#i miss dancing so bad. there is a group in this city but they appear to be only 70+ and they scare me

[muirneach]

cannotttt wait for break. love my life here but i am sooo excited to spend three whole weeks doing nothing but square dancing and knitting and watching hockey documentaries

[mllemaenad]

Listening to Wyll's backstory in context of all the details we're acquiring on devil's contracts and soul selling is fascinating.

See - I listened to Lann Tarv's three tales to get my soul coins. I felt bad for making Karlach listen to that, obviously, but to be honest I didn't even want the coins that much. I actually wanted the stories. I wanted a better understanding of how this works.

And what I'm learning is - for the gods (and godlike beings) of this world, cruelty seems to be the point. I mean - it's possible there's a god in this world I wouldn't want to stab to death with a rusty fork, but if so I have not met them yet.

These beings have the power to save people and places, to change lives, to do anything. And when someone asks them to - they demand a terrible price. But they don't just demand a price. They subvert the original request in such a way that they utterly fail to deliver on the original promise.

An abused woman wishes to be loved - and her true love appears, but dies instantly. A man wishes to save his children from starvation, and ends up personally growing masses of meat on his own body - not only painful for him, but forcing his children into survival cannibalism, which they were trying to avoid.

Auntie Ethel works the same way. Every one of her customers is left in a tortured state, while Ethel still takes her payment.

The idea is that the person must come to regret their wish long before the payment comes due. Every cry for help must be met with a boot to the face. Or else the mortals will get uppity? Or something.

What is interesting is how consciously Wyll defies that. And how much Mizora is dancing around, trying to force him into that state of miserable regret.

Wyll was manipulated into selling his soul. He was a kid, and he was summoned into a terrible situation - and in that moment, he could see no other way to save the city. Mizora did need to save Baldur's Gate to serve her boss's purposes, so she couldn't take that victory from him - but she did everything she could to take the joy of it.

He didn't get respect, or admiration, or his father's pride for saving the city. He lost his home and his family. He was assumed to have done something monstrous because he was denied an opportunity to defend himself.

That was supposed to fill him with bitterness and regret - but he got to work building his own life instead. By the time you run into him, the Blade of Frontiers is a hero of some renown. He's remade himself, and found a way to enjoy what his powers can do, however he came by them.

So that didn't work.

Then Mizora sent him after Karlach, and that was a mission tailored to break him. Karlach is kind and heroic herself, and that the start she has been sold into slavery, mutilated and forced to fight in a war against her will. If Wyll killed her, and then found out who she really was, then he betrayed everything the Blade of Frontiers is supposed to stand for - and he would lose the life he made for himself.

But he didn't, and that didn't work either. He's got a friend, now, who at least knows part of what he's dealing with.

So Mizora gave him demonic features. That would destroy the life he's made for himself, because no one would trust him to help them.

Except now Wyll basically goes nowhere on his own, and a small army of people can attest that he got those horns and eyes as punishment for being a good man. Mizora might be able to shut his mouth, but she can't silence his friends - and the group absolutely have shouting sessions about everything. Wyll's horns become a battle scar, like his missing eye, and nothing more.

And beyond that, if you are playing as a heroic character, a significant throughline in the game's story is the journey of the tiefling refugees. The story makes it clear that these people experience a constant barrage of racism, due to their appearance and "demonic" heritage. It also makes it abundantly clear that this prejudice is entirely undeserved - they're just people, with virtues and flaws like everyone else, and what is happening to them is terrible. So Wyll turns up to assist a bunch of people whom he now at least somewhat resembles - and with Karlach along, you have two people in the group who technically count as "infernal", but haven't got an evil bone in either of their bodies.

Mizora created solidarity. Oops.

Wyll is deeply suspicious of gods and higher powers. He doesn't want to make more deals with devils. When Elminster arrives to tell Gale what Mystra demands of him, he explicitly says he does not do religion. When you get Mizora to agree to let his contract expire in six months, he starts by casually invoking the gods - but switches to thanking the player character instead, because he knows who helped, and who did not.

But he utterly refuses to regret the pact he made. That can be a struggle. He clearly misses his dad, and would like that relationship repaired. The fact that he was transformed very much against his will is clearly a source of distress from him.

But if he regrets, then Mizora wins. That's it. Game over. She gets what she wanted all along. So he doesn't.

The main companion characters all have this kind of problem, and naturally have different ways of dealing with it. You have characters like Shadowheart and Lae'zel, who were indoctrinated as children, or Gale, who was literally seduced by one of these nightmare deities - and with them you have to start out by convincing them they they were the wronged party in the first place.

But Wyll knows exactly what game he's playing, and he's been screaming defiance the whole time. It's just that, in his case, the "defiance" is grinning and carrying on every time Mizora inflicts some more bullshit on him.

[honeybeezgobzzzzz]

𓅨 Love in the Dark: Chapter Seven

Love in the Dark: You discover an intense connection with an enigmatic dream lover, yearning for a love beyond physical appearances. As your encounters blur the lines between the waking world and the Dreaming, your grapple with the complexities of desire, friendship, and mortality. Can you truly love in the dark?

Warnings: Language.

To Note: Morpheus/Dream x NAMEDFem!Reader.

Word Count: ~2.2k

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Matthew is pissed that he had missed the ball, muttering on and on about Lord Morpheus intentionally sending him out on an errand that kept him so busy he only made it back for the last hour of the ball. You had already slipped into a deeper sleep by then, blissed out by a wonderful night that had ended so intimately that you have spent the entire next day wondering if it had even happened.

You're sipping on a hot cup of coffee, watching the city of London hustle and bustle from your apartment window. The smell of rain mingles with the faint scent of the black liquid, a combination that never fails to soothe your nerves. Your mind keeps wandering back to the ball, the grandeur of it all still fresh in your memory.

Suddenly, there's a tapping on your window. Turning around, you find Matthew perched on the window sill. His dark eyes are glinting with mischief and his feathers ruffled from his journey.

"Oh, so you finally decided to show up," you quip, opening the window to let him in. He hops onto your table, knocking over a couple of papers in his usual nonchalant manner.

"Lord Morpheus sends his regards," Matthew says in a tone that makes it clear he's still sour about missing the ball. "He hopes you enjoyed yourself… and the garden? Don't know what he meant about that but…"

"Oh I did, the shoes he gave me were marvelous," You say before taking a sip of coffee and eyeing the raven. "You want to hear what happened?

Matthew cocks his head, the way birds do when they're curious. His beady eyes are fixed on you as if he's trying to piece together the story from your face alone.

"You wouldn't believe it, Matty," you begin, taking a sip of your coffee. Your fingers tap rhythmically against the mug, the warmth seeping into your skin. "The ball was something straight out of a fairytale."

A soft chuckle escapes Matthew's beak. "Oh? And how so?"

You lean back in your chair, letting your gaze wander to the ceiling as you recall the memories. "There were dreams of all shapes and sizes, dressed in their finest. Some even wore masks made of stardust and moonlight."

Matthew preens his feathers, his gaze never leaving your face. "Sounds like quite the sight."

You nod, grinning at the memory. "The music was enchanting, and I danced with a nightmare who spun me around like we were waltzing on clouds."

Matthew's caw is soft, almost a purr. "And what about Lord Morpheus? Did he dance with you?"

"Uh, no," You reply with a wry smile. "He was too busy dodging some nymphs that desperately wanted his attention… and quite possibly more."

"Oh now you have to tell me!" Matthew says, hopping in excitement.

Your eyes light up as you recount the night's events to Matthew. "You should've seen it, Matty," you begin, trying to suppress a giggle. "Lord Morpheus was like a cat with nine lives, evading those nymphs at every turn. I almost felt bad for him…"

Matthew cocks his head, clearly interested. "Oh? How did he manage that?"

You lean back in your chair, enjoying the memory. "He was graceful as a panther, slipping through their grasp every time they reached out to him. At one point, he slipped behind a group of pixies who were dancing in the air."

Matthew's beady eyes twinkle with amusement. "Sounds like he was quite the sight."

"Oh, he was," you affirm with a nod. "He moved through the crowd like water, never missing a beat. And his eyes...you could just tell he wanted out."

"And the nymphs?" Matthew prompts.

You chuckle at the memory. "They chased him around all night. But every time they thought they had him cornered, he would just vanish into thin air. I feel bad for laughing about it but it was hilarious."

Matthew caws in laughter, flapping his wings in delight. "That's the boss for you! Always one step ahead."

You laugh along with him before settling back into your chair, your mind already drifting to other parts of the night.

Matthew cocks his head, eyes twinkling with curiosity. "And what about your Dream Lover? Did you see him at the ball?"

A chuckle escapes your lips. "Matthew, you know I don't see him," you remind him gently. The warm coffee mug in your hands is comforting, the scent wafting up and mixing with the faint smell of rain.

"Right, right," Matthew caws, ruffling his feathers. "But you met up with him, didn't you?"

You can't help but flush at that, a small smile tugging at your lips. "Maybe," you reply coyly, enjoying the way Matthew squawks in protest.

"Oh come on, Kora! Don't leave me hanging," he insists, hopping closer on the table.

With a sigh, you set your coffee mug down and lean back in your chair. "Fine," you relent. "We met up."

Matthew practically preens with satisfaction. "And?" he prompts eagerly.

"And..." You pause for a moment, recalling the magic of that encounter. "We danced."

Matthew is silent for a moment, clearly surprised. Then he caws loudly, flapping his wings in excitement. "You danced with him?!"

You nod, a dreamy smile on your face as you recall the sensation of his arms around you, the rhythm of the dance. "Yes," you admit softly. "In a garden filled with lilacs."

Matthew cocks his head again, clearly intrigued by this revelation. He hops closer to you on the table, his beady eyes never leaving your face.

"And how was it?" he asks quietly.

"It was..." You pause for a moment, searching for the right words to describe the experience. "It was wonderful."

Your gaze flits to the clock hanging on the wall. The hands tick away the seconds, but to you, it feels like time has frozen. You find yourself yearning for the night, yearning for the Dreaming.

"You miss him, don't you?" Matthew's voice brings you back to reality.

You blink, shaking your head as if to clear it. "I... yes," you admit, surprising yourself with your honesty.

Matthew's beady eyes are sympathetic. "It's okay, Kora," he assures you. "There's nothing wrong with missing someone."

"But it's not... normal," you say, gesturing vaguely with your hand. "He's a dream... or nightmare."

Matthew caws softly, his head tilting to one side as he regards you thoughtfully. "Is he though?" he asks gently. "Is he really just a dream slash nightmare to you?"

You open your mouth to respond but close it again when no words come out. Matthew has a point. He isn't just a figment of your imagination; he's real in the Dreaming, and in a way, he's become real to you too. The realization is like a punch to the gut. It leaves you breathless, reeling with the implications of what this means.

You're in love. Real love. Not in lust, or in lust because of the incredible sex, but actual, unadulterated love.

"Oh, fuck me," you mutter to yourself in horror. A shocked silence follows your words. You stare at the raven, his beady eyes watching you closely. Matthew caws softly, an almost understanding sound.

"You've fallen for him," Matthew states, not a question but a simple fact. He ruffles his feathers, hopping closer to you on the table. "Hard."

"Yeah," you admit, your voice barely above a whisper. You run your fingers through your hair, your mind racing. "Yeah, I think I have."

Matthew cocks his head to one side, studying you with an intensity that makes you uncomfortable. "You sure about that?"

"Matthew," you groan, burying your face in your hands. "I don't need the third degree right now."

He caws again, hopping back onto the window sill. His dark eyes watch you with a strange intensity before he flaps his wings and takes off into the sky.

The silence in the room is deafening after Matthew's departure. You're left alone with your thoughts and the realization that you've fallen in love with a dream... or nightmare.

Suddenly, your phone buzzes on the table, pulling you from your thoughts. You pick it up and see a message from one of your friends inviting you out for drinks tonight. You consider it for a moment before replying with a quick 'sure'. It's better than staying at home and overthinking things.

With a quick swipe of lipstick and a final check in the mirror, you're out the door and on your way to meet your friends at the bar. The London streets are busy, filled with people rushing home after a long day's work. You're glad for the distraction, anything to keep your mind from wandering back to him.

The bar is crowded when you arrive, loud chatter and laughter filling the air. Your friends wave you over from a booth in the corner. You slide into the seat next to them, ordering a drink as you join their conversation.

As you settle into the cushioned booth, your friends greet you with enthusiastic cheers and playful jabs. Overhead, the neon lights of the bar cast a soft glow on the group, setting the scene for an evening of banter and camaraderie.

"You're late, Kora!" your friend, Emma, playfully accuses, raising her glass in a mock toast. Her eyes are bright with mirth as she nudges you with her elbow.

You chuckle, taking a sip of your drink. "I had a raven to deal with," you reply cryptically, not missing the confused looks that pass between your friends.

"Oh?" Emma raises an eyebrow in curiosity. "Sounds like quite the story."

"It is," you assure her with a nod. "But it's not one for tonight."

"Fine," Emma concedes with a huff. "Then let's talk about us. Any juicy gossip?"

A round of laughter follows her words as everyone takes turns sharing their latest romantic escapades. Sarah's been seeing a guy who has an odd fascination with astrology. Mark just broke up with his girlfriend who turned out to be his boss's daughter. As each tale unfolds, you find yourself getting lost in their stories, letting their laughter and energy wash wash out your stress. It's a welcome distraction from the whirlwind of emotions that have been swirling around in your mind since Matthew's visit.

You listen to their stories with rapt attention, laughing at their jokes and offering advice when asked. Their tales of love and heartbreak are wildly different from yours, but there's a sense of shared love and heartbreak that comes from sharing these intimate details of your lives. Emma is currently dating a guy who she swears looks like Ryan Gosling… if you squint hard enough in dim lighting. Mark just started seeing someone new after his tumultuous breakup, a woman he met at a bookstore who shares his love for vintage comic books.

As they share their stories, you find yourself silently comparing their experiences to yours. The differences are stark and numerous, your lover exists only in dreams while theirs are as real as the bar around you. The night continues on like this, laughter echoing off the walls, drinks being refilled and emptied again. It's nice to forget about everything for a while, to lose yourself in your friends' stories and let go of your own worries. But your mind always goes back to him.

The night progresses and several guys approach your table. They're attractive, no doubt about that, but they're not him. They don't make your heart race or your stomach flip like he does. Still, you engage in light banter, smiling politely as they try to impress you with stories of their 'exciting' lives.

One of them, a tall guy with a charming smile and sparkling eyes, seems particularly interested in you. He's funny and charming and not at all unattractive. He's also very persistent. After a while, he asks you out on a dinner date.

You hesitate for a moment before agreeing. It's not like you're cheating on him, right? After all, he's just a dream... or nightmare. You can't be official if you haven't even seen if face or know his name.

Your friends cheer when you accept the guy's offer. They clink their glasses together in celebration as he grins at you across the table. Despite the cheeriness of your friends and the charming guy across from you, there's an ache in your chest that won't go away. It lingers there, like a stubborn cloud blocking out the sun.

You can't help but think about him as the night wears on. The way he makes you feel is incomparable to anything else. The thought of being with someone else feels wrong somehow. But this is reality and he.. isn't. He exists in another realm entirely. He already told you that you didn't belong and your place is within the waking.

With a sigh, you push these thoughts aside and focus on the man sitting across from you. He's nice and he makes you laugh; that should be enough for now. But as he talks about his job and his life, all you can think about is how different he is from him.

This date might be what you need, an anchor to reality,  but it doesn't change how much your heart yearns for something more... something real yet intangible. You know one thing for certain though; accepting this date doesn't mean forgetting about him or moving on from him. It just means acknowledging reality while cherishing what happens when you close your eyes at night.

Date Published: 10/8/24

Last Edit: 10/8/24

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[illarian-rambling]

Thanks for the tag @mysticstarlightduck!

Character Profile Tag

Rules: Answer the questions for one of your characters

I feel like giving Djek some love <3

Full name: Djek Serun Kagura

Age: 19 in book 1, 23 in books 2 and 3

Gender: Cis man

Type of Being: Human, specifically of Amaranthi lineage

Appearance: Djek is a scrappy man standing at about 5'5". He has light brown skin, deep-set red eyes, and a black buzzcut about two weeks overgrown. He constantly squints because he needs glasses, lending to his shifty appearance, and he's missing a few teeth from a long ago brawl. In later books, his hands are covered in rippling black tattoos. He usually dresses in the fantasy version of laid-back chicano style, and can often be seen with lots of jewelry that may or may not belong to him and messy eyeliner.

Way of speaking: He grew up on the streets of a big city, and you can tell. There isn't a formal bone in his body. In my mind, he has a Chicago accent.

Physical characteristics: Elaborating on what I said in appearance, Djek’s most noticeable trait is his bright red eyes. This is the telling feature of the Amaranthi people, and his eyes are very vibrant even by that standard. Too bad they hardly work.

Occupation: Part-time thief, part-time locksmith. If he can break it, he can make it.

Family: Djek is estranged from his family, as his parents abandoned him to cut down on mouths to feed during a famine. His parents' names are Kali and Jedul. His older sisters are Kiva, Kana, and Avra. His older brother is Shon, and his younger brother is Vanik. He hasn't seen any of them since he was seven, though, so he's not sure which of them survived.

Best friend: His best friends and found family are Izjik Meautammera, Sepo Kaiacynthus, and Twenari Devaris. He considers them to be like sisters and brothers more so than any of his blood siblings.

Pets: Lord knows he's not responsible enough for that

Relationships: He tries, but he can never get past the talking stage, rip

Describe their room: For a large part of the story, he shares a room with Sepo. Djek’s side of the room is perpetually messy. Dirty clothes cover the floor, and the remnants of a half-dozen card castles litter every flat surface. His bed has approximately nine blankets and no fitted sheet or pillow. He likes to tinker on locks before bed, so there's a few screws floating around in there.

Items in their bag/purse: Lockpicks, snacks, spare change, a wallet that might belong to him, and ibuprofen

Hobbies: Playing (cheating at) cards, dancing, tinkering with locks, yapping

Favorite sport: He, like the rest of the quartet, loves to swim

Abilities/talents/powers: Djek is a sorcerer, albeit not a very powerful one. His best spell is his shadow summoning.

Fears: Abandonment is the big one. Djek has bounced from group to group all his life, always the weakest link. He does his best to make people laugh and always go along with what people say, as he believes any group will leave him to die if he's not useful or amusing enough.

Faults: Chronic people pleaser, consummate liar, terrible self esteem, always trying to be funny at bad times. He doesn't trust himself and thinks he's weak, so he usually just does what the strongest person in the room tells him to.

Good points: Unbreakably loyal, legitimately funny when he gets his timing right, has a heart of gold underneath his rough exterior, incredibly resourceful and creative. Despite how easily peer pressured he is, at a certain point, there are some things Djek refuses to budge on, like killing.

What they want more than anything else: To finally find a place where he belongs.

I'll tag @thecomfywriter @chaotictravelerrants @pluttskutt @tragedycoded @melpomene-grey and anyone else who wants to play :)

Full name: Age: Gender: Type of Being: Appearance: Way of speaking: Physical characteristics: Occupation: Family: Best friend: Pets: Relationships: Describe their room: Items in their bag/purse: Hobbies: Favourite sport: Abilities/talents/powers: Fears: Faults: Good points: What they want more than anything else:

[waiting-on-a-dream]

Prisoner 006: Sasaki Yui - Trial 2

General info

Verdict: GUILTY

Physical changes: She often wears a troubled scowl now. Her bangs have grown longer, covering her eyes completely. She no longer styles her hair in any way, so its down loose and messy. Her accessories from the first trial have been taken away, so her uniform with tattered sleeves is all that's left of her outfit. She's taken to biting her lips when she's stressed, so now they're rubbed red and raw.

Behavioral changes: She's become less sociable and mostly keeps to herself. She's constantly in a bad mood and easily snaps at the other prisoners. She hasn't been eating or taking care of herself well, and rejects any concern from the other prisoners, especially Suzume.

Alone in her room, she can't help but listen to what the voices in her head have to say. Its mostly suspicion directed towards her and her crime, but sometimes she'll catch bits and pieces about a game or experiment? She doesn't understand what's going on, but she keeps listening anyway. For all she knows she's going insane.

