#sphere arena

[leviabeat]

Via Rob's Instagram

[happywebdesign]

Populous

[savorysojourner]

It's been 6 months, and I still can't get over this experience. Thank you, @coldplay for coming back to Manila.

Location: Philippine Arena, Bulacan

I captured some videos of the concert on my YouTube channel.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1QQkkjZv6VmZo58syX7dDg

[learnwithmearticles]

Is the L.A. Sphere Worth it?

What have been the costs of this giant building in Nevada? Is it any good?

How Practical is the Las Vegas Sphere

The Las Vegas ‘Sphere’ is an entertainment arena in Paradise, Nevada that fits up to 20,000 people. It opened in September 2023 and has so far featured the band U2, the film Postcard from Earth, and many, many advertisements.

The Sphere, also referred to simply as Sphere, has more internal shows planned for 2024 with the NHL and the band Dead & Company. Most known about it, however, is that the external round wall is made up of 580,000 square feet of LED display space, and it has been put to use.

The Impact

A building like this of course has increased tourism, with its intention of holding concerts and other shows. It was made to be a spectacle. It also created some additional jobs, requiring all the usual staffing necessary for an over-18,000-seat venue. The Las Vegas Sphere career page displays about 27 jobs at the time of this writing.

The interior and exterior of Sphere is mostly LED screens, with 160,000 square feet of LED screens on the inside. Its construction also included 3,000 tons of steel. My highest interest in researching the Sphere is in the pollution caused in making this flashy building.

To make steel, iron ore or scrap metal goes through either the Blast Furnace or the Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) method, which breaks down and removes impurities from the metal. Steel production is considered a heavy pollutant1. In one study of a major iron ore-producing area, investigators found high pollutant levels of cadmium and zinc from run-off2. Heavy metal contamination in water, such as with cadmium, can cause metabolic disorders, neurological damage, cancer, and other health risks3. Steel production also emits significant amounts of carbon dioxide4.

LED lights are considered highly eco-friendly by saving on energy consumption. However, even in 2019, the benefits of LED were being reconsidered. They drastically increase light pollution, especially in outdoor use. Light pollution is a problem because it impacts human health, wildlife behaviour, and the ability to observe celestial objects. It interrupts circadian rhythm and healthy hormone production, alters migration patterns, and can further constrict habitat area5.

Because LED lights produce more blue light than others, the light scatters and glares more, appearing brighter than other light. LED lights in particular are disruptive to circadian rhythms and lower immune system performance6. They also obscure more stars because of their brightness. Multiple companies like BlockBlueLight now sell LED lights allegedly with no or little blue light, but with warmer light wavelengths. LED light bulbs do not have to use blue light.

During the November Las Vegas F1 race, red, yellow, and blue light were not used on the Sphere display, due to their use in the race for communication and the risk of distracting the drivers9. The Sphere is perfectly capable of operating without blue light.

The Sphere is 366 feet tall and 516 feet wide. So far, many people report that it lights up every night if not for the entire day. Multiple articles have already mentioned concerns about light pollution caused by the Sphere7,8. This is in addition to the fact that, at peak consumption, Sphere uses 28 MW of electricity, enough to power 21,000 houses. 

While the Sphere continues its usual features on its exterior, little has been said regarding an intention to restrict the light pollution it produces.

What did it give us?

Many are disappointed in the internal and exterior experiences of the Sphere.

On the interior, the Sphere’s designers, Madison Square Garden, claimed that no seats would be bad seats to watch events. Everyone could expect high quality visual and audio experiences. On the contrary, audience members report feeling cramped and vertigo from the steep incline of the stairs, though building safety code was followed, in addition to not having clear views of either performers or the screens10,11. Youtuber Eddy Burback endeavoured to have a full ‘Sphere experience’, and cites multiple videos of people who paid full price -over 500 dollars- for seats with obstructed views12. A reviewer on Reddit similarly states that, overall, the experience is not worth 100 dollars, “a good portion of the movie was skewed fish eye lens like”, and “there was an area of some stuck pixels that was noticeable”13.

Its design causes images on the exterior to be seen very clearly from far away, but up close the individual lights look far less smooth. The LED pucks are eight inches apart, and the image is blurred from even blocks away and almost completely lost up close. Overall, it is an impressive building, but did not achieve all that was intended.

Being the biggest and the brightest is an understandable goal for companies. Whatever is the newest marvel, whatever is talked about most, whatever draws attention. Even bad clout is still clout, even bad attention is attention. The Las Vegas Sphere has made over 75 million dollars since opening, and thus it seems possible that it will eventually turn a profit despite costing 2.3 billion dollars to build14.

The money does not account for other costs, though, specifically in pollution. 3,000 tons of steel and months of light pollution are not a good start for the ethics behind this behemoth. But bad press so far doesn’t seem to hinder or influence the operations of the Sphere.

Additional Resources

1.https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/planet-earth/mining/environmental-impact-of-steel-production

2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0269749123013660

3.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0960852422011476#:~:text=Cadmium%20(Cd)%20and%20Zinc%20(,et%20al.%2C%202022).

4. https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/10/9/1117?ref=boiling-cold

5. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/light-pollution/

6.https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/interactive/2023/glaring-problem-how-led-lights-worsen-light-pollution/

7.https://eightify.app/summary/tech-industry/las-vegas-sphere-world-s-largest-led-light-sphere-light-pollution-concerns#:~:text=The%20LED%20sphere%20in%20Las,and%20causing%20distractions%20and%20accidents.

8.https://impakter.com/las-vegas-sphere-is-it-sustainable-and-does-it-matter/#:~:text=There%20have%20also%20been%20concerns,Angeles%20Times%20columnist%20Carolina%20A.

9.https://en.as.com/racing/three-colors-banned-from-las-vegas-sphere-for-f1-grand-prix-n/

10.https://www.reddit.com/r/vegas/comments/174dmzr/an_honest_review_of_the_vegas_sphere/

11.https://www.reddit.com/r/unpopularopinion/comments/16xu84a/the_sphere_is_las_vegas_is_absolutely_horrible/

12. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KN63DDD9Y04

13. https://www.reddit.com/r/vegas/comments/17sm4ao/sphere_review/

14. https://www.mensjournal.com/news/las-vegas-sphere-75-million-since-opening

[literaryvein-reblogs]

some words for worldbuilding (pt. 1)

Air

billow, breath, bubble, draft, effervescence, fumes, puff, vapor

Arena

aquarium, bazaar, coliseum, field, hall, mecca, stage

Building

abbey, architecture, armory, asylum, bakery, bar, booth, cathedral, club, construction, court, department store, dock, edifice, emergency room, factory, food court, fort/fortress, framework, garrison, greasy spoon, hacienda, hangout, headquarters, hotel, inn, institute/institution, jetty, laboratory, mansion, mental hospital, monastery, mosque, museum, nursing home, office, pavilion, penitentiary, plant, prison, rampart, repository, ruins, sanctuary, shrine, skyscraper, stockade, storeroom, structure, temple, theater/theatre, treasury, warehouse, wharf

City

capital, metropolis, town, village

Furniture

altar, banister, bench, booth, bunk, cabinet, chair, couch, crib, davenport, dresser, furnishings, futon, jetty, lectern, partition, perch, platform, pulpit, rail/railing, screen, secretary, stand, wardrobe

Geographic division

area, county, desert, dynasty, kingdom, outskirts, quarter, sector, suburb, territory, tract, zone

Habitat

abode, ecosystem, environmentalist, habitat/habitation, harbor, home, land, nest, paradise, premises, refuge, settlement, tent

Habitat, human: accommodations, apartment, barracks, cabin, castle, condominium, convent, domesticity, dungeon, element, encampment, estate, grange, hacienda, home, house, housing, hut, jail, lodging, madhouse, monastery, neighborhood, old country, palace, prison, reservation, resort, sanctuary, shanty, suite, vacancy, villa

Habitat, rural: barn, burrow, conservatory, desert, farm, forest, grange, jungle, sanctuary, wilderness/wilds, wood/woods

Land

abyss, avalanche, bank, bay, bed, bluff, campus, cape, cavern, cliff, compost, cove, crevice/crevasse, dirt, downgrade, dune, elevation, estuary, expanse, field, fossil, garden, glacier, gorge, green, ground, gulf, harbor, hillock, inlet, knoll, landscape, lawn, lot, marshy, menagerie, mine, moat, mound, mountainous, nature, outlook, park, patio, pit, plateau, plaza, porch, prairie, projection, property, quagmire, ravine, ridge, savanna, shelf, soil, stack, table, trench, tundra, valley, well, wood/woods, yard

Nation

country, home, land, nationality, soil, state

Personal item

adornment, amulet, beads, best-seller, briefcase, cache, cargo, charm, contraceptive, disguise, effects, equipment, favorite, gem, glasses, handbag, jewelry, knickknack, luggage, marionette, memorabilia, necklace, novelty, object d’art, odds-on-favorite, paraphernalia, pledge, possession, pride, puppet, purse, resources, ring, souvenir, stuff, supplies, sustenance, thing/things, trappings, trifle, valuable

Planet

cosmos, Earth, galaxy, moon, planet, sphere, world

Region

capital, commonwealth, quarter, region, settlement, suburb

Room

alcove, attic, bath, bedroom, boutique, cellar, den, enclosure, foyer, gin mill, hall, lavatory, loft, outhouse, parlor, restaurant, saloon, shop, stage, store, tenement, theater/theatre, vestibule

Shape

angular, beaten, billowy, checkered, concave, conical/conic, crescent, curly, deformed, elliptical, flat, gnarled, kinky, misshapen, obtuse, round, shapeless, spiral, straight

Vehicle

camper, conveyance, motorcade, transport

Vehicle, air: aircraft, armada, blimp, dirigible, helicopter, shuttle, UFO

Vehicle, land: ambulance, bicycle, car, cherry-picker, dolly, excavator, model, traffic, truck

Vehicle, water: armada, boat, craft, fleet, sailboat, yacht

Water

abyss, aqueduct, basin, beach, blackball, brook, cape, channel, condensation, creek, deep, estuary, fountain, gulf, heading, inlet, lake, oasis, pond, promontory, reservoir, sea, spray, strait, tide, wash, wave, whirlpool

NOTE

The above are concepts classified according to subject and usage. It not only helps writers and thinkers to organize their ideas but leads them from those very ideas to the words that can best express them.

It was, in part, created to turn an idea into a specific word. By linking together the main entries that share similar concepts, the index makes possible creative semantic connections between words in our language, stimulating thought and broadening vocabulary. Writing Resources PDFs

Source ⚜ Writing Basics & Refreshers ⚜ On Vocabulary

[don-lichterman]

Today is filled with plenty of noteworthy events across different spheres. In the political arena, tensions rose as Hamas and Israel clashed in Palestine, generating heated discussions and debates. Meanwhile, in the sports world, the Philadelphia Phillies' game was one for the history books, with the team hitting an impressive six home runs, much to the delight of their fans. In the entertainment industry, Cinemax's latest series, Strike Back, premiered, offering viewers an action-packed, adrenaline-fueled experience. With all these events happening simultaneously, it was easy to get caught up in the excitement and lose track of time. However, amidst all the commotion, one thing that went unnoticed was the lack of any reality TV coverage. Regardless of your viewing preferences, there was no denying that yesterday was an eventful day that kept everyone on the edge of their seats. However, I never got to Big brother, Survivor, The Amazing Race, The Challenege USA, below Deck, Southern Charm...I will I hope Soon!

[evermoredeluxe]

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Grand Total: A Record $2 Billion

By Ben Sisario

For the last 21 months, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour has been the biggest thing in music — a phenomenon that has engulfed pop culture, dominated news coverage and boosted local economies around the world.

Now we know exactly how big.

Through its 149th and final show, which took place in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Sunday, Swift’s tour sold a total of $2,077,618,725 in tickets. That’s two billion and change — double the gross ticket sales of any other concert tour in history and an extraordinary new benchmark for a white-hot international concert business.

Those figures were confirmed to The New York Times for the first time by Taylor Swift Touring, the singer’s production company. While the financial details of the Eras Tour have been a subject of constant industry speculation since tickets were first offered more than two years ago — through a presale so in-demand it crashed Ticketmaster’s system — Swift has never authorized disclosure of the tour’s numbers until now.

The official results are not far from the estimates that trade journalists and industry analysts have been crunching for months. But they solidify the enormous scale of Swift’s accomplishment. Just a few months ago, Billboard magazine reported that Coldplay had set an industry record with $1 billion in ticket sales for its 156-date Music of the Spheres World Tour — a figure that is just half of Swift’s total for a similar stretch of shows in stadiums and arenas.

Every date on the Eras Tour was sold out, and spare tickets were scalped at eye-popping prices — or traded within the protective Swiftie fan community, often at face value.

According to Swift’s touring company, a total of 10,168,008 people attended the concerts, which means that, on average, each seat went for about $204. That is well above the industry average of $131 for the top 100 tours around the world in 2023, according to Pollstar, a trade publication.

The biggest single night’s attendance was in Melbourne, Australia, on Feb. 16, 2024, with 96,006. And Swift’s eight nights at Wembley Stadium in London, which she played more than any other venue, drew 753,112 people — about as many as live in Seattle.

As gigantic as they are, the figures revealed by Swift’s company are only part of the overall business that has surrounded the tour. They exclude her extraordinary merchandise sales, for example, a product line so in demand that Swift opened stadium sales booths a day early in some markets to sell T-shirts, hoodies and Christmas ornaments to fans, ticketed or not.

And they do not count the secondary market of online ticket resellers. According to StubHub, the Eras Tour was the biggest-selling tour in the platform’s two-decade history, and last year it outsold Beyoncé’s shows by a factor of five. Another ticketing company, Victory Live, said the average price for resold tickets to the Eras Tour’s three Vancouver dates was $2,952. (Swift earned nothing from resold tickets.)

Beyond its numbers, the Eras Tour has been a mega-event that elevated the already-super-famous Swift to a new level, making her an epochal symbol of cultural saturation on the level of the Beatles in the 1960s or Michael Jackson in his ’80s prime. Swift’s every onstage utterance, outfit swap or offstage sighting was thoroughly documented, on social media and in the mainstream press, with news outlets big and small rushing to capture Swifties’ clicks. Online, fans tracked every tweak to the three-hour-plus set lists.

As the story of Swift’s tour took shape, it seemed to contain its own eras within it. First, in November 2022, came the ticket fiasco, when Ticketmaster was overwhelmed by what it said were 3.5 billion online requests for tickets, many from scalpers’ bots. The furor over those problems led to a Senate Judiciary hearing in January 2023, at which lawmakers from both parties openly called Ticketmaster’s corporate parent, Live Nation, a monopoly. (This year, the Justice Department filed an antitrust suit against Live Nation, calling for a breakup of the company.)

Then came the tour and the folkways that developed around it, like fans trading hand-assembled friendship bracelets. After the tour’s stop in Kansas City, Mo., a public flirtation between Swift and Travis Kelce, the star tight end of the Kansas City Chiefs, developed into a full-on romance, with the pop star and the football hunk sharing a field-level smooch after the Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers at Super Bowl LVIII in February. The photographers definitely did not miss it.

In October 2023, she released “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” a nearly three-hour concert film, released through a direct distribution deal with AMC Entertainment, the world’s largest theater operator. It sold about $93 million in tickets during its opening weekend, and ended up with $261 million in worldwide grosses, according to Box Office Mojo. The next step was a streaming deal with Disney+. A 256-page hardcover tour book, released last month through Target stores, sold 814,000 print copies in its first two days on sale.

As the tour moved to Europe in 2024, it narrowly avoided what could have been a major catastrophe when a terrorist bomb plot was uncovered before three planned shows in Vienna. Those events were canceled and never rescheduled.

Although Swift has largely avoided the news media during the tour, over time she has pulled back the curtain a bit to reveal some of how it came together. To prepare herself for the physical demands of the show, she trained for six months, with a cardio regimen that included singing the entire set list while running on a treadmill, she told Time magazine.

“I knew this tour was harder than anything I’d ever done before by a long shot,” the magazine quoted her as saying. “I finally, for the very first time, physically prepared correctly.”

The music video for “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart,” from her latest album, “The Tortured Poets Department” — her third release over the course of the tour, including two rerecorded versions of older albums — has behind-the-scenes clips confirming some of the stagecraft mechanics that fans have carefully cataloged on social media, like how she “dives” each night through a “hole” in the stage (onto a soft cushion held by crew members) and how she is ferried backstage in a dummy janitor’s cart.

The tour concludes just as Swift celebrates yet another win: “Tortured Poets” has returned to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart for a 16th week, with help from vinyl and CD sales of the 35-track “Anthology” edition of the album, which Swift released on Black Friday, also through Target. “Tortured Poets” is by far the biggest-selling album of the year so far.

Swift is up for six awards at the Grammys in February, including album of the year for “Tortured Poets” and both record and song of the year for one of its singles, “Fortnight.”

At a recent tour stop in Toronto, as the tour neared its end, Swift teared up as she delivered valedictory remarks to fans.

“My band, my crew, all my fellow performers,” she said, “we have put so much of our lives into this, and you put so much of your lives into being with us tonight and to giving us that moment that we will never forget.”

