#it's from the chorus of 'the frogs' which is made up of. well. take a wild guess.

[splendidemendax]

muse fucks even more severely when you read it as a response to ancient greek drama specifically

the story doesn't reproduce or retell any particular drama,* but it is absolutely steeped in the tradition. kelis' plays were, imo, at least influenced by (if not outright based on) the style and form of greek drama. like, i straight up would not believe that that level of similarity (e.g. in production elements like the masks and stylistic elements like the particular use of the chorus) was coincidental.

for me, this makes b'elanna's role even more fun. after an entire story about the creation of a pseudo-greek drama, b'elanna pulls off the most technical of greek dramatic spectacles in reverse: instead of a god appearing from the mechane** to speak to the characters or the audience (the one thing which sometimes restores belief and order at the end of a particularly messy tragedy†), an starship engineer uses her technnical prowess to disappear back up into the sky,†† inspiring belief and restoring some sort of order.

the only reason this ending happens, the keystone holding the narrative in place, the only reason b'elanna is even around to play the god at this critical moment‡, is her belief in the power of narrative. without that, the whole thing collapses under its own weight.

so yep! this episode can get it.

*though (and this is more speculative) i would be 0% surprised to find that whoever wrote that story had read and enjoyed the comedian aristophanes in general and in particular his frogs* (which [trekkie bonus!] is the source of alexander's song in the tos episode "plato's stepchildren"). frogs is fundamentally a debate about what kind of poetry can inspire Actual Good, starting from the presumption that some form of poetry has that ability. it was written during the later years of the peloponnesian war, the decades-long on-and-off conflict that would eventually end what's now known as the classical/golden age of ancient athens. it's fundamentally kind of a pessimistic play: it posits that poetry can save us, but not all poetry, and those even arguably capable of producing the right sort are already dead. with the benefit of hindsight we can see that aristophanes' pessimism was justified: if there were a poem that could save athens, it was certainly not a poem that anyone wrote.

**yep, this is where deus ex machina ("god out of the machine") comes from. it's a particularly fitting mechanic (pun intended) for b'elanna to make use of.

†this is, for example, one available interpretation of the ending of sophocles' philoctetes. it's also what happens in euripides' orestes; as anne carson puts it in her intro to her translation of the play, "all the lines of the plot have been pushed to impasse and categories like good/evil, happy/unhappy, mortal/ immortal are sliding around so crazily that only a god can make things clear" (an oresteia, 177)

††fun note: the character who comes to mind as famously leaving via mechane (and the only non-god to use the mechane in extant greek tragedy) is medea at the end of euripides' medea. having murdered her husband's new wife and her own children, she leaves via a chariot pulled by dragons.

‡the dea in machinam, ig

I keep seeing posts about b'elannas like love of passion and stories and I think that sude of her really got to shine in muse like even though she was stranded on a strange planet and injured with z broken ship and obviously alot if her attention was devoted to that she still became engrossed in kellis' play and made sure it had a good ending and the way she adapted all the stuff she knew about voyager to an epic style was so smooth and cool AND it was obvious she was doing it continuously and with dedication even when she was trying to fix the shuttle because of the way kelos described everything, like the way he described vulcans and the way he told his performers to play the crew made it clear that b'elanna didn't just give him a simplistic explanation of the stuff on voyager he was asking about (which would have been alot easier! She was trying to do complex engineering work on a damaged ship and Kelis was definitely stressing her out!) but she told him a story. Anyway muse fucks severely

[mr-cha-n]

Echoes of Summer

Pairings: Kwon Soonyoung x fem!reader, suggestions of Kim Mingyu x fem!reader

Genres: fluff, angst, camp counsellors AU, sunshine x sunshine

Warnings: drinking, profanities, mentions of sex

Word Count: 18.7k

Summary: Get ready for the most unforgettable summer yet at Camp Logan, where lifelong memories are made, friendships are strengthened, and old crushes make new appearances.

In the backseat of your best friend’s pink Honda Jazz, with Britney and Fergie blasting on the radio and wind rushing through your hair from the rolled-down windows – it has never felt more like summer break.

As you speed down the highway, Emma turns around from the passenger seat to offer you a sip of her Spire remix, which you eagerly accept.

“Are we getting close?” She yells over the music.

You nod as you gulp down the fizzy drink, unable to respond with your mouth full. Unfolding the map beside you, you check the upcoming junction.

“Yeah! I think it’s only three more junctions?” You reply, grinning with excitement.

“Seeing how pumped you are right now almost makes me jealous,” Jane laughs from the driver’s seat, catching your eye in the rearview mirror. “Except, then I remember you’re going to summer camp as an adult, without getting to do any of the cool stuff.”

“That’s not true!” You gasp, feigning offence. “I don’t have to follow the rules, just enforce them – so once the kids are asleep, I can do whatever I want!”

“Oh, you’re adorable.” Emma chuckles. “Those kids are gonna wear you our so much, you’ll be asleep before they are.”

You pout at her, huffing in disagreement.

Sure, being a camp leader might not be everyone’s idea of a great summer, but they at least have to admit that it would be fun. What could be better than running around, doing fun activities, and helping kids have the best time ever?

Well, Jane and Emma would probably argue that their trip to Majorca would be more fun – but you’re convinced that they’re underestimating just how awesome campfires and s’mores can be.

“Okay, how about this – if you have a summer fling with a hot, mysterious camp counsellor that you never see again, I’ll consider your summer better than ours.”

You snort at the suggestion, a bit of the fizz going up your nose, making you sneeze.

“When I was a kid, I used to write diary entries every day at camp wishing for a passionate summer romance with another camper,” You admit after a moment. “It was always about the same kid – Kim Mingyu – we went every year, and I think I ended up talking to him all of twice?”

“Wow, new (Y/n) lore! That explains why you’re such a hopeless loser when it comes to crushes.” Emma teases.

“I can’t even deny it!” You dramatically fall back into your seat in mock despair. “It’s hard being a hopeless romantic in a world where everyone else is so … practical.”

Jane chuckles, shifting her seat as she glances at you in the mirror. “You say that now, but just wait. True romance only comes when you’re not expecting it.”

You roll your eyes, though you can’t help but smile at the thought. “You two are just setting me up for disappointment. What if all the other counsellors are, like, sixty?”

“Then you’ll get some great life advice,” Emma quips, twisting around to give you a playful grin.

“Besides, age is just a number!” Jane adds, waggling her eyebrows suggestively and making you all burst into laughter.

“To be honest, I think you’ll be too busy looking for frogs to look for a prince. You wouldn’t realise someone was into you if they hit you round the head with it.” Emma snorts.

“Yeah, yeah – that was one time!”

“The frogs or the crush?”

“Alright! We can’t all be Casanova’s now can we? Besides, you’re probably right – I do plan on going frog catching and it might take a while.”

You lean backwards, posing with crossed arms and a nodding head. Your pretence at coolness is unfortunately cut off quickly, as Jane slams the car down the junction exit that she’d almost missed, toppling you back into your seat.

A chorus of giggles explodes in the car.

“Do you think you’re going to be able to survive on your own for a month?” Jane chortles.

“The real question is – do you think you’re going to be able to survive a month without me?” You respond, playfully patting her shoulder.

“It’s going to be tough.” Emma agrees with mock seriousness, although you can feel the tender truth to her words. “Luckily, we’ll have sexy Spanish men and bottles of champagne to drown our sorrows in.”

The road in front of you becomes narrower, winding through dense woods, and the familiar scent of pine fills the air.

“That’s it!” You exclaim, sitting up straighter, your heart beating a little faster.

As the camp entrance comes into view, marked by a large wooden sign that reads ‘Camp Logan’, you can’t help but feel a thrill of anticipation. It’s been just under a decade since you were last here, and everything feels exactly the same as you remember.

The car pulls up to the inlet at the start of the woodchip trail leading into the camp. Leaning all the way forward, you embrace your two friends in a long hug, thanking them for dropping you off and cracking up at the almost sombre mood caused by your departure.

Stepping out, you reach for your trunk from the rails on top of the car, pulling it down with ease.

You wave your friends off as they speed away, leaving fading declarations of love as they go. The reality of being on your own sinks in as the dust from their departure settles on the gravel road. You take a deep breath, adjusting your bag on your shoulder, trying to steady the butterflies fluttering in your stomach.

The entrance to camp looms ahead, a rustic wooden archway adorned with carvings of pine trees and woodland creatures. The path is just as you remember, lined with tall, towering pines that stretch up into the bright blue sky.

You can hear faint laughter and the distant sound of campers running about, already immersed in their summer adventure. The excitement you felt during the drive here is still there, but it’s now tempered with a hint of anxiety. What if you don’t fit in with the other counsellors? What if the kids are too much to handle?

The doubts creep in, but you shake your head, pushing them away. This is what you’ve been waiting for—a summer of new experiences, challenges, and maybe even that elusive summer romance your friends teased you about.

As you approach the main lodge, you catch sight of a group of counsellors gathered on the porch, laughing and chatting as they prepare for the week ahead. They seem at ease, already forming bonds that you hope to become a part of. You watch them for a moment, taking in the scene, before a voice behind you interrupts your thoughts.

“Hey there, you must be the new arrival!”

You turn to see a tall, athletic guy with sun-kissed skin and a friendly smile walking toward you. He’s wearing a camp T-shirt and cargo shorts, his camp name, “Frosty,” stitched onto his shirt in bold green letters.

It takes your brain a moment to compute that you recognise his face.

Oh, God.

You look up to the sky for a second, sending a silent SOS as the sun shines down on you, leaving you nowhere to escape. You can feel shock flooding through your body, and you’re struggling to even reply.

“Kim Mingyu?”

The man’s eyebrows shoot upwards, and it’s clear you’ve taken him aback too. You stare at other for a moment, before realisation dawns across his features and he lets out a loud laugh, reaching forward to grab your shoulder.

“Oh my god, (Y/n) (Y/l/n)! I should have known you’d be back here! You’re even wearing the same outfit that you used to wear!”

You peer down at your old camp tee, little denim shorts, and hiking boots, your hair twirled with twine and ribbon into two plaits, feeling a little embarrassed that he’d immediately clocked your effort to recreate your camper days.

“Well if it helped you recognise me, then I’m glad I wore it!” You stammer, releasing a nervous laugh. “Would have been awkward if you hadn’t remembered me but I remembered you.”

Mingyu laughs in response, nodding his head, and you’re grateful that the calm, friendly demeanour he had as a kid is still alive and well.

“I’m meant to give you a tour and get you set up, but I suppose you won’t really need it.” He smiles, running a hand through his hair and you can’t help but look at the flex of his biceps as he does.

“Oh – um, I suppose a refresher wouldn’t hurt!”

He nods, and points over to the right side of the clearing. “Okay, well, your cabin is just that one over there, with the three on it. Let me know when you’re all set up and I’ll introduce you to the other counsellors and we can catch up!”

You thank him, and practically sprint away into the cabin.

The wooden cabin of the counsellors is not far different than the camper’s cabins, although notably nicer smelling and less beds. There are three bunks inside, with chests and small side cabinets to keep possessions on. The floor is covered in a green rug, and you can see that two of the other bunks already have unpacked belongings next to them.

You let out a shaky breath, steading your racing mind as you sit down on the empty bed. You can practically hear Emma and Jane laughing at you, and decide that you’d text them the moment you know they’ve landed from their flight.

Kim Mingyu? Seriously? It is like the universe decided to play a cruel joke on you. It’s not like you still have a crush on him, even if he has grown up well, but even the flash from the past has rattled you entirely.

“Alrighty, so over here we have the other lead counsellors – Ace and Fairy. These guys are the ones to find if you need anything; they’ll be far more helpful than me.”

“Hi, I’m (Y/n)!” You greet them, waving.

“Gonna have to get you a camp nickname before the kids hear your actual name and refuse to call you anything else!” The taller person, Ace, jokes. Their short sandy blonde hair is pushed back by a black band, and they sport the same camp t-shirt as Mingyu, with a pair of long khaki cargo pants.

To their side, Fairy stands, giving you a friendly wave back. She, unlike the others, is wearing her camp t-shirt as a bandeau under dungarees shorts that are only strapped on one side.

“That’s a fair point – have you got something in mind or do you want us to give you one?” Mingyu nods thoughtfully.

“Oh, that’s so exciting!” You beam as you look over at Ace and Fairy, still unable to meet Mingyu’s gaze. “I used to love the idea of having a special nickname when I was a kid!”

“I think ‘sunshine’ would do the trick,” Fairy snorts. You feel a blush tickling your neck at the suggestion, and you wonder if your positivity is rubbing off the wrong way.

“We’ll put that one on the maybe list,” Mingyu laughs, holding out a hand to gesture to where you’re walking next.

“Over by the lake are all the kids' cabins. We've got somewhere around 100 campers at the moment, but a few more will join us in the later weeks. Obviously, all the water activities will be done from the dock over there - do you remember what sort of stuff you signed up to run?"

"All of the outdoorsy ones, I think."

"Okay, cool. You'll probably be working with me, Ace, or Hoshi mostly. The counsellor toilets are just round that corner there; they're hidden out of sight so that the kids don't get confused, but you'll need the code to get in anyways. Over there is the mess hall, as you probably remember. Last year they moved a bunch of the arts and crafts stuff into the left wing of the building, so that might be a little different, but the dance, music, and other indoor activities are still in the west building. The admin office, infirmary, and camp store are all in that building over there - you should pop by something today just to say hello to Laura and Maureen - they're super nice but they like to know who's in camp at all times! And finally, all of the sports fields, woodland areas, and the outdoor theatre are over to the east of the lake. You got all that?"

"I think so! It seems mostly the same?" You smile nervously.

Mingyu seems far less concerned about it all. “Great! So, how have you been? It must be almost a decade since I last saw you!”

You feel slightly overwhelmed by trying to catalogue your life over the last few years into a few sentences.

“I’m good!”

That’s a good start.

“I’ll be starting my third year of university in September, and I’m studying geography, but I think I might do teacher training afterwards. I’m not really sure – but, I guess this summer will be a great tester! Um, I took up knitting in June? Oh – and I’m so excited to be back! Can’t wait to be back out on the lake! How about you?”

Good enough.

 “Oh nice – I could definitely see you as a teacher, you always were one of the nicest campers in our cohort.” Mingyu smiles genuinely, and you feel yourself blushing again. “I’ve been a counsellor here for a few years now; I’ve been doing it since I started university. Don’t judge me, but I am studying business – hoping that the camp counsellor label cancels out the bad reputation though!”

You laugh, nodding. “It’s a bit of a stretch, but I think you’ll get away with it.”

“Glad I have your approval,” he chuckles, shooting you a toothy grin. “Here, lets go to the hall and you can meet some of the other counsellors.”

“Where did ‘Frosty’ come from, by the way?” You ask, curious, as you both walk towards the entrance to the mess hall.

Mingyu hums, glancing at you with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “Ah, the infamous nickname story. It’s actually not as cool as you might think,” he begins, pushing open the heavy doors to the hall. The scent of wood, faintly mixed with lingering hints of breakfast, wafts out to greet you.

“It was my first year here as a counsellor. I was super eager to make a good impression, but on the first morning of camp, I didn’t realise just how cold the lake water could be at dawn. So, during the early canoe session, I jumped in to show the kids that it was ‘no big deal’.” He pauses, shaking his head at the memory.

“And?” You prompt, intrigued by the story.

“And I came out so cold that I was shivering, my lips were practically blue, and my skin had turned icy. One of the kids started calling me ‘Frosty’ and the name just stuck. I guess it was better than being called ‘shivers’ or something worse.” He adds with a laugh, his cheeks reddening slightly.

You giggle, imagining the scene. “That’s actually a great origin story. It’s kind of endearing.”

“It’s grown on me.” Mingyu admits.

You both step into the mess hall. The room is spacious, filled with long wooden tables and benches, with large windows on one side letting in the afternoon light. A group of counsellors are gathered near the front, some arranging supplies with others chat animatedly.

As Mingyu leads you over, the chatter quiets down slightly, and all eyes turn to you.

“Alright, everyone, this is (Y/n), our newest counsellor. Be nice and don’t scare them off on their first day,” He teases, and the group chuckles.

One by one, they introduce themselves, each with their own unique nickname story. From what you can remember, there’s Hatter, whose nickname is cryptically based on the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland, Sparks, who’s the go-to guy for anything involving campfires or fireworks, and Gecko, who is in charge of the art station in camp.

“Welcome to the team, (Y/n)!” Sparks says, tipping his baseball cap at you.

“Thanks, everyone! I’m really excited to be here.” You reply, basking in the warm reception.

Mingyu gives you a nod, clearly pleased. “I’ll leave you to get acquainted. Feel free to explore more, just be back for dinner at 6!”

As Mingyu heads off to tend to other duties, the counsellors start to chat to you, sharing stories and giving you tips for surviving your first week. You quickly learn that despite their laid-back appearances, they all share a deep love for the camp and seem as dedicated as you to making it an unforgettable experience for the campers.

“I pitched scuba diving at this year’s council, but it got vetoed.” Hatter grumbles.

Gecko scoffs, crossing her arms. “The only thing interesting in that lake is the random shit that kids throw in – that’s if you can see anything at all.”

“Were you the one that vetoed it?!”

“I suggested creating a camp newspaper,” Sparks interjects, cutting through the bickering. “And since it wasn’t a safety hazard, they decided to include it this year.”

“That’s really cool! And the kids can send them back to their parents to let them know what they've been up to!" You gush, imagining how much fun it would have been to have that option when you were a camper.

"You always get your projects picked!" Hatter sighs, throwing his hands up in frustration.

"First of all, that's not true." Sparks says, rolling his eyes. "And second, mine wasn't the only idea to get picked. Hoshi got his star gazing sessions, remember?"

It dawns on you that you still haven’t met all of the counsellors. The thought must be clear on your face, as Gecko turns to you and asks: “Have you met Hoshi yet?”

You shake your head. “No, I’ve only met you guys, Min – sorry, Frosty, Fairy, and Ace. Are there any other counsellors I haven’t met?” You have to force yourself to use Mingyu’s camp name so that you don’t let his real name slip in front of the kids.

“You haven’t met Old Bill yet, but he’ll be holed up in the music room.” Sparks replies, visibly ticking off names in his head. “And aside from him and Hoshi, the rest are arriving tomorrow.”

"Oh! Speaking of which - Frosty mentioned I should check in with Laura and Maureen, so I might go do that now?" You exclaim, remembering Mingyu’s advice. The group nods and waves as you head off. Feeling good about the other counsellors, your earlier apprehensions fade, leaving you with a growing sense of joy at being back in camp.

That afternoon, you wander over to the main building, making sure to pop into both the infirmary and the head office. At dinner, you sit amongst the kids, starting to get to know their names and faces and hoping to make a good impression in return. You return to your cabin afterwards, fondly thinking about your start to camp. You're sharing your dorm with Gecko and Fairy, and the three of you spent the evening chatting and getting to know each other over a bottle of gin that Fairy had sneaked into camp - which had felt rather scandalous to you.

When you get a chance, you shoot a text off from your flip phone to Emma and Jane, reminding them not to call because you didn’t want to discuss the situation in front of your new cabinmates.

You have to stifle a laugh as you receive their elated replies, and almost block Emma for the R-rated suggestions she leaves in your inbox.

Snuggling down that night, you wonder if you might finally get the second chance you’d dreamed of as a kid.

The next morning, you’re practically bouncing with excitement as you make your way towards the camp’s rope course. The first day of camp is always the best. You’ve been looking forward to getting into the activities ever since you got the job, and climbing was always your favourite as a kid. There’s something about heights, the thrill of adventure, that speaks to the childlike wonder still alive in you.

The sun is already warming the air, but there’s a cool breeze filtering through the pine trees that keeps the camp feeling fresh. You cannot wait to start creating memories with the campers.

As you approach the ropes course, you spot a figure standing near the gear shack, fiddling with a bundle of harnesses. He’s tall, lean, and has a shock of platinum hair that contrasts against the dark forest. As he turns around, you are left a little starstruck by the handsome face that greets you, and you have to remind yourself that you don’t have to crush on every cute person you encounter.

Banishing the thoughts from your mind, you wave energetically. “Hey! You must be Hoshi! I’m (Y/n)! Fairy said that we were co-leaders today!”

He turns to face you, blinking at your sudden burst of enthusiasm and offers a small smile, looking a little surprised. “Oh! Yeah, nice to meet you.” He says a little shyly. “You here to help with the ropes course?”

“Absolutely!” You chirp, extending your hand. “I’m so excited to work with you this summer. I love this kind of thing - clinging, jumping, swinging through the air like a superhero. It's so fun that I get to do it for my first session!"

Hoshi shakes your hand, trying to stifle a laugh at your enthusiasm. "Yeah, it'll be ... interesting. But not everyone's into it, though. Some of the kids can be a little scared at first."

"Don't worry!" You declare, "I'm sure we'll be able to hype them up. They'll be climbing like monkeys by the end of the session!"

You expect a polite laugh or another small smile, but instead, something shifts in Hoshi’s expression. His eyes sparkle with a hint of mischief as he straightens up, looking at you with an almost playful glint.

“Oh yeah?” he asks, raising an eyebrow. “We’ll see about that.”

Before you can ask what he means, a group of campers starts to arrive, chattering excitedly as they line up near the base of the ropes course.

“Alright, everyone!” you call out, clapping your hands to get their attention. “Who’s ready to have some fun and conquer this ropes course?”

A few kids cheer, while others look a little nervous, shifting their weight from foot to foot as they eye the towering structure ahead of them.

“No worries if you’re feeling a little scared,” you say reassuringly. “It’s totally normal! We’ll go at your pace, and I promise, by the end of it, you’ll feel like Spider-Man swinging through the city.”

The kids giggle, some of them visibly relaxing. You’re about to continue when Hoshi steps forward, a wide grin etching onto his face. "And just to prove it to you all, we're going to start with a little induction ritual for our new camp leader!"

You glance over at him, surprised by the sudden spotlight on you. There’s a challenge in his eyes now, one that wasn’t there before. He adjusts his harness, tightening the straps with quick, practiced movements, and without another word, he leaps up onto the first platform of the ropes course with the agility of someone who’s done it a hundred times.

He glances down, grinning for real now, and holds a hand down to you. "Come on, I'll race you to the top!"

Without waiting for a response, he takes off again, scrambling up a rope ladder with impressive speed. The kids cheer, and suddenly your competitive spirit kicks in.

“Oh, it’s on!” you yell, rushing over to grab a harness and clip yourself in. You barely take a second to check the straps before you’re darting after him, laughing the whole way as the kids below start cheering for you both.

You manage to keep pace with him, climbing and leaping with the same energy that’s always been your signature. Every time you think you’re about to catch up, Hoshi takes another daring leap, swinging across gaps or balancing on the narrowest part of the beams just to show off. There’s a wildness to him that’s completely different from the almost shy guy you met earlier.

By the time you both reach the final platform, breathless but grinning from ear to ear, the kids are cheering so loudly you can barely hear yourself think. Hoshi swings up onto the last platform just a second before you, throwing his hands up in victory as you flop down beside him, laughing.

“Okay, okay, you win,” you gasp, wiping sweat from your forehead.

Hoshi chuckles, leaning back against the railing and catching his breath. "You're pretty fast yourself," he says, nudging your shoulder with his elbow. "I didn't think you'd keep up."

You sit up, grinning widely. "You're just lucky I didn't eat a second breakfast today. Otherwise, I totally would've smoked you."

He laughs again, before peering down at the kids below. "I think we might have to get them strapped up before they start trying to climb the trees themselves."

You nod, finally understanding his plan. The spectacle of the race had taken all of the pressure off of the kids, and had let them see just how safe the course was. It was a trick that you'd have to remember.

Soonyoung watches as you move to the back of the line of kids, crouching down to speak to a young boy at the end. The kid looks nervous, clutching the harness like it’s the only thing keeping him from running back to the safety of the cabin.

He doesn’t know what you say to the boy, but it’s obviously helping as he looks up at you with awe, his hands loosening their grip. You’re offering your hand out to him, and Soonyoung realises that you’re going to go up into the course with him.

He’s manning the guide ropes, and offers you a nod as you look over for confirmation that he’ll be able to manage without you. Now alone at the bottom of the course, his thoughts begin to overwhelm.

The moment you’d run over waving at him this morning, Soonyoung had been flooded with memories. When Mingyu had mentioned last night that the new counsellor was someone they’d both known from camp, he’d never have guessed it would be you.

But you are entirely recognisable. You are just as bubbly and energetic as you were as a kid, running around camp, always surrounded by friends. Soonyoung reminisces over his old camp days, getting stuck on the memory of your first meeting.

It is a week in summer camp, and Soonyoung is having a bad time. His parents insisted on him going; they had assured him that he’d have fun, that he loved the outdoors and he’d make friends quickly enough.

Unfortunately, they are mistaken.

He’s not surprised. He knows he’s shy and meeting new people is never his idea of fun. He was hoping that some extroverted kid may pick him up and carry him into a social group, but that hasn’t happened yet and he’s starting to worry that he’ll have to find a different way.

Soonyoung’s cabin mates are nice enough, but they’ve already formed their own tight-knit group. At night, they talk about things he doesn’t really know about – sports teams, video games, and shared inside jokes.

The worse part is, the camp counsellors are always so cheerful, always asking him how he’s doing, if he’s having fun. He puts on a smile, nods and says it’s all great – what else is he supposed to say?

Soonyoung’s sitting on the edge of the lake on afternoon, his knees pulled up to his chest, staring at the rippling water as a canoe glides by with some laughing campers in it. He picks up a small stone and skips it across the surface, watching it hop once, twice, then disappear into the lake.

“Hey, that was a pretty good skip!”

Soonyoung jumps at the voice, his heart racing as he turns to see a girl standing beside him. You’re wearing a camp t-shirt, your hair tied back in two messy braids, and you’re smiling at him like you’ve known him for years.

“Uh, thanks.” He mumbles, unsure of what else to say. You pick up another rock from beside him, fiddling with it in between your fingers.

