#that as soon as the Wens were like “over there!” and ran off into the rain and left WWX safe

[yutaan]

Throwback reblog for Jiang Cheng's birthday! The present I got him is Suffering, apparently. :D

Plot twist!!! 

[waitimcomingtoo]

Safe and Sound

Pairing: Peeta Mellark x Reader

Synopsis: you run away after Snow announces that you have to go back into the Games and Peeta freaks out when he can’t find you (CF spoilers)

Masterlist

“The tributes will be reaped from the existing pool of victors.”

As soon as those words processed in your brain, you were out the door. You ran straight for the woods and hopped right over the fence. Your mind shut off and your feet took over, carrying you as far as they could. You ran all the way to the boarder of the district and clung to the fence. If you were caught all the way out there, you’d likely be killed. Or at the very least, forcefully thrown back into your home. You almost hoped they would just kill you so that you didn’t have to go back into the games. You dropped to your knees and let out a sob that lasted until your voice ran out. The patchy grass welcomed you as you laid down and stared up at the sky as you thought about what your life had become. A few hours passed and without realizing it, you succumbed to the exhaustion and fell asleep out there.

When you woke up, it was dark out. You sat up and rubbed your aching head before realizing that if you had to go back into the games, one of your boys did too.

“Peeta.” You whispered and sprang up. You ran back to the village and went into his house, but he wasn’t there. You then ran next door to Haymitch’s house, finding him inside at his kitchen table with a large bottle of liquor.

“Bout time you showed up.” Haymitch slurred and took another sip.

“I need to talk to you.” You said as you sat down.

“Why? So you can ask me to fight to the death? Again?” Haymitch laughed humorlessly.

“Peeta can’t go back there. We barely made it out the first time.”

“I figured that’s what you were gonna say. But what’s it say that Peeta was here hours ago begging to save your life? What am I supposed to do about that? Shouldn’t I honor first come first serve?”

“No. You know you can’t save me. Men can’t volunteer for women. But if his name is called…” You trailed off and hoped he wouldn’t make you say it. Haymitch took a long sip from the bottle before letting out a deep sigh.

“I’ll volunteer.” He said without looking up.

“Thank you.” You sighed and threw your arms around him. Haymitch begrudgingly hugged you back.

“You know, you could love a hundred lifetimes and still not deserve that boy.” He told you.

“I know that.” You sighed and sat back in your seat.

“So is he doing any better now that you’re back?” Haymitch asked you.

“What do you mean?”

“You haven’t been by to see him yet?” Haymitch asked with wide eyes.

“No. I’ve been in the woods trying to calm down. I fell asleep out there. Why?” You stared to panic when you saw how worried Haymitch was.

“You need to go see him. Now.” Haymitch ordered.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“He couldn’t find you.” Haymitch said and gestured with his hands for you to fill in the blanks.

“So? It’s only been…” You trailed off and checked the clock on the wall.

“Five hours since the announcement.”Haymitch informed you. “He ran in here after he couldn’t find you at your place. He nearly passed out when I said you weren’t here either.”

“Oh no. Do you know where he is now?” You asked. Peeta was going through the exact same emotions you were and you weren’t there for him.

“Probably in town. He said he was gonna check all your usual places. But that was hours ago.”

“Oh. Peeta.” You sighed and got out of your chair.

“Find him. And give the damn boy a hug, okay? He damn near lost his mind when he couldn’t find you. Be nice to him for once.” Haymitch ordered. You nodded and ran out of his house to go find Peeta. You checked Peeta’s house first in case he had gone back there but went to town when you didn’t find him.

“Peeta!” You called out as you ran through town. You peeked in through windows but most shops were closed. You went by the bakery, his old house, and the Hob, but he wasn’t at any of those places. You gave up after a long search and went back to your house. When you walked in, you found Peeta asleep on your couch with Buttercup snuggled in his arms. You chuckled at the sight until you knelt down beside him. His eyes were puffy and stained red from what must have been hours of crying. You frowned and stroked his hair, causing him to jolt away. Peeta quickly sat up and Buttercup ran out of his arms.

“Hey. I’ve been looking for you.” You told him. His expression didn’t change and he just continued to stare at you with a slightly dropped jaw. You thought he was mad at you so you reached forward and rubbed his shoulder.

“I’m sorry it took me so long. I should’ve come right over to see you.” You apologized. Peeta shut his mouth but continued to stare at you.

“Peeta? What’s the matter?” You asked him. His bottom lip suddenly started to quiver and he started to cry again. He threw his arms around you and held you tightly against him. You were confused but hugged him back and patted his head.

“I didn’t know where you went.” He said in the smallest voice you’d ever heard from him.

“Oh, Peeta.” You sighed and hugged him tighter. “I’m sorry. I went to the woods to clear my head. I just lost track of time.”

“After they made the announcement I went to your house but your mom said you ran out. I looked everywhere for you but I couldn’t find you.” He sniffled as he pulled out of the hug.

“I know. Haymitch told me. I’m sorry.” You pouted and rubbed his tears away with your thumbs.

“I thought you ran away. I didn’t know if I was ever gonna see you again.” His voice cracked as he stared into your eyes with his big puppy eyes.

“I just needed to-“

“You can’t do that. You can’t just leave.” He shouted. You blinked in surprise at Peeta raising his voice at you, something he never did.

“I had no idea where you were for hours. I didn’t know if Snow got to you and I was too late and I was never gonna see you again and…” Peeta broke into tears again and couldn’t finish his sentence. You realized that he wasn’t actually mad at you, just scared. You pulled him back into your arms and rested your cheek on the top of his blonde hair.

“Shh. It’s okay.” You cooed. “I’m here now.”

“You can’t scare me like that.” He sniffled. You pulled away and kept his face so you you could look into his eyes.

“I won’t do it again, okay? I promise.” You promised him. Peeta nodded his head and wiped his tears away on the back of his hand.

“Okay.” He nodded and gave you a sad smile. You returned the sad smile and rubbed your thumbs on his cheeks.

“I’m sorry I made you worry.” You said softly. Peeta shrugged a little to let you know that it was okay. His smile dropped suddenly and you felt his skin heat up under your fingertips.

“They’re putting us back in there.” He said quietly.

“I know, P.” You frowned. “I know.”

“They can’t keep doing this to us. We’re just kids.”

“I know.” You said again. “You’re the only one who understands.”

Peeta stared in your eyes for a minute before grabbing your face and pulling your into a rough kiss. Your eyes widened into surprised but quickly fluttered shut as you melted into his. Peeta clearly needed the kiss more than you did but you wouldn’t want to stop it anyway. Your lips moved together in a heated kiss until you had to pull away to breathe.

“I’m sorry. I know there’s no cameras.” Peeta said as he tried to catch his breath.

“That’s okay. You can kiss me anytime you want to.”

“I can?” He asked skeptically.

“You can.” You decided. Peeta smiled shyly and leaned in to kiss you again. This one was slower and lasted just long enough. When you pulled away. You wrapped your arms around his neck and rested your forehead against his.

“Whatever happens, we’re gonna be okay.” You assured him. “You might not even have to go in.”

“If my name does get called, I’ll be okay. You know how I know?”

“How?”

“I’ll have you. As long as we’re together, they can’t hurt us.” Peeta said with a sad smile.

“Together?” You asked and held up your pinky. Peeta linked his pinky with yours and kissed his hand.

“Together.”

Im sorry this was Josh sized (short asf) 😔😔😔😔

[buckyalpine]

I’m going to redo this story. Here is a version I wrote that I feel is okay but I have another version in mind so I’ll write that tooo. I didn’t want to throw this away completely so maybe at least 1 person will like this 😭 @paulasocean another version is coming bb ❤️

-

"Okay, I can't for the life of me remember what happened during this mission" Nat grumbled while sitting in the conference room, catching up on paper work after Fury had demanded all mission reports be handed in by the end of the week.

"Honestly, neither can I" Steve shook his head, rubbing his temples, the past few months all melting into a blur. Everyone had been running back to back missions, prioritizing actually saving people over filling out reports. "I only filled out half of it and before I could finish, someone put it away"

"Please tell me it's somewhere in this building, I can't spend the rest of the day writing about how many time Steve jumped off a roof with zero protection" Bucky groaned, most of his mission reports consisting of all the recklessness his bestfriend did.

"Go check the records room, someone probably filed it there" Tony suggested while Bucky nodded, heading down to the very bottom of the compound where there were rooms upon rooms filled with documents on every criminal and terrorist organization to exist as well as individual cases. Steve and Nat followed, the both of them wandering through the shelves where the most recent reports were, quickly locating the latest one.

"He's this big billionaire with the most advanced technology in the world and but he's keeping records in the basement like a creepy grandpa" Nat huffed, scanning the shelves.

"You'd think he'd have these all digitized by now, given how much he loves technology" Steve snorted while Bucky remained silent, preoccupied with a different row of shelves that caught his eye. His heart hammered a little harder than usual as he looked at the five full floor to ceiling shelves that were solely for Hydra. He was sure at least two shelves would be for his atrocities alone.

"Buck, c'mon" Steve patted Bucky's shoulder, already seeing where his bestfriends mind spiraled, "Nat found what she needed, let's get out of here punk"

"Just-give me a second" Bucky murmured, opening one of the drawers and flipping through the papers, swallowing thickly at some of the agents he'd recognized, ones that had tortured him to no end.

That's when another face caught his eye.

His blood ran cold, flipping through the pages faster, hoping there was some sort of mistake.

It couldn't be.

It was your face, over and over again but under a different name.

Svetlana Petrovitch

"St-Steve?"

"What is it Buck" Steve frowned, seeing the color drain from Bucky's face, taking the file from his hands, his own eyes growing wide.

"Please tell me that isn't her"

"That's y/n" Steve murmured, not understanding where there was a file on you at all, let alone why it was associated with Hydra. Bucky grabbed the filed back before looking at others, his anxiety only getting worse. "Svetlana?"

"These aren't files on those who were taken or held captive. This whole shelf is just for agents who have worked for Hydra throughout the years. They're all Hydra agents"

Bucky needed it to be a mistake, a misprint, a file placed in the wrong section, you were his whole world, you would've told him if you were associated with hydra. His mouth wen dry, clutching onto the papers as he wordlessly made his way back up to find you.

You had been gone all morning, insisting you were just going to grab coffee but now he had his suspicions. You usually always asked him to tag along everywhere but every so often, about every two weeks, you would disappear on your own for hours on end.

He'd also hear you speaking to someone on the phone in hushed whispers but he'd never once questioned it but based on what he'd just seen, he had no idea what to believe.

Who were you.

He tossed the file onto the table as soon as he saw you in the room, the tick in his jaw worrying you. You got up, making your way over to brush his cheek, freezing when he stepped away from your touch as if it would burn him. Everyone left the room, sensing this was a private moment between you both.

"Bucky, is everything okay-

"Where were you"

"I-

"Tell me where you were this morning"

Your heart sank to your stomach, the guilt plastered on your face causing his emotional turmoil to worsen.

"I-I told you I went for coffee" Your shaky voice lacked truth, only confirming his suspicious further.

"Did you work for Hydra?"

"Bucky-

"Y/n, it's a yes or no question, were you a hydra agent or not"

"I-

The fact that you hadn't said no, the fact that you looked guilty, unable to look at him directly in the face was enough to send Bucky over the edge.

"H-how could you?!”

"James, you don't understand!-

"No. No" Bucky shook his head, tears welling in his eyes, his stomach twisting in knots. "Don't. Just don't"

"Baby, please just listen to me-

"Is y/n your name? Hm?" His eyes were red from unshed tears, a part of him still desperately hoping this was all a bad dream. That his girl, the woman he trusted with his entire life, was really who he thought she was, "Or is it Svetlana. You were part of them. You probably still are, is that why you came here? Did you pretend to love me all this time just to get me back to them? Is this what all of our relationship was to you? Find a way to get the Winter Soldier back?"

"Bucky stop!" You cried out, your voice cracking, wiping away at your wet cheeks. You couldn't get a word in as he backed away from you, shaking his head, feeling disgust and confusion at the same time. His heart yearned for you but he wouldn't be able to over come this. "Please-

"There's nothing to listen to. How-how can I ever trust you again" His throat felt like it was being squeezed shut all over again, just like the days Hydra strapped a collar on him to hold him in place every time he was wiped. "I don't even know who you are anymore. I-I love you but I can't-

"Bucky don't do this, just let me explain-

"YOU CAN'T! THERE'S NOTHING FOR YOU TO EXPLAIN!" He snapped, making you flinch back. "You-you could've told me! How am I supposed to trust you?! I've told you my darkest memories and-and fuck, you would've already known, right? This was all a game to you, you would've already known everything I'd ever done. Were you part of that too? Huh? Did you also have a say in all the shit they did to me when I was under their control?"

"NO!" You shook your head, covering your ears, unable to take the words he was saying to you, never in a million years would you ever have done such a thing to the man you loved with your entire being. "Jamie, I would never, I love you, just sit down with me baby, please-

"I'm sorry. We're done. For good. I can't even look at you. You know I love you, fuck, I-do you have any way how much I love you" Bucky's voice dropped to a whisper, moving to softly cup your face in his hands, brushing away at the tears that continued to spill from your lashes. He traced his thumbs along your soft cheeks on last time, his soul feeling like it was being ripped from his body as he dropped his arms back to his sides. "But I can't do this"

He stormed out of the room without looking back leaving you torn, broken and sobbing. You ran past the others who were still worriedly waiting outside and right to your room, locking it, instructing FRIDAY to forbid anyone else from entering.

It didn't take long for you to pack all your things. You didn't have much.

You never did.

You left behind all of Bucky's Henleys that you'd stolen along with all the sweet gifts he'd bought you on your dresser; you figured he wouldn't want to see you anyway.

You had left the compound by that night.

-

Steve signed at the sight of his best friend spending another night destroying himself at the gym, dark red stains covering the leather of the nearly torn punching bag.

"No one knew?" Bucky's voice was hoarse from nights of crying and getting by on coffee and taking out his frustrations out on the gym. He'd stayed in his room for days on end, not speaking to anyone, his head and heart aching. His knuckles were split from how hard he'd been punching the bag, only to be held back by Steve who couldn't stand to see Bucky like this anymore.

"No. None of us knew anything. I spoke to Tony, those files were sent to us directly through SHIELD. When Tony ran his background checks, everything came up clear. There's gotta be more to this Buck. Why don’t you-"

"I loved her" Bucky shook his head, still feeling betrayed over all the things he didn't know. "But I can't"

Weeks went by and Bucky grew more reckless. Not having the love of his life by his side coupled by the fact that there were so many unanswered questions pushed him further and further to the edge. He hated that he still dreamt about you every night, tossing and turning in his cold bed, without you there to keep him safe and warm. You were on his mind every single day and every single part of him wanted to know where you'd gone, how you were doing, guilt starting to eat a him.

He never gave you a chance to explain yourself, jumping at you the second he thought you had strong ties with Hydra, that you were an agent yourself. He'd never even let you get a word in, breaking things off without a second guess.

To make things worse, he'd gone as far as accusing you of also being part of all the pain he'd been put through.

No one knew where you'd gone.

Except Tony.

-

"Just tell me where she is" Bucky ran his hands through his already messy hair, pacing up and down Tony's office while the billionaire sighed. "Please"

"I can't. She asked me not to and I can't break that Barnes. Plus you broke up with her, it's not like she left cause she wanted to"

The guilt that was already eating at him only worsened as he sat down in defeat, angrily wiping his face.

"Is there anything you can tell me? Something? Anything, I'll take anything at this point, I fucked up so badly"

"The most I can do is let you know if she comes back or if she wants to talk to you"

Bucky didn't press the issue more, taking it upon himself to scour the records room again to see if there was anything else on you but he came up short. There were no other files on a person with the last name Petrovitch. He never actually looked through your file properly, feeling too much anxiety from the first time he'd seen it. When he bothered to read it again, there was hardly any information, only having a few fuzzy pictures of you at the base with some other agents as well as how long you'd been there for.

There was one place he'd get his answers from.

SHIELD.

-

"Who is y/n"

"Sargent"

"TELL ME" Bucky's voice nearly shattered the glass, causing Fury to flinch while the others took a step back. After Tony didn't reveal your location, Bucky went straight to the head office, his brooding glare alone getting him instant access to the top floor. The team accompanied him for moral support but also to keep things under control just in case, everyone standing in the directors office on edge. "You kept this from me, from everyone here, I need to know, what does she have to do with Hydra"

Fury sighed, pulling out a thick file from a second safe, dropping it onto the table, shifting through papers before pulling out one of a picture from when you were young. Bucky recognized the twinkling eyes, his heart breaking all over again for the young little girl in the picture, lost and innocent.

How the hell did he think you'd been an agent.

"Y/n, y/l/n. Originally named Svetlana Petrovich by Hydra. Her birth mother had been used as an experiment to procreate more super soldiers in case the serum couldn't be replicated. The serum didn't take so she was rendered useless. Her mother was never seen again. Her supposed father was one of the many soldiers who had been given a different version of what Sargent Barnes has"

Bucky was frozen in place as Fury spoke, feeling absolute agony over the words he's said to you. Your broken face and pleading voice played over and over again, making him nauseous.

"Hydra kept the child in hopes of using training her into a weapon. She was cared for by a woman who was appointed to be her handler. She raised the child differently, without anyone else knowing. Don't ask me how she did it, we don't even have a name"

Everyone continued to listen in stunned silence while he spoke.

"Agent y/l/n wanted to escape but remained at the base to ensure no one hurt the woman who had taken care of her. She didn't go on any missions but she was trained to be one of the strongest soldiers they had, hence the images of her at the base with other Hydra operatives. She remained there until the woman's death and escaped the very same night. We recruited her a few years later"

"How do you know all this and why didn't anyone know" Steve stepped in while Bucky remained silent, trying desperately not to break down. Not only had you been born into the worst situation but you only remained there to protect the one person who was like a mother to you after you lost your own.

"I have my ways, Captain. She didn't want anyone to know. She wasn't proud of the fact that she'd been brought up in such a place. She left it all behind but wanted to use her skills for good. There's a reason she one of your top agents. She didn't learn those skills from just anywhere"

Bucky wordlessly walked out of the room, unable to sit and hear another word. His heart broke for the baby who'd been forced into Hydra's hands without a fighting chance. Yes, you had been raised by someone who wanted to love and care for you but you'd been tortured and trained more than anyone else and after you finally escaped with a life for yourself, he'd accused you of betraying him. He hated that he had come to Fury for answers when he could've just let you speak instead, letting his own anger cloud his judgement. He still didn't know where you'd disappeared to or who you'd be on the phone with but Bucky had to speak to you, no matter what it took.

-

"I'm only giving you her location because she sounds miserable and I'm assuming it's because she misses you. If she pulls a gun my head because of this, its on you" Tony mumbled, scribbling something onto a sheet of paper and stuffing it into Bucky's hand. "You better grovel your ass off"

Bucky couldn't care less about traffic laws as he swerved through the streets to get to you, his motorbike revving through the city till he reached a dingy looking apartment building. He frowned, double checking the address before parking his bike and walking to the lobby. Bucky made his way to the concierge, the man seemingly recognizing him immediately.

"Sargent, I'm assuming you're the boy she's been moping over" The man at the front desk gave him a pointed look, giving him a key and directing him to go to the top floor before he could even say anything. Bucky's cheeks reddened with embarrassment, nodding with a thank you before dashing off to get to you.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, he was surprised to find the peeling and dusty hall way empty with just one door right in the middle. His heart hammered against his chest as he shakily raised his hand to knock. He could hear shuffling on the other side, wiping his palm against his jeans when he hard the lock click open.

"Baby, I'm so sorry I- oh-mam, I'm sorry, I must have the wrong address-“

An elderly woman opened the door, her eyes twinkling as she looked him up and down, taking his metal hand in hers and pulling him inside. Bucky stood in confused silence as he entered the large apartment, which was a stark contrast to the mess it appeared to be on the outside. The interior was sleek; the apartment large enough to take up the entire floor. It made sense why the whole hall only had one door. A large living area was off to the right, decorated with a mix of abstract and modern art; a lot of the pieces reminding him of things that you would paint yourself-

"You must be James" she hummed, taking him into the living room while Bucky's jaw was still hanging, utterly perplexed over where he was. "Let me get your girl"

"My girl?"

Before he could get another word in, the woman disappeared, coming back moments later, dragging you with her. You stood stiffly, refusing to meet his eyes while she huffed, giving you a gentle push towards him.

"Now you both sit and talk" And with that, she left.

"Y/n" Bucky want to fall to his knees and beg you to forgive him, his heart breaking over the way you looked at him like a stranger. The eyes that used to hold so much love, so much spark were now hollow and empty and full of hurt.

"No. You didn't even give me a chance to explain myself Bucky" You kept your voice as steady as you possibly could, your throat already starting to grow painfully tight. You weren't one to cry easily, especially after years of training to repress your emotions but Bucky was your weakness.

"I know. I was wrong, I should've listened to you, it was so wrong of me, I-It's just-I'm not excusing myself, I promise, it's just-I didn't know what to think and I'd always hear you on the phone, sometimes you'd disappear for hours and you wouldn't tell me where, I-I'm sorry I thought the worst when I saw that file. It doesn't change the fact that I didn't let you get a word in. I'm so sorry angel"

You sighed, letting your heart soften. You knew Bucky came with his own baggage of trust issues and while you'd wanted to tell him about the phone calls and visits, you worried about if any of it would make him uncomfortable.

"It was my mother" You whispered, anxiously fidgeting with your fingers, "That's who I'd call and come to see. Well my adoptive mother. Handler. She was like a mother to me"

"But-I thought-" Bucky blinked in confusion, Fury had made it clear the woman had passed before you escaped, "She's alive?"

"I helped her escape with me. We faked her death so they wouldn't come searching for her. She had been captured there to work as a nurse. We changed our names. I didn’t want her living there anymore after I left. This is her place; Tony was nice enough to renovate a penthouse for me without asking questions. Before I joined the team, we'd lay low in cheap rentals. Now I know she's always safe. The concierge is a trained agent"

Bucky felt an inkling of hope when he stepped towards you and you didn't step back. He nervously brought his hand to hold yours, letting out the breath he was holding when you didn't pull away.

"Please forgive me baby, I-I should've given you a chance to explain, I'm so sorry" Bucky squeezed your hand, his thumb coming to brush away the tear that trailed down your cheek.

"You hurt me" You whispered, sniffling. "I'm not upset that you got mad or felt hurt and confused. But you thought I was an agent Bucky. You-you thought I'd do something to hurt you" The last word barely made it out as the first sob escaped. You were able to take Bucky's hurt and confused but no the fact that he'd doubt your love for him, "Did you think I-I didn't love you?"

"No! I shouldn't have said that, I'm sorry baby. For everything. For everything you had to go through, for everything I said. I shouldn't have acted like that. I should have trusted you, I know you love me, no one's ever loved me the way you do doll"

“How could you not trust me. Why didn’t you at least let me explain it to you Bucky”

“I know baby, m'so sorry" Seeing your walls crumble made Bucky's heart ache, his body moving on its own to wrap you in a protective hug. He hated to be the cause of your tears, understanding why you'd been nervous to tell him about your past. Of course you came with your own traumas from Hydra and even though he endured similar things, it still wasn't easy to open up about. "Will you please come back home? You don't have to stay in our room, you don't even have to forgive me, just- please baby"

You melted into his embrace having missed his warmth, his scent, his safe arms.

"I should have told you. I-I was scared-

"Shhh, I understand. You don't have to explain it, m'sorry i didn't know and lashed out. Please come home baby" He whispered against your hair, kissing the top of your head while keeping you pressed to his body. You nodded against his chest, too lost in hugging him back to notice your mother's watery smile or happy sniffles.

"Take me home, Bucky"

-

Of course after you'd come home, Bucky continued to earn your forgiveness, making sure you understood he'd never doubted your feelings for him. He starts to join you as well when you go to visit your mother, blushing when she calls him handsome. Butterflies erupt in his tummy when she give him her blessing while he fidgets with a ring he'd bought, keeping it safely in a velvet box for the right moment.

During vulnerable nights there are times where he needs you to hold him and nights where you need him just as much. He loves that he can comfort and hold you too, letting you pour your heart out when you feel like it or humming soft lullabies till you fall asleep when you don't feel like talking. One thing that is for sure, he'd never push you away from him again. There no one else on this earth that he loves and trusts more than you.

Once again, this version was meant to be trashed so. pls.

[theglitterypages]

Haikyu Boys Caught With Their Best Friend's Sister (Featuring Kuro Tetsuro)

Kuro knows how wrong this is but he did everything in his power to not fall for his best friend's sister. It's been a month since he started dating you behind your brother's back, he knows that it's disrespectful and he's risking his friendship with Kenma, knowing how much he adores you. But Kuro waited for so long, and fought his feelings it made his chest tighten whenever he'll see you but can only pretend to see you as a younger sister.

He treasures his friendship with Kenma but the way your skin feels warm and hot against his hands makes his brain malfunction, all he could think is how every inch of you must be worshipped, he breatehs into your skin, gently nipping, and marking the parts that his lips could reach as you arch your back and rake your fingers in his scalp. "T-Tetsu…" you chanted his name like a prayer and Kuro felt the last fiber of control he has in him snap just by hearing your sinful voice call out his name.

He met your eyes, his hand still roaming underneath your shirt as you sigh in pleasure. "Use your words, love. Tell me what you want…" he teased, gently nibbling on your ear and you groaned in frustration, earning a laugh from the man on top of you.

"God, I love you so much YN." he whispered leaning down to kiss you on your lips.

He lets you settle on his lap, his hands still under your shirt as you both try to watch the movie. He's kissing your nape, while his eyes was fixed on the television. "Love…" he breathed, calling your attention. "Why?" you asked, turning to face him.

Kuro took his hands out from under your shirt with a sigh before kissing the tip of your nose, "A-Are you ready to tell Kenma?" he asked, his hands finding yours, massaging it gently before kissing the back of it.

You know how conflicted he must feel, he wouldn't have hide this relationship if not for your request to not let your brother know. You were worried about how Kenma would react and you wouldn't want to be part from Kuro.

"Soon, love. I promise…" you whispered, hugging him, letting him bury his face on your neck.

Kuro held you tightly, even if his chest if filled with worry, he let himself find peace as he holds you in his arms.

But that peace was soon cut off when the doorbell rang and you both were snatched away from your little safe paradise.

Kuro looked at you, waiting for your confirmation of who might be the visitor but the moment you jumped out his arms, Kuro knew who's outside.

"Oh shit, that's my brother. Oh my God, Tetsu you need to hide!"

Kuro didn't have any chance to think when you pushed him towards the bathroom and locked it before you went to open the door to greet your brother.

Kuro pressed his ear agains the door, his jaw clenching as he looked down at the tent on his pants. "Fuck shit." he cussed, he knew it, he knew that it wouldn't be long till his luck ran out but still, he couldn't feel any regret because every stolen moment he had with you was the best of his life, if your relationship might cause a problem with his friendship with Kenma, he would take all the blame.

Kenma walked inside your flat with his usual bored expression, "Is this a bad time?" he asked, examining your flustered look and heavy breaths. Your eyes widened and shook your head, "N-No, I-I was just cleaning and kinda forgot you'll drop off some of my things." it wasn't long since you moved out of your parents' home so you still have some of your stuffs left in there and Kenma volunteered to bring your stuffs so you won't have to do it.

You were just so caught up with Kuro's sinful touch that you forgot that he's coming over tonight.

"Okay…" he handed a bag to you. "Mom said not to bring all of your stuffs, she said she'd like your room there to stay that way." he told you, his eyes scanning your flat as if taking in the details. His eyes carefully scanned your furnitures, his head tilting a little as he tried to take a look of the kitchen, before they went back to meet your eyes.

"Your flat looks way better than last time, you decorated well."

You could only nod your head, usually your brother won't stay for so long to say stuffs like this does he miss you or he's just trying to torment you? "Y-Yeah, I just looked at some Pinterest inspo and stuffs…"

"Cool, hey can I use your bathroom real quick?"

You internally panicked and your instinct kicks in, holding onto your brother's sleeve before he could take another step closer towards your bathroom. "I-I haven't cleaned it yet….it's clogged and I-" Kenma looked down on your hand gripping his sleeve, "You don't know how to fix a clogged toilet? How are you gonna live alone? I'll fix it for you." Kenma removed you hands off his sleeve and walked over to the bathroom, opening the door.

Kuro couldn't hear anything no matter how hard he tries to press his ear against the door, even if he hears some noise, it's all muffled and inaudible, his heart hammers against his chest but he chose to stay calm waiting for you to come and open the door, so when he heard the doorknob click, he sighed in relief but his face went pale when he saw his best friend's face when the door opened.

