#today the only thing stopping me is getting out of bed uuuugh

[lazaruscorpse]

wakes up on time and buys a bus ticket but then fails to get out of bed

rip

[leggomylino]

Sunrise | Hwang Hyunjin

 .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。 .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

Genre: Angst, Romance, Drama, Comedy

AU: Beauty and the Beast au

Pairing: Hwang Hyunjin x fem!reader

Word Count: ~26k

Warning(s): Minorly dark themes, vague mentions of suicide, sparse censored language

A/N: It’s finally done! <3 | For Kumi, my dear friend. <3

Playlist:

Lighthouse → Hope

forever rain → RM

Tag List: @hanniiesuckle17​ @distrikt9​ @hanstagrams​ @hyunsunq​ @smolboiseavey​ (let me know if you want to be added!)

ღ Stray Kids M.List | M.List ღ 

  .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。 .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

| Zero ❧

It was no lie that Hwang Hyunjin was what he was. A monster. A crook. A fiend. 

But had that been his fault? No. Had it been his intention to piss off the old hag who showed up at his doorstep looking for shelter, who also happened to be a witch?

...Well, yes, technically. But in his defense, he hadn’t known she’d been a witch. He just assumed she was another ex-royal his father’s company had put out of business, bankrupt and seeking reconciliation. Another pawn knocked off the chess board. 

So then was any of this really his fault? 

Not in the slightest.

Late November was when colorful bouts of leaves piled in the corners and around the front doors of Everain Palace, when icy winds took hold from north arctic fronts and chilled all those who inhabited it to the bone, or at least, those unfortunate enough to end up imprisoned in the steely corridors below. Dank, gray shadows fell over the surrounding dark atmosphere of the cold stone walls, seeping in elongated coverage that fell over the once festering city of New Amber, now reduced to nothing but a sickly small town until the return of the harvest season. If anyone even bothered coming back.

It was no secret why no one ever wanted to come back. Everyone knew about the curse. Rumors spread fast, and as the head of his father’s company Hyunjin couldn’t hide his scarred face forever. Afraid of becoming infected, afraid it would spread, half of the town vanished within the first few days. Another half of what was left disappeared over the course of the following two weeks, and the number of residents continued to dwindle even after that, until Hyunjin couldn’t even tell you how many remained as of today, six years later. Ten, maybe twelve royals, some small groups of peasants temporarily settling in until they too were told about the curse, and the dark secrets of the young man who lived beyond its walls.

He was once beautiful until he ticked off the wrong old lady. Now he lives out his days staring at a reflection of who he once was.

The part he hated the most was that he couldn’t deny it was the truth.

“Mirror!” he called, clapping his hands once, twice, three times. “Where is my mirror?! Where the hell did you put it this time?!?”

Begrudgingly with a sigh a shadow cascaded down along the stone wall, manifesting into something three-dimensional only a moment later. Blue hair fluttered softly around smooth, rounded features, a lone earring sparkling faintly in the pale moonlight, accentuating ripped jeans and the confines of a pitch-black hoodie. 

The whole ensemble was tacky and incredibly outdated. “Here…” His shadow said, holding out the small ornate mirror. His contractor grabbed it with anxious greedy hands, claws already beginning to form far too early thanks to the autumn equinox.

He paced away eagerly, collapsing to his corner of comforting feather downs and soft silk sheets, as he stared at a reflection of who he once was, who he used to be. How he would look today had he just pretended not to be home that ill-fated night.

“Jisung!” He barked, glaring angrily over his shoulder. “Come here.”

The boy-shadow sighed once more, nodding slowly as he had no right to refuse the man who had complete control over him. So he slowly sulked over toward the bed, shimmering at the seams as he passed through the inanimate threshold like a waking dream. Carefully his edges began to dissolve, bit by bit, until nothing but a faint air of smoke remained, settling dispersedly around the dim-lit bedroom.

