#given all that has gone on recently I’m curious about this

[kitten4sannie]

antithesis

pairing: peter parker/venom! yunho x gf! reader

genre: spider man au, smut

summary: your boyfriend is going through a phase.

w.c: 3.3k (porn with a microscopic amount of plot)

warnings: dom! yunho, sub! reader, venom should have his own warning bc bro is NASTYY (so is yuyu 🤝🏻), partial mind manipulation? on yunho’s part? bc venom is in his head? idk, praise/degradation, pet names/name calling, teasing, fingering, hand kink….,, SIZE KINK., manhandling, pussy eating, tongue kink, raw feral sex (doggy + missionary), bro has a monster cock, also monster fucking!! bc venom takes over <3, cum eating, breeding kink, bulge kink, dacryphilia, mind break, record breaking creampie

a/n: listen …….i LOVE venom, the things i would let venom do to me would set humanity back at least fifty years. NOW VENOM YUNHO ON THE OTHER HAND,, oh boy. boyyyy oh boy. i don’t think i have to explain myself when it comes to that combination bc this fic speaks for itself lol. are you curious now? why don’t you give it a peek then, hm? (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧ and then lemme know what you thought of it pretty please? <3

song rec: new woman - lisa feat. rosalía (get it bc he’s a new man - bc of venom - 😼)

fictober 2024

“And just where have you been, Jeong Yunho?” you asked your boyfriend in a more teasing manner than anything, once he snuck in past the sliding glass door of the balcony, getting up from the couch you were waiting restlessly on. When he stood there silently just looking at you through the white eye shaped sections of his mask, you pouted, nervously wrapping a lock of hair around your finger. “Just be honest with me and I won’t be mad, okay?” 

Despite the lack of sleep, you were ready for him this time. He wasn’t about to casually sneak in or out of the house another night that week without you catching him. Usually, you wouldn’t have been concerned because you were used to him being gone when there was crime taking place or a super villain that needed to be brought to justice, but recently…your boyfriend was acting strange. He was starting to become moody and secretive, opting to brush you off when you asked him about it. Yunho had even taken up using substances in his free time, finding him drunk or high off his ass in the apartment when you got home from work. The final straw was when you came home one night to find him in the kitchen with freshly dyed hair and new piercings he had given himself, a few empty boxes of black hair dye and bloody safety pins laying haphazardly on the kitchen counter. 

Yunho took off his mask and rubbed at his eyes like he was tired, leaving a bit of smeared eyeliner underneath them, before shoving his hands into the pockets of his frayed jacket, the one that was slightly zipped just enough to cover his iconic red suit. 

“She knows about us,” said the annoying parasite that had just recently made a home inside him. “We should eat her.”

“No, I’m not doing that,” Yunho grumbled, running his fingers through his hair in frustration. 

You walked up to him, gently putting a hand on his chest. “Yun, I just wanna know where you were at, that’s all. You know I respect your space,” you murmured, your pout growing slightly, your eyebrows upturned with concern. 

“She’s looking at us with those big round eyes again, Yunho,” Venom told his host, letting out a disgusting groan only he could hear. “It’s gonna make us hard. If we’re not going to eat her, let’s fuck her, at least.” 

“Mingi asked me to take care of some douchebags that had been causing trouble at that new club he works at. That’s all, baby,” Yunho replied softly, reaching down to press the back of his hand against your cheek, before cupping it. He noticed the teary look inside your doe eyes. “Hey, are you okay?” 

You nuzzled into his big warm hand, before reaching up and wrapping your arms around his neck to hold your boyfriend close. “I’m fine…I’ve just been worried about you, Yun. You’ve been acting a bit…different.” 

“Let’s show her just how different we’ve become, Yunho,” Venom egged him on, knowing Yunho could feel just how much he wanted to break through the barrier of his host’s mind and take control. “She’ll love it.”

How could he possibly explain to you that he was always in a never ending battle with a frightening otherworldly parasite that had found its way inside of him? You would be so scared and disgusted, you’d probably never trust him again. He couldn’t risk losing you, not when you were his only anchor to the normal life he desperately craved, and the first person he’s ever felt this strongly about. 

“I’m just going through a phase, I think,” Yunho expressed wholeheartedly, resting his hands around your waist, his thumbs slightly pressing into your hip bones through your sleep shirt, feeling just how delicate you truly were. You were so small compared to him, practically swimming in one of his band t-shirts that you regularly wore to bed; you were so tiny and cute, and…”Malleable,” Venom finished. Yunho couldn’t tell if the parasite was influencing all of his thoughts or if he was just that perverted. 

“Do you wanna talk about it, Yun?” You pressed yourself closer to Yunho, feeling his large hands enclose around your small waist, making you feel a bit dizzy. When he shook his head, you tilted yours, wondering if what you felt pushing against your middle was exactly what you thought it was. “Or, do you want to take me to bed?” 

It had felt like forever since Yunho had touched you, kissed you even. You had almost forgotten what it was like to feel him inside you, filling you up over and over again until his love spilled out. Just the thought alone made your body begin to overheat. Was it wrong of you to take his simple answer at face value? Should you have pushed the issue, instead of letting him push you back into the wall of the hallway? You weren’t sure, but you were just grateful that your boyfriend still wanted you like this. 

“Did punching those guys at the club make you this horny?” you asked playfully, a sudden shiver of pleasure shooting up your spine when Yunho’s warm hands snaked up underneath your shirt and began groping at your tits.

“So horny,” Yunho joked back, a shaky exhale escaping his bobbing throat as he swallowed. 

 “Nnngh, I didn’t know fighting crime did it for you, Yun.” 

“Knowing I’m already getting your little pussy wet just from this is what’s doing it for me, baby,” he whispered into your ear, having to practically lower himself to your height just to do so, able to clearly hear the breathless moan that left your lips. Yunho was already breathing hard, his mind swimming with constant racing thoughts that all pertained to his pretty little girlfriend and what he was going to do to you, squishing your soft flesh in between his slender fingers, using his thumbs to rub your hardening nipples in teasing circles. 

It had felt like eternity since Yunho had allowed himself to feel you underneath his touch, to even simply look at you with unbridled lust. He wanted to see all of you, witness the way you completely opened yourself up to him. It was driving him insane. Was it selfish of him to give into temptation when there was something else living inside him? Something that he knew was taking even more pleasure in this than he was? He wasn’t exactly sure, but he knew it was far too late to stop now. 

“Let us see her tits, Yunho, they feel so nice inside our hands, we need to see,” Venom demanded, desperately shaking the bars of his figurative cage. 

When Yunho tugged your shirt up and over your tits, your gasp became muffled, your eyes widening as he stuffed the hem of the shirt into your mouth. You were going to close your legs to keep your arousal from spilling down your thighs, but your eager boyfriend pushed his larger one in between them. 

“You’re so pretty, angel,” Yunho cooed softly, admiring the way you began to grind your cunt against his thigh, despite the sheepish expression you offered him, a bit of drool escaping the corner of his mouth from witnessing such a display of pure desperation. “Look at you go…rubbing yourself all over my thigh like a horny little slut.” 

“N-not a slut,” you whimpered softly, his insult causing a fresh wave of slick to leak out onto Yunho’s torn jeans. “Just need you, Yuyu.” 

“Her breeding hole needs to be trained to handle my size. Do it now,” Venom growled into Yunho’s mind, growing more and more demanding by the second, very aware that his host was starting to lose control of himself. 

“Yeah? How about this?” Yunho pulled your panties to the side so that he could watch as your greedy cunt swallowed up one of his long, bony fingers to the knuckle. “Is that enough, baby?” 

“I meant with your human sized cock, you insufferable prick,” Venom chided, simply not understanding the pleasurable benefits that prolonged foreplay could offer being the inhibited hothead that he was. 

Something about the way Yunho was taking his time with unraveling you, the way he was drinking in the sight of your bare body with pure lust inside his dilated eyes, all while he had one of his digits plunged inside you. It made you pulse and squeeze around it. “F-full.”  

“But I barely fit one finger inside you, sweetheart. What’ll happen if I put another?” Yunho suddenly tugged your borrowed t-shirt up and over your head, leaning in close to your face to catch the way your breath hitched as soon as he slipped another finger inside, curling them just enough to hit your sweet spot each time he finger-fucked you, earning a few whiny moans from his beloved girlfriend. “Oh, that’s right. You turn into my little sex toy, don’t you?” 

“Y-esss, Yuyu, just for you, fuck,” you cried out, hooking your arms around his neck to keep yourself from completely melting into the floor. 

“That’s a good girl,” he groaned into your ear, quickly stuffing his thick digits into you, unable to get Venom’s ungodly thoughts out of his head all the while, unable to keep himself from shoving a third finger into you, your slick walls pulsating around him. “You think you’re feeling full now…just wait till my cock’s inside you.”

Gasping, your nails dug into his back through his clothes. “Oh my god, Yunho, give it to me, please, please, please,” you whined breathlessly into his neck, trembling in his arms as overwhelming pleasure washed over you. “N-need your cock in me.” 

“Fuck, I can’t believe you’re already begging to be fucked like that. I almost forgot how much of a needy little slut you are when you need cock. You like the thought of me stretching out your little pussy that much, huh?” He smiled against your heated skin when you whimpered and nodded eagerly, not allowing you to witness the brief moment his eyes turned completely black. “I just might split you open.” 

You almost didn’t recognize your boyfriend when he tossed you onto your shared bed like you weighed close to nothing, and you certainly didn’t recognize him when he manipulated your limbs until you were laying with your head down against the mattress and your ass up in the air. Usually, he wanted to do missionary, so that he could kiss and look at you when you both came undone, but now, now he had you in a position that was apparently ‘perfect for breeding’, or at least, that’s what you thought you had heard him mumbling about from behind you. 

“Now’s the time, human. We must show her how great we are,” the alien reminded Yunho, delighted that his black parasitic poison was now making its way through his host’s veins, showing up from underneath his milky skin. It was changing him in ways that would most definitely benefit all three of you. 

Yunho squeezed his large hands into the sides of your ass and spread it open, hyper focused on your dripping cunt and how it struggled to accommodate his obscene size. “Poor baby’s so tiny, my little princess can barely take me inside her pretty cunt,” he sighed, pulling out just enough to send a few strands of spit onto his own cock, lubing up the base of it and pushing back in, a shiver of pleasure shooting up his spine as soon as he heard the broken cry that left your drooling mouth. “Looks like we’re going to have to break you in.” 

You felt like you were losing your mind. Your boyfriend had just barely bottomed out inside of you and you were already about to cream yourself. And, it might’ve been the cock drunk state you were in, but you swore to god that his dick got bigger. It felt like it was kissing your cervix already and he hadn’t even moved yet. Not to mention, it felt so hot inside you, and there was so much pre-cum coating your walls, you almost thought he had came prematurely, but he would’ve been asleep and snoring away already if he did. 

Yunho violently interrupted your train of thought by slamming his hips forward, letting out a deep, long groan as though he were experiencing euphoria. He grabbed your wrists and held them behind your back, tucking them together so that he could hold them both with one large hand, and quickly got to work, yanking you back onto his cock, using you like his own personal sex doll. “That’s fucking it, isn’t it, angel? You like that? You fucking like that?” 

“Yeah, fuck me,” you moaned back, realizing this ‘phase’ of Yunho’s was one of the best things that could’ve ever happened to the both of you, previously unaware that something this rough, something this animalistic, could feel as good as it did. 

“She’s ours, she’s ours, Yunho, fuck, we’re going to cum inside her,” Venom blissfully announced into Yunho’s head, fully taking over his host in that very instant, gracing Yunho with the symbiote’s much more endowed features. 

It was then that you let out a sudden gasp, the air that quickly filled your lungs leaving as a wavering moan of pleasure instead. It was almost as if Yunho’s cock had grown twice in size. You didn’t even know how that was possible, but you were too lost in the moment to question it. “So big, it’s so fucking big, Yunho, nnnngh, it’s gonna break me,” you exhaled, quickly pulling at the sheets once he gifted you partial physical autonomy, your eyes beginning to disappear underneath your eyelashes. 

“That’s right, pretty girl, and you’re going to keep taking it all, even after I’m done impregnating you,” Yunho agreed huskily, bending over you until his overheated body pressed into your shoulders and back, his long fingers curling around the softness of your hips. Just as his never ending seed spilled into you and made its way into your womb, Yunho dragged his long tongue up in between your straining shoulder blades and along your neck, savoring your flavor. He truly wanted to eat you, unable to stop drooling, but the annoying mortal he shared this body with wouldn’t let him. Venom figured he would have to settle for the next best thing.  

You didn’t even have a chance to finish shaking, let alone take a breath, before you were being lifted up and lowered back down onto your boyfriend’s face, your cunt fitting snugly between the curves of Yunho’s lips and nose. Just as he lapped at your extremely sensitive clit and slit, you couldn’t help but jolt away, his forearms suddenly locking tightly around your middle. “O-oh…!” 

“Hold still. Need a taste of this pretty cunt,” Yunho growled under his breath, angling his head back and opening his mouth wide enough so that he could explore the entirety of your used cunt, licking and drinking up the mixed arousal that spilled out of you to his heart’s content.

“Y-yunhooo,” you whined pathetically, reaching forward to hold onto the headboard to keep yourself from passing out from the pleasure that was overloading your mind, looking down to watch how he eagerly nosed at your clit. “Fuck, i’ll cum again…” 

“Then, do it, princess.” Just as he swallowed down more of your wetness, he realized it wasn’t enough, unable to keep himself from sliding the entirety of his tongue inside you, feeling you clench around the base of it. 

“Oh my god, your tongue, it’s so–haaaah,” you reacted breathlessly, digging your nails into the wood of the headboard, the longer his serpent-like tongue slithered in and out of you so seamlessly, unable to fully understand how any of this was possible. When the thickest part of his appendage rubbed at your g-spot, you saw white around your vision, your ears ringing, unable to hear the filthy slurping sounds Yunho was making underneath you as he drank up your squirt. 

When you came to, you were back underneath Yunho, in the missionary position he loved so much, yet this time it was profoundly different. His eyes were as dark as his freshly dyed hair, one corner of his mouth split open, inviting a myriad of long, serrated fangs, all while black wispy tendrils clung onto one side of his face like a second skin. You realized too late why Yunho was acting so out of character, and that you were never actually alone with him the past few weeks. You had an uninvited guest, an alien symbiote known as Venom, to be exact — and here you were, face to face with him, his disgustingly oversized cock stretching you wide open.

“Oh god, you’re actually going to split me open, what the fuck,” you gasped sharply, clutching the sides of Yunho’s cheeks, your fingers tugging at the ends of his sweaty hair. 

“Silly human, as much as we’d enjoy seeing that, you won’t split apart. You have a prime body for breeding, didn’t you know?” he chuckled darkly in a two-toned voice, pressing his hand down into your abdomen to feel the sheer size of himself protruding through your lower belly each time his hips routinely smacked into yours. “We knew Spider-man’s pretty little girlfriend would make a perfect host for our offspring. Just look at you, you’re taking us so well.” 

You didn’t know what was going to break your mind first, the fact that you were essentially being used as a breeding tool for an alien that would take great pleasure in swallowing you whole, or the fact that your cunt was eagerly swallowing up something so absurdly large, its heavy girth and width stretching you so wide, it felt as though you would fall apart at any given time. Despite the insanity of it all, your body and mind welcomed it, creaming yourself on his alien cock. 

“Good girlll,” Yunho praised, letting his long slimy tongue slip out to lick up the side of your cheek until he tasted the salt from the tears that fell down your face. He fully sheathed himself inside you one last time, before his large hands cemented around your waist, holding you completely still as his hot load joined the other one he had previously fucked into you, his heavy breaths warming the skin of your neck. “That’s it, princess, take it all, just like that…” 

You could hardly breathe, let alone move, simply laying still in your boyfriend’s arms, taking everything he gave you, as wave after wave of cum coated the insides of your aching cunt and flooded womb, some of it spilling down the insides of your legs and dripping onto the stained sheets below. It felt so good to be filled up in such a way that you came again without direct stimulation, letting out a broken cry, before Yunho silenced you with a kiss. 

When you opened your teary eyes, your boyfriend’s previously monstrous traits were gone, instead replaced with his usual soft, flushed features that you adored so much. You watched him open and close his mouth, as if he didn’t know what to say. You pressed another kiss to his lips, gently running your fingers through his hair. “Should we go to the drugstore to get Plan B?”

Yunho gave you a goofy, though apologetic smile, leaning his face into your neck to give it a few kisses. He pulled himself back up to face you, his eyebrows upturned. “D-do you think it would work on an alien symbiote?” 

You patted his head, knowing what you signed up for when you decided to date the Spider-man, figuring one of his superhero friends would have a solution for the both of you. You gave him a soft smile, happy when he returned it. “If not, let’s get a refund.” 

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© kitten4sannie, 2024.

[avocad1s]

Bring Back What Once Was Mine

Chapter Summary: You learn of recent events that occurred in Teyvat and Lumine and Nahida search for your whereabouts.

Characters Mentioned: Nahida, Lumine, and some other surprises

Note: Part one did way better than I was expecting, thanks so much for all of the love on it :>

Content Warning: Cult and Religious themes ahead! You’ve been warned. Reader is the true creator of Teyvat. GN! Reader

Part One Part Two (You are here!) Part Three

This is partly beta read but it’s also the middle of the night and I’m half sleep so… yeah :)

At the same time, in another nation.

Despite not being the God of Wisdom, Morax, going by the name Zhongli now, would consider himself intelligent.

Yet this was the first time in centuries that he had felt this conflicted.

When his God first returned he was overjoyed, finally he would be able to talk with them again. Yet that feeling of ecstasy didn’t last long, soon he noticed something odd about their behavior.

At first he brushed it off, The Divine One was gone for a while and maybe during their journey the activities they used to enjoy didn’t make them happy anymore. Yet it was as if their entire personality had changed and he couldn’t help the feeling that kept growing in the back of his mind.

Doubt.

If anyone else knew about this, he knows for a fact he would be replaced and possibly killed by The Divine One themselves. So he pushed this feeling down, pretending that nothing was amiss for as long as he could.

Well until he decided to vacate his duties as the Geo Archon.

With the help of the Traveler he had planned his own funeral, and right after, he gave his Gnosis to the Fatui.

Even though the Traveler has questioned why he had given away his Gnosis to the nefarious group, she quickly let it go once Zhongli had explained the contract they had made. Despite not knowing the true details of the contract.

-

“So in exchange, you want my Gnosis?”

“Indeed. I think that’s a fair exchange, don’t you?”

“I agree… I accept the terms of this contract…”

“If things go as planned I will send one of my Harbingers to collect your Gnosis, Morax.”

-

Zhongli shakes his head clearing his mind of the conversation he had with the Tsaritsa in the past. He sips his tea mindlessly listening to his boss go on about another two for one deal she had thought of.

In Sumeru

“Where could they have run off to?” Paimon groans, “Paimon is getting super tired.”

“You don’t even walk, you float.” Lumine retorts a deadpan look on her face.

The fairy scoffs, “floating gets tiresome too you know!”

Lumine decides not to respond to Paimons defense on being tired, instead she looks down at Nahida who was walking closely next to her.

“Hey Nahida…” Lumine begins. “When you said you had your own suspicions, what did you mean?”

The Dendro Archon’s steps falter, “Traveler I have a lot of trust in you. You saved me from the Sages and done so much more for Sumeru and because of this I’ll tell you.”

Lumine stops walking putting her full attention on her. Paimon, who was just as curious, stops as well.

“Not long after you saved me and I noticed I had missed the descent of The Creator, I went into Irminsul to see what memories there was of them so I knew more about them.”

“Wait, Irminsul has memories of The Creator?” Paimon gasps.

Nahida nods, “Yes, The Creator is the one who made Teyvat after all. Anyways-“ The Archon brings her hand up to her chin, “All of the memories Irminsul had were complete contradictions to how they are now. The only thing that is the same is how they look.”

Lumine’s eyes widen, “so do you think… that the one we’re looking for is the true Creator?”

The girl let’s out a sigh, “Truthfully, I want to talk to them and get a read on them myself. There is a possibility they are the true God .”

“Does anyone else know about this? The Akademiya?”