“My brother said skipping stones is all about finding the right rock. Here, look at this one!” You present the rock to him – flat, smooth, and lightweight with rounded edges. Flicking the stone with a snap of your wrist, he watches as it skips over the lake three times before dropping down below. You let out a laugh of achievement, and Soonyoung commits the sound to his memory.

“I’m (Y/n), by the way.” You say, plopping down beside him without waiting for an invitation. “I’ve seen you around but haven’t had the chance to say hi yet.”

Soonyoung feels the heat rise to his face. “Oh, um, I’m Kwon Soonyoung.”

You grin, your eyes sparkling with playful energy. “Nice to meet you Soonyoung. A few of the other campers and I are planning on stealing some marshmallows from the kitchen tonight and roasting them over the firepit – do you wanna come?”

He glances over at you, surprised at your offer. You clearly notice his hesitation and offer him a friendly smile, and he cannot help by accept. “Oh, yeah, that would be fun!”

“Okay, great!” You jump up excitedly, and he feels his own spirits lifting in tandem. “Meet us at the kitchen at 7pm.”

He had gone that night, and you’d introduced him to the rest of your friends. Soonyoung fondly remembers that evening, getting to know those campers and watching you laugh and dance around in your own little world.

He hadn’t spoken to you much after that, but he remembers everything. He can admit in hindsight that, by the end of that summer, he’d had a huge crush on you. He was sure you didn’t return those feelings – in fact, he’d heard you gushing to one of the other campers about Mingyu.

Yet, seeing you now, Soonyoung cannot help but feel like he’s been given a second chance. There is a new freedom in knowing that you didn’t remember the past. He could be confident, more daring – everything he wasn’t back then. There is no reason for you to ever associate this version of him with the kid you used to know, and he isn’t about to remind you.

At dinner that night, you find yourself peering back over at the blonde, your mind occupied with questions about him.

You feel like your camper self, looking over at a cute boy that you’re kind of scared to talk to, except this time Kim Mingyu is not the object of your attention. You can actually feel your younger self gawking at you for not taking the chance to flirt with her crush, but for some reason it’s your daring co-leader that is taking up all the space in your mind.

Wow – you think you really are absurd, blushing over a guy you’d met earlier that day. Your friends may have mocked you for your hopeless love life, but they wouldn’t be able to contain themselves if they saw you now.

The rain is coming down outside in a steady drizzle, a soft, rhythmic patter against the cabin roof that creates a cozy, if dreary atmosphere. Some of the campers, having been stuck indoors all afternoon, are grumbling about their ruined evening plans, while others huddle together in the hall, trying to stay entertained.

You glance out of the window, watching the drops streak down the glass as the grey sky darkens into evening. The air inside the cabin feels a little stuffy, and you can tell that everyone needs a pick-me-up, even the other counsellors. That’s when an idea hits you – your trip down memory lane jogging a sweet treat that always lifted your spirits when you were younger.

“Hey, guys!” You call out, clapping your hands together with a grin. A few heads turn your way, curiosity flickering across their faces. “Who’s up for some peppermint hot chocolate?”

“Peppermint hot chocolate?” One of the young girls asks, her eyes wide with anticipation.

“Oh yeah,” you beam, heading toward the small kitchenette. “It’s my special recipe. Guaranteed to make rainy days a hundred times better.”

In the corner of your gaze, you see Mingyu standing up with a large grin, nodding at the kids. “Just what we all need!”

A buzz of excited murmurs spread through the group. Meeting Mingyu’s eyes to express your gratitude for his support, you let everyone know that the hot chocolate should be ready in only a few minutes.

As you gather the ingredients, pulling out the cocoa powder, milk, sugar, and peppermint extract, the chatter in the cabin grows livelier. You’ve been making this recipe for years, ever since you learned it from your grandmother, and it has become your go-to for nights like this.

Just as you get into the rhythm of stirring, you feel someone step beside you. Turning, you see Hoshi leaning casually against the counter, watching you with a small smile that makes your heart skip a beat.

“You’re a lifesaver,” he says, glancing around the room. “The kids were about to start climbing the walls.”

“It’s my secret weapon for rainy days.” You reply, glancing at him form over your shoulder. “Peppermint hot chocolate – grandma’s tradition.”

Hoshi chuckles, watching you with a soft gaze. “Secret weapon, huh? I had no idea that you were a hot chocolate expert on top of everything else.”

“Oh, you have no idea the depths of my talent. This hot chocolate is just the tip of the iceberg.”

He raises an eyebrow, his lips quirking into a smirk. “Is that so? Guess I’ll have to stick around and see what other surprises you’ve got up your sleeve.”

“Oh, trust me, you’re not ready for the full 'Peppermint' experience,” You tease, trying to sound casual, but feeling the heat rising in your face, and you know the cause isn’t the hot chocolate. Was he being... nice? Or is that—no, don’t overthink it, you tell yourself.

Hoshi steps a little closer, peering into the pot as the chocolate mixture begins to bubble. “Looks like you’ve got this down to a science.” He remarks, voice low and teasing.

You shoot him a playful look. “What can I say? I aim to impress. Besides, I figured the campers deserve a little something special after being cooped up all afternoon.”

He smiles now, and for a moment, the teasing falls away. “It’s hard to believe that it’s your first day doing this – you’re good at it. Taking care of the kids. Keeping everyone’s spirits up.”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” you say, waving a hand dismissively, though the warmth of his words settles in your chest. “I just want them to have fun, you know? The same as all of you guys.”

“I don’t know if you realise it, but you’ve already got most of us hooked. That hot chocolate is just the cherry on top.”

Your breath hitches slightly at his words, and you look up at him, your eyes meeting his. For a moment, the rainy world outside the cabin fades away, leaving just the two of your standing in the warm glow of the kitchen, the pot bubbling gently between you.

You blink rapidly, feeling your cheeks turn even redder. Is he flirting? No way. You are probably just misreading it, like you always do. Right? Surely, he is just being friendly. That’s all.

Before you can spiral any further, you snap back around to the hot chocolate. You quickly ladle a scoop into one of the mugs, spilling a little onto the counter in your haste.

“You’ll be hooked on this when you’ve tasted it!” You chirp, overcorrecting for your nervousness with a panicked cheerfulness.

Giving you a small, lingering smile, Hoshi softly takes the cup from your hands and takes a sip, his eyes never leaving yours.

“Okay, I’ll admit it,” he says, lowering the mug with a grin. “This is really good. You might be onto something with the peppermint.”

You smile sheepishly, feeling a swell of pride but still a little awkward under his gaze. “Thanks. I’m glad you like it.”

“I don’t just like it,” he teases, his voice dropping slightly. “I think you just made my day.”

Your heart feels completely overwhelmed. Is he doing this on purpose? You’re already hopeless at telling friendliness from flirting, and you certainly aren’t used to these little compliments, and it’s all too much for you to handle.

You hand out the rest of the mugs to the campers, avoiding eye contact with Hoshi who stays by your side to help. The kids take them eagerly, sipping their hot chocolate with delighted smiles. The cabin is filled with warmth, not just from the drinks, but from the cozy, cheerful atmosphere that has blossomed despite the rain.

“Hey, this is great hot chocolate!” Mingyu sings as he walks over to your station, half-full cup in hand.

You grin at him, happy for a distraction from the uncertainty standing next to you. “Thanks! The kids seem pretty happy.”

“Totally. You saved the day.” Mingyu praises with an exaggerated sigh of relief. “And, I heard some of the kids calling you ‘peppermint hot chocolate’, so I think – if we shorten it – you may be able to embroider your shirt. ‘Peppermint’ is a pretty cute nickname, all things considered.”

To your side, you think you see Hoshi grimacing for a second, but the expression is quickly wiped from his features.

“It’s a good suggestion.” He says, his tone flatter than it had been earlier.

“I’ll take it! Although if the kids are already calling me it, I suppose I don’t have much choice!” You say cheerfully, feeling your cheeks flushing at the thought. But, you are endeared towards the nickname, and having the campers respect you enough to give you a personalised nickname is pretty special.

By the time you’ve finished talking to Mingyu, Hoshi seems to have disappeared from your side. Even though you feel increasingly nervous around him, a part of you is a little sad that you no longer get to talk with him. But, you have chores to get on with, and 100 mugs aren’t going to clean themselves.

The next two weeks fly past. The camp is alive with the sounds of laughter, shouts and the crackling of campfire, and the days blend together as the campers rotate through their favourite activities.

You’ve spent a lot of time trying to get to know everyone, with a particular focus on your group of campers and the other camp counsellors.

Hoshi and you have still been co-leaders for most of the time, although you’d had a few sessions with Mingyu, Sparks, and one with Gecko. The more time that you spend with Hoshi, the more you are falling deeper into your crush, even if you hate to admit it.

At the start, you’d wondered if the crush was just the product of a new environment, new people, and a lingering suggestion from your friends of a summer romance that latched onto the first cute person you saw. But, if that were true, Mingyu would have been the object of your affections. At this point, you are forced to admit that your crush on Hoshi is more than a matter of convenience. He’s funny, adventurous, and great with the kids, and you have to stop yourself from staring at his face for too long when you’re together.

It’s made it a little harder for you to co-lead with him, but you think you’ve done a pretty good job of hiding your feelings. The last thing you’d want to do is make things awkward for him and the kids, and you’ve had one too many unrequired crushes to make such a rookie mistake as to publicise it.

That evening, after a long day of camp activities, the kids finally settled into their own cabins, the counsellors are left with some well-earned downtime.

You, Gecko, and Fairy pile into your shared cabin, which has quickly become a sanctuary at the end of each hectic day. The cabin is cozy, its wooden walls creaking faintly with the evening breeze that slips through the screen windows.

You flop onto your bed, letting out an exaggerated groan of exhaustion, your limbs spread out like a starfish. “I don’t know about you two, but those kids wore me out today,” you say, dramatically throwing an arm over your eyes. “If I have to get into another canoe, I think I might actually become one with the lake.”

Gecko, who is sitting cross-legged on her bed, leafing through an old camp magazine, snorts. “Yeah, right. You’re like the Energizer Bunny, Peps. I’ve never seen you actually sit still.”

“True!” Fairy pipes in, hoping up onto her bunk and dangling her legs over the edge. “I swear, you were running circles around those kids during the canoe races. I was convinced you were going to tip the boat from sheer excitement.”

You peak out from under your arm, grinning. “Hey, I’m just trying to keep the energy up! These kids need someone to cheer them up!”

"You and Hoshi sure are making it hard for us other counsellors to keep up. My kids came in today asking to have a paint fight because of your antics yesterday." Gecko rolls her eyes, but smiles. "Are we sure you're not secretly still a camper?"

At the mention of Hoshi, you feel a blush creep up your cheeks, though you try and laugh it off. “Please, if you’re going to blame anyone, blame Mingyu – he threw the first brush!”

Fairy smirks, noticing the slight pink tint to your face. She twirls a lock of hair around her finger, her eyes narrowing playfully. “You know, it always catches me off guard when you refer to him as Mingyu.” She begins, her voice dripping with curiosity. “He’s the only counsellor you do that with.”

“I hadn’t realised.” You hum, thinking over her words. “I guess because I’ve known him for so long, it feels weird to not call him Mingyu.”

Gecko and Fairy share a look.

“Sure, but you guys have been spending a lot of time together lately.” Gecko says, raising an eyebrow as she leans back on her hands.

You feel your eyebrows shoot up in surprise. Had you?

You’d co-led with Mingyu a couple times over the last few weeks, and spent a bit of time catching up on old memories, but you didn’t think you’d spent any more time with him than any of the other counsellors.

“You think so? I wouldn’t say so.”

“Oh, please,” Fairy scoffs, hopping down from her bunk and plopping onto the bed next to you. “Tell me honestly that there isn’t some history there.”

You blink, flustered. “Oh, well, I guess…” You begin, feeling compelled to tell the truth under their curious gazes. “Okay, well you can’t tell anyone, but I used to have a crush on him when we were campers. Not anymore though!”

You see the pair of them smirk at each other.

“- we’re just friends now. And I wouldn’t want any more. To be honest, I’d be more likely to date Hoshi than Mingyu.” You admit, the blush on your cheeks darkening at your confession.

“Of course! We wouldn’t think any different!” Fairy says in a tone that makes you wonder if she’d actually heard what you just said.

“And it’s totally fine, everyone thinks Mingyu’s hot.” Gecko adds, and you realise that they hadn’t at all heard what you just said.

You sigh, leaning back onto your arms. “I guess.”

Fairy hums out a satisfied tune, moving back onto her bunk. You suppose that it’s still a bit early to emphasise your crush on Hoshi right now, and let the moment pass, hoping that they wouldn’t take it any further in their mistaken understanding of your love life.

Soonyoung is not jealous – he’s determined.

He’s spent the last few weeks trying to keep his cool around you, but it’s hard not to get caught up in everything you are. There’s something magnetic about the way you move through camp, always laughing, always making the kids feel safe and happy. He’s changed so much since you were younger, but you haven’t changed at all.

The issue is – your feelings are an enigma to him. In his eyes, it seems like you’re flirting back with him, laughing at his jokes, placing your hand on his arm, and he’s spotted you looking at him a few times now.

But he’d overheard some campers around the campfire giggling about you and Mingyu and begun to wonder if he’s mistaken your kindness for something greater.

He doesn’t want to make you uncomfortable if he’s wrong, especially when you haven’t explicitly given him any signal, but he also doesn’t want to ignore the spark he feels between you.

That night, as the campfire crackles under the stars, the campers roast marshmallows and sing songs under the stars. You’re sat cross-legged on one of the logs, leading a small group of kids in a lively rendition of an old campfire favourite. Your voice is light and playful, if a little off-pitch, and Soonyoung can feel your laughter infecting him as the kids fumble through the lyrics.

He sits back in his seat with a content smile, watching from across the fire. The firelight dances on your face, your hair illuminated in soft, flickering hues.

“Hey, Hoshi!” You call out from across the fire, your eyes gleaming with excitement. “We’re going to have a marshmallow roasting contest. You in?”

He chuckles, standing up and making his way over. “You’re on,” he says, grabbing a stick. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you – I make the perfect golden marshmallow.”

You stick your tongue cutely out at him in mock defiance. “We’ll see about that.”

The campers gather round, joining in and bursting into laughter as Soonyoung’s marshmallow drops into the fire. He can’t find it inside himself to care though, as he watches the delight etch onto your face as you realise his mistake.

As the kids head off to their cabins for the night, you grab his arm, pulling him off to one side.

“Sorry, I know you probably just wanna crash out, but I wanted to ask you something.” You say quietly, with a small, apologetic smile.

Soonyoung’s heart begins to patter, curious and slightly nervous at what you’ll want to know.

“How’d you know that I was a camper here before?”

Ah, shit.

He thinks back to your second day as co-leaders, when he’d let it slip that he knew you went to Camp Logan as a child. The rain had started pouring, cutting off any questions you could have had, and he’d hoped you’d forgotten about it.

“Well, it was only your second day, but you were bounding all over the place like you knew where everything is – and I know Mingyu doesn’t give that in-depth of a tour.” He replies, his tone casual.

“Ahh, I suppose it does make sense. Also-” You poke at your old camp t-shirt that you are still donning. “I guess I fit the stereotype a little.”

“Well, if it makes you feel better, you’re not the only person who returned here as an adult.” He laughs, hoping to make you feel better.

Your eyebrows shoot back with curiosity. “Oh, really? Did you come here too?”

Soonyoung realises his mistake. “Oh, uh, I did go to a summer camp as a kid,” he splutters, caught off guard. “But a different one. Not this one.”

You look a little confused for a second, but nod your head in understanding.

Soonyoung lets out a quiet breath, thankful that you didn’t push the subject further. He’s always been good at staying calm, at least outwardly, but right now, standing here with you so close, his heart is doing somersaults. Not to mention, the way that the firelight glows on your face is making it hard for him to focus on anything else.

“So,” you say with a smile. “You promised to tell me the story of your nickname – I haven’t forgotten!”

He lets out a relieved chuckle, glad that the conversation topic has changed.

“Oh, well, technically Hoshi means ‘star’ – I got it because I used to stare at the stars every night when I was a camper,” Soonyoung explains, his voice taking on a nostalgic tone. He glances up at the sky, taking in the faint but twinkling stars. “I guess the other counsellors thought it was funny that I was obsessed with them. I got approved to do some star-gazing sessions this year, though, which is pretty cool.”

You smile, your curiosity piqued. “Wow, I didn’t realise that you were into that, that’s really amazing.”

He grins, eyes flicking back to meet yours. “Yeah, and I kinda like the name now – ‘Hoshi’ sounds cool, right?”

You giggle. “It does suit you. Though I’ll have to keep an eye on you during nighttime hikes, just in case you wander off to stare at the sky.”

Soonyoung laughs, shaking his head. There’s a comfortable pause, the crackling of the fire filling the space between you. The warmth from the flames mirror the warmth in his chest as he stands next to you, but there is something more pulling at him. He can’t help but feel the weight of everything unsaid between you two—the lingering looks, the playful touches, the way your smile always seems a little brighter when it’s directed at him. He needs to know if he’s imagining it.

“Actually,” Soonyoung says, his voice lowering slightly, a playful edge creeping in, “I think there’s something else that suits me.”

You tilt your head. “Oh? What’s that?”

He hesitates for a beat, his eyes locking with yours, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Being around you.” He says, his voice soft but teasing. “I’ve gotta admit, the stars just seem to gleam brighter when you’re around.”

A blush immediately creeps up your neck, and you look away from him for a second, taken off guard.

“You’re shameless.” You stammer, unable to meet his gaze again.

“It’s true – I’ve noticed that the stars just look better when we’re together. Or maybe it’s just because I’m distracted.”

He has to admit that he’s enjoying how flustered you look as you blink at him. “Oh, come on,” you finally reply, “you’re just trying to get out of telling me more embarrassing stories from your camper days.”

Soonyoung chuckles, stepping just a little closer. “Maybe,” he shrugs. “Or maybe I’m telling the truth.”

The space between you suddenly feels much smaller, and he can feel his own heartbeat racing.

You look back over at time, a small smile ghosting across your lips as the firelight reflects from your eyes. “You’re impossible.”

“Maybe,” he says again, his voice light. “But if it means I get to see you smile like that … then I’ll take it.”

Your smile grows brighter, and Soonyoung wonders if you know that he is telling the truth.

“Well, you have a knack for making me smile.” You respond softly, and it’s his turn to feel bashful. All he can do is nod his head, unable to keep his own lips from quirking up back to you.

At the mid-point of the summer, you can tell that the camp is at a bit of a low. The homesickness has kicked in after weeks away from family, and the other counsellors are struggling to maintain the energy after the exhaustion of endless work.

Thankfully, as you well remember, this has been a recurring problem every year, and one that the camp has provisioned for.

Unlike the general mood, you are rather excited. Mingyu has been organising a camp disco for all of the campers over the last few days, and you can’t wait to see the shine come back to the kids’ faces. But, more than that, the counsellors are having their own little after party once the kids are asleep.

You’ve spent a lot of time with the other counsellors now, and although there haven’t been many chances, you have been able to do some group activities together. But, to have a night to properly relax, kick back, and have a drink whilst the camp manager Laura watches over the kids is going to be a much-needed break. You can almost feel the anticipation buzzing in the air as you and the other counsellors exchange knowing glances throughout the day. Mingyu has been working hard to keep the details of the disco under wraps, and although the kids don’t know it yet, tonight is going to be exactly what they need to shake off the homesickness and recharge for the rest of the summer.

You glance across the campgrounds, catching sight of Hoshi helping some of the kids with a craft project. He’s been quieter the past few days, but you can’t help but notice the way he sneaks glances at you when he thinks you aren’t looking. Since that night by the campfire, when he’d said those words that left you a blushing mess, things have been... different. There’s this undercurrent between you two, subtle but undeniably there.

You feel a little flutter in your chest as you think about it, shaking your head to focus back on the task at hand. Tonight is going to be a good night for everyone, and you’re not about to let your presumptive heart distract you from the fun.

The camp disco is in full swing by the time the sun sets. The kids are bouncing around the hall, glow sticks in hand, dancing to their favourite songs, their earlier gloom forgotten. Mingyu, as expected, has done an amazing job—streamers hang from the ceiling, fairy lights twinkle in the corners, and the DJ (Old Bill) is playing all the right tunes. You smile, watching the kids come alive again, their excitement contagious.

You find yourself swaying to the music, encouraging the shy campers to join in on the dance floor, and before long, the room is full of laughter and energy. It’s working. The mood has completely shifted, and for the first time in days, it feels like the homesickness has melted away.

At one point, you’re pulled into a dance-off with a group of younger campers, their enthusiasm too infectious to refuse. You’re spinning and laughing, barely noticing when Hoshi sidles up next to you.

“You’re showing them up,” he says with a grin.

You stop mid-spin, a little breathless, grinning back at him. “Well, someone has to keep up with them,” you reply, playfully nudging him.

He laughs, and the sound is too quickly carried away by the thrum of the music. Before you get any chance to chat more, one of the campers tugs at your hand, pulling you back into the dance circle.

The night flies by, the disco ending with tired but happy kids heading back to their cabins. You wave them off, thanking Mingyu for organizing everything as you begin to gather with the other counsellors towards the staff cabin.

An hour later, the camp feels almost eerily quiet. The campers are fast asleep, and the counsellors have migrated to the staff cabin, music playing softly in the background, the lights dimmed. You can feel the collective sigh of relief as you and the others sink into chairs, finally able to relax.

Mingyu cracks open a few bottles of wine and passes them around, and the conversation quickly shifts from camp duties to light-hearted banter. Everyone’s unwinding, the exhaustion of the past few weeks melting away with each sip.

Hoshi takes a seat next to you, handing you a glass with a casual smile. "You look like you’re still buzzing from the dance party.”

 “It was fun. You’re a good dancer, you know?” You say sincerely, remembering watching him out with the kids. When he wasn’t twirling the campers around or doing stupid moves to make them laugh, he had truly been a sight to behold – moving perfectly to the rhythm with a groove you hadn’t expected.

“Thanks – you killed it in the dance battle. I think you’re lucky you already have a nickname or they’d start calling you ‘the sprinkler’.”

Your nose crinkles with disgust, and you can hear Hoshi laughing at your expression. “Absolutely not. I hope that never-”

“Hey, Pepper!” You hear from behind you, and you turn to see Fairy waving for you to come over.

You turn back around to Hoshi, giving him an apologetic smile as you move towards your cabinmate.

“What’s up?”

Fairy grins mischievously, patting the spot next to her on the couch. The other counsellors are gathered around, some holding their wine glasses, others lounging in comfortable silence. You sit down beside her, and she wastes no time leaning in conspiratorially.

“We’re starting a game,” she whispers, her eyes sparking with mischief. “You can thank me later.”

You raise an eyebrow, confused at her meaning. “Huh? What kind of game?”

Before Fairy can answer, Mingyu appears, plopping down on the other side of you with a bottle of wine in hand. “We’re playing ‘Truth or Drink’” he announces with a grin. “Or, as I like to call it, exposing everyone’s secrets while we’re too tired to care.”

You laugh, shaking your head. “Wow, I think we played this when we were campers.”

Fairy nods, smirking. “He’s just trying to get out of answering questions.”

“Oh, no. I’m an open book,” Mingyu teases, leaning back and crossing his arms behind his head. “But you—” he gestures toward you—“I bet you have some juicy secrets.”

Fairy claps her hands together, drawing everyone’s attention. “Alright, let’s get started! We’ll go in a circle. Truth or drink. If you don’t wanna answer, you take a drink.”

The game kicks off with the usual light-hearted questions. The counsellors take turns asking things like, ‘What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to you at camp?’ and ‘what’s the weirdest thing you’ve seen a camper do?’ Laughter echoes through the cabin as the group shares funny stories. Your gaze catches on Hoshi, sitting across from you, as he animatedly retells a story about the time that he ran a 100m sprint whilst drunk.

A little way into the game, Fairy turns toward you, a look that puts you on edge in her eye. “Okay, Pepper, this one’s for you.”

“Go on…”

She leans forward, her voice lowering to make the moment feel more dramatic. “Have you ever had a crush on anyone here?”

The group immediately bursts into giggles, all eyes turning toward you. You feel the heat rise to your cheeks from the attention. You cannot believe that she’s just asked you that.

You let out a soft groan, covering your face with your hands for a moment. “You guys are ridiculous.”

“Come on,” Mingyu says, nudging you with his elbow. “You can’t back out now!”

Looking back at Mingyu, you realise you have a choice. Admit to your childhood crush on him, admit to your current crush on Hoshi, or drink and let everyone realise that you do in fact like someone. The answer seems obvious to you – you didn’t like Mingyu anymore so admitting to that crush would be embarrassing but you could get over it.

You peek out from behind your fingers, letting out a flustered laugh. “Alright, alright!” You take a deep breath, deciding to just go with it. “When I was younger… I used to have the biggest crush on Mingyu.”

The room goes silent for a beat before erupting into laughter. Mingyu’s eyes widen, clearly not expecting that answer, while the others start whooping and teasing him.

As the laughter from your confession settles, you glance around the circle, catching a glimpse of Hoshi sitting quietly across the room. His playful grin is still there, but something in his eyes has changed. It's subtle, but the usual lighthearted sparkle has dimmed just a little, and his posture seems more tense than relaxed. You blink, wondering if you’re imagining it, but you can’t shake the feeling that something’s off.

Meanwhile, the other counsellors are still buzzing with excitement over your confession. Mingyu, clearly enjoying the attention, leans back with an exaggerated smirk.

“So, Peps,” he teases, his grin wide, “I guess I was your first camp crush, huh? Man, that’s a big responsibility.”

You roll your eyes, laughing. “Don’t flatter yourself too much. I was, like, twelve. It doesn’t even count.”

Fairy chimes in, giving you a sly look. “I dunno, you two always seem pretty close. Are you sure you’re over him?”

You’re about to respond, to brush off the teasing, but before you can say anything, Hoshi speaks up from across the room, his voice a little sharper than usual. “Come on, Fairy – she said it was ages ago. We don’t need to interrogate her.”

You blink, surprised by his tone. The group falls silent for a beat, and you can feel a shift in the room, the playful banter suddenly feeling a little heavier.

