#but she's just supposed to be Vera's younger sister

[piiinkfreak]

Hi, i'm back again??

Pinktober days 11 to 15 ( needle, grave, book, window and doll respectively)

Days 17-party and 16-corset

Days 18-Garden and 19-photos

Days 20 to 23 (letter, chain, cards and bruises)

Hehe i've been kinda busy with school stuff lately and nkt very active so i decided to compile multiple days in batches like these!

I might post the next one on the weekend but i'm not sure...let's just see i guess...

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[justanothersimsblog]

Summary: Alan and Lara

Soon after college Alan moved to St Erast with his friends (twins Darla and Ione, and Preston). While the others were usually out partying or working, Alan kept pretty much to himself and focused on his job as a Science Fiction writer. On one of his few occasions out he met Lara. She was sitting be herself on a bar, reading a book. He was instantly captivated. They went out, dated and got married. He learned that she was a vampire and had aspirations to make her own wine.

Pretty soon they had Ryker, a human baby that took a lot after his father. After Lara turned Alan into a vampire they had another baby: Ulene. He was a vampire with mommy’s pink hair and red eyes. Lara had been messing around with the science station and her plants and had managed to plant a Forbidden Fruit. This fruit harvested into a baby a mere 2 months after Ulene was born. He was Ethan, a vampire-plantsim hybrid.

The household was pretty normal, nothing devastating or too out of the ordinary happened (except for Mirah, Ulene’s imaginary friend). Suddenly Lara’s past came back to her, and to St Erast. Lara had escaped her family’s life in Bridgeport because they were the leaders of the most powerful and feared clan of vampires there. Because of her pink hair, Lara was supposed to take over, but she just ran away as soon as she turned 18, leaving her younger sister Vera and their dad (their mom had died a number of years earlier). Now Vera was in St Erast and was living as if she was still in Bridgeport, this meant feeding off and killing humans.

Lara invited Vera over to meet the rest of the family and to try to help her out, she hadn’t killed anyone yet and she knew that with a little training she could incorporate to living life peacefully. Vera had a harder time doing this though and ended up taking the life of a dear family friend: Tao (Darla’s husband at that moment). Lara told Vera that unless she left the city immediately, she would turn her in. Vera left and everything seemed fine but one thing was clear to Lara: she would have to tell her sons, especially Ulene, about her past and what was expected of them.

That next summer the whole family went on a trip to Egypt. Lara started teaching Ulene about his vampire powers and told him a bit of the pink hair blessing. She wouldn’t tell him the whole deal until he turned 18 and was about to leave for college.

Lara loved throwing parties and having people over. This helped Ryker meet many other kids his age and become popular. His best friend was Jamila Larielith, who was a vampire that loved hanging out with him and listen to him talk about astronomy. Ryker’s popularity caused him to date several other girls during high school and have a long steady relationship with Leticia during his last years. He then goes to university where he hooks up with Jenna (but broke it off because of how weird it was). After finishing college early he comes back and gets together with Jamila. ♥

Ulene, albeit friendly, would usually just socialize with his imaginary friend Mirah. His brothers teased him a bit about it but Ethan would always steal Mirah(doll) and play with her. Ulene eventually found the potion to make Mirah real and ever since then Ethan started hanging out a lot with her. Ethan and Mirah shared a mutual love for sports. He became the star soccer player of the school (and then at college) while Mirah was always in the cheerleaders and gymnastic teams. They get together at high school and never ever break up.

[bittersweet-adagio]

im gonna attempt to elaborate more on the childhood friendship between khoi and vera + them as kids in general 😭 if this makes zero sense im sorry im trying to get my thoughts out

i think for the most part guardian lycos and guardian kora lived near each other, and khoi would often find ways to sneak into vera’s home to hang out (as he was often alone)

i just threw out the love of my dreams (weezer) sounds like something khoi and vera would sing together! listening to it makes me think of stuff khoi would write to cheer vera up after a bad day of filming or if one of her siblings gets “punished” by guardian kora.

as children, i think khoi changes the most, unlike vera, who changes more as an adult.

when khoi was a kid, he was more ivan-like. he even came from a similar place as ivan, deep in the slums, so his birthday isn’t his real birthday. (can i admit his birthday is a ref 😭 another one of my ocs that i based him on has the same birthday…)

when he was younger he didn’t really know how to properly convey his emotions and he tended to be more blunt. it was vera who taught him how! vera is a very good actor (family vlogging channel) and she helped khoi with smiling, showing anger, etc. 

“How are you supposed to smile?” Khoi asked, contorting his face into an expression that would horrify anyone who managed to look in through the window. “Well, first of all, you wouldn’t do it like that! Maybe just watch me first,” Vera laughed, flashing her best polite, rehearsed smile. It wasn’t uncommon for her to show a fake smile, being filmed nearly every day led to that outcome. She didn’t like it, of course she didn’t, but if Guardian Kora’s viewers thought her pets were unhappy, it could lead to an extreme decrease in viewership. “I don’t get it.” “Wait, I’ll move your face for you. Look in the mirror.” 

khoi learned to hide his bluntness from vera as well, and that’s when his nicer and calmer personality started to develop. also, as a child, his music resembled people like shostakovich rather than the composers i mentioned before as a reflection of his mental state. he didn’t really start having a happier whimsical outlook on life until near the time he and vera were shipped to anakt garden.

i personally see khoi being a little weird and off-putting when he first arrives at anakt before he realizes “shit i think i should be less weird and off-putting” and starts to be more likable on purpose.

something i have not mentioned yet is the fact that like ivan, khoi also visits the wagyein! i’m aware of the fact that @aurienneirua also visits them and calls the wagyein “elkie” so i wonder if khoi and aurien had ever accidentally met while visiting the wagyein? if that makes sense? i just think it would be really interesting if they just saw each other and went like “so why are you here…”

in anakt garden, khoi and vera are still very close! they were shipped at the same time, but were placed next to different people. vera didn’t want to go to anakt, but was forced by her guardian. khoi wanted to go either way.

khoi’s first instrument was flute! here is a list of all the instruments he plays:

flute

violin

cello (his favorite!)

double bass

bass guitar

acoustic guitar

harp

most percussion instruments honestly

piano

saxophone

piccolo

khoi’s tendency to stare comes from when he was a kid. he’s very much known to have a creepy ass stare and pretty dead eyes. i have no idea if the darkness in his eyes would be a big freak out for people, but if it is, i’ll mention it now. 

khoi also has a younger sister named nene! (she may be in a future season... if i want)

this is his only sibling and she didn’t see him often because she was the one closest to guardian lycos. 

as for vera, her only turning point i’d say is the fact she almost died. as a kid, she was pretty much the same. she is a lot sweeter than sua is if i’m being fr. she has a lot of siblings so i dont have everyone named… but all of them are younger! in their little family vlogging channel she was one of the favorites and often met with her fans. i’d say she’s used to social interaction but never had much interest in people. she kind of only became friends with khoi because he kept bothering her (he’s very good at that unsurprisingly…)

i think some big differences between khoi and vera is that khoi loves people and would much rather be surrounded than alone, but it’s the complete opposite for vera. also, vera has a hard time accepting compliments and tends to be overwhelmed if she goes through too many interactions in a day! so while she was healing, it would’ve been a little bit hard for her to keep up with all the people visiting.

vera comes from a breeder! there's a lot of other pet humans that look similar to her out there.

vera's average in most things other than her singing, when she wishes she really wasn't. her self esteem is very low and she has trouble with getting criticism.

vera is very media trained and is popular among segyein communities. she garners a lot of sympathy from when she's older because of her attack in anakt.

khoi's voice claim is marshall lee from adventure time/fionna and cake! (if you're an adventure time fan please talk to me) and vera's voice claim is natty from kiss of life! (example songs are good little girl and sugarcoat)

khoi when he's alone reverts back to the idgaf face and he looks really menacing. when he's tired he has a really monotone voice and his eyes start looking scarier. vera is silent when she's alone and she makes a lot of different gifts and letters for others a lot more often if she's feeling really bad so people don't question her about it.

vera actually has depression. she desperately needs therapy

if you have questions about this please ask i feel like this is so unclear 🤧

[10piecechickennuggy]

Magic and Secrets, Ch. 7 - Sanji x Witch!OC

WARNING: Mature content ahead!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own One Piece or the art featured above. This is a fan-created work featuring an original character.

Read Chapter 6 Here

Read Chapter 5 Here

Read Chapter 4 Here

Read Chapter 3 Here

Read Chapter 2 Here

Read Chapter 1 Here

“Mom!” A five year old Sanji ran through the halls of Germa castle, tears flowing down his cheeks. He was desperate to escape his brothers, who were hot on his tail. 

“Stop running!” Ichiji yells from behind, his voice amused as he continues his chase.

“Just give up already!” Niji’s tone drips with malice, sending yet another wave of fear crashing over Sanji. 

“What’s mom going to do?!” Yonji pulls ahead of the others, determined to reach his prey. “She’s bedridden! She can’t save you!” 

Finally catching up, the green haired boy grips Sanji’s shirt. The two tumble to the ground as their other brothers laugh. When they settle, Yonji sits atop the blonde. His fists fly at his elder brother’s face, worsening the bruises which had already formed.

“Why would she even want to?” Ichiji towers over his younger brother, bringing a foot back before kicking the side of Sanji’s head. “Why would anyone want to help a weak, disappointment like you?”

The blonde boy wailed in pain, his tears soaking into the ornate carpet beneath him. What did he do to deserve this torment? Weren’t siblings supposed to protect one another? 

When Niji joined the assault, Sanji knew he’d lose consciousness soon. His whole body hurt - from his attempts to escape and their relentless attacks. They were close to his mom’s room. Wouldn’t she hear his cries and come to the rescue? Wouldn’t someone step in and stop his brothers? Was he going to die here, pummeled to death by his own flesh and blood?

“Stop it!” Reiju tried to pull Yonji off him, attempting to save Sanji. Her tears mirrored his, streaming down her face in fat lines. “That’s enough! Get off!”

Yonji didn’t budge. He continued his punches, ignoring his sister’s pleas and attempts to move him. Ichiji and Niji found this display hilarious, cackling as they kicked Sanji in unison. Some of his scrapes and bumps began to break open, spilling blood to mingle with the tears soaking into the plush carpet. 

“Gross!” Niji jumped back, his boot stained crimson. “You jerk! You dirtied my shoe!”

“That’s enough, boys.” Vinsmoke Judge waltzed down the corridor towards his children, his gait casual. An expression of contempt painted his features, a scowl on his lips. “Sanji’s been beaten enough. Now, back to training for the lot of you!”

A rainbow of children bolted away, towards the training grounds. Snickers could be heard from the red, blue, and green haired boys. However, Reiju had been sniffling and wiping away tears with a shaking fist as she disappeared in a blur of pink.

Sanji struggled to rise, his legs shaking under his own body’s weight. When he faced his father, a new terror took hold of his core. 

“Have you learned your lesson?” Judge glowered down at the boy, his form massive by comparison.

Sanji willed his tears to stop falling, desperate for some form of approval from the man. When he said nothing, Judge continued. “You are weak. So much that you’ve fallen behind your brothers to a degree I thought impossible.”

“I-I’m sorry, father!” Sanji blurted out his reply, his voice trembling. “I’ll do better! I’ll get stronger! I promise!”

“You’d better.” Judge turned to make his exit. “Continue to disappoint me and you’ll regret having been born such a failure.”

***

“So, I’ve been meaning to ask.” Nami had finished washing Vera’s back and began scrubbing her own body. “What’s up with you and Sanji?”

Vera went stiff. She’d just begun to feel relaxed for the first time that day. But Nami’s question put the witch back on edge. The warm water surrounding her body felt suddenly cold.

“I’ve noticed how you look at him.” Robin chimed in, now rinsing the shampoo from Vera’s hair. The smirk she wore could be heard in her voice.

“I-I don’t know.” Vera sank lower so the water rose to just under her eyes. Dark curls splayed out around her, looking like a mane of chocolate fire. 

Robin began working conditioner into her scalp, a knowing look burning the top of Vera’s head. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you two had history.”

Vera could have drowned herself. 

“You do give off that vibe.” Nami had begun rinsing the suds from her skin. “I’m guessing that’s what Law was talking about on the beach?”

The witch rose, turning to face her friends. “Law was just being mean to me.” She crossed her arms and puffed out her cheeks, creating a childlike appearance.

Robin placed her hands on Vera’s shoulders, spinning the witch to face away from her. “Pout all you want, but let me finish your hair.” 

Nami giggled as her friend was chastised. “He wasn’t mean to you at dinner tonight. Got Sanji all fired up.”

Vera looked down, picking at the skin of her hands while Robin worked the conditioner down the length of her hair. “It’s complicated.”

An exasperated sigh came from Nami, who had sat to relax in the warm water. “Aren’t these things always complicated?” The ginger beauty offered a kind smile. “Come on, Vera. We’re your friends. Let us help you with your boy problems.”

***

Several days later, the Sunny was docked on a new island. This one was home to a decent sized town. 

Colorful banners and balloons decorated the buildings. People bustled about, some setting up stalls and others transporting various goods. Everyone appeared to be in a rush.

“Look at that!” Usopp exclaimed, pointing to the shore. He bounced as though he couldn’t contain his excitement. “It’s a festival! I bet there’ll be fireworks!”

Chopper jumped onto the railing, his eyes growing wide when he took in the sight. “Do you think there’ll be cotton candy?”

The pair turned to Vera, their faces expectant of her reply. She only shrugged, continuing to hang up the sheets she’d been putting out to dry. “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been to one.”

“Are you serious?!” Nami shouted as she rounded the corner, rushing towards the girl. She grabbed Vera’s shoulders and whispered excitedly, “This is perfect!”

Before the witch could respond, Law emerged from the kitchen’s open door. A smug expression painted his features as he eyed the two women. “Looks like it’s your lucky day, Vera-ya.” He too came closer to the girl, an air of amusement radiating off him. “I’d be happy to accompany you to your first festival.”

“Like hell you will!” An irate Sanji came storming out of the kitchen, a half-dried plate in hand. The apron he wore had been stained with dishwater, a juxtaposition to his otherwise pristine appearance. “If anyone’s accompanying a beautiful woman to her first festival, it should be a gentleman!”

“Are you suggesting I’m not a gentleman, Blackleg-ya?” Law’s demeanor changed the instant Sanji had inserted himself into the conversation. A dark yet knowing expression had morphed his eyes to slits and his mouth to a scowl.

“Easy there!” Nami moved herself between the two men, her hands up in mock surrender. “Why don’t you just ask Vera who she’d prefer to spend the festival with?”

The trio turned to the witch in question, whose features had taken on a deep blush.

No one had ever offered to escort her before. No one had ever argued over the chance to spend time with her. And one of them was her prince charming - her secret betrothed. 

Since realizing that the ship’s cook was the very same boy she’d been arranged to marry, she’d been eager to get to know him. But her anxieties had gotten the better of her, reducing their interactions to quick exchanges. On the rare occasions she’d mustered the courage to offer assistance in the kitchen, she’d prove too nervous for any meaningful conversation.

And then there was Law. Why was he even offering to accompany her? He knew she had feelings for Sanji. He knew she detested him. And yet he still felt necessary to interfere with her situation, plaguing her with knowing looks and questions she refused to answer.

The choice was simple.

Her voice came out far weaker than she’d intended, sounding more like a mouse than a human. “S-Sanji, . . .”

Law growled in displeasure, turning away in search of Robin. She’d at least offer intelligent conversation during the festivities. 

Sanji’s eyes held hearts as they lit up with enthusiasm. “Oh, Vera! I promise not to disappoint you, my bewitching beauty!” He dropped to one knee, the plate he’d been drying now held over his heart as his exclamations continued. “You will not regret this decision. I vow to make this night a magical, memorable experience!”

Vera’s blush had spread to her ears, a look of bewilderment crossing her face as she looked to Namifor guidance. When the ginger only offered a triumphant smile, her gaze returned to the man still knelt before her. “I’m sure it will be.”

The blonde then stood, taking her hands in his before drawing closer. Another step and they’d be close enough to kiss. Vera pushed the thought to the back of her mind before meeting the man’s gaze. “We’ll depart at sunset.”

***

Vera took one last look at her reflection, uneasiness turning her stomach. The outfit Nami put together had her feeling ridiculous. 

A black, long-sleeved bodysuit exposed bare legs. Boots that stopped at her ankles were obscured by a sheer skirt of black tulle. Silver jewelry adorned her wrists, neck, and ears. But the piece de resistance was a large, pointed hat atop her chocolate curls. 

She was truly thankful to Nami for lending her the outfit. And for the full sleeves that covered her scars. But everything else was so far removed from anything she’d ever worn. Her maid uniforms tended to be low-cut or short, but never to this degree. 

Even the makeup was foreign to her. Dark smokey eyeshadow and cat eyeliner accompanied highlighted cheekbones. It was as though the girl in the mirror were an alternate version of herself. A girl who’d been allowed to live a normal life - one free of her parents’ constant abuse.

Vera sighed. She had to admit, she did look rather attractive.

When she met Sanji on the dock, the resulting nosebleed caused quite a scene. The cook produced a handkerchief, wiping furiously at his upper lip. Quiet curses could be heard under his breath as he did his best to quell the bleeding.

Giggles erupted from Vera’s painted lips, eventually morphing into full laughter. She held her stomach as she knelt down, unable to stand from the full comedic force of the scene before her.

“Has anyone ever told you how adorable your laugh is?” The blood had been cleaned away and Sanji now stood tall, a kind smile gracing his lips.

Vera’s cheeks turned crimson - a color she imagined would remain most of the evening. Shaking her head, she quieted her laughter.

“What a shame.” The blonde extended his hand, which Vera eagerly accepted. “I hope I get to hear more of your wonderful laughter. Though, hopefully not at the expense of my nose.”

As they walked towards town, she giggled again. The sound was akin to tinkling bells. “I’m just happy my prince finds me appealing.”

Sanji faltered for just a moment, falling a half step behind his companion. He quickly recovered, reassuring her concern with a warm smile. 

He chose not to mention that this was the second time she’d said something like that. First, she claimed him to be her salvation. Now, her prince. Did she know about his past?

[aquadestinyswriting]

A Circle None can Break- Part Twelve

Summary: Selene and Edwin have a small heart-to-heart before heading down to the Hammer and Anvil's barroom to drown their collective sorrows, Firetome finds out an interesting tidbit that will help his own schemes and all the dwarves of Fangthane have noticed that the mountain's unhappy about something as it won't stop tremoring.

Words: 2,487

Warnings: None that I can tell. Enjoy the shippy fluff that's in here.

Notes: I am very pleased to have found out what motivates Firetome to do what he does in Fangthane's Folly and the Anvil's Fall. in the meantime, I need to go give Edwin a hug

tags: @druidx, @strosmkai-rum, @homesteadchronicles, @warriorbookworm, @odysseywritings, @sparrow-orion-writes, @blind-the-winds, @writeblrsupport, @writeblrcafe

Firetome drummed his fingers on the desk impatiently. It had been hours since he’d sent young Gurrisdottir off to the Archives to find those records for him. True, it the records he was after were probably highly restricted, but surely the Archivers would be happy to help her once she showed them the note he’d given her. 

A Shaper? Here, in Fangthane? Either Kherillim had seen fit to Bless a different family due to the apparent doom that was coming for the world, or his was not the only family left in the mount with a connection to the Purged. He would know for certain either way if the girl would just hurry up with those records already!

Firetome’s mind spun with the possibilities. While Gruksdottir had clearly been raised Moradhir, was her family simply low-lying Throffites like his own? If so, then perhaps they could be convinced to join him and his fellows in unseating the Heretical Goldseeker line for good. The High Inquisitor seethed at the old memory that bubbled up to the surface:

“But Da, if Moradin’s not even really from Titan, why do we even have to worship him?” the beardlet protested. He yelped as his father swiftly clipped him around the ear,

“Hold yer wheesth, lad!” the older dwarf hissed, “D’ye want to be taken away, like yer uncle was?” Skarld’s eyes went wide with pain and fear and he fervently shook his head. His father nodded in satisfaction, “Then don’t go around saying such things where folk can hear. All you need to ken is that Moradin overthrew the Goddess that created us and the king and his family agree with Him.”

While Firetome now knew his father had greatly simplified the matter, the fact yet remained that the royal family were responsible for allowing an Outsider God into the midst of the people of Fangthane, no matter how much they now insisted that Throff was still just as revered as their supposed Dwarf Father. He was startled out of his thoughts as the door to his office swung open,

“I finally got the records ye asked for, yer Eminence.” Gurrisdottir’s voice called from the doorway, “I’m sorry it took so long, I had to spend an hour arguing with one of the Archivers, and it took them an age to find the one you were after.” The younger dwarf frowned as she placed the slates onto the desk in front of Firetome, but said nothing as she waited for permission to leave. Firetome smiled at her,

“Thank you very much for getting this for me, Birghe.” he said in his most fatherly tone, “Please don’t worry about it taking so long. Ordinarily I’d ask Vera to get these for me, but she’s out on a training exercise. I’ll have a word with the Archivers and see that this sort of nonsense doesn’t happen again.” The sandy-haired Acolyte bowed deeply,

“Thank you, sir. Do you need anything else?” she asked. Firetome shook his head,

“No, thank you, Birghe, you’re free to return to your duties.” he said, “Please pass on my apologies to Sister Imraksdottir for keeping you away for so long.” He gave the younger woman another indulgent smile as she bowed again, then walked out of his study. The smile dropped from his face the moment she closed the door behind her,

“I suppose I’d better keep an eye. I don’t need Ragnarsson questioning why I’m even after these.” he muttered, sliding the protective slate to one side and peering at the family tree that was now laid out before him. The High Inquisitor’s eyes slid up from the bottom, tracing the line from Gruksdottir herself until he noticed a name familiar to him from his grandfather’s stories,

“Well now. I wonder how long the Church was going to keep that little tidbit under wraps.” he murmured, stroking his beard as he stared at the dotted line that had been crossed through between ‘Merewin Stonespeaker’ and ‘Ragnar Goldseeker’. “Looks like I need to ask the Record Keepers some questions.” Smiling to himself, Firetome pulled out a drawer and picked up the winged eye necklace from it,

“If all goes to plan, then Fangthane will be ours by the end of the year, my Lord. Then we can finally oust the Usurper Gods from this world for good and reinstate the Natural Order.” The necklace grew warm in his hands,

Firetome’s smile fell, what a disappointment. He nodded,

Well done. However, do not rely on the help of the Shaper girl. She has been too corrupted by the Usurper to be useful to our cause. Be careful around her.

