#i had to look up wedding announcement because ive only been to one formal wedding

[deathbypufferfish]

Congratulations to the happy couple! Mrs. and Mrs. Ume and Marinella Terzi!

[offtopicoverload]

What do you think the female lis’ families are like? I feel like only the guys talk about their families, with the exception being Talia talking about her parents and brother I don’t think any of the other girls do at all

hi anon thanks for the ask, hope my headcanons make sense

Talia:

pretty nuclear family, an older brother, her mum and her dad

her older brother’s maybe 4 years older or so, not enough that they never saw each other but enough that they didn’t really meet in school or anything

and that’s definitely why she meshes so well with the Jake even though they have like 6 years between them, shes used to the gap and hes really similar to her brother anyway, both goofy but sweet when they need to be

she definitely really close with her mother, i know its mentioned that they look just like each other, but i think that dialogues universal for the S1 LIs

and her mum owns a salon, right?

thats definitely why she takes such good care of her hair, her mother always did when she was little and encouraged it, complimenting her on it and styling it whenever she wanted

and she worked at the salon when she was a teenager and it was summer, working the front desk or cleaning up, sorting products, that sort of thing

its definitely a different story with her dad, hes pretty traditional and didnt take her coming out very well

it ruined things between them for a while and made it hard for her to visit, she only saw her brother at his place and her mother at the salon, but after LI, if shes with MC, he eases up a bit when he sees how happy they are

shes so open about her sexuality, especially on the show, because she doesn’t want any other kids to feel alone, she knows how much it sucked when she was a teenager

if she ends with MC, her mothers there at the finale and just showers MC in compliments and comments about wedding bells to mess with Talia

and her brother loves teaming up with MC and Jake to tease her 

the first time he met Jake, Talia thought they’d get married on the spot cuz they just meshed so well

her dads wary at first, but once its clear that MCs not going anywhere, maybe he catches them talking about him or something and just being vulnerable with each other, which is something Talia never was with him, he starts welcoming MC more, buys her flowers or something the next time they visit and annoys Talia because he didnt get any for her

Allegra:

ive been headcanoning for a while that she has a really big family and an awful relationship with them

her parents got divorced when she was little, maybe 3 or 4, they both remarried, her mom got divorced and remarried again, so she has a ton of half and step siblings, but no full

because there were so many kids in whatever household she was staying in at the time she kinda got lost in the crowd, which is why shes so desperate for attention on the show, she never got any when she was younger

and no matter what happens on the show, her parents dont call her or come to the finale, the only person that says anything is the one step sibling shes close with

they're about the same age, maybe 8 months to a year apart, and were glued to each others side when they were tweens

but they live really far apart and her step sister couldn’t make it to the finale, so they barely see each other which makes them drift apart a bit

if MC runs away with her after the reunion, she gushes to her step sister and they get closer again, to the point that her sister moves in with her for a job a year or two later, maybe right before quarantine if MC doesn’t so they don’t go insane

MC and her sister get on well and always call her Leggy just to watch her get mad, and they’re the only two people that can get her to calm down when shes pissed, her anger being another side effect of being ignored as a kid

the only way she got attention was if she threw a fit, and eventually that frustration just stuck around

but she gets better when she gets closer with her sister again and after the backlash from the show dies down, which it does pretty quickly when her and MC announce their relationship since she was the fan favourite

she never really introduces MC to her family, it just doesn’t make sense to her, but MC drags her along to a few weddings and holiday parties until Allegra’s dad introduces himself to her like its the first time four events in a row

she gives up after that, and Allegra’s perfectly fine with it, she’d rather keep their relationship between them anyway

Marisol

like Talia, she has the same family dynamic - an older brother and her parents

but her brothers only a year older and their relationship is a lot tenser

her dad always encouraged competition between them - if one got a good mark on an exam, the other was expected to match or do even better, if her brother got an award, Marisol was expected to get it a year later, that sort of thing

she doesn’t really talk with her brother outside of formal or family events, there’s still a lot of tension from their teenage years between them, but Marisol’s too proud to admit it, and her brother is too

and she’d never admit it, but the whole reason she’s in law school is because her father wanted her to, and she was just lucky that she enjoyed it

and again, like Talia, her dad didnt take her attempt at coming out well, he just flat out denied it, told her she’d meet a nice guy and settle down, that is what just a phase, all that shit

neither her mother or brother stuck up for her, which pissed her off a bit and just made things worse

her mother was never that involved in her life, never seemed that interested unless she was getting perfect marks and competing in dance competitions

and because she was so focused on her studies and work, she never had many friends and has honestly always seen them as a waste of time

its why she has no problem shitting on Lottie’s girl code, to her it just never made sense

so most of her friends end up being from the show and MCs friends if they’re together, and shes not big on family events, her immediate family isn’t either

but she is really close to her abuela on her mum’s side and an older cousin on her dad’s who’s gay and shes always related to 

she got really excited to introduce MC to them, and her abuela made a whole array of food for Marisol, MC,  and her abuelo and her abuela cooed over MC for ages

her cousin bought them drinks and made them tell him stories from the Villa, and afterwards pulled Marisol aside and told her he was proud and approved of MC and it made her really mushy and she hated it, MC wouldn’t let go that she cried in the cab for ages

her brother and her mother were never particularly rude to MC, but her father definitely was cold and distant and disrespectful

she got pretty pissed after that, telling MC off for ever encouraging to go and shouting about why that kind of thing was the exact reason she kept her distance

her and MC definitely has some issues after that for a while, and she shut her dad out until he gave a halfhearted apology, but her cousin and abuelos helped her feel better about her family situation

Elisa:

her parents aren’t together anymore and her mum had custody of her most of her life, even though she struggled to raise her and her sister

she didnt know her dad that well until she was a in her late teens, but regardless of all the lost time, they still have a good relationship

makeup and art was an escape when she was younger, and even when her mother was exhausted after working multiple shifts, she always encouraged her and helped her improve or just told her she loved it

her mum was her biggest supporter when she started the whole influencer thing, and her favourite thing to spend her money on is things for her family, like flowers for when she visits her mum or a new phone for her younger sister

they’re seven years apart, so she never had that close of a relationship with her when she was young, because what 13 year old wants to hang out with their annoying 6 year old sister

but once she got a bit older she started taking her to the movies and shopping to bond and encouraging her own art

her sister loves music, and even if she cant relate to it directly, she always does her best to support her

she even got kassam to make her sister a mixtape after the show and give some tips on mixing, and if MCs a musician she always asks her to give her sister lessons or something

introducing MC to her whole family all at once was one of her favourite things to do, she took them all to dinner and bought MC a dress and everything

her parents loved MC and laughed at all her jokes, and MC nearly joked on her salad at a story her dad was telling 

and even though her sister was pretty quiet, she told Elisa how much she liked her afterwards

they all start a family game night that is Elisa’s favourite thing to post about all week, and even though her parents haven’t been together since she was 7 or so, they still get on well and now that her dad’s more comfortable being there even though he’s not with her mum, hes more involved in her sisters life

her job and her Elisabees are crazy important to her, but she’d drop all of it for her family, even if she doesn’t seem super sappy

Lottie

shes an only child for sure, but with a few cousins shes decently close with

her relationship with her parents isn’t perfect by any means, but she still gets on with them

they encouraged her art even if they made some odd comments about her being alt that rubbed her the wrong way, but they mean well

there was a couple years where Lottie thought they’d get divorced, because they were arguing about finances cuz her mum went back to school and they lost her income, but when she started working as a nurse they were able to get back on track

her dad’s a bloke and loves sports and cars and all that, but hes also big in horror movies and is the one that introduced her to it

her mum hated all the gore, but her dad would let her watch it with him when she was out of the house

she always goes home for Christmas no matter where shes living, but has her own traditions for New Years and Easter

her aunt and uncle always host a big dinner and her dad drives two hours to get there, and she always spends the drive listening to new music and planning new makeup looks to test out

she has a ton of cousins because each of her parents has 4 siblings, but their ages are all so spread out that shes only close with a few of them and swaps stories from the year with three of them

they all lost their shit over MC when she brought her to their Christmas Eve dinner, hugging her way too much in Lottie’s opinion and telling her as many embarrassing stories as they could think of

her mum spent the car ride there trying to connect with MC, and they actually got on pretty well, but her dad seemed to click with MC even more for whatever reason, giving her a beer when they got back to Lottie’s parent’s house and turning on Lottie’s favourite slasher film for background noise while they talked

her dad made MC swear that she’d come back next year, that they weren’t allowed to trade between MC’s family for Christmas and Lottie’s, and MC agreed with a laugh as Lottie’s head was in her lap, watching the movie

Hannah:

she has a huge traditional family

three older brothers, two older sisters, and a younger brother

she grew up in the country and her mother had horses that she always loved to spend time with cuz i love her but she was 100% a horse girl

her parents never had any problems, were always happy and sappy and that was the only type of relationship she saw growing up, so before Love Island she didn’t really understand that relationships could be bad and how to deal with that

two of her older brothers and both of her sisters are married, her brothers and one sister have kids, again super traditional and happy, which only further reinforced these fairy tale ideals she has

she loves her nieces and nephews, but never felt like an aunt, more of an older cousin for whatever reason

her oldest sibling is her brother, they’re 13 years apart and he has four kids already, hes been married since 21

her oldest sister got married the oldest at 25, and shes always been worried she won’t match up to them, which was a huge motivator to go on Love Island

shes closest with her middle sister, who’s 23 with no kids, but she still has a nice house in the suburbs with a big yard, still crazy nuclear

her whole life has been spent around this type of tradition, and it was really hard for her to break out of it after Love Island