Trailer art: Yui faces you directly, hands outstretched like she's T-posing. Her expression is tormented and the ends of her sleeves are tattered and torn. Behind her, a bright screen for a door with coloured text that reads: liar, traitor, confess your sins. The screen is white with a coloured divider of fire at the bottom, lapping at her heels.

Voicelines

– Second trial trailer

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

– Character voice trailer

I've been thinking about it a lot, and I've made up my mind.

Cover info

Canon Milgram song cover: After pain (I find it funny how Muu sang this song before she was voted guilty, and now Yui is singing it after she's been voted guilty. They have quite a lot in common actually.)

DECO*27 song cover: Reversible campaign (Believe it or not, she genuinely loved Himiko a lot.)

Non-DECO*27 vocaloid song cover: Schema by Chinozo (The lyrics suit her well, and the beat is catchy enough for a dance. :D)

Music info

Song title: Rising stakes

Song preview: All on my own, dancing for you. A special show! Cheer for me, cheer for me! The lights turn red, the stadium becomes a colosseum. My words don't reach you. I am...GUILTY.

There's no other way to end this (notice and stop me). I've already gone too far. The difference between love and obsession is too much of a good thing. My hard work ends here. I hope you don't miss me.

MV description: The MV switches between many locations and features quite a few scenes with watermelons. Pastel pink and green make up most of the colour scheme, though Yui continues to wear purple for every outfit. Multiple people turn up in the MV, but only Himiko's face is shown when she appears.

The MV starts with Yui standing alone on stage, in front of an audience waving purple light sticks about. Coloured stage lights decorate the stage and she begins to dance. The audience is enthusiastic at first, but then their light sticks turn from purple to red. The ground below the stage begins to rise, switching to a setting more akin to a colosseum. Yui stops dancing and stares at the audience in horror. The camera zooms in on her horrified expression.

Then the camera cuts to a shot of a knife splitting a watermelon in half. Yui continues cutting until a nearby plate is piled high with cubes of watermelon flesh. Two boys enter the kitchen, their hair grey like Yui's, one shorter than the other. She offers them the plate of watermelon. They dig in happily.

The scene switches to a setting of a city. Yui walks down the street in casual clothes with Himiko walking beside her, drinking from a cup of boba. A group of girls recognize them and hurry over to take some group pictures. Yui and Himiko both smiles for the camera. A chibi Himiko charm hangs from the bag of one of the girls.

The camera cuts to Yui scrolling through her phone in her bedroom. The window is dark, so its likely night time. Himiko's name appears on the screen with every scroll of her finger, reaction pictures of her face popping up all over the screen. Cut again to Yui with the phone to her ear, calling someone. She looks sad.

A rolling shot of the Sasaki family's group photo. Yui stands in the middle with a bright smile, sandwiched between her two brothers and their parents behind them. The scene transitions to the eldest brother tinkering with a machine on his desk, then the younger brother typing code onto his computer. The camera cuts to Yui, smiling awkwardly as she waves the purple light sticks in her hand about. A hand reaches out from behind the camera and pats her head. She closes her eyes and scrunches up her nose in surprise.

One more cut to Yui's parents and brothers eating watermelon by the dining table. The camera shifts to Yui who watches from the kitchen. After a while, she turns back to another watermelon laid out on the kitchen counter and lifts up her knife. The scene transitions from the knife splitting the watermelon in half to Himiko lying on the ground with blood pooling beneath her head. End.

Author's notes

Watermelon is Yui's brothers' favourite fruit.

I find it funny how I had such a hard time finding songs for Haku to cover, but for Yui it was so easy. All it takes is some negative self-esteem for many Vocaloid songs to suit her, huh?

Why is it...so hard to find picrews with the option for dark-grey hair and bangs covering the eyes. I straight up forgot how dark of a grey Yui's hair is until I checked her first wikipedia page. But I'm too tired for this. Her hair became white from stress. The end.

Picrews used: - https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/549603 - https://picrew.me/ja/image_maker/1469896

[hotarutranslations]

To Time Machine No.3-san!

Evening

Since I couldn't write yesterday..

Again,

I was able to go on the live show the day before last on, FM FUJI "Time-chan"

Nah,

It was a rare "Lion Rock-chan"

If you listened, thank you very much🦁✨

Time Machine No.3-san, Suddenly weren't able to make it,

So we sent out the radio, with Lion Rock-san, and Yakubo-san!

Because there was..personal quiz in the script, They were questions from Ishida but🔴🔴

Fufufu🔴🔴

For Ishida's fans,

Things that get me excited.. YouTube..Red..

From those keywords, I wonder if you were able to find the answer right awa--yy--🔴🔴

If you missed listening to it, By all means from radiko↓ Time-chan FM FUJI 8/20 (Tue) 9:00-11:00PM

The thumbnail is from the day after yesterday… Since its supperrrrrr cute…

Here…

No wait, its too emotional..its too precious..cute..

Posting a link like this, Having it appear on blogs like dudu--n, Since its kinda embarrasing(?)

I wanted to quietly post a link(?) But its impossible with the way to do it⚠️

Thank you very much, to those that always read about what I like, for reading my blog😂🤍

With that,

Unfortunately I couldn't meet them the day before yesterday,

Time Machine No.3-san!!

Time-chan!! I'll use this space to write about, What I wanted to tell them when we met this time!!

Excuse me for such an honest title!!

I'm lost but.. I think, lets do it~!!

To Time Machine No.3-san!!

・Its been a while

・Ishida has also decided on her graduation~~

・Please definitely come and see my last~~ (Really, by all means if your schedule allows.. Even though I've always wanted you to come, It ended up becoming…the last of the last🤦🏻‍♀️ Please let me know if it fits your schedule)

(They were the MC's from the start through season 9) ・Hello Pro Dance Gakuen, We're doing our best currently~~

・They've helped out the Dance Gakuen Members, And now its become that there are 3 of the original members

・But we did a public recording, and it was exciting as always🕺🕺

・Recently Kagaya-san has often been the MC

・I watched Delish Kitchen on YouTube, that featured Kagaya-san and Time-san

・I'm watching Delish Kitchen

・Ishida also wants to be on Delish Kitchen

・Its not just Zigzag Ziggy-san, that wants to go on Delish Kitchen, I am here✋🏻

(…Um this is, I didn't plan to tell you this openly, I wrote it this way as it was too bad I couldn't tell you🫣🫣)

This is it!!

To Time Machine No.3-san!!

I received this watermelon from, Yamauchi Farm who has helped me on an AraKashi location shoot🤤🫶🏻

Although we learned about figs,

I received a watermelon🤤🫶🏻 I love watermelon🤤🫶🏻

Yamauchi-san kindly talk me about figs on,

Sendai Broadcast's Ara Ara Kashiko, Ishida Ayumi Goes! ~Yamamoto's Figs ver.~

Airing on August 24th🌸

🕺

Play▶️List

Debut song 48th Pyoko Pyoko Ultra~

I danced a lot on my own..

🕺

Graduation Announcement Blog🐣🪽

Hello! Station #531 I also talk about my graduation in this video

📺Sendai Broadcast "Ara Ara Kashiko"

August 24th (Sat) 10:25AM~ Ishida Ayumi Goes~! ~Yamamoto Figs Ver.~ I appear once a month as part of the AraKashi Family

The previous shows, and makings, are on OX VIDEO STORE!

📺Hello Pro Dance Every other Thursday at 11:30PM~

Thank you for following.. Instagram💙🩵

💿 August 14th new single✨ "Nandaka Sentimental na Toki no Uta/saiKIYOU"

⚾️Ceremonial Pitch

Rakuten Mobile Park Miyagi August 30th (Fri) I will be making the ceremonial pitch I will also be appearing in lots of events Lets cheer at the stadium together⚾️

🪩Hello! Project 2024 Summer ALL OF US "Vega" "Altair" From July 13th~September 1st Traveling To 7 Cities Nationwide All Hello! Project groups are performing🔥

🪩Sawayaka Goro Birthday Event September 8th on the day of Goro-san's birthday🎂 I'll be appearing as a guest at the birthday event🎂

🪩"Morning Musume '24 Concert Tour Autumn WE CAN DANCE!"

Its Ishida Ayumi's last tour💙 I'm looking forward to seeing you

🪩"ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL 2024 in HITACHINAKA" September 22nd GRASS STAGE 10:30AM~

→Tickets are on general sale

📻Morning Musume '24 Morning Jogakuin ~Houkago Meeting~

Airs Every Saturday, On Radio Nihon at 12:00AM~

Past Broadcast Episodes Are Available →Program Details

I visited as a guest🪽 "Sayashi Riho and The Time From Now On" presented by Meiji Bulgarian Yogurt

📻I visited as a guest🤍 Harami-chan no Harami Fan Radio♪

(I forgot to post a photo, so I reuploaded it, sorry!)

see you ayumin <3 https://ameblo.jp/morningmusume-10ki/entry-12864625092.html

[savefilescomng12]

Vin Diesel Gives "First Crush" Rita Moreno a Moving Tribute

Rita Moreno's incredible, decades-long career is being celebrated. Moreno, 92, appeared at the Edison Ballroom in New York City at the WNET Group's 2024 gala on Tuesday, May 7, where Vin Diesel celebrated his onscreen grandmother's and official "first crush's" legendary acting career. Taking the stage with a heartfelt speech, Diesel, 56, made it clear he was there to support Moreno, who portrayed Abuelita, the grandmother of Diesel's long-running Dominic Toretto character in Fast X. “My dream as a kid growing up here in New York … my first crush … was Rita," he began. He credited Moreno's role in The Electric Company for helping him and fellow New Yorkers in his neighborhood learn how to read. The classic television series ran from 1971 to 1977. He then recalled a full circle moment when he was looking for an actress to play Abuelita in the latest Fast & Furious franchise film. "I had the incredible luxury of meeting one of my idols and from that moment on I thought the only human in the world that could play the most significant role to Dom Toretto would be Rita Moreno." 8SP_David Nicholas He praised Moreno for helping him realize as a child that someone who "looks like me" can make it as a famous actor, giving him the "confidence" to pursue his own dreams. Sharing an unforgettable moment Diesel continued, "Rita and I were working and a line was created on the spot for her to say. It was whispered into her ear and she looked up and started crying and said. 'That’s the most beautiful line I’ve ever heard.' Now what? What do you do with that but cry? The whole set was crying." "You not only show up for family but you show up for people that make a difference in this world and that just by inviting me here validates my existence. I’m serious," Diesel said. "I don't have an Oscar, I don't have an Emmy, I don't have a Golden Globe, I don't have a Tony but I got Rita Moreno.” Moreno became emotional after hearing Diesel's kind words, and told the audience in what appeared to be an unexpected moment on the microphone, "I’ve never had any kind of celebration in my honor. Yes, I’ve gotten some pretty fabulous awards and statutes but I’ve never had anything in my honor." After reflecting on her journey, she sang a rendition of "Dream," which garnered a standing ovation from the audience. 8SP_David Nicholas Morgan Freeman, Alan Cumming, Lin Manuel-Miranda, and Sally Field also appeared via video to pay tribute to the EGOT winner. Dancers from the Ballet Hispánico performed at the event, as did Marvel actress and Dancing with the Stars champion Xochitl Gomez. Ansel Elgort performed "Something's Coming" from West Side Story, resulting in an emotional Moreno kissing Elgort after the moment. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.  Moreno first appeared on Broadway as a teenager in 1945 in a production of Skydrift; she then began acting for the screen with 1950's So Young, So Bad and memorably starred in the 1961 film West Side Story, for which she won an Academy Award for her performance as Anita. Moreno reached EGOT status in 1977 after she won an Emmy Award for appearing on The Muppet Show; she won a Grammy in 1973 and a Tony Award in 1975 for her performance in The Ritz. Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty Moreno turned 92 in December. She caught up with PEOPLE in April, when she spoke about her relationship with her daughter Fernanda Luisa Gordon, whom she shares with her late husband, Leonard Gordon. "There are times when I need her wisdom, and they are more often than you might think, particularly at this age," she said at the time. "Ninety-two is not easy in many ways, and it's something that's difficult to understand."  Source link Read the full article

[roovetmusic]

The Best Singers from South Carolina

South Carolina is a state with a rich musical heritage, producing singers who have influenced various genres such as country, R&B, soul, rock, and folk. From the legendary James Brown to the contemporary Ruston Kelly, South Carolina singers have showcased their talent and versatility on national and international stages. In this article, we will explore some of the best singers from South Carolina, highlighting their achievements and contributions to the world of music.

James Brown

James Brown is arguably the most famous singer from South Carolina, and one of the most influential musicians of all time. Born in Barnwell in 1933, Brown rose from poverty and hardship to become the “Godfather of Soul”, a pioneer of funk, and a leader of the civil rights movement. His songs such as “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag”, “I Got You (I Feel Good)”, and “Say It Loud — I’m Black and I’m Proud” are considered classics of American music, blending soulful vocals, rhythmic grooves, and social commentary. Brown was also known for his electrifying performances, featuring dynamic dance moves, flashy costumes, and charismatic stage presence. He received numerous awards and honors, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, and a Kennedy Center Honor.

Darius Rucker

Darius Rucker is another prominent singer from South Carolina, who achieved fame as the lead vocalist of the rock band Hootie & the Blowfish. Formed in Columbia in 1986, the band sold over 25 million records worldwide, with hits such as “Hold My Hand”, “Let Her Cry”, and “Only Wanna Be with You”. Rucker also pursued a successful solo career in country music, becoming the first African American to win the Country Music Association Award for New Artist of the Year in 2009. His country albums include Learn to Live, Charleston, SC 1966, True Believers, and Home for the Holidays.

Eartha Kitt

Eartha Kitt was a singer, actress, and activist from South Carolina, who captivated audiences with her distinctive voice and style. Born in North in 1927, Kitt began her career as a dancer and singer in New York City, where she was discovered by Orson Welles. She went on to record songs in various languages, such as “C’est si bon”, “Santa Baby”, and “Where Is My Man”. She also appeared in films and TV shows, most notably as Catwoman in the 1960s Batman series. Kitt was also outspoken about social issues, such as racism, war, and women’s rights. She received several awards and honors, including three Emmy nominations, two Grammy nominations, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Ruston Kelly

Ruston Kelly is a rising singer-songwriter from South Carolina, who has impressed critics and fans with his honest and heartfelt lyrics. Born in Georgetown in 1988, Kelly moved around the country with his family before settling in Nashville to pursue music. He has released two albums so far: Dying Star in 2018 and Shape & Destroy in 2020. His songs explore themes such as addiction, recovery, love, and faith, drawing from his personal experiences and struggles. He has also collaborated with other artists such as Kacey Musgraves (his ex-wife), Tim McGraw, Lucie Silvas, and The Lumineers.

Angie Stone

Angie Stone is a singer-songwriter from South Carolina who has made her mark in the R&B and neo-soul genres. Born in Columbia in 1961, Stone started her career as a member of the hip hop trio The Sequence in the late 1970s. She then joined the R&B group Vertical Hold before launching her solo career in 1999. Her albums include Black Diamond, Mahogany Soul, Stone Love, The Art of Love & War, Unexpected, Rich Girl, Dream, and Full Circle. Her songs such as “No More Rain (In This Cloud)”, “Brotha”, “Wish I Didn’t Miss You”, and “2 Bad Habits” showcase her smooth vocals, soulful grooves, and empowering messages. She has also acted in films and TV shows such as The Fighting Temptations, Girlfriends, and The Bobby Brown Story.

Melz Cali

Rodney Fisher (born September 16, 1979), known professionally as Melz Cali or Ramello Zamar Calico , is an American rapper and singer. Fisher is known for his strong voice and incorporation of hip hop and R&B, and has been recognized as a soul-trap mello man. He was raised in Amityville, New York were he began his singing career. Although he’s currently lives in South Carolina. Fisher is more known for his singing more than his rapping, most of his songs like ‘’Sexcipe’’ and ‘’Hit It Whenever’’ features a R&B vibe. Fisher has also shown that he can rap as well as he is featured on the song “Work” with Tribal Young Brown.

[jadedvibes]

Always (I)

Summary: One last bonfire at the beach with your friends before graduation brings to light feelings Bucky didn't fully realize he had – too bad it's too late.

Pairing: best friend!Bucky x reader

Warnings: fluff, dancing, lots of feels, angst, swearing, pet names.

Word Count: 1.5k

Series masterlist

Like, comment, and/or reblog to put a giant smile on my face ♡

This was exactly what you’d needed, a calm night at the beach with friends, sitting around a cozy fire, talking about nothing and everything, eating delicious s’mores without a worry in the world. 

Life had been a lot lately and you cherished the moments where you got to pretend that you didn’t carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, or more specifically the pressures of graduation. As you looked around the bonfire at Nat, Sam, Steve, Wanda, and Bucky, you felt truly grateful for your solid friend group. You had all grown so incredibly close throughout the last four years and you knew no matter what they’d always play a big role in your life. 

The full moon casted a ghostly glow over the ocean, and even though the sun had set, you could still see everyone perfectly thanks to the bright shine above. With limited time left together, you all decided to have one last beach trip before finals and the stresses to come.

Your friends were in a playful but heated debate over whether a bowl of cereal was technically soup when Bucky nudged you. 

“Do you wanna go for a walk?” he asked with a soft smile. “I have a feeling this isn’t going to end anytime soon.” 

Nodding your head, you placed your hand in his and let him help you up off your beach blanket. When your pals got started, you never knew how long their silly debates would last. 

“Be back in a few,” you said to the group, but they didn’t seem to notice. Sam shouted something about milk being a broth and you shook your head, smirking at Bucky. 

Linking your arm with his, you strolled a bit closer towards the edge of the water. The tides were high, and the waves appeared luminous in the moonlight. As a cold breeze washed over your cheeks, you leaned into Bucky for a little more warmth, missing the smile that graced his lips when you did that. 

“So now that it’s just the two of us…” he paused, and you peeked up at him to see a serious look on his face. “Is it a soup or not?” 

“B!” you giggled, pushing him away from you. 

He held up his hands with a grin. “Fine, fine. You’re right, it’d only tear us apart.” 

“And we can’t have that right?” you asked sarcastically, knowing that graduation was going to do just that for you anyways. 

Bucky watched as a somber expression appeared on your face, and how you quickly turned towards the ocean so that he wouldn’t read into it. But he knew you too well, and he already understood where your mind had gone. 

“You know, I’ll always be here for you right? Distance won’t change the fact that you’re my best friend,” he wrapped his arm around you. 

“I know,” you whispered with a small smile.

The two of you watched the water ebb and flow, feeling the weight of the heavy words left unspoken.

You were used to doing just about everything with Bucky. He was your day one since college orientation, and the two of you had been inseparable ever since; from late nights in the library, random pizza runs, to impromptu heavy chats after a long day. You had gotten accustomed to him showing up at your door numerous times throughout the week, always finding new ways to entertain yourselves. 

When you were together, there was never a dull moment. And even in the quiet, no silence between you ever felt awkward. 

You couldn’t help but freak out over losing him, but a great job offer in a different city didn’t give you much of a choice. Bucky had to take over his dad’s architecture firm in the city, and you couldn’t turn down your own amazing offer close to family on the other side of the country. 

What you didn’t know was the brave front that Bucky was putting on for you. He wasn’t sure what a life without you would look like, but he wasn’t looking forward to it. He knew that in a few short weeks he’d have to find a way to be in your absence, and that scared him. 

The only fact that gave him solace was that you were strong, and he knew you could handle yourself. You would be fine. He would be fine – or at least that’s what he kept telling himself. 

“I’ll come visit you, and if you’re ever free you can always come back to see me,” he squeezed your shoulder. 

A sad smile tugged at your lips, and you were about to reply with some half-hearted agreement to his words that you didn’t mean when a jazzy song started playing back near the bonfire. It had to be loud for you to be able to hear it so clearly from where you were. Both of you looked over to see Nat and Wanda moving from side to side, dancing to “Moondance,” by Van Morrison on their portable speaker. 

“Well that’s the perfect song choice,” you let out a laugh. It was better not to ruin this last group outing with heavy feelings about the future, the time for those emotions would inevitably come later. 

