#half ancient half shy baby

[really-fanny-longbottom]

a big question

summary: the inner circle is faced with an important question from reader.

warnings: none, just endless fluff

words: 2.5k

cassian glanced up when he heard you step into the room, and he gave you a big smile "there she is!"

rhysand looked up too, his eyes lighting up with warmth as he saw you.

you stopped in the center of the room, making a little and shy twirl as you showed your family your new dress.

mor looked over and immediately exclaimed "oh my god, you look so cute!"

amren didn't even look up, but you could hear the smile in her voice as she chimed in "she certainly does."

azriel remained quiet, sending only a genuine smile as his response.

you could feel your cheeks turning pink from all the attention you were receiving.

"thank you," you said, smiling as you walked towards the group and sat down on the floor next to the coffee table.

cassian set down his glass of wine and watched you as you settled. 

he leaned down and ruffled your hair, giving you a cheeky grin. "you do look cute as hell," he said.

"i think i'm going to wear this dress for my thirteen birthday, what do you think, brother?" you asked, even though it was a silly question, you always valued their opinions.

cassian stopped messing with your hair and considered you for a moment. he tilted his head and studied you, his eyes flickering over your dress.

"i think you could wear a paper sack and still look beautiful," he said with a playful smile.

rhysand, who was sitting in the lounge chair behind you, rolled his eyes at his comment. 

"don't listen to him," he said, his tone serious. "you look lovely. just be careful, people will start paying attention to how grown up you are."

at his response, a hint of mischief took its place in your eyes. turning back to face your other brother, you made sure to give him the most amusing smile. 

"you mean, like boys, dear brother?"

rhysand sighed and leaned back into the chair, crossing one leg over the other.

"exactly like boys," he said, giving you a half-smile, "it'll start with the boys noticing how sweet and pretty you are, then they'll start asking you out, and then all of a sudden you're sneaking out of the house in the middle of the night just to meet one of them."

cassian snorted and elbowed rhys, making the high lord chuckle.

you feigned a sign of relief "i'm glad you know that's exactly what's going to happen, brother." and with that, you turned around, back to the table where you retreated a slice of chocolate cake.

rhys laughed and shook his head, his violet eyes glimmering with amusement. "i know you far too well, little star," he said affectionately.

cassian chimed in, "you're going to be having boy drama and heartbreaks before we know it."

"so, does that mean that i'm allowed to date?" you crawl over to the other couch where you leaned your back against it, so this way, you had a view of your two brothers and the rest of your family. 

rhys raised an eyebrow at your question and looked over at cassian and morrigan, who suddenly found their glasses of wine very interesting. 

a feline smile made its way in amren's face, the ancient one never taking her eyes out of her book.

azriel leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest, amusement in his eyes at the sight of rhys reaction — oh, he was going to love this.

your brother stayed quiet for a moment. he didn't want to think about you growing up and start dating. he wished he had a superpower where he could keep you this young forever, but he knew that the time would eventually come.

not wanting you to see him being overprotective, he was quick to replace his frown for a smile "absolutely not. let's not forget you are only twelve, darling sister. you're going to have to wait a few more years for that."

cassian, who had gotten up to refill his glass of wine, took a seat next to you on the couch you were leaning against. "rhys is right, little star. you're still a baby."

you, sat up straight, looking at cassian outraged "a baby?!"

cassian chuckled and poked your nose lightly, a mischievous grin coming to his face, "yes, a baby."

rhys smirked and nodded "he's right, y/n. you're always going to be our little baby, regardless of how much you grow."

"excuse me?" you look at your brother, not believing what he was actually saying. 

in the need for an ally, you turned to the most unpredictable person, "amren, back me up in here, please."

amren glanced up from the book in her hands and looked at you amused.

for a split second, hope invaded you, making you believe that she would agree with you, but as always, the tiny ancient one surprised you.

"i have to agree with the boys here," she said with a smile, "you'll always be the baby."

one of your eyes twisted in disbelief, "you've got to be kidding me."

pulling a laugh from the shadowsinger, he found himself enjoying the conversation and took a seat on the couch in front of you.

cassian's large hand returned to your hair and ruffled it a little more, "don't worry, baby sister. you're still adorable."

rhysand smirked, and his eyes were filled with affection when he looked directly at you, "indeed and that's not changing anytime soon."

smacking cassian's hand away from your hair, you decide to give another try, "az, a little help, please?"

his smile grew and his eyes softened, "don't give me that look, y/n" he mentioned, referring to your puppies eyes that you always used when you wanted to get your way.

"ugh, traitor" you murmured with a roll of your eyes. feeling defeated, you turned to your last hope, "hi, mor." you tell her with the sweetest smile.

"hi, little star." she returned with amusement in her eyes, knowing very well what you were doing.

"we're best friends, right?" you say, making everyone in the room laugh, and with a nod from the blond, you proceed, "so, what's your opinion?"

morrigan chuckled and grabbed her glass of wine from the small coffee table, "sorry, sweetheart. you're the baby."

"i am not! i'll be thirteen in two weeks. you guys are ridiculous." you cross your arms over your chest.

the group chuckled at your persistence with rhys being the first to speak "ah, yes. thirteen, the age where you became a fully grown adult."

cassian bend slightly over and dropped an arm around your shoulders, making your eyes lock with his, "give up, little star. in our eyes, you'll always be the baby."

you get up from the floor and put your hands on your hips, "seriously? it's not my fault if you guys are almost as old as pryhtian."

you leaned over the table and grabbed another slice of chocolate cake before sitting on the couch this time and crossed your legs.

when you were about to take the first bite, your heart almost jumped out of your chest when cassian took the plate from you.

you gasped but didn't have the time to protest.

"hey, watch it, little star" his smile turned playful when he saw the desperation on your face for your cake.

rhysand chuckled, enjoying the entertainment you and cassian were providing, "oh, and we're not old, okay? we're just well-seasoned."

a big laugh erupted from you, making you forget your precious cake for a few seconds, "well-seasoned," several giggles came from you, "that's a good one, rhys."

rhysand chuckled and shook his head. "hey, watch the attitude, darling sister. i'm the high lord, remember."

cassian teased, "yeah, show some respect, baby sister."

you huffed in annoyance, "oh, this is just getting pathetic."

rhysand and cassian exchanged grins, loving how easy it's to get under your skin.

"careful, y/n. we might end up grounding you." rhysand said.

you took your plate from cassian's hand and started eating your cake "please, i'm an angel." you said with a mouth full of chocolate.

morrigan barked out a laugh, nearly spilling her wine. "an angel, really?"

amren smiled, never taking her eyes off her book. "oh, you clearly have no idea of how much of a mischievous little creature you can be."

you looked away with a big smile on your face when you replied "i don't know what you're talking about."

rhysand chuckled and leaned forward, supporting his arms on his thighs and looking directly at you, "oh, i think you know exactly what we're talking about."

rhys extended his arm and tried to poke your side, but you swat his hand before he could, pulling a smile from him.

"anyways," you interrupted the group's laughter, "back to the important question."

"and what question is that, sweetheart?" mor asked you, clearly amused with the show you were putting on.

you cleared your throat, sitting up straighter and pushing your hair behind your shoulder.

your family laughed at your gesture.

"when can i date?" you asked.

the room went silent for a moment, and then chaos ensued.

“when you're thirty.” cassian replied.

“forty.” morrigan said playful.

“fity.” rhysand added.

"you guys are impossible. amren, make them stop" you protested.

amren, who had discharged her book, too intrigued in the conversation to keep reading, looked at you with a hint of tenderness in her eyes.

everyone knew she had a weak spot for you, even if she would never admit such a thing.

"how about we compromise?" she said amused, "when you're twenty?"

"what? but that's in six years!"

another round of laughter filled the living room. the family was having the best afternoon due to someone being too persistent and stubborn.

"that's the point, little star." morrigan said before taking a sip of her wine.

rhysand stood up and occupied the place next to you on the couch. he brought you into a side hug, tucking you on his left side. 

you took the opportunity to lay your head on his shoulder. 

still with a smile on his face but a more serious tone, he told you, "you're still very young, darling. and as your family, it's our obligation to make sure you're safe when that happens."

you tilted your head up to meet the violet eyes of your big brother "you only say that because it's me. i have no doubt that you guys did unholy things when you were teenagers."

the group exchanged knowing glances at your comment.

rhysand chuckled, "unholy things? darling, we were absolutely innocent during our youth."

you barked out a laugh, "yeah, right."

rhys laughed and shook his head, "alright, you do have a point there."

cassian raised his hands in surrender, "guilty as charged."

mor smirked and let out a laugh. "oh, we definitely engaged in some. . .sinful activities when we were teenagers."

you shake your hand in feigned disappointment. you turned your eyes to the shadowsinger, "azriel, care to join the circle of shame?"

the male smiled slightly, "i'm afraid i'll have to plead guilty as well" he finished with a shrug of his shoulders.

mor and cassian smiled at azriel's admission, clearly entertained by the male's answer.

"i knew it." you said as you tried to reach for cassian's wine glass.

cassian was quick to swat your hand at the same time rhys grabbed your wrist gently.

"don't even think about it, little star."

"wha-" you looked at every member of your family frustrated "i can't date, i can't drink. what can i do?"

your family laughed at your frustration, it was amusing to them how easily you get riled up.

azriel intervened, "there's plenty you can do while you wait a few more years to start dating."

cassian added, "yeah, like studying and training."

your head turned immediately to cassian at mention of training.

"training? oh, no, no, no, no more training. i am not waking up at six in the morning ever again."

cassian chuckled and ruffled your hair again. "oh, come on now. you know training is important."

rhysand smiled and tried to help, "i remember some of your first training lessons. it wasn't that bad."

"not that bad?!" you said a little too loud, "azriel kicked my ass! like literally!"

azriel, chuckled at your statement, "hey, i always held back with you," he protested.

cassian and mor giggled, no doubt remembering that day.

rhysand smirked, "yeah, even azriel knows not to go too hard on the baby."

at the mention of the word 'baby' again, you rolled your eyes. 

"you guys are ridiculous."

cassian let out a loud gasp, feigning offense, "ridiculous? how dare you insult our amazing judgment and parenting skills?"

rhys chuckled, amused at your choice of words, "oh, we’re simply looking out for your best interests, little star. it’s our job to protect you and make sure of your well-being."

you shot daggers at the shadowsinger, who still had a smile on his lips, "you hear that, azriel? no pushing me off the rooftop because i was being annoying" you quoted with your hands. 

azriel chuckled, his tone teasing, "hey, you were practically begging for it, y/n."

cassian snickered and nodded, clearly enjoying this.

rhysand smiled and said, "ah, yes. don't test the limits, darling. azriel has his own ways of dealing with your attitude."

"yeah, no shit."

several protests were heard out loud.

"language."

"watch your mouth, young lady."

"oh, look who's getting bold."

"manners."

your family chuckled, amused by your antics. something they always liked — it kept them on their toes.

you just shrugged your shoulders "i heard you guys saying things a lot worse then that."

a second round of protests gained form.

"what?"

"we would never do that."

"i think you're imagining things."

"absolutely not."

you giggled at their responses, filling the room with your laughter. it was impossible for your family not to follow. 

with your head still on your brother's shoulder, you gave one last try. "so, when i'm twenty?"

rhysand and cassian exchanged looks, letting their protective side showing a little while they contemplated your question.

your eyes traveled between a pair of violet eyes and brown ones. 

upon seeing your brothers gaze, you couldn't help the surge to roll your eyes — again.

"ugh, stop being like that," you said as you hit them both in their legs gently, "just give me an answer."

cassian nodded his head, a silent agreement made between the two of them.

rhys's eyes turn to you, only to see you already looking at him with your sweet and innocent doe eyes.

seriously, how was he supposed to say 'no' to you when you looked at him like that?

a defeated sigh revealed his answer even before speaking it, "fine. you can start dating when you're twenty."

a big smile appeared on your lips, "hell yeah!"

the room was filled with laughter and smiles, you really had all of them wrapped around your little finger.

"but not before that!" cassian cut in, giving you a stern look, "you're going to have to wait until you're twenty and that's it."

your smile spread and you patted him on the arm slightly, "that's okay, brother. i can wait."

much to your brothers dismay, you ended up having your first boyfriend at the age of sixteen. 

general taglist: @emryb @fantasyandshit @azrielover @shadowsingercassia @littlelou22 @brieflyclassymortal @lilah-asteria @meul-a @lure-of-writing @pruvii @olive-main @mybestfriendmademe @anuttellaa @mrsjna @lively-potter @avajustreads @talesofadragon @circe143 @starswholistenanddreamsanswered @dark-chaos-314 @tequilya @scoliobean @saltedcoffeescotch @charlotteintumbleland @agirlwithwifiandalaptop @987coley

*if you asked to be tagged and you weren't, it's because I couldn't find your blog.

the beautiful dividers belong to @cafekitsune

[kwanisms]

Monsoon Season — y.jeongin

» stray kids masterlist «

➮ kumiho!Jeongin × f!Reader

wc: 17.4k (all of these are gonna be at least 10k so prepare yourselves for that lol)

summary: Jeongin has always been a bit of an outcast in his village being half fox demon (kumiho) until a kind stranger takes him in during a monsoon and gives him more than a place to stay for a few days.

genres/themes/au: angst, smut; supernatural and demonic themes, historic themes, s2l; non idol au, demon au, historical au (kinda)

warnings: adult dialogue, female reader, Jeongin is bullied heavily, physical violence, a building is burned down, Jeongin gets hit over the head with a branch by the reader, sexual content (18+ mdni), see smut warnings under the cut!

special taglist: @yoonguurt , @anyamaris , @wooyoungqueen , @kpop-stories-21 , @xsweetelegantdiasterx , @kookthief , @stardragongalaxy , @millennial-fangirl , @blankdyean , @imwithurmother , @bangchans-angel , @oreoqueen , @yjeonginlvr , @zdgx1 , @shuxsoo , @s00buwu , @queenmea604 , @pochaccomin , @katsukis1wife , @linos-catnip

Join the taglist! »» Closes 10/30 @ 23:00 CST!

Strikethrough means I cannot tag you.

MINORS WILL BE BLACKLISTED & BLOCKED.

AGELESS BLOGS WILL NOT BE ADDED.

a/n: I'm a sucker for Jeongin in general so there's that. He needs more content and I'm happy to provide that. Anitta is just a codename used by Jeongin's mother. it'll make more sense later what I'm talking about. it's a surprise, shhhhh! Thank you for reading and if you liked this, please reblog or comment! Also consider supporting my work through my kofi (link is in my pinned post). As always, this is a work of fiction and all characters are not reflective of their respective irl counterparts. for entertainment purposes only.

smut warnings: teratophilia (aka monsterfucking), unprotected sex (it’s a period piece and I’m not looking up ancient contraceptive techniques lol just use protection) first time sex, degradation (m receiving), begging, corruption kink, virgin!Jeongin, use of pet names (baby boy, sweetheart, little fox, etc), Jeongin is a subby whiny baby. Take it or leave it. If I missed anything, just let me know!

dialogue prompt: ❛ Have you never been touched like this before? ❜

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To a kid, the word orphan is often used as an insult from other kids. Jeongin was lucky that he never had to hear that word until he was much older. He was just shy of fifteen years when his father died from pneumonia. Old enough to be considered a man but Jeongin didn’t feel like a man.

He felt like a lost little boy who just lost his father.

His mother had left not long after Jeongin’s birth. His father had tried his best to explain to Jeongin how his mother didn’t love him any less. She just had a different way of doing things. She had things she had to do, tasks to see to and couldn’t take a newborn with her.

That was the nature of a kumiho. Others called her flighty, said she abandoned him but Jeongin knew better. He had her journals, gifted to him on his fifteenth birthday by his father on instruction from his mother. Jeongin had spent his free time reading those journals, getting to know his mother through her words. It was a surreal experience for him.

His father couldn’t tell Jeongin much about his mother other than that she was incredibly cunning, kind, and compassionate. He also spoke of her beauty. Jeongin had never seen a portrait of his mother and had no idea what she looked like.

“I see her in you,” his father often told him. “You have her eyes and her hair.”

Jeongin took solace in the fact that he resembled his mother. It was comforting in a way.

When Jeongin was finally thrust upon the cruel world at a young age, he had luckily learned enough skills from his father to survive. He knew how to hunt small game and fish. He grew a simple garden that was enough for one when he harvested it. He had spent time foraging with his father and knew his way around the forest’s shrubbery and other plants.

He knew which ones were food, which ones healed, and which ones killed.

Jeongin was able to raise himself, growing into a man of limited means and he kept to himself except when he needed to head to the village to trade his furs for other things he could not provide for himself, like clothing. He’d never learned how to sew as he had no mother to teach him and his father also didn’t know how.

So another morning was spent gathering the furs he’d chosen to sell, setting them aside for the ones he wanted to keep. And he packed some food for his trip to the village. His walk through the woods was always quite so early in the morning. The sounds of the forest waking up, birds calling out to say good morning as the sky lightened from deep indigo to a light periwinkle, the sun creeping over the horizon.

The first rays of sunshine had started to break through the trees as Jeongin reached the village which was also bustling, everyone having gotten up around the same time as he. He ignored the stares as he walked through the village towards the market, readjusting his bag as he trodden on.

He could hear murmurs and whispers as he passed but chose to ignore them. Sure, he perhaps didn’t stick out as much as a full blooded fox folk might, but his blond fox ears, hair, and orange eyes gave him away immediately. Folk around these parts didn’t normally sport such a contrasting hair color.

Jeongin’s father had told him he took after his mother after all.

Upon reaching the market, Jeongin looked around, surveying his surroundings and looking for the lady his father had always purchased clothing from. He spotted her and made a beeline as she was folding garments, setting them down on the wooden stall before her.

“Morning,” Jeongin heard her grumble. Unlike the rest of the villagers, this woman had always been kind to him as he accompanied his father, sneaking him sweets and other homemade candies when his father wasn’t looking. The caramels were his favorites.

“Morning,” Jeongin parroted as he looked over the linen tunics. His was starting to fit a little too snugly and the threads were wearing out. His pants would last him another winter at least. As he was looking over the tunics, he heard a voice as sweet as honey call out.

“Granny, I can’t find the skirts!”

Jeongin looked up in time to see probably the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen in his life appear before him. He stared, awestruck as she walked over to the old woman. She had waist length black hair that fell in soft waves down her back, half of it pulled back and secured with a comb. Her eyes were a chocolate brown, much different than the dark brown or black he’d grown accustomed to.

She was petite, smaller than he was, with a slender frame and a pale complexion. She met his gaze and Jeongin felt as if the world stopped moving. Everything around him seemed to slow, almost as if time was stopping. The sounds around him drowned out as he stared back into those brown eyes.

Her pale, pink lips pulled into a shy smile before she averted her eyes to look at her grandmother. “They’re in the chest, not the sacks, dear,” the old woman replied and waved her hands. “I’ll get them,” she said, brushing past the girl and around the cart.

The girl looked after her grandmother before stepping towards the stall. Jeongin managed to snap himself out of his trance and had looked down to resume inspecting the tunics. “This would look nice on you,” the girl said, brushing her fingers over a black tunic.

Jeongin glanced up, meeting her gaze and quickly looked away as did she. He noticed the blush that crept over her cheeks. “I’ve never seen you before,” she suddenly said, smiling as Jeongin looked up. “Are you new to the village?” Jeongin opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted.

“He lives in the forest,” the grandmother said as she returned, arms loaded with fabric that she dumped onto the stack of boxes next to her. “This is my granddaughter, Haneul,” the old woman said as she started to fold the skirts and place them on the wooden surface of the stall.

Haneul turned to look back at Jeongin. “What’s your name?” she asked. Jeongin was caught off guard and forgot to answer, instead just smiling and nodding at Haneul. She giggled as he realized his error, shaking his head before answering awkwardly. “Uh, I’m Jeongin.”

As the old woman folded the skirts, Haneul reached into a small pouch on her hip, glancing at her grandmother before pulling her hand out and quickly handing something to Jeongin when her grandmother wasn’t watching. Jeongin glanced down at his hand and felt heat spread to his cheeks.

Sitting in his palm were three wrapped caramel candies. The ones the old woman used to give him. He smiled, tucking them away in his bag before clearing his throat. “I need some shirts,” he announced. “Very well,” the old woman said. “What do you have to trade?”

Jeongin ended up trading one of his tanuki furs for three shirts, two light colored linen ones and one black one. He also managed to trade three of his rabbit furs for a new tool set. As he thanked the blacksmith he turned around and bumped into a body.

“I’m so sorry,” he apologized profusely, bowing quickly. The woman he’d bumped into patted him on the shoulder and went about her business. Jeongin was about to turn away when he caught Haneul watching him, an amused smile on her face. When their eyes met, Jeongin felt another rush of heat over his cheeks and waved to Haneul who returned the gesture.

Before Jeongin could turn and start making his way home, he felt an arm hook over the back of his neck, draping across his shoulders. “Well, well, well,” said an all-too-familiar voice. “Look what the dog has dragged back to the village!”