Hannah’s youngest brother is still only 15, and hes a bit of a black sheep - hes alt and dyes his hair and draws tattoos on his arms during school, and she was never close with him before Love Island, but after she comes out as some kind of queer, he comes out as gay and nonbinary(he/they) and they get really close for once

he gets in a fight with their parents when they’re 17, and he runs to Hannah’s place, driving multiple hours to get there and moves in with her after a few weeks

they stay with her until they graduate uni with a degree in education, getting a job at a school and telling all their students that his sister was on Love Island and her girlfriend’s really cool

MC and him are her biggest encouragement to break from the mold her family set, both so her relationship can thrive and to be a good role model for her younger sibling

she struggles with fitting in with her stereotypical family and siblings that all have multiple kids and nice houses, but she still loves her little mishmash of MC, her sibling, and the constant friends that cycle through their flat - Lottie, Priya, Chelsea, Gary sometimes even, Ibrahim once or twice as hes on a golf tour

Lottie loves her sibling and sometimes does makeup for them, and Chelsea always shows up unexpected to hang out with MC and redecorate their house but Hannah hates it because she likes all the memories her clutter has, even if MC calls her a hoarder sometimes

she had so many hand me downs growing up that now she has her own place, she loves filling it with things that are for her and MC and only them and has a really hard time letting go of things, always reasoning that they might give her inspiration to write or something

AJ:

shes an only child too, which made her dad treat her as much like as son as he could

her parents struggled to conceive, so once they used IVF to have her they didnt want to go through it again

her dad was super excited when she was interested in sports and is her biggest fan, always showing up to every single game and driving her to practices before she moved out, though she still doesn’t have a car cuz she hates driving, its too much pressure

her dad would watch games with her and coach her during off seasons, her uncles a football coach and used to get them tickets when he could, sometimes letting her train with his team when she was a teenager

her mum didnt like how hard she pushed herself, but was still supportive of how much she loved it 

her mums a mathematician and always helped her with her homework because she awful at maths, while her dad would try and teach her history or edit papers until her mum had to step in and correct him

when she came out as bi and later gay, they didnt even bat an eye, her mum making her pride color cupcakes and her dad maybe even being excited that he could point out cheerleaders when they were watching games

her mum didn’t quite understand when she wanted to go on Love Island, but her dad thought it’d be a laugh and further enforced her “just have fun” attitude

but her parents are both crazy happy when she wins with MC, making a banner when AJ first brings her home

she thought her dad would crush MC when he started hugging her, and her mum made an entire cake, biscuits, cinnamon rolls, and more sweets that she made them take home

her parents always make her and MC come over for dinner on Sundays and she started noticing the extra effort they always went to - her dad actually dressing nice, the house was super clean, the dog always had recently been given a bath

even though she knew her parents supported her, seeing all that really calmed her nerves about bringing home a girl, and made her coming out as a gay a lot easier

MC and her alternate between their family’s for holidays, and her parents each invite their brother and their families every time, and after their third holiday at her parents, they bought her and MC a dog

her and MC definitely have a pretty traditional family life, married after a few years with a nice house, going as far as to adopt a kid or two when AJ stops playing professionally, her parents always closely involved with their grandkids

Disclaimer - I don’t know if Yasmin or Lily make mentions of their family, so I’m just going with what I think

Yasmin:

her mother passed when she was 12, and her and her younger sister were raised by her dad

he wasn’t always the best dad, sometimes he struggled to make time for them with work, or sometimes he struggled to connect with them, but it was never anything too bad

she was always super close to her sister and parented her as she was growing up since they have a 9 year difference between them

her sisters her biggest fan and always makes her send demos and work in progresses so she can listen to them on repeat, and whenever Yasmin writes a song specifically for her she loses her mind

all her friends love Yasmin’s solo music and Enchanted Husband and she brags nonstop

Yasmin figured out she liked girls pretty young, around 10 or so, but only came out when she was 17. she didnt want her sister to ever feel alone or isolated if she ended up being queer too, so she tried to always be open about who she was

her dad sat her down when she bought a pride flag and had her explain everything to him step by step, and he gave her some space for a few days, but then he offered to take her to pride when it came around 

he doesn’t talk about it with her much, and she knows he doesn’t fully understand, but he offers his support whenever he thinks she needs it

her sister absolutely fangirled over MC the first time she met her, hugging her and not letting go until Yasmin nearly pulled her off MC

her dad hugged her too but was far more reserved, hes quieter like her, and tends to keep his distance, whereas her sister has no problem shrieking and making a scene in a train station

later that night her dad pulls her aside and tells her he likes MC and thinks shes a good fit, and her sister has no problem saying how cool MC is, even when shes in the room

her sister and her dad always ask for tickets when shes touring nearby, and MC always offers to take them to dinner before the show, and the three of them get on better than Yasmin expected

she thought her dad might be too distant or her sister too excitable, but even if she’d never say anything, seeing them all get on makes things easier

when her sister gets older and moves out, their dad moves closer to Yasmin, even though he never says exactly why, and there’s a few years where her sister and her are both to busy to meet up, but MC makes them hang out together and then get dinner with their dad when their all in town

MC tends to be her reminder to slow down, and after that dinner she cancels the rest of her tour and takes a two year break in which her sister starts spending weekends at Yas and MCs, their dad visiting often too

Lily:

she has three full brothers and shes the only girl, her parents are divorced and her dad remarried while her mother stayed single

she has a step sister from her dad’s remarriage, but they dont have much in common and didnt grow up together, her parents only split when she was 15

two of her brothers are older than her and her oldest is the one shes closest with, with a gap of 7 years between them

hes an engineer and into cars too, he helped her fix up her first car and helped her pay for college

her youngest brother is only a year below her, but they were never close, he was never that interested in playing in the mud when they were kids

hes an art and english double major and still lives with their dad, hes closer with their step sister than Lily, but there’s no bad blood or anything

her other brother is a middle ground, three years older than her

he’s an accountant and used to drive her around before she could herself, they bonded over a few small mutual interests like a tv show they would binge together and just staring a space together since they shared a room, her younger brother and step sister across the hall

her dad wasn’t crazy active in her life and she doesn’t know her step mother, but her mum worked from home when she was younger and had custody on weekends

she babied her younger brother and always scolded Lily for being a tomboy and it bothered her a lot when she was little, until her older brother started encouraging it

her brothers all love MC, even her youngest, and they all try and bond with her in a different way

sometimes Lily goes home just to find a note that one of her brothers took MC to a movie or dinner or somewhere else, and she wants to be annoyed with them for it, but she likes the validation

she never officially came out, so none of them saying anything or criticizing her is really comforting, knowing that something so trivial doesn’t matter

her mum was a little shocked by the show and MC, but she tries to be polite and eventually comes around, inviting MC to go shopping to bond

her dad has no problem, her step mother being a little confused but not concerned, and her step sister doesn’t care, just nods at MC the first time she meets her

Lily tends to keep her distance from her family, especially when her older brothers find partners and start families, but is fine going to events, sometimes its nice to see her brothers and catch up

[jiminfms]

         *  hi  ,  my  name’s  tee  and  this  ain’t  a  waist  trainer  bitch  ,  this  a  back  brace  i  got  scoliosis  .  𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨  ,  𝐢𝐭'𝐬  ��𝐨𝐮𝐫  𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫  𝐤𝐫𝐢𝐬   ( finally  )  !  i  prefer  either  feminine  or  non - binary  pronouns  ,  and  i  reside  in  the  est  time  zone !  it  has  taken  me  so  long  to  formally  write  and  i  highkey  hate  it  because  i  lost  muse  for  my  queen  miss  giavanna  ,  so  i  decided  to  bring  another  muse  instead  of  leaving  because  honestly  ...  i  love  ya’ll  🥺 .  the  way  i  love  miss  jennie  kim  is  more  than  i  wanna  admit  ,  so  let  me  introduce  you  guys  to  the  tiny  ball  of  aggression  that  is  jimin  jung !

          omg  !  i  was  walking  yonge  street  downtown  ,  and  you’ll  never  guess  who  i  saw  .  jimin  jung  !  i  just  saw  a  post  about  them  on  sixsecrets ! i  think  it  said  something  like  ' jimin  jung  physically  restrained  by  security  guards  following  a  verbal  argument  with  fellow  customer  at  drake  one  fifty ! ' .  isn’t  that  wild  ?  i  guess  it  makes  sense  though  ,  since  they’re  apparently  antagonistic  and  bellicose  .  but  i’ve  heard  they’re  also  sultry  and  voguish  ! i’ll  just  stick  to  giving  them  the  benefit  of  the  doubt  .  i  mean  ,  it’s  not  like  i  know  them  personally  —  they’re  a  famous  singer  /  songwriter  and  model  ! you  know  ,  i’ve  actually  heard  rumors  that  redacted  ,  but  they’re  just  rumors  …  i  think  .  i  dunno  .  if  you  happen  to  run  into  them  ,  tell  them  i’m  their  biggest  fan !

FULL  NAME  :  jung  jimin  .

NICKNAME(S) :  n/a  .

AGE  +  DATE  OF  BIRTH :  24  +  june  10th  ,  1996  .

ASTROLOGICAL  SIGN  :  gemini  .

MEYERS - BRIGGS  PERSONALITY  TYPE :  entj  .

MORAL  ALIGNMENT :  chaotic  neutral  .

GENDER  +  PRONOUNS  :  cis  female  +  she / her / hers  .

SEXUAL  ORIENTATION :  bisexual  .

ROMANTIC  ORIENTATION :  biromantic  .

PLACE  OF  BIRTH :  kensington  ,  london  ,  england  .

PLACE  OF  RESIDENCE  :  toronto  ,  ontario  ,  canada ( specifically  ,  in  the  neighborhood  of  forest  hill ) .

OCCUPATION  :  singer  /  songwriter  and  model  .

VOICECLAIM  :  dua  lipa  .

NATIONALITY  :  british  -  korean  .

ETHNICITY  :  korean  .

