#good morning sleep token tumblr family

[moonchild-in-blue]

Hey, remember that time II kissed Vessel's arm? Okay byyeeeee :D

Well HELLO GOOD MORNING TO YOU TOO

(yes i did see this before i went to bed but i was wayyy too eepie to reply)

I hope you know this has just set the mood for my entire day so. I'm gonna be extra yearning and soft and whiny 👍 Sorry about that guys, I'm a pathetic wet cat of a person 😞

He could've hugged him. He could've high fived. He could've done that guy thing where they slap each other's butts and it's totally platonic and wholesome and hilarious.

AND YET. Mr. Daddy Twofoot (cmon guys, catch up on the name) KISSED??? HIS ARM??? On the sensitive soft part too?????

Like. Okay. Yeah yeah, the boyfriends, etc etc. But let me be actually serious for a second here.

(hello this turned out to be way longer and sappy than i intended so)

Do you see how effortless that was? He didn't hesitate for a second. How often do you see two guys (who I'm assuming are straight) be this affectionate with each other? A kiss on the inner arm is *such* a tender, intimate gesture, regardless of gender/sexuality - a type of action that is not usually expected between straight men.

And I don't know, I find it incredibly endearing and important to see that, as much as they do all that funny sexy stuff for the fans (and for themselves too - they seem to have so so much fun), these type of actions seem to be a part of their regular off-stage interactions. You can feel how genuinely good friends they all are.

And in the case of Vessel and ii, the founders of Sleep Token and the major force behind it all - how surreal and incredible it must be for them to get to experience all of this together. To see their hard work paying off. To stand proudly in front of literal thousands of people side by side with your best friend??? HELLO???

It's such a small thing, but I carries so much weight ya know? Like yeah dude, I love you and I'm proud of you, and you did a wonderful job. Isn't it SO touching???

I just LOVE to see it. Men who are vulnerable and affectionate around each other, who are comfortable in it, who shows us that yes, platonic friendships and pda are beautiful and important and in no way make you any less of a men. Which is something a LOT of dudebros in the metal scene would benefit in knowing.

I just. I don't know bro. Vessel x ii interactions mean the whole word to me. I was just talking with someone a few days ago of just how far Vessel has come in his music journey, and even within Sleep Token, the difference between One days and now is. Nothing short of astronomical. It feels almost miraculous, yet it is anything bUT, because we know how much effort V and ii put into making the music we so love. And of course iii, although not part of the creation process, has been with them from the beginning as well.

Can you imagine how overwhelmingly awesome and scary it must be for them?? And what are the odds of after a few years of changes, they somehow found the perfect person to complete them? SO MUCH SO, that you can see just how close iii and iv are BY THEIR MIRRORING ATTIRES?? HELLOOOOO ???? SOULMATES FR FR

Aaaa I feel like I'm going off on a huge tangent, and I am stopping now before I bring up the German Rituals and Wembley. December was a wild month omg I have not recovered yet.

I just!!! My heart!!! I love them. Vessel PLEASE I have been begging on my hands and knees, PLEASE PLEASE give your drummer a smooch omg he deserves it poor guy has the twinkliest prettiest eyes ever how can you NOT 🥺✨💙

Anyways. Yes, I do remember. Good gif 🙂👍

[anamelessfool]

Ribbons & Ties (AO3 Link) Chapter 6!

M/M, GEN (Ch 5 Here) (Start here on Tumblr!) 2500ish words

Terzo x Omega, Terzo & Family, Terzo & His Ghouls, Cardinal Marian is in there for like ten minutes

Tags: Domestic Fluff, Commitment, Rom Com Energy, There's a Wedding, Secondo is Papa Emeritus, Gift Giving, The ghoul names are all messed up sorry it is for plot purposes, I can't have Fluff without some Angst sorry

The Final Chapter!!!

For reasons beyond Terzo's understanding, he wants to give Omega a present for the ghoul's "birthday". It proves to be a lot more complicated than Terzo realizes.

Art by @kabukiaku used with permission

Omega tossed his head in excitement, considering how to proceed. He pulled the ribbon apart, carefully winding it back into a neat bundle. He held the small package like a priceless relic, teasing open the tape to best preserve the beautiful paper. Terzo sat there, shifting uneasily. It would be less of an agony if Omega had just ripped the package open,

Chapter 6 Below the Cut! (We like Reblogs, Comments and Kudos omnomnom)

6

Terzo woke a bit after dawn, lifting his head off of Omega's bare chest. He lingered there, privately appreciating his ghoul’s body. Omega like all ghouls did not sleep, but the total blackness in the eyes of the mask meant that his Self had walked away from his vehicle for a few hours to wander elsewhere. Terzo luxuriated his mouth across Omega's pectorals and at last the eyes returned and Omega brought his hand around to softly pet his lover.

GOOD MORNING. YOU'RE UP EARLY.

Satisfied, Terzo hopped out of bed and threw on his sleep shorts that he collected from the floor.

“If you want to go hiking, you have to get up early,” Terzo explained. It was the twenty-first. He had planned this outing for days but he did everything in his power to pretend it was a spur of the moment decision. “Also, if we leave now we would be halfway up the mountain before anyone realizes we were not at work today, amore.”

ASK FOR FORGIVENESS. Omega's broad shoulders shook with mirth. EXCELLENT IDEA. NO PROBLEMS THERE.

Terzo waved Omega’s concern away with a business-like swish of his hand as he peered into his closet. “Cardinal Marian will come up with something. She'll have to.”

She wouldn't be happy, but whenever Terzo was in need of an impromptu vacation he could negotiate with offering her keys to the ministry car for a week or more. They both appreciated the value of skipping work for self-indulgent reasons, as long as the other agreed to the price.

Terzo packed a drawstring bag with what he thought he needed: a water bottle, a sweatshirt, the first gift wrapped nicely up with paper and ribbon. As he collected his items he stole secret glances at Omega as the ghoul sat up and stretched his body. Light and shadow caressed him in the same places Terzo loved to touch—the soft rise of his bicep, the sharp hollow of his throat, the crumpled lines that defined his abdomen. Terzo blinked, looking away. If Omega had noticed him staring the ghoul would mock him with some posing and flexing and they would not get anything done.

“No shoes either, if you want.” Music to the ghoul’s ears, if he had them. “Would not be safe to hike in those dress shoes, anyway.”

The ghoul wiggled the clawed toes on his blackened feet, deeply pleased. They were the only sign of his inhuman origin and to Omega they were prisoners tormented by humanity's worst invention. He had a drawer nearby of clothing Terzo had collected for him beyond the standard ghoul uniform and he stepped into some shorts and a tee shirt. I'M READY.

While the ghoul dressed Terzo took the opportunity to slip the precious stone he collected into his own pocket. It felt heavier against his side than it truly was, and that familiar feeling of a daydream coming on passed across his mind. They were both at the top of the mountain, at the lookout with a cloudless sky behind him. Terzo on his knee, pulling out the silly little token from his pocket.

On my knee? Terzo frowned, shaking himself back to sense.

***

The trailhead started at the cemetery on top of the hill, and continued onward into the protected forests and mountains. The morning mists were clearing as the sun warmed the land. Omega was thoroughly enjoying himself and would pause often to investigate a perfect mushroom, or the tiniest toad hidden amongst the leaves. Terzo had fallen behind and Omega waited for him to catch up while enjoying the most satisfyingly springy moss between his clawed toes.

The ascent was subtle, undetected but after a half hour Terzo felt his heart work in his chest, and his breath start to go. He stopped for a few moments, closing his eyes. He had been distracted for so long by his duties as Papa Elect that he was admittedly out of shape. But today's exertion seemed to let his anxious thoughts fall away. When his breath was settled, he continued. “We call this Mount Belial, although I'm sure it has another name.”

Omega waited for him patiently further up the trail. SHALL I CARRY YOU?

“No, I like the walk.” They picked their way up the steep trail, and Terzo smiled at a memory. “When I was at my very best Primo and I could carry a whole campsite up here on our backs. And we did.”

Omega put a supportive hand across Terzo’s back, slowing his pace. THOSE WERE GOOD TIMES, THEN.

“Primo first got me out here, when I was a kid,” Terzo explained as he picked his way up the trail. “Gave me something to do. Some place to go.”

DO YOU MISS HIM?

Terzo sighed, looking up at the ghoul. It took him a minute or two to collect his thoughts, but he made the effort. “I do,” he admitted. His smile soured. “Secondo and I were…better…when he was around.”

WHEN YOU'RE PAPA IT WILL BE EVEN BETTER.

“Yes, maybe,” said Terzo, but the dark thoughts descended again. “I will be Papa and Secondo will…” Secondo had so far fared better at Primo channeling energy to feed the Void. He was a cautious, calculating magician, a scientist with a will of iron. He had found ways to endure the curse and continue the necessary work. But he was a proud man, and it was getting harder for him to hide the effects. His wedding was the last time Terzo had seen him without a cane. He was collapsing more after performances, although he refused to admit his advancing weakness. Omega had shared that information from the other ghouls, and Terzo kept it close. The ghouls were preparing themselves to return home. Secondo very soon would have to retire, or die.

And then Terzo would be next.

“On second thought a break would be nice.”

Omega had found a fallen tree and sat down, testing it. He patted the space beside him. Terzo came forward, pulling the package from his bag and presenting it with overly theatrical pomp. He bowed, putting on a silly smirk but his stomach was in his throat.

“Happy Birthday, my ghoul.” Terzo lifted up on his toes and gave Omega a peck on the metal cheek. He settled in beside him on the fallen tree.

Omega tossed his head in excitement, considering how to proceed. He pulled the ribbon apart, carefully winding it back into a neat bundle. He held the small package like a priceless relic, teasing open the tape to best preserve the beautiful paper. Terzo sat there, shifting uneasily. It would be less of an agony if Omega had just ripped the package open, but at last the box was free and Omega looked down at the black and violet patterns of the woven strap inside.

AH, A GUITAR STRAP. Omega brushed his knee up against Terzo’s leg in a tender gesture of gratitude. IT'S MY FAVORITE COLORS. He brought the strap up to his mask. PERFECT. He closed his eyes in a pleased smile.

“Shall we keep going?” Terzo asked. His heart was hammering in his chest. “A bit farther up is a lookout.” He felt the stone in his pocket. There. He decided he'd give him the real gift up there. For some reason something within him needed him to have a proper setting to present it, as simple as it was.

After another two minutes of Omega gently folding up the paper like it was the Magna Carta, they were back on the trail.

After a while the trees thinned, and beyond them was no longer the leafy hillside but patches of blue sky. The lookout. Terzo wiped his face and took a swig of water. The new shafts of sunlight through the trees illuminated the sculpted face of Omega as he tentatively walked forward onto the rocky outcropping. The ghoul crouched, looking down at the drop, then brought his hands out, stretching them to the sky.

Terzo laughed, walked to the edge of the cliff and sat down, legs dangling. “Come try this with me, Omega.”

Omega blinked behind his mask. WHAT IF WE FALL?

“You? I could build your body back a hundred times if I wanted to, and you’re worried about falling?”

Omega dropped his shoulders. FINE, WHAT IF YOU FALL?

Terzo smirked. “Then I fall. Come on. Try it.”

Omega gingerly settled down beside him, gripping the rock with his fingers.THE BREEZE BETWEEN THE TOES IS INTERESTING.

“Haha, definitely makes you feel alive.” The air caressed them as they watched the shadows of clouds across the sea of restless leaves below. To the far left was the top of the Ministry tower peeking out, a lighthouse in the green. Terzo’s worries were gone, buried by trees. At least for a little while. He put his hand on Omega’s thigh and they were silent.

After a time, Terzo realized his moment had come. He swallowed down butterflies that he was surprised existed. “I have something else, actually.”

Omega froze in disbelief. TWO? I HAVE TWO GIFTS ON MY BIRTHDAY?

“I’d give you a hundred if I could,” Terzo chuckled. “Would be easier to pick one hundred instead of just two.” Terzo shimmied back off the ledge and got to his feet, brushing himself off.

Terzo decided he would not get on a knee, although the fantasy had not relented for the entire adventure. Almost in defiance of his mysterious inner wishes, Terzo pulled the stone from his pocket and cooly handed it to Omega.

“For you, amore.”

The stone was so small in Omega's palm. Terzo thought of the lengths it took to get it. So small but so enveloped by the ghoul’s hand. Omega brought his other finger down to gently touch it.

“They call it a hag stone,” explained Terzo. “I found it on a beach when I was a kid. Apparently if you look through it you can see ghosts and other strange things. But, alas, I have never seen anything different.”

IT’S PERFECT. I LOVE IT. Omega brought the stone to his eye and scanned the landscape, stopping when he reached Terzo. He started at the human’s toes, slowly eying him up and down. HEH. I’M SEEING SOMETHING STRANGE.

Terzo grinned. “Well, happy birthday once again, mi amore.”

Omega looked out over the valley, the stone still fixed across his eye. Terzo watched his shoulders relax. Then the ghoul slowly lowered the stone and stared out unaided, lost in a deep thought. Terzo saw the wisps of the long eyelashes of his gentle eyes fan softly as they continued to consider the space before them, as if Omega were recording it to memory.

Terzo’s face fell, his nerves returning. He suddenly realized that the ghoul was also waiting for the ideal time to express what was in his heart. He took an instinctual step back, but Omega came forward, arms outstretched.

YOU EXPLAINED THAT A BIRTHDAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF LIFE. The ghoul wrapped his arm around Terzo’s waist, drawing him closer. He brought his metal forehead to meet with Terzo’s own, looking into his eyes. ELEVEN DAYS AFTER YOU SUMMONED ME, THE 21ST. THAT IS THE FIRST DAY WE KISSED. THAT IS THE FIRST DAY I FELT ALIVE. AND SO, IT IS MY BIRTHDAY.

Terzo felt the ghoul wrap his big arms around him and they shared a tender sigh. This softness, this feeling of solid overwhelming security was what Terzo had been hungry for all his life. Burying himself deep underground as a child, or over anonymous bodies when he was grown— nothing felt as secure to him as when he held Omega in this moment. The fog of his mind cleared, and Omega's beating heart, his expanding lungs in his chest against Terzo’s ear was all that remained.

“I want to commit to you until we don't have forever,” said Terzo. “I don't think…I don't think I can come up with anything closer to how I feel than that.”

COME HERE. Omega pulled the crumpled bits of the wrapped package from his pocket. GIVE ME YOUR HAND. He fished out the ribbon and took Terzo by the hand, tracing his palm with his fingers. At last the ghoul slipped his own hand into Terzo’s, enclosing the stone between them and knitting the fingers together.

It was an awkward exercise but as soon as Terzo realized what the ghoul was attempting he choked down tears and helped. Carefully, reverently they wrapped the ribbon around their wrists, over the clasped hands. Their thumbs held the ends.

“Fuck you for outdoing me,” Terzo sobbed, laughing and wiping his eyes.

MAYBE LATER. Omega huffed a breathy, voiceless chuckle. LET'S COMMIT TO THE NOW.

The two of them stood on the rocky lookout, a soft breeze stirring across their backs. A pair of hawks wheeled in tandem across an updraft over the valley. Terzo could not ask for a better setting for this moment. He sniffed, but tears continued to silently fall. “Should we…should we say a few words?” he whispered.

Omega blinked slowly, searching the landscape. His overwhelming aura of love poured out of him in tremendous unseen but deeply felt waves, almost as if he was crying too. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY. His fingers gently brushed against Terzo’s.

Terzo’s mouth opened, silently experimenting with how to voice what they shared. He found it at last, and looked up at Omega, into the ghoul’s clear blue eyes. “Per…per sempre,” he said.

Omega nodded his great metal head. YES. FOREVER.

And you make me Talk....And you make me Feel... And you make me show what I'm trying to Conceal! If I trust in you, would you let me down? Would you laugh at me if I said I care for you? Could you feel the same way too? I wanna know the name of the game...

My AO3 | Tumblr Fic List | My Terzo/Omega Fics

Please comment and reblog! Also feel free to send me crying emojis and I will send you crying emojis. Thanks and have a lovely Solstice season!<3

[lightlycareless]

First, it hurts— Chapter XXIII [part 2]

(Part 1)

Naoya Zen’in x Fem!Reader

While arranged marriages are not uncommon in the jujutsu community, it was strange to receive a proposal from none other than the Zen’in’s, nonetheless your clan accepted and before you knew it, you were married off to Naoya.

Your new purpose was clear: to serve and submit, to be seen and not heard. To forget any sense of individuality in favor of obeying your husband.

Will this marriage ever flourish into something else? Will it change…for better or for worse?

Chapter warnings: fluff, a bit of yelling, slight mention of adultery, implications of sexual favors. And I think that's about it. It's pretty chill I guess lol

A/N: Heya once more! Due to Tumblrs limitations on blocks, I'll be posting longer chapters into two! or three, how many as needed. The link to the previous chapter will be on the top! :) Thank you for your understanding!

Also, if you want to read the whole thing in one post, ao3 is the way to go ❤

Now, without any further ado, happy reading! 🥰

Masterlist ➸ Chapter 24

Ao3 link.

Noting that your courteous thank you wasn’t enough to show how grateful you were of Junko’s actions, you’ve decided to do something for her, as a token of your appreciation.

However, the woman would always deny your advances, whether they be making breakfast for her and her daughters, so she could start the morning with ease, or even taking her duties so she could relax for the rest of the day. All attempts that Junko would immediately shut down, for she believed you were trying to bribe her.

Ah, always the defensive one.

Well, you’d soon come to the realization that continuously pushing your luck would do you or the twins no good, so instead, decided to let it rest for the moment, that is, until Junko finally finds it in herself to lower her guard.

Then , you’d be able to attack once more.

And that moment seemed to be today.

You don’t know how you did it, but you did it anyway. You actually managed to wake up way earlier than your staff, and Junko subsequently.

Making haste to start your day, you fetched a kimono from the nearby closet—a dark gray kimono with a beige obi; the usual palette that remained on theme with the rest of your attires.

Once ready, you silently make your way to the kitchen. 

Just because you were awake, didn’t mean the others were as well. And if you had to bring it up… well, you had more than enough unsavory encounters with the staff to wish to remain undetected.