Bucky turned towards you, his hand sliding down to grab yours. As his eyes held yours, he gave you a lopsided grin illuminated by the soft moonlight. You couldn’t help but smile back because you knew what he was about to do. He coaxed you into twirling before tugging you against his broad chest, just like he’d done so many times before; at formals, concerts, and bars you’d frequented throughout the years, he was always your designated dance partner. With one hand on his strong shoulder and the other placed in his hand, you moved together to the easy rhythm. 

Gazing into his dark blue eyes, you tried to memorize the way it felt to be with him. From the moment you met, he made you feel safe, valued and special. That was a lot to receive from one person, but that was Bucky. You hoped you’d find another friend like him; although deep down you knew he was irreplaceable.

As he smiled down at you, you didn't recognize the inner turmoil Bucky was hiding from you. He wanted you to stay, he didn’t want this to be your last dance. He needed more time. And he was on the verge of saying something he shouldn’t, when you started humming along to the song. 

It could wait, he thought before spinning you out into another twirl. 

You giggled into his chest when he pulled you back, and what a sweet sound that was to him. It flooded his chest, the echoes of your laughter reverberating in his heart. He wondered how long it’d stay that way, and whether time would fade out the joy that filled his soul because of you. He didn’t ponder for long however, because deep down he knew the answer; you were the light to his darkness, a radiance he couldn’t live long without. He’d always need you.

Pressing a warm, lingering kiss to your forehead, he whispered, “I love you, honey.”

He was playing with fire, his brain heavily blurring the line between friend and something more – but he couldn’t help himself. 

Bucky had uttered those words countless times before, but tonight he felt that it held new meaning. Maybe they always did, but now he knew it for sure. Knowing that he was going to lose you put everything into perspective. 

He was in love with you – and it was too damn late. 

“I know, B,” you smiled before nuzzling your face into his chest. “I’ll always love you,” you murmured, knowing that you would. Comfortable in his embrace, you pushed away the lingering thoughts about how much you cared for him, and how truly you meant your words. He was your best friend, you couldn’t go there. 

“You think those two will ever get together?” Sam asked Steve, the duo watching as you both swayed together.

“If they haven’t by now, I doubt they ever will,” he shrugged. “It’s a shame though, they’re the happiest when they’re together.”

“Yeah,” Sam nodded. “They are.” 

When the song ended, you both made your way back to the group, knowing that the cereal debate was tabled for the time being. Bucky wordlessly tugged you closer so that he could keep you warm, and the two of you snuggled up as you fell into easy conversation with your friends around the bonfire.

As you peered up at the vast night sky, you saw a bright star twinkle before shooting across it. There were so many things you could have wished for upon that shooting star; an easy transition into your new job, winning the lottery, finding a great new love. However, looking at the guy whose arm was linked with yours, you knew exactly what to wish for.

Sadly, you weren’t sure that it could come true – nevertheless, that wouldn’t stop you from believing in it. 

Part II

[a-gal-with-taste]

Goodreads

Summary: You walk into the Undercity's most famous club, and an hour in, immediately sneak off to go immerse yourself in the book you brought. The stranger that joins you at the bar-counter, takes an interest.

Pairing: Silco X GN!Reader

Wordcount: 2.5K+

Warnings: SFW. No real warnings, mostly just two strangers, meeting at a bar, and conversing over books. One just happens to be the most powerful person in Zaun.

Note: Replacement piece for Timer (Pt. 2) (read Pt. 1 here) that I was planning to release tonight. Hoping to release it tomorrow, enjoy this until then!

Part 2

It wasn't that you didn't like clubs. You decided to come to this one after all the begging and whining your friends had given you after your initial decline, after all, so obviously your distaste for the pounding music and sporadic lighting was mild enough for you to enjoy yourself for an hour or two.

Still, after a couple rounds on the dance-floor, you had been quick to remove yourself from your friends to slip over to the open-bar. Bag pulled tight to your side as you made your way towards the more vacant side, taking the forest corner-seat, and pulling out your true source of entertainment for a night after ordering something mild.

The group you had come with had been quick to roll their eyes, some audibly groaning in dismay with one staring at the offending object in a mix of horror, disgust and betrayal, but this was one of your favorites. It was a nice vacation from the flickering sights and sounds of the club, which was apparently the best in the city. It was at least the most well-protected, you mused as you remembered the towering guards at the entrance and the way your other companion had been boasting about getting on the list for the evening.

Personally, while you didn't mind the bursts of partying and letting the music take control, there came a point where you knew you'd find more enjoyment in a book, despite how bizarre the sight must appear to others.

Placing your drink back onto the counter, you were engrossed in the well-worn book laying on the counter as you rested your cheek on your fist, elbow against the counter as you sighed quietly at the ending of the chapter, internally debating on a return to the dance floor. You soon turned to the next page. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see a figure pause briefly at the bar-counter a few seats down to utter something to the tender, words just low-enough under the music you couldn't catch it.

You attention soon fully-diverted back to the book in your hands, you missed the way the figure had paused upon glancing out of the corner of his eye, catching sight of you. You certainly don't miss him when he walks over to smoothly take the empty barstool right next you, leaning close enough to be heard over the music, "Well, this certainly isn't something one sees often in a place like this."

Well... the bonus of the smooth, slightly bemused tone now beside you, was that it didn't sound like a drunk one. Currently being in one of the better chapters of your novel, you really didn't want stop in place to deal with the inebriated. You probably could've ignored him, have him grow bored and let him leave in a huff at your lack of reaction, but you were fairly decent with multi-tasking, so you simply shrugged one shoulder and replied without looking up, "Don't normally go to a place like this."

"Oh?" There was a definitive clink of glass on the counter, placed before the man, before the sound of the bartenders shoes being quick to step away, as if warded off. By bad omen or by order of your visitor, you didn't look up to tell. "Interesting. What brought you here tonight, then?" "Well... I got yanked off the streets, shoved into one of the nicer things in my closet, and then dragged here by my friends."

"Ah; a kidnapping," He hums around the word in understanding, and you snort slightly, flipping to the next page, "Something like that. Although I imagine most victims of abduction don't get to bring reading material."

His turn to scoff lightly in amusement, and you catch a glimpse of dark-burgundy as he reaches an arm over to his drink. You swear you hear him mutter an amused, "No, they do not..." but you find your attention drawn back to the pages in hand, and he allows a comfortable silence between the two of you.

Expecting him to return onto the floor, you're surprised as the man beside you stays. Like how it wasn't often you went out on the town, it was even less common for someone (who wasn't totally shitfaced) to continue sticking around you even after you pulled the classic out. You'd assume it'd be for the alcohol, but besides a few quiet, occasional sips from his glass, the man wasn't rushing for his next shot.

You were curious. So you asked him why he was still sticking around.

"Are you saying you would you like me to leave this establishment?" He asked you, equally curious but also a humored note in his voice, like he was in on some sort of secret joke you weren't aware you were telling. "No, course not, but... you don't have a partner or someone on the dancefloor?"

"Oh no," There's a small hum at the suggestion, and you absently still your eyes on a sentence to reach out, feeling around for your drink. His arm comes directly into your line of vision, and you feel the cup nudged close against your knuckles. A small, sheepish thanks,  before you bring the straw to your lips as he continues. "Typically I don't come down here at all, let alone with company."

"But tonight?"

Another hum, another clink of glass as he takes a drink. "Tonight... paperwork was just a bit too tedious. It usually is, but some nights the thobbing of this terrible music is more agreeable than that of endless reports and records."

"It's not that terrible." There's a pointed silence between the two of you and you slowly add as you flip to the next page, "It... fits the aesthetic."

"Imagine hearing it every night. It stops being an aesthetic, or at least a good one, after the first hundred times." He sighs, and between the beat-drop, you hear him mutter something about 'last time I let her DJ...'

The familiarity of his tone piques your curiosity once again, but you wait until after another paragraph of reading in silence before acting on it, "You live local?" It was mostly a business-district, or at least what counts as 'business' in the Undercity. Again, your response is another chuckle, another joke he's bemused you haven't caught onto yet, but he also asks perplexed without answering, "What exactly are you reading there? I don't believe you've looked up once."

You take a moment to reach out again for your drink, needing to thank him again as he guides the glass to your hand again, before clearing the rest of your glass through your straw. "Just a classic. I've read it before, but it's been a while. It's good."

"Hm... put theirs on my tab," He says off-handedly, and you assume it's the bartender, as your glass is quickly refilled after his generous offer. A small drink from his own refilled glass, before he asked politely, "May I see it?" You hesitate, half because you're nearing the end of the chapter, and half because while this conversation has been interesting, even pleasant so far, you really don't want to lose or have this book ruined in case this guy is more drunk than he sounds.

Chewing on your bottom lip while he patiently waits, you can feel his casual look as you run your gaze over the rest of the page, completing the chapter with a small smile appearing at the familiar words as you go to pick it up off the counter. "I have a knife in my pocket, so don't smudge the pages," it's partially a common Zaunite joke and partially a half-hearted warning, but it earns you a somewhat disbelieving chuckle either way.

"Noted," He said as he smoothly took the book you held out, leaning back in your seat to bring your refilled drink to your mouth to really observe the man who's been keeping you company tonight. And what company he visually-was, curious seafoam eye and a proud hawk-nose peering down at the book in his hands, flipping it carefully to take note of the well-worn cover. "From a family collection?"

You snort, shaking your head, "Street-market a few years back, wanted something to keep me safe and busy inside instead of getting tangled with messes around town." He nods, smoothly flipping to the title page, his brow raising slightly as he adds. "And you're aware this is Piltovian classic?" Suppressing a groan, and subtly brushing your hand to your backpocket, you dryly asked, "Yes. Are you going to chuck it in a fire now?"

"Hardly. It's not like Zaun has a plethora of poets and novelists. And it's hardly a rarity that we get all our things second-handed from those above us." You hum in agreement, surprised to find him mild about the origin of your book. Older generations downright spat on Enforcers and the influence of Piltover, with the youth, angry but still greedy, snatching at the Undercity runoffs with dark scowls at their own weakness.

You didn't allow yourself around the worse of the streets often enough to form a concrete stance. The arts and written words of the Uppercity were the most easily accessible, and in this world where such things were a rarity at best, you took whatever you could get. "Sometimes I wonder if we'll ever get to the point we will have some. Artists, I mean," You add in clarification, your dark-haired companion shrugging as he flipped to the first couple pages, green-blue eye slowly skimming down the page.

"Oh, perhaps in another generation. It takes the youth a moment to find themselves, but there's hardly a shortage of stories to be told in Zaun." "Most will be tragedies," You retort lightly as a joke, the man closing his eyes and ducking his chin slightly with a bemused huff, before looking back up to the book. "Perhaps. I imagine there will be a few hidden gems though, love, glory and other silly things to muse the masses."

Letting out your own small chuckle at the thought, you turn slightly in your seat to glance back towards the club, trying to catch a glimpse of your friends amongst the throngs of dancers. You didn't feel any desire to rejoin them, or leave your interesting companion quite so soon, but you knew of at least two who were well-known for their short tempers, and you didn't exactly want to be dragged out with your drunken, brawling friends by association...

"I recognize the style... Kolet, isn't it?" You immediately turn back in your seat, stunned he recognized it. "Y-yes! It's the only one I have from her, you've read this one before?" Gods knew, a decent conversation at a club was already a rare-find, but someone not slurring or groping, attractive and recognized the writing styles of your favorite author...?

"No, I don't recognize the plot of this one," He commented, turning a few more pages in emphasis. "The first-editions I have of hers, though, I keep for any spare time I have in my office." You stare at him, jaw dropped.

"You're kidding."

"Serious, as the plague."

"I..." You closed your eyes, picturing those books you've only been able to think about, letting out a small laugh as you turn back in your seat, reaching for your drink. "Gods, you must think I'm insane." Another low chuckle reached your ears as you heard a district sound of the book snapping close, nails tapping along the hard-cover, before a small rustling sound. "I actually find it rather... quaint. Most within this city of mine are consumed by a need for many things, many of which are destructive at best, deadly at worst."

You finish your drink, placing the empty glass back on the counter as long-fingers slide the book back over to you atop the counter. A small, freshly folded piece of paper is on top, and you feel a small hum of caution in the back of your head as you note the symbol pre-printed on the folded side of the paper. It's eerily reminiscent of the symbol you had seen outside, just above the entranceway to the club.

"I believe you expressed that don't normally go to clubs like this, correct?" You blink, and turn to him at the calm, considering note in his voice. The hands in your lap stiffen and curl as you realize he's fully facing you for the first time the entire night, and the glowing red eye seems to pierce through you as you can only silently nod. He smiles, knowingly, like he sees the dawning realization finally showing in your eyes as you realize exactly who you've been chit-chatting with for the last hour. "I see. Well, when you find yourself back within the area, show that to my bouncers. They'll escort you through to my office, if you would enjoy conversing about those first-editions?"

You don't comment how he says 'when' and not 'if.' Or the fact that despite most of your good-sense screaming at you, you already know that you'll be back here eventually. "Thank... thank you, sir, I'd be honored." The seafoam eye blinks slowly, before the kingpin chuckles with his mouth closed, a bemused curl on partially-scarred lips. "Sir... how quaint..." He leaned closer and you can only stare as he once more picks up the book, and the invitation, before passing it gently back over into your numb hands, his own brushing against yours as he pulls back slightly.

You can only stare down at the book in your hands as he mutters lowly enough for your ears only, the smell of spiced cigar smoke close enough for you to sense with each inhale, "But you seem like one with a good memory. So, remember to use my name next time we meet, yes?" You feel you head slowly nod without your permission, and he smoothly leans back and turns on his stool. "Enjoy the rest of your night."

Again, you feel your head nod, your mouth also working without your permission to say,  "You too... Silco."

Another pause, and another faint chuckle, before you look up to watch him fade back into the crowd, even the most inebriated getting the subconscious sensation to part and open the way for the man to sink back into the depths of his club. The large woman with a bionic arm, who'd been leaning against the wall behind the two of you in silence, probably also helped to ward off any potential disturbances on the Industrialists walk back.

You find yourself staring into the crowd after him for an additional moment after you lose sight of him, before you turn back on your seat to face the counter again, absently waving away the bartender, slightly less skittish than normal, attempt to refill your drink. Pulling the book back from where you had instinctively clenched it close to your chest, you stare down at the note atop of it, the uniquely elegant red-drawn eye symbol staring up at you in return.

It takes a moment for your racing mind to focus on just one aspect of the enlightening, and wholly insane hour you had just spent with the de-facto leader of Zaun. Out of everything that's happened, and the total-unknown to come, you can't help but find yourself smiling at the idea of those first-editions, and how little you've heard someone use the word 'quaint' in this world.

[kittydemon9000]

The Beginning of Heatstroke, aka Red's Villain Origin

* crashes down from the ceiling * I HAVE FINALLY FINISHED ONE OF MY 5+ CURRENT WRITING PROJECTS! BEHOLD, A WRITTEN VERSION OF THE 'Red's Villain Origin AU', also known as RVO / Heatstroke AU

To summarize the AU for SPBNR for those that don't now it: 

“Who'd be the biggest conspiracy theorist out of the M!Ninja? The one who drinks 5 hour energy at 3am and spits off the craziest theories and then actually gets it right but nobody gives the theory any merit because the rest of the theories are too crazy?”

The answer: Red / M!Kai

Red: Okay hear me out: Smith is actually an alternative version of one of us sent here from another dimension.

The other M!Ninja: You’re just saying that because Smith’s cool and you want him to be your counterpart

Based on the M!ninja making red cork boards trying to figure out ‘What Is Up With Smith’: Red gets increasingly accurate and nobody will believe him (all pre shogun reveal) and he eventually snaps and takes up a secret villain persona to fight Shogun like 'if they won't believe me I'll do it myself' and it gets awkward when he accidentally does too much damage and catches not only Shogun's attention like planned, but also the rest of the Ninjaforce, and now he has to keep his own identity a secret

So, without further ado, I present... Heatstroke

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

Red blamed the 5-hour energy coffee blend at 3:00am for this.

It was no surprise that between ‘Operation: What’s Going on with Smith’ & the sudden appearance of Shogun that the resident Bounty red-stringed ‘joke’ cork-board doubled in size and seriousness. It also was no surprise that Red had a corner all to himself and that his theories were… in the words of the others, ‘wildly inaccurate and implausible’.

But this time, he was sure he’d gotten it right.

Smith is Shogun sent here from another continent/planet/dimension with the goal of protecting Ninjago City.

The latest string of laughs and scoffs at his theory was the last straw. He’d show them. He’d prove it!

Which was why he was currently standing on the roof of a noodle house, awkwardly adjusting the spare motorcycle helmet he’d ‘borrowed’ from Nya and painted black and orangey-yellow (red had seemed too obvious). He’d exchanged his Ninjaforce outfit for a soot-burned cross between a bomber jacket and a leather jacket. Down his back jutted a row of flames like the spines of a monster, courtesy of one of Nya & Jay’s unfinished inventions Red had modified- surely nothing bad would come of that!

For tonight, the Red Ninja was off-duty. For tonight, it was Heatstroke’s turn.

He fiddled with one of the weapons he’d ‘lent out’ from Master Wu. It resembled a small arm canon, like a smaller version of the Ultimate Weapon. The plaque under its post had read ‘Elemental Focuser’, which, in cryptic Wu speak, probably translated to ‘you can use an elemental power like something out of Avatar: The Last Airbender’. So far he’d only figured out how to activate a focused jet of fire. Well, at least it was on brand. He hoped it would help him catch Shogun’s attention so he could unmask him.

He’d tried confronting Smith at school, of course. But there were only so many ways of saying ‘are you the new vigilante helping the ninjas’, and Smith has a genuine talent for dancing around the topic. Red could confront him with the name Shogun to get a proper reaction, but that would mean explaining how he knew the name and outing himself as the Red Ninja.

So fake villainy really was the only way.

His plan was to use the Elemental Focuser to cause some minor petty damage, just enough to attract the new vigilante. Perhaps set a trash can on fire, block an alleyway with rocks (if he figured out how to change the setting from fire to earth), small things that could easily be repaired.

Of course, plans were never actually stuck to. One way or another, something was always improvised.

Red’s improvisation just happened to involve him accidentally setting the entire alleyway on fire.

He’d only been aiming for one dumpster, honest! And maybe he’d spotted a couple fliers for a SoG meeting on the ground and happened to burn those too. And a newspaper article blaming Lloyd for the recent Garmadon attack, again. And an article about those ‘Damn Ninja Menaces’ by a S. Sonah Sameson. And-

Okay, so maybe Red had aimed the fire at a few small targets. But just a few! And with good reason and good care, but…

Well, fire liked to burn. Give it enough kindle and it’ll continue to grow, stretching like reaching branches towards each other to join in a massive bonfire. 

So now the entire alleyway was on fire, and Red was panicking. 

He’d luckily chosen an abandoned part of town near the beaches where Shogun sightings seemed most frequent, but with the stupid Elemental Focuser not switching from fire mode to water mode or ice mode or something that didn’t have the potential to burn Ninjago City to the ground, Red had no way of stopping the flames.

And more flames meant more destruction which meant a bigger audience.

Which was why his previously muted comm suddenly flared to life, the only warning Red had before Nya’s water strider mech slid around the corner.

Red scrambled onto a roof as the mech drove past, spraying water at the bonfire to dose it. His sigh of relief was just as quickly dosed as Lloyd’s voice came over the comms; “Status, Grey?”

“Flames are out,” Nya replied. “Pursing the joker that set it ablaze.”

Uh oh. Red took off across the roof, leaping from building to building. Tiles creaked, pebbled and dust scattering underfoot. The sounds of the mech’s engine roaring behind him echoed through alleyways below to create the illusion the mech was everywhere at once. 

As the chase grew on, more mechs started to join in. Red ducked into a narrow avenue to avoid Zane’s tank, then under a cafe overhang to throw off Jay and Lloyd. His heart hammered in his chest and he groaned, filling the inside of the motorcycle helmet with steam. Saying this was going ‘bad’ would be the understatement of the century. 

