#happens to people who fail or betray the family by the time he's 20. Sorry wrong game back to Kiwami

[smol-tired-binch-blog]

Kazama please don't give this man his own family he looks like he's gonna cry at the thought of conning civilians

[ur-favorite-queer-queen]

Magic

For Maribat March day 16 theme magic

Master List

“50 bucks says she is,” Dick walked in on Jason saying, “there is no way she’s with Demon Spawn otherwise.” 

“I agree with Jason, there’s no way she isn’t.” Tim agreed. 

“So how much are you betting Tim?” Babs questioned, getting ready to write it down. 

“20 bucks.” 

“What are you guys betting about?” Dick interrupted. 

“If Marinette is magic or not.” Steph responded.

“Why?” Dick asked. 

“Cause there is no way that she’s not magic if she is able to not only hang around Damian but date him!” Jason accused. 

“We really shouldn’t be betting on this sort of thing.” Dick tried, and failed, to reason. 

“Too late,” Duke spoke up, “30 bucks says she isn’t magic.” 

Dick sighed, “What has everyone else betted?” 

“I’m keeping track so I’m not betting.” Babs clarified, “Steph betted 20 bucks that she isn’t magic, Duke just betted 30 bucks that she also isn’t, Tim betted 20 bucks she is, Jason betted 50 bucks she is, and Cass and you haven’t betted yet.” 

Cass then signed, “I bet 20 bucks that she is magic, just not in the way we think.” Leave it to Cass to be that cryptid. 

“I’ll bet 10 bucks she isn’t, why not.” Dick finally gave up his internal struggle, yeah it wasn’t nice betting on his little brother’s girlfriend, but hey there was no way she was magic. 

- 

“I still can’t believe you’re magic.” Damian admitted. 

“Well technically I’m not magic. I just wield magical jewels that house tiny gods.” Marinette corrected. 

“Is there really a difference?” He asked, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer to him.

“Yes, yes there is.” She replied, cuddling closer and leaning into him. 

“Are you sure you parents are gone?” He questioned, Jagged and Penny claimed that they had business they needed to do but he wouldn’t put it past them to lie and spy on them. 

“Yes they trust me because I’m responsible. Plus it’s not like we’re doing anything wrong, just cuddling.” 

“YOU BETTER NOT BE DOING ANYTHING OTHER THAN CUDDLING!” Stompp shouted from the other room. If they had to guess, the other kwamis were stopping him from barging into the room they were currently in. 

“WE’RE NOT STOMPP! YOU CAN STOP BEING SO PROTECTIVE!” Marinette yelled back. 

“More like paranoid.” Damian muttered. 

“Like you can say that.” Marinette laughed. 

Damian tried to scowl but couldn’t help the smile that spread on his face. While she may not have believed it, she truly was magic. To him at least. 

“So does your family know yet?” She asked once she stopped laughing. 

“No, they have no clue.” 

“Really, we’ve been together for a year. Shouldn’t they know by now?” 

“They started a bet on whether you’re magic or not. If that counts.” 

“They did not!” She broke into another giggle fit. 

“They did.” He smiled at her as she grinned up at him. 

“Oh the chaos that will come from this.”

“Don’t let Plagg let hear you say that.” 

“You’re scared of what might happen if we ever teamed up.” 

“I am very scared.” 

“As you should be.” She looked like she was having a very serious internal battle as she tried not to laugh. 

“So are you still coming over this Saturday?” 

“Of course, I wouldn’t miss it.” 

-

Marinette enjoyed these dinners at Wayne manor. Dinner with her bio parents usually consisted of silence and conversations about the bakery or school. Dinner with her adopted parents consisted of Jagged doing or claiming he did something that Penny wouldn’t approve of then him getting scolded. Sometimes she would add in her own disappointed face. But dinners at Wayne manor were different. 

Because there were so many people there was so much going on at once. Different conversations somehow managed to flow smoothly and they managed to jump from topic to topic like lightning. Yet when something interesting was brought up they all managed to stop and listen before continuing their other conversations. 

They were all so different but they managed to get along so well (most of the time). In a way they reminded her of the kwami. While it was a weird comparison it made sense in her head. All the kwami were different, different personalities, opinions, and views of the world. But at the end of the day they were still a family. 

“Hey Pixie!” Jason called from across the table. 

She quickly swallowed her food and replied, “Yeah!” 

“Where’d your nose ring go? I haven’t seen you wear it in a while.” 

“Oh I stopped wearing it. The side effects were so annoying and I just didn’t see the point anymore.” 

“Wait what side effects?” Dick asked, “You weren’t allergic to the material or anything were you?” 

“No, but the magic part of it was tiring to try to keep under control.” Marinette was met with silence. She was very much aware of the chaos she was unleashing and she couldn’t wait. 

It was Cass that ended up breaking the silence, a small grin on her face, “Pay up.” 

“Wait, I betted that she was magic too!” Jason shouted. 

“Yeah, but Cass said she was magic not in the way we think. So technically she wins the bet.” Babs observed. 

“We really should stop betting.” Duke mused, pulling 30 bucks from his wallet and handing it to Cass. 

“Marinette, what do you mean that the magic became too tiring to keep under control?” Tim questioned. 

“And Damian did you know?” Steph butted in. 

“Yes I did know.” Damian answered. 

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Dick asked, placing a hand to his heart to show how betrayed he felt. 

“Because Stompp gave him the shovel talk once he found out.” Marinette giggled. 

“Stompp?” Duke repeated. 

“Yeah my kwami at the time. His miraculous is the nose ring I used to wear.” 

“Kwami? Miraculous?” Bruce finally decided to add into the conversation. 

“Oh yeah. This is gonna be a long explanation.” Marinette chuckled to herself, Damian let a small smile onto his face before replacing it with a scowl. 

“Wait, I wanna know about the shovel talk Damian got?” Jason interrupted. 

“Why is this Stompp called a kwami and why is your nose ring a miraculous and why is Stompp connected to it?” Tim voiced. 

“Okay how about I start at the beginning.” Marinette reasoned to the agreement of the family. 

“Which beginning?” Damian smirked, much to the confusion of his family. 

“I’ll start at the very beginning.” Marinette smirked back at him before launching into her story. Needless to say it was a long night. 

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

Oh my god I’m so sorry I was late. If you didn’t see my post from yesterday I was supposed to post this yesterday but life kinda hit me with a train. Then burned down the hospital I was in and sent me to hell. Life hasn’t been to great. But here I am with the final part to this mini series. It’s no masterpiece but its something and I promised I would post today. Thank you for all of the support I’ve been getting! All of those who like, comment, and reblog, I’m thanking all of you. Honestly seeing that so many people like what I’m doing is one of the only motivation factors I’ve got going, so again thank you! Tagging all the people that commented on part 2 which you can find in my Master List. It will be Maribat March day 6 and 12. If you want me to link parts 1 and 2 ask me. I didn’t want to at first because I’m lazy but if you want me too I can.

@maribatmarch-2k21 @lunarwolfspn @myazael  @birdiesthings  @northernbluetongue @thecaptainthunder

[keelywolfe]

(A Spicyhoney ‘The Village’ AU)

Author’s Note: I am so sorry this chapter took so long to come out! Thank you so much everyone for your patience and all your lovely comments, I adore and appreciate every one! 🧡

The story so far:

1. Crimson | 2. Yellow | 3. Blue | 4. Blush

5. Sallow | 6. Russet | 7. Spice| 8. Whiteout  

9. Sable | 10. Blue on Black | 11. Midnight | 12. Ebony Falling

13. Golden | 14. Magenta | 15. Marigold | 16. Coquelicot  

17. Daffodil | 18. Verdigris | 19. Honey | 20. Scarlet

21. Alstroemeria | 22. Onyx | 23. Gray | 24. Vellum  

25: Iris | 26. Null

~~*~~

Read ‘ Chapter 27: Dappled ’ on AO3

or

Read More Here!

~~*~~

Josie, their old milk cow, was licking him, her rough tongue sweeping wetly over his skull. Her patience with his secret naps in the barn must have finally run out and now she was here to drive him from her stall. Her broad tongue swiped over his face again and Rus tried to push her away, flailing out with a limp arm and mumbling, “no, bad cow, go find your trough.”

The wet tongue halted and then came in his brother’s amused voice, “Well, that’s one you’ve never called me.”

That gave Rus a drowsy pause. Whatever was his brother doing in their little barn, he hardly ever came out, always trusting Rus to take care of their small menagerie. He only cared for their livestock when Rus was sick—

Oh.

Come to think of it, he could feel the softness of a feather tick beneath him, not scratchy hay atop an old horse blanket. He must be having another one of his spells and there was a distant regret that Blue must have needed to tend to him. His sockets were still reluctant to open, they felt gluey, too heavy yet to lift.

“brother,” Rus slurred out, “i had the strangest dream…"

A dream? No, that didn’t seem right.

Memory began to filter back, a flutter of mental pictures passing through his drowsy mind; of his home in the woods, the cave, the diary, the snowstorm…and Edge. Realization struck with the force of a slap and Rus opened his sockets with a gasp to look directly into Blue’s starry eye lights. He tried to sit up, reaching for him, and his strength failed him the moment he was upright, a wave of dizziness sending him straight back to the bed, “brother?”

“Easy,” Blue soothed. His small, familiar hands settled on Rus’s skull and the damp cloth he’d mistaken as a surly cow’s tongue gently patted away the sudden beads of sweat that were rising from his brief exertion. “Gracious, child, you’ve been ill for days, you need to take it easy.”

Rus heard little of the words, he only knew that his brother was sitting next to him, his dear brother whom he’d bid goodbye some weeks ago. The last time his sockets were open, Rus was staring out at an endless snowstorm as he waited to die and now, he was in an unfamiliar bedroom, wintry sunlight pouring in through the cheery window curtains.

Rus swallowed hard, croaking out, “what happened?”

“Oh, plenty, little brother,” Blue said lightly. That was a voice Rus knew all too well, the gentle bedside manner he used on those in his care, particularly when there was bad news that needed to be shared. Chilly fear was settling into Rus’s soul and he might have demanded answers if Blue hadn’t gone on. “I don’t mind telling you, you gave me quite a start! Popping right into the living room like that and bringing your husband with you, along with a pile of snow for good measure!” He laughed softly, shaking his head. “You always did have to make a mess.”

“edge? edge is here.” Rus closed his sockets and sagged with relief. Rus hadn’t abandoned him then out in the white coldness, though he had only the vaguest of memories about it. Then what his brother was telling him made him frown. “popped in? how do you mean?”

“Oh, yes,” Blue assured him, “it was quite a sight! I always thought you may have some power lain dormant, but I could hardly have guessed how your magic would manifest, brother! Appearing from nowhere at all? That was certainly never mentioned in any of the texts!” He busied himself wetting the cloth again and wringing it out, patting at Rus’s forehead. “It’s been said that a bad fright or danger can sometimes bring out the ability, you’ve certainly proved the theory on that!”

To hear his brother, the one who’d raised him, the one who’d cared for him, who’d dutifully taken him to prayer meetings and obeyed the word of the Elders, speaking so boldly of magic, and not only magic, but of Rus’s magic, was nearly incomprehensible. He wondered dimly that he wasn’t still asleep or worse, still lost out in the storm, burrowed in Edge’s arms as the cold overtook them both.

The trickle of cool water running down his skull belied that. He was here, they both were, and his brother was speaking of magic with nary even a hasty ward signed against hexes in sight.

“you know,” Rus said, slowly. “you know the truth, don’t you.”

It was not a question and Blue did not pretend to mistake his meaning. “I do,” Blue told him softly. He smoothed a hand down the heavy quilt on the bed, chasing out the wrinkles. “I know some of it. There’s few of us living in the village who do.”

“but…you never said…you never said a word!” Tears were warming his sockets. He’d believed since he was no more than a child in the evils of magic and the creatures that lived in the wood, the Monsters, devils dressed in crimson that would kill any they saw, tear out them open and consume their very soul. To learn the truth the way he had by being cast out from his home and then dealing with his own disbelief at what Edge told him about himself, that he was magic? He never could have guessed that Blue knew otherwise and kept such secrets from him, never would have believed if it hadn’t come straight from his brother. Those welling tears spilled over, leaving wet trails down his cheekbones.

Blue’s face twisted in anguish. “Oh, little brother, I couldn’t tell you, I was sworn to silence.” More tears swelled and ran down his brother’s cheekbones in a match to his own. “The risks are ever so much higher than a simple broken promise. Lives are at stake as well as the little knowledge we have left of our people.” Blue set aside the cloth and took Rus’s face in both gentle hands, fruitlessly smoothing away those tears only for fresh ones to take their place. “I tried to push your magic to manifest properly as well as I could, but neither could I risk you accidently performing some spell in front of your peers. They liked you little enough as it was, certainly they wouldn’t keep your secrets.”

As much as that hurt to hear, Rus couldn’t argue with the truth of it. His agemates would have gleefully betrayed him to the Elders with nary a regret.

“No matter what I tried, I couldn’t seem to tease it loose past those basic healing charms that you struggled with,” Blue sighed out, “I only know what little Healer Gestor taught me and nothing at all about what key might have unlocked your cage. But that journal you brought along certainly held a wealth of new information.”

Rus looked up, astonished, “you read it?”

“I did. I had little else to manage, you’ve been asleep for three days.” The stars in his eye lights faded, leaving behind pale, worried orbs. “Brother, I knew of magic and what could be done with it, but I could never have suspected the truth of the creatures of the Wood. That our people were once one.”

“but now you know.” Rus struggled to sit up again, fighting against a renewed wave of dizziness. “they are lying to us all, they are the evil ones, murderers and betrayers! something must be done!”

“Lie down,” Blue scolded, and reluctantly, Rus did as he was told. “I agree, brother, but it isn’t that simple! What would you have us do? Do you think the elders are going to let us stand in the town square to preach our word, perhaps? We’d all be cast out or killed, or worse. We are few, brother, and they are many. Now, enough fussing on that for right now, how do you feel?

The urge that had been driving him to bring the diary to his brother, to share the truth, was left grasping at nothingness. There was only a gaping emptiness as his labors proved fruitless. In the end, he’d changed hardly anything at all, and nearly died for it, even endangering his own husband in his foolish attempt.

But that was hardly what his brother was asking.

Despite the guilt resting heavily in his soul, he could honestly save he felt quite well. As weak as he still was, he felt better than he ever had after an illness before.

“hungry,” Rus admitted.

Blue beamed happily. “That is a very good sign.” He pushed his low stool back and stood. “Let me go downstairs and get you some broth to start with. If you manage that, perhaps a slice of bread.”

Downstairs, hm, that bore another question with it. Rus looked around at the unfamiliar room again. Aside from the lovely bed quilt and curtains, it was nearly empty, the only other furniture a mere stand with a water basin atop it. “where are we?”

“I’m afraid I couldn’t keep you at home,” Blue said, “there’s far too many noisy neighbors about in town. It took some doing, but we managed to smuggle you both out in the dark of night. We’re out at Dogamy’s farm taking up his guest rooms. As far as the townsfolk know, little Emma has the grippe.”

Both? Wait.

“where is edge?” Rus cried out, aghast. He struggled to sit up again despite his brother’s exasperated scolding and hands struggling to hold him down. He thought of Azzy, dear, sweet Azzy lost to them all these years, no, it couldn’t possibly be, Blue had said both of them. Rus relented only when it was apparent that his weakness couldn’t combat his brother’s strength. “where is he,” Rus pleaded, “where is my husband?”

“Easy, now, he’s here, he’s resting. He’s hardly left your side at all, so naturally that would be when you awoke, you fickle thing,” Blue chuckled. “That was quite a first meeting between your husband and I.” There was a certain determined glint in Blue’s eye that Rus knew quite well, the very same that allowed Blue to stand unswaying beneath any familial protests when it came to the care of his patients, the same that allowed him to stand before Elder Smith and not bend. “Well, we've managed to gain something of an understanding between us, I believe. He was terribly concerned about you and didn't want me touching you at the beginning. I…persuaded him."

Rus was torn between gratitude and disappointment at having missed seeing that.

“I’ll just go wake him and get some porridge for you. Don’t you budge an inch from that bed, little brother, you were quite ill!” Blue scolded. He rose up on his toes to press a light kiss to Rus’s forehead and pulled the blankets up to tuck around him, then bustled out of the room.

Hardly a moment passed before he heard footsteps hurrying in his direction. The door flew open and his husband tall form filled the entire space of it.

Or, well, he assumed it was his husband. It was certainly his much beloved face looking at him anxiously and the darkened circles beneath his sockets spoke of many a sleepless night.

But the rumpled clothes he was wearing were not ones he’d ever thought to see on that broad frame.

Gone were his tunic and leggings, as well as his long, scarlet cloak. Instead, he was dressed entirely in clothes from the Village, worn castoffs with mismatched patches at the elbows and knees. The oversized shirt hung loosely on him, the top two buttons carelessly undone. Whoever’s trousers they’d given him were far too short, hardly reaching midcalf and his sagging socks might have been acceptable if it weren’t for his bony big toes poking through. He looked, Rus thought fondly, as if he’d dressed himself entirely from the prayer house charity bag and probably wasn’t far from it.

“oh, dear, whatever did they do to you?” Rus asked in amused sympathy.

“Well, we couldn’t very well leave him standing around in the forbidden color, could we.” That familiar gruff voice came from the hallway, Dogamy’s broad head peering around Edge’s side. “Here he was, standing about bold as you please in red! Even if I could explain a stranger in my sitting room, I’d not be able to make much excuse for that if anyone cared to take a peek through my front window!”

Edge paid no mind to any of that. His jaw worked, his eye lights fiercely bright and in two long strides he was by the bedside, falling to his knees and burying his face directly into the blankets covering Rus’s lap. Both his arms worked their way around Rus, holding him with an implacable grip, and his scarred hands fisted in the blankets. His shoulders heaved, a shudder going through his sturdy frame and that banked guilt rose up to choke Rus, to know he’d worried Edge so.

“oh, my darling,” Rus murmured. He settled a gentle hand on the curve of Edge’s skull, stroking gently, earning a muffled sound that was very nearly a sob.

A slight cough from the doorway made him jerk guiltily, both hands fluttering to shield Edge from view, but Dogamy’s expression was one of fond affection. “Ah, that’s the way, then, he’ll be better for seeing you. Your man was worried for you, he was. It’s good to see you awake, lad, and make no mistake. Never you worry, my missus’s soup will have you back on your feet in no time!”

“thank you,” Rus said, heartfelt, and for far more than any healing that could come from any sort of broth.

“Och, it was nothing that a good neighbor wouldn’t do,” Dogamy scoffed waving him off as though he’d done nothing more than lend a cup of sugar.

“i shouldn’t even think to ask even the best of neighbors for such that you’ve given us, and my brother as well.”

“P’rhaps,” Dogamy admitted, one shoulder rising in a shrug, “but we were happy to share whatever help there was to give. Now then!” He clapped his furry hands together lightly. “I’ll head off and leave you two to get some rest.” He put deed to words and turn away, his heavy footsteps carrying him away down the hall.

That left him alone with his husband and for a wonder, Rus couldn’t think of a thing to say. What apology could suffice, how could he possibly beg forgiveness for the dangers he wrought upon them both with his foolishness? Rus swallowed hard, tracing Edge’s coronal sutures with gentle fingertips as he only held on tightly.

“edge?” Rus asked softly. Whatever else he might have tried to say was stifled as Edge abruptly pulled free from Rus’s loose grip, though he didn’t go far. He didn’t so much as hesitate to crawl right next to Rus, sprawling with him on the mattress and things that seemed perfectly acceptable when living in a cave in the woods shook his sense of propriety here in a proper bed.

“oh, you shouldn’t—” Rus began weakly, even as strong arms circled him once again, forgiveness granted before it could even be asked.

He wasn’t particularly surprised to be utterly ignored, resigning himself with near tearfully relief into Edge’s embrace even as he began to scatter kisses on Rus’s skull and face in almost desperate little pecks.

“I supposed I should have known to specify that any calisthenics while you’re abed are also out of the question.”

Rus squeaked at the sound of his brother’s dry voice, blushing hotly up to his browbones and beyond as he struggled to wriggle free. But Edge refused to release him and Rus was forced to relent, settling back into his arms and hardly able to meet his brother’s very amused look as he said, meekly, “i am sorry, brother.”

“Nonsense, you’re married,” Blue said stoutly, “and even if you weren’t, this one seems to think you hung the very moon and stars in the night sky. Angel forbid anyone try to stand between the two of you, certainly I won’t.” Blue moved the basin from the nightstand and set a steaming mug in its place, then spoke to Edge directly, “I trust you’ll help him take his meal?”

“My Rus,” Edge said, with enough surly venom to make Rus blink in surprise even as he was clutched tightly to Edge’s chest.

Gracious, that glare could stop a bear in its tracks and send it scurrying on its way. His brother was clearly made of sterner stuff and only sighed, shaking his head.

“Of course he is,” Blue said briskly. “As I’ve told you every time you’ve said so. Brother, you may wish to work on reassuring your husband that we’ve no intention of keeping you from him. I’d not interfere with such love for all the gold in the village.” His smile was faint and tremulous, his starry eye lights suddenly luminous with memories. “I’m glad to see you’ve found your one, little brother, so very glad. Now, drink your broth and get some sleep.”

With that, Blue left the room, closing the door softly behind him. The moment it was shut, Edge’s grip eased. Had he thought Blue might snatch him away, Rus wondered, more than a little bemused. Well, he’d disabused Edge of that foolish notion soon enough. For now, there was soup to be had and his soul was eager for any meal at all.

“all right, then.” Rus shifted, reaching for the mug, only to squeak in surprise as Edge’s arms immediately tightened. “come now, shan’t I get to eat?” Then slower, in Edge’s language. “let me have food?”

It was the wrong thing to say. Edge drew away, stricken, hardly the reaction Rus hoped for, but at least he reached for the still steaming mug. Rus waited patiently as Edge blew on it to cool it, testing it carefully before handing it over and even then, he kept an anxious hold on the cup, hands hovering in case it slipped from Rus’s hands.

Such a fuss, even worse than Blue, but somehow, it was warming rather than irritating. After enduring that snowstorm, surely it was churlish to complain about any overprotectiveness. Rus shuddered at the memory and curled up closer to Edge, sipping at his broth and basking in the comfort of his arms.

All too soon, his cup was emptied, every drop of broth eagerly drunk, and Edge took it from him to set it back on nightstand. For all that according to his brother he’d been asleep for three days, exhaustion was already tugging Rus into another kind of embrace. There were things yet to discuss and sins to repent, but those would have to wait.

“sleep with me?” Rus mumbled hopefully. The bed wasn’t the size of their pallet back in the cave, but it was at least wide enough for two, particularly those who didn’t mind sleeping close, and closeness was what Rus craved, a desire within him to all but crawl right into his husband’s ribcage next to his soul to keep him near.

Edge nodded, releasing him long enough to reach for his shirt buttons. His hands, so nimble when they dealt with Rus’s clothes only pawed clumsily at his own and with some amusement, Rus helped him, carefully peeling away his unfamiliar shirt to reveal the well known and well-loved scarred bone beneath. It was just as well he was as tired as he was, Rus thought ruefully, or else he might not be able to resist pleading for his spousal privileges despite his brother being only a room or two away.

As it was, he lifted the blankets in silent invitation, one that Edge took, sliding bare between the soft linens. Rus pulled him close with a happy sigh, settling back against the pillows even as Edge chose to rest his own skull atop Rus’s rib cage.

Edge pressed a gentle kiss to his sternum through his thin nightshirt, murmuring hoarsely. “Rus, k’uhah.”

“k’uhah,” Rus murmured sleepily. “yours, always.” He settled in and let sleep claim him.

tbc

[airi-p4]

Pirate Luka AU

I wrote this fic for my amazing friend @katydoodles​ Birthday. This story is based on Katy’s Pirate Luka AU (check her art if you haven’t yet because it’s amazing!), and it’s Luka/Harem (with Kagami, Chloe, Marinette and Adrien).

Beware this story may differ from Katy’s original story.

TW: mentioned violence (cut tongues / severed body parts) idk how I should tag this

Happy Birthday Katy! 💙💙💙

AO3

________________________________________

Luka admired his newly acquired prize in his ship chamber- the captain’s room. His boots were on the table, legs crossed and his back laid back, while he observed, satisfied, the jar that contained XY’s freshly cut tongue in it. His lips curled in a pleased smirk. He had been considering throwing it to feed the sharks, but the gratification the reward gave him made him glad to have dismissed the idea.

XY deserved to be silenced.

And he was now.

Once more, Luka reached where ‘justice failed’ with his law of silence.

Luka stood up to place the jar back to its place on the shelf. He took one step backwards and walked slowly around the wooden room contemplating his collection. Dozens- hundreds- of jars filled with tongues decorated the room, as if they were the displays of a museum. Each jar was completed by the owner’s name, the date, and their crime properly tagged.

All jars full- except for one.

The pirate ship’s captain teeth clenched and his black nails sank in his skin as he remembered that man- the man who betrayed his father’s tongue, the man who ruined his family. The man he swore revenge to. The man that turned him into a pirate, and the one he couldn’t wait to kill. His blood boiled at the memory of that face- that ugly face he had many ideas of how to destroy, such as-

A knock at the door distracted him from his thoughts.

“Come in” Luka ordered, releasing his anger; and his first officer obeyed, entering the room and closing the door behind her.

“Captain. Everything’s ready”

“Very well. Thank you, Kagami” he smiled, fixing one of the tags that were blurried by dust with his finger.

“Were you watching your collection again, Captain? It certainly is impressive. As expected of my Captain.”

Luka smiled proudly at his first officer. Who would have thought a noble Lady like her would fit so perfectly in his crew? He clearly remembered how grossed out she was the first time she entered his chamber. Now she was grossed out by the people those tongues belonged to: rapists, murderers, dishonorable and corrupted powerful people (such as judges or city rulers), slavers, pedophiles (the real kind, not those who draw harmless art like some people overreacting may say) and art reposters (those had all their tongues in the same jar, nameless but still punished). All of them were silenced now in Luka’s jars on the shelves.

His crewmates were mostly people saved from the hands of those men. He had let them choose if they wanted to join him or leave freely, but most of them wanted to stay to serve their savior. Nino had been one of the slaves Luka rescued. Alix was abused by her step-father, a corrupted ruler of one of the cities they stopped at. Kim was forced to hard work for stealing from a noble for the poor, and he was about to be hanged just before Luka stepped in to help. Ivan and the rest of his crewmates had similar stories to share.

Captain Luka was more than respected by all his crewmates, and he considered them friends. He trusted them blindly with his life, and it was the same for them.

“Let’s go, Kagami”

“Yes, Captain!”

Luka stepped out of his chamber followed by his first officer, who closed the door behind them. They walked upstairs to the deck.

“Land in sight!” Kim yelled from up the crow’s nest when he noticed Luka.

Luka approached the bowsprit, put one of his feet on it, and gestured to Kagami for a telescope. She immediately lent him one, and he observed the new landscape in front of him: a cliff, a lighthouse, a harbor, and a town. And more importantly: a castle up a hill.

Perfect.

“Ivan, turn 20 degrees to your right, we’re stopping behind those rocks”

“Yes, Captain!” Ivan obeyed.

“Nino, Alix, stay on your positions and take care of the sails”

“Yes Captain!” They answered in unison.

A smile formed on Luka’s lips. That’s the piracy he liked- steal treasures from the rich and punish the bad guys. That island appeared to have both. Luka licked his lips in excitement as he returned the telescope to Kagami.

“Hey!” Out of nowhere, a female voice from below yelled. “Help me up!”

Kagami’s eyes narrowed as she recognized the voice owner. She was about to draw her sword when Luka stopped her.

“It’s fine, Kagami, I’ll take care of her”

Kagami followed his instructions, but she didn’t even try to hide her disagreement. “We should sell her and she would leave us alone…” she mumbled, and Luka chuckled at her reaction. Jealous Kagami was always adorable and a delight. He couldn’t help but feel fortunate and moved for having her full attention- not that he didn’t have some worship for her too.

Luka walked towards a fishnet that rested at the side of the ship. He looked down, amused at the difficulties the person below was having to climb up. “You again, huh?” Luka asked. “Why do you keep coming back? Aren’t you scared of pirates? We could sell you, Lady Siren.”

“My name is Chloe!” her yellowish eyes glowed from below. “Hurry up and help me up! I have something to show you”

“Hmm… Those magical jewels from under the sea again, maybe? Weren’t they guarded by your other siren friend? Did you steal them?”

“Yes! I snatched a few! Now help me and let you show you!”

Luka sighed, but he couldn’t hide his curiosity as he helped her up. What he thought made him almost fall on his butt to the floor.

The siren had LEGS. Legs that still couldn’t control enough to carry her own weight, apparently, but still legs. Human legs. Luka’s breath was taken away by the sight, and even Kagami couldn’t hide her astonishment.

What was going on?

“What? Surprised?” Chloe attempted to stand up holding onto the rail, smiling triumphantly. “I told you those jewels were magical! I’m a human now! So hurry up and propose to me. Your ridiculous excuse is not valid anymore!”

Luka’s eyes started glowing in yellow, bright as the former siren’s one, but before he could open his mouth, Kagami stepped between them. “Show respect to our Captain! He would never marry someone unworthy like you!” She pointed her sword to Chloe’s throat and noticed Luka’s eyes return to his original sky blue color, freeing him from Chloe’s spell. “Try something funny and I’ll cut you,” she warned.

“How did you do that?” Luka asked, gesturing Kagami to lower her sword. “What happened to your legs? Is it the jewel’s power? What other powers do they have?”

Chloe directed a victorious smirk to Kagami from behind Luka’s shoulder. The first mate was boiling in anger, but her respect for Luka was more important to her own feelings. Loyalty was what Luka valued the most about her, her Captain had confessed to her before. She couldn’t betray his trust- not even for her jealousy.

“I told you they were amazing, didn’t I?” Chloe raised her chin proudly as she laughed hysterically. “I have this one for you too - the snake one. It has the power you just need to get your revenge. I can give it to you if you accept to marry me!”

“I’m not interested in marriage, but I’m interested in those jewels. What are their powers?” Luka asked, fascinated to see how she had indeed real feet and toes. He examined them with his hands and she giggled at the tickles.

“All of them have the ability to give legs to sirens. The Bee one, the one I have, can paralyze opponents with just one gaze. The snake one is special: can control both time and space. You can know where and when you can find whatever you’re looking for, and even predict your opponent's moves beforehand. For example... “ Chloe continued, and with a finger snap he made Kim teleport down to the deck.

“What the-!?” he yelled. “What happened? I was up the crow’s nest!”

Luka looked mesmerized at the magic he had just seen. “Kim, go back up. Sorry about that”. Kim scratched his head in confusion and started climbing up again. “How much for that jewel?”

“My Captain! You can’t accept that! That would be cheating!” Kagami shouted. “You’re better than that!”

