#the manager looking at these two: ooh don't even have to chase them down to traumatize them! how droll!

[the-insouciant-scientist]

Harper Jamie

🤝

Having some kind of Feelings for The Manager that will Absolutely not end well for them

@thedeafprophet

[slippinninque]

🎤Songbird's Blues🐦

Shigeru Kimura x BlackFemReader

In which your cry is heard and admired.

warnings: none much, cursing, fluff, heartbroken!reader, long fic, prt 1

"God, what a racket that one is making..."

Shigeru didn't even answer as he took in the foreigner pouring her heart into every empty glass in the bar.

He supposed that it was only right for Saturday night. The young and heartbroken often frequented this little bar he'd meet his old friend at.

Over the years it got better with a renovation and then aged again, a variety of memories tucked between seasons and familiar faces.

Now he frequented to check in Kage, who's just entered retirement. Shigeru still kept his distance after his revenge, yes, but he could never turn away from his old friend. Who clearly needed more help acclimating than he originally thought.

Shigeru was teaching him, it was all in the little things. Taking your grandson to lunch, meeting your son for dinner, checking in on a friend over drinks.

Though Shigeru still proved to be a bigger fan of the karaoke machine that was installed a year prior than Kage.

"Ah, they're having barbeque tonight! Always goes good with beer, y'know!"

Kage chattered on happily as he lit his 2nd cigarette of the nigh tand Shigeru was glad to see his friend in better spirits than when he called earlier in the evening. His eyes wandered back to the stage as Kage flagged down a waitress.

She was pretty, very drunk and clearly heartbroken. The microphone stand was the only shoulder she had in the world from how she rambled on about finding a good song.

From this part of town, Shigeru would bet he and Kage were the only two who could understand her as she rambled on I'm English.

"You guys have a nice line up, I-I know alooot of songs but..." to "The Wakage Goutaru album? Alright, ya'll are cooking!"

She rambled on long enough that the mocking stares turned more and more irate. From the back corner of the VIP booth, a hand waved with purpose. A waitress was already stalking the stage as she waited for the right moment to intervene.

Through it all, the foreigner had no clue as her stumbling brought her further into the overhead light--illuminating her sad face. Shigeru hoped she would at least get a few more tears out before she was chased off...

"There-there's a song I wanna sing but you don' have it...Mariah Carey..." A small belch into the mic led a series of words that made no sense to Shigeru but got a laugh out of Kage.

/Each day of my life

I'm filled with all the joy I could find

You know that I

I'm not the desperate type /

Her voice swelled, loud and aching as she recalled the song. The waitress lingered before shrugging and returned to her patrons who now looked at the woman on stage with more curiosity. than annoyance.

Shigeru found himself leaning forward himself enraptured by her expression. He has never heard such a voice.

/ If there's one spark of hope

Left in my grasp

I'll hold it with both hands

It's worth the risk of burning

To have a second chance /

She started crying and when she wiped her face, the mic muffled and whined with a little feedback. It wasn't enough to dampen her, though as she put a balled fist to her heart,

/ No, no, no, no, no, no, I need you, baby

I still believe that we can be together

Whoa, oh, no, no, no, ooh

If we believe that true love never has to end

Then we must know that we will love again, mmm

Ohh /

She swayed on her feet as she appealed to blinding lights when there was a burst of commotion from the front of the bar.

"She's here! I found her!"

A trio of young adults--two men and a woman. While the woman stopped to apologized to management that gathered to spectate. The two men went to the stage and tried to coax the woman down.

"I know, I know, c'mon and let me get you down!"

"Hey--Down here! Ah, don't cry like that--come on down and let's have another drink, huh?"

She moved away from them and continued to sing, her voice ringing clear and mournfully,

/ I still believe

Someday you and me

Will find ourselves in love again

I had a dream

Someday you and me

Will find ourselves in love again /

Kage said something at the same time one of the coaxing men had enough. He picked her up and put her over his shoulder. Much to the amusement of the spectators, she continued singing.

The speakers held true even after the group hustled out of the bar, still trying to calm down their friend against the wireless microphone's impressive range.

All he could see in his mind was her beautiful, tear streaked face. Turned to in Shigeru's direction, desperately wanting to be seen by someone.

/ I miss your love /

The last words before the microphone fully spirited away. Shigeru thought it was a shame that he had no name for the voice that lingered in his ear, but focused on his friend once more....

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

Featured song:

💜ending notes💜: I couldn't get this out of my head thanks to Bullet Train's amazing soundtrack! Definitely have a prt 2 brewing! Tell me what you think with a comment and like!! Thank you for reading!!! Also, the spicy is coming soon swear lmao

✨taglist✨: @megamindsecretlair @sageispunk @astoldbyaja @miyuhpapayuh @kindofaintrovert

@ms-angiealsina @queenandkingofthedragons

[ravenwitch45]

Thoughts on a potential job for I.M.P. where they hunt their target in a cathedral at night?

Just imagine the 3 little demons silhouetted against big stained glass windows showcasing heavenly/angelic iconography as they chase and stalk their victim until they zero in for the kill, the action and irony comparable to what you'd see in animes. The target could be a clergyman or some choir member or even among the congregation.

(Then again, it might also get Heaven's attention since a murder in a holy place wouldn't go unnoticed. But that's optional!)

Ooh I like this! I don't know why but the general premise plus the mention anime style action instantly reminded me off the opening scene of Bayonetta Bloody Fate which is also a battle taking place in a moonlit cathedral.

Overall I love it! I.M.P would both stand out but also fit in the cathredal's gothic archictecture so a fantastic idea. I kinda want draw something based on this but for now I'll do a little mini fic

I.M.P going after a target in a cathedral at night

I could see the scene opening with the target taking a lonely stroll through the cathedral, possibly locking up for the night before noises of movement are heard, them looking up and around nervously but not seeing anything and moving on as the camera pans up to a trio of sillouetted figures looking like gargoyles resting but when their eyes open and tails swish mischievously, we know it's the Immediate Murder Professionals...

Standing up, Blitz cracking his back for holding the pose, they quickly hop onto the a chandelir, grabbing onto the chain for balance as the platform swings a little, them looking down and sighing in relief at their target not noticing them, Standing tall once more

"Okay team, you hotties remember the plan?" "Yes Sir, we went over it like five times this morning, we remember." "Come on Mox, it's our job, Blitz just wants to make it fun" "Yes I do, and you better have fun, staked this fucking place out after all..."

"Regardless of that sir, we should get back to, you know? Killing him." "Quick to the point, always liked that about you Mox, now Millie, your going in close, Moxxie's got you covered with his rifle, and I got the mood music~"Blitz says as he hops off the chandelir to another and another before making it to a big pipe organ, turning back to his employess giving a thumbs up.

Millie leaves her husband with a kiss before hopping down onto one of the pillars and using one of her swords to slide down as Moxxie readies his rifle at the Clergyman praying at a cross, making sure Millie's in position before aiming and about to pull the trigge-

Before Blitz slams down on the keyboard, the loud sound startling everyone, including the target, Moxxie also missing the shot in surprise who the Clergyman only notices from the smokeing hole on the ground next to him, trying to run before Millie starts chasing him, making sure to keep him in the room, unable to land a throw on him directly due to often grazing his obscuring robe. Moxxie turns to back to Blitz with an infuriuated expression but the Horse lover too's focused on his organ solo to notice, the many pillars and chairs making landing a shot from up here difficult with how quickly the target is moving.

Eventually Moxxie get's fed up and pulls out his knife, cutting the chain making the chandelir crash down as the music rises in intensity, the sound startling the clergyman again and stumbling over a stair making him fall in front of the cross, unable to get up as Moxxie shoots him through the ankle and Millie finishes the job by bringing her axe down, cleaving both the cross and clergy man in two in a truly gruesome sight, the two lovers quite proud of the spectacle they managed despite the franticness for a bit.

Blitz eventually descends joins them, congratulating them on a job well done, and shutting his mouth when Moxxie glares him down for starting on how it took longer then expected, but either way another contract done, and the three go back to Hell after Blitz insists on a selfie with all three of them, Blitz promising to not jam the keyboard down if he ever does hit mood music again.

[therrerium-valkryonia]

Mother is a Hero

WARNING: Birth denial,

In a world of superheroes being pregnant is quite risky but that didn't stop Adeline or the Dragon Reaper from getting pregnant having overpowered abilities like phasing objects, invisibility, thunder, hellfire, chain swinging, magic and more to count, her outfit consits of a fitted tight armored vanta black bodysuit with white accents and red highlights and her full metal padded balaclava mask having a blood red color around the eyes and being dark grey with a white accent around the jaw and cheeks having tinted glass above her eyes pockets but her eyes glow a menacing green and she has a black cloak over her head but to her human life she's works as a manager for a place with people that have mental disabillities and shes a good person overall although being single with no supporting wife she stills manages and getting maternity.

Todays is her due date and well getting pregnant without having sex is an achievement she somehow got being extremely powerful and since it quite litterally labor day for her atleast, she swings into the crammed city of San Francisco holding her belly and landing on the roof of an old brick building trying to hide when she feels a sudden contraction and grips her bellies side tight while the other holds the edge of the ventilation box, "Why now? I'm busy at the moment" And she returns to watching a bunch of terrorists trade guns holding the small wall edge and her other hand rubbing her belly and she throws a smoke bomb that blows up on immediate impact and blinds the terrorists and she individually knocks out each guy with muay thai then jumps into the air backwards and hides behind a billboard bending over in pain as a wild contraction makes her hold her round big belly in a tight grip. "OOh, Fuck this actually hurts I have not felt this much pain in years JEEz HaAaaah that hurts so much, please don't pop." But she jumps back into fighting dodging every bullet this terrorist has to give her and she then kicks him in the air and he falls to the ground and as she holds her belly she searches for the stolen guns and she finds them and alerting the police immediately with coordinates and after her success she swings off the building into the night on to another close building behind a billboard sitting against the metal bars to rest.

Then see spots a car that seems to be unusually driving and she squats down with the weird feeling of sliding inside her but she ignores it and chases after the car with her coat flowing in the night holding her belly, swinging down and wall running to just jump on to the car and turns invisible as someone takes a look and sees no one and she immediately takes a peek and finds out this is a drug dealers car and her sister is in there with them all beautiful and of the sorts, "No. Wait what!? My sister is a drug dealer, oh my lord the fuck is that bitch doing there smuggling drugs or selling them?" She said silently to herself and uses her sense of smell and finds a huge load of C@ca1n3 in the trunk so she stays on the truck till they reach their destination and signaling the police until they reached the warehouse and enters with them still invisible and notices traps for her but she avoids all of them and even breaking the cameras by telepathy as she reaches the discussion table for trading or barganin "You brought what we wanted?" The Brute asked menacingly and her sister replied "Yes, a lot more than you wanted but is that enough for you to kill Mr. Uzunaki of the Calister Corp?" The two assasins said "Yes, In Under a week, agreed" The two who made the deal replied happily grinning "Agreed" They both leave and the assasin get prepared and so Ledine or Dragon Reaper sneakily knocks out both assasins and alerts the Police and the other two Reaper chases down holding her belly but she stops and falls to her knees and leans against the wall as she holds her belly tightly and feels a burning contraction her water breaking but persistent she gets up and akwardly dashes towards the car as she feels the baby slide down her vagina and she immediately catches up to the car and fully visible she breaks the car window and knocks out her sister and punches the two guards and split kicks the two as she makes slide down further and the other man stands.

Under the mask the beautiful Ledine is sweating in labor pain her hazel hair, diamond blue eyes and hourglass fit muscular figure is urging her to push and she does and is crowning but back to the fighting the man just stands there but he raises his finger and blasts a blue laser at her but she blocks it and blasts him with a powerful purple fire from a spin kick and he dodges it and blasts at her again but she instead counter attacked with a dodge and bicyclekicked the man with a green energy blasting him through to the other side of the car and breaking the ground for 3 miles and somehow just knocks him out but she falls over and goes all fours pushing quietly and popping out the babies head and neck now needing the shoulders but she sense danger and dodge as far as she possibly could in labor now breathing erratically "Do you really want to do this hun? Cause the fuck you are!? Leave before this gets dirty!! That is your only warning before death motherfucker" In such an aggeesive tone the man with shotgun ran and Ledine bends over holding her belly and screams alone in the street and poppind out the whole baby and she moaned in that moment now sweaty and covered in birthing fluids a big bulge formed in her armored bodysuit and she pulls her arms inward from inside the body suit and pulled up her baby in a cradle and the police came and they helped her and her baby and in respect not removing her mask by the next day she was happy to be a to be known as the Mother Who Was A Hero.

[pitterpatterpot]

Hello sweetie! Can I give you a Lion's Pride prompt? If you don't feel like it or if you don't like it, feel free to ignore.

Aedion: "YOU GAVE AWAY YOUR FIRST BORN IN A BET!"

Gavriel: "I NEVER PLANNED TO HAVE YOU AEDION"

Aedion: "ooh is that suppose to make me feel better? because it doesn't."

Gavriel: "i'm sorry, I promis i'll fix it."

(cadre's name that won the bet 100 years ago): "your mine now boyo. You're my son now, time to raise you. Wait how do you raise a child?"

Could never ignore your wonderful text prompts xxx

~~~

Aedion freezes, looking down the long, winding hallway that leads to the throne room. He approaches said room, expecting Aelin to be sitting on her throne with a devilish smirk. If their last stunt is anything to go by, Rowan will attempt to banish him. But that wasn’t the kings voice summoning him. So he expects Rowan and maybe a formal advisor or two, trying to find a loophole around the immunity Aelin gifted him.

Not for Rowan to be sitting in his throne with an exasperated look, Vaughan doing a small small dance next to him while Gavriel sits on the small steps leading up to the thrones with his head in his hands. Fenrys stands to the side, leaning against a wall with his arms crossed.

“Has... something happened?” Aedion asks.

Vaughan throws his arms up in victory as Gavriel moans. It’s the first time Aedion has ever viewed the other male so animated and expressive.

“I have a son!” Vaughan announces.

Aedion’s brows fly up in surprise, his eyes cutting over to Fenrys. “You two are taking in a child?”

Fenrys finally cracks a smile, looking away, shoulders shaking. “This is more of Vaughan’s thing. But I would be honoured if you accepted me in that c-capacity.”

The male breaks off at the end, wheezing and doubling over. Gavriel releases a pitying whine. Aedion looks between the four of them, from Vaughan’s small dance to his fathers clear dismay.

“I need more information,” Aedion announces.

~~~

“-so we all thought Gavriel would never, never have a bastard child, out of all of us,” Vaughan explains, a wide grin splitting his face. “But, obviously, you exist. And that’s the story.”

Aedion blinks, then laughs. Rowan looks at him with a raised brow, Gavriel staring in horror at his reaction. Unaware of their expressions Aedion looks to Vaughan, grinning.

“Very funny story,” Aedion grins. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have about forty kids waiting outside for basic self defence classes.”

“Aedion,” Rowan’s form tone stops him. “This is not a jest. They both swore on the bet in old tongue. By all fae laws, it is legitimate.”

