his body. “Yoongi!” The lich casts detect thoughts on him, probing his brain, tearing apart bits and pieces of it. It hums and muses, “How selfless yet foolish. Even in this much pain, you are still thinking about how much you love her.” Yoongi grits his teeth, bumbling upwards to his feet and strikes the monster thrice. The force is enough that she staggers back and tense silence fills the air. You steal the opportunity and come forward next to Yoongi. Your palms press towards the monster to cast fireball, but the roar of the flames never comes. The lich has counterspelled it. Klarinda cries and runs forward with her dagger. “You killed my mother!” “And her soul was delicious to consume,” she snarls and grabs her blade, tossing it aside as if it were a toy. “Yours will be too!” Klarinda sobs as something catches the corner eye. But there’s no chance — not when the lich takes your spell of choice and magic blooms out of her thin fingertips. Fire blossoms from her flesh, thundering out in the force of her rage. You immediately turn to hug Yoongi, arms embracing his body to protect him. But when his hands reach to the back of your neck and he presses your face to his shoulder, you’re not sure who’s protecting who. Yet, the fire never reaches you. Even when it rumbles through the room and the ruins of the ancient castle. Even when the walls begin to crack further and fragments of the ceiling dust down. Even when scorching flames has filled every corner of the space. You raise your head, finding that the ghost of King Lionel is facing the lich. One of his last fragments of magic has been channeled into an aura of life spell, shielding the three of you away. “Enough, Karlis,” he calls out to her softly. “You have done enough harm.” “I thought I banished you!” she snarls out, crouched over as the pinpoints of red lights of her eyes glare at him. “I won’t leave without you.” “Why?!” The voice is jarring to your ears. “The girl you knew is long gone!” Neither of them notice Klarinda who staggers upwards towards the vanity in the corner, struggling to grab her dagger along the way. “Even so, I won’t leave her behind again. I won’t leave you behind. So come with me, Karlis. Leave your anger behind and come with me.” His arm outstretched but the monster cackles horrifically. “Foolish, man! I will not stop until I have destroyed the bloodline that ruined us.” “No one ruined us. It was I who ruled poorly, and you who chose to give up your soul and walk down this path by your lonesome in the wake of your grief. Karlis.” “Never!” she screeches and a gust of wind pushes him away. Then the lich screeches in torment. Klarinda digs the dagger’s blade into the heart shaped necklace on the vanity — the phylactery that holds the life force of the lich. She plunges the weapon several times until her arm strains, until the dagger’s curved against the vanity’s surface, until it slips from her trembling hand and she tosses it aside in the midst of tears. The lich’s bones collide against the floor. Her screams are audible around the room and the red clothing flutters in the air as it drops. You look away with Yoongi, but King Lionel gazes at her until the last moment. Gone. After centuries of terrorizing Pegan’s royal family, just like that. // The sunbeams pierce the sky in pastel shades, painting the clouds in watercolour hues. It breaks away the darkness of the night and the stars of the horizon. Klarinda is silent as she looks onward from the open arched window with her arms behind her back. But you know it’s not her. She’s been possessed by King Lionel, having granted his wish and allowed him to borrow her body. “My last duties as a King have been complete,” he murmurs in her voice. “My business is finished now that I know she hasn’t been left behind.” He turns to you and Yoongi with a dimpled smile. “Thank you. Sorcerer. Knight. Without your help, I wouldn’t have been able to free her from her own treachery.” “It’s not like you gave us much of a choice,” you mumble half-heartedly and he chuckles. “I guess I didn’t. I’m also sorry I’m not able to give you gold or any semblance of a reward when you have bestowed to me such a great favour.” “Having our lives is enough,” Yoongi says, bowing his head and you scoff lightly. The ghosts’ eyes twinkle as he looks at him and then to you. “You really do remind me of her,” he says. “But more strong-willed and self-assured. Something she had greatly missed and led her to her demise.” A sigh releases from him. “The world is blessed to have such great heroes.” The pair of you exchange expressions. “I’m not so sure about that….” You still don’t feel like heroes — he was the one who protected you and Klarinda was the one who destroyed the phylactery. Both you and Yoongi barely did anything other than waltz in there without a plan. In retrospect, that was probably a bad idea but there wasn’t really enough time to figure out battle tactics. Or at least that’s the excuse you’re going to hang onto. The ghost gives an all-knowing smile and turns to the horizon. “My time is here. Thank you for your help, heroes.” Within three seconds, he dissipated from her. Klarinda stumbles and is steadied by Yoongi. She smiles, thanking him before gazing at the pair of you. Two dimples are marked in each corner of her cheeks.

The chaos has come and gone. The moment the lich’s life source was destroyed, the monsters no longer swarmed and spawned on the grounds. The place is no longer haunted either. It’s finally what it looks like — simply, a castle. You came here to find the truth and to confront Yoongi — you never expected to encounter a ghost and a lich. It’s a wonder how it’s possible trouble can find you in so many ways no matter where you go. “Aren’t you cold?” A husky voice pipes up behind you and you’re brought out of your trance. Pale yellow hair joins your side, reminding you of ducklings. It’s still dawn, but you’re at the bottom steps of the garden's gazebo instead of seeking refuge on a soft bed. It was the only way you could get some peace and quiet from your siblings. “I’m never cold.” You turn to him, a fire flickering in your palm. Yoongi tenderly smiles. “How did speaking to Duke Fesan go?” “He’s bedridden, but he’ll make it. He wasn't too badly injured. But he’s grieving with his daughter.” You nod. “And your mother and father?” “They’re fine. A little shocked, but they’re using the opportunity to boast about me. A lot.” A laugh bubbles out of you. “Well, it’s not like they have no reason to. You’re amazing, Yoongi,” you breathe it out with a second thought, as if it were factual and you don’t notice his gaze on you. “How about your own family?” “They’re fine. My sister’s well enough to flirt with Jinha and my brothers are bickering loud enough to give my mom a headache,” you say and he hums. “But we’re leaving in a few hours. They already called the carriage for the afternoon.” “You’re heading back home?” You nod wordlessly. The tension is suffocating. You decide to break it, turning to him while masking a smile. “How was breaking the...other news to the Duke?” “Easier than one would expect. Klarinda asked to call off the wedding and the Duke said it was the doppelganger’s arrangement anyway. It was trying to amass as much wealth for itself as it could.” “That’s good.” “It is.” “Get that sorted and out of the way.” You steal a glance at Yoongi pathetically to find he has an impassive expression and is blankly looking onward. After a moment, he yawns tiredly and then his eyes flicker to you. Instantly, you divert your vision elsewhere, not noticing his smile. “You know,” he says, “the Duke thought it would be unfair to me. Even though it’s going to be called off, everyone already knows about the arrangement. It might be an opportunity for gossip to be made towards the Min faction.” “And what did you say?” “I said that I already had someone else in mind from the start.” Your eyes meet. Pools of deep brown locked into yours. Strands of his blonde hair nearly pricking into his lashes. And it’s an intimate moment as your voice quiets. “Did you really mean what you said on that boat ride. About regretting not asking me to come with you?” The man exhales, “Every day.” “A wedding with me would be awful,” you murmur, barely coherent. You feel how warmth rises to your face and heats your cheeks like a furnace, and for once, it’s not because of the magical fire inside your blood. “My mom would have to have a whole show and if you thought having three siblings was a lot, wait until you meet my cousins and extended family. They multiplied like damn rabbits.” Yoongi tries to put on a stoic face but fails. His grin is all too gummy. “I don’t mind. You haven’t met my brother yet, but he’s just as overbearing. And if anything, my mother would be ecstatic. She loves noble titles, so she’d hit it off with your mother.” “I still want that great big house.” “I would like one too.” “If you haven’t noticed, I really like my food burnt to a crisp like a fiend.” “I don’t mind.” He shrugs. “I always liked my meat especially cooked anyways.” “I’m a con artis—” “No matter what you say, I won’t change my mind, Y/N.” Yoongi’s brow cocks, challenging you straight on, albeit more gingerly than you’ve ever witnessed. “Your persuasions won’t work.” “Yoongi…” “You still owe me that refund.” What? He grins mischievously and you roll your eyes, having no idea why he’s bringing this up and ruining the moment. “Are you serious?” “Very. You scammed me over a year ago and I expect a full repayment. Also, I happen to collect interest. It’s a hefty, hefty interest fee.” “Okay.” You play along. “What do I owe you now?” You’re not sure what to expect. You’re never sure when it comes to him considering he’s so hard to read. But your breath hitches as he lowers himself to one knee and looks up at you with his tender features relaxed into the softest expression. He pulls something out of his pocket. “Nothing. It’ll be me who will owe you, if you would so graciously choose to spend your life with me—” You throw your arms around Yoongi. The both of you collapse onto the soft bed of grass and you giggle infectiously, pulling yourself up from him. “You’re an idiot, you know that? I really thought that for the rest of your life, you were just going to send me letters.” Yoongi grins a gummy smile. His arms wrap around your body and he reaches up to finally capture your lips on his. The two of you kiss each other, making up for the moments where you should’ve done it sooner. It’s sweet, but less than innocent with how eager it is. You only manage to pull away when out of the corner of your eye, you catch curtains shifting from upstairs. “Nosy, aren’t they,” Yoongi laughs. At the left window, your family is crowding around. Taehyung and Lia are shoving each other to get a look, Seokjin has his palms pressed against the glass, your father is grinning while your mother is absolutely astounded. At the right, both of Yoongi’s parents are peeking out owlishly. You see different members of the faction watching in both horror and confusion, having not yet heard of the news that the engagement is broken and assuming that they’re catching him in the midst of a scandal. But more importantly, you see Klarinda smiling infectiously at the top of the tower with her dad coming to look too. “Exciting, isn’t it?” Yoongi teases, “With so many guests watching.” “Is it so hard to get some damn privacy? This is why I prefer being on the move,” you whine and cast invisibility on the both of you. Yoongi laughs, closing the distance to kiss you again.

[Epilogue] “What if this is a trap.” “Then we’ll grab our weapons. But I don’t think it is.” There’s a house in the middle of the peaceful suburbs, placed in the middle of the street in a row of other homes. Built with bricks covered in render and an oak roof with a chimney on the side, it stands tall in a fairly asymmetrical pattern. The windows are large and it looks like the structure has two floors. More importantly, they swear they see the curtains shift on the left side. The two young adventurers step up on the wooden porch, facing the oak double doors. “Do we just….knock?” “I guess.” His fist raps against the surface while she braces herself for an attack. The door swings open. She hitches her breath, but an onslaught of offensive spells never happens. Instead, they see you. In a simple, brown dress and your hair braided in an updo with loose strands framing your full features. Your eyes glisten, giving a smile and the door widens. “Good afternoon! You children look so tired! Come in, come in!” The pair of them exchange expressions before stepping inside. The interior instantly takes their breath — cozy maple and fresh flowers at the entrance way, mementos on a shelf near the open staircase with a magical pull to them. It’s clear that the owners of this house have made it their own. They can tell each object carries its own meaning and memory, not merely for decoration or the purpose of luxury. “My name is Y/N,” you announce, with a light twinkle in your irises. “And I am a servant girl to the lord and lady of the house. May I ask who has entered the home?” “I-I am Park Jimin. It’s said that there’s a great and powerful sorcerer who lives here and a dark knight who’s been to Shadowfell.” “They’ve defeated dragons and liches before,” the girl beside him adds, brows furrowed as she regards you with a healthy amount of suspicion. “Well, it’s very nice to meet you. I’m afraid they’re not here at the moment. They went out to do some bidding, so you might have to wait a few hours until they return,” you inform and the two of them look at one another. “Can I ask for what reason you’re searching for them?” “We have received a prophecy and were sent by Mirla Nistar.” Jimin steps forward. “When lightning strikes twice, a man of darkness shall usher forth a country's doom and the end of wealth. We have reason to suspect that this man is the demon lord, Abraxas, who is trying to rise from Shadowfell.” You hum. “Alright. I’ll let them know as soon as they get back. Would any of you care for tea? I have the best honey and sugar available!” But suddenly, the dimpled boy feels a heavy weight on his mind. It’s a presence pressing on his brain, probing deep and whispering around the caverns of his skull for permission to be let inside. He grips his temples with a groan and his partner turns to him. “Jimin?” He looks off at you and she follows his line of sight. Before she can ask you what you just did, you slip something out of your pocket. In one split second— “Potion?” You hold up the stoppered bottle with the milky liquid sloshing inside. “You have a headache, don’t you? I know it when I see it! Must be from your long travels! Nothing like a rejuvenating potion to feel better.” “I..I’m alright.” Jimin lowers his hand. “Nonsense. You don’t want to miss this chance!” you emphasize. “I bet it wouldn’t even cost you a dime. You’re probably going to spend the same amount on some food or a place to stay at, so why not fork out some now? And it might be helpful for any upcoming adventures or expeditions!” “How much?” the skeptical girl slowly asks and you know you have it in the bag. “Ten gold pieces.” Your eyes glimmer. She digs into her satchel. But then— “What’s with the ruckus?” A rounded face and sleepy features lug down the stairs. He runs a hand through his baby yellow hair shagging in front of his forehead, having just woken up from a long nap. “Who are these people?” “They’re adventurers trying to defeat some demon punk—” “Demon lord,” the boy tries to correct. “—who’s apparently coming back to wreak havoc and steal children.” “Close enough,” he sighs. Yoongi makes a noise of acknowledgment, his expression impassive. Then his eyes dart at them and the potion in your hand. He points. “Are you trying to sell them that?” The corner of your mouth curls. “Maybe.” “Poor folks,” he exhales, utterly ruining your business transaction and not remorseful at all for it. “You’re going to get us into trouble one day.” You scoff. “When haven’t I gotten us into trouble. It’s not new news now.” Your husband grins and comes to sling an arm around your shoulder. He kisses you shamelessly in front of the two strangers, yet it’s a soft and tender gesture. It makes you smile against him. Suddenly, the door shuts behind them and the surrounding warm candlelight ignites. It billows a dim luminescence into the warm home that you’ve both made your own, glowing against the numerous mementos on the shelf that display the many years of your travels and journeys. Yoongi hugs you to his side and you quirk your head onto his shoulder with a sly smile. The adventurers finally come to recognize who the people in front of them are. And the pair of you turn to them. “What was it that you needed again?”

