#midnight muse feedback

[azsazz]

MM Feedback Contd.

Anon Feedback: for the midnight muse feedback: what was missing: for me most of the plot was missing, besides their bickering phase and then them getting together i think we didn't really get much else. also a backstory for the reader character but i understand why we didnt get it here since it's a x reader fic

Yes, backstories will be flushed out for sure, a bit difficult to do like you said because x reader, but i will for sure work on this!

what you didn't like: honestly most of the relationships between them, the talk between the bat boys and az was good but it felt like they just apologized and moved on and that was it. but feyre was a terrible friend with the whole rhys situation and in her talk with reader she basically admitted she was prioritizing rhys over her and reader was just like "it's fine, we're best friends" it made me not like feyre for the rest of the story. cass going to befriend the girls immediately also feels a little weird, like i get the vibes that he didn't really think about it but i think if i was azriel i would be sad about it, of all the people in the world my bestfriend went to befriend the people i don't like? that's low. and then their relationship because it felt like it dragged on where they hated each other to then have them get together after one nice talk and then the story ends after a couple of chapters. there was some tension between them but just sexual so when they got together that's the only thing i felt. the little fight they had was unnecessary, it literally served no purpose and made no sense.

Working on friendship relationships, noted! Will also work on Cass becoming a more gradual friend instead of jumping in headfirst with them behind az's back, good feedback for sure. I will also work on reader x feyre's relationship because they're supposed to be better friends than that, so good thing to point out, thank you!

what you adored: i like the characters. reader is cool but if it gets turned into a book like i said i wish we got more story for her. i like az and even when he was being an asshole it's clear it's mostly because he has a lot on his mind and probably needs a therapist. cassian is funny sometimes but he gives too much frat boy at other times and it's a bit icky because it gives me war flashbacks, i also don't love the himbo characters usually so i think it's really personal preference. feyre was a terrible friend but other than that she was just there i guess. rhys was also giving me the ick too much in the beginning but then towards the end it got better, i like how he went and talked to reader about feyre (almost better than feyre herself did) and he was really good with azriel especially during their talk. lucien ended up not really serving much of a purpose in my opinion but his character is cool

there were def some times where i was writing cass where i was like this is probably way too much, so i'll probably rework some of his liners and such. i didn't really have a backstory for feyre x rhys but i think i do now so that will help give the story and their actions some meat/will be reworking thier characters a bit so that makes more sense as well. yeah i need to figure out what i'm doing with lu. i was trying to allude that at the coffeehouse he was there to show off reader to make one of the barista's jealous, so they were kind of using each other a little bit, reader didn't know her feelings for az at the time so she wasn't hanging out with him to make az jealous but luc kept suggesting coffee because his love interest works there.

what I should remove completely: the fight after they got together and i think how they end up being friends. i don't know cassian just going up to them and suddenly they were all besties was a little weird to me also i get what you were doing with the elevator scene because at that point they only talked if they were locked together but it's just so cliché and it's another one to add to the others like the talk was nice but it being in the elevator was predictable

I did get a lot of feedback about the fight, so this has been added to my feedback notes a lot. i mean, i don't mind the elevator cliche, or a cliche at all, as long as the entire book didn't feel like one...i'll consider it for sure during the rewrite and see how i feel about it, so thank you for the feedback on that!

things that felt off or you felt were unresolved: their relationship because like i said we got them hating each other and then they got together and it just ended. and i think at that point they really didn't know anything about each other so there was even more of a whiplash when they actually start dating immediately because you only see sexual tension before that and then suddenly they're super nice to each other and act like they always liked each other. i think people go into it already liking azriel and knowing they'll end up together so they're just waiting on it and never take it as not being a possibility because its azriel and they're reading fanfics about him because they already like him but if it's a nameless character you need to make people like the characters and like them together and feel the tension between them and like they'd be good together which i dont really get from this fic. most of the plot felt unresolved too because the dad thing never really went anywhere which i guess was the plot besides the romance, also lucien was there and then just wasn't (it also didn't really feel like he liked her much)

will definitely be working on their chemistry and them getting to know each other/building a relationship. i agree with what you're saying that they just got together and didn't know anything about each other so i'll edit that too. az's dad will have more presence in the rewrite as well, as i was writing i kept thinking of ideas (as we can tell) so that's why they weren't predated in the story etc, so i will def fill those holes in as well!

also this might just be my opinion but the idea for her tattoo is so bad im sorry, i had to stop when i read it and it's her first tattoo as well. just the thought of it looks ugly to me but even the meaning is off for me... maybe if you want to keep the hand idea let him get it because he's already so heavily tattooed that the big two detailed hands piece might kind of blend in but for her first tattoo let him get her something else, either something meaningless and pretty (i mean she's in art school i know she has to have better ideas) or something important for her but not necessarily a relationship tattoo not even a year into their relationship.

i'm not going to lie, i struggled so hard with what to give her a tattoo of and i think that's also why i didn't actually add it into the story is because i had no idea what to do. i do agree that she shouldn't have gotten that when they've only been together for not that long, and it is cringey but i felt like it made sense at the time. i will work on her tattoo ideas tho

also (and i might be talking out of my ass) but if his injury only happened a year ago i'm not sure he'd be even drawing already even if shaky, you'd have to do some research there but i think it wouldn't be bad if you pushed it back a little further in the past

this is also a fair point, i'm also not sure, but if i ever go to publish it will be a different injury so i will for sure do some research about that when i go to describe it! and yeah, i can totally move it a bit further into the past like you said :)

Thank you for the feedback this is a lot to work with here, so thank you for reading and taking the time to send all of this back to me!! 💙

[dreamwritesimagines]

The Eye of the Hurricane [27] - Midnight

A.N: Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback, you made my day! ❤️I hope you’ll like this chapter as well, and please don’t forget to tell me what you think! ❤️

Summary: Some arguments have more tension than others.

Word Count: 2500

Pairing: MobBoss!Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader

Warnings: Violence, guns, crime, blood, explicit language, dysfunctional relationship (I'm serious, they have issues), mentions of sex and fighting. This is an AU, friendly reminder that I don’t condone any of the actions depicted on this story and please read with care.

Series Masterlist

Well then.

As it turned out, your plan to make your cousin look weak was working.

The first hit was an absolute success, and Ian was already crumbling. It was lucky for you that your father wasn’t getting involved and was giving him a chance to prove himself after the first attack to the shipment, because Ian was acting exactly the way you thought he would act.

Good.

It was going to make things much easier.

Bucky had dropped by to the apartment in the middle of the day to go take a shower which was quite surprising but judging by the blood stains on his shirt, it was needed. You were sitting comfortably on the couch, resting your feet on the coffee table with a book in your lap when he came into the living room and made a beeline to you to fling himself on the couch as well, pushing your book away to put his head in your lap. You pulled your brows together, tilting your head.

“Can I help you?”

If you didn’t know it better, you would’ve thought he was pouting.

“I need like five minutes to rest my eyes,” he murmured with his eyes closed. “How someone can be so goddamn stubborn, I’ll never understand.”

“Ah,” you said. “This can only be about—”

“Becca.”

You nodded your head. “What happened?”

“Mom wants to meet her girlfriend and Becca is acting like that’s a natural disaster.”

“Hurricane Winnifred,” you muttered and Bucky opened his eyes to look up at you, but then closed them again when you absentmindedly ran your fingers through his hair to play with it.

“Can you tell her she’s being nonsense?”

“I don’t think she’s being nonsense,” you told him. “Have you met your mother?”

“She’ll be nice.”

“Like fuck she will.”

“She’s nice to you.”

“Because she knows I won’t be nice if she won’t,” you told him. “Leila on the other hand…she’s way too polite.”

Bucky hummed and looked up at you again.

“Is Becca serious about her?”

“Oh absolutely,” you said. “Picket fence house and all that nonsense.”

“With a civilian,” Bucky mumbled. “That’s going to be fun.”

“Becca would never get with someone in the business, you know that.”

“Oh I know that, but I don’t think my parents do,” Bucky said. “They still hope it will happen.”

“Winnifred and my aunt would get along well,” you muttered. “Both boy moms.”

“So are a lot of people.”

“No there’s a difference between a boy mom and a boy mom.”

“You make zero sense, Charm.”

You shrugged your shoulders, still playing with his hair but his phone buzzed, making him let out a groan.

“No!”

“You’ll be fine,” you said and he sat up with a sigh, his eyes darting over the lines before he chuckled.

“Jesus, he really is the worst heir ever.”

“Ian?”

“Guess where he’s routing the next shipment.”

You frowned. “Where?”

“West side second dock.”

Your eyes widened. “What?”

“Has your father never taught him anything, seriously?” he asked and you covered your mouth.

“West side second dock, Jesus Christ…”

“I’d better have a decoy shipment then,” Bucky murmured. “Just in case.”

“Yeah that’s a good idea,” you said. “The cops will follow that shipment and bust it with any other shipment that day.”

“I’ll talk to my guys in the force, let’s see how that plays out.”

“Both us and the cops winning,” you mused. “Never thought I’d see the day.”

“They’re not winning, it’s just going to be their small victory so that they’ll shut up for a while,” Bucky said as he stood up. “I’ll see you at dinner?”

“Sure,” you said as he kissed the top of your head. “I’ll meet my dad but I’ll be home around dinner time.”

“Have fun,” he said and walked out of the apartment, and you heaved a sigh.

“Yeah,” you muttered. “I’m sure it’ll be fun.”

                                                    *

Your lunch with your father was pretty interesting, because you knew he was trying his hardest not to let you know about the so-called attack, but he was way too tense for you to think everything was going well. You took a look at the bodyguards in the restaurant, then sipped your rosé, leaning back.

“So,” you said. “How is everything with the business?”

He shot you a look.

“You took longer than I thought you would,” he commented and you shrugged your shoulders.

“I’m just making small talk—”

“Y/N.”

You rolled your eyes.

“Fine,” you said. “I heard about the attack.”

“Of course you did,” he muttered more to himself, then sipped his drink. “There’s nothing for you to worry about.”

You tried to control your expression.

“I know,” you said. “Doesn’t mean I’m not curious. Do we know who’s behind the attack?”

“Not yet,” he said. “We’re searching for it though.”

Tension churned at your stomach but you nodded your head calmly.

“What shipment was it?” you asked. “You normally have multiple men around the perimeter, but Bucky said it looked like a sneak attack. How did they get past your people? Did they kill them?”

Your father licked his lips and heaved a sigh.

“Ian was responsible of that shipment,” he said, making you arch a brow. “He must’ve—Y/N.”

“What?” you asked innocently and he licked his lips.

“He will stumble a bit, everyone does when they first start taking responsibilities.”

You hummed.

“Funny,” you said. “I didn’t notice that with Bucky. Or Sam. Or Steve.”

“Ian is a bit more…enthusiastic to prove himself than they were, perhaps.”

You tried not to grimace at the blatant lie and took another sip so that you could control your expression.

“I’ve been told he’s fixing the situation,” your father said. “He’s much more angry at the situation than you or me.”

“But are you angry?”

“It happened in my territory, and it was my shipment, my business that they attacked,” your father said even though his voice was calm. “Of course I am angry.”

Guilt burned at your stomach but you knew you couldn’t let it affect you; what you and Bucky had done was necessary.

It wasn’t just your father’s business, it was going to be yours one day and you had to prove that Ian was a terrible option.

For the business, and the city.

One of the bodyguards came closer to mutter something to his ear and he nodded, then wiped at his mouth.

“Duty calls,” he said and you took another sip of your wine, then put the glass on the table.

“Alright.”

“Want me to drop you off?”

“No need, my driver is here,” you said as you both walked out of the restaurant. He hugged you and you kissed him on the cheek.

“Be careful.”

“Always am,” he said and one of the bodyguards opened the door for you, but before you got in, you heard your father’s voice again.

“Y/N.”

You turned around to look at him better. “Yeah?”

“How would you prevent it?” he asked. “If it was your shipment?”

A smug grin threatened to pull at your lips but you bit inside your cheek, then heaved a sigh.

“Twenty men around the perimeter,” you said. “Additional ten in every half mile, three hour shifts in rotation. Couple of cops under our pay in the outer skirts, preferably by the bridge and at least three people watching the street footage so that we would know the license plates of every car that gets a bit too close for future reference.”

He blinked a couple of times, the impressed expression on his face impossible to miss and you felt your stomach do a happy flip, then shrugged your shoulder, forcing yourself to focus.

“But it doesn’t matter,” you told him. “I’m not your heir, am I?”

With that, you got in the car and the bodyguard closed the door, the driver starting the car immediately. You grinned to yourself and leaned back in the seat as the car started moving through the street smoothly and you closed your eyes.

“Yet,” you corrected yourself. “I’m not your heir yet.”

                                            *

Bucky had texted you, saying he would miss dinner because of a meeting taking long so you had ordered some takeout, curled up on the couch with Alpine in your lap. Towards midnight he still hadn’t come home so you texted him only for him to text back the meeting was still going on, and you picked a show to bingewatch in the meantime.

For some reason you liked it when Bucky was beside you on the bed when you went to sleep.

You were so focused on the episode that you hadn’t even noticed when your phone buzzed, so when you saw the text notification from Ian, you frowned slightly.

You and Ian didn’t really text each other.

You touched the notification and sat up straighter much to Alpine’s meow of protest the moment you saw the picture of Bucky and Anna by the docks. Bucky was leaning back against the car with Anna right beside him, laughing at what you could only assume something he said.

From: Ian

Ouch. Didn’t last long huh?

Fury spread through you so fast that it made your head spin and you stood up from the couch, Alpine jumping to the floor as well. Your jaw clenched as you zoomed into the picture, then ran a hand over your face.

Of course.

The so called meeting was just a fucking excuse.

You didn’t even know why you were getting so angry, after all this whole thing was just a business deal but that was the thing; you two had a deal. That was his only request going into this marriage, that you two wouldn’t see anyone else behind each other’s back but there he was, breaking the same rule he had implemented. A mob boss not being faithful wasn’t supposed to be a surprise; you had grown up seeing it over and over again, Bucky’s own father included but this?

This was disrespect, and the fact that Ian was the one telling you about it made it so much worse.

You tried to see through the fury pounding in your head, tossed the phone aside and dug your fingernails into your palms, gritting your teeth.

That motherfucker.

How dare he?

By the time the front door opened, you had been pacing in the living room for the last half an hour, still lost in your own anger but Bucky’s voice made you stop dead in your tracks.

“Honey I’m home,” he joked as he walked in and you narrowed your eyes at him, making him tilt his head.

“What happened?”

Even if anger was radiating off of you and you knew that he could tell, you managed to smile but you had a feeling it was more of a snarl.

“How was the meeting?” you asked, your voice eerily calm and he licked his lips.

“It was fine?” he said like a question. “Why do I get the feeling that I’m about to be shot?”

You walked to the couch to grab your phone, then found the pic, your hands nearly shaking as you tossed him the phone with more force than necessary. His gaze fell on the screen before he looked at you again.

“You put people on my tail?”

“You fucking asshole!” you lunged at him but he had the same training as you had – probably heavier considering the cage fight- because he caught you basically in mid-air and twisted your arm, then pushed you before you could grab him.

“Sweetheart,” he said. “You know what the psychiatrist said about open communication, let’s talk about this.”

“You’re going behind my back?!”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, it was a business—”

“Bullshit!”

“A business meeting,” he said as you took off your earrings to toss them aside, making him pinch the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

“Charm baby, let’s not.”

“Oh no, let’s,” you said as you jumped over the coffee table but he caught your leg before you could reach him and threw you easily to the corner of the room. You landed on your feet just as easily but the vase by the corner fell off its stand to smash into pieces. Bucky’s bodyguards by the hallway must’ve heard the noise because the door slammed open, Hannah and Paul walking inside with their guns raised.

“Mr. Barnes?”

“Leave,” Bucky ordered, rolling his shoulders back as you gritted your teeth and pulled the pocket knife out of your waistband, flipping it open.

“…Sir?”

“Everything is alright, me and my wife are just having a small disagreement.”

“Mr. Barnes, are you—”

“She’s not going to do anything to me Paul but I can’t guarantee the same thing for you,” Bucky said. “Leave, close the door behind you.”   

Hannah and Paul lowered their guns, exchanging glances.

“Leave!” you snapped and they both rushed out of the door, closing it behind them in a hurry. Bucky gave you a smirk and opened his arms as if inviting you.

“It was a business meeting, princess.”

“In the middle of the night?” you asked as you stepped closer to him, both of you circling each other. “By the water? Are all your meetings that romantic?”

“We had to go check the shipment’s security because I don’t want to raise any alarms when Ian’s shipment gets busted—”

“Do you seriously think I’m that much of a gullible idiot?”

“Nah, I think you’re just jealous. It’s adorable, really.”

“I’m not fucking jealous!” you exclaimed as you lunged at him again, this time wrapping your legs around his neck to slam him to the ground even if he managed to knock the blade off your hand in the meantime. As soon as you two hit the ground, he caught your leg and flipped you two over, his hand shooting up to grab you by the neck, not putting any pressure but still strong.

Oh—

Oh fuck, this wasn’t supposed to make your heartbeat faster.

The only sound in the room was both of you breathing hard while you glared at each other for a moment, desire roaring through your veins, making your head spin.

Then his lips crashed into yours.