Mingyu, ever oblivious, laughs and holds up his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright. No more teasing. Pepper, your secret’s safe with me.”

But as the conversation moves on, you can’t help but glance over at Soonyoung again. His jaw is tight, and while he’s pretending to be engaged in the new topic, you sense his mood is off from his usual demeanour.

After a few more rounds of the game, the atmosphere goes back to normal – aided by a very funny impression of Hatter by Sparks.

“Alright, my turn to ask.” Sparks grins, looking around the circle like a predator looking for prey. Sparks’ gaze lands on Hoshi, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Alright, Hoshi—no dodging this one. Truth or drink?"

Hoshi raises an eyebrow, smirking but clearly unfazed. "Truth. Hit me with your best shot."

Sparks grins wider. "Alright, Soonyoung, tell us… what’s something from your camper days that none of us know?"

The moment the name "Soonyoung" leaves Sparks’ lips, you feel a jolt. Soonyoung? Why does that sound so familiar? The name echoes in your head, and suddenly, it hits you like a wave crashing onto the shore.

Soonyoung.

You stare at Hoshi – no, Soonyoung – wide-eyed, your heart skipping a beat as the realisation sets in. He was at camp before. Not just any camp, but this camp. And you knew him – that shy boy from all those summers ago.

Your breath catches in your throat as the pieces click into place. You’d spent all these weeks with him, not realizing he was that Soonyoung. He’s changed so much—more confident, more playful��but there’s no mistaking it now.

Soonyoung’s gaze flickers, meeting yours for just a moment too long before he looks away, his expression shifting. His smile vanishes, replaced with something more guarded—something that makes your heart twist. You’re on the verge of saying something, of asking him, why didn’t you tell me?, when he clears his throat, breaking the eye contact as quickly as it happened.

“Uh yeah,” he says, his voice more subdued. He forces a laugh, but is sounds hollow. “There’s nothing too exciting – one time, I accidently called the counsellor ‘mom’ in front of the whole group. That was pretty hard to live down.”

The other counsellors chuckle, buying into his casual response, but you can’t tear your eyes away from him.

Minutes pass, and every time you try to say something, to bring it up, he’s conveniently out of reach—answering a question from Fairy, joking with Mingyu, or pouring another drink for Sparks.

The atmosphere in the room returns to normal, everyone laughing and enjoying the game, but you’re stuck. Your thoughts are racing, replaying memories from your time at camp, piecing together everything you now know about him. You want to ask him why he never said anything, why he’s been keeping this hidden when you could’ve shared stories, laughed about the past. But more than that, you can’t shake the hurt—the feeling that maybe he didn’t want you to remember him at all.

Finally, as the game winds down and people start to leave the cabin, you seize the chance to approach him. You wait until the others are distracted, your heart pounding as you take a step toward him, your mind already formulating the questions you need answered.

"Soonyoung," you begin quietly, your voice just loud enough to catch his attention.

He looks at you, but the guarded expression is back, like a shield between you. He doesn’t give you time to say anything more.

"Hey, I think I’m gonna head to bed," he says abruptly, cutting you off before you can even start. He glances around the room, avoiding your eyes again. "It’s been a long day, you know?”

Your mouth opens, but nothing comes out. You watch, frozen, as he turns away, leaving you standing there with a knot in your chest. He slips out of the cabin before you can say another word, disappearing into the night without looking back.

The drunken chatter in the cabin isn’t making Soonyoung feel any better. Mingyu and Sparks had stumbled back together, laughing and swaying and not giving him any time to work out what just happened.

His head is a blur of emotions – scared that you now know the truth, sad at the look you were giving him, embarrassed of the past, and a little jealous of Mingyu.

Soonyoung leans against the wall, arms crossed tightly as Mingyu and Sparks collapse onto the bed in a fit of drunken laughter. He tries to smile, to act like everything is fine, but his thoughts keep spiralling. His heart hasn’t stopped racing since Sparks let his name slip, and now, every time he thinks of the look on your face, that wide-eyed realization, it twists the knot in his chest a little tighter.

You know. You finally know who he really is, and he has no idea what to do with that.

“So, (Y/n) really had a crush on me, huh?” Mingyu says, grinning as he pulls off his shoes and tosses them into the corner. “I mean, I knew I was charming, but I didn’t realise I was that charming.”

Sparks laughs, kicking his legs up onto his bunk. “Dude, she admitted it in front of everyone. You’re lucky we didn’t start calling you ‘Pepper’s new boyfriend’ right there.”

Soonyoung’s jaw tightens, and he stares down at his hands. He doesn’t want to listen to this. He really doesn’t want to hear Mingyu, who’s been hovering around you for weeks, talking about your confession, as if it’s still a big deal, as if it’s more than just an innocent childhood crush.

But Mingyu keeps going, his voice full of amusement. “Man, I should’ve paid more attention back then. I didn’t even realize she was crushing on me when we were kids. Can you imagine if I’d noticed?”

Sparks snorts, shaking his head. “You probably would’ve been too clueless to do anything about it.”

Mingyu shrugs, laughing. “Maybe. But hey, it’s not too late, right?”

Soonyoung feels his chest tighten. The words hit him like a punch, even though Mingyu is clearly joking. The easy way he talks about you, as if he could just turn on the charm and pick up where your old feelings left off, makes Soonyoung’s blood boil.

“Maybe you should try,” Sparks says, grinning. “Pepper is cool. You guys would make a cute couple.”

He wants to say something—anything—to stop this conversation from going any further, but he can’t. His throat feels tight, and his thoughts are all over the place, tangled in confusion and frustration.

Mingyu laughs again, the sound light and careless. “Nah, I’m just messing around. We’re good friends. But still, it’s kinda funny, right? Me and (Y/n). Who would’ve thought?”

“Can we drop it?” His voice is sharper than he intends, cutting through the laughter. Both Mingyu and Sparks go quiet, turning to look at him in surprise.

Mingyu raises an eyebrow, clearly confused. “What’s up with you, man? We’re just joking around.”

Soonyoung swallows hard, trying to keep his voice steady. “I know. But can we just… not?”

Sparks glances between the two of them, sensing the tension but not quite understanding it. “Dude, relax. It’s not that serious.”

But it is serious, at least to him. He can feel the weight of everything pressing down on him—your confession, the truth about his past, the way you looked at him earlier when you figured out who he really was.

Mingyu narrows his eyes slightly, finally starting to catch on that something’s bothering Soonyoung. “Okay… what’s going on with you?”

Soonyoung exhales, leaning back against the wall, his heart still pounding. He doesn’t want to have this conversation. Not with Mingyu. Not when he’s still trying to sort through his own feelings, his jealousy, his fear that maybe he’s already too late.

“Nothing,” Soonyoung mutters, his voice tight. “Just tired. I’m heading to bed.”

Without waiting for a response, he pushes himself up from his bunk and heads for the door, needing to get out of there.

As the door closes behind him, he hears Mingyu say something to Sparks, his voice lower now so that Soonyoung cannot hear what he’s saying.

“You think he’s jealous?” Sparks asks, half-joking but with a hint of seriousness.

Mingyu chuckles softly, but there’s an edge to his tone. “Maybe.”

Soonyoung grits his teeth as he steps into the cool night air, the quiet of the campgrounds a stark contrast to the noise in his head. He doesn’t want to be jealous, but he can’t help it. It’s eating at him, the way Mingyu talks about you so casually, like he has the right to claim a piece of your past, like it wouldn’t be that hard for him to step into your present.

And all Soonyoung can think is that he’s been hiding behind Hoshi for so long, afraid to show you who he really is, that he might’ve lost his chance before he ever truly had it.

The problem with being known as the bubbly, energetic counsellor is that it’s immediately obvious to everyone when you are not feeling bubbly or energetic.

You’ve tried to keep your energy up and you’re still having a lot of fun with your group, but its hard when half of your mind is filled with unanswered questions. And it doesn’t help that the only person that can answer them is avoiding you entirely.

Having had a bit of time to think about it, you are still entirely confused about the situation. You don’t understand why Soonyoung hid your shared past from you, you don’t understand why he’s ignoring you now, and you don’t understand why not talking to him is making you feel so bad (okay, maybe you do understand that one).

You’re not used to feeling like this—so off balance. Normally, you’re the one with the infectious energy, always the first to lift everyone’s spirits. But now? Now it’s hard to keep up the act. The kids don’t notice, thankfully. They’re still having fun, still looking to you for guidance, but the other counsellors have started to pick up on it.

“Hey, Pepper,” Gecko says one evening, sidling up next to you while you sit on a bench outside our shared cabin. “You okay? You’ve been kinda… off lately.”

You force a smile, even though your heart isn’t in it. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little tired, I guess.”

Gecko raises an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. “Sure. And I’m a unicorn.”

You huff out a laugh despite yourself, grateful for the attempt to lighten the mood. “I don’t know. It’s just been a weird few days.”

Gecko nods, leaning back against the bench. “Anything to do with Hoshi?” she asks, her tone casual but probing.

You blink, startled by the directness of the question. “What? No, why would—”

“Oh, come on,” Gecko interrupts, giving you a knowing look. “It’s obvious something’s going on between you two. He’s been acting weird, and you’ve been all mopey. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”

You bite your lip, unsure of how to respond. Part of you wants to spill everything—to tell Gecko about Soonyoung, about the past, about the way he’s been avoiding you—but another part of you feels too raw, too exposed to talk about it yet. So instead, you just shrug.

“I don’t know. We just… haven’t really talked lately.”

Gecko snorts. “Yeah, no kidding. He’s been avoiding you like you’ve got the plague or something.”

The words sting, even though you already know they’re true. You don’t say anything, just stare down at the ground, your mind racing with everything you haven’t been able to figure out.

Gecko seems to sense that you’re not ready to talk, because she nudges your shoulder gently and stands up. “Well, if you want to vent or throw pinecones at him or something, let me know. I’ll back you up.”

You manage a small smile as she walks away, but the moment she’s gone, the weight of everything comes crashing back down.

By the end of the week, your patience has worn thin. Soonyoung is frustratingly good at avoiding you. Every time you try to approach him, he slips away, always just out of reach. It’s almost like a game, except there’s nothing fun about it.

You watch him across the campfire one evening, the flames casting flickering shadows on his face. He’s laughing with the other counsellors, his expression as lighthearted as ever, and you don’t know how he’s so unbothered. It makes you want to scream.

You don’t know what to do, but you do know what you normally would do when you feel like this – who you’d normally talk to.

That night, you find a snug space in the mess hall after everyone else had gone to bed. Typing the familiar number into your phone, you hear the brief ringing before the twin voices of your best friends ring out through the tinny speakers.

“(Y/n)!” Emma’s voice is the first to break through. “What’s up? You never call this late. Everything okay?”

Jane’s voice follows immediately after. “Yeah, it’s gotta be past midnight over there. What’s going on?”

You let out a sigh, leaning back against the wall of the hall and twirl a strand of your hair between your fingers. You don’t even know where to begin, but you know you need to talk to them. If anyone can help you sort through this mess, it’s Emma and Jane.

“Hey, guys,” you say, your voice quieter than usual. “I’m… I’m just feeling a little off, I guess. Camp’s great, but there’s this... thing.”

There’s a pause on the other end of the line before Emma pipes up. “Ooh, sounds like someone’s got boy drama.”

“Shut up,” you mutter, even though a smile pulls at your lips. “It’s not like that.”

“Oh, but it totally is,” Jane interjects. “I can hear it in your voice. You sound all conflicted and mopey like the time that Joshua Hong rejected you in freshman year. Spill, (Y/n). What’s going on? Is it about Mingyu?”

You bite your lip, unsure of how to explain everything without sounding completely ridiculous. You hadn’t let slip about your feelings towards Soonyoung on any of your previous calls, even if you had mentioned him before. “No, it’s about someone else - my co-leader, Soonyoung.”

You can hear your friends cooing through the phone.

“It turns out we were campers here together when we were kids, and he just didn’t tell me. Now that I’ve figured it out, he’s avoiding me, and I don’t know why.”

“So… wait,” Emma says slowly, as if piecing it all together. “You knew him when you were kids, but he didn’t tell you who he really was until now?”

“Exactly,” you sigh. “I didn’t remember because he’s so different now – I mean he looks different, and he used to by really shy - but now that I know, he’s been dodging me. Every time I try to talk to him, he slips away. It’s like he doesn’t want me to know the truth.”

Jane’s voice is thoughtful when she finally speaks. “Okay, so let’s break this down. Why do you think he didn’t tell you?”

You shrug, even though they can’t see you. “I don’t know. Maybe he thought it didn’t matter, or he didn’t want to dredge up old memories.”

“Or maybe,” Emma chimes in, “he thought it would change how you saw him.”

You blink, taken aback. “Why would it change anything?”

“Because he’s not the same person anymore,” Emma says matter-of-factly. “He’s confident and outgoing now, right? Maybe he’s worried you’ll only see him as the shy kid you remember instead of who he is now.”

That thought hadn’t even crossed your mind, and you let it settle for a moment. Soonyoung was so sure of himself now, but was there a part of him that was still afraid of being that quiet, overlooked kid?

“Okay, but that doesn’t explain why he’s avoiding me now,” you say. “I just want to talk to him and clear the air, but he won’t give me the chance.”

Jane speaks up this time, her voice firm. “Well, then you’ve got to stop waiting for him to come around. You’ve got to force him to talk to you.”

“Force him?” you ask, feeling a bit unsure. “That doesn’t sound like a good idea.”

“Not literally drag him by the collar or anything,” Jane says, laughing softly. “But you need to be direct. If he’s not coming to you, then you go to him. Corner him somewhere he can’t run away. He obviously has something he’s not saying, and the only way you’re going to get answers is if you stop giving him the option to avoid you.”

Emma agrees immediately. “Yeah, if he’s not going to be brave enough to face it, you’ve gotta take the lead. You’re (Y/n), for crying out loud. You’ve never been one to back down from a tough conversation.”

You chew on your lip, their advice sinking in. They’re right. You’ve been waiting, hoping that Soonyoung would come to you, that he would explain himself. But that’s not going to happen. If you want answers, if you want to figure out why he’s been avoiding you and what’s really going on, you’ll have to be the one to confront him.

But the thought of it makes your heart race. “What if he’s just avoiding me because… I don’t know. Maybe he doesn’t want to be friends anymore?”

Jane’s laugh is sharp and confident. “If he didn’t want to be around you, he wouldn’t be this weird about it. He’d just be distant and chill. This sounds more like he’s scared or confused. You’ve got to talk to him.”

Emma’s voice softens, more serious now. “Look, the worst thing you can do is leave things unsaid. You’ll drive yourself crazy overthinking it. So just corner him somewhere, ask him straight-up what’s going on, and don’t let him avoid the conversation.”

You take a deep breath, feeling a mix of anxiety and determination settle over you.

“Okay,” you say, nodding to yourself. “You’re right. I’m going to talk to him.”

“Damn right you are,” Jane says, her voice filled with pride. “And, oh my god, can we just quickly mention that I was totally right about your summer romance.”

You choke out a laugh, your head falling back. “Don’t forget that he currently won’t speak to me, let alone actually like me back.”

Emma scoffs, booing down the phone. “Nuh, uh. I don’t want to hear that negative speak. You’re going to find that boy, force him to talk to you, and then jump his bones – I can feel it in the air.”

“Okay, I’m going to hang up now.” You crack up, unable to contain the joy from chatting with your best friends again. Despite Emma’s proclivity for vulgarity, you can’t help but feel a sense of home radiating from the phone.

In spite of your threat, you do actually want to hear about how your friends are doing, what they’re up to now that they’re home from their holiday. You spend the next hour or so chatting, laughing, and feeling a whole lot more like yourself again.

The first rumble of thunder that afternoon had been distant, barely a low grumble on the horizon as the campers gathered in the west building for their activities. By the time that dinner started, the sky has darkened dramatically, thick clouds rolling in like a blanket over the campgrounds. A sudden gust of wind sends the trees swaying, and the smell of rain is heavy in the air.

You have been leading a group of campers in a silly skit, testing their acting abilities with some bastardised version of Shakespeare. Their laughter bubbles through the room as the first flash of lightning streaks across the sky. The crack of thunder that follows seems to shake the whole camp and, just like that, the power flickers out.

The mess hall is plunged into darkness, the only light coming from a faint glow of the evening storm outside. A collective gasp goes up through the room, and the campers freeze, their eyes wide as they look around in fear.

“Alright, guys, no big deal!” You hear Mingyu’s voice call out from across the other side of the hall. “The power’s just taking a little break.”

A second bolt of lightning lit up the hall, and the windows rattled with the booming thunder that followed. This time, a few of the younger kids whimper, and one of the older ones calls out, “What if the storm gets worse? What if we’re stuck here?”

You feel a flicker of doubt, but before you can speak, a familiar voice cuts through the nervous chatter.

“Hey, come on, guys. This isn’t a storm – it’s an adventure.”

Soonyoung strides to the front of the room, his expression completely unbothered, his signature grin firmly in place. Even in the dim light, there is a calmness radiating from him that instantly shifts the mood. He rubs his hands together, as if gearing up for some grand plan. “You’ve all seen movies, right? Power goes out, storm rolls in… that’s when the real fun starts.”

A few campers exchange glances, clearly intrigued, and you feel a wave of relief as the attention shifted from fear to curiosity.

“And what we’re going to do,” Sparks jumps in, joining Soonyoung at the front. “Is make this the most epic camp night ever. No electricity? No problem. That just means we get to tell the best stories.”

As the kids begin to chat between themselves, a spark of excitement now overtaking the room, you gather with the other counsellors to work out a plan.

“Fairy and I will go and get some torches and candles, make a nice cozy atmosphere while we’re waiting for the power to come back.” Mingyu suggests.

“Great, and I can lead a story time, get the kids distracted.” Sparks adds, and Hatter nods in agreement.

Mingyu’s brows furrow for a moment, looking around the room. “We should probably get Old Bill to go check the breakers, see if we can turn the power on.”

“Oh, no need, I can go check them!” You say with a cheerful grin, wanting to be as helpful as you can.

“Are you sure?” Mingyu checks with a frown. “Maybe someone else should go with you.”

“Soonyoung should go.” Gecko pipes in, and you see her giving you a look in your peripheral vision.

Soonyoung hesitates for a moment, before nodding.

“Okay, cool, and Gecko and Ace can work on some snacks and drinks for everyone?”

As everyone agrees to the plan, you feel a sense of opportunity. Soonyoung is going to talk to you tonight, whether he likes it or not.

The loud bangs and rustling of the storm prevents you from any conversation on the way to the breaker room, leaving you filled with tension as you slam the metal door shut behind you. Soonyoung is in front of you, flicking on the battery-powered lights in the room as you lock the door.

He glances around at you for a second, before turning back to the breakers. “So, I guess we just switch them off and on and see what happens?”

The dim light in the breaker room flickers overhead as Soonyoung turns his attention to the row of switches. You watch him quietly, your heart racing—not from fear of the storm, but from the sheer weight of everything you’ve been wanting to say to him.

For a few moments, neither of you speaks. The distant rumble of thunder fills the silence between you, and the occasional burst of lightning lights up the small, cramped room. Soonyoung seems entirely focused on the breakers, flipping one switch after another, as if the problem at hand is just the electrical outage and not the unspoken tension hanging thick in the air.

“Soonyoung.” Your voice comes out a little sharper than you intended, but it gets his attention. He freezes for a second before turning to face you, his expression guarded.

“Yeah?” He asks, his tone too casual.

You cross your arms, feeling the frustration you’ve been bottling up for days bubbling to the surface. “We need to talk.”

He glances back to the breakers, clearing trying to avoid your gaze. “About what? The power should be back on in a few minutes.”

You step closer, not letting him dodge the conversation this time. “Not about the power. About you avoiding me. About why you didn’t tell me who you were.”

He sighs, running a hand through his hair. “This really isn’t the best time-”

“No,” You cut him off, your voice firm. “It is the best time. You’ve been avoiding me for days, and I’m tired of pretending like nothing’s wrong. I want to know why you didn’t tell me. And why you’re acting like … like you don’t even want to know me anymore.”

Soonyoung finally turns to face you fully, and there’s a flicker of something in his eyes – guilt, maybe, or regret. He doesn’t say anything for a long moment, the silence stretching out as the storm rages outside.

“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t think it mattered,” he says at last, his voice low. “Back then … I was different. I wasn’t like I am now, and I didn’t want you to think of me as that shy kid from all those summers ago.”

You stare at him, processing his words. “So you just pretended we didn’t know each other?”

He lets out a frustrated sigh, shaking his head. “No, it’s not that. I didn’t think you’d remember me. I barely talked to anyone back then, and I figured it didn’t matter.”

You feel a pang in your chest at his words, at the thought of him feeling like he had to hide part of himself from you. “But I did remember you, eventually. And when I did, you started avoiding me. Why, Soonyoung?”

He flinches at the sound of his name. His jaw tightens, and for a second, you think he’s going to deflect again, but then he takes a deep breath. “Because I was scared,” he admits quietly, his eyes meeting yours. “I didn’t want that version of me to affect how you see me now. I’ve changed, and I didn’t want to mess up whatever this is by dredging up the past.”

“So you thought that hiding it was better?” You ask softly.

“I thought it was easier.” He corrects. “But clearly, I was wrong.”

The frustration that had been simmering in your chest starts to ebb, replaced by something else—something softer, more understanding.

“You know,” you begin, your voice gentler now. “I love how fun and adventurous you are, how you’re so great with the campers and that I can never predict what you’re going to do next. But I liked that kid too. Sure, he was quiet at first, but I thought he was really funny and sweet when I got to know him.”

You move forward, feeling a surge of confidence in the dim light of the breaker room. You feel your hand reaching out to grab his, and his fingers are smooth and warm under your grasp. He looks a little taken aback at first, but then his grip tightens around your hand and you feel your heart beat rising. “I don’t just want to know one side of you, Soonyoung. I want to know all your sides, but you didn’t even give me the chance to figure that out because you kept pushing me away.”

He looks down at the floor, his shoulders slumping slightly. “I didn’t mean to push you away,” he mutters. “I just … I didn’t know what else to do.”

He looks impossibly pretty under the dim light, his hair hanging in front of his eyes, wet from the rain. His lips are slightly ajar, and you can tell his breathing is slightly ragged from how close you are standing.

“What are you so scared of?” Your voice is the quietest it’s ever been, the question coming out as little more than a whisper. You can feel his fingers flex away from yours for a second, before renewing their grip on your hand.

“I’m scared that I’m the only one feeling this,” He responds, his voice just as quiet. Your heart pounds in your chest, and you’re certain he must be able to hear it. “I thought – I don’t know, maybe you did too, but then I saw you talking to Mingyu and I wondered if it was better to just keep my distance.”

“Mingyu?” You blink, startled by the confession. “What about him?”

His eyes flick up to meet yours, and you can see the vulnerability there. “Come on, (Y/n). Everyone else can see it, even the kids. You even admitted it at the party, and I knew I had no hope then.”

Your breath catches in your throat, the weight of his words settling over you like the storm outside. You open your mouth to respond, tell him he’s wrong, but the power suddenly flickers back on, the lights buzzing to life around you.

The sudden brightness makes you blink, and in that split second, Soonyoung turns back to the breaker box, flipping the last few switches into place as if nothing had happened.

“Well, the power’s back,” he says, his tone abruptly casual again. “We should probably get back to the others.”

Your heart sinks. The moment is gone, and Soonyoung is already slipping away again. You want to stop him, to make him face everything he just said, but the door to the breaker room creaks open, and Mingyu’s voice echoes down the hallway.

“You guys good in there? Power’s back on, thank god!”

Soonyoung doesn’t even glance at you before he heads toward the door. “Yeah, we’re good. Just flipping switches.”

You stand there for a moment, watching him walk away, your mind swirling. And as the storm rumbles outside, you realise that this conversation is far from over.

Soonyoung leans against the stack of crates in the activity shed, trying to look busy, but all he can focus on is the knot in his stomach. The conversation in the breaker room with you, the almost-confession, the avoidance – it all keeps replaying in his head, and none of it makes sense to him anymore.

He knows he should talk to you, that much is clear. But what’s the point? You’ve got Mingyu, haven’t you? The way you laugh with him, how comfortable you are around him. If he had to admit it, that’s why he’s been holding back all this time—because deep down, Soonyoung’s afraid he’s already too late.

The door to the shed swings open, and sure enough, Mingyu steps in, looking for something on the selves. Soonyoung tense, inwardly groaning. This is the last person he wants to see right now.

Mingyu, oblivious to the turmoil brewing inside Soonyoung, grabs a soccer ball from one of the shelves and tosses it in the air. “Oh, hey! You good, man?”

Soonyoung shrugs. “Yeah, fine.”

Mingyu raises an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. “Really? Because you’ve been avoiding me for the last few days, and (Y/n) for like two weeks. What’s going on?”

Soonyoung’s jaw tightens. He doesn’t want to have this conversation. Not with Mingyu. But the frustration is bubbling up, and before he can stop himself, the words slip out. “What’s the point, huh? You and her… it’s pretty obvious.”

Mingyu catches the soccer ball mid-toss, frowning. “What are you talking about?”

“You and (Y/n),” Soonyoung mutters, running a hand through his hair, avoiding Mingyu’s gaze. “It’s clear you two like each other. I don’t want to get in the way of that.”

For a second, there’s silence. Then, Mingyu lets out a laugh—an actual, full-blown laugh, so loud and sudden that Soonyoung jerks his head up in surprise.

“What?” Soonyoung snaps, his frustration rising. “What’s so funny?”

Mingyu shakes his head, still chuckling as he sets the soccer ball aside. “Dude, are you serious? You think me and (Y/n) are into each other?”

Soonyoung blinks, completely caught off guard by Mingyu’s reaction. “Well… yeah. I mean, you’re always together. She used to have a crush on you, and it’s pretty obvious you guys get along.”

Mingyu sighs, running a hand over his face, as if trying to figure out how to explain this to a five-year-old. “Okay, first of all, that was years ago. She had a crush on me when we were kids. And second, (Y/n) and I are just friends, man. There’s nothing going on between us.”