Kenma was stunned, and there was a dead silence between the three of you. But when he was able to came back to his senses, he looked at Kuro from head to toe, and he saw that he's holding his shirt in his right hand and Kenma looked at him with lazy eyes.

"I knew that you've been hiding a boy for a month now but never in my wildest dreams that I imagined it to be Kuro."

That was the only thing that came out Kenma's mind, in fact, those words were blurted out without any careful thought process, it wasjust him simply stating the fact in front of him, his best friend shirtless hiding in your bathroom, looking flustered as he meet his gaze.

Kenma has suspicions that you are dating someone but he never imagined that it would be Kuro, though he wouldn't deny the way his best friends' gaze lingers on you whenever he thinks that he's not looking. A part of Kenma believed that Kuro wouldn't do anything without consulting him.

He doesn't know what to feel, his best friend and his sister, two of the most important people in his lives hiding like criminals, not trusting that he would understand the situation, as if he'll take it out agains them for falling in love.

He felt a pang of pain in his chest when he came up with that realization. But didn't say anything and wiats for you and Kuro to try and talk for yourselves.

Kuro couldn't utter a word, not when he couldn't decipher the tone laced in Kenma's voice.

"L-Let me explain, I was the one who pursued YN,I fell in love first. I'm the one to blame."

You went to Kuro's side to hold his hand, "But I was the one who wanted to keep it a secret…I was scared and…I don't want you to be mad. I-I love him, Ni-chan." you admitted honestly, squeezing Kuro's hand to tell him that you're in this mess together.

Kenma sighed as he looked at the two of you with his cat like eyes, he didn't like the idea of the two of you hiding just because you both thought that he wouldn't understand but Kenma decided that he'd rather keep it to himself because he couldn't recall a moment where he saw your eyes sparkle the way they do as you look at Kuro and as a big brother, he wouldn't want to put an end to you and his best friend's happiness "Whatever. I'm not against any of this but have some decency to at least cover up your hickeys.." he looked at you intensely, the kind that he gives you when he's about to scold you, "You're still my baby sister…" he told you before looking at Kuro with a glare, "And you're still my best friend."

[shivunin]

The Ballad of Chocolate Pudding

For @ockissweek Day 1, I have borrowed the lovely @greypetrel's Aisling. Thank you for lending me your gal! This year, I decided to dig into the archives (that fantastic comic you made of Aisling coming back to Skyhold with Chocolate Pudding) and elaborate on how Aisling came to adopt a baby bear. c:

(Tabris & Lavellan | 1,268 Words | No Warnings)

“I think she’s perfect,” the Inquisitor gushed, hands clasped under her chin. 

She and Tabris leaned over a fence at Vigil’s Keep in relative quiet. It was a nice change of pace for Arianwen, who was used to visiting emissaries talking about stupid trivialities instead of anything that actually mattered. A fellow animal lover had been a welcome change of pace and that opinion had only been bolstered each time Lavellan had come to visit. 

In the field before them, a large black bear loped back toward the woods, coat gleaming in the sunlight. Honey was well-fed and pampered—or as pampered as a half-wild bear could be, anyway. Wen was as proud of her as she would’ve been her own child, had she ever chosen to have one. 

“She has cubs,” Wen offered after a moment’s consideration. “I can show you, if you want to see.”

“Really?” Aisling asked, eyes shining in the sunlight. “But won’t she be very angry?” 

“Eh,” Arianwen shrugged. “She won’t mind, long as I’m there.”

In truth, an idea was beginning to form in her mind, but she suspected it would go over better if she’d tempted the Inquisitor with a peek at what she intended before she made the request. 

In short order, the two of them were following after Honey, long grass tangling around their ankles. The Inquisitor talked a great deal, which was usually something that would bother Wen. They were both fortunate that the topic of conversation was horses, something she’d intended to learn more about in any case, and so the Warden was content. 

“—can find out so much from their droppings, really,” the Inquisitor said earnestly, gesturing. “People underestimate it, but it’s true.”

“I believe it,” Wen agreed, gesturing for Aisling to follow her when they reached the woods. “You said something about foals?”

“Able to walk almost right away, and so well!” Aisling said, ducking under a branch Wen held back for her. “I helped with one birth a few weeks ago and you wouldn’t believe…”

Wen listened to her all the way to Honey’s den, reflecting that it was rather pleasant, actually, to listen to someone talk about things she cared about without having to answer. They could have passed hours like that, Wen leading Aisling deeper into the cool, birdsong-filled forest, but they arrived at their destination far too soon for that. 

The glade before them ended in a small cave, its low roof extending into a dark hollow too deep to see the end of. Honey lay before it now, two cubs clambering over her sleeping form. After a moment, her great eye opened, assessed the two of them, and closed again. Wen greeted her quietly, full of affection for the silly creature, and listened as her visitor exclaimed over the babies. 

“But what about this one?” Aisling asked after a moment, moving closer to a third, smaller cub who’d been tucked off to the side. He had not been rolling about with his brother or sister. Instead, the little brown cub made a sad mewling noise and wobbled toward them one tiny paw at a time.

“Rejected,” Wen said quietly. 

She’d had hopes that Honey would reconsider, that things might have changed the next time she’d made it up here, but…well. Trained to fight or not, the bear was still a wild animal. Wen could no more control her than she could control the birds in the trees. 

“She won’t take care of him?” Aisling asked, holding a hand out to the little creature. He bumbled forward, rolling onto his side twice before he made it to her palm. Carefully, she smoothed her hand over the thick fur. The cub nuzzled into her hand, closing his little eyes.

“No,” Wen said, and ran light fingertips over the little bear’s back. “He’s the runt.”

“But what will happen to him?” Aisling asked, gingerly lifting the cub when he pawed at her crossed legs. “You won’t let him…?”

“I’d bring him back with me,” Wen confirmed, and pulled a small waterskin from her pocket. “Here—goat’s milk. I love him, but I don’t have much time these days. The stablemaster would have to do it.”

“The stablemaster? But he’s a dreadful grouch!” Aisling protested, offering the waterskin to the cub, who accepted it with enthusiasm. “He won’t take good care of him. He probably won’t even give him a name!”

“What would you call him?” Wen asked, crouching beside them. 

“Well!” Aisling said, forehead wrinkling her vallaslin into scribbles. “I—his mother is Honey, and he is so sweet—Chocolate Pudding!” 

Wen could not fault that; she had, after all, named her hound Ser Grr. 

“Bears’re difficult,” she told Aisling. “Grumpy. Need their sleep. Never really tame.”

“Of course not, they’re bears,” Aisling said, still feeding the little fellow. 

“He’ll live to twenty-five or so. He’ll get big. Really big. He might not fit in your room.”

“Well, he will just have to live in the courtyard, then,” Aisling said, smiling when the bear finished his meal and batted at her hand. 

“Want to take him home?” Wen asked. 

“Well,” Aisling said, watching as the cub clambered down from her lap and toddled away. “But. You’d let me? You said you love him. You…trust me to take him with me?”

“Course,” Wen said. “You like animals. I’ve seen you with Little Brother. You’ll take care of him.” 

“But I—but—” Aisling began, her wide eyes welling up with tears. Alarmed, Wen tried to remember what Zevran had told her to say when she’d made someone cry, but the words escaped her. 

Abruptly, the Inquisitor threw her arms around Wen’s neck. Wen stiffened, uncertain, but patted the other woman’s shoulder after a moment. When she didn’t let go, Wen kissed the top of her head, blonde hair summer-warm and soft, and extricated herself from the embrace. 

“We should bring him back if you’re taking him,” she said. “We don’t want to walk back in the dark.”

“Yes, of—of course—” Aisling said, sniffing once and blinking rapidly. “Thank you, Ward—Arianwen. I won’t forget this, really.” 

“Alright,” Wen said, and bent to scoop up the cub. “You want to hold him?” 

“Of course,” Aisling said, scrubbing the heel of her hand over her cheek. “Come here, Pudding. I’ll be taking care of you, now.” 

Wen started back ahead of the Inquisitor, listening for the footsteps that followed after a moment. 

“Pudding,” Aisling said, so quietly she must think that Wen could not hear. “I’m sorry that she didn’t take good care of you. I know how much it hurts. I’m going to love you twice as much to make up for it. No—three times as much. We’ll be happy, you’ll see.”

Wen rubbed a hand over her chest, still listening, and heard a loud, exaggerated kissing sound. The cub made a soft noise behind her and Aisling laughed. 

When Wen turned to look at them, the Inquisitor had paused in a patch of sunlight, bear half-draped over one shoulder. The bear in question had grasped some of her hair and was chewing on it now, little whiskers brushing against her cheek. Aisling laughed again, shifting him back to her arms while he went on trying to eat her hair. 

Yes. That was what Arianwen had thought. There were very few people that she trusted too take care of her animals, but Aisling was exactly the right person for this. She’d never had any doubt. 

Even when the Inquisitor tied a massive red bow around Pudding’s neck before they rode away from Vigil’s Keep several days later, this opinion did not waver.

[naturesapphic]

Hey! I'm in love with your oneshots! I would like to know if you can do a Mommy!Rhea Ripley x Little!Fem Reader where they have play date with other Mommys and Littles ( Any other Wrestlers of your choice if possible ) where she has to explain that a new member is joining them today and that reader has to be good and if she is she will get a special treat but the new kid starts to make fun of readers things which Promps reader to tell Rhea and Rhea confronts other parent defending reader ( I'm Just alittle upset still from Monday I still can't believe It 🥺 ) Thanks you so much 😊

Meanies

Mommy!rhea ripley x little!fem!reader

Warnings: age regression, random oc wrestlers lol, arguments

You were having playdates today with your friends at your house and you were so excited. Soon enough all of your friends and their mommies were here but there was two strangers that were talking with your mommy. Rhea came in the living room where everyone was at and had the new guest following behind her. “Attention everyone! We have new guest Here today. We have Alexis and her little. Her name is Sophia so I want everyone to welcome them with open arms.” Rhea said as she introduced them to everyone.

Then Rhea came over to you and brought them to you. “This is my little one y/n. Y/n are you going to be a good girl right? And if you are I’ll give you a special treat okay?” Rhea said and you nodded your head excitedly. “I bes goods mommy I promise!” You told her. You were pretty excited to have more friends but when you looked over to give her a friendly smile, Sophia glared at you which made you confused on why she did that to you. You shrugged it off and continued to play with your friends. A few moments later Sophia came over and started playing with everyone, it seemed normal until she started making fun of your clothes.

“Dey ugly. Why chu wears dems?” She said and your face got red in embarrassment. “Cuz mys mommy bought its for mes.” You explained and she stuck her tongue out at you. You ignored her until it was pretty much the whole time she was here she was making fun of you and your things. The last straw was when she was making fun of how you were coloring because Rhea said you were great at coloring so when Sophia wasn’t looking you ran over to your mommy with tears visible in your eyes. “Mommy! Sophia keeps beings means to mes!” You cry out but not too loud.

Rhea looked at you with shock and worry in her eyes and she picked you up and went upstairs to y’all’s room so the two of you could talk privately. “What is she doing babygirl?” She asked you with a gentle voice as she holds you close to her as y’all sit on the edge of the bed. “She keeps makings funs of mys stuffs an mys Clothes. Den she keeps making faces at mes. Den she says mys coloring bads an den wen I told hers dat chu said it’s was goods she says dat chu lies an don means it…” you say sadly and Rhea felt her heart break at the information. “I’ll go talk to her mommy okay? You can avoid her if you want okay? You don’t have to play with her anymore today.” Rhea explained and you nodded your head in understanding.

The two of you went back down the stairs and Rhea went over to Alexis to tell her about what her little is doing to hers. Alexis couldn’t believe her ears at this information and accused you of lying. Of course Rhea was fuming and she defended you. No one was going to accuse her baby like that and by the end of it both caregivers were pissed and Rhea told Alexis to leave and don’t plan on coming back until they are both nice and kind. Alexis mumbled something and called for Sophia. Soon enough, they walked out the door and you ran up to your mommy and jumped in her arms. “Tank chu mommy. Cans I till has my treat?” You asked her genuinely wanting to know. “Of course you can baby but after the playdate is over okay?” She chuckled and put you down so you could continue to play with your friends. Then luckily for you and Rhea. They never came back.

A/n: hey anon I hope you enjoyed this and omg same I miss Rhea sm too :( I hope the rest of y’all enjoyed it too and remember to stay hydrated and to rest! I love y’all :)

[pasteidolons]

𝔥𝔴𝔞𝔯𝔞𝔫𝔤 - 𝔥𝔧𝔰 || 𝔭𝔞𝔯𝔱 𝔦𝔳

pairing: hong jisoo x female!reader genre: historical au, fluff, angst, smut (later routes), supernatural members: lee jihoon, choi seungcheol, wen junhui, kwon soonyoung, jeon wonwoo, lee seokmin, kim mingyu, boo seungkwan,yoon jeonghan, xu minghao, lee chan, choi hansol warnings: crass humor and language, blood, violence, mentions of suicide, alcohol, minor character death, 660's sexism, crossdressing, medical procedures, political upset, historical inaccuracies for the sake of plot progression word count: 15.6k

taglist: @lovrehani, @hipsdofangirl, @reiofsuns2001

𝔭𝔞𝔯𝔱 𝔦𝔦𝔦 || 𝔭𝔞𝔯𝔱 𝔳

𝔄𝔭𝔯𝔦𝔩 13𝔱𝔥, 664 – 𝔖𝔢𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔟𝔢𝔬𝔩, 𝔎𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔡𝔬𝔪 𝔬𝔣 𝔖𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔞 “Look Seungkwan!” You call out to the captain some feet in front of you, “The trees bloomed.”

Boo Seungkwan stops in his tracks, the blues of his robes shifting as he turns to face you and then looks across the river the pair of you’d been walking by on your patrol to spot the blossoms.

The gentle introduction of spring is most certainly needed in Seorabeol now. After last autumn’s attempt at quashing the Baekje forces, Silla thought themselves to be rid of the threat, but now more rumors have been arising from the north that Buyeo Pung and his men are on the move once again.

“You’re right,” he nods and looks back at you, a smirk on his lips as he does so, “Even then, I’d try to act sedate about it.”

Eyes widening as you look at a few townsmen who pass, their gazes dubious over your excitement towards the changing season. Maybe too forgetful of your attire with the dawn of a new spring, you find yourself quieting down as you catch up to Seungkwan.

“Seungkwan?” You question after a moment more of walking, your eyes watching a few petals float atop the river, “Why didn’t we go after those men who ran off after seeing you?”

“Them?” Seungkwan scoffs as you look back at him, “They’re not revivalists, that’s for sure. If they were, they wouldn’t have run off like a dog with its tail between its legs. More than anything they’re probably common thieves.” A nod of his head as his shoes kicked up a small cloud of dust, “To be honest, I doubt there are any revivalists in Seorabeol willing to start anything and oust themselves at this point.”

“The Hwarang have really made a name for themselves, haven’t they?” You muse, watching the street ahead of you. “It seems like everyone knows your blues.”

In recent memory, the question of changing the Hwarang uniform has been placed on the table more than once, stemming from the fact that it both catches people’s attention as well as wards troublemakers off. As well as a lack of fashionable sense, Gongmyung had so graciously advised.

“Has the Deputy Commander returned from Ungjin yet?” You question, knowing that Gongmyung had left some time ago to oversee some things at a newer installment of Hwarang in the area.

“Think so,” Seungkwan frowns, “Can’t say I wanted him back so soon, if ever, though.”

“He said he was going to recruit people too, right?”

“Mhm, but I have to wonder if Ungjin is the only place he went.” The Hwarang mutters.

“Isn’t that a good sign though? That he’s trying to get more numbers?”

“Is that what you think that’s about?” An eyebrow piqued at you.

“Am I wrong to assume that?” You furrow your brow, brushing your hand on the front of your robes to try and get rid of some lingering dust.

“Not at all,” with the way Seungkwan says it, you know he’s being sarcastic. “Kwak’s too nice to him, he should’ve been kicked out a long time ago.”

Ever since the Kim brothers had arrived to join the Hwarang, there had been a strong dislike for Gongmyung. You certainly can see why but hearing the absolute vocalized protest against him is jarring to hear.

You break away from looking at the road ahead and catch a glimpse of a figure quickly turning and racing down a side alley. At first you think it to be more men afraid of getting caught from the Hwarang on patrol, but the bright pink of their skits catching you off guard as they slip around the corner.

“Wait a minute…” Catching their eye, you’re stricken with a familiarity almost as if you are looking at your own face. You aren’t given much time to look at her, though, because once you’ve realized who she is, she’s gone. “Ahro!” You call out, only to be pulled back by Seungkwan.

“Where do you think you’re going?” He asks, only for you to shrug him off and barrel down the road towards where you’d last spotted your doppelgänger.

“Just hold on!” You call out behind you, knowing that a stunt like this is going to get you into trouble. The backstreets are denser than you originally thought, a thicket of people causing you to weave your way through the crowds as you race after the girl. It isn’t until you trail her to a back alley deep in the depths of Seorabeol does she stop.

“Is something wrong?” Ahro asks as she spins on her heels as she turns to face you, “You seem to have exerted yourself quite a bit.”

“It looks like I surprised you earlier,” you huff, trying your best not to double over as your lungs take in more oxygen than they can process. “Do you remember who I am?”

“Of course,” she nods, “You were with the Hwarang that day.”

“Can I ask you something?” Thoughts flooding to what Mingyu had said that night at Noseo-dong, of the girl he mentioned who looked exactly like you. “One of the men said they saw a girl who looked like me at the bulletin board by the bridge some months ago… Was that you by any chance?”

“I’m not sure,” a frown holds her lips as her pink skirts flutter in the wind with a gentle breeze, “I don’t find myself traveling there very often. But if he had seen me, would that be an issue?” Embarrassment takes hold over you; you’re almost accusing a stranger for something that you don’t even know the full story to. “Perhaps what you wanted to ask me was if I’ve been there at night?”

Eyes widening at her statement, maybe she is more perceptive than you thought.

“It happened in late spring, someone who looked like me disrupted what the Hwarang were guarding,” you pick your words carefully, trying not to be but so accusatory at the moment.

“If it was you,” a voice, more accusatory, calls out from behind you and directed towards Ahro, “Then we need to talk, it may or may not end with your imprisonment depending on the answers you give me.”

“Seungkwan,” you mutter, surprise overtaking you as he walks to stand by your side. You’re not sure when he’d caught up with you.

“Captain Boo,” she notes with a small smile, “Thank you for helping me back then.”

Her gratitude falls on deaf ears, Seungkwan’s frown not budging with her words. “Are you going to answer her?” He asks, gaze narrowing, the taught smirk reappearing as his body tenses, anticipating something, “Were you at the board that night?”

“Many people walk by that board during the day,” Ahro’s brow furrows, “But I don’t go near it at night because of the attacks. Are you accusing me simply because I look like someone else?” She looks almost downcast at her own words, her gaze dropping to the ground as she hangs her head.

“Of course not,” you step in, “It’s rude of us to assume without any proper evidence.”

“You’re still gullible,” Seungkwan scoffs, shaking his head, “After a few sorry words you’re just going to believe her? Even if she is the culprit, do you think she’d just tell you that?”

Seungkwan and you lock eyes, an immense feeling of guilt washing over you. You’re not one to place the blame with little to no evidence, but she was the closest thing to a lead you and he had seen since Mingyu had divulged what he’d seen that night.

“If there’s no reason for you to keep me here… I should be getting on my way, I have errands to run,” Ahro sighs out and turns on her heels, beginning to walk towards the main street.

You think to pursue her once more, but a fit of coughing coming from the captain interrupts that thought.

“Are you alright?” A worried look to Seungkwan, who’s nearly doubled over, coughing into his hand. You find yourself stepping forward, wanting to offer assistance but not sure on how to do so.

His head shoots up to look at you as he hears you approach, his free hand raising to stop you, “Stay back.” Another bout of coughing before he speaks again, “I’m fine just… just give me a second.” It is the intensity of his demeanor that halts you, not only his words. The captain coughs for a few moments more, only standing straight when the bouts reside. His face looks pallid, sweat crawling down the sides of his face as he looks back at you.

“Are you still sick?” You question him carefully as he wipes his hand on his sleeve. “You look tired.”

“I’m fine,” he answers shortly, a small smile finding its way to his lips as if to assure you. It doesn’t. “You did make me run after you; you know.”

“But…” you begin before he stops you.

“But nothing, we’re in the middle of our rounds, we can’t get sidetracked anymore.” With that, he begins to walk, pace a little more slowly than usual. You catch up to him and he starts to scold you, “I agree that asking Ahro about the incident was important, but you can’t just run off like that alone. If she had been an enemy or had accomplices waiting for you, what would you have done?” He watches your brow furrow and shakes his head, “You didn’t even think about that, did you?”

Even if Ahro hadn’t done anything nefarious, Seungkwan’s right. You’d chased after your doppelganger without a second thought, which could have been bad if it had been someone else.

“Just,” he sighs, “try to be more careful, okay? I can’t be around you all of the time to make sure you don’t run off and get yourself kidnapped or killed.”

With Seungkwan’s words still lingering in your head, you finish your rounds and head back to the temple grounds. They still continue to float around even after you’d eaten dinner and resigned yourself back to your room, the bright light of the moon creeping in through the sole window of your quarters.

You like to think yourself useful, on more than one occasion you had helped the Hwarang with their ventures and around the headquarters. Yet, today had shown you that there is much more to learn, and maybe that your perception isn’t where it should be.

The more you think about it, the stronger your resolve to change it becomes, you’ll work on becoming more aware and less dependent on this. It’s high time you do something about it.

Just when you think that to yourself, a loud boom reverberates around your room, up against your door as if someone’s thrown themselves against it. It causes you to startle, quickly bolting up from your bedding as your heart begins to pound in your chest. It happens once more and the door bursts open, splinters of wood falling to the ground from where the hinges once attached to frame, revealing a wang-do standing in the dimly lit hall.

“Is… everything alright?” You question after they make no move to speak, continuing to stand there ominously. “Do you need something?” Every muscle in your body feels taught, anticipating the culminating worry building in your gut.

The wang-do mutters something, nearly inaudible as you strain your ears to listen to him.

“What did you say?”

“… Blood,” the word chills you as he takes a step across the threshold of your room, now as he comes into focus you can see that his hair is stark white. “I need… blood.” In his hand is a sword, dragging along the ground as he takes another step, the sound of the metal carving into the wood of the floor echoing around the space. It hits you then, your stomach dropping as you realize that he’s one of the Furies.

You part your lips, wanting to call out for one of the captains, but find yourself unable to muster a singular syllable before the Fury lunges at you with a cackle. The blade hisses as he raises it and brings it down toward you, you roll from your bed and onto the floor but not before you feel the cool metal of the blade burn and sink into the flesh of your arm.

A cry escapes you as you hit the floor, trying to scramble away from the intruder, but as the Fury catches sight of the crimson of your blood, he seems to only become more enthralled. Hand finding the wound on your arm, you try to apply pressure to it, your back hitting the wall behind you as the Fury looms in front of you.

“Someone help!” The words finally escape you as the Fury reaches up to smear the droplets of your blood that had hit his cheek, he laughs again before raising his sword once more, probably intending to end your life. His eyes show no remorse, no semblance of humanity as he laughs and laughs. Feet kicking off of the floor, he begins to barrel towards you, your limbs frozen in place as you can only watch.

The sound of a pair of footsteps racing into your room nearly pulls your attention away from the man running at you, yet it doesn’t, but when the new figure tells you to duck and look away, you comply almost immediately, tucking into yourself and trying to move away.

The Fury that had been chasing you stops at the intrusion, looking surprised to see the commander standing in the front of your room, his sword raised. Angered at the arrival, the Fury turns from you and takes a sloppy swing at Jihoon, the commander’s blade meeting the wang-do as he turns.

A cry resounds around the room as the Fury is struck, writhing for a moment before his wound begins to heal before your very eyes. Jihoon realizes this and looks over to you, “Get over here, now,” his voice stern before he looks back to the wang-do. Wordlessly, you do, still holding onto your arm as you make your way to him, the Fury’s attention still rapt upon Jihoon. As you fall behind the captain, more footsteps race towards your room, several of the captains arrive at your doorway seconds later, their brows furrowed.

“You alright?” Junhui asks as he looks to survey the situation.

“That’s,” Mingyu frowns before you can respond, his eyes settled on the wang-do, “the kid who had to drink the pimul after that shop raid… He’s too far gone now to bring him back.” The sadness in Kim’s tone is palpable, knowing that they’d have to kill the turned wang-do in the very near future. As if the words were an unspoken signal, the trio release their blades from their scabbards. They fan out, circling the wang-do carefully, watching for any signs of erratic movement. In an instant, the captains attack and fell the soldier, who crumples to the ground with a shriek of pain.

For a few seconds, the room is quiet, only then to be interrupted by more footsteps approaching. Perhaps the captains hadn’t been the only ones to hear your plea for help.

“I thought we’d talked about sparring after the sun’s set…” Gongmyung’s voice sounds from around the corner, rubbing his eyes as he turns into the room, freezing when he sees the scene before him. “What’s happened?”

Brow furrowing as he looks to the fallen Hwarang, “Wasn’t he sentenced to death a few days ago for breaking our code?” Looking from the bloodied corpse to the bloodied blades held by the captains, “Are you all responsible for this?”

Jihoon mutters some profanity under his breath as Soonyoung begins to ramble, “You don’t understand, we’ve just-”

“A captain cutting down his own man?” Gongmyung continues, an amalgamation of confusion and anger culminating in his expression, “This is unheard of.”

“This is my fault, I suppose,” another voice rings out from behind Gongmyung and your hair stands on end immediately. Seungcheol looks forlornly at the wang-do’s corpse, “My lack of leadership caused this to happen.”

At the sound of his voice, Gongmyung jumps and at the sight of him, Gongmyung pales. “W- What are you doing here, Colonel? You’re supposed to be dead…?”

The room falls silent once more, until Jihoon breaks it.

“I suppose we can’t keep it a secret for any longer.” Arms crossing over his chest, he looks to you as you push yourself from the floor, “You should leave, you can use my room for the night.”

You want to stay, want to make sure that they can explain everything properly so that Gongmyung doesn’t get any more frantic. Yet, Jihoon’s expression tells you enough that he’ll handle it.

𝔄𝔭𝔯𝔦𝔩 14𝔱𝔥, 664 – 𝔖𝔢𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔟𝔢𝔬𝔩, 𝔎𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔡𝔬𝔪 𝔬𝔣 𝔖𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔞 The sound of birds chirping stirs you from slumber, and as soon as your eyes open you bolt up, looking at the unfamiliar space around you. This is the commander’s private quarters; you remember this as you recall the events of the night prior. Your arm, now wrapped in bandages, had healed quickly, yet you keep the guise of injury for the time being. The last you’d checked it had faded into a light scar, in a few days there would be no trace of it at all.

Your feet eventually find the floor, standing and stretching before you open the door and quickly make your way to the main hall to see what the events of last night had wrought upon the Hwarang. Before you get into the hall, you come across the Kim brothers, Gongmyung calling out to you.

“You…” The Deputy Commander says before two more figures come into view.

“Soonyoung… Hansol… Where are you all going this early?” You ask, tilting your head in confusion.

“Due to last night’s… disturbance, I’m sure no one got a good night’s sleep,” Gongmyung answers for them, “You were injured, right? How’s your arm doing?”

“It isn’t as bad as I first thought,” you nod, hand moving to ghost over the injury.

“I’m glad to hear that,” he says with an uncharacteristic smile. Rather than the manic state he was in last night, he seems to be chipper.

“Did something happen?” You ask, wondering about the mood shift.

“I suppose you could say that, right, Choi, Kwon?” Gongmyung looks to them, as do you. When you catch Soonyoung’s eye he quickly breaks away, diverting his gaze away from you.

“I guess so,” the younger mumbles out.

“It isn’t information we can give out right now,” Hansol frowns, his attention rapt on you, unlike Soonyoung’s.

“Even for you, Choi, that’s a cold goodbye,” Doyoung says, “Or did you want to get out of here as fast as you could?”

“Are you… leaving?” You question, looking back to the brothers before Gongmyung hushes his sibling.

“We’ll be on our way,” he nods at you, “I hope your injury heals well.”

“Goodbye,” Hansol says as he passes you, a small nod in your direction before Soonyoung brushes past with a ‘See you’.

And then just like that, they’re gone, leaving you standing at the entrance of the main hall to try and understand what had just happened. Before long, you pull yourself from your thoughts and make your way into the hall and you’re met with a few other captains.

