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theteasetwrites · 3 years ago

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Mother's Day

❧ Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Female Reader ❧ Era: during Season 9 time jump (The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning series) ❧ Pronouns: she/her ❧ Warnings: none! ❧ Word Count: 1.6k

❧ Summary: Your husband and daughter take Mother's Day very seriously.

❧ A/N: This is my first oneshot that takes place in The Beginning universe! You don't need to read the entire series to understand what's going on, but it might help! Basically, Reader and Daryl have been together for about six years. They have a three-year-old daughter named Robin, and Dog is currently a puppy. Everything is pretty good in Alexandria at this time, so this is literally just a sweet little Mother's Day-themed oneshot for the series. Enjoy, and happy Mother's Day!

Holidays in Alexandria were few and far between, that’s for sure.

Christmas was too extravagant to celebrate in any meaningful capacity, besides a small dinner and an exchange of a few gifts, Halloween was non-existent, as the world was already scary enough without people dressing up as vampires or witches, and Thanksgiving was almost everyday, since not a day went by when the citizens of Alexandria weren’t thankful to be alive.

But the simple holidays, the ones that honored the more mundane aspects of life, were much easier to celebrate.

Birthdays were routine, as you now had the birthdate of almost every citizen of Alexandria marked on your calendar, and other holidays, like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, somehow wormed their way into the small cultural zeitgeist that had formed the past several years of Alexandria’s relatively peaceful existence.

You were still getting used to the concept of being a mother. You’d been one for the better part of three years, with Robin only a few weeks away from turning four in late May. Still, no matter how many times the little girl called out “Mommy” or “Momma,” you felt like you were living in the Twilight Zone. A very, very nice part of the Twilight Zone, without the eeriness of Rod Serling’s haunting voice over black and white terror stories.

“Can I crack an egg, Daddy?” you heard your child ask her father as you groggily stepped down the stairs, rubbing your eyes and laughing to yourself at the idea of even Daryl cracking an egg.

“Jus’ watch me do it,” he said. “Eggs are tricky. And you gotta wash your hands or you’ll get sick.”

“Really?”

“Really. Raw egg ain’t good to eat. Give you a tummy ache, or worse.”

You turned the corner to feast your eyes on the sight: Daryl in his best shirt and jeans, Robin still in her white hooded onesie (with rabbit ears and tail, no less), and Dog, your rather rambunctious puppy, clumsily tilting his head side to side as he watched Daryl instruct Robin. She stood upon her little kitchen step stool, barely allowing her to see over the edge of the counter.

“But they’re okay to eat after you cook ‘em?” she asked curiously.

“Mhm,” he said, concentrating on the egg as he attempted to crack it above the mixing bowl. “We’re gonna mix these up and make scrambled eggs. Real easy. Why don’t you hand me that whisk, birdie?”

She followed his pointed finger to focus her gaze on the jar of utensils. “This thingy?” she asked, holding the whisk in her tight hand.

“Bingo,” he said, a proud smile forming on his face. Robin could do just about anything and it would still impress him. “Look at you, smartie pants. Already learnin’ a thing or two.”

She cradled her head in her hands as she watched him whisk the eggs, periodically spooning out eggshells he had missed. He wasn’t the greatest cook in the world (besides his blueberry pancakes, of course), but at least he tried.

“Can I wake Mommy up now?” she asked, and you snickered mischievously to yourself, shaking your head at how adorable the two of them were. Robin must’ve been dying to wake you up for at least an hour now, and Daryl must’ve been about ready to pull his hair out, dealing with the talkative, curious child. “Please?”

“Let ‘er wake up on ‘er own,” he said. In truth, he was hoping to have as much time as possible to prepare your Mother’s Day breakfast before you awoke. “She’ll be down soon enough.”

Dog’s ears perked up when he noticed your presence just before he bounded forward, each paw stumbling over the other. “Hi, buddy,” you laughed, kneeling down to pet him. “Hi, kiddos.”

Robin turned on her stool and nearly tripped as she stepped off, though Daryl quickly dropped his whisk in the mixing bowl to hold onto her before she sprinted across the modest-sized kitchen towards you. “Happy Mother’s Day!” she sang out as she threw her little arms around your shoulders.

“Aw, thank you, sweet pea.”

Her lips quickly pecked your cheek, and you swore you could feel her long, dainty eyelashes fluttering on your cheekbone. She pulled away with wide, expressive blue eyes, filled with about ten times the energy of you and Daryl combined.

“Daddy and I are making you breakfast,” she said, and jauntily pointed towards the myriad of pots and pans and dishes cluttering the stove. You only hoped Daryl also intended to clean the kitchen, too. “Dog’s helping, too.”

“Pfft,” scoffed Daryl. “Mangy mutt’s been trippin’ me all mornin’. Keeps gettin’ under my feet. He’s gonna need trainin’.”

“I’m not the one who brought him home…” you teased, scratching behind the canine’s ears as he exposed his belly to you on the kitchen floor. “So, what’s for breakfast, househusband?” You rose to wrap your arms around his waist, kissing his cheek as he rolled his eyes. You simply couldn’t help but be a little amused at the sight of Daryl cooking. It always warmed your heart.

“Scrambled eggs,” he said with a huff, pointing at each dish with his spatula as he listed it. “Bacon… Pancakes… Robin’s s’posed to be buttering up the English muffins.” He glowered playfully at the little girl, who was now scurrying around the dining room with the puppy. “Guess I lost my little chef.”

You laughed, squeezing his shoulder before eying the cutting board on which were Robin’s abandoned English muffins. Each of them were already split in half, but only one was buttered (rather sloppily, you might add), with a lone spoon holding a glob of homemade butter.

“You gave her a spoon to spread the butter?” you laughed. “Daryl, a butter knife won’t hurt her, you know.” You reached to open the silverware drawer, with the intent of buttering the muffins yourself, but Daryl dropped his spatula in the egg pan and grabbed your hand, guiding you away from the counter.

“No moms allowed in the kitchen,” he said. “Dads only.”

He quickly ushered you into the living room before frantically running back to check on the food, and Robin and Dog scurried out from the dining room to meet you at the couch, a crudely wrapped present in Robin’s hands.

“We got you a present,” she said bashfully.

Your eyes widened as you gasped in exaggerated shock. “Oh, chipmunk, you guys didn’t have to get me anything! I have everything I could ever want and more.” You reached out to pinch her chubby cheeks. “But I do love presents… Can I open it?”

“Wait!” you heard Daryl call out from the kitchen. “Wait for me!”

He hurried out with a rag in his hands as he tried to wipe the bacon grease from his fingers.

You patted the couch cushion beside you, urging Robin to sit next to you while you opened her present. Daryl took the invitation, too, sitting himself on the other side of you. He seemed almost more excited than the three-year-old.

“Open it,” he said with an uncharacteristically large grin. “You’re gonna love it.”

“I know,” you said excitedly, tearing open the wrapping paper, made from old newspaper. “I can’t wait to…”

Your voice trailed off as the picture came into view. It was a small, framed canvas, upon which was a childlike family portrait of yourself, Daryl, Robin, and Dog, with your blue house in the backdrop, complete with your pink rose bushes and the little wooden sign you had nailed to the picket fence years ago: DIXONS, it read.

You beamed at the attention to detail, how each stick figure still looked familiar. Even Daryl’s shoulder-length brown hair was drawn with stunning accuracy.

Framing the canvas were four worn pieces of wood, mismatched and yet somehow fitting perfectly together. You could already tell Daryl had put the frame together himself, especially since upon the bottom piece was the word DIXONS carved meticulously into the wood, in case anyone forgot that you were, in fact, Dixon’s.

Robin’s little signature, with her initials, R.E.D, were painted in small, green letters in the bottom right corner.

“Oh, I love it!” you practically squealed, a lump forming in your throat as the tears began to well up in your eyes. “Thank you, babies.” You pressed a small kiss to Robin’s head as your arm pulled her close to your side. She snuggled up happily, watching her mother press a different kind of kiss to her father’s lips. “This means so much to me. I’m going to hang it over the fireplace.”

“Nah,” said Daryl, surprising you for a moment. Surely he’d want to hang such a prized piece of Robin Dixon’s original artwork above his mantle? He stood up to remove the Alfonso Mucha painting that was already hanging above the fireplace. “I’ll hang it. Moms don’t work today.”

That evening, you watched the sunset with Daryl, swaying lazily on the porch swing as he held you close, the usual procedure. Only today, it was a little different—it was your day, and when he held you, he reminded you of how thankful he was for you, how much he respected you for bringing his child into the world, and how great of a mother you were.

Thanks for reading! Likes, reblogs, and comments of any kind are always appreciated!

Masterlist

#daryl dixon x reader #daryl dixon fanfiction #daryl dixon x you #daryl dixon fanfic #daryl dixon #daryl dixon fic #the walking dead #the walking dead fanfiction #the walking dead fanfic #twd fanfic #twd #twd fanfiction #norman reedus #norman reedus fanfiction #norman reedus fanfic #norman reedus x reader #the beginning #the beginning series

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junicai · 3 years ago

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infinite.

| summary | When Aria's with her boys, it feels like the sky's the limit.

| word count | 2.3k

| warnings | none

| era | circa. June 2021, filming for Hello, Future music video

The grass in the empty stadium had been liberally covered in fake flower petals - the healthy green of regularly watered grass slowly becoming overshadowed by the light pink and yellow that settled lightly atop it.

The white corduroy overalls that Aria donned were splashed with colour in fake paint splotches to compliment the petals - yellows and greens and pinks mixed with blues and oranges in a jumble of streaks that were stark against the otherwise plain material. The Doc Martens that all eight of the members had been fitted for were all padded at the toe and the heel - lest the hard rubber break away skin and cause them to bleed during filming.

Aria crunched several petals underfoot in the heavy boots as she wandered over to the other boys who had been released from hair and makeup a handful of minutes before her.

The sun was just reaching it’s highest point in the sky, the heat bearing down onto her exposed midriff and almost entirely cancelling out the cool breeze that threatened to rise goosebumps on her stomach. The floaty, bell-sleeved crop top was, in Aria’s opinion, absolutely gorgeous. She had already planned out the best way to corner Heejin unnie - one of the stylists that had an especially soft spot for Aria and her pout, when used effectively.

Shaking her freshly dyed blue hair out of her eyes, Aria broke out into a light jog to catch up to Renjun, swinging an arm around the boy’s shoulders.

“Hi!” She smiled brightly.

Renjun wrinkled his nose at her playfully. “Hey. You done in makeup?”

Nodding, Aria replied, “Yeah. They wanted to touch up the colour in my hair and stick a couple more tattoos around.” She pointed to the new daisy sitting underneath her eye, and the Make Peace, Not War written in differing fonts along her left forearm.

He aah’d exaggeratedly, patting his own upside-down HELLO on his arm absent-mindedly, before frowning lightly. “Is your colour coming out already? I thought they only dyed it a couple days ago.” Lifting up a hand, Renjun brushed away the strands in Aria’s fringe that were falling into her eyes, cringing lightly when they came away covered in blue residue.

Aria pulled away from his fingers, shaking her fringe back into place. “They didn’t have any dye left, so it’s hair chalk.” She explained.

Renjun made another noise of understanding, looking at his smurf coloured fingertips thoughtfully. When his eyes flickered up to meet Aria’s, they had a mischievous glint in them, and she barely had the chance to turn on her heel and break out into a run before Renjun was giving chase hot on her heels.

“No!”

“Yes!”

Her boots were beginning to rub the skin around her ankle raw, still not broken in enough to stand the test of a sprint through a football field, but Renjun was behind her - holding up his hand threateningly - and that was enough to keep her powering through the burn.

“Stop it!” Aria panted, laughter beginning to soil her already failing lung capacity. Her pace was lagging, but much to her relief; so was Renjun’s. With a final burst of energy at seeing the ground she’d gained on him, Aria made her escape attempt-

Only to be captured by Jeno, strong arms wrapping around her waist and swinging her around in a circle to be plopped right back down in front of a now jogging Renjun, an evil smile on his face.

“Lee Jeno!” Aria protested, wriggling against the arms that had yet to release her. “Let me goo!”

He deigned not to respond, but Aria could see the matching glint in his eye, and she resigned herself to her fate. He shared a nod of understanding with Renjun who was advancing slowly now that his victim was immobile.

“Renjun.”

A small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

“Renjun, I’m sorry.”

His smurf-hand raised threateningly again.

“I’ll do your dishes for a week.”

With a final step, Renjun was now within a half-arms distance from Aria.

“Jenooo-” Aria cut herself off with a squeak, as Renjun dragged his fingers over the bridge of her nose, leaving behind a trail of the blue hair chalk. Aria flailed in Jeno’s grip, but he held her fast, even going so far as to tug her down into his lap on the ground to hold her steady.

Now entirely stuck, Aria resorted to flailing her limbs as much as she could, which really wasn’t a lot when Jeno tucked her legs beneath his knees, trapping her with all four of his limbs as Renjun rubbed the rest of the hair chalk off of his fingertips and onto Aria’s nose and cheeks.

Revenge enacted, her attacker eventually settled back onto his heels, fingers now chalk free - having spread most of it over Aria’s face as a replacement for blush.

Aria let out a small sneeze when the loose dust tickled her nose, blinking harshly in surprise.

With her eyes closed, she couldn’t see the hand Renjun held to his heart, or the pout that Jeno’s lips formed at the cute sound. The two men peered up at each other, silently agreeing that: Yes, it was unfair that she looked so tiny and cute with blue blush. Sometimes, life wasn’t fair, and it was coming for Renjun and Jeno’s heart in the form of a very tiny girl with a blueberry nose.

With a pat on the arm from Renjun, Jeno released Aria from his grip who promptly turned around and rained a series of light smacks onto his chest, only stopping when her rings snagged in the necklace he wore. He made no effort to help her, asides from holding her up when he accidentally leaned back and nearly took her down with him.

“Traitor!” She declared once she had untangled the jewelry. For her own revenge, she ran a finger through her hair to collect the chalk and smudged the colour onto Jeno’s cheek in a bright smear.

The shocked look in his wide eyes was enough to have Renjun coughing out a laugh, the other two soon following. The patch of grass they had settled onto was far enough away from the filming location that there were no petals to hinder Aria’s plans of laying down onto her back, hands splayed over her stomach as she laughed along with the boys.

“Guys!” It was Mark’s call that drew their attention away from the coloured chalk - although Renjun did let out another snicker at the light blue cloud that Aria’s hair left on the grass where she had been laying - and together the trio made their way back over to the other five members.

When Jeno and Renjun got distracted in comparing the temporary tattoos they had both been decorated with, Aria slowed her pace enough to let the two wander ahead without her.

She slid her focus away from the duo and towards the group that had settled in between the flower-covered goalposts, some standing, some sitting.

The bright colours of this concept was a nice change, Aria thought. She loved doing sexier concepts - don’t get her wrong, she loved the empowerment that came with it, and the twitter reactions were always fun to scroll through - but she’d missed this kind of bubble pop. Songs that made something uncurl up in your chest, complemented and encouraged by all the bright colours and messages.

When Aria had read through the lyrics the first time, she’d never felt like she’d loved a song more without hearing it. They meant something, especially to her.

Hello, Future; and all that.

And the costuming was always so fun. Short skirts were never the most ideal things to dance in, and the heeled shoes were the bane of her existence (no matter how good she looked in them) so the sturdy boots and durable overalls was a welcome switch-out.

Her boys looked happy with it as well.

With Hot Sauce, there was an infinite amount pressure to get it right. It was the first full album that NCT Dream was going to release, and it was 8DREAM. They had Mark back. They were all adults at that point. There were expectations to meet. They couldn’t pass things off as being children anymore; they had millions of eyes watching them, and it was like having someone breathing down your neck.

The pressure just kept mounting and mounting until it loomed over them all like dark clouds that you could just know held heavy rain. It was like they were debuting all over again. Re-debuting as eight again. Aria doesn’t think she remembers a single thing from the set at all. The whole thing is just a blur in her memory.

Hello, Future, this time around, is different. The members had gathered in the living room around Donghyuck’s laptop when the Hot Sauce music video aired, watching as the views racked up and positive comment after positive comment poured in. They’d read through each and every one, Mark and Aria translating the English ones that the others couldn’t read.

If Aria cried, one arm wrapped tightly around Jaemin, with the other held Mark’s right hand in his lap, then no one commented on it. It could be, because they had tears of their own in their eyes - but no one can say for sure.

They ended up sleeping on the floor that night, laptop discarded on the couch that was stripped bare of pillows and throw blankets. Curled around each other - this time with her head on Renjun’s chest and her stomach monopolized by both Chenle and Jisung lying horizontal from each other, Aria felt the tension and the fear that had been teeming underneath her shoulders for the last two months abate.

The terror that if the album had flopped, then they’d be facing disbandment like so many kneitzens wanted.

Or worse: Dream would keep going, but they’d lose Mark again.

Even the thought made something horrible curl up in the pit of Aria’s stomach.

No.

Never again.

The odd sleeping arrangements were not something that were uncommon in the Dreamies dorm (Honestly, Aria can’t remember the last time she had slept alone in a room, let alone a bed. They had a system worked out for when someone genuinely needed time alone, but otherwise, most bedroom doors remained open all night.)

This time, Mark was forcibly settled into the middle, everyone clamoring that he’d missed out on nearly three years of them - and he wasn’t getting ride of them that easily again.

To his credit, Mark went without much argument, although that probably falls down due to the fact that god, he had missed them too.

Over the weeks of practicing together, re-working the choreography for the songs that had been released when Dream was seven members only, they found their rhythm again. The one that they had lost in 2019, the one that Mark had taken with him when he’d graduated from the group.

Finding it again felt easier than breathing.

Aria thought she’d never get to see her boys smile so brightly as they did together again, giving the colourful flowers lining the grass a run for their money.

From her position a ways away from the group, she watched as Chenle immediately launched himself at Jeno as soon as he was close enough, tackling the older boy onto the ground where they both landed with a thud, Chenle’s head whipping backwards with the force.