Nahida shakes her head quickly, “This is very sensitive information and it could put others lives at risk, but I know that if I’m correct, you’d be the best one to help me.”

Lumine nods trying to ignore the feeling of dread crawling up her back.

“We should probably keep moving.”

Sumeru was much different than the last time you’ve seen it.

Besides it being more advanced, it gave off the feeling that it was more peaceful. Maybe the citizens finally started dreaming.

You let out a huff as you stare down at a river you had to cross. Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem since you would just use your abilities to do what you needed, but you were trying not to use your powers at all.

When you had gave out the Gnosis to the Seven Archons, you gave them a bit of your grace which is how they became Gods in the first place. Not only did the Gnosis give them the power to wield elemental energy without a vision but it also gave them a closer connection to you.

So anytime you use your abilities, the Archons would know.

You reach down pulling off your shoes, it was already annoying that you had to walk, the last thing you want to do is deal with wet shoes.

“Hey!” A high pitched voice called out, “I think I found them.”

You let out another sigh recognizing the voice instantly. It was that weird… floating… creature that tagged along with that outlander. The sound of hurried footsteps caused you to turn around.

You were right. It was the blonde girl and her companion but this time they were with someone else?

Your eyes widen a bit, but not enough to give away your shock.

This girl with them was definitely one of the Archons, the Dendro one to be exact. Yet this wasn’t the Dendro Archon the last time you had came to Teyvat so that must mean…

“We’ve been looking everywhere for you.” Lumine says in between breaths.

You smile, “I appreciate your care, but you didn’t have to go all out of your way just because you found me in the desert. I feel fine no-“

“I met The Creator.” Lumine interrupts, “you two share the same face.”

Well damn, you didn’t keep this a secret for very long.

“So you know…” you say calmly to them. They all share glances with each other then look back at you.

“How is that possible?” Paimon asks, “how can two Creators exist at the same time?”

You drop your shoe’s sliding them back on before crossing your arms, “well I’m guessing since you’re not attacking me or trying to arrest me you have your doubts about the ‘Creator’… I’m guessing that it’s Kusanali’s doing.”

The Archon gives you a perplexed look, “you know my name?”

You nod. “Of course I do, with my connection to Teyvat it would only make sense, right?”

Well there was no point in acting ignorant now, they had already confronted you with the information.

“So…” you drag out, “why did you come all the way out here to find me?”

Lumine leans back and forth on her feet awkwardly, “well actually The Creator…er-“ she was hesitant, as if she didn’t know what to call them, “they asked me to bring you to them.”

You nod understandingly, “and are you going to do as they asked?”

Lumine looks down at Nahida then back at you, “well after talking with Nahida, I have my doubts if they are truly who they say they are.”

You want to smile, but fight it. It seems that the God of Wisdom is still living up to the reputation. Even if it is someone else.

“Well I guess there’s no reason to lie anymore. I am who you believe but I have no way to prove it to you yet. It would make my presence more…noticeable to others.”

Nahida gives you a smile, “I believe you. Proof isn’t necessary.”

Lumine and Paimon whip their head to stare at the white haired girl, “what do you mean proof isn’t necessary? You just said-“

“I’m know.” She interjects, “but now that I am standing here face-to-face with them. I can feel the special connection that Irminsul and the scriptures deep within the Akademiya we’re talking about.”

Nahida looks back at you and continues, “Lumine, I’m not sure if you feel it but standing here with them now I feel a warmth that I don’t get from the one on the Throne. Not to mention that not a single monster had attacked us since we had gotten into a certain radius of them.”

Lumine’s jaw drops a bit as she watches Nahida give you a small bow a look of guilt in her eyes. “I apologize for my foolishness, I should’ve known that they weren’t who they say they were.”

This time you don’t fight the smile from forming on your lips, “you don’t have to apologize, whoever they are, them pretending to be me was supposed to be uncanny. If the Archons could tell from one look that they wasn’t The Creator then I doubt they would’ve tried.”

Lumine was still a bit unconvinced. She couldn’t trust Gods that easily since one had taken her brother away from her. However she does trust Nahida and if Nahida believes you are who you say, she will go along with it too. She hopes that she’ll have the time to ask you about the unknown God or even Khaenri'ah.

“So there’s actually something I wanted to ask you…” you sit down in the soft grass crossing your legs. “Being an Archon, I’m guessing you spent lots of time with the one on the throne right?”

Nahida nods.

“Could you tell me… have they changed anything?”

It was silent for a moment as the God of Wisdom hesitates to answer your question.

“Actually there is one thing.”

You perk up giving her your full attention.

“They want to invade Snezhnaya… They are trying to get the other Archons to declare war on the nation.”

“What!” You exclaim, “why? Why would they do that.”

“Well the Cryo Archon, the Tsaritsa, had closed off her nation a few years ago and won’t let anyone in, even them. No one is for sure why, but when one of her Harbingers were in Sumeru I tried to ask him and he said ‘we will all know eventually’”

“Oh Paimon remembers him,” you notice her shudder at the thought, “he was super creepy and dangerous!”

You let out a breath bring your hand up to you mouth, “I have to act quickly then. I can’t let that happen… Teyvat has already lost enough.” Your voice softens at the end, since you were mostly talking to yourself but judging from the looks on the girls faces, you assume they heard you.

“Is there anyway we can help?” Lumine asks suddenly. She didn’t even realize the words had left her mouth until it was too late, almost as if she had no control over herself anymore. Like she had the dying urge to help you.

You stare at her, “I’ve never met anyone who wanted to help a world they’re not even from. You’re different than others I’ve met.”

Your voice was so genuine and sweet that Lumine couldn’t help the smile that went across her face or the warm feeling the enveloped her at the sound of your praise.

“Well there is something you could do… all of you.” You stand from your spot on the ground, dusting any dirt off your clothing.

“Go along with the False Creator, make them believe you are loyal to them.”

“How can we do that?” The Traveler questions, “they said to bring you back.”

“Oh that’s right…” you mutter, “tell them I’m dead.”

“You want us to what?” Paimon shrieks.

“If the False Creator believes I’m dead they’ll stop looking for me and then no one else will be aware of my existence.”

“Wait, what are you going to do?” Nahida says.

“I’m heading to Liyue.” You simply explain.

“Alone?” Lumine says, “I can go with you. A lot of people trust me in Liyue.”

You give her a smile, despite how reserved she seemed to be when you had first told them about your true nature. Now she was basically jumping at the idea of helping you, maybe you had a stronger affect on her than she wants to admit.

“Thanks but I’ll be fine. I’m used to traveling alone anyways.”

The Traveler deflates a bit when you decline but nods.

“I’m counting on you… Lumine, Nahida, and Paimon.” You confess as you walk back toward the body of water you had plans to cross until they had interrupted.

The group of girls watch you walk off, once you were out of sight, they turn around heading back towards Sumeru City.

“What are we going to do now.” Paimon says once they start walking back.

“You two should tell the False Creator that they are dead, I’m going to enter Irminsul and see if I can find anything that will help.”

Lumine nods.

Once again the Traveler was thrown off their journey of meeting the Seven, but for once, she actually didn’t mind it one bit.

Note: I got a bit carried away with this part… and this isn’t how I wanted to end it originally. But I’ll just add that to part three instead.

© avocad1s please do not plagiarize or post to any other website

Taglist: @esthelily

if you’d like to be added, you can send an ask or just comment below. :>

[olympeline]

Gonna post my thoughts on the Hetalia Nations Revealed AU. Always a fun one to chat about. (￣▽￣)

We call it an AU but it’s actually pretty accurate. The part about nation-people not being a secret, I mean. I recently reread the webcomic and canon leans into NPs being public knowledge. Obviously their bosses are aware of them, but there’s lots of strips where NPs interact with members of the public as well. There are strips starring humans who don’t recognize their NP (that one soldier in France, Lisa, Davie, etc.) but they’re fewer in number. We all know Heta-canon is flexible so, for this post, I’m coming down on the side of “people know.” Here’s how I headcanon it all working:

Nation-people are common knowledge to the extent it would be really weird if you met someone who wasn’t aware of them. It would be like talking to a guy and he says he’s never heard of religion. Like, any religion. In the whole world. Not even the concept of it. You’d be all: “Whaaa?? Man, how?? Did you grow up under a rock?” It’s like that for NPs.

NPs are more than human and so aren’t too bothered by us. In a nice way. They still love their citizens but it’s not a relationship between equals. More benevolent demi-deities existing alongside the mundane. This is where I differ from some interpretations of this AU, I think. I can’t see the NPs as being weak and helpless around their people. They’re partially representations of the Earth itself and nature is much stronger than humanity. Like that panel where Francis was getting harassed by historians? Only happened because he allowed it. NPs let humans get close to them when they choose, but they can lose them if they wish. That’s what France did when he’d had enough. The historians blinked and he was just gone. Slipped away like a breath of wind. Leaving two very disappointed academics to continue their argument, lol. The only exceptions are their bosses. NPs have to obey any direct order given by them.

Have to, have to. Compelled in the old fae-like way. NPs are completely under the control of whoever’s running their country. The one who has the final say is the head of state, but they can and do delegate if someone else holds the true power. Kiku directly obeys his emperor, for example, but the emperor obeys Japan’s Diet. So the Prime Minister gives Kiku his orders through their symbolic ruler. If a country’s government is overthrown then that control passes to the new ones in charge. NPs don’t get any choice in the matter, sadly for them. When an NP starts obeying the “other side” then the writing’s on the wall that the regime change has succeeded.

They aren’t considered fully human and so don’t have the same rights and privileges we do. I’d imagine there’s been many high profile court cases about stuff like this in the modern era. Just what an NP can be ordered to do by their bosses before it becomes abusive, how culpable they are for crimes committed by their nations, etc. “The Nation of [x] vs. Nation-Person [y] in the case of Historical Crime(s) [z].” I don’t think much would have been accomplished over the years, lol. No country is going to let their NP go to a foreign prison. Plus the NPs always have the “magically compelled” defense to fall back on. So no progress, just lots of debate. NPs are considered somewhere between guardian deities, ordinary people, and “things” in the broader public consciousness.

Yes, they have social media. No, it has not always gone well. I bet after a few instant-major-historical-event cases of careless and/or hot-tempered NPs calling their bosses assholes on twitter, NP accounts were mass nuked. They were reinstated only after their bosses gave them loooong lists of subjects they weren’t allowed to talk about. Afterwards their posts were all fluff about hobbies and personal interests. Doesn’t stop foreign governments, economists, gossip channels, NP enthusiasts, and curious people combing through every tweet, post, and video to try and guess what the NPs are “really” talking about. So many conspiracy theorist channels, oh god. Even thinking about it is making me tired. 😂

NPs have two homes: a work address and a personal one. The former is usually located in their capital and is either where their boss lives or close by. So Alfred has a home at the White House, Arthur has one on Downing Street, etc. However most NPs don’t consider these their real homes and only spend time there while doing government work. Ordinary, if nice, houses and apartments out among their people is where they like to live. These can decorate them to match their personalities the way they can’t official residences. They use their power over the land to make sure no humans can find these sanctuaries unless the NP wants them to. Stops NPs being swarmed by paparazzi, tourists, and fans 24/7.

De-anoning to say it was me that sent @forsoobado137 the money ask. So just repeating what I said there. All countries put their NP’s face on their money. Along with the state’s name, the NP’s human name, and a picture of the actual land they represent. The money can have other famous people on it too, just on the other side. Governments have been doing this since money was invented and some of the only surviving visual records of ancient NPs are pictures on coins.

Any human being knows an NP and the country they represent just by sight. Unless it’s somewhere they’ve never heard of. Then all they know is that they’re looking at a nation-person. I imagine it would be considered a huge faux-pas to let it slip you don’t know an NP’s country name. Like telling a Holywood A-lister you don’t know who they are at a red carpet event. 😭

NPs have many default jobs, mostly related to their governments. One of them is being in their nation’s armed forces. They’ve always done this ever since the first age of empires. They even led armies and were seen as good luck charms in the past. Soldiers tend to make up the bulk of the humans the NPs remember most fondly. The relationship between Francis and Joan of Arc is one of the best known historical examples. Whether an NP actually enjoys their time in the military depends on their personality. Which is in turn influenced by how warlike the actual country is and has been. If your NP falls in battle, it’s one of the worst war omens possible.

Speaking of death, I headcanon that NPs can die from illness or injury. Or at least their human bodies can. They’re tougher than we are, but not unkillable. They’ll come back so long as the nation itself survives. True death for an NP is reserved for when the civilisation they represent stops existing. If an NP dies in a foreign country, they’ll crumble to dust and regenerate somewhere deep in their heartlands. The place they were originally “born” from the earth. Only a select few very high up in government know the location of their NP’s birth/rebirth place. This also happens if they die on home soil and their body is destroyed. If they die at home and their body is okay, they’ll heal and wake up after a few hours. If the country isn’t doing well it takes longer for its NP to come back.

Speaking of countries not doing well: NPs get sick either when their economies go bad, or when there’s an epidemic among their citizens. A lot of European NPs can chalk some of their early deaths up to the Black Death. When an NP get “depressed” it’s code for a financial fever. Nothing can be done but keep them comfortable until the economy picks up.

Hetalia is so fun to post about, my god. Such a prime series for theories and headcanons. You feel me, gamers?

[sometimesiwritebadly]

Out of the Spotlight (Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader)

Summary: Garcia does a little totally harmless snooping and discovers Spencer’s secret girlfriend is a movie star.

Word Count: 3.2k

Notes: has it been almost two years since i posted on here? maybeee don’t worry about it. this is just pure fluff and some penelope/derek shenanigans

Masterlist

~~~

Penelope Garcia is, occasionally, too curious for her own good. She really doesn’t mean to snoop in her friend’s lives like this, but to be fair, she didn’t know she was snooping in Spencer’s life when she started. She thought she was just learning more about her most recent celebrity obsession; rising star and incredible actress, Y/N Y/L/N. She hadn’t even gone too far with it yet, really! It all started after she’d left the movie theater, where she finally got to see Y/N’s newest movie with Derek. He dropped her off at home, and she decided to follow the actress on instagram and scroll through some of her posts. Which is when she found one from three months ago that looked weirdly familiar. It was just a picture of some bookshelves, but she couldn’t shake the feeling. Then she saw that Y/N had tagged the location, and it was in D.C. The celebrity hadn’t given up the exact name of the bookstore; a slight annoyance for Penelope, but she knew it was probably just so Y/N would be able to visit the place again without a crowd of fans or paparazzi, so she’d let it slide this time. Penelope isn’t one to frequent bookstores, but she remembered Spencer had taken herself and JJ to a small bookshop when they had decided their new year's resolutions would be to read more often. Spencer kept trying to get them to read the classics, but both women were shopping the romance section, much to Spencer’s annoyance. So, she called an amused Derek back to her place so he could take her there.

“So we’re doing this because some actress may have been to the same bookstore three months ago?” He asked, driving with one hand as he talked to Penelope. 

“Well when you say it like that it sounds silly!” She said, still scrolling through the instagram page. “Besides, it’s not just that, a lot of these pictures are in Quantico! What’s a big name actress like her doing here?” Since the discovery of the bookshop picture, she’d found 3 more that were obviously in the city; a well known coffee shop, a mall Penelope has spent way too much money at, and a picture of a sign from the nearest highway. There were some others that she thought might be, but there was no definitive proof to be found.

“She probably just has family here, baby girl.”

“Um, do I look like an amateur to you, hot stuff? The first thing I looked for was her family, who are all happily living far, far, away, thank you very much.” The next picture she scrolled to gave her pause. It was a picture of a TV with a still from Y/N’s breakout show on it, but a coffee table, with someone’s sock-clad feet on it, was just barely visible. The socks were covered with the logo for her show. It was captioned “Will it ever stop being weird to see myself on TV?”

“Does this look familiar to you?” Penelope held the phone in Derek’s line of sight, causing him to swerve the car a little and push her hand out of the way.

“Do you think that could wait until I’m not driving?” Penelope just rolled her eyes, taking a screenshot of the picture for future reference. In just a few short minutes, they were pulling into the parking lot of the bookstore. Penelope rushed in, with Derek strolling behind her. She quickly found the spot that was featured in Y/N’s instagram post. 

“See! Told ya it was here!” She said, showing Derek the picture so he could compare it himself. 

“Yup, definitely it is the same place. I still don’t see why this is a big deal though.”

Penelope opened her mouth to argue with him, but was interrupted by the store’s owner; a little old lady. “Can I help you two find anything today?” 

“Oh, no ma’am. I just saw your store on my favorite actress’s instagram, and wanted to see it for myself.” Penelope explained, feeling a little bad for wasting the woman’s time. Maybe she’d find a book to buy, even though she’s not even finished with the last book she bought here.

“Oh! Miss Y/L/N, right? She and her boyfriend are around here all the time! What a nice little couple; her boyfriend is a little skinny though, I really need to make some cookies for him the next time they come by.” The woman explained, walking over to the wall of the store to point to a framed picture of herself and Y/N, signed and all. 

“She has a boyfriend?” Penelope asked, shocked that she hadn’t at least figured it out. In all her snooping of Y/N’s instagram, she hadn’t seen a hint of a boyfriend. 

“Oh, yes. They’ve been coming around for, goodness, six months now? They always buy each other books, it’s so adorable. He always buys her one of the classics, I think it was Romeo and Juliet last time. She usually gets a romance of some kind.” That made sense; the most recent picture on her instagram was one of two books; Romeo and Juliet, and The Duke and I. Eventually, Penelope and Derek made their way out of the bookstore, and that was the end of Penelope’s investigation of Y/N Y/L/N’s life.

Well, the end of Penelope’s investigation for that week.

It’s not like Penelope could track down Y/N Y/L/N’s secret boyfriend…not without seriously abusing her FBI database and maybe breaking a few privacy laws. She almost forgot about the trip to the bookstore, but during a rare case where she actually got to join the team on the jet, she noticed Spencer was reading something out of character. 

“Uh, Reid?” He looked up from the book he was reading.

“What’s up?” He said, quietly, as everyone else was sleeping after the long case.

“Why are you reading The Duke and I? I thought you were a total book snob?” She asked, sitting across from him.

“Oh, um,” Nothing could hide the slight blush that appeared on his face. “A friend of mine told me to read it.”

“Like a girlfriend?” Penelope teased, watching as his blush became even more noticeable.

“Y-yeah. Uh. Like a girlfriend.” Spencer opened the book back up, hiding behind its cover and promptly ending the conversation. He brought his feet up onto the small table in between them, causing his pants to ride up just enough to show off his socks. One sock was just plain black, but the other one was covered in the logo for a familiar TV show.

“Are you a fan of Y/N Y/L/N too?” Spencer just looked up in confusion.

“What?”

“Your sock, that’s her show right? It’s really good, I watched it in like a day.”

Spencer’s eyes went back to the book. “Uh, yeah. It’s a great show.”

Sure, Penelope thought he was acting a little weird, but that’s just Spencer. He doesn’t talk about his life outside of work too often, but she was glad he at least told her about the girlfriend. Even if he wouldn’t tell her her name, she was sure she could figure something out. So the next day, she updated Derek on her new information about Spencer.

“Wait wait wait, Spencer was wearing socks with the show’s logo? And reading The Duke and I?” The two of them had been walking towards the BAU kitchen to get a cup of coffee to help them get through the paperwork day, but Derek had stopped walking abruptly when Penelope gave him those details.

“That’s what you’re most interested in? Not the fact that Spencer has a girlfriend?” Penelope asked.

“C’mon baby girl, it’s obvious that Spencer’s been dating someone.”

“What! You knew! And you didn’t tell me?”

Derek laughed, resuming their walk towards coffee and letting Penelope hurry along behind him. “Sorry cupcake, I figured you knew too. He’s just been so happy for the past few months, in the way only a lady would make him.”

“Ugh, ok, well some of us aren’t profilers, Derek. What’s so important about the socks and book?” 

“Well,” Derek grabbed the coffee pot, pouring some into Penelope’s mug as he spoke. “Just a few weeks ago you dragged me to a bookstore, where we learned about a certain couple. A couple where the guy likes classics and the girl likes romance, right?”

“Yeah-Oh! No! There’s no way you’re suggesting what I think you’re suggesting.”

“And didn’t Spencer get flustered when you mentioned her?” He asked, now pouring the coffee into his own mug.

“Oh my god! The socks!” Penelope pulled her phone out of the pocket, quickly making her way to the picture she’d saved. She showed it to Derek once again, this time zooming in on the coffee table. “Those are the socks he was wearing! On her instagram!”

“Uh, why are you staring at a picture of Spencer’s living room?” Penelope jumped, not having noticed that JJ was standing over her shoulder, looking at the picture on Penelope’s phone.

“Wait, you’re sure this is his living room? Like, 100%?” Penelope had never actually been to his place before.

“Uh, yeah, he babysits Henry a lot. Why, what’s the big deal about it?”

“Oh my god, Spencer is dating a movie star. Spencer Reid is dating a movie star!” Penelope couldn’t help but jump up and down, almost spilling her coffee.

And then Spencer walked into the room, promptly ending the gossip between coworkers before Spencer could hear. 

Derek had made her promise to wait until Spencer was ready to talk about his relationship, but after an agonizing week, she felt like she was going to burst at the seams. So when she got a notification on their night off that Y/N had posted a new picture, she was aching to get more information about the secret relationship. This was, again, a picture in what she now knows is Spencer’s living room. This time, there was an open box of pizza on the table. It was captioned, “Lovely night in.”

So, naturally, Penelope immediately headed to Spencer’s.