“Are you sure you should be up already?” Eunseok calls out to you as you enter, a worried expression on his face as he notices your bandaged arm. He’s standing next to Wonwoo, presumably having been in a conversation with him before your arrival.

“I’m alright,” you try to assure him with a small smile, “It wasn’t as bad as it looked.”

“That’s good news,” Wonwoo smiles, “I’m sorry to hear that it happened though.”

“It’ll be alright…” Trying to sate their worry, you bring up another thought plaguing you. “I saw the Deputy Commander on my way here, he was acting strange.”

The two look at each other before Eunseok lets out a sigh, “You saw them?”

“Soonyoung and Hansol were acting strange as well,” feeling concerned for the captains, you look to the two in front of you for answers.

After a moment of silence, Wonwoo speaks up hesitantly, “Well… They’re leaving.”

Eyes widening as Eunseok adds on, “They’re going to form a new group different from the Hwarang. We had a meeting with the chief and Commander Lee about it this morning.”

“So Soonyoung and Hansol…” A frown begins to curve your lips as you realize why they had been so downcast.

“They are leaving with him, yes,” Eunseok sighs out, “I think I’m as shocked as you are. I understand that coming from Soonyoung, since he’s known him for longer… But Hansol’s surprised me the most.”

“Don’t worry,” Youngmin’s voice calls out, probably having witnessed your conversation from the head of the room. “We promised to keep things calm between our two organizations.”

Even if his words are meant to calm, with Gongmyung leaving with several pivotal members of the Hwarang, you only think he’s meaning to split and factionalize the rifts forming in the Hwarang’s ranks.

“He still won’t be able to associate with the Guard though, right?” Wonwoo questions.

“Like hell I’d let him,” Jihoon speaks up now, a bitter bite to his voice, “He can leave, but I’m not letting him walk all over us so he can get what he wants.”

From there, the Hwarang begin to speak amongst themselves of names and other organizations that you aren’t too familiar with, slowly leading you to drift away from the conversation. Despite your feelings towards the captains leaving, you know nothing you say now could change anything, they’ve already left. So, you quietly excuse yourself and leave the main hall. As you walk towards your room, you look to the sky, wondering what the impact of leaving would have on the remaining Hwarang. Surely a blow like this hurt not only their pride but the relationships they have with those who left.

The door to the main hall opens and you turn to see Jihoon leaving, he catches you looking at him and strides over.

“Shouldn’t you be resting?” He questions, eyes lingering on your bandaged arm, “I remember the cut being deep.”

“I feel better,” you say quickly, trying to brush off his concern.

“Just because your father’s a doctor and you know a few things doesn’t make you invulnerable,” an almost concerned tone wavering in his voice, “Go and get some rest before you hurt yourself more.”

“I will,” you nod, mentally berating yourself. It’s hard to recall the severity of one’s injury when it heals so quickly. “Before I go, though… Can I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

“It’s about the new group… How do you feel about all of them leaving?”

“What do you mean?” He questions, crossing his arms.

“You’re losing some of your men,” you aren’t sure how careful you should be with your wording, “Doesn’t that make you upset?”

“If they were my allies yesterday and things change that makes them my enemies tomorrow, so be it.” He shakes his head, “That’s just life.”

“Even Soonyoung and Hansol?” The two captains had been by his side since he’d started commanding the Hwarang, surely, he couldn’t turn on them so easily. 

“They’ll be missed,” Jihoon frowns, “But if they’re leaving it means they had an issue with the Hwarang, it’s best they leave now than when their discontent grows even more.”

The commander’s harsh and analytical take towards his men leaving has you somewhat stupefied. On one hand, you can see how indifferent he’d be towards Gongmyung and his lackeys leaving, but the two captains should have him more in a state. But if they all found themselves incompatible with the Hwarang, maybe it was for the best.

In the days following the departure of Gongmyung, Doyoung, Hansol, Soonyoung and the rest of the Kim’s followers, you notice the compound feeling much emptier and lonelier. Around that time, Suh Kangjoon departed the Hwarang and his role as War Counselor. Even if it’s the inevitable change of things, you can’t help but see several different paths beginning to veer off the main one, unsure of where each one leads.

𝔍𝔲𝔩𝔶 11𝔱𝔥, 664 – 𝔅𝔲𝔩𝔤𝔲𝔨𝔰𝔞 𝔗𝔢𝔪𝔭𝔩𝔢, 𝔎𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔡𝔬𝔪 𝔬𝔣 𝔖𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔞 Three months have passed since the departure of Kim Gongmyung and his men to form the Guardians of the Royal Tomb. More so, it has been three months since Hansol and Soonyoung left. Their presence, or absence of, remains blazingly obvious at times during the days that have since passed. These thoughts of them, and their reasoning for abandoning the Hwarang plague you still, as they do today as you look for a chore to do.

“Do you have a moment,” the voice of Kwak Youngmin calls out, pulling you from your thoughts.

“Oh!” You say, “Of course, sorry, I was daydreaming a bit…”

“Don’t worry,” he laughs, “You look tired, I only meant to say hello.”  The leader’s expression grows concerned as he notes your solemn demeanor, “You do seem in poor spirits, though. Is everything alright?”

“Ah—Yes, I’m fine.”

“I see…” You can tell by his expression he doesn’t believe you. “Do you think you could do me a favor?”

“Of course,” you nod quickly, “I’d be happy to.”

“Great,” he replaces his stoicism for a grin, “There’s a store nearby called Kwangya, I hear their hangwa is to die for. What do you think? Would you be willing to go and buy me some?”

“Of course, but… I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to leave the compounds on my own…”

“Ah—” He catches himself, “I forgot…” Youngmin then glances around, his face lighting up when just the man he had likely been looking for appears from just around the corner. “Jihoon! Do you have a moment?”

“Hm?” The commander says as he walks over, “What is it? I’m a bit busy now, can it wait?”

“This won’t take long,” the chief shakes his head, “I was hoping to send her on a short errand. Are any of the men available to chaperone her?”

“Hmm… Junhui’s training the men, Soonyoung’s… not around… Ah,” he thinks of someone, “Chan’s off duty right now. Ask him.”

As it turns out, getting approval to go out is surprisingly easy.

Before long, Chan and you are on your way into the city.

“Sorry for the trouble,” you say to him as you walk.

“It’s no problem,” he insists, “I had nothing else to do, and no reason not to do what the commander asked. So… we’re here to get hangwa?”

“Yes,” you note as you step over a rather large puddle, “Youngmin says this place makes some that’s really good. Although apparently it’s really popular so they run out quickly.”

You appreciate Youngmin’s effort, but even you can see that sending someone other than you would have been far easier. It looks as though you’re not as adept at hiding your feelings as you’d hoped.

Almost an hour later you walk out of Kwangya, the warmth of the freshly made jeonggwa emanating through the small box in your hands. You’re sure Youngmin would be happy with what you picked out. Thinking of his reaction, you let a small smile slip across your mouth.

“…Is something wrong?” Chan questions, “If you’re finished, we should probably head back.”

“Right!”

The sun inches toward the horizon with what feels like every step you take, pushing your shadows further and further behind you.

“The sun is strangely red today…” You note, glancing up at the angry looking orb. The two of you continue to walk looking up until Chan looks at the path in front of you, stopping you by reaching out and pulling on your sleeve.

“What’s wrong?” You ask, looking at him and then to where he’s looking.

Then you see him, walking down the street toward you, the hustle and bustle of the street fading away into the background.

“You!” You cry out, not expecting to see Hong Jisoo roaming the streets of Seorabeol.

“Hm,” his eyebrows raise at the sight of the two of you, “How unexpected.”

“Hong Jisoo!” Chan nearly shouts, “What are you doing here?”

“Couldn’t I ask you the same thing?” The demon questions with a tilt of his head, “Then again, the King’s dogs do have to mark their territory from time to time.” He then looks to you, “Nonetheless, I’m surprised to see you let the bird out of her cage. Tell me, why is she here?”

Chan grimaces and slips a hand into his pocket, Jisoo grins at this.

“Really?” He almost laughs aloud at the motion, “Surely you don’t think you have something hidden in there that might allow you to defeat me?”

“…Would you like to find out?”

“Chan, wait,” you say quickly, “There are too many people here!”

Around you, you can see several families on the street, children flocking around their parents as they shop and sell their wares. Chan’s eyes flick back and forth, taking everything in. When he speaks, it’s in a voice so low that only you can hear.

“You need to run. I’ll deal with him.”

“But—!”

Jisoo isn’t just another angry soldier—he had fought the entire Hwarang to a standstill, and then walked away. Chan is skilled, but the odds aren’t in his favor.

“Why are you here?” You turn, looking at the Demon. Is it really only a coincidence? Without knowing his intentions, it seems premature to decide whether to fight or flee.

“You think a polite question is enough to wring secrets from me?” He laughs, his words harsh but his tone makes it sound as if he’s enjoying himself. “You clearly consider me an enemy, and yet you question me and expect an answer? I can’t decide if you’re brave or insane.”

“Stop messing around.” Chan moves to stand further in front of you, “Either tell us your purpose here or don’t.”

“Ah, my purpose?”

“I don’t think you’re just out for a walk. Tell us why you’re here or else…”

“‘Or else…?’” Jisoo sighs, “I suppose when all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. Have you considered that I am here merely by coincidence?”

“Are you really?” You ask.

“I imagine that may be hard for you to believe. Then again, I care very little whether you believe me or not.”

“Then where are you going?”

“Gokaju.” He says simply, noting your confused expression. “I was bored so I came into the city to have a drink… Is that enough, or shall I elaborate on my gokaju preferences?”

“Uh…” You can’t find a retort to his explanation.

Jisoo laughs, “Is something wrong? Is it so hard for you to believe that I drink? Do you think that I’m a monster who subsists entirely on human blood?”

“Well, no.” You’d only ever seen him on the battlefield before. In your mind, he’s inextricably connected to the din of battle and the stench of blood. To think a creature like that is going to sit down at a bar with normal humans to have a drink… It’s quite impossible to imagine.

“You’re welcome to follow and observe, if you don’t believe me.” His voice teasing, “I might even allow you to pour me a drink.”

“I don’t think I will.” You say quickly.

“Hmph, siding with this filth again?” He shakes his head, “I fail to see the appeal. Why would you choose to associate with such crude animals?”

“They’re not crude and they’re not animals.” You feel your hands tightening into fists, “They’re warriors and take pride in what they do.”

“Pride,” Jisoo says in a breath of laughter, “Did you say ‘pride’? So, they turn themselves into fakes to cover their own inadequacies and call that ‘pride’?”

It’s a somewhat roundabout way to refer to the Furies, but it’s easy to see his point. Pimul grants a great deal of power, but in exchange it drives those who use it mad with bloodlust. You don’t have a decent rebuttal to him.

“Don’t let him get to you,” Chan urges, “He just enjoys shaking you up.” He then turns his attention to Jisoo, “We have nothing more to say to you. If you’re really just here to drink, why don’t you just move along? I can’t imagine stirring up trouble here would benefit you any more than us.”

“Oh? Do you now?” His gaze narrows, “You think that concern for this human rabble would play even a miniscule part in my decision?”

Chan shakes his head, “I heard you sided with the loyalists. No doubt you’d slaughter all these people without a second thought, but the leaders of the ‘insurrection’ may not approve of that sort of thing, am I right?”

“You think you’re pretty clever,” Jisoo’s eyes flash at Chan, “Don’t you?” For a long, nervous moment they stare at one another. Eventually though, it’s Jisoo who backs away.

“Fine,” he sighs out, “This was only happenstance to begin with. If I wanted to attack the Hwarang, I wouldn’t be wandering the streets hoping to find you. You may go about your business. This time.” With a cold smile, he turns to walk away.

“Where are you going?” You ask and he sighs once more.

“Were you even listening? I am on my way to have a drink.” His head shakes, “We Demons eat, drink, sleep and all the other things. As do you. If you were to join us, you would understand that.” And with that, he’s lost to the crowd. You stand there, his words echoing through your head.

Once you’re back at the compound, Chan turns to you, “I need to tell the commander about what happened. You should get back to your room. Don’t leave unless someone’s with you.”

“Okay,” you nod, “Thank you.” After he’s fled off towards Jihoon’s room, you make your way to Youngmin’s. The jeonggwa is cold by the time you get there.

Even after returning to your own room, Jisoo’s words ring around in your ears. Are Demons really not that different from humans? He looks no different… Did he go back to a home of his own? What does he do there? Is it a pleasant life? A peaceful one? It has to be more peaceful than the life that the Hwarang lead. Although you still wouldn’t trade your position, doing so would leave friends that you’d come to love and you’d have to accept that you are a Demon yourself. That prospect terrifies you.

𝔍𝔲𝔩𝔶 11𝔱𝔥, 664 – 𝔅𝔲𝔩𝔤𝔲𝔨𝔰𝔞 𝔗𝔢𝔪𝔭𝔩𝔢, 𝔎𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔡𝔬𝔪 𝔬𝔣 𝔖𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔞 Eyes shutting for the umpteenth time, trying to force yourself to sleep, you hear a voice call out to you from behind your door, a gentle knock accompanying it. “Are you awake?” The voice of the Hwarang’s commander causes you to scramble to your feet, inching closer to the door.

“Is something wrong?” You ask as you approach the door.

“You have a visitor,” voice muffled behind the wood, you can hear him shift on his feet, “Once you’re dressed, come to the main hall.”

“A visitor?” You muse as Jihoon’s footsteps lead away from your room to give you some privacy. The visitor in question confuses you, who could possibly be calling for you at this late at night? Regardless of their identity, you quickly dress yourself and head to the main hall.

The figure standing there as you enter surprises you, before you’re able to question their appearance, Youngmin speaks.

“I’m sorry for disturbing your sleep,” A small smile of apology as he glances towards the newcomer.

“You look like you just rolled out of bed,” Seungkwan says snidely, a grin on his lips, “Didn’t even brush your hair?”

You begin to move your hand towards your scalp as you frown at him, but before you can touch your hair, Jihoon cuts him off. Glancing to the commander, you can see Seungcheol, Junhui, and Mingyu in the room as well.

“This isn’t the time, Boo,” Jihoon huffs and looks to you, “You look fine.”

You nod quickly at the commander before turning back to look at your guest in full, once she lays her eyes on you, she breaks out into a small smile.

“It’s good to see you again.” With all of the elegance that you had upon your first meeting, Sooyoung commandeers the room with her charisma, “I hope you’ve been well? I’m sorry for visiting so late.”

“Sooyoung?” The name falls from your lips as you stare at her, confused. It’s then you realize that another woman stands beside her, her face seeming familiar as well.

Sooyoung seems to catch this, turning to her and telling you, “She’s my bodyguard, of sorts.”

“Your bodyguard?” The woman in question is almost as striking as an actress, not what you’d expect a guard to look like.

Even more confused, you look to Jihoon, who sighs out, “…She said that it was imperative to talk to you.”

It’s obvious that he isn’t stepping into your own matters unless you allow him to, so you hum to yourself and look back to your visitor. “Why are you here, Sooyoung?” A tilt of your head as you ask, “Is something wrong?”

“I’ll get straight to the point then,” her smile fades away and her expression becomes stern, turning to face you fully, “I’m here to take you away.”

“Take me away…?” Brow furrowing, your foot moves instinctively to take a step back, “Why?” 

A hum as she thinks, “It’s a long story that I’m not sure how to begin.”

“There isn’t any time to discuss this,” the woman who’s beside her, says hurriedly, “We need to leave immediately if we’re to get here out of here safely.”

“Hold on,” you interrupt the pair, “Why should I go with you two?”

“That’s a good question!” You hear Junhui speak up from behind you, “You barge in here, ask to talk to her, and demand that she leaves with you?”

“You’re not related to her, are you?” Mingyu adds questioningly, “She looks about as confused as we do.”

“Sooyoung, could you explain what’s happening a little more?” You pose, not trying to get the captains upset if there’s an actual reason for you to be worried.

“Our intrusion would perplex anyone, I suppose,” she nods in understanding and then motions to one of the tables in the room, “This might take a while, so it’s best to be comfortable in the meantime.”

“Would you like us to stay outside?” Youngmin asks, glancing towards the open doorway into one of the temple’s courtyards.

“No,” Sooyoung says as you move to take a seat at the table she’d motioned to. “I’d like you to stay, this involves the Hwarang as well.” She takes her own seat, followed by the captains, Youngmin and Jihoon, who she observes quietly before beginning to speak.

“I’m aware that you all have met Hong Jisoo before, right?” As she states the question a few of the Hwarang look taken aback. “You’ve fought him once or twice.”

“How do you know that?” Jihoon’s gaze hardens on the woman.

“I know most things that go on in Seorabeol,” her gaze returns the hardness of his, “Eventually.”

“You’re like him and his cronies, aren’t you?” Arms crossing over his chest as he comes to the realization.

“I’d prefer not to be associated with him, Minghao or Minhyun, but yes, in a sense I am.” A nod of affirmation as Jihoon’s expression softens slightly.

“… You were talking about Jisoo, then.”

“We fought him at Wonweol, Ongsan and Banweolseong,” Mingyu interjects, brow furrowed, “What are his ties with the loyalists?”

“It seemed like he was there for his own reasons, though,” Seungkwan points out, countering the other. “Not any sort of politics.”

“Regardless, he’s an enemy of us,” Jihoon frowns, adjusting the way he’s seated.

“Then you’re also aware that he’s pursuing her?” Sooyoung’s eyes flicker to you, the captain��s stares following suit.

The unraveling of this truth is a story you don’t want to hear the end of. Your stomach churns uneasily as each captain looks at you, some confused, some unsure of what to do or say. Youngmin eventually breaks the silence,

“We’re well aware of that.” He coughs to clear his throat before continuing, “We also know he has comrades he calls Demons; not that we believe that, of course.”

“I’m not sure that that claim is unfounded, Chief,” Seungcheol speaks up from the swarm of captains looking at you, “They all possessed strength incomparable to any of our men. Any of our... living men, at least. Despite that, it seems as if no one really knows they exist.”

The captains shift, murmuring things too quietly for you to hear before you look back to Sooyoung, anxious for her to continue.

“So, then you do know that they’re Demons,” a nod as she hums somewhat contently, “That will make things a little easier to explain.” Her hands fold atop one another as she places them on the table, “I’m not human either, I’m a Demon too.”

Your eyes widen, lips parting in surprise, “You are?”

“I’m actually rather high ranking,” eyes locked with yours, “something akin to a princess.”

“My family has been guarding hers for generations,” the other woman adds, moving a bit to stand closer to Sooyoung’s chair, not having sat when everyone else did.

“I suppose that makes more sense,” Jihoon muses, despite you still looking confusedly between the three. “I was wondering why you were so friendly that night, you were getting intel on the Hwarang, weren’t you?”

A sly smile as the guard brushes a few strands of hair from her face, tucking them behind her ear, “I’m not quite sure what you mean.”

“You know her?” Junhui sounds shocked as he looks at Jihoon.

“Move your eyes up six inches, Junhui,” Mingyu snorts, “That’s Seulgi. Dressed a little differently than she was in Noseo-dong, but that’s definitely her.”

“Holy shi-” Junhui nearly chokes, baffled at his inability to have recognized her from before.

“Us Demons have lived on this land since before the kingdoms were even mere conceptions,” Sooyoung captures the conversation once more, “The top officials in Silla, Goguryeo, and what was once Baekje, already know of our existence. Most Demons have no interest in human affairs, preferring to be left alone. However, humans in positions of power sought to use us to benefit their own means.”

“Did the Demons comply, then?” You question softly, seeing the look of disgruntlement on Sooyoung’s face.

“Most didn’t. Human ambition has never been strong enough to pull a Demon to get involved,” an almost angered sigh leaves her, “Yet, when the Demons refused to help, the humans were furious and sent out armies to destroy our homes and our villages. We scattered across the land and are now divided by the different kingdoms. We seldom leave our domains and remain in hiding.”

“That’s awful,” a somberness coating your words as she speaks, the lorness in her expression unsettling.

“Many Demons went on to have children with humans, there are few of us now who can claim a pure bloodline.”

“I assume Jisoo is one of them?” Youngmin questions softly, trying to not upset Sooyoung further.

“The largest pureblood family are the Hongs, you’ve already met the head, Jisoo.” A small nod as she looks to you, “In the north, the largest clan is the Heo family. That would be yours. I heard the Demons of your family were destroyed by humans, but it seems like you’re the lone survivor.” 

“Me?” You resist the urge to point at yourself, utterly taken aback by what Sooyoung had just divulged. “That’s impossible… I-”

“I had Seulgi look into your family history to the best of her ability,” she insists with a firm shake of her head.

“It seems hard to believe,” Seulgi offers you a sympathetic smile, “but you are very much a Demon. The blood that runs in your veins is strong, we sense great power from you.”

At a loss for words, you stare at the two women. It’s borderline insane that this is what they’re telling you, but at the same time it would explain a few things. Why Jisoo is after you, why you heal so quickly…

“If you really are the descendent of a pureblood Demon, it’s quite clear why Jisoo is after you,” Sooyoung doesn’t finish the rest of her statement, the answer being quite clear. “If two pureblood Demons were to have a child, it would be stronger than both of its parents combined.”

“He intends to marry her,” Youngmin huffs, glancing to you and your wide-eyed expression.

“It seems so,” the woman agrees, biting her cheek, “So far it seems as if he’s only been testing the water, I’m unsure of when he’ll become more confident in his approach. If he were to use his full strength, I don’t know how you would fare in protecting her. Even the Hwarang can’t stand against the true power of a Demon.”

“Wait a minute- aren’t you going a bit too far?” Junhui asks, sounding hurt by the latter statement.

“I don’t think you’re giving us enough credit,” Mingyu frowns, “We’re not just some foot soldiers.”

“The only reason you’re alive is because Jisoo wants you to be,” Sooyoung points out, “If he and his accomplices were to use their full strength, I’m not sure what would happen.”

“Then let them,” Seungcheol’s voice rises through the unsettled quiet, “I would like to see the power of a real Demon.”

Jisoo, Minhyun and Minghao had all shown incredible strength in the prior meetings you had with them; even the Hwarang captains had trouble keeping up. If that hadn’t been the full extent of their power, you’re unsure that you want to see it.

“Junhui and Mingyu are right,” Jihoon says, “Even if they’re stronger than the average warrior, you’re still discrediting us. The power difference wasn’t so great that they bested us easily.”

“That’s right,” Seungkwan nods and smirks at the Jihoon, “Besides, we’ve got the Demon commander himself in charge.”

“This isn’t the time for jokes, Boo,” Jihoon sighs and shakes his head.

“You must realize that these men are unlike any you’ve faced before,” there’s an almost pleading edge to Sooyoung’s voice. “Your job is to protect Seorabeol, not her. That’s why I’m asking you to leave her in our care, with us her chances of surviving one of Jisoo’s attacks will be much higher.”

“Give us a break,” Junhui says, rising to his feet and planting his palms on the table, “You’re making it sound like we can’t protect her.”

“I’m not trying to sound rude but,” Seungkwan’s head tilts at the two women, “you think that the two of you could protect her better than us? Neither of you are a part of the Hwarang, I’m not sure why you’re going around and sticking your nose in our business.”

Sooyoung and Seulgi seem to be taken aback by the captain’s reaction.

“What do you think, Commander Lee?” Seulgi looks towards Jihoon, her gaze narrowing, “You’ve acknowledged Jisoo’s strength, are you not at least considering Sooyoung’s offer? I think it’s in your best interest to leave her in our care.”

“That’s different,” Jihoon looks at Seulgi, leaning back in his chair slightly, “We made a promise to her, to protect her, we’re not going to back out just because they’re Demons. And I understand that you call yourselves Demons too—but that gives us no ground to trust you.”

“Do you realize who you’re speaking to? Sooyoung is a descendant of—”

“Seulgi,” Sooyoung stops the other with a raise of her hand, her tone calm but stern, leaving no room for more argument, “That’s not necessary.”

“I agree with Lee,” Seungcheol affirms, yet doesn’t look your way, “if she possesses blood of a different species… I’m sure her aid will come to use for our internal purposes in the very near future.”

Seulgi glares at the colonel, not speaking as to not anger Sooyoung.

“This is a problem, then,” Sooyoung notes solemnly, “Is there no way to convince you to allow her to go with us?”

“Hold on,” Youngmin interjects, “We didn’t even confirm what she has to say about all of this.” His gaze travels to you, sympathetic in nature and looking in your eyes as if you already have an answer.

But you don’t know what to say. It’s not that you doubt the concerns of Sooyoung and Seulgi, yet there’s just more and more to take in.

Youngmin sees your furrowed brow, eyes teeming with indecisiveness, and nods with a small smile, “It must be difficult to discuss in front of so many people. You should speak to Sooyoung privately.”

“What the hell—!” Jihoon begins to protest, but Youngmin is unwavering in his stance.

“We’ve been ignoring her feelings for this entire conversation,” Youngmin states, “if she wishes to leave of her own accord, for her own safety, we ought to let her, no?”

“You’re too soft on people,” Jihoon scoffs, but makes no move to stop him.

“You won’t steal her away the moment we leave you alone, will you?” Seungcheol asks as the captains rise to their feet.  

“Of course not,” Sooyoung says as she remains seated, “Once Demons make a promise, we’re bound to keep it.”

A few moments later, once the captains, commander, chief and colonel had filed out of the main hall, you lead Sooyoung to your room nestled in the compound. Seulgi had opted to stay outside, just far enough away so she wouldn’t encroach on your private conversation.

“I apologize for giving you a terribly large number of things to think about,” Sooyoung starts off, “Normally, I would never do something like this.”

“It’s alright,” you try to reassure her with a small smile, “I’m sorry for them as well, I know they can be a little… brusque at times.”

“That’s to be expected,” she waves it off, “I know I was asking a lot of them. Not many humans would accept the existence of us so easily. But enough of that, what do you say to my offer? Do you have any thoughts on it?”

Of course, you do. If it had been Sooyoung to come across you on your first night in Seorabeol, you very may well have taken her up on her hospitality. Yet now…

As if she can see the wavering of your options, Sooyoung speaks, “The Hwarang seem to believe they can protect you from everything out to get you. I don’t doubt their dedication, I do, however, doubt their ability.”

You stay silent, aware that what she just said may be true. The Hwarang are powerful, skilled in both the sword and bow. You’d seen them overcome overwhelming odds, but those odds had always been nothing but human-made. From what Sooyoung had said, the strength of a single Demon would be enough to wipe them out should they so choose. A few of you have been able to see that firsthand, and the losses associated with it. To think that that same fate could arise to a captain of the Hwarang fills you with undeniable dread.

“With Buyeo Pung seeking aid in Goguryeo, things will only get more hectic here in the capital,” Sooyoung says to fill the silence, “If Jisoo were to strike in the hysteria, what do you think would happen? You should leave the Hwarang, let them fight without worry.”

“Sooyoung…” The concern for you seems real, frantic, almost.

“Is there,” her expression softens as she searches yours, coming to a subtle conclusion, “a reason you want to stay?”

“…There is.” You answer without thinking it through, the words falling from you so quickly you can barely catch them.

“One of those men, perhaps?” Innocent in nature, her question still catches you off-guard.

“No… It’s not that.,” you shake your head, “It’s just… I’m confused. All this time, I thought I was a human.” Your ability to heal quickly was surely strange, perhaps, but you’d never thought it was indicative that you weren’t even human. Or maybe you’d never allowed yourself to think otherwise.

To try and hide your condition made you lonely enough.

“I understand,” she says, “but now isn’t the time for that sort of angst. You are a Demon, and that is a fact that neither you nor I can change.”

“But none of this makes any sense…” Your brow furrows, “Not only am I a Demon, but I’m the last survivor of some big Demon clan? It’s all just…”

“I see…” Sooyoung’s voice softens, for a moment she looks lonely. “Well, if you do not wish to go, I cannot force you.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust you or anything—” You murmur, “Could you just give me some time? To think.” You want to find your father and ask him if what she said is the truth. Maybe then you could accept your fate as a Demon.

Sooyoung and you make your way back to the main hall, the captains loiter around the space, some look anxious upon your arrival.

“Have you come to a decision?” Youngmin asks once you’ve fully stepped into the room, giving you little time to compose yourself.

“For the time being we’ve decided to leave things as they are,” Sooyoung states, Seulgi looking at her worriedly.

“Are you sure?”

“Quite.” Sooyoung nods to her, “I believe prioritizing what she wishes is what’s most important for now.”

“Very well,” Youngmin finds it hard to mask the smile growing on his lips, “The Hwarang accept responsibility for her well-being.”

“Just relax and leave it all to me!” Junhui bursts out, eager to show his worth.