“No, listen, Kagami. I don’t pretend to use this to take advantage of my enemies. I just want to find that man- the man who ruined my family. The man I swore revenge on. I’ll find him thanks to this jewel and I’ll finally be free from this hate that haunts me. The chase will be over”

“What about us, then, Captain!? What about this ship, our adventures!?” Kagami seemed heartbroken at the thought of her piracy story ending. And also scared to be separated from her dearest Captain. “I left everything for you and this crew! You can’t just betray us like that!”

“Oh, no, my dear Kagami. Finding that man will not change much. I want to keep sailing together with all of you, forever. You’re my family too” Kagami blushed at Luka’s unusually tender smile. “But I need to keep my promise. You know I never leave business unfinished”

“I understand, captain” Kagami used her sleeve to dry her tears. “But I still think it’s not worth it losing your freedom and marrying that- that fish for that purpose. We’ll find that man, we don’t need magic for that!”

Luka stared at Kagami, moved by her trust in him. She was really cute, wasn’t she? He almost couldn’t hold his smile back. “I know we will.  And I don’t plan to marry. I just don’t want someone else to kill him before we find him” He reassured his first officer, and she smiled fondly. That was his captain.

“Oh, no, pirate! No marriage, no deal!” Chloe rumbled under Kagami’s judging stare. “You have no idea how hard it was to get this! Not even all the gold from your world would be enough to buy it!”

“Then we just have to kill you and steal it, right?” Kagami glared, getting her sword ready causing Chloe to shriek.

“Wait, Kagami. We don’t know how to use it. We can’t kill her” That wasn’t exactly the only reason he wanted her alive. Luka couldn’t deny he felt himself… attracted to the siren’s looks. She was beautiful, even if she was somewhat noisy. And her singing voice was hypnotizing… He didn’t want her or her song to die.

“Make your decision fast, because if you don’t, I’m destroying it!” Chloe warned.

“No, no, wait!!

“Captain, no!”

“I’m going to destroy it! I’ll give you 10 seconds…! 10… 9…”

“No- wait!”

“8… 7…”

“Captain, you can’t do it!”

“6… 5… 4…”

“I know but-!”

“3… 2…1….”

"Chloe wait, I-"

“STOP WHERE YOU ARE, CHLOE!” A new voice shouted, and a new siren jumped from the sea to the deck. Her hair was long and black, and her tail was beautiful in pink.

“Argh! Not now, Marinette Dupain-Cheng!” Chloe groaned in disgust. “He was about to accept my proposal!”

Luka stared as the new siren called for some magical words and shifted his tail to legs. ‘Another magical jewel’ he realized, and was fascinated by her beauty (the fact that she was naked didn’t help either). She looked as if she had come straight out from a painting, and his heart beat fast in an unknown feeling. The most beautiful song he had ever heard: clear as a music note, sincere as a melody. He wished for that melody to last forever in his ears.

“Chloe! Give the Miraculous back!” The siren shouted in anger. “You know how dangerous they are yet you stole them!”

“Hey!” Luka snapped out at Chloe’s cry and hurried to grab a tablecloth from nearby and offer it to the naked siren, while looking the minimum as possible. “Use this”

Marinette turned to look at him confused, wondering what was supposed to do with that. She noticed how Chloe was wearing something similar to cover herself, and the blush on that unknown man made her remember being naked was a big deal in the human world. She exploded in embarrassment. “Thank you…” she hurried to snatch the clothes.

She found herself staring at his relieved smile. And her heart started beating faster. Breath-taken by his handsomeness and calm. Their eyes met and time stopped, and Marinette finally understood why Chloe would wish to steal those jewels for selfish reasons. She would consider it too if she wasn’t the guardian.

“Hey! He’s mine, don’t you dare take him away from me!” Chloe hissed. She clumsily ran to Luka’s side and fell into his arms when her legs couldn’t support her any longer.

“Captain!” Kagami soon cried in worry, and approached to try to separate them.

“Chloe!” A new emotion formed in Marinette’s chest. Jealousy. “Give it back!” she jumped to pull her away from Luka.

And Luka- well, he couldn’t move. Surrounded by beautiful ladies… He had always been a heartbreaker, never a ladies man- what was wrong with him? He was enjoying that situation too much for his own sanity.

Suddenly, another siren jumped to the deck- a blond man with the most beautiful emerald colored eyes Luka had ever seen. Even Kagami seemed impressed by them, and that was new in Luka’s first officer.

“Adrien!” The mermaid called Marinette called him. “Help me!”

“Immediately, M’lady!” even his voice was cute, Luka thought. That couldn’t be healthy for his heart.

Adrien shifted to a human after calling for some magical words and Marinette tossed him a part of tablecloth she tore from hers. He looked confused at first, but imitated Marinette’s use for it.

Adrien tackled Chloe from the side, resulting in all of them falling down to the floor. Taking advantage of being on top after falling down, Luka managed to steal the snake Miraculous from Chloe. He raised up his hand… “Kagami! I’ve got it! Take it!” but… an eagle descended and took it from him in its talons and flew away from them towards the island in sight. “Ah-”

All of them observed in denial and powerless how the bird carried the powerful jewel away. Their faces turned blue out of the shock, and Marinette entered in panic.

“No no no! That can’t be happening! What are we going to do now!?” she bawled. “Chloe! This is your fault! You better help us recover it!”

“No, this is Luka’s fault! If he had agreed to marry me and didn’t try to play dirty this wouldn’t have happened!”

“Don’t you dare badmouth My Captain!”

Everyone’s eyes were on Luka, who, confused, was trying to process what had just happened. “Give me a minute”. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and waited for one minute. He came to his conclusion.

“I can’t deny this is partly my fault… So I’ll take responsibility. I’ll help you find the jewel, but with one condition: you’ll let me use it once when we find it”

“We can’t allow that!” Marinette and Adrien complained.

“Oh, and I’ll need you tell me more about these jewels in order to help you”

“Deal” Chloe quickly agreed, to Marinette and Adrien’s shock.

“Hey! You can’t decide that alone!” Marinette protested.

“You’ve seen the bird- it went into the lands. The rest of lost jewels could be on land too. What’s better than humans to help us? It would be ridiculous not to accept when all they ask in return is to use one of them just once!” Chloe exposed.

Marinette’s eyebrows frowned as she looked at Adrien, who seemed convinced with Chloe’s explanation. She couldn’t deny anything to those green eyes of him who desired to discover more from land and the human world, so she gave in, still unconvinced. “Fine”

“Great. Welcome abroad. I promise we’ll recover that jewel” Luka stood up and helped the rest of them up too, one after the other. “My name is Luka. I’m the Captain of this pirate ship. And this lovely lady is my first mate, Kagami.” She bowed despite her glare shown killing instincts towards all of them. Luka noticed and patted her back, causing her to calm down immediately. When he blinked at her with a sneaky smile she knew well, she realized his true intentions: he was going to get the jewel without having to marry the annoying mermaid. ‘As expected of my captain’, she smiled fondly.

“I’m Marinette and he is Adrien. I’m the guardian of the Miraculous and he’s my partner for this job. Nice to meet you, Captain”

Luka’s piracy adventures seemed to have just started now that 3 new unusual members joined his crew. Misunderstandings and fun seemed ensured.

What fantastic adventures lie before them? They couldn’t wait to find out.

[whatareyousearchingfordean]

Happiness Begins

Part 20

Chapter Summary: When it seems like things couldn’t get any worse, the reader gets a rude awakening. 

Warnings: Language, angst, verbal altercation

Word Count: 2.1K+

Author’s Note: Oh boy, this is a part that I wrote very early on when this story was mostly a concept of vivid scenes all mashed together in my head. It has evolved a lot in the months I have been writing this story and I’m proud of where it has landed. I just have to say, I’m sorry and please don’t hate me. xoxo Alex

Catch up with the series masterlist and check out Alexandra’s Library for more works by yours truly!

It felt like a year later when Trish placed her hand on Y/n’s shoulder, startling her out of her trance state. She wanted to go after Jensen, but was worried about the suspicion that action would raise. But she couldn’t go after Jared, after all, they hadn’t spoken in almost two weeks.

“Is Jared okay?” Her voice was low. Y/n turned her head, noticing the leering eyes of the crew behind Trish. They all had the same question. A question that she just couldn’t answer for them. 

“I should go talk to them.” She offered before walking away from the awkward situation. She headed off in the same direction Jared had gone, though she had no intention of actually going to him. It would only make things worse. If Jared had wanted to talk things out with her, he had plenty of chances to do so. Instead, she went in search of a corner of the lot that would offer the solitude she needed to break down in pieces. 

~

The next week saw no improvement in their situation. Y/n was growing even more antsy than she already was. She had tried to speak with Jared again, hoping to break through to him, even if it was only a small step, before she left Vancouver. Her time on set was quickly coming to an end and she was afraid of what her leaving town might do to their predicament. 

Jared was the one person that she was closest to. The one person who was always there for her no matter what. As the days ticked by, this crushing feeling in her chest kept growing. There was no denying how she had treated her brother was less than favorable, but at the same time she couldn’t deny that Jared was being unreasonable. Picking fights and deliberately avoiding discussion like adults. It was infuriating and frustrating. She wanted to cry eighty percent of the day. 

Unsurprisingly, all of that emotion was overflowing into her relationship with Jensen. At first it felt like they were a team. She had him to lean on. Jensen was her rock and the one person who was in the same boat as she was. They understood each other. Or at least, that is what she had thought. 

After the public altercation on set, their conversations fell tense. At first, she had convinced herself that it was just because the audience that they held. But then it began to seep into his texts as well. He would give her one worded answers and sometimes none at all.

That was what worried her the most. If she was being completely honest, she knew how broken she had become, and as much as she loved Jensen for being there for her, she realized how much she had failed to be there for him. Jared was his best friend after all, brother’s by choice, and Jensen was hurting just as much as she was. It only added to the guilt already weighing on her shoulders. 

Even now, he hadn’t spoken directly to her since she had shooed him out of her makeup chair earlier that morning. She was trying her damndest to fix that. But when he never responded to her suggestion that they hang out at his place, it didn’t do anything for her confidence in her abilities to do so. 

So instead she was trying to just keep her mind occupied. Right now, that was cooking an intricate meal that required her full attention. Maybe this could at least soften up her brother enough for him to sit down and talk to her. 

The soft knock at the door startled Y/n as she set out the ingredients for the dinner she was cooking. There were few people up here in Vancouver who could be knocking on that door. One of which was surely avoiding her. Jared was not home currently, holed up at the gym like he has been a lot these past few weeks, but still, Jensen showing up would be mysterious. That’s why it shocked her even more when it actually was him on the other side of the door. She stepped back and waved him into the apartment. He didn’t say anything as he walked towards the island.

“What are you doing here?” She cut right to the chase as curiosity got the better of her. 

“I came to talk to you.” Jensen knocked his knuckles against the countertop, his brow furrowed as he did so. Things were tense, she was not obtuse to that fact, but there was something about the look on his face that was different right now. He wouldn’t look at her, and it wasn’t like Jared was here to glare at him over her shoulder. 

“Hey, what’s going on with you?” Her voice softened this time. The worry now evident in her voice. 

“I’m trying to figure out how to say this.” He frowned as he watched his finger trail along the pattern in the marble countertop. Her stomach dropped at his statement, the words sending an uneasy feeling through her body. 

“Say what?” She made her way around the island to stand in front of him. He looked up at her when she stopped in front of him, his hand still tracing patterns across the marble. 

“I’m sorry about how cold things have been,” Y/n shrugged at his apology. Did she suspect this chain of events per say? No, but she couldn’t blame him for all that. If anything, she only blamed herself. “I never meant to come between you and your brother.”

“I know you didn’t. But like you said, he’s got to cool down eventually right?” She repeated his mantra back to him. It was the same thing he had been trying to convince her off this whole time. Jensen didn’t return her small smile, if anything, his expression fell more than it already was, which she didn’t think was possible. Her heart sank along with his expression, the anxiety fluttering wildly in her abdomen. There was something wrong with Jensen, she was sure of it now. There was something he wasn’t telling her. 

Jensen sighed deeply before fitting his hands into his coat pockets. “That’s just it, I don’t think he is. I know how close you two were, and you’ve barely spoken these past few weeks. I’ve never seen him like this.” 

“Jared just has a big heart. He just needs a little time.” It felt weird to repeat his own words back to him, but she admits to failing to be there for him. This was the chance to change that and if it meant saying something she didn’t truly believe, she would do that. She would do it for Jensen.

Y/n moved into Jensen, reaching to put her hands around his waist. Surprising her, he stepped back from her advance. Her smile faltered as it seemed her fears were confirmed. Jensen had never rejected her touch, and with the look on his face, that could not mean anything good.

“I think we could all use a little time.”

“What does that mean?” Her tone was clipped as she crossed her arms over her chest. Her mood shifted swiftly with the implication of his words. She wasn’t sure what she thought was swimming around in that head of his, but she certainly was not expecting him to say that. 

“It means that you and your brother haven’t spoken in three weeks. It means I haven’t spoken to one of my best friends unless we are forced into the same room and even then it’s only polite discussion about work. Y/n, I didn’t want to be this destructive force in your life, that was never my intention. I think it’s best for everybody if I just take a step back. From you and from Jared.” He reacted to her short response, his voice rising in volume. He couldn’t help it, the anger was building inside at himself and the situation they were in.

“That’s Jared’s problem. He is the one who is being cold here, not us.” 

“Because we betrayed him, we-” Y/n scoffed as his words sent ice through her veins. The noise effectively shut Jensen up.

“Don’t you dare say ‘we’ betrayed him. I didn’t know anything about him telling you I was off limits, no thanks to you or anybody else in my family. You all decided to just keep that from me. Sure, I did lie to him, I hurt him, but I just wanted to tell him on my own time. I was sick of him meddling in my love life and for once I wanted to figure it out on my own. I don’t think that was too much to ask of him.” Her arms crossed over her chest as the tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. She could feel her nose stinging, and it was only serving to piss her off more. The audacity of Jensen to say that she did anything to knowingly hurt her brother. Never once had Jared made his wishes known to her, and she can’t be blamed for that.

“You’re right. It all just happened so fast, I didn’t know how to stop it.” 

“That’s bullshit and you know it. I was perfectly content after that night to just chalk it all up to a vulnerable, half-drunk indiscretion. And I told you that, explicitly. I would’ve gotten over it, I would’ve moved on. But you insisted on that first date, and I caved to every line you fed me. How much of it was a lie, Jensen?” The tears were now trailing down her reddened cheeks. Every line he had fed her about wanting it to be more than just sex, about wanting to get to know her for her, how much of it was just a line? Because he knew this would not end well, yet he still went for it. And now here they were, when the going gets tough and he’s backing out. He can’t handle the mess that he knowingly created and it couldn’t help but make her think that he never had the intention of going through with this long term. Was she just a warm body to have in his bed until he was back home in Austin? She didn’t know anymore and that made her feel dirty and used.

“None of it, Y/n. I do love you. I want you to be happy, and I know that you can’t be without your brother by your side. That’s all I’m trying to do, is give you your brother back. I can’t try and keep you all to myself, you know you wouldn’t be happy like that.” He was pleading with her to see his point of view. He wasn’t sure what hurt worse, that she could think he had been just trying to get into her pants this whole time or actually breaking up with her. This was exactly what he had wanted to avoid. It killed him that she thought he had just used her to get his dick wet. At the same time, seeing it all from her point of view, he couldn’t exactly blame her. 

Jensen reached out to her, hoping to help calm her, but she flinched when he tried. She actually flinched away from him, and that was what hurt the most. 

“Fuck you, and fuck Jared. All of you men are all the fucking same, you know that? How dare you guys pretend to know what is best for me? I’m a grown woman, I can and will figure it out for myself. So don’t pretend you’re doing this for me when you are really just doing it for yourself.” She spit at him. How she didn’t see this one coming, she wasn’t sure. She had just been that blinded by him. She let herself fall in love with him, and she just ended up burned, like always. It was stupid of her to think that the cycle would change after all these years. 

Jensen licked his lips as he watched her walk away from him. What could he say to that? Somewhere deep down, he believed what she had said was true. His actions were not entirely selfless, he couldn’t deny that. “Y/n,”

“Go! Get out!” She spun on her heel, a small sob ripping from her body as she pointed towards the door. There was nothing else to say, for either of them. Not right now. He simply nodded, his own tears welling up as he left out the door. He hoped that she would forgive him one day, but he didn’t know if that day would ever come. To be honest, he wasn’t even sure if he would deserve it.

Part 21

Forevers:  @spn-impala​​ @22sarah08​​ @turtlepad​​ @callmekda​​ @chaldei​​ @hobby27​​ @cowboysnwinchesters​​ @tranquility-or-chaos​​ @pikabootoyouchu​​ @dawnie1988​​ @grease222​​ @awesome-badass-cafeteria-sauce​​ @polina-93​​ @clarinette07​​ @moonlight-babeh​​ @suckerforfanfics​​ @witandnargles​​ @sleepylunarwolf​ @stiles-stilinski-24-dylan​ @geeksareunique​ @akshi8278​

Et Cetera: @jbbarnesgirl​ @hillface89​ @arses21434​ @thevelvetseries​ @sslater34​ @mrsirishboru​ @smoothdogsgirl​ @spnfamily-j2​ @encounterthepast​ @facadeformyrealblog  @supernatural-bellawinchester​ @screechingartisancashbailiff​​ @rebeccathefangirl​ @squirrelnotsam​ @heartinmyhead1​ @1d-killed-me​ @samsgirl93​ @deans-baby-momma​ @deanmonandnegansbitch​ @woodworthti666​ @supraveng​ @onethirstyunicorn​ @heartsaved​ @know2grow​ @littlewhiterose​ @surprisinglysarah​ @stoneyggirl​ @carryon-doctor-lock​ @thebookisbtr​ @youaremyfiveever​ @kalesrebellion​ @lilulo-12​ @winchester-fantasies​ @vicmc624​ @supernatural3002​ @winchester-writes​ @maralisa124​

[ephemeralgalaxies]

Loki Ep4 Spoilers below (once more bc I just can't help myself, can I?)

It's been a while since I've had a character as interesting as Mobius to analyze and I have no chill. Spoilers start below:

Also some spoilers for WandaVision but it's been months so hopefully y'all have seen it

TL;DR Mobius really trying to connect back with Loki in order to try and bring the TVA down (and also bc "oops, Loki was right, guess I gotta own up to that bitterness") and it works but it hurts so much. Also see: I can't stop watching this scene over and over trying to understand Mobius' subtle actions bc his reaction here is so different than in all other scenes where he's usually calm or trying to delve deep into Loki's mind for information. Now he's just desperate.

Ok so I know I made a post talking about Mobius' jealousy in that interrogation scene but I also want to touch on when he comes back again after seeing the footage from C-20's interrogation scene bc man is so desperate here and I'm crying

(I'm sorry, I can't get gifs to work for me today so we just using images. But I got these from this post)

Mobius was so hurt last time we saw him, Loki being thrown back into the time cell with Lady Sif, hitting our dear agent with "out of all the liars in this place... you are the biggest... for the [lies] you tell yourself." Mobius has been pushing down all these doubts, hiding all his questions and curiosities of the TVA for a while. He's teased Ravonna, but could never really get anywhere. Then after speaking with Loki about Sylvie, about "you're all variants", Hunter B-15's suspicions, the oddness of C-20's "death" (M:"she was just fine before." R:"well, then she suddenly wasn't fine."). Mobius is finally allowing himself to realize things, to question truly what is going on. (R: "Is that what you wanted to hear?" M: "Yeah, if that's the truth." R: "You've been around Lokis too long.")

In this scene, when he comes back to the time cell for Loki, he's frustrated, he's angry, he's desperate. Everything is a lie. He can't pretend anymore. Loki has bonded with Sylvie (actually caring for another human being without the trauma of Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok) ((I'm begging you, pls let him see a variant of Thor in this series and get to bond again, I miss them)). C-20 is likely pruned and gone forever with no answers. B-15 is getting anxious and unfocused. Ravonna is snapping at him and manipulating him with those long speeches (please, Mobius has heard enough from Loki's videos to know when he's being manipulated by fake sentimental words). He's tired, no longer patient enough for all the little quips-- he just need answers. For once in his "life" at the TVA, he just wants the truth. Something to safely hold to.

He's just put Loki through this timeloop of Lady Sif, of someone from home someone that could've been close to him under different circumstances, someone his brother cared about, kicking him/slapping him/ berating him with "you deserve to be alone, and you always will be." Loki's whole "Sacred Timeline Life" marks him to "always be alone", to finally get close to people before being torn away (whether in his own volition or by someone/something else). But with Loki caring for Sylvie, maybe even loving her, this changes everything for this Loki. He could finally care enough to save someone, to go out of his way in order to help others at his own cost. And Mobius knows this.

He asks again, desperate, pleading, hoping. Loki has to believe in himself, has to love himself enough to think to believe that he deserves a family, love, security from his greatest fear. He has to have changed because if not, then he'll either get pruned or wind up just like Mobius. Either way, gone from existence-- life erased, precious memories of "what if", "what once was", obliterated. He has to believe, or it'll happen again and again and again. To everyone, to the whole universe, unless something someone could do the impossible and shatter all reality.

With Wanda (specifically in WandaVision, final episode end credits), with her searching for her children and Vision, attempting the impossible and blending her realities in order to give them life because she needs them, she loves them. (M: "If you really care about [Sylvie]..."). This threat to the Sacred Timeline, pushing closer and closer to the MCU Multiverse, because they have to, because they want to.

(sorry again for bland picture, I love his expression in this gif but it wont load)

Mobius knows Loki is hurting-- from Lady Sif, from his past, from failing to protect Sylvie on his own, from Mobius not believing him and calling him "just a bad friend". He knows Loki could learn to believe, but he doesn't yet. Only Frigga ever told him she believed in him, he needs to hear it again. He needs to know he deserves love because he is loved. Mobius does, "believe, stupidly" (ep2) that Loki has this potential.

When I first saw this scene in the trailers, I was nervous it would be in the context of Mobius trying to get Loki on the TVA's side, "someone good". But here, this is so much better-- he knows the TVA is lying, is manipulating, is destroying lives. (L: "No one bad is every truly bad, and no one good is ever truly good" ep2 again lol). Loki knows he's not "truly good", that he's hurt people-- whether he planned to or not. But he can still be good. He can still choose to love, to care, to believe.

He can be what he's always wanted, what Frigga promised him, what he's always feared. He can be known, be loved, be safe-- Loki doesn't just fear being alone, he fears people choosing to leave him. That's why the memory of Lady Sif instead of Thor reaching for him on the Rainbow Bridge or Thanos threatening the Asgardian refugees or even Odin trying to explain why he "saved" Loki when he fought Loki's homeland. This memory was casual, simple, unnecessary. But it's always the smallest moments that truly impact us the most-- the slight changes.

When Mobius says this to Loki, he freezes-- he's confused, hesitant, scared. No one tells him this, why is someone telling him this, how can I believe this?

And then:

.And the little shrug Mobius gives here

It's so casual, so simple, so nonchalant. He just wants to reassure Loki that he still cares. He just spent a whole interrogation hounding on Loki for finding love with Sylvie, for changing with her (jealous boi be jealous), for lying to him and betraying him (M: "You don't do partners... unless ofc it benefits you and you intend to betray them at some point"). But now, now he's stopped lying to himself. He knows he cares, that Loki has a chance, that they have to burn this place down. Mobius wants stop this from ever happening again, from someone ever having to go through what Loki's gone through, being told they can never be loved because that's just how the Timeline goes. That a kid would be taken away from their family (probably because Sylvie presents feminine?? Idk, feel like MCU Odin wouldn't be so good with that). He has to reassure Loki, he wants to, because no one should ever feel that way again.

(and frick I really hate this, please look at the gifs from the linked post above, u gotta see his precious smile grow)

LOOK AT THIS SMILE, LOOK AT HIM HE'S HAPPY. And it was such a small, subtle apology from Mobius but it made all the difference bc he told Loki that he believes in him. And then they walk back out of the time cell, side-by-side, looking at each other. Content, safe, prepared to face the world together. He's no longer alone.

... And then ofc this happens...

*cue my heart shattering* (bless Hiddleston's acting).

The fact that you can even hear the hitch in Mobius' breath as he realizes this is the end of the line for him, that Ravonna knows and there's no going back--he's not making it out of this.

"One last desperate trick from the desperate trickster."

He talks about the jetski, about what his life might have been, he knows this hits Loki, being ripped from your timeline, losing all that potential. More importantly, it gives Loki a reason to fight. A silent, "Don't let this happen again. Don't let them get away with this. Please, remember me, don't let me disappear." But it doesn't work, because the one thing Mobius didn't account for, is that Loki cares about him. That now, the fight drains out of him. They pruned Mobius, ofc they'll get to Loki and Sylvie. They didn't even hesitate. Loki just lost, once again, the only other person who ever told him they believed in him. "You can be whoever, whatever..." "She told me I could do anything..."

Loki is less of a narcissist and more of a person desperate to fill that hole inside-- he's been neglected, cast aside, told he should want this and then never getting it. A "Glorious Purpose" to always hide in the shadows, to cause suffering, to give others a reason to unite against him. But for once, just once he hoped that he didn't have to do it alone-- that he could unite. And then they crushed those beautiful few seconds of hope like it was just another tedious, burdening purpose of the TVA.

(credits of images/gifs to the original posts linked, none were mine as I can't figure this out at all lol)

[one-leaf-grimoire]

“pine and lavender”

Lisa and Julius go to visit her hometown in the woods. Julius has a grand ol time. idk what the title is supposed to be ajfdskfljds. Anyway, here’s another self-indulgent one shot. stan julisa etc. 

Pairing: Julius x Lisa (my oc ajfsdkl)

Warnings: alcohol use (Julius gets a lil drunk) also some heavy flirting, a little of it suggestive but not like... that suggestive.

Two years. That’s how long it had been since Lisa last visited her hometown. She was still a magic knight back then, young and full of dreams, ready to take on what she believed to be a long career. But now, of course, that changed. Her career, and her whole life was unrecognizable. And even she was.

But even so…

“Are you sure about this?”

“Hmm?”

Lisa looked up from where she waited, to see Julius walking over. They were both dressed to travel, packing light for the mere two day getaway they had planned. Yet, Julius was asking as if they were about to leave for some treacherous journey. Perhaps that was true.

“You know… I don’t want you to think I expect to hang out with your family all the time,” Julius continued, finally reaching her side to stand on the balcony. “I know it’s tough for you, with your mother and all-”

“Julius,” Lisa interrupted him, taking his hand in hers to cut him off. “It was my idea, not yours! You made me hang out with your parents last week so it’s only fair that you have to visit my family!”

Julius blinked owlishly, then narrowed his eyes. “I see… wait, so you didn’t enjoy yourself last week?”

Lisa gulped nervously. Meeting Julius’s parents for the first time was an… interesting experience. Both of them were quite old, living alone in a nice place out in the countryside. The Novachrono family, being nobility, owned a couple of residences which they cycled between. Lisa, who grew up a commoner, found the whole arrangement quite extravagant, but it provided some neat weekend hideouts for her and Julius to enjoy. However, they weren’t alone last week.

(tragic flashback time)

“Julius! Oh, this must be your girlfriend!”

Lisa peeked out from behind Julius, her heart thumping in her chest as the elderly couple finally spotted her after greeting their son. The spark of excitement in their eyes, nearly identical to how Julius’s would be, gave way to some other emotion. It was brief, but they almost looked taken aback. Lisa physically resisted wincing.

Don’t say it, don’t say it, don’t say it-

“OOh, you’ve got some mysterious mark on your head as well! No wonder our Julius likes you so much, ahah!”

Oh good. Lisa let herself exhale a nervous laugh, stepping forward to greet them properly. It wasn’t her fault she looked so young; she stopped aging when she was 20, after all. But it was nice to not be bombarded with questions all the time, from people assuming things about her relationship. 

“It’s nice to meet you, too!”

(end non-so-tragic flashback)

“Oh, your parents were wonderful. A little… excited, but wonderful.” Lisa grinned and elbowed Julius playfully, earning an exaggerated reaction. “Anyway, I think they told enough embarrassing stories about you to last me a lifetime!”

“Ah, is that so?” Julius grinned back sheepishly, his prior worries fading quickly. “I thought you already knew everything about me?”

“There’s always more to learn~” Lisa shot a cheeky wink up at him before picking up her bag. “Come on, we’ll be late for dinner if we keep chatting all evening.”

“Right, right.” Julius could barely contain himself as he took her hand again. “I’m so excited to see your cousins again- do you think they’ll remember me?”

“Remember? You?! Meeting you was the highlight of their lives!”

Without any more delays, Lisa held on tight as Julius finally took off, leaving nothing but faint traces of his mana behind.

Approximately two minutes later, the pair landed with a resounding whoosh, causing birds and leaves alike to take flight from the trees around them. Branches creaked, and bushes rippled, but only a moment later the forest was as still as it was before. “Well, here we are!” Julius let go of her hand only momentarily to stretch a long arm over his chest. “Too bad we have to walk into town from all the way out here-”

“We talked about this, remember? What do you think’s gonna happen if you just crash down in the middle of town?” Lisa reminded him, turning away once he was ready to start the walk. “And also- once we get there, you’ll have to transform into someone else. I don’t want to become the talk of the town or anything…”

“I know, I know!” Julius looked more disgruntled at that factor than anything else. He let out a deep sigh, sadness shifting through his gaze momentarily. “If I could have my way… I would want everyone to know.”

“... I know. Me too.”

Julius was unapologetic in every facet of his life, and love was no different. He loved the Kingdom, he loved his friends, but most of all, he loved Lisa. If he had it his way, Julius wouldn’t hesitate to herald the news from every corner of the country. 

“This woman? She’s mine! And I’m hers!” 

Sadly, the two of them already felt the harsh reality of the world, when Augustus and the Magic Parliament found out and used Lisa’s involvement with Julius against her. And because of that, Julius had to keep this treasured relationship close to his chest, where the general public wouldn’t find out.

“Hey-”

He looked down as Lisa snaked her arm around his, smiling up at him comfortingly. “Marry me one day, and then everyone can know.”

Julius’s eyes lit up at the mere thought. “Seriously? Let's get married today, then!”

“What?! No way! Not yet, at least…”

“Ah, alright. I’m patient~”

Before they knew it, they reached the outskirts of town, and Julius was forced to transform. Lisa watched curiously as his body glowed gold, and he morphed into an unfamiliar man. He kept his blonde hair, but he had blue eyes instead of his usual purple. Also, his nose, chin, ears, brow- it was all different. “There! How do I look? Handsome?”

“Not as handsome as usual,” Lisa answered, eyeing him up. It was true, nothing could beat the usual Julius. Julius, of course, knew this, giving her a teasing wink as he grabbed her hand again to continue their journey. 

Lisa’s hometown was small, but stable. They mainly subsisted on local crops and game, but they had to buy food from neighboring areas as well. Situated at the base of the mountains dividing the Clover Kingdom from Diamond, the town was once a battlefield, as both kingdoms vied for control over the precious gems underground. However, all those gems have been stripped away, and things calmed down for years and years.