The comment was met with a cacophony of laughter as Jeongin held his tongue.

“Hello to you too, Baek-hwa,” he said monotonously. He glanced up at the taller man, noticing he was now surrounded. Baek-hwa’s friends were staring him down and Jeongin felt like this wasn’t going to end well. He felt Baek-hwa’s arm tighten around the back of his neck.

“What are you doing here, thief, I thought I told you to stay away from the village,” Baek-hwa said under his breath so only Jeongin heard him. “I’m not a thief, Baek-hwa,” Jeongin replied softly. “I just came to get some things and I’ll be going back home now. You won’t have to see me again for a long time.”

Baek-hwa clicked his tongue and shook his head. “You really should have stayed away.”

It didn’t take long for Baek-hwa and his friends to drag Jeongin away from the market and behind a hut before they started laying into him. His bag was torn from his grip and tossed aside as they landed blow after blow on him. Jeongin had learned from a young age that if he avoided trouble, he’d be okay but he knew that wasn’t always the case. Regardless if he stayed out of trouble, it always managed to find him.

He leaned against the wall, doubled over in pain as Baek-hwa’s friends goaded him on. “Kick his ass!” one laughed. Jeongin glanced at where his bag sat and then looked up. His assailants were too busy egging their leader on. He had a small window. Mustering his strength and taking a deep breath, Jeongin pushed off the wall, knocking over one of his attackers.

He snatched his bag and took off as they shouted after him. He may not be as strong as they were, but he was definitely faster. He was more agile having spent all his life living in the forest. They had no hope of catching him once he made it into the treeline.

Jeongin didn’t stop as he vaulted over fallen logs and through the underbrush. He made sure to loop around the long way to lose his pursuers if they were even still following him. He didn’t want to take the chance that they would follow him home and come knocking.

It was midday by the time Jeongin finally reached the front door of his father’s cabin, pushing aside the curtain that hung there and stepping over the threshold. He set his bag down and moved to peer out the window. He saw no sign of life and let the curtain fall back in place before he went about his business.

His father had been in charge of keeping up the home but without his help, the cabin was slowly falling apart and Jeongin didn’t know much about building. There were poorly made patches in the roof that barely kept out the rain and more than once, parts of the roof had collapsed. Jeongin did his best to make it work as he had nowhere else to go.

He was sitting by the fire, heating up some stew he’d made the previous night when he heard it.

A distant crash of thunder. Looking up from the fire, he let out a sigh and glanced up at the roof.

“Just hold out for tonight, please,” he begged the thatched hay. “Just one more night.”

The storm blew in quickly after that, dark, thick storm clouds obscuring the sun and bringing with it heavy rains and strong gusts of wind that whipped around the small cabin, making the walls shake and blowing through the cracks Jeongin hadn’t managed to seal properly.

Several times, he was afraid that the roof was going to collapse or a wall was going to cave in and then the entire cabin would crumble around him, trapping him inside.

Rainwater leaked through the shoddy patching, drenching almost everything under it. Jeongin huddled up in the corner as his furniture and almost everything was soaked. The only thing that saved him was the built-in table in the corner.

He had dragged most of his bedding from the bed to the corner, curling up in the only fortified, safe, and dry place in the cabin. It was here that he fell asleep, curled up with his blankets and pillow as well as his bag and the small box his father had left him. The only important possessions in his life.

The storm raged all night and finally blew itself out by dawn, the dark storm clouds retracting as the sun rose, almost as if shooing them away. Jeongin woke as the sun was climbing and crawled out of his cubby, inspecting the damage. His plea to the roof had saved him. The thatching had held up for the most part but it would have to be replaced. Jeongin wasn’t sure who he could even ask.

He headed outside to inspect his garden and was pleased to see that the garden remained safe and untouched as he picked up a few twigs that had blown in and tossed them away. His firewood stores were also surprisingly dry with only the top layer soaked from the rains.

All in all, he’d managed to survive another monsoon storm. As he was cleaning up stray leaves and small branches, Jeongin heard voices and looked up, his stomach dropping as he spotted Baek-hwa and his friends. ‘No,’ he thought. He looked around and darted inside the cabin, starting to grab things, placing them inside his bag as the voices grew louder and louder outside.

“Come on out, thief, we know you’re in there!” came Baek-hwa’s voice. Jeongin swore under his breath, filling his bag with as much as he could but he knew he wouldn’t have time to leave out the front door. He’d be spotted and then they’d follow.

He dropped the bag by the back window before exiting the cabin to face his tormentors. If he was lucky, they’d just beat him up and leave quickly and then he could leave. He didn’t know where he’d go but now that they knew where his home was, they would be back.

“There he is,” Baek-hwa said as he stopped, leaning against the fence Jeongin’s father had built to keep their small homestead separate from the forest around them. “The thief shows his face.”

Jeongin’s fingers curled in against his palms. “I’m not a thief,” he said, a little more forceful than he intended. “Stop calling me that.” The smirk on Baek-hwa’s face dropped instantly. “You raising your voice at me?” he asked, his tone low and dangerously so.

“You think you can just raise your voice and talk back to me and I’ll let it slide?”

Jeongin held his ground. This was his home after all. “We’re outside the village,” Jeongin replied. “I don’t have to listen to you anymore, Baek-hwa.”

The man laughed, looking around at his friends. “This is my world, Jeongin,” he said, actually saying the blond fox folk’s name. “You’re just living in it.”

Jeongin forced a smile. “No it’s not,” he answered, shocking Baek-hwa. Never before has Jeongin acted so defiantly but like Jeongin said, they weren’t in the village. Jeongin wasn’t afraid of them out here. Sure he was dangerously outnumbered but he didn’t have to worry about causing the village trouble out here.

“I’ve had enough of your smart mouth,” Baek-hwa said before nudging the friend standing beside him. “Teach him a lesson, Jae-song.”

The man next to him climbed the fence, landing in the garden and stared Jeongin down before advancing slowly through the small rows of vegetables, making sure to stomp on them as he strode towards Jeongin. “I’m gonna make you wish you’d never been born,” he spat, bringing his fists up.

Jeongin didn’t move, standing stoically as he stared back at Jae-song. “Beat you to pulp and leave you for the scavengers,” he added. Jeongin narrowed his eyes. “Your parents must be so proud,” the smaller man retorted, catching Jae-song off guard before Jeongin tilted his head. “Oh wait…” he said with a scoff. “They’re dead.”

Jae-song gritted his teeth and swung at Jeongin who dodged the blow easily. “Picking on smaller people and beating them up for the fun of it. What would your mother think?”

Jae-song let out an angry yell. “Shut the hell up!” he swung again but Jeongin managed to dodge it again, this time pushing Jae-song forward, using the bully’s momentum to send him running face first into the side of the cabin.

“And stay down,” Jeongin added as Jae-song fell to the ground, holding his nose and writhing in pain. “I’m getting sick of this,” Baek-hwa said loudly. “Grab him.”

Jeongin turned as two more of Baek-hwa’s friends hopped the fence and advanced toward him, also kicking and stomping on the vegetable beds as they went. “Two against one?” Jeongin asked, raising a brow. “How noble of you. Or is it pathetic that you need help to take me on?”

Jeongin ducked as two separate fists swung at him before kicking out, knocking one of the assailants down and rolling out of the way as the other aimed a kick at him. Jeongin was back on his feet as the one who tried to kick him, came lumbering forward. As he was about to take another swing, Jeongin dodged around him, kicking him in the backside and sending him toppling over the fence.

“Enough!” Baek-hwa said, climbing the fence himself. “I grow weary of this,” he continued, advancing in Jeongin, stalking forward like a panther stalking its prey. Jeongin kept his eye not only on Baek-hwa but also on his friends who seemed like they were going to sit this one out.

“You sound like some kind of villain, talking like that,” Jeongin noted with a laugh. “I grow weary of your games,” Jeongin mocked, turning as Baek-hwa circled him slowly. “I’m going to end you,” Baek-hwa growled angrily. Jeongin rolled his eyes. “Again with the villain talk. Come on already,” Jeongin said exasperatedly.

Baek-hwa leaned into his punch as he threw his fist forward. Jeongin managed to block the attack before counter attacking with a blow of his own to Baek-hwa’s side. “You little shit,” Baek-hwa grunted, reaching for Jeongin who dodged again, pushing Baek-hwa’s hands aside.

The taller man tried again, aiming a punch that Jeongin deflected before hitting Baek-hwa in the throat with his palm. Immediately Baek-hwa backed off, choking from the sudden impact. “Go home,” Jeongin said as he watched Baek-hwa stumble backwards. “Next time you won’t be so lucky.”

As the men helped each other up and staggered out of his garden, Jeongin heard Baek-hwa’s strained voice call out. “We’ll be back, thief. Watch your back!”

Jeongin watched as they disappeared in the forest and breathed a sigh of relief. Never before had he stood his ground against his tormentors. He was grateful for the few self defense lessons his father had given him before he passed.

Jeongin looked down at his mangled vegetable beds and sighed. He would have to go foraging and salvage what he could. He needed to pack up everything and leave tonight. He knew Baek-hwa and his friends would be back.

He entered the cabin, grabbing a basket and heading out into the forest. There was a berry patch not far from his cabin but the terrain made it a longer task of traversing to it. Once there, Jeongin started to gather some of the berries. There he also found wild carrots, chives, cabbage, and potatoes. He gathered what he deemed necessary for tonight as well as some for his trip and started to make his way back.

The sun was starting to set when he reached his cabin and he felt his heart sink and his stomach drop. Baek-hwa and his friends had returned but this time he was really outnumbered. He had half a mind to sneak around to the back of the cabin and grab his bag without being seen but just his luck, one of them turned and spotted him. 

Before he could turn and run, he was grabbed from behind by two sets of hands, the basket knocked from his grip, and dragged over to where Baek-hwa stood. “Not so tough now,” Baek-hwa sneered. Jeongin looked around at the ten or so men Baek-hwa had brought with him. 

“Judging by your entourage, I’d say you aren’t very tough either,” he quipped.

For his comment, Baek-hwa landed a blow, punching Jeongin hard in the stomach and causing him to double over in pain. “That’s for earlier,” he snapped before looking towards one of his friends and nodding. Jeongin looked up in time to see one of the men he’d fought earlier holding a torch. His eyes widened in horror.

“No,” he said, struggling against the two holding him. “Stop!” he shouted as the one with the torch lit the garden on fire before moving towards the cabin. “Stop, please!” Jeongin shouted and continued to struggle. “Everything I own is in there! You can’t do this!”

Baek-hwa smiled smugly as Jeongin’s father’s cabin was set ablaze. “Actually, I can,” Baek-hwa said.

As the cabin caught fire and the flames spread, Baek-hwa stepped back allowing the others to take turns punching and kicking Jeongin. “S-stop,” Jeongin coughed. “Please.”

Baek-hwa laughed cruelly. “That’s what thieves get,” he said as Jeongin collapsed to his knees, only being held up by the two beside him. Jeongin weakly watched as the flames engulfed his home and burned presumably everything inside. Everything was gone. The cabin, the roof, his furniture, his stores… his eyes widened. 

His mothers journals. 

‘No,’ he thought as he stared at the fire.

He hadn’t finished reading them all.

Jeongin struggled against his captors. They held onto him tightly as Baek-hwa watched the inferno with a smirk. With a strength he’d never experienced before, Jeongin managed to pull free from his captors, delivering a punch to each before tackling Baek-hwa to the ground.

His actions were so sudden that everyone was caught off guard as Jeongin grabbed Baek-hwa’s head and slammed it against the ground, dazing the man before he scrambled off him and pushed through the hands that tried to grab at him. He burst into the flaming inferno, shielding his eyes as he looked around. His bag by the window sat untouched.

Before grabbing it, Jeongin darted under the table, tearing through the blankets until he found the bag with his mothers journals. He grabbed it and got up, eyes landing on the trinket box his father had made sitting on the mantle of the fireplace. Jeongin dashed across the room to grab it, stuffing it into the bag with the journals before he moved to the back window, grabbing the bag and heaving it over his shoulder.

Tossed both bags out the window before climbing through. Grabbing the bags, he took off into the forest as the fire consumed his home, the roof finally collapsing. Jeongin turned to look back at the raging inferno as he slung the bags over his back. ‘No going back now,’ he told himself as he watched the flames dance before turning away from the sight and heading further into the woods.

He’d never been this deep before. Glancing skyward, he could see clouds were obscuring the stars and he could only assume another storm was brewing. He made his way through the forest, making his way down embankments and crossing streams as he continued deeper than he’d ever ventured before.

As he stopped to catch his breath, he could hear voices in the distance.

“I think he went this way!” 

Jeongin’s eyes widened. Baek-hwa and his friends had followed him?! Looking around, he saw a small opening under a tree sitting atop the embankment he was currently at the bottom of. He scrambled up, making his way over and peered inside. He couldn’t see much but hoped for the best as he removed his bags and stuffed them through the opening before pulling himself up using the roots of the tree.

He slid into the opening feet first and wiggled into the space. It seemed to be some sort of den. Most likely abandoned but he didn’t dwell on it, instead kept himself hidden as he peered out into the forest. He heard footsteps overhead and ducked back into the safety of the small cave waiting for the pounding of his heart to subside.

He waited as the sounds of feet and voices continued around him. “Did you see which way he went?”

“No.”

“Maybe he’s hiding nearby.”

“Well we’ll never see him in the dark.”

“Maybe we should come back when it’s light out.”

“Enough,” a voice Jeongin recognized to be Baek-hwa’s snapped. “He couldn’t have gotten far,” he continued. “Spread out and find him.”

“How?” another voice asked. “With what light?” Jeongin guessed this voice to be Jae-song’s. It sounded like him anyway. “Here,” another voice said and Jeongin saw light flicker and dance outside the opening of his hiding place. Glancing back, he could barely see that this was indeed a den. He grabbed his things and scooted back further, hoping to stay out of sight.

He waited, listening patiently as footsteps trudged through the forest, twigs snapping underfoot.

He carefully crawled toward the opening and peered out. He could see two of the men standing nearby as they searched the area. “Find anything?” one of them called. “Nothing yet!” another voice called back. “This is so stupid,” one of the men said softly. “There’s no telling which way he went.”

The one that had spoken up before nodded in agreement. “I know,” he answered just as quietly. “But you know how Baek-hwa is. Ever since he saw Jeongin talking to Haneul, he’s just been set on making Jeongin suffer,” he added as he held his torch up, peering around a tree.

“I mean, it’s not like doing all this is going to impress Haneul,” he continued. “She doesn’t even like Baek-hwa.” The second man nodded as well. “I know! It’s like--”

What it was like, Jeongin didn’t get to hear as he watched a shadow cut across the small illuminated circle, passing both men. The second smaller one let out a grunt of pain and Jeongin watched in horror as blood spilled from his mouth, a look of pain crossing his features as he fell to his knees.

“Wonjae!” the first man said in shock as his friend collapsed, blood gurgling from his mouth. ���What happened?” Jeongin watched as the shadow passed again, quick as lightning, passing the first guy who let out a choked cry of pain before falling to his knees as well, blood seeping through his shirt and he fell to the ground. Jeongin froze realizing he’d just watched something kill those two men.

‘What the hell?’

“Where are they?” called a voice, drowning out Jeongin’s thoughts. “Over here! Dabin! Wonjae!”

Jeongin watched as two more men entered his field of vision. “Are they okay?” one of them said as the other knelt down to check the bodies of their friends. “They’re… dead,” he said, his voice shaky. “D-dead?” the other stammered, taking a few steps back.

“What happened?” Baek-hwa’s voice called from somewhere above Jeongin’s hiding place. “They’re dead!” the one kneeling beside Wonjae and Dabin’s bodies called back. “Shit,” Baek-hwa cursed. “Get down there and help them get the bodies,” he instructed someone Jeongin presumed was beside him.

Jeongin watched as two more men appeared and helped pick up the bodies of the two men and carry them away. He listened as the footsteps retreated and pulled back as the area was thrown into darkness once more. He listened as the sounds of the forest came back and he could finally rest.

He tried to get some sleep but his mind wouldn’t stop. ‘What was that shadow? Was that what killed those men?’ He tossed and turned until he finally managed to pass out.

The next morning, he awoke to find light creeping into the cave and he could finally see. It wasn’t a huge den, maybe only big enough for a family of foxes or so. He had enough space to sit up. He could tell it wasn’t dug out by whatever previously lived here. Perhaps it was naturally occurring.

He gathered his things and left the safety of the den, squirming his way out of the opening and could see that it had rained the night before. He pulled a flask from his bag, filling it with water before he placed it back and stood up, slinging both bags over his back again. He started the way he’d been going the night prior, moving deeper into the forest.

He continued as the sun rose, stopping briefly to have something to eat before continuing on. He didn’t see Baek-hwa or his assailants again as he continued on. He noticed how the terrain started to slope up and he knew he must have reached the base of the mountain. If he could reach the otherside, maybe he could find another village where he could set up a new homestead.

He continued on, stopping when he heard a twig snap from behind him. Turning quickly, he expected to see Baek-hwa or his men. He was met with nothing. He couldn’t see anyone or anything other than the trees for that matter. Perhaps he was hearing things?

He turned back and continued forward. He’d only gone a few more steps when he heard another snapping twig. He froze again, turning his head around to see what was following him but again, he saw nothing. He turned back forward, but instead of taking another step, he waited. Waited for something else.

Another twig snapped, this time closer but instead of looking, Jeongin stayed still. He kept calm, listening as soft steps carried toward him. He spun quickly, catching sight of what had been following him. His eyes widened as he made eye contact with it.

‘A fox?’ he thought to himself. Looking back at him was a small fox with black fur and golden eyes. He stared back at it, expecting it to run but instead it stared back at him. He watched in awe as it took a tentative step forward, still keeping its eyes on him. Jeongin slowly knelt down as the fox approached, holding out his hand.

The fox looked at his hand and then up at him before its head turned slightly to look at something behind Jeongin. He froze, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. He tried to turn to see what was behind him but he felt a blow to the head and everything went black.

You looked down at the man, the branch in your hand as you breathed heavily. “Oh my god,” you whispered as the realization of what you’d done crept over you. You tossed the branch aside and looked back down at him. Looking at Clover who looked up at you, golden eyes judging you. “I’m sorry!” you said holding your hands out. “Look, I panicked! I thought he was going to grab you!”

The fox rolled its eyes and you looked away, back at the man lying unconscious at your feet. “Should we take him?” You looked back at Clover who stared back at you unblinking. You nodded. “Right. Leaving him here would be bad. Got it,” you said as you brushed your hands together to get the dirt from the bark off. Clover watched as you reached down, sliding your hands under the man’s arms and lifted, starting to drag him along the ground.

You heaved and pulled, panting as you did only to receive more judging looks from Clover. “Look,” you panted. “You could help me, you know.” Clover rolled their eyes again before the vision of the fox spun and morphed into a man. “I don’t know what you’d do without me,” he said as he waved his hand, the man’s body lifting from the ground.

You smiled at the wizard and dusted your hands off again. “Thanks, Clover!” you chirped as he shook his head. You led the way, skipping along the path as the man’s body floated behind you with Clover bringing up the rear. 

You skipped faster as the cabin came into view. “Almost there!” you called out to your friend who rolled his eyes as your chipper demeanor. “You know,” he said as you started up the path leading to the door. “For someone who is so violent, you sure don’t act it,” he continued, guiding the man’s body after you.

“I’m not violent!” you called back as you reached the door and unlocked it, pushing it open and holding the door so Clover could guide the man into the room. “Just put him on the bed,” you said softly as Clover guided the man’s body over to the bed where he hovered for a moment before falling haphazardly on the mattress. “Careful!” you chastised, rushing over to sort out the man, moving his head and arms so he wouldn’t be sore when he awoke.

“You hit him over the head with a log and you’re telling me to be careful?” Clover chuckled as he stood by the door, arms crossed over his chest. “What a strange person you are, Y/N,” he added.

You stood up straight and turned towards him. “Well, I must be off,” he said, standing up straight. “Will you be alright, alone here by yourself?” he asked. You shook your head. “Right, just hit him with another log if he gives you trouble,” Clover said with a smirk. Your smile fell. “I. Panicked, okay?”

Clover nodded, waving before exiting the open door. You rushed over to watch as he headed down the path, turning once to look at you waving at him. He raised a hand before turning into a raven and taking flight into the sky. You shut the door and locked it before turning your head to look back at the man on your bed.

“Alright,” you continued, taking a deep breath and walking over, placing your hands on your hips as you took a good look at him.  “Now, just who are you?”

Jeongin woke to the sounds of light clattering and the scrape of metal against metal. His head was throbbing. He opened his eyes, blinking rapidly as he tried to adjust. He turned his head, wincing at the pain that followed. He was inside a cabin of sorts.

