#if we’re gonna be singers again let us have a few options for genres!

[yourqueenb]

Also if Along Came Treble is anything like Platinum, I’d rather they just keep it 😐

[d-criss-news]

20 Questions With Darren Criss: How Acting Has Helped Him Make New Music

While Darren Criss has graced our TV screens with a range of characters, from high schooler Blaine Anderson on Glee to serial killer Andrew Cunanan on The Assassination of Gianni Versace, he was last spotted just being himself, on our For You Page on TikTok. “I’m walking to rehearsal with a guitar on my back with a Trader Joe’s bag ... I did not bring an umbrella because I forgot that it was raining. I’m rocking that NYC musician life,” the Glee alum explained in the hilarious clip posted three days ago.

While Criss’ acting work has earned him acclaim and stardom, he leaned into making music during the pandemic. On Aug. 20, he dropped a new EP, Masquerade, featuring five new tracks that Criss says were inspired by the different characters Criss has embraced throughout his career. After Criss wrote songs for his musical comedy web series Royalties and Apple TV+’s animated sitcom Central Park before the pandemic struck the United States, he then used those experiences as a precursor to his new EP. As Criss continues to promote his new music, he answered 20 of Billboard's questions – giving us a peek into how his new EP came together, and how growing up in San Fransisco shaped him as an actor, singer and all-around artist.

1. What inspired your latest project, Masquerade?

Although I would have preferred that it come at a far less grim cost, I finally had the time. Before the pandemic, I had written 10 new songs for my show Royalties -- along with an original song for Disney and another for Apple’s Central Park. These were all assignments in which I was writing for a certain scenario and character. Go figure. It was the most music I had ever written in a calendar year. This really emboldened me to rethink how I made my own music— to start putting a focus on “character creation” in my songs, rather than personal reflection. The latter was not proving to be as productive. The alchemy of having this time and having set a new intention with my own songwriting and producing made me put on a few of my favorite masques and throw myself a Masquerade.

2. How do you think your background as an actor complements your music?

They are one and the same to me. I treat acting roles like musical pieces— dialogue is like scoring a melody; there’s pace, dynamics, cadence, tone. Physical characterization is like producing -- zeroing in on the bass line, deciding on the kick pattern. Vocal characterization is like choosing the right sonic experience, choosing the most effective snare sound, and mixing the high end or low end. It goes without saying that it works in the complete opposite direction. Making each song is taking on a different role literally and employing the use of different masques to maximize the effectiveness of the particular story being told.

3. On Instagram  you wrote that “Masquerade is a small collection of the variety of musical masques that have always inspired me.” Which track do you identify with most in your real life?

Everybody absorbs songs differently. Some key into the lyrics, some into the melody, some the production, some into vocal performance. When I listen to songs, I consider all of their value on totally different scales. So it’s hard to say if there’s any track I “identify” with more than any others, since I -- by nature -- identify with all of them. I think I just identify with certain aspects more than others. If it helps for a more interesting answer, I will say I enjoy the slightly more classical, playful -- dare I say -- more Broadway-leaning wordplay of “Walk of Shame,” but that’s just talking about lyricism. I enjoy the attitude of “F*kn Around,” the batsh--t musicality of “I Can’t Dance,” the relentless grooves of “Let’s” and “For A Night Like This.” All have different ingredients I really enjoy having an excuse to dive into.

4. What’s the first piece of music that you bought for yourself, and what was the medium?

Beatles audio cassettes: “Help” and “Hard Day’s Night.” I just listened on repeat on a tape-playing Walkman until my brother and I got a stereo for our room with a CD player in it, which was  when I just bought the same two albums again, but this time as compact discs.

5. What was the first concert you saw?It’s hard to say, because my parents took us to a lot of classical concerts when we were small. But I guess this question usually refers to what was the first concert you went to on your own volition, and that my friend, was definitely Warped Tour ’01. My brother and I went on our own— two teenagers going to their first music festival, in the golden age of that particular genre and culture. It was f--king incredible.

6. What did your parents do for a living when you were a kid?

My dad was in private banking and advised really, really wealthy people on how to handle their money. My mom was, by choice, a stay-at-home mom, but in reality, she was my dad’s consigliere. They discussed absolutely everything together. They were a real team, and I saw that every single day in the house. They both had a background in finance (That’s how they met in the first place.) and were incredibly skilled at all the hardcore adulting things that I absolutely suck at. They were total finance wizards together. So of course, instead of becoming an accountant, I picked up playing the guitar and ran as far I could with it. Luckily, they were all about it.

7. What was your favorite homecooked meal growing up?

My dad was an incredible chef. For special occasions, I’d request his crab cakes. They were unreal. I’ve never had a crab cake anywhere in the world that was good as my dad’s.

8. Who made you realize you could be an artist full-time?

I don’t know if I’ve actually realized that yet.

9. What’s at the top of your professional bucket list?

The specifics change every day, but the core idea at the top is to continue being consistently inconsistent with my choices, and to keep getting audiences to constantly reconsider their consideration of me. But I mean, sure, what performer doesn’t want to play Coachella? What songwriter doesn’t want to have Adele sing one of their songs? What actor doesn’t want to be in a Wes Anderson film?

10.  How did your hometown/city shape who you are?

San Francisco. I mean, come on. I was really lucky. The older I get, the more grateful I am for just being born and raised there. It’s an incredibly diverse, culturally rich, colorful, inclusive, vibrant city. By the time I was born, it had served as a beacon for millions of creative, out-of-the-box thinkers to gather and thrive. I grew up around that. The combination of that with having parents, who were unbelievably supportive of the arts themselves, laid an incredibly fortunate foundation to consider the life of an artist as a legitimately viable option. It’s a foundation that I am supremely aware is not the case for millions of young artists around the world. I was absurdly lucky.

11.  What’s the last song you listened to?

I mean probably one of mine, but not by choice. I know, lame. But I’m promoting a new EP, what’d you expect? But if you wanna know what I’ve been listening to, as far as new s--t is concerned: a lot of Lizzy McAlpine, Remi Wolf, and Charlie Burg.

12.  If you could see any artist in concert, dead or alive, who would it be?

The Beatles is an obvious "yeah, duh." Sammy Davis, Mel Tormé, or of course, Nat King Cole. I would’ve loved to see Howard Ashman give a lecture on his creative process and his body of work.

13. What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen happen in the crowd of one of your sets?

I feel like just having a crowd at all, at any one of my sets, is pretty wild enough.

14. What’s your karaoke go-to?

The real answer to this I’ll write into a book one day, because I have a lot to say about karaoke etiquette. I have two options here: I can either name a song that I like to sing for me, for fun, or I can name a song that really gets the group going. The answer depends on what kind of karaoke night we’re dealing with here. So I will say, after I’ve selected a ton of songs that services a decent enough party vibe for everyone else, then I would do one for me, and that would be the Beatles’ “Oh! Darling.”

15. What’s one thing your most devoted fans don’t know about you?

What I have up my sleeve.

16. What TV show did you binge-watch over the past year?

Dave is a stroke of genius. There are episodes that I believe are bona fide masterpieces. Also, My Brilliant Friend is a masterclass in cinematic television.

17. What movie, or song, always makes you cry?

It’s A Wonderful Life.

18. What’s one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?

Get used to sharing everything about yourself and your life now, or more astutely, to the idea that you don’t necessarily get to control how your life is shared. I know it’s not really your thing, but you’re gonna have to get used to it, so start building up those calluses now. And don’t worry, all the stuff you love now will be cool again in your mid-thirties, so keep some of those clothes because you’ll be a full-blown fashion icon if you just keep wearing exactly what you’re wearing. Oh nd also, put money into Apple and Facebook.

19.  What new hobby did you take on in the last year?

I’ve always been a linguaphile. My idea of leisure time is getting to study or review other languages. This past year, I took the time to finally dive into learning how to read, write, and speak Japanese. Other than making music, it was one of the biggest components of my 2020-2021.

20. What do you hope to accomplish or experience by the end of 2021?

I hope I get to play live shows again.

[folkloreguk]

Colvers Castle (M)

A/N: This one’s for the bisexual horror-obsessed girls (me)!!! Jk anyone can read this, but I had the best time EVER writing this sdfgh also I was gonna post this around Halloween but I couldn’t wait any longer so here you go!!

genre: mystery / creepy? / smut (optional bias (male) x reader (female))

warnings: a little gore (describing (fake) wounds and costumes), unprotected sex, the reader might be a little risky, mentions of murder / suicide

summary: Two girls go to a Halloween party held at an old castle. What kind of creatures will they encounter, and will they ever be the same afterward?

words: ~5.6 k

“Oh my god!! You look so good!” you whisper-yelled towards your friend who was already sitting on the bench at the bus stop. Her blood red dress sparkled and although her red knee-high boots couldn’t have been too comfortable, they sure made her look incredible. On her head sat a pair of light-up horns and silver chains and chokers adorned her neck. She grinned widely upon laying eyes on you. At first, you had planned on wearing the same outfits, but then you had opted for dressing as polar opposites. Where her horns sat, a fluffy halo seemingly floated above your head. Your dress had a similar cut, but was a simple white, satin material and your necklace had a subtle golden heart pendant just between your collar bones.  

