#to engage others in the subjects they 'know' about. which is business as usual

[garbagequeer]

hate people who reach that level of insecure/trying to maintain their own ego where anything further than what they know is dismissed as weird or niche or unnecessary and not possibly part of knowledge they simply havent engaged in so far like 1 bitch 2 your lack of curiosity about the world around you is depressing 3 bitch

[mellosdrawings]

What's that? I finally took the time to make an actual character sheet for my Yuusona?

Yuu

17 years old, 1st year

They/them, probably on the aro/ace spectrum though they never really thought about it (they do get weird when people show interest in them)

Half Japanese half french

Probably has some flavor of AuDHD

Back home: Before they were kidnapped forcefully moved to Twisted Wonderland, they were the main caretaker of four younger siblings while their parents were busy working. One of their main worry now is whether their siblings are doing alright without them. Their deepest wish is to at least be able to phone call their family to reassure them that they are ok.

Personality: They usually prefer to stand to the side and observe rather than talk and engage with others. They tend to be very prudent with their actions, up until their patience runs out. They're actually pretty perceptive and great at reading others, they just keep everything to themself without realizing.

They make up their absence of magic with their fists and wits. People tend to underestimate them due to their size and quiet demeanor, but they can be vicious and ruthless when push comes to shove. They are not very expressive physically.

At school: Yuu has a terrible focus so they struggle a lot, even when the subject interests them. They are very fond of History of Magic but also hates it because learning a whole world's history in a few months only is a nightmare and a half. They also hate flying with a passion since they are scared of heights. If they could choose a club, Yuu would go for photography and/or filming.

At Ramshackle: Yuu cleans the dorm as a past time, it keeps their body moving while they're thinking about what problem they currently have. They hate cooking though, so when the cafeteria isn't accessible they try to cram themselves in whichever dorm will have them to enjoy someone else's cooking. They aren't very time savvy so they and Grim keep leaving late in the mornings.

Relationships (with Housewardens/OB)

Yuu has a soft spot for Riddle. Unless it's some rule they find completely nonsensical they tend to do whatever Riddle asks. Whenever Yuu comes to class with a clean uniform, it's because Riddle was around to correct their appearance.

Yuu and Leona's relationship is peak siblinghood. Once Yuu figures out that Leona won't act on (half of) his threats, it's over for him. He's one of the first Yuu comes to when they have a problem.

Yuu and Azul regularly try to outsmart each other. At first their interest with Azul is very transactional since he can help with everything Crowley can't be bothered to do (ie give Yuu an actual legal presence in this world) but since they have somewhat similar mindsets they end up getting along very well.

Yuu values Kalim's presence a lot. He's one of the rare pure hearted people at school so Yuu doesn't have to be hyper vigilant around him. It's a breath of fresh air. He is a bit too active for Yuu though, so they tire very fast around him.

"It takes one liar to know another" would be Jamil and Yuu's relationship starter. They had weird vibes from each other from the very start but Jamil did end up underestimating Yuu. Yuu is obsessed with Jamil's hair and regularly takes pictures of him.

Yuu is kinda scared of Vil (in a good way). If they were a tad more outgoing they'd be asking Vil to pose for their camera 24/7. Instead they quietly worship him.

If Yuu could, they'd adopt Idia (and Ortho). Yuu tends to miss their siblings all the time so they get a bit emotional around them both.

Yuu loves to observe Malleus. He's some kind of very strange entity that they can't get enough of and they don't understand half of what he talks about which tickles their curiosity a lot.

Yuu treats Grim like their own cat and plushie. They hold him in their arm as much as possible (until Grim gets tired of it and wanders off somewhere else) because it reassures them. They do fight a lot, a bit like siblings, but they also look out for the other all the time. Yuu sometimes agree to cook for Grim despite hating it.

Relationships (the less fun kind):

Since they're in a world they don't know with students who try to kill them every couple months, Yuu is very defensive in how they approach relationships. Everything starts as transactional and about how "useful" someone can be to keep around. They try to keep even the people they don't really get along with close for this reason.

They are actually very emotional (despite not showing it) so their heart takes precedence over their brain eventually. Despite not being particularly proactive they do go out of their way to help the ones they're close to.

[cyberclouddream]

How to Spot: Air Signs Edition

Gemini Rising

- come off as if they’re all over the place, shallow, or flaky, constantly changing their appearance or vibe to fit the current trend

- they can charm the room without anyone really knowing who they are, though people can get annoyed with their inconsistency or superficiality

- when they feel good they’re generously spending, but when life gets tough they’re constantly hoarding things

- they overthink their spending to the point of paranoia, tying sentimental value to items and hate letting go of things

- they have an opinion on everything, and want to make sure you know it; they’re overly prideful of their ideas, even when they’re wrong

- home life may feel like a boot camp and family members may find them naggy and hard to please; nothings every clean, organized, or perfect enough for them

- may have a deep interest in family history or genealogy

- they fall in love with an image, not a person or thing, since they prioritize status and looks over emotional connection or creative expression

- either they’re completely dedicated or they’re not interested at all

- they don’t like sharing details about their work or health, and they’re prone to burnout from trying to maintain total control

- they start off hot and passionate but when they feel trapped they either ghost or pick fights to justify their need for space

- they can be hypocritical, demanding freedom while not necessarily granting it to their commitments or partners

- they often seem emotionally distant or rigid, treating emotional vulnerability like business transactions

- they can be too contrary, shoving their “open-mindedness” down other people’s throats; people can see them as someone who likes concepts over real-world practicality

- they can seem flaky or unreliable in their workplace; expect them to “find themselves” through many career changes or false starts

- they’re quick to argue and steamroll others to get what they want; if someone challenges their position in groups they’ll either fight to the top or abandon the group all together

- they can be stuck in their ways, preferring to suffer in silence rather than confront their fears or let go of habits

- they can get too comfortable with their emotional status quo, no matter how damaging it is

Libra Rising

- they desperately want to be liked and admired so they’re always putting on their “best face” in public, too busy trying to make everyone happy

- they avoid conflict like the plague, even if it means letting things fester under the surface

- they hide their true financial state from others, and may hoard money or material possessions; they may pull strings behind the scenes to ensure their financial security

- they dominate conversations, usually lecturing others rather than engaging in dialogue

- they treat family like a job, prioritizing order and structure over emotional connection; they’re not the nurturing type, which make the environment feel dry or lacking affection

- their love and creative life is more about experimenting than connecting emotionally; they want to stand out as different and can be disconnected from emotional aspects

- their daily routines are a disaster and they’re often late, forgetful, or completely checked out; their work ethic is inconsistent and they may overindulge in unhealthy habits, like procrastination or poor diets

- they attract strong-willed partners which often leads to power struggles

- they want harmony but are quick to start a fight if they don’t get their way; their partners may feel confused by the switch from charming to aggressive

- they’re very stubborn and can be slow to make any kind of personal transformation

- their approach to intimacy is sensual and drawn-out, but they’re resistant to any emotional change

- they’re an eternal student, always picking a new subject but never really mastering anything

- may travel often, but more as a form of bragging rights than true adventure

- they’re sensitive to how they’re perceived in their career and can be easily hurt by criticism

- they crave recognition for their compassion but they can also come across as overly emotional or clingy in professional settings

- they can alienate their friends by trying to show off by showboating all the time in social groups, since they’re not good at sharing the spotlight

- they’re secretly very self-critical, always worrying about whether they’re good enough; behind their calm exterior they’re picking apart themselves for every little flaw

- their anxieties may come out in the form of passive-aggressive behavior or nitpicking others in attempt to deflect their own insecurities

Aquarius Rising

- most people find them cool at first, then realize they’re cold as ice and emotional unavailable

- they’re highly unpredictable and refuse to conform to anything, so others find it hard to connect with them

- they often change their appearance or interests without warning, easily getting board with anything mainstream

- inconsistent income is a theme, and they may be confused about where their money went

- they either giving away too much money or floating from one financial mishap to the other

- conversations with then can feel like debates and they’re quick to anger if someone challenges their viewpoints

- when it comes to their personal space they’re not as flexible as they claim to be, they’re borderline possessive; they want stability but are resistant to change

- they’re great at flirting and terrible at commitment, and they often have a half-dozen projects lying around; they love the idea of creation more than follow through

- they let their emotions dictate their routines; one bad mood and their thrown off the entire day

- they create drama in relationships just to feel important; they struggle to balance their desire for independence with their need for validation from their partner

- when it comes to shared resources or intimacy they can be control freaks and micro-manage every detail, demanding perfection from themselves and their partners

- pursue higher education in unconventional philosophies or spiritual practices

- they talk about “justice” and “fairness” but rarely take a stand on anything, using intellectual posturing to mask their lack of depth

- come off secretive and intimidating in their professional life, and can appear ruthless if their reputation or authority is challenged

- they guard their ambitions fiercely and don’t let anyone know their true intentions or how much they crave power

- their social groups seem large and varied, but their connections can feel superficial; they come off as the flaky friend who’s always onto the next big thing

- they’re secretly terrified of failing or losing control, their hidden fear of inadequacy eating away at them

- they pretend everything is fine but behind-the-scenes there’s burnout or self-sabotage

[darlingvernon]

always been you [M] | yoon jeonghan.

Author: darlingvernon

Pairing: yoon jeonghan x fem reader

Genre: royalty au, arranged marriage au, smut

Rating: 18+

Warnings: explicit sexual content, unprotected sex

Word Count: 10,521

Summary: you promised yourself that you wouldn’t fall in love but jeonghan just had to go ahead and ruin everything

Author’s Note: this is my piece for the @svthub collab: Pink Eros. i’d written it differently to the way i usually write due to the concept and i'm sorry it's so long lol. please make sure you check out the other works in the collab and support my fellow writers as well! please let me know your thoughts and i hope you guys enjoy!

You were six years old when the Duke, your father, told you that you were engaged to the Crown Prince.

Back then, you had no idea what it all meant. But, being the obedient daughter that you were, the words ‘Yes, Father’ came out of your own mouth with no hesitation. That was when your whole life changed.

Almost immediately, your etiquette, history and dancing lessons increased, especially when compared to your older brother Joshua who was also taking advanced lessons as heir to the Kidrey Duchy. On top of that, you also had to learn various other subjects that would shape you to be the Crown Princess and future Empress, the Empire required.  

Gone were the days when you sat back and enjoyed being a regular noble six year old and you didn’t even have the time to say goodbye.

A year later, you met Jeonghan.

On your seventh birthday, you and the Duke went on a week-long journey to Lombardi, the Capital of the Attacca Empire. As soon as you arrived, your presence was summoned by the Emperor, who had wished to greet his future daughter-in-law himself.

Your eyes were glued to the floor as you stood beside your father in front of the Emperor. To others, it would’ve seemed that you were greatly intimidated by the presence of His Majesty, which was true to some degree, since you were busy trying to remember whether you should bow, curtsey or do a mixture of both. 

However, to the boy who sat next to His Majesty, it appeared that you were far more interested in the tiles that adorned the Great Hall than him. Speaking from experience, the other girls usually stared at him and giggled to themselves, mumbling about how good looking he was. The fact that you were acting differently had his curiosity piqued.

“Lady _____, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” His Majesty greeted and you managed to finally look up at him, thanks to your father’s reassuring hand that was on your back. “Blessings to you on your birthday. As a gift, I’d like to present my son, Crown Prince Jeonghan, who’ll be your playmate and fiancé.”

You finally noticed the boy who was sitting next to the Emperor when he stood. Despite being the same age as you, he was much taller. His jet black hair made his porcelain skin stand out and his clothing made his build deceivingly lean.

When your eyes met, there were no sparks, no butterflies fluttering in your belly like in the novels your nanny used to read to you. Though there was fire in his eyes as he continued to stare, you continued to feel nothing. 

That same day, you decided that you would never fall in love with Jeonghan.

Since the Kidrey Duchy was a fair distance away from Lombardi, it was decided by His Majesty that Jeonghan would spend every summer at the Duchy, so that you were both able to fulfill your duties as playmates. Every summer, the only times you ever saw each other were during his arrival and during meal times. Even then, words were barely exchanged between you. Jeonghan spent most of his stay studying and sparring with Joshua and if people didn’t know any better, they would have thought that your brother was His Highness’ playmate instead.

Summer after summer passed by with no incidents and no changes to your relationship, until you turned fifteen and were making preparations to debut into high society. 

It was your typical afternoon, nose buried in a book in the library when Tia, your personal maid, came and informed you that Jeonghan had invited you for some tea in the garden. With no good excuse to turn him down, you made your way to join him.

As you walked, you wondered what possessed the Crown Prince to invite you to tea but came to no conclusion. You thought the whole thing was rather strange, especially when he dismissed the guards and maids as soon as they poured your tea.

“Thank you for joining me, _____,” Jeonghan spoke first and the lack of formality took you by surprise, delaying your answer.

“Thank you for inviting me, Your Highness,” you replied after composing yourself.

Jeonghan grimaced, “Please just call me Jeonghan.”

“Your Highness, I could never—” 

“At least, while we’re in private. Please,” Jeonghan requested, firmly.

You sat back and took the time to consider his request. Based on the look of determination on his face, it didn’t seem like he would have changed his mind. “I can do that,” you acquiesced, and decided to drop the formality altogether. “So, Jeonghan. Is there a reason we’re having tea at the moment? We haven’t really spoken to each other at all, ever.”

To his credit, Jeonghan didn’t bat an eye. “Father has requested that I escort you to the debutante ball,” he revealed.

With a sigh, you reached for your cup and brought it to your lips. After taking a sip, you realised it was chamomile tea, your favourite. Was this pure coincidence or did he happen to know? 

“Of course, he did,” you replied eventually. “I suppose that I don’t have a choice in the matter?”

“I’m afraid not,” Jeonghan answered and you didn’t miss the way his jaw tensed. “Did you have somebody else in mind?”

“Only my brother,” you shrugged. “I didn’t want any unwanted attention or any targets on my back, which is now no longer the case. I didn’t think His Majesty wanted our engagement to be known yet?”

Jeonghan grabbed his fork and stabbed the opera cake in front of him, taking a small piece to taste. “That would be correct,” he confirmed. “The gesture won’t be revealing our engagement or placing a target on your back. You are the only daughter from the Heads of the Founding Families, it’s only right that I escort you.”

You couldn’t argue with that fact. It wasn’t unheard of from any Empire for the Crown Prince to escort a daughter from a Ducal Family. As you thought about the debutante ball, another problem reared its ugly head. “Jeonghan, you leave tomorrow,” you pointed out.

“I do.”

“How long have you known that you were going to be my partner?”

From the look on Jeonghan’s face, he expected this. “Before I left Lombardi,” he answered nonchalantly.

To say you were irritated was an understatement, but due to the fact that you were in front of the Crown Prince, you had no choice but to keep your composure. “But, you only told me today?” You laughed, humourlessly. “For what purpose—”

“I just felt like it.” Jeonghan shrugged and a smirk plastered itself on his beautifully annoying face.

