#but like at least this ward im like '!oh yeah this is what i like to do! i forgot bc i was depressed!'

[moeblob]

Ananza realizing that Deacon's mom was a devoted follower of hers THEREFORE that's her son now, too! And she will dote on him and love him and never pick on him like all the other deities tend to do. That's her precious little boy who lives in another city and rarely gets to see her!

[elegyofthemoon]

the cat showed up again at the cafe

[raksh-writes]

Gosh, Im being such a lazy ass today, with finals just around the corner and an off day to get stuff done and instead I just wanna play Skyrim ffs...

[gh0stsp1d3r]

𝒥𝓊𝓈𝓉…𝓈𝒽ℴ𝒸𝓀ℯ𝒹

req: Rafe X r. She has only had one boyfriend and that’s the only person she has been intimate with. Because of her more sweet introverted shy nature, he assumes that she has never done anal so Rafes jokes about “at least getting to claim her first somewhere else” but then gets so shocked when she confesses.

a/n: i thought of season one Rafe for this for some reason. Also im trying new formats lol my older ones sucked and im trying to figure out better ones. send some inspo maybe??

warnings: smut, fem!reader, possessive rafe, anal, a lil titty sucking (I’m not sorry) porn w plot, praise kink hehehe, names (baby, my girl)

MASTERLIST

divider below by @/plutism

“Hey,” Rafe rasped out from behind you, you jumping and turning to him. His hands went to your shoulders, eyes looking you up and down in your dress.

You thought that he was still in his room, you were clearly wrong. You had stayed the night at Tannyhill for Midsummers, and Ward insisted on you staying in the guest bedroom.

This was your first time seeing Rafe in this suit, and God, it was hot on him.

“Jesus, don’t scare me.” You pouted and gently shoved his chest, a playful smirk on his face. “But, hi.”

“You look good.” He told you, a smile also forming on your face at his compliment.

“You do too.” You replied shyly, cheeks burning at his compliment. You knew that look in his eyes all too well. That look of lust, of need, his eyes glossed over and turned a darker shade. He leaned in to kiss you, his hands traveling down your back, and to the curve of your ass.

You let out a little moan when he squeezed the flesh through your dress. When he pulled away, you shook your head. He pouted at you.

“C’mon. Just like… one round.” He tried, already trying to get you on the guest bed that you slept in for the night

“After.” You murmured against his lips, Rafe pulled away when he heard a knock on the door.

“Y/n, Rafe, c’mon! You’re gonna make us all late.” Ward spoke, you sighing. Rafe opened the door for you.

“Oh, you two look adorable.” Rose told you, a crooked smile on her face when you both walked out together.

You gave her a shy smile, Rafe turned to you, whispering something in your ear.

“Hey, we’re gonna spend the night at Top’s.” He told his dad. Ward just nodded and said goodbye, not thinking anything of it.

You giggled as he pulled you away from the crowd, and you both walked hand in hand down the street.

“Why are we staying at a hotel again?” You asked him, turning to look at the boy.

“Well, there’s only one reason, right?” He said with a smile on his face, turning to look at you.

“What’s that reason?”

“You don’t know the reason?” He teased. You shook your head.

“Just tell me!”

“Well, I’m gonna fuck the shit out of you. And then we are gonna go get drunk. As drunk as we possibly can.” He said shamelessly with a shrug, your cheeks burned up and you shook your head at his word choice, just glad that the buzzing cars and the sound of loud music blared through so no passerby’s could hear.

You both got the best room that money could buy, Rafe opening the door for you and leading you inside, smirk on his face.

He pushed you down on the bed, hovering on top of you, his lips traveled down your body.

“God, all fuckin’ mine, huh?” He murmured, more to himself. His hands went to your back, you arched your back and helped him shove the dress off of your body.

“At least I can claim you first somewhere else, right?” He murmured, smirk on his face as his eyes raked down your body, his hands working at his belt and pants.

“What does that mean?” You asked him with a quirked eyebrow.

“You lost your virginity to that other douche, right?”

“Yeah…” you trailed off, still very confused.

“He hasn’t fucked that ass, though.”

Your eyes widened, looking around the room. His hands were now tugging off his boxers before you started stuttering, holding a hand out.

“What? You don’t wanna?” He asked you, stopping and looking down at you, slightly afraid he scared you and did something wrong.

Usually you were up for everything, and you both had brought up the topic before and you said you wouldn’t mind it.

“No- no, I do, but- I…” you shut your eyes as you mumbled the words out, confessing to him. “He did.”

“What?” His eyes widened, movements stopping for a moment.

“He has before.”

“Shit.” He laughed out, running a hand through his hair. That was not what he expected.

“Are you mad?” You asked him quietly, opening your eyes now, looking up at him.

“Course not, baby.” He scoffed. “Just… shocked.“

“I’m sorry.” You murmured.

“Nah. That’s alright. Because it’s all fucking mine now, ain’t it?” He asked, lips back on your skin, leaning down to kiss your cheeks and your neck, you letting out a moan and nodding against him.

“Fuck. All mine.” He muttered against your collarbone, his lips moving against your boobs, he looked up at you as he swirled his tongue around your nipple, taking one in your mouth, making you let out a cry of his name and look back down at him.

He released it with a ‘pop’, going back down to your holes. He spit on his hand, before bringing it down to his cock, jerking it a few times with grunts and groans before lining it up with your tight hole.

Your hands went to his shoulders, letting out a gasp and a sob as he stretched your hole out.

“Shhh, shhh, shh..” he told you, groans escaping his mouth as he felt your walls clench onto him. “You’re a’ight.” He murmured, going to kiss you again, licking away your salty tears.

He sighed when he bottomed out, waiting for you to get adjusted to his size. After a while, you nodded against him. “You can move.” You whispered out, causing him to slowly start moving, a hand going to your clit, rubbing circles on the button, you letting out soft and quiet moans that were like music to his ears.

“God, you feel so good.” He told you, feeling you clench down harder on his length at his praise, a small smirk on his face. “My girl. Fuck,”

“Rafe!” You cried out, nails clawing at his bare back, sure to leave marks. “I’m gonna-“

“I know, I know.” He grunted out, feeling himself also come close, his fingers working faster on your clit, pressing down on it. That was all you needed to come undone, crying out his name and holding him closer, as he came in your ass with groans and grunts.

You both panted, foreheads put together as he started to laugh. You furrowed your eyebrow and looked at him, confused.

“We need to do that more often.”

[idontactuallywherepjs]

pt. 1

So. I started reading The Rangers Apprentice last night, and I only got up to chapter six i think (Will's just arrived at Halt's cottage for his first day of training and Halt remarks that at least he's on time and already had breakfast). And. I'm in love. Im buying the first three books today.

Anyways, assorted thoughts.

I really like the dynamic all of the wards have with each other. Like yeah these are kids who grew up together and love and get on each other's nerves in equal measure.

Will and Alyss being the only two who don't remember their parents is both heartbreaking and makes perfect sense in a weird way? I don't really know how to explain it but it just fits.

It also makes them confiding in each other about what craft their aiming for that much more impactful.

But it's also infinitely funnier to me that Alyss didn't look up. They've known each other their entire lives, literally, and she didn't. Look. Up. Comedy gold.

I just about cried at Will's reasoning for battleschool.

For whatever reason, Martin reminds me of a rat. I want to hit him with a frying pan. He's delightful.

I loved all the Craftmasters. Yeah their personalities and descriptions aren't groundbreaking or anything but they still seem neat.

Chubb's wooden ladle.

Jenny and Chubb's entire interaction. Him hitting her on the head. so great.

Will being able to feel Halt's eyes on him is so good. Like yeah! He's a natural! (I hope he falls on a face a few times while training but I love the detail that he was chosen because of his potential, not because he'll be perfect out the gait, and I like that his potential as a ranger is in obvious to him.

Will's pranks and mischief is so good. I love that detail. And the bunnies oh my gosh. I was laughing with Lady Pauline.

The second that paper was mentioned in knew what Will was going to do.

I did however think that the paper would be blank.

Will just causally doing. All of That. to get up the tower. Holy shit. Horrifying. scaling the wall especially.

I hope someone told the guard on duty what was happening right above his head i think his reaction would be funny.

My heart stopped when Halt grabbed Wills hand. Like I could tell it was coming there was no way he wasn't getting caught but i was still startled for some reason.

I hope nobody told the guards outside Baron Arald's office anything about what happened that night. Let them be confused.

Baron Arald is the funniest character so far and nobody laughs. "This time, use the stairs." Hilarious! that was so funny. poor guy is taken way to seriously i love him.

I really like the pacing so far. just something ive noticed. I takes it's time and lingers on certain scenes where other books would jump ahead. I like it.

I think ive forgotten how much i love this part of a story. it's the beginning. Ive just met the characters. I've got no idea what happens next. The plot hasn't really kicked off. The big bad is just in the distance. It's nice. It's relaxing. I love it.

[intertexts]

oh you wanna think about muse and trickster? yeah? it's been a while since I put a heartbreaking nhw post in your inbox <3 I know u love the prime dehumanization loss of bodily autonomy defenders. << im not even remotely trying to keep the acronym the same anymore. I've lost the plot. ANYWAY

briefly mentioned this before but because I loooove the aesthetic so much I think at least one important muse confrontation should happen in the tricksters city, specifically in the amusement park. make it like a fuckign scooby door episode everything is all abandoned and run down but as the wards are walking down a boardwalk or something all the lights flicker on and some distorted fuckign. carnival music starts playing and they find muse sitting in like. the rebar scaffolding or whatever in the ferris wheel. just like grinning chin in hands kicking his feet watching them. this image is so clear in my mind. some creep shit !!!! also its like when they first go to the spirit world to get tide back from.mal and end up in the amusement park. except ashe isn't with them this time

uhhhhhh also thinking about. downtime. when muse isn't out being destructive and causing chaos for funsies. like... does he have a bedroom????? does he eat does he sleep??? idfk !!!! I would assume he has to or else he'd fucking die but !!!! man the trickster is so far gone I don't think he even realizes his puppets are real people anymore. that's a fun little doll for him to play dressup with. literally never going 2 get the image of him braiding muses hair and like. putting makeup on him and dressing him in fancy little outfits out of my mind. making myself ILL. smile! good evening I'm gently placing the knife box in your in. << as I was going to type inbox I accidentally typed out inventory. yknow what I'm keeping it. knife box directly into your inventory. watch out they're RUSTY

GOD. THANKS FOR THE KNIFE BOX MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! knife box directly in my inventory!!! u know what this means is that now i can use them :3 <- has been drawing wards stuff abt this for the past two hours ^_^

this is so fucking good though yeahhh.... i love creepy carnival shit so much. he trickster probably Knows it's very over the top and horror movie creepy and just a little absurd. he's so fucking fun 2 think abt since he's literally always doing shit simply because it is funny to him. we can swing a trickster justification for anything probably. i bet he fucking saw traps people!! anyway. ashe isn't with them this time. except..... well. he kind of is. :(

I HAVE ALSO BEEN THINKING ABT DOWNTIME. FREQUENTLY. i guess. the answer to this is he lives however the trickster&co does. the image of him coming back in his fancy intricate little outfits to some disgusting nasty bloody industrial warehouse where they're posted up & always being this very jarring contrast to the gore and violence is really good. the image of him having a perfect doll bedroom and going through a fancy little routine half the nights when the trickster is in a good mood or feeling it & just. getting thrown on the bed & the door locked to pass out for a couple hours whenever he forgets or is busy is also really good. literally anything we do to muse makes me feel some kind of way man. i also have had the extremely vivid image of the trickster braiding his hair & chatting about all kinds of horrific things excited sleepover style to muse who is just. Visibly Not There in my head for so long. not even like he has to touch him, he could be making him do all these things for himself! he's literally controlling him! he just does it for fun!!!

anyway i think post-muse ashe should get to freak out very badly in a multitude of ways whenever anybody touches his hair. like i think he's touch-adverse in general (& miserable about it because he's also so touchstarved & his brain simply whites out in distress anytime anyone touches him because. literally the only person doing that was the trickster!!!!) but i think specifically his hair being messed with is a bad trigger for him. makes him freeze up n go nonverbal for hours. dakota knows that he's jumpy about touch but he still wants to do something for him & before the everything he loved them playing with his hair (its so long!! wibby & dakota think its so pretty!! virion's the only one who knows how to braid it because of his mom!! ashe melts into a puddle over it every time because nobody's ever done that for him before!) so he goes to just run fingers through it & ashe just. fullbody locks up and goes weird and still and silent & doesn't protest or fight back when dakota shakes his shoulder or smth and his eyes are distant and sort of dark and empty like virion's were most of the time when they first met him... maybe he wants to cut it a little bit just because he hates that it's been covered in The Ooze and he can't do anything with it without thinking about how the trickster would do the same thing but also he hates the idea of getting rid of the one thing abt himself that he really likes & is a little connection with both of his parents because of the trickster also, when he's already taken so much from him. (it does have to get gross and tangled and matted because he refuses to put it back or do anything to it for a while though. maybe virion helps him sort it out & it's slow and painstaking and miserable for both of them and they both feel better at the end of it.)

[miabebe]

I Am What I Am (VI)

A man of the shadows and a woman who belonged in the skies - fate could not have brought two more different people together. But was this fate or was this a choice?

Pairing - Im Changkyun x OC, Kim Mingyu x OC

Word Count - 8.8K

Warnings - Oh you know, the usual drill - mentions of guns, blood, death, mafia and we have a little bit of stripping action going on here :)

Chapter summary - Na bi steps up from pawn to player as both sides of the board play their own game. But with every move she was making, the lines between victory and loss were blurring in ways she did not foresee.

| Previous Chapter | Masterlist |

"Oh thank god!" 

Ears catching his voice, Na bi turned only to find herself full body slammed into the blur of a hard chest. Wrapping her arms around him, she held on for balance, both surprised and relieved by his presence.

"Where have you been?" Mingyu tightened his arms around her, his voice muffled against her shoulder. "I've been worried sick. I've been looking everywhere-" 

"Okay, okay." She rubbed his back softly. "You don't have to worry, I'm good at taking care of myself."

"We hadn't heard from you in days Na bi, how could I not worry? Especially with I.M around, I thought he kidnapped you or did something-"

"What?" Na bi felt her mouth go dry as she peeled herself away from him, looking up confused. "What do you mean? Weren’t you the one who sent me to him?"

Mingyu looked at her just as confused. "I sent you to him??" 

Na bi glanced around the wards before grabbing him by the shirt and pulling him into a nearby store room.

"First of all, Mingyu, how did you know I was here?" 

Given her phone was barely functioning, Na bi had spent all morning wondering how to contact Mingyu once she came to the city. Her plan was to go to the one place that was both unsuspiciously crowded and incredibly familiar to her - the hospital. She thought she could slowly figure things out once she got here but lucky for her, Mingyu was there the moment she stepped foot into the wards.