Hyunjin never took his eyes off his past-in-the-present self, who only stared back at him with vacant, mournful eyes. “Show her to me.” he demanded, gently leaning a few inches forward. “Where is she?”

With careful swirls like a rippling tide the mirror faltered, spiraling and transforming the glass picture until the prince’s face was gone, the image of a girl taking his place.

Then another one. Then another one…

The mirror suddenly cracked. His hands tightened around the steel handle, a low growl resonating from behind parted lips curled up in a snarl.

“I’m sorry…” the mirror muttered, Jisung suddenly appearing out of the cracks to stand before him. “She’s still not here. I don’t know what you want me to do abo--”

“I don’t want you to do anything!” Hyunjin snapped, throwing down the mirror and shattering it into a million more pieces. “I just want her here! What’s taking her so long? Where is she?!”

“I--” Jisung winced as a few stray shards transpired through him, the feeling still foreign even after all these years and past mirrors similarly broken. “...I think these things just take time--”

“Time?! TIME?!?” Hyunjin was beyond livid. The moment he stood his servant shrunk back, nearly folding himself into the safe confinements of the old chiseled walls. “Time is something I don’t have. You know this, Jisung. If this goes on any longer I’ll…” His voice trailed off and he gulped, snatching a fistful of hair in his sharp dark claws. “...Why isn’t she here yet? What are you not telling me?”

“Telling you? Wha--”

“Shut up and answer me!” He demanded, slamming the boy against the wall. The poor guy would have sunken through had he, again, not been under such a binding spell. Instead the only thing he could do was resentfully comply, doing all he could to spitefully avoid eye contact. 

“I’m sorry, Hyunjin. I don’t know--”

“You’re working with her, aren’t you?” Hyunjin continued with narrowed eyes. He began to shake him, tightening his chokehold around the boy’s throat. 

Jisung gasped a bit, nails gritting against the echoing stone walls. “I-I really don’...” He tried to choke out. “...I really don’t know. I swear. Honest.”

“Lies.”

The tightening intensified. Jisung felt like he was nearly going to burst.

That’s when he’d gotten the idea.

“Y-You’re right! I lied! I know where she is!”

The moment he was let go Jisung gasped for breath, grateful as the heavy sinking feeling of doom left his vacant bones. Hyunjin blinked once, twice before narrowing his eyes again, taking a careful step back. 

“...I knew you were lying to me. Where is she?”

After holding up his hand for breath, his shadow slowly looked up from his knees, straightening and readjusting his strange, stretchy cufflinks of the hooded cloak he wore. “She’s lying dormant somewhere. I can get her for you.”

“Where?”

“Under...erm,” He awkwardly coughed. “...O-Over that way...out yonder.” 

Hyunjin didn’t seem very keen on the way his servant waved his hand dismissively in the random direction of “out yonder”; but it was a risk he was willing to take. He was desperate. Three more days and...and…

“Fine,” he answered at last, lavishly turning his cape away from him to pace towards the half-opened window. “You have until sunrise to bring her to me. I won’t wait a moment longer.”

“Wha?! But she--”

“Fine! Twenty-four hours. And you better return with the right one, or else.”

He gave a precise gaze over the slender curve of his princely shoulders, and that was all it took for his shadow to sink out of sight into the folds of stone-pressed cement below, the clouds blotting out the last rays of moonlight around them.

| One ❧

“Y/n~ Y/n, hurry up!! C’mon, we’re gonna be late!!”

“Yes, yes, I’m coming…”

Your friend Rei ran another ten yards ahead, impatiently stopping for the umpteenth time for your slow-leisurely pace to match up. “Uuuugh, c’mon already!”

“I said I’m coming…!”

...Sheesh. 