“Where’s your trident?” you asked, taking a seat next to her.

“I figured it’s not too safe to dance with an item that could potentially poke out someone’s eye,” she said. “So I left it at home.”

“Fair enough,” you agreed, laughing. “Are you excited?”

“I’ve been freaking out since I got up this morning,” she said, waving her hands in the air dramatically. “A real castle? This has to be fun!”

The two of you were headed to the hottest Halloween party in your city. Usually, you weren’t the biggest fan of parties. But combined with dressing up and going to an old castle outside of the city, this party sounded like it was going to be the best night of the year.

“Finally, the bus is here,” you pointed out. When you stood in line to get on, you noticed how you and your friend weren’t going to be the only party-goers on the vehicle. But then again, there weren’t many bus lines that would bring you to the castle. You spotted a Michael Jackson boarding the bus a few people away from you, followed by a fake-blood-drenched clown. The sight only amped up your enthusiasm. Costumes had always been one of your favorite parts about Halloween. And judging by the scale of the party, you were going to have a lot to observe today. You squeezed past Dracula onto the seat next to your friend and off you went.

The ride to the castle took a while. You had to first ride through almost your whole city and then take a rather abandoned road through the countryside to the site of the party. But you got busy catching up with your friend who you hadn’t seen in a while and time passed quickly. You were in the middle of discussing which was the scariest film you had ever watched, when your eyes locked on a bright light in the otherwise dark scenery outside.

“We’re almost there!” you exclaimed, diverting your friend’s attention to the castle. You had been going through a forest, so when you suddenly exited the tree maze, the bright lit up stone walls of the castle came as an extra-pleasant surprise to you. Only a few minutes later, the voice on the bus announced the stop ‘Colvers Castle’ and soon you pulled up in front of it.

Weakly, you could remember visiting the castle with your school class when you had been a lot younger. You might had grown up since then, but nonetheless the cold, inured stone walls still impressed you. Hadn’t it been for the violet lights shining onto the side of the ancient building, the gaping gate in the battlement would have looked less than uninviting to you. Your friend squeezed your arm in happiness while you approached the entry. From somewhere, music was carried through the air and made you smile.

“Are we allowed to enter all of the castle?” you asked.

“No way! The well-preserved part and the museum will be closed off, I’m pretty sure the party is mainly focused on the inner courtyard,” your friend explained. “They wouldn’t let rowdy teenagers and drunk crazies riot inside such a precious castle.”

Just as she had finished her sentence, your eyes followed the stones in the walls up to where the purple light couldn’t reach. The turrets rose high, and the night was pitch dark. But you could have almost sworn there was a small light coming from the tiny window at the top of one of the turrets. Maybe some party guests had run off after all? There. This time there was no doubt in your mind. There was a man’s expressionless face in a window, looking out at the arriving guests.

“Hey, look up there!” you tugged your friend’s arm. Her eyes followed your finger, but when you looked at where the face had been, it was gone.

“What’s up there?” she asked. Just for a moment, you searched the rows of windows. Maybe you had accidentally lost it. But no matter where your eyes went, all you saw was darkness inside the castle. You mumbled a ‘nevermind’ to your friend and quickly wiped the thought off your brain. This was a Halloween party, and you were ready for it. Along with the familiar faces from the bus ride, the massive gate swallowed you up into the courtyard of the castle.

It was obvious that the major action of the party was going on here. The all-too well known ‘Thriller’ by Michael Jackson was playing from the speakers and you grinned at the young man dressed as the famous singer, who you had already seen on the bus, for a moment.

Party guests were yelling in excitement and singing along, all whilst dancing in a sea of people right in front of you. The main grass area had been transformed into a dance floor. Immediately, your friend pulled you along and into the crowd. In the blink of an eye, the buzz and energy from everyone around you sprung onto you as well, and before you knew it you were moving along to the music. Whoever had managed to throw this event really had an eye for choosing a great venue. Usually, there was something magical and peaceful about the castle. Tonight, however, dunked in red and purple lights and occupied by hundreds of young souls, it made for the perfect backdrop of a legendary Halloween party.

“Welcome to everyone who just got off the bus to join us!” a voice shouted through the speakers, just before the next song started. Your eyes scanned your surroundings. Quickly you had spotted the DJ stand, where a young woman and a man were providing the guests with music. They were wearing matching zombie makeup and outfits and the crowd cheered at their words, an infectious excitement that caught on to you right away.

Time moved differently on a dance floor. Bodies pushed against you, always keeping you moving along. The beat of the music seeped through your skin and into your muscles, almost as if it was your new energy source. It was hard for you to remember how many songs had played since you had arrived. Had it been fifteen minutes or an hour? You could barely hear over the volume intensity, but then again, you didn’t need to. There was no need to talk to your friend right now, who was moving to the rhythm with her hands in the air, grinning at you.

That’s when a figure in a pirate costume pushed themselves between you and her, apparently having taken a liking in your devil-friend. Lazily, she put her arms on the pirate’s shoulders, inviting him to dance with her. You weren’t upset, though. All you wanted was to have fun, and you wished her the same. A girl in a witch costume replaced your friend, and although you had never met her before, there was something about dancing together that made you feel closer to her than you felt to some people you saw every other day. Her hands were on your waist and you shared a moment with your faces close to each other. It was harmless flirting through gazes without either making another move, drawing a smile on your face.

But as soon as she had appeared, she was moving on to the next person. She granted you another toothy smile, like she didn’t have a care in the world, before turning to a vampire girl. You scanned your immediate proximity to check if your friend was anywhere in sight. When you spun around, you spotted the red fabric her dress was similar to, so you squeezed through a few people to get to her. But as you tapped her shoulder and she turned her head it wasn’t your friend. This girl had fake blood smeared across her cheek and looked nowhere like a devil.

Thinking you might have better luck with observing the crowd from an outward perspective, you wriggled yourself through bodies until you reached the edge of the dance area. To your left was a sign saying ‘game zone’. Intrigued, you entertained yourself for a minute by watching a boy dunk his head under water whilst bobbing for apples in a barrel. As soon as you would find your friend, you were planning on convincing her to take a shot at some games. But for now, you needed something to drink. Although you were outside, your cheeks still felt warm and your throat was a little dry from the cheering.

So you opted to walk the other way, pursuing the direction of the ‘bar’ sign. As soon as you had located a free seat, you strutted towards the chair. The bartenders were all wearing superheroes’ costumes and you admired the decorations, ranging from pumpkin heads and little ghosts to spider webs, they had put up.

“Can I get you anything?” cat woman asked you. She gave you a grin as she remembered your face. She had once gone to the same school as you. You quickly ordered before spinning around to get a good look at the dancing crowd. The bar was up on a slight hill, so you were seated at a higher level than the dancers. But the darkness made it challenging for you to accurately spot faces and combined with the way everyone was moving, you quickly gave up on your plan of finding your friend this way. Maybe if you waited a while, she would show up by the bar herself.

“Here’s your drink,” you heard a voice from behind you. When you turned your head, the bartender was placing a glass in front of the young woman next to you. She was dressed like a princess, but her face looked nothing like a fancy noble woman. Her eyes were blood shot and two single lines of blood ran down her white-powdered cheeks.

“I believe this is yours,” she said, sliding the drink over to you. “I didn’t order anything.”

“Thank you,” you said, checking the liquid. She was right. The bartender must have gotten you mixed up. “I like your hair, it’s beautifully done.”

She smiled at your compliment. Then she pushed your glass a little closer towards you and bent over to your ear. “Be careful of your drink. Men like to take advantage of women.”

“I won’t let it out of my sight, don’t worry,” you thanked her whilst smiling. Her expression had been dead serious, almost making you feel uneasy. But when she saw the way you smiled, her features softened. Her mouth that had tiny red lips drawn onto them curled into a beautiful, but kind of sad smile.

As you both turned to yourselves again, you decided to appreciate your favorite part about Halloween – the costumes – for a while. The classics were present: Vampires, killer clowns, zombies and the latest horror movie villains. A wildly dancing group of teenagers all disguised in robes from the Hogwarts -houses made you chuckle. And as always, there was a fair share of people who were wearing undefinable costumes that mainly consisted of random fake wounds or fake blood on their faces and clothing but didn’t impress you all that much. And lastly, there were the lazy ones, who settled for hiding their face behind a cheap mask, so they at least appeared to have made an effort.