Soonyoung stares at him, still trying to wrap his head around what Mingyu’s saying. “But… I’ve seen the way you two are. She’s always smiling around you.”

Mingyu rolls his eyes. “Yeah, because we’re friends, and she’s a friendly person. But that doesn’t mean she has feelings for me. Trust me, dude, if she liked me like that, I’d know. And I don’t know, because it’s not happening. If anything, she’s been trying to figure out what’s up with you.”

Soonyoung’s chest tightens at those words. All this time, he’s been avoiding you because he thought he didn’t stand a chance, when in reality, he was the one making things complicated.

“Look,” Mingyu says, his tone softer now. “(Y/n) likes you. I don’t know how else to say it. That fact that you don’t know it already is crazy to me, but apparently you don’t. And as your friend, I have to tell you that if you keep acting like this you’re going to ruin your chances.”

Soonyoung lets that sink in for a moment, his thoughts spinning. He feels like an idiot. All this time, he’d assumed the worst, convinced himself that you and Mingyu were something more, when in reality, he’d just been too scared to face his own feelings.

Mingyu pats him on the shoulder. “You’ve gotta stop running. Go talk to her. Be honest. Otherwise, you’re going to lose her before you even get the chance.”

Soonyoung lets out a deep breath, feeling the weight of his mistake settle over him. He knows now that there’s only one thing left to do. He has to find you, talk to you and explain everything.

Soonyoung’s practically sprinting through the camp trying to find you. There’s an air of desperation from Mingyu’s warning, and he feels like if he doesn’t solve this now then you’ll never forgive him. He can feel eyes slowly turning towards him as he skates through the campfire area towards the mess hall.

He’s got one mission. He needs to tell you the truth, even if you reject him and tell him to never speak to you again. It’s not Soonyoung’s style to not take the risk, and he needs to stop reverting back into someone he’s not anymore.

The large expanse of mess hall is full of people, whose gaze all turns on him as he slams open the large wooden doors, but you aren’t there. He takes a second to scan the room once more, feeling slightly crazed, before running through to the kitchenette.

He’s already checked the main and west buildings, and if you’re not here then that means you can only be out in the forest or in your cabin. He’s debating whether going into your cabin would be over the line as he steps back out towards the mess hall doors.

“Hosh, you alright-”

“Sorry, no time!” He cuts off Sparks’ questioning, making a mental note to explain later. He practically stumbles as he barrels back outside. His heart is racing, his pulse pounding in his ears, and all he can think about is finding you. He has no idea what he’ll say, but he knows he can’t let you keep thinking he doesn’t care, that he’s been avoiding you out of anything other than fear and his own stupidity.

The air outside is thick with humidity after the storm, the ground still wet beneath his feet. He jogs toward your cabin, his thoughts swirling. If you’re not in there, if you’re somewhere in the forest, he’ll search every inch of camp until he finds you.

And then he sees you.

His throat feels like it closes as you appear in the distance, and his feet falter.

But even as he hesitates, you’re moving closer, practically marching towards him. He can now see that you’ve got this determined look on your face that is making your cheeks puff up in such an endearing way.

“Kwon Soonyoung!” You yell, your voice even firmer than when you’re scolding one of the campers.

He gulps his fear down, willing his feet to start moving again. “(Y/n)…” He calls back, sounding far less confident than he intended.

And then you’re in front of him, an accusing finger pointed at his chest and reddened cheeks betraying your frustration. You seem so angry at him, but it’s the complete opposite of your normal character and he thinks that it makes you look so cute. “This needs to stop, right now. You need to tell me the truth, because I can’t stop thinking about you and it’s completely ruining my mood. I don’t know what delusional story you’ve thought up about Mingyu and I, but it’s not true, and you’re using it to dodge your own feelings. I won’t take one more day of this-”

Soonyoung reaches out to push your hair out of your eyes, his hands lingering on the sides of your face. He completely interrupts your rant, causing you to freeze. Your eyes are wider than he thought was physically possible, lips still parted in a half-finished sentence.

The moment is here now, and he’s going to be brave. “I like you, (Y/n), much more than as friends.”

A small gasp leaves you.

“I’ve thought that you were the best person I’d ever met since we were kids,” Soonyoung continues, his voice shaking slightly but his determination unwavering. “Back then, I didn’t have the guts to tell you, and when we reconnected here, I told myself I’d do it different. I told myself I’d be confident, but … I messed it up.”

He takes a deep breath, gathering the courage to continue. “I’ve been scared stupid that if I told you how I felt, I’d ruin everything between us. And then I was jealous about something that wasn’t even true.”

You blink, your hand reaching up to cover his own. “Soonyoung…”

“I like you,” he repeats, stepping closer, his voice softer now. “Not just as a friend. I like the way you laugh even when things get tough, the way you look after the kids, the way you make everything feel lighter. You make everything better just be being around. And I know I’m not always the best at showing how I feel, but I’m done hiding it.”

The words hang between you, heavy but freeing at the same time. There’s a slight, uncontrollable tremor in his hands as he waits for your response.

“I…” You swallow, trying to find the right words. “I didn’t know … I didn’t know you felt this way. I thought you were avoiding me because…”

“Because I was an idiot,” Soonyoung finishes, offering a nervous lopsided smile. “And I didn’t know how to handle my feelings.”

You don’t respond for a second, and it settles inside him that you’ve still not told him your own feelings. The same anxiety that he’d felt before lurches up into his throat, and he has to will himself to be patient and let you have time to process everything.

He watches your lips part and close again, clearly struggling to find the right words. He feels almost certain that it’s because you don’t know how to let him down nicely, and begins to pull his hands away from your face.

But then, you surge forward and before he realises what’s happening your lips are on his, warm and a little chapped, but so soft, so gentle, that his mind goes completely blank. For a split second, Soonyoung freezes, his heart slamming in his chest as the realisation hits him: you’re kissing him. You’re kissing him.

The rush of warmth floods through him, his anxiety melting away as he melts into the kiss. His hands move back to cradle your face gently, puling you closer and deepening the kiss just slightly, as if afraid you might slip away.

When you finally pull back, your faces are still close, your breaths mingling in the cool night air. Soonyoung’s heart is racing, his mind spinning, but there’s a calm that washes over him – a peace he hadn’t felt in days. The weight of his confession, the fear of rejection, all of it had been for nothing. You kissed him.

He searches your eyes, still not entirely convinced this is real. “Does this mean…?” He trails off, almost too afraid to ask.

You smile softly, your hand still resting on his cheek. “I like you too, Soonyoung. I’ve been pining after you since he first met – I honestly don’t know how you didn’t see it.”

He lets out a breath he didn’t realise he was holding, a smile spreading across his face—one so wide, so genuine, that it almost hurts his cheeks. Relief floods through him, a wave of happiness so strong that he can’t help but laugh softly.

“I can’t believe this,” he admits breathlessly. “I really thought I’d screwed every up.”

You laugh too, your eyes crinkling at the corners as you shake your head. “You did, but not beyond repair.”

Soonyoung chuckles, his forehead resting against yours. “I’m sorry for being such an idiot.”

“You’re forgiven,” you reply, your voice light, teasing. “But next time, don’t wait so long to tell me how you feel, okay?”

He grins, his heart swelling in his chest. “I promise. No more waiting.”

For a moment, the two of you stand there, the tension and uncertainty finally gone. And then, he reawakens to the rest of the world. Soonyoung’s eyes widen in horror as the reality of where you both are crashes down on him. The echo of cheers and catcalls rings through the air, carried by the counsellors and campers alike, all watching the two of you from across the clearing. His face burns with embarrassment as he quickly spins around, spotting Gecko and Sparks practically doubled over with laughter, while Fairy’s clapping enthusiastically, a wide grin on her face.

You, meanwhile, are giggling uncontrollably, your hands covering your flushed cheeks as you try to hide.

Soonyoung wants to disappear into the ground, but he can’t help the laugh that escapes his lips. The situation is too ridiculous to feel anything but mildly horrified and amused at the same time. He scratches the back of his head, turning to face the crowd again as he raises a hand awkwardly.

“Well, uh... surprise?” he calls out, his voice cracking slightly.

The crowd erupts into more laughter and teasing applause, a chorus of “Finally!” and “About time!” floating through the air. Mingyu, standing in the front with a smirk, shouts, “Took you long enough, Hoshi!”

Soonyoung glares playfully at him. “Yeah, yeah, alright, I get it!”

You’re still beside him, peeking through your fingers, but then you glance up at him with that familiar sparkle in your eyes, and all of a sudden, the embarrassment doesn’t seem so bad anymore.

Soonyoung lowers his voice, leaning in closer to you. “Well, at least now we don’t have to hide it,” he jokes, trying to play off his own mortification.

You giggle, your blush fading slightly as you finally uncover your face. “I guess not,” you say, a shy smile tugging at your lips. “Still, couldn’t you have waited until we were somewhere a little more… private?”

He laughs, rubbing the back of his neck. “To be fair, you were the one who stormed up to me.”

Before either of you can say anything more, Sparks bounds over, eyes wide with mock excitement. “Oh my gosh! The drama! The romance! How scandalous!” he exclaims, fanning himself dramatically.

Gecko saunters up behind him, shaking her head with a grin. “You two are worse than the campers. Could you not have waited until after lights out?”

Soonyoung groans, burying his face in his hands for a moment. “Okay, okay, we get it, we’re the camp’s entertainment for the night.”

But when he glances over at you, he can’t help but smile. You’re still laughing softly, your eyes meeting his with an affection that makes the whole embarrassing spectacle worth it.

Soonyoung looks down at you, his expression softening. “You okay?” he asks quietly, just for you to hear.

You nod, your smile widening. “Yeah. I’m good.”

He grins back at you, his heart feeling lighter than it has in days. “Me too.”

You bound out towards the camp entrance, your hair messily crimped by some of your campers, t-shirt stained, and a wild grin smothering your face.

Screams of excitement meet you as you round the wooden ‘Camp Logan’ sign and spot that familiar pink Honda hastily parked on the side of the road. The sight of your two best friends is more than you can handle, and you rush to pull them into a big group hug.

“Oh my god, I missed you guys so much!” You cry out, grabbing Emma and Jane in a tight embrace, your heart bursting with joy. Their laughter fills the air, just as loud and chaotic as you remember, and it feels like no time has passed at all since you last saw them.

Emma pulls back first, grinning from ear to ear. “We missed you too. Look at you! You’re a total camp disaster in the best way possible.” She flicks a playful finger at your hair.

Jane raises and eyebrow and smirks. “Uh-huh, and what’s with the expression? You’ve got that ‘something happened’ face on.” She pokes your arm teasingly, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. “Spill.”

You laugh, trying to act nonchalant, but the truth is bubbling up inside you, ready to burst. “Well... okay, a lot has happened,” you admit, biting your lip as you try to contain your excitement.

Emma immediately gasps, leaning in closer. “Oh my God, you’re glowing. This isn’t just camp fun, is it? Tell me Jane’s prediction came true?”

“Well, technically no.” You start, pausing to watch the excitement fall from their faces into confusion. You lips quirk into a smirk. “You said that I’d have a fling with a mysterious counsellor that I’d never see again, and I know, for sure, that I will be seeing him again.”

Emma’s jaw drops, and she grabs your shoulders, shaking you playfully. “WHAT? You’ll what?! Tell us everything right now.”

You can’t help but grin as you launch into the story, telling them about the confession, the camp’s accidently audience, and the time you’d spent together since. They listen intently, reacting with gasps and giggles, hanging on every word.

When you finish, Emma practically squeals, throwing her arms around you again. “This is so cute, I can’t handle it! And the whole camp saw?! You’re living in a rom-com!”

You beam, happiness radiating from your chest. “I have both of you to thank for it – your advice definitely worked.”

Jane laughs, unlocking the trunk. “Here, pass me your trunk and then we can catch up on all the details. We brough snacks and drinks for a mini picnic – you can tell us more about your camp romance while we stuff our faces, and we’ll give you all the updates of what’s been happening in the real world while you’ve been stuck in camp. There’s so much gossip.”

Jane’s hand reaches out to grab your trunk, before noticing that you’re not holding one. Her face scrunches up in confusion for second, before she follows your gaze which has turned back down the woodchip trail.

“Sorry, I was just helping a kid find his parents.” Soonyoung smiles widely, one hand swinging into a wave, the other holding your case. You can hear a small gasp of shock leave your two friends, and cannot help but bubble with pride.

You run forward, grabbing the case from his hands and setting it down next to the car. Slipping your hand into his with a reassuring smile, you lead him over to your friends. “Guys, this is Soonyoung. This is Emma, and this is Jane.” You introduce everyone, your heart full as all of your favourite people meet.

“Nice to meet you both, I’ve heard a lot about you!” Soonyoung grins.

Emma looks at you, quirks an eyebrow, and then spins back round to your boyfriend with a smirk. “I’d hope so. We are the most important people in her life. Although, apparently, we’ll have to make room for one more.”

You laugh, seeing the blush creeping up Soonyoung’s neck. “I hope that’s not too much trouble for you.” He replies with a soft smile.

Jane moves forward, handing the picnic bag over to him and linking his other arm with hers. “If you tell us all the embarrassing things (Y/n) has done this summer, then we’ll consider you accepted.” She chuckles, leading the group back towards the camp.

You fall behind for a second, happy to see your friends and Soonyoung already chatting like they’ve known each other for years. Your heart swells at the sight, and you smile up at the camp archway with gratitude.

“Come on!” Emma’s arm links with yours as she pulls you out of your thoughts towards where the others had gone. You laugh, stumbling to keep pace with her.

“What do you think?” You whisper in a low tone.

Emma hesitates for a second. You feel slightly nervous waiting for her response, but then a smirk breaks out across her lips. “He’s so hot, (Y/n). You will tell me if you got some, right? You can wait until later if you’re scared other people will hear, but I won’t believe you if you tell me that you didn’t.”

You burst out in laughter, shaking your head at your friend’s familiar antics. “You’re unbelievable.”

Summer camp may have been coming to an end, but you can truthfully say that you’re now even more excited for what comes next.

[daryl-dixons-wife2211]

SURVIVING TOGETHER

Daryl Dixon X f!reader

Chapter 1:Invisible strings

When I moved to Georgia, I didn't expect to be living in Hell. I moved under the impression that I could reinvent myself amongst the peach trees and the southern hospitality. Instead I'm cowering in my van with my dogs, listening to the sound of the end of the world- the sound of the walking dead.

—-----------------------------------------------------------------

I shouldn't have made so much noise. I thought we were safe out in the woods, but each day that goes by is a harsh reminder that nowhere is safe- nowhere. I'm out of breath from running, but my two dogs and I managed to make it to the van without being eaten alive. The only thing is, now the van is surrounded by the dead. The dogs, a five year old husky and his German shepherd little brother, are perfectly still and I try to mimic their silence. The windows are shrouded by curtains that I'm glad I hung yesterday. Maybe if we're quiet, they'll go away? I'm at least hoping that's the case. I'm still trying to learn the rules for these freaks.

Hours pass as I lie low, but the dead persist, their relentless scratching becoming almost rhythmic. Amidst the chorus of frogs and rustling leaves, their dreadful moans are all I can focus on. After a while, the scratching seems to lessen, but there's still at least 5 of them surrounding the van. I'm too tired to care anymore- I'm not going anywhere soon and neither are they, so I finally close my eyes to attempt at least a nap. The peace is fleeting, lasting all of 3 minutes before I can't take it anymore. I fling my eyes open. I guess we'll be here all night.

I sit for what feels like several more hours, thinking about what to do if these freaks aren't gone by morning. I'm about to start forming Plan F, when I feel the dogs start to perk up. I wouldn't pay much attention, if it weren't for their ears frantically swiveling like little satellites. They hear something, and it's not anything dead.

I sit up as much as I can, and try to peek through the corner of the window. About 30 feet away I see two figures hiding behind a couple trees. I watch as they stealthily bob and weave closer- one with a gun, the other with a crossbow. This could either be really bad, or my saving grace. The dogs get restless as the gun shots start to sound. They're being so good, so quiet, but I can feel the anxiety rising up in them.

More gunshots and a few arrows later, the dead are all...well...dead. I quietly grab a rifle I keep under the passenger seat, anticipating the worst. I can hear them now that the freaks aren't making noise. Those figures turn out to be two men- great. I prop the gun against my shoulder and listen as they start to argue.

"Who the hell cares? Let's move on." the shorter one with the crossbow says. "That damn van has somethin' in it. Why else would they be around it like that?" the second man bites back. I freeze. I did not like his tone- this is not going to be good. "The sons a'bitches are stupid. There's nothin' in there." the first man hurls back. I can't make out what the taller one replies, but whatever it was, it irritates his friend. The shorter one stomps over to the truck and I tense with fear and anticipation. Mumbling curses the whole way, he reaches the van and the dogs get into position, waiting for my command. The man puts his hand on the door handle and I place my finger firmly on the trigger. I take a deep breath in and the man rips the door open.

We both freeze, crossbow and rifle pointed at each other. He looks a little surprised, so I'm not sure he really expected to see anything, or anyone, in here- much less two big dogs. The dogs don't growl, which is unusual for them, but their bodies are still stiff with anticipation in case I give the signal to attack.

The man and I just look at each other. I can't read his expression, but he's not making any other move towards me, so I don't make any towards him. An unexpected stillness settles between us. The longer this goes on, the more I'm able to take him in and, quite frankly, he's gorgeous. Not like, Hemsworth brother gorgeous, but like, random stranger you cross paths with at a gas station gorgeous. Hot enough that it momentarily erases the danger I felt before. His eyes, a piercing blue, betray no malice. Men usually trigger some sort of fight or flight response from me, but not this one. I have no idea what makes me feel this way, but he seems...safe? He keeps staring deep into my eyes and I'm ensnared. Silently, he puts one finger to his lips, signaling for me to stay quiet. His steely blue eyes look me and the dogs up and down and he slowly lowers his crossbow. The way he's looking at me is so soft, so gentle. I can't tell what he's thinking, but against my better judgment, I lower my rifle. He looks so deep into my eyes I forget where I am, until, that is, I hear his friend yell "You find anything? What's in there?". I wait for the man to sell me out, but he doesn't. "Nah. Nothin' in here. Just a few empty beer cans" he calls out in the raspiest voice I've ever heard. I swear I even see him smirk a little as he closes the door and joins his friend. I watch out the window in disbelief as he fades into the night. After they're gone, it takes me until almost daybreak to settle back down. My mind races, and I can't stop thinking about it.

I get the feeling that man saved my life.

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

A few days had passed and, thankfully, I hadn't crossed paths with the men again. That is, until the screaming started. I had been sprawled across the front seats of my van reading a book, my favorite in fact, when the shrill sound echoed amongst the trees. I drop my battered copy of Pride and Prejudice on the floorboard and jolt to a seated position. I was born with a crippling need for peace and justice, so deciding to investigate and potentially solve a problem for someone was a no-brainer. I hop out of the driver's seat and slide the van door open. Gesturing inside, I call for the dogs. Maverick and Kai both leap out of the woods, following my command. They leap in the back of the van and I slide the door shut, then climb back behind the wheel.

With all the echoing, I can't pinpoint the sound of the screams, so I just drive in the general direction. I find a dirt road that seems to be following the path nicely, so I hop onto that. I seem to be getting closer to the cries for help and soon come upon a circular clearing about an acre around. The screams all make sense now, as I gaze upon not just one person, but a whole group of people- the most I've seen since the world was engulfed into madness. Men, women, and even children are huddled back to back in a circle, surrounded by the dead freaks. They're fighting as hard as they can, but they're never going to make it. There's too many of them and they don't have very much to defend themselves with. Desperation is written all over their faces, but for me, this will be cake. I might even have time to read some more before it gets dark.

I drive further into the clearing and stop about 50 yards away. No one even notices me until I get out of the van, which, coincidentally for me right now, is actually a police van that I stole out of the Atlanta P.D. parking garage when everything went down. I've never gotten to use any of the toys inside it, so this will be fun. I slide the back door open and look my sweet boys in the eyes. "If you boys do a good job and help these people I'll give you both some peanut butter." I say, cradling their snouts in my hands. I let them jump down onto the grass and giggle as they wait, tails wagging furiously, for my command. "Alright boys- CAST".

The dogs speed off towards the group in peril as I work on turning the red and blue lights atop the van on. I grab the old iPod I scavenged and plug it up to the van's speaker system. At this point the dogs are running in circles between the scared people and the walkers that surround them. I watch as the people look stunned, but no less scared. I almost giggle to myself, as I think about how shocking the sight must be, but then I notice something. Amongst the group of people is the man with the crossbow. You've got to be kidding me- I haven't run into people in a week, how have I run into this man twice in 4 days?

I guess at this point I owe him one, so I'm filled with an even greater sense of need to help these people. I grab my iPod again and navigate to the first song I see, "American Idiot" by Green Day. I grab the hand held microphone connected to the van's megaphone and call out, "HEY FREAKS! OVER HERE!" I hit play on the song and turn the volume up to the max. It roars across the clearing, causing most of the undead to slowly turn and begin their crawl towards me. "Mav, look back. Kai, come by" I command the dogs, instructing Maverick to catch the stragglers and Kai to keep herding the main group as they limp towards me. I wait until the herd gets about halfway to the van before I turn it around and creep slowly away. The freaks have completely abandoned the frightened group and have eyes only for the flashing lights and music pouring out of the van speakers. Mission accomplished.

"Alright boys. Come here." I use the megaphone to call again. Maverick and Kai race back to the van and leap in through the side door I left open. "Good boys." I praise them. We drive off with the freaks following us, never letting them get too close. I shoot one last look at the group we just successfully saved. Their puzzled expressions amuse me, but I can't help but picture what would have happened if I wasn't there with just the right equipment at just the right time. I used to think the world was scary. Now, it's a living nightmare.

After 30ish minutes of driving the herd away, I decide to lose them and speed up, turning the lights off and the music down. I can't stop thinking about the man with the crossbow. I guess we're even now, but I don't want even. I want to figure him out- I want to be near him. Why do I feel this way? I should just be grateful I've survived another encounter with him and move on, but I have a gut feeling this won't be our last meeting. As I drive I think about his captivating eyes raking my body up and down and how I wish they'd do it again.

Looks like I was right. I do have enough time for another chapter before dark.

—--------------------------------------------------------------

I didn’t sleep well last night. Yesterday’s events have been replaying in my head relentlessly. I moved to Georgia to be alone. I wanted that. After everything I had gone through, I just needed space, but now I can’t help thinking about my family back home. Can’t help but wonder if they’re even alive, or if they faced a scene similar to what nearly happened to that group yesterday. Did they have someone looking out for them, too?

I should’ve been there for them. I shouldn’t have left. I’m trying not to beat myself up about it- after all, how was I supposed to know the world was going to end? The isolation is getting to me though- I just want my family back. I dry the tears that have been slowly running down my face for the past hour and look out amongst the woods from the tree I climbed and settled in earlier. I don’t know where the dogs have wandered off to, but I hope they’ve found themselves a rabbit or something. They wouldn’t eat yesterday, no matter how many times I tried to feed them the cans of spam and vienna sausages I had. It's almost like they know I don’t have much food left. I’m not really sure what my gameplan is out here, but I do know I don’t plan on outliving these dogs for very long. With my family being on the other side of the country, these sweet dogs are all I’ve got keeping me going right now.

My pity party is interrupted when I start hearing footsteps. My eyes scan the woods below until I see a man crouched behind a rock and rub my eyes again. I have to be seeing things, because there’s no way I have run into the crossbow man for a third time. I follow his line of sight and see the object of his fascination. It’s a deer, and a beautiful one at that. I watch as he lifts the scope to his eye and takes aim. He’s never going to make that- there’s too many trees, he doesn’t have a good vantage point, and there’s a slight breeze. He settles in, waits a few seconds, and pulls the trigger. His arrow goes soaring towards the animal, but hits a tree about 3 feet from it. “Dammit.” I hear him mutter to himself.

With little to no thought, I decide to do something crazy and aim my rifle at the deer. He’s going to need this deer for his group and I’ve got a perfect view. I line the shot up, take a breath, and pull the trigger. The deer goes down from an absolutely flawless shot, if I do say so myself. I quietly celebrate my success and look down to find the crossbow’d man is not only very surprised, but he’s not alone. I should’ve thought this through a little more.

I count about four men total. “Guess you guys weren’t holding me up after all. Which one of you just shot that?” my mystery man asks. The other three just stare at him. “We were together the whole time and none of us shot anything.” one man wearing a baseball jersey says, very nervously. “Where’s my brother? Must’ve been him then.” he surmises. The man with his shirt tucked in replied in a thick drawl, “He went to piss. Left his gun with us.” They all look at each other perplexed. Wordlessly, they all take up their respective weapons and start scanning around them. Three of them keep their eyesight level, but Crossbow Man starts scanning in the trees above. He must be a hunter. I quietly sigh- I didn’t really consider what might happen after I shot the deer. I guess I’m going to have to do a big reveal before Crossbow Man sees a dark figure in the tree and shoots me down. If I’m going to get shot I’d at least like credit for the deer first.

I grab my backpack I had lodged in between branches, toss my gun on my back, and make the descent. I’m almost completely down before they even hear my movements. They all whirl around and watch me plop on the ground. Only two of them have guns, but they’re both pointed at me, so I put my hands up in surrender. Crossbow Man, however, is looking at me with a mix of wonder and amusement, crossbow dangling at his side.

“Who the hell are you?” the one with the drawl demands. “Hey! It’s Green Day!” baseball jersey laughs. “What the hell are you talking about Glenn?” the same man questions. “She’s the one who saved us yesterday! The girl with the dogs!” Glenn says, getting more excited with every word.

“Why the random acts of kindness? What do you want? Where are the dogs?” the first man rapid fires questions, gun still drawn and taking a step towards me. All valid questions, but I don’t enjoy his vibe. Something about him seems off, but I can’t quite figure out what it is.

“Nothing- I swear. Look, I just saw your friend miss the shot and I had a clear view so I thought I’d help. I know you guys have kids. It’s not a big deal, really. I’ll leave now. The deer is all yo-” I get cut off by two long, low, disembodied growls. Dang it. The boys are back.