Autumn season. It was the time when the leaves changed their colors, one final requiem of individuality before fluttering away in the cool breeze, carried off somewhere to decompose and fall victim to the circle of life. It was also the time you and your friend Reiya, who you casually referred to as just Rei, spent all hours of the short-lived days travelling from village to town, in order to sell the wares of your fathers’ goods. They were both merchants, you see; it’s how the two of you had met, many years ago. But they were old now, the circle of life creeping up on them as well, and since all the men in your town were either taken or losers not worth your time, each of you vowed to take over the family business, carrying it wherever the wind decided.

...And anyway, neither of you were interested in the prospects of marriage; being tied down? And taking orders from some mustached buffoon? ...No thanks. It’s not that you hated the idea of settling down, just...not in your town. Not at your age. Not yet.

This way, things worked out well-- you and Rei got to travel the continent, avoiding arranged marriage and spending time in each other’s company selling your fathers’ wares and in turn, helping them out. They were free to enjoy a peaceful retirement while you added memories of wondrous places and escaped the evil clutches of a life tied down to a broomstick and a kitchen stove. It was perfect.

...Except for days like now, when you’d both woken up late and were at risk of losing a good place to set up shop. Your bad this time.

“Hurry up!!” Rei whined, doing her famous one-tap-two-step-hurry-up dance. The balls of her slippered feet hardly touched the stone pavement of the path leading to the city, her arms flapping like a chicken as she readjusted the triple-stacked backpack of goods from falling off her bony shoulders. “Let’s go let’s go let’s go!!”

“I told you, I’m coming!” You groaned, having been stuck with cart duty. It may have been nearly empty, but it sure didn’t feel like it. Normally it took two people to steer, in addition to horsepower by your trusted steed, Carrots, but unfortunately…

Carrots had too many carrots last night. And she wasn’t doing so well. 

It wasn’t serious, but it would be at least another few hours before she got it out of her system, so this blissfully unfortunate morning it was you and Rei having to wing it...with you having pulled the short end of the stick.

“Nnnneiiigh,” Carrots groaned from behind you. You gave her a gentle pat while trying your best to nudge the cart over the last hill. 

“It’s alright, girl. We’re almost there. Just a little farther.”

She let out a whine, almost seeming to nod in understanding.

“Ahh, hurry!” Rei called again, making haste for the city gate’s checkpoint line. All merchants and traveling businessmen (or women) were required to have their items evaluated and checked by city officials before being licensed a temporary warrant to sell.

When you made it to the top of the hill, already out of breath, you deflated-- then just about fell over when you saw how long the line was.

Oh man. This is all my fault. We shouldn’t have stayed up so late…

“You look like you could use a hand.”

You turned around to find a tall...ish, slender boy, with hair the color of chocolate and big, round eyes to match. A single silver earring hung from his right ear. “Oh, uh, that’s okay…”

“...Han,” he clarified, gripping one side of the cart. “Han Jisung. Just let me handle this. You should probably go help your friend; she looks like she’s about to fall over.”

You peered around the other side of the small wagon to see that, indeed, Rei was playing a game of balance, swaying a bit too far this way and that as she wobbled on flat calloused feet toward the back of the long line. But you? Leaving your father’s shop in a stranger’s hands? Even if it was in a populated area, and he did seem genuine…

“That’s okay.” You told him, grabbing tighter onto your side. “I can take it myself, I’m used to it. Thank you for the offer, though.”

“...” He blinked at you a moment, doing nothing at all but staring. Just when you were considering calling for Rei to come back, though, he laid off, tossing smooth hands in the air before shoving them in the front pocket of the strange cloak he wore. “Alright, alright. Didn’t mean to scare you or anything. If you insist, I’ll be on my way.”

He let go, and you felt the full weight of the cart pull your body downward, gravity affecting you in the worst way. ...Maybe…

“Um, hold on!” You shouted, and he stopped a quarter of the way down the hill, glancing up at you expectantly from over his left shoulder. Curse him. “Yeah?”

“...” You set your pride and suspicions aside. “...It would actually...well, I wouldn’t mind if you wanted to help. Just to the base of the hill.”