[ganondoodle]

botw2 (totk rewritten) ganondorf design post 2.0

(the better, less rambly one, bc i shouldnt be allowed to write when its past midnight- not deleting the other one bc i am a little whimp and am getting so bad decision paralysis over it its made me cry, this one is more heavy on design and the basic plot of the game)

Basic plot summary (shorter version- longer version at the end):

sheikah in service of the ancient queen discover remnants of the past while excavating for luminous stones, these remnants were being defended/kept safe by the sonau (engl. zonai) little shy cave dwellers who have kept these last ruins save but secret bc they thought it could lead to disaster seemingly aware of the ever repeating cycle and believing it to be not divine but a self perpetuated one built on the one sided history of the past, which is a threat to hyrule and its golden legacy; these ruins speak of a world threatening evil being born as the king of the gerudo, the ancient queen thus plans to lure him into a trap to seal him away before he can realize his destiny, he learns of it however and is forced to confront the queen through breaking into the castle, she sees that as a confirmation of her fears and it escalates into a battle between them that kills everyone that was in the throne room except the young princess- the queen sealing ganondorf as the room and parts of the castle is destroyed and buried beneath the ground. (the game largely revolves around finding clues about it, especially in sealed off caves of the now long extinct sonau)

except for the scene in the throne room nothing is clearly shown of the past, but it is the background behind everything

(zeldas main struggle in this game will be having to come to terms with her families legacy, what she thought and was taught not being true, the dark secrets buried everywhere, and perhaps trying to be better, now that all of hyrules been destroyed and the lands and people yet survived)

Mummy version:

what you discover beneath hyrule castle after going to investigate the failing of shiekah tech all around, it is a clearly shiekah made system all around, though the chamber you find him in was built around him after the sealing, it being implied they used his spiritual power as the main energy source for all future tech, once disturbed the seal breaks and fuses to zelda (similar to the og trailer with link) he wakes up, the shock of suddendly being back in this broken body leading him to rather viciously attack them, the mastersword breaks and link loses his arm, the cave crumbles and zelda flees as she drags link behind her- the cataclysm happens and links gets his shiekah tech arm.

(in the little sketch there is a very roughly approximation to where ganondorf is located at the start and mid game fight, the arena you fought calamity ganon in is in reality a sphere with the lower half being an energy reserve for the royal family and further down the mechanism for the rising pillars from botw, its located between the castle and ganondorfs chamber, to quickly react when the malice build up has reached a critical point to detect immediately and start the defense programm- its all broken but still explorable after the mid point)

ganondorfs body is very damanged, the hole in his chest from the seal leads into an empty cavity, the ribs broken and bent in a swirling pattern like a gravitational pull, his right arm was desolved over time as he defensively grabbed the queens arm in his last moments; the face is more bone and there are no eyes, he does not move his jaw to speak, his hair is more like smoke after a certain amount of progression in the game the castle that fell into the underground (current hyrule castle) bc of the cataclysm is made accessible, as you venture in link is grabbed and pulled further in, seperated from zelda, she later rejoins you in the dungeon, acting all normal unless you are observant and see her using her left arm only and walking past things she normally wouldnt- at a certain point once the camera is not watching her, she suddendly starts to attack you viciously, as it was ganondorf in disguise- after the second half the real zelda breaks into the room with your friends in tow (yunobo, teba+tulin, riju, sidon) and he drops the disguise, the rest of the fight is against his mummy form, at the end of which is the cutscene of the confrontation with the queen, it is the only time you are given a direct window into the past. (plus its shown in that cutscene he has the ability to disguise himself as others, but only AFTER you have encountered it as to not ruin that moment..)

post revival/restored: this is how he appears at the end of the game, the last dungeon is within the forgotten plateau, there is a longer cutscene of zelda and him talking while tension builds until the fight begins once your friends arrive (sidenote, this is also only unlocked with more progression, including the koga and deku dungeon and the master sword restoration quest)

this design isnt fully how he was in the past but fit to the circumstances now, but restored to the best of his abilities; he is older (50+) with greying hair; i wanted to make him look both strong and a little worn out, but with a vibe of incredible power he is well aware of as well as warmth the outfit is elaborate but mostly aimed to be practical, its easy to see he used to be a proud king, and still is, even if no one remembers him anymore; he wears a little armguard on the left to for deflecting purposes, his belt is also switched around to how it was originally to make drawing his sword easier with the left arm; a little wooden boar figurine carved from the wood of long extinct trees hangs on his belt, a gift from one of his daughters perhaps he wields magic with ease and his moveset makes it clear just how good of a fighter he is, even after thousands and thousands of years without motion, his moves are controlled and practiced- the magic is also NOT just based on malice, malice might be what keeps him alive now but its not all he is, he wields lightning and simpler moves with other elements, perhaps implying that magic was more widely spread back in his day .. or he has learned to wield it in part to the repeated interactions with the other races (both in the past, and as calamity ganon- it is made clear that whatever the malice eyes saw he saw as well, (also explaining how he can speak their languages) though it is also implied that the calamity as such is not fully his own making, but something familiar reaching out to try and help him break free -NOT anythign demise related, leave the guy alone- but going with the idea of the calamity having been what remained of oot ganondorf after degrading over all this time- a kindred spirit reaching out to take revenge together in a way

Beast Ganon(dorf), normal

Beast Ganon(dorf), charging magic

phase 3 of the end fight, after phase two he takes out all your friends and tranforms, chasing you (link and zelda) through the ground until breaking through to the surface of the plateau where this battle takes place.

his design is loosely inspired by the smoke version of calamity ganon and twilight princess beast ganon, his face and teeth mostly from the calamity- his back is split open with a shiekah tech spine, given his connection to it via being its power source as well as overtaking it in botw, reddish smoke eminating from it, hes has 5 limbs as he is still missing his right arm, the big dark arms are made of malice and in phase 2 he takes one of those big arms to 'rebuild' his missing one, though it is not as well usable like a real one, his braids carry over thoguh now dark black, when charging magic it lights up in waves; the tail is flat and he moves not all that beast like, more draconic really, able to float for short periods of time and 'swim' through the ground reminiscent of moldoras his attack pattern is changed to fit this appearance, but he still uses magic in varying ways, thouhg swiping and biting after you as well, he will sometimes go for zelda directly but she will usually protect herself in a bubble of light- typical weak point is within the mouth though he makes sure to not give you alot of opportunities, typical staggers migth include destroying a front leg (since those are all made of goo)

my aim with this was to create a beast version both familiar and very different, with the vibe of, this is still him, just another appearance, though angered and more agressive he has not lost himself, perhaps even enjoying it a little, feeling a little more alive again, though he does not care for this world, he is a stranger here, this isnt his time and all that ever mattered to him is long gone, destroyed or forgotten, now all that matters to him is to end zeldas rotten family

Phase 2 and Phase 4 (out of order bc big boar lad wouldnt fit on here)

in phase 2 he 'rebuilds' his missing arm with one taken from the boar form, as it appears afterwards, he changes his sword into a larger one during the second half and can change its hilt length on the fly, making it both a big sword and a spear- the malice arm will be used to mimic some of links abilities, like the hookshot, grabbing onto you from afar, pulling you closer or flinging you around, while still being largely a swordfight with magic- he can aim lightning directly at you just as you can via the shiekah arm and rijus ability, if you are quick enough you can activate it at the same time as he does and catch the charge instead, either refilling your magic meter or deflecting it back at him (like the god ol back and forth)

phase 4 is the final phase after beast (phase 3) his design is a mix of all forms, he is larger than in 1 and 2, furry all over and although much more human again his hair is all smoke like, the armguard fused to his arm like golden scales and the wound in the chest now broken open again with malice eyes staring from within

after phase 3 it seems like the battle is over and zelda steps up to do just as she did at botw end, but before she can finish it a swordslash cuts off half her right hand, as ganondorf isnt done yet and changed from phase 3 to 4; zelda is then disabled for this last fight (no fighting support and repairing weapons), shes been taken to safety by your friends, who finally managed to follow you up here, and you, link, are now the last one standing- his moveset is a mix of it all, quickly changing between swordplay and swipes, magical abilities and grab attacks, it is faster than the previous ones and he dodges much more as well, its meant to really be a challenge

(also heres a sketch of his swords?)

Long plot summary: the shiekah in the service of the ancient queen of hyrule discovered ancient remnants of times long past (aka the old titles, long forgotten) while excavating for luminous stones (as they were developing their tech and needed something to fuel it) that speak of a world threatening evil born as the king of the gerudo, which the queen takes as a warning of the past, and as there currently is a ganondorf as the gerudos king who refuse to unite under her banner but are otherwise on neutral terms she plans to imprison him in a stasis between life and death before he can become that world threatening evil she now believes he is destined to be in order to save everyone and delay it from returning as long as possible (assuming there will be no other male gerudo born while the current one is technically still alive)

(the discovery of said remnants of the past also involves the shiekah persecuting the sonau (zonai), little shy cave dwellers who keep their distance from everyone and have kept these last ruins save but secret bc they thought it could lead to disaster seemingly aware of the ever repeating cycle and believing it to be not divine but a self perpetuated one built on the one sided history of the past, self fullfilling prophecies, which is a threat to hyrule and its golden legacy)

its a plan enacted over years, including secretly manipulating things to make the gerudo farmlands wield bad harvests (NOT in a 'desert was green and lush uwu' way, but they have had their techniques to thrive), forcing them to trade with hyrule and starting to depend on it- the goal being to put ganondorf under so much pressure until he is willing to let go of their sovereignity for the sake of his people or otherwise willing to talk, the meeting with the queen however would be to lure him into a trap and enact the seal

ganondorf here is a new one, he is named so in honor of old myths and legends, he is older (50+) and has two daughters, a proud king and firm in his stance to not bow to anyone yet wanting to avoid conflict for the sake of his people and family; he learns of the scheme before its fully realized, including that the many years of failing crops and dying animals might not be a play of nature after all (through hyrule soldiers talking too much after a having a few too many drinks? something something about their view of the gerudo, since thats always in the games, lets make use of it no?) he sends messengers and messages to the queen, requesting an audience, but she rejects all of it and refuses to talk with him, as the plan isnt fully prepared yet and she has become fearful of him over the years of obsessing over the warnings of the past and the worlds fate, as she sees it, depending on her and the success of it

at some point he has had enough of it and disguises himself and his two most trusted advisors/warriors (potentially his mothers?) as the shiekahs leader and two underlings to finally get to the queen, aiming to confront her about everything- it works and they are let into the castle, overwhelm the guards locking the doors so its only him, his advisors and the royal family with a few taken out guards etc. the queen sees this as a confirmation of his true nature coming through though- he can see there is nothing he could do to convince her he is not what she thinks he is, he attempts to be diplomatic but she is unwavering in her faith

she gives him a choice, to be sealed willingly so he can be remembered as a noble king who gave his life for the world before he became the beast that would threaten to destroy it all, or refuse and risk war and defamation. he refuses of course and a fight ensues, escalating to the point of the throne room itself being send below the earth and the death of everyone within it, with the exception of the young princess of hyrule (who will go on to keep this secret safe and spin the story her way)

it is implied that ganondorf had not told alot of people about hyrules schemes, wanting to deescalate the situation and it ending in a way no one anticipated, but theres remnants of old gerudo villages hidden away as some stayed loyal to him, likely of one of his daughters, as the world turned his legacy into a frightful tale and the gerudo falling under hyrules rule, one chose to resist as the other chose to bow

( .. i hoped to strike a balance between what i like and what zelda stories usually amount to while leaning much more clearly into a hyrule critical lense .. without, hopefully, being too overtly so)

(i thought about making the mid game cutscene into a rough comic or storyboard but im honestly very unsure about it all again q-q)

(i hope this version is better, i will never post these drawing again i swear im done with this part ..)

[zkg2318]

Blood on Fire ~ pt. 4 | PSH

A/N: this is part 4 of the BOF series (LAST part), please read part 1 for the story to make sense as these are heavily driven by plot.

genre/tags for this part ✶ MDNI reverse harem!hyung line x afab!reader, angst, smut, gore and violence, supernatural themes, (sirens, werewolves, vampires, shapeshifters, phoenixes, frost elves, dragons, witches, and more…), blood, verbal and physical violence, lots of murder, manipulation, murder, significant self doubt, government themes (not political), fight club au, ot7

synopsis ✶ In a city where the supernatural are arrested on sight, the only refuge for their pent-up rage is “The Enha Arena”- an exclusive, hidden venue where creatures engage in brutal, blood-soaked battles with one another. Concealed beneath the unassuming exterior of “Dusk and Dawn,” a gym that serves as the front of a totally legal business, this underground fight club acts as the epicenter for this violent world where supernatural beings not only fight for dominance and pride but for the sheer thrill of it all. In dire need of some money, you find yourself drawn into the fight club when you come across a black market job posting- an offer for a new trainer at the gym. Desperate for new ways to keep your own abilities under wraps and even learn about other supernatural beings, you accept the position, completely unaware of the dangers and complicated relationships that await you

WC ✶ 18.4

part 3

smut warnings under the cut

smut warnings ✶ monster erotica (obviously), unprotected sex, temperature play, fingering, oral fem!receiving, squirting, dirty talk, size kink, making out

The gunshot cracks through the air like a whip, deafening those around it yet not quite reaching your ears. For a momentary, blissful second, you brace for impact but don’t feel anything, making you question if you were even shot. In that fleeting moment, hope stirs within your stomach and you pray that it was just a warning shot. But reality comes knocking and you feel a crushing force on your chest as the bullet barrels into your heart, an impact so hard it slams all the air out of you. Right then, you feel the world begin to close itself in on you. 

And then the pain. 

A searing, unbearable burning sensation flows through your veins like a slow moving poison as the bullet rips through layers of your body. Each breath of yours becomes a vicious battle for more time, every inhale feeling like glass is sliding down your throat. The pain consumes you completely and threatens to swallow you whole, but you desperately continue to claw for more air as blood quickly rises in your throat and spreads across your chest.

The metallic tang of your blood floods your mouth and bubbles past your lips, painting your chin scarlet. Eventually, what was once a warm sensation quickly turns cold and you lose feeling in your extremities, like the bullet has drained you of all that you have. Coolness travels your body like a map and you feel yourself slip away more and more. It’s almost peaceful, but the world before you refuses to slow. 

K stands over your body with a maniacal smile. He’s completely indifferent to the chaos around him, laughing with a malevolent satisfaction that drips from his every breath. The necromancer's shadows move in on you, slowly wrapping you up into a void of darkness that’s colder than death itself. It suffocates you more than the bullet, and you find yourself yielding to the weight of its darkness. 

“No! No, no, no!” An animalistic scream rips from Heeseung’s throat, reverberating around the gym as the sight of you lying lifelessly on the ground tears into his soul. He shoves away the soldier pinning him down and races over to you, falling to your side and pulling you into his chest. With each broken sob, red tendrils spread further out from his body and slowly engulf you both, muffling the chaos from outside. Within his sphere, time slows down and he holds you impossibly close to his chest. He buries his tear-streaked face into your hair and sobs, whispering broken apologies as though it’d reverse your last breath. His body shakes uncontrollably, barely steady enough to rock you back and forth in the protective sphere of his shadows. 

Outside of his shadows, chaos ensues like a violent storm.

Jake lets out a feral howl, his animalistic instincts consuming him like a starved man. His eyes burn with fury and he moves to tear into the nearest soldier, sinking his fangs into their throat and clawing at their flank until there’s nothing but carnage left in his wake. Blood splatters against his face as his canines slice into the man’s carotid. The flash of red only drives him deeper into his blind rage, erasing the little instinct he still has. He bares his teeth and shoves the soldier to the ground, turning to his next victim but encounters the butt of their rifle instead, striking his face and sending him backwards as his own blood pours from his nose. With a guttural snarl and a throbbing nose, he crushes the man’s throat with his bare hands. With the soldier gasping for air, Jake then drags his bloodied fingers down to his chest and rips it open with his claws only to shatter the bony cage surrounding their heart. Eyes red with rage, he rips the man's heart out and holds it up for all to see. Blood drips from the base of the organ and draws racetracks of red down his arm. His graphic act of violence works as a warning to those that dared to approach him. 

Jay moves in tandem to Jake, making his way through the crowd with his flames dancing along the skin of his targets, scorching the air with the sickening smell of burning flesh. He pushes through the stream of soldiers with force, sending them flying backwards with the force of his fiery exhales The scales on his back glow with rage and act as a beacon for his team as he moves forward. In his path, a few soldiers manage to land a couple hits to his side and face, resulting in a cut lip and bruising eye, but it doesn’t stop him. Slowly but surely, he reaches the edge of Heeseung’s sphere and starts to fend off the encroaching soldiers, determined to protect what little was left of you.

Just beside him, Jungwon and Minnie have made their way to the center of the chaos as well, their movements hardly visible to the naked eye. They move in a blur of speed and precision, Minnie shining beams of energy at soldiers while Jungwon moves at the speed of light to disarm them of their guns. 

Sunoo is nearby as well, hanging around the edge of the crowd and weaving his hands in the air like he’s painting with water. Jets of water shoot out of the palm of his hands, attacking whoever is near. His stream moves around the people like a tail and coils around individuals with a deadly squeeze. Zeroing in on a particular soldier, he watches their body explode from the pressure of his water wrapping around him like a lasso. Blood and organs paint not just the floor and walls, but those around him as well. 

The relentless rage of the group’s efforts reduces the soldiers to a mess of lifeless bodies that litter the floor of the gym. There’s red everywhere, making it hard to tell whose blood is whose. At the same time, the air is thick with iron, leaving a sour taste in all of their mouths, the weight of murder dissolving on their taste buds. 

In the end, only K stays standing. Surrounding the tall necromancer are the bodies of his team, but he doesn’t seem to care. It doesn’t seem to matter to him that his team has collapsed. 

Jay, panting and drenched in sanguine fluids, speaks with fatigue evident in his voice, “K.”

The necromancer’s name carries in the air with a heavy burden, but K is indifferent to the void of guilt.“You fuckers are so easy,” he sneers, “ It was almost too easy to ruin you all. You didn’t even notice my cameras.” The man points upwards at a small red light that blinks above them, just barely visible as it sticks to one of the light fixtures. Letting out a deep sigh of content, he wipes at his face to clear up the blood that marred his features. “Just give it up, boys. The government’s got enough data to track you down, arrest you, and condition you to become part of their army of supernaturals.”