The men all jump and look like they’re about to pee themselves. One man even drops his gun. “Eeeeeasy boys. These guys are our friends.” I say to the dogs, still hidden somewhere waiting for their cue to “handle” the situation. “You guys might want to lower your guns, they make the dogs nervous.” I warn.

“Shane, she was up in that tree and we didn’t even know. She could’ve gunned us all down and she didn’t. She saved us yesterday and she didn’t have to. She doesn’t want anything.” Glenn argues. “Just put your gun down before we get mauled.”

“I’m sorry, they’re just protective. They won’t actually hurt you without me giving the order. Boys, heel.” I call, slapping the outside of my thigh gently. Maverick and Kai reveal themselves and heel to my sides, heckles still slightly raised. “I’m leaving now. Shoot me if you must, I guess.” I say, turning around slowly. I take all of three steps before Glenn yells for me to wait. I turn back around to see him whispering something to Shane. He signals for the other two men to join and I wait while they furiously discuss something, Shane still pointing that stupid gun at my torso. It looks like whatever it is, Glenn is winning. I suddenly remember the Crossbow Man, and glance over at him. He’s watching me very closely. My cheeks heat up, and I tear my gaze back towards Shane and Glenn. Shane finally looks at me again, and slowly lowers his gun.

“Glenn over here seems to think you’d be a good addition to our group.” Shane says, clearly irritated. “How’s about you stick around?”

“For what? To be an extra three mouths to feed? If you haven’t noticed, the dogs are a little attached to me. It’d be a package deal.” I counter. Now they’re the ones making me suspicious.

The last man, the one that dropped his gun, finally pipes up, “With a shot like that, you seem like you’d pull your own weight. I’m Jim by the way. What’s your name?”

“...Y/N”, I confess, looking at the three of them. Glenn certainly seems safe. Jim seems alright. I definitely don’t like Shane, but I’m not sure if he’s necessarily dangerous. I look back at the crossbow’d man, still watching me closely, and ask him, “what do you think?”. I can tell the question throws everyone off a bit. He takes a second, looks at the other men, twitches his jaw, then says, “these are good people.”

Good enough for me. I’m about to say as much, when a fifth man emerges from behind the group and says “Well hello Miss. Officer. Fancy seeing you way out here without any of your asshole bodyguards. You still got those handcuffs? Me and you might need those later this fine evening.”

“...MERLE DIXON? You’ve GOT to be kidding me.” I blurt out loud.

“Wait- you know each other?” Glenn asks?

“Unfortunately,” I reply, my voice dripping with disdain, “I hope that doesn’t change your mind.”

Merle waltzes over to me with a shit eating grin, but before he can get anywhere close, both dogs start barking their heads off. He gets the message and backs away, hands up in surrender.

Glenn just smiles, happy as can be, “Nope! You can still come!”

“Cool- I’ll come,” I say as nonchalantly as possible- don’t want to get too excited and make Shane even more suspicious. “My van isn’t far. If you guys work together we can throw the deer in the back and drive it to wherever you guys are staying.”

“You’re not going to help?” Jim says, looking at me.

Hmm. Maybe Jim needs to be on my watch list too. “I shot it? Do I have to do everything?” I throw back at him.

Crossbow Man laughs. I almost forgot he was there, but looking at him again suddenly has me putting the puzzle pieces together. I look at Merle in shock. “Daryl?” I say pointing at the man with the crossbow. “Yes Ma’am. Told you I was the good lookin’ one.” He says. I cannot believe society has collapsed and animated corpses are roaming around feeding on living flesh, yet I have still managed to run into Merle Dixon in the middle of the woods- and to top it all off, the mystery man I’ve been daydreaming about comes from the same gene pool.

Fantastic.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------

[dear-space-cadet]

the human fear predictions, song-by-song

i see this album being a follow-up to right thoughts right words right action in a sense. a lot of the songs here started appearing, at least somewhat, in 2016. i think there were plans for a rtrwra follow up that was more 'on-theme' but it got scrapped due to ffs, and then alex got obsessed with disco for a little bit and hired a synthpop twink on guitar. now that we're back to somewhat normal, i think it's time for the post-rtrwra songs to shine. i also see a lot of the ychismb+2005 b-sides motifs happening here already (swallow smile, wine in the afternoon, l. wells, jeremy fraser, ghost in a ditch, walk away, fade together). alex appears to be the primary lyric writer now too so that influences everything you are about to read

overall -- rtrwra without the american southwest influence/rtrwra not produced by todd terje; ychismb+2005 b-sides with less edge and more age

playlist of what i think the general vibes will be

audacious

already out so i will not be doing this one. i personally rate it around a 3/10 for my own tastes

everydaydreamer (4/10)

another "children of the world" "be a good person" chorus

'political' but doesn't take an actual stance (like paper cages or huck and jim)

miaoux miaoux synth riff

really throws off the rest of my predictions but i feel like we ease into the farmhouse truck stop from peepeetown to poopooville shit in the back half

the doctor (6/10)

evil eye spiritual successor

a good song but the imagery will make me uncomfortable or alex will not be singing well so i'll just tune it out (similar to treason animals)

potential itao reference? (buckle up)

hooked (10/10)

THEE banger of the album

i have high hopes for this one

they let dino cook. and cook he will

potential spiritual successor to fabulously lazy. a girl can dream

build it up (5/10)

this is a crowd-pleaser live song and will not be made any better with a studio version

if you like it you like it. it will not be made any better or worse with a studio recording. why is this even on the album

night or day (8/10)

this might be the one where alex 'plays the game' lyrically

spiritual successor to right action. "now how can we leave you to a saturday night or a sunday morning"

alternatively it could be a very "i'm there for you" "be a good person" song and rank around 3/10 but i want to ignore the potential for that. i dont want that to be true

tell me should i stay (5/10)

either a typical alexing with all the usual alexisms or the spiritual successor to bullet

clara feature (they make audrey anna-prior-it-out live)

potentially just a nick/manuela diss track again, which is actually the better outcome

cats (2/10)

just the stupidest shit ever

likely instrumental

either a big band flop OR a julian synth moment (which would bump it to a potential 6/10)

could also be "frogs" from the 2016 LP5 tracklist, but renamed to represent the cat imagery in franz now. if so, very farmhouse, very truck stop instrumental moment. potential 6/10 there too

or alex doing an alex. time will tell. it will suck

i pray for a second steckrube mention but it's unlikely

black eyelashes (8/10)

in my heart this is a fade together/walk away follow-up. maybe an eleanor boots follow up

potential nick mccarthy diss track. they might hit the pentagon here

could also be a clara love track but i doubt it being so obvious after what happened with ms eleanor

i need to love this song sowwyyyy if it sucks it's not my fault

could also be a black tuesday/scarlet and blue revision (bc i see black tuesday as a revision of scarlet and blue already) but that is wishful thinking

bar lonely (9/10)

first seen in 2016 and likely written beforehand (nick + paul influence plus pent-up feelings)

idk if it'll be good, but i do have high hopes bc it's been in the chamber for so long

this could also be the one where they hit the pentagon on nick. likely not but the title gives roasting a guy. this could also be the bullet follow-up but i doubt it if it was written sometime between 2014-2016

the birds (7/10)

spiritual successor to the universe expanded

existential. a bit overdone, but that's whatever

also potential walk away tie-in bc of the alfred hitchcock's the birds post-war tie-ins there

maybe another 'political' yet stanceless song focusing on modern anxiety, like the theme of the birds

ends with birds chirping like fade together

that is all i have for you. feel free to add yours or tell me what you think. i'll come back to this in january

[decadentpandawasteland]

Hi! This is just a continuation of my Revenge series.

As always, thank you for reading. Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated :)

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

Damien made his way to his house. He would have referred to it as his home, but it stopped being a home the moment she had been taken from him. He still hasn't fixed the broken hinge on the door from when The Brood's thugs had kicked it in. He could still hear it. The sound of a boot meeting wood. That thunderclap of wood shattering. The terrified scream when they had come in and grabbed her right in front of him. That was the night when the house was no longer a home. It became just a reminder of what he had lost. It had been almost a month since that night, but to Damien, it had felt like lifetimes. Time may heal wounds, but can it truly heal a torn apart soul?

“They will pay. They took Rhea from me. They took my home and the family we were building. They will all pay,” he thought to himself. His mantra, his new reason to live, to burn out the rot of The Brood by any means necessary. He'd gladly use himself as kindling if it meant they'd all burn.

Just as he turned onto his street, a female voice called out to him. “You want them all to burn too?”

The sudden shattering of the silence stymied him before he turned around. It was a woman alright. She was a little over five feet. White hair spilled out of the hood that shadowed her face. Her cloak had no discernable markings, which was strange in and of itself. There should have at least had a house or faction sigil on it.

“Depends on who's asking and who they're asking about,” Damien said, finally pulling the words together.

“Oh just a friend and you know who I'm talking about,” she said. Damien could have heard something in her voice but couldn't put his finger on it.

“No, I know my friend's names. So I'll ask you again. Who are you and what do you want? Be careful with what you say, I won't be asking a third time.”

“My name is Wryn, “she said.

Damien waited for more to add or at least for her to take her hood off. Her white hair offsetting the darkness of the hood. It reminded Damien of watching the stars with his father in the fields when he was younger.

“Okay Wryn, can I help you with something or can I go to the house now?” Damien asked while not attempting even a little to hide his annoyance. Schemes needed to be planned, money earned, and research to be done. Time had become a precious commodity to him now and he wanted to milk every drop out of it.

“You feel it, don't you? That fear and death that seems to permeate through the town? That's from them and from that Bastard. They've turned your own people against themselves. One mistake and it'll either be prison or being hung. Is that you want?” Wryn asked.

There was a long moment of still silence, no wind, no animals or insects made a sound. It was as if the entire world stopped for Damien to answer. Slowly, like rusted metal trying to move, he shook his head. Wind picked back up, frogs began to sing their lullabies, bugs began their chorus.

“Then what do you want?” Wryn asked. Even without seeing her face, Damien could feel the manic stare in her eyes, the manic anger and rage that burned in him, burned in her as well.

In something less than a whisper Damien said “They will all pay.”

Wryn tilted her chin up, letting the moonlight catch her ivory skin, and Damien saw her madman grin, so wide it threatened to rip her face in half. It was the same feeling that burned in his chest. An eternal fireplace using every part of him as kindling. Finally, she said, “Good. Let's make every part of those fucks pay in blood.”

[archerestarcher]

Actually to expand on my tags (see screenshot below) as a post...

I'm gonna list which Marina songs are in each of my OC playlists that have them.

Asuka Akiyama

Hermit The Frog (because she has an abusive father and works for an abusive Ringleader in the Circus, and in general I felt it fit.)

Sugar Berry

Bubblegum Bitch (here's the bitch who was originally based on the song-)

Venus Fly Trap (I mean she do got the beauty and got the brains- lmao- it'd take a lot to explain why this whole song fits but it does trust me)

Ancient Dreams In A Modern Land (Considering how much she hates being half-angel, I just really like the chorus for her. Also in general it fits for lots of other reasons.)

Setsuko Hisakawa

Primadonna ("I can't help that I need it all" just.. yeah. Yeah. She wants (and is mostly successful tbh) to use her looks to get everything she wants.)

How To Be A Heartbreaker (I mean she is polyamorous and does keep a lot of partners, but she has also had a lot of one-night-stands, and a lot of people she hasn't kept as partners)

Youta Hoshino

Seventeen (Well, he's 17. But honestly despite it being the title and part of the chorus, that's the least relevant of all the points. This song is related to his opinion on his father, who abandoned his mother the moment he knew it was gonna be twins, and only came back when both twins got famous. Oh, and the "bet you wish I couldn't speak" hits harder since Youta's twin (Kei) is mute.)

Yasu Mizushima

Solitaire (As much as I do have a lot of ships for her nowadays, that doesn't change how she's used to being mostly solitary, other than to protect her adoptive brother from their dad (biological to the brother, adoptive to Yasu) who is abusive. ...Also, as much as I haven't yet made a certain character British in any way, "I'm in love with the ice-blue grey skies of England" does make me think of one of my ships for Yasu. I mean, Masahiko has both ice-blue eyes and ice-blue hair yknow-)

Tomomi Sakamoto

Oh No! (As stated in the tags I screenshotted, I use this song and the next for overworkers a lot. Academic themed overworkers specifically, though. Either way, Tomomi is a lawyer at just age 18 because she worked fucking hard for it. Obviously she has the issues related to that, but also she clearly has drive. She wants to afford a place for her and her 4 siblings to all get to live in, away from her parents. She'll work her way up to that as hard as she can.)

Are You Satisfied? (I also use this song for overworkers, so I feel I already explained this one with my explanation for Oh No!)

OCs with no Marina songs: Roselle Berry, Shinobu Fujioka, Daichi Hino, Kei Hoshino, Rina Kuroda, Aina Midori, Heramya Riadie, Haruka Sakamoto, Masahiko Takeuchi, Kentaro Yasuda, Michi Yoshioka, Kokoro Yukimura.

.

I may take a listen through some of the Marina songs I don't know and see if they fit anyone lmao, but already I've shown the versatility of her songs here.

everyone knows "character playlist challenge no mother mother songs" blah blah but these only cater to the limited pool that the OP chooses. i want some REAL fun so tell me in the tags what artists you would ban for yourself. yes you can include the classic stereotypes, live your truth

[stellabfly]

Swynwrimo Task 3 - Short and Sweet One Shots

Excerpts from Mjaunie

Task List

Ten Snapshots of Star's life in Mjaunie @menodoramoon (just bc she's mentioned a few times lol)

“Oh, shit!” She exclaimed as the pillars came crashing down around her. Glossaryck cleared his throat. Heckapoo seemed unbothered by her language, but Baby shook her head disapprovingly. As did other members of the commission. How unladylike, one of them muttered. Stella’s cheeks flared which only got more disappointed looks. “Sorry,” she mumbled.

She was five when she caused her first accidental fire with her magic. She was seven when she caused her first intentional one.

“I don’t wanna go in the grandma room!” young stella protested. Her mother looked at her confused. Stella pointed at the portrait hall, “the grandmas eyes are scary, they keep following me!”

Her feet kicked in rhythm as she sat by the stove on a stool, listening to her father hum an old song. Stella knew all the words, but Mama doesn't like it when she sings them. Something about it being a 'drinking song', and 'inappropriate' (one of the biggest words Star knows!) but that didn't make sense to a four year old Stella. You couldn't drink songs. And songs couldn't drink things, either! When Papa got to the chorus and started singing the words, Stella belted along with him.

"This is for me?" she had asked, almost afraid to touch the wand. It had been her mother's, and her mother's mother's. All of the grandma's had wielded it. "Don't you need it?" but her mother had assured her she had her own wand as well, and that Stella was at the age she got the family wand. She thanked her mother and took the box. She didn't take the wand out for three days, afraid it wouldn't like her.

Her mother said it came with being a Butterfly, but that didn't make sense to Star. She poked at the hearts on her cheeks. What were they? The Commission wanted them to hide them. Her mother hid hers most of the time. Star knew she was supposed to, but she could never really figure out how. Whenever her emotions ran too high, there were the hearts. She had gotten used to it, but she didn't think she'd ever grow used to the stares some people gave her whenever they appeared.

The dress was itchy. The food was boring. This was apparently a very important dinner and Stella had to be on her best behavior. But she and the other family's kid just kept sticking their tongues out at each other across the dinner table. Stella's mother cleared her throat, and they both stopped messing around.

"Why do I have to be a countess? That sounds boring." Young Stella whined during one of her history lessons. "I wanna go tame dolphins or live with seals or something… not learn about stupid boring treaties and doctrines." This earned her a tired look from her mother. She pursed her lips, resting her head in her hand as her mother went on about the history of Mjaunie trade cycles and relations.

"Would you ever kiss a frog?" Star asked, her head resting on the boy's shoulder. They'd been friends for a while, one of the few she had because his parents were also of 'high importance.' They were both still so young, though. twelve, at the oldest. Maybe he was already thirteen? He had made a face at her question, but then after a moment, he leaned over and kissed her. On the mouth! Stella shrieked and punched him in the stomach before running away.

Her room was mostly packed up. Her bed remained but nothing that made it hers. Her stuffed animals in boxes to be put away or brought with her, her blankets folded neatly in the closet. The only part of the castle that had ever felt like a place she belonged was gone. There was no room for her here anymore. She tried not to cry as she shut her bedroom door. The only thing that kept the tears from flowing was the fact that she refused to let her mother see her cry over this anymore.

[biormight]

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[hops-hunny]

Just a Flight Away

Pairing: Neville Longbottom x Ilvermony!Reader

Word Count: 2.8k

Request N/A

Summary: Neville has a cutie who lives in America but no one seems to believe him.

Warnings: None! 

A/N: This isn’t a request but it’s based off of me rambling here and slightly off of the vibe telepatia by Kali Uchis gives off.

If there was one thing Neville was thankful was it was the absolute goddess he got to call his girlfriend. It was funny the way they first began talking to one another. (Y/n) had been trying to contact a friend at Hogwarts but after the long trip from Ilvermony to Hogwarts, her owl was quite exhausted and ended up bringing the letter to Neville instead. Neville saw the poor bird, giving it a bit of bird seed and water that he kept in the green house before he set off to find the rightful owner of the letter. Luckily he had 3rd period with the girl who thanked him before excitedly yanking the letter from his hands. When Neville went to go check on the owl, he saw that it had already left, leaving a heart shape in the bird seed.

After that day, Neville hadn’t really thought about the incident that much. Well, that was until he saw the same owl fly towards him with a letter in its mouth. He smiled fondly at it rubbing under its chin with his finger before going to give the letter back to the owl until he noticed it had his name on it.  He ripped it open, careful to not damage the envelope before reading the letter.

Dear Neviile,

Thank you so so so much for getting the letter to Gwen! Gwen is a good friend of mine who I had been missing dearly and if not for your kindness she would have never received my letter. 

As you may be able to tell from the seal on the letter, I attend Ilvermorny school of witchcraft and wizardry. I've heard of how grand and great the infamous Hogwarts is, is it true? How is England in general? I've never had the pleasure of traveling out of America.

Oh yes! The main point of this is as a thank you, I've attached a package of my favorite American sweets as a token of my gratitude. The package is enchanted which is why it's so small. To restore it to its original state, place it on a flat surface before tapping it with the tip of your wand.

Sincerely,

(Y/n) (L/n)

Neville felt his face grow warm at the girl's kindness. (Y/n). 'What a beautiful name..' he thought to himself before pulling out the galleon sized package from the envelope. He pushed aside a few plants on the table in front of it before placing the package down, tapping the top with his wand. He gasped, watching in amazement as he saw the package expand. Neville wasn't quite familiar with this enchantment, perhaps he'd ask her about it in his response. His cheeks turned a brighter red. Response?

Did she want to speak to him more? He didn't want to assume but by her letter and her asking questions, it made it clear that this wasn't the last exchange she wanted to have. Was this a prank? Were the Weasley twins up to this? There was only one way to tell. Neville reached a shaky hand forward, opening the package as he closed his eyes expecting something to pop out at him but when he opened his eyes there was nothing but a box of snacks he had never seen before. He let out a sigh of relief, ignoring the racing in his heart.

After that, Neville and the girl started to talk quite a bit. Months had turned into years and he couldn't have been happier. It felt nice to have someone he could talk to, someone far away from all the hustle and bustle of the castle. To her he wasn't the kid with unfortunate luck or the "cowardly" boy in Gryffindor. He was just Neville, her boyfriend. Neville, her kind boyfriend in another continent, far away. 

(Y/n) loved Neville just as much. It wasn't that she never had suitors approach her. In fact, she had quite a few. (Y/n) was what you could consider popular, not that she cared. She was kind, smart, and beautiful. Who wouldn't want that? However, she always felt like none of the men who'd approach her got her. They all just saw her as a beautiful woman instead of what she was, a normal girl deserving of love. That's why she liked Neville so much. No matter what he always treated her with the utmost respect and that hadn't stopped when they started to date either. 

When the two had first exchanged photos, Neville was stunned. He had been talking to that beautiful of a girl? He couldn’t believe it. It was as if Olivander himself had sculpted and carved her out of the best of wood. She had glowing (s/c) skin, soft healthy looking (h/c) (h/c) hair, and a smile that could compete with the sun on its brightest of days and win. And when he found out she was single? He would’ve been a fool not to make a move. Angels as sweet as (Y/n) didn’t come around that often. 

And although their relationship was as great as can be there was the underlying sadness: they lived across the world from one another. Every time either of them would see a couple hug or kiss in school, they’d feel a twinge of jealousy pierce their hearts. It wasn’t fair that the most perfect person in the world was off enjoying themselves in their respective countries. Although (Y/n) tried to ignore it, Neville was the type to bring it up. He’d describe in the most beautiful of words what he’d do if they were together. How he’d hold her in his arms and show her off to all of his friends. Where he’d take her on a date, the plants he wanted to show her as they were both herbology geeks. Meanwhile she’d end each of the letters discussing this topic with the same phrase as usual. ‘You know I’m just a flight away. If you wanna I could take a private plane.’ He could never ask that of her though. As much as he’d love everyday to be filled with his flower, he wouldn’t wanna rip her away from the things she had going on in her own life.

It wasn’t all bad though! After the girl had taught him the charm she used when she first sent him something, they both would send each other gifts back and forth as much as possible. Neville sent her sweaters with his scent embedded, charmed flowers, chocolate frogs, anything she wanted was hers. She’d send her own things to remind him of her as well. Her favorite stuffed animal, loads of photographs, little crochet hats she made for Trevor, more...unsavory things as well definitely not her underwear. Despite the increase in objects Neville owned, none of his friends had questioned it until he started to wear a necklace with a heart shaped piece of onyx on it with the letter (Y/f/i) carved into it.

“Oi! Neville. Where’d you get that necklace from?” Ron questioned his friend who sat across from him in the Gryffindor common room. The boys had all decided to study together which of course turned into Neville studying as they goofed off. Neville tensed as his cheeks heated up turning a pink color.

“O-oh um..it’s from my girlfriend.” He said, saying the last word as soft as possible. He prayed to Merlin that his friends hadn’t heard him but unfortunately for him they had. It wasn’t that he didn’t want anyone to know about her. It was far from that. He was just a bit protective, he didn’t want anyone to try and steal her from him. Even though it was impossible since they had no contact with her, he never knew when it came to his friends. They always found a way to make the impossible possible.

“What year is she in?!”

“Who is it?!”

“No way, is she fit?!”

He finished at the chorus of voices, trying to calm them down so he could speak. They all scooted closer to him, looking up at him expectantly. “Well you see..” he trailed off, looking away as he played with the pendant around his neck. “She doesn’t go here. She attends school in Ilvermorny. But to answer your question, yeah she is bloody fit.” he responded, turning his attention back to the scroll of paper in front of him. Dean, Ron, and Seamus exchanged a look with each other trying to suppress their laughs.

“Yeah I’m sure she does Nev.” Dean said sarcastically as he joined the other two in laughter. Neville looked up at his friends confused at their behavior.

“Yeah Nev, if your nan sent it you could’ve just told us! Better than saying you’ve got a girl halfway across the world.” Ron said, pushing the boy slightly as he continued to laugh at him. Seamus was doubled over, snorting with laughter as fire whiskey shot from his nose causing the other two to howl with laughter.

“It’s not from my nan! My girlfriend really did send it to me.” he exclaimed, smacking Ron on the back of the head, before doing the same to the other two men. “Besides, you have some fucking nerve accusing me of lying when none of you have birds yourself.” he sneered, causing the boys to quiet down some.

“So harsh Neville, you didn’t have to go there mate! Well what’s this ‘girlfriend’ of yours called.” Seamus asked, doing air quotes as he mentioned the topic at hand. “You’d think it was a bit strange too if your friend suddenly mentioned a girlfriend who lived all the way in the states too wouldn’t you.”

“(Y/n). And I’ll have you know this isn’t a new thing. We’ve been dating since around 2nd year. Sure, I’d find it a bit strange if you mentioned a girlfriend in America that you had never brought up prior, but I wouldn’t find it impossible! Now if you excuse me, I have to go.” he quickly stood up, packing up his materials as he stormed off to the direction of his dorm. He sped up, ignoring the protest and begging of his friends to come back and continue to hang out with them. He had enough of them and he wasn’t gonna sit there and let himself be called a fucking liar by Hogwart’s biggest ones.

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

“Did you guys hear? Students from Ilvermony are supposed to be coming to visit!” Ron said, running up to the other four boys. “I’m just picturing how hot all the girls from the states are gonna be. All hot and leggy with those bloody accents. I could combust just thinking of it!” he exclaimed, flopping down on the couch. Neville gasped softly, looking up. Did he hear him correctly? 

“Where’d you hear that from? I didn’t hear anything of the sorts.” Hermione questioned, looking up from her book at the interesting news she had just heard. However, Neville was still frozen. Was this true? And if so, why hadn’t (Y/n) mentioned it. No, no it couldn’t be. She surely would have told him.

“I just overheard it from Dumbledore himself. They should be arriving in a few minutes! They’re staying here for a few months. It’s a part of this new thing that they’ve set up. Something about wanting the students to learn different methods and what not. They decided it’d be a good idea since summer is coming soon.” he said nonchalantly, looking over at Neville who hadn’t moved since the news left his mouth. He went to question what was up with him before his eyes lit up, recalling the conversation they had a few months ago. “Hey Neville? Didn’t your supposed ‘girlfriend’ go to Ilvermony.” the boys all suddenly interested began to ‘ooo’ exchanging looks with each other.

“See Neville, this is why you don’t lie. Lies will always come back to bite you in the rear. Perhaps Ronald i-”

“I wasn’t lying, Hermione! She really does go to Ilvermony.” he exclaimed, standing up as he wiped his hands on his pants. All of a sudden, there were the sounds of a bunch of American accents speaking which caught all of their attention. Many different students in Ilvermorny uniforms (some without them) roamed freely to explore the large and intense castle.