~~~

Y/N doesn’t think it’s possible to be any more happy than she is right now.

8 months ago she’d just ended what was possibly the most disastrous relationship in the history of humankind. She’d made the classic mistake of dating a co-star; an older guy who was well known to be a bit of a playboy. The relationship had been extremely public; everything from their dates to their fights were somehow captured by paparazzi. His fans hated her, her fans hated him, and worst of all, the network was pushing them to be even more public in the hopes of gaining more viewers. At the end of it all, she was insanely grateful her character wouldn’t be returning for the next season as she was already booked for a movie. The only thing worse than breaking up with your co-star is having to continue playing his love interest. 

And just when she was at her absolute lowest, having sworn off of ever dating someone in the spotlight again, she ran into Spencer. 

After wrapping filming for a movie in Atlanta, the only reason she was even in D.C. was because her flight was forced to land early; a sudden storm was arriving and there was no way the plane would safely make it to New York. What started as an hour delay turned to three, then four, and before she knew it Y/N was stuck in town for a weekend. 

She spent basically an entire day hiding away in her hotel room, so Y/N just had to get out and do something. It was still raining cats and dogs, and she’d never been in the city before, so she just googled the closest places that were still open. Luckily, there was a small bookstore just down the street, and there were a few books she’d heard about that she hadn’t had the chance to buy yet. So she put on her coat and practically ran to the store. 

She was drenched and already regretting the decision to leave the hotel room by the time she walked into the building, but there was no point in turning back now. The place was practically empty anyways, Y/N only spotted an older woman reading a novel at the cash register. She slowly began browsing the shelves, not looking for anything in particular.

When she rounded one of the corners, however, she ran right into someone’s chest.

“Shit! I’m so sorry!” She immediately apologized, looking up to find a cute man staring back at her. “I wasn’t paying any attention, I assumed I was the only one in here.”

“That’s alright, I, um, I wasn’t paying attention either.”

The guy standing before her was holding various books, all reminding Y/N of the books she was supposed to read (but never actually read) for her high school English classes. “So, do you exclusively read books written before the 20th century or are you just taking a college class in-” She read the title of the book on top of his pile; a collection of short stories by Edgar Allen Poe. “-depressing gothic short stories?”

He laughed, rolling his eyes a bit. “I just like a bit of a challenge when reading. And it’s a rainy day, which calls for ‘depressing gothic short stories,’ not–” He glanced at the one book she’d picked up, a cartoon covered book called Red, White, and Royal Blue. “What I can only assume is a cheesy romance.”

Despite his insult of her choice in books, Y/N couldn’t help the smile on her face. “Well maybe I like reading books that are actually entertaining, not reading so I can be confused by convoluted metaphors.” 

Just as he opened his mouth to respond, their conversation was disrupted. “Y/N Y/L/N? Aren’t you from that doctor show on television?” Y/N turned to see the woman that had been at the register earlier slowly walking over. 

“That’s me! It’s nice to meet you!” Y/N’s real smile suddenly switched to a smaller, more practiced one. It’s not that she didn’t love meeting fans–she’d just been enjoying a conversation with someone who wasn’t treating her differently. 

“Oh I knew I recognized you! My granddaughter loves her show, she was so upset when you decided to transfer to that fancy british hospital and…” The woman started rambling on a bit about the stuff her character had done and how her granddaughter reacted to it. Y/N glanced over at the guy she’d been talking to, who seemed entertained by the whole interaction. “...Anyways, do you think we could take a picture? My granddaughter will just never believe you were here!”

“Of course, um, do you mind taking it for us…?”

“Spencer. Yeah, I’ll take the picture for you. Do you have a camera, Mrs. Waverly?” Clearly the guy, Spencer, was a bit of a regular here if he knew her by name. 

“Yes, yes, it’s around here somewhere…” The woman scrambled off, muttering to herself about where she’d last seen the camera.

“So…” Spencer spoke first, breaking the somewhat awkward silence while they waited for Mrs. Waverly. “You read cheesy romances and star in cheesy Grey’s Anatomy knockoffs?”

“Hey! It wasn’t a Grey’s-” His pointed look made her stop. “Ok, it was totally a Grey’s Anatomy knockoff, but I’m not on the show anymore so you can’t make fun of me for it!”

Mrs. Waverly finally reappeared, with an old polaroid camera in her hands. The two quickly took a picture, which Y/N happily signed for the woman. By the time both Y/N and Spencer had bought their books, the rain had slowed to a light drizzle. 

“So, um…” Spencer started, but trailed off, not knowing what to say.

“My hotel is just down the street.” Y/N said, pointing in the right direction. Spencer’s eyes widened a bit before Y/N realized what she’d said. “Not that I’m like, inviting you to my hotel room, I’m not, that’d be crazy, I just-” She cut herself off, trying to not ramble anymore. “Do you wanna walk with me? Tell me more about your depressing book?”

Luckily, Spencer wasn’t put off by her rambling. “I’d love to. Poe isn’t always depressing, really…” He started, as the two of you walked slowly towards your hotel.

From there, the short walk turned into a coffee date the next day, which turned into long FaceTimes while one or both of you were in different cities, which lead to where you are now; 8 months deep in a relationship and finally in town with Spencer. He’d still have work of course, but you’d be in town for the next two months as your next job wasn’t starting for a while. 

The two of you were basically in an extended honeymoon phase. Only your closest friends knew that you were dating anyone, so you never had to worry about it leaking to the press. You figured when the two of you got more serious you’d eventually have to go public with the relationship, but for now it was nice having something just for you. 

You were in Spencer’s apartment, scrolling through Netflix looking for something new to watch, when Spencer arrived home from work.

“I think my team knows that we’re dating.” 

“What?”

Spencer made his way to the couch, laying down next to Y/N as he continued, “Well obviously JJ knows, but she said she wouldn’t tell anyone. I’m sure Hotch and Rossi at least have figured out that I’m dating someone, but I don’t think they care enough to figure out who. But today Garcia and Morgan were just acting weird. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if-”

Spencer was cut off by a knock at the door. “Spencer Reid if you don’t open this door right now I’m making Derek kick it down!” 

“Let me guess…that’s Garcia.” Y/N said, laughing as Spencer rolled his eyes and got up to open the door. 

“Spencer, are you actually dating a movie star? And you didn’t tell me?” Garcia complained, not yet seeing Y/N sitting on the couch as she entered the room, solely focused on Spencer. Derek walked in next, immediately noticing Y/N and smiling at her. Y/N made her way over, trying not to laugh at Garcia’s widening eyes when she noticed her. 

“Sorry, I think it’s my fault that he didn’t tell you. We’re just keeping things quiet right now.” You explained, “I’m Y/N, by the way.” 

Derek was the first to grab your hand. “Derek Morgan. I’m sorry about all this, she was just curious.”

“I’m Penelope! And you’re Y/N and I love your work so much you don’t even know!” Penelope began rambling, taking Y/N’s arm in hers and leading her over to the couch as she talked about her favorite parts of Y/N’s movie. Derek and Spencer slowly followed, talking amongst themselves.

“So…Spencer Reid and Y/N Y/L/N. How’d that happen?” Derek asked. 

Spencer smiled, thinking back to that night 8 months ago. “We met in a bookstore last year.”

Derek laughed, because of course Reid would meet a girl at a bookstore. “You happy?”

Again, he smiled. “I’ve never been happier.”

~~~

taglist

@avada-kedavra-bitch-187 @kenzi-woycehoski @esposadomd @andreasworlsboring101 @peculiarinsomniac 

[heloflor]

Ok so last week I saw the videos/screenshots talking about fop Peri which got me a bit curious about this show, and after seeing “Battle of the Dimmsonian” and especially the Cosmo-Wanda-Peri part of “Lost in Fairy World” (there’s someone on Tumblr posting clips of all the Peri-centric moments since his debut), I was genuinely impressed with how the characters were written and I wanted to gush about them! On top of doing some overanalysis of those characters. Btw I also saw some clips from “Operation: Birthday Takeback” (again the Cosmo-Wanda-Peri side of it).

So here’s a post talking about Cosmo and Wanda’s relationship with Peri, Peri in general, Peri with Dev and a few other random thoughts about the early episodes given this made me start to watch the show (ended up making it its own post), though I haven’t gone far yet (I’m on like episode 5-6, which is episode 4a or something). On that note, take what I say in this post with a HUGE grain of salt since I don’t have the full context for Dev’s character arc.

Tl;Dr: The Fairywinkle-Cosmas are adorable, loving but also realistic in their portrayal.

Peri is the definition of “20 years-old who recently left his parents’ home” and I love him for it.

Dev and Peri are a terrible match due to Peri’s inexperience, Dev not taking him seriously, and Dev’s daddy issues making it hard for him to connect with a fairy who has loving parents.

(Btw on top of the characters moments, what made me start to watch the show is also the fact it’s apparently incredibly wholesome and fun + apparently the writers of “Infi//nity Train” worked on it (and if that’s true it’s crazy how nobody is talking about it to bring in new fans; I mean remember when the Duck//tales reboot came out and everyone pointed out how the writers of Gra//vity Falls worked on it? We should do the same thing here, at least again if it’s true) + Hartman isn’t involved and it’s hilarious how the creator of those characters not getting involved is a good thing)

Oh and spoilers for “Battle of the Dimmsonian”, “Lost in Fairy World” and “Operation: Birthday Takeback”! (4.6k Words below)

--

Ok so “Lost In Fairy World” and why I love its characters’ writing so much. I’m actually going to start by the lesson at the end and build from there as it seems like the best way to get a train of thought going.

So the lesson of the episode for me was basically a “new hire vs experienced employees” with a second layer added due to the three fairies being family, and that’s already something I really appreciate!

By the end of the episode, Cosmo and Wanda learn that they need to back off and let Peri do his thing. He’s an adult, he got hired for a reason, let him do his own trial and error and learn his own way. But at the same time, Peri shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help or advice if he needs it, the more experienced people are here for that! And again, there’s the family layer to that discussion that I really like, with Cosmo and Wanda being particularly clingy bc Peri is their son, while Peri is particularly embarrassed to ask them for help because they’re his parents, probably not helped by the fact he likely very recently left their home and seeks his independence.

And that’s another thing I absolutely love after watching this episode and “Battle of the Dimmsonian”, with “Operation: Birthday Takeback” adding to it as well: Honestly, Peri has to be one of the most realistic depictions of “20-something who just left his parents’ house” I’ve ever seen (yeah I don’t watch much stuff outside of cartoons, working on that). They somehow managed to make him very clearly be an adult with adult responsibilities, all the while giving him a level of inexperience and immaturity that reminds you he’s still young.

Giving some examples, the way he talks in general makes it obvious he’s an adult, and when introducing himself to Dev + telling him he can’t visit Fairy World in “Lost in Fairy World”, he has that suave put-together personality to himself. But at the same time this suave personality crumbles the second Dev opens him mouth.

And on top of that, Peri’s one day into his job and his already exhausted, spends the entirety of his debut episode worrying about what his parents will think of his career choice, and in stressful situations tends to turn towards others for help very quickly (reading Da Rules, low-key panicking a bit and looking at his parents in “Lost in Fairy World”, hiding when facing Vicky, moments like those).

There are also those moments where he either acts or sounds childish (with his voice even getting a bit higher), like when Wanda asks if he has a godkid plus him hiding behind his wand right before that, and earlier on when he didn’t want them to see him, the “my wand is missing” line and tracker line in “Lost in Fairy World” (the “sowwy” when telling them his tracker is off tho), the ending of this episode as well when he apologizes to them, also when his parents tell Jorgen that Peri did nothing wrong and he lets them take the fall, or that moment in “Operation: Birthday Takeback” when he goes “moooom” with a whine.

That’s actually something I absolutely love about those interactions, and why I find them realistic. It could have been SO easy for the writers to make Peri act like an adult all the time while his parents are the coddling cringy kind that make him look like a kid. But instead, it comes from both sides. You can clearly tell from how Cosmo and Wanda act that he’s their baby boy, but you can also see from Peri’s dialogues and actions that they are his parents. And I am so happy they took this direction!

So yeah, Peri is the most “young adult who just left the nest” ever and I absolutely adore this characterization. He’s an adult with a job and responsibilities, but he’s still young and can find himself relying on his parents or talking to them in a childish way. Such good character work!

Another thing I love about their dynamic that we see very well in “Lost in Fairy World” is just how much those three love each other. That’s something I did hear about this show, that it was a lot more fun and sweet (compared to the og which could be very cruel and cynical when it wanted), and you can really see it with those three.

With Cosmo and Wanda taking over Peri’s job, you can tell they’re not doing it out of any malice or feeling that Peri can’t do it. Heck if you pause at the scene where Peri tells Dev he can’t go to Fairy World, after he’s done talking and right before Cosmo takes another picture, you can see Cosmo and Wanda looking at Peri with the biggest smile (and it’s adorable!). And it’s the same with the rest of the episode. If anything, they’re so used to taking care of godkids that they just do it out of habit, without realizing they’re causing an issue.

Heck I’d even theorize that their behavior is partly due to their time with Timmy, hence it being a force of habit. For a long time (possibly 50 years if that one secret wish is canon), Poof/Peri was with his parents helping with Timmy, but he wouldn’t do much besides granting wishes. Poof couldn’t talk, so most of the time he’d just stand there while his parents did all of the talking. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of this was the reason why Cosmo and Wanda are straight up talking over Peri in “Lost in Fairy World”, they just got used to do so when taking care of Timmy and are now getting back into this habit.

On top of that, Cosmo and Wanda are just excited to finally be with their son again after their 10 thousand years-long vacation. Plus, when Peri does call them out, by the end of it they acknowledge their mistake and apologize, promising to back off. And while they remain cuddly towards him, from the looks of it they did stop coming in-between Peri and Dev, letting their son do his thing.

Also worth noting that, despite doting on Peri, they still very much talk to him like they would talk to an adult. Yes they hug him a lot (and I mean a lot) and call him pet names, and they were definitely excited to see him again in “Lost in Fairy World”, but other than that they clearly respect him as an adult, listening to him and trusting him. I’m not going to list examples because it’s basically every dialogue in which they don’t “baby” him. That being said I feel like “Operation: Birthday Takeback” displays it the best from what I’ve seen of it.

As for Peri’s side on this, he’s annoyed by his parents stepping in but it’s obvious he doesn’t hate them at all, quite the opposite. He just wants them to take him seriously as an adult, which is understandable. Also the fact he isn’t afraid to call them out is a very good sign. On that note, I love how when telling them his tracker is off, he actually apologizes (though he doesn’t have to, his reasoning for turning it off is understandable, and I appreciate he tells them those reasons!).

Also I live for that scene at the beginning of “Operation: Birthday Takeback” when his parents ask for a tour of the house (btw love Wanda telling him they’re ready to get him out of there if needed), they show interest in his suggestion, which makes Peri smile sheepishly. It’s such a cute moment and to me really shows Peri wanting to be seen as an adult and enjoying being seen that way by them, but also how he’s clearly attached to them! Idk it’s just a very cute moment! I love those three!

Also kind of a last minute addition before moving to Peri and Dev but looking at “Operation: Birthday Takeback”, I can’t help but laugh at how at the very beginning, the second the godkids are doing their own thing, Cosmo and Wanda throw themselves at their son. It’s very sweet. Also I love the implication that they’re here bc they’re Hazel’s godparents and need to stay with her, but also they really wanted any excuse to see their son!

And the reason why I say last minute addition is because this made me realize that Cosmo and Wanda do act pretty differently towards the godkids compared to Peri, which I find to be an interesting detail that makes their characters more complex in a way. Like yes, Cosmo and Wanda are very parental types, but to an extent you can see a line between them being with their godkids, who they are here to mentor and steer in the right direction for a few months until the kid is happy, and them being with their son, who they raised from infancy and isn’t going anywhere.

Now that’s not to say that Cosmo and Wanda don’t love their godkids, it’s obvious how much they adore those kids and care for them and probably remember each and every single one of them, but yeah you can still see a bit of a difference. At the very least, from what I’ve seen so far they can’t help but hug Peri literally everytime they have an excuse to do so, while having a bit more boundaries with Hazel.

But again, that’s a last minute thought and I’ve only seen a handful of episodes, so I might be wrong on that. Take it with a grain of salt. Still, I find it interesting to have those characters who are basically social workers and how there’s a bit of a difference between the kids they take care of for their “job” and the kid they have in their personal life. Again, that’s not to say they aren’t attached to the godkids, they are.

But yeah, all of this to say, the way the Fairywinkle-Cosma family is written in “Lost in Fairy World” honestly blew me away and really got me invested into watching this show, with “Battle of the Dimmsonian” and “Operation: Birthday Takeback” only adding to it (and I’m probably looking way too much into this and making it sound like the writing of this episode is much deeper than it actually is; I’m obsessed with this disaster (affectionate) of a family, help).

As for the part about Peri and Dev, basically there’s an element of Cosmo and Wanda talking over Peri in “Lost in Fairy World” that I wanted to explore, but then “Operation: Birthday Takeback” came out and there’s that moment in the “breakup” scene where Dev talks about his father not noticing his fairy while Peri is being hugged by his parents in the background. And while this is a visual gag, Cosmo and Wanda’s action in this scene actually fits very well thematically and made me realize something about how Dev might feel about Peri.

So now you’re getting a whole section about how Dev and Peri are a terrible match for each other, due to three main reasons:

1. The one everyone already talked about, Peri is severly underqualified. While you could say he’s been a godparent since he was a baby, back then all he did was grant wishes while his parents dealt with the talking + emotional support. Not only was he doing a small part of the job, he also had his parents, other more qualified fairies, helping him. Also the scene with Vicky tells us that Peri doesn’t have the best memories of his time as a baby, which is fair enough.

(note that I believe he was 7-8 years old when he had to say goodbye to Timmy, so he does remember him. As for Vicky, Timmy’s parents likely stopped hiring her once their son was 13-14, hence why Peri only has blurry memories of her, he would’ve been a toddler at best by then)

So yeah, Dev is Peri’s first kid, and Peri is not qualified for him. He loses his patience with the cupcakes, bites back when Dev is short and snappy with him (the classroom scene at the end of the “under//tale” episode, yeah I haven’t watched this one outside of this scene; and the beginning of “Operation: Birthday Takeback” with the flying shoes) and don’t get me started on Peri telling Dev in “Battle of the Dimmsonian” to give the staff back because “what will my parents say if my first godkid dies on me!”

Like PERI??? MAYBE DON’T SAY TO THE KID WITH ABANDONMENT ISSUES THAT YOU ONLY CARE ABOUT HIS WELLBEING BECAUSE YOU WANT TO IMPRESS YOUR PARENTS??? JUST A THOUGHT???

(note that I do believe Peri cares for Dev, it’s just that what he says here really comes off as him not caring, and since Dev is the one hearing what Peri says in that scene...)

Also obviously there’s the ending of “Operation: Birthday Takeback”. Tbh I don’t blame Peri much for this one since, again, he’s severely underqualified, but yeah his response to Dev’s wish was not the right one, which is reflected by Dev reacting with a frustrated scream which honestly made me feel bad for this kid. Peri going “as you wish” is just too distant and “professional”. That’s a kid in a vulnerable state! He needed comfort! Sure Peri had to go because Dev literally wished for it, but a more qualified fairy would have known what to say, if only something along the lines of “take all the time you need, I’ll be there for you once you feel better”.

So yeah, Dev is deeply hurting and a complete newbie who doesn’t have the patience or positivity for it was not going to make things better.

2. What I originally wanted to say about “Lost in Fairy World” before 3. showed its head: I think Cosmo and Wanda being around inadvertently makes things worse for the duo.

Thing is, Dev is a difficult kid. Because of that, I think that in order for him to open up to his fairy, said fairy needs to earn his respect so to speak. And not to say Dev’s fairy should be full on authoritative, but yeah they definitely need to be someone Dev respects and listens to, which is not the case for Peri. And I think the main reason why has to do with Peri’s relationship with his parents.

Basically, kids are smarter than we give them credit for and are observant as well. And what did Dev see his fairy do? Spend the first day on the job being terrified of meeting his parents who turned out to be incredibly sweet people. Then in “Lost in Fairy World” it honestly looks like Peri, Cosmo and Wanda just wanted to catch up and brought the kids for the heck of it, and Dev gets to see his fairy being babied by his parents, along with said parents talking over him. Then as said before there’s also Peri going “mooom” in front of Dev in “Operation: Birthday Takeback”.

And about “Lost in Fairy World”, there’s that moment in the beginning where Cosmo and Wanda tell Dev he can’t go to fairy world, only for Peri to step in and basically repeat the exact same thing as his parents (the “trial” part from Cosmo and “I can’t let you go” from Wanda). And while this line is a joke, I do think it’s important for Peri to put his foot down like that.

Because yeah, Peri is the one Dev should be listening to. It’s not just a question of “this is Peri’s job”, it’s also about Dev seeing Peri as an adult. But with Cosmo and Wanda, it’s a bit more complicated.

This is also another element I really like about this episode, Peri needing to be the one doing the talking so that Dev can take him seriously as a potential guardian.

But yeah, the thing is, it’s not working. Peri’s immaturity shines with his lack of patience for the kid, which Dev picks up on, leading the two of them to get snappy with each other on “even ground” in a way, which doesn’t help Peri’s case. And on top of that you have Cosmo and Wanda, who even with their eccentric side remain mature adults (and I love how them being eccentric doesn’t make them seem any less adult; love adults being allowed to have fun and be themselves without being shamed or called childish for it!).

Now as far as I’m aware the show never really talks about this, but I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if Cosmo and Wanda being around played a role in Dev’s perception of Peri. Not only because of them being mushy parents as previously discussed, but also because they are clearly older and more experienced than Peri, making it harder for Dev to take Peri seriously. Hopefully this makes sense?

And speaking of Dev with Cosmo and Wanda, I actually get the feeling he somewhat respects them? At least more than Peri? And on that note, there’s that scene at the very beginning of “Operation: Birthday Takeback” that I find both adorable but also pretty depressing when it comes to Dev.

When Cosmo, Wanda and Hazel show up, they ask if Dev’s dad is here, to which he mentions “Project H”. And at that Cosmo makes a comment about this project being a big surprise party, and yeah this moments gets me.

Because for a second there, Dev actually smiles. He knows that what his dad is doing has nothing to do with the party, he says so himself in response to Cosmo, but he still smiles, because he understands that Cosmo is trying to cheer him up and appreciates the effort. Idk this gets me, especially also seeing the way Wanda and Peri are looking wary as Cosmo keeps talking, clearly unsure of how Dev will react.

Like am I making a big deal out of a ten seconds moment? Probably. But there’s just something about this sad kid closing himself off whenever his problems are brought up, acting like an entitled brat most of the time as a coping mechanism, yet when this random adult he vaguely knows tries to cheer him up, he’s able to understand it and appreciate it. Idk, again, it just gets me. And sadly it really shows how bad of a match Peri and Dev are. Peri hasn’t been able to get any sort of progress with this kid, but the second his dad shows up and talks a bit suddenly the kid is giving a sincere smile. Yeah…

Now granted in regards to Dev respecting Cosmo and Wanda more, it might also have to do with them not being his godparents, considering Dev is basically using Peri as some sort of servant at times since he’s a spoiled brat and all.

Finally for this part, I want to bring up that scene in the secret lair with Vicky showing up, because to me this is a very good example of Peri actually failing Dev, which in this case will make the kid not take him seriously (on top of not earning his trust and being frustrated with him).

Now I will say, I can’t blame Peri for panicking the way he does upon seeing Vicky (btw I forgot to mention it earlier but the way he goes “lalala” and continues while turning into a drone and looking at the banging door in horror is so real. Again Peri is peak young adult energy). He’s had to deal with that woman since he was a literal infant, of course he’s going to be traumatized!

Still, Dev doesn’t know that. All he knows is that there’s this scary lady his and Hazel’s fairies know about, but he has no idea what history is between them outside of “she was terrible to our previous kid and scares us”. Also he’s 10 and has a bad home-life making him selfish, I don’t think he can fully understand the adults around him being traumatized.

But yeah, all this to say, in this scene, Peri is completely paralyzed, hiding behind the others waiting for Vicky to leave, letting his parents do the talking. And yep, we yet again go back to Cosmo and Wanda being the mature adults around here. Also worth noting that once Vicky puts on the nice act, Hazel stops being afraid of her but Dev still looks intimidated!

In that moment, Peri should have been there to protect Dev. That’s his job as a godfairy. His kid was scared and in potential danger. Yet Peri did absolutely nothing. Instead he stayed hidden, technically behind his kid which means using Dev as cover, and who came to both his and Dev’s rescue? Cosmo and Wanda, the other two fairies in the room, who are clearly more mature and are Peri’s parents.

And again, I don’t blame Peri for being paralyzed in fear like that, but how do you explain that to Dev? How do you tell that kid that he’s braver than his adult magical all-powerful fairy? That while he had to stand and somewhat confront Vicky, that adult fairy that’s supposed to protect him went hiding behind mommy and daddy? Hell from what I’ve seen, earlier in the episode the kids do stand up to Vicky, which makes Peri’s actions worse!

So yeah, hopefully this whole part makes sense as it feels a bit like a mess. The main takeaway here is that Dev needs a fairy that he can see as an almost parental figure, someone he clearly views as an adult and respects as such, that way he can have someone he can trust and be comfortable with, easing him into breaking down his walls. But Peri isn’t any of that. He’s a young adult which makes him still quite immature, and on top of that his parents basically live next door, thus leading Dev to see his fairy getting treated like a kid. It just can’t work out between them as long as they stay like that.

3. Finally, the part related to that moment of Dev talking about his dad while looking at the fairies: Dev has some serious daddy issues related to his father never paying attention to him on account of being a piece of shit who only cares about himself. And the thing is, Dev doesn’t have anyone he can relate to on that front (saying this since it’s hard for him to open up, so having someone with similar issues could be a bit of a push for him).

Hazel has caring parents whose main issue is being busy, on top of her fairies who clearly love her and spend a lot of time taking care of her. Now I haven’t seen much of the school kids but also Dev isn’t exactly close to any of them apparently? Meaning that in any case he can’t relate to them.

Then there’s this fairy that shows up, meant to cater to him but also help him emotionally, and wouldn’t you know this guy talks about wanting to impress his parents and being afraid of them! No but seriously, thinking about it, I can’t help but wonder if for a moment Dev thought he and Peri could bond over family issues, at least subconsciously. But nope! As soon as Peri reunites with his folks, turns out they’re the sweetest most loving parents ever.

I’m actually surprised that from the looks of it the show doesn’t draw a parallel between Dev and Peri on that front. I mean you have a kid with an incredibly absent parent who wants nothing more than to get his dad’s attention, being taken care of by a fairy who finds his parents’ attention suffocating and just wants them to leave him alone. There’s interesting storytelling potential here, especially when taking into account how much those two struggle to get along (basically Peri’s family situation making Dev feel worse in a way due to his confusion as to why Peri puts a bit of distance between himself and his parents)

Which loops back to that scene at the end of “Operation: Birthday Takeback” with Peri getting hugged by his parents while Dev is opening up about his daddy issues and how this visual gag fits the theme of the scene. Dev is feeling like shit about his father not loving him meanwhile the fairy that’s supposed to take care of him is being cuddled by his incredibly loving parents who adore him.

On that note, there’s an element I haven’t touched on in this episode, and it’s the fact that Hazel and Dev were in trouble with Vicky but didn’t have their fairies to protect them due to the trio visiting the house. While this scene is another example of Peri failing Dev, what I find most interesting about it is the fact that Peri “abandoned” Dev to spend time with his parents. Idk, I can’t help but think that this detail twists the knife even further for Dev. Not only was his fairy not here to protect him, but his absence is due to him hanging out with his parents who love him and wanted to spend time with him.

Speaking of which, I wonder if Dev is also angry at the fact that Cosmo and Wanda are able to take care of Hazel and be there for her whenever she needs while still finding the time to hang out with their son and be involved in his life. In a way it’s further proof that Dale is an atrocious parent, at least when taking into account Dev’s pov since I doubt a kid his age spends a lot of time hanging out with other parents, so Cosmo and Wanda are basically the only couple he can compare his father to. Basically I could see Dev noticing how much Cosmo and Wanda do and it making him feel even worse about why his dad doesn’t love him the same.

But yeah all this to say, just like everyone else in his life, Peri can’t understand Dev’s issues with his father, issues that are the core reason why he has a fairy in the first place. On top of that, Peri not only has the one thing Dev wants, but the kid sees him push it away on numerous occasions.

And that’s the end of what I wanted to say here. Hopefully this isn’t too much of a mess since I’m writing this while sick + sleep-deprived due to illness + haven’t watched much of the show past a few episodes and the clips on Tumblr.

On that note, yet again please take this post with a grain of salt, especially the Dev-Peri part. I originally just planned on gushing about “Lost in Fairy World” and how much I love the Fairywinkle-Cosma in it, but seeing the ending of “Operation: Birthday Takeback” made me want to talk a little more about Dev. That being said given how little I’ve watched there’s probably a lot I’m missing about this kid, so by no means do I think this analysis is perfect (also, the fact I’m writing this while ill…). Now Dev does seem to be a “predictable” character, hence why I feel somewhat comfortable writing this despite seeing so little, but again I might be wrong.

(Btw when I say Dev is predictable I’m in no way saying it negatively, quite the opposite! I love that him getting a fairy low-key made him worse, and I’m very curious as to how they’re going to resolve him spiraling the way he’s currently doing.)

In any case, thanks for reading!

[skzooweemama]

Hello!!! Omg I've recently been obsessing over your posts 😅 I love your writing style!

If you're not too busy, could you do a thing that's like skz's reactions to finding out you're ticklish?

It's totally fine if you don't want to, take care!! 💕

yes ofccccc!! i'm so glad you like my writing!

formal apologies to all my not ticklish stays- just pretend for this one :) <33

two posts in two days? who am i? guess i’m on a writing kick lol- unfortunately i do not think this will continue (but also i don’t want it to be another month before i post again so i’m gonna do my best)

anyway- hope y’all enjoy!! this was super fun to write! still experimenting w formatting too so stay tuned 😵‍💫