She watched as Jeno - ever careful - had tucked a hand behind Chenle’s head to catch him even before they started to fall, his hand taking all the impact as they came into contact with the ground.

Jisung was quick to clamber up, eager to pull Renjun over to Jaemin and show him what they had been doing. She watched as Jaemin held up a small crown made of the fake petals, held together loosely by the short strands of confetti that were scattered around the goalposts.

Mark was leaning his back against the post, head tilted down onto Donghyuck’s shoulder. Donghyuck was watching Jeno and Chenle wrestle with each other - cheering for one or the other, depending on who was winning at that exact moment.

Aria watched as Donghyuck slowly slipped into silence, tilting his head down to look at Mark’s peaceful expression as the eldest seemed to almost doze off on his shoulder.

And, she watched as Donghyuck lifted his eyes, flickering from each of the members. His eyebrows furrowed, scanning the group again before he craned his neck towards the rest of the field.

When his eyes locked onto Aria’s, he raised an eyebrow, but deigned to stay quiet - choosing against startling Mark with a yell. His expression was enough, though.

Donghyuck understood Aria on a certain level that she thought not a lot of people could. She had a unique bond with each member of Dream, but Donghyuck sometimes knew what was going on in her head before she even did.

Which is why, instead of teasing her for being an introvert, or running away; when Aria strolled up to join the group he just extended the arm that wasn’t wrapped around Mark’s waist, beckoning to her.

After being firmly tucked into his other side, Aria curled into his chest with a sigh, shivering lightly when the sun slid behind a cloud for a brief second and the air felt cooler than it had all day.

Feeling her shudder, Donghyuck tilted his head down to look at her the same way he’d looked at Mark a moment ago, before pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

“You okay?”

Aria nodded. “M’okay.”

(Donghyuck didn’t realize that his lips were blue from the chalk until Jisung pointed it out, some thirty minutes later.)

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honeypwark · 4 years ago

Text

[ Missing ]

↳ Roller Coaster era (late Jan-early Mar 2019)

↳ Lily goes missing. All hell brakes loose. Every idol ever tries to find Lily.

m.list

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

There’s a kind of contentment that comes with being absolutely exhausted. When you’re that tired, you know you’ve done your best and pushed yourself yet you’ve withstood the tiredness and given it your all. That’s usually how Lily feels after a long day of practicing. She’d be extremely tired, ready to drag herself home and flop into bed and start over the next day. But not today.

The exhaustion is there, wearing well into her bones but instead of feeling content, she just feels tired. She’s not even supposed to finish practicing for another hour and yet she is just so tired. Usually she pushes on through, telling herself the pain now is worth it in the end. But this doesn’t feel like the tired she’s used to. It’s so much concentrated, seeping into mind and making her just want to sleep.

She stumbles over her own feet again as she tries to work through the dance break at the end of her solo comeback song for the nth time. She takes a breath and bends over, coughing as she braces herself on her knees. She just feels completely wiped out; maybe she’s been pushing herself too hard? She wobbles over to the couch on the side of the room and sits down with a sigh.

“Okay, Lily. Take ten then we’re back,” she says to herself.

She coughs again, clearing her throat before settling further back into the couch and leaning her head back. All it takes is a few deep breaths with her eyes closed and she’s out like a light.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

“Lily Lee~ Unnie made you breakfast,” Nayeon sings gently as she enters the maknae line’s room.

The eldest member carries a plate of blueberry pancakes, Lily’s favorite. All of the members are well aware of how hard Lily is pushing herself to make her solo comeback go nothing less than perfect. They know she feels guilty for being given so many individual opportunities over her members despite all nine of their reassurances that they’re nothing but proud of her. Nayeon decided to surprise Lily with her favorite breakfast in bed.

“Li...ly?”

Nayeon doesn’t think she’s heard Lily get up this morning. Tzuyu and Dahyun are still asleep in their bunks and Chaeyoung is out to brunch with a friend. Lily’s bunk, however, is empty, save for Blue curled up in his usual spot at the foot of the bed. Nayeon leaves the room and her eyebrows only knit together further when she checks and finds the bathroom empty.

“Jihyo, do you know where Lily is?” Nayeon asks.

Jihyo, Sana, and Momo sit in the living room eating the extra pancakes Nayeon had made. (The best ones, of course, had been puts on Lily’s plate.) All three of them look up at Nayeon’s question.

“Is she not in her room?” Jihyo asks.

“No.”

“Bathroom?”

“Just checked.”

“She didn’t stay at Jisung’s dorm last night, did she?”

“No, she was practicing until late,” Momo reminds the leader.

“Did anyone hear her come in?”

“We all went to bed before her but maybe?” Sana says.

Jihyo glances around at the growing worry on her members’ faces.

“Okay, um, Sana. Go ask the others if they know where Lily is and whether or not they know she came home. Nayeon, put Lily’s plate in the microwave and finish cleaning up the kitchen. Momo, call Lily’s cell and see if she’ll pick up. I’ll call Jisung and see if she’s with him.”

The other three girls set off to do as they were told and Jihyo pulls out her phone. She quickly finds the right contact and calls Jisung. NCT Dream’s dorm is practically Lily’s second home. She is constantly spending the night there, the other group’s maknae never complaining to give up his bed to Lily for the night if it means getting to joke around while eating cereal together the next morning. If not for their endlessly busy idol lives, they would be attached at the hip.

“Uhhh... Jihyo sunbaenim? Hello.”

The boy who answers the phone is not Jisung.

“Hello, who is this?”

“I’m Jaemin, one of Jisung’s members.”

“Where is Jisung?”

“He’s showering but he should be out soon- oh, he’s right here.”

Muffled, Jihyo hears, “Hyung, why are using my phone?”

Louder and closer to the phone, Jaemin answers, “It’s Lily’s leader.”

“Jihyo?”

“Yeah.”

Jaemin presumably hands the phone to Jisung.

“Noona?”

“Jisung. Is Lily with you?”

“With me? No.”

“Oh, okay.”

“W-Why? Is she okay? Did something happen?”

Jaemin says something Jihyo can’t understand. The sound that follows sounds suspiciously like Jisung hitting his older member.

“We’re not sure where she is right now,” Jihyo answers.

She looks up as Sana, Nayeon, and Momo return to the living room, several of the other girls coming with them, all looking worried.

“Do you need help finding her? I can call her,” Jisung offers.

“No, it’s alright, Jisung. Thank you, though. Bye-”

“Wait! Will you let me know when you find her?” Jisung says quickly before she can hang up. “Or ask her to text me when she’s home?”

Jihyo blinks, “Uh, yeah. I’ll tell her to text you. Bye, Jisung.”

“Goodbye...”

Jihyo hangs up.

“She’s not with Jisung,” Jihyo announces to the others.

“My call went straight to voicemail,” Momo says, “Her phone’s either off or dead.”

“I don’t like this,” Mina says. “Lily always tells us when she’s staying with someone.”

“Yeah,” Tzuyu agrees quietly.

“What if something happened to her?”

“She might just be at ITZY’s dorm. They live a little closer to the company.”

“But what if something did happen to her?”

“She was walking home late at night; someone should have gone to get her.”

“She’s so little.”

“If someone tried to grab her in an empty street she wouldn’t be able to do much.”

“What if someone recognized her?”

“What if she got kidnapped?!”

“What if she got followed by a sasaeng!?”

“Guys... GUYS!” Jihyo calls to get everyone’s attention. “Worrying like this isn’t going to help anyone. I’ll stay here with Sana in case she comes back. You all split up and start trying to find her.“

While the others hurry to pull on coats and shoes and throw their hair up into ponytails, Sana walks over to Jihyo.

“What are we going to do?” Sana asks.

“We’re going to start calling people,” Jihyo answers. “Anyone Lily knows and we don’t, we’re going to figure out their phone number and call them.”

“How are we going to do that? Like, I don’t have any of Blackpink’s phone numbers.”

“Well... okay. But you know Nayeon. And Nayeon knows Jisoo. Find connections like that.”

A few minutes later, Jihyo has gotten Blackpink’s eldest’s phone number and been told she’s not with them. Nonetheless, Jihyo tries to remember another one of Lily’s countless idol friends to try and call.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

What had gone from a ten minute break to a nearly nine hour night of sleep leaves Lily still fast asleep on the couch of a practice room that morning. She’s shifted onto her side, curled up and sleeping soundly. She wakes slowly, blinking and groaning at the bright overhead lights still shining from the night before. She eventually sits up and rubs the final remnants of sleep from her eyes. Her phone is dead, she realizes, getting the time from the clock on the wall instead.

10:13AM? Really? She was asleep that long? She’s almost surprised her body let her sleep for so long; she usually can’t make it past seven hours of consecutive sleep. She knows her members must be worried sick about her not being home after being alone the night before. She should head home right away to let them know she’s okay. As she pulls her coat on, she hopes her members aren’t worrying too bad.

Unbeknownst to her, the members of Day6 and Stray Kids are scouring the entire company building for her. Nearly the entire kpop idol community has become aware of Twice’s missing maknae as Jihyo and Sana have continued calling more and more people. If there was ever a day to run into an idol somewhere in Seoul, today would be that day as anyone who is able to is out looking for Lily.

“Come on, idiot, don’t actually be missing,” Jae mutters to himself as he starts checking in and out of practice rooms.

Despite Jae’s mean older brother act, it’s obvious and impossible to deny that he cares about the younger American. He’s always teasing her about her height but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know how easily someone bigger than her could grab her and force her into a car or down an alleyway or-

“Lily!”

Jae spots Lily leaving a practice room further down the hall. The girl turns toward him.

“Oh, hey-“

Jae crashes into Lily in a hug, squeezing her tightly.

“Okay. Hi, there.” She pats his back as she hugs him back, confused as he usually only briefly hugs her in parting, “Is today a special occasion or...?”

“You are an absolute dumbass, Lilliana Lee!” Jae yells at her, smacking the side of her head.

“OW! What was that for?!” she whines.

“Your members have no idea where you are!” Jae exclaims. “They think you’ve been kidnapped or killed or something and have everyone you’ve ever even looked at for more than five seconds looking for you.”

“W-What?“

“They woke up and you weren’t at the dorm and you weren’t answering their calls so they started calling people to see if you were with them and now every idol ever is searching the entirety of Seoul for you but you’ve just been in a practice room?!!”

“I fell asleep! I didn’t mean to!”

“You can’t just disappear like that!” Jae continues to scold her. “You’ve got so many people worried over nothing and- shit.”

Jae turns away from Lily and covers his eyes.

“Are you-,” Lily steps around him to look at his face, “Are you crying?”

“No,” he says firmly.

“I think you are.”

He glares at her, “I’m still mad at you.”

She steps back with her hands raised, “My bad.”

He sighs, “Alright. Let’s get you home.”

“Okay,” Lily agrees softly.

She lets Jae lead her down the hall, coughing into her elbow before entering the elevator. Jae already has his phone out, texting his members to stop their search because he’s found her.

“Are you sick?” he asks.

“I just think I need some water,” she says.

“You should take some medicine when you get home, just in case.”

“Aw, you do care about me. The only tsundere I know is Jae Park.”

Jae shoves his phone into her hands, “Shut up and call Jeongyeon. You get to deal with her wrath.”

Lily looks at Jeongyeon’s contact that has been pulled up on Jae’s phone and gulps.

159 notes · View notes

hanawrites404 · 3 years ago

Text

One Dance

Game : The Arcana

Pairing : some slight hints of various pairings

Characters : Asra Alnazar, Nadia Satrinava, Julian Devorak, Portia Devorak, Muriel, Lucio Morgasson, Wynne Toprak, Lyra Slaquer, Sèbastien Slaquer, Raymond Slaquer (the Slaquers belong to @the-soupiest-artist) and Maura Hickey (who belongs to @puzzle-piece-angel)

Warnings : None

Timeline : Modern-Dance AU

This story is based of this song :

And this story is an introduction to the Vesuvia Dance Company and its members, so come along and let's see what does it have in store ✨✨

3rd person POV

"Tch. Boring......."

The wind whooshed against her as she tucks her flowing strands of hair behind her ear. She was leaning against the railings of her balcony, her hands resting on the cold metal as she examined her painted black nails.

To her, black was always the perfect colour. And she nearly never altered it to any other shade. It would be too tedious again.

The woman crossed her legs as she drank her Limoncello from the rim of her glass, the bubbles of the alcohol fizzed inside. Her throat bobbed with every sip and jingled the translucent crystal attached to her dark choker. The liquor quenched her dry throat, pricking it with its gas bubbles and bitter taste as she sighed the cold air.

The sparkling alcohol matched with her eyes as they stared upon the heads of the people walking past her apartment from the balcony. The cars driving away looked like playthings to her, and the trees swaying against the soft gust seemed like shrubs. Nothing was of interest to her outside as she continued to drink her beverage and blink away the yawn from her eyes.

She thought of going to bed again since she had nothing to do either inside or outside, but then a simple phone call from her friend changed all her plans.

"What is it Asra?" She answered, not a good afternoon, not even a hi. She wasn't in a mood for this.

"Heya Wynne! How are you doing first of all??" The person from the other side of the phone didn't seem unfazed by her disinterest because of his experienced friendship with the woman. She sighed and replied, admiring her nails again. "Nothing much, just passing my precious time as always" she chuckled at the last phrase. "What about you? What's the occasion for calling me?"

"Well, I missed you dearly-"

Wynne instinctively made an expression which spoke out 'Oh really?'

"And I have something to propose to you"

The girl blinked from curiosity and pulled away from the railings, walking inside her penthouse, still holding the glass of Limoncello and her phone near her ear as she told him to continue.

"So! You and I both know how much you love to dance right? You have also given performances at your workplace and you just love to lose yourself to the club music. You are a very awesome dancer, Wynne. And you don't mind showcasing your moves to everyone"

"Yeah, so what?" Wynne rubbed her temples, Asra was sure taking his sweet time and her forbearance.

"Well, I have sort of an offer for you. Why don't you meet me at the address I'm gonna text you and I'll spill everything when you arrive"

"Wait what?!" Wynne places her hand on her coffee table, her voice of disbelief and bafflement. "You got to be fucking kidding me Asra. Please tell me what is it and don't you dare cut off like this"

"Sorry Wynne, but I am busy. I promise I'll tell you everything there. Goodbye!"

"Asra! ASRA!!!" but she was too late.

"UGH, fucking bitch....." Wynne snarled as she clutched her phone tight in her palm. The device then vibrated in her hand and she rolled her eyes, opening her phone to find that Asra had sent her the destination in their chat. It was an address that was unfamiliar to Wynne, and thanks to the wonder which had already accumulated in her mind, she growled, and finally decided to reach the place.

Wynne swallowed the last sip of her drink and looked down at her clothes. Assuming that Asra was calling her to a public place, she decided to change from her casuals to a sleeved black crop top and matching palazzos and chunky heels. She combs her blue hair and applies her dark lipstick before grabbing the keys of her old red Cadillac, and she descended the stairs after locking her house.

"Asra, this better not be a prank or I will slap you to grave" she murmured grimly as she started the engine of her car and drove to the address. With a bit of traffic and breakers in between, it took her somewhat half an hour to reach an unknown college building. Now, why would Asra call her here? Was it perhaps for a college reunion? Then why was he talking about dancing? She had so many questions, and Asra owes all the answers to her after leaving her hanging on the phone like that.

"Winnie!! Over here!!" The woman turned her head to the call to find her best friend trotting while waving towards her. It didn't take her long to notice the tie-dyed rainbow shirt and glitter pants with sparkle sketchers, as Wynne just nodded and waited for Asra to finally stop by her car so she could give an earful to him for leaving her edged at the cliff. But calming her urge to denounce him, she patiently asked.

"Alright, I'm here. Now what? Why did you call me near a college?"

"A college?" Asra snorted and burst into a laugh. This made Wynne even more confused and annoyed as she snarled silently and eyed him, unamused. By phoning her at an unknown place when she was in a particularly bad mood only to laugh at her, she had set up her mind to drive away right in front of him and crush him with her car. But then, he luckily spoke on time before she could act her frivolous murder.

"Boo, this is not a college. It may look like one, but it's not. Trust me" Asra winked at her. Wynne, still being unamused, leaned her forehead against her fingers as she replied lethargically.

"Well, what is it then? Care to explain after calling me here without any proper explanation?" She already wanted to leave honestly. And can't she just sleep?

"Of course. If you would follow me, Milady" Asra being the gentleman offered his hand out to her though he was aware of Wynne's already increasing irritation. He stayed patient because he didn't want to reveal the surprise yet to her. The vexed girl grunted again and got off her car, placing her fair hand over his tanned one. Asra gently squeezed her hand in his with a warm smile on his face. That seemed to lower her irritation as she squeezed his hand back. Asra with a small blush spreading across his golden cheeks led her near to the campus, and Wynne followed him gradually.

Soon both of them were near the polished mahogany doors after passing the lobby inside. And before he could enter, Asra checked on his friend with another appreciative smile. Wynne raised her eyebrow. To her, Asra looked very gladder than usual. Though he was known to be a happy guy, he looked....... exceptionally optimistic today. Was today someone's birthday? Was today her birthday? She had no idea what the hell was going on and what the hell was wrong with Asra.

"What's the matter?" She asked. She sounded calm, but inside she was bubbling with novelty that what exactly he had in mind.

"This is not a college, Wynne" Asra repeated what he said before.

"Yeah, so what? Please don't pull another suspense now" the woman placed her hand on her lip. She loved the suspense, but too much of it makes her feel lazy.

Heh, as if she wasn't feeling lethargic already.

Asra chortled and patted her head, and he finally pushed open the huge doors to uncover something imperial, stupendous and incredible enough to leave Wynne's mouth gaping and her eyes caught mesmerized.