Would you have been hung for treason for socking him right in the mouth even though he was your future husband?

Jeonghan could have sat there and watched you grow indignant all day. It far was better than the usual emotionless face you showed him every day. He knew you would make him pay for it later but he didn’t know how else to approach the fact that neither of you had spoken properly in all those years you had known each other and it was starting to frustrate him.

Negative thoughts and insecurities festered in his head since the day you met and nothing had satisfied his growing curiosity. He was running out of options and he wanted to at least try and get to know you before your impending nuptials. Resigned to the fact that he had to marry somebody who wasn’t of his own choosing, he’d be damned if he had to marry somebody who was a complete stranger to him.

It was impossible to run the Empire efficiently in that sense, let alone growing old together and spending the rest of your lives together.

“I didn’t mean to displease you,” Jeonghan said, and it finally got you out of your head. “Forgive me, I was only trying to knock down two birds with one stone.”

The revelation surprised you once more and you weren’t sure how many more you could have taken that day. “What was the other issue that you were concerned about?” you queried.

Jeonghan leant forward and placed both arms on the table. “We don’t converse with each other much” —he raised a brow when you were about to question him— “or at all for that matter and that is a problem. For our future and for the Empire.”

Whatever retort you had in mind came up short and you gestured for him to continue.

“We can correspond through letters,” he explained. “You can write to me once you’ve chosen your dress so that I can make sure that we match and after that, you can write about whatever you want. I don’t care if you write about every mundane thing you do. You can even write to me all the swear words and curses currently circling in your head.”

The giggle was out of your lips before you could stop it and in return, you received the view of Jeonghan’s bright smile. “I hope you won’t regret that,” you conceded. He brought up great issues to be considered and admittedly, these concerns were not new to you as they plagued you as well. “However, what are we going to do about the first dance?”

“That’s not a problem,” Jeonghan assured you. “I’ve seen you dance after all.”

“I beg your pardon—”

“Besides” —he interrupted and hoped that you’d forget about his slip— “I’m a Prince. I’ll be able to lead perfectly even if you have two left feet.”

“I do not—”

Jeonghan’s laugh echoed in the gardens and it finally dawned on you that he was just teasing. You forgave him only because he allowed you to stomp on his foot once during the dance.

And that was how your friendship blossomed.

You were eighteen when you broke your promise.

It was rather unusual for Jeonghan to be at the Kidrey Duchy during autumn and more so with such a sombre expression on his face as he stood next to you, especially after the way you both grew increasingly close to each other. But, it didn’t compare to how you looked and felt beside him. 

It had only been a week since he heard the news of the Duke and Duchess’ passing and he had arrived as soon as possible. So, your hollowed eyes and sunken cheeks were a devastating shock to him. Even your brother fell to his knees and shed tears next to you as they lowered the caskets into the graves but you continued to remain stoic, showing your strength which allowed your brother a moment of weakness.

Jeonghan almost believed that you were coping rather well, but his fears were soon realised when he saw how your hand trembled as you picked up the shovel, dirt spilling from the way you shook and barely made it to the grave. As he waited for you to stand next to him once more, he tried to think of a way that he could have eased your pain.

Once Joshua gathered himself, Jeonghan took his chance and offered you his hand. A look of confusion flashed on your face and when you turned to look at your brother, he nodded in consent. Jeonghan pleaded with you until you finally took his hand and allowed him to lead you away. 

You weren’t sure where he was taking you but it seemed to be the left annex of the manor where he usually stayed during his visits. Without question, you followed him until he led you into the drawing room and pulled you in with him.

“Seungcheol and Mingyu, stay out here and stand at least ten metres from this door,” Jeonghan instructed. “You do not hear whatever sound will come from this room. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Your Highness.” The guards bowed and obeyed his directions. 

Jeonghan then led you into the centre of the room and you searched his face for an explanation. He took your hands into his, rubbed his thumb across your skin in a soothing manner and said, “I can’t even begin to understand the pain that you’re going through, but it’s just you and me in this room. It’s just you and me in this building. So, go ahead and release the grief that you’re keeping at bay. No one here will think of you as weak. Cry. Scream. Hit me if it helps. Just… don’t keep it inside you like this.”

At a loss for words, all you did was gaze at your joined hands.

“If it helps, I won’t even look at you,” he implored and closed his eyes. “I can even turn around,” he declared and did as he said. When he still couldn’t feel any movement from you, he grew even more desperate. “Look, I’ll leave. I’ll stand with the guards and let you be if you don’t want to appear weak in front of me. I’ll be on my way.”

Jeonghan barely took a step before you grabbed his wrist with both of your hands like your life depended on it. “Don’t you dare look at me,” you begged, voice filled with agony as tears spilled from the corner of your eyes. There was no stopping now that your grief had breached the surface and you hung tighter onto him as your legs gave way. 

“It’s a promise,” he assured you, clutching your hands with his free hand. 

“Don’t even bother trying to hear me!” you cried hysterically. Jeonghan repeatedly reassured you as your screams echoed through the room.

He didn’t know how much time had passed but eventually you finally stopped crying. When he turned to face you, his heart broke to see you filled with so much anguish. Jeonghan swore then that he would never allow anything to hurt you like this ever again.

“Jeonghan, I’m tired,” you croaked out. “I want to retire to my room, but I can’t seem to move.”

“Forgive me,” he bowed and gathered you into his arms. “I will take you back.”

“I don’t want anyone to see,” you whined like a child, but that was the least of your worries. You didn’t want to appear weak, especially in front of your brother who needed you the most.

“I understand,” Jeonghan nodded and called for his guards. He instructed them to clear the path and asked them to make sure that your brother would be otherwise preoccupied. “I have handled it. All you need to do is close your eyes and hold on to me.”

Far too tired to argue or come up with a retort, you permitted him to accompany you back to your quarters and thanked him for his efforts. 

As the days passed, Jeonghan continued to look after you and in no time at all, the air between you had changed once more. Certainly on your end. Conversations flowed freely, even in person and the fluttering butterflies and sparks that had been lacking previously, suddenly appeared.

It was then that you realised that you had fallen in love with Jeonghan. 

At first, you tried to deny it. There was no way your feelings had changed so suddenly. But, had it really been that sudden? It was a fact that you started to see him differently once you started to exchange letters, finding him far more interesting after you took the time to get to know him, and since actions spoke louder than words, it should have been no surprise that he eventually carved his presence into your heart.

After you became aware of your feelings, there was no escaping Jeonghan. His presence plagued you day and night, especially since he decided to stay another month to help prepare for Joshua’s succession to the Dukedom. It was starting to drive you mad, keeping your feelings to yourself, so you made the decision to let Jeonghan know how you felt about him.

That was, until you found out how he felt about you first.

It was the day before Joshua’s succession ceremony and you were on your way to see your brother in his office when you overheard their conversation from outside the door.

“I see you and _____ have become rather close lately,” Joshua stated, a teasing tone to his voice.

“Yeah, you could say that,” Jeonghan laughed a little.

“Have you grown fond of her?” your brother asked and you knew what he meant by his question. With bated breath and heart beating hard in your chest, you leaned closer to the door to hear Jeonghan’s answer.

“You know that I am bound to her by duty,” Jeonghan sighed and continued to speak some more but you could no longer hear what else he was saying. All you heard and felt was your heart shattering into pieces and you couldn’t stand to be there anymore, running all the way back to your room as tears streamed down your face. 

You were such a fool for falling in love with him when it wasn’t love that intertwined him with you. Once you were all cried out, you cast your love for him out of your heart and left it hollow as you pieced its parts back together.

That day, you swore that Jeonghan would never be in your heart ever again.

Jeonghan is no fool.

As Crown Prince, he’s knowledgeable when it comes to all important matters concerning the Empire. But, when it concerns the matters of the heart, it seems that he still has a lot to learn.

This is blatantly obvious when it concerns you.

Jeonghan knows that something has changed in his relationship with you, especially if your one sentence replies to his letters are anything to go by. He could write anything between a page to ten pages long about various subjects, but your reply is always the same.

Everything is going well, Crown Prince Jeonghan.

Based on that sentence alone, Jeonghan comes to two conclusions:

You are a terrible liar

Something is definitely amiss

He sits back on his desk, mountains of paperwork long forgotten as he rubs his temple in frustration. The dread and worry within him continues to grow, not just because of the impending engagement announcement scheduled in a couple of days but more so because of his feelings for you.

Sighing, Jeonghan tries to recall when your attitude and behaviour towards him began to change, deducing that it was the day before your brother Joshua inherited the Dukedom and after the conversation Jeonghan had with him.

“I see you and _____ have become rather close lately,” Joshua stated, a teasing tone to his voice.

“Yeah, you could say that,” Jeonghan laughed a little.

“Have you grown fond of her?” Joshua asked, seriously this time. 

“You know that I am bound to her by duty,” Jeonghan sighed.

“And is it still just duty that binds you to her?” 

“You’re insufferable and I would’ve hung you if you weren’t my friend,” Jeonghan replied playfully. “Fine, I admit it. I have grown rather fond of her. It’s not like I could help it. She…”

Suddenly, a memory of the faint smell of your perfume from right outside Joshua’s office comes to the forefront of his mind and everything starts to become clear.

You overheard him.

There is no other explanation that comes close to this. Though he’s found the catalyst for the change, Jeonghan still doesn’t understand why you’re reacting the way that you are. Is it because you only heard part of the conversation and had been upset about it? Or is it because you heard everything he had to say and decided to distance yourself since you didn’t return his feelings?

Whatever the case is, though he hopes it isn’t the latter, he has no time to sit around fiddling his thumbs and wallowing in sorrow. With so little time left before the engagement announcement, Jeonghan needs to make amends and work things through with you, before your relationship becomes broken beyond repair.

With that in mind, he summons his butler and organises some gifts to be sent to the Lombardi Estate where you’re currently staying, even though he knows it will be futile since you are someone who is not so easily swayed by such gestures. But, he hopes to at least get a different reaction than the one you’ve been giving him, preferring your anger over your indifference.

Jeonghan isn’t surprised to see the gifts returned back to the Palace a few hours later. However, he is surprised to see Duke Joshua waiting there for him.

“Did _____ send you to have a word with me?” Jeonghan sighs as he pours a drink for the both of them in the drawing room.

“No, though she did say that she doesn’t require this grand gesture and assured that she’ll be performing her duty well,” Joshua snickers before quickly settling down when Jeonghan narrows his eyes at him. “Don’t look at me like that, I’m here with a solution.”

“Admittedly, I’m willing to try anything at this point,” Jeonghan grumbles.

“Take her out to the Valentine's Festival tomorrow.”

“Will that really work?”

Joshua shrugs, “You know what they say, it’s a magical time and Eros always blesses the celebrants with love.”

Jeonghan doubts his chances. “I don’t know if that’s possible for either of us.”

“What have you got to lose?” Joshua challenges, clapping his friend on the shoulder. “I know my sister. Take her to the Festival and it’ll all work out.”

During breakfast the next day, your brother Joshua drops a letter beside you before he excuses himself from the Dining Hall. The Red Imperial Seal on it lets you know that it’s a letter from Jeonghan. Every fibre of your being wants to ignore it and rip it into shreds but you can’t seem to do it. 

With only a day left before your engagement announcement at the Imperial Banquet, it could contain something important, so you open it reluctantly.

Dearest _____,

I would be honoured if you would accompany me tonight to experience what the Valentine’s Festival has to offer. 

If you are so inclined, I have sent some commoners’ clothing to serve as a disguise and I will be waiting for you at the entrance of your Estate as soon as the sun sets.

Don’t worry, I have permission from the Duke.

Yours, Jeonghan.

With a sigh, you place the letter back on the table and reach for your cup of tea. Placing it on your lips, you take a sip and let the disappointment of the peppermint set in. You haven’t been able to drink chamomile for awhile now as it reminds you of bitter memories with Jeonghan.

As you lower the cup back on the table, you try to come up with a dozen excuses to decline him but find yourself unable to do so. His invitation is far too tempting, especially since you’ve always been curious about the Valentine’s Festival.

The Valentine’s Festival is an annual celebration held for Eros, the God of love, and is one of the most popular and grand events in the Attaca Empire.

Streets in the Capital are lined up with various stalls filled with food, jewellery and other merchandise, and the inns and boutiques are filled to the brim. There are dancers, magicians, actors and singers on almost every corner of the Square and the city is alive for most of the day and well into night. It’s easily the busiest and most profitable event in the Empire, lasting a whole week and ending with a banquet hosted by the Imperial Family. 

Nobles and Commoners from all over the Empire converge in Lombardi to see what the Festival has to offer and hope to leave with their hearts full; it is a celebration of love after all.

You’ve never felt that there was a point in you partaking in the festivities and celebrating love since you’ve been betrothed to Jeonghan since before you were even born. Duty is the reason you’re bound to spend the rest of your lives together and not the other four letter word everybody else yearns for. Just like he said all those months ago.

Despite all your efforts, you haven’t been able to forget your feelings for him. Every time you read his letters, your affection for him grows and you can never throw them away, no matter how hard you try. And despite your efforts, Jeonghan refuses to give up, not allowing you to stray far away from him.

Why is he doing this? Is this really all just because of his duty? Is there really no way that his heart beats for you like yours does for him?

He confuses you to no end and you don’t know if this is something you can live with as long as you’re with him. You have to know how Jeonghan really feels and in doing so, you hope that your heart will finally be at peace. Grabbing the pen and paper that Tia had prepared, you write your reply and agree to meet him.

“Thank you for meeting me,” Jeonghan greets you once you’re within his reach. 

Dressed in nothing but a pair of black trousers and matching black button down shirt, his top two buttons are undone and his sleeves are rolled up to reveal veins that run from his arm down to his hand. With his hair slicked back, you think it’s rather unfair how dashing he looks in these plain clothes.

Compared to Jeonghan, you’re wearing a red floor length summer dress, short sleeves sitting just below your shoulders and white flowers adorning the whole fabric.

“I honestly didn’t think you’d come,” he says, tearing his gaze away from your exposed collarbone. “Also, you look beautiful.”

“Thank you. Honestly, I didn’t think I would come either,” you admit with a small smile. “But, the offer of seeing the Valentine’s Festival is far too tempting. Is it just us two or will there be guards with us?”

Stepping closer, Jeonghan offers to hoist you up on the horse and he’s thankful that you don’t decline him. “The guards will be watching from afar,” he answers as he settles you on the horse. “They won’t come unless I call them so it will be mostly just us. I didn’t want to attract any attention to us so we can enjoy everything freely.”

“Jeonghan, you could be wearing rags and the people will still recognise the Crown Prince,” you scoff. Only a blind person wouldn’t see and know who he is, with his perfect handsome face.

“That won’t be the case,” he assures you as he mounts the same horse and seats himself behind you. Pointing to the ring on his right pinky finger, he explains further, “Jihoon imbued some magic in here that helps disguise my face. Only you can see me as I am.”

“The Royal Mage?”

“That’s him.”