“I’m sure Wen’ll give you much more to worry about,” Mingyu laughs and looks to you, “It’ll be nice to still have you around.”

“What kind of girl wants to stay here?” Seungkwan chuckles, “I can’t tell if you’re brave or if you’ve had a strong lapse in judgment.”

“This doesn’t change anything,” Jihoon points out, “You’ll still be treated like you always were.”

“Of course,” you nod, “Thank you all for letting me stay.”

Sooyoung then moves to you, her hand finding yours as she looks into your eyes, “Please be careful, and remember, I’m on your side.”

“Thank you, Sooyoung,” you smile at her gratefully as she relinquishes the hold on your hand. She gives you one last beaming smile before her and Seulgi are off into the dark of night.

𝔍𝔲𝔩𝔶 19𝔱𝔥, 664 – 𝔅𝔲𝔩𝔤𝔲𝔨𝔰𝔞 𝔗𝔢𝔪𝔭𝔩𝔢, 𝔎𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔡𝔬𝔪 𝔬𝔣 𝔖𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔞 In the days since Sooyoung’s visit, you find it much more difficult to drift off into a dreamless slumber. When you do dream, you find that your mind often travels to your heritage and what it means for you now and in the future, something of which you don’t want to think about.

You had decided to stay with the Hwarang, but was that really the best choice for you, for them? Of course, you wanted to stay but would you being here cause them unneeded harm?

A sudden clang from outside causes you to jump, to leave your thoughts for a moment as your heart begins to pound. Eyes cautiously looking towards your bedroom door, your hands clench your blankets in taught anticipation.

Several short bangs from your door cause you to rise to your feet, the voice of Jeon Wonwoo calling out to you, “I’m sorry for bothering you, but there’s an emergency!”

“What’s wrong?” You ask, voice wrought with anxiousness as you walk towards the door, opening it to allow him inside.

His body tense as he enters, continuously looking over his shoulder to make sure the hallway is clear, “The Demons have attacked us.”

“What?!” Icy dread seeps through your veins at his words.

“They’re after you, which means you need to stay here.”

“But—” You begin to protest his assertion, wanting to help in some way as the only reason the Demons are here is because of you. “Wonwoo, I have to find the others.”

“I can’t let you,” he shakes his head, a worried look in his eye as if he knows he can’t reason with you, “The Commander asked that I make sure you don’t leave.”

“They’re here for me, though. If anyone gets hurt…” You wave away the thought, “Maybe I can try and reason with them? What if I can get them to leave peacefully?”

Wonwoo’s lips purse, and after a moment, he shakes his head in defeat, “If you’re going to be that insistent, I don’t think I can stop you. I was told to protect you though, so if you’re going, I’m going.”

The two of you leave your room, barreling down the hallway until you’ve reached one of the inner courtyards. You stand there momentarily, unsure of where to go, until Wonwoo speaks up.

“It’s this way,” he says before something darts in front of you, pushing the officer to the ground. His body seems to fly for a few yards, hitting the ground with a thud as Wonwoo groans out in pain. As you try to run up to him, the same blur passes in front of you and you feel an arm wrap around yours.

“Where do you think you’re going?” The voice of Hong Jisoo asks you simply as you struggle to get out of his grip. His grip is like steel, unmoving and snakelike, “I heard the Park clan visited a few days ago, I’m sure you know why I’m here, then.”

He sighs, looking at the surrounding buildings, “You’re a Demon, a noble Demon… There isn’t any reason for you to hole yourself up with fakes.” Jisoo’s grip tightens on your arm slightly, “Come with me.”

It’s obvious who he’s talking about when he mentioned the fakes. With the way your body tenses, Jisoo can sense your anger.

“Do you really think that staying here and helping their own self-interest and agenda to create those… things is really what you should be doing?”

You find it hard to respond. For obvious reasons, you aren’t a fan of the existence of the Furies, but there were times when it was needed for a Hwarang to survive. Could you fault a man for wanting to live? Besides, your father was one of the people who created the serum, you can’t help but feel partially responsible.

“My father was handling the experimentation,” you thrash in his grip, trying to lessen his hold on you. “As his daughter, I can’t ignore that.”

“Ah, that’s an admirable attitude.” He notes, “But that doesn’t mean I’ll look the other way.” His eyes look up from you as the sound of racing footsteps approaches.

You break your gaze away from him to see Mingyu and Jihoon running towards you, sour expressions on both of their faces.

“Breaking in again?” Jihoon frowns as he locks eyes with Jisoo, “I don’t know if you’re brave or stupid. This isn’t a gathering place for Demons, you know.”

“Barging in here to find yourself a wife,” Mingyu snickers at the Demon, “You’d think you’d have gotten the message by now.”

The sight of the two Hwarang puts you at ease a bit, even more so when you can see Chan and a handful of other wang-do behind them. There are a few missing faces among them, you wonder if they’d gotten injured in the earlier skirmishes.

“You have no idea how important she is,” Jisoo frowns, his grip on you unrelenting still.

“So, taking her against her will just because you’re too scared of rejection is the way you’re going around this?” Mingyu nearly shouts at him, “That’s just pathetic.”

“Even if you take her as a hostage, we’ll kill you without hesitation,” Jihoon affirms, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

“I wouldn’t need to use her as leverage with the likes of you,” there’s arrogance in his words as the Hwarang begin to encircle him. The tension pulls like a taut rope, beginning to fray as it reaches its breaking point.

You’d long ago decided that you would trust the Hwarang. The men have far more experience and skill than yourself. So, you decide that the safest thing for you to do is to leave the situation to them.

Your eyes meet Mingyu’s. They’re calm, confident and warm. Even as you lay quite literally in the grip of the enemy, his gaze makes you feel reassured.

“The men at the gate are taken care of,” the voice of Hwan Minhyun calls out.

“This was way too easy,” Xu Minghao joins him, “I guess they are humans at the end of the day. Hey—” He notices that you’re in Jisoo’s grasp, “You got her. Let’s go.”

“The longer we remain, the more likely the situation will escalate out of our control.” Minhyun adds, crossing his arms.

“You’re right,” Jisoo sighs.

“I have to say, I was expecting more from the Hwarang.” Minghao begins to laugh, but it’s cut short by Mingyu lunging out at him with his blade. He’d barely dodged it and was beginning to speak again when another flurry of strikes lashes out at him.

“Care to repeat that?” Mingyu smirks.

“Oh, hello Mingyu,” Minghao says with a grin of his own.

This time, Mingyu lashes out towards Jisoo.

“You thought you could defeat me like this?” The Demon chuckles as he evades it easily.

“I’m your opponent,” Jihoon shouts, “I said before that I wouldn’t hesitate to strike you from behind!”

Jihoon’s attack had abated Jisoo’s attention towards the commander long enough to allow him a chance to strike. Jihoon’s sword drawn from his scabbard, he arcs his blade towards Jisoo’s head. The Demon moves quickly, but with a nonchalant nature in his movements as the blade passes centimeters from his throat.

His grasp loosens and you fall to the ground, you keep low as the swords clash overhead.

“Filth,” Jisoo sneers at Jihoon, brushing aside a blow from the commander and a strike from Mingyu.

“You bleed when you’re cut, right?” Jihoon smirks, “So if I chop off your head, I figure you’ll die too.”

“Care to test that?”

“Yeah, I think I do.” The sound of steel-on-steel rings out across the compound, you’re surprised that none of their blades break.

“Humans are so strange,” Minhyun frowns as he unsheathes his own blade, “Why fight when you know you cannot win?” As he speaks, he begins to move towards Jisoo, but finds Junhui standing in his path.

“Ah ah ah,” he says, “You’ve already got a date with me tonight, pretty boy.”

“I’d rather not,” Minhyun frowns, raising his blade, “But you give me no choice, it seems.”

Junhui swings his sword as if backed by his entire body, Minhyun deflects it easily.

“You’re the guy who hurt Soonyoung, right?” Junhui shouts, ready to strike again, “I’m not gonna let you go until I get in at least one good hit for him!”

Jisoo and Jihoon are still locked in battle, but in a moment of rest, Jihoon laughs, “What’s the matter? You seem a little tired compared to earlier.”

“I was going easy on you since you’re barely worth my time,” Jisoo sneers, locking Jihoon into another gale of blows. The two only stop when Minhyun speaks up.

“Jisoo, our enemy has regrouped,” his eyes flicker towards a group of Hwarang making their way over to the fray, “What are you going to do?”

“Then we’ve had enough for one night.” He sighs, stepping back from the fight and sheathing his sword. “We can take her any time we’d like.” With that, the duo break past the lines of Hwarang faster than any of the men could keep up with, disappearing into the darkness outside of the compound.

“You bastards—!” Jihoon calls out after them after they’ve already disappeared.

“Demons my ass,” Junhui snorts, his arms hanging at his sides, the tip of his sword nearly touching the ground. “All bark and no bite.”

“Don’t push yourself,” Mingyu teases, “You’re short of breath.”

“You idiot,” Junhui huffs, “I’m just playing it up to make the enemies lower their guard! But forget that—”

Junhui glares at the last remaining Demon in the compound, Xu Minghao.

“You’re funny.” Minghao says with a short laugh, “Looks like we’ll have to settle this at a later date. Hopefully we’ll actually be able to finish next time. I want to fight until one of us dies.” And with that, he’s gone into the night.

The demons disappear and the compound falls silent. Is it over? You brought yourself to your feet but your body goes limp once again.

“Are you alright?” Mingyu asks as he steps over to you, “You did good.”

You look up to see Mingyu crouched down next to you, a smile adorning his lips.

“Mingyu…” If you say anything more, you’re afraid you’ll burst into tears, so instead you give him a shaky smile. With a grin, he tousles your hair and offers his hand out to you.

“Let’s get you back to your room, I’ll walk you there,” he offers, beginning to lead the way.

𝔍𝔲𝔩𝔶 20𝔱𝔥, 664 – 𝔅𝔲𝔩𝔤𝔲𝔨𝔰𝔞 𝔗𝔢𝔪𝔭𝔩𝔢, 𝔎𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔡𝔬𝔪 𝔬𝔣 𝔖𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔞 Mid-morning, after a tumultuous night and subsequent sleep, you trudge your way to the main hall to find the captains in some kind of meeting. Upon your entry, Eunseok turns to you and offers a small wave.

“Good morning,” he smiles and beckons you over to sit down next to him, you take him up on his offer and he speaks again, “Did you sleep well?”

“As best I could,” you respond sheepishly.

“You don’t need to lie,” Eunseok notes, “We can tell you barely slept at all.”

“Do I really look that bad?” You mutter, your fingers moving to trace the circles under your eye. A shake of your head as you turn to Chan, who sits on your other side, “How’s Wonwoo doing?”

“The fall knocked him out cold, but aside from some minor bruises he looks like he’ll be fine,” the officer reassures you. “He wants to apologize for not doing a better job of protecting you.”

“I should be the one apologizing to him!” You claim almost exasperatedly as the door to the main hall opens and a figure strides in.

“Is something wrong, Chief?” Eunseok questions Youngmin, who looks far from the chipper mood he typically has. “I think you’re scaring her.”

“I’m sorry if I am,” he apologizes to you, “Forgive me.” The smile he gives you is fleeting, returning to the grimace that seems deep rooted into him now.

“What happened?” You question, and he lets out a sigh.

“The monks here don’t want us staying at Bulguksa any longer.” He says as calmly as he can, a look of defeat in his eyes.

“You mean to say they’re telling us to leave?” Chan asks, a troubled expression overcoming him.

“More or less, yes,” The leader frowns.

“I had a feeling this would happen…” Eunseok sighs out and looks at Youngmin, “What should we do?”

The monks at Bulguksa seemed to have shifted to a pro-Guard stance since the outburst of attacks in the recent months against the Hwarang. It’s no surprise they want the Hwarang gone, but this place was just beginning to feel like home.

“Do you think last night’s incident was the last straw?” Chan poses to Youngmin, who nods in agreement.

“I don’t think, I know.” He huffs out a large amount of air, “They don’t want actual fighting on their grounds, I’m sure some councilman also had his hand in this as well.”

“This is all my fault,” you realize as he says that, the Demon’s wouldn’t have shown up if you weren’t here.

“That isn’t true,” Youngmin tries to reassure you, “We forced ourselves in here with unreasonable demands.”

“If we need to move, we should start looking at new locations,” Chan says quickly to change the topic.

“The monks here have already provided another temple for us to stay in,” Youngmin says, his brow furrowing.

“That’s very… nice of them,” Eunseok states, trepidation in his voice. “They must really want us gone.”

“Yes, to both,” Youngmin nods, “which is why I accepted their offer. We’re going to get busy around here soon.”

The donors to Bulguksa Temple bought a piece of land some ways away from the original site to build a new compound for the Hwarang. It lay outside of the city, further than Bulguksa or Shoshin had been, called Shoji. The new grounds have ample enough space for a bathhouse, new training buildings, and even more rooms for the Hwarang members. The members are clearly excited about it. By the time the end of the summer came around, the Hwarang had fully moved from their residence at Bulguksa to their new home in Shoji.

𝔑𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔪𝔟𝔢𝔯 11𝔱𝔥, 664 – 𝔖𝔢𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔟𝔢𝔬𝔩, 𝔎𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔡𝔬𝔪 𝔬𝔣 𝔖𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔞 It’s windy today, you noticed it first when you awoke, the hiss of air swarming in through unsealed cracks and pockets of air where the doors don’t meet their frames. You notice it still when the last of the leaves are stripped from their branches as you and Mingyu walk to the city center. And you’re noticing it now, the slice of the cold cutting through your clothes and chilling you to the bone.

“It is almost winter, isn’t it?” Mingyu muses as he catches you shivering involuntarily, “The wind coming in from the coast isn’t helping. If this is what it’s like during the day, I kind of feel bad for the guys who patrol at night.”

Your hands clench as he huffs out a laugh that turns into clouded vapors, “Are your hands cold? Want me to hold them for you?”

You know he’s joking by the way you get flustered and tell him no, him laughing again as you continue to walk down the street. Looking up from your embarrassed haze, you spot someone walking towards you.

“Isn’t today great?” Junhui asks as he approaches, his arms outstretching as if to embrace the chilled air.

“Unfortunately, not all of us can act like human torches,” Mingyu shakes his head, “I still don’t know how you’re not affected by the cold.”

“Look at who’s talking Mr. I’ll-Break-Code-and-Wear-My-Summer-Clothes,” Junhui scoffs. Now that he mentions it, Mingyu is wearing his Hwarang blues, but the white cloth of his sleeves doesn’t look to be the thick linen typically worn during the colder months.

Even if Junhui was meaning to scold him, you know he means it in the friendliest way possible. Their friendship is wrought with things like this: what seems to be an argument but is really them caring for one another. You can’t help but chuckle at the two.

“Why’re you smiling like that?” Junhui asks when he catches your expression.

“She probably thinks your face is funny, you should really do something about that…” Mingyu pokes, a teasing cadence to his voice.

“It’s not that,” you shake your head, “I was just remembering the last time we met each other on your rounds, I was with Seungkwan and Soonyoung then.” The latter name brings a bitterness to your tongue, still unsure of how to feel about Soonyoung and Hansol leaving the Hwarang on such short notice. The two men’s faces turn sour at the mention of their friend.

“I just meant that with everything going on… it makes me a little nostalgic,” you say, trying to shake off the thought.

“The Hwarang’s changed,” Mingyu nods with a sigh, “Hell, so has everything else. Youngmin’s been promoted and all.”

Youngmin’s promotion didn’t mean he left the Hwarang entirely, but it meant he traveled often to speak with other generals to speak of the threat of another Baekje plot. Rumors of Buyeo Pung raising an army in Goguryeo had been circulating recently, putting everyone on edge once again. You thought Youngmin’s promotion to be a good thing for the Hwarang, yet with Junhui and Mingyu’s reaction, they seem less than thrilled.

“We didn’t join to be the Crown’s guard dogs,” Junhui shakes his head. While the Hwarang had been surface level related to the Crown, only receiving orders when necessary, they now take orders directly.

“How is this going to change for everyone going forward?” You ask the pair, trying to focus on them and not the whirlwinds of conversations happening along the busy street.

“Well, if we really do need to fight against another one of Buyeo Pung’s rebellions, we won’t just be killing off the tail end of his followers. We’ll probably be put on the front lines.” Mingyu frowns, not too certain what to think of that idea.

“Supposedly, it was Yoon Jeonghan. He’s been making ties to get Baekje back on its feet,” Junhui’s shoulders shrug, “Because of that I heard some factions of the revivalists are pissed at him because they were trying to win Pung’s favor.”

“He already had a target on his back within the Silla government for being a Baekje revivalist, he’s hated by most of the kingdoms now.” Mingyu muses, looking up to the sky for a moment. “Until something happens though, I suppose things are going to stay as they are.”

“And they will, it’s not like they can do anything about what the kings want to do,” Junhui nods. “They’ll only get involved once the king starts asking them to ration their food again to send it off to war.”

As you look around the street, you want to think that he’s right. The city kept thriving even under the threat of another invasion or war… Life continues regardless of what the higher powers of the kingdoms are plotting. You look up to Junhui, words falling out of you before you can catch them,

“I never realized you were so interested in politics.”

“Didn’t realize?” He looks slightly taken aback, his arms cross over his chest, “What exactly did you think of me?”

“Uhm…” You cough into your hand, looking away from him, “Let’s continue our rounds. It’s nearly winter which means the sun’s going to start setting earlier...”

𝔑𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔪𝔟𝔢𝔯 17𝔱𝔥, 664 – 𝔖𝔢𝔬𝔯𝔞𝔟𝔢𝔬𝔩, 𝔎𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔡𝔬𝔪 𝔬𝔣 𝔖𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔞 The name Yoon Jeonghan had only been said once before, that you can recall. He seemed to be an instigator for a few of the Baekje-Silla skirmishes as of late and the kingdoms were desperate to find him. Yet, after a few negotiations with Tang and Silla leadership, it seems as if he had betrayed his loyalty to the Silla powers and had begun to help the two allies. You don’t know much about the logistics of it, but when Eunseok brings him up, you’re a bit startled by what he says.

“Yoon Jeonghan has been assassinated.” Eunseok states the news in the main hall, among the collection of captains who linger there after their morning practice.

“Are you serious?” Mingyu questions, “Do they know who did it?”

“Could have been someone from Silla or it could’ve been someone from the loyalists,” Junhui shrugs, “Hell, it could’ve been personal. If it was, I bet it was that Huang guy.”

“If he was going to get killed, I wish I could’ve done it myself,” Seungkwan sighs, crossing his arms.

“That’s not very funny, coming from you,” Junhui frowns as he looks at the other captain. “Weren’t we told to leave him alone?”

You’d never met Jeonghan, in fact, you barely know who he was or what he did. Yet somehow you feel that his death means something important to the kingdom, as if the already rising unease has skyrocketed.

“You all know the orders to leave him alone came from the Crown,” Eunseok nods gravely, “The rest of the kingdom isn’t going to see it that way. A scabbard belonging to a member of the Hwarang was left at the scene of his death. An official investigation by the Guard has been launched.”

“Is a scabbard really enough evidence?” You ask, feeling worry begin to claw its way down your spine.

“If it’s not I’m sure they’ll ‘find’ some more when it comes time,” Mingyu huffs as he looks back to Eunseok, “Who are they saying it belongs to?”

“They actually say it’s yours, Mingyu.” Eunseok frowns as the elder’s eyes widen.

“Really Kim?” Seungkwan sounds somewhat amused, “I wish you’d taken me along.”

“Cut it, Boo.” Mingyu’s voice is sharp as he motions to his waist, “My scabbard’s right here. If they’re going to make shit up, they should at least do it better.”

“I don’t suspect you,” Eunseok points out and gestures to the others in the room, “I’m sure no one else here does either. Unfortunately, I’m not sure that the rest of the kingdom won’t try to pin the blame on you… I’m sure they’re having trouble finding the real culprit. Those who don’t think it’s you are looking at Huang Renjun, they say that he hired us to kill Yoon.” Was that the Huang that Junhui had mentioned earlier? 

“I’m sure most of the king’s chamber are eager to pin this on us though,” Junhui shakes his head, “Ever since the rumors of Baekje started again, the king only appointed staunchly pro-Royal Guardian and Guard nobles. Unless someone lied though, there’s no way this murder was done by one of us.”

“Unless Seungcheol decided to go and do it off the record,” Seungkwan notes, a slight smirk on his lips.

“How… is he these days?” Mingyu asks, a worried expression on his face. The last few times you’d come across him, he seemed to be acting stranger and stranger. Even if you didn’t want to believe it, something like this wasn’t far out of his realm of possibility. Whenever you pass him in the halls, it looks as if he’s hungry, thirsty for blood.

“We’ll have to be careful,” Junhui says, a hand running through his hair, “If we let people know about the Furies…”

“About that,” Jihoon interjects as he walks into the room, followed by Youngmin. It looks as if he’s going to say something else but the third figure that walks in takes everyone by surprise that whatever the commander is trying to say gets drowned out.

“Hansol?” Junhui nearly gasps out, “What the hell are you doing here?!”

For a moment, you question whether you’re asleep or not. The man who had just entered the hall was the same man who’d left months ago with Gongmyung and his men, Choi Hansol.

“Hansol,” Eunseok says, a smile overcoming him, “What happened with Gongmyung’s organization?”

“Why are you so nonchalant about this?” You ask him as you look at Hansol. “There’s no way the commander would allow someone from Gongmyung’s group here, we’re not even supposed to be talking to them—”

“Just,” Jihoon sighs out, trying to get the energy in the room to settle, “Let me talk. Starting today, Choi’s returned to the Hwarang.”

“What?” Mingyu sounds surprised, his once crossed arms falling to his sides. “Hold on, Lee, we’re glad he’s back but… What happened with Gongmyung?”

“You’re mistaken, but understandably so,” Hansol speaks, and you feel a sense of calm wash over you. It’s been too long since you’d heard him last. “I was never one of his supporters.”

“In fact, he joined Gongmyung under Jihoon’s direct orders,” Youngmin says with a coy smile, “As a spy, of sorts.” With the leader’s words, everything begins to make sense.

“I can’t believe you went off and had fun without me,” Seungkwan faux pouts at Hansol.

“I’m sorry we had to keep this from you,” Youngmin’s head bows down in apology. It’s a surprise for sure, but nonetheless a welcome one.

You give Hansol a small smile but he only sighs and shakes his head, “I’m afraid it’s a bit early to feel relieved.” His gaze turns to Jihoon, “The last six months have made Gongmyung’s intentions clear. Gongmyung plans to uproot the Hwarang institution in favor of his ideal one.”

“What do you mean by uproot?” Eunseok asks with a frown.

“Gongmyung is going to expose the Furies to force the king’s favor,” Jihoon bites the inside of his cheek as he holds in a scathing retort.

“There’s more,” Hansol adds and glances to Youngmin, “They plan to assassinate the Leader of the Hwarang.”

Youngmin’s face is tense, gaze hardening as he looks to Jihoon and waits for him to speak. You feel your stomach drop, not realizing the extent to which Gongmyung hated the Hwarang.

“The Guardians are moving to destroy us,” The commander says and looks to Mingyu, “You heard about Yoon?”

“That they’re trying to pin it on me?” A nod, “Yeah.”

“They’re using it to pin blame on us and to discredit your father,” Jihoon crosses his arms, “They’ve been spreading the rumor across Seorabeol, even if Huang says that he wasn’t the one who ‘hired’ us, there’s still going to be people who believe it was our doing.” His gaze travels to Hansol, “So, Choi’s going to be guarding Huang for the time being. If it looks like he left and then came back, it won’t be hard for Gongmyung to figure us out.”

A subtle nod from the captain, “Of course.”

The room stays quiet, so quiet that one can hear the wind whistling in from outside. A tension remains taught in the room, anticipatory for what’s to come and the outcome of what it brings.

“Kim Gongmyung…” The name leaves Jihoon in a hushed murmur, “It’s not enough for him to expose the Fury Corps, but to try and kill Youngmin too?” It’s almost as if he’s having a quiet conversation with his former comrade. He shakes his head, drawing his gaze from the floor and looks to the captains, “It’s too bad that it has to end this way, but we have no other choice. Gongmyung dies.”

“It can’t really be helped, can it?” Youngmin exhales, nodding solemnly as if to seal the former Deputy Commander’s fate.

“We’ll invite Gongmyung to Youngmin’s residence in Seorabeol, I’ll be there too,” Jihoon begins, his voice low, commanding, “Once he’s dead we’ll use his corpse to lure the rest of his Guardians there and kill them.” He looks to Mingyu and Junhui, “I’m assigning both of you and your divisions to this, take care of it.

“Who do you want me to kill?” Seungkwan asks, his hand resting atop the hilt of his sword.

“No one, you’re staying here.” When he sees the other beginning to protest, the commander speaks again, “You’ve still got that cough, right? You’re sick. Hansol can keep you company for a few days.”

“So, you’re telling me I can’t participate in the assassination of a person who’s trying to kill our leader?” Seungkwan sounds agitated, a bitterness coating his words as he glares at Jihoon, “You’re a real asshole.”

You don’t realize that you’ve been watching the scene unfold in silent shock until you feel a gentle tap on your shoulder. Turning, you see Hansol standing there, he seems to take in a breath before speaking.

“The Guardians of the Royal Tomb are going to be destroyed after this… If we want Soonyoung to return, this is our only chance of getting him back.”

Eyes widening at what he says, he’s right. If the Hwarang mean to kill the Guardians, that includes Kwon Soonyoung.

Sucking in a breath, you look to Jihoon, “Commander? What are we going to do about Soonyoung? He’s a part of the Guardians…”

“Don’t be silly,” Junhui says easily, “Of course we’ll save hi—”

“If he fights us, he dies.” Jihoon interrupts, cutting off the captain.

“You can’t mean that—” Heart beginning to pound in your chest, your mind going blank. Is Jihoon serious? “You’ve known Soonyoung for so long, surely you don’t mean that?”

Jihoon looks as if he wants to push you away, turning on his heels and exiting the main hall swiftly.

“You’re actually going to order them to kill Soonyoung?!” You cry out after him, finding yourself following his footsteps, “Just because he left the Hwarang means you don’t care if he lives or dies?!” Before you’re actually able to leave the main hall, a hand grabs the back of your robes and pulls you into the room.

“I know that he wants to save him too,” Youngmin’s voice says softly as you turn to face him, his hand letting go of your clothes. “There’s no way he could possibly live with giving the command to kill a friend who was part of our family for years.” His hands clench at his side, so much so his knuckles turn white and you fear his nails have pierced his skin.

In this moment you realize how much each of the Hwarang are suffering with this.

“I’m sorry for saying that,” you bow your head to him after your realization.

“There’s no need,” Youngmin sighs, “You’re angry. We all are. It makes me happy though, I’m glad people care about Soonyoung.” He lets out a heaving sigh before turning toward Mingyu and Junhui, “I’m not asking this as your Leader, but as Kwak Youngmin… Let Soonyoung live, if you can. Try to convince him to rejoin the Hwarang.”

“… Got it,” Junhui says quickly as Mingyu takes a moment more to think.

“His life in our hands?” He shakes his head, “That’s a big responsibility.”

“I trust everything’s clear, then?” Youngmin asks, scanning the faces of the captains, “If you have questions, now is the best time to ask.”

“…Wait,” you speak up, unable to stop yourself. The leader looks to you as you brace yourself, “I haven’t been given any orders. I want to help.”

“This is an… unseemly job.” Youngmin looks at you, brow contorted, “Nothing like Wonweol or Ongsan. You shouldn’t be involved.”

He’s right. This isn’t a mandated order from a higher official, this was the Hwarang’s business alone, a covert and self-righteous one at that. They aren’t meant to guard or patrol; they’re set on murder.

“… I understand.” You speak. Would you be of any use in that scenario? Would you see your former allies die before you? The more you think about it, the more you can’t stand the thought of going along.

After seeing the men off, you stand in the courtyard, eyes watching the blue moon. Your mind worried with thoughts of Soonyoung and the others, you find yourself about to turn back inside before you hear footsteps running towards you.

“Chan?” You ask as you turn to look at the newcomer.

“What are you doing out here?” He shakes his head, “Never mind that, we don’t have time. I need to get everyone into the main hall. Can you help me round them all up?”

The main hall is noisy, even though most of the Hwarang are elsewhere.

“Seungkwan is resting, so I decided to leave him be. Is that alright?” Eunseok asks.

“That’s fine,” he says, noticing that some faces are missing, “I can’t wait any longer, we’ll have to start without them.”

“Has something happened?” You ask, having never seen Chan this impatient before.

“Did Gongmyung’s assassination not go as planned?” Eunseok questions.