~~~

Bang Chan:

channie definitely figured it out quick

literally he is always touching you

we've been over this

of course he is a gentleman

his love language may be physical touch, but he had to make sure you're okay w that first!

waits until you begin to initiate affection more often before he gets clingy

but then he's kind of all over you :)

you invited him over to your place one night, and even though he had just been working for hours, he was just too excited to see you

he was super tired though, so you took it upon yourself to set up a cute movie date so the two of you could just chill out and cuddle

at first, channie was just happily cuddled up against your side, an arm lazily slug around you waist while you petted his hair

it was cute and sleepy and perfect

until he just had to go and mess it up

chan's musicality seemed to get the best of him as he began to drum the rhythm to one of their tracks out on your waist

your very ticklish waist

there was a noble and valiant effort to stop yourself from freaking out, but alas

you let out a squeal and suddenly chan perked up, his exhaustion completely gone

safe to say you got pinned to the couch and tickled within an inch of your life

praying for you babe, he is a true monster

Lee Know:

minho wasn't really on the hunt for your tickle spots tbh

honestly, it's not something he thinks about a lot

unless it's happening right in front of him or he's feeling mischievous and he can take it out on someone in his direct vicinity (ex. our maknae on top)

his interest has to be piqued first

that's why when he figured out that you're ticklish, it was literally in the most cliche way possible

that's right- you got stuck in your shirt

it was a cute top that was way too expensive, but you had splurged a bit because you wanted something nice to wear on night outs

unfortunately, it was also incredibly tight and hard to get on and off

especially for your tipsy post-date brain... you were struggling

that's how minho found you, with your top half off, arms trapped in the fabric pulled over your head

he scoffed at you, shaking his head and tutting that you should've asked for help

just like him to be condescending at a time like this smh

but he does help you, grasping at your fabric cage and yanking upwards

and it was so helpful, except for the fact that he just barely brushed your underarms

which made you squeal and pull away from him

which made him curious

minho helped you out of the top completely before he decided to explore what made you squeal like that

after that, though, he tackled you onto the bed and found every single tickle spot you had before he even thought about letting you go

and he's a meanie too... idk if you'll survive :)

Changbin:

changbin has definitely tried to tickle you before

he just never found the spot

yk how sometimes you'll see vids of idols "tickling" their member's forearms or like shoulder?

he did shit like that, fully expecting you to laugh

safe to say you did not

so he had mostly given up, content with the fact that you aren't ticklish

however

he did start to take you on gym dates

and on one of these gym dates he discovered just how wrong he was

you decided to try to do an unassisted chin up, which you had been building up to by using resistance bands each time you tried

changbin was standing close by for moral support (and also to catch you just in case)

you made sure to remember the proper technique and pulled yourself all the way up, chin just meeting the bar

changbin cheered when you dropped down, grasping your waist and kissing your cheek proudly

you felt so victorious! but when changbin's hand just brushed against the skin of your stomach from beneath your shirt, you froze and let out a squeak of surprise

despite my earlier comments, changbin is no dummy

you can be sure that later that night he decided to see just how sensitive you really were

you'll never have a moment of peace with him now ;))))

Hyunjin:

hyunjin is a poker

for some reason, those long fingers of his are just drawn to exposed skin

changbin is a frequent target, but tbh all of the members have fallen victim to his shenanigans at some point

and ofc, there's no special treatment, even if you're dating him

you will be poked, and it will tickle

your first mistake was wearing a new shirt that had those slits going diagonally down the front of the top

you hadn't even thought anything of it when you put it on that morning

i mean, it's a shirt and you were under the assumption that your boyfriend wasn't a weirdo

(you were wrong)

that night, hyunjin decided to help you make some dinner

and by "help" i mean he stood behind you with his hands around your waist and his chin on your shoulder while you cooked, talking your ear off about whatever came to his mind

he's annoying

anyway, eventually he got bored

you were too focused on the food! how could you ignore him?!

as he stewed in his boredom, his fingers found their way to the slits in the front of your shirt and brushed up against your warm skin

and then, he delivered one firm poke

right to your bellybutton

immediately, you let out a strained giggle and tried to move away from him, but unfortunately he had you trapped between the kitchen counter and his body

before you could even devise another plan of escape, his hands slipped beneath your shirt and began to wreck your tummy, shirt slits be damned

you nearly died that night, and it was certainly not the last time something like that happened~

Han:

jisung was shy

really he was, especially at the beginning of your relationship

it took him a while to even work up the nerve to kiss you after you began dating, and even then he was kind of drunk

but somewhere around the 3 month mark, a switch flipped

he began to touch you more and he was more playful

introverts are funny like that

it stands to reason that he discovered how ticklish you were not long after

i mean, how were you supposed to respond when he asked to give you a foot massage? say no?

you tried that, but he pouted and you caved

you sort of accepted the fact that he'd find out, especially when you got out of the shower to find him on your bed with lotion and foot masks

and he looked so fcking cute too, curse you jisung >:(

safe to say he knew something was up as soon as you sat down to offer him a foot to massage

you were bright red, stuttering, and even sweating a lil bit

and when he started teasing?! telling you how cute you looked?!!?

oh no, you were done for

he couldn't even start massaging, you collapsed in giggles as soon as his fingers grazed the bottoms of your feet with lotion

your silly boyfriend started laughing at you, and the next thing you knew, your feet were headlocked beneath his arm and he was going to town on them

you screamed and thrashed, and eventually pulled a foot away and gave him a good kick

bad idea, because now he's gonna get revenge by finding out what other spots make you scream <3

Felix:

felix was totally curious

like you knew he was ticklish (you reminded him of that fact frequently), so shouldn't he know if you were too?

he thought he should

his investigation began one evening when he came over for a sleepover

you, ofc, were expecting nothing but cuddles and romantic cutesy stuff

after your last week of midterms at university, it felt more necessary than ever

felix, on the other hand, was nothing if not conniving

it wasn't his fault that you just looked so cute in your pjs

perfect to test his theories on as well

you had dragged him to the bathroom so you could do skincare together, and then made him sit through a face mask, and then you two finally went to bed

but felix still had to wait for the perfect moment

and he wasn't gonna stop you when your lips found their way to his, small kisses blossoming into a lazy make-out session

emphasis on "lazy" because honestly you could hardly keep your eyes open by the time he pulled away

he giggled and brushed your hair from your eyes, thumb tracing your kiss-swollen lips as he whispered about how pretty you were

you flushed, scolding him about being a tease before you reached to turn off your bedside table lamp

felix suddenly remembered his mission

and his time had arrived

you just barely clicked the light off before felix stuck his fingers right into your armpit, massaging deep circles into your flesh

you positively squealed, unable to stop yourself from falling into witch-like cackles

felix's investigation was a success, and you can bet he'd use these findings again and again

Seungmin:

seungmin tickles you to get what he wants

or at least, he does after he finds out about your weakness

and it doesn't take long really

technically, the two of you weren't even official yet when he makes the discovery

the night before, one thing kind of led to another during an after-party, and the next thing you knew, you woke up in the same bed

wearing very little

anywayyyy

seungmin was the first to wake up in the morning with a raging headache

no lie, he felt like he had been run over by 20 tour buses

somehow, when he saw you, cuddled into his chest snoozing peacefully, he felt less gross

it was probably because he was in love with you, but he wasn't really ready to admit that to himself yet

and he did really have to pee, and he could not do that with you koalabeared onto him

no time to think about emotions or anything

at first, he tried to shake you awake, which proved to be futile

next, he tried prying your arms off from around his waist, but your grip was like iron

finallly, he tried poking and prodding you because he didn't have any other ideas

almost immediately you began to squirm away, trying to fight off the tickles in your sleepy state

eventually (partly because you were too cute gently giggling and partly because now he really needed to pee) he finally dug into your sides and really gave you a good wake up call

you woke up laughing loudly from the tickles, and when your vision cleared, you saw a blushing seungmin making his way to the bathroom

I.N:

Jeongin tickles you when you annoy him

which you do a lot

it's like you were built to push all of his buttons istg

the first time he ever found out you were ticklish, you were making fun of him

it was a personal favorite pastime of yours

(definitely not because you thought jeongin was hot when he was frustrated, no ofc not)

today had just not been a good day for him in the slightest

his voice was a bit hoarse so he couldn’t record, he kept missing steps in their dance practice, and to top it all off he was breaking out from the stress of a new comeback

so really, why were you adding gas to that fire?

usually you only bugged him because you wanted to get his mind off of whatever was bothering him

your teasing was light hearted, and you never had bad intentions

but when you wouldn’t stop asking for kisses, started whining at him after he said he didn’t wanna give you kisses, and then sat yourself right on top of him and refused to move… that’s when he got fed up

and yet you kept it up

jeongin decided he needed to do something drastic

and of course he’d never hurt you and he wasn’t truly mad, but he did need to teach you a lesson

so… he set his hands on your hips, looking up at you from where you were seated on his lap, facing him

and he asked if you would move

when you said “no” once again, he squeezed your hips like his life depended on it

you shrieked and fell to the side, trying to squirm away from his evil hands as they tickled you mercilessly

as jeongin pinned you down and made you laugh until you couldn’t breathe, you couldn’t help but think about how you deserved this

whatever, it was fun so you just decided to be even more annoying in the future :)

[zukadiary]

Hi! I hope you're well! I wanted to ask something I was curious about. I recently saw a DVD of Me and My Girl with Yuzuka Rei as Jacqueline. I’m impressed by her versatility, I usually know her for otokoyaku roles. Could you explain how casting decisions are made when otokoyaku are given female roles or vice versa? Are there specific criteria for this? Also, any other notable performances of this kind you'd recommend? Thank you so much for making this blog btw! I've learned so much from it. ^_^

Hi! I don't think there are any hard and fast rules about this, but there are definitely patterns.