“God you weren’t kidding Ron, the girls are bloody fit.” Dean muttered, eyeing some girl who gave him a wink before giggling and running off with her friends. “Woah look at that one, are you kidding me? She’s a fucking goddess!” Neville’s curious hazel eyes followed his friend's words as he saw a familiar shade of (h/c) hair styled in the way his girlfriend wore it. Wait, was that his sweater? 

“That’s not just some fucking girl, that’s my girlfriend!” Neville exclaimed, standing up from his seat.

“No chance.”

“You couldn’t pick a more believable one?”

“Prove it then.”

Neville went to say something before the girl turned around, locking eyes with him. She gasped, tearing up some as she pushed through the crowd of people running to him as quickly as possible. “Nev! Neville babe, is that you?” she exclaimed. Neville’s face flushed brightly taking in the girl’s appearance. She had worn the first sweater he had given her, a mossy green sweater with an obscure pattern, with a pleated skirt pairing it with a pair of boots. Neville nodded his head quickly, holding his arms out as the girl ran into him almost knocking him over. He picked her up, spinning her around quickly before setting her down, holding her soft face between his hands.

“W-what are you doing here?! You never told me you were coming to visit!” he exclaimed, wiping at the stray tears that had left her eyes. He moved his hands from her face securing them around her waist as he stared down at her. God she was even more beautiful in person.

“I wanted to surprise you! I actually found out a few weeks ago and let me tell ya, it was SO hard not to tell you!” She giggled, reaching up to stroke his cheek. He leaned into her touch, smiling at her. “I didn’t think it was possible for you to get even more handsome but bloody hell. You’re so fucking hot, Nev.” she said, feeling her face heat up. Neville flushed a bright red before leaning down, kissing the girl on the lips. She pulled him down more, wrapping her arms around his neck as she kissed back. The kiss was full of the love and affection they had both been craving from one another. (Y/n) tangled her hands in the back of his hair as he deepened the kiss, moaning softly. They both jumped away from one another at the sound of someone clearing their throat. “Ah sorry! Nev, are you going to introduce me to your friends?” she asked looking up at him as she intertwined his large hand with her smaller one.

“I suppose I will, even though for some reason they thought you weren’t real.” he quipped, glaring at the four boys who looked away ashamed. “From left to right there is Harry, Ron, Dean, and Seamus. And over there,” he said pointing to the big arm chair in the corner. “That is Hermione.” he said as they all muttered ‘hi’ and ‘sorry’ from some of them. (Y/n) giggled some, waving at them all.

“It’s very nice to meet you all! Nev talks about you guys all the time in his letters. Oh!” She said, eyes looking at his chest. She reached a hand forward, grabbing the engraved onyx in her hands. “The necklace I gave you!! You like it? I think it looks really good on you.” she exclaimed with a smile, happy her boyfriend enjoyed the gift she gave him. Neville once again looked at his friends chuckling some at their wide eyes.

“Of course I do, petal. I wear it everyday, everywhere I go. Right guys.” he teased, watching as they all stuttered out ‘yes ‘yep’ ‘sure does. “Come on flower, I’ll show you around the castle. I know you’ve been looking forward to that for a while. Also, you look quite cute in my sweater.”

“Thank you. I wear it quite often, even though the smell of you has worn off it still brings me good memories.” she said, playing with the slightly worn out sleeves of the sweater. “I’d love to!! Can we check out the greenhouse first? I wanna see that plant you were talking about. Maybe we can work on identifying what species it is!” he nodded in response, taking her hand once again as they began to walk off. Before they turned the corner, he quickly turned his head around using his unoccupied hand to flip off his friends before turning his attention back to his lover.

“Who would’ve thought? Longbottom with an absolute fox.” Ron said, slumping back down as he frowned. Hermione took the book she was reading smacking him upside the head.

“Maybe if you knew how to treat women you’d be with one too.”

[peachyysugaa]

blood castle i. || enha 02z

♚──────────────────────────♚

♜ main pairing: vampire! 02z x gn! reader

♜ genre: hogwarts au, mystery, fluff/angst

♜ wc: 2k

♜ warnings: mentions of blood (pg13), purposefully lowercase

♜ other pairings: lisa x namjoon, slight rose x jungkook

♜ a/n: disclaimer that i don't actually ship these pairings, i just find it fitting for the story :] also kinda boring chapter but we're setting things up <3 also hearts at the end of each chapter to keep track of how oc gets along with 02z hehe lmk what you think!

♜ index: teaser | next | masterlist

♚──────────────────────────♚

i. make the most of it

"what will i do when you're both gone? jennie just left and you two are next!" you pout in your train seat as your best friends exchange teasing smiles. as you get closer and closer to hogwarts, you can't help but keep thinking about rose and lisa inevitably graduating this year.

"i don't know y/n, maybe find some friends your age?" lisa teases. you groan outwardly, tilting your head back.

rose, the ever-exemplary hufflepuff, extends her hands out to yours on the table and grabs hold of them. you stop your obnoxious groaning to stare back at her kind smile. "lili has a point, y/nie. it wouldn't hurt to branch out this year so that lisa and i don't have to worry about you."

your eyes widened. "worry?! what's that supposed to mean?"

rose lets go of your hands to cover her mouth as she laughs while lisa is losing it. the gryffindor 7th year is wiping joyful tears out of her eyes, which isn't helping your case.

you sit, pouting once again and waiting for them to explain.

"two words, y/n," lisa begins while holding two fingers up in a peace sign that you know is anything but peaceful. "you're. clumsy."

"am not!" you defied. your best friends exchange looks once again before raising an eyebrow at you. "tell me one time when i was clumsy!"

"remember that time you tried to shut a mandrake up by putting your hand on its mouth and then it bit you?" rose asks.

"oh! that was so funny!" lisa says, trying to hold back her laughter. "my favorite is when she made a lizard instead of a mini dragon in transfiguration but then it burned her eyebrows off!"

as they share your most embarrassing moments, your ears begin heating up and all you want to do is transfigure yourself into the train seat.

"i stand corrected..." you mumble out unwillingly.

"we love you, y/nie. we only want someone to look out for you when we graduate," rose says as lisa nods.

"fine, fine. i get it, moms."

"you love us."

"yea, yea, i love my two moms who come after my clumsiness all the time."

"as you should, now let's get changing. the train is almost at school."

the older hufflepuff was right. you could see the tall towers of the second home you've come to love in the distance as you glance out the window. this year may be bittersweet since the last of your friend group would be leaving you behind, but you were determined to make the most of it with them and perhaps make some new friends this year.

"i'll stay to keep our spot, you two go ahead," lisa tells you and rose.

"going to text your joonie?" rose teases. the gryffindor's ears have a red tinge at the sound of her nickname for her boyfriend.

"just go before the changing rooms fill up," she mumbles. but as you close the door to your shared booth, you can see that she has already pulled out her phone with a cheeky smile as she waves hi on facetime with namjoon who is slightly older than her and currently working as a magizoologist for the ministry.

you smile to yourself, remembering their relationship when you were just a first year. "come on, yn!" rose calls out.

you break out of your daze and see her several feet away from you. "sorry, eonnie!"

you take your hand off the handle, which you didn't register it was still on, and start to move towards her, carrying your blouse, tie and skirt. before you could reach her, you bump into a hard chest.

you hear a deep oof noise from the figure as you rub your forehead.

"i am so sorry!" you hurriedly whisper.

"you're alright, y/n." you recognize the voice and look up to see sim jaeyun from your house and year. "did you hit your head too hard?" he kindly worries.

"i—"

"yn!!" rose shouts.

"sorry, jaeyun," you apologetically smile as you brush past him. "coming, eonnie!!"

you could've sworn he said something like it was nice to see you, but you were far too focused on not letting rose wait any long. she's definitely amicable like most hufflepuffs, but like most hufflepuffs, you probably don't want to see them angry. you should know since lisa says you're already bad hangry.

it's a quick in and out of the changing room and back to your booth where lalisa waits, staring out the window and watching the castle come closer. it's like a wrestler tag team as you and rose high-five her on your way in and her way out. immediately, the two of you settle down and as you get comfortable in your seat, you notice that she's smirking with you, her eyebrow raised.

"why are you looking at me like that, eonnie?" you ask hesitantly. your fingers look more interesting picking fights with each other.

"oh, nothing," she replies, not giving up her smirk. "just wondering when you and jake were close."

"he's literally the same year and house as me. i can't go a year without a class with him."

she hums like she doesn't believe you. "really?"

"really, really."

"really, really, really?" you groan at her response as she starts to giggle.

"do you wanna talk about your crush on jeon jungkook then, eonnie?" she shuts up then and there, and it's your turn to smirk. "thought so."

"that's hogwarts' idol right there, yn. everyone likes him one way or another, so hush!"

"hush about what?" lisa asks as she slides the door open.

"nothi—"

"jeon jungkook." rose glares at you.

"ohh, rosie's crush of 6 years?" your other friend confirms as she closes the door.

"the one and only."

"you know, he and i are co-captains this year for quidditch. you should just come to our practices."

"will he even notice me? i mean..." your focus on their conversation starts to waver as you glance through the door window. outside your door is the familiar trolley witch with all her pastries and drinks, and you can't help but have a craving for your favorite chocolate frogs. you also can't help but notice the other figure with the trolley witch: the very same sim jaeyun you bumped into earlier.

"eonnies, i'm going to buy some chocolate frogs. do you want any?" you ask, keeping an eye on the figures outside your window.

"cauldron cake for me please!"

"let's have every flavor beans for old time's sakes!"

"alright," you say as you slide the door open and close. they go back to their conversation about a plot to get the hogwarts idol that you're sure is bound to go wrong.

"7 blood lollipops please." you hear jake order. you recall him having a large group of friends across different houses and different years, but for all of them to like blood lollipops is quite unheard of.

"you're not going to have all of those, are you?" you ask him, approaching the trolley.

"y/n," he greets with a smile and a shake of his head as he hands his coins to the witch. "no, my friends and i all really like them. i think i would have a headache if i were to eat all 7."

"2 chocolate frogs, bertie's beans, and a cauldron cake please," you order before turning back to him. "does it really taste like blood, or is it just to trick people into thinking you're vampires?"

jake's face pales though it's hard to see because he's already on the pale side and you're counting out your coins to give to the trolley witch. "personally, i think it tastes like cherry."

you hum as you gather your goodies together, and jake is thankful that you're not paying too much attention to how he reacted. "i'll take your word for it."

the trolley witch moves along, doing what she's done for many years and more to come. you're finally focusing on him more now that you have all your snacks and accomplished being a good citizen by paying the fees. your eyes search his face, go past his sharp jawline, and make their way to the shiny prefect badge on his black and gold robes. the prefect engraving is hard to see against the blinding gold of the hufflepuff badge, but it's hard to miss.

"oh, are you a prefect?" you ask curiously.

"yup, so don't stay out too late. i might have to write you up," he teases.

you playfully roll your eyes at him. "please, when am i not a model student?"

"i would say right now because we're about five minutes away from the castle, and you still don't have your robes on, miss l/n," he jokingly tsks at you.

"ahh, but you see, that's not my fault there, mr. prefect," you banter back.

"oh? then maybe i won't have to give you the first detention?"

"well, mr. sim, i was only taking care of my precious eonnies and buying them snacks. i paid my fees and also engaged in conversation with my fellow classmate, so i've been a little preoccupied," you acted out, playing the role of an innocent student.

"hmm.. engaging in conversation with your classmates on the first day does seem to follow the rules," he lightheartedly agrees. jake is about to add more, but his friends call out to him.

"hey, jake, what's taking so long?!"

"you'd better go take care of your friends, mr. sim," you tease. "be a good hyung, won't you?"

his beaming smile causes your heart to skip a few beats. "alright, miss l/n, but make sure not to let me catch you out of uniform." he waves before hurrying to his own booth.

when you open the door to yours, a chorus of oooh's from your eonnies is what you receive. you roll your eyes at them before shutting the door and grabbing your robe. you can see theirs were already on, the equally shining, gold head girl badge pinned on rose's robe.

"i think she'll be just fine on our own when we're gone, rosie," lisa teases as you slip your arms through your sleeves and tuck your wand in your pocket.

"just don't keep one of my prefects distracted, y/nie," rosie adds.

"so long as you aren't distracted by your head boy, rosie," you tease back.

"no way, jeon jungkook is head boy," she gasps at you.

"i don't know, but i just caught you simping in 4k!" you stick your tongue out at her as she whines and lalisa throws her head back in laughter.

"there really is only one choice though, so it probably is him," lisa affirms.

"i swear, if you two are wrong..." rose pouts.

"but if we're not, you'll get to spend more time with him and get to know him instead of just admiring him from afar like everyone else!" you console.

"well, we'll find out soon enough. we're here," lisa announces as she grabs her trunk from the top rack, helping you get yours and rose hers.

"thanks, eonnie! so glad your long legs are so useful!" you thank.

"yah! they'll be useful for kicking you too, ungrateful brat," she jokingly chastises.

"oh no, lisa eonnie is going to kill me!" you shout dramatically. "rose eonnie, save me!"

"it's going to be a long year," she sighs with a smile keeping close behind as you run off the train and lisa chases after you.

jake's expression mirrors rose's as he watches the trio run off to the nearest carriage. a crack forms in his blood lollipop as he sucks on it harder, the sweet taste of blood running across his tongue. "hyung, come on. let's get in the carriage," jungwon calls to him, his own sucker making his words slightly muddled.

"coming," he mumbles, securing his trunk and stepping into the carriage where his 6 friends wait for him.

their fangs are dripping with the blood of the lollipops.

♚──────────────────────────♚

jake: ♥ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ (lvl. 1)

jay: ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ (lvl. 1)

sunghoon: ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ (lvl. 1)

[beyondspaceandstars]

Ribbit

Relationship: Din Djarin x Reader Warnings: N/A, just fluff Summary: Grogu starts trying to get along with yours and Din’s toddler but their bonding over an innocent frog takes a turn thanks to the child’s appetite. A/N: Deepest apologies for this weak title lmao sometimes they come to me naturally and other times they’re forced. either way, i really like this fluffy tale

While Grogu has been around your child since birth, he seemed startled by how things appeared to change very suddenly with the little human.

Compared to Grogu’s growing speed, human babies were fast to do, well, everything. Crawling, walking, talking… One second the human was a drooling baby and the next it was stumbling around trying to grab at Grogu’s ears.

You were sitting in a field just next to the Crest as your daughter picked at the dirt and twigs when you noticed Grogu was looking at her with a curious glimmer in his eyes. He certainly had been around other children before but for some reason, your daughter was extra peculiar to him. Part of you thought he wanted to get along with her so badly while the other part of you thought he was scared of her.

Din was out doing his work, as you liked to passingly call it, and entrusted you to watch the two most special beings in the galaxy. (His words, not yours. Although you didn’t disagree.) He acted like it was such a big deal to leave you three but you assured him you all would be waiting for his return, eager and safe.

You glanced every now and then from the small green child to a book you had sprawled on your lap. Your daughter was absolutely oblivious to Grogu’s fascination which made it even more humorous to watch as he went to pick up a rock and placed it at her feet.

She didn’t look up and you were just about to call for her to pay attention when the child started making his infamous babbling noises. This certainly got your daughter’s attention. She turned from her dirt-playing duties, seeing the rock he had handed her.

Your daughter didn’t really seem as fascinated with it as Grogu had been proudly bringing it over to her. She turned back to her dirt pile. The wide-eyed child frowned and took the rock back. You had just returned to read your book when you heard a little ribbit coming from next to you. Looking down, you watched as a frog was making his way, his path headed straight for your children.

Your one child’s history with frogs was certainly an interesting one. The little guy seemed quite captivated with them and while he loved to just put everything in his mouth — a phase you couldn’t believe you witnessed both children go through at, like, the same time — you hoped frogs were simply not on that list anymore.

Alas, you were proven wrong.

When the frog made its way to your daughter, she looked at it with such extreme wonder. She giggled as it did its silly hop on the dirt. She was clapping it along on its journey when Grogu noticed her behavior change and came over to see what was going on. He tried to match her excitement, seemingly just pleased there was something they both could be interested in, but once his eyes landed on the delicious (Well, for him. It wasn’t your taste.) creature he reached out his tiny hands to pick it up. Before you could even shut your book, the frog was in his mouth, tiny legs jiggling about as if it was some comedic bit.

Your heart sank as you watched your daughter panic at the scene she had just witnessed. Tossing your book down, you frantically ran over and grabbed your screaming, terrified daughter. Bouncing her on your hip, you looked down at the green child who, thankfully, had yet to swallow the thing.

"Grogu," your teeth gritted, "spit it out right this second, mister."

He looked between your angry stance and the crying toddler on your hip. With a little sad coo, he opened his mouth and let the frog out. The amphibian sat there, dazed.

You sighed and placed your daughter back on the ground. Her crying was seizing as she saw the frog totally unharmed. You knelt down and cupped the frog with your hands, bringing it to her eye-level.

"He’s okay, love," you whispered, brushing back hair that was getting caught in the running tears. "See? Ready to hop along to his next adventure."

Your daughter sniffled and reached out to pet the frog, which the creature allowed.

Next, you turned to Grogu who was giving you the grumpiest frown. You brought the frog over to him, cautiously letting him inspect the little guy. When he went to pet him, copying your daughter’s movements, the frog let out a loud ribbit, making the child jump away in surprise.

"I think he’s scared," you explained. "You can’t go around scaring these little guys like that. It hurts them. Understood?"

Grogu looked up at you, cocking his head in wonder. He cooed in response and you didn’t know what the hell that meant. You just hoped that would be that but who could ever tell with this little dude. He kept you on your toes that was for sure but you wouldn’t trade him in for anything.

As he contemplated going back to pet the frog again, your daughter started babbling at your side. Thankfully, they were much happier squeals but what got her attention was a mystery to you. You pulled the frog back and followed her gaze until you spotted who was coming up on the field. Din was making his way to you three and, boy, did you have a story for him.

"Who is that, honey?" You asked your daughter who was still giggling with joy. She didn’t quite answer and instead kept pointing. Grogu eventually noticed and joined in the excitement setting off a chorus of happy children.

"Well, hello there, handsome stranger," you stood, releasing the frog in the process. You didn’t have to see his face to know he was rolling his eyes at your silly welcome.

Din went to respond but was cut off by his daughter charging at his legs. Wrapping her little arms around them, she looked up at him in absolute wonder. Grogu mimicked her behavior, equally pleased by their father’s arrival.

"What a welcome wagon we have here," he commented and knelt down to the children’s height. "Have you all been good for mom?"

"Well…" you sighed. Din glanced up. "One of these children tried to eat a frog. Can you guess which one?"

Din sighed and turned to the green child who was becoming a master at looking so innocent around his father. "Seriously?" Grogu didn’t answer.

"And you’ll never guess who witnessed the entire thing," you said, running your hands through your daughter’s tiny curls. This called for another muffled sigh from Din.

"I… How do we even deal with that?"

You chuckled, shaking your head. "I have no clue. There’s no parenting handbook for that one, I can assure you that. I just got him to spit it out and… I don’t know, she seemed to forget about it once you came around."

Din nodded, seemingly okay with the answer. He stood up to face you, picking up his daughter as he went. You mimicked him by cradling Grogu.

"Everything else was okay?" He asked.

You nodded. "Just missed you like crazy."

The child in your arms cooed in agreement, making you crack a little smile.

"I missed you too," he said and looked down at the toddler in his arms. He was thinking, you noticed as his gaze lingered on her, as if trying to remember her or pick out something new. "Maybe I should… do less of this."

"Huh?" You frowned.

"I could be here more," he explained. "I could give help more with these two. You do so much."

You shook your head, "Honey, we agreed. You have your job, I have mine. I think I’m doing okay minus the frog casualty we almost had and, well, then the terrorized child from said incident."

"You’re doing great," he responded and you could tell her meant it. His tone was full of heart and love. The butterflies within you fluttered. "I just want to make sure you’re still okay with it all."

"Love, I wouldn’t still be standing here if I had any issues with anything," you said, placing a quick kiss on his helmet which earned a pleasing sigh from him. "As long as I got these rascals and you’re coming home to me in one piece, what else could I ask for?"

Din let out a humorless laugh. "Maybe for that one to not consume everything that moves?"

You looked down at Grogu in your arms. He looked from Din to you, making a confused sigh. You giggled at his reaction.

You shrugged. "Every child has their quirks."

He turned, unfazed, and started making his way back to the ship. You followed, walking alongside.

"Yeah," Din chuckled. "Can’t wait to see what this ones will be." He nodded towards your daughter who was starting to play the most ungraceful drum solo on her father’s armor.

"I hope it’s something more sanitary," you said, gagging at the memory of that poor, slimy frog.

"Well," he began, "whatever it is, as long as it doesn’t interfere with any training-,"

"We are so not getting into that right now."

"Yes, dear."

[spicycreativity]

Fantasy au moceit fluff, for the ask thing. <3<3

Thank you for the request! And sorry it took so long to fill 😅

I went with a Mushishi fusion. The simplest explanation of Mushishi is that mushi are creatures somewhat analogous to fae/faeries and tend to cause chaos when they interact with humans. So it's Japanese fantasy, but it's still fantasy!

I could go on a whole rant about how Mushishi is such a great reflection of Japanese cultural Shintoism and how Janus as a character rejects that and Patton embraces it, which is a fun juxtaposition because Janus is the mushi-shi in this story, but I won't 😇

Anyway! It's a little under 2k, CW for very mild body/eye horror (Patton temporarily gets afflicted with frog traits that affect his skin and eyes)

The steep mountain path was neither well-worn nor clearly-marked, the ground a uniform carpet of deep green pine needles dotted here and there with pinecones. Still, it was a path Janus could tread with his remaining eye closed. A few wooden signs still stood, though they were mostly grown over with moss. Janus let them be. Very few visitors came to this tiny mountain village, at least by this particular path. He was more interested in the chorus of frog croaks that grew ever louder the closer he got to the village. He thought, though it was hard to be certain, wispy and ephemeral as they were, that the mushi were increasing in density, too. This place had always been a hotbed for mushi, even without Janus' presence to draw them near. It was unusual, he reflected, to hear this many frogs this high in the mountains. The croaks were now a maddening constant, enough to make him wish that he only had one working ear, instead of one eye.

He guarded that wish carefully, in case any mushi with the power to make it come true were nearby. 

He made it into the village unscathed, pausing when he realized that the croaking had stopped. For the most part. He looked around, rubbing his face against the sharp, familiar bite of the mountain wind, cooled further still by the nearby presence of a lake. Now, only one plaintive croak reached his ears. He tried not to let his heart sink, tried not to jump to conclusions, though he set off for the house where his sweetheart waited for him with an uncharacteristic urgency in his movements. 

The life of a mushi-shi did not foster close relationships, and Janus had long since closed off his heart to new connections. Growing close was a one-way journey to becoming hurt, as he could never stay anywhere for long. Yet somehow, on a trip to a lonely mountain village, Patton had slipped through his defenses. They couldn’t be together, not the way they wanted, but they had promised themselves to each other. It was an easy thing for Janus to promise not to love another. The challenge had been in entrusting Patton with his heart. But he had gotten there in the end. In the absence of a proper wedding ceremony, they had simply taken a scrap of the other’s clothing as a token. 

Janus didn’t bother to knock on the door when he arrived. Patton’s door was always unlocked, unbarricaded. To Janus’ dismay, the croaking did not stop upon his arrival inside, and several mushi danced in the corners where the walls met the ceiling. “Patton, love?”

“Don’t come closer!” Patton’s voice was high, tight with panic. “Just wait a second,” he added in a pleading tone. “I’m glad you’re back, but--”

“Having trouble with mushi?” Janus guessed. The singular frog croaks had stopped when Patton spoke. “Please, do keep worrying about how I’m going to react.” he tugged on the scrap of cloth tied to the straps of his woven backpack. It was old and tattered now, no longer smelled like Patton or bore the pattern it had before.

“It’s just…” Croak.

Janus considered. Whatever mushi had latched onto Patton, it was probably affecting his appearance, hence the hesitancy. “Come on, love, let me see. I’ll have you cured in no time.” He paused and thought for a moment. “Besides, it’s not like I’m a paragon of good looks, either. Maybe we’ll match for a bit.” This was only partially true in Janus’ mind. His own looks were inoffensive, but strangers tended to shy away from him, frightened by the piercing gold and slitted pupil of his remaining eye.

It was silent for a moment. Then came the shuffle-scrape of bare feet on wooden floors. Patton appeared at the end of the hall with his head angled downward. Even still, Janus could see the patches of mottled brown skin on his hands and cheeks. Frog skin. “We do match a little,” Patton said, forcing humor into his voice. He came closer and lifted his head to reveal that one of his eyes was now golden, with a horizontal pupil.

“Oh,” said Janus, careful not to tease. “That’s not so bad.” He cupped Patton’s face, gently running his thumb over a slightly damp patch of frog skin. “You’re still beautiful, love.”

“But you can cure it?” Patton asked.

“Of course.” Janus smiled a little. He hoped it was reassuring. “You’ve been poisoned by a kaeru mushi.”

“Poisoned?” Patton yelped, and a little nervous croak escaped his throat.

Janus patted his cheek. “If only you knew a deeply intelligent, highly skilled mush-shi who could take care of that for you.”

“If only,” Patton repeated, widening his eyes at Janus. The effect was somewhat dampened by his frog eye, but only somewhat. It was still enough to send a wave of fondness through Janus’ chest.

"Come on," Janus said, taking Patton by the hand. He led Patton to the kitchen and set his backpack on the ground with a light thump. The tight weave was strong, but it was beginning to get creaky with age, and Janus made a mental note to see about getting a replacement. "You can take it as a tea, although the flavor is more savory, like a soup." He opened up his backpack and began to dig through it. The paper-wrapped vials rustled and clicked beneath his fingers, and a few specimens brought back memories of his recent trip. "Here we go." He held up the vial and showed it to Patton. "It does take a while to brew. I hope you don't mind being stuck like that for a bit."

Patton extended a hand to help Janus up and pulled him into an embrace, mindful of the glass in Janus' hand. "I already feel better now that you're here."

"You know me," Janus said, nuzzling Patton's forehead. "I live to serve."