"Your phone." He answered, pointing at the small bag slung around her shoulders. "You've been off radar for days so I've been trying to track your phone day and night. Today I suddenly got a signal, moving towards the hospital so I rushed over immediately." 

Na bi leaned back against the shelves stacked with medications in relief, "Well, I was looking for a way to find you anyways, so I guess it's good you found me."

"What happened all this while? Where were you?" He held her by the shoulders softly, looking at her like he still couldn't believe she was here. "And what did you mean by that? That I sent you to him?" 

"Wasn't all this your idea? To make him think I'm in danger and then have him rescue me?" 

"Yeah that was the plan, after we had finished properly briefing and training you." 

Na bi frowned. "Training?" 

"You didn't think we were going to send you to a wolf’s den without proper preparation, did you?” Mingyu scoffed. “Na bi, he's a criminal, of course we were going to make sure you're at least capable of protecting yourself if it came down to it. Then we'd have set a time and place for it all and-" 

"So you……. you didn't send men after me?" 

"No, I didn't. We didn’t even brief you about the mission entirely, about what we needed you to do, how could we...." 

Na bi felt a strange ringing in her ears as his words trailed off. It wasn't Mingyu's men. That day in the alley, it wasn't Mingyu’s men. That meant she was….. actually being chased. That someone out there was still looking for her, that she was still very much in danger and Changkyun..... he truly had come to her rescue. 

“Na bi?” 

Na bi looked up at Mingyu, breaking from her reverie. 

“What did you say?”

“What happened after that? After those men chased you?” 

“I went unconscious after I ran into Wonho and his men, then when I woke up, I was in his house-” 

“IM’s house? His own house?” 

“Yeah.” Na bi nodded. “It’s this large house in the middle of a forest but Mingyu the concerning thing is.” She pulled out her map drawings from her bag, walking up to a nearby table and laying them open as Mingyu loomed over them. "I was near the sea." 

"The sea?" Mingyu turned to her surprised. "In Seoul?" 

"Exactly. I know it sounds ridiculous so at first I thought maybe we were somewhere near Boryeong or Sokcho? But I've scoured nearly the whole area and it’s just the ocean, all around, I think....." She took a deep breath. "My theory is that he’s based on an island." 

Mingyu’s eyes widened with epiphany, like things were finally making sense.

“That’s why we’ve never been able to find him in Seoul.” He scoffed. “Because he’s never here. The bastard hides on an island.” 

“I think so.” Na bi emphasized on the ‘think’. “If I had just managed to explore the east side, and found the ocean there as well, it would have confirmed my theory. We still wouldn’t know his exact location so I’m not exactly sure how that could have helped but-“

“It wouldn’t." Mingyu sighed. "Look Na bi, this is great work. You’ve done a whole deal more in a week than our entire department had done in years and I’m sure this information would help somehow but right now, this is not enough. Knowing where to find him isn't sufficient unless we get our hands on something that ties him to the crimes he’s committed - that’s what we needed you to do.” 

“Like what, evidence?” 

Mingyu nodded. “We all know he’s a criminal and he’s done horrible things but there’s never been any concrete evidence to implicate him. That’s what this mission was meant for - to  find evidence that tied him to the one crime we know he’s committed - Ana’s murder. We only you could have gotten your hands on anything at all, like his gun or his confession would have been even better-” 

“What did you say?” Na bi’s grip tightened over her bag. “His gun?”

Mingyu nodded. “If you could have gotten his gun with his fingerprints on it and the bullets matched the ones we found in her body, it would have been irrefutable evidence and we could have put that man behind bars for good. Then everything we’ve done so far would have been worth it….” Mingyu looked at Na bi’s impassive face. “What’s wrong?” 

Na bi stared at Mingyu not knowing what to say to the man. It was only when he reiterated the question that she shook her head slowly, gulping the phantom lump in her throat.

“Nothing, I was just….thinking about what you said, about everything we’ve done so far.” She cleared her throat again, gathering all her papers, stuffing them into her bag. “Let me see what I can do, I’ll be going back to his house again-”

“You will?” Mingyu looked at her slightly surprised. “You’re… you’re not back for good?” 

Na bi shook her head, “He offered to keep me in his protection. It would make sense for me to stay at least until my suspension is over.”  

“That means you still have an opportunity to do the job.” Mingyu looked at her expectantly. “That means it's not too late.” 

Na bi nodded as Mingyu’s face morphed from relief to concern, like he was worried he was asking for too much. 

“Will you be okay though? Does he treat you fine?” He rubbed her arm, softly. “He doesn’t suspect anything?” 

“He…” treats me like I’m precious. “I’m fine, I’ll be fine too, I’ve not done anything that’s too strange so I don’t think he suspects me.” 

“But he might.” Mingyu emphasized. “If he finds you snooping around for evidence he might get suspicious, so please be careful. I don’t think people like him are sympathetic to those who blindside them.” 

“I know.” Na bi muttered under her breath. “I know what it’s like to be blindsided…” 

“What is that?” Mingyu frowned, not having heard her soft voice. “Is there something else you need to tell me?” 

Staring at him, Na bi zipped up the bag carrying the exact gun Mingyu was looking for and shook her head. Taking a good look at her, he sighed. 

“Na bi I know I pushed you for this mission, all I wanted was for you to clear your name but.” Softly holding her hands, he pulled her up against him, wrapping his arm around her once more. “If anything happens to you because of it, I won’t be able to live with myself.”  

“Don’t worry.” Na bi looked over his shoulder at her reflection in the glass shelves. This time she didn’t hold him back. “I won’t let myself become a victim in this game.” 

Seokmin stared at the gun placed before him, eyes flickering between it and Na bi.

“So then…” He gulped. “You didn’t give Mingyu the gun?”

Na bi who had barged into Seokmin’s office unannounced, filled him in with all that happened so far, and was now sitting across him at his desk, shook her head, mindlessly rotating the revolver on his table. 

Seokmin shuddered. “Please stop playing with that.”

Muttering an apology under her breath, she grabbed it and stashed it back in her bag.

“I couldn’t give it.”

“Why not?” Seokmin blinked at her, confused. “Na bi, if you had, you could’ve gotten out of all this. The NIS could have matched the bullets, figured out the prints-“

“Yes, except……” Na bi finally said what was weighing her mind this entire time. “Ana didn’t die from a gunshot. She bled out by a slit on each wrist-” 

“Wait,” Seokmin sat up surprise. “You mean like all those cases we’ve been seeing in the ER?” 

Na bi nodded. “It’s apparently his signature, it’s how he marks his job. Mingyu showed me a picture of Ana’s body and I saw it, the slits on her wrists but Seokmin, there were no bullet wounds so why….” Na bi picked on the skin of her finger lost in thought. “Mingyu still isn’t being fully honest with me.” 

“What makes you think that?” 

“Think about it Min-ah, Tartarus has been a problem for years now, not even the WipeOut could fully eliminate them. Yes, they brought down the big ol' BlackJack, but only for a much smarter, much more efficient leader to take his place. You’d think at least now they’d figure that they should target the organization as a whole but Mingyu,” Na bi recalled the conversations she’d been having with him over the last many meetings. “Mingyu, Jihoon, they’re all only interested in the man and the man alone.”

“Why do you think that is?” 

Na bi shrugged. “I don’t know whether to assume they aren’t learning from previous mistakes or if there’s something else going on.” 

“But how does it matter?” Seokmin leaned back. “With IM, you’re at the risk of him catching up to what you are doing and with the NIS, you’re at the edge of legal prosecution and having your life ruined in a whole other way. The only way for you to safely get out of this situation is to do whatever the fuck Mingyu wants you to and let them handle IM. Why do you care about the implications-” 

“Ana.” Na bi insisted. “In part, I am responsible for what happened to her-” 

“That is not true.” 

“But it is, if not for my meddling the situation would probably not have-” 

“You don’t know that Na bi.” Seokmin raised his voice. “You don’t know anything…..” He softened looking at her face. “That’s what you can’t stand, isn’t it?” 

“Maybe.” Na bi confessed honestly. “The reason I agreed to help Mingyu was so I could get some answers about Ana but I’m nowhere close. I still don’t know why he went from wanting to talk to her to cold blooded murder.” 

“And the reason you still don’t know that is because you chose to throw yourself into every and any other exploration rather than having a direct conversation with him.” 

Na bi rolled her eyes. Only because she knew he was absolutely right. 

“Why is that Na bi?” Seokmin edged despite knowing the answer already. “Afraid of what his answer will be? Are you still that attracted to him?” 

Na bi blinked at Seokmin like he was being ridiculous but sighed when continued looking at her pointedly. 

“I…I don’t know how to explain it, I don’t want to be. Knowing what he did with Ana, I know I shouldn’t be but every time he comes in front of me, I forget all purpose. It’s like I’m nothing but an embodiment of hormones, it’s…..it’s repulsive.” 

“It’s human.” Seokmin sympathized. “You said so, it’s a primal response of a woman to a man. But the good thing is, you do know better than this.” 

“Do I?” Na bi stared out of the window behind Seokmin. “I’ve been running through miles and miles of forest to convince myself that I am doing it with a purpose when what I’ve actually been running away from is him. I keep saying  that I’ve not been able to find out more things because he’s never around but the truth is, a part of me is glad he isn’t. I’m glad to not have to face him because everytime I do, I feel like I’m on the losing side of things. To add to all of it, he’s not even a little interested in me.” 

“I don’t think that’s true.” 

Na bi shook her head.  “He has someone he loves, either she left him or she’s dead but the point is, he’s not over her.” 

“We don’t know that, we don’t know what happened in his past.” 

“Mrs. Lee told me-” 

“Mrs. Lee did not witness what happened between the two of you the night he dropped you home.” Seokmin insisted. “And that was literally hours after you met for the first time. You cannot tell me he’s not into you.”

Na bi felt her breath quicken as the events of that night flashed in her head. The touches, the way it felt….

“Well nothing has happened since.” She turned away frustrated. “You know what it’s been like for me Seokmin? It’s physically excruciating to keep my hands away from him - that’s what it is like when you’re “into someone”. That man is not attracted to me because trust me, I’d know if he was.” 

“I’m still going to have to disagree with-” 

“God you’re pissing me off-” 

“Think about it Na bi, who were the ones who chased you?” 

“What?” 

Seokmin looked at her pointedly. “Considering the fact that he was attacked, whoever his enemies are, they have discovered him already. That means you are no longer relevant or needed. The NIS on the other hand has claimed that they did not send their men for your little act, so then who was after you?”

Na bi looked at him with a loss of words. 

“Okay, tell me this, was it you who asked to stay in his house or was it him who offered?” 

Na bi blinked, confused. “I don’t remember, I think it was him-” 

“Exactly.” Seokmin slammed the table. “You didn’t enter his world because you wanted to. You’re there because he wanted this. Because he wants you.” 

Na bi let out a deep breath as Seokmin leaned back into his chair, victoriously making his point.

“Use that to your advantage Na bi. You can bring that man to his knees if you want.” 

Sprawled on the couch, Na bi was on her second glass of whiskey for the night when Changkyun walked into the house. The clock chimed softly, making her look up. It was 2 AM. 

“You’re awake Ms. Baek.” Noticing her presence in the dimly lit space, Changkyun stopped in his tracks.

“So are you.” Na bi tipped her head back, finishing up the last of her drink before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “Is being nocturnal characteristic of the infamous man of the shadows?” 

Changkyun smiled, amused at her slightly slurring self. “More like a necessity.” 

“Not very different from us doctors, you know.” 

Na bi muttered, making an unsuccessful attempt to pull herself off the couch, and then another. Just as she began to try again, Changkyun walked up to her, holding out his hand. Knowing she was too tipsy for this, she took his hand, allowing him to pull her up to her feet, face inches away from him. 

They always seemed to find themselves like this, inches apart, a palpable electricity surging between them among the hundreds of questions and possibilities.

As usual, Changkyun took a step back to walk away but this time, Na bi held his hand. 

“Don’t go.” His eyes stared at their intertwined hands before looking up at her flushed face. “Have a glass with me, it gets really lonely here.” 

Perhaps he understood that because he didn’t disagree. Instead he took the empty glass from her other hand, and walked towards the bar at the edge of the kitchen. Na bi followed him slowly, looking out of the large french windows across, watching as lightning lit up the night sky. 

“Looks like it's going to rain.” She observed and as Changkyun poured out two glasses, as if on cue, rain too began to pour outside. 

Na bi grabbed a glass and walked closer to the window, tracing the streaks of water running down the cold surface. The sound of the rain filled the silence between the two of them - somehow although no words were exchanged, Na bi felt incredibly at peace. 

As the light buzz of the whiskey took the wheel, she took a deep breath, and looked over her shoulder, finally breaking the silence. 

“Do you want to play a game?” 

Changkyun raised an eyebrow. “A game?” 

Na bi nodded slowly, turning around to find Changkyun leaning against the bar table, watching her. 

“It’s simple.” She quickly downed her third glass. “We ask each other questions. If we answer it correctly we get to drink a glass.” 

Changkyun swirled the ice in his whiskey with his finger. “Seems like you’ve drank enough Ms. Baek, I think you should sleep.” 

With you? 

Na bi recalled the night they shared in her room - the same kind of energy was surging between the two of them again, like history was about to repeat. 

Licking her lips, she walked over, stopping inches away from him. “But if we don’t answer, then we strip. One article for one question.” 

Chankgyun's eyes wandered down her body before he tilted his head at her. "You're not wearing much."

In hindsight, she should have considered that Changkyun was in his usual 3 piece suit while all she had on was a night gown and a robe but now it was too late to back off. 

"That shouldn't be a problem.” She stood beside him, filling her glass again, resting her arms on the surface. “I don't intend to lose." 

Changkyun looked at her, tongue poking his cheek before he raised his glass in a challenge. 

"Ladies first." 

Na bi nodded, staring at her drink, trying to figure which of the hundreds of questions in her mind to voice.

“Do you find me attractive?” 

.

.

.

Changkyun looked at her with an intensity that made her cheeks burn. 

.

.

.

“Insanely.” 

Lips parted, she blinked surprised. Oh. 

“My turn.” 

The two of them looked away as Na bi held her breath, wondering what he might possibly ask her. 

"What's the case number of your first patient?" 

"What?" Na bi turned to him, dumbfounded. Given the situation, that's what he wanted to ask? "That was so many years ago."

"I'm not hearing an answer." 

"You can't possibly expect me to remember that?"

"Answer Ms. Baek, or should I remind you of your rules?"

She looked away annoyed. "Fine, it's S175-"

"You do know you're a terrible liar." Changkyun smiled with amusement dancing in his eyes. He was mocking her. 

"The question is unfair."

"So is lying." He leaned, his lips hovering by the shell of her ear. "Strip."

Na bi stared at him for a hot minute feeling the throbbing of her pulse in very unwarranted areas of her body. Shivering a little, she slipped the robe off her shoulders and threw it aside. A slight smirk danced on his lips. 

“Winners deal the next hand, right?” 

Na bi rolled her eyes at what seemed like a blatant attempt to make her completely strip with the help of baseless questions but before she could deny, Changkyun spoke up. 