All your senses were too full of him for you to even think it wasn’t the best idea and to be completely honest, you couldn’t give two fucks whether it was a good idea or not, especially not when he was kissing you like this. You had no idea when you two had started ripping each other’s clothes but it was only when you felt his fingertips brush your bare waist, awakening fire underneath your skin did you realize you were only in your bra. You pulled at his crisp button up shirt until the buttons scattered around the room before you impatiently pushed it down his arms and bit at his lip, making him hiss for a moment to pull back to look down at you.

“Behave,” he warned you, smirking slightly and you tilted your head, arching a brow.

“You first.”  

He let out a chuckle, then winked at you and leaned down to kiss you again.

Chapter 28

[melancholyhigh]

LATE NIGHT CALLS.

ft. leon x coworker!reader

synopsis. leon misses you so he gives you a call.

content. smut. 1.3k words. phone sex, leon's pov, needy leon, masturbation, dirty talk, praise kink, mommy kink.

note. hello?? thank you guys for 700 followers!! i haven't even figure out what i wanted to do for 500 as yet. i appreciate all of you guys so much <33

masterlist. i love feedback & reblogs :3

Leon huffs as he lies in his bed. He can’t help but think about you.

He wonders what you’re up to. It was midnight the last time he checked, and you’re probably working on a case. He doesn’t like when you’re up late, coming to work the next day with exhausted eyes and greeting him with a tired smile. Maybe he should check up on you like you always did for him. 

He didn’t want to disturb you, though. But he needed you so badly.

Glaring at his phone on the bedside table, he thinks about how he’d explain himself for calling you in the dead of night. 

I really fucking need you. Leon thinks to say, but that might be too straightforward.

He regrets not talking to you after getting back from his mission. It wasn’t his fault. It was the one thing he looked forward to doing. Leon knew you’d greet him with the biggest grin on your face even though your brows were etched with worry when you asked him if he was alright.

Good job, agent. You would praise. You’re amazing. You know that?

It’s the exact words you uttered that one night. The entire mission was blurry, except for the sweet phrases you let slip as you comforted him. 

The both of you were stationed at a rundown motel for the night, awaiting further instructions. He vaguely remembers that there was one bed, and you persisted for him to take it. 

“You always have a stick up your ass, Kennedy?” you mused. “You need rest. You’re giving yourself a hard time.” 

Leon had rolled his eyes before giving in, resting on the rock-hard mattress before succumbing to slumber. It has been mainly calm — as peaceful as a crusty motel can be until he recalls you waking him up, concern lacing your voice.

He felt the tears in his eyes slipping down his face, and then it hit that he had a nightmare. Leon inwardly cringes at the memory, grateful he doesn’t recall the dream. It felt so childish, a nightmare. But at that point, you didn’t care. 

He was so weak and vulnerable, and you tended to him. You sat with him, talked to him, and told him everything would be alright. The recollection has heat blooming within his chest. 

From then on, the relationship between that you and him changed. You’re closer, and he’s honestly disappointed that it took so long for him to acknowledge you.

–-

Leon sighs. Why did most nights end up with him thinking of you? It had been worse since he was away for a few weeks. He feels neglected even though you owe nothing to him.

He lets his mind wander, thinking about your touch featherlight along his body. He allows his hand to trail to his tummy, abs flexing, as he mimics how you would touch him or how he wishes you would handle him.

Leon gasps softly, palming his hardening cock through the confines of his boxers. His eyes squeeze shut, and his other hand squeezes his pec.

Fuck it. Grabbing the phone off the bedside table, Leon dials your number, placing his phone to his ear. After a few rings, you answer. 

“Hey, Leon, everything okay?” your ask, your voice soft, and you’re clearly exhausted. He feels wrong for calling, but his need outweighs his morals.

“‘M good. I just wanted to talk to you,” Leon says, trying to keep his voice from faltering. He hears a laugh from the other side and the rustling of your blanket, he assumes.

“It’s late. You should be getting your beauty sleep, pretty boy.” 

Leon scoffs, hypocrite. Though the way you mutter the pet name has him breathless.

“I miss you,” he grumbles, eyes squeezing shut again. 

“Oh, really?” The tone is teasing, and he imagines that’s what you’d say when he’s pleading for your touch.

“Yeah– can you tell me how your day was? Talk to me, please?”

“Uh, okay, Leon. Are you sure you’re alright, though?”

“I’m fine! J- just keep talking, please.” 

You were thoughtful, asking him if he was alright, but he’s selfish. Getting off to your voice because he was so fucking horny for you. 

“Well, my day was pretty bad. My week, actually. It felt like something was missing, ya know?” You sigh.

“Uh-huh,” Leon responds, not even sure what you said.

His body is so fucking warm. It feels like he’s burning. Not just from arousal but the guilt that lies with him as he shamelessly pulls his boxers down, his dick swollen as it slaps his stomach.

The guilt washes away when you tell him you missed him too. Blood runs straight to his cock as he moans loudly. He hasn’t even touched himself as yet.

Your thoughts are cut short, and there’s a beat of silence as you gather yourself. 

It’s over. Leon thinks.

“Leon? Are you touching yourself?” you questioned. You sound confused, not mad, and he wonders if there’s not enough blood pumping to his head. He doesn’t know how to respond.

“Is that why you called me at one in the morning? Pretty baby just wanted to cum.” You mock, and fuck does it go straight to his cock.

“I needed you so badly,” Leon exasperates. He got onto his tummy, burying his head into his pillow and rutting his hips into the mattress. His precum dripped onto the sheets of his bed.

“Mhm, did you come as yet, pretty boy?” your whisper.

“N- no, mommy.” It slips out, and he can’t help it. Gosh, can he embarrass himself even further? 

“Oh? Did you want mommy to help you, Leon? It’s okay, baby,” you sigh before instructing, “Want you to stroke your pretty dick f’me, honey.”

He shifts onto his back again, his eyes rolling to the back of his head as he grasps the shaft and gradually tugs it. Soft groans escape him as precums oozes out the tip, leaking onto his tummy.

“I wish it was your hand, mommy,” Leon whimpers. He’s so far gone. He had wished for moments like these where he’d be yours, though he hoped for different circumstances.

“Me too, baby. I’d take my time with you,” you mumbled breathlessly. He wonders if you’re touching yourself. Rubbing your puffy clit as you listen to him whine in your favour, your cunt stuffed with your fingers. 

He increases his pace, pumping his aching cock faster. He’s so loud, and he’d be embarrassed if you weren’t encouraging him to be louder.

“You sound so sexy, Leon. I can’t wait to have you.” How were you going to have your way with him? Maybe you’ll stroke his cock like he’s doing, pinching his nipples, sucking on them til they're abused and red. He hopes you’ll ride him, bouncing on his cock for pleasure, not letting him come once. 

Sloppily fucking his fist now, his head tilts back into the pillow, his hair sprawled out, and his phone is next to his ear as he listens for your quiet moans. 

He can’t wait to get his hands on you, sucking on your tits or clit, as you ride his face until utter bliss.

“Come for me, Leon. Come as if you’re inside of me.”

“Holy shit.” Leon groans, the knot inside his tummy snapping as he spurts his cum out, trickling onto him as he rides his orgasm out.

You’re still on call as Leon breathes heavily, trying to collect himself. You break the silence.

“Wish I could’ve seen you coming,” you huff out. “Bet you look even prettier.”

“Did you touch yourself?” Leon asks in disbelief, cleaning himself off with the box of tissues near his bedside table.

“How could I not? You had me dripping. I have to change my sheets now.” you joke, and Leon blushes, grateful you can’t see him. He couldn’t believe he had such an effect on you.

“Can I take you out sometime?” Leon asks nervously. He hopes this doesn’t change the relationship you shared for the worse just because he was a horny mess.

You giggle, and he swears it’s the most gorgeous sound ever.

“Sure thing, baby. Where do you plan to take mommy, hm?”

You weren’t going to let him live that down won’t you? Not that he minds, of course.

[swallowedbymadness]

♡ a melancholy melody ♡ 

Pairing: pianist!hongjoong x writer!fem!reader

Genre: Period piece drama/romance/aka my ultimate fantasy

Summary: As a writer, love was something you naturally longed for but thought it to be unattainable. However, when a mysterious piano player comes to town one summer, you find yourself falling into a fairytale of your own.

Word Count: 10.2k (oops)

A/N: hello again, my darlings! I come bearing another romantic Hongjoong gift. I’m currently in the middle of writing another member, but this came to me like a vision in the night. I simply could not ignore it. 🥲 aka I watched a period piece drama and needed to write aristocratic Kim Hongjoong asap. 🫠 Please I encourage leaving some feedback for me. I would love to hear your thoughts, emotions, or anything really! 🤍 18+ content, so please, minors DNI. Enjoy!🥂

Warnings: ye olden times talk (lol), romantic fluff and sweet love makin’, pet names, sensory deprivation (blind fold & fabric restraints used on reader), unprotected sex, oral (f/r), if I missed any pls let me know. 🩷

Proofread: Of course! But, you know the drill. If you see a mistake, no you don’t. 💌

You found yourself at yet another party for people you really did not care to socialize with. But of course, you could not deny your dear friend the company she begged for from you. You would much rather be at home immersed in the newly acquired novel you picked up from the bookstore the other day, upset that you were almost finished with it already. 

     You lived in a small town in the countryside, so it was always the same guests with nothing special to celebrate. Usually parties consisted of single wealthy men in search of a bride, so her father was always happy to oblige in their search by throwing these lavish evenings in their ballroom. You weren’t sure why you still attended, seeing as you did not care for any of the men that made the guest list. Maybe it was the consistent nagging of your childhood friend or your parents giving you a hard time for still being unwed at your age. Either way, it felt more like an obligation to throw your best dress on for another night of mingling with socialites. But then again, this was better than sitting at home with writer’s block. You were trying to write a fairytale of your own, but life was just so dull and uninspiring. Artists needed a muse, and you simply didn’t have one. You longed to experience romance as you did in the books you read time and time again, but alas, the same boring people did not tick all your boxes to deem worthy enough for the romance you daydreamed about.

This predicament always arose when you found yourself at these parties. Every man who you became acquainted with stayed just that — an acquaintance. Half of you wished your standards would be lower so you could finally marry and have children, but you knew in your heart that that was far from what you craved. You wanted passion, risqué rendezvous at midnight, adventure, and all the in between that the novels you spent so much time reading described, but mainly you wanted something worth writing about. Maybe then you could finish the godforsaken book you’ve been trying to write for months now. 

     You were trying to pay attention to a current conversation you were having with a military official who was boasting about his assets when your eyes drifted elsewhere, his bragging tone of no interest to you. You dreamed about being whisked away by a magical force to a far away land where the flowers sang along with the breeze and the rays from the sun danced on your skin. It was so sudden, but when your gaze was shifting back on the man in front of you, they caught a pair of chestnut eyes burning into you.       

     You looked around, not sure if they were truly set on you or not, but to your surprise, there was no one else around they could be looking at. You held the stare, your interest piquing immensely. It was like a string was tied to you because you felt a tug from behind your ribs when his gaze didn’t falter. 

     “Are you alright, Miss?” The man in front of you brought your attention back to him, breaking you from your hazy dream. 

     “Ah, yes I uh, I just need some air.” You excused yourself from the ballroom and into the garden. You took a seat on one of the benches near a rose bush, the red and pink petals shining under the night sky, the sweet scent filling the air around you. It wasn’t long before you heard a soft melody erupting from the piano that sat in the ballroom. You got up and roamed back inside to see what the commotion was all about. You lingered in the corner off to the side, watching as everyone danced and laughed while others drank and talked with voices too loud. You noticed a group of women gathered around the piano, giggles and awestruck smiles adorning their faces. As you got a bit closer, you could finally see what they were fawning over.

Sitting at the piano was a man with tousled hair the color of coffee, his sharp features focused on his slender fingers as they skillfully danced elegantly across the keys. Your breath hitched in your throat when his fingers stilled and the music stopped, silence filling the room before thunderous applause took over the atmosphere. He looked up, and you swore time itself froze.

     Your eyes locked with chestnut once again, and suddenly the newly familiar tug in your chest returned, leaving you breathless.

—

     “Back so soon are we?” The bookstore owner teased, smiling when seeing your embarrassment displayed on your cheeks. 

     “The last story was so captivating. A boy who never grew up, a magical fairy and pirates? It was an adventure I couldn’t seem to put down.” 

     “Well, maybe you’ll find something that lasts you a bit longer than the previous tale.” He smiled, the wrinkles etched into his aged face a comforting sight for you. You placed the small green leather bound book on the counter and began your search for a new fairytale to be entranced by. Your fingers grazed the books on the shelf lightly as you walked down the ilse, reading the titles, waiting for something to cause that initial spark that made you giddy. You stopped over a blue book with silver color bindings, your finger buzzing as it hovered over the spine. You pulled it out and opened it to sample a page. As you felt your mind begin to wander off into the fictional world you were ready to dive into, you didn’t notice the creak of the front door open and the owner greet the new customer that waltzed in shortly after you.

     “Ah, Mr. Kim, it’s an honor. And what brings you into my shop?”

     “I’m just looking for a light read to fill the hot days with. Any recommendations?” The man asked, and the owner hummed in response, pondering over the options.

     “Well, the fantasy section might pique your interest. A good love story is perfect for the longer days of summer. It might even inspire you,” The hinting smile in his tone was obvious, but went unnoticed. The man chuckled at the old man’s words before headed towards the shelves with the recommended genre.

    “I’ll have a look then, thank you.” He said with a smile. You we’re so enraptured with the words on the worn pages that you didn’t realize the presence that lingered just behind you. 

     “Good day, Miss,” A tenor voice from behind you brought you back to the present and away from the book in your hands. You turned around and the tug instantly returned as your eyes met with chestnut once again. 

     “Oh,” you stuttered, unable to form a coherent thought with the pianist from the other night, but now he was standing before you. “Good day, sir.” 

     “It is a good day indeed, now that my eyes have stumbled upon you again.” You felt your cheeks heat up from the sudden flirtatious advances. “I believe it is fate that brought us here to find each other again, don’t you?” The corners of his mouth turned upwards into an honest grin. 

     “Hm,” you contemplated playfully, noticing how his gaze never faltered from your face. “Fate indeed that the stars wanted our paths to cross once again.” 

     “Maybe this time I will be allowed more than a few stolen glances. Perhaps I’ll have the pleasure of knowing your name?” You clutch the novel in your hand a bit tighter, letting your name slip from your mouth carefully. You saw a small flicker of something you couldn’t quite figure out in his expression, a firm smile and kind eyes still exposed to you.

     “It’s a pleasure to formally make your acquaintance.” He bowed, extending his hand out in front of you, waiting for your hand to be placed into his. Once obliging, your palms met and his rosy lips brushed lightly over the top of your hand, lingering over the warm flesh for more than what was deemed appropriate. 

 “The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Kim.” You hated how your heart fluttered slightly at the delicate touch. His eyebrow shot up in surprise without his cool exterior faltering as his name fell from your mouth so easily. He wondered how you’d known. Perhaps you overheard his previous conversation with the owner. 

     “Please, call me Hongjoong. No need for formalities.” 

     “Very well then. And what brings you here, Hongjoong?” You looked back over to the shelf, pretending to nonchalantly browse the titles under your fingertips.

     “Well, I play the piano, and very much enjoy writing symphonies. However, I am spending the summer away from the city to clear my head a bit. ”

     “Well, Mr. Kim. You’re quite the talk of the town as of late, and I hear that you’re currently the most eligible bachelor.” You recall from all the gossip from around town that you had not stopped hearing about since the party. You learned that he had just arrived that morning and was quickly invited to play that evening. 

     “Is that so?” He took a step closer to you, and you felt yourself subconsciously step a fraction back, not realizing the bookcase was so close behind you. “And what do they have to say?” He was baiting you, and you knew it. Kim Hongjoong was said to be one of those men who frequented the city brothels only men of his status could afford, or he would find his way into the beds of aristocratic women that you absolutely could and would never associate yourself with. Part of you didn’t want to believe the rumors, but the way his eyes trailed your body left you unsure.

  “Not much really, just how handsome you are, and how the way you play piano is a form of art all on its own.” He straightened his stance at that, a proud grin appearing across his features. But you noticed that it still seemed lacking, like the current compliment of the whole entirety of the town wasn’t enough for him or his ego. 

     “And what do you say?” His brow perked up inquisitively, eagerly awaiting another form of praise to drop from your lips. You lightly scoffed under your breath, just enough for him to hear it.

     “I have nothing to say about you.” You simply stated matter of factly. His smile didn't fade like you’d expected it to. Instead, it only grew, like you were challenging a lion waiting to pounce. 

     “I see,” he hummed in response. His eyes trailed down your body, fixating on your hands that were now crossed in front of you, your fingers slightly white at how tight your grip had gotten on the borrowed book.  “I see no husband accompanies you, and no band adorns your left finger. Why is a woman who possesses such beauty as yourself not wed yet?”

     “Because, I have yet to find a man who has any interest in what I love most.” 

     “And what would that be?” You adjusted your stance in hopes this conversation would end soon, his gaze suddenly feeling patronizing. You tapped your fingers against the book in your hands and nodded knowingly. “Books, I presume?”