For a moment, you dug for your phone and checked if your friend might have texted you. But there were no notifications. You quickly typed a text “where are u?” and let your phone disappear in your small bag. Whilst waiting if she would reply, you decided to take a trip to the toilets. As you walked there, you made more costume observations. To your left, next to the bar, a stone wall ran all the way around the courtyard. Party guests were using it as a seating accommodation, as it was a nice way to overlook the whole atmosphere. A realistic looking version of the nun from the Conjuring-movies sitting on the wall impressed you quite a bit. Next to her, a couple was seated. You couldn’t quite figure out what their outfits were supposed to portray, but they surely weren’t modern day clothes. You admired the makeup they had put on their necks. It looked as if they had slashed throats.

After you had arrived at the bathrooms and finished your business, you checked your texts one more time – but still nothing came from it. You were sure she was simply having too much fun to check her phone. As you walked down the hallway to the exit back into the courtyard, you spotted a young man standing at the end of it. Behind him was a ‘no entry’ sign, that had been temporarily installed to keep party-goers out of the castle. The young man was wearing a white button up shirt and pants that made him look a little like a Disney prince – had it not been for the fake blood that soaked the fabric on his chest, which made him appear more like Dracula. He smiled at you shyly, before turning and walking further down the closed off hallway.

“I don’t think people are supposed to go there,” you spoke, glad that you didn’t need to raise your voice as much because the music was drowned out by the thick castle walls.

“No one’s here to stop me,” he said, before climbing over the fence. “Will you join me for some fun?”

You didn’t think you’d find your friend any time soon, and if she was going to run off with some random pirate stranger, maybe you should too? The vampire prince sure was handsome. Carefully, you walked closer to the fence.

“I’m sure those doors are locked,” you said, watching as he approached the door at the end of the hallway.

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” he smirked, and next thing you knew he was opening the door that said ‘staff only’ on it. “Care for a free castle tour?”

“How do I know you’re not a creep?” you asked.

“How do I know you’re not a creep?” he replied, laughing. “I’m just bored of having so many people around, alright? If you don’t come with me, I’ll go by myself.”

Your curiosity took over. And maybe he had a charm about him – a sly smirk, a few buttons on his shirt undone or maybe it was his voice that sounded like honey.

“Fine,” you hurried over the fence and squeezed yourself through the opening in the door after him. “Don’t make me regret this.”

“I plan on not letting you forget me,” he said. “But there’ll be no regrets.”

His words were vague, and there was a strange feeling about him, but you simply couldn’t put your finger on it. You looked around. The only light falling into the hallway came from the party outside. This part of the castle seemed to belong to the museum, but the further you followed him through the corridors, the rougher the stone walls seemed.

“You want to see a nice view?” he asked, and of course you did. So, you took the stairs up to a higher level. The rooms here had neither doors nor glass windows and generally didn’t seem to have been restored like the part of the castle that was open to the public.

“Are you real?” he asked.

Your brows furrowed. “Real?”

“A real angel?” he asked. He was walking ahead of you, so you couldn’t check his face for whether he was joking or waiting to attempt a silly pick up line.

“I’m a human being, just like you,” you said.

“You sure do look like an angel,” he said. The sincerity in his voice surprised you. This guy had a strange way of flirting, but you preferred it over the gross sexual remarks other men considered to be flirting.

“Thank you. And what are you tonight?” you asked. You took a look outside into the courtyard. The scene looked breathtaking from above, and this way you could appreciate the immortal beauty of the castle even better.

“I’m the ruler of this house,” he said, smiling. He was coming closer to you now, and you smirked.

“Oh, a prince?” you asked, returning his smile. “If an angel let someone touch her, I think it would have to be a prince.”

“You’re bold,” he said, but he was grinning. “Suddenly I’m glad they are hosting a damn party here on Halloween. So, would you let me touch you?”

“Please,” you said. His eyes were dark and suddenly filled with lust. When his lips first smashed against yours, they felt a little cold, but the moment your tongue swept over his bottom lip and he parted his mouth, his hot tongue met yours. You felt like he had set you on fire in the best way possible. It had been a while since someone had made you so horny in such a short time. Within seconds your hands were in his hair, tugging softly, and his hands wandered from your neck to the front of your dress. Your back arched against his touch eagerly as he squeezed your boobs through your bra.

You didn’t feel in the mood for long foreplay, and luckily it seemed he thought the same. He grabbed your ass, pushing you against him so you would feel his growing bulge. A moan slipped past your lips and you felt like covering your mouth.

“No one hears us here, don’t worry,” he said.

“Sorry, I’ve just never done it in such a…public setting,” you said. Although you doubted anyone else even knew they could enter the castle this easily. Hungrily, you kissed him again and pulled him towards you with such urge that you stumbled backwards a few steps. Your back touched the wall, sending shivers down your spine from the cold of the stone. Teasingly, he lifted the hem of your dress to the top of your thighs, his fingers playing with the suspenders of your garter.

“You like my lingerie?” you asked.

“Hmm…but I think I’ll like what’s underneath more,” he said, fingers ghosting over your center. Impulsively, your eyes closed at even such a tiny touch.

“Then please hurry up,” you urged him, and he chuckled. Swiftly, he pulled aside your underwear and slid one of his fingers between your soaking folds. You sucked in a breath and leaned your head against the wall behind you. On instinct, your hips moved against his hand for more friction. He added another finger, toying with your clit in rapid movements. How did your legs already feel like jelly? You held onto him for support while his free hand pulled you flush against him. When he pushed his digits past your entrance, you hummed in agreement. Expertly, he curled them inside of you, using his thumb on your clit.

“Am I supposed to find angels sexy?” he asked, gaining your attention.  

“Yes,” you replied. “And I hope they give you a boner because I want you to fuck me.”

At the same time, you ran your hands down his sides and to his hips to the visible tent in his pants. He grunted when you palmed him through the material and probably also at your words from a few seconds ago. Finally, he removed his hands from between your legs, but you weren’t upset because you knew there was more to come.

“If you turn around, you can have what you want,” he said. More than willingly, you did as he said. When you turned your head, you watched him unzip his pants just enough so he could pull down his underwear and expose his hard length. You placed your palms flat against the wall and arched your back a little. When he slowly pulled up your dress to rest the silky material around your waist, you whimpered in impatience. He knew what he was doing, and he loved hearing you as you quietly asked him to speed things up. You felt the sudden urge to press your legs together as he pulled down your underwear, just slightly so it stayed around your thighs and wouldn’t fall on the dirty ground.

He hissed a little when he let the tip of his cock run over your center, your wetness covering him. For a few seconds he teased you, drawing out more of your whines. But the teasing only made it feel more rewarding when he eventually entered you. He filled you up all the way, then slowly pulled out almost fully, only to pull your hips against him and quickly thrust into you again. With time, he picked up a steady pace, hips slapping against your ass with every movement. You rested your head against the wall, feeling the rough material against your cheek, but you couldn’t have minded less.

There was something so intimate about hearing someone moan. And it felt especially intimate when it was a person you had just encountered. You realized you hadn’t even bothered asking for his name, but you were confident you would never forget him and the way he felt inside of you. When you’d think back to this, you’d remember his fingers digging into your hips, pulling you against him with ever thrust, and the way your moans mixed with the noise of the party in the background. People were cheering and singing while a famous song was blasting through the speakers, but really all you heard were your own whimpers of pleasure.

The air was cool on your bare skin, giving you goosebumps. Simultaneously, you felt hot all over, every of his touches seemingly leaving a trace of fire wherever he laid his hands on you. Your eyes rolled to the back of your head for a moment when you felt his fingers between your legs.

“I’m so close already,” you said, his new actions only adding to the sensation. He drew random shapes onto your center, clouding your mind with the need to just let go and let your orgasm wash over you. He groaned when you clenched around him, and from the way his thrusts quickened and seemed a lot less controlled, you could tell he was almost there too. His curse words and your moans went well together, and before you knew it you felt him twitch inside of you. His liquid spilled out of your core as he pulled out. He breathed heavily but didn’t stop his touching on your clit.

Your thighs trembled when he rubbed faster, pulling your body close to him. You could feel his breath on the side of your neck, only making you feel dizzier. It could have been the drink from earlier, but you were almost convinced it was him who was making you feel as if you were drunk. Your whimpers sounded longer and more dragged out now, and right before you came, they silenced completely. He didn’t stop while your body arched and shook because of his perfect fingers on you. Tightly, your eyes shut and you clenched your hands to fists. When you felt your knees become especially weak from sensitivity you softly tugged on his wrist, signaling him to stop.

Letting out a sigh of both happiness and exhaustion, you spun around. You blinked at him tiredly and smiled. Your head rested against the wall as you watched him pull his pants back up, so you did the same.

“You were amazing,” you said.

“So were you,” he replied, tilting his head a little when he grinned at you. Meanwhile, you picked your bag off the ground. Just as you did so, you felt a vibration coming from inside. Quickly, you checked your phone. ��I’m waiting by the bar”, your friend had finally texted you.