The malice in his words seems to reach Heeseung as he finally lets his shadows dissipate, revealing your lifeless body laying limp in his arms. The original color from your face has drained completely and your body is hauntingly cold in his arms. Your hoodie, which was once a nice lavender color, is practically black with your blood seeping from the gunshot wound on your chest. Wincing, Heeseung looks at Niki and nods in his direction, letting the youngest replace his spot immediately as he goes to stand up. Niki’s  hands shake as he cradles you close to his chest, hoping that the warmth of his body could restore what you lost, though he knew it was futile. While Niki quietly sobs to himself, Heeseung points a threatening finger at K and explodes, “This is your fault!” His words crack with his pain, “What the hell were you thinking, working with the government? They’ll kill your ass the second they don’t need you anymore.”

K only laughs again, the echo of his sounds dripping with venom. “Enough hiding, Heeseung. I’m sure there’ll be tons of vampires now that they know how deadly you are. You made for such a perfect little murderer.” He narrows his eyes at Heeseung when he says the word ‘murderer’, his eyes creasing into crescents as he smiles wickedly at the younger boy.

Heeseung’s face pales before him as the word, ‘murderer’ cuts deep through his chest like a fallen blade. His expression is full of pure horror, realizing that his past has been exposed for all to know.  A secret that had only been revealed to you, was now coming back to haunt him. K unravels his years of guilt like it was a habit. “I’m not a-”

“Save it. I know every single name of the people you killed: innocent, harmless people.” His eyes widen with a sadistic pleasure as he forces Heeseung to eat his own words. 

The group stiffens, subtle but unmistakable. They try to mask the foreign unease they harbour towards the eldest, but it doesn’t matter. Heeseung has grown to be too aware of the changes in people’s body language, just a fraction of what his guilty conscience has taught him to do. 

Practically radiating with anger, Heeseung takes a step closer to K, but Sunoo reaches a hand out to hold Heeseung back with desperate strength, keeping him grounded as Heeseung’s composure fractures. “H-how, how could you know that?” He says through tears that threaten to spill down his paled face. 

Heeseung doesn’t get a verbal answer, just a bloody cough that splashes red onto his face. He’s bruised and battered and definitely looks like he’s had better days, but his injuries don’t stop him.“This should be familiar to you, right Jake?” K’s eyes widen as he turns to the werewolf, who stands off to the side with his knuckles blanching white. “You were just a boy when everyone in the Sim pack died, right? Trembling in the corner while you were all hunted like prey. Good riddance, I always hated werewolves, dirty mutts.” 

Jake lets out an angry growl, “Keep my family’s name out of your mouth!” 

“What, are you afraid I’ll tell them what you did?” He walks toward Jake with a sadistic glare, each step echoing his entertainment, “Or, what you didn’t do? Afraid they’ll find out just how much of a coward you are? You don’t want them to know about how you hid behind a bush and watched them all die slow, painful deaths, right? Pathetic, couldn’t even protect your own blood.” K spits at the floor, a glob of red mucus landing next to Jake’s foot. “I know you have nightmares about it, feeling guilty and powerless for letting your pack die. Some things just don’t change, do they.” 

In a lapse of anger, Jake lunges forward  with his arm in the air, but his fist is caught by Jungwon, catching his strike with his palm and guiding it back down to his side. “That’s cute, always protecting your hyungs.” K’s words drip with a venom that threatens to leak into their bloodstream as he addresses Jungwon, “-But who’s protecting you? Surely it can’t be Jay. I mean, who would want to live with someone that killed off the people trying to adopt me.” 

Jungwon’s breath catches in his throat and he almost lurches the entirety of his stomach contents forward. He had confided in Jay countless times growing up about his longing for a real home, a way out of the damned community. He knew the reality of being adopted wasn’t at all glamorous, but he believed anything would be better than sleeping outside in the cold. And Jay had always reassured him, told him that being adopted wouldn’t help him live a fulfilling life, that he could be loved as long as he stayed by Jay’s side. 

Jay speaks up immediately, panic arising in his voice, “Jungwon, don’t listen to him!” He rushes to the younger boy's side, grabbing at his hand like he always does, but his expression falters when Jungwon suddenly flinches away. 

Despite the cold front Jungwon seemed to be sporting all of a sudden, he reassures his hyung, “I won’t.” It was a whisper, but his words felt hollow, K’s voice rattling him to the core. All that safety and love that Jay had provided him, had it really been genuine? 

There’s a beat of silence that follows Jungwon’s halfhearted reassurance and the group thinks that K has finished talking, but they’re wrong. He never does. “Sunghoon, would now be a good time to tell them about your night terrors? You know, the ones where you slaughter your friends- every single night.” His voice twists into something sharper now, almost light with teasing, like he’s relating to Sunghoon’s violent tendencies. 

Sunghoon screams at K to shut up, his voice shattering with despair under the weight of his vulnerabilities being broadcasted. He clenches his fist, mist coiling around them like an uncontrollable fog as he thinks about the effort he went through to keep that secret buried. All those nights he spent barricading his apartment door, just a desperate attempt at keeping his darkness inside- to protect them from himself. But when he looks around the room, all he sees is the face of shock on his members faces. 

“How does it feel to think so similarly to a necromancer, hm? You have a very dirty subconscious, Sunghoon. You’re drowning from the weight of your sick, psychotic mind. Just let go.” 

Sunghoon only screams again, this time unable to find a suitable word to express his outrage. For a moment, rage is the only thing that courses through Sunghoon’s veins, but slowly does he fall to his knees, his pale blue eyes brimming with tears now. “Why- why are you doing this?” 

“Because hiding is for cowards, and in exchange for your information, I was promised protection.” He says, smiling sadistically. “I didn’t think I’d get the pleasure of digging up all this dirty on you guys in the process.” He pauses to let out a loud chuckle, sneering down at Niki. “Your hyung’s are fucked in the head, Niki. I’d kill them off while I still can.” 

K locks his gaze onto Niki, daring him to strike, but he doesn’t move. Instead, Sunghoon crosses into his vision and a fist that’s wrapped in a shard of ice, makes brute contact with K’s face. The necromancer staggers back, clutching his face as crimson liquid pours between the crevices of his fingers. Before he can even gather his bearings, Sunghoon strikes again, but this time it’s the force of an ice blade driving him backwards. The knockback of his attack is so strong that K ‘s back slams into the body of the nearest pillar, rendering him more breathless than he already was. 

Slumped to the ground, K coughs up spurts of blood as his chest blooms with blood, yet his laughter still lingers, triumphant even. “You’ll get what’s coming for you,” he mutters before taking his last breath. 

Silence, and then, “You bitch!” Heeseung’s voice cuts through the thin string of tension and shoves Yuqi to the ground, hard. “How could you just watch her die? Huh?” Yuqi doesn’t make any moves to strike back, quietly accepting the eldest' anger like she was being scolded by her parents. “You were right there! You could’ve stopped him from pressing the fucking trigger!”

Yuqi mutters quietly, for the first time, afraid of what the boys may do, “I did this for a reason-”

“A reason?” Sunghoon’s snarl cuts her off, “What kind of sick idea made you think we’d be okay with watching her die like that!” 

The two boys' interaction with Yuqi goes unnoticed as the rest are too focused on crowding around Niki, who is still holding onto your body. “Y/n…” Jay cries, gently moving your body into his lap. His entire face is flushed and there’s snot dripping everywhere, but he doesn’t care. All he cares about is the touch of your body on his and how he’ll never feel your warmth again. 

Rather than fighting back, Yuqi just sighs and gestures for Minnie to stand by her side.“Burn the bodies, all of them. I don’t want to see a single trace of K or the government here again.” Yuqi commands, but there’s a waver in her voice.

Jake looks at Yuqi with hesitation before flitting his eyes back to you- completely lifeless in Jay’s arms. He clutches your body to his chest, talking to you in hushed whispers as if you were still alive, like you could still hear him. 

“And burn Y/n separately.” 

Niki finally speaks, fury overshadowing his grief in that moment, “Are you being serious? You can’t even wait to give her a proper burial? Who the hell do you think you are to be ordering us around!” 

“Obey me, or don’t bother coming back to this fucking gym.” She snaps at the youngest, flicking her tongue out in warning. 

Niki bites his tongue and watches Jay and Heeseung move around the gym to throw the bodies into one big pile. Jay looks back at Yuqi, waiting for her nod of confirmation. When she gestures for him to hurry up, he proceeds to  light a fire in his hand and throws the embers onto the pile. The stack of bodies lights up in flames immediately, cinching the air with burning flesh. Sunoo’s nose wrinkles in disgust and he shields his eyes from the blazing fire. 

For a few minutes, the gym is silent save for the crackling of the fire. They watch the blaze die down without saying a word, a communal mix of grief and anger residing in all their hearts. Slowly but surely, the last of the fire burns away and all that’s left is a mound of ash. “Ok, now burn Y/n.” 

Niki clenches his fist and looks to Jay, but all he receives is a gentle nod that does nothing to reassure him. Yuqi pushes him forward and he grunts back at her. “Don’t fucking touch me,” he seethes, pulling away from her. She ignores him and gestures to your body which has been moved to the center of the gym. Biting his lip, Niki flicks his arm out and a fire ascends his limb. With one last hesitation, he forms a ball of fire in his palm and drops it onto your body. 

Immediately, the flame consumes you and travels against your skin like a whisper. The inferno only grows bigger as the seconds go by, forcing the boys circling around your body to take a few steps back. As they watch on in tears, Sunghoon is the only one to notice your arm twitch, “Wait-”

Your eyes snap open, glowing with that same orange hue they always did as the flames snake down your veins, lighting your blood on fire. In an instance, your body becomes weightless in the inferno and you rise, flames spinning around you like a cocoon. And then you scream. 

In the heat of the fire, you let out an ear piercing scream as you feel the embers melting your skin off, cutting into you like knives. It’s searing in heat and scalds your heart like a wildfire. Breaking through the pain, a black shadow erupts from your chest and transforms into a spectral phoenix that spreads  its wings before quickly dissolving into a flurry of ash. The phoenix is reborn, rising from the ashes. 

“It’s working…” Yuqi whispers, stars in her eyes. 

In absence of the smoky phoenix, a solstice of light floats out of your chest, flash banging everyone around you. In a matter of seconds, the blinding white of the solstice dims and your body descends back down to the ground, embers no longer dripping off your body like molten lava and smoke curling into the air in its stead. Your hoodie is back to its lavender color and your face looks years younger now. 

Silence surpasses you as you lay still and the boys hold their breaths. Without warning, you sit upwards with a sharp gasp, “Wh- what…”

Jake trips over his own feet as he rushes towards you, crushing your body with the force of his embrace. “Y/n? Is it really you?” He trambles into the crook of your neck, disbelief washing through him as he takes a deep whiff “How- fuck… I seriously thought I lost you.” 

Sunghoon, Jay, and Heeseung crowd around you, shocked into complete silence. Their expressions vary from surprise  to relief, but there are no words that follow in explanation. Confused by the uncharacteristic quietness of the boys, you subconsciously move your hand up and down Jake’s trembling back to comfort him. Your fingers run over the ridges of his spine and to his shoulder blades and then back down. It feels good to have him in your arms, though you’re not sure why it feels like you missed out on a lifetime of hugs. 

“Yuqi, what just happened?” Sunoo speaks with a low strain in his voice, gaze flickering between Yuqi and the smoke that still remained thick in the air. 

Yuqi, who still stands separate from the group, watches on with awe in her eyes, “She was reborn, so the legends were true.”

His lips part in silence, glaring daggers into Yuqi, “You didn’t think to tell us that she’d come back to life? We just went through the five stages of grief, Yuqi!”  Frustration spills through the cracks in his voice, the weight of his emotions flooding forward. 

Before Yuqi can offer an explanation, Sunghoon turns to confront Yuqi, breaking away from the circle and tilting his head to the side. “We could’ve avoided a lot of this conflict if you had just told us what’s going on.” 

Yuqi’s expression hardens into something unreadable, but guilt flickers beneath her gaze, a little bit shocked by the outburst, “I’m sorry, but the idea didn’t come to mind until she was staring down the barrel of the gun.” Yuqi repents, sparing Sunghoon a guilty look. “Phoenix’s can only exist one at a time, reviving countlessly until their purpose is fulfilled. I wasn’t entirely sure it’d even work, it was a long lost legend, but there was no other option. I needed to use your guys’ anger from her passing, letting Y/n die was the only way to refocus and direct us all towards a common goal: killing K.” 

Her words do little to extinguish the heat of anger coursing through his body but he doesn’t respond, just gives Yuqi a hard look and turns back to you and Jake, letting his silence speak for him. They all turn their backs on her and refocus their attention on you, who is now holding Jungwon in your arms.

He sobs into your chest and clutches at your hoodie strings, murmuring nonsense into the heat of your chest. You can’t make out anything through his incoherent babbles, but you look up to see the boys match his anxiety. “Please don’t cry, Jungwon. I’m fine, really.” You pull apart from him and gesture to your body which was free of any evidence of the last few hours. Jungwon doesn’t let up, in fact his cries only grow louder, “I think we should all just head home for the rest of today. I don’t know exactly what happened, but it’s clear from the pile of ash on the ground that there was more than one casualty tonight.” You part from Jungwon and wipe a tear off his cheek, offering him a strained smile. 

The boys mumble in agreement and help you to stand, each one giving you one final, lingering hug before calling it a night. Their embraces felt hollow, their postures hiding the strained dynamic that now drove a wedge between the boys. You shake the feeling, unaware of the context that accompanied the new change. 

In the back, Yuqi grabs a hold of Minni’s hand and squeezes it. “Did I do the right thing?” She asks with a tight heart. 

Minnie looks at Yuqi and softens her gaze, “I think- you could’ve gone about it in a better way. But all that matters is that Y/n is alive and well.” Minnie tells her, brushing a hand up and down her arm. “The boys won’t stay mad at you for long, they’re just dealing with some difficult emotions right now.” 

Yuqi stiffens beside her friend but she doesn’t speak, instead choosing to find solace in Minnie’s presence. Minnie turns her gaze to the boys and watches as Sunghoon moves to place a hand on the small of Sunoo’s back, wincing when the boy flinches away. “I- I’m sorry,” he stammers, “I just-”

Sunghoon shakes his head, like he knows what the boy is about to say. “Dont. It’s fine, Sunoo.” He speaks quietly and forces a smile on his face. Sunoo could tell it lacked genuineness, even without being familiar with the shape of Sunghoon’s smile as he was always so closed off, but it didn’t matter to him whether Sunoo could see the lie straight through his teeth. Sunghoon didn’t want to argue, didn’t want to press the issue any further. He knew what was happening. Instead of talking any more, he straightens up awkwardly and takes a weird side step away from the boy, letting the silence bridge the gap between them. 

Sunghoon knew this would happen, the slow pulling away of the members once they realized the kind of monster he really was. He had wondered how long it would take for them to see past his mask, and it looked like today was the day. The tension was palpable now, the avoidant gazes of his members leaving his heart clenching. 

He wonders if you know too, if you heard everything K said. The idea of you looking at him with the same fear he convinces himself to believe the boys harbor towards him has him spiraling. He’s terrified of hurting you or the boys, even by accident, and that fear alone drives himself to put a space between him and everyone else. His night terrors are like a relentless attack on his subconscious, reminding him that his hands were stained with the blood of the people in his dreams. He was so afraid of hurting the ones he loved, and that fear came at the cost of keeping himself at arms distance from those around him. 

He just didn’t know it’d hurt so much to see them push him away instead of himself.

With a sad look, Minnie looks away, unable to bear the sight of seeing someone she knew to be so strong and indifferent, look so pitiful. She turns around to move to Jake who was working to pack up his bag in a haste. Her expression on the werewolf is one of concern, shimmering with sadness that would’ve looked so pretty if not for the reason of her gaze. Minnie’s mind races with concern as she watches Jake withdraw back into his shell, shoulders tense and muscles straining under every movement. Jake notices the heavy look in Minnie’s eyes when he throws his bag over his shoulder and brushes her off, “Don’t give me that look,” he snaps. “I know exactly what you’re thinking of right now, and you can go shove it.” 

Jake hated the way he spoke to Minnie, but it was easier to push her away than to face the truth. He’s well aware of the coward that he is, and it eats him alive every day. Flashbacks of his packmates' blood painting the rocks while their lifeless eyes bored into his soul play in his mind like a carousel, spinning and spinning around his brain until he can barely stand. He recalls the names of all the people that died, all because he was too scared to move. He could’ve saved them, but he didn’t. He didn’t even try and that ruined him. Jake doesn’t want pity, doesn't deserve pity, especially not Minnie’s when the weight of his conscience is pitiful enough.

“I’m sorry, just- I’d like to be left alone right now.” He says in contrast to his snippy comment moments ago, his tone is considerably softer when he observes Minnie’s injured look. 

Minnie nods her head at the werewolf and then turns away, walking back over to Yuqi while feeling heavy with sadness. 

Meanwhile, Heeseung and Niki walk side by side as they approach the exit, their heads hanging low despite the bittersweet outcome of the night's events. When Niki reaches for the handle of the door, Heeseung brushes his hand against his by accident. The touch doesn’t last more than a few seconds, but it has the hackles on Niki’s neck rising and he jumps backward, hand recoiling like he touched something hot. Upon seeing the broken look on Heeseung’s face, Niki begins to stammer out an apology but Heeseung interrupts.

“You first,” he murmurs, gesturing to the door. 

There’s not enough fight left in Heeseung to care about the way the youngest member looked at him. Too consumed by his own trauma, the only thing on his mind is to go home and reflect in silence. He had tried so hard to let his past erase itself through his ignorance, tried so hard to be the opposite of reality and care for his loved ones. Never once did he want to revert back to the mindless killer that he was as a teenager. 

Back then, Heeseung had been brainwashed by his parents, conditioned to believe that they’d love him a little more if he just got rid of his parent’s competitors. Obviously, that became so far from the truth the moment he had come home that night with flesh tangled in his fangs, squirming under the disappointed gaze of his parents. Apparently, his job was sloppy and a person had escaped. But it doesn’t matter now, his parents are long gone and so is the escapee, he just wants to go home and rest. 

Niki hesitates for a moment but then walks out the door, Heeseung following a few strides behind in an effort to put some space between them.  It was clear that the dynamic between the oldest and the youngest had changed, but that was an issue for another day. 