"What’s your sister’s name?" 

What? 

Na bi blinked at him, completely taken aback. That.... that was the last thing she was expecting him to ask. How did he even know? Had she ever mentioned her sister to him? Na bi hadn’t taken her name in years….

Understanding her silence, Changkyun held his hand out. Realizing belatedly, Na bi unhooked the small necklace of charms she always wore and dropped it into his palm. Changkyun slipped it into his pocket safely as he walked up to the window, staring outside. 

“Where’s your sister now Ms. Baek?” 

What was he doing? Here Na bi thought she could get him to answer some of her doubts instead here he was, asking her the very questions that were closing up her throat. Why was he asking her these? 

As Changkyun’s finger tapped his glass impatiently, Na bi reached for the hem of her nightgown and pulled it over her head. Sure she was able to confidently do it given all that whiskey in her system and the frustration that she was losing, but the moment she cast the gown aside, self consciousness took over, making her glance at Changkyun’s back. He did not turn.

"What happened between you and your sister Ms. Baek?"

Swallowing the phantom lump in her throat, Na bi continued to stare at him. Why was he pressing this? Did he know something? How could he know anything at all? 

Knowing that she dug this grave for herself, Na bi began to unclasp her bra when Changkyun looked over his shoulder. 

"I don’t know why it feels like I’m losing Ms. Baek." Na bi blinked at him as he finally turned to her. "You'd rather undress than confide. You protected your secrets - I guess that makes you the victor." 

Na bi opened and closed her mouth, words not leaving it. This game couldn't end here, she barely got the chance to even ask him anything.

"You didn't lose, you’re withdrawing.” She took a weak shot at his ego. “It's worse, it's cowardly." 

"Is it?" He smiled. "Am I the one who's afraid?" 

No. Not at all. It was her who was terrified. Terrified of what he said. Terrified of what he knew. Terrified of what she might do. Knowing that she had long crossed the line she had drawn yet desperate to not truly be the one who lost tonight, Na bi slipped her bra off as one last attempt. 

"Yes, because whatever it is, I'm not afraid."

Changkyun's eyes hardened but not in the way she had assumed it would. 

"Ms. Baek." He walked up, Na bi's pulse matching his every step. "Let me lose myself to you one more time."

She gulped as he placed himself incredibly close, slowly stripping out of his jacket.

"You're truly one of the most beautiful and attractive women I've ever seen. Perhaps the most." His fingers ran across her shoulder, pushing back her hair falling over it. Na bi held her breath as he met her eye. "But I'm not interested in your body. Baring yourself to me like this.....I don’t want it."

Throwing his jacket around her shoulders, he stepped back, leaving her utterly confused and at a loss of words. Picking up her clothes from the floor, he handed it to her, in exchange for the glass in her hand, while his own one was barely touched. 

"Good night Ms. Baek." 

And with that he walked away, leaving Na bi with pieces she did not know how to collect. 

“I did not see that coming.” Seokmin muttered as Na bi buried her face in her hands, every inch of her being still embarrassed. “I really thought it would work-”

“I told you.” Na bi spoke through gritted teeth. “I told you so, you didn’t listen to me-”

“I wasn’t entirely wrong, he did say he found you attractive-” 

“He also said he wasn’t interested in me, you dumbass.” Na bi shook her fast. “God I can’t do this anymore. I don’t care if its the right thing to do or not, I’m just going to hand Mingyu the gun and get out of this as soon as I can-” 

“Baek Na bi is giving up?” 

“How am I supposed to face him again, Seokmin?” Na bi exploded. “Do you know how many times I have shamelessly thrown myself on this man? I can’t possibly go back there.” 

“And what about Ana?” Seokmin reminded her. “I thought you were in it for Ana.” 

At the mention of her name Na bi leaned back into her chair, sighing, staring at the ceiling. 

“I am.” Running her hands through her hair frustrated she shook her head. “But I don’t know what to do now. I’ve searched the house, there’s nothing of value there. Mrs. Lee, Wonho, they're all too loyal to him to say anything. I haven’t seen a single other person there in days and him… I can’t get through to him, I can’t make him talk. There’s literally nothing left to do.” 

“Didn’t you mention something about his headquarters?” Seokmin frowned like he was searching his memories. 

“When he told me about Ana, he mentioned she turned up at his headquarters.” Na bi recalled the photo. “It must be the place where he operates from, where the rest of his men are and it probably has more answers but I couldn’t find it. I don’t know where it is and he’s obviously not going to tell me because for him, I’m a nobody-” 

"You're not a nobody-" 

“Lee Seokmin, did you not hear a word of what I had been ranting?” Na bi looked at him exasperated. “Clearly for him, I am nothing but a pitiable prey caught in this mess. I’m sick of trying to make you understand-” 

"I got it. He finds you attractive but is not attracted to you, I got it but I don't think he sees you as just a helpless thing to protect.” Seokmin fiddled with the pen in his hands. “You've proven to him that you're intelligent enough to handle him. You dealt with his men following you, you figured his warehouse out in one go, you were dating a cop while you were treating him in your house for God's sake, so no, I don't think he, or anyone in his place would make the mistake of seeing you as a nobody, you're something Na bi. You just need to clearly establish what.” 

Na bi frowned at Seokmin. “And what is that?”

“An ally.” He stated, like it was obvious. “IM definitely doesn't see you as an enemy, because you've never done anything that's of disadvantage to him but he also has no reason to see you as a friend so give him one. Show him you’re on his side, become an ally and gain his trust - maybe then you’ll find a way into these headquarters of his." 

Na bi leaned back, eyebrows pulled together in thought. How on earth was she going to do that? 

Slowly pushing open the door of Changkyun’s room, Na bi peered into the dimness as the sun began to set outside. 

From what she could see he was not there - the place was uninhabited, the water wasn’t running either. As the calm and quiet of the room lulled her, she stepped in, taking a deep breath. Na bi knew she shouldn’t be entering his room when he wasn’t here but that was precisely why she was her. There was something important she had to do and she’d rather do it without having to see him - returning his gun. 

A part of her told her this was an utterly stupid decision but another part knew it was a necessary move to make. If she had to gain his trust the way Seokmin suggested, she had to show him he could trust her, that she wasn’t acting against him in any way. 

Looking for a paper to write him an explanatory note, Na bi shuffled through the sheets on his table only to yet again find dozens of maps of Seoul. Pushing them aside, she looked through the pages, recognising various places in the city, wondering why so many routes looked unfamiliar to her. When the door creaked behind her, Na bi didn’t hold her breath this time. 

“Before you say anything, I…” Her words trailed away as the sound of the footsteps increased. 

That was most definitely not Changkyun.

"And who do we have here?" 

Freezing at the sound of an unfamiliar voice, Na bi glanced at the window before her, eyeing the slightly hazy reflection of a man who seemed to have striking blonde hair. Slowly turning she found herself at an arm's distance from a man who was yes, handsome, brawny, rugged but something about him was incredibly sinister, perhaps that golden canine that shone at the edge of his twisted smile. He too had donned a suit much like the ones Changkyun wore except there were stains of red on the white of his shirt. Blood. 

"Looks like my little brother broke one of his rules." 

Na bi raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know he had a brother.."

"He's as good as one.” The man clarified, leaning in. “But what might you be to him?" 

“I’m..” Eyes tunneling on the scars of his fist, Na bi shook her head. “No one significant. Who are you-” 

"Jooheon."

Na bi looked over the man’s built shoulder to see Changkyun who seemingly appeared out of nowhere, leaning against the doors of his room. A wave of relief washed over her; and a realization - yes her heartbeat quickened when Changkyun was around, she could never seem to find her breath in his presence, she was always on the edge when it came to him but never, not once, was she truly afraid of him. This man though, Jooheon was it? Something about his presence made her skin tingle with discomfort.

 “Ms. Baek, I hope you can give me a minute.” Changkyun stepped back with a tilt of his head. “Jooheon was just leaving.” 

 “Looks like we’ll have to get acquainted another time, Ms. Baek.” The blonde man smirked at her with a small nod. “I look forward to it.” 

“Likewise.” Na bi stared him down as he stepped out of the room, shutting its doors, giving her one last curious look. 

Leaning against the table, moderately unnerved by the interaction, Na bi unzipped her hoodie, fanning herself. Changkyun’s world of shadows truly had dark things. Brushing it aside, she almost turned her attention back to the papers when her ear caught the sound of the muffled voices outside. 

"I thought you don’t do business with Madame anymore. So whose is she?" 

"Whose?" 

A pause. A sigh. Then another pause. 

"Mine." 

Na bi felt something in her chest flutter. 

"Yours? You mean you picked her from the streets?" 

"She's not a whore Heon. I met her while we were searching for Ana. It's a long story-"

"Kyun-ah, you know better than me in these matters... was this.... was she your only option?"

"She's not an option.” The click of his lighter followed. “She's the only one." 

Lips parted, Na bi stared at the brown oak of the doors. The only one. 

“This whole deal with Ana ended up becoming a lot more problematic than we thought huh?” 

Something about the silence told Na bi that Changkyun must have nodded.

"And the search for Hyungwon? Any leads?"

"I'm trying, my men are looking but unfortunately a lot of time goes in cleaning Minhyuk’s mess. Maybe if he got it together, I'd have more time for other things." 

Jooheon made a disapproving noise. "I'll tell Shownu hyung to talk to him, he'll listen to him-" 

"Don't. Not after all he's been through off late. Kihyun would be the better option right now." 

"Kyun, you know Kihyun won't do anything for you." 

Changkyun sighed, the annoyance apparent. "For the last time, I did not do it. First of all, arson is not my thing, and second, I know the rules. We keep women and children out of our fight. You know I never have and never will lay my hands on one."

Na bi's ears perked. 

"Nothing’s been going right the last few months. How did we all end up like this?" Jooheon shuffled around. "What do your sources tell you? My gut instinct says that the cops are up to something." 

Changkyun went quiet for a while, like he was lost in thought. "It can't be them. They don't have what it takes to stand against us. This is someone else.... someone smarter, someone more dangerous but don’t worry, I’ll find them.” 

“I know you will just…. be careful, and her.” Na bi had a feeling she was the one being referred to here. “I hope she’s worth the trouble.” 

To her slight disappointment, either Changkyun didn’t say anything or the muffled sounds of footsteps drowned out his response - either ways, before she knew it, the doors opened, to Changkyun alone this time. 

“Ms. Baek.” Changkyun’s eyes flickered over the papers on his table behind her that had clearly been moved around. “I see you’ve found your way here in my absence yet again.” 

“I meant to leave before you came.” Na bi held out the weapon in her hand. “I came to return this. You dropped it by the spring that night…..” 

Changkyun stared at the revolver silently.

“You’re telling me, you found it, kept it with you all this while and you’re returning it now?” 

Na bi blinked, mentally beating herself up for not considering the alternative to gaining Changkyun’s trust - facing his anger. Taking a small step back, she muttered softly. “I’m sorry.” 

Changkyun looked at her, his eyes unreadable as usual but not blank - it was like too many things were flashing in them. 

“Thank you.” He said finally, reaching for it, holding it like it was precious to him. “It would have broken me to part with it.” 

Na bi watched his expression curiously, wondering why it held so much meaning for him. Slipping it into the pocket inside his jacket, he looked at her and Na bi immediately looked away, refusing to meet his eye

“I’ll go now-” 

“I have something to return to you too.” 

Na bi scrunched her eyebrows in confusion as he slid his hand into the other pocket, pulling out what looked a lot like a ring box. Eyes widening, jaw slightly dropping, she took a terrified step back. No, no, no, no-

And to her relief, it wasn’t even close to what she had pictured - Changkyun pulled out her necklace which he kept from her yesterday, dangling it before her. Inwardly sighing in relief, Na bi moved closer, reaching for it, when she noticed an additional charm added to her little collection - a small butterfly. 

“My mother says they represent freedom.” He stared at it, the stones shining the light of the evening sun. “Your suspension will end in a few days, you’ll be gone soon - I figured it's a good parting gift.” 

“Didn’t know parting gifts were a part of your security measures.” Na bi felt a strange bitter taste in her mouth. “I thought making sure I was safe is all you cared about.” 

“Ms. Baek.” Changkyun shifted, realizing where the hostility was coming from. “If this is about what I said yesterday-” 

“See this is the issue.” Na bi pointed out. “What you say and what you do, don’t align and it’s driving me crazy. I’m tired of trying to make sense of it by myself so I’m going to ask you clearly once and for all.” Na bi finally looked him straight in the eye. “What are we?” 

Changkyun stared at her in silence as she continued. 

“We’re not unfamiliar enough to be strangers, we’re not familiar enough to be partners, we’re not against each other to be enemies,” She sighed. “Are we at least…I don’t know, friends?” 

 “Friends?” Changkyun raised an eyebrow before softly shaking his head. “No Ms. Baek, we are not friends. And I’m not interested in being one either.” 

“Repeat that.” 

Na bi sighed, rolling her eyes, repeating for the second time. “No Ms. Baek, we are not friends and I’m not interested in being one either.” 

“What did you reply?” Seokmin egged, knowing the exact answer. 

“And I’m not interested in being your charity case either.” 

“And you walked off and didn’t take your necklace.” 

“I walked off and didn’t take my necklace.” She confirmed, leaning back into her chair. 

“Why not though, it belongs to you anyway-” 

“I don’t give a fuck about that necklace Seokmin.” She did but that was not the point now. “The point is, I’m never going to be able to gain his trust, I’m never going to be able to get anything out of him. We are back to where we began.” 

“Well I guess alternatively-” 

“No, I'm done taking suggestions from you.” Na bi snapped at Seokmin who instantly shut up. “For a change, I already have a plan in mind.” She fiddled with her hands on her lap. “Did Mingyu reply to you?” 

Seokmin checked his phone again and shook his head. “He said he’ll be here in 10. But that was almost 15 minutes ago.” 

Na bi clicked her tongue impatiently, tapping her feet away. The moment she came to the hospital, she rushed to find Seokmin and urgently grabbed the phone from his hands, sending Mingyu a much needed cryptic message. Just as she wondered if she was being too vague and attempted to clarify what she wanted, Mingyu replied that he would see her in the hospital in 10. Making use of the gap, Na bi filled Seokmin in with the details of the interaction last night, causing him to wrack his brain with the exact confusion she had been going through for weeks now. 

“So here’s what we know.” Seokmin began counting on his fingers. “He finds you attractive but is not attracted to you. He doesn’t see you as a friend but also doesn’t see you as an enemy but also is extremely protective of you but also doesn’t care enough to ever make conversation with you but also indulges in games involving stripping but also doesn’t even look at you in said game but also makes sweet and thoughtful gestures and is also incredibly hurtful with his words.” Seokmin finally took a much needed breath. “What is this man?” 

Na bi looked at him with an expression that clearly said, ‘welcome to my world’ 

“There’s no point thinking about him anymore.” She shook her head with resolve. “I’ve exhausted all possible options and now I’m going to take my last shot at this.” 