[keanureevesisbae]

So Henry, you want to start a YouTube channel? - Chapter 1

Summary: Twenty five year old YouTuber Sandy Choi has no idea that one of her five million subscribers is the one and only Henry Cavill. When he asks her to help him out with starting his own YouTube channel, she falls more and more in love with her. But she should’ve known that dating one of the most desirable bachelors, does come with a prize.

Henry Cavill x Sandy Choi (ofc)

Warnings: None

Wordcount: 3.7k

A/N: If you want to be on the taglist, please let me know xx

Masterlist // Channel introduction // Previous chapter // Next chapter 

It is finally done. I somehow finished the final edits of my newest novel. I mean, I love the book with all my heart and I do think that it’s one of the best books I’ve ever written so far, but if I have to read it one more time, I’m going to scream. In about a week, the advanced reader copies will go to the first beta readers. It’s a nerve wrecking part, but it does mean that the moment my book is going to be on the shelves, is one step closer.

To celebrate this glorious event, I decide to go my favorite cafe and edit my next YouTube video. Other people meditate, do yoga or get some exercise in to relax. For me editing is my form of relaxation.

Never in a million years would I have imagined that I would have five million subscribers. Five million people around the globe enjoy watching my vlogs, while I highly doubt I’m that interesting. Sure, I nowadays do photoshoots, some editorials and I still dance quite a lot, but besides that, I’m homebody, who writes a lot and to get out of the house, visits cafes.  

I grab my backpack and start packing my laptop, the charger and my AirPods. I’m tempted to bring my Nintendo Switch with me, so I can play some Animal Crossing (I’ve been kind of neglectful of my island, sorry Tom Nook), but I leave my Switch in its charger.

Before I leave my apartment, I take a quick selfie, to upload for my Instagram Stories. It’s just a simple mirror selfie, showing off my outfit. Since it’s pretty hot outside (it’s July tenth and London has been trapped in a very intense heatwave), I opted for some high waisted denim shorts, a simple white crop top and some matching white sneakers. I do bring a white blazer with me, since the cafe usually has its air-conditioning on and I don’t want to freeze to death.

To be honest, before I got famous on YouTube, I never was impressed with my looks, my style or my life really. I had to celebrate my twenty first birthday alone, to realize I was pretty much wasting my life. Because of the weather, my plans to travel back to my family were cancelled and when I was staring at the cupcake with one candle on it, I realized I barely had memories from my time in college and I was already in year two.

I started to document certain moments in my life, but with all the footage I had of one whole week, I could make a two minute video out of it. But everything I filmed, had to be extravagant and then I asked myself: why does it have to be extravagant to be important enough to film? I should live my own life like I’m the main character, not a side character. I should romanticize life more. All of the sudden, I began noticing how beautiful the sky would look when I went outside for a walk, how the flowers start to bloom when it’s spring and how cozy certain cafes are.

When I uploaded my first YouTube video, I barely had subscribers, but all of the sudden more than thousand people thought my life was interesting enough to watch and a whole year later, I had 200k subscribers. I always figured that it would stay around that number, but once I graduated, published a book and moved to London, my subscriber count went up with a rapid speed. My 500k subscriber hit was unbelievable, my one million subscriber hit was beyond me, but hitting five million subscribers… It’s weird and thank God I have now reached a certain plateau, because seeing my subscriber count going up with the speed that it went back in the day, scared the living shit out of me.  

Once I’m at my favorite cafe, I order a cappuccino and some vanilla cake, before I sit down and get ready for some editing. I used to spend way too much time on editing my videos, but now I finally have found a way to be more efficient.

Time ticks by. I see multiple people leave, I order some ice tea and another soda to keep hydrated and finally I take my AirPods out and put them in their case. I’ve been here for a few hours now and I maybe should leave. I don’t want to overstay my welcome here.

Before I can get up, my phone rings and I pick up when I see it’s Lacey. We met on the plane to London. She went to UCLA, but moved back to England after she was done with school. She told me about what she was going to do in London—becoming a librarian and honestly, that’s a dream—and somehow we hit it off. She was my first and only friend here in London. Of course, through her I met multiple people that I like, but I’m always a bit awkward around them, just like I’m shy around practically anyone I have never met.

‘Hi La—’

‘I have a new fling and he is having a party tonight,’ she simply interrupts me.

‘So much for a hello,’ I chuckle. ‘What fling was this again?’

‘This is the guy I met at the zoo.’ For someone who is a librarian, she meets an awful lot of guys. When I think of a librarian, I think of an older lady with a pencil skirt and grey hair in an updo, but not Lacey, who rocks short skirts like no other. She usually has a new guy every week, but the guy from the zoo… I don’t know if I remember correctly, but I think he is around for more than a week.

‘Hasn’t he been around for like two weeks?’ I ask her.

‘Yes, he is.’

‘And you aren’t tired of him yet?’ I start to pack my bag, while I clutch the phone between my ear and shoulder. ‘What was his name again?’

‘His name is Jackson and he is such a handsome guy, so you want to join us for the party? You can say no, Sandy, because this guy has parties every other week.’

‘I just finished my deadline for the new book,’ I say. ‘I think I just want to chill at home, to be honest.’

‘Totally understand. You are one a hard working woman and I know that parties can be pretty stressful for you.’ I can hear her smile through her voice. ‘I’m really proud of you for finishing that book, always remember that.’

‘Thanks, Lacey. Say hi to Jackson from me and tell him I’ll meet him soon. If he is still around then, of course.’

Lacey starts to laugh. ‘Oh, this one will be still around. I really like this guy and every morning, he sends me a good morning text, including a bad joke.’

‘That is oddly adorable.’ I wave to the barista’s as I leave the cafe. Shit, it’s hot. Like I’m stepping into an oven. Thank God I packed my white bucket hat and I put it on, to prevent my dark hair from frying my brain.

‘It is. Oh, he is calling me. Love you, doll.’

‘Love you too. Have fun tonight.’ I hang up the phone, while I move slowly through the streets of London. I’ve never really been a party type. For me it’s always a chore, never a pleasant event.

Being heavily introverted as I am, I enjoy my time reading on the couch, being by myself. Sometimes I wished I had an animal to keep me company, but my landlord is an asshole and prohibits any sort of pet. Maybe one day I can finally move out here, find myself a better place and become happy there with a nice dog.

Maybe tonight I can film my newly updated evening routine. I haven’t done that in ages and a lot has changed since the last time I did it. For a second I’m doubting my earlier decision of not going to the party with Lacey, but I shake off that thought.

Tonight I’m staying home.

As usual.

⟢⟡⟣

Who needs an alarm, when the sun can wake you up, nearly blinding you in the process? I roll around in my bed and am about to drift away again, continuing the beautiful dream of me being wrapped in Henry Cavill’s thick arms on this Sunday morning, when my phone rings.

Groaning I push myself up, grabbing my phone from the nightstand. I sigh deeply when I see it’s Lacey who video calls me. ‘Why on earth do you want to video chat with me?’ I ask her with a sleepy voice, still groggy from just waking up. I rub my eyes, hoping that that will wake me up. After I filmed my summer night routine, I fell fast asleep and when I look at my alarm clock, I slept a whole nine hours.

Well done, Sandy.

‘I have been trying to call you since five a.m.. Why aren’t you picking up your phone?’ Lacey asks impatiently, looking genuinely annoyed.

‘Sometimes I wonder if you even hear yourself. I was asleep at five a.m., as a normal person does.’

Lacey rolls her big doll like eyes. She actually looks like those porcelain dolls, the same ones that my creepy neighbor back home collected and put on display for the entire neighborhood to see. Blonde curls bounce around her face and for someone who partied the entire night, she actually looks really good and is way too awake. ‘I have a story for you and normally I don’t want to talk you into feeling guilty, but for this occasion I’ll make an exception.’

‘That doesn’t explain why you want to video chat with me.’

‘Just wait.’

I sit up straight in bed, placing a pillow against my back, so I can lean against the headboard. I pull my knees up to my chest, to lean my arm on. ‘Tell me, Lacey, what happened?’

‘So, I arrived at the party around eleven and Jackson was waiting for me at the door. He was being a true gentleman, kissed my cheek and when we walked inside, he kept introducing me to people, saying how at the end of the night, I was going to be his girl. To spoil the end for you: I am his girl now and we had steamy sex back at his place.’

As fantastic as that may sound for her, why does she the need to share this with me? I mean, I am happy for her that this Jackson guy is a nice guy and if she is actually going to date him, that’s great, but I don’t want to hear it. It’ll make me feel even more single.

‘Anyways, while Jackson is introducing me, I feel someone is staring at me. So I look around me, only to find one guy watching me. I try to squint you know, to see who that guy is and I think to myself: wow, that guy looks an awful lot like Henry Cavill.’

I start to chuckle. ‘How much did you have to drink at that moment?’

‘None, totally sober. Jackson pulls me with him and eventually introduces me to his friend Henry Cavill.’

Oh my God, I think I forgot how to breath. ‘You are telling me that the guy who you met at the zoo, who is probably more than just a fling to you and threw a party last night, is friends with the Henry Cavill?’

‘The same Henry Cavill you refuse to follow on Instagram, because you can’t handle that much gorgeousness on your feed.’

No need to attack me like that, I think to myself. I just woke up and was hit with the realization that I could’ve met Henry Cavill last night, but I didn’t want to go to a party. Tip for next time: always say yes when this Jackson guy is throwing a party.

‘Moving on with the story, Henry—yes, I’m on a first name basis with him—kept gawking at me and finally he asked me if we knew each other. I shrugged, telling him how I’m just a simple librarian, that usually doesn’t mingle with hot celebrities. Later on, I don’t know how exactly Jackson, Henry and I got to that topic, but I casually said something along the lines of that I’m friends with the Sandy Choi. Henry nearly loses all the color in his face and Jackson starts to laugh his ass off.’

Where is this story going? What the hell is going on?

Lacey starts to laugh out loud and manages to add: ‘Jackson tells me that mister Henry Cavill is a huge fan of yours and literally drops everything whenever you post a new video and how he had an almost heart attack when you mentioned him in your July first vlog. According to Jackson, he has been questioning your comment saying that you haven’t had your fair share of Henry Cavill today ever since.’

This isn’t happening. This honestly can’t be happening right now. Lacey is totally messing with me. ‘Sure.’

‘I can see you are questioning my fantastic story, so let me show you this then.’ She shares her screen with me and shows me a picture of her, this Jackson fella and Henry fucking Cavill, looking insanely handsome as he usually does. His hair is slightly growing out, revealing some lovely curls of his and he is wearing a white blouse. The buttons are hanging on for dear life. I’m mentally kicking myself. Why didn’t I go to this party? I mean, I would’ve probably embarrassed myself, but still: I could’ve admired him from a far. In real life.

Lacey stops sharing her screen with me and smiles widely in the camera. ‘And Jackson mentioned something about pressuring him into following you on Instagram and sliding into your DM’s, but mister Cavill is petrified of doing such thing, so… I decided to give him your number and I think he already texted you.’

I swipe the video chat away, while I start looking through my Whatsapp chats. I see I have some messages from my manager, my editor, my dad and an unknown number.

‘Did he text you?’

I click on the chat, ignore what it says and press on his profile picture. ‘It’s him,’ I say. ‘It’s really him.’ I admire the photo for a second. His thick and strong arms wrapped around his dog. God, I was dreaming about something like that just minutes ago and now all of the sudden, he has my number?

‘What did he write?’