LANGUAGES  SPOKEN  :  english  ,  korean  ,  and  japanese  .

i.  prosopography  .

            jimin’s  story  begins  with  the  fateful  meeting  of  her  parents  ,  kim  seo - yeon  and  jung  do - young  ,  on  a  cold  winter’s  day  .  they  found  themselves  at  the  tender  ages  of  20  and  22  ,  attending  a  boring  christmas  gala  with  their  parents  when  they  would  have  preferred  to  do  anything  else  in  the  world  .  seo - yeon  was  a  women  who  knew  what  she  wanted  the  moment  her  eyes  landed  upon  it  ,  so  when  she  made  brief  eye  contact  with  do - young  ,  she  purposefully  spilled  a  glass  of  champagne  onto  his  expensive  tom  ford  suit  and  made  a  big  deal  of  it  .  this  sparked  their  whirlwind  romance  ,  and  six  months  later  they  found  themselves  announcing  their  engagement  to  korean  media  outlets  .

           despite  how  quickly  they  were  engaged  ,  their  parents  saw  this  as  mutually  beneficial  .  seo - yeon  is  the  youngest  daughter  of  the  wealthy  kim  family  ,  owners  of  the  kq  group  conglomerate  that  was  worth  billions  in  its  own  right  .  do - young  was  the  only  child  of  his  parents  ,  and  came  from  park  family  lineage  where  their  hotels  and  resorts  were  the  cause  of  their  fortune  .  the  families  were  soon  to  be  one  ,  and  the  couple  was  the  chaebol  heirs  that  others  envied  .  following  their  lavish  wedding  ,  seo - yeon  and  do - young  decided  that  they  were  going  to  head  off  to  london  to  make  a  life  for  themselves  .  so  ,  they  transferred  to  oxford  university  ,  finished  their  schooling  ,  and  shortly  after  seo - yeon’s  graduation  from  the  financial  economics  program  ,  the  couple  discovered  that  they  were  expecting  .

          it  was  a  sticky  summer  day  when  seo - yeon  unexpectedly  gave  birth  to  their  daughter  ,  who  decided  not  to  allow  her  parents  time  to  get  to  the  hospital  .  jimin  was  born  in  the  bathtub  of  her  parents’  luxury  bathroom  ,  and  right  into  the  arms  of  her  slightly  panicked  but  overjoyed  father  .  from  the  time  that  she  was  a  toddler  ,  araminta  was  a  very  precocious  child  ,  picking  up  on  skills  quite  quickly  and  speaking  in  few  short  sentences  by  the  time  she  was  eleven  months  old  .  as  she  grew  older  ,  jimin’s  parents  remained  hands  on  despite  their  busy  schedules  ,  and  decided  that  they  would  see  what  their  daughter  would  have  the  most  interest  in  .  when  she  was  four  ,  her  parents  began  piano  lessons  ,  and  it  was  evident  that  she  had  a  natural  gift  for  the  instrument  .

            life  for  jimin  had  always  been  comfortable  ,  but  she  didn’t  want  to  take  the  usual  route  ,  or  what  was  expected  of  her  .  she  had  always  been  interested  in  music  ,  so  she  she  originally  started  with  taking  dance  classes  .  she  trained  in  all  forms  of  dance  in  order  to  be  well  rounded  ,  and  she  initially  had  dreams  of  becoming  a  backup  dancer  ,  but  when  she  was  playing  around  and  decided  to  make  a  video  singing  a  song  that  she  had  written  all  on  her  own  ,  jimin  became  an  overnight  sensation  .  her  song  ,  hotter  than  hell  ,  blew  up  almost  instantly  and  she  was  signed  to  warner  music  group  .  

            i’ve  written  enough  VCJNXVBHCV  but  her  career  has  followed  the  timeline  of  dua’s  ,  although  it’s  slightly  off  by  maybe  the  month  or  the  year  .   she  has  won  a  total  of  forty - two  awards  in  her  career  ,  including  two  grammy  awards  and  three  brit  awards  .  although  miss  dua  got  a  lil  clowned  for  her  dancing  at  one  point  ,  i  must  say  that  jimin  is  quite  the  performer  ,  and  definitely  makes  use  of  the  stages  by  recreating  music  videos  or  simply  giving  the  audience  an  experience  .  she  has  not  released  future  nostalgia  as  of  yet  ,  but  it’s  what  she’s  currently  working  towards  !  through  her  career  ,  she  is  known  by  her  mononym  jimin  !

ii.  temperament  .

jimin  is  a  real  bitch  ,  but  she  doesn’t  go  out  of  her  way  to  ‘  out  bitch  ’  someone  because  she  finds  it  to  be  kinda  dumb  .  she’s  primarily  looking  to  have  fun  ,  and  no  one  is  about  to  be  bitchy  around  her  without  getting  snatched  up  .

she  parties  like  she  just  turned  twenty - one  and  dares  someone  to  say  something  about  it  !  invite  her  to  the  club  and  she’s  coming  without  a  second  thought  .  she’s  the  friend  who  will  make  plans  and  will  get  a  little  sad  when  people  cancel  on  her  ,  but  she’s  still  going  to  find  a  way  to  enjoy  herself  .

does  not  take  authority  seriously  and  she  can  be  seen  making  a  jerking  off  motion  whenever  someone  kisses  up  to  those  of  authority  .  talks  shit  ,  but  backs  it  up  because  if  you’re  bold  enough  to  talk  shit  you  might  get  hit  ,  right  ?  

she’s  a  sultry  bitch  and  she  loves  it  .  give  her  the  chance  and  she’ll  flirt  with  a  tree  ,  she’ll  flirt  with  a  plant  ,  and  she  might  flirt  with  your  significant  other  .  she  can  get  kinda  lewd  and  will  say  something  really  off - beat  ,  and  honestly  shut  her  up  if  you  do  .

the  epitome  of  a  gen - z  /  millennial  line  straddler  as  she  can’t  walk  past  a  mirror  without  taking  pictures  of  herself  .  sickeningly  vain  as  she  takes  pictures  at  any  chance  she  can  like  after  getting  her  hair  and  makeup  done  or  even  when  she’s  out  and  about  shopping  .    

iii. headcanons  .

jimin  is  quite  chaotic  and  she  does  not  hold  back  from  it !  she’s  a  pot  stirrer  ,  and  she’ll  watch  everything  unfold  as  if  she  wasn’t  the  one  to  start  the  problems  in  the  first  place  .  not  afraid  to  spread  a  rumor  or  putting  a  trolling  instagram  comment  on  one  of  her  posts  on  blast .  she  likes  to  be  petty  ,  but  she  can  back  it  up  ( but  it’s  NOT  fat  enough  😔 )  .  

her  style  is  vastly  different  than  what’s  expected  .  on  stage  ,  i  would  think  her  style  is  something  akin  to  kpop  stage  outfits  ,  but  not  necessarily  as  tame  .  she’s  not  afraid  to  show  skin  so  there’s  a  lot  of  embellished  leotards  and  heels  ,  dramatic  eye  makeup  and  perfectly  styled  hair  .  off  stage  ,  she  likes  a  relaxed  but  high - end  style  .  lots  of  denim  ,  lots  of  black  ,  loves  oversized  pieces  ,  but  she  loves  to  follow  trends  where  she  can  .

loves  to  yoga  ,  pilates  ,  and  anything  else  that  doesn’t  involve  having  to  go  to  an  actual  gym  .  she  especially love aerial  yoga  as  it  keeps  her  flexible  as  a  dancer  .

miss  jennie  didn’t  let  us  enjoy  it  long  enough  ,  but  jimin’s  hair  is  canon  to  jennie’s  blonde  pieces  ! she’ll  switch  up  the  color  every  so  often  with  temporary  dyes  ,  but  other  than  that  ,  it’s  usually  always  blonde  !

she  doesn’t  drink  st*rbucks  so  don’t  ask  her  to  go  ,  and  she  especially  doesn’t  go  because  she  likes  very  simple  coffee  drinks  .

iv.  wanted  connections  .

give  me  everything  ,  please  !  i’d  love  some  of  the  basics  like  former  friends  ,  best  friends  ,  industry  rivals  ,  friends  with  benefits  ,  confidant(s)  ,  frenemies  ,  good / bad  influences  ,  one  night  stand(s)  ,  enemies  with  benefits  ,  or  a  current  or  ex  fling  !

because  i  love  my  women  loving  women  ,  hand  over  the  ex  girlfriend  !  in  my  head  i’m  thinking  that  they  were  a  really  happy  couple  and  they  were  really  good  to  one  another  ,  but  they  drifted  apart  .  they  remain  good  friends  and  people  probably  think  there’s  still  feelings  because  they  can  be  rather  touchy  feely  with  one  another  (  👀 )  .

ifykyk  ....  but  i  love  angst  !  i  love  to  have  my  heart  ripped  right  out  of  my  chest  so  give  me  angst  in  any  form  :  angsty  friends ,  exes  ,  anything  !  

a  couple  who  are  stuck  in  a  limbo  !  they  have  yet  to  make  it  past  the  point  of  friends  ,   wondering  if  they’re  just  a  hookup  to  one  another  would  there  could  potentially  be  more  .  they  probably  fight  a  lot  because  of  those  underlying  feelings  ,  but  it  could  be  interesting  to  explore  either  way  !

give  me  enemies  !  and  not  for  fake  but  two  people  who  genuinely  dislike  one  another  .  it’s  not  surprising  for  jimin  to  not  get  along  with  a  lot  of  people  considering  the  fact  that  she’s  not  ...  the  nicest  ,  and  i’m  not  entirely  sure  as  to  why  they’d  dislike  each  other  ,  but  it  could  be  so  much  thank  u  KFJDFDS  .

give  me  the  heartbreak  that  still  lingers  i  will  sell  you  my  SOUL  .  maybe  their  relationship  was  good  ,  or  it  was  a  mess  KNFJD  ,  but  but  when  they  broke  up  they  haven’t  fully  gotten  over  it  yet  ?  probably  a  lot  of  lingering  looks  ,  and  giving  compliments  but  they’re  kinda  awkward  because  they  don’t  know  how  to  approach  each  other  sometimes  .