“Do you want to come join me and my friend at the party? I lost her earlier so I should really go and see her now,” you asked the handsome stranger in front of you.

“Oh, no thanks. I’d rather stay here for a while longer,” he declined.

“Alright, whatever you like. Maybe I’ll see you again later?” you said.

“That would be nice,” he smirked. “Do you remember the way out?”

You hummed a yes and said your goodbyes to each other. The empty castle hallways were a lot creepier when you walked them by yourself. You imagined how it must have been back then, walking down this corridor. The light of a candle would have made your shadow dance menacingly on the unwelcoming, cold walls and the sound of your footsteps would have been heard even from far away. But the uneasy atmosphere only lasted until you had reached the familiar door. When you opened it, reality engulfed you again.

Your walk to the bar was hasty, since you hadn’t replied to your friend and you didn’t want her to think you wouldn’t show up. The party was just as energetic as before. You even had the feeling that more people had showed up since you left it a while ago. When you neared the seats, you spotted your friend instantly, this time being sure you weren’t mistaken.

“Where were you?” you asked, slinging your arm around her shoulder and grinning from cheek to cheek.

“I could ask you the same,” she replied, giving you a sly look. “Look at you. Your hair and lipstick’s all messed up.”

You chuckled as she ruffled your hair and put your halo back in place.

“Okay, I’ll go first. I met this guy,” you said. She raised her eyebrows as if she was surprised, but you knew she wasn’t. “We might have sneaked off into the castle.”

“Shut up, no you didn’t!” she almost yelled over the music. “I want every detail tomorrow.”

“Alright, granted. What about you?” you asked. “Was the pirate a good kisser?”

She only laughed and nodded her head yes.

“I saw they had a game area over there,” she pointed out.

“Let’s go, and then you can tell me more about that guy,” you said, pulling her along with you. Happily, you sang along to the song that was playing. You couldn’t wait for the rest of the night. Although neither of you tried your luck in apple bobbing, your precious makeup having been too much work to destroy it this way, you found a bunch of other games to participate in. You made temporary friends with a bunch of drunk girls who were all trying to win the main prize in a game but were simply too intoxicated to knock down some cans with balls. So you and your friend helped them out, to which they seemed to have crowned you their new group members. You danced some more, and time passed way too fast for your liking.

By the time you stepped back onto the bus that would bring you home, it was hard for you to say goodbye to the castle. So, this was Halloween for another year. The party mood hadn’t died down, even on the bus ride home, because it was filled with guests. When you watched the castle become smaller, you noticed the heavy fog that seemed to have appeared from nowhere all of a sudden. It engulfed the ancient building into a cloud of white smoke, the further the bus distanced itself from it. As you entered the woods, the only thing left to be visible were the eerie purple lights shining through the fog.

Tiredness came over you when you finally stepped off the bus at your stop. It was a short walk home and you promised to call your friend first thing in the morning before you said your goodbyes. You could already spot your home when you thought back to the stranger from the castle. He had called himself the ruler of the house. His handsome features and smile were livid in your head, even when you silently entered your room and took off your shoes. As you changed into your sleepwear and got ready for bed, you noticed the forming bruises on your hips, but they only made you grin to yourself.

Yawning, you fell into bed, but not before checking if your friend had texted you. Got home safely, goodnight x, she had sent. You quickly replied to let her know you were at home as well and went to switch off your phone. But then curiosity suddenly came over you. With rapid clicks, you searched for the castle’s museum’s website on the internet. Maybe you could find out who had really lived there, hundreds of years ago.

You clicked the ‘history’ button and began to scan the texts, even though your eyelids felt heavier with each second.

King Walter III and Queen Alice ruled the castle. Their two sons Hugh and Henry and their daughter Beatrice grew up happily in the castle. But starting from year 1568, the lives of the noble family took a drastic downfall. Henry, the younger of the two brothers, had always felt jealousy over his older brother Hugh, who would one day inherit the throne from their father. His greed and envy drove him to great lengths, until one day, Henry took out his anger on his brother directly. He stabbed Hugh in his sleep, in rage so blind that even his father could barely stop him when he fell witness to the dire scene. Distraught and outraged by this event, the older brother was locked away in a tower, threatened to never see another face ever again in punishment for his crime. But the unfortunate events didn’t end there. Princess Beatrice had fallen for a Lord from another kingdom, who took it upon himself to take what she had from her. In their wedding night, he was said to have poisoned her drink. She went to bed and never awoke to see the next day. There is only so much parents can take in one year. So, in utter devastation, the king and the queen made a decision together. After having their favorite red wine and watching their last sunset together, they committed suicide by cutting open their throats and died sad, but together. Prince Henry was said to have been forgotten, locked up in his tower all alone, facing a lonely and slow death on his own. Some say they can still hear the voices of the royal family in the castle halls at night, and if you look close enough, you might find their ghosts haunting the castle to this day. Why don’t you come visit us and find out for yourself?

You shivered and felt a little uneasy at the way the museum was advertising something so horrible. But when you scrolled down the page just a little further, what you saw knocked out the breath from your lungs. It was a picture, an old painting to be exact, of the family. And there he was. The prince was staring at you blankly, and you felt tears well up in your eyes in disbelief. It was the stranger who had taken you into the castle. You thought back to his blood drenched shirt. As if he had been stabbed. You shook your head no when your eyes fell on the rest of the family. You recounted Princess Beatrice from where she had been sitting by the bar next to you, telling you to watch over your drink. You saw the queen and the king, who you had noticed sitting on the stone wall, holding hands, the wounds on their throats having looked almost too realistic to have been fake. And then you remembered your arrival at the castle. You thought back to the face you had definitely seen in the window at the top of one of the towers. This was all just coincidence, right? Your stomach turned in terror. Had someone tried to play a joke? But if so, why had their faces looked so perfectly similar to the family in the painting?

Quickly, you pulled up the social media of the girl, your school friend, who had served you at the bar. ‘Do you remember the girl dressed as a princess with bloody tears who you accidentally gave my drink to? She was sitting next to me at the bar’, you quickly typed and sent.

For at least an hour, you twisted and turned in your bed, going from almost sleeping to nervously checking your phone for a reply. You thought you were going crazy. But sooner or later, you realized she might have had too much to do, cleaning up the party or simply going to sleep herself, and you drifted off to slumber.

When you awoke the next day, the previous night almost felt like it had been a scary dream. But when you checked, your hips were still bruised and you had a new message from the girl who had worked at the bar: As far as I remember, the seat next to you was empty. I gave the drink to you. You were dressed as an angel, right? Why are you asking?

[themurphyzone]

Lucky Thirteen Ch 3

Ch 3: Three’s a Crowd

Come to Alvizo’s Cafe on Haywood Street. My treat. 

He sent the text, wondering if Dakota was even awake. He’d see the text soon enough, and the promise of brunch would be incredibly tantalizing for his food-obsessed mind. 

The quickest way to Dakota’s heart was through his stomach after all. Cavendish paying for the meal was just the cherry on the sundae. 

The downside was that he’d also have to pay for Doofenshmirtz’s meal too. There was no way around it. Dakota would get suspicious if he didn’t pay for Doofenshmirtz. And Cavendish couldn’t afford to be seen as anything less than a gracious host. 

“That’s weird, the Tip-inator’s supposed to automatically calculate the tip based on your bill and generate the right amount. I have no idea why it’s spitting out enough coins to fill up a Swiss Bank.” 

The floor was completely littered in dimes and quarters, and workers had to take it slow so they didn’t trip over the metallic piles. Many patrons were shooting dirty looks at Doofenshmirtz, though he didn’t seem to notice or care. 

“Can’t you turn it off?” Cavendish asked. 

Doofenshmirtz rolled his eyes. “And miss a chance to do good? Society doesn’t appreciate servers and vendors enough! I should know, I used to be a bratwurst street vendor. I would do my whole ‘I am a Superstar’ routine again if it meant getting this many tips.” 

Cavendish’s phone buzzed. 

Be there soon. Yum! 

Dakota had tacked on a slew of food emojis at the end of his message. For some reason, Dakota insisted on using cups of tea and hamburgers in every text conversation. 

“Moving on. Dakota will be here in just a few minutes. Remember, your job is to make things less awkward than they already are,” Cavendish said. 

Doofenshmirtz threw up his hands. “Hey man, I’m a do-gooder, not a miracle worker. But look on the bright side you unjolly green giant, you don’t have to worry about your budget. If you don’t have enough, you can just scoop some coins off the floor to make up the rest of the bill.” 

Cavendish wasn’t cruel enough to subject a poor worker to counting that many coins. Go figure that Doofenshmirtz managed to figure out a way to help an employee with finances while simultaneously diminishing their efficiency at work. 