     “Not just books, Mr. Kim, but the stories that lie within the pages. Fantasy, adventure, romance…it’s all so fascinating to me. It’s hard not to get lost in another world. Naturally, this is something I tend to fall victim to as I am a writer myself.”

     “Well, I see nothing wrong with that,” he claimed, his confidence filling the air around you both. “You’re a well educated woman. Any man would aspire to have a wife with that quality.” 

     “I dream in rose color, Mr. Kim, and I’m afraid no man takes a woman like me seriously.” He clicked his tongue, looking around the room before leaning forward to hover his lips just above your ear.

     “Not all men can handle a woman like you then, now can they.” He spoke low, his chest vibrating as his words rang in your ear and sent shivers down your spine, his breath hot against your skin. The breath you were holding in your lungs suddenly was lost as you inhaled, your senses being overwhelmed by citrus and bergamot. 

     “I-” you felt yourself stumble back and lose your footing, a quiet yelp escaping you. You prepared to tumble back into the shelf behind you when you felt his hand grasp the small of your back and pull you close to his chest. Instead, you found yourself crashing into the pianist, and the two of you hit the ground unceremoniously. You looked down into chestnut and swore you saw the sun when a toothy grin appeared across his face, followed by a hearty laugh. You sprung up after what felt like ages, not sure how long you lingered in his space with curious eyes trying to read him like one of your beloved novels. Once the both of you stood back up, the air turning awkward between you two, he picked the little blue book up from the floor that you hadn’t realized you’d dropped, and held it out to you.

     “Careful, people may think you’re falling for me already.” You felt your features twist into a mildly disgusted expression before a very audible scoff left your lips.

      “You’re…insufferable!” You pushed past him, not wanting to admit the way your heart twisted when you heard his chuckle from behind you.          

     “Good day, Mr. Kim.”

     “I’m sure we’ll see one another again soon.” He winked, but you pretended that you didn’t see it to avoid your face from flushing more than it already was.

—

     The days of summer were passing by in a blur, and you grew more frustrated that you couldn’t write a single thing without feeling mediocre, resulting in you crumpling the paper up and tossing it onto the floor. Inspiration still remained hidden from you, like a treasure you had to hunt down. Your days weren’t always bothersome though, seeing as you started seeing a certain pianist in the bookstore more frequently. You often found Hongjoong at the bookstore whenever you returned for another new read, but as the warm days came and went, you noticed he would sometimes be in the fantasy section browsing the books as if waiting for you to show up. Or, other days, he would be in the back at a little table with his brows furrowed and a pen in his hand as he scribbled treble clefs and b sharps to add to his stack of sheet music.

     You tried your best to stay away, you really did. Not wanting to be the next name in everyone’s mouth, but something wouldn’t allow you to keep your distance for long. It was when he was absolutely enthralled by his work one afternoon that you felt the tug again, the invisible string pulling you towards his hunched over figure. As you approached, you cleared your throat to make your presence known.

     “Ah, what a pleasant surprise to see you again!” He looked up momentarily from his jumble of ink stained papers, his hair a tousled mess and plum crescents circled underneath his puffy eyes. 

     “I was beginning to think you were avoiding me.” 

     “Trust me, I tried.”

     “But?” A mischievous grin tugged at the corners of his mouth, his eyes sparkling like diamonds.

     “Well…you frequent the one shop in town that I do, so it’s unavoidable, I suppose.” Your excuse did not fool him, but he did not say anything about it.

     “I see…” he looked around the mess in front of him and stood up swiftly from the wooden chair, creaking slightly as it slid across the floor under his weight. “Would you like to go on a walk with me?” He blurted, as if the idea just came to him at that very moment. Stunned, you looked out the small window at the front of the shop and then back at him

     “Hongjoong, it’s nearly sundown.” 

     “Perfect,” he gathered the papers and shoved them under one arm, offering the other for you to grab onto. “I’ve been wanting to show you something.”

     You two walked not too far, the conversation light and easy as you strolled on his arm through town. Once you reached the edge, cobblestone soon turning to dirt and grass, you noticed a stone path leading up the hill and through a clearing of willow trees. You recall staring up at the aged trees as a little girl, always wondering what magic lied behind the swinging branches. You stopped at the first stone, your grip on his arm loosening as you allowed your arm to unhook from his.

     “What is it?” He turned around with a quizzical expression on his face at the loss of your touch. His eyes met yours, concern filling his dark irises as he looked into your own. 

     “Nothing, it’s just I…” you trailed off, unsure if it was appropriate to engage in such private conversation with a man you hardly knew. 

But that’s the thing. You simultaneously felt like you’d known him for lifetimes prior to this one, and it made your skin buzz at the possibility. The very thought confused you, yet you felt excitement lingering in your bones every time he laid eyes on you and the tug pulled you to him.

     “C’mon,” he held his hand out to you, his palm inviting yours to rest in his. “Do you trust me?” You weren’t sure what exactly possessed you to place your hand in his and slowly nod as a silent confirmation that yes, you did trust him. Why? You were unsure. But something inside you told you that you were supposed to go up that hill and beyond those trees that evening. So, you allowed him to pull you along behind him as you made your way up, up, up until you reached the very top.

     You felt the air get knocked from your lungs when your eyes set upon what was in front of you. A beautiful garden that lit up with fireflies, sprites dancing around the leaves of the trees as the warm evening breeze allowed the flowers to sway in time with the music of nature. 

     “Hongjoong, what…is this place?” 

     “Do you like it?” He peered over at you, the warm glow from the candles burning in their lanterns above casting the most radiate light onto your skin, your lips parting in fascination as you watched his garden come to life as the moon and her stars filled the night sky above. 

     This, he decided, was the purest form of beauty he’s ever seen — You adorning the moon’s elegant light upon you. He did not dare admit that he thought your beauty almost outshined mother moon’s in that moment.  

     “Like it? I’m captivated by it.” You couldn’t find the words, too awestruck by nature’s true beauty as it flourished and came to life in the beginning of the night.     

     “This is my home away from home,” he chuckled at the disbelief that had made its way onto your face. “I grew up here.” You looked just past the garden to see a large house with more windows than you’d ever seen, greenery overtaking the brick walls. You noticed that there was a metal staircase that spiraled up to meet a balcony, a beautiful stained glass window with florals depicted in the vivid colors.  “Would you like to take a look around?” He tugged you along, excitement flooding your veins as you walked through the various plant life, the different scents filling your senses. From roses to peonies, marigolds and tulips. They mingled together to create this Heaven on earth as magic hung in the air around you.

     You took note of the fountain in the middle, frogs ribbiting and grasshoppers chirping as the night came to life around you as you ascended up the aged metal staircase. Once utop the balcony, you ran over to the edge of the thick railing, crashing into it as you took in the whole garden from above. The wind blew your hair around your face, and Hongjoong swore his heart stopped beating in that very moment.

     “It’s like a fairytale.” You whispered more to yourself, but Hongjoong caught every word of it as he leaned against the half wall with you. “Oh Hongjoong,” you sighed dreamily, your chin falling into your palm as you rested your elbow on the marble below it. “Isn’t it the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?” He felt the corners of his mouth turn upward slightly, his eyes falling onto your lips, his hand clenched into a fist as he fought back the urge to press his body against yours and kiss you with everything he had. Instead, he chuckled under his breath, his eyes never leaving your face.

     “Yes, indeed it is.” 

— 

     When the middle of summer hit, you did not ever dream of feeling this alive. Hongjoong had let you into a secret garden that opened your eyes to a world beyond the books you found yourself lost in. That alone made your heart soar, and you felt your heart flutter every time you were around him. 

     Small, innocent brushes of his hand against yours as you made small talk about anything and everything, feeling completely comfortable in one another’s presence once you started spending more and more time with one another.    You hadn’t experienced this feeling before, but it felt like what every book you had read had described this feeling to be…but you were hesitant at first. 

     It wasn’t until you found yourself under the August full moon in his garden, your heart trembling as the energy in the air shifted that night. Something had changed, but you couldn’t figure out what exactly. As you popped various fruits into your mouth and drank the fizzy liquor he had brought out from the house onto the balcony to make “the perfect midnight picnic” he had claimed, you couldn’t help notice the way his eyes lingered on you for longer than usual. You saw his hands tremble ever so lightly and his features displaying a softer side to him instead of his usual charming facade. Your body was slouching back against the metal as you gazed lazily up at the twinkling stars that littered the sky, feeling completely at peace as you usually did in his presence. You heard him say your name under his breath, pulling you from whatever fantasy you’d made up in your head that evening, to see him standing inches from you. You’d noticed he had trapped your figure between his arms as he pinned you against the railing, his breath warm on your face as he inched closer, sending your heart flying manically within your rib cage.

     “I-I think I’m falling in love with you…” he stuttered nervously, bluntly, shamelessly. His eyes darkened and were full of something you couldn’t understand. You felt your breath hitch, your mind fogging over in a lavender haze as you tried to dissect his words.

     ‘I’m falling in love with you.’ His words rang in your ears, your chest swelling uncomfortably as you responded with no thought behind your response, but more so you just allowed your intuition to guide you through the dangerous storm that was your heart, your feelings for Hongjoong that you had suppressed and refused to acknowledge because he was a player. How many other women did he confess to just to get them into bed with him? For so long, you refused to be labeled as one of them. But now, you couldn’t, wouldn’t, deny yourself and your emotions any longer. You didn’t care about the rumors, you didn’t care about his reputation. You only cared about acting on your feelings that had recently began to surface. 

     “Kiss me.” You requested softly. You half expected his ego to ruin the moment you reciprocated his advance, but you were surprised when his playboy exterior had not returned. Instead, if it was even possible, his eyes shined brighter than the stars above you two as an innocent smile painted itself across his face as his hands came up to cup your face sweetly. You could feel the beat of his erratic heart through his fingertips as he closed the gap between you two. 

     His lips on yours was absolutely electrifying, like bolts of lightning shooting through your veins and you could have sworn you heard the sky unleash a crack of thunder as the rain began to pour down onto you both. You didn’t care, even your mouths refused to seize their movements against each other as your tongues crossed one another in the most heated kiss you’d ever experienced. Both his hands clutched your face a bit tighter, pulling you deeper into him, sucking your bottom lip in between his own pair and making you dizzy.

     He started backing up, taking you with him through the French doors inally and led you to the fluffy bed. He backed up into the mattress and collapsed against the warm fabric with you on top of him. You stayed like that, lips never leaving one another for hours, lazy kisses and fingertips exploring every inch of your wet skin until your lips were too swollen, and the clothing was too much to keep against your skin.      

     You swallowed the foreign feeling of surrender as you allowed your heart to experience the pleasure your body was. You instead focused on the way his calloused hands worked at the soaked fabric of your dress, the material slipping from your figure and to the floor, leaving you in your slip that stuck sinfully to you, leaving nothing to the imagination as the cotton fabric exposed you as if you were bare. He removed that as well in time, his jaw going slightly slack and his eyes becoming hooded once he had you naked before him. He did not dare rush, but simply wanted, needed, to take his time with you, savoring every little detail of your curves, your dips, and your edges. He felt the dam holding in his overwhelming emotions break, once your eyes locked again and he saw your smile.      

He knew in that moment that he was in love with everything  that was simply you.

     You woke up later that night, feeling absolutely blissful after recalling how his body felt against yours for the first time, memorizing the sounds he made as he burrowed himself deep in between your legs. You felt a blush dust across your cheeks as the memories played out like a play. 

     You were soon drawn from your visions when you felt nothing next to you in the bed, the sheets abandoned long ago. You looked over across the room frantically, only to find him hunched over at a table, a lantern illuminating the concentration on his face as he scribbled onto tea stained paper. You watched him for a while, but it wasn’t long before he felt your eyes on him, causing him to return your gaze. He smiled tiredly, standing from the table and making his way over to you, a thin robe exposing his chest as he strode over. 

     “Did I wake you?”

     “Not at all, I was just upset that the bed was cold.” He chuckled, his breathy laugh sending a soothing emotion through you. 

     “I’m sorry, I just needed to get this song out of my head…would you like to hear it?” You nodded, eyes lighting up at the thought of him playing for you. “Very well then,” he grabbed the sheet music and placed it at the grand piano just next to him, the chair squeaking under his weight as he sat down. He cracked his knuckles, shaking his hands out to loosen himself up before inhaling deeply and looking over the paper one last time before he began to play.

The room suddenly filled with so much emotion, it was nearly suffocating. Your eyes watched how his fingers strategically danced across the keys, the motions seeming so effortless as he swayed back and forth in time with each key being pressed. The melancholy melody painted the room various shades of blue and gray, the music reminding you of the midnight sky and the feeling it evoked when you longingly looked up at the stars and wished for your heart’s deepest desire. It was the sound of how it felt to talk to the moon when you prayed for your wish to come true. It was indescribable with words, but Hongjoong was able to convey every emotion lingering in the air with his fingertips. 

     When he stopped playing, you came back down from the cloud you’d perched yourself on top of as you lost yourself to the lullaby he had created, and you felt tears burning your eyes. 

     “That was lovely. You play beautifully.” You commented, voice barely there as you allowed your eyes to speak for you when words had failed you. 

     “Thank you,” he gathered the pages back up neatly, placing them back on the holder before reaching for the glass with a swig of amber colored liquor left in it that sat on the table. “It’s meant to portray longing. It’s an insatiable feeling that gets deeply rooted into your soul if you’re not careful. Even if you grab hold of something so tightly and never want to let go, sometimes you feel that sense of greed that you need more, even if you have the whole world at your fingertips.” You hummed in response, feeling the ache in your chest burn as you dared ask your next question. 

     “What was your inspiration?” His eyes finally settled on yours, a sad smile making its way onto his lips before he sighed.

     “You.” 

—

     As the sun began to burst into bright hues of oranges and reds, painting the sky as it set for the day, you unlocked the gate that led into Hongjoong’s garden, the sprites welcoming you back once again to the fairytale you longed to escape into. As you approached the spiral stairs that took you to a land that seemed far far away from reality, there he was, the handsome prince of your summer romance, waiting for you at the top. 

He was bent over the railing, a bottle of fizzy liquor half empty dangling from between his fingertips as his eyes searched the sky for something he would never say out loud. A miracle maybe, that someone would someday come sweep him away from the tower he deemed himself trapped in.  

     “That’s very Romeo and Juliet of you,” you laughed from the bottom of the steps, taking one of the leaves of ivy that wrapped around the railing in your finger, the leaf turning a bright green in the sun’s evening glow. You saw him shake himself from his daydream and look down upon you. He let out a breathy laugh as his eyes focused onto you and how your aura was a bright gold at this hour. Maybe this was his golden hour, you standing in his blooming garden, the butterflies and fairies dancing around you as you looked up at him like he was some kind of god that you worshiped. He pondered on the thought.

     “I suppose, but why do I have to be Juliet? I’m not a damsel in distress.” You giggled under your breath as you began walking up the steps.

     “Are you sure about that?” He rolled his eyes, taking a swig from the crystal bottle before extending his arm out as he waited for you to reach the top. “It’s okay, I’ll rescue you. Just don’t drink any poison before I arrive.” You reached for the bottle he gripped tightly onto but willingly gave over to you. He smiled, a kind of stoic look appearing on his face. 

     “I can’t make any promises,” he sheepishly grinned as his eyes diverted down to the bottle in his hand. Your heart trembled at the way his words rang with a hint of truth and a cry for help with how his eyes flickered with a hint of sadness, but that was something you would address another day perhaps. 

     He held the door open for you to enter, the last beams of the sun’s light shining through the stained glass and creating a rainbow of color on the walls. 

     “I’m only kidding, you know.” he made sure to assure you, you not noticing that he could see the sudden panic in your eyes as you approached him. He walked past you and collapsed onto the bed, a weight filling the air that suddenly caused you to follow suit. You crawled on top of the duvet next to him, waiting for him to open the door to his secret wonderland once more. His head hit the pillow, eyes looking up at the ceiling, hands laying flat on his chest. “I just…” he sighed, trying to find the words while seeking out the courage to let you through the door to his heart. He reached over and pulled you to him, his head rolling to the side to rest his lips against your temple. You were soon thankful for him closing the space between you. 

     You tiptoed around Hongjoong, like trying not to scare a fawn away. That was your biggest fear — losing him. But when the warmth of his lips met your burning skin, the thought of him running away vanished quicker than it had arrived. 

“So when do I get to read one of your stories?” He questioned, eyebrows wiggling teasingly. You groaned at the thought as you tried to forget that you had not picked up a pen to write since you started seeing Hongjoong more. 

“I don’t have anything to show you, unfortunately.”

     “That’s alright. Maybe you just need a little inspiration.” 

     “That’s exactly what I need. It’s not easy to come by when you’re surrounded by the same things and people everyday. There’s just nothing to write about.”

     “There’s enough gossip floating around town that you could find something to write about, I’m sure.” You hummed in response, the air in the room falling into a comfortable silence before he spoke again, much more softly this time. “They’re not true you know...”

     “Hm?” You turned to the side, your eyes focused on the shape of his mouth as he spoke.

     “The rumors,” he deadpanned, the words not easily slipping from his tongue. His jaw clenched slightly, and you knew you were approaching something touchy, but if he allowed it, you would slowly walk towards that door he was willing to open for you.

     “What do you mean?” An exasperated sigh fell from his lips, but you knew it wasn’t directed towards you.