I check the chat and see that the man wrote a paragraph, instead of multiple tiny texts. That is absolutely adorable.

‘I can see you and your grin,’ Lacey says, reminding me that I might’ve swiped away the video chat, she can indeed still see me. ‘Come on, Sandy, read it to me. I deserve to know what he wrote, since I’m the reason he has your number and texted you in the first place.’

She has a valid point and to be fair, I’d probably share it with her anyways. Best to do it now. ‘Hi Sandy, I swear I’m not a creepy stalker. I’m Henry Cavill and I met your friend Lacey at the party last night. She was kind enough to give me your number. I have no idea what she told you about last night, but I just wanted to let you know that your vlogs really help me to get through my days and that you are truly an inspiration to all young people out there.’

‘This is legit the cutest thing that has ever happened!’ Lacey squeals.

Though I agree, I keep staring at the text. This is what he thinks of me? He thinks I’m an inspiration to all young people out there? My videos help him through his day? ‘I’m going to hang up,’ I say to Lacey, ‘and figure out what to text him back.’

‘Wait,’ she says, ‘you’re not going to tell me what you texted back to Henry fucking Cavill?’

I pull up our video conversation again and shake my head. ‘No, I’m not. Thank you for giving him my number, Lacey, but please don’t make a habit out of it. Thank you. Love you. Bye.’

Before I can hear what she has to say, I hang up on her and look at his text again. My heartbeat is finally normalizing again, though my palms are still sweaty. I need to text him back, because that is a polite thing to do.

But what do I text back to a man like him, especially after he told me such a nice and lovely things? I mean, how do I top that? I can tell him the things I told Lacey whenever we would watch something that he starred in. I could say that I thought he was hot in the Witcher or that they should’ve included shirtless scenes of him in Mission Impossible. I could—

Oh my God, he is online!

I nearly die of panic, throwing my phone away from me on the bed. Maybe hanging up on Lacey was the dumbest thing I could’ve done. I need her help. She knows what she could say to him.

Lord knows how long I’m thinking about a response and I know that I should text him back. I finally wrote something and before I can regret it, I press send.

Sandy: Hi, Lacey indeed told me about last night. I honestly can’t believe that you watch my vlogs and that they help you get through your days. Hearing kind words like these from any subscriber honestly means the world to me 😊

And now we wait. He wasn’t online when I pressed send, so I probably won’t get an answer from him any ti—

Ping.

He already answered? Oh no, no, no, I have to let this moment sink in for a second. He can’t already texted me back. Please, let this be my mother, telling me I need to take my cod liver oil, please let this be her.

Henry Cavill: Do I want to know what she told you?

This sounds cheeky, I can handle cheeky. I can answer to this. I’m an adult woman, who is just texting with someone who is a fan. I can handle fan encounters.

Sort of.

Besides, I can think about the right response, so this is only in my advantage.

Sandy: Just that you are a big fan of my vlogs and drop everything when I post a new video.

Henry Cavill: Right, that’s not too bad, I guess.

Sandy: And that according to your friend Jackson, you almost had a heart attack when I mentioned you in my vlog and you have been questioning my fair share of Henry Cavill of today comment.

Henry Cavill: Great…

Sandy: It’s kind of flattering to be totally honest with you.

Henry Cavill: I’m just dying of embarrassment, give me a minute.

I can’t help but to chuckle. It’s weird, that I’m actually talking to Henry Cavill right now. Who would’ve ever thought that that would happen to me? I decide not to share the Instagram and sliding into my DM’s story that Lacey shared with me.

Sandy: I hope that Lacey haven’t told any embarrassing stories about me.

Henry Cavill: Just that you went to Mission Impossible: Fall Out three times in the cinema and that you commented all those three times that there wasn’t enough of me in it.

Okay, now it’s my turn to die of embarrassment. I feel like he is sparing me the need to fall into a deep hole of embarrassment, since he doesn’t mention Lacey adding to it that there wasn’t enough ass and the lack of shirtlessness on his part, because I said that all those three times as well. I know my friend and I know that she told him that.

Sandy: Right… I’m sorry.

Henry Cavill: It was pretty flattering and good for my ego 😉

⟢⟡⟣

Henry—yes I’m on a first name basis with him now as well, but I have yet to change his name in my phone—and his texts have caused tiny disasters around my apartment.

I burned my pancakes, because he kept distracting me with texts, causing the fire alarm to go off. Because I wanted to shut the thing up, I had to stand on a chair, but my brain was still with those texts, so I nearly broke my neck when I fell off it.

While I was filling the kettle with water, I forgot the tap was still running, causing the thing to overflow with water. I stubbed my toe not once, not twice, but three times on the same table leg.

But despite that, talking to Henry has been such a nice thing all morning and the first half of the afternoon. He keeps on complimenting me on my editing, saying what his favorite moments are in my vlogs, while I on my term share about the favorite moments of his interviews, his movies. It’s obvious that we are fans of one another, so having it out in the open, doesn’t feel weird or uncomfortable.

But nothing prepares me for his latest text.

Henry Cavill: I’m going out for a walk with Kal, since it’s cooling down now. You want to join us?

I know I should answer him and I should answer him now, but I keep pacing around my living room. Going out with him on a walk, means talking to him. Like using my vocal cords to communicate with him, talking to him. Am I ready for that? What if I disappoint? I’m probably going to disappoint.

I take a deep breath. You didn’t went to the party last night, so you should go now, Sandy, I tell myself. You can do it. He is inviting you, meaning he wants to hang out with you. That is a good sign.

Sandy: Sure, I just need to get ready. I think I’m ready in about thirty minutes.

Henry Cavill: I’ll share my location, so you know where to go to, okay?

Taglist: @flhorah​ // @henrythickcavill​ // @toomanystoriessolittletime​

[sugarless-suki-writes]

First Lines Meme

Tagged by @nikkxb -- sorry it's taken me so long to get to this, lmao

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!)

See if there are any patterns.

Choose your favorite opening lines.

Then tag 10 authors!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I just kinda went to my recents on my google docs, so this is gonna have a mix of stuff, some original stuff too. ye :3 but I'm starting with fics that I currently have posted online. All of them are the first paragraph of the update that's in progress

Favorites have bolded and italicized titles :3

1. Sobriety || KouKag

Kagome had three sessions of therapy so far and she wasn’t fully sure how to feel. She knew it was helping her, but she was left feeling so.... raw and open after every session that she felt like she was just back pedaling and it was hard to cope with. A part of her wanted to just stop altogether and go back to self medicating, but she knew that this was just part of the process. The first couple sessions were going to be hard because there was just so much to unpack, but her therapist was nice and calm and patient with her. She really had to thank Kouga again when she saw him later today.

2. 100 Arms, 100 Years || KouKag

This was the fifth day that an offering had been left in front of Kagome’s door for her. The fifth time she would receive the carcass of a large animal that she wouldn’t accept. The fifth time that Inuyasha found himself in front of her and Kikyō’s shared hut and bringing the carcass to the village for her. His fifth time taking the credit for a hunt he had no part in. He had to admit, this was quickly grating on his nerves. He hated the attention that he was getting from the villagers now. They praised him for shit that he didn’t do. That, and he didn’t want to be praised for anything. It was bad enough that he practically had the Sacred Jewel within his grasp and wasn’t able to use it to become a full-fledged youkai, but now he was being celebrated as a hero by some mere humans? Keh... they’re lucky I don’t tell them what this is all actually about. I bet they wouldn’t be so happy then. He sniffed and scratched at his nose. He talked a big game, but Inuyasha knew deep down that he would never do anything to hurt them. If he did that, that would in turn hurt Kikyō and he couldn’t do that to her.

3. Big God || KouKag

Kagome let out a frustrated huff as she shoved her phone into her pocket. She then plopped down onto the couch, tucking her legs up underneath her and curling into Kouga’s side. “That’s the fourth test we’ve ran, and we just... can’t figure out what the hell that stuff is... It’s so frustrating!” she grumbled.

4. You are the Moon || KouKag

Kagome took care of dinner that night, going out to pick up a few things she would need before returning home and cooking. Her mother tried to talk her out of it, but Kagome insisted, wanting to give her mother a break for the night and do something nice for the family. She missed them, and she wanted to make up for being gone for so long.

5. The Demon of Nabewari Yama || KouKag

Kagome let out a small huff as she looked up at the mountain she was heading towards. She had been traveling for several days, bordering a week now, looking for somewhere to settle. However, all the villages she had come across already had a miko or monk residing there, and if they didn’t, they didn’t want one. To be fair, there weren’t many villages she had come across between her hometown and here, and sure, maybe she should go further out after completing her training, but it was still just a little frustrating.

6. Seasons of Love || ZelGan

Zelda looked herself over in the mirror, and the corners of her lips pulled down into a small frown. Her hair was pulled up into an extravagant updo, several locks braided and pulled into the bun that rested on the back of her head. There were some flowers pinned in as well, all of them white in color. She would have preferred something with a pop of color, so they would stand out against her hair; but she figured that, in the end, everything had to match her dress.

7. Gerudotown || ZelGan -- Title may change for this, idk lmao

Ganondorf let out a grunt as he dismounted from his horse. The beast was large with a jet-black coat and a matching mane. He gave the steed a pat on his neck before handing the reins to a stable boy, holding back a chuckle from the look on the boy’s face. He was certain the child had never seen a beast so big, nor a Gerudo, based on how he was looking up at Ganondorf with wide, disbelieving eyes.

8. Shit, Let's be Pirates || DaveJade

Jade ran down the dirt path leading to a hidden beach. She had just gotten out of class and was eager to go down to the coves. She wanted to find some cool shells and snap a couple pictures for her biology class. She always went above and beyond in that class, but she just had a passion for marine life.

9. Changing Fate || ZelGan

“You can’t possibly be serious about this, father!” Zelda snapped indignantly. Her hands were balled into fists at her sides and her face was contorted in rage. King Rimoll let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. They had been at this “conversation” for what felt like hours. He didn’t expect it to go this badly. Of course, he didn’t expect it to go well in the first place, but this was beyond what he anticipated.

10. Moon Bonds || KouKag

All Hallow’s Eve. A powerful night for witches and magick users alike. A night that better helped connect them to the spirits of the earth and those who had been lost. It was a night that Kagome looked forward to every year. The surge of magick that tingled under her skin and filled her very being... by the goddess it was an amazing feeling. And this year would be even more delightful and powerful.

11. Princess and the Pirate || Amuto

Growing up, Amu had been told many stories about pirates, everyone on her small island had. But Amu felt as if she had heard more than most. Her mother would tell her tales before bed about the pirates on a ship called the Emerald Line. Despite the name of the ship, its hull and sails were completely black. The only speck of color was the pirate flag it flew, which was emerald green and depicted a cat head with crossbones beneath. It was also known to be the fastest ship to sail the seas.

12. The Black Card || KouKag

Kagome paced around her room in her tiny apartment, struggling with picking out an outfit. It was her first day off in a while and she wanted to look cute, seeing as she wouldn’t be restricted by her, somewhat lenient (semi-strict?), dress code at the bookstore. However, she also wanted to be comfortable, so she was at a bit of an impasse. It wasn’t really as big a deal as she was making it out to be, but she was exhausted and she hoped that dressing nice would throw Sango off her trail. With a huff, she finally settled on a nice sundress she had stuffed in the back of her closet, one she rarely wore and almost forgot she had. It was light blue in color with a floral print.

13. Harvest Moon || KouKag

Kagome stretched as she woke up that morning. She opened her eyes and saw the torn-up ceiling and frowned to herself ever so slightly. She had moved into the country several days ago and had only recently started working on repairs that her home needed. It was a pretty large house, but the rent was extremely cheap. The only downside was she had to pay for the repairs, but in all honesty… she wasn’t too bothered by it. Apparently the house had been abandoned for years. No one was really sure how long... but Kagome could take a guess that it had been at least a decade with how worn down and dirty things were.

14. Memories || Original Fic - No Pairing

Lotus looked around at the scene before her. It would be an easy job, simple. She could do it in her sleep no problem. She scoffed and looked at the man beside her. “Really? You need me for this?” she asked. He turned to look at her, a scowl on his face.

15. Any Way the Wind Blows || ZelGan

Zelda woke up to the sun on her face. She grumbled and grunted, rolling over onto her side on her small mat. She opened her eyes and looked out ahead of her, at the grass and flowers swaying in the breeze. Her stomach gurgled and she placed a hand on it, a grimace on her lips. Food...

16. Found || KouKag

When Kouga had heard that there was a disturbance along one of their borders, he had been prepared for anything. He pulled together a team quickly, not taking all the strongest warriors, making sure to leave some behind to protect his pack. They ran off, ready to fight. Ready for anything. Anything except this.