Cavendish patted his lapel, making absolutely sure the ring box was secured. He couldn’t afford to lose the rings again. 

The clock’s hands ticked on. 

Dakota still wasn’t here. 

There weren’t any new messages either. 

What’s the exact timeframe of ‘soon’ in this context? A few minutes, an hour, a day, or when the Earth ceases to exist? 

Doofenshmirtz snapped his fingers in Cavendish’s face, bringing him back to the present. “Geez, did you eat something last night that turns you into a praying mantis? Cause I don’t want to be anywhere near you if you’re gonna adopt the whole behead your mate thing.” 

Cavendish realized that he’d been involuntarily holding his arms in front of him, bent at an awkward downward angle. The praying mantis description was somewhat accurate. He shoved his hands into his pockets, slumping against the back of his chair. 

He’d never been good at hiding that particular nervous tic. 

“No, I am not adopting that bug’s appalling mating or dietary habits,” Cavendish muttered petulantly. 

“That’s a relief. Just thought I’d warn you from personal experience, avoid all insects during your proposal. They tend to bug the intended fiance,” Doofenshmirtz said, grinning widely at his own pun. “You see what I did there? Bug as in insect bug?” 

“Yes, you’re a pungeon master entirely worthy of an Emmy award,” Cavendish muttered. “So you’ve proposed before? What did you do?” 

“Wrote a musical number and hired backup singers. Jazz is Charlene’s favorite genre. Had this whole nifty bit with the saxophone. She was impressed. Then a swarm of bees were attracted to the pots of honey we used as background props and stung almost everyone. Charlene managed to escape unscathed, but the backup singers had at least four stingers each and I had to go to the hospital because of allergies. Charlene managed to smooth everyone’s feathers out, cause the backup singers weren’t that happy with me afterward.” 

Note to self: Try to avoid anaphylactic shock via bee stings during proposal. Easy enough to prevent: just don’t involve honeypots in any way, shape, or form. 

“Then we got married, had Vanessa...remind me to show you pictures later, she’s always frowning in her baby pictures but she looks so adorable doing it...oh, and now we’re divorced.” 

Cavendish thought he’d misheard that last sentence. 

Doofenshmirtz coughed. “Now that I think about it, mentioning divorce probably isn’t soothing your nerves.” 

Divorced. Please let me fall to Earth’s molten core so I don’t have to deal with this anymore. 

Dakota arrived half an hour later. He munched on a chocolate donut, casually wading through the pile of coins that were now ankle-deep. 

“What took you so long?” Cavendish griped once Dakota sat down. 

“Donut place had free samples. Figured I’d grab one for the road,” Dakota replied, licking the chocolate off his fingers. “And I can’t say no to the breakfast burritos here.” 

“Yes, heaven forbid that you refuse food,” Cavendish agreed. 

“Yeah, he was all worried about being jilted,” Doofenshmirtz added. “Perry the Platypus did that to me from time to time. Like, I get the mysterious secret agent schtick, but at least tell me why you can’t thwart first.” 

Cavendish scowled. “I wasn’t worried about being jilted! You’re completely misconstruing the situation!” 

Realizing that people were staring, Cavendish quickly buried his head in the menu and pretended to read the pancake options. Since Cavendish was preoccupied with his embarrassment, Dakota was the one who signaled a waiter to come over and take their orders. 

“Blueberry pancakes with tea,” Cavendish mumbled to the waiter, regretting that he couldn’t hang onto the menu to hide behind when he needed a moment to recuperate. 

Rather predictably, Dakota ordered breakfast burritos. 

Doofenshmirtz decided on eggs and bratwurst. He spent four minutes rambling about the superiority of bratwurst to hot dogs before the waiter got fed up and left for the kitchen. 

“How’s Milo doing?” Dakota asked. “I’m trying to lay low for a while. I think his parents are trying to get me and Cavendish to pay for a new table since we used theirs to temporarily plug a deadly vortex.” 

“He told me some of my bad luck came from not thinking things through,” Doofenshmirtz said. “I think he’s onto something.” 

“Yeah, he’s a smart kid,” Dakota said.  

“So if I just take enough time to think about my actions, I can avoid stuff blowing up in my face at a later point. Alright, so I ordered eggs and bratwurst, and that doesn’t come with dairy, so my body won’t react from lactose intolerance, the cafe gets $10.99 from my order alone, unless the coins build up enough to cause structural damage which they’d have to spend money to fix,” Doofenshmirtz mused. He quickly pressed a button on the Tip-inator, and the coin flow trickled to a halt. “Oh, that’s useful. I found a potential consequence and I figured out how to avert it. Thinking through stuff works!” 

By now, everyone’s knees were buried underneath the coins. Parents had to carry their children out the door. 

The waiter finally delivered their food, then rushed over to help a coworker who was stuck behind the counter.

Cavendish tried to focus on cutting his pancakes instead of how he had nothing to talk about. How did one broach the topic of engagement? 

Thank you for not letting me stay dead. Will you marry me?  

Yeah, that would go over well. 

“You gonna say something or what?” Doofenshmirtz asked, poking Cavendish with his fork. “Cause you’re quieter than Mother whenever she gave me the silent treatment.” 

Cavendish brushed the offending utensil away. “I was about to say how...nice the sun is today.” 

Dakota pointed to the gray clouds that blanketed the sky. “It’s overcast.”

“Of course,” Cavendish quickly amended. “The clouds look nice today.”

“Are you sure you’re feeling okay?” Dakota asked. His breakfast burrito threatened to dump its contents all over his pants. 

“Dakota, keep that greasy thing over your plate,” Cavendish scolded. 

Dakota sighed in relief. “Never mind, you’re fine.” 

“Look, a nonspecific thing in the ceiling!” Doofenshmirtz shouted, pointing above Dakota’s head. When Dakota glanced at the ceiling, Doofenshmirtz snatched Cavendish’s arm and hauled him to the restroom. 

Cavendish yanked his arm out of Doofenshmirtz’s grip. The doc was faster than he looked. 

“What’s gotten into you?” Cavendish snapped.

Doofenshmirtz scowled. “That’s my line, mustachio. The sun is nice? The clouds are nice? I can’t believe you sunk low enough to start talking about the weather! That’s like, first date material! The kind that doesn’t lead to a second date!” 

“I was nervous!” 

“I was nervous when I proposed! And you know what? I just did the musical number anyway! Just pop the question already!” 

“Why are you even here?” 

“You told Brigitte and Martin that you wanted my help! Okay, Martin seemed oddly happy that I was out of the house but oh well. They filled me on the way over here,” Doofenshmirtz said. 

“You’re the worst wingman in the history of wingmen,” Cavendish growled. 

“I’m beginning to understand why Perry the Platypus always seemed more annoyed when he had to wingman my dates,” Doofenshmirtz sighed. “Still, I don’t think I was ever this hopeless.” 

He has a point. This is hopeless. 

Cavendish turned to the sink, splashing his face with water to clear his mind. 

“What do I even say?” Cavendish muttered. 

“Well, if you can’t do musical numbers or long, flowery speeches, there’s always the direct approach.” 

Though he was fairly certain that Doofenshmirtz and direct were complete opposites, Cavendish decided to humor him. “What’s your idea for the direct approach?” he asked. 

“Some punching, a little kicking...you know if you throw your hat like a projectile he’ll probably find it cool. And trapping! Trapping him in your clutches works too!” 

“Never mind. I regret asking.” 

“And the manager had to bring out this really tall stepladder! And he was afraid of heights so he asked our waiter, but he was afraid of bats. So they tried getting this other girl to do it but she was afraid of ladders,” Dakota said, continuing his play-by-play of the events that Cavendish and Doofenshmirtz missed while they’d argued in the restroom. “So they got their chef out here and guess what?” 

“He was afraid of ceilings?” Doofenshmirtz guessed. 

Dakota shook his head. “Nope, he was scared of the spider that made its home in a top corner of the ladder. But they got the bat down, so crisis averted.”  

Doofenshmirtz and Dakota laughed together, but Cavendish really didn’t see what was so funny about it. At least heights, ladders, bats, and spiders were all tangible. 

Cavendish couldn’t pinpoint his fear toward one thing when it came to the dreaded question. 

Their food was cleared away, then the check was dropped off. Cavendish felt a bit guilty when he saw the receipt.

“What’s up? More than you expected?” Dakota asked. 

“Said it was my treat, didn’t I?” Cavendish said, carefully counting out his money to make exact change. The total price of their meals didn’t bother him, but the physical receipt did. 

He looked up to find Doofenshmirtz pinching his index finger and thumb together to form a ring shape, not so subtly indicating Dakota with his other hand. 

Okay, maybe I can do this. How hard can it be? Face Dakota. Open mouth. Try not to insult him. Take out ring box. Actually, speaking should go somewhere in there too. 

“Dakota, there’s something-”

“WE HAVE SECURED PERMISSION TO SEARCH THIS CAFE!” 