“And what is that?” 

“This.” 

Na bi turned to the sound of Mingyu’s voice, finding him standing by the door, a vial of colorless liquid placed on his outstretched hand. Na bi got up, slightly panicking that he had caught her right in the middle of doing the one thing she was asked not to - disclose any details of this mission to anyone. 

“Mingyu you’re here.” Walking up to him, she tried to pointlessly cover Seokmin’s presence by standing in his line of vision. “I thought we’d meet at the storage room, like last time-” 

“That would perhaps be troublesome for you, considering you’ll need to fill in Seokmin about our conversation once it’s done.” 

Na bi opened her mouth to deny? justify? apologize? Whatever it was, Mingyu didn’t want to hear it. “I’m not complaining Na bi, it's unfair to not let you have a confidant during such a difficult mission.” 

Seokmin, who tried his best to seem invisible, sank further in his chair as Mingyu walked in, settling down on a nearby couch. Eyes flickering between the two men, Na bi leaned against the wall as an awkward silence descended in the room. 

Before Na bi could break it, Mingyu beat her to it. 

“I was hoping we could have met in the NIS safehouse instead.” Mingyu looked at her impassively. “Jihoon wants to talk and we’ve also arranged for a professional to do IM’s sketch.” 

“I can’t go there.” Na bi shook her head. “His men are always around me, they’re always watching. The only reason I’m able to meet either of you is because this is a staff only area of the hospital and the only people allowed to be here unauthorized are, well, cops.”

Tearing his eyes away from her, Mingyu stared at the tiles of the floor. “So you won’t come.” 

“I can’t.” Na bi corrected. “As long as I’m with him I can’t come to you.” 

Mingyu’s jaw tightened in a way that Na bi had never seen before. He seemed annoyed, angry even, constantly fidgeting with his hands.

“Mingyu, are you okay?” 

He looked up at her confused face and let out a deep breath. “Yeah I’m fine. I brought what you asked for.” He added, placing the vial on the couch beside him. “I had to break about 50 odd organization rules to get this so I hope it’s worth it to you.” 

Na bi walked up to him, picking up the serum, holding it against the light. It struck her as she was pacing up and down her room last night, thinking hard about what to do next - if she were to get anything out of Changkyun, there was no way it could be by will, so the only choice she had  was chemical coercion - the NIS’s truth serum. 

As Na bi attempted to grab her bag to keep it away safely, Mingyu held her hand. 

“I hate that you’re with him.” He confessed, his thumb running across the back of her hand. “Na bi, I might have come into your life for the sake of this mission but what you and I shared, that was real. And I don’t know why but the more time passes, it feels like you are slipping away from me so, please,” He looked up at her, eyes sad. “Just, finish this soon and come back to me.”

“I….” Na bi’s lips parted with a loss of words. Where was this coming from? “Mingyu, you and I…. I haven’t….“ She glanced at Seokmin who looked like he wanted the Earth to split into two and swallow him just so he could be anywhere but here.“I’ll do my best to get done with this as soon as I can, okay? Just don’t think too much.” 

Mingyu nodded, not entirely convinced, but enough to drop the topic. “Take this as well.” He pulled out a neatly wrapped parcel, placing it in the middle of her palm. “It’s a new phone, it’ll be of use.” 

“There’s no signal where he lives. I won’t be able to call, you won’t be able to track me-” 

“It’s got a functioning camera.” Mingyu finally let her go, leaning back into the softness of the couch. “It might be suspicious for you to capture his face on it but you can take pictures of any other useful information.” 

“What kind of useful information?” Na bi raised her eyebrows confused. “I thought you what you wanted was his gun?”

“And do you have it?” 

Na bi blinked at him rapidly before shaking her head too quickly. If Mingyu caught on to her lie, she couldn’t tell.  

Rubbing his temple Mingyu sighed. “We were wrong to think it was enough to find implicating evidence against him - it would be like we learnt nothing from the last time.”

Na bi and Seokmin exchanged a look. 

“The more important thing is to take down Tartarus so you were doing the right way. You should focus on finding more information like where his headquarters are, how to identify his men, things of that sort.” 

Na bi frowned at him, “Why the sudden change of heart? I mean, till two days back you had a different opinion.” 

“Let’s just say we have our own confidants to discuss things with.” Mingyu got up, shooting Seokmin a cold look. “And they had a different say.” 

Na bi crossed her arms, mind racing with thoughts as Mingyu grabbed his bag from the floor and dropped a kiss on her forehead. “Take care.”

The moment he left Na bi turned to Seokmin, walking up to the window behind him.“Do you think he overheard us that day? Why does it feel like he’s parroting the conversation we had?” 

Seokmin shrugged. “Maybe he did, it would explain why he looks so devastated-”  

“He did seem off.” Na bi muttered.

“Yes Na bi ‘off’ is the word one would use to describe men hopelessly in love.” Seokmin rolled his eyes. “He’s so blatant and explicit about his want for you, what’s keeping you from him?”  

Staring at the grass outside, she peeled the skin of her fingers painfully. 

“He’s handsome, makes good conversation, is fun to date and I don’t know maybe he’s a good fuck too…”

“But?” Seokmin leaned back. “I sense a ‘but’ coming.” 

“But I don’t want him, not in the way he thinks he wants me.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Seokmin, what does Mingyu even know about me?” Na bi turned to him. “My life, my past, experiences that define me, things that terrify me… he doesn’t know me at all. What Mingyu wants is the idea of me - the epic story of two people who save the world and drive off into the sunset. What he wants is a storybook, happy ending and I don’t believe in that kind of love.” 

“You don’t believe in any kind of love.” 

“Which is exactly why this conversation is redundant.” 

“Life cannot be based just on superficial attachments Na bi, how long will you live life from one good fuck to another?” 

“Which is also why I hate having these conversations with you.” Na bi sighed, exasperated. “You love love Seokmin, congratulations, good for you. I, on the other hand, don’t want it because I don’t believe in it. Why is that so problematic for you-” 

“Because it’s not love that you don’t believe in.” Seokmin stood up, standing by her side. “You don’t believe you’re worthy of it.” 

Na bi continued to stare out of the window, watching Mingyu finally make his way out of the hospital, walking towards his bike. He met her eye as he got on, giving her the familiar sweet smile that was missing all this while. 

“I don’t know what exactly it is Na bi, but I know you carry a weight that’s only gotten heavier over time. I can only hope you find someone who can share that burden with you.” Seokmin put his arm around her, rubbing softly as Mingyu drove off. “You deserve to love and be loved.” 

“Na bi!” 

Na bi turned at the sound of Mrs. Lee’s loud voice, halting in the middle of the living room. 

“I’ve been calling out to you for so long, where are you lost?” 

Na bi blinked, lost. From the moment she had left Seokmin’s office she had been distracted by her own thoughts. By Seokmin’s words to be more precise. 

“Nothing, I was just….” She walked over to the kitchen. “Thinking about something.” 

“You’re back early today.” 

“I didn’t have much to do.” She confessed sliding onto the counter, earning a disapproving click of the tongue from the older woman. “I’m going to miss being this relaxed from next week.” 

“Feels like you were barely here and you’re going to leave already.” Mrs. Lee smiled at her sadly. “I’m going to feed you well before you go back to the horrible instant noodle life of yours. Tell me all your favorites.” 

“Not the master's favorite?” Na bi feigned shock, earning a small laugh from the other lady.

“I always make my master’s favorite.” She pointed at the jug Na bi hadn’t noticed beside her, filled with a pink liquid. Na bi gulped, remembering the drink Mingyu had bought during their first meeting in the bar. The one laced with the truth serum. The serum that was in her bag at this moment, waiting to be used. 

Desperate to divert her mind, she shook her head. “I’m sorry but that does not look even a little appetizing.” 

“It’s healthy.” 

Na bi turned at the sound of Changkyun’s voice, eyes falling on him at the edge of the kitchen, dressed in his usual attire, looking at her. Na bi looked away, focusing on Mrs. Lee instead as she scurried around to find glasses and fill them with the pink juice. 

“I don’t want that Mrs. Lee, I prefer or….” Na bi trailed away as Changkyun walked up to her, a glass of orange juice in his hand held out to her. She ignored him for a rough minute and when he still didn’t move away, Na bi took it and set on the counter beside her without another word. Changkyun continued to look at her impassively until he didn’t anymore, reaching for his own glass, downing the drink in one go and muttering a small ‘thanks Mrs. Lee’ before walking away. It was only when she heard the sound of the main door close that she relaxed. 

“Did you two fight?” Mrs. Lee peered at her curiously. 

“What makes you think so?” 

Mrs. Lee placed her hands on her hips. “You weren’t talking to him.” 

“I’m not interested in talking to him.” Na bi mumbled, tracing the rim of the glass with her finger. “It’s not like anything worthwhile comes out of his mouth.” 

Mrs. Lee gave a heavy pause before she sighed. 

“He really does look out for you, you know?” Na bi looked up at the housekeeper's concerned face. “To be cared for by a man like him, it’s truly fortunate.” 

Na bi scoffed. “I find it hard to believe that a man like him is even capable of caring.” She picked up the glass, wincing at its cold exterior. “How can someone who is engaged in the kind of business he does even fathom basic human emotions?” 

Mrs. Lee shook her head like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Na bi’s eyes followed her as the older woman slipped off her apron and poured herself a glass of juice. 

“Do you know I have a son Na bi?” Mrs. Lee confessed suddenly, taking Na bi aback. “I don’t live with him, I haven’t in almost 12 years. Do you know why?” 

Na bi shook her head slowly. 

“Because the love I saw in this house…it was like none other.” Leaning back against the counter, Mrs. Lee stared off at a distance. “Do you even know what love is like at its purest and rawest? Have you ever seen a love that’s so deep, it physically hurts to be away from them? The kind of love where your soul desperately craves for another’s presence? Where you’re ready to burn the world or be burned if it means protecting them?” Eyes moist, Mrs. Lee looked at her. “That’s the kind of love Changkyun had and that’s the kind of love he has to give.” 

Na bi recalled Mrs. Lee mentioning her mistress. Something painfully clenched in her chest. 

“In the 30 years I’ve worked here, I saw the most beautiful kind of love in this family. Master’s love for his sisters. His father’s love for his mother. The parents’ love for their children - I’ve never seen anything like what this family shared. That’s why when he was the only one left, even if it meant putting aside everything that was dear to me, I could not bear to leave him alone.” 

Lips parting in realization, Na bi remembered Changkyun telling her about the scar on his eyebrow. About how he got it when his family was killed. 

“I try but I don’t think I can ever fill the void he’s been living with. I’ve seen him hanging on to the smallest testaments of the past just to feel that love once again. Using the lighter that belonged to his father, carrying that revolver which hasn’t worked in years only because his sisters gifted it to him. Sometimes I find him just sitting in his mother’s room, staring at her thing things, wiping the dust off them-” 

“His mother’s room?” Na bi interrupted, mind backtracking. “Do… do you mean the one upstairs?” 

Mrs. Lee nodded. 

“You mean to say that…” Na bi shook her head in confusion. “That room is his mother’s? Those dresses were his mother’s, the person you referred to as mistress is…. His mother?” 

Mrs. Lee nodded again like it was obvious. 

“And all this while I thought….I thought you meant an old lover or…” 

“Lover?” Mrs. Lee scoffed. “The only woman Changkyun ever loved is his mother.” Na bi let out a deep breath as the older lady smiled at her sadly. “Her name was Na bi too.” 

Next Chapter

[stuck-in-the-ghost-zone]

HI. MACKERELMORE. nhw trickster. killington. amity. the chaos zone. deadwood. new and funny and interesting ways to slaughter people. tide clone shit. bonesaw boiling the failed clones alive. muse. trickster using muse to do shit like u just saw in killington. the wards seeing the trickster using muse to execute people in ways Like That. holds up mic!!!!!!!!!!!!

GOD. THERES SO MUCH GOOD FUCKING FOOD FOR NHW IN THE CHAPTERS I READ EARLIER. fuck. god. shit. okay.

starting with the trickster bc i feel like when i get into tides stuff ill talk for 10 years. ohhhhh my god dude as soon as they walked into a town called fucking KILLINGTON ????? i was like. god thats a joke trickster would make huh!!!!! hed think thats so fucking funny. (and it is. but only to me who has the advantage of seeing this as a narrative and not a real event i am experiencing. fucking hilarious shit. killington??!?!?!?!? killington. ) i have a lot of thoughts about the shit he did to Amity before he escaped and like. yeah. fuckin yeah. i dont think he wouldve killed Everyone in the city (gotta have. puppets to play with and also like. people who hes not controlling to chase around and hunt for sport) (this is fucking terrifying and awful! this is so bad! like catastrophically so!) but i definitely think when the wards go to amity (because i want them to do that so bad at some point) i think it will be in sort of a similar state to this with like. bodies strung up like decorations. graffiti made from fuckign. ash and blood and paint all mixed together. really obviously placed traps. etc etc etc. jsut like. evidence that this place is like his fucking playground! horrifying!

anyway yeah also muse holy shit. muse has to singlehandedly raze at least one fuckign town. for sure. dude dude like that fucking video jack had where they had everyone gathered together before they started killing them? that but with trickster and muse? and its . more fucking scary because instead of 200+ slaughterhouse 9 clones its literally JUST trickster and muse. and whatever random handful of puppets trickster is controlling around the edge of the crowd for extra sets of hands.. aauogaouguguhhghhhgh. i need them to do horrific shit.