Inside the so-assumed as college, was a tremendous majestic dance theatre of what looked like belonging to a prosperous french period. It glittered with gold and red, as a satin rose sprinkled with dewdrops glimmering of sunshine. The walls were delicately painted with a royal maroon gloss and regal purple imprints of what left an impression of lavender flower. Even the hall gave off the scent of apricot and apple orchards. The hefty velvet curtains hemmed the rectangle stage elegantly, the spotlights modern, and the footing was simply immaculate.

"Asra......This is-"

"Alluring? Captivating? Hypnotising??? Is there any other English word I am missing??"

"Well, I would say that yeah. But...this place is like a fantasy!!" Wynne exclaimed as she idolised the beautifully festooned and pleasingly symmetrical ceiling. "I know right? Told you so. I'm glad you liked it. It's one of my favourite places to stay at" Asra joined her as she entered in, the click of her heels grating into the carpets of the theatre.

"Yeah......it's like this has come straight from the golden era of art. Like in one of my school history books! I...I never would have guessed that it would even more wonderful in real life. I thought it was more of a vision of romantic people which were just left as dreams" Wynne skimmed the sides as she examined the details closely, thinking internally about how much work must have gone into creating such a painting over such a vast canvas.

"Well, this theatre runs on donations and funds, but it's sure undeniable that this dance studio is glorious and alluring" Asra shrugged.

"Yes...it is........ Wait" Wynne stopped in mid-sentence and turned to him, her hand still on the wall. "Did you say, dance studio?". Before Asra could open his mouth to reply to her, another unfamiliar voice echoed from a corner. It sounded soothing, pleasant and graceful, but Wynne could not recognise who it was. However, the source was soon revealed as she walked towards both of them, and both of their eyes got fixated on her.

"Oh! A guest! Is she the person you were talking about, Asra?" The fair lady enquired, and Asra nodded in agreement. "Yup! She is the one. The 'blueberry syrup' " Asra winked at the unknown lady.

Wynne was now really questioning her existence....... blueberry syrup..........

Seriously?

"Oh! Now I see why you called her that" the soft ravenette chuckled, even her laugh chimed blissful which can send anyone to ease. Asra giggled and agreed to her, his dimple delicately forming on his cheek like a tiny crescent moon.

"Anyways, here she is. Wynne" Asra introduced the bluenette to the foreign lady, who smiled sweetly at her and Wynne waved for a greeting.

"And Wynne, this is Lyra" Asra finally disclosed the name of the gentle lady, who then stepped closer to Wynne and reached her hand out for her to shake, which the other lady gladly took after staring at her pale hand. And as she had guessed, her hand was soft like feathers.

"Lyra Slaquer, but you can call me Lyra. It's a delight to meet you, Wynne. I hope you enjoy your stay over here" she spoke with another cute smile. Wynne nodded and took her hand back, breaking a small grin herself. The name 'Slaquer' whistled a bit familiar to her, but she had never met Lyra before so it was kind of odd, but she pushed the thought and quickly replied to her.

"I too wish to enjoy my visit over here. This place is still kind of anonymous to me since Asra did technically blackmailed me to arrive here" the woman stared at the white curlyhead with narrowed eyes.

"What?!" Lyra gasped as her hand partially covered her mouth. "He did?! I'm so sorry for that, Wynne! He usually does not do that though" she grabbed her chin in her two fingers.

"Wait, I never blackmailed you" Asra's purple eyes widened in scepticism.

"You provoked me. You fed my curiosity and you left me fucking dumbfounded by your sudden hanger, you agitated me so much that the urge you aroused in me won. And whose fault do you think it is??" Wynne crossed her arms and stared at him, with her weight on one leg.

Asra's cheeks lit up with bright pink by the lady's question. It was not a surprise that Wynne caught his fib about being busy just to bring her here. He had known her ever since they were kids, and Winnie was the most attentive one out of the two. A smirk engraved on her dark lips as she tapped her foot on the floor, waiting for a comeback, though she was already aware that he doesn't have an answer. He was caught, he was very badly caught. And he sadly had nothing to objectify with.

Lyra meanwhile just looked from Asra to Wynne, then back to Asra. She was waiting for one of them to speak, but someone calling her name, presumably from backstage, snapped her out. "Coming!" The twirly ravenette replied, and she rushed to attend to her call. But soon after she stopped at her heels for a moment, and turned back to gently grab Wynne's hand and then finally walking with her.

"Come on Wynne! Let's make you meet everyone. I'm sure they will love you" Lyra notified her and she continued dragging her. The blue-eyed lady sounded so favourable and eager that Wynne couldn't muster the will to pull away and refuse her. She was better than deterring the warmth of a civil lady like her, and Wynne peeked back at Asra, who just waved at her, mugging 'have fun' to her.

'I will kill you.....' she gestured back at him with a scowl and flipped him off until Lyra and she completely disappeared behind the stage. And good thing she didn't notice Wynne being blatantly horrible and rude.

Not that Asra minded her cynicism anyway, he still loved her for how she was.

"Guys, listen up! We have a visitor here. She is Asra's dearest friend!" Lyra with a sunny smile as twinkling as the moon inaugurated her to everyone present backstage.

But little did Lyra know that Wynne already knew four motherfuckers present inside.

"What the heck? How are you all at one place?? And most importantly, what are you guys doing here???" Wynne pointed her finger from puzzlement at all of them and questioned the troop she knew very well through conventions and clashes she would never forget. Some of them which she found awful, and some of them surprisingly candy. She honestly never wanted to meet any of them at all, but profoundly in her heart, she was obliged that she was oriented with the six awesome and decent idiots.

"WYNNE?!!" A particular red-haired fellow, a ginger girl, a raven head man and a purplenette lady, together cried out the lady's name. The four were in a greater shock than she was in. Because neither Asra told them who the guest was, nor did they expect her to be the visitor out of any other persons they could have guessed. Now that's quite a shocker eh?

"Oh~ you know them???" Lyra bent towards her, her blue eyes shone with inquisition. "Yes...Yes, I do" Wynne sauntered towards them, this time, with a wooden floor, her heels gave off the clicking like of a ticking timepiece. Her hands were crossed, and she was tickled that how all the pals she was intimate to were existing in the area.

"Since when?" Lyra strolled with her. "Long story, Dear. It's all thanks to Asra, you can say. He is the cause why I know all of them. Like I met Nadia during one of his get-together parties, and then I met these two siblings- what was their name again? AH! Julian and Portia, at a grocery store when I and Asra wanted some stuff. And like that, I met his other best friend, the giant guy over there, Muriel"

Wynne brought up each one of them as she enunciated about them to Lyra. The ravenette listened to the bluenette with peak attention. She adored the manner and the refinement she held up while chatting to her. It was ethical, posh and highly lordly, just as a splendid black swan.

"And that's the story in a nutshell. Now tell me" Wynne kept her hands on her hips and glared at the four. "What's going on here?". "Wait, Asra didn't tell you what exactly is this place and what is our purpose here??" The physician asked her with mistrust.

"Well, no. He told me nothing. But he did say that this is a dance studio" Wynne tapped her chin, trying to recall what else he had asserted.

"Well yes, you are correct on that. This is a dance studio. Which includes the theatre along with the backstage, the rehearsal rooms, a canteen area with the lobby, a recreational cabin and the dorms. Our dancers live here and we provide them with a comfortable and hygienic place to stay along with necessary hospitality, and they all perform for the company" Nadia replied.

"Wait, the company? You guys are running a corporation together?" Wynne cocked her eyebrow again. This all was very new to her, and pretty intriguing too.

"You can say like that. This is Vesuvia Dance Company, and I'm proud to say that we all are like a close-knit family here. I run the company and also work as the organiser. Portia is the set painter. All the lavender imprints you saw on the screens were done by her" the umber woman referred to the chubby girl as she waved heartily at Wynne.

Judging by Portia's denim suspenders splattered with numerous sorts of pigments, she did look like a very hard worker. Just like how Wynne always knew her to be.

"And that gentleman over there, Muriel, he does the building work. So the stage and every scenery of the bureau is retained by him. During performances, he also makes sure the lights and every other piece of equipment are operating appropriately. Portia occasionally teams up with him for the arrangement of struts and special effects. Without him, the true magnificence of the dance would never have reached the audience" Nadi commended.

Muriel's cheeks blossomed pale red as his jade eyes shyly lowered down. Portia had the opposite reaction though. She just grinned and locked arms with the giant man catching him off guard and turning him more rattled than ever.

"I-It's not that much of a big deal" he mumbled abjectly. Wynne chuckled at the scene and muttered 'cute' before facing Nadia so she could introduce the medic next.

"And you must know Dr Devorak. Just as his profession speaks, he takes care of the condition of every member of the company and assures the safety of everyone from likely injuries or illnesses. He also schedules a diet plan if required, and he is also quite sincere in his work, and the members easily recover, all thanks to him"

"And....did any previous member die even though he was around?" Wynne heckled, and Julian fell right into her mockery as his face burnt deep red, the vivid colour spreading across his porcelain skin. He was positively ashamed, and Wynne snagged him so badly he was staggering. But luckily, Nadia seconded him up as she soughed.

"No Wynne. No one has died. The doctor is a qualified physician, and every one of us relies on his skills of treatment. He is also very humble, so there is nothing for us to be concerned about in terms of health" She retorted. "Alright. I believe you" Wynne shrugged with a sly smile, although the flush on Julian's cheeks didn't vanish. Wynne was like a harpy when it comes to disparaging someone, which sometimes makes Julian fear her. Other than that, Julian did like her, she can be cute sometimes and he has seen it. But just like every ambivert, all she requires is the right time to express it.

"And moving on, Asra is our principal dancer, so he is the one who comes with most of the choreography, but he also ensures to give opportunities to the other dancers to suggest any addition. With his and everyone's aptitude, the event comes out to be beautiful" Nadia affirmed with a low smile on her swift lips.

"I see....." Wynne held her chin in her fingers and nodded.

"And the thespians along with Asra are, Lyra, Maura, and-"

"Hello guys! What's up?"

"Woah Woah Woah!! Take it easy! We didn't go anywhere" Julian stumbled back onto a table as he attempted to brace away from the not-so sudden jumpscare of the stranger who appeared to have popped out in between out of nowhere. Well, a stranger to Wynne, to be precise.

"Haha, sorry Ilya. I was just excited to meet the new guest, and I didn't wanna miss them!" The outsider gleefully met the sights of the new lady with his azure ones, a purple glisten romped within his iris, just like how the gold flapped inside the matron's lustrous eyes. Other than his apertures, she noticed how he looked a bit similar to Lyra, contemplating the same type of hair and complexion of the skin. She then looked down at his clothes. The uproar he was wearing captured her eye, reasonably. Wynne was stringent, and a fashionista filled with critique, but what the man was having over him wasn't so terrible to her at all. She could see the striped black-white sweater, baby pink pants,

And were those turquoise crocs he was wearing???????

"Interesting...." Was all that Wynne could say.

"This is Raymond. He is our pianist, and he with his band performs along with the dancers. And he also conducts the music" Nadia enlisted. "Oh, so he is the soul of the performance huh. Pretty....... eccentric" Wynne eyed Raymond who glanced innocently back at her. She rasped and dabbed Raymond's shoulder as she reacted. "But sure. He is cute".

"Oh! If I'm cute then you are the loveliest girl in the whole world, and the ebony fabric on your fair body is like shadows surrounding the glowing moon" Raymond's eyes sparkled with esteem and cherish towards her, like a child recognizing their favourite superhero. That wasn't a good sign for Wynne at all. Especially deeming that it has only been minutes since he and she got introduced to each other. But, inferring that he was the type of guy to give random sweet compliments to anyone, she coolly answered.

"W-Why thank you Dear. You are.....pretty yourself. I like your hair".

"Thank you, Ms Wynne. You are too nice" he blushed with a wide beam. "Yeaaaaahhhhh" Wynne internally winced but tried not to show it to not come off as rude and anguish the cute boy.

"Alright! I think that's everyone in the area. There are three more people who are left to be introduced, but other than that, I hope everything is to your liking, Wynne. Asra brought you here so you could think about joining the company" Nadia rolled a strand of her long hair around her finger.

"Wait, join you all???" Wynne asked.

"Oh my gosh, you are gonna join us??? PLEASE DO!! I would love you for that!" Raymond practically jumped on his feet with enthusiasm.

"W-Wait, but why??? Why do I have to??" Wynne struggled to justify.

"Well, why not. We all have seen you perform before, Wynne. And you would make an exceptional dancer! Also, it's very fun hanging around with everyone and dancing too, don't you think?" Portia added.

"Yeah Wynne, Pasha is right. We know you don't like being around people so much, but we would give you space when you need it. We may stick close, but we will make sure to not bother you much" Ilya gently smiled at her. She did frighten him sometimes, but Julian would be happy to have a bit of her insolence and sarcasm hovering around. Everyone would love to have that.

"I agree with Julian. You are a wonderful lady, Wynne. It would be our absolute pleasure to have a talented entertainer as you dance with us. I promise I won't talk much if that annoys you. But I want to get to know you better, Wynne. I bet you would be very fun!" Lyra playfully whacked her shoulder, only to receive a deathly grimace from the bluenette's wolf-like eyes.

"O...Oh...." Lyra cautiously procured her hand and backed a bit away from her. She wasn't dreading of her if anything. She just got more.....intimidated. She had never met a woman with such grimness flooding out of her, yet be so nimble as a twilight waft along with the gloom she hauls. Lyra felt like a little butterfly just witnessing a vicious spider open her gapes and watch it flash with yearning and malevolence, but close enough, she could see the dignity and that dwelled deep in those gazes.

And those golden orbs had apprehended her just like a tempting spider's quagmire.

Wynne was never known to miss her target anyway.

"S-Sorry....." Lyra's diamond orifices veered under and a weak rosiness escorting her cheeks.

Wynne just shut her eyes, sighed softly, and immediately gawked at Muriel who was typically tight-lipped the whole time. But she decided to inquire him too because his opinion also mattered after all. "What do you think, Big Guy? Would you be happy to have me over?" She straightforwardly asked. The huge man was taken aback for a bit, he had believed that Wynne won't bring any mind to him, and obviously, she proved him wrong. And now he had to respond to her because everyone else had their eyes on him too.

"I......." He started.

"Mhm?" Wynne waited.

"....................."

"I won't mind" that's all he said.

Everyone in the room breathed a sigh of solace and rejoiced while Muriel just reddened and pouted. He wondered what made the people so relieved when all he did was say 'yes' for the new girl to stay. But what it truly meant was that they were ahead in favour by one more vote.

Wynne snorted. "Yeah yeah, celebrate all you want, but still. I haven't agreed to this yet. So technically there is still be left to decide. Now don't get too much excited already" she stated.

"You are certainly right on that. But we are willing to wait for your final decision, Wynne. Whether positive or not" Nadia told her, and the others agreed to her, nodding and muttering to each other. "Good. I don't like rushing things. I'm glad that you understand" Wynne's lips curved into a slight smile, and everyone else in the room returned a grin. "Of course. We want you to be comfortable after all. You are our friend" Julian added. "And we promise to support ya!" Portia said. "You can speak to us if you ever have any trouble, Wynne" Lyra peered at her. "And we promise to not irritate you at all!" Raymond assured her with a bright grin on his lips.

"We......We would take care of you too....." Muriel softly smiled.

Wynne softly chuckled, shaking her head delightfully and placing her hands on Raymond and Lyra's shoulders. She gleamed at both of them, and she thanked all of them for the patience and hospitality they all gave to a newbie like her. She truly felt honoured and warmly greeted by all of them, and she felt much pleasanter than she was feeling appearing for the first time. Nadia was pleased to see how everyone welcomed Wynne. She was looking forward to the guest making herself comfortable among the partners and come to be a valued part of the small artsy gang and relish the beauty of dance and music together with everyone.

And am I missing someone important to introduce?

"So! What did I miss, lovely ladies and gentlemen?" Some other unidentified person barged in like a typical theatrical garish zealot. Just as assumed by his way of the fashionably late entry, his clothes were incredibly contemporary and vogue and his shirt were half-buttoned to expose his semi-hairy chest. The unknown man rested his elbow at the frame as his piercing emerald eyes stridden around on everyone's faces until it spotted its victim. A certain gal in black.

"Ah! Gotcha" the stranger grinned and grazed his teeth over his lower lip. He pushed himself back on his feet and walked towards his prey. His hand brushed through his curly dark locks, the hooves of his shoes made a satisfying click with every step he got closer to Wynne. He wasn't focused on anyone else other than her, his eyes glimmered under the daylight, like lush green leaves after monsoon showers.

Wynne perked up her eyebrow up. Who is this guy now, she pondered. She glanced at his shirt for a moment and noticed patterns of peacock feathers with splats of prominent blue and white matching the print. Very remarkable, she thought. But also somehow very familiar too. The design on his cloth was something she had seen somewhere before, but she couldn't recollect when exactly.

Nevertheless, the unfamiliar man wearing the familiar clothing gently took hold of her hand and locked his emeralds with her gold.

"And you might be......" She started.

"Sèbastien Slaquer at your service, mademoiselle" he fervently kissed her knuckles, nurturing the sweetness of her skin on his lips.

"Ah...Slaquer......french....Wait a minute" Wynne interrupted.

"Yeah, what's the matter? Remembered something important?" He tilted his head and looked at her, his eyes taking in the charm of her marvellous face and dusk merging with her rosy skin.

"Slaquer.....no wonder why it was sounding so weird to me.......I think I have heard this name before.....in a brand name" Wynne held her chin.

"Oh, you have? I don't know. My brand sure is well-known--"

"Wait, did you say, your brand???" Wynne gripped him. "Yes of course" he shrugged. "Hmmm.....that explains your shirt..... the peacock designs..... peacock designs???"

Wynne suddenly gasped. "You are french, aren't you?!"