Luckily, there weren’t many people awake during this early hour, aside from those assigned to work the graveyard shift, who honestly… couldn’t really care less about you—not when they were hoping that their shift would end soon (for it was the most uneventful one to work in) and get some well deserved rest.

As you continued your way to the kitchen, you wondered how Junko managed to wake up this early every single day—after all, it often seemed that she went to sleep pretty late at night, presumably after her daughters and husband were in bed first and she’d prepared what she could for tomorrow, and only then, she’ll be able to rest as well.

Naoaki seemed to be the same kind of person—waking up early to try and make the most of the day. Although that seemed to not be the norm for him, only doing so more recently because he had a family issue to resolve with the government, and government institutes were famed to be heavily frequented, even from very early hours. Thus, it made sense why he’d have to leave the estate at dawn, just to ensure that he’ll be assisted.

Well, if there was one thing you had to be grateful of your current arrangement, was that you weren’t demanded to wake up early. Any other day, you’d still be sleeping underneath your warm covers at this hour—something you were sure was about to change as soon as Naoya returned home. 

The notion of serving him is enough to make you sharply exhale out of frustration—you haven’t even done anything and you were already irritated by it, just the power Naoya held over you.

However, those heinous thoughts vanish as quickly as they arrive once you’re standing before the kitchen entrance, finally returning you to Junko and the breakfast you were to prepare for her.

You slide the doors open, and just as you’ve experienced in the past, prepare yourself to be received by the frigid eyes of the workers inside.

Knowing well how to drive yourself in these kind of situations, you take a deep breath and walk across the room (not bothering to greet good mornings, for they often went unanswered) and onto your regular working space, doing as much as you could to avoid glancing at them or coming in between their path. They remained relatively silent, an unusual thing to happen whenever present, but you decided not to comment on it any further.

Getting down to business, you begin to envision the meal Junko would usually prepare for herself: rice, fruits, a few vegetables and most importantly, no fish , for you eventually discovered that her dislike wasn’t because of her personal choice, but rather, because her family were vegetarians.

Once the picture becomes clear in your mind's eye, you decide to start by reaching out for the appropriate cooking supplies.

You’d look into the nearest cabinet, intending to find a pan. When your search proved fruitless, you’d move onto another cupboard, and another, and another, until you eventually realized it was shockingly nowhere to be found.

Its absence makes you wonder if anyone else was using it and forgot to return to its rightful place, a conclusion that makes you tense with anxiety at the prospect of having to interact with the apathetic staff around you.

Well, if that were to be the case, then you’d have to improvise. Maybe if you could get your hands on a pot, you’ll be—

“Lady Y/N” A voice calls from behind. You blink slowly, trying to decipher if you’d actually heard someone call you or it it was a fragment of your imagination “Lady Y/N”

It was not . Hesitantly, you begin to turn around to face the one behind the call. 

It’s a cook, one that you faintly recognize as usually working in the morning shift. She seems… nervous, uncertain even, almost as if she were too afraid to speak to you. 

«Because of me?» you wonder as the woman continues fidgeting with her fingers 

“Are you… looking for something?”

“A pan” you answer, uncertain where this conversation could go from here.

“Oh, it’s here” She says, walking over to an overlooked cabinet, pulling the doors open and getting the pan out of its storage. “The other one broke and we had to get a new one… I hope it’s good enough”

“...Yeah” you say, squinting your eyes as you take the item from her hands “Thank you…?” 

“If you need anything else, just tell me” she says with a nod before retreating to her previous position.

And that wasn’t even the strangest thing yet. 

When you started cooking, the servants would occasionally slide to you the ingredients they assumed you would be needing next. Sometimes they were right, sometimes they were not. However, that wasn’t what bothered you. 

The thing that made you feel uneasy was this following question:

Why, out of nowhere, they’ve decided to be helpful towards you?

Well… you only had to look back a few days to understand their reasonings.

After you essentially stood up for someone of their ranks, the servants were left to discover a new side of you, one they never thought you’d be able to harbor, due to being influenced by the preconceived notions of their masters. 

While many of the masters, wives included, often sided to simply follow the tyrannical order of Meiko’s rules, you decided to break the mold and put a stop to her actions. Even going as far as taking on the punishment that pertained to the perpetrator in question, showing them that titles were, well, just that. Titles .

Seeing this kind of uprising coming from someone they considered to be a detached superior quickly humbled them, presenting them a whole new point of view to ruminate on. 

And although there were still a few servants that weren’t amused by your actions, thinking that you were stepping out of line, there were few others that were starting to… come to terms with their assumptions of you, and wanted to compensate for their past actions.

Such as what they did today.

However, this was an explanation that you wouldn’t be able to know about, at least not for the moment. Ignorant to the cause, and not wanting to get distracted by them out of the necessary, you decide to continue doing your thing.

Now that you were done, and the servants had given you a few unexpected compliments here and there regarding it’s consistency, smell, and even presentation , all that was left for you to do is prepare to set the table—chopsticks, napkins, and a few cups alongside the tea you managed to do whilst preparing the food—and wait for their arrival.

You hoped that your anticipation would disappear once Junko and her daughters arrived at the dining table, and it did. But only to be replaced by fear of their disappointment, after all, it was the first time Mai and Maki would get to taste your food, and children were known to be very blunt when it came to voicing their opinions. 

An emotion that only heightened upon seeing Junko’s eyes land on your work, seemingly evaluating your effort with a squint of her own.

But if you were to read her mind, you would’ve known that far from judging your efforts, she thought that the food laid before her pertained to an upcoming meeting she had the misfortune of forgetting! 

A small slip up that sparked her into action by ordering her daughters to wait in the adjacent room as they walked towards the kitchen, requesting you to help her finish the rightful preparations as soon as possible.

Something that she would’ve continued to do, that is, until you stepped in.

“It’s fine, Junko-san” you reassure her, following her around the kitchen “There’s nothing to worry about”

“What do you mean? Surely all this food is for something important”

“Yes” you nod “For you”

“Then why are you standing around? Get yourself together and—wait. What ?” Junko freezes.

“I said, it’s for you” you repeat with a smile. “Come, let’s get you to the table”

“What’s the meaning of this?” She wastes no second to start interrogating you, much to your amusement, as she follows you to the dinning hall.

“I… wanted to do something for you, as to show my gratitude for allowing me to be friends with your daughters” You start to explain “I know you didn’t want me to do anything, but I really thought it necessary. I hope I did everything to your liking, we haven't really spoken about the food we like so please don’t be too harsh on me” you chuckle nervously.

Junko stands there as she’s effectively rendered speechless.

For the first time in her life, she doesn’t know what to say.

She… she doesn’t remember the last time she was ever appreciated for the things she’s done for the house. Outside of her daughters, of course. But outside of that… no one. 

Besides, she was indoctrinated from the very moment she was born to never expect gratitude for completing what was her job, thus, she grew up to believe that she hasn’t done anything outstanding to receive such treatment.

But then, you came along, and everything around her started to change. 

You acted in such a way that it was impossible for her to ignore; but… she has to admit that it wasn’t entirely bad. Different from the people that surrounded her, of course, putting so much attention to the smallest, unnecessary details…

But it's the reason that pushed you to think it was necessary to thank her. 

Well, in some way, she did expect you to do something like that, since Junko thinks that she’s doing you a favor, however, what she thought (which pertained to you getting down on your knees and beg ), to what happened…

She can easily recognize that what she got was something so much better.

Your efforts were genuine, caring, as if her opinion mattered to you.

For the first time in seemingly forever, she felt herself being appreciated.

Perhaps she could indulge you just this one time.

“Mom!” Mai calls as she rushes towards them, with her older sister just behind them.

She and Maki have heard everything from the other side of the room, since the curiosity behind your actions naturally forced them to do so.

When the good hearted nature of your intentions were finally revealed, put somewhat still pushed away by their mother, they soon understood it was necessary for them to step in and help you further convince her to be pampered for once in her life, thus, the following ensued.

“Let’s eat!! I’m starting and Y/N-chan made us food!” she whines, grabbing her mother’s right sleeve as to emphasize her words.

“Yeah, mom!” Maki pouts, crossing her arms “Besides, you rarely get to eat with us anyways, might as well take it! —Wait, will you eat with us too, Y/N-chan?”

“Oh” you faltered. Guess you haven’t thought about that. “I… depends if your mom wants me to”

The girls waste no second to swirl their heads towards their mother, puppy eyes in place, as they begin to plead.

“Pleeeeaaaase” they cry in unison, pulling and tugging on her sleeves “please let her eat with us, please, please, pleeeeaaaaassseeeeeeeeeeee”

“Fine, alright!” Junko sharply interrupts “But let’s make it quick, I still have your father’s breakfast to prepare”

You had prepared food though, just not intended to be eaten with them. However, this was a nice twist of events you couldn’t deny. It felt nice to actually eat with the company of someone else.

Not that you were alone during dinner, since you now had Naoaki to share it with, but back before he entered your life, it was just you… and your staff, limiting themselves to observe you and ask you from time to time if you needed anything else—making you feel like some kind of caged animal observed by it’s visitors.

It felt nice to indulge in these types of domesticity, giving you the impression of being part of a family.

A moment you wished would last forever.

Once everyone was done eating their breakfast, you went ahead and started picking up everyone's plates—promptly stopping Junko from doing so under the pretense that you were the one that roped her into this in the first place, and that she deserved it to take it easy, thus, your responsibility to look after your guests.

The mother of two would begrudgingly accept your offer, but not without insisting that she’d be allowed to at least wash the plates. You deny her request once more, attacking her from another angle by reminding her that she has yet to prepare her husband’s breakfast. That seemed to do the work, because after that, she no longer offered to help anywhere else.

The twins thank you for the meal and tell you that they will be on their way to class , but not before reminding you that they intended to play with you once they were done with school—a sentence you couldn’t stop laughing at upon realizing how accommodating you’ve become to their will. 

Junko would attempt to sway them back on track, warning them that they have to complete their homework first before doing anything else with you, which they promised to do as they bid their farewells.

Falling back into the routine, you take this moment to chat with Junko and maybe… get her to confess her opinion regarding your efforts—because throughout the whole time she was eating, she never commented on your skill.

“So…” you start, discreetly peeking over to Junko’s side “did you like the food?” 

A few seconds pass, receiving nothing but silence from her as she diligently disinfects the vegetables she was to use.

“It was… acceptable” She eventually responds upon deliberating that her lack of acknowledgement wouldn’t be courteous for the one that fed her, all while reached out for a nearby knife and began cutting the same vegetables she was preparing “Although you have much to improve if you want to start making appropriate meals for Naoya-sama”

«I thought she would say that» you muse as you continue cleaning the plates on the sink  «But it’s not a bad response»

“…thank you” Junko murmurs and you gasp.

“Don’t mention it” a smile appears on your lips as you proceed to bask in the warmth this closeness brought between the two. To hear her admit she liked your food, and was grateful for it—it was pure ecstasy!

“Do not think this will change anything between us” She’s quick to raise her guard upon realizing she’s allowed herself to be vulnerable for far too long, and hopefully, right before you got the wrong idea. 

However, it was too late. Before she was able to do anything else, your eyes began to twinkle with a mischievous gleam that implied you’ve already begun to see her differently  

“I’m still your mentor!’

“Of course!” You chuckled “My friend of a mentor”

“No. Stop it immediately” Junko fumes as she continues to dive into her work while you continue laughing.

Nonetheless, even if Junko somewhat indulged in this nonsensical banter, you still felt that she hasn’t completely allowed herself to be honest with you. There’s still so much that she’s holding onto, perhaps out of fear of vulnerability or her own family, making you wonder what it would take for her to finally open up to you.

Well, you wouldn’t force her. 

For now, this fleeting moment of happiness is all you could ask for.

Having Mai and Maki back in your life was certainly something you took great enjoyment in, but as much as you were basking in their prosperity… you were starting to feel… tired.

Yes, you liked being with them and would do anything to never lose them again, but that didn’t mean you had to spend every waking hour with them. And not only because you were starting to have trouble keeping up to their hyperactive behavior, which dragged you from one corner of the estate to the other, but rather, because you’ve begun to disregard your other relationships:

Naoaki .

The poor man had remained quiet about this whole ordeal, presumably as to not make you feel bad, but you knew the truth.

Another thing that kept you agitated throughout the days was the link that he represented between you and your sister.

Of course, you didn’t want to say that this is the only reason you’ve been trying to reach out to him. No, obviously not—there was a healthy relationship at stake that you intended to preserve, as well as overall missing spending time with him and hearing his stories whenever he left the estate: You wished to know if he’d managed to save the wrongly-named property an opportunistic man thought capable of stealing, as well as his jujutsu endeavors.

And above all… to know if your sister finally responded to your letter.

You assume that enough time has passed already for her to write a missive of her own, and for it to subsequently arrive at the P.O. box solely designated for your correspondence; if that was the case, it was only a matter of having Naoaki go fetch it and bring it to you. 

But just as if it’s written in the human genome, intrusive thoughts are quick to make way to your mind and plague them with all kinds of horrible outcomes, starting with the one that  perhaps your letter was never sent, because it was intercepted by the Zen’in!

Something that didn’t make sense once you thought about it. If that had been the case, you probably wouldn’t be alive to talk about it. You discard it quickly.

However, you didn’t stop there. If that wasn’t the reason why you haven’t learned about your sister, it was because she hasn’t responded to it! Because she no longer cares about you!

That’s idiotic . You knew Hinata very well, and after promising to get you out of there, there was no way she would leave you stranded. 

But

You do knew her to be a very busy person. Her valuable technique, alongside the notion that the jujutsu community wasn’t known for being very… just to it’s sorcerers necessities, still stuck in an outdated system the elders have refused to consider changing (the same one that put you in this situation) it was only reasonable that Hinata wouldn’t have gotten the chance to answer your message just yet.

Well, there’s still the positive side to look after.

The worst of the best scenarios, the mail service was simply late. It’s something that can definitely happen, more now that it is nearing the highest season of the year—the holidays.

And in the best of the worst, assuming your sister did indeed write back, Naoaki has simply not been able to go to the post office—you also had to consider that he was a busy man on his own, doing you a favor . The least you could do is not be demanding with him, especially after the two haven’t been able to spend time together. 

Well, whatever the case, you already had something to look forward to, and that was spending time with him.

You managed to set some time aside from your busy schedule, fortunately matching with his, to catch up on all the things you missed. 

You also made sure to let the twins know that you’d be a bit occupied, so whatever it was that they wanted to do today, it would have to be postponed for another time. Something they begrudgingly accepted, but soon overcame once Junko told them she was to go to the nearby village.

Moving on from that moment, you start making your way to the assigned rendezvous point, the same lily garden you’ve always frequented with him and had become somewhat of a symbol of your friendship with him.

You sit down, getting yourself comfortable on the engawa and begin to wait.

“Y/N”

Right on cue. 

With a smile parting your lips, you proceed to greet the man with a tinkling call of his name, a gesture that he takes at heart and responds with a grin on his own.

Eager to take his rightful place by your side, he wastes no second to approach you and sit down, but before he’s able to do so, he’s halted by the sight of a tray essentially filled to the brim with all kinds of snacks and drinks—something he’s never seen your staff do so before, at least not to this extent, and rightfully assumes it wasn’t them.

“What’s with all this?” Naoaki says as he begins to look through its contents. There’s at least 3 packages of cookies, 2 bowls of fruit, a glass of orange juice and a cup of tea. Many options to choose from if one of them wasn’t to your liking. Were you perhaps… starving?

“Oh, the servants brought it” you say, eyeing down the items beside you, before patting the area next to you, as if to incite him to sit down.

“The servants? Like Mariya?” He accepts your suggestion and sits down.

“No” you shake your head “The rest of the servants. They’ve been acting like this for days now, I don’t know what’s gotten into them”

“Well, can’t say I don’t like seeing you getting some kind of appreciation, just like you deserve, but it’s quite odd”

“Oh, stop it” you roll your eyes, reaching out for a grape. “You can take whatever you want, it’s too much for me anyways—but yeah, you’re right. It’s a bit weird”

“Ah, well, don’t mind me. I’m starving” he says, proceeding to take you up on your offer and grab a cookie. “Well, it’s been a while Y/N”

“It has!” you gasp “It’s been too long! What have you been up to?”

“Not much, the usual that you already know—paperwork and jujutsu” he says, leaning back on his arms “And you?”

“Spending my time with the twins” you reminisce.

“The, oh so generous ones, that finally permitted you to spend time with me?” he smirks.

“It seems so” you chuckle back “But that makes them sound like they have me against my will, which I must confess, they do”

He laughs “Well, I’m glad you’re getting along with them. More so that Junko-san allowed it as well. She can be very overprotective of her daughters when it comes to it, but we already knew that”

“Yeah… it seems like we’ve worked out differences for now, that is, until I do something to infuriate her” you giggle.

“I guess we should give her a break. I can’t imagine being married to my uncle is a nice thing to live with”

“Oh, poor woman” you lament, although your interaction with Ogi has been short, you can imagine the nightmare it must’ve been to be related to him. In a way, you understood her. 

Guess the only good thing that has ever come from him were his daughters. “And here I am, bothering her”

“I don’t think you’re bothering her, she’s simply worried that she can’t keep an eye on her daughters all the time… but at the same time, she deserves a break. Not that you’re they’re nanny of course, but… I think she’s starting to see that you’re a good person”

“You think so?” A part of you knows this to be a truth, specially after the interaction you two held back in the kitchen. You just liked being reassured, you presume.

“I know so” he doubles down “You’re a beautiful person, inside and out”

Embarrassed by his smooth compliment, you immediately glance away. 

“...Thank you” you whisper as heat begins to take place on your cheeks. Just how long was he intending to keep this up?

“You’re welcome” he winks.

“Whatever” you pout at his silly expression before finally regaining the courage to drive the conversation back to its origin and onto a subject you were in deep urge to clarify.  “...there’s something that I wanted to ask you”

The sudden shift in your tone is all that he needs to know.

“I think I know where you’re going.” Naoaki responds, showing that he was on the same page as you. “It’s about your sister, isn’t it?”

“Yeah” you nod “Has she… sent anything?”

For a few seconds, Naoaki seems to be considering whether to tell you the truth or design a lie to avoid your sadness. But if he were to do this… it’ll be disrespecting your trust, and you’ve grown to be someone so important to him to ever think of doing something like that.