His eyes did the smiling for him, and was back at your side in seconds, taking the right flank while you managed Carrots and the left.

“Mind if I ask you something?” He pipped just steps later, eyes peering at you from over the cart as he jumped like a small puppy trying to see over a counter space. You groaned.

“I suppose I have no choice, so, sure. What is it?”

“Well…” He was beginning to mumble. “I know this may seem kind of sudden but, I have this...friend…”

“No.”

“Huh?”

The cart stopped rolling, delaying your schedule that much farther. “If this is headed where I think it is, I’m sorry but, I’m not interested. I’m very busy and I don’t have time for...love. Or a relationship. Other than the one I share with my customers.”

“Oh! No, no! Hahah…” Han had let go of the cart as well, scratching his cheek. “I-It’s not that! Nothing like that...I…”

His explanation was cut off by your sudden gasp, lunging forward to grab the cart as it started to descend down the steep slope. But it was too late; it slipped out of your grip like butter in a frying pan. “Oh no!”

The cart raced down the hill, gaining momentum and speed the farther it went. Crowds of people gasped as well, jumping and throwing themselves out of the speeding wagon’s path, until…

It reached the bottom, but it kept going. And it was headed right for Rei. 

Horror-stricken, you jolted, racing down whilst cupping your lips to scream out a warning call. “Rei! Look out!!”

Rei turned around. Her eyes widened.

But she remained unscathed. In the blink of an eye something dark and ink-like had raced over the pavement and grass fields; it manifested beneath the wheels, and the cart just...stopped.

“Rei!!” You cried, letting go of Carrots to plunder to her side. She’d fainted, but Han was there to catch her.

Han…

You stared him down nervously from the other side. “...How did you get here so fast?”

He carried your friend to the shade of the forest surrounding the city walls, others whispering and already beginning to spread gossip. You tried to block it out and ignore the intense stares and glaring from eighty-or-so business-competitors, following Rei’s limp body and coming to rest beside it, pulling her head into your lap. 

Though you were out of earshot, the whispering and curious eyes still followed you; so not good for business.

“Hey. I asked you something,” you said again, making sure to keep one eye on him, and one on the cart. “How did you get down there before I did? I didn’t even see you move.”

The strange boy didn’t say anything, save for laughing a bit. He then proceeded to ask you the oddest thing: “A man, or a beast...do you think we have a choice? On what we want to be?”

“What?” Your brow furrowed to form one solid unibrow. “Don’t ignore me. I asked you first. How did you get down there so quickly?”

Still, he refused to answer. “Technically, I asked you first. So you have to answer me.”

“I don’t have to do anything,” you replied, “but I will call for help if you don’t answer me right now.”

Seeing the anger on your face, the boy calling himself Han looked out into the near-distance, at the line steadily encouching forward and now forming a beeline around your abandoned shop. “Well, given that we are out of earshot...it’s not much of a threat, but...still,” he shrugged, almost to himself. “I suppose we wouldn’t want that.”

He set himself down criss cross applesauce, next to Rei’s spaghetti legs. You huffed, attempting to protectively heave her a smidge closer to you. “Alright, well, go on.”

He gave you the goofiest grin. “Well, it’s quite simple, really! I just swooped under the wagon, and jimmied the breaks! Worked like a charm!”

You frowned, not at all appeased with that answer. “You...jimmied the brakes?”

“Yep!”

“And it just...stopped.”

“That’s right.”

“...You dove beneath a speeding wagon and managed to attach yourself underneath?”

“That’s what it sounds like~”

“That’s what it sounds like?!”

“Look, we can point fingers all day at who-did-what, but if you don’t hurry and get back in line, you’re not gonna have any place at all to set up your little shop of knick knacks or...whatever it is that you sell. Is that a snow globe?” He asked, reaching for Rei’s bag. You swatted his hand away.