First off, there are certain female roles in big-name, frequently restaged shows that are either always or usually played by otokoyaku. Off the top of my head, some include:

Jacqueline in MeMy, as you mentioned

Scarlett in Gone with the Wind

Anita in West Side Story

Rafaela in Grand Hotel

Then sometimes they are just one-off casting decisions (Towaki Sea in Liszt, Ayanagi Shou in Hikarifuru Michi, etc). Regardless of the situation, it's usually for one or a combination of these reasons:

It's a "spunky," or more mature, or canonically cross-dressing role, that would break the mold of the musumeyaku-otokoyaku relationship

It's an incredibly high profile role, but the troupe has no top musumeyaku—e.g. Sena Jun as Elisabeth in '05, Nagina Ruumi in '09—and a secondary musumeyaku would not be nearly as much of a draw to the audience as a higher ranked otokoyaku

Or it's a really high profile role, and otokoyaku just bring in more money than musumeyaku, so a heavy supporting female role goes to an otokoyaku rather than a secondary musumeyaku

Fan service!

Here are some of my recommendations from most to least recent:

Grand Hotel - lots good about it, but cw for egregious racial makeup in supporting characters

Soragumi's Anastasia, for both Kazuki Sora and Kotobuki Tsukasa in female roles

All for One, which is quite fun, and features Saou Kurama as the Duchess of Montpensier

Ok this is pretty Tamaki Ryou heavy for some reason, but Legend of King Arthur for Miya Rurika's Morgane

Shall we Dance, one of my all time favorite shows, featuring Sagiri Seina as the female lead

A Song for Kingdoms, the 2003 Hoshigumi version, featuring Aran Kei as Aida (also cw for some racial makeup)

There's a lot of other great stuff too!

EDIT: HOW COULD I FORGET ADELAIDE??? Highly recommend thanks for the comment!

[jeskoholic]

A Little Piece of You Chapter 17: The Ideal Girlfriend

This is a chapter from an on-going series. If you missed out on the previous entries, you can check my masterlist.

Previous chapter: A Coffee Date

Word count: 5,640

Tags: Male OC, Bestfriend Yujin, College friends, School Convo

Enjoy

“Come on man; I already explained things to you… I don’t have a girlfriend. Don’t be stupid.”

“Oh, is that the really the case?”

“Dawn… I know who you’re talking about and you’re dead wrong. She is just my best friend and there’s nothing else in the middle. I don’t know what made you think about anything about that.”

Dawn chuckled.

“What do you mean, Jae-in? Eve you called her as your ‘girlfriend’ at some point, right?”

“I did that because she’s a girl, right? She’s also my friend, so I think it just makes sense that I warrant myself calling her that. And by the way, I did that because of that one particular time that Shinwon and Kino drank their butts off and started asking stupid questions. I remember answering back at their claims just to make them both shut up. It was my only way out.”

“Well, sometimes things do work out like that especially with Shinwon and Kino. It’s funny how we don’t often see them talking together recently… “

“Hey, I don’t know what’s with you and the rest of UK, but why are y’all putting me in the hot seat now? You have no idea how much of a chore I had to endure with all the questioning from Hongseok and the others. Heck, even Yeri is being added to the mix and I can’t do anything about it. It feels weird that I’m complaining about this now, especially when I was so cool at it a while back but… I guess I was just uncomfortable talking about Soyeon especially to them. I only felt that when I was already relaying what transpired.”

“I don’t know about them… as far as I’m concerned, I just want to everyone else to be happy. I mean, look how well this first official date went with Jisoo. Like I said, if I don’t screw things up, this boat is sailing away smoothly. As a friend, I want those same things to happen to you guys as well, especially you, my man. I can’t even express to you how happy am I knowing my friends are good with Jisoo. It makes my efforts for her more relaxed knowing I have you guys behind me.”

“I’m happy for you man. It turned out to be a good idea that you brought us on this.”

“Wait, Jae-in… I just realized something…”

“Which is…?”

“You know with all of these happening… I’m sorry but I’ll have to introduce Soyeon to the conversation again. Do you mind?”

“Go ahead, I guess. We’re pretty much talking about her already at this point so might as well.”

Dawn scratched the back of his head just as he and Jae-in crossed a street towards a bright shop, of where they proceeded to continue on walking.

“I realized that… it’s been a while since you and Soyeon went dating, or went out, whatever… I just figured, you never introduced her to anyone else rather than the group, am I correct? I’m curious as to how she’d react with Soyeon given her personality is drastically different from most of us.”

“Who are we talking about? Is it Yujin?”

“Of course man, who else could it be? You know how Yujin works and how she’s so picky with stuff, especially those who date you. It’s funny to think how Wonyoung hated her so much back in high school and her predictions never came to fruition. You and Yujin were still friends up to this day. It’s hilarious when I think about how much that hated seeing each other because of you. I wonder how your ex would react once she finds out that you two have gone stronger ever since.”

“I get where you’re going at. Yujin is pretty much very nitpicky on whoever I’m dating, or having an intention to date but she has her reasons. After what happened with Wonyoung, she made sure to have my back ever since. She’s always been the brain in my heart, as I tend to act out of impulse without thought. I would go as far and say that she’s the voice inside my head telling me to think twice about things before heading in, which is exactly why I trust her so much. Also, you know how guys have that hint whenever a dickhead is hitting on a girl with malicious intent? Girls have that too, man, and Yujin’s been the one warning me of everything… well, at least until recently anyway.”

“Yeah, I know that. I just wondered, in case you introduced Soyeon to her… what do you think she’d say about her, then? Do you think she’s going to have the same thought like you did?”

“Knowing Yujin, she’ll be the first person to tell me to back off. All those realizations, all those reasons why I chose to end it with Soyeon… I’m sure she would have seen it coming before I even thought about it. It would feel as if she’d be the one to back off for me while I still can’t get the courage to do so. I don’t know; like I said: womanly instincts. She’d be sure to tease about it to me at some point along that, too.”

Dawn nodded.

“Well, in a way I envy you; girls are pretty hard to understand. At least you have Yujin there to help you out for things, especially on the red flags we guys are normally blind to.”

“I guess so… although with that whole thing with Soyeon, I never really told her anything. Joohyun-noona even knows more than her on this regard… I guess I never really had the chance to tell her as it went on… I just never thought of her as well. With how quiet she is, maybe she’s just really busy recently.

“You know what, come to think of it… I never saw Yujin since the semester began. I guess being on a different engineering department ought to show how dedicated she is compared to us, and how physically and mentally committed she is on school. Then again, I didn’t expect less from a high school top student. At least she’s not spending her weekends going to bars like we do.”

“Jae-in, but I heard that you barely join Kyungsoo and the others when they invite you out. I heard that you’re not even showing up.”

There was a pause, which involved Jae-in giving his friend a joking glare only for Dawn to return it with a smirk.

“Okay, Mr Smart-ass, I know you’re happy. I get it. I’m happy for you as well. I just don’t get why Yujin suddenly got dragged into this conversation out of nowhere. Point is I really haven’t talked to her for a while so she has no idea what’s going on with me. It might surprise her with how much shit I’ve been through without even being halfway across the semester.”

“Maybe that’s the point. I genuinely got curious how come she’s never heard of anything… surprised, even. You got to tell her and catch up, man. You two have been through a lot and she ought to know at some point. In that case, it would be better if it would be from you.”

Kim Hyojong and Yoon Jae-in reached the end path of the long street they have been traversing on. The skies have completely showed its vibrant purple hue as the day succumbed into the incoming evening. As always, Seoul’s bright night life had begun to bare itself amidst the baby steps of the twilight. Shops began to show their innate beauty along with the approaching evening, with Jae-in only being able to realize what he was missing right as he and Hyojong were about to part ways. He stood with his eyes on the marketplace’s humble horizon, its roof carefully etched to match the elegance of the incoming dusk.

Maybe I should. I do kinda miss that chaos of a girl as well.

---

After the grand culmination of Dawn’s plan, it was suffice to say that he had once again become incognito, but I quite expected that. I really could not blame him; after that good enough of a start, he ought to focus all of his efforts towards Jisoo if he really want to make the most out of what has been given to him. Plus, the rest of the United Kwangya have been really confined lately, with the conversations solely existing between the occasional appearances of Ningning complaining about how she constantly forgets her basic maths skills, Kino teasing her about it, Kyungsoo moderating all of them. Yeri and Shinwon became the new love birds of the group effectively replacing me and Soyeon, which was a good thing. Granted, we never really displayed our affection in front of our friends, even if it was just a group chat, but at least the rest of the members attention were focused on them and not us. They didn’t even bother to bring up the topic of Jisoo and Dawn for the rest of the conversations.

Still, there was no word from Soyeon, as expected. It was also rather odd that I don’t see her around campus, be it with Ningning or Kyungsoo even for just a chance encounter. I don’t know if she’s doing that on purpose or we’re really just not allowed to see each other with fate dictating what the best is for both of us.

But I guess I could not complain with that. At least she and I could get a huge breathing room.

With the threat of the exams just being around the corner, I figured I might as well grab the chance to catch up with a long-time friend of mine. Who knows when she’ll be busy again?

I messaged Yujin exactly on that night that Dawn and I went our separate ways. Well, given the really tight schedule of this particular woman, I had to arrange our next get-together after quite a long time. Days passed and it was another weekend, and like how it passed by with Hyojong I found myself on a local bubble tea shop with a rather high, wooden ceiling. It was this small, compact space with a natural vibe echoing off of it with the wooden furniture, floorboards, ceiling, as well as the entire house-like feel of it. The open windows raged from all around, with the rear exit offering a veranda filled with chairs coupled with the breath-taking view of the city.

As much as I love the feel of the wind grazing my face as we’d consume our respective bubble teas, with the length of Yujin’s hair it ought to get to her face at some point. I don’t want to ruin her experience here just because of that, so I elected to pick tables indoors.

“Jae-in, heya,” I heard her voice call from the entrance of the shop’s doorway, appearing all in her youthful presence as she supplied me with an enthusiastic smile. “You finally decided to ask me out, hmmm? Can’t seem to find the perfect fairy for all this?”

Ahn Yujin greeted me on the same way she would almost every time I see her, and that is always with a wide smile over her tall stature. She showed up today with the clear understanding that white was the colour for that meet, having decided to wear a matching white long sleeves and track pants, finished with her white sneakers that fixed the over-all get-up while a folded jacket draped over her arm. Yujin had once again decided to have her bangs, and I think it suited her perfectly. Seeing her on a hairstyle I haven’t seen her do since high school, and especially on this time that I haven’t seen her for a while, it felt so nostalgic and very comforting in a way. It did felt like a relief to see my best friend from highschool looking and glowing so well. I’d lie if I didn’t miss this girl one bit.

“Give me a break, Yujin,” I replied to her as I smirked. “This might be on me but it’s far from being a date. I already ordered and it’s already here for you. I was actually serious when I said that your tea might screw itself up when you come in late.”

“Excuse me, oppa; you’re the one who’s early. I’m just in time. If this tastes bad, I’m going to ask you for another one.”

“I’m willing to bet that it’s not. I made sure to get your favourite.”

“Is that so?” Yujin replied as she rather surprisingly took the space next to me instead of the chair opposite where I was seated. She placed the small hand bag she had with her and brushed her bangs before taking the drink ordered for her.

“You know that there is a chair opposite me, right?”

“Well, I can see that. I can also see that you’re smart enough to pick the couch for yourself. In that case, endure sitting there. At least you have a pretty fairy next to you; that’s not a loss whatsoever.”

“It feels like it’s you who missed teasing me, Yujinnah. It almost makes me feel bad that I treated you out here,” I replied to her as a joke, which immediately earned a slap towards my arm.

“Yah, fine I’ll just stop,” she said and then proceeded to sip from the drink I bought her. “So what’s up with the sudden call, Jae-in? Are you heartbroken again?”

Oh my god… the fact that I know she’s joking but at the same time being so spot on is crazy on itself.

Now it feels awkward to open up because she did it first like that.

“I guess that’s the case then. You’re silence is more than enough evidence for it. Plus, your face says it all,” she concluded before I could even speak.

It’s so hard when someone knows you so damn much.

“Come on now… of course at some point I’m going to have to ask you out for us to catch up. I know how busy your department could get, being stuck on huge Chem books and all. I’m surprised that you even squeezed me into your busy sched.”

“It’s not that hectic, Jae-in, really. Most of you people are pretty much exaggerating when it comes to our study habits as well as our activities.”

“Really…? So everything that I’ve been hearing was just an exaggeration? Is that why I never even managed to bump unto you if it was even just by chance? It’s like we’re not even in the same university, you know.”

“Well… actually… it’s not an exaggeration because it’s an understatement, really. Oh my… you have no idea how happy I am that you asked me out, actually. I’ve never felt so burned out recently. You not being my classmate take a lot of time getting used to.”

“You’re not used to being around that much of a girl circle now, do you?”

“It’s… It’s definitely different. The people I’m with now… I feel like they’re so pigeonholed into the one goal of the degree we’re all pursuing. I get that, but I’m naturally a fun and outgoing person so… having to stay back with them feels really hard, especially when I’m used to being with you and not taking things all too seriously while still making things work out. It feels impossible to do that now. I also kinda miss us walking home together and sharing some street food on the way to the apartment like we did before. I can’t do that now because… I need to be high profile to blend in. It sucks for my wallet, too.”

“Did I mishear you or did you just tell me that you missed me?”

Yujin nearly choked from her chocolate mix as she supressed a laugh. That was not really intentional.

“Maybe I did… this entire thing of us going out felt so refreshing to me. I’m being serious now.”

“Well, if that’s the case… I’m happy that I thought of asking you when I did. I just figured that maybe it was high time for us to catch up on a couple different axes. I also figured things have come really differently on our first semester away from each other. I was wondering how you’re dealing with the change.”

“I don’t think I have to worry about you now, do I?” She said; keeping her keen eyes planted on my drink at the desk. “I heard a lot from Kyungsoo-oppa. He told me that you’ve been hanging out a lot with them at bars every weekend. Is that true?”

“Umm…”

Well, technically…

“If that’s really the case, then I’m really envious. I don’t think I’ve touched a single glass of alcohol since we parted ways…. By the way, what did you order? What’s in your cup? I don’t think I’ve seen that before.”

What?

Yujin’s sudden interest to whatever I ordered really threw me off, but then again she was always like this. I was just starting to take in what was going on with her when she grabbed the drink from my end of the table and brought it closer to her face. Yujin then eyed the contents through the small hole of the straw, even closing her other eye to get a better view at it.

“What flavour is this, Jae-in? I don’t think I’ve tried this out before. It looks like a cookie and vanilla mix.”

“Oh uhh… it’s apparently called a Snow Leopard. I got it because I love cookies and cream flavoured things. It’s good. Try it out.”

With that, Yujin nodded and immediately went off to sip from my straw; her eyes lighting up. She then took her drink and slid it on the table towards my side as if beckoning me to taste the very thing I ordered for her. I casually took the drink and took a sip from her straw and my taste buds were immediately filled with the unusual chocolate flavour. I did not expect less from a triple chocolate mix that Yujin dearly loves.

“Damn… that was an experience. I might try that out for myself some time,” she exclaimed as she returned my drink to my side of the table. “I might have drank a bit so it’s a bit lesser than… yeah. You get it.”

“Don’t worry. I expected nothing less, Ahn Yujin.”

She slapped my arm and in turn smiling towards my direction.

“Well, anyway I’ll head us back to the topic at hand before I got distracted. I heard a lot of deals from Kyungsoo, you know; some of which even surprised me so much.”

“I actually did not expect Kyungsoo to tell you something, but that’s not saying that I didn’t want you hearing about me. It’s not like I’m hiding it or anything. It’s just… I was expecting that you’d know soon but from either Kino or Shinwon, not Kyungsoo. I wonder how that went down…”

“I’ll have you know, it was Kyungsoo who told me because he felt so concerned towards you. He didn’t entirely tell me of everything, because in his head those still deserve to be told by you. All he told me was things have been rough for you lately, and asked me to check on you whenever I had the time. They said you’ve pretty much gone incognito from them, especially recently. I guess when you asked me out for this one, maybe it was a huge deciding factor for me to go as well.”

“So I guess he knew that I’d reach you at some point. He’s not wrong. Be it that I’m reaching you out because I want to catch up on a couple of different matters, there’s no denying that thing have been crazy rough lately, especially the couple last weeks. Let’s just say that I’m dealing with the aftermath of that, as you know it affected me now less than it did with… with someone named Jeon Soyeon.”

“Ah, so that’s her name, huh? Well then, we have all afternoon, Jae-in. Now I’m curious. Tell me the entire thing. Tell me how you and this Soyeon girl ended up, and why you decided to cut ties with her once you felt it was wrong.”

---

The one thing that Jae-in loved so much about Yujin was that she has always been a good listener.

She merely sat throughout the entire conversation, merely giving her best friend the occasional nods and shakes whenever there was an interesting detail with regards to the story, but of course included with that were the extreme reactions from Yujin’s rather expressive face.  Given how confident he is with her, Jae-in elected to not only include his insights among everything that happened, but also the details he would normally reserve for himself; that included everything, especially intimate moments. As expected, Yujin gave him a face of alarm. The ghost of that expression seemed to have continued until he reached the latter part of his story.

“Well, I guess you can see now why I ended what was going on between us,” Jae-in said with a clear conclusion. “It’s crazy, right? We haven’t gotten halfway through the semester yet and I already have this on the bag. It speaks too much about how bothered I am with the sudden development.”

“My god, Jae-in… I didn’t expect this to be this involved! You know what, I haven’t met this girl yet and I already do not like the sound of everything. It feels like there’s nothing linking you together aside from your sudden outbursts of hormones, and that’s even trying to call it by the simplest of ways, believe me. You two are just horny, especially during all this.”

“I… I guess so…”

“You know, the fact that it turned out the way it did, it somehow reminded me of your ex. I’m sure that I’m not the only one who felt that, right?”

“That’s… well, most of the reason why I chose to back off largely was because of Wonyoung. Things have been… I don’t even know how to put it out, actually. I just felt that it was wrong to continue because it was something that I never wanted in the first place. It sucks that it even had to go to that degree that it was already too difficult to let her go given the circumstances. At this point, I’m just happy that I pulled it off.”

“As you should,” Yujin replied earnestly. She then proceeded to place her now-empty drink over the table and cross her legs afterwards. “My god, I could not even imagine how much of a sump we’ll have to go through again if she ended up being like exactly like Wonyoung. I would not be surprised if she did. I mean, look at her; she’s pretty much a girl who could get any guy she would like. They tend to get really reactive and loud expressing their feelings but when they don’t get what they want, the results would automatically be a disaster for the guy… for you, Yoon Jae-in.”

“Ummm…”

“Damn, can you imagine how things turned out with you and Wonyoung from before? Do you still remember how she hated me so much just for the fact that you’re my best friend… it’s as if I could do something about that? Hello…? What am I supposed to do? I’m not even wedging myself between you two and she acts as if we’re having sex in the dark.”

Jae-in chuckled.

“I do remember that; of course. We almost never go out together even for a small lunch out because he’s always like a detective watching me all the time. It’s so uncomfortable. I can’t even nod or greet you when we bump into each other while you have Wonyoung walking beside you, Jae-in. One small eye-contact between us, I immediately get a glare from her, Oh my god; I think she wants me to stop being your best friend back then. She wants me to be invisible when you’re around, like what the fuck?”