Thus, coming to the appropriate decision, he takes a breath as he mentally prepares to start his report, and speak.

“I went today” Naoki begins. You perk your ears almost immediately after, as if physically trying to place all of your attention in his words and avoiding any of them to slip under your attention “And I think you’re not going to like it”

“What? What is it?” you urge frantically, the worst outcomes are already crossing your mind. “Please tell me Naoaki, did… Did my letter not go through? Did someone find out what we did?!”

“No, of course not. I took extra care to ensure no one will find out”

“Then… what is it?”

“I… checked the P.O. box and there was nothing—not a single letter. Empty ” he confides “I thought that maybe she hadn’t received the letter yet, but the system marks it as delivered, so… it all points to her not having sent anything yet”

You seem to be tackled by two emotions at the same time: relief, and anguish.

Relief, because it meant that your letter was sent as proposed. Received and signed by her, or so you assume. So at least that’s secured.

And anguish because… well, she hasn’t responded, and the secrecy behind her reasons has you uneasy. 

You’d like to think that it wasn’t because she didn’t care, and more like she was simply busy with her life: her responsibility to the clan, the jujutsu community… and now, you.

Still, even if you foresaw this possibility… It didn't ease the pain. 

You tried to reassure yourself that only the best, the good reasons were the ones behind her reasoning, but you couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed, desperate even, that you hopefully held on… for nothing.

You were looking forward to this moment for the longest, and you wished you could’ve gotten some kind of closure at least… if you only knew why your sister had not responded, well, you think you would’ve been able to distance yourself from this harrowing twinge in your heart.

Seeing the way your face contorts into sadness, it doesn’t take long before Naoaki begins regretting telling you all this in the first place, proceeding to put his hand behind your back as if to root you back to the present, and offer the comfort of his words.

“I’m sorry” Naoaki says, rubbing your back. He’s very tempted to hug you, but he doesn’t want his gesture to be misinterpreted. Besides, they’re in the open, and if someone saw the two of you like that… 

Yeah, he’d rather not risk it then. 

“I asked them to double check if there wasn’t anything in the back, something they might have overseen… but nothing”

“It was a risk” you finally speak up “We knew what we were getting into”

“Are you… ok, Y/N?”

“Not really” you sigh, and this breaks his heart.

“Is there anything I can do?”

“Well… we already knew this was a possibility so… I guess all that’s left for me to do is continue writing to her” you respond, giving him a mirthless smile “at least for her to not worry that much about me”

Naoaki knows your smile is not genuine, but it doesn’t stop him from admiring you any less. Even in the harshness of this reality, you still find it in yourself to move forward.

It baffles him that your husband isn’t appreciative of your nature.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to help you” He promises “Send as many letters as you need. Who knows? We might even fund the whole postal service by ourselves”

“I’m not planning to abuse your help that way” you squinted your eyes at his joke, although you had to admit, it was amusing. “Not if it’s your money we’re talking about”

“The postage is cheap, so don’t worry about it”

“Well, if that’s what we’re going to do… I guess I could do with more paper. Last time, I almost ran out of sheets because of my indecisiveness, and if that’s going to happen again, I want to be sure to ha—”

“Y/N-Chan! Y/N-chaaaan! ”

A squeamish voice calls in the distance. Soft, like a wind dancing with the breeze, but loud for neither to ignore.

A voice you’d recognize everywhere, but when it once brought you contentment, now gave you uneasiness due to its bad timing.

“Mai?” you gasp upon seeing the familiar figure of the girl coming right around the corner. Did you… not tell them you’d be busy today?

Well, it seems so. Because the oblivious girl continued to rush towards you, surprisingly unaccompanied by her twin sister, all whilst holding a colorful book in one hand, and a white rectangular box on the other.

“Look what mom got me today!” Mai says as she eagerly waves the items before you: a coloring book and a box of crayons. “She got it at the village because of my good grades, and I thought we could use it before Maki gets here! She paints horrible and always breaks my colors, so I don’t want her to use—”

Silence.

The unexpected quietness of her voice causes you to grow apprehensive as you suddenly see the color drain from her face. 

Her gaze is intently fixed on a spot beside you, appalling enough to keep her rooted in the spot as something seems to flash on across her eyes. The contrasting difference from her enthusiastic behavior to her frightened facade causes you to determinedly follow her gaze towards the mysterious reasons that enacted such a change, and get to the bottom of it.

The answer behind her actions causes you to be further unsettled.

Naoaki .

You remember the girls telling you that they didn’t like him, or the rest of his siblings, when you suggested inviting over to use them as more players for their game.

Their response was one that somewhat disappointed you, but you didn’t think much about it. After all, their dislike for Naoya probably branched out to the rest of his brothers, and you weren’t about to force them to do something they didn’t want to.

Adding his tragic backstory, how the family forced one another to basically refute him whenever possible, it only made sense that Mai was struggling to accept the fact that he was there with you.

Yes, that must’ve been it. There was no other explanation. After all, if you were to reconsider Mariya’s words… Naoaki would be the one to understand them the most.

Hoping to snap Mai back into reality, you decide to step in.

“Mai” you call softly, but she doesn’t snap out of her trance “ Mai ” the girl suddenly returns, snapping her eyes onto yours “I’m sure Maki would love to color with you. Just tell her to be more careful, but if you want, how about we color tomorrow? So to make it—”

“N-no” she shakes her head, voice trembling with a whisper “It’s ok… maybe another time”

And with that, the young girl sharply turns on her heels and disappears back into the estate. 

But not without leaving behind the aftermath of her odd behavior, which was now plaguing your mind.

Worrying that her actions could’ve also affected Naoaki, perhaps even more than you, for you do not believe that being rejected by his family members is something nice to experience, you decide to go back to him and comfort him, only to find that he wasn’t as… well, saddened as you expected.

No, in fact, his gaze seemed to be… well, distant . Mysterious. 

You don’t know if he’s worried for her after her reaction—after all, he doesn’t have the same type of relationship you had with them, so he wouldn’t be able to relate as much as you did—or annoyed, because he wasn’t appreciative that his short time with you was interrupted by the same girls that hoarded all of your attention the other days.

Whatever his reason was, only Naoaki held the truth. And to him, the demonstration of his younger cousin’s dislike for him wasn’t anything new, but hurt the same.

But until he told you that, you knew there was something you had to do.

“I’m sorry about that” you start, believing that his reaction must’ve pertained to annoyance by her interruption “I thought I told them I wouldn’t be able to be with them today”

“Don’t worry about it” he says, eyes softening once he glances back at you “I was just… thinking”

“About what?” you tilt your head, curious.

“Well, about how they didn’t like me” he sighs “And how attached they seem to be to you, which makes me wonder… How did you meet in the first place?”

Well, that’s a story you haven’t looked back to in a long time.

It had to be the first time you traveled around the house after you somewhat managed to pull yourself together after receiving that… shocking sentence (which you still haven’t told Naoaki about) from Naobito.

But if you were to get into technicalities, it’ll have to be when Junko guided you through your first tour of the house.

It was almost comical now.

It started when you felt as if you were being targeted by a cursed enemy, specifically after you walked past the cursed basement and the little… incident you had subsequently. 

The things you began to hear after that, the steps against the wooden door, the thuds, the whispers, the pale hand opening the nearby door…

All evidence that pointed to you being attacked, that is, until it was all revealed that it was them following you.

You couldn’t believe they’ve actually managed to pull that off, however, during one conversation that you had with them regarding this situation, it became clear that they never intended to make you feel that way: they simply wanted to get a look at you and that’s all.

You soon came to the conclusion that your wrong state of mind made it easier for you to be fooled; but now that it has all cleared up, you can look back at this story and have a laugh.

“I feel like my answer was a bit disappointing” you say upon noticing Naoaki sharing a somewhat forced chuckle. Way different from the genuine ones he’s shared with you in the past.

“No, it’s not that” he responds, shaking his head “It’s just… well, different to what I expected”

“What did you expect?”

“I… guess they haven’t told you, have they?”

Oh . You don’t like where this is going.

“Tell me… what?” you frown.

“Ah, don’t give me that look. I already feel like I’m not the best person to tell you this” he looks away.

“ Naoaki , you can’t say that and not tell me” you condemn “Are the girls ok?”

“As ok as they can be” Naoaki sighs, accepting his fate “If you must really know… Mai and Maki are set to become Naoya’s servants once they turn 15. It was decided as soon as they were born, apparently unwort—”

“Wait, hold up. What ?” you feel like you’ve skipped a few crucial steps before getting to this point of the conversation.

“The twins are currently being trained to become part of your husband’s staff” Naoaki repeats, internally wincing at the way your eyes begin to darken. “I… thought Junko-san had told you”

“No, she did not” you seethe, but the anger forming inside you wasn’t directed to her. 

You were intelligent enough that this was a decision she held no power to influence, but rather… your insignificant husband.

Oh, you could see it now. The kick he must’ve gotten when Ogi, or whatever bastard was the one responsible for this, set the order in motion.

“No one told me about this” you admit..

“I imagined” Naoaki reveals in disappointment “Naoya isn’t one to speak about these things”

“And he’s fine with that?” you groan “he’s fine with children being stripped for their future, his own cousins , simply because they’re women?”

You felt so disgusted, just when you thought you couldn’t do so any more.

“It was decided when he wasn’t yet heir of the clan… but he now has the power to change that and has decided not to”

“That’s—that’s disgusting” you exclaim, beginning to see red.

“But there’s nothing you can do about it. Believe me, I tried” Naoaki sighs. “I don't even think you, his wife, could do so. I mean, you could try … you know, getting the idea out of him, but that’s all you can—”

“ Excuse me ?” you cringe. Has your hearing decided to fail today, or did Naoaki really suggest that?

“I obviously didn’t mean to offend you, Y/N. I would never see you like that, you know that. But… Well, we have to be honest too. To my brother, you’re nothing more than a piece of meat for him to use whenever he wants” he explains “But that can be to your benefit as well, maybe if you convince—”

“Wait” you scoff “Are you being serious right now?” He remains quiet.

“Look, Naoaki” you continue on, unable to remain silent while your shock remains unattended “I don’t know what's gotten into you. But just because that’s the reality of my marriage, doesn’t mean I want it openly discussed like this, less actually do what you’re implying ”

“I only intended to be assertive about it. Maybe we can use this to help the—”

“Naoaki!” You yell, deep in disbelief. You just told him you wanted to stop, and he didn’t care! “Surely you’re not serious about this?!”

“I mean, it’s all hypothetical, but we have to take advantage of what you represent if you want to do something!” he exclaims back, hoping that you’d understand his reasoning, but you had enough.

“You’re unbelievable” You breathe. holding back the tears that had begun to pool in your eyes after the repetitive stabs Naoaki inflicted in your heart with the shape of those suggestions.

Have you… miscalculated your friendship with him?

You hated to admit that… perhaps .

Deciding to avoid entertaining this situation any longer, you decided to stand up and retreat away from him.

“Wait, Y/N”! Naoaki cries, wasting no second to stand up himself and stop you with his hand on your shoulder, one that you crudely pull away from him as you continue walking away. “Y/N, I didn’t mean—”

“I know how Naoya sees me.” you, looking back at him. The sight of your sorrowful face is one he’d hoped to never see again, and yet, here it was. And because of his own damn fault.

“Y/N” he calls once more “I’m sorry, I shouldn't ha—”

“I just wished you , of all people, hadn’t reminded me of it”

Maybe you were exaggerating. Maybe you were not. Maybe he intended all this to be nothing more than a nasty joke, but the reality was that he’d stung a nerve.

In fact, it wasn't the first time you’ve confronted something like this in the past. When Naohiko jokingly called you an adulterer, you weren’t… well, thrilled about it. And you thought that by Naoaki’s reaction, he thought the same

However, to hear him mutter a similar word,  coming from the one you’ve considered to be a safe haven of sorts, shocked you. 

But it only got worse when you called him out on it, and he simply proceeded to justify himself…

God… you felt so stupid.

And yet, your mind was telling you to not follow down the path of generalization and group him with the likes of his family… because you couldn’t reject the things that he’s done for you in the past.

However the sense of betrayal you were currently undergoing forbids you from doing otherwise, and you now begin to sourly lament the ill decision of placing him on a pedestal.

Wanting to keep some distance from him and your emotions, you began to wander aimlessly across the many rooms of the estate, at least until you calmed down.

This decision eventually leads you to an empty room found deep in the south wing, past the laundry rooms, one you decided to use to seclude yourself from the rest of the world and diminish your spiraling sentiments, until you deemed yourself capable of moving on with your duties.

… Or so, that’s what would’ve happened, if the room wasn’t already in use.

Once you slid the door open and stepped inside, your eyes were quick to make the figure of not one, but two people at the end of the chamber.

But they weren’t just standing there, no. To begin, they were tightly wrapped in each other's embrace, impossibly closed to one another as if they were trying to melt together.

After that, the other thing that you noticed was the placement of their lips: on top of each other and swaying against them, a gesture of affection to profess their love.

Completely unaware of your presence, one of the figures, a man , proceeds to tighten up their grasp against their partner and pull them even closer , as if they were afraid that by the smallest of mistakes they would slip from their fingers and disappear forever.

The other, a woman , moaned into his mouth, basking in the affection the other was showering her with as she pushed her figure against him, leading her to slam him against the wall. 

A… well, moving moment, you suppose, between two definitely intimate partners. And they seemed intent on continuing on, that is, until the sensation of being observed begins to creep from their spine, causing them to temporarily halt their contact and swirl towards the entrance.

You could say that having to watch them do that wasn’t the most… shocking detail to acknowledge.

No.

What shocked you the most is the realization that the woman involved… was none other than Mariya herself.

The awareness of those present is enough to drain the color of their skin, eyes widening to its fullest as they all stand speechless, attempting to muster a response, an explanation, or perhaps for them to be swallowed whole by the earth and disappear.

“I—I shouldn’t be here” You squeak, sharply turning on your heels and preparing to exit the room “Sorry!”

Your prime lady-in-waiting, understanding the weight of her actions, is quick to peel herself from her lover and attempt to reach out to you. However, you’ve proven to be much faster than her desperation, and just as she peeks through the door to catch a lead of your whereabouts, you are already gone.

“Lady Y/N!” Mariya cries, hoping to receive a response from you, but fails miserably.

Well, that’s one way to stop thinking about Naoaki.

It’s not like you were ignorant to the notion that other people had relationships, and were entitled to share affections with one another. No, of course not. They could do whatever they want.

The thing that shocked you the most is that you were exposed to a sight of Mariya… well, that you didn’t want to see?

You mean, who wants to see their close ones engaging in affections, like, willingly?? You’re not that weird! 

Sure, it was an accident, one that you were more than eager to move on from and act as if it never happened. But you weren’t able to, because… well, she’s your main lady-in-waiting, the one that oversees all matters regarding you!

You were bound to see her one time or the other, and that’s exactly what happened. When it was time to continue on with her duties to you, neither of you could even look at the other’s eyes without you flinching away almost immediately, clearly embarrassed for having been experiencing this… moment.

Something that continued to upset you even when the sun had finally retreated for the day, and now, it was time to rest.

However, you miscalculated how affected Mariya was about this whole ordeal as well. 

When she started to get you ready for bed, you noted her movements to grow… clumsy, hesitant. What usually took her one try, she was now doing up to 3. 

Luckily, Haruko and Hitomi seemed to be a bit… unaware of this situation. And if they were, they simply assumed it must’ve been due to the tumultuous relationship you held with her. It’s at this point that you can’t help but wonder if they knew of Mariya’s relationship.

Oh no, did you uncover a secret you weren’t supposed to?!

Well, once their duties were completed, the sisters bid their farewells by wishing you a good night’s sleep, just as they always did. They proceed to leave the room first, and now… you and Mariya are left alone.

If you had luck, and she played her cards right, Mariya deemed it necessary to leave the room as well and call this awkward moment over.

But instead, she remains silent, almost as if she were deep in thought. Prompting you to hurry her departure with a:

“Goodnight”

She fidgets with her fingers, chewing on her bottom lip as she just… stands there, entertaining something in her mind. It’s only when she finally decides to speak that you realize… Well, this night wasn’t about to end just yet.

“Lady Y/N” she finally speaks up, and your uneasiness grows. “I… was wondering if I… could have a moment with you?”

You swallow. This is just what you needed.

But if this his how you’ll get this over with… might as well.

You nod, and Mariya takes your response as her cue to walk closer, stopping just by the edge of the futon and sitting down onto her lap. 

She takes a deep breath, mentally hyping herself up to discuss the evident issue between the two. Something she’s never needed, for she was always direct when it comes to dealing with problems.

Guess there’s always a first time for everything.

“I want to talk… about what happened earlier”

“I didn’t see anything” you blurt out almost immediately, but far from achieving the desired results, the ones that would give her the understanding that this is a matter she can put down to rest and get out of your room, simply convinces her that this is an urgent matter to discuss.

“What you saw” she treads carefully “Or rather, who you saw me with was my partner, Tatsuro”

As much as you declared this as something you didn’t want to talk about, the introduction to her partner was quick to revoke that sentiment and replace it with curiosity, wondering what the intentions behind her telling you this were.

A doubt that Mariya notices, but knows to be revealed when she lays her foundations down.

“We’ve been together for a few years” she continues “He was already here before I started, but I didn’t meet him until a month after. 6 months later, we started dating”

Still, you don’t get why she was telling you this. If anything, shouldn’t you be the one to use this occurrence as blackmail?

“Against out contractual agreement” 

“Contractual… agreement?” you blink.

Mariya nods “We’re not allowed to date within the staff. The masters of this house think of it as a… distraction of sorts, and a possible liability if a pregnancy comes from the relationship. Thus, a matter to report”

Wait.

Report?

“You shouldn’t have seen that, because it was something that wasn’t supposed to happen in the first place” She continues to justify “Whatever punishment you deem fit for this misbehavior, I’ll take it without objection” she finalices by leaning forward, hands sliding down to her sides and onto the floor as her heads lowers as low as she can go, ending just a few inches away from the ground. 

Without a doubt, she’s pleading you to do as she requested.