“Of course, my Lord.” he murmured, gently placing the necklace back in the drawer and locking it. He glanced back at the Record on his desk. Well, if nothing else, he had evidence that King Jotunn’s decree hadn’t entirely wiped out the Redhammer heritage from Fangthane. Oh what a delight it would be to throw that in His Majesty’s, and the Church’s faces. Satisfied, Firetome returned to the paperwork he’d abandoned upon getting the news about Gruksdottir, feeling much better about his chances.

Edwin grimaced as he watched Selene throw her belongings into her personal Bag of Holding,

"I'm so sorry that I couldn't help any more." He sighed, "Will you be alright to make it back to Toreguarde alone?" He asked. Selene huffed out a stressed sigh,

"Getting back is the easy bit." She said, her voice strained, "The hard bit is going to be telling everyone else that there's nothing I can do about the Seal, aside from hoping for yet another Divine Intervention. At least I've got time to organise a full evacuation for when…" she trailed off, shaking her head and gulping down her emotions. 

Edwin his fingers over his brow. Selene didn't need to finish her sentence. He knew full well what would be coming the minute the Seal failed entirely. Gods damn it all, why was king Storri being so damned stubborn? The cleric felt the floor under his feet vibrate, a low dangerous growl emanating from the earth below. While he was no devotee of Moradin or Throff, he'd lived in Fangthane long enough to know what such a thing portended. He cautiously laid a hand on Selene's shoulder, his heart squeezing painfully at her dejected slump,

"While His Majesty is being unreasonably stubborn, I believe that his mind can, and will, be changed." He said softly, "Don't give up entirely. Not yet." He said, his voice soft. Selene leaned back into the touch, shuddering out another sigh. She looked up at him with a small, fragile smile,

"I'll try." She said, "If he does, can you let me know? I'd rather know if I need to call off any evacuation efforts than take the risk that he won't, or will leave it until the last possible moment." Edwin nodded,

"Of course I will." He said, squeezing his old friend's shoulder. Selene leaned her head against the cleric, briefly closing her eyes,

"Thank you." She murmured. Edwin resisted the sudden urge to kiss the woman's forehead. Where had that even come from? He settled for hugging her instead,

"No matter what happens, I will be here any time you need me." He told her, "Even if you get told I'm busy, keep insisting. I'm not leaving you to face this alone." The cleric's resolve hardened as Selene nodded. He couldn't, and wouldn't, allow disaster to befall anyone else. He'd already failed Alexis and Fai. He wasn't going to fail Selene. Edwin felt oddly disappointed when Selene finally broke the hug,

"Sorry, I should be getting on with this." She said with a half-hearted chuckle, "Don't want His Royal Pain In The Ass sending over his kingsguard to kick me out." Edwin shook his head to clear it,

"I seem to recall you saying he was giving you another day." He pointed out, "At least stay until morning, Snorri and Gruk are going to be right upset if you leave without saying goodbye properly." His heart skipped when Selene snorted, looked back at him and smiled,

"I suppose it would be a bit rude to up and leave without having a few pints for the road." She agreed, "Let me just make sure I've got everything, then we can head down to the bar."  

Archlector Vanskleig sighed as he felt the floor under his feet vibrate violently. While he was of a mind to march up to the palace to give the young king of Fangthane what for following his little tantrum at the meeting earlier that day, the wrath the mountain was channelling was not Moradin's. It was Throff's. The elderly dwarf settled into his armchair and picked out another biscuit from the box next to him, dipping it into his tea to soften it. Best to leave Her to it, he decided, he could help deal with the cleanup after.

Half the mountain was abuzz with rumours that the elemental of Fangthane was getting restless as the tremors continued throughout the afternoon. The landlord of the Elemental's Crack spent most of that time making sure that everything in the pub was utterly secured and couldn't fall off if the Elemental did decide to go for a walkabout. 

Gruk frowned as he felt the floor under his feet vibrate again. Despite his father having been a Stonespeaker –one of the best of his generation – the ability had skipped a generation, leaving the smith unable to figure out what in the Pit was going on with the mountain he called home. It didn’t help that the one family member who could hadn’t felt like coming to her uncle’s pub for almost a month. Snorri placed Gruk’s stein in front of him, breaking the younger man out of his reverie,

“What’s on your mind, wean?” The elder Ironforge asked, sitting down heavily in the seat next to Gruk. Gruk snorted,

“I wish ye’d stop calling me that. I’m not even the youngest one.” he protested.Snorri chuckled,

“Well, if Ufgi showed up more often, I wouldn’t need to.” he pointed out, “So, I’ll ask again, what’s on yer mind?” Gruk looked at his older brother incredulously,

“Aside from my youngest daughter stressing herself out to the hells and back, the fact that we ken that, unless she gets out there to help, that we’re gonna have another Demon War on our hands and now the mountain’s complaining about something and neither of us can tell what in the Pit’s wrong with it?” he replied, ticking off each issue on his fingers. Snorri shrugged,

“Well, I think I can help with the last one.” he said, “Word in the vein from the Stonespeakers that’ve turned up here rather than risking the Crack is that summat’s gone and upset it. They can’t say what because, apparently, it’s talking nonsense and no one can figure it out, but that seems to be the general gist.” Gruk scoffed,

“Da probably would’ve figured it out hours ago.” he said bitterly, “Knowing our luck it’s because that damn Seal’s already given way.” 

“Given I haven’t had any panicked Scrys sent to my personal mirror in the last hour or so, I very much doubt it.” Selene’s voice stated from behind the two dwarven men. Snorri grinned at her,

“Well, that’s a relief, but it still doesn’t answer the question of what the hells is up with the mountain.” The ex-slayer’s face fell when he noticed the pack lying at Selene’s feet, “Ye’re leaving already?” he asked. Edwin grimaced as he joined the group at the table, two pint glasses already in his hands,

“His Majesty has decided that he’s had enough of our visitor and is giving her until tomorrow to pack up and get out.” he sighed, placing the glasses on the table. Gruk’s frown deepened further,

“What, did ye insult his honour or summat?” he asked. Selene shrugged and necked half her pint before answering,

“He started it.” she replied shortly. Snorri slowly got up and sent his brother a look,

“I’ll go get Reggie to deal with the bar tonight.” he said, “I’ll be right back.” Gruk cocked his head as he returned his attention to the Grand Magus and the Abouna,

“What even happened?” he asked, already dreading the answer as the vibrations in the floor became stronger. Selene downed the rest of her pint, huffed a stressed sigh and spent the next ten minutes informing the increasingly outraged smith of what had transpired in her meeting, quietly leaving out the location of the God Clay at Edwin’s suggestion.

“So, in summary, I’m free to go get the godsdamned clay if I feel like it, but His Majesty will be damned if he’s going to actually help.” she finished. The whole pub had stopped to listen into the wizard’s rant the moment it had started, after all such rants were normally extremely entertaining. This one, however, had not been. Right as voices started to rise in protest, the floor jerked violently once, then fell still, causing the voices to die almost immediately. Edwin, who had been leaning on the table, shaking his head as he listened to Selene’s rant, shot upright, jolted from his thoughts as a shock of divine power rippled through the magical weave. A dozen other dwarves followed suit seconds after, most of them lower level clerics and paladins of various faiths. Selene, looked around the room, frowning as she felt a smaller ripple in the weave,

“What was that?” she asked, a pit of dread building in her stomach. Edwin shook his head,

“I’m… not sure.” he admitted, pulling out his Holy Symbol and muttering a prayer to it. He sighed in relief when Galana immediately answered his call, a soothing river of warmth filing him from head to toe.

My sister’s taking care of things.

Edwin blinked. It was rare for Galana to give him any direct messages, especially one as short and straightforward (yet still frustratingly vague) as that. He shrugged at the perplexed look Selene was giving him,

“Apparently Throff’s taking care of matters.” he said, “I’ve no idea how.” he added as Selene opened her mouth. The wizard grimaced,

“Well, at least it’s something.” she grumbled. She glanced over to Gruk, who was frowning into his stein, “You alright there Gruk?” she asked.

Gruk peered into his beer as though it held any answers to the questions that now ran through his mind. He was no cleric- he hadn’t once felt the Call like Meredith had, and he had never had any inclination to get involved with the divine in any way, shape or form-and yet he knew he’d felt something at the same time as all the clerics and paladins had. His stomach twisted uncomfortably right as the doors of the Hammer and Anvil were slammed open.

[spkyscry-a]

@royalreef​ intruded: "I do hope that I do not intrude, starshine. I have already shuffled your schedule in accordance, so nothing should conflict, but I know how much this can be a surprise." 

That voice should not be here.

This was supposed to be a safe place. Someplace where things of this nature did not merely fall out of the sky— or, more aptly, walk out of the sea, without everyone knowing well and full what was coming. There were warnings for this type of thing. There were failsafes put in place so that something like this didn't just happen.

And yet there she sat.

To call Miranda minuscule in comparison would have been an understatement. But unlike the only merfolk most people had ever seen if they had ever spotted one — her sister was not. Could not be. Where her younger sister was a fragile little thing made of spun glass, for what little that counted in terms of merfolk, her elder stretched out like a dragon, perched over its hoard, looking Vera down as she waited for her to make a move. Her bones did not peek through what scaled skin could be seen. Her every movement seemed to direct gravity itself, as if she could bow it to her wishes with every exhale. If she had stood, she could have looked clear over Vera's head. And if she had laid down and let herself be measured as such, she could stretch from one end of the room to the other, and still have tail to spare.

The pair of guards accompanying her — dolphin lookalikes, wearing helmets and armor and practically armed to the teeth, similar in the broadest of gestures to Miranda's own guards and accompanying serfs — really just came as an afterthought. Cute, almost. Like she was trying to be polite, reassuring her company that, oh yes, she would be guarded too. She would use them in a pinch, because that was the polite thing to do, and it would be easier to make her relax if it wasn't just her alone. The familiarity of the situation made it worse. A curt reminder, in just how easily she inserted herself in, like they had mutually planned this. As if the implications alone weren't where the threat lay. As if she couldn't have done far, far worse, with the exact same ease that she came here, acted like everything was fine, like it was all where it should be. 

She wasn't looking at Vera, while at the same time, staring right through her. There was flowing fabric draped over her form, lighter in color, lined with gold and blue that spun into fantastic embroidered scenes that fell over her sides like illuminated manuscript. Golden bands that covered her arms and her neck, chains ringed around her tail. But most telling was the veil she wore over her eyes, obscuring them in emerald-hued fabric, matching with the lobster's shell mottling of her mossy scales, refusing to let Vera see anything beyond them, but undoubtedly piercing through her all the same.

The crown on top of her head was just confirmation. One last piece to the worst puzzle to ever exist, leaving nothing else in its wake, no further doubts to be pressed.

Really, the introduction was just another politeness, a reassurance that, oh yes, she was going to play this game at any moment, though they both knew she could drop it in an instant. That this was only permitted because she let it be so

"You are Vera Oberlin, yes? I am not sure if you have heard of me before — I am Amanda Vanderbilt, High Priestess of the Merkingdom. I take it you know my little sister already. I have come to ask you some questions."

This wasn’t just a safehouse. One could argue it was The Safehouse of Vera Oberlin. Not precisely a secret, but one that was not dared admitted to have knowledge of. The place where the most guards laid. The most security was watching. Ironically, it was also perhaps the easiest to get to. Most people can enter the business side of the establishment. A veritable carnival of activities, complete with games, bars, and entertainment. Stretching far around in any direction of the main building, which was shut to the public except on the rarest of events.

The Gorgon’s Den. 

Vera was Monstropolis’s Crime Lord Supreme, of course, but she was still a businesswoman as well. However, once one got past the stages. The near city block of establishment, one would get to where business was truly dealt. Living quarters, gyms, showers— a fortress of a place, meant to be a home base. She never bothered pretending it was anything but what it was, with its towers of sniper nests, locked door that had to be opened from within. Somewhere she would never, ever fear of having someone get the jump on her. Too many eyes. Too many people. Surely, one would get the word out.

Yet here she was, entering the grand room nearly 200 feet wide, meant to double as a ballroom should they get guests, ceiling several stories to ensure their flighted fellows could frolic as well. It was truly opulent, for what it was. The most expensive and comfortable of furnishing, decoration, and splendor. Yet, all Vera could notice was how small it still felt now. How constrictive those brilliant walls felt when there was such a beast awaiting her. A dragon that had casually claimed Vera’s hoard while she had been away. There’s those few moments, that movement to sudden stillness that comes when any prey realizes they’ve been seen. 

How she only just noted how quiet the usually hustling place was until she’d turned the corner and down the hall to this room. How she’d let herself in, instead of ensuring guards were still at their post. The sloppiness that led up to this inevitable moment of rapidly processing too much information all at once. The wide-eyed, frozen stillness of trying to gauge how big a threat is only to realize it only got worse the more one considered.

Like one that had walked on stage, forgetting all their lines and role as soon as the spotlights were illuminating them. How they hurried to regain composure. Build up their character. The mask being adjusted, smile devoid of meaning besides pleasantries and failing to reach the eyes. The surface level composure that hid the roiling pit of fear that was at her center. How she tried her best to slip back into the character of an untouchable deific figure when something truly closer to the role had upstaged her just by their mere presence. 

“What an honor to have you grace our halls.” A practiced bow, not quite as low as one would expect when speaking to their better, but she still had to keep appearances. That this was her domain, after all. Anything more could be seen as an act of submission, which Vera was not quite willing to lower herself to even in the other’s presence. 

“I’m indeed Vera Oberlin, yes. I am deeply sorry we were not ready to accommodate you more. Perhaps next time.” Next time there may be forewarning, she hoped. But the sentence is not completed in full. No, that would be far too slighting of a statement. 

“Please, ask away. I hope I can answer them to your liking. Is there anything I can get you? I can have one of mine fetch it for you.” 

Of course, she was more worried where they had run off to. It wouldn’t have been hard to spot this merfolk coming, so why had none warned her? That was the most troubling aspect, she thought, as she built up stony composure anew. This was not the first time someone greater than her had come to her abode. It would not be the last. There was no reason to fret as much as she had. 

Yeah, right...

The gorgon was well aware that the guards alone could be a potential match for her, let alone the thing whose claws alone could snap her in two before she so much as realized it was closing in. 

Not to mention how Amanda was apparently aware of her schedule enough to know when to optimally enter, only requiring a potential dip into later hours if this soiree lasted too long. A vexing thought, how she was so effortlessly cornered on all fronts, without a single means of excusing herself politely. Just left to rebuild defenses hurriedly for her own benefit.

[genoc1d3r]

my turn to cry - thoughts on 3-1b

ok this has actually gotta be my favorite chapter cause holy shit so much stuff happened.

I played the Alice/kanna route and afterwards I watched a vod with the reko/shin route in which ranmaru and naomichi died before the banquet, so BIG SPOILER WARNING FOR BOTH ROUTES

Mafia Princess Sara??: Ok so first off, back in the beginning of 2020, I had a theory that Sara was a mafia heiress and that the death game was supposed to be something to “prepare” her. And that her memories were wiped or she was initially supposed to be kept blind to this whole thing (In 3-1a when everybody saw the consent form for the very first time everybody felt a sense of deja vu, except for Sara. Because why would they need her consent when she is the sole focus of the game and it’s all for her) This theory was mainly supplied by my confusion surrounding the hiring of Kai, cause why would mr Chidouin hire a former assassin to protect her?? How did he even know Kai??? But yeah, the whole thing with Shinobu Gokujo and deciding a new don through a death game just adds a lil more validity to this theory.

Sara’s real father: I also had a mini theory that Gashu Satou was her real father, but that was mostly cause of their hair color and how it would def make Sara’s hair color make more sense genetics-wise (but kai has black hair, so its most likely that his mother had black hair, which would also disprove this mini-theory but yk im not here to prove it just talk about it). And that Gashu knew of Mr. Chidouin and gave Sara to him, and it would also explain why mr Chidouin chose Kai of all people to look after her and why Kai could only watch her from a distance, in case she realized the truth that he was her brother/half-brother or something. 

GREENBLINGS CANON AAAAAAAA: I love this, I love this so much oh my god. Now I can replay and cry after 2-2 cause nankidai hates us :’). I dont have an issue with this specifically, I’m just a bit bothered by how the whole thing went. There was some buildup yea, and the cg with kanna, kugie, and shin was amazing. And that lil bit about nice hallucinations made me tear up a bit. But, then everybody kinda just moved on? and idk this whole chapter was a fuckign roller coaster I could barely keep up.

Autistic Gin <3: I’m autistic myself and I have seen many characters who are autistic-coded or exhibit many signs of autism but have never been straight up confirmed (Ex: Vera Misham from Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney). And even then, these characters usually share similar personality traits like being aloof and reserved. So it’s nice to see that Gin is representing autism in a relatively realistic manner with his hyperfixations, vocal tics, and issues with socializing. Even after nearly dying like 17 times he’s still doing well and I genuinely wish for his survival and happiness.

Ranmaru’s death: Both of Ranmaru’s deaths, (if you or if you don’t fail the electricity absorption minigame) the death feels so... off? I was really attached to him as a character, yet his death didn’t impact as much as Joe’s or Nao’s did. During his Banquet death, one second he had his really cute smiling sprite but then whoops oh no guys weird drill screw thing kills him (again). I still can barely comprehend it because it all just happened so fast. Like no cg or anything. I was honestly kinda disappointed. The “delayed” one does a better job at his death scene, but again, it was wayyy too quick and completely dismissed as everybody just moves on to defeat Maple 2.0. I at least would’ve appreciated a better transition than Midori just saying “well anyways–”

 Ranmaru’s extremely quick descent into madness in the shin route: I actually liked this idea of Ranmaru willing to go to such extremes for Sara. However, theres barely time for any of this to develop? Like again, everything just happens so fast??? I would've definitely liked if there were little hints around before the body discovery that ranmaru was gonna do something like this, just a little time for development would really be cool.

Mr. Policeman/Mr. Tazuna???: After I finished, I actually looked on the wiki to see if it said anything about his son that he mentioned and I found this: 

But yeah thats cool

The thing about Q-taro: I’m gonna say it now, I’ve liked Q-taro ever since the aftermath of 1-2, and Q-taro haters have added absolutely nothing to this fandom. Everybody saw him as a child-hater, I see him as a guy who’ll do anything to survive and succeed. I mean that wish is kinda what got him into the death game. And yeah he did try to leave that one time, but that’s what getting thrown into traumatic killing games does for you, most people don’t want to die, they want to live, no matter what it takes. We can’t all be the main character and choose to cooperate with everybody and be the “good” person in that situation. Even Sara has those extremely selfish moments and those intrusive thoughts of winning and leaving. 

This whole thing should also be applied to Ranmaru. Ranmaru has gone through so much shit in such a brief amount of time, to the point where he was considering to/actually kill people to escape with the one person he trusted in this hellhole. In that situation, Sara’s kinda at fault here, cause without Joe she’s lost her sense of morality which resulted in her becoming selfish and well... honestly kinda toxic. This emotional manipulation is really what set Ranmaru off, however it was 100% his decision to fucking kill somebody and murder’s bad. Still love him though.

But back to Qtaro, I really enjoyed the extra substance given to him in this chapter, it’s nice to see the development from being selfish to feeling deep remorse to protecting the dolls of the first trial victims, most notably Mai. As he completely forgives her for stabbing him. The chapter did a great job at fueling my already intense love for Q-taro (and it actually convinced my best friend who claims to hate Q-taro with every bone of her body to like him too!) I also love the father-son dynamic between him and Gin. I find this relationship to be really important cause Gin’s father is an abusive alcoholic and Q-taro’s an orphan who’s never had a proper role-model in his life. So it’s beautiful that despite not having anybody there for him when he was younger he can still be a good figure for another child.

Predictions/hopes for the next part: 

I just want to see whether Shin already knew about Kanna being his sister, and if he doesn’t I want a reveal. Right. Now.

A Ranmaru/Joe/Q-taro/Kai/ “Hinako” revival, p l e a se  they died so soon

More info about the people involved in the Hades Incident/Shinobu Gokujo

More info regarding Meister

Sara going on Maury

Who tf is “Hinako”????

I really hope that there isn't any specific good/bad ending. Like I want every ending to be equally bad and good yk? like equal consequences and good stuff.

Yo wtf happened to Sara’s mom?? Is she gonna come back and play a more important role in the story?? Are her parents gonna come back as floor masters???

I want things to actually change  depending on whether you picked Alice or reko, cause so far they’ve played extremely minor roles.

[lebrookestore]

𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐭

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

Collab hosted by @heartyyjeno and @neojaems

𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐄𝐝𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐨𝐧

Pairing: Qian Kun x reader

Themes: richkid au-ish, royalty au-ish, slight humour, ANGST, strangers to lovers, betrayal, suspense, drugs, murder, cruises, pride and prejudice

Warnings: angst, mentions of murder, drugs, smoking, betrayal, drugging, making out, messed up stuff honestly

Wc: 17.1k

Taglist:  @danishmiilk @channoticedmeuwu @chicksung @1-800-seo @blueprint-han @jenosslut @cupidluvstarrz @kkakkdugi @sweetlyjaem @vera-liscious @leetaeyonglover @kunrengui @unknown5tar @kisshim @the-rooftop-fight @rueyins @kiri-ah @sly-merlin @alicanta77 @rouiyan @jae-dreamin @peachyyjaes  @girlwithmightymuses-deactivated @jenoleemonade​ @radiorenjun​

Summary: Many things can happen on a cruise ship, most of them are unexpected. Secrets are exposed, arrangements are brought to light and love can bloom- but when the secrets and arrangements clash, will the love survive? [loosely based on the Opera; Tristan and Isolde]

Playlist: here

Authors note: My first collab fic!!! I honestly really love how this turned out, and I hope you do too! Take this as a thank you for 400 as well, since I have literally nothing else planned rip. Thanks to Mina for letting me scream about this fic to her and feedback would be really appreciated! Without further ado, I present to you: Love Shot!