17. Interlude IV (Showtime) || KouKag

O Signore, per amor del tuo nome, perdonami la mia iniquità... Perciocche ellà e grande Kagome sat there in the street, blood seeping through her clothes and soaking her knees. Tears continued to stream down her cheeks in a never ending flow. Her breath kept catching in the back of her throat as she tried to force down her sobs. Her hands were curled up into fists, pressed against the pavement, soaked in blood and in pain from being clenched so tightly and pressed so firm against the rough asphalt. Regret, despair, and guilt crushed her heart. They squeezed tight, holding onto her and keeping her trapped in the moment. A moment she’d rather drink away and forget, only for her guilty conscious to bring it back in her dreams at night, keeping her away from the blissfulness of sleep.

18. Bubblegum & Nicotine || Original Fic -- Astrid/Loki

Astrid opened the door to the apartment and latched her keys onto her belt loop. She then bent over to pick up the bags of groceries she had set on the ground to unlock the front door. Once she had crossed the threshold into the house, she raised up her right leg and kicked the door closed behind her. With a bit of a grunt, she hoisted the bags up a tad higher and made her way to the kitchen. She set them down on the counter with a thud and took a moment to catch her breath. She may be in good shape, but carrying several pounds of groceries up three flights of stairs because the elevator was out? That would wind anyone.

19. We Are Complicated || Bubbline

Bonnibel Kaugummi entered the school and was quick to drop her things off in her locker so she could head straight to the Student Council room. She grabbed a couple of her books out of the locker and shoved them into her messenger bag. The tan colored bag complimented her uniform, which consisted of a grey sweater, a red ribbon tied into a neat bow, which was neatly tucked underneath the collar of her white button up shirt underneath her sweater, and a red plaid skirt. The red accents to her uniform identified her as a Junior, and they complimented her red-orange hair and rosy complexion.

20. The End of All Things || KouKag

Kagome let out a soft sigh as she curled up in her spot on the bench, bringing her legs up to her chest. She was sitting out on the small deck that overlooked the garden in her backyard and watching the rain. It was fairly cool out thanks to the constant drizzle that had begun early that morning. The sound of it pattering against the ground and roof that extended over the deck filled her with a sense of calm, a calm that she desperately needed right about now. Working as a nurse wore her out. She loved her job, of course, but gods if it didn’t have its trials and tribulations. She had been working almost every day for a solid two weeks now, covering shifts for people on top of her own. Thankfully she had a couple of her shifts taken from her after being at the hospital for a full 24 hours at one point in time. Today just so happened to be her natural day off, and she felt pretty great about it.

[missingartist]

The Witchers Mate

Geralt rolled his eyes as Jaskier inanely carried on is insufferable talking. They had been walking since dawn, normally the bard would not have minded, but his friend had been abnormally broody of late. His latest run-in with Yennefer was fraught with betrayal and lust. Jaskier could tell that this latest drama was the worse, Ciri had decided to go off with Yennifer this time to explore the wider world. Yet, again the dark-haired mage had left him behind on her search for something, something more leaving Geralt behind, emptier the before. The singer shared the deepest pity for his friend, for the Witcher’s magic and ability; he was at the mercy of the small woman, submissive to her whims and fancies. Love really does make fools of us all, even Witcher’s. Jaskier pondered before his mind flickered to a wholly more important question. How could he possibly make that into his next hit ballad?

‘So, where are we going exactly?’ Jaskier asked for the 14th time in the last hour.

‘If I tell you will you finally shut up?’ Geralt growled his eyes, never leaving the horizon.

‘Yessssss’ the singer whined.

‘Brightwater….its a merchant town in the middle of nowhere. Rich- supplies every town from south to north.’ Geralt answered gruffly.

‘So, let me guess they have a terrible monster problem that has a big reward.’

‘Hmmmmm’

‘So, the mighty hero and his handsome companion ride into the village, slay the beast and rescue the beautiful maidens who fall head of heels in love with the noble bard before whisking him away to their beds.’ Jaskier smiled closing his eyes picturing the wonderful scene but not before his wondering feet came into contact with the particularly nasty jagged rock that cruelly pulled him away from pleasant daydream with a tight pain that seared from the sole of his foot.

The shrill yelp of pain cause Geralt to turn on his saddle and smirk as he watched his personal songwriter hop on one foot clutching the other. ‘Jaskier, this is the part where you shut up.’ Geralt warned as he readjusted himself in the saddle

‘I think this will make a wonderful song,….’ The bard chocked out through the pain. ‘But this creature thing better not be another Striga… I have completely run out of rhyming words…plus I think my public is getting a little bored with them….I mean your public.’

‘Jaskier?’

‘Yes, Geralt?’

‘Shut the fuck up.’

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lord of Brightwater, Fagen Brightwater looked at the man at the front of him with keen interest, he had expected someone more haggard, older and not as handsome. The man in front of him looked young, his face chiselled with golden eyes that pierced through a man’s very soul, the only blemishes that he could see that marred his face was a small scar in the corner of his left eye and another on his forehead. Which Fagen had no problem predicting would only encourage the women on the town to try and entice the handsome monster hunter. Horny housewives and jealous husbands were not something that he had time to deal with; his lands were in chaos, fear of the impending war and being stalk by some supernatural being. Hunting a Witcher with pitchforks was not something he wanted to add to the ever-growing list of problems. The fool he had with them look like an overdressed rent boy; simpering gibbering babbled out his mouth could pass for simple wit, if it had been funny. The pair was unlikely. Strange even. Perhaps they were lovers who would make life easier while they were here, but other than saving him a headache he did not care who or what the Witcher fucked.

‘As you can see, we have many conflicting reports.’ Fagen spoke, pushing a pile of papers toward the two men who stood in front of him. ‘It slashes, rips, tears and bites. Some parts eaten on one victim then left behind on others. No one has ever properly seen it and lived to tell the tale. Those who have survived its attack have some varying stories it's hard to know which ones to focus on.’ Geralt eyes lazily looked over the papers, Lord Brightwater was certainly a man of painstaking detail, the description seemed too wide and wavering, but three names piqued his interest, one of which a long lost acquittance from job in White Orchard, from what he remembers being a long search for pesky witches who cursed the poor daughter of a local Baron.

‘People have survived?’ Geralt eyed the Lord in surprise as he throws down the papers haphazardly on the nearly ordered desk, gaining a dark glared from Fagen.

‘A few. Those have been housed in the healer’s hut if you need to speak with them. Our mages have attempted located this beast, but to no avail, so they have done what they can to protect and save the remaining villagers.’

‘This would be Cersi of White Orchard and old friend and Tradi of Browdon? I don’t recall a mage of the name of Adva?'

‘That’s because there isn’t one. Adva is a…. healer…herbalist… of a sort. You will have no need to meet her… she does not concern you in this matter; she is to be left alone.’ Geralt raised an eyebrow. ‘If you want this creature found and dispatched that killing your villages and grinding your trade to a halt, I will talk to whomever I need to talk too, and I recommend that you stay out of my way.’ Geralt growled standing at his full height. Jaskiar shrank back eyeing the glaring men holding his hand up in surrender.

The two men observed each other closely. Geralt was used to the arrogance of humanity and along with that was often stupidity, but from mere minutes in presence the Lord the Witcher knew the man possessed no stupidly, pride and superiority but then again show him a Lord who did not believe themselves to be superior to everyone else and he would show a man who was not a true Lord. If Fagen sent him and Jaskier away now he would be sentencing his people to death, pick off one by one and if the creature didn’t get them the gradual decrease in a trade from fear of the creature would turn Brightwater into an abandoned hovel.

Fagen was the first to break the glare ‘You are to receive 500 gold coins when you bring me the creatures head. I have arranged your stay at the local tavern; they will see that all your needs are taken care of. And make sure your needs are met within the walls of the establishment. I do not need to save you from angry husbands baying for your blood. The townsfolk are anxious enough that we have had to bring a Witcher in; I do not need people questioning my decisions. I will present you to the town tonight, but I want you gone before the week ends. But you will put as far a distance between you and Adva as far as possible. Now I am a very busy man; the kitchen is awaiting you with a meal.’ Fagen dismissed with a wave of his hand, grabbing a quill with the other. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Geralt stood in the middle of the square on a risen podium; it looked like the whole town had gathered to sneak a peek at their saviour. The one thing he hated more then the portals was the public, was being the centre of attention, he liked the dark, being a shadow, unseen. Sniffing the air there was a scent, underneath the filth, the odour of bodies and sour milk and spoilt meat, a pure smell. Spiced apple and the ocean. Warm and comforting but clean and crisp. Furrowing his brow eyes began to scan the crowd. For the briefest of seconds, he thought it was Yennifer, no other scent had ever sorted his interest, but this smell was different. Deeper. Not the sweet smell of gooseberries and lavender that clung to Yennifer calling him, this fragrance pulled him, grabbing his attention, almost violently. The smell was getting closer, teasing him as the smell grew stronger and stronger.

His eyes fell upon a familiar golden blonde adorned in rich purple. The Witcher could not help but let a scoff to puff out from his lips; Cersi could never look ordinary, she had to stick out in a crowd, her locks where pin into an attractive updo highlighting her swan-like neck that was laden with diamond. It would seem that life outside of court had not put a halt of the extravagance that Cersi indulgenced in. A toothy smile beamed up at the platform, reassuring if not a little bit cheeky. However, the smile was fleeting, as Cersi turned to greet a hooded figure with a tender smile. A cloaked figure pushed her way to stand side the elegant Mage. It was a worn and tattered grey thing pulled tight, concealing the figure beneath.

For the great Witcher time seemed to slow as the smell became almost overpowering, all other senses became dulled as a thudding of his heart was all he could hear. The women beside Cersi removed her hood to reveal dark brown curls that faded into lighter caramels ringlets around her shoulders, pale porcelain skin and full pink lips and vivid dark blue eyes twirling with liveliness darted around the crowd before resting upon his figure, smiling sweetly at him. Innocent and carefree. It took all his strength to hold himself in place, his muscles strained hard, clenching and unclenching gaining jeers from the ladies in the crowd. The scent she carried was potent and intoxicating, yearning for him, crying out for him, it was the only thing he could feel or see. He could feel the smell around him, clinging to his skin, suffocating him.

‘Geralt….Geralt… You okay buddy? Geralt’ Jaskier called, the sound distorted in the magical haze that surrounded him.

‘It cannot be….It's not possible.’ The Witcher uttered in disbelief.

[emoboijk]

knj | till death

In the demon world, arranged marriages are business transactions. But this isn’t that simple. —demon au, arranged marriage au, non-idol au

08 :: epilogue | td series m.list

1,047 words

"I'm still not sure this is necessary," you say, scrutinizing your reflection. The flowers are a deep azure in your hair and your makeup is extravagant.

"It's important," Yeri says, adjusting one of the buds into your updo. She pulls up the soft ivory zipper at the back of your dress, smoothing out the lace on your sleeves. "The first ceremony was all business," she says, "it's important to redo it now that..."

"I love him," you finish, smiling at her through the mirror. You nod, smoothing out the front of the full-bodied wedding dress. You like this one better than the first. It's more understated, more you.

"Hey, you ready?" Jeongguk's head peeks through the door of your bedroom. His breath catches when you turn to greet him. He'd been there with Yoongi for the first ceremony and you'd been stunning, of course, but you were on an entirely different level now. You were glowing with genuine happiness.

"Ready."

You ride the elevator with Yeri, Lisa, and Jeongguk, mellow jazz floating through the speakers as you ascend. Everyone else, you know, is already on the roof. You tap your foot against the hard floor impatiently, and the others chuckle at you.

"Patience," Jeongguk councils.

"It's not like you aren't already married," Lisa giggles.

You gasp when the elevator doors open. You'd given Lisa full reign to decorate the rooftop for the ceremony and celebration, only mildly afraid she would overdo it. But it was spectacular. String lights and potted jasmine plants, quaint garden tables with flowers and candles. A deep purple carpet leading to a small stage with a magnificent wooden arch lined with flowers and lights.

At the tables are all your closest friends and family, even your parents. Seokjin stands in the center under the arch wearing a gray Valentino suit and smiling. Moni is laying on the stage next to him, his head perking up when he spots you. Yoongi and Hoseok stand off to the side in black tuxes, Yoongi still looking black and blue at the edges, but happy.

And then, there he is, standing beside Seokjin in a black and azure tux. The love of your life. Kim Namjoon. There's no evidence of the ordeal you'd been through the past few months—no scars or lingering hopeless looks. Just a large, goofy smile, and a brightness to his demeanor.

A piano begins to play a soft melody. Yeri and Lisa walk ahead of you a few paces down the aisle, stopping at the end and standing to the side in a mirror image of Yoongi and Hoseok.

Jeongguk's arm links with yours and you squeeze him to keep you grounded. You're so deliriously happy that you can't believe it's real. You let Jeongguk lead you down the aisle, peck you on the cheek and take his own seat. You climb to the altar yourself and stand across from Namjoon.