“...Fine, whatever. Thanks for saving her, I guess…”

“And?”

You pressed a kerchief from your pocket to Rei’s forehead, smoothing ebony locks from her face. “And?”

Han smiled. Again. “You gotta pay me back somehow, right?”

“For doing a good deed? Do I?” You scoffed. “And here I thought you were doing it just to be kind…”

“Well now you know~ ...I mean—“ He swallowed at the glare you gave him. “...What I mean is, I did do it. To be kind. But I’d love if it you could still pay me back by coming with me to—“

“I’m not going anywhere with you or your dumb friend, if that’s what you’re asking. Just save it for the birds.”

Rei was starting to stir, twitching slightly, her eyes squinting in and out of consciousness. You began patting her cheeks and calling her name, but unfortunately, she still wasn’t fully there yet. That, and the annoying man at the other side of her wasn’t finished. “I have a proposal for you,” he stated.

“A proposal?” You didn’t like the sound of that. “...I’m not interested. Look, I’ll just, give you something from my shop, and you can be on your merry way, okay? Here, what about that snow globe you were eyeing before?” You reached over Rei’s body, fishing it out and handing him the novelty. “Take it. It’s yours.”

The glass globe held the contents of a small gray castle, surrounded in a sea of red roses. Han took the globe from your hand, examining the structure and looking almost nostalgically somber as he watched the fake snow fall. “...Thank you, but it’s not what I want.”

“Then what do you want?” You groaned. “Look, just take whatever. I don’t care, it doesn’t matter. I have more important things to worry about right now.”

“...What I want,” Han said, ignoring that last part of your statement, “is for you to answer my question.”

“What? What quest— aah, I told you already, I’m not—!”

“A man, or a beast? As individuals, do we have a choice?”

The way he’d cut you off and stated his query so seriously made your head spin; it certainly caught you off guard, that was for sure. “...I’m sorry...I don’t understand the question.”

“Hmm…” Han thought. “...Imagine you were put under a...spell. A spell that turned you into a hideous monster, with fangs and claws and fur in places you’d never imagined...but it comes and goes, this curse of yours.” He tilted his head. “Are you still human? Or are you now a beast?”

Thoughts slowly circled your mind, not knowing what to think. You had no idea where any of this had come from, the only responses coming to mind countering questions: who is Han, what is he up to, why did he want to know what you thought of such a peculiar idea…

“Well?” He egged, leaning backwards.

“...I...I don’t know,” you confessed, listing your gaze aside. “I really have no idea where you got such a crazy idea from.”

“Okay...then let me ask you this. I’ll help you out.”

What? Help you out?

He leaned forward this time. “Do you think we have a choice? Is it possible to define ourselves as one or the other?”

“Well...yes, I would think so.” Your eyes met his, hoping that if you gave him an honest answer, perhaps he would leave. “We all have a choice— to be monsters, or men. It is not a matter of blood, or a spell, but a condition of the heart.”

You didn’t know it, as you’d turned away; but the moment those words left your parted lips, his eyes shone with the hope of a thousand suns, dawning the horizon after the longest winter storm. 

You’d turned away to shuffle for a bucket and some more handkerchiefs in Rei’s Bag of Wonders, holding out the bucket without turning your eyes away. “I changed my mind. Make yourself useful and get me some water from the nearby stream, or in town, whatever. Just—“

But when you cast your eyes back to where Han was sitting, he was gone.

| Two ❧

“You must have been having one hell of a dream to stay passed out for so long.”

“Ahaha…” Rei buried her fingers in her hair, entangling them in the sea of ebony that flowed behind her and came to a steady delta tied near the ends. “Sorry about that. It was like I wanted to wake up, but I just couldn’t. Like something...some kind of invisible wall was preventing me from doing so.”