“Lady Y/n”, the woman greeted you, bowing respectfully. You smiled softly, touching her shoulder to indicate that it was alright. “Winter”, you said fondly, “You know I don’t care for formalities”, you reminded the girl, who nodded eagerly, and took your bags.

Sighing tiredly, you stood at the entrance, waiting for Winter to return and guide you to your room on the cruise ship, where you would be staying for the next three months. The air was crisp, more breathable than it was in the city. Crossing one hand over the other, standing up straight, you exude confidence and an air of authority, something everyone around you acknowledged and respected.

Your family was and would always be one of the most respected families in Japan. You had money, a name, and many many enemies. There was always someone on the prowl, ever ready to steal your family’s worth, to ruin its reputation. Your father had gotten the family estate when the wealth had been divided amongst him and his brothers, and that had only added up to your net worth. As the daughter of one of the richest men in the world, you had big shoes to fill, especially since you had no siblings. 

You had had your fair share of bad publicity, and drama. Scandals always lazily floated around, and at this point, you welcomed them like an old friend. Added some spice into your otherwise very structured life. 

A year ago, your father had died, leaving all the responsibilities to fall upon you. He had been found dead one morning in his bed, your mother shaking as she sat on the edge, looking on at her dead husband with a crazed look in her eyes. There were rumours and suspicions, but you decided to pay no heed to them.

And with all these new responsibilities, you made the news more times than you cared to count, and the way the media preyed on the tragedy, highlighting it, using it against you. Your mother was at her wit’s end, a broken shell of the commanding woman she was before. You heeded every request of hers, and fulfilled any wish, no matter how idiotic. Your life had changed, but at the same time, it hadn’t. You were still the same filthy rich girl from before.

Winter returned, a rosy hue on her cheeks as she greeted you once more. “This way Ma’am”, you grabbed her arm, glaring mockingly, “Y/n”, you asserted, “You’re never this formal Win, what happened?”

“It’s my job”, she said sheepishly, “And I’m a little out of it, please don’t pay any attention to it”

You wanted to prod her further but decided to respect her privacy, and silently followed her down the halls of the ship, studying your surroundings. It was clear the place was dripping with money, nothing you weren’t used to. With the gold plating and jewel-encrusted chandeliers, you felt more at home than on a vacation.

Well, it wasn’t really a vacation now, was it?

This was business, for your family. A set plan, rules and things you had to do. Even thought it was all arranged, you still had to look pretty and smile and be nice to him.

Stopping in front of a door, she fished out a pair of keys and inserted one of them into the keyhole, opening it and leading you into your room for the stay. It was one of the first-class cabins on the cruise, more spacious than the others. Bowing once again, Winter left you, promising to return to call you for dinner. Sitting down on your bed, you inspected the room, noting its features. It was all the same.

Deciding to get ready for the dinner, you unzipped one of your bags, picking through the garments you had brought along with you. You knew dinners were a big thing, especially if you were of your status, and today would be monumental, especially since you would be meeting someone, and that someone was very important. Finally choosing a silk dress, you slipped it on, retouching your makeup and checking your phone for any updates, you left your room making sure you had your keys with you. The hallways were pretty chilly, so you decided to turn back and get your pullover just in case. 

Waiting patiently by your door for Winter, you checked your phone, reading over the message your mother sent you. A list of instructions, a code of conduct for the evening.

You had to impress them.

Once again, Winter showed up, still donning the rosy blush as she regarded you, and began leading you through the winding halls of the ship. She seemed to be very out of it, not completely focusing on the task at hand as she tripped over her own feet. You reached out, grabbing her arm and stabilizing the girl.

“I’m sorry”, she squeaked, “Forgive me”

“Be careful Winter”, you said, “And stop patronizing yourself, you’re never like this”

Flustered, she nodded a little too fast, “I’m sorry Y/n, just following orders”

“Whose orders?”, you asked incredulously. She rested her hand on the gold plated doorknob, turning to you.

“Your mother of course”, she said, before pushing the door open. Hushed whispers traveled across the room at your arrival, the room falling into silence.

Dinner was served.

Kun walked into the dining hall, his eyes dark and alight with amusement. He slipped his hands in his pockets, leisurely making his way to one of the tables. He observed the scene, taking note of the crowd. Jazz music played softly in the background, setting the mood. Clicking his tongue, he pulled out a chair taking a seat at the table he had chosen. 

He wasn’t alone, there were two other men sitting there, and a woman. One was his brother, Chenle, who was six years younger than Kun. He looked intimidating for an eighteen-year-old, with a square-ish jaw and large eyes. They were set in a blank stare, as if he was used to this, and was tired of it. He regarded Kun with a nod, before going back to his food.

The other was his uncle, Akira, who was only ten years older than Kun himself, being the youngest brother from his mother’s side. He was dressed in an expensive suit, eyes covered with his dark sunglasses. He didn’t even acknowledge Kun, instead, he had his eyes trained on the door, presumably waiting for someone.

The woman was sitting next to Kun, his sister, Yuxi, younger than him by a year. She didn’t even spare a look at Kun, but he was used to it.

A server walked up to the table, handing Kun a menu, and bowing respectfully. He was wearing a white suit, in pristine condition, hair slicked back, shoes polished to the point of reflection. Kun studied the boy, who seemed a few years younger than him. His tag read ‘Heesung’, and he looked bored out of his mind.

“Heesung”, Kun said, “I’d like a glass of Dom Pérignon please”, he requested, to which Heesung nodded, taking note of it in his notepad. “I’ll come back with your drink and order”, he informed Kun as he left.

The doors opened, two women standing there. One was obviously the help of the other, dressed in a black and white uniform. She opened the door wider, exposing the other women to the crowd. She was obviously of some high status, the air around her seemed to hold some sort of authority. She walked down the stairs, her help close behind as she scanned the room to spot a table for herself.

You soon found the table you had been assigned to by your darling mother and walking towards it. You held your head a little higher, asserting a sort of silent dominance over them. Winter pulled out a seat for you, and you thanked her softly, turning to the man on your right.

“Akira, I suppose”, you said, lifting your hand up and shaking his hand. He smiled, “The lovely Y/n”, he said, “I presume your mother has told you about me”

He was handsome, you supposed, in an oldish way. You nodded, “Yes, she has”

“And I hope you are intrigued”, he suggested. You forced a smile, biting down the initial disgust at the older man. “Very much so”, you assured him, turning to the other two, “And you are”, you asked, desperate to avoid any further interaction with Akira.

“Yuxi”, the lady sitting next to Akira introduced herself, holding up a glass of some sort of drink, looking at the other two men.

“I’m Chenle”, the one on your left greeted, smiling slightly. You returned the gesture, looking at the other one expectantly.

“Kun”, he said, disinterest apparent in his tone. “A pleasure to meet you, Y/n”, he said coyly, leaning back in his chair and observed you. Nodding at his curt response, you waited in silence for the waiter to come and take your order. “So who are you?”, Kun asked, to which you blinked in surprise. “You mean you don’t know?”, you asked, not meaning to sound as vain as it came out. You were genuinely shocked at the fact he didn’t know who you were.

“Kun”, Akira warned, “I told you about the lovely Y/n”, he explained, “You know about the deal”

“Was I expected to know her?”, he asked, “To be fair, she's like every other woman here, just richer”

Your eyes widened at his blatant disrespect, as his lips upturned into a smirk, somewhat enjoying your obvious discomfort.

“Ahem”, Heesung interrupted, “Your order?”

Mildly put off, you asked for the meal you wanted, trying not to sink into your seat from embarrassment. If your mother was here, she would’ve given you an earful if you slouched.

Always hold yourself to a higher standard Y/n, she constantly reminded you, Head a little higher than the rest.

Ignore him darling”, Akira advised you. The nickname set a bitter taste in your mouth.

“Excuse me”, you said, “I’m not feeling well”, getting up, you called for Winter, asking her to get your food to your room. 

You walked out gracefully, not missing the sly smile that Kun gave you.

Mornings were something you had always looked forward to. You woke up early on most days, while your mother was still asleep, to be alone with your thoughts. It was hard to think with your mother droning on about responsibilities, and things she wanted you to do for her. You had to mindlessly listen, and accomplish every task she set out for you. You were beyond thankful for Winter, who helped you, and single handedly kept you sane. She was your friend, more than a servant, which was why her sudden formality was confusing you.

While your mother wasn’t with you at the moment, you still decided to leave the confines of your bed, and explore the cruise in peace and quiet, perhaps get an early breakfast alone. You changed into acceptable clothing, casual instead of the finery you were used to and tired of, and headed out to the deck. The cool sea breeze was welcoming, making you feel refreshed. You sipped the tea in your hands, cupping the mug to provide some warmth to your fingers, as you leaned against the railing of the ship.

The floors were made of wood, giving it a rustic feel to it. It contrasted the marble interiors, giving it a simpler look. It was homely, more so than your own home. You smiled wantonly, the silence of the scene comforting.

You mother came to mind, as you remembered the deal, the entire reason why you were on this cruise, it wasn’t a happy vacation, on the contrary, it was a welcoming, an introduction to a new family, one you would soon be thrown into. 

“You're alone”, a voice observed. You turned around to face the man from yesterday.

“Qian Kun”, you said politely, “It appears so”

You weren’t particularly angry at him for not knowing who you were, in fact, you would go as far as to say, you were relieved.

“Relax, I know who you are, I’m just teasing you”, he said, which destroyed all hopes of you being an unknown person. You raised an eyebrow in the question of his doings, to which he grinned, “Y/n Osaki”.

You nodded, looking down at your tea, not quite knowing what to say. You didn’t know Kun very well, but from the short encounters you had with him, he confused you. You studied him for a moment, trying to understand him. He seemed to be put together, content with himself, yet he took pleasure in trivial things, like getting a reaction out of you.

“Well, I don’t truly know you, other than the fact you’re this rich girl my uncle is interested in”, he quipped, standing at your side and looking out at the sea, not sparing you another glance.

“Uncle?”, you asked slightly horrified. Kun seemed to be around your age, so the thought of Akira being his uncle sounded very messed up, especially since your mother was also rooting for the older man.

Kun hummed in agreement, “he was ten when I was born”, he continued. You decided to ignore that fact, for now, focusing on the subtle dig he had thrown at you. “You’re rich too, or so it seems. Certainly, you’re wealthy if you can afford this cruise”

You hadn’t meant to sound vain or stuck up, but it was true. This wasn’t a cheap stay, especially since you knew they were staying on the first-class level of the ship just as you were. Your mother had told you almost everything about them.

He seemed amused, his dimples appearing as he smiled, “We’re comfortable”

You scoffed at the statement, deciding to take a sip of your tea instead of retorting. The conversation, if you could even call it that, fell into a silence. You tapped against the porcelain of the cup, looking blankly at the water.

He was attractive, dark hair splayed across his forehead, dark grey eyes, lips that seemed to upturn into a smirk easily. He had an easy going demeanor, with a touch of underlying darkness, you supposed. It piqued your interest, but you made sure not to show it. 

“See you around Y/n”, he said, walking away, seemingly bored. You watched him disappear under the deck, and suddenly, you were all alone.

Alone with your thoughts.

“And school? How is that going?’, you asked, switching your phone to your other hand as you flipped the page of your book. Your brother bristled at the other end of the line, clearly not pleased with the turn of the conversation, “It’s fine”, he said, “Same old. Sungchan is still trying to woo that lower class girl”, he said this with a snicker, “It’s pathetic really.”

“Tsk”, you clicked your tongue, “Don’t belittle her, she’s smart”

“And not to our standard”, he replied, “Sungchan should know better”

“Shotaro”, you said in a warning tone, “Leave it alone, he’s probably just messing with her. You know how we do things”

“Of course, but it’s turning into an infatuation of sorts, he only talks of her! I’m tired of it”

“Maybe he’s in love”, you suggested, turning the next page. The line went silent, you didn’t worry too much as this gave you time to read a few paragraphs properly, instead of the skimming you had been doing. “And what is love Y/n, hmm?”

“Am I supposed to know?”, you bit back sarcastically. You could hear Shotaro scoff on the other side of the line, “You’re the one getting married, dear sister, and isn’t the eldest sibling supposed to teach the younger one?”

“I am not in love”, you said, “I do not need to teach you anything, pay attention in school instead”

“Love you too Y/n, goodbye”, he said flatly, deciding that if you were to talk of school, he was not going to have any part of it. You shook your head amusedly, placing your phone down and continuing to read. Shotaro was your brother, you were close to him, even with your constant bantering and seemingly formal conversation. It was just how the two of you had been brought up- in a very classy way. You had a reputation to uphold, and a family name to flaunt. 

You shifted in your seat, hearing three knocks on the door. “Come in Winter”, you called out, and the girl walked in, holding a box that was wrapped in ribbon, a pretty bow sitting at the top. You placed your book aside, taking the box from her hands. “What is this for?” “Sir Akira sent it”, she explained, dusting down her generic uniform, “Hesaid he would like you to wear it tonight”

You raised an eyebrow at this, skeptical, but nodded. Winter made motion to leave, but you held her hand, “Sit”, you said with a smile, “Talk to me”

“Miss-”

“Y/n”, you reiterated, “Please Winter?”, she sighed at your request, taking a seat next to you on the bed. “You’re keeping your guard up, we grew up together, stop”, she sighed, “I know, I hate this too”

“Do you? This is my room, no one is watching here, now”, you moved over, patting your lap and she grinned, laying her head down on it. “Aren’t you going to open that?”

“Mmhh”, you hummed, pulling the ribbon, letting the cover loose as a pretty red fabric peeked through. You pulled out the dress, studying it.

“It’s pretty”, Winter observed, looking up at your skeptical face. “What happened?”

“I hate it”, you muttered, “It’s tasteful, sure, but I don’t want to wear it”, you folded it and placed it to the side. “I have several of these.” You wondered how Akira had gotten your size perfectly, let alone the similarity in your style of clothing so on point.

“You still have to wear it tonight”, she reminded you, prospering herself up on her elbows, “How’s your brother?” You glanced at her, picking your book up again, “He’s fine”

“Oh what are you reading?”, she asked, “Will you read to me?”

You nodded with a smile playing on your lips, opening the cover of Pride and Prejudice, leaning back and searching for the line you had finished on. The musty pages welcomed you back like an old friend as you indulged in the love story of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. You read about the part, those five chapters where her feelings matured and her opinions changed over time for the man, who she had positively despised before.

You wondered if you’d ever fall for Akira, who you despised too, and was forced into marriage with. Maybe you were a lot like Lizzy Bennet, except you didn’t have a father to back you up.

Duty.

The Osaki Family was very familiar with this term, it was like every second day you heard it. With your family name came responsibilities, expectations and a warped sense of reality. Warped because your reality was very different from most people.

Duty came in different forms. For Shotaro, it was completing his extensive education and taking over the business side of the family, succeeding your father’s work. Your mother’s was to sit there and look pretty, the face of the family as of now, a sympathetic heroine of sorts ever since your father deceased. Yours was to extend family relations, and keep the prestige. You were going to take your mothers place, not something you were particularly looking forward to, but it had to be done.

It was your duty, after all.

The cruise was a way to get away from these duties, by keeping them at the forefront of your mind, replaying like a broken cassette tape. 

“Y/n Osaki”, someone called out, and you looked up from your seat. You were sitting on the deck of the ship, reading in peace with your phone by your side in case of emergency. You recognized the woman as Kun’s sister.

“Yuxi, If I’m not mistaken?”, you asked, moving aside on the bench to give her room to sit.  She crossed her legs, propping one hand on the backrest of the bench and smiling, “Tis I!”, her voice was cheerful, “I’m terribly bored of being surrounded by my brothers, so I thought I’d find you and talk to one of the female specimens”, she joked, causing your lips to upturn into a smile.

“Talking seems wonderful”, you assured her, “What would you like to talk about?”

“Anything honestly, something that isn’t about ‘who’s the man’”, she drawled, an unamused look on her face as she supposedly referenced her brother's banterring. Her eyes cast down to your book, “Jane Austen hmm? My brother loves that book”

“Which one?”

“Kun”, she answered, shifting in her seat, “He can argue for hours about whos the better character,” she smirked, stretching out her legs, “I love my family, but I’m tired of them”

“I understand that far better than you think”, you said, “I sometimes wish we weren’t related”

“You’re one to talk”, she snorted, “You have just about everything you’d ever need and more.”

“I’ll be losing it all in a little, I assume you know this”, you smiled sadly. She nodded, “Alright”, she said, “Perhaps you have everything except freedom”

Kun was tired.

 In the event of having to deal with his brother and uncle’s ‘nonsense’ as he called it, he left the table at dinner to search for some quiet. He walked down the hallways of the ship, the soft rumbling of something he couldn’t quite make out reached his ears. 

He passed his own room, and several others, before coming to the room he was looking for. It had a red door, washed out and dark so it didn’t really stand out. He pushed it open, entering a sort of mini hallway, with another door at the end. 

He walked to that one too, entering a small, dark room. There were boxes and suitcases in there, all from his family.

 But they weren’t all luggage.

 He scanned the room, trying to remember something, it was like there had been an itch ever since he saw you. Like you had opened a door to a memory, but the memory was hazy, he couldn’t quite catch it. It was like a connection had been established, and he couldn’t quite shake it off.

 He sighed in defeat, leaving the room and walking into the hallway once again, only to be met with you, donning a red dress, hair done up in curls. You startled, blinking on seeing him emerge from the side, “Oh”, you said, looking him up and down, “Hello, Kun.” 

He took in your pretty features, wondering how you got roped into this. 

“Shouldn't you be at dinner?”, Kun asked you, lips turning into a sly smile. You looked at him, seemingly unfazed, “Shouldn’t you?”

 “Dinner is nothing special I can assure you that”, he muttered bitterly, “I take you're procrastinating getting there?” 

You nodded, “As much as I enjoy your family's company, I am not entertained by your Uncle, no offense”, you rubbed the side of your arms, “This dress was given by him.”

 “So that’s why he was talking to your servant”, Kun said, “Alright, let’s skip dinner then.”

 “Skip it? My mother would-”

 “We won't tell her”, he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “We’ll make up a convincing story.”

 You studied him, deeming him sincere and nodding, “Lead the way then”, you gestured, and he took your hand, smirking and leading you down the hallways, “There’s a lounge somewhere here”, he mused, “Ah here.”

 The two of you entered a fancy looking lounge that definitely matched the entirety of the cruise ship. There was a bar at the end, and couches in the center. You took a seat, leaning back as he went straight for the drinks

. “Want anything?”, he called, taking a bottle down.

 “French 75”, you requested, “You sister told me you liked Jane Austen?” 

He raised an eyebrow at you, “I do”, he agreed. “Why?” There was that odd feeling again, as if you held some sort of importance, but he couldn’t pinpoint why.

 “I mean”, you looked over at the bar, “dinner isn’t going to get over anytime soon and we’re stuck with each other, friendly banter might help pass the time since I don’t have my phone or book with me.” 

He hummed in agreement, “Which book are you reading?” “Pride and Prejudice.”

 “High class families and their literature”, he hummed. “Alright, what about it?”

 “You don’t seem very intrigued by the story”, you observed, taking the cocktail he handed you. “What do you think of Lizzy Bennet’s and Mr. Darcy’s relationship?”

 “Lizzy Bennet, in crude terms would be considered a high class bitch.” 

“Excuse you?”, you asked, slightly outraged in a playful manner. “She is smart and funny and has some brains, unlike the rest of the sisters.”

 “She judged Darcy all too fast don't you think?” He raised his own glass to his lips, keeping his eyes on you as he spoke. “She blatantly disregarded his affections.” 

You felt heat rush to your face, mostly in indignant anger, an urge to defend one of your all time favorite heroines of any sort of story. You had always stood by her. Seeing someone ridicule her, though you had invited him to do so, was irking. “She did not! He bitched about her family and confessed, expecting her to be okay with his idiocy?”

 You asked him hotly, leaning forward in anticipation for his answer. He seemed amused by your irritation, “He’s a man of class, he’s going to judge a not so upper class family. I mean, you would know of this right?”

 “Not if my family was belittled”, you said with a frown, “I see Darcy as the prick who refused to back down because of his goddamn pride.” 

“I always thought Elizabeth was the one with pride, and Darcy held the Prejudice against her family.” His argument was strong.

 You nodded. “I suppose you’re right, but Lizzy Bennet-”

 “Can’t do any wrong?”

 You muttered some not so ladylike things under your breath that your mother would’ve had your head for, glaring at the man who sat across you. While you were all up for playful arguing, being interrupted was something you weren't used to—nor did you appreciate it. 

“Would you let me speak?”

 He smirked, “I suppose you’re defending her because”, he looked at his glass, studying the clear liquid inside it, “you think of yourself as her.”

 “I’m done here”, you said quietly, placing your drink down and getting up, refusing to look at him, knowing his smug expression would just irk you more. His accusation, while probably lighthearted, did not sit well with you. 

“Goodbye.”

The sun was out the next afternoon, casting its golden rays on the deck of the ship, giving it a lovely, summery feel. Guests bustled and walked about, chatting in groups. A small band played their merriment off to the side, setting the mood with their joyful tunes.

Winter stood off to the side with the rest of the servants, a pensive expression on her pretty face.

You stood with the rest of the crowd, next to Akira’s family, returning the warm smile Yuxi sent you. Apparently, there was supposed to be some sort of performers on the ship to entertain the folk. 