“Do you think he can give me one as well?” you ask as calmly as you can, considering your proximity as Jeonghan starts the horse on a light trot. He’s sitting so close that you can feel his breath against your hair.

Jeonghan slightly tightens his arms around you, on the guise of making sure you don’t fall off, even though he truly just wants to be closer to you. “I’ve already asked him to put some spells on the engagement ring I’ll be giving to you tomorrow,” he answers, slightly flinching at the word engagement as he doesn’t know of your feelings yet. “I can ask him for something else if you wish?”

“No, the ring is fine,” you reply, trying to hide your hurt from feeling him flinch against you. The night is off to a terrible start but you promised that you would try to enjoy yourself at the very least, so you push yourself to move on. “So, what exactly will we be doing at the Festival?”

With a sigh, Jeonghan collects himself. The night is only beginning and he won’t lose hope just yet. “There’s lots of shows and dances for us to see along with the fireworks,” he reveals. Smiling, he adds, “We’ll also do lots of eating of course.”

You can’t help but laugh then and if you turn your head slightly, you would’ve seen the relief on Jeonghan’s face. “Well, now you’re speaking my language,” you state, covering your mouth with your hand as you giggle. “Let’s get moving then. There’s no time to waste.”

Bending slightly, Jeonghan whispers in your ear, “Yes, dear.”

The term of endearment takes you by surprise and you have to stop yourself from turning to look at him, not wanting to reveal how much it affects you. You need not bother really because Jeonghan clearly sees the way your hands cup your heating cheeks in an attempt to cool them and he has to spend the whole journey to the town square stopping himself from kissing your adorable face.

It isn’t long until you reach the Capital, the trip feeling shorter than you thought due to the conversation freely flowing just like it used to. Laughs and banters were shared and not a hint of awkwardness was found. 

Leaving the horse in an alley, Jeonghan takes you by the hand and leads you around the Festival. Like a seasoned veteran, he takes you around from stall to stall, seeing what the merchants have to offer, before finding you both a seat at the small outdoor theatre where a play is about to begin.

“I didn’t think you’d know your way around,” you mention before taking a bite from the skewer he bought. “Am I correct in saying that you’ve done this before?”

Jeonghan swallows his food and answers, “You’d be correct. I’ve been out and about once or twice before.”

Biting your lip, you decide to test the waters. “Accompanying other ladies, I presume?” you ask.

“You are the first,” Jeonghan clarifies quickly. “I haven’t taken anyone else, nor do I plan to take anybody else but you.”

You accept his answer with a small smile and turn your attention to the commencing performance. 

Try as he might, Jeonghan cannot look away from you even if he wanted to, finding you far more captivating than the play. He watches the way your eyes sparkle and the way your smile grows in wonder, etching it in his memory in the off chance that the misunderstanding between you doesn’t get resolved.

When the play finishes, you applaud and join the audience in a standing ovation, telling Jeonghan how great the play was and all of your thoughts about it. He doesn’t have a single clue what you’re talking about since he saw none of it but he listens intently, smiling at how passionate you are about it.

Suddenly, a group of musicians make their way onto the stage and the previous performers work to remove the wooden crates that were used as seats, turning a portion of the Square onto a dance floor. Not wanting to waste the opportunity he’s been given, Jeonghan bows in front of you and offers his hand.

“May I have this dance, my lady?”

“Jeonghan,” you whisper so that the crowd doesn’t hear. “It isn’t that I don’t want to dance with you, but I don’t know how to do this kind of dance.”

“I don’t see that as a problem since I can lead you,” Jeonghan assures you.

Reluctantly, you give him your hand which he gladly accepts. “I believe you said that you hadn’t taken a lady here before,” you state, pout growing as he snickers at your miniature tantrum. “How is it that you know this dance then?”

Holding your right hand tightly with his left hand, he places your other hand on his shoulder and rests his free hand on your lower back. “I learnt through watching,” Jeonghan smirks and gently ushers you closer to him until there’s no space left between your bodies. “Besides, I’m the Crown Prince, I can do anything.”

“Including making a fool out of me, I bet.”

“Sweetheart, that would be impossible,” Jeonghan utters and just as you open your mouth to try and say something, the music starts and he begins to lead you.

The dance seems simple enough so far, starting off with the basic steps of the waltz which you’re thankful for, as Jeonghan’s close proximity continues to distract you. “Why do you do that?” you query, your burning curiosity getting the better of you.

To your chagrin, Jeonghan feigns innocence. “I’m afraid I don’t have the slightest idea what it is you are referring to, my darling.”

“That! It is exactly that! Why do you use every form of endearment and not call me by name?”

“We agreed to only do so in private,” Jeonghan teasingly reminds you. “On top of that, I quite enjoy” —his hands travel to your waist and lifts you into the air— “seeing the way you look so flustered.”

At this revelation, he gets a perfect view of your gaping mouth before he has to lift you in the air again.

“I knew it,” you scoff upon your soft landing, thanks to Jeonghan’s sturdy hands. “Two can play this game, you know.”

“Oh, you think so?” Jeonghan challenges as he signals that another lift is coming.

“I do, my love,” you reply coyly just as he lifts you again, and you can tell that you’ve caught him off guard from the way his hands slip slightly, almost dropping you. “Honey, you almost dropped me,” you scold, playfully smacking him on the chest once you’re safely back on your own two feet.

“The fault is yours for surprising me,” Jeonghan mutters, biting back the smile threatening to take over his face.

Guiding you to stand beside him and turning you to face the opposite direction he is, Jeonghan places his arm in front of you to hold your hip that’s furthest from him and you mirror his motion, allowing him to turn you both in a circular motion.

“I didn’t think anything could surprise you, dear,” you tease, feeling his hand tighten on your hip.

“Admittedly, I didn’t think so either,” Jeonghan grumbles, slightly pushing at your hip so you can both change the direction you’re facing. “At least until I met you.”

You’re about to respond when Jeonghan turns you again and you find yourself facing another gentleman. It seems the dance includes a change in partner ever so often until you arrive back at your original partner. It’s unfair of him to say such a thing just before he hands you off, further confusing you and igniting the feelings you have for him once more.

Taking a chance to look at him, you find him staring back at you. His new dance partner is speaking with him and he seems to be conversing with her but his gaze on you is unwavering and you are trapped in his spell. Unable to look away even if you wanted to and even if you have to because of the steps of the dance, your eyes find him again and again through the crowd, feeling even closer to him despite the distance.

And when the dance finally comes to a close, you end up back in his arms like you were always meant to be there. Like Jeonghan was always the one meant to hold you.

This feeling of uncertainty is foreign to you. All this time, you thought you knew how he feels about you, but his words and actions beg to differ.

However, it matters not, until you know the exact reasons for the way he’s behaving.

Is he still only motivated by duty? Or did the premise of the Valentine’s Festival finally open up his heart?

Whatever the case may be, it is something you can no longer ignore and your growing feelings for him is something you can no longer deny.

“Why are you doing this to me?” you ask and Jeonghan is taken aback. “Why do you confuse me so?”

Your inner turmoil is written as clear as day on your face and Jeonghan wishes for nothing more than to be able to gather you in his arms and confess his feelings to you. The thought alone scares him half to death but it’s not as frightening as the thought of spending the rest of your lives together with your cold indifference towards him.

What’s the worst that can happen?

Of course, there is a chance that once he finally reveals his true feelings that you may not feel the same way about him. If that is the case, it’s still possible for you to grow to love him, further down the line as you both grow older. But, Jeonghan knows that if he doesn’t take advantage of the opportunity he’s been given, your heart may close the door on him forever.

“_____, listen—”

“Jeonghan, I—”

“Everyone, the fireworks will begin in a few minutes!”

Sighing, you lower your head onto Jeonghan’s chest. “I know we need to talk but I also want to see the fireworks,” you whine.

Cupping your face in his hands, Jeonghan raises your head so that you can look at him. “We can watch the fireworks and talk after,” he concedes, but it’s worth it when your eyes light up like Christmas morning. Placing his hands gingerly on your shoulders, he instructs, “Please stay right here and wait for me. I’ll be right back with some refreshments.”

“I’ll wait,” you assure him.

“I’ll only be a minute, please stay right where I can see you.”

Gently squeezing your hand, Jeonghan reluctantly turns away from you and heads to find the nearest pub. Every now and then, he turns to check that you’re still right where he left you. This time, when he turns, his brows furrowed in worry when he no longer sees you in his field of vision as the crowd fills the square.

Drinks forgotten, Jeonghan weaves through the crowd in search of you. He calls for you multiple times to no avail and even as he reaches the spot where he left you, there’s no sign of you anywhere. It’s just his luck that the fireworks then commence and it drowns out his voice as he begins to call for you once more. Cursing, he makes his way through the sea of bodies to continue his search.

The thought of something terrible happening to you fills him with dread, making him sick to his stomach. He pleads with Eros to help him find you and his prayer is answered when a gust of wind carries along petals that land in your vicinity. Bristling, he makes his way over to where you are.

“Oh Jeonghan, there you are,” you greet but your smile fades as soon as you see the expression on his face. It’s one that you’ve never seen on his usually bright face, at least not directed at you. “Is something the matter?”

Jeonghan remains silent as he grabs hold of your wrist and leads you out of the overcrowded square. You didn’t dare to resist when it’s clear that right now, he is not one to be messed with. Soon enough, you reach your destination, finding yourself in a secluded alley in the square away from prying eyes and eager ears.

He all but flings you in the alley and your hands brace themselves on the cool brick wall to stop and steady yourself. “What in the world were you thinking?!” he asks, livid. “Or was it that you weren’t thinking at all?”

“I have no idea what it is you’re referring to—”

“I only asked one thing of you,” he states calmly but you can see how furious he is beneath the surface, his eyes blazing with fire. “One direction that even a child could follow and they would have listened.”

Ah, it’s finally dawned on you what makes him so angry.

“I don’t understand why it’s such an issue—”

“You don’t understand why it’s an issue?!”

“—I only went to a better spot for the fireworks,” you finish explaining despite Jeonghan talking over you. “It’s not like you couldn’t see me—”

Jeonghan laughs out loud but there is no mirth to it. “That is precisely it!” he snarled. “I couldn’t see you anywhere I looked. I called out for you so many times and received no response back. I was so worried and I thought I had lost you—”

“And why does that matter?” you argue and the question renders Jeonghan speechless, but you’re not done yet. “Why does it matter if you lose me? Why do you care?”

At this, Jeonghan could no longer remain silent. “I beg your pardon,” he protests. “Of course, I care about you.”

“But, only because of your duty,” you remind him as you roll your eyes.

“No, it goes far beyond that.”

This is a game that you no longer wish to play.

“That’s not what you said that day,” you reveal, finally admitting that you overheard his conversation with your brother that day. “Don’t even think of lying to me because I heard everything.”

Now that you’ve confirmed his earlier assumption, Jeonghan proceeds, so that he can now get an answer as to how you feel about him. “And, what exactly did you hear?” 

“That you’re only bound to me by duty.”

“And?” he prods, impatiently.

“What do you mean, ‘and’?” you ask, confused as to where he’s heading with the conversation.

“I did say that” —he crosses his arms— “but what about the rest of it?”

With a pout, you answer confidently, “You didn’t say anything else.”

“Yes, I did,” he declares with a sadistic calm.

“No, you didn’t.” You stand your ground but that is the last straw for Jeonghan.

“Yes, I did!” he yells in frustration, grabbing at his hair. “I admitted that I had grown fond of you and it was something that had been beyond my control.”

“What?” you wonder, more to yourself than anything.

Already having gone this far, Jeonghan doesn’t hold himself back any longer, baring his heart out after coming close to losing you. “I said that you had me falling in love with you with no hopes of ever getting up, ever since the moment I laid my eyes on you.”

No, there’s not a chance that this is real. You’re sure of it. Yet, you find yourself asking, “You love me?”

“I love you,” Jeonghan vows with no hesitation. “Despite everything, I fall more and more in love with you and right now, as you stand before me, I have never been more in love with you.”

No matter how hard you search, there’s no sign of a lie on his face. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Actually, I did.”

“You know what I mean.”

“I truly did,” Jeonghan says, smug. “I wrote them in every letter I sent you since that day I admitted to my own feelings.”

“You’re lying.”

“I’ve never lied—”

“You have, when you lied about being my partner for my debutante ball,” you remind him, brow raised in challenge.

Jeonghan bites his lip and moves closer to you, eliminating the space between your bodies. “I was merely delaying the truth that time,” he jokes. “But, I really did let you know in my last letters. You would’ve known if you had read them.”

“I did—”

Jeonghan interrupts, taking your hands in his as he says, “Enough about the letters. _____, I’ve finally told you how I truly feel about you. Please, stop torturing me and tell me how you feel about me.”

“I—”

“I don’t think it matters how the young lady feels since she’ll be coming with us and you won’t be alive anymore to see her again,” a stranger interrupts and Jeonghan is quick to shield you behind him. More thugs turn up and Jeonhan slowly retreats until you’re squeezed between him and the wall.

Jeonghan doesn’t miss the way you tremble in fear and he knows that he has to deal with them as soon as possible. He almost lost you once today and he’d be damned if he lets it happen a second time. Especially now that he’s confessed his feelings to you.

“Close your eyes and cover your ears,” Jeonghan instructs but you shake your head vehemently. “Please, listen to me just this once. I don’t want you to see this.”

“Call for Seungcheol,” you plead, holding on to his arm. “There’s far too many of them. We can wait until he gets here.”

“It’ll be too late by then,” Jeonghan sighs. “Close your eyes. I promise that no harm will come to you.”

“What about you?” you caution, tears flowing freely down your face. The love of your life has finally confessed that he feels the same about you but why is fate so cruel to put you in this position?

“There’s no need to worry,” he assures you as he draws out his sword. “Now, do as I say. I won’t take long.”

Eventually, you relent and let go of his arm. Taking one final look at him, Jeonghan places a chaste kiss on your forehead, forcing your eyes closed as he moves your hands to cover your ears tight. When you feel him pull away, you almost defy him once more but ultimately know that you’ll only be in his way, increasing his chance of getting hurt.

So, you stay right where you are and do exactly as Jeonghan says, praying to Eros to return the one that you love safely.

You don’t know how much time has passed but you eventually feel Jeonghan’s warm yet wet hands pull your hands away from your ears, letting you know that the ordeal is over. When you open your eyes, you see his shirt drenched in blood despite the colour of the material.

“You’re bleeding,” you cry out, hands reaching out to check on him, but his hands stop you from doing so.

“It’s not all mine,” he assures you only to be met with the roll of your eyes.

“That doesn’t make it any better,” you scold.

“I’m fine—”

“No, you’re not!” you exclaim through your tears. “You’re hurt and it’s all my fault. If I hadn’t wandered off in the first place, we wouldn’t be in this alley and—”

“If you hadn’t wandered off, I wouldn’t have had an opportunity to finally tell you how I feel about you.”

“Is that even important right now?” you sob unceremoniously into your hands. “Now, I know how it feels.”