"We've come here today to renew the vows of these two young demons," Jin starts, "As is often the case, this marriage began as a business contract. What is infinitely rarer, is that it has blossomed into something more." He picks up one of your hands and one of Namjoon's and joins them together between you, your fingers intertwining with your husband's.

"The vows," Jin says softly.

You swallow hard and rub your lips together nervously. The party is small but the feeling of everyone's eyes on you is intense. At the first ceremony, there was a massive amount of guests, but you only had to say pre-written lines, someone else's words. Now...it's all you.

Namjoon squeezes your clasped hands, smiling warmly.

With a shaky breath, you begin:

"I have known my whole life that I would marry someone my parents chose for me and that I would have no say in the matter. I put up walls around myself in anticipation of marrying someone I didn't love. I resigned myself to this fate and was relieved to find out my parents had chosen you and that your family had accepted. I knew you from childhood and had spent time with you. But I was still scared, still disappointed—" you pause watching Namjoon's face turn serious and pensive, "disappointed that it wasn't my choice. But from the moment we stood on the altar and said 'I do,' you have been nothing but patient and loving and kind to me. I was in disbelief that fate had put us together so perfectly, that my parents' choice could be the one I would've made. You are my home and my everything. I love you."

Namjoon brings your hands to his and kisses the tops softly, and it may be a trick of the light but his eyes look misty.

He stays bowed like that for a few moments, waiting it seems for Jin to prompt him, "Namjoon?"

He sighs deeply and says: "I have known since I was seventeen that I wanted to spend my life with you. We met on a night like this, at a restaurant with our parents. A business meeting. You were shy and embarrassed and sweet," he smiles, chuckling at the memories, "I wanted to know everything about you. I wanted to know what you were thinking and what your opinions were...on everything. When our parents signed the contract and agreed to our marriage, I was elated...euphoric. But I knew you wouldn't feel that way, that this was," he swallows, pain flashing very briefly across his expression, "a prison sentence to you. It was my mission then to make you as comfortable as possible. I was in your life, now I had to do everything I could to make you happy. And that's what I vow to do," he's speaking softly now, cupping your cheek with his hand, "for the rest of my life. Till death do us part."

Namjoon leans down and you meet him in the middle, your lips connecting in a passionate contrast to your first kiss on the wedding altar over a year ago.

You pull away only centimeters, the small group of your friends and family clapping happily as the ceremony ends. Your lips brush his and you whisper, "Till death do us part," kissing him softly again.

author’s note—it’s finally over! :( thank you to those who’ve stuck around, and who’ve read the whole thing! <3

m.list :: wips

[sondepoch]

IV: Neutral Route (Y/N)

Where Futures Begin

Life used to be simple for you. Peaceful. But the Savior had other plans for you, and in moments, she ruined what you thought was your one shot at happiness. Blinded by anger, you escaped the Mint Eye, but that triggered a series of events that would bring you further into the world of brothers Saeran and Saeyoung. And further into the twisted world of your love for them.

Neutral Route: 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | ✔

Saeyoung’s Route: 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | ✔

Saeran’s Route: 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | ✔

MASTERLIST 

The first one to hug you wasn't Saeran, as you had thought it would be.

No, as soon as you stepped outside the Commitment Room, the Savior had embraced you, drinking in the beautiful sight of you. Her smile was dazzling as she stared at your changed hair and irises, and not a single word was exchanged as she pulled you to her personal chambers.

Your head was still in a slight daze, your mind a second late in processing everything, still healing from the pain. The Savior must have known, though, because she didn't do anything that would further tangle your thoughts.

Instead of bombarding you with questions like you had expected, she had simply told you what to do.

It was strangely comforting, being given simple commands that you were able to carry out without fear of messing up. The Savior was thoughtful like that. There was no room for error in her words, they were so simple.

Shower with soap and shampoo. Change into these undergarments. Dry your body and hair. Come out and wear this.

"Oh, silly (Y/N), do you need help with that?" The Savior asked from across the room as she observed you struggling to pull yourself into the dress she had laid out for you. For some reason, the velvet fabric wasn't gliding over your skin as smoothly as you thought it would. "Here, (Y/N), you forgot to tie the waist down first. There we go."

The Savior smiled as she continued to dress you, ordering you to stand still while she applied makeup to your face for the first time, giving you a dab of lipstick and subtle eyeliner. "It seems that Ray decided to tattoo you on your back, so all your dresses from now on will have low backs or will be backless. Now that you're fully committed, you'll want everyone to know that you've embraced magenta. They should realize that from your eyes, but showing off the mark of the Mint Eye will reinforce their suspicions on your new position."

The Savior beamed at you as she finished straightening out your dress and makeup, moving on to style your hair. Her fingers were deft, and they worked quickly, but Saeran did it better.

"I know your mind must be a jumble right now, but don't worry. You'll go back to normal as soon as you get a nice, long sleep. Tonight, I'm going to introduce you to the other members of my council. Others who have gone through the second commitment. You want to look pretty for their very first impression of you, don't you? Ray and I are the only ones who are already personally acquainted with you."

The Savior continued on, and you were relieved that she hadn't asked you anything. If she threw a question your way, you'd need a long time before you'd be able to answer it. "Wonderful. You're really quite beautiful, (Y/N). It's a shame you weren't already born with magenta hair and mint-green eyes. That would be really perfect, wouldn't it? Well, white hair suits you fine. Here, come, follow me, you're going to meet your fellow council members!"

The Savior's smile wasn't contagious, bright as it was. You followed the blonde woman to a part of the Mint Eye that you'd never been to before, the ceilings high enough and the chandeliers extravagant enough to put the Hall of Mirrors of the Versailles Palace to shame.

It was a long walk to the end of the hall, but when you finally reached the door, you found yourself nervous. It was strange. You couldn't form a single manual thought in your head, but you felt a rush of adrenaline at the thought of meeting the other council members. Or was it Saeran specifically that you were nervous to see?

The Savior laid a single knuckle across the door, the lonely syllable echoing throughout the hall despite its delicateness, and the door opened.

Everything afterward was a daze.

Not the same kind of daze you'd been in since leaving the Commitment Room, though. It was a more numb feeling, brought forth by the crushing realization that in the month you'd been gone, things had changed.

"Saeran," You whispered upon entering the room, his name possessing your lips the first time you'd opened your mouth all day.

But the male didn't stand up to greet you.

He barely even acknowledged your presence. "S..." You were about to call him again, but stopped when you saw the image before you. Saeran, laughing openly, laughing in a way that you had only seen once before, with his left arm draped around a girl you've never seen before.

"Well, (Y/N), this is my council. What's wrong, hm? Oh." The Savior followed your line of sight to where Saeran sat, and you clenched your teeth. "That's MC, our newest admit to the council. She joined last week, actually. She's...special, so she was accepted without making any primary or secondary commitments."

You didn't catch the venomous tone in the Savior's voice.

The Savior stepped further inside, her heels echoing in the small chamber, and all chatter ceased. The council members quickly darted to different seats in the room, and for the first time since your arrival, Saeran acknowledged you.

You kept your eyes on the floor, not wanting to greet anyone as the Savior gave a short speech about who you were; she took you to your seat by the hand, as if you were a child.

And in that moment, you felt like a child.

Breakable as a baby.

Like a single caress too rough would be enough to maim you for life.

And seeing Saeran laugh so openly around another girl, staring at her with eyes full of admiration, well, he may as well have just taken your heart and used it as a punching bag in one of his workouts.

"(Y/N)?" The Savior nudged you, "Is there anything you would like to add?"

You thought about saying no. You thought about asking to be excused. You thought about ignoring the Savior.

Instead, you opted for the safest route of them all. "I look forward to working with you all in our paradise," You pulled your gaze up to Saeran, then to the brown-haired woman supposedly called MC, "Where everyone is happy."

The Savior smiled, as if that were a test, and you had selected the correct answer.

"In the magenta of dreams and hope." The council chorused back to you.

***

The Savior was the leader of the Mint Eye, the supreme ruler, the sovereign head. Her blonde hair and gorgeous, green eyes suited her. They made her look distinguished among the crowd of disciples and believers, and even the council members.

As you stood in front of the mirror, though, you realized that while her face was the head of the Mint Eye, yours was the embodiment of it. With the faint touch of makeup the Savior had decorated your skin with and the simple updo she had worked your snowy white hair into, your eyes were especially prominent, practically shouting mint eyes at everyone who would ever make eye contact with you.

And the dress she had selected for you to wear - it was truly stunning. The design was elegant yet provocative, the modest length and full-sleeve arms making the violet dress look almost prudishly designed, but that only furthered the provocativeness of your completely open back, where your Mint Eye tattoo caught the eye of anyone who looked your way.

Mint eyes, magenta dress; no other colors could be seen on you, with your hair bleached, and your skin faded as if someone had put a grayscale filter over the rest of your body.

The Savior was right.

You really were beautiful.

A knock killed the silence, and your eyes darted to the door, expecting it to open. When it didn't, you walked over to it in intrigue. "Yes?" You asked, opening the door a crack, sighing in relief when you saw that it was only Saeran, "Why didn't you come in after knocking?"

Saeran strolled into your room, his expression blank, "I may be supervising your work, but we're technically the same rank in the Mint Eye, now. It would be unfitting for me to enter your room without proper authorization."

You frowned.

"Why are you being so formal, Saeran?"

"The same reason you're being so distant, (Y/N)."

You pulled your gaze up from the floorboards and met Saeran's expression. He looked...hurt? Upset? What did he mean? Were you being distant? That was only because he had started it first, with MC. Or were you overreacting? Who even was MC?

You groaned out loud, bringing a hand to cradle your head as you felt your head shake with a sudden earthquake of pain. "Please don't..." You whispered, unable to remember the words to communicate your desires. "Please don't be so confusing right now, Saeran. I can't handle it. My head hurts too much..."

Whatever emotion had taken control of Saeran in the previous moment, it was gone as he watched you try to soothe the pain coursing through your mind, so preoccupied that it seemed as if you had forgotten him altogether.

His own secondary commitment had been many years ago, but he still remembered how nothing was quite right until the morning after. Saeran sighed. "Let's get you to bed, princess. Come here."

You willed your legs to move forward, almost tripping on your own feet as you tried to escape the headache that had suddenly rooted itself in your mind. Before you could fall on the floor, you felt a pair of strong arms catch you. In seconds, you were being carried to your bed by those same arms.

Saeran held you upright with one hand, deftly undoing the hairstyle the Savior had done, and even managed to remove the makeup from your skin.

You hadn't even realized that you had fallen asleep until Saeran was waking up. "(Y/N)," he whispered, shaking you. "(Y/N), you can't fall asleep just yet. You need to change out of those clothes..."

"This is a new room. I don't even know where my wardrobe is, Saeran," you murmured, rubbing your eyes. You couldn't have been asleep more than a few minutes, but your head already felt clearer. "And I'm too tired to find out. I'll just sleep in this, it'll be okay."

You could practically feel Saeran roll his eyes at your words, and you heard him grumble, "You really like being treated like a princess, don't you, princess?"

You giggled lightly in return, and heard some shuffling in front of you.

You opened a single eye lazily and saw Saeran, shirtless, offering you the large white T-shirt he had been wearing when he came in. "Change into this, at least. It'll be long enough on you to cover everything, and I promise I won't peak..." Saeran made a show of turning around. "Tell me when I can look, okay?"

You rolled your eyes, too tired to argue. Without getting out of bed, you somehow shrugged the dress off your body and changed into Saeran's shirt. He was right. The shirt hid everything that needed to be hidden, but it still exposed the greater majority of your thighs. It was like another, shorter dress. Though if you shuffled around too much, you knew he'd see your bright (f/c) panties.

"Y-you can turn around now," You whispered, slightly embarrassed at the fact that you were wearing Saeran's clothes.

"Oh come on, (Y/N), really?" Saeran gestured dramatically to the small lump on the floor where you had uncouthly dumped your dress. "Alright, I'll fold this up, and then I'll see you tomorrow, okay, princess?" Saeran leaned over to plant a kiss on your cheek, but you pushed him backward.

"No." You said with a pout.

"You don't want me to fold the dress?" Saeran asked, arching an eyebrow.

"No. No, 'I'll see you tomorrow.' You're staying here tonight." You blurted, too tired to be embarrassed by the absurd request.

Saeran sputtered out a few syllables of shock, utterly unaware of how to handle the situation, so you took control, throwing a pillow at the light switch and you miraculously hit your target, leaving the room pitch black. "Good night, Saeran," you whispered, laying your head on one of the two remaining pillows, pulled Saeran into the bed, snuggling up against him as he resigned himself to his fate.

"Yeah, yeah, princess," He grumbled with a chuckle, acting amused even though you knew he was blushing as you wrapped your arms around his bare torso, "Good night."

You fell asleep within seconds, exhausted after a month of pain and suffering, and then a full day of actively following the Savior to meet with the council members. Your mind was far away, finally free to explore dreamland without promises of agony in the morning weighing down on your mind.