     “I’m sure you’ve heard them by now, just like everybody else. ‘Artist Kim Hongjoong, the playboy, makes his rounds into a different bed every night.’ ‘Pianist Kim Hongjoong was seen leaving the brothel once again.’” He trailed off, the annoyance seeping into his tone.

     “You can’t truly believe that anyone believes that about you.” You supplied, but you knew Hongjoong wasn’t buying it when he let out a cold laugh.

     “Clearly you haven’t been around town lately.” Even though you knew it wasn’t supposed to be a jab, you could feel the knife pierce your skin with the way he spoke his words with a hint of venom laced between each letter.  “Besides, I’ve tried time and time again to save my image, I really have. I don’t know how it even started...” he paused, feeling frustrated, with hurt taking over his soft features, hardening him like a shell that wouldn’t crack.  “It’s like, if I pretend I don’t hear what they say, it’ll all go away if I ignore it long enough. I’ll forget about it and move on. But you don’t see the way people look at me…maybe I’m not cut out to be in the spotlight. Maybe I should just stop playing and-” You sat up and took his hands in yours, your heart beginning to jump within your chest like a wild rabbit.

     “That’s nonsense, and you know it.” You urged, your words beginning to get stuck in your throat. “You’re too talented to let this dream go. You’re already so loved here, who knows how far your music could take you.” You rubbed circles with your thumbs into the top of his hands, your eyes refusing to meet his own. “Please…don’t. Hold onto it…so tightly, even if it suffocates you. Don’t let anyone or anything take it away from you.” The desperation leaked from your voice, and you weren’t sure if you were referring to his music or yourself, but with the way he pulled you closer to his chest, you knew he wasn’t sure either.

     You wouldn’t push him to say more, and Hongjoong was silently thankful for that. The words you both didn’t want to speak were dangling threateningly over both your heads the closer Autumn became. You both knew the end of the summer was your doomed fate, but neither of you dared to speak of it. You simply pushed it away from reality instead, allowing yourselves the peace of existing in a garden of mystical creatures and fireflies as the long days blurred into shorter nights. Every moment spent together was filled with glitter and magic, and every bit of fantasy you could ever ask for. You wanted to be his, gods, did you so desperately want to be his, but you would rather have this little piece of him that he offered to you willingly, than nothing at all. 

     The little fragments of himself that he chose to share with you were so precious, whether that be a tender kiss to your temple as a silent confession, or when he stayed up until the sun woke up and the dew covered the gardens outside to write something beautiful just for your ears to hear later that night. You never asked for anything, but were grateful when he let you into his inner world, a place you knew no one but him was allowed to explore, reside or dwell in. 

     There were days you would just lay together, no words exchanged between the two of you, just the steady beating of your hearts. Those were the days you laid in bed waiting for the sun to set so it would welcome the moon and her stars into the sky, the air filled with laughter and sweet nothings being whispered onto sticky skin. Once the stars littered the sky, soft whimpers and gasps would fill the hazy atmosphere when fingertips grazed sensitive spots on exposed skin, when kisses were slow and drawn out, lazy but intentional. Swollen champagne lips and strawberry kisses melted into burning flesh that craved to be touched, to be loved. Ignoring the empty liquor bottles that littered the floor from the days you were not there fueled a new fire within you. 

     You felt the need to save him from everything that plagued him, a need to save him from himself, but you didn’t even know what this was between the two of you, let alone know if he even wanted to be saved. But, as the days blurred together like your vision when tears formed in your eyes when the sun was too bright in the early afternoon, you realized it would be harder and harder to stay away from him. All of you wished for it, but you knew both of you didn’t have the strength to comply with that, nor would you ever ask that of him. So, with a heavy heart, you decided that wanting was enough. 

     For you, it was enough. 

—

     As the cool September breeze rolled through the open window and past the sheer curtains, you let your eyes wander around the space you began to think of as home, reflecting on the summer days that had passed by in such a blur. You saw the wind chimes that played a symphony of their own, the large weeping willow tree just outside the window knocking into the stained glass harmonizing with the clanking metal. You saw the way the birds flew around, singing the beautiful lyrics of nature, the grasshoppers playing their legs like a violin as butterflies fluttered around in a synchronized dance with the fireflies. 

     Your eyes finally landed on Hongjoong’s ethereal figure next to you. Some strands of his hair stuck to his forehead as his chest rose and fell to steady his erratic heartbeat underneath his rib cage. Your gaze trailed down his bare chest, the smooth skin glistening with a light sheen of sweat. The delicate sheet draped just over his lower half, his hip bone peaking out slightly. One arm was stretched behind his head for support as he laid there with his fingers combing through the hair at the base of his neck with his eyes closed. 

     His other hand trailed along the soft skin on your back, both of you bare and exposed to the walls surrounding you. Paintings you had created together when the air was sticky and the fruit he brought from the garden was sticky sweet, hung on any available space, making each wall feel cluttered, but it was how Hongjoong liked it. 

     All you, always. Compressed into an overwhelming suffocation. It was beautiful and made it hard for him to breathe in the most intoxicating way. 

     Your attention was brought back to the moment when you heard him exhale contently and felt the sheets rustle next to you, his front now nuzzling into your side. You felt the tip of his nose graze across your skin, inhaling deeply and exhaling with a content sigh.

     “I wish we could stay like this forever,” he admitted into your sticky flesh, his hand coming up to caress the exposed breast that was uncovered from the sheet. Your eyes fluttered closed as you felt his mouth place wet kisses onto the mound of flesh that adorned your chest, his lips taking your nipple in slowly as he let his tongue rile the bud up. You sighed, feeling a wave of arousal crash into you. 

     “Tell me you love me,” you whispered breathily, the air surrounding you warming up as you felt the disbelieving and honest chuckle rumble from within his chest, as if he couldn’t believe you’d tasked him with something as easy as breathing. “I want to hear you say it again,” His mouth came off of you with a pop as he looked at you through his thick lashes. He laid his head across your chest, his ear pressed just above where your heart was wildly beating like thunder during a vicious storm.

     “I love you,” he reached up and tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear, not letting the fondness in your eyes go unnoticed. “I love you with everything that one human could possibly give to another.” He rubbed his thumb lightly across your cheek, a small smile forming across his lips as he stared at you. “I love you earnestly, passionately, and irrevocably so.” He paused, lifting his hand to cup your cheek lovingly. He scooted up, putting his arm over your abdomen and supporting himself up. He swiped his tongue across his bottom lip, and soon was dipping down to press a lingering kiss to your lips before continuing. “I would willingly give myself to you in any way you wish to have me.” You felt the blush dust across your cheeks at his words, as if pulled from one of your favorite novels.

     “I must admit,” you propped your head up with your chin on your forearm, eyes lazily looking into his as he laid back down beside you to get a straight on view of your features. He swore he would never tire of the sight before him. “I feel the same way.” He chuckled in response, his hand going to the back of your head as he used his fingers to comb through your hair. 

     “I would sure hope so. If you didn’t, I would be questioning your motives.” He joked, his smile spreading when you rolled your eyes and laughed under your breath. 

     “I’m serious! I have never loved another this way, nor do I ever want to.” Your eyes became glassy when you saw the sun shine in his own, the sunset painting an array of hues across his porcelain skin. His other hand reached down to grab yours, his lips pressing feather light kisses to each fingertip, his eyes never leaving yours as he did so, his gaze growing serious and intense. A shiver made its way down your spine in response to his affection. 

     “Would you die for me?” His lips stilled on your skin, waiting for your response. You could feel his hummingbird heart about to take flight in his chest the longer you let the air between the two of you stay silent. 

     “Of course.” You simply said, the words easily leaving your swollen lips to your own surprise. You weren’t sure when that had become an absolute truth in your heart, and you didn’t want to ponder on the thought for too long. “You’ll be the one to kill me in the end, anyway.” 

     “‘You say I killed you, so haunt me then.’” Your eyes darted up at him, a knowing smile making its way across his face. 

     “I didn’t know you read Brontë.” 

     “There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” he lightly traced patterns into your back, your head falling back onto his chest. “But I’d like to change that.” Next thing you know he is hovering back over you, his intense irises locked on yours. His strong arms pulled you into his embrace, the stickiness on his skin from your previous endeavors heating up under your touch like lava. He reached over to the nightstand and opened the drawer, pulling out three matching black satin ties and sitting up straight above you so he could see the entirety of you. “Do you trust me?” 

     “With my life.” You stated firmly, but you didn’t know if the answer was for him or yourself. He smiled, his eyes softening at the mere sight of your body underneath his, the sheet long gone from both of your bodies. 

     “Good. I want to make sure you never forget me.” 

     “I don’t think that’s possible.” Your eyes stared holes into his face, the passion burning your veins and begging for him to touch you. Your skin tingled, blood red hot and buzzing with adrenaline when he took your wrists in his hands and began tying a knot. Once your wrists were bound together, he sat you up straight and gathered your luscious hair into a messy pony, wrapping the second piece of satin around the bundled up hair. Some strands fell back onto your face, but he did not seem to mind. He finally held the third piece in his hands, reaching behind your head and covering your eyes. 

     “Are you alright?” He inquired, goosebumps forming across your skin as you felt his breath ghost along your ear. “Is this okay?” 

     “Yes,” you confirmed, feeling your scorching blood running thickly through your body, acutely more aware of everything around you now that you had lost your vision. 

     “Good,” you felt his fingers ever so lightly brush along you, shoved after shiver rippling through your body, your core beginning to dampen the bedding underneath you. You felt his breath hovering over your lips, and you so desperately wanted him to close the small space that separated your lips from his. Like he read your mind, he nipped at your lower lip, his tongue quickly swiping over it and backing away as you tried chasing his lips with your own. A disgruntled groan left you, the frustration only building the more he did it. 

     “Please Hongjoong, ” You whined, feeling the tension in your abdomen twist every second he denied you the touch of his lips. You felt your core tingle as his hands traveled over your body, but never really touching you. But you could feel the energy from his palms vibrating every atom within you. You leaned forward and were met with nothing, a frustrated whine slipping from your lips. You heard him chuckle, and it wasn’t long before his lips were crashing into yours feverently. You had never wanted your hands to be free more than you did in this moment. You had not realized how deprived you would feel restrained under his strong hold on your wrists as his mouth consumed yours. You needed to card your fingers through his hair, you needed to feel his muscles under your fingertips, you needed to touch.

     “I want you…” He panted into your mouth, his length hardening against you as he subconsciously began to grind on you. “So. Bad.”

     “Take me, for I am yours.” You pleaded, against his rushed kisses, your tongues waltzing with one another as he deepened the kiss, his body pressing firmly into yours. “Only yours.” You sighed into his lips, and you heard a small moan leave his own.

     You felt him grab your wrists and bring your arms up over your head, the tie in your hair loosening and soon your hair fell around you as he removed the strip of satin. You could hear Hongjoong working above you, and soon felt his grip on you leave, but your arms were still suspended above you. Your abdomen swirled with excitement as you realized he had tied you to the iron bed frame to keep you in place. 

You shuddered when you felt his breath back on your skin, this time it was much, much lower than before. His hot breath was blowing against your clit, causing you to writhe at the immediate sensation. 

     “You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to taste you on my tongue.” You felt his nose brush along the sensitive skin near your folds. It disappeared just as quickly as it had come, but not without a deep sigh leaving him first as he took in the very sight before him. Your trembling figure above him, your dripping cunt waiting to clench onto something, your throbbing clit wishing to be abused.

     “To devour you, is my most absolute desire in this world.” He growled against the inside of your thigh, lightly nipping his way towards your heat once more. He suddenly licked a stripe up your center, your back arching instantly as you felt the air being ripped straight from your lungs, a gasp falling from your lips. The moan that exited his lungs was feral, and was now something you craved to pull out of his chest. Again, and again, and again.

     “No wine, no champagne, nor any fruit could ever taste as delectably addictive than you do, my love.” He said as he licked his way around your sex, making sure every drop of arousal that dropped from your awaiting pussy was cleaned up before he made an even bigger mess of you. 

He reached up and pressed two fingers against your lips, encouraging you to allow him entrance into your mouth. You allowed it, your tongue obsessively coating his digits with your saliva, sucking hard and needy. You heard a groan come from him, his dick twitching in anticipation at the feeling of your mouth on his fingers. He pulled them out and dipped back down, slowly sliding them into your soaked cunt, your walls inviting him in. You couldn’t suppress the noises that begged to leave your mouth as he reached a hand up and pressed down against your stomach, pumping his fingers in and out of you at an agonizingly slow pace. 

     “Hongjoong, I-I need it faster,” you panted and begged into the air, the itch to grab a fistful of his hair so strong in your fingertips it felt like an ache. At your request, his fingers plunged deeper and at a quicker pace, his fingers curling inside to feel the spongy wall he was looking for. 

     “I want to make you see stars brighter than the ones outside that window as you cum for me, pretty baby.” He confessed into your core as his tongue flicked against your clit, waiting for your release and the floodgates to open onto his awaiting tongue.

     “I can’t, I can’t hold on,” you jumbled, your eyes rolling behind the blindfold as you squeezed your hands together like you were in prayer. 

     “Let go, my love.” He cooed, his honey voice making you melt under his words. 

One.

Two.

Three.

     You counted the amount of flicks to your swollen bud and until you were gushing around him, your slick running down the base of his fingers, your back arching like your body was possessed, the desperate moans escaping you as you felt liquid hot and completely on fire, everything going numb and your body exploding like a shooting star under his touch, the pressure of his hand on your stomach becoming overwhelming as he pressed down.

     Your ears rang, you felt the earth spinning and you tried catching the stolen breath to return it to your lungs as you laid there, arms exhausted from hanging above you. 

     “We’re not done yet, darling.” He purred, coming up to you and removing your blindfold so you could watch him put his fingers into his mouth, slurping up the slick that had coated his hand. You felt another tug in your gut and the familiar warmth returned to your core as he used the rest of it to coat his dick and stroke his length lazily, his eyes blown out completely and hooded as they bore into your sparkling skin.

     “I need more,” you pleaded weakly, the emptiness your felt while your walls clenched at nothing, waiting for something to grip onto. “I need you. Please Hongjoong, I need you.” 

     “You have me, love. I’m right here.” He grabbed your arms and untied you from the iron, your wrists still bound together. He draped your arms around his neck before positioning you over his throbbing member. 

     “Now,” he held your hips firmly in place just above him. You could feel his leaking tip barely touch your entrance, a string of precum connecting to you. “take what you want from me.” He sucked your earlobe into his mouth, his teeth lightly grazing the cartilage as you sunk down onto his length. You did not need time to adjust to him, your heat consuming his length effortlessly. Your rigid walls sent a shiver down his spine, the shock of your sex tightly encasing him in a safe hug brought him to near tears as he released your lobe and tilted his head back, a guttural moan shamelessly slipping from between his swollen lips.

     Your lips found his adams apple, it vibrated under your touch as you began to bounce slowly on top of him, grinding your hips in a circular motion against him. The lewd sound of your skin smacking against one another, the squelching when his member was pulled completely out and thrusted right back into your hole, your slick pooling out of any available space it could. His hands gripped your hips as he guided you to rock back and forth, his face dipping down in between your bouncing breasts as you moved in rhythm with his heartbeat.

     His nails dug into the sensitive flesh of your hips as he bucked his hips upward to meet your thrusts. The pace you had set was much too slow for his liking, but he didn’t want this moment to end so soon, the warmth beginning to build up in his abdomen. As your hips rocked and your body shook with each jab his dick made into your spongy wall inside of you, a waterfall of gasps and moans poured from your lungs, the stars in the night sky filling your vision completely with their dazzling light. 

     “Baby, I’m cumming, I’m cumming,” he panted into your neck, his own whines and moans filling the space between you in the most beautifully erotic way. 

     “Hongjoong, I-oh,” As you both released everything you possibly could while flying through the galaxy behind your eyes, it was like a nebula of stars bursting inside of your chest, forming new constellations just for him. All the love you could ever imagine giving to someone was bursting at the seams and overflowing from your skin. It was all consuming, and you knew you would never recover from this. 

Hongjoong was your undoing.

     Satiated, he collapsed on top of you, all of his weight melting into your body as you laid there. His member softened inside your walls, still holding onto his member desperately as you were his body on top of you. You felt his hand slide up your arm and untie the satin that kept your wrists bound in place so you could finally relax the aching muscles against him. You finally were able to run your fingers through his damp hair, your lips planting themselves onto his temple as he laid there breathing heavily. 

     “I love you…so much.” Your voice broke, barely above a whisper, hot tears falling from your tired eyes as you took in the comforting citrus and bergamot you’d come so accustomed to over the summer. Now that autumn was here, you were sure you had fallen just as the leaves on the trees that laid beyond the walls you resided in had. It was inevitable, unavoidable, and almost felt fated. 

     “You’re everything to me,” he pressed his lips to your pulse point on your neck, lingering there as he took in your sweet scent and committed it to memory. 

“Everything.”

—

     Once the leaves darkened and began to fall from their branches, the air cooling and the days getting shorter, you knew it was time for Hongjoong to go back to the city. 

     “I’ll write to you,” he said, his warm hands taking yours and pressing a gentle kiss to your knuckles. The arriving carriage outside to take him was confirmation that your time with him was truly up.

     “I’ll tell you all about the fairytales I write, but only if you promise to write a song for me.” 