“What do you mean?” Jeonghan asks.

“I almost lost you and I haven’t even had the chance to tell you how I feel about you.”

Jeonghan’s heart picks up speed and it feels like it’s about to beat right out of his chest. This is the moment he’s been waiting for and he can’t believe you both had to risk your lives in order for it to happen. “And how do you feel about me?”

“Your Highness!” Seungcheol calls from the entrance of the alley before you can answer Jeonghan. “I’ve finally found you both. My apologies for arriving late.”

“Actually, you’re far too early,” Jeonghan rolls his eyes and you have to cover your mouth to hold down your laugh upon seeing Seungcheol’s confused face. “Did you bring my horse?”

The guard nods. “I’ve also brought a carriage for Lady _____,” he adds. “Shall I summon the physician to their Estate?”

“That’s not necessary,” you decline as you are unscathed. “Please summon them to the Palace instead along with the Royal Mage. His Highness may need some healing magic in time for our Engagement Announcement tomorrow.”

“Yes, m’lady.” Seungcheol bows. “Your carriage has arrived and is ready to escort you back.”

Sighing, Jeonghan lowers his head onto your shoulder and your hand reaches out to play with the hair on the nape of his neck. “Won’t you consider coming back to the Palace with me?” he entreats and feels you shake your head to decline him. “We haven’t finished our conversation yet. Must I really wait till the Banquet to hear your answer? Must you really torture me again?”

“Must you be so dramatic?” you tease him and he nips at your shoulder in retaliation. You have to commend him, he’s grown rather bold ever since he confessed his love for you. It seems he no longer wants to waste any time and frankly, since you feel exactly the same towards him, you don’t want to waste another second without him either. “You can always come to see me before tomorrow.”

Jeonghan lifts his ahead, adorable confusion on his face and you can’t help but giggle. “How will I see you before tomorrow?” he asks, tilting his head.

“My balcony faces the Glass House in the Estate,” you whisper in his ear, bidding him farewell with a light kiss on his cheek. “You’re the Crown Prince. Surely you’re smart enough to figure it out?”

He is and he can’t wait.

It’s when you’re brushing your hair by your vanity before retiring for the night when you hear the knock on your bedroom window. Spotting his familiar figure through the mirror, you place the brush on the marble surface and make your way to let him in. Pulse racing as you unlock the window, you don’t dare to look at his face and walk back to the centre of room, only turning towards him once he’s let himself in and closed the window behind him.

Jeonghan takes his time studying you, gaze instantly drawn to the way you stare at the floor once more instead of him, just like you used to. Eyes drifting lower, he spots your slightly parted lips and he has to stop himself from reaching out and running his thumb across your bottom lip. His gaze travels lower once more, breath hitching at the sight of the top of your breasts due to the low neckline of your nightgown. Seeing the way your chest heaves from your erratic breathing makes something inside him snap and he shoves his hands in his pockets, taking big strides until he’s standing right in front of you.

“Such a cruel woman you are.” He breaks the silence, pushing your chin up with his finger so that you finally look at him. “Inviting me here and making me wait for your attention. Do you know how agonising it is when you look as delectable as you do? But, we’re not quite there yet, are we?”

Your attempt to look away from him is thwarted when he grabs your chin between his thumb and index finger and you’re forced to endure the intense regard in which he holds you. “If anyone’s waited long enough, it’s me,” you say in hopes to placate him. 

However, it has the opposite effect on Jeonghan. “That’s rich coming from you,” he retorts. “Especially after I professed my love for you today. If I recall correctly, I’m yet to hear about your feelings towards me.”

“I’m afraid,” you say truthfully.

“What are you afraid of?”

“I don’t express myself well with words,” you confess. “I’m afraid my words would be insufficient to describe what it is I truly feel for you.”

Jeonghan shifts impossibly closer to you eliminating the space between you. Cupping your face in his hands, he leans in closer and ghosts your lips with his. “Hm, you always were better with your actions,” he breathes, thumb skimming your bottom lip like he fantasised, smearing your lip tint a little. “Would you prefer to show me instead?”

“Yes,” you sigh, eyes immediately closing. 

Jeonghan’s lips hesitantly touches yours in a feather light kiss and it’s much too soft and quick for your liking. He moves to pull away, testing the waters but he doesn’t get far when you grab hold of his shirt, pulling him towards you so that you can kiss him once more. This time, the kiss you share is more intense, carrying your emotions with it and when they finally reach him, Jeonghan becomes bolder and returns your kiss with the same fervor. 

His kisses grow hungrier and more heated each time, almost devouring you whole but you are insatiable. You crave to taste more of him, sliding your hands up and locking your arms behind his neck, pulling him further into you. Wrapping his arms around your middle, he holds you tight and you pull away in a gasp when you feel him, half hard and large against your hip.

Not liking the separation, Jeonghan dives in and takes the chance to shove his tongue in your gaping mouth, intertwining with yours in a perfect dance. His eager hands travel from your hips to your bottom, groping and kneading its cheeks before venturing further south. When they land behind your thighs, he grabs hold and lifts you onto him as he walks towards your bed.

Jeonghan sits down on the edge of your bed with you on top of him and you shift your legs to straddle him comfortably. You kiss him again and again, timing a third kiss with the roll of your hips and you feel his excitement grow against your centre. Impatient, your hands scramble to untuck his shirt from his trousers, pulling it over his head to toss to the other side of the room.

“Oh fuck,” you swear at the sight of his toned abdomen, not caring for how unladylike you are becoming. Biting your lip, your fingertips glide across his skin as you take him in.

This new side to you is enthralling and Jeonghan feels proud knowing that only he is privy to it. That you are here, completely and utterly enamored by him and him alone. Jeonghan leans back on his elbows watching you with eyes full of aroused curiosity. “Your turn.” He nods in your direction and you comply.

If it were anybody else who asked, you know you would have hesitated to no end. But, Jeonghan makes you feel brave. He makes you feel loved. He makes you feel desired. Grabbing the hem of your nightgown, you shimmy out of it at an excruciatingly slow pace, noticing the way Jeonghan eyes you like a man starved, his breath hitching at every inch of skin you reveal.

“You are beautiful,” he breathes out and it diminishes whatever insecurity existed that was begging you to cover yourself up. Sitting up, he kisses you lasciviously, gripping you tight as he pivots and pushes you into the mattress. His fingers make their way between your bodies, toying with the waistband of your underwear, before pulling the lewdly soaked material down your legs. “Move up on the bed, lie down on the pillows and spread your legs. I want to see you.”

Taking a deep breath, you do as he says, watching with interest as he sheds the rest of his clothing. Jeonghan can’t help but stare too long at your inviting pussy and he doesn’t miss the way your legs quiver in anticipation. Like a predator hunting its prey, he gets on the bed and crawls slowly towards you and fits himself between your legs. He lowers his body until your chest to chest and meets your lips again in a fiery kiss.

This time, he doesn’t stay on your lips too long, desperate to touch and feel more of you, kissing along your jaw and down where your neck meets your shoulder. He marks his place on the juncture of your neck, sucking and nipping until a purple bruise is left in its wake. Lifting his head slightly, he marvels at the view of your breasts, eyes rolling back before diving in and taking your right nipple in his mouth.

His tongue darts out to kitten lick at your wetted bud, blowing air on it before sucking it back into his mouth. Being the gentleman that he is, he dares not to neglect your other breast, palming and fondling it before he switches and pays attention to it. Your ragged breaths bounces off the walls in your room and he uses the sounds to spur him on along with how your body twists and squirms beneath him.

“Relax _____,” Jeonghan coos at you. “I’m just as… new to this as you are.”

“It doesn’t seem like it,” you murmur. “But, I guess my education on this was limited compared to yours.”

Sitting back on his knees, he grabs hold of his cock, groaning as he strokes himself a few times before he guides himself to slide between your folds. Watching him with keen eyes, you grow more desperate for him, mouth hanging open in a silent plea. Once he’s well lubricated from your juices, he aligns himself by your entrance, preparing himself to enter your glistening trove.

“This is the last chance you have to refuse me,” Jeonghan rasps out. “If you don’t, I’ll be taking away your virtue and will never let you go.”

“No one is taking my virtue away,” you mewled, reaching for his free hand and guiding it up your body to rest on your breast. “I am freely giving it to you, along with my love. So, don’t you dare even consider letting me go.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Jeonghan grits his teeth as he pushes the head of his cock through your cunt, straining to hold himself back from fully impaling you on his cock to avoid hurting you.

“You can keep going,” you nod, breathing becoming ragged even as you try to calm yourself.

His hands reach for yours and intertwine them together, pinning them on either side of your head as he lowers himself until all of his weight is on you. With a shaky exhale, he sinks in further but still not all the way, peppering your chest with kisses in apology as he waits for you to accommodate him.

Tears pool at the corner of your eyes, sliding down your cheeks and you don’t have the strength to hold them back. Jeonghan whispers words of affirmation onto your skin and your heart swells in your chest. You seek out his lips and he gladly obliges you, kissing languidly until the current stretch is bearable. 

“With all that I am, I love you and I’m yours,” you confess, whimpering as Jeonghan pushes deeper as a result. 

A moan of your name from deep within his chest slips from his lips and he’s unable to hold himself back even if he wanted to, sheathing himself to the hilt inside you. The burning sensation of the stretch makes you tremble but it’s nothing compared to the feel of fullness inside you. 

Releasing one of your hands, Jeonghan cups your cheek and kisses you hard, wanting to alleviate your pain. When you feel his cock throb inside your warm walls, you inadvertently clench around him and the last of his control snaps.

“Love, please tell me I can move,” he growls and you respond by shakily hooking your legs around his waist, taking him even deeper with a roll of your hips.

Jeonghan takes this as his cue, slowly drawing his cock out and harshly slamming back in. Crying out his name in ecstasy, your hands move to rest on his shoulders, nails digging in as his pace increases. An intense heat starts to build inside you, arching your back from the mattress as your hips frantically grind against him to match his rhythm.

“Jeonghan, I…” you sob, the intense heat taking all over your body. “I can… feel something… something is coming.”

“Gods, I feel it too,” he croaks and relentlessly drives himself inside you. Winding his arms around your middle, he holds tight and moves your body the way he wants so that you can both have the release you’re desperately seeking. 

It’s when Jeonghan’s lips brushes by your ear, whispering ‘I love you’ with a perfectly timed shift of his hips, that the coil inside you snaps, eyes rolling to the back of your head and body shivering as your orgasm consumes you, a litany of his name echoing in the room. 

At the feeling of your pulsating walls around his cock, his movements begin to falter. When you profess your love for him, he careens clean off the edge, hips jerking as he comes and a sigh of your name escaping from his lips as he paints your walls with his hot, white release. 

Jeonghan buries his face in the juncture of your neck, hot breath fanning your skin as you rake your fingers through his damp hair. You stay together like this until your breathing evens out, not caring about your sweaty skin or the stickiness between your legs. 

Then, he slowly pulls out his softening cock, watching your face for any signs of discomfort along the way. Planting a kiss on your shoulder, Jeonghan leaves the bed for a moment, fetching a towel and basin filled with water from the bath. With utmost care, he wipes the mess clean from your body. Once he’s put the soiled cloth away, he joins you back on the bed, dragging your body until you’re tight against his chest, whispering his love for you repeatedly until slumber comes for you.

When morning comes, it is anything but quiet. It starts off with your maid Tia dramatically dropping a basin upon catching you tangled in bed with the Crown Prince and Jeonghan being caught sneaking out the balcony by Joshua who’s having his morning coffee by the adjacent balcony. Jeonghan avoids being scolded because he pulls rank with the Duke, but you’re not so lucky. He bids you farewell with a kiss before heading back to the Palace to prepare for the Imperial Banquet.

It all happens quickly after that, spending most of the day getting pampered and leaving you with no time to even think about the events of the previous night. Upon your arrival at the Palace, you’re quickly ushered to stand in front of the door to the Great Hall where Jeonghan is already waiting.

Grabbing your hand, he gently kisses the back of it before planting another one on your cheek. Jeonghan stares longingly into your eyes before disrupting the connection by breaking into laughter.

“What’s so funny?” you ask, tilting your head in confusion.

“Nothing, I’m just happy,” he beams, bending to rest his forehead on your shoulder. “I’m glad that it’s not just duty that binds us together and that we’re actually fated to each other.”

“As am I,” you assure him, turning to kiss him on the cheek. “My love has always been you and it will always be you.”

“Always,” Jeonghan vows, lifting his head so that you can see his sincerity. 

You return the promise with a kiss, along with a silent prayer to Eros in thanks and your hearts have never been fuller.

© darlingvernon

please do not copy/repost/translate my work without my permission

[rileyslibrary]

Hi, this might be a strange request, but could you please do some sort of character analysis, or maybe tell some of your headcanons for the 141 characters??

I’ve been trying to find some, but everything I find is either weirdly out of character or just some sort of weird projection onto the characters 😭

Not strange at all, anon! It just occurred to me that, for a blog dedicated to Ghost, I’ve never done something like this. Also, I understand what you mean, but it’s also important to remember that headcanons are extremely subjective. Maybe the same applies to my case, and someone also finds my headcanons out of character; who knows?

Please note that I can’t say much about the other boys since I’ve only focused on Ghost, so here are some of my headcanons (i.e. that’s how I personally imagine Ghost):

He’s your average, ordinary guy on the outside. Sure, he is stereotypically attractive (tall, beefy, with a deep voice), but so are a billion other people in this world. There’s nothing extraordinary about him, which is precisely what makes him so intriguing.

I like to imagine his personality similarly to how he wears his uniform—layer, under layer, under layer. You want to peel him like an onion; uncover what lies beneath the surface.

He’s extremely pragmatic and values function over form. It doesn’t matter if something looks bad/ugly/weird as long as it gets the job done. If it works, it works.

Moderation gives him a sense of discipline. He wants to control everything that’s within his ability to do so—managing what food he puts in his body, regulating his alcohol intake, handling finances, and even carefully choosing his words. It helps him maintain his sanity, knowing he has control over his life, especially considering what he went through.

He’s also incredibly efficient. He doesn’t waste time on things that aren’t important or beyond his control.

He’s not a gym rat (he doesn’t regard it as a second home), but he’s definitely a regular. The gym owners are familiar with him, though their interactions are brief—maybe they exchanged a few words to renew his membership in the past, but that’s about it.

He tends to stick to the free-weight section at the gym. If it’s crowded, he’ll put on his headphones to tune everything out, but if it’s quiet, he doesn’t bother. While he doesn’t use the machines often, he’ll turn to them occasionally, particularly when he needs more controlled movement.

Warming up before exercising is particularly important to him, and he takes his time to stretch afterwards, usually in an isolated corner of the gym. He never skips leg day.

He is not a flirt. Usually, it’s others who pursue him rather than the other way around. It’s almost like he has it too easy in that department. He doesn’t have to make much effort—he simply goes about his business (occasionally checking his surroundings for potential dangers,) and suddenly, people gravitate towards him. He’s not a fan of this attention but keeps it to himself.