You slept with a smile on your face, blissfully unaware of how Saeran stared at you the whole night, the midnight moon through the window illuminating your face. You didn't feel him trace the tattoo he had needled into your once-bare back, or notice him playing with the hair he knew would never look the same, or even sense him staring at your closed eyes, where light circles from the eye brace still left a shadow on your face.

You didn't see him cry as he realized, once again, what he had done to you; and that every time he looked at your mint green eyes, he would be reminded of his sins against the world, against God, against you.

He stared at your soft lips, recalling how he had stolen a kiss from them in one of his attempts at getting you to drink the Elixir of Salvation. No doubt, you had no recollection of the moment—the memory drowned in the pain that followed immediately after. It was an action he regretted.

He had always wanted to kiss you, but in the right way.

Now, he didn't know if he'd ever be able to let himself get close to you again. Much less, kiss you.

As you slept, he knew you had forgiven him from the way you clung to his chest and intertwined your legs between his. He loved that quality about you. You would always forgive him whenever he messed up, give him another chance when he fell short, move on when he found himself unable to. This past month was no different in that regard, he knew. You understood his position, and you were still able to forgive him for all the suffering he'd inflicted on you.

He, on the other hand, didn't think he'd ever be able to forgive himself.

MASTERLIST

Neutral Route: 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | ✔

Saeyoung’s Route: 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | ✔

Saeran’s Route: 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | ✔

Word count: 2.5k 

Notes: Life is ew wtf everything sucks :\ well, not everything, but more than usual. I've been sick and, honestly, this week just hasn't been good for me. I've had almost no time whatsoever to write, and I feel strangely stressed :( Here's hoping that life gets better by the next update

Comment & Like

Next Update: 1/13/20

I do not own the rights to Mystic Messenger or any of the characters within it.

[queen-paladin]

White Queen (John Deacon x fem! Reader)

A/N Written for Laura’s extravaganza! Enjoy! From the prompt of the song “White Queen (As It Began).

Word Count: 2,000 Paring: John Deacon x fem! Reader, Freddie Mercury x Platonic! fem! Reader

Content Warnings: brief swearing, mentions of drugs/smoking/alcohol, a bit of angst, fairy gay godmother Freddie, liberties from the song inspired for this, and tooth-rotting fluff.

“Darling, you are going to my ball tonight or I will drag you by your hair!” Fred was declaring as his car was pulling up to Garden Lodge. 

Your heart was pounding in your chest and you were looking down at your hands folded on your lap. Creamy, clean insides of cars were still something you had to get used to, being a close friend of none other than Mercury himself.

“Fred…It’s just…” you mumble.

“I know you don’t normally like to go to my parties, Y/N, but you can’t cower anymore!” he said with a little huff. The car was slowing to the front and Fred was saying his thanks to the driver.

To think that twenty minutes ago, you were canceling to Freddie via the phone. There was a click and you were preparing for a quiet evening. A limo outside honked with your whistling tea kettle. 

Now here you were. 

Thanks to Working early in the morning, you felt drowsy. The thought of being crowded in a room full of loud, obnoxious people lining up for crack buffets was unappealing. If you showed up tomorrow hungover you would have to kiss your job goodbye.

Besides, there was the matter of Fred’s friends altogether. You met the band members several times prior. The tall guitarist and the blonde drummer had their constant moments of explosion with Freddie joining in until it was a pure cacophony.

Then there was their bassist. He would only nod politely and gently strike the strings of his instrument. But he hardly said three words together. When with you especially he seemed especially shrunk and unwilling to speak.

What other sorts of wild guests would come to the party? Hosted by the only person you were close with? 

Exhausted misery was creeping inside you.

Fred dashed over to the other side of the car and led you out. Your arm looped around the dark leather of his jacket out into the cool air. Stepping up to the entrance, he opened the door courteously to show you into Garden Lodge.

“But Fred…what if I don’t like it?” you ask. Echoes of your voice drip around the front parlor.

“You’ve never been to one of my parties, how can you say if you don’t like it! Besides, it’s different this year-it’s a bloody costume ball! There will be dancing and champagne and everything you could dream!” Freddie cheered. He gave a smile that reached both of his cheekbones.

The clicks of your shoes against the tile floor kept the rhythm of your wandering. A delicate chandelier crinkled over you. Directly under it was a vase full of yellow roses beaming like beads of sunlight. What sunlight there was now began to fade through the wide windows of the house, dripping the place in orange light.

“It does…sound wonderful. Like a fairy tale” you coo.

“Well, I always wanted to be your fairy godmother, Y/N. You do so much for others. And me. I thought you deserved to have some fun. A shame if you missed the chance to live a fairy tale, darling Y/N.”   Freddie compliments.

You walk over and greet your hellos to the staff polishing the place spotless for tonight. In their white suits and dresses with black bows, they were like reverse penguins. Fred would shake their hands, call them by their first name and “darling” and occasionally pop out a little present from his pockets for them to open later.

You looked around at the extravagant house. In just mere hours, there would be an army of people dripping in jewels, satin, and lace all over them. Your formal dress from your high school prom was sighing in a bedroom closet under your parents’ roof.

Fred leads you to up his grand staircase. You glance down at your dark blue t-shirt and jeans. Your face gets hot.

“Freddie…” you start, stopping in between two steps. He turns his head back and takes a step back to be at your level.

“I…I don’t have anything to wear. I don’t think any of the nice shops are open now. They’ll all laugh at how…ugly I look” you mourn. You start to notice how muddy your sneakers have gotten compared to the crisp whites of Freddie’s.

Fred gasps a little with a large “What? Nonsense, Y/N, don’t you dare think like that. Did someone say that? They’re an idiot and I’ll hit them” he insisted.

You give a little smile. Leading you up to the top, you see a hallway with four doors. he points to the door at the end to the left.

“That’s the guest bedroom. Well, for tonight, it will be your room. You’re sleeping over here tonight, you and anyone else you bring upstairs. I provided condoms, too” he informed cheekily.

“Fred!” you exclaim.

“Just in case! I’d rather you be safe! And darling…” he leaned over to your ear. You could feel his giddy, childish excitement bubbling up, ready to burst any second.“I bought a gift for you. For tonight. It’s on the bed. You’ve been an angel to me these past few years, through everything. I thought I might do something in return. And you don’t owe me a penny” he affirmed.

 You walk to the guest bedroom and curiously opened the door. You saw a large white box, wrapped up in silk, silver ribbon laying on the large, pink canopy bed. It’s almost the size of three of the white, lace pillows. 

You undid the ribbon gingerly, opened the lid, and were speechless. 

You heard Fred’s fingers tapping against the doorframe in excitement.

“Darling, your stylist will come to help you in five minutes. As my bonus…” he gushed.

With the stroke of nine o clock, Freddie swept you in your gown among the guests down the stairway. It went a little quiet. You were wearing your gift from Freddie, a white ball gown with a crinolined, puffy skirt, a delicate sliver that puffed out from the sleeves dripping down to reveal your shoulders, collarbone, and neck in only little clouds and was dripping with small silver sparkles. There were endless layers on the skirt, and you had to ask Fred to help you put it on. It almost made a swish sound whenever you moved. Sparkling silver heels embraced your feet. There were also little star jewels that the stylist tucked into your half-updo.

Fred insisted you wait until he himself entered. You found out that you would be walking down the staircase together, looking almost like a couple in a melodramatic wedding. With Fred’s long, black cape, Victorian-era black suit, and black fedora, it pulled off seamlessly. In one hand he held a stick that placed a threatening white mask on the end. But his beaming face expressed otherwise.

You noticed there was a pair of green-brown ones tracing your every step. Familiar. Quiet. Soft. Ignoring those, Freddie indulged the gaping crowd by waving an arm and bowing down low enough to touch his toes to applause. The chatter continued and heads turned away.

“It wasn’t just for me they were silent for, darling” Freddie complimented with a wink.

You felt his arm tugging you across the heads of people, red, gold, silver, and blue bodies. Sometimes there were masks - some ranged from plague masks with daggers for noses to delicate lace masks that blended like veins into their skin. Crinkling skirts covered the hall. Violins and cellos plucked out complicated Mozart lines like breathing. Bodies pressed against your wide skirt. Cigar smoke drenched the air.

Greeting everyone by name, Freddie’s arm nearly strung you around until you saw the eyes you felt earlier. Taller than he looked in pictures, his eyes that crinkled despite his youth as he gave Fred a smile and stopped it midway when his fluffy reddish-brown head turned to you. He was decked in blue trousers and a puffy-sleeved blue shirt opened to reveal his pale chest and long pants the same color of blue. He had a silver vest too large for him kept barely straight with pins. A silver crown rested on his head. Freddie nudged you with him. 

“Deacy, this is Y/N. Y/N, Deacy-or just call him John, if you’d like”.

“I met you before! You’re the bassist!” you exclaim. As you offered your hand to shake his, he took it hesitantly. His hands were sweaty.

Freddie nudged John and said “start off with your thoughts on Flash Gordon! He’s an expert!”

A raspy voice suddenly shouted “Freddie!” and he turned, with a dramatic swish of his cape, with an excited “Rog!” and jogged off.

You two stared at each other. Deacy bit his lip.

“Y/N” he stuttered, his northern twang slipping out “who…where is the bathroom?”

“It’s down that hallway,” you said, pointing “to the right.”

He nodded at you and gave you a smile as thanks before walking away. Something about it, the gentle way he carried himself, the shyness of the nod, and his sweet smile made you feel a little dizzy.

It was ten minutes until you were already sweating. You couldn’t find the refreshment table, no one seemed to want to talk to you, and it was too loud to think. With the crowding and the heaviness of your gown, you needed air. You turned your head to see the glass door. 

You make your way to the entrance of the garden. You slide out, relieved for the bit of clear air. It was falling to night-time. The garden was filled with rose bushes of yellow, red, and white like luminescent gems. You bend down to see the tulips for a bit and sniff them. A lovely break from the stench of tobacco. Now there was only the faint sound of cars and the muffled sound of the party. You walked a bit, admiring the flowers.

“Bloody hell.” Someone sighed.

You let out a little yelp and in surprise, you tripped on your skirt and fell, your hands landing on the dirt and your nose grazing grass.

“Oh! Y/N! I’m so sorry!” John apologized. 

He had been right behind you and did not see anything until you screamed. Feet rushing over he helped you up. John noticed the sight of your hand grabbing his arm and immediately retracted. He bit his lip and kept his eyes down.

“Are you okay? And your dress?” he pondered. 

You turned over to a green stain on your white balloon of a skirt.

“Oh god, I’m so sorry, you must…” he said. He began to hide his face in his hands.

“It’s alright, John” you insist…maybe you can fix it. 

You glance over to notice some red roses in full bloom.

“Could you get one of the roses and help me pin it over the stain, please?” You ask. You start to wheedle a pin from your special hairdo. 

“Of course!” John insisted.

He rushed over and plucked it out easily. The attachment of the rose over your grass stain was so tender you fought back a smile.

“I’m sorry…but earlier, I knew already where the bathroom was.” He confessed as he bent down to start pinning the flower.

“Really?” you ask.

“I…I always notice you around Freddie. I know we met a bit before. And, he talks about what a kind person you are. And… I thought, maybe you really fancied him and that there was a slight chance he fancied you back, so you were...I want to talk to you but…I’m pathetic, I’m sorry, I don’t even know how to approach you and tonight…well, it was especially hard because…. you really do look lovely” he said. 

His eyes kept down as if he was daring himself not to stare right at the sun.

The secret smile of yours wins.

“Fred and I are just friends, John, thank you… for the flower, and pinning it up too…and the compliment, I mean. It’s nice to talk to you” you say.

John finally looks up in your eyes. Electricity burns inside you.

“I…I’m afraid I never really knew what to say with you, I don’t like small talk” he blurts.

“Well, we could start with what our favorite colors are…or Flash Gordon, or Fred” you offer with a toothy grin.

You hear violins sweeping out a ¾ melody. People inside the building begin rushing over to the biggest room. You can even make out Fred’s cheer of “who doesn’t love a good waltz, darlings!”

You grab his hand, every bit as soft and sweet as you imagine. And a little less sweaty now.

“But first, can I have one dance with you?” you plead. 

He nods and you both run inside in time.

It would be a better night than you thought. You didn’t know how much time you would spend with him. Goodbyes would eventually be exchanged. Now you wanted to savor every second.

Tagged: @bensrhapsody​ @littledarlingwellaway​ and my angelic beta-reader @thosequeenboys​

[bellatrixobsessed1]

Femslash February day 23

Prompt: Glass Fandom: Voltron Pair: Acxa/Allura Summary: Cinderella AU with Acxa as Cinderella and Allura as the prince.  