He could see shelves with books upon books and a desk that was cluttered and covered with papers, writing implements, and an assortment of herbs and rocks. He tried to sit up but his limbs felt heavy. He looked down and noticed a strange purple aura encasing him.

“What the-”

“Oh, you’re awake. Good,” said a voice and Jeongin looked up, seeing a figure by the hearth where a fire was crackling, heating up a large cast iron pot. The smell of meat and vegetables reached his nostrils and he took a deep inhale. Whatever it was in the obvious cauldron smelled amazing.

“Where am I?” he asked as the figure turned their gaze away from him and stirred the contents of the pot.

“You’re in my cabin, what a silly question to ask,” the figure said with a chuckle. Jeongin watched as they set the spoon aside and moved towards the bed. Jeongin looked up as they approached and took a seat beside the bed. “What have you done to me?” he asked as the person, he could now see was a female, looked over him, gently turning his head and prodding the tender spot.

Jeongin winced and the figure grimaced. “Sorry,” she said. “I hit you over the head.”

Jeongin looked up at her. “You what? Why the hell would you do that?!” he yelled.

You moved your hand, your finger moving in a quick circle and Jeongin felt his jaw snap shut.

“Don’t yell,” you said as you grabbed a basket with some medical supplies in it. “It’s rude.”

‘Well, so is hitting someone over the head,’ Jeongin thought since he couldn’t talk.

“My name is Y/N,” you said as you pulled out a small vial. “And I hit you over the head because I thought you were going to hurt my friend.” You looked down at him and Jeongin felt his heart skip a beat. Your eyes. They were a bright golden yellow. Much like that fox from before.

“Do you remember the fox?” you asked and Jeongin nodded as he watched you pull the cork on the vial. “That’s my friend Clover. I thought you were going to grab him and hurt him. Foxes aren’t exactly revered around these parts,” you explained as you turned the vial over, allowing some to spill onto a cloth.

You set the vial aside and leaned forward, holding out the cloth only for Jeongin to shy away. “It’s okay,” you said softly. “I know your head hurts. This will make it not hurt.” Jeongin hesitated, allowing you to gently press the cloth to his head. He winced but soon, the pain as well as the throbbing went away and he looked up at you in shock.

You winked at him, placing the cork back in the vial and returning the little glass to the basket. You waved your hand and freed his mouth. “Who are you?” he asked softly. You looked down at him unblinkingly. “I’m Y/N,” you said plainly. “I already said that.” Jeongin shook his head.

“I meant like… who are you? Are you like… a witch?” he asked to which you laughed. “I’ve been called that before,” you answered with a nod. “But more importantly,” you said, leaning forward. Jeongin was unable to pull too far away due to whatever spell you had his body under.

“Who are you?”

Jeongin cleared his throat. “I’,m uh… I’m Jeongin.”

You sat back up straight. “Jeongin, huh?” you said softly, tilting your head. He nodded, glancing down at his body still shrouded in the purple aura. “What is this?” he asked, nodding towards the aura. “Oh,” you said suddenly, waving your hand and it disappeared.

“I just did that while you were out and I was busy cooking so you didn’t try to sneak up on me,” you explained as you started to stand. Jeongin moved quickly, sitting up and grabbing your arm but you were quicker. You managed to roll, pulling him off the bed and pinning him against the floor, his arms pinned to his sides by your legs as you straddled him, your forearm pressing against his throat.

“I’m not your enemy,” you explained softly. “But don’t make the mistake of thinking I won’t hesitate to kill you if you try to hurt me.”

Jeongin tapped the back of your calf, surrendering to your power.

Just as quickly as you were on him, you got up and held out a hand, pulling him up when he took it. “Let’s eat,” you chirped and walked over to the fire. Jeongin stood hesitantly. “Sit,” you instructed and he did as you said, moving to take a seat at the table. You grabbed a bowl and picked up the ladle, scooping stew into the bowl before moving to set it on the table.

“It’s hot, so be careful,” you said as you filled another bowl and took a seat across from him.

Jeongin watched as you picked up your spoon and took a bite. “It can’t be that hot,” he noted, to which you looked up. “Want me to throw it in your face and test that theory?” you asked with a smirk, tilting your head. Jeongin’s eyes widened and he quickly picked up his spoon, shaking his head.

“N-no,” he stammered before digging in.

He could tell there was meat and potatoes, maybe some cabbage and rice but it was delicious. He scooped another spoonful into his mouth. “S’good,” he said as he ate and you smiled, turning your attention back to your own bowl.

Jeongin had forgotten the last time he had a proper meal and ended up eating three bowlfuls of stew. You reached to take his empty bowl but he stopped you. “You cooked,” he said before getting up. “Tell me where to go and I’ll clean them.” You smiled but ignored his comment, taking his bowl.

“You’re still injured,” you explained. “Go lay down, let me deal with this and then I’ll look at your wounds.

Jeongin watched as you headed out the door and instead of laying down, he started to poke around the cabin, inspecting your belongings. He was used to the small huts in the village where he lived. Nothing this extravagant. Wooden doors that locked, windows with decorative frames were things he’d never seen in person, only ever heard of.

The cabin was one room, like his had been but it was much cozier. There were no cracks for the wind to sneak into, the roof was sturdy wood and slanted to allow rain to run off. There were four windows, two on the wall by the door, one on the outside window and one on the back wall over the desk, framed by shelving. The fourth wall wasn’t made of wood. It was made of rock.

‘It must be partially built into the mountain,’ Jeongin noted as he stared. The bedroom area was almost entirely encased in rock. It was unlike anything Jeongin had ever seen. It was an extremely clever idea as well. Using a cave as part of your dwelling. If only he had known to do so.

On the other side of the stone hearth was a large wooden cabinet with doors and shelves stocked full of cheeses, sealed bottles, breads, small bowls with salts and other spices. Hanging from an iron circle suspended from the ceiling were various dried herbs and even some small game. Rabbits and birds mostly. He inspected the mantle and noticed a couple portraits and a small trinket box. 

He moved over to the desk, fingers brushing over the papers on the surface as he inspected them. There were a lot of maps. Maps he didn’t recognize, not that he was knowledgeable of maps to begin with. He looked up at the shelving, inspecting the books and their titles. He expected to see this sizable collection in a palace or something, not here in a cabin in the forest, built into the base of a mountain.

Jeongin turned as he heard the door open and you returned with two clean bowls and spoons.

“Having fun snooping?” you asked with a smirk. Jeongin opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water trying to explain but you shook your head. “I saw you through the window,” you explained, pointing to the window opposite the rock wall.

“I’m not mad,” you continued. “But I really do need to inspect your wounds.”

You led him over to the bed and he sat down. “I don’t have any wounds,” he protested but you made him lie down and lifted his shirt. “Your wounds are internal,” you explained as you gently prodded and massaged his side, making him wince. “You’ve got a fair amount of bruising here and here,” you said, also placing your hand over his stomach just over his navel.

“Were you in a fight?” you asked bluntly. Jeongin froze, staring up at the rocky ceiling above. You waited for his answer but when he didn’t answer, you spoke again. “Did you at least get a few punches in?”

Jeongin chuckled, letting out a soft cry when the motion caused his sore muscles to tense him. “You’re asking me about my fight?” he asked. You nodded. “Whoever did this packs a wallop. So I hope you got a few licks in, too.”

Jeongin smiled as you rubbed some kind of ointment and the soreness and tenseness in his muscles dissipated. “You’ll have to apply this until the bruising clears up,” you explained as you rubbed some more on his stomach.

Jeongin held his breath as your hand traveled dangerously close to his waistband. “Two times a day,” you added as you pulled your hand back, wiping it on a cloth and placing the lid back on the small metal tin and handed it to him. Jeongin sat up and took the tin from you. “What is it?” he asked.

“An ointment to help with soreness and bruising,” you explained as you gathered your supplies and set the basket aside. “I made it myself.” Jeongin opened the tin and held it up to his nose, sniffing it. He smelled mint but couldn’t tell what else was in it.

“What’s in it?” he asked, placing the lid back on it and looking up at you.

“Just some herbs,” you replied. “I’ll tell you how I made it tomorrow. Get some sleep.”

You got up and paused when he grabbed your wrist. Looking down at his wrist and then up to meet his gaze, Jeongin managed to blurt out “thank you.” The smile you gave him was one he’d never seen before, not even from the old woman in the village he traded furs for shirts or her granddaughter, Haneul.

“You’re welcome,” you answered and Jeongin let go of your wrist. “What about you?” he asked as you moved over to the desk. “I can sleep on the floor,” you said as Jeongin set the tin of ointment on a small table beside the bed. “What?” he said suddenly. “No,” he continued. “This is your bed. I’ll sleep--”

He didn’t get to finish his words as you turned in your chair and waved your hand at him. “Sleep,” you said sternly and Jeongin passed out, unable to fight the darkness as it passed over him, taking him deep into slumber.

The next morning, Jeongin awoke to find himself in bed but the cabin otherwise empty. He sat up, looking around and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Lifting his shirt, he saw that he indeed had some heavy bruising from Baek-hwa and his friends’ punches.

He dropped his shirt as the door opened and you entered the room, smiling when you saw he was awake. “Morning,” you said as you carried something in your arms. “Or should I say good day,” you continued as you carried the sack over to the table and set it down.

“Let’s have a look at those bruises,” you said as you walked over and took a seat beside him. Jeongin lifted his shirt for you to inspect. “Make sure to apply that ointment,” you said as you gently poked around the edges of the bruising. “It’ll make a huge difference in healing.”

You got back up and headed for the table as Jeongin picked up the tin and opened it. He scooped a small amount and started to rub it into his skin as you opened the sack. “What’s in the bag?” he asked, looking up occasionally as he applied the ointment.

“I went hunting,” you said nonchalantly. Jeongin looked up at the rabbits hanging from the ceiling. “What about those?” he asked, nodding towards the rabbits. “They’re small and we need more meat if you’re going to heal properly. Protein speeds up the healing process,” you explained as you pulled small game from the sack.

Jeongin finished applying the ointment and wiped his hand off on the same cloth you used the night before and got up, walking over to the table. He was surprised to see what you managed to catch. “Hunting and fishing?” he asked as he noticed the fish basket.

“I’ve been gone all morning,” you replied. “Up before the sun, in bed after it sets,” you explained. “Making the most out of every day. That’s what Clover taught me.” Jeongin smiled as you added the rabbits to the iron circle. “The fish has to go outside,” you explained and picked up the basket.

He followed you as you headed outside and over to a wooden rack where you had some fish already hanging. “How does fish tonight sound?” you asked, turning to look at him. Jeongin nodded silently before you turned back to the rack and hung up all the fish.

“I also need to go foraging,” you said as you walked back towards him, stopping at the bottom of the steps leading into the cabin. “Want to come with me?” you asked, looking up at him. He nodded. “Sure,” Jeongin said, stepping aside as you entered the cabin.

“Good,” you said and grabbed a sack. “Make yourself useful,” you added as you tossed one to him.

The hike to the spot was a short one and Jeongin was shocked to see the size of it. Not only were there even more berries than at his favorite spot but there were more types as well as all kinds of fungi. He watched as you pulled a small bag from your pocket and moved over to one of the mushrooms.

“These are really good when you fry them,” you explained as you picked them and placed them in the bag. “They’ll need to soak for a few hours but we can have them with our fish.”

Jeongin looked around and moved to one of the bushes. “Are these okay?” he asked, pointing to the berries. You turned to look at him and nodded. “Not too many though,” you instructed. “Maybe a sack,” you added. “There are smaller bags in the large sack I gave you.”

Jeongin dug through the bag and found one before starting to pick berries and fill the bag. Once it was full, he tied it off and picked a few berries to eat. “And those?” he asked, pointing to another bush. You nodded without looking. “All these berries are good to eat,” you replied. “Just a small bag each. I like to make wine with them,” you explained.

Jeongin got to work, collecting berries as you foraged for mushrooms and other plants. When the bags were full, Jeongin insisted on carrying both but you refused, reminding him he was still healing. The walk back, you asked him about his life, where he was from, where he grew up, what his childhood was like.

When you broached the subject of parents, Jeongin shut down as you walked up the path to the cabin. “Touchy subject?” you asked, unlocking the door and letting him in. Jeongin nodded, handing you the bag and watching as you moved to the cabinets. “I lost both my parents,” he finally answered.

“My mother left when I was young and my father died when I was fifteen. I’ve been on my own ever since,” he explained as you started to store the food you both collected together. “I’m sorry,” you said softly. “I lost my parents to disease when I was young. I was raised by Clover,” you explained, shutting the cabinet doors.

“The fox?” Jeongin asked, making you chuckle. “He’s a wizard,” you reminded him. “He was in fox form while we hunted that day. He’s awfully quiet in that form,” you explained. Jeongin grimaced as you turned to him, setting the bags of berries on the table.

“So he raised you?” he asked and you nodded. “Taught me everything I know. Built this cabin and left it to me when I came of age.” Jeongin looked around. “Makes sense,” he said softly. “I’ve never seen a cabin like this before,” he explained. “That’s because it was built with magic.”

Jeongin smiled as you set the empty bags away, hanging them on hooks.

“I have some work to do in the garden,” you announced. “Would you like to join me?” Jeongin nodded with a smile. 

“I’d love to.”

After a quick lunch of leftover stew, Jeongin helped you in the garden, pulling weeds and pruning the bushes and vines. His garden was small but this garden was twice the size. It had everything from cabbages to potatoes and even pumpkins.

“This is a huge garden,” he noted as he dropped another cabbage in the basket. “Even for two people.” you nodded as you pruned a tomato plant. “I sell whatever I don’t need,” you explained. “Never hurts to have a little extra coin,” you added with a wink.

As the two of you finished up, Jeongin looked at you. “Where do you sell this stuff?” he asked as you gathered one of the baskets. “At a village on the other side of the mountain,” you replied. Jeongin rounded on you, holding the other basket. “On the other side of the mountain?” he asked incredulously. You nodded with a laugh and beckoned him to follow you inside.

Once inside, you stored your harvests away and led Jeongin over to the desk and pulled out a map from under the stacks of paper. “This is a map of this region,” you explained. Jeongin looked over it in awe. He’d never seen more than a map of the village and the forest. Your map had so much more on it.

And it was so detailed.

“Here’s the village you told me about and based on your descriptions, your cabin was around in this area,” you explained, pointing out spaces on the map. “Here’s where we are,” you continued, pointing at a small red x on the map. “The village I sell at is here,” you added, pointing to a black x on the other side of the mountain range.

“How long does it take to get there?” Jeongin asked, looking up at you. “Well, if you go around the mountains, it can take months,” you answered, shifting your weight from one foot to the other. “But I use the mountain pass so it only takes a few days,” you added, pointing to two lines drawn over the mountain range connecting the two sides. “Who made this map?” Jeongin asked in amazement.

“Clover,” you answered, standing up straight. Jeongin followed your movements, standing upright as you walked over to the hearth and added a couple logs to the dying flames. “He makes maps of all the regions,” you added. “He’s a traveling wizard and cartographer,” you added as Jeongin stared at you.

“He stopped for a while to raise me here,” you explained as you stood up, brushing your hands off. “But now that I can care for myself, he’s back to traveling again, making amendments to his maps.” Jeongin shook his head as you moved over to the bedroom area, grabbing a small basket from the shelf.

Jeongin looked around the cabin. “So, now what?” he asked as you sat down on the armchair. You looked up at him. “Now we rest,” you replied with a smile. “It’s too soon to have dinner and I have some knitting to get done,” you continued, pulling out a project you must have been working on for a while.

“You can read any of the books if you’d like,” you said, nodding towards the shelves. Jeongin shook his head, instead grabbing one of his bags and opening it. He sifted through it until he found what he was looking for. The journal he’d been reading. He settled down on the bed, propping the pillows up against the wall so he could sit up against them.

Jeongin read as much as he could, absorbing his mothers words. He had reached the part of her journals where she had met his father and it was so enchanting to read about his father through his mother’s eyes. He discovered a new side to his father he’d never known. The romantic side.

Their courtship was long according to her and she initially rebuffed him as he was a human but he eventually gained her trust and she warmed up to him. After which, they got married, something Jeongin had never known. He thought it had been a short affair but the time and effort they put into their marriage told him otherwise.

He also learned that his parents had a hard time conceiving a child and that Jeongin was from their sixth attempt. He was the only one that made it full term.

Jeongin dropped his hands into his lap, the journal falling with it as he stared at the wall. You looked up at him. “You alright?” you asked, noticing he seemed catatonic. When he didn’t respond, you set your knitting aside and got up, moving to sit on the bed. “Jeongin?” you asked, waving your hand in front of him. That seemed to snap him out of it and he looked at you.

“You okay?” you asked, your voice laced with concern. He nodded, clearing his throat and looked down at the leatherbound book in his lap. “Yeah, I just uh…” he trailed off before looking back up but not at you. He seemed to be looking past you but not at anything in particular. More like he was staring off into a place you could not see. “Jeongin?”

“I have siblings…” he finally said softly and your brows rose in shock. “What?” you asked.

He turned his head to look at you. “Sorry,” he said, shaking his head. “Random thought.”

You glanced at the book. “What are you reading?” you asked. Jeongin glanced at the book and closed it, keeping his thumb between the pages. “It’s private,” he explained. “Sorry,” he added. You shook your head. “No need to apologize,” you replied. “I meant no disrespect nor was I meaning to pry. Simply curious,” you explained.

Jeongin glanced down at the book again before taking a deep breath. “It’s a journal,” he finally sighed. You waited for him to continue. “It’s my mother’s journal,” he clarified. Your eyes widened. “Oh,” you said softly, uncertain of what else to say. “And you’re just now reading it? I’m not judging by the way,” you said quickly. Jeongin simply chuckled before setting the book aside and scooting off the bed.

You watched as he grabbed one of his bags and walked over, opening it for you to see the contents. Inside were a dozen or so leather bound books, all of them identical. You looked up at Jeongin in bewilderment as he set the bag down and joined you on the bed.

“My mother kept extensive journals all throughout her life. She left them with my dad when she left,” he explained. “Dad kept them for me so I could get to know her if she never came back. I think he knew she wouldn’t come back,” he continued sadly. “I’ve been reading them since my dad taught me to read.”

You looked back at the bag. “How many are there?” you asked, looking back at Jeongin. “Around fifty,” he answered, a hand reaching up to scratch his brow. “I’ve read about twenty of them so far.” Your eyes widened as you looked back at the sack lying unassuming on the floor.

“What’s in this one?” you asked, tapping the cover of the one on the bed before you froze. “I’m sorry,” you said quickly. “That’s none of my business,” you continued. Jeongin shook his head. “It’s okay,” he said, grabbing the book and opening it. “In this one, she met my dad,” he explained.

“She details their courtship and marriage,” he continued, flipping through the pages. “She wrote that it was a huge ceremony and that the reception lasted well into the early hours of the next morning and that they were both so exhausted from the party that they never actually consummated their marriage during the ceremony,” he said with a chuckle.

You smiled fondly, watching him look over the words on the page.

“What was your mother’s name?” you asked, drawing his attention. “Well, dad never told me her real name. He knew her as Eun-soo but while she was in Japan, her name was Yuki. So I’m not entirely sure what she was really called,” he continued.

You looked at him again, studying his features. The fox-like eyes, the orange irises, his blond hair. It suddenly made sense to you. He was like you. He was fox-folk.

“Was your mother a kumiho by any chance?”

Jeongin was caught off guard by the question. He’d never been asked so directly about it before and as he looked up, his eyes met your golden ones and he knew instantly why you were asking. It was like a switch went off in his head and suddenly everything made sense. 

Your golden eyes, the magic, being raised by a wizard. Well, maybe the last part wasn’t really all that related but in his mind, it still helped him to put the pieces together. You were like him, too. You were fox-folk.

“A…are you?” he asked softly, holding your gaze. He could tell by the way your eyes widened slightly that he was on the right track. “Or was one of your parents?” he continued, setting the journal aside. You nodded slowly. “Both of my parents were fox-folk,” you answered, your voice barely above a whisper.

Jeongin leaned forward. “Both?” he asked in amazement. You nodded, shifting to face him. “Yeah,” you replied. “That’s amazing,” he breathed. “So you’re pureblooded?” he asked, to which you nodded. “Wow. I’m only half,” he replied. “Probably why I can’t do any magic,” he added with a chuckle.

You tilted your head at his comment. “All fox-folk can perform magic,” you said, drawing his attention again. “Wait, really?” he asked. You nodded, grabbing the journal from his hands and setting it aside. “Have you ever tried?” you asked. Jeongin shook his head no, watching as you pushed your sleeves up.

“It’s easy,” you explained. Jeongin rolled his eyes. “Oh sure,” he retorted but you pushed him gently. “I promise it is,” you replied. “It’s so simple, really. Come on, I’ll show you.”

Jeongin watched as you scooted onto the bed beside him, crossing your legs and resting your back against the wall. You closed your eyes, adopting a sort of meditation position. Jeongin watched but when you opened one eye to peek at him, you nudged him and he sighed, adopting the same position.