“Hmm…”

The two of you had made it into town safely, with little trouble other than what you’d previously gone through with that strange boy, Han. After getting checked in and circling the shopping district three times, your luck finally began turning around when one of the vendors apparently felt ill and decided to turn in early; bad for him, but great for the two of you. The spot couldn’t have been more perfect, either: positioned right in the center of all the hustle and bustle, it attracted plenty of attention, and the moment you set up shop, customers came lining up at the window.

The two of you worked for hours to make up lost time, grinding your fingers to the bone, shuffling around each other to count coins, search for wares, and sign receipts of official purchase. By the time the lunch bell rang, you and Rei were about ready to fall over.

“I’m tired,” Rei moaned, collapsing to her knees and digging under the counter for your grocery supply. Woefully, her hand came back...empty. “Ah, we’re all out of bread! And apples…”

“What about that bag of trail mix you bought two days ago?” You asked while organizing receipts. Someone had to do it, and you knew Rei sure as heck wasn’t going to.

She sighed, shaking her head. “Carrots and I polished it off yesterday. ...Oh, carrots.” Her stomach growled right on cue, a forlorn sigh escaping dry lips. “...I’m so hungry...”

Something about that previous statement made you pause, inclining your head to the right in thought. …Carrots…Carrots…?

...Oh no. Oh hell’s bells, you’d completely forgotten about Carrots!

Without a moment to lose you dropped the stack of receipts you’d been tidying up onto the counter, hopping out of the wagon and running as fast as your boot-clad feet could take you. Your knees were still stiff and exhaustion weighed you down, but you couldn’t allow that to stop you. Not when that poor (dumb) horse was wandering and hopefully still waiting for you.

“Hey!” Rei yelled, her head leaning out the window. “Where are you going?! You forgot your coin purse!” She waved said object in the air, as if asking for a thief to come and swipe it. “I want lemons and some gum drops! I saw a candy shop about a block down!!”

“You can’t have candy for lunch!” You hollered back. “And I can’t right now, you’ll have to get lunch yourself today. There’s something I forgot.”

Her confused expression said everything else for her, but you didn’t have time to chat about lunch plans. You had to get that horse.

You ran with all your might (what little you had left) out of the shopping district, down three blocks, and past the city gate...that is, until a guard stopped you.

“Woooah there, little miss.” The man grabbed your arm, effectively pulling you backward; and he had quite the grip to boot. “I’m afraid you can’t just go hauling eighty out here like that. I’ll need to see some I.D.”

You cast anxiety-riddled eyes to the man, making sure each gesture showcased your anger. “What? To leave the city? ...But I’m leaving, not entering!” Your anxious gaze sought out into the trees, the pastures of bitter decay and spooky autumn silence where Carrots was last seen. “Please, I need to get out there. My horse is missing, I’m afraid I forgot about her after a...mishap...and ended up abandoning her. She’s sick, so I don’t have time to play games!”

“That’s all fine and dandy, ma’am, but rules are rules. Show me your I.D., please.”

“I…! …”

Reluctantly, you yanked your arm away, digging for…

...Nothing, because you’d forgotten your coin purse. The image of Rei waving it with pride and worry left a bitter taste in your mouth. And your vendor verification permit was left in the shop, as well. “...I don’t have any. My permit is with my co-partner, back in the shopping district.”

“Hm. Well, you’ll just have to go back and get it, then.”

“What?! I don’t have time for that!” You turned pleading eyes to the officer, prayerfully searching for understanding alongside a missing horse. “Please sir, she couldn’t have wandered very far. I’ll be right back! I’m only going--”

He shook his head. “Sorry miss, like I said, rules are rules. Because of the recent string of kidnappings, all residents and visitors alike are required to provide valid identification before coming in or leaving city walls. Mayor’s orders.”

You’d been thinking about making a run for it or finding another guard to reason with until the word kidnappings made its way into the conversation. Normally you would have been curious and not too concerned...however… 

...That’s considering you heard it from a local paper floating in the breeze, or along the gossiping grapevine from one vendor to another, one chatty socialite to the next whispering to each other among the lively bustle of city life. Why were you just now hearing about it here? From an officer? How long had this been going on?