Once upon a time in space a baby was born. A baby of half blood; one part human and one part Galran. The babe had delicate skin of a soft blue hue and a sweep of hair the color of sapphire. She peers at her parents with eyes as soft blue as her skin. Regardless of blood, the babe grew up loved and cherished. The child loved watching the stars twinkle and blink and would often sit under them with something to read. The child grew up kind and caring with a mother who was just as so.

It wasn’t until the child turned thirteen that her life seemed to shatter. For their house nestled in a hidden corner of Daibazaal had been found. For the crime of marrying a human and birthing a halfblood, the child’s mother was killed.

Only after serving ‘justice’ did the crowd leave. In their wake was left a grieving husband and a timid child. The man thought that he wouldn’t know happiness again. Desperate was he, enough to fall for a cruel, cold Galra woman who had no love for a lowly half-breed. In his anguish, the man was blind to the mistreatment of his daughter.

The man was a trader and as such he was prone to travel for extended periods of time. During his travels, his daughter grew lovelier still. She was small for a Galra but it suited her well. At thirteen years, her horns had grown in, elegant and cut like polished obsidian. Mostly they were buried under waist long locks of deep blue. Her eyes were as warm and kind as her complexion was cool. For it, her stepmother and sisters hated her twice over. When the girl’s father was gone, the last scraps of false kindness fell away. They dressed the girl in rags and exposed her to various cruelties and neglect.

Mostly, they made a slave of the girl. They shut her away from the stars that she loved so, confining her to the dark and dusty underbelly of their home where the life and hope in her eyes diminished. And where her health deteriorated.

It became a pass time for the eldest sister to fling one of her opulent rings or ornate necklaces into a particularly large pile of comet cinders and have the girl sift through them to find it. So she was nicknamed Cometcinder.

More often than not, her complexion was blotted out by splotches of comet dust. “You should thank her, Cometcinder, she helps you cover your halfbree’s skin.” Says her step mother.

But Cometcinder feels no such gratitude.

On a night where the cosmos were particularly spectacular, Cometcinder could bear no more. The constellations were enticing, beckoning her outside. So she answered their call. In the cool night air, her heart fluttered with the joy of finally having a serene night, free of demands and demeaning words.

The best night of her life was followed by the worst. For her misdeed of skipping chores could not go unpunished. Her step mother dragged her by the hair into the house where her step sisters waited, sneering. “Maybe we should make her sleep outside.” The youngest suggests. “Since she likes it out there so much.” That night, they took a pair of scissors to her long locks, chopping away at them until her hair was fashioned into a scraggly and uneven bob.

They kicked at her and spat on her and stole the compass from her pocket. She’d fought furiously to keep her cherished item--the one thing that truly belonged to her--but they had pried it from her fingers. They crushed it before her eyes, so taking from her, the last thing she had of her mother.

But they did not take without giving. That night they gave her the news that her father’s craft had been blasted by the ray of a weeblum.

Even still, the kindness didn’t flee her soul. Though terribly shrouded in sorrow and reduced to finding companionship with space mice, she maintained generosity and patience.

Days turned to weeks and weeks into months, before news came of a gala. A supposedly flashy ball to celebrate the auroras and the birthday of the young princess Allura.

Meek and quietly, the girl inquired if she could attend. “Looking like that?” her mother sneered.

“You can dress me nicely and…”

“You’ll embarrass us.” The younger daughter commented.

Cometcinder swallowed, her belly tingling with heartache and yearning. Just this one night, she only wants this one night. As her step family departed, their space pods the girl hugged her knees to her chest and fought back tears.

If only to occupy her mind, she took to polishing the houses metallic floors and upkeeping and managing the data on the house’s computer.

With most housetasks aside, the girl wandered out to view the night sky. It must have been an hour before a voice like an electrical hum sounded in her ear. “You’re going to be late.” It commented.

The girl tilted her head and tried to find the source.

“Over here.”

She turned to face the computer. It had taken to projecting a hologram. An image of a small, iridescent orb that flashed softly and occasionally shifted color. “I have run through various simulations of realities and have decided that it is most optimal that you meet the princess Allura.” The robotic voice declared. The orb drifted nearer and Cometcinder took a reflexive step back.

“I’m mean only to help. I will make sure that you will impress.” The orb made its staticy promise. It hovered over to a dressing pod. “Step in please.”  

Reluctantly she does so. The machine whirred to life a soft green light scanned her up and down, taking in her measurements before producing an outfit for her. Replacing the rags was a slee one piece suit of midnight blue latex, outlined in vivid neon blue. She barely had time to appreciate it before the orb said, “now let's do something about this.”  In a series of zippy motions, the orb singed off locks of her hair until it fell evenly. The orb halted before shedding small beads of electric blue light. It fixed them into her hair and accented her horns with them. At the ends of her hair they dangled like glow-worm threads. It completed her look by placing a glass helm over  her head.

Satisfied and having completed its task it buzzed, “follow me.”

The girl nodded and allowed it to lead her down the hall to where her family stored their spare parts and discarded devices and machines. “Do you prefer a V-style craft or would you like a more classic spherical model?”

“Something simple.” Cometcinder answered.

The orb grew in size and flitted about, moving pieces and parts until an elegant black craft shaped like a jagged triangle sat before her. “I implore you to enjoy your ball. But my power has its limits.” The orb paused. “The system will glitch and shut down at precisely midnight. For an optimal ending, I advise that you leave before then.”

The Galra stroked the craft’s steering wheel, still skeptical of its reality. She smiled to herself; she will meet the Altaen princess after all.

.oOo.

The ballroom was nothing like she had ever seen. Vast and made of black titanium, UV veins of purple streaked the walls and ceiling. The floor glimmered and sparkled with chips of amethyst. She saw all manners of dress from simple one piece jumpsuits like her own to elaborate gowns with glowing hems and tall collars lined with LED lights. Hues popped and flashed from all ends of the color spectrum.

But most eye catching of all was the princess herself. She stood in a tiered white gown. Each layer had a ring of magenta light outlining it, creating glowing halos on the layers below. Her hair was fashioned in an updo adorned with various crystals in shades of violet and pink.

For as much as Cometcinder was compelled to strike up conversation, she couldn’t bring herself. It had been years since she’d spoken to anyone save for a space mouse and she feared for her social competence and mannerisms. All in all, the setting and its extravagance overwhelmed her.

She met the princess’ eyes and she flushed. The noise in the room seemed to swell as Allura broke away from Cometcinder’s eldest sister. She found herself shaky with nerves and her nerves whisk her abruptly away from the jubilant chaos of the ballroom.

Palms still shaking, she sat beneath the silently enchanting bursts of the auroras. She wished that she weren’t so terribly shy.

“Hey!” A voice greeted. “I was hoping to catch you!”

Cometcinder took to staring intensely at the back of her hands.

“I’ve never seen you at any of my balls before.”

“I don’t get out much.” She confessed. An understatement, considering that she hadn’t been beyond her yard in several years.

Allura laughed. “Well, welcome to the outside world! You picked a great time to see it.” She gestured to the sky and its drifting, dancing splendor.

“I’m more taken by you than the auroras.” Cometcinder admitted.

Allura smiled. “You have a name?”

She nodded. “I am Acxa.” It was weird on her lips, for it was the first time she had said her name since her mother died. Somehow, saying it made her feel less like an object.

:”That’s a pretty name.”

“Not as pretty as Allura.”

This time the princess blushes. “Hey, you’ve never gone to a ball before, does that mean that you’ve never danced?”

Acxa’s face grew hotter still. “I have not.” she confirmed.

“Can I teach you?”

“Yes please..” She paused. “Can we dance out here, away from everyone?” It would certainly make her feel less nervous.

“Dancing under the lights does sound nice.” Allura nodded. The princess walked her through the steps of The Weeblum’s Waltz and The Daibazaal Ditty.

As she did so she told Acxa of the bustling spacecraft travel center and of her favorite places to stray to when running a kingdom become too heavy a burden. In turn, Acxa spoke of her father’s ventures as a tradesman and of the cute space mice.

“Oh! You’ll have to show me one day.” The princess gushed. The way her eyes lit up almost caused Acdxa to forget the orb’s warning.

“I would love to show you them.” Acxa said as the half hour bell chimed.

“Can I?” Allura asked, her fingers traced over Acxa’s glass helm.

Acxa didn’t know what she was asking until she began lifting the helm. Acxxa curled her fingers around her slender wrists. The bell chimed again and that tiem Acxa jerked and sprung to her feet. Her sudden movement caused the glass helm to fall to the floor. She heard it crack but she had no time to be embarrassed, much less to mourn the semi-shatter of her beautiful helmet. She didn’t stop to pick it up.

“Wait!” Allura’s calls grew distant as she sought out her craft. “I’m sorry! I thought that you wouldn’t mind.”

Acxa’s mind spun, through her jumbled thoughts, she felt horrible for departing so hastily and without explanation. She couldn’t even say why she was so eager to get home when there had been a perfect chance to find freedom from it and from her tormentors. She took a moment of pause, considering letting the system shut down. But she couldn’t imagine that Allura would be captured by her scruffy and unkempt appearance. She wished that she hadn’t looked back. Allura stood in the vacant spot where Acxa’s craft had been, with her head hanging low.

By the time she made it home she was in rags again and her craft crumbled into trinkets and spare parts. There was no glamor in that house. It was empty and silent.

.oOo.

“She is smitten with you.” Acxa’s stepmother says to her eldest daughter. “You are going to be a royal”

It was all Acxa hard in the next several days.

“She’s smitten with a stranger.” The youngest scowled.

“Who abandoned her.” The stepmother reassured. “I can’t imagine she still has any love for the stranger.

Acxa’s eyes burned with tears for her lost opportunity and chance at love. Confined to her room for disopadiance and negligence of her duties, she was only able to get snippets of rumors regarding her rude departure. From them, she assumed that the princess must not think fondly of her anymore.

She thought it cruel that she had been given a taste of freedom, at what life could have been, only to have it so rudely yanked away from her.

“The princess is trying to find the stranger.” The youngest informed glumly.

“Then your sister shall try on the helm and insist that it is hers.

Acxa bunched her fists.

“She should be here soon, so get yourself ready, Ethnor.” Ethnor nodded. “Dress yourself well.” She turned to Acxa. “And you keep out of sight. We can’t have anything unsightly just prancing about.” Her demand came just shy of a knock at the door. The Galra woman cursed. “Stick to the kitchen she hissed. “And keep your ugly, half-breed mouth shut.”

Acxa sighed. “As you wish, mother. The word sat ill on her tongue.

The girl made her way to the kitchen as the door opened.

“Good evening princess!” Her stepmother greeted her with a false sweetness. It sickened and unsettled Acxa. She yearned to scowl and out the woman for the beast she was. And what was stopping her? Decidedly, she was a coward.

“Oh thank you, princess! I didn’t think that I’d find it again!” Ethnor exclaimed. She could practically see her fitting the helm over her bulbous head. A moment’s pause. Following it was a forced and gritted toothed, “I can’t get it on.”

“She is not my love.” Allura declared.

A warm tingle of hope swelled in Acxa’s chest.

“Give her a moment.” Her step mother hissed. And then, “are you sure that that’s not your sister’s? Give Ragna her helm back.”

Acxa couldn’t hold back a small snicker as she listened to the girl struggle. Her embarrassing predicament gave Acxa just enough courage to step forward. She lingered in the doorway fighting her brain for words. They didn’t come so she only stood there dumbly.

“Who is that?” Allura asks.

“Oh that’s just Cinder.” Ragna dismissed. “Our servant.”

Acxa bit her lip. “It’s a pleasure to see you again.” She said at last.

“Again?” Her step mother asked.

Acxa nodded and reached for the cracked helm. “May I?”

“Please.” Allura said as her stepmother cried, “absolutely not.”

Acxa closed her eyes and pulled the helm over her head.

Allura looked as cheery as her step family looked outraged. But that time they had no power to act on their simmering wrath. Acxa stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the small princess, taking comfort in her warmth. “I apologize for leaving so abruptly, I had to make it back home before they did.”

Allura nods. “It’s alright. But a goodbye would be nice next time.”

“If you will…” She stammered. “If you will have me back at the castle, you won't’ have to worry about a next time.”

[trip-downtheriverstyx]

BDRPWRIMO: A mock application- disclaimer that I did this as an exercise for my OC story aha but it’s still connected enough to Swynlake so!! 

OPAL ACHERON;; 

ABOUT THE CHARACTER; NAME: Opal FACE CLAIM: Mackenzie Foy PRONOUNS: She/her AGE: 18! SEXUALITY: Straight-ish. True Generation Z Straight, aka she mostly likes boys but won’t rule out ever liking a girl lmao sexuality is fluid JOB/SCHOOL: Pride U—Theatre! Scriptwriting at this moment. RESIDENCE: Belle’s house! WHY YOU’RE APPLYING FOR THIS CHARACTER (5 SENTENCES MINIMUM):

I’m just gonna use this space to talk about why I love Opal. She’s such a bright, upbeat, artistic character who has lots of dimensions to her. She’s driven first and foremost by an intense love and delight for life—for making each day unique and figuring out how to express herself or “make her mark.” She’s had a happy childhood with parents who love each other and are very passionate themselves, and that passion rubbed off on her and onto everything she touches and does. Because she was taught early on to never give up and to tackle problems head on (very Hades and Belle truly), she isn’t a pessimist or a cynic. She wants to find solutions to her problems. She wants to succeed and triumph. And so when her illness strikes, it never really occurs to her to be depressed about it. I mean, sure, that’s part denial right there but it also speaks to the iron of her will. She’s resilient and why wouldn’t she be? She grew up in Swynlake.