     “Oh my love,” he cupped your face, eyes softening with tears brimming and threatening to spill. “You’re my muse…the reason I will continue to write from every day on. Everything I do is all for you now.” 

     “Promise you’ll come back to me? Tell me this isn’t goodbye…” he brought you into his embrace, the autumn breeze sending a chill through you. His warmth surrounded you as his cheek pressed into the top of your head as he held you.

     “This isn’t goodbye…” He adorned a sad smile on his face as he tucked a strand of loose hair behind your ear. “Besides, how am I going to marry you if I never return?” 

     “What…?” You pulled back a little so his face came into view, your heart freezing over as his words embedded themselves into your soul.

     “Marry me.” It wasn’t a question, which sent your heart soaring through the clouds above. “When I come back, I want to take you away. We can travel the world, see the stars from anywhere you wish. Just as long as I’m with you.” He gulped, his eyes turning glassy at the sight of you.   “I can’t bear to live a life without you in it...So please, wait for me. I won’t be gone long.” 

     “Oh, Hongjoong…I-”

     “Do you trust me?” His eyes bore into yours, nothing but absolute infatuation and devotion swimming in his chestnut irises, erasing any doubt you had lingering in your heart. You closed your eyes and leaned back into him, allowing his embrace to tighten over you once more. You allowed your senses to fill with his intoxicating citrus and bergamot before a sigh fell from your lips.

“Always.”

—

     That evening, you sat by your window with fresh pages and a new pen in your lap, ready to finally write. As you replayed every memory, every touch, every whispered confession from this summer, you felt a sense of ease wash over you when you realized that you had now found your muse. 

     You took a sip of the tea you had made, placing the tea cup on the sill as you gazed up into the night sky. Even if he wasn’t with you, you sought comfort in the way you could feel in every bone in your body that you were under the same sky, illuminated by the same glittering stars. 

     As you found yourself humming the lullaby he played for you that one august morning after you had shared another sleepless night between his alabaster sheets, you lazily looked up at the stars above, chin resting on the palm of your hand as the fireflies danced for you like they did when Hongjoong was there. You felt the familiar tug you’d grown used to over the summer pull at the strings that held your heart in place. 

You couldn’t help but wonder he was looking up at the moon and thinking of you too. Another tug in your chest was felt as the thought floated around your headspace. A small smile formed across your features as you nuzzled deeper into the cushion on the sill, eyes filling with tears as your heart sang.

Yes, he most certainly was. 

[kazvha]

Hi, if you don't mind can I request reader x Muse from eleceed as boyfriend?

I love your writing so much, take care of yourself 💕

Summary: Boyfriend headcanons for Muse

Notes: Thank u, take care too!💛

• Secret trips to the cafeteria for a midnight snack after the curfew. He was against it at first because you would break the rules, but now he loves these trips because of the thrill

• He gives the best back massages. Just let him pamper you with his heavenly hands when you're tired and sore after a long day

• You love kissing the moles over his left eye. Although his cheeks blazed in embarrassment the first time you did it, he admitted that he liked it in a squeaky voice. Since then you never forget to give him a peck there every day

• Lends you his coat whenever you forget yours and he lets you play with it. Muse thinks you look utterly adorable, burying your face in that fabric. The sleeves are way too long on your figure and the coat itself nearly touches the ground

• You also take his mask and ask him how you look. The only feedback you get is that you couldn't pull the villain look off because you're too >:( (You're too cute in his eyes)

• He loves to give you back hugs. His overtowering figure allows him to engulf you in his arms and rest his head on top of yours. This is his highlight of the day, just pressing your body against his and staying still after he wandered around the whole day

• You call him Mr. Muse sometimes to annoy him or tease him because when you two met he refused to speak informally with you even when you gave him your okay

• Making out in a secluded corner of the frame's headquarters. And using training as an excuse when someone asks you where you went

• Muse uses a minty lip balm for his plush lips, so his kisses are always mint-flavored

• He likes to call you by your real name but if he uses pet names, he would use something like baby or cupcake

• Like I said earlier you like to call him Mr. Muse. From time to time it's also Lover Boy

• Your dates consist of sitting in front of the fireplace in his room and drinking your favorite hot beverage or watching the snowfall together. There's really not much to do at the headquarters

• If you travel together for your missions though, you'll 100% take advantage of that and explore all the places. "BuT rEsPoNsIbiLiTiEs FiRsT!!" 🥴

• Btw that guy is so sneaky? Like you're doing something and he suddenly appears beside you. Bro where did you even come from, I didn't even hear footsteps?? That's why you get heart attacks every week, but he never changes that habit of his😒

• You get hugs and kisses as compensation though!

• His stares are so intense. He'll be lost in thought sometimes while staring at you so intensely that you become nervous and gulp. You then think you did something wrong, so you call out his name several times and ask him what's up, only for him to respond, "Oh? Sorry, I was lost in thought." 😊

[mountttmase]

The Do-Over - Part One

Note - happy new year 💙 also my asks are open if you would like to send any feedback or requests. Part two can be found here and Part 3 here.

Pairing - Mason Mount x Reader

Word count - 3.9k

Warnings - angst and fluff

‘Come on, you have to come. It’s already all booked’ your best friend Ava pleaded, her big eyes trying to work their magic on you but it was going to take a lot more than that.

‘Oh I don’t know’ you mused, stirring your straw around in your glass with your head resting on your hand.

‘Look I know last year wasn’t great’ she started and you gave her dumbfounded look.

‘That’s the understatement of the century’ you murmured and she gave a sympathetic smile.

‘It’ll be different this year, I promise. Just us girls. If you’re lucky I might even let you be my midnight kiss’ she told you with a wink and you couldn’t help but laugh. ‘At least think about it’ she reasoned and you nodded to let her know you would. ‘Listen I better run, text me yeah?’ she told you and with a kiss to your cheek she was gone

You loved Ava, she was your best friend and had been for the last three years after meeting at work and clicking straight away. You quickly became a big part of each others lives, and that’s how you’d met Mason.

Ava was cousins with Masons best friend, Declan and the three of them were like peas in a pod. Always together when they could be and once you’d met the other two, you seemed to be invited everywhere with them.

You should of known from the offset that Ava and Dec were trying to set the pair of you up, but it wasn’t until you were invited to lunch expecting it to be all of you and then only mason turned up that you realised something must be going on.

Mason seemed nervous the whole time, and to be fair to him, so we’re you. You’d always found Mason attractive and easy to get along with, but you figured he was so out of your league you never gave being with him a second thought. But at the end of lunch when he told you he’d enjoyed his time with you and said he’d like to hang out again just the two of you, you were eager to accept.

He was quick to invite you to his house for dinner after his next game. A place you’d been loads of times before, but never on your own with him. You ordered food and sat in-front of the tv whilst you spoke for a while about what Ava was like to grow up with and what’s she’s like at work now before he wanted to know all about you. Considering you’d known each other for just over half a year, you’d never spoken to each other like this. He sat and listened, taking in everything you told him and when he kissed your cheek at the end of the night you drove home hoping next time you saw him you could kiss him properly.

It took another two weeks to get to that point. In that time he’d held your hand and kissed you on every other part of your face, but it was after the game where he scored his first goal of the season he finally planted his lips on yours. You both confessed you’d been waiting a while for that and agreed to keep whatever was going between the two of you on the down low for now, knowing you’d never hear the end of it off Ava and Dec. You managed to hang it out for three months until Ava caught you in a heated make out session in her kitchen when you thought no one was looking.

You’d made it a whole year together when things took a turn for the worst. His schedule becoming packed to the point you barely saw each other. This lead to silly arguments that turned into big ones and it all came to a head last new years at a club that Dec had managed to book a table in. You were both stood in the corner of the smoking area outside, close enough to midnight that there weren’t too many people to see you but you made sure to keep yourselves quiet.

‘Why do we keep doing this to ourselves?’ He sighed, crossing his arms as he looked to the floor. ‘You can’t tell me you’re happy being like this with each other all the time? We haven’t been ourselves for ages and I don’t think I can do this anymore’

You knew if you spoke you’d start crying so you just shook your head as your heart broke inside your chest. Truth is it had only been three weeks of it being like this and you knew things would be better in the new year once everything calmed down. He didn’t seem to think this though, wanting to chuck your entire relationship away over a few silly arguments because you were both feeling a bit stressed. All you were hoping for is that he would fight for you a little bit but it seemed he’d given up at the first hurdle.

You could hear everyone counting down to midnight, and as everyone started shouting happy new year, you looked up to find Mason staring back at you with his big sad brown eyes. You had nothing else to say, no fight left in you, so you kissed his cheek and walked away before he had time to do anything else.

Almost a whole year on and you thought things would be better, and to the outside world you’d managed to convince everyone you were happier than ever, but you missed Mason more than anything. He hadn’t tried to contact you at all and you’d be lying if it didn’t sting a bit. You told yourself the two of you ended for a reason and it wasn’t working but it didn’t make it hurt any less. Seeing his face everywhere you turned also didn’t help.

Later that evening, you heard your phone ping, looking down to see a text from Ava.

You read it over a few times before messaging her back agreeing to go. She was right, you needed to make new memories so this night wouldn’t always be tainted and after a quick discussion about what to wear, you promised to meet her at her house tomorrow evening.

The club was busy, but thankfully the table Ava had booked was out the way so you weren’t bumping into people constantly and you were surrounded by all your favourite girls from work. Ava had stuck to her promise of no boys, besides the one you could see her hanging from, but you really were having a great night. The thoughts from the year before a distant memory as you surround yourself with good people.

Half an hour later you could see Ava on the phone outside, telling whoever was on the other end no repeatedly but soon enough she was storming back in and making a beeline for you.

‘I’m so sorry, I promise you this isn’t my idea’ she told you, but before you could ask her what was going on, you saw Declan’s face appear over her shoulder. You knew what that meant instantly and you felt your heart drop into your tummy. Ava saw by the look on your face something was wrong and turned to find Declan making his way to the table. She stormed over to him and they exchanged a few words before she walked past him, grabbing another man’s arm and dragging him away and out of sight.

Declan came straight over to you, his face looking slightly guilty but you pulled him into a hug as soon as he got to you. You hadn’t seen him in a long time but you’d always made sure you kept in touch with him through messages. Just because you and Mason no longer spoke you didn’t want the relationship with him to suffer.

‘I promise he won’t come anywhere near you’ he told you as you pulled away and you let out a chuckle at his cheeky face. ‘I didn’t mean to crash your evening, but it didn’t feel right spending the night away from you guys’

‘I know Dec, I’m sorry it’s like this’

‘Don’t be silly’ he smiled, throwing his arm around you. ‘It sucks, but that’s life sometimes. Hopefully it won’t always be this way’

You nodded and out the corner of your eye you saw Ava emerge from where she went, coming straight over to you. You soon saw Mason follow her, briefly catching his eye and your tummy dropped. This was the first time you’d seen him in a year and you felt your heart beat in your chest rapidly increasing.

‘Don’t worry, I’ve given him a talking to’ she told you and you shook your head with a laugh.

‘Guys I’m honestly fine. Let’s just enjoy the rest of the night yeah?’ you told them and they both agreed with you. You made your way back to your work girls and mason slowly made his way over to the group, making sure to keep away from you as he’d been told to.

Whilst you told them you would be fine, you couldn’t help but glance over at him from time to time. He looked broader than the last time you saw him and he had a lot more facial hair. You liked what he’d done with the hair on his head too, remembering how it felt when you ran your fingers through the length on top but how he loved it when you stroked up the short sides.

He kept to his promise all night, and thankfully for you he didn’t seem to be in the mood to talk to any girls so at least you didn’t have to suffer through that. It was half eleven when you snuck off, wanting to get some air before the big countdown and you’d only been outside for a few minutes when you heard the door open besides you and Mason stroll out.

He hadn’t seen you as you were sat near the door and his face was buried in his phone. He kept on walking until he reached the railing of the balcony, resting his arms on top and looking out at the skyline. You sat there for a few moments and thought about what to do. You could stay there and ignore him, or get up and walk inside but before you had time to think he’s was turning, his eyes on yours immediately.

‘Shit, sorry. I didn’t know you were out here’ he told you in a rush and you stood up, averting your eyes to the floor.

‘It’s fine I was just going inside’ you mumbled and you saw his shoulders deflate and you went to walk away.

‘Wait’ he called and you looked up to see him looking at you nervously, his hands stuffed into his pockets as she shrugged his shoulders. ‘Can we talk?’

‘I don’t know’

‘Please? I won’t keep you long. You don’t even have to say anything back, I just wanna talk to you’

‘Ava said you promised not to say anything to me’

‘Well I guess you could say I don’t always mean everything that comes out of my mouth’ he murmured and your eyes shot up to meet his, wondering if his words had a double meaning.

You were in two minds about whether to hear him out but you eventually walked over to him, taking a seat on the table he was stood closest to and he joined you a second later on the seat opposite you. You heard him take a deep breath before he started.

‘I just want to apologise. I was a dick to you and you didn’t deserve any of that’ mumbled. ‘If I could go back in time, I’d do it all differently and I wouldn’t of given up at the first sign of trouble. I should of fought for you and I didn’t.’ He huffed, rubbing his hand across his forehead in frustration. ‘I’ve wanted to talk to you every day since but Dec and Ava told me not to. Said you weren’t ready and it was for the best to just leave you but fuck, I’ve missed you’ he eyes flew up to finally meet yours. Both were full of unshed tears but you refused to let any fall. You felt him wait a beat to see if you were going to say anything but when you were silent he just nodded gently before standing up. ‘Sorry, I’ll go. Have a good rest of your night’ he murmured before walking away. He made it halfway to the door before you finally found your voice.

‘Mason’ you croaked, standing up to walk towards him but you became rooted to the spot when he stopped and turned to you. You wanted to tell him you missed him too but the words refused to leave your mouth. You stood there in a silent stare off until your eyes finally gave up on you and all the tears you’d been holding in tumbled down your face. You had to look away from him when you felt the sobs begin to rack through you but you heard him rush over, pulling you into him without a word.

You sobbed into his chest, and even though he was trying you comfort you, you could feel him crying too. Both your heads now nestled into each others necks to muffle your cries but it was no use. He still smelt the same and the familiarity only made you bawl even harder. After a minute or two, he pulled away and held your face between his hands. Your heart breaking as you looked up to his tear stained cheeks.

‘Please talk to me. Please tell me how you feel. I need to know if you still feel anything for me cause if you do I promise I’ll make this right’ He told you with, his bottom lip trembling as he tried to hold it together. You’d never seen him like this before and you wanted to comfort him too, but you were no use to him in your state, both clinging to each other like your lives depended on it. When you didn’t speak he rested his forehead on yours and shut his eyes. ‘But if you want me gone I’ll go, whatever you want I’ll do it’

‘I don’t want you to go’ you whispered and his grip on you tightened as he let out a breath. ‘Im just really scared and I don’t know what to think’

‘I need to be honest with you’ he said, and he waited a second before carrying on. ‘I love you. Still. And I know you love me too or it wouldn’t hurt this much. If things were done and you’d moved on then you’d be able to look me in the eye right now but you can’t cause I know you still feel like I do. Please, just let me in’

‘Of course I still love you, Mase.’ You breathed and he let out a tiny whimper at your words, almost like he couldn’t believe what you were saying. ‘But you really hurt me’ you told him as you freed yourself from his grip. His arms fell at his sides and he watched you walk to the edge of the balcony before he sat back in his chair, his head in his hands. ‘You just threw everything we had away and didn’t even try to talk to me about it. I didn’t even get a reason why’

‘I know I know. But if you let me I want to try and fix this’

‘Tell me why then?’ You asked, turning to look at him hunched over the chair. ‘I need to understand what happened cause I didn’t even get an explanation. You just told me it was over I never heard anything again. ’

‘i know, you didn’t deserve that and I’ve felt like a massive dick. I wish I knew what the problem was’ he laughed, but there was no humour in it. ‘I’ve had so much time to think about it but in my head at the time it just made sense’ You furrowed your brows when he looked up and you and he shrugged before looking down. ‘I know it’s only been a year, but fuck y/n I feel like I was just a kid back then. I was so pissed off with everything at the time, the way the games were going, all the shit people say about me that I try and ignore but can’t. You were my comfort person and I relied on you so much to the point I thought I should take a step back. Maybe I needed to be shown what life was like without you to realise what I had. It was so selfish and I’m so sorry’

You walked over to him, his head still in his hands as he let out a few sniffles, not wanting to look at you whilst he was emotional. You stopped in-front of him, standing between his slightly parted legs and put your hands around his shoulders to bring him into you. His arms wrapped around your waist and his face got lost in your body and he clung to you. One of your hands now combing through his hair to comfort him and you felt him relax into you whilst he whispered how sorry he was over and over again.

You didn’t know what to do, on one hand you were scared of letting him back in again and getting hurt, but the sincerity in his eyes made you weak. The way he’s eyes had such an effect on you was scary to say the least and you were pretty sure with one look from him he could probably get you to do anything. You obviously knew he was sorry and you clearly hadn’t let go of what the two of you once had but the thought of letting him in and getting hurt again made you hold back slightly. Your head and heart were at war and you really weren’t sure what way you should swing.