OKAY. CLONE TIME. CLONE TIM.E . OUGHGHHGHGH TIIIIDE. TIIIIIIIIDE. how many failed clones do you htink there were. how many failed clones to make tide and magma. do you think they know about the failed clones. they got fucking BOILED ALIVE. do u think tide and magma ever see any of the other clones before theyre ready and they have to look at their own fucking faces (face?) and think about that. i still have that post abt the lambert family in my drafts god i need 2 finish that but. in my mind tide and magma are the oldest (technically magma is the oldest but tide was like. a year or less after him so theyre closer in age) and then it was. seismic and whirlwind at the same time so theyre twins. and then shockwave. and then elle. so i think tide and magma have that Eldest Sibling bond where they have. Issues that are parallel to each other. and a LOT of that comes from being endbringer juniors and a lot of that comes from being clones. but where magma got closed off and aloof about it tide like. desperately clung to kindness bc he doesnt like when people are scared of him. anyway im getting distracted. FUCKING CLOOOOOONE SHIT. CLONE LORE. WORM CLONE LORE. THE WHOLE LIKE. either implanting false memories from other people or needing to raise them from scratch????? thats fucking insane. oh my god. what the fuck kind of memories do u think they got. obviously a lot from dr lambert but like. man. do u think the endbringer thing is like baked into their fucking memories. its in their dna. i didnt quite understand the bit about bonesaw trying to give them their powers but if altering memories can alter what sorts of powers they get...... do the endbringers have dna. do u think tide and magma got endbringer dna in them. that would be sick (both in the sick meaning cool way and in the im gonna make myself sick way). actually that brings up the point. are the endbringers even organic??????????? or are they constructs?????????? since they were confirmed created by someone/something....... man. MANY THOUHGST HEAD FULL. HAVING A LOT OF EMOTIONS ABOUT NHW TIDE. bonesaw boiled the failed clones alive. i dont . i dont think tide and magma were ever *kids* (which is like. ow.) but like. god im just imagining the part in trigun where vash and knives find whats left of tesla. holy shit dude. do you see my vision here

[plasticfreckles]

how aforementioned fictional men from this post would react to the fact that my prof failed my paper WITHOUT EVEN READING IT

(we're still in love obvs bc ive had so many breakdowns about this over the weekend that theyve kinda fused into one long-winded breakdown just lemme have this my sanity is holding on by a thread and its getting thinner by the second)

jaal ama darav: would still not have this problem, but would let me cry into his chest tentacles and go to my university and cause a scene my guy

liam kosta: well guess what bitch we're having takeout and boba and comfort movies and SO MANY BLANKETS AND STRING LIGHTS

saren arterius: would have either bribed prof and/or uni so this would not happen, but if it DID happen theyve got another thing coming honey

thane krios: ok now he'll help. help me write long sentences and also intimidate the prof bc wow are you a dishonorable shitbag sweet chalupa jesus

zevran arainai: murder now? too late already did it you're welcome oh they already marked it failed in the system? no problem let me just [daggers the servers] now lemme smash

banck trevelyan: we are now having a mental breakdown together we're writing a new paper and it only says [prof is a whorechild] its very cathartic

dorian pavus: the audacity on this professor. runs them out of their job faster than they can say "failed"

jackie welles: ok now they're getting beat up within an inch of their life he said he'd catch a case if the prof didn't let me pass and they didn't so now he's gotta back his words up with action its really on the prof your honor

johnny silverhand: assuming the place had not been nuked prior to this event would do it then even if he told me to shut up, stop crying and cowgirl up earlier. (could also just mean you're too dumb for this degree shit. - well YEAH but they could've figured it out BEFORE im about to start my thesis paper thankyouverymuch)

goro takemura: that would mean that really, the arasaka goon he got to write my paper for me failed, so they're getting run out of their job so far they may as well just live in a cardboard box. also blackmail the prof

river ward: damn girl that sucks. need a hug? want me to run for another pizza? drive you to a different library? like tell me what you need and youll have but you'll need to tell me (river i dont KNOW what i need) damn girl that sucks. need another hug?

dorn il-khan: the sucker is so dead he'll find a way to get into lunia and kill them again bc obviously dying once wasn't enough for them to get their shit together

rasaad yn bashir: would go to the prof and just talk at them until they read the fucking paper

data: honestly would just download the grading guide and do it himself also add the fact i was failed without having been assessed into the profs file dont worry about it its fine

thranduil oropherion: bitch NOT ONLY did they assign THE QUEEN a paper they FAILED her?! lemme drag their ass to mordor ill drop their disgusting head into the firepits myself and it will not be attached to their body anymore

kim nam joon: damn girl that sucks. want me to check if there's a place you can report it to? because that doesn't sound normal. are we sure they're not on a power trip and you just got to deal with it? anyway we'll fix this together and you'll pass don't you worry about a thing

dustin bates: wow they FAILED you without doing their fucking WORK? [drops track about aint-shit opportunist bastards and capitalism commercializing education like bitch i paid 160€ in this assumed free education country for a degree the least you could do is do your fucking job]

the apocalypse dj: ["accidentally" backflips into the prof so they drop their notebook and it breaks wow looks like karma's a bitch huh]

[mqfx]

what does wan jingwei like best physically about li shun im imagining the scenario you've described but like. its a diagram wjw has titled a glorious victory but li shuns arms are way beefier than they actually are & the expression vitally is one of subserviant defeat (not true to life)

(covering myself in layers and layers and layers

they were i think 15 and 16 at this point?

back in the mainland she once attended a cultivation conference (it's complicated but basically the chao was flexing by gathering the southern sects in one place and showboating) and wan jingwei was a political hostage slash ward of the emperor. and she got a front row seat to watch how li shun got her reputation as a violent and dangerous monster (which, to be fair, she was being a violent and dangerous monster. but also to defend women's wrongs, she totally had a right to do that. overreaction? yeah. but girls will be girls). li shun was NOT playing by the gentleman's rules of the sport and she had to be disqualified because she got very close to killing other competitors, to the great shame of the li and the delight of the chao

anyway. wan jingwei, no courtesy name yet so only called wan ji, escorted her out since she was only basically a random lackey at the time (plotting in her heart but she was powerless and at the lowest point in her life so far....) immediately she zoned in on this neediness and insecurity in li shun and thought she could use it to her advantage, or at least practice her (at the time, very weak) manipulation tactics on her. she was very nice, nonjudgmental, and she tried not to show fear while bandaging her up

(li shun saw right through it but found it endearing and strange)

(that was an act. wj was not actually afraid. bc she's cocky the way some ppl think they can totally tame a wild tiger. ahahah layers)

there also happened to be some problems on wj's end (some cultivator bothering her) and, tldr, she made this known to li shun who handled the problem. both testing each other. only they know what the results are. after that, they don't see each other again for a few more years. coincidentally, there appears to be a curse on the wan family--how could so many members die in succession? so odd

sorry what was the question? oh yes. wan jingwei likes li shun's hands

[auntbibby]

this "empty spaces" scifi furry story is inspired by my time spent living in psych wards (especially a high-observation cell) and in disability group homes. when u hav autism, tourettes, OCD, & meltdowns, and the staff knows, it can get dehumanizing.

it can be found on deviantart here and furaffinity here

i always felt like such a horrible schnauzer-human hybrid in these moments. i knew the guards would eventually unlock the door to my living space for one reason or another, and id have to tell them what i did. mentally, and therefor physically,i couldnt do anything but wait.

EEENNGHHH!!!!!!

there it was.

CLICK!!!! wheeeeeeze.

“hey tina”, my current primary guard said, thru his bulletproof body armor & bulletproof helmet, as he opened the graphene-plated door from the outside of my living space. “its supper time…….. oh…… did something happen?”

i hesitated, holding my paws in front of me….. “um…… sorr- ….. um……. i had a meltdown….. im sorry. im really sorry. i broke the bedside table. sorr-sorry.”

i could hear the click of his tranq gun being put into ON mode. they always tried to hide that, but my enhanced dog senses could hear it. it always made me feel shame, but i knew it was probably government protocol. “can you show me?” he said, as 2 of my 5 current secondary guards and one secondary guard who didnt smell familiar came in behind him. he smelled like he was scared. must be new. sigh.

“just over here” i pointed with one paw bean and walked over to my bed. “there used to be a table here, right?” my primary guard nodded in recognition “ohhhhh, yeah… what happened to it tina?”

i interrupted him out of frustration “im getting to tha-ARROOOOO ARROOOOOOO …..sorry.. sorry….” my dog instincts always took over when i got stressed or overwhelmed… when i howled just then, my primary guard didnt flinch. i appreciated that. he knew it was just my neurology. the new secondary guard had briefly aimed his tranq gun at me out of human terror but looked around and realized the other secondary guards didnt flinch much, then slowly put his gun down.

“so” i continued awkwardly “its over there, stuck in the ceiling” i pointed at the ceiling above the door. all 4 guards looked up to the 20ft high ceiling. my bedside table was split in 2, both sides embedded in the rafters.

my primary guard didnt skip a beat “ok well we’ll have to get you a new table for your bed!!!!” i shifted uneasily “yeah…. okay.” “may i ask what caused you to get upset?” i could smell the fearful human sweat increase in the room. “umm…. my instincts kicked in when i was getting out of bed and it frustrated me, and a few minutes earlier i spilled some water... it was a few different things really” i put my paw behind my head and scratched the back of it while giving a nervous smile. i had seen many characters do that gesture in my government-provided cartoons and it seemed to be a way regular humans expressed nervous apologeticness. i liked the cartoons i was given. they made me feel better.

“okay tina!” the smell of fear abated. primary guard turned OFF his tranq gun. “well anyways heres your supper today. its pork kibble with garlic bits today! yum!” i backed up from the front of the room and sat down with my paws behind me, to follow the rules i had been previously told for when the tertiary guards wheeled in the food. the rules felt kinda dehumanizing but i guess i wasnt completely human. and about the primary guard saying *yum*? the infantilization wasnt the worst thing in the world. at least it meant the regular humans had a somewhat positive view of me.

the guards were about to leave me to my food & lock the door again, but i wanted to address the obvious concerns of the rookie guard. “before you all go….” just off of that alone i already heard a tranq gun click. “yes tina?” i let out an involuntary doggy whine quietly. “if there happens to be a new guard coming soon, can u tell them that i dont want to hurt anyone and i want to get along and stuff? and i hope they do a good job?” i saw one of the familiar secondary guards almost turn her head toward the rookie guard but then stop herself. primary guard nodded. “sure thing tina! we’ll pass that along!” eventually they all turned and marched out.

EEEEENNNGGHHH!!!!

wheeeezze…. CLICK

i trotted over to my big metal doggy bowl and took my giant spoon and started eating my kibble. it had my medications mixed in already. it actually tasted really good, like usual. once again, i thought to myself “this isnt the absolute worst way to live. its…..okay. on friday i get to eat in the cafeteria with the other anomalies. thatll be fun. sigh.”

THE END.

[harpieisthecarpie]

Ive been in a writing slump for over a year. As in I haven't been able to write anything for a year. For various reasons. But lately I've been so excited about a khunbam fic idea I have and also tower of god in general that I was able to convince myself to just sit down and write with nothing and no one else in mind and it worked!!!

and I remembered how much I love writing for the sake of it!!! So much!!!! SO MUCH

I had to pull back for a while because my brain had tied writing to my self-worth (because of fandom and trying to do uni and having it all connected for me my whole life) and I couldn't untangle all that while also still trying to write.

Tho even after that I couldn't write because I was kinda very afraid I would try and I'd hate it or I would just suck at it so bad or I'd use it to hate myself. And I had built up all these little blockades to keep myself from actually trying. "I need to read more so I can write better" and "I need to have an outline of what to write first" and "I just can never find the time".

But I've slowly been getting back into tog (even tho lbr I never really left) because it kept skipping in my head like a broken record. My friend Aero got into it and my friend Knife was still into it.

And I found myself having conversations where I was recalling stuff about tog's lore that I had no idea I had retained. There are so many fucking characters in ToG and when I was thinking about them I knew their names. I barely know the names of the people I interact with daily half the time.

And I started rereading tog from the beginning and I was just struck by "oh yeah I fucking love this. I love these characters and this world. That's the reason I kept coming back to it and seeing if there was a fandom since I discovered it when I was like 11 years old. I love this so fucking much and I wanted to write fanfiction at 19 when I never had before because of that love"

I think one of my issues was that I first started writing fic alongside being a part of fandom for the first time, so I couldn't untangle the art from the community building. Which was only worsened by my horrible self esteem and my incorrect belief that I had to provide something for the fandom to be able to interact with it. Which ended up making me really not wanting to write.

Because with creativity and art and anything I just enjoy doing for the sake of it, the act becomes less rewarding when I (and maybe other ppl) start attaching external rewards and value judgments. I start to forget the real reason I'm creating sometimes.

Because creating with others and for others and interacting with fandom in general can be fun. But it can also really fucking suck if you go about it in the wrong headspace and interact with the wrong people.

Sometimes it just sucks because all the meta and fanon and arguing makes me forget why I am talking about the thing in the first place.

Because I love it! And I think, at least for me, fandom and fanworks should come from a place of love and joy and creation for creation's sake. Even if there are things I hate about a story or its world, I want to write like I'm quilting or scrapbooking. I take what I love to make something I find beautiful, something that's still part of the original story but also undeniably mine. If I start writing from a place of resentment or anger or misplaced self-expectations I'm gonna burn up and burn out. And I did!

But after so long of going without it and bettering my outlook and self-esteem while doing so, Im back to looking at Tower of God from a sort of??? Undiluted mindset. Or, not undiluted bc I 100% have nostalgia glasses on but maybe that's part of the good!

I can read Tower of God and see it without anyone else but me. The me of now, the me who was ecstatic when a friend from another fandom started reading it despite not having read it myself for at least a year, the me who clung to my 2 untranslated physical volumes while in the acute ward even though I couldn't read them because even the art of season 1 alone was comforting, the me who had delved into its fandom during lockdown out of loneliness and found friendship and inspiration, the me who was elated when I stumbled upon the anime announcement even if it was crunchyroll bc it was still tower of god and I knew people would start reading the webtoon because of it, the me who kept remembering and looking for tower of god as I grew up even if it was never a true constant, and the me who had found it when we were both much younger and felt something click.

I started writing this intending to ramble about how I started writing again and yet I've been rambling for ages about how much I love Tower of God. Though I suppose those two are very much intertwined.

But essentially its a lot easier to write an au fic when none of your friends want to hear about your au (ask me about my au!!!! Its a mix of soul eater and boyfriend dungeon in canon tower of god i promise its such a good idea [or dont ask me so I actually write it])

Okay I think I'm done! Thank you to the 0 people now reading this. You are my best friend <3

[echantedtoon]

A Bloom In Time Ch18 R. King Arc

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rG1unk-2d_4

(This is gonna take place based off the easter egg showed in the video, and before anyone asks no. Im not going to include other easter eggs or references from the game after this one because to me it's hard to keep track of them and most are references to other popular things, and no the ward robe code is not cannon to the story as it's a reference to Undertale. Also since practically everyone on Snatcher's planet has some kind of magic ability Poppy has super strength.)

Y'know. She suspected cleaning to be a rather easy thing to do. Sure it was hard work on it's own and she shouldn't really be complaining about anything she agreed to do in the first place, and yeah these kids could use some clean space to live and run around in, but she guess she didn't really take into account having to crawl through any small spaces today dragging all sorts of things behind her to do the job the ghost had asked of her to do. Since she thought the control room wasn't in any need to be cleaned considering Rumbi had been cleaning it nonstop for a long time as she came to know and it's not like the attic or kitchen needed to be recleaned except for the few dirty plates and forks from whatever those kids had for breakfast. But forget that. From the get go she knew this wouldn't be an easy job one being she had to drag a whole bunch of things from the attic down to the small hallway towards the storage room crawling which took about three trips since the kids and Snatcher weren't around to help. Thank goodness her wrist didn't hurt at least. At one point she could hear the distant screeching of a familiar door opening and inwardly cringed remembering the loud nail on chalk bourd sounds the ground door made. Must've been Bow going into that metro room whatever a metro was. She would've thought to do one of the other rooms first but she didn't know what were through the other doors so it was better to start somewhere she already saw. .....Which happened to be in a big mess. The storage room was still so chilly and there was snow...LITERAL. SNOW. In piles on places around the room which to be honest she didn't know what do to with, but she guessed the best thing to do was to sweep all of it into a big pile. Starting with the smaller and easier piles up by the doors leading into the potion room and the one leading back into the control room. Which honestly went over a bit smoothly if not only annoying with the big broom. Sweeping the snow and whatever dirt there was onto the lower storage room floor. The green floor like the doors looked a lot like the carpet in the control room but it didn't feel like carpet, just cold floor. Unfortunately it didn't take too long for her to get finished with such a small area and sighed as she looked towards the much bigger piles of snow in the corners almost engulfing the barrels or crates or whatever was stored down there. Oh well. She'd get it fixed, she was used to fixing her father's and Uncle's messes on the farm. Once having to fix a door the cow shot his horns through. Easier said than done, but she was sure it wouldn't be too big of a problem. It was like when she had to shovel snow in the winter. She just wished she had a coat to drape over her shoulders to keep the cold away. She had started on the biggest pole of snow in the top left corner in the room, struggling with the broom a little bit sweeping a chunk at the time trying to force as much snow away as possible with each sweeping motion. Maybe a courter through the pile she finally got company in the form of Bow bounding in through the potion room door and getting a look at the supplies Poppy had to drag along with her crawling around.