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR CHARACTER CAN ADD TO SWYNLAKE (5 sentences minimum): She is the kind of girl to get into trouble and bring people along with her! She hears about something mysterious in the forest? Absolutely she wants to check that out. Student body elections? You betcha Opal wants to run. She’s more of a ‘leader’ than a follower, though at the same time, I think she operates in this middle space between “mom friend” and like, I dunno, cool aunt friend—like, part of Opal getting into trouble will be on behalf of some of her closest friends sometimes. (If you’re thinking to yourself, is Opal a Gryffindor??? I don’t know. I’m between Raven v Gryff v a very friendly Slytherin because I think she gets attached to persons over groups but I’ll let u know where she lands lmao.)

LIST THREE GOALS THAT YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH WITH  THIS CHARACTER/THAT THIS CHARACTER WANTS TO ACCOMPLISH:

None of these are gonna make sense to you guys here we go— 1. Come to terms with her chronic illness—her ghostliness is sort of a metaphor for this. Opal desperately wants to be normal but she isn’t normal. She needs to accept she has certain limitations…but those limitations don’t have to necessarily LIMIT her “life” experience. 2. Have a YA-worthy romance probably—Opal is definitely too romantic for her own good, while simultaneously being pretty sensible about it and probably a little persnickety. She’s definitely had boyfriends in the past, but does fear true commitment in a way because of how much she values independence and doing things her way. She’s like her mum in that sense ahah. And I’d love for her to really learn how to be in a relationship. 3. Hijinks with her brothers related to “fixing” her condition—which maybe culminates in a visit to the underworld?! Mostly because I need a fucking plot for this thing. But it would be funny if Hades is still Lord of the Underworld and this is like the equivalent of going out to a 21+ strip club or something lmfao.

WHAT IS YOUR CHARACTER’S VIEW ON MAGIC? (3 SENTENCES MINIMUM):

Opal grew up around magic so naturally she loves it. She also depends on magic to make her life livable. While magic is vilified by others, magic lifts up Opal’s own life—and so she sees lots of good with it and is a true magic advocate. She also realizes she’s in a really unique position (like a lot of white upper-class kids with a chronic illness) in that the nature of her family’s magic means she GETS the care she needs, even if that care is through magic. BIOGRAPHY (300 WORDS MINIMUM, 3RD PERSON):

Opal Acheron is not dead yet. Opal Acheron is a lot of things besides dead (ish.) She is the daughter of Belle Acheron, a very successful Magick Rights Lawyer, and Hades, the ambassador to the Underworld. She’s an artist. She’s an actress. She’s a big sister who takes that job very seriously, even when her twin brothers annoy her. She’s a wicked horse rider and she also plays a mean game of chess, taught by the Lord of the Dead himself. And when she was just 12 years old, she scripted her first petition with the help of her mother, advocating for an Undead Appreciation Day. She is a Swynlake Native and it’s in her very blood. She wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. And yes. She’s just a touch dead. Soon after Opal’s eighteenth birthday, she developed a very inconvenient heart tumor that would certainly lead to her untimely end. But her father intervened before her soul could pass through the veil. He bargained with the Fates—Opal would live frozen in time, a ghost during the day, and a girl at night, for as long as she wanted…or at least, until the Acherons found some kind of solution, magic or medical, that might give Opal more time. Now, Opal has to learn a different way of living, a life between things, and just in time for her first semester of university. But Opal considers herself a very optimistic girl, even if she’s a ghost one. She’s determined not to let her condition get in the way of her dreams. Why should she— Opal Acheron is not dead yet.

ROLEPLAYING SAMPLE (500 WORDS MINIMUM, 3RD PERSON): 

Opal sees a cute boy.

He sits in the back of Hatter’s café, trousers the colour of mustard and rolled up so she can see his ankles. She likes his ankles best of all, or at least, she likes them best from where she stands next to her brother who is waiting for his peppermint mocha. She wants to get closer to decide about those ankles. And whether or not those glasses he wears—the thick, clear plastic kind—are real or just a fashion statement, and what she thinks about that, too. Either way, she knows he is cute enough to ask.

Unfortunately, she’s a ghost, which makes these things slightly more complicated.

If she were still alive, Opal would not hesitate to go over and introduce herself. If she were alive, she’d already have made eye contact with him across the room-- like in her favorite classic movies, with women in splendid pin-up skirts and perfect curls, who flirted over the tops of books, speaking whole poems with a flutter of their eyelashes. If she were alive, maybe she’d even entice the skinny-ankled stranger to buy her a coffee too. But because she is not alive, she should turn away and mind her business-- her flirting days behind her now.

But that sounds terrible. So instead, she informs her brother, who is a medium: “Bell, I see a cute boy.”

Bellamy is reading and not paying attention to cute boys. He doesn’t look up from Frank Herbert’s Dune, only turns a page and says, “Good for you.”

She presses her lips together. “Bell, you’re not even looking. I need you to go over and talk to him for me.”

“No thank you.”

“That wasn’t a request.”

 “Ah, well, then you should say please.”

 “I said it wasn’t a request.” Opal stares owlishly at her brother, who has officially started ignoring her, as though she is little more than a gnat buzzing around his ear. Well, she can buzz much louder if she really wants to. Opal has no qualms about being an annoying older sister. In her opinion, being annoying is in the job description of an Older Sister, and especially an Older Sister Who Is Also A Ghost.

And so she reaches out with those ghosty hands of hers and levitates Dune right out of Bell’s hands. A few eyes in the queue slide their way and follow the book as it floats above her brother’s head. Bell stares at his hands still, like nothing happened.

“This is rude,” states Bell with his eyes on his empty hands.

She wiggles the book in the air, pages fluttering. “Please,” she says.

He finally looks up and regards her with a blank face. “You’re so immature.”

“I’m a ghost—emotionally stunted by nature,” says Opal. “Now, please, talk to Cute Boy for me.”

PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING ABOUT THE CHARACTER (MINIMUM OF THREE WITH 2-3 SENTENCE EXPLANATIONS): FAVORITE (OR LEAST FAVORITE)… COLOR(S): “It’s not fair to the other colors to have a favorite.” WEATHER: She loves thunderstorms. They’re so dramatic and she likes to pretend to be scared or like it’s gonna blow the house down. MUSIC: Musicals of course! Lots of classics and old jazz singers. She does like pop music too but only a tune here and there. MOVIE(S): oh OLDIES again! Musicals! Black and white classics! Got really into silent films at one point. She also loves old historical dramas and she wants to start in an Austen revival. Loves Shakespeare theatre. Sexual awakening when she saw DiCaprio in Romeo + Juliet SCENT(S): Um…flowers. Understated scents, probably doesn’t wear perfume unless for special occasions. BEVERAGE: is she an ice coffee bitch—Yes also flavored lattes and herbal teas. FOOD(S): vegetarian :3 She really loves coconut in things. Her favorite meal is probably like a vegetarian coconut curry or something—kinda sweet n spicy at the same time. She loves Indian food for that kinda reason too. Oh and vegetarian sushi like with avocado and mango and stuff. ANIMAL(S): Horses! Belle would have Opal start riding as soon as she can walk (despite Hades probably being overprotective.) Opal would be a true blue horse girl. She’d read all the horse books and goes to feed Philippe with her mum and probably wants her very own horse too! Horses are the best! 100 percent horses! Also, the humble caterpillar. OR 3 HEADCANONS (3 sentence mimimum): -Opal has one of those weird girly phobias about cutting her hair. She only ever trims it and she loves it as long as it can go. She also taught herself how to do extravagant braids and updos—definitely self-taught when it comes to that and also make-up, all through Youtube tutorials, since Belle isn’t exactly savvy herself. (I bet she’s done Belle’s hair tho isn’t that cute.) - Despite absolutely loving to dress up, her day to day look is pretty practical. She likes boots because they can be cute but she can still go trudging through Enchantra and they don’t get too uncomfortable.

[louisemaxwell]

Wedding Hair Tips and Tricks Every Bride Must Know

While planning your wedding day down to the last detail before ever meeting your future beau may be going a step overboard (Monica Geller’s wedding binder, anyone?) it’s important to begin planning not only the event itself, but also, your wedding look with lots of time to spare before the big day.

 Picking the right wedding hairstyle

Do you want to have your hair up in an updo? Wear it down in soft waves? Maybe a half-up braided hairstyle? Wedding hair options are endless! Before you get too overwhelmed, take a deep breath and consider a few key factors first:

 WHAT'S YOUR DRESS LIKE?

Your hair shouldn't be competing with your dress—it should complement it. If your dress is simple, it's safe to go with a more dramatic hairstyle. If your dress is an extravagant ball gown full of embellishment and sparkly details, consider a more subtle yet elegant updo. If your dress has a gorgeous, open-back design, choose a side ponytail or braid to show it off. Basically, it's important to choose a hairstyle that matches your dress and personal style. 

 WHAT'S THE WEATHER LIKE?

If your wedding takes place inside or during cooler climates, it's safe to go for those gorgeous cascading curls or any other hairstyle of your choice. But if you're getting married in a hot, humid climate, for instance, consider an updo, so you won't need to worry about frizzy hair sticking to your back, or your curls falling out.

 WHAT'S YOUR HAIR LENGTH, VOLUME AND TEXTURE?

It's easy to fall in love with an intricate Pinterest hairstyle, only to find out that your hair isn't long or thick enough to pull it off. In this case, consider only looking for hairstyles that can be done on shorter hair. Otherwise, thankfully, you can wear hair extensions to achieve the hairstyle of your dreams.

Also, it’s important to keep in mind that the texture of your hair plays a part in the type of wedding hairstyle that will carry throughout the day, as well as hair accessories you may wear. “Heavy hair combs aren’t ideal for fine hair,” says Heather, so consider a small jeweled hairpin or soft vine to add to your hairstyle.

Do a trial run ahead of time

Once you've decided on a hairstyle that you like, we can't stress how important it is to do a trial run with your hairstylist. Only when recreating the style in real life do the little “oh no’s” come out. Is your hair long enough for it to be safely secured all day? Do you have enough hair to make the hairstyle look as voluminous and impressive as the photo you've seen? Does it even look good with your hair texture and face shape? It's always better to address these last-minute surprises ahead of time, instead of stressing out the week—or even worse—the day before your wedding!

Bring visual references to your hairstylist...but not too many!

Providing your hairstylist with photos of exactly what you're looking for will help avoid any miscommunications and misunderstandings. After all, everyone's idea of the perfect soft waves or updo is completely different. Be sure, however, to narrow the visuals down to 3-5 images, as too many inspiration photos may complicate the process and cause confusion. 

"The decision can be overwhelming for some! Your hairstylist can talk it out with you and usually show you an idea of what a few different styles will look like. By the end of your trial, you’re usually certain on which direction you want to go," Brittany says.

Should you do your own hair for your wedding?

If the only hairstyle you’ve perfected is a ponytail, then perhaps it's a good idea to consider a professional hairstylist for your wedding hair. If you like playing with hair and have mastered a few techniques, you can certainly create the most beautiful wedding hairstyles all by yourself.

What's important to realize is that it is not necessary to have something over the top for your wedding day. It's actually surprising how much hairstylists will charge to create the simplest hairstyle. Simple soft curls or half-updos are super easy and elegant. Most of the time, complicated-looking hairstyles are also surprisingly easy to recreate yourself at home.

Do NOT get a haircut right before your wedding.

Or any other drastic hair changes or dye jobs, for that matter, as they’re just too unpredictable. Instead, Brittany advises to plan ahead and get a tiny trim a few weeks before the big day for healthy looking hair. "A lot of brides skip this step trying to get as much length to their locks but this will help with split ends, flyaways and of course blending your hair with your extensions."

Be true to the real you

Remember that your wedding is your day. You decide what will make you feel happy, beautiful, and comfortable. If that means wearing your hair natural or rocking the simplest hairdo, so be it. After all, beauty radiates from within. Weddings are a happy and momentous celebration, however, they can last upwards of 12 hours.

Change up your look for the reception

Most brides have a second, less elaborate dress for the reception, to accommodate a night of dancing and merriment. Why not do the same with your wedding hairstyle? “A second look for the reception is so fab!” Heather says. Consider having your hairstylist on site for a quick hair change or touch up in between the ceremony and reception.

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