He engages in a flirtatious exchange almost every day with the elderly lady who manages the convenience store in his neighbourhood, though. He often compliments her on her hair and how young she looks and sometimes jokes that if her late husband were still around, he’d have some competition. She, in return, offers him freebies, which he politely declines. However, he sometimes accepts these gestures in exchange for lending a hand with tasks around the store.

His apartment is modest since he travels a lot, yet he considers it his personal haven when he returns to it. He deliberately keeps it free of any traces of his alternate identity. There’s a family photo framed somewhere. Even his dad included. Maybe he considered cutting him out of the picture but decided against it. He wants to be reminded of both the positive and negative experiences that influence his decisions and actions.

He likes to make his own jokes. They mostly come to him when he does something mundane, like cooking, showering, or watching TV. He doesn’t take offence if others don’t laugh at his jokes, though. He simply views them as idiots or lacking a sense of humour.

He opts for public transport only when needed, like during heavy traffic, but that doesn’t mean he likes it. He keeps his back against the wall and doesn’t wear headphones since he wants to be aware of his surroundings.

He breaks fights if he stumbles upon them late at night and calls the police. When the officers arrive, he is the first to talk to them and usually scolds them for not getting there faster.

I don’t think he wears his mask when he’s out and about. In my mind, Simon Riley is different from Ghost. If someone manages to connect the dots, he’ll make sure it’s the last time they do so. For him, good people don’t know who Ghost is. Only bad people do.

He wants to extend his sleeve tattoo further up his arm but struggles to find the time to schedule an appointment with his tattoo artist. Yes, he has a trusted tattoo artist.

[olderthannetfic]

I think you've talked before about how it's wrong to assume the only people who enjoy taboo kink like race play are bigoted white people, right? Tumblr's search remains garbage. I've been trying to formulate some thoughts on it after seeing some videos on "bad books" but I don't really know enough about real world kink culture to know what's valid critique of racism or anti-kink just hiding behind it. So I remembered you'd mentioned the topic at some point and might have some thoughts?

--

Well, first, one should apply basic logic: If shittons of women kink on the ways in which society abuses women, why wouldn't at least some ethnic minorities kink on the way society abuses them?

Second, social media overflows with jackasses saying "Listen to POC" as a thought-terminating cliche, but it's good advice as long as you grasp that you do have to evaluate which people you're listening to and what basis you have for trusting that they know something about a subject.

Honestly, I don't think this topic is that complicated. There are just a lot of cowardly white people around who are too scared of ever being seen as wrong to be willing to do a little research or stand up for anything even remotely controversial. They'll parrot the first anti they run across but not bother to engage with the comments of nonwhite kinksters who are long-time community members with informed opinions.

The person I'd listen to, personally, is Mollena Williams-Haas, a kink educator and submissive. She has talked about race play here, among many other places.

Her comments boil down to it being about consent. If kinksters want to play with a concept and everyone involved is on the same page, it's not the business of outsiders to tell them it's off limits.

Playing with heavy topics in an agreed upon way is completely different from having that thing sprung on you without warning. We're used to making this distinction when people are playing with the trappings of rape but, somehow, lose our goddamn minds when the topic is racism.

Now, yes, there are plenty of gross white creeps who think nonwhite kinksters will inherently be interested in this sort of thing and should cater to them... but how is that any different from your usual pest in a bar chatting up uninterested parties and refusing to take no for an answer? The problem isn't squicky kinks that many of us don't want to hear about: The problem is jackasses treating others as a fantasy and/or kink dispenser instead of a person with feelings and needs.

Frankly, most of the arguments against this sort of kink are your usual "As a woman, you should be setting a good example!" bilge that's leveled at all submissive women but on steroids because a woman of color is extra, extra, extra responsible for living her whole life as An Example. (And I notice that it's generally submissive nonwhite women who come in for the most abuse even though plenty of other dynamics exist. Quelle surprise.) It's bullshit. People should mind their own damn business.

As for "bad books"... Are we talking bodice rippers with nonwhite heroines or what? Are we back to colonizer romance wank? Books about characters engaging in race play in a BDSM context? I think it's reasonable to critique books that don't seem to know what they're doing—e.g. not seeming aware that a rape scene is one—but stupid to worry about iddy trash that is trying to be iddy trash. People will always like socially unacceptable id fodder. Some books will always cater to that.

[mushangaa]

Metal

2024/02 (full view) Water | Earth | Metal

Frida, the oldest, her element is Metal and boy does she know how to use it in combat. But instead of cold grey I went with a more loving interpretation. And Bismuth vibes. Iridescent Bismuth has all them colours of her sibs in it too. I talked a bit about her element in relation to Raphaels element (fire) in this post.

And I shall ramble some more in general under the cut.

I just love Frida, or rather the Frida I cooked up in my head since we never got her properly in rottmnt. She is rather mature and responsible, she has a lot of things to keep on top of on the farm and is very business about it, thankfully she shares that load with Raphael, the other oldest sibling TM. But beneath all that she is also a bit of a gremlin like the rest of the fam, she just grew up a little too fast in some ways, but she has not let go of all of that and beneath her mature ways and responsible behaviour there is still a mischievous lil girl that sometimes will engage with the pranks of the youngest or get into some shit with the twins or convince Raph to shenanigans if she feels he has been wound up to tight lately - or full on brawl with him with reckless abandon since those two can't hurt each other that easily since they are matched in strength so Raph can let go a lil of his control and so can she. And like I dunno how to properly explain it in English but Bismuth gains it's fancy colours when it is subjected to moist air (just like silver turns black after a while and so on) and normally it is just grey and I like to relate that to Frida who is a very dark bluegreen black hue and likes simple clothes and muted colours but on the inside she is just as colourful as the rest of them you just gotta give her room to get out of her shell so to speak and be a little less restrained just like you have to dig up Bismuth for it to become colourful. She also normally does not do dresses, she gets one in her family portrait here but usually she tries to not be too femme on clothes, for one she does not like skirts and dresses too much she has a lot of farm work and loves riding, neither of those make dresses practical to her and she'd hate for her father to buy her fancy stuff only to soil or rip it needlessly. She also kinda really dislikes how she gets treated if she does go with more femme clothing - see she is the oldest daughter and a great deal of their yokai neighbours and those in town have a lot of opinions about that. Like how she is approaching the age of needing to be wed and settle down. Or how she is a bit too headstrong and opinionated for a female. Or how she needs a strong hand to reign her in obviously since her poor wifeless dad obviously raised her too much like his boys and yadda yadda and if she does then lean more into her femininity they are all over that since now that.. that is more proper isn't it? Isn't it better like this? She looks so pretty. Anyway so like Frida does not reject her femininity in general but she totally rejects how people around her define it for her and there have been some hands thrown in the past with neighbour boys who tried to court her and on one beautiful occasion Splinter roundhouse kicked a neighbour through the east wall (which the whole family happily repaired together) of their farmhouse after he made some implications about her biological clock ticking and whatnot and maybe wedding her to one of his sons before nobody wants her no more. That all is to say, Frida doesn't exactly do dressed but she does this dress. She calls it her "dress I own for your funeral if you don't mind ya business"-dress. It has magpie colours and shimmers a bit in light, the bottom part has some white flowing feather like applications in there. She fell in love with that one so Splinter got it for her for the special occasions. Frida also is the only one of her siblings who inherited her dads eyecolour.

[welcome-home-art-dump]

Welcome Home x Kaiju Reader Scenarios:

If you're feeling sad

POV: you're feeling down on yourself when you enter the neighborhood.

Home

🏠 He'll give you a sympathetic look, and try to attract Wally or any other neighbors to your location.

🏠 if no one's around or busy, He'll try to offer his best means of comfort, which is his usual onomatopoeia.

"Creeeak... squeak.. creeeek..."

🏠 you understood some of it, but not all of it.

🏠 If you're sitting close enough to his side, he'll try to "pat" your back with his window shutter.

🏠 wishes you were small enough so he could invite you in to wait for Wally.

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

Wally

🎨 he can't stand to see you upset. He'll notice your dimmed demeanor and ask you what's wrong.

🍎 He'd be very upset you didn't see your beauty the way he did.

"Oh neighbor. Don't you know that you're the absolute most to me?"

🎨 he'd try to make you feel better by painting your spikes or nails, or just a painting for you in general.

🍎 When none of which work/are denied, he'll reside to sitting beside you, if you're laying on your belly, he'll hug your cheek and reminds you that he "Loves you very much."

👁 will try to track down whomever made you feel this way to "talk" with them.

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

Barnaby

🦴 He'll somewhat sense you're feeling off, but if you're visibly saddened he'll ask you outright if you're okay.

🐶 He'll visibly wilt at how you upset you were as he couldn't bare the fact you felt so bad. He'll even take off his hat.

"Aw... s'ok kid... you know you could talk to your ol' blue buddy Barnaby if ya need to."

🦴 He'll try to lighten your mood with a few jokes from his stand-up acts or try to perform a few tricks for you if he had any props on hand.

🐶 if none of those really work, He'll lay his head on your lap. If your laying on your belly, he'll lay his head on your hand.

🦴 He'll either sit there with you and offer words of comfort or just remain silent until you're feeling better. Sometimes he'll even lick your cheek.

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

Julie

🪀 She'll notice it right away; she can detect the somber aura in your presence and lack of enthusiasm and ask you what's up.

🧸 Her cheery demeanor would lower almost instantly. Your feelings were very important to her.

"Aw... Don't worry, I'm here to help!"

🪀 seeing that you weren't up for physical games, she'd try games like "I spy" or find shapes in the clouds.

🧸 if you're laying on your belly, she'll sit beside your cheek, and idly trace shapes along your finger while having light-hearted chats with you

🪀 may doze off laying against your cheek, in which you'd also do.

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

Poppy

🍪 Poppy can see it almost immediately, and would gently ask if you were feeling well.

🪶 Her heart would break for whatever bad feelings would plague you. Even if you were tall, she considered you to be her "child."

"Oh dear... is there anything I could do to make you feel better?"

🍪 she'll offer you something to eat, whether it be a baked pastry or anything you wanted in general.

🪶 if that is denied, she'll simply sit with you, either in silence or engages in lighthearted conversation, while knitting something.

🍪 sometimes, if she's feeling brave enough she'll perk herself onto her shoulder and preen your hair gently.

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

Frank

🦋 he'll notice you aren't your usual bright self, and even if he's apprehensive with you, he'll still approach you and ask if you're okay.

📚 He'll actually be incredibly sympathetic, as he really didn't know what someone through your mind.

"O-oh. I'm sorry to hear that."

🦋 he won't really know what to do, and he'll upright ask if you wanted to talk about it.

📚 when you do open up, he's a very good listener, not missing a single word you say, and is very careful with his responses.

🦋 after a while, it will become a lighthearted conversation about a random subject.

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

Sally

☀️ she knows an act when she sees one. She can see right through the "cheery facade" and will ask you upfront what ails you.

🎭 she'll have to keep from bursting into hysterics, as you were a paragon to her and for you to have such negative thoughts broke her spirit.

"Oh no... that simply won't do! Is there anything I can do to aid you?"

☀️ she'll try to keep her exaggerating to a minimum and try to offer you words of comfort.

🎭 If you're laying on your belly, she'll sit against your cheek, periodically doting over you and praising your existence.

☀️ her figurative and literal warmth might cause you to dose off with a smile on your face, to which she'll let herself dose off as well.

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

Howdy

🐛 He'll see it in your posture, which was slightly slumped. When he got time to himself, he approached you and asked you if you were okay.

🛍 He felt terrible at how you felt. His inner older brother couldn't bare to hear such negative thoughts come from you.

"Ohh... Well... wait out here. I'm going on my break soon. Maybe we can talk about it."

🐛 true to his word, he did indeed spend his break with you talking with you, and offering words of comfort.

🛍 he sat on your shoulder, listening to you as you vented, while using all four of his hands to rub your hand best he can. [Optional if you have the appropriate hair type: he'll sometimes braid your hair.]

🐛 he'll offer you some of his stocks, and try to remain outside as much as possible to keep you company.

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

Eddie

✉️ he'll see it in how you greet him; he knows a sad voice when he hears it. He'll ask you if you're feeling alright.

💌 he'll frown in sympathy, knowing how difficult it must be for one of your stature to deal with such negative feelings.

"Oh my. Don't worry. I'll always be here if you need me."

✉️ Once he's done with his usual routes, he'll notify everyone of your feelings via, you guessed it; mail!

💌 everyone almost immediately makes you letters, crafts and other various gifts, and he incorporated some of his own work into this.

✉️ once he delivers it to you, he'll sit with you and remind you on how much you mean to them, and that everyone's willing to help you.

Hope this brightened up your day, lovelies~ ❤️

This idea is from a commenter from my Wattpad book.

If there’s any ideas you’d like to share, asks are open.~

[scorpius-major]

#Just sign here

Ft: Childe and gn!reader

Synopsis: in which you summon a demon to stop your family from nagging you about your dating life

Contains: mentions of demons, contracts, and small amounts of blood (nothing graphic). Reader is genderlly ambiguous, but family members ask when you will get a boyfriend. Slight suggestive gestures but not explicit or forward at all (flirty behavior, physical touches, romantic advances)

wc: 1.7k

Final notes: this was really inspired by the book Sign Here by Claudia Lux. It’s a really good book yall should consider reading it! This is my first time is a while writing a full narrative fanfiction, so chill on me y’all if it’s not that good lmaoo. Depending if I like this I might make it into a full series! I’m experimenting with different povs so idk if this is gonna be my default one or not we’ll see as time goes on!

Family events are never fun. Especially when the hot topic always comes back to your dating life. You wish that for once they would talk about sometime other than when you’ll be bringing a boyfriend home. That one uncle doesn’t even talk about politics anymore.

“So when are you getting a boyfriend?”

“Yknow all your other cousins are engaged right?”

If only they knew a majority of marriages end in divorce. It’s not like you don’t want to be in a relationship, waiting for the right person is a solid move. What happens if you “find the one” prematurely and something terrible happens? Like breaking your heart or cheating on you. So whenever it comes up you just try and change the subject as best you can. The most effective way usually is asking your dad dumb sports questions. Questions that are obvious on the surface, but will get him talking for 10 minutes so you can leave.

You wonder how they haven't caught on yet, but then again your personal love life is none of their business. Getting an actual boyfriend seems like too much work. Paying one of your friends seems like a solid option, but your family already knows all of your friends. There has to be some way to get someone to pretend to be your boyfriend.

Then it clicked. 

You remember having seen a really old book in your grandmom’s attic about the occult. Why not just summon a random demon to dupe your extended family into thinking you finally found love? There are many things wrong with that, but running the options through your head it seemed like the simplest. Making a simple blood contract will beat having to meet new people any day.

The instructions were quite clear. Recite a simple incantation after writing your intentions on a blank parchment paper in red ink. All of which had to be performed in a dark room with a mirror on a full moon. The only problem is the only room in your house with a mirror big enough is the bathroom. Hopefully, the demon doesn't mind being summoned into a bathroom. 