What had he been thinking? Oh wait: he hadn’t. Seriously? ‘Oh I’ll just pretend to be a villain real quick, that should get Shogun’s attention and not the attention of literally my entire team of fellow ninjas!’ Stupid, impulsive, this was why everyone was always calling the red ninja the ‘hothead’ when he really tried not to be- Lloyd’s voice over the comms snapped him from his thoughts. “I can’t catch them! It’s like they know our every move!”

Red winced as he climbed up a banister and leapt from balcony to balcony. Sorry, Lloyd. 

He didn’t miss how the others asked Nya where Red was. And how she made up excuses the others bought so easily- granted, he’d told those excuses to his sister before setting his plan into motion, but still, ouch. They acted like he was simply being at best too busy and at worst lazy and selfish.

He just wanted them to know the truth! Why couldn’t they at least try to believe him when-

Of course, that was when Shogun dropped out of the sky and tackled him.

Red shouted with surprise as he tumbled down from the second floor, slamming into a few softer bags of garbage to break his fall before rolling and slamming into the unforgiving concrete. A crack formed in his vision as the visor of his motorbike helmet smacked into the concrete ground. One of the fire jets on his back sputtered and sparked, sending a thin wisp of smoke into the air.

Shogun pinned his wrists to the ground and growled. “Who are you?”

Red tried to break free, agony turning his muscles and bones to fire with the movement after his fall, but the vigilante was too strong. Damn, how often did this guy train?

“Who am I?” Red said, a nervous tinge to his voice. He quickly smoothed it over with faked confidence. “Who are you? Who are all of us, really?”

Shogun narrowed his eyes behind his hood. “Did Garmadon send you? Or someone else?”

Red sputtered. Really, the nerve! Garmadon? The thought turned his insides to disgusting mud. “Nobody sent me!”

“Then why are you here?” Shogun spat.

“Why am I here?” Why was he here again? Oh right, the bright idea on how to reveal that Shogun was Smith. “It’s, uh… a valid reason! That I don’t have to tell you!” He tried for a villainous laugh. Stay in character, don’t blow your cover, you got this!

Shogun was unimpressed. “Nearly burning down my home was a valid reason?”

“Well, I wasn’t trying to set everything on- wait, WHAT?” Uh oh. “You LIVE here?”

Now it was Shogun’s turn to look uncomfortable, though the expression was quickly wiped from his face. “Nothing wrong with this district.” 

Red nodded. “‘Course not. Uh, sorry about that… wasn’t my intention, I swear.”

Shoot, he could hear Jay’s jet getting closer. He had to get out of here, but Shogun, annoyingly, didn’t seem to be in the mood to simply let him go. “Then what is your intention?”

“Well, for starters, it’s getting out of here. This really isn’t going to plan and I’d rather just be home right now, or even inventing a time machine like in that book ‘Hands of Time’ to slap my past self in the face for even thinking about this stupid idea in the first place-“

Jay wasn’t the only one that could ramble under pressure, it seemed.

Shogun leaned closer. “What idea?”

Red shrugged as best he could with how he was pinned to the ground. “Well, for starters, I just wanted to prove to my friends that you’re Smith, and things just kinda escalated from-”

The words were out of his mouth before he realized what he said. 

Shogun lurched back, letting go of him. His eyes betrayed a kaleidoscope of emotions; surprise, worry, suspicious, hurt, fear, realization. 

“…Kai?”

Well, f!ck.

“I-“

Red was about to badly attempt to bullsh!t his way out of his identity reveal before it suddenly dawned on him that Shogun had not denied his theory. 

Which meant Shogun was Smith.

And it also meant Smith instantly recognized him as Kai, which, considering his disguise, was aptly concerning. Sure, he was the first one in his group of friends people would think to do something this extreme but give him some credit! Zane was a regular detective, he’d do the same if it meant answers! Or, well, at least something similar. And Nya could be an adrenaline seeker. And Lloyd- well, maybe not Lloyd. Or Jay, either. Cole had his head just enough on his shoulders that he probably wouldn’t do this either.

But come on, instantly guessing it?

Well, at least Smith/Shogun didn’t know Kai was the Red Ninja. That would be a catastrophe.

Right. Back to the current catastrophe at hand.

Shogun- Smith- still had a look as if he’d been slapped, and Red hated it. He hadn’t meant to hurt his friend. Shogun… Shogun hadn’t wanted them to find out his identity. And then Red had gone and done it, just to prove that he could be the smart one, or a leader, or the protector so they didn’t get hurt, or literally anything but just the ‘hotheaded one’. 

…And he’d done it in the most hotheaded, impulsive way possible.

He really was an idiot.

The cracked helmet hid the look on his face, a twisted mess of distraught and shame. But it didn’t help hide how he took stumbled to his feet and away from Smith, nervous that any second he’d spill another mistake and mess up again, like how he always freaking messed up on everything. Don’t pick this fight, interject there instead, no, not there, idiot, there, FMS why are you so useless-

Focus, focus.

Lloyd’s voice, sharp in the intercom and full of static from his tumble, snapped him from his thoughts. “Anyone got eyes on the arsonist?”

Red caught Smith’s eye as he raised his hand to his own communicator. He was so screwed, so busted, so doomed… Smith would report it, and the others would know, and they’d think he was just messing around in an alleyway with some stolen devices and weapons out of curiosity or rage, - and-

“None yet, still looking.”

…What?

Smith stared at him, gaze searching. He looked shaken, more so than Red- who’d just taken a fall from a second story, mind you, it was a miracle he wasn’t more injured than a couple small scrapes and some future bruises-, yet everything from the set of his jaw to the softening of his furrowed brows suggested a change in emotions. Well, not quite change; more like repress and replace.

“You wanted to prove yourself, didn’t you.”

Red flushed, hand instinctually clamping into a tight fist at his side. The still-working fire jets on his back ignited without him pressing any buttons; faulty activation from the fall or something. 

Palms up and hands raised, Smith silently asked to defuse the situation. “Didn’t mean it as an insult. This wasn’t about venting some anger, was it.”

Red’s lack of response only confirmed it. Smith continued. “I won’t say anything about this if you don’t tell anyone my identity. Deal? I know finding it out was important to you, but-“

“Deal,” Red interrupted. Guilt ate away at his core, like a wave of water dousing a candle. “Smith, I-“ He swallowed hard and stared at the alley floor. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to… to…”

Smith’s hand was suddenly on his shoulder and he flinched before relaxing as Smith didn’t move further, nor did the grip tighten. “I’m a little hurt, you’re right. But I’m not mad. And I won’t tell the others, so you can relax. But you better get out of here and get yourself an alibi. We can talk at school or something.”

Wow, he was handling this rather calmly. Red was struck by the sudden memory of- what did Jay call the word? Right. Compartmentalizing. That… wasn’t healthy. But at the roar of Lloyd’s mech somewhere nearby, he didn’t comment further. Instead, he shot Smith a grateful nod and ran down the alley, sticking to the shadows and blind spots of the flying mechs and the tight alleyways where the land mechs couldn’t reach him. 

When he got home, miraculously without further incident (though Shogun leading the others on a wild goose chase over the comms certainly helped there), he ditched the outfit in a bag hidden beneath a loose floorboard in the shed. He’d return the weapon to Master Wu’s ship later, and… well, hope Nya never searched for the missing supplies. There wasn’t a way of fixing it without involving her or Jay, and neither was an option.

Heatstroke was back off duty, and so was the Red Ninja.

For now, he could just be Kai Smith. And there wasn’t any issue with that.

…

Right?

—————

yooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

THIS IS AMAZING REHJJGFHDESFXJVZ

and ah yes, good ol trauma and compartmentalizing, we love to see it

[sunnyville36]

Mamihlapinatapai {part 2}

Thank you all so sooo much for the kind feedback on part 1! Part 2 is coming at you now! 💜

Need to catch up? {overview} {part 1}

Pairing: Bang Chan x Female Reader

Themes: royal au, medieval au, court intrigue, arranged marriage, original characters, mutual pining, slow burn

Warnings: injuries, mentions of death/war/murder, emotionally abusive parents

Rating: Mature

Word count: 4.5k

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

Mamihlapinatapai - (noun, Yagán origin) a silent acknowledgement and understanding between two people, who are both wishing or thinking the same thing (and are both unwilling to initiate)

A Summer’s Ball  |  Kingdom of Gu, present day

The next few days were just as tumultuous as the first, Chan and Korenna slowly progressing from treating each other with complete silence, to short-lived bickering, to finally being able to hold a civil conversation for at least a few minutes.  You escorted them to more ceremony preparation meetings, then to councils with the foreign affairs ministers, the historians, the priests, each one stressing how this union would be a stepping stone in your two kingdoms’ relations and they should think of it as a huge honor.  You couldn’t help but feel sorry for the both of them, being reminded over and over how their lives were simply a means to an end, to be controlled at the whim of their fathers’ aspirations.

A turning point finally came when the three of you visited the city surrounding the palace grounds, the prince refusing to miss his weekly visit to the village market.  Chan loved to interact with his people, to support their businesses, to hear their grievances, to show he cared.  You followed behind the two of them as you walked through the plaza lined with stalls, Chan waving to each of the merchants, Korenna watching him with a mix of reservation and admiration.

“Your people seem to be thriving.  I wish I could say the same about our villages.”

You eyed Chan, knew he was forcing himself to hold back a biting remark, likely about how if Lajor’s people were currently suffering, it was the monarchy’s fault.  He finally came up with a question, trying his best to keep the conversation going.

“Have you brought up your concerns to your father?”

“I’ve tried, but he doesn’t want to listen to anything I have to say.  All he cares about is what he thinks is right, no matter who suffers for it.”

Chan nodded solemnly, “I can understand that.”

Korenna gave him a somber look and appeared to have something more she wanted to say, but was promptly dragged off by a small child wanting to show her his father’s bakery stall.

You nudged Chan’s arm.  “See, she’s not so bad, Your Highness.  If you give her a chance.”

He started in the direction of the princess, turning to walk backwards and smile at you with his arms out in a lighthearted shrug, “If you say so.”

***

That evening the king was hosting a ball, to celebrate the engagement of the prince.  You’d helped Chan dress, his midnight blue velvet ensemble and dark hair set off against the silver crown he wore making him look more like a deity of the moon than an earthly prince.  Then you had gone to assist Korenna.  You couldn’t deny how beautiful she looked as you watched her from across the room, her champagne colored gown and perfectly curled blonde hair standing out against the relatively muted colors worn by the other attendees.  She was standing away from Chan, talking amongst a group of noblemen’s wives and other high powered ladies, but her eyes never strayed far from his back as he talked with Minho and some other knights around a wooden table in the corner.

“You look quite stunning tonight, Y/n.  Purple is definitely your color,” came a deep voice on your left, and you turned to see Prince Felix approaching you, his small frame clothed in a breathtaking deep red suit.  The younger brother of Prince Minho, Felix had the sunniest personality of anyone you’d ever met, quite contrasting to his voice but in perfect harmony with the bright smile he flashed as he reached your side.  It had been several months since you’d last seen him, his studies as apprentice to your kingdom’s Chief Healer taking him to the academy in the highlands far away from the city.

“Prince Felix!” you exclaimed, arms reaching to pull him into a quick hug.  “I could say the same for you; that red suits you perfectly, Your Grace.”

Felix laughed, releasing you from his hold.  You and he had been close friends since childhood, ever since, at the age of 5, he’d stepped on the hem of your skirt and you’d pushed him into a mud puddle, causing guards to rush over and attempt to have you arrested.  His mother and the queen had stepped in, calming the guards as you remorsefully reached out your hand to help him up only to be pulled down into the mud next to him, the both of you dissolving into fits of laughter.

“I’ve missed the city.  And it seems the city has missed me for all the excitement it’s spun up in my absence.”  His eyes followed your gaze to where Korenna had made her way over to Chan, and watched as she led him out to the quiet balcony overlooking the gardens.  “How are you taking all of this?”

“I’m fine, Your Grace.  What reason would I have not to celebrate such a momentous occasion?”

Felix fixed you with a knowing look, but dropped the subject, content to stand with you at the edge of the dance floor.

“Y/n, I thought I told you not to let Christopher and the princess out of your sight,” came King Bang’s voice from behind you.  “The last thing we need is for them to get into one of their verbal sparring matches with the whole court present.”

You turned, lowering your head to the king.  “Of course, Your Majesty.”

You left Felix next to the king, his expression turned to one of distaste at his new company, and walked quietly out onto the balcony where the couple was talking.

They were standing closer together than you had ever seen them, leaning forward against the railing’s edge.  They seemed to be deep in conversation, Korenna actually reaching her hand up to place it on Chan’s back.  It didn’t feel right watching them without their knowledge, so you cleared your throat loudly, causing both their heads to snap up.  Chan looked slightly embarrassed, his head tilting forward, but Korenna’s expression was almost unreadable.  She stood staring at you for a few  seconds, then pursed her lips, nodded her head to Chan, and walked back into the main ballroom as you approached him.

“I apologize, Your Highness, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“Trust me, Y/n, you didn’t,” came Chan’s tired reply.  You wanted to know if she had upset him, to know how you could comfort him.

“What were you discussing?”

A soft song started to make its way out from the half-open door.  Chan looked up at you, completely ignoring your question.

“Dance with me?”

Several seconds went by in silence.  He reached out his hand, eyes imploring you to say something, to say yes.

This was dangerous.  You couldn’t think of a worse position to be caught in, dancing with a betrothed man far above your stature.  But you also couldn’t think of a way to say no to him.

You took his hand and he pulled you flush against him immediately.  You tried to resist the urge to place your head on his chest, but the feeling of being in his arms was too much, made you feel so safe.  So you laid your cheek there and felt a low hum come up through his chest.  It was quiet for a while, the two of you simply swaying back and forth, not doing any particular dance.  You felt his head rise from where it had been resting on top of your head.

“I’ve always thought you were beautiful, but you look gorgeous tonight Y/n.”

“You told me that earlier, Your Highness.”

“I know.  I wanted to tell you again.”

Then he placed his head back down and you continued to spin in slow circles until the song ended.  He brought your movements to a stop, taking your hand and kissing the top of it as he leaned forward in an exaggerated bow, “Thank you for the dance, my lady.”

You looked at him with a small smile.  “You’re welcome, Your Highness.”

He returned your smile, turned, and walked back towards the party.  You felt your chest tighten, feeling a little too much like your dance had been his way of saying goodbye.

Thinly Veiled Threats  |  Kingdom of Gu, 6 years ago

“Watch out!”

You turned towards the direction of the voice just in time to see Chan break through the wooden fence in front of you, thrown off his horse by the force of the lance he just took to the chest.

The prince had just turned seventeen, which made him eligible to compete in the annual Four Kingdom Competition, where knights, lords, and even royalty from the continent’s four greatest kingdoms met to determine who among them would be crowned victor in a series of strength tests.  His father had of course insisted he enter on his first eligible year, which had led to the activity you were currently engaged in, training a boy who was used to classrooms, libraries, and diplomacy lessons the intricacies of hand to hand combat.  The tasks ranged from archery to sword fighting, wrestling to jousting, and while Chan knew his way around a broadsword and shield, it was clear that the latter of those was not going to be Chan’s strong suit.

You walked calmly towards where he sat on the ground, knowing he would only be more embarrassed by any attempts to rush to his aide.  He was sitting up, so you could tell he wasn’t badly injured, but his right hand still stretched across his abdomen to clutch at his left side.  He’d been hit there at least three times now, and if you had to guess, what was once a bad bruise was more likely a patch of broken skin at this point.

Voices floated around you as you pushed your way through the small crowd that had gathered around him, many asking the prince if he was alright or giving unsolicited advice on how to avoid the outcome he seemed to be cursed with.  You picked up on the voice of a squire, one who served the boy who had knocked Chan down most recently, as he nudged the side of the older boy’s arm.

“You could have gone a little easier on him, you know.  His mother just died.”

Great.  Just what you needed; a physically and emotionally wounded Chan.

“Alright, give him some room everyone.  His Highness is fine; go back to your own practicing.”  You shooed away the stragglers and knelt so Chan could wrap his free arm around your neck, hoisting him up and slowly making your way to the infirmary tent.  Leaning him against the side of a cot, you reached for the clean cloth and distilled vodka; this was going to hurt like a bitch, but Chan could take it.

“You’re pulling back too much and too early, it leaves your side vulnerable,” you said, carefully easing off his ripped tunic so you could tend to his wound.

He stayed silent for a few moments, fingers gripping harshly against your shoulder as you cleaned the cut and wrapped a bandage around his midsection.

“I…,” he trailed off, seeming to struggle to find the words he was looking for.  “I’m a coward.  I’m a failure and a coward and everyone knew it except me, until just now.”

His words knocked the wind out of you.  You knew he was ashamed (entirely unnecessarily) when he couldn’t hold back the tears at his mother’s funeral while his father maintained his perfectly stoic expression (that heartless bastard), knew he was self-conscious about his fighting abilities, but you’d never heard him express that insecurity so directly before.

“Your Highness,” you spoke softly but forcefully, hands cupping his face to make him look you in the eye, “you are one of the bravest men I know.  You have one of the hardest burdens a person can bear on your shoulders, have had it since you were born, and you carry it with grace and dignity and compassion.  You inspire me and countless others every day with your strength and generosity.  You are not a coward.”

He looked back at you, and suddenly you felt yourself being engulfed in his embrace, his legs parting to pull you close to him.  He wrapped his arms tightly around your chest, his head pressing into the crook of your neck.  Slowly you brought your hands up and began to rub small circles on his bare back.  This was the most emotion he’d shown since that night you stood beside his mother’s bed, watching as he held her hand and whispered all the things he wanted to tell her one last time.  You were a little overwhelmed, but mostly happy, happy that maybe he was feeling again.  Eventually you heard his quiet voice next to your ear, “Thank you, Y/n.”

Then he released you from his hold, donned his shirt, and walked back to the jousting pitch.  You watched him go, until a deliberate cough came from behind you, shattering your reverie.

“I suppose he’s lucky to have you.”  The words spilled from the king’s mouth, his signature gravelly voice seeming to chase all other sound from the tent.

“My apologies, Your Majesty, I hadn’t noticed you were here,” you spoke, bending into a curtsey.

“It seems it is quite easy for the two of you not to notice others when you think you are alone.”

You blinked, unsure of where the king was going with his remarks.  He sidled up to you, close enough you could hear him at a whisper.

“I may have owed your family a debt, but that has been repaid ten-fold.  I know my son, know he would never be led astray of his responsibilities unless you gave credence to those thoughts in his head, fed his intimate physical desires.  So do not delude yourself into thinking you can take him from me, little servant girl.  And if he ever does come to me, asking me to set aside our laws, our traditions, so he can marry you, I’ll know what you have done, and you will never see the light of day again.  Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Satisfied with your response, he left you there, his words staining your mind like the bloody cloth you clutched in your hands.

The Hunt  |  Kingdom of Gu, present day

How he managed to get his father to agree to this you had no idea.  But Chan always was very convincing when he needed to be.

You were preparing for a day’s long hunt.  In all honesty it was an excellent idea; it would give Chan space to be himself after having been shut inside the palace for two weeks, preparing for his impending nuptials.  Normally this was one of your favorite activities to do with Chan and the knights; getting to ride, to spend time in the woods, maybe use your bow.  But the one condition of the king’s agreement had been that Korenna was going too.

She’d been different with you, with everyone really, since that night on the balcony, avoiding attempts to make small talk and speaking harshly when she made requests.  You didn’t want your relationship with her to turn sour, seeing as you’d soon be serving her for the rest of her life (and yours), so you held your tongue and pressed on with your duties.

Chan’s black courser and your chestnut palfrey were saddled, and you were in the midst of preparing a well-tempered white mare for the princess.

“Good morning, Y/n.”

You looked up, seeing the dark head of hair and upside down smirk belonging to Prince Minho smiling down at you as he leaned over your kneeling frame.  “Good morning, Your Grace.”

You were not as close to Minho as you were to Felix, but you had always gotten along well, your similar sense of humor and affinity for archery solidifying your friendship.

He offered his hand to pull you up, which you accepted.  “I’m glad you will be joining us on this outing, Y/n.  I’m not sure I could handle Chan and Korenna on my own, even with 5 other knights to accompany me.”

You hummed in agreement, finishing attaching the bridle around the mare’s head.  “I’m not sure you could either, Your Grace.”