Jae-in chuckled and Yujin smiled at his reaction.

“You know, Yujin, now that I’m openly talking about this, that’s pretty much how it turned out before. You know how Wonyoung and I always argued about you; that she’s threatened of our friendship given how our relationship developed from us initially being best friends as well. She always thought that at some point, I’ll give her up for you. I’m pretty sure that it did happen, you know; I chose you as my best friend instead of sulking on our doomed relationship anyway.”

“Jae-in, hearing all this from you makes me want to go out and eat lunch with you, but not a normal one. We should make sure that Wonyoung sees it as well, just so we can show her how our friendship thrived further the moment that she was out of the picture. I want to show her that a guy and a girl could be friends without falling for each other.”

“You… you talk as if we didn’t really try to make something else out of this,” Jae-in remarked calmly. “In a way, we’re not really a good example for that, all things considered.”

“Well, the keyword was we DID try to make something out of it. It just didn’t feel right. I never thought that I’d ever be awkward to you, and I don’t want that one week of attempted dating to happen again between us. We’re soul mates Jae-in, and maybe that means that we’re destined to be the best of friends since the very beginning.”

“If you put it out that way, it makes me feel so happy that we chose friendship instead of making something impossible out of this one. You always had my back, Yujin. I’ll always be grateful for that”

“We didn’t work out, Jae-in, because I know that I’m not really your type,” Yujin said with a tone of humour, covering her mouth with her hand in the process. “And that’s okay for me, you know. I have no problems with it.”

“Wait, wait, that’s interesting, since you brought it up, what do you think my type is, exactly? What does Ahn Yujin think of Yoon Jae-in’s ideal girl and that is in terms of a lot of factors. Let’s hear you enumerate everything.”

“Ahh, so we’re in that stage now, hmm?” Yujin said before shifting her place on the couch and then rubbing her palms together. “Now this is interesting. Are you asking this from me so that you can confirm the similarities with what I’m about to say?”

“Maybe… or perhaps I could get an idea because I felt like I haven’t been running standards for a long time. It doesn’t have to be so complex, and you can base it on the previous people I’ve taken a liking on.”

“Well, I can’t do everything because we might take all afternoon… how about three?”

“Fair. Let’s do that.”

“Good enough. Well for starters, girls that are way too feminine do not pique your interest in any way, Jae-in. I’m pretty sure you are aware of that. You don’t like the typical text-book reserved, campus-crush kind of deal. You don’t like girls who are very well known because they are using fame to be something else. I get that it’s not that bad, but you’re not just into it because it feels fake. Does that make any sense?”

“It’s not something I would expect to come from you but I think I can understand it.”

“Good. Next, you’re more into people with strong personalities, which conflicts the other interest I just mentioned. I don’t know, but there’s a thin line between people you like who are have a very strong presence but not being over-all too feminine and vulgar about at the same time. I can get understand it in my head but I can’t find the words for it. I’ve been you friend for so long and I think I can understand it without words. I mean, I’ve met some people who were so timid and shy on the face value and yet they’re much defined once you get to know them. It’s kind of like that.”

The fact that she knows so much about me, up to this degree is somehow amazing and scary at the same time. It makes me wonder if I’m that much obvious whenever I’m with her.

But then again, maybe I am. I’m just that comfortable when I’ve with Yujin that I don’t seem to mind what kind of stories I spill to her. This conversation was way more yielding than I thought.

“Now for the last one, this one feels more like an observation from my end but somehow attracted to mature girls. It does not necessarily mean that you’re into girls that are older than you, but often enough age is often associated with maturity so I guess things tend to curve that way when it’s all said and done. It correlates. I guess there’s that sense of security that you get when it comes to people like that. In a way, it perfectly concludes all of the points I’ve stated previously.”

“I don’t think that… that it’s entirely true for Wonyoung. I mean, our ages are not that far apart you know.”

“Honestly, Wonyoung or even the Soyeon girl does not fit any of the traits I have mentioned. That explains why it was not a surprise that you decided to cut it off. On Wonyoung, I could understand, because at least you two developed from friends, but for the Soyeon girl, I guess it was pretty self-explanatory.”

“I guess so… I suddenly became conscious of the traits you mentioned, you know. I can’t bring myself to not consider them the next time that I take a liking into someone…”

“And you should, so that you won’t just fall on someone who barely even fits your standards. At least by then you’d be able to sort things out for yourself. I get it, Jae-in; love is one huge trial and error, but how many errors are you planning to bust through that you’ll finally let yourself loose for the world, hmm?”

“I… I don’t know.”

“Jae-in, you’re a very soft, kind-hearted person and that’s about one thing that I really love about you. I’m pretty sure that I’m not the first one who said that, but on times like these it’s working against you. You need to learn when to say ‘no’ and keep you standards to yourself, because at the end of the day you still need to look after yourself. Can’t date ever girl in the world to find out if you’re compatible or not, right?”

“I’m trying to keep that in mind, Yujin… it’s just that with this Soyeon situation, I let it unfold to a painfully hard situation to get out of before I even began to make a move. It’s a mistake I don’t intend to do again.”

Jae-in sat there in silence, keeping his gaze peeled towards the empty drink he had in front of him. He may have stayed in that state for so long that Yujin grew concerned. There was a sudden, surprising sensation from his left side, only for it to be revealed to be from Yujin’s end. Somehow through the silence, she placed her hand over his as an act of affirmation and assurance. She then clasped it, making sure that Jae-in felt the presence of her then and there.”

“Don’t think of it badly, Jae-in. I’m not blaming you for everything that happened to you. In fact, I really admire your courage for being honest to the girl. No one should take away the emotions you battled while you’re at it, as well. Also… as much as I’m trying to force these sorts of ideas unto you, in the end we’re still human beings. Things could not be bound ideally, as they say.

“Finding a perfect person definitely involves a bound of luck as well as a good stroke of fate. You’ll never know when you’ll meet her, or if you’ve even met her already. The range of your destiny could be someone you’ve already spent a long time being with to someone you accidentally tripped over on the way home. It’s easier once you let your heart welcome it instead of your mind.”

I honestly don’t know if she’s aware of the mixed messages she’s sending about. However, there’s no denying that things like this are pretty hard to understand. In fact, a woman’s heart is hard to understand, as I heard someone wise once said.

“Sorry, I got carried away,” Yujin said finally, returning them both back to earth once again as she shook her head. “We should go, Jae-in; we’ve stayed so long here that we’re already hogging the best seat in the entire shop. Besides, I want to walk the park for a bit if you’re game. Shall we?”

And with one final nod, Jae-in agreed. The preparation to leave was as quick as the decision to do so with Yujin being the first one to head on off for them both. However, as Yoon Jae-in and Ahn Yujin walk towards the wide doors of the welcoming shop, the young man was dazed with the apparition of their final conversation; clearly curious as to what kind of destiny the future holds for a guy like him.

He has a feeling that fate would confirm his destiny very soon.

---

Next Chapter: Black Swan

[jowrites]

Accidents can Happen - 25. Some things should be left alone (written)

Main Masterlist Here.

Prev. Next.

Disclaimer: Jake and Sunghoon are aged up, both 25. Reader is 24. Heeseung is 26.

TW: Cursing, sexual themes, sex in general? more to be added...

Jake checked the time on his watch, nodding, quickly closing his laptop and sitting back at his desk. He folded his hands and waited patiently for the arrival of his invited guests. The rest of the guys already left for the day, leaving him alone with a couple overnight security. It was just 10 minutes after 6 PM when he heard the door open and shut. One of the security had 2 people following behind him, looking at Jake as he stood up with a stoic face as the two people entered his office. 

As he took in their features, he realized just how much YN resembled both of them. Her mother looked ageless, wearing red lipstick, hair up in a long ponytail, eyes dark and looking straight at him. Her father wasn’t too tall, but built and looked like he did enjoy working out. Both of them glaring at Jake like he committed the worst crime possible towards them. They have no idea.

“So this is the man who got my daughter pregnant,” The man said.

“I thought she wasn’t your daughter anymore?” Jake questioned. “Please, have a seat.”

The two looked at him with curious eyes as they took a seat across his desk and he sat down, his demeanor and face not falting once. 

“So, did you invite us here to brag in our faces how you got the suit dismissed and our money is gone?” Her mother spoke with venom. 

“Oh no, that’s not why I invited you,” Jake shook his head. “I’m going to explain your options to you, as a real professional lawyer who never loses.”

“Where is she anyways?” Her father spoke up, dismissing Jake’s comment.

“Who? YN?” Jake asked.

“Wouldn’t she want to be here to yell at us?” He said back.

“Oh, please,” Jake chuckled. “She doesn’t need to waste her energy on you two, she has a daughter he’s busy with right now. Actually, our baby should be getting her bath right now right before bed. It’s around that time. She’s on a decent schedule.”

Jake could see the blood in their faces drop at the mention of Delilah, the baby they will never be able to have a relationship with. 

“The baby? How is she?” Her mother suddenly questioned, leaning forward skimming for information.

“My daughter is thriving, you know, it’s very interesting how you claimed YN was an unfit mother when you yourself didn't even ask about your own child or even knew she had a daughter until recently, isn’t that funny?” Jake asked, tilting his head. “Why is that?”

“Are we here just so you can explain to us how we’re bad parents? If so, we don’t need to be here,” Her father said. “Constance, let’s go.”

“No,” Jake said. “As I said, you’re here so I can give you options.”

Jake gave them a fake smile as they stared at him, edging him to go on.

“Good, I’ll get straight to the point,” Jake said as he took out a document. “Here is a document that is a written suit against the parents of YN LN, Roberto LN and Constance LN, for the emotional damage and stress that you have caused to the recipient YN LN, and for the trauma that you have caused for 15 years. Now, this isn’t actually filed yet, but it can be and you will also be given a restraining order on YN and our baby, Delilah. You would expect to pay my legal fees along with yours, and pay YN out of $2.5 Million. And, I say my legal fee because I am representing YN and there’s no way you would win. We have witnesses who would testify against you. That’s option one.”

All the color on their faces drained immediately and they looked at each other, and Jake could sense the anxiety bleeding off of them. 

“Option two, which I recommend you take, as a professional lawyer, my advice would be to walk out of this office today, and never think about YN, never think about our child and any future children we have, and go on about your lives. You will not disrupt my family or YNs peace ever again. You will walk out of this building with whatever pride you have left, if you even had any to begin with, and never, ever think about doing something ill intended ever again. If she even says she sees you somewhere, you’re going to be hit with this. Do I make myself clear?”

The two of them sighed and nodded, Jake could see the tears start to build in her mothers eyes.

“It’s not like we don’t want to see YN again, w-we have tried reaching out to her too,” Her mother said. “But she just ignores us.”

“Yes, that day all those years ago, we regret everything,” Her father said. “We’re entirely sorry for everything that happened and how we treated her. She’s our little girl.”

“And I have a little girl too, this is what YN wants and I am going to support her in everything. Your tears do nothing to me,” Jake said. “YN has made her peace and she’s moved on. I suggest you do the same.”

“Please, can you give this to her?” Her mother took out a letter and Jake nodded for her to leave it on his desk and she did.

“This isn’t what we wanted, ever. We regret everything we did with Alexa and YN. So please, give us a chance to at least see the baby, just once,” Her mother begged. “Alexa and YN are the only ones we have.”

“No,” Jake said.

“No?” Her mother stood up. “Oh, this is ridiculous! You two are being too harsh and selfish. You’ll deprive your baby from seeing her own grandmother over something that happened years ago? We said sorry!”

“And YN has forgiven you, but she does not owe you anything and neither do I,” Jake said. “What the mother of my child says she gets, I will never betray because I love and respect her. Something you had a lifetime to do and you gave it up over your own bitterness. That’s on you. She is not obligated to do anything just because you’re blood. Get that through your head, or do I have to drain everything you own to teach you a lesson?”

“Constance,” Her father sighed. “He’s right. He’s right, Constance. This is our fault, this is the bed we made and we have to lay in it.”

“Roberto…the baby,” Constance cried. “We’ll never see our grandchildren.”

“And that’s the price we pay for being horrible to our children. Why would they want us to see their own children when they don’t even want to see us? We’re the problem,” He said, holding her arms. “It’s our sin and this is our lesson.”

YNs mother began to cry into her husband's arms as he comforted her. He turned to Jake and gave a genuine smile and held out his hand for Jake to shake. Jake stood up and shook it with a firm grip, understanding and silently thanking him for keeping this woman at bay.

“Thank you, for being there for my daughter and my granddaughter, and I’m sorry for trying to disrupt that,” He said. “We’ll be on our way and you will never see or hear from us again.”

“I would appreciate that, as will YN,” Jake said.

“I wish we could have met on different terms, we’ll go now and repent. This is all our fault,” He bowed slightly and took his wife’s hand and together they started leaving.

“Have a great rest of your night.”

[lovemyromance]

Hi! 💖

I’m so sorry for my English, isn’t my first language. That makes me feel very shy about send this. *in panic*

I recently learning your post about Lucien and Vassa I’m curious about that too.

That’s is something I was questioning about the mating bond of Lucien and Elain. Supposedly the “mate” goes crazy if the other person is involved in danger.

Maybe Lucien had the option to push the mission to find Vassa aside and say "sh*t, my mate is in danger Im taking back to save her, f*ck this mission" (like the reaction from Cassian to Nesta when she was take to BR). But he continued in the same position to find Vassa.

That’s makes me think like “oh, something is going wrong in this mate bond”. The reaction of Azriel for find Elain, was very impressive because the curious question is “why him and not Lucien?” I’m really curious what feel Azriel when Elain was kidnapped and why was furious to get it back.

I can’t stop thinking about this scene. ❤️‍🔥

PD. Thank you if you responding this humble person 🧍🏻‍♀️ who loves all your post. ✨

Hiii! I have been on vacation for like two weeks now and just getting around to answering all these asks but ahhh thank you so much! Your English is great and happy to welcome you to the fandom!

I think you definitely make a great point about Lucien. I have always wondered why SJM gave such a big scene of Elain's rescue to Azriel, not her mate.

The point is Lucien was not there. SJM wrote him to be across the continent. Yes he was helping them, but that's his mate (like you pointed out)! He should absolutely be having a much bigger reaction if his mate was taken.

We know he can feel the bond. He tugged on it in ACOWAR when he was trying to figure out what was wrong with Elain.

Elain was chained up with the magic-nullifying chains. We know from ACOMAF, these chains can even silence a mating bond (as Feyre couldn't feel Rhys anymore when he was chained up). It made Feyre go into a desperate hunt to get her mate back and we know it's worse for the males.

So given this, I think we can make the assumption that Lucien had to have known when Elain was in danger. Or he had to have known something was wrong at least, when the bond between them went silent. It's not like going across the continent changes the strength of the bond or how he feels it ... it's not like cell reception 😭

Also another reminder - Lucien CAN WINNOW! Not very well lmao, but he CAN. He also knew exactly where this war was happening, where their camp was - because he literally showed up the next day!! He had the address!

Anyways, what I'm trying to prove is that Lucien likely realized Elain was in danger and he knew where the war was happening... and he still didn't go to save her.

Aka: Lucien knew his mate was in danger, had the means to go there immediately (because he knows where to go and he has a way to get there), and still didn't go save her.

And yes, we can say SJM maybe just forgot. It could just be a plot hole. It could be that simple 🤷🏻‍♀️

But then I ask: If Elain was going to be rescued and Feyre was the narrator so she had to be involved somehow - Why even involve Azriel at all?

SJM could've had only Feyre rescue Elain. It would've been more impressive and painted Feyre as a much stronger, badass character actually.

But she purposefully brought in Azriel to save Elain. Why? Why why why?

He's not her mate. He's not even her boyfriend or her friend at that point. Why did SJM bring Azriel in? Rhys could've gone with Feyre if she even needed backup?

The point is: SJM wrote Lucien to be off with Vassa and she wrote Azriel to be the one to rescue Elain. In a very romantic scene. That took up 1-3 chapters in ACOWAR.

I think that in itself is very telling.

Lucien clearly does not act like a normal male with a mating bond. Azriel has shown more mate behavior for Elain than Lucien has at this point. I genuinely think there might be something wrong with the bond that Elain & Lucien have.

It's just not presented the same way as any other mating bond that has been described to us so far in the series. It is described as uncomfortable and awkward - not the way we've seen the mating bond being described as before.

I would prefer if Elriel ended up choosing each other despite a mating bond - but there are too many signs of something being off with the Elucien bond to ignore.

[citrusella-flugpucker]

My Ship Unmoors from the Habitica Docks

((Or: Habitica Ban Speedrun, Sub 1 Hour, Luigi Citrusella Wins (Loses?) By Doing Absolutely Nothing (or at least nothing that would have warranted that kind of response from staff, seriously)

There was an anonymous asker on my blog in Feburary saying I should voice my concerns about Habitica on Habitica, and I wanted to let them know: I did it!

If you’re curious what I wrote, it was the following (slightly modified, as the character count my draft doc gave me didn’t match Habitica’s character count logic so it was over character limit):

So when I originally came up with the idea of making this post I thought I'd frame it like a two-weeks' notice for a job, a little ha-ha nod to years of my serving wench moniker… but then as time went on, it didn't feel right. So I'll just lay it all out.

I can't do this anymore. I can't continue being complicit with a staff that:

makes decisions that seem retaliatory and then disallows anyone from discussing it or their feelings surrounding it, even if other people remark on a way the community changed from it that they're confused about

uses alts (scroll to bottom and show the last images in the set) to artificially inflate staff post like counts to make them seem better-received than they are

fearmongers Socialites by implying they are witnessing bannable behavior and encouraging it

thinks that being anti-censorship is a personal attack

strongarms users into silence (but only tells Socialites, for some reason) so rudely that several users (including myself) asked for their tiers to be removed

changes the community guidelines so that if they discipline you in any way they're not required to tell you what you did wrong, so it's possible for you to be blindsided by a disciplinary action and have no idea what you did

This post isn't "relitigating" anything because litigation in a fair court implies the possibility for more than one outcome. I'm just sharing how I feel, which is something that used to be allowed. However, given that I'm sharing feelings that are something other than Shiny Happy People about something that staff would rather enforce a forgetting-of by silencing those who also want to move on but needed to work through their feelings about it, I'm sure staff won't feel the same way. I know from the fact that several people have been banned for saying anything that there's only one thing that will happen when I post this.

Since staff are more interested in throwing their admin toys at people who disagree with their actions than, you know, actually talking things out other than behind closed doors, I'm sure that this will end with me being muted or banned. I've made my peace with that, which is why my name is what it is.

I've made this post because, as a Socialite, I feel it's of grave importance that people have complete, accurate information to work off and with little to no word from staff this is the most complete info I can share in 3000 characters. My penchant for sharing my knowledge hasn't changed just because my tiers are gone; I've just accepted that there are far better, more ethical places to volunteer one's time. I'm sorry staff don't seem to feel the same way.

Thank you. For everything.

Staff liked it so much that this happened within 20 minutes!

(That’s a chat mute, which I am familiar with the basic look of because I once (twice, actually) asked for a temporary one specifically to get screenshots of it for fact-finding science reasons.)

And then within the hour, more or less without me doing anything additional on the level of warranting it, this happened!

(That is a full site ban. I cannot use the site at all. Very interesting that this kind of thing took 20 minutes to an hour to receive this level of action but I saw full-on (real) community guidelines violations sit unhidden for hours in the same chat as recently as a week ago.)

I expected this sort of thing to happen (to the point that I prepared and got basically all my pertinent user info just in case, but I hope it’s clear now why I waited until I no longer had commitments tying me to the site, and why I didn’t expect posting it to the site to be effective at changing anything. I’m not so much mad as disappointed at this point. The kind of quiet anger I reserve for a very select few things in my life, as it were.

Except for the part I didn’t mention yet where they also hid a post in a guild I owned (The Crystal Gems guild) that contained important information for the guild members regarding a temporary leader I was assigning because even if I hadn’t gotten banned I’d planned to stop using the site tonight either way, which meant a following post by someone else suddenly lacked important context and might have made it look like the search for a more permanent leader I’d asked about a few days prior was over. Someone had to clarify in my stead what that meant because the context I’d already provided was suddenly missing. That makes me angry because it’s even more needlessly petty than the reaction to the quoted post above that I knew they’d be upset with.