It was no secret that your relationship with Mariya wasn’t exactly at its best presentation, and that you both held vastly contrasting opinions, but even with all that taken into consideration, you wouldn’t actually go ahead and get her into trouble by snitching on her for having a boyfriend, of all things! 

In fact, she knew you were ignorant about this small detail written in her contract, and if she wanted to leave unscathed from this whole situation, she could’ve easily done so by avoiding bringing up the subject completely.

And yet… she’s come to you, tail between her legs, begging you to report her to the respective authorities.

Thus, you’re left without words.

“I’m… not going to do that” you finally state; regardless of your situation with her, you were still capable of understanding that this was a condition that the Zen’in had no business restricting. Why do they have to control the personal life of their staff? If anything, they should be offering better working conditions for them!

Well, you’re expecting too much of nothing.

“But… I need to know” You continue on now that Mariya has pulled herself away from the matter floor and set her gaze directly onto yours, evidently confused by your diverted course of actions.  “Why did you tell me this?”

“Because it’s my duty” she responds, and you can’t help but take her answer as evading the question, out of protocol if you must. “My duty to you ”

“To sabotage yourself?” you egg on dubiously “You know this could only be detrimental for you, and your partner”

She lowers her gaze.

“We already spoke of the consequences, and it’s something we’re willing to face”

You sigh; perhaps you were expecting too much from her as well.

Or so… you believed.

“And to… make my intentions clear with you”

“Intentions?” you queried; her words make you tense, anxious , was her long awaited admittance of her ulterior motives about to become true?

Will you permanently set her as your enemy, one that you’d have to consider as a threat from this point forward?

Not quite.

For Mariya held nothing but a pure heart.

“From the moment I was assigned to be under your care, I knew I had achieved a good reputation amongst my superiors” Mariya starts, recounting the day Meiko had come to her to inform her of what many in the work field would call a raise “And that I had to continue performing my duties with the same metrics that got me there on the first place, if not more, because being assigned as part of the personal staff of a woman of your rank, the team leader in another words, was no easy task, but I was excited to do so anyways.

With this new position in my hands, I was given the opportunity to also suggest who else I would like to have in my crew. Haruko and Hitomi were the first ones that came to mind, due to being the rising stars amongst the staff for their consistent positive feedback at the end of each season, as well as my personal fondness for them; it didn’t take me much to understand they were the ones I needed to have in my team, thus, they were also assigned to be under your care.

Then, the day finally came. The day you were to arrive at the estate. We’ve heard some rumors about you, but we paid no mind to them. It was always better to make an opinion out of our own experiences. 

In fact, I don’t think either of the girls could sleep, each one of them dreadfully worrying that they would mess up their job on the first day. However, I knew they wouldn’t. Their job was something they were exceptionally good at, and it was simply the nerves talking for them.

When we finally saw you for the first time, we were… were, astonished. 

You were far prettier than we imagined, and definitely more amicable compared to the rumors your in-laws were already spreading about you. However… we did notice that there was something… different when it came to you and the rest of the women we’ve served in the past. 

There was something in your eyes , the way they glimmered, or perhaps they way they didn’t that soon made us understand this wasn’t what you wanted. The other’s at least acted like they were agreeable to their new arrangement, but your tired face proved us otherwise.

And when you finally confessed to wanting to rest, an excuse used to obtain a moment alone from your husband… we knew you were forced to be here.

Wanting to give you that space, I asked Haruko and Hitomi to prepare something extra for you, against your wishes, in hopes to alleviate that homesickness I knew you were going through. After all, I wanted to give you the best impression, to serve my new mistress the best way I could, as well as earning your trust.

And because I was so eager to serve you appropriately… I naively thought I held power against Naoya’s will when it came to your health; I failed to recognize that not even you, the wife we heard he’d desperately sought after, was enough to change his behavior.

I wasn’t ignorant to the way the men would treat their own kind, but I guess my inexperience on witnessing their methods to obtain these results was what stopped me from being able to protect you from your husband’s domineering ways”

A sharp memory flashes inside your head.

The loud noise you heard outside the room that fateful day, the same one that abruptly woke you up into panic. A thundering like resonance against the floor…

It all made sense now.

It had been Mariya literally falling victim to the atrocious demands of your husband—moments before he barged into the room and took you by force.

And you still had the nerve to blame her for allowing him inside.

“You don’t know how much I regretted allowing you to be a victim of my inaction” Mariya continues on, a tremble now clear in her voice “I wished I could’ve done more, stood up against him and demanded to leave you alone. But I couldn’t. All that I did was hear your cries as I stood there, doing nothing , because I began to fear that he’d also do the same to me”

Your eyes start to burn.

“But what hurts me the most is that I’ve lost the trust I never even had the chance to win. I made you think I was against you, cornering you to believe that you were alone in this prison of a house. 

Haruko and Hitomi continued to torment themselves for not being able to do much that day, but I did my best to reassure them that it wasn’t their responsibility. After all, I was the one in charge of your health. Besides, they had their family to look after, I just have me to care for. 

And yet… that didn’t matter to them when they decided to beg me to stop Naoya’s inexorable rampage once you came back from the doctor. They were more than willing to throw their job away if it meant protecting you from the cruel games of your husband.

I eventually acted, but not because of my own volition. I was ashamed that I had even doubted if I should help you or not. 

I feel ashamed that I failed you once more”

You don’t like this.

You don’t like listening to this, to her, to her voice, her reason, to the fact that you’ve cruelly misjudged Mariya and her intentions, the sisters intentions, the reason they had to hold back and limit themselves to follow their masters orders, believing that they didn’t help you because they were selfish, and not because they were entitled to look after themselves as well!

How could you demand their absolute loyalty, when they’re constantly facing the threat of losing their job, the income their families depend on, as well as the stability of having a roof to sleep under and food to eat every day? For someone they didn’t even know?!

If anything, you should’ve been the person that understood them the most! You knew what it was to live with the daily fear of having to watch your actions, or face the consequences of not doing so.

But you didn’t.

And yet… she continued to serve you. To help you. To comfort you—as if she were the one that wronged you.

And you?

You only judged her.

“It was never my intention to make you believe I was working against you” Mariya declares as she clenches her first against her lap, a tear falling down to her skirt “And if this is something that will help you understand I never meant  to hurt you, then I’ll do it”

“No—please” you finally break the limits of your silence with a whimper, raising your hands to cover your eyes, a futile attempt to run away from the shame your actions have brought to you. “Please, don’t do this. You don’t have to—I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to you, more than what I’ve already done to you”

“I don’t resent you for doing what you did” Mariya genuinely understood how afraid you’ve become thanks to the unceasing torments of your new family. Even then, she is empathetic to you. “I’m just… sorry that my inexperience facing these kind of situations affected you”

“Mariya, please—! I—” you sob, voice breaking “I’m so—sorry”

“Oh, Y/N” she coos, rushing to your figure and taking you in her arms, feeling guilty that her words seemingly hurt you once more. “I never wanted you to cry, I just… I just wanted to tell you this”

“I feel… horrible , disgusted with myself for treating you the way I did” you bewailed, leaning into her touch “The things I told you, the way I reacted towards you—how could I be so blind to all the things you’ve done for me? And then to compare you to Naoya and his family!”

“We’ve both done things we regret” She says, hugging you tighter to her and placing her head above yours. The woman had long understood that you were simply reacting out of your desperation, but you were still kind. She’s seen it with Mai, and Maki, with Haruko, and Hitomi… 

“I’m sorry for pushing you away”

“I had to take some time.” Mariya explained “It hurt me to leave you, but I needed space to think about me, about us .”

“I should’ve have done that” you sniffle “But I’m… glad you’re here now”

“I guess I have Tatsuro to thank for pulling me into that room so out of nowhere” Mariya jests in hopes of earning a chuckle from you, smiling earnestly once she hears your quiet laughter. “I would’ve have gotten the courage to speak to you if it weren’t for him”

“I’m sorry” you whisper, now referring to your small… interruption.

“I should’ve been more careful” she sighs “It’s not your fault—If anything, I should be sorry for exposing you for something you didn’t ask to see”

Silence eventually grows between the two as your cries come to a halt. Staying close together for a few more instances as you mentally rehash the successions of tonight’s talk. 

Now that both opened up to one another and acknowledged each other’s mistakes… you and Mariya were more than ready to leave everything behind and move onto the future: one that would have you placing your trust on her, and vice versa.

“Can we… start again?”

Mariya chuckles, and this makes you blush out of embarrassment, seemingly believing to have said something incorrectly “...What?”

“Nothing” she shakes her head, grinning “It’s exactly what I was thinking—I guess great minds think alike”

“I guess they do” You laugh “Thank you… Mariya. For not giving up on me”

“Thank you for accepting me” She sighs, and with this, the long strenuous chapter you had with Mariya ends the best possible way:

With you now having the fortune of calling her your friend .

Knock, knock .

There’s a sound coming from outside your bedroom. A noise loud and clear, yet, so distant. And your body reacts accordingly to it by scrunching your face and groaning in protest at the interference.

Your mind remains somewhat conscious, as if testing the waters and hoping to see if this succession was to happen once more—maybe it was directed at you, you have still yet to figure it out. 

But when a few seconds pass and the night continues on with its usual silence, you begin to relax once more into the soft pillows below you, diving into deep slum—

Knock, knock .

It was at your door, you had no doubt about it now. 

And whoever was behind those noises seemed unable to wait until the morning to deal with whatever it was that they wanted to deal with as they continued to knock again —much to your annoyance.

Now wide awake, you shuffle underneath the covers placed on your futon bed, moving your arms to your sides and prompting your body upwards.

A yawn escapes your lip as your vision begins to get accustomed to the profound darkness engulfing your room—signaling it was either very late at night, or early in the morning. Nonetheless, hours that no one is supposed to be waiting outside your room.

You intently stare as you continue to debate whether to tell the person off and demand them to come back later, in a more appropriate time, or deal with this situation assertively and directly. Now , in other words.

Well, even if you wanted to push them away, it was more than probable that they already heard you getting out of your bed, and as you reach out for the nearby lamp to turn it on, the adrenaline behind uncovering the mysterious caller prompts you to speak.

“Who is it?” you ask, voice confident and direct… or so you thought, because you unwillingly dragged the last few words of your sentence thanks to your drowsiness.

Your question would be hastily acknowledged in a matter of seconds, so you didn’t even bother theorizing who it was. 

However, you can admit that it was not who you expected.

“It’s me”

“ Naoaki? ” you frown, and the displeasure you felt for him thanks to early events (temporarily calmed by Mariya’s conversation) came back to you at full speed. “What do you want? Are you here to make fun of me while I’m asleep?”

“What? No, of course not” he whispers, hoping to calm down your rising voice with his soft tone and avoid waking up the others. Visiting you at this hour was a risk on its own.

Well, if it was so dangerous, why didn’t he consider doing that another time?

“I’d never do that”

“Yeah, whatever” you responded dismissively as you rubbed your eyes, a yawn escaping your lips soon after “What do you want then?”

“I… wanted to talk” he eventually confesses “If you allow me”

“At this hour?” you counter “Have you gone crazy? Can’t it wait until tomorrow?”

“I tried contacting you throughout the day, but it seems you were never available” He says, referencing the many times you’ve turned away from him as soon as you realized he was amongst your premises. Even if it wasn’t him, you wouldn’t take the risk and you’d just leave.

Well, now that he brought it up… you had to admit that you were planning on doing the same tomorrow, if you were still feeling the same of course. Guess it was only fair to give him the chance to explain himself if he truly wanted it.

“Fine” you sigh, defeated. “You’re already here”

“Can I come in?”

“Might as well” you murmur while rubbing your eyes, and Naoaki slides the door open, carefully enough to not make a single noise. And yet… strangely, for you see him trying to avoid showing his back to you, almost as if he were hiding something behind it.

Well, your theory only became more concrete upon noticing the adamancy of keeping his left arm behind his back.

What an odd way to approach you, if it wasn’t weird enough that he was doing so at night.

Once the door is closed, Naoaki glances up at you. And the sight that receives him is enough to take his breath away.

You look… well, sleepy, of course. But outside that… wow. The shock he gets for seeing you with your hair down for the first time is… well, indescribable. You look so… soft, cute in a way. A vision that he attempts to imprint in his mind as he walks towards you. 

“What is it?” you say upon noticing the… well, dumb look on his face.

“Nothing” he blinks back to reality “I just… thought I saw something”

“Let’s hurry” you say, crossing your arms “What do you want to talk about?”

“About earlier” his words give you some kind of déjà vu “About the mistake I committed against you”

“There’s nothing to talk about, you know what you did”

“I want you to know that I didn’t mean to any of it, less to hurt you”

“But you didn’t stop”

“No. I didn’t” he replicates, a contrasting reaction from the way you were expecting him to respond. You could say that you were waiting for him to go ahead and justify himself, but he didn’t. “And it was wrong”

Amused by his words, you decide to finally engage with a reasonable conversation with him.

“... then why did you do it?” your murmur. It was intended to solely be a question to keep the conversation going, however, your voice softens at the end. You might’ve not consciously done it, but something inside you pushed your true emotions to appear through your voice, demonstrating how truly damaged you were for his actions.

“Because I misjudged our friendship” he says, using the same words you used back then as to make his point across. “...I guess I felt comfortable enough with you to the point I thought I could share everything with you. Without thinking that… I could still hurt you. I mean, I guess I already knew that when I told you about my upbringing, but… this was different. This was towards you and I failed to filter my words because I thought… I didn’t have to”

“...you always have to filter your words, even with your friends”

“That’s the thing” Naoaki smiles “This time away….and the other as well, made me realize something”

You blink “What… thing?”

“How special you’ve become to me, more so than just a simple… friend.” he confesses “How much I love hearing your voice, keeping your company, talking to you, and have you listen to my missions I know to be boring, but the way you react to them, makes me think they’re the most amazing ones. I can’t help but feel a bit jealous when I see you with others… but that’s only natural, after all, why wouldn’t they be attracted to you and your kindness?”

Your heart seems to skip a bit as your eyes widen in shock. 

There was not a single trade of deceivement, a hidden motive to get you to lower down your guard and accept his words. But… it wasn’t. No, the time you’ve spent with Naoaki, the one you used to get to know him, gave you the basic understanding of his mannerisms, revealing that everything that he said until now was genuine, honest and with nothing more than good intentions.

And, if you dared to wander a bit further… you could even interpret his words as some kind of confession .

“I do have to say that being on the receiving end of your anger was… well, unpleasant” Naoaki remarked nervously “But even then, it only reaffirmed what I already held for you… and how much it meant to swallow my pride and do what was right—As well as realizing that your pout was much cuter than your smile, although they’re beautiful on their own”

“You don’t have to be cheesy about it” you scoff, blush in your cheeks as you look away “A simple compliment would’ve been enough”

“Where’s the fun in that?” he says “...but, on a more serious note. I’m sorry. I’m never been good with my words, or their timing, specially when it comes to expressing my feelings”

«I would’ve never guessed» you think «You always seem so smooth when you speak…» Did he really think you weren’t affected by the way he treated you from time to time? How you’d turn red whenever he gave you a compliment, one that went beyond being courteous, or the attention he placed on you just to ensure your comfortability?

“I think I’m straying away from what I want to say” Naoaki circles back “What I wanted to say is… I never wanted to hurt you, and it would make me incredibly happy if I continued having you in my life. But if you don’t see it in yourself to forgive me, I’ll understand”

He then proceeds to reveal the reason he had an arm placed behind him, setting it down onto the matter floor and just a few inches away from your reach.

“This isn’t some kind of bribe or extortion tactic. I… intended to give you these earlier, but I wasn’t able to do so because of… well, what happened—I still want you to have them though”

“What is it?” you ask, looking down onto the light purple plastic bag and the box inside it.

“Open it up”

You take the pastel pink rectangular box out of the bag, the first thing you notice was the label of the store imprinted on the top; judging by the small description underneath the logo, it seems to be something about sweets .

You then proceed to place the box on your lap as you carefully break the seal holding down the edges, efforts ending in finally revealing its contents.

An image that brings forth a sharp gasp from your mouth.

Mochi .

“I wanted to buy you some from the moment you told me these were your favorite”

You recall the exact moment it happened—back at the stable when the two were discussing suitable names for horses, inspired by your mother’s decision to name her beloved stallion ume , while Naoaki chose cupcake .

And you… well, you’d choose mochi .

“But finding the best ones was a task I never thought could be as difficult as it was” he admits “There were so many options to choose from—not that I’m complaining. I just… worry that I might’ve not gotten the ones you like”

There’s different colors, pink, yellow, green, blue , and purple. Hinting all kinds of flavors and fillings, ones that you were all too eager to try.

Yet, what shocked you wasn’t the fact that he’d brought you a wide selection of sweets to indulge in, implying that he must’ve spent a reasonable amount of money to get them as well as time putting them together.

But rather… that he remembered these were your favorite, and in such a casual conversation you assumed he would’ve already forgotten by now.

A gesture… you knew your husband would never bother to do so, because you weren’t of his interest.

But not to Naoaki, his brother. Your brother-in-law. The person that held no legal responsibility towards you, outside of getting along for the sake of politics.

He could’ve done so much to hurt you… and yet, he hasn’t. Instead, he decided to step up and do what his brother, his family… never thought appropriate to do.

Even if he’s made mistakes, because no one is perfect in this world, he’s capable enough of recognizing what he’s wronged, and not just blaming you for them. To have him opening his heart to you out of fear of losing you, like you were someone worthy of his time… made you feel—

And as you continue to stare at the box on your lap, you come to the blissful acceptance of something you’ve only entertained during whimsical moments with him, but now… believed to be the beginning of something true.

“Do you not like them?” he asks, oh, poor Naoaki. He probably thinks you were still angry at him, but that was long forgotten. “I can take them back and get you something else, if you’d like.”

How could you? After he voiced and showed you how important you were to him? His willingness to accept his mistakes and make you happy…

“That’s not it” you giggle, closing the box before you and finally looking up to him. The adoring way your eyes looked at him, your lips turned into a smile…

You were sure of it now.

“I was just… thinking how…”

I wished I had married you.

[nomsugayoongi]

Off My Face.

Pairing: Jungkook X OC female (nameless)

Tags: fluff, slight angst, eventual smutty smut, softJK.