“No, it was a success.” He shakes his head, “We were able to lure the Guard and surround them.”

So, few words to mark the death of a man. But Chan presses forward, “Unfortunately, we were interrupted by a third party just as we were about to deal with the Guard.”

“Is everyone alright?!” You ask quickly.

“Our men are outnumbered, but we have the upper hand in skill. Still, I’m unsure how long they’ll be able to hold off such an overwhelming force…”

“Then we need to send reinforcements,” Eunseok says, “Wonwoo and I can go—” Just as he moves to leave, an explosion of noise bursts from outside. Shocked glances are exchanged before Jeon Wonwoo bursts through the door, distress plain on his face.

“We’re under attack!” He shouts, “It’s a demon!”

“What? Why now?” You question as Eunseok frowns.

“I doubt this is a coincidence.” His hand grips the hilt of his blade, “Is it just a single demon? Two? Three?”

“Just one,” Wonwoo confirms, “The one with yellow robes.”

“Yellow…” Chan mutters, “It must be Jisoo.”

The three of you run outside, coming to a sudden halt by the scene lain out before you. There are bodies everywhere, the air thick with the copper tinge of blood. The scent is so strong that one need not be a Fury to be driven mad by it.

“These are men from the Fury Corps… Did he kill them all?” Chan muses, looking to the dead men. “If this is the Fury Corps, then Seungcheol must be nearby as well.”

“He’s over there,” Wonwoo points.

The two men, Seungcheol and Jisoo, seem to be at the tail end of a duel. It’s obvious that Seungcheol’s struggling by the way his blade sags in his hands after the two parts from their spar.

“This is all a pretender could do,” Jisoo grins, “Pathetic imitation. Die like the dog you are!”

A Fury who’d been combatting alongside Seungcheol falls to the ground with a groan.

“Damn you!” Seungcheol shouts out.

“You’re better than this filth,” the Demon quips, “But you’re still nothing more than a pale reflection of true power.”

Of all the Furies, Seungcheol is the only one who can even begin to stand before Jisoo’s onslaught… But even he’s no match for him.

Jisoo kicks out almost casually at a charging Fury, throwing him across the yard, and continues his slow walk forward.

“Stay back,” Eunseok says to you, “We’ll take care of him.”

“But—”

“He’s dangerous, but he isn’t the only enemy here. You never know when his comrades could show up. Besides, the Furies could go rogue at any moment and there’s a high chance they could threaten us.”

The two eventually nod at one another and run off, swords in hand.

“Please stay inside,” Wonwoo says, “We’ll go after him.”

Now he runs off to back up the other two. You’re unsure of why Jisoo chose this time to attack.

“I’ll find Hansol!” You call out to him, racing off into the compound. If Eunseok and the others are here, and Seungkwan is bedridden, there may be one more man unaccounted for who might be able to help.

You only run some distance before you collide with someone.

“Hansol!” You cry out, only realizing once you step away that it’s a Fury. “No—you’re—” His eyes are red, mad with bloodlust.

Scrambling back, you hear a voice call out to you, “Get out of the way!”

Stepping to the side, you nearly miss the blade that slashes out, cutting down the Fury where it stands. As you turn to look at Hansol, it occurs to you how ironic it is to have been saved by the man you’d gone out to find.

“They’ve lost control, then?” He looks to the fallen Fury, his mouth a thin line. “Unfortunate.”

“Jisoo’s here! Eunseok’s fighting him with some of the other men, but…” You begin before Hansol shakes his head at you, understanding the situation.

“Where are they?”

“O- Outside,” you say, meaning to lead him there but find that your legs are too shaky to move.

“Don’t worry,” Hansol says with a small smile, “So long as I have orders to protect you, I will. Regardless of circumstance.”

The Hwarang is a man of few words, yet when he does speak it’s never unnecessarily. But now he’d taken the time to comfort you.

“…Thank you.”

“There’s no time,” he urges, “We must go.”

When you return to the battle, you find that Jisoo is still engaged.

“Stay in position, Jeon!” Chan shouts out, “If even one of us is killed, the formation is ruined!” Sweat shines on their brows in the moonlight, their chests heave as each of them struggle for breath.

Jisoo looks almost completely unfazed. He’s killed countless Furies, fought the stand-still and not suffered a single scratch.

“You brought Hansol,” Eunseok almost sighs in relief, “Good.”

“If anyone is hurt, tell them to pull back,” Hansol orders, “I’ll handle this.”

“Interesting,” Jisoo smirks, “These weaklings were beginning to bore me, but now that you’re here, it’s time to play.”

“Yes, I am.” Hansol’s eyes scry the ground for a moment, “I’ve come to check your rampage… Or at least to try.” His body lowers into a crouch and he reaches for his sword.

Instead of entering a stance of his own, Jisoo looks at Hansol for a moment, then sheathes his own sword and slowly backs away.

“You’re running?” The Hwarang questions.

“Unfortunately, I’m here today only to buy time for another,” Jisoo sighs, “I’m not here on personal business, and I never intended to stay long.” His gaze slides to you, motioning to the dead on the ground, “Remember that this is the fate of a false Demon. Blood drives them to madness, and for what? Even en masse they cannot defeat a true Demon. Do you really wish to live surrounded by such filth?”

“I won’t go with you,” you say angrily, but all he does is flash you a grin before melting into the darkness.

“Are you okay?” Hansol asks as he sheathes his blade and walks over to you.

“Yes,” you nod, “Thank you…”

You once again cannot shake Jisoo’s words. As you look across the brutally slain remains of the Furies, you can feel your stomach drop.

“Some of the Furies got past and into the compound,” Chan reports, “They were killed almost immediately, though.”

“By who?” Hansol questions, “There’s no one inside that could’ve done that.”

“By… Seungkwan.” Chan says, “When I went to his room, the floor was covered in dead Furies.”

“But isn’t he too sick to fight?” You question.

“That’s why we need to get Doctor Namekawa immediately.” He says and you quickly make your way to him.

“Then I’m coming with you!”

The assassination of Kim Gongmyung and the dissolvement of the Guardians of the Royal Tomb comes to be known as the Samsil Incident. Both the Guardians and the Hwarang were surprised by the sudden appearance of the Royal Guard and the Demons who accompanied them. Both parties had fallen for the trap and the fight was thrown into a mass disarray.

As the battle of Samsil was taking place, the headquarters of the Hwarang came under attack from Hong Jisoo. Causing the already ill Seungkwan to further injure himself fending off the rogue Furies.

The serum that your father brought to the Hwarang seems to only be a cause for worry. Slowly devouring the organization piece by piece. How long until the serum swallows them whole?

𝔇𝔢𝔠𝔢𝔪𝔟𝔢𝔯 2𝔫𝔡, 664 – 𝔖𝔥𝔬𝔧𝔦 𝔗𝔢𝔪𝔭𝔩𝔢, 𝔎𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔡𝔬𝔪 𝔬𝔣 𝔖𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔞 It’s been barely a month since Gongmyung’s murder, since the Samsil Incident and the return of Soonyoung and Hansol, but the Hwarang feels nothing like it once was. A looming, dark atmosphere hangs over the headquarters. Many men had lost their lives or had been injured due to Jisoo’s attack, even more had been wounded in the fight of Samsil, Soonyoung being one of them. Several of the wang-do had seen him almost succumb to the injuries he’d sustained during the battle, due to this, he was pronounced dead but joined the Fury Corps shortly after. Hansol hadn’t been wounded, but many of the Hwarang began to call him a coward.

To them, his betrayal of leaving the Hwarang still runs deep, worsened as they saw him leaving the Guardians to change his fate. You see no reason why he shouldn’t correct them: he’d left to help the Hwarang, not deceive them. He claims that he’ll keep quiet on the matter, as to not tarnish both Youngmin and Jihoon’s names, who had ordered him to join Gongmyung. Due to this, it has been decided that Hansol will leave Shoji for the time being, until the hot-headed tempers of some of the Hwarang recede. He’s been sent to protect Huang Renjun, a Tang noble residing in the northern part of the kingdom.

The Samsil Incident was in no small terms a turning point for the Hwarang. For the men who knew only the surface level details, it seems as if it were just a battle between the Hwarang and their former comrades. Those better informed know that it is the causation due to a culminating fear of another Baekje rebellion. Yoon Jeonghan’s death solidified that as truth. And further still: the Hwarang are the only ones who know of the Demons, and Soonyoung’s transformation into a Fury. They’re the only ones who know Seungkwan’s illness has gotten worse.

Such an event riled the compound, a moment of silence scarce in the days following the battle. Feeling as you would only be in the way during this time, you keep to your room.

You’re sitting cross-legged at your desk, wondering if writing your thoughts down may help you try and conceptualize this all, when your door opens without a knock.

“Thank goodness you’re here,” Seungcheol says as he steps into your room. “If you’d left, I wouldn’t have been able to search for you.”

“Seungcheol?” You look up to him, confused at his appearance. “It’s daytime, are you okay?”

“Yes, yes,” Seungcheol nods his head, his voice sounding a little frantic. “I just had a revelation and had to share it with you immediately.” His eyes glitter with… a dangerous curiosity and you feel spindly cold fingers of dread scratch down your back.

“Why me?” Questioning carefully, “Wouldn’t you want to tell the Chief or Commander first?”

“…Well, it has to be you.” A small frown pulling at his lips, “Won’t you listen to me?” Although in the form of a question, the way he asserts himself lets you know you have no choice. “Sooyoung claimed you are from a Demon family, right?” He doesn’t allow you to respond before he begins to speak. “And as a Demon, you’re stronger, faster and more resilient than a human. Their superiority over humans was clearly displayed during their most recent attack.”

“I understand that,” you nod slowly, “But what are you trying to say?”

“A Demon possesses more power than the average human, it follows that the blood of a Demon possesses that power as well,” His deductions begin to unsettle you, despite that, he continues, “Perhaps even potent enough to counteract the madness of the Furies.”

You’re unsure how the pimul works, but Seungcheol’s explanation seems logical, even if he’s somewhat frenetic about it.

“Since before I became a Fury, I’ve been researching on how the serum works, I know more about it than anyone here.” Seungcheol pauses and shakes his head, “Yet, I still have yet to discover the exact composition of it. I hypothesize, however, that a core ingredient is fresh blood… And I’m assuming not from a human. Perhaps there are Demons or Demon-like beings roaming throughout the other kingdoms.”

“So…” You trail off, still not able to follow him completely.

Seungcheol takes a step closer to you, falling to his knees as you continue to sit at your desk, “Your very existence could save the Fury Corps… No,” He shakes his head, “The entirety of the Hwarang.” His eyes turn sharp, piercing, even, as he looks at you. The barest trace of mania in his voice as he confesses his thoughts. His hand reaches for the sword at his hip, calmly and carefully drawing it from the scabbard.

There seems to be no madness or bloodlust in his movements, but that only serves to terrify you even more.

“I’m not going to kill you,” He tries to reassure you, but your heart’s beating too quickly and your limbs feel too heavy to move away from him, “I just want a sample of your blood…” Seungcheol begins to rise to his feet, that’s when you find yourself mirroring him, taking a step or two backwards to distance yourself from him.

The blade glimmers in the sunlight as he raises it, raising it towards you before you hear a shout from the hallway.

“Seungcheol what the hell are you doing?!” Jihoon bursts into the room, quickly looking from the colonel to you as if to gauge the situation. “What’s going on here? Of all people, you should know not to draw your sword on someone in the compound, have you lost it?”

“Jihoon,” Seungcheol smiles when he sees him, “Please, give me a hand here. Convince her to cooperate with us.”

With an assertive quiet, Jihoon steps between you and Seungcheol. “Personal conflicts are forbidden, the O Gye apply to even us captains.”

The colonel stares at Jihoon for a moment, and then another before begrudgingly sheathing his sword.

“Did she do something to upset you?” Jihoon asks one it seems as if Seungcheol’s cooled down.

“I’m searching for a way to treat the madness caused by becoming a Fury, for the good of us all,” Seungcheol says simply, his hand still resting on the hilt of his sword.

“And that means you have to cut her?”

“It’s not like I’m going to kill her,” Seungcheol frowns and shakes his head, “I only need a little of her blood. We lost so many Furies during the attacks, many of our human wang-do as well. If we are to effectively use the men we have left— We need to find a way to temper their madness. Surely you understand this, Jihoon.”

“The code says we’re to trust one another,” His gaze hardens at the colonel, “It doesn’t look like she’s very trusting of you right now. No matter your reasoning, I cannot condone this if either party is unwilling, or coerced into submitting.”

“It’s not as if she’s one of the Hwarang,” Seungcheol points out.

“Maybe not, but she’s been here long enough to might as well be one.” The two continue to stare at each other for a while, their stubbornness present at the matter.

Seungcheol eventually sighs, “It isn’t like you to be this soft. I’ll leave for now. But if we don’t find a way to suppress the side effects of the pimul… Even Soonyoung will suffer like the rest.” He leaves on that note, you don’t exhale until you hear his footsteps wane away into nothing.

Jihoon hums, looking at the door and then turning to you, “Are you okay?”

“Oh, yes,” You nod, “Thank you…”

“Nothing to thank me for,” He bows his head, “I was making sure he was adhering to our code.” His gaze returns to the door, “In the past, he wouldn’t have challenged me like that.”

A slow nod as your eyes find the door, lingering there for a moment. It’s true, Seungcheol has been acting more and more strangely lately. He would never have drawn his sword aggressively, or demanded things from you without consulting the other Hwarang first. “… I’m sorry.”

“Is something wrong with you?” Jihoon questions, his attention turning rapt to you, “There isn’t anything to be apologetic for.”

“The reason he was acting like that…” You frown, “Because Jisoo destroyed the Fury Corps.”

Jihoon seems to reflect on this for a moment before responding, “I think you’re confused.”

“Hong Jisoo has allied himself with our enemies, be it in the court or Baekje. If an enemy attacks us, it’s known that we’re going to put our lives on the line to stop them.” There’s conviction in his voice yet you cannot help the guilt that invades you.

“It isn’t your sole duty to protect me, though.”

“What are you trying to say?” His arms cross as he tilts his head, “Want us to hand you over to the Demons in the hopes they’ll spare our lives? Just because they’re more powerful than us? That isn’t how we work.” Jihoon’s confident in his claim, and you feel no way to object to it. Even if he won’t say it, having you leave the compound would make their live exponentially less dangerous, it would be a violation of the values they pride themselves in upholding.

“I’m sorry if what I said was out of line,” apologizing once more, you bow your head.

“I already told you to stop apologizing, don’t make me repeat myself,” He murmurs under his breath, timidly looking in your direction. “The next time something like this happens, tell me. Don’t keep it to yourself.” 

“I understand,” you look to him and nod. Jihoon then turns to leave, but there’s one thing left you have to say.  “Commander…”

He stops and looks back to you, “Is there something else?”

“…Nothing.” You shake your head, “I’m sorry for stopping you.”

As much as you want to be helpful around the compound, you know that you can’t. Your very existence here puts them in more danger than they ought to be in. Perhaps it’s best if you lay low.

𝔇𝔢𝔠𝔢𝔪𝔟𝔢𝔯 11𝔱𝔥, 664 – 𝔎𝔦𝔪 𝔖𝔢𝔬𝔨𝔪𝔦𝔫’𝔰 ℜ𝔢𝔰𝔦𝔡𝔢𝔫𝔠𝔢, 𝔎𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔡𝔬𝔪 𝔬𝔣 𝔖𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔞 Baekje is trying to restore itself once more. News from Goguryeo solidifies King Munmu’s fears a few days into December, after a skirmish breaks out on the Silla-Goguryeo front. At first it was thought to be Goguryeo troops, but with Buyeo Pung leading the charge himself, it’s quickly realized that the kingdom is once again trying to establish itself.

More and more soldiers begin to flock to Seorabeol in anticipation of the oncoming onslaught, purges of Baekje loyalists once again resume and a tension lies in the air as if a cord is about to snap and set everything loose. With each passing day, news comes from the north of the collecting armies, as well as from the east, where former Baekje citizens have begun to rebel against the Silla leadership. As the Crown draws in its allies, seeking out aid from Tang once more, they call upon the Hwarang to aid in the upcoming battle.

The Hwarang reside at Kim Seokmin’s residence, Mingyu’s father’s home a little way outside of the city. While his father remains locked in the capital as plans are drawn, the residence is being used as a base of operations for the Hwarang, and not just those from Seorabeol.

“Everyone!” A voice shouts from the outer courtyard of the home, a wang-do bursting into the main room, sweat dotting their brow and his eyes looking frantic. “The Chief’s been shot!”

There were no witnesses, and the culprit escaped unnoticed. The motives unsure.

“What the hell?” Junhui frowns, “What asshole uses a bow in the city?” The captain leaves the residence shortly after collecting a group of men to survey the scene of where Youngmin had been attacked.

The arrow pierced the leader’s right shoulder, the head lodging into bone and shattering it. It requires more treatment than you can provide.

The sun had gone down when the door to the main room opens again, Seungcheol striding in the room, looking surprised to see you. “You’re still awake?”

“Colonel Choi…” You note, “If you need to use this room I’ll leave.”

“I don’t mind,” he shakes his head, “Rather, I think it’s best that you stay here.” His words are confusing, anxiousness rises in your stomach as you recall the last time you’d been alone with him.

Just as he finishes speaking, the captains of the Hwarang file into the room, somber expressions dotting their faces. Your anxiousness only continues to heighten.

“… Looks like everyone’s here,” Jihoon muses as the door is closed to allow you all a bit of privacy.

“Where’s Seungkwan?” Seungcheol asks, scanning the faces for the missing captain.

“He shouldn’t hear this,” Jihoon shakes his head, “If he learns about Kwak, he wouldn’t think twice about his safety and run off to find vengeance.”

“But if that’s what he wants, why wouldn’t you let him?” Seungcheol points out, “Again, being too kind, Jihoon.”

“What did you want from us?” Mingyu’s voice rises, directed towards the colonel. “We don’t know when the fighting’s going to start, for all of us to be here right now… Don’t tell me—”

“It’s exactly that.” Seungcheol nods. “I asked you to come with the intention of giving you something.” In his hands, you now see, is a bundle of cloth that he slowly unwraps before you all. What you see makes you take in a sharp breath of air.

“Pimul?” Hansol frowns, eyeing the vials of red liquid in the colonel’s hands.

“As captains of the Hwarang, we took on the risks of researching this,” a slow nod, “In doing so, it’s necessary for us to take responsibility for this experiment. Especially if any of you become injured and unable to fight. Or in the worst case, there’s a possibility that you may lose your own life.” Moving the vials to one hand, he picks up one in his other and examines it in the lantern light of the room, “I know for certain that this serum will be of use to you.”

“Colonel…” Junhui says slowly, “Are you trying to experiment on us too?”

“I know your hesitation,” Seungcheol snips, dropping the vial back into the pile with an audible clink, “But under our current circumstances, we cannot afford to lose any more of our captains.”

“Fuck that,” Junhui frowns, “I don’t want to depend on that shit to survive.” With that, he storms past the group of captains with heavy footfalls, swinging open the door before leaving.

“Maybe this would be something of a good luck charm…” Eunseok suggests, his eyes warily looking over the vials. “I hope it never comes to the point where we use the serum.” Seungcheol extends the pile to the captains.

“I don’t think I’ll use it,” Mingyu murmurs as both he and Hansol pick up a vial, “but I’ll keep it just in case…”

Until this moment, Jihoon had remained silent, listening to Seungcheol’s speech.

“Take responsibility, huh?” Eyes looking troubled, the commander reaches for a vial and pockets it, almost as if he doesn’t want to acknowledge its presence, “Maybe you’re onto something.”

“I believe that’s all I have to say for tonight.” Seungcheol nods as he folds the now empty cloth, “I hope this courtesy doesn’t go to waste.” After he finishes, the captains slowly file out, leaving you alone with Seungcheol once more.

“I’m sure you’re aware of this,” He sighs and looks at you, “But don’t let any word of this reach the other Hwarang, do I make myself clear?”

Nodding your head timidly, the colonel stays for another moment before leaving.

The serum that your father created now lies in the hands of the Hwarang captains. The serum that had entrenched them into the world of Demons and a life they should never have had to think about.

𝔇𝔢𝔠𝔢𝔪𝔟𝔢𝔯 16𝔱𝔥, 664 – 𝔎𝔦𝔪 𝔖𝔢𝔬𝔨𝔪𝔦𝔫’𝔰 ℜ𝔢𝔰𝔦𝔡𝔢𝔫𝔠𝔢, 𝔎𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔡𝔬𝔪 𝔬𝔣 𝔖𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔞 “We still haven’t figured out who shot the Chief?”

“I bet you anything it was some of those Guardian bastards!”

“No way, it was probably the Baekje loyalists—”

Ever since the attack on Kwak Youngmin, the atmosphere at Kim Seokmin’s residence had been wrought with speculation and tension. This tension is ever more present as you step into the main room with a tray of tea for the captains.

“Thanks,” Mingyu says as you enter, “Can you just leave it here?”

A nod as you set down the tray, it seems as if you’d walked in on an important discussion.

“What’s the plan, then?” Junhui questions whomever he’d been speaking to. “Gaozong wants power in exchange for helping us, but they’re also hoping not to get as involved as they were at Baekgang. They know a war’s coming and they’re trying to extort Munmu for all he’s worth.”

“I’m not saying that you’re wrong,” Jihoon sighs out from the head of the table. “There’s nothing you or I could do about that though. We follow the Crown and not Gaozong.”

“In regard to sending our men to the front line…” Wonwoo says, “Colonel Choi’s been pushing to implement the Furies.”

“I disagree with that,” Mingyu frowns, “This is war, not a massacre. There’s going to be both enemies and allies on the field, we won’t be able to control them. It’s not that they’re not powerful, it’s just too risky.”

“Agreed,” Junhui nods, crossing his arms as he leans back in his seat, “And inhumane too.”

“Then what do you suggest?” Hansol questions, looking at the captain. “If you’re so vehemently against it, you should offer an alternative.”

“We’re working on that.” Junhui grumbles, his voice raising, “If it were so easy do you think we’d be in this mess?”

“Commander,” Wonwoo looks at Jihoon, “What do you think?”

“… Let me think.” A deep exhale from Jihoon as he straightens himself in his seat, “We need to know the movements of Baekje before anything else, as well as prioritize what the Crown wants and, inadvertently, what Tang wants as well.” With the war inching closer and Youngmin’s injury, everyone in the Hwarang had been and is still on edge.

You leave the meeting sometime after then, never finding out what solution the men had come to. Later in the day, as the sun sinks over the horizon, you find yourself at Seungkwan’s door, anxious to check on his condition.

“Captain Boo?” You ask, gently opening the door and stepping inside, “How are you—huh?” Upon entering, you find that Soonyoung had come along to keep the captain company as well.

 “What are you doing up so late?” Soonyoung asks as he looks at you.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, um… people may get the wrong idea if a girl visits a man’s room at night…” The young captain trails off, obviously flustered.

“You know that Seungkwan and I aren’t…”

Soonyoung laughs, “Yeah, yeah… That’s not really your kind of thing, is it?”

“What do you mean?”

“What do you mean ‘what do you mean?’?” Soonyoung snickers, “Come on…”

“Why are you here?” Seungkwan, not seeming to be in a playful mood, cuts into the conversation, “I assume you have a reason for visiting me?”

“Oh, yes, well… I came to check up on you.” Returning to the reason you’d come in the first place, you look to the captain, “Are you feeling okay? Is there anything I can get you?”

“Of course not,” his expression bitter, “Look at what’s going on.” After a moment of silence, he speaks to you, “Is that all? You can go now.” His aggression takes you by surprise, you falter for another moment before coming to your senses to bring up what had been bothering you.

“Do you all know?” Another pause, “That Colonel Choi wants to… use the Furies.”

“Of course…” The grin that was adorning Soonyoung’s face drops.

“If you were him,” Seungkwan sighs, “Wouldn’t you want to do the same? They need numbers or they’ll never make a name for themselves. I mean, it’s a given once they can’t function anymore, they’ll need to be cut off.”

“Cut off…”

“We’re not all good-doers,” the captain shakes his head, “we can’t go around giving food to everyone we see who needs it. I mean, yeah, you mooched off of us for years, but that was entirely your good luck. Don’t forget that.”

“I guess you have a point…”

“Seungkwan you’re being a bit of a jackass,” Soonyoung frowns at the other captain. “It was our fault she was brought to the Hwarang.”

Seungkwan sneers at the statement, clearly unmoved, he continues his grievances. “And what the hell is Jihoon doing? He should be kicking himself in the ass for not apprehending the men that hurt Kwak.” A frustrated sigh, “If I weren’t—If I weren’t like this, I’d go out and do it myself.”

His bedrest is clearly getting to him. He’d known Youngmin long before either of them had joined the Hwarang.

“What do you think, Soonyoung?” A glance towards the other as you ask.

“Me? I, uhm, well…” He hums, “I did drink the serum but… I was worried about what would happen to me. Seungcheol wants more men in the Fury Corps, says we’ll never win otherwise. But I don’t like the idea of forcing the Hwarang to join us, even if they’ve broken our code.” The demeanor he has is unlike the one you remember from when you’d first met him, it’s cold and stern. Recalling how he used to be, sadness overcomes you.

“No matter what Seungcheol says, it’s Jihoon that makes the call.” Seungkwan says, crossing his arms.

“You’re right.” Soonyoung says, a frown pulling at him, “But the Corps already exists, it’s not like we can pretend it doesn’t.”

“Then maybe we should use them, then.” Seungkwan mumbles, “They can hold a sword, at least.”

The power of the Furies is something that would ultimately be beneficial to the Hwarang, should they need to utilize their power for the war effort. Yet, once the war was over… You struggle to think of what would be done with them after. Fearing the answer, you don’t press the matter further.

sorry about the long wait between parts! life happened and i'm now just getting back into the rythmn again :,)

[sylviesoothsayer22]

Well Matched - Chapter 8

Tulipa hybrida

Summary:

The Wens have been settling quite nicely in Ghost City...can't say the same for Wei Wuxian and A-Yuan. Fed up with the two youngsters holing themselves up in their room, Uncle Four gives the kick that Wei Ying needed to go out and explore Ghost City with his little radish in tow. Unfortunately they walked right into the....unique stalls.

Ghost City's cuisine deserves it's own warning.

WARNING: Ghost City's...interesting food options up ahead...

Read to the end for more notes:

As ducks take to water, the Wens managed to fit right into their temporary settlement. 

Most of them left the inn they were staying at, scattering all over Ghost City. Finding the odd job or two. Most decided to be washers, servers, crafters or seamstresses. Taking most of the kids -they ones they collected while on the run- with them as their apprentices. Leaving A-Yuan with his Baba. Some of the Wens split off from the smaller groups, deciding to open up small businesses, such as an embroidery shop or put up stands to sell common everyday items, like paper umbrellas, fans, jade pendants and so on.

Only a few stayed to help Uncle Four with his new winery business. Which, after the impromptu sampling Wei Wuxian offered at the Gambler’s Den, turned out to be a success. So much so that they had to close up shop a few hours after opening because they ran out of drinks and snacks.

For his part, Wei Ying moved into one of the rooms on the winery’s upper-floor. Spending his days mucking around with A-Yuan and his nights experimenting with human-sized arrays, interconnecting them, creating a long chain spiralling around the spare room’s floor, forming it into confusing patterns that would have the most-skilled cultivator scratching their heads, before clicking his tongue in irritation and scraping it. Wei Ying would then proceed to re-draw them, repeating this odd ritual until the first crack of dawn.

Wen Qing and Wen Ning would often peek into the room, watching the young man tirelessly working under the dimming lanterns, eyes squinting from the low light, feeling their knees twinge in sympathy while the new Calamity knelt on the floor for hours on-end, labouring away on Heavens’ know what.

Neither sibling had the heart to tell Wei Ying to stop. Knowing damn-well that whatever he was doing was for their family’s sake.

After one too many nights of no sleep or regular meals, Uncle Four finally put his foot down.

“Why don’t you and Yaun’er go for a stroll, hmm?” Uncle Four suggested, noticing that the younger man was getting antsy. He also knows that Wei Ying would most likely leave the room only for A-Yuan’s sake.

Poor lad likely met another dead end. Being holed up in a small room with nothing but your thoughts circling around your head… That’ll drive him mad one of these days. The elder man thought grimly. 

Wei Ying winced at the suggestion. A-Yuan refuses to go anywhere without his father there in his line of sight. Whenever Wei Ying would leave the upper-floor space, wanting to help Uncle Four and the others with the growing business, the child would pace around the hall, constantly asking Granny or Qing-jie where his Baba was every five minutes. The first time his son saw the crowd of rowdy ghosts on opening-day, the boy scrambled up to his room and refused to come out until they all left.