‘Come on Mase, look at me’ you whispered, and he hid for a few more seconds before looking up at you, his big brown eyes looking at you full of sorrow and you felt your heart break for him a little bit. ‘I can’t stand here and say everything’s forgiven and we’re gonna go back to the way it was’ you told him, and his eyes dropped to the floor. You knelt down and caught his eyes. He looked so sad and you didn’t know what to say to make it better. You took his face in your hands, gently wiping the tears away and your heart throbbed in your chest at the soft smile playing on his lips.

‘One chance?’ He whispered, his hands coming to your arms as he stood up and pulled you with him. ‘One chance is all I need. Let me prove to you that you’ve got nothing to worry about’ his hands made their way back around your face so he could make you listen to his pleas. ‘If it doesn’t work out then fine, at least we can say we tried. But if it does work out I promise I’ll make you the happiest girl on the planet’ he promised, his hands settling on your waist and you placed yours on his chest. It felt so good to feel him under your hands again and the familiarity of it all made your eyes sting. ‘One chance. Please baby?’

As much as you wanted to be practical and think about everything rationally, your heart was winning over your head as you looked up at him. The fact he called you baby melted you a little bit more and if one more chance was all he was asking for then you figured it would be stupid not to give it a go. After a few seconds of making him sweat, you put him out of his misery.

‘One chance, Mase. I mean it you only get one’ you told him and you smiled as a look of relief washed over him.

‘Really?’

‘Yes, Mase. This years been hell without you and I don’t wanna keep putting myself through crap if we can turn this around’

‘You won’t regret this I promise’ he told you, pressing his lips to your forehead. You both stood in silence for a few seconds before you heard the DJ inside announce it was one minute to midnight. ‘Do you think I could get a do-over?’ He asked and you gave him a confused look.

‘What do you mean?’

‘I never got to give you your new years kiss last year, do you think I could maybe try again now?’ He asked and your breath got caught in your throat as you thought of what to say to him. ‘I know I’ve got a lot of making up to do, and this years been utter shit, but a new one starts in less than a minute and I’d really like it if we could begin this one how we mean to go on’. He explained and you felt your face heat up. The thought of his lips on yours made you dizzy but you nodded at him as you couldn’t think of anything better. He smiled down at you before pulling you impossibly closer and bumping his nose against yours.

The countdown began, you both giggling like school kids as the anticipation built up, and as soon as the clock struck midnight, his lips were on yours. You moaned into his mouth instantly and your whole body shivered as he delicately kissed you. Your hands moving from his chest to around his neck so he didn’t break apart from you. Slowly but surely, all the cracks that you’d felt form a year ago began to fill as he poured himself into you and you were soon both smiling into the kiss.

‘What the actual fuck’ you both suddenly heard, turning to find Dec and Ava at he door, both with shocked looks on their faces. ‘I knew this would happen’ Dec laughed as Ava crossed her arms.

‘I thought I was supposed to be your new years kiss’ she whined before you all laughed, Dec pulling on her arm to take them both back inside, leaving you and Mason alone again.

‘You wanna get out of here?’ He questioned and you raised your eyebrows at him. ‘Not like that’ he chuckled, taking your hands and walking you back over to the door. ‘I just thought we could talk some more but somewhere a bit more comfortable rather than stood in the freezing cold’

‘Okay’ you agreed, squeezing his hand as he lead you into the packed room. ‘Let’s go’

[j4y-lvr]

SIGNAL143?! … kang taehyun

SYNOPSIS. Headstrong CEO, kang taehyun leads his business venture into the world of dating with his dandy service, 'signal143', and in need of a skilled and driven secretary comes the bright-eyed secretary, passionate to support those finding new love. while the two clash in various ways, bound to each other in pursuit of new beginnings. what were taehyun to do if this metal tough ceo were to match with his new secretary by his dear, handcrafted application?

PAIRING. ceo!taehyun x secretary!fem!reader ft. txt, yunjin from lesserafim and sunwoo from theboyz

GENRE. crack, fluff, pinch of nonexistent angst

WARNINGS. profanity, !!not proofread!!

WORD COUNT. 5.2k

NOTE. no i didn't spend more than a month on this shhhhhh😦 my txtblr debut has arrived i'm pretty proud of the beginning and the attempts at humour🤥 i'm so sawry,, the end was a bit rushed bc i realised my absence from here was far too long so i scurried😤

"what if you matched with someone in the company using the application," yunjin jokes, hitting your arm in the same spot for the nth time, a scowl crossing your face as you turned to her, running down an earful of curses before she sighed and pouted, getting you to suspend your fit.

"why would you even say that," you drop, averting your focus away from the girl and to your watch striking midnight. You usher yunjin to stay the night under one condition that she clean up after herself as you left early for work at signal143.

Signal143 worked to assist others in search of their passionate lover, one true pair, and lifelong soulmate. A company whose product aligned with your best interests as you grew with a single mother who tirelessly slogged to make ends meet.

You'd made her proud, earning a corporate job as none other than the secretary of the booming service. The application checked off all and more of what you could think of, seeing it as a reliable piece and something trustworthy.

You prep your materials for the following day, slide into bed and shut your eyes with a huff. Dreamland didn't seem all too far when yunjins protruding query probed your mind to run a hundred kilometers per hour with varying scenarios that fueled your active thoughts.

Shaking your head, you set to not think about and take things that came your way with no worry as such. Let's be real, the possibility of you matching with someone from your company was less than 5%.

It's not like your luck would cash with that, would it?

Maybe, you should've recalculated the percentage because the probability dinged at first sight of your boss. "signal match 143!" echoed through the hallways of cool toned glass finished walls, goosebumps arising on your skin.

You visibly panic as your boss, taehyun, watches you with curious eyes. "good to know you use the application," mumbled the tall man, clad in a suit, a musing smile tugging on his pink, soft lips.

Observing your orbs dart from him to your phone, you contemplated checking who within the company you had unanimously paired with, "please, have a look," your boss encouraged while your sweat-ridden palms fished your phone from your pocket.

"i'd say you take them on a date and give it a try, and if possible give your personal feedback on your usage of the app,"i don't think dating in a workplace setting is appropriate though," you comment, swiping up and onto the app, the customary ring filling the rather opinionated hallway.

"why not? are you, perhaps, doubting the service?" kang taehyun raised, expected from his nickname, strongheaded-sajjangnim. The lines on his forehead proved his dedication but you felt wronged with the misinterpretation.

You'd be in trouble if you harbored opposing thoughts and didn't get along with this co-worker in specific, being your boss and the ceo, afterall.

"quite bold of you to assume, sir" you pause, fending hurt and continue reading the username you paired with mentally and then verbally, however, it came out sounding like a question, "user terry kang?"

A fellow worker gasped and panned their head towards kang taehyun, whose expression looked lost and if he were in a pickle, per se. "why?" you ask, perturbed by the shocked faces.

"summon that demon child beomgyu to my office right now. and you, follow me," spoke the tall, doe-eyed man, profusely furrowing those eyebrows deeper and deeper downward. What pissed you off was his rude choice of words, respect should be given to those who expect respect.

Maybe it comes with power? You shove the train of thought and sprint to catch up to the ceo, who was almost stomping his way there. Cute of him, you note.

With whoever beomgyu was, sat present in the well maintained office while the tense atmosphere picked at your nerves, making your exterior decay from the anxiety. You remained unaware of what happened nor what was going down.

Whipping out his phone, taehyun beckons beomgyu over, "what is this?" he retorted, calmly, unlike his brows meeting the depths of hell fire with the amount he scowled. Beomgyu jumped on sight and squealed, applauding the ceo, "isn't that great?!"

"no, you dumbass- i mean, you idiot, what have you programmed it to do," he halts, giving you a look and whispers in a hush manner, causing the man next to him to slowly pan his head towards you like those haunted emotional support dolls from horror movies the possessed hauled around.

"HER?"

A whack to the back of his head sent beomgyu wailing, "THIS IS VIOLENCE—" he exclaimed, getting cut off by what seemed like his close friend that boss, taehyun, "do you want to risk your pay," he stooped octaves lower with the question, a menacing look shining in his eyes, gazing up and into your orbs, almost daringly.

You weren't slow (for once), you put the pieces together and informed yourself in manner, tactfully planning your next move. Mirroring the menacing look, mockingly, one could say. You stride forward, your hardened footwear clacking against the marbled touched floor, "are still up for the date, ceo terry kang?"

Taehyun straightens his back, amused with your words, beomgyu giggling, "you still think its a malfunction, sir" he states, mockingly, gapping for air and continuing, "she seems like your match if you ask me." — The frown that settled on his face as he pondered over the simple incident left you in a fit of your little laughter, evident of your chuckling. "well, let's get to it, shall we?" taehyun set, turning to you with a charming grin that exuded other intentions than sweet. 

"hm?" you replied, asking what out of the number of things he could be implying. "work. today's your first day, isn't it, miss secretary,"

Oh this man is vile, cutting to the boring part already but without much of a fight, you had points to prove and marks to make even though one might say take it easy the first day. Not only was your hopeful relationship with your boss kindling but your chances of recognition in the hierarchy.

"i want these papers briefed by noon," you opened your mouth to quiz if he required anything else but he dove straight in, "oh and a cup of coffee will do, thank you very much." You inadvertently complied, handing the warm cup over to him with an unfazed expression, work was work and there's no denying it. 

"not your ideal picture of a first date, hm" taehyun commented, cautious watching the way your front turned from calm to exasperation, "first date, sir?" you grumble, enunciating the sir a bit pressed off your tongue. A dry laugh leaves his parted mouth, "you seem like the type to never been on a date,"

You clench the papers assigned to you in hand and muster a marvelling smile, firming your stance. Taehyuns eyes flicker from the tight grip on the papers to your menacing eyes, then to your coral stained lips parting with calculated breaths, "glad to see we agree in something, sir."

The satisfaction you felt as his face morphed to offence had you seeing stars of your own. He clicked in his tongue in distaste, "it's going to be a long while working with each other, i see,"

"i agree. i'll take my leave, i've paperwork to get behind," You conclude, giving his deep brown orbs one lasting gaze. 

A complementary grin accompanied your impactful greet to your boss. He was just as hard headed as the rumours state, the beauty the gods themselves sculpted but it was too bad you'd have a sour taste at his retorts in opinion and opposition. 

Though, the only things you both could settle on were being lonely asses and vision for the venture that inevitably matched and brought your two lonesome vessels together. — Weeks passed and your differences only became apparent to those around. DUring a small party taehyun decided to host for app ranking 4th on charts, the ice cream stand had many flavours to offer on such short notice, including your favourite, mint choco. 

This, however, seemed to bother him, as he stood beside you, picking up his custom cherry flavoured ice cream. The gasp that left him as you chose mint choco let a lasting impression on you, “it tastes like toothpaste. how could you possibly—”

“sir, you have a cup of cherry flavoured ice cream in hand, is that not a tad too plain?” “i like to keep things simple,”

And the other he spotted you at your desk munching away at the original style pocky, he inhaled that very irking gasp that made your head turn faster than lighting, “don’t even—”

“HOW COULD YOU CHOSE THE ORIGINAL,THE MOST BASIC, THE INFAMOUS POCKY!?” “that’s quite rich coming from someone who likes to keep it simple,”

you sneer, your bold statement followed by gasps from the myriad of employees seated at their desk out your office as taehyun bit at his tongue, retreating to his den.

This left you with your current situation, “sir, i finished reviewing and marking these documents but are you sure the conversion will follow through smoothly?”

“why the doubt, miss,” “yn would be fine, though this is a workplace setting, we have other premises to imply”

A nod prompted you to continue, “conversion from a service-based business to a hybrid business is quite the challenge given our potential partner expertising in green tea that supposedly promotes weight loss, tying us with non body positive image,”

“as much as you have a point, we’re running short on funds with the hefty loan process being dragged out and our service update has been pending for a month now. Either way, other companies are flocking to strike a deal,”

“but sir, can't we start with another product first? I feel like beginning with green tea will attract negative views,” you paused, thinking of seizing the opportunity to plug in a personal situation here, “if you want to promote the service we'll have to start fanservice."

"what." "don't act like you don't know about all the teenage girls you've bagged for being their prince,"

"and you're suggesting that I hold a fansign?! do i look like an idol to you?” "yeah, you do so make use of that handsome face, terry"

He flashed you an insane glance, sighing, “too late, they're here for the meeting,” taehyun announced, foot to heel and strode down his office, off to the door where he greeted them with a warm smile, “shall we?”

However, one of the men who stood much closer to taehyuns office than the rest frowned, sending a glare your way that had your stomach turning, “i don’t think it’ll work out though,” — The scowl present on taehyun’s face as he exited the conference room had you shitting yourself as he shot knives down towards you, glaring at you and motioning to his office merely with his recent fuelled orbs.

QUivering inside out, you step shortly after him, gulping down the massive lump in your throat, the carpeted monotonous grey flooring garnering your interest than the man that rubbed his temple hastily.

“guess one of them overheard our little banter, miss,”

Your void of a reply sent him approaching you with heavy footsteps, harshly tugging down the knot of tie, the furrow deepening beyond observed capability. All till the curve of your back hit the hard wood table, your hands scraping to the table.

“w-what do you mean,” you muster despite the frantic panic you were waging inside, his arms once limp by his side came to front you as he cracked his knuckles, his neck craning to the side to do the same. You’d be lying if you said you weren’t intimidated by his demeanour.

“oh, i don’t know, from where the conversion took a head down non body positivity image and how starting with a different product first would be better?”

The chills that ran down your spine as he repeated your previous words had you spinning a hurl of your own. Though you still stood by your words, you could’ve just blown the deal off with it as well. 

That depends, however, since you weren’t informed whether the deal was called off in the first place. You held no blame as of yet. You straightened your back and lifted your gaze to his, taking a step forward, a formidable gap present.

“well, did we strike a deal?” you attempted to sound as aloof as possible, hoping for an affirmation from taehyun. He smiled, a stark contrast between his furrow and grin.

He bent down to match your height, his hand cupping your cheek with a caress which you would have fend off but couldn’t given your arising crisis, “how cute,” he uttered and paused, the smile dripping off along his lips pressing to a line, “but, no,”

And just with that you had turned into granite staring down the eyes of a striking sculpture known as kang taehyun. “Leave,” and you did, taking to the door with such haste you hadn’t seen yeonjun, the assistant secretary ahead, crashing into the man with a thump. 

“are you okay?” quizzed yeonjun, watching you with curious orbs as to your hastened exit and your shaken exterior, “you look like you’ve seen a ghost, you should take a break,” he commented further, chuckling.

Taehyun observed the ordeal, opting to sit in his seat and front his desktop instead, having twice the amount of work to get another company onboard. It would be an understatement to say he resented you right now.

You bid a rushed goodbye and fled the scene out the building, restocking on fresh air and a clear mind on how to apologize, though an apology wouldn’t do much. — Silence was scarier on the man than you could imagine though he wasn't one for many words, the stiffness present in the air as you'd discretely set your work by his table while he bore his eyes into the desktop screen, his hand gripping the edge of any paper within reach.

After the fall through, he lacked words for you particularly, conveying messages through the assistant manager, yeonjun who said he despised the ordeal and further urged you to make amends. But that didn't sound as easy as said. 

That left you in this picture, panning open his office door a few hours past work hours as you had a report on user engagement to finish and the reasons for it's margin of customers dropping. The dimmed lights and the glare of the desktops display blaring through the jet atmosphere led your orbs to the slumped figure, his fingers resting in his hair as he laid on his crossed arms.

Your boss had fallen asleep.

You set your print on his table and moved a few others to the side, stacking them up as well. Should you wake him up or let him be? Either way his posture would surely cause spinal ache, so it'd be better to wake him.

Right? His secretary that totally blew the company a huge deal and an inclined decrease in expected funds would unsuspectingly awake him up when he retreated to slumber from exhaustion over the same deal with no clear advance?

Oh well, you weren't fired yet.

"sir," you uttered, your palm reaching for his shoulder, giving it a light shake. Taehyun lifted his head, hair messily parted, cocking his head to the side as he took in your stance in front of him.

"what's the time?" he stated, sitting up straight and off his arms, glancing at you lazily.

"11pm, sir," you replied albeit the chill that sprang down your spine as he spoke octaves lower and for the first time in around two weeks.

"why are you still at work, go home yn,"

"i thought i'd finish the report on user engagement—"

A sigh parted from his chapped lips, "i know you said you had no experience but c'mon you should really go out and meet new people," he mumbled, his hand rubbing the back of his neck, reaching for his lower drawer and pulling out his car keys.

"but sir, why would I go out and meet other people when you're my match," you responded, watching his face controt from surprise to guilt and back to his blank expression.

"i'll give you a ride home," he dismissed, loosening his tie and to his feet, waiting for you by his door to lock it up. — You took him up on the request and found yourself in the passenger's seat, sitting next to an oddly silent taehyun. "address?"

"why,"

"how do I drop you home, huh," he deadpanned and you promptly recited your address and he took to the wheel.

The blanket of stillness was anything but pleasant as his lack of response earlier ate you alive bone by bone. Feeling the tense air and the rather long way home, taehyun quipped a quick glance toward you, "whats your view in soulmates,"

"not exactly, life's not a fairytale like they narrate, per se," "why the negative tone?" he questioned further.

"my parents split not long ago, stating they 'fell out of love,' and i was heading back and forth between france and germany to meet them simultaneously, to not let either be unhappy. then i decided i was through and packed to south korea and applied for the job."