The only real negative here would be accidentally summoning a malicious spirit that would haunt the house. But then you remembered you live alone. So what if a spirit inhabits your house? It can’t be that hard to ignore it. That was the last piece of encouragement you needed. That demon is getting summoned.

You shoot your mom a text saying how you can’t wait to introduce your boyfriend to the family.

“I think I’m finally ready to introduce him to the family, we’ll be there for the next family dinner.”

The look on her face would have been priceless. Everybody thinks that you don’t have a boyfriend, and while that is correct soon it will be partially correct. The full moon is tonight and dinner is in two days. There was one thought that lingered in the back of your head.

What if the demon doesn’t cooperate with you?

What if it doesn’t want to enter a contract with you? That can’t happen, right? 

Worst case scenario you’ll just hire somebody. You make your way to the bathroom, holding the supplies in hand. Candles litter around the sink and you light them before the lights are turned off. 

The dull glow illuminates the room just enough so you can see what you’re doing. You pick up the piece of parchment to write down what you want from the demon.

“Allow me to summon a demon here to pretend to be my boyfriend” it’s very straightforward, but it gets the job done. The red ink drips on the paper looking akin to blood. “I hope this works” you murmur to yourself. 

The incantation falls from your lips like it’s second nature. A sudden chill drifts through the air. Your bathroom has no windows, so you conclude that something must be going on. 

The candles suddenly went out, leaving the room engulfed in darkness. Feeling the temperature drop heavily, you lightly shiver to try to acclimate to the chilly room.

A faint glow can be made out from the corner of the bathroom mirror. Two small blue circles standing directly behind you. The candles flickered on again, leaving you wondering what you just got yourself into. “Startled by candles love? Please, that's the oldest trick in the book” a voice calls out to you. You turn around, facing where the blue light is coming from. The figure gives a slight chuckle, seeing your exasperated state. Warm ginger hair and freckled skin can be made out on the being. 

You grasp around the room trying to find the light switch, but before you can find it the lights are turned on already. A slender hand grasps yours, shaking it lightly. “I am the demon Known as Tartaglia, but you can just call me Ajax, sweetie” he shoots you a small wink, giving you just enough time to analyze his figure. 

He’s a little taller than you and has to look down slightly. However, he does have this sort of attractive air to him with a small smile present. “So I heard you wanted a demon to pretend to be your boyfriend. It takes guts to summon one of us.” You’re unable to say anything, so you stay silent. You don’t wanna start stuttering and embarrassing yourself. “What’s your name hun?” Ajax breaks the silence, startling you a bit. You didn’t even notice that he had moved you into your living room, sitting you both on the couch. Are you that entranced by him? Sure he was conventionally attractive, but could you fall in love with a demon? 

“Are you gonna answer me? I don’t have all day sweetheart” his voice snapping you out of some thoughts. “Oh sorry, my name is-“ he suddenly cuts you off by pressing his finger lightly to your lips. “Never mind honey, I’ll just keep using these cute little names” Ajax’s hand goes to cup your cheek as his other hand you a small tablet. “We stopped using blood contracts years ago. We do everything digitally now” gesturing you to go ahead and sign your name, his hand leaves your cheek and goes to hold around your lower back. 

Maybe it’s the touch-starved part of you talking, but part of you wants to lean into his touch more. His hair framed his as he leans into you, frowning slightly at the sight of the unsigned contract. “Just sign here and I’ll give you whatever you want” did they send a flirty demon by accident or did he read your intent?

“I have a quick question.” He hums in response. You place your finger on the tablet getting ready to sign it. “Did you know my intent, or are you just flirty 24/7?” He laughs, not sure if you were serious. You give him a confused look and put the tablet down. “No, we can’t. When we’re being summoned we have no idea what the summoner will ask for” 

Ajax’s Demeanor changes into a slightly darker one as he grins. “Well, what did you have in mind sweetheart?” He leans into your ear, using his taller figure as an advantage. You shake your head feeling embarrassed. “It’s a silly reason really” he looks curious now, and his interest peaked.

“I want you to pretend to be my boyfriend so my family will stop bothering me” 

“Well that’s not what I was expecting, but I’m interested.

You had a feeling that’s what he was going to say. From his actions and suggestive way of speaking, you speculated he wasn’t gonna say no. You pick up the tablet and don’t bother reading any of the fine print. Normally that’s not a very good idea, but you were desperate. With that, you sign your name at the bottom and hand it back to Ajax.

He takes it from your hands and smiles. “Thanks, hun, now I hope you know you can’t get rid of me now. It says in the fine print” Yup, you should have read it. Now you’re stuck with him for presumably all eternity. 

“Any particular reason you resulted to summoning demons to fix this problem?” He was amused, demons probably don’t get many requests like this. “It seemed easy” you replied without a second thought. “Any boyfriendly duties I have to perform for you?” His hand was back around your waist, gripping it lightly. The tablet was gone, and the sun had started to come up. “Well, I do need you to attend this family dinner with me.” 

“Seems easy enough, how hard can that be?”

-

You stand in front of your parent’s door, splitting headache due to the chaos you’re sure is about to ensue. “You remember the story right?” Ajax squeezes your hand lightly as reassurance and gives you a small smile. “Of course, you’ve said it to me a hundred times sweetie” you take a deep breath in and knock on the door with your free hand. 

“Oh look who it is! The boyfriend is here too!” Your mom exclaims, and the rest of the family crowds the door. Maybe you should have warned him how large your family is. “Mama stop, that’s embarrassing.” You swat your hand at her and your dad interjects. “Oh nonsense, your mom is just proud of you that’s all!” He laughs. Ajax doesn’t really do much except smile and nod with occasional answers. He left most of the talking to you. 

Perhaps he likes the sound of your voice. He does subtle romantic things like resting his hand on your thigh and playing with your hair. You’re getting quite used to him and this dinner is going great. On the plus side your parents seem satisfied, and let you two leave without any quarrels.

“So what do you think?” You turn to him after you leave the house. Ajax grabs both of your hands and holds them tightly in his, smiling. 

“I think I’m gonna enjoy being your boyfriend”

“What part of fake did you not understand?”

“Do you want this to be fake?”

Ajax presses a small kiss to your cheek. “I didn’t think so either.”

[bagheerita]

Gotta know what "Long Forgotten Light at the end of the World" is because that title SLAPS

Doesn't it though??? ❤️❤️❤️ 

"Long Forgotten Light at the End of the World" is my John/Todd historical AU, because I an utterly obsessed with historical AUs, and none of the SGA ones that I can find have Wraith characters. 

@aintgonnatakethis asked me about this one too, so click here for more rambling about the premise/backstory and a few pages from chapter 1, which tells what Todd's up to.

Or read below the cut for 4 more pages, now from chapter 2, introducing Sheppard (& Co)!! 

The winter day was dreary and overcast as John Sheppard walked down Queen's Boulevard. The weather rather suited his mood, as his morning business had not developed in the way he had wished and bright sunshine would have felt like salt in the wound. He ducked his head against the bustle of the street, and tried to ignore the Wraith passing him in carriages. In the day to day of his life in the army he could at least pretend that he and his fellow soldiers fought for reasons that had nothing to do with the Wraith or their Queen. But that had been stripped from him, and it was the Wraith’s fault.

He walked quickly to his destination and was at the turn onto Gold Street before he had time to truly stew on the subject of his misfortune. Which was all to the good, as Teyla possessed an absolutely prescient ability to know when his thoughts had strayed to darker topics, and he hated to bear her looks of disappointment after she had been so generous with him. 

Three houses down Gold Street was the Miller's, and he mounted the broad steps with easy familiarity. While not in the best area of town, finding better accommodations would have required calling on Colonel Caldwell, or- even worse- his brother David. Either would have come with certain obligations that John was not eager to engage; he would have felt further indebted to the Colonel who had already done too much for him, and an appeal to David, to his family, would have meant submitting to yet more scorn concerning his discharge and the determining of a course for his future that he knew could only be filled with unhappiness. Teyla's knowing looks were easier to bear and her aspirations for his future were, if often frustrating, more welcome. He thought her of a better moral fiber than his family in any case, and worth aspiring to please. And his other housemates were also of a company much to be preferred.

John opened the front door and stepped inside. The foyer was lit from high windows in the rear wall which let light fall in, over the staircase that led to the upper floors, and down to the doorway. When the weather was overcast, as it often was, the arrangement lent a somber, mysterious aura to the space, which Teyla felt was good for business. The dark alcove below the staircase, from which Ronon insisted on watching the door, was currently brightly lit by an oil lamp situated on the corner of Ronon's desk. The desk was a huge block affair, an old partner's desk he'd salvaged from some bankers and had dragged into the front corner, where he often sat sharpening knives. After he'd frightened too many visitors this way, Teyla had insisted on the expense of the lamp if he was going to have his knives out. John didn't think a single oil lamp illuminating a six foot man with wild hair and a desk full of knives, and with Ronon's piercing glare, was any more comforting of a greeting than dimness and the sound of a blade against leather, but then it hadn't been his decision. 

The lamp was burning cheerily today, the light glinting off the lace-hooks of his boots where they were perched on the corner of the desk as Ronon looked up with his usual glare. He grunted, his expression softening when he saw it was John. 

His sharp-eyed gaze glittered as much as the knife's edge he was honing. The light of the lamp also caught the alabaster of his waistcoat buttons; a coat was nowhere in evidence, but that was not unusual as Ronon thought them overly formal and an encumbrance. "How did it go?" he asked.

John grunted in his own turn. "It didn’t. As you predicted." He took off his hat and overcoat. 

Ronon's responding grunt took on a flavor of self righteousness. 

John rubbed a hand through his hair. "I know. You were right." He sighed.  "I thought-" He shook his head. "It doesn't matter." 

Ronon swung his long legs down from where they were draped over the desk. "You wanted to do something for Teyla," he observed. "Help her with the business."

John flushed. It was true, and he'd too often had his sentiment used against him; having it remarked upon at all made him defensive. 

But Ronon was not like the stone-faced generals who'd sat in judgment of him, and even less like the wild-eyed Wraith who were the reason he'd lost everything in the first place. Ronon had also been a beneficiary of Teyla's generosity, and knew the urge she inspired, to treat others in kind. 

"It seemed the least I could do," John allowed. 

Ronon nodded, like the feeling was perfectly understandable, but said, "I think she'd rather have had you here." 

John laughed without amusement, but couldn't hold back a genuine smile. "I do believe you're right." He wasn't comfortable with his newly discovered abilities and usually attempted to avoid her requests for his assistance in matters of that nature, though if she'd been seeking him this morning his ability to evade her had been a happy accident.

Ronon leaned back, watching him for a moment, then nodded. He directed a long look up the staircase and added, "She's been having trouble with McKay." 

Taken off guard, John laughed more easily. "Ahh, I see, I'm valued as a mediator." 

Ronon grunted, though it was a fond sound. "He's had a letter from the Scot, sent him into a whole fit. He's been burning things all day. She just got him to stop half a mark ago or you'd have smelt it the minute you walked in." 

John sighed. Rodney McKay owned the building and had been generous enough to not only give Teyla space for her business dealings but to allow Teyla and her foundlings, as Rodney called them, to take rooms there. Since the arrangement had begun, John had learned that McKay wasn't the easiest individual to live with, which made his generosity make more sense; engaging boarders in the usual manner in an environment where one periodically exploded, burned, dissected, and otherwise tested the bounds of the physical properties of objects would definitely not have been an easy prospect, even without considering how the neighborhood had fallen into disrepute in the last century. Though as he turned to mount the stairs, John chided himself for the thought. Rodney had a very generous spirit, however much it was often buried under an acerbic tongue and self-interested mien.

He heard the front door open behind him, and paused at the turning of the stairs to see who it was. Teyla's clients were their only usual visitors; that and the post boy whipping back and forth to deliver Beckett's and McKay's correspondence, though if Rodney had recently had a letter it couldn't be that. 

It was a pair of young women. The first one was a honey blonde with a determined expression in her blue eyes. John was thrice removed from knowing the intimacies of current fashion- by profession, inclination, and having been shunned by his family and thus the ton- but he recognized the woman's gown as fashionable; the opulence of the mantua style combined with its simplicity had made it popular with young women who preferred needing less assistance in getting in and out of their clothing, a good ten years ago. It was a dress that had cost some money, even if it wasn't current: either she was the daughter of a noble family, or she was employed by a Wraith. Something about her made him want to guess the latter, though most Wraith had little interest in beautiful young women. 

John was somewhat shocked to realize he knew the second woman. Lieutenant Laura Cadman was wearing the formal uniform of an active duty member of Her Majesty's Royal Corp. Female members, only allowed since the Wraith descended at the turn of the last century, were given uniforms that preserved their modesty: a long skirt, wool in the current climate, and a high necked bodice with sleeves past the elbow; a compromise between the ton that the Wraith had allowed to remain and the Queen's proclamation that limiting access to any service on the basis of gender was absurd when all humans were equally lesser in her eyes. Cadman's uniform was deep blue, noting her as a member of the Scientific Reserve Force.

Her eyes went to him first, so John greeted her, "Lieutenant Cadman." 

"Sheppard," she replied. Her smile was thin and wry. The title she wanted to give him but couldn't perched on her lips but died unspoken. John wanted to appreciate the informality of the greeting as much as he hated the way any greeting forced the truth into the open- that he had been dismissed from the service. If not for Colonel Caldwell stepping in he'd likely be dead now, sent with the Queen's jubilee tribute, for what he'd done; or, what he'd failed to do. All in all, his gratitude and the pain evened each other out and left him feeling annoyed. "What are you doing here?" 

She cleared her throat. "Jennifer, this is Mister John Sheppard. May I present Miss Jennifer Keller."

John sighed. He should walk back down and greet them properly, but he didn't want them here. Instead, he gestured and introduced, "Ronon Dex."

Ronon looked amused by the whole undertaking and saluted them with one of his knives. The society woman, Keller, looked doubtful, but John was honestly surprised she hadn't fainted or recoiled from Ronon. 

"I'm looking for someone named Teyla," Keller said. She raised an eyebrow at John and Ronon as if she wasn't sure she'd come to the right place. 

"What for?" Ronon asked. 

"I have a friend who needs help with something," Keller answered.

John snorted at her deliberate vagueness. 

Ronon grunted. "You don't get to Teyla without telling me who gave you her name." He looked at John. "And if Sheppard knows you, then only if he says you're okay."

Keller's expression widened. "I don't know Mister Sheppard, but I was given Teyla's name by a Doctor Carson Beckett." She pulled a letter out of her handbag and held it up with one gloved hand. 

Ronon took it from her with a quick movement of fingers; John admired that she didn't even flinch as he loomed over her, though Cadman watched Ronon suspiciously. Ronon looked to Sheppard.

John sighed. "Cadman's alright," he admitted. 

She smiled. "Thanks, Shep." 

Unwillingly, John felt a grin pull at his mouth. 