At least, it used to be calm… up until that day. 

One fateful attack by the Diamond Kingdom, nearly four years ago. That day changed everything. Lisa’s father was killed, leaving her alone with a mother who hated her and powers that she didn’t understand. She lost so much…

But I wasn’t alone, remember?

Lisa glanced up at the man walking next to her, humming to himself as they moved. She couldn’t help but smile as the memories washed over her.

Because, that day… I met you.

“LISAAAA!!!!!”

The door to Lisa’s old home slammed open, revealing her aunt Portia and her cousins. Before the two of them could react, they were bombarded with hugs from adults and screeching children alike. Lisa could do nothing but stand there and take it, but the wide grin on her face betrayed the fact that she was enjoying it.

“Lyra! You’re going to suffocate me!”

“And I would be right to do so!”

Cousin Lyra- One year older than Lisa, a total airhead, but also the sweetest person you’ll ever meet. The girl stepped back from her cousin with a little pout on her face. “You never come to visit, even though I told you your mom moved out! We only get to see you once a year, you know!”

“I know, I know, I’m sorry! I am kinda busy, you know!” Lisa defended herself, still smiling brightly. “Well, we’re here now, both of us.”

“Hey, who’s this weird guy?!”

Uh oh.

Lisa turned just in time to see Julius being circled menacingly by her two younger cousins, Pat and Rocco, the twins. Both of them had met Julius before, but now they were eyeing him suspiciously. “You’re right, who is this guy, Lisa?” Portia asked, her eyes widening. “Don’t tell me you and Julius broke up!”

“What?! No! I am Julius!” Julius looked a bit confused before the reason dawned on him. “Oh wait- right!” He stepped inside the house, out of sight of the street, and let himself change back to normal. Rocco and Pat immediately gasped. “OH! WIZARD KING!”

Lisa covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. Their excitement never failed to crack her up.

“Aha, you know- you can call me cousin Julius-” Julius told them, but it was no use. They continued to chant his title and before grabbing onto his legs like they were two tree trunks. Julius just sighed and let out a tired laugh, looking over at the others. “Not yet, I see-”

“Well, now that we’re here-” Lisa winced a little as she sat down at the kitchen table. “I’m ready for a relaxing night here at home.”

“What?! Relaxing?” Aunt Portia let out a giggle. “Nonsense! Lisa, you know what day it is, right?”

Her family giggled as she stared at them blankly. “It’s friday!”

Her eyes widened. “Oh no…”

Julius looked between them, confused. “Wait, what does that mean? Friday? What’s so special about friday.”

“It’s the busiest night at the tavern! All hands on deck!”

The rest of the family cackled. Lisa’s father owned the sole tavern in town, so it passed down to Portia and Lyra once he died. It was popular, and Lisa worked there for many years before leaving to join the Magic Knights. Lyra giggled and nudged Lisa with her elbow. “It’ll be just like old times! You and me waitressing, I even kept your old ‘uniform!’”

Lisa’s already-pale face was white as a sheet now. “U-Uniform!? Oh god, you can’t mean-”

(thirty horrible minutes later)

“TA-DA! Look at this, ‘James’!”

Julius turned around at the sound of the fake name he was using today. He had been sitting alone in the tavern, watching the other groups as they sat and drank, laughing and chatting among themselves. It was a strangely serene experience, being able to be alone. Well, at least it was nice to not have Marx breathing down his neck. Julius did miss Lisa though… he wasn’t sure why, but being away from her, even just for a little while, made him deeply uncomfortable. But luckily, she was back… sort of.

Lyra strained as she attempted to drag someone out from the back room. “Lisa! Behave!”

“No! Jul- I mean, James, don’t look at me! This is embarrassing-”

Lisa finally gave in, her face burning bright red as she was dragged out into the open. 

“Isn’t she cute!? She had to wear this every day when she worked here!” 

Her “uniform” was that of a tavern maid; a dress a little shorter than knee-length, a cute apron, and her usual tights. It wasn’t anything too shocking, but-

Lisa covered her face with her hands, mortified to be wearing something so out of her usual wardrobe. “D-Don’t look at me-”

It was too late- Julius was L O O K I N G.

“I said stop it!”

Julius finally snapped out of his “trance,” the dumbfounded look fading into a devilish grin. “Wowie… Lisa, maybe you should change your usual uniform to this-”

Portia and Lyra cackled along with the rest of her family as Lisa shouted back, too embarrassed to make any sense. Julius chuckled to himself, letting up on the teasing but allowing his eyes to still wander all over her body.”There’s nothing to worry about, my sweet… you look good in anything.”

Lisa sighed, letting her shoulders slumped, still not looking forward to the night ahead, but maybe it would be bearable. Maybe. “Thanks… You’re usually right.”

“Of course I am-”

“Lisa! Stop making eyes at him and get to work!”

With another loud objection, Lisa was dragged away once again, while Julius watched her work with shining eyes. As someone raised in nobility, Julius had to admit that he was a little out of his element. The tavern became increasingly louder as people started drinking, shouts and laughter filling the small building. Julius felt himself shrink around his drink, only accompanied by the younger twins and Lisa’s uncle. But among all the chaos, Lisa navigated it all perfectly. Once she forgot about the outfit, she weaved between the tables and jostling chairs, carrying a teetering tray of beers, her voice managing to pierce the noise filling the air. “Hey! Keep it civil, guys, I don’t want to mop up any of your blood.” “Talk to me like that again, and I’ll tell the Wizard King to come get you! Yeah? Scared now?” “NO GAMBLING IN HERE!” “Do you want me to burn you to a crisp? Because you’re asking for it!”

Julius laughed to himself as he listened, not able to tame the big smile on his face.

She’s so cute-

“Hey, Lisa, you got cute~”

Julius’s eyes popped back open.

Did… someone just-

“Hmm? So what if I did?” Lisa glared down at her new admirer, well, admirers. They were a group of three men sitting at a round table, red-faced and drunk, and apparently smitten with their waitress. “It doesn’t mean you can look at me!”

“Oh, but we are~” One of them giggled. “Why don’t you come back with us tonight? It can’t be fun JUST hanging out with your family.”

There was nothing Julius wanted to do in that moment other than spring to his feet, release his disguise, and teach those guys a lesson directly from the hands of the Wizard King. And he almost did, too! With his fists clenched so tight he knew his nails would leave a mark, Julius barely scooted his chair back before freezing as Lisa stepped in to defend herself much better than he could have.

“Listen! You three used to bully me all the time for having no mana. I wouldn’t want to be seen with you, even if my life depended on it! And besides-” Lisa resisted shooting a cheeky glance over at Julius. “I already belong to someone, so you’re too late.”

The trio blinked dumbly up at her, unable to comprehend what she was saying. Julius smiled to himself and slowly slid back down into his seat.

“I already belong to someone.”

He always liked hearing that.

“What are you looking at?”

And suddenly, she was right next to him, leaning up against the table with a little grin on her face. Julius blinked, his reaction sluggish. Ah, I guess I got stuck in a little daydream there- He shook off the feeling, amplified by the beers he drank, and smiled up at her. “Oh, just the cutest waitress in this place.”

Despite being mortified earlier, Lisa only blushed lightly at the comment, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Oh? I’m honored~ And what a coincidence, you’re the cutest guy in this place…”

Oh boy. The alcohol was starting to kick in for Julius, and Lisa knew it. His gaze started to fog up with some weird emotion that she knew well. She rarely saw him even get buzzed, so this was entirely unfamiliar. “Aha- ah, shucks, hehe-” He giggled boyishly to himself, closing his eyes for a moment as he collected his “thoughts.” Ahh… he would look so cute right now if he wasn’t in disguise, Lisa thought to herself, but it was enough to know that the unfamiliar man sitting here wasn’t unfamiliar at all… he was her man. “Hmm, you seem like you’ve had a little too much to drink” she teased.

Julius shrugged, lifting up his glass. “This is the best goddamn beer in the whole goddamn kingdom- HIC.”

Lisa bit her lip, thinking the little hiccup was just too cute. “Take it easy! I wouldn’t want you to pass out on me, hmm?”

Julius just laughed to himself again, his poor addled-brain hardly able to keep up. Damn! This beer is way more potent than I’m used to… these country folk know how to brew, that’s for sure. If I’m not careful, I’ll actually get drunk.

“Well, then tell me, waitress~” Julius finally spoke, wiggling his eyebrows. “When do you get off your shift?”

Lisa giggled, reaching out and running a friendly hand over his shoulder. Julius eagerly leaned into the gesture, like iron drawn to a magnet. That was what she was: a magnet. He would always be drawn to the gravity she possessed, something he couldn’t understand yet didn’t need to. All he really needed was her.

“Be patient~ We can go home soon.”

Without another word, Lisa leaned down and kissed his forehead, before pulling away to continue her work. Julius could do nothing but sigh and watch her go, his smile still traced on his lips and his mind hazy with desire.

(the next morning)

At exactly 6:30 am, Lisa’s eyes popped open. She was like a machine, her consciousness restoring itself almost instantly after her usual 6 hours of sleep. That was all she really needed, so she never gave herself much more. With a little yawn, the girl slowly rolled over in bed, her arm reaching out to find the warmth of a body beside her. However...

Julius wasn’t there, for some reason. Lisa frowned a bit, blinking as she got her bearings. Hmm, I wonder where he is? She was sure that they were together when they fell asleep late last night. In fact, she was 100% certain that was the case. Julius got all needy when he was drunk, and wouldn’t let go of her even as he fell asleep. It takes a lot to get him drunk in the first place. He should be terribly hungover right now.

“Portia? Lyra?” 

Lisa peeked into the kitchen, the stillness in the air betraying that no one else was awake yet. That’s weird… well, Julius likes his morning walks, this could be his way of dealing with his hangover

She knew that Julius was the last person on earth she usually had to worry about, but he was unfamiliar with the area and could get lost. Keeping that in mind, Lisa quickly got dressed and headed out to search for him. It was still early, and also a Saturday, so the town was very quiet and empty. Lisa strolled down the streets, becoming increasingly disheartened as she failed to locate her wandering boyfriend. Well… maybe he went out into the woods? Ooh, I hope he’s alright-

Lisa decided to check the outskirts before heading back home, just in case. Luckily, her intuition ended up being right… just not in the way she expected at all.

“Lisa!!!! Hello!!! Good morning!!! Look at me!!!”

Just as Lisa reached the edge of the woods, who should come running out but a grinning Julius. Usually, Julius only moved fast when he was fighting, and moved so fast that he left afterimages everywhere he went. Other than that, he glided from place to place, as graceful and stately as could be. But now, Lisa watched in shock as a seemingly-normal albeit awkward looking man, with arms and legs a little too long for his body, came sprinting at her. But the strangest thing was-

“Julius!!! Why are you dressed like a lumberjack!?” 

Lisa backed away slightly as he skidded to a stop in front of her, still almost giddy with boyish excitement, and she eyed his strange outfit: a red flannel shirt, JEANS, and a strange looking hat. She also noticed that he wasn’t in disguise anymore. But before she could say anything, Julius launched into a harried explanation, as if he already knew what she was thinking. “Oh, don’t worry! No one recognized me with this hat on, haha! See, I woke up early to make you some coffee for when you woke up, but your uncle was awake and invited me to come help him and some others gather wood and stuff in the forest! He gave me the outfit and everything! It’s a little tight though-” Julius shifted uncomfortably in his jeans. “Anyway, a lot of people in this town don’t have much magic, at least not for gathering wood, so I got to use an axe and everything! It was so much fun, we’re taking a short break now but we’ll be at it again soon, haha!” 

Julius let out a jovial laugh while Lisa stood there, still absorbing the words he just spat out. “Oh… I see. Well, I’m glad you’re having fun-” She eyed his hat again, noticing that it covered most of his blonde hair as well as his swallowtail mark. “So… you’re not hungover or anything? You were pretty drunk last night…”

“Drunk? NO, no!” Julius wiggled his eyebrows. “That stuff only buzzed me… I was just using it as an excuse to act a bit more boldly, you know? I’m perfectly fine this morning.”

… of course he would do that- Lisa thought to herself, not sure if she should be charmed or exasperated…. She was leaning towards the former, since by now she was used to Julius’s antics. “You seem to be enjoying the commoner life, maybe we should quit our jobs and move out to a cabin in the woods,” she teased, letting herself smile brightly up at him. Now that the shock was wearing off… he did look really good in his new “uniform.” “You should wear stuff like this more often~”

Julius raised an eyebrow, but couldn’t wipe his goofy grin off his face. “Oh? Maybe I will~ And-” He reached down and took her hand in his, clasping it tenderly. “I’ll take you out to cabins in the woods whenever you feel like it! Just say the word, and it’s done!”

Lisa giggled, squeezing her eyes shut as Julius’s hand cupped her cheek, holding her face gently as his lips found the side of her head. “It’s good to know I have you wrapped around my finger~”

“Oh, more than my finger, my dear.” Julius winked as he straightened back up. However, that brief, sultry moment ended as soon as a new idea crossed his mind. “So! I was thinking- we should have a picnic for lunch!”

Lisa’s eyes it up at the same time as his own. “Ooh, I like that idea! Out in the woods?” She immediately started brainstorming what she could make.

“Not just any spot, though-” Julius fidgeted with excitement. “That spot by the river… with the flowers, where we first met?”

“Oh… oh! Yeah!” The memories flooded back, memories from a time much more complicated than now. “Meet me there at noon?”

“Yeah! Thank you, darling.” Julius leaned down, his intention clear. Lisa closed her eyes in time to feel his sweet kiss on her lips, brief yet just as intoxicating as ever. “See you soon!” Without another word, Julius waved goodbye before running off, disappearing into the trees. Lisa sighed to herself, the warmth of his presence still lingering on her skin. Wow… well, I have a picnic to prepare. She turned around and started to walk back home, her mind still caught up in the dream she somehow managed to turn into reality.

Back then, years ago, they met in that spot by the river. Lisa was lost, alone, hopeless, and confused, but all it took was a kind smile and that strange, warm feeling to get her moving again. Moving towards her goals, with nothing left to lose and everything to gain.

I gained and lost so much, over and over, but now… it’s just like you promised, Julius. You said, one day, our life will be simple. And now it is.

Despite the trials they experienced, the satisfaction of knowing filled Lisa’s heart: she was his, and he was hers. Completely.

(shortly before noon)

Finally alone, Julius took off his hat, letting his head breathe for the first time all morning. He had arrived at the spot a little early, so he had a few minutes to himself. “Hmm… this is the place, alright,” he muttered to himself, looking around. The stream still flowed lazily like it always did, and the blanket of white cornflowers still rippled gently in the breeze. The whole atmosphere was calming, yet so deeply potent with memories, both good and bad… but one in particular.

I still remember it so well… During that Diamond attack, Lisa dropped her Grimoire. I had to chase her all over town to give it back! I ended up catching up to her here… we had our first conversation. And her first smile-

Julius would have been content to die in that moment. For that brief second, he forgot that he was Wizard King, he forgot about all the responsibilities he carried on his back. He was weightless, unburdened… blessed. A girl he barely knew, someone he could tell was deeply troubled and complicated, defeated him with just a smile. At that time, he couldn’t have imagined that he would grow so close to her, watching as she clawed her way up, a girl with nothing to lose but everything to gain. It was what he admired most about her, but she was more than just another remarkable person in the magic knights.

She was his.

Julius found himself standing at the edge of the stream, the water calm enough for him to make out his reflection.

Despite how perfectly everything felt now… he couldn’t shake an unwelcome feeling.

Dread?

Julius shook his head slightly, watching his own eyes narrow with determination.

If I can protect an entire kingdom… I can protect one person dear to me. 

“Julius!”

The voice calling out from behind him immediately dispelled the dread from his gut. Perking up, Julius quickly turned around to see Lisa walking over, picnic basket in hand and a big smile on her face. “Hey! I’m right on time~ Hungry?” She held up the basket, opening it up to look at the contents. “I made some sandwiches, but Portia had some leftover wine from last night so I packed a little of that as well, and-”

Lisa was suddenly cut off when a pair of arms closed around her. She stood there silently as she was held tightly, her face buried into the rough flannel of Julius’s shoulder. Slowly, she inhaled, taking in his scent, a scent indistinguishable from her own save for the new notes of pine he managed to pick up while working. Then, she exhaled, her arms drifting around his torso in time with her breath. 

It was moments like these that she knew she was cherished. More than any treasure or prize the Kingdom could offer. Even if she didn’t understand why, she knew that fact.

After a few long, tender moments, Julius’s grip finally loosened, and he stepped back just enough to peer down at her face, his smile tinged with faint notes of sadness. “Thank you, Lisa.”

“My pleasure.”

The two of them turned and walked towards the stream, their hands still entwined as tight as fate itself.

[baekhypnotized]

☆— [three]

summary: Baekhyun is just a man who doesn’t believe in romance as much as Byul, who is trying to give herself to him. But day by day, he will soon realize that her fleeting actions are breaking down his cold-hearted brick wall, no matter if it takes her a million years.

warning(s): -

word count: 3.2k+

author’s note: chapter three is up!!! i hope there’s people who would like this fic like i do :( feedback is much appreciated so please leave your thoughts regarding this fic!! to anyone who would like to be tagged in the next chapter, please let me know too :)

tag list: @baestelcolor​ @xlxbaekhyuneex​

<<[prev] || [next]]>>

Soomin and I arrive 10 minutes earlier for our class in the morning. As soon as I make myself comfortable in my seat, I focus my attention on the door, waiting for him. One by one, my classmates pass through the door but there's no sign of him at all. I guess he will be late like yesterday. But a few minutes later, he arrives. Unconsciously, I beam when I see him taking his seat beside the same girl from yesterday as I recall her name is Yerin. I swallow the tiny pinch in my gut seeing as he doesn't even spare a second to greet me or look at my direction.

My mood changes 180 degrees when Mdm. Lee enters the lecture hall to start the class. I begin to focus completely throughout the lesson as I try my best to stop glancing on him because his appearance today caught my attention. Suddenly, my phone vibrates on the desk. I stop taking my notes for a while and check the notification that I received. It's from him.

[Baekhyun]: Good morning! How's your sleep? :)

I try not to smile reading his text but my excitement betrays me, causing me to let out a giggle.

Soomin somehow notices that I am currently using the phone on my lap so she nudges me, "what are you giggling at?"

I shook my head, denying whatever assumptions she has going on in her head at the moment. She only replies to me with a fiery glare as I am only able to give her a grin.

I quickly reply to his chat because he is currently online.

[Byul]: Quite good. How's yours?

[Baekhyun]: As usual. You seem surprised when you receive my text.

[Byul]: Pfft.. I did not!

[Baekhyun]: Yes you do, Ms. Hanbyul.

[Byul]: Whatever, Mr. Byun. Please focus on the class. We'll talk later.

I lock my phone and place it on the table as I get back my attention on the screen. Instantly, the phone lights up as the notification appears on the screen. Peeking on it, I chuckle softly.

[Baekhyun]: Mean :(

The class continues for almost an hour with me jotting down notes in my notebook, knowingly ignoring Baekhyun's text. 20 minutes before the end of the class, Mdm Lee introduces us to our first assignment and tells us that she will assign us in a group of two.

"Since you guys barely know each other, I will use the random group creator on the Internet to assign you guys in a pair. Take this as a chance to know each other more."

She's creating the group, live on the screen and every one of us are curious to know who will we work with for the upcoming weeks. She copies our names and pastes them on the generator before she presses the 'Enter' button to proceed. I silently pray to be paired with someone responsible and hardworking in doing the assignment.

As the result appears on the screen, Mdm. Lee makes the screen wider for us to see the result. Still praying, my eyes are scanning the list, searching for my name. I am surprised when I finally found it. I am partnered with Baekhyun.

"Who's your partner?" Soomin knocks me off from my thoughts.

"Byun Baekhyun."

"It's that guy who came late yesterday, right?" She questions again and I nod my head. Soomin laughs a bit and I guess she wants to say how unfortunate I am to get him as my partner.

"I will send the assignment through your emails and I hope everyone contributes to this work. Class dismissed." Mdm. Lee dismisses the class and the whole class begins to get hectic, trying to search for their partners while I'm packing my stuff into my bag. Soomin and Sehun leave me after they inform me to meet up at the cafeteria first before heading somewhere for lunch.

"Well, well, well. I'm paired with this mean girl, huh? Seems like we are fated to be together," I search for the owner of the voice, and sees Baekhyun standing in front of me, leaning on the table with his hands tucked in the pocket of his jeans.

"I'm not mean," I retort, faking a frown.

"Yes, you are since you ignored my message." He replies, crossing his arms.

"I'm just busy focusing on the lesson, Baekhyun. Wait a second," I unlock my phone and act as if I just realised I receive a text from him. I type in a quick reply and watches him digging his phone out of his pocket.

[Byul]: Sorry *grinning emoji*

Baekhyun chuckles silently and I find it amusing watching him in this way. "So, you're expecting me to forgive you with that grinning emoji, Hanbyul?" I lift my shoulders to reply to his question as I get ready to leave the place.

"Now, you're leaving me?" He scoffs huskily.

I give him a curious look and quickly, Baekhyun steals my tote bag from me because he doesn't want me to leave him.

"Hey!" I scold him, trying to reach for my bag, although I fail because he hides it behind his body. I sigh in defeat. I suddenly noticed the silence, only now realizing that the lecture hall is already empty, leaving only the two of us. None of us are saying anything even when our eyes are locked with each other, making me squirm in uneasiness.

I break the silence off with a question, "when and where do you want to discuss our assignment? If you don't mind, let's just do it at the cafe that I worked at. We can work on the project during my break time, but only if you're fine with it." I quirk my eyebrows, waiting for his answer.

Baekhyun supports his upper body with his arms on the desk as he leans closer to me. "Why would I mind?" He chuckles when he sees me closing my eyes when he's too close to me. "-If it means I can drink the coffee you made again, I'd be willing to go every day."

I fluster a bit as I can feel my face starts to heat up. Baekhyun leans back by the table and smiles softly, watching me begin to blush. Trying to distract my feelings, I cough to avoid the same awkward situation happens again.

"So, you agree with the cafe?" I confirm it back with him and he nods his head.

"Great! I'll text you back when should we start our discussion." I say while handing out my hand to him.

He cluelessly places his hand on mine before I pull my hand away, handing it out again with a serious look. "My bag, Mr Byun."

Baekhyun scoffs with the sneaky move that I make him embarrassed with himself as I titter silently. He grabs the tote bag and hands it over to me. I check my stuff, making sure everything is packed without leaving anything behind.

"I'll text you! Bye, Baekhyun!" I leave him alone as I leave the lecture hall. The last thing I hear from him is only a chuckle that I guess, he was astonished by me.

"How's your 'first' meeting with that 'Baekhyun' guy?" Soomin asks me when I hand in the menu to the waiter right after we ordered our meals for lunch.

I prop my elbow on the desk as I cup my cheek, tilting my head a little to the right, giving her an innocent grin. She gives me a threatening look, although she knows it doesn't affect me. Sehun only releases a chuckle watching the silent fight between us.

I bring my hand to pat lightly on her head, "Nothing much that I can guarantee you, Soomin. We just discussed the place and the date we should meet for the discussion."

"And?" Sehun butts into our conversation while giving a curious look to me. Soomin is already preparing her ears to listen to every word that is leaving my mouth. The way they lean closer amuses me with their silly actions. Both of them are diligently waiting for me to speak but I'm taking my time, intentionally leaving them clueless.

"Secret." I reply with a sly wink, making both of them sigh in frustration. I burst into a laugh, knowing that I finally succeed in making them feel annoyed. Soomin leans on the back of the chair while Sehun brushes his hair frustratedly.

"Fine. It's only at the cafe and we both agree to do it when I'm free." I give in, not wanting to torture them any longer.

"See? Isn't it easy for you to say it rather than playing around with us?" Soomin mutters, making sure I know she is frustrated. I only giggle at her reaction, knowing she isn't all that mad. Her frustration is cut short when the same waiter that took our order comes back to serve our drinks; iced lemon tea for Sehun, soda for Soomin and strawberry milkshake for me. Pulling my drink closer, I take a few sips and smack my lips to produce a sound, remarking how refreshing it is.

"You know what?" Soomin asks me as I tilt my head to look at her.

"What?"

"You're acting weird. What I mean by weird is you're annoyingly weird. Do you agree with me, baby?" She questions her boyfriend this time and he agrees with it.

"I'm not!"

"Stop lying to us and expose everything, you brat," She tickles me this time, trying to make me say it while I'm already squirming vigorously in my seat, avoiding her attacks.

"Gosh, stop it! It tickles!" I try to tell her to stop but it's a failure. She continues it even as I get off from my seat, letting out deep breaths.

"I swear, I'm not hiding anything. Can you please stop?" I explain to her but she simply ignores me to drink her soda. I roll my eyes before sitting back at my place but this time, with an obvious distance away from Soomin. A few moments later, our desired burgers arrive at the right moment because I couldn't stand being tortured.

We start to savour our burgers and move onto a different conversation related to their families while I can only lend my ears listening to them. Despite not having any close family members in Seoul, I'm grateful to have my stepfamily even though they're living far away from me. At least, I get to stay in contact with mom and also Suho (my step-brother) to tell them how's my life so far.

A sudden 'Ping!' comes from my phone. I pull it out from my pocket to check it out; it's a message from Baekhyun. I peek at the two of them who are busy exchanging stories. I put down my burger for a moment and secretly unlock my phone to read his message.

[Baekhyun]: Working evening shift today?

[Byul]: Yeah, at 5 pm and ends at 10 as usual. Why?

[Baekhyun]: Just asking and also, I miss your coffee.

Baekhyun successfully makes me burn up as I keep my head low to cover my rosy cheeks from being noticed by my friends. I type on my keyboard quickly to reply to his message without making it obvious.

[Byul]: Then come again later and order. Prepare small changes also, or else.

[Baekhyun]: Or else what?

[Byul]: I won't accept any of your upcoming orders.

[Baekhyun]: Wow, such a mean woman I'm dealing with.

[Byul]: Well, you're messing with the wrong one now.

[Baekhyun]: and I cannot wait to mess with you more then.

I gulp a lump in my throat. What does he means though? It's confusing me somehow but I assume he's just trying to get along with me. As a matter of fact, I'm quite grateful he shows his effort for this project as I couldn't wait to begin working on it because I will get to know him more. I set my phone into silent mode as a safety measure from Sehun and Soomin as I keep my phone back before I continue to indulge the burger and join their conversation. But, none of their stories can distract me from thinking about Baekhyun.

The last few minutes left before the cafe closes for today's business, I settle all the chores earlier from cleaning the dishes to rearranging the chairs and tables to kill time. Slowly, one by one of the customers leave the cafe as I greet them a good evening with a satisfied smile. I pick a wet towel to wipe the tables off from the mess and collects all the rubbish before throwing it away. As I'm about to head back to the main door to lock it, a man appears, wearing a beige coat. Scanning him carefully, I chuckle softly at the sight of Baekhyun standing by the door.

"What are you doing here? It's late already."

"Couldn't accept any customers?" He asks as I read the current time at my wristwatch, seeing that there are still 10 minutes left before the closing time.

"What would you like to drink?"

"Cappuccino."

I dilate my eyes after hearing his order and Baekhyun looks at me with a curious look. "Is there... any problem with it?"

"No... but you're drinking coffee at this hour?" I question him back and he nods his head. Shaking my head slowly, I pace back to the counter and start preparing his cappuccino while Baekhyun waits for me patiently at the serving counter. While I am busy brewing the coffee, he's watching my every move without blinking his eyes.

"You never saw anyone preparing coffee?" I snort in amusement as I ask him.

"I did but I've never seen someone who looks this amazing before," Baekhyun confesses while tapping his fingers on the counter. My stomach churns, it seems like a normal occasion now whenever he tries to make my heart beat rapidly with his words. I cover the cup with its lid before handing the drink to him.

"Thank you. Are you closing already?" Baekhyun asks and I check the time again, it's 10 pm sharp.

"Yeah. Are you going to leave now?"

"Nah, I'll stay and leave together with you later. Go clean up first while I'll wait for you at the table." He informs and I nod. This time, Baekhyun gives exactly the right amount of money for the cappuccino that makes me surprised as he leaves me to sit by the table. I keep the money in the cash register and get back to the staff room to hang my apron and grab my stuff.

Since Senior Hana came home early because of an emergency, she gives me the responsibility to hold the keys and told me she will wait for me at the cafe tomorrow early in the morning. I come back to join him for a seat after switching the lights off in the staff room. Baekhyun is sitting quietly on the comfy chair while sipping the hot cappuccino.

"Where did you come from though? It's like 10 pm and you still here, hanging around outside," I ask, probing him for details because he looks like someone who came from somewhere outside and not his house. He continues to savour his beverage without saying anything while I wait for him.

He places his cup on the table as he starts, "I just met with someone before I came here for your coffee."

Hearing the word 'someone' makes me more curious. Last night, he texted me that he was going to meet with a person in the late night. But, who was it? I don't want to intrude by asking him for more details because we barely know each other. I'll probably forget about having those thoughts anyway. I don't think I want to get involved in his life, not rudely.

"Anyway, I think we should start the project as soon as possible without wasting any time. At least, we can recheck and proofread the assignment once we're done with it," Baekhyun focuses on me as he recommends.

"Yeah, why not? How about tomorrow?" I ask his opinion as he tilts his head a little bit to the right side after hearing the word 'tomorrow'.

"Tomorrow?"

"We don't have any classes tomorrow, Baekhyun," I chuckle softly, causing him to stare at me in awe. I figured he already forgets about our class that had been cancelled by our lecturer.

"Sure! What time will you be working tomorrow?" He asks me this time.

"I have to work in the evening at 2. How about we begin at 10.30 in the morning?"

"Sounds good, I'll come here right away after I have my breakfast."

"Great! 10.30 it is!" I beam.

Baekhyun nods his head a few times as an agreement for our first discussion before he grabs his cappuccino back and sips it. On the other hand, I awkwardly stay still with my hands fidgeting together since we don't have any topics to converse.

I glance at my wristwatch to see that the current time is 10.15 pm. "Baekhyun, I think it's better we go home now," I say, ready to move.

We stand up from our seats and walk towards the main door. I can clearly see his car parked on the other side of the road. Baekhyun waits for me while I lock the door tightly after switching off the main lights. Tonight is kinda chilly and I think it's a bad idea that I didn't bring any cardigan to the class. I guess I'll just hold myself in coldness through my entire journey to public transport.

"Let me send you home," he invites.

"But Baekhyun-"

He shakes his head a few times that manages to cut my sentence off. Baekhyun leads me to his car and we hop into it. Since he knows how cold tonight is, he increases the car's temperature and turn on the heater to warm us up. After we settle down, buckling our seatbelts, he drives us to my neighbourhood. And again, the atmosphere is still silent in the car, only accompanied by the soft volume from the radio.

Baekhyun drops me off at the same place as before. I thank him again as he stretches a smile, revealing his plump cheeks.