Watching as his members leave the building one by one, Jay turns to Jungwon.“Let’s get out of here, Jungwon.” He says tiredly, running a hand through his hair. There’s no real urgency in the way he grabs at Jungwon’s hand, it’s more like a plea to escape the reality of what just happened and go home, start anew. 

Jungwon stiffens at the mention of his name leaving his best friend’s mouth and reluctantly pulls his hand away. “I- I think I’m gonna stay with Niki tonight.” He says quietly, rushing after to follow Niki who was already out the door. 

Jay’s shoulders slump, disappointment etched in his posture. He wants to argue with Jungwon and tell him he’s being ridiculous, but he knows better not to. There’s a sudden mistrust in Jungwon’s gaze and it wraps Jay’s heart with guilt. It was clear to Jay that the influence of K’s words had made its way into Jungwon’s brain, planting a seed of doubt in the echo of his thoughts. 

Jay couldn’t really explain why he did what he did, maybe he had convinced himself that a pair of strangers wouldn’t be capable of loving Jungwon the way he did, maybe he convinced himself that they would exploit him like all other humans did, he wasn’t sure. But he doesn’t regret it. He knows Jungwon would’ve been taken away from him and hidden in the confines of a stranger’s home, alone and scared. Jay wasn’t ready to lose 17 years of friendship with Jungwon just because some couple had the money to buy him out of the community. They had only gone five years without knowing each other, meeting at the age of 5. And it took only three years for Jay to slowly become obsessed with his presence, to kill off any opportunity Jungwon had at escaping the community. Things were better off anyway with Jungwon by Jay’s side, he could protect him that way. But Jungwon doesn’t know that, and he never would based on the way he avoided Jay’s gaze. 

He knows deep inside of him that lying to Jungwon was wrong and that he should’ve told him the truth, but it’s too late now. So, with a broken frown, Jay watches the back of his best friend's body disappear, and for the first time since Jungwon was almost adopted, Jay feels him slipping out of his fingers again. 

With a frustrated sigh, Jay turns to you and engulfs you in a sudden hug, ripping you away from your conversation with Yuqi and Minnie. “Oh- Is everything okay, Jay?” You ask into his shoulder, buried beneath the scent of his cologne. 

“I hope so…” his strong arms wrap around your waist and he buries his face into your neck. “K said a lot of bad things.”

You push on his chest gently only so you could look into his eyes as you said, “No matter what he said, we’ll figure out how to move past it.” You didn’t need to know what he said to know that you and the boys would find a way through it, you always did. 

Jay wears a soft smile on his lips and leans down, pressing himself to your lips in response. Memories of his night spent with you flood his mind and he lingers on your lips for a moment longer than necessary, savoring the tenderness of your contact. “I’ll see you later, Y/n.” He says before taking his leave. 

Blushing, you turn to Yuqi and feel the thrum of your pulse beat against your skin. “Come stay with us for the next few days, I want to discuss something with you two.” She says, gesturing between you and the light fairy beside her. 

Thinking about it, you’ve never once visited Yuqi’s place, or anyone else's for that matter. The idea of staying in her home feels oddly comforting, and given the fact she’s inviting you over must mean it’s not safe for you to stay alone, at least for now. . Spending a few nights with a serpent and light fairy suddenly didn’t seem all too weird. You smile at Yuqi and nod your head, a quiet confirmation that you’d stay with her and Minnie. 

Not another word is shared between the three of you and she directs you to her car. She’s parked just out front of the gym, her white sedan waiting patiently for her to return. The silence between you all stretches on through the ride to Yuqi’s place. It’s not more than a 15 minute drive from the gym, but it feels like the minutes leak into each other, the ever-pressing weight of what’s to come lingering on your shoulders. 

Outside the car, the city blurs and that in itself causes your brain to slow down, unable to focus on anything more than the fast moving streaks of light. There’s tension lingering in the small space of the car and you clear your throat awkwardly, shifting around in your seat. “Yuqi, what happened at the gym?”

You watch as she shares a look of concern with Minnie, pursing her lips and glancing at you through the rearview mirror. “K came to attack us, brought an army of soldiers from the government.” She pauses to place a hand on Minnie’s thigh, gripping it as if it provided her strength. “You passed away when K shot you in the chest… When you were dead, K had said some things about the boys that were supposedly long kept secrets, it definitely shook the boys’ dynamic with each other.”

You find it difficult to process that you had passed away, and you felt like you had cheated life. But then the legend of the phoenix comes to your mind and the pieces suddenly start to come together. “Did you know that I’d revive?” You ask her. 

Instead of answering, she speeds up the car and within seconds, she pulls into a driveway. “Let’s talk more inside.” She says, unbuckling her seatbelt and leaving in a haste. 

Your body seems to be weighed down by invisible weights, preventing you from moving. Minnie, who’s movements seem to be slowed down, clicks out of her seatbelt and twists around in the passenger seat. She reaches out a hang to place on your knee and gently rubs her thumb up and down the side.  

“Let’s go in together,” she says quietly, the glow in her eyes no longer bright. 

The two of you walk into Yuqi and Minnies shared apartment hand in hand, ready to face the reality of the situation together. She guides you over to the couch and excuses herself, saying she was just gonna change into something more comfortable. Yuqi was busy tinkering around in the kitchen, which left you all alone to be consumed by your thoughts. 

You look around the apartment and see the distinctive characteristics of each girl, yellow and white decorations with black accents scattered about the apartment. It was homey, well lived in and you saw on the side table a picture frame of Yuqi and Minnie, laughing with one another. You grab the frame and take a closer look, smiling subconsciously. 

“I think we were 14 when that was taken,” Yuqi says, sitting on the couch across from you. 

You hurriedly put the frame back, muttering an apology. You suddenly felt small. 

“Nothing to be sorry about,” she smiles at you. “So, you asked me if I had known if you would revive after being killed, and the short answer is yes.” 

You nod. 

“You were face to face with K, while the boys were scattered all over the gym. I was the closest one to you, close enough to run and intervene if something happened to you.” Yuqi clasps her hands together. “He pulled out a gun, and in that moment iI recalled the legends I had read about phoenixes and the prophecy that each bird fulfills. I read that they continue to rise from the ashes until their prophecy was completed. In that moment, I realized that it might apply to you as well, so I didn’t move. I knew letting you die would send the boys into a rage.”

“You said, ‘might.’ Meaning you let me get shot without even knowing if I’d stay dead or come back to life.” You're growing timid now, tired of people beating around the bush. 

“We were losing, Y/n! There was no way we would’ve come out of that attack alive and well unless the boys used their anger to control their fighting. You know how much stronger they get when they’re emotional.” Yuqi spits out her words in a hurry, trying to get you to see her side. 

Maybe you would if the circumstances were different, if your death had been a result of nature and not in the hands of a murderer. “Unbelievable,” you say, leaning back against the couch. 

Becore Yuqi can say more, Minnie enters the living room and plops down beside you, the fuzz of her pajamas brushing against your leg. As if sensing the visible tension in the room, Minnie places a hand on your leg and a soft glow emits from her palm, seeping into your bone. “I- I guess I understand why you did it, but it hurts that you were willing to take that risk.” You tell her, much calmer than before. 

“I’m sorry, Y/n. I really am.” Yuqi apologizes with sadness in her voice. You’re not used to this, not used to seeing Yuqi so lost and afraid. It made you uncomfortable. 

20 minutes go by before Yuqi and Minnie finally finish explaining to you what had happened in detail. You’re left absolutely shocked, jaw hanging open as you process what really happened in the attack. From Jake ripping a man’s heart out of his chest to Sunghoon driving his blade into the hilt of K’s torso, ultimately killing him. They even tell you about Heeseung running to you and shielding you both in a ball of his shadows. The whole thing seems so surreal. 

“Ok, now what was it that you wanted to talk to Minnie and I about?” You ask, forcing yourself to move on to the next topic. 

“I want to use Jungwon’s shape-shifting ability to infiltrate the governor’s office. He’ll act as their head officer, Jaehyuk and approach the governor with a proposition.” She pauses to slide an envelope across the coffee table, catching the attention of you and Minnie. “Jaehyuk is reported to be a close friend of governor Lee, so I’m hoping that will give us some leverage. I think it works out perfectly because Jaehyuk died during the attack in the gym, so we won’t need to worry about being caught.” 

Yuqi nods at you to pick up the envelope so you do, the weight of its contents making everything feel much more real. You open the unsealed flap and pull out a piece of paper that was covered in words. Overwhelmed, you skim through the contents of the letter, “Why are we asking to form an alliance with the government? They don’t even know about us, only the enforcement division does.” 

You hand the letter over to Minnie and look at Yuqi expectantly. “This letter exposes the constant abuse the enforcement division has subjected the supernatural to. It also states for how long we have lived in secrecy, lingering in the shadows and burdening ourselves to be perfect. There’s a USB in the envelope too, it’s the video surveillance from the hidden cameras K had put up, it recorded the attack in the gym.”

You lean back on the couch with your arms crossed, the weight of your own morals pressing heavily on your chest. On the one hand, the idea of exploiting the government to secure your freedom with the possibility of negative backlash seemed undesirable. If things were to go wrong, you would have no other option than to silence the governor- by eliminating him, and that in itself brought along a whole string of challenges you weren’t ready to face. But on the other hand, your long-held birthday wish to roam the streets in the daylight, unburdened by the fear of being arrested etched a scar in your heart. 

Minnie, who is sitting next to you in her favorite pair of pajamas, shifts uncomfortably and puts the letter down. “Ok… How do you plan to go about this, Yuqi?”

“Y/n and Niki will enter the governor’s office as Jungwon's prisoners. Jungwon is gonna speak to the governor, deliver the letter, and recount the stories you told him during your interrogations. He’s going to explain to the governor how you and all the other supernatural beings deserve to live like everyone else, that he had gotten to know the two of you through your interrogations. Essentially, Jungwon is going to be the advocate you never had.” 

Minnie looks skeptical, unsure. Her lips part in the way like she’s about to say something more, but she can’t seem to find the words. “And if it doesn’t work?” You press, asking the question she was too afraid to voice.

“Let’s hope it does.” 

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Yuqi’s plan develops over the next week, starting first with convincing the rest of the group to go through with it. Over the course of a few days, Yuqi painted the picture of a future they had all yearned for so long, explaining that this was the sacrifice that had to be made. Obviously, it took them time to agree to the plan, particularly proving to be a difficult task with Niki’s ego and Jake’s fear, but their dreams outweighed their doubts. 

But collaboration proved to be difficult, particularly with the hyungs and the maknaes. Jungwon frequently avoided Jay while Heeseung and Sunghoon seemed to be iced out by everyone else. And Jake was just a shell, a lifeless, poor, shell. You had bever seen the dynamics so strained. Like it was a string being pulled to its max, the sllightest tug enough to snap it in half. 

The plan was simple. Niki, someone who had taken his hours of free time to become a certified IT specialist online, hacked into the government’s email servers and forged a message sent under the name of Jaehyuk. The point of the email was to request for a meeting with the governor, the subject header titled: URGENT. Once you had confirmation that an appointment had been scheduled, the plan would move into the next phase. 

A day before your meeting, Niki wired up your typical black spy van, equipped with the latest technologies and headpieces that would establish a line of communication between you and them. Yuqi, Minnie, and the rest of the boys would remain safely in the confines of the van, waiting on stand-by in case things went wrong. At the first sign of trouble, they’d be ready to jump in and intervene, though everyone was silently pleading that it wouldn’t come down to that. The rest of the plan was painfully simple. 

Fast forward to today, you and Niki proceed to stumble forward as Jungwon, no, Jaehyuk, pushes you forward with your hands bound behind your backs. You deliberately grunt about and feign resistance against Jaehyuk who continues to shove you forward while the badges on his uniform gleam under the stale building lights. “Move,” he barks, tone monotonous. 

Passing the front desk was easy, Jaehyuk just had to show his badge to the clerk and explain his reasons for being here and he was let through. You could feel Jaehyuk’s hand tighten on your wrist, nervous by the first obstacle, but the clerk barely flicked their eyes up at him. Despite the assurance, Jaehyuk made sure to put up a show with you and Niki, moving the latter around aggressively while shooting you stern looks. It almost felt real, if not for the way Jaehyuk whispered to Niki to stop acting so dramatically. 

After a long time traversing the hallways that seemed to be identical to one another, you came across a grand oak door with a label that read ‘Governor Lee’s Office.’ Jaehyuk knocks against the wood firmly, waiting with his hand raised until a man from inside ushers them to come inside. 

Jaehyuk swings the door open and pushes you into the office first, Niki following after you and eventually Jaehyuk as well, closing the door behind him. The office is quite humble compared to what you had imagined, maybe the size of your bedroom and decorated with photos of him and his family. It wasn’t the stately look you were expecting, but much more lived in and humble. 

Before you, a middle aged man whose hair has started to gray and his face has started to crack, rises from his chair and moves to lean against the front of his desk. “Sergeant Kang, to what do I owe the pleasure?” He asks, his voice a rough mixture of curiosity and authority.

“Governor Lee,” Jaehyuk says, bowing to the man. He pulls a white envelope from out of his chest pocket and drops it to the table beside Lee. “I’ve brought you something rather unusual. A phoenix and a dragon.”

The mention of your kind being spoken into the room has the governor narrowing his eyes and cocking his head to the side in curiosity. It was a known fact that the supernatural was not something openly acknowledged by the rest of the government, its issue being a strict enforcement division subject only, but rumors spread quickly. 

“Oh, interesting.” He murmurs, taking a step closer. “This is the phoenix?” He asks Jaehyuk, to which he nods. 

He walks towards you and leaves only inches of space between you, peering into your eyes and raking over your features like a starved man. “You are a sight to behold,” he says, tracing his fingers down your arm. “Remarkable…” You tense under his touch, pressing your lips into a straight line as you inwardly cringe at the intimacy. 

Besides you, Niki bristles and bites his tongue to prevent himself from roaring at the governor. No one was supposed to touch you, not on his watch. 

“So, what is the reason for this?” The governor lacks surprise in his voice and you find yourself letting bits of anxiety creep in. 

“During their interrogations, I was made aware of the injustices that they have been faced with- and by extension, the supernatural community as a whole. They have told me about the years they’ve spent living in the shadows, yearning for nothing more but the same freedom as we humans have. Unfortunately, my due diligence with matters elsewhere have led to me overlooking the mistreatment that my division has subjected them to. So to make amends, I would like to act as an advocate for the community and propose a treaty- an alliance between the supernatural and us. I would like to stop hunting them.” 

Governor Lee raises his eyebrow at Jaehyuk, but it’s more of interest than skepticism. It seems that he has been privy to the actions of the enforcement division, aware of what lurks beneath the guise of their group. “An alliance? What makes you think I’ll agree to that?” 

Jaehyuk points to the letter, “Yuqi, the leader of a sanctuary where many supernatural beings go to find peace, has written about the specifics in that letter. Enclosed in that envelope are the details of their request, as well as a USB drive that contains footage of the enforcement officers illegally raiding their sanctuary, harming innocent beings.” 

The governor opens the letter and spends a few minutes reviewing the contents before sighing and throwing it back onto his desk. He crosses his arms, crinkling his suit. “If this goes public, the whole country will know about them. While I’m not opposed to hosting a conference to discuss this, things could go south very quickly.” 

“Yuqi is aware of the ramifications, that’s why she has stated that the limitations of the supernatural’s freedom stays within Luxta. No other cities will be put under the expectation to grant them the same rights like Luxta does, she is aware it is a lot to ask for. They want justice, Governor. They want to exist in this world without living in fear.”

The governor flicks his gaze between Jaehyuk, you, and Niki. “And what’s the catch, Jaehyuk?” 

“There is no catch. The supernatural have never posed an actual threat to the public despite my division hunting them like criminals. They’re arrests were made for their existence, not for any crimes.  The reason for our hunting was out of fear, but now, I have talked to more than enough supernatural beings to understand that they’re innocent, like all of us.”

“Ok, you’ve convinced me. I’ll let the office know to prepare a conference to discuss publishing this letter.” The governor moves to put a hand on Jaehyuk’s shoulder and smiles at him, “I trust you, little brother.” 

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To the citizens of Luxta,

For several decades, the government of Luxta has been operating a covert unit known as the Enforcement Division. The grounds for this establishment was to maintain public safety with several officers patrolling the streets and detaining individuals that were deemed “criminals”.

It is the government’s duty to maintain transparency through an open line of communication with the public. Therefore, it is within your rights to be aware of the true intentions of the Enforcement Division. At the start of its origin, supernatural beings began to populate our streets, and out of concern for the city's safety, each individual was detained without question. They were unfairly categorized as a threat and resulted in hundreds of unwarranted arrests. The safety of our citizens was our number one concern, prompting our unethical actions. 

As a result, supernatural individuals were forced into hiding and a marginalized community called The Veil was created. Through a thorough investigation following a particularly poor arrest, it has been concluded that the supernatural community poses no threats to the public. They share the same aspirations as our citizens and from now on, will be considered as such. It is with great humility and sincerity that we issue a sincere apology and announce a new era of inclusivity. 

Effective immediately, supernatural individuals will be granted the same rights and protection as any citizen of Luxta. Marking this historic shift, we introduce the Veil Treaty, our way of committing to equal treatment under the law, regardless of nature. 

Furthermore, a supernatural sanctuary has been established in order to welcome all supernatural beings. It is run by Song Yuqi who runs the establishment personally: Dusk and Dawn. 

Best regards,

Governor Lee

It’s been four days since the announcement of The Veil Treaty, and concerns were at an all time high. “So what now?” Sunno asks, placing his phone beside him on the bench. 

“Jungwon spoke with the governor following the announcement,” Yuqi says, sitting beside Sunoo. “Scanners are discontinued now, as well as nightly patrols. Additionally, the Veil is receiving government funding now, and the enforcement division has been transformed into a supernatural support division.”