Disclaimer: So, I literally created a Tumblr to post this mess. There are already a bunch more parts written which I can post if wanted. Haven't written anything in ages so be nice and forgive my overwhelming JK softness. :p

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Who's that?" She asked, leaning against the wall next to Namjoon. He raised an eyebrow as he scanned the room, clearly confused. "Who?" He replied. "The purple haired dude that just walked in. Over there by the door. Black jacket." She muttered, squinting through the darkness. Namjoon chuckled and looked at her like she was crazy. "What do you mean? It's Jungkook." He said.

She gasped and squinted even harder. "Eh??" She squeaked. "That's not Jungkook. Look at the hair. It's...long, and there's way more tattoos there than Jungkook has and..." Her rebuttal died mid sentence as Mystery Purple Hair moved out of the shadows of the doorway and she saw him clearly. It was indeed Jungkook but he looked...different. She'd only been gone a couple of months but apparently that was all it took for Jungkook to transform himself. He looked...older. He appeared to have shed his "puppy" look and what was stood across the room from her was nothing but man. Hot man. Jungkook scanned the room, stopping to talk briefly to Jin before he caught sight of her. His face broke into its token bunny smile and he said something to Jin who nodded before he made his way across the room. "You're back!" He grinned. She gulped quickly, paying absolutely no attention to the nose dive her stomach was currently doing into her shoes as he approached her. "I'm back" she confirmed, returning his smile. He strode straight over, scooping her up into a bear hug. "How was England? Did you miss us? Are you happy to be back?" Jungkook asked, setting her back on the floor and pulling back. She nodded. "Massively. England was...England. Cold, wet, grey, joyless. But nevermind that, what happened to you? Someone leave you alone with a Sharpie?" She teased, pulling his right arm out by then wrist and turning it over to indicate his new ink. He chuckled. "I like them" he shrugged. She glanced up, catching his big brown eyes then gasped again. A silver bar now pierced his eyebrow. "And you've poked holes in your face. Was nobody watching the maknae while I was away?" She teased. Jungkook rolled his eyes and grinned. "Welcome home" he said, pulling her into another hug. She spent the evening catching up with her boys. Laughing riotously, eating great food, regluing herself to Suga's side and wondering why she ever felt the need to go back to England. If anything, the trip back to her country of origin had done nothing more than cement the fact that there was nothing there for her anymore. Her life was here. Her family was here. Her family was the people all gathered in this house. She felt utterly content and beyond happy to be back. However, there was a niggling little something that was putting a crimp on her perfect homecoming. She could not, for the life of her, pry her mind off Jungkook. And as the evening drew to a close and one by one, the guys started retreating to their rooms, the noise died down and her thoughts got louder. What had happened to him? What had happened to her that she couldn't focus on anything but him. He was just Jungkook. She'd known him years. He was one of her family. He meant the same to her as the others. But her mind was screaming and his name was the only thing it was saying. It was approaching 3am. Suga had passed out hours ago and was fast asleep sprawled along one side.of the corner sofa next to her. The room was in total darkness except for the flicker of light from the TV screen. Namjoon was half asleep on her other side. Hobi, Jin, and Jimin had gone to bed already. V was sat at a table opposite tucking into some Ramen with Jungkook. Both engrossed in their conversation and their noodles, she allowed herself to study him in the flickering light. His hair was considerably longer than when she last saw him and now coloured a deep purple, Contrasting strongly against his flawless skin and framing his face perfectly, then resting just above his shoulders. Her urge to run her fingers though it was making her hands restless and she fidgeted uncomfortably on the sofa. She swallowed hard, her eyes skipping over his features. Pretty brown eyes, newly pierced eyebrow which really suited him, cute nose, sensual, slightly pouty lips that broke into the most disarming smile, strong jawline, slender neck. She tried to swallow past her increasingly dry mouth as she became painfully aware of her heartbeat, thudding more and more erratically the longer she looked at him. She reprimanded herself silently, arguing in

her mind that this was ridiculous. He was Jungkook. It didn't matter that her stomach rolled uncomfortably every time he looked at her. It didn't matter that she wanted to trace every line of the dark ink that snaked his arm with her fingertips. It didn't matter that all she could think about was running her nose slowly along his jawline, inhaling the scent of his skin as she clenched his soft, long hair in her fingers. It didn't matter that there was nothing she wanted more than to disappear in him. Her nose brushing his, close enough to feel his warm breath between them, his lips parted, hers skimming gently along his, hot, heavy breath, the pressure of his soft lips yielding to hers, the taste of his tongue. His hands, strong, firm, sliding slowly down her back, hitching up her shirt to touch skin as he pulled her closer. Her eyes fluttered, her breath caught in her throat, stomach churning. What the hell? It was Jungkook. Jeon Jungkook. This couldn't be happening. She snapped back into herself so suddenly she wondered if she'd actually fallen asleep. Her heart was racing. Tae and Jungkook were looking at her when her eyes finally focused on a solid object. "Bad dream?" Tae asked with an amused smile. "Did I fall asleep?" She muttered, genuinely confused. She kept her gaze locked firmly on Tae. She could see Jungkook out of the corner of her eye but was terrified that whatever had just happened to her was written all over her face. "Well you just jumped out of your skin so I figured you had." He replied. Her face was burning. She could practically still feel Jungkook, smell him, taste him. She needed to get out of here. She jumped up, causing Suga whose head had been resting against her knee to flop unceremoniously back onto the sofa, waking him with a start. "HUH? He yelped. "Erm....sorry Shugs" she muttered, ruffling her hair and trying to get her bearings while still carefully avoiding looking at Jungkook at all. "I need to go...pass out" she grumbled, heading straight for the stairs without looking back. She knew that exit was highly suspicious but once into the safety of her room, she didn't care. She leaned against the door, bracing it with her body as though she expected someone to try kick it in. The air was cool and refreshing thanks to the open window and she breathed steadily, trying to return her thumping heart to a regular rhythm. "Oh this is not good!" She whispered. --------------------------------------------------------------------- The following morning came far too quickly after a restless night. She just couldn't settle. Her stomach was in knots. What the hell had happened last night? What was that half awake fantasy business and why was it replaying in her mind like an iMax movie with full surround sound and smell-o-vision. She dreaded leaving the confines of her room for fear of running into him. Just the thought of seeing him made her stomach churn. "This is stupid!" She grumbled to herself, throwing her legs off the bed defiantly. "I will not be a prisoner in this god damn room for nothing. Last night was...a one off. Everything is fine. I will go downstairs, I will see Jungkook and he will just be Jungkook. No weird romance movie slideshow, no flutterings, thoughts or desires of any kind. Just...normal" Even she didn't really believe her whispered self pep talk but she feigned conviction anyway. She slid out of bed, pulled on ripped jeans and a hoodie and approached her bedroom door. With a deep breath, she reached for the handle and practically threw herself out of her room. Her determination was not only building by the second but she was also flooded with a sense of defiance. She jogged down the stairs, ready for the day ahead. Looking forward to hanging out with the boys and having a lazy day. She could hear the faint murmer of chatter as she approached the kitchen. Hobi was up for sure and maybe Namjoon. She strode into the kitchen with a bright smile. "Morning guys!" She was greeted with a chorus of responses and scanned the room. Hobi making coffee. Namjoon leaning on the

counter. Suga slumped at the kitchen table. Jimin and Tae chatting as they poured orange juice. No Jungkook. She ignored the wave of relief and made a beeline for Suga, ruffling his hair as he grumbled sleepily against the table top. "Morning Shugs" she grinned. Namjoon was looking at her quizically. "You seem...better today" he mused. She raised a questioning eyebrow at him as she squeezed passed Hobi for the coffee pot. "Better?" He nodded with a look of amusement. "You were...weird yesterday. Not yourself. You seemed...distracted." he said. She shrugged and shook her head. "Jetlag probably. I felt kind of out of it to be honest. Just needed to be home and sleep" she replied, nonchalantly. Namjoon wasn't buying it at all and she could tell by the look on his face but he nodded as though he accepted her reasoning. She stayed in the kitchen with the guys, filling them in on her trip back to England and what had happened during the 3 months away. She got so caught up in it that she didn't think about Jungkook at all. That was, until he came down. She was halfway through her bowl of cereal when he padded into the kitchen. Barefoot in black shorts and an oversized white t shirt showing off his tattoos. His long hair deliciously tousled. He was still sleepy eyed but he looked warm and...inviting. She dropped her spoon, clattering loudly against the table making everyone turn and look at her. "Whoops. Butter fingers" she mumbled sheepisly. Everyone carried on with what they were doing apart from Namjoon who was looking from her to Jungkook with a smirk. "Jetlag come back?" He teased. She could feel the heat rising to her face and hoped to every deity under the sun that she wasn't blushing. "Never dropped anything before?" She questioned. He shrugged and chuckled playfully. His gaze was casual but she felt like he could see every thought in her head. She pushed her half eaten cereal bowl away from her and leaned back in her chair. She was trying to look casual but had an inkling that she was failing miserably. Suddenly Jungkook was right behind her, leaning over the back of her chair to reach for her unfinished cereal. His hair tickled the side of her face and the faint fruity smell she associated with him flooded over her. Her breath caught sharply. Her heart kicking into double time. It lasted literally seconds but it seemed like an age before he straightened up with his stolen breakfast. He flashed her a bunny smile and wandered over to the fridge to grab milk. She realised she'd been holding her breath the entire time and let out a quiet huff. Namjoon's smirk had turned into a full blown grin. Flustered, she stood from the table and exited the kitchen. Maybe she'd find some solace in the lounge. She flopped wearily onto the sofa, closing her eyes and exhaling slowly. Damn. It didn't make any sense. How in the hell had Jungkook turned from bunny to honey overnight. A few more tattoos, an eyebrow piercing and slightly longer hair didn't change him that dramatically. He was still the exact same Jungkook she'd known for years. But...he wasn't. He was hot. Like...painfully, sinfully, stomach clenchingly hot. Had he always been this hot and she'd just not noticed? She knew he was attractive in the general sense. She worked for BTS. She saw the effect he had on women every day of her life. But... she'd never been one of them. He was just...adorable, sweet, regular Jungkook. Now one trip to England had turned the world on its head and there was nothing regular about him. She groaned with annoyance, closing her eyes. She was going to be objective about this if it killed her. She'd always been close to all the guys. Each one had a different facet to their personality that made them so very dear to her. Yoongi was a part of her. She loved him completely. Namjoon was her confidante. She could talk about anything with him and absolutely trust that he'd never give her anything back but honesty and understanding. Jimin was her sunshine. He could brighten the darkest of days with no effort. Tae was her sweetheart. One of the most

genuine, lovely people she'd ever known. Hobi and Jin made her laugh until she couldn't breathe on days when laughter seemed a million miles away. And Jungkook was a bunny. Sweet, playful, easy going, her gaming buddy. They were all integral to her. But NEVER in a romantic sense. It seemed almost laughable to her to put romance and any one of them in the same place. It just wasn't that thing. Ever. They were family. More than simple, fleeting romance. They were her ride or die. None of the others had changed a bit. She still loved them completely. She'd still die for any one of them. But now Jungkook wasn't so much tiptoeing as stomping in huge obnoxious boots into a whole new territory for her. Him and romance seemed intrinsically linked. They went together like water and ...more water. She couldn't even look at him without her mind throwing up a million different scenarios, none of which were located even remotely near the friend zone. She pictured him as he was when he walked into the kitchen. Objectively, that was just early morning after not a lot of sleep Jungkook. Not like she hadn't seen him like that a thousand times before. But this morning he was different. Sleepy, disheveled, soft and warm, relaxed, comforting and so so sexy. Jungkook and sexy were not two words that went together. Now she couldn't separate the two if her life depended on it. God, he was sexy. Like, lose all thought, toe curling, scream into a pillow sexy. Her mind raced, presenting her with thoughts to only fuel the fire. Him laid in bed, languid and comfortable, snuggling into him, feeling his body heat, legs entwined, burying her face into the back of his neck, smelling his hair as he grumbles happily, rolling towards her with a sleepy smile, his eyes still closed, skimming his fingertips up her arm until they stop on her neck, his thumb slowly stroking along her jaw, his lips meet hers in a lazy kiss, still halfway between sleep and waking, sweet to begin with, gentle, his lips brushing softly as he's pulled from his sleep, then teasing as he realises what's going on, his lips part, his tongue tickling her lips, asking for entry which is happily granted. His hand moves from her neck back down her arm until he finds her hand. Their fingers entwine as he rolls her onto her back and straddles her, lifting her hands to pin them either side of her head. He's more forceful now, tongues brushing together, his kiss deep and heady. A soft moan of contentment rumbles in his throat. He breaks the kiss, her eyes flutter open to see him on top of her, hair falling into his eyes as he scrunches his nose up in a wide smile. "Good morning" he whispers. "Everything ok?" A voice broke her from her daydream and her eyes snapped open. Namjoon was stood in the doorway of the lounge with the same grin he'd been sporting when she'd left the kitchen. "Peachy. Why?" She responded with a tight smile. "You're being weird again. If I didn't know better I'd think you and Jungkook hooked up" he shrugged. "WHAT?" she squeeked. Her attempt at casual fell completely flat. She sounded more like she'd just been stung by a bee. Namjoon laughed heartily. "Something's going on. What it is?" He questioned. She considered brushing it off but this was Namjoon. He could read her like a children's book. She swallowed hard, suddenly needing to say everything in her head out loud to a human person. Maybe that would make her realise how dumb it was and restore her sanity. She sighed heavily and noticing the expression on her face, Namjoons grin faded into a look of concern. "Can we talk?" She muttered. He frowned, nodding. "Of course. What is it?" He asked. She looked around and ran her fingers though her hair. "Not here. Outside?"

[clemster]

I Will Always Find You (Chapter Two)

A/N: aaa so sorry for the wait y’all! over a year later... chapter two is finally ready! shoutout to @scullyy for writing this chapter! 

Read on AO3

Or read here on Tumblr

Would they meet again?

Louis was well aware of how lucky he was not to get caught, if his thumping heart was anything to go by, his slippery hands almost cursed him as he was climbing back up to his balcony. There was a particular rose bush he did not want to land on. Despite being back in the safety of his room, the high walls constricted him in such a way it could be considered violent; endless blue skies replaced with bare stone and polished marble…

He had never been more out of place.

Eyes scanning his cold bedroom, he contemplated how he had never truly lived in it, just a space he occupied in one of many rooms. There was no art on the walls, he wasn’t allowed to have a piano in his room (that was reserved strictly for the ballroom), his bedspread was bland and there was not a single thing out of place. No stray shoe, no wrinkle on his clothes. Nothing.

The bakery was a mess; flour all over the counter, loose crumbs hanging on the floor, jam stains on the rolling pin. It was homey, alive. Real. She was real.

Glancing at the little bag that once housed the pie he had bought, his shoulders relaxed and his stomach grumbled. It didn’t look like anyone else was helping her bake, if she truly did it all on her own...

The timely knock on the door shook away his thoughts, not that he complained. If there was a way to get Clementine off his mind he would gladly take it. “Who is it?”

“It’s me, dear. Time to rise and shine, you can’t miss breakfast and leave your father waiting.” His mother, Queen Genevieve, gentle as ever with her tone. If by some chance he had been busted sneaking out, his mother wouldn’t be the one to bring it up. His father always liked to have the honour of being the one to reprimand his own son. Queen Genevieve hardly did anything, both for the kingdom and for her own son.

“Oh, okay, I’m coming down now. Just...overslept,” Louis shrugged his sash off, placing it neatly on his desk, making a mental note to not wear it on his next escapade to the village. If there is a next time, I sure hope so. On the other side of the heavy door was her majesty, black hair tied up tightly and her crown dead centre on her head. Nothing to touch up on, the image of a regal ruler. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

She brushed it off with a wave of her hand, her gold bracelet jangling. “No worries, I thought you wouldn’t want to miss it. Strawberries, your favourite.”

They began their descent towards the dining hall, where the servants were piling on more plates of various exotic fruits...and at the head of the table sat King Louis II. Their name being the only thing Louis had accepted they would ever have in common. Within his hand was a letter, a token that often brought on bad news.

Bad news that the king often blamed his son for.

“Morning, father,”

“Good morning, Louis. Sleep well?” He didn’t even raise his eyes from the letter.

Louis’ seat was across from his father, despite the plush velvet pillow for him to sit on, the young man never felt more uncomfortable than he did during meals. He wondered if today he would be met with silence or talk of politics, a topic his father always spoke with a cold tone. “Ehh, could have been better. Had a crazy dream.”

“Well. you’re awake now, you have combat training soon don’t forget.” The kings’ voice was a great echo in the dining chamber, dominating everything even in the familys’ private moments.

Collecting a handful of strawberries for his plate, Louis huffed, not loud enough to get reprimanded for it though. “I haven’t-” Thanking the servant who handed him a small cup of water with a nod, he squinted at the letter held tightly in his fathers’ strong grip, the paper crinkling. “-Who’s the letter from?”

His father cocked an eyebrow, steading his shoulders as he turned his attention back to the letter. The king’s eyes grew dark, clouding over as he began. “To his Royal Highness, after much consideration we cannot agree to the treaty you have presented to us. We have heard...rumours of your sons’ delinquency-” The brief strain in his tone didn’t fly past Louis as he noticed sweat pooling in his palms. “Due to this, we feel his interests do not match our own. We wish you luck in your endeavours.”

He threw the letter onto the shiny wooden table, finally making eye contact with his son. Though within his rich brown eyes laid a dormant fire and anger. Another failure, another rejection. “Sometimes I wonder why you don’t take what I say seriously.” The King spat, the venom laced in his words poisoning even the servants as they seemed to have gone off into hiding.

These goddamn dynasties...this was the third rejection within six months. “I just don’t see why there is a rush for marriage. Besides, shouldn’t we make ties with a dynasty who genuinely cares? Not one that is just looking to drain us of resources.”

“You remind me of a younger version of myself. I was naïve too, Louis. Thought I could make change on my own, until I quickly realized that having ties with another kingdom is what is best for us.”