"that's one situation," "you?"

"i'd be oversharing," "it's fine, sir"

"call me taehyun, please," "right, taehyun, continue."

"realistically, no. like you said, life is no fairytale," "how is that oversharing,"

"it's sensitive info considering i run a head service to find your true love, yn, don't be conventionally controversial in this car," "mhm" you dragged, barely managing Ato mask your scoff.

The thick atmosphere was cut through the line of his ringtone, receiving the call at the red light and pulling over, "yes," he calmly spoke followed by the very violent,"WHAT?! NO!" 

You missed a smile despite the information you gathered ere, watching as he bickered with someone in the other line, the exasperated expression a fit for his adorable face. He hung up and pursed his lips turning to you with his jaw open slightly.

"will you go out with me," he paused— "WHAT?!" "no let me finish—"

"WHY WOULD YOU ASK ME OUT AFTER SAYING I WAS BEING CONVENTIONALLY CONTROVERSIAL AND TREATING ME LIKE SHI—" you halted, reading his amused mask and remembering he's the reason you get paid on a monthly basis, "you were saying, sir– taehyun,"

He liked the way his name rolled off your tongue and he'd convince himself in denial that it ended there but he'd bury for as long as possible. "I never said anything about denying soulmates, nope not a peep," he clarified, continuing to matter at hand, "there's an event this Friday night, would you be interested in joining me?"

Okay this reaction of yours bypassed the intense masking and your jaw hung open as you measly meagred, "why me," sounding shaky and your voice cracking at the lather and your parched throat. 

He searched for something by his door and handed you a bottle of water, looking at you straight in the eyes, giving you the most gorgeous,rich smile you'd ever seen, "because, you're my match, yn,"

To say you choked on your spit was an understatement. The chuckle that left him and he told you to look up and let your throat settle before drinking the water he handed you. — Friday came with you waking up queasy and all jittery, still pondering over what to wear, mentally noting to ask taehyun what he was going to wear. That Tuesday he gave you a ride home and unintentionally made you a walking mess of emotions in front of him, causing little to no changes at work.

To your disappoint— for the better, you grit and smile at your coworkers, holding small conversations and exchanging words of notice. Then came your summary to Taehyun and casually strolled in and recited the following with which meeting at what time, handing him the clipboard you gripper to briefly.

"wait, is the timing marked wrong for this meeting,"

"let me see," you mumbled and made your way by his chair, placing a hand on his table to lean over. "yeah, no it's," you paused, gripping your lower lip into the chambers of your once parted mouth.

Taehyun took that with the nod of his head, his orbs drifting to yours trained in the clipboard, a face strands of hair unintendedly covering your face and your lip held captive. The scent of your lavender perfume invading his nostrils, the trance cut short with your response, "actually, taehyun, hold on a second," you complete, your eyebrows furrowing deeper as your lip frees itself.

"taehyun?" he quired, picking at his raised brow, questioning you. You scoff and roll your eyes, "pick one, sir" you reply sarcastically, emphasising the sir at the end though you began to wonder how his name just rolled off. "and keep the date tentative, i'll check in again, either way it's not till next friday, sir,"

"taehyun," he corrected with small grin, his hand hovering to your cheek and giving it a light tap watching the way you managed to push his fingertips off and stare somewhat discreetly at his now focused face, albeit the close proximity of you two as you'd yet to stand straight l.

Beomgyu, uninvitedly barged through shouting for taehyun in a whiny tone, catching you in your little stare. Beomgyu advanced with a sprint and landed beside taehyun, who looked unbothered as the two and three others were friends from middle school.

He gave taehyun a bombastic side eye and sent a very obvious thumbs up to you, motioning to your boss who watched with a quirky smile, almost teasing you without words. You huff and retreat from his den, leaving the best friends turned coworkers to their fun. — "time to clock," uttered a voice from behind as you stilled slumped on your desk, lazily working on yet another report on the total gross margin and remaining fund. "hm?" you whiz not paying mind to them till a hand lands on your shoulder that sent you panning toward taehyun.

Your mouth parted with an 'O' springing to your soles, a few minutes left to actually clock out, "we'll have to stop by nearby to pick up clothes," he conveyed, watching casually pack up and shut off the system, some shooting your nasty looks for stealing their fantasy husband away.

Ignoring the onlookers you follow behind him, waving beomgyu bye as he excitedly cheered you on from his quarters with taehyun sighing at his antics.

The car ride to the venue was nothing noteworthy after you dazzled in an outfit that fit with your personal preference a bit too much, not revealing much and topped snow white charm with the flowy frill checks on your mental list. 

His silence left you to look out the window of the passenger seat as taehyun handled the wheel, focusing on the road ahead. 

“why’d you join signal143,” taehyun abruptly spoke amidst the stillness, gaining your lost focus, “cupid was my favourite childhood story,” you replied nonchalantly, eyes drifting to the seemingly fast paced surroundings, avoiding his curious orbs that lasted a second.

“maybe it's because i craved for something or someone to be my stability in my then feeble life and cupid would happen help me achieve that when my parents were out and about with their love life in shambles,”

“so from personal experience,” “yes, i guess you could say that. what inspired you to upbring the venture?”

“the 5 of us, high school friends, happened to think of the idea as a joke to make our pitiful lonely asses feel better, and the rest is history. it sounds insignificant, i know,” “everyone has their callings,”

With that the conversation fell flat and you remained in your thoughts of the past, “we’re almost there,”

“hm,” you responded, lacking any real reply to him, your thoughts having shifted from the past to the recent past, when you matched with your boss at work to which he simply ignored much to your distaste.

“sir,” “don’t,”

“we have to talk, i can’t play dumb anymore it's agitating,” “about what, exactly,” he asked, pulling into a stop at the venue, hand reaching to unbuckle his belt and panning to front you, perceiving the irked expression written all over.

“we matched with your application and literally refuse to address it,” you rush, in an exclamatory tone, breathing heavily with furrowed brows. His poker face remained while his gaze dropped to his wristwatch, “is that all, we’re getting late.”

Tears clouded your vision as he stepped and walked over to the passengers seat and clicked the door open, and extended his arm to you. You grimaced at his palm,"is that really you had to say," you let out slowly, attempting to blink back your threatening tears.

He initiative held your hand and pulled you up, your footing unstable as you fell forward and onto him, beside you for support. The fabric of his dress shirt scrunched up in your clenched fists. A hand travelled to your cheek and tilted towards the adoring eyes of the man that'd somewhat broke your alluding vision of true love.

"don't ruin the makeup by crying over nothing," he paused, mustering the courage to utter his next few words carefully, the knot in his throat tightening to release the word out his grip, "love," he added shakely, the latter coming out jna whisper but to be heard in the reverbs of your ear.

The gaso that overwhelmed had shock written all over you and with expectancy you listened as he remained agape. "why do you think I went as far as to bring you here as my date, yn,"

So he wasn't playing you, nor was he breaking your perception of true love but giving it a shot.

Now the thought slapped a small but hopeful grin on your front and you gazed into his beautiful sparkling eyes while he rushed to address even further, "doesn't mean I'm not angry at you for blowing the deal off," he muttered, trying to sneer at you and scoffing with little to no real meaning.

You burst into hearty laughter at his shy acts, striding into the venue, clutching his much larger hand in yours, "we have a party to attend, taehyun," you pressed, jolly filling you full as you skipped and partially hopped your way to the entrance hand in hand with the last person you expected to.

Life was fickle yet fun and full of surprises.

Taehyun spoke words of boredom to others attending as you put on a pretty smile and joined in occasionally and eventually zoned out, taking that as a chance to slip away from him and to the refreshments served.

You unsuspectingly stood among the masses, sipping on the non alcoholic drink, your eyes naturally drewp towards taehyun, resting them in him as he charmed many with his words, some infatuated with his looks and that darn cute smile he flashed.

"yn?"

You turned to your right, perceiving the man you'd swore to never see after years, "sunwoo?"

The old feelings of youth overjoyed your sober mind and the thundering clouds brought with your foresought tears and sentiments to do with him.

"you? here?"

"..." you dwelled in your daze, knocked out of it with no response to him after a long delay, he waved a hand in front of you, successful garnering your attention as an unfamiliar yet comforting hand rested on your waist and clung you to them.

"oh sunwoo! great crowd, great people, great host, of course,"

"...taehyun!" he greeted, examining his hand attached to your waist, the close proximity of the two and plastered a grin.

"how's the brand launch going?"

"the usual rookie stuff, you'd know better,"

Small talk continued and you watched motionless, your nerve ridden self picking at your nails, only glancing at either of the two rarely. As their tiresome chatter drew to a close you mustered the will to smile faintly st sunwoo and turn towards your date, Kang taehyun and flash a genuine beaming grin at him, ushering about something that crossed your mind.

Sunwoo noted the look and how you didn't turn back to see if he was looking at you for longer like you once had, the day it rained from the skies and from your very own eyes.

Dragging him out the venue you huffed and puffed in relaxation, opting to lean to the wall behind as relief filled you, "you know him?" taehyun queried, the slight amount of irritation sending massive signals your way as he raised a brow.

"i gave the same expression to any of the other guests you chatted with," you replied, to milk a further reaction from him.

"the way you stared at him looked different, like that of a sour grape.

"so you've been observing the way I gaze at people when you were supposed to pay your mind to the conversation?"

"well—"

Another dramatic gasp parted from your mouth, "so you have, and yes, he's my ex." "and not that i mind," you interjected, falling into him as you chuckled while he wrapped his own arms around you voluntarily. "you're not so annoying, i guess" he commented, faking a daddy eye roll your way.

"you're still annoying," "HEY—" "love live laugh beomgyu and his programming skills," you completed sending him furious as he whined to you about his sole position in the mess.

Love exists in many forms and this one was all thanks to signal143(and the honourable, almighty intellect beomgyu along your fortune telling star stellar friend huh yunjin).

[hifimuses]

I AM ONCE AGAIN ON MY BULLSHIT

....There have been some..MUSE IDEAS I've been considering..

I'll just put the long ass list in a break below. Would love any feedback

CARTOONS:

Joan of Arc (Clone High) Jake The Dog (Adventure Time) BMO (Adventure Time) Samurai Jack (Samurai Jack) Belle - (Beauty and The Beast) Gadget (Chip and Dale) Shaggy Rodgers (Scooby Doo) Velma Dinkley (Scooby Doo) Starscream (Transformers) Bumblebee (Transformers) Princess Carolyn (BoJack Horseman) Todd Chavez (BoJack Horseman) Caitlyn - (Arcane) Loorento (Cool World)

ANIME/MANGA:

Power (Chainsaw Man) Lum (Urusei Yatsura) Gentle Criminal (My Hero Academia) Midnight (My Hero Academia) Fenneko (Aggretsuko) Washimi (Aggretsuko) Puko (Aggretsuko) David Martinez (Cyberpunk: Edgerunners) Dorio (Cyberpunk: Edgerunners) Piccilo (Dragonball) Zorro (One Piece) Crocodile (One Piece) Hiei (YuYu Hakusho) Kurama (YuYu Hakusho)

GAMES (STUFF BASED ON GAMES):

Rouge The Bat (Sonic) Luigi Mario (Mario) Bowser / King Koopa (Mario) Albert Wesker (Resident Evil) Peppino (Pizza Tower) Nell (Advance Wars) Mitsuru Kirijo (Persona 3) Aigis (Persona 3) Yosuke Hanamura (Persona 4) Chie Satonaka (Persona 4) Munehisa Iwai (Persona 5) Tae Takemi (Persona 5) Boyfriend (Friday Night Funkin) Pico (Friday Night Funkin) Mommy Mearest (Friday Night Funkin) Sigma (Overwatch) Orisa (Overwatch)

COMICS:

Superman (DC) Wonder Woman (DC) Steve Trevor (DC) Mr Freeze (DC) Two Face (DC) Catwoman - (DC) Flash/Wally West - (DC) The Thing (Marvel) Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider (Marvel)

LIVE ACTION:

Gomez (Addams Family) Ash Willams (Evil Dead) Dewey Riley (Scream) Cidney Prescott (Scream) Nadia (Scream 4) Mindy (Scream 5) Maverick (Top Gun) Goose (Top Gun) Invisble Man (Universal Monsters) The 9th Doctor (Doctor Who) The 10th Doctor (Doctor Who) Rose Tyler (Doctor Who)

[gnostichymns]

Hello! We are making some decently sized changes to reflect the growth of our group and the feedback that has come from within. Here's an overview of some of them!

Our rules have been updated! Quite a lot, in fact, so we advise reading over them yourself. But here's a list of highlights:

Reserves have been given a clearer time frame. We have had multiple instances of extending reserves after they had expired, and so we have added clarification that reserves expire at midnight on the day listed in the original reservation. Extensions may only be requested before that time.

Clarifications have been made regarding our NPC clause. This includes rulings on generic-design NPCs, dead characters, and unreleased characters.

Canon doubles have received some changes. A new clause has been added regarding both the existence of two Travelers as well as the Trailblazers. Going forward, Gnostic Hymns will require one Traveler to play the role of the Abyss Prince/Princess, and will only acknowledge one Trailblazer.

A reminder has been added that all characters within GH are expected to be taken from their most recent canon point.

Clarification has been added regarding our OOC post rules.

A reminder has been added that Commission Board threads may only be started while the board is still active.

We have removed the old clause about dropped threads and changed the requirements to claim threads. At this time only 3 reblogs are required to claim any Commission Board thread.

The talent system has received a handful of clarifications, and all information regarding it now resides within the Rules doc instead of a separate one.

Characters with multiple kits accessible to them have had a clause added for how it is to be handled, which is located in the talent points section of the rules.

Our premise page has received the addition of some general lore explanations, with flavor text to help with explaining your muse's ability to navigate between universes. It is important to note that these are not hard and fast explanations, they are intended to be open ended to allow for the creativity of our members when regarding how their own muses interact with the world around them.

And that is the bulk of it for now! These updates will not be the last, but they are some of the biggest. Please do not hesitate in continuing to provide feedback! Our feedback forms have seen minimal traffic in the past, so we hope that will change as members continue to make their voices heard about what does and does not work for them within the group. We only request that you please be respectful in your responses.

Thank you all for your patience, and your continued understanding as we navigate the new expansion of our group!

-Mod Alina

[mixed-kester]

eighty two.

A/N: Holy shit this one is long. Glorified word vomit. Not proofread. Need feedback, very badly.

Summary: Kaeya's perspective on me pulling for Wanderer basically.

Once, I saw him in a clearing peppered with mint and roses. along with a round violet tree and the small spirits of the-

"Wrong!"

A frustrated groan and the subsequent crumpling of paper can be heard downstairs, in the living room.

"What's up with them?" Kaeya asks, not lifting his eye into the crime novel he is reading. Oh, the detective already caught on? This novel is quite interesting.

He felt Keqing's sharp glance at him. He heard her write something.

Tap. Tap.

Engrossed in his reading, he reached out for the note with his other hand.

Thinking of new name for a certain Wanderer.

"Hmm? Interesting. Why?" Kaeya mused.

He heard her shuffle her papers again.

Tap tap.

I don't know. Never told me.

Kaeya only hummed, and turned the next page.

I was out hunting, always searching for the gems of hopes and dreams. but what i saw is far more beautiful than the words I now bid thee.

"Argh! Come on, asshole, come home already!" Kaeya heard them yell in front of the Sacred Sakura. Throwing down their (now) empty 'primogem' bag, they sat on the stairs and sulked, sighing.

Ignoring the shrine maidens' pointed glances and whispers, he sat beside them. He saw Keqing do the same.

"Come on, let's get moving. You want him 'home', yes?" Kaeya looked at their quite depressing disposition. 

"It's still ten days, Est-Handler." Keqing hastily added. "If we help Ganyu and Hu Tao with their commissions, that will help greatly with our chances of him... coming home."

The wind bites.

"I'm so tired." Both of them heard the Handler mumble.

"Then you should-"

"Hell no. If I need to walk through a thousand miles just to have the chance to get him, I will." The Handler now stood, brushing off dust in their backside.

"I will not have him the satisfaction of giving up. He relishes in it." They said, resolute.

"Then we will join you." Keqing stood up as well, walking beside them.

"Heh. Very well." Kaeya now joined them. "But remember, you owe me one for that pep talk."

"Yes, yes. What sword do you want?" The three of them now walk forward.

"Well, I saw this quite exquisite jade sword from Liyue..."

With hair the shade of spring once the night and day have met...

"Have you got anything?" The voice of the Wanderer grates his ears.

The Handler now looks deep in thought. They seem to be recalling something; maybe those countless sheets of paper has a name that is suited for him?

"Don't rush them." Kaeya tells him. The Wanderer glares at him.

"Whatever." He scoffs.

"Uh...I really, really apologize for this, Kaeya and Keqing, but can both of you, um..." they make shooing gestures.

He nods, understanding, and both of them leave the Sanctuary of Surasthana.

"You think they will tell us?" Kaeya says out loud, walking towards the balcony.

"They always do, don't they?" Keqing leans into the railings, and takes a deep breath.

Kaeya does not answer.

The wind blows, sending the wilted leaves into a dance of brown and red amidst the sunset.

With the eyes that betray his being...

"81. Why isn't it working?!" He saw the faintest streak of blue in the night sky as he comforts his handler, now distraught.