"Hey, Poppy!," She called down.

"Yes?," she shouted back without looking up from her work.

Bow pointed towards the mop and bucket. "Can I borrow this please?"

"Sure! Just bring it back!"

"OK! Thank you!," Bow called back grabbing the things she needed before rushing off back through the small door, the mop's long handle smacking against the top of the tiny doorway with a thump sound.

She was about half way through the biggest pile and was just starting to heave out a couple wooden planks stuck in the pile when she received yet another visitor in the form of a hat wearing child bounding through the control room door just as she pulled out the second plank and started leaning it against the wall. A proud smile on her face.

"I'M DONE!!," Hattie called down to her in a happy tone leaning a little over the railing.

"Already?," she asked grabbing the third and as far as she could tell the final plank and pulling it out. She heard Hattie hum a yes and she sighed pulling the plank out of the snow, man her hands were freezing! " Is  your robot friend done sweeping that big room already?"

"Yeah! It was already clean anyways. Sometimes he sweeps there...OH!" She reached around behind her and pulled out a small white piece of paper out of her back pocket and held it up to look at it. "I found this behind a chair and I think it's some kind of letter, and there was another one under my tool box."

"Good, good. Uh..tell you what. Do all these halls have carpet?"

"Pretty much!"

"Why don't you start having the little robot start sweeping those then?" The final plank was placed back up against the wall and the broom regrabbed.

''Would that make me a good helper?," she asked.

"It sure would since it'd be one thing I wouldn't have to crawl around myself doing," she said going back to sweeping the snow away from the corner and towards the entrance to the bathroom a floor below them, and the green ladder that lead up towards the doorway way above her which to be honest she had no idea where it lead.

But Hattie smiled and turned off. "SURE!! I'll do that!" Shoving the notes back into her pocket she turned and began running back into the hall.

"Thanks! Your the best!"

Her. Arms. ACHED!! By the time the giant pile was all the way swept over by the ladder her arms were starting to ache a lil bit from how hard she was gripping the broom and shoving the darn snow around. But it was all worth it when that corner was cleaned out at least....One big pile down one more big one to go and unlike the other pile which only had three planks, this one had bigger things stuck in it. Which she had to literally drag one after another dragging loose snow with her over to be placed in the cleared corner and then sweeping up the loose snow. HOLY PECK WHAT WAS IN THOSE THINGS!? It felt like they weighed five giant bags of fertilizer each! But like always she did what needed to be done without a fit. But her hands were still cold so of course she took a moment every so often to stick her hands in her pockets to let them warm up. She wasn't no dummy. About Midway through shoveling out the second pile guess who showed up again? Well she momentarily stopped again to cringe at the screeching metal sound...Before shaking her head with a sigh and going back to her work. A moment later the potion room door reopened and a smiling curly haired girl walked out dragging the mop behind her.

"I'M DONE!!," Bow called out happily to her dropping the mop to the floor.

"That's great! Uh...*huff* W-Why don't you go a-and clean another room to pass the time?," she suggested still shoving the snow in the direction towards the already bigger pile.  

Bow being the polite child she was grabbed the smaller mini broom with a smile. "Ok! I can sweep the potion room!"

Poppy paused for a moment and looked up at Bow past her messy hair up at the child. "Uh..I-I don't think that's a good idea! You shouldn't be around those witch's brew."

"They're not dangerous. Except for the one that turns everything to gold...But Hattie said it went missing a long time ago."

"......." She shook her head again. "Sorry sweetie. But it's best I do that one. I know." She turned her head towards the entrance way to the bathroom and Bow followed her movements seeming to understand. "Think you can go do that room? It'd be a big help."

She nodded again and set off to there dragging the long handled tools behind her. Jumping down and landing with a thud to Poppy's level and paused to glanced at the ever growing pile of snow and dirt in front of the long green ladder. Gazing in awe at the sight as Poppy just happened to push the last of the second largest pile into the ever growing hill of dirty snow, and ironically the control room door opened yet again and Hattie smiling and walking in,  Rumbi beeping curiously in her hands, but she stopped dead in her tracks seeing the giant snow hill in one part of the room. Giving a 'Whoa' of surprise but both girls jumped when Poppy let the broom drop to the floor and huffed.

Placing her hands to her hips, she held her head back up towards the ceiling with a chuckle. "HOO BOY!! What a work out! Haven't moved things around this much since I built my stand in the town square!''

"Wow! That's a big pile of snow!" Hattie gaped at it in childhood wonder while Bow stuck her tongue out and wrinkled her nose at the sight of dirt.

"Yuck! And dirty!"

"Yeah?" She huffed and glanced back towards the other half of the room and the smaller piles of snow that obviously wouldn't take too long but shouldn't be left unattended anyways. And it wouldn't finish itself, and that rather large crate was in the way...Not for long tho. Stretching her arms out, she walked towards the crate at least three times her size. "Now. Let's get this annoying thing  outta the way."

Hattie already turning away from the action and going over to put Rumbi in the potion room hall. The door opened with a whoosh sound and she placed rumbi down. "Ok! It's all yours!"

Rumbi happily beeped and and began to happily go down the halls towards the potion room and disappeared as the door closed behind him. With a smile she turned to go ask Poppy about those weird notes again, but paused seeing what the older woman was doing. Poppy squeezed her way past the gigantic pile of snow and Bow had already made her way into the elevator down, using the broom handle to reach the red button to lower herself down a level. Waving bye to them as she did so. Poppy was looking the giant rectangular crate up and down, with a studious look, brow raised, and hands on her hips. Silently staring at the giant thing before the woman placed her hand on the wooden side and givin' it a lil nudge. The wood creaked a lil bit as it stayed still, whatever in it was unboutfully heavy just like the crates and barrels. Like that would stop her though. Hattie watched confused as the older woman walked to one of the sides facing towards the clear corner she had previously swept out and placed either of her hands on it. Bracing her side against the giant crate and taking a breath. She pushed.

The hard wood creaked against the sudden pressure being pushed against it and it's frame tilted lightly towards where Poppy was attempting to push it towards. The older woman making a grunt of annoyance when it didn't budge. The child watching from the floor above there could only watch feeling a little bad the poor lady wasn't waking any progress on the crate's position at all. She was pretty strong herself for a child....Maybe she should offer to help-

SCCCCRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-!!!!!

The AGONIZING sound of a wooden chair being scooted across the floor but ten times louder and more annoying filled the whole room and the crate. FINALLY moved. Blue eyes stared in wonder at the sight while cringing and holding hands over her ears as they watched the giant wooden box be moved slowly across the room. Poppy gritted her teeth and slowly pushed along this giant thing one step after another towards the corner. THIS THING WAS MOVING WHETHER IT WANTED TO OR NOT!! Step after step she took, the sound hurting her ear drums and making her even more annoyed until she felt something solid stop it. Poppy stopped for a moment feeling the something blocking it...Pushing against it a few more times to really make sure it wasn't just stuck on something before grunting and heaving her body off it. The red head sighing and huffing some air back into her lungs as she stepped back to look at her handy work. Arm coming up to push those bangs and wipe the sweat off her brow. Now she was kinda glad the room was cool to help after that warm up, seeing she had completely pushed the pecking thing in the corner like she intended, Poppy nodded, sighed and turned back towards the other half of the room that was now more spacious since that larger crate wasn't randomly in the middle of it anymore. But paused when someone awed in astonishment.

"WHOA!! You moved that all by yourself?!," Hattie asked staring at her with wide eyes of amazement. "How'd you do that?!"

".......Oh. T-That." She chuckled and gave a slightly sheepish smile. "Well, working on a farm always working and hauling around large bags of feed and bails of hay can help build up muscle. But promise me you won't try copying me."

"That's so cool! And I don't want to be a farmer! Too boring."

Poppy snorted. "Well that's one way to describe it." She turned back to the rest of the room and sighed. "This might take a little while."

Hattie immediately lit up at that. "Need any help? I can help!"

"Uh...." She sighed stretching her aching arms out and turning her attention to the random curled up rugs lying on the floor...Making her way over to them. They didn't look as heavy as the barrels. "Well, I suppose you can go clean somewhere else?....Btw I don't think you've told me where that leads." She pointed towards the long green ladder going up towards that opening in the wall above them both.

"That's the boiler room and where the ship's water is stored. I can totally go clear it out!"

"Eh. If it isn't really too much trouble. But I don't think if it's just water in there it'll need to be cleared out." She grabbed one of the rolled up red carpets in the corner and lifted it up, as suspected it didn't weigh much at all.

"Should I get the carpets out?"

"......" Poppy looked at her. "You have carpets floating in the water in there?," she asked making sure she was hearing right.

"Only two!," the small child shouted back defensively.

.......Poppy sighed and shook her head. "It's not good to have carpets floating around in your water supply. You go better get those out and you be careful young lady!"

Hattie saluted her and made a jumped over the railing and hopping to the floor below with a thud. Poppy watched as she ran along past her and waded into the giant pile of show, giving off a soft 'brr' and causing some loose snow to tumble out of the pile as she reached the long green ladder and  shimmied up it rather quickly surprisingly for a child. Sending the loose snow from her body floating down to the pile below. Shaking her head she went back to work, throwing the random rolls of rugs, three red and two blue, on top of the giant pecking crate she pushed over  along with another random barrel, her sights were set on sweeping the last of the smaller piles of snow into the bigger one which just grew with the added snow and picking up the smaller random things stuck in the smaller piles. Two woven laundry baskets and pink bottles that looked like the shampoos she had seen on the bathroom shelves. Those were placed on top of the washing machine until she could put those away properly. It was a pain to get the snow out of the corner from behind the DLC elevator thing but luckily the long broom was skinny enough to reach behind there. She finished it all up in no time! Hard work really did pay off it seemed. But the strangest thing happened when she discovered something behind the washer, it was easy enough to move both giant machines away from the wall to sweep under and behind them, but when she saw the small piece of paper she paused. Blinking at it and giving nothing but a side glance to it before shrugging and absent mindedly tucking it into her apron's front pocket for safe keeping just in case it was important later-

THUMP!!

Poppy jumped and turned around feeling the chilling feeling of snowflakes falling on her back and blinked at the pile of snow behind her. To her mild surprise there was a rolled up, obviously soaking wet, red carpet sitting on top of the snow pile- With another thump and spray of her, Poppy slammed her eyes shut at the spray of snowflakes coming towards her. Blinking them back open to just slam them shut again as a second wave of snowflakes waved over her face with a blur of blue and she kept her head down..........When she was sure she wasn't about to get sprayed with anymore snowflakes, she opened her eyes to the snow pile. There was two more carpet rolls and a red pillow in the pile as she sighed. Looking up the green ladder at where they dropped from and shaking her head.

A few moment's later the small hatted girl appeared in the small entrance above her, a smile on her face and teddy bear clutched in her arms similar to the one Poppy found in the attic, looking down she spotted said red head stuffing the wet sky diving rugs into the dryer. "POPPY!!" When the lady looked up she waved down at her and jumped. She heard a yell as she fell fast and landed in the pile of snow with a thump splashing snow everywhere and giggling like a maniac. "I'm done!"

"What did I tell you guys about doing that?!," Poppy stared at her with a worried expression and groaned leaning back. "*sigh* You know...Fine just PLEASE don't do that again. It freaks me out."

"Whatcha doing?" She asked crawling out of the pile and giving a little shake to expell the extra snow off her.

"Throwing these into this high tech drying device," Poppy said turning back to her duty and shoving those carpets in. Thank goodness all the buttons had labels telling her how this thing worked. "Can't leave them soaking wet and have 'em grow moldy now. Not healthy at all. The real question is what am I going to do with all that snow."

She mumbled the last bit to herself but the child was quick to get another one of her crazy ideas hopping to the floor and unknownst to Poppy about to change into a completely different hat. "I know how to make that snow get lost! Can I help?"

She shrugged trying to figure out which one of these buttons to press exactly. "If you have an idea be my guest. "...before just pressing start button. A small beeping noise hummed from inside the device before a small red dot popped up and it started moving all over by itself. Slowly she took her hands off it and sighed. "Well...It seems to be workin'. Now what idea did you ha-"

BOOM!!

It was as if a canon went off directly behind her. The loud explosion like sound combined with the vibrations going through the ground was enough to make Poppy yelp loudly and fall to the ground, scrambling back on her bottom away from the source of the noise but only found the small girl there smiling, clutching that toy, and .....wearing a pink witch hat?? She smiled and pointed in the direction of the once giant snow pile. Now literally nothing from......Whatever she had done completely gotten rid of the pile of dirty snow and reduce the space in inhabited to nothing but clear air........Slowly rising to her knees, Poppy stared at the small smiling girl in front of her. Placed her hands on her shoulders gently. And in as calm tone as she could muster said.

"Please. Don't EVER do that again without warning me."