You sighed, watching the scene with a polite, yet bored gaze. You would rather be in your room reading, instead of out here. But of course, this was all done from obligation, you had to be there.

Akira shuffled to stand next to you, “I missed you yesterday”, he said, “I was looking forward to seeing you in the dress I got you.”

“I wasn’t feeling too well last night”, you fibbed, eyes meeting Kun’s for a fleeting second, “I appreciate the dress.”

You could feel Kuns smirk, even if you weren’t looking at him. Shifting on your feet, you leaned towards Winter, requesting her to get you a glass of water. 

You were still so uncomfortable around Akira, with his easy smile and underlying words. You knew he was being nice because he had to. You were already his, whether you liked it or not. Shivering at the thought, you took the glass from your friend, taking a sip and trying to focus on the band that played a jazz rendition of ‘Seven Nation Army’.

You wondered for a moment, how it would be if you weren’t from the Osaki family. If you were just another girl, instead of leverage for your family. Once Shotaro was of age and finished his schooling, he would take your fathers place, your mother would remain a shell of herself, useless and forgotten.

You would be like her soon.

Yuxi called Akira for something, giving you room to breathe.

“I hope you’re not still angry at me”, Kun’s voice came from behind, an amused lilt to his voice, “About our little miff yesterday.”

You turned to face him, shaking your head, “I’ll admit, my storming off was a tad immature.”

He frowned, studying you. “Why are you so formal all the time?”

The question took you aback, “Sounds like you have a stick up your ass, reminds me of my friend, Ten.”

“You literally just apologized to me, only to insult me once again?”, you asked, wondering how his mind worked. He was so confusing, one moment all proper the next he acted like a regular kid with a crass sense of humour.

A smile stretched out on his lips, “I never apologized Y/n”, he reminded you, “I only asked you if you were still mad.”

“Touche”

“Loosen up a bit”, he said, “Don’t be so high strung all the time.”

You raised an eyebrow at this, “Oh do tell me how”

He grinned, taking your hand in his, intertwining your fingers, “Let’s go then, I have an idea.”

“Oh hell no”

“Oh hell yes”, Kun smirked, “Are you telling me you’ve never had a water balloon fight?”

“You’re telling me this is a regular occurrence for you?”, you asked incredulously. He shook his head, “No, but it's fun, so lets start”, he handed you a bunch of balloons in a bag.

“How the fuck do you even have these? We’re on a cruise?”, your confusion was comical.

The two of you stood in an empty hall in the cruise, and Kun had locked the door so no one would barge inside. Somehow he had accumulated a bizarre amount of balloons all filled with water. You could foresee the mess that was about to befall you.

You silently wondered why the fuck you agreed to this madness. Maybe it had something to do with Kun;s pretty smile.

He shrugged, “Don’t question it. Yuxi me and Chenle fight this way when we want to get away from our Uncle”, he swatted you away, “Now go! Unless you want me to destroy you from the start.”

A challenge.

You never backed down from a challenge.

You thanked yourself for deciding not to wear that summer dress Winter had initially laid out for you, opting for some pants and a shirt instead. 

Grabbing the bag, you hurried to the other end of the hall, hiding behind one of the heavy curtains and picking up one of the balloons, getting used to the weight in your palms. All you had to do was hit him right? Seemed simple right?

Wrong. So wrong.

As soon as you felt as ready and slipped out of your hiding place, you were hit on your leg, a cold wet feeling creeping up on your leg. The impact of the balloon made you stumble a little bit as you regained your footing, shooting Kun a dirty look. He smirked in response, “Pay attention L/n”

You felt another hit on your arm, realizing he had taken advantage of the fact you had been distracted. Narrowing your eyes, you flung your own balloon and gracefully missed him, the balloon ending up rolling on the ground sadly. 

Embarrassed, you retreated back behind the curtains, grabbing two of your weapons, and scurrying to the other curtain before you could be hit again. Your left pant leg was soaked through, still smarting from the hit and your arm was damp, but your focus was on hitting your opponent.

He chuckled, “Hiding just prolongs this, you know that right?”, he was taunting you, and you scowled, coming out from behind the curtain and throwing your balloon, hitting his calf and making him grunt. 

It was your turn to smirk, pleased at your successful attempt. 

Your triumphant feeling lasted about for five seconds, until you were hit again.

Damn Qian Kun and his quick thinking.You staggered back and he walked closer, “Gonna stay behind those curtains?”, he asked coyly, “Okay, fine you need incentive.”, He threw another at you, making you whine at your own slowness. “Lizzy Bennet needs to be more forgiving”

He had brought up your argument. He knew it would tick you off, making you want to justify your own point of view.

“Mr. Darcy needs to stop being such a prick!”, you exclaimed, flinging your own balloon at him, hitting his side, making him wince, “And you need to stop being so stubborn.”

“I’m the stubborn one?”, he said, almost whined. Another water missile landed next to your foot, bursting and spraying you with water. 

After a few minutes, the two of you were soaked to the bone, your clothes stuck to your skin uncomfortably, but a tired smile stretched out on your lips. His expression mirrored yours as he tried grabbing your arm. The two of you had finished all the water balloons and had been chasing each other around the hall like kids.

For the first time you actually felt like a kid.

You squealed as his fingers wrapped around your wrist, pulling you down with him as he tripped. Falling into him, his arms wrapped around your waist, pulling you close to him and entrapping you in his embrace.

Laughter bubbled from your lips as you struggled against him, “Leave me!”

He laughed into your hair, “Truce. Lizzy and Darcy are both idiots.”

“That's established!”, you said, “Let me go idiot”

He did, a wide smile on his face, “You’re more comfortable around me now”, he observed.

You realized he was right, you were more comfortable. You liked the smile on his face, the lilt of relief in his voice. The hall was wet in some places. One of you hiding places, the curtains had a big splotch of water on it, you silently wondered how the staff would react to the state at which it was in.

“I am”, you stated, “Not so strung up now?”

He snorted, “I destroyed you in the water balloon fight, I practically knocked you down from your high horse.”

He looked at the smile on your face, liking it. Even though your hair was wet and messed up, he thought you were beautiful, now that your face wasn’t set in a semi permanent haughty expression.

You hit him playfully, not finding it in you to glare at him. His dark hair was wet, and it fell in front of his eyes as he looked at you, feigning a look of hurt. “You wound me.”

“My mission in life”, you snickered. A silence fell upon the two of you, as you rubbed your arms, the cold biting into your skin. You would have to leave soon, take a shower and show up and dinner, all prim and proper again. The thought made your stomach sink, because you had had fun for the first time in a long time.

You met Kun’s eyes, which were sparkling with a mischievous glint. Raising an eyebrow at him, you crossed your arms, “What?”

“We both have to agree”, he started, “That Mr. Bennet is the best character.”

Winter scurried along the hallways, clutching an envelope, hiding it under her apron lest she ran into you. Her nails dug into the paper, guilt welling up in the pit of her stomach. She stopped outside the door she had been summoned to

Knocking on the throat thrice, she took a step back, waiting for it to be opened. 

A man opened it, narrowing his eyes at her, “Yes?”

“A letter for you sir”, Winter squeaked, “Sir Akira. From Mrs Osaki.”

Akira grabbed the envelope from Winter, swatting her away. The girl bowed and scurried off, not wanting to have anything to do with the contents of the letter. She had already been swayed by your mother enough.

Akira shut the door and locked it, tearing open the letter, desperate to get to it. He pulled it out, fumbling with the paper and reading it hastily.

Dear Akira,

                I would first like to thank you, this wasn’t easy to do without you. Don’t worry, everything will fall into place, and no one will be the wiser. Y/n, my darling daughter, doesn’t know the whole story, only about the wedding, and we shall keep it that way. When our families unite, it shall all be sweeped under the rug.

I shall forever be grateful to you for helping me get rid of him. My debt is free I suppose now, as you read this letter our plan has been put into effect. In return for helping me you shall have protection and a new reputation.

Thanking you, 

                  Mrs. Osaki

Akira sighed in relief, knowing his fate was sealed. He had been skeptical at first, when he saw how distant you were. You didn’t even give him an inch, and he suspected you knew what he-his family did and had done.

But supposedly you didn’t.

When your mother had asked him for his help, he was surprised. The Osaka family? Not happy? How could it be?

How could a wife have murderous intent as much as your mother did?

Folding the letter, he stuffed it into the pockets of his pants, pulling out his lighter and setting fire to the envelope. He watched the tongues of fire snatch onto the paper, bright yellows and blues emerging from nothing. Throwing it in the bin, he crushed it under his heel and pulled out a cigarette.

Kun walked into the room, rubbing his hair with a towel. His and Chenles rooms were connected to Akira’s on the cruise, so that he could check up on them. A frown appeared on the older man's face as he studied Kun’s bedraggled appearance.

Kun’s parents weren’t like Akira, they were respectable and wealthy nonetheless, but still dabbled in the darker aspect of things from time to time, not that many people knew of it.

“Why do you look like a wet rat?”

Kun scowled at this, “I went for a shower”, he said, “You look like a rat more than I do”

It was no secret that Kun, Chenle and Yuxi despised their uncle for his dealings and amoral nature. But of course, Kun didn’t know the whole story, he didn’t know everything, all the letters, the truth about you and your family.

Even you didn’t know.

The only reason they were there was because if the plan didn’t go through exactly as it had been planned, their family’s reputation would be ruined for possibly forever. It was risky business, one that was going to be fixed, no matter how vile and wrong it was.

“Get ready for dinner, and for goodness sake, clean up”, Akira instructed, ignoring the dig and gesturing towards the door that connected his room to Kun’s, “Be on time.”

His nephew obliged and left, leaving Akira alone. He took a deep breath and walked out into the hallway, travelling along it quietly so as to not attract any attention. He stopped outside a red door, opening it and travelling along the dark little hallway it led into. Opening the final door, he found himself in another room, one that was dark. 

There were several boxes there, and a few suitcases. Akira’s, Kun’s, Chenle and Yuxi’s extra luggage. The boxes were not luggage though, they were Akira’s job. The dark side of things. He fished the letter out of his pocket and put it on the top of one of the boxes, next to the rest of the letters.

Leaving the darkness with the dark.

“You’re quite fun actually”, Yuxi said, chattering away to you during dinner. You smiled, returning the compliment.

You were grateful for her talk, which distracted you from the burning stare that Akira held on you, and Kun’s occasional glances. Not that you were against the latter, but it was slightly unnerving. Of course the two of you were much more comfortable with one another, but another feeling had settled in, a prickling on that settled in the bottom of your stomach.

Did you like it? You didn’t know.

Chenle indulged in conversation as well, you learned that he went to the same school your brother went to: Culture Academy. Apparently Kun had graduated from there just before he left for the cruise. Yuxi went to a finishing school, but you expected that, their family seemed the type to send their children to finishing schools.

You had graduated a few months ago as well, but from another high class school, while your brother attended Culture Academy.

“She’s terrible at water balloon fights”, Kun quipped, a smirk on his face as you glared, “Excuse me-”

“You guys had a water balloon fight without us?”, Yuxi asked, in mock offense, “And to think I actually trusted you for a moment”, she said, turning away from you and jutting her bottom lip out. “The betrayal.”

You laughed, “He dragged me, I had no say in it.”

They weren’t as cold as they had been when you had initially met them. It almost felt as if they were your friends. Taking a bite of whatever Winter had gotten you, you met Kun’s eyes, taking in the amused look in them.

Akira cleared his throat, “I assume you’ll be there for the dance next week?”

You raised an eyebrow, “What dance?”

“Instead of a regular dinner there is going to be a sort of dance”, he explained, “I expect to see you there.”

It was a command, not a request.

There was that constricting feeling again, you gave him a tight lipped, curt nod, looking away again. You hated being around Akira, he made you so uncomfortable, and even though you couldn’t avoid him forever, you would try.

He made you sick.

You took a sip of your drink, letting the burning taste trickle down your throat. You were barely past your first glass, not being a heavy drinker. Your mother had told you it was not respectable to drink too much, so you stuck to her rules. You always stuck to her rules, but god, you would’ve loved to drown the entire glass and ask for another at that moment.

Or throw it at Akira. But that probably wouldn’t have been very respectable either.

Winter walked up to you, tapping your shoulder timidly to get your attention, “Miss”, she said, leaning down to your ear to speak in secrecy, “Your mother has called.”

Pressing your lips together to avoid making a displeased face, you excused yourself from the table and followed your helper into the hallway, taking your phone from her. She gave you an encouraging smile as you began speaking.

“Mother?”

Her harsh voice brought you back down, “Y/n”, she said sternly, “Why did you not go to that dinner?”

You fisted your hand, clenching your jaw. Of course she found out, “I wasn’t feeling well.”

“So you tell no one?

“I wasn’t aware of the fact that everyone was supposed to know about my health”, you couldn’t help the bitter undertone in your voice. She didn’t care whether you were sick or not, she cared about why you skipped.

“Not everyone, just the Qian family”, she hissed, “Y/n focus. Duty.”

You knew there was no point in arguing with your mother, she was as stubborn as an ox. You could never be right against her.

“Yes mother, I’m sorry”, you said through gritted teeth. You could hear the smile on her face at your surrender, “Remember darling, you need to impress them”, she reiterated, “It’s for-”

“The good of our family, yes I know”, you sighed, “I’ll follow the rules.”

“Don’t just follow the rules Y/n, behave”, he tone of voice made you feel like a little girl. “You may not know it, but our family name depends on it.”

This took you aback, leaving you mildly confused. What did this stupid vile plan have to do with anything? Sure your family didn’t have the cleanest record (those scandals tainted it a little bit), but otherwise it was extremely respected all through Japan and other parts of the world.

The question sat at the tip of your tongue, but you knew better than to press your mother for answers. If she wanted to be vague, she would. Ending the call politely, you walked back into the dining hall, sitting next to Yuxi. Whatever momentary joy you had gotten from talking with them vanished, instead it was a reminder of your cruel fate, the bitter reality you had to face whether you liked it or not.

Why?

“You’re insufferable”, you declared, leaning against the railing, “Poor girl, you guys really made her jump into a pool?”

He laughed, “Yeah, you should have seen the look of anger on her face. And in full clothing too?”

You frowned, “You monster!”

“Hey, she signed up for it, she wouldn’t have gotten in if she refused”, he reminded you. Kun was currently telling you stories of his schooling at Culture Academy, particularly about a club he was in. You listened intently, enjoying yourself more than you would like to admit. He was definitely entertaining.

Maybe it was because you never experienced half the things he did.

You looked at the ocean, the sun shining down on it and sparkling. “I suppose she did”, you whispered, letting the words float about in the air as a silence settled upon the two of you. It was comfortable, you didn;t feel the need to fill it in. He took out a lighter and a cigarette, lighting it and taking a long slow drag.

“You smoke?”, you asked, unable to keep the surprise from your voice. You had never seen him do it before. The revelation was something you hadn’t expected.

Another thing your mother drilled into you: never smoke. It’s unladylike and very unbecoming of a person, and also because the news would latch onto it and create a scandal that was not needed. In general you had never seen the appeal of smoking.

He raised an eyebrow at you, nodding as if he expected you to know this. Almost as if he was bewildered with your surprised response. And he was, Kun was confused as to why you were so shocked with the fact. It was just a cigarette, nothing that terrible. Didn’t you know what Akira did-

Oh.

Oh no.

“Yeah, occasionally”, he said, brushing it off quickly, dropping the cigarette and crushing it under his heel, “Want to head back in?”

You nodded with a shrug, “Okay.” 

He smiled brightly, and a fuzzy feeling made its way into your stomach. You returned the smile, pushing away the feeling away to the back of your mind, far away in a dark corner of your mind, simply because it wouldn’t be right. You couldn’t even afford to think that way.

Not with the arrangement that had been set up, that was for sure.

You followed him inside, another thought blooming in the same dark corner of your mind, no matter how much you tried to push it away.

God it was wrong on so many levels though. 

“She got in”, Kun said, continuing his story from before, “It surprised everyone.”

You smiled, “I’m glad, poor girl, I hope she didn’t get hypothermia or something.”

Kun smiled, “She took my place as I left, you know, graduation and all”, he said, reaching his hand out and grabbing your own, leading you down.

“Your friends sound like fun”, you said fondly, even though you didn’t know them, “Especially that Hendery guy. Did he actually do that?”

Kun laughed, nodding, “He’s mad. I miss them”, his voice turned wistful, but only for a moment, before that pretty smile stretched across his face once again, “I have to tell you about the time Dejun…”

As you went back under the deck and the warmth of the hallways hit you, you decided you would deal with the feeling later. You decided to listen to him instead, liking the way his eyes lit up talking about his friends. You were starting to realize that you were now one of them, one of his friends.

That though stayed in the forefront of your mind, refusing to be pushed back.

And somehow, you didn’t mind.

Kun stepped into Akira’s room, eyes narrowed at his uncle. The tension in the air immediately raised tenfold. 

“She doesn’t know, does she?”

Akira sent his nephew a questionable look, “What do you mean?”

Kun sighed, running a hand through his hair, “Y/n”, he said, your name rolling off his tongue easily, yet there was a sort of anger that settled into it. Why didn’t you know? You should’ve known.

Why did he care this much?

Akira sighed, “What about her?”

“She doesn’t know who you are, not the entire truth.”

Akira let the statement hang in the air, his silence answering. He leaned back in his chair, humming an idle tune. “You’re right, but what prompted this?”

“She saw me smoking”, Kun said, “And was confused, she definitely didn’t look pleased. Tell me, how would she react when she realizes the man she has to marry is a fucking drug lord?”

His uncle winced at Kun’s words, “I know, but she won’t ever know.”

This was madness.

Kun knew of course, of the plan, but he didn’t know the whole story. He knew you were to be married to Akira, an arranged marriage that had been, well, arranged by your mother. And Yuxi had confirmed you knew of it as well. You had never seemed too keen on it, and this worsened everything.

“Sit”, Akira ordered, “And I’ll tell you.”

Holding back a grimace,  he complied, sitting opposite Akira. He waited for the older man to go on, wondering for a moment how it would be like to be in your shoes. You were around his age, and had to marry his uncle? The thought itself was mortifying.

“The Osaki family”, Akira started, “Well known, you’ve heard of them”, he didn’t wait for Kun to respond in any way, “They’re practically perfect, are they not? You’ve seen Y/n, you’re closer to her than I am. With her airs and graces, you’d think she’s perfect too, wouldn’t you?”

Of course Kun though you were perfect, but that's besides the point. He didn;t see how this made any sense.

“It’s all a lie Kun”, Akira said, “They’re unhappy, so unhappy. Her mother was a miserable, poor lady, forced to sit on the sidelines while her bastard of a husband ignored her.”

Wasn’t your father dead? 

Akira cleared his throat, “They’re perfect on the outside, a dollhouse, but through the curtains, it's all a mess. She asked me for help.”

Kun frowned, “Y/n-?” “No”, he said with a smile, “Her mother.”

It was slowly coming together, a puzzle so horrifying Kun didn’t want to believe it. His uncle had done many horrible things, many illegal things, but fuck, he prayed this one wasn’t real.

This was murder.

“So I helped”, Akira’s voice went hoarse, “I helped the way I could. I slipped a drug into a package and sent it to her, one so strong that could kill.”

Horror. This was madness.

“The next day, Mr Osaki was found dead”, a slow sadistic smile stretched out on Akira’s lips, “And Mrs Osaka was overjoyed! She thanked me profusely for helping with her plan. She promised to repay me somehow for my kindness.”

Kindness. Crime. When had the line between the two grown so blurry? Kun was frozen in his seat, frozen in fear. In fear for himself and his siblings, in fear for his family for being related to such a monster. He feared for you, the unsuspecting girl who had walked into his life and brought out things from the shadows he wished he left there. The girl, who’s own mother had been the reason behind her fathers death.

Fuck it was so wrong.

He knew the world he lived in, the wealth and the riches always brought trouble, but never in his life had he ever foreseen this much trouble. The clock on the wall of Akira’s room ticked slowly, every second seeming like an hour. Kun wanted to leave, but he was frozen in his seat, glued there.

His curiosity had gotten the better of him. He needed to know more. What was the ending to this tragic tale?

“And this is my repayment”, Akira said, “I marry Y/n, and everything gets sweeped under the rug. I can start a new Kun, I don’t have to be this person. I know you hate me, but listen, this could change everything.”

Kun felt sick.

“No”, he muttered, “This changed nothing you…”, he studied his uncle's tired expression. Akira’s eyes held a triumphant glare, and that made everything worse.

“You sick man”, he whispered, getting up, “She doesn’t deserve this. You don’t deserve a fresh start Akira, you have blood on your hands.”

Akira groaned, “I don’t expect you to under-”

‘Good”, Kun said, “I’m leaving and I want nothing to do with you for the rest of this trip.”

“Don’t tell your little friend”, Akira sneered, “If you tell her I won;t be the only one affected. Her mother will be brought into the light as well, and you really think no one will suspect Y/n?”

It was a losing situation from all sides.

“She doesn’t know who I am”, Akira said, agreeing with Kun’s earlier statement, “let's keep it that way, shall we?”

Dearest Akira,

                    Thank you for sending me the drug, I’ve slipped it into his drink. He shall be gone soon, and I shall be free. My son will take his palace when he finishes school and Y/n will be yours. A lovely full circle. I won’t have to deal with a man I hate anymore, a man that pushed me aside for everything.

Once upon a time I truly loved him you know? I trusted him and I gave him my heart. He trampled on it and now all I’m left with is a shell.

He forgot I existed, I am but a placeholder.

Not for long.

Thanking you,

                     Mrs. Osaki

You sat on your bed, reading yet another chapter of your beloved Pride and Prejudice in silence, as Kun sat on the other side, looking at his phone and occasionally stealing glances at you.

The friendship the two of you shared was….odd to say the least. You didn’t have to talk, even the silence was enough. You enjoyed his company a lot more than you cared to admit. Turning the page, you decided to stop for the day, placing your bookmark in the middle and shutting the book, turning your attention to Kun.