"Let's go home. The others are worried." Kaeya holds her upright.

They are all back at the Sacred Sakura. It is midnight, so most of the shrine maidens are thankfully asleep.

Keqing is looking out for any troublemakers. For peace of mind, she said. You can never guess what happens.

He hears a sniffle.

They're...crying? Over this person?

and the hands that reveal his debt...

"Last wish. Then we'll go home." The Handler now straightens up, with determination in their eyes as they look at him.

Kaeya nods.

He sees them climb the Sacred Sakura effortlessly, as they have done for 47 times.

He sees them reach for something in their coat; something bright, lustrous and lavender.

He sees them pray unto it, as if it can guide their prayers to beings beyond this plane.

He sees them brace to gain momentum.

Whoosh.

With a name I then now bring.

Nothing.

"Come on now, Handler, let's go-"

Kaeya was almost swept off his feet by the sudden wind gust, and, just as suddenly he was blinded with gold.

The brightest gold he has ever seen, second to that of-

I can't see them.

Stricken with panic, Kaeya tries to go forward, but the light is too bright, and the wind is too great.

He can hear their shouts of glee and joy amidst it, yelling profanities in the air.

He hears laughter.

Tinkling, melodious laughter.

Just as suddenly, the gold light dissipates.

Kaeya recovers himself, his eyesight forming afterimages of the tree. He closes his eyes and tries to steady himself.

With the name I lest forget.

Kaeya hears the Handler stumble down the tree.

"Asshole!" He heard them stagger down, stomp forward and slap a very pissed off Wanderer.

Finally looking up, Kaeya sees a very angry Wanderer being hugged by his Handler, protesting, yet not pushing them off.

...his?

"Well, this is quite the momentous occasion." Kaeya stands up to his fullest height.

The Handler now, finally, lets go of him and faces Kaeya.

"Handler. It is done?" Kaeya nearly jumps at Keqing's voice.

"Yep. Finally. But first..." they look at Wanderer, smirking.

"Tch. Why don't they- all of you, introduce yourself to me first?" The Wanderer looks at the both of them with contempt.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Kaeya Alberich, the Handler's sword." Kaeya introduces himself casually.

"I am Keqing, the Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing." Keqing does the formal Liyue greeting.

"For me? Well, I am just a simple Handler, but Esther will do just fine. Just..not outside though." they introduce themselves.

"Esther...huh. Not bad."

"As for me? I have gone by many names, each one more eminent than the last..." The Wanderer glowers down on them. "But that is all water under the bridge now."

Wanderer lowers his hat, seemingly embarrassed at the Handler's attitude, but they grab him by the shoulders to face the both of them. He almost snaps, but gives up and looks at the both of them.

"This person named me Kocho. I suggest you call me the same, else you get blasted off by a vortex."

At the night, his voice shall ring For his name, I won’t regret.

[azsazz]

MM Feedback Shared

(for those who wanted me to share the MM feedback, here we are!)

Thank you to everyone who shared feedback with me, really great stuff in here that I've taken notes and and will work to incorporate in the future edits of MM! 💙💙

Anon Feedback 1: MM feedback here☺️ it feel rude to me to like give you feedback because who am I but i sending one in because I love you and want to read a book from you😍 My absolute favourite scenes are the ones in the gallery, it’s so fucking beautiful and a perfect turning point in the story. Another thing that I think someone already mentioned, I think there needs to be like more scene of Azriel with case and Rhys so it can like build his character more and we can connect to him even more than we did! Love you!! Thank you for giving us place for giving you feedback and not like getting mad about it ❤️

Not rude at all! Especially because I asked for feedback! YES, LOVE LOVE LOVE the gallery scene, will def be keeping that around for the book and maybe brushing it up a little. I agree, more friendship things with Rhys and Cass, got it! Thank you for the feedback!! 💙

Anon Feedback 2: Following Midnight Muse feedback First of all I just wanted to say that I loved the series with my whole heart, I probably read every chapter less than five minutes after it’s release and ATE it up every single time. The only thing that felt somewhat off to me was the pacing, especially toward the end of the series. You did such a good job of making them dislike each other that it felt like they got together a bit too quickly and worked out all their issues a little too perfectly. I feel like for the final product I would have reader and Az apologize to each other a little earlier on the grounds of doing better for their friends. Maybe even have someone from the friend group make a bigger deal of the strain this war, about what in the grand scheme of things is not a big deal, is doing to their friendship as a whole. Similar to what Rhys did with Az. After that I would have things like the ride home scene little moments of them trying their best to find a common ground. Have them, begrudgingly, realize that they actually do kind of enjoy each other’s presence. After a tentative peace is managed THEN have them go to the gallery etc etc. You could even put in some healthy arguments, two people who were constantly at each others throats for months won’t suddenly agree on everything immediately just because they like each other, if you would like i personally would’ve liked to have seen them argue and then be like “we need to step away and rehash this calmer”. Also this is a side note, I would’ve liked to have seen Az actually give reader the tattoo. I liked the choice to have it at the end but personally I was waiting for it all series and was a bit sad we didn’t get to read about it but maybe that was just me. Ik once it’s a book you’ll have more time to further flesh out things, and I truly did LOVE reading along. You’re a fantastic writer and I hope this doesn’t come across as overly critical bc that is not my intent. Looking forward to what this project will become ❤️

Good call, I will def work on the pacing. I think I felt a bit rushed and also I was like like how do I write them together when all I know is to write them disliking each other 😅 that was definitely tough for me so i will work on that! Everything you said is such great feedback, thank you so so much for sending me your thoughts! I'm excited to work on it some more and hopefully put out a great piece of work!

Anon Feedback 3: I think if you're looking to publish MM, it needs more of a plot - and I don't mean that in a bad way. I just feel like there weren't really any stakes besides the main characters getting together. You had interesting ideas, like introducing the father as a potential problem, but that didn't really go anywhrre. You could really dig into your MMC overcoming his trauma, however that looks in a published version, and the FMC overcoming her insecurity - which was kind of hinted at but never explored and when it was resolved, I felt like it didn't really...matter much. Like it wasn't relevant as much to the plot? I would encourage you to explore more, dig deeper, figure out a problem or two for them to overcome. As fanfic, I really liked it, for whatever that's worth.

I totally agree with you. I mentioned her imposter syndrome but it was definitely something backseat to their relationship. Will def be fixing that and brining in their family dynamics as well. Thanks!

Anon Feedback 4: ahh it’s my first time sending one of these i’m nervous😬😬(response to this) but OH MY GOD i ADOREDDD midnight muse, i very rarely read series when i read on here but i honestly used to refresh your blog nearly every day looking forward to new chapters your writing is honestly amazing, if you go ahead with this and release it as a book im going to end up with about 10 copies honestly😭😭🤍– it’s very very hard to think of criticisms of this series because of how much i honestly adored it, but if it had to have any id ask for maybe more detail regarding azriel’s family and what exactly happened with his dad buying the apartments, and everyone’s reactions to that. i honestly think you should ofc do what you love with it, judging by the fact you’re making it into a book and also as a reader, i feel like you can really tell that it was something you enjoyed to write and i feel like that made it even more special to read ??? id love to see that come through in the book so please don’t make any changes that you’re not going to enjoy writing🤍🤍and also the whole few parts where he takes her to the art gallery and she sees all of his drawings was just so unbelievably perfect i’d love it if you could keep that the same – overall it was an AMAZING read, if midnight muse has one fan it is me if it has none i am dead, if you turn this into a book i just know it would be so special i hope this was helpful and thank you for being an amazing author !!!🤍🤍🤍

First of all, thank you so so much for the support! It was so much fun and I was with the rest of you, anticipating the next part as if I wasn't the one writing it lol. Yeah, I thought of his dad being a more of a problem later on and it definitely shows, so I will be working on that more during the rewrite process. very excited to explore their personal lives more! This was very helpful, thank you so much for sending me feedback!! 💙

Anon Feedback 5: Hi! I loved Midnight Muse and started reading it when you first posted so my feedback might actually not be amazing for the earlier chapters but I defo agree with the father/az comment on your post and I'm sure your plan is to expand on Cassian/Lucien's personal issues but that would be welcomed as well I think!! Also - and this is a very personal note, but maybe you could make the Az/Reader storyline extend a bit (maybe utilising the father storyline to make it go up and down again) I always love reading about characters' romances after they get together properly as I'm a sucker for an established relationship fic (which is why I like to read fan fictions when books end too soon for my liking😂) Regardless - even if you made zero changes the book would be amazing because I genuinely really loved it!

For sure for az's family relationships, those will be flsuhed out and explored more. For cass and luc I was trying to allude/create anticipation for their own stories because in my ideal world it would be a four book series haha ("az," "rhys," "cass," and then "luc"), but i can definitely work on those more, give them better structure and not keep everything super secret for them! Ugh, i know, i could've written so much more for them too, so obsessed with this. thank you for the feedback, i really appreciate it!

Anon Feedback 6: With the midnight muse feedback personally I found their relationship a bit faked if that makes sense? I feel like he just asked her out and then suddenly it was like they knew eachother forever. Almost like you were rushing their relationship? At points I was like mate you don’t know eachother but other than that it was pretty good and I loved it!

Yeah, this is for sure good feedback to have. their relationship really did do a 180 in the span of a chapter, so i will work on them gradually finding middle ground and then having their feelings come across more natural! Thank you!!

Thank you so much to everyone who sent feedback!! I really appreciate you all so much!! 💙💙

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

hi, i just want to say i really enjoy ur posts wether they be discussing things in the games, theories, or writings. i don't know how to describe it, but your blog is just... very comforting to look at and read through! you always provide interesting thoughts and such, if that makes sense? your blog also reminds me of a dark blue with accents of gold & white. i hope you have a good day or night, and take care of yourself.

Aw, thank you for the kind words 🥺

I ramble and write on this blog as a means of escape and destressing myself, so I’m flattered to know that you think of this place as a sanctuary as well. Life offline can be stressful, so maintaining calm when possible is what I strive for~

I want what I say to actually be meaningful or somehow transformative (er, at least when I’m not busy screaming excitedly about new content or my favorite characters)! That’s why some of my posts end up being sort of long; I can get pretty passionate. When I cover more important topics, I try to put forth effort to understanding it from multiple angles and being mindful about it. Reacting instead of reflecting first just kind of kills the good vibes, you know?

xbsjwvk)72?:& Funny that you should mention that this blog gives you a certain image and color in your mind!! 🌌 My TWST OC (and blog mascot/muse) happens to have a hobby of brewing enchanted inks. Maybe one day Miss Raven should make an ink that defines this very writing blog, a color as mysterious and as tranquil as a starry night sky at midnight… Dark blue studded with golden shards of starlight and the white speckles of scattered dreams.

“I shall call this color ‘Raven at the Writing Desk’. It will bring peace of mind and sweet dreams to those that pen with it.”

Once again, thank you for your feedback ^^ I hope you’ll continue to stick around for whatever silly things I put out next ✨

[theofficersacademy]

Welcome to another Arena! Signups have officially closed and Bronze Round will begin at noon EST on November 17th. However, we are doing things slightly differently this time, so please read on below for your team assignments and Master classes.

How this event will work:

In the past, signups included inventories as well, and when teams were revealed, so were the enemies. This time, however, teams have already been sorted and you will have roughly 24 hours to decide on your inventories within your Master class constraints. Take a look at this document for your team assignment! And this sheet for your muse's class!

Each muse has been assigned a Master class, but you will not have access to this class until Gold round. Instead, you will be selecting inventory and classes within the ranks of your assigned class. For example, Bronze round has a rank restriction of C rank or lower. If your muse has been assigned Gremory, you will have access to Mage, Dark Mage, Priest, Monk, and Commoner/Noble, as well as any Reason or Faith ability at C rank or lower. Note: Dancer class will be accessible to everyone beginning Silver round.

The class that you choose every round will influence how many inventory slots you have. Keep this in mind when selecting inventories. Beginner = 2 slots Intermediate (includes Dancer) = 3 slots Advanced = 4 slots Master = 5 slots

Each round has the following constraints: Bronze = C rank or lower Silver = B+ rank or lower Gold = You will have access to your Master class, and can choose one rank within that Master class to bump to S+. Bringing back the Gremory example, you could choose to bump Reason to S+ and select any ability from the Reason category, while leaving Faith at A rank.

Combat arts do not take up an inventory slot and can be equipped permanently to ONE weapon per inventory selection. If you decide to have your muse bring an Iron Sword, they can also equip the combat art Wrath Strike, but if they also choose to bring a Steel Sword for their second inventory slot, Wrath Strike will only be allowed to be used with the Iron Sword until inventories are re-selected for the next round.

The current schedule is as follows: Bronze: Nov 17 (noon) - 21 (midnight) Silver: Nov 22 (noon) - 26 (midnight) Gold: Nov 27 (noon) - Dec 1 (midnight)

Inventories should be submitted by pinging the Scorekeeper role within the server.

Lastly, we'd like to remind you that the theme of this arena will be Class Kits and Narrative, with a heavy emphasis on Narrative. During the waiting period before the start of Bronze round, you're free to interact with your teammates via asks or short threads. We also hope that the longer rounds will make it easier to develop meaningful interactions during the event. We received a number of feedback responses for last arena about the lack of interaction from teammates, and we agree that it’s a bummer when you write a fun reply and your teammates seem to not have even read it. For this reason, teams will not be required to reach a certain HP threshold with their enemies to pass to the next round. Instead, the mod team will be looking at team activity. No longer than 12 hours should pass between posts and you should constantly be communicating with your teammates to ensure that your team is moving. We will disqualify any muse who has gone a significant amount of time without posting, or who has been overall dragging their team down.

Let us know if you have any questions! And good luck out there!

- The House Leaders

[ssatxr-archive-2]

@kcnhub proposed:

//UGH i dont even know where to begin with your muses like???/ literally, all of them are so well-written and i can feel the pain theyre in or the emotions they feel, i can feel their anger or their sadness or their JOYS and not to mention i just. get so easily attached to all of them??? you go down to the tiniest detail in their behaviors and show that they have flaws, but thats what helps them feel so REAL and its AMAZING!!!

like. midnight especially. im so excited to see where else you'll take these amazing characters and how you'll further add to their stories and how things will go from there,,, ILY

{ AIHGHDHDJAAAJJ?? KEN??? I LOVE YOU KISS ME ON THE MOUF?

I REALLY DO TRY THANK YOU AIUDSHSHAS I LOVE UR FEEDBACK AS ALWAYS BROTHA }

[unsilencedk]

Midnight Musings #1

There are a lot of things I want to say to the world — my thoughts, my feelings, and my mental state. Clearly, I can if I would. But the vicious villain living free rent in my head kept telling me I can't. Self-doubts overpower passion. Is it true? That the burning fire of your passion can die with a splash of self-doubts and little regard for one's ability to do things? Well, I'll at least try to return the spark in these musings.

====

There are a lot of things I want to say to the world. I want to tell them about the girl I met during childhood. She was carefree, active, playful, and happy. She never gets tired, and she always sought company from others through games. For her, playing is like the body of an essay. It is the main thesis of her academic paper. To have fun and laugh with friends and be smug about winning a game, they are phrases that completes the sentences, which completes the paragraphs that builds and finishes the essay that describes her life. It was full of grammatical errors unconsciously and impulsively sent to people; misplaced punctuations on her decisions; run-on sentences of emotions that confuses everyone around her; and undefined, unstructured, and incomplete sentences of self-promises, vows, and dreams that's waiting to make sense. She's an essay filled with bad sentences, hoping to be comprehensive. And while she's getting constructive feedback from time to time, she's rearranging the words to make them right. A moment where she could not comprehend the words that felt like wasn't written by her.

"Who was I writing for? Who am I entertaining and impressing?" she asked. While I was a bad sentence, I understand me. Now that the sentence was correct, I lost the ability to read.

[campto]

Cindy Finds Her Muse

Ever since she could remember, Cindy had struggled with her painting, trying to find her artistic direction, but, ironically, it was only after realizing her lifelong dream of transforming into a pig, and losing her ability to talk, that she found her voice. Experiencing the world from a sow's perspective allowed her to throw off all the constraints of her anthropocentric privilege and propriety, and dive into a polymorphously perverse world of sexually-charged, species-ambiguous imagery glimpsed from a foot or so above the ground.

No one is prouder of, or happier for her than her new owner, Farmer Fred Ziffel III. A combination of Cindy's caretaker, talent agent, pig feed and art supply buyer and sweet, secret midnight lover, he has made a killing on her canvases, as the art world both swoons over her oeuvre and trips over itself trying to make up for its centuries of exclusion of non-human artists from its pantheon.

Being totally dependent on Mr. Ziffel might faze other artistic spirits, but for Cindy, it frees her up from concentrating on anything but living day to day as a pig, and following her muse. The one fuels the other in a positive feedback loop, as the more she abandons herself to her swinish instincts, the more she is inspired to document her experience of that world in acrylics.

Farmer Fred can't say he understands it, but, much like his boyhood idol Colonel Tom Parker, he does know how to  ballyhoo Cindy's work and squeeze every penny out of it. As far as he is concerned, as long as Cindy keeps bringing home †he bacon like this, he can put off the inevitable day when she becomes bacon.

Keep painting , Cindy! Paint like your life depends on it!