TL;DR: I finally posted about the state of Habitica on Habitica. Staff didn’t take it well and nothing is changing. -_-’

Screenshot of the version of the post that actually was posted to (and hidden on) Habitica under the cut. It does not have alt text but is nearly identical to the block quote above so that will serve as its image description. I’ll add here that my name had been changed from “citrusella, the serving wench💔” to “💔 the serving wench quits 💔” and my avatar is shrouded in black and red under a dark rain cloud (it’s been like that for months, but only because when other people started getting banned I changed my avatar into something I was comfortable with it being “buried” in, in case I got banned suddenly).))

[serafiel-jacobs]

Formalities (Fanfic)

New chapter from my main series 🩷

Frederick Garret was at his home, reading the newspaper, hearing about the incident that happened at the Opera House, and how a stalker and Geppetto's puppet were the ones to “save the day”. That puppet sure knows where to stick his nose in things that are none of his business, and sure what was happening inside the Opera House was not his doing, but he needed to get the girl, and had his men not been there earlier, they would have been caught by the crowd that formed inside the place.

“That's kind of scary isn't it?” Blue was trying to make conversation, “I know that it was because of the crystals but the idea of another frenzy happening is terrifying”

There is a huge commotion about the two puppets being the ones to have killed those people, another distraction that works to his advantage. Most people don't seem to believe another frenzy could happen, the explanation given by the workshop union was extremely reasonable, but still, some fear it could happen again.

A series of knocks could be heard, Frederick opened the door of his home and he saw the man that he had just been expecting.

“Mr. Conrad good to see you” Then Frederick turned to look at Blue Canary, “Would you mind giving us some privacy? Stand guard just in case, you never know what could happen these days”

“I understand,” Blue said in a formal voice, he is right after all, there was a body discovered nearby just yesterday, “If you need me for anything, just give me a shout”

Both men were in a luxurious room, as Frederick's mansion has many places where one can relax in peace, the many perks of being part of an affluent family and winning up to the thousands each month because of his services.

They made small talk for a few minutes before getting straight to the point.

“The shipment of the crystals will come tomorrow, and I added some extra, as the mining team is going to have some difficulties,” Conrad said.

“What difficulties?” Frederick did not like hearing that.

“Due to that earthquake that happened recently new precautions are being taken, the mine will shut down for two weeks” Conrad gave out a sigh, “Those extra were ones we use at the union, but I made sure to make everyone believe I was using them for a project”

“Very clever” In the end, Frederick was pleased with the results, although it could have gone better in his eyes.

They made more small talk again, but Frederick had in his mind Geppetto's puppet, surely Conrad must know a little about it.

“Mr. Conrad, what do you know about Geppetto?” Frederick knows that the key to Pinocchio is to get to his father first, “I’m just curious, I have heard nothing but praise for him over the years, although from time to time I have heard certain rumors”

“I don’t know what you have heard but they are probably right” Conrad poured himself another glass, “The man has issues, specially with grief, he likes to be in denial about his family dying, and I understand, that losing family is hard but come on”

“Are you saying that because of his puppet?”

“Of course, just look at that puppet!” Conrad was glad to finally rant about Geppetto, “An exact copy of Carlo, I’m surprised he didn’t give the thing the same name, although I wouldn’t be surprised if he calls it Carlo behind our backs” he just knows that Geppetto learned his lesson about giving the puppets the same names, considering what happened to his wife.

Conrad starts talking about how Pinocchio is a marvel of technology, something that proves how far puppet creation can go, something that breaks all the norms and all the limits, no puppet ever created by anyone else has come even close to Pinocchio, hell not even halfway there.

“And Geppetto uses it to play happy family? What a waste”

“It is a shame” Frederick doesn’t care about puppets at all but he has to play along.

“But it has always been obvious not sure why only some have started it to point it out now” Conrad takes a sip of his drink, “That other puppet, what was its name? Yeah Romeo”

Frederick is very aware of who Romeo is or rather was. Geppetto was so overprotective, he wouldn’t let any alchemists near it, hell he wouldn’t let anyone with any association with the alchemists get close to the puppet. He even heard that not even Valentinus despite the close friendship and despite how Valentinus allowed Romeo to attend school alongside Carlo.

“That puppet was so impressive as well and what did he use it for? To give Carlo a playmate obviously” It frustrated Conrad, he is a man who values technological advancement, a man that believes machines should have a purpose, to serve, to make things easier for humans and not exist for ridiculous things like that.

“I heard a rumor that Carlo married the thing before he passed away” Conrad rolled his eyes, “I mean it was obvious that Carlo was a faggot but I didn’t think he was also that type of degenerate”

Frederick is a man of high society, Geppetto’s son was well known by everyone, even by the common people. He had that infamous reputation of being a troublemaker, but also in some circles, there was the speculation that he “enjoyed the company of men”. The boy never had a girlfriend, he was handsome yet he rejected a few girls his age. It’s not illegal to be a homosexual in Krat like in many other places yet it’s not exactly well seen by most. Neither by Frederick, humans are supposed to reproduce to advance the human race, that kind of behavior only slows down valuable progress.

Conrad gave out a sigh “But the first and biggest red flag was when Camille passed and he built that puppet”

Camille, Frederick is even more knowledgeable about her, after all, he is the one who tore her apart to find the secret of why she awoke an Ego.

—-

“You are telling me this puppet became sentient?” Frederick was having a hard time believing it, “And how exactly did that happen?”

“That’s what we want you to figure out” Paracelsus had been the one tasked with explaining to Frederick what he is duty would be.

Frederick began to read the report, a puppet maid tasked with caring for a young boy, while she was making a meal he accidentally bumped into her while playing, the boiling water would have fallen onto him but she pushed him away, getting burned in the progress. Something that was not in her programming.

“She has only been around for a few months and she bonded with the child that quickly? Actually, can puppets even bond with people?” By that time Frederick had less of an idea of how they worked.

Paracelsus gave Frederick a few notes, “Apparently the Ergo of the puppet was made from the child’s mother”

“That’s oddly specific”

“Geppetto’s wife, he made the puppet himself using her Ergo”

Interesting, “And why me and not someone else?”

“Valentinus is busy and Simon and his followers are too busy planning things behind the man’s back”

“And you?” Frederick knows that Paracelsus isn’t supposed to be doing anything important right now.

“I’m making a new weapon, and I’ve been too busy with that���

Sometimes Frederick finds it hard to believe that Paracelsus can wield a weapon, considering how meek he looks and due to his playful demeanor but he can’t deny that the weapons he has made are very effective.

“I doubt anything interesting will come out of this but I have nothing better to do at the moment”

Send. Me. Back. To. My. Child.

The puppet kept repeating that over and over again, it was annoying, he ended up destroying her voicebox so that she wouldn’t distract him any longer, but he was proven wrong when he thought nothing interesting would come out of this. It showed the true power of Ergo, it showed the powerstone of life.

Everyone was delighted by this discovery and he expected to be praised by it. Not reprimanded.

“Did you really have to take her apart like that?” Valentinus asked as he was sent to his office, “Not just the puppet’s body but her Ergo?” Frederick was rather crude in his process, not caring about the machine that he completely broke. It was all for the sake of research.

“Of course I had to you know that” Frederick was looking around Valentinus's office, maybe the cleaners don’t get paid enough because dust is already accumulating, and it’s starting to bother him just being here.

Valentinus sighs, “Geppetto is a good friend but he is furious at me and Simon”

Frederick wasn’t paying attention to the rest of what Valentinus was saying, the uncleanliness was so much that he even started cleaning the place himself.

Valentinus was a good man, he wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, and he knows how Frederick has his strange obsession with cleanliness maybe it’s best he leaves.

“Frederick I appreciate the help but… never mind you are dismissed”

—-

“He even built her a statue in her name, how absurd” Conrad couldn't believe it all those years ago and he still can't believe it now, “Does he not realize how weird it is for everyone else? His wife dies and he builds a puppet, then his son dies and he builds a puppet and wants to pretend that’s normal?”

“Yes I heard of that, it does seem like Geppetto has a problem when it comes to losing loved ones, denial is a powerful thing” Frederick tapped his fingers on the table, “Does the man suspect anything of the disruption crystals?”

“He has no idea, the subdirector Harvey, he did try to investigate but I covered our tracks”

Frederick raised an eyebrow at that.

“Don’t worry, the man is too trusting, he was satisfied with a normal excuse and lies about where those shipments are going” Conrad did find out who was selling the crystals to that bakery and fired them immediately, “As for the ones in the Opera House, those are crystals that were supplied for a play legally, just that some idiot must have forgotten to get rid of them properly” That wasn't their problem so not something they had to worry about.

“Hopefully that’s the case, it would be a shame if all this research got wasted for something so simple as that”

“Speaking of, how is your research going?” Conrad has been intrigued since the first time he learned, in a way he believes he and Frederick are similar, he wants to push the limits of what a machine can do, and Frederick can push the limits of what a human can do. He was sold on the idea of finding a way to prolong life.

Although truthfully Conrad has no true idea of what he is contributing to, just the surface and he certainly has no idea of all the horrible things Frederick and his followers have done.

“Better than expected and for your support I’ll make sure that once everything is set in place you get to treat yourself to the fruits of our efforts” It’s not a complete lie, unlike Simon he isn’t dumb enough to get rid of every asset he has due to paranoia but he will delay as much as he can and not give him a proper version of the power of the stone.

Frederick looked at the clock, they still had a little more time to talk.

“Sorry for bringing him up again” Frederick doesn’t want to sound too obvious of his motives, “But the reason Geppetto has been in my mind, is I’ve seen him recently”

Only a few glances here and there, as Frederick has seen Geppetto in the waiting room for a collage of his, Conrad is right, Geppetto has issues since he knows that doctor is a psychiatrist.

“Don’t blame you for thinking about him, just like Venigni everyone talks about him and mostly positive things despite not being deserved” Conrad really hates those two, “If only I could prove how incompetent he truly is”

“Mmm,” Frederick thought out loud.

“What? Is something in your mind?”

“Oh no please forgive me, just remembering when I caught a glimpse of him, he goes to the hospital for some appointments, not with me however” Frederick was smiling he had the perfect idea.

“I had no idea he was having health issues” Conrad was surprised, Geppetto looked well for his age.

Frederick put his hand on Conrad’s shoulder, “You did not hear it from me, however, Geppetto’s doctor is the last one in the hall on the 4th floor”

A little something for Conrad to investigate and put two and two together.

Meanwhile Blue was wandering around the mansion, although the place already looked like it had been given a deep cleaning she decided to clean what she could as her client likes it when she does this for him, and while doing this, she heard one of the windows of the house being open, strange, no one else is supposed to be here right now, and upon closer inspection, someone had broken inside the home, Blue wasted no time in restraining them, it was easy as this person was only carrying a knife as a weapon, a knife he tried throwing at her but she used her lantern shield to deflect it.

“What is going on here?” Frederick demanded an explanation.

Conrad wasted no time in leaving already, just mentioning that he hoped to see him soon again.

“I know you are up to something Garret!” A woman was shouting, “The papers might try to silence me but I know the truth!”

“Great a yellow journalist” Frederick waved his hand, “Miss. Cassandra call the police and get rid of her”

“Yes sir” Blue did as she was told, the woman said nothing to her, no trying to convince her of whatever she was looking for, she didn't try to warn her about anything, she just kept quiet, it was odd so Blue assumed that she truly was just a yellow journalist, her family had to deal with one of those once, they broke into their home because they wanted “proof” of an affair because her and two other sisters don't look at all like their father, obviously they all don't look like exact copies of their mother or father that's how genetics work.

Still, this is too strange, the other day someone came to the doctor's office and began to threaten him and she had to intervene, she was outside when that happened so she entered the door quickly, she couldn't hear what that was about, she did hear the word Ergo, the man also mentioned how they used to work together before; yesterday someone was following them and she had to deal with that as well. But she is the one who wanted more action in her job, so maybe this is what she gets for asking.

According to the doctor, it is because he is a public figure and many don't like how he is doing for others. He is an excellent doctor, by most considered the best in Krat, even if he can be a little weird behind closed doors.

The police came and went, taking the woman away with them and the two of them were alone again.

“Good job” Frederick was praising her, “Specially for the cleaning perhaps you are better suited for being a maid or one to stay in the household, you clearly know what spots are the ones that get truly dirty and I assure you any man would love a quality like that one in a woman”

“Um… thank you?” It looked like the doctor didn't know what he could be implying when he said that.

“The maids don't work today, so if you could help me clean the rest of this place I'd appreciate it”

Well, he is paying her extra when she cleans and she doesn't mind it at all, so she does what he tells her, the doctor does seem to have some issues with it comes to what he thinks is “dirty” but well, more things to do for her. As she cleans the place, she moves around a few things there are many shelves filled with notebooks, all completely full, she doesn’t know how he can write so much, but she accidentally drops a notebook and a small desk decoration of a horse, she goes to pick it up, she knows she shouldn't read it but curiosity gets the best of her.

—--𖦹—--

The Stone of Transmutation

The mythical stone has been set to have many properties, the one that has been more sought searched for is transmutation, more specifically to create more gold, a valuable asset in medical studies and a resource that is hard to get.

But it can do more than just that, it has the key to something even greater, but the problem always lies in others assuming the form of the stone, why is no one bothering to form one? Do they believe it will magically again its shape? Unlike them, I will not wait for the stone to appear, that is something only dreamers do, I will make the stone myself.

It just needs a vessel, a condensed vessel that has to be turned into the stone but it has to have a proper form first, and once all of the ingredients are set then the stone can finally be in my grasp.

I already have the Ergo and the crystals and soon enough my listener, the only thing left is to perfect her power. —--𖦹—--

“Miss.Cassandra” Frederick spoke behind her.

Oh no, quick, think of something.

“I accidentally dropped this while cleaning, my apologies” Blue set the notebook in place but kept the decorative horse, “I got distracted by this, how lovely, did you know that Shire horses are the biggest horse breed?”

Frederick was not amused, “Do you want it? It's only there accumulating dust on that shelf”

“Oh, I can't accept this-”

“No, no no take it, I insist” The less mess his home has the better.

“Thank you so much” Blue was smiling, she didn't get caught and she got a nice gift.

“I must leave now, I am dismissing you, I was tasked to help with a surgery, it will take many hours and this is a medical matter, you cannot be there with me”

He has to see how his experiments are going and he is always well-guarded in the labs, no need for her assistance. Not to mention how he has been working nonstop on the girl, losing sleep in the process, not even the smallest of flaws will be tolerated.

Blue simply nodded and left, she should go to the stables and see if she could help there, is that or going to that fancy ball with her family and she isn't in the mood for that.

—

Pinocchio was petting his pony, things had been really tough lately, and going to see her was a good idea to cheer him up.

He did apologize to his father about the other day, he knows that it's not his fault that his coworkers say things behind his back. His father said that it was okay, that he understood that he wasn't feeling well, and that Arlcchino showing up to torment them only made everything worse.

“Do you think I can ride her?” Gemini has always wanted to ever since Pinocchio got her.

“Of course! That's a great idea!” Pinocchio was so excited for Gemini. He carefully placed him on top of the pony and Applejack began to slowly walk around outside the stable.

“Pinocchio we need to get me a cowboy outfit as soon as possible” Gemini was enjoying himself too much.

“I keep spending my allowance on buying things for you”

“Aren't we best friends?”

“Yes but I also want to buy my own things and its not only you, Sophia is also my best friend”

“Thank you” Pinocchio heard her voice from inside.

“What are you doing now Sophia?” Pinocchio said out loud, even if he could have just used his mind, he wanted to keep Gemini in the conversation.

“Tell her I say hi!” Gemini shouted from on top of the pony.

“Gemini says hi” Pinocchio can feel his heart pounding.

“Oh just relaxing, Krat has been on my mind, hopefully, you are safe and sound” Sophia was lying in the bed of her current hotel room, her last sightseeing was a little exhausting: her gears started to sound loudly she got worried because some people were nearby questioning where that noise was coming from.

Pinocchio then starts to wonder, Sophia knows a lot about Ergo, maybe she can tell him information about those notes in the notebook he found.

“I can try to see if I can understand them,” Sophia said, “When you have time, open it and show me the page, I will see what I can do”

“Thank you” Pinocchio was grateful that no matter how far she is, Sophia always helps.

After a few more minutes, they made their way back, Pinocchio leaving the pony back at the stable, giving lots of pets to Applejack before leaving, but as they were close to the exit someone riding a horse made their way towards them.

“Good to see you again!” Blue was excited to see Pinocchio again, she got off her horse and stood next to him, “I heard about what you did at the Opera House, great job!”

Pinocchio was playing with his air, “Oh it was nothing”

“You seem to be a skilled fighter, would you mind sparring with me?” Blue had nothing better to do and sparring sounded like a great idea.

Pinocchio was carrying Misericors and he welcomed using his weapon without being in any real danger, so he agreed, both of them going into a place where the vast field was deserted.

Blue plays more defensively, her lantern shield covering from her attacks, but Pinocchio is a worthy challenger so she uses the trick of her shield, reflecting the light of the sun into Pinocchio’s eyes blinding him for a moment, and putting her rapier blade next to his chest, but not actually touching it.

“I win” Blue was smiling.

“Hey, that’s cheating!” Pinocchio rubbed his eyes, it wasn't fair.

“That’s the point of the shield, to blind your opponents silly” Blue gently touched Pinocchio’s forehead with two fingers, “At least you know the trick, play around it if we ever spar again”

“Oh my, look who we found here”

Both of them turned around and saw that it was The Red Fox who said that, her brother next to her.

“We obviously expected to see you here Blue, but it’s a pleasant surprise to see you here as well Pinocchio” Red Fox was smiling under her mask.

“What are you guys doing here?” Blue was a little confused but hoped they had come to see her.

“To see you of course,” Black Cat said but then laughed, “Just kidding client business”

“Brother don’t be rude”

“Just teasing her, nothing serious”

“Client business?” Blue had no idea what they were referring to.

Black Cat got closer to Blue and patted her shoulder “Our client thinks that your daddy is rigging those horse races”

Blue raised an eyebrow “So you guys are detectives now?”

“No, but we needed the money, can’t afford to miss the rent in our new office” Black Cat was doubtful about accepting the job but money is money.

“Plus we know that you could help us with that” Red Fox said elegantly, “We know your family is not like that and you might have the proof that”

Blue looked relieved, “My father owns the horse track but not the horses that participate, I can show you guys some of the documents”

They have strict policies to prevent things like that from happening, very restrictive rules, that's the reason no races have ever been rigged, if they suspect that there is even the slightest chance of it happening, a full investigation is launched.

“So that person just has bad luck?” Pinocchio thought that it sounded dumb to think races like that were rigged even if he didn’t know much about horses.

Black Cat now moved next to Pinocchio and pulled him in for a shoulder hug, “Look our brother is so smart”

He had expected Pinocchio to just let go of him quickly but that didn’t happen and Pinocchio pulled him for a big hug.

“Okay, I’m happy to see you too but that’s too much hugging for a day” Black Cat was getting suffocated, Pinocchio must have forgotten his strength.

“Brother don’t ruin the moment,” Red Fox said, then she turned to look at Blue, “We would be really grateful if you could help us out, we could even give you a cut of the money”

“Oh no no guys that’s too much and the doctor pays me well” Sometimes she feels the doctor has more money than he knows what to use it for, each time she is outside with him he buys so many cleaning supplies and so many notebooks as well.

“Great more for us” Black Cat was happy about that.

“Money isn’t everything” Pinocchio poked him so that he would get the message.

“Brother he is right and you know it” Red Fox has a serious tone.

Black Cat looked away for a second, his sister left her family because of him, they are true siblings, but the Volfe’s refused to accept that, accept that their father had an affair, she could have just left him, abandoned him like everyone else had done until that point, but she refused, she left a life of luxury for him.

“Sorry, looks like I’m not as funny as I thought”

“You are right about that” Gemini chirped from his cage.

“What did you say you dumb cricket?!” Black Cat shouted and huffed.