He couldn’t help the guilt that bubbled inside him, even though he had done nothing wrong. It was the heaviness he carried around for possessing the truth, and was hit with the consequences everytime he looked at you.

“Yes?”, you asked.

He blinked, “What?”

“You’ve been staring at me oddly”, you clarified, “I’m wondering if I did anything to offend you.

“No, no!”, he said a little hurriedly, “I apologize, I’m a little out of it today.”

“Do tell”, you said, propping your chin up on your hand, eyes meeting his with an expectant gaze. He gave you his easy smile, “It’s nothing I promise.”

“I don’t believe you for a second, you’re terrible at lying”, you declared, “Oh come on, I thought we trusted each other?” You tried guilt tripping him into telling you, but he was surprisingly stubborn.

“Do we now?”

“You wound me”, you muttered dryly, “Alright I won’t press you for answers.”

“Thank you for this kindness, oh Lady Y/n”, he said, making a show of pretending to curtsy, which was comical since he was sitting. You couldn’t help the amused smile that made its way to your face at that.

You stood up, placing your book on one of the side tables, brushing down your pants, “We need to be at the deck in five minutes, so I suppose we should make a move.”

He followed suit as the two of you made your way up to the deck. The dinner was out there tonight, so it was bound to be a little bit more casual than the usual dinners in the dining room. This also meant that you didn’t need to sit with the Qian family, which was a mix of relief and disappointment. You liked Kun and his siblings, but at the same time…

Yeah.

The night was a little chilly, so you had pulled on a sweater, finding a table and taking a seat, watching as Kun walked over to his own family, looking stiff. You took the menu from Winter, eyes scanning over the food.

“Ahem.”

You looked up from the menu, only to be met with Akira’s disapproving gaze. “Y/n”, he greeted, “How are you feeling today?”

You swallowed your contempt, forcing a tight pained smile, “Very well, thank you Akira.”

“I’m glad, then why don’t you sit with us?”

Your lips twitched as you tried to think of a way to get yourself out of this. “I’m quite fine here, thank you for the offer.”

He smiled widely, leaning down to your eye level, resting his elbow on the table and effectively capturing your attention. “It wasn’t an offer, sweetheart.”

The nickname made your skin crawl, as you reeled back, “Akir-”

“You will sit with us”, he said firmly, “What would your mother say if you refused?”

Your eyes widened as you realized he knew, fingers gripping the menu. He knew how your mother was and fuck, him knowung that scared you even more. Clearing your throat, you pushed all your confidence into your voice, “I’m quite comfortable here Mr. Qian.”

You didn’t use his first name, you used the family name, hoping to settle the argument, to show that you were not moving.

He took the menu from you, “Come along Y/n, its for the be-”

“Let her be.”

Akira turned around, facing his nephew, “Kun”, he said, voice falling into a tone that screamed it was a warning, “I am not talking to you.”

“But I’m talking to you”, Kun narrowed his eyes at Akira, “She wants to sit there, let her sit there. She is not obliged to follow your every instruction.”

Akira sighed, glancing back at you and smiling sickeningly sweet, inclining his head and walking away, going under the deck. You let out a sigh of relief, looking at Kun who looked oddly guilty.

“Thank you”, you said, “I could’ve handled it, though.”

“I know you could’ve”, he acknowledged, “I just felt like stepping in and helping.” His explanation was curt as he pulled out the chair opposite you, “Do you mind if I sit here?”

“Not at all. I suppose you’re wondering why I let you sit and wanted nothing more to do with your uncle?”

“I’m not”, he said, “I know what's happening there. And the position you’re in, better than you do.” A sad smile stretched out on his lips(not that you were observing them or anything), leaving you slightly bewildered. What did he mean by that?

You studied Kun, his attractive features and dark eyes. They looked like they held a secret, one you couldn’t figure out.

“Why did you help me?”, you asked again, meeting his eyes. He held your gaze for a few minutes, before they dropped to your lips for a split second. You held your breath, waiting for his answer, and mildly overwhelmed.

Did he feel the same way you had been feeling lately? Why did the prospect of that make you feel elevated? Fuck, you couldn’t think like that, it would ruin everything-

“I can’t tell”, he muttered, “I just care.”

The truth chases a lie with fervor, no matter how small. Like a lover in the night, chasing its partner with passion even in the darkest times.

You observed yourself in the mirror, studying the black dress you were wearing. It had a gold trim at the edges, and lace at the back, giving it the perfect combination of classy and scandalous.

Winter took a step back, curling iron in hand as she marvelled at her own handiwork, a smile adorning her pretty face, “You look lovely Y/n!”, she praised. You really did look lovely, the picture of what you were always supposed to portray: perfection.

“Thank you Win”, you smiled at her, “why don’t you wear one of my dresses tonight?”

Her eyes lit up in surprise and confusion as she placed the iron down, shaking her head, “Oh I couldn’t Miss, I’m a part of the staff, I will be helping out for the evening.”

“You don’t want to pretend you’re not just for a few minutes? You can change after fifteen minutes and go back to your work”, you enticed her, wanting your friend to have some fun.

She hesitated, “No miss, I could get in trouble.”

“Alright”, you relented, standing up from your seat and turning to the door, “Thank you Winter”

“Your very welcome miss, now go, the Qian family is awaiting you.”

You nodded, walking into the hallways and following the few people who were already going to the dance.People of repute, people who would look at you and incline their heads respectfully, as you did for them. They were from your world, after all, everyone was rich and important.

Standing outside the doors, you took in a deep breath and walked in. The hall had been decorated, changed drastically. The tables had been pushed to the sides, for the seating, and the center was left as the actual dance floor.

You walked over to the tables at the side, greeting a few people you knew. You spotted Winter standing at the sidelines with the staff. On reaching the refreshments table, you took one of the glasses of champagne and brought it to your lips.

Jazz music played as couples took the floor, swaying to it. You watched the Qian family, noting that Akira was looking for someone, probably you. Turning your back towards them, you took another sip of your drink. You looked at the starters that had been placed out for the guests, wondering what your mother would think if you took a plateful and sat alone in a dark corner eating. The picture of her horrified expression was enough to tickle you.

Distracted within your own thoughts, you failed to notice Kun standing next to you, an amused expression on his face as he watched you. To him, you looked absolutely breathtaking in your dress, even more so than usual.

“Y/n”

You jumped slightly at the sudden intrusion of your thoughts, facing the man. He was dressed in a suit, hair done slightly messy, but on purpose. His dark eyes met yours, amused as he smirked, “Hey.”

“Hey”, you breathed out, snapping out of checking him out. He looked extremely attractive tonight, a thought you couldn’t shake off. “Kun.”

He nodded, inclining his head towards the table, “I’m sure the refreshments are extremely interesting but”, a slow grin stretched out on his lips, “Would you like to dance?”

You suppressed your own smile, nodding and taking his hand he had offered you. Kun led you to the dance floor, a little off the centre so you wouldn’t be seen easily. Resting one hand on your waist, the other grasped your own, bringing it up mid air. He took the first step behind with you following him as the two of you danced.

“I’m not great at dancing”, he confessed, “So I have to warn you, I’m running off ballroom dancing class from school when we had our Formal Dance.”

You smirked, “Do you want me to lead or something?”

“Only if you twirl me”

You laughed at this, “Alright, brace yourself.”

He gave you a horrified look, “NO, nevermind, I’ll twirl you instead”, he muttered, retrieving his hand from your waist and raising the other so you could turn gracefully. You didn’t make any attempt to bite your giggled away at this, turning and facing him again, back into your former position.

“That was actually quite fun, wanna try?”

He gave you a look that screamed ‘really?’, shaking his head, “I thought we established that I was fine without twirling.”

“But-”

“No”

“Fine”, you made a show of being upset over it, saying something about he was missing out on his youth and that twirling during ballroom dancing was one of the few fineries of life he would never experience if he didn’t do it right now.

That, for some reason, still didn’t entice him.

Oh well, his loss.

You bantered lightly, as you swayed to the music together. You melted together almost, in the midst of your laughter and smiles. You felt so comfortable with him, but every moment you felt like that seemed like a curse, reminding you he wasn’t what you were there for. Whatever you felt towards Qian Kun was wrong, so wrong.

He led the two of you off to the side, away from the dance floor, still in each other's arms for some reason, even though you had finished dancing. He lifted your hand, twirling you once again just for the effect and grinning.

Once you faced him, you realized how close the two of you were. His hands were on your waist anyways, one of your hands was around his neck. Your other hand was intertwined with his, making the contact seem even more intimate.

The smile melted off your face as his eyes flickered to your lips. It was as if he had read your mind, and you wished he'd do it again. You wished he woul-

He leaned forward hesitantly, and in that dark corner of the dining hall, while the others danced around, while Akira looked for you somewhere, behind the tables and everyone, Qian Kun kissed you.

It was a timid kiss, his lips barely brushed against yours, before he pulled away, blinking at you. You stared back at him, equally as surprised, but not in a bad way. He dropped the hold he had on you, but kept holding your hand, as if he was figuring out what to think.

You grew slightly impatient with this, leaving his grip and cupping his face, bringing him back into a kiss. This one was much less innocent, it didn’t feel like he was exploring something for the first time. It felt real, and it felt right.

“Not here”, he muttered softly against your lips, pulling you along with him, out into the hallways. You followed him, giddy from the kiss, giddy from the fact that you had even kissed him. How did that happen? When had that happened? The incident that had taken place mere seconds ago seemed days old, almost as if it had happened several times before.

You wanted to kiss him again.

Resisting the urge to stop him right there and there, you let him lead you to wherever. He stopped outside a red door, almost rust in colour, hesitating for a moment, before he seemingly decided to fuck it all and opened it, pulling you into the little corridor it opened into.

He kissed you again, once, twice, thrice, until you lost count. Pushed up against the wall, your senses seemed to heighten. The low buzz of the cruise ran through you as your fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer. All the banter, the teasing, the way he would trap you with his words had built up to this.

You wouldn’t have it any other way.

The only way you could describe the kisses was breathtaking. You felt as if you were struggling for air, yet you didn’t want to pull away. Your lungs screamed for air, but you didn’t want to heed. You didn’t want to break the spell he had put you under. You liked the burning feeling, the way his lips felt against yours, the way his body felt against yours. Drowning, you were drowning but fuck, you wanted no one to save you.

You wanted to drown.

He pulled away finally, letting you suck in a breath. 

“This is wrong”, you whispered, and he nodded, agreeing, “Doesn’t mean I don’t want to do it again.”

He took a step away from you, studying your features. You leaned against the wall, letting the silence overtake the two of you. You breathed heavily, making up for the air you had lost, albeit willingly.

Footsteps.

Soft footsteps made their way down the hallways, you could hear it. Kun looked alarmed, glancing at the door, “Wait here.”

You frowned, but nodded as he left, closing the door after him and supposedly speaking to someone in hushed tones, further muffled by the barrier between the two of you. You sighed, looking along the corridor you were in at the moment, walking to the end and opening the other door, lest the person he was speaking to burst in and found themselves in a very awkward situation.

You found yourself in another room, one that was dark. Using your sense of touch, you managed to navigate around it, noting that there were suitcases and boxes. You stumbled into one, wincing slightly as a sharp pain travelled through your shin. Using the box to steady yourself, your eyes were drawn to the little labels on the sides of them.

Squinting, you brushed over the names, trying to make out what they were.

Qian Akira, cocaine.

Reeling back, you blinked. Were those drugs? Looking at a few other boxes, you had forgotten about the pain in your leg as horror filled your senses, reading the names of drug after drug, all with the Qian’s names on it. The man you were being forced to marry was a criminal.

You had been thrown into a trance of some sort, a trance of absolute dread. For some reason you couldn’t look away as you kept reading, realizing that whatever was happening was much more serious than you had thought.

The next box had a few papers on the top of it, kept haphazardly one on top of the other. Letters of some sort, envelopes and receipts. You picked one up, eyes scanning over its content, or whatever you could make out in the darkness.

Dear Akira

                It’s set in stone! He’s gone, thank you so much. I promise you that this time next year you will be with my Y/n and everything will be solved.

Thanking you,

Mrs Osaki

The sight of your mothers handwriting and her name at the end of the letter made you sick. The other letters were much like the first, each one releasing more and more information, letting you piece together its words to form a cohesive thought.

Fuck.

You dropped the letters, breathing going heavy as you heard more footsteps. Someone was entering the room, they were coming inside and they would find you. You weren’t supposed to be here, you could tell by the way you had been written in the letters. 

You should have listened to Kun when he told you to stay where you were-

Kun.

Oh god.

The room seemed to close in on itself, the stacks towering above you. You felt trapped, claustrophobic and disgusted. Disgusted by the fact would ever put you in such a repulsive situation. You ran your fingers over the dust covered boxes, reeling back at the names and information that was on them. Bile rose to your throat as you choked back sobs.

He was responsible for it all, all the misery that had been thrown upon you, the odd requests all made sense. This wasn’t an innocent union, it was an elaborate cover up, and you were the leverage.

Tears sprung to your eyes as you staggered back, leaning on the wall behind you for support. Shouts echoed from the other end of the dark room, and your breath hitched in your throat in fear of being caught.

Shutting your eyes and clamping your hand over your mouth, you counted to ten in your mind, praying that whoever it was wouldn;t find you. The voices resided, the footsteps growing farther and farther. You opened your eyes, only for them to widen in a mixture of relief and fear.

“What are you doing here?”

Fuck.

Kun had made a big mistake, he had led you to the worst possible place he could have taken you in his daze. He had gotten distracted by you, and now he had to deal with the consequences.

If he could fucking find you.

After thwarting Akira’s attention by telling him you had gone on the deck for some fresh air, he returned into the corridor, before realizing it was the one place he wasn’t supposed to take you.

And you were nowhere in sight.

He looked around in alarm, before Akira’s voice called out again, “What are you doing Kun?”

He turned around, “Nothing, just checking, I want something from my suitcase,” he said quickly. His uncle narrowed his eyes at him, “And what is that something?”

“I left my book inside the suitcase, and I’m not interested in the dance so I thought I’d go read.”

“Y/n is not on the deck.”

“Am I supposed to keep tabs on her?”, Kun bit back, “She’s probably back at the hall Akira.”

Akira raised an eyebrow at Kun, “I don’t know what you’re playing at, young man, but I don’t like it”, he said, raising his voice. Kun felt like a little kid again, even if his uncle was just ten years older. Clenching his jaw he stood his ground, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, old man.”

Akira left Kun alone, deciding that he wasn’t worth it. 

Kun walked into the room, looking around for you, praying you weren't there. He walked to his suitcase, and narrowed his eyes, trying to make out the outlines in the room.

He heard something shift, and turned on his heels, squinting. He could just about make out your figure standing in the corner, hand over your mouth, eyes squeezed shut. You trembled slightly as you stood there.

He walked over just as you opened your eyes, to meet his own in horror. You were definitely shaking, lower lip trembling in what looked like fear as you tried backing away from him, even though you were already against the wall.

“What are you doing here?”

He took a step forward, reaching out to hold your hand, eyes shrouded in concern at your state, but you shrinked away. “Don’t.”

“Y/n-”

“No”, your voice was shaky, “Stay away from me.”

Your mind was a mess, thoughts racing. You felt used and exposed, so vulnerable. Everything you knew had been a lie, you had been betrayed. Just a few moments ago you were happy, now everything you knew had been shattered, including your own heart.

“You knew didn’t you”, your voice broke in the middle, “You knew.”

Kun’s fake smile melted off his face as he realized what had happened, taking a step away from you. The tears in your eyes made their way down your face as you sucked in a breath, crouching down with your hands over your ears.

All you wanted to do was block all of it out, block reality out and not think of it, but that was hard when reality was staring back at you with a guilty expression.

Suddenly everything clicked into place, why he had been so nice, why he kept helping you. I was all out of guilt, everything was a fucking lie. Half truths and twisted words, secrets and scandals.

It was sick and twisted and you had fallen into the trap unwillingly, and didn’t know how to get out. 

You rocked yourself slowly, trying to compose yourself amongst the madness. You wanted to scream, to cry and tell Kun that you hated him, that you wanted him to leave and never talk to you again. Maybe that’s what hurt worse, the fact that you were attached. 

You had trusted Kun, you had fallen for him like the idiot you were, only for it all to come back for you, slapping you in the face. You felt so stupid for letting yourself believe anything good would come out of this. You should have listened to your conscience when it told you this was wrong.

But this...this was worse than wrong. This was murder. The betrayal of it all hit you hard, and it took all of your willpower not to fall over and give up.

“It was all fake”, you muttered, “all of it”

“Y/n I-”

“You were pitying me”, you spat, “You knew and yet”, sucking in a breath, you swallowed the lump in your throat, ignoring the heavy feeling in the pit of your stomach, the hole that seemed to have been ripped out from your chest. “You still played me.” 

Kun pressed his lips together in a tight line, regret eating away at him. Of course it wasn’t all for his uncle, but you wouldn’t listen even if he tried. You were much too distraught, too far gone for that. Instead he composed himself, leaning down and resting a hand on your shoulder.

“We need to get out of here.”

The harshness of the statement made it worse. You looked up at his serious face through your hazy eyesight, wanting to push him away, but neither did you want to be alone. He sighed, helping you up to your feet, “We have to go or they’ll find you here and it won’t be pretty.” 

Taking your hand in his, Kun pulled out of the room, raising a hand to his lips, silently telling you to keep quiet. “If you don’t want Akira to find you here, go straight to your room, say you were sick.”

He was pity helping you again.

You nodded, sniffling slightly and pulling yourself together again, rubbing your arms. You hated it, fuck, and that moment you hated your own mother. You hated the fact that you had to depend on the boy who betrayed you. The boy who you kissed, and was willing to forget that it was wrong, until the world crashed down upon you.

Walking with you, he decided to part ways where the two hallways met, repeating his instructions from before, refusing to meet your eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, before walking away in the direction opposite where you were supposed to go.

How had so much gone so wrong so fast?

Locked.

You were locked away in your room, refusing to get out of it. The only person you let in was Winter, who came in with meals and other information. You ignored every one of Akira’s presents, declined your mother’s calls and avoided the rest of the Qian family like the plague.

It was like you had spiralled, down into this hole you couldn’t climb out of. Your father was dead, it wasn’t natural. He had been killed and you were amongst the murderers. Your mother had worked with them.

Your brother was back home, going about his life as usual. The world revolved as it always did, but yours has stopped.The little bubble that you had lived in for most of your sheltered life had finally burst. You had been thrown into real life before you could even say anything about it.

Knock!

“Come in”, you said, watching as Winter entered with a plate and her own phone, “Y/n”, she greeted you, with that same funny formal tone, “It’s your brother”

She handed you her own phone, and you frowned. Why hadn’t Shotaro just called you? Why had he called Winter?

Brushing those thoughts aside, you held the phone to your ears, “Taro?”

“Hey”, he said, “hold for a second, would you?”

You didn’t reply, patiently waiting for him, but instead you were greeted with another voice, a voice you definitely didn;t want to hear.

“Darling.”

Your throat seemed to close up, mouth going dry as you gripped the phone even tighter, looking at Winter in alarm. She looked away, and began setting your things straight on the little table next to your bed.

“Mother.”

“What has happened to you?”, she asked, voice cutting through any thoughts, “I thought you understood the gravity of the situation. I have told you countless times-”

“I understood what you told me before I found out I was a pawn,” your voice was remarkably steady, almost scarily calm as you leaned back, “I don’t care anymore.”

“Y/n”, your mother warned, “I told you, our family name depends of it, even if you don’t how how or why-”

“I do know”, you interrupted her smoothly, “I know that my mother is an amoral bitch and the fact that you killed father, without thinking of the feelings of her children, and went on to throw her daughter into a dangerous position.”

You were met with the static from the other line. Had you finally won? Your mother stayed silent at your sudden outburst.

“How did you find out.” It was a question, but it came out as a statement. That helplessness returned, your level headedness disappearing all of a sudden. How could she be so insensitive? She didn’t care at all.

“Doesn’t matter”, he continued, “Now you know it's imperative you marry Akira, or our secrets will be exposed and the family name will be tainted. This also saves the Qians.”

You fisted your hand, spite coursing through your veins. Fuck, you were so angry, angry at your mother for never doing your job, for expecting you to comply with her twisted plans. You were tired of playing along, you were fed up of being perfect, or at least, fed up of portraying that image.

“I hate Akira”, you said for the first time out loud, making them real. You despised him and everything he was, and the new information you had gathered about him had just made you hate him more. You wished you had never met the Qian family, Akira, or Chenle, or Yuxi, or Kun-

That was a lie. You didn’t regret meeting Kun, you regretted trusting him. You regretted not listening and going into that room. You regretted so much, but you regretted knowing the truth the most.

You wanted to live the lie again. 

“And I don’t care if you get in trouble mother, you deserve it.”

“It’s not just me Y/n”, she said, “It’s the Qian family as well, and it’s you and your brother.”

Shotaro.

“He still doesn’t know?”

“We’ll keep it that way. He’s still in school.”

Pursing your lips, you sighed, “I don’t want this”

It was as if she knew she had hit a weak spot, she could feel your resolve wavering. “Do it for Shotaro, if no one else. He hasn’t met life yet.”

You couldn’t understand how she was so cool about it, how she didn’t seem to care that there was blood on her hands, blood of her husband and no less. You supposed crying and screaming wouldn’t accomplish or change anything. This was your reality, and you just had to accept it.

Clicking off the call, you handed Winter’s phone back to her, burying your head in your hands. Decisions, decisions.

Winter stood there with a pensive look, biting her lower lip, before sitting down next to you, “I’m sorry Y/n, but what is troubling you?” Her soft voice mixed with the concerned look on her face was enough to make you break, leaning into her as tears built up in your eyes. She wrapped an arm around you, keeping you steady and holding you up.

She figured she owed you as much.