“Deep breath in,” you said. Jeongin followed your lead, breathing in slowly and deeply, filling his lungs. “And out,” you said and the two of you breathed out in unison. “Now, visualize a fire,” you said softly. “A fire? Why a fire?” Jeongin asked. “Ow,” he whined when you lightly slapped his hand.

“Okay, okay. A fire. Got it,” he said. “Wait, what color is it?”

“Whatever color you want it to be.”

Jeongin closed his eyes again, picturing a fire in his mind. Something bright and pink. “Now, imagine how it feels. Is it hot? Is it cold? Does it burn or does it tickle? Does it smell pleasant or is it rancid?” Jeongin imagined the fire was cool to the touch and it felt like the fluttering of wings. It had no smell.

“Okay,” he said. “Now what?” he asked, opening an eye. “Hold your hand out,” you instructed. Jeongin closed his one eye again and raised one of his hands. “Place it in my hand,” you continued and he did as you said, placing his hand in yours, palm up.

“Now imagine your fire and imagine it’s in your hand. Concentrate and picture your fire in your hand.”

Jeongin focused all his energy, holding his breath as he pictured the pink, cool, fire that fluttered. “Don’t forget to breathe evenly,” you reminded him. “Breathing is important.” He resumed breathing as he focused all his mental strength on the fire. He sighed, keeping his eyes closed.

“This is dumb,” he said. “I can’t do magic.”

“Is your fire pink and cool to the touch?” you asked softly and Jeongin hesitated. ‘Wait… is mind reading one of the abilities of a full-blooded kumiho?’ he wondered. “Uh, yeah. But how did you know that?” he asked. “Open your eyes, Jeongin.”

He did as you instructed and was met with your face drenched in the pink glow of a fire in his hand. The pink fire he’d imagined. He looked back up at you and then down to the fire in his hand. It was dancing, fluttering against his hand. “Are you doing that?” he asked and you pulled your hand away, conjuring up a bright blue flame. “I take it that’s a no?”

You laughed and the fires both extinguished as Jeongin lost focus. “I told you that you can do magic!” you said excitedly, slapping his knee and then pushing yourself up and climbing off the bed. Jeongin looked down at his hand, excitement bubbling in his stomach.

“I’ll get dinner started,” you said as you moved towards the door. “Keep practicing,” you said before opening the door and heading outside. Jeongin kept at it, conjuring a pink flame, making it dance and crawl around his hand as you prepared the fish for dinner. While it cooked, you made a side dish with rice and some of the mushrooms you’d picked earlier.

When it was ready, Jeongin joined you at the table and the two of you ate in silence. “Thank you, Jeongin said suddenly, making you look up, eyes wide and bewilderment on your face. “For taking me in after you bashed my head in,” Jeongin continued. “For caring for me and teaching me magic.”

Your expression morphed, a smile spreading across your face. “I couldn’t leave you out there after I hit you with the branch,” you explained. “Clover would have but I wouldn’t have forgiven myself if I left you to the elements. And besides,” you continued. “It’s nice having some company that isn’t Clover for once.” 

Jeongin looked down at his food, cheeks growing warm.

“You know,” you said, tapping your chin thoughtfully. “If you want to stay longer, you’re more than welcome to,” you added. “I really enjoy your company.” Jeongin’s eyes widened. “Really?” he asked, trying not to sound too excited. You nodded, smiling at him. “But you might have to get used to sharing a bed,” you said. “There’s not enough room in here for another bed and I refuse to let you sleep on the floor,” you added.

Jeongin’s cheeks grew even warmer at the thought of sharing a bed with you but he played it off.

“Sure,” he said softly. “No problem.”

It was indeed a problem he later discovered. While the bed was big enough for two bodies, it wasn’t big enough for two bodies and a space between them. Jeongin wanted to respect you and give you as much space as possible but with the size of the bed, it put him right on the edge of the mattress and in danger of falling off.

The next day consisted of about the same routine, some foraging but in a different spot. You taught Jeongin all about the herbs and weeds you used to make ointments and medicines, showing him what cured certain ailments. Afterwards, he helped you on the other side of the garden where the bee boxes were and held the jars for the honey while you handled the bees.

The day after that, you took him fishing with you and he was impressed by the spot you had. No one else was around and as you sailed out on the lake in a boat you proudly told him you helped Clover make, the two of you sat in silence, rods propped up while you knitted and Jeongin read more of his mother’s journal.

He’d made it to the part where she was pregnant with him and close to her due date. She wrote how she knew he was a boy and how she knew he was going to take after her in both looks and mentality. Jeongin checked his fishing rod before returning to his reading. He heard you clear your throat and looked up to meet your gaze.

“So what else does she say?” you asked, nodding towards the journal in his hand. “Oh,” he said softly. “She’s pregnant with me in this part,” he explained. “She wrote about how she knew I was a boy and that I would take after her,” he continued. You smiled at him as you tied off and wove the yarn tails into the scarf you were making. “She also says she got a letter from a woman named… Anitta?” he said and looked up at you.

You merely shrugged and set your knitting needles aside, picking up the scarf and throwing it around his neck. “There,” you said with a smile. “It’s done.” Jeongin’s cheeks burned as he looked down at the soft garment. “It’s nice,” he said softly and started to take it off. “It’s yours,” you said, grabbing it and wrapping it back around his neck.

“I was going to give it to Clover but I figured I can always make him another and you need one now so,” you trailed off, smiling at him. Jeongin toyed with the material, cheeks burning as he tried to think of something to say before finally settling on a simple and soft thank you.

Fishing ended with the two of you catching a small basket of fish and Jeongin managing to catch a little crawfish which he promptly dumped back in the water. Once the boat was pulled ashore, the two of you headed back down from the mountain lake to the cottage to hang up the fish and settle in for the night.

You made roasted rabbit and potatoes and after dinner, you settled down with your knitting to start another scarf for Clover while Jeongin got to the end of his mother’s journal. He closed it, wrapping the twine back around it and got up from the bed, moving over to his bags.

He reached in for another, pulling the trinket box out so he could dig for the right one.

“What’s that?” you asked, looking down at the box. “Oh, just a box my dad made,” Jeongin said as he dug through the bag. “May I?” you asked, setting your things aside. “I’m kind of nosey,” you noted with a laugh. Jeongin chuckled and shook his head. “Go ahead,” he replied.

You grabbed the box and set it on your lap, opening and inspecting the contents.

The box was a beautiful dark wood with a soft lining. It was beautifully crafted and you wondered if Jeongin’s dad knew how much he could have made by making and selling these boxes. Inside the box were a few items, some of great value and others you suspected were more sentimental. There was a silver ring, a loose but rather large gem, some gold coins, and a silver locket. You picked up the stone to inspect and deduced it was a sapphire and was definitely worth a lot.

“This could fetch you a lot of gold,” you noted, holding up the stone for Jeongin to see as he looked up. “Dad found that,” he said, reaching up to rub his eye. “Found it while digging around the outside of our cabin to add to the garden when I was a kid,” he continued and held out his hand.

You placed the gem in his palm and he brought it to his face to look at it. “He thought the same thing,” he continued. “Thought we could sell it for some gold in case we ever needed it. I forgot it was in the box,” he added, handing it back to you to place in the box.

Next you picked up the silver ring. There was nothing of note about it. It was a crudely forged ring made of pure silver. “Oh,” Jeongin said, noticing the ring and grimacing. “Dad made that. Was trying his hand at smithing,” he added. “It’s ugly but he was proud of it. He made it himself without any help. He wasn’t much of a blacksmith. He was more of a carpenter,” he explained.

“Which is why the box is so nice,” he added, gesturing to the box in your lap.

You dropped the ring back into the box and Jeongin returned to his bag, digging for a specific journal as you lifted the silver locket. It was engraved with a simple fox head on both sides. You carefully opened it and smiled at the first portrait. It was of a young child with light hair. There was no mistaking this was Jeongin.

You turned the locket to look at the other portrait as Jeongin pulled the correct journal from his bag and his eyes fell on the locket in your hand. The other portrait was of a woman. An all too familiar woman. She had the same blonde hair Jeongin had, the same fox-like eyes. It was his mother.

“Oh, that’s,” Jeongin darted forward, his hand closing around the locket and closing it before he took it from your hand. “That’s my dad’s. Was my dad’s.” he said softly, looking at the silver locket. You shut the trinket box and handed it back to him. “Sorry for prying,” you said softly as he took the box.

“No, it’s okay,” he said as he brushed the silver surface with the pad of his thumb. “I honestly forgot this was even in there,” he added as he looked up and gave you a sad smile. “She’s very pretty,” you said softly, drawing his attention. “Your mother,” you clarified.

You tilted your head, offering him a playful smile. “I guess you’re pretty, too,” you added, noticing the way he averted his eyes and his cheeks turned peach. He opened the box and placed the locket back inside, closing the lid and setting back with his things.

After he read a bit more and you started to yawn, you called it and set your knitting aside. “It’s going to storm tonight,” you said softly as you got up. “I’m going to put the covers down on the windows so it doesn’t rain in.” Jeongin watched as you exited the door and returned to his book as you disappeared.

Outside you undid the hooks holding the covers up and let them down into place, securing them with the wooden rods that slid through two rings on the side of the cabin as well as a ring on the end of the shutter. 

Clover had done some interesting things when building this cabin but as odd as they were, they worked. You placed the covers for the other three windows down, locking them in place as the wind picked up. 

You also grabbed the cloth Clover had for covering the garden and hooked it in place with the four hooked stakes in the corners of the garden. You repeated the process, covering the bee boxes before gathering all the fish and bringing it inside to hang up by the fire.

As you closed and locked the door, you could hear thunder in the distance and Jeongin looked up from his mother’s journal. “We’re safe here, right?” he asked and you nodded, moving to stoke the fire and then joining him on the bed. “This is probably the most stable building in the region,” you explained as you settled down on the side of the bed you’d claimed and looked up at him.

“You can stay up if you want,” you said, shifting, pulling the covers over you, and getting comfortable. “Just try to keep the noise down,” you added with a wink which made Jeongin crack a smile. “Okay,” he replied. “I’ll try.”

You shut your eyes and tried to focus on sleeping.

But you couldn’t. Your mind was full of the portrait in the locket. You rolled onto your back and sighed, opening your eyes and staring at the cave ceiling. Jeongin didn’t seem to notice but when you sighed again, he looked up. “You alright?” he asked and you took a deep breath before sitting up and turning to him. “I need to tell you something,” you said, taking his journal and setting it aside.

Jeongin looked from the journal to you as you took his hands in yours.

“What I’m about to tell you might sound outrageous but keep in mind I’m much older than I look because as you said before, I’m pureblooded fox-folk.,” you started. Jeongin met your gaze and nodded slowly. You took another deep breath before explaining.

“Your mother’s name was Keiko. She was from a small island off the coast of Japan. The locals there called it Fox Island. She came to this land as a child with her mother to live in the palace of the king centuries ago. Her mother was a highly sought after healer and the king’s wife was incredibly sick.”

Jeongin said nothing as you continued.

“When your mother was nearing maturity, her mother overheard a plan to marry her off to the king’s son but her mother had heard that the first prince was a cruel man who abused those around him. She did not want your mother to suffer at his hands so she ran away, taking your mother with her. They left the palace and ran and ran until they reached the coast, hoping it would be far enough away that the king’s men would never find them.”

You cleared your throat and continued the story.

“Your mother continued to live on the coast, in a small fishing village for many many years and eventually, she grew into a great beauty. Many men tried in vain to marry her but her mother drove them all off. When her mother finally passed from old age, your mother left the village and traveled inward, hoping enough time had passed that the king was no longer looking for her and she was right.”

“The king and his son had both since passed and a new ruler was on the throne. Your mother traveled the land until she found this region and moved here, settling down in a cave in the mountains. Rumors circulated of a great beauty that lived in the mountains but some of those rumors painted her out to be an enchantress that devoured the souls of men. It was here my mother met her,” you explained, watching Jeongin’s eyes widened but he said nothing, allowing you to continue.

“Your mother and my mother became good friends and then… I came along and I can remember how your mother doted on me. She wanted a child of her own but she had no luck in finding a husband. It was when she’d given up hope of ever having a child that she met your father. I was a young child by then but I still remember the day she came to us, announcing she had found someone,” you said with a smile, remembering back to that day.

“My mother and father were so thrilled she’d managed to find someone who loved her. Someone she could start a life with. She wrote to my mother, telling her of the ceremony and the time after. She shared her troubles conceiving with my mother in those letters. And then, she got pregnant. And it lasted,” you said softly, looking up from your hands to find Jeongin’s eyes filled with tears.

“She gave birth to a healthy baby boy and she named him Jeongin. She wrote how she was so in love and she’d never known a love like that before. The love of a mother. She loved you so much,” you said softly, giving his hands a gentle squeeze. This pushed him over the edge and a small sob escaped him, the tears finally falling. You pulled him into a tight embrace.

“Why did she leave?” he whispered into your shoulder. “She had to,” you explained, gently stroking his hair. “The people in the village branded her a witch and she feared if she did not leave, they would come for her. So she left you with your father and she went north,” you continued. “I’m sure it was her intention to come back but I don’t know much else,” you added.

You continued to stroke his hair, rocking him gently as he sniffled. “Sorry I got snot on your shirt,” he said softly. You chuckled, patting his head. “It’s okay,” you replied. “I’ve had worse things on my shirt before,” you added as you pushed him back, brushing his hair out of his eyes. “I just needed to tell you because if I didn’t, it would eat me alive.”

You pulled him in, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “You deserved to know the truth about her. She was a remarkable kumiho. I really looked up to her,” you added. Jeongin smiled, reaching up to wipe his eyes. “Thank you for telling me,” he said softly. “And who knows,” you said suddenly.

“Maybe she left some clues in her journals as to where she went.” Jeongin looked down at the journal and then back up at you. 

“Then I better get to reading, I guess.”

After the talk, it must not have taken you long to fall asleep because you were woken by the sound of thunder.

Your eyes opened and you noticed that it was mostly dark, save for the fire in the hearth. You peered over your shoulder to find Jeongin had finished his reading and gone to sleep as well. You lay back down, closing your eyes but another clap of thunder sounded and the rain whipping against the side of the rain made you realize what had actually woken you and it wasn’t the storm.

It was the way Jeongin shook each time the thunder clapped or the shutters rattled against the windows.

He’d told you how his home was battered by storms and he wasn’t able to keep up with repairs as he wasn’t a carpenter like his father. He said he’d grown accustomed to the fear that at any moment, the entire hut would collapse, trapping him inside.

‘He’s probably terrified out of his mind right now,’ you told yourself.

You turned over, eyes finding Jeongin curled up in the dark beside you. Sitting up, you reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Are you alright?” you asked softly over the sound of the rain battering against the roof. Jeongin rolled back to look up at you. “Sorry,” he said just as softly. “It’s just the storm…” he trailed off.

“I have… bad memories.”

Your expression softened as you pulled the covers back and gently grabbed his arm. “Come here,” you whispered, tugging him towards you. Jeongin followed, allowing you to pull him into your space where your arms went around him protectively, his head ducking under your chin and into your chest as he wrapped his arms around you.

You gently stroked his hair, humming softly as you tried to drown out the sounds of the storm. Your humming turned into singing, trying to lull him to sleep. “What is that?” he asked, his voice slightly muffled by the cloth of your night shirt. “It’s a song my mother used to sing to me,” you replied, continuing to stroke his hair. “It sounds familiar,” he continued.

You nodded silently before speaking. “Your mother probably used to sing it to you when you were a babe,” you answered. “Most fox-folk know the song.”

Jeongin fell silent, tightening his hold on you as he nuzzled further into your warm embrace.

“Do you feel better?” you asked softly, smiling when he nodded. “Good,” you whispered, tilting your head to press a kiss to the top of his head. Jeongin pulled back to look up at you. Neither one of you said anything, staring at one another until he finally made the first move, closing the distance and pressing his lips against yours.

Almost as quickly as it happened, he pulled back, stuttering apologies and trying to explain himself. You cut his words off, taking his face in both your hands and pulling back in for another kiss. He relaxed under your touch, lips pressing more firmly against yours as he leaned into the kiss.

“Don’t apologize,” you said when you pulled back. “You have nothing to apologize for.” Jeongin pulled you back in for another kiss, more hurried and rushed this time. You didn’t fight it when he pushed onto your back or when he climbed over you, never breaking the kiss as he settled between your parted thighs.

You sighed against his lips, almost moaning when you felt his tongue slip into your mouth. He moved his hands, sliding them up to your cheeks and pulled back, breaking the kiss. “Thank you,” he said softly, his eyes looking between yours. “For what?” you whispered, placing one of your hands atop his.

“For saving me,” he continued, thumbs stroking your cheeks. “I now know it was you that killed those guys following me.” You stared up at him. “I’ve had time to think about it and it makes sense,” he added.

“So thank you for taking me in and for protecting me.”

You grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him down into another kiss. “You don’t have to thank me,” you murmured between kisses. “I’m sure you would have done the same in my position,” you added. Jeongin shook his head. “I’m shy and antisocial,” he replied. “I wouldn’t have gotten involved.” You pushed him back slightly so you could see his face.

“You’re not antisocial,” you countered. “You were tormented and abused. There’s a difference.”

Before Jeongin could say anything else, you interrupted with another kiss.

You rolled over, pinning him against the bed as you straddled him, directing his hands to your waist as you continued to kiss him. You felt him tense under you as you rolled your hips, grinding against the growing bulge in his pants. You pulled back to look at him, noticing the look of hesitation on his face.

“Was that too far?” you asked, fearing you may have crossed a line and moved to climb off him but his hold on your waist tightened. “No,” he croaked. “It’s just that…” his voice trailed off as he swallowed thickly, trying to find the right words.

“I’ve never… I’m a…” he was failing to form a complete sentence but you knew what he was saying.

You cupped his cheek tenderly. “You’ve never done this, have you?”

He shook his head and you smiled warmly, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. “Do you want to stop?” you asked and watched as he contemplated it. Just when you thought he was going to say yes, he surprised you by shaking his head. “No,” he finally answered.

“Don’t stop.”

You pressed your lips against his, taking the lead. Your hips rolled slowly, grinding against him, eliciting the sweetest moans you’d ever heard come from a man before. “You sound so sweet,” you whispered, lips brushing against his cheek as you moved to whisper in his ear. “So innocent,” you continued, kissing down the side of his neck.

Jeongin let out a moan as you nipped at his neck, smiling before pulling back to look down at him. “Do you want me to keep going?” you asked, slowing your movements, enjoying the desperate way Jeongin whined and pulled at your hips, urging you to move.

“Y-yes,” he whimpered. “Keep going, please,” he begged. Instead of doing so, you climbed off him, ignoring his protests and pleas as you tore the blankets back. “What are you doing?” Jeongin asked as you nestled beside him. “Just trust me,” you said softly, reaching to turn his head towards you, pulling him into a kiss.

With the distraction of your lips against his and your tongue slipping into his mouth, Jeongin didn’t notice the way your hand moved down his chest, slowly until he felt your palm against the bulge in his pants. Moaning into your mouth, one of his hands moved to grab yours but you pushed it away.

“Are you going to be a good boy or will I have to restrain you?” you asked darkly. Jeongin let out a little whimper and shook his head. “You won’t be good?” you asked, cocking your brow. He shook his head again. “I’ll be good,” he blurted out and you pulled him back in for another kiss, letting your hand wander again.

This time, he didn’t move, only moaning as you started to palm him through his trousers. Considering how hard he already was, it didn’t take you long to get him begging and whining for more, his hips bucking up against your hand.

You made quick work of his pants, untying the string and sliding your hand under the waistband, your palm coming into contact with the hot skin of his dick. Jeongin let out a soft whimper as your fingers wrapped around him. “Have you never been touched like this before?” you asked, watching his face as he shook his head.

“Not even by yourself?” you asked, tilting your head. He hesitated before nodding. “I’ve…” he swallowed thickly. “I’ve touched myself a few times,” he answered. Your smile grew slightly. “Do you want more?” you asked, watching the way his brow furrowed as you stroked him at an even pace.

“P-please,” he murmured, hips bucking into your hand. You removed your hand from his pants, moving and pulling his pants down, throwing them to the floor before climbing over and straddling his hips. Jeongin looked up at you as you leaned over. “Do you want to stop yet?” you whispered, your smirk growing even more when he shook his head.

You toyed with the hem of your night shirt, watching the way his eyes flickered from your face to your hands and back up. Finally, you decided to not tease him any more and lifted the material up over your head, dropping it to the floor and allowing him a moment to adjust to your nakedness.

His eyes were all over your form, taking in every inch of exposed skin. You took his hands and guided him to your waist. “You can touch me, you know,” you said softly, snapping him out of his trance. “O-okay,” he answered, his voice barely audible over the sounds of the storm.