Turning back, Aedion blinks. Then whirls to Gavriel.

“YOU GAVE AWAY YOUR FIRST BORN IN A BET!” Aedion roars, tensing in anger. “Who does that?!”

“I NEVER PLANNED TO HAVE YOU, AEDION,” Gavriel yells back, face twisted in panic and dismay, his raised voice a sign of how frazzled he’s become.

“Ooh,” Aedion narrows his eyes, crossing his arms and leaning back, “is that supposed to make me feel better? Because it doesn’t!”

“I’m sorry, I promise I’ll fix it,” Gavriel swears, near tears.

Vaughan cackles from where he stands. “You’re mine now, boyo. You're my son now, time to raise you,” hesitation flickers briefly in Vaughan’s stance. “Wait, how do you raise a child?”

“You tell me,” Gavriel mutters, head bowed to the floor and rubbing his brow.

Aedion glares at his father out of the corner of his eye as he addresses Vaughan. “You’re not raising shit. Now all of you fuck off and find a way to fix this or I’ll disown all of you.”

“I’ve done nothing!” Fenrys scowls.

“You laughed,” Aedion hisses, turning on his heel and storming out.

“You couldn’t have had a less dramatic child,” Rowan snaps at Gavriel.

“Well, he was just traded away,” Vaughan grins, rubbing his hands together. “Now, if you’ll excuse me- son, wait! Let’s have lunch!”

Gavriel whines, crumpling once again as Vaughan chases after Aedion.

~~~

“There has to be some loophole,” Gavriel mutters, hunched over an ancient text in the library. “A fae oath must have some method of cancellation.”

“Don’t ask me, I didn’t even know the scholars managed to hide books this old,” Aelin hums, pouring over a large, leather bound book. “Maybe there’s a Wyd mark I could use... why did it have to be an oath? Couldn’t you have just done an ordinary bet?”

“I was drunk,” Gavriel groans, leaning back in his chair.

Rowan walks in, placing another book on the library table. A fine layer of dust covers the king thanks to his trips into the deepest basements of the library.

“Most of the rest are water damaged,” he informs them, sighing through his nose. “It’s lucky you two didn’t make a blood pact on it; oaths and promises through magic are more likely to be reversed.”

“Where is Aedion?” Aelin questions.

“He’s playing catch with Vaughan.”

Gavriel chokes.

~~~

“Is he watching?” Aedion asks through his smile, passing Vaughan a ball.

The male laughs as he catches it, nearly looking to one of the many palace windows that peer down into the gardens. “You’re a cruel child. You do realise this is killing him?”

“He deserves it. Now pass it back and look like we’re bonding.”

“I think he’s weeping.”

“Good. After this do you want to go on a hunt with a few members of the Bane and I?”

Vaughan perks. “I would be overjoyed.”

“Excellent. But just so you know, we can get...” Aedion smirks, “...a little wild.”