“Everyone I know has destroyed me”, you whispered hoarsely, choking back a sob, “They’ve either betrayed me or destroyed me and I’m so tired.”

“Who has done so?” She asked, rubbing your back comfortingly, prompting you to go on without actually asking you. You took in a shaky breath, thinking of everyone that was to blame for your misery.

“My mother”, you spat, “Akira, Kun-”

“Kun?”

Sucking in a breath, you nodded, “Kun. He-he knew. He knew and he still led me on, fuck I feel so stupid”, you laughed at the bitter irony, wiping away your tears, “And the thing is, the fact he did it hurts much more than anything else.”

“And why is that?”, Winter whispered.

“I trusted him”, you said, squeezing your eyes shut as if that would help somehow, “I liked him, I gave him my trust, even when it went past my duty.”

Duty, you were starting to realize, was slowly destroying you and everything you held dear.

Yuxi raised her hand so that the light fell on it, the pretty red nail paint glowing as she inspected it. Her right hand was a little messier than her left, she decided she would fix that later. Her hair was perfectly straightened, not a strand out of place, she looked perfect. Her appearance paired with her pretty airs and manners made her slightly intimidating, a little better than the rest.

Finishing school had been fruitful afterall.

Clicking her tongue, she dropped the act, sitting on her bed, hunched over her phone as she scrolled through her messages, catching up on whatever she was missing back home.

Truth was, she didn’t want to get on this cruise, none of the Qian siblings did. Spending time with their uncle? They hated the few dinners they had to tolerate anyways, but a whole three months? That sounded like torture, a torture they were enduring at the moment.

Akira had insisted, saying it would be a good experience for them now that they were adults, well, except Chenle. The boy was still sixteen, but was very much on their level. Their parents had unfortunately agreed, and so they found themselves where they were.

Kun walked through her door and into her room, pacing around, before taking a seat next to Yuxi and looking at her expectantly.

“What?”

“I fucked up”, he confessed. His sister wondered if he was waiting for her to ask the question just to dump that on her.

“Thank you for that eloquent explanation”, she said, “Mind telling me exactly how you did the fucking up?”

He sighed, running a hair through his hair as he leaned against the headrest and told his sister the whole story, from the arranged marriage (though she knew this), Akira’s plan and what he had done, to the kiss and you finding out. Yuxi listened intently, placing her phone aside as he went on.

Once he reached the end of all the events, Yuxi looked pensive, confused almost. “I’m not sure there’s anything you can do to fix this,” she said truthfully, “It’s royally fucked up and I don;t want to have anything to do with our uncle dear ever again.”

“You’re telling me”, Kun groaned, “I feel terrible, and I didn’t even do anything.”

“You did do something”, his sister said, walking to the little table and picking up her little bottle of nail paint, “You stayed silent.”

Winter burst into the kitchen, walking over to the drink area. She inspected them, figuring out which one was yours, and which one was Kun’s. Producing a small vial of some sort of liquid, she took the two drinks and placed them on the counter opposite, opening up the vial.

Guilt had been eating away at her for weeks now, especially when she realized that there might be more to the story than she thought. She had complied with your mothers orders, but now she didn’t care. 

Heesung walked into the room, “Idiot, what are you doing?”

Winter ignored him, putting a few drops in each glass and mixing them in. Heesung took the vial from her when she kept it down, inspecting it, “What is this?”

“Took it from the luggages”

“You stole? You could get fired!”

“I know that!” She snapped before sighing, “But I stole it from a criminal, so it’s even.”

Heesung raised an eyebrow, lowering his voice, “The Qians?”

Winter nodded, “A drug.”

The boy wondered if he should ask, if it was worth it to do so.  Winter took the glasses and placed them back on the tray, turning back to Heesung, pointing to them. “Kun and Y/n. These two glasses are for them.”

“Right. Why should I listen to you again when you’ve spiked their drinks?”

“Because”, she said, “What you’re holding is an infatuation drug.”

Heesung snorted, “So it’s a love potion? I knew you were a romantic Win, but you do know she’s marrying Mr. Akira right?”

“Not if I can help it”, the girl muttered, “She doesn’t deserve it, and is in love with someone else. And it’s not a love potion, it’s a drug.”

Rolling his eyes, the waiter picked up the tray of drinks, “So it’s a love shot then”, he asked, proud of his pun, “And I suppose you think it’s Mr Akira’s nephew?” Still, he pushed the two glasses a little away from each other so he remembered what he was instructed to do. He still thought it was ridiculous though.

“It is, she told me herself, well not that bluntly, but I know it.”

Heesung pinched the bridge of his nose, “And what if your meddling backfires?”

“Wouldn't change a thing., everything is fucked anyways”, she said, “I just want her to have one thing going right for her.”

Winter took the vial back, stuffing it into the pockets of her uniform and straightening out her apron. The smell of whatever was cooking wafted through the air as she composed herself again, “See you later Heesung, don’t mess up the drinks.”

Winter hoped her meddling would pay off

You walked into the dining hall, head held high as you made eye contact with the Qians. Akira gave you his sickly smile, Yuxi with her worried gaze and Chenle still oblivious. Kun looked confused as he watched you approach the table, taking the seat you usually did, before the entire truth came out.

Sitting down, your eyes flitted to Kun’s before you looked down at your lap, plastering on a fake smile and looking at Akira, greeting him.

“I take it you're better?” He asked this, leaning forward, “You must have been really sick, staying away for so many days. It's been a little over a week?”

You nodded, “Yes, I apologize for my absence.” You realized someone, probably Kun had covered for you. The waiter approached, handing everyone their respective drinks, before bowing and leaving.

You raised the glass to your lips, inspecting the table, eyes meeting Yuxi’s who averted her gaze immediately.

She knew too.

Suppressing a scoff, you decided to address the elephant in the room and announce what decision you had come to. You still weren;t completely happy, but it was better than nothing, and you had stood your ground against your mother, who finally agreed, albeit begrudgingly.

“I revoke our little arrangement Mr. Qian”, you said after clearing your throat. He raised an eyebrow at this, a sliver of panic visible in his eyes, “And why is that?”

“I know”

Those two words had held so much, his eyes widened as he stared at you dumbfounded. That dumbfounded expression morphed into one of misplaced anger. “You are not the one to say that.”

“Yes I am”, you said cooly, “I am the one getting married, well not anymore. My mother has agreed and I want nothing more to do with you.”

He clenched his jaw, visibly trying to control his anger. “A deal is a de-”

“Alright, I’ll tell you why you should agree”, you said with a mocking smile. Somewhere in the back of your mind you began to feel slightly drowsy, but you pushed it away, looking at Kun once more.

You didn’t want to look away.

The two of your eyes locked and it felt like you were falling. You could almost feel his lips on yours, his hands on your wait, the way he kissed you-

You snapped back to reality, looking away. 

“I have a message on the top of my fingers ready to be sent right now”, you said, “To the police about your little dealings and the fact that you killed my father”, the words rolled off your tongue easily, almost as if you were talking about something as mundane as the weather, “And then you’ll be ruined.”

Akira paled, and it was clear who held the ropes over the conversation now. You decided to give him proof, raising your hand that held your phone, finger hovering over a number.

“But this can be avoided! You see, just call off the deal”, you took another sip of whatever the waiter had given you, mind going ever so slightly fuzzy once again. “And I’ll keep silent. No one will ever know.”

He clicked his tongue, “You were my repayment.”

“I know, I was a prop hmm?”, you said, “Not anymore, call this off right now Akira.”

He sighed, as if he knew he had lost. There was no point in fighting anymore. “We’re done”, he said finally, and you smirked in triumph, taking another sip of your drink, “Thank you.”

Winter came around with the food, looking suspiciously at you and Kun, before walking away. You sighed, that feeling of blankness returning. You still had to deal with Kun, of course you did, but you didn’t want to do so now. That would make everything messy, but fuck, for some reason all you could think about was the way he kissed you.

This was bad. You had to stop.

You looked at your food, pushing it away and getting up, sighing, the adrenaline from confronting Akira. Did you expect to win? No, but now that you had, your head swam as you got to your feet, glancing at Winter, nodding your head slightly.

“Goodbye”, you said, “I have no business with you anymore.”

Leaving your dinner and the table, you walked into the hallways and sighed in relief. It felt as if a weight had been lifted off your shoulders and you could finally breathe again. You made your way to your room, before stopping outside a door, freezing in your place.

That door led to the hall where you and Kun had that water balloon fight. You took a step towards it, placing your hand on the knob, but not opening it. You didn’t want to open it, just wanted to reminisce.

“Trying to run away from us? Or me? Because you’re still slow.”

You whipped your head around, meeting Kun’s gaze, “something like that.” Your voice was cautious as if you were walking on nails. As if you weren’t trying to not stare at his lips.

He leaned against the wall, staring at you as if he was trying to crack a code. His mind went fuzzy as well, the drug taking effect as it had for you. But both of you were fighting against it, desperate to win.

When did winning come at the cost of losing everything you loved?

Loved?

You bit your lower lip, averting your gaze. The tension in the room had risen tenfold, the way the two of you tried to navigate the gray area you had fallen into.You wondered why the world couldn’t be simple, black and white. Why couldn’t it be bad and good? Why did it have to be so complicated?

“I’m sorry”, he whispered, just loud enough for you to hear. You snapped back to attention, forcing yourself to get out of your little headspace. Looking up, you met his eyes, and by god, you had never regretted doing anything more than that.

His eyes, they were dark,  voids of nothingness. They didn’t sparkle like they usually did, shining in the light. Instead they were like pools of ink, no light let in. Gone was the smirk you were so used to.

“I know”, you said simply, realizing it was true. You acknowledged the fact that he was sorry.

A bitter chuckle fell from his lips, “I hate myself for not telling you the moment I found out, but everything was so-”

“Messed up?” You finished his sentence, giving him a crooked smile, “Yeah, I get it. It’s all over now though”

“Over”, he repeated, “Right.”

Silence.

“I don’t want it to be over”

You looked at him, a sigh escaping you, “Kun-”

“You’re you, and I don’t want to lose you”, he said bluntly, “You can hate me-I hate myself, but I don't want it to be over.” You began to feel drowsy again, all you wanted to do was walk away and forget the past two months, because now you were attached. Emotionally.

“But I understand if you want nothing to do with us, with me-”

You took a step forward, leaning towards him and pressed your lips to his, mind going completely blank now. You wanted to melt into him, as he kissed you back in surprise, to forget.

You couldn’t do that.

He cupped your face, kissing you again. There it was that feeling, that feeling of drowning. Make it stop, stop, I want to breathe, you thought, before giving up. You liked the breathlessness, even if you tried not to.

Pulling away, you looked at him one last time, before pushing yourself off of him, away from the door that led into the hall, away from him. Kun watched you walk away, down the hallway, before you turned the corner.

And then you were gone.

You leaned against the railing of the deck, watching the water below you. The ripples were somewhat soothing, as you hummed an idle tune.

“Y/n Osaki”, you turned around to face the owner of the voice, Kun himself. He smiled taking position next to you, “Remember when I said I didn’t know who you were?”

You chuckled nodding, “Yeah.”

It had bewildered you at the time, the way he pretended he didn’t know who you were. Now you wished he really didn’t. That seemed so long ago.

It had been a week since the confrontation, a week since the last kiss. The effects of the infatuation drug had long worn off, but what was real was left behind. All the drug had done was amplify it. You didn’t see the Qian family much after it, making a point to avoid them. You didn’t have a reason to see them anyways, you were done.

Yet you still had unfinished business.

The cruise was coming to an end anyways, so what was even the point? Your life would go back to normal like nothing had happened, even though your world had been ripped apart and was holding itself together by threads.

Kun cleared his throat, “We need to talk.”

“We’re talking right now”, you said, avoiding the heavy meaning in his words. 

He sighed, letting it drop for a second before speaking up again, “I didn’t know myself until I asked Akira”, he said, not specifying what exactly he was talking about, but you already knew. “I asked him if you knew who he was and he told me the whole story, and I was….”, he trailed off, searching for the correct word, “horrified.”

“I believe you”, you said softly, “I’ve forgiven you.”

You haven’t forgotten though, you doubt you could ever forget something like this.

Kun didn’t know if that made him feel any better, but he knew he had to get it off his chest. He wondered how he could get you back. You seemed cold again, like the day he met you, closed off and wary of everything. You had a right to be, but he wanted the Y/n he had grown accustomed to, back.

“So”, he said, “Mr. Darcy or Elizabeth Bennet?”

“I thought we agreed on a truce?” You let a smile slip, amused. He grinned, “We did, but I have to know.”

You thought for a second, before inclining your head with a sheepish smile, “I’ll eat my words Qian Kun, Mr. Darcy has grown on me.”

“I’m glad. I won after all”, he said childishly, and you couldn’t help but scoff. “Keep telling yourself that.”

“Why don’t I tell you something? Infact, I’ll say it in the words of Mr. Darcy himself”, he declared, “I found myself in this mess before I could do anything about it Y/n, and I can’t take what has happened. I cannot fix on the hour or the spot, or the look or the words, which laid the foundation. It was too long ago, I was in the middle before I knew it had begun.”

Your eyes softened as you shifted closer to him, meeting his own. Yours sparkled with mild amusement as you slipped your hand through his, “You do know that’s how Mr. Darcy tells Lizzy he loves her, right?”

“Is it?”, his eyes held the same mischievous glint yours did as he raised your held hands, pressing a kiss to your knuckles, “I suppose it’s fitting then.”

And then he kissed you properly, fingers intertwined, wind in your hair. 

Were you happy? Not entirely, not yet. You still had duty, you still had to bear the weight of your family name. You had to live with knowing your mother was responsible for your fathers demise, you had to keep it a secret for Shotaro. You had to be perfect.

No, you weren’t happy, but you were getting there.

fin.

[starrybluez]

For the ask: daffodil, sage, camellia, jasmine, chamomile, aloe vera, nutmeg 💮

Thank you Sophia! 🙂💙

Plant & Herbs Asks 🌿

daffodil ⇢ do you have siblings? if yes, in what ways do you think you’re similar to or different from them?

I have 3 biological siblings, 1 half sibling and 2 sibling in-laws, but I'll just talk about the 3 who I know best! Similarities: Both my sisters have dabbled in art like me. They appreciate art museums and gardens. My brother, not so much, but we both like our 90's music. He has also been obsessed however with playing the same 2 or 3 reggae songs lately, so that's where I go ahead and leave the room. Differences: They're much older than me - my sisters are even from a different generation than my brother and I. All 3 siblings are extroverts. Two of them can have in-depth conversations with strangers. It's safe to say that I'm the introvert of the family.

sage ⇢ what ‘medium’ of art (poetry, music, fiction, paintings, statues etc.) is the most touching to you? why do you think that is?

I suppose music or film brings the most emotion out of me, but I can't say for sure. It could be through photography, painting, poetry, books or any other art form too.

camellia ⇢ what were you like when you were younger? do you think you’ve changed a lot?

Oh wow, well when I read through old diary entries, I can see how silly and dramatic I could be. So I guess I've probably matured in the sense that I react a bit more calmly and rationally toward things. But on the inside...I don't feel like I've changed that much.

jasmine ⇢ do you have a movie or book you loved but will never watch/read again?

Shawshank Redemption was a good movie that would definitely be way too intense for me to sit through again.

chamomile ⇢ what kind of things do you like receiving as gifts?

One of my friends has started helping me organize my apartment. She's got a lot of work ahead of her (see last question) but she says she loves it! More power to her, because I find it extremely overwhelming. Having that help is the best gift ever! Also, dark chocolate and Starbucks/Barnes & Noble gift cards are nice 👌

aloe vera ⇢ what’s something (mundane) you really want to experience in life?

Hmm I'm still working on getting back to that mundane lifestyle I used to have. Getting too many curve balls thrown at me in recent years.

nutmeg ⇢ how’s your room/home decorated? do you have a specific theme or style going on?

I'd say it looks mostly like the Sanford & Son house when they had an earthquake - but even more disorganized and cluttered. I don't have that much on the wall. It's more just on the floor. I've had to have a couple surgeries (mostly minor) in the past few months so that hasn't helped. This is why I've recruited my friends' assistance! Theme? Nope, not at the moment!

*pls don't reblog

[therosebudgirlwriter]

Little Puff Daycare (Chapter 3: Sorry, Not Sorry)

Simon

The next 3 days go by without any other major hiccups. I was right to ask for that meeting though. Rosie refuses to interact with the other kids. She just gets so scared. I decide to not intervene until I have the meeting with Baz, though. I wonder why his parents couldn’t come. It’s a bit weird. His parents don’t seem to pick her up or drop her off either. I also haven’t seen Vera again either. 

I kinda feel sorry for Baz. None of the other kid’s siblings have to come pick them up everyday. Then I remember who I’m talking about, and I feel a little bit less sorry.

One thing I can say is he hasn’t been late to pick her up since. He never waits around though. Which isn’t a bad thing.

Baz

I am not excited for the meeting today. I was up all night, last night panicking. What if he tells me Rosie isn’t where she’s supposed to be for her age? What if he tells me she isn’t allowed back because I’m an asshole? 

What if he figures out that I’m actually Rosie’s dad? Never mind. This is Simon Snow we are talking about. He’s not exactly a genius.

On another note, I told Mordy everything, of course. What is the point of having a younger sister if you can’t tell her everything about your life. She found the whole thing very amusing. Asshole. She thinks I should have just told him. 

Well, she is wrong. I mean what would she know? She’s 17. 

Anyway, it’s a struggle to get Rosie out the door this morning (when isn’t a struggle?) but I am determined to be early. We end up arriving at about 6:50 am. We walk into the kindy, and the receptionist looks surprised. Why do I feel like I’ve seen her before?

“Oh hi Basilton!”

HOW DOES SHE KNOW MY NAME? 

“Judging by the look on your face you don’t remember me. I’m Lucy, Simon’s Mum.” 

Oh. Well I’m an idiot. Of course she is. She looks like a mum. All soft and sweet. 

“Hello.” I say, feeling stupid as all hell. “I’m here for a meeting with Simon.”

“Lovely. He’s just in the classroom if you want to head on through.”

“Thank you.” I say, grabbing on to Rosie’s hand and leading her down the hallway. She was so excited to come early. At least she was excited after I told her that Simon would be there. She hasn’t stopped talking about him. It’s made not thinking about him slightly difficult. 

We arrive at the classroom and I go to knock on the door, but before I can the door gets pulled open.

And there is Simon Snow. In all his glory. How can a person who used to (and probably still does) wash their face with soap, always look so beautiful? It’s annoying.

I never understood his last name. Snow is cold and gloomy and wet. Simon is more like the sun, bright and warm and radiant. If you stare at him for too long you’ll be blinded. 

I’d take the risk.

Crap. I’m staring again.

Simon

Baz looks like he’s analysing me. 

“Um, welcome. I wasn’t expecting you for another 10 minutes.” I say. Way to state the obvious Simon.

“The fact that you were standing behind the door tells me otherwise.” he remarks.

Usually I would snap some unoriginal swear word back, but A: his sister, my student is with him, and B: he didn’t say it with all the venom behind it, like he usually does. 

This meeting might actually be ok.

Baz

We sit down at Simon’s desk after Rosie gave me a tour of the classroom. Simon gave her some colouring to do while we talk.

“Ok, so I just wanted to start by saying that I would love if we could start over? For Rosie. Just to make this easier, I guess.”

“Oh. Ok. Yes, good idea. I would rather we don’t bicker like teenagers in front of Rosie” I reply, slightly startled. It’s not a bad idea. I just never expected it to come from Simon.

“Yeah. And I wanted to apologise. For the coffee. And for school. I wasn’t that nice to you.”

I am speechless. What. Is. Happening.

I guess it’s my turn to apologise then.

“I too would like to apologise. I was a prick to you. At school and at the coffee shop.”

Simon

Mum was right. Apologising and starting over was definitely the right move. Baz has kind of softened. He even said sorry back. If I told my 15 year old self that Basilton Pitch apologised to me, there is no way he would believe me. I barely believe it now.

Baz

Simon looks relieved. He relaxes back into his chair.

“I do have some questions about Rosalind. Nothing serious, don’t worry.” 

Too late for that. 

“I know you have siblings, but I am curious. Has she had many interactions with other kids? I’ve just noticed that she is quite shy, and avoids the other kids. Now, I know this is only her first week, but there are strategies we could put in place to help her branch out.” he says. 

Is this his nice way of telling me I’m a shit parent? Because right now I feel like one.

“She always seemed fine with my siblings and I. She hasn’t really had many opportunities to be with other kids. Busy parents, you know.” I say, trying not to cry/be defensive.

“Right. Well I am sure she will be fine. Maybe we pair her with just one other kid for the beginning, and see how she goes? I might pop her with Georgie. She’s quite sweet. Or maybe Beth. They’re both so lovely.”

Simon

I know I’m rambling. 

I can’t help it. I’m panicking. Apologising was a good idea, but I don’t know how to act now.

Luckily Baz cuts me off.

“I think that would be a good idea. I’m sure she’ll like whoever you pick. Thank you for letting me know. I’ll be sure to pass it all on to Father and Daphne.” 

Baz

He looks relieved that I cut him off. I couldn’t help it. Like I said. He rambles when he’s stressed. Not that it wasn’t horrifically adorable or anything.

I glance down at my watch. 7:15 am. I need to leave if I want to make it to class on time. I can’t believe they rescheduled my classes to the morning today. 

‘Do you have to go? I can watch Rosie till class starts.” Simon asked.

“Would you mind?” 

This apologising thing has been very helpful it seems. I mean he is also her teacher. But still. He doesn’t start work for like 15 minutes.

“It would be no problem.”

I breathe a sigh of relief “Thank you Snow.”

“Simon.” he interjects. 

“Thank you… Simon. I’ll just go say goodbye to Rosie.”

Simon

I wish I had recorded that. He made my name sound so lovely. 

I watch as he goes over and mutters something to Rosie. She’s surprisingly good at letting him leave. Some kids have to be literally DRAGGED away. Not Rosie. She just waves. 