Wei Ying gloomily pointed all these instances out to Uncle Four, the elder’s frown only deepened.

“Would you rather he stay here forever, clutching at his father’s robes? Only interacting with the same five people for eternity?” He retorts. 

“He’s gotten a bit better. Yuan’er doesn’t even flinch at loud noises anymore.” Uncle continued.

“He had a nasty relapse last week, Uncle.” Wei Ying stated sombrely, eyes glazed over in remembrance. .

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

As soon as Hua Cheng crossed over the winery’s threshold, he felt malicious intent. The next second, his hand reflexively caught something flying too close to his face.

Holding up the wriggling creature, Hua Cheng inspected the tiny horror, brow arched curiously. It was a carrot ….. Which somehow sprouted root-like legs and was growing the beginnings of a face. The thing had claws and a gaping mouth with rows of razor-sharp teeth. Clearly intending to make a meal out of him, of all people.

Hua Cheng showed little reaction to the strange sight, other than a minute blink.

With a nonplussed expression, Hua Cheng took in the winery’s awkward atmosphere.

There were two elderly people and a child crowding around a table, keeping a bunch of fresh vegetables huddled at the table’s centre (the greens appeared to be suffering from the same affliction as the carrot). Almost all the furniture and crockery within the hall were smashed to bits or flipped over, aside from the one pot boiling on a brazier in the middle of the dinning hall. A young woman who appeared to be midlunge and a man (a Fierce Corpse?) holding her back by firmly wrapping his arms around her waist, while the woman’s victim was crouching above a cupboard and holding onto the top for dear-life. 

If Hua Cheng ventured a guess, he’d say one of Lord Wuxian’s experiments got a little out of hand and the lady decided he should pay the price, while the poor soul holding her back was trying to keep the peace. 

And the idiot decided to find safety in a high place, like a spooked cat. He thought, lips twitching in humour.  

The idiot in question tried to act nonchalant over the bizarreness of the situation. 

“Chengzhu! What brings you here…?” 

“Noise complaints.” Hua Cheng deadpanned. Wei Ying let out a nervous laugh while jumping off the cabinet. Feet scurrying away from the fuming lady as soon as his toes touched the floor. 

The woman angrily breaks out of the other man’s grip and goes to help the others with the ‘produce’.

Hua Cheng waves around the ‘carrot’ that was still in his hand. A clear sign for Wei Ying to start talking.

“Uncle Four and I were talking about expanding food options around here. It can’t just be wine, ya know?” He sheepishly explained, awkwardly rubbing his neck.

“And so , the genius decided to revisit one of his failed experiments.” The woman -whom Hua Cheng believes to be Wen Qing- drawls. Shaking off the live-tomato that was biting into her finger. She let out a low hiss as its teeth dug deep into her flesh, her blood trickling onto the table. 

“Who the hell would want to eat these things anyway?!” Wen Qing snaps.

“Oh, I could easily see this turn into a rare delicacy within my city.” Hua Cheng quips as he tosses the carrot into the boiling pot with a small ‘plop’. Nearly everyone winced as the little horror shrieked in pain, drowning in the scalding water. Wei Ying and Hua Cheng were the only ones who didn’t appear phased. 

“No! No! Qing-jie is onto something.” Wei Ying rebuked, as if there wasn’t a pitiful creature in the middle of its death throes, forcing everyone else to cover their ears.

Wen Qing shot him a glare, finally freeing her poor finger from the tomato’s clutches. She walked over to the boiling pot, about to throw it in when Wei Ying snatched it from her.

Showing off the creature to Hua Cheng as if he were making a sales pitch, Wei Ying continued:

“You just need to cut off the limbs, scrape off the face and ta-da! Back to being like any other vegetable.” He grinned.

Hua Cheng shook his head, brow slightly furrowed.

“Your winery is going to sound like a torture room if you do that. Those things are awfully loud.” Hua Cheng advised, eye flitting back to the squirming tomato in disinterest. 

Wei Ying lightly stroked his chin with his free hand, thinking over Chengzhu’s words.

“Hmm. You’re right. It would ruin everyone’s appetite.” He mumbled. 

Tossing the tomato over his shoulder and into the pot, Wei Ying turned to the elderly man.

“Hey, Uncle! How sturdy are your kitchen walls? Do you think they can handle a dozen silencing arrays?”

“A dozen?!” The elder squawked. “Uhh.. well..”

While the adults were talking, the child shyly walked up to Wei Ying.

(He wanted to do it earlier, but A-Yuan had to wait until Baba got rid of that little monster.)

Little fists clutched at the hem of Wei Ying’s sleeve. The boy curiously peeked at the newcomer behind his Baba’s legs. The man turned his head back, gently combing his fingers through his son’s hair in quiet reassurance. 

“Little radish…? Why don’t you introduce yourself to our guest?”

A-Yuan didn’t reply to that. Choosing instead to duck his head behind Wei Ying. The elder let out a quiet sigh. Apologetically looking back at Hua Cheng.

“Please forgive him. He’s really shy around strangers.” Wei Ying murmured, too engrossed with his skittish son to notice the older man’s strange reaction.

Hua Cheng looked at the little boy’s bandaged face, eye unfocused, his features marked with a peculiar expression.

It only lasted for a moment. In a blink, Hua Cheng snapped back to attention. He crouched down till he was eye-level with the child. Softening his expression into -what he hoped was- a more approachable look. 

“Nice to meet you little lord. Or should I call you Little Wei? I didn’t catch your name.”

Hua Cheng noticed the little guy’s eye widening at being called a ‘Wei’ before the boy gave him a tentative smile.

“....you can call me A-Yuan o-or Yuan’er.” He finishes with a clumsy bow. Hua Cheng felt his lips quirk upwards at the endearing sight and was about to introduce himself when he felt E-Ming’s eye snap open. The sword started pulling itself out of the sheath, wanting a closer look at the boy and his father.

The scimitar was always too curious for its own good.

A-Yuan’s eye went wide, promptly bursting into tears. Shaking non-stop, wildly clutching at Wei Ying’s robes, screeching at the scimitar.

 “ Go away! Don’t come closer! ”.

Hua Cheng promptly smacks the sword in its eye. Backing away from the panicking child, while Lord Wuxian tried to calm down his distressed son.

“Make it go away, Baba! Make it stop!” A-Yuan hiccuped, hiding his face in his father’s neck. Wei Ying shushes him, gently patting the child’s back, urging him to calm down. 

Hua Cheng had a white-knuckle grip on the hilt. He could feel E-Ming shaking in its sheath, tearing up when it felt like it did something wrong. 

“I’m really sorry! He only acts like that around anything sharp.” Wei Ying hurriedly said, rocking the still-crying child back-and-forth. 

“You needn’t apologise. I should’ve disciplined my spiritual weapon properly.” Hua Cheng stated, throwing a glare at the tearful scimitar. 

(Needless to say, as soon as Chengzhu left, Wen Qing gave him a good thrashing over ‘endangering everyone with another one of his brainless experiments’, but Wei Ying would rather not remember that if he can help it.)

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Uncle Four sighs at the memory and decides to leave the young man with some parting advice. “Right now, Yuan’er seems to firmly believe that he should be sheltered, not understanding that he’s trapping himself. The child’s crouching in the back of a dark cave, too scared to come out of the only place that he knows. If A-Yuan continues to live like that, what will become of him in five, ten, twenty years? Try and help him toe the line where there’s some sun. The results might surprise you.” 

“....”

A few hours later, Uncle Four hears the heavy creaking of a man’s footsteps followed by the nervous pitter-patter of a child’s feet leave through the building’s back door. The old man lets out a relieved sigh. 

Attaboy. He thought.

A breath of fresh air will do both of them some good.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Wei Ying walks around the -oddly enough less crowded- streets of Ghost City while holding A-Yuan at his hip. They initially began their stroll walking side-by-side, but the poor lad couldn’t keep up with his Baba’s long strides, so Wei Ying opted to carry him. The little one was now keeping his face tucked against the elder’s collarbone. Without looking down, Wei Ying could sense his son curiously peeking around the few stands that were still open as he trekked his way to Ghost Market 

Wei Ying catches A-Yuan eyeing a stand where a ghost with a camel’s long neck and face was stirring a huge pot of stew. 

“Feelin’ hungry…?” Wei Ying murmured against his son’s cheek, tickling the skin with his breath, which inturn made the lad let out a small giggle. 

He got a nod, so the young Calamity makes his way to the stand, when he sees the camel-ghost rear its head back, hack up a huge glob of phlegm and spit it right into the pot. 

The father-son duo watched in horror as the camel-ghost stirred the pot a few more times before dipping a ladle into the snot-mixed stew, sampling it. Its ears twitching in approval as it let out a satisfied ‘hmm’. 

“Ewwww…” A-Yuan whimpered. Wei Wuxian silently agrees, just as disgusted. 

The camel-ghost’s ears twitched.

“Who said that, huh?! Why don’t you try to make one then?!” It yelled, twisting its long neck, looking around for the perpetrator. 

Not wanting to make eye-contact, both Wei Wuxian and A-Yuan snapped their heads away from the camel’s direction and quickly stepped back into the street, melting into the small crowd before they got caught.

They make their way to another stand, where they find a lizard-demon chopping up its own tail into clean slices before giving them to customers, its stub rapidly growing back into a tail, then repeating the morbid process all over again for the next patron. A ghost selling noodles with the broth that he was bathing in. A spider-demon making ‘dragon’s beard candy’ with its own webs, using the sticky strands to catch flies and other insects before giving it to ghost-kids. 

Finally, Wei Wuxian finds a ‘normal’ looking tanghulu stand, nearly sprinting his way there with a green-faced A-Yuan.

“Please tell me you sell human treats here.” The lady looked human, if you disregard the yellow irises with slitted pupils and green scales surrounding her eyes, which crinkled in offence at his comment. 

“Of course we sell human food here. Whaddya take us for?!” She scoffed. Wei Ying was about to exhale in relief when he took a closer look at what was displayed. 

Sure. There were some normal tanghulu, like candied hawthorne, strawberries and whatnot, but there were also candied body parts. Severed fingers stabbed through the stick, glistening with hardened sugar, reddish-purple tongues along with specifically shaped pieces of shrivelled flesh that Wei Ying was 100% certain were not sausages. 

He and A-Yuan had a brief staring contest with an eyeball-tanghulu before looking back at the proud seller, puffing her chest. 

“I just remembered that my son hasn’t had lunch yet. I shouldn’t spoil his appetite with sweets. Thank you for letting us have a look, madame.” He deadpanned, expression blank. 

“Huh?!” The snake-lady snapped, but Wei Ying had already turned his heel, ready to hightail out of the food section.

“You okay?” He whispered under his breath. Cursing himself a thousand-fold. Wei Wuxian was going to give Uncle Four a tongue-lashing when he comes back. Pleasant stroll, my foot!  

A-Yuan wrinkled his nose, face pale. 

“Don’ think I’ll be eating for a while….” The poor lad mumbled. 

Wei Ying hid a grimace. Silently vowing that he will never come back to these stalls with A-Yuan in tow again. Seeing that his son needed a distraction, Wei Ying stops at a line of stalls where some ghosts were selling toys. Cradling the little lad who was now hiding his face in his Baba’s neck.

Wei Wuxian spied one stall owner selling what looked to be rattle-drums.

He was about to go and ask for the price when a foreboding thought struck him. 

What if the toys also had some type of hidden horror….?

Was the leather made out of human-skin? Were the rattles carved from a serial-killer’s bones? Did it make some kind of high-pitched shriek with every shake? or…. or…

Deciding that it would be safer to make a strategic retreat back to the winery, Wei Wuxian made to turn away.

“Ah! Gongzi! Wait!”

“Huh?” Turning back, Wei Ying saw the stall owner walk up to him and all but shoved a rattle-drum into his free hand.

“Enjoy!” The other ghost exclaimed, patting Wei Ying on the shoulder before scurrying off. Staring at the empty spot where the stall owner just was, he blinked owlishly.

What just happened..?

Noticing that A-Yuan had lifted his face to peek around again, Wei Ying quietly offered him the toy which he gladly took.

Shaking his head at the weirdness, Wei Ying made to leave the lane once again… and was accosted by another ghost giving freebies. 

This bizarre song and dance continued until Wei Ying had an armful of cargo, including a clay whistle, a kite in the shape of a phoenix, a bamboo dragonfly, a couple of stuffed animals, a paper windmill, a few puzzle boxes, a jar of marbles, a bow and some arrows fit for a child, a diabolo and a wide-eyed A-Yuan gaping in disbelief at all the new toys. 

Couldn’t they have at least offered to carry some of this stuff for me?! 

Wei Ying couldn’t even see! The new toys had piled all the way up to his face, practically blocking his vision.

From the corner of his eye, Wei Ying could make out a woman with a feline-like face and a cat’s tail carrying a hand-carved box  - another stall owner- eagerly approaching him. Clearly intending to give him the beautifully ornate box meant for accessories.

Wei Ying reeled back. She must be joking! He already has too much junk as is!

The mountain of toys wobbled before eventually collapsing. Wei Ying felt some of the toys spilling out of his arms-

And straight into another's.

“Need some help?” Hua Cheng muttered while sharing the load, practically shoulder-to-shoulder with Wei Ying, standing a little too close for comfort. 

“This was your doing, wasn’t it?!” Wei Ying hissed directly into Hua Cheng’s ear, hoping A-Yuan wouldn’t hear.

Hua Cheng merely gave him an ‘innocent’ smile and shrug, which to Wei Ying, was an admission of guilt.

The younger male was about to snap at the Crimson Bastard, when he felt his son pull at the collar of his robe.

“...thank you..” The boy mumbled in Hua Cheng's general direction, clutching at one of the stuffed toys before tucking his head back into his father’s neck. Hua Cheng offered the lad a sincere smile this time (one of the few that Wei Ying has seen so far) before beckoning the new Calamity to follow him.

“Where are we going?” Wei Ying asked, a tad cautious.

“A place where you can have a proper meal.” Hua Cheng flippantly said.

Wei Ying felt his left eye twitch. It took every single ounce of self-restraint not to cuss out Crimson Rain right in front of his very very young son.

So you were watching us this whole time?!

Chapter End.

Author's Notes:

Yeaaaah. A-Yuan has some unresolved trauma with swords and knives. You can already guess why.

*Tulipa hybrida: Better known as pink tulips. These flowers symbolize forgiveness, care, and affection. If the apology stemmed from unintentional actions, then pink tulips can help convey one's genuine concern for the recipient's feelings. I think this was the perfect flower to showcase HC's roundabout apology to A-Yuan. To him, 'sorry' wasn't gonna cut it and we all know how HC can't resist making grand gestures. Notice how HC took extra care to give A-Yuan a bow and some arrows, not a toy sword? Already on his way to becoming a good step-dad~

Note 1: Dragon's Beard Candy is a Chinese confectionary that's the equivalent to cotton-candy. Albeit with a lower sugar content and a shorter shelf-life.

Note 2: A diabolo is basically the Chinese version of a yo-yo.

And yes. The 'living vegetables' were a reference to Mo Dao Zushi Q! Hope you guys enjoyed the little A-Yuan and HC interactions. We'll have more of them later on ;)

Thanks for reading! Don't be afraid to let me know your thoughts on this chapter!

We're finally getting hints on the important plot beats of this fic. I'll do my best to not have the wait for the next chapter be as long as the last one. Till then, enjoy the omakes!

Omake:

WWX: *sneaking glances at HC while they're walking through Ghost Market, clearly wanting to ask something*

HC: What is it?

WWX: *blurts out* So, I know that there’s another Calamity who loves eating human-flesh. Do all Ghost Kings share the same tastes?

HC: *gives WWX a thousand-yard stare* Wow. I’m actually offended this time.

WWX: S-sorry! Didn’t mean to call you a canni-

HC: How could you possibly compare me to that vomit-wearing, goblin-faced, pest?

WWX:-bal......

Be sure to drop a comment and/or like!

Many thanks~

[wonderjinx]

Hendolish fic wips under the cut!

these are two snippets of different fics that I might someday finish?

this is basically this is for @heffer-wen so here you go bby 🩷

1. training wheels

“Hey Hendo, you’re gay right?” were not the words Jordan was expecting to come right out of Jack Greaish’s mouth the first time he saw him approach him at SGP that summer. Which is why he promptly clapped a hand against his mouth (Jack’s, that is) and dragged him to the nearest empty room. Luckily for them, for Jordan mostly, people were just getting settled for arrivals, so most players and staff were still waiting around in the lobby or yet to come, no one paying attention to the boot room or whomever might be lurking inside of it.

“Don’t say those things in public, Jack”

“But you are, right?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t see how that’s any of your business” Hendo says with irritation. “Are you gay?” Jack’s face lights up like it’s Christmas.

“I don’t know, that’s what I’m trying to figure out!” he says, chirpy.

2. (missing scene)

/////in my head this is a v long story but seeing as the tone came out so light I miiiiight be able to cut it down and finish it. someday.

It’s a rehearsed dance at this point. They know each other so well (do they?).

Their bodies know each other so well.

Hendo is so eager to touch and taste, and pry and probe. Jack is willing to givegivegive.

Jack’s absolutely insane legs, his thick thighs and calves and that bloody arse that condemned him since day one. Jordan’s always been a purveyor of hard squeezes and even harder spankings. It’s okay, Jack says he enjoys the pain.

More so he mentioned it once, and Jordan ran with it.

He gets off on it: the fact that he doesn’t have to be gentle. Not asking for permission, just let his instincts take over and run wild. Maybe he’s a monster? (he is, he definitely is, but he’s too preoccupied with other things to notice).

He gets off with Jack, on Jack, inside Jack, one, two, too many times. He drinks the youth out of him like it’s honey (Jack’s youth is running out, he’s 29 this year, soon he will be a father, and soon he will be 30) For some reason, him being 30 scares Jordan more than him being a father. (When did they start this? It was so long ago. Was Jordan on the brink of greatness or on the brink of insanity?).

They spend the whole day holed up together, only occasionally interrupted by hunger or someone’s bladder. Not even thirst, they’ve been drinking the sweat off each other. (they haven’t, Hendo keeps looting the mini-bar like he’s rich, and he is).

“So… what happened?” Jack purrs in his ear

///okay this doesn't make Jacky sound mean at all but I swear he makes Hendo almost cry later. Do with that what you will!

[innerpalaces]

THE PRINCESS WEI YANG - 172 PART 2

CHAPTER 172: Tianxiang Upstairs

When Li Wei Yang walked past Xiaoman, there was still a smile on Xiaoman's face. That smile was more dazzling than the sun, clean and warm. Li Wei Yang's eyes passed over her face, and suddenly she smiled faintly, but it was like moonlight. Distant, cold, indifferent.

Two extremes - Wen Xiaolou was stunned. When Li Wei Yang and Xiaoman stood together, he was surprised to find that Xiaoman seemed to be a ray of sunshine, just looking at her made him feel good, while Li Wei Yang was like ice-cold moonlight, beautiful and graceful, but without the slightest warmth.

Wen Xiaolou suddenly understood the reason why he didn't like Li Wei Yang. She obviously has such a beautiful appearance, so much money, and a loyal guard. She obviously comes from a wealthy family. If he were in her place, he would be happy, because having money means all difficulties are solved. But he had never seen her smile sincerely. She always has that cold look, and even her smile has no warmth at all.

At this time, Xiaoman looked at Li Wei Yang's back and said: "Brother, she seems to have experienced a lot of sad things."

Wen Xiaolou was stunned, and suddenly sneered: "We are so poor, and we are looked down upon by others. We have nothing, and you still worry about others -" What he said was actually a bit harsh.

Xiaoman turned around and looked at him in confusion: "Brother, what's wrong with you? You weren't like this before -"

Wen Xiaolou turned away and said, "It's nothing." Why, why did she have everything, yet still be so unhappy - and his Xiaoman, who had nothing, could still smile so happily. Wen Xiaolou felt heartbroken.

Xiaoman's face became serious, and she said: "She saved me, so she is my savior. Brother must never say those words again in the future. I think that young lady is a good person."

Good person? Wen Xiaolou looked outside the yard. Li Wei Yang had already walked down the steps and got into an inconspicuous carriage. What on earth is a woman who hides her identity going to do with their troupe? He must figure it out! He glanced at Xiaoman and said, "Tell the leader, I have to go out for something!" With that, he hurriedly took off the paint on his face, changed his clothes, and walked out without looking back.

"Brother! Where are you going!" Xiaoman was upstairs, chasing him in surprise, but Wen Xiaolou ran very fast and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Xiaoman waited until night and finally saw Wen Xiaolou coming back. She quickly stood up and said, "Brother, what on earth are you——"

"Shh, don't say anything. I'll take you to see the true face of that young lady." Zhao Yue was very good at martial arts and was no match for him. Wen Xiaolou could only follow them from a distance and finally found Li Wei Yang's residence. He felt that if he didn't take Xiaoman to see it with her own eyes, she wouldn't believe him at all.

Wen Xiaolou led the confused Xiaoman out of the theater and headed towards the east gate of Dadu. Wen Xiaolou relied on his memory to find the house. Of course he didn't dare to knock on the door, so he took Xiaoman over the wall. Xiaoman resisted and wanted to leave: "Brother, you are going too far. Miss Li is my savior, but you doubt her like this!"

"This is not to doubt her! Didn't you say that she always seems as if she is worried about something? If we don't know her details, how can we know why she is worried? How can we help? Xiaoman, don't you want to repay her?" Wen Xiaolou knew that Xiaoman was innocent, so he coaxed her like this.

Xiaoman thought for a while, but still hesitated: "But - I still think this is very bad. Miss Li must have her own troubles if she doesn't tell us. Why do you want to force her into a corner?"

Wen Xiaolou said disapprovingly: "You are really a fool. If you are sold in the future, you'll probably help them to count the money. Regardless of whether you go in or not, I will definitely go!"

As soon as he turned around, Xiaoman grabbed his clothes and said: "I...I'll go in with you—"

The two of them finally entered the courtyard, only to see a red cloud floating under the moon. Xiaoman was surprised when he discovered that peach blossoms were in full bloom in the yard. Among the flowers, countless white butterflies were drifting back and forth, glowing faintly under the moonlight. The yard is not big, but it is very neat. Not far away is the main house. The two of them looked at each other. Xiaoman finally felt that it was dishonest and refused to move forward. Wen Xiaolou was angry, so he simply left her behind and walked quietly to the main room.

Under the moon, only the carved windows of the courtyard were visible, and the thick black shadows cast on the blue bricks gave it a desolate and eerie feeling. Wen Xiaolou felt as if he was in an empty place, exploring the secret of a girl who was neither a human nor a ghost. He couldn't help but feel a little scared...

There was candlelight in the main room, and Wen Xiaolou didn't know whether to move forward. He vaguely felt that he would find a lot of things he didn't want to know. However, if he didn't understand what Li Wei Yang wanted their troupe to do, he really couldn't relax. At this moment, the curtain suddenly made a noise, and with a "meow" sound, a ball of something jumped out. He was startled, and when he took a closer look, he saw that it was just a kitten, and he opened his eyes curiously. He looked at him and when he didn't move, the cat ran away. Wen Xiaolou breathed a sigh of relief, approached the carved window, broke the bamboo paper, and looked inside carefully.

This house seems to have two rooms, the inside and the outside. The outside is very clean. The wardrobe, bed, table, chairs, and flower tables are all brand new. They are full of flowers and are very simple. Li Wei Yang and the guard beside her are not in the room. There was only a little boy, about three or four years old, with an extremely cute pink face. He was playing with a rattle in his hand, as if he was completely immersed in his own world.

At this time, Zhao Yue came out of the inner room, came to the little boy's side, and whispered: "Young Master, it's time to eat."

The little boy didn't respond and still shook the rattle seriously. Zhao Yue forcefully snatched the rattle from his hand, but the little boy suddenly raised his head and looked at Zhao Yue in horror with a pair of dark eyes, his face showing a bit of ferocity that did not belong to a child. Zhao Yue tried to communicate with him: "...young master, I will feed you food, don't be afraid." However, the little boy suddenly turned his head and grabbed the corner of the table. Zhao Yue went to pull it back, but he rushed forward viciously and bit Zhao Yue's hand hard. Although he was a child, Zhao Yue's hand immediately got a bloody cut, which showed how much strength he used.

"Young Master, you can't wait for the young lady to come back before eating every time -" Zhao Yue said: "Young Master, the young lady said you must learn to eat by yourself!" Then she grabbed the little boy's hand again, but he suddenly sprang out of her grasp and ran out quickly. However, Zhao Yue reached out quickly and caught him. He seemed to be going crazy, kicking Zhao Yue desperately, but he was too short, so he could only hit her calf. This small pain was nothing to Zhao Yue, she just grabbed him and refused to let go, pinning him. She caught his twisting and kicking legs and firmly fixed him in her arms...

This scene looks like an ordinary child refusing to eat, but why would an ordinary child react so strongly to someone else's approach? The more Wen Xiaolou watched, the more frightened he became. He vaguely felt that the people in this courtyard were extremely weird. He was about to leave to find Xiaoman, but suddenly he heard a cold voice: "Have you seen enough?"

Wen Xiaolou's heart sank suddenly and he turned around immediately.

A young girl stood diagonally opposite him, wearing a pure white dress without any colorful trimmings. There was no expression on her beautiful face. Standing at the junction of moonlight and shadow, Wen Xiaolou was really surprised.

"I...I..." He was almost speechless for a moment.

Li Wei Yang smiled and said: "What, do you feel that my identity is strange?"

Wen Xiaolou felt his throat was itchy. Facing Li Wei Yang, he subconsciously felt guilty. At this moment, Xiaoman rushed over, her face flushed with shame: "Miss Li, we...we didn't mean to..." She stood there for a long time, worried that something had happened to Wen Xiaolou, so she rushed over because she was really worried.

This person saved her life with good intentions, but Wen Xiaolou was full of suspicions towards her. This was so unkind that Xiaoman couldn't even defend him.

"The person inside is my brother." Li Wei Yang said slowly, but it was not an explanation, just a straightforward statement.

The child inside screamed, a sound like a wounded beast, which made Xiaoman's heart beat fast. She kept saying: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry Miss Li, it's all my fault!"

"What did you do wrong?" Li Wei Yang's smile became very indifferent, "I treat you well for no reason, so you will naturally doubt me. Besides, I didn't intend not to accept anything in return. I just wanted to borrow your troupe to find someone. But don't worry, this is my own business and I won't implicate you." She wanted to use the troupe's help to meet Princess Yongning. After that, she would not have anything to do with them. But - Wen Xiaolou's intuition was very accurate. She did not save Xiaoman out of pure kindness.

Wen Xiaolou's face turned red and white. He felt particularly embarrassed that someone had read his thoughts. He also felt guilty. If she was a bad person, she could take back everything she had given to them at any time and leave them with nothing. He whispered: "I'm sorry, Miss Li, it's my fault, it has nothing to do with Xiaoman."

So humble, so sincere, and apologized immediately when he knew he had made a mistake... Li Wei Yang smiled, but the smile was not so cold anymore. She thought, looking at these two people, although she didn't know what kind of relationship they had, but they cared about each other like this, and depended on each other, isn't that great... She said in a calm tone: "I won't complain to the troupe leader. Leave. I'll just pretend I haven't seen you today."

At this time, the commotion in the room became louder and louder, as if some dishes were broken, making a crisp sound. Li Wei Yang's eyebrows were very calm, as if she didn't hear anything.

Wen Xiaolou heard the movement in the room and thought of the little boy he saw just now. He had such a beautiful appearance and such dark eyes. He was so cute. No one would not feel sorry for him when they saw him like this. But why did Li Wei Yang treat him so cruelly?

He subconsciously said: "Miss Li, your brother, he——"

"This is my own business, so I won't bother you." Li Wei Yang didn't even look at the room, as if she didn't care about the child.

"But he is so young and can be taught slowly. You don't have to force him like this-" Wen Xiaolou took a breath, and a puzzled look appeared on Xiaoman's face.

Li Wei Yang said coldly, "He cannot stand on his own without pressure."

"You're crazy!" Wen Xiaolou didn't know what he was talking about, but when he saw Li Wei Yang's cold expression, he couldn't help but said, "How can you treat a child like this."

There was a sarcastic smile on Li Wei Yang's face: "You can only rely on yourself for everything. Don't think that others will help you. He is a fool. Only if I feed him every day will he be willing to eat. When others approach him, he will kick and beat them, but can I accompany him all the time? I can't, so he must learn to eat by himself, even if it is forced! I can only teach him that way. I don't know of any other way in the world to teach children. "

Wen Xiaolou stared at Li Wei Yang dumbfounded. He suddenly realized that Xiaoman was right. There were too many secrets in Li Wei Yang and he could not see through this person.