"Oh, are you giving me a racist remark now?" Sèbastien knocked and chuckled at his joke. "But yes, you are right. I'm french. And so is my little brother and my cousin behind you" he gestured to both Raymond and Lyra who were currently casually conversing with each other. "Ohh those are your siblings? Alright," Wynne nodded. She wasn't surprised because the three of them did kind of resemble each other. The opaque curly hair, ivory skin, thrilling eyes.

And speaking of Raymond and Lyra, Wynne noticed how personal they were. Both were standing near one another, and Raymond never halted eye contact with Lyra, and Lyra also had her entire attention on him. They didn't seem to mind anything happening around them. They just talked, but every word they said to each other pertained only to them. They were just cousins, but Wynne was mildly amazed how they behaved like mutual siblings who loved each other to the brim.

It thawed her heart, but also made it ache as soon as she realised she doesn't have such a person whom she can call a sibling. Her mother was never there to give her a sibling.

Wynne was always alone at such times.

"Anyways, what do you call a peacock in French by the way? Maybe that would remind me" Wynne turned to the tall man. It disturbed her how he towered over her. She was fundamentally disturbed by how ALL of them towered over her.

Heh, looks like someone has taken Portia's place of being the smallest.

"Oh, Paon" he answered within a second.

"AHH! I got it! That's your fashion brand, ain't it so?" She banged her fist on her palm as soon as she ultimately understood the name she was trying to remember all the time. "Well yes, you are correct again. Wait, you mean you know my work??" He gazed at her. "Mhm. I have seen it. Peacock layouts are your trademark, along with the colours, royal blue and brine green. Your type is modern, but also have a slight tinge of French flavour, dating back to the eighteenth or nineteenth-century or so. I have even seen the blogs that talk about you, very impressive I must say" she complimented him.

"O-Oh...Why thank you for your tributes, mademoiselle. You are pretty vigilant and almost figured out my whole style. Not many people can, you know" he laughed. "Of course, no problem Mr Slaquer" Wynne giggled. She found Sèbastien relatively interesting already, even after knowing him only for instants. Not only she liked his judgment of fashion, but also how he and she shared the same passion for design.

"Oh please, call me Sèbastien. It's my upmost pleasure to meet you, Miss......."

"Wynne. Wynne Toprak" she said.

"Toprak?? You mean, Priddell Toprak??" Sèbastien asked her. "Yup. I don't use my middle name too often, actually" she mentioned. "Ohhh I am have heard about you a lot, Ms Toprak. I have witnessed your works too, but I just wasn't lucky enough to see your beautiful face until now. Lucifer's Wings, that's yours right?" He questioned.

Wynne's cheeks turned a slight pink. She always thought that she can improve her style more and more, so she never found her methods perfect. And someone just breaking it to her that they admired her works and call her beautiful on top of that turns her shy and flustered.

"I-I...Thank you. And yes, that's my brand. I started it when I was like, 15 years old or so" she replied. "Woah, now that's a young talent I see. Very terrific, Ms Toprak. And I love how you make black match every other colour of your clothing. Your mode is very diverse and comfortable for anyone. Now that's how I want fashion to be. It should be dispersible to everyone, without any discrimination. And also with being unique, but also not too bizarre, if you know what I mean" Sèbastien's eyes shot to Raymond for a second.

Wynne bobbed her head. "I agree with you. Clothes which are different but also not too much of it. We don't want to walk around looking like piñatas now, do we?" She shrugged. Sèbastien broke into a fit of laughs and he shook his head. His laugh sounded like harmony to her, she chuckling with him too.

"Also, I am guessing you work with Nadia in designing the dresses for the dancers?" she continued. "Yup. Right. I have a contract with her for that. And Raymond has one too for his band to perform in the theatre" Sèbastien rubbed his neck. "Ahh...I see......Well, my friend had invited me here to take a look, and decide whether I should join the company with all of you or not" she noted.

"Oh! So you are going to design with me too?? Like a collaboration??" He sounded pretty energetic about it. "Well, maybe. But I also am a dancer. So let's see what happens" Wynne shrugged again.

"Woah...what a gifted lady. I'll be looking forward to work with you, mademoiselle" he softly kissed her hand again. "Oh it's nothing much. Trust me, Dear. But sure, I'm anticipating too" she sadly smiled at him. She still wasn't sure if she should join or not. But seeing so many likeable people who welcomed her so sweetly, made it hard for her to refuse. But also, what worse can happen if she joins? She loved dancing, and maybe along with fashion, she can make her career in another field too.

But still, she needed a bit more time. Though her mind was already telling her to agree to the contract and sign in. But she still needed to wait. Not just yet, please.

"Ohh!! What a lovely lady in the house!" Wynne heard another adorable voice from the entrance. She glanced at the new blonde woman, her long hair as golden as daffodils and her eyes as green as polished malachite. She also noticed the dress she was wearing. A long red skirt and a white buttoned top. It was simple but pretty, along the black ghillies with distinguishing neat white socks.

"Oh hello there. Nice to meet you" Wynne turned her attention to the blonde dame, whose cheeks lightened to blush as she bashfully smiled at Wynne.

"Nice to meet you too! I'm Maura. You must be Wynne, right? Asra told me about you" she replied. "Yeah, that's me. In flesh" she snorted.

"Ah, Wynne. Maura is the one who planted all the flowers and plants in the garden. And she always knows what type of flower would suit anyone. Also, not only she is the gardener, but she is also a prudent performer of Irish stepdance. It looks very difficult to me, to be honest. But Maura always does it so effortlessly" Sèbastien added on. Maura blushed harder and timidly thanked the man for the compliment, who just patted her head with a playful wink in return.

"Oh! Now that's very sweet of you. I absolutely loved the sunflowers in the garden by the way. They are my favourite. Every other flower in the garden were beautiful too" Wynne smiled at her. "Of course! I'm glad you liked them. I love sunflowers too. They sure a happy radiant flowers, don't you think?" She glinted at Wynne. "Definitely. I love them because they remind me of my mother, that's why" Wynne sadly smiled, the fond portraits of her precious mother as her hair and eyes lustrous as the cloudless floral elegance of nature flooding into her psyche. She dearly missed her, too bad she was no more.

"Oh! That's wonderful! I'll make sure to make a bouquet of sunflowers for you once they fully blossom. You can even gift them to your mom. And tell her I said hi" Maura twinkled. Wynne was seized aback by her abrupt tenderness. People were being too much nice to her today that it seemed so alien to her. But appreciating her generosity, Wynne warmly smiled.

"Thank you, Maura. She would like it" she still couldn't believe that such kind people still exist.

"My pleasure, Wynne. This is the least I can do" she smiled back.

"Also, Irish dance, now that's very interesting. You gotta show me some moves and teach me one day" the bluenette placed her hand on her hip. "Ohh for sure! I would love to. What dance do you do? Or do you specialise in some other thing than dancing" Maura leaned her head.

"Ah! I'm usually into hip hop and ballet. I learnt a bit about belly dancing too, it's also called Raqs Sharqi in Arabic. And other than dancing, I also run my fashion brand, and that's my real profession. It's called 'Lucifer's Wings'. I still remember how I took days to come for a decent name" she facepalmed and chucked at her forenamed naivety.

"That's a very nice name! You gotta show me your works someday then. I bet they will be very very beautiful and elegant, just like you!". "O-Oh....thank you for the.....compliment, Dear. And of course, I'll show you my latest designs, if that will satisfy you" Wynne brushed back her bangs. "I am sincerely honoured, Wynne" Maura grinned at her, her hands behind her back and her cheeks pink.

"No pressure. Your welcome" she raised her shoulders. Alright, she had to admit. She had started to like Maura too. Who wouldn't? And it was funny how she presently was liking the Slaquers and Maura more than the six she already was aware of. Maybe it's the benefit of the joy of meeting new people. Maybe........

"Also, I have a small question, would you mind me asking?" Wynne blinked. "Not at all, sweetie. Ask away" the blonde replied.

"Asra said this place runs through funds" Wynne blinked again.

"But who exactly is funding you all?"

Maura wasn't the one to answer her question. And neither was Sèbastien. Or Raymond. Or Lyra. Or any of the five.

It was the one out of the six who was known to be snooty, and robust, and blond.

And a passionate pup person too.

In came the notorious devil with two of his faithful albino pair of hounds growling at everyone in the room. His garnet coat with gold trimmings and the spotless Tom Ford Customs, obviously costing so much it would make our pockets spontaneously explode, were dry cleaned and smoothed very strictly, and his hair was huddled back with shower gel, replacing the pleasant smell of vanilla in the air with a tincture of mint.

"How are you all losers? You missed me?" The man removed his Gucci glasses and straightened his silky black gloves on his hands as he looked down at everyone.

"Tch, not him again" Wynne heard Sèbastien scoff and cross his arms. He looked irritated, and so did Maura, but she didn't have any frown on her face like him. She just looked..... unsettled. Meanwhile, others in the room were feeling as uncomfortable as both of them too. Muriel was looking away, Portia began to mind her business, Julian hid behind his papers, Lyra and Raymond tried to ignore the man and Nadia just sighed tiredly and rubbed her temples to give some comfort from the headache she just got. Possibly because of the new blond who entered.

"Hello Lucio" Nadia was the one who bothered to greet him, and she didn't look like she had a choice.

"Hello, Noddy! So how are my wife and her useless crew doing?" He cocked.

"Ex-wife, for your information. And they all are doing better than you, anyway" she scowled.

"Ah, still defending them huh? You do know this won't stop me" he smirked and kept his hand on his hip. Nadia closed her eyes, breathing calmly. "I don't care if you stop or not, but you are wrong. You always will be. My crew will always be committed and hard-working. And they all mean a lot to me no matter what bad you say about them"

Nadia's words effectively dissolved the tension in the room. Wynne just kept up at her place, listening to everything. She wasn't stunned to find him here. If her five friends would be here, then so would he.

The surprising fact was that she preferred the blondie over everyone else due to their previous relations and memories. It may sound unbelievable, but Wynne knew Lucio more than anyone, and it probably was the same with Lucio too, that he knew Wynne more than he knew anyone else. She was just a kid she met the guy when he was younger than today. And it has been two decades since, yet they kept in touch and their love never deteriorated.

Maybe.....maybe Wynne did have someone to call a sibling.

"So good to see you here, Lulu" she sounded pleasantly happy. That adds to another reason for joining the company.

"Wait- WYNNE?!!" The man was startled, finding his close friend at a place he least expected to. His lips widened to a grin and he forgot about everything, only to dash to the lady and tackle her in the biggest hug he can ever lend. Wynne laughed, and simply held his back, embracing his nostalgic warmth and scent close to herself, remembering every time they spent together merrily.

Sèbastien was dumbfounded, his mouth agape. Maura too was a bit astonished, that a sophisticated lady like her would be friends with such a flamboyant and hyperactive person. Well, she didn't judge it. Opposites do attract, you know. Maybe that was the case here. Maybe......

"What...What are you doing here??? I didn't know you were coming for a visit. Noddy never tells me anything" Lucio implored, fretting at the last sentence. "Well, it was more like a surprise visit. Nadia didn't know, so don't blame her" she replied. "Arrgh, fine. If you are saying it, then I'll gladly listen" he winked at her."Good" she cracked a tiny smile, snickering in the middle, and he joined her with the laughs.

"Now now, do you work here too??" She asked as she stopped.

"Work?! No!! I don't work with these idiots. THEY, work for me" his chest surged like a roasted turkey's bust.

"Oh yeah???" She raised her eyebrow, her eyes darting to Sèbastien. He shook his head, denying Lucio's statement. He then crossed his arms, and behind Lucio's back started mocking him by making his hand talk like Lucio and mouthed the gibberish with his eyes rolled up.

Wynne almost got caught by wheezing and cackling like a witch. Luckily her convenient hand covered it up.

"--And that's how I brought them all here. I am their saviour, Wynne. I raised them from the streets and gave them homes and look how they repay me. Not even a decent formal greeting!!" He bragged. Wynne already knew that the 'saving' part was not true no matter how fondly she thought of him, but she still played along to not dishearten her best friend.

"I understand, Monty. They are pretty tired too, you know. You can excuse them for that" she augmented, perfectly roleplaying.

"Excuuuuuse me?!! I work for hours at the meeting of the cooperations and look at me!! Not even a sweat on my brow. Oh, come on!! Are you all that lazy??? You are such losers for god's sake UGHH" Lucio hysterically placed his hand on his hip and cited them all. None of them were diverted, just as predicted. But Lucio was just pouting as always, and Wynne was feeling hotter and also sheepish. Were the two things even proportional?? She imagined so.

"U-Uhhh" she slowly walked to him and carefully placed her hand on his shoulder. She clasped her fingers around his joint and sighed peacefully.

"Hey...Lulu. I know you are worried about them and thinking that they are not....... trying harder, but they all deserve a break, you know. They all are like you after all. You all are humans, you need rest. You need fresh air"

She stopped and breathed a bit.

"And you know what you and your mates want??" She asked him, with a small beam of mischief on her lips.

"Huh??? What do I need??" He raised her eyebrow at her. She then grinned and booped his nose.

"You need ice cream, Silly! Ice cream! Who doesn't want a sweet cold treat on such a hot day hmm?? Come on all!! Let's have ice cream outside! I'm sure Asra can cover us up on that, free of charge" the bluenette invited everyone over, melting the potent tension just like ice cream under the giant ball of burning gas, leaving sweetness and chill dripping all over.

Everyone agreed to Wynne and relaxed from Lucio's outburst. They were finally keen to take a break they deserve and make their way through the other side at the exit. Lucio and his pets already ran to where they would most probably find the ice cream guy of the house, while everyone else silently thanked the blue lady for preventing Lucio to turn things worse. Some shook her hand, some gave her a quick hug and a bright smile, while some gave her thankful glances. She welcomed all of them with a simple nod, happy to help of course.

"You did great, Wynne. Thanks for shutting that asshole up" Sèbastien patted her head before moving out, shoving his hands in his pockets and whistling away a loud ballad. Maura followed Sèbastien, but she stopped to gently shake Wynne's hand and give her one of her confectionary smiles, also thanking her for saving her from the virago.

"It was nice to meet you again, see you soon" and she went away, her skirt fluttering with the inside wind, as the bluenette saw her walking.

"Hey...that was considerate of you, stopping Lucio from flaring on all of us. I never liked him screaming at anyone, but thanks to you, now I can finally breathe fresh air" Lyra humoured and Wynne chuckled with her. "No problem, Lyra. Lucio and I have been together since my childhood. He had been like this since his college days. So it's not shocking that he is still like this. I honestly love it" she laughed.

"That's great, even for him. I'm happy that you have someone close to you" she gladly smiled. "Yeah, I am happy too. You also have awesome siblings, take care of them just like they take care of you, okay?" Wynne leaned on her weight. "Ah! Of course! Ray Ray is my closest confidant. We are just cousins, but I treat him as my brother. Sebby is also very sweet to me, but he is one thirsty man for gossip and he often turns......scandalous" Lyra whispered the last thing to her.

"But I'm really glad they are here for me, and I'll be there for them too! I'll protect them at all costs!!" Lyra puffed her cheeks with resolution and adherence. Her adorable reaction made the goth lady guffaw from amuse. She held her stomach, one of her hands fanning her face and gashes of laughter accumulated at the nook of her eyes.

Watching her laugh was like watching a thunderous hurricane reflecting a widespread rainbow, or like a broken glass casting an bewitching silhouette.

"You are such a sweetheart. Keep it up like that" Wynne patted her shoulder out of appreciation. Lyra shied a little, she found the other lady's laugh so mellifluous as a psalm's ensemble. She creased a ringlet behind her ear and ogled fondly at the shorter woman.

"I am trying my best, Wynne" she timidly replied to her. "I know, Dear. I know" she closed her eyes and exhaled. She unfolded them again, only to glimpse back into her sapphire watches. Lyra was so captivated by her that her heart skipped a beat when she observed the golden blaze and crystal frost inside her. It was enthralling.

"Also, may I ask for a favour?" Wynne gently held Lyra's chin and poked it up her lips. She didn't even realise that her mouth was open in awe that she blinked rapidly, and stammered a bit, her face flickering to an apple glow. Soon she regained her composure and answered back to her, not making her wait for long.

"Yeah?? What's the matter?"

Wynne stayed silent for a bit.

"......................."

".............................."

".................."

"......................................................"

"Can you show me the contract papers? I gotta sign up"

The clock strikes at 11, and so does the cap of Wynne's pen. Finally, she wrote her name on the paper and learned to become one of their family. She was having fun and was impatient for her first performance.

Well.....maybe Asra did the right thing annoying her huh. Bless him for that, and everyone else of the Vesuvian Dance Company.

Now let the extravaganza begin!

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dustedmagazine · 3 years ago

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Listed: The Reds, Pinks & Purples

Glenn Donaldson turned his Listed contribution around to us in what has to be record time.

“I am a music nerd list PhD, I am on it,” he said and a couple of hours later it was in our inbox. This is hardly surprising, though, given his musical modus operandi. From the Y2K dawning of the Jewelled Antler collective to this year’s collaborations with Jem Fanvu (Vacant Gardens) and Jeremy Earl (Painted Shrines), the latter of which was reviewed by Dusted, he’s simply been involved in too many projects to mention here. Donaldson’s main focus at the moment is the self-described “DIY kitchen pop” that he’s been cranking out as the Reds, Pinks & Purples. The project’s third album, Uncommon Weather, was released by Slumberland in April and is full of 80's indie-tinted songs with “soft-edged, yearning melodies shaded with minor-key regrets,” as Dusted’s Jennifer Kelly put it in her write up. The Reds, Pinks & Purples initially caught the attention of Spanish label Pretty Olivia Records back in 2019, when Donaldson first started slipping singles out onto his Bandcamp page. The resulting debut Anxiety Art, which has since fallen out of print, is available again thanks to Tough Love Records (UK). Dusted readers will also be interested to learn that Donaldson started a music column, Failure Of All Pop, this year that features short reviews of otherwise passed-over current favs, and which puts his PhD to good use. Below is the list that he made for Dusted.