"Thank you again for dropping me off. Please inform me if you arrive home."

"Don't mention it, I'll text you later," he answers.

He insists I walk back home first so I obey. But when I turn around, Baekhyun already leaves the place. I'm just hoping he will arrive safely to his home.

Once I arrive home, I assume Soomin is already asleep since I don't see her hanging around in the living room. She must be tired spending the whole evening with Sehun. Heading straight towards my room, I take out my phone from my bag and text Baekhyun to inform him that I have arrived safely.

[Byul]: I arrived safely, baekhyun :)

I leave my phone on charge and decides to take a quick shower before tucking myself to bed. Only around 30 minutes, I finish everything; shower and my night skin care routine. Laying myself on my comfy bed, I stare at the phone realising there's no notification, not even from him.

Maybe he just forgot to inform me.

[ziracona]

Could you elaborate on that Gordon fan theory about him being an inside mole? I haven't heard of it before and it sounds intriguing. Plus ever since the small reference to him on the memorial in ILM, I've been wondering what your thoughts were on how he ended up

Oof, okay, buckle up. This will be the abridged version but that’s still gonna be long. (Don’t read if you want to avoid spoilers for the Saw franchise).

So, in Saw, Gordon is a fkn anomaly to most of the fanbase. Becuase he has a wildly solidified character. You watch Gordon & Adam both go through three different character arcs back to back, and trauma bond, and the second to last scene in Saw is this fkn devestating & beautiful one where—let me back up. So. Quick Saw summary. Two people wake up chained by the ankle to pipes in a small nasty abandoned bathroom with a corpse on the floor between them. They’re each left a tape recorder which tells them why they’ve been targeted (Gordon because he doesn’t value life enough which is evidenced by...? — real reason is he’s literally just the unfortunate Doctor who told John he had Cancer, and John Kramer is that petty of a stupid bitch. & Adam is grabbed becuase...Literally he didn’t even bump into John Kramer or something. The guy took him because he’s a starving early 20s kid who is a photographer, and John thinks his occupation & he are pathetic. I’m not joking. Or exaggerating. This is quite literally the given reason for torturing & killing Adam being fine to John). Anyway, Gordon’s wife and like 7 year old daughter have been kidnapped and are being held at gunpoint. Gordon is told that if he finds a way to murder Adam by six (poor Fkn Adam is 6 feet away & hears this whole tape) on the clock, they and he go free. Adam is told if he can stay alive until after six, he wins and can go free.

They spend then the remaineder of Saw trying, like you’d hope good, decent, or even medium or somewhat shitty people would, to help each other escape, rather than Gordon trying to kill Adam at all. They attempt to fake Adam’s death & fail bc they didn’t realize their shackles were wired & they could be zapped, which makes playing dead really hard. Initially they are frustrated by each other, especially Gordon, who is an adult & levelheaded, by Adam who is young and jouvenile and freaking out & being a pain at first, but they bond through attempting to escape & to figure out what’s happened to them, and also learn more truth about each other. Meanwhile you also get backstory on Jigsaw & the case, and follow Detective Tapp’s story through a few investigated murders, the loss of his partner, and to where he is following Gordon, whom he is convinced is Jigsaw, now. Back in the bathroom, Adam and Gordon reach 6 on the clock, and Gordon gets a phone call where the man holding his wife at gunpoint makes her tell him he failed his game & now she and their daughter have to die. His wife bites the man’s hand, and they fight, but all Gordon hears is screaming in his wife and child’s voices and gunshots, and he has a mental breakdown believing they’re being murdered on the other end of the phone. Then is electrocuted. Adam flips out and tries to throw small stones at Gordon’s body to wake him up, terrified he’s dead, and succeeds. Adam is overcome with relief, but Gordon has a full mental breakdown, almost having died and believing his family is dead, then swapping immediately to denial and convincing himself it’s not too late and he can still save them. Adam tries desperately to apologize and calm him down, then to in horror talk him into stopping while he watched Gordon begin to saw off his foot (Adam was given a saw for this purpose too, but his broke early on before they realized the saws were meant for their feet instead of the chains). Gordon does not stop, and Adam watches in horror as he cuts off his foot, crawls to the gun the dead body on the floor has been holding, and puts the one bullet he was given into it. He tells Adam while crying and breaking down that he’s sorry but he has to die he has to save his family. Adam begs him not to shoot, but he does.

Meanwhile, Bc he’s staking out Gordon’s home, Tapp hears shots, runs in, and is able to chase off the killer and save Gordon’s wife and daughter. He pursues the killer to the meat packing plan, where he is ambushed, struggles, and then is shot in the stomach and left for dead. The man, Zepp, makes it to the bathroom where Gordon tries to shoot him with the bow empty gun & screams at him for what he did to his family, who he still believes are dead, then breaks down crying again. Zepp takes out a gun and tells him he failed to kill Adam by 6, so he has to die. Gordon asks hopeless why, and he tells him those are the rules, then goes to shoot him while Gordon tries to shut his eyes and brace for death. Adam, who is not dead, grabs Zepp’s feet and drags him down in a surprise attack, rips the toilet bowl lid off the toilet, and beats him to death with it, saving Gordon, who watches in shock and then crawls over and puts a hand on his shoulder and gets him to stop beating the dead corpse. Adam is wounded & criying because gunshot wounds fkn hurt, & Gordon tries to comfort him. Tells him it’s just a flesh wound—it’s his shoulder—he’ll be okay. Just keep pressure on it. He has to go get help. Adam begs him not to leave him alone in the bathroom, but Gordon says he has to or he’s going to bleed to death (which is incredibly visually apparent). Adam tries to keep him, then watches him crawl and pleads for him to wait and asks if they’re going to be okay? Gordon tells him “I wouldn’t lie to you.” and gives him a reassuring smile while half dead and crawls out to look for help. Adam is left alone and searches Zepp’s corpse for keys to his shackle, then finds a tape exactly like his & Gordon’s. He plays it, and realizes to his horror this man Zepp was another victim, not Jigsaw. He was poisoned and told to kidnap Gordon’s family & shoot them both & Gordon if Gordon lost to earn an antidote, or just accept death and refuse to participate. While the tape plays, the corpse in the room with them stands up, and Adam realizes to overwhelming horror it has been alive the whole time, and it is Jigsaw, who wanted a front row seat to their torture, suffering, and death. He tries to grab Zepp’s gun & shooot him, but Jigsaw/John electrocutes him w a remote (the shackles are wired) and leaves, congratulating him on winning & telling him where his key is (it got flushed down a drain when Adam woke up, which John no doubt planned), then telling him “Game Over” and locking him alone in the bathroom because John’s a fake ass piece of shit who doesn’t even keep his promises & let the winners go.

The end scene between Adam and Gordon is phenomenal & heart wrenching (Saw is an amazing character piece of a film, & the first film is the reason it became a modern horror staple! Watch here if you’re curious! :’-]

While Gordon does eventually, under extreme duress, shoot Adam, he never wants to kill him, and they are definitely close by the end of the film (which is clear both from the way they treat each other, and their more decisive actions, like Adam risking his life to save Gordon after being shot by him & never seeking recompense for the gunshot, Gordon trying to help Adam & comfort him as well as get help for them both). This is the central relationship of Saw 1, and it’s really well done.

Then, in Saw 2, there’s just no mention of Gordon going back to save Adam. We wonder what happened, until Amanda & Danny stumble to the bathroom form Saw 1 & you are greeted by Adam’s decaying corpse still chained there. It’s later revealed that Gordon escaped the bathroom, cauterized his wound on a hot pipe because he knew he was going to die otherwise, then passed out from pain. John found him and took him to his workshop, where he nursed him back to health & gave him a prosthetic leg, before convincing him to join the team.

Understandably, this did not sit well with any of the Saw fandom. We fight about all kinds of stuff, but the one thing I’ve like, never seen disagreement on, is that it makes no fkn sense for Gordon to betray Adam like that after how close they were, and it makes even less sense he’d willingly join the man who super tried to murder his wife and kid. If it wasn’t for Tapp and Adam, Gordon, his wife, and his child would be dead now. John endangered all 3 intentionally, and did not save or spare any of them.

Still with me? So. Because of that, people started digging. Now, out of Jigsaw’s apprentices, Gordon is the only one who never takes a very active roll. He did not run games or kidnap people. Becuase he was a doctor, John called him in to do medical work for tests, such as sewing a key into the eye of the man from the cold open to Saw II. The only active work he takes is catching Hoffman at the end of Saw 3D & locking him in the basement, which John asked him to do if Hoffman killed Jill (which Hoffman does). This together with Gordon’s character led to a massive fan theory. Let me try to break it down.

After Saw 1, Gordon joins a support group for Jigsaw game survivors, and returns to his family. We get very little info about him period until Saw 3D though. However! Pre Saw 1, Jigsaw basically never lost, the cops never even got close. Suddenly after Saw 1, the entire gang falls apart, starting with Amanda and John, then finally Hoffman & Jill. In Saw 3, it’s revealed Amanda went back to the bathroom to kill Adam when he survived his test. She promises she’s there to help him when he wakes up scared and half dead in the dark, and then puts a plastic bag over his head and smothers him while he fights. This lead to a fan theory that Gordon went back to save Adam once he could (able to walk & not being shadowed by Jigsaw), but was too late, and decided to take revenge very carefully. However, Amanda has a shit track record of thinking she killed someone & not checking for a pulse (see Eric Matthews, who she thought she beat to death), so the even more popular theory is that Adam was not dead by the time Gordon got to him, and Gordon saved him and replaced his corpse with another. This theory is backed by the fact that Adam was shot in the shoulder, but when the body is seen in other films, it is both too decayed to be recognizable, and the gunshot wound is in the stomach (where Tapp was shot). Furthermore, when Amanda & Danny find Zepp and “Adam”’s bodies in Saw 2, Zepp, who was already partially bald, still has hair, yet Adam’s corpse is completely bald. The shackle is also on the wrong foot now, which would indicate it was removed and then replaced by someone in a hurry. Now, obviously it’s possible this was just a continuity error, but given that Saw usually has a good track record with continuity (and uses them a lot for big reveals), that gives more weight than usual to the theory.

So, this led to the idea that Gordon was able to either save Adam, or at least remove his body & bury it, replaced it with a fake (possibly Tapp? but considering the bodies wouldn’t be decayed enough for the skin to be missed if he did it when Adam was alive or in decent preserve even, and Tapp is considerably taller, I’d assume he, as a doctor, didn’t have too much trouble stealing a John Doe cadaver from the hospital) corpse in Adam’s clothes, then agreed to help Jigsaw becuase he was smart enough to know if he didn’t play along, John would kill him (he would, and has. He never lets people with dangerous information go). John also tends to have failsafes in place, like “if Gordon betrays me, kill his daughter” kind of stuff, so the theory is Gordon played along to keep his family safe, instead of going to the cops, since he knew at least Hoffman worked for Jigsaw already, and there might be more plants, and did his best to engineer the breakdown and eventual demises of the whole team from Saw 1 on. (Was the one who gave Hoffman the idea to threaten Amanda or the info to do it, intentionally failed to protect Jill from Hoffman to have an easy excuse to kill/see both dead, etc). Makes double sense if Adam was alive, becuase if Gordon revealed himself as mole, first thing Jigsaw & co would check is what else he messed with, and they knew he was close to Adam.

There’s a lot more details to it, but that’s the short version. Most people I know in the Saw fandom ascribe to it in a weird kind of “Look I know it’s probably just inconsistent character writing and in that case fuck Gordon he can go to hell, but since I truly don’t believe Saw 1 Lawrence Gordon would do this & there’s enough evidence for reasonable doubt, I choose to believe the convoluted theory that makes him make sense & also means Adam could maybe be alive” way. Including me. If Gordon really decides he has no issue with John after what he did to him, his baby girl, Adam, and his poor wife, joins him willingly & helps, then he’s as bad as Amanda & Hoffman & fuck that guy. But since the characterization doesn’t match /at all/ & there’s never an explanation given, & fan theory makes more sense, I tend to think of Gordon as if the fan theory is right? Although if you don’t & thus hate Gordon, 100% respect. I just cannot watch Saw 1 & believe Lawrence would join up for any reason but revenge & long con to keep family safe. I mean, he tried to kill a /friend/ to save his family. You’re really going to try to convince me the man who cut off his own foot by hand to try to save his wife and daughter would ever be cool with or forgive the man who tried to execute them for no reason? Uhhh, to quote Dr. Gordon himself,

I mean.

💁🏻‍♀️ You can’t convince me the man this hellbent on destroying the man who was threatening his family did not make him pay, and just decided to be pals. You can’t. It’s inconsistent writing. :’-] anyway, there’s other info too—one of the disguised figures who helps Lawrence take out Hoffman is the exact height Adam was, the plastic bag from Amanda is gone & the corpse in a different position, etc—been like 2 years so I don’t even remember it all, but it’s very fascinating. & that’s the short yet somehow still too long version of the Gordon theory I definitely did not proof read at all for which I apologize! It’s more convincing than I write it I swear I am just exhausted. :’-] But yeah, most saw fans ascribe to it, which is why we all seem to still like Gordon, and he’s so often shipped with Adam, both of which would probably otherwise seem massively confusing. Hope it helps!

(Oh! & in ILM, since i ascribe to that theory, I wrote him that way. Failed to save Adam, buried his body, then took slow, careful revenge on Jigsaw & co. to keep his family safe. Knows there are deaths he is not blameless for becuase of that, and is full of guilt over wondering if going to the police wouldn’t have saved people, even if he had understandable doubts & reasons for what he did. Is especially guilty for Adam’s death. Seeks to make reparations slowly his own way. [tho also soemtimes secretive characters lie to me until it becomes necessary for me to know, so it’s possible Gordon saved Adam & is hiding it, but given the whole gang is dead, I don’t know why he still would be, so I think ILM verse all he could do was bury the body]).

[dbittz]

Thoughts on a Resident Evil TV Show

I’ve been playing through the Resident Evil 2 Remake lately since I don’t have the RE3 Remake yet and it’s got me thinking about a Resident Evil TV show. There has been rumors and talks of one on and off but nothing consistent or reassuring.  This a long post. These are just my thoughts/something I’d like to see. Some spoilers for the RE Universe if you like don’t know anything. 

First and foremost, the show should remain as true to the source material as it can while having the flexibility to explore and create it’s story. 

Plot/Focus/Theme: The story should focus on The Umbrella Corporation and the people behind/working for the company. It should show the corruption and secrecy within Umbrella along with how the company turns people into monsters, allows us to explore the character and morals of the researchers working for Umbrella. Ideally, it would focus around a set of four characters as the raise up in the ranks. They are Albert and Alex Wesker, William Birkin, and Annette. These are some of the most prominent people behind Umbrella aside from the founders (who we’ll see but are often the mysterious puppeteers behind the scenes.)  Theme would be how our environment, the people we work with, change us for better or worse. While also exploring the morals and philosophy of science and eugenics since Umbrella was created as front for a bunch of old white guys to create the perfect society/race.

 Setting: The show should take place in the 1900’s, 1970-90s I think is the correct time frame. I think it’s important the show takes place around the same time the games did which took place during the time they were developed in the late 90’s. This will keep with the horror of the show but also allow us to see how advanced Umbrella really is and how powerful the company is. One of my favorite times we see this in the Resident Evil 2: Remake when you first enter the Umbrella lab and you see how clean, how futuristic the lab is compared to the rest of Raccoon city. Keeping the separation during that time is key to the story of Umbrella. There of course could be time jumps and there would be flashbacks to the creation and founding of Umbrella.

           The primary location would be the Umbrella Executive Training School and Laboratory with the Arklay mansion being constructed and by proximity the Arklay mountains/forest. This would allow us to fully explore the early stages of T-virus and Progenitor virus development and the parts the characters played. Raccoon City would exist as primarily an escape for our characters along with allowing us to explore the hold Umbrella had on the City and see the corruption with the officials.

 Characters: Albert Wekser- One of the most well known and popular characters in RE, Wesker was a part of a secret project by Oswell Spencer to create the perfect race. Exploring Albert’s background and how he became the man he is would be fun, especially considering Wesker is one of the people to betray Umbrella and bring the corporation down. Wesker, like most of the characters, would start of a young researcher, (late teens, early 20s) planted into Umbrella alongside Alex by Spencer. Albert is Spencer’s favorite and expects much from Albert. We’d be able to explore if Wesker was always the manipulator who didn’t trust even though he and Birkin are often considered friends so were they or did Albert just use William? We’d be able to explore his relationship with Alex, a relatively new character who like Albert has a lot expected of them. I like to think that are rivals and while they do “care” for each other in some way, their sibling relationship is nowhere near the relationship of Alexia and Alfred’s. Perhaps their relation is better than the Ashford twin’s relationship, especially considering the twins relationship could be seen as “abusive” with how Alexia treats Alfred as a solider and Alfred worships his sister. That’s just something the show explore along with Albert’s military training and the creation of S.T.A.R.S while building up his distrust and exit of Umbrella. He remains loyal to them but at what point did Albert start to question not only Umbrella but Spencer, the man who had him created, who “raised” him and gave him everything he needed to succeed? What exactly was his relationship with William like? Was Wesker always so serious and mysterious or was he carefree at some point? Why does he wear sunglasses? We can infure in later games they are to hide his mutation as a result of the virus he used in Resident Evil, but why did he always wear them? Were they an intimidation technique or did he need to wear them because the way he was created made his eyes extremely sensitive to light? There is so much to explore with Wesker like did he have any romantic relations with anyone? He has a son so when and who was that mysterious person or was Jake created like Wesker himself?

 Alex Wesker- Alex is similar to Albert but she wasn’t as praised by Spencer. Maybe it’s because she had a stronger love for literature and philosophy instead of virology or science? She stuck with it and rose in Umbrella because she was expected to, but maybe she didn’t love it. Exploring her character and background would be a lot of fun. She’s a new character connected to a lineage that has a strong history throughout the game so being able to explore her more and see how she differs from Albert would be a lot of fun. It’s also curious to note that she discovered the truth behind her and Albert’s creation so how does that affect her? Does she tell Albert? We see in RE: 5 that Albert didn’t know until he confronted Spencer and he didn’t handle it well so how did Alex handle it? I don’t have much to say about Alex considering she’s still so new but also because I feel like her mystery and the fact she’s always been overshadowed by Albert, and others, could help to develop and make her an interesting character.

 William Birkin- A child prodigy taken in by Umbrella. The biggest things the show should explore with William is his relationship with Annette, how betraying Marcus affects him and eventually causes him to leave Umbrella as he become more paranoid about his own work being stolen. Exploring how he discovers G and rises in the Umbrella ranks would also be fun. Exploring his friendship with Albert. Much like Albert, William has a lot of pressure on him to do great things and he has a bit of an ego because of his genius and, up until Alexia shows up, being the youngest person recruited by Umbrella. I think William sees both Albert and Annette as equals. As I mentioned before I think a big part of William’s character we’d need to explore in the show is how not only he becomes the perfect, immoral Umbrella employee but how he becomes more and more paranoid that the same thing that happened to Marcus will happen to him. His life work is going to be threatened so he has to do everything he can to stay in Umbrella’s favor, to make sure he stays on top. Alexia, a new prodigal child shows up and threatens his intellect and work so maybe he tries to have her killed but fails because Alexia was expecting it. William is a genius but as we’ve seen in his appearance in Resident Evil, he is also an extremely emotional man. Exploring how William goes from being the most hopeful, Umbrella Student, to just another immoral scientist to one completely consumed by Paranoia and obsessed with his work to the point where he begins to neglect his family would allow for a great and tragic character arch that will leave viewers feeling sorry for William cause we all know how his story ends, he becomes a literal monster as a result of his time at Umbrella and we have no reason to sympathize. He was just another immoral Umbrella scientist playing god. Yeah, he had a family, but he didn’t seem to care, all he cared about what his work. Exploring his rise and fall would give fans that connection, it would make them care so that when they see/hear what happens to William and the Birkin family in Resident Evil 2, they can sympathize.

 Annette- We don’t know much about Annette’s history prior to Resident Evil 2, so being able to explore her background and how she and William started dating would be interesting and fun. I like to think that Annette was the first person that William saw as an Equal instead of a rival. Albert was a friend, a rival, a conspirator, Alexia was a rival, but Annette was an equal that William could confide in, could trust with their work. I also like to think that while William may have been the genius behind G, Annette was the driving force, the one who pushed William and helped him with his success by being the clinical eye to their work. We see this in the Resident Evil 2 remake with how Annette is taking constant notes and observations on a mutated William while also taking responsibility to destroy the creature. William was the brains, Annette was the heart and together they were unstoppable. I think the relationship between Annette and William would be the only romantic relationship the show would have. We could explore options with Wesker, he does have a son after all, but William and Annette are the biggest known couple within Umbrella so exploring their relationship and seeing if there really was a love there or did they just marry because they were only ones they could trust with their work? I like to think that despite the affect Umbrella had on the two, they did love each other but as the years went on and they came closer to a breakthrough with G and William began to lose himself to his paranoia, their love began to die thus making them “married to their work.” That love is still clearly there as Annette struggled to kill William before he fully mutated but it’s possible their relationship was already on the rocks and the only reason they were staying together is because of Sherry and they felt they could only trust each other. Perhaps the two weren’t very expressive with their love and emotions, only showing them during times of triumph or success, such as discovering/creating G. I’ve always wondered, if the two were so committed to their work, why did they have a child? They are both very intellectual people so they must’ve known having a child would take them away from their work. They are upper class so they could have a nanny but still begs the question, why bother having a child in the first place? It’s possible Sherry was an “accident” something conceived as a result of one of their few moments of passion, expressed love as a result of something greater. Being an optimist, I like to think Annette and William did love Sherry, but Umbrella forced them to be distant, so they didn’t endanger her. Exploring Annette’s character outside of her marriage to William should be the first most thing, Annette is a strong character outside of her marriage, but it’s also important to explore that relationship because like I said, the Birkin relationship is the only real relationship we know of and we need that connection so we can better explore how Umbrella destroys lives.  

 Alexia and Alfred Ashford- The Ashford twins are only going to show up for maybe a season or a few special guest episodes. Simply because they are young and they got their own stuff to go through that doesn’t concern everything happening in the Arklay mountains/Raccoon city. I can see the two showing up one season, being brought by their father to show off Alexia to Spencer and the rest of Umbrella to prove he isn’t a failure for maybe a week or a couple months. Alexia, being a genius, would of course begin to make strides and overshadow our main cast while Alfred is simply there to help. Maybe there is a plot by William to kill Alexia, something Albert doesn’t advise, but he goes through with. Alexia expects it and simply is unphased by the attempt and uses it to further her own research/goals before she and Alfred leave. Alfred would primarily be there to support Alexia. We could also explore their relationships. They are very close and dependent on each other so seeing their teamwork would be a fun counter to perhaps how William and Annette work or how Albert and Alex’s relationship isn’t normal or perfect. It would also be interesting to explore if growing up in Umbrella is what made the twins so sadistic or was it the abuse of their father. It can be inferred that Alfred was more abused than Alexia, Alexia being the favorite because of her intellect with Alfred only being above average, so exploring that would also allow us to see how being raised in an environment where morals mean nothing can turn young great minds to crazy scientists. We’d obviously see a lot more of Alfred’s co-dependence on Alexia in their youth during their time on the show and how Alexia manipulate Alfred and turns him into the perfect loyal solider. Their relationship could be shown as creepy in that maybe their love for each other goes beyond sibling love or was it really there out of a need to survive? Alfred shouldn’t be shown as an idiotic lackey. He is intelligent, just not as intelligent as Alexia. His intellect could be shown in military skills, in his adult life he is a commander, and his ability to manipulate people just as well as his sister. It’s also possible Alfred is a bit more sadistic than Alexia, finding joy in tormenting those that threaten or oppose his sister. Alexia shows off while at the labs, but she’s bored by how simple and easy everything is. It doesn’t challenge her. They can, and should, be shown as spoiled brats but it shouldn’t be obnoxious, they do have manners and honor due to their family name and linage, but they do think that makes them better than some people. Maybe Alexia finds what she is looking for to complete her T-Veronica virus in the mountains or maybe it’s where she has her epiphany about ants. Like I said, the Ashford twins are a season, two at most but it’s important to include them because they are part of the Umbrella legacy and Umbrella problem.

 The Founders: The background and history of the founders up to the creation of Umbrella and after should be explored as it’s key to the corruption and evil within Umbrella but the entire show shouldn’t focus on them.

Oswell E. Spencer- Spencer can be shown and explored but much like in the games, Spencer should be more of a strange, shadowy figure controlling Umbrella and manipulating it to fit his goal of creating the perfect race and making him a god.

James Marcus- Perhaps the only founder we’ll see the most of, Marcus is the mentor to our group and the one pushing them to excel while doing his research into T-Virus. He shouldn’t be shown as a father figure or a good guy, he is a manipulative, science/research obsessed mad man who is just as bad as Spencer. He influences Albert and William, making them as corrupt and evil as he but his death, his betrayal should impact the two, and others, because that should be the moment that even their positions in Umbrella isn’t secure. The death of Marcus should be the point that really changes the cast as they continue to grow and work for Umbrella and realize the evil of the company and as they become infected with that evil.

Edward Ashford- is dead by the time of our story so most of our exploring of his character will be in flashbacks as we explore the creation of Umbrella and as he is mentioned by the Ashford, Spencer, and Marcus. Like the other founders, he’s not a good person but he is the first one to die, murdered by Spencer, so exploring how that affects Spencer and maybe even all of Umbrella could be a fun venture.

Alexander Ashford- I’m throwing him down here because when he is shown with the twins, he isn’t that important, he’s just their to kinda flaunt, throw blame, and demand more respect because he’s kind of a joke within Umbrella, even though he’s a genius because he manages to clone a person and creates the twins. He’d also be there to show why the twins do what they do to him. Yes part of it is because they were upset about being clones, being created just to feed Alexander’s ego and prove to the world and family that he isn’t useless, but I also believe that Alexander wasn’t the best father. He puts a lot of pressure on the twins to be prefect, to be intellectuals and save the family name, to serve it, with little care to them outside of that goal so it makes sense that the twins would turn him into an experiment.

 Other characters: We can show and mention other Umbrella researchers or show characters like Chief Ions, a young H.U.N.K. who has yet to earn his name, that John guy Ada manipulated for the third party organization (which should be explored more because we know very little about them other than the fact they are a competitor to Umbrella and hire people to infiltrate and steal secrets) ect. They can be seen, mentioned, and have important roles, but outside of the characters mentioned above, they don’t really serve much purpose except to further show how terrible and evil the Umbrella corporation is. It’d be fun to explore their relationships and how Umbrella affected them, but they should never pull focus from our main cast.  

 Last little thought: There can be mini outbreaks, there can be experiments that go wrong or escape but there should never be a major outbreak. We can hint at what sets off the events in Resident Evil Zero/1 but we should never have something that shows Umbrella could fully contain the situation. Umbrella’s own hubris and the corruption within is what brings the company down so while having stuff like a zombie or a hunter on the lose could be fun drama, it should never be a threat to the whole operation. It would also be a fun way to show how much power Umbrella has over elected officials and the media. Spies, corporate espionage, and other horror/science show drama can ensue to keep the show momentum going.

[patissonthepumpkin]

LONG POST WARNING! My vision of what was happening between Vlad and Fenton family.

AU/post-сanon you name it. Angst, hurt/comfort, OOC, everyone is alive.

Not used to write something like that and post on Tumblr so I’m open to criticism. Feel free to share you opinion (but firstly hide your rocks, please).

And anyone, please, tell me how to add a link to a post as a word, I beg you.

‘One on each side’

There were always the three of them. In any progect, any experiment, any science event — they were together. Maddie, Jack and Vlad.

Maddie definitely loved Jack a little more. Just because of his more sincere, easy appeased character. She cared - and still cares - about Vlad a lot but when people you love push you away it hurts. That’s why when Vlad had shown his true face, Maddie chose Jack.

But Jack has always loved them both equally. Just like that. They weren’t hippy, they weren’t in any subcultures with ‘free’ ideology. They were scientists. They talked about impulses, atoms and microchips and not about feelings. Vlad thought about Jack’s behavior as a strange strong attachment, which he accepted but didn’t understand. Maddie guessed. Jack didn’t question.

Maddie is the love of his life. Vlad was sure of it. Maddie is a perfect from the tips of her red hair to the rubber soles of her boots. Maddie knows everything, Maddie can do anything, Maddie is smart and intelligent. Jack… Jack is loud and funny and always near you. Jack talks a lot, breaks things and somehow manages to make them laugh at his silly jokes. Jack is too annoying to love him. Vlad used to believe it. Vlad assured himself that he was taking a second beer for Maddie… Maddie don’t like alchohol.

It was different at the day of the accident than Vlad remembered. They WERE scared but they BOTH were here for him: eliminating the consequences, breaking through after a friend to the hospital and holding his hands. One on each side.

Vlad felt sick. Ugly. Humiliated. Betrayed. By whom? His close friend! And even beloved woman doesn’t want to see him now! Vlad was sure that the entire world was against him. He was ready to defend himself. And a good offense as known is the best defense.

None of the three of them rememered the harsh, pain-filled words that were spoken in the hospital room. The words that filled Masters’ heart with anger, Maddie’s - with pain and Jack’s - with guilt for long 20 years.

The day of the failed experiment was the Pandora’s box for Masters-Plasmius which has been feeding his inner monster since than. No one would ever betray him. Everyone will get what they deserve.

But apparently not this time because here’s Jasmine and she looks like her mother. Just like Maddie the day they’d met: erudite, observant, a little younger… and as annoying as her father.

Daniel is a Jack’s copy. Looking into boy’s eyes for a first time Vlad bumps into a familiar stubborn blue gaze. Daniel is sarcastic, proud, freedom-loving and it’s definitely from his mother.

Vlad suddenly realizes that he’s in trouble because he is in love with these children.

When it seems that it couldn’t be worse Daniel just happens to be a ghost-boy. Vlad thinks he’s curesed. Because he would like nothing more in this life than to be a father of this kid.

And everything against him again because Daniel is trying to stop him, Daniel is a good guy, Daniel is Maddie’s and Jack’s son. He has to hate him. He has to hate Jack. Right?..

Vlad is scared of his own feelings, is afraid to be weak. Vlad is afraid not to understand something. That’s why it’s simpler to kill Jack… and Daniel too, yes, but first… He has to try to make this boy his own.

Sitting among the shades of ruined equipment and traces of ectoplasm Vlad almost feels grateful to Fenton jr. for the new cuts and bruises. Because they’re real. Because they’re from Jack’s son and not that squeaky “Dad” from a creature that in a second became just a puddle of radioactive wastes. Vlad feels calm and accepting. Vlad is tired to be lost.

He is busy with himself and his ego for next few months. Daniel is always nearby like Master’s own shadow (’Or ghost’, as Vlad sadly jokes). Ghost boy, ghost boy… Vlad has already got used to this agony.