Louis set down his knife and fork as gently as possible, best not to aggravate the already growing flame. “But we shouldn’t have to rely on others like that. We get too comfortable, we get sloppy, we get attacked-”

“Are you implying I don’t know what I’m doing? That your mother doesn’t know what she’s doing?” Not the best example, considering how the Queen currently had her head facing her lap. “When I was your age we were already engaged, just a few months off marriage. Many of these princesses are fine young women-”

But they’re not like her. “Has it ever occurred to you that maybe, just maybe, one of these kingdoms could have some bad intentions? Our military is already failing-” There were no lies in his words. Ericson was never known for their fighting stamina, a fact neither of his parents wanted to admit as his mother went to sip her tea in silence.

The king rose from his chair, never breaking eye contact with his son. “You will not speak of matters that do not concern you!”

Louis too raised from his chair, fingers gripping the edge of the table. “It’s my life! My future! The kingdom’s future! If you would just listen-”

“No, you listen!” Taking a deep breath, his father straightened his posture, silencing the young man. “You think I don’t know about your little...escapade early this morning?”

Louis noticed the new rapid beating within his chest, how it echoed in his limbs. How? No one saw me- was there a guard on a different route? His entire argument had spilled from his mind, unable to control how his jaw slightly dropped.

And with that, the King knew he had his son. “Did you forget that we have eyes and ears in the village? I know about that maiden you were strolling with, you better hope for your own sake that this was a one time thing.”

“You don’t get it...those people need our help. They’re looking to us for guidance! If you weren’t so stubborn-”

“We will not do this here, okay?” Pointing a strong finger towards the door that led to his study, the king slowly removed himself from the table. “Louis, meet me inside.”

He didn’t even bother to look to his mother for help, instead steadying his face and marching right into the battle.

It was odd, being in his fathers’ study once more. Louis could count the number of times he had been granted entry into this room on one hand, none of those times ended in mutual understanding. But seeing the disarray it was in dropped a ball into Louis’ stomach, maybe this treaty had been harder on his father than he had realized; loose papers and letters clung to his desk, hiding away the sleek wood, stacks of books along the windowsill and multiple empty ink pots making Louis wonder just how many letters he had sent out.

The jittery prince slowly sat himself on the rickety chair opposite the giant chair at the head of the desk, wishing he had the gaul to ask if the kingdom was truly close to the brink of destruction.

His father sat himself across from him, clasping his hands together. "Son-"

"Don't call me son," Shit, don’t bite back like that.

The King swallowed down his immediate reaction, gripping his hands just that little bit tighter. "Running this kingdom is challenging enough without us fighting."

Louis scoffed, crossing his arms on instinct, as if he was trying to protect himself from the onslaught he knew was about to happen. "You're mad ‘cause I called you out, I called your bluff?"

"You’ve solved nothing! You're aggravating our allies in the south!" His father scuffled through the papers, brandishing a map from deep within the pile to prove his point. A few countries had been circled, countries with princesses. Princesses whom Louis was supposed to pursue.

It was a dead point for him, he had met these princesses. Countless dinners were spent trying to find out their passions, their dreams. But they were just like him, forced onto this boat ride, not particularly caring which way the tide took them.

Forcing a cackle, Louis crossed his arms. "You're absolutely right, I should just get shot in the mouth, that'll shut me up."

"Son-"

"Stop calling me son."

"Watch your tone, this is just a maiden in need of money-"

"Her name is Clementine, and the people down there take your name and they drag it through the mud." Louis heard the poisonous words from the people who came into the castle asking for an audience with the king, asking for anything, just needing help. But he turned them away everytime if there was no benefit to him.

His father rose higher, asserting a power that his son didn’t cower to anymore. "My name has been through enough, I can take it." He spoke to his own son the way he spoke to the staff. Cold, without respect, political. Taking more than he would ever give.

Louis began to rise up from his own chair, leaning against the table, once again reflecting every conversation they’ve ever had. "Well I have that name, I may not have your title or have your land but if-"

"No." His father didn't even bat an eye.

"If you gave me a chance to create peace, meet the people below, I can help this kingdom after my coronation." God, the fucking coronation. An event that would take place after his eventual marriage, solidifying his place in the castle. As if I will ever belong here.

"Or you could die,  and we need you alive." Louis could have sworn he heard a quiver in the words, the smallest hint of a weakness.

"I am more than willing to die." That’s true, if the time calls for it. Unlike you. You don’t care.

"Your mother needs you alive, son I need you alive-"

You never cared.  "Call me son one more time!"

The only sound was an ink pot shattering on impact against the marble floor and after the brief echo, Louis’ whole world took its final hit.

“Go to your training, son. That’s an order-”

“Dad-”

“Go, now.”

They both hovered on their feet, unsure on what to say, as if there was anything either could say to mend a relationship that had been broken so badly neither could remember a time where there was peace.

Louis wasn’t sure when he started running, one moment he was staring into his fathers’ dry eyes the next he was passing by the stables, the horses nothing but a blur. Am I crying? Shit, shit, not now. He can’t see me like this, he won’t drop it if he does.

The armoury laid waiting quite some distance behind the castle, near the very north corner of the towering wall trapping everyone inside, and ensuring everyone in the village stayed outside. It wasn’t a very big building, with only two rooms (one small enough to also be considered a shed).

Quickly rubbing his eyes to ensure they were dry, Louis pushed the rickety door open, immediately greeted by dirt in the air. The knights never did bother to keep it clean, cobwebs adorned every corner with the majority of the weaponry having not seen daylight in lord knows how long. The last battle Louis only has vague memories of, he was a child and stayed in the castle the entire time, if he had to pick a time when the kingdom began to crumble he would choose the moment the first shot was fired.

Nobody knew how many people were going to die.

Grabbing his sword from the wall (the only clean sword), he trudged further into the dim armoury. Louis could see his faint reflection in the suits of armour lined up along the walls, yet he was unsure of the last time the kingdom had charged into battle. Some of the suits were so dusty they couldn’t reflect the slices of the morning sun coming in through the window.

Trudging over to his favourite target dummy, his knuckles clenched harder around his trusted weapon. “Sorry to do this to you-” Two swipes across the chest and one right into the shoulder. The straw rubbed against his sleek sword, leaving faint scratch marks that would ultimately get polished away. “It’s not like you can feel any of this, to be fair.”

“His Highness arrives!” From within the room that held the smaller weapons, a head popped out covered in charcoal and dirt, concealing the natural blonde hair. “I thought you were gonna be late, again.”

Taking a deep breath, the prince pulled his sword out from his make believe friend. “What? And miss having you berate me for how I fight? Never.”

Marlon emerged from the room with a cloth in his hand, wiping it along his exposed arms before stuffing it into his front apron. The young lad never looked clean, at least not whenever Louis came down to visit. His defined face was always covered in some kind of soot; his hands were worse, the crevices of his nails always filled with dirt. Always working. “So, there’s this big rumour going through the castle that you snuck out last night. Is it true?” He leant against the practice dummy next to the one his friend had attacked, smirking already.

Biting his tongue so as to not scream, Louis slowly turned to Marlon, ignoring the oncoming taste of iron in his mouth. “Does everyone know?”

The knight innocently shrugged, unable to make eye contact. “Your dad isn’t that good at keeping secrets, word gets ‘round fast.” Marlon heard it from the Queen’s lady in waiting, who had heard it from the kitchen....who heard it from the Squire.

“Great-” Louis took a lazy jab at the dummy, losing some of that fiery momentum he came charging in with. “-I don’t think it’ll be happening again anytime soon anyways.” He muttered that last part but his friend had a keen ear, a reason why he was such a trusted protector of the castle.

Putting a kind hand on his shoulder, Marlon was the first to meet his eye. “So...you gonna tell me what you did?”

The question was inevitable, Louis wasn’t a total fool, despite what his father thinks. Hell, he would always ask the more experienced Knights about their journeys beyond the kingdom when he was a young boy. “Not much to say Marlon-”

“Bullshit. How old were you the last time you went down into the village? How different was it? Did you meet anyone?” His questions fired out of him like arrows, not knowing how each one did indeed jab Louis right in the heart.

“I was nine, it wasn’t that different..-” He held his breath on his last answer, almost choosing to not say anything but his mouth couldn’t resist the temptation to talk about her. “And... I suppose so.”

Marlon gave him a shove on the shoulder, one that Louis would argue was too rough as it disturbed his footing. “Oh, ho! Look at you finally making friends.”

“Hardy har-”

“Seriously, what’s their name?” Marlon took a seat on a dusty stool nearby, paying no mind to the dirt that completely coated it.

Louis took in a deep breath, as if her name was powerful enough to shake the ground he was standing on. It almost was. “Her name is Clementine-”

“A girl!”

“...Yes, a girl. Is that so hard to believe?”

Marlon hummed over his answer, careful not to offend his friend. “Well, it’s...you we’re talking about here.”

“Thanks.”

His friend now had his head in his hands, fully immersed in Louis’ words. “Was she like a lord’s daughter or baroness or something?”

“Not exactly...she’s a baker-”

Marlon almost knocked the stool over from how fast he shot to his feet. “She’s not royalty?!”

“Could you let me finish my sentences please!”

He held up his hands in defeat. “Alrighty, my bad, continue.”

Louis let out a sigh he didn’t know he had been holding in, his father wasn’t nearby, no one would snitch on his story. He was free to gush all he wanted. “She owns this bakery near the ocean, her life is so simple, and yet...” Even Louis couldn’t find the words himself. The shop was small, a mess, hardly any customers inside. Certainly not a place booming with success. “So much.”

Marlon leaned in closer, his breath held tight in his throat as he waited for the answer. “So much of what?”

Louis thought long on what to say, on how to so simply express all that she had shown him in such a short time span. “So much of what I dream of-” Letting the sword fall gently to the floor, he couldn’t ignore the itch wracking his brain, pushing him back to the village below. Back to her little shop to learn more about her life, about what it was like to live free. “Everybody hears the jokes, the piano, but they always stop listening. She didn’t.”

The stoic knight nodded, understanding his friend. Gently poking his leg with the tip of his boot, Marlon bounced on his feet. “C’mon, one practice round. Remember to work on your posture.”

-

Of course, sleep didn’t come to him that night.

His fingertips pinched the silk bedding, begging for a distraction. Two birds whizzed past his window, the small fireplace crackled softly as the remains of the flame died out, the aroma of burnt wood finding its way across the room.

I wonder if she’s safe in that bakery- STOP!

With the moon being his only companion, he twisted and turned in his bed - which was far too large for him - and glanced towards his exposed balcony, noticing some stray lights in the town below.

How could such simplicity entice him? The dry remains of bread lodged under her fingernails, the smell of cinnamon all around her, the flour hanging loose in her curls...”How gorgeous,” Louis whispered into the cold, the echo of his own voice taunting him.

“I’d love to see you stop by the bakery again.” Her innocent request came to mind as he relaxed to the thought of that little shop by the sea.

How could he say no to a face like that?

[nastyatticman]

1, 11, 13, 15, 16, and 17 for the oc thing!

1. What’s your oc’s most irrational fear? Is there a specific reason this fear came about?

Sidney - That at any moment he’s broken some law and wouldn’t know it until he got arrested for it. Except for being a serial killer, he’s a tax paying law abiding citizen. His public persona is so inoffensive, and he’s somewhat conventionally attractive (and constantly trying to fit in or please people), so he could probably get away with some minor crimes. This fear comes from a childhood full of getting in trouble for minor offenses, things that weren’t his fault, or things he was never told were wrong by his toxic parents. And, perhaps, some subconscious guilt around all the actual crimes he commits.

Chance - That he’ll randomly throw out his phone, wallet, or other important items. It’s because he gets bad intrusive thoughts sometimes, and even after he learned that those are okay and don’t reflect his inner character and desires, he still worries about dropping his stuff. Some of his intrusive thoughts are related to harming himself or others, which he knows he won’t do, but can he be so sure that he won’t throw his phone out of the bus and into oncoming traffic when all the windows are open?!

11. Does your oc have any interests/hobbies that they hide from everyone? Why do they hide these interests?

Sidney - Musical theatre, drawing furries, collecting souvenirs from his family “vacations”. He’s very concerned with his public image and he’s embarrassed he feels so strongly about shows like Cats! and High School Musical even though they don’t have a good plot etc etc. He’s afraid if people hear the word “furry” they’ll assume he’s some kind of sex freak. Maybe he is, but you wouldn’t be able to tell from him doodling little bunnies and warrior cats in the margins of his notebooks. And last, you may actually see some of the grim tokens he takes to remember his exploits. His family’s pretty well off so no one bats an eye at him coming back from winter break with a new jacket, much less a keychain or something small. It’s just that kidnapping and killing is generally discouraged, so only he knows how he really got them.

Chance - He doesn’t have too much shame when it comes to his hobbies etc - he either uses his wacky hobbies to get attention or weed out the people who judge him for things. However he probably has a big interest in stuff like selfshipping and x reader fanfics, but he doesn’t like to share that unless he can spin it as something wild and funny he does. Otherwise people tend to see this nerdy little guy and think, “oh, that’s kind of sad, he can’t meet anyone in real life”. Sometimes they say that to his face.

13. What’s your oc’s dream home like?

Sidney - Somewhere remote, with a bit of a cottagecore vibe. He loves the cabin his family visits twice a year, and how it’s still close to a small town with everything he needs. Prefers an area without the noise and traffic of the modern world. ...He still wants perfect WiFi though.

Chance - Somewhere big and spacious. Closer to the city, with everything he needs in walking distance. Ideally he wants to live in a nice house with a vegetable garden and plenty of space for him & his future partners to pursue their passions. He’s a bit of an introvert at times, even when it comes to his current roommates, so he doesn’t mind if things are very spaced out. Like, everyone having their own room and bed to make their own, and they can take turns sleeping with each other or something.

15. What’s your oc’s morning routine like?

Sidney - He gets up bright and early, takes a shower and does a little skincare. Then eats a healthy breakfast and starts his day. A real morning person.

Chance - Not a morning person at all. Probably clicks snooze on his alarm and spends a few minutes dicking around on his phone before he absolutely has to get up and get ready for the day. Probably grabs a quick breakfast or just buys something when he gets to school or wherever he’s going.

16. What’s your oc’s nighttime routine like?

Sidney - He sleeps kind of early, on a somewhat strict schedule. A little skincare, dental care(?), getting into comfy pajamas.

Chance - Night owl. Typically he washes off any makeup or blood on his face, brushes & flosses, and showers. Gets cozy in bed with at least one extra blanket. Spends a maybe concerning amount of time on the phone before finally sleeping lol.

17. If your oc had a social media page, what would it be like? What would they post about? How much personal information would they feel comfortable posting on it? How often would they update it?

Sidney - He has a couple! Most of them are very professional or social, in a just in case people Google him way. Like, a LinkedIn, Facebook, and an Instagram with highly curated and inoffensive pictures of him. Mostly pictures of him during milestones like his high school graduation. Doesn’t use them often but you’ll see people comment wishing him a happy birthday. He’s too shy to post much about his interests there though, even the stuff that doesn’t involve murder. Has smaller accounts on other websites where he posts/interacts with darker content anonymously. Like a dark aesthetic tumblr with pictures of forests n caves n shit. On the flip side he probably has a Pinterest, with 0 personal info abt him but several boards dedicated to cute stuff and drawings reference, that paints a picture of who he is.

Chance - He is, begrudgingly, on Facebook to keep up with boomer family members. He’s a paranoid bitch (and rightfully so), so he’s mostly on Tumblr since their data tracking and algorithm is run by a hamster on a wheel. Chance is much more personal there but also impersonal - no pictures of his face or specifics on his location, but he feels free to talk abt his kinks and shit. He’d have an edgy nsfw blog but his main blog is for fandoms & true crime. (Well, “true” in universe. He uses it to keep track of rumors about killings and potential slasher sightings.)

[annakie]

-----------

We're back for part two!  Remember the last time how I said....

And after that game... I parted ways with my friends once again.  Because I had tickets... to Critical Role.

Well... not only that, but I was finally meeting @thievinghippo​ IRL to see it!

CRITICAL ROLE (aka Friday Night)

I took off right after the previous game had ended and headed for the show.  My one big frustration was that it took 30 minutes for my Lyft driver to arrive from AROUND THE BLOCK (ok, about a quarter of a mile, but still).  In retrospect, I think he was hoping I'd cancel so he could get a bigger fare or something.  I think he just fucked himself over because he could have done that route twice in the time it took him to come get me.  So I got there with just a few minutes to spare and no time to get in the merch line.  But hey, I found Hippo and met a few other people from Tumblr whose names I recognized!  

It was so great to finally meet her, but we had almost no time to talk beforehand (but when we did, it was all about how mad we still are about Jaime / Brienne and also I tried to catch her up to what's happening in CR since she's pretty far behind.)

The show was AWESOME.  It was so fun to see live!  It was particularly awesome when the entire audience sang along with the theme song (See this video if you haven't yet for those of you not there: https://twitter.com/PhoenixHeart815/status/1157446225223962624 ).  It reminded me a lot of singing along with the Sparks Nevada theme the last few TAH shows, I got a little misty-eyed.

The bad?  It was really really hot in the theater.  At intermission I bolted out to the bathroom and buy cold waters.  I was about to get in the merch line but the lights already started flashing.  SIGH.  I gave Hippo a water and before we could settle in much, the show started again.  I told her my plan for the end of the show, though.

I will admit, my lack of sleep from the previous two nights was starting to catch up with me, and I had no caffeine available to combat it with.  I almost ducked out of the show early because I felt myself nodding off with the heat in the theater masked with the dark of the theater and that the second half of the show was less exciting (but still fun!) than the first.  Seeing the show live was amazing!

Just as Matt said they were ending the show there, I hopped out of my chair (I was in an aisle) and went into the lobby.  I was dying to get a set of the metal dice... and they were sold out of EVERYTHING except the big blue d20 and some pins.  ARGHGHGHGHGH.  So I got the d20, and watched the rest of the show including Liam's very surprising win, on the monitors.  (I'd voted for Liam because I assumed Sam would win.  I was pleasantly surprised at the outcome. :)  Though I love Sam to bits.)

Hippo joined me outside in the lobby early, and we left the theater just ahead of everyone else and she waited and we chatted while I called a Lyft.  She wanted to get out before traffic got too crazy, too, so she took off.  I am VERY MAD I didn't get a pic with the two of us at all.  Next year?!  