Well, despite that one scare, things were running along actually pretty smoothly and hopefully they would all be finished before the day was out. She wasn't exactly sure how much of the ship was really left since she technically hadn't see all of it but not too long after that Bow had returned with that broom she oh so needed and when asked again to help, Poppy just sent Hattie to get Rumbi and go do one of the other rooms her own way. Whatever the lil alien did spooked her and she wasn't too excited to have it happen again, But Bow was another story. She insisted to come along with her to the potion room too and not having the energy to argue agreed but insisted Bow would NOT be going anywhere near those dangerous looking potions. The young girl happily agreed and skipped behind her on the way there. The potion room though didn't seem as troublesome as she originally thought. To keep Bow away from trouble she gave her the job of sweeping the floor CAREFULLY and as she watched, as she would be the one to wipe down these tables. Safe to say things went really smooth and Bow was such a kind helper quickly working sweeping up the metal flooring. Poppy had to admit she was enjoying this too. Wiping up the small sticking spills under whatever was in these bottles, some were a blue sparkly liquid. A couple were red. And other random colors from pink to yellow, blue, green, orange a one or two purple. And they all smelt of burnt rubbage! Yeah. She was so glad she was the one handling this part of the cleaning. Every few moments Poppy would look over at Bow and smile at the little girl sweeping away at the other side of the room. Bow was a natural at this it seemed. At one point Poppy was carefully scooting over what looked like a weird looking television set with a permanent green screen and paused. Another small shopping list? Without reading it again she deposited the small paper with the other she found behind the washer in her breast pocket without so much as another thought. She'd ask Hattie about it later just in case it was an important alien document. By the end of all their efforts, the storage room was still quite cold but without so much snow piled up(never mind how snow could end up in a space ship in out space of all places) and pretty neat looking. By the time Poppy crawled her way out of the potion room, admiring the work it must've been to weave the realistic blue gear patterns in the carpet looking a slightly brighter blue after Rumbi got done with it, the drying machine had already stopped. Which meant that whatever was inside was dry right? Well that just meant she better get down there and see to it they were taken care if. Bow was nice enough to start dragging all the brooms and other cleaning things back to the kitchen closet and cabinets she originally found them all in while Poppy was putting these rugs back up there with others. And like the usual pattern she'd figure out, out came the hatted child from the door to the control room.

"Hey! I'm all done!...Well, Rumbi's not done, but I don't have to do anything else. Right?," she asked leaning over the railing to watch poppy pick up the rolled up now dry carpets and carry them to throw them up on top on the big crate with the others.

Poppy smiled up at her. "Really? Already? Wow. You're a fast worker. I guess this ship ain't as big as I thought it was," she mumbled as she just tossed the three rugs on top there with the others. With that finished any work she had down here in these sections of rooms thanks to the help of these two lovlies.

"Can I ask you something now?"

"Sure! What is it?," Poppy asked turning back around and walking towards the small ladder to climb back up to the doors.

"Do you know who R. King is?"

"Our King? Hm. Well I wouldn't have the faintest idea who's ruling in this time period, maybe that Snatcher fella knows." Her red head peeked over the ladder as she climbed up. "Have ya tried askin' him?"

"Not 'our' king! R. KING!!," the child insisted before taking off her hat. She stuck her hand into it and a moment later pulled out two wrinkled small pieces of paper, holding them out to her. "I found these in my room."

Poppy gazed at the small notes confused but reached out and took them from her. They were wrinkled from being handled by the little girl who plopped her hat back on her head as Poppy rose a brow and read the notes. They were both written in black pencil and had similar hand writing. "Check Under red box. Signed R. King?" She read over the note confused before turning her head to the other one. "I. O. U....One half cookie?? Check kitchen. Signed R. King." Confused she looked back to the little girl before holding the notes back to her which she took. "Exactly where did you find these?"

"In my room. Rumbi was sweeping under this chair and the note got stuck in his filters. And then when I was cleaning my desk to prove I could be cleaner I found another one under my tool box." She stuck the notes back into her hat. "But I couldn't find anymore."

"Do you know anyone called R. King?"

"No. That's why I asked you. ...Maybe Snatcher's playing a prank again."

"I wouldn't even know where to start. I've only known ya'll for a few days now." She paused.....getting a thoughtful expression and humming. "But funny how it mentioned the kitchen. I think I found a note behind the trash can in there."

Her eyes widened. "REALLY?!"

"Uh huh. I noticed there was some green goop, so I moved the trashcan to mop it up and found it. I placed it on that refridgarator in case it was importa- HEY! Where are you going?"

Hattie didn't say anything but instead turned and belined it out the control room door and leaving Poppy. The woman stood there for a moment before huffing and shaking her head. Looks like she'd have to go after her, she was heading that way anyways. Fast forward one crawl later and she popped back into the control room stretching out her back, thankful for the warmer air hitting her body instead of the cold air back down there. But she didn't get much of a break before Hattie came back running towards her waving a small piece of paper to her. Poppy stared at it for a moment before taking it from her and reading it out loud for the child.

"I. O. U....Pencil?? Enjoy the cookie. Check Basement? Signed R. King. " There was both a smiling face and frowning face on the paper and she rose a brow looking over at her. "You have a basement?"

Hattie shrugged and reached back up indicating she wanted the note back and Poppy handed it back, watching as the small child looked over it curiously in her hands. "What does it mean?"

"I'm not sure exactly." A flashed of recognition came across her face and in a flash she reached back into her breast pocket and pulled out the two notes she found while cleaning back in the rooms down that way. "Could these be useful to our little mystery?"

Hattie blinked at them and asked, "I don't know. What do they say?"

Poppy looked down to the papers in her hands and read, "I. O. U. Vial. Sorry to keep borrowing your stuff. Check lab. Signed R. King." There was a frowning face on this one too as she turned to the second one she found in the potion room. "I found these in the potion room and behind the washer while cleanin'. This was says I. O. U. Nu-clear rod?? The peck is that? Check machine room. Also signed by our Mr. R. King." The second one had some strange lines on it as she looked to the child reaching her arms out for those too which she was glad to hand over. "What do you suppose that means now?"

She hummed an 'I don't know' and looked over the papers in her hands before turning her head towards the doorway at the far wall. It was red with some kind of strange symbol she didn't recognize and pointed. "Maybe they mean the engine room!"

"Engine room?" Poppy turned to where Hattie pointed and after a moment she followed the little girl.

The door opened with a whoosh sound and immediately when she got close enough she heard the strangest noise. The best way she could describe it was if a whole bunch of men were repeatedly hammering away at something metal but that wasn't exactly what it was. Curiously she bent down to peer inside the hall and she noticed this hallway was different from the others. It was red and what looked like ....train tracks?? Boy. These aliens keep getting weirder and weider don't they? The loud grinding sounds got louder as she got further into the hallway crawling after her and when she got to the other si-...OH. MY. PECK!! WHAT DID SHE JUST STEP INTO?! GIANT gears lined the entirety of all the walls and ceiling when she stood up to gawk around at everything. The grinding gears made the noise she had been hearing and there was red wood lining the walls matching the copper n silvery gears everywhere and in the middle was another ramp Rumbi was currently happily sweeping away on. It too had a few gears on it, a telescope, and some kind of closet thing connected by large metal wires going up and into the ceiling. Gawking and staring at the entire thing, Poppy took a few steps in and turning around in circles here and there. Paying no attention to the little girl running around moving things and looking for anymore of those small pieces of paper from R. King. Stopping only to give a look over at the staring woman.

"HEY!!" Poppy jumped and blinked at the little girl looking between books on the bookshelf. "Come help me!"

........She blinked. "Uh...R-Right." She walked towards the little girl and couldn't help but notice the other mini little control panels and other things as Hattie soon got impatient with the books as any child would and shoved whatever books she had in her hands back and went to the crate next to said bookshelf. Curiously looking behind it, a wrench and tool box on top of it. "Uh....So t-thing is your ship's..engine?"

"Half of it. The other half is in the boiler room....Hey! I found one!" The crate was shoved forwards a few inches enough for her to squeeze behind it and a moment later her smile reappeared and she held her arm up. In her hand was another small piece of paper. "HERE!"

Poppy blinked and slowly leaned down to read it as she held it. Looking at it as Hattie squeezed out from behind the crate. " I. O. U. Gear. See you soon. Check my castle in the attic?? From R. King again.....What does I. O. U. even stand for?"

She shrugged excitedly. "I dunno. But let's go check the attic! I didn't know there was a castle!"

She ran towards the door and Poppy blinked after her....Slowly going after her while taking a look around at the strange room one last time before following the child out and back to the control room. Back in the control room Bow was happily munching on an apple but paused as Hattie excitedly ran past her without a word and ran towards the lift to the attic and a moment later Poppy followed closely behind groaning from all the unexpected working out she'd been doing all day. When she looked up to Bow and saw her eating- She gave a sheepish look as a rumble came from her stomach and to save face, stood to stretch out. She needed a lunch break. Wasn't a ghost's employee entitled to that?

"What's all that about?," Bow mumbled through another bite.

Poppy sighed and glanced up towards the ramp noticing the other little girl riding the platform up towards the attic. "Trying to solve a mystery. We found these strange notes everywhere and she's trying to find a 'castle in the attic."' She started walking slowly to the ramp to go up there too and Bow followed right behind her.

"Can I come?"

"Sure. But I don't think we'll be finding any castles up there. Didn't see any when I cleaned it out." The two made their way up and as soon as their heads poked up the top of the platform, they could see Hattie's form over near the wall opening the drawers and looking inside for any castles or notes as the other two ladies came in and Poppy crossed her arms as she stepped into the attic floor. "You're a quick little searcher aren't ya?"

"Help me find it!," She yelled excitedly back slamming the drawer closed and quickly opening another one which turned out to also be empty.

"I didn't find any castles when I cleaned up here, Kid. But I get the feeling if I don't help you won't stop."

"You're not wrong!"

Poppy chuckled and walked calmly towards the ward robe. "Alright. But then we get back to our wor-'' Her stomach rumbled again and she stopped for a moment. "Correction. Food and then back to work."

Bow stood there munching on the apple in her hands as she watched the two go about. Hattie digging through the dresser like a rabbit, and Poppy just opening the ward robe and moving over the two dresses that were in there gazing at the inside of it. Neither noticed Bow just casually walking along the orange carpet up towards the stairs leading up towards the windows and the stars of outer space twinkled at them from outside. The curly haired gal kept munching away as she walked past the part of the carpet that formed into a giant circle and kept walking towards the stairs, but instead of walking up the stairs she walked towards the right side of the stair case and looked up and down the wooden side of the stairs. After a moment of her eyes scanning over the side slowly going down to the about the middle, something twinkled between two planks of wood to which she blinked and leaned closer to look at. After a moment of peeking between the two square shaped bourds, she quickly bit down into the apple to keep her hands free and managed to get her hands into the gap between the bourds and pulled. The creaking of the wood caught the attention of the older woman who turned with a confused brow and froze at the sight of Bow on the other side of the large room pulling at what seemed to be a very large wooden bourd. She quickly went to yell at her to stop but it was too late. A giant snap like sound sounded out finally making Hattie snap her head up and Bow fell back onto her behind. The wooden plank fallen a foot to her left.

"BOW!!" Poppy quickly ran towards the little girl who did nothing much but shake her head and stand back up. Dusting her dress off before reaching back up to take another bite of the apple and hold it. She looked up to Poppy who dropped to her knees and grabbed her shoulders worriedly. "ARE YOU ALRIGHT?! WHAT IN TARNATION WERE YOU THINKING!? YOU COULD'VE GOTTEN HURT!!"

Bow looked at the worried look on Poppy face and giving an apologetic look. ''I'm sorry. I was watching Moony Penguin and he found a secret passage way under the stairs."

"Sweetie. I understand that, but you don't do that kind of stuff!" She scowled lightly and pointed at her. "Now you promise me ya'll NEVER do somethin' like that again."

"Ok. I'm sorry, Poppy."

Hattie had ran over when Poppy had but when she realized Bow was ok, her head turned to the hole in the wall and INSTANTLY her jaw dropped. Her eyes went wide. And shiny gold reflected in her eyes.

Poppy sighed and patted her head. "It's alright. But please don't scare me like that."

"WHOA!!" Hattie went up to the hole in the wall and peeked her head inside...Which was gently pulled back when Poppy grabbed her cape and gently pulled her back away from it.

"Hattie. Now you also know better that to do that!" She glanced at the hole. "Now I gotta fix-....HOLY MOTHER OF MOON PENGUINS!!"

IT! WAS! GOLD!!! LITERALLY REAL GOLD!!! Shiny gold objects shined from inside the hole in the wall and all three ladies gazed inside unmoving. Just staring at the wonderous things inside...Until Poppy seemed to snap out of it blinking and moving both girls beside her before shuffling on her knees and leaning into the hole looking in....Before reaching her hand in and pulling out the gold items. The first thing to be pulled out was a golden trophy, Poppy looked at it for a moment. Reading the bottom it said 'Doka DW King 1st to 111'. She had no idea what that meant but when she looked inside it she blinked and pulled her face away a little bit. After a few seconds her hand reached into the top of said trophy and pulled out a PURE GOLD SKULL. The girls awed wide eyed at the sight. What was this? Did this mean they found a pirate's treaure!? Was this buried treasure going to make them rich?! Poppy set both of them to the side to which the excited kids quickly took them for themselves to hold and look at in wonder, and she reached back into the whole pulling out even MORE gold goodies. A cheese wheel with a missing slice and then said missing slice of cheese with the letters BT carved into it. She heard of yellow cheese but gold cheese? A small gold statue of a mafia man. A literal gold cookie. A gold pencil. A gold gear! All of which the girls grabbed and took turns smiling and staring in amazement. But Hattie pointed at the pure gold potion she pulled out next.

"HEY!! The gold potion." She grabbed it from Poppy and held it up to her face. ".....The potion turned itself to gold too! WOW!! ....Hey! My nuclear rod's stuck in it!" She scowled at her reflection in the now useless potion.

"Gold potion?"

"Uh huh. It can turn anything into gold!...Well it used to!"

"What was it doing under the stairs?"

Hattie shrugged. "Beats me. Is there more gold?!"

"Uh..." Poppy looked back inside. "Yeah actually." Reaching back in Poppy pulled out a golden candle with a golden flame still looking like it was on fire and both girls gawked at it, Bow grabbing it from the older woman as she pulled out something much larger than everything else. "Hang on a second?" She pulled out a square looking sculpture turning it over a bit..before smiling and holding it up to them. "Hey. What does this look like?"  Her smile widened as Hattie gasped again.

"THE CASTLE!!" Dropping the gold gold potion that landed on the floor with a thud, she quickly held her hands out for it in a silent plea and Poppy happily gave it two the girls. Hattie's eyes shined with happiness and wonder at finding this giant gold castle and Bow leaned next to her to look at the small golden castle sculpture with her.

......Until Bow giggled and pointed at their reflections in the gold. "Look! We're making funny faces."

Both girls giggled at the images the reflections caused making Poppy smile even more at them. They were so happy!

"Is there anything else?"

"Uh...Y-Yeah. Hang on a sec. I don't think it's gold tho."

"Not gold?"

Both girls watched silently as Poppy reached back inside....and a moment later pulled out three things, two pieces of paper that weren't gold and a small golden insect statue wearing a tiny crown. Her blue eyes gazing at the papers curious like. "I wonder what this is all about." She went to place the gold insect statue down but Hattie reached out a free hand and took from her not that she noticed looking at the letters. "It looks like they're letters."

"What do they say?"

"...I had all the gold in the Roach World and yet I was unhappy. I learned that gold tarnishes and turns dull, but a mind filled with gold is safe from tarnish, and can hold limitless wealth. You have a heart of gold, Hat Kid." Hattie blinked in surprise at the mention of her name in the letter. "I have evolved. Sorry we didn't get to meet. Signed R. King." Poppy paused for a moment staring at the letter before turning her eyes to the tiny bug statue Hattie was holding. "R. King and all the gold in the roach world...I think we found Mr. Roach King."