Maybe when the entire planet passed through their poor Earth some magnetic fields changed or something but Vlad Masters suddenly realised that he’s no longer feels anger. Annoyance, dissapointment, regret… loneliness. Maybe he’s getting old or it’s a midlife crisis or whatever happens with a man near 50. Vlad miss… them. Miss Maddie AND Jack.

When he appears on the doorstep of Fenton house Maddie punch him in surprise. ‘We thought you were dead!’ Jack joins a minute later and almost strangles him in a bear hug. ‘Vladdy, we’re so happy to see you, old friend!’ Danny and Jazz shocked and suspicious. ‘You died in outer space’, read he in Daniel’s eyes. ‘Yes, I did’, he wants to say, ‘because now you can see a different man who wants to fix everything’. But instead of it: ‘Daniel, Jasmine, can you leave as alone?’

There were many and many tears. Thouthand words of regret, hundreds accusations and one final appology that Vlad was waiting for 20 years: ‘You know me, I’m always like that - here and there… so… I’m sorry, Vlad’. Maddie’s hand is lightly squeezing his and maybe… maybe that’s how it feels to be happy.

Vlad is blind by tears and maybe compeletly out of his mind because he gentle touchs Jack’s cheek with his free hand. When Vlad’s ready to pull it back in horror, he feels Jack reaching for his touch and then a big warm palm covering his own. ‘So long…’, the familiar deep voice is unusually quiet and the words are echoing in his own mind. ‘You took your sweet time, didn’t you?’, sarcastic voice in the head sounds like Maddie. Or maybe she is really saying it? Doesn’t matter. There’re the three of them again and he can’t believe it was even possible to be different.

When Danny and Jazz are back they see Vlad, Maddie and Jack asleep on the couch and their parents are hugging Masters. One on each side.

[dzamie-oc]

Smaugust 07 - Decay

A peaceful monk is ordered to "deal with" a dragon whose very presence is causing a swath of death and decay in the kingdom. He promises to do so, but does not wish to betray his nonviolent ways.

Darvos was transcribing a copy of his texts when the summons arrived. The king of the land had requested his presence, and further, his assistance. Although Darvos was well aware of his own skill with his staff, used only to protect and defend those who were unable to protect themselves, he could hardly guess why the king would want to see him. Nonetheless, a request from the king himself was not something someone would turn down if they knew what was good for them. During the trip to the capital, and castle within, Darvos tried convincing himself that the king was going to request that he travel the kingdom to further spread the word and teachings of his largely nonviolent beliefs to his fellow citizens. He failed miserably, and wound up nervous at what he would be instructed to do.

Every hall of the castle was lavish beyond Darvos's imagination. Huge, stained glass windows decorated every wall, impeccable carpets rolled from one end of the building to the other, and the parts of the walls not occupied by windows or doors were covered with long, ceiling-height banners, embroidered with the royal family crest, and masterfully detailed portraits of the king and his family. Darvos did his best not to stare as he saw in one glance more wealth than his order would allow to have among the lot of them. Finally, he was ushered into the throne room, where rows of knights, dressed all in bright, shining, golden and blue armor guarded the king on his extravagant seat. As he looked around, Darvos could see how the room had been designed to keep the throne - and the monarch seated upon it - at the perpetual center of focus.

"Darvos, is it not?" the king asked, rhetorically, "We have heard great tales of your deeds. Call you yourself a monk, then, or paladin?"

"Just a monk, sir," Darvos replied, before hastily appending, "Y-your Majesty."

"Very well, monk. You have proven yourself beyond capable at dealing with unsightly monsters." His head moved ever so slightly towards a man standing in attendance, holding a book. Although the king said nothing, nor did he move further, the man stepped forward and read aloud from the book.

"August 2nd, 19 KC. A flock of ferocious griffons ravaging the town of Hillshire were driven away by the actions of Darvos of the Order Nonpugil. No townsfolk bore witness to the deed, yet all affirmed he returned unscathed from the fight.

"March 17th, 20 KC. Frequent reports of nagas kidnapping travelers between Hillshire and Waterford ceased after Darvos of the Order Nonpugil ventured into the territory of the nagas. All but three victims - presumed dead - returned to their respective towns shortly after.

"September 9th, 20 KC. A sphinx, who prevented people from entering or leaving Hillshire regardless of their answers to her riddles, left or was removed after Darvos of the Order Nonpugil approached her. Regular trade resumed swiftly."

Darvos shifted uncomfortably. He had a suspicion as to why the events were recorded like that, and what sort of task the king was about to saddle him with. The bookkeeper continued for several more entries before the king silently signaled for him to stop. "Now then, Darvos," the king began, "We have called you here about a beast most foul in the north of Our kingdom. What information We have is merely rumor and educated guess, but for that it causes all within a growing radius to waste away and perish. The wasteland is expanding towards the people of this kingdom, and that is unforgivable and unadmissible." He fixed Darvos with a commanding stare. "As such, you, a fierce and experienced warrior against monsters, who defends humanity against such beasts, are tasked with eliminating this creature. The rumors which have been collected suggest this monster is a yellow dragon; however, all attempts to get close enough to confirm such have ended in failure."

There was a pause, and Darvos realized it was his turn to speak. "My practice discourages fighting when not necessary, and forbids killing," he started. The king's stare grew harder, and he could see and hear the armed guards tense, readying themselves for whatever he might command them to do. Darvos swallowed a lump and went on, "however, protecting my fellow beings is a noble task of the highest order, so if I must fight... I must fight. Either way, I will do all I can to stop the encroaching death."

The king's face softened into a smile. "Very good. You will have The Guard's arsenal at your disposal, should you wish to arm yourself for the task. And, of course, several magical draughts to resist the fiend's effects will be available."

Darvos nodded, then bowed. "Thank you, Your Majesty. I hope to not fail You or my fellow beings."

The monk spent the next week in preparation, trying to work out what he would do. He would not, of course, call out the king for having the wrong information on his deeds, especially not when he suspected doing so might get the king to send a warrior to kill the creature causing this. When he faced the griffons, he had merely convinced the town's hunters to refrain from stealing the flying creatures' eggs and poaching their young. After this, the cat-birds were perfectly content to live peacefully nearby. And again, when the snake people caused problems, they had been greatly slighted by horses and carts rumbling near and even over their dens, resulting in interruption and occasional injury. Only those who veered off the main, cleared pathway had been taken. With greater communication between the nagas and... well, Hillshire, at least (Waterford was less than eager to listen), and clear markings to mark the main road, the nagas were granted peace in their homes and travelers were granted peace of mind as they traveled. Except for the two who had been eaten, but Darvos could see no reason to increase the number of corpses for it.

And the story with the sphinx was similar, though unique. He hadn't sought to leave Hillshire; he merely asked for conversation. She spared him long enough to spend a very entertaining afternoon with her. One thing had led to another, and he soon found himself quite grateful - for his sake and for Hillshire's - that his vows did not include one of celibacy. She still visited him from time to time, although most encounters were largely to catch up on events and for her to test out riddles on the monk.

However, by the time the end of the week rolled around, and he was set to travel out, he was prepared. He had turned down offers of armor, of swords, and accepted only a staff. Even then, he intended to use it far more for walking than for fighting. Accompanied by a guard to protect him up until the wasteland, Darvos began the trip towards the northern edge of the kingdom. It was largely uneventful, and before he realized, he had reached the town being threatened with encroaching death. He disembarked and decided to find out what more the people of the town knew of the dragon.

Results were mixed.

"It's surely divine punishment for Vance and Doyle stealing each other's tools constantly, and arguing without stop!"

"Mom said it gets closer because some people in this town don't eat their vegetables! It can't be me, though, so the adults are screwing things up for the rest of us!"

"It coughs a lot. Maybe it forgot how to breathe fire?"

"Darryl suggested a virgin sacrifice like people in old stories please dragons. He dropped it when I suggested we use him for the sacrifice, of course."

"It's a mighty wizard dragon, concocting a spell to visit a plague across the entire world, until only it and other dragons and poison creatures are left!"

"It's as yellow as the sand it holes up in."

"Silzer used to grow flowers, you know. I suppose he's lost his green thumb, then."

Darvos did a double-take at that last one. The old woman smiled in kind remniscence. "Oh-ho, you doubt me, I'm sure. Well, I was barely even a woman when he left for good, but ol' Silzer used to be such a pleasant drake. Thinking back on him, he was far more patient with us little kids than he had any need to be." She sighed. "Oh, I hope he didn't go away and start doing this because of how we loved to climb his tail and hug his snout."

"I am... sorry to hear that, ma'am," the monk said, "er, would you happen to remember what sorts of things he used to eat before he left?"

She scrunched her face up in thought. "Oh, I'm not so clear on that. I never had to cook for him, you see, and seventy years is quite a long time back to recall. Perhaps fish? Fish and eggs, I think. Maybe the plants from his garden? That sounds like it might be right." The old woman squinted at him. "There were, and are, no humans in his diet, you hear? I know you come from the capital, and Silzar deserves better than getting beat up like a common thug!" The fire in her dimmed as she gazed to the north end of the town with a wistful look, saying, "at least, I hope you can save us and him, both. I've not seen him, myself, in several years."

Darvos placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled. "I do not believe fighting should be necessary in anything. Rest assured, ma'am, ending that dragon's - Silzar's - life is not even on my mind."

She smiled back. "In that case, young sir, I wish you the absolute best of luck."

"Glad to hear it." He turned to leave, but before doing so, looked back at her. "Say, would there happen to be an apothecary, or alchemist, in this town? I have a rather special request for them."

Hardly an hour later, he walked to the north edge of town, package from the alchemist in his hand. He and the guard uncorked the rot-resisting potions from the capital, downing their respective doses. As they stepped into the dead lands, Darvos looked at the trained warrior. "If you would, please stay back while I deal with Sil- with the dragon. If I am successful, I will not need your aid, and if I fail, it is better that you are able to escape and tell the king of what happened." He received only a stiff nod in response.

After some walking, a sizable mound in the barren soil appeared, with a hole in the side well large enough to fit a young adult dragon through. "Here should be fine, if you do not mind," Darvos said to the guard, who took a few more steps before visibly coming to a stop. "Thank you," he said with honest gratitude, and he steeled himself and strode up to the entrance.

"Dragon? Silzer? I am Darvos, seeking to help. Will you come and talk?"

"Simply to talk? My every breath is death; I kill the very soil I stand on," a deep, rattling voice echoed from within, "what do you hope to gain from a talk? If you have come for a fight, I will not drag myself out for one; if you are true for a talk, come and face me in my domain."

Darvos took his second dose of the potion, in case his first grew weak in the dragon's home. "Very well, Silzer. I hope to gain nothing, but I believe what I carry with me will help you regain a friendship and forge new ones, and a town will be freed of an unnatural clock over their lives." He walked into the hole, quickly finding himself in the dark. "My heartfelt apologies if I am clumsy and run into you; I have not the keen eyesight of a dragon."

A jet of flame shoots through the air in front of him, lighting a solitary torch between him and a large, yellow-scaled dragon. His teeth had dulled and yellowed, too, over the years of isolation, and while Darvos was no expert on dragons, he could not call the dragon's tired features "healthy." Silzar, he sensed, was also looking him over, as if to see what fancy weaponry he had snuck in to brave a dragon's cave unassisted. "Truthful, foolish, or beyond skilled," Silzar remarked, "now, you mentioned carrying something with you. What would you present to me?"

"Ah, I'm afraid there is no fully polite way to ask this," Darvos said as he reached into the bag from the alchemist, withdrawing two of the tablets within, "but would you care for a breath mint?"

Two days later, the king's book had a new entry in it. "August 7, 23 KC. A plague of death and rot in the northern lands, brought about by a dragon, wass put to end when Darvos of the Order Nonpugil faced the dragon alone."

[chu-ni]

miscommunication – ljn.

pairing: jeno x reader

genre: fluff, angst, royalty!au

word count: 19.6k (uff the most ive EVER written...)

warnings: jeno is a lil bit of a dickhead, sorry if the ending is a lil rushed bc i just wanted this fic GONE, hope its not as tedious for you to read as it was for me to write! this whole fic was inspired by this post! happy reading!

In a bid to preserve the future safety of their neighbouring kingdoms from the growing dangers of the northern empire, your parents, rulers of the southern isles, had you betrothed to the immediate heir of the southern mainland, Lee Jeno. You were 8 years old, and quite frankly didn't even know how to spell betrothal, let alone define it. True to tradition, Jeno, with his glasses, bowl cut, and stuffed cat toy came to stay with you for the next four years before he'd have to return to take up responsibilities as future ruler.

Upon first meeting, you thought Jeno was probably the nicest person you'd ever met, if a little boring. He was quiet, soft-spoken, giggly, and a little shy; you'd realised after he'd barely said more than 2 words to you that it would take you a while to bring him out of his shell. You dragged him on various mini adventures as kids (stealing cookies from the palace kitchens, watching the knights train from a bush just beyond the sparring grounds, playing in throne room and impersonating your parents when nobody else was there), and although at first he was reluctant, he became almost as bubbly and loud as you were -- while you preferred to live in the moment, saying and doing whatever you wanted, you were kids after all, he tended to think before he did things, always thinking about what could happen later on. In that sense, despite your differences, he became your moral compass of sorts, stopping you from being too reckless and bailing you out whenever you got into too much trouble. Did Jeno think he'd probably go bald before he turned 20 because of all the stress you put on him, whether that be you ditching tutoring to go climb trees and him reluctantly tagging along, or him having to practically drag you away from the stables before your parents found out and scolded you for the fourth time that week, or even that one time the two of you got locked in the kitchens at 3am with flour everywhere and the two of you had to clean it up and find somewhere to hide until the morning? Yes, and despite his constant state of anxiety and his frequent joking expression of his wish to go home already so he could finally get some peace and quiet, he still cared about you. Would probably jump in front of a carriage for you. Still considered you his best friend above all. Still appreciated you for bringing him out of his shell and changing him for the better. You and Jeno, as best friends would, spent all your time together. Getting married, the betrothal… it was in the backs of your minds, but at 11 ("Almost 12!!" "Shut up, Jeno,") years old, you liked to pretend you at least had the freedom to explore your romantic options (even if you both always managed to find flaws in every girl and boy. "His hair's too long," "She's too short!" "He looks mean," "She looks too nice,"), that you lived a different life, where royalty and alliances and all that jazz didn't exist for the pair of you. Where you were just two kids, two best friends who could do whatever they wanted and never have to worry about the consequences.  As much as you liked to pretend, however, it was just that. Pretend. An imaginary scenario that only went on for a limited amount of time before you inevitably had to return to reality. The two of you returned to reality 3 days before Jeno's 12th birthday, when your parents received a letter dating his return to the mainland. It was less than a week before he left you for,  well, ever. You had 5 days to say goodbye to your best friend, your closest confidant, your reluctant partner in crime. And you had no idea what to do. Jeno didn't like talking about leaving, so the two of you avoided the topic and hung out just as you'd always done.You were both in the library, his last day before he left, helping Jeno find a book he wanted when you brought up the topic. "Jeno." You murmur, stopping your search to look at him. At first glance, he seemed fine, but you knew he wasn't really. At least, you hoped he wasn't. Not in a bad way, no, never; but you hoped you'd made a strong enough bond as friends for him to feel something about leaving you for whoever knew how long. He replies with a nonchalant "Hm?", eyes still focused on the rows upon rows of literature in front of him. "Do you-" you clear your throat, trying to build confidence. "Do you think we'll see each other again?" He's silent for a moment, lips pouting and eyes to the ceiling, as if in thought, before stating, with confidence: "I know we will." You're not fully convinced, and it must show because the way Jeno smiles as brightly as possible calms your worrying heart. Jeno leaves the next morning, and you say goodbye with a tight hug that Jeno is 53% sure is the reason he wouldn't stop coughing on the boat home, and a pinky promise to write to each other every day, week, month, and so forth. He makes you promise not to cry. You break it as soon as he boards. You keep breaking it every night he's gone for the next 3 weeks, after which your parents are basically forcing you to make new friends. They've arranged playdates, tea parties, dances, balls; but absolutely nobody was going to replace Jeno, which is exactly what you thought your parents were trying to do and as such you made every effort not to let that happen. Did you deliberately cause trouble? Yes. Did you think Jeno would agree with what you were doing? No, but you were doing it for him and you were sure he'd understand anyway. So the next 2 months are littered with failed playdates, ruined tea parties, messy dances, and disgraceful balls, and even though you felt a little bad when you overheard your parents relentlessly apologising to the other adults, a bigger part of you was happy you wouldn't have to talk to any more stuffy noble children. At least not for the foreseeable future. It was only when your parents gave up trying to make you make friends that you, ironically, made one. You met Haechan while exploring ("Trespassing, more like," "Shut up, Haechan!") the knights' quarters one day. You'd overheard shouting and insults, so you peeked through one of the doors to see a kid who looked around your age, eyes pinned to the floor and fists clenched at his sides as the imposing man who stood in front of him spewed swear words and other things  you weren't sure you could repeat anywhere else. At that, you immediately stepped in to defend the boy, using your status to take Haechan back up to your own quarters in the palace, where the two of you properly spoke, or at least tried to before a handmaid had burst into your room, panting slightly, saying you'd both been summoned by your parents to the throne room, at which point your heart had leapt into your throat. The throne room, much like the rest of the palace, was lined with windows to let as much light in as possible. The walls were a pastel yellow, with paintings of previous rulers across the walls, and the floor was covered with rugs various shades of verdant green. The thrones themselves were nothing special; the only thing that denoted their specialty was the engraving of your family crest at the top of them. Seated upon them were, of course, your parents. Your mother was tall, lithe, and with an imposing gaze she often intimidated those she came into contact with. Behind all that, however, she was the goofy mother who'd sung made up lullabies to you as a child, who'd laughed when you stamped everything in your parents study with the royal seal, who'd nearly jumped out of her skin when you used flour to 'teleport' in front of her at the age of 6; she just hid it very well. Your mother had always taught you the importance of controlling your emotions, given you irreplaceable advice on the topic, advice you rarely ever put to use, but took in anyway. Your father, by contrast, was short -- well, not that short, but most people looked short when put next to your mother -- on the heavier side, with a trimmed beard and an open smile. Contrary to your mother, he was often the stricter, more disciplined one of the two. He nagged you often, something you didn't think you'd ever not find annoying, but he had your best interests at heart. The two of them, with their almost opposing personalities, made a good match for each other, and you saw the love they had for one another every day; with the way they looked into one another's eyes, the way your father, even with his short stature, would step in front of your mother at the first sign of her feeling threatened, the way they worked together to solve every problem that ever appeared like magic, and you wished someone would look at you like that one day. You and Haechan, gazes fixed to the floor and hearts beating so fast you were sure anyone in a 50 mile radius could hear them, both trembled slightly as your father, who you'd hoped wouldn't be the one scolding you today, let his voice, low and commanding, travel across the room. "Y/N," His tone is expectant, quiet in volume, and you know what that means. You look up at him, and although he appears straight faced, the slight scowl and squint of his eyes betrays his annoyance. You could tell this was going to be another long-winded lecture. "Do you know why you've been summoned here?" He continues, re-adjusting himself to be more comfortable. You mumbled a reply, hating the fact that Haechan would be witnessing what was basically a daily occurrence. He says your name again in warning, and you speak up this time. "….My insolence," At that, he descends into a tirade that you stopped taking seriously once he mispronounced one of his words, at which you and Haechan made amused eye contact and hadn't stopped doing since. You tuned in and out of his rant catching bits of the same old same old story about "Fixing your manners!" And staying out of "Knightly affairs," until  your father couldn't be bothered to speak any more and simply brought in the knight you'd scolded yourself earlier. At much pressure from your father and mother, you apologised, not without gritting your teeth and sending an icy glare your father's way. Seeing as your father had summoned both you and Haechan to the throne, you'd naturally assumed he'd also be scolded, but you had to fight your jaw dropped when your father simply apologised to Haechan for the whole affair and sent him on his way. He was midway through opening the door to exit when you interrupted, "But father--" he'd raised a hand to cut you off, already being done with the conversation. "Who is the princess here, Y/N?" You snarled a "Me," under your breath, a part of you knowing you'd lost the argument before it'd even started. "So that makes it your responsibility to control yourself around others." He turned to go, before whirling back around, a finger pointed directly at you. "Especially the knights, damn it!" At that, he left, your mother following behind him, leaving you alone in the throne room. You waited till they were out of sight before releasing a frustrated groan, trudging back to your room, desperate for some alone time to sulk in your own emotions. You groan again when you find Haechan reading through one of your books on economic development (not like you'd ever read it anyways), not even bothering to acknowledge you until you stamp over to him and snatch the damn thing out of his hands, "Don't touch my stuff." You hiss. He pouts, disappointed, before rolling his eyes. "Thanks," he sighs, blasé. "For earlier." You open your mouth to reply, but judging by how he gingerly sits at the edge of your bed, you wait for him to continue. "If you hadn't come in then I probably would've said something I'd regret, and then my parents would be super mad, and then I'd probably have to start something stupid, like alchemy or something. God, I hate alchemy--" As bad of a mood as you were in, you couldn't help but to laugh. His deadpan yet relatable way of expressing himself reminded you of yourself a little, and you smiled softly to yourself. The sound of him whispering an accomplished "Yes!" under his breath causes you to look up at him in question. "That's what I wanted." His gaze softens as his eyes fall on yours, "You looked a lot worse before. I didn't think it was fair, given what you did for me. So that was my way of saying thanks." The two of you sit in a comfortable silence, you also noticing that Haechan's gotten more comfortable on your bed, as you both stare at the ceiling. You break the silence a little while later. "You're welcome." You'd originally planned to end the conversation there and go back to staring at the increasingly mundane ceiling of your room so you could seem cool and aloof, but you had a feeling Haechan wasn't the kind of person to care about things like that. "And….thank you, also." The tables turn. This time, it's Haechan who's looking at you, brows furrowed, lips curled, in question. "I'm not very good at knowing when to shut up, which you've probably noticed," he visibly scoffs at that, and you playfully glare at him in return. "I'm not very good at acting like a princess, either, so I find it hard to relate to other people in my, um, circle?" You question, mainly asking yourself, but he interjects anyway.  "Don't you have any friends?" You swallow, gritting your teeth. "I was getting to that," Embarrassed, Haechan slowly turns to face the window to his left. You sigh before continuing, "Anyway, I had a friend, but he moved away. And I hate the other noble kids; they're all the same, with their ugly clothes and weird hairstyles and the fact  that they're only nice to me when their parents are around--which is barely, by the way-- and how stupid they all are--" Haechan has turned back to look at you at some point during your rant, and there's a mysterious glint in his eyes as he smirks at you. "You're funny. Like me," he studies you for a second, his smirk growing into a grin. "We should talk more sometime," He sighs, then stretches as he stands from his position on your bed. He says nothing as he opens the door, turns to wave at you, and then disappears, closing the door behind him. To say you were a little confused was an understatement. Not only had you inadvertently revealed more about yourself than you'd learned from him in an attempt to get him to open up, your kind-of acquaintance had also simply up and left in the middle of your conversation. Haechan kept to his word of talking more to you, though, as he'd come to find you whenever his assigned knight (who'd been switched to someone nicer after the incident) gave him a break. Over time you'd managed to find out more about him; that he was born and raised a noble, but had always wanted to be a knight, so had begun his squire training this year in the palace -- it was why you'd never seen him before then, that he  was actually a lot like you but a little more ("A lot," "Shut up, Y/N!") sharper-tongued. He liked to express himself through jokes and humour, which was a plus as all the time you spent  shedding tears of laughter helped take your mind off of Jeno's departure. Like you, Haechan liked to talk about anything and everything-- sometimes this led to irritation between the two of you because you both always had something important to say and you were both the only people who'd listen -- but you liked hearing what he'd talk about as you knew you'd learn something new from him every time. You meet your second new friend at your 13th birthday ball, something you vehemently opposed the second you heard the idea…except you didn't hear the idea, you were just told it was happening 2 hours before it was supposed to start. To make matters worse, you didn't even have the energy or the time to try and sabotage it given the fact that your parents had someone watching over you at all times, be it a handmaid, a guard, a servant; practically anyone your parents could get their hands on. The ball itself wasn't even that bad, even though you'd never say that out loud. The ballroom was decorated to look like the sun your people worshipped so much; fabrics of yellow and gold were draped across the room in every hue; tables were filled to the brim with fruits, confectionery, and other foods you couldn't pronounce the name of. Musicians were seated in the corner of the room, playing pieces you recognised from your lessons but never really remembered all that well. Did you appreciate the effort? Yes. Did you care for it all, though? Absolutely not. To make matters worse, there was no sign of your current confidant, Haechan, anywhere -- the whole place seemed to have been populated with the same noble children you hated and their equally as annoying parents. Leaving clearly wasn't an option, given the servant currently offering drinks was doing a really bad job at subtly watching you from their position within the group of noble parents. Sighing, you left the buffet table and all of its tasty comforts to explore the floor, taking great care to avoid the group of obnoxious 13 year olds in the centre of the room.  

You'd be lying if you said you discovered some amazing secret that would change your life forever in between the designated tables and their vases filled with flowers, the overwhelmingly sweet smell of which was beginning to give you more than a headache. Almost the entirety of the ballroom was the same no matter where you went-- the same old stuffy adults in one corner, the  same stuffy disrespectful kids your age in another, the member of staff assigned to you changing every quarter of an hour the only constant, ironically. If anything, you'd say the only thing you'd discovered during the increasingly painful amount of time you'd been here was the fact that you hated birthday balls, and you would be all too happy if someone told you you never had to have one again. Uncaring for whoever it was that was watching you this time, you storm towards the exit, a scowl marring your features. Someone's arm slinging itself over your shoulder and a slightly terrified whisper of "Keep walking, please," spurs you on for the moment, but when you successfully get out of the ballroom (to your own surprise), you fling the arm off your shoulder, stop walking and whirl to face your temporary escapee. Judging by the boyish timbre of his voice earlier, you'd expected someone a little different than whatever the kid currently sheepishly grinning at you was. He was dressed in robes that looked like they'd come from somewhere far away; his face was both adorable and yet belied almost the same air of mischief you'd noticed around Haechan upon your first meeting with him, but there was something different about this one. Unconsciously, your eyes narrowed as you studied him some more, failing to notice the fact that his previous grin had dropped, been replaced by a concerned gaze. You also failed to notice that his mouth had been moving for quite some time now; it's his hand, again on your shoulder, that breaks you out of your trance. "Hello? Are you okay?" He shakes you slightly and you nod before he can cause too much of a fuss. This time, you didn't really care to know who the unnamed boy was or why he'd even snuck out with you in the first place, thoughts of finding Haechan and ranting to him the at the forefront of your mind, but the boy decided to tell you anyway. You'd begun walking, hoping he'd get the hint that you had somewhere to be, but he simply fell into step beside you, continuing his life story. When you bothered to tune in, your mind still set on finding Haechan, and giving little hums here and there to at least give off the vibe you were listening to your unwanted guest, you'd found out a multitude of things. One, that he'd come from the Eastern continent, somewhere you'd only read about in the few books you liked reading, and that he was rich enough to practically be royalty. Two, that the succession crisis over there and the accession of the new ruler caused his family to move to the southern isles to avoid persecution. Three, that his parents own a "nice restaurant in town. You should visit sometime!" Oh, and four. The kid just wouldn't shut up. But you could've guessed that from the moment he started talking anyway. You also found out he was younger than you  "Wait," you're cut off by Haechan, eyes widened in recognition. "You're Zhong Chenle? That kid with the huge house?" You look over to Chenle, analysing his reaction "It's not that huge, I mean--" Haechan cuts him off again, and you tune out of the conversation as soon as they start talking about Chenle's apparent neighborhood popularity. You never do find out why Chenle wanted to leave that party so badly, and the thought of asking always slips your mind. What you do know, is that you see Chenle around a lot more often, but that's only cause after trying some of his mom's restaurant's food you haven't been able to stop making orders to the palace for it. There had to be something in that braised beef of hers that made it so addictive, and Chenle delivering it was a plus, cause it meant the three of you could talk and do whatever for as long as you wanted. So you had friends, at long last. The three of you grow up and mature together, Chenle, offering knowledge far beyond his years despite him being the youngest of the three of you, Haechan, getting a lot better at holding his tongue and being less mischievous, and you, though still a little rebellious at times, have managed to ultimately, tone it down. You still stress out your tutor, Taeyong though-- every time you trick him into letting you go early from your lessons and he finds you in the midst of climbing some tree with Chenle, or beginning to mount a horse with Haechan when you really should be studying he swears he loses more and more years off his life. You're less outspoken, more articulate when you speak; You choose your battles more carefully now, instead of blowing up whenever you disagree with someone -- by around a year or so, and called Chenle. During the course of your one sided conversation, punctuated by monotonous hums of agreement from you here and there, you found yourself in front of Haechan's quarters at long last. Unsurprisingly, Chenle followed after you, even as you opened the door to find him half dressed. "Oh my-- Do you know how much I hate it when you do that!?" Startled, Haechan drops to a crouch, trying to salvage some modesty. "You're acting like I haven't seen it before," you sigh, dragging your tired feet over to his bed, flinging yourself down onto it and closing your eyes. Pulling his tunic over his shorts, dragging a palm down his face, he snaps, "That's when it's just you, idiot," he nods at Chenle to come further in (the poor boy had been awkwardly standing in the doorway throughout your exchange,) "At least let me know if you're going to bring guests." He whines, sitting directly on your stomach, using as much force as possible. "Haechan you-- Ow!" You wheeze, the breath knocked out of you. Struggling against the fabrics of your dress, you finally manage to shove him off, kicking him in the process, and not missing the red tinge to Chenle's face and his extremely poor attempt at hiding his laughter. You look to Haechan, glaring, and see him smirking back at you; you make a note to beat him up properly for it later. You take a deep breath, willing your annoyance away, and introduce the two. "Haechan, this is Chenle, Chenle, this is--"  that doesn't mean you don't still rip people to shreds if they have a wrong opinion, though (Your parents are still apologising to the western continent's representative after you cursed him out over his 'inflammatory comments', ( "He said women were inferior beings and that it was amazing I could read, given my smaller brain, mother!" "I don't care what he said, Y/N. he is a guest of ours and you will respect his beliefs!" "….") Jeno, while back home, matured as well. He chilled out (he's still a little weird, but only around his friends) in the sense that he's kind to everyone, respectful to everyone, the epitome of the perfect prince; because he has to be. His parents were stricter than yours were, exponentially so due to the growing threat of the northern continent. And although he finds the continuous prim and proper prince act a little tiring at times, and wishes he could be himself (A goofy, weird, sometimes airheaded, huge cat-lover) all the time, he knows his parents would never allow it ( "That's not how a prince should behave, Jeno."). As a result,  he's secretly irritated a lot of the time, anger bubbling beneath the surface. No-one would ever know, though; he's just that good at hiding it (Until, of course, he meets you again 6 years later and snaps at you by accident). As the years went past, you'd never really forgotten Jeno; in fact, you still thought of him from time to time-- but it was a lot less than when he first left. You'd first exchanged letters every week, but as time passed and the two of you became busier and busier, him with his preparations to be king and you with your own preparations to take over, the letters went from weekly, to monthly, to barely any at all. Sometimes he'd cross your mind and you'd wonder how he was doing, what he looked like, whether he'd grown even taller, if he was still the same old giggly boy you'd dragged around the palace 6 years ago -- but then Chenle or Haechan would be doing something that you just had to see -- and the thought would be gone. You didn't think Jeno would be returning to your corner of the southern isles any time soon, anyway. Life on the southern mainland, for Jeno, at least was hopelessly, mind-numbingly, boring. Those 4 years he'd spent in the southern isles had gone too fast for him, for now he was stuck back with his controlling parents that never let him just be, and it only got a little better the older he got. Jeno had returned home, to his bland room with its white walls and paintings of old men the only decoration his parents would allow. He'd been practically thrown in the deep end when it came to his royal duties; he was supposed to greet this lady, bow to this lord, smile at this diplomat, pretend, pretend, pretend -- because emotions were never becoming of a prince, of a 'future king'. He'd come to hate those 2 words in coming years. -- Seoyoung was the closest thing to a replacement version of you that Jeno could get. It had been a year since he'd forced himself back into the perfect box his parents had always  pressured him to fit into, a year since his unwanted goodbye to freedom and the Southern Isles. The letters exchanged with you had slowly but surely died out, and being left with your own company in a palace as big as the one he lived in was like his own personal hell. Being forced to be a certain way all the time, never being allowed to truly express emotion, along with a clear lack of understanding from his already closed off parents had led to him slipping away from the high walls of the palace and out into the bustle of the local towns beyond. It was there, after running away from some moody teenagers he'd unwittingly bumped into, hiding in the nearest open door available to him, that he'd met her. "Hey!" Jeno whips round, chest still heaving, back pressed into the wooden ridges of the door he'd just shut. "Who the hell are you," she growls, advancing towards him with a pan that looked more and more threatening by the second, "And what are you doing in my house?" Soon enough,  he can feel the cool edge of the pan pressed into his neck, and, grimacing, he pleads, "Please, please don't kill me," and he hates how he very loudly whimpers as the girl presses the pan deeper. Her laugh, a tiny giggle that sounds like addictive music to his ears, changes the mood. “Relax,” she snickers, a sly tear coming out of her eye, “I’m not gonna kill you! What kind of person do you think I am?” She’s thrown her head back now, laughing louder, and Jeno can’t find it in himself to get angry. “I wouldn’t know?” he probes, "We just met, so.." Jeno peels himself off the door, standing awkwardly as the girl drags a chair, flinging herself onto it. Rubbing her eyes, trying to calm down, she asks, "Seriously. Why are you in my house." "Oh, I just, like, bumped into the wrong group of people.... I guess I got on their bad side, cause they chased me through town. This was the nearest open door to hide." She starts laughing again, and Jeno's confused once more. His explanation wasn't *that* funny, was it?  And the longer she laughed, the more he was beginning to suspect Seoyo was laughing *at* him, not at what he said. He didn't know how that made him feel, but it wasn't good. "I can't believe," she wheezes, "You got chased...by Minho's gang!" she sputters. "Are you new here or something? Everyone knows Minho and his crew are a bunch of boneheads, they were probably just playing with you," Upon reflection, perhaps the smiles those 'moody teenagers' were sporting as they followed him were less menacing and more...welcoming. But he wasn't going to take his chances either way. "So what if I am new here?" He retorts, "They didn't look very friendly when they starting running after me down the street!" She looks at him for a long moment, before mocking his words and laughing again. "Hey!"  he snaps, but his voice breaks as he says it and it sounds more like a childish whine.