Intro by Chris Liberato

Instead of doing an all-time favorites list which would just get too psychological, I’m just gonna flow through some tracks that are moving me right now.

Scott Walker — The Impossible Dream

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This is a cover song from a musical, Man of La Mancha. The soaring vocal and guileless delivery are crushing. Of course, underneath all the pomp, the subtext is the foolishness of Don Quixote and his delusional quest for glory… Very relatable for anyone who ever wanted to be in a band.

Peter Tosh — Walk and Don’t Look back (TV appearance version)

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Originally this was a slightly mismatched duet with Mick Jagger (who maybe only does duets that are odd!) which I recommend too, but this version is better, basically a perfect 1970s soul track with a touch of roots.

Alien Boy — Dear Nora

Don't Know What I Am by Alien Boy

I am really excited about this upcoming album. This track is 1990s alt-pop perfection through 2020 eyes. The chorus legit gives me chills.

Let’s Active — Talking to Myself

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Have loved this band since back in the day, but somehow only this year got into this record. This track hits like the best XTC.

Mister Baby — Blueberries

sidewalk pop by Mister Baby

This is a fellow SF musician; she records on a weird 4-track with built-in effects that looks like an old boombox. This song and the warbled overdubs on it are perfect.

Mountain Goats — Duke Ellington

The Long Secret by The Mountain Goats

Got deep into this early 1990s Harriet Records lost-era pop stuff lately. This track reminded me how killer early Mountain Goats is. I’m sure he has never stopped being great, but I love his no-fi Panasonic tape deck stuff.

Blues Lawyer — Scenic Route

Scenic Route by Blues Lawyer

Another Bay Area band, I liked them before, but this new single is so sweet. I hope this is the direction they are going in. The guitars are really creative and the song sounds like a real Brill classic put through some noisy gear. Also, they snagged the best band name.

Miracle Legion — So Good

Drenched by Miracle Legion

Miracle Legion and all Mark Mulcahy’s projects are the gifts that keep on giving. After totally overdosing on this 1992 CD I bought for $3 a few years ago, I am back on this masterpiece ballad.

Jawbreaker — Friendly Fire

Etc. by Jawbreaker

It took a really depressing last few years to get me back into Jawbreaker, a band I saw many times in my youth. I bailed on them after Bivouac, but now I am soaking in all this later stuff. This tune is almost a suite, love the downshift where he pleads “My back is warm with your friendly fire/I know you’re trying/can you please aim it higher.”

Current 93 — The Cat is Dead

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Love most of C93’s music, autumnal, unsettling, melancholy. Somehow missed out on this ode to cats and the cosmos, which is only on a compilation somewhere.

#listed #reds pinks and purples #glenn donaldson #dusted magazine #chris liberato #scott walker #peter tosh #alien boy #let's active #mister baby #mountain goats #blues lawyer #miracle legion #jawbreaker #current 93

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fightevilandthengetblownup · 3 years ago

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FIC: SOMETHING BORROWED, SOMETHING BLUE III

—

PART ONE

PART TWO

“Now, you need to make your eyes really wide-” Jo’s ears perked hearing the false whisper from somewhere behind her as she worked at the stove. Biting down on the inside of her cheeks to keep from smiling, the blonde continued to work on the pancakes for breakfast - using her squeeze bottle to pour the batter out into the shape of a batarang before spelling out her boy’s name inside before flooding the middle as she listened to the talk. “Nice and big like that, yeah. And then what do we say to Mommy?”

“Mommy, can we have blueberries too?”

“That’a boy.” Jack’s whisper disappeared in favor of the warmth in his tone as he smiled down at the boy. Jo glanced over her shoulder, catching the amusement in those blue eyes for a moment before looking back at her pancake. “Let’s go, huh?”

“Yes!” Billy’s voice was high and excited, and Jo schooled her face into a look of surprise as she flipped over the current pancake and then looked down at her son when he tugged on the hem of her sleep shirt. “Moooommy!”

Blinking a few times, Jo smiled down at her sweet boy before answering. “Yeah babyboy?”

“Mommy, I… Umm..” Jo fought down a laugh watching the sudden look of confusion swallowing the young boy’s face, Billy’s eyes blown wide and worried before he held a hand to his lips in thought. Glancing up, she could see Jack’s shoulders shuddering with concealed laughter, before the tug of Billy’s hand caught her attention again. “Mommy, can… can we have blueberries too?”

The way his finger tapped against his bottom lip and his green eyes were big and open and pleading, Jo knew immediately that she was absolutely screwed dealing with him going forward ever saying no. Puppy dog eyes added to that soft pleading tone was just too potent and she let out a small whine of frustration realising just how screwed she was.

“Oh darling boy, of course you can.” Kneeling down as she turned the temperature of the pan down lower in her off hand on the way, Jo leaned in to press a kiss to his forehead with a loud ‘mwah’ noise. “You get Jack to help you grab them out and wash them proper, alright?”

“Yes Mommy!”

Sending a tiny, pretend scowl over her son’s head towards the smirking man, Jo turned back to the pan and checked the base of the current pancake before sliding it out and onto the boy’s black and red plate before starting on the next pancake for the other adult. Slowly drawing out a spider followed by its web, she flooded the gaps between as she kept one ear out for any trouble from her men as she carefully made Jack’s pancake, and then a cutesy looking mallet for her own pancake design; Jo bit down on a chuckle hearing her love explaining carefully how to rinse and then dry the blueberries and pile them into a little bowl to share on the table. Looking over her shoulder as she flipped her pancake, she looked on fondly as she watched the little blond boy carry his bounty of blueberries onto the table like they were something special.

“Alrighty boys, who’s ready for pancakes?” She chirped happily as she flipped her pancake out onto her own plate and turned off the burner for now, picking up all three plates carefully before carrying them to the table herself. “I know I am.”

“Me me me!” Billy cried happily, clambering into his seat and kicking his feet joyfully, before letting out an excited squeal seeing his little batarang pancake. “Batcake! It’s a Batcake!”

“Now, is that what Batman eats for breakfast?” Jack replied curiously, pressing a kiss to the little boy’s head as he sat a sippy cup of juice in front of Billy before placing a glass of the same down for himself and another for Jo with another kiss to the crown of her head that made her tingle all over with how right this all felt. “Oh!” The surprised noise made her smile as she looked over to the look of pleased surprise on his face at seeing his own pancake design. “Jo…”

“What? Only the best for my boys!”

The chuckle she got in response was cut through by the shrill sound of a ringtone from the end of the table where their mobiles were kept in a basket, keeping technology out of family meal times at a suggestion from Jack’s that made Jo feel so special and focused on when that was first suggested. The sound cut off pretty quickly, and both adults rolled their eyes, whoever it was would be called back later. As soon as it stopped though, it started again. And then the other phone was going off as well. And then the duller sound of the singular landline from the front hall chimed in as well.

“What the fu-” Jo cut off her swear with a glance at her son, the need to cut down on her swearing around the last year really having become prominent after a few too many comments from his daycare teacher, but found it hard not to finish as all three phones quieted and then started ringing again. “Okay, rule break?”

“You help Billy with his bluebs, I’ll check what’s up.”

“Thanks, hun.”

Jo let out a soft sigh as Jack set his utensils down and stood up to fish his ringing phone out of the basket and answer it, as well as taking her distractingly ringing phone, out to the hall while she refocused on breakfast.

Billy ate not only his first batarang, but another two full pancakes and almost the whole bowl of blueberries through the meal, sipping his juice and asking with those big green puppy-eyes to go to the playground that afternoon; and Jo got through another pancake all her own as well as her juice and a cup of matcha before their missing member finally reemerged. Followed unexpectedly by Ellen and Bobby, still in their shoes and holding Billy’s overnight bag.

“Nanny! Bobby!” Billy screeched happily, flinging himself away from where Jo had been getting him to help her with unstacking the dishwasher while they’d awaited Jack’s return. “What’re you doin’ here?”

“Billyboy, we thought you might like a weekend sleep over?” Ellen said happily as Bobby had bent down to scoop up the excited, wiggly boy. “We missed you so much, and you haven’t been over in ages.”

“Mom, you babysat last week-” Jo started with a frown at the unexpected arrival, glancing at the clock and fully surprised to even see her step-dad so awake and focused at such an early hour, let alone dressed and at her own house. “What’s-”

“Jobug,” her mother spoke softly, as Bobby turned towards Jack to double check on any extra toys to pack for Billy’s weekend, as she’d come up to wrap Jo up into a tight hug. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I know you didn’t mean this to happen-”

“What to happen?”

“You just talk to Jack, okay Jojo? You take the whole weekend, my darlin’ girl, you take the love you deserve okay?”

“Mom?” Jo was beyond confused, wide eyed and uncertain as she received a kiss to the forehead from both her parents in a whirlwind of quietly spoken words between the other three adults that made no sense to her before her son was whisked off to his grandparent’s place amid happy cries of adventure leaving her bewildered and confused as to what just happened. “What-”

There wasn’t even time for her to vocalise her questions - what happened, what was going on, what was wrong, was everyone okay - before she was pulled into and wrapped up in loving arms and felt a strong hand gently soothing over her hair and down her back.

“Jo, love, I’m so sorry.” Jack’s voice was rough and hoarse, and as she looked up at him she could see something swirling in his eyes that troubled her. “I’m sorry. I should’ve protected you, I should’ve known, I’m sorry.”

“Wha- what is going on, Jack?” She asked firmly that time, staring up at him and feeling her face twisting into a scowl at the sympathetic sadness flashing across his face chased along by some guilty look. “Jack fuckin’ Grey, you tell me right fuckin’ now what’s goin’ on!”

The quiet that followed on from her growled words echoed in the quiet space of their home, and Jo felt uneasy at how cautiously the other looked at her - his hand still gently rubbing at her back as the other held her steady - as he chewed his lip before saying softly. “The article came out… And I think you should read it with me.”

—

THE FUTURE MRS. GREY?

The Modern Fairy Tale Inside The Wedding Of The Year

By Chuck Shurley

Just off the main shopping district of the West Side there is a place where fairytales begin. Inside a deceptively worn building there was the start of many stories that are shaping the news of tomorrow - and I was fortunate enough to uncover the true Cinderella story that was unfolding in secret behind all the cameras and spotlights on the wedding of one French aristocrat-turned-investor Ian Essaim and socialite Shada Grey.

As all good fairy tales must start - this story started once upon a time…

Once upon a time, there was a new American Sweetheart in the form of the beautiful so called Shada Grey. She portrayed a version of herself to the cameras that was viewed as bubbly and perky, with a love for eclectic fashion. Those who knew the woman that would become this girl would say her acting skills were wanting for all she did was play herself on the silver screen - just with a wardrobe founded by and crafted by a studio and their stylists rather than the money from her brother’s pockets. The sister of famed and elusive artist, Jack Grey, who has shied away from the spot light after what was described as a ‘manic depressive episode’ by some - Shada Grey has captured the imagination of those who strive for the women of Golden Era Hollywood wrapped up in a pair of Louboutins and Prada. The Darling of America and the fairy tale princess having a fairy tale wedding.

However, there was another woman who has the capability of capturing the hearts of the country who will be standing five steps back from the princess on her wedding day.

…There was once another young woman with a wedding on the horizon. Joanna Beth Harvelle was getting married to the love of her life, an idealistic captain in the Marine’s called William Mark Reynolds. A pivotal moment in any woman’s life, and the same type of event that I have been lucky enough to be covering for the aforementioned Essaim/Grey wedding this year. But this story could not be further removed than that story - this story is of loss and love instead.

Miss Harvelle and Captain Reynolds were married from the court house, the only photo of their day a Polaroid taken by the bride’s mother on the steps outside. The bride wore a white dress from the bargain bins, and the pair spent their wedding night bidding one another farewell in preparation for the groom’s deployment two months later. In contrast, Miss Grey and Mr Essaim’s wedding is being held at an undisclosed location costing seven-figures, the bride will be wearing a custom Vera Wang and the whole wedding is being documented by not only print media such as myself but covered in depth by Miss Grey’s television show in a ten-episode special season and by most other media outlets.

But as fairy tales go - there must always be an early loss. Hansel & Gretel their abandonment, Rapunzel the pricking of a finger upon the spinning needle, and for our Cinderella was the loss of her love. Captain Reynolds was killed in action six months after his wedding, leaving a pregnant widow behind to receive his Purple Heart and put the pieces of her life back together. When speaking with Joanna, known affectionately by most as Jo, about that point in her life - the clear sorrow is still evident in her voice and the listing of her husband’s achievement. However those clouds passed quickly with the birth of their son, William Dean Harvelle who is nearly five at the moment of writing and has a love for frosting sugar cookies, and her “other baby” as the blonde would say.

Metallicake has become an icon in the city over the four years of operation from the old warehouse building just off the beaten track. According to it’s owner, many souls have found their way to her door through word of mouth and the scent of baked goods on the air. One particular soul was, indeed, drawn there out of the rain and drawn back time and time again as anyone who has tried the baked goods from this modern day Cinderella’s kitchen would attest - coming back is inevitable. According to Ms Harvelle, her ties to the Wedding of the Year began almost three years ago when Jack Grey returned to her bakery and subsequently fell in love with the flour-coated princess.

Entering the building you will see exactly the impact of this diamond in the rough woman who carry’s a purple, bruised heart for the loss of a national hero. Ms Harvelle has drawn not only the eye but the artistry out of the most elusive and most revered artist of his time in the country to her walls among other things. Those who visit Metallicake are greeted with an ever changing mural designed, refined and painted painstakingly by the famed Mr Grey. From the photos provided by the baker herself, and a subsequent valuation by several esteemed art buyers - the walls of the bakery itself are worth more than the cost of the elaborate wedding the bakery will be producing a mammoth cake for and then some. The tattoo parlour next door, owned by a man known as the ‘Doctor Badass of Tattooing’ Ash Miles, shares equally in Ms Harvelle’s fortune with not only signed art work on display but also the unique privilege of being the only authorised tattoo artist of such artwork. This work, as well as his own, is on display not only in INKED magazine and this publication, but upon the very body of Ms Harvelle so far.

Being a muse and accomplished baker does not appear to be the extent of this Cinderella’s ambitions though. Listening to the way Ms Harvelle would speak of love and marriage - a self-proclaimed realist who expects little more from her life, supposedly - and her joy for both bride and groom to be, one cannot believe to suspects she’ll long be a widow rather than to take up the name almost as soon as American Sweetheart Shada Grey surrenders it.

When sent to the small converted warehouse to cover the baking and artistry connected to the creation of what will be an extravagance on-top of the already fantastically over designed and over quaffed wedding, the preparation was to hear about the difference between genoise and chiffon sponges, the merits of fondant and buttercream, and inevitable discussion about the endless creation of edible flowers. And that is what was covered, and yet so much more.

Ms Harvelle has a skill with words and with applying them to the work she does. She is an artist in her own right, but with shaping the perceptions of those around her. She can talk at length and display great skill with the multiple display cakes that were crafted and recorded in a special behind the scenes look hosted on Rolling Stones website at time of publication. However she can also draw others into her theology on the connection between her work and the world around her.

“People are like cakes,” Ms Harvelle said. “And everyone pairs with someone else perfectly. Take Shada for example - she’s so sunny and bright and vivacious. Full of spirit and life and carefree. She also has a little bite to her when protecting those she loves, but is simply so versatile and beloved it’s hard to remember she can be sweet and sour.” In this journalists time spent with the bride and bridal party so far, this interpretation appears to be true, though perhaps only just from the magic weaved by Ms Harvelle rather than any truth. “And Ian is so grounded and down to earth despite how he may appear, he too is versatile and always there for people. He’s a genuinely kind man, and they both work so well together. Sunshine and earthiness, but altogether sweet.” Ms Harvelle weaved her story together in her cake baking, and the slice of lemon chiffon cake with a blueberry and basil frosting that was served up as a demonstration of the couple was phenomenal not only in tasting, but in the craftsmanship of the story telling.

When asked about herself, the widow is far less vocal and considered. “Me? I’m just flour!” The lack of concern or thought evident, but the nature of her choice showing how pivotal her role in the creation of not only the physical cakes to be loved and adored, but the metaphorical cake of life and her underappreciated value is.

Watching Ms Harvelle work and seeing the creations coming out of her small kitchen, one would believe there was an army of bakers behind the scenes crafting the wide array of baked goods and speciality items which fill the counter of not only the storefront but several other establishments around the city. But instead, there is a one-woman powerhouse working diligently, day in and day out.

On the week I followed Ms Harvelle through her daily routine as she developed, trialed and presented the socialite couple with their wedding cake options, the true meaning of hard work was on display.

The days started before the sun rose three days out of five, and Ms Harvelle was always wide awake as we met at her bakery. From there I witnessed the whirlwind that was something out of a movie scene itself. Her world feels like a montage of beeping alarms, constant tray movements, and endlessly creaming butter and sugar. The tireless Cinderella toiling away that has no time for anything but baking, cleaning and yet sings as she works without a single mouse around to lend a hand, before closing shop as the sun would go down and she would head home before doing it all again.

One would be mistaken to think she had time for nothing else but the extravagant cake that would need to be presented at the end of the week, but life goes on.

A lengthy photoshoot for INKED magazine on one day, and a day’s shopping for dresses with the rest of the specifically chosen bridal party to reflect that ‘down to earth’ narrative of the wedding couple were somehow sandwiched in between the tireless work to create fondant ruffles, edible floral arrangements and all sorts in between for the discerning eye of America’s Sweetheart to dissect by week’s end.

And yet on top of these inconveniences - of which Ms Harvelle never had anything less than a smile and a warmth when speaking of completing these tasks for her friends and loved ones - she still has a life.