[rpf-bat]

The Hardest Part Of This Is Leaving You

Pairing: Gerard Way x Reader

Genre: Angst, Drama

Summary: Gerard should be playing a sold-out show. Instead, he’s in a hospital bed, fighting liver cancer. Can the doctors grant him a miracle? Or, is this the end?

“We need to have this conversation,” Gerard insisted, crossing his frail arms, as he sat on his hospital bed. 

“No, we don’t,” you frowned. “The procedure is gonna be a success. The doctors are gonna cure you.”

“Honey, it’s already stage three,” Gerard confessed realistically. “You know if it progresses to stage four, I’m a goner.” 

“We flew across the country, to this hospital, so that it won’t progress to stage four,” you insisted. “I want to believe that the surgery will be a success.” 

“You can hope for the best,” Gerard sighed, rubbing his hand through what was left of his short, blonde hair, “but you have to be ready for the worst, too.” 

“I’m not ready for it,” you admitted, tears choking your voice. “I hate seeing you so emaciated, in such pain, and not being able to do a thing about it.”

“It’s not your fault,” Gerard soothed, getting up from the cot to gather you in his arms. “Cancer can affect anyone. Nobody knows why it chooses its victims.” 

“Gee, you need to get back in bed,” you insisted. You couldn’t have him falling again. “I should be the one consoling you, when you’re going through all this shit, not the other way around.” 

He slumped back onto his pillows, frowning. You remembered how he used to look in the morning, his long locks strewn out on your bed behind him as he was just waking up. He looked so gorgeous then. You remembered the horror you had felt, the first time one of those handsome strands had fallen out. And then he’d begun to lose them in clumps….

“I hate you seeing me like this,” he said softly. “I’m weak, and ugly now. I’m not the man you fell in love with.” 

“Yes, you are, Gee,” you assured him, taking his too-thin hand in your own. “I promised to stay with you in sickness or health, and I meant that.” 

“We could’ve had a nicer ceremony, if we weren’t in such a rush, because of me,” Gerard sighed. “I wish you could’ve had a big church wedding, like in the movies. You deserve that.”

Instead, you’d just gone down to the courthouse one afternoon, and signed a marriage certificate. There had been little formality to it. 

“You said you wanted to make me your wife, before the end came,” you reminded. “I could never refuse you your dying wish.”

“So you do, in fact, acknowledge that I’m dying,” your husband said, with a wry smile. 

“Maybe the doctors will give us a miracle,” you insisted hopefully. “And we can do the big ceremony, with the white dress and all that, later, once you’re feeling healthy again.” 

“I’m never going to be healthy again, sugar,” Gerard mumbled. “The sooner you accept it, the easier it’s gonna be.” 

How could you possibly accept it? Gerard was still so young. Only twenty-nine years old. He’d just recorded perhaps the greatest album of his career. 

The papers were already saying things like, he will leave behind this record, as his legacy. But, you thought he still had so many songs in him left to write. He deserved a chance to compose them, didn’t he? 

You couldn’t forget how he’d cried, when he’d had to make the announcement, that he was cancelling the rest of the tour. He didn’t want to disappoint his fans, but his condition was just deteriorating far too fast. 

His bandmates had cried, too. They knew that that last show, might be the last chance they ever had to perform by his side. They weren’t ready for the band to come to such an abrupt end. They’d played their hearts out, even with tears streaming down their cheeks. 

“You’re gonna get better,” you said stubbornly. “Then, you can reschedule those tour dates, go back to doing what you love.” 

“Y/N, please be realistic,” Gerard pleaded, squeezing your hand tighter. “Just….read it, won’t you?”

“No,” you sobbed. “No, I don’t want to read your will.”

“I spent all this time writing it,” Gerard sighed. “I put a lot of thought into it.” 

“I don’t want you thinking about who gets your stuff when you’re gone,” you cried. “I don’t want you giving up - I want to hear you say that you’re determined to live!” 

“You think I don’t want to live?!” Gerard demanded. “You think I don’t wish every day, that I could have more days, more nights, with you? You think I don’t regret spending months away, with the band, when I should have spent every single day in your arms? I wanted to be with you until your dying day. I wanted us to grow old together. And I hate the thought of you having to bury me so soon. But it’s not up to me! I only have as many days,  as God is willing to give me on this earth.” 

“God is a bastard,” you hissed, “for stealing you away from me. From all the kids who need you, too. If He’s even up there at all.” 

“Now’s not the time to go dissing the man,” Gerard chuckled mirthlessly. “If this surgery doesn’t do what you’re hoping it will do, getting on your knees to pray, will be the only option you have left.” 

You couldn’t hold back your tears. You reached over and just held him tight, squeezing him until you worried it might hurt his fragile body. But, he didn’t pull away. 

“I don’t want to let you go, Y/N,” Gerard whispered desperately. “Not now. Not ever.” 

You clung ever tighter, stroking his back gently, hating how you could so easily feel his bones. 

“I don’t wanna leave you,” Gerard confessed vulnerably. “I don’t wanna go yet.” 

You didn’t know what to say. You just kept hugging him, and crying. He was right - at the end of the day, what he wanted, might not make a difference at all. 

At last, he raised his head to look at you. “If the end comes for me, my love…” 

“Yes?” 

“You don’t wanna read it, fine, I’ll summarize it for ya,” Gerard said bitterly. “I’m leaving you everything that I got. All the money I’ve earned off CD sales, ticket sales, merch sales….all that shit’s gonna be yours. Do whatever you want with it. Buy a mansion. Buy a car. Take a vacation to Aruba, to try and forget about me.” 

“As if I could ever forget you, Gee,” you replied, shocked by the harsh tone that had suddenly entered his voice. “You’re the love of my life, don’t you know that? You’re the only one for me.” 

“Don’t say that, Y/N,” Gerard warned. “I don’t want you to spend the rest of your life just...mourning me, as my widow. You deserve to be happy, even if it’s not with me. Someday, I hope you’ll be able to find somebody else.” 

“I don’t want anybody else,” you vowed. “I want you, Gee. And I don’t give a fuck about the money. I don’t care if I live in a cardboard box, as long as you’re living there with me.” 

“I don’t think I’m going to be doing much living, sugar,” Gerard sighed hopelessly. “With you, or without you.” 

You heard the sound of someone clearing their throat, and jumped off the hospital bed in surprise, as a nurse entered the room. 

“Mr. Way,” she said softly. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but we’re ready to take you into surgery now.” 

You watched her wheel the gurney out of the room, towards the OR. You saw the defeated look in his eyes as he left your side, regardless of what he’d just said a few minutes ago. 

Now, all you could do was wait. You knew it might be hours before the procedure was complete. The doctors would call you when it was over, to give you the good news, or bad news. You had no way of knowing which it would be. 

You began to wander the hospital corridors aimlessly, until you came upon a small, empty chapel. You knelt down in a pew, unsure what else to do. 

Please let the doctors save him, you begged, even though you weren’t sure if anyone was listening. 

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

“Mrs. Way?” a soft voice asked, as you felt a tap on your shoulder. It took you a second to realize the nurse was speaking to you - it had only been a short time ago, that you’d taken Gerard’s name. 

“Your husband just came out of surgery,” she explained. “He’s in room 1023. The anesthesia should be wearing off. He should be waking up soon.” 

You didn’t wait to hear any more. You rushed to Gerard’s side. 

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

You stroked his hair as you watched him sleep. He looked like an angel. 

“Hey, beautiful,” he mumbled, a smile spreading across his face, as he stirred at your touch. You still thought he was beautiful, too, even with the breathing tubes stuck up his nose. 

“How are you feeling?” you asked gently. 

“I’m on a lot of painkillers right now,” Gerard chuckled. “So right now, I’m not feeling very much at all.” 

“The area we operated on, may hurt quite a bit later, unfortunately,” said a somber voice, and you turned to see a doctor with a clipboard, standing at the entrance to the room. 

Gerard pulled up his hospital gown, to gaze down at the bandage that now covered most of his abdomen. 

“We’re fortunate,” the doctor went on, “that a combination of aggressive chemotherapy, and trans-arterial embolization, gave us enough time to find you a donor.” 

“I know I only got moved to the top of the transplant waiting list, because I’m a celebrity,” Gerard said guiltily. “There are other people who need new organs just as much as me, who just can’t afford to be treated at the best hospitals in the country, like I can.” 

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Mr. Way,” the doctor cautioned. “There’s still a chance that your body could reject your new liver.” 

“What happens if it does?” you asked, grabbing hold of Gerard’s hand again. What if you came all this way for nothing? 

“If the cancer has metastasized to too great a degree, then, unfortunately, the transplant may prove ineffective,” the doctor acknowledged. 

“And then I’ll die,” Gerard realized somberly. 

“Yes, Mr. Way,” the doctor nodded sadly. “We will, of course, be administering cyclosporine to you via IV, to reduce the chances of transplant rejection. But, if you develop a fever, or if you begin to experience severe abdominal swelling, you should alert us immediately.” 

“Because the organ you just gave me, could turn traitor and kill me, too,” Gerard huffed. “Just as easily as the disease that you’re trying to cure.” 

“Cancer is one of the most difficult diseases in this world to treat, Mr. Way,” the doctor sighed. “But, we will hope for the best.” 

Hope for the best, but be ready for the worst. 

You were so sick of hearing this. You just wanted to know if the man you loved would be okay, or not! 

The doctor excused himself, and Gerard tugged on your hand as soon as you were alone, sending you tumbling into his hospital bed. 

“Careful!” you cautioned. “You don’t want to pop a stitch!”