Pushing herself off the chair, she begins rummaging through cupboards and drawers, pulling out various ingredients as she goes. "You must be hungry," she snickers, but she can tell that any more of her incessant mockery would genuinely offend him, so keeps it to a minimum. "Sit down, and I'll make you something to eat." Tentatively, Jeno sits at the table, round, chipped at the edges, and worn from years of use. An aroma soon fills the air, drifting to his nose. Whatever it was, it smelled better than any of the stuff from the palace kitchens- and when she placed the bowl of soup and vegetables in front of him, it tasted much better, too. "So, where are you from?" He chokes on a carrot. "You said you moved here recently, right? Where from?" Now, it was at this point where Jeno hated the fact that he was never that great at lying, because he now needed to come up with a believable backstory and actually stick to it without giving  himself away as the freaking crown prince, for goodness sake. "An island." He states, and hopes she'll be satisfied with that.

"Near the, uh," he downs a spoonful of soup to buy thinking time, "the Southern Isles?" Sounding confused was definitely not going to look believable, but he still prayed to all the gods in the universe, even the ones he didn't believe in, to help him out here. Just this once.  "Okay," she sounds suspicious, he notices, but he's thankful enough she doesn't press further and leaves the thought at that. "I'm Seoyoung," and Jeno inwardly screams as he knows what question is coming next, "What's your name?" What was his name? Meaning, what was his fake name going to be? Like an idiot, he almost gives himself away, "I'm Jen-- Jen. Yeah, Jen." He can practically feel the disbelief in her expression, and quickly goes back to the soup to avoid her gaze. "What about your surname?" 'Are you serious?' Is what he wants to say, but plays along for the sake of hiding his identity. "Uh," he notices the material of the table, and blurts out a "Wood. Jen Wood."

"So your name is Jen...Wood." "Yes." She sighs, gets up to wash her own bowl, and shakes her head. "I didn't think you'd lie for that long." Yeah, he's busted. "I know you're the prince, by the way. Nobody eats soup with a spoon around here unless they're a noble, and you gave yourself away when you basically said your name, Prince Jeno."

His shoulders sag, half in relief, and half in an apathetic resignation to the fact that now that she knew who he was, so would everyone else. And then word would reach his parents that he'd snuck out of the palace and he'd have to say goodbye to any sliver of a chance at freedom until he either ascended the throne or died before then.  "Do you think, you could, like, maybe, not tell anyone?" Being unsure of yourself and not even putting up a fight was not how his mother had taught him to negotiate, but desperate times called for desperate measures. "Please?" He begs. "I won't say a word. In fact, you were never here," Oh, yes! Freedom was still a possibility- "On one condition." Never mind. "You keep coming here. To see me." Honestly speaking, there was no true reason why Jeno would have to go see Seoyoung on a regular basis, aside from avoiding the wrath of his parents, but even so, hanging out with her more often seemed like an attractive concept on its own. So he agreed. "It's a deal," and it was. From that point on, Seoyoung became his, well, your, replacement. He finally had a friend he could pour out his emotions to, one that wasn't handpicked by his parents to make worthwhile connections with, who he could be the same Jeno from the Southern Isles with, not the uptight prince from the Mainland. The addition of Jaemin, the son of rich merchants who sometimes made Jeno question why he was a prince when Jaemin seemed so much better suited, and Renjun, a noble who understood Jeno's struggles even if he was a little too blunt for his liking,  altogether made Jeno, for the first time in a long time, feel at home in his own home. And so life continued like that; going out with Jaemin and Renjun to meet with Seoyoung. Games of tag and hide and seek in the woods soon turned into intense chess battles, mock swordfights, in depth discussions about literature, learning more about the subjects Jeno would soon rule over - there wasn't a single way life could get any better. It's the end of a day spent just with Seoyoung for Jeno. They're sat in their usual spot, across from each other on the same wooden table they had their first meeting on. A candle, mid-burnt, sits in the middle, its wavering light hitting all the right points on her face. Her eyes, a warm brown, are illuminated, her hair, a deep burgundy, looking so silken Jeno's afraid to even breathe in its direction so as not to disturb it, and the curve of her lips, forever locked in a halfway point between the smirk he's grown to love so much and a simple pout, look more appealing now than they ever have done. Locking eyes with her, he moves the candle to one side and leans in, asking for consent. There's a nod of her head and a coy wink and suddenly his lips are on hers and it feels so, so amazing- and then she pushes him away.

"You're a prince, Jeno. We can't do this," she whispers. "What if someone sees you?" He looks at her for a long moment, throwing all thoughts of you out of his mind. Who knew when he'd see you again anyways?  "I don't care," he grins, "I'm here with you now, and that's all that matters." He leaves Seoyoung's house that night with swollen lips and a heart so light it could float off into the distance and Jeno wouldn't even notice. He arrives home, cheeks hurting from smiling so wide, parading around his chambers like a lovesick fool, when he sees it. Sealed with the usual blue wax stamp of his parents, resting on his desk, lies an envelope. Tentatively, he opens it, skim reading the contents until he finds the sentence that shocks him so much he has to read it twice: 'You shall be returning to the Southern Isles within the next 3 days. Prepare accordingly.' After removing all thoughts of you from his mind, the memories he has with you return like opened floodgates. The heaviest thing on his mind is how to tell you about  Seoyoung- the right thing, the noble thing to do would be to break up with her - but that would break her heart, and telling you about her would break yours. He could always not say anything and spare both of you the pain...Yes. Yes, he could do that. He was going to do that. -- When you got the news that Jeno would be returning to your kingdom, you were, not to sound like a cheesy young adult novel or anything, beside yourself with excitement. You'd rushed to your chambers upon hearing the news, penning letter after letter while also throwing letter after letter away,  just until you could find exactly the right words to greet him with. When you received your first letter back from him - your first letter back from him in a long time - you could practically feel through his familiar and yet different messy scrawl just how much he'd changed. Personality wise, that was. You had to admit that the only image you had of Jeno was the bright eyed, quiet little 12 year old you'd waved goodbye to 6 years prior, so you'd envisioned that image when writing to him. When you formally greeted him in the throne room of your palace,  though, you were most definitely surprised, to say the least. 

Gone was the Jeno whose height you'd always make fun of - now he was taller, had grown into his features - which had gone from rounded cheeks and a soft profile to harsher lines, a defined jawline and an aura that gave off the feeling that he was now more royal than anything else.  He was lean yet built, his previous bowl cut, now changed into straight black locks, strands of which fell across his forehead in the best way you could imagine. You were sure that if you looked up the definition of 'prince' in a dictionary, a picture of Lee Jeno would be right beneath it. The fact that you were betrothed to him had never been an important aspect of your thoughts, never something you even deigned to think about, but when he looked like that, you were beginning to enjoy the prospect of seeing him every day in your near future. You walk up to him and curtsey, trying your best to fight the grin arising on your face. "Your Highness," you breathe, eyes sparkling. "Princess," he nods, one corner of his mouth turning up into a half smile, while you try your hardest to ignore the sudden increase in your heart rate. His eyes, a warm chocolate brown, were so intoxicating  could stare into them forever, and for what felt like it, you did. You took a step forward, but a quick eyebrow raise from Jeno and a nudge to your side by your mother soon reminds you of your apparent duties as a host, guiding your betrothed to his rooms being one of them. On the way there, you ask him as many questions as you can; how he's been, what he's been up to, what friends he made - but his answers are all short sentences and one worded, a haughty mix of 'yeses', 'no's' and 'I don't know's'. Sneaking a sideways glance at him, you wondered when he'd become so closed off. His expression looks downcast and yet apathetic; like he'd rather be anywhere else than here. You ask him if he received your last letter, and he barely replies with anything more than a noncommittal "Mm." The walk continues, silent and uncomfortable, and when you do finally arrive at his chambers he storms in without a thanks or a goodbye. You're left confused, unsettled, and more than a little hurt. After all, this was supposed to be 2 best friends reuniting at last, not two strangers meeting for the first time. Dinner goes worse.  Multiple times you try to make conversation and multiple times he letter away,  just until you could find exactly the right words to greet him with. When you received your first letter back from him - your first letter back from him in a long time - you could practically feel through his familiar and yet different messy scrawl just how much he'd changed. Personality wise, that was. You had to admit that the only image you had of Jeno was the bright eyed, quiet little 12 year old you'd waved goodbye to 6 years prior, so you'd envisioned that image when writing to him. When you formally greeted him in the throne room of your palace,  though, you were most definitely surprised, to say the least.  completely ignores you. You look at your parents, who are engaged in their own conversation, and you roll your eyes - at how oblivious they are not to notice their own 'son-in-law's actions, and how frustrated you are at said son-in-law as well. You go to sleep that night even more confused, and you wake up disgruntled and unimpressed. At breakfast, you attempt to make eye contact with him sat directly across from you only for him to, again, blatantly ignore you. Clearly irritated, you stab at your food, making your emotions (however childish) known. "Y/N, do you have something to say?" Your intense eating caught the attention of your parents, while the one person's attention you wanted was still engrossed in his meal. Great. "No, Father. Just hungry." You try your best to control your tone, not in the mood for another lecture about your attitude at dinner. While they had become less frequent over the years as you matured, times like these, where your temper got the best of you, still arose. "It doesn't look as though you are just hungry. What have I told you about your attitude when eating, Y/N?" ...This couldn't be serious. Much to your distaste, your mother decides to join the conversation, "You should really try to be a little more considerate, Y/N. It's not polite to be so... aggressive around your betrothed." Knowing your mother to be the more relaxed one of your parents, it's hard to say you don't feel a little betrayed at her taking your father's side. Luckily, your father changes the subject and you hold back sighing in relief. "Speaking of aggression, have you heard about the Northern Empire's movements lately?" "Ah- yes, I did hear from one of my advisers - their leader is claiming one of the western border towns as their own - troops are already stationed there, apparently," You look between your parents as your mother shakes her head, running her fingers through her perfectly styled hair, the crease in your father's brow deepening as he frowns in worry. "It seems the the threat of the Northern Empire is manifesting sooner than we thought, dear." The Empire's occupation of the Western border towns meant it would only be a matter of time before they invaded the Southern Mainland, and soon enough the Isles - bad news for you, and even worse for Jeno. "The question is now, what to do before we find them at our doorstep - Y/N, what are your thoughts?" You clear your throat before speaking. "Wouldn't the obvious thing be to send diplomats to work out a deal, but prepare troops at home for when they do arrive?" It made sense in your mind; you had the best of both worlds - peaceful talks with protection if worst came to worst.  Your father shakes his head, pursing his lips. "That would take money, resources, and most importantly, time." Looking towards you, he adds, "Time we don't have!" For emphasis. Your lips curl, annoyed at his blatant shutdown of what you thought was a great plan, but school your features into neutrality when he glares at you briefly. "What do you think, Jeno? This is a matter that concerns you the most, after all." Your ears prick up at the mention  of his name, mildly intrigued to hear his take - if he even bothered to reply. "I actually agree with Y/N," he says. You hear your mother squeal in joy and fight to keep the cringe off your face. "Darling, how cute," she whispers, "Husband and wife agreeing with each other!" Your father coos along with her, while you look on, unimpressed. You look across to see Jeno blush, and are pleasantly surprised to see that even after 6 years, he still blushes just the same as he used to -- eyes cast down, lips turned up in a shy smile, hand reaching to run through his hair before it stops mid air and falls down again, anxious not to ruin it. Breakfast finishes with no further interruption- that is, until your parents stop the two of you as you're leaving to recommend (read: force) you both to take a walk through the gardens to see how things have changed. -- He's ignoring you. Again. Why you thought there'd be a sudden change in the pattern of Jeno blatantly blindsiding you every time you were alone was beyond you, but the feeling doesn't get any less uncomfortable every time he does it. Having had enough, you pull to one side, the force almost throwing the two of you off balance and into some bushes, but you ask - no, demand - just what exactly his problem is, and his reply isn't what you expect. "I don't have a problem, Y/N." Oh, please. "Someone who doesn't have a problem wouldn't pretend their childhood friend doesn't exist after not seeing them for 6 years, Jano," You hiss, "So I'll ask again. What is your problem with me? What have I done?" You hate the pleading lilt that infects the tone of your voice in the second question, and you hate that you can't help it when he still looks so stoic. His expression breaks though, shoulders sagging for what you notice is the first time since his arrival, a defeated sigh leaving his lips. "You didn’t do anything, Y/N,". "I- I guess I'm just used to acting a certain way back home-- it's hard to adjust," "You were never like this before," "That was then. This is now."

You felt a sense of regret at not sending more letters after Jeno left - as his best friend, you should've done more to let him confide in you. Then, at least, you wouldn't have this uneasy feeling in your chest that you needed to get to know him all over again. "Sorry, though." He continues, "For acting so cold towards you - I guess I was taking out my frustration at always having to be a certain way out on you - you didn't deserve that." "I know we haven't really spoken for a long while, but I'm still your best friend. You can tell me anything." There's a look shared between you both, and you get the feeling that Jeno understands. "You're in my kingdom, now, not yours. Things are different here, remember?" You tease, lightly nudging him with your elbow. The two of you chuckle at that and continue walking, simultaneously falling into step and into the easy, free flowing conversation you'd wanted to have since he'd arrived, It's dotted with reminiscing and head thrown back laughs at old inside jokes - and it's finally like nothing had changed. You listen in rapt wonder as he goes into depth about the adventures him and 2 other boys named Jaemin and Renjun go on, you smile in adoration as he describes his 3 favourite cats he's forced to keep in the servants quarters due to his allergies and the wrath of his parents if they discovered 'vermin' in the palace, as they described it, and you heave a sigh of nostalgia as he complains about not being able to have intense flour battles in the palace kitchens in the early hours of the morning, like the 2 of you used to, when he was here. He listens in content as you tell him about the situations that led you to meet Chenle and Haechan, as you giggle to yourself while describing them, watches the way your expression lights up as you tell him about all the new hobbies you'd picked up, the new places you'd discovered and had quickly marked as yours, and jumps as you grab his wrist and drag him along, through winding paths and bushes of flowers sculpted into arches, into an open spot, surrounded by flora. The vibrance of them almost blinds him, their beauty enough to render anyone speechless. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" You smile at him, pleased at the astonished look in his eyes. "I come here when I want to relax," you continue, understanding his silence. "It's amazing," he breathes, before looking at you with a smile so bright it throws you a little. When you grab his wrist a second time to lead him to other places, the slip of his hand into yours doesn't go unnoticed. -- Jeno was only meant to be staying for a few months this time before it was your turn to visit his lands for the impending wedding. The past 2 months of his stay, although awkward at first, had been just like old times, with the exception of various instances that were more reminiscent of a couple and less of 2 best friends. 

It was one instance in particular, though, that signified a shift in the air between the two of you. It was humid in the city - the air hot and sticky and the typical royal wear the two of you wore, although thin, seemed to exacerbate the uncomfortable feeling that dominated you both. You'd been sent on an outing through the town to greet the people and make a good impression, as your father had put it, for once leaving his study to speak to the both of you. The humidity you felt wasn't just because of the weather, though - for the entirety of your walk, every face you smiled at, every conversation you made, every cat you'd be forced to stop and pet - Jeno's hand had been firmly clasped in yours. The only time you were apart was when Jeno had left to 'get something'. What it was, you didn't know. Walls painted a pure white to reflect as much sunlight as possible, Shelves around the shop filled with touches of domesticity - a picture here, a souvenir there - and the slightly irritating smell of the flowers, displayed around the room in bouquets of varying sizes are what welcomed Jeno as he stepped into the flower shop. The florist, a middle aged lady with a twinkle in her eye and a knowing smile, waves as Jeno walks in, him nodding in return as the two make small conversation before she turns to work. "Take good care of her," she calls, busying herself with various bits and bobs here and there, shaking Jeno out of his brief gaze around the store. "I swear to," He replies, running his fingers over the petals of the various bouquets. "Are you sure? The people would have your head if you didn't." He turns to face the florist. Her back is towards him, but her tone of voice commands his attention. It's a beat too long before he replies. "Of course I'm sure!" He smiles, as wide as his cheeks sill let him - the florist turns to face him, her expression mimicking his. He hopes her eyes, seemingly searching for something in his gaze, don't notice the guilty pang in his chest. She seems satisfied with whatever she finds there, breaking the stare and taking a weight off Jeno's shoulders as a result. Busying herself compiling flowers together,  a bouquet, she speaks again. "Y/N..." she begins  forming a bouquet , picking flowers here and there to add to it. "She's like a beacon to us, you know? She's our princess," the florist pauses for a second, looking nostalgic. "When she was born, the country celebrated for 3 days and nights. I still remember it like it was yesterday." He can see her eyes getting glassy, and he hesitates whether he should make an effort to comfort her or leave her alone. He chooses the latter. "And now... now she's all grown up! Betrothed, to be married! So take care of her," she leans forward, near-pleading. The bouquet is done, and she hands it to him. "I- I will. I promise," Jeno declares, his clasp on the bouquet tightening with his words. The guilty pang returns as he leaves, and increases in intensity as you come into view.  The promise he made in there sounded as real as ever - because he'd forgotten about Seoyoung for a second. The closer he got to you, however, the better he saw your eyes light up at his presence, your features breaking into a relieved smile, widening further once you noticed the bouquet in his hands, the clearer it became that he was playing you for a damned fool. -- There's a comfortable silence in your carriage home. Feeling tired from walking around so much, you find your head leaning towards, and then resting on, Jeno's shoulder. It was less than comfortable considering the texture of the road caused your head to bump his shoulder a little too hard every now and again, but you didn't mind. He calls your name, breaking the quiet. "Y/N." You grunt a reply, flitting in and out of consciousness. "Y/N," he calls again, a whine to his voice this time. You grunt again, wanting to stay in your reverie just a little longer. "Y/N~" You look up at him, exasperated. "What?"  You cry out, before his lips are on yours and then suddenly gone. It was a quick peck, a mere meeting of the lips, for lack of a better phrase.  Short, sweet, but oh-so meaningful. He says nothing for the rest of the ride, but the strawberry flush across his cheeks tells you everything you wanted to know anyway. Yes, Jeno kissed you - just to get his mind off Seoyoung. But the heat he felt bloom across his face and the sharp increase in his pulse made him question if his feelings for Seoyoung were as intense as he thought they were if just one kiss with you made him feel this way.

-- You have to hide the obvious shock in your expression when he starts sitting next to you at breakfast the next morning. "Jeno." "Hm?" "What are you- Why are you here. On this side." "Am I not allowed to sit next to you?" "No, it's just- never mind." You have to hide the embarrassment when he asks himself when you'd become so breathtaking loud enough for you to hear. "You're so beautiful,"  He breathes. He's sitting a table away from you, in the palace library. "What? What did you say?"    "Nothing! Nothing," You have to force yourself not to bury your head in the nearest pillow, fabric, hell, cloth - when he starts sneaking kisses from you at every opportunity. "Y/N, my leg hurts." He's draped himself over the chaise longue in your chambers, preferring to spend most of his time there rather than anywhere else. You’re stood over him, hands on your hips. You found his presence a welcome occurrence, happy to get closer with him. "...Okay, let's go to the infirmary together. I'll walk you," "No, no! Not the infirmary." You frown, suspicious. "I think I need a different kind of treatment..." He looks at you expectantly, batting his lashes. "I don't understand." You hear him grumble under his breath, before his hand snakes around your waist and drags you so close your nose s are touching. "Do you understand now?" He whispers, eyes locking yours into place. His lips brush yours, still holding that gaze, and you almost lose the strength to stand as he kisses you properly, smoothly, before pulling away with a cursed wink. You start as a servant bursts through the doors, chest heaving, running towards Jeno and pressing an envelope, sealed with the familiar blue wax stamp of his kingdom, into his hands before running right back out again. The two of you share a look, then focus on the letter as Jeno opens the envelope and you lean over to read it's contents. The Northern Empire has invaded. Return at once. Concise. Clear. Just like the king and queen of the Southern Mainland. At the news, he immediately turns to leave your room, you following, but struggling to keep up. "Where are you going?" he asks. "I'm coming with you, obviously," you say, a little breathless. You stumble, bumping into him as he abruptly stops. "No, you're not," he says, looking confused. "Yes, I am," you reply, daring him to challenge you on the matter. "If you think I'm going to let you put your life at risk-" "I won't be putting anything at risk, because we'll be together." You caress his jaw, a thumb rubbing circles onto the skin. "I can't protect you all the time. You're safer here," he presses, frowning in worry. "Stay," he begs. "Please?" You take a deep breath, looking directly at him. "Jeno. I'm going with you." You shake your head at his open mouth, stopping him from saying the words he so desperately wants to say. "We're going," your hands move to his shoulders, squeezing them lightly, "to solve this, together. Because that's what a future king," you say, raising your eyebrows at him for emphasis, " and queen do." You continue, still holding his gaze. "And as my future husband," Neither of you can deny the increase in the pace of your hearts at that phrase, "You should have faith in me to defend myself. Okay?"  He releases a breath through his nose, eyes fluttering shut in frustration. "Okay," He whispers. "Okay." He says, louder, as if confirming something within himself. -- The first thing you noticed when you stepped off the boat was how fundamentally different everything was. Where the Isles had streets, although a little less than clean, filled with housing that never looked alike, due to the owners having free reign in how they built it, the Mainland had rows upon rows of identical houses, streets so pristine the suns rays practically reflected off of them. Where the Isles had a mixture of well established shops and stalls that the city's residents would set up and put away each working day, the Mainland had stores  on every corner. The whole city was organised, like everything and everyone had a place to be. It was mesmerising, to say the least. The palace, and its inhabitants, gave ample reason as to why the city looked the way it did. Matching the overall aesthetic of the city, the Mainland Palace was tall, angular in shape, with white, grey, and blue dominating the overall colour scheme - not a hair out of place - a stark contrast to the golds and greens of the palace back home. The people, especially Jeno's parents, were exactly as Jeno had described in the short months you'd  been together and gotten to know each other even better than you did as kids - uptight, stiff, and closed off, even more so now there were northern empire troops; the same troops your parents had betrothed the two of you together to avoid, now stationed further out in the country. You didn’t know whether to feel offended or not when they simply nodded in return to your greeting of them, but an explanation from Jeno as he guided you to your chambers soon let you know that the nodding were his parents actually being nice, for once. Your heart sank as you wondered if this was the kind of atmosphere Jeno had to deal with when he’d returned here 6 years ago, and how he’d even managed to survive it that long. “I know what you’re thinking,” he states, a smirk in his voice. He’s looking directly ahead, but he sensed the change in your mood the second you went silent. You look at him, studying his profile, the same profile you adored looking at so much; studying the length of his eyelashes, the slight to-and-fro sway of his fringe, the natural pout of his lips, and wonder again how a boy so perfect could’ve been subjected to somewhere like this. A place that looked perfect, but seemed far from it. “Don’t feel bad for me,” he warns, turning the handle to your chambers as he stops outside of it. “I’m fine now. I have you, don’t I?” you look at him a beat longer, studying his face for any sign of restraint, of sadness, and slump in relief as there is none.  You nod, half-smiling, "Yes. You do," and walk in.

-- It was amazing, you thought, just how fast the Northern Empire had managed to take a quaint little town on the edge of Jeno's kingdom, once filled with the typical repeated angular structure of housing commonly seen in the Mainland, and turn it into a home of their own - every roof of every house was plastered with the angry and intimidating red and black flags of the Empire, a reminder who had control, who would gain more of it if you and Jeno didn't get them out by today. The first thing you noticed, as the two of you trekked up the hill to the Empire's camp, were the fire-lit torches. The smoke they emitted smelled vulgar, the wind that blew never once affected their flame. You could see the opening of the town they'd invaded the closer you came, managed to get a glimpse of a citizen being roughed up by one of the guards, before a figure clothed in red and black, wearing a mask disguising their face, appears. "Royalty," they murmur, their voice travelling along the wind, barely noticeable yet just loud enough to understand. You feel the visible shiver running down your spine, the strangeness to their voice making you uncomfortable. Jeno's clasp on your hand, pulling you backwards behind him doesn't go unnoticed by the figure. "Cute." They chuckle, before lightly beckoning the two of you to follow,  heading further into their camp with an unnatural smoothness to their gait. Jeno tilts his head, sure some notes to that quiet whisper of the stranger's voice were familiar to him, that he'd heard them before - a different time, a different place, perhaps. He's so engrossed in his thoughts he barely notices you dragging him along, trying to keep up with the stranger while simultaneously avoiding the harsh gazes of the Empire's guards stationed everywhere. He bumps into your back, and you stumble as you stop in front of what you assumed to be the captain's tent, the stranger who greeted you at the gates clapping twice outside the flaps before disappearing. Mystery seemed a recurring theme amongst the soldiers of the Northern Empire, all including the Captain, hiding every feature but their gaze with the same red and black mask. Personality wise, the Captain spoke in circles, sometimes cryptic, sometimes misleading - but it was worth it when you and Jeno left the tent with a stamped agreement that would soon get the Northern soldiers out of Jeno's lands. "I'm proud of you, you know."  You're the first to break the silence, beaming at him as you get nearer to the carriage. "You did really well in there - like a king," you add, elbowing him for emphasis. He scoffs and smiles, a slight tinge to his cheeks at the compliment. "I couldn't have done it without you, though," he steps aside to let you board the carriage first, climbing in after you, "Queen," he teases, mimicking your movements from earlier.  The ride back to the castle was uneventful, and neither of you failed to notice the gradual steady slump in each others shoulders the further away you got from the unsettling loom of the Empire's camp.