“You mean the same people that hunted us down for years are now going to support us?” Jungwon baffles, looking at Yuqi incredulously. 

“No, the original workers were arrested and each position was replaced.” 

Niki shifts uncomfortably with his hands in his lap, fidgeting against each other. You glance over at him and notice the dark circles under his eyes and frown. It was evident on his face that he has faced many sleepless nights since the letter was published. 

“Niki, is everything alright?” 

The boy glances at you and you notice the shine in his eyes is absent, a dark shadow looming over his pupils in its steed.“What if the public reacts poorly? What if we’re still ostracized?”

Yuqi jumps in quickly and places a comforting hand on his back. “Legally, they can’t.” Her voice is unwavering yet it does little to alleviate the anchor on Niki’s heart. “The federal directive ensures that we are entitled to the same treatment as humans are. Any discrimination is punishable by law. While there’s surely going to be some overexaggerated articles released, that’s to be expected with anything. For now, let’s breathe. We can finally walk in the daylight without the fear of being arrested.”

“Things will be okay, Niki.” You make a lame attempt at comforting the youngest, but the words feel terribly hollow. You don’t know if they can sense it, they probably can, but your body trembles with uncertainty. There is a new spotlight on the supernatural community, one that would scrutinize every little detail you do, waiting for you to mess up. The freedom was nice, but it was juxtaposed to the restrictions you now had to set for yourself. 

You drop your gaze from Niki’s and stare at the pattern of the gym tiles beneath you. Your carefully crafted composure breaks at the seams as you think of how hard the next few days will be. Tears brim your eyes but you refuse to let them fall, you refuse to let the boys see the worries that are quickly wasting away in your body. What’s done is done, and if you had to offer them false reassurance to keep them afloat, then so be it. 

Around you, the others stand scattered near the gyms. All but Jake is present. You hadn’t seen him since the day you went into the governor’s office, but even then with his uncharacteristic quietness, he might as well have not been there. Worry tugs at the delicate strings in your heart and you question whether you should check on him. You hate to admit it, but it wasn’t until today that you really noticed his absence, too busy with everything else to worry about him. 

Jay, who was sitting beside Niki but at a fair distance, slides down the bench and pulls Niki into his shoulder, an instinct he’s done since forever ago. But the younger freezes in his hold, quickly murmuring a strained apology, but it seemed genuine, like he was desperate for any kind of comfort. “It’s fine, Jay. Just startled.” He says, closing his eyes before leaning into the older’s body. 

You feel yourself grimace at the interaction, disliking the dynamic between them. Niki was always such a sucker for physical touch, and to see him so apprehensive before Jay had your heart plummeting. 

From the little details that Minnie and Yuqi had shared with you, you were well enough aware of the situation between Jay and Jungwon. You knew he made some questionable decisions back then, but it felt wrong to treat him any differently, you didn’t see it as fair until you could hear his explanation. He had that right. 

Niki, on the other hand, as well as the other maknaes, shelled up around him, like they were worried Jay would do something as untrustworthy as killing Jungwon’s prospective parents all those years ago. They were young and inexperienced, so maybe it made sense for them to be apprehensive, but it still hurt to see Jay pretend like he wasn’t upset by it. The others, Jake, Heeseung, and Sunghoon, were too busy caught up in their own heads to treat each other differently.

But ultimately, you knew something needed to be done. The group wouldn’t last if there was so much tension in the air. 

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“Sunghoon!” Your face lights up upon seeing the familiar raven haired boy standing at your door, but it immediately slumps when you see the solemn expression on his face. “What are you doing here?” You ask, stepping aside to let him in. He doesn’t normally come over at night, especially not alone. You saw him yesterday at the gym, but it feels like forever for some reason. 

Your eyes trail after his back, watching as he walks in. His movements are slow and laden with an emotion that has your chest tightening. As he sits down on your couch, you notice his hair is slightly tousled and glistens under your lights, indicative of the thunderstorm going on outside. The imperfection of his messy hair gives him a raw, soft vulnerability, making him look so… normal. “I just wanted to see you,” he tells you, leaning back on your couch. 

“Would you like some water?” You ask, already moving into your kitchen. 

“No,” he replies to your question quickly, “Actually, I came here because I wanted to talk to you.” His voice is thick with uncertainty and you feel your body tense as you pour a glass of water anyways. You weren’t a stranger to his closed off demeanor, but hearing him speak without his usual flare of coldness has you worried. It’s not something you normally see in Sunghoon, a boy who you have grown to be so close to in recent weeks. Taking a deep breath, you walk back out into the living room and set the water on your coffee table, sitting in the spot next to him. 

“What’s going on?” you ask quietly, resting a comforting hand on his knee. 

Unbeknownst to you, Sunghoon hangs on to the thread of your touch as if it’s the only thing keeping him afloat. With a sigh, he turns to glance at you and you can already see a misty gloss icing over his gaze. “You once asked me why I pushed people away so much, why I chose to isolate myself. I had told you that things were safer that way.” 

You nod, recalling the conversation you had in the training room on your first week. His response puzzled you, but it didn’t feel like it was in your right to ask him about it. 

“If I didn’t let anyone in, then that’d mean it’d hurt much less if I accidentally killed them. I wouldn’t have this string of attachment keeping me from moving on if it happened. I could just kill them and go on with my day. But my night terrors, every night I dream about the same thing: killing them.” His voice cracks with the weight of his guilt, but he forces himself to continue. “I sleep walk during my night terrors, breaking everything around me. Every night, I barricade the door to my apartment because I’m terrified that if I don’t, I’ll find them.” 

Your hand, which was placed on Sunghoon’s knee eventually finds its way into his hands, grasping them tightly. “I’m listening, Sunghoon. Don’t push yourself, I hear everything you’re saying.” 

A rare, pearlescent tear falls from his blue eyes and you watch as it leaves a trail of opaque white down his face. “K told everyone that I was psychotic, messed up in the head. He told them that it was only a matter of time before I slaughter them, he even told Niki to kill me before I got to them first.” 

The realization of Sunghoon’s true shame  dawns upon you. Sunghoon isn’t just struggling with the fact that he has night terrors- it goes much deeper than that. He fears the moment his loved ones start to see him as a monster, someone unworthy of their worries. It made him feel alienated, vilified, but Sunghoon could endure the torment of his mind by himself, burning it under the confines of his icy exterior. But he couldn’t handle having his vulnerabilities exposed like this- he just couldn’t stomach it. 

“Everyone thinks that I hate him,” his voice cracks under the weight of his fear, a tremble that betrays his pride. “But that’s so far from the truth, Y/n. I love those boys like they’re my brothers, but I just can’t let them get close to me. Not when I’m like this.” 

He raises a hand up to his nose, wiping at the snot that’s begun trickling down. His shoulders sag under the shame that hangs heavily in the air, and it reaches you too. 

“In the Elf Kingdom, blood paints the snow more than the fresh falling snowflakes. I’ve never known more than the Veil, but it’s like my mind and soul have already existed in a place of murder and wrath. There are history books in the communal library and I would spend my time reading about the Elf Kingdom, but it felt so much like deja vu that I had to stop.”

The vulnerability of his voice ignites a part of your heart that longs to comfort him, to hold him. Listening to your heart, you reach a hand up to his cheek and let your warmth dissipate from your palm in hopes of it reaching Sunghoon’s core. “Sunghoon,” you murmur, using your thumb to caress his cheek. “You’re more than your kingdom. And you’re nothing like your kind.” 

You watch as a single, pearlescent tear escapes from his eyes, slipping down to meet the edge of your hand. It leaves an opaque white trail in its wake, a physical manifestation of the rawness of his heart. “Y/n…” he whispers, closing his eyes and leaning into your touch. “You’re warm. I- I never thought I could feel more than frost.” 

You squeeze your eyes shut, heart aching at the sight of him baring his deepest vulnerabilities to you. “You should feel proud of yourself for being so strong. You are so loved- and I know that deep within their hesitation is a love so deep that it hurts. It will just take them some time to understand, don’t let yourself go in the process.” 

He swallows down a cry of despair, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down harshly. “I don’t want to be strong anymore, I’m so tired. Tired of these night terrors keeping me up every time I try to sleep. Tired of bolting my door shut and shoving under the handle. I’m tired of being afraid of myself.”

“I can be strong for us both,” you tell him, scooting closer. “I will always be strong for you.”

Your words seem to shift the demeanor in his gaze- something that feels oddly familiar to you but you can’t quite pinpoint what it is. His eyes go from a dark haze to a clear blue that stands out even under the dim lighting of your lamps. Before you can decipher the look on his face, he surges forward, connecting his lips with yours. The feeling of his lips against yours feels desperate, hungry, every one of his vulnerabilities bleeding into your touch and acting as a reflection of the storm that stirs in Sunghoon’s heart.

He whimpers into your mouth, a cathartic emotion he so desperately needed to release through your touch. The world fades away into an afterthought and he deepens the kiss, pushing his tongue into your mouth.

The feeling of his tongue fighting against your own has you moaning, grabbing at anything and everything. Your hands fly up to his hair and you pull on it desperately, wanting the kiss to last a lifetime. He moves his lips against yours with equal desperation, finding a comfortable rhythm against your mouth. As the connection between you deepens, Sunghoon pulls you into his lap, letting his icy hands fall to your hips. There’s a desperation in his touch that acts as a tangible desire full of pain and longing. He desperately yearns to feel something more than the suffocating numbness that he’s grown so used to. 

Breathless, he pulls away and moves his head down to your neck, lapping long strokes against your skin. The wet feeling of his tongue lights you on fire, a pool of arousal seeping into your panties and leaving no question about the effects he has on you. His soft pink lips move against your neck, sucking marks down to your collarbone. “It feels so right having you in my hands,” he tells you, emphasizing his comment by firming up his grip on your hips. 

The feeling of his hands on your skin feels like fire despite the sub zero temperature of his body. It feels like an ice burn, searing and tingling. In this charged moment, the only thing that exists is Sunghoon, ice in his veins and fire in his eyes. With his hands controlling your hips, he moves you back and forth across his clothed member, swallowing every moan of yours like he’s getting drunk off it. “Take these off,” he says, pulling at the waistband of your PJs. 

He helps you off his lap and pulls down your shorts, as well as your panties. When the cold air hits your heat, he pulls you back onto him immediately, grinding your hips against his clothed member. His tip rubs up against your clit and you bury your head into his neck, already feeling overstimulated by the rough material of his pants. You shake with every movement, the stimulation of it all barely allowing you to keep up with the speed of his kisses. “Fuck- I, I’m close,” you whimper, moving your hips even faster. 

Suddenly, Sunghoon moves you to his thigh and you let out a desperate whine. Your slick stains the fabric of his pants and you blush a furious red, whimpering when he speaks again, “You’re doing so good, let me hear you. Tell me how desperate you are to cum on my thigh.” He coos into your ear, tucking a strand of your hair back all while using his other hand to guide you along his leg. 

His voice is erotic, dripping with seduction that sends shivers coursing through your spine. It wraps around you like a spiral, pulling you deeper and deeper into this heat induced haze. The sound of your name escaping his thick lips, the rasp of his voice as he grows more and more desperate to see you unravel in front of him- it only has you stuttering about in his lap, letting the fabric of his pants catch against your clit deliciously. 

You try to move faster, to match him in his movements but it seems like your body is working against you. The high that you so deliciously crave is just out of reach and keeps you working over the edge, refusing to unravel. The lack of a release maddens you and drives you to a point that tears prick your eyes. Frustrated, you let out a broken whimper. 

Sunghoon notices your frustration and pulls back to look into your misty eyes. “Don’t cry baby, you can do it.” He says, rubbing soothing circles onto the curve of your ass. “I’ll guide you, don’t worry.” 

Sunghoon moves under you and lifts his leg up abruptly, flexing the muscle. You cry out, both in surprise and pleasure as the friction becomes more intense. “So good, Y/n. So pretty riding my thigh.” 

He continues to whisper praises into your ear as he gently bounces you on his thigh. “Cum for me, Y/n.”

His words seem to act as a trigger, finally sending you over the edge. Arousal spills through you like a wave and your tears finally fall out of relief. Your movements grow irregular as you stutter against his leg, stimulating your high as far as it can go. “That’s my pretty girl. Good job, baby.” 

Finally stilling, your chest heaves up and down as you recover from your orgasm. Sunghoon looks into you longingly, gently humming as he caresses your back. When your breathing seems to reach a steady rhythm, he pulls you back in for a kiss, “Sit on my face.” he pants into your mouth. 

Hesitation rushes through you and you almost shake your head, too shy to move, but something in his voice has you moving automatically, driven by lust. He guides you to his face and lays back on your couch, asking for you to face in the direction of his legs. The position gives you a perfect view of his erection and you’re ashamed to admit that the sight of his hard member has you gushing out more slick. 

With your bare heat hovering over his face, Sunghoon sticks his tongue out and gives your pussy a tentative kitten lick. It’s wet and hot, prodding at your entrance and you bite your lip. Broken moans leave your mouth and he takes that as encouragement to begin mouthing at your cunt. His tongue flicks at your folds and he massages your breasts with his free hands, melding the tissue into the shape of his large hands. 

A gasp rips from your throat when something cold slides through your folds. You look down to see Sunghoon’s hand brought up to your core, moving back and forth. “Fuck, Y/n- you’re melting the ice right off my hands.” His lips trail around your inner thighs as he rubs his frosted fingers across your pussy. The melting of the ice as it dances along your most vulnerable bits leaves a  trickle of water in its wake, dribbling down your thighs as if it was your own essence. When the sensation fades away, it leaves you hyper-aware of what’s to come, your skin scorching with chills. “Relax for me, baby.” 

The pads of his fingers tease at your entrance for a few minutes longer, just rubbing around with newly formed frost on his fingers to get you used to the temperature. When you feel yourself relaxing, a sudden intrusion to your entrance breaks you from your haze and you let out a sharp gasp. His fingers slide to the end of your cervix with punishing greed, no amount of prep beforehand acting as enough warning. He pumps his fingers in and out at a steady rhythm, his thumb reaching around to play with your clit as he fucks you with his digits. “Beg for more, Y/n, I want to hear you.” 

“More- fuck me more, Sunghoon.” you moan, your hips taking liberty and grinding against him. 

You wrap around his fingers like a vice and cry out when the tip of his slender fingers reach the spongy spot in your cervix. Smiling, he carefully adds in a second finger, scissoring you open until you’re begging him to stop. “F-fuck, Hoonie! I’m cumming” you cry out, feeling the pit in your stomach stir with pleasure. He relieves you with a particular strong thrust of his hand and you fall forward, catching yourself in his shins. 

You catch your breath while Sunghoon takes his fingers out and you hear the sound of sucking. Leaning back up, you look down to see Sunghoon licking his fingers clean. Your mouth falls open in surprise, stunned with pleasure from the sight of his fingers shining with your essence. Before you can comment on his erotic act of display, he moves a hand down to his lap and sneaks it under his briefs. You watch as he fists his cock, seeing the outline of his knuckles past the fabric of his pants. As his hand moves up and down, he latches his teeth onto your sensitive bud. “Hoon!” You gasp out, feeling his teeth nibble on your bundle of nerves. You turn your head to the side and look down at him, ignoring the slight discomfort in your neck as you look down at him. 

His pupils seem to swallow the blue of his eyes as he looks up at you with nothing but love and desire in his eyes. “You’re so sweet- taste so good, baby.” He says while lapping at your sopping cunt. Sunghoon desperately savors the spiced honey taste of your arousal leaking onto his tongue while moaning a melody of pleasurable curses. 

Seconds pass and another moan of pleasure falls from your parted lips when his mouth attaches to your folds, licking vicariously between them. 

“God, you’re dripping on my mouth, princess.” He groans, snaking a hand back up to your breasts as you ride his mouth. “Make a mess on my face, fuck.” He squeezes the fat of your breast, drawing out yet another lengthy moan that drips with intensity. 

Sunghoon slips himself out of his pants somehow and your eyes go wide at seeing the shape of his cock beneath his briefs, straining with neglect. Your mind practically spins when you see him pull his cock  out, twisting his hand up and down the girth of his shaft while he eats you out. A sheen of precum wraps around the length of his cock as he pumps himself to the edge. 

You hear a low growl come from under you and press yourself down harder, relishing in the way his tongue warms you in ways you could never do yourself. He fists himself a few times before letting out a sound of annoyance, finally getting rid of his briefs. You gasp. 

His cock is beautiful, a pretty pink cock with a girth that easily trumps the other boys. It’s long and veiny and you practically salivate at the thought of having him in your mouth. 

Another few grunts leave Sunghoon’s mouth as he simultaneously jerks himself off while eating your pussy. Without warning, he whimpers into your heat and strings of cum shoot out of his cock, parts of it hitting your lower abdomen and the rest spurting onto his stomach. You can feel the vibrations of his moaning work through your core and you’re embarrassed to admit you’re reaching the edge again. 

Sunghoon gently taps your ass and you clumsily lift one of your legs off his face. He watches with an amused smile as your legs shake beneath you, completely spent from holding yourself up while you were wracked with orgasms. “Let me fuck you now.” He whispers, tracing patterns over your skin. “Get on your back, you must be so tired, princess.”

Your cheeks warm at the sentiment and you let out a quiet squeal of happiness. Eager to have him fill you up, you quickly get onto your back and let him fill the space between your legs. He throws his shirt off and it lands on your table lamp, obscuring the light. “Sunghoon!” You whine, slapping his arm. 

“Shush,” he smiles, leaning down to kiss you. 

The sight of him hovering above you is ethereal, you almost don’t believe your eyes. You can see the bead of sweat resting on his forehead and the way his muscles tense as he holds himself up. He is absolutely gorgeous, otherworldly. “You’re so beautiful, Sunghoon.” You say, running your hand up and down his bare chest. 

“Not as beautiful as you, Y/n. You light a fire within me that no one else can manage.” His tip rubs against your entrance, a mixture of his cum and your arousal acting as lubricant. “Relax for me,” he says before pushing the tip in. 