Minho let out his signature high pitched laugh as the rest of your party approached, and the two of you maneuvered to the front of the pack as you set off towards the nearby woods.  You all rode in silence for a while, riding not typically being an activity that required much talking, until you heard Korenna speak from her position next to Chan in the middle of your group.

“So, who is the best at the strength tasks of the Four Kingdom Competition?”

A strange question to ask so out of the blue, but you supposed it was somewhat relevant to the situation at hand.

“His Highness is an excellent swordsman,” you replied, looking back slightly in their direction.

“Sir Jeongin has given us all a run for our money in the wrestling ring,” you heard a voice from the back say.  He must be one of the other knights in your party.

Chan replied next, “Minho is a skilled horseman, beats me in the joust nearly every time.”

Minho’s eyebrows rose up at that, smirking as he rounded out the answers, “And Y/n here is an expert marksman.  She’s the best I’ve ever seen with a bow.”

You thanked him mentally, hoping he could read it in the look on your face.  You weren’t about to boast about your own talents to the princess, but it was nice to know that she was now aware you weren’t just some lovesick girl who followed the prince around, that you actually took your responsibilities seriously.

“Really?  And who taught you about archery, Y/n?”  You thought you heard a touch of menace in her normally high pitched voice, but brushed it off.

“I’ve had many teachers, Your Grace, but the first was my father.”

“How very… non-traditional.  Where is your father now?  I’d love to meet him.”

You saw Chan and Minho tense in their saddles, well aware of what your answer would be.

“He died, Your Grace.”

“Oh,” said Korenna, her voice noticeably softer now, “I apologize for bringing up a sore subject.”

“It’s alright, Your Grace,” you replied.  “It was a long time ago.  You couldn’t have known.”

An uncomfortable silence fell on the group then, but luckily your first planned stop was not far ahead.  A small grove of trees surrounding a clearing was where you usually began the hunt, splitting off in different directions and meeting back there before sundown.  But because you had the princess with you today, it was a more laid back affair, and you’d planned to have a picnic of sorts before you continued in earnest.

Everyone set about unpacking the sacks that carried your meal for the day.  You uncorked your canteen, taking a sip before heaving an exasperated sigh.

You’d forgotten to bring extra water for the horses.

You called over to Chan, where he stood spreading out a blanket for Korenna to sit on.

“Your Highness, I’m going to the creek to get water for the horses.”

Chan looked up and you could see the smile on his face from where you stood across the grove.  “I’ll go with you!” he said happily, only to have his arm tugged back by the princess next to him.

“You are not a servant, Chan.  I’m sure Y/n can go by herself.”

Your loud conversation had caught the attention of the rest of the group, who were all looking over at you in interest.  You were surprised by her bluntness, but she did have a point.  “Her Grace is right, I don’t need you to accompany me, Your Highness.  I simply wanted to tell you where I was going.”

Chan gave a side glare at Korenna, but agreed.  “Fine, but you shouldn’t go alone.  Sir Jeongin - “

A tall boy, clad in the red, black, and gold uniform of your knights, walked over to the prince.   He was no more than eighteen, must have only just taken his oath.  You remembered his name from the earlier conversation about the strength tests, impressed he was making a name for himself so early.

“ - please accompany Y/n to the stream to fetch water for the horses.”

“Of course, Your Highness.”

So the two of you set off, leaving the rest to their meals.  You didn’t really need a knight for protection, but your heart warmed at the gesture of Chan not wanting you to go alone.  You arrived at the bank of the creek and began filling some extra pouches you had brought with water.

“It’s so much quieter here,” Jeongin commented absentmindedly.

Despite the sound of the water running, you agreed it did seem calmer here than in the grove you came from.  As you knelt by the edge of the stream, you noticed large patches of grass surrounding some nearby trees had been pressed down.  Curious, you walked over to the area, observing the singed ground and muddy boot prints on the rocks, telltale signs of human presence.  You hadn’t run into anyone else on your walk over, but maybe there were some others out riding today.  Raising your head, you called to your companion, “Sir Jeongin!  Were there any other hunting parties out today?”

“Not that I know of, Miss,” Jeongin replied, his expression revealing he was rather confused by your question.

You looked around again, and that was when you noticed the torn piece of blue fabric latched to a jagged branch on a nearby tree.  Your blood ran cold and you grabbed Jeongin’s arm, breaking into a run.

“We need to get back to them.  Now.”

You’d made it about half way back to the grove when you heard a scream, you and Jeongin sprinting to reach the clearing.  But when you arrived, the scene was entirely not what you expected.

Your mind had immediately gone to the Lajorans when you spotted that piece of cloth on the tree.  But here you stood, watching men clad in your own colors raise their swords to clash with the group of knights who’d accompanied you and the royals.  Your eyes frantically searched among the chaos, looking for Chan, but before you could spot him you noticed Korenna, hiding alone behind a large rock at the edge of the treeline.  You pulled Jeongin back behind a tree, gesturing in her direction.

“Do you see the princess over there?  You’re going to grab her, get on a horse, and ride back to the palace now.”

Jeongin was looking at you with wide, scared eyes; his mouth was open, not making a sound.

You shook his shoulder.  “Sir Jeongin, do you understand me?  Do not look back at us, just take the princess and get her to safety.  I need you to do this.”

Your words seemed to finally reach him, and he set his mouth in a straight line.  “Yes, I can do that.”

“Good.  Go.  And don’t look back.”

He left your spot behind the tree and you turned back to the action in the grove, still trying to find the prince.  Finally your eyes landed on two men standing back to back, swords flying as they blocked the attack of about 6 different men.

Chan and Minho.

You started towards them, reaching for your own sword, when you spotted someone perched in a tree right outside the circle of men.  The attackers started to pull back from around the two princes, and you could see exactly who the archer had in his line of sight.

You screamed his name, sprinting to cross the clearing and threw your body in front of him, arms outstretched.

You felt a sharp pain in your left shoulder as you fell against Chan’s chest, his arms coming up to catch you.

“Y/n!  Y/n!”

Trumpets were blaring from the direction of the castle as Minho dragged Chan back, still desperately clutching you in his arms.  The attackers were dispersing and you heard the sound of a voice saying “Chris”; it took a moment for you to realize it was your own.

“I’m here, Y/n, I’m here.  Just hold on please.  You’re going to be okay, just please hold on.”

The last thing you saw were his eyes as your vision went black.

Of Flower Buds and Roots  |  Kingdom of Gu, 16 years ago

“Mother, when will they be here?”

You were standing in the open-air courtyard at the front of the palace, your mother’s hands on your shoulders.  The two of you had moved to the palace a few years ago, when your mother had gotten a job as a servant there after the war ended.  Today, you were told, would be the day you were to start your position there, as personal attendant to the young crown prince.

“I’m sure soon darling.  Remember we never rush royalty.”

As you waited, your eye was caught by a small boy standing with a large scary looking man.  He looked to be about your age and was holding a tiny bouquet of wildflowers in his hand.  The man seemed to be trying to take them away, but the boy clutched them to his chest.  A woman who you thought you’d seen before approached them, glaring at the man, who backed away from the boy as she took his hand.  Then, they started walking towards you.

Your mother tightened her grip on your shoulders, bending into a curtsey and pushing you down with her.  “It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty.”

“The pleasure is ours,” came the queen’s pleasant voice.  She knelt down between you and the boy.

“You must be Y/n.  This is my son Christopher, the prince.  You will serve as his attendant.”

You stared at the boy, his eyes even with yours, hair mussed and shirt covered in dirt.

“He doesn’t look like a prince.  He looks like me”

“Y/n!” your mother gasped, the queen chuckling slightly and calming your mother with a hand on her arm.

“You’re right, he might not look like one yet.  But it’s going to be your job to help him become one.  Do you think you can do that?”

You pondered her question and finally said, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

She smiled and stepped aside, placing her hands on Chan’s back and pushing him forward.

“Hi Y/n!” the boy said excitedly.  “My name’s Chris.  Or Chan.  Either’s fine!  I brought you these flowers!  I thought they might look pretty in your hair.”

He extended his tiny fist holding the flowers and you took one from the bunch, pulling back your hair and putting the flower behind your ear.

Chan’s face immediately lit up in the brightest smile you’d ever seen, his eyes crinkling cutely.  “I was right!”

From that moment on, you decided there was nothing you wouldn’t do to see that smile on his face.

{part 3}

[leviackermanscleaningbuddy]

BTS DRABBLE-OT7

Contrary to peoples' opinions-surrounding the fact that you're dating seven men that belong to the mafia-you're not helpless. You can defend yourself. But a close brush with some dangerous people has your boyfriends questioning that fact-wondering if you can protect yourself enough-and true to their natures, they're not going to stand idly by if you're in any sort of danger whatsoever.

Tags: BTS, Bangtan Boys, Bangtan Seonyendan, Bulletproof Boy Scouts, Beyond the Scene, BTS Drabble, OT7, BTS x you, BTS x reader, OT7 x reader, OT7 x you, Poly!BTS, Mafia Au, Angst, Fluff, Kim Seokjin, Min yoongi, Jung hoseok, Kim namjoon, Park Jimin, Kim taehyung, Jeon Jungkook

Genre: Angst, Fluff

Title: Protect You

The garden that surrounds the mansion is usually quiet this time of morning-the sound of birds just starting to sing their songs, the trickle of the fountain that runs down into a meandering stream through the trees-but this morning, the clear morning air is broken by the harsh, insistent sound of a squeaky toy.

"Tannie, Tannie!" You hold aloft the rubber duck and squeak it once more enthusiastically, the small dog dancing around your feet-eyes bright, ears perked, tongue lolling-as he waits for you to toss the toy once more. "You want it? Go get it!"

You throw the duck across the open space of the courtyard and the dog streaks off in a flash of black and tan fur, tiny legs churning, as he barks happily, chasing after the bouncing rubber toy.

You sit back down on the bench, slightly laughing to yourself at the dog's almost maniacal enthusiasm, and reach out a hand to caress Holly's head where he sits beside you, paws folded neatly, on the stone seat beneath the shade of the fruit trees.

"To have that kind of energy, eh, Holly?" You ask gently, glancing over at the older poodle, who gives you a slight wag of his tale, pink tongue hanging past his lips, though he has been doing nothing but sitting in the shade. You stroke his head affectionately, rubbing his soft, silky ears between your fingers. "Yeah, I know. I like the shade better too."

Tannie appears back at your feet again, panting hard, dark eyes glittering, as he proudly drops the duck he has retrieved at the toes of your sneakers.

"Good boy, Tan!" You exclaim, leaning over to pet the other dog, as he dances in place and his tail wags furiously at your praise. "You brought me your toy! You're so good. You did so good."

You stand from the bench, reaching down to round up the toys Yeontan has been playing with, and Holly rises-stretching languidly-beside you, as you glance between both eagerly waiting dogs and ask, "You guys want some water? Wanna go inside and take a break for awhile? Let's go get some water."

Yeontan, circling your feet, yips happily and bounds toward the back door, leading the way back toward the house, as you glance back to make sure Holly is following-albeit a slower pace-behind the two of you.

And that's when the pair of men step out from behind the trees that line the tall wall that surrounds the property.

The shorter one grins at you, hands stuffed deep into the pockets of his slacks, and flicks the toothpick he holds between his teeth around with a light twitch of his tongue. "Hello there, Mrs. Kim."

You watch the pair warily, as they continue to advance toward you on slow, stalking footsteps. "Gentlemen. Can I ask what you're doing in my garden?"

The man who had spoke before-the one with the long greasy hair tied at the nape of his neck-spits his toothpick onto the ground and arches a brow in your direction, hands still hidden in his pockets, though his shoulders raise slightly as he gives you a casual shrug. "Just out for a walk. Thought we'd stop in for a visit."

Holly growls at your feet, hackles raised, as the two men step closer still, and you reach down to pick him up, sheltering him in your arms, as you ask calmly, "Really? Because I don't recall that we've ever met."

"Oh, we haven't." The man replies, flicking a finger toward his taller counterpart, who has yet to speak. At his motion, his partner circles to your other side, so that you're now backed into a corner of the garden-the men on either side-and no easy escape in sight. "But we've met your husband many times." He flashes you a dangerous grin that has your insides squirming.

They're referring to Namjoon, you're sure of that. That's always been the agreement between the eight of you-you belong to all of them-but Namjoon is the public face of the relationship.

"He's never mentioned you." You state simply, trying to keep any micro expressions off your face that might hint at the fact that you're starting to get nervous. Your eyes flick toward the back door of the house, about a hundred yards away and blocked by the trees.

"Hmmm." The man leans beside you on one of the tree trunks, and you can almost taste his sweat and his rumpled suit jacket smells of damp and something resembling smoke and cat piss. "Really? Odd." He cocks his head, and his dark eyes hold a dangerous glint, as he reaches up to stroke a finger down the side of your face, Holly baring his teeth in your arms at his close proximity. "Speaking of, where is our good friend Mr. Kim? Away at work?"

There's no use trying to lie. You know-by the way he's watching you, and the stupid leer that crosses the other man's face-that they already know quite well that Namjoon isn't here.

"Yes." You nod, just barely, and jerk your skin away from the man's still trailing finger. "He had business in the city today."

"Oh, well that's too bad." The man clucks his tongue against his teeth in a display of fake disappointment, and his eyes darken as his gaze sweeps down your body. "It's a shame we missed him." He grins wickedly. "I guess you'll just have to tell him we stopped by and relay our message for us."

Before you can react, the shorter man has grabbed your wrists in clammy fingers, Holly frantically barking and snapping in your arms as he closes in on the two of you.

"Get the damn dog out of here." The man barks, struggling to maintain his grip on you as he dodges Holly's flashing teeth.

The taller man rips Holly from your arms and tosses him across the garden away from the three of you, and though he yelps, you're grateful they've released him and not tried to harm him.

Because the pit in your stomach is telling you you won't be so lucky.

The shorter man, his grip on your wrists still tight and painful, has become distracted in that moment, watching his partner toss Holly, and you take the opportunity to slam your shoe down hard on his foot.

He yelps, releasing you for the briefest second, and that's all the time you need to dart past him and toward the door of the house.

You hear the man swear behind you and yell something to the taller man about catching you before you make it inside, but all you can focus on is not tripping and tangling yourself in the foliage as you sprint toward the house.

Your salvation is within maybe ten yards, when the taller man catches up with you.

He catches your wrist and before you can make a sound, slams you with the weight of his body back against the stucco wall of the house, right beside the back door and your only bid for freedom.

You're all breathing hard when the shorter man reaches the two of you, fire blazing behind the dark rings of his irises.

"Stupid bitch." He growls out between loose lips, before hitting you hard across the face with the palm of his hand.

The slap sends your head careening back against the stone wall behind you and leaves your cheek stinging, and as you orient yourself once more-still breathing hard-you can taste the copper sheen of blood on your tongue from your newly split lip.

The man reaches for the buckle of his belt, still glaring at you, and spits on the ground at your feet, before he addresses the taller man who still holds you pinned against the wall. "Hold her still. I think it's time we taught Boss Kim and his little bitch here a long overdue lesson."

The taller man nods, and the way his fingers tighten around your wrists has you wincing slightly.

"Now." The other man steps up to you, and the stench of his warm, putrid breath washing across your face has you feeling as if you're about to vomit. His fingers close on either side of your chin and wrench your gaze up to his own. He smirks wickedly. "I hope you know, I'm going to enjoy this."

You spit in his face violently, saliva and blood mixing into a pink spittle that splashes across his face, which instantly darkens, as he releases your chin and raises his hand into the air to once again deliver a stinging blow.

And then, the sound of a gun cocking has everyone freezing in their tracks.

"What the-" The man glances at his counterpart, who has gone still and is staring with wide eyes beyond his shoulder line, and then directs his gaze in the same direction behind the three of you.

The scene he's met with instantly has his previously venomous gaze filling with terror.

Yoongi's finger is steady on the trigger as he holds the gun on the two men, features dark and deceptively treacherously calm as Jin flanks one of his sides, Hobi on the other-and their faces are just as unreadable and blank-though you know there is a dark, dangerous current of emotions brewing just beneath that calm surface.

Jungkook, Taehyung, and Jimin complete the half circle surrounding your attackers, and glancing at the absolute and utter fear on the two men's faces, you can't blame them.

Looking down the ready, waiting barrels of six guns would make anybody-no matter how brave-wet themselves where they stood.

"I told you the truth." You speak into the suddenly electric silence that has fallen over the group, and your assailant glances back at you, as if he had forgotten you were there, mouth agape, eyes wide. You offer him an innocent smile. "Namjoon is at work. But I didn't say the other six were."

The sound of another gun cocking into position has the two men whirling back to face the circle of men surrounding you.

Taehyung's finger finds the trigger of his pistol, and-normally warm eyes dark-his lips quirk upward into just the hint of a humorless smirk as he stares down the two men beside you, and when he speaks, his voice is cold and absolutely murderous as he parrots back the words the intruder had used just moments before.

"I hope you know, I'm going to enjoy this."

**********

"What happened."

It isn't a question as Namjoon strides into the room, loosening his tie as he enters, usually unruffled attitude an odd mixture of humming danger and worry.

Yoongi glances up from where he sits in the corner, polishing his gun, and grunts out darkly, "Couple of goonies thought they'd get the upper hand and take out the boss's wife."

You can tell, by the way his normally controlled movements are jerky on the barrel of the weapon, that he is still worked up.

Namjoon crosses the room to where you sit on the sofa, coming to stand before you and the boys that surround you, though Jimin doesn't look up at him, focusing on cleaning the wound that cuts across your bottom lip.

"Ouch!" You hiss out as he hits a particularly tender spot with the antiseptic, jerking back from him, as he meets your gaze and offers you a slightly apologetic look as Hobi, who sits beside you, arm around your shoulders, gives you a comforting pat on the hand.

Namjoon crouches down and ignoring Jimin, pushes past the younger man, eyes softening slightly as he runs his thumb carefully over your split lip and up the purple bruising that is just starting to show on your cheekbone. "Whoever did this, I'll make them pay. I swear it."

You lean your cheek into the palm of his hand, his skin warmed by the afternoon sun, and offer him the hint of a smile, though it hurts your lip to do so. "I know you will."

"What do we do if this happens again, Namjoon?" Jin asks from where he is leaning against the desk, watching the interaction between the two of you with careful gaze. His hands are buried deep in his pockets, and he shifts from one foot to the other, brow furrowed as he regards the younger man. "If next time-"

"There's not going to be a next time." Namjoon cuts him off abruptly, standing up once more, as he sends the other man a hard look. "This is never going to happen again."

"But what if it does." Jungkook speaks up, and his normally large doe eyes are flashing with anger, irises no longer warm, but dark, as he slams his palms down in frustration on the desk his elder leans upon. "What if it does happen again, hyung? What then? We can't keep putting her in danger like this."

"I'm really fine-" You start to protest, speaking around Jimin's fingers, who has moved back into position to keep cleaning the long cut on your lips. His fingertips press into the plush skin of your mouth, effectively cutting off your words with a gentle admonishment.

He tilts his head and stares at you, full lips curving into a gentle smile, eyes crinkling, making you feel slightly better in the way only Jimin can, and when he speaks, his voice is gentle, just like his touch.

"No one is doubting you can take care of yourself, baby girl." His fingers caress the line of your jaw and his gaze is thoughtful. "We just don't want to put you in situations where you have to."

"Hyung." Taehyung steps up beside Namjoon, who is now staring out the large window behind the desk and down onto the gardens below, and when his hand rests on the leader's arm, you note that his fingers are still speckled with blood from the stand off earlier.

When he speaks again, the deep timbre of his voice shakes slightly, as if he's still so pissed off that he can hardly control himself. "Those sons of bitches almost touched her. If we hadn't been here-"

You wince at his choice of words, because he's right. Without them, you would have been left to an incredibly dark fate at the hands of the two intruders.

"I'm with Jungkook." Yoongi finally speaks up once more, and he stands from the corner, laying his now sparkling gun aside, as he approaches Namjoon and Taehyung, still silhouetted against the window. He heaves a sigh and glances in your direction, before addressing Namjoon seriously. "She needs to be able to protect herself. God forbid, there's another time, but if there is, we can't just leave her defenseless."