“Wait, I can?” he asked as if just registering what you’d said. You nodded instead of replying verbally and waited patiently as his hands moved of their own accord. His eyes followed the movement of his hands up to your chest, hesitating before cupping both your breasts.

His lips parted in awe as he gave a gentle squeeze.

He’d never done anything like this before. He had no idea what was allowed and what wasn’t or what felt good for you. “Is this okay?” he asked, looking up to meet your gaze. You nodded, reaching one hand up to place over his, pushing his palm against your chest more firmly.

Jeongin groaned at the contact, eyes flickering back down to your chest. Without a word, he sat up, his hand under yours moving aside. You pulled your hand back as he leaned in, glancing up at you for permission which you gave in the form of a nod. His eyes fluttered shut as he took your nipple in his mouth, tongue swirling around the bud.

You let out a sigh, combing your fingers through his hair as his tongue flicked against your skin. You arched your back, pressing your chest into his face as he gently sucked, letting your nipple fall from his mouth before repeating the same process on the other breast, one of his hands moving up to cup your chest. His other hand moved around to your back, hovering just above your ass.

You rolled your hips, brushing your sex against his cock and making him gasp. Your fingers in his hair tugged, tilting his head back to look up at you as you rolled your hips again. “How does that feel, sweetheart?” you asked softly, cupping his cheek with your free hand.

“S’good,” he moaned, his hands grabbing your hips, trying to guide your movements but feeling unsure of what he was doing. “You want me to ride you, little fox?” you whispered, leaning in so your lips brushed against his. He gulped loudly. “Y-yes,” he pleaded. “I wanna feel you.”

You took him in a messy kiss, tongue dancing against his. “You wanna feel me? Feel me from the inside?” He nodded quickly, eyes sliding shut as you rocked your hips, grinding against his cock, coating it with your arousal.

“Wanna fill me with your cock?” you purred. Jeongin let out a choked moan as you ground harder against him. “Fuck! Y-yes, please!” he whimpered.

You reached down to grab the bottom of his shirt, tugging it off him and letting it fall to the floor as well before placing your hands on his shoulders, pushing him back against the mattress. You allowed your eyes to scan his body, taking in his lean frame as you lifted your hips.

“Are you gonna be a good boy for me?” you asked as you reached between your bodies, taking his cock in your hand and giving him a couple of strokes, coating all of his cock with your slick. He nodded urgently, biting into his bottom lip. “I need to hear you say it, Innie,” you cooed, lining the tip of his cock with your entrance. He nodded again. “Yes,” he finally managed to croak out.

“I promise I’ll be good.”

Without another word, you sank down on him, his cock gliding easily as your walls welcomed the intrusion. Jeongin let out a long groan as you enveloped him completely with a sigh. You felt him twitch inside you and you leaned over, placing your hands on the mattress on either side of his head.

“You promised you’d be good,” you said, meeting his gaze. He nodded, blinking slowly as his hands moved to your thighs. “I promise,” he whispered. “Then you can’t cum yet,” you replied, placing a chaste kiss on his lips. “You have to wait until I say you can cum,” you continued. “Can you do that for me, baby boy?” He nodded again. “Yes, I c-can,” he answered.

You slowly raised your hips before sinking back down on him, his cock burying into your cunt. Jeongin moaned against your lips, fingers digging into your skin. “Feels s’good,” he muttered as you set a slow, steady pace, hips rising and falling, driving his cock repeatedly into your pussy.

“Such a good boy,” you cooed, leaning over to kiss along his jaw, making him tilt his head, giving you more access to his neck. “Letting me fuck you like you deserve.” Jeongin whined in response, his hands moving up to your waist. “Mmore, please,” he begged, gasping when you obliged, your hips bouncing against his. “Shit, shit,” he gasped, fingers tightening around your waist.

“Wait, m’close!” he warned. You immediately stilled, his length buried in your walls. You raised your hand to push his bangs back from his forehead, leaning over to press a kiss against his skin. “You’re doing so well,” you praised as he came down from the edge.

“Filling me so well. Such a good little fox.”

Jeongin whimpered as you rolled your hips. “Do you want me to keep going?” you asked sweetly. He shook his head. “Give me a moment more,” he murmured. You sat up, moving your hands to his chest, sliding them down to his stomach and back up past his shoulders and onto the mattress.

“Do you want me to stay on top of do you wanna take control, little fox?”

His eyes fluttered open, meeting yours. “I can take control?” he asked softly. You nodded. “You want to try that?” He nodded hesitantly, hissing as his cock slipped out of you.

You pulled him on top as you laid back, your thighs wrapping around his waist. He looked down at you, cheeks burning as he took in your fucked out expression. “Go ahead,” you urged.

Jeongin looked down, eyes widening slightly as they landed on your glistening sex. “It’s okay,” you added, drawing his attention. “Take your time.” Jeongin took himself in his hand, guiding the tip to your slit, watching as the head of his cock slipped past your folds, finding your center easily.

He groaned, watching as your walls sucked him in until his hips met yours. His eyes moved up, meeting yours as he tried to control his breathing. “I don’t…” he trailed off. “Just follow your instincts,” you said gently. He nodded, taking a deep breath before pulling his hips back, watching your face as he snapped forward. You let out a moan, eyes rolling back.

Taking that as his cue to keep going, he repeated the action, quickly setting a steady pace. It was different than when you were in control, he was able to drive his cock deeper into your walls, making you moan louder than when you’d been on top.

“F-feels s-s’good,” he stammered, his head falling into your chest as he continued to thrust into you. “Ah~ fuck, that’s it, Innie,” you encouraged him. “Keep going.” Following his instincts, like you’d suggested, he cupped his hand against the back of your thigh and pushed your leg against your stomach, sinking his length further inside you with a groan.

“S’ so deep,” you moaned, eyes fluttering shut. Jeongin kept his eyes open, watching to watch your face as he fucked you. He’d never seen someone so beautiful before. “Faster,” you gasped. Jeongin complied, his thrusts gaining speed. “Oh f-fuck,” he groaned. “M’gonna cum.”

You took him by surprise, rolling him onto his back during his momentary lapse in control. Without giving him a chance to regain the upper hand, you took his hands and pinned them against his head. “Gonna cum already, little fox? I thought you’d last longer,” you said with a scoff. Jeongin whimpered, his cock twitching as his orgasm impending as you rocked your hips with renewed vigor.

He tried to pull his wrists from your hands but your grip was too strong. “Don’t fight me for control,” you said, leaning over to kiss him. “You gonna cum for me? Can’t even wait for me to say you can cum. Pathetic,” you scoffed. Jeongin bucked his hips up to meet yours.

“Please,” he begged. “Let me cum.” You shook your head. “Only good boys get to cum,” you retorted. “You haven’t been good.” Jeongin shook his head. “I have been good!” he argued, moaning at the end of his protest. “I’ve been good,” he repeated.

“Please let me cum, Y/N.”

You chuckled, slowing your movements, holding his wrists tighter when he protested.

“Such a greedy little slut. Wanting to cum first,” you snapped, rolling your hips. “F-fuck Y/N, m’gonna cum. Shit, shit, shit,” Jeongin whined, hips bucking up as his orgasm washed over him. You slowed your hips as his cock twitched, Jeongin releasing inside you with a whine.

You sighed, your hips coming to a stop as you looked down at him. “Couldn’t even wait for me to finish with you,” you said softly. Jeongin opened his eyes. “S-sorry,” he stammered. “I tried to stop but it just felt so good.” Your lips twitched into a smirk. “It’s okay,” you replied, releasing one of his wrists to cup his cheek. “But now you’re gonna have to lie there and let me finish,” you continued.

Jeongin looked up at you, leaning into your touch. “That’s okay,” he replied, letting out a gasp as you rolled your hips, his cock still lodged inside you. “You’re in for a long night, little fox,” you said softly, taking his wrist and pinning it again before sliding your hands to lace your fingers with his as you continued to rock your hips, feeling him slowly start to get hard again.

“A really long night.”

Jeongin awoke the next morning to the smell of meat and opened his eyes slowly, blinking away the sleep and allowing his eyes to adjust to the sunlight that filtered into the cottage.

He rolled over, peering at you by the fire, cooking breakfast. He stretched his arms, whining at the soreness in his muscles. You chuckled as he pushed himself up, realizing he was shirtless. You, on the other hand, were fully dressed. “What happened last night?” he asked, reaching up to scratch his head.

You glanced over your shoulder. “Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten,” you said as you plated breakfast and walked over to the bed. Jeongin felt heat rise in his cheeks. “No,” he answered as you sat on the edge of the bed, presenting him with a plate. “I just forgot how many times,” he murmured, adding a thanks at the end.

You chuckled as you dug into your own food. “More than a few,” you answered. Jeongin looked up and then out the window. “How late is it?” he asked. You shook your head. “Not that late, It’s not even noon,” you replied. The two of you ate in silence, Jeongin thanking you again as you took his dirty plate.

“Where are my clothes?” he asked, noticing they were not on the floor where you’d left them the night before. “I washed them first thing this morning,” you answered. “They’re probably dry by now,” you added and headed out the door to retrieve them.

Upon entering, you handed the clean clothes to Jeongin who dressed himself in silence. “What do you plan to do?” you asked softly as you stoked the fire. Jeongin looked up and then down at his hands. “I’m not sure,” he answered. “I’d like to go find my mother,” he added.

You turned to look at him, a warm smile on your face. He got up and walked over to where you stood, his hands resting on your waist and pulling you closer. “But part of me wants to stay here with you.” You smiled, eyes shutting as he leaned his forehead against yours. “Stay here and maybe build a life with you.” Your heart swelled at the thought but it was quickly deflated by another thought.

“I think you should follow your heart,” you finally said, pulling back to press a kiss to his forehead and turn away. Jeongin opened his eyes and sighed. He looked around the cottage and then at his bags on the floor near the table where he could see one of his mother’s journals peeking out at him.

His mind was made up for him.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly, pressing his lips against your shoulder. “It’s okay,” you reassured him. “Do what you have to do,” you added. Jeongin turned you to face him, reaching up to cup your cheek. “I will come back,” he said softly, eyes flickering between yours. “I promise.”

With his rucksack packed full of supplies you could spare and a map in hand, you pointed him in the right direction. Jeongin pulled you in for one last kiss, resting his forehead against yours for a few moments after. “I mean it,” he said, pulling back to look at you. “I will come back. Regardless if I find her or not.” You nodded, smiling and keeping the sad feeling lingering in your stomach at bay.

“Be careful,” you said, giving his hand a squeeze. Jeongin pulled away and started through the forest in the direction you’d pointed him. The last place you’d heard his mother had been spotted. North towards Mongol territory. As he reached the edge of your property, he turned to look back at you.

He raised his hand, waving which you returned and watched as he turned back and slowly disappeared from sight. With a sigh, you continued to stare after him. “You better come back,” you whispered to yourself, moving your hand to rest against your stomach.

Smiling to yourself you turned away and headed back into the cottage to tend to your chores, hoping Jeongin found what he was looking for sooner rather than later.

He only had nine months after all.

ⓘ Graphics made by me. Content and support banners made using a template by cafekitsune. I do not allow reposts, translations, or continuations of my works. All writing and graphics are ©️ kwanisms.

[idontknowmyownmind]

Hmm.. this idea is from @keeperofhounds

They sent me this from some time ago and I just got time to actually think it over and wrap my head around it

So, basically, the idea is..

Roksu reincarnated into Cale's supposed dead older brother who was fated to be stillborn

Their age gap is 7 years

If we follow the canon timeline, Jour died when Cale 8 years old

But here, she died when Roksu was 8 and Cale was 1

Jour still split her ancient power into two

The first one, she gave it to Cale

While the second one, she hide it in her diary for Roksu to take later

She somehow know about Roksu and his fate, still loves him all the same

The massacre still happen because Jour leave a false trail to Harris village

Because she know that it needs to happen

After her death, Roksu basically raise Cale because Deruth, being the coward he is, can't bring himself to even look at Cale because he remind him of his deceased wife

In this, Cale is the only red head in the family because Roksu inherited Deruth's hair color

At first, it was difficult for Roksu because he also see a glimpse of their mother in Cale

But seeing the innocence in him and the smile that seems to warm his heart, Roksu know that he will do anything for his baby brother

Ah! Roksu doesn't have his memories as Kim Rok Soo but he will remember them when he turn 18

I just want the timelime to match with LCF

Cale grow up as a happy, good, and kind kid

He might be shy around other people and only keep close those he is comfortable and care about

He is a bit naive because Roksu quite protective and paranoid toward him

Cale's relationship with Deruth is a bit strained because he is absent in his early years and when he brought in Violan and Basen, Roksu doesn't really let him away from him because he is warry

He doesn't hate them per se, it's just that they were new people, strangers, in his house that might harm his brother so he keep their distant from them

Roksu also distant with his father because he is dissapointed with how he did things and the way he doesn't even look at Cale properly, he even flinch, and it's make Roksu upset so he has been giving him cold shoulders until he realize his mistakes

And since Roksu busy taking care of Cale, he doesn't really have time to 'bond' with Basen nor Lily

And since Cale has half of the ancient power, he has been seeing people's ring since he couldn't understand anything

Roksu always know that Cale can see something, but he never found out what until Cale learn to speak more fluently

He didn't really understand what he mean by 'ring' around people at first

But when Cale break dowm after his nanny died, he told Roksu how the 'ring' was starting fade before

From there, Roksu conclude that the 'ring' is like a lifespan of people and his only conclusion is it's an Ancient Power

He know a bit of Ancient Power but doesn't really care about it before, but finding out that Cale might possess one made him research on Ancient Power to make sure it will not bring harm to Cale

He made Cale promise that he will not tell anyone about the 'rings' he saw and it's their secret

Oh!! Ron always there with them

Hmm.. I think Cale will pick some of Ron's habits like walk silently or good at sneaking or something

And! Cale is also close with Vic-hyung it make Roksu-hyung jealous 🥺

The three of them basically grow up close like siblings!!

When he first got his memories as KRS, the first thing he thought of is Cale's safety

He know that Cale doesn't grow up as a trashy young master, beside he still a kid, but he never know

So he become overbearing during that time until he is sure that Cale will be fine and safe

The first time Cale see Choi Han, he told Roksu that he has a pretty 'ring'

Roksu think it may be because he is not from here

During the events in LCF, Roksu bring Cale almost everywhere at the beginning but started to keep him in Rock Villa when thing become more dangerous

There were times when Cale sulk because Roksu keep going somewhere and leave him behind which lead to some wholesome brotherly love

Ah, I can imagine how scared Cale when Roksu hurt badly and how he refuse to leave his side and have him out of his sight

He got traumatized so bad he started to cry when he can't find his hyung

Idk why but I'm thinking about making Cale do something for GoD because Roksu is in dire situation and it make him injured or in extreme pain (temporarly because GoD protecting him and will make sure he is safe and fine after)

He agreed willingly because it's for his hyung but Roksu is furious with GoD for involving his baby brother

Yyaapp, I think Imma stop here because it started to get everywhere lol

Thank you for the wonderful idea, I hope you like it!!

[gor3-hound]

NYYYYYYXXXXX!!!!!! HAIIIII HRUU :3! bless ur soul for putting up with my nonsensical yapping.. i love ur inputs<3 & NEW BOTS WOOO thank you for these gracious meals😋

AND I WAS THINKING (here we go again LMAO)..RE2 LEON AS A LOSER COLLEGE CLASSMATE. he’s a loner. kinda nerdy, not that talkative. sits in the back of any room. poor baby is too shy to make a conversation w anyone, & when/if he does, nobody’s listening/thinks his input is weird/is talking over him so he jus gives up on trying 2 make friends & just decides to focus on his studies (◞‸◟)

until popular!reader comes along & makes the effort to get to know Leon by sitting next to him. bro is baffled! but shes popular for a reason; so sweet & considerate, funny—cute! it’s the most attention that anybody has ever given him & he gets so drunk off of her mere presence that he just can’t help getting a little crush on her!

but then that quickly develops into an unhealthy obsession; “accidentally” bumping into her “randomly”, rubbing himself to pictures of her, attached to her by the hip! her bf doesn’t like him for being so touchy, so he kinda beats Leon up :(… a lesson is NOT learned bc Leon complains to reader abt his boo-boos, & she tells her bf off. seeing this, Leon tells her lies abt her bf & she believes him always bc Leon is nothing but an angel! 

bro has a whole wall dedicated to her. photos of her w her friends (who r etched out/cut out), her walking around campus, etc. mf collects her chewed-up pencils & forgotten hairties (bonus if they have strands on them) & and disposed gum-wrappers like they’re ancient artifacts. occasionally takes her empty/half-full waterbottles and licks & kisses the lip to pretend he’s making out with her. typically results in him whimpering her name while humping a pillow… yeah he’s pathetic, but she’s none the wiser!…. do u see my vision….

-🍼

🍼anon i'm literally on my knees asking for your hand in marriage because i love love LOOOVE creep/perv re2 leon :3 pls yap in my inbox forever bcs your ideas are so juicy and make me scream!! BUT HIII!!! i'm good !! hruuu?

but omg ofc i see the vision!! he's so sweet at first, just happy to have a friend. but reader is the only one who's ever treated him like this, and his innocent crush is so quick to become an obsession. the water bottle thing had me SCREAMING like ughhhh.

reader is so oblivious. leon is so unassuming and like... no one cares about him, so they don't notice when he slinks away at the beginning of the lecture with reader's room key... oops. he gets himself some souvenirs(aka used panties...) but he's also *such* a gentleman that he doesn't just care about that. he's also taking note of stuff like the shower gel n shampoo she uses so he can get the same ones as reader to feel closer to her :33

bonus points if he snaps one day. after she tells her bf off, her bf gets really fucking defensive about HIS girlfriend. every time leon walks into the room, he's pulling her in for a kiss - not just a peck, but like... a sloppy makeout sesh. leon ends up being like 'hi i wanna say sorry for how i've acted... come w me'. except he's not sorry at all (duh) and he gets rid of her boyfriend once and for all.

of course, he's the one to comfort reader when she's completely distraught at her bfs 'disappearance'. he lets her into his dorm room and cuddles her while being all sweet, using her emotional vulnerability to coax reader into letting him touch her. he's got her right where he wants her now. and if her friends start to catch on? he's got no problem disposing of them, too.

[shinyzango]

Ok OP, tell me all about your OCs. Those little dudes running in your head/( positive joking)

*crashes through the window*

YES HELLO I WILL TALK ABOUT MY BABIES NOW--

(apologies for taking this long lots has happened in these days)

Most of my OCs exist within their own universe, so I'll try to group them up. Also some images are just sketch as I don't have any recent drawing of them in color. Something I need to fix soon...

ANYWAYS LET'S GO.

~-~{}~-~

🐲 KEHO

A strong, stoic wanderer with an ancient blood coursing through his veins, commonly known as Dragon Blood, that causes the host to constantly fight against the powerful instincts of a dragon from feeding on their emotions and overtake them. Normally cold and easily irritable, but will show signs of affections after digging deep in his hard shell. Keho was exhiled from his home village when he was little after succombing to his Blood and destroyed half the village as a result of seeing his whole family murdered by a hunter. Since that day, he has lived on his own and away from society in fear of being rejected again or hunted down. This fear eventually turned in coldness and mistrust towards anyone and anything. That is until one day he saves an elven sorceress from a dangerous beast and escorts her through the area, eventually warming up to her and deciding to join her in her travels.

🧙‍♀️ ZANGO MAJICANA

An optimistic, cheerful elven sorceress traveling the world on a journey for knowledge of myths, legends and any forms of magic. Easily excitable by new things and always seeing the bright side of everything. She was born in a renowed village of magic-users, and started her journey at a young age as part of her studies. Great mastery over elemental magic. She's also trying to learn potion brewing, but she's not too skilled with it. Zango always had a great fascination over myths and legends, loving to learn about forgotten stories and mythical things inhabiting the world. One day she ventured in an unfamiliar area after being tricked by a false map and is saved from a dangerous beast by a stranger. She asks if he can escort her out of the area. In that time she tries to talk with him with little result, but eventually she manages to get through his hard shell, and eventually he decides to join her in her travels.

--- As time goes on, Zango and Keho grow closer, leading to Keho opening up about his past and himself for the first time since his exhile, and Zango wanting to learn more about the Dragon Blood in order to help him find a way to control it better.

~-~{}~-~

🎶 TEMPO

Carefree and charismatic, Tempo is a young man wandering the world in a quest to discover all kinds and forms of music. Innate talent with music, he's capable of learning any instrument or dance incredibly fast. He always carries his backpack, carrying his trustworthy staff, a couple instruments to play on the fly and even a formal attire for special events or for the occasional dance session.

~-~{}~-~

💂‍♂️ HANS DROSSELMEYER

A shy, yet gold-hearted young man cursed into a Nutcracker Doll and needing to journey through his homeworld to break the curse. Skilled clockmaker, he's now forced to fight for his life and protect his companion against the mice. He's very nervous and insecure about his own capabilities, but he still holds a strong sense of justice, always ready to help those in need.