The intrusion is intense and you feel your hole widening in order to accommodate the stretch. You hold onto his arms with a tight grip and close your eyes as he slowly rocks out and back in, a bit deeper this time. “Good girl, just keep doing that.” He praises, sinking deeper into you. 

When his cock hits the hilt of your cervix, the two of you sigh in unison. Sunghoon feels impossibly close to you with his lips ghosting over the shell of your ear, and yet he still craves for more. “Be mine, forever.” His breath is hot against your ear and you feel yourself growing flustered by the intimacy. 

You want to say yes- yes a thousand times again. You desperately want to tell him that you’ve fallen for him. But you hesitate, caught up in the web of your own history with the rest of the boys. You realize now, with himself sheathed inside of you, that you’ve fallen for Jay, Jake, and Heeseung as well. Your body has memorized the bites of Heeseungs, the sound of Jake’s inhales, and the caress of Jay’s touch. You don’t regret it in the slightest, but it certainly complicates your feelings for Sunghoon. 

“If you’re mine, that means you’re theirs by default.” A flick of knowingness flashes across his gaze and you feel yourself flush before him. He knew. The truth of the situation lays bare between you and you feel your heart rate quicken. Of course he knew. Jake’s oversharing tendencies, Jay’s competitive spirit, and Heeseung’s blatant willingness to share you with Jake, you suddenly don’t feel surprised that Sunghoon has become privy to the fact that you’ve been with them too. 

Sunghoon, impatiently waiting now, snaps his hips forward again, each thrust pushing his cock further and further into you. He is steadfast on his decision. He wants you, no, needs you. He needs the whole of you, raw and vulnerable before him. “Y-yes, Sunghoon!” you cry in between thrusts. 

He flashes a sharp grin at you before burying his face into the crook of your neck as he continues to thrust into you. His cock drags against every fiber of your muscles and you fight to not cry out in pleasure.  “These boys didn’t do a good enough job opening you up,” he snaps forward, “Too tight,” another snap, “Too tiny.” 

His grunts send vibrations through your skin and you claw at his back, longing for anything to keep you grounded. “You’re so pretty, so little underneath me.” Sunghoon says, leaning up on his hands, trapping you between them. “I could bend you every which way if I wanted,” As if proving his point, he lifts your hips up and presses your legs to your chest, allowing him to enter you even deeper. 

The new position has you crying with pleasure and you feel a fast approaching orgasm make its way through you. It shoots through you without much warning and  you ride the highs of your pleasure, gasping when a cold gust of air hits your neck. Goosebumps quickly decorate your skin and you pull back to look at Sunghoon. “Sunghoon…!” You exclaim, the feeling of his frost somehow overstimulating your arousal and bringing you to your next high stupidly quick. 

“You like it when I use my powers on you, right?” He says with a cocky grin, licking at the frosted over skin of your neck. “Your skin looks so pretty with my ice on it.” His fingers trace the patch of ice that  spirals down your neck and lands on the little divot on your throat. He presses his thumb into the space and you feel delirious with the pressure. 

“Can you cum for me one last time, baby?” Despite the chills emanating from his touch, both you and him shine under the dim lighting of your living room, slick with sweat from exerting yourselves. “Do you have one more in you? I’m so close…”

You nod at him quickly, yearning for him to reach his high quickly or else you think you might go crazy. There’s an unfamiliar heat budding within your core and you squirm about, trying your best to hold it in. Sunghoon continues to pound into you relentlessly, practically using your hole like a toy for his pleasure. You can see through the darkness of his lust that he’s blinded by pleasure and is no longer focused on your enjoyment, but you don’t care. You’d please him however you could. 

His cock slides through your walls perfectly and after a particularly harsh thrust that pulses against your g-spot, your cunt pushes him out of you with overwhelming force. “Nngh, Hoon!”

A gush of clear liquid shoots out from your cunt with unrelenting force and sprays his torso. The sight of you coming apart and squirting onto him unravels Sunghoon completely. Working his way through his own orgasm, he quickly places a hand over his cock and generously pumps the length of it. Within seconds, he cums on your torso while the velocity of your essence slowly dies down. 

You spend the next few minutes riding out the shockwaves of your orgasm as Sunghoon drapes himself over you, flinching slightly when his softening dick rubs against your swollen entrance. 

The two of you are a mess of sweat, body’s heaving against each other as you catch your breath. Eventually, your breathing soon matches with his and you feel sleep start to consume you. “Don’t sleep yet, baby.” Sunghoon coos, gently stroking your cheek. “We gotta clean up and then you need to pee.” 

“So tired…” you croak out, letting your head fall to the side. 

He only laughs and you barely register the feeling of him lifting you up bridal style. Sunghoon walks to your bathroom and gently sets you down on your toilet. “Ok, go.” He says, shuffling through your cabinets for an extra washcloth. 

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Tonight, none of the boys’ had won their respective matches and it left a sour taste in your mouth. Jungwon, Niki, Heeseung and Jay were bruised and battered, beaten to a pulp. And now, with the four of them sitting in the gym's medical rooms, the tang of blood mingled in the air as you tended to their injuries, blending with the thick tension and wrapping around it like a snake. No one says anything, but for once, you’re ok with letting the silence speak for you. 

Jay pulls back from you when the alcohol on your cotton swab presses into the raw tissue of Jay’s cheek, a jagged cut made by a griffin. You feel the sting of the alcohol burn away the nerves in his face as if it were your own and you cringe. It was Yuqi who had told you not to use your powers to speed up the healing tonight, claiming it’d be too fatiguing, but you couldn’t stand the pain ghosting on Jay’s face as he grimaced through every touch of the clean up. 

You cup his cheek in your hand tenderly, both an act of submission and to help him. Despite the boys’ efforts to normalize the transition back to the gym after the government’s attack, there was still a lingering air of sadness that clouded your judgement. They had told you time and time again how sorry they were for letting you down, that the Veil Treaty was an opportunity for them to turn a new leaf over. Still, you found yourself run down with the burden of accepting their countless apologies and the unresolved tension that entangled the boys together. 

It’s been five weeks since the Treaty was announced, and yet the dynamics among the group have yet to return to what it once was. In place of the usual light hearted banter was now avoidant eye contact and murmured apologies towards the smallest inconveniences. The hyungs were acting as if the floor was covered in egg shells, and the maknaes did little to hide their discomfort around the elders. In front of you, they tried to act like everything was fine, but you could see through their carefully crafted fronts. You’d have to be an idiot not to see how much the atmosphere has changed. You can feel the weight of their unresolved tension, but somehow, you feel like you’re in the middle of their storm.

Shaking your head, you shake your shoulders and let a scorching warmth pass through your hand and seep into the red of Jay’s exposed cheek. You watch as his flesh reconnects over the wound, leaving no traces of the earlier match. When it heals, you move your hand down to his chest, the blooming purple that was spreading on his front beginning to fade back to its original flesh tone. Jay’s eyes are fluttered shut as the grimace on his face softens, each wound of his healed by your molten touch. 

Moving to his shoulder, you watch the glow of light travel into his skin and relieve the dislocation of his joint. Your knees buckle when it heals, a surge of energy leaving you when his bone pops back in place, but you’d go till the brink of passing out if it meant you could make Jay feel better. There were only a few more wounds left, and you really weren’t sure you’d have the energy to get through them. Still, you work your way through each of them quickly, travelling his body in silence as you use up the last of your energy to bring him back to 100%. 

Silence in the gym was becoming a new normal now. You thought things would get better after K was gone and the public knew of your existence, but it only seemed to act as a bandaid over a bullet wound. Funny, because you were actually shot. It was clear that there was still residual distaste left in some of the boys’ mouths, planted by K himself on the night of the attack. 

Yuqi and Sunghoon had only briefly filled you in on the gist of what he had said that night, and you hoped that in the weeks that went by since the attack, they would’ve found a time to talk it out amongst each other. But it seems that was just wishful thinking as they only interacted when need be. 

“-Y/n? Y/n!” Jungwon calls, ripping you out of your spiral. “Will you heal me now?” He sounded irritated almost, like he was annoyed by the attention you were giving Jay. His face tells you that Jungwon thinks Jay isn’t worthy of your affection.

Reluctantly nodding, you tell Jay he can go and he leaves the room, leaving only Heeseung and the maknaes. Heeseung stays in the corner with his head hung low as he waits his turn, still iced out by the group for reasons you wish you could fix. 

You walk over to Jungwon slowly, fatigued by the excessive  use of your powers, and begin assessing his own injuries, spreading your warmth here and there. “You should talk to him.” You say quietly, bringing a wet rag up to his lip. “You can’t keep sleeping over at Niki’s apartment.” 

He turns his head away from you in irritation. “Don’t. Jay had 12 years to tell me the truth about everything, yet he didn’t. Not until a man we thought could be trusted drops the truth on us like a bomb.” 

You frown at the boy, unfamiliar with the snap in his voice. He was rarely ever this serious, the only other times he held himself with this level of maturity being that time he acted like Jaehyuk.

“You know, Jay makes your favorite dinner every night in hopes you’ll come home. You have no idea how many curry’s I’ve had to give the boys because Jay gives it to me when you don’t come home.” You brush his bangs out of his face as you mindlessly retell Jungwon what his hyung has been up to since Jungwon’s impromptu vacancy. “It’s like every night that he drops off the curry, I learn about you and his relationship. He falls into this trance almost as he talks about you.” You wipe a warm finger over the cut on Jungwon’s eyebrow, grimacing when the energy in your body depletes further. “He told me why he did what he did, and while I can understand why you feel so upset by this, I can also understand where Jay is coming from.” 

Jungwon doesn’t speak, but he does give you a low grunt in response. It’s not much of a response, but you cling to the small glimmer of hope that suddenly buds inside of you when your gaze passes over his eyes which no longer looked hollow.  “And I suggest the three of you boys talk to Sunghoon, Heeseung and Jake. You can’t keep ignoring them.” you glance over to where Heeseung sits on the one exam table in your gym, fiddling with his fingers instead of conversing with Niki like he used to. 

“Whatever,” he quips, standing up from where he sat and hastily grabbing his things before leaving. 

Disappointed, you turn your attention towards Niki. His injuries were less severe, but they were extensive nonetheless. You knew you could only do so much for him with the amount of energy that was draining from you. To your surprise, you find respite in his silence. It was a small gesture that you knew was unintentional, but it meant you could focus your energy on his recovery rather than on words. 

When you finally finish, you can barely hold yourself. Fatigue melts into your every bone and you feel dizzy from standing, but the rejuvenated look on Niki’s face makes it worth it. Without saying a think, Niki moves to gather his things and leaves just like Jungwon, likely chasing after him to go home together. The moment he’s gone, Heeseung finally speaks. 

The long stretched silence snaps and Heeseung wiggles his fingers. “Come here,” he says gently, bringing his arms out. 

Forcing a small smile, you step toward him and stand between his legs. Your hand naturally comes up to cradle his face, but he stops you. “Don’t,” 

“Heeseung-”

“You’re about to pass out, baby. Just sleep for a bit.” He jumps from the exam bed and pats the cushion, gesturing for you to lay down. “Don’t disobey me, I’ll be right here the entire time.”

Heat blooms across your cheeks and you reluctantly climb onto the table, stumbling onto the bed. Heeseung braces your shaky body and guides your head down, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead. His hand brushes against your skin and you feel yourself fall victim to the safety of his touch. You fall asleep almost immediately, relief flooding your body immediately. 

When you wake up, you don’t open your eyes, but the sound of hushed whispers reaches you. 

“We need to get out shit together,” a voice says. Was that Sunghoon?

“They can’t even stand to be in the same room as us, Sunghoon. How are we going to talk to all of them?” That had to be Heeseung, his voice was coming directly at your head. You grimace at the sound of frustration evident in his tone. You didn’t need to see his face to know his eyebrows are furrowed and his jaw is clenched. 

“We’ll have them meet at Y/n’s place.” Jay rests a hand on your thigh, gently kneading the fat as he speaks. “They won’t know we’re there until it’s too late.”

A pregnant silence follows and for a second, you wonder if you fell back asleep, but a soft hand on the side of your neck tells you otherwise. 

“Will they forgive us?” Jake’s voice breaks the silence and you realize it’s his hand on your face. He always had a habit of tracing his hand down your neck, saying your scent was the strongest there. 

Heeseung lets out a long sign of resignation, “We can only hope.” He pauses, “So, Sunghoon.”

The first voice cuts in sharper, louder this time. “Y/n told me she’d be ours, but it feels like we’ve lost her again.”

His words sound tight and you push yourself to keep your eyes closed and your ears open. This was the most amount of communication you’ve heard between the boys in a long time, and you weren’t sure you’d get to be hidden in the audience again any time soon. Maybe you were afraid of meeting their grief stricken eyes as well. “It’s cuz we’re all fighting.” Jay says, stepping back to lean against the wall. 

“We can only fix that once we talk to them. We have to tell them what really happened to us.”

“Ok, then we’ll have a ‘gathering’ at Y/n’s place and when they arrive, we’ll crash the party.”

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“You’re not going anywhere.” You say with a glare sharp enough you can convey the words: sit down, in silence. Jungwon comes back to slump against your couch, forcing himself onto the couch with Sunoo and Niki rather than share a space with the other boys. “Talk. Speak. Do something!” You gesture to the older boys and they grunt in unison. 

An awkward silence falls upon you and the boys and so you nudge Heeseung in the side, silently asking him to break the stalemate. He gives you an annoyed look but bites his tongue, blowing the strand of hair off his forehead before standing. “So, things have been a bit rocky since…” he lets out a strained sigh, “-since K died.”

The looks around the room are enough to tell you that this was a sensitive subject, for all of them. Yuqi and Minnie, who are standing behind the couch, stiffen while the rest of the boys look down at the ground. You give Heeseung an encouraging nod and he reluctantly continues. “K had said some horrible things about me, Sunghoon, Jake and Jay. I- I can’t speak for them, but I want to apologize to you all for hiding behind a lie. Contrary to what K said, my adoptive parents were business tycoons who thrived on illegal business to get where they wanted. I was sent out against my will to eliminate their competition. They made me kill innocent lives.” 

The older boy looks up to the ceiling and tucks his bottom lip between his teeth. He can’t cry, not now. Not in front of them. But his strained whimpers that bubble up his throat are loud enough to be heard in the silence of the room holding its breath. “I didn’t know any better. At the time, I thought I was making them happy. I just wanted to see them smile at me.”

Minnie’s face falls as she listens to Heeseung retell his past like it’s a painful reminder of her own. She was never close to Heeseung, much more to the younger ones, and hearing this has her heart clenched and her eyes misty. Minnie rests a hand on Sunoo’s shoulders and rubs them, both an act of comforting Sunno and herself. 

“One night, I came home. I hadn’t finished the mission, not completely. There was still one guy left that had gotten away. I had to come home though, it was nearing the morning.” Heeseung takes a breath and thinks back to that night. He could almost see the rage in his parent’s faces when he told them that there was still someone out there. They looked about ready to kill him, dispose of him like useless garbage. That night, Heeseung learned there was more to killing innocent people and pleasing his so-called parents. “They screamed at me for hours, calling me every name in the book. In a fit of rage, I killed them…”

Gasps ripple across the room like a fast dripping faucet. Even you, who know the gist of his story, gasps. Heeseung’s hands clench into fists and his crimson eyes begin to glow. “I locked myself away for months after that. I was a monster. I had to change, so I vowed to myself never to hurt another soul unless absolutely necessary. But it wasn’t fair for me to live this lie of peace and serenity around you guys when I know it was anything but that.” Heeseung puts his hands up to his face, but not before you see the first few crimson tears fall from his sunken eyes. You’ve never seen him cry, so to see red streaming from his face stunned you. What made it worse was the fact that it was so obvious that Heeseung hadn’t been sleeping much. Even before today, you could see the weight of his guilt spilling into nights of restless sleep for him. “I’m sorry you had to hear this from K.”

The room falls into a suffocating silence that seems to stretch on for several minutes, but eventually, Niki speaks. “You don’t need to apologize, hyung. I think- maybe we were all a bit unreasonable to think we had the right to judge you like that. We don’t think you’re a monster, not at all.” 

Beside him, Jungwon and Sunoo nod their heads in agreement. Seeing that, Heeseung’s shaky composure shatters and he collapses to the ground, full on sobbing into Niki’s lap.

“Hyung!” Niki yelps, attempting to push Heeseung’s heavy head off his thigh. “These were brand new!” When Heeseung picks his tear stricken face off of the boy’s leg, he gasps when he sees red stain the white fabric of Niki’s sweats. 

The tension in the room briefly dissipates to make room for the soft laughter that breaks out, albeit awkward in a way. Everyone but Jake seems to lighten up. A few feet away from where you sit, Jake occupies your arm chair with his hands fiddling about in his lap. “I’d like to say something, too.” 

You experience whiplash from the way the room falls silent again almost immediately. All eyes turn to Jake and he clears his throat. “I’m sorry for kind of disappearing on you all.” 

His voice seems foreign to you, not having heard it in so long if you didn’t count that other day when you were pretending to be asleep. Jake had been becoming increasingly more absent from you and the gym’s life since the day K passed. The only time he showed his face was at matches and when you, Niki, and Jungwon went to the government.

“Jake-” Minnie interrupts, but Jake cuts her off with a sad smile. 

“No- I need to finish, I was ashamed, I hid away again after K revealed to you all about what happened with my packmates. It felt like I was reliving that night all over again. I was just a kid when it happened, when I had to watch my family bleed out in front of me. I was frozen with fear, I didn’t know what to do, I couldn’t save them.” Jake hangs his head in shame. “I was scared, and I’m still scared.”

For Jake, the past few weeks have felt like he was driving on autopilot. He felt like a monotonous robot with overly tight screws. Day and night, he traced the same footsteps as the day prior, too scared to stray away from his normal. It was like he was reliving the following year after his family’s attack. The same thing everyday, same amount of eggs for breakfast, two twists of his pepper shaker in his pasta for lunch, and a plain sandwich with six pretzels on the side, because a seventh reminded him too much of the number of people that should’ve made up the group. 