Her Prince Charming in the form of the aloof Mr Grey would visit the bakery each day to bid her well wishes, steal a kiss and perhaps walk her home to the brick townhouse Mr Grey bought twelve years ago and according to sources moved his soon-to-be fiancé and son into two years prior. Her role as a mother is still needing to be completed each day, and watching mother and son interact - there is no question that this Cinderella finds time to be both baker and mother to her fullest. And her role as bridesmaid and friend seems to be never ending either, with the beauty taking the bride out for lunches and always having time to fend off frenzied, worried phone calls and provide the soothing voice of reason among the socialite crowd on display regularly throughout the week.

Perhaps it is naïve to believe in fairy tales and magic in today’s age where romance is a fabricated story pumped out through television and movies, where women compete against one another for the so called Bachelor, and a woman playing herself had caught the imagination of the country.

And yet, in this story where the bride and groom met over a coffee in the small kitchen of a tiny bakery, perhaps the true Cinderella story does exist and the real Cinderella doesn’t need any saving by a prince - she’s happy with the flour, cocoa and soot on her face - but instead will bring her prince back to the fire with her.

---

Hollow. That was the word to describe how she’d felt with every word of that reading. Absolutely hollow.

What she’d expected after the confusing appearance of her parents to whisk away her boy and the unreservedly supportive hold that she’d been wrapped up in as Jack’d guided her through to the lounge and onto the couch to read the beautifully presented and laid out article on his laptop. The cover photo was beautiful - the gorgeous three layered mock up with the gentle sunlight catching the glimmering gold specks on the fondant photographed so beautifully - and as he’d brought the article up Jo hadn’t even read the title as she’d initially excitedly pointed at the embedded video at the top and focused on wanting to watch that before reading any silly words. Jack hadn’t stopped her, and had rubbed her shoulder and quietly reiterated how lovely her work looked and how amazing a baker she was and how lucky his sister was for her to work on the masterpiece for her and how well she discussed the techniques and design choices as they’d watched the video. That she had finally registered the title of the article halfway through the video below it changed the sweet taste of maple syrup still lingering in her mouth to something bitter tasting like bile as she smiled and nodded through the remaining minutes of the video before she couldn’t stop herself reading the article.

Hollow, and wide open. As if she was a pumpkin carved out and put on display. A cream puff full of air and such a flimsy shell of existence without the filling to stablise her if left in this condition. Like a meringue - fragile and likely to collapse in on herself if the oven door was opened too early.

That photo - her pregnant and haunted in the illfitting black dress shaking hands with the man who’d sent the other to war and brought him back to her in a coffin - was in there. The one she’d asked not to. Right beside a picture of her tugging on her new love’s scarf and their smiling and in love in her sacred kitchen space.

She’d felt torn open and like her skin had been peeled off and displayed for anyone and everyone with each cut into the private bubble she’d been living in broken open within the writer’s words. She hated it.

And worst of all, Jack’s hands had rubbed at her comfortingly, and he’d spoken gently that it wasn’t her fault for being trusting, and that he was sorry she had this happen to her, and that he loved her and supported her just made her feel all filled up with love and support all over again even as she was left open and empty he was there to comfort and helped to fill the void left behind by those black and white words. And she’d broken down in a way she hadn’t for years - she’d actually found herself crying at the fresh loss of that protective scab that had kept her intact all along now she had someone to let her deflate like a forgotten souffle.

Once she’d finally stopped crying - babbled words between the gasps as she’d tried to explain what she was crying over of ‘sorry’ and ‘so long ago’ and ‘not like that’ - Jo was surprised to see the love and concern pouring out of the other’s blue eyes as he watched her carefully, not at all guarded the way she’d expected at finding out about her hiding yet another big secret from him. Hiding her history yet again.

“Here,” His voice was soothing as he’d held out a tissue to her, the box moved to his knee as he continued to rub her back gently with his other hand. “It’s okay, Jo, it’s alright.”

“How can you say that?” She gasped the words out hoarsely, voice rough and tired from her crying. “I-”

“You did nothing, Jo, you didn’t do anything.”

“I lied-”

“Did I ever ask?” He asked gently as she was getting worked up again, hands fidgeting and picking at each other and brown eyes wide and panicked. Jack’s hands covered hers, holding her gently like she was something to be handled carefully. “I didn’t ask, you didn’t have to tell until you were ready. And I’m sorry that the choice was taken from you.”

“I shouldn’t’ve-”

“You’re an open heart, trusting person - it’s what’s so sweet and endearing about you and something I love so dearly, Jo. Don’t apologise for being you.”

“I...would’ve told you. Eventually.” She mumbled the words out, hands shaking even despite the comforting squeeze of his over hers. She would have. One day. Probably that mythical moment she’d thought about when they’d be curled up in bed and he’d have said something about their future and wanting life together and asking if she’d wanted to get married some day eventually, and she’d have told him the truth then and in much simpler words than the bullshit that the journalist had flourished her story with. She had felt that day approaching, but they hadn’t quite gotten to talking about the future further than plans for a vacation next year before Billy started school. “I… I can’t believe this- Oh fuck! What about Shada?!”

There was a second before Jo noticed the look on his face shift from concern into something closer to surprise for a moment, before his mouth twitched into that soft loving smile that made her stomach flip. “Shada’s okay. She was the one who was calling - she is… not happy with that asshole journalist.”

“Oh… Oh, should I step down?”

“What?”

“I’m ruinin’ the weddin’ - a distraction - should I step out-”

“Jo!” The smile she got then was practically blinding, tugging her in for a tight hug as Jack laughed gently. “Shada’s worried about you! She’s upset for you, not because of you. She’s already screaming about getting a new writer in and getting lawyers to sue or something if you want to. I mean, she’s thinking to for defamation for herself-”

“As she should!” Jo cried back, letting out an awkward giggle as she curled into the warmth of his chest. “That was so mean and wrong for what was said about her. That asshole-” Jo’s eyes blew wide as she thought about how nice and friendly the reporter had seemed, how he’d seemed to care what she had to say - that she’d been tricked and manipulated into telling her story when all she’d wanted was to make a good cake and share her love for her dark haired friend. She felt the sharp stab of betrayal in that, and shivered slightly to think that she’d have to meet with the reporter again sometime soon. He was due back to write about the flowers, and Shada’s dress, and so much more - the idea of facing him after such a humiliating manipulation made her stomach twist. “-oh I hope he’s fired! He should be! What is her manager doing? Does Bobby know? Oh, what about-”

“Jo, my love, it’s fine.” His voice was calming and soft as she’d started to work herself up again, breaths sharp and short and caught up on the edge of panic and mania filling her mind as she thought about just how much she’d misjudged and maybe ruined the whole of her dear friend’s special days. “Bobby’s already got the shows lawyers onto it, and Shada said her manager is already demanding a retraction of the article and it to be suppressed online until they can determine the legal ways forward-”

“Good!” She seethed quietly, feeling queasy and responsible and guilty all in one at how much the words written must had hurt the other woman to read. Every other sentence was a backhand compliment, a knife designed to dig and cut and hurt the poor girl, and that Jo’d been used to do that to her hurt too much to consider. She’d have to bake something as an apology as soon as her legs felt strong enough to support her weight. And something for Bobby. And the show team. And Ian and Ombre. And for Jack. The thought of her boyfriend brought her mind whirling into how nasty the reporter’s words, the focus on who Jack was and what he had been that had to have hurt too brought her into herself with a gasp; brown eyes wide and focused onto her boyfriend’s face with a distraught look. “Oh and you! You should sue too! For what he said ‘bout you-”

“Nothing written in there was wrong when it came to me, Jo.” Jack’s eyes were that darker blue, the shadowed look that always showed up when he was serious about whatever he was talking about. “I’ve got no issues with it about me.”

Jo shook her head, tucking into his chest with a sigh as she felt a shiver run down her spine. “It wasn’t- It said that we… that you were- that we’re going ta be-”

“I mean, I was hoping to ask on our anniversary next month, so if you can wait until then…”

She froze at his words - the warm, bemused tone rumbling in his chest she was pressed up against - and felt like that hollow feeling was suddenly gone as quick as it had arrived. Replaced with a stomach-flipping surge of happiness she hadn’t even felt the first time around, her whole body felt like it was on fire and her heart felt like it couldn’t be held in by her chest it was so full and light. Her head was spinning, and pulling back a little, she blinked in confusion as she looked back into the flushed but openly smiling face of the other. How could he be so open, so honest, especially to her when all she had ever done was hide things from him?

“Wh-what?”

His eyes lit up and the edges of his lips pulled up into an amused grin as his hands moved from her back to hold her cheeks, thumbs stroking over the top of her cheekbones gently. “Do you not want to wait til then?” His voice was quiet and she strained to hear him over the thudding of her heart filling her ears. Jack’s smile got softer as he shifted one hand back over her ear and into her hair gently. “Do you want me to ask now? Because I will. I’d ask in a heartbeat if you wanted me to, Jo. I’d ask it every day if that’s what you want or what it took.”

“You… Wait-” She paused a second, heart beating out of her chest and her eyes drinking him in as if she’d never really seen him before. Like she could finally see all the colors that made him whole - the blue of his eyes brighter, the pink of his lips more soft and kissable than ever, even the dark purple under his eyes from their late night movies and early morning starts - after having lived with some filter on. Living in a glass box to protect her from hurt again, and him from being cursed like all the others that had had her heart so far. Swallowing thickly, Jo blinked repeated a few times before shifting closer into his lap, prompting his other hand to drop around her waist and support her gently instead. Support her like he had ever since they’d become an us not two separate entities. There was a pause that he just looked at her, before Jo found herself leaning in closely and that thudding in her ears entirely disappearing into the background as she heard herself speak from her heart before her brain could stop her. “Will you marry me?”

That pause drew out longer - every tiny noise from the ticking of the clock on the wall to the buzz of the muted television to the muffled sound of the world moving outside without them was like thunder as they stayed in their quiet, frozen bubble - before there was a surge between them. Like a bolt of lightening sending energy into both of them had her lips smashed against his, and his hands gripping her tightly as she pulled him into her all the harsher.

That she’d asked and that he hadn’t answered didn’t matter, the fact was this was right in a way that it’d never been right for her before. This was what she’d been waiting for. This was who she’d been waiting for. She might not be a blushing bride like his sister, but she was who he’d been waiting for, and he was who she’d always meant to find. The safety and feeling of home and support she’d been missing even before she’d been left alone before, before she’d said her vows to a man she loved but more as idea than a man, before she’d thrown her roses on the coffin as a child. This was the support she’d been craving and needed - the love she’d searched everywhere for and then glassed herself off from when it didn’t show up when she wanted it. Even if it was a few years late.

---

Her hands were steady and forceful as she continued to roll the fondant thinner and thinner, to the longest roll it could before fluting it gently as she cut the thin strip in half and laid the ruffle down across the nearest baking tray with all the rest. These ruffles were the thinnest she'd ever made, and there was only six more to make before she'd have to start assembly. Or start the gentle paintwork of dusting the edges like an ancient book with gold dust. Or maybe she would do a third crumb coat on the cakes. Just to make sure.

Jo's mind was working seven steps ahead of herself and she had to pause at the trembling in her fingers. This was the most important cake she'd ever made. It had to be perfect.

Nervously working on the next set of ruffles, she felt herself having to pause and try the deep breathing exercises her therapist had taught her months ago. The exercises to calm her down from spiralling into an absolute destructive frenzy. She'd been struggling with keeping herself balanced for months now, ever since that article shook her core, and she was so thankful she had the support around her to work her way through it.

The weeks following that article had been some of the hardest of her life but nothing except for her seemed to be changed. Nobody except for her few newest friends had learned anything they didn't already know. And aside from a bone crushing hug from Shada every time they met for a month, and the gentle coaxing from Jack to remember everything was fine, nothing changed aside from her. Her whole world had tilted the wrong way but no one else seemed to notice it.

It had taken up until the week of crafting the extravagant and beautiful wedding cake for how hard she was struggling to really hit her. The only time she felt in control of herself and happy that week being the long hours she spent in the bakery - perfecting batches upon batches of buttercream and the fillings for the cake, the sheets upon sheets of cake baked and cut to an unusual and beautiful geometric diamond rather than the traditional circle, the hours after hours of sugar work in vibrant purples bad shimmering golds and silvers along with the delicate edible flowers to match the bride's overflowing bouquet. That week she'd devoted more time than ever to her work and it was the only times she felt happy and normal and like herself didn't really sink in until the night before the wedding.

Jack had been waiting up when she'd finally decided it was done and got home at two in the morning despite having to be up in three hours to start the bridal party work. He'd held her close and been all things supportive, and that she'd cried all three remaining hours and somehow functioned and floated happily beside her future sister-in-law the whole day through was probably more to do with running on fumes than her genuine excitement she had for the beautiful bride and her husband. It was probably more to do with the appointment booked for the following week for her to finally talk to someone and start working through her issues instead of hiding from them.

It was how she'd found herself reflecting on how important that cake had been for her - it had represented all of her guilt over her life becoming something new all again, her desire to please and her want to be part of something bigger than just her and her boy again - and the unexpected amount of stress that had come along with the entire process that was how she’d been convinced to speak to someone. Seeing her work splashed over news sites for weeks, and the months leading up to her sister-in-law’s wedding from that horrible article all the way through that while not always a focused part of the story, that her life was splashed across the media and her motives dissected as much as her work was had sent her spiralling in need of help. That her fiance was beside her the whole time - praising her work, encouraging her and protecting her and her son from the worst of it - helped soften the blow that she wasn’t as strong as she’d always made out to be. And that despite pouring every bit of love she had into that beautiful purple wedding cake had been enough to keep her solid until it had been delivered.

Placing the last of the delicate ruffles she’d made to the side, Jo pulled a ball of sunshine yellow fondant towards herself to work on instead. The next crumb coat could wait. Instead, she rolled that fondant out into thin strips again - however rather than rolling the edges thinner and thinner until they fluted into soft ribbons, the baker collected the delicate piece of lace she’d collected from the trimming of her dress and pressed it flush against the fondant. Rolling over the fabric and then peeling it gently off each strip of fondant, the beautiful lace design embossed into the yellow sugar confection to mimic what she would be wearing the next day, before moving each stripe of fondant onto another baking tray to be stored away until they were needed later. It was a rhythm, one she was used to, and working slowly she kept up her calming breaths as she tried to sink into the pattern. It was just any other cake, after all.

Where she’d poured so much thought and weeks of consideration into balancing the meaning of ingredients, the personalities of the bride and groom, and the early summer vibes of the wedding into the beautifully tiered cake she eventually crafted for Shada and Ian’s wedding - the creation she was making now was somehow so much less thoughtful in her mind. She didn’t spend hours testing different cake types and deciding on the main flavors before deciding on something that perfectly matched like berries and lemons - she knew it would be a chocolate cake from the moment she’d even tried to consider what to make, and she’d known that there would be a hazelnut filling based off of the brownies her love begged her to make the most. She didn’t spend her time crafting different decorations trying to balance the extravagance of the event, the importance of those getting married and to make something both timeless, classic and modern and fashion forward - she knew that it would be a simple white cake with minimal color but the buttercup yellow and gold to balance the classic, stark white elements. She didn’t worry about trying again and again to push the extremes of what she could achieve, even as that had excited and thrilled her to surprise everyone with such a decadent and beautiful creation unlike any other - she knew the small single tiered cake would be more than enough for her loved ones, and there was no one she needed to impress or thrill more.

The sound of an alarm brought her out of her thinking as she finished the last few yellow fondant decorations, turning to pull the brownies out of the oven and replace them with the waiting tray of cupcakes. The baking of all the other treats that she intended to fill the small trestle table for desserts with the next day was in itself another thing entirely - delicate tiny pastries with perfectly presented lemon tarts and tiny chocolate brownies, cream puffs and mille-feuille, chocolate eclairs and marzipan treats, treacle tarts and miniature cherry pies - each carefully selected and decided upon based on their family and friends favorite treats.

But when she pictured the table in her mind it was with the simple white cake on it’s pedestal surrounded by a bounty of treats and the tiny bouquets of baby's breath that would tie into her bridal bouquet and the flowers that Billy would throw before her and would be tucked into the lapel of her love’s jacket as they said vows she believed in again now. It was full circle and fully ready - the image of a day unfolding as she moved onto the final little dessert decorating, that she’d never had before. The day she’d dreamed about that never happened the last time, that she didn’t fantasise about before like she was now, the way she wanted every little step to be just so where before she’d never pictured herself walking down an aisle, and exchanging vows, and wearing white, and holding flowers, and staring into loving eyes, and making promises she fully intended to keep, and exchanging rings that she wouldn’t then take off, and celebrating with everyone she cared about not sharing a pepperoni pizza and counting down days on a calendar, and knowing that Sunday morning she’d wake up happy and fulfilled and the person she’d not yet become the last time, the person she hadn’t realised she was meant to be. It was her dreams coming true for once. And her being her own dream.