"What does the letter mean?," Bow asked as Hattie looked at the statue in her hand.

"Roach King?"

"It means he's saying that Hattie has a good heart." She smiled. "And a good heart is better than gold. Like what you two have."

"Your heart is gold too, Poppy," Bow insisted making Bow giggle at the cute insistance from the child.

"THAT'S SO COOL!! What does the other one say?"

"Huh? OH! Yeah! Other one." She looked back to the other letter in her hands and skimmed over it before pausing. "....Huh...It looks like this one is talking to Bow too."

"Me?"

"It has been a long journey. Watching you all grow up into young adults was a pleasure. But soon this story must end. Life moves on and new moments await you. We will meet again someday. I look forward to that day. Farewell. Signed...R. King." She smiled and looked over to the two confused looking children as they looked to each other then to her as if in question. "It means...He was probably expecting you to find his treasure and finally meet him even if he 'evolved' into this gold statue. ...And you three finally met like he wanted I reckon."

Both children looked back down to the small statue in Hattie's hand and gave him a neutral look...before Hattie put down the castle and pointed to the letters in her hands. "Can we keep those?"  

"Of course you can. These are adressed to you two after all." She held them out and after Bow bit into her food to have a free hand again, they reached out and each took a letter from her looking at them and seemingly happily beaming at the exciting adventure's rewards they had. Making Poppy chuckle and smile more before she looked over at the wall behind her with a sigh. "Well, I reckon I oughtta fix that hole and then finish up the job for that ghost friend of yours."

Her stomach rumbled making all three look at her stomach.

".......But first a lunch break."

[lostacelonnie]

Hey welcome back! Seems like you had a heck of a time & a lot of fun so im glad for you. Oh? Im intrigued i love spanish food do you remember any of the dishes? Oh hell yeah the sea at night is. So different but still so cool. Totally different from daytime. Oh the same ones from your class? I really should remember to ask to add friends there more but adhd. That is some. Incredible luck damn. Yeah! Australia is just. Full of animals hazardous to your health like that its wild. Nothing is safe not even the birds. Hm. Yknow im not sure i ever had a specific class for geography i think they might of bundled it into history for me but oh well. Kudos on the rad teacher you had for it. Seems they're few & far between. Gosh yeah mood i had 1 good pe teacher that made it fun to just. Get out & do things. Probably why i like to hike so much. Thanks! I got seele so now its time to save for wolf. I saw people saying she's not as good now & i was like what? She'll probably be op always. I have main story caught up finally & not much has after luofu story end. Yet anyways. Though im curious about like. Yang & himeko in other stories like hi3. & otto i think his name was? Also uh. Genshin is getting childe's master who at least has durandal's va. Not sure if she is an expy yet though. I have so many now but i think the next 2 or 3 all have one i want so uh. Rip my primo hoard. Yeah! Even artifacts seem a bit easier. Though that might be because there arent so many sets yet. Yeah for sure. Which is still funny because so many back in 2.0 thought she was gonna be terrible & now shes a staple of like so many teams. Oooh congrats on the chem score that subject is so tricky. !! I adore im in love with the villainess the series is just. So good.

HEHE HI!!! YEAH IT WAS JUST. SOSOSO FUN AUUGH. i miss her [alicante beach]. our homeroom teacher said we Might go on one more exchange in the upcoming years so im EXTREMELY hopeful for that. and of the dishes yeah i remember a couple!! montaditos [like. little sandwiches served warm], empanadas [an argentinian dish actually, theyre like little. well the look kind of like dumplings but they have a different dough. with meat and vegetable fillings] paella [its like. a rice dish idk how to describe it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paella], tortilla de patatas of course, and churros [its like. fried dough, but usually eaten as a dessert, often with hot chocolate]. anyway. RIGHT???? ITS SUCH AN. EXPERIENCE. AHHUGH. and yeah the same ones from my class!! theyre very fun even if literally none of us have common interests and hang out based on vibes only. like literally theres me, my Dear Classbestie [likes classical novels and goth music.], The Chainsmoker [writes poetry. was in 3 different psych wards and tells stories about them. Horrendous political opinions. adhd icon.], The Artist [crochets, draws, animates. likes the magnus archives.] and The Ice Skater [christian koreaboo? strange but very fun to talk with. as her nickname suggests, shes obsessed with ice skating. adhd icon #2.] so were kind of a mismatched group but we chillen. ANYWAY I STARTED RANTING SO COMING BACK yeah i have the same thing ajdjlskdkfldf but ah well. perhaps one day i will Rember. AND FOR REAL LIKE I WAS LIKE "gonna get attacked aaaaaany minute now". and then i??? didnt????? but i generally consider myself a lucky person so. damn i heard the Stories ab australian animals... actually my sister just recently moved there so i might ask her if she has any stories someday. and oh thats???? quite interesting actually. as in i suppose it makes sense why these two would be one subject but its pretty unheard of over here. hm. and thanks!! we actually have a group chat for fans of our geo teacher JSJDK and i think a part of why pe teacher is so cool to us is because shes also our second homeroom teacher [since the first one is from spain and, as my classmate once responded to the question if hes cool, "xabi is a nice person but hes just so spanish". and by that i mean he does Not know what is going on. Ever]. HEY CONGRATS ON THE SEELE AND ALSO ON GETTING WOLFIE IN THE FUTURE!! idc what meta says shell always be op. To Me ❤. ALSO I AM ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS UP TO TALK ABOUT THESE THREE IN HONKAI [tho for welt specifically i rec tumblr user caydencrypted, The Welt Expert]. AND OH OH HUH??? DO TELL ME AB HER???? also speaking of biankas va. did you know she shares a chinese vn with yanqing!! the range is insane!! and ah good luck in getting everyone you want o7 i managed to get furina luckily [tho i also got jean in the process.............] and now im torn between pulling for her weapon or saving for arlecchino.... i have 70 pulls left but ik weapon banner is a scam so auugh..... but also the sword sounds like. Good. so ill think about it. and yeah right?? tho i actually have Pretty Terrible relic luck compared to my artifact luck so. yeah. but auto battle does make it less painful. ANYWAY THANKS HEHEHE!!!!!! just had another test this week and im a little nervous ab it but i feel like i did well. VERY stressed ab my history exam next week tho. 7 am on monday. and im a bit sick rn so i have less energy to study. but eh ill be fine, i just wanna pass. AND RIGHT RIGHT RIGHT IM SO OBSESSED WITH IT ACTUALLY......... maaaaaay or may not have bought physical versions for the first two novels three days after getting into the series akdlkdf. luckily it was near my birthday so my mom decided to fund them for me. BUT AHHHH IT IS SO GOOD i keep meaning to read the 3rd novel but ah..... so busy recently.........

[teeto-peteto]

Out of curiosity, do you have any opinions on the Odyssey skinline? The space opera/guardians of the galaxy esque one? I would die for the morning star crew. Apologies for the strange question.

Dont apologize is not a strange question!! Never apologize you can pick up some candy from the bowl at the entrance, in this blog we love and appreciate strange questions.

About Odyssey skins, i dont think about it that much, is not a skinline that gets my attention, wich is weird cause i love the guardians of the galaxy. It doesnt mean i cant appreciate it! I love the morningstar crew.

They gave a good turn with some characters, Jinx is the one that stills the same, but they gave her a lot more energy and a more sociable approach with that little 'girl obsessed with the badboys' spice wich adds some sass to her character.

They made Malphite cute, but not cute on the exterior, wich is nice! Its something i dont like from Riot, its happening in recent years with Kog'Maw, you dont need to make it horribly cute for it to be, well, cute. Malphite is adorable because of his little tantrums but still a himbo who wants to help his friends.

I really like Yasuo in this universe, instead of making him (again) a dark man with a dark past, they just gave him this vibe of 'Yes, im good with a sword, i dont know whats happening either. I like fanfiction, though' wich is amazing and it breaks with Yasuo's original character design. He's the captain because its the least one with probabilities to make the ship crash, wich arent good anyway, but its better than putting Jinx to drive.

As for Kayn... he's probably the least one i like? But its not bad, he's giving that one villain from the first movie of Guardians of the Galaxy. He's bad, and unintentionally you took something from him, so he's pissed and coming to kill you.

I forgot Ziggs exists in this universe.

Sona is fine, giving the real vibe of 'im mute and i have a lot of shit to say but i have to be mysterious because, reasons'. Her skin would be better if they didnt make her look like a WARD, its hilarious. But i appreciate the dress change instead of making it flowy again and again. Plus, she looks pretty on the animation. Damn queen.

As for the rest of champions that later got into the temathic... yeah that turned boring pretty quick. It's Riot cashgrab techique, it kinda ruined the vibe for me, i didnt even know Odyssey Sivir existed? And now most of the champions have ora? I thought ora was super rare and its just like 'Oh but like i have actually some ora' like if it were an ibuprofen pill on the back of your wallet?

[imovyn]

That was so interesting, thank you for sharing!

I was talking about those church dances. They are pretty popular where I live, we have one Mormon church and we'd travel to the dances in the same... Stake? I think that's what they called it

I went to 1. It was pretty fun, it was kinda funny to see everyone wearing super appropriate attire and dancing to songs with nothing explicit in them. My siblings went to a senior prom dance in the public school and oh boy did it sound totally different.

Wait, so, the magic underwear thing is only after you've been to the temple? How serious is that "rule" cause I have some friends and her mom has worn tank tops before and all I saw was her shoulders. Maybe when it's not 80°F outside... Idk. The whole concept is wild to me.

I also learned that while youre in the temple, some do baptisms for people who have already passed? Why, and how?

Also during temple trips, what do you even do? I've heard you wear white and just pray the whole time.

ok long answer ahead

yeah its called a stake. a stake is made up of 10 or so wards, which are like the people you go to church w and generally do activities with and stakes will sometimes get together for activities like dances. nah i never went to the stake dances just bc i didnt really want to, it’s cool that you went and had fun tho, yeah i can see how some people would like those more than school dances. i did go to a dance at a stake youth conference tho so that was similar. every year theres girls' camp for the girls and high adventure camp for the boys but every once and a while we would all get together for youth conference, i went to one ward youth conference which was just a fun camping trip, and the stake youth conference was in the middle of the winter in cabins it was actually a blast and the dance was actually pretty fun. the church may be fucked but at least the camps are fun

how often people wear their garments is an indicator of how committed they are to the faith kinda like the earring thing. some people wear them almost all the time, some only when they're going to church or something. its not a hard and fast rule, but there is the belief that they will protect you from harm, like if you get in a car crash, so they are for your own benefit.

omg i am so glad you asked about baptisms for the dead. ok so there are a series of covenants, which have been described to me as promises made with God that you have to have done in order to get into the highest rung of heaven (the mormon afterlife is. so weird. its so complicated) and if they werent done during life, they can be done on your behalf by someone else. you can get baptized and confirmed (priesthood holders, usually family, lay their hands on your head and given the gift of the Holy Ghost and confirmed a member of the church holy fuck this religion is weird) at the age of 8, and starting the year you turn 12 you can get baptized and confirmed on behalf of people who have passed away. mormon temples are the only place baptisms for the dead can be done but your own baptism can be literally anywhere, there are baptismal fonts in most mormon churches for that.

anyway in order to enter into the temple you have to have a temple recommend which needs to be renewed each year, which you get by interviewing with your bishop (the ward leader) and he asks you if you keep the commandments and believe in the Godhead and Joseph Smith and stuff (very controversial part of the church, i was lucky and always had really nice bishops growing up but i have heard stories of kids straight up being asked if they masturbate ahaha lol) i remember the last few times i went saying like yeah i dont believe in the church :) and then just not having a temple recommend and when my young women's class talked about organizing a trip to the temple i had to be like yeah im not going anyway :)

i did go when i was younger tho and like actually believed in all of this tho, we would go before school on wednesdays which tbh was kinda fun. it was early but the temples are so peaceful. but a little creepy. the temples are mostly worked by older people who are usually very nice, you walk in in sunday dress and show your recommend. mormons are obsessed with family history and genealogy and own FamilySearch, an incredibly extensive library of family history stuff where you can track your family tree back generations. the reason theyre so obsessed w this is because they want you to perform covenants for all your deceased family members so you can be reunited in heaven. the church is INCREDIBLY focused on the family. you can bring family names to the temple or the temple will just give you random ones, usually about 4 or 5. they'll give you clothes for the baptismal font, which are all white jumpsuits, or you can bring your own if you have them. the baptismal fonts in mormon temples are kinda cool tho, the font rests on the back of 12 oxen statues, representing the 12 tribes of Israel which is whole nother can of worms, and the room that theyre in is v beautiful. anyway there are locker rooms to change in, and you'll go wait in a room w a window overlooking the baptismal font room and either do baptisms or confirmations first. the entire process is meant to be very reverent, and they have scriptures and church magazines in the waiting room if you're bored.

baptisms, you'll wait on benches on the side of the font until it's your turn, hand the dude sitting on the side the names as well as a slip of paper with your own name, and walk into the font, he'll display them on a screen where another dude who's gonna be baptizing you (if its a trip w people from your ward like i did when i was younger usually a priesthood holder just from your ward) can see them, there's a very specific way in which you hold onto his arm so he can quickly dip you all the way under, (and you can hold your nose so you dont get water up it) its believed you can only be baptized if youre completely immersed and he'll repeat this prayer for each name that you have: "(Brother or Sister) your name, having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you for and in behalf of temple name, who is dead, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." he would then dip you underwater, and repeat for each name that you had. then go take a shower in the locker rooms. tbh getting ready for the day in there w my friends was kinda fun.

for confirmations it was basically the same, they would take about 5 people into a room and each person would take turns sitting in a chair where usually 3-4 priesthood holders would lay their hands on your head and repeat this prayer for each name you had: "(Brother or Sister) your name, in the name of Jesus Christ, we lay our hands upon your head for and in behalf of temple name, who is dead, and confirm you a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and say unto you: Receive the Holy Ghost. Amen." and again repeat this for each name you had. then shake the hands with all the dudes. the entire process of baptizing and confirming a few people in a group of about 10 people takes less than an hour, and we would go get donuts afterward. looking back this was. weird. other covenants have to be done for the dead too, such as endowment, marriage sealing, and receiving the priesthood for men. (but you have to be older for those so i dont know a whole lot about them) The idea is that people who died without having these done cant move onto the next step in the afterlife until someone on earth does all their covenants for them. this is also a kinda controversial part of the church, as people have performed covenants for the dead on behalf of like. holocaust victims. but it is believed to be a divine mission given by God to baptize and confirm as many people as they possibly can.

temple trips can mean covenants for the dead like i just described, endowment, marriage, family sealings (done when a baby is born or a child is adopted) and tbh the inside of temples is kinda gorgeous. before theyre dedicated, theyre open to the public, and i got to see the provo city center temple before it was dedicated, which is a way cool temple because it was an old tabernacle that almost burned down

anyway this is really long and rambly again but agh the church is just. why is it like that