“I just….need you in my arms right now,” Gerard said passionately. “I’m scared, Y/N.”

You complied with his request, embracing him gently. You wanted to hold him tighter, but you didn’t want to hurt him. 

“I’m scared, too,” you said softly. “We still don’t know how this is gonna end up….if you’re going to go into remission, or not.” 

“But, for tonight, I’m alive,” Gerard smiled, and wiped a tear from your lashes. “I know any moment could be my last….but I’m so happy that in this moment, my heart is still beating, and you are here, by my side.”

“There’s nowhere in this world,” you promised, “that I would rather be.” 

“Kiss me now,” Gerard begged. “And one day, if I live through this, if my body can take it, just ravish me.” 

“You know I will,” you smiled softly, and bent, and placed your lips on his. Nothing was certain tonight  - except for the love that you shared together. But, even if Gerard saw it as a foregone conclusion, you weren’t ready to give up on him just yet.

A/N: This story may be fictional, but for many people, the pain of watching a loved one go through cancer, and it’s treatment, is all too real. If you are able, please consider donating to Be The Match, an organization that helps match leukemia patients with bone marrow donors. 

https://bethematch.org/support-the-cause/donate-financially/

If you are 18+ and in good health, you can also register as an organ donor, if you wish, through Donate Life.

https://www.donatelife.net/

[hellospunkiebrewster]

Dysphoria - Part VII of Duty

Author’s note: As always, thank you, thank you, thank you for reading. You all inspire and excite me. I hope you all enjoy, I am up entirely too late because I couldn’t sleep with this worming inside of me. If you’re new here:

Part I: Déjà Vu - Part II: Hopelessly Cold - Part III: Bitterness - Part IV: Rage - Part V: Promises - Part VI: Oath

These characters aren’t mine, I’m borrowing them for a bit. Thanks Pixelberry. Portions of my ceremony were adapted from the coronation of a King or Queen in the U.K.

Summary: On the day of Ellie’s ceremonial coronation, Riley struggles with the expectations placed on herself and her daughter. She finds solace in an interesting place.

Word count: 3124

Tags: @queencatherynerhys, @theroyalweisme, @mfackenthal, @crayziimaginations, @boneandfur, @hopefulmoonobject, @lizeboredom, @pbchoicesobsessed, @madaraism

After their return to the palace, days turned into weeks and weeks into months as the chaos and bustle of their lives returned. Riley longed for the days spent in Valtoria, taking a hike, playing a game, baking cookies, and fishing. The time away was much needed, but entirely too short. She found herself dreaming of being on that dock once more, her only worry whether or not Ellie was enjoying herself in the quiet. If she closed her eyes, she could almost see the way the sun reflected off the lake. She could almost feel it warming her skin in the crisp mountain air.

Riley allows herself a short moment of this in the middle of the throne room. Her eyes close and she’s suddenly surrounded by the stillness and silence of a couple months before. It isn’t the sort of quiet and stillness that’s unsettling, it’s comforting and relaxing.

A light elbow to her ribs breaks her from it. She glances sideways to Bertrand, clad in his formal wear, a medal hangs around his neck from a ribbon. Riley returns her gaze forward and watches as Liam’s large, heavy crown is lowered onto Eleanor’s tiny head. Her neck bobbles slightly but she quickly rights herself. She stares ahead of herself, directly through the ceremony officiant who has yet to step back from her as he helps adjust her cape and hands her a scepter. Eleanor’s eyes are wide and nervous, shifting momentarily to her mother, out of reach at the front of the audience.

The bishop steps back from Eleanor but remains facing her.

“Be strong and of a good courage, Eleanor Charlotte Rhys, stand firm, and hold fast from henceforth.”

This was the cue for the regents to step forward and pledge their loyalty and counsel to her. Riley leads the committee of regents to the step below Eleanor, where they kneel. Riley looks up at her daughter and throws her a proud smile before launching into the pledge alongside the other regents.

“I do become your liege of life and limb. Faith and truth will I bear unto you, to live and die, against all manner of folks.”

The committee rises and a group and moves to return to their places in the audience. Riley takes a moment to reach out for Ellie’s free hand, catching her from her anxious daze. Eleanor takes a deep breath and smiles at her mother before looking again at the bishop, who is waiting for Riley to return to her spot by the other regents. She bows her head and steps away from the throne.

The bishop leads the rest of the room full of nobles through their pledges before announcing Eleanor to the room. Riley claps along with everyone else, but watches her daughter’s expression, sad and distant from the pomp around her.

Eleanor is helped from the throne by the bishop who follows her as she exits the throne room to the Great Hall where there will be a small reception before the larger Coronation Ball that night. Riley follows closely behind the bishop and shuffles quickly around him once they are out of sight of the other nobility to help her daughter.

“Ellie, sweetheart, you did amazing.”

“Can I take this off now? It’s heavy,” she whines.

“Absolutely, and let’s go see if we can find some of those chocolate cupcakes we ordered special for you.” Riley helps lift the crown from Ellie’s head and feels it’s true weight again. It was rare Liam used this ceremonial crown so she hadn’t gotten the opportunity to truly hold it for long. Liam told her, not long after their wedding, that the crown was thousands of years old, dating back to when Cordonia was first founded. Parts of it had been repaired and modernized over the years. Liam had shown her portraits and pictures of former rulers and what was once a quite simple spiked silver crown, was now jewel encrusted. The crown weighed about five pounds and sparkled from every angle. A steward, flanked by royal guards, steps forward and takes the crown from Riley leaving the room quickly to return it to its vault. Few people knew where exactly in the palace this was located, if it was in the palace at all.

Riley takes Ellie’s hand and helps her navigate the crowd, avoiding the chattier nobles and making their way to the dessert table where a spread of Cordonian sweets and chocolate cupcakes awaited the child queen. Food at these events was often more mature and adult oriented, consisting mainly of fancy and expensive hors d'oeuvres, but Riley insisted that they provide something their new queen would actually enjoy.

Ellie’s eyes light up upon seeing the table, set out mainly for her. Before reaching for anything, she looks at her mother unsure what she’s allowed. Riley smiles at her daughter.

“Today’s a special day Ellie, you can have whatever you like.”

Riley reaches for a small apple tart and takes a bite. After watching her mother, Eleanor immediately grabs a cupcake in each hand, then looks frustrated at the fact that she can’t unwrap them.

“Riley, a word?” Bertrand has approached the two of them and motions for her to follow him as she takes a cupcake from Ellie to unwrap. She unwraps it and hands it back to her, taking her time to unwrap the second one as well.

“Surely there’s someone in the palace who can help Eleanor with her snack that isn’t you.”

“Bertrand, there’s plenty of time to mingle. We’ve got all day, and Ellie won’t be attending the ball.”

“Unwrapping cupcakes hardly seems like a good use of your time.”

Riley takes in a deep breath, pushing down the urge to shout at Bertrand for scolding her for spending time with her daughter, who only just over two months previous, lost her father. She instead takes a bite of the apple tart she had picked from the table with Ellie and chews it thoughtfully.

“I’m sorry Duke Ramsford,” she says, venom in her words, “but I happen to think unwrapping cupcakes for my daughter is a perfectly good use of my time.” Riley turns on her heel back towards her daughter, avoiding any nobles along the way.

--

It had been another late night discussing how the committee planned to divide the various state visits and travel for the coming month. Riley hardly had time to eat lunch, let alone check in with Ellie. She opened the door to their suite quietly, not wanting to wake Ellie since she was most likely already asleep. The residence was darkened, but not entirely dark, the lights were still on in the kitchenette. As she stepped from the foyer into the living room, she carefully placed a few documents and her phone on the kitchen bar. Drake and Ellie sat together on the couch. He was watching a soccer game, the sound low, while Ellie slept next to him, her small arm draped across his wide torso.

Riley approached them from behind the couch and placed her hand on Drake’s shoulder. It was then that she noticed the comically large bowl of popcorn on the table in front of them. She looked at Drake with a questioning look.

“Movie night,” he whispered, looking down to make sure he didn’t rouse Ellie.

“And it required a five gallon bucket of popcorn? Seems legitimate.”

“You should know the palace kitchen never does anything half-assed.”

He shifted slightly, holding Ellie up as he slid from under her. With one quick but surprisingly gentle motion he lifted her from the couch and carries her to her room. Riley plopped to the couch, reaching for the large bowl and placing it beside her. She grabbed a handful of popcorn as Drake returned a minute or so later.

“Another long day hmm?” Drake rounds the couch and sits leaving the large bowl of popcorn in between them.

“Yea,” Riley sighed, looking off into the distance. “I was really hoping I’d be able to have dinner with her or read her a story for the first time in a week.”

“She misses you, didn’t want to go to bed until you got home. So I kind of let her stay up later than usual.”

“That’s sweet of you, you big marshmallow,” she teased.

“Watch it, someone could hear you.”

“Your cover would be blown.”

“I’ve got a reputation to uphold.” Drake chuckled.

“Is that… glitter?” Riley laughed, touching his face. He recoiled slightly at her touch, as if it shocked him. She shifted in her seat, placing her back on the arm of the sofa, the bowl now in front of her and surveys him head to toe. Aside from some glitter under his left ear, he looked perfectly rugged as usual. In the month after returning to the palace, Drake had stopped drinking and seemed to be finding some actual happiness in his couple days a week with Ellie. Riley smiled fondly at him, unable to look away, waiting for his response.

“There may have been princess makeovers involved.”

“Oh please tell me there’s pictures.”

--

Riley takes Eleanor to the royal residence later in the evening while the rest of the nobility and guests are sitting down for dinner. When they arrive, the smell of pizza greets them.

“Ah, Uncle Drake delivered. See, I told you there’d be pizza Ellie. How could this day get any better?”