Everyone screamed as coins suddenly flew everywhere. Three men in perfectly tailored suits and sunglasses spread out, swiping through coin piles and upturning tables as they searched. 

“Excuse me, gentlemen,” one of the men said, stopping at their table. “Many of the patrons have stated that a machine is the source of these coins. They pointed us to your table. Do you know anything?” 

Cavendish and Dakota were fully prepared to deny these accusations, but Doofenshmirtz beat them to the punch. 

“The Tip-inator’s mine,” Doofenshmirtz said, brushing coins off the machine and setting it in front of the stunned agent. “Waiters won’t have to worry about bad tips again with this puppy!” 

Some people were just asking to be punched in the face with an elephant. 

“Counterfeiting is a federal offense. We’ll have to take you in,” the man said as he handcuffed Doofenshmirtz. Then he gestured to Cavendish and Dakota. “Are they accomplices?” 

“No,” Doofenshmirtz scowled. “I was wingmaning them cause the leprechaun can’t-” 

“Yeesh,” the agent grimaced, and Cavendish was grateful for his timing. “Word of advice: don’t pick felons for wingmen.” 

Tell me about it. 

“Wow, so this is the consequence I should’ve been wary of, not the structural damage thing,” Doofenshmirtz said as he was led to a white federal vehicle and taken away. He may have the right to remain silent, but he sure as heck wouldn’t be taking advantage of it. 

“Why was he wingmaning us? Did you need a mediator cause you’re mad at me for some reason?” Dakota asked. 

“Yes and no,” Cavendish said. 

“This is about me dropping your Professor Time boxers into the red load at the laundromat, isn’t it?” 

“No, it’s not that. I wanted a nice brunch and then he goes and gets himself arrested and I’ve been overcome by the urge to strangle my twenty-year-old self for buying that Professor Time pin-up calendar...and you dropped my Professor Time boxers into the red load?” 

Dakota grinned. “I plead not guilty.” 

“Don’t even joke about that,” Cavendish muttered. 

“Thanks for the burrito. It was good. There’s an adoption fair in the mall today. You wanna go look at cute animals?” 

“You go ahead. I think I need a me day,” Cavendish said. Mostly to think about his next course of action, since Operation: Propose After Brunch was a complete bust. 

“Catch ya later then,” Dakota said, humming to himself as he walked off. “Goin’ to the fair. Goin’ to the fair, and then I’m gonna see some animals!” 

The world didn’t end. It’s not exactly the worst case scenario. 

“Krrr.” 

Cavendish looked up from his sulking to find Perry the Platypus examining the Tip-inator. The men must’ve forgotten to take the machine for evidence. 

“The federal agents arrested Doofenshmirtz for counterfeiting,��� Cavendish explained. “He was trying to correct the issue of bad tipping.” 

Perry tipped his hat in a silent thanks, scribbling out a note that stated he would speak to Doofenshmirtz later. 

And use some cartoonish physical violence too. Cavendish chose not to question it. 

Perry flipped a switch in the Tip-inator, and the coins vanished in a flash of light. Then he ripped out a wire, disabling it for good. 

“When you see him, can you punch him once for me?” Cavendish asked. 

Perry saluted, more than happy to oblige the request. 

It wouldn’t solve his proposal problem, but it made him feel better. 

AN: Talk about a trainwreck

[exolistic]

Mystic Part 5

Masterlist Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

Genre: ANGST

Stuck amidst an intricate tangle of lies and deceit, who will you choose to trust?

Six Days Until the Party

(Y/N) has entered the chat

Jongin: You’re here!

(Y/N): Good morning!

Jongin: It is a good morning, an amazing morning actually. I’m dying over what happened to Baekhyun lolololol

(Y/N): It’s hilarious but at the same time I feel a little bit bad for him lol.

Jongin: Nah it’s fine. Baekhyun does shit like this all the time. He’s such a mess. He and Chanyeol are roommates and idk how Chan deals with him sometimes. Chanyeol is probably the smartest and most intellectual person I’ve ever met, yet he puts up with Baekhyun’s lack of brain cells 24/7.

(Y/N): They’re cute though.

Jongin: You think so too? Chanyeol will kill me for telling you this, but Sehun and I think they’re dating lolololol.

(Y/N): Really? Omg

Jongin: Yeah, they always deny it but everyone knows they’re liars. It’s so obvious.

(Y/N): Hmmm, Chanbaek or Baekyeol?

Jongin: Chanbaek definitely lol.

Sehun has entered the chat

Jongin: Sehun you’re here!

(Y/N): Hey Sehun

Sehun: Why did I drink so much yesterday? Ugh.

Jongin: I always warn you but you literally never listen to me ever.

Sehun: I read the chat. Baekhyun is a dumbass.

Jongin: I want him to come on so we can make fun of him.

Sehun: He’s gonna avoid the chat at all costs.

Jongin: We’ll have Chanyeol force him in lol.

(Y/N): I wonder if he ever got his car back.

Jongin: Good question lol.

Sehun: It’s doubtful.

Jongin: Sehun are you coming home soon?

Sehun: I’m not sure, I’m on the subway right now.

(Y/N): Are you guys roommates too?

Jongin: Yeah. Chanyeol and Baekhyun live together, Sehun and I live together, and I think Yixing and Junmyeon are living together now too but idk they’re weird about telling us stuff now.

Sehun: Don’t tell her too much.

Jongin: Oh my god Sehun don’t start with this again.

Sehun: You’re gonna end up like Baekhyun if you don’t use common sense.

(Y/N): Sehun, I don’t blame you for not trusting me.

Sehun: Are you trying to suck up now?

Jongin: Sehun shut up oh my god, be nice to the pretty girl.

Sehun: You haven’t even seen her yet, how do you know if she’s pretty or not?

Jongin: A guy can imagine.

(Y/N): ……..

Jongin: ;)

Sehun: I’m leaving now.

Sehun has left the chat

Jongin: I’m worried about him these days.

(Y/N): He seems to have a lot on his mind.

Jongin: He and Luhan…. they were really close…..

(Y/N): It’s understandable that he’s closed off then. Did all of this happen recently too?

Jongin: Luhan and the others disappeared about four months ago, so yeah it’s pretty recent.

(Y/N): You never know, maybe Luhan will come back.

Jongin: I sure hope so. I just can’t help but feel like we’re all missing something here. I feel like Yixing and Junmyeon know exactly where he is.

(Y/N): But then why wouldn’t they tell you guys?

Jongin: That’s what I’m wondering. I feel like they would tell us if he was in danger though, I don’t think they would let anything bad happen to him. But it’s not even just that. Tao and Kris left suddenly too. They told us that they were leaving because their work was suddenly very demanding, but you’d think they’d at least keep in contact with us.

(Y/N): Maybe they will come back at some point or get in touch soon, I’m not sure.

Jongin: I don’t know. They were always a little weird to be honest. They were newer members. They actually got here around the same time as Yixing did. It started off when Junmyeon created this organization. He sought out people to join. I’m a dancer, and he saw me perform once and asked me to join. Baekhyun is a writer, and Junmyeon read some of his works and asked him to join, he does a lot of the speeches for the organization. Chanyeol is a genius, he’s known to have one of the highest IQs in the country. Junmyeon asked him to join, and he handles a lot of the economic and security/computer stuff. I know he has some hacking job aside from this but no one really knows for sure what he does. I’ve been friends with Sehun for a long time, and asked him to join when he dropped out of college. He was having a really hard time, and I thought it would give him something to do. Luhan joined next, he was a singer, and Junmyeon saw him performing on the street once and asked him to join.

(Y/N): So you guys each played a role in the organization?

Jongin: Yes. Luhan and I used our skills to do performances for the charity. Baekhyun handles speeches and stuff, Chanyeol does all the smart people stuff, Sehun helps out where he can, Junmyeon runs everything.

(Y/N): When did everyone else join?

Jongin: It was just us for about a year or two, but then Kris, Tao, and Yixing joined in pretty close succession. Tao and Kris came on the same day, Junmyeon said they were referred from an intelligence unit. They were mainly used for security. Yixing joined a little before them, and he got really close with Junmyeon pretty fast. Now he helps run everything.

(Y/N): Now I feel like I need a role lol.

Jongin: What do you like to do? Any hobbies?

(Y/N): Um…. I draw, and do yoga but that’s about it lol T-T

Jongin: You could design flyers?

(Y/N): That’s lame lol.

Jongin: It’s okay, you’ve only been here a few days. We’ll find something for you to do.

(Y/N): You’re right, for now I just need to get to know everyone.

Jongin: Exactly! I can’t wait to meet you at the party, I’m sure you’re very beautiful.

(Y/N): I wouldn’t count on it T-T

Jongin: C’mon don’t be down on yourself. I’m not very handsome so I don’t have high expectations. I’m probably the ugliest in the group.