“Nothing I won’t be able to handle.”

~~~

“Looks like Vaughan will just have to willingly pass parenthood of Aedion back over to Gavriel,” Rowan sighs, rubbing his temple as he closes a book placed on the war rooms table. “With that this entire meeting can be done with.”

All present Cadre members nod from their places, Aedion glowering and Arlington and Lysandra raising a brow each. Vaughan nods in his seat, skin strangely pale and clammy.

“Two days of research for that,” Fenrys snorts. “Alright Vaughan, give Aedion back to Gavriel.”

“I’m not some loaf of bread to be traded!”

“Of course not!” Gavriel quickly placates his son. “That’s not what anyone meant.”

“The issue with all this,” Vaughan clicks his tongue, a glint in his eyes, “is that I’ve quite enjoyed having a child. I’m not sure I’m ready to stop being a father.”

“I will find you a baby,” Gavriel whirls on him, snarling. “My son, now.”

Eyes wide, Vaughan nods. “I pass parenthood of Aedion Ashryver onto Gavriel, the Lion. May my position be removed and passed onto him.”

They clasp hands, all the tension releasing in Gavriel’s shoulders as a flow of magic transfers between them.

“Interesting,” Aelin murmurs, eyes fixed on where their hands meet.

“There,” Aedion huffs. “And no one in this family is ever allowed to place me as collateral on a bet ever again.”

“...I may need to speak to Kyllian...”

“Lysandra!”

Rowan and Vaughan watch as everyone files out of the room, Lysandra and Gavriel both arguing with Aedion as Aelin and Fenrys laugh. Rowan turns to Vaughan once the door is firmly shut behind them.

“You couldn’t wait to be rid of him, could you?” Rowan smirks.

Vaughan laughs weakly, shoulders drooping. “That obvious? We went on a hunt and things were more intense then I expected.”

“It couldn’t have been that-“

“I found a grey hair, Rowan!”

[acommonloon]

TL;DR

about last night's mperfect ending. After stops at three Louisville venues, each more fun than the last, we decided to get a nightcap in New Albany. We didn't manage to get a drink at any of four stops in that sleepy town but we did witness a police officer chasing a black man down the side of State Street. Still watching for a news report.

Alternately a night for Morgans

_____________________________________________________________

D's niece's husband, J, is a sweet guy. He has almost no family of his own living in the area and his own family unit consists of an unruly teen (not his) a precocious 6 year old and 3 year old twins. It's a lot.

With that in mind, I always wait for him to contact me and he always earns his kitchen passes so when he texted me he had a free night out I was glad to hang with him. I only asked if he had a curfew. No sir. He's nearing 40 and regularly admits he wishes he could more often frequent the places D and I do, meaning bars and restaurants. I remember those days when self came last.

Our 1st stop was World of Beer. With 50+ taps and hundreds of bottles and cans sitting in glass front coolers directly across from the bar, it's one of my go to spots. J immediately set about building a flight of five small pours while I took my time picking one or two low gravity beers to sip since I was driving. They had two bartenders on this Wednesday night, Morgan was ours and our service was prompt and friendly. By the time we finished a plate of tots, loaded with melted cheese and fresh jalapeno slices I had our plan.

I hadn't been to Commonwealth Tap since before 2020. This small wine bar is in a movie set sort of town called Norton Commons. Think "The Truman Show." The houses were all built over a small number of years and though they are comprised of many different styles, with no two near each other being the same, they are on the same size lots and there is no variety in terms of weathering or decoration. Everything to plan. Unreal. Creepy.

I glanced at the wine list on a chalkboard noticing a Turley Zin at $18 and a Cotes de Rhone at $8. When the bartender asked what I wanted, I said, "Talk me out of the Turley and into the Cotes. He hesitated for a second and I said, "I want something minerally, earthy, not fruity." Like a Beaujolais Morgon or an Italian grown on the side of a volcano. Before he could reply, a guy sitting at the bar said we don't have that on tap. The Cotes is your best option and the bartender handed me a generous taste saying, try that.

I took the glass all the while evaluating the man who'd spoken up. He'd said "we" don't have that. He was alone at the bar except for us. I doubted he was just a bold regular, maybe drunk, who felt everyone benefited from his opinion, he wasn't drunk. Then he stood up and walked over the the wine racks. His search was one of familiarity and he pulled a bottle and sat it down on the bar next to me. Was he an employee or maybe a distributor on good terms with the staff? Then he began talking about the wine, about his many trips to France, and I suddenly I knew. "You're an owner here aren't you?"

He laughed and admitted he was. He introduced himself, Neal Morgan and for the next 40 mins or so he told us about himself and the bar. He told us about his wife, a pediatrician who worked for 20 years in Indiana and he went so far as to describe his Scottish heritage along with his general thinking about wines. When he said he was going a friend's house for a pizza party, I thought he was about to leave. Then he said he was going to take a kick ass wine but first he wanted me to taste it. It was a California pinot noir priced at $30 more than the first bottle he'd put down on the bar. It was fantastic! He gave us tasting notes and I admitted I couldn't perceive half of what he reeled off. I said he spoke like a sommelier and he laughed again and said he claimed he had a better palate than Kenny, the sommelier who worked for him. He thanked us for coming in and seemed sincere. When he left, J looked at me and said, "That was amazing." I laughed and said it was a Wednesday at a bar.

Before we left, I asked Rainha to make me a Penicillin and we talked about Scotch. She related how she introduced her brother to Scotch and now that's all he drank. We talked about how things were during the shutdown and I told her about a new place I'd been the previous Saturday. Outside, J exclaimed this was just the best time! He said he'd never be able to talk staff like that, let alone the owner. I said talking to industry people was one of my favorite things. They are so interesting and I think they find it refreshing when someone at the bar wants to hear about them instead of wanting to talk about themselves. Then I said, I know where we'll go next. Maybe Stephen is working.

Our next stop was at Cuvee Wine Table and Stephen greeted me at the door with a huge "Shane!" and a hug. If J was impressed with Commonwealth, I thought he should fasten his seatbelt. Stephen is a trip. Except, Stephen exclaimed I'm on this side of the bar now! To my quizzical look, he said he was the manager now. Amidst introductions, our bartender, Andie came over and introduced herself. She was tall, regally thin, and wore a colorful scarf on her head. She offered an engaging personality I perceived as professional banter but sensed alos she seemed to enjoy her job.

When I described what kind of wine I preferred, she said, "OOh how about a white?" Ooookay??? I thought to myself, this is going to be fun. Stephen came back as Andy set my glass down in front of me and asked, "What are we having?" Andie said, it's the Santorini. Stephen, a newly minted sommelier, immediately launched into an enthusiastic description about this remarkable wine from a Greek Island. He said it was so constantly windy, they braided the vine boughs into bowls to protect the fruit on the inside. I smelled it and it reminded me of a Sav Blanc but when I tasted it, I knew I'd found a new favorite. It had a salty savory aspect with more minerality than any white I'd had previously.

Andie was from Lexington and our other bartender, Heather, was newly arrived from the Nashville area. Heather was training behind the bar but seemed tres calm. At one point she asked us to wish her luck and I realized she was going to take an order. When she came back, I was a little surprised but delighted when J asked her where she was from specifically. It turned out they were from the same area and knew the same high schools and such. Great fun. When Stephen came and asked if we were eating, I said, "What am I having?" The cassoulet he responded immediately and then he tried to add in sweet breads but I insisted I was out on that. J selected a flatbread and when my giant bowl of white beans with pork and a small chicken leg came, I felt I'd got the better order. He admitted sheepishly he just didn't like beans and that was that.

I suggested we finish with a French brandy served in proper snifters and asked for a bottle of the Santorini to go home. It was full dark but comfortably warm walking to the car and J asked if I were up for one more on him. I suggested we go see Emily at Brooklyn and the Butcher. She made me a perfect drink in January and I'd been craving another ever since.

All the way to New Albany, J kept bringing up how much he enjoyed the two wine bars and how he hoped he and his wife could indulge in similar experiences when their children were older. He worried his wife didn't really like anything but sweet wine and was picky about that. I laughed and said D was exactly the same but she was game to hang out and recently started to appreciate ciders and frutied beers, and even some semi-sweet wines.

There were still plenty of cars parked on the street when we arrived at Brooklyn and the Butcher. I noticed there was no one at the hostess stand when we walked in but I breezed past into the bar. There were two women sitting at the bar and I was a bit disappointed when I realized the bartender wasn't Emily. I was even more so when she came over and apologized but said they'd closed already. I laughed and made a joke about the owner being an old man for closing so early then I realized who it was sitting at the bar. I asked, "Is that Emily sitting at the bar?" she said it was and I got up and walked over. We talked for ten minutes about my last visit and I asked her about her trip to Savannah. She kept apologizing for the bar being closed but I assured her I would be back. It was fine, we'd walk down to The Earl.

I got a bad vibe the minute we walked in. The bar was mostly full and there was only one bartender. He was wearing short shorts and took forever to get us a drink menu then never looked our way for the next five minutes. I suggested we go to Recbar nearby. There it was the same. The lone bartender, woman this time, was overwhelmed and though the bar was half empty she never looked our way before I lost patience.

Okay then. We were driving to my final option (so I thought) when I stopped at a light. J said, "Look at that! A cop is chasing that guy!" Sure enough through the sparse traffic I could see a black guy sprinting along the side of the normally busy road. His arms were pistoning up and down, his hands flattened into chopping motions like a track sprinter. Coming behind but steadily losing ground was a hefty police officer. He looked ridiculous and I can only imagine he might be thinking everyone watching thought he looked ridiculous. I wondered if he might pull his gun.

The light turned green then and I moved forward. That's when we spotted a car with the front passenger side crushed in where it had impacted the guardrail, on the opposite side of the road. There was a cop car with its lights flashing parked behind it. I couldn't see any activity around the cars as we drove past. About a half mile up the road we pulled into the parking lot of our 4th attempt to get a last drink. It was closed.

We laughed and decided we'd had enough fun. As we headed back towards the scene of the incident, sirens and flashing lights were suddenly all around us. I guess there was a manhunt. I weaved through parked cruisers while J counted eight more with lights flashing on side streets . Fifteen minutes later I dropped him off. He thanked me profusely but it nothing but what I like to do anyway.

20 mins later I pulled into the garage and for a second my heart did the little flutter it always does when I see D's car parked in its spot. Then I sighed remembering she wasn't home and wouldn't be for another week.

Just a Wednesday.

[theveniceangel]

The Fox And The Minkpup

*The story begins in Mr.Plotz office* *The Warner's are seen sitting in front of the desk* Mr.Plotz: Fourty five thousand dollars.. *The Warner's tilt their heads in confusion* Dot: Fourty five thousand dollars? Wakko: We don't have that kind of money. Mr.Plotz: *growls* No you imbeciles! That's how much damage you caused today! The Warner's: Oh! Yakko: Well you could've been more specific. Mr.Plotz: Shattered windows, broken props, ruined sets, and don't get me started on the projector! Yakko: In our defense, that projector was already falling apart at the seams. Mr.Plotz: *growls* *Mr.Plotz moment of rage is interrupted, by a knock at the door* Mr.Plotz: Huh? C-Come in! *Hello Nurse walks into the room* Hello Nurse: Mr.Plotz, the new stars have arrived. *Yakko and Wakko's eyes go wide, and they start panting* Yakko and Wakko: Helloooooo nurse! Dot: *She looks at the camera* Boys, go figure. Mr.Plotz: *sighs* Would you two for once go for someone, your OWN AGE!? Wakko: Like who? *Mr.Plotz' look of anger immediately turns into a look of nervousness* Mr.Plotz: Uh... *He looks at Hello Nurse* Go tell them that I'll be with them in a moment. Hello Nurse: Yes Sir. *She walks away* Dot: I didn't know we were getting new coworkers. Wakko: *He smiles brightly* I can't wait to meet them. Mr.Plotz: Oh no, you stay away from the new stars, you've driven away more new employees than anyone can count. *Flashback* *Mr.Plotz is seen walking around* *A guy runs out of one of the rooms* ???: *screams* Mr.Plotz: Wait! Where're you going!? ???: *He turns towards him* I quit! Those children are a bunch of menaces! *He runs away* Mr.Plotz: Wait! Come back! *groans* He was our new accountant.. Yakko: Hey Mr.Plotz? Mr.Plotz: *He turns towards him* Yakko: You're gonna need more money, let's just say...uh....Wakko got a bit hungry. *Wakko is seen eating a blt, except there's money instead of lettuce in it* *A horrified look appears on Mr.Plotz' face* Yakko: And we ran out of lettuce.. *End Of Flashback* Mr.Plotz: And that's just one instance! Yakko: That's why I always make sure we have lettuce, nowadays. Mr.Plotz: *growls* Just stay away from the new stars! Yakko, Wakko, and Dot: Alright.. *Outside Of The Building* *Yakko, Wakko, and Dot are seen walking around* Yakko: Great, we finally get new coworkers, and we can't even meet them! Dot: *She crosses her arms* It's not fair! Wakko: *whines* I wanted to meet them... *A piece of paper flies past him* Wakko: Huh? *He runs after the paper* Yakko: Also, go for someone your own age? Hasn't he noticed that I'm the only one here MY age?! Dot: Yeah... that was kind of stupid on his part. *Yakko suddenly stops, causing Dot to bump into him* Dot: *grunts* Yakko! What the heck!? *Yakko has a look of amazement on his face* Dot: Yakko? Yakko: Uh.. *A fox girl, with short, rose red hair, and a fluffy tail is seen* Yakko: Wh-Who is that? Dot: Ooh! Maybe she's one of the new stars. *The girl is seen walking towards them* Dot: Hey! *The girl turns towards them* Dot: Hello, I'm Princess Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana Fanna Bo Besca The Third! But you can call me Dot, just Dot, call me Dottie and you die. ???: Ok..? Dot: And this is my brother, Yakko! Yakko: *He has a flustered look on his face* ???: *She turns her attention towards Yakko* Yakko: Uh huh uh uh... *He smirks at her* Well helloooooo nurse! ???: *scoffs* *She storms off* Yakko: *A horrified look appears on his face* W-Wait! I-I-I'm sorry! ???: *distantly* Sure you are! Yakko: *He looks down in shame* *whines* Dot: Yakko..she just got here, could you not act so headstrong!? Yakko: *gulps* Uh........Hold that thought, Dot! *He runs after the girl* Dot: Hey! You can't leave me alone! *growls* *Meanwhile, in another part of the studio* *Wakko is seen chasing after the paper* *Wakko waves his hands around, until he manages to grabs it* Wakko: Got'cha! ???: Come back here! *The person runs into Wakko, causing them to fall to the ground* *The person

drops a bunch of paper onto the floor upon getting hit* *Wakko rubs his head* Wakko: Ow.. *Wakko looks at the papers, and starts picking them up* *As he goes to grab one of the papers, another hand touches his* Wakko: *He looks up* *A look of amazement appears on his face* *A young mink girl, with light gray hair, and a gray wolf tail is seen* *She has a look of amazement on her face* *The two blush a little* Wakko: H-Hi.. ???: Hello. Wakko: *He smiles at her* ???: *gasps* *She immediately stands up* Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry! *She picks up the paper* I-I-I lost one of the pieces to my script, and I- Wakko: Hey hey, it's ok. *He stands up* No hard feelings. ???: *She smiles at him* Wakko: Y-You look familiar. ???: *She chuckles nervously* Don't know how, this is my first day. Wakko: Oh! You're one of the new stars! ???: Mhm, my parents are stars here, so I thought I'd try to be a star too. Wakko: *chuckles* I'm sure you'll like it here, ms..? ???: O-Oh, my name is Winifred Wolf, b-but you can me Winnie, it's a pleasure to meet you.. Wakko: *gulps* I--I'm Wakko Warner. Winnie: Wakko? Wakko: Y-Yes. Winnie: *giggles* I've heard of you, Mommy says you and your brother used to go crazy for her, before she married my Daddy. Wakko: *He chuckles nervously* Guilty as charged..? Winnie: *She smiles at him* Wakko: Um..If you'd like, I-I could give you a tour, sh-show you the rest of the studio? Winnie: *She looks down, before looking back at him* I'd like that.. Wakko: *He jumps for joy* Faboo! Winnie: Huh? Wakko: I-I mean, great! Winnie: Well.. *She grabs his hand* Wakko: *He blushes hard* Winnie: Lead the way, Wakko. Wakko: *His tail starts wagging* *He smiles at her* With pleasure. Winnie: *Her tail starts wagging* *The two walk away* *Meanwhile, in another part of the studio* *Yakko is seen walking around* Yakko: *groans* Where'd she go? *He looks around* *The girl is seen walking down one of the walk ways* Yakko: *gasps* Ok Yakko, just be calm, act natural. *He walks towards her* ???: *She's looking down at the ground* Yakko: *He walks up to her* H-Hello? ???: *She looks at him* *scoffs* Great, it's you again.. Yakko: *gulps* ???: Here to gawk at me again..? Yakko: Well no actually, I-I just really wanted to talk to you. ???: Well I don't wanna talk to you.. Yakko: Come on, I just wanted to- ???: Look, why don't you go stick your head where the sun don't shine..? Yakko: *He blows a kiss to the audience* Goodnight everybody! ???: *She rolls her eyes* *sighs* *She goes to walk away* Yakko: I-I just came to apologize. ???: *A look of surprise appears on her face* Wh--What did you say..? Yakko: I--I wanted to apologize, I didn't mean to offend you. ???: *She turns towards him* Yakko: I really didn't. ???: *She's just standing in shock* Yakko: What's wrong? ???: Y--You actually apologized.. Yakko: Yeah, what kind of person doesn't apologize? ???: I... Yakko: Um.. *He blushes a little* *He holds his hand out* I-I'm Yakko Warner, my sister tried to introduce us earlier. ???: *She looks at his hand, and back at him* *Yakko gives her a nervous smile* ???: Foxanne Vulpine.. *She reluctantly shakes his hand* Yakko: *He looks at her eyes* Whoa. Foxanne: *She glares at him* What're you staring at? Yakko: *He smiles at her* You have really lovely eyes. *A look of surprise appears on Foxanne's face* Foxanne: Y--You really think so..? Yakko: *He blushes a little* Y-Yeah, most beautiful eyes I've ever seen. Foxanne: *She blushes a little* I--I should be going.. Yakko: Ok, hopefully I'll see you later. *He goes to walks away, but waves at her before doing so* Bye! *He walks away* Foxanne: *She has a look of shock, and confusion on her face* *Her tail starts wagging* H--He actually said something nice to me..? What the..? *Somewhere In The Studio* *Wakko and Winnie are seen walking around* Wakko: And there's the prop section, and there's the costume house, and there's the fi- Winnie: *gasps* Oh my goodness! Wakko: *He turns towards