Baz leaves with wave and Rosie bounces over to me.

Today is going to be a good day. 

[mercuryislove]

Hi Lynn! Hope you’re having a good day! I’m ready to learn more about my favorite war criminals 😊

B for Ciaran

D for Andhira

F for Anwei

I for Yixing

R for Vera

I had a good day today! I hope your friday was excellent :3

B. Best: Does your oc have a “best friend?” If so, who, and what makes this relationship special?

Ciaran's best friend is Go-Eun. His honorary little sister. His co-conspirator. His enabler. His master secret-keeper. He's known her since she was twelve. He taught her everything she knows and when she was a younger teen, she absolutely was his shadow. Mimicked him like a crow, followed him around everywhere, wanted to be just like him. (She also did the same with Anwei to some extent lol) And as she got older, it went from some kind of mentorship into just being besties forever. They're thick as thieves and get into all kinds of stupid trouble together because they know they can get away with it. They have an entire language of inside jokes and weird stories about the shit they've done. ALSO she's one of like. three regular degular people that knows what he and Anwei even are, but she totally takes it all in stride lol. UM Ciaran is the one that gave her away at her wedding lmao (and Anwei was the officiant lmao) AND MOST IMPORTANTLY she's one of the only people he knows that's like. shorter than him and it makes him feel better about himself.

--

D. Death: Has anyone your oc loved ever died? If so, how did this impact them? Is there anyone your oc would be willing to die for to save? Explain.

Because she's old as balls, Andhira has watched many loved ones die. There were no living members on her father's side of the family when she was born, but she had aunts and uncles and cousins on her mother's side, and they are all LONG gone. There are other distant relatives still living, but they want nothing to do with each other because of complicated petty bullshit that mostly means that whatever is left of the Maram family blames the Sovereign for letting the rest of them die (which is... only partially true lol). She's also lost many close friends, confidants, and lovers. She has never been known to ally herself with humans, so it's usually her fellow long-lived/immortal types whose deaths she has to grapple with which is what makes it so difficult. Distant family members were tough to come to terms with because it was basically an entire dynasty that got wiped off the map in one fell swoop, but they were never particularly close (Tahire didn't like them much lol) so it wasn't as hard as it could've been. Lovers and friends are the worst, because those are the people she actually like. chose to care for. And they've almost always died at the hands of hunters, which leads to her resenting them even more. She also feels a lot of guilt because like. some of them were only targeted because people want to claim their power. Many hunters will gladly do the dirty work of powerful families in hopes of a seat at the table, and that's what upsets Andhira most. She is furious with the way things are and that they've been allowed to remain that way for so long. How many pointless deaths have to occur for how many centuries before someone realizes that it isn't supposed to be this way?

Would she die for someone? Um. Her immediate family, without a single doubt in her mind. Anyone else? No. haha unless? (What if we were both plagued by terrible visions of the gruesome past which could become the gruesome present fed only by our unchecked guilt and we were both girls?)

--

F. Forgiveness: Has your oc ever been betrayed by someone they trusted? If so, who? Did they forgive this person?

WELL at the risk of getting into EXTREME spoiler territory, Anwei has been betrayed by, among others: GOD (well. one of them anyway), Sihla, Fetiva, Ciaran, and Yixing :) In her defense, Sihla really had a Revolver Ocelot moment and betrayed, um, everyone all at once, so that's not really a surprise I guess, but the others?? Complete blindside (#blindside like in Survivor. Someone played a hidden immunity idol at tribal council and voted her off the island lmao). She does NOT forgive any of them except Yixing because the circumstances were Extremely Complicated, and like. she kind of gets it. She's been there. Not exactly, but like. She can at least sympathize in some way. MAN I can't say anything without spoiling practically EVERYTHING lol. And she wants to forgive Ciaran, because he's her brother and the only person that knows her and understands her and she's known him all one thousand years of her stupid life, and there MUST be a reason that he would betray her like this. After all this time? After all they've been through? But then she sees what he does and what he becomes and realizes that even if she was naive enough to give him a chance at forgiveness, he would just fuck it up and hurt her and everyone around her even worse! So, um, it's complicated lol

--

I. Irritating: What is something your oc finds annoying about another character?

UM lol. Yixing hates that Ciaran wakes up super early. Like basically at dawn. Even when he doesn't have anything to do that day. Even after a night of heavy drinking. Even when they're on a fucking vacation. And he like. enjoys the mornings??? He'll wake up and stretch and write in his gay little journal and go on a walk and have tea or coffee and do whatever other shit morning people do. Meanwhile Yixing will sleep until noon every goddamn day if he can get away with it. He only gets up early because he has to feed his horse. And even then he's likely to just go back to bed when he's done. He's a night owl and Ciaran's an early bird, and some days it really does drive him insane. Especially when it's like 2am and he's wide ass awake and Ciaran is like. passed tf out in bed because he foolishly woke up at 6am of his own free will.

Also, Ciaran eats meat and Yixing is a super strict vegetarian. And he pretends it's fine, it's fine, it's fine, I promise, yes, you can eat fried chicken in front of me, no, no, I don't care, seriously, just shut up and eat the pork belly or whatever, why do you always make it a whole thing? But he hates it. Not only does he think the taste/texture/smell of meat is fucking gross, he has an ethical objection to eating meat. Animals have feelings and are smart, cows and pigs make friends and have fun, and there are enough things on this earth without sentience that we can eat instead. Also he grew up as a real fucking country bumpkin and was around a ton of animals all the time, and because he was a lonely and sad and weird kid, he always loved caring for the livestock that his and the other families nearby owned. BUT his stupid idiot father insisted that it was a young man's rite of passage and an HONOR to slaughter a cow for the summer solstice, and the whole thing disgusted and kind of traumatized him, and he hasn't touched meat since! But then he remembers that there was a great length of time in his past where Ciaran was probably like. eating dirt or whatever because there was literally nothing else to eat, and then he feels guilty because at least he had the luxury of never starving to death over and over and over, right? AND YET, he thinks it's fucking disgusting physically, morally, ethically, spiritually, financially, etc etc etc to eat meat. And yes he does bully Ciaran about it. And no he does not let Ciaran kiss him until he's brushed his teeth.

--

R. Regret: Has your oc ever betrayed someone who trusted them? If so, who? Do they regret it?

Vera is generally a very trustworthy person who doesn't go back on her word, but um. Sometimes business is business. Sometimes you have to do some shady shit to get results. And she has definitely lied to people about her intentions on a job (“no, sir, I am definitely NOT here to earn your good will and wring you dry of information only to send half this town back to hell where they belong. Whatever would give you that impression?”), and she has promised people safety only to, well, kill them. LISTEN, it is a thankless job putting freshly-turned low-born mindless vampire spawn out of their misery. Sometimes you have to be the bad guy and break promises to get the fucking job done. And she does feel guilty and it does weigh on her conscience for a long time, but like. if she didn't show up and tell lies to do her job, things would only get worse. Many more people would get hurt in the long run. As for people she's close with whose trust she's betrayed?? idk that she's ever done that. Even as much as she initially despises Andhira, she still wouldn't betray her—if only because she knows that would mean betraying the Sovereign and nobody gets away with that. Not even his own damn family lol

[loniereads]

cr: Sufficiently Advanced Magic

*spoiler warning*

Chapter 1 - 5

Chapter one

“I was prepared in a thousand different ways that didn’t matter” - Me for every test I’ve ever taken ☺️✨✨

Omg is he gonna go look for his brother 🥺 This book said found family but make it literal - side note, love the name Tristan.

I hope it’s explained as to WHY hundreds of 17 year olds are enduring a judgment to their possible death????

Imagine you’re brother going basically missing, your mom leaving, and then your dad pulling you out of school so you can prepare to possibly ✨die✨

“It could take years to grow strong enough-” 🥺 He’s going to sacrifice years of his life and risk certain death just for a chance to reunite his family is this book gonna make me cry?

I don’t like his name as much as I like his brothers but yanno whatever- how do you even say Corin

I already hate the dad??? Hello? Your first son is gone and your second could follow in his fate and you don’t even see him off?? Fuck you buddy why are book dads such assholes

“I loathed hurting people. I always had.” so i have decided that if anything happens to Corin I will kill everyone in the room and then myself. WHAT A CUTIE SWEET SOUL

If this book forces him to hurt someone I’ll riot-

Oh my gosh he hates fighting but he’s willing to fight for his brother I LOVE HEALTHY BROTHER RELATIONSHIPS they’re so pure

Corin is so nice to try to explain all of this weapon stuff and rune stuff to me like I have any idea wtf he’s talking about- he’s talking and I’m like I’m just happy to be here ☺️

I feel like the fact that he’s paying for everything he takes is important- like maybe other people just take and don’t leave anything? But he’s like here’s a coin for you scary tower~

“It was too cute to die” why do I love Corin so

What a cute ass sweet ass cinnamon roll, my god🥺

HE FELT GUILTY FOR KILLING A SHADOW SNDKDNSK I love him sm what a king

Chapter two

Why does everything he say sound so intelligent

ldmoaha not Corin having a convo with a book

It’s been too long since I read a normal romance book why did my brain just decide to ship Corin and a BOOK

Ok but him taking time to ask about his brother has me so soft

What the flip chapter 2 was so short??? ):

Chapter three

“You shouldn’t have done that” how ominous and amazing and I love it

He so casually was like OH LOOK A DEAD BODY OH LOOKIE PEOPLE

Omg is he gonna find his brother in here- OH MY

OMG HE DID AHHHHH

just... kidding. He did infact not find him.

Oh wait someone younger than him though- so is going into the tower a choice? That would make it a little better. Like you decide when you go in or? I NEED MORE INFO PLS

The word resh is growing on me

He risked his gold key on her 🥺

I love this little merry band of criminals- also just hoping the kid doesn’t yanno....die

omg Keras is out here crushing stones with his bare hands 😏 hellooooo

Wait I’m so conflicted??? I want to trust Keras and Vera but I also want to trust the book alsnsish

Vera is a whole mood I really hope she’s not like evil or just a weird thing in the tower or idk whatever I want her to stay

AWWAIT ☹️☹️☹️ They left Keras behind- that can’t be it. He’s gotta come back right? Like book person is gonna save him? Right!!??

Chapter four

VERA SUCH A BADDDDIE

This ‘kid’ they’re carrying is just making out like a bandit, he’s just getting carried through the tower 😂

WOW FUCK YOU VERA??? UH I HOPE SOMETHING KILLS HER-but not rhe kid 😔

Okay this might be a weird jump- but WHAT IF THE BOOK ENTITY ISSSSS HIS BROTHER??????????? Like the book person seems to really care if Corin lives? so it’s either just like a really caring person, OR HIS BROTHER

Pls let me be right

That would be so cool

The book entity helped him to finish the rest completely? Is this allowed? This feels not allowed

Corin: fighting monsters with criminals in a magical tower, very time sensitive needs to escape quickly

Also Corin: lemme just wrote a little diary entry ✨☺️

So obviously he’s going to get to keep his memories

Also like he got out of the tower so easily? What?

“And don’t let anyone hassle you about your attunement.” HOW VERY OMONIOUS OF YOU TO SAY

Honestly- Fuck Magnus Cadence

REPLACEMENT? What?

His childhood bestfriend is his half sister? I love that???? Instead of making them love interests they’re half siblings that’s cool as hell. We love childhood friends to siblings trope

I will reiterate, FUCK MAGNUS CADENCE

I hope we get to see their friendship bc I’m here for this trope

Chapter five

🥺 he sent the boys glove to his parents I’m so soft

Their relationship makes me so happy?? Like I love this. So they better reunite or I’ll riot

BROTHERLY RELATIONSHIPS ARE THE BESTTT

I miss Keras 🥺

I am so unsure of Sera. I do love the sudden sibling, and I really really hope they end up having a cool relationship and like she helps him find his(their) brother and hdjsjdjs

If anyone gives Corin a hard time for his attunement I’ll throw hands-

Not them earning points at their schools- All I can think about how is “10 points to gryffindor”

I love the word behooves

Can they go back into the tower already 💀 This down time is killing me. I want book entity, Keras and that boy who was unconscious the entire time back.

-side note, I absolutely love how all three of them(Keras, Corin, and Vera) were all so concerned with this unconscious boy and they literally carried him to complete safety. Who is this boy?? Will he come back? I miss him he better not be be dead. Vera can die but not unconscious boy.

I don’t know if I’m supposed to like Sera... but she’s giving me “I’m better than you because I have a better attunement” vibes and I do not like that at all so if Icneed to I will pretend to doesn’t exist.

Aw the schools has like animal representatives decisions?? CUTE UM. - there’s way too many for my brain to keep up with but I love them anyway

Not them assigning kids to basically play pranks on everyone else and tell them if they don’t find the prankster kids they lose points- what a weird ass school

“You and Patrick were practically brothers” GIRL YOU CANT SAY THINGS LIKE THAT TO SOMEONE WHO HAS AN ACTUAL BROTHER WHO IS MISSING AND/OR DEAD

-Also I know Tristen isn’t dead because like then what would be the point huh? HUH? So he’s got to be alive

Or I’ll riot.

“A walking rainstorm” idk why but that is so fucking adorable. I love my new comfort raintorm, Corin.

I can’t wait for them(Corin and Sera) to meet up with their friends and they have to explain that they’re now half siblings.

Them reminding him to not lose his little sigil pin makes me feel like he’s going to lose or forget it ummmm

Imagine getting fucking EXPELLED because you forgot your pin on your other uniform.

I feel like that would be me honestly. Are people not just...forgetful in this universe??

Ngl i would hate to be in the tortoise division

Corins attunement is lamer but his division is called the Phoenix? Like that’s so much cooler than tortoise

The fact that sera is trying to convince me the Spider division isn’t real makes me feel like she’s in it???

I know my babey Corin didn’t mean this as snarky as I would have liked him to but I love this line so much.

SARCASTIC BOYS WITH DADDY ISSUES OWN ME AND IM NOT ASHAMED TO ADMIT IT

Ngl I was hoping they would have roommates- I love a good school roommate dynamic

For the third time I would like to make my opinion to be known; FUCK MAGNUS CADENCE

Why has no one made a playlist for this book on Spotify? I am throughly disappointed

Not Corin being ghosted by his book-

I wish I had half the motivation Corin has? Like it’s my boys first day of school and as soon as he gets into his room he starts studying. I would have taken a nap

Oop jk as soon as he couldn’t find the rune he was looking for he went to lay in bed.

I’m sorry what in the hell is Wyddsday??? Did I miss them explaining to hat this universe has different names for it’s days of the week?? How am I supposed to know when this is Corin? Or what day it even is currently

World building is so intricate and interesting and I absolutely live for it- but it’s literally so frustrating sometimes learning and remembering everything

Okay Sera being less irritated about her studies being interrupted because it’s Corin is cute

Fuck

I still don’t know if I’m supposed to like Sera

Tashday, Fersday, Kyrsday, Tensday, Vasday, and Wyddsday- either I can’t count or they’re missing a day. And what order do they go in? I need a calendar insert pls and thanks

Wait wait did he just run into an ex? What is this sndlsnsin “long-buried emotions”??

Oooo we get a name. Cecily Lambert

I didn’t possibly think I could relate to Corin anymore than I already do but here I am

The dorm chiefs introduce themselves to everyone? How cute and Curtis didn’t seem at all annoyed by Corin asking so many questions I love when upperclassman in books aren’t rude for no reason. It’s such a tiring trait they often have smh

I need his exams to hurry up because I would very much like to get back to the fast paced tower scenes-

I know absolutely nothing about Jin but I love him immensely

[ecrirereadver]

Okay but what if Alyssa revived or survives to season 3 and kills Randall?

Stick with me here.

I saw this post about Alyssa becoming an antagonist based on the quote: the way to hell is paved with good intention.

(If someone knows who posted that tell me so I can credit where credit is due)

So Alyssa wants to save the world, she believes in Praxis, and she needs people to get behind that. She’s not afraid to go a little too far, she thinks sometimes to do good one must make hard choices right?

At least that’s what Salvador taught her.

So maybe the Knights are working with the other organizations, maybe Randall gets taken prisoner on a raid, and maybe the knife that can wound them was in the vault and Alyssa has kept it close.

So she calls The Order and the Prometheans (because why not), she tells them, let’s parlay if you want your wolf back and maybe she texts Hamish just in case Vera swipes it under the rug.

(Vera wouldn’t do that, every single one of her disciple matter to her. They are hers. Her annoying, stupid, murderous, disobeying, insubordinate wards and if you put a hand on them hell will befall. Especially the Wolves. But Alyssa doesn’t know that Alyssa thinks Vera doesn’t care about anybody because she didn’t about her and she didn’t did she? She was lured by the Vade Maecum.)

So Parley happens and the ribbons happen and now Vera and Xavier are bonded with Alyssa and another Praxis member. Alyssa lays down the terms and tells them if they meet it they get Randall back alive. Negotiations start.

Meanwhile, the wolves are outside. They’ve been told to be on a leash and Hamish only brought Jack with him because he can’t be sure Gabrielle and Lilith will not say fuck it and just kill Alyssa and they need to know where Randall is. Hamish wants to kill Alyssa and maybe Jack will temper him even if Jack trashed his room when he found out while screaming.

Nicole is at the Den looking into location spells while the girls are trying to not kill anyone (maybe running, maybe punching something. The point is they are not at the house when it happens) Nicole is in the Reliquary and the door to the Chest Room is open because… just because. And a chest slams shut. And Nicole doesn’t scream but she runs into the room and stairs and pray, because maybe it just was the wind, maybe maybe. But when she opens it there it is. A hide. A hide.

And then she screams. And she screams and she kicks the chest and screams

“NO! NO! NO! NOT HIM! YOU FURRIE SHIT! GO BACK! GO BACK!” She screams before falling to the ground.

Randall was her friend, Randall was the reason she didn’t completely fall apart when Lilith was in Hell, Randall who didn’t look at her like she had betrayed them when she told the Order they had stolen from the Order. Randall who always has a smile. Had. Randall always had a smile.

Taking out her phone Nicole texts her alpha, because maybe maybe Alyssa isn’t the only one who thinks Vera doesn’t care about her disciples.

Looking up the practitioner can see her girlfriend and Gabrielle at the door. Midnight’s champion is on her knees tears running down and Lilith has her hand on her mouth. Nicole crosses the room and has her arms around her before she knows what she’s doing. The two of them fall to their knees and cry. And suddenly there is a head leaning on their shoulders and Gabrielle’s arms are around them both. Together they cry, together they mourn.

Later Gabrielle will let Midnight out, later she will listen to her wolf, later she will howl and hunt down Praxis members beside her pack, later she will late Midnight’s pragmatism take the wheel, later she will let her wolf comfort her by promising her blood and revenge, later Gabrielle will be Gabrielle Fucking Dupres who is willing to torture and kill, later she will let her anger consume her. Later Midnight will hunt down the people who dared think they could get away with killing a member of their pack. Later Midnight will roam free.

Later Lilith will let her anger out, later Lilith will do what she does best a bash heads and rip out hearts, later Lilith will use her teeth and claws and kill, later Lilith will let her wolf out so that Timber can hunt, maybe she’ll do it alone, maybe she’ll hunt for Alyssa alone. Because she knows who is responsible for this, she knows Alyssa, knows her deep in the bone, knows exactly what she is capable of, knows what the girl she once called a sister can do to get what she wants. Later she might even let the guilt consume her because Alyssa Drake would not have made it more than a month into the Order without Lilith Bathory and isn’t that fucking ironic, because without Alyssa Drake Randall would be alive.

Hamish knows before he receives the texts. He doesn’t want to know, but he knows, deep inside, with Tundra, something deep where he knows when his packmate is hurt, he knows where they are and how they feel. He knows but he doesn’t want to believe. So he waits and he waits (and isn’t what he always does.) And then feels his phone vibrate. He doesn’t want to look. He wants to bury his head in the sand and forget. He wants to never have to lose anyone ever again, he wants to stop losing people.

But then he looks up and there is Jack. Looking at him. Looking at him questioningly, looking at him with innocence in his face, because no matter what Jack can’t believe Alyssa will hurt Randall. She might use him as a bargaining chip, but she will never seriously hurt him.

And Hamish decides he needs to stop putting his head in the sand and wish to forget so he looks.

He takes his phone out of his pocket and looks.

Greybeard came home

Anger and desperation are the first to come, but Hamish is Tundra, and Tundra has never been lead by his emotion, Tundra needs to be smarter. So the eldest Knight (it should be him, it should be him, IT SHOULD BE HIM-) turns around and opens the doors with a flick of his finger and walks into the chamber.

He walks with purpose head heald high, no tears in his eyes, murder on his face.

Everyone turns to look at him and maybe some of them don’t realize that this face is different from his usual but the important people do. Vera and Alyssa.

Vera waits, waits for her wolf to put the phone on the table, waits to see the message in front of her, to have proof, because she can’t just act, she needs proof. And then she has it.

Vera Stone stares at the message in front of her, stares, and doesn’t let the tears come.

Looking up, she stands up and disappears the items on the table. “Negotiations over Miss Drake.” She says, “Greybeard come home.”

Somebody chokes behind her.

“He escaped?” Xavier asks, looking from werewolf to Grand Magus and their enemy.

“No,” Jack whispers.

And then Xavier doesn’t need to ask anything else, because if there is something he has come to understand lately it is loss and he sees it on the face of does around him. Turning around and walking out he stops near the eldest werewolf. “Anything you might need.”

Vera looks ahead. At her student, at someone, she protected and cared for, at someone she taught what she knew. (What if she killed him with a spell you taught her? You could see her ambitions, you should have predicted this, you should have seen this, this is your fault-)

“Hamish-” Alyssa shocks out.

“Where is he?” The alpha interrupts her taking a step forward.

“We have the ribbons!” The Praxis Practitioner yelps out. Brandishing the ribbons like they are a shield in front of him.

Jack growls, claws out, teeth sharp, eyes glowing.