🧵 CLARA STAHLBAUM

A kind young woman who has been shrunk in size by the Mouse King and now has to journey through the Nutcracker Doll's homeworld to help him break their curses. Training in ice skating and practical in sewing thanks to her hobby of fixing dolls, she tries her best to be of help to her companion despite not having means to defend herself early on. Compassionate and gentle at heart, she always prefers trying to find peaceful solutions by talking things down instead of resorting to drastic actions.

--- You can learn more about Hans and Clara, as well as the other characters in their story, by checking the #TheLastNutcracker tag!

~-~{}~-~

🐱 RENKA

Fearful, extremely shy cat girl who's been living with a human after being rescued from a life of starvation and slavery. She belongs to a seemingly extinct species of feline-human hybrids. Having grown as a slave and being treated like an animal her entire life, she is greatly scared of anyone getting close to her aside from her rescuer and his friends.

💉 MELONY

A serious medic who owns a clinic in a small country town. She happily attends to all the townfolks, making sure everyone is healthy. While doing so, she is also secretely developing a formula able to fully heal and reinvigorate anyone with little to no side effects. She's content of her calm life until an outsider arrives at her clinic requesting medical attention. Her life becomes more chaotic the more visits she receives from this mercenary, especially after he brings her a cat person on the brink of death by starvation, agreeing to help her learn about her species.

~-~{}~-~

And that's p much it! Most of them are greatly summarized to not go too in details, while others I've not yet developed their character and/or story too much. Despite that however, I still love each one of them very dearly 💝

[raddocwrites]

SNW drabbles

Little is as little does

Una couldn’t see the others in the room due to the blanket fort but she finally registered their voices. They were speaking quietly about what pelia had found. Una knew she should care, but at the moment she just didn’t.

She brushed another kiss to la’ans forehead and continued stroking her hair. spock and uhura were whispering to la’an but it was either a language una wasn’t familiar with or some communication unique to children. Until there was one word that una did recognize; ice cream.

She smiled and waited another five minutes before she felt tiny uhura and spock shift. The little boys serious eyes bored into hers. “My sisters and I would like some ice cream.”

Una hid her smile. “I’m sure captain pike has some. Why don’t you go ask him?”

Tiny uhura giggled, squeezed la’ans arm excitedly, slid off the couch and darted out of the blanket fort. Spock nodded and after a final glance to la’an, slipped out after uhura.

Una could hear when baby uhura practically bowled the adults over in her delight. She danced around and clapped her enthusiasm. Spocks musical voice soon joined in.

La’an finally shifted in unas lap. “You want ice cream?” una asked softly. la’an gave a shy smile and nodded. “Okay, sweet pea,” una agreed. She shifted slowly but when una tried to put the girl down, she resisted.

So una just scrambled, only half awkwardly, from the blanket fort with la’an on her hip. She went to the table, where tiny spock and uhura already sat. They had bowls in front of them and there was another set out for la’an. The captain had his apron on and looked overjoyed at being able to feed his kids again. He looked more determined than ever, after the rocky start with Spock earlier.

There were several different flavors already replicated and sitting on the table. As well as a truly impressive amount of toppings. Some of the things, una didn’t even recognize.

Una sat as she shifted the little girl on her hip so she was standing between unas legs and able to see/reach all the delicious options on the table. La’an stiffened for a moment but then spock nodded to her and baby uhura excitedly pointed out the hot fudge.

Captain pike held a big ice cream scoop and brandished it with the skill and mastery of an ancient sword master. He quickly dished up tiny uhuras toffee and pecan icecream. The little communications officer wasted no time in drowning it in hot fudge and brownie bits.

Spock requested, and received, plain vanilla. But he acquiesced to some rainbow sprinkles after encouragement from chapel.

La’an eyed her options methodically, like a general heading into battle. She peered at them closely and even sniffed a couple of them. But finally, she pulled back and pointed to the strawberry icecream. It hadn’t even been a question really. Captain pike dished her up a healthy helping with a massive grin and watched as she added strawberry sauce to it.

That completed, la’an sat back onto unas lap once more and looked up at her, almost as if for approval. Una smiled and nodded. “Looks delicious,” she murmured.

An hour later they were gathered around the table again, but this time making home made pizza. The captain had insisted it would be fun and had only been encouraged when Dr Mbenga had stated that it would be an interesting way to observe the childrens fine motor skills. Which had earned an irritated huff from spock as well as la’ans eyes narrowing suspiciously.

But, despite that, captain pike, the three tiny crew and the rest of his senior officers all huddled around the table adding ingredients to their pizza dough. Sauce was spattered everywhere around uhura and toppings trailed around her like bread crumbs.

Spock had measured his sauce out precisely and now carefully added a spoonful of cheese at a time.

La’an stood between unas legs again, leaning over her masterpiece. She already had a pile of cheese on it and now looked over the available toppings. At uhura urging, she took a tiny bite of pineapple, eyed it for a moment then started adding it to her pizza.

Captain pike looked horrified. “You cant put pineapple on pizza!”

“Who says?” chapel challenged with a smirk.

“Yeah,” ortegas quickly chimed in. She tilted her head. “Some of us like the sweeter things in life.” She winked at uhura who giggled and dumped more pineapple onto the plethora of other ingredients she already had.

“The combination between salty and sweet can be quite pleasing,” Mbenga noted as he watched la’an scatter peperoni onto her creation.

La’an watched spock out of the corner of her eye as he delicately added slightly more cheese to one corner of his pizza. The corners of her lips tugged up minutely. She took a chunk of pineapple and slipped it deliberately onto his little mound of cheese.

Unas eyebrows shot up in surprise. She, along with everyone else, waited for baby spocks reaction. He looked at the offending piece of fruit and then glared at la’an. Uhura leaned over and seemed to whisper in la’ans ear. Then they both giggled. Well, tiny uhura giggled. La’an just smirked.

La’an looked smug as she met spocks eyes. Her own seemed to dance. Spock saw her amusement and he crossed his arms over his chest with a glower.

Una cleared her throat. “La’an,” she said lightly. “If you want to add something to spocks pizza, you should ask him first.”

La’an frowned. She looked up to una, to spock, to the pineapple, then back to spock then una again. She pursed her lips but then she blew out a sigh and retrieved the offending pineapple. Una swore she could feel little la’an roll her eyes at spock even though she couldn’t see it.

Uhura giggled again and la’an smiled at her. Then she tilted her head at spock in apology and slid more cheese over to him. He only hesitated a moment before he accepted with a Vulcan version of a smile.

Una suppressed her own smile and squeezed la’ans leg in approval. The little girl beamed up at her. una tried not to let her heart melt. And probably-definitely-failed.

Luckily the captain had a huge oven which could bake all the personal sized pizzas of his senior staff at one time. How he had gotten approval for it, una had no idea. But it was no time at all before everyone was able to enjoy their culinary creations.

Una made sure to cut la’ans into pieces for her. she smiled as Mbenga helped tiny uhura and captain pike cautioned spock to wait until it had cooled before he ate his. The little boy looked unimpressed with this advice.

Ortegas tapped a slice of her olive covered pizza with baby uhuras in a mock salute and they both laughed.

La’an did better eating this time. But una still had to encourage her periodically.

When the meal was finally over, the three kids were covered in a hilarious amount of pizza and had to be wrangled (mostly uhura, who had scampered at the first sight of the washcloth) for the indignity of wiping their hands and faces clean.

When captain pike looked at the disastrous state of his kitchen, una raised an eyebrow at him in an ‘I told you so gesture’. He just looked at his kids/crew laughing and smiling together and shrugged happily.

[everythingsfish]

Quick muse list! For some of the babies I'm most proud of <3

First up, Plum

Age:26

Height:5'4 (9'2 as a dragon)

Mi dragón latina

Additional info: Plum is a verdracon, a race of dragon who's capable of hiding near perfectly amongst other races. She has a noticeable spanish accent because that's what she is. She's one of the more simple characters

Her dragon form

Name: Jessica Valentine

Age: 28

Height:Normally 5"7

Additional info: Her body is entirely made out of a black substance called Veol. She's capable of morphing her biology at will, similar to the parasites from the anime Parasite, but at the cost of needing to eat living things. While she can control every aspect of her at will (including the color of the veol and texture of it) she loses said control when she goes hungry, her body going into a feral state to satiate the hunger, pretty much forcing her to be an unsympathetic murderer. Despite what she says, she wishes she could be normal again.

The lady in question

Name:Jessie Cannit

Age:46

Height:6ft exactly

Additional info: A blind marksman who is currently in a relationship with the iris, the goddess of sentience who aids him, allowing him to "see" but he can only really see living things, everything else is just darkness.

Silly cowboy man

Name: Mizutsune Sakéyo

Age:21

Height:5"10

Additional info: Mizutsune (or Mizu for short) is a verdracon, a race of dragon who can naturally change from a human looking form to a full blown dragon. Despite his loud and joyous personality, it's all just a front for who he truly is, a coward who wishes to be as great as the people he looks up to, adventurers who go on adventures daily with stories shared by thousands, he desperately wishes to be one of those people, but just can't. You'll have a hard time getting him to admit it though.

The dragon

Name:Mei Beaumont

Age:19

Height:6"9

Additional info:Mei is the daughter of Manon Beaumont, a very rich dragonborn who is very well known. Mei is an only child who is studying alchemy, having the desire to become just as famous as her mother through her skills in alchemy, but she has a long way to go. A very long way to go-

The feedee lizard

Name: Table (yes that's her name)

Age:Unknown

Height:3"2

Additional info: Table is a palico, a small anthropomorphic cat who is the perfect assistant. Normally. Table is mute, only speaking in scraggly meows and gestures. Despite palicos being loving assistants, Table is very....unpredictable. She has orange cat software, to say the least.

The entity

Name: Widget

Age:30

Height: 4"11

Additional info: A novice artificer, mechanic, and kobold, this doughy lady is a master at her profession. One of the more independent kobolds out there, she doesn't really feel the need to be in a kobold tribe, easily holding her own with her own weaponry! She's one girl you would not want to mess with.

The kobold dumpy

Name: Cay

Age: 20

Height: 8ft and 48ft long

Additional info: Daughter of Jörmungandr Cay is simply a sweet girl who, despite her absolutely ravenous appetite, is rather shy and often hides or plays dead to the best of her ability. like a hognose snake! If she gets comfortable around you, she will definitely begin to open up and start becoming more friendly. Or she just eats you-

The hungry girl!!!!!

Name:Gwendolyn (Gwen for short)

Age:somewhere above 100

Height: 8ft

Additional info: Gwen is the last of her kind, an ancient race of sea dragons known for living in colder climates. However, despite her sad situation, Gwen is the brightest (emotionally) lady on the world. Be it her unwavering optimism or her negative iq score, she is an absolute doll to have around. She's just sweet little lady who wouldn't understand half the stuff you tell her

The dummy <3

[togetherhearted]

May I have a Record of Ragnarok romantic matchup please? I'm a female INFP Taurus whose enneagram is 7w6 who is 22 years old. I am heteromantic sex-repulsed asexual. I am autistic as well.

Appearance: I am biracial (half White and half Black) and I am 5"5". I am baby faced with curly and long dark brown hair with brown eyes.

Personality: I am shy, quiet, and reserved. I am also passionate, kind, empathetic, sweet, curious, studious, adventorous, bold, creative, artistic, imaginative, loyal, and affectionate. I have a strong sense of justice and I am hark working. I'm also a sucker for aesthetics and fashion. I am optmistic and I see the good in others. I am religious and spiritual. I see the world as a place full of infinite possibilities and I am childlike. When it comes to my flaws, I can be stubborn (a double-edged sword) and I have difficulty in expressing my emotions, needs, and wants. I also avoid conflict and I am a perfectionist with a problem when it comes to anxiety and overthinking. Sometimes, I can be in my head a little too much.

Interests/Hobbies: I love reading, playing video games, watching cartoons and anime, cooking and baking even if I am not a master at it. I love mythology, psychology, world history especially ancient history, the Paranormal, the Occult, magick, and witchcraft (I am a witch). I love animals and Nature especially cats. I love drawing, the Arts, Broadway musicals, and Disney. I am a sucker for analog horror, philosophy, and obsessed with fandoms. I love mentally stimulating conversations and discussions. I love superheroes especially Marvel and science especially Astronomy, Meterology, the Social Sciences, and Zoology. I also enjoy collecting crystals, gemstones, jewelry, rocks, seashells (whenever I'm at the beach), and stuffed animals/plushies.

Please and thank you for considering my request!

Hi!

So...I think you could match well with the two nerdy boys!☆

[galatially]

𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 — thinking about roommate!brunnhilde spending the afternoon with you, enjoying an edible. (tw: 18+, strong language, mentions of body mods (nipple piercings), weed consumption, dry humping, nipple play, thigh riding, brunnhilde being a fucking slut)

you were laying across her lap as your giggles filled the room.

"i'm serious! i can't sleep unless i have one foot outside of the covers or i get too hot!"

val snorted. "just put an air conditioner in your room! that fan is ancient."

"with what money? plus, those things are fucking heavy. almost took out one of my piercings once."

val's eyes slowly dragged from your half-lidded gaze to your breasts. you could feel your nipples harden through the thin fabric.

"you got both of them pierced?"

you sat up. the roughness of her voice made your throat drier than the weed had, but you managed a slow nod.

"can...i see?"

your pulse kicked up. her gaze on you was dichotomous: smoldering yet soft. sensuous yet innocent. beneath the fog in your mind, you knew that the lines between roommates could disappear very quickly tonight. you loved having val as a roommate; she kept clean, had the best hoodies to steal, and didn't mind watching trashy tv and movies with you.

and val's not bad to look at, either. big brown eyes, full, pillowy lips. soft skin that you've been itching to run your fingers along all day. your eyes went down to the hand lazily gripping your thigh and you almost moaned about the thought of the pads of her fingers rubbing and pinching your nipples, admiring your barbells.

"you don't have to if you don't want to, babe. s'cool. i was just curious."

you boldly took one of her hands and cupped it around your left breast. the warmth of her palm bled through your thin slip of a tank top.

she let out a soft chuckle and cupped the other breast. "i knew these would be heavy as fuck." the pads of her thumbs brushed up against your nipples, the bars helping push them out further. "your skin is so soft, y'know that?"

"and you're oddly poetic right now, did you know that?"

in an instant, val had lifted you onto her lap, a small squeak spilling from your mouth as you were face to face — or rather, tits to face — with those brown eyes that you sometimes had to stop yourself from getting lost in.

"sue me for telling you how beautiful parts of your body are." not breaking eye contact, she ducked her chin to kitten lick at one of your sensitive nipples. your back arched and started to grind against her.

she suckled on your breasts, alternating between left and right with loud, messy pops, her low groans vibrating along your spine.

"val..."

"what's wrong? what does my baby need?"

your face warmed at her taunts but you could feel your underwear getting more soaked. how long had you been like this in her lap? the edible had just started to kick in and all you could do was rut against her like a horny teenager.

"aw, were you all worked up, baby? needed daddy to help you get off?"

somewhere, in the dark recesses of your mind, you were mentally high-fiving yourself because of course she wanted to be called daddy. that's such a val thing, it's insane.

one of val's hands went to cup your cheek, her thumb teasing at the seam of your lips. her pupils, darkened with lust, were half-hidden behind her eyelids and a lazy smile curved into the corners of her mouth. "i didn't know you were this shy. 's just me."

"'m not," you murmured. "it just feels s'good."

"can i kiss you?"

you paused. "what?"

her cheeks dimpled when she smirked. "you heard me."

your heart pounded against your chest as you leaned forward and softly pressed your lips to hers. as if possessed, val deepened the kiss, moaning into your mouth. you fisted her hoodie to keep from falling over and she laughed against your mouth.

"keep riding my thigh, pretty girl." your breath caught. "i wanna see the face you make when you cum."

i —

[wispwhispers]

Landscapes with Attitude: A Guide to Game Biome Design in Yoniversia

Gather 'Round, Folks! So, me and my kiddos, not to forget my better half, have been cookin' up somethin' real special for over a year now. Yep, you guessed it - we're in the game makin' business! Picture this: a multiplayer, wide-open world game mixin' survival with a dash of good ol' farming. And hey, don't you worry, it's all kid-friendly, spreadin' the gospel of livin' in harmony with nature and keepin' the rough stuff at bay.

Now, here's the kicker: we're all about makin' things look real pretty. Think eye-poppin' visuals, explorin' like it's a grand adventure, and puttin' together the coolest crafts since kindergarten. So, what's the scoop? We're spillin' some beans on what's cookin' in the game pot, and we're all ears for your two cents. Bring on the wisdom, the tips, and if you got any constructive criticism, don't be shy! Let's make this game as awesome as a double rainbow after a summer storm!

Listen up, folks, 'cause we've got a world split into these here biomes, each packin' their own set of fancy game tricks, a bunch of goodies, critters big and small, landscapes that'll make your jaw drop, and a whole heap of gameplay twists. But hold on to your hats 'cause that's not all - these spots are all woven into one big tale with levels of tricky that'll keep you guessing.

Blossom Hollow

First off, let's take a stroll through Blossom Hollow. Yep, you heard me right, it's like a crater from a volcano that had its heyday. But guess what? It's turned into a flower-packed paradise. Now, ain't that somethin'? These ain't just your regular old flowers, mind you. These babies are giant, like 'bout-to-take-over-the-world giant. And they've got this nifty trick up their petals - they give life and, believe it or not, immortality. And guess where our hero pops up? Right smack dab in the middle of one of those massive blooms. Ain't life a bloomin' surprise?

Now, let me tell y'all 'bout Blossom Hollow's guardian angel, a little chit-chattin' raccoon named Eric. This critter's got a bigger ego than a rooster at sunrise, callin' himself the grand poobah, the head honcho, the numero uno of the Scout Squad. Yep, he's the proud founder, the heart and soul, the one and only member of the Guardians of the Garden Club. This guy, he's got a heart as big as his bravado, takin' care of this flowery haven like it's his own.

But hold onto your hats 'cause there's trouble brewin'. Lately, some giant thorny bad boys decided to crash the party. They're like the rude neighbors that move in next door and trash the place. Yep, you guessed it, these prickly fellas are takin' over the joint, givin' the local flora a run for their money.

Heartlands

Alright, now let's mosey on over to the Heartlands, also known as the Central Plains. Picture this: it's like the world's biggest backyard, smack dab in the middle. These open, flat lands are the safest spot in the entire world - we're talkin' secure like a bank vault. Now ain't that a cozy thought?

Here, you'll find all sorts of peace-lovin' critters, just chillin' out and waitin' to be your new best friend. Yep, you heard me, they're all ready for a little taming action.

Now, pay attention, 'cause if you've got dreams of runnin' your own farm, this here's your ticket to paradise. It's like a starter pack for all you future farmers. Easy access to anywhere, thanks to its prime location, and ain't it just perfect for gettin' your hands dirty and plantin' those seeds? Trees are like rare gems, grass taller than your uncle's stories, and hills? Well, they're just scattered around like small talk at a family reunion. Not to mention, a couple of big rivers flowin' through these parts. So saddle up, partner, 'cause the Heartlands are callin' your name!

Bramblewood

Now, gather 'round, 'cause I've got a tale to spin about a forest that's been around since Merlin was a schoolboy. We're talkin' ancient, folks, with magic drippin' off its branches like honey from a comb. Imagine this: thickets so dense they make a haystack look like a lace doily. And hey, there's no shortage of babbling brooks with their fancy fringes, addin' a touch of class to the place.

But here's where it gets juicy - inside this fantastical forest, the secret trails are like a riddle wrapped in a mystery, smothered in thorns. Those prickly bushes hide critters meaner than a rattlesnake with a toothache, just waitin' to pounce on unsuspecting wanderers. You might be strolling, hummin' a tune, and bam! Nature's surprise party comes callin' with teeth and claws.

But hold on tight, 'cause there's a twist in this twist. Hidden deep within these thorny thickets, treasures glint brighter than your Aunt Mabel's prized crystal and artifacts as magical as Uncle Joe's tall tales after a couple of whiskeys. Now, before you waltz into this mystical maze, better pack a mean axe 'cause this place ain't for the faint-hearted. So gear up, sharpen your wits, and let's see if you've got what it takes to face the enchantment of Bramblewood!

"Stonevault Plateau - Where Even the Rocks Are Feeling Airborne

Hold on to your broomsticks, 'cause we're talking about a place where walking just won't cut it. You'll need a dash of flight magic, a sprinkle of water-walking, or a good ol' fashioned aquatic pal to get around this joint.

Now picture this: a plateau that's as stony as your grandpa's one-liners, peppered with all sorts of natural karst bathtubs. It's like Mother Nature decided to treat herself to a spa day and left the tubs behind. But that's not all - the land's like a patchwork quilt of stone, blending seamlessly with nooks, crannies, and secret hidey-holes. And in this one-of-a-kind spot, you'll find creatures that pack a punch, meaner than a bull in a china shop.