---

#au stories #bakery au #jopov

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choking-on-tae · 5 years ago

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ATEEZ as barista’s

A/N: I just couldn’t stop thinking about this for some reason. Gifs aren’t mine. Also I write this with wave era haircolors in mind cuz I love strawberry Joong and blueberry Yunho ♥

Hongjoong:

- stands out because of his bright red hair

- it’s hard to miss him

- is very friendly to the costumers

- secretly everyone’s favorite barista because of his smile

- pro at making latte’s and selling extra’s such as cakes or health bars

- tries his best to make the stressed out people who visit the cafe feel slightly better with encouraging words

- a total cutie

Seonghwa:

- makes some of the cakes the cafe sells and people love them

- can make some of the best coffee

- doesn’t particularly stand out compared to the others because he isn’t extremely tall or short or has bright hair

- but is an absolute gentleman

- always helping people when they need someone

- is really appreciated because of his caring personality

- and his beauty

- but mostly his gentle way of speaking really puts people at ease especially when they’re stressed

Yunho:

- would always be smiling

- Srsly the happiest barista ever

- total ray of sunshine especially with his bright blue hair

- loves his job cuz he gets to interact with people

- writes encouraging messages on the cups for people who seem very tired or stressed

- a true sweetheart

- people go to the cafe just to see him

Yeosang:

- is an introvert so dealing with grumpy people in the morning isn’t his favorite thing

- isn’t a massive fan of small talk either

- still loves his job though and is very good at it

- might seem shy at first but is bold

- especially when he sees the nice people who come in almost every single day and he gets to know them a bit

- might have gotten some awkward love confessions because let’s be honest he’s beautiful and looks like an angel

- basically the cutest, sweetest shy barista you’ll ever meet

San:

- his smile can make anyone’s day

- likes his job a lot and is very cheery but can also be very serious when he needs to be

- such as when he’s mixing the beans or pouring in the milk

- concentrated af

- likes talking to people and quite enjoys small talk

- just like Yunho write little messages on the cups

- is a total sweetie who wants everyone to get good coffee and to enjoy their day

Mingi:

- slightly clumsy but he’s cute so it’s okay

- people forgive him because he’s so nice

- total sweetheart tbh

- enjoys it when people walk in with their children because they’re cute

- stands out because of his height

- like it’s hard to miss him because he’s tall

- is known as the tall cutie who works at the cafe

Wooyoung:

- a total cutie

- people love him

- loud as hell even when he’s at work

- you won’t miss him call your order that’s for sure

- is one of the reasons people keep coming back to the cafe, they just like him

- can be very serious as well but most of the time he’s quite playful

- or flirty

- he’s shameless so he might flirt with costumers

- but basically a total cutie

Jongho:

- is always very polite to everyone

- takes his job very seriously

- makes the most delicious coffee although he only drinks Americano

- is quite popular because of his barista skills

- people know he makes good coffee

- isn’t someone who loves small talk but knows it’s part of his job

- is a sweetie who wants people to enjoy good coffee so always tries his best

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afterthelastreset · 4 years ago

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Rules Of One’s Soul Ch 7 Realizing Feelings P3

(Mak belongs to @coffincrawler )

He felt strangely numb for the rest of the day. It didn't matter how much he tried to strain a smile or look happy for Lancer's sake, he just felt....numb. Well, maybe numb wasn't the right word. He felt more like he hadn't slept in a whole year....Maybe part of that statement was true, he couldn't really remember the last time he got a good night's sleep since....Yeah. Better not dig up any old memories right now. Better focus on Jevil giving who was him a worried glance every so often. Honestly, he didn't know what the Jester used to do before he was locked up or what he would do now that he was rehired and pardoned by Lancer, but he was pretty sure hovering behind them and following the duo around the castle was taking care of royal business was not it. Rouxls was starting to become really uncomfortable with all the stares they were getting from everyone else around them, most were terrorfied with shock or confusion at seeing the crazy joker floating behind the Duke and King Lancer. Even the other kings were wary, except King Heart. He had too much of an open heart it seemed. It made him even more tired from the amount of emotions that waved through his mind, which he really shouldn't be focusing right now.Right now was the time to focus on doing as much as possible to prepare Lancer for the ten days of his absence. He's barely be able to clean up his room, let alone run an entire kingdom by himself.

But he still couldn't help but have that small voice in the back of his mind say it wouldn't be so bad. He would use some space and a nice vacation was overdue.....But he made a promise to her and himself to take care of Lancer. No matter what. Did he really trust this jester just a few days after he was sent loose? Yes, answered a silent voice ringing from the back. Not much, echoed another. He groaned again and tried to shake those feelings off. Right now he needed to focus. Focus!

He had to shake his head and refocus his skattered mind into the conversation at hand-

"- s-so anyways, to help lift our subjects spirits in this new era of reconstruction I'd thought we should open the castle more to our loving subjects," the King of Hearts brought a tentacle arm to rub at the back of his neck sheepishly.

Oh...right. Did he miss that much of the conversation? He straightened his back up and tried once again to focus his attention into this conversation, or at least what attention he had left. Lancer was sitting at the table next to him looking a mixture of bored and confused to what the adult kings were going on about, while Jevil was being awfully quiet just hovering above near the ceiling, he would've chuckled if he wasn't already trying to pay attention to something else at the moment.

"Don't you think that'll cost a whole lot?"

"There he goes again with the 'I don't like spending attitude'."

Oh, please. He really didn't want to deal with another fight between the Clubs and Rudinn right now. The two could go on for hours on end if no one stopped them. But someone must've heard his silent prayers because that wasn't what had happened. Instead the Rudinn gave the multi-headed king a look and spat out-

"No! I mean it'll cost a lot to put together something for hundreds upon hundreds of subjects and we don't even have enough to cover even a third of that amount. And don't you forget we're still trying to piece together what's left of what Spade left behind?"

"Of course I didn't forget!," one of the heads barked back, "I'm just saying you usually worry about your money problem!''

"Oh, so now I have a money problem-!"

"Gentlemen, Please! Not in front of the child." The poor Heart looked exhausted already and the meeting's only been-....Actually he lost count of how much time had passed, but the other two kings at least respected the poor hathy's words enough to not fight right now at least. Thank goodness. "Thank you." He breathed out a sigh. "Now I know we can't invite all our subjects but we should at least encourage others to celebrate one of our oldest customs."

"I'm bored-"

Rouxls hushed Lancer before giving a nervous smile back at the other 3 kings. "Children. H-He's just a bit tired-"

"But it's boooooriiing." The small spade slapped his hands onto the table and stood onto his chair. "Let's make it more exciting!"

Rouxls groaned but King Heart chuckled at the child's action and asked, "Oh, Really? Well, why don't you tell us what you think would make this event less 'boring' to you?"

Lancer paused for a moment and gave that famous confused look with his tongue stuck between his front teeth before looking back up at him. "Um.....How about food!? Food's always good."

"What kind then?"

It was clear that by the smile on the giant hathy that he was enjoying asking the little child what he thought about this. It was kinda cute to watch in all honesty, but the little boy didn't see it that way as he beamed at the notion of being asked his own ideas.

"We need to...How did Susie say it was-..Make it POP! We need something fun like-...Like...Uh..."

Rouxls leaned next to him. "How doth fireworks sound?"

His face lit up immediately. "Yeah! Fireworks sound awesome! Oh, oh. And lots and lots of food and music! I can play splat noises from my ipod!"

"Young, Sire. I thinketh thine noises wouldn't be appropriate for a romantic evening for a mostly adult audience." Lancer gave a small pout which made the Duke roll his eyes. "We can invite thou's friends if you oh so wish."

''....But I don't know where Susie and Kris live....But Ralsei practically lives next door!"

"Well, since thou has made up his mind, we shouldst really focus on the topic of the dungeon conditions-"

"Now what a second," the Rudinn king leaned across the table and gave a look, "We still need to discuss the budget of this whole thing-" One of King Clubs's heads groaned while the others gave various looks from confusion to 'I'm so done', Making Diamond give a hiss back. "Not like that! I mean, our funds are limited towards rebuilding and our subjects as it is. How are we going to fund all this food and fireworks?"

"...We could make it a potluck charity ball?," the Heart meeakly suggested, "We could have everyone bring a dish and donate a miniture wage?"

"That's a brilliant idea!" "Hey! I would've thought of that too!" "You wish!" Honestly, can his heads ever agree on something?

"Now that is out of the way, doth I may request that we-"

"Can we have a chocolate fountain?!" Lancer's voice suddenly skyrocketed in new excitement. "And cake and...and ...and whatever that noodle dish is called?!"

The heart chuckled. "If someone brings it, sure."

Lancer gave a babble of delight before turning to Rouxls, "I gotta go tell the cooks! And have someone go tell Ralsei! This is gonna be the best mushy party ever! HO HO HO!! "

"What!? Lancer wait-" The small spade didn't give another thought as he jumped down from his chair and pushed past his legs. He once again tried to call out to the excited child to stop him but the small spade excitedly bounced his way out the door doing his tiny impression of a Santa Claus. The worm sighed and reached up a hand to rub his face. He really didn't have the energy to keep up with a child like this.

"Well, I guess this meeting is over." "Good! I want to see Clover! Right now!" "I'm pretty sure she's asleep by now?"

The other three kings mumble among themselves and stood up from the large table. Looks like he wasn't going to get to actually talk about security today.

"Tired, tired you look." He didn't look up from his hand as Jevil casually floated next to him, giving him a questioning look. "Why not, not just turn in?"

"I'm still angry at thou's antics," he slowly turned from his hand to give the imp a tired disgruntled look, raising a brow, "And I will do no such thing until mine king sleeps, and he's nay asleep or tired."

Jevil hummed and nodded in agreement with his statement. "Understandable, understandable-...But he's a king now, he can handle a little nap time." This made Rouxls raise his brow higher as if to say, 'Art thou serious?' and Jevil giggled at the reaction. "I'm more than capable of putting, putting the younge child to bed and spinning a tale good enough to impress, impress the sandman himself.~"

"Thou? Put Lancer to sleep? Bah!" The tired worm stood up on tired legs, giving the gremlin a frown. "I shan't heareth it! Mine boy is-"

"Growing up, up and needs to learn how to be king without the interference of a mother hen." He tutted and shook his head at the worm's constant worrying again, "I do hope you do not act, act like that when our children are brought into our world.~ It'd be a bad influence on the poor child.~"

The worm's face went from a comical expression of confused, to utter shock, to a deep purple. He seemed to go blank for a moment and just gave out a few angry sputters at the jester's innocent smile before he just turned around dramatically-...Which did nothing but set off another series of giggles, and in a moment worthy of his title, the Duke gave off a flustered growl and stomped his way out of the room..Too bad the laughing imp followed right behind him, telling him "R-Rouxls, Rouxls. D-Don't do that. Just think about all the cute little memories, memories we'd make."

"N-NAY! I don't need this! I-I shan't hear of it!" He sped up his long strides towards where he suspected Lancer had bounced off too, too bad Jevil was able to keep up easily. "L-Leave me you...you ghastly worm! I'm too tired to dealest with this."

"Rouxls. I'm sorry, sorry. But please let me see your blueberry face.~"

"Nay!"

A couple others had stopped and took a look at the strange duo walking past, giving them strange looks. Honestly looked more like an old married couple than a royal Duke being trailed by a Jester. And to be honest Rouxls didn't like what must have been going through their heads at this point, seeing the crazed jester float around him giggling and following like a lost love struck puppy and how blue his face must've been at the moment didn't help his cause either. A force sudden made itself known on his head and two arms snaked their way around his neck. A purr sounded out as something snuggled into the shiny hair on his head, he ended up freezing and turned his eyes upwards towards the imp nuzzling into him. Jevil sighed and purred out some mumbled about him being 'cool and soft to the touch.' His normally cool face heated up a purple hue and he let out a small squeak. Jevil giggled hearing that and laid his head flat against the top of Rouxls's head. What followed was another weird noise from Rouxls before the worm man waved his arms up and above his head in a sort of flailing like motion startling the jester and whoever was left watching. The worm whirled around and gave the startled jester a flustered look, Jevil gave a startled look back and blinked.

"...T-Thou needst t-to calmeth thineself down."

"Oh....Why? Do you not like, like physical affection?"

"I...I..." His eyes went around to the few surrounding watchers and gulped. "N-N-Nay in public."

Jevil continued to stare at the flustered worm before a realization came over him. "Oh, I see. Bwahaha. Keep things, things professional at work. I understamd, understand perfectly." He let off another purr before giving those same pink eyes from earlier this morning with the pink hearts. "More on the professional, professional when needed. Perfectly understandable. We have, have a whole ten days to make up for it.~"

The tone he used plus the wink he gave after sent a shiver up Rouxls spine plus a throb from his soul. He decided to cut losses and just turn and leave to go find Lancer. Not surprisingly Jevil wasn't too far behind. Like he suspected, he eventually found Lancer stuffing his face with leftover food in the kitchen, making a mess. The child looked tired though. Hopefully enough to go to bed. It took Rouxls a while to convince the spade stuffing his face that he should head to bed, but luckily Lancer was complient and agreed to his bedtime. Now all that was left to do was deal with the purple stalker he had on his tail. He just wanted to go back home and sleep already. He made it about halfway down the hall from Lancer's room before a clawed hand grabbed onto his shoulder and the smiling face of Jevil came into view.

"Let me take, take you back."

"N-No thank you....I'm more than capable of going home."

"In the rain?" He pointed his other hand towards the window near them where rain could still be seen pouring down. "You still look tired,tired. Allow me to help, help."

"N-No-"

"I know you're too exhausted, exhausted to work magic right now." Rouxls froze but eventually gave off a sigh to Jevil's happiness.

"Fine. B-But only once-"

No sooner had he said that than Jevil suddenly shot his hand out and grabbed his, making him flinch and look at the smiling purple face. Jevil gave off a series of giggles as his only warning before the room around them suddenly darkened and a compression feeling squeezed his chest. He clamped his eyes shut at sensation of the air being forced out of his lungs and his body being stretched out like some rubber toy, it was quite the uncomfortable feeling to be honest. Would not recommend traveling like this. His way of teleporting was a lot more peaceful, all it took was a few ideal moments of senseless non-motion and then some sparkling light. Not this compressed madness. None the less, it all ended almost as soon as it began when he suddenly was slapped back down onto his feet. His body stumbled and nearly fell over but Jevil still had a hold of his hand and quickly pulled Rouxls back up into a standing coughing fit of a man. His vision swirled and his lungs felt like they were underwater as he sputtered and forced himself to gulp down oxygen into his poor body. Jevil patted his back and continued to sorta encourage Rouxls, strange but appreciated. When he was finally able to blink past the blurred scenes, he was able to make out a table of some kind he was leaning against. Dust covered the top and when he slowly removed his hand it left a print...Oh. That'll explain the excess couching and fire burning in his lungs. Jevil's teleportation must've made some of the dust fly into the air when they popped in.

"I don't suppose you two are done for the day?", a soft voice called out a little ways from them. Their sudden pop in had startled the cat, but he quickly calmed down once he recognized the two. Rouxls's looked over at the cat sitting on the bed, a book in his paws. The worm rose a brow and gave Seam a look.

"W-Was...Was thou sitting here reading all day?"

Seam chuckled before closing the book and setting it on the bed before standing up. "Only since you all left me stranded here seven hours ago. I'm afraid I'm not too fond of going home in the rain. But I do enjoy the peace and quiet of reading while listening to the rain outside." He gestured to the store window and the water running down it.

Rouxls gave a groan and straightened himself up. "Well thou can now leaveth with thine gremlin over here-" he nodded towards Jevil '' -without the worries of getting rained upon."

"Oh, come now. Come now." Jevil's face popped back up to his side vision. "It's your time to relax-"

"Which would be when I'm sleeping without disturbance from thou."

".....Oh. Right. You do need, need to recover from no-sleepitis.~"

Seam rose an eyebrow and gave Jevil a curious look. "No-sleepitis?...Aha..Hahaha. I'm pretty sure that's called insomnia Jevil."

The imp shrugged and giggled a bit more. "All it took was just a little, little child encouragement and common sense to the rules.~"

Rouxls gave a grunt and pushed Jevil's face away from his own. "I think thou shouldst leave now, it's getting rather late as it is."

"Aw. No fun, no fun.~"

"Come on now, Jevil. We should respect the Duke's sleeping condition."

Surprisingly Jevil listened to the old cat and floated over towards him, but not before giving the worm another purr and wink. Rouxls scrunched his face up but his face flushed a blue again. He really wished it would stop that. Seam held out his paw to the floating Jevil who took it without question, Seam took one last look back at Rouxls and gave a small wave before his shape was suddenly whipped. Literally. His form whipped back along with Jevil and in an instant, the two weirdos vanished without sound. Rouxls stood there blinking for the next couple seconds at where the two used to stand, before shaking his head and turning his back towards the area where they were. He just needed to lay down and have a small moment to himself for a while....And try to sort out all these thoughts and emotions zig zagging over one another in his head.

Seam on the other hand was quite adiment on giving the poor duke some alone time away from Jevil's constant affection. The poor guy looked tired enough, though Seam wasn't quite sure what Jevil meant by 'common sense of rules' or 'child encouragement'. The teleportation to his own Sheap was a matter of seconds away, and while Rouxls obviously wasn't used to the sudden teleporting Seam after years of Jevil using the spell, he was quite used to the effects so all he ended up with was a small stumble upon landing. He turned to the small jester after a few moments of regaining himself and opened his mouth to ask about what happened, when the fool suddenly doubled over giggling and hugging his sides.

"Well...You seem happy. Care to include an old friend on what you mean?"

"Seam, Seam! My opportunity, opportunity has sprung! My soul, soul beats hard for my heart's desire, desire!" He giggled more which in turn caused the cat to tilt in held in question. "You see,you see! My desire has told me he shares the same emotions my soul, soul has for him, him! It's absolute chaos, chaos!" The imp fell back in a flourish of squeals and giggles that Seam couldn't help but smile at.

"Really now? Well, it sounds like you too have made a real connection. But you should keep it down before you wake Mak. It takes forever to get a child to sleep."

"Hahaha. Agreed, Agreed."

Seam smiled before walking his way over to the couch. "Now...I don't suppose you mind filling me in on what happened while you were away do you?"

Jevil smiled in glee. "Seam, Seam. I have a tale, tale to spin to you."

#Seaxls #rouxls kaard x seam #Seam #seam x jevil #jevil x seam #jevil x rouxls #Nosuit #rouxvil #rouxlvil #Rouxls Kaard #jevil #deltarune

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kimmswritings · 4 years ago

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Ateez Photo Section

Ateez

Why Are They Like This

Leader-nim can not be trusted

Season’s Greetings 2021

They’re All So Handsome

The Prettiest Honey Bee (SH/HJ/S)

Just A Tiny Butterfly Landing On A Flower (SH/HJ)

7 Makes One Team...?

I Aspire To Reach San’s Level Of Cuteness

Which Hongjoong Are You Today?