her* *The water tower is seen* Winnie: *She has a look of pure amazement on her face* The Warner Brothers Water Tower! It's even more amazing in real life! Wakko: The tower? Winnie: Mhm! It was built in 1927, standing here as the official land mark of the studio, and has since been declared an historical landmark. Wakko: Whoa. Winnie: Standing 100 feet tall, the water tower contains a 100,000-gallon tank! Although it currently holds no water. Wakko: Yeah, instead it houses me and my siblings. Winnie: I've only seen pictures of it...but now I'm here, I'm actually seeing it with my own eyes! Wakko: *He smiles brightly* What else do you know? Winnie: *She looks at him* You really wanna know? Wakko: Mhm, your words of wisdom intrigue me. Winnie: *She smiles at him* Well..did you know the studio was founded on April fourth, nineteen twenty seven? Wakko: Wow! Winnie: It was founded by four brothers, Albert Warner, Jack L. Warner, Sam Warner, and Harry Warner, who in nineteen o four, founded the Pittsburgh-based Duquesne Amusement & Supply Company- Wakko: *He looks like he's in heaven* *She's so smart, much smarter than I could ever be..* *Somewhere In The Studio* *Foxanne is seen walking around* Foxanne: Ok.. where's the place that's supposedly shooting the cartoon..? *A bunch of people are seen walking around* Foxanne: *sighs* This is ridiculo- ???: Excuse me coming through!! *A golf cart is seen rushing towards her* Foxanne: *screams* Yakko: Foxanne! *Yakko rushes towards Foxanne and jumps at her* Foxanne: Ah!! *The two fall onto the ground, and the golf cart rushes past them, hitting a wall soon after* Foxanne: *She has a horrified look on her face* Yakko: Are you ok? Foxanne: *She looks up at him* *Yakko has a look of concern on his face* Foxanne: *She has a look of surprise on her face* Y-Yeah.. *Yakko stands up, and holds his hand out for her* Yakko: Need a hand? Foxanne: *She looks down* *sighs* *She looks up at him* Yakko: *He gives her a reassuring smile* Foxanne: *gulps* *She grabs his hand* Yakko: *He helps her up* Foxanne: How are you so nice..? Yakko: Well, I'm nice until someone is rude to me, or my siblings. Foxanne: *She gives him a slight smile* Yakko: *He smiles at her* Well..I should be going. *He goes to walk away* Foxanne: W-Wait! *Yakko turns towards her* Foxanne: Um... I'm kind of lost.. I'm trying to get to studio sixteen, and I can't find it.. Yakko: And..? Foxanne: *She smiles at him* I could really use some help getting there.. Yakko: *He smiles brightly* I'd be happy to. *He grabs her hand* Foxanne: *She blushes a little* Yakko: Right this way. *The two walk away* *Somewhere In The Studio* *Winnie is seen laughing* Wakko: And then I said "You kidding? Whack is in my name!" Winnie: *chuckles* That was great, Wakko. Wakko: *chuckles* Thanks. *They smile at each other* Winnie: You know Wakko, you don't seem to be as bad as Mr.Plotz made you out to be.. Wakko: *He tilts his head in confusion* Huh? Winnie: Mr.Plotz made you out to be this crazy, monstrous, ravenous psycho. Wakko: Nah, I'm only ravenous at dinner time. Winnie: *giggles* But.. you've been nothing but sweet, and kind, and funny, very funny. Wakko: *He blushes hard* Y-You think I'm all those things? Winnie: Mhm. Wakko: *He smiles at her* Well..you seem very sweet, and smart too, v-very smart! Winnie: *She blushes a little* Mr.Plotz: Winifred! Winnie: *yelps* *The two turn around* *Mr.Plotz is seen walking towards her* There you are, I was looking all over for you! Winnie: Oh I don't need a tour anymore, Mr.Plotz, Wakko gave me one already. Mr.Plotz: Wakko?! *He looks at Wakko* Wakko: *He nods his head* Mr.Plotz: I thought I told you to stay away from the new stars! Wakko: *A look of sadness appears on his face* Winnie: But why? Wakko's such a sweet boy. Mr.Plotz: Sweet!? He and his siblings are menaces! Winnie: He's not a menace, he's wonderful. Wakko: *He blushes hard, and smiles brightly* Mr.Plotz: *growls* Nevermind, head to studio sixteen, you're

about to go on. Winnie: *gulps* *She looks at Wakko* Can you please come with me..? Wakko: *He smiles at her* Of course. Winnie: Thanks Wakko.. *The two walk away* Mr.Plotz: *sighs* Those Warner's are something else.. *In Studio Sixteen* *The stage is set up, and the spotlights are shining bright* *There's many people in the room* ???: Ok everyone, take your places! Foxanne: *sighs* *She looks down* Yakko: *He looks at her* What's wrong, Foxanne? Foxanne: I don't know about this.. Yakko: Hey.. *He puts his hand on her arm* You've got this, I believe in you. Foxanne: *She smiles at him* *Winnie is seen frantically reading the script* Wakko: *He looks at her* Winnie? Winnie: *groans* So many lines..! ???: Winifred, take your place please! Wakko: Good luck Winnie! *Winnie walks onto the set* *The spotlight shines onto Winnie* Winnie: *gulps* ???: And...action! *Music starts playing* Winnie: Um..I uh.. *gulps* *Dot storms up to Yakko, Wakko, and Foxanne* Dot: There you are! Why did you- *Yakko covers her mouth* Yakko: Shush sis..! Dot: *She glares at him* Wakko: Winnie..? ???: Winifred, your line? Winnie: *She looks at the script* I-I-I.. *She starts breathing heavily* Foxanne: Come on kid, you can do it.. *Everyone has looks of concern on their faces* Winnie: I--I- *tears well up in her eyes* Wakko: *groans* *He runs onto the stage* Yakko and Dot: Wakko no..! Wakko: Ah! You must be Winifred Wolf! Winnie: Huh? *She looks at him* M-Me? Wakko: Yes you, you're the girl everyone is talking about, they say you're the smartest girl in town! *He looks at her* and the sweetest too. *He winks at her* Winnie: *She blushes and smiles at him* Y-Yes..but you can call me Winnie. *She grabs his hand* Wakko: *He blushes and smiles at her* ???: Marvelous! Just keep acting like that! *Dot has a look of pure excitement on her face* Foxanne: Heh, your brother ain't half bad. Yakko: *He looks at her* Yeah, he's a good boy. Foxanne: *She looks at him* Yakko: *He smiles at her* Foxanne: What? Yakko: You have really lovely eyes. Foxanne: *She blushes hard* *She looks away* Yakko: But you have an even greater personality. Foxanne: *She looks at him* *She smiles at him* So do you.. *They both blush and smile at each other* *Outside of studio sixteen* *Everyone is seen leaving the studio* ???: Great job everyone! Keep practicing, and we'll do even better tomorrow! *The Warner's are seen leaving* Winnie: Wakko! Wakko: Huh? *He turns around* *Winnie runs up to Wakko and hugs him* Wakko: *grunts* Winnie: Oh thank you so much! You really helped me! Wakko: *He smiles at her* Anytime, you did very good yourself. Winnie: *She smiles at him* Thank you.. Dot: Aww..! *Someone taps on Yakko's shoulder* Yakko: *He turns around* *Foxanne is seen standing in front of him* Yakko: Oh, hey Foxanne. Foxanne: Hi.. Yakko: *A look of nervousness appears on his face* Foxanne: So...Maybe we'll see each other later? Yakko: Y-Yeah, b-but only if you're ok with that too. Foxanne: *She chuckles a little* You amaze me, Yakko. Yakko: Huh? Foxanne: See you later. *She walks away* Yakko: *He blushes hard* I amaze her. Winnie: Bye Wakko, I'll see you later! *She skips away* Wakko: Bye Winnie! *The two brothers sigh heavenly* Dot: Aww...My brothers are in love... *growls* And I didn't get to see any of the romance! *She crosses her arms* (The End.)

Animaniacs belongs to ©Warner Bros.

Winnie Wolf and Foxanne Vulpine belong to Me.

[koukaimagines]

Ooh, can you do headcanons for Yoon, Kija, Jae Ha and Soo Won with a singer s/o? The type who makes their living singing in bars and at events? I’m so happy to see an imagine blog for akayona!! Your writing looks great!

Hello there! I most certainly can!! Thank you so much! It means a lot to me, I often beat myself up about it,, so thank you so much!! Without further ado, here you go! (Cries bc i can't find the tag for Yoon)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yoon

The first time he'd heard your voice was he was on the road with yona and the others. When he heard it and saw you in the corner of the small bar, he was taken away by your voice, his mouth open, but not a word was uttered from it. It was absolutely breathtaking.

It wasn't until you catch his gaze and wink at him that he inhales sharply, feeling almost as if his heart had skipped a beat.

You were drawn to him too, he was quite the beauty. When they quietly exited the bar after your performance, you couldn't help but chase after him. Though, it wasn't like you had anything to say, let alone a plan in mind.

"Ooh, Yoon~ looks like someone came to see you~" you hear a feminine voice tease, your eyes fall on the hooded figure.

"Do you need anything, miss?" A bright yellow boy approaches you.

"U-Uhm-! My next show will be at the next town to the east!! Please, if you don't mind, um, please go check it out!" You utter, before running off in embarrassment. Why did you do that? Ugh, he doesn't even know your name, would he even come? Your teenage hormones went into a frenzy, dizzying you with thoughts of humiliation.

Your next show came. You went out and stood in front of the people of the bar, and you scanned them, looking for that bright, apricot hair and sky blue eyes. But the crowd only consisted of older men and some women. You count down for the musicians and you start to sing. Your tune laced with sorrow and longing, hoping for him to open that door.

And as if the heavens heard your wish, the bells on the door rung, and in walked him and his unusual posse. Seeing him again broke a dam of emotions hidden away in your heart, and you sang as if your life depended on it. You sang, trying to convey the lonely nights you thought about him. You sang, conveying the longing you had for him.

Clenching your heart theatrically, you threw your arm forward, gazing into his eyes past the heads of the many, and word would spread that you were the best singer that ever graced that bar.

After your performance, you sat at his table and chatted with him and his group, telling them about your various travels and mess-ups on stage. You let them know of your next performances, hoping they'd visit you again.

Needless to say, they managed to appear at some of them, and the nights that offered you time with him turned the connection between you two into something more. You couldn't always see him, but when you did, you made the most of it, and so did Yoon, telling you how beautiful you looked up there in his own awkward, roundabout way.

The group knew to let you have some alone time with him, and sat a little ways away.

He'd also make sure to bring supplements every time, for your throat. Sweet candies and satchels of honey-like liquid would be offered to you.

When he left, he'd have an all-too-telling look on his face, and you two would part after a warm embrace. You would always look at the candies lovingly, as memories of him kept you sane before your next performance.

Kija

He'd absolutely be in love with your voice, in awe of the way your voice seemed to shapeshift from soft and high pitches to low and sultry tunes. You'd be showered in compliments every time your performance ended.

Amongst the crowd, he'd be the one clapping the loudest, screaming how proud he is of you and how amazing you sounded. When you approached him at their table, he'd take your hand in his while telling you how good you were, catching himself and becoming flustered from the way he conducted himself.

"Ah, sorry... It seems as though I am getting to carried away... but you were absolutely spectacular!"

If you joined them on their travels, you'd often sing and lull him to sleep. You'd also eventually find that Kija,

Is incredibly tone deaf

Because of this, he sometimes gets pessimistic and believe that he didn't deserve such an angel like you.

You'd try to reassure him that you love him all the same, tone deaf or not. But to him, he wanted to be better, and so you took him under your wing and taught him all that you knew about the art of vibrating your vocal chords.

Eventually, he could sing in pitch. He'd look at you in expectancy, ears sharpening for any words of praise you offered him.

"That was great, Kija!" You smiled, and you could tell that he was happy from the way his cheeks flared red and his gaze avoided yours, bashfully.

Jaeha

He first met you when he was still with the pirates. You could fight, and you could sing. Everyone loved helping themselves to a cup of wine while listening to your scooba doobas in the moonlight.

He'd often accompany your voice with his Erhu, and your music would reach the ears of Awa. When you joined Yona and the others, they didn't learn about your talent until you quietly hummed to yourself during dinner. That's when Jaeha showed you off like his most prized possession, bragging about how your voice pairs perfectly with a cup of wine, how you were the Awa pirates' lorelei.

You often sang to the group at night time, they claim that it helped them sleep. Jaeha, however, would stay up, not wanting to miss even a second of your gorgeous voice.

"You're beautiful," he whispered, cradling his cheek in his hand as he sat, indulging in your song.

"It's a bit embarrassing if you just stare at me like that..." you mumble, stopping mid-song.

"Don't mind me," he says, getting up and wrapping his arms around you. "Keep going."

You rest your hands on his chest, giggling. "I can't keep going if you do this."

"We'll dance while you sing, come on," he smiled, taking your hand in his.

Giggling, you bury your face in his chest. "That's not how it works, silly."

Soowon

He first heard you in a bar in the town he was visiting, once he heard rumours about corruption brewing.

It was at a bar he and Joo doh went to for dinner. When you opened your mouth, their ears were filled with bliss as your voice blanketed the instrumentals in perfect harmony. Rich and alluring, his majesty was instantly taken by your talent.

After your show, you saw an ethereal looking man and a stern one accompanying him. "That was splendid," he says, smiling.

Using his charm, he kept you company for an annoyingly long time before he got to the point.

"Would you like to become my personal entertainer? I'll have a room prepared for you in the castle, if you'd like." Your brain didn't process.

Personal entertainer? Castle?? Then it hit you like a sack of bricks. This happy-go-lucky man had the same face as the man that was recently crowned king.

You agreed, and you were escorted to Hiryuu castle. It still wasn't until you were gifted silken robes and a gorgeous room that it hit you that you were going to start living here.

His majesty often liked to bring you along to the parties and dinners he graced, gaining much praise from the noblemen and ladies.

This upset you. He was being applauded for your effort and skill. Your brows furrowed and you grit your teeth before your lord spoke up.

"Please, give your regards to the lady. I have nothing to do with her talent. I simply asked her to accompany me tonight."

After that night, your respect for him grew, and you began to frequent his office. He claimed that your voice helped him focus.

It wasn't until you were in his bed, singing no louder than a hushed whisper that you realized that you two were more than just "King" and "subject".

[tayegi]

New Rules Ch. 12

Word count: 10,425

Word spreads fast. It seems like no matter where you turn on campus, you see smirking faces and people whispering under their breath while pointing in your direction. As if it wasn't bad enough being the Ice Queen bitch, now you're the delusional bitch who actually thought she had a chance with Jeon Jungkook and threw a hysterical fit about it in front of his entire frat. Embarrassing does not even begin to describe it. It was bad enough when Jungkook rejected you to your face. But now the whole school knows about it… and you can't even show your face in public.

You contemplate dropping out of school, with only a year left, for a period of time. The only thing that keeps you from fleeing for a hermit life is the support of your girlfriends.

Mijoo is the first one who finds out. You had been dreading her reaction the most. She had been encouraging you to pursue Jungkook since day one, and was adamantly convinced that he actually liked you… You don't know how you can show your face in front of your best friend. Scorn is bad enough; you wouldn't be able to survive her pity.

You should've known her better than that. Once again, Mijoo proves why she's the one person you love most in the world.

The day after your dramatic scene at the frat house, word spreads like wildfire around campus. Hell, the very next morning, the entire sorority is aware of your embarrassing meltdown. And Mijoo is no exception. So you dash out first thing in the morning before she wakes, then hole up in the library all day. But with finals over, the library closes early. And you're forced to retreat back to the sorority house, your tail between your legs, hours earlier than you'd like. And this time, there's no way to avoid your roommate.

As anticipated, Mijoo is in your shared room, clearly waiting for you by the time you finally drag yourself in. Your eyes meet when you shut the door behind you, and neither of you know what to say for a moment.

The awkwardness is suffocating, so you try to break the tension with a laugh, "Haha, so I guess you've heard about the news?" you ask, sheepishly rubbing at the back of your head.

Mijoo doesn't say anything in return, but a single nod confirms your suspicions.

You resist the urge to cringe and double your efforts to keep up a nonchalant façade. You can't let her know how much this has affected you. Her sympathy would crush you. So you offer her a playful roll of your eyes, "Silly, isn't it? Oh well. Glad that's over and done with! Phew!"

But of course, your best friend can see through your act at once. Her face crumples and suddenly she's rushing towards you with outstretched arms, "Oh, ___," she sighs your name.

You wince when she hugs you tightly to her chest, suffocating you with her love. You really can't endure this. Anything but her pity. Oh god. This is the worst. You've never felt so small and idiotic. If you could have one wish, you'd have the ground open up to swallow you whole and—

"I'm proud of you."

Mijoo's unexpected words cut through the panicked frenzy of your brain like a cold knife.

You blink hazily, "Wh-what?"