News of the agreement was music to everyone's' ears - especially those of the rulers of the Southern Mainland. Both you and Jeno have to force your jaws from dropping at the announcement of a ball to celebrate your combined success, but only one of you has to strategically hide his fingers curling into fists, taut with fear at the secret in danger of being revealed from the roving gaze of his parents. -- The palace did not look so different from its usual appearance when sculptures, fountains, and tables you hadn't seen before decorated areas around the ballroom floor. You'd spent the first few minutes of the ball with Jeno; you'd followed with him as he greeted nobles, nodded in his parents direction, and introduced you to his friends, the ones he'd told you about when you were in the humid heat of the Isles, before quickly disappearing off, summoned to his parents side to 'discuss courtly matters,' he'd said.  You had no issue; after all, a peck on the forehead from him was a sufficient goodbye until he found you later. Jeno was right in his description of Na Jaemin; the man was beautiful, truly no other way to describe him - and, for the son of merchants, exuded a royal air far stronger, far more used to, than any other royal you'd met prior. Where Na Jaemin was kind words bordering on a flirt, smiles bright enough to melt the coldest of hearts, Huang Renjun was, despite being born into nobility, as you'd learned, more rough around the edges than anything else. It was a wonder, you'd noted, that the two boys hadn't been switched at birth at some point long ago, given the stark difference in their personalities. A contrast to Jaemin, Renjun was blunt, had jokes that sometimes made you question whether he meant them maliciously or not, but overall carried himself with an adult sort of grace that you'd come to respect in your short conversation with him, before both him and Jaemin had been dragged off to dance with ladies neither of them knew of. Jaemin and Renjun seemed like good people - this you knew - but why did their eyebrows raise, why did a look of surprise - however fleeting - mar their faces as Jeno introduced you to them? It was that thought you pondered on, had your forehead lightly pulsing with pain as your brow became more and more creased the further into thought you went, when you found him. Found Jeno, or his silhouette, at least, dancing with a girl whose features you couldn't quite place. Well, dancing wasn't a crime - you could go and say hello, tell him how you were feeling about the ball, about his friends - in fact you'd even taken around 4 steps towards the two, hope rising in your chest, when you saw it. Jeno's forehead leaning against the girls, the two of them sharing a longing stare you'd never seen directed towards you, as they, in the presence of all on the ballroom floor, like they hadn't a care in the world, kissed. Kissed. There's a heaviness in your body, a visceral pang in your chest; you aren't sure if you can even take another step - but you carried on, pressed on, towards their dreaded spot, determined to confront the liar who had been your betrothed through all these months, weeks, years. The girl is the first to notice your presence, and you try not to get to caught up in the fact that  your own husband to be was so wrapped up in someone else that he couldn't even deign to notice you. "Oh, hi!" She waves. "Are you a friend of Jeno's?" She didn't even know who you were. Of course she wouldn't.  Why would he tell her he was betrothed to marry a girl from a different kingdom and had been for the past decade. You nodded in reply, swallowing to try and get the lump out of your throat. Glancing at Jeno, you noticed how he'd visible stiffness to his posture,  like he'd been caught doing something wrong. The problem was that he had. He had been caught doing something wrong, and that made it worse. Why? Because it confirmed that he knew. The whole time since he'd returned to you, he'd known. You didn't think the pain could get any worse. "Who are you, if I may ask?" You can barely get out more than a choked up whisper. Your eyes heat up as her perfect smile widens. "Oh, I'm Jeno's girlfriend!" Four words. Four excruciatingly painful words. Love was never a familiar concept to you, at least not in the romantic sense, but you felt that you'd begun to learn what it was during your time with Jeno. She introduced herself as Seoyoung. The longer you stood there, forcing yourself to act as though you weren't feeling your heart break into pieces, the more you saw the appeal. An angelic smile, a kind voice with an addictive country twang to it - safe to say it did wonders for your own self confidence. Introducing yourself afterward, you curtsied and left as quickly as you could, trying not to be rude but at the same time not really caring. You brushed past Renjun on the way out, eyes hot with tears, and the pitiful look on his face you saw -  albeit a little blurry - confirmed everything once more. Just how stupid could you be? How stupid did he think you could be? To lead you on, to make you fall for him, to feed you false dreams while he was living them with someone else the entire time? How could he? Not caring about where you went, just that you needed to be alone, opened the first door that seemed unlocked. What a coincidence, then, that the first door you opened led into the room of the last person you wanted to see. Forest green bed sheets, stark white walls, everything organized and in its place.  Vanilla and nutmeg permeated your nostrils-- of course the room would smell like him, it was his room after all. You walked around, finding paintings of him and his family on the walls, papers, organised into neat piles on his desk, a black leather-bound book on his dresser. You had an inkling of what it was, and against your better judgement, you opened it. You read line after line of somewhat mediocre poetry dedicated to Seoyoung, scattered journal entries about Seoyoung, drawings of Seoyoung. Everything was about Seoyoung. And if it wasn't about her, it was about everyone else but you. His parents, his servants, his tutors, his friends-- it was as though you didn't exist. Had you meant anything to him, at all? You hear footsteps, the door opening and closing, and freeze. A hand rests on your shoulder and you whip round, coming face to face with the last person you wanted to see.

"Y/N." he calls, tentative. You have to clench your hands into fists to avoid slapping him across the face. "Can we- Can we talk?" You've never felt more hurt, more saddened, but most of all, embarrassed - the last thing you'd ever want to look like is a fool and yet here he is, someone you thought you could trust more than anyone else, playing you for one. "Why." You reply, cold. As the two of you stand in uncomfortable silence, you begin  to connect the dots. "Because I need to explain. Listen, I-" "Was it a lie?" You cut him off, and Jeno hates how defeated, how quiet you are - like he's made you into a shell of the person you were. "What? Was what a lie?" "The explanation. Was it a lie." It made sense, when you thought about it. He wasn't closed off because of his parents, because of the life he had to lead - he was closed off, blunt, rude, every disrespectful name under the sun; because by not getting close to you, it would make it easier for him to go back to his little girlfriend back home and pretend his little stint with you in the Isles was nothing more than a trip for princely activities, if she ever asked. "No, of course not. I could never lie to you about that, Y/N." You scoff, rolling your eyes. "Oh please." You say, having had enough. "You didn't want me to come here because you were scared I'd see her. You only let me come here because you thought you could somehow keep her a secret, have your fun with her and then come back to me and lie to my face. You didn't leave me to talk to your parents. You left me to go and find her. Because you don't care about me, Jeno. You never did." You push past him at that, heading for the door, ignoring his cries after you. "Y/N, will you just wait! Please," He grabs your wrist, forcing you to a stop. "Jeno." You warn, "I want nothing to do with you." At that, he lets you go, and you storm off, through the hallways into your own room, wincing as you bark at a handmaid to begin packing your things, readying to leave. You were over the Southern Mainland. You just wanted to go home.

A crash and a scream break you out of your sombre mood. Opening the door a sliver, you peek out of your room to see absolute chaos - members of the royal guard shouting and yelling at people to be calm, gentry, nobility, and everyone else running to find an exit in panic, and men you don't recognize in familiar uniforms locked in battle with knights clad in the white and grey of the Southern Mainland. Creaking the door wider, as you watched more and more southern mainland knights fall one by one, you realised why the uniform seemed so familiar; because it belonged to the Empire. They'd disregarded your agreement and come to attack anyway - and there's a sinking feeling at the pit of your stomach as you consider the implications of it.

Opening the door wider, you break into a run, heading back to Jeno's room, despite your mind screaming at you not to. Irrespective of how much you hated him right now though, you needed to know if he was okay - if there was anyway you could both try and fix this mess. You find him before you get there, sword in hand, locked in battle with an Empire knight, and you wish you had a weapon of your own to fight with. There - peeking out amongst the mix of the fallen and injured, you grab a sword from a fallen enemy and slam it's pommel into the head of someone behind Jeno, the thud of their collapse alerting him to your presence. "…You saved me," he says, voice heavy with gratitude. "Don't mention it. Where are your parents?" You demand. "I don't know," he admits, "Haven't seen them since I left the ball." A pregnant silence falls. "…I haven't seen her either, if that's what you were gonna ask." "I wasn't." You grit out, picking up the sword again and swinging at another attacker with it. The knight meets the blow with a shield - he stumbles with the impact, but the blow isn't hard enough as he moves to attack again. This time it's Jeno who saves you, subduing the attacker permanently. He looks at you expectantly, but you brush him off, dropping the sword, and break into a light run, signalling him to come along. "We should keep moving. Find your parents and figure out what to do," He nods. You don't say anything else. He doesn't either. Both your minds are too preoccupied with the growing destruction around you - the yells and battle cries, the groans of pain, the screams of civilians -- it almost gets too much, but you shove those feelings away. You can't afford to be weak right now - you have people to protect damnit and you'd sooner die than let anything get in your way. The two of you check a multitude of places in the palace as you look for Jeno's parents - the ballroom, the study, the library- all empty. Its when you check the throne room, however, that you find what you seek. Surrounded by countless soldiers all bearing the northern empire  emblem, there Jeno's parents knelt, unable to move. Luckily, you hadn't been discovered just yet, but you could tell from the corner of your eye that Jeno was going to ruin it. Digging your nails into his wrist, you shoot him a look - his eyes burn with protest at first, but he submits as you strain your ears to listen in. The voice you do hear, spitting venom, sends a visible chill down Jeno's spine.  The previous bubbly lilt had gone, replaced with a hard, rough growl. Uncomfortable, in disgust, you watched as she kicked, pushed, and laughed at jeno's parents, and you felt Jeno himself shake in anger, ears getting red as he tried to hold it in. Angrier and angrier you felt him become; until he just... stopped shaking. Like a heavy calm overtook him, like he was on the border of extreme anger and extreme apathy. There was no question that you were a hair's breadth away from saying you despised Jeno right about now, but the sight of Seoyoung, someone he obviously trusted, blatantly disrespect his parents made your own blood boil - but so far you'd managed to stay composed. It was only when she asked - no - demanded the king and queen kiss her feet that you broke your silence. "That's enough." Your heart leaps into your throat as you say it, a sliver of regret already entering your mind, and you gulp as she languidly turns to look at you. "Oh? Looks like we have guests." She makes some kind of signal to her guards, you don't know what, but you do know it results in the king and queen being removed from the area, through doors and into a room you don't know the contents of. Your arm begins to ache with how hard you have to grip Jeno to stop him from going any closer to Seoyoung, and it gets worse as he speaks. "Lay a hand on them Seoyoung and I swear-" "-Oh I won't do anything to them," she grins, catlike. "As long as you do something for me." Eyes narrowing, you step back, apprehensive.  Seoyoung looks at Jeno stepping in front of you, hand on his hilt, and laughs - quite familiarly, you note, to the figure that greeted you when you went to the Empire's camp a few weeks prior. "Why so afraid? It's fairly simple…. I should hope." "All you have to do," she continues, voice lowering to an unsettling purr, the contrast to her earlier persona still throwing you off, "Is kneel before your queen," she preens, ascending the steps and positioning herself comfortably on the queen's throne. Jeno grunts in frustration, Seoyoung simply grins in satisfaction. "What is it that you want?" He pleads, strained. As slowly as she sat down, Seoyoung rises, making her way to and around Jeno, her movements serpentine. "Oh, I just want what every young girl wants," she sighs, dreamily, trailing a finger down his arm as she circles the room, "True love and a reckoning, blood, fire, a pony…" She stepped closer, lips brushing his ear, "the precious little crown you're going to inherit."

Eyes aflame with anger you shoved between them, "The people would never accept you as their queen." You spat, and with an unnerving tilt of her head, Seoyoung's gaze met yours, lips curved into a half smile. The next second, as she continued to stare, you saw a flash of something flare up in her gaze. You realised what it was as your legs were suddenly screaming in agony, a sharp pain forcing you to kneel and a dark aura radiated from her. Looking to Jeno for help, you tried to get his attention, only hearing his grunts of pain to tell you he was in the same boat. "With all due respect, darling," she purred, bending to your height, her half smile widening into a complacent simper, "I think they will." She nodded at her guards, and together they left with a flourish, the slam shut of the door you and Jeno had entered through finally allowing the pain to stop. Bodies exhausted, dregs of agony still refusing to leave your bones, you help each other up and set off to find Jeno's parents. The walk is rightfully silent, the clack of your shoes against the floor the only sound permeating the air. You find them, thankfully okay, just unconscious and tied up, and the two of get to work undoing the ties. "We should wake them up," you grunt, back towards Jeno, "Tell them to get somewhere safe." "I think we should leave them here. Let them rest and wake up in their own time." "There are people dying as we speak, Jeno, and you want to leave your parents here? To rest?" "At least I'll know where they are. I can send a guard to stay with them-" "Every guard is in battle with the Empire's forces right now! And if we leave them here, you forget that Seoyoung will know where they are as well." You pinch the bridge of your nose, progress to rubbing a thumb back and forth across your brow. "Do you- do you want her to find them?" Jeno is silent as you turn around, looking directly at him. "Are you working with her?" "Y/N, no. No, I would never do that, ever, not in a million years! You know me, Y/N," You give him a long look, taking a deep breath. "No, Jeno. I don't." A part of you feels like you shouldn't have doubted him that much, but a larger part of you knows you were right. You don't know Jeno. At least, not anymore. Once you get both parents awake, you give a brief summary of what went on and warn them to leave - and they do, albeit sceptically. Jeno's worry shows clear on his face, but you say nothing of it as the both of you continue to go through the palace, trying to find an exit that isn't barred by enemies, avoid Seoyoung and at the very least, find Jaemin and Renjun to regroup with all at the same time. Thankfully, you arrive at the palace courtyard in one piece, and find Jaemin and Renjun messily defending themselves against 4 other knights, who's swords kept dangerously close to Renjun's arm and Jaemin's neck. Exasperated, you huff, find another sword to use, and ram it into the nearest soldier - his choked out groans of pain combined with the coppery tang of his blood as it leaked out was enough to make bile rise in your throat, but you force it back down as you and Jeno join the battle to help take the weight off of Jaemin and Renjun. After subduing all of them, plus some extra who had appeared, the four of you leave the palace courtyard, running continuously until you're sure you're safe, and there's another awkward silence, everyone pointedly avoiding your gaze. You feel Jeno's hand still clasping yours, and shake it off, his touch uncomfortable. "So…where do we go from here?" Jaemin's the first to break the quietude. "We go home," you state. Renjun looks at you and then in the direction of the castle, confused. You huff, rubbing your temples. "My home." -- The four of you board a boat to the Isles early the next morning - after barely getting any sleep in the palace stables you'd had to take refuge in the night before - to avoid detection. You'd had no idea whether the Empire's forces had overrun the whole kingdom yet, and didn't want to take any chances by leaving later on when there was currently a bounty on the heads of those travelling with you. You all arrive home in one piece, and go your separate ways upon arrival; you and Jeno towards the palace, and Jaemin and Renjun towards the city to find a place to stay. You blatantly ignore Jeno for the first few days back -  you return to sitting across from him at breakfast, you barely reply to his questions most times, and generally act  like he doesn't exist. It works - but you know you can't keep it up for long. You conveniently hid the piece of information about Jeno practically cheating on you from your parents,so you knew you couldn't keep ignoring him forever without them noticing at some point and asking questions. It seemed that Jeno had come to this realisation also, as he cornered you in your room on one day that you'd been especially ignoring him, brushing him off whenever he even so much as breathed in your direction. "Jeno, get out of my--" "We need to talk. And I'm not leaving until you hear me out." You folded your arms. "There's nothing to talk about. You led me on, I fell for it, I found out, and now I hate you. What more is there to say?" His face fell. "You really hate me?" You sighed. Of course you didn't. But every time you closed your eyes, you saw the image of him kissing her again - so would it really be such a lie if you said you did? "…Just get out of my room, Jeno." He turned to leave, looking at you one last time, before going, shutting the door behind him as he went. Sighing, you threw yourself back onto your bed, staring at the ceiling, happy to be alone, when the door opened once more. It was Jeno again. "I'm sorry I just--I can't leave without telling you the truth,"

"What truth? That you loved her all along and now that she's shown herself to be some evil villain you think you can just come in here and- and use my feelings as some way to make yourself feel better?" Your voice began to shake, the lump in your throat appeared again, and your eyes watered and you hated that you were crying in front of him, that he'd made you like this because it wasn't fair, Goddamnit.

It wasn't fair that you still hurt so bad, while he didn't seem that hurt at all. If anything he seemed inconvenienced. Inconvenienced that everything had to come out like this. "I'm--I'm sorry, Y/N." His voice was a little rougher, a little choked up, and you could tell he was on the verge of breaking. He sat down at the edge of your bed, placing a hand on yours, tentatively. You don't pull away. "I met Seoyoung a year after I left. My parents didn't tell me when I would see you again; I didn't even think this would happen this soon," You nod, signalling him to continue. "I was lonely, and I found it hard to adjust to the way I used to be when you'd shown me so much more. Nobody but her really understood how I felt. She gave me an escape." A little smile graces his features, and your heart chips at the fact that if you weren't sure he loved you before, you could be certain he didn't love you now. Either way, you were finding this all a little hard to process - some girl he'd barely met when he moved home became his only friend due to his weird relationship with his parents. "I guess I just wanted to live as freely as I could before I was tied down forever." Tied down? Is that really what he thought being married to you would be like? Had he forgotten how close you were as children? "What about the ball," you whisper. "Huh?" his eyes flick over to yours and you meet his gaze. "I said. What about the ball. When I saw you," you struggle to get the final two words out, coming out as a reluctant mumble "….kissing her." He stiffens at that. "I didn't mean to kiss her," You cock a brow, heaving an exaggerated sigh. "Not in there, at least!" "So you meant to kiss her somewhere else? So I'd never find out?" You exclaim, scandalised. "No, no, that's not what I meant-- just listen to me--" "--I am, Jeno. And I'm struggling to see the point." He runs a hand through his hair, trying to find the right words. "I was going to tell her then. That we couldn't be together, that I was betrothed. But she kissed me and I--I don't know. I don't know anymore," "Then why lead me on? Why kiss me, why make me think that you wanted this, why use me?" "Because," he breathes, leaning towards you, "I love you, Y/N. I always have," For a moment you felt as though your heart could explode with joy. Your childhood friend-turned-crush-turned-lover confessing his love for you. If this was a different situation, it would've been everything you'd ever wanted. But you knew better. "Oh, save it. You're just saying that to make me feel better. You don't love me, Jeno. You just think you do." "I meant it, Y/N. I really do love--," You hold up a hand, cutting him off. "You love Seoyoung. Not me. We need to focus on stopping her anyways," The two of you make eye contact, Jeno's intense gaze meeting your stubborn one. Wordlessly, he goes to the door once more, saying one sentence before leaving. "I meant what I said. I'll prove it to you." You knew he didn't,at least you thought so.  You thought you knew him better than anyone and you were clearly wrong about that so maybe, just maybe, you were wrong about this. But you had enough faith in yourself to know you were right. You avoided Jeno for the rest of the day aside from dinner when you absolutely had to be around him, and all through that he'd smile at you and pretend everything was okay. It made you sick to smile back, but you pushed through, determined not to let your parents suspect anything. Events in the Mainland and the issue of trying to protect the Isles already commanded most of their attention - letting them know that the practically lifelong betrothal they'd arranged had gone horribly wrong wasn't something you wanted to disclose just yet. Besides, if staying with Jeno meant the safety of your people, a little sacrifice of your happiness wouldn't be too much of a price to pay, you thought. The knights quarters had always been a second home to you - it was where you first met Haechan, where you made friends with Chenle, where you gave advice, got advice, told stories, played pranks, shared secrets - and now you were going there to share the biggest secret of all. You find Haechan's door, and you're about to enter when you pause. You can hear Chenle's signature laugh, Haechan's teasing lilt; that was fine - but why were Renjun and Jaemin's voices mixed in with them? You wouldn't call yourself childish, and you wouldn't call yourself petty either, but hell, you couldn't care less if people called you those things and more because the idea of Jaemin and Renjun making friends with your best friends made you feel more than slightly ill. Your parents had insisted Renjun and Jaemin stay in the palace once you'd told them all that had happened back on the Mainland - at first you'd been somewhat indifferent about it, but seeing them through the crack of the door - heads thrown back in laughter, eyes turned into crescents from their wide smiles - makes you suddenly wish you hadn't told your parents about them at all. You stand at the doorway, swing the door fully open, and wait for them to notice your presence. It's almost laughable, really, how fast Haechan and Chenle brighten even more when they see you, and how fast Renjun and Jaemin lose the smiles and clear their throats, trying to make a quick exit as Chenle grabs your wrist and drags you further in. "Y/N!" He beams, his smile easing the suffering in your heart a little. "Come sit!" You stand, uncomfortable, as Renjun and Jaemin's eyes are both suddenly pinned to the stone tiles of the floor. The grin slowly falls off of Chenle's face as he notices the cooling of the room's mood. "...Uh, guys?" He says, hoping someone other than him breaks the silence and soon.  "I think we should go," Renjun suggests, sheepish, him and Jaemin both leaving before Chenle can even ask why. Throwing yourself onto Haechan's bed, just like you used to, you let out a defeated sigh. "Something you need to tell me about?" He jokes, lying next to you. "There are many things I need to talk to you about," you reply. "Hey, what about me?" Chenle chimes in, standing over the two of you. "The both of you," you correct, "There are many, many things I need to talk to the both of you about." And so you vent. You tell them everything, from beginning to end, and by the time you're done, it's a struggle trying to get the two of them not to go and give Jeno a piece of their minds. Chenle can do nothing but sink to a crouch, mouth open in disbelief. "I just don't get it," Haechan breathes. "You seemed so close, how could he- do something like that?" He grabs your hands and pulls you into his arms. "Y/N, I'm so sorry." Face half smushed into his chest, half not, you smile to the best of your ability. "It's ok," you mumble, defeated, "Well it isn't, but it's ok as it's going to be. I guess." Haechan's embrace is warm, tight, reassuring. As his hand rubs circles into your back, slightly rocking back and forth, you wonder if life would've been easier if you'd never been betrothed. If you'd somehow, by some weird stroke of fate, fallen for him instead of Jeno. At the very least, the biggest thing you'd have to worry about when marrying Haechan would be getting him to shut up. Being talkative was one of the traits the both of you shared, to a fault. You untangle yourself from him and meet his confused gaze. "Haechan, I need you to promise me something." "Of course." He nods along, wary. "Please, please don't bring this up to him," you wince as you say it because you can feel his judgement. "Y/N, you can't be serious." "Please, Haechan. I don't- I don't really want to hear about my husband cheating on me any more than necessary, you know?" The way your voice trails off in the latter part of that sentence loosens Haechan's resolve. "Fine," he grumbles, folding his arms. Chenle puts an awkward hand on your shoulder - he'd never really been one for physical contact - finally gathering some words to say. "No matter what happens, Y/N, we'll support you." The two of you nod at each other, and for once, the plague of Jeno on your mind is lifted, as you appreciate just how lucky you are to have friends as priceless as these. The reprieve is temporary, though, as two knocks in quick succession and a push at the door reveal Jeno, looking a little more exhausted than the last time you'd seen him. Chenle moves in front of you, and Haechan stands, the both of them stony-faced. "Is it okay if I come in?" Jeno asks, still standing at the threshold of the door. "I don't know," says Haechan. "Is it okay if I let a liar into my room?" You try to get his attention, to tell him to relax, but his focus is firmly fixed onto Jeno. "You can come in," whispers Chenle, and Haechan's head whips round to glare at him in shock. Chenle ignores it, and continues speaking. "Why did you come here?"

"Because," Jeno begins, "Because I wanted to know if I could make things right. If she'd let me." He tries to meet your eyes, and you can feel him looking at you, but you ignore it. He'd done enough damage, and you didn't even want to give him the time of day. Haechan seems to notice this, and speaks for you. "You want to know how to make things right? Get out of here," Jeno's expression goes from hopeful to crushed - you're glad he hasn't noticed you started looking at him. "Stop walking around here as though everything is fine, and go fix the mess in your own kingdom- a kingdom you're supposed to be future king of - before trying to save a marriage you ruined. What kind of king abandons his country in need?" The ire in Haechan's voice is so palpable you've never been more thankful that you weren't on the receiving end of it. There is a long silence after his speech of sorts, and all you hear from Jeno is a simple "Thank you," before he leaves the room, shutting the door behind him. "Before you get all angry at me, you never said I couldn't say anything about him, right Chenle?" Haechan begs, looking back and forth between you and Chenle, looking at you to make sure you don't kill him, and at Chenle for moral support. "He is kind of right there, Y/N." You groan at the both of them, rolling your eyes. -- You couldn't be angry at Haechan - because you agreed with what he said. He was right in what he said to Jeno, which was why you were angry at yourself for  the fact that you were currently chasing Jeno down the hallway, for reasons you'd probably address when you were alone in your room at night - or any other time that wasn't right now. "Jeno!" You call, and chuckle, mirthlessly, at the irony of how it was now you doing the chasing and not him. His hair flutters and settles beautifully as he turns abruptly, and you almost, almost, forget you're supposed to be angry at him when you see the innocent widening of his eyes and slight opening of his mouth as he turns to your calling of his name. You catch up with him, taking a minute to catch your breath, and cursing yourself as you still have trouble comfortably speaking. "I just," you wheeze, "I just wanted to tell you...not to listen to Haechan...he's angry for me," For all that tree climbing you did as a child, it was crazy how you wouldn't be at least somewhat more fit than you were now. "He's right," he replies, and you raise an eyebrow, still trying to catch your breath. "I have a plan - Haechan said I needed to fix things, and I will." Before you can even get out a 'How?', he cuts you off. "Just trust me." He doesn't give you any more information than that, and goes back to borderline running through the hallways, leaving you alone, having caught your breath too late to call after him. -- You're greeted at breakfast the next morning by an empty seat across from you and questions from your parents that you can only make just about believable answers to. A quick search and some asking around leads you to find that Jeno is gone, having only left a note for Jaemin and Renjun notifying them of his departure - meaning if you wanted to know where he'd gone and what he'd gone to do (though you already had a pretty solid idea), you'd have to talk to the two people you most definitely had more of a dislike for than anything else. It's Jaemin who notices you first, unsure of what to do or whether to go as it becomes clear that you're actually approaching the two of them, and not just taking a walk around the palace courtyard. "Y/N," he smiles, and you can tell he's just trying to be polite by the way the smile doesn't reach his eyes and his smile looks more and more like a grimace the longer he holds it. "Is there anything we can help you with?" A corner of your lips quirks a little as Jaemin nudges Renjun to turn around. "Did Jeno tell either of you where he went? I can't find him," Its Renjun who tells you that all Jeno left for them was a note with five words: I'm going to fix it. And with that, your suspicions are confirmed; Jeno had most likely gone back to the Mainland, to 'fix' the problems that plagued it there. However now, and only now, was when you felt angry at Haechan for his outburst a day earlier - because now Jeno was gone, and you still had questions that only he could answer, whether you liked what you would've heard or not. "Um...while you're here," says Renjun, breaking you out of your reverie, "I-" a sharper nudge from Jaemin, one that actually looks painful, causes him to correct himself. "We, wanted to apologise. For the ball. As Jeno's friends, we should've stopped him as soon as it started." You disliked Renjun and Jaemin for their role in the whole Jeno being a cheater debacle, but truth-be-told, you weren't all that angry at them, because they had no real loyalty to you. Jeno was supposed to be your best friend. By principle, he would've been the last person you'd expect to ever betray you. And yet, he did. So you weren't angry at Jaemin and Renjun for siding with their own friend. You felt hurt, by Jeno. "It wasn't your fault." You mutter to the pair of them, before turning to leave. -- It was sickening. Sickening, Jeno thought, how easily he'd let himself be fooled for so long, by someone he trusted so much. As he mounted the steps two at a time into the palace, he wonders if that's how you had felt, when everything had fallen apart just over a week prior. He still felt a pang in his chest every time he pictured the look on your face from that day; hurt, betrayed, disbelieving. As he entered and saw the Empire's flags strewn all over the previously pristine castle interior, he wondered just when he'd lost himself this much. Haechan was right - what kind of king was he? He'd barely any idea of where his parents had gone after that night; if Seoyoung had taken them again, if they were safe; he hadn't even bothered to find a way to check up on his kingdom, which was already beginning to lose its shine and lustre at the occupation draining the life out of its veins. He felt like a waste of a king - no, he was one. But at the very least, the least he could do as a king in its own right was save his kingdom from the invaders that plagued it - he had a plan, and it was going to work. It had to; he had no other choice. Seeing the door of the throne room again brought back memories Jeno didn't really want to think about; it simply reminded him of his own horrible, horrible mistake - but he steeled his resolve and pushed open the door. It's entirely too laughable how Seoyoung is sat in the same place she was when he left - perched on the queen's throne, red hair tied back, and eyes that looked dull and soulless. Was that what he'd allowed himself to fall for? "Jeno!" She croons, beckoning her guards to bring him closer. "I missed you," Her patronising manner of speech, like a mother to its child, felt like nails scratching down a chalkboard to his ears. But he pushed through it, put on the best smile he could muster, and began to execute the first step of his plan. "Really?" He asks, eyes coy. "I thought you would've wanted me gone." He's directly in front of her now, can see in detail just how much the old Seoyoung, the one he used to know, was gone. But was she ever really there? That was a question Jeno had been asking himself since he'd arrived at this place. "Oh Jen," she purrs, and its a struggle not to narrow his eyes at the old nickname, "I wanted everyone else gone," She rises off of the throne to meet him face to face, slinking around him to put her hands on his shoulders, lips brushing his ear as she speaks. "But you and I, you with your crown and I with my power," It's somewhat frightening how absorbed she sounds, "Jen, we could rule the world! You and me," How stupid did she think he was? It was all too clear to Jeno what she was doing; the nickname to soften his resolve, the enthusiasm in her words, the closeness to try and distract him from what she was really saying - that she wanted him to give up his throne to let her rule the world, not them together - but just her. So he agreed. "We can rule the world," he breathes, realisation tinging the edges of his voice. "Together," he half asks, half states. "Yes," she sighs, "Together." -- There are a lot of things Jeno comes to find out, the longer he stays with Seoyoung. One; He was right - ever since he'd agreed to joining Seoyoung's side, she'd taken the lead in everything, and had gotten strangely irritated whenever Jeno tried giving his input (not that he did often, of course). Two; His parents, thankfully, were still safe. From keeping his ear to the ground and bits and pieces of information he'd managed to scrape from the servants of the palace, he'd found out that they were in hiding, and that Seoyoung already had guards looking for them. "To bring them home and keep them safe," she said when he'd asked. But he knew what she really wanted to do with them. Three: You were right - when you said she'd never be accepted as Queen. Jeno soon learns that the only guards who truly respect her are the ones left from the crew she stormed the palace with - and that the original palace guards were still loyal to him. --. They're in the throne room when it all comes together; the planning and secret preparation he'd been working towards for the past 3 weeks. This time he would put Seoyoung away, once and for all - especially now that he'd learned that his parents had been found and that they were locked in the dungeons, courtesy of Seoyoung, of course. "Promise me you'll stay with me forever," she whispers, and Jeno's stomach turns as her lips graze his. "I promise," he says, opening his eyes to find Seoyoung's still shut. It's in this moment where his chance arrives - he clicks his fingers 3 times, and lets out a low whistle; the code he'd devised with the guards a few days prior to summon them. As the guards file in, coming closer and closer towards the two, Jeno's hands rise from her clasp to cup her face - which, from this angle, Jeno thinks, almost looks innocent. He offhandedly wonders what may have happened to make Seoyoung such a contrast to her features. "Jeno." She mumbles, eyes still shut, forehead still leaning against his, a hand rising up to cup his. "What are the guards doing here?" He hums, voice low. "Just trust me," A sliver of a smirk graces his features as he continues, "I have a surprise." He takes her hands and lowers them, still holding them - trying to make it as easy as possible for the guards to slam the restraints on as fast as they can. Slowly, delicately, he steps away from Seoyoung;  a tilt of his head signalling one guard to come forward and do the act - and, like a cliché flash, it happens. He lets go, the shackles come down, and Seoyoung's eyes finally snap wide open; the same flash from that night occurs again in her gaze, but it does nothing. The shackles were made of iron - specifically to block her from using any of her tricks to get away. At her inability to inflict harm the way she desired, Seoyoung's expression crumples into a horrid mix of anger and shock. "Jeno," she calls, tone shaky, uncertain. "What are you doing?" He says nothing - simply allows himself to giggle loud enough for her to hear as the guards drag her down to the dungeons. As she should be. As she should've been all those months ago. -- "I'll give you whatever - money, power, control - freedom from your parents I know you hate so much - all you have to do is join me, Jeno." She'd been down here for over a week, allowed no contact with anyone while he tried to restore order in the kingdom above. It seemed, from the borderline feral look in her eyes and the fatigue that plagued her very being, that being in the dungeons was taking its toll. No, it didn't seem so; the longer she spoke, Jeno knew it was so. "What happened to ruling the world, together?" She pleads. Trying to appeal to him using his own words, he notes. He says nothing, simply keeps eye contact with her and lets her continue. A guard barks at her to keep quiet - she glares at them, grunting as the shackles on her wrists prevent her from doing what she so desires, and returns her gaze to Jeno. "Jen, stop being stupid and tell them to let me out, please." Again with the nickname, he thinks. Before, long ago, when he'd first met her, his heart would've fluttered, cheeks would've reddened at her use of the name. Now, though, all it did was send an uncomfortable shiver down his spine. "Jen? Jeno, tell them to let me out." She's less desperate and more irritated now, his silence, his blank, uncaring, stare making her ever angrier. He wonders, as he's done so many times he's had to be around her, as she nags and scolds and patronises, just who Seoyoung even was. If he ever knew her. He wonders, for the second time, if this was how you felt. She's gone back to being desperate now, but with some emotional guilt-tripping to really try and pull at his heartstrings. "If you love me, Jeno - if you ever loved me - you'd let me out. Please," He's silent. "If you love me, you'll do the right thing! Jen, please!" If he loved her. He inwardly scoffs at the thought. What he had for Seoyoung, he realised, wasn't love. No - maybe it was love, at one point. But now, now he realised that it had turned into infatuation. And after her big reveal, that infatuation had quickly left, leaving nothing but disgust in its wake. "You don't get to call me that name. Not anymore," He says, brows furrowed, lips curled into a sneer, as Seoyoung grips the bars of the cell, tears rimming her eyes.  "I never loved you, Seoyoung. And I am doing the right thing," he spat, leaving her to rot in her cell, her calls and shouts sounding like static the further away he got. -- With Seoyoung out of action, Jeno uses her as ransom to get the Empire troops to leave - and they do this time. Once they're gone, he stays in the mainland for a while, working on re-establishing the monarchy. For once, he thinks, maybe the title of king truly belonged to him. His parents, since being freed, had done nothing but pull Jeno into a tight embrace, and had then kept mostly to themselves. The embrace was probably the most amount of affection Jeno had ever received, but it was a start. At last, he felt, things were beginning to change. -- You were anxious. More than anxious, you were worried. You'd heard a little here and there of the events that had happened, of Jeno supposedly joining forces with Seoyoung to betray her in the end, and safe to say, your own feelings about him were now a mess of emotions. On the one hand, a part of you was still angry at him for leaving, for putting you through all this, for practically breaking your heart - on the other hand, you had to respect his diligence; he said he was going to fix things, and he did. He also showed that he was done with Seoyoung; he'd had the girl imprisoned, for goodness sake. But still... were you really ready to forgive him? It's these thoughts that have you deep in the trenches of your mind before the doors to the throne room, where you're so nervously pacing, open and shut. You look up, suspicious of who it may be; maybe a handmaid, maybe Jaemin or Renjun wanting to have a chat, maybe- "I fixed it," he breathes. It's him. You're speechless, lost for words, can barely function as Jeno's arms engulf you, as vanilla and nutmeg overpower your senses, as his grip on you becomes just a little tighter, like he couldn't ever bear to let you go. You pull away, putting some distance between you. You missed him, *yes*, but there were things you needed to discuss. You almost rush back into his arms at the flash of hurt that graces his features, but steel yourself. There were things you needed to say, this you knew - so why was it so hard for you to speak? There's a weird silence between you both; Jeno clearing his throat, you fiddling with your dress - you're almost there, have almost found the right words to say, but as usual, Jeno seems to beat you to it. "I wanted to give you a proper apology," he starts. His hands are shaking, and he balls them into fists. "There's no excuse for what I did, at all. And-" he stutters, "And if you've decided you don't want to be with me anymore, then I understand. I'll tell our parents everything. You deserve a lot better than me, Y/N." Your heart finally feels somewhat at peace. All the turmoil, all the heartbreak; It was only an apology, but you felt like you could start to build something with Jeno again. "I do deserve better," you acknowledge, and Jeno swears his heart chips a little at the thought that he really had lost you forever. "But I don't want better." You breathe slow. "I want to give us another try." Jeno  grins so wide his cheeks ache, then takes a step towards you. "Also," you continue, "I need to apologise. I shouldn't have doubted you, that time with your parents. I went too far, and I shouldn't have." Jeno shakes his head vigorously, "No, no! I deserved everything I got. If anything, I'm happy you're even willing to have me," He takes your hands in his, leans his forehead against yours, and feels the tension in his shoulders that had been there for who knows how long, finally release. "Could I- Would I be able to-" He sighs in annoyance at himself, and you feel a genuine smile begin to form for the first time in what seems like a long time. "Can I kiss you?" He asks, hesitant to overstep a boundary. You close your eyes, look into his, and see no secrets there. "Yes," you whisper. Jeno kisses with emotion - like you're a fragile thing he simply mustn't break, but also like he'll never see you again. Jeno puts everything he couldn't put into words into this kiss, as though its your own secret language - a language you had no difficulty understanding. As he cups your cheeks, leans back a little, and simply looks, deeply, into your eyes, you catch the second of his unspoken  messages. I love you, his eyes say. I love you, say yours.