Xiaoman's eyes looked at Li Wei Yang. Suddenly, she laughed and said: "If you don't mind, I can help. I don't have many scenes, and I have nothing to do during the day. I am very good at taking care of children. I used to look after the children in the troupe." She just wanted to do something to repay Li Wei Yang.

Li Wei Yang glanced at Xiaoman. She always felt that she understood people very well and knew their nature. But now, she suddenly couldn't understand this girl. She had already said that she had other agendas and didn't need her at all. Isn't it strange that she foolishly came to her house and said she wanted to help her?

However, Xiaoman's expression was sincere, serious, and even... insistent, as if she couldn't understand the meaning of Li Wei Yang's frown. It was obvious that she was a stubborn child.

Li Wei Yang glanced at Xiaoman and said, "You want to come?"

Xiaoman nodded and said seriously: "Please let me do my best."

Li Wei Yang smirked. She had tried many maids, and each one would eventually be driven crazy by Minzhi's stubbornness. When Xiaoman knew how difficult Minzhi was to take care of, she would give up.

This time, Li Wei Yang's guess was wrong. Xiaoman actually ran there every day and took care of Minzhi with perseverance. Of course, Li Minzhi still ignored her, but she was different from others. No matter how much he rejected her, she could play with him with a smile. When Li Wei Yang saw Xiaoman taking away Minzhi's toys and he didn't yell or bite, but just lowered his head and continued to play with other things, she began to realize that Xiaoman was special. During the meal, Minzhi refused to touch the plate, and tried his best to grab the toys on the other side of the table, but his little hands were too short to reach them, so he climbed onto the chair on his knees and stretched his arms to cross the bowl of porridge, but this caused his knees to slip. The whole person fell down, knocking over his rice bowl and spilling the soup all over Xiaoman. Others would have gotten angry, but Xiaoman smiled and rubbed oil off Minzhi's face...

Finally one day, Li Wei Yang said: "Your troupe leader has already scolded you more than once about coming here, why do you do it again? I have already said that I don't want you to repay me. Or do you want my help again?"

She could only think of this reason, but Xiaoman quickly shook her head and said: "No, no, I don't need anything. I just want to help."

Li Wei Yang's heart moved and she looked at her and said: "Help? Help me? Why?"

Xiaoman looked at her in confusion, not understanding what she was talking about. In her opinion, isn't it natural to repay kindness to others?

Li Wei Yang stopped talking, looked at Xiaoman quietly for a while, and said: "Boss Wen said he wouldn't let you come, but you still insist on it?"

"What's the big deal? He'll be angry for two days and forget about it!" Xiaoman made a face: "He's always worried that I'll get sick. I'm not paper. How can I die so easily?"

"..."

"I'm sick, but if I don't move or sing because I'm afraid of death, then what's the difference between me and a dead person?" Xiaoman said matter-of-factly, and subconsciously glanced at the room. Li Minzhi was already asleep. Once he falls asleep, he will become well-behaved and cute.

"Have you had heart disease for many years?" Li Wei Yang suddenly became a little curious. In the past six months, it has been hard for her to be curious about anyone.

"Me? Yes, many years, probably from the age of seven to now?" Xiaoman herself was not sure. "I don't want to die either. If possible, I hope to stay with my brother for the rest of my life. He is even more fragile than me!"

Li Wei Yang laughed, and the smile was like melting ice and snow under the sun, fleeting: "Yes, he is much more fragile than you."

The two of them laughed tacitly.

"I am an orphan. I was abandoned on the roadside when I was a child. The troupe owner who adopted me said that maybe my mother was a girl from a brothel who secretly gave birth to me and then abandoned me. I was also very sad before, but then I thought about it. What does it matter if I'm an orphan? I can still breathe and sing, it's no big deal."

Li Wei Yang looked at Xiaoman's cheerful smile and suddenly became a little silent. Sun Yanjun and Princess Pinting are both naive, but that innocence is based on being protected. But Xiaoman... it's obvious she has suffered a lot, but she can still maintain such a cheerful smile. Why is that?

Xiaoman secretly looked at Li Wei Yang's expression, "You look so pretty when you smile."

Li Wei Yang nodded, glanced at the door, and said: "Your brother is here to pick you up. You should go."

Wen Xiaolou looked very handsome in a blue shirt. His smile was full of warmth. Xiaoman ran towards him quickly, like a butterfly. Li Wei Yang suddenly smiled again. At this time, Zhao Yue walked to her side: "Miss, I got the news and said -"

Li Wei Yang's brows wrinkled slightly...

－－－－－－Digression－－－－－

Editor: In yesterday's chapter, your gorgeous and glorious image plummeted and you turned into a scumbag.

Xiao Qin: (⊙o⊙)...I'm used to it anyway

Get up to 30 advanced chapter parts on Patreon

[animanganerd]

Everything Annoys Me And I’m (Too) Hot - Chapter 16

The Untamed / Mo Dao Zu Shi Fanfic

Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/47881336/chapters/128218231

All chapters: here x

Chapter 16 ❖ Liu Fenghua (Part 1)

It had already grown dark and nothing looked familiar. There were only trees as far as Lan Xiaoli’s eyes could see, each looking like a carbon copy of the other. And all he had with him were the warmth talismans.

A sense of uneasiness took form in his heart. He stopped in his tracks and took a deep breath to calm down. As he closed his eyes to focus, he heard a faint but familiar voice calling out for him from the far distance of the forest.

“A-Li?”

The voice belonged to Wei Wuxian, so he called back, “Yes?”

“A-Li! Where are you? We’re waiting for you!”

Lan Xiaoli was a tad surprised. Even if he might have lost his way, it didn’t feel like that much time had passed yet. But he had no sense of time in the darkness and if the others were already missing him, then he must’ve been gone for quite a while. 

He couldn’t pinpoint where the voice was coming from, so he aimlessly looked around in the sea of trees, still rooted to the spot. “I don’t know which way!”

Wei Wuxian’s soft laugh echoed in the woods. “Just follow my voice.”

Lan Xiaoli closed his eyes to focus on his dad’s voice. With each step he took, the voice became clearer and clearer, until it suddenly exclaimed, “Watch out! Behind you!”

Alarmed, Lan Xiaoli snapped his eyes open and dashed forward. He glanced over his shoulder as he ran, trying to spot the danger, but it was too dark to see anything. In just a few strides he ran out of the dangerous forest and… straight off a cliff!

The sudden disappearance of solid ground sent his heart plummeting. Many thoughts and questions flashed through his head until his mind settled on This is it.

Right when he was ready to accept his fate, two strong arms caught him with a swoosh. Without thinking, Lan Xiaoli wrapped his arms around the man’s neck and held on tightly. Only when Lan Xiaoli had returned to safety and felt the solid earth beneath his feet did he let go of the other. Since it was his dad calling out for him earlier, he was certain Wei Wuxian had saved him, but when he raised his head he looked at Wen Kexing’s face.

“Where is my dad?!” he blurted.

“He’s not here,” Wen Kexing said with a grave expression. He wasn’t looking at Lan Xiaoli, but scanning the dark forest in front of them.

Wen Kexing had never been so serious before. He usually had at least a hint of a smile in the corner of his eyes and loved to tease others, almost as much as Wei Wuxian did. Seeing the man in front of him so focused, Lan Xiaoli realised how dangerous the situation was, but with Wen Kexing by his side, his suspended heart settled and his tense body relaxed.

Wen Kexing continued, “You walked into a trap. We have to call out the spirit’s name to break the illusion.”

Lan Xiaoli was struck by a sudden realisation. “It is a Mofang Yao?” As soon as he had uttered the name, the illusion became slightly distorted, confirming his guess.

Lan Xiaoli had learned about these creatures in his morning lessons. No one knew what their true form looked like, as they always hid behind the illusions they created. They used voices familiar to the victim to lure their prey into their clutches, hence their name Mofang Yao, the Imitation Spirits.

Even though their illusions were strong and highly dangerous, these creatures still counted as low-level spirits. All it took was to call out their name for them to scram and hide. Once they’d been busted, they wouldn’t dare to reappear or cause further harm.

“Not just one.” After assessing the situation, Wen Kexing looked at Lan Xiaoli with a confident smile. “Ready? Three, two, one…”

Putting their hands to their mouths, they shouted the creatures’ name at the top of their lungs, over and over, until the illusion had completely dispersed.

The moon hung in a clear night sky, casting its soft, hazy light down the wide, open path before them. Seeing the real trees in contrast to the extremely dense and dark forest illusion before, it was obvious that the texture had been all wrong. It also explained why the trees had all looked the same; they’d literally been copies of each other.

After Wen Kexing and Lan Xiaoli exchanged a victorious look, they returned to the rest of the group with proud smiles on their faces.

The two of them found the others at their carriages, all safe and sound. Upon spotting Lan Xiaoli, Wei Wuxian jogged over to quickly shorten the distance between them. After he’d ascertained that Lan Xiaoli was unharmed, he sent Wen Kexing a grateful glance.

Once everyone had settled down, Wen Kexing explained, “Hanguang-jun and I noticed something was off, so we went to warn you guys. On my search for A-Xu und Chengling, I stumbled upon Xiaoli, who fell–”

“For the illusion,” Lan Xiaoli quickly finished the sentence, too embarrassed to admit that he had just escaped near death. He should’ve known better than to just follow the sound of a familiar voice, but the creatures had called out to him before he could calm down and clear his mind in the dark.

To save time, Lan Xiaoli and his dads had agreed to not accept any Night Hunt requests along the way. Yet, encounters with vicious spirits and other nefarious creatures, such as the Mofang Yao, were an inevitable part of their journey, and ignoring their presence was not an option. Thus, they took it upon themselves to vanquish any harmful spiritual entities that crossed their path.

However, now that Wen Kexing and Lan Xiaoli had chased the Mofang Yao away, it was impossible to find them and dispatch them for good. Once the spirits realised their territory was endangered, they would go into hiding, never to come out again.

While the group discussed how to deal with the Mofang Yao, Lan Wangji made the final decision. “We can settle this in the future,” he said; provided no one else would take care of the matter first.

Rather than waste time searching for the creatures, the group relocated for the night and warned all villages in the vicinity of the lurking danger.

About a month later, they finally arrived at the Memory Guy’s location.

His name was Liu Fenghua, and he resided in a secluded cave at the top of a high, rugged mountain far to the northeast. 

The path to his residence was a vicious one, meandering along the bleak outside of a grey mountain. Lan Xiaoli and company had to climb it on foot, as the incline was too steep and the path too narrow for their horse-drawn carriages. It was impossible for two people to walk side by side, and the more they advanced, the more narrow the path became.

Almost at the top, they had to walk sideways, their bodies pressed against the face of the mountain for stability. With no trees or anything else to shield the group, they not only had to be careful to not lose their grip and slip off the edge, but also to not be blown away by the biting cold gusts of wind.

It was an arduous hike, but eventually, they made it.

Although it was a challenge to locate Liu Fenghua, he didn’t actively live in hiding. On the contrary, he genuinely wished to help others.

However, while his services were free of charge, he had to prevent people from exploiting his powers for trivial reasons. Thus, by climbing the mountain, his clients had “earned” the use of his abilities. If someone wasn’t willing to undertake that journey, they likely didn’t really want or need to retrieve their memories.

As soon as they entered the cave, Liu Fenghua received them with open arms, as though he’d been anticipating their arrival. He was splendidly dressed, his robes simple but elegant. His bearing was one of humble wisdom, and despite his youthful appearance, he had an air of refinement, as if he’d been alive for centuries.

A gentle smile graced his face, deepening the warmth in his dark eyes. His entire being stood in stark contrast to the freezing temperatures outside. Lan Xiaoli couldn’t help but feel at ease. He was relieved that their difficult trek had not been in vain.

However, Liu Fenghua’s impressive appearance was shattered the moment he opened his mouth.

“Wow! I’ve never welcomed such a huge group before,” he exclaimed. His gentle smile had turned into a grin so dopey it made him seem a little… naïve?

Lan Xiaoli was slightly taken aback. Could it be that there weren’t as many tales about this guy, because he… wasn’t actually that amazing?

Wen Kexing stepped forward and cupped his hands together to respectfully greet Liu Fenghua. “Daozhang, may we trouble you with our requests?” he asked, his face stern. Zhou Zishu internally rolled his eyes at Wen Kexing’s intense seriousness about the matter.

“No need for courtesy, we’re all brothers here,” Liu Fenghua replied, politely waving him off. His gaze swept over the group and he asked, “Would that be all of you?”

“No, just me and this boy,” Wen Kexing said, gesturing at Lan Xiaoli.

Liu Fenghua clapped his hands together and beamed. “Great! If it’s just the two of you, it’s a piece of cake! I should be able to fulfil both of your requests today,” he said with a delighted face. If he had to help everyone recover their memories, it might’ve taken him a couple of days. His powers were limited after all.

Liu Fenghua offered everyone a place to sit and lit a small fire a few metres away to provide some warmth.

From what Lan Xiaoli could see, Liu Fenghua’s stone cave was minimalist. The only “furniture” he had were a few seat pillows scattered around a rock that served as a table. In one of the walls was a huge hole dug out, which got separated from the rest of the cave by a curtain. Apart from that, the grey stone walls were blank.

A short while later, Liu Fenghua carried over a tray of tea cups. Lan Xiaoli had no idea where he’d conjured up the tray and the cups from. As Liu Fenghua walked over from the fire, he tripped over a stone and spilled the tea. He laughed cheerfully and said, “Phew, good thing those weren’t memories! I wouldn’t want to have awkward secrets and embarrassing moments all over the place. Hahaha!” Still laughing, he walked back to the fire to cook up another pot of tea.

The others’ expressions went blank. “...”

Lan Xiaoli’s doubts deepened further. How could someone so powerful be so clumsy? However, since none of the adults commented on it, he didn’t want to mention it either.

Carrying the fresh pot of tea over, Liu Fenghua pointedly evaded the vile stone. The look on his face as he peered at the stone seemed to convey a gleeful, “Hah! Not this time!”

Lan Xiaoli thought the only thing missing was him sticking his tongue…

Once everyone was provided for, Liu Fenghua also took a seat and started to explain.

“The rules are simple. I can retrieve any memories from a certain time period – the more specific, the better. There is no limit on how long the period can be. It can either be a certain day, a specific time on a day, or from one month to another – all of this is possible. If you don’t remember the exact date or time, a vague time period is sufficient as well, but the recollection session will take longer and it takes a lot more energy from my side.”

While everyone processed the information, they all slowly nodded in acknowledgement.

Lan Xiaoli was the first to speak up. “The time that passes in the memories, will it pass in real time too? For instance, if I want to remember two hours, will the process take two hours?”

Liu Fenghua smiled at him. But this smile was different. His usual grin was so wide that his eyes were squeezed into crescents, but his curbed smile allowed his eyes to open and reveal the warmth within them. His expression no longer appeared foolish; instead, it exuded a serene confidence and competence that washed away all the concerns Lan Xiaoli had harboured mere moments ago.

“That’s an excellent question, young man,” Liu Fenghua said. “The simple answer is no. Repetitive activities such as sleeping, eating, etc. will be fast-forwarded, or skipped, to be precise. Hence, the time in memories passes faster than in real time. However, the longer the time period, the more likely it is to have side effects.”

Wei Wuxian cut in, “Such as?”

Liu Fenghua turned his head to face him and listed, “Dizziness, nausea, disorientation and such. Nothing too serious, but also nothing to be trifled with.”

“Is there a limit you’d recommend?” Wei Wuxian asked.

Liu Fenghua thought about it for a second. “Hmm… It depends. Reactions vary from person to person. On their general condition, their mental state, etc. I really can’t determine a general rule. But I’d say ten years could get quite tough on my part.”

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji glanced at each other.

After he made sure there were no more open questions, Liu Fenghua continued, “The most important part is that once the memory session has started, I won’t be able to cancel it. Neither me nor the person retrieving their memory will be conscious, and only the person that was present for the memories will be able to see them. Simply because you can’t remember what you haven’t experienced. 

“This is crucial, because it means I won’t see the memories either, and I won’t be able to tell whether they’re remembering something they shouldn’t. So you need to be absolutely prepared to take that risk.”

Liu Fenghua paused to give the others a moment to let that sink in. “Now that you know about the rules and risks, do you still want to remember?”

Both Wen Kexing and Lan Xiaoli didn’t hesitate to answer in the affirmative.

“Wen-xiong, I ask you to go first. We need to talk to A-Li first,” Wei Wuxian said.

Lan Xiaoli didn’t like the sound of that and grew a little anxious. No matter what objections his dads might raise, he was determined to regain his lost memories.

“Of course,” Wen Kexing said. Since he knew all the specifics regarding his missing memory, it was more convenient anyway and would take less of Liu Fenghua’s energy.

“Wonderful,” Liu Fenghua said and gestured towards the hole behind the curtain. “Please follow me.”

Wen Kexing grabbed Zhou Zishu by the arm and dragged him along.

“What?!” Zhou Zishu exclaimed.

“You’re gonna join the experience with me, just so we’re on the same page. Else you’ll just pretend you don’t remember again!” Wen Kexing said.

Zhou Zishu rolled his eyes but let himself get dragged away nonetheless. His heart was just too soft.

Behind the curtain, Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu sat across from Liu Fenghua, just as instructed, each of them holding onto one of Liu Fenghua’s hands for energy flow. The moment the three of them closed their eyes, the memory session commenced.

The session was nice and easy, as Wen Kexing only wanted to remember a night. A short while later, Wen Kexing stormed out from behind the curtain, visibly upset, followed by Zhou Zishu, who rubbed his forehead.

“Never again!! You never let me do this!!” Wen Kexing complained. “From now on, you have to refuse me when I’m this drunk!! The things we did! How dare you!! You might as well have cheated on me!” he ranted as he approached the others.

…He was jealous of his drunk self.

Zhou Zishu, who was trailing behind him, gestured with his hands for Wen Kexing to lower his voice, exasperated by his lamentation.

Wen Kexing flopped onto his seat, then faced Lan Xiaoli. “It’s your turn. He’s waiting,” he said in a calm, but still angered tone, pointing with his thumb to the secluded area. Wen Kexing’s memory barely took any energy from Liu Fenghua, so he was ready for Lan Xiaoli after just a small break.

When Lan Xiaoli entered the secluded area, Liu Fenghua was already sitting in position, welcoming him with one of his light-hearted smiles. After Lan Xiaoli had taken place, he said, “You’re quite young and you already wish to remember something?”

Lan Xiaoli was usually shy around strangers, but something about Liu Fenghua made Lan Xiaoli so comfortable that his mind remained calm and collected. With firm determination in his eyes, he replied, “Yes. I have no recollection of anything from my childhood before my dads found me.”

Seeing how serious the teen was, Liu Fenghua’s smile faded into a more serene, but no less gentle expression. “And what time period would that be?”

While Wen Kexing’s memory session was in progress, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian had asked Lan Xiaoli how much he wanted to remember. When Lan Xiaoli answered “everything”, the couple exchanged a concerned look.

Knowing about the possible side effects of retrieving memories, and unsure to what extent Lan Xiaoli was still affected by the curse, they couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy. To avoid any unwanted incidents, they had agreed on a maximum of two years. Lan Xiaoli was free to choose what age though.

Yet, he couldn’t resist and said, “From my first to my fourth year of age.”

Lan Xiaoli didn’t want to take any chances, afraid he might miss a crucial part of his past if he stuck to the restriction. He wanted to remember it all. He asked his dads for forgiveness in his heart, and took comfort in the fact that they would be nearby if anything were to go wrong.

Surprise flashed across Liu Fenghua’s face, but he quickly regained his composure. Yet, Lan Xiaoli still caught the subtle shift in his expression. It was the first time Liu Fenghua had dropped his smile, and his eyes had briefly widened in shock.

“Is it no good?” Lan Xiaoli asked, a bit concerned. As determined as he was, he didn’t want to impose.

“It’s not a problem, don’t worry,” Liu Fenghua reassured him with a soft laugh. “But since it’s quite a long time, I would recommend having one of the adults join.”

Lan Xiaoli moved to fetch someone, but Liu Fenghua quickly stopped him. “I’ll get them, you can remain seated. Who would you like to attend?”

Lan Xiaoli blinked a few times and got back on his knees. He took a moment to consider his options. He couldn’t ask one of his dads, else they’d find out what time period he requested.

“Uncle Wen. The one with the white hair who was here before me,” he finally said.

“Great, I’ll be right back,” Liu Fenghua said. Just as he was about to leave, Lan Xiaoli suddenly spoke up.

“Wait.”

Hand already on the curtain, Liu Fenghua stalled in his movements and turned around. He waited patiently for the boy to continue, thinking he might’ve changed his mind.

With a lowered gaze, Lan Xiaoli muttered, “...Please don’t tell them how much I asked for.”

Liu Fenghua was stunned once more. That was a request he hadn’t anticipated, but gladly obliged, much to Lan Xiaoli’s relief.

As he approached the group waiting outside, Wei Wuxian jumped up in concern. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes, don’t worry. I just need a word with Brother Wen.”

He led Wen Kexing to the spot where the fire was. “I will require your assistance, if you don’t mind,” he said.

“Of course!” Wen Kexing replied. “How can I help?”

Liu Fenghua breathed a sigh of relief, and explained, “The boy requested to remember a long period of his childhood. While it is possible, I’m still worried about his condition. Since I am focused and have my eyes closed as well, I won’t be able to notice if anything goes awry.

“It would be great if you could join us to keep an eye on him. And…,” he paused, his usually carefree face growing pensive. “Forgetting something that happened in our childhood could always be an indicator of trauma, so it would be better to have a familiar face around.”

Wen Kexing agreed without hesitation. Who wouldn’t after receiving such a great service for free?

The two walked toward the curtains, but were stopped by Wei Wuxian. “Is it about A-Li?” he demanded.

Liu Fenghua turned around with a benign smile before answering, “Well, yes. He is quite young. We just need someone to supervise the situation.”

Wei Wuxian tightly knit his brows. “I think one of us should be by our son’s side!”

“He specifically requested his uncle Wen… Ah…”

Wei Wuxian didn’t wait for him to finish and dashed past him. He yanked the curtains open.

Lan Xiaoli wasn’t aware of the ruckus outside. Behind the curtains, all he heard were muffled voices. He was surprised to see Wei Wuxian burst in. “Dad?!”

“I’ll stay with you!”

“Get out!”

“What do you mean ‘get out’?!” Wei Wuxian returned, indignation written all over his face. He was truly at a loss. “Why do you want someone else to watch you??”

“You worry too much! You are just going to intervene! Leave!” Lan Xiaoli said, pushing Wei Wuxian with all his might. But Wei Wuxian didn’t move, both stubbornly glaring at each other.

“If you don’t let me stay, I won’t let you remember,” Wei Wuxian warned through gritted teeth.

Lan Xiaoli’s face dropped. This was exactly what he had feared. If his dad stayed, he would find out that Lan Xiaoli was about to break their agreement. Apart from that, Lan Xiaoli knew that if he just so much as twitched, Wei Wuxian would immediately break up the session.

Lan Xiaoli’s tone changed from angry to pleading. “Uncle Wen has just been through it, I think he can best judge the situation.” As if to prove that Wen Kexing was real, Lan Xiaoli grabbed his arm and pulled him closer.

“My, my…,” Liu Fenghua chimed in. “I think this young one has a point. If anything should happen, Brother Wen will make sure to let you know right away. How about it?”

Lan Xiaoli frantically nodded, as if this was the best idea he’d ever heard in his entire life. He was still pushing Wei Wuxian, telling him with his eyes to kindly piss off.

Wei Wuxian let out a frustrated huff through his nose and only begrudgingly retreated. He couldn’t believe that the boy they had raised would prefer a virtual stranger by his side at such a crucial moment. He dropped onto his seat next to Lan Wangji, shaking his head.

Lan Wangji could tell Wei Wuxian had been hit hard by this, as he had fallen dead silent. In an attempt to comfort him, Lan Wangji gently stroked his back.

The mood had never been so low in all their travels. Hoping to lighten up the mood, Zhang Chengling said, “A-Li is in good hands with my shifu. It’ll be fine.”

No one responded and the silence remained awkward.

With the issue more or less solved, Liu Fenghua and Lan Xiaoli took their positions behind the curtains, and Wen Kexing sat down by Lan Xiaoli’s side. 

Lan Xiaoli put his hands into Liu Fenghua’s and closed his eyes, his heart pounding madly. His hands were covered in a thin layer of sweat from nervousness and excitement. He sincerely hoped that Liu Fenghua wouldn’t notice, but he didn’t have much time to be concerned.

[steventhusiast]

snippet from a steddie as single dads fic i am writing! this part is heavily based on/inspired by the bluey episode cafe. Eddie’s daughter is called Arwen (duh) and Steve’s daughter is called Sam (short for Samantha). They’re both 6 years old and Steve and Eddie are in their late 20s.

-

“I’m Arwen. But all my friends call me Wenny so you should call me that! What’s your name?” The girl did a little twirl in her tutu as she spoke, and poked at the pile of wood chips Sam had collected.

“I’m Sam. Your name is so cool!” Sam went back to collecting wood chips after saying that, seeming unsatisfied with the small pile on the ledge.

“Daddy says it comes from a book he likes. What are you playing?”

“Cafe! Do you wanna work there with me?”

“Sure!”

“These can be the food. Cakes and pastries.”

Steve smiled at the ease at which Sam made friends. He missed that about being a child, especially since most of his earlier friendships at school fell through after the friends grew up to be total dickheads.

“Who’s gonna be our customer?” Arwen asked after a moment of the girls standing there, and they both looked equally stumped for an answer momentarily, until-

“Dad! Can you be our customer?” They both called out, smiling widely at the two men.

“Course, kiddo.” Steve said, and walked over to the small structure the girls pointed to as their table.

“Sure, Wenny.” The man smiled, closing his book and placing it down on the bench to join Steve.

They both sat awkwardly, legs bent right up to their chests from how low they were sitting, and waited for the two girls came over to them.

“Name’s Steve, by the way.” Steve said to fill the silence, and the other man smiled slightly at the slightly awkward tone of voice.

“Eddie.” The no-longer-mystery man responded. Steve opened his mouth to attempt to continue their slightly stilted conversation, curious about the patches sewn into Eddie’s denim vest, but was interrupted by Arwen and Sam running over to them.

“We work at a cafe, and you are our customers-” Sam started to explain, not seeming uncomfortable or scared of the new man at all.

“And you’re friends!” Arwen chimed in, and Steve and Eddie made eye contact for a second before shrugging.

“I’ll have one latte please.” Eddie requested with a smile, but Arwen frowned and leaned toward her dad.

“We only have cakes and pastries, so you have to order that.”

The man nodded seriously at her words, and pretended to think, flipping through an imaginary menu.

“Right, of course. I’ll get one chocolate cupcake then, please.” He looked at Steve after speaking, and leaned over slightly with a hand shielding his face to stage whisper to him, “You should get one too, they’re really good.”

“Ooh, okay. I’ll get a chocolate cupcake too.” Steve said, blinking harshly to shrug off the intensity of Eddie’s face being that close to his all of a sudden. The proximity had made him slightly nervous, but he couldn’t pinpoint why. Eddie was still basically a stranger, he supposed.

“That’ll be ten dollars.” Sam announced, and Steve reached into his pocket to find his imaginary money, only to be told, “Sorry, we don’t take air-coins here.”

“What?!” Steve gasped. He and Sam always used air-coins.

“It’s alright, man. I brought cash.” Eddie assured, and reached down to pick up a small pile of leaves to give to Sam.

“Your order will be out soon!”

And with that, the two girls ran off to go ‘make’ their food, and Steve and Eddie were left to sit there quietly.

“So-“ “We-“ Both men tried to talk at once after a few moments of silence, and then laughed as they spoke over each other.

“You go.” Steve offered.

“Was gonna ask if you folks were new to the neighbourhood. Me and Wen come here practically every morning and have never seen you.” Eddie said with a shrug, the question coming out like a statement.

“Yeah, had to move out of Loch Nora.” Steve admitted, and tapped his fingers on the table briefly.

“Loch Nora? Didn’t know I was dining with a king today!” Eddie gasped out the location name, bringing up a hand to his chest dramatically. Steve just rolled his eyes at the man.

“It’s hardly dining if the-“ He raised his voice to call toward the girls as they re-arranged their wood chip pile, “-staff don’t give us our order!”