Then of course my Lyft driver didn't come to where I was exactly (literally at the Lyft pickup/dropoff designated location) and I had to walk around and look for him and by the time I found him, he'd gotten boxed in so we had to wait in traffic anyway.  Ah well.

At least the freeway was re-opened that night heading back to the airport, and thus, my hotel, for a shorter ride.  I ended up not falling asleep til close to 2.

I loved my evening and would do it all again but that Jeremy and Marcus told me that the Starfinder game they played in that night was AH-FUCKING-MAZING and was literally one of their favorite games of their entire lives, both of them.  It was a multi-table megagame that had a pass-fail condition and would shape the next season of the Society, and I'm sad I missed it while being really glad I did what I did.  Sometimes it's feast or feast, and you gotta pick which awesome meal you want.

I didn’t take many pics, just one as they were settling in after Sam came out in his costume, and one during intermission.  It’s all on Twitch, anyway!

SATURDAY

Oh man, for some really dumb reason we'd scheduled our Saturday morning for 8AM... but it was Starfinder!!  Uh, I will say I consumed more caffeine on that Saturday than maybe any other day of my life.  But it was needed.

What also helped keep me awake that it was FUCKING FREEZING IN THE ROOM.  The game itself was an absolute blast, though.  It was a brutal slog through a dead planet with hostile aliens everywhere and we had to stealth through, collect information and get out.  This was the game I felt the closest to death in all weekend, I'll say that for sure.  But we did it!

The very kind Felice(sp?) who was at the table decided she didn't want to carry her hoodie through the dealer hall, where she was going next, and her husband was working the main table at the Pathfinder room, so she told me to leave it there with him when I was done with it.  Since our next game was also in the Paizo room, I took her up on this offer and was warm and comfy the next few hours.

Our DM, an Operative, and Felice, plus the Hoodie of Warmth +2.

A very rare picture of me, on the internet, along with the guys.

And our next game was our first Pathfinder 2 game!  We were very excited to try out the system, and were put at a table with a father and son duo.  Jeremy and Marcus were excited because the DM was the same guy who'd DM'd their Starfinder game while I was at Critical Role.  

The only bad thing that happened here was that the El Paso Cielo Vista shooting news broke.  I grew up in El Paso, from when I was 12 to 22... it's Middle School through college for me.  Even though I've now lived in Dallas twice as long as I lived in El Paso and I haven't been there in like ten years, it's still... a little bit home.  So I left the table for a little bit to get on Facebook and make sure my friends there were all okay (they are), and text with my mom to make sure a family member who still lives there is okay (she is, though she took awhile to answer mom so we were worried.)  I have a lot of thoughts though, which belong in another post, and I'm still angry and upset about the shooting, even though it didn't affect me personally.  But for now, that's the end of talk of that terribleness.

At our table were a father and ~10 y/o son, who I'm cutting out of the pics because posting pics of minors without getting permission is not OK.  Also, the game was SHORT.  It turns out it was designed as an intro to Pathfinder 2 or maybe even RPGs in general so we knocked it out pretty quick, like 2.5 hours.

One very cool thing that Pazio was doing was that when you played in a game, you got a wooden token that you took up to the prize table, and rolled a d20 + d10.  No matter what you rolled, you got a prize, though most of them were cool little boons for your official characters.  However, if you critted, you got to pick a physical prize from the table.  Well, we played so much that Jeremy and Marcus both critted twice.  They ended up getting ALL THREE Token boxes (like cardboard minis, very nice quality) for Starfinder, plus the Starfinder Beginner's Box.  Pretty sure those four things together retailed for over $100.  Score!

So after the short game, with time to spare before our next game, the gang decided it was Dealer Hall time, literally the first time Jeremy or Marcus had time to go AT ALL.  I volunteered to be the stuff-holder.  After dropping off Felice's hoodie, I found a comfy seat near an outlet that was near the dealer hall and let everyone dump the stuff they didn't want to carry with me.  They came back and left stuff with me, and then after a couple of hours, also brought me dinner from the food trucks.  It was a fair trade.

I also asked Jeremy to stop by one particular booth and pick me up a set of dice I'd decided on, Blue Turquiose stone dice from Metallic Dice Games.  I took some pics of the dice below, though the next day I did have Jeremy swap out the d20 at the booth because I didn't like how some of the faces looked (by far the angle in the pic is the best side, there was too much solid color on the other sides of the die.)  These are going to be my official dice for my 4e character, who is a storm sorcerer reskinned as a druid.

LOVE THESE DICE, can’t wait to roll ‘em.

DM, Dad and blurred-out son.

A blurred-out boy and my guys.

Our final game of the day was the Cypher system, which is made by Monte Cook (one of the original D&D designers).  Cypher is a fairly simple system which mostly just uses a d20 and d6, and the DM never rolls dice.  The original system was made for a game called Numenera, which we'd played the beginner's box adventure for a few years ago but didn't feel like we got a good feel for the system, so we wanted to give it a go with a DM who knew the system well.

Overall, we enjoyed the game, it definitely wasn't "bad"!  But the problem was, we all agreed later, that the module that was being run was the kickoff module for a much longer campaign, there was a huge lore dump near the end and we also didn't really "get" everything that was going on.  

It also had the most memorable ending, though.  We ended the game by trying to escape from a base while being chased by some guys who greatly outmatched us.  My character was a pilot, and we needed to leave via a shuttlecraft.  One of the players who we didn't know was on the "get the door open and provide covering fire so everyone else can get to the shuttle" team.  And then he needed to make a roll in order to also GTFO and get to the shuttle.

He rolled.  Got a 5.  There's a mechanic where you can spend a card that you've collected in order to re-roll.  So he did that, got a 2.  Someone else gave him a card to re-roll.  He rolled a 3.  Someone else did.  He rolled a 5.  I was the last one with a card on the table, so I slapped it down.  He rolled a 4.

It was amazing.  Amazingly terrible rolling.

My pilot already had the craft powered up and was waiting for only him to get on.  I sighed, looked the player in the eye and said...

"I'm so sorry, but my character sheet says that I have a personality flaw.  I'm impulsive and impatient and have a setback to anything that requires patience, concentration or willpower.  I'm not waiting for you."  I looked at the DM and said "I decide that he's sacrificing himself to save us, and take off."

So I left him behind.  

The player was 100% cool with it, we had a laugh about it, and he agreed it was what my character would have done.  So it was kind of a tragic and funny way to end the game.  Also Brian needed to get some sleep that night so he hadn't come to that game, and Marcus left a little early to tend to the family, so just Jeremy and I closed out the night.

DM on the left, players I didn’t know in the center, and one on the right.  The guy in the bright blue shirt in the center?  I killed his character.  Sorry not sorry.

SUNDAY

The next morning, sadly, was the last day of GenCon.  We only had one game scheduled that morning, our second Pathfinder 2 game.  And EVERYONE was gonna be at the game!  

I hadn't even SEEN Gwen or Laura the entire con, and when they arrived at just about the same time Jeremy and I did, we joked that we hadn't believed the others were at the convention.  

We'd hoped that they'd let us put all 7 people at the table (Kirstyn had left late Saturday night to fly home and be at a concert she was playing in.)  They did not.  So we split up "Kids" and "Adults".

Sadly, this didn't work out super well for either table.  Gwen/Brian/Ally's table had a DM they did not enjoy and also a married couple who actually fought with each other uncomfortably at the table(!!).  

We had a good DM, but also an old guy who... I did not like.  At all.  He talked over the DM, even when the DM was explicitly trying to answer a question we'd asked him, things like rules questions on how game mechanics in PF2 had changed from PF1, since, you know, it was a system that had released THREE DAYS AGO.  Also, he was very... helpful... in telling me how skill checks worked and also questioning my decisions on how I was playing my character.  (YES, thanks I did consider carefully before casting Sanctuary on myself, and yes, it WAS THE RIGHT CALL.  I was the only healer in the party and had gargoyles flanking me, THANKS.)

I literally told the guy (as nicely as possible) "Sir, I've been playing RPGs for over twenty years, I'm well aware of how RPGs work, thank you" the second time he told me how skill checks worked as I was adding up my die roll with my skill modifier and took two seconds to do the math. And sure he'd probably been playing for thirty or more but um... I know how to roll a skill check.

After a short break, I told my friends I might need to leave the table.  Instead, Marcus and I switched seats so I wasn't sitting next to him anymore and the DM tried to refocus the game a bit.  It helped me at least.  I just did my best to ignore the guy.  I'm pretty sure he just didn't have the greatest social skills in the world but sometimes my tolerance for people like this can be... low.  His brother was also at the table and seemed okay, at least.  

The game itself was pretty good, ignoring everything having to do with that guy.  After the game the DM thanked me for sticking around and basically empathized that he was getting pretty annoyed, too.  

Not the greatest way to end gaming at the con, but hey, it also could have been worse.  I took pics of that game but decided not to put pics of someone I didn’t like on the internet.

Gwen, Brian and Ally's game ended like 45 minutes before ours (sadly, much to their relief) and they'd left to do one more run through the vendor hall and then left the con to start their drive home.  I had Gwen pick me up a set of dice that... I haven't even seen yet... and they were hella expensive.  I'm kinda feeling buyer's remorse about them right now, I didn't need to spend that much on dice this con but... well, we'll see how I feel when I see them in person.  If I hate 'em, I'll resell 'em.

All weekend long I'd been texting with my BFF from High School's husband, who is also my friend.  He was at the Con as well but doing his own thing and we'd been trying to arrange a meetup.  Well, we finally did it!  He came and saw me, and we hung out for about 45 minutes, just talking about the con, and old times and what we're doing now and the family etc. etc.  So that was great!  I was really glad to see him and catch up.

It’s Richard!

After he left because he had to go help tear down the booth he'd been working at, like the day before, I set up "basecamp" in the same place as before.  I had thought about going back to the vendor hall where Jeremy, Marcus and Laura were, but I'd already sent Jeremy off to ask him to pick me up the one last thing I wanted (the official GenCon dice tray.  I have a Wyrmwood Lacewood dice tray for home use, but wanted a nice travel dice tray.  I had a leather one for Kraken, but I'm real unhappy with Kraken Dice now and wanted something else.  I don’t plan on buying from them ever again in the future.  The official 2019 Gencon tray is very nice, and Jeremy had gotten one the day before, so he picked me up one as well.)

POST-CON

I only had to wait about an hour for the end of the con, and by that time the only ones from our group left were "the adults."  So once we were all gathered back up, the four of us headed out and walked a couple of blocks to a restaurant, which we couldn't get into, so we went to the restaurant next door, the Yard House.  

Wherein we had comically bad service, but they were very nice about it, and also WE were really nice about it, and ended up getting about half our meal comped.  Like our waiter had put in all the drink orders for all his tables to our table, so we had the wrong drinks delivered about five times.  We never got water refills.  Marcus had half a beer spilled on his leg (not even his beer, just another wrongly brought to our table), Laura's Appetizer-as-entree came out as an appetizer.  We asked for more chips for the chips and guac and queso we'd gotten as an app and never got it, etc.  Also while the manager was there assuring us we wouldn't have any more drinks brought to our table we didn't ask for... drinks were brought to our table we didn't ask for.  It was actually hilarious by that point.  

The waiter was brand new (his second day) so we got it.  It was just one of those things.  But they took care of us, we tipped well, it was all OK.

So that was the end of Gencon.  Back at my hotel, which Jeremy and I had long decided we wouldn't stay at again, I'd taken a shower very early Saturday morning after Critical Role.  Sunday morning when I showered again, the water still hadn't drained from the tub(!!) but I was in a hurry and just showered in gross cold water at my feet.  Then told the front desk.

They hadn't even been in my room all day to even clean up the room at all, much less do anything about the bathtub when I got back to my room Sunday night, so I switched rooms.  And then the room next to me had left the alarm clock on, and it went off at 9pm.  And my phone in that room didn't work, so I had to go downstairs a second time to get someone to go shut it off.  Also the AC in that room never turned off, the controls seemed to do nothing, so it was like 60 degrees in there the entire night.  It was actually a relief to leave the hotel the next day.  Next year... we'll pay a little more for a bit nicer hotel.

Annnd.. the next morning Jeremy and I got to the airport early enough, flight was full but not delayed, and had no problems getting home.  Spent most of the day from getting on the plane to going to sleep that night with a massive migraine so I spent the afternoon at home sleeping and drinking lots of water.. but yay... no con crud!

I miss the con, but being back in my own bed with my kitties is all worth it.  Still, I can't wait for Gencon again next year. :D

[holydanced]

     *      —     so this did NOT take long at all  ,  wow  ….. but anyways  ,  hello m’loves im alex  &  i’m on my current bullshit of prolonged - everything and wack intros  !!  i’m 21  ,  my pronouns r she / her  ,  from the incredible tz that is gmt and but have zero  (  0  ) concept of time clearly   &  i like watching tasty vids knowing damn well i’m never making a single dish and other stuff it’s 2 late for me 2 rmbr and list but welcome to my step daughter  ,  shmoke itch queue !! under the read more is 1 / 2 of the intro posts i plan on posting this week with a good batch of my shunts  .  can’t wait 2 get back to ya’ll on plots and connections and hmu if a muse peeks ur unfortunate interest !!

*   SOUTHERN HELL   /   AMANDA WHEELER  :   queen of irony. rich faux post-country gal. a loud homosexual who writes hetero fics/has an indie het smut for the absolute shits and giggles. madly in love with her girlfriend and WILL remind you just in case you forgot. said to be possessed by a possessed flapper. cute and knows it even though she looks like a republican. socially open & everywhere. morally grey.

*   VEGAN OVERLORD   /   IMOGEN YATES  :   the grey area between your mom friend and your drunk aunt. happily vegan & owns a vegan restaurant called the fork, alt. the local vegan cult’s lair. won’t kill you, but will convince you she really wants to. local brat tamer. minds her business via minding others. clashed head-first into nature’s very own reset button: amnesia. used to be the devil herself and traumatized everyone she once knew. disgustingly active and accomplishing. 

*   WALMART AVRIL LAVIGNE   /   PRUDENCE ZIMA  :   parents died in a fire when she was a youngin and it shows. idolizes avril lavigne & her favorite movie is lords of dogtown for aesthetics references. dude. social leech or effortless networker ? both. remains in her lane regardless. cries over dick biweekly. here for a good time, not a long time. steals your stash and smokes you out with it. avid dick connoisseur. loves her pet python to death. minimum effort lifestyle. either on her way to become a manager of some one hit wonder band that finds it’s demise in a crashing plane, a drug dealer or god forbid, a guidance counselor. mild gone girl type cool girl syndrome. 

*   SATAN  ,  BUT IN FRENCH   /   ABEL GAUTIER  :   french and “confused”. lives a minimalist n’ expensive lifestyle. if american psycho & french kiss were the same movie. wine sniffer. the devil bakes croissants. will watch you die. takes grudges to the afterlife. gets attached but either ruins it or ruins it to spare everyone, himself included. falls in love a lot but knows how to calm the fuck down. well-suppressed murderous tendencies. very giving, fortunately. manipulative but isn’t too wild about bending everything to his will. 

*   ROSES IN THE TRASH DOT PNG   /   SIMINI GALE  :   [ britney vc ] its me…. against dissociation. token white actress & character in rosie’s show. a loud mess with an intense mental state and anger issues dulled out by her prescribed meds and whatever pill she got in the bottom of her manager’s purse. overly dependent and is distraught about it. grocery shopping for garbage food and attending comedy stand ups half drunk as a hobby. stable ? don’t know her. very nice and super flighty. heels are hot. wishes she could fight someone without feeling the urge to actually fight someone. crying probably.

*   HAPPY MACHINE BROKE   /   CALVIN O’SHEA  :   it’s not just the depression more than the incredible self hatred. walks into rooms with his bad energy  &  cunty attitude. graduated college just to shut his dad up. wants to die harder than edward cullen. just doesn’t give a shit. has a baby named FREDDIE MERCURY JOHN LENNON BAUMANN ( also known as the antichrist, with alanis, his mortal literal enemy whom he absolutely despises and will NOT hesitate to put his dick back in again ) . wishes he could die.

*   DIVORCED DADS ARE HOT   /   KELLY SCOTT  :   a father who tries™. runs a chop shop because bad decisions and dire needs ( had his son to send to school and his daughter who passed away due to a condition he couldn’t afford to treat even after turning his mechanic shop into a chop shop. his wife then left him ) .stares into the distance. needs to pull out of this dull n’ depressing daily routine he has fallen into like the basic ass divorced dad he is.

*   SLAVGOTH    /   SEBASTIAN MILLER  :   kazimer sokolov whom. russian ex-cult member well-adjusted into a mundane life via lies, a fake canadian accent he’s ‘trying to get rid of’ and being a twilight saga aficionado & a certified dick. runs his lame record store and a tumblr blog to keep himself sane by maintaining a general aesthetic & shitting on people and every discourse out there. knives/books sniffer. allegedly fucked a moose. probably kinkshames as a way to deal with his own “kinks”. you thought it’s one fake bitch in this house but it’s quite literally two.

*   UNCLE SAL WITH THE FACTS    /   SALVATORE PRESLEY  :   a hitman who doesn’t know how to retire. talks. a great father and boyfriend in a long, long, long term relationship. gets shit done which is both a good thing and a bad thing. don’t call him salvatore, don’t call him anything. knows how to mix drinks and other things. obsessive; gets into his job a little too intensely and it shows. loses sleep at least two nights a week as a habit at this point. family-oriented; has an extended family back home he misses occasionally. wishes he could calm down truly.

*   UH HUH ,  THIS MY SHIT ! ALL THE GOTHS STOMP YOUR FEET LIKE THIS !  /   FRED MARLON  :   not-so-local - perky goth -  skater boi. bisexuals wear multiple rings. was a cheerleader and won’t stop spelling shit & chanting since then. advocates for getting your guts stirred safe sex. lucid dreams. criminology major but associates with film majors for some reason. was the employee of the month everywhere he worked. remembers his time in bed, bath and beyond fondly. went to psycho camp when he was twelve. a motherfucking sweedie. actual foot fetish apologist.