“Dude, you are beefing with a cricket, calm down” Blue was teasing him now.

“Hey, Gemini is more than a cricket he is my friend!” Pinocchio knows that they are joking but he has to remind them.

“Would love to keep chatting but Pinocchio we have to leave, it’s getting late” Gemini knows that they got too carried away, and twilight is starting to be seen in the sky.

Pinocchio waved them all goodbye, saying that he hoped to see them again soon.

“You know I would love to properly hang out with him one day” Red Fox gave out a sigh, “Invite him to eat or something along those lines”

“He can eat?” Blue may know Pinocchio but he doesn’t know him that well, but they explain to her that they heard it from Pinocchio that he can.

“Wow, he is more special than I thought” Blue wondered how else Pinocchio is different if only she knew all the crazy details.

“So Blue how are things with doc?” Black Cat was playing with his weapon, feeling bored.

“Everything is going swell, a little more exciting recently”

“Mmm really? The doctor is the center of a lot of attention so I can see it” Red Fox waved her hand so that her brother would stop playing with his weapon, “Everyone always sings praises about him”

Black Cat stopped “Yeah, I heard he is bisexual but with his hands”

Red Fox facepalmed, she couldn’t believe him sometimes.

“…yes the doctor is ambidextrous” Blue has seen him get tired of writing with one hand and switching to the other, he writes a lot of stuff in general, she knows that he is a also researcher so it must be because of that.

“I do wish I had another client”

“Are you still concerned about it not being too exciting?” Red Fox was ready to give a speech about how that’s not the point of being a stalker.

“No, I just feel like he isn’t the kind of person he says he is” After today she definitely has a weird feeling around him.

“I see” Red Fox got serious again, “Sorry to ruin the chat, but if you could help us out”

“Oh right! Follow me guys”

——

The house phone was ringing and Venigni felt like he was going to have a panic attack. Each time that phone rings he feels dread, Pulcinella is the one to answer all phone calls because he can’t do it.

That monster is out there again, worse is that the last body that was found was placed in his parent's graves. He is taunting him, treating this as some sort of game, worse is that because of where they were found rumors and gossip started, rumors about his parents.

Pulcinella answers the phone and it’s not him, but Venigni feels as if he is going crazy like he isn’t safe in his own home. Because Arlecchino knows where he lives and he can just break in like he did all those years ago, he can-

“Master Venigni”

Pulcinella snapped him out of his trance.

“Yes?” Venigni is someone who can talk and talk for hours but at this moment just saying those simple words is too much.

“If this is too much for you, perhaps it would be best if the young master-”

“No no no, please let's not involve Pinocchio anymore in this” Venigni knows how Pinocchio was already put in danger, his rational brain knows how capable the boy is but at this moment his emotions are running too high and he is afraid that he would be hurt.

Pulcinella stays quiet for a few moments, it pains him to see him like this and he would rather avoid causing him more stress, however, a letter that arrived in the mail is of utmost importance.

“You remember Miss. Belle correctly?”

“Yes, I remember her” Venigni was starting to compose himself, “How could I forget her? I think she left an impression on all of us”

Pulcinella handed him the letter; Belle talked about the decoded message Pinocchio gave her a while back, how that led her to more clues and left her to this.

“It came with this cryptic vessel”

Belle trusts Venigni and she knows his capabilities, that’s why she sends this to him, stressful as this is, he won’t allow Arlecchino to keep getting away with this or anyone else for that matter.

Venigni deciphers it quickly, which leads him to more clues, this will take a while, this is a massive web he is willing to untangle, this time he won’t be a coward and talk be game, he will do something about this before it’s too late.

[meechatuck]

Something There

A little blurb I wrote about Adira catching onto the feelings between Hector and Amelia. Just a cute thought I’ve had for a long time and finally wrote it out. Still deciding if I want to try and fit it into my current fic. I just think this is super sweet.

Also for anyone that is curious, my DK Rising fic is coming. I just recently had an epiphany about a new bad guy/conflict and I am going to change to this new idea. It’s not too much of a change, but I’m hoping to have the fic coming out by the fall. (at the latest would be the end of the year)

Something There

Rated: All Audiences

Word Count: 849

Adira sat alone at the large table in the dining hall. With Hector gone hunting and Quirin’s aid to the farmers starting at dawn, she was left alone for most of the breakfast meals. Amelia didn’t wake up early unless it was absolutely necessary.

She snickered remembering how one courier had woken her much earlier than needed. Amelia hadn’t physically lashed out at the mistake, but her grumpy demeanor and side-eyed glares could be just as bad as a slap across the face.

A familiar grumbling voice entered the dining hall and Adira looked up to see Amelia striding to the table. She plopped herself next to Adira with quite the sour expression.

“What? Did someone wake you up early again?” Adira teased.

“Bah no. I would be completely bitter if that was the case,” Amelia chuckled. “Just the kitchen staff now thinks I’m delusional.”

“Why is that?”

Amelia popped a strawberry into her mouth and savored it for a moment before replying with a gesture to the bowl in front of her. “It’s the fruit!”

Adira cocked a brow at the bowl, vaguely remembering something from a few weeks ago, “What about it?”

“Gods you think I’m crazy too,” she whined.

“You’re only a few cracks short of it, yeah.”

The memory surfaced a little more. It had something to do with Hector.

“Ha ha very funny Adira,” Amelia pouted.

“Okay tell me what it is that’s wrong. I promise I’ll keep my comments quiet until after.”

Despite wanting to completely remember the inkling she had, she hoped that Amelia’s story would fill in the pieces. 

Amelia huffed and straightened her posture. “When I first got here, I talked to the kitchen staff about the fruit shipments. They weren’t the best and I offered to help find some better options for getting better produce here. I’ll admit I was a bit whiny about it sometimes, but I just love fruit! It’s the one thing that really makes my day, besides the goods from the bakery. I even offered to help pitch in some funds if it was more expensive. Also I wanted fruit offered with breakfast.”

“So that’s why that got started up?” Adira nodded her head, but internally wondered what this was really about. Amelia was a long-winded person.

“Yes. I love to start my day with a nice assortment of fruit. The first week or two it was just a measly portion of fruit. The bowl was only half way full!” Adira fondly rolled her eyes. That was one of the first things they learned about her when she came to the Dark Kingdom. She loved fruit and if you got in the way of it, you saw her true wrath.

“I made a true diplomatic discussion with them about more fruit and it seemed like I was out of luck,” Amelia explained. Then her eyes brightened, “But I must have curried the favor of someone there as my bowl of fruit that next day was completely full! And it’s been that way for the last three weeks.”

Adira recalled this whole series of events, remembering Amelia’s persistent nature, but one memory poked through. Hector had complained of so much fruit being given. His time at the Great Tree had been quite the detriment to his taste buds. Anything with a strong taste or flavor was difficult for him to eat, even after almost a year of slowly easing him back into a normal and healthy diet. By this point, he could eat fruit but only in very small quantities.

Adira turned to face Amelia now, her body leaning into the table. “So what’s the problem then? Sounds like that’s a good thing.”

“Well, the last three days my bowl has only been half way full again. I went to ask them about this and why it changed, but they told me they have never given me a full bowl of fruit!” Amelia exclaimed, wildly gesturing her hands. “I had tried to ask them if someone had possibly been sneaking it to me in secret, but they said whenever anyone’s food has left the kitchen it’s always been the same portions. I insisted that I’ve had a full bowl of fruit for weeks now and they just looked at me like I had vines growing out of my ears. I just don’t know what to think!” She forced her bottom lip to stick out in a great show of her unhappiness. “At least I have some fruit for comfort.”

As Amelia devoured her comfort food, Adira remained silent, but a knowing smirk was growing on her face.

Hector had left for his hunting trip three days ago.

Turning back to face her almost finished breakfast, she was reminded of how Hector had complained of the amount of fruit. How he didn’t want it to go to waste and that he knew it wouldn’t be good for the animals. Then, he had heard Amelia complaining about not getting extra fruit. Hector had been extremely quiet after that.

Adira’s smirk had turned into a full on grin.

“Interesting…”

[zirkkun-uthcs]

Hello! New follower here and I’m loving the headcanons! So I gotta ask cause I am a major simp for undertale AUs. So I’ve been getting into Pale!Ink recently and what would happen if he started falling in love with someone who’s soul’s abilities can give souless people like him real emotions? (x reader headcanons please!). And probably Ink too (he is souless too so I’m pretty curious AND I love this little guy too)

Pale - So, Pale has very limited time with his emotions, and he has to consume an entire AU in order to feel anything. Already, he's got a bit of an affectionate personality -- not necessarily romantic or anything, he is aro/ace after all, but he does like showing appreciation and loves physical contact like hugs. It would be very difficult for him to recognize anything as "falling in love" per say, and rather he would just see it as loving your friends because he has such limited time with his emotions and can't get a proper assessment on them.

If someone has the ability to give him emotions, though, and he takes the offer -- which, he is the most likely out of everyone in the list -- he would probably start learning more about how these feelings work. Pale might start asking you for advice, though, since he's not that familiar with how this all works. It would take a long time for him to be able to properly identify what it is he's naturally feeling, given how he's gone so long without constant feelings.

Ink - Ink would probably initially brush the thought away. He doesn't need someone to give him new emotions, his paints work just fine! Sure, it's a little annoying to take them regularly, but it's not like he's new to it. Ink is perfectly content living out the rest of his immortal life like this.

... Until it becomes unbearably too much.

With his paints, when he feels too many things at once, he throws up in order to level out his emotions. Weirdly enough, every time you seem to be involved in anything, he gets overwhelmed. Probably not at all flattering for him to be throwing up all the time -- but Ink is not concerned about this. Instead, his paint supply starts running lower and lower even faster than usual. So... he heavily debates having you offer him real emotions this time.

Of course, in this case, he ends up taking this offer, only to once again be overwhelmed, but now he can't throw it up and calm down. He's just so excited to see you always.

Fresh - Unfortunately for this little thought experiment, Fresh is far too content with having little to no emotions to want to take up the offer. I can't think of any scenario where he could even be convinced, which sucks because I'm usually an advocate for "anything can happen given then right circumstances."

He might still enjoy spending time with you, though, but his concept of "love" is very minimal. You'd probably be some entertainment of sorts, and while he might grow a bit attached to having you around to the point where he might be a bit protective, he wouldn't bother wanting to feel anything more intense towards you.

[goldeneyedgirl]

Ficmas22: Day 12: Korean Alice WIP

Hi guys.

This fic wasn't the plan tonight but in the space of twenty-four hours I have acquired a second-degree sunburn (everything they say about the Australian sun in summer is true, and it was a really dumb mistake) and a sprained ankle. So we've got some Korean Alice tonight!

It takes less than a day for Jasper to bring him the information Alice has requested. She cloisters herself in Esme’s studio, on the make-shift bed they’ve arranged. She makes herself a sandwich and washes her clothing, but other than that, appears to sleep. 

“The survivors of the Busan attack,” Carlisle tells her, in front of the family as everyone is curious about her, “have relocated to Hong Kong under the protection of Huang Gao.”

If anything, the girl gets paler, and Jasper is as far away from her as he can get. 

Alice nods. “Any word of the survivors?” 

“I’m afraid not but I’m sure we can pass on a message?” Carlisle offers, wishing this girl would give them something to work with. 

“No, you’ve done more than I hoped.” Her voice is dull, and she seems to make up her mind. “And I will ask you for one more favour so I might leave you in peace - I need to return to Busan. I have a Korean passport but no money.”

“Who is Hala?” Edward interrupts, and Jasper straightens up. 

“A friend I hope survived the attack. She will find me in Busan, if she is still alive,” Alice says.

“Hala of the Pravat coven?” Jasper asks, and Carlisle is vaguely relieved at this clue of her identity. 

“Yes.”

“How do you know them?”

“I worked for Ratana.”

//

“You say you’ve never met me, Jasper Hale.” She switches from English to Korean. “And it seems we’re both acquainted with Hala.”

The dawning realisation on Jasper’s face is both funny and terrible as his eldest son stares at their guest.

“She didn’t - only for the transport,” Jasper manages, but he looks sick. “That was the agreement I consented to.”

Alice said nothing.

“When did we meet?” Jasper asked, and the family is looking between them, like a tennis match. 

“Some time ago. I don’t really keep track of these things,” Alice seems very distant. “You were… a good friend to me, Jasper. I protected you as best as I could, but Hala answers to higher authorities than I. I would not have disturbed you and your family if I was not in dire need.”

//

She gets back to Busan much faster than she left it, in only a day and a half. The Cullens have given her enough cash to travel, supplied her with a suitcase of clothing that she doesn’t even bother to claim from baggage.

Her apartment is in a skinny building overlooking a narrow street with a jumble of businesses - some cafes, a shoe-repairer, a pawn shop, an overflowing grocery store, and a laundromat. All wide, grimy windows for twelve floors. Some residents are brave enough to hang their laundry between the buildings. She’s not. 

She wasn’t the last person in her apartment, she realises when she walks in. The door has been fixed, but was recently broken - she can see the seam of repairs. It’s one of those rare times where she’s pleased that she - well, Ratana - pays her rent months ahead of time, because she still has a place to live. 

The floor is filthy, the bed has been torn apart, and the emergency phone has been smashed. They’ve even cut into her armchair, shoved her few cups and plates to the floor. Her lamp and her ancient television are gone, probably stolen. The clothing she left behind is crumpled on the floor. 

The whole place is trashed. 

—

It takes her a week to put her life back into order - the Cullens’ travel money covers a replacement mattress, and she raids the pawn shop and the thrift store for a new armchair, new clothes and bedding, new dishes. And another ancient television that doesn’t always play in colour. 

She gets a job cleaning at the cafe across the street, and the owner treats her with suspicion but pays her in cash at the end of each shift. If it’s been a good day, he gives her food to take home. It’s not the best food, been sitting under a heat lamp all day, but she takes it gratefully and sometimes even eats it. 

She doesn’t throw away the phone that the Cullens gave her. Two messages come through, from Dr Cullen checking that she arrived safely and then one expressing concern for the lack of response. 

It takes her sixty eight days to steel herself enough to send back a polite thank you and reassure him she made it back to Korea. Then she turns it off. 

—

Winter folds into spring, and that just means scraping together money for clothing and shoes. She hasn’t exactly looked for her coven, or anyone, but no one has come looking for her and she doesn’t know how long she’s going to be alone. And that means that her money has to stretch to rent and food and clothing. The allowance Ratana had given her had not been generous, but that was only because Ratana paid her rent directly to the landlord. 

So, she cleans. And sometimes she hangs around the laundromat, getting paid to wash and dry other peoples’ clothing whilst they go off and do something more important. The owner chases her off, some days, and she only earns enough to cover a day’s food on a good day but it fills in the time. 

That’s mostly what she’s doing right now. Filling in time. She has her routine down to the minute - wake up, make tea, get changed, tidy up, go to the laundromat for a few hours, go to work, come home, shower, eat something, and sleep. 

Rinse and repeat. 

There’s a hollowness in her chest that seems to get bigger 

—

He bought her the beads when he proposed - the Markets of 1968. The only place open to buy a ring was the Markets, and neither of them wanted to buy one there. He swore that when they got to America, he’d get her the most beautiful ring ever seen. But until then, a string of black and gold beads around her neck would have to do. 

—

The first Market back is two years after the attack. She’s impressed Ratana is that efficient, but the woman is a one-person army. Except, it’s different now. Ratana works under the protection of Huang Gao now - for how long, nobody knows. Ratana is insistent that she remain a secret, swears that none of the Chinese coven know about her existence. 

She’s really not expecting him to attend, honestly. She sinks herself into market-work, into making sure the girls are comfortable, into packing stock and pricing and dealing with customers. She darts between stalls at Amita’s request, filling in for sellers when they need to take a break. 

“No one from the Hale or Cullen coven came,” Hala says kindly, at the end of the night. She’s sweeping up the mess of blood and sawdust and dirt that covers the floors, and not in the mood to speak. 

“No,” she says, as one of the other workers tosses another bucket of water onto the mess on the floor. She’s accepted that her shoes are done for tonight, she’ll have to throw them in the burn pile. She doesn’t bother to point out the singular guest from the Hale-Cullen coven was Jasper. And he’s never missed a Market before. 

“Are you…?” Hala begins, and she shrugs. 

“There was a ‘before’, so I expected there to be an ‘after’,” she manages, making a face when she thinks she spots a clump of hair. Whichever fucker decided to feed on the floor deserved to be banned for life.

Hala nods and lets her keep cleaning, maybe recognising that this isn’t the time for such a conversation; that they might be close, but they aren’t the sort of close where either of them cry on each other’s shoulders. Where either of them know a single thing about the other outside of the business. 

That none of them have really been okay since the Volturi’s recruitment. They are all stretched thin, taunt and worried. Worried about Aro of Italy, worried about Ratana’s alliance with Huang Gao, worried about the future. 

“You can go.” Ratana’s hand is firm on her shoulder, as she takes the broom from her, and slips some folded notes into her hand. “Get some sleep and some food, yes?”

She nods, and Ratana summons some new recruit with the snap of her fingers to continue to wash away the blood. 

Hala guides her back to the streets, and she makes her way home as the sun peaks over the horizon. None of the vendors she eats at are still open, most of them packing up. The streets are nearly empty; this isn’t a face of the city she normally sees. It feels very strange. 

She wonders how long it takes to fall out of love with someone. 

—

Jasper brings the whole family to the second market, and just seeing him on the floor is enough to make her feel sick and ashamed, so when Biyu tells her Ratana wants her working in the backroom, she agrees quickly. 

Mrs Cullen definitely spots her, but doesn’t say anything. She just looks curious. 

If she watches them from one of the windows, it’s only because doing the books for Ratana is inherently dull work, even with the runners bringing the invoices and receipts every hour. She watches them roam the floor, watches what they choose for themselves.

Watches the scene they cause when they come upon the flesh sellers, and she idly wonders if they realise those girls are here for both fucking and feeding, buyer’s choice. She can’t pick which one they would be more upset over. But Ratana does her best, and every single body for sale is a dead girl walking. Disease, drugs, poverty, or good old-fashioned gang warfare - none of them has a life anymore, and this is an easy way to make life-changing amounts of money for their parents or siblings or children or friends.

Ratana lets her leave sometime around two, letting her slip out ahead of the Cullens. For some incomprehensible reason, Ratana presses a bag of hot food into her hands as she turns to go and she nods her thanks. 

In the street, she walks only a few meters down the road before she sits down in the gutter, and opens up whatever Ratana has decided to give her. It’s still warm, and she eats it absently, still contemplating the walk home. She’ll have two days off, now - to sleep and clean and fill her time, so that she’s nowhere nearby when Huang Gao’s representative comes to collect his money. 

Immortality is so very dull and lonely. 

“Hello.”

She looks up to see the Cullens standing over her, and she hates that. She’s no stranger to casual racism, to overt racism. How many times throughout the years have white people grabbed at her, told her she’s ‘pretty for one of them’? Have assumed she’s a sex worker, that she’ll do anything they ask for American or British currency?

And now she’s sitting in the gutter, at their feet. 

“Good evening.” Her voice is steady, and she rises easily, tucking her food into her bag. “I didn’t expect to see you all here.”

“Safer to travel as a family these days,” Mrs Cullen smiles at her, and she wonders if the woman feels bad for how their family treated her when she first arrived looking for help. 

“I’ve heard that.” And she has. But she doesn’t have anyone to travel with. Maybe that’s why she’s stuck in Busan.

“We didn’t mean to interrupt your meal,” Edward Cullen is quick to interject and she waves it off. Jasper is hovering behind them, with most of the family. It’s only the Dr and Mrs Cullen, and Edward who have come over to her. 

“If it was a true interruption, I would still be eating,” she says absently. “I need to make my way home. Enjoy your time in Busan.” 

She turns and wanders away then, and she’s pleased that she doesn’t look back and she didn’t look at Jasper anymore than to determine where he was. He hadn’t approached her at all. Her detour to Forks had clearly changed everything, and that was not unexpected. But if Jasper had no interest in her, then she has little interest in befriending his family. They were clients of Ratana’s, nothing more. 

By the time she’s home, the rest of her food is cold and congealing, and she throws it away, and curls up in her chair to watch television until she falls asleep.