It was meant to be sarcasm, though Patton refused to take it as such. "You're so selfless," he said into Janus' chest.

"Patton, love, you are the first and only person to ever accuse me of that." It was true. Janus' bedside manner was objectively abhorrent, his patience for stupidity and stubbornness nonexistent. Most villages regarded him as a necessary evil, rather than a presence to be celebrated. He pulled away before Patton could get it into his head that Janus needed comforting. "Let's get going on the antidote, shall we?"

Patton nodded. "There's a patch of snow out back," he said. "I've been fishing, trying to make the most of it."

"Fish soup?" Janus asked, putting the pieces together.

Patton nodded. "You'll have some, won't you?" He made a point of looking Janus up and down, and even the golden frog eye did not diminish his look of somewhat paternal concern. "You work too hard."

"Again, Patton," Janus said, turning to examine the cooking pot, "you are the only person who's ever said that about me."

"I think I would know," Patton said definitively, taking Janus by the hand to lead him outside.

They held each other while they waited for the cure to steep properly, Janus wrapping his arms around Patton and holding him close. He rested his chin on Patton's shoulder and watched the mushi dance around them. He found it hard to regard them as anything other than vermin, little nuisances who made his life worse. The world was cruel and arbitrary and mushi were no more than a reflection of that, but he couldn't help but resent the situation at hand. Patton didn't deserve this.

As though reading his thoughts, Patton nuzzled Janus' cheek. "Are they here now?"

"The mushi?"

"Mm-hm."

"Yes." Janus pointed even though he knew Patton couldn't see them.

"Describe them to me?" A principle difference between the two of them: Patton treasured every living thing. He never resented the bears that sometimes stole his fish, he never resented the deer when they ate the flowers he'd worked so hard to cultivate. He cherished them. He cherished mushi, too. Even now, when the poison coursing through his body was turning him into one (though Janus had decided not to tell Patton that, thinking that there was no sense worrying him when the cure was at hand).

"They're moving around a lot," Janus said, trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice. Though he harbored no love for mushi, he loved Patton dearly. "There's one that looks like a little octopus." Patton was not very well traveled, though he had gone to the ocean once. "And a few that look like worms. They're all glowing."

"They sound so pretty," Patton said, covering Janus' hands with his own.

"I'll bring you back some candles next time I go out," Janus promised, the idea occurring to him in one lightning strike. "And some lanterns made of colored paper. You can string them up outside."

"Oh!" Patton spun around to pull Janus into a proper hug, and Janus was careful not to stare at the frog skin now slowly-advancing down his neck. "That would be lovely."

"Lanterns are better than mushi, anyway," Janus said, his resolve finally cracking a little, "because they're actually useful."

Patton only smiled and brushed a few stray strands of hair out of Janus' face. 

It was around evening when Janus deemed the cure properly steeped. Patton made him sit down so they could eat together, smiling all the while, and Janus found any protest he might have melting away in the face of Patton's innocent kindness. It wasn't like the cure could hurt him, after all.

It took effect when they were washing the dishes with water Patton had carried in from a nearby stream. He stopped what he was doing and touched his face, already turning to Janus for confirmation.

Janus nodded, privately satisfied to see both of Patton's eyes back to their rich, deep brown. "Back to normal."

"Thank you, love." Abandoning the dishes, Patton pulled Janus in for a hug. His hands were wet, but Janus couldn't couldn't bring himself to mind the icy droplets that crawled down his neck.

Janus, who was incurably given to teasing, finally let himself off the leash. "Oh, don't thank me; it was for my own benefit. People would laugh if they found out I was in love with a frog-man."

"Oh, you don't mean that," Patton said. He had known Janus far too long, long enough that Janus no longer had to beat back the urge to flee like a startled animal in the face of such intimate knowing.

"You're right," he said, and he meant it.

[nightshade-minho]

-Embers- (1)

warnings: suggestive, future smut, themes of death

wc: 5.3k

teaser 

White specks of paint, scattered across an inky sky - they truly were beautiful. You adjusted yourself on the grassy hill, eyes closing as you tried to calm your nerves. Sighing, you ran your hand over crimson scales, trying to ignore the blinding lights of your village in the distance.

“The stars are beautiful tonight.”

You wished you could stay here forever. Where the only sounds that grace your ears are the deep rumbling snores of the enormous draconian creature you're curled up against. It's a comforting sound, and yet you knew you were going to have to leave soon. Your father would be absolutely enraged if you were late to such an important event- in fact, you were sure he’d have absolutely no qualms killing you in front of the entire village and crowning a broomstick as his heir instead.

Perhaps that's why you delayed the inevitable for a little longer, nuzzling your head against the dragon's hide. Your heart was pounding in your chest as you observed your bustling village from above, frantically getting ready for the festival and the welcoming. People were decorating their houses, painting murals onto their walls and making sure everything was perfect for the guests that would arrive tonight.

The streets were lit up with lanterns, and the people milling about outside their houses were dressed up in their best. The excitement in the atmosphere was palpable, and you could almost feel it from atop the hill.

Sighing, you looked to the side, your eyes meeting enormous yellow ones.

“Aeracus...I know what you’re thinking.” You sighed and curled up your knees to your chest. “And you’re right. I’m nervous, but also excited. I can’t believe we’re going to be seeing him again after all these years. Can you?”

The dragon slowly shook his head from side to side, and you chuckled. “Do you think he’s changed? Or do you think he’s still a feline-obsessed asshole?” You smiled, his laughter ringing in your ears as you reminisced.

Slowly though, the good memories bled into terrible ones. Loss and pain, mingling in your heart and taking over your emotions. The smile disappeared from your face as you remembered what had happened. The reason he left. The reason you weren’t allowed to participate in the championships that were to be a part of the festival’s celebrations...the reason the whole village considered you an outcast, despite being the chief’s daughter.

You swallowed the lump in your throat, pushing your hair back as you slowly stood up, dusting off your tunic. You pressed a kiss to the dragon’s neck, sighing.

“I’m going to go, Aeracus. Honestly, you should be grateful you don’t have to partake in these events.”

The dragon let out a disapproving rumble at that, and your face softened. That was a low blow. After all, it wasn’t his fault that he was forced to to refrain from joining his fellow dragons in the games. No, the blame was to be shared between you and Minho.

The felicity in your heart was intertwined with a faint sense of lingering sorrow. It happened so many years ago, and yet the echoes were still fresh in your mind...

You couldn’t deny that you were desperate to see him again. In fact, saying you were desperate would probably be an understatement. You were thrilled, electrified- and yet, oh so anxious.

You clenched your fists, taking in a deep breath and starting to descend the hill. You’d put it off for long enough.

***

“Children, listen carefully, now.”

The boy next to you didn’t heed the elder’s warning, continuing to draw on the back of his hand.

“Minho! Pay attention, or I will have to call your father.”

Minho looked up, scowling. He placed the chalk down and pursed his lips, directing his attention towards the clay figurines that were laid out in front of the elderly woman. You, as well as the 10 other kids in the cottage, were fascinated by the story being told. The woman was teaching you about your culture, the information you needed to know regarding the upcoming ceremony. It was important, and yet Minho couldn’t bring himself to care. He liked cats more than dragons anyway.

“As I was saying.” She cleared her throat, resuming her lesson.

“Now that you children are 13, you are no longer babies. Certain things are expected of you. You have embarked on your journey to adulthood...and thus, there are certain things you must know. The elements of our village, for one.”

She gestured to the figurines on the dirt floor in front of her. “As you all already know, there are four elements.” She pointed to a spiky pyramid, and then to a smooth sphere. “Ember, Aqua...” Her fingers moved to the next pair- a rough cube and a glassy cone. “...Terra and Aer. These are the symbols of the elements. Of course, you all have already seen the life-sized versions of these in our square.”

Eager nods, making her continue with a pleased smile.

“Every dragon on this planet has a corresponding element that they have control over. They possess immense power, and the ability to command these elements.”

Minho raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Hm, maybe this wasn’t as lame as he’d thought it would be..

“I’m sure you children have seen your parents, older friends and relatives with their dragons.” There was a chorus of agreement, and the woman nodded.

“Well, from next week onwards, you will each have your own dragons. Through the ceremony, you will all be assigned a hatchling, with which you will spend the rest of your life.”

Minho hummed in curiosity as the woman dismissed the class. “Good luck, loves. Remember, there will be a few more classes to brief you further.”

The others started filing out slowly as you turned to Minho. “Isn’t this exciting?” You tilted your head, running your eyes over the figurines. “Since my family are all fire elementals, do you think I’ll get an ember dragon?”

“I don’t think it works that way. My father said it doesn’t matter what family you come from, the dragon you get matched with can be of any element, apparently. Though it hasn’t ever happened yet.” He shrugged.

“Really?”

“Yeah.” He yawned. “I already knew everything she said. I could have used this valuable time for something else.” He was lying, to be honest. The only thing he knew about dragons was what he’d just told you.  

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. Do you wanna go to the lake?”

You grinned. “Sure, let’s!” You nodded in agreement as Minho stood up eagerly, grabbing your hand and pulling you out of the cottage. You giggled as he dragged you. “Hey, slow down! Also, we can’t be there for long. We’ve got to be home for that joint dinner, or our fathers will be very mad.”

“Eh, they’d barely notice if we’re gone. When discussing village matters, they don’t give a fuck about their own children, even.” He muttered bitterly.

“Well...that is true.” You sighed as Minho pulled you all the way to the lake, weaving past the villagers, even bumping into some of them. A few of them frowned and made shouts of displeasure, while others didn’t seem to mind. Or maybe they did, and was just too afraid to voice their anger towards the chiefs’ children.

The cottages start becoming more sparse, the trees more tightly clustered. Minho held your hand tightly as you made your way through the woods. Finally, the two of you reached the clearing.

Letting go of your hand gently, Minho sat at the edge of the lake, beckoning you over to sit next to him.

“I wish this place wasn’t so far away from the village.” You sighed, legs aching as you flopped down onto the grass.

Minho shook his head slowly, his fingers fiddling with a tiny dandelion he’d pulled out. “The further away, the better.” He grumbled, blowing on it and watching as the seeds floated in the breeze.

You sighed. There it was, again. You knew better than to oppose him, so you hummed, scooting a little closer and placing your hand on top of his. “I know you want to leave this place. I know you want to...to explore the world. I just want you to know that whatever you decide to do, I’ll be by your side.” You said honestly.

Minho looked up at you. “Really?”

“Yeah.”

He felt like there was a lump in his throat. Minho knew how much this village and its culture meant to you. You were really willing to do that for him? Leave, and never come back?

“Listen here, Miss L/n.” He turned to you, inhaling as he pressed a kiss to your forehead, his lips soft as they brushed against your skin. You blushed, staring at him with wide eyes as he spoke.

“I’m the one who’s going to be making the sacrifices here, alright? I’m older than you, remember? I call the shots.” He chuckled, booping your nose. 

“I love you so much, star.”

You cringed at the nickname, shoving him away. “Stop calling me that, you sound like a character in one of Mr Yang’s cheesy novels.”

He smirked at that. “I’ll never stop calling you that. You’re my star, cause you light up my world and guide me when everything’s dark.” He reasoned, laughing and throwing his head back as he watched you wrinkle your nose in disgust, looking a little like a bunny.

Humming, Minho lay back on the grass, and you followed suit after a minute of hesitation.

“I don’t mind you calling me that. Just don’t do it in front of people.”

“Okay, I won’t. It’s just us all the time, anyway...”

The two of you stared up at the sky, listening to the calm sounds of frogs ribbiting, birds chirping, and the splashing sounds of the fish in the lake. Above it all though, was the sound of your heart, beating persistently as Minho’s fingers creeped closer to yours, intertwining your hands.

“It’s always us...”

***

Your father had explained to you that since your family consisted entirely of ember elementals, your dragon would be of the same kind as well. This went against what Minho had told you before, and your mind was swimming with all the different information you were receiving.

“But...Minho said it doesn’t work that way.”

He sat on his armchair, chewing on  a chicken leg as he raised an eyebrow. “Really? Well, he’s wrong.” He sighed, shaking his head. “It’s never happened in centuries, and it’s not gonna happen now. You’re an Ember, through and through.”

You purse your lips. “Well, you’re always right, Father.”

He nodded, not picking up on the snark your sentence was dripping with. "The bond you share with your dragon is one that can never be replicated. You choose it, and it chooses you. It is truly a beautiful process, a spectacle to behold. Every single villager will be watching, so you better hold your head high. Make me proud."

You were about to reply when you heard a knock on your door. Glancing at your father for permission, you stood up. heading through the long hallway to open the front door.

“Minho?”

You looked at him, tilting your head at his troubled expression. “What’s up?

“I came to give you these.” He said softly, looking around before showing you the fiery petals in his palms. “I borrowed a herbology book from the library a few months ago, and learnt how to grow these. Ignis flowers. They’re symbols of good luck, apparently.”

He took your hand, placing the petals on your palm. “They reminded me of you.”

Your eyes widened slowly. “Wow...Minho, I didn’t get you anything...” You said guiltily, humming when Minho gently pulled you into a hug.

“You don’t have to. I’ve got to go home, now. See you tomorrow!”

You nodded, the petals safe in your hands as he left hurriedly. You watched him head to his house, opposite to yours.

After he left, you were about to head to bed when your father asked you to stay back. Confused, you went over to sit in front of him, tilting your head in confusion.

“Who was at the door?”

“It was just Minho.” You shrugged, eyeing your father as he groaned, massaging his forehead. He looked like he was contemplating something, his wrinkles seeming especially prominent.

"Child, be wary of your...friend."

"Friend...?" You knew he meant Minho. You'd never heard him address him in that manner though - void of affection.

Minho's father and yours were co-chiefs of the village, best friends since birth. He’d always treated Minho like his own son. What had brought on this sudden hostility?

He noticed the expression on your face, sighing and patting your shoulder. "I'm just asking you to be careful, dear. There is talk of the Aer elementals gaining power at an accelerated rate these days. Aer dragons are growing up to be stronger, even more so than our Ember ones. It's truly a strange phenomenon. I do not want to be one of these people who is suspicious of everything and everyone...but both the kid and his father have changed. Even I can't deny that."

You swallowed at his words, watching as his face drifted off, deep in thought. You'd heard of it too- hushed whispers claiming that a single chief would be preferable for the village. And if your father's hunch was right...no, you didn't want to think about it.

Minho wouldn't ever betray you. You'd known him since before you could talk. you’d build up a lot of trust in each other over the years. There was no one else you knew as well. If you couldn’t trust him, who could?

No. He would never hurt you. You were sure of it.

***

The whole village was buzzing for weeks after the ceremony took place. They simply couldn't understand what had happened. It was unprecedented- and the news spread like wildfire.

You were matched with a majestic Aer creature, and Minho a beautiful crimson beast of Ember. Mistakes weren't possible- the process was never questioned- but that didn't mean people weren't bewildered.

For centuries, no one had managed to match with a dragon that controlled an element that differed from theirs.

Neither of you could understand why your fathers and the villagers were so perplexed, though. Was it really as big of a deal as they made it seem?

"I don't get it. Why is it such a humongous problem? They’re just dragons. What’s the need for all this drama?" Minho rolled his eyes as he spoke.

You stroked your dragon's neck slowly as you watched him, huffing and ranting away. ‘Just dragons.’ There was a part of you that understood all the hubbub. The people loved gossip- especially if it involved the chiefs.

"It really isn't. They're both so beautiful, I don't really care what element they control."

You looked at your dragon, curled next to you. You wouldn't admit it, but she looked a little too beautiful- almost to the point where it intimidated you.

Translucent, white scales that reflected rainbows of light...long, beautiful almond shaped eyes that were the color of the ocean. She was larger and brighter than Minho's dragon as well. Your father had been right...the Aer dragons were evolving quicker, somehow.

She was quiet and regal, her sleek body elegant and her demeanor refined. You didn’t really have much in common, to be honest. You’d named her Caeli- a name that wasn’t really all that creative, but it would do. Besides, it seemed to fit.

Minho looked at you, sighing slowly. "Aeracus seems hungry. Father will be expecting me soon anyway, I think I'll go home now, Y/n."

"Bye, Min."

He shot you a dashing grin before standing up, climbing his dragon.

As they left, a great whoosh of wind rustling your hair, you looked up at your dragon. She was staring at the water, her eyes narrowed.

You were starting to feel a little worried. You couldn’t exactly...hear her thoughts. She seemed too closed off, barely even looking at you as she blankly watched the frogs jump from one lilypad to the other. You didn’t feel that special bond everyone had been talking about for years, insisting to you that it would be a connection so profound you wouldn’t be able to live without it.

Did she not like you? You looked so average next to her ethereality, drab and plain as opposed to her stunning beauty.

You couldn’t blame her, really.

***

When Minho stood next to your dragon, the sight somehow made more sense. He was  beautiful, and so was the creature next to him. They fit together perfectly.

Aeracus on the other hand, was slightly more average. He was majestic as well, but not on the same level as Caeli. You felt more at home riding him, somehow. Like...he was the one that was meant to be yours.

Of course, you wouldn’t ever tell anyone about this. It could be considered infidelity, even. Your father was disappointed enough in you as it was. Four years of training with Caeli, and you still weren’t able to channel her power into...anything. She just wouldn’t co-operate.

"There you go..." He finished slipping the harness onto Caeli, dusting off his hands as he came back over to you, giggling as Aeracus rubbed his big head against your side.

Minho raised his eyebrows at the display of affection. Aeracus was never that amicable to him. Yes, he listened to him...but that was about it. And yet, to you...he always noticed how the two of you seemed to have some sort of connection. He’d mentioned this to his father once, only to be called ridiculous.

Then again, he couldn’t blame the dragon for having a soft spot for you. Who wouldn’t?

“Hey...” He looked down at you as the dragon pulled away, ambling off to Caeli’s side. You glanced up slowly when Minho cleared his throat, leaning in a little as his fingers ran through your tresses. Your cheeks flushed, eyes widening slightly at his touch.

"A leaf. In your hair." He mumbled, throwing said leaf onto the ground as he stared into your eyes.

Your heart was thudding loudly in your chest as your gaze ran over his features, so close to your face. Fuck, he was so deathly handsome, even more so now that you were both almost adults. Puberty had treated him well.

A little too well.

The girls in the square swooning over Minho became a regular occurrence now. You couldn't even seem to go anywhere with your best friend, without having a mob of fangirls following closely.

When he was this close to you, it became overwhelmingly evident why his fans were so enamored by him. Lee Minho really was beautiful.

"Careful, a fly might make its nest in your mouth." He chuckled. "What's up, kitten? You look on edge."

That was the other thing. His latest habit of calling you pet names- the likes of which included princess and kitten- had come out of nowhere. He really seemed to enjoy making you blush. At times like this, you wished he would have just stuck with ‘star’.

“Nothing.” You stuttered, avoiding his eyes and choosing to focus your stare on the ground. Minho wasn’t in the mood for your shyness, though. He placed his finger under your chin, tilting your face up to look at him.

“You sure about that? Is there a reason you look so flustered right now?” He breathed, leaning in closer until your noses were brushing.

Oh, fuck you, Lee.

You'd always thought Minho was attractive. Of course. You'd be blind not to notice. And yet, at this proximity, you felt like you haven’t ever truly appreciated just how fucking hot the man in front of you was.

And so you did something you never thought you’d have the courage to do.

Leaning in, you closed the distance between the two of you, lips crashing against his. To Minho’s credit, he wasn’t all that shocked. Smirking against you, his arms wrapped around your waist as he pulled you closer, gluing your body to his.

Backing you up against a tree, Minho was quick to lift your thigh, slotting your hips together as he ran his tongue over your bottom lip.

A groan left you as he slid his hand under your shirt, pulling away to stare at you, the sight of your swollen lips affecting him in ways he couldn’t quite describe.

“What...what did we just-”

He shut you up with another kiss, rougher than the last one. Breathless pecks, desperately claiming you with his lips as he pressed himself against you.

“Just go with the flow, baby.”

And so you did.

***

As you carefully made your way down, your mind was racing with a million thoughts. The thought of seeing your boyfriend again after so many years scared you as much as it excited you. After all...it wasn’t like you parted on good terms.

You still remembered the heartbroken look on his face, the last time you saw him. You couldn’t tell him that you’d tried everything, tried your best to reason with your father who simply refused to budge. He’d expected you to do something more...but what?

It wasn’t his fault. It was a fucking accident, and yet he’d had to take the blame.

Deep down, though, you knew what your father’s real intentions had been when he banished Minho and his father from the village. Of course, Caeli’s death had shaken him- the entire village had been in a state of shock. The death of a dragon was the most tragic event that could possibly befall a village. And when said dragon happened to belong to the chief’s daughter? Shattering.

At the end of the day though, it was a convenient incident...one that happened to take place just as your father’s status was being questioned. A blessing in disguise, for him.

“It’s okay, my child. Yes, you suffered a great loss, but I know you weren’t that close to it. We must move on. On the bright side, you can focus on your studies now! Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted to do?”

You scoffed, his words repeating themselves in your brain. Bullshit. There was no bright side, nor would there ever be one without Minho in your life.

***

“There you are. Where were you?"

"I...was with Aeracus." You didn't see the point in lying. Your brain was too tired to come up with a believable fabrication anyway.

As expected, his face screwed up in anger as he glared, standing up.

"Why?" He hissed. "Let me remind you he is not your dragon. How many times have I told you not to get too close to it?"

"Aeracus and I have a bond." You mumbled.

"No. You don't. A bond is forged between a dragon and its owner by forces beyond our control. This measly 'friendship', if you can even call it that, is trivial. At the end of the day, it doesn't really belong to you. It belongs to the boy who betrayed you."

You couldn't bring yourself to react any more. Your father was old-fashioned, his opinions set in stone. ‘Betrayed’. You wanted to scoff.

You turned around without a word, heading for your room. There was no energy left in your body, yet the exhaustion was overpowered by your emotions.

"Y/n, wait."

You stopped, turning and looking at him. "What?"

"Your maids are waiting to dress you. Don't argue with them. You are to wear the outfit I picked out for you. Today's dinner is extremely important." He paused. "And...what I said before still stands. The dragon won't hesitate to betray you, especially now that his true owner is coming back. Be...be careful." Your father said quietly, his face softening.

You sighed. "I will be."

"Good."

He dismissed you. You heaved a sigh of relief under your breath and headed out, opening the door to your own room.

You would never admit this to your father, but as nervous as you were, you were secretly looking forward to the dinner. To see him again.

If you closed your eyes and immersed yourself deep enough into your imagination, you could still feel his touch ghosting along your thighs. His soft lips, pressing against yours.

You missed his voice, his tight hugs...you missed everything about him. You'd only ever felt safe in his arms.

The loneliness and pain had consumed you when he left. Maybe that's why you latched on to Aeracus, the last remnant of Minho in this village that seemed so much more dreary without his presence.

"Miss Y/n! We have no time to lose." Your head maid scurried about your room with two others, spreading out your dress on your bed. One of the maids- Sylvia, you think her name was- snuck up behind you and began undressing you. Yes, you were used to this, but the layer of urgency in the atmosphere was a lot more profound tonight.

The entire village was on edge, and you couldn’t really blame them. The first Elemental Championships, and they were being hosted at your village. The exhilaration was understandable...you couldn't bring yourself to feel the same way, though. Maybe if you were actually participating, you’d feel different.

You looked at the dress the maid was holding onto, initially without much interest...but your eyes widened when it came into view.

It was beautiful, yet simple...the color of spun gold, with tiny rubies clustered at the bodice. The sleeves fell of the shoulders delicately, and the material was diaphanous, the texture rich.

“Wow....Sylvia, you made this?”

“I did. It took me a year.” She smiled widely, your grin satisfying her. “Do you really like it, Miss Y/n?” There was a hopeful lilt to her voice, and your grin grew wider as they started helping you into it.

“Like it? I love it! You’ve really outdone yourself this time.”

She nodded in content, lacing up the back as the other maids began on your makeup. Usually, you didn’t like being treated as a doll, your servants fussing over you and your appearance. Today, though...

You could barely believe the reflection you were seeing in the mirror belonged to you. You'd never felt so glamorous before. 

“You look beautiful, Miss.” Sylvia said softly, adjusting your sleeves.

You couldn’t wait for Minho to see you in this dress.

“Ann?” Another servant’s head appeared around the corner. “It’s time. They will arrive any moment now.”

A flurry of anxious noises and exclamations filled the room as they worked on you faster. You took a deep breath in, your mind blank and full of thoughts at the same time.

***

You stood next to your father, hands clasped in front of you. Surreptitiously, you raised your hand to your forehead, wiping away a few drops of perspiration. It was happening, you were finally going to see Minho again. And if your father successfully manages to make amends with his- fuck, you were grinning just thinking about it. 

The villagers standing behind you were all dressed in their best as well, and the lanterns shone brightly, washing over everything. The air was sparkling, the atmosphere charged with electricity. Everyone had their eyes trained on the sky, waiting for Minho’s people. The two other villages were to come tomorrow, according to the letters.

Four villages. All competing in the championship yours was hosting. It was nerve-wracking, the amount of people who would be crammed into your village, which was big enough, really- possibly the largest in the country- it still stressed you out, though. Since there weren’t enough guest houses to fit everyone, a lot of the visitors would be staying with your villagers, the chiefs and their families staying at your house. You were keenly aware of the fact that this meant Minho would be in the same living quarters as you. Your heart pounded at the prospect.

Later in the night, you were planning to sneak into his room, since you obviously wouldn’t be allowed to talk to him during the dinner. At least, you wouldn’t be able to communicate the things you so desperately wanted to say to him. Every part of you tingled as you thought about what you’d say to him. 

You felt light as a feather as you stared at the starry sky, eyes widening slightly as you spotted the thousands of dots in the distance, flying closer. Anticipation and exhilaration mingled in you as you waited for them to arrive. Just the thought of feeling Minho pressed up against you again, whispering in your ear how much he loved you...it made you want to cry, almost. You’d waited for this moment for too long.

The conch shell was blown as they reached the edge of the forest. More than a thousand dragons, covered in finery, just like their riders.