“If you didn’t have to leave.” Ellie’s words, while harsh, do not come as a surprise to her. Today was probably the most time they’d been able to spend one on one in weeks, and they were in a room full of nobles and distinguished guests all day long. The small talk alone exhausted her.

“You know what? I don’t have to leave.” Riley turns and kicks off her shoes towards the entrance for when she has to leave for the ball.

“Really?” Ellie and Drake say in unison.

Drake enters the room from the hallway, smiling at both of them.

“Really. Now let’s go get a little more comfortable.”

In her room, Riley slips out of her daytime dress and into some leggings and a baggy t-shirt. Her ballgown hangs in her dressing alcove, she had chosen a midnight blue gown, embellished with dark crystals. The illusion skirt is what she loved most about the gown, it allowed her to get away with something a little more her style in a stuffy ballroom.

Ellie meets her in the hallway in her pajamas.

“Kitten PJs, a fantastic choice,” Riley compliments her daughter.

The three of them sit down to the pizza and as Ellie recounts the day and number of cupcakes she’s eaten to Drake, he seems distracted. He watches Riley as she smiles at her daughter, looking relaxed for the first time in weeks. Riley notices and grins at him, her gaze falling down to her plate after she feels like she’s been looking at him for too long.

Thirty minutes later, after Ellie has somehow stuffed herself with three slices of pizza, no crust, Riley notes, like her father, she starts to fade and hard.

“Ellie can you take your plate to the sink and go brush your teeth?”

Wordlessly and in a haze, Ellie does as she’s told and trudges sleepily to her bedroom.

“I’m going to go change and say goodnight,” Riley tells Drake. “A night nanny should be arriving soon, but I really should get back before Bertrand stages a coup.”

“Whatever you need.” Drake shrugs as he clears the plates and boxes from the table.

Riley shuts the door to her room and changes into her ballgown. She can’t seem to get the zipper all the way up on her own and puts on her jewelry instead. Her make-up, slightly worn from the stress of the day, she decides not to waste time touching up and she crosses the hallway into Ellie’s room.

Her daughter is already in bed and smiles when she enters.

“You look pretty mommy.”

“Thank you sweetheart,” Riley says, sitting delicately on the edge of Ellie’s bed. “I’ll see you in the morning okay? Sweet dreams.”

“I love you mama,” Ellie says as Riley places two small kisses on each of her eyelids. Her words are heavy with tiredness.

“I love you the most.”

Riley rises from the bed quietly, moving to the door slowly as she drinks in every inch of her daughter’s sweet face. She pulls the door closed behind her as lightly as possible. She’s lost in images of Ellie’s tired face when she enters the great room, Drake standing in the middle.

“You look… wow.”

Riley is shaken from her thoughts of Ellie and laughs. “You’re very eloquent Drake Walker.”

He lets out a small laugh, it’s barely there and more like an exhale.

“Oh! Could you uh… zip me?” Riley turns her back to him and lifts her hair exposing her back.

“Uh,” he pauses, holding his breath, “sure.” Drake crosses the room to her and places one hand on the side of her ribcage while the other grabs hold of the zipper. She feels the zipper travel up her back and when it meets the top, his other hand lingers, leaving a tingling warmth where it once was.

“I think there’s a… like a tiny hook too.”

“Of course there is.” Drake mumbles as his rough fingers run over the nape of her neck. He fumbles with the hook for a few seconds before finally stepping away. Goosebumps pepper Riley’s back, all her tiny hairs standing on end.

She turns to face him. “Thank you.” She’s looking at him with a different look, like she’s noticed something for the first time.

Drake clears his throat, interrupting the quiet between them.

“I guess I’ve got a ball to get to.”

--

She slips into the ball quietly and she’s positive no one missed her aside from Bertrand who shoots her an exasperated look. Rolling her eyes, Riley reaches for a flute of champagne from a server’s tray. She grabs one, takes a beat, and plucks another from the tray with her free hand. Immediately she sucks down the first, depositing the glass on another server’s tray. Bertrand and Savannah approach her.

Savannah smiles at her and excitedly gushes over Ellie. “Eleanor did amazing today. That was a lot of pressure for her. And she looked adorable.” Savannah’s hand finds her stomach, round and beautiful. She glows.

“You’re too sweet Savannah. My goodness, you look amazing, how long now?”

“Another month or so,” she smiles even more.

“Riley, it seems you missed dinner. Do you want to inform me on where you’ve been? You missed the Cordonian waltz.” Bertrand interrupts.

“You can’t be serious, I guarantee no one actually missed me.”

“You can’t simply skirt events because you’re not feeling up to them anymore. There’s no one to stand in for you any longer. Liam’s gone.”

“I know, but thank you so much for reminding me about my dead husband.” She fights back the urge to cry right then and there when the familiar sting of tears hits the back of her eyes. Savannah stands there, stunned, looking at her husband her mouth agape. “If you must know, I was having dinner with my daughter, who I haven’t seen for longer than fifteen minutes a day for the last week. Now if you’ll excuse me.” Riley pushes her way past Bertrand and towards the exit.

“Seriously Bertrand?” Savannah hisses and stares at him in disbelief. She walks away shaking her head. Savannah finds a seat across the hall and pats her baby bump as she watches Maxwell work the dance floor.

The ballroom, large and grand, is suddenly suffocating and she bursts from the door and into a hallway. She finishes the glass of champagne still in her hand and walks in the direction that will get her to the least travelled part of the palace tonight.

She turns the corner into what she knows should be a deserted hallway. She had to escape them and the whole debacle. Riley leaves the room of nobles and dignitaries behind, unable to tolerate the entire disaster for one more moment. Surely they didn’t expect her to spend all this time away from Eleanor when she had just lost her husband, when Ellie had only just lost her father. Her mind races towards one thing only, her daughter and how much they needed each other right now. Their wounds have only just begun to heal. The committee is asking too much of her right now.

The hallway should’ve been empty, there was no reason for another person to head in this direction unless they were headed to the library. The entrance hall was in another direction entirely and the ball was far from over. But still, there was someone in that hallway. The only person she could see herself welcoming right now stood at a window five meters from her. She didn’t think Drake would’ve remained at the palace after the night nanny showed up.

She knows she looks like a mess right now and she certainly feels like it, but she approaches him, slipping next to him at the window.

He doesn’t say anything when he notices her and she’s relieved. He’s looking at her though and she feels his gaze on the side of her face. When she notices it, her breath hitches in her chest. After weeks of not being heard or taken seriously, after months of having everyone expect the world of her, he was standing here, not wanting anything of her. She didn’t need to speak or smile or do anything and it was enough.

Riley turns to face him and leans against the wall beside the window. She’s itching to reach out to him and her fingers tremble at the sight of him. Her breathing finally returns to normal and stops immediately afterwards.

Somehow the distance between them closes and something is drawing them together in this moment. They collide, her lips on his. She doesn’t know who started it or who ended it but in that same tiny instant, it was over. His eyes roam her face for an answer she doesn’t have but her hand finds his cheek and she’s pulled into him all over again.

--

Part VIII: Toska is here.

[cassiedroll]

Time for me to put my post-epilogue headcanons about Vox Machina out there:

Perc'ahlia ⦁ They move to their permanent home in Whitestone, allowing Percy to begin constructing his clock tower and work with Cassandra to run the city. ⦁ Vex spends a lot of her time fixing up Vax's shrine to the Raven Queen there. She also works with the treasury and diplomacy there. She sets up an established trade route connecting Whitestone to Syngorn, Ank'harel, Emon, and Deastok. ⦁ They have a formal wedding, to which everyone they have ever known and loved are invited. Vex wears a beautiful white dress and a raven's feather between her two blue ones. Percival watches his wife walk down the aisle like they were first falling in love. ⦁ They spend each anniversary of the defeat of Vecna and Vax's death in the woods, sitting on the bench Pike made, watching the moon and discussing stories about Vax and the early years of Vox Machina. ⦁ Soon after their official wedding, Vex discovers that she is pregnant. Everyone else seems to know before she does: "Vex, you seem to have been under the weather for a few days, are you alright?" with a knowing look from Cassandra. "Vex, you must be hungry!" with a happy  laugh from Pike hosting the de Rolos for dinner. Even the servants start skirting around her, discretely clearing one of the smaller rooms near Percy and Vex's in the castle. ⦁ Their first child is born on a brisk winter morning after a long night. Casters from across Whitestone are brought in to send messages to all of their closest friends to announce the birth of Vesper Elaina von Musel Klossowski de Rolo I, heir to Whitestone. ⦁ Following Vesper, Vex and Percy have five more children: Vax'ildan Julius, Percival IV, Whitney Johanna, Oliver Ludwig, and Cassandra Velora.

Pikelan ⦁ They move into Wilhand's old home once he dies and adds on rooms and a basement  to accommodate J.B., Grog, and, when she's home from school, Kaylee. ⦁ Despite what anyone expects, Grog is the perfect roommate: always out, never needing too much privacy, never brings back dates (mostly because he doesn't have them), accommodating to everyone, a great host, and eventually a wonderful babysitter. ⦁ It's Kaylee that's the disaster roommate. She's a teenager living with her dad, his girlfriend, her brother and cousin. It's the worst. They love her but she trashes her room, has friends and lovers over, never cooks or cleans, and has such a fiery temper that whenever she is asked to do these things, she either ignores that who asked or is aggressive about it. ⦁ After living together for a couple of years, Pike proposes. Grog carries Scanlan down the aisle. We know this all from the episode. Grog cries at the wedding more than anyone else. Also, instead of Pike taking Scanlan's surname or vice versa, they change their surname to a mash-up name - Trickhalt. ⦁ Three years later, on Scanlan's 75th birthday, Pike brings their daughter, Juniper into the world. She's pink with curly black hair and bright blue eyes. Kaylee smiles at her half-sister and jokes that she doesn't look a bit like either of them. She does, of course, but Kaylee is just a little stink. Grog goes out to wet her head and ends up writing letters to Whitestone and Zephyra. His childish writing is only worsened by his excitement, but the letters are sent and within a few days the de Rolos and Keyleth are in Westruun to welcome little Juniper Trickhalt. ⦁ When Juniper is six, a little boy is born into the Trickhalt clan: Wilhand Phillip. Grog has never been more touched, not even when Juni first asks him to read to her because he "does the voices better than Mommy or Daddy". Wilhand Phillip has dark skin, dark brown hair, and big blue eyes like his sister. ⦁ When Wilhand and Juni are in their teens, Pike discovers a tiny boy with black skin, little white tufts of hair, and minuscule horns on the steps to Sarenrae's temple. She takes him home and eventually she and Scanlan officially adopt him, naming him Kingsley.