You can tell that Namjoon does not take the older man's opinion lightly, and you can visibly see him weighing his hyung's words before his shoulders slump in defeat, and he lets out a tired sigh. "All right."

He strides across the room again and crouches down in front of where you sit once more, long legs folded beneath his body, as his eyes meet yours in a firm gaze. He reaches out to take your chin in his hand, in a much gentler, much more loving grip than the man had used earlier, and his lips purse into a serious, stern line, before he intones quietly, eyes soft, "It's time to teach you a few things, darling."

******

The first thing you can think when Jin leads you into the armory and you see all the weapons lining the walls is holy shit.

The second thing is how have you never noticed how many different guns the men you love have at their disposal?

"So, you've got your assaults, your machines," Jin gestures to each rack of guns as you pass by on your tour, Jungkook trailing along behind the two of you, sometimes running loving fingers up certain weapons as you walk by. "Pistols, handguns, snipers, rocket launchers-"

"Have you guys used all of these guns?" You ask, mouth agape, as you glance around the huge room full of deadly weapons.

"No way." Jungkook shakes his head, bounding up to stand beside you, as he slings an arm around your shoulders and gives you a deceivingly innocent bunny smile, as if he's not talking about guns that kill people. "Some of these are specialized. We have to hire professionals for those."

"Aren't you professionals?" You question curiously, grinning slightly as Jungkook laughs at your query.

"Okay. Eventually, you can pick what feels most comfortable for you, princess." Jin reappears from another smaller room, cocking and loading a small handgun into his palm, as he approaches you and Jungkook. "However, we're going to start small for now."

He offers the gun to you, and you hesitate only a moment, before reaching out and taking the gun from him. The metal feels cold against your palm, as you fingering the gun, trying to get used to the weight.

A low whistle sounds from the entrance of the room, and you glance up as Taehyung enters, eyes scanning the racks of guns almost fondly, as he states lightly, "Look at all the pretties."

Jin sighs from beside you, rolling his eyes, though you catch the hint of a smile, before his expression becomes neutral again. "Can you please stop talking about assault rifles the same way you talk about shoes, Kim Taehyung?"

Taehyung smirks and winks at you, eyebrow cocked cheekily, as he reaches your side and throws his arms around you and Jungkook's shoulders. "C'mon hyung, lighten up. You know our girl's gonna be a natural." He chucks you playfully under the chin. "Right, sweetheart?"

You shrug, still trying to get used the feeling of the gun in the palm of your hand. "I dunno. I hope so?"

Jin takes your hand in his and leans over to press a kiss to the side of your forehead. "I'd believe him if I were you. He's uncannily good at predicting what other people are good at."

Taehyung grins at the praise. "Yeah! Like I can tell you that I predict that Jungkookie is gonna be shit at Fortnite when we play later tonight."

"Hey." Jungkook leans around you to try and catch Taehyung with his fist as the older boy laughs.

"All right, all right." Jin berates them lightly, though you can tell he's trying not to grin at the younger boys antics. He waves toward you and the gun you still hold in your hand. "Let's get (Y/N) to the shooting range then."

Taehyung slings his arm once more around your shoulders as you all follow Jin toward the range. "Trust me, sweetheart." He offers you the hint of a soft smile and squeezes your fingers between his own. "You're gonna get so good, next time those bastards try anything, they won't know what hit them before you blow their brains out."

[jjkpls]

the wishlist (m) - 5

“She broke up with me.”

> genre : Angst, fluff

> pairing : jeon jungkook x reader (f)

> words : 4k

> content/warnings : back at it again w/ the bff2l; one sided love, lot of pining; explicit language; ambiguous infidelity; jjk heartbroken & crying; some wholesome flashbacks to make you swoon

previous - next

The next box arrives about a month or so later. You haven’t seen Jungkook in a while. He had been out of town, hopping from shop to shop, completing a series of long-awaited guest positions. 

He’s kept you up with his days and his appointments as much as he could, sending you dorky selfies, little videos of city landscapes you’ve never seen before, and exhausted late vocal notes made in tiny, with dragged on, mumbled words, to wish you luck and send you some courage for work. 

You did not expect that the day you’ll meet again, he’d be so different from the Jungkook you prefer and left a month ago.

It takes you a few seconds to realize. At first, you’re preoccupied with the sudden set of needles stinging your insides when you hear the peculiar sound of your front door being unlocked. There’s a very finite amount of probability that it’s not him, he's the rudest of your tiny group of friends and the only one that feels comfortable enough in your home to invite himself without any prior warning.

It’s him, your best friend and subject of too many of your both daily and nightly thoughts and preoccupations.

Once he appears in the door frame, with his heavy coat on his heavy XXL sweatshirt, in his heavy military pants, face turned down hidden by his hair, the magic thing, that grows so mysteriously quick. There’s the little explosion of warmth in your chest. The one that makes you smile tenderly without meaning to. He’s allowed to see how happy he makes you, as a friend anyway. Everybody smiles this way when he walks into a room.

Your eyes catch sight of a box, all white, that fits in his hand. Your eyes roll on reflex. You’re about to curse again. It’s not nice, you don’t want to, to attack him as soon as he returns to you but he’s asking for it, isn't he?

He’s still in the hallway, slowly slipping his shoes off, focus fixed on the present in his hand. The time he takes doing it and the seemingly seriousness you feel irradiating from his aura, confuse you.

Jungkook shakes his head twice, the way he does, kind of like a wet puppy would, before setting the box on the counter of your open kitchen.

It’s only when he starts walking towards you, that his head raises up, just a bit, enough for his eyes to meet yours through his hair. He has a tiny smile as a greeting. He looks really upset. 

He should be bouncing on the balls of his feet, he should be doing some TikTok cringe dance moves to make you laugh or yell some greetings in a dialect. He has a lot of peculiar, very Jungkook ways to celebrate meeting you again after a while. Even if neither of you has ever said the words, you do miss each other a lot when you can’t see each other, and the excitement that blooms during your reunions translates that. 

But he’s sad today. It’s obvious. 

When he takes a seat beside you on the couch, he avoids your gaze. You’re agape, watching him with probably too much insistence, a hand holding a spoon half-filled with yoghurt in the air.

These few moments are decisive. They’ll determine rather he’ll talk or not. Jungkook, for someone who cries easily, is not good with feelings and sharing them aloud. Sometimes he can, often he can’t. He’s told you not to worry about it before, that it was fine because sometimes he just didn’t need to, he just wanted a shoulder to lay his head-on. 

“You okay, Guk?”

He shrugs. You just have the time to catch his upper lip sucked in, a twinkle in his eye before he’s switching position, bumping into you and hitting his own shin against the coffee table like a giant dog, unaware of his own growth, would. Only to settle for an impressively tiny huddle against your side, cheek pressed to your shoulder. 

So that’s how it’ll be. 

It’s heartbreaking, torturesome. You always feel miserable when you know he’s sad but not knowing the reason makes it a thousand times worse. You might be the same vengeful kid you used to be. The one who’ll inquire straight away who made him cry and immediately went on her way to beat that reason up -it being another child or the troll of a tree that made him trip. 

Except you are grown-ups now. He knows he can deal with his problems on his own and he would probably not let you go and try to beat up everyone -he probably doesn’t believe you can too, even though he’d be wrong about that. 

Jungkook tears his hand out of his pocket only to mime you to turn up the volume of the television. You do so and the pretty hand is gone and if it wasn’t for his quiet sniffling and the heavy press on your side, you wouldn’t know he’s really here with you at all. 

Your heart hurts the whole duration of the shitty afternoon movie, even if having his warmth next to you helps a little. He leaves later the way he entered, mostly silently, only smiling a bit when you smooch the side of his head and squeeze his forearm in a wordless comforting effort.

Guk

Sorry for earlier

Guk

It was nice seeing you though

You

Don’t be sorry. Can you call?

Guk

Yes, in 5

The five minutes turn out to be twenty. You wonder, hoping to be wrong, how numerous those tears were that he needed twenty minutes to dry them. 

When he finally calls, voice quiet and throat dry, whispering through the phone straight in your ear, uneasiness settles deep and heavy in your stomach as you know, you were right. 

“What happened, Jungkook?”

He must not have heard you this soft and gentle for a while because you can hear a humourless chuckle you recognize as incredulity. He clears his throat a first time, inhales deep and has to clear it a second time before he can start, still choking out on a syllable or two. 

“She broke up with me.”

The gasp that escapes you, loud and obnoxious, could not have been faked. This news is hardly believable to you. First of all, because, to your greatest guilty despair, Jungkook and his girlfriend, who’ve been dating for almost a year, are probably the embodiment of The Power Couple. There’s no doubt, in all the people that know them, that they are meant to be. They look good together. They are on the same page, always, it seems. They’re beautiful and enviable, an example of a match from Heaven, healthy and aesthetic if that's even a mentionable point.

You can’t, even in your deepest, darkest fantasies, have imagined them to break up. 

But the thing that makes it all the harder to comprehend is that she is the one who did it. The girl is great. She’s beautiful, she’s smart and funny, so you heard. She has that glamour to her, with her dainty pretty milky hands and long thin milky neck, with her silky, shiny black locks wondrously floating over her shoulders. She is great, matches him well.

She is not that far behind him but she's still not Jeon-Jungkook-great.

How could she have broken up with him? Someone dumping him makes no sense to you. 

“That’s-“ You catch yourself before the words slip out clumsily. You’ve never really been talented at comforting people with words, especially a crying Jungkook which is the equivalent of your very own kryptonite. “I’m so sorry, Jungkook.” And you mean it. Even more so when you hear him snivel hard. You’ve never allowed yourself to, even just for yourself, in the quiet and discreet comfort of your own head, wish for that to happen. Because if there’s one thing that you want more than anything else, more than having him for yourself, more than your own fulfilment, it’s his happiness. And he was happy with Jiyeun. He’s got the girl he had a crush on for months and they went so well together. “But why? Did she give you a reason?”

You hate how eager you sound asking. The question is so pressing though. You wish to know so bad why, in what circumstances, Jeon Jungkook gets dumped. 

“She-“ There’s a sob he swallows back. “I know what you’ll say,” Your eyebrows dip low on reflex. You couldn’t imagine the reason. He must have really fucked up but Jungkook is not the kind to fuck up. Even when he’s annoying, even when his mindset on something turns a bit auto-centric, he’s too compassionate, he’s too considerate and loving, to suddenly stop wondering how the person facing him is feeling and act without care, hurt them, in any way. It’s just not his kind. So what did he do that even you’ll have a word to say about it. “Spare me because she’s done enough.” 

It takes another set of minutes for him to gather himself, find most of his voice back clear enough for you to decipher. You show yourself patient, not saying anything and leaving him all the time that he needs. In all honesty, in the darkness of your curtain closed bedroom, tucked comfortably in your mountain of pillows and blankets, with your phone stuck to your ear and just the quiet sound of his breathing and humming to himself to break the silence, but rock it rather than disturb it, it’s easy to be patient. Feels like an ASMR. A class A type of ASMR, his breathing to your ear could so easily lead you to sleep. 

“Yesterday, she came to welcome me back and-“ Rather than hurt, his tone sounds weakened by shame now. What the hell did he do? “She found the- the thing I brought for you today.”

The fucking idiot.

“Oh my God.” You feel instant nausea. It's not like you never thought about it. You wondered, multiple times, if she was aware that her boyfriend was buying you these. You never allowed dipping far in the questioning because what would be the point? Ultimately, it's his relationship. And it's his way of shaping your friendship. If she kept smiling pleasantly, asking politely, as she always would, how you're doing whenever you happened to cross her path, leaving his apartment, or visiting his shop, it was fine by you. It must have been fine by her. She might have known about it, or she might not, didn't really matter. Jeon Jungkook is a grown-ass man, who's allowed to make his own decisions, no matter if they make sense to you, or her, or whoever.

But he's a fucking idiot.

If she didn't know, if he didn't warn her, and now she's mad after learning about it, and he's surprised and he's sad then he's a fucking idiot.

“She asked if it was for her, I wasn’t gonna lie!” Fantastic. He's passed the shock, soaked in wrath now. That was quick.

"For fuck's sake, Jungkook!"

"What?" He sounds a bit hysterical on the phone, voice rough and angry, incredulous, even mad that you might suggest he's wrong. Obviously, he already knew you'd react this way, hence the primary warning. "You're my best friend. I get to gift you whatever the fuck I want." He whisper-yells, suddenly very much aware again of the late time and the quiet calmness he'd perturbed. "She-"

"I don't think that's the issue, is it? Did she- Did you tell her that- Like, nothing was up?" You don't know how to articulate what you mean to ask. It sounds so bizarre, so irrealistic, the idea of something romantic or sexual going on between you two. It sounds so ludicrous you can't even say it. And again, you're scared to say the words. You don't know how they'll sound leaving your mouth. Suspicious, maybe revealing.

You owe to ask the question though. Because the cause of the sudden nausea comes from one surprisingly major reason, you would hate for her to hate you. To think of you as the bad guy, the massive bitch who stole her boyfriend. It shouldn't matter but it does.

"What do you mean?"

"That it was just friendly. Did you say that to her?" You stutter, largely on edge.

"Of course, I did." He doesn't seem to notice. Or to pay attention to the, evident to your ear, change in your tone. "She said that it didn't matter." You bite your tongue, along with the couple of words threatening to slide off it. Quite frankly, Jungkook is a weirdo with his own intake on the world surrounding him, she chose to date that special, in a lot of different ways, one, however, you can fairly understand that she wouldn't accept any explanation, of any kind, for this situation. "Do you get that? If she thought I was cheating, I'd understand that she'd be mad but- it's not even the case!"

You try to focus on the essence of the conversation, annihilate the faint words you can read in between the lines. The ones that say that even his girlfriend, in those strange circumstances, couldn't imagine the two of you as more than friends. Just as he couldn't. Just as you can't either.

"She knows and she's still mad. But- I do- I was just curious about it."

"About what?"

"The toys." He pouts, barely articulate like the kid he really is.

"Why didn't you get them for her, then? She's your girlfriend."

There's a pause after your words coming from him.

"She hates those." The pout sounds so thick now, in between the sniffs, you wonder if his mouth won't stay stuck in this position, like a cute permanent raspberry on his cute little dumb face. "I did once and she- threw it in my face and called me a freak."

"Jungkook." You sigh. "That explains a lot, by the way." This comment might be mainly for yourself. He doesn't need an explanation, as it seems. He doesn't seem that troubled about the whole deal, about that new hobby he's picked for himself. But you did. It's hard to simply content yourself with a "well, it is what it is" and nothing more.

He's been curious about them, couldn't buy them for Jiyeun because she wouldn't use them and make him feel guilty about his interest. He's sort of living it by procuration this way.

Now you feel guilty. He can't have found much satisfaction from your reviews if you ever have given him any. And she called him a freak. What a bitch. You wouldn't have imagined that coming from her.

Your mind is a mess.

"And it makes you happy. I see the way-" You hear the friction of tissues, the squeaking of his bed, and the deep sigh that follows when, as you picture, he finds a comfortable position on his back. "You seem much better. Less stressed and-" You cannot deny that. Even though it's partially frustrating, to think that he has this very unpleasant picture of you, of the version of you preceding the very first orgasm brought by him - sort of. You are feeling considerably better. Even if you have to force yourself not to abuse the masturbatory habits, not wishing to turn into a jerk off crazed teen like you once was when your hormones were fucking you up, it helps a lot. Sometimes it's a late-night quickie, other times a longer seance to celebrate the start of the weekend, or find force for the beginning of a new week.

"What was that again? Youthful?" You wonder aloud, an annoyingly amused smile on your face.

"Rejuvenated." He's laughing a bit. And for that, all the turmoil he's been putting you through feels fine and worth it. When you think about the heartbreaking tone of his voice when you first heard it through the phone, it eases an incredibly heavyweight to your heart, enchants you to know that he can still laugh, and you can still be the one reminding him how to. Unfortunately, his heart's just recalled how to hurt and the ache is back as quick as it pretended to leave an instant ago. "She said to never call her again." He confides with a hearable sorrow.

"She didn't mean it." It's surprisingly easy to be a good friend to him. The words you know he needs to hear not even hurting that bad.

"I don't know. We never fought like that before."

"Of course, you didn't. But it's been a year, it ought to happen at some point."

"But if she won't even let me talk to her, how am I supposed to make it better?"

"Be patient and leave her time to cool down." He sighs, already defeated. "Maybe send her a vocal note, she'll listen when she's ready.” They're awfully nice when he sends some to you. “It'll be fine." You're made to be together, probably, you should add. You could add, it might help him immensely, to dry the tears you can picture filling up his eyes. It's a little too much though. You're not that strong of a masochist to force this on you.

"How do you know that?"

"I just do. Don't worry too much." He can't. His heavy silence precisely screams that. "Do you wanna come to my island? I'll let you run in my flowers if you want."

It makes him laugh once again. The lovely, most satisfying sound to your ear.

"That's sweet of you." And it is, extremely sweet of you. If there's one thing that you despise is him sprinting through the mindfully planted flower beds of your Animal Crossing island. It pisses you off. Even more so when he does it by accident than on purpose, because this shit happens way too often. And now, you're allowing him to do so. You're definitely too good at being his friend. "It's fine though. Turnips sell at 138 on mine if you're interested."

It's your turn to be laughing now. You love how even with his heartbroken, upset and crying, he still picks up his Switch to check where's the turnips' stock at.

"Jungkook." I adore you.

You have for seemingly ever. Since the very first time you met.

You'd never forget it. How you almost passed out from laughing because of the street sign that nearly knocked him unconscious. His forehead was already bruising dark, eyes unfocused and shiny with tears. You didn't mean to laugh but he was adorable and funny, and even if you felt guilty for enjoying it, people don't run their faces into street signs every day. You called it in your own head a miracle.

He had to sit for a little while from how dizzy he felt. His ears were burning with embarrassment too, your uncontrollable giggling not helping. He just sat there, on a bench you had dragged him to, hands tucked in the pocket of his sweatshirt, waiting for you to allow him to leave.

The kid stood unbalanced the four times he tried to walk and even if at eleven, you had nothing close to a doctoral degree, you still felt like it was wrong to just let him stumble his way back home straight away. You had to hold him hostage for a little while. You had shared your homemade cookies with him, the ones you hid deep in your bag for you didn't want anyone to ask for a bite at school. You made him drink the whole content of your water bottle because drinking water is never an unhealthy thing to do, therefore, it felt like a good idea.

He was so shy that your own timidness quieted down enough to allow you to make conversation to him. Or more accurately talk over the silence and distract him. He giggled a lot and smiled with cute bunny teeth. Kept saying thank you for every bit of cookies you'd given him and once you had walked him home and he arrived safe and sound, he bowed very low, apologized and thanked you again.

You thought it'd be the end of it. He pretended to be going to the same school as you but you had never seen him also he was a few years younger.

The next day, and every single day after that, at recess, he would appear out of nowhere. Wearing his adorable smile, and a tint of red on his ears, a bunch of homemade cookies of his own filling up his pockets. As a puppy would, he'd follow you around with a certain distance until you waved him over, rolling your eyes, because if he was going to stick by your side, he might as well actually play with you.

The most precious friendship you have ever experienced bloomed from this seed. A friendship, at the start, mainly based on a shared interest for very sugary treats, marbles, and that common memory of him eating shit in this street sign. You didn't mean to remind him, it made him flush furiously each time and you were not that cruel, but you couldn't help bursting out in laughter whenever you'd walk home -with him or alone- and pass that sign. It's your favourite spot in your home town. You never miss an occasion to take a selfie for him whenever you go to visit your parents.

It's hard to define the moment your feelings, once purely platonic, changed. But there's a memory that feels notably significant.

A guy made you fall. A useless asshole, who in retrospect was not even worth a single crumble of your time. You were confused. As you often get, without really knowing why. Maybe it's just you, maybe it's for everyone the same. People start by being too good in your eyes, too good for you not to give them your all, and maybe build pyramides upon pyramides of expectations.

Until they're not anymore.

Suddenly, they hurt your feelings. They suck ass and you felt so invested emotionally, way too invested for it to be any kind of healthy, and their very human selves harm you straight in the heart, where it is the most painful.