[nayaaatv]

"only for you" - wen junhui

# : idol! jun x non! idol reader, fluff, established relationship.

warnings ! : a kinda jealous reader LMAO, and a bit of swearing.

wc ! : 0.6k <3

a/n : this was like a super old draft from juns bday, it wouldnt post back then so i just forgot about it but im posting it now so yay (had to fix it a bit cuz its not his bday anymore so hehe)

you stared at your phone competitively. ofcourse, you were never bothered by jun replying to fans on weverse, you barely even check weverse, but this one caught your eye.

♡ : have a great day jun !! hope you enjoy your break <3

🐱 : thank you babe ! ^^

you scrunched your nose. 'its just like, fanservice' you thought to yourself. although there was a suspicious feeling growing in your stomach.

gasp??? jealousy!? you put your phone down and got up to get a glass of water, forgetting to shut your phone off.

right on time, your beloved boyfriend walks in with a grin on his face, excited to see yours. you can sense his confused expression after seeing your quite moody face.

"babe! .. babe?" he said as you turned around slightly shocked. he smiled, you smiled back faintly as you go to sit back down on the couch.

"babe? is something wrong?" he said, worried. you turned your head around to look at him and sighed dramatically.

"oh nothing nothing, did you like the gift i got you?" you said, trying to change the subject so he doesn't tease you for eternity.

"okay, one, i loved the sweet matching rings you got me im most definitely going to wear them till we get real ones, and two don't even try changing the subject, love. your tricks dont work on me." he puffs.

soon enough he's sat down with you on the couch, trying to get you to confess whatever is going on in your head. you put your glass down and crossed your arms, staring at him fiercely. he tilted his head in confusion, like a cat (hehe).

"did i do something wrong?" he asked

no reply.

"babe? are you mad at me?" he asked again, more confused and worried as ever.

"no..." you mumbled. he asked more questions until your eyes went to your phone lying on the table, which was still open.

his cat eyes followed yours and his first instinct was... to grab it. he ran as fast as he could whilst holding the phone in the air. you bet the neighbours could hear you both laughing and shouting from the chasing.

you were basically tackling him as he was reading your phone carefully but rather quickly.

he started laughing. you sighed and dropped your head onto his chest in defeat.

"babyyy" he whined as you got off of him.

you scoffed as he chuckled. he was choking on his own laughs.

"what??? what what what?" you said, annoyed. he opened his mouth to speak, but muttered a small 'fuck it' and picked you up like a teddy bear.

"wen jun-fucking-hui if you dont put me down right now." you warned him, but he didn't even flinch.

he walked over to your room, plopping you down on the bed. before you could get up, he was all over you, basically cuddling you.

"jun--" he cut you off with a simple kiss. it was soft as always. it calmed you down in a click. you ran your fingers through his hair before he pulled away to breathe.

"you're sooo cute" he admitted quietly, making the atmosphere much softer. you sigh as he snuggles himself into your neck.

"you have absolutely nothing to be jealous of, you know that right?." he said softly.

"ofcourse i know that! i trust you but, you were basically throwing yourself at her." you joked.

"im only for you, only you." he said in an assuring tone.

you ended up cuddling and talking about the most random stuff for hours. even though he was supposed to hangout with the guys, he just couldn't leave his love alone.

he kissed you the whole day, but like, everywhere! if he was wearing lipstick it would look like you just stabbed someone. his lips were all over you! but you know, only for you. only for his baby ♡

end!

✦ ; @odetoyeonjun @stuckinmyhead5 @guavagyu @starry-mins @pearlygraysky @enhacolor @khypods @yoonzin0 @enha-choo @shadowofgyu

m.list ¯\(° °)/¯

[minervadashwood]

Daryl Dixon x NB!Reader (afab, plus-size) 🏹 Daryl x Reader x Rick 🛡️

The Cop and the Criminal - Chapter 10

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Series Masterlist | Masterlist | Taglist Form

~~~~~~~~

Summary: Rick learns something about himself. The weekend begins! This chapter contains: Unresolved sexual tension. Smut and fluff. Word count: 2.5K Note: New dividers! Due to a special request, smut will now be partitioned off by a divider that looks like this:

Chapter 10

Your scent already embedded in his memory, Rick knew you were nearby even before you came out of that building with Daryl.

The deputy was hard immediately. 

He knew about the instant attraction between alphas and omegas, the intrinsic need they had for each other, but this was something else. The campus was well lit, so by the time you were outside, Rick had no trouble seeing you clearly. Immediately he realized you were nothing like Lori. Where she was angular and tall, you were round and short. Raking his eyes over you he studied each dip and curve, committing it to memory. He was certain that cuddling you would be warm and soft, inviting. Daryl was holding you close, and a pang of longing came over the deputy.  Suddenly, you glanced his way. His heart picked up speed as shock and confusion crossed your face. You turned away quickly, grabbing onto Daryl and looking up at your mate as you began to speak words Rick couldn’t hear. 

Not only did Rick want to hug you and fuck you in equal measure, his instincts screamed at him to leap out of the SUV and fix whatever had upset you. 

However, you were Daryl’s. That much was clear: not only in the way you looked at him, but in Daryl’s own softness, too. Daryl soothed you with light kisses, his rough, workman’s hands gently holding you; Rick almost whimpered at the sight. It was what he’d wanted with Lori, that trust and vulnerability. But every time he doted on her, or showed her such softness, it was clear she’d wanted something else, something sharp and jagged. Something rougher.

As Rick watched, he wished to comfort you, although he realized he wanted to do so with Daryl, not in place of him.

Maybe what Rick needed all along was an omega. Someone who craved the softness Rick had buried inside him. Someone who would welcome his need to comfort and protect, not brush it aside.

The longer Rick watched, the more potent your scent became, and so did Daryl’s. Rick’s chest rose and fell with quickened breaths. Maybe you really did need him. Maybe Daryl wasn’t enough, and it was Rick’s job to help his friend. To help you.

But all too soon you went back inside, scampering through the doors and taking Rick’s breath along with you.  His hands gripped the steering wheel and his dick throbbed.

When Daryl got back inside, a cloud of your scent all around him, Rick thought he might lose his mind.

Instead, the lawman rolled down his window and took a few deep breaths.

“She alright?” Rick asked.

“Don’ call ‘em tha’,” Daryl grumbled, putting on his seatbelt.

Rick began pulling out of the parking lot. “Call who what?”

“My ‘mega. They’re nonbinary.  They, not she.”

“Noted,” Rick said, longing to know your name and more about you. Anything, really. “Are they okay?”

Daryl sighed and gazed out the window. “Fucked up last weekend. Let an alpha get near ‘em an’ Y/N got hurt. Hot coffee spilled on 'em. Was that fucker’s fault backin’ into ‘em, but he wen’ off and yelled. I got there before he did anythin’ else, but it shoulda never happened.  Christ. I even wanted ‘em to meet ya, but they just got spooked smellin’ ya.” He ran a hand through his hair. 

The incident Daryl spoke of was clearly the one Rick had been called out to investigate. He easily imagined that ex-con, Joe Wilson, had caused trouble. Rick couldn’t help the jolt of anger that rippled through him, as he imagined Wilson attacking you. If anyone tried to hurt you when Rick was around, he would have him in a chokehold, regulations be damned. 

Which begged the question: what had kept Daryl from beating that man senseless? Why had it been Merle in the complaint and not your Alpha? Maybe Merle was an alpha, too, or maybe it had been his history with Wilson. Or was that no-good Merle Dixon actually protecting his brother? Protecting you?

“What happened after that?” Rick asked.

Daryl let out a long sigh. “It was awful. They ain’t tha’, usually. Like ya saw.  Y/N’s a damn firecracker,” he chuckled. “They’ve been talkin’ my damn ear clean off ‘bout school, an’ me, an’ us. This horse shit…” he shook his head, “ it was somethin’ else altogether. They couldn't move, couldn’t speak--jus’ hangin’ on me, sayin’ my name, ya know?”

Rick’s heart beat a mile a minute, imagining your fear and your need for an alpha to help you.

Daryl went on. “Got ‘em out quick as I could. Weren’t hurt or nothin’, not too bad. Jus’ scared. Like a bunny in a bear trap, ya know? Got ‘em cleaned up real nice--water on burns, rinsin’ out their clothes, all that shit. After all that? They’re right as rain! Now? Iunno.” 

“Sounds like you did everything right,” Rick said, pulling onto the interstate. “I’m sure they know that, too.”

Daryl sighed. “Jus’ wanna protec’ ‘em from the worl’.”

“I know what you’re going through, man,” Rick replied. “It’s in our nature to protect, especially when it’s someone we care about. Like you’d die before letting them get hurt.”

From his periphery, Rick saw Daryl glance at him before staring out the window, finally grunting in agreement. 

Despite what Rick had known about Daryl before they’d met, the younger Dixon kept surprising him. Daryl worked his ass off and clearly put you first in everything he did. The man was dedicated to his job, almost to a fault, going out of his way to help people move in and out, responding to minor annoyances like leaky taps and stuck drawers, then spending most of his free time trying to make a home for you.

Rick loosened his grip on the steering wheel as he drove down the highway. Reminding himself how it felt when he found out about Lori and Shane, Rick decided to stop thinking about you, your scent, and any hope of being around you.  His best friend’s betrayal had hurt more than Lori’s; Rick had spent the last year and half not even wanting to breathe the same air as Shane.

Rick wondered if you’d really been scared just now. It was confusion he saw, not fear, and as a cop, he was pretty good at reading people. Was it possible you were having the same reaction to his scent as he did to yours?

Rick told himself that was impossible. Daryl was your true mate, clearly. Even as a bystander Rick saw how you fit together, how damn loving you were together. 

Rick would never ruin something like that. 

On Friday, you rushed home after your last class. All  that had happened earlier that week could not quell your excitement for the weekend. 

You cleaned up the apartment, putting away all the messes you’d made in the past week. It didn’t matter that Daryl was here yesterday; you wanted the place to be tidy and welcoming for his weekend stay. Next, you changed the sheets on your bed,  fluffed up the pillows and picked up scattered dirty laundry. A few garments you put in a sealed plastic bag; they were for Daryl to take home with him.

Finally, you hopped in the shower and went through all your cleansing and grooming rituals. When it came time to dress, you pulled on a t-shirt and a lightweight, knee-length skirt. As you reached for your underwear drawer, you paused. What was the point? Daryl would likely steal them off of you, anyway. So, you decided not to put on any underwear or even boxer shorts under your skirt. You felt rather naughty leaving your bedroom, and a thrilling chill swept through you.

How would Daryl react when he realized? You trembled with anticipation.  When your phone buzzed, you were so worked up, you nearly jumped out of your skin.

The message simply read, “Here.”

You squealed, slipped into a pair of flip-flops, and ran out the door and down the stairs.

Standing by the front desk was your mate, sun-kissed and sweaty, and wearing an old t-shirt over his broad shoulders and solid frame. 

The moment he saw you, his eyes raked over you, predatory and full of lust. As soon as you were close enough, he took your hand and pulled you to him, tucking you into his side. You made quick work of signing him in, and then Daryl kept hold of your hand and pulled you to the elevator.

When the doors closed, and you were alone, Daryl grabbed you and kissed you. This meeting was nothing like yesterday, when you’d both been despondent and you barely functioning. This reunion was filled with a different sort of desperation, a hunger from deep within that only your mate could satisfy. 

“What I tell ya ‘bout wearin’ them skirts, ‘mega?” Daryl growled as he left your lips to start kissing  your neck.

You threw your head back, giving him better access. “Why do you think I put it on?” You gasped as he nuzzled your gland then went to work on the sensitive spot behind your ear.

As the elevator climbed, Daryl pulled away just enough so that he could see you clearly. With a devilish grin he said, “I missed you, Bubbie. Missed all this so much.” Kissing you again, he put his arms around you, his hands roaming along your back and down to your ass. You squeaked as he gave it a good squeeze.

The elevator dinged, and Daryl stepped away, taking your hand once again and pulling you behind him. It was all you could do to follow him on shaky legs. You fumbled trying to unlock your door with your keycard. Daryl took it from you and then ushered you inside.

As the door closed behind him, Daryl was already kicking off his boots and unbuckling his belt.  He grabbed you from behind and turned you to face him. Again, he palmed and squeezed your ass, moving the thin fabric of the skirt along your bare skin.

“You ain’t got no panties on,” he growled, making you shudder. 

Already wet from just seeing him downstairs, plus what he’d done to you in the elevator, you felt your own slickness as it began to drip down your thighs, unimpeded by fabric. 

Your scent was surely potent, you only had to watch your mate for confirmation. Daryl was breathing heavily, glowering at you.

You smiled, feigning shyness. “Did I do something wrong, Alpha? Maybe I need to be punished.”

Daryl kept a hold of you as he tackled you to the floor, pinning you beneath him. 

“What the fuck am I gonna do with you, ‘mega? Yer drivin’ me outta my mind.” He kissed you hurriedly, flipped you onto your belly, then yanked on your hips, urging you to put your ass in the air. You eagerly obliged him, getting up on all fours just as he lifted your skirt out of his way.  His thick, rough fingers found their way to your pulsing and needy cunt. He stretched you open, working you mercilessly until you were ready to take him.

“So fuckin’ wet,” he mumbled. He kissed your back, slowing his finger thrusts. 

You whimpered in response, rocking your hips back to chase his hand as your pussy clamped around nothing.

However, his hand was gone because he was running both palms up and down your back.  “Ya alrigh’, ‘mega?” he whispered, voice suddenly gentle.

“Please, Daryl,” you whimpered. “Don’t stop.” You loved him like this, controlling and demanding, yet always careful with you.

“You ready for my knot, baby?”

“Please,” you repeated. “Alpha, I need you.”

You felt his cock at your entrance, Daryl’s thighs flush with yours, and he thrust himself into you in one smooth motion. Your arms trembled as you moaned through the sensation of finally being filled by your alpha’s cock.

All thoughts left you as Daryl began moving furiously, his hips slamming into you from behind. One hand gripped your hip while the other found your aching clit, making you shudder in response. You were already close to coming, the tightened coil of pleasure almost ready to spring.

“Come for me, baby.”

He didn’t use his alpha bark, but you obeyed anyway, groaning as you came on his cock just as you felt his knot slide into place. Daryl kissed your back as he chased his own release, groaning as he came.

He rolled you both so you could lay on your sides, each of you breathing heavily and holding onto the other.

Daryl wrapped both arms around you, gripping your breast in one hand, over the fabric of your shirt. His other hand found its way under your shirt to stroke your round belly. 

“Didn’t even get to taste these yet,” he murmured, tracing a finger around your nipple.  “Not today at least.”

You giggled. “Oh, Alpha, I missed you. Missed this. Missed us.”

He stilled his hand and nuzzled your back.  “Missed you, too, Bubbie.  Got Wednesday nights off now. I’ll take better care of ya from now on.”

Sighing, you squeezed his thigh and looked back at him, again, in awe of your mate and all he did for you.

Next Chapter

==========

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[drama--universe]

Puppy Love

(Cutest gif I've seen of him)

Requested by anonymous: Can I request Jiang Cheng x demon reader? Reader is a dog demon who fell for JC since he saved them in a forest when they were injured in their tiny dog form. Reader takes up a human form and befriends him at Gusu while hiding their true identity. They follow him around, silently loving him like a puppy that it was almost noticeable. When the wen clan attacked, reader took on their great hound form to protect JC, revealing their secret and feeling for him.

Pairing: Jiang Cheng x reader

Word Count: 2279 words

Warnings: none

A/N Sorry for the long wait, school isn't helping and I'm working on my end-work, which is basically lab stuff that I need to really concentrate on at certain times cause otherwise I might end up in hospital, so I didn't write for like a week at least just to take care of the first part of lab. Anyway, stopping my rant there, because otherwise this will be longer than the actual story, hope you enjoy! 😊

You ran like hell, ignoring the throbbing pain in your abdomen and head. You could only stay human for a limited time when wounded, so you had to run now, because once changed you were doomed. You could hear the people behind you fading into the distance and that's when you crashed to the ground, leaning against a tree before feeling your bones crack.

After a lot of changes, like changing of your bones and fur growing, you were now much lower to the ground. You were still laid against the tree, whining slightly as your vocal cords where now limited to dog sounds. You were now in your dog form, a small pup with medium long (h/c) fur and two shiny (e/c) eyes. And with that you waited, hoping your body would heal itself quick enough. Although, the poison that seeped in through your wound and into your blood stream might make it take longer.

Jiang Cheng groaned at his loud brother's loud antics, being so close to just hitting the hilt on his sword against Wuxian's head just for some peace and quiet.

Like usual, he started to cancel out Wuxian's loud blabbering and instead started to hear soft whining not so far from him. He looked around, eyes scanning over the ground before stopping at some creature. He shushed Wuxian, who looked at him in confusion but followed to instructions once he saw how cautious Jiang Cheng had become, before slowly creeping over to the creature, sighing when he saw it was just a dog. Although that relief soon disappeared once he notices the blood that seeped through the fur of said creature, worry taking over instead. He got closer to the dog, crouching and slowly holding his hand out to the dog. The dog responded by pushing its head into his hand, whining even more. Jiang Cheng looked at his gown, ripping a part of it and tying it around the wound so it would stop bleeding so heavily. Then he picked it up, holding it closely to his body when he noticed that the dog was shivering. With that, he returned to his brother again and shushing him when Wuxian shrieked loudly.

"It's a pup, it won't hurt you. And I won't keep it, alright? Once healed, It'll run off anyway." He stated and Wuxian seemingly relaxed slightly at that comment, but still kept his distance anyway. The brothers then continued to walk home, now a little faster than before, and Jiang Cheng walked to his room once he arrived, ignoring his mothers presence. He entered his room, laying the pup on his bed before grabbing a wet cloth and cleaning the wound. Although the dog whined loudly, it didn't move or give any sign of protest except for the whining.

Once the wound was cleaned, he wrapped some bandages around the wound before softly patting the pup softly. The pup whined again softly, but pushed its head into Jiang Cheng hand instead. Jiang Cheng chuckled before smiling when the pup got up and placed itself on his lap.

You couldn't help but closer to the man, the warmth from his body making you feel safer and warmer. You shut your eyes, ignoring the throbbing in your side as he patted your head softly. He was talking softly, but you didn't hear what he said as you started to fall asleep. You couldn't really believe that you were now putting your trust into this random human, who you didn't even know the name of.

Yet you slept fine, only waking back up when your stomach started grumbling. So you wandered around, still in hound form, to find the mystery man.

"While hello!" Someone said and you were suddenly lifted into someone's arms, making you yelp in surprise before turning your head to look at the culprit. It was a woman, who was smiling brightly at you. She seemed nice enough, but you weren't a fan of being held up by strangers and you started to wriggle around. She seemed to get the hint and put you back down on the ground. You took the opportunity and dashed off once again, looking for the man once more. You followed sounds only and after 3 more minutes, you finally found him. You let out a loud bark before jumping up on the chair and then table, tail slightly wagging. Jiang Cheng turned around, a smile appearing on his face as he stepped closer and crouched to match your height. And for a minute or so, you just stared at each other. Then you looked away, feeling slightly embarrassed as you turned around, looking around the room. It was nice, shades of purples hanging around the room with lotus logo's on them which were probably handstitched on. You hopped off the table and started to explore the room before hopping onto a chair that was shaped like a flower and laying down comfortably, still looking at the man.

"Jiang Cheng, that pup is yours?" A woman entered and you recognized her from earlier, raising your head slowly to somewhat acknowledge her presence as she came closer once again to pet you. You let her, but your eyes still stayed on Jiang Cheng as you waited for a reaction. No reaction though, not really what you wanted. And like a miracle, he seemingly read your mouth and came closer to scratch you as well before he picked you up once again to looking at your wound.

"It's already healed, that's good." He commented before cradling you in his arms like a baby and scratching your stomach softly. He smiled softly and you felt your heart skip a beat. Yeah, you weren't leaving his side any time soon.

You were in cloud recesses, walking behind the troubling trio with Yanli beside you. Wuxian and Huaisang were talking loudly, something the Lan disciplines (or more like Lan Qiren) were annoyed by, and Yanli was talking to you although your eyes were trained on Jiang Cheng. You had already befriended the man weeks ago, now in your human form of course, and you basically followed like a lovesick puppy.

This was something Huaisang had said once when Jiang Cheng had disappeared and you looked extremely lost until Jiang Cheng had returned, and now he always tended to call you pup around Jiang Cheng which would make you extremely embarrassed (and Jiang Cheng really confused).

"(Y/n), watch out." Someone exclaimed and you snapped out of your daze to see a beam right in front of you with Jiang Cheng's hand in front of your forehead.

"Ah... Sorry." You chuckled awkwardly, looking away awkwardly as your face heated up slightly.

"Just watch where your going." Jiang Cheng spoke in a soft tone and you nodded, smiling at him. Everyone continued walking, but now Jiang Cheng walked beside you. You debated it in your head before you slowly took his hand and intertwined his fingers with yours, which was covered completely by your long sleeves. You could see that he was surprised at first, but he didn't make any comment or any movement to take his hand away from yours. His face and ears had slightly turned slightly pink and you smiled proudly, feeling giddy and happy.

Fire surrounded you, your clothes burned on the bottom as your ran through Gusu. You tried following the rest of the members, but you couldn't help but turn ro face the Wen members that were chasing you. You looked behind you again, your eyes connecting with Jiang Cheng. Ignoring the confusion and worry in his eyes, you turned back around as your bones started to crack and shift.

Soon you stood on all fours, your height now closer to 2 meters. Your eyes were now glowing in a bright red as you growled at the Wen members, your teeth bared. The Wen members stopped, staring at you in shock and fear as their weapons dropped to the ground. You growled even louder before barking loudly, which made the Wen members run off (and one even fainted). You huffed, turning away from them and facing the others again. Most looked terrified and you laid on the ground, whining slightly. Normally you'd just change back into a human, but your clothes had ripped when you changed so that wasn't really an option. On the other hand, you could change into your real form, aka you small hound form, but in no way did you want to right now. Not in front of Jiang Cheng.

Jiang Cheng was the first to unfreeze from shock before he slowly approached you, although he still looked uncertain to approach a giant hound. You raised your head slightly, looking at him and he put his hand on your head before pulling his outer robe off and placing it over you. You took the chance to change back, your body now aching as you pulled the clothes closer to your body.

"Thanks." Your voice cracked slightly as you tried to ignore the tears that threatened to fall down.

"Are you alright?" He questioned and you looked up at him through your lashes before nodding slowly. You were shivering slightly, feeling your body heat up which probably meant that you were getting sick.

You didn't really get the chance to say anything else as you heard screaming once again, seeing another horde of Wen members approaching. You groaned, trying to get up to change once more but before you could get up completely, Jiang Cheng had already lifted you in his arms and ran away.

"What are you doing?!" "Not letting you be stupid." He replied as he hid from the Wen members in the grooves between the rocks, laying you down softly and looking out to check.

"Well, there gone now..." He whispered and you chuckled. "Then why are you whispering?" You replied in your own whisper and he gave you a deadpan look, making you smile brightly. He sat down, looking at you and not saying anything. You looked away awkwardly, silence taking over.

"So, what are you?" He asked and you looked over, staring at him for a few seconds before looking down at your feet.

"Demon..." You said before flinching as you felt your body grow tired, a shiver running down your spine. You needed to change again to regain energy.

"Also, sorry." You quickly said before once more your bones cracked loudly, popping before you were once again a hound. This time though, it was your small version, which Jiang Cheng immediately recognized.

"You've got to be kidding..." He groaned, leaning his head back with closed eyes before turning his head to look at you again. He noticed that you were shivering slightly and sat closer, lifting your form and holding you closer to himself. You gave a happy Yelp, nestling your head into his chest.

Once everything had settled down, you both left and Jiang Cheng tried to find everyone while you continued to stay in his arms, too content to leave.

"Yah, why did you bring a dog again?!" Wuxian's voice reached your eyes and you looked sideways, still not removing your head form Jiang Cheng's chest. You couldn't help the thoughts that suddenly crossed your mind as Wuxian continued to whine.

So you followed your thoughts, quickly changing back to human and clinging to Jiang Cheng as you glared at Wuxian, who was now looking shocked. Jiang Cheng on the other hand, looked perfectly fine with suddenly carrying a human as he looked at you. You turned your head to face him and, as cliché as it sounds, you were suddenly extremely close with noses touching. And you didn't think of it as you placed a short kiss on his lips before realizing what you had done, changing back into dog form out of embarrassment. Jiang Cheng quickly reacted to catch you again while ignoring the blush that had obviously formed on his own face.

Wuxian was now yelling something as Huaisang joined, but you didn't hear anything as you were too focused on the soft kiss that was placed on your head and the loud thumping of Jiang Cheng's heart.

You smiled brightly as you spotted Jiang Cheng entering your room. Your tail started wagging as you quickly ran to him and changed once you were near, only to engulf him into an extremely tight hug. He reacted by wrapping an arm around your waist, the other still holding something else.

"What are you holding?" "Food, now can you let go now?" He asked and you pouted, looking at him with a small smirk. You then let go, hands immediately grasping at the food he carried. Jiang Cheng chuckled as he held it above his head, smirking down at you. You gave him a glare before kissing him. He reacted to the kiss, lowering his arm and you broke the kiss to grab the food. You ran off to another corner of your room (while grabbing something to cover your very naked form), blowing him a kiss as you started to eat.

Jiang Cheng just smiled stupidly, staring at your figure before following you and trying to catch up.

"Give me some too!" He exclaimed and you turned, one in your mouth as you held the others behind you protectively. Jiang Cheng gave you a glare before pulling you closer and snatching the one from your mouth, biting half of it off before continuing to walk and leaving you stunned. Once you got out of your trance, you let out a loud yell and ran after Jiang Cheng again. After a minute, you catched up again and looking at him with a smile.

"I love you~" You said, smiling brightly and he smiled back, kissing your forehead softly before replying with an "I love you too".

-END-

[wangxianficrecs]

Follower Recs

~*~

Hello! I would like to recommend three wonderful fics that brought me so much joy i wish to share it with the whole world: (coming out of my cage & i’m doing just fine by dirgewithoutmusic) [fic about wen ning, who he is and what was made of him, left me with so much love for this boy]; (and tomorrow comes by dirgewithoutmusic) [5+1 fic about wei ying, with food as a metaphor for love]; (space, skin, muscle, bone by tombenough_and_continent) [modern setting, where wwx and lwj are ballet dancers and meet when are cast to perform Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, lwj as the swan and wwx as the prince. it's heartwrenching and so so so beautiful, their takes on the play and how much it means to them gives a lot of emotion to the fic, i find myself rereading it every once in a while, just to feed the soul]

coming out of my cage & i'm doing just fine

by digerwithoutmusic (T, 2.4k, wen ning & wen qing, wen ning & wei wuxian)

Summary: Sometimes men are knives. Sometimes they wield them. 

Wen Ning had never wanted to be a knife. He had wanted to be a boy, and then a man. He had wanted his sister not to worry, to never be afraid. He had wanted to be strong enough that she wouldn’t search for bruises under his skin or sleep restless at his bedside through fevered nights. 

He did not think he would ever bruise again. He would not heal again, never watch purpled and yellowed flesh fade back to flushed, whole skin. He would never wake to her hand cooling his forehead. 

Wen Ning would just go find a little river, after bad fights, and wash himself off gently. He’d sew himself up, a stitch at a time, and tell himself that because the pain felt different now it didn’t count as pain at all. 

and tomorrow comes

by digerwithoutmusic (G, 1.9k, wangxian, wei wuxian & jiang cheng, wei wuxian & lan sizhui, lan sizhui & wen ning)

Summary: Five Times Wei Wuxian Was Hungry + Once When He Was Not

It was Wei Ying’s favorite spot to scrounge. The morning’s cook cut the vegetables carelessly-- there was always a good few mouthfuls to gnaw off the cabbage and radish ends, the onions and peppers. He remembered having roasted potatoes before, with his mother and father, but it was hard lighting fires. And as soon as things started smelling good, other people came, or dogs.

Raw potatoes though-- they were barely sweet, crisp, and grainy. He chewed them more for entertainment than because they filled him up. He’d gotten a good instinct for which mouthfuls went the longest ways. Some things stuck to the ribs.

Wei Ying curled up in a different hollow each night, a different rooftop or alley or meadow or tree, and ran his fingers over the curved ridges of his ribs. He counted them and thought of his mother teaching him arithmetic, moving little twigs and stones into place beside a fire.

space, skin, muscle, bone

by tombenough_and_continent (T, 23k, wangxian)

Summary: One of the first things Wei Wuxian’s new co-star said to him was “this show isn’t a gay love story.”

Vignettes of Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian performing Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, not in order