Sunoo shifts uncomfortably in his seat before softly responding, “Jake, nobody blames you for being afraid.”

“I know, but I blame myself. I could barely live with myself at the time knowing that I was the only one to survive the attack. And then when K brought it up again, I felt like I was back behind that wall, watching in horror as everyone around me died. I couldn’t face myself.” 

Jungwon leans forward and rests his shoulders on his knees. “Jake, we’re a family. You should’ve trusted us to give you unconditional support and listen to what you have to say.”

“That’s a bit hypocritical, Jungwon.” Minie interjects, narrowing her eyes at the younger boy and crossing her arms. 

Everyone freezes. Minnie had always been so gentle, too soft to really discipline the boys. So hearing her confront Jungwon like this had everyone experiencing a double-take. “You tell Jake you would’ve listened to him no matter what, but what about Jay?” Minnie presses Jungwon into a corner, “You run away from him every time he enters the room. So either you’re lying to Jake or you’re lying to yourself.”

“Minnie-” Yuqi interrupts, grabbing the girl’s arm. 

“No,” she shakes her off. “This isn't fair to Jay, Jungwon. You guys are best friends, you can’t just leave him in the dust like that all because you don’t have the full story!”

Jungwon’s face pales. His mouth opens and closes but he can’t manage to find the words to respond. 

Jay, who had been quiet until now, finally speaks. “No, he has every right to be like that.” You look at Jay who was now shifting about in his spot on the couch. “Jungwon, I didn’t kill those people to keep you from leaving the Veil. I did it because I knew that the second you leave, you’d never escape. I’ve seen what happens to those that are adopted; they get locked away and turned into something unrecognizable. Who knows what could’ve happened to you? Hell, you could’ve been treated just like Heeseung’s parents treated him.” 

Heeseung stiffens beside you but he shakes it off. He knew Jay needed to use him as an example. 

“Look, I’m sorry for what I did, but I don’t regret it.” 

For a brief moment, nobody moves, not even you. Then, to your surprise and everyone else's, Jungwon stands up and pulls Jay up from the couch. When he stands, Jungwon pushes himself into Jay’s chest and wraps his arms around him. “I’m sorry- I shouldn't have ignored you.” His voice is muffled in the fabric of Jay’s hoodie, but it's loud enough for Jay to understand. “I didn’t understand what was happening, I didn’t want to understand. I just wanted to feel anger and run away from my problems. I thought I was better off not knowing the truth behind your actions and just assuming it was all done in anger, but I was wrong. I missed you…”

Jungwon’s tears seep into Jay’s hoodie but he doesn’t care. He just holds the boy closer to him while the others watch on in silence. “We’re sorry too,” Niki says, standing up to join the hug. “It was wrong of us to treat you like that.” 

Jay waves him off and pulls him by wrapping his hand around the back of Sunoo’s head. Eventually, the rest of you join one by one until you’re pressed against each other in a messy group hug. All but Sunghoon.

You notice him standing off to the side with his jaw clenched. “Sunghoon?” you call out, extending a hand to him. 

“I guess it’s my turn to apologize,” he starts, clearing his throat. “As you probably know, K mentioned that I have night terrors.”

The rest of the group breaks apart from the hug and they look at Sunghoon with expectant gazes. “I’ve had these night terrors for as long as I can remember. I can’t really explain what they were about when I was younger, just a lot of darkness and screaming. But when I met you all, the dreams became more vivid, more violent. I was forced into this world of nightmares where every night, I would kill you all.” Sunghoon physically winces when he says that out loud, embarrassed that he even has to say it. “I told myself not to get close with any of you because if I hurt any of you, I would never forgive myself. You may all think I’m this rude, apathetic prick with the ego of an elephant, but I did that on purpose. I was rude and arrogant for a reason, and yet it didn’t even work. I care about you all in a way I have never felt, and that terrifies me.”

You reach for his hand and caress the back of it with your thumb. With a shaky breath, Sunghoon continues. “Every night, I would set up my apartment so that no one can get in, and no one can get out. My windows were locked, my doors were barricaded, it honestly looked like a tornado hit my apartment. But I did all of that because I didn’t trust myself. “

Again, the room is silent. Sunghoon feels like a monster for having these thoughts, but he wasn’t sure they’d ever go away until he told them. Eventually, Sunoo steps forward and pulls Sunghoon into a tight embrace. “You’re not a monster. None of us are.” 

Sunoo doesn’t need to say much to let Sunghoon know that he’s been forgiven. The foreign skinship between them is enough of an answer. 

“Are we gonna be okay?” Sunghoon asks no one in particular, breaking apart from the hug. 

“We’ll be okay,” you tell him, placing a delicate kiss on his lips. 

⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁

Today, the word monsters, was trending on X.

It was an awkward shift from the usual hashtag involving famous soccer players or the latest viral recipes. The word sat at the top of the trends like a sore thumb. 

Monster was not a word that was uttered anymore, not since the exposure of the supernatural community. It had been years since the word monster trended on X, but that was when the Veil Treaty was created. Now, there was no reason for that word to be trending again. 

When the public had become aware of the fact that they were living among the supernatural, fear gripped the city. “Monster” was headlining every article, every news station, and was the topic of many whispered conversations. For a long time, the public was hesitant on accepting the new community, but slowly as they were integrated into the real world, people either became accepting of the supernatural or simply forgot about them. They were just like every other citizen in Luxta. Slowly but surely, people learned to coexist with the other side. 

But now, years later, the same word reappears at the top of the timeline. 

Staring at the hashtag for a moment, she hesitates to click on it, skeptical of what’s to come. But curiosity trumps her skepticism and the girl presses on the hashtag. Immediately, a 23-second clip pops up. This is the same video that’s been circulating the internet for a few days, only a few blurry figures in the background were showing on the thumbnail, not enough to pique her interest until now. The sheer volume of comments and shares speaks volumes and drives her to click play.

When the video starts, her eyes widen. There’s a shakiness in the video that suggests that it was filmed inconspicuously, and  first, the only thing she can make out is the movement of two pairs of legs. They were in a ring of some sort- no, it was definitely a boxing ring. 

Noticing the lack of audio, the girl increases the volume. Suddenly, she can hear the sound of roaring spectators surge in the background as the video zooms out to show that the two men were in fact in a boxing ring. This didn’t look like the ring from WWE. 

She watches through her phone as the two men lunge at each other with an unnatural speed that makes her breath catch in her throat. They moved too fast to be considered human, just a blur of movement. When they pull apart, she finally sees the red scales on one of the man’s shoulders glinting under the light. 

The scene was horribly mesmerizing, unable to tear her eyes away from the video. Flames roared in the air and danced along the other man’s body as he moved around the ring. Suddenly, the one on fire jumps high into the air before forcing himself onto the scaled man. A pattern of punches make contact with the man’s face and the camera zooms in to focus on his bloody features. The scene continues on like that for a second before the video ends abruptly, freezing on a sickening frame of the scaled man slumped to the ground, gasping for air as black shadows invade his body.

Stunned, she clicks out of the video and looks at the comment section. It was almost as messy as the video above it. 

that’s obvsly CGI Are those the “supernatural” ?? MONSTERS LOL this is so fake #exposed didn’t governor lee say they were harmless? Tf is this IS THAT A DRAGON?

im sorry i didn't expand much on the hyung line relationship with yn. also, there will NOT be a next part. be honest, do you guys hate me for the ending LOL

Taglist: @heesimp, @kyunlov, @quill-ink, @lunaritex, @jiryunn, @jakeswifez, @fancypeacepersona, @nshmrarki, @ikaw-at-ikaw, @wilonevys, @strxwbloody, @capri-cuntz, @riribelle, @machambrx, @vousty, @rebeccakan, @wonnienyang, @koizekomi, @heeweenie, @skyearby, @rxlxvr, @missychief1404, @doveblackboat, @prkhoonielvrss, @skyearby

Permanent taglist: @kittys00, @ikaw-at-ikaw, @17ericas, @tunafishyfishylike, @bbyhee

[windvexer]

what readings would you say casting charms are good for? i’ve never actually seen anyone offer them before

Man I should do a series on charm casting or something. Like if I had a friend IRL who was like, "I want to be a witch and I want to learn divination, what should I do?" I'd hands down recommend charm casting.

I'd probably say that charm casting is excellent at reading relationships, not just interpersonal relationships but literally how things relate to each other; the way things are oriented around each other.

When you're taking the pieces and dropping them to see where they fall, I believe what's ultimately read is their orientation to each other, and their position on the casting board (if one is used).

So this makes it primed for like...

anything.

"What's the right path to take?" -> Which path is oriented towards the best outcome?

"What's his true motivation?" -> In what way is his motivation oriented? In what direction is he moving?

"Is my spell working?" -> How does my spell currently relate to reality and manifestation?

There's also this aspect of casting boards that really blows things out of the water; casting boards can help illuminate the domain or arena within which you are casting to both define and clarify the reading.

So you can have a folder full of casting boards that help define planetary spheres, elements, campuses, buildings, otherworlds, and all manner of things.

And you can make them on printer paper with a marker. You can collect all the charms from around the house. So it's free; it's better than free, you don't have to wait for shipping. You can construct charm sets out of stuff from your desk at work, or gutter pebbles, or whatever.

Not only that but charm casting can have an aspect of sortilege, right. Suppose you have a set of 20 charms, well you could pull 3 blindly from a bag. And in this sense you can read your charms through sortilege alone ("I drew these 3 out of 20, so what does that mean?").

And then you can cast them to see how they fall in relation to each other.

And the ways that they can interact with each other are in my opinion both more intuitive than tarot, but also more detailed and nuanced than tarot.

Yeah. Charm casting rocks and you can kind of do anything with it.

[leviabeat]

Rob and his lady-friend (😉) at the opening of Sphere in Las Vegas

Via kellynic0lex3 on Instagram

Video via her Instagram story

[northameicanblog]

Sphere, Paradise, Nevada, United States: Sphere is a music and entertainment arena in Paradise, Nevada, United States, east of the Las Vegas Strip. Designed by Populous, the project was announced by the Madison Square Garden Company in 2018, known then as the MSG Sphere. The 18,600-seat auditorium is being marketed for its immersive video and audio capabilities, which include a 16K resolution wraparound interior LED screen, speakers with beamforming and wave field synthesis technologies, and 4D physical effects. Wikipedia

[yuoimia]

DAY 1: FIRST FALL OF SNOW ❅⋆⍋

summary: activities you do in the snow

characters: albedo, childe, diluc, wriothesley.

notes: wc: 260-300 per character, roughly 1.1k total, gn! reader, fluff, mentions of reader being lost in the snow in childe’s, petnames, the madness begins.

⋆⁺₊❅⋆ dreamy december event masterlist

albedo - how to build a snowman

All year round, Dragonspine is inundated with thick layers of gleaming snow.

Twinkling in weak sunlight, an ethereal sight both close-up and afar.

However, there was always something particularly striking about waking up to a fresh new coat of snow. Impeccably perfect, its raw beauty enthrals you each time. It was a privilege, you knew. Not just anyone could climb such an intimidating mountain, and the only reason you got to experience such phenomenons, the one who introduced you to this very mountain—was someone you’d never imagined to meet. Much less be more than acquaintances, a renowned genius, who currently stood completely blank in the suggestion of building snowmen.

"So, ah… I just add another pile on top?”

For the hundredth time this morning, you shake your head with an expression of amusement. “No,” you mutter, rolling the pile next to him into the shape of a sphere before placing it before him. “You need to make it into a ball shape, then place it on top. That will be its middle.” You point accordingly, an encouraging smile plastered on your face.

Albedo still doesn’t get it.

Instead, he watches silently as you enjoy yourself constructing a snowman. How interesting, creating little figures out of snow. He watches from afar as you unravel your own woollen scarf and wrap it around its uneven neck. He watches as you judge a variety of sticks to pick the most suitable to be its arms.

Albedo watches as you stand proudly beside it, a dazzling smile etching your face as he too, unravels his woollen scarf and gives it to you.

childe - snowball fights

You catch your breath behind a large cedar tree.

Was it a surprise? Surely not. Challenging Childe in any form of fight was the equivalence of battling in an arena, playful or not.

It also didn’t help that you were winning. For now, at least.

A strong gust of frosty wind brings a blizzard of newly formed snowflakes, collecting delicately on your hair and clothing. The fierce howls mask up any forms of sound, and the gradually falling snow covers up any traces of footprints.

Moreover, the temperature was severely dropping by the minute.

Perfect weather, you curse internally.

Your hands swiftly grab handfuls of the snow all around you, leaving a deep indentation in the shape of a ring all around you. Painfully obvious evidence that you were here, but at this point in time, you were more than ready to surrender. Between the choice of victory or frostbite, you’d willingly lose.

Cradling a dozen snowballs, your eyes are alert and searching as you attempt to outline any signs of a human. It’s hopeless; the wind is intensifying, swirling the frost like a snowglobe.

An anguished sigh escapes as you look down at the heavy layers of snow. Perhaps it was time to resort to something more desper-

Smack.

Something cold lands on the side of your face before falling to bits next to your feet. Another flies right past you.

You’re supposed to be mad; you’re supposed to shout and blame him for putting you in such a perilous and stupid situation, but you don’t.

As he catches you in an embrace, a contrast to everything you felt mere seconds ago, so frantic and tight, you realise how scared he was—scared enough to be rendered completely and irrevocably silent.

diluc - snow? my eyes are on you.

How long has it been?

How long have you been gazing, lost in your thoughts, through the window of your shared bedroom?

It’s quiet, but a comforting sort of quiet. The sort of quiet that you could appreciate for years and years and enjoy as if it were freshly discovered. Perhaps it was because of Diluc and the reserved and reclusive ambience he always carried. Whatever it was, you understood why he sought it so much.

Kaeya told you to expect snow tonight.

You love snow.

As soon as Diluc stepped one foot into the entrance of Dawn Winery, you had notified him most excitedly, “It’s going to snow tonight!”

You made sure not to mention that it was Kaeya who told you, though.

Being the gentleman he was, Diluc reciprocated your happiness most thoughtfully. Across the candlit dinner table, you swapped memories and dreams, all down until the last few tired murmurs sealed with a tender goodnight kiss planted on your forehead. A fond, “Sweet dreams, sweetheart,” as he drifted off to sleep.

Time steamed on; it must’ve been hours, according to the grandfather clock in the farthest corner of the bedroom, yet never once did your eyes stray from the window. You had long abandoned your previous sleeping position and now cozily huddled your legs, although still buried comfortably within the blankets.

Diluc seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

For a while, you observed in slight awe, the little rises in his chest as he inhaled, the serene expression decorating his face. It felt so intimate, so softly vulnerable—simply two people treasuring a moment in their lives so unknowingly—is what made it magnificent.

The first glimmers of snow lightly shimmered through the night sky as a familiarly snug hand pulled you beneath the covers.

wriothesley - ice skating

The many fountains in Fontaine had been frozen from the frigid weather, transforming the statues to behold graceful arches that glinted divinely in the feeble sunlight. Bound to be presented gloriously on the front page of the Steambird for the next three months or so.

Additionally, smaller bodies of water had completely transformed into ice, making it a perfect opportunity for extravagant winter activities. After all, Fontaine was never short of its flamboyance and charming flair when it came to anything of that sort.

That was the reason Wriothesley had spontaneously suggested going for a skate on the ice.

You had promptly declined at first, leaning over his desk, brushing the idea off with a brisk excuse of, “I can’t skate.”

Wriothesley had looked up from his stacks of documents, followed by a falsely exasperated roll of eyes, saying, “That’s what you said about dancing.”

"I'm not a very good dancer, you know that.”

“But I successfully taught you, didn’t I?" he confidently answered, standing from the overflowing desk.

You made a non-committal noise, shaking your head as Wriothesley chucked and wrapped an arm around you. “C’mon, let’s give it a try, all right, darling?”

This is precisely how you landed yourself in such a predicament.

The skates were easy enough to get on, but the process of skating, like you anticipated, was no easy skill.

Wriothesley, being the superb lover he is, let’s out a muffled snort as he watches you topple over for what could’ve only been the hundredth time that evening.

“Instead of laughing, you could actually help me like you promised, you know.”

With one last terribly hidden chortle, Wriothesley seizes your hands and gently guides your movements alongside his, careful and patient, as you both skate until the winter sunlight ebbs over the horizon.