Zahrash ⦁ They visit Whitestone all through Zahra's pregnancy and even after. Due to poor timing and a hasty entry into this world, their son is born in Whitestone while they're visiting the de Rolos. ⦁ He is born red, with a long slender tail, fuzzy white hair and amber eyes. At his birth, Kashaw feels a hand on his shoulder and looks up to see a shadowy figure. Vesh looks down at him and the boy and contemplates them quietly before vanishing. Kashaw never has nightmares about her again. ⦁ They spend their life between Whitestone and Vasselheim, between the de Rolo home and the Slayer's Take and their son wants for nothing. He's raised on books from the Whitestone castle's library and stories of the sphinx, but despite all of that he really prefers to fight physically, not mentally and becomes a rogue. ⦁ Daniel Hydris loves his parents dearly, but like Kaylee Shorthalt, feels as though he is too cool to be seen around his overprotective dad and "cool" mom. He spends a lot of his time with his Aunt Vex learning about being sneaky and what the man he's named after used to do as a rogue. ⦁ They continue to work as mercenaries for the Slayer's Take, but only when they're not having to deal with Dan's teachers and his mistakes. He gets into a lot of trouble, and while Zahra doesn't mind his actions too much, she hates having to take the time to go confront his tutors. Kash, on the other hand, scolds Dan within an inch of his life about being mischievous. He prefers to deal with those accusing his son than go out of quests. ⦁ Now that Vesh no longer hovers over him, Kash continues his clerical duties, but feels more as if he is thanking her for releasing him from their bonds of marriage than refuting her every move.

Keyleth ⦁ She serves as the Voice of the Tempest, guiding young druids from the other sects of the Ashari along their Aramentes. She takes them into the plane of air and has them battle air elementals. Despite her charismatic failures, she serves as a wonderful guide as her Aramente has been so recent. ⦁ Keyleth waits many years before falling in love again, but one day, at Cassandra Velora's debutante ball for her coming of age, Keyleth meets a young elvish man with kind eyes and short blonde hair. At first she feels guilty about being happy with him, but when Vex sees them together and smiles to Keyleth, she takes it as a sign that it has been long enough since Vax left her life and that she has the right to be happy again. A raven later lands on her as she sits on his bench and then flits off into the moonlight, telling her that she is free to do as she wishes. ⦁ After many years of courting this man, she decides to wed. Korrin is so excited to see his daughter joyful again and to get to walk his only child down the aisle after so long. A conspiracy of ravens alight on a tree above the ceremony, but so caught up in her vows, Keyleth hardly notices. Its what Vax would have wanted. As she says "I do", the ravens fly off. ⦁ She never can forget Vax, but she is happy with her husband and they have three precious quarter human kids: Vilya, Kerrek, and Luna, all of whom become powerful druids who each complete an Aramente and become headmasters in their own right, giving Keyleth the time to settle down properly without having to lead a people. ⦁ Keyleth also plays a very important role in Cassandra Velora's life, teaching her to be strong druid. Keyleth teaches her to grow plants and polymorph. Cassandra Velora spends a lot of time as a bear playing with her brother, Trinket.

Grog ⦁ Along with spending time learning to read and living with the Trickhalts, Grog spends years under the tutelage of Earthbreaker Groon, eventually taking a few ranks in monk, learning patience. ⦁ This helps immensely when his beloved nieces and nephews get older and insufferable. The de Rolos, just like their parents, are mostly snarky know-it-alls. The Trickhalts, though sweet like their mother, are also silly pranksters like their father. Vax may have been the first to shave off Grog's beard, but he certainly wasn't the last. Keyleth's kids are kind and loving, but they tend to have a hard time understanding him. Dan Hydris is the worst of them all. He has nothing against Grog and quite likes to spar with him, but is too "cool" to spend time with his aunts and uncles. ⦁ When the kids are little, Grog reads to them, and as I said before, he does the voices the best. He often teaches most of the kids to write, at first at least. Uncle Grog is most loved because he can never deny them anything. When the Trickhalt home begins to fill up with little gnomes (and a tiefling) and J.B. and Kaylee comes home from school to stay, Grog moves out to Greyskull Keep. ⦁ So when the kids of VM get frustrated with their parents, they run off to Greyskull to pout with Uncle Grog, and he loves them so much. They go out to get dinner and dessert and they spar. Keyleth's kids spend time in the gardens, making Greyskull beautiful. The Trickhalts spend time in the Sarenrae temple praying and playing music. A couple of the de Rolos spend time in Percy's old workshop while the others spend time in various places in the Keep. Grog quietly keeps the kids out of their parents' old room because how could that go well. ⦁ While the kids spend time with Uncle Grog, the rest of VM goes on adventures -- Grog has had enough of adventuring and, having no (known and/or legitimate) kids of his own, he loves spending as much time with them as possible, especially as he has plenty of time to adventure on his own.

[hear-the-dokidoki]

Through the Years

A Namjin story set in a royal!AU

Word count: 2,8k+

Timeline: There’s about a year between each sub-part of this story.

Author’s note: This is the first half of the fic, which includes years one through five (Meeting, Respect, Friendship, Fear and Strength). The second half, which includes years six through ten (Pain, Trust, Promise, Distance and Finale) will be linked here when I post it.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Finale

Year I – Meeting

The chatter was like an ocean of random thoughts, exaggerated anecdotes, shocking gossips and boring, light conversations. He was drowning in it, trying focus on this or that specific exchange, before his attention wandered elsewhere. Social events tended to be monotonous. When he was younger, he used to mix them up. That count’s birthday party, to him, was no different than that general’s wedding. So, he used to wonder, why did he have to attend them both?

Today was his 11th birthday. It was supposed to be a day where he got to enjoy himself… but, as usual, he was stuck in the castle, his duty and reputation above all else. He understood who he was: Kim Namjoon, heir to the kingdom. He was proud of his family name and of his bloodline. He cared about his people. Yet, he couldn’t force himself to like all the facets of his life. He loved to study new cultures and new languages, and he enjoyed looking into political and military tactics. Dressing nicely and trying to remember all the “important people’s” name, though? Not his thing.

“Namjoon,” his mother called out gently. “Come here, dear.”

She was standing next to a woman and a kid - probably the woman’s son. The kid seemed to be about his age, maybe a few seasons older. He had a good posture, and was looking straight into Namjoon’s eyes, a subtle smile on his lips. Namjoon’s steps brought him beside the small group. He bowed to the woman, knowing full well the decorum.

“I am Kim Namjoon,” he stated with a clear, assured voice. “Enchanted to meet you, my lady. May I ask for your name?”

They chatted for a moment, and he learned that the woman’s family, of high standing, had always been close to his. They had slowly lost contact after her familly had moved away, but they were back to the kingdom. The adults began to talk cheerfully, catching up on the years they had spent apart. Namjoon turned to the boy.

“I’m Kim Seokjin, your Highness. Honored to meet you,” the kid said, before Namjoon could place a word. The prince's eyebrows darted up. People around him tended to wait to be addressed before speaking.

“The honor is mine,” he answered, giving the boy a court nod.

Seokjin leaned into him. “This whole thing is a bit boring, isn’t it?” he murmured.

Kim Namjoon’s eyes widened, and he couldn’t help but chuckle. The boy moved back, grinning.

Year II – Respect

“I’m not convinced, Seokjin,” he said.

It was late into the evening. They had just escaped some viscount’s 10th wedding anniversary, and were jogging through the dim lit halls of an old manor.

“Come on, your Highness,” Kim Seokjin said, using the title out of respect, but also to irk the other boy. “When was the last time you’ve been into the woods without a small army of guards?”

He thought about it. “I was 8 or 9, maybe. My father wanted to show me how to hunt, but we had barely entered the forest when something came up. In the end, it was a tutor who taught me…”

“Well, in the very improbable scenario where we get lost, you’ll be able to hunt, and I’ll cook the food! We’ll live comfortably with the rabbits and the deer. It will be fun, I swear.”

“You know I can’t-”

“It was only a joke, your Highness,” he interrupted, exaggerating each syllable of his sentence.

Namjoon let out a sigh. “I wish, though…” he mumbled, before trailing off. “By the way, could you stop addressing me like that? It doesn’t feel right.”

“I might, I guess… Think about it, though; it could be worse. I could call you by your whole name,” he said, his voice becoming lower and more dramatic with each word. “His Highness Kim Namjoon, first of his name, his kingdom’s servant and heir!”

“Why are you like this…?”

Seokjin face fell. “Because you’re my prince.”

The said prince looked away, fidgeting with the buttons of his heavy vest. Seokjin stopped in his tracks, turning to face him.

“You’re my friend, of course! But above that, you are my prince. I respect you, you know? Some people just have it all made, and although you are privileged by your blood, you’re so intelligent and hardworking. You’ll be a great leader, Kim Namjoon.”

Namjoon’s took a deep breath. His parents and his professors sometimes praised him, but this felt… different.

“Thank you, Seokjin. I appreciate your kind words.”

The formal ambiance was shattered as Seokjin’s lips curved into his cheeks. He marched towards the woods again.