She pulls back to gingerly cup your face with the utmost care, "I'm proud of you, ___," she repeats in a soft voice. "It can't have been easy confessing your feelings like that. And standing up for what you believed in. You are so strong, ___. And I admire you."

This is not what you had been expecting whatsoever. And all at once, your feelings of dread melt away, swallowed by a tide of affection. "M-mijoo," you whisper, voice choked with something dangerously close to tears. "Oh god, Mijoo." And with that, the floodgate of emotions bursts and you throw your arms around her, clinging on for dear life.

"Thank you," you breathe into the warmth of her embrace.

You can feel her smile against the crook of your neck, "___, you are a strong, independent, fierce goddess. Do you hear me? Any man who can't see that doesn't deserve you."

Tears fill your eyes, no matter how you try to blink them back, "It's me who doesn't deserve you."

Mijoo laughs softly as you tighten your grip on her hard enough to squeeze the air from her lungs, "I love you, ___."

"Good. Because that's all I need."

And when you finally let her go from your crushing hug to look her in the eye, Mijoo can tell from your watery, but steely gaze that you're not lying. Because no matter what happens, as long as you have her in your life, you can survive anything. Jeon Jungkook means nothing in comparison.

***

"I can't believe he turned out to be such an asshole!" Yerin exclaims in outrage when the three of you meet up for drinks the following Friday evening.

You pause to take a sip of your beer to hide your grin, "I dunno. I should've known better."

"No!" she practically yells at you, "How could you have known?! Men these days are all sneaky ass bastards! Well, fuck him!"

"Yeah!" Mijoo cheerfully agrees, sloshing her beer down her arm, "Fuck men!"

You choke back a laugh as you watch your best friends happily high-five each other in agreement, splashing beer all over the bar in the process. Mijoo and Yerin might have had one too many to drink… But they're so cute that you can't find it in you to reprimand them.

"Mijoo, what about Jimin?" you politely remind her, "Your boyfriend?"

"Oh, him…" she bitterly mutters under her breath, "Well, fuck him too!"

"… Aren't you bringing him to the sorority's homecoming dance after the break ends?"

"Oh yeah, that's right… Should I just dump him?"

"Wow. You must be really drunk if you're saying that," you snicker, "Ok, I'm taking the beer away."

"Ooh, can I have him if you don't want him anymore?!" Yerin eagerly waves her hand up in the air like a school kid waiting to be called on.

"Boys ain't shit," you playfully nudge her, "They're all crusty cheesemolds, remember?"

"No, only Yoongi's crusty," Yerin bitterly says.

"Ahh, he's not that bad…" you feebly defend him.

Both women turn to you in shock, "___, what are you saying?!"

"Yeah, whose side are you on, anyways?!"

You cower before their dual fury. You'd like nothing more than to correct them, but you can't forget about the promise you made Yoongi… "Yeah, you're right," you hold up your hands in defense, in case they start attacking, "He's the biggest dickbag of them all."

"Damn right."

"Cheers to that!" Mijoo crows as she holds up her pint of beer a toast.

Yerin whoops in joy and happily joins her, "Boys suck! I've decided that I'm gonna be the biggest fuckgirl of all time from now on!"

"Yeah! That's the spirit!"

You rush to intervene, "Wait, what?! Yerin, no! That is not a good idea!"

"Why not? Get that D while you're still young, girl!"

You hastily slap a hand over Mijoo's mouth before your roommate can continue with her horrible, drunken advice, "No! Don't get that D while you're young! Get it when you're both emotionally and physically mature enough to make reasonable—"

"Omg, Mimi should we go dancing?!" Yerin interrupts, her eyes as wide as saucers.

"Why are you even asking?! Fuck yeah!"

And with that, your two best friends are off, and you have no choice but to chase after them, playing the role of the babysitter for the first time in your life.

"Wait, where are you going?! Girls, wait for me!"

***

Once more, you find yourself outside of the epsilon chi omicron house. You'd sworn to yourself, after that eventful Halloween weekend, that you would never return to this place. But clearly, luck is never on your side.

So here you are, on a freezing Friday night, watching your two drunk friends attempt to sloppily flirt their way into a private party when you'd much rather be curled up in your warm, cozy bed. You sigh deeply as you watch Mijoo twirl her hair around a finger and bat her eyelashes.

"Oh come onnn," she coaxes, "Can't you just make an exception for us? Just this once?"

The bouncer falters under the force of her adorable pout, "I… Um… Sorry, Miss," he says, somehow managing to resist, "I really can't let you in."

"We won't cause any trouble," Yerin rushes to Mijoo's defense, "We just wanna have one teeny tiny little drink… Pleeeeaase?"

The bouncer awkwardly scratches the back of his head, "I… I dunno… Let me ask the other brothers…" And with that, he twists around to address some guys behind him, "Hey guys, these cute chicks want to join the party. Can I let them in?"

"Ah, I don't know about that," a second frat brother says as he approaches the door, "This party is invite-only and we don't—wait a minute… Is that you? Are my eyes deceiving me right now?" he asks, gawking in shock as his eyes widen in recognition.

And you're horrified to find that he's staring straight at you. Confused, you glance over your shoulder, but there's no one behind you. "… Me?"

"Yes, you!" He exclaims, suddenly bursting into hearty laughter, "I never thought I'd see you again. Come on in!" He grabs you by the shoulder and yanks you through the front door.

Bewildered, all three of you stumble after him, "Um… Do I know you?"

But the frat brother ignores you as he drags you to the center of the party, "Guys! She's here!"

"What?!" you say in alarm, "I really think that you are mixing me up with someone—"

"It's her!" Comes his joyous exclamation, "The hotdog girl!"

"What? The hotdog girl?"

"Oh my god, it's the hotdog girl!"

"Waaa! Fuck yeah, hotgot girl!"

All the color blanches from your face as the crowd of people all light up with realization.

"Let the hotdog dance! Let the hotdog dance! Let the hotdog—"

"Oh god, I need a drink," you groan.

***

"Ooh, he's pretty hot, ___," Mijoo says in a conspiratorial whisper as the guy who let you into the house cheerfully fills the red solo cup in your hand for what feels like the hundredth time, "And I think he's into you, too…"

"Ah, whatever. Drunk guys are easy," you snort as you take a giant gulp from your cup. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right?"

"You should fuck him!" Yerin passionately shouts, "Teach that coconut asshole a lesson!"

You wince at the volume of her voice, "Nah, that's not a very mature thing to do, baby girl."

"Why not?! I think you should too!" Mijoo exclaims, "I mean, Jeon was cute, I'll give you that. But pretty boys like him are a dime a dozen. Come take your pick here! It's practically raining men!"

"Hallelujah!" Yerin fervidly adds.

"I know he was good-looking, but…" you bite your lip before you can let anything else slip. But that's not why I liked him…

"If you won't fuck this guy, then I will!"

You jerk your head to look at your cute little blonde friend with shock, "Yerin! Don't say such things!"

"Why not?" She shoots back, "I have nothing to lose. If Yoongi doesn't like me, who cares? There are dozens of men at this party who would love to have me!"

"Damn right!" Mijoo crows as she pours practically half a bottle of vodka in her solo cup.

You wince as you wrestle the bottle away from her, "Are you forgetting that you're still a virgin?" you hiss at Yerin in a low voice, "Don't be acting like this. It's not you!"

"I'm sick of being the goody-goody little virgin girl!" She angrily yells as she rips the bottle from your grip, "I'm not nice. I'm not sweet. And I sure as hell am not naïve! I want to be a fuckgirl, too! Why can't I ever have any fun?!"

Something about the way she says this makes you very uncomfortable. Sure, if she really just wanted to sleep around for the pleasure, you'd have no choice but to support her… But what are her motives here…?

You quickly grab her wrist before she can take a swig straight out the bottle, "Stop it, Yerin. You aren't thinking straight. I know what happened with Yoongi was rough, but you really don't have to do this to prove anything, okay? You are a smart, wonderful woman and you'll find someone perfect for you one day."

"Easy for you to say," she snaps as she yanks the bottle out of your hand, "At least you have Jung Hoseok waiting on your beck and call. I have nobody!" And with that, she raises the bottle to her lips and takes a deep, long drink. "But fuck it, I'm gonna go wild and I don't even care! Whoo!"

"Wait, Yerin!" You exclaim, trying to chase after her when she rushes for the dance floor, but Mijoo holds you back.

"Don't, ___," the pretty brunette says as she holds you firmly in place, "Nothing you say or do can convince her otherwise right now."

"But she's making a mistake! She could get into serious trouble!"

But Mijoo holds firm, no matter how you struggle in her grip, "Well, she has to figure that out for herself. You're not her mom. You can't ground her or shelter her forever. This is a lesson she can only learn from herself."

You chew your lip, indecisive, as you glance between the slim brunette and the mosh bit. You know that your roommate is right, but you can't help but worry. "What if she gets hurt?"

Mijoo shrugs, "Well, that's just life. You can't protect her from everything, ___. Besides, don't we all go through a phase like this?"

Heat flushes through your system at the reminder, "Ah… Don't remind me of that dark period."

Mijoo laughs, "It might not have been the prettiest period of time, but you did manage to fuck Seokjin out of your system, right? Maybe you could use a bit of that right now…"

But the very thought of sleeping with a faceless stranger makes you cringe, "Nah. That's not my thing anymore… It was fun for a bit, but I think I need to be with someone I truly care about."

"Like Hoseok?" Mijoo suggests with a little waggle of her eyebrows, "You know the homecoming dance is coming up… Maybe you could use your invite on him…?"

Your eyes widen at the suggestion. For some reason, it hadn't even crossed your mind. But now that you think about it, it makes perfect sense. "Hmm. That's not a bad idea actually…"

A sudden, roaring cheer from the dance floor makes the two of you jump in surprise. And you promptly forget about the conversation at hand as you watch a petite blonde girl perform a keg stand in the middle of the mosh pit while a dozen frat brothers surround her and cheer.

"Oh no, Yerin, no!"

***

Needless to say, you find yourself carrying Yerin home that night. You and Mijoo had grudgingly let it slide when Yerin unleashed herself on the dance floor. You even resisted the urge to violently interfere when the younger girl began making out with some random frat brother (well, Mijoo had to hold you back while you struggled and screamed bloody murder, but same thing). However, when Yerin decided to climb up the table and attempt to one-up your hotdog girl reputation, that's when it was time to intervene.

But of course, it was easier said than done. It's clear that you are the only sober one around in a one-mile radius, and Mijoo was far too drunk to be of much help. And unfortunately, there was no serendipitous run-in with Yoongi this time… Although that might not have been particularly welcome to the heartbroken Yerin. So you are left with no choice but to utilize the services of the weird little frat brother who recognized you all the way from Halloween.

"Hey what are you doing after this, hotdog girl?" He cheerfully asks.

"I dunno," you mutter as you groan under Yerin's weight, "Can you just focus on not dropping my baby on her head?!"

"Whoops, sorry," he cheerfully says as he adjusts his grip on the younger girl, "So what's your deal anyways? You got a boyfriend or something, hotdog girl?"

You look up to flash him the deathliest glare you can muster, "Can you please stop calling me that? I've got a name, you know! It's ___, goddamn it!"

"___?" he repeats, "Oh, that's pretty. I'm Sehun, by the way."

You grunt in response.

"So, about that boyfriend…?"

"Fuck Junkcock!" Mijoo suddenly screeches from behind the two of you, triggered by the word. "That shit burger dink!"

Sehun's eyes widen in surprise, "Wait… You're Jeon Jungkook's ex-girlfriend? Damn, I've heard so much about this."

Embarrassment washes over you like a wave, "Yeah, I'm that hysterical freak. So what?"

"Nothing," he laughs, "We heard about this angry ex-girlfriend who called out Jeon and embarrassed him in front of everyone, but I never thought I'd meet her in person. You're an idol to us in Exo."

You wince at the memories, "I was never his girlfriend… But thanks, I guess?"

"Wow, I seriously can't believe that's you," he says with a delighted laugh, "This makes me like you even more!"

To your horror, his bold proclamation stirs the sleepy girl in your arms, "Huh?" Yerin blearily rubs her eyes, "You like ___?" She asks in confusion, "Why don't you like me?!" And with that, she proceeds to burst into tears.

You would have pinched the bridge of your nose in frustration if not for the fear of dropping the younger girl on her head, "Shut up, playboy," you growl at Sehun.

"Pssht, ___!" Mijoo tries to whisper in your ear, but ends up practically bursting an eardrum, "This guy's hot. You should fuck him!"

Embarrassment floods you at the way Sehun's eyes light up in delight, "Yeah! What she said! What brilliant advice!"

But this makes Yerin cry harder, "Why won't anyone fuck me instead?!"

You groan deeply, "I hate my life."

***

It's a quarter past two in the morning by the time you finally get Yerin back to her dorm room and shake Sehun loose. He dramatically requests a kiss in exchange for his noble services carrying your pesky younger friend home, but you manage to ward him off with your phone number instead.

And then you're stuck with the task of piggy-backing Mijoo home.

You thank all the deities you can think of for not running into any cops or nosy security officers on your way back to the sorority house. You have no doubt that they'd take one look at your drooling roommate, and haul her ass off to prison. But somehow, somehow, you manage to drag her back to the house in one piece, undeterred even as she shrieks out her love for you and covers your neck in messy kisses.

As soon as you enter your shared room, you hurriedly dump her in bed, eager to rid yourself of her weight, and dashing for the kitchen before she can kiss you anymore. Not that you mind too much, but you don't know how you'd explain yourself to Jimin.

You're sagging with weariness by the time you make your way down to the kitchen to grab Mijoo a glass of water before she dies of dehydration. It's been a long night, and all you've done is run around trying to protect your best friends. Not exactly the stress relief that you were looking for… But it was fun, in a weird way.

You're hovering over the kitchen sink, smiling to yourself over the amusing memories of your intoxicated friends, when the front door swings open. Surprised to find another sister returning home so late, you look up to greet her—but your voice dies in your chest at the sight of Hyejin stumbling through the door. Your eyes meet, but neither of you say anything for a moment.

Then, the beautiful redhead sighs and kicks off her towering stilettos to march into the kitchen, "Did you just get back as well?"

"Yeah… I was at an EXO party. What about you?"

"The club," She says as she reaches around you for a glass, "Did you have fun?"

You know that the socially appropriate answer is to simply agree with a smile. But it's so late and you're too exhausted for these meaningless niceties, "Nah," you admit with a sigh, "It was tiring."

"Me too," Hyejin says as she fills up her glass, "I guess neither of us are succeeding in our attempts to get over him, huh?"

You freeze in shock as she ever-so-casually addresses the elephant in the room, "O-oh, you mean Jungkook?"

"Yeah," she says as she sips her water, "I heard about what happened between you guys. I'm so sorry, ___."

"A-ah," you stammer, surprised beyond words. Why is she doing this? Before today, you could've sworn that she hated you, "Thank you… Um… I'm sorry for you as well…"

Hyejin simply shrugs her elegant shoulders, "Don't be. I should've known better… Guys like that will never change… But I just couldn't help myself…"

You blink at her in confusion, "What do you mean?"

The older woman flashes you a half-hearted smile, "It's hard not to like him, huh? I mean, he's gorgeous and so talented, but that's not why we like him, is it?"

You can't find the words to respond with as you stare at her with huge eyes.

Hyejin absentmindedly swirls the water around in her glass for a few seconds before continuing, "I first met him about two years ago, when I was at a BTS party and he was still just a little Freshman pledge. And at first, I didn't think anything of him… He was cute, sure, but who cares? Guys with his looks are a dime a dozen on this campus. And I didn't want to mess around with a little underclassman. But then…" she bites down on her bottom lip, "But then, all of that changed."

"How so, Hyejin?" you ask, eyes alight with curiosity.

The redhead chuckles softly as she stares down at her glass, "When a frat brother slipped a date-rape drug in my drink…"

Your eyes bulge in horror, "What?!"

"It was the scariest moment of my life," Hyejin sighs as she stares dreamily into the distance, "Every limb felt like it was weighed down with lead, and I couldn't talk, couldn't move or even fucking breathe. I thought I was going to die. And that senior frat brother… He kept trying to drag me into his room…"

"Oh my god," you gasp, "Hyejin, I—"

"Nothing happened," she quickly cuts you off, dispelling your worries, "Luckily, a couple of guys at the party noticed and interfered before the senior could take me to his room, and called an ambulance… Jungkook was one of those guys."

"Thank god," you exhale in relief, "No wonder you like him so much. I had no idea."

But Hyejin simply shakes her head with a little laugh, "Nah. That's not why. Anyone can save a victim at the scene of the crime. It's what he did afterwards that really mattered…"

"Afterwards?" you repeat in confusion, "What happened?"

Hyejin's teeth sink into her bottom lip, and you don't miss the way her hand tightens around her water glass hard enough to make the knuckles turn white. It's clear that the pain never eases, even after all these years.

"It's easy to apprehend a crime… but not as easy to follow up with justice…" She says after a long, deliberative pause, "The person who tried to rape me… He was a senior in the frat. And his father was a very powerful man who made important donations to the frat and to the school as a whole. It didn't matter that I had drug tests from the hospital proving that I had been roofied. No one cared to hear it… No one dared to oppose him… Except one noisy little Freshman boy…"