[k-itsmaywriting]

Any chapter from Vessels?

(oh god this got so long and it took me so long but I WANTED TO INCLUDE EVERYTHING)

VESSELS

So I’ve chosen chapter 4 for this because it comes straight after Shirayuki’s big shock, contains Obi’s turning point, and it ends with a Big Idea that sets the trajectory for the rest of the story.

Overall, this story happened because I got the Android slot on Bingo 2018! :D The first thing that I thought up of was “what if Shirayuki is an android and Obi is her creator” and then I also thought “BUT WHAT IF OBI IS ALSO ANDROID BUT HE DOESN’T /KNOW/”. And the rest kind of snowballed to include post-apocalyptic Wistal and the Outside to explain how that might happen in the first place. But because of the nature of that setting, the story overall became A LOT more political and philosophical than I originally planned on but uh HERE WE ARE. Since Wistal’s government is fictional, I guess I had the freedom to draw inspiration from the actions of multiple governments as well as anxieties about what how they might respond to disaster (or at least an extreme example) and what that might mean for society in the future.

Also the title is like…android bodies are vessels for their brains and designed purposes. Bodies in general are vessels. There are also blood vessels, which I contrast with injuries that show wiring instead of them. Vessels, man.

The chapter circles back to Obi’s POV for the first time since chapter 1 and in pretty much two minutes he, with very little context, has to decide whether to give up himself and Shirayuki and continue life as they did before, or live with the truth and run. He runs because he’s realised that Garrack, someone he knows hates this whole gig, was involved in turning him into an android too. He doesn’t want to give himself or Shirayuki up partly because she’s betrayed him (will get to the other parts of it soon), and he doesn’t trust her anymore.

Then it’s the flashback when Obi and Garrack met for the first time, and is where he learns that Garrack was definitely not as in this for the money as he was. At that point, he was curious at best, but he also knew there was /someone/ who knew the Wisterias aren’t up to much good like everyone else thought they were. He shared that sentiment, so there was just a tinge of camaraderie there. Which hits another nail into the betrayal. The flashback also sort of hints that Garrack had changed since then to become someone who was willing to sacrifice Shirayuki and Obi so she could keep being with Ryuu, still knowing how it’s impacting everyone else. And I wanted that to reflect the whole “save yourself and those close to you, don’t care about anyone else” thing that happens sometimes in very stressful circumstances.

As for the Wisterias, it’s kind of an explanation to what they actually do. So, basically Zen and Izana are co-directors of Starlight, an AI development company, and Izana also joined Kain’s political party around when Zen turned 20 (which was like…a year before he hired Obi and so between 5-6 years before the present). I also wanted to hint that like, ISN’T IT IFFY THAT THE PM HAS FAMILIAL CONNECTIONS TO THE PPL IN CHARGE OF MAKING ALL THE TECHNOLOGY THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO REALLY UP THE SURVEILLANCE EVERYWHERE AND STORE CRAZY AMOUNTS OF DATA WHILE ALSO LITERALLY TURNING PEOPLE INTO ROBOTS. TO CONTROL THEM. ESPECIALLY WHEN SAID PM IS A DICK WHO USES PPL’S LIVES AS LEVERAGE SO HE CAN HAVE CONTROL OVER RESEARCH IN OTHER AREAS OF SCIENCE IE CONSERVATION AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE IE THE THING THAT’S GONNA BASICALLY SAVE EVERYONE GIVEN FOOD SCARCITY IS A MENTIONED ISSUE IN CH2 :)))

The next scene is when Obi wakes up Shirayuki and she’s grappling with the fact her entire life has been fabricated. Obi is able to quickly say that she’s a person with thoughts, feelings and actions like everyone else because this is what he already thought of her in chapter 1. He cares about her and loves her dearly as a best friend, and as an honest person who’s trying to do good in the world. He believes she’s good in every way that he is bad. And he’s gutted that he’s been lying to her while she was risking everything to save him. And that’s also why he ran away with her, even though it meant she would know the truth and possibly hate him for it. But he knows she’s the kind of person who would rather the hard reality than the comfortable lie.

WHICH BRINGS ME TO THIS PARTICULAR PART:

“I was in love with you and this entire time you’ve been lying to me?!” Shirayuki screams.Obi freezes, eyes wide as he stares at her. She…she what?

“That’s why Zen and Dr Gazelt looked at me like…like I was just pitiful.” She grits her teeth as tears begin to fall. “Don’t pretend you don’t know!”

“You weren’t supposed to love me,”

Shirayuki at this point believes everything is fabricated, right down to her feelings for Obi. But Obi saying she wasn’t supposed to love him means that those feelings developed while they were living together. I was actually super cautious about this because I was kind of afraid it’d be like, SHE’S TRANSCENDED TO HUMANITY BECAUSE SHE CAN FALL IN LOVE, but it’s more about her being a person because she can change and develop feelings without an instruction to. Which also applies to her running from Zen, saving Obi, and later deciding to escape Wistal. None of those things are good for the Wisterias, but because she’s designed to be able to think for herself and to value justice and Doing Good, she’s able to act in ways that they do not expect. In doing so, she’s able to reclaim her autonomy, so to speak.

But the same goes for Obi as well. The reason why Zen and Garrack look at Shirayuki Like That every time she talks about Obi being her best friend is because the Obi that is only in it for the money and doesn’t care about anything else is a lot more known to them than the best friend Obi. They don’t have much reason to believe Obi would risk it all for Shirayuki considering he’s the one who made her in the first place and has been lying to her the whole time (not to mention that Garrack also just feels sorry for her because of that). Yet he too runs away and saves her, just like she did for him. And tells her that who he is - what made him smile and laugh, his happiness when they were together - was not a lie even though his past was. To her, that’s what tells her that he really does care about her and that he’s changed since he first came to Wistal. And again, that is without instruction. Those feelings and the decisions that came out of them are also therefore his own.

He tells her his actual past too, so FINALLY, ANOTHER GLIMPSE OF THE OUTSIDE AND THIS TIME I WROTE ABOUT MORE PEOPLE. The idea that people left the wastelands for the mountains just to live a peaceful life was very much inspired by how so many young people’s dreams these days is like…to live in a cottage among nature and bake pies, or another form of very peaceful mundanity. I felt it would be the same in a world that feels so hopeless like in Vessels, where people had to sort of choose to either follow Kain’s father and his crew to live in the same society that failed them before the apocalypse, or stay in the wasteland and try to survive there. The rumours of regrowth were HUGE symbols of hope, including for Obi’s family, for those who just wanted that peaceful life.

Obi, unfortunately, is the only one who makes it. And he’s so heartbroken even when he’s cared for by Mukaze and his parents that he runs away back to the wasteland to become a scavenger. I didn’t really get to go very deep into it, but the wasteland is pretty much Trade Central. There’s no clear power structure, but everyone’s still trying to get ahead somehow. So it’s not Wistal, but it’s also not the total opposite of it either.And Obi spends his teen years/early adulthood in that environment, so it’s very much involved in the kind of person he became by the time he met Zen.

Mukaze and his family taking care of this child Obi who literally fell into their garden out of nowhere is kind of like…a communal care humans give each other that is not widely seen in other settings of this story but one that is really important? Like, humans working together and building each other up to survive after the apocalypse. So when Shirayuki shows that kind of care by saving him and Obi decides he wants to return it, Mukaze’s place is an image of something that’s within their reach when Shirayuki voices her idea to escape Wistal and All This Shit.

[mittensmorgul]

Hiya: If there's been conversation about Nick/Lucifer I've missed it, sorry. I can't figure out where they're going with him - there's a reason he's still around, surely, but so far his story seems to be rudderless. Sarah's little monologue suggests that Nick's Lucifer experience is significant going forward. What are your thoughts?

Hello! And sorry it took so long for me to reply to this, but I wanted to approach it from several directions and cover this as completely as possible, so I’m now fortified with cookies and caffeine, and will hopefully do as thorough a job as possible while also demonstrating that I am prepared to fend off any and all wank with this here big stick *waves large stick in the air*. :P

I don’t normally like to use the production side of things to justify the narrative, but in this particular case, I think it’s CRUCIAL to keep in mind when considering anything having to do with Nick. Here’s a few “production specific” bullet points to bear in mind:

Eugenie really enjoys writing this specific character, for whatever twisted reason.

therefore I personally like to imagine the rest of the production staff roll their eyes and let her have him to play with over in a corner, which interestingly enough keeps her from mucking about with the characters we all actually care about

J2 specifically asked to have more time off. That’s why we have a 20 episode season this year (and I think we would’ve had an even shorter season if wayward had been picked up, but their compromise to sign on for even 20 episodes was explicitly to get more time off to spend with their families). Have you wondered also why there’s been a lot more scenes that ONLY had Sam or Dean in them? Why they’ve been separated for a lot of the season? Because one of them has been having nice days off with their family while the other has been filming. In order to have episodes where they’re together, the compromise is that some of the focus go to other characters so they can both have time off still... and sadly, Nick fits the bill for “available for scenes alone.”

Enter cries of “BUT WHAT ABOUT CAS! WHAT ABOUT MARY OR THE WAYWARDS?! WHY NICK?!”

*points everyone back to that first bullet point*

So now that some of that real-world nonsense is out of the way, I really do think that they’ve been actively making the most of this objectively terrible character that most of us have utterly failed to connect to in any way, because he is just so damn terrible.

I personally LOVED Davy’s treatment of him last week, and how Nick’s own story had been paralleled to Sam’s since the beginning of the season. Not for Nick’s sake, but FOR SAM’S.

I wrote some about that here:

http://mittensmorgul.tumblr.com/post/182308756300/love-that-your-nick-tag-says-possibly-murderous

But this week’s episode goes several steps beyond that. Since 5.01, Nick’s entire deal with Lucifer had been predicated on his desire to be reunited with his murdered family. He’d been dismally living in the house where they’d been murdered, with his child’s crib still sitting there, drinking himself to sleep at night, unable to move on past their deaths. It was implied in s14 that he’d even been a suspect in their murders, but he was cleared after having the alibi that he’d been out drinking while they were killed.

And yet, when he thinks back to why he said Yes to Lucifer, he doesn’t remember the promise to be reunited with his wife and son, he remembers Lucifer telling him he was special and chosen. Which I think is really telling:

NICK: I just don’t know what kind of pain would make me allow Lucifer to possess me.CAS: It was your family.NICK: My family? Sarah and Teddy?[CAS nods.]NICK, gasping: No. [NICK flashes back to Sympathy for the Devil (5.01). We see these scenes along with current NICK as he remembers]SARAH/LUCIFER, in flashback: It’s you, Nick. You’re special. You’re chosen. Nick, I need you to say “yes”.NICK, in flashback: Then yes.NICK, now: Oh my god. Who could do that? Who could do that?

Because even his reason for saying yes was this sort of personal aggrandizement of being “special” and “chosen,” even if he’d always framed it as being this revenge quest on behalf of his murdered family. That’s what Sam had been sympathizing with, at any rate-- the fact that they’d both been manipulated into saying yes, and both had these familial/loved ones murdered to force them into participating in this awful cosmic game. But personal grandiosity had NEVER been one of Sam’s motivations for saying yes. He’d felt personally BETRAYED when Lucifer revealed the extent to which his entire life had been nudged into place by demons, you know? He HATED the fact he’d been “chosen” and felt it was more of a curse than something special.

But not Nick. He may have said he wanted justice for his wife and son, but the truth kept coming out of him throughout s14:

He beat his neighbor to death in the exact manner his family was killed, because the neighbor told police he’d seen someone at Nick’s house, and then recanted his statement.

because what he’d seen was a POLICE OFFICER entering and then leaving the house, and he was not prepared to testify against a cop

Nick kills Arty’s priest for refusing to divulge what Arte confessed to him about the man he saw, but learns about the cop from a reporter he interviewed later

Nick then tracks down the retired officer, who tells him he was possessed by the demon Abraxis and had no memory of the murders. The man had been used just as badly as Nick himself, and yet Nick killed him ANYWAY even though he’d been tormented about his part in all of this for more than a decade.

After killing the cop, Nick confesses that he said he just wanted revenge, but that it was a lie, and he liked being evil this way

He pleads with Lucifer to come back to him

He then goes on a rampage to find Abraxas, to ask him (ostensibly) who ordered him to kill his wife. He kills his way through other demons until he discovers where Abraxas is, in a puzzle box trapped by Mary Winchester.

And this is where everything falls apart for him

Once he learns that Lucifer ordered his family killed-- not because he was special, but because he was convenient-- he had one final chance to repent for what he’d done in the name of vengeance. And he failed to take it.

Instead of accepting that all of this was a horrific abuse, and that this was the most justice he or his loved ones could possibly get, and trying to make peace with himself and try to do the best he can with what he now has (including the support of the Winchesters, who are arguably the people on the planet most inclined to sympathize with what Nick has been through), he rejects ALL of that.

He prays to Lucifer, begging for answers that he technically already has. But he just cannot let go of it. It ceased being about justice for his wife and son a long, long time ago. It’s only about him, now.

He’s mad at Lucifer for hurting HIM. He’s mad at the fact his wife and son were murdered, not because it wasn’t fair to THEM, but because they were taken away from HIM. Which is all proven out in how he treats the ghost of his wife in 14.12.

He returns to his home, where he has to break in. He doesn’t have a key anymore, and still, the house is sitting empty and abandoned, where nobody else has wanted to live since. Compare that to the Winchester family house in 1.09. Despite the tragedy there, it’s still inhabited. Life goes on there, and after 1.09, when the ghosts of its past are finally laid to rest, it has a chance for a happy family to live and thrive there again. Nick’s place is just stagnant with the ghost of his dead wife trapped there, wearing a nightgown so similar to Mary Winchester’s.

I thought it was strange that this incarnation of Sarah’s actual ghost had long hair, while the vision of Sarah that Lucifer used in 5.01 to woo Nick in the first place had short hair, and I think it was intentional... making her look like the sad, dark version of Mary Winchester. This was Sarah’s big moment, her chance to finally be released from the misery of being trapped in that house as a ghost... and she failed, because Nick failed HER on every level.

Sarah: My unfinished business isn't just about how I died, Nick. It's you. I was here that night. I saw what he did to you. I... You chose Lucifer. You wanted him. You... You still do.Nick: He chose me, okay.Sarah: You didn't come here to find peace. You came here to find him in the place you became one with him.Nick: No.Sarah: Then show me I'm wrong. Reject Lucifer right now. If you do, I can leave. I can find peace. Reject him, Nick. Please. Please!Nick: I-I can't. I'm sorry.Sarah: You can't. Because you are him. You doomed me to stay in this place forever. You've doomed yourself.

Nick is flim-flam-- on a meta level, on a personal level, on every level. He’d never been seeking her, which is why he bought into Lucifer’s deal. He wanted to be special, and up to the point Lucifer came to him, he’d only felt worthless. That’s what made him useful to Lucifer. He could buy into his own lie that it was about seeing his wife again. He would go along quietly.

This was his one last chance at an easy redemption, and he refused to do it. When faced with the ONE THING he always said he wanted, he turned away, because he’d never wanted it in the first place.

Granted, all of this serves as The Darkest Possible Mirror to the Winchester family, but I think it’s still useful to keep this in mind with what the 300th will be giving us next week. Sam and Dean have been struggling with what happened to their family, and how it resulted in their entire lives lived as a revenge quest and how the entire universe has demanded their involvement in cosmic affairs ever since. And now, they’re also looking for a bit of catharsis. And we have a dark mirror set up to shine an interesting light on that now...

Granted, it makes it really difficult to engage with Nick’s storyline, considering how little interest any of us have in him as a character, compounded by the fact that the character himself is entirely devoid of anything resembling something we can have sympathy for. And honestly, we never cared about him in the first place, and it just feels like beating a dead horse to keep dragging Mark P.’s face up on screen year after year just to demonstrate how irredeemable he is, but *heavy sigh* they do seem to be making the most of these facts despite that.

Honestly, they can do better. Pick a different character for us to spend a bit more time with. I’d love to see more Cas, and more Cas interacting with Sam and Dean individually, or more Mary, or more Jody and Donna and the girls, but this is what we have. So I’ll continue to wish they’d just put him out of our misery and off him once and for all, but sadly I think we’re stuck with him for at least the rest of the season...

There’s several ways I can personally think of that he could become more useful down the line, like the crack spec I wrote last week:

http://mittensmorgul.tumblr.com/post/182454196470/solution-1-put-mike-into-nick-2-put-nick-in-the

but maybe a lil less... cracky... if they do something along those lines in canon...

Just how desperate is Nick to feel special again? To feel chosen? Would he take his second choice (Michael over Lucifer), and Dean’s sloppy seconds? How would that even work? What would they do? It may or may not be something in the future, but it’s one theory that’s giving me hope that he has some actual purpose to the narrative, since he’s proven himself absolutely irredeemable at this point. The only way he’s gonna earn redemption at this point is via self-sacrifice. Not even Lucifer could pull that one off... I don’t really have high hopes for Nick...

[sailorsolar12]

Prompt List 2

EEK! I have 249 followers. That may not be a lot, but to me that is an achievement. I am giving you guys a prompt list. Since I have 249 followers, I’ll do a max of 150 prompts. Send me requests guys. Pleeeeeeeeeease. Thank you. P.S. If you wanna reblog this for your own imagines or to have some of your own followers shoot me requests, go right ahead my lovelies. P.P.S. Let me know if you’d like the work in second POV or third POV. The first 51 prompts are the same as before the next 99 are new. Hope you like it.

Word of warning there will be cursing, mature themes, etc...

1) “I’m sorry……what?!”

2) “Love? Please. Love is overrated.”

3) “What. Did. You. Do?”

4) “I never excepted that to happen….”

5) “Please….You’re not Batman.”

6) “I’d happily bend you over right now if you’d like?”

7) “We’re not killing anyone!”

8) “The world doesn’t revolve around you!”

9) “I’m surrounded by idiots.”

10) “Why did it have to be you? Why?”

11) “Excuse you? I didn’t ask for your opinion.”

12) “Just shut your mouth and kiss me damn it!”

13) “Bitch, I’m adorable.”

14) “You’re sexually frustrated? How do you think I feel?”

15) “Screw you and your beautiful face!”

16) “The more you workout shirtless, the more you test my patience.”

17) “It’s not like I’ve loved you since we were kids or anything.”

18) “Do you have any idea what you’ve just done?”

19) “Why do you care if I kissed them or not?”

20) “Don’t tell me that you’re in love with him/her?”

21) “Why should I believe anything that you say?”

22) “When have you ever told the truth about anything? Especially yourself?”

23) “Was anything that happened between us even real?”

24) “Who are you, and what have you done with _____?”

25) “Let me in! Or so help me I will break down this door!”

26) “You can’t just kiss me and run away.”

27) “You are avoiding me. Is it because I kissed _____?”

28) “Who are you to judge my actions?”

29) “What? You have a secret fantasy of us having shower sex or something?”

30) “Are you finished…..because I’m bored and don’t want to be here.”

31) “Please tell me you aren’t saying you’re in love with me.”

32) “You have lost your mind if you think I am going to wear that outfit.”

33) “You are crazy if you believe that I agree with you.”

34) “You have consumed my thoughts. I can’t walk away from this.”

35) “This….is so awkward. I’m out.”

36) “You seem to think that I give a damn, but I don’t.”

37) “You stand there rolling your eyes and brushing me off, but I love you damnit.”

38) “Don’t make me choose between you and the coffee because I’m obviously going to choose the coffee.”

39) “It is ___ in the morning talk to me AFTER I have my coffee.”

40) “I hate to break it to you, but coffee is my one true love.”

41) “Can you not? I’m trying to concentrate here.”

42) “If you interrupt me while I am reading one more time…..”

43) “Give me one good reason why I should even sleep with you.”

44) “I highly doubt your sexual fantasies compare to mine.”

45) “Why can’t the universe just agree with me for once?!”

46) “No matter how many times that you apologize, I can’t forgive you for what you did.”

47) “Doubting you is what I do best, sweetheart.”

48) “If you walk out of that door, I will drag your ass back here kicking and screaming.”

49) “Betrayal isn’t something that I take lightly……”

50) “I have friends whom I consider family who are more loyal than you.”

51) “Me? Using sarcasm? Never in a million years.”

52) “I got two bottles of tequila. Who is getting drunk with me tonight?”

53) “Bitch please!”

54) “The universe just loves to prove me wrong, doesn’t it?”

55) “Water? You gave me water?! I don’t need water!”

56) “I’m only here so I have an alibi.”

57) “This is why we can’t have nice things!!”

58) “Even if you think you can knock me down, I’ll just get back up.”

59) “If I have the ability to make it gay, then I am going to make it gay!”

60) “You think I am here for you? Don’t flatter yourself, pet.”

61) “I am here for myself; you’re just the entertainment.”

62) “Never ever speak to me again...do you understand me?!”

63) “How could you think that for even one second I would betray you?”

64) “I never thought I would say this, but he/(she) does have a point.”

65) “You really think that this is easy don’t you?”

66) “I only slightly regret my life choices.”

67) “You were gone for two years! No warning...no location! Just random postcards every so often, and THAT is all you have to say to me??!!”

68) “My apologies, but I am afraid I cannot do that.”

69) “Don’t worry....she/(he) will be released after she/(he) answers some of my questions.”

70) “Sometimes even in the dark, we can see perfectly what is happening.”

71) “Must you always be this brutal to everyone?”

72) “How bad was last night? I only remember bringing out the tequila...”

73) “Why do you seem to be at the center of every disaster?”

74) “Looks like I’m not the only one making terrible decisions. Welcome to the club.”

75) “I honestly had no idea what to do with myself before you came into my life.”

76) “Hurry! Shut the door before they get the idea they are welcome here!”

77) “Let me cling to hope for a little longer, please.”

78) “Don’t you dare get mad at me for speaking the truth! I am right, and you should hear it!”

79) “It appears...we aren’t so different after all.”

80) “Yes, we are. And the difference is that you don’t care when a plan fails. Even if you die for it.

81) “Who would have thought that I would see the day when you have to save me for a change?”

82) “What was it like while you were gone....without me?”

83) “Life hates everyone, but some of us make the most out of it while the others give into despair.”

84) “Don’t do this! Please! I am begging you not to!”

85) “Nothing is the same anymore....Everything changed the day you died.”

86) “Oh...so I killed you and yet here you are standing there mocking me...”

87) “You-you’re comparing me to her/(him)!”

88) “People die every damn day...why are you so hell bent on saving me?”

89) “You didn’t even read it did you?”

90) “Why can’t you do something right for just one minute?”

91) “You are not my mother/(father)....______ is!”

92) “Sometimes hope is all we have to hang onto.”

93) “I don’t think I can be alone with my thoughts right now.”

94) “I would gladly give my life....if it meant you could raise her/(him) normally.”

95) “Words only mean so much after the amount of horror I have been through.”

96) “You always smile like you’re about to cry.”

97) “Text me when you don’t have an attitude.”

98) “Be honest....how long has it been since you last slept?”

99) “Don’t be alarm...I’m just at the hospital.”

100) “Who the hell said I wanted to be your friend in the first place?”

101) “Do you want to explain to me why you’re in the dumpster, or should I just guess?”

102) “Kiss me or kill me, but make up your mind right now.”

103) “You’re not the person I thought you were.”

104) “No! I am not the person YOU wanted me to be.”

105) “Tea is the only reason I’m sane, but coffee is the only reason I’m awake.”

106) “My favorite line was when you told me that you love me.”

107) “I’m going to break your arm just like how you broke my heart.”

108) “How about this...we get to know each other before one of us says something stupid.”

109) “In her hand....EVERYTHING seems to become a weapon of sorts.”

110) “So....from the bottom of my cold...dead heart....Fuck. You.”

111) “I like me coffee as black and as bitter as my soul.”

112) “They are...once again...failing oh so beautifully.”

113) “Chocolate is something that you cannot tear away from my hands once I hold it.”

114) “So now you have a tattoo that wasn’t there yesterday?”

115) “One last kiss before we die?”

116) “You can get the kiss when we survive so move.”

117) “You can’t start stories with ‘When I died...’”

118) “You know car chases look way more fun on TV!”

119) “Somehow everyone stays alive....in the end.”

120) “I could easily ruin you.”

121) “Oh, I know.”

122) “I have never been happy at 4 am.”

123) “Having the same enemy doesn’t make us friends...FYI.”

124) “Who said anything about magic...this is pure science.”

125) “We need really cool code names!”

126) “We don’t need cool code names to pull this off.”

127) “Why do you ALWAYS insist on having a code name!!”

128) “What doesn’t kill you makes you far too reckless.”

129) “Who said I agreed to this so called truce?”

130) “You will be the death of me...just like I will be the death of you.”

131) ”It’s not like everything is going to go to hell on a Tuesday!”

132) “You’re not stupid. You’re simply uneducated.”

133) “I really wanna fight someone right now...”

134) “Why do you feel the need to solve everything with your damn fists.”

135) “I’d love to just mess up that perfect jawline of yours.”

136) “He/(She) is becoming awfully good at being judge, jury, and executioner.”

137) “We can’t go back. There’s nothing left for us there.”

138) “More often than not the past has to teach us a lesson in the present before we can go into the future.”

139) “These stains are impossible to hide and hard to explain.”

140) “Why would I accept your apology? You’ve never been sorry in your life.”

141) “We will become legends...one way or another.”

142) “Go on. I won’t stop you.”

143) “Stopping you is all I have left in life.”

144) “There’s nothing time can’t kill.”

145) “We don’t have much time....we have to stick this out.”

146) “I just want you to know I am so glad I met you.”

147) “It was both a daydream and a nightmare, but it depends on who you ask.”

148) “Aren’t you supposed to be in prison?”

149) “I have no idea what’s going on, but I love it.”

150) “Don’t look at me! It wasn’t MY fault.”

——————

And there it is. I hope that you guys like the prompt list and will send me requests. Thank you all for following me. Have a nice day, or night, or wherever you guys are! Remember that if there is a fandom that you like and it isn’t listed in the tags below....please reach out to me.