"Letter's in the Scot's hand." Ronon nodded decisively. "I'll put them in the blue room. You get Teyla."

John nodded in turn, and continued up the stairs.

He knocked lightly at Teyla's door but when there was no answer he continued down the hall to Rodney's lab. 

Opening the door filled the hall with the overwhelming scent of burned ink, which had previously been faint. 

John coughed. "McKay?" The entryway was narrow, bracketed by tall bookcases, the path inside winding between them before diverging to the lab on the left and a small sitting area to the right.

"Yes, yes," Rodney said loudly. "I did it a purpose, the results have  been very informative, and I will not burn the house down." He peered out from behind a bookcase overflowing with scientific pamphlets. "Oh, Sheppard." Rodney blinked. "Have you been out?"

"Yes. I just got back."

"Ah, of course. I don't recall your presence at the height of the conflict but," he stepped out and gestured to the laboratory behind him, "I assure you, burning the papers was quite informative as to the inks' properties, and I have the delight of informing Carson that he is inaccurate in his surmising that his ink qualifies as 'invisible'." He sniffed derisively. "It's almost easier just writing in cypher. Though not as entertaining, I suppose." He grinned.

John had to grin back. "Have you seen Teyla?"

"I am here, John," she said. Her voice was patient, and laced with amusement. 

"You have visitors," he said as he peered around the stacks of shelves and found her seated comfortably on the Camelback that dominated the small sitting area, her feet tucked under her as she sipped a cup of coffee. 

"Business?" she inquired. 

John nodded. "They have a letter of introduction from Beckett."

Rodney snorted, but disappeared back into his laboratory. 

Teyla smiled. "You are finished with the experiment, correct Rodney? I'd like to warn our guests if they should expect any strange odors or sounds." 

Rodney snorted again, calling from the other room, "You know very well I'm finished and am noting my findings." He appeared in the door, scowling, but asked pleasantly enough, "How was your morning, Sheppard?" 

"Unproductive." John couldn't help adding, "I thought you hadn't remembered."

"I remembered," he said defensively. "I just forgot it was today." He frowned. "I'm sorry that it didn't pan out." He turned away suddenly, busily looking for something; John suspected it was a cover for realizing he hadn’t meant to discuss the issue in front of Teyla- she was looking down at her cup, too wise by half- but Rodney found a crumpled jacket where it had fallen behind a precarious stack of papers and frowned at it. “Give me a moment, and I’ll meet you there.”

“Are you coming down, Rodney? Splendid.” Telya smiled with real pleasure and rose to kiss his cheek.

John offered his arm and escorted her down the stairs.

[otherworldseekers]

FFXIVwrite 2023 prompt 13: Check

So here's the second scene of my brand new modern/university/fun with fantasia AU which I'm not sure what to call yet. If you missed the first scene (which was my last FFXIVwrite entry) it is here.

It was the end of the work day and Nero Scaeva, owner of Scaevan Robotics, closed the door to his office behind him. In the break room employees were collecting their belongings and preparing to leave. All except one. Wedge, an intern and student at the local university, was loudly boasting about his significant other and the skills she would be demonstrating that night in a concert of some sort. 

“She’s got the voice of an angel!” Wedge proclaimed, the sappiest of expressions on his face. “You should all come and listen. She’s really going to be something someday. Famous! It’s a chance not to be missed!”

Most of the others simply laughed off the young Lalafell, but Wedge was not discouraged. He turned and saw Nero. “Boss! Boss! You should come too!”

“That’s right, boss. Go get an eyeful of all the pretty college kids while you still can get away with it,” one of the other engineers jeered.

Nero scowled. He had no interest in college kids or anyone a decade younger than him. “I’m afraid I’m busy tonight.”

“Are you really?” A new voice pushed through the end of day chaos. 

“Garlond, what are you doing here?” Nero demanded. Cid Garlond was the owner of Garlond Ironworks, and his rival in all things business and beyond. “I told you to stop acting like this place is yours.”

“Oh, I was waiting out front for you, Nero, but I heard the commotion your young protege was making and thought I might be able to help." He crossed his arms and stared Nero down. “Tell me, what exactly are your plans then?”

Nero’s scowl deepened. Of course he didn’t have any plans but going home, having some dinner and a glass of vodka or two, and sitting by the fireplace with a stack of project reports. Like every evening. He rarely went out. When it did, it was usually with Garlond himself, and the other man knew it perfectly well.

“I’d wager my superior booth placement at the tech expo coming up that you’ve nothing going on,” Cid said smugly. 

Nero’s scowl was turning downright dangerous. “You know perfectly well that you only got that booth placement because your father-”

“Well, Nero? Tell us about your pressing engagement,” Cid pushed. 

Wedge was looking up at Nero with glistening eyes, as if he couldn’t believe his boss would lie to him. 

“Fine,” Nero growled. “It would be an honor to see your lovely girlfriend perform, Wedge. But I’m not exactly welcome at the university, you know.”

The debacle between Nero and the Faculty of the Science department of the college was well known but seldom discussed. Mostly because the subject made Nero fly into a rage. But every new intern heard the story from the long time employees. 

“Oh,” Wedge said, his shoulders slumping. 

“As it happens…” Cid spoke up and pulled a bottle from his pocket. Nero gave him a quelling glare which he ignored. “I have with me an interesting little formula that recently came out of the chemistry department at the U. They wanted my opinion on its viability as a commercial product.”

“Oh!” Wedge perked up. “Is that fantasia?”

“The same,” Cid proclaimed. “And, Nero, it will make you a changed man.”

Nero scoffed. “Fantasia? What kind of rubbish is it?”

“I haven’t seen it used yet, but as I understand it, it allows you to choose an entirely new appearance and metamorphosizes you into that appearance until you drink another dose.”

“That’s right,” said Wedge. “You can choose your race, your gender, all your features. It’s amazing!”

“Garlond, you’re not seriously suggesting I use this snake oil?” Nero sneered. 

“Boss, my best mate, Biggs, helped work on it. It’s not snake oil!” Wedge insisted. “And it would solve our problem. If no one recognizes you, you can come to the recital with no problem!” He positively beamed. 

Nero took a few calming breaths. This was all Garlond’s fault. They both knew that Garlond was trying his hardest to poach Wedge from Scaevan Robotics, and they both knew what Wedge was tempted. After all, Biggs worked for the Ironworks. It was a war between them, just like everything else. Only this time Nero was at a disadvantage. He needed to keep Wedge happy. 

“Very well, Wedge,” Nero reluctantly agreed. “I’ll take the fantasia. I’ll go with you to the recital.”

“Boss!” Wedge said with emotion. “I promise you won’t regret it!”

Nero grabbed the bottle from the smirking Garlond. 

“Have fun, Nero,” said Cid. “I’ll come check on you in the morning and you can tell me all about it.”

[livebloggingmydescentintomadness]

You’re probably not going to see this, but as a teen that started following you for ace/aro posts, your takes on purity culture and antis have been really important to me. To be honest I haven’t cared about proship/anti discourse in years and find the terms to be reductive and oversimplifying but I’m so sick of seeing call outs in my social circles that sum up to “this person that is open about the fact they like dark content likes dark content!” Like, I thought you didn’t WANT to interact with them, why are you mad that they’ve made their beliefs clear enough for you to block?

I’d never harass someone over fake people that don’t exist but I guess I have pretty “anti” tastes- pairings between a 16 year old and an 18 year old are enough to squick me out and my current fandom has a very popular incest subculture which is. A lot. But at the same time subjects like grooming and SA/CSA recovery are very fascinating to me, and your posts have helped me shake off the guilt I have about that and fear of being seen as an abuse apologist if I write fics about those topics.

I don’t really know where I’m going with this. Just, thank you, I guess. I hope you have a good day/night/whenever you read this :)

hello, dear, i'm so glad that my blog could be helpful to you <3

i agree with you that the anti/proship terminology does kind of feel like it trivializes really important issues, but please allow me to clarify one thing - being "proship" has nothing to do with WHAT you ship and everything to do with HOW you ship. it's not about taste, it's about philosophy.

i actually have pretty vanilla tastes myself; i typically avoid most dark fic, i'm not really into kink, i don't usually like "dead dove" type content, and most of my ships are not particularly controversial. the only incest ship that doesn't gross me out is thorki, because like, they're millennia-old alien space gods based on north mythology; incest is kinda the least weird thing going on there. i have a few ships that could be called abusive, like erik/christine from the phantom of the opera, but generally speaking, my tastes are tame and i just like a good fic with some tasty angst , a little sappy smut, and a happy ending.

however, i understand that other people ARE into all the stuff i'm not into, and it's none of my business what they enjoy, and, critically, my discomfort with those works does not matter, no more than it dictates what i choose to engage in and what i choose to avoid.

my discomfort with darkfic doesn't mean people who like darkfic are immoral, or that darkfic itself is immoral. it means that i don't read darkfic. i understand that my comfort and discomfort are not the moral code of the universe, and furthermore, that a quest for "moral purity" is not only impossible, but actively harmful. a lesson i learned quite well growing up in the baptist church.

using the title of 'proshipper' doesn't mean that i personally like "problematic" ships or whatever, it means that i find harassing people over their fictional tastes reprehensible. it means that i understand that there's a big, big difference between what you enjoy reading in fiction and what you approve of or endorse in real life, and that part of the purpose of fiction is to give us a safe place to explore dark, fucked up shit where it won't have real-world consequences. fiction is an outlet, not a mirror.

even if i personally find the content deeply disturbing, i understand that it is simply none of my fucking business what other people read and write about, provided that they tag the content properly. that's being proship.

anyway, i'm glad that i could help relieve you of your guilt. take care, dear.

[cynthiav06]

I don't know if you're taking story requests, but I hope you won't turn down my suggestion to write a one-part humanfanfic. Subject: Hayley Marshall is the only daughter of a poor family. When she was only 13 years old, her parents were killed because of a debt they couldn't pay, leaving her completely alone. But the situation will soon change. King Mikael's servants found the young girl sleeping on a bench outside and immediately brought her to King Mikael. This allowed Hayley to receive the necessary training and become the first female bodyguard in King Mikael's palace. From the age of 13 until he was 18, she was Lord Klaus' bodyguard. Hayley had managed to maintain her professionalism over the years, but her feelings confused her. Could it be that she has romantic feelings for Klaus, who is feared by everyone, trapped by rules, and who must soon marry a lady he does not love for the good of his people?

While I am busy with studies, I would never turn down such a kind request. Though I'm not sure it could be wrapped up in one part. But we will see.

Part 1

Hayley

He was late, Prince Klaus was late. Again. There were two rumors circulating to explain this. Either he does it purposefully to spite his father, or he really engages in a sex spree at night, leaving him exhausted in the morning. And if Hayley knew anything about him at all, she would bet it was the former. Her contract for being a bodyguard was almost at its end. With whatever money she had saved over the years; she could use that to leave for someplace else, be free, and see the world for herself. Why, then, did the thought of leaving elicit a pang of pain at every instance she thought of it. But now was not the time to be daydreaming of yet unachievable destinations.

With a long suffering sigh, she threw open the door to the prince's room. This would usually be an assured invitation for certain death but being privy to his personal life for so long a time of being his bodyguard had earned her some privileges and Klaus had no business telling her when to walk in his chambers if he counted on her to do the protecting.....

The thought vanished as soon as it spurred by the sight she just walked in on. Klaus, half-naked, clad in a towel,his hair partially drenched. Yes, she had seen this sight before, yes she should have been used to it but was she? She will be damned if she said yes. There was something alluring about him, even when countless people deemed him the personification of darkness. "After all, one must never mistake the allure of darkness. Even the purest hearts are drawn to it." It was something Klaus used to spout from all those philosophy texts he read just to criticise the writers on their limited understanding of human emotions.

"What's the matter little wolf? It's nothing you haven't seen before." A lopsided smile with those stunning blue eyes sparkling in mischief motivated Hayley to look away, her face heating in embarrassment for spacing out while staring at him and also due to the sight of his....

What in the devil's name was wrong with her?She was his bodyguard, not one of the flirtatious maids in the castle that swooned at the sight of him despite fearing him. Not one to lose, she quipped back equally as fast: " Not new but definitely soon to be extinct if you choose to while around and make us late for the fifth time this week to the King's daily briefings."

The sparkle in his eyes snuffed out at the mention of the King. A colder tone overtook his next response, "Yes, yes the ever important briefings from my father which are but his ruse to bare my inability to rule to the lot of his ministers and rub it in my face every other chance he gets. While I would love nothing more than to meet a swift end and be rid of these by all means let us hurry."

"Why are you yelling at me? Listen here Klaus, it's one thing to be furious at your father and entirely another to take it out on me. It's my job to do what King Mikael asks of me and I will not be made to deal with your temper tantrums." What an infuriating bastard Klaus was but she understood. With how much Mikael controlled his life, these little ways were his only means of rebellion, something his father couldn't punish him for since the meetings were public.

Klaus

He didn't like taking his anger out on Hayley, but usually it was too late by the time he was done with it. It's infuriating how she keeps drawing the line between them, keeping up that flimsy facade of professionalism. Despite all the years they have spent together, she so readily dismisses it as her job. He could still remember the first time they met:

"Boy, this is Hayley. She will be your bodyguard. No questions asked, boy. Learn a thing or two about fighting from the girl Niklaus. It just might elevate you to that of a soldier's level of expertise in fighting. " He had decided he would loathe the girl. No servant of his father was an ally of his. And a woman, no a girl, would protect him. It enraged him beyond any sense that he Klaus Mikaelson, the only heir of the warrior Dynasty, was being looked down upon by not only his father but not he had added some girl to the list. "You, I don't care what your name is, I do not require your services. You and I shall spar, and when I emerge victorious, you shall relay this to my father and have your services offered elsewhere."

He hadn't looked at her properly before but she certainly had a unique appearance. Brunette hair and eyes like nothing Klaus had ever seen. Hazel green. There was a spark of fury and resolve when he declared his challenge, and to his astonishment, the girl had the audacity to roll her eyes. "If, Prince, if. " And no one had ever made his title sound so much like an insult before. If he wanted to prove his father wring before, now he wanted the girl humiliated. How dare she assume such a tone with him.

So spar they did. And Klaus had never in his entire life proven so wrong. She fought with so much ferocity that it reminded him of a wolf cub he had taken in when he found it injured and had raised it into a wolf only for his father to butcher it. There was no clear winner, but Klaus might as well admit he had lost, given how exhausted he looked compared to her. "Ugh, were you in military training, too? Why the hell do you need a bodyguard if you fight this well? The king is nuts." He shut her mouth by slamming his hand over it. Did she have a death wish, and did she just call his father nuts? "Don't say that in open little wolf." She had taken such offense to that nickname, but he had an inch or two over her in height and was definitely more built. He would find out in passing years that the vpw he had made of loathing her would turn out to be impossible to uphold. Even then, and especially now. So as they both headed towards his father's court, he muttered in a voice only Hayley could hear, "Sorry, little wolf. Bad morning. I will make it up to you later." And for all her claims of hating that nickname, he could swear he saw her smile.