A lump forms in your throat that you can't swallow down. You can't see Hyejin's expression clearly in the darkness, but a single beam of moonlight that streams through the parted curtains of the kitchen window allows you a glimpse of her clenched teeth. It feels like your chest may cave with empathy, but you're too afraid to break the spell if you reach out to touch her like you crave.

"Jungkook was the only one who refused to cover it up. Even at the risk of not making it into the frat, he went up to the president and demanded justice… There was unfortunately nothing he could do at the university-level, but he managed to convince Namjoon to kick that rapist out of BTS…" Hyejin pauses to take a shaky breath.

"He was only a Freshman pledge… He could've been rejected from the frat. Worse, he could've experience backlash from going against such an important person, and been kicked off the soccer team. Had his scholarship revoked or something. But he didn't care… Even though he didn't know me… Even though I was just a stranger to him… He stood up for me. He stood up for what he believed in… And I've been in love with him ever since."

Her words send a shiver down your spine. You're so entirely shell-shocked and overwhelmed with emotion that you can't speak. You can only stare at her in the silvery darkness as your heart breaks into a thousand piece for her.

Hyejin must notice the utter despair in your gaze, because she smiles and reassuringly squeezes your shoulder, "I'm not telling you this to feel bad for me, sweetie. I'm telling you this, because I want you to know that you're not alone. I know exactly how you feel… Jungkook… he's a really good guy at his core. But he's still an immature kid and he can be a complete jackass at times. He definitely needs to grow the fuck up before he can handle a woman like us," she says with a playful nudge.

"Oh, Hyejin…" you murmur, forehead crinkling as you stare at her with wide, doe-like eyes, "I… I just… I'm so—"

"Nah, I don't need to hear it," she laughs, "Me and you, we'll move forward, alright? It's not fair for us to wait for him. We'll get over this kind, caring, immature asshole together."

You offer her a tremulous smile as you barely resist the urge to tackle her in an embrace. Knowing Hyejin, she would definitely not appreciate that. "Yes," you breathe, "Yes, we will."

And when you muster the courage to gently touch her hand, you're delighted when she doesn't immediately move away.

***

The next morning, after you've cleaned up all of Mijoo's vomit and ushered her to the showers, you sit on your bed and stare down at your cell phone, reflecting on your conversation with Hyejin the night before. She's right. Jungkook is a good man. In fact, he could be everything you could want in a man in a few years… But not now. You can't wait around and hope that he'll grow up. You have to move on. You owe that to yourself, at least. You, and Hyejin.

So after taking a deep breath for strength, you pick up your phone and dial in a number.

To your relief, the other party answers after just a few rings, "Hello?"

"Hi, Hoseok… How do you feel about going to the homecoming ball with me next weekend?"

***

A week later, you yank clothing out of your closet in a state of complete panic as Mijoo and Yerin watch you in amusement. "Ah!" you shriek, "Hoseok's gonna be here in half an hour! What do I wear?!"

"Calm down, you only have like two dresses anyways," Mijoo points out with a snicker, "Just pick one of them and let's go."

"But which one?!" You exclaim as you hold up both dresses, "Is this one a bit too plain?" you ask as you gesture to a dark gray shift.

"Yes, definitely," Mijoo says at once, "This is a formal ball, not a job interview."

"Ugh… Should I just wear my pantsuit instead?"

"Definitely not. I mean, you look cute in anything, but don't you want to look extra nice for Hoseok?"

"Why does it matter anyways?" Yerin suddenly pipes up, "Hoseok's so whipped for you that he'd love you in anything."

"What? I don't think that's right…" you say as you consider your options with unease, "Maybe I should take a chance and wear the pink dress…"

"Yes!" Mijoo crows with delight, "You've been saving that weapon since the goddamn date auction last semester. It's time to unleash that on us! We deserve it!"

You chuckle at her dramatic statement, "Okay… Maybe I should wear it… But isn't it a little too… pretty for me? I don't think I can pull it off…"

"Oh, don't say that, ___!" Yerin says, "I'm also wearing a long dress, and mine is also glittery!"

Both you and Mijoo turn to her in surprise, "Wait, you're going to the ball, too?"

"Yep. I'm officially a member of the sorority now, too, remember?" She cheerfully informs you.

"Ah, that's right," you say with a fond ruffle of her hair, "My adorable little sister… So glad you picked me as your big sis over Mijoo," you whisper in a conspiratorial voice.

"I heard that!" you pretty brunette roommate exclaims in outrage.

"Sorry, babe," you chuckle, "But my cute baby and I are perfectly suited for each other! That's why we're even wearing matching dresses to the ball, huh?"

"That's right!" Yerin happily chirps, "I want to be exactly like ___!"

"Good girl!" you coo as you reach over to scratch her under the chin.

But then Mijoo frowns, "Wait a minute… I understand that you can go to the ball now as a sister… But who did you invite as your date?"

"Oh Sehun."

You and Mijoo exchange a confused look, "Huh?"

"Who?"

"The EXO brother, remember?"

"Ooh," you say as realization dawns upon you, "The fuckboi who helped us home? Why would you ask him, Yerin?"

"Yeah, didn't he like ___?" Mijoo adds, confused.

The younger girl flushes pink at that reminder, "Y-yeah… But he was really cute… and I wanted to do something nice for him to thank him for carrying me back to the dorms…"

But Mijoo still looks perplexed, "Wait but if he likes ___, why would he agree to go with you?"

Yerin sheepishly scratches the back of her head, "… I may or may not have told him that ___ was going to be there… and that I'd try to set them up…"

You groan in annoyance, "Why, Yerin?! You know as well as I do that that little fuckboi doesn't actually like me!"

The blonde girl looks up in surprise, "Wait he doesn't?"

"Of course not! He doesn't know the slightest thing about me. He's just thirsty and trying to get in my pants, because he thinks of me as this wild party animal… or party hotdog… Either way, it's not real."

"Really?" Yerin says with her eyes as wide as saucers, "That's all it takes to get a guy to like you?"

You glance at her harshly, "Is that all you got out of that?!"

"I like Sehun," Mijoo suddenly pipes up, "He's got a great ass. Granted, it's not as bouncy as my Chimchim's, but at least it's better than that pancake ass of Yoongi's. I support you, Yerin."

"What?!" you exclaim in horror, "Mimi! Not you too!"

"Don't worry, ___," Yerin says as she kindly pats your hand, "You still have Hoseok. And he has the ass of a Greek god."

"… oh my god, you guys…"

"Speaking of that Greek god… Isn't he coming over any minute now?" Mijoo kindly reminds you.

Your jaw drops, "Shit!"

***

Fifteen minutes later, you find yourself decked in your floor-length pink tulle dress as Mijoo and Yerin flutter around you, trying to plaster you with as much makeup as they can manage before Hoseok gets to the house. But all too soon, you receive the dreaded text announcing his arrival.

I'm downstairs!

That sets the girls into a state of panic. Mijoo almost rubs lipstick all over your face in her haste to apply it, and Yerin nearly breaks your big toe trying to shove your feet into borrowed heels. And you can only sit there the whole time, too scared to move with your heart racing a thousand beats a minute. You've never been so dolled up in your entire life, and for a moment, you feel so helplessly self-conscious that you consider feigning an illness and calling this whole thing off. But somehow, you force yourself to rise to your feet and numbly make your way downstairs. Because you can't allow yourself to keep hiding behind your insecurities. You have to channel Hyejin and move on with your life.

Your feet hurt with every step and your dress is a bit too tight—making it a struggle to even breathe, but when you catch a glimpse of your reflection in the mirror on your way out, but can't deny that you look good. Hell, this is probably the best you've looked in your entire life. The cut of the dress emphasizes your figure and the heels make your legs look miles long. Hell, even the makeup is flawless and highlights your best features. For once in your life, you're showing off rather than hiding, and you feel so good about yourself that you feel like you're floating…

But your tenuous ego immediately shatters when Hoseok takes one look at you and bursts into laughter.

"Oh my god!" he laughs, doubling over and clutching his stomach from the hilarity, "What are you wearing?!"

You self-consciously tug down your dress and suck in your tummy, "What? Is it really that bad?"

"No," he says once he calms down enough to rub the tears from his eyes, "It's just that… It's not like you."

"Oh…" you feebly say, "I was… just trying something new? I guess that it didn't work then…"

"No, you're pretty no matter what you wear," he says with an award-winning grin, "But this just doesn't suit you… Did you lose a bet or something?" he chuckles.

You timidly smile back. Of course this doesn't suit you. You're the ugly tomboy who needs to hide behind her oversized hoodies and sweatpants. You must look like a pig in a dress, all dolled up like this. "Ah… maybe I should go change then…"

"Nah," Hoseok laughs, "We're late, and you've put in all this effort anyways, so why not?"

Somehow, the way he says this makes you feel even worse. And you want nothing more than the ground to open up and swallow you whole. "Alright," you murmur in a small voice, "Let's go."

***

As always, the sorority's annual ball is held in the swanky hotel downtown. Hoseok seems unimpressed by the decor, but this is your first time attending this particular event, and you're blown away by all the glamor.

The ballroom is enormous, with vast marble floors and high ceilings illuminated by golden, shimmery lights. It's like a scene straight out of a fairytale with the colorful dresses bursting across the dancefloor and the men in their dapper suits. Only, you don't feel like Cinderella. Next to all the goddesses decked in silk, you feel like the ugly stepsister. And the handsome Prince Charming escorting you to the ball only makes you feel a million times worse in comparison.

"Is there something wrong?" Hoseok interrupts your thoughts with a hand pressed to the small of your back.

You flinch from his touch, "Nothing," you lie, "I just need a drink."

***

"So…" you awkwardly attempt to make conversation a few minutes later, when you and Hoseok settle down with your drinks at a table, "How's recruitment going? Did you make a decision yet?"

"I'm leaning towards Seoul team," he informs you, "But I might spend a few months training with the national team first… but of course, you must know all about this," he says with a laugh.

You look up in surprise, "I would?"

"Yeah. A sports fanatic must've heard all about this news ages ago."

It takes you a second to realize that he's not joking. So you force a smile and lie along, "Ah, that's right. I already knew. But I wanted to give you a chance to tell me. Although any decision you make is sure to be great!"

He grins at that, "See, this is why I like you so much. It's hard to find a girl who's so informed about the sport, yet so chill about everything."

"Haha, you know that's me," you say, praying that he doesn't notice how fake your laugh is. He is so wrong about you that you don't even know where to begin. And maybe it's time to come clean to him about everything. You're not that lowkey, cool girl that he thinks… And if you ever want to get anywhere with him, you should start by telling the truth…

But before you can make up your mind, a loud voice calls out your name, "___! You got here quick!"

You grin at Mijoo and Jimin, grateful for their sudden appearance as you jump from your seat to give them enthusiastic hugs, "Hey guys! Oh my god, you look amazing!"

And you're not lying. With her sleek royal blue dress and her rich brown hair cascading down her back in curls, she looks more like a movie star at a red-carpet premiere or a storybook princess. And Jimin looks just as good at her side in his dark suit that highlights every angle of his slim body, with a matching blue tie to complement her dress.

"Thanks!" Your roommate beams, spinning in a wide circle to show off her dress, fragrant curls flying everywhere.

"Oh my… I'm in love. Please forget about Jimin and run off with me," you tease.

"Hey, watch it!" Jimin laughs as he wraps an arm around Mijoo's waist to tug her to him.

"Can you blame me?" you shoot back, "I mean, my precious Mimi is always pretty, but today she's as sparkly as an angel!"

Mijoo blushes and preens from the attention, but next to you, Hoseok shifts in discomfort. "Do you girls really care about this stuff…?" He whispers this under his breath, so that only you can pick up on it, but the damage has been done.

You hastily clear your throat, "Um… By the way, where's Yerin?"

"Oh…" Mijoo's expression darkens at once, "She and that EXO punk are over there…"

You glance over to where she's pointing, and sure enough, there's that tall frat brother propped up against the bar next to a leggy blonde in an ultra-tight red sequined dress. You blink a few times before you finally recognize the blonde, "Yerin?!" And then you're running over as fast as your painful heels will allow.

Your lil sis turns around at the sound of her name, and your jaw drops in scandalized horror as you take in her plunging neckline. "Oh, ___. There you are!"

You stand there, numb, as she gives you a big hug. "Yerin… I—what are you…? What is this?!" you splutter as you stare at the slit of her dress that reaches her upper thigh, threatening to reveal her panties at any second.

"Oh, I just bought this dress! Isn't it nice?"

"It's amazing," Sehun immediately answers for you, drooling like a dog over her bare skin, "You're so beautiful."

"What?! Don't look at my baby like that, you yogurt-slinging cheese—"

Mijoo hastily slaps a hand over your mouth before you can continue any further, "Ah, what ___ is trying to say is that she's a little surprised by your outfit choice, but you look gorgeous, Yerin."

Shocked by her misrepresentation, you struggle in her arms, but the taekwondo black belt is a lot stronger than you anticipated, and you can only splutter incoherently against the palm of her hand.

But unfortunately, your dramatic antics make Sehun notice you for the first time. His brow creases into a frown as he looks you up and down. "Hotdog girl?!" He says in amazement, "What the hell are you wearing?!"

And with that final blow, you fall limp in Mijoo's grip, numbly allowing her to drag you away. What's so bad about your outfit that you have every former admirer turning away in disgust? God, what were you even thinking?

"Don't be like this," Mijoo whispers to you as she drags you to the other side of the ballroom, "Yerin's an adult woman. She can wear whatever she wants. I didn't expect you to slut-shame like this."

"I'm not," you feebly mutter as you slump your head against her shoulder, "I just didn't like how that fuckboy was looking at her."

The pretty brunette chuckles, "Jealous that he's diverted his affections elsewhere? Sure, maybe he had a harmless crush on the wild hotdog girl, but you've got to admit that Yerin has easily blown you out of the water with her whole Jessica Rabbit act. You stand no chance."

"That's not it," you sigh, "I just hope she's making the right decision trying to seduce such a fickle fuckboy. Is it so wrong that I want her to be with someone who likes her for her? Not just because she's showing a lot of skin?"

"These boys are all stupid," Mijoo patiently reassures you, "They think that if a girl gets up on a stripper pole in a hotdog costume, or dresses in a certain way, that they're easy. Our Yerin will just have to prove him wrong and put him in his place, huh?"

"Yeah… you're right. I just hope that she makes the right decision."

"There's nothing we can do, ___. We've just got to trust her."

You pause for a moment to allow the words to sink into you. Then you sigh loudly, "Where did the guys go, by the way? I need a drink… And I know we're at a fancy ball or whatever, but I demand that we take shots."

Mijoo laughs at this, "I wouldn't expect anything less from you, babe. I think Jimin and Hoseok are over there by the bartender."

"Right," you say, following as she begins to lead you over. But then you pause, "Wait, Mijoo… Can I ask you a question?"

She stops to look over at you with curiosity, "Sure. What's up?"

You hesitate for a moment, gnawing on your bottom lip as self-doubt overcomes you. But you bite the bullet and continue, "Is this dress really that ridiculous on me?" You ask in a small voice, eyes lowered to avoid eye contact.

Mijoo's guffaw brings you out of the shadow of doubt, "What are you even talking about? You look beautiful."

And with that, your mouth splits into your first genuine smile of the night. "Thanks, babe."

"Of course. Now are we gonna go or what? Those tequila shots aren't gonna drink themselves!"

You laugh in delight as you take her hand and skip across the elegant ballroom, attracting stares from all the other party-goers.

***

An hour later, and your heels are killing you so much that you have to abandon all attempts at dancing to sit at a side table and nurse your bruised feet. On the dance floor, Mijoo and Jimin are still going at it, swaying gently to the beat of the music. You watch them with fondness, wondering when it will be your turn. But instead, you're stuck on the sidelines with shoes that don't fit.

"Should I just take you home?" Hoseok asks with an amused smile as he watches you take off your heels for the umpteenth time that evening.

"Ah, do you mind?" you ask, "I'm so sorry, Hoseok. This is unfair to you…"

"Nah," he says with a good-natured laugh, "I had fun… but next time, just be yourself, okay?"

That strangely worded statement makes you pause, "Wait, what do you mean by that?"

"I mean, you don't have to dress like this," he laughs as he playfully tugs at the pink tulle of your dress, "It's really not like you. I'm not sure if you lost a bet or something, but don't let your friends push you around like this."

He's so wrong that you can't speak for a moment. This entire time you thought that Hoseok was different. That he actually knew the real you, and appreciated you for it. Could it be that you had been wrong this whole time…?

You shake these useless thoughts out of your mind. There is a time and a place for everything, and it's clearly not here. All you want to do is go home and kick off your shoes to give your poor, crushed toes some much needed relief.

But of course, nothing goes to plan, and on your way out of the door, the two of you are intercepted by a furious woman on a mission.

"Jung Hoseok!" She cries out, making you both freeze in your tracks, "What the hell?!"

You slowly whirl around on your heel to find Somin standing before you, looking beautiful in her pearl pink satin dress, but majorly pissed off. Next to you, Hoseok's face folds into a grimace.

"Ah… Somin… You're here, too?"

"Yes, and I cannot believe you, you asshole!" She fumes, "You told me that you were too busy to come to the ball with me when I asked you a whole fucking month ago! And now I find you here with ___? With her? Are you fucking kidding me?!"