“Shall we go, your Highness?”

“I suppose we shall,” Namjoon replied, repressing a grin.

Year III – Friendship

Kim Namjoon looked like he’d just walked out of a storm. His hair was dishevelled and his clothes were stained with various substances. Despite that, his eyes sparkled and his smile went from one ear to the other. He glanced at Kim Seokjin. The boy was kneading a handful of dough, lips slightly parted. His hair fell to his eyes, and every few seconds he pushed the locks away from his forehead with the back of his hand. Namjoon slowly looked away, and observed the room around them. Flour was flying around the warm air, which smelled of cinnamon and fresh bread. A few servants were working on various tasks, pretending to not pay attention to his every movements.

“Pass me the vanilla extract, will you?” Seokjin demanded.

Namjoon complied automatically. His friend had begun to be more casual around him in the last months, as they took horse riding classes together. Namjoon was kind of bad at it, but Seokjin was even worse. They had gone through a lot of exasperation and anger together, but also entertaining rivalry and a couple laughing fits. Everything seemed to be a bit better, when Kim Seokjin was around.

“Your Highness, could you maybe not stare at the void, and at least attempt to be useful?” His words were somewhat harsh, but Namjoon could hear the smile in his voice.

“I’ll do so,” he said, picking up a knife and searching for the ingredients that needed to be cut.

“The pears appear to be to your left,” Seokjin remarked, before laughing at his own word play.

“That’s not even a bit fuuny.”

“You’re not sophisticated enough to understand my fine sense of humour, that’s all.”

“Sure…”

The prince embarked on his task. He was struggling, but his pride was making him push through as if he knew what in the heavens he was doing. Kim Namjoon – although very competent with everything cerebral and creative – did not have good coordination. His brows furrowed.

“That’s not…” Seokjin began, before sighing.

In spite of his noble blood, Kim Seokjin had insisted on learning the culinary arts from a young age. He might not have been the finest chef Namjoon had encountered, but he loved how dedicated and meticulous his friend was, when it came to measuring an exact amount of sesame oil or cutting meat in a specific angle.

“Here, I’ll show you,” Seokjin said.

His shoulder against Namjoon’s, he took the knife from the other’s hand, and started to slice the pear with quick, sharp maneuvers. Namjoon studied how Seokjin’s hands moved, his eyes tight.

“I think I get it,” the prince said quietly.

Seokjin took a step back, staring intently at Namjoon.

The latter shifted his weigh from one leg to another. “Could you maybe let me experiment? I’ll get the hang of it…”

“I’m only here to help, your Highness. Don’t mind me. Struggling is not something to be ashamed of; it is the path to success.”

Namjoon was taken aback by the statement. “When- When and how did you become wise, Kim Seokjin?”

“To my understanding, it is an aftereffect of spending too much time by you side, your Highness.”

The prince blinked, opening his mouth to say something. In the end, he closed his eyes and shook his head, laughing. A few servants turned to glare at him, but he didn’t care.

“I don’t deserve you,” he said, half joking.  

Seokjin smirked. “At least you know your place, your Highness.”

Year IV – Fear

Namjoon’s hands were trembling.  

“It’s going to be alright. Everything will be okay, your Highness,” Kim Seokjin murmured, kneeling next to his prince, who was sitting in a corner the bedroom.

“You don’t know that.”

“No,” he answered softly. “I don’t know for sure, of course… But your mother is an outstanding woman. Her body is strong, but so is her mind.”

Hearing someone mention her out loud made tears well up in Namjoon’s eyes. His mother had been carrying a child – a sister, he was sure of it – for 7 months now. He knew his parents had always wanted to expand the family, but that they’d be unsuccessful until now. When they had announced that he was going to be a brother, Namjoon had felt raw happiness. 

He was in his quarters, studying Latin alongside Seokjin when a maid had come in without knocking, looking frantic. She had told him that his mother had suddenly went into labor, and that the doctors were very worried about her condition.

It had been almost an hour, and he was still panicking. Unless it was for updates, he had forbidden anyone from entering his quarters. Anyone but Kim Seokjin, that is. After pacing the room for dozens of minutes, under his friend’s concerned stare, he had sat down against the walls of his room. He didn’t have any energy left. The image of his smiling mother was heavy on his mind, crushing any proper thought. His father was by her side, and he had forbidden his only son to join him. It was so fucking unfair. How was he too young to stand by his mother? He was 14, and he was the heir of the goddamn kingdom. 

“Your Highness, please, calm down…” Seokjin pleaded in a breathy voice.

Namjoon tenaciously kept his gaze to the ground. His glassy eyes fluttered, and tears rolled down his cheeks. “What if… what if she died?” he thought. He’d never see her warm, almond-shaped eyes again. He’d never hear her voice again. God, what if he forgot how her voice sounded?

“Your Highness, look at me,” Seokjin insisted. “I can’t stand seeing you… I…”

The prince was now silently crying. He thought about the last time he’d spoken to his mother. It had been a quick, casual exchange concerning his studies. Why hadn’t he told her that he loved her, then? She had been so, so good to him, and he hadn’t repaid her at all. How hadn’t he realized that he was such an awful son? Good grades? What did that even mean? That wasn’t enough. He wasn’t enough. And what about his sister? He hadn’t even had the chance to meet her. To see her pretty face; to hold her tiny hands… He let out a strangled cry.

Seokjin couldn’t find the right words. There probably weren’t any. Still, he had to do something. He had to. The vision of his friend, the most amazing and beautiful person he knew, slouched in despair on the floor, seemed so unreal.

“Hey,” he attempted again, placing himself right in front of his prince. “Look at me, please. Namjoon, look at me.”

Kim Namjoon’s eyes moved up, and Seokjin could see the shock the simple word had provoked. Then again, he had never called his prince by his first name before.

“Namjoon,” he repeated, holding on to the surprise that had temporarily replaced the pain in his friend’s gaze. “It’s going to be okay, hear me?” He locked their hands, and squeezed hard. “I’m right here. You’re not alone, alright, Namjoon? You’ll never walk alone, as long as I am alive.”

At that moment, the door slammed opened. The two boys jumped, and turned to the entrance.

“Her Majesty the Queen is healthy!” the maid shouted, still frantic. “And it’s a girl! A beautiful, healthy little girl!”

Kim Seokjin felt a weigh falling on him. Namjoon shoulders were shaking uncontrollably, as he started to cry without restraint, letting all his emotions flow out – the fear, the worry, the shame, the hope, the relief… Seokjin closed his eyes, his whole body relaxing. He hadn’t even noticed how tensed he’d been until now. He patted his friends back, while the room was filled with the prince’s sobs.

Year V – Strength

“I won’t allow it,” Kim Namjoon stated, in a matter-of-factly tone.

“If you do that, I won’t speak to you ever again. You’ll be stuck here alone, until the end of time.”

“I do have other friends, you know.”

“True, but I’m your favorite,” Seokjin replied, gesturing to himself with a smirk. “You couldn’t stand not seeing me for more than a few weeks. Admit it.”

The prince only grunted, not bothering to argue. “I’ll stop you, somehow.”

Seokjin’s smile faded. “Look, I’ve already made my decision. I’ll join the army, starting at the bottom, and I’ll climb the ladders if I’m competent enough. That is all.”

“That’s so senseless and impractical!” Namjoon exclaimed, his exasperation creeping into his voice. “You could be major right away! Or at least lieutenant or captain! Starting out as a private, with your social status, is utterly ridiculous.”

“I don’t want my blood to have anything to do with my success. I want to be recognized for my own strength.”

“That’s a nice idea,” he admitted. “But being a private sucks. It’s degrading. You’re almost a toy to your superiors. The army needs to sort out the strong minds from the weak ones, of course, but we both already know that you are not weak. I’m sure even Father would agree on that. You don’t have to go through that hell, Seokjin. You shouldn’t have to.”

“ Yet I will. Look, I want to prove myself to my family. I want to be more than a little, noble boy.”

“You are more than that. How could you-”

“To you maybe,” Seokjin cut him. “I don’t know what you see in me, and even though I’m glad you do see something, my family…” He paused, his Adam’s apple moving up, then down. “I want to make my family proud.”

“Why would you suddenly do this?”

“It’s not sudden, actually. I’ve been thinking this plan over for a year.”

“And you didn’t see fit to tell me about it?” Namjoon inquired, doing his best to control his voice.

Kim Seokjin looked down at his feet. “I knew you’d react like this.”

They fell silent for a moment.

“The idea started growing after a certain family gathering. A relative’s private party,” Seokjin said quietly. “My mother and five or six of my aunts were drinking tea together. I was just beside the group, but they couldn’t see me well because I was sitting down, playing with a cat. My aunts were praising their children, going on about how they were tactical geniuses, skilled surgeons or renowned artists. I remember how my mother just listened, smiling courtly.”

The prince didn’t know what to say.

Seokjin laughed softly, but he sounded lifeless. “I want to make her proud. I want my mother to be joyful when she talks about my accomplishments. I need to become a good man, for her sake, but also for mine. Can you understand where I’m coming from?”

“I...I don’t agree with your decision... but I suppose it makes more sense, now.”

“Just let me be, Namjoon. I’ve never asked much of you. This is important to me. Please…”

The prince gazed into the sad eyes of his best friend. He let out a frustrated sigh. “Because you’re insisting so much… Fine." He looked away. "Don't come to me crying when you realize that your decision was foolish, and that I was right.”

Seokjin seemed pleased. “I want your word. You have to promise that you’ll never intervene in my military career,” he said, extending a hand.

For a moment, they were frozen in that position. They probably resembled that “Devil’s contract” painting that was in the dinning hall, Namjoon thought. Reluctantly, he brought his arm forward and locked hands with his friend.  

I hope you liked it! ♥ Tell me what you thought!

 The basic setting idea came from a post @namsizzle did.