Hmm. There were a lot more than you expected. You’d only been anticipating about a hundred, since it was only Minho’s village that was coming tonight. Or so you’d thought...

You turned your head to look at your father, letting the confusion show on your face. Noticing your expression, he shrugged. “It looks like all three decided to come tonight.”

You frowned, looking back at the dragons that were at the border now, preparing for landing. That was weird.

You observed the dragons that had landed, your eyebrows furrowing. Huh.

The three dragons at the front were a lot bulkier than the ones in the back. Darker colors, almost hulking muscles and narrow eyes. They looked like no dragon you’d ever seen before. The sight was almost unsettling. You felt a faint sense of dread spreading over you, a feeling you tried to push away as your eyes searched each dragon’s back for Minho.

You recognized Minho’s father right away. He was at the very front, along with two other old men on a green and blue dragon respectively, that you realized were the chiefs of the other two villages. Surprisingly though, Minho wasn’t sat behind him. You’d assumed it to be that way...after all, Minho’s dragon was still here. So where was he? Your eyebrows furrowed, not wanting to assume the worst right away. You wildly looked over them all, craning your neck slightly. You didn’t want to seem too eager, but it’s not like you could help yourself. Could anyone blame you? Here you were, about to meet the first and only person you’d ever fallen in love with, after years of yearning and loneliness.

As your father stepped forward, a smile on his face to greet the chiefs, you finally saw him.

For a minute, it was like you couldn’t breathe. He looked as beautiful as ever, his feline eyes twinkling, his dark hair exposing part of his smooth forehead. His hands gripped the reins so tightly his knuckles were white, and the way he sat on his dragon was regal, his expression confident and filled with determination. He was older, and somehow even more handsome than the last time you saw him. You didn’t even think that was possible.

You swallowed, your breath catching in your throat as his eyes finally met yours.

It was like time had ceased for a minute. You smiled slowly, happy tears pricking at your eyes as you took in his face.

He didn’t smile back.

And that’s when you noticed the pale arms wrapped around his waist. Confused, you watched as the chiefs dismounted the dragons, along with their heirs. Minho alighted from the dragon, helping down the woman who had been holding onto him. He held her hands gently, leaning in to press a kiss to her forehead.

You felt like your whole world had collapsed, bile rising in your throat as you watched her giggle. You noticed she was dressed in blue, her clothing that of a heiress. As they approached, your eyes fell on the sparkling ring on her finger...one that matched Minho’s.

When his eyes looked into yours again, they were cold, just like your heart.

[woodaba]

Me and Mother 3

"A story is a series of memories. Memories are remembered with other memories, and in turn, become memories themselves. If you don't take care to preserve your memories, you'll forget them. So, please tell us frogs your memories of everything so far… That is what people refer to as "saving". Now, then… -hop- Save your game?"

One of the all-time best Hard Drive headlines remains "Huge Earthbound Fan Excited To Play It For The First Time". It's a good gag, an playfully teasing dig that is funny because it's true, and could only come from a place of understanding of the EarthBound/Mother fandom. I know, because once upon a time, I was a Huge Mother 3 Fan Excited To Play It For The First Time.

It's hard to emphasize how much of a fetish object Mother 3 was for the western EarthBound fandom, even for the wider JRPG fandom. I became aware of EarthBound through Smash Bros, as I am sure most people my age did, and was immediately taken in by how out-of-a-piece it was with the rest of Nintendo's stable, and my interest only skyrocketed when I searched the internet and found out that EarthBound was super fucked up and weird and scary in a way only slightly off-beat Nintendo games hyped up by 14-year olds who don't really know anything else could be.

(See also: Majora's Mask, and endless features in Official Nintendo Magazine UK swearing that the ReDeads in Ocarina of Time were the scariest shit in the fucking world man you'd fuckin shit and piss your pants)

And then, of course, there was the sequel on the Game Boy Advance, that never left Japan and never would, implicitly because it would emotionally scar anyone who played it and was even more messed up than. EarthBound has a habit of being slightly spoken over by many of it's most ardent fans, certainly those I was privy to in my days lurking on haven for Absolute Unhinged Freaks Starmen.net, but Mother 3 was on a whole other level. Everything about this game was spoken of in terms of absurd religiosity, which was only heightened by it's relative inaccessibility. Speaking about the game in hyperbolic terms practically became a core tenant of the EarthBound fandom, as if an official translation could be physically evoked out of the ether if enough people were enthusiastic enough for it. Entire swathes of the game were freely discussed, both before and after the (also given a kind of quasi-religious status by the fandom) fan translation were released, spoiling every single conceivable thing in the game in order to entice someone, anyone to give it a go and join the chorus, never quite seeming to realize that, mostly, they were was just talking to each other, and to impressionable 13 year olds like me.

I swallowed all of this. It was hard not to. I remember one day, on what was probably at the time the most exciting website ever devised, the Smash Bros. Dojo, which contained daily updates for the sure-to-be greatest Smash Bros. ever made, Brawl, when Lucas and New Pork City were announced. To say I lost my shit was an understatement. I freaked out to just about any of my friends who would care to listen, performing the same role of Eulogist that all the people I saw online do for Mother 3, giving away every possible twist and reveal and plot point to people who, maybe might have actually played EarthBound on their own one day and liked it well enough.

I did play EarthBound, and really loved it, mostly because like 80% of conversation around the game when I was getting into it was about how totally fucked up the final boss battle with Giygas is, and the remaining 20% was endless relitigating about why a game so impossibly magical and amazing didn't sell well enough, which carried the implicit conversation with the unreleased status of Mother 3. Because of this, I found so many surprises and things I found personally resonant, things that I had nothing to bring to other than myself. I didn't even have this feeling with the even-more over-discussed Final Fantasy VII because the things culture remembers of that game are bafflingly at odds with what it actually is and what I took away from it when I came to it.

But with Mother 3? I can't say the same thing. It's partly because it's a much shorter, more focused game than it's predecessor, it's partially because it stands alongside Far Cry 2 and Dark Souls as one of the most over-analyzed games in existence. But mostly, I think it's because the fandom conversation around this game warped my perception of it and turned every step on the Nowhere Islands into charted territory, where everyone had left their mark, and I had no space to make mine, no space to find myself beneath everyone else.

There are a huge amount of things that I love about Mother 3, so many things that I appreciate, and so many things that make me smile. But I've never been able to feel like my experiences of it were entirely mine. I've never been able to find the unique resonances with my own life or experiences that characterize all of my favorite games. Everywhere I look, every corner I turn on the Nowhere Islands, I see the words of others, the perspectives of others. I look at little elements like the doorknob, and instead of being able to turn it over in my head, and place it within the wider whole, all I can hear is a cacophony of voices echoing throughout the years, the interpretations of posters on Starmen.net, Itoi and Brownie Brown's own comments on the subject, drowning out any thoughts I might have.

Yes, I could definitely discuss my thoughts on the fact that the village of Tazmily was in some way doomed to it's fate from the very beginning because of it's pursuit of an idealized vision of a specifically American past draped in western imagery that conveniently ignores the great darkness of that time in material history…but even this thought echoes with perspectives I've read countless times before. Wess' abuse, the Magypsies as a clumsily earnest attempt to explore gender non-conformity as it relates to the social and "nature", the way forgetting haunts the entire game world, as if everyone else on the Islands knows what a terrible mistake has been made by choosing to move backwards rather than forwards…there's stuff I want to say but every time I open my mouth on these things the words of others spill out, so ingrained and intertwined that I don't know which thoughts are mine and which thoughts are creeping in from forum threads long, long ago. Playing this game is like playing with a director's commentary track inside my head that I cannot switch off, commenting on the meaning or intent behind every single pixel on the screen, and it's heartbreaking because I truly believe this kind of voracious all-consuming analysis is completely antithetical to why these games are good.

Mother/Earthbound games are free-wheeling, lackadaisical, and rarely concerned with all-consuming arcs and statements. Those things are there, but the real pleasure of playing one of these games is just meeting the weird and wonderful people of this odd and beautiful world. You can see it in the battle system, in how it is playfully carefree with it's rules and rhythms, with many boss battles being beaten after you have technically been dealt lethal damage, but the game is kinda taking it easy until it gets to you. You can see it in the, frankly, absolutely astonishing soundtrack that freely mixes and matches genres and tones and instruments all processed through the woeful GBA speakers. You can see it in how the macguffin that dominates the first half of the game's plot is basically forgotten about and never mentioned again afterwards, in the lack of interest in connecting the dots between EarthBound and this game. Mother 3 is laid back, at ease and confident in itself. These are games meant to be enjoyed by all ages, people aged 8 to 88. It's irreverent about itself. And I wish I could be too, but I can't help but play this game with the same awkward, nervous, stammering energy that comes with meeting an internet acquaintance in person. I wish I could be normal here, I really could! But my brain is too filled with EarthBound fansite trivia, I'm so sorry. Did you know there's an unused sprite that depicts the creation of the Masked Man, but that it was never used because it's probably just too fucked up and scary f-

Boney attacks!

…yeah, ok, I deserved that.

I've read a lot on games I love, and games I don't, but never do I really feel like those perspectives take me over, leaving me unable to see the game beneath them. Certainly, my perspective has been altered by the perspectives of others, sometimes for good and sometimes for ill (I think I would have liked Yakuza: Like a Dragon a lot more, for example, if Yakuza hadn't developed a bizarre and wholly unrepresentative Wholesome Chungus Kiryu reputation, of if the much-ballyhooed themes of homelessness and social exclusion existed…at all after the opening stretch) but with no other game do I feel so wholly unable to find myself in, no other game has this opaque wall around it made of What Other People Thought About It. Not even EarthBound has this for me. And it makes me really sad. Mother 3 is a special game. A really great one. And I think I do love it but…it's a love with a lower-case L. Despite its reputation as a merciless feels machine, my appreciation of Mother 3 is extremely emotionally detached in a way I find kind of upsetting. There are definitely things I feel strongly about, things about it that provoke profound emotion in me, but I wish I had been able to find those things for myself, instead of my love for the game sold to me by overzealous fans.

No, that's wrong. It's not the fan's fault. Well, not entirely. I do think that a lot of the conversation with these games is kind of fundamentally opposed to what they actually are in a way that speaks to the relative immaturity of a lot (not all) of the people talking about them at the point in time where their critical reception was still cooling. But ultimately, It's not the fault of people just talking enthusiastically about a game they loved, or at least, wanted to love. Mother 3 is just…as a result of my interactions with it, how long it's shadow is cast across my mind as a child…trying to find personal meaning in Mother 3 that relates personally to myself is like trying to find something new in Citizen Kane. When something is that storied, that discussed…what hope do I have?

When people who were there talk about their first interactions with EarthBound, it's so often framed as this unfolding flower of a work, that grew beyond whatever humble thoughts they may have derived from the game's legendarily misguided marketing campaign. They weren't expecting to find one of the best games of all time inside it, but they did. It's the same I feel about when I played my favorite game for the first time. I wasn't prepared for the things it would do and show me. This is not to say that novelty is an inherent facet of a game I love. But at the same time…I don't know how fully I can love something that falls into a dutiful checklist of the things I already expect to find there.

I know Mother 3 to be a great game. I wish I could feel that it was one, too.

[ionianstar]

Imagine Luke and his classmates performing Oh Happy Day from Sister Act 2.

And Luke is equally as talented and equally as afraid.

xxxxxx

He and his classmates had been rehearsing for weeks, building up the courage to believe in themselves and to perform. MC is an older angel who had agreed to supervise the rehearsals and direct the performance.

They readied themselves on the morning of the performance. It was to be performed at assembly on Monday morning, in front of the entire student body.

Their hands were all clammy as they clasped eaxh others' arms and laced pinkies and leaned heads on shoulders while standing in an empty classroom waiting to be called up.

MC was sitting on the teacher's desk as they all stood around her, nervous and excited. She made sure to meet each of their faces and give them a bright smile.

"You will be fine. You are all so talented and so dedicated. And I'll be right up there with you. I am so proud of all of you." Some of them started sniffling and MC tutted and opened her arms. The young angels all rushed forward, throwing their arms around her and each other.

"Oh my loves, don't cry too much. You'll sound like little frogs up there." She spoke into the mass of white and gold and teal around her. Some of them chuckled and cleared their throats. They finally relented and broke away.

"Now, final warm up. We need those throats nice and warm so we give our best." She stood and they all elegantly scrambled to form a neat circle. Luke slid next to her and sbe felt his small, sweaty fingers interlace with her own. She squeezed his hand and continued.

"Vowels."

A soft chorus of voices rose into the air and MC closed her eyes, smiling. As they practiced, she felt Luke's grip loosen gradually until his hand fell away entirely and his voice rose clear and strong beside her.

As their voices faded out, a knock sounded at rhe door and MC opened her eyes to see Simeon, beautifully clad in his uniform, leaning against the door frame.

Tiny gasps echoed in the room and she swore she heard Anna in particular say "Oh sweet Father", followed by the sound of a smack. She swallowed her own giggle even as the rest of the students didn't.

"You all sound more and more beautiful everytime I hear you. I don't know how you keep doing it. That hall will be a sight and sound to rival even the seraphim." He praised the young angels as he walked into the room. They shuffled around and made space for him next to her.

Luke's hand grabbed at yours again and you glanced at him, his head bowed for some reason.

"I actually came to tell you they'll be ready in about 5 minutes so we can start filing out." Simeon's voice caused her to take in all their bright faces again.

"Luke, would you do us the honor of saying a prayer before we go?" MC turned to the young boy and he nodded. They all held hands again and bowed their heads.

"Dear Father, thank you for allowing us to perform and giving us these talents to use for Your worship. Guide us, keep us, grant us the courage and confidence to perform well. In Your name, Amen"

A chorus of "amens" and shaky exhales.

"I know you will all do wonderfully." Simeon looked around at all of them and they returned his smile

"Let's go rattle Heaven." MC winked and they visibly relaxed. They formed a line and filed out of the classroom. Luke took up the rear and MC didn't miss the affectionate squeeze Simeon gave him.

MC and Simeon followed behind them as the neat line of white hats and shirts walked up to the stage and took up their positions. She walked to the center of the stage and Simeon sat on her far right at the piano.

She glimpsed some clasped hands and smiled at them all. "Focus on me and Simeon. That's all."

Simeon began playing and she saw a few visibly tense, notably Luke as he began.

The chorus came out softer than normal and huskier than they robably intended. She motioned for Luke to step forward even as she swayed. He continued singing and stepped forward out of formation and began their practice vocalizations.

They followed along and tension melted away as their voices gained strength.

"Relax, Luke." MC whispered and Luke's lips pulled up into a smile and he opened his mouth to sing again.

Oh, he was clear as daylight.

Even the chorus swelled behind him and they stepped and swayed. Here were the beautiful cherubs of the Celestial Realm. Here were her little angels.

Another vocalization adlib and their voices soared in the hall.

She stepped and swayed with them as they clapped and Luke belted behind her. She could see Simeon swaying in his seat and she beamed at them all. As she mouthed the words, the skin on her arms raised and she felt a shudder run through her and she reveled in it. They were all smiling so widely and confidently she almost cried.

These cherubs worked so hard and Luke the hardest of all, spending countless hours perfecting his pitch and rhythm with Simeon and herself. He was so afraid at first but he pushed through. Him and Anna working especially late nights to choreograph movements and formation. It was truly a class effort and MC was so proud of them.

Luke's voice rang out behind her and she was about to look around at him when he released a falsetto. MC whipped around and the hall erupted into cheers around them. She collected herself and turned back to the group who were all staring wide-eyed but still singing. Their final exclamation seemed to shake the very ground they stood on and they were almost drowned out by applause and cheering.

MC turned on the spot, flashed a smile and bowed. She knew the students on stage and Simeon mimicked the action and by the time they all exited the stage, the cheering hadn't stoped.

She was doubly impressed by their neat and orderly trek back to the classroom. Simeon had the good sense to shut the door behind them.

At the click of the lock, they all erupted into laughter and exclamations. The students all crowded around Luke, who seemed to still be in a daze, hugging and smiling at and with him.

MC caught his eye and he walked over to her and stood in front of her for a few moments. She understood the high after performing and put her arms around him.

"I'm very proud of you, Luke. You were beautiful out there." She spoke into his cap and his smaller arms wrapped around her torso.

"You all were. I don't think any cherub class has ever evoked such a response in the student body. I am proud of you all." Simeon added and in an instant, several smaller figures rushed to hug him. Sniffles were heard and MC could make out Simeon's quiet cooing to the young angels. Luke finally released her and she smiled down at him, even as a watery smile graced his face. She brushed his hair away from his forehead and pressed a kiss there.

"I had fun. Being on stage with all my friends was easier than I thought." Luke looked around at his classmates and they sent him smiles and thumbs-up signs. Simeon came over, after soothing many a young angel, and Luke threw his arms around Simeon's waist and Simeon huffed a laugh.

"I am so proud of you, my little one. You were spectacular." Simeon plucked off Luke's hat and ran a hand through his blonde hair. Luke gave another watery laugh.

"Ya know," Anna began, standing next to MC, "you guys are kinda like our parents. Which means you're also kinda married." MC gawked at Anna as the younger angel simply smiled knowingly and looked between her and Simeon.

"So that'd mean you kinda have a crush on your dad." MC smirked down at Anna as a horrified expression crossed her face.

"On second thought, you're my big sister." Anna nodded to herself and left MC's side as Luke joined their group of friends.

Simeon came to rest against the teacher's desk with her and she allowed herself to lean her head on his arm.

"You did well, MC." Simeon spoke very softly and MC smiled tiredly.

"So did you, Simeon. We all did well." She patted his leg and he chuckled.

Luke saw them in his periphery and smiled to himself. If this was the catalyst to get those two to finally confess, he'd happily sing on stage until it happened.

xxxxxx

[raw-lesbian-energy]

Carnival of Spores

[Image description: Anonymous said

Fic idea: Sent by Andrias to Earth, Apothecary Gary causes a small bit growing spore zombie outbreak while Anne, the Plantars, and Caroline rush to stop it as each of them gets infected one by one.]

FIRST PROMPT WITH CAROLINE IN IT OKAY BIG MOMENT- But thank you so much for the prompt anon, this was a really clever idea!! I did put a little spin on it, but I hope you still enjoy it nonetheless!!

——

Summary: A strange carnival rolls into town and the gang goes to have a day off, only for them to discover the true nature of the place.

Fandom: Amphibia (The Wild Soul AU)

Pairing: None

Features: Self-Insert

Word Count: 1,500

Warnings: None

—————————————————————

“Carnival! Carnival! Carnival!”

Anne, Polly, and Sprig chanted excitedly in the back seat as Caroline drove, pumping their fists in the air. Caroline chuckled at their enthusiasm, while Hop Pop seemed a little uneasy.

“I don’t know, Caroline.” He said. “I got a bad feeling about this.”

“Hop Pop, you have a bad feeling about everything.” Caroline replied, glancing at him briefly. “It’s just a carnival; it’ll be fine.” Hop Pop didn’t seem convinced, his brows furrowed in worry as he stared out the window. Caroline picked up on it quick, letting out a small sigh.

“Alright, tell you what;” she said, “first sign of real danger and we’re out of there. Okay?” Hop Pop turned his gaze to her, his expression softening as he nodded. Shortly after, the young woman turned off the street and into the carnival parking lot, finding it was already pretty full.

“Dang, word spreads fast, huh?” Anne commented, looking around at the mass of cars. Murmurs of agreement came from Polly and Sprig, while Hop Pop still looked uneasy.

“I don’t know; maybe we should-” he tried, only for Caroline to put one hand over his mouth.

“Up up up, we’re not backing out.” She told him. After a few minutes of searching, they managed to find a spot and parked, climbing out and making their way to the gate.

“Whoa, this place is huge!” Sprig said in awe, eyes shining as he stared at the carnival before him. It was brightly lit with all different colours, and various exciting rides could be seen around the area.

“Dude, check out that roller coaster!” Anne called, pointing at a tall roller coaster at the other end of the park. This caught Caroline’s attention too, an excited smile forming on her face. Hop Pop, on the other hand, was looking around for signs of anyone else, but found the area they stood in to be empty.

“Place looks a little…deserted, don’t you think?” He commented. “Seems a little suspicious.” Caroline shot an annoyed glare his way, but before she could speak, someone else did.

“Welcome, welcome!” A voice suddenly spoke behind them, startling the group. They all spun around to see a small man standing behind them, being only slightly taller than Hop Pop. However, he was wearing a top hat that made him look twice his height, which was a deep purple colour and matched a nice suit he had on.

“The name’s Larry!” He introduced himself. “I’m the owner of this fine little carnival. It’s a pleasure to have you all here!”

“Oh, thank you!” Caroline spoke up first, relaxing and stepping up to meet him. He had a somewhat unsettling grin as he looked up at the young woman, his head tilting just slightly. Hop Pop felt something gnawing at his mind; a feeling that he knew this man from somewhere.

“Well, aren’t you a lovely young lady!” Larry said, adjusting his hat just slightly. Caroline raised her eyebrows, not expecting such a statement out of nowhere.

“Oh, uh-” she started, only for Hop Pop to step in between the two.

“Don’t even try to make advances on my second adopted granddaughter.” He said sternly. “She’s much too young for you!” The sudden outburst caused Larry’s smile to falter, as well as Caroline to give him a rather confused look.

“Hop Pop, I’m twenty, I can handle myself.” She told him. Hop Pop didn’t budge.

“Nope, no way.” He replied. “We’re leaving right now. Come on, everyone back to the car.” A chorus of protests rang out from Sprig, Polly, and Anne, which led to Caroline finally putting her foot down.

“Okay, that’s it!” She snapped, stepping in front of the old frog. “Hop Pop, you have done nothing but be paranoid and pessimistic, and we haven’t even been here for five whole minutes! You keep acting like every single thing here is out to get us, and even though I’ve lived here for twenty years, you treat me like I’m some helpless little-OW!” Her rant was cut off as she felt a sharp pain in the back of her neck, turning to see just what had caused it. There, sitting in Larry’s hand, was a small blue beetle with a glowing purple mushroom growing out of its’ head.

“What the- the hell is that?!” Caroline snapped. Hop Pop’s eyes went wide.

“That’s the mind-controlling mushroom from back in Wartwood!” He yelled, pointing at the bug. Now it was Caroline’s turn to panic.

“Mind WHAT?!” She hollered, managing the sentence just before she felt her mind go blank. Her body stumbled for a moment, lurching forward before she regained her footing and straightened up. Her eyes now glowed with an eerie purple light, and the others could see tiny purple mushrooms starting to grow from her head.

“CAROLINE!” The four cried in unison. Larry let out an evil chuckle, drawing their attention to him as he took his hat off to reveal a massive purple mushroom underneath.

“We meet again, old frog!” He announced dramatically. “You thought you could get rid of me, but I’ll always find a way to survive!”

“Oh, that is nasty!” Polly exclaimed, cringing at the sight of the giant mushroom.

“Let Caroline go, you creep!” Anne snapped. Larry turned her gaze on them, grinning madly as his eyes started to glow in the same eerie purple that Caroline’s were.

“On the contrary,” he said, stepping forward, “I think I’ll be keeping her. Just like the rest of the humans I’ve tricked! Assemble, my minions!” At his call, the sound of hundreds of footsteps made their way towards them, revealing an army of mind-controlled humans. All of them with the same purple eyes and small mushrooms growing out of their heads.

“I told you kids we shouldn’t have come here!” Hop Pop shouted.

“Not the time!” All three kids yelled back, shooting him the same annoyed glare. Larry had a malicious grin that was ear-to-ear, and setting the bug on his shoulder, he pointed at Anne and the Plantars.

“Get them!” He commanded. Caroline, being the closest to the group, rushed in and tackled Sprig to the ground. The small frog yelped in alarm as the taller woman pinned him, growling in an almost animalistic manner as a strange purple liquid dripped from her mouth.

“Sprig!” Anne leapt in to save her little brother, charging into Caroline and sending the both of them stumbling. Sprig remained lying on his back for a moment, but when he sat up, his eyes were purple.

“Sprig, no!” Hop Pop cried, but it was no use. The spores had seeped into his brain, rendering him stuck under the mushroom’s mind control.

“Hop Pop, we gotta run!” Polly shouted. Hop Pop looked around at the crowd closing in, seeing Anne still fighting with a mind-controlled Caroline.

“Anne! We need to go!” He hollered. Anne looked up as Hop Pop called her name, though this proved to be her fatal mistake as Caroline seized the opportunity and sunk her teeth into Anne’s arm.

“OW!” Anne screeched at the bite, tearing her arm away and seeing it covered in the same purple gunk. Before she could even try to wipe it away, it seeped into her skin, leaving only the mark of Caroline’s teeth there.

“Oh, this is not gonna end well.” She muttered, her stare going blank before her eyes turned purple.

“NO!” Hop Pop cried out as Anne became a mushroom-zombie, stepping back when she and Caroline both got to their feet and started walking towards him.

“Hop Pop, this would probably be the time to run!” Polly snapped him back to reality, tapping on his forehead. The old frog was quick to turn and run, only to find the exit was blocked by a wall of mind-controlled humans.

“It’s a dead end!” He exclaimed. Larry let out an evil laugh, approaching from behind and cornering the last two Plantars.

“Nowhere to run, Hopediah!” He mocked. “And now, I shall take over this city and rule the human world!” His mad cackle rang throughout the carnival as the mushroom-zombies closed in, leaving Polly and Hop Pop with nowhere to run.

“This is it.” Hop Pop muttered gravely. “This is the end.” The world around him soon became nothing but a glowing purple haze, the groans and mad laughter of Larry blending together until all fell silent.

——

GASP!

Hop Pop snapped upright in bed, a cold sweat on his forehead as he gasped for air. He looked around in a panic, taking a moment to get his bearings before he realized he was in the spare bedroom at Caroline’s house.

“It was just a dream.” He panted, a wave of relief washing over him. “Oh, it was all just a horrible dream.”

“Hey, Hop Pop!” Caroline’s voice suddenly called from downstairs. “We got tickets to an exclusive carnival! Do you want to come?”

Hop Pop froze, his left eye twitching before he screamed.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOO!”