Hayley

By the time we greeted the King, all the Council members had settled themselves. There were more so than usual. What the hell was going on? She excused herself to her reserved position near Klaus's seat when King Mikael's booming voice thundered the words that somehow shattered her heart. "Niklaus, I have decided that you shall marry the Princess of Mystic Falls, Princess Caroline. Nuptials will take place two weeks from now."

That's all for part 1. Send me a query for part 2 as a reminder, and let me know if you actually like this.

[piece-of-the-pie-if]

Could I ask a prompt question? If not please just ignore this! I borrowed the bonus word for word from another blog so thank you to that anon lol 🩷

"📚 BOOKS - how were they at school? what is their best subject? what is their worst subject? do they have a favourite subject? BONUS: which clique do they fall under/are they in?"

Much thanks in advance

this was fun to think about, and very relevant!!

+little run down of the teachers and their subjects: professor bhart(history), mr thorp(math stats&trig), mrs halberd(math algebra), professor kiernan (chemistry), mr gigandet(p.e), mrs gigandet(p.e.), miss friek(physics), mr willingham(biology), professor lewis(social studies), mrs okoye(calculus), mr davidson(geometry), miss joubert(languages deutch&french), mr allon(language spanish&latin), mr cosi(languages german), mrs liao(language mandarin chinese), miss elphard(economics), mr dain(civics), mr darren(geography), mrs pollock(psychology) and professor grupnin(i.c.t). there are others too but... this is already long.

+let me know if you guys want to know more about the teaching faculty!

It's safe to say Dylan isn't the best at school, it's not that they don't like school or don't do the work──they just have different priorities that take president over studious things like math and science... Dylan's favourite subject will always be art and it's not just because it's the only subject they excel in──art being a creative outlet for them to channel their feelings into let's them be so laid-back and easygoing with the rest of their life, art is truly an escape and a paradise to them. Their worst subjects usually depend on what exactly is being taught... they're not bad at math but they're not good at algebra or trigonometry... they're not good at history but they know so much about the renaissance era. Their teachers usually affect their focus is class, teachers like Professor Bharti and Mr Willingham make it so engaging Dyl has no choice but the pay attention where as Mr Thorp or Miss Friek are not engaging at all and Dylan has to push themselves not to fall asleep in class!

Shay is kind of a difficult one to place. He's new, completely new to the American school system. Back in England he was fairly average, maybe above average in a few classes, but he's kind of been shoved in at the deep end right now. Technically Shay is overall good at academics, basics like math and the sciences he's got down, the subjective ones like history and english, not so much──he's got to relearn and catch up to a whole different curriculum which is hard! So I think it's a little harsh to call him bad at any subject... it's p.e. it's always been p.e──he's built like a bean sprout, a string bean. There's no stamina in those lungs, there's no muscle in those arms, he'd rather not crack a rib trying to run 100 feet, thank you very much! Shay's favourite subject is actually I.C.T or computing as the Americans call it, he's very good with the digital stuff! (and Professor Grupnin is so cool it's worth the pain of going through stuff he already knows!)

Kinsley is... Above Average. She has to be, her mother expects it. Her lowest scores are never below a C and she's always firmly in the top 10 of each class overall. She excels is civics/government as well as social studies but her favourite class would have to be art too──and not just because Dylan's there with her! Kinsley isn't particularly good at art but she loves painting, like her mother used to... Her worst subjects are actually the ones where communication and group work is essential, like her language class (mandarin chinese), or english and history because of the group work... Kin isn't the best... team player... but she's not a slouch either! It might take a while busy she does her piece, she can't bring (academic) disappointment to her family's name, you know.

In a shaking turn if events, J is actually the best performing in academics of the ROs! It started as a genuine interest is learning when they were young but was twisted into spite as they grew older and was told they would never amount to much by their father. J doesn't skip classes, especially for no reason, but with their reputation everyone thinks they pay nerds or beat up losers to do their assignments for them... J's teachers have never done anything about those rumours because when sitting tests and exams, J's always had some of the highest marks... there's no cheating off of someone who gets less marks than you... J's favourite class is history, full stop. Mainly because they're not interested in civics (government) or fictional stories (english) or fancy numbers they couldn't give less if a shit about. They like history because it's real, but it's also not at the same time, they like the challenge it brings to their mind, in what they believe history is about and if it's right. They also like p.e... mostly the running but they'd never admit it! (their worst class was government, they dropped it as soon as they could. They get enough politics at home to last them a lifetime!)

Theo tries their best at school, but it's a significant challenge when they're dyslexic. They're earnest in their enjoyment of school, as a shocker their best subject is math, specifically Mrs Okoye's calculus (because Theo is also in pre-calc!), because they're good at numbers, the numbers are straightforward and don't give them a headache just to look at. Their worst subject is probably a mix between the language (spanish) they dropped and psychology (which they're thinking of also dropping)... the big scientific words in psychology hurts their eyes and they always confuse terms, and the prospect of even comprehending english is hard enough let alone spanish! Theo's favourite subject... is the music elective with a non-teacher who comes in to... teach every thursday!

BONUS! What clique do they fall under?

Dylan──the popular by opinion clique, put there because of everyone else simply since they're so friendly and easygoing. If Dyl had to name their own clique they'd probably say something like the chill clique... because that's what they are.

Shay──the new person clique... that's to say he's too new to truly be apart of a 'clique'. Shay is quickly swept up by many different people which confused most others as to where he and his 'allegiances' should lie... He talks to both Dylan and MC daily pulling him into both the popular by association clique and the nobodies and nerds (by association) clique but he's also one of the few friendly with J placing him with the rebel kids and smokers club cliques too... maybe he should be part of the chill clique for being such the social butterfly!

Kinsley──the popular by choice and reputation clique and she's on top, at least from everyone else's perspective. She's powerful, as is her family. She's got connections. People aren't sure if they want to be Kinsley, be with her or be out of her sight! Her reputation is covered in ice, as cold as her stare and as unforgiving as her opinion of you... Though perhaps behind the scenes she's not the one pulling the strings and her facade is beginning to thaw.

J──J is a bit of an enigma at school. They're cool and therefore infamous, popular by default... but they're also scary, untouchable in a different Kinsley and Dylan are, unshakable in a different way that Shay is. Truly the embodiment of the rebel kids clique, part of the smokers clique on account that J is a smoker, not that they're friends with 'the smokers'. People tend to stay away from J simply because they don't know how J will react... some brave souls attempt to enter their circle, create a door in their walls but they're all shit down... Somehow Shay is an automatic exception and now MC is suddenly entering the ring too... it puts people on edge and the rumours we'll, they're flying.

Theo──the nobodies and nerds clique. Even though, like Kinsley, Theo's parents are powerful people they're not one for the spotlight. They trip over their words and are too anxious for they own good──they're perfectly fine living under the judgemental radar until they can get through the hellscape that is high school. That being said... being part of the nobodies part of this clique is a blessing... seeing as they don't get nearly as bullies as the losers clique. Theo often ponders if they're not there because of their parents or because they're not nearly enough of a loser to be worthy of the time to be bullied... (Theo ponders if it's because the nobodies and nerds clique are a group of close knit friends instead of lonesome losers... one person is less if a target they suppose.)

[zodiactalks]

Zodiac Signs Ranked from LEAST to MOST ROMANTIC

Oh, love! What a sweet feeling and what a joy when Cupid decides to point his arrow at us! Well, not everyone has such a pleasant experience with it.

There are some who find displays of affection distasteful, others who prefer to occupy their time with more interesting pursuits and some who simply regard love as a weakness.

Read on to find out which Zodiac Signs are the least to most romantic:

#1. Capricorn

Honestly, sometimes it appears that Capricorn has no feelings at all! They are so busy focusing on their career goals and ambitions that relationships seem like a mere waste of time. Falling in love will be their greatest challenge and life lesson, as they must learn to be more vulnerable and to openly show their passion for their loved ones to avoid losing them.

#2. Aquarius

Aquarians are very friendly, sociable, smart, and fun! However, they are very sharp and tend to rationalize all their feelings as if they were computers. They also cherish their freedom and consider relationships to be just like cages. That's why they are so detached from their emotions and not very romantic. Moreover, when dating, they tend to treat their partners the same way they treat their friends.

#3. Virgo

These Zodiac Signs firmly separate matters of the heart from those of reason. Their labyrinthine mind loves riddles, mathematical problems, science, among other subjects. Now, love is not something you can read in a book or understand through a chemical formula. It is so irrational that Virgos fail to understand what it is all about and ends up discarding it. When they fall in love, they do their best not to show it and go unnoticed most of the time.

#4. Gemini

Geminis take love as a fun ride! Instead of being romantic and affectionate, they show their significant other how much they love them through jokes, games, or engaging chats. It may not seem very tender, but it's just the way they express their excitement! After getting used to it, their lovers learn to appreciate its benefits. For example, none of their dates will be boring and as long as they are by their side, they will always be laughing.

#5. Aries

Although Aries is passionate, they don't have a lot of patience for romantic displays of affection. They tend to cut to the chase and show their love through concrete actions. So, forget about love poems or endless hugs while looking at the stars. With Aries, there is no need to waste time on cloying cuddles, in fact, this makes them anxious and impatient. Better to accept their fast pace and enjoy this energy in the privacy of the bedroom.

#6. Sagittarius

Sagittarians are not specifically romantic, but they know exactly how to lift their partner's spirits. So, if they notice their loved one is having a bad day, they will go out of their way to see them smile! From buying them ice cream, making them a playlist with their favorite music, or inviting them to watch a movie. Maybe they don't get them chocolates and roses every single day, but they do make an effort when it's required. If this is not love, then what is?

#7. Taurus

When Taurus plans a romantic gesture, it turns out to be the greatest one of all! The problem is that they perform these gestures very sporadically. With them, everything takes a long time, as they walk at a slow pace, and tend to put their ideas together with one at a time. So, yes, they are romantic, but they don't usually prove it too often! Still, their partners appreciate the extra effort they put into anniversaries and other special occasions.

#8. Libra

Libra lives for romance! They get excited about love stories and strive for their relationships to be as Hollywood movie-like as possible. They are amazing partners, always making sure their beloved feels loved and appreciated with their cute demonstrations of love. For example, surprise lunches, custom-designed gifts, couple massages, and so more! Anyone in a relationship with Libra can testify to this.

#9. Scorpio

Scorpio's passion for their beloved has no boundaries or restrictions! They don't fall in love easily, but when they do, their love burns as brightly as a thousand suns. Now, they may not show it in public, but they are very romantic and do everything to make their beloved aware of it. Their demonstrations of love are not exactly tender, but rather passionate and exuberant.

#10. Leo

Leo is a warm and expressive fire sign. They rejoice in love expressions, and the bigger the better! They have no shame in shouting to the world who is the lucky one to be by their side. Every brief encounter turns to be a special event to commemorate with gifts and love notes. As long as their partner appreciates these details, Leo will come back for more.

#11. Cancer

The only time a Cancer shows their vulnerable side is when they fall in love for the first time. That's when they drop their tough facade and bring out all the lovely feelings they hold inside! Every day is an opportunity to show their love for their sweetheart, treat them like royalty and tell them how lucky they are to have them.

#12. Pisces

As a water sign, Pisces tend to be very in tune with their feelings. That is why being romantic is as natural to them as breathing! As soon as they feel something for a special person, they start displaying their affection through poems, songs, paintings, even heartwarming text messages! Dating a Pisces is like living in a magical wonderland where no harm can befall them.

[just-emis-blog]

OC Interview Tag~

Thank you to @agirlandherquill @leahnardo-da-veggieand @drchenquill for the triple threat tag! ✨🌻

I'll be using Cai Park (the youngest [but biggest] brother of Bernard) from Artificial Bonds

Were you named after anyone?

During the process of adopting us, mother encouraged us to choose names for ourselves, since we were going by serial numbers at the time. My siblings were enthused, but I thought the entire endeavor tedious and unnecessary, so in an effort to be done with it faster I spat out the first couple of letters from one of the objects in my line of vision. Mother was pleased, but Lysander and Bernard knew exactly what I had done and were disappointed and moronically amused respectively. Lysander, being the most sensible of the two as usual, convinced me to change the spelling and pronunciation as an exercise in expressing my opinion and creativity. To this day, however, Bernard still calls me "Cayenne Pepper" whenever he wants to get a rise out of me. It works.

When was the last time you cried?

I do not engage in such frivolous activities.

[It was when a mother duck was ushering one of her lagging babies across a busy highway]

Do you have any kids?

I do have one child. There are those who might mistakenly call her a pet, simply because of the unimportant fact that she is a Komodo Dragon named Jessica. But let me ask you this; would a mere pet have access to three floors of the apartment building that you own? Of course not. Now, I know some might have opinions about parents who provide housing or other monetary aid for their adult children. But to them I say the job market is not nearly as lucrative nor secure as it was for previous generations. Basic needs like gas and rusa deer are already set at astronomical prices! Are we expect our youth to be able to afford their own housing as well? There is no shame in supporting your kids until they can stand on their own feet.

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

I see no point in playing verbal games. So what you mean, or rot.

What is the first thing you notice about people?

Their readiness for battle. Mind, your average person does not display the typical tells of being an experienced fighter or if their armed, but it is the first thing I check for during any interaction.

What is your eye color?

Dark brown. Nothing to write home about.

Scary movies or happy endings?

Happy endings. They seem to be a prevalent theme in all of the Barbie and Magical Girl OVAs that I watch, and I enjoy those.

Any special talents?

I do...many of which I am not very proud of. The one talent I have cultivated outside of my...time...before I was adopted, is building miniature dollhouses and furniture. It is a both lucrative and enjoyable practice, and necessitates little to no violence.

Where were you born?

Born is the incorrect term. Regardless, I do not know the location. That time in my life is...blurry.

Do you have any pets?

No. But I do have a child. Please see the above question pertaining to children.

What sort of sports do you play?

Contact sports were too risky to indulge in, but I was on our school's competitive Hula Hooping team. We won two years in a row and during my last year of school we competed in the National Hula League. I am certain that it was due to all of our team's efforts, but my colleague's are convinced that we made it so far due to me being the first human being to ever look intimidating while hula hooping.

How tall are you?

6'4". A perfectly respectful, not comparable to any of the AoT Titans, height. Bernard.

What was your favorite subject in school?

Art class, specifically ceramics.

What is your dream job?

My dream job was anything as separated from fighting as physically possible. Not because I fear I will be overcome with a thirst for violence, or that I have no control over myself. If I or my loved ones are threatened I will act accordingly.

In the past I was told that fighting was all I would be capable of doing. So, I suppose I have always wanted my career to be the exact opposite of that out of spite.

And I cannot think of anything more opposite than selling a multitude of tiny wares specifically for hamsters on Etsy. Nor more satisfying.

Tagging for funsies: @dyrewrites @the-golden-comet @the-ellia-west @mr-orion