At the mention of your name, you awkwardly shuffle a few feet back, wishing that you could turn invisible. This is a conversation that you clearly should not be apart of… But there's no escaping now…

"I dunno… I guess my schedule just cleared up," Hoseok attempts to make an excuse for himself.

"Bullshit!" Somin practically shouts at him, "How are you such a lying piece of shit?! You couldn't even think of a better excuse? Did I ever even mean anything to you?!"

Hoseok cringes at the volume of her voice and nervously glances around the ballroom, as though fearful of causing a scene, "Shh. Don't yell. It's really not like that…"

"Not like what?!" She shoots back, undeterred, "You couldn't be bothered to even come up with more than just a half-assed excuse? What am I to you? Just a fucking toy that you can throw away whenever you want?"

The handsome redhead runs a hand through his hair, clearly distressed by all of this, "Come on, Somin. You knew from the beginning that we were just having fun, nothing more. There's a reason why I didn't want to get all caught up in feelings…"

But the sports reporter simply stares at him with cold, expressionless eyes, "If you think that's the reason why I'm upset, then you're truly an idiot."

Hoseok's eyes widen in surprise, "Somin, wait!"

She shakes him off with a dismissive wave of her hand, "I don't need this toxicity in my life. So don't you dare ever speak to me again, Jung Hoseok." And with that, she turns to march away with exaggerated stomps of her platform heels.

The two of you watch her strut away in stunned silence. This has got to be one of the most awkward situations of your life. You almost feel like the other woman, caught in an illicit affair.

Hoseok picks up on your discomfort, and turns to offer you a half-hearted smile, "Sorry you had to witness that."

You hold both hands up, "No, not at all. Although, honestly, this whole thing seems to be due to a small mistake… Maybe you just forgot to tell her… right?"

"Yeah," he sighs, "It was obviously just a misunderstanding… I don't know why she had to be so dramatic and call me out in public like that… Geez. This is why I don't fuck around with girls like that. I should've known better…"

Something about the way he says that sounds a bit… off… You know that you should just mind your own business and move on… but you can't help but prod a bit. "Girls like that?" you ask, curious, "What exactly do you mean by that?"

"You know," he says with a roll of his eyes, "Overly dramatic, high-maintenance girls like her… What was I even thinking?" he says with a self-deprecating chuckle.

But you can't laugh along. Because next to him, your blood has frozen to ice. "Y-you think Somin is high-maintenance?" you croak out in disbelief.

"Yeah," he sighs, "I really can't stand it… Everything is about touchy-feely shit, and nail polish, and color-coordination with her," he laughs, "What a headache! I'm so glad that I've found a real girl, like you."

"A real girl?" you repeat in a quiet voice, "What does that mean?"

"You know, someone who keeps it real. Who isn't so caught up with frivolous, girly bullshit. You're just super chill. And that's what I like about you." He ends his statement with a wide, infectious smile, as though he's just given you the greatest compliment on earth.

But you can't bring yourself to crack a smile even if you tried. Because it feels like your world has flipped upside down. Belatedly, you realize that you should've known this all along. All the signs were there, from the way he laughed at your dress, or the way he praised your interest in kickboxing on top of the roof, all those months ago. Hell, you should've known from the moment you met him, when he was so unreasonably impressed by your lack of makeup. Were you really so blind? Or did a secret part of you, deep down inside, know all along?

For a split second, you consider feigning ignorance. It would be so damn easy to laugh along with him and continue living this lie of being the cool, sporty tomboy who doesn't care about stupid "girly" things. After all, Hoseok isn't a bad guy. He's so handsome, popular, and kind. And he likes you. Someone actually likes you. Isn't that better than being alone? For a split second, you're tempted to grab his hand and flash him an award-winning smile. For a split second, you contemplate giving up all your morals and living a life of comfort with this lovely, charismatic man.

But you can't.

So you take a deep breath through your nose, eyes squeezing shut for a millisecond, before you open them to stare him straight in the eyes, "Hoseok… Do you know why I'm not like those other girls?" you ask him in a soft voice, "Do you know why I don't wear makeup or frilly dresses or bombard you with my emotions?"

Hoseok seems a bit taken aback by your strange line of questioning, but attempts to respond, regardless, "Um… Because you don't care about such dumb things?"

You throw your head back with a bark of laughter, "No, that's not it at all."

Hoseok's brow creases with confusion, "Huh? Then why?"

"Because I'm insecure."

That only makes him more confused, "What? What are you even talking about?"

"You have completely misunderstood me. I am not that confident, chill girl you think I am. The only reason why I don't wear makeup and pretty dresses like Somin is because I am so fucking insecure about myself that I don't think I can pull it off. But if I could, you bet your ass I'd be wearing princess gowns with my face contoured like a fucking Instagram model every single day of my life."

The handsome redhead staggers back in shock, "I… I don't understand what you're saying, ___."

But you simply step forward, not allowing him to escape your clutches, "The cool girl you thought I was? The unaffected tomboy who watches sports and drinks with the guys and doesn't give one shit about emotional garbage? She doesn't exist. This ideal woman is a figment of your imagination. And I'm not going to bend over backwards pretending to be someone I'm not. Especially not for a sexist."

"Sexist?" he repeats in horror, "The fuck are you talking about?! I'm no sexist!"

By his offended reaction, you can tell that he genuinely does not understand the error of his problematic views. So you try to break it to him as gently as possible, "Feminism is about respecting and empowering women, Hoseok. You can't just pick and choose which women you want to respect. That's not how it works. If you can only respect certain women for being 'cool' and 'chill' and basically acting like men, while condemning the rest for being too 'girly,' then that's the literal definition of misogyny."

Hoseok looks utterly horrified and outraged by the accusations, "Are you fucking serious?! That's not what I meant at all! You're twisting my words, ___. Let me—oh come on! Where are you going?"

"To catch my uber," you say as you march past him.

He desperately grabs you by the arm before you can go out the door, "Wait—let me explain myself!"

But you jerk out of his grip as though you've been burned, "Don't you dare touch me, Jung Hoseok," you hiss through your teeth.

"I'm sorry! I just—come on, just let me explain myself! It's really not like that!" He exclaims in frustration.

"I think I've heard enough," you curtly retort, "I think I'll channel Somin and cut the toxicity out of my life."

And without sticking around to listen to the rest of his excuses, you rush out of the ballroom into the safe haven of your waiting uber.

***

By the time you finally make it back to the sorority house, you feel like you've aged ten years. Your hair is flat and messy, your skin dull, and your blistered feet are burning from the pain of standing in your cramped heels. Most of all, you feel mentally drained from that exhausting conversation with Hoseok. All you want to do is to strip of your tight, itchy dress and wash your face of the thick makeup. And when you're finally in bed, hidden under the covers, maybe the heaviness around your heart will finally dissipate.

But like always, luck is never on your side. And when you walk up the driveway to the front of the house, you find Jungkook sitting on the front steps waiting for you.

He jumps up immediately at the sight of you, "___!" He calls out, "I… I… um… You look beautiful."

You stiffen for a second, eyes wide as though you've just seen a ghost. Never in a million years would you have ever predicted this outcome. Hell, you thought you'd never see him again after the very public call out in the frat house a few weeks ago. And yet, here he is, standing in front of you with lights shining in his brown doe eyes, as though the humiliation of the last month never happened.

Suddenly, you feel a thousand times heavier.

It hurts to see him. The incident in the frat house is practically old news by now, but the time doesn't ease the pain one bit. And seeing him in the flesh again just tears apart your wounds anew.

You sigh deeply, whole body sagging with exhaustion, "I don't know what you're here for, but I'm tired, Jeon."

"Wait, ___!" He exclaims, jumping to block your path when you try to walk around him. "Please! I promise this won't take that long!"

You sigh again. Whatever this is, it's clear that you won't be getting any sleep until he finishes. So you cross your arms tightly over your chest and turn to shoot him the dirtiest look you can muster, "You have five minutes."

Jungkook seems slightly taken aback by your gruffness, but hastens to make use of his time, "Okay, okay… I just… I'm here to apologize, okay?"

You simply hum in response and glance down at your cell phone for the time, "Cool."

He winces at your reaction and tries again, "I'm really sorry, ___. I was an asshole, and you have every right to be mad at me… And I would do anything to make it up to you."

That unexpected statement catches your attention. Your eyes shoot up to meet his in surprise. He's not saying what you think he's saying… right? "Jungkook…" you murmur, "I don't understand…"

His teeth dig into his bottom lip, and for a moment, he looks so frightened and unsure of himself that you almost feel sorry for him, "I just… I miss you, okay? I'll do anything—literally anything you want—to have you back again."

Your heart skips a beat, and for a moment, you can't even breathe from all the euphoria flooding your veins. Can this actually be real? Jeon Jungkook is actually in front of you, confessing everything you've ever wanted to hear from him and more? You're not just dreaming, right?

It's almost an out-of-body experience having all your dreams come true, and for a moment, you float out of your body, watching the scene of the groveling boy begging for the girl back from a distance. It's like a scene out of any drama. You can vividly imagine yourself running into his arms and never letting go. Then the two of you can ride off into the sunset and have your happily ever after. And you'll finally get your turn at playing the princess of the story.

It's all you've ever wanted… isn't it?

After a long second of tension, you slowly release the breath you didn't realize you were holding to approach him with small, cautious steps. Jungkook watches your every move with huge eyes, apprehension written across every feature. And when you reach up to gently caress the sharp angle of his jaw, he visibly relaxes… until you bring your lips to his ear and tell him:

"No thanks."

Jungkook tenses at once, like you've slapped him, "Wh-what?"

You smile faintly at him as you continue to trail your fingertips up and down his jawline, "I don't want you to do anything I want. Do you really think I'm that type of person to manipulate a guy into a relationship that he clearly doesn't want? Think again, Jeon."

His eyes widen as he processes your words, "B-but, it's not like that!" he stammers, "You're not manipulating me. You want a relationship and titles and all that? That's fine! I… I'm genuinely willing!"

"Yeah… but that's not enough," you murmur, echoing something that he told you in bed all those months and months ago.

Jungkook stares at you in utter disbelief, unable to conceal his panic, "I… I don't understand what you want from me!" he despairs, "Seriously, ___. Tell me anything, and I'll do it. I'll grovel at your feet for a decade if that means I can have you back!"

But still, you shake your head and smile, "Yes, you're willing. But that's not enough for me… Tell me what you actually want, Jungkook."

He can't comprehend your words for a moment, "I… I want anything you want?" he offers, hopeful that it's what you're looking for.

But you only laugh, "No, tell me the truth, Jungkook, and I might go easy on you: In an ideal world, where you could have everything you wanted with no consequence… would you want me to be your girlfriend?" At the very sound of that word, Jungkook involuntarily grimaces, giving himself away at once. You sigh deeply and drop your hand from his face. "I see…"

Horrified by his own reaction, Jungkook rushes to redeem himself, "Well, it's not what would happen in my perfect world, but I don't mind it! Seriously. I can be anything that you want me to be!"

"But do you want it, too?"

That single question knocks him out. He's silent for a moment, eyes wild with dread and hands clenched to fist. "N-no," he finally grits out in a shaky voice.

It's as you expected, yet it doesn't hurt any less. You offer him a tight smile, "Ah, I see. Thank you for being honest, Jungkook."

"Wait, ___!" He calls out your name, panicking when you move past him to the front door, "I didn't mean that—I just—"

But you stop him in his tracks with a hand pressed against his chest, "We're just in different places right now," you inform him in a small voice, "It'll never work out, so please don't make this harder than it needs to be."

With that, you render him speechless, and this gives you the opportunity to slip under his arm and run into the house, eyes shut tightly so that you can't see his expression of pain. Because you're weak. And if you do, you might hesitate. And then, it'll be too late.

So you run up to your room, carelessly flinging your shoes off without stopping for a moment. And it's not until you're huddled in your bed, piles and piles of blankets stacked on top of you to block out any light, that you finally allow yourself to breathe.

You've gone and done it this time. Two perfectly respectable guys in the span of a single evening… All because you couldn't compromise. Because you want more than you deserve. And what did you expect? That someone would actually like you for you and want to be with you?

You're asking for too much. And that's why you'll always be alone. But that's okay, because you have your Ice Bitch reputation to maintain…

Somehow, you convince yourself that it's better this way.

***

Author’s Note: Please don’t ask me about updates!

Also, when I was planning this fic back in sept 2017, this is the furthest I had gotten with my brainstorming, so everything past this chapter is uncharted territory, and I’m both scared and excited aklsdfjlksd Wish me luck, guys :D 

[gone4neow]

DUOTROYS ⚠︎ pcy

Chapter Seven

- chanyeol x reader, soulmate au, fantasy au that i threw together (inspired by the movie Pacific Rim)

- warnings : violence, swearing, mature themes, and robots

- word count : 3,165

chapter six or chapter eight or masterlist

⚠︎⚠︎⚠︎⚠︎⚠︎⚠︎⚠︎⚠︎⚠︎⚠︎⚠︎⚠︎⚠︎⚠︎⚠︎⚠︎⚠︎⚠︎⚠︎⚠︎⚠︎⚠︎⚠︎⚠︎

"Whose room is this?" Chanyeol asked when the trio came up on a metal door. He watched as Naoki answered his question by pulling out her key and unlocked the door. She entered the room quickly and the two men followed after her. Jongdae shut the door behind him. He realized that this was his first time being inside the room, despite showing up and knocking on the door every morning. His eyes scanned the plain room. It was a sharp contrast to others he had been in. Most people attempted to make their rooms feel like home. Naoki seemed to avoid doing that entirely.

"Do you have to be so tall?" The woman huffed as she turned around and faced Chanyeol's chin. The room was small enough with just her in it and now she was accompanied by two others. It didn't help that one was practically a giant.

"You don't like tall people?" The man replied in a panicked tone. She looked up and met his eyes. They were narrowed, full of worry, and had a bright glimmer within them that she found enduring. She had only seen light like that in someone else's eyes once; it had been Totty's.

"Shut up," she breathed out as she scanned the room. She pointed at her bed before speaking one short word.

"Sit."

The giant man obeyed, turning slightly so that he could place himself down on the bed. The woman almost laughed at the way she had to lower her eyes to meet Jongdae's gaze after the tall man was no longer being a wall between them.

"You can sit too," she told the man softly as she turned to rummage through the stack of books on the table behind her. She didn't read very often before she arrived her, but after visiting the facility's library she found herself recalling the days before the invasion where she would read any book she could get her hands on. Though she had shaken off the habit after the invasions began, she couldn't resist the way they called out to her when she had no other sources of entertainment besides Jongdae. Old habits do die hard.

The men watched her as she fiddled around with the books until a light, victorious 'ah-ha' filled the air. The woman turned around with a notebook in her left hand and a black ink pen in her right. She passed the objects over to Jongdae, who glanced between her and the objects with raised eyebrows.

"Here's how this is going to go down. You're going to write down a word on the paper, I'll read it, tell Chanyeol what it is, and then he will tell you what it is," she told him as she crossed her arms across her chest.

"Ooh! That sounds fun!" the tall man exclaimed cheerfully from beside him. Naoki's eyes skimmed over his excited expression, hating the way the sight of his crinkled eyes and wide smile made her feel. The man was an overgrown child - how was she not supposed to find him adorable?

"He'll see from beside me," the man holding the notebook protested in the form of an exaggerated whine. It was a sound the woman had grown used to. She rolled her eyes again for the second time that day.

"Okay. Then up! You and I will go out into the hallway and Chanyeol can yell through the door. The people next door totally won't mind," she told him in a grumpy tone as she walked towards the door. She waited for him to join her and she opened the door for him to exit when he finally made it to her. She went to step outside, but suddenly froze. Chanyeol met her eyes as she turned her torso just enough to look at him.

"Don't go through my stuff or I will slaughter you," she warned as she pointed a finger in his direction. He swallowed nervously, knowing she was more than capable of slaughtering him.

"Slaughter? That's-" she heard Jongdae begin to tease the woman just before the door was shut. Their voices became muffled once the metal door sealed them off from the room. Chanyeol glanced around the room with the woman's warning still echoing through his head. His thumbs chased each other subconsciously as he waited for the woman to reach out to him.