It didn't feel like a mistake this time. Like any of the other times, at the beginning, of course, otherwise, it wouldn't catch you again and again.

You fell hard and it's Jungkook who picked you up. He had cooked for you, one of his mother's infamous recipes because he knew you wouldn't even bother eating otherwise. He had held you close. He had kissed the top of your head, your cheeks and your eyelids when a diehard tear had slipped. He had called you baby and sunshine and his little kitten. Had showered you in an unfamiliar type of loving. Something so soft, so tender and warm. Hands firm when they'd wrapped around you and pulled you in. Fingers gentle when they'd brush the hair out of your face. He took care of you, made you feel good in ways no one has ever had. You had not known him to be like that. Suddenly, he really felt like a man when he touched you, when he talked to you. He wasn't only a dorky little overgrown baby anymore. He was a man, shaped like one but also able to act like one. Able to take care of a woman, please one you were sure of it. And suddenly, you wanted, so desperately, to be that woman. To have the same free access you had on his usual candid-self, on this newly met man.

Of course, it's too ludicrous for you to ever act on it. But deep down, a naive tiny voice kept claiming, in the back of your mind, that you could spoil him. Very few people in this world know him the way you do, surely, no one can please him the way you could.

Guk

She listened to my note!!!

Guk

She said she'll make me miss her a bit more and then she'll call

It took less than a day for her to give him a sign. You're not surprised. It's hard not to miss him. You're not surprised but somehow, still, disappointed.

A/N: tadam!! i needed to include some flashbacks because i know my fellow f2l addicts just adore these, also, i just can’t get over writing kookie as a cute kid.

Guess what guys? there is only one chapter to go *sweats profusely* I- am worried. I hope you keep enjoying it and will enjoy the rest. :] For now, let me know your thoughts. I hope you have a sweet, lazy Sunday and wish you a lovely, peacful week! bises!

As always please ask to be tagged for the final chapter on this post

[ericsangyeon]

addicted - l.sy

‘He was like fire, she was his igniter. Together they were each other's addictions.”

pairing: sangyeon x female! reader

word count: 7.0k

genre: angst, fluff, suggestive

theme: gang au sorta??

warnings: SMUT!!, profanity, drinking, guns, blood, kidnapping, bang chan and skz are villians

a/n: hey guys! i wanted to try writing a fic bc why not! this is my first tme ever writing smut so be nice. also this was edited many times but there could be mistakes so just bare with me. enjoy it! i worked really hard hehe -t :D

playlist moodboard

~

“Kevin oh my god. I'm not going to that criminal ball.” I roll my eyes at my best friend.

“Pretty please? You can finally meet Jacob! And I'm pretty sure a certain someone wants you there too,” Kevin smirks from the other side of the work area. I stop cleaning the countertops and stare up at him with wide eyes.

Kevin, and his boyfriend Jacob, are members of the underground mafia group TBZ, which never gets brought up when I'm with Kevin because he knows it makes me uncomfortable. That was until Lee Sangyeon came into the picture. Sangyeon is the leader and “big boss” (as Kevin calls him) of TBZ, and has somehow found interest in me. Ever since Kevin brought him into the cafe a month ago during one of my shifts, I kept bumping into him everywhere. From work, to campus, to even near my apartment. He tries to make small talk with me, which I always ignore and keep distance from him. I see him all the time despite wanting to, and I want nothing to do with him…. even though he literally looks and talks like an angel sent from heaven. I'm positive there is some sort of an attraction between the two of us. But don't tell anyone I said that. Lee Sangyeon is hopelessly attractive and I couldn't help myself to have developed a crush on him. If it wasn't for his shady career choice, I would have hooked up with him in an instant.

“How many times do I have to tell you Kevin? I want nothing to do with him,” I cry while Kevin snickers.

“He's not even that bad, he only hurts people who have wronged him” Kevin explains.”But never mind about him, Jacob really wants to meet you and you said you’re free Friday so please, please pl-”

“Fine oh my god.” I huff while Kevin claps, pleased with himself. “One problem, I have nothing to wear.”

“Not to worry about that sweetheart, I got that covered. Just text me your measurements.” Kevin says. I was going to try to argue with him but I knew he would win no matter what, so I just shot him a thumbs up.

“Anyways babes I gotta go to class now. See ya y/n!” Kevin grins, blew me an air kiss which I caught with a small smile, and walked out of the cafe.

I sigh and put the cleaning supplies away. As I went to greet a customer, all I could think was - it's just a ball, with your best friend and his boyfriend. What could possibly go wrong?

~

On Thursday night, as I was getting ready to make dinner, there was a knock on my apartment door. I went to answer it, but found no one there when I opened it. Instead, a white box with a small bag on top, both had my name on it. “Oh yes.” I thought to myself. “The criminal ball.”

I grabbed both items and brought them to my room to open them. I unsecure the first box to be greeted to white tissue paper and a note on top, which I pick up and read the writing.

“This colour will look ravishing on you. Can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”

Or at least that's what I thought it said. It was written in a script that I had never seen before, and it certainly wasn't Kevin’s handwriting. Maybe Jacob’s? I put the note aside and unwrap the tissue paper to take out the dress and my jaw drops. I pull out a ball gown that was wine red and had a lace strapless top with a semi-poofy skirt attached. Below it were gold open toed high heels. I laid everything down on my bed and reached for the small bag that was on top. Without checking first, I pull out what was in that bag and gasp. In my hands is a beautiful gold mask with black silk fabric to wrap around my eyes. Fuck. Kevin never mentioned it being a masquerade ball? Now I have a higher chance of running into Lee Sangyeon since I probably won’t be able to tell who's who.

I send Kevin a quick text saying thank you for the dress, cursing him out for not telling me that piece of info. To finish my day, I made my dinner and went to bed early.

~

Friday night at 6:45pm, found me applying my last coat of lipstick as I stood up from my vanity chair. Staring back at me in the mirror was a completely different person. I loosely curled my long straight hair so it was falling down my back in waves. My makeup was not too heavy, yet not too light. My eyeshadow was a nude colour to contrast with my mask, as well as my lipstick was wine red to match my gown. The dress and shoes fit me perfectly (thanks Kevin), as well as the finishing touch, the gold mask.

My phone beeps and I looked down to see a text that the car Kevin sent for me was here, so I grabbed my phone and clutch and locked up my apartment. “Goodbye bed, I’ll see you later tonight.” I thought to myself, smirking.

The car waiting for me downstairs was gorgeous and sleek, and when I entered the back seat, the driver tipped his hat at me and we were on our way.

After driving 20 mins out of the city, the driver turns onto a single sided road where in the distance, I could see a huge house with bright lights shining.

“Oh my god.” I whispered to myself as the driver pulled up to a mansion - no - castle with a staircase leading to the entrance. The car stops and I could feel myself start to get nauseous. The driver came to open my door, lending me a hand so I could get out of the car safely.

“Have a great evening, Miss y/n.”

“Thank you, I do hope so.” I smile softly as I turned to walk up the staircase on this warm June evening.

As I was walking in the big hallway that led to what I'm guessing is the ballroom, I went over my rules for tonight. 1) Don't trip 2) stay with Kevin 3) avoid Sangyeon at all costs.

But of course, when the guards opened the big double doors for me to enter, everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at me as I walked further into the room. I see someone come forward from the crowd of people and my eyes go wide because I know it is not Kevin or Jacob.

Lee Sangyeon is walking towards me like he had been waiting for this moment, and there was nothing I could do about it.

He looks amazing of course, like a walking marble statue that came to life. His light brown hair was pushed back to reveal his amazing eyebrows and smirking lips and he was dressed in a black velvet suit that was so low cut that I could see a glimpse of his defined pecs. He wore a black velvet mask over his brown eyes. Sangyeon had me very much weak at the knees right now so thank god everyone went back to minding their own business.

“Y/n! I'm so glad you could make it.” He smiles at me. That goddamn smile. “You look exquisite.” Sangyeon said to me as he reached down, grabs my hand and softly kisses it while staring at me.

My breath hitches. “You don’t look too bad yourself.” I softly smile at him. “Now excuse me,” I whisper, attempting to create some distance. But his hand on mine got tighter.  “May I have this dance?” Sangyeon asks. I nod my head, not sure what took over me. He softly smiles at me and leads me toward the dance floor, where other couples are dancing already. As we were nearing the dance floor, I felt myself trip over my gown. Before I could faceplant with the floor, rough hands were on my waist pulling me up.

“Be careful y/n.” Sangyeon chuckles and I thought I would throw up on his designer shoes.

He puts my hands on his neck and grabs my waist to pull me close to him. Sangyeon starts to sway me back and forth, eyes never leaving mine. As we danced for a few minutes, I felt his thumb lightly brush against my hip bone and I saw him slightly leaning his face towards mine. I finally jumped out of the trance he put me in and unwrapped my arms from his neck.

“I can’t do this. Excuse me.” I told Sangyeon as I brushed past him, leaving him on the dancefloor alone.

I speed walk over to the bar and spot a familiar black head of curls standing with a brunette boy wearing a similar tux.

“Where have you been, asshole?” I yell behind Kevin, making him jump and then smile at me.

“Hey y/n you made it! Meet Jacob, my boyfriend.” He gestures towards the man next to him wearing the same mask.

“Nice to meet you, Jacob. Kev, I'm getting a drink and then calling a cab to leave. I can’t be here.” I say while looking around.

Before Kevin could say anything back, I turned my back to him and ordered red wine from the nearest bartender. I sigh and drink my wine and look over at the guy who is standing next to me.

“Rough night?’ He smiles at me.

“You could say that.” I smile back as I drank more of my wine.

He chuckles and extends his hand to me.”I’m Bang Chan.”

“Y/n.” I shake his hand back.

His smile faded once I said my name.”You’re Lee’s girl?”

I stare wide eyed at him. “I'm who's girl??”

Before he could answer me, a body was standing between us. Sangyeon.

“Piss off Bang, she's mine.” Sangyeon growls at him.

“Excuse me?” I said but no one seems to hear me.

“Chill out Lee, I was just getting to know her, but I’ll leave.” Bang Chan waves bye to me behind Sangyeon’s back and walks away.

Sangyeon turned around and looked at me, his defined jaw clenching tightly.

“Y/n, we are leaving.” He states.

“I am not going anywhere with you!” I yell back while a muscle in his jaw twitches as he clenches  his hands into a fist.

“Y/n. I suggest you go with him before he tries to shoot someone, because he will.” Kevin appears and says behind me, squeezing my shoulder. I just nod my head at Sangyeon. Kevin would never put me in danger. Right?

Before I could even say bye, Sangyeon grabs my hand and is leading me out the ballroom door, out of the castle and towards his car.

He opens the passenger seat car door for me. “Get in.” He says to me. I glare at him as I get in slowly.

Sangyeon shuts the door and walks over to the driver side, gets in, takes his mask off, and starts the car without even saying anything. And we are off to god knows where.

The entire drive was silent. Sangyeon is gripping the wheel tightly, rough fingers scattered with rings turning white. I'm too scared to move, only moving my hands to remove my mask and my heels that were starting to hurt my feet.

20 minutes later, we are back in the city and Sangyeon is pulling into a parking garage surrounded by guards. He pulls into a parking spot, and leaves the car after stopping it. I open the car door to follow him, barefoot and all.

In the elevator I kept trying to glance over at Sangyeon, but he’s looking straight ahead, defined jaw still clenched. The elevator door opens and I gasp. I walk out behind Sangyeon to see a beautiful penthouse common area surrounded by glass windows overlooking the city night sky.

Before I could even admire the place and the city lights that surrounded the room, my back is being pushed against a hard wall to face a livid Sangyeon. He grabs  my wrists and leans in.

“How dare you talk to other men, especially him.” Sangyeon growls in my ear. “You’re mine.”

I stare at him in disbelief as he faces me again. “I-I will never be yours. You can't tell me what to do.”

A smirk slowly appears on his face. “Oh yeah? We will see about that, princess.”

Before I could even think of a witty response back, Sangyeon grabbed my face and his lips were on mine, and I felt my tough interior crumble as I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him even closer, bodies touching.

He kisses me again. And again. Like he is possessing me. And it was working as I kissed him back hard. “You are mine” Sangyeon whispers against my lips. “No one else’s.” Sangyeon starts kissing down my neck, lightly sucking on certain parts, while I’m biting my lip trying to hold back my moans. It felt so goddamn good, but I'm stubborn and didn't want him to have the upper hand. Sangyeon sucks hard on the crook of my neck, making me release my lips and moan as I feel him smirk against my neck. He won, I lost and now I am melting into his touch.

Sangyeon kisses my shoulders and exposed collarbones, stops and chuckles into the crook of my neck.

“You know I picked this dress for you. Not Kevin.” he says while unzipping my gown.

“What?” I whisper, shocked.

“You heard me.” Then my dress is on the ground, leaving me in just my black strapless bra and panties.  Sangyeon is staring at my body with lust covered eyes as I just stare back at him, both of us breathing heavily, a boner starting to appear in his velvet suit pants.

“Wow, you’re so fucking beautiful.” He says quickly before kissing me again hard on the lips, shoving each other's tongues deep inside our mouths.

“Jump” He mumbles against my mouth and I obey, wrapping my legs around him as he carries me to his bedroom, never breaking the kiss.

When we enter his room, he lays me down softly on the huge mattress and proceeds to take my bra off, leaving me topless.

“God, these tits.” I hear him growl as I hiss at the cold air hitting my bare breasts, but the hissing quickly turns into moans as Sangyeon takes my right nipple into his mouth and sucks on it while playing with the other one using his hand.

“Fuck.” I moan loudly, mouth parting.

After rotating, sucking and playing with my breasts, Sangyeon removes his mouth from my nipple and starts to kiss down my stomach, inching towards my panties.

“You're such a good girl for me.” He coos on my stomach as I moan and squirm. Sangyeon brushes his fingers lightly against the fabric of my panties and looks up at me and mouths “you sure?” I nod my head back. He smiles before removing my panties with his teeth. I am now bare naked in front of a fully clothed Lee Sangyeon.

Sangyeon positions himself right in front of my pussy and spreads my legs open as I gasp and watch him lean down. He kisses and sucks on both my thighs, guaranteeing hickeys in those spots later on.

“You’re so fucking ethereal, Y/n.” Sangyeon mumbles and kisses the tops of my thighs softly, and before I could even think, his mouth was on my clit and I scream.

“FUCK Sangyeon oh my god!” I arch my back and moan loud as he licks into my clit.

“So wet me for me already.” He murmurs against my pussy.

He starts to suck and kiss my clit and I can’t breathe. I could feel his tongue exploring my entire pussy, eating it up as if it was his favorite food. My hands found his soft light brown hair and as I ran my hands through it, he sucked on my clit even harder. After for what seemed like seconds, Sangyeon comes up for air and proceeds to put a finger slowly in my hole, pumping in and out.

“You tasted so good, I can’t wait to see how you take my fingers and then my cock.” Sangyeon rasps out as he adds another finger as I'm a moaning mess below him.

“FUCK! Im gonna-” “Cum for me babygirl.” He says while pumping his fingers faster. I arch my back and scream his name while I cum onto his rough digits. He removes them from my pussy and sucks on the juices that got on them.

“Tastes so sweet.” He says while licking his fingers clean and staring directly at my hooded eyes and parted mouth.

Before I can even catch my breath, his lips are on mine quickly, stands up from the bed and unbuttons his blazer, revealing his amazing toned upper body and taking off his pants and boxers, cock slapping against his abs. He was huge, I gulp knowing that that's going to be inside me soon.

“I'm on the pill!” I hear myself blurt out. Sangyeon chuckles at that.

“Good to know y/n.” He says with a smile while running a hand through his hair before positioning himself over my body, hands on each side of me and aligning his cock with my hole.

“This is gonna hurt.” I thought to myself, since the last time I had sex was high school and it was awful to say the least.

Sangyeon starts to slide his dick in slowly and I can’t breathe again.

“Fuck. You're such a tight baby girl.” He rasps out as I let out a string of curses.

Sangyon thrusts into me slowly at first, but when he realizes i'm no longer screaming and just moaning, he removes his cock and slams it back into me hard and fast, which makes me lose my mind. He swears under his breath a few times before he speeds up the movements. I wrap my arms and legs around him, leaving scratches on his back as he leans closer to me and touches his forehead with mine.

“You're so beautiful sprawled out like this under me princess.” he growls into my ear as he thrusts even harder into my pussy, making both of us swear and moan each other's names as I move my hands from his back to his hair and he moves his to play with my nipples.

Between Sangyeon pinching my nipples and his cock tearing me open, the pleasure flowing through right now is something I have never felt before.

“Shit y/n!” Sangyeon grunts and thrusts hard once more into my pussy and pulls his dick out and uses his right hand to pump out his orgasm all over my stomach. His other hand reaches down to rub my clit in circles while kissing my neck and leaving more hickeys to help ride out my second orgasm of the night.

“Fuck Sangyeon!” I scream as I release all over his fingers once again. He licks it up again and mumbles “so sweet princess.” while looking at my dilated pupils.

He gets off me and rolls over so that he's beside my overstimulated body but head is tilted towards my direction.

“Are you okay?” Sangyeon asks me, concerned eyes looking over my shaking body that's struggling to even look at where he is.

“I'm amazing.” I respond back softly, him sighing in relief as he strokes my cheek with his knuckle.

“I've wanted to do this for so long.” He whispers and smiles softly at me.

“Me too.” I whisper back smiling as he kisses my lips softly and jumps out of bed, and runs into the connected bathroom fully naked leaving me alone in his huge bed, body paralyzed.

Sangyeon returns with a washcloth and a bowl of warm water and moves my shaking body so I'm lying on his leg while he dips the cloth in the water and starts to clean me up.

“You did so well for me. You were so beautiful when you came. So beautiful for me.” He murmurs to me fondly, rubbing the cloth over my body tenderly as I'm falling in and out of slumber. As I fall asleep, Sangyeon gets into bed next to me and tucks us both in. He kisses my forehead and wraps his arms around my waist and I rest my head on his chest.

“What a night.” I think to myself before dozing off in Sangyeons strong arms, moonlight shining through the huge windows.

Tomorrow is a new day, where we decide what happens next. But one thing's for sure.

I am addicted to Lee Sangyeon.

~

Light shines through the windows as I open my eyes to an unfamiliar surrounding, and then it hits me. I had mindblowing sex with Lee Sangyeon and now I am lying naked, tangled in his bedsheets. I feel an arm loosely draped around my bare waist. As I sigh and glance over next to me, I find Sangyeon lying on his side, staring at me with fond eyes.

“Good morning, beautiful.” He whispers to me in his deep morning voice. Swoon.

“Good morning, handsome.” I whisper back to him with a smile on my face.

I untangle myself from his arm, and attach my lips softly to his. Sangyeon does not react at first, but proceeds to kiss me back softly and full of tenderness as he cups my face into his hands. I break the kiss and lay my head on his bare chest.

“Last night was amazing.” Sangyeon murmurs into my hair and kisses my temple as I nod back.

Oh fuck, I just remembered. I sat up and faced the man with wide eyes.

“What's wrong baby?” Sangyeon asks, genuinely concerned.

“Fuck, what do I tell Kevin?” I gape at him.

Sangyeon chuckles loudly, eyes crinkling as he grabs my waist and pulls me down towards him. He tickles me, making me laugh.

After lying in bed for what seemed like hours and just talking, Sangyeon reaches over to the night table next to him. He grabs his phone and starts to furiously type as I just stare at his fingers flying across the screen.

“I told Jacob he is in charge over at the house this weekend, which means I get to spend it all with you.” He says as he puts his phone back down. Apparently, now I was spending the weekend at Sangyeon’s luxury penthouse. Good thing I didn’t have work this weekend.

After taking a shower in Sangyeon’s massive ensuite bathroom (and looking at myself in the mirror, in shock at the sight of my hickeys across my body), I changed into the clothes he left me, which seems to be his boxers and a blue and pink pullover sweater. I walk out of the bedroom towards the kitchen to find a very shirtless Sangyeon putting waffles on the island counter. He briefly explained to me earlier that he sent all his staff home, including his cooks, so it could just be us in the penthouse.