San Is A Big Mood (HJ/S/MG/YH/YS)

I Really Like Skinship...? (HJ/WY) ★

Ateez Loving Hongjoong: An Appreciation Post

Wonderland M/V

Seonghwa Said Enough

R.i.p Chris

This Will Go Down In History As One Of The Greatest Things Ateez Has Ever Done

Universe App Teaser

Illusion

Ateez x Wonderwall

Eternal Sunshine Stage

Thinking About Them

Seonghwa

Sleepy Boi

Thanxx Fancam

Wonderland (Sweatsuit Version)

He Is Something

I Need Water

Beauty

Cutest

Answer > Seonghwa

Secretary Park’s First Day At Work

Seonghwa + Wave Era

Office! Hwa

Ateez GGULlog.zam: Holiday Ep.1

Happy Birhday, Seonghwa!

Pink Beauty

Kcon:Tact 3

Hongjoong

Well, He is the Pirate King ★

Logbook #49

Please Be My Emo Boyfriend?

How Fine Can A Man Be?

Our Angel Leader I Mama 2029

He’s So Beautiful

A Happy Blueberry

Thanxx 200910

Fever Road Ep. 8

Curly-haired cutie

Curly-haired cutie pt 2

Kcontact Day 3

Wink!

Handsome But Shy

Facts™ By Hongjoong

Looks I’ve Thought About A Lot This Year (2020)

Happy Birthday Hongjoong!

Happy Birthday Pt. 2

No Thoughts Head Empty Just This Hongjoong

Colorful Blueberry

Hongjoong In A Half Skirt Is My Passion

The King Of Dad Jokes

Bugs? I Like Bugs...

"ᵒʰ ʳᵉᵃˡˡʸ?"

Pretty Boy

200806 Inception

Treasure Map

King Of Expressions

It’s The Little Things...

Hongjoong > Answer ★

월급루팡 에이티즈 Ep. 1

Hongjoong Gang

200812 Hongjoong Inception

Smiley Baby

Joongspressions™

Posing For The Camera ♡

He’s Baby

200730 Fever ★

He Really Do Be Vibing On The Side

His Reaction To Being Called Handsom By A Fan

Handsome!Joong Has Arrived

Immortal Songs 2

Season’s Greetings 2021

Pajama Party

Orange Cutie

The Legendary Cactus

BY. HONGJOONG #4

Idol Human Theater

Deja Vu

The Best Hair Color

210917 Deja Vu Stage

Kingdom Ep. 3

Wink!

Mingi

Missing Red-Haired Mingi Hours: OPEN

Who Allowed This???

Birthday Post

Mingi: 1, Prop: 0

Big Mouth Mingi

Yeosang

200729 / Air Con

Sir, This Is A Wendy’s

Yeosang At SMA Red Carpet 2021

Wooyoung

Wooyoung’s First Airport Fashion

San

Cutie Pie

Sneckles

His Smile Is So Pretty omg

The Prettiest

Yunho

200801 Yunho Fever

Yunho ✤ A Little Space MV

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plumeofacat · 4 years ago

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Chapter 1

Error growls as he checks the state of Lanna who left her t-shirt on her knees so she can get the treatment. As for Ink, he stores the groceries that his sister brought kindly.

Error : ̷W̷h̷a̷t̷ ̷w̷a̷s̷ ̷t̷h̷a̷t̷ ̷i̷d̷e̷a̷ ̷o̷f̷ ̷d̷e̷f̷y̷i̷n̷g̷ ̷t̷h̷e̷ ̷s̷o̷u̷n̷d̷ ̷b̷a̷r̷r̷i̷e̷r̷ ̷o̷n̷ ̷a̷ ̷c̷a̷r̷t̷ ̷a̷n̷d̷ ̷a̷g̷a̷i̷n̷s̷t̷ ̷a̷ ̷s̷h̷e̷l̷f̷?̷

Lanna: It wasn't my idea!! It was Blueberry!!

Ink: I'll talk about it with Swapy... he needs to teach a lesson to his brother...

Lanna: Sure... But this transformed pollen stealer might be proud of what his brother did...

Error : ̷Y̷o̷u̷r̷ ̷c̷u̷r̷s̷e̷ ̷d̷o̷e̷s̷n̷'̷t̷ ̷t̷o̷u̷c̷h̷ ̷a̷n̷y̷o̷n̷e̷ ̷w̷h̷e̷n̷ ̷y̷o̷u̷ ̷a̷r̷e̷ ̷f̷a̷r̷ ̷a̷w̷a̷y̷ ̷f̷r̷o̷m̷ ̷t̷h̷e̷m̷.̷.̷.̷

The red one sighs and looks at her mask on the ground. She feels the âin leaving completely, which gives her the signal to cover her scar on her back and front with her usual t-shirt.

Ink: Hey, Lanna, how much time passed since you visited Sans?

Lanna: Which one?

Ink: Classique...

Lanna: ho... It's been a while... I should go see him a little...

Error: ̷A̷v̷o̷i̷d̷ ̷s̷h̷o̷w̷i̷n̷g̷ ̷h̷i̷m̷ ̷y̷o̷u̷r̷ ̷s̷c̷a̷r̷s̷ ̷a̷g̷a̷i̷n̷.̷.̷.̷ ̷L̷a̷s̷t̷ ̷t̷i̷m̷e̷ ̷h̷e̷ ̷a̷c̷c̷u̷s̷e̷d̷ ̷u̷s̷ ̷o̷f̷ ̷n̷o̷t̷ ̷p̷r̷o̷t̷e̷c̷t̷i̷n̷g̷ ̷y̷o̷u̷.̷.̷.̷

Lanna: And with my bruises, he will scold you again...

She giggles, knowing very well that the two skeleton pests about the fact that Lanna's body can't be totally healed, they can only lessen the pain. The human smiles to her brother and to the one who makes her brother's soul beat faster, before she gets up slowly, checking if her bracelets still stand in place.

Lanna: I'm going to see Sans! Clean up after using Error's strings in the kitchen!

Ink and Error: LA̷N̷N̷A̷ ̷!̷!̷!̷!!!

She giggles and runs outside, taking absently her pen so she can quickly do her portal to Undertale. She walks in the spring street, putting her mask on correctly, then she looks at the monsters around her, smiling. A lot of her childhood friends and childhood enemies enjoy their Sunday to have fun or simply to walk. She sees a rabbit lady, Cassy. She sees Sparkles, a flame monster the same age as her. She sees Frisk, a teenager who helped her save the monsters, almost 10 years ago.

Frisk has semi-long brown hair and golden eyes. Instead of her old striped t-shirt, she wears a jeans jacket on a purple t-shirt with jeans and boots. In her hands, three heavy books are tired of her, but Chara helps her carry three other books. Chara is a teenager in the same age as Frisk with short and messed up brown hair and her eyes are aggressively red, but they hide the kindness towards the monsters that she always has. Before Chara was only a ghost who was hunting Frisk since she was a human dead long ago, but for 10 years, Lanna has succeeded in giving a body to the ghostly child.

An enormous desire to take off her mask itches the creator's sister, while she gets closer to the first of the Sanses' house. Nervously playing with her pen, Lanna stops in front of her friend's door, remembering some bad memories, before she shakes her head to focus on the good ones. The fingers almost as white as a bone put away the pen while the other hand forms a fist to knock twice on the door.

Sans: who's there?

Lanna: Anold.

Sans: Anold who?

Lanna: an old friend!

Lanna smiles as she removes her mask, while the door opens on a skeleton that looks like Blueberry but wearing an old dark blue jacket on a white t-shirt with black shorts and pink slippers. He gestures for the young women to get in, then he walks nonchalantly to the couch. The red one closes the door behind her, then she throws her mask on the living room table while sitting next to her friend.

Lanna: What's new? Is life on the surface as good as before or do I need to teach some lessons to humans?

Sans: don't worry yourself to the bone, your brother does it enough for all of us...

Lanna : *giggle* I see! ... *sighs* otherwise... Do you have any news about... HIM?

Sans: Hmm? ... You won't like what I'll say about it...

Lanna: Say it anyway... I need to know...

Sans: He got released from jail for good behavior

Lanna : *sighs* shit...

Sans: Do you think it's gonna be okay for you or do you prefer that we visit you in the multiverse?

Lanna: ... It's okay, I know how to protect myself, don't worry *nonchalant* Bye the way, where is papyrus?

Sans: In training with Undyne... they should get back any minutes now...

Exactly when Sans finishes his sentence, the door is smashed by a kick from Undyne, and the window is broken by Papyrus who goes through it. Undyne is a blue fish-woman with red hair and an eyepatch on her right eye. She wears a pair of jeans with a pale blue shirt, her black ankle boots leave a wet dirt trail behind her. Papyrus is like Swapy, but he wears a white top of an armor with yellow rims and black sleeves that ends on his red gloves. As for the down part of his body, he wears a red swimming trunk or something that looks like it and boots as Blue's and in red. A scarf in the same color decorates his neck.

Papyrus: LANNA!! You're back!!

Lanna : *giggle* I came to visit you...

Undyne: Big Punk! We missed you!

Lanna: sorry, I had a lot of work!

Papyrus : *hug strongly Lanna* NYHE HE HE HE! How are you, dear?!

Lanna : *giggle* I'm good... if you could let me go to not kill me, par contre...

Undyne : * hugs Lanna and Papyrus super-strongly* You should find more time to come and see us!!

Lanna : *lose all her air in a painly moan* les gars...

Sans: I don't wanna eat some Lanna-ghetti tonight, so if you could avoid transforming her into minced meat...

The two monsters let go of the human who ends up crawling into a ball on the ground, moaning in pain and swearing against heal magic that ''doesn't freaking do shit''. The one laying on the couch looks at his brother and at the fish-woman who panicked. He ends up sighing and raising up the t-shirt of the young woman, his ordinarily white pupils vanishing under his anger.

Sans: Lanna ... What did you do again?

Lanna: ... Groceries...

Sans: without lying?

Lanna: *gown* Really... I went buying some magic paint and milk bottle, and Blue rushed over me with his cart, and I ended up against a shelf that falls on me... So I really just did the groceries... Promise!

papyrus: S-so it's not my fault?

Lanna: Not at all, Paps...

Sans suddenly gets up and walks towards the door in the back of the room, while Papyrus and Undyne help the red hair to get to her feet. As she notices what the shortest skeleton is doing, the injured one looks at him, worried, while the brother does the same.

Papyrus: Where are you going, Sans?

Sans: Saying a couple of things to Blueberry

Lanna: No, Sans! It's okay!!! He apologized, promise!

Sans: You already are about to break with any hit...

Lanna: No, Sans, I'm not THAT fragile! You know it very well! It's kind of you to want to protect me, but I promise you that everything is okay! It's only some bruises!

Sans: Last time you said that you were bleeding in my living room...

Lanna: I just suck at volley-ball!

Sans : *stare at Lanna* You know which last time I'm talking about...

Lanna : *shrugs* I know, Sans... But I promise it's just some bruises, nothing more! And besides, it was an accident, I wasn't the target!

Sans: Promise?

Lanna: on your life...

Sans: ... Ok.

He lay against the door, crossing his arms, but he can't get rid of his annoyed expression against the reassuring and amused smile of the red one. These acts reassure the two other monsters who end up offering some spaghetti. They don't wait for any answer, running into the kitchen.

Lanna: ... Is it just me or he faked innocent?

Sans: What are you talking about?

Lanna: He was here when... Last time I told you that it was just some bruises and that it was nothing... Though, he acts like it was nothing and we both know that he is innocent in the naïf type, but not stupid...

Sans: He does everything he can to make you happy and comfortable with us, that's why... He didn't even want me to tell you about Him getting out of jell...

Lanna: I see... Thank you for letting me know anyway, I'll be able to be careful now...

Sans: You will have to Mask your presence?

He does his joking smile while pointing at the mask on the table with his eyes, making Lanna giggle while nodding, then she closes her eyes and lays down on her friend, surprising him. He takes a few seconds to understand, then he sighs.

Sans: Wanna sleep on me like when you were a kid?

Lanna: I'm not a kid anymore, Sans... And a Boney pillow isn't always comfortable!

Sans: *snigger* Though, I'm Coccyx-fortable

Lanna: *laugh* Bone-head!

Sans: Come on! You know I'm a good pillow!

Lanna laughs and yawns before she closes her eyes and suddenly falls asleep on Sans' shoulder. The pillow gently smiles before using his telekinetic powers to bring an old jacket that was on the floor, so he could put it on the sleep head's shoulder. She moves a little to be more comfortable while the bone hand starts to stroke the ruby hairs, combing them unintentionally.

Sometime later, Papyrus gets back in the living room and finds the two sleeping beauties on the couch, which makes him sigh gently. He decides to eat alone with Undyne, and this, despite that a portal leading to a universe in flames appears in Classic Sans' house. The young women's brother gets loudly in through it, wearing his normal attire, AKA: a brown parero close on the upper part of the torso who's edge are golden on a ¾ sleeves white shirt, with graphic tablet's gloves that the pinky and just under it is green on the brown that finishes the weird glove. To cover his legs, il wears an Edo era in Japan's inspired brown pants with socks that don't cover the heels, nor the toes. Some green overalls suspenders lay behind him, while his belt passing from his left shoulder to his right waist and keeping some mini paint bottles come restraining the suspenders to come in the front. The forms and colors changings eyes lay on his sister while he holds on his giant paintbrush as he breathes erratically.

Ink: Must wake up Lanna immediately!

Papyrus: What's going on?

Ink: someone decided to attack horrortale's inhabitant...

Lanna : *wake up slowly* hmm? is there a problem, Inky?

Ink: YES! Come immediately and don't forget the mask!

Lanna: Yes inky!

The red hair jumps and grabs her pen that she immediately transforms into a sword, then she runs into the portal. Around her, the houses that still stand more or less are in flames and the monsters that were already in so bad condition that they were mistaken with zombies panic, and some of them try to run away, while others try to eat the human who is holding two. This human has black mess up hair like his starting beard that almost blends into his long sleeves that tied on his middle finger shirt... at least as they can see from that afar. A Night blue jacket is tied on his waist and his blue pants are covered in soot, as his black boots. As soon as his eyes find Lanna, a sardonic smile appears on his lips.

??: Ho <3 Lanna <3

Lanna : *shiver in disgust* Stop what you are doing and go home!

??: Don't you want to get to know me? <3 Though, I'm doing this for you <3

As soon as the name crossed thetha man's lips, a disgust's shiver shared between everyone one who heard it, without anyone knowing why. The man approaches Lanna while letting his flame's sword create a trace on the ground that melts the snow. Ink uses his brush to create a wall in front of the threat, then he grabs his sister's arm.

Ink: I didn't think that he was after you in particular...

Lanna: Don't worry, he's not the first that is after my life... And he won'T be the last.

?? : Ho <3 Un simple magic wall? How stupid... <3

The wall ignites in two seconds and transforms into ashes. Under the shock, the siblings struggle to move, but their instincts being stronger than their mind, the red hair ends up quickly between the skeleton and the other human.

Lanna: Ink, go home! You don't have to get hurt for me!

Ink: and leaving you against someone who wants to kill you?!

Lanna: That thing is only after me! I'll avoid that he destroys anything more or hurts anyone else!

Ink: Lanna...

Ink tries to move to protect his sister, but she pushes him behind her, not even noticing the fact that the human dangerously approaches her.

??: that thing has a name, dear Lanna <3

Lanna: If you tell me what it is, you go home and leave the universes alone?

??: No!

Lanna: Then I don't want to know it...

??: Sans cœur!! I will still do you a favor of knowing who will destroy you so much that you will wish that I killed you today <3 Call me Loucas <3

Ink: Lanna, come with me!

Lanna: I know how to defend myself Inky... Go back to Error...

Ink hesitates, but Lanna pushes him far away while she turns towards the aforementioned Loucas. Her sword in her hand, the red hair try to disarm the one with two blades, but he doesn't let her any time to move an inch that one of his swords comes to cut deeply the unarmed arm. A little scream escapes the woman's lips, while the ankle boots that keep the scar-covered feet warm step back. A second doesn't have time to pass when the masked one hits the left hand of her opponent. He steps back in a jump, his sword falling on the ground, then he targets Lanna's head without losing his sadistic smile.

Ink disappeared, he probably left for home, while the red try to force her opponent to retreat, in vain. He almost cut in a half Lanna's leg as well as her back, yet, the miss stand still, panting and holding weakly her weapon. However, Lanna doesn't stop to attack Loucas, almost in vain. He only have some scratches and bruises, but nothing else.

Loucas: You're pretty strong for an anomaly, Lanna <3

Lanna: Can you stop saying my name? It discusted me!

Loucas: Never, Lanna <3

while saying his last sentence, Loucas use his fire swords to burn a house from where a kid was watching the fight. The red notice this fact and run towards the house. Sadly, Loucas doesn't agree, since he stab the non-injured leg. Noticing that her injured bleed when he pull off the sword, Lanna raise an eyebrow, then she clenchs her theeths while standing up trhough adrenaline. Surprised, the man's smile grows as he take two steps back. He start to miss some magic and he know that she noticed it.

Lanna: You freacking shitty human! Leave!

Loucas: I don't want to, but work call me in an other univers... Why not Underswap?

Lanna : You ...

A terrified scream cut the creator's sister's sentence. A child scream. Lanna doesn't listen to anything around her and the difficultly hobble to the burning house, searching for the child. Since she hear the cries, the read hair search the source while avoiding the flames as much as she can. She see a crying child surrounding by fire. The panic taking over her, the young women run withouth noticing that her mask is somewhere in the snow outside, getting crushed into pieces by Loucas' blades. This one make sure to completely destroy the face-covering before he cut the air, creating a portal that lead to a house into a forest into the multiverse. As soon as he cross the opening, he hear the burning house's beams falling followed by a scream of pain.

Louca: Try to not die yet or it won't be funny, Lanna <3

Summary : https://plumeofacat.tumblr.com/post/644284784841031680/summary

Next : https://plumeofacat.tumblr.com/post/645213650674761728/chapter-2

#ink sis #ink Sans #Error Sans #EV

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