Now, let's get practical, 'cause to navigate this wonderland, you'll need some real finesse in the jumping department, or maybe even a smidge of high-level magic to boot. Yeah, you heard me right - all those hours spent leaping over mushroom platforms in your younger days might finally pay off. But here's the kicker, amidst all the danger, this place is like a treasure chest. Rich in resources, and hiding some of the mightiest magic artifacts you've ever seen. So strap on your flight goggles, grab your water wings, or hitch a ride on a trusty swim buddy, 'cause Stonevault Plateau ain't for the faint-hearted, but it sure ain't no dry spell either!"

Coral Shores - Where Sand Meets Secrets

Let me spin you a tale of a sprawling sandy shore, my friends. Once upon a time, this very spot was the ocean's floor, but as time danced on, the waves pulled back their curtain, revealing massive caves sculpted by coral and polyps.

Now, let's talk monsters, and no, I ain't talkin' 'bout your nosy neighbor. Every now and then, colossal creatures come ashore, and trust me, takin' 'em on solo is like tryin' to outdance a tornado. If you're aiming for victory, it's time to call in the reinforcements - that's right, rally your buddies, 'cause teamwork makes the dream work.

But hold onto your controllers, folks, 'cause there's more magic brewin'. These are just a sneak peek of the stops on our game's world tour, and let me tell ya, there's a whole buffet of excitement waitin' ahead. We're ready for your wisdom, your feedback, and if you got any advice to sling our way, bring it on!

P.S. Keep your eyes peeled for the next post, where I'm slicing off the promo bits and diving straight into that "first view" of gameplay. Get ready, 'cause it's gonna be a ride through the basics of game design and balancing that's gonna make your joystick jiggle!

[mythicaldemigoddess-of-deltarune]

Deltarune AU OC: Penrose “Rose” Holiday (2023)

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

[Note: Don’t Reblog Without Permission, and it might be best to click on the drawing to make it bigger to see it better.] 

Credit for Undertale & Deltarune goes to Toby Fox

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

this is a different version of my first version of the OC named Penrose aka Rose, well this would be Penrose The Skeleton’s Counterpart from another Timeline and World...

she has the same name and nickname as the skeleton version,

but she isn’t as shy or timid, and is like adventures ball of energy.

she is still Sans and Papyrus’s distant cousin...

but this version of Penrose, doesn’t live with her Grandparents:

that make up her Grandwa & Grandy, because they died when she was very young....she was in a orphanage that had both monster and human children in it, and she was adopted by Rudy and his wife, and became the baby sister of Dess & Noelle.

unlike her skeleton counterpart, who’s soul trait is just kindness.

Rose’s Soul Trait is Half Kindness & Half Perseverance.

and while she can do the same type of magic as her Skeleton Counterpart,

all but bone magic that is....

Rose has magic that her skeleton counterpart can’t do.

such a channeling her magic through a gem that she wears as a necklace.

Rose can also do telekinesis and flight magic, which she can do when she channels her magic from her soul and body by using the emerald that she wears.

when her new family found out she could do magic, was when they gave her the emerald necklace for her first birthday (the orphanage was given info on the year, month and day that Rose was born, and they told the Holiday Family.)

like ya know how Pan from Dragon Ball Super ended up flying in the air...?

well picture a 1 year old Penrose doing the same thing but holding a emerald necklace that her Mom and Dad gave her, and both her parents and older sisters looking freaked out at seeing little Rose flying around the house.

and even Asgore, Toriel, Asriel and Kris being there as well and the only one who seem calm being Kris, while their parents and older brother is freaking out just like the Holiday Family...

and they finally were able to get the flying baby human down like a hour later.  

while this version of Penrose, who’s full name is Penrose Holiday from a Deltarune Timeline, is technically a human...

she could count as a “Witchling”...

and yeah I had decided to make her blood type “O RH D Negative”

her having a Ancient Blood Type, that can freely do magic once it is unlocked, does seem like a interesting idea.

and once again, I’m still procrastinating in checking to see if my blood type will come out as O RH D Negative for a third time.

I will try to make time when I can to do that home blood type test again.

since Rose is much younger than Noelle and Kris, she is in what Susie might call “the baby class” and she is the student of Miss Toriel and is the only human so far that is in her class, unless there is a Frisk in that timeline who ends up being a younger sibling of both Kris and Asriel.

and if that were so, that would mean there would be other humans living in Hometown besides Kris.

in the timeline Penrose “Rose” Holiday is from, both she and Frisk are Nonbinary-Girls.

like Frisk’s birth name is Franziska and they got their name “Frisk”

from finding it in their birth name “Franziska” and it spells out “Frisk”

Frisk is the little sibling/sister of both Asriel and Kris, and I guess if she is much younger than those two, then she might also be in the same class as Penrose Holiday, and that would mean that Toriel would also be Frisk’s teacher as well.

and if there was a Chara in the world and timeline that Penrose Holiday lives in.

Chara might be a bit older than Frisk but also still younger than Kris, Susie and Noelle and the rest who are in the same class as Kris.

like Chara being around Lancer’s Age, and maybe being the Adoptive Little Sister/Sibling of Susie, like in that timeline, Chara is also a Nonbinary-Girl,

who’s pronouns are she/her & they/them.

and Chara’s birth name is Charlotte, there is some info that I found before that has to do with the name Chara is a diminutive of the name Charlotte.

Kris might not be a Enboy or Enbirl, and might just be a Enby...

that would mean that Kris is just Nonbinary, doesn’t have a “Boy” or “Girl” at the end, and doesn’t view themselves as a Enboy or Enbirl.

Kris could be very protective of Frisk, those two sharing a type of sibling bond does seem interesting.

anyway I just wanted to try to draw a counterpart of Penrose The Skeleton, which when I did do that drawing of the skeleton version...

it was before I had to change my tumblr name to “mythicaldemigoddess-of-deltarune” and there was a good reason as to why I had to change it...

Penrose Holiday is like the Opposite of Penrose The Skeleton, and not just because one is a human and the other is a monster.

Penrose Holiday isn’t as shy or timid as her skeleton counterpart,

and would probably get too hyper if you give her too much sugar.

like picture her screaming “Anarchy” while in the classroom or in dark world, and using her magic all over the place, and it being because she was given too much sugar, and her Mom only allows her to have a small bit of sugar and can let her a lot of sugar free foods that taste like it has real sugar in it.

Penrose Holiday, doesn’t have green energy ethereal hair like her counterpart does, but she does have hair that is in a plum color and her eyes are the same color as her counterpart’s orbs.

which happens to be in a light green color.

in theory, humans can do magic, but can only channel it if they are wearing gems, like either a bracelet or necklace or a ring or all of them.

I still am using my gem bracelets to act a sealing charms and limiters for myself, even if they can still be used for the other stuff as well.

I’m not taking any chances, like I said I don’t want to end up like Carrie White from the Carrie Movie Series or Alessa Gillespie from Silent Hill Game & Movie Series...

it might sound silly, but I don’t want it to get too strong.

when some stuff I held with my fingers started to move like my pendulum, I had decided to use my gem bracelets as sealing charms and limiters...

and of course when I had kept one of them off for too long when it started to become too snug, the prayer and program used on them to make them sealing charms and limiters had broke, and I had to redo the prayer and program, and of course I used the food salt and held both the bracelets and the salt in my hands while praying once again, but this time making it so that the gem bracelets still worked even if some are off for a long period of time...

but it might be possible if I have to have some other bracelets off, and I try to test to see if they are still working, like on a pen or a bottle of pop that could have something in it or it being empty...

even when having the bracelets on, there seems to be a bit of a small shake, I don’t know if it was because of my arm or it trying to move but can’t.

but while taking off my bracelets off, and testing the pen, by holding it with my fingers, and thinking clockwise and even circle, it still ended up moving a bit like my pendulum....

I never really had this happen before, not until I got a pendulum.

I think it might of unlock something inside of me, I mean that is possible.             

well I’m still going to keep wearing my gem bracelets and have them act as sealing charms and limiters, cause once again I don’t want to have it get to the point where it becomes like Carrie White or Alessa Gillespie.

because I know I wouldn’t be able to control it, and if I have to keep my gem bracelets off, it should only be when I need to take them off.

but I can still have them be put back on like afterwards.

I hope it is true there will be a third Silent Hill Movie, I loved the other two.

and disgusting inhuman filth like Christabella from the first movie, got what she had rightly deserved for what she and her followers did to Alessa.

I don’t think Alessa became soulless when she made Sharon, or when she had made Dark Alessa, she possibly had fragmented a dark and light parts of her soul, the small bit of goodness still in her heart, was all placed into a fragment and would then become Sharon.

for all we know, Sans and Papyrus could of been born from fragments that came from Gaster’s Soul.

and if Gaster was their brother, he would be different from the version that is their father, which to tell those two Gasters apart, one would be Gaster Sr. and the other would be Gaster Jr....being both Father & Son, one being the brother of both Papyrus and Sans, while the other that is Gaster Sr. is the Father of the three skeleton brothers.

Gaster Jr. could of ended up falling into the dark world in Deltarune, while Gaster Sr. fell into the void in Undertale.

it might be interesting if one of Penrose Holiday’s magic skills, would be being able to see a invisible Gaster Sr. when he crosses from Undertale to Deltarune.

to see what no longer exist but at the same time still does, one that wonders through time and space between realities.

Penrose Holiday having super strength, seem like a interesting idea...

it could have to do with her magic, and picture her picking up Asgore who is much bigger and a full adult, and her being but a small child.

her counterpart, Penrose The Skeleton, doesn’t have super strength or super speed, they might share some magic skills but there are some they don’t share.

Penrose Holiday can’t do bone magic, and Penrose The Skeleton never really had to use a gem on a necklace to channel her magic that comes from her soul, but Penrose Holiday does and if she tries to channel her magic without using a gem, well I think the age that Penrose Holiday is, it would be dangerous for her to try to use magic without a gem, because she wouldn’t be able to control her magic and it would be like her floating in the air in a light green bubble with purple aura around the light green bubble of light.

and her eyes glowing a bright light green, her pupils not showing and some purple energy like flames forming around the eyes where it is all light green.

the only way to stop her from having her magic going fully out of control,

would be if either a Boss Monster or Monsters like Sans and Papyrus, were to grab her by using their magic, if this happen in the dark world, then either a boss monster or a skeletons like Sans or Papyrus would work to stop Penrose.

like it needing to be a very powerful darkner or lightner, that can stop her magic from getting too out of control.

but once she is given a gem, either her necklace or bracelet, her unstable magic will become stable again.

but her going too long without a gem to stabilize and channel her magic, could put her life in danger, like because of her young age and small body, her life would be in risk and she can become very weak and feel like when you haven’t had anything to eat for a very long time.

so long as she or human children like her do get help right away when accidentally using their magic without having a gem on their person, they shouldn’t be in danger that would put their life at risk.

like it could turn out that human children in Deltarune, when they show signs of magic in a very early age, they need to have gems to act as a charm for them to channel their magic, and they must wear them at all times, and if it is a necklace, they will have to take them off when they go to sleep.

and when it is a necklace and they have to take it off when they go to sleep, they have to have the necklace be placed close by, maybe on a nightstand or in a small bag and place it under their pillow.

and as a alternative when they still might need to wear a gem, even as they sleep, they could have on a special gem bracelet, to make sure their magic doesn’t activate while they sleep.

Kris never had to worry about having to wear gems, because they didn’t show any signs of magic, but for all we know they could be a late bloomer and once they do show signs of magic in the light world, they will have to wear a gem to help protect them and channel their magic.

the stronger the magic a human child has, the more likely they will have to wear more than just one gem.

Penrose Holiday only wears a emerald necklace, which means that she might not be as powerful as those who will have to wear more than just one gem.

but for all we know, she could be wearing more than just the emerald necklace.

like she could have gem earrings that also lets her channel her magic, but she could of turn out not to have those earrings on when she lost control of her magic when she didn’t have her emerald necklace.

if I decide to, maybe I will write a short fan fic about Penrose Holiday sometime. 

her being the adoptive child of Rudy and Mayor Holiday and the adoptive younger sister of Noelle and Dess Holiday, is only from a Fanon Timeline in a Deltarune AU, which is not like her skeleton counterpart who is being raised by her Grandparents, but in the Deltarune Fanon Timeline, Penrose Holiday’s Grandparents are no longer around and she was placed in a orphanage and ends up being adopted by The Holiday Family.

maybe I will do a drawing of the two versions of Penrose standing side by side.

well not now though, but if I decide to do that drawing idea, I will draw it whenever I can...

I’m glad I decided to draw a human counterpart of the Penrose The Skeleton. :)                          

[pointreyesjournal]

Portofino : ep197

I feel kissing on my neck and ear lobe to gently wake me up.

Cheyenne: Baby, wake up. I think we died at sea. The boat must have sank last night.

I’m really groggy trying to wake up, but I’m not buying her story. Me: I don’t feel dead honey, come back to bed.

Cheyenne: Look out the porthole, we died and went to heaven.

Me: Shy, we’re living in sin. If we died in a shipwreck, we’d wake up in hell.

Cheyenne: There’s no way that there is any place on earth that is actually this beautiful. I’m pretty sure we’re in heaven.

Me: That’s just Portofino honey.

…

Tucked into a tiny spit of land about 10 kilometers south of Genoa along the northernmost coast of the Ligurian sea, Portofino is one of the most scenic ports in the known universe. The actual port covers land equivalent to a few football fields (or over here, football pitches) and nearly every square meter is occupied with a yacht. Three sides of the port feature high walls, like an amphitheater, and the northern wall has a picturesque waterfront with buildings in Mediterranean hues of yellow, burnt orange and gold.

Our sailing yacht is huge, so we’re anchored just outside of the harbor in about 30 feet of warm crystal blue water.

I throw on shorts and a t-shirt and tell Cheyenne to put on her bikini under her exercise gear as I dart out the door.

“I’ll be right back”

I return a minute later and get some running shoes on, gather up Cheyenne and head for the deck. By the time we emerge from our suite, Filet has pulled together a tiny breakfast picnic for us and put it into a shopping bag. I tuck breakfast into a rucksack, then we hop in the dinghy and the captain whisks us off to shore.

Cheyenne: What are we doing?

Me: We’re going to hike up to the lighthouse before everyone else wakes up.

Cheyenne: This is breathtaking. I honestly didn’t know that places this beautiful actually existed in real life. I thought it was just in screensavers and photoshop.

Me: Remember Henrik’s Ferrari? The one called the California? When they discontinued it, do you know what they replaced it with?

Cheyenne: No. What?

Me: A model called a Portofino.

Cheyenne: Gawd … can you imagine driving Henrik’s Ferrari around here?

Me: Somebody at Ferrari obviously did.

Cheyenne: Wow. Apropos!

…

The land on the little peninsula above Portofino is ultra-premium A+++ real estate, but somehow it hasn’t been overdeveloped with mega-mansions. There is a rustic trail that ascends to a ridgeline. Each cobbled stair step is two steps deep, but only about one half step up. So it creates an odd cadence. Step forward, step up, step forward, step up. So you’re always stepping up with the same foot. We pass terraced gardens of grapes and olives, and an ancient castle called Castello Brown before reaching the lighthouse.

The Faro di Portofino is a bright white lighthouse that sits proudly on the rocks at the end of the peninsula. From their terrace bar, there are nearly 360 degrees of sweeping ocean views. It’s beauty that defies description. There’s a cocktail bar that opens for tourists at 10am, but we’re here well before they open, so we commandeer a table and enjoy our breakfast picnic of yogurt parfait, fresh fruit, and orange juice.

Me: You know what baby?

Cheyenne: What?

Me: You may have been right.

Cheyenne: Told ya’ …

We died and went to heaven.

[mayakern]

ive only watched freshman year so idk who these are similar to in FH, but these two are my water genasi nem (short for anemone) and her fire genasi sorcerer wife flare!!

@corful this is gonna be a long one so i hope ur ready to strap in! cuz this campagin got all the way to level 20 🤭

their game started out when the party was just kids! we started at level 0 in our small, quaint town. all the og party members were childhood friends. nem was originally a very shy and sweet and bookish girl and all her friends called her nemi. her friends were leah (aasimar cleric), renevoire (tiefling storm sorcerer) and george (half-orc pugilist). bc we were level 0 our characters didn’t actually have real classes but that’s what they eventually grew up to become.

the group was soon joined by ixen, a young kobold spore druid. this art is by my bff @scookart bc i cannot find my art of baby ixen bc this part of the campaign happened in like 2019

im gonna add a cut here so this post isnt one million miles long on y’alls dashes lol

a lot of stuff happened. we delved into hidden ancient temples and gained extra-planar powers. we defeated a shadow monster that destroyed our home and killed a bunch of our friends and family and had to make a deal to warp time and set things “right”—our dead loved ones could come back, but only if we, the party, agreed to leave forever and never come back together as a group.

nem left for wizard las vegas, where she was immediately accepted into wizard school as a promising young mage. there, she met flare, who was kind of too cool for school and nicknamed nem “soggy boots.” some shenanigans happened and they started hanging out, partially because their teacher thought they each had what the other lacked (nem was very precise and studious but struggled to customize her spells to herself, flare had a knack for making her magic her own but lacked nem’s work ethic and control).

tldr bc a lot happened here, but nem helped flare sort out a problem with one of her friends and in doing so, the two kids got mixed up in some illegal magic and became fugitives, their citizenship revoked, and essentially became wanted criminals despite being like 12. bc of this, they fall into a life of crime. mechanically speaking, this is why by the end of the campaign nem was a level 2 divination wizard and a level 18 arcane trickster rogue. this also causes nem’s personality to do a 180. she goes from sweet and shy to jaded, gruff, and untrusting.

over the next 10 years, flare ends up quickly climbing the ranks of their thieves guild on a more administrative/leadership track while nem does the actual physical thievery. during this time, they also start dating. the vibes have been there from the start but they really take off around the time nem is 15.

they get an apartment together with a roof terrace and things are pretty good, tho nem doesn’t really enjoy being in the thieve’s guild. she doesn’t really like doing crime for a living and she struggles to be truly vulnerable around anyone, including flare, because she feels like at any moment that shadow monster, who managed to survive, could come back and rip her out of her life again.

and that’s exactly what happens after nem turns 21. she gets a job to steal some magical artifact in another city and the thing has weird vibes from the get go. nem and flare have traveled there together so flare can do her shmoozing and get more intel. nem receives a note that absolutely REEKS of shadow monster shenanigans and she decides to basically ghost flare and leave quietly in the night, leaving nothing more than a note that strongly warns flare not to go after her or to continue looking into this. she justifies this to herself by saying it’s better if flare doesn’t get involved and she knew that nothing in her life was guaranteed to be permanent, but really she did it because she was terrified of actually being vulnerable.

lo and behold! the shadow guy was involved. he’s in the material plane for good now and he called the original friend group back together to fight a bigger, badder evil. the rich guy from our small home town has found a way to merge with shadow beings and is using the impending confluence of the planes (think like an interplanar eclipse) to bridge the gap from the shadow plane to the material one so he can swallow it in shadows and rule eternal. so that’s bad.

the original shadow guy has been greatly weakened. his name is ammen and he’s also stuck in the material plane now in a human body and is having to learn in real time what having a body means. including having to poop. there’s a lot of shenanigans. he basically becomes a glorified and inept babysitter for a group of orphans the party rescued.

the party’s reunion is sweet and sad and also hella awkward. for the most part, everyone just grew up but their core personalities are the same. except for nem. no one really knows what to do about how weird and unsocial she’s become. when they ask about her job and why she’s become so fast, she says she’s a marathon runner. this becomes a running gag where all members of thieves guilds use sports, usually marathon running, as a cover for their work. rennevoire has become a ghost hunter. george has become a pit fighter. leah has been doing justicy-y things. ixen has been traveling the world doing archeology for fun. when the party reunites, george takes on a persona as a country music star, hannah montana style, named georgianna grande. rennevoire becomes her manager and basically starts a country music record empire/pyramid scheme.