*   [ POINTS AT EMPTY CORNER ] AND HERE’S MY GREAT GRANDFATHER, ARMITAGE   /   MARSHA HUNT  :   obsessing over the victorian (gothic) era & death. obsessive, period. interesting family lineage. believes the manor she inherited is haunted (mainly because deaths happened there and up until a certain period in its history, they had their own graveyard within the estate). believes a lot of things that don’t make sense but bear with her. crackhead tendencies. talking is a full body experience. demands your full attention or none of it. allergic to but likes flowers. witchcraft? she’s listening. romantic in the worst way. will teach you how to dance. not entirely here at all. writer_in_the_dark.mp3. heightened senses. rich and doesn’t know what to do with the money. doesn’t trust first impressions. the drunk aunt and the weird cousin. 

*   ( PRETTY ) DAFT BOY  /   JACK LOWELL  :  jackary. handsome_the_vaccines.mp3. vaguely ‘poetic’ instagram captions & private social media accounts made for his mental breakdowns. currently on a “break” from college. lashes out over air. a current equipment bitch to the band he got kicked out of. manipulative and morally on the fence of neutral and his father’s son. isn’t sure if he enabled his sister’s murderous nature on purpose or not. will crash at your place and finish your cereal but still make you breakfast and a cool tune in the morning like the soft, self-absorbed cunt he is. self destructs over one ( 1 ) girl and hangs out with many.

*   THE REASON WHY YOUR CAR RIDES GO THE FUCK OFF  /   NAZARETH NIEVES  :  pouty lesbian. music producer tormenting her record label by being a brat. chronically bored and disgusted. pulls a rihanna and makes close friends off the industry. will bite heads off. selectively decent. is unable to enjoy music from the same genre she produces for. power bottom. brutally killed her dead best friend’s father, hid his body and picked up his youngest daughter from school and took her in her family home; the line of murders in their unsuspecting city ceased conveniently. likes the smell of nail polish.

[aion-rsa]

Who is Ms. Marvel? Explaining the Next MCU Star

https://ift.tt/2OFVUxF

Kamala Khan will become part of the MCU with a Ms. Marvel TV series on Disney+. She's a perfect fit for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

facebook

twitter

tumblr

A Ms. Marvel TV series is coming to streaming service Disney+, based on the Hugo-award winning and critically acclaimed comic book series of the same name. The first Muslim superhero to headline her own series for Marvel, Ms. Marvel has already made it to the small screen as part of the Marvel Rising animated series, but this will be her first foray into live action. 

Created by writer G. Willow Wilson, editors Sana Amanat and Stephen Wacker, and artists Adrian Alphona and Jamie McKelvie, Ms. Marvel is Kamala Khan, a nerdy Muslim Pakistani-American teenager living in Jersey City who gained powers after coming into contact with Terrigen Mist. Descended from Inhumans, the mist unlocked her ability to shapeshift, like Daisy/Quake on Agents of SHIELD. The Inhumans have been a big part of Kamala’s comics story, with Lockjaw the teleporting dog helping her out, and Medusa the Inhuman Queen feeling more comfortable with Kamala than she does with others on Earth. Given that The Inhumans TV show was cancelled and derided by critics and fans, Ms. Marvel will likely only retain her inhumanity as far as her origin, or it could be left out altogether. 

Ms. Marvel Powers and Abilities

Ms. Marvel is a polymorph. That means she can completely transform her body in any way she pleases. She can look like a specific person if she wants, although so far she’s only used that to look like Carol Danvers and her mother. Kamala is far too much of a goody-goody to go around impersonating people, especially since she’s experienced firsthand what it feels like when someone impersonates you and steals your voice. But it’s easy to see how this power could help the Avengers or be exploited, Loki-like, if Kamala were forced or some kind of body-snatching happened. 

Most of the time, Ms. Marvel gets very big to take on literal big bads, or gets incredibly small (think sliding under a door or through a keyhole) to sneak into tight spaces and do recon. That puts her in good company with Ant-Man, although she doesn’t need any special tech for her transformations. She can also selectively change her shape and size radically, like “embiggening” just her fist. 

Watch everything Marvel and more with a FREE Disney+ TRIAL, right here!

There is one major drawback to Ms. Marvel’s powers, which is her healing factor. When Kamala gets burnt out, she’s essentially stuck in whatever form and size she has at the moment until she recharges. If that happens mid-battle, she simply has to make the best of it. While she does have better healing abilities than the average person, she does take more hits than the rest of us do, and she needs to sleep it off after to heal. As a teenager sneaking out at night and needing to heal up after, she often finds herself sleeping through her alarm in the morning and falling asleep during class, much to the collective dismay of her parents and teachers. 

The Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel Connection

A few different people have held the title of Ms. Marvel, but the most important ones are Carol Danvers and Kamala Khan. A huge fan of comic books, the Avengers, and especially Captain Marvel herself, Kamala took up the mantle of Ms. Marvel since her personal hero Carol Danvers had already started going by Captain Marvel and no longer needed the name. 

Captain Marvel has played a big role in Kamala Khan’s development as a hero from the beginning. When Kamala was sprayed with the Terrigen Mist, she had a very confusing experience of going into a cocoon and hearing a voice ask her what she wanted to be. Kamala answered, “Captain Marvel,” and when she burst out of her cocoon, that’s exactly who she was, which obviously freaked her out a little. After a minute or two she figured out that she didn’t get Freaky Friday’ed, she was a shapeshifter. 

read more - The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: Who is John Walker?

More importantly, Kamala learned that she didn’t need to be someone else to help others. Jersey City doesn’t need Carol Danvers, it needs Kamala Khan. She returned to her own form and came up with her own costume, inspired by both Carol Danvers’s Ms. Marvel-era costume and the salwar khameez, as a tribute to both her culture and the person who inspired her to heroism. 

Since then, Kamala and Carol have actually met and worked together, with Captain Marvel giving Ms. Marvel superheroic pointers. Carol gave Kamala a special locator token made out of both of their symbols (the Hala Star and the lightning bolt) so Kamala could reach Carol whenever she needed her. They became colleagues and even friends, with Kamala joining the Avengers. 

Unfortunately, one of Kamala’s biggest moments of growth as a hero was when she had to defy Captain Marvel during Civil War II, when Carol was relying on a teenage Inhuman named Ulysses to predict the future, arresting people before they could commit crimes, which eventually it turned out they might not even commit. Turning her back on Captain Marvel was hard for Kamala, but she couldn’t turn her back on her community either and violate due process and other rights of her friends and neighbors. 

read more: Complete Schedule of Upcoming MCU Phase 4 Marvel Movies

It’s unlikely the MCU will revisit Civil War II in this way, but you can bet Kamala and Carol will have a close mentor/mentee relationship, similar to Tony Stark and Peter Parker. It would be powerful if they can find a way to incorporate the story beats, issues of justice, and emotional heft of the Civil War II story line in another way, to demonstrate Kamala’s maturity and Carol’s blindspot when it comes to racial profiling and the shortcomings of law enforcement and communities of color.

How Will Ms. Marvel Fit in the MCU?

A few things to note for this television show, which has us pretty excited. First, it’s live action. That means we’re going to be getting some cool effects for Kamala’s powers. Second, it’s going to be written and run by Bisha K. Ali, a British comedian and screenwriter whose work you might have seen on Netflix’s Sex Education or Mindy Kaling’s television version of Four Weddings and a Funeral on Hulu. Both shows are coming of age dramas with a lot of comedy and fun to them, which is pitch-perfect for Kamala. 

Finally, and this is a big one: as Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige promised back in May, Ms. Marvel is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is a Marvel Studios production. That means Kamala can be promoted to an Avengers movie as needed, and any number of her heroes can stop by Jersey City for a cameo to help out with a particularly tough villain, just like they do in the comics. Kamala is a fan first, so when Captain Marvel, Spider-Man, or anyone else stops by, she just about loses her noodles. And since there are new Marvel TV shows incoming with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision, Hawkeye, and Loki, there are bound to be some visitors. Hawkeye is meant to be training Kate Barton as his replacement and if she’s anything like her comic inspiration, a teen who is friends with Ms. Marvel, fans should expect Kate and Kamala to meet sooner rather than later. Ms. Marvel’s cameos seem to go best when her fangirling comes up against stern men who do their best to be unmoved by her boundless enthusiasm, so hopefully she’ll get to bug Falcon and Winter Soldier into begrudgingly loving her, too. 

There’s no word yet on casting, but hopefully Disney will find a Pakistani-American who can bring Kamala’s goofy charm to life. 

The rest of Kamala’s world is populated by her immediate family, including her somewhat conservative parents and devout brother Aamir, and her friends Bruno, Nakia, Mike, Zoe, and Josh. In Marvel Rising, she’s been seen as friends with Squirrel Girl, Quake, Spider-Gwen/Ghost-Spider, and other young heroes her age. Kamala tends to always be in diverse groups of young people on the rise. A big part of her identity is being part of the B-squad, a young and growing hero from a second-tier city. Even when she’s called up to the big leagues by major heroes, she tends to question it, much like Miles Morales in Into the Spider-Verse or Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Far From Home. 

In the comics, Ms. Marvel has taken on gentrification and identity theft, Hydra and gerrymandering, multiple terrorist groups, and even a walking, talking evil cockatiel clone of Thomas Edison that preyed on teens with low self-esteem. She has worked with her hero Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel and became a member of the Avengers. She eventually ditched the Avengers alongside her pals Miles Morales, Amadeus Cho, and Vision’s daughter and formed The Champions so they could do the real neighborhood-level work that the supposed big damn heroes were forgetting about. 

read more: The History of Moon Knight

As one of Marvel’s most popular young heroes, it’s great to see Kamala Khan get the attention she deserves in the form of a show, especially with the flexibility to be part of the MCU. It’s also easy to imagine her fitting in with MCU characters like Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, Letitia Wright’s Shuri, and of course, Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel. As Marvel builds its future lineup, Kamala offers plenty of opportunities for visually stunning fights, crossovers with other characters, and a guileless enthusiasm that we could use a bit more of on our screens, whether big or small. 

facebook

twitter

tumblr

Feature

Books

Delia Harrington

Dec 2, 2019

Marvel

Ms. Marvel

Disney+

from Books https://ift.tt/2PdozMT

[aion-rsa]

Who is Ms. Marvel? Explaining the Next MCU Star

https://ift.tt/2Zo9IPj

Kamala Khan will become part of the MCU with a Ms. Marvel TV series on Disney+. She's a perfect fit for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

facebook

twitter

tumblr

A Ms. Marvel TV series is coming to streaming service Disney+, based on the Hugo-award winning and critically acclaimed comic book series of the same name. The first Muslim superhero to headline her own series for Marvel, Ms. Marvel has already made it to the small screen as part of the Marvel Rising animated series, but this will be her first foray into live action. 

Created by writer G. Willow Wilson, editors Sana Amanat and Stephen Wacker, and artists Adrian Alphona and Jamie McKelvie, Ms. Marvel is Kamala Khan, a nerdy Muslim Pakistani-American teenager living in Jersey City who gained powers after coming into contact with Terrigen Mist. Descended from Inhumans, the mist unlocked her ability to shapeshift, like Daisy/Quake on Agents of SHIELD. The Inhumans have been a big part of Kamala’s comics story, with Lockjaw the teleporting dog helping her out, and Medusa the Inhuman Queen feeling more comfortable with Kamala than she does with others on Earth. Given that The Inhumans TV show was cancelled and derided by critics and fans, Ms. Marvel will likely only retain her inhumanity as far as her origin, or it could be left out altogether. 

Ms. Marvel Powers and Abilities

Ms. Marvel is a polymorph. That means she can completely transform her body in any way she pleases. She can look like a specific person if she wants, although so far she’s only used that to look like Carol Danvers and her mother. Kamala is far too much of a goody-goody to go around impersonating people, especially since she’s experienced firsthand what it feels like when someone impersonates you and steals your voice. But it’s easy to see how this power could help the Avengers or be exploited, Loki-like, if Kamala were forced or some kind of body-snatching happened. 

read more: Complete Schedule of Upcoming MCU Phase 4 Marvel Movies

Most of the time, Ms. Marvel gets very big to take on literal big bads, or gets incredibly small (think sliding under a door or through a keyhole) to sneak into tight spaces and do recon. That puts her in good company with Ant-Man, although she doesn’t need any special tech for her transformations. She can also selectively change her shape and size radically, like “embiggening” just her fist. 

There is one major drawback to Ms. Marvel’s powers, which is her healing factor. When Kamala gets burnt out, she’s essentially stuck in whatever form and size she has at the moment until she recharges. If that happens mid-battle, she simply has to make the best of it. While she does have better healing abilities than the average person, she does take more hits than the rest of us do, and she needs to sleep it off after to heal. As a teenager sneaking out at night and needing to heal up after, she often finds herself sleeping through her alarm in the morning and falling asleep during class, much to the collective dismay of her parents and teachers. 

The Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel Connection

A few different people have held the title of Ms. Marvel, but the most important ones are Carol Danvers and Kamala Khan. A huge fan of comic books, the Avengers, and especially Captain Marvel herself, Kamala took up the mantle of Ms. Marvel since her personal hero Carol Danvers had already started going by Captain Marvel and no longer needed the name. 

Captain Marvel has played a big role in Kamala Khan’s development as a hero from the beginning. When Kamala was sprayed with the Terrigen Mist, she had a very confusing experience of going into a cocoon and hearing a voice ask her what she wanted to be. Kamala answered, “Captain Marvel,” and when she burst out of her cocoon, that’s exactly who she was, which obviously freaked her out a little. After a minute or two she figured out that she didn’t get Freaky Friday’ed, she was a shapeshifter. 

read more - The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: Who is John Walker?

More importantly, Kamala learned that she didn’t need to be someone else to help others. Jersey City doesn’t need Carol Danvers, it needs Kamala Khan. She returned to her own form and came up with her own costume, inspired by both Carol Danvers’s Ms. Marvel-era costume and the salwar khameez, as a tribute to both her culture and the person who inspired her to heroism. 

Since then, Kamala and Carol have actually met and worked together, with Captain Marvel giving Ms. Marvel superheroic pointers. Carol gave Kamala a special locator token made out of both of their symbols (the Hala Star and the lightning bolt) so Kamala could reach Carol whenever she needed her. They became colleagues and even friends, with Kamala joining the Avengers. 

Unfortunately, one of Kamala’s biggest moments of growth as a hero was when she had to defy Captain Marvel during Civil War II, when Carol was relying on a teenage Inhuman named Ulysses to predict the future, arresting people before they could commit crimes, which eventually it turned out they might not even commit. Turning her back on Captain Marvel was hard for Kamala, but she couldn’t turn her back on her community either and violate due process and other rights of her friends and neighbors. 

It’s unlikely the MCU will revisit Civil War II in this way, but you can bet Kamala and Carol will have a close mentor/mentee relationship, similar to Tony Stark and Peter Parker. It would be powerful if they can find a way to incorporate the story beats, issues of justice, and emotional heft of the Civil War II story line in another way, to demonstrate Kamala’s maturity and Carol’s blindspot when it comes to racial profiling and the shortcomings of law enforcement and communities of color.

How Will Ms. Marvel Fit in the MCU?

A few things to note for this television show, which has us pretty excited. First, it’s live action. That means we’re going to be getting some cool effects for Kamala’s powers. Second, it’s going to be written and run by Bisha K. Ali, a British comedian and screenwriter whose work you might have seen on Netflix’s Sex Education or Mindy Kaling’s television version of Four Weddings and a Funeral on Hulu. Both shows are coming of age dramas with a lot of comedy and fun to them, which is pitch-perfect for Kamala. 

Finally, and this is a big one: as Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige promised back in May, Ms. Marvel is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is a Marvel Studios production. That means Kamala can be promoted to an Avengers movie as needed, and any number of her heroes can stop by Jersey City for a cameo to help out with a particularly tough villain, just like they do in the comics. Kamala is a fan first, so when Captain Marvel, Spider-Man, or anyone else stops by, she just about loses her noodles. And since there are new Marvel TV shows incoming with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision, Hawkeye, and Loki, there are bound to be some visitors. Hawkeye is meant to be training Kate Barton as his replacement and if she’s anything like her comic inspiration, a teen who is friends with Ms. Marvel, fans should expect Kate and Kamala to meet sooner rather than later. Ms. Marvel’s cameos seem to go best when her fangirling comes up against stern men who do their best to be unmoved by her boundless enthusiasm, so hopefully she’ll get to bug Falcon and Winter Soldier into begrudgingly loving her, too. 

There’s no word yet on casting, but hopefully Disney will find a Pakistani-American who can bring Kamala’s goofy charm to life. 

The rest of Kamala’s world is populated by her immediate family, including her somewhat conservative parents and devout brother Aamir, and her friends Bruno, Nakia, Mike, Zoe, and Josh. In Marvel Rising, she’s been seen as friends with Squirrel Girl, Quake, Spider-Gwen/Ghost-Spider, and other young heroes her age. Kamala tends to always be in diverse groups of young people on the rise. A big part of her identity is being part of the B-squad, a young and growing hero from a second-tier city. Even when she’s called up to the big leagues by major heroes, she tends to question it, much like Miles Morales in Into the Spider-Verse or Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Far From Home. 

In the comics, Ms. Marvel has taken on gentrification and identity theft, Hydra and gerrymandering, multiple terrorist groups, and even a walking, talking evil cockatiel clone of Thomas Edison that preyed on teens with low self-esteem. She has worked with her hero Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel and became a member of the Avengers. She eventually ditched the Avengers alongside her pals Miles Morales, Amadeus Cho, and Vision’s daughter and formed The Champions so they could do the real neighborhood-level work that the supposed big damn heroes were forgetting about. 

read more: The History of Moon Knight

As one of Marvel’s most popular young heroes, it’s great to see Kamala Khan get the attention she deserves in the form of a show, especially with the flexibility to be part of the MCU. It’s also easy to imagine her fitting in with MCU characters like Tom Holland’s Spider-Man (or not), Letitia Wright’s Shuri, and of course, Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel. As Marvel builds its future lineup, Kamala offers plenty of opportunities for visually stunning fights, crossovers with other characters, and a guileless enthusiasm that we could use a bit more of on our screens, whether big or small. 

Read and download the Den of Geek SDCC 2019 Special Edition Magazine right here!

facebook

twitter

tumblr

Feature

Books

Delia Harrington

Aug 25, 2019

Marvel

Ms. Marvel

Disney+

from Books https://ift.tt/2PdozMT