Alyssa turns toward her companion, grabs the ribbon, throws them in the air, cuts her hand, and speaks an incantation.

And then Praxis is gone. Instead in their place is a ripped piece of paper with an address and the ribbons.

—————————————————————————

Hamish jumps the steps into the abandoned warehouse. Not even five minutes from the Den (So close, he was so close.) Jack beats him, wrenching the door off.

There he is.

Eyes open, staring ahead at something they can’t see. Chair tipped over, chains holding him to the arms and feet of it. Blood pooling around him.

Somebody is screaming and it’s not him.

Jack is on his knees, tearing the chains off and dragging his packmate into his arms and he screams. Face in the curly hair that tickled his face this morning. (This morning he was alive, this morning everything was fine and Randall stole his breakfast and Jack was supposed to get back at him for that, this morning-)

Jack said he was done with revenge, said he left that with Midnight. Silverback is humanity, Silverback is acting and not thinking, Silverback is emotions and feelings and fuck the consequence. Jack said he was done with revenge, but… but… for the first time in his life, he understands Pete. He thought he knew hate, for Edward, for taking his mother. But he was always on the fence about that, wasn’t he? He hated Edward but maybe he didn’t have to dedicate his life to killing him. But now? Now his chest is filling with anger, with hate, with desperation, with pain. Fury is filling him.

He trusted Alyssa, he loved her, he defended her, he saved her and she… she…

Silverback is humanity, but humanity isn’t just being good, humanity is war and murder and revenge and blood and killing and anger and hate. Humanity is horrible too and Silverback feels it.

Hamish is on the floor beside Jack in seconds, slowly he takes the younger wolf in his arms. The cold body slides to the floor and Jack whimpers, staring at his friend (more more, brother, packmate, family, a part of him).

Hamish turns the brunet’s face toward him. Buries him in his scent and maybe that way he can forget the smell of death. Jack closes his eyes and grips Hamish’s shirt and cries.

While the younger man (teenager, child, not old enough, none of them are) cries, Hamish stares, he stares at Randall, at his open eyes and the blood cacking his hair and his pale face and Hamish stares. He is going to imprint this image inside his mind, so that every time he closes his eyes he sees it, every time he tries to rest, every time he wavers, every time he hesitate, every time he takes a minute to think; he will see it. Because apparently, Cassie wasn’t enough, he didn’t understand, he made the same mistake again (YOU’RE FAULT, YOU’RE FAULT-). He stares and makes sure his eyes are dry.

Tundra is the cunning one and maybe that makes him slow, maybe that makes him less likely to take immediate action, but that also makes him the one who doesn’t forget. For the rest of his life he will remember this moment, Randall’s body on the floor dead because he wasn’t ready, he didn’t act like the werewolf he is. (Midnight’s voice in his head, telling him to act, to be a werewolf and he didn’t learn did he?)

Hamish turns his face down, still able to see the body, but enough to smell Jack’s scent (pack, pack, pack, mine, mine, mine, protect, protect-)

Later Hamish will let his monster out, later Hamish will hunt down every Praxis member, later Hamish will kill them all (pull them apart, hear their scream, eat their heart) and take back what is theirs, later Hamish will take away anything Alyssa Drake has left, all she cares for, later Hamish will go back to the Den and fall asleep with his pack in his bed (protect, protect, protect-) and feel the missing piece, later Hamish will make the drinks and toast to the fallen and drink water instead of alcohol, later Tundra will help Hamish plan how to destroy and rip, and tear and demolish and ruin and smash. Later.

Later Jack will destroy his room and ruin every single thing Alyssa Drake has ever touch, later Jack will let Silverback out to kill, later Jack will fall asleep with his pack wishing for a sixth body in the bed, later Jack will learn every horrible murder and painful incantation there is, later he will hunt, later he will toast, later will go to his pops’ grave and say “I understand,”, later Silverback will be free like he hasn’t been in fifty years. Later

(And in case anybody cares, in case the good intention that paved the way matters: this is what happened:

Alyssa Drake took her friend prisoner and stabbed him where she thought he wouldn’t die from it and she left him to be guarded and told him not to worry because he would be home soon. She ignored his words and pleading and left.

Randall Carpio was taken prisoner by someone who was once his friend and stabbed in a place he knew was lethal, especially with that knife, and he pleaded with his once friend because he knew his pack would hunt her down and kill her and tear her to pieces. He pleaded for her life (and maybe a bit for his own because he wanted to live) because Randall Carpio has always cared more about other people than himself. He tried to free himself and tipped his chair over. Randall Carpio died staring at a door that didn’t open because a woman that was once his friend thought she was doing good.

Later, but before the Knights stop mourning, Alyssa Drake will stare at the knife that took the life of her friend and think “I am trying to do good, I am trying to save the world, I am trying to save lives, I didn’t mean too.”

She will think “Randall would understand.” And continue.

But do you really care for the good intention? Rarely. Especially when it is us that suffer the evils used to create wannabe utopia. And neither do the pack, neither do Hamish, Lilith, Vera, Jack, Gabrielle, Nicole. They don’t care. At the end of the day the paving doesn’t matter.)

[ddarker-dreams]

In SR's canon ending, do you suppose that maybe one of Giorno and reader's kids are born with black hair because Giorno's hair is naturally black?

My knowledge of genetics is just lackluster so I apologize if I get anything wrong!! But yes, I was imagining Giorno and Reader’s daughter to take after his features more (black hair, until awakening her stand at some point? I think that’s how Giorno’s hair turned...). For the younger son, I imagined him taking after Reader’s hair color. Although it’d be kinda cute if his hair turned blonde too when awakening his stand. 

I STILL NEED TO THINK OF NAMES.. FOR THE KIDS... for the elder girl I’m kinda leaning towards Serafina, Sofia, Vera, Isabella, and Rosalia. For the younger son... Luca and Marcelo stick out the most for me. As you can probably tell I love a lot more girl names because they sound so pretty 🥺. One day I’ll decide upon their canon names! For the time being, a general idea of their personality is all I’ve got. 

I picture the daughter being about four years older than her brother! Having more of a dignified, curious, and quiet personality. The idea of Giorno’s first kid having a more reserved nature like he had felt interesting so I wanted to go with that. Unlike his childhood though, she’d receive lots of support from her parents and be able to flourish in her own way. She’s more of a bookworm than he is though. Enjoying time consuming tasks such as sodoku and calligraphy (when she’s a bit older, obviously). Probably an ISTP.  

For the son, for the younger years of his life, he’d look up to his big sister for guidance. Younger siblings tend to idolize and try and imitate what they see, so for a while he’d do that... but branch off and develop in his own way. He takes more after his mother, having a lackadaisical approach to life as he gets older. He’d get the trademark Brando charisma at a certain point, but is just more concerned with goofing off... gives me some sort of theater kid vibes. He’d end up an ENFJ.

We’ll figure out the names eventually 😭...

[faerune]

all of storytime & basics for vera 🧡🦾

Age, Birthday, Star Sign 27! She was born July 29th, 2050 and that makes her a Leo!

Gender Identity Cis lady!

Orientation and Relationship status Bisexual and as of a ~month or so post-game taken by Thotty Silverhand

Race and Ethnicity Mexican and russian (only about a quarter because her dad was mixed too)!

Height and Body type 5′10 and as Ms. Stallion puts it curvy, wavy, big titties, lil' waist 😌 

Headcanon VA I love Eiza’s voice but I also love canon f!V so I’d say a mix between the two would be perfect.

Occupation Mercenary and solo for a majority of her life! As of post-game she’s a nomad part of the Aldecaldo clan and is a gunslinger for them.

Weapon of Choice Pistols! She loves a pretty pistol. But pretty much any kind of nice gun she digs but she finds pistols to be her Thing.

Hometown and current residence Heywood, Watson, Night City babey! Currently living on the road!

Do they have any markings, piercings or scars? Yes! She has a bunch of piercings on her ears but none anywhere else, lots of scars on her body from various fuckery gone wrong and a ton of tattoos. Most notable tattoos are her mother’s date of death, a really pretty brightly colored tiger, twin pistols on her hips, Johnny’s dumbass tattoo, and a quote from For Whom The Bell Tolls for Jackie.

Do they have any notable features, like horns, tails, or so on? Haha no. Other than that, she dyes her hair pretty often (pink, blonde, etc) and of course she’s got pretty glowy orange eyes when she’s messing around with her holo.

Own any pets? Nah. I can’t see her adopting the canon cat either just because like...she’s going to die so soon and leave that poor thing unattended. I can see her giving it to Judy lmao.

Have any kids? NO. And I refuse to let myself rationalize her having babies I will not succumb to my baby fever.

Can they cook? Can they bake? Lmao no. Vera is comically bad at both. There’s a reason why she lives on street food and fast food.

Can they sing? Can they dance? Vera isn’t a bad singer but it usually only happens when she’s alone or when she’s very drunk and singing with others. She loves to dance and is good at it. She’s a club rat at heart.

Can they drive? Yes, very well to the point where she’s hopping onto sidewalks and squeezing through cars during traffic. Luckily, Night City c*ps have more than enough on their hands so she rarely has gotten trouble. She prefers bikes to cars especially since the traffic in the city can be so bad. And she loves the wind in her hair.

Can they fight? Yes! She prefers ranged but her father taught her hand to hand when she was younger and she sometimes sparred with Jackie (not with Vik he’s too much for her lmao). Vera doesn’t have much constitution so she can’t last very long esp against bigger opponents but she relies on being fast and taking people by surprise.

Have any special keepsakes? Other than the bullet necklace that she chucks the minute she leaves night city...not that I can think of. Johnny’s gun possibly. I’m thinking he might let her just keep it.

What’s their family like? Who’s in it? What’s their relationship with them? Complicated and dead. Vera was an only child. Her father was a Russian gunrunner when Heywood was a mix of the Valentinos and Russian mob warring over the streets. She had a complex relationship with him.  He was who she predominantly lived with due to her mother’s problems with addiction and owed debts. Vera was his pride and joy but he also emotionally and physically abused her in the name of making her strong enough to survive Night City. He taught her how to shoot, how to fight to not trust corpos and c*ps, how to work the streets, etc. Hitting and abuse was a common punishment for her doing things she shouldn’t...even just being a kid. Vera never really knew what she was going to get with him - praise or a fist. She wanted his approval so, so badly. Growing up in Night City isn’t exactly a walk in the park and she was exposed to a lot of awful things too young and her father was one of those reasons why. He was the one who encouraged her to shoot her first person.

Her mother was a joytoy and not on good terms with her father. She struggled a lot with mental illness namely addiction. Vera would live with her/have visitation with her every so often but it was always back and forth when her mother would relapse. One of her most prominently emotional memories Johnny sees when they merge is when she visited her mother once after an overdose. 

Her mother loved her very much. Adored her. Vera realizes after a lot of misdirected anger and resentment of her mother that she was a victim. It’s why she has so much stake in Evelyn’s rescue.

Are they literate? Did they go to school? How long? What level? Vera is literate! She’s not exactly about to read Shakespeare but she gets by! She did go to school and just barely graduated highschool. After that, nothing else. School of hardknocks was the name of the game in the Volakov household.

What was childhood like? Unstable is the best way I can describe it. Even with all the violence and awfulness in her life she did have good moments. Worked on cars with her friends after school when they hung out at the mechanics shop. Broke windows and snuck into abandoned buildings. Bought the cheapest chili dogs from the street and sat on the curb shooting the shit with her friends. Padre was a pretty big influence on her too - him knowing her mother through distant relation. Her mother often took her to church when Vera was with her and Vera always looked forward to talking to Padre and the other attendees. 

What was adolescence like? Lmao also unstable and wild. Vera was a rebellious kid and hid it well from her father (seemed like he taught her too well). Drank and picked up smoking but specifically stayed away from hard drugs. Dated and broke up and got very bad at relationships. Prioritized school a lot less. Started participating in street racing!

What’s their current main conflict / what do they do to tackle this conflict / how have they changed over time? (I just smooshed these together) Throughout 2077, I’d say that Vera is faced with the breakdown of a lot of her idealism. She’s slowly coming to terms with the fact that Night City isn’t how it is supposed to be. Johnny confuses her some. Vera hates corps and c*ps but it has always been an avoid and fuck over instead of change type of attitude. Growing up in Night City she just has always accepted how it is.

She also learns to value her life and impact on the people around her. Vera so wants to be a big name, a drink at Afterlife, a legend. But then she meets all these people who she looked up to and sees how much they have suffered because of Night City and that drive to fame. Johnny died for his cause and his legacy and all that he was left with was the permanent damage he had done to the people who cared for him and an unmarked grave.

Vera grows less idealistic, more paranoid and realistic. She grows tired. She questions if what she has been fighting for in this awful city is really worth it. Night City has consumed so many people - Jackie, Johnny, Alt, her mother, Evelyn...

Judy leaving Night City and telling her that she’s never felt more free, River’s sister commenting that since River left the force he has never been happier....they all impact her and make her think.

Finally, it hits her that being important to the people she cares about and even having an impact on those around her is enough of a legacy for her. She finally breaks free of how cancerous and black night city is and values her life and a chance at a fresh start.

And fucking leaves!!! Cherishes her new found family and her relationship with Johnny. They grow together and piece together who they think they are out of their bullshit personas they both crafted to protect themselves in Night City.

[browneyedmissy]

JV Childhood: Part I

Summary: Jackie wished they would all just stop staring.

Author's Note: So this is the first part in my mini anthology for Open Heart. I've been saying a lot that we need to be telling the stories all the characters who are BIPOC because there is so much depth to those stories to explore. This first part of Jackie's childhood and part two is her adolescent years, up through high school.

Day Two of @choicescocappreciationweek!

Thanks goes out to @somewillwin. I asked her some of her headcanons for Jackie and I used it to help me write!

Her first experience of true hate was when she was nine.

She remembered her parents whispering in the living room, her mother’s voice trembling as Jackie sat in the living room with her siblings, partly distracted by the cartoons on the TV.

She hadn't really understood why her mother was so stressed out at the time. Her teachers had the same nervous energy and when she went down to their family store, all of the customers were walking with their head down. Even their employee Tom's smile did not quite meet his eyes and he kept glancing at the TV which had been playing the news.

“Jaikalina, Avi.”

She looked up from the table where she was finishing her homework to see her mother with her purse in her hand.

“I'm going to lock the door and go to the store. You're not allowed to open it for anyone, alright? Avi, you're in charge. Dev and Anika are both asleep."

“Isn’t Tom working?”

“He quit, Jaikalina.” She pursed her lips at her daughter, finding the right words in her head. “It’s… complicated but he’s scared. And I don’t blame him.”

“What happened?”

“I’ll explain later, beta.” Her mother pressed a kiss to her forehead before shrugging on her coat. “I’ll be back.”

Avi watched their mother go with a scowl on his face.

"Tom quit because he doesn't want to be associated with us. Don't let her sugarcoat it for you." He said cooly to Jackie. She turned to him in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

He looked at his little sister with a look of annoyance and a little bit of fear?

"It means that life is going to be different for us, behan. You'll see it soon enough." He went to his room and slammed the door behind him without another word.

-

Jackie was sitting on the couch when her mother finally got home. Avi hadn't come down the rest of the night and after finishing her homework Jackie had turned on TV to distract herself.

“You’re still awake, beta.” She said in surprise.

“Yes. And you told me you would explain later. It’s later now.”

In the dim light, Jackie could see the exhaustion in her mother’s still beautiful face. She gave her a sad smile before gesturing to the dining table. Jackie hopped down and sat across her mother who was focused on a spot on the table.

“You’ve always been straight to the point.” Her mother said sadly. “And I suppose you’re old enough to hear this and I want you to hear it from me before anyone else. Tom was scared because of the things that have been happening to our neighbors and people like us. Do you remember when the airplanes crashed? Well, the men who did it were of Islam and they didn’t like a lot of what America was doing.”

She thought about the moment she saw the planes hit the towers. “But those people are all innocent. And we didn’t do anything. The people who did that are not even our people.”

"But we look enough like them."

She frowned, remembering how her friend Vera had missed a few days of school.

"They hate us because of how we look." Her mother sighed. "We look like the enemy to them."

"That's not fair."

Her mother gave her a weary smile. "No, it's not. But our safety is most important, Jaikalina. I need you to go by your American names for now."

Jackie frowned.

"For how long, maan?"

Her mother didn't answer.

-

She remembered leaving the town about a year later. Despite having better prices and better variety than a lot of the other convenience stores, there had been less and less people coming in. It was mostly her parents' friends stopping by at one point but when it was declared that the country had gone to war, they were afraid too.

Avi had found himself getting trouble with the school. She couldn't understand why he had been so angry since that night but their parents had agreed that they needed new scenery.

So she found herself in a new place, right after the new year. Her father had found accounting work until they could afford to rent a storefront and her mother was working a secretarial job for a local nonprofit.

She felt the eyes of her classmates on her and she nervously tugged at her skirt in her new 5th grade classroom. Her mother had insisted that she dress proper for her first day of her new school and she felt like one of those kids at a snobby rich private school.

"This is Jaikalina-"

"I go by Jackie, actually." She corrected her teacher, remembering what her mother had said. Her classmates stared at her and one of them raised her hand.

"Where are you from?"

"We- we moved here from New Jersey-"

"No, but where are you actually from?"

She stared at the girl for a moment, unsure how to answer that question. Their teacher gave the girl a look and she put her hand down.

"We don't ask people questions like that, Hannah."

"Yes, teacher." Hannah said with a sacharrine smile. "I'm sorry for being rude, Jackie."

Jackie suddenly realized why her brother got into fights. She stood there frozen for a moment, before her teacher directed her to her seat and she stared blankly at the chalkboard.

She got her lunch from her backpack after morning classes and followed the rest of her classmates to the lunch tables. Jackie sat down at a table and pulled out leftovers from the night before.

"I don't want to sit next to her." Hannah, the girl from before said in a loud voice. "Her food smells and my parents say that people who look like her are terrorists."

Terrorist.

She had heard that word coming from the TV, describing the men who had flown the planes into the towers. She stared at the girl who had used the word and was shocked to see the amount of hate in her eyes.

She simultaneously wanted to cry and scream as the eyes of her classmates turned to them. There were pitying looks in some of their faces but none of them seemed to be willing to say anything. She turned back to Hannah who had a confident smirk on her face and Jackie had the urge to slap it off.

Then, a jolt of fear trickled through her bones.

If she hit her, will they label her as a terrorist? Would she get in trouble like Avi and be labeled a bad kid?

"Well, people who say things like you do because of the color of my skin are bullies." Jackie finally said. "And probably racist too."

There was an oooh from one of the other students and a few of them cheered. Hannah narrowed her eyes.

"You better watch yourselves around this one. She'll backstab you for her country." She retorted as she walked away.

Her country? She was born here, in the United States…

She was still thinking about it when she got home with her brother and younger siblings later that day. Her brother let out a big sigh and dropped his backpack on the ground before plopping on the couch. Jackie looked at him, her backpack still on.

"I think I finally understand why you got into those fights, bhai." Jackie said.

Avi looked at her with a wry smile. "I'm sorry to hear that. I hoped you'd be spared that a little longer."

Jackie sat down on the couch next to him and he wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"The people at my school here- they put me in some of the 'lower' classes because they saw my old record. The kids in my class are mostly like us. I think the only black and Hispanic kids are in my class but they get it. They get the stuff we're going through."

"It's not fair."

"Naw, it's not behan. It will probably never be fair for us." Avi sighed. "I just hope that you'll be able to do better than I will. It's too late for me."

Jackie frowned. "You're only in high school."

"Yeah, I'm already in high school. It's going to be hard for me to get into college when the classes I'm taking aren't considered rigorous. I was never as into school as you were anyways. I'll probably go to community college for a while and then find a job. You though, Jaks, have time and you're smarter than I am."

"I can't believe your path is basically decided by the time you're 15."

He let out a humorless laugh. "A lot of your path is decided before you're even born."

-

"Jackie, wait. I want you to take this letter to your parents."

She froze, eyeing her teacher warily. She had mostly kept her head down in school, ignoring Hannah and focusing on her schoolwork. She didn't really have any friends, perse but she didn't mind. She had found a renewed interest in reading and instead of playing with her classmates, she would find a tree to sit and read at.

"I didn't do anything." She denied immediately, crossing her arms. Her teacher looked at her in surprise and her face twitched into a sad smile.

"I know, sweetheart. Just give this to them, okay?"

Jackie stared at the envelope and before grabbing it, stuffing it haphazardly into her backpack. When she got home, she slapped the letter on the table.

"What's this, behan?" Avi asked curiously from the kitchen. He had heated up some of the samosas from dinner the night before and was snacking on one as Jackie dropped her bag on the table.

"Something for mom and dad. Teacher wants me to give it to them."

Her brother took the envelope and opened it up. Scanning the letter, he looked up at his sister with a grin.

"Your teacher wants you to enter the advanced classes when you go to junior high. You have to take a test and if you pass, you can take them."

Jackie's face lit up. "Really?"

"Yeah." He ruffled her head. "I'm proud of you, Jaks."

-

"You'll be okay without me."

Jackie looked up at her brother. The summer before she went into junior high, he took a few classes over the summer and when school started again his grades had been much better than before.

So much so that when he graduated high school two years later, he had surprised everyone by telling them he was moving away and starting college in the fall. He had gotten accepted in a state school a few hours away. He hadn't decided what he was studying yet but the tuition was cheap and he had applied on a whim since his grades had improved.

"You'll start out high school right and I know you'll know what you want to do by the time you go to college. You'll be able to go to any school you want and you'll be the famous Varma, I know it."

"I'll miss you. Do you have to go?"

He laughed. "I'll miss you too. Take care of yourself and Dev and Ani too, okay?"

At the sound of their names, Dev and Anika, who had just turned 8 and 6, came forward and each grabbed one of her hands.

"Bye bye Avi. I'll miss you." Anika said quietly.

"Bye, Ani." He got on the bus and waved at them until the bus was too far away for them to see anymore.