(Y/N): Not to be weird but from looking at your profile picture I don’t think that’s true….

Jongin: Omg are you saying I’m attractive?

(Y/N): ……..

Jongin: You made my day. I have to go now, but we’ll talk later okay? Have a good day, don’t forget to eat all of your meals okay?

(Y/N): Goodbye, have a nice day too!

Jongin has left the chat

(Y/N) has left the chat

It’s the next morning now, meaning that the party is only in six days. Only six days until I can possibly get out of this place, and back to my life. Is my family looking for me? Are they freaking out? I can’t help but think of everyone I  left behind in this mess. I can’t believe I’ve only been here for a few short days, it feels like a lifetime. How has so much changed already?

My life before this wasn’t all that glamorous to be honest. I love my family of course, but our relationship was never perfect. They never understood me, never made much time for me. I never really had friends. I made some throughout school, but they never lasted long. All I had in my old life was myself, and my job. I was a barista, taking a gap year before I went to college. I never knew what I wanted to do with my life, who I wanted to be. I begin to feel a bit hopeless, thinking about what I’m going to be going back to. Does anyone even care? Am I even missing out on anything?

I shake the thoughts from my mind. Of course I want to go back. Of course I want to leave this shithole. I’ll go back and live my life the way I used to. Empty, and lonely. It’s all I’ve ever known.

Needing a change of scenery, I climb out of the bed I’ve been laying in all day since I got here, and walk out into the hall. It isn’t much, but at least i can pace around out here for a little while. I just need to do something before I go insane.

I pace up and down the hallway for a while, weighing all of my options and reflecting on the past few days. I can’t help but wonder what this place actually is. It seems dangerous, but according to them Yixing is just as dangerous, as well as all of EXO. But could that really be true? Why should I listen to what Anonymous is telling me? Running my hands through my hair, I scrunch my eyes in defeat. What the hell should I do? Who do I believe?

I start down the hallway towards the bathroom, deciding to shower to clear my mind. On the way, I grab the robe I was given from my room, along with all of my toiletries, and head to the showers.

The steam loosens my tense muscles, and soothes my anxiety. I breathe in the foggy air, letting it clear my senses. The hot water encompasses me and calms me down, halting my racing mind. Rubbing body wash into my skin, the scent of rose filling my nostrils. Images of gardens and vibrant flowers fill my mind and take me to a more serene place. A place where I could escape all of this, escape the uncertainty and pressure. I continue to turn up the water hotter and hotter, nothing able to warm me enough. At this point it’s burning my skin, stinging as each droplet hits my skin, but I barely notice. Nothing is helping put me at ease. I scrub my skin a little harder, frustration taking over. Deciding I’ve had enough, I turn off the water and step out of the shower. The cool air soothes my skin, and I flinch as the bottoms of my feet meet the cool tile, a dramatic contrast from the scalding water.

I cross the room to the foggy mirror, running my fingers over the surface to rid it of the condensation. I stare in the reflection at my face, red from the hot water, wet hair sticking to me. Moisture pools on my skin, causing it to glisten slightly. However my complexion is still dull, dark circles under my eyes showcasing my exhaustion. My eyes looks empty and emotionless, pupils dilated. I press my fingers to my cheek, feeling the hallow skin.

Stepping away from the mirror, I slip on a robe, gathering my clothes and toiletries. I open the door, stepping out of the hazy bathroom and into the crisp  air in the hall. My room is just down the hall, and I pray no one will see me before I get there. There are never many people around where I stay.

I keep my head down, rushing to my room, when a strong arm stops me, trapping me against the wall. In seconds, their lips are against my neck, brushing up against the sensitive skin. My breath hitches in my throat and I feel light headed, cringing at the close proximity.

I gasp, struggling to get away.

“It’s just me,” I recognize the voice, Tao.

“Can I get dressed first please?” I whimper, struggling under his grasp.

“We have to talk first,” He breathes, lips still against my neck, making me shudder.

“Can I please just-”

He interrupts me by placing a finger to my lips, gazing into my eyes. His dark brown eyes blaze into mine, causing me to squirm out of intimidation. He looked angry, intimidating, menacing.

“I have orders for you,” he whispers, licking his lips.

His face is inches from mine, too close for my liking. I try to lean away, but there is nowhere for me to go. He moves even closer, the tension growing thicker.

“You need to start talking to Yixing more, and stop walking through the halls half naked,” he continues, smirking.

Trying to shove him away, I push my fingers against his chest. He chuckles, complying by stepping away from me, and watching me as I scurry to my room, obviously flustered. What the hell is his deal always trapping me against the wall? What a pervert.

“Don’t forget what I said about Yixing!” He calls behind me, amusement evident in his tone. I want to flip him off, but I’d rather not get choked again.

I walk into my room and slam the door behind me, my cheeks blushing furiously. What the hell is wrong with these people?

Trying to rid the previous situation from my mind, I get dressed and collapse back onto the bed, grabbing for the phone to see if I have any messages.

Ideally, I see one from Yixing. Tao told me I had to talk to him more, I’ll start trying to text him more often I guess.

Yixing: (Y/N), do not reply to this text. Delete it as soon as you see it, do you understand me? I know where you are. I know you are in danger. Do not listen to a single thing anyone there tells you. Just hold on until the party, I’ll get you out of there.

My heart begins to race, how does he know? I listen to his demand, quickly deleting the message, and close out of the app, tossing the phone across the bed as if it were scalding my hands. Will people at Anonymous have seen this by now? I’m not sure what they’re doing to track my conversations, but I pray they didn’t see it. This situation keeps getting more and more complicated. For now, I’m deciding to trust in Yixing, and listen to his word. It’s my best bet at this point. I just need to make it until the party. I just have to make it six more days. It will be okay. It will work out. Won’t it?

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

Yixing’s POV

I pace around the office, running my fingers through my hair in frustration.

“I can’t believe they’re bringing more innocent people into this now. What more do they want?” I groan.

Junmyeon watches me from his seat behind the grand wooden desk, concern clear on his features as he furrows his thick brows.

“We’re gonna get her out of there at the party I presume?” Junmyeon asks, sounding thoughtful.

“Yes, we have to. She’s innocent, they’re gonna kill her right after the party. This is such a fucking mess.” I pace even faster, rubbing my temples in distress.

Junmyeon sighs, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Yixing, I want to save her too, but what does that mean for us?”

I stop pacing, turning to look at him, an incredulous look on my face.

“Are you trying to suggest that we just let her die?” I ask, squinting my eyes at him.

“No, that’s not what I meant, I just,” He runs his fingers through his fluffy black hair, pushing it off of his forehead. “What consequences will it hold? They have Luhan, we still have so much to deal with.”

My head throbs from this mess of a situation, trying to weigh all of the attributes in my mind.

“Look, I have the one thing they desperately need. If we use that, we can get anything we want from them. At this point, I have nothing else to live for. I’m dedicated to eradicating that group, and I’ll do whatever I can to assure that. If it means losing my life then I-”

“Yixing, don’t finish that sentence.” Junmyeon orders, his voice sharp.

I clench my jaw, throwing my head back. “Look, I’m willing to threaten myself, and the coordinates. If I use that as a threat, they’ll let go of the girl. She isn’t that important to them, they won’t risk it for her. They’re just gonna kill her after the party anyways.”

“I guess you’re right, but what are we gonna do about Luhan? And they’re probably planning an infiltration for the party, how do we know it’s gonna be safe?” Junmyeon looks thoughtful, twiddling a pencil between his fingers.

“From the recordings we’ve been able to gather from (Y/N)’s phone, this is Kris and Tao’s mission. This is their last mission, and they’re not gonna wanna fail. If we just threaten with the coordinates, and with me, they’re not gonna wanna risk the repercussions. They’ll back off for at least a little bit, and give us time to create a better plan.” I’ve put a lot of thought into this. There are many possible outcomes, and many crossroads, but I have faith in trying.

Junmyeon looks doubtful. “I’m just wondering if we should wait to have this party, it seems too dangerous.”

I shake my head. “This party is very crucial in gaining the upper hand. Once we get things a bit safer, we can bring Chanyeol into things. Anonymous wants him badly, he’s perfect prey. He’s smart enough to to give us the advantage with hacking. Right now with their intelligence unit, they’re a step ahead. If we can get (Y/N), shut them down, let them know we’re onto them, get Chanyeol, they’ll panic. In the end, they really don’t want to lose the information we’ve been keeping from them. Without those coordinates, their job is a lot harder. They’ll put up a fight for longer to try and not have to have those out of the picture.”

Junmyeon still looks concerned. “Yixing, I’m going to trust you, but I don’t know. What’s gonna stop them from just killing Luhan? They’re going to stop caring about the coordinates eventually. They’re probably already working on something new. We can’t drag this out, we have to work fast.You, and that information are our only vantage points right now. That’s the only thing stopping them from killing you, and killing Luhan. If we take (Y/N), they might want to counteract. If they think we care about her, they’ll just use her against us.”