"Okay, I don't know what word to write," Jongdae confessed after his hand had hovered over the notebook page for a minute. The woman had thought he had been writing a sentence this entire time. She scoffed in disbelief.

"Any word, Dae! It doesn't have to be something specific," she told him with a small sigh. He frowned, trying to think of a word. The woman watched him concentrate and after a few seconds she found herself about to reach over and right a word for him. It was his sudden snicker and rushed hand movements that made her hand relax by her side.

'Park Chanyeol smells bad,' she read on the paper when the guard finally showed the page to her. She wanted to make a comment about how she was surrounded by nothing but childish idiots but she held back. She was in a rush to prove the guard wrong. So, she repeated the sentence back to Chanyeol. The man yelled something from the other side of the room, but Naoki realized her plan was flawed. She reach over and cracked the door open, calling out for Chanyeol to repeat hisself.

"I don't smell bad!" He yelled with offense in his voice. The woman glanced over her shoulder at Jongdae, who had frozen completely. There was a blank expression as he stared at the door. She wondered what was going through his mind.

"Do another one," she told him gently. His movements were slow but he found himself moving to write something else on the paper.

'October 16th' she read when he had lifted his hand from the page. She wanted to ask what the date meant, as it was recent, but she refrained from doing so. Instead, she repeated the words back to Chanyeol like she had last time.

"October 16th?" The giant called from inside her room. Jongdae's face paled at this. He looked at Naoki with horror on his face. It was the first time he had ever looked at her with such an expression.

"It's true then," he whispered, more to himself than to her. She found herself nodding in confirmation anyways.

"My father used to tell me that if I ever met a pair that could communicate telepathically that they were bad, bad people and that I should not associate with them in any way," the man confessed in a distant tone as his eyes drifted away from the woman and landed on the dark colored wall behind her.

"Is that why you didn't believe us?" The woman asked in a quiet tone. The man nodded weakly. Naoki found herself at a loss for words. What could she possibly say that would cause a change in the atmosphere after that? It was tense, all throughout the hallway, and anyone would have been able to feel it.

Chanyeol was focusing on the table of books when his hand felt as if he dipped it in a pool of lava. Then came her emotions. He felt the combination of shame and pity that she felt and he called out for her silently.

"Jongdae's father warned him to stay away from people like us," she explained to him. He frowned at her words and pushed himself off the bed to join the two out in the hallway. He was met with the sight of Jongdae staring blankly at the wall and Naoki looking over her shoulder at the man with a frown on her face when he pushed the door open completely. She turned to face him when she noticed his presence.

"What happens now?" He asked her quietly. She shrugged, not knowing what to say to him, either.

"I'm not going to leave because of this. My father was a good man - a great man - but he was easily frightened by things he didn't understand," Jongdae paused as he let his eyes avert away from the wall and over to the pair of soulmates. They stood by the door with their eyes, now, focused on him and he felt almost intimidated by they power they radiated when standing next to one another. He licked his lips before he spoke again.

"I've never once doubted my father's beliefs in my life, but I know you, Naoki. You're not bad, and Chanyeol seems like a good guy. I didn't know how to take this information at first - I didn't want to believe it at first - but I understand now. I felt it when I first met you, Ki, and this has only strengthened by belief that you will be the one to save the world."

"Dae," The woman whispered as she saw the hope glimmering in his eyes. She didn't know what the relationship between the guard and his father was like, or even if the man was still alive, but she knew it must have been something that meant a lot to him from the way he had reacted towards her over the telepathic ordeal. To have him say that he had to go against his father's beliefs because he believed in her so strongly made her feel a way she had never before. The weight on her shoulder felt heavier. His words were a burden, but she welcomed them. They were a good burden.

She turned and looked at Chanyeol with misty eyes. She would have never admitted it, but the man knew she was fighting hard to not release her tears. Jongdae had an effect on her that not many people had managed to achieve during her lifetime. In fact, she could probably count the number of people that had succeeded in doing so on one hand. In that moment, all of her fears seemed to vanish. There was nothing that she wouldn't do for the guard. I'll be brave for you, she thought to herself.

Though her heart was pounding so hard in her chest that she could hear it in her ears, she found herself raising her left hand up. It trembled as it always did when her nerves got the best of her. Chanyeol's eyes immediately flickered towards the hand, before they found her dark eyes staring at him with an intensity that made his heart flutter. He understood what she was asking of him.

"Tell me it's what you want. Tell me you won't regret it tomorrow," he whispered to her with that low, husky voice of his. His eyes searched hers for a sign that she didn't want it, but he couldn't find one if it existed. His eyes flickered down to her pink lips, awaiting the sound of her voice to escape the confines of her mouth.

"Please do it," she begged him quietly. She knew she didn't have the strength to do it herself; she needed Chanyeol's help with this one. With his own shaky hand, her soulmate reach up slowly. She watched his hand as it closed the distance between it and then it was there. She could feel the warmth of his palm immediately. The sound of his heartbeat mixed with hers for a second, and then it quietened down. If she focused enough, she could hear it in the back of her mind where she heard his voice when they communicated silently. It was as if he had his own little home in the back of her head.

Chanyeol's long fingers danced along the skin of her hand until they were sneaking their way between hers. He expected her to pull away, to push him to the side, and to hide away in her room for the rest of the day - she didn't, though. She let her eyes close as she focused on the rhythm of his heartbeat and held his hand tenderly in her own.

"I believe this calls for a celebratory dinner," Jongdae suddenly spoke from behind the pair. Chanyeol looked up at the man with wide eyes, startled by his presence even though he had known the man was there. Naoki pulled her hand out of her soulmates in a hasty manner, turning to look at her best friend with flushed cheeks. She had forgotten he was there.

"It's been a minute and you've already forgotten I exist?" He teased her playfully when he noticed the look on her face. The smile that formed on her face at his words only made him grin. He glanced down at his watch and his grin faltered at the time of the hour.

"Ah, it's the big guy's bed time in twenty minutes. We should head out," he announced as his gaze shifted from the object on his wrist to Chanyeol. The dark haired man released a sigh but stepped around Naoki carefully to stand by the guard's side. She swallowed nervously as she eyed the two men. What would happen now?

"I'll be here late tomorrow. Sleep in for once. You deserve it after today," The guard told her as he pointed at her. There was still a small smile on his face.

"Okay mom. Rest well," she joked. The corners of Chanyeol's mouth rugged upward at this and her eyes found his seconds later.

"Goodnight," she said to him.

"Goodnight," he told her before the guard reach over and tugged at the sleeve of his uniform's shirt. The woman watched as they walked away, ignoring the way her stomach reacted when the giant glanced over his shoulder at her as he left.

"Do I really stink?" She heard him as Jongdae once they were farther down the hall. She scoffed in disbelief before she turned around and entered her room for the night.

Jongdae hadn't been lying when he said he would be showing up late the next day. He arrived around eleven thirty, his light knocks disturbing the woman from the nap she had been trying to take. She hadn't gotten much sleep that night due to the previous day's events. It was okay, she didn't mind it too much.

The guard insisted on getting lunch together since they hadn't been able to get breakfast that morning. She agreed without hesitation. They were sitting at their usual table discussing the training schedule for that week when a man called out Chanyeol's name from the other side of the room. It was the same man that the giant always chatted with during meals. Naoki had even spotted them chatting while walking in the halls sometimes.

"Look at him," Jongdae scoffed as he watched the tall man walk across the cafeteria with all the confidence in the world. His head was held high, a wide grin was stretched across his face, and his skin glowed as if he were a mythical creature. Naoki could hear the amusement in the guard's voice as he watched the man strut around the room confidentially. She hadn't been particularly amused by it until the clumsy giant accidentally bumped into someone and made them drop their tray. He apologized repeatedly as soon at the collision occurred and, thankfully, the woman was kind enough to let it go. Naoki knew why the woman had been so forgiving. Her rosy cheeks and flirtatious smile had been enough for the entire room to know, but Chanyeol seemed obvious to it.

"He's embarrassing. Do we have to take him out in public?" Naoki asked the guard playfully as she looked over at him. He swallowed the bite of his sandwich he had been chewing on before he answered.

"I take you out in public, don't I?"

"Can I sit with you?" She heard Chanyeol's voice in the back of her head.

"No," she told him playfully.

"Can I bring Baekhyun, too?" the man added a moment later.

"Bigger no," she replied. It was about two minutes later that the giant appeared in front of her with a stranger by his side. The two sat down, one with a shy smile on his face and the other with a wide grin.

"Dae, can you explain to Chanyeol what the word 'no' means?" Naoki asked her friend as she pointed over at the black haired man.

"Friendship bracelets?" The man next to Chanyeol asked as he looked back and forth between the woman and the guard's wrists. They had both propped their elbows on the table at they ate their lunch. Naoki felt herself automatically lower her arms from view. Jongdae simply kept chewing his food, unbothered by the attention.

"Why don't we have friendship bracelets?" The man asked Chanyeol with a small pout on his face. The giant laughed as he looked at the man, thinking he was kidding. When the man didn't laugh with him, he froze.

"You want friendship bracelets?" He asked the man. The man looked away quickly, as if he didn't have a clue what the friendly giant was talking about.

"Who is he?" Naoki asked Chanyeol. She watched as the man's eyes widened. He snapped his fingers together before he placed a long arm around the stranger's shoulder.

"This is Baekhyun. We met on the bus ride here. Baekhyun - this is Guard Kim and Naoki, my soulmate," the dark haired man introduced the three.

"Hi," Jongdae smiled warmly at the man. Baekhyun flashed him a wide smile in return, reaching his hand out for the guard to shake.

"Hi," Naoki said after a moment. She didn't greet him with a smile and there was no enthusiasm in her voice, but Baekhyun reach his hand out for her to shake once Jongdae pulled away from him. She glanced down at the hand, forcing herself to reach across the table and shake it. She didn't have to avoid touching people anymore. She was already bonded to her soulmate now.

"You're even prettier than what Chanyeol said you were," Baekhyun complimented her. She felt her face grow warm. From the way the man's smile grew, he had noticed.

"You think I'm pretty?" She taunted the friendly giant with a raised eyebrow. His eyes widened at the question and snapped over to his friend as he hit the man's arm with mock anger.

"I think the exact words were 'ah, my soulmate is the prettiest woman I've ever seen. She's like a Greek goddess or one of those girls from those dramas I watch-" the man had been speaking in a high pitched tone as he imitated his friend, until Chanyeol's large hand rested over his mouth and blocked his words from escaping. Jongdae was laughing hysterically at the scene. The three men were so caught up in their own moment of chaos that they hadn't even registered the sound of the woman's laughter.

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a/n: listen, writing this chapter made me feel something that i cannot even describe and i hope that you all feel the same way after reading it. i love these characters so, so much. i try to reflect their personalities as we know them in my writing, but i have to wing it when it comes to how they would react to the situations i conjure up while writing - so i apologize if anyone seems out of "character". as always, thanks for reading! ☺︎

[bellarosethefangirl]

ooh can I get an hxh match up?:) I'm 22, aries, 5'9 or so, bi she/her. I'd consider myself a solid 7/10 but I've been told I have a model body. I'm the oldest sibling but I don't act like it, I hate responsibility. I just wanna have fun for real. But I also love competition. School was super easy for me and I always got straight As. I like to argue a lot and I am kind of annoying. I'm a big germophobe and I hate dress codes and driving. I love potty humor, cold brew coffee, and artsy stuff. I don't like when people are super up front about their feelings, I love mind games. I don't have any relationship experience because I've ghosted everyone I've ever gone on a date with. An ideal date would be reading bad fanfiction out loud to each other or chasing geese. no chimera ants pls I am not a furry god bless

Anime Matchups 💘

Hunter x Hunter

Hope you like your matchup. It was fun getting to do a Hunter x Hunter matchup since I’ve only been doing other ones so far. I understand not wanting to be paired up with Chimera ants. I’m glad you told me. I wasn’t sure how you felt about antagonists so I stayed with other characters. You have a good day and I enjoyed making this matchup for you.

Knuckle Bine

Knuckle would be your man. He would be understanding and chill. He wouldn’t mind your humor nor hobbies. He can handle your personality very well too. Seemed like the best matchup.

He’ll correct you and tell you he thinks you’re a solid 10. He doesn’t care about looks but he does tell you how beautiful you are to him. He’ll be to embarrassed to make a comment about your model body. He might say it’s gorgeous and that’s about all you’re getting before he changes the conversation.

He understands responsibility get be a lot on one’s shoulders. He’s an understanding person. He’d listen to the woes of being the oldest since it does require quite the responsibility.

You wanting to have fun is natural to him and he finds it cute. He won’t admit it to you but he’d give you a sweet smile when you express your need for fun.

Competition is what Knuckle is down for. He’s love competition as much as you do. He’ll want to challenge you at something or play a game with you.

Arguments are met with Knuckle making his own points but he can hold a conversation with you and stand his ground. He’d like to reach a point where you both respect each other’s opinions despite not agreeing with each other. He’ll be sure arguments turn into long conversations. I doubt you’ll annoy him. Even if you manage to do so he’ll huff and puff then tell you exactly what it is you did to annoy him. He’s honest so be prepared for that.

He respects your intelligence and will enjoy intellectual conversations. He might ask you for tips on his strategies for when he fights.

Knuckle also hates dress codes. He never saw the need for them. He wears what he likes and agrees everyone should do the same. He believes it’s another way people express themselves.

He thinks cleanliness is important too. He won’t mind you being a germaphobe. He’ll be sure to bathe his dogs everyday. He’s clean himself (he wears all white!).

I can see him liking potty humor as well. He’ll crack a few his friends might have told him. If he gets a laugh out of you he’ll laugh along with you believing it’s contagious. He likes when you laugh.

Knuckle will buy you cold brew coffee whenever you want. He likes a good coffee once in a while. If you’d like he’d make a few dates out of it.

Knuckle isn’t that upfront about his feelings since he gets flustered about you. He’s actually a bit bashful but doesn’t like showing it. He’ll look away in embarrassment around you a lot.

I can see the relationship forming because you two discuss something you have in common and a date sort of just happened.

You’ll always get a reaction out of him with mind games. Wether you try flustering him or making him jealous, etc he won’t catch on in these moments but any other type of mind game won’t work on him because he’ll catch on. You enjoy his reactions though. If you play mind games on his opponent he’ll find it funny at times too because you’ll play them like a fiddle.

I’m sure Knuckle doesn’t have relationship experience either. You two will relate about the subject.

Your love for fanfiction will intrigue him. He’s read quite a bit and would love to read fanfiction with you. If it’s humorously bad fanfiction he’s laughing along with you. If it’s cliché I’m sure he’d be blunt about the person’s writing. He likes having a good time with you no matter what it is.

He’d enjoy any time of date with you. Spending time with you is his main priority.

As a hunter he’s good with animals. He knows fully well how shitty geese are. He won’t mind chasing them with you. I’m sure he’d like to bring his dogs along for some of the chases you two do.

You’re an Aries and Knuckle is an Aquarius. From what it looks like you’re compatible but have to make it work as there may be times you two have to look over arguments and differences. I feel like Knuckle can look it over.

You two would get along seeing as you both share a few things in common. I feel like Knuckle can look over arguments and enjoy your personality. You would have fun playfully messing with him but watch out for that sensitive side. You might make him cry which he would never admit. Outside this he’s competitive, would be understanding of you, he’s honest which will be good for you since he can be sensitive at times (even if he doesn’t admit it, it’s obvious), his embarrassed nature would work best for your little games, he enjoys having fun, and he’s down to do anything with you seeing as he finds happiness spending time with you. I feel like this match up could work fairly well. This relationship would be good for both of you. Knuckles is busy and you’d help him with his stress whereas he has no problems with your personality so long as you two can communicate with each other and be honest. Seems to me this could turn into a good connection.