[teddybeartoji]

彡 A MASSIVE PILE OF GUILT

☆. contains: tooru oikawa x gn!reader; this is called angst i think (with comfort), reader plays volleyball and oikawa comforts them after they lost a match, reader talks badly about themselves:( i'm sorry, they swear they're just really really good friends but they're also just fucking stupid wc: 4k

in the blink of an eye the loud screams and cheers transform into a disgusting mix of muffled noises in your ears. the lights are too bright and you feel like you're stuck to the ground; stuck under hundreds pairs of eyes. you can't move, you can't breathe. your arm stings, a painfully clear reminder of your fuckup.

you should've had it, you saw it coming, you had a plan and yet - here you are, watching the colorfol ball hit the wall of the big arena with a quiet thud!. your eye twitches, locked onto the missed oppurtunity in a form a sphere sit metres away from you and your teammates.

because of you.

like a statue; turned into stone, you stand in your awkward position, unable to comprehend that it's over. that it's really over. it feels like everybody is looking at you, cursing you in their own heads. is this what drowning feels like? even if you could open your mouth to try and save yourself with a big breath of air, the stifling stench of losing would surely just make you choke harder.

a palm slaps onto your shoulder and you don't have to look at the person to know who it is – a dejected captain trying to pick up their loved teammates. you can't look at them; how could you? they're trying to cheer you up while you're the sole reason you lost in the first place. they give you a squeeze, a silent plea for you to snap out of it and you comply, not wanting to humiliate them any more.

you did well!

an arm around your shoulder, you're being dragged away from the court and you taste blood – the result of biting into the soft skin of your inner cheek in order to surpress a cry. the lights are too bright and you just want out.

after the handshakes and the formalities are done, your coach gives you all a pep talk. not that it helps but what else is there to say right now. you eat in almost complete silence; the only sounds in your ears being the chewing and the crying.

you've yet to do that. your lip wobbles and your eyes are red but so far, no tears. but you know you will – it'll be the only thing you'll be doing after you've locked yourself away into your room.

good game!

you feel sick. the food in your mouth is starting to taste like vomit and the water isn't helping either. still, you refuse to stop. refuse to raise your eyes from your table to ask whether you can leave. you will sit there as long as the others do and you won't complain. you will eat the food just like the others do and you won't complain. you don't get to do that.

the hugs feel just as suffocating as the eyes. you've never felt this bad in your whole entire life. you feel bad for thinking that the hugs feel suffocating – they're literally trying to comfort you and you're blatantly refusing it. stupid. stupid. stupid.

everyone has their own things they do after a loss. some like to be alone, some like to go for a run, some like to beat the fuck out of a punch bag and some like to do watch a comedy film with their teammates. it's silly; none of them laugh during it anyway. but it helps. you know it does because you've done it with them – not this time though. and they don't pressure you; they're not stupid, they understand how it feels. you need a moment and they will give it to you.

your captain does sit you down for a second before letting you go though, calmly telling you how it wasn't your fault and how you'll get it next time. and it sucks. it sucks that you don't hear it... it sucks that nothing will make this feeling go away. you know it and your captain knows it.

their warm hand resting on your back does soothe the shivers that have been tormenting you ever since you lost the ball. and for the first time since that moment, you crane your neck, raising your heavy head to meet their eyes and now you do feel like crying. the sadness is there, but so is the same warmth, the same adoration one has for their loved ones. nobody is upset with you, nobody blames you. their hand rises from your back and goes up to ruffle your hair as you let your head fall against their chest. "you're okay."

they hold you close as your tears soak their shirt. you hear a loud sigh and you know they're holding back theirs. the shivers are back and you hiccup out a broken i'm sorry, which makes the captain pull away immediately and grab your shoulders.

"don't. it wasn't your fault. it wasn't. you can cry as much as you want but that? you're not allowed to do that." there's a certain determination in their glassy eyes and you have no other choice but to weakly nod your head before letting it fall again.

"by the way, i saw you not eat properly, so i'm keeping an extra eye on you tomorrow morning, okay?" they poke your cheek and you're thankful. "i'm gonna watch the movie with the others but i'm keeping my phone close by, so if you want company at any time, just let me know."

you raise your head back up, desperate to show your appreciation for them and nod again, cracking the world's smallest and saddest smile and they ruffle your hair again before standing up. "you're okay."

they close the door behind them and you take a minute to compose yourself. you can't seem to stop your hands from shaking though and it makes you angry. your now empty room is too quiet and your own reflection in the window is taunting you with an ugly expression. is that really how you look like right now?

you don't wanna know and you don't want to keep looking at it either. so you grab your hoodie and your wallet and make your way to the lobby of the hotel. maybe the reflection in the vending machine won't be so mean.

and it isn't. it's not mean at all. it's the exact opposite actually. from the fact that it's staring at you with rather soft eyes to the fact that it's not your own reflection.

"good game, right?" you scare yourself with your own voice – already so harsh and raspy. it comes out mean and you wince. you tear your eyes from his, focusing on the sweet drink that's locked behind the glass instead.

oikawa is never this quiet and it makes you want to hit him. make a joke. just do it. just do it already. but he doesn't. his steps are quiet as he goes to lean on the vending machine. he's nothing if not observant; he sees your shaky hands pressing the buttons with so much effort; how the lips that are usually pulled into a beautiful grin he loves so much are now wobbling, ready to spill all of your sorrows. your clenched jaw as you try to avoid his gaze for whatever reason.

please, look at me.

the vending machine dings as the mechanics push your drink to you. his eyes are unforgiving and you know he means well. you know he's not gonna make fun of you, he's not gonna tease you – not now. but you still feel ashamed, whether he says the joke or not; the joke has already been made and it's right here, standing in front of a stupid pink vending machine.

your head shakes on it's own, casting shame on yourself on it's own. the drink falls with a loud thud! but before you can kneel down to get it, a hand on your wrist stops you.

his hand is so warm and it's unusual, considering he tends to be cold almost always. he doesn't push you and let's you take a deep breath before you raise your eyes to his.

if his heart wasn't shattered before, it sure is now. your eyes are red and glassy, but mostly tired, so tired. there's no glint in them, dull and sad. his hand slips from your wrist to your palm, intertwining his fingers with yours. "you did well."

your head falls back as you choke out a broken laugh. "oh, fuck off. i don't wanna fucking hear that. it makes me sick." staring at the ceiling, you shake your head again as if to rid of the words from your mind.

oikawa feels useless. he's been in your situation and yet, he can't think of anything good to say. he remembers how much he hated whenever people said that to him after their loss to karosuno. he tries to swallow the lump in his throat; everything he comes up with just makes him feel even more sick. he wants to cry because he doesn't know how to comfort you. how to make it all better.

"do you want me to stay with you?"

that's the best he can come up with. maybe just his presence will be enough when his words clearly aren't. but when you shake your head again, his heart sinks.

"that's alright. let's uh– ... tomorrow, yeah?" bringing your eyes down from the ceiling, you try to give him a reassuring smile that says i'm fine but it obviously doesn't work. you see the hurt in his eyes and you just feel bad. you feel bad for everything. you're upsetting people even off the court. you just can't help it can you?

"i'm good. i just need to be alone right now." you try again, squeezing his hand. his mouth opens but another voice cuts him off.

"oikawa!"

from around the corners emerges an angry looking iwaizumi. "here you fucking are. coach said it's bed time—"

when his eyes travel from his troublesome best friend over to yours, he swallows his words in an instant. you see the remorse wash over his face and you kind of want to laugh. it's all too funny in a fucked up way. "sorry for interrupting. hey, that was a really goo—"

good game!

he stops himself. fuck. what do you say in this situation?

"good game, i know. maybe next time it'll be a great one, hm?" the bitterness just oozes out of you without your consent, making iwaizumi wince. you feel bad.

pulling your hand from oikawa's, you kneel down to finally grab your nearly forgotten drink. "it's okay, really. i know what you mean."

another weak smile. a pathetic one. "see you at breakfast, yeah?"

oikawa shoving iwaizumi is the last thing you see as you're making your way back to your room. your hands still haven't stopped shaking and opening the door is so fucking hard. the key card slips from between your fingers—

breathe... in...

and out...

you kneel down and pick it up in slow motion as you're tunnel visioning on just getting inside the room. you hear the click! and you burst in, slamming the door shut. the ugly reflection is back and it's laughing at you and you can't do it anymore. your knees buckle from under you, hitting the soft carpeted floor as you weep. hunched over, you just look like a big pile of guilt.

clutching at your heart through your shirt, you cry and you cry, taking in raggedy breaths just to let out pathetic little sounds. everything hurts – your knees, your arms, your head, your eyes, your fingers, your legs, your inner cheek. you pretty much crawl to the bathroom, grabbing a handful of tissues before plopping right back down onto the floor. your nose hurts, too.

for almost an hour – you don't move from your spot, rooted and rotting into the carpet. it's pathetic. you think about how the others are watching the movie, shedding tears quietly but together, nonetheless. sick of your own actions, you push yourself up and change your clothes. you even manage to drink some water and wash your face in this half-alive state of being. a+ for effort, huh?

you bury yourself under the blanket, wishing the bed would swallow you whole instead. the tears have returned and you feel the pillow getting wetter and wetter by the second. you don't have it in you to grab another tissue though, letting the feeling of the soaked material remind you of your fuckup.

a floor and a few rooms away, oikawa can't stop pacing around. "but they said they didn't want me to go with them...."

"have you ever considered that people lie, idiot?" a tired iwaizumi replies from underneath his blanket on the bed. "especially in a situation like this. it's not like you were any better, you know."

oikawa just glares at him, although it's very hard for iwaizumi to take him seriously when he's wearing his matching plaid pj set. "but what if they get upset that i didn't listen to them?"

"but don't you wanna go and comfort them?" iwaizumi questions harshly. "don't you wanna be there for them? is your fear of overstepping more important than their well-being right now?"

oikawa thinks of your tired, sad eyes and his fingers twitch. "no."

"obviously, dick. go on, then. you have to be back for breakfast though or i'll punch you." iwaizumi states before turning away from his friend and disappearing completely under the blanket.

"you're so mean, iwa... can you not threathen to punch me every two seconds? i'm trying to be so good." oikawa mutters with a pout, grabbing his phone and his hoodie, ready to be your knight in shining armor. knight in plaid pyjamas more like.

"just go already." his friend grumbles and oikawa gifts him a small bye-bye as he's already halfway out the door. the next thing he knows, he's sprinting through the hallways, thanking himself in his head for making you tell him your room number the second he saw you this morning. he doesn't even take the elevator, instead taking triple steps up the stairs. he's also thanking himself for becoming an athlete.

knock! knock! knock!

dismissing that as just a noise from the room next door, you continue your sniffling but when the knocks repeat in a faster manner, you figure one of your teammates had forgotten their key card. so, ever so slowly you push yourself from the comfort of your bed and head over to the door while trying to wipe the tears from your eyes as to look at least a little bit more composed. you're even ready to crack a joke about them losing the card, desperate to disctract the person behind the door from yourself.

but it's not any of your teammates, nor is it your manager of your coach.

it's your oikawa instead – eyes wide open and slightly panting. "you said you don't want me here but i– fuck, how many steps can be between one floor..." he clutches his hand over his chest, the stupid comment slipping out all on its own.

for a millisecond, for a fraction of time, the corners of your lips turn upward but they fall just as fast back down, leaving you both just standing there, staring at each other.

your eyes look way worse now; way more red, way more tired, way more sad, way more dull than a mere hour ago. he should've come here sooner and he imagines iwaizumi slapping the back of his head for his mistake.

"you said you wanna be alone but i don't care."

his blunt statement catches you a little off-guard, your eyebrows furrowing but oikawa just takes it as a green light. if you didn't want him there, surely you'd tell him that right away but you've been standing here with him for a almost half a minute and nothing.

he takes a step, closing the distance between the two of you. he pushes his glasses up on his nose and fiddles with his own fingers and it's weird again. he's nervous. but this isn't about him – it's about you. whatever he's feeling right now is nothing compared to what you're feeling and he just wants to be here for you.

for a second time today, he watches your bottom lip wobble and your chest rise as you take short sharp breaths. and for a second time today, a pair of eyes feel actually comforting. he's not trying to burn you, he's not trying to take back time and alter your actions. he's merely observing instead of dissecting. he's ready to catch you when you fall.

and you do. it's hard not to when he's standing in front of you and looking at you so fondly. your head falls against his strong chest, hands tucked between your bodies as his firmly wrap around you. he takes another step inside and closes the door behind him with his foot.

he listens to you cry into him, he feels your tears on his shirt and through it, on his skin. your hands grasp onto the material, bunching it up in your fists and he just holds you tighter against him.

"you're gonna win next time, i promise" he murmurs.

but when you just sob out a but i wanted to win this time, his heart aches so bad he thinks he's going to die.

oikawa curses at himself for walking right into that one and this time he swears he feels iwaizumi slap the back of his head for real. but he has no time to pity his poor choice of words when he feels your hands clutching at him just where his heart is.

he whispers a quiet i know and you sniffle again. he starts drawing soothing circles onto your back with his palm and he feels so warm. releasing his shirt from your hold, you snake your hands around his body instead, burrowing your face even more into his chest and you faintly hear him coo. it's the first time ever that he's done it in a genuine way and it's the first time you haven't felt the need to punch him for it.

his hand rests on the back of your head, keeping you in your place as he gently sways the both of you from side to side. "i got you."

after some time, he feels you going slack against him and decides to guide you to the bed. he climbs in with you and safely tucks you into the crook of his neck and lets you cry some more as he whispers it's okay against your temple. he just hopes that he's actually helping, that his words actually have an effect. god, he hopes he's making it at least a bit better for you.

he is. he's doing more than he could ever imagine. the thick goo of guilt and shame seems to be draining out of you when you feel his lips brush against your skin. he just might be washing the it off of you with his quiet praise. his words don't sound condescending nor do they sound fake. he means it when he says that you really did do well.

the tears have dried by now and oikawa can feel your eyelashes fluttering against his neck. the long tiring day is finally catching up to you as your breathing slows. he rests his head on top of yours and presses your body indifinitely closer to his. the tips of his fingers dance across your skin, drawing little circles and hearts as he soaks in the sight of you relaxing against him under the moonlight.

"did..."

your meek voice makes him crane his neck back so he can look at you better, ready to hear out whatever complaint you have, ready to comply to whatever request you have.

"did iwaizumi send you?"

...

"WHAT?" it comes out way louder and in a way higher pitch than he'd intended it to. he immediately clears his throat but his eyebrows are still furrowed. "i wanted to come here, why would you say that..."

he still can't see your face clearly from this angle but the way your body moves, is telling him that this isn't you crying anymore. this is you laughing.

"are you– are you fucking laughing at me right now?" he questions, trying to pry you from his neck to confirm his suspicion. and he's fucking right. when you finally unlatch yourself from his body and roll onto your back, you have the tiniest, smallest smile on your lips and oikawa's mouth falls slack. "i wanted to come! i– i'm a good friend!"

it shouldn't be this funny. it really shouldn't because he is a good friend, isn't he? he's here now, holding you, comforting you; he came to you and you're now making fun of him. but you can't help it, the thought of iwaizumi "lecturing" him is silly in this moment. not that you doubt that he came here only because of that, of course. but knowing him, you just think he probably needed a push to actually do it.

oikawa holds himself up above you, observing the small freckles that adorn your face. your eyes are still red and still tired but... the small little glint is back. the same one that's always there when you make fun of him. or when you laugh.

"i literally ran here and this is how you treat me?"

"you're telling me it took you an hour to run up the stairs? i thought you were a volleyball player, shouldn't your stamina be better–" you poke at his chest (right where his heart is) and he lets out a very loud and a very dramatic gasp. "or did your boyfriend have to convince you to come over and console me?"

oikawa's lips tilt into a smirk, happy to hear you barking at him at last. "first of all, don't ever call him my boyfriend ever again–" he situates himself next to you, so his both hands are free. you should've seen this coming, too. "and second of all, you really oughta treat me better."

before you can taunt him with a good old "or what?", his hands are tickling your sides, fingers dancing along your skin as laughter bubbles up from your throat. you try to fight him off, hands clutching onto his in order to stop his torment but to no avail.

"i am... trying... to be.... a good... friend... and this is... what i get... huh..." he rasps as he continues soaking in the sound of your laughter.

"you're.... always... in it for something... that's not... a... real friend... tooru..." you breathe back with a grin and he stops. he doesn't take his hands off of you though, just resting them on your waist.

"you're spending way too much time with iwaizumi, you're both just so mean to me." he's pouting. oikawa is sitting back on his legs and he's actually pouting.

"am i gonna have to console you now?"

"yes." he deadpans.

...

you push yourself up onto your elbow and lean up to boop his nose. "you're stupid."

"no, you're stupid." he grins back.

he has his ways of getting you out of a slump, he always has. him sitting here on your tiny little bed, pouting and laughing is only merely of them. you couldn't wish for a better friend. his hands feel so warm on you and you're so grateful. sitting up, you slap your hands on his shoulders (which of course, makes him wince in a very over the top way). "thanks for coming, tooru."

he rolls his eyes. "pffft."

...

pfft?

"excuse me?" you glare at him and he decides that you and iwaizumi can never hang out ever again.

"i– i meant– yeah, of course. anything for you." he stutters out as you keep glaring at him. he then leans in closer, so much so that your noses are almost touching. "i'm really proud of you, you know."

heat crawls up from your neck and you feel the tips of your ears warm up, overwhelmed by the sudden genuine praise. but you can't let him have the upper hand. not now, not ever. he'll never let you live it down.

"your breath stinks, you know."

his eyes close with another incredibly dramatic sigh as he rests his forehead against yours but while doing so, he takes notice of your hot skin and the way you giggle, and translates it into your language –

thank you.

[xinfinityl0ve17]

“There are many things to do when returning to love. While we dive underground and study you all feel various things at home! So when we meet again, please look forward to what MALICE MIZER will be like. I am truly happy to have met you all in this arena!”

“Brise” and then, “au revoir.” The stage was illuminated with blue lighting, creating a beautiful scene. The last number was “ma cherie.” The audience joined in singing the call and response of “Ma Cherie.” KAMI, who had been relentlessly playing the drums, surprisingly engaged with the audience from the stage and at his signal the grand chorus of “Ma Cherie” erupted once again. Silver streamers burst from both sides of the stage and the main performance concluded with a united front of the audience and the five members.

And then the encore. The encore was a grand performance that decorated the finale of this tour. KAMI, YU~KI, KOZI and MANA appeared one after the other, each adorned with large wings. Their gorgeous costumes were worth seeing on their own. And then, at the end, Gackt spread his black wings and descended from above the set. It was breathtaking! The song was “Le ciel,” a single scheduled for release on September 30. Finally, in the center of the stage, Gackt spread his arms and looked up to the heavens, causing the star sphere set high above the stage to shine all at once across the entire width of the hall. Oh! It was truly a star filled sky! The dynamic ending evoked a wave of emotion. I felt like giving a tremendous round of applause to the members as they quietly disappeared from the stage.

The blend of musicality, theatricality, and various elements at different moments is what makes their stage interesting. If not done well, it could easily turn into a jumbled and unmanageable situation, but MALICE MIZER skillfully connected the delicate pieces, showing a unique space. And what they will show us next is completely unpredictable. That’s why you absolutely want to see what comes next. Yes, MALICE MIZER is quite dangerous.