I groan, rubbing my face in exasperation and leaning against the bookcase for support. “You might be right, but I still think we have to try. (Y/N) is more important for us in this situation than you think. We just need to keep our access to her phone open, and I’m going to talk to her about spying. I know those headquarters like the back of my hand, and can direct her. She can get us information. If we get Luhan, then we can finally shut them down. That’s the only thing that’s holding us back right now. Don’t you see how close we are?”

“You’re right, but there’s still so many obstacles. And I’m worried about how far you’re willing to go” Junmyeon groans, lowering his forehead onto the desk.

“I have everything under control, and my mind straight. You know how much all of this means to me. I see why you’re nervous, a lot is on the line, and I could make a lot of rash decisions, but I’m not going to. Everything is going to come into place. These next six days are very important.” I walk over to the desk, placing my hands on the edge, feeling the smooth ebony wood.

Junmyeon lifts his head up, exhaustion written across his features.

“I really hope you’re right.”

[softchenlele]

dreams and roses; a woozi scenario

style: bulletpoint

genre: slightly supernatural fluff

warnings: none

word count: 1,7k

main author: kitty

a/n: this was absolutely unplanned but it sparked in my head today so im writing it before i forget!!!

it’s summer and seventeen, being young boys yearning for adventure, decided to have a camping slash road trip in europe

so there they are, going around europe from poland to spain

setting out camp and having fun around the bonfire

one day as they travel between germany and france they decide to stop in a small town to stock up on food and necessities and basically spend the day here

as vernon and seungkwan were coming back from the market they hear children talking about a witch in the woods?

the exact same woods they’re camping next to

the kids were talking about visiting her sometime

vernon was kinda intrigued by the children’s babbling and seungkwan thought witch seeking could be a good team building adventure

so guess what they talk about over lunch?

yep

get in losers, we’re going to find a witch!!

they ask the kids how to find “miss witch”

“she said you gotta follow the nature’s flow!!”

uhhh ok thats very vague

but then jeonghan points out that there’s a small river flowing from the forest down to the valley and the children just smile knowingly

following the river upstream it is.

as they hike up the woods, chattering playfully and playing with each other, jihoon can’t help but wonder what they will find, if they even find something

fifteen minutes later, to his surprise, they actually do find something

they end up in a clearing in the middle of the woods

the river comes from over a five meter cliff, pooling into a little lake below

and next to the lake is a cottage, not built for more than two people but so well maintained that it almost looks like someone lives here

seungcheol and soonyoung circle the house, checking if there’s anyone, while the others play a bit in the lake

jihoon just walks around, taking in the scenery. that place just radiates peace and serenity, a kind of otherworldly calm

and is it just him or are the flowers peeking at him somehow...?

no no no jihoon wtf it’s time to cut down on coffee and sleep whole nights you’re imagining things about flowers now

but it’s really intriguing to him

since they found no one, the boys go back to their camp, having seen no witch but having spent a nice afternoon

jihoon can’t really sleep so he sneaks out of his tent and goes back to the river, following the stream quietly to the clearing, watching the moon

but then

he sees someone on a rock next to the lake??

the long hair lets him think it’s a woman, she’s just dipping her feet in the water

he freezes in place

he really didn’t think there would be someone??

“hey, didn’t i tell you kids not to come at night? your parents will worry”

did she speak to him? he didn’t show himself though

after a few beats of silence, she turns her head and stares straight at him and jihoon gulps

“you’re... not a child”

thx captain obvious now are u gonna turn me into a frog??

he’s positively freaking out by now but still silent

she stands up, and he swears he sees a gust of wind drying her feet, what the heck

she puts her sandals back on and hops off the rock, walking towards him

she asks for his name, but the only thing he can stutter back is are you a witch?

and then she laughs, a crystalline sound echoing off the water

“no, god no, do i look like one? if i were one you’d be cursed already!!”

but then jihoon thinks that maybe he has, seeing how he’s rooted in place and can’t seem to take his eyes off her

“i’m y/n, and i’m a fairy, not a witch!”

at that he just chokes on air. she doesn’t even look like she’s lying

he tells her his name and she looks at him curiously before asking why he’s here

“that’s a bit,,, difficult to explain? i came here with my friends this afternoon and there was no one??”

“i know that. but why did you come back?”

how did she know???

he explains how he wanted to see this place again

how he’s a singer, writing songs for his group, and how the clearing struck something in him

she nods and whistles a few notes to something behind him

“what are you doing??”

“i’m thanking the birds for warning me of your presence!”

at this point jihoon is entirely lost. are all europeans like that?? what the heck is up with this one???

“you what???”

“i thanked the sparrows. they told me twice today that i had guests, unfortunately i was with the foxes the first time”

is she crazy

“wait hold up. have you lost your mind?? what is this all about???”

she definitely is

she lives alone in the forest, talking to birds and spending days with foxes?? what kind of person does that??!

she doesn’t answer and grabs his hand, leading him in the forest. she stops in front of a burrow, where a family of foxes can be seen.

his jaw almost drops right to the floor

the mother looks sick and the babies are small and sickly thin

she’s been taking care of them

he starts to review his judgement of her

maybe she’s a biologist a bit too caught up into her fantasy

but when she touches the mother fox’s nose and her fingertip glows, he’s back at square one: total incomprehension

“she’s doing good. she’s almost healed!! and she says that the human, you, is allowed to touch her babies!”

he doesn’t even try to think and extends a trembling hand to one of the baby foxes and pets it

y/n and the mother fox are watching him intently and after some time, he withdraws his hand

y/n then bids goodbye to the foxes and brings him back to the clearing

he’s about sure by now that she’s the real deal

a real, live fairy

she asks if he wants to stay some more. he looks a bit shaken internally so she suggests her number one calming activity: stargazing

which he accepts immediately because to be honest he could use some chill

they climb up a tree and she starts pointing stars to him, but he’s not paying attention

“are you always this welcoming to strangers?”

“are you always this accepting to the idea of superatural”, she quips back, more to make him react than anything.

he thinks about it for a second

“to be honest, i’m pretty sure i’m dreaming right now. this is the oddest night of my life but it doesn’t feel wrong or false, so there’s only that option left”

“maybe it’s not.” and on that she climbs down the tree, surprising jihoon, but he’s still quick to follow her

he really doesn’t want to lose sight of the biggest mystery of that night

she goes inside the cottage and he stays on the doorstep, marveling at all the books, potted plants and little pouches of various seeds and flowers

they look like the lavender pouch his mom brought back from a trip once, which she put among his clothes to give them a nice flowery scent

y/n comes back with a piece of raw blue stone he recognizes as something like kyanite, held by a fine silver chain tied around it

“maybe if you come back with a souvenir, you’ll understand it’s not a dream. this is a lucky charm, it will help you focus when you need it and turn the odds in your favor. for a creative person, this is great, isn’t it?”

she smiles at him and he lets her drop the jewel into his hands, gingerly letting out a small “thanks” in return

he didn’t know what to think

she looks at an old clock and remarks how late it has gotten

he didn’t feel time pass either but he knows he should get back to the guys, so he tells her he needs to leave

she nods and goes right past him to the white rose plant along the wall, plucks a flower bud, and whispers some words jihoon can’t quite catch to it

it slowly blooms between her fingers, her fingertips starting to glow white again, and he’s simply mesmerized

she turns back to him and tucks it in one of the button holes of his shirt, smiling softly

“this is just a gift from me to you. hopefully, you’ll figure out how it works soon”

he says goodbye and his mind is empty during the way down

he really doesn’t know what happened

the next day, he acts like nothing happened, hides the forever blooming rose and pretends he bought the kyanite necklace earlier

jihoon was just laying on his bed, fidgeting with a blue stone necklace when the murmuring started again

he had a rough day at the studio, his lyrics just wouldn’t come out

and every time it happened the flower y/n gave him would murmur like it was trying to speak

he grabbed his notebook and thought back to that evening

his pen flew over the pages like it was natural

and before he knew it his song was here in his hands

it ended up being their title track

a story about unforgettable nights and a dream-like, eerie girl

he’s really proud of it

but the flower kept on whispering from time to time, he didn’t know why

one day where the flower was particularly chatty (?), he put it to his ear

what heard caught him completely off guard 

it was the voice of the person he met that night

y/n’s

it was mixed with children’s voices, he figured the kids did go visit her in the end

he waited for the children to leave and then called her name once tentatively

a few seconds later, the same crystalline laugh answered him

“it took you long enough! but i’m glad you didn’t throw the rose away!”

he couldn’t believe it

she had given him a fairy phone???

a chuckle escaped his lips at her response

“i did!! of course, i do have a cell phone, but where would have the fun been in me just giving you my number?”