“Wow, waffles? You really know the way to a girl's heart.” I say amused as I take a seat on one of the island chairs.

He laughs loud and leans over the island, arms resting on the counter. “It's one of the only things I know how to make, so expect take out the rest of the weekend.” Sangyeon says with a smile on his beautiful face as I wolfed down the waffles in front of me.

“One day I’ll teach you how to cook.” I wink at him.

Sangyeon grabs my hand softly and rubs his thumb over my knuckles and kisses them softly. “I would love that, y/n.” He says with a smile on his face.

The rest of the day is spent just relaxing. Sangyeon shows me around his penthouse, from his impressive indoor gym to his walk in closet in which he implies that will once be mine as well. I ignore his comment. Afterwards, he shows me the tv room where a massive flat screen was attached to the wall and asks me to pick a movie, which I pick The Notebook.

“Really y/n?” Sangyeon rolls his eyes as he sets the movie up.

“Yes Sangyeon really. Now come sit here and enjoy.” I respond as I pat the spot on the leather couch next to me.

After the movie, and laughing at an almost crying Sangyeon, I go to retrieve my phone from my clutch to find 15 missed calls from Kevin.

“Oh good! He didn't kill you!” Kevin cries in my ear after picking up after the first ring.

“Yes Kev, I'm totally fine.” I respond quietly.

“Did you guys fuck?” Kevin asks and when I don’t respond, he screams into the phone, which makes me cringe and move the device away from my ear.

“OMG I KNEW IT YOU HAVE TO TELL ME EVERYTHING! WAS HIS DICK AS BIG AS JACOB AND I THOUGHT?” He yells into the phone as I softly chuckle and proceeds to tell everything to a panicking Kevin.

“Holy shit. I owe Eric $50.” Kevin sighs into the phone after I explained everything to him.

“You were betting on me? Anyways I don't even wanna know.” I say annoyed.

“Are you guys like a thing now?” He asks me.

“I'm not entirely sure.” I reply unsure.

“Well no matter what, I support you sweetcheeks.” Kevin assures.

I snort. “Thanks Kev, right back at you. Gotta go now eat dinner, I'll update you later.”

Kevin laughs. “Enjoy Sangyeons big d-” I hung up on him.

That night found Sangyeon and I, fully clothed, cuddled in bed and holding each other, just listening to each other's heartbeat and making small talk.

“Sangyeon, how did you become the leader of TBZ?” I asked, looking up at him from where my head was on his chest.

He sighs and looks straight ahead. “For generations, a Lee has always led the gang, no matter what. It was between my cousins and myself, but my elders picked me, as my dad was the former leader before he passed and I've always been a leader, even since I was a young boy,” Sangyeon replies.

“I’m so sorry.” I say to him. He smiles softly and kisses my cheek.

“Don’t worry about me princess. Tell me, what are you studying?” He asks me.

“I'm studying childhood studies and english lit  so after I graduate I can enroll in a teachers college. I wanna be an elementary school teacher.” I answer him proudly.

Sangyeon smiles at me fondly. “You will be an amazing teacher.” He says while stroking my face with his hands. He kisses me softly as I melt into his touch.

After not being so sure about Sangyeon, I have come to realize how amazing he is. I can feel myself starting to like him more and more each day.

I am his and he is mine and in the end, it's him and I.

~

Months pass, and Sangyeon and I can’t get enough of each other. Everyday when I finish my shift at work, he picks me up and we either go to his place or mine to have dinner. Last week I even taught him how to boil pasta! But, sometimes we don’t even make it to dinner because I end up riding him in the back of his luxury car. Whoops.

One day while we were lying in bed after having sex, I sat up.

“Wait Sangyeon, what are we?” I asked him, facing where he was lying on his back.

Sangyeon sat up next to me.  “Well y/n, I'm extremely fond of you and think you are the most intelligent and beautiful girl I have ever laid eyes on, and I wish to give you nothing but happiness and satisfaction. I would love nothing more than for you to be my girlfriend,” He says to me, a glimmer in his eyes.

I stare at him, shocked because no one has ever said anything like this to me, and then I felt myself smile at him as I wrap my arms around his shoulders.

“Yes Lee Sangyeon, I will be your girlfriend. I will be yours.”

He smiles wide back at me. “Then you are all mine.” He whispers back as he connects his lips with mine for a passionate kiss.

Kevin thinks it’s hilarious that I wear more turtlenecks more often, which always makes me turn beet red. Because when Sangyeon and I have sex, he doesn’t just bite, he chews on my body like a fucking dog (“Doesnt it feel so good though?” “Kevin I swear to god.”) I have also gotten to meet Sangyeon’s entire gang, made up of 11 men including himself, and watching Sangyeon speak to them so confidently and leader-like makes my heart flutter. Yeah, I definitely think I’ve fallen in love with Lee Sangyeon.

A rainy Thursday afternoon found me finishing up my shift at work, getting ready to close the cafe as the only employee left. Sangyeon had texted me earlier saying he couldn't pick me up today due to an important meeting, so I was stuck walking home alone. Which was fine with me since my apartment was only a ten minute walk from the cafe.

As I was locking up the cafe doors, I heard a car engine behind me. I turned around smiling, expecting to see Sangyeon, but my smile faded, when the window opened and Bang Chan was in the passenger seat, pointing a gun at me.

“Y/n. Get in the car right now so no one gets hurt.” He commands me in a monotone voice.

“Never.” I sneer back at him and start to back away from the car.

“Fine. Guess we are doing this the hard way.” He replies.

Before I could sprint away, someone appeared behind me, put a cloth to my mouth and grabbed my waist. As the world around me went black, all I could think was, “Lee Sangyeon is going to murder you for stealing his girl.”

Blood. Blood is dripping from a gash in my forehead when I regain consciousness. I look around frantically to find myself in what looked like an abandoned warehouse with my hands and legs tied together with heavy rope.

“Help!” I scream loudly, but that did not do anything for my situation. Instead, Bang Chan enters with another man holding a rifle and I feel another scream forming in my throat. The rope tied around my hands and legs were digging into my flesh and I could feel blood emerging from them.

“Ah y/n! Lee’s playtoy! Glad to see you awake!” Bang Chan claps and smiles at me wickedly while I just glare back.

“TBZ knows you're with us sweetheart.” He says. “We told them it's either you or the money.”

My mouth opens and then closes. “What money? I swear I don't know anything, he never tells me about his work,” I cry to him.

“LIES!” Bang Chan screams. “Han. Go get her.” The other man - Han - walks over to me, ignites the rifle and puts it against my head hard. I start to cry even harder and squirm in my spot even though I feel the rope burning getting worse.

“We are going to try this again y/n. Where is the money?” Bang Chan yells into my face. I spat at him and Han forced the gun to my already bleeding forehead harder.

“I'm done. Shoot her.” Bang Chan shouts.

“No, please don't shoot!” I cry, knowing nothing will make a difference.

As I felt Han press down on the trigger, I stop thrashing and sat still. At this point, there was nothing I could do to stop this myself.

Lee Sangyeon, don't forget about me.

“DON’T FUCKING TOUCH HER!” A familiar voice yells behind Bang Chan.

I wail loud with my last bit of strength I had.  “Help m-” BOOM!

Around me, I see the building collapse, rubble hitting my head as it knocks me over. Gunshots were loud and clear although my ears were ringing loud.

The last thing I remember before blacking out again were strong arms pulling me out of rubble.

Beeping. White ceiling. That is what I see and hear when I finally regain consciousness again. Looking around the plain room, I can see that I’m in a hospital bed. There is a bandage on my head and I can feel both my wrists and feet bandaged tightly, as well as an IV in my right arm. I move my head to the right slowly to the hallway window and see guards are positioned outside the hospital room. “Anything for Lee Sangyeon’s girl.” I think to myself and chuckle.

Wait. Sangyeon. Where is he? Is he alive?

“Hey sweet cheeks.” I hear a voice from the other side of the room. I slowly turn my head to see Kevin standing up from the couch that is in front of my bed and smiling at me.

“I'm glad you're okay. You woke up earlier than the doctors thought. You don’t have to worry about the Stray Kids gang anymore. They all died in the explosion.” He explains to me.

I nod my head slowly.

“Sangyeon. Where is Sangyeon?” I rasp out to Kevin.

Kevin softly smirks and shakes his head at the ground. “He's okay, he was here a few minutes ago, he hasn’t left your side in days. I’ll go get him, he's just getting his bandages touched up. He got injured in the explosion while pulling you out of the rubble.” Kevin tells me as I feel tears in my eyes. He would’ve sacrificed himself to save my life.

After patting my head softly, Kevin left the room to get Sangyeon, leaving me alone crying softly.

“Y/n.” I gasp and sit up and look towards the door, where the love of my life, Lee Sangyeon is standing with white bandages on his left arm and tears streaming down his scratched up, but beautiful face. Seeing him standing in front of me, makes me cry even harder. Without saying anything, I rip the IV out of my arm, slide out of the bed and jump into Sangyeons arms, and engulf him in a hug, which he gladly returns.

“I thought I lost you.” I cry into his shoulder as he sits down on the bed with me on his lap. I move my head to stare into his beautiful eyes, that still have his usual shimmer, even after all that has happened. “You'll never lose me.” He whispers fondly as he cups my face in his hands and wipes away my tears softly with his right thumb.

Sangyeon held me like I was a broken doll, fragile but sweet. He whispered sorry to me over and over again, which I quickly shushed and ran a bandaged hand through his soft brown hair.

“I love you so much.” I say to him, grabbing his neck softly and pulling him towards me.

“I love you more princess.” He says while smiling wide at me, which made me smile back at him as we connected foreheads.

~

“God Sangyeon. Go take a shower you stink.” I say to him as we enter his penthouse after being in the hospital for days, which ended with the doctor clearing both of us. I got the bandages on my head, hands, and feet, and he got his bandages removed.

“And you don’t smell y/n?” He smirks at me as I scoff. “Shower with me.” He says, eyes darkening as my breath hitches.

“Okay.” I nod, and we are on our way to his huge ensuite bathroom.

We both strip out of our dirty clothes and get into the massive glass shower, me going in first with Sangyeon following.

I watch him pump the liquid from the shampoo bottle into his hands, and lather the shampoo into my hair as he stands behind me.

“You’re so fucking beautiful Y/n” Sangyeon tells me as I lean my back into his chest. His hands lightly trace my body, lingering on my lower stomach and my breasts. I could feel his erection growing, and being the little greedy bitch I am, I grind down on it slowly. All of a sudden, he turns me around and attaches his lips to mine hard, and we are both caught in a rough make out session. He breaks the kiss and stares at me with lust clouded eyes.

“Are you gonna take care of this princess?” Sangyeon asks me while his eyes are motioning to his cock.

“Yes Sir.” I reply, not sure where that came from, as he pushes my shoulders down lightly and I feel myself fall to my knees.

Without thinking, I grab his hard cock with my hands and pump it a few times.I licked the slit tasting the precum that had come out, before sinking my mouth down his shaft softly, making him swear under his breath.

“Fuck you’re such a good girl. You suck my cock so well.” He hisses while grabbing my hair and guiding my head back and forth while I lap up his precum. He guides my head so that I swallow his cock and I gag on it a bit, which makes him growl loudly. My watering eyes glanced up at Sangyeon to see his head tilted back, mouth open partially.

“Fuck y/n I’m gonna cum. Gonna dirty up that hot mouth of yours.” Sangyeon rasps out as I feel his hot cum go down my throat as he rides out his orgasm. I release myself from his dripping cock and swallow the cum that had landed in my mouth.

“Fuck y/n. Princess. You're so good at that.” He cooes at me while helping me stand up and kisses me quickly and firmly on the mouth.

“Do I get something for being good, Sir?” I ask him while batting my eyes together, trying to pout as much as I could.

“That depends, what do you want? You want me to fuck you in this shower until you can't walk” He asks me loudly.

“God yes!” I answer him. Sangyeon picks me up like I weigh nothing as I wrap my legs and arms around his broad body.

“FUCK!” I scream as Sangyeon slams his cock into my pussy without any warning.

“You’re so fucking tight, shit.” Sangyeon curses under his breath.

I moan like crazy as Sangyeon fucks me hard, every thrust hitting my g-spot.

“You feel so good y/n. Your tight pussy feels amazing around my cock.” He rasps out before sucking on my jaw, making me arch my back and moan. I could feel my orgasm coming already. Sangyeon is a sex god and he knew how to have me cumming within seconds.

“I'm gonna cum in you, y/n, ok? I want you to feel my hot cum inside of you.” He growls in my ear as I loudly moan. I couldn't even answer him, I just nodded my head while leaving scratches on his back.

“FUCK!” We both scream and cum at the same time, I shudder feeling Sangyeons hot load entering my pussy. He drops his head onto my shoulder, whispering praise in my ear as I'm shaking in his arms. Both of us panting and sweating, even underneath the water. When he pulls his cock out, his cum and my cum is dripping fast out of my pussy. Sangyeon puts me down but I start to fall over, so he catches me and starts to snicker.

“Well I guess we have to take a real shower now and clean ourselves up.” He says amusingly as I roll my eyes and smack his chest as he laughs.

~

June 2021, I finally graduate college! As my name is being called, shouts and cheers come from the audience as I look and see the entire TBZ gang jumping up and down. My smile grows even bigger when I'm shaking the headmaster's hand and see Sangyeon, my boyfriend of one year, in the audience holding a bouquet of red roses with a huge proud smile on his face. After enrolling in teacher’s college and officially moving in with Sangyeon, Kevin announces to everyone over a gang family dinner that he and Jacob are getting married, and that I'm his best person, which makes the whole gang erupt in chaos. Sangyeon has to calm everyone down, and congratulates the happy couple fondly, knowing that everyone will be as supportive when he finally asks his best girl to marry him.

Two months later I found myself at the MoonBae wedding. During the reception, Kevin calls all the non-married men and women to the dance floor so he can throw the bouquet. What shocks everyone the most is when I catch it, making Kevin and Jacob both scream and tackle me in a hug. Sangyeon chokes on his glass of scotch and turns purple watching the whole event unfold.

Sangyeon proposes to me one quiet night four months after Kevin and Jacob’s wedding as we are both drinking wine and watching the sunset on his penthouse balcony.

“Y/n, You are the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me.” He says to me with tears in eyes as he gets down on one knee. “Will you marry me?” Sangyeon asks.

“Yes! Of course I’ll marry you. ” I answer him crying.

Sangyeon smiles wide at me and picks me up and spins me around before kissing me passionately.

“I love you so much y/n l/n.”

“I love you more Lee Sangyeon.”

“You’re mine forever.”

“And I'm yours.”

well i hope you enjoyed! sorry if it was bad or rushed again it was my first time hehe

stream breaking dawn and support tbz on kingdom :D

[onetoothpig]

Well, time for more OCs! A few here are from Borras Kingdom, a Kirby anime-inspired universe I mentioned earlier, and some are just a few random ones. Like my last OC dump, I'm throwing in a cut so this doesn't clutter up some poor mutual's dash.

Alright, let's do this. Borras Kingdom denizens first:

King Borras

Full Name: King Gome Borras (derived from the French word gomme, meaning eraser, and the Spanish borrar, meaning "to erase or delete")

Age: 24

Appearance: Short, with a rounded top edge and flat bottom, titanium white, one visible beady eye, small gold crown

Description: An egotistical eraser who rules over the kingdom of Prennsia. An absolute jerk to everyone and a horrible customer to his fortune teller.

Likes: Being king

Dislikes: Treason, people trying to swipe the throne, losing his crown

Miss Porvenne

Full Name: Unknown (Miss Porvenne is a stage name of sorts. It's derived from porvenir, a Spanish word meaning "future".)

Age: About 37

Appearance: Adult woman, dark-skinned, black lipstick, mostly black outfit featuring black lace. Hair and eye color unknown, as she constantly has them obscured by her headdress.

Description: Not much is known about this mysterious fortune-teller, but she's set up shop in Prennsia, making the king one of her most frequent customers. If only his payments were as frequent as his visits...

Likes: Telling fortunes, apparently

Dislikes: Bad tippers, King Borras

The Pencil Guard

Appearance: Yellow pencils standing upright, normally holding swords and shields (though these aren't the only weapons they wield)

Description: The Pencil Guard is King Borras' elite fighting force. They work great as a team and are extremely loyal to the king... when they aren't planning pranks behind his back.

Okay, those are pretty much all the Borras Kingdom ones for now. Random OC dump time!

Queen Amisha

Full Name: Amisha, the Fairy Queen

Age: Timeless

Appearance: Adult woman, fair-skinned, green, flowing hair that reaches down to her waist. Often seen wearing a puffy cyan dress and an iridescent tiara.

Description: As her name suggests, she's the queen of the fairies. She is usually calm and cheerful, but be on your best behavior around her - she is merciless to anyone she deems a troublemaker. Aside from her royal duties, she runs a rehabilitation center for young imps and demons.

Likes: People getting along, chrysanthemum flowers

Dislikes: Troublemakers

(so she's basically ms. accord but fifty times worse.)

Burger

Full Name: Burger

Age: Unknown

Appearance: Child, tiny, brown body, teardrop-shaped head, jagged mouth, fingerless hands and toeless feet.

Description: Burger is a demon who was taken into Amisha's rehabilitation center. He is very prone to mischief, and always seems to have too much energy. It doesn't help that Amisha is downright cruel to him...

Likes: Having fun!

Dislikes: Getting into trouble, Queen Amisha

[Note: The following characters aren't fully fleshed-out yet. Actually writing characters is hard!]

Princess Rhinestone

Full Name: Haven't thought of one yet...

Appearance: Teenage, fair-skinned, flowing pink hair, silver crown full of rhinestones. Often wears a pale blue dress with royal blue highlights.

Description: Rules over the Rhinestone Kingdom. She is cheery and bubbly, and usually the moral support of any group she's in. However, she seems to go overboard whenever thanking someone for doing her a favor. Once, she was possessed by the power of the Miracle Stone, but a brave hero rescued her from its clutches.

Likes: Having friends, jewels, dancing around her castle

Dislikes: Being taken advantage of

Sequin Mermaid

Full Name: ...Molly? I dunno

Appearance: Teenage, dark-skinned, sky-blue hair of medium length, green mermaid tail with iridescent sequin "scales".

Description: This mermaid lives down inside an underwater city. She's a little insecure and is ashamed of how she looks. She discovered the beautiful Dazzle Sequin while exploring one day, and, hoping it would improve her looks, she took it. Unfortunately, the Sequin corrupted her and transformed her into a sea monster. Luckily, a daring adventurer saved her from the Sequin's influence and showed her her real beauty.

Likes: Seashells, being alone

Dislikes: Her looks, crowds

Yarn Witch

Full Name: Raye Pollamori

Appearance: Teenage, fair-skinned, red hair made of strands of yarn, pointed black hat and clothes made of felt.

Description: A mischievous little witch. She lives in a spooky place where it's always autumn. The only thing she like more than casting spells and making potions is yarn, which is why she was ecstatic when she chanced upon the Eternal Spool, a spool of yarn that never runs out. She realized too late the power of the Spool, which turned her from mischievous to just plain evil. She was almost set on conquering the world before a legendary warrior stopped her and destroyed the Spool, transforming her back to her old self.

Likes: Casting spells, making potions, yarn

Dislikes: Being bored

Clay Centurion

Full Name: Johnson Cobble

Appearance: Teenage, medium color skin, short, curly black hair, armor made of hardened clay.

Description: A warrior made of clay. His armor may look heavy and clunky, but he can move almost effortlessly in it. He lives at the top of Mount Pumice, challenging any passers-by he meets. Despite his fearsome appearance, he's actually quite friendly, if overly chummy. When he picked up the Sunbaked Sword, an unbreakable and remarkable weapon, he became conceited and overconfident. Thankfully, a paragon of justice went up to Mount Pumice one day and defeated him, freeing him of the Sword's control.

Likes: Sparring, defending his homeland

Dislikes: Being lonely

And that's all for now! I still need to work on some of these guys, and I of course need to talk about them more so people actually acknowledge them. But hey, one step at a time.

@bipperbopperbee @fluffernauto @mynarco i have no idea who else to tag in this