(they’re all in separate images so i dont want to paste them in, but you can see the grown up party here)

lots of shenanigans happen. we go to different planes. each member of the party has a different plane associated with them and gains powers related to that. but you’re here for nem and flare!

flare shows back up in the city nem and the group are in and nem is sweating bullets. but flare is… weird. nem goes to talk with her and flare attacks her/the party! turns out it was a changeling in disguise. and in fact he is the dad of that kid nem and flare tried to help as kids, the situation that made them fugitives in the first place. that kid is still in a coma and has been all these years (their attempt to help him as kids failed miserably) and now his dad has basically gone crazy obsessed spending his whole life trying to get his kid back.

shenanigans ensue and the gang travels to wizard las vegas. turns out there’s like a sneeple curse going on that’s trapped the kid’s consciousness in another plane (a sneeple plane) and now flare is trapped there too. they’re both in comas. nem is distraught. she is usually very careful, but she starts getting reckless and making stupid mistakes bc she is so overcome with emotion. she visits their apartment and flare adopted a MAGICAL PUPPY while nem was gone. nem is absolutely horrified. she’s never taken care of an animal before.

eventually they manage to rescue flare and nico (the changeling kid who is no longer a kid). nem and flare have a heart-to-heart about their relationship, their fears, etc. nem is finally fully vulnerable with flare about how scared she was and how she was trying to protect both flare and her own feelings by leaving. they eventually get make up and get engaged. they try to elope quietly, mostly bc of nem’s avoidant personality issues, but the party catches on and gets mad so they do end up having a wedding, albeit a rather rushed one.

flare and nem go on a brief pocket dimension honeymoon where they basically just bang it out for a solid week, while only a day or so passes in the real world. they also spend 1000 gold on magical sex toys. i said this offhand as a joke bc at that point the party had like 50k and nem personally had like 10k, but my dm actually made them a "long distance relationship starter kit." (click the link to see the item, warning for nsfw content)

after this there’s more shenanigans. things are getting dire with the state of the world and the impending interplanar eclipse. eventually the party manages to find a way to circumvent the threatening apocalypse but in order to do so, they will have to turn back time to before the evil rich guy merged his soul with a shadow being. that means going back to when they were 10, to before flare and nem ever met. meaning flare will not remember her. nem is, understandably, crushed. previously when confronted with situations where nem could gain power if she sacrificed anything related to flare, even in symbolic situations that would have no real world ramifications, she has 100% refused. this is basically the worst possible choice for her. she cries a lot. talks with flare. comes up with a plan and the determination she needs to Do The Right Thing.

so the party have a final confrontation with the BBEG and it is during this fight, while he is distracted, that they turn back time. so as the fight progresses, they all become younger and younger, and they lose their powers (ie they level down), until they’re back to being kids and the BBEG is just a human and they can kill him before he becomes a problem.

the party is no longer forbidden from staying together/staying with their families. but nem still has a mission. she returns to wizard las vegas. she finds flare. she tells flare what her adult self told nem to say to her child self—information flare had never told anyone else, even in her adult years—and the two were able to reunite again and start fresh, and this time not as fugitives.

i think in this new version of the world, nem either goes full wizard or goes wizard 18 / rogue 2. i’ve tried to draw what i think wizard nem would look like but i just haven’t liked any of my attempts. idk maybe i’ll try again soon some times.

anyway i love my girls and i hope you’ve enjoyed this Very Long Post about them

u can find more art of them on my toyhouse

their campaign ended over a year ago but i’m still obsessed w them….

don’t think i’ll ever be over these two and their big stupid gay wedding that they got to have TWICE thanks to time travel shenanigans 😭

[bluexiao]

Bestie imagining these men with their kids is a blessing I swear to god!!! I may hate kids but having kids with fictional men hits different. On that note I raise you this: Zhongli and Xiao believing that they won't be able to have children with their partner/wife because of their past deeds/karma but then oop surprise she gets pregnant and they almost faint. I see Zhongli having twin girls that are identical to each other and have his eyes and it makes him so happy bc he sees himself in his girls but also they're a carbon copy of their mother. Xiao also has a little girl who is an exact copy of him. Shy, reserved and only likes certain people. Her dad is always by her side and if he could he would never let her leave his arms. She has his pretty eyes and hair, the mother/reader had none of her genes transferred lol *this is all based on that one post you made about the boys and their kids so if you aren't into these types of asks anymore delete this and I won't send another one in for the rest of the husband squad lol*

Being a Parent — headcanons

Character/s: zhongli, xiao; implied f!reader

Word count: over 2k can you tell how dedicated i am to this post

Note/s: so a reminder that this is purely fiction and a headcanon. i named the kids and believe me i’m not well versed at chinese names so i’m sorry if i ever did something wrong with it or so. i’ll place the meanings below if you’re curious about them^^ also i’m so sorry this is REALLY long i did not expect that i’d write a lot until i’m halfway thru zhongli’s and realized i’m at 800 words. and wow…. you could tell who’s my favorite between the two if you read this whole. anyway thanks for those who requested! this is totally one of my personal favorites. enjoy!

also to the person who requested for venti, it’s coming soon! i literally forgot about scanning my requests so these two are the only ones i finished writing today don’t worry i’ll write for venti too!!

ZHONGLI

First things first, I can't believe we have the same image in mind! i also had imagined before that zhongli would have twin children or at least two and they will grow up with him whilst being half adeptus

Of course, he had thought of the consequences before; maybe an ancient god like him wouldn’t be able to reproduce, like the other adepti, maybe this is dangerous for you. However, after being proven that he can indeed produce a child, he couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride and joy in his chest.

I can see your family to be composed of twin girls and a younger son, a new addition to the family just a few months ago after your twins turned two. You and Zhongli did not expect him to come, but alas the gods had decided to bless you two with another one, and the both of you couldn’t be much happier.

I can see your family to be composed of twin girls and a younger son, a new addition to the family just a few months ago after your twins turned two. You and Zhongli did not expect him to come, but alas the gods had decided to bless you two with another one, and the both of you couldn’t be much happier.

The twin girls, Meiyin and Meilin, usually called Yin and Lin fort short, look a lot like you, but they have their father’s eyes and his personality. They may have body features of a dragon, however, you were quite surprised when you saw the tiny, golden horns that the twins have on their forehead. But then, it’s not like you two did not expect it. Zhongli is a dragon, of course his children may embody features that were like his.

They are the calmest babies you have ever seen and they grew up to still be as calm as they were when they were babies. They rarely had tantrums but if they would, your eardrums would hurt. It’s to the point that your husband will be the only one who would have the capability of calming them down.

“Must be an adepti trait?” you lightheartedly say, whilst still holding onto one of your ears, leaning by the door frame of the twins’ room, looking at Zhongli who held both of his daughters in his arms, one of them clinging onto his neck while the other leans on his chest.

You see him softly smile, and you thought it was because of your words, but it was because of you. You who still thought positively about the situation even if you probably knew that this kind of tantrum is not much of a positive trait that one should have—but they do because of their blood, blood that came from him and his past.

Yin and Lin can be quite different at times. Despite being twins, there are certain qualities in their personalities that differ. For example, Yin is really good with money, and she has her own savings at the age of, what, five? On the other hand, Lin is a huge spender, especially when she grew up. When Lin was a kid, she’d throw a tantrum if you won’t let her buy a toy or a dress she likes. Sometimes, Zhongli indulges her with her desires, but it would be Uncle Childe who buys a lot of “gifts” for her. Also, he’s the twins’ favorite uncle (poor Xiao).

As for your youngest son, Jianlei or Lei, he’s a total carbon copy of his father, from head to toe. If you’ve never seen him cry, this would be one of the rarest times you would. He felt happy when the girls came, but when he saw a little version of him, sleeping softly in your arms? That is a sight to behold and something he’d cherish until the end of his days.

Lei doesn’t have horns though. He’s the one who has the least noticeable features since he only has a set of fangs. They weren’t too big but they’re not that of a mortal one. However, Zhongli did mention that it might change when he grows up. You still haven’t asked him about it but you have an idea as to why he said that.

Your youngest son’s personality is kind of a mixture of you and Zhongli but his maturity sure came from his father. He doesn’t rush on things and solves problems in a tactical and orderly way. However, he can be pretty stubborn because he wants to go things his way—you’re actually debating in your mind if it came from your side or your husband’s.

Shockingly, it is Jianlei who likes Uncle Xiao the most. Even if the yaksha rarely visits, Lei remembers him very clearly and admires him a lot.

Only a trusted few knows about Zhongli’s identity and even so, the children were gems of the harbor. People believe their golden eyes are very intriguing and they are all beautiful. A photographer may even try to get your family as models or so and ever since, Lin would be interested in being photographed whereas Jianlei, your son, would grow up to be surrounded by girls who have a crush on him. Like his father however, he’s very dense. Yin on the other hand will be the one who’s interested in history that she may even ask if she can study at Sumeru someday when she grows up.

Zhongli is the type of father who is not too strict on his children but he would surely be protective of them behind the lines. If someone ever does wrong to any of his precious kids, there are heavy consequences for such actions—maybe except if they’re children or so. Either way, I see him as a family man and he’s a natural at it. Your children will always feel the genuine love and support from their father no matter which path they take. As for you, of course his attention may be divided but he’ll always look at you the same way he had always done so ever since. You are part of his family, and he’ll prove it to you every single day.

MeiLin can mean “beautiful forest” or “beautiful, fine jade/gem” or “plum jade”

MeiYin can mean “beautiful money/silver”

JianLei can mean “building/establishing a pile of stones” or “strong/healthy pile of stones”

XIAO

Ironically, I agree that Xiao will certainly have an only daughter. I mean you can have more but he really hates seeing you in pain during labor. He doesn’t like it when he couldn’t do anything but wait outside or sit by your side, urging you to hold his hand and squeeze it to somehow ease the pain—as if it would.

He’s extremely overprotective during your pregnancy, and yes that’s to a very high extent. He would be like that at the very start and also when you’re nearing your due for the sole reason that you eased him into thinking that he should calm down for a bit. He did, but when you get more vulnerable by the months pass, he’s back at it again, and you’re fine with that because it’s for the right reason anyway.

At first though, he was really hesitant and scared, you could see it in his eyes. The moment you revealed to him that you’re pregnant, no matter how hard he tried to mask his emotions, it’s still obvious.

“Y-you’re what?”

He stiffened in your hold and your eyes instantly saw the change in his own. If you didn’t know better, you would have seen this as a negative note, but you waited patiently in front of him, nodding your head and a reassuring smile forming on your lips.

You then caressed his hand slowly with your thumb and gently pulled it to your clothed stomach, letting his open palm rest on it while your comforting hand stayed on top of his.

“We, Xiao. We’re expecting.”

He visibly gulped as his gaze drifted down to where your hands were linked and you wouldn’t have to look closer to see that his eyes were tearing up. You could say that he was holding them back but a tiny, single tear made him lose. However you didn’t have time to raise your other hand to brush it away when he pulled you into a loose embrace—might be because he thinks if he held you tighter, something might happen.

You wouldn’t see, but you could tell that Xiao is now crying.

He wouldn’t say anything about his worries but you’d know it, especially if you had been with him for a long time.

When your daughter, whom you named Annchi, arrived, she peaked her eyes up to you and the moment you saw them, you saw her father. Xiao on the other hand noticed her great resemblance to you, from hair to nose to lips—except for the eyes. That one feature was what made him tear up again. Although he did not cry, it was obvious that he was close to anyway

He would be wary of holding her at first, but then Verr, the one who assisted you and the doctor during labor and the whole pregnancy, insisted him to since you had fallen asleep at that time. When he held your baby the first time, Verr guided him at first, but he got the hang of it in a minute or two. He’s uncomfortable at first but when his baby looked up at him again and reached out her small hands to play with the tips of his hair, he melted. It felt as if his world lightened up more once his daughter arrived.

He has a soft side on his daughter and you would always catch him looking at her with a gentle look on his eyes, sometimes even paired with a small smile.

There are times when you have to reassure him still, especially if he’s still suffering from his karmic debt. He wouldn’t let himself hold his daughter and even so far as be close with her. It will hurt looking and seeing him like this, but he’s doing it to protect her. Although it’s not like your daughter was very fragile like a normal mortal would—she has an adeptus’ blood, his own blood.

Deep inside him though, he hopes that his suffering did not pass onto his daughter. He’d worry about it sometimes but when he sees her smiling up at him, those thoughts would instantly vanish.

Like the previous children, Annchi also has a feature that came from her father’s blood and it's the wings on her back. It was quite small of course but as she grew up, it became more noticeable. Of course there were people who questioned it, and it was one of the reasons why your husband were more alert, especially when she started going to school. Too many people are quite interested in knowing your daughter that you two eventually decided to have her home-schooled instead—of course with the permission of your daughter. Surprisingly but kind of expected, she accepted. As long as she thinks it’s reasonable, she doesn’t mind going along with it.

She also has a tattoo on her neck. It was not quite obvious when she was a baby since it only became more visible during her toddler years and by the time she was a teenager, the tattoo was clearly of an image of a bird.

Your daughter is reserved, just like her father, but she can be a mixture of you and him at times. Although, it’s quite obvious that she and her father have more understanding towards each other. Even if her father wasn’t saying anything, she clearly knows what he thinks.

She will be closer to you in an emotional aspect though. She respects her father that she understands that he is not like an ordinary mortal who can understand emotions, that’s why it’s probably best to talk to you about those.

Lastly, since this is getting longer than it should be Xiao is the type of father who would stand at the sidelines and watch his child grow. He’d support her, sure, but he would like to see them independent and not blinded by the dark side of the world. He will keep his karmic debt from her and she won’t even know about it but she might see it a couple of times but she won’t question it. It’s unknown whether he has knowledge about these times but going back to the point, he wants to protect her and he would from other people, but he would show her that the world is harsh and cruel, despite its beauty. He wants her to learn to fight and protect herself because there might be a time when he wouldn’t be there to do so. Thus, it is only best that he shall pass on his strength, so that she may live longer and have a happier life than his.

Annchi means “amazing, peace, angel” or “angelic peace”

Trivia: I kind of based my own family on Xiao's part. I’m an only child and my family works exactly that way. Me and my dad are introverts and we understand each other in a different way than me and my mom would. Only at that aspect though lmao.

[lightaflme]

— ✦ jiwoo’s relationship with txt

yeonjun ✿ yeonwoo

siblings

jiwoo calls yeonjun a grandpa/old man every other day

“imagine being born in the 90s” “you have three seconds to run”

they bicker A LOT

but other than that they are always supporting each other and hyping each other up!

“CHOI YEONJUN PLEASE WINK FOR ME!!!”

jiwoo getting shy when yeonjun starts screaming for him and being like “please do a flying kiss for me, bae jiwoo!!!!”

they may seem like they hate each other and can’t stand being by each other (jokingly), but at the end of the day they love each other very much!

soobin ✿ woobin

platonic soulmates

00z of txt!

they do everything with each other. going out, taking pictures, random dance play, vlives, the list keeps going

my day gets better when i see a vlive notif that says “🐰 dance time! 🦦” how about you

txt’s resident multistans

also very good friends even before txt. jiwoo is actually soobin’s first fan 🤔

“i have been in the soobin fanclub, get in LINE”

during hybe caterers, they went viral for dancing to asap/other gg songs together and making everyone their fan, especially seventeen (dino and jiwoo meet: spiderman meme)

woobin is a very popular pairing within moas!

beomgyu ✿ beomwoo, woogyu

troublemakers, one doing something stupid, one trying to handle the other

at first, jiwoo would just try to calm down beomgyu and stop him if he does anything stupid

but then beomgyu got him and now they cause trouble together rip yeonjun

annoying yeonjun together because why not

“yeonjun you are literally ancient” “booooo 👎” “you guys are so annoying 😔”

literally their moments together contain them being stupid

but overall they are very nice friends to have, they are so caring :((

like they can have fun when it’s time but they also know when to care for u and </33

taehyun ✿ jihyun

best friends

at first they could not get along for some reason??

but now they are moas’ favorite besties #jihyunforthewin!!

they know literally everything about each other. and when i say everything i mean. everything

one moment they are hugging and saying “i love you” to each other and then you blink and they are fist fighting

“taehyunnie ~~ i love y-“ *slapped*

jiwoo is always so impressed with how talented taehyun is

*taehyun is singing* “i am actually going to kiss him backstage!!!!1!1!1!” “jiwoo you are on camera” “oh come on i do not care!!! i need the world to know i love taehyunnie!!!”

oh yeah jiwoo calls him “taehyunnie” a lot

terry kang and elijah bae 🫰

hueningkai ✿ wookai

best friends

they love each other very much!!

calling each other pet names as a joke but now they don’t think it’s a joke anymore 🫣

“babe, do you want to go out with me tomorrow?” “of course, honey” “what 🧍‍♂️”

molang lovers!!

literally half of the molang plushies hyuka has are from jiwoo. sometimes jiwoo even gets matching ones for the both of them

BABIES </3

fake maknae and real maknae

hueningkai also babies jiwoo?? even though it should be the other way around??

actually it goes both ways

“our woowoo~ you are so cute!!” “WHAT 😗”

masterlist

[introvert-celeste]

The Introvert's Plight (Eda's Delight)

Raine suffers from social exhaustion. Eda is one of the few people who makes them feel recharged.

Raine had surpassed their limit, Eda could tell.

The evening started simply enough, small talk among old friends, and they had played right along—for a while at least—quickly emersed in a heated discussion with Darius over trivial Hexside drama, playful banter with an edge while Eberwolf egged them on.

“Tsk, ancient history,” Eda had scoffed under her breath, instantly bored, and left the group to their own devices.

She’d never known Raine to be particularly shy in most situations, but people…well situations like this often left them drained and irritable. They were always like this, and it had only gotten more prominent with age. Sure enough, when she peeked back into the room some time later, they appeared to be slowly integrating themself with the cushions of the couch. Darius and Eber made feeble attempts to rope them back into the conversation, but their mind was clearly somewhere else, eyes distant, arms crossed tightly across their chest.

Silently Eda cursed the little pang of sympathy that curled around her heart as she watched them. That irritating little creature had been quite the nuisance lately, an unfortunate side-effect of being in love, an experience that was already pretty uncomfortable in itself. She had enough irritating little creatures in her life with a stake on her heart without this tiny pest worming its way among them.

“Welp!” Eda exclaimed, striding into the room before she made herself emotional, holding up her non-existent right hand to look at her equally non-existent watch. “Looks like it’s scram o’clock. Best get steppin’.”

Darius halted mid-sentence with an irritable grunt, eyeing her coolly while Eber chittered mischievously in his ear. She didn’t need to understand what they said to get the gist; the sardonic grin that spread across Darius’ face said it all. His gaze passed between the two of them, eyebrow quirking amusedly.

“Ah, I see how it is,” he finally replied, nodding in Raine’s direction and winking slyly. “You want Songbird all to yourself. Fair enough.”

Raine groaned inwardly and buried their face in their hands, suddenly very aware of the current conversation. Another pang gnawed at Eda, this time fixated on how cute they were, and she had to threaten herself to keep from blushing. One of them had to appear unfazed, so she simply cast Darius a smug grin, holding open the door for him in response.

He rolled his eyes good-naturedly, conceding this time. With a dramatic swish of his cape, Darius made his exit, Eber scampering onto his shoulder as they left. “Enjoy your bard, Owl Lady.”

“With pleasure,” she purred, earning herself another embarrassed groan from Raine as she shut the door behind the retreating guests a little too eagerly.

Leaning back against the doorframe, she could barely contain herself, snort-laughing to herself as the heat rushed to her face unhindered. Poor Raine had all but keeled over from the stress. It took a long moment for her to compose herself.

“Heh, sorry,” she chuckled, swiping a tear from her eye. “You know I had to.” Raine merely shook their head disapprovingly, their fist pressed against their mouth, barely concealing an amused smile.

Eda flopped down on the couch beside them, the mood turning quiet and sober all at once. She laid a hand hesitantly against their forearm, which seemed almost to tremble with tension under her touch. She let her fingers dance up their arm and over their rigid shoulders, gently nudging them down away from their ears. Raine began to relax, letting out a shaking sigh they’d probably been holding in all evening.

“Rough night, huh?” She paused to flick their earring playfully, the light, metallic tickling adding to the quiet ambiance rather than disrupting it.

Finally, they melted into her embrace, their head fitting perfectly in the crook of her neck.

“Mmm…” They mumbled against her shoulder.

“Poor baby,” she cooed, half-teasing. Softly, she continued. “Do you mind if I sit with you or do you want some alone time?”

They wrapped an arm around her waist in response, nuzzling their face deeper into her neck. Eda resisted the urge to laugh again as their hair tickled her skin. She held them closer—if that was even possible—enjoying an indulgent moment of softness, warmth, so uncharacteristic for her and yet it felt so right with Raine. Even when they exhaled deeply, reluctantly pulling themself from the embrace to gaze up at her with admiration, that warmth only seemed to emanate from the two of them, filling the room.

It was a novel feeling, loving and being loved in return.

“What is it?” They asked, looking suddenly amused.

Eda realized she’d been grinning like an idiot for a hot second. It was her turn to hide her face in embarrassment, suspecting she looked far less cute than Raine and a lot stupider. They were quick to pry her hand away from her face, holding it firmly between their own as they tilted their head up toward hers. So, softness was not her forte, but at least this was something she excelled at. She welcomed the kiss gratefully.

“Just thinking about you,” she whispered against their lips, moving back in for more.

They stopped her with a chaste little peck, an apologetic stroke of her cheek. “I’m sorry, not tonight, Eda. I…you know how it is. Talking and people, it’s just…it’s so exhausting…”

“Yeah, I know,” She conceded, a little disappointed, but just happy to hold them, to know that they trusted her, wholly and truly, despite everything that had happened between them.

They relaxed against her once again, the two of them reclining comfortably on the couch, content in the other’s presence.