In all the questioning silence, you basically forgot about...what was it you were looking for again? “Um, forgive me for prying, but...kidnappings?”

“...E-Er...that’s...” The officer flinched, taking a half step back. “...Um...well...dammit all…” He removed his thick uniform hat, scratching his head a moment before readjusting it to fit tall and proud. He cleared his throat. “...Please forget I said anything. If you wish to leave the city, I’ll need to see some valid I.D.”

“......”

He simply stood there, pretending as if nothing had happened. The only proof you had was the sweat swimming along his forehead, but surely he’d blame that on the nonexistent autumn heat and the fullness of his uniform.

You had no choice but to reenter the masses.

- ❧ -

When you return to the gates, the same officer approved of your vending license (still sweating from that “autumn heat,”) signalling for the men in the tower to let you through. It was late afternoon now, the skyline growing dangerously close to dusk; when you’d returned to shop a while earlier, you couldn’t admit to Rei that you’d lost her best friend next to you (though some friend she was having no idea about the whole thing...), so you were left with little choice but to play along and have lunch until it was time to work again. The late-day crowds were always far less stressful than morning shifts, so confident she would be fine on her own you took back off for the South entrance the moment the work bell rang.

“Carrots...Carrots...looking for a food-poisoned horse…”

Sigh. The words were a groan from your lips as you trudged about a floor of dead leaves and twisted bare tree branches. The skyline was starting to wear thin, every step you took noisy and either resulting in startling a field mouse or alerting a wandering bear out of hibernation of your whereabouts. Not an ideal situation to be in.

I’ve been wandering these woods for three hours now. Dang it, where is she?! ...Normally, Carrots was a good horse; she followed you around, did as told, and when you did lose her (...as this wasn’t the first time…) she stayed put and waited for you to return; like that time in Cresentmoon Harbor (for it was literally shaped like a crescent), when you and Rei had been so distracted by some dashingly handsome fisherman named Minhee and wanted to hear his tales of the rough blue sea that you’d, yes, left your horse astray, where a group of thugs almost snatched her. 

That had actually been a fun day, watching Rei throw apples and trinkets and club the ringleader with his own beatstick. This time, however, you’d known exactly where you left her. You were sure there were no gangs or thugs near a place like this; not a clean-cut, safeguarded place like Westwind...any yet, Carrots hadn’t been there. Not at the top of the hill where you left her, or beneath it, beside it, or anywhere nearby.

...Although...didn’t that cityguard mention something about kidnappings?!

That stupid horse. I knew I should have overruled Rei and named her Dumdum. She went and got herself kidnapped! URGH, I had to go pulling the short end of the stick today--

A sharp wind blew by without warning, causing you to shiver. Mournfully, you wondered if maybe you should turn back and enlist Rei’s help after all...have her summon back that courageous, beatstick-smacking frenzy… 

Oh, but how heartbroken she’d be to hear of Carrot's disappearance! ...It was all for naught, though... 

Carefully, you turned around and began walking the way you came, one step, then two...then stopped. Looking out into the moors, the forest beyond, the stretch of trees and forest decay that went on for miles and miles seemed...different, somehow. It went on for miles and miles and...miles and miles and miles. It didn’t seem to have an end.

I know I didn’t walk that far… Now now, Y/n. Can’t see the forest for the trees, hm? It’s no big deal, I just wandered a bit farther than I thought. I’ll start heading back now.

Because Rei was the fun-loving, clueless bubbly-type, you had to be the strong one (not including Wild, Pissed-Off Rei). You were the confident, analytical, and ambitious of the two. You prefered logic and data, and relied almost whole-heartedly on common sense, with few exceptions. And as any rational person of your nature would, you’d made sure to mark the entire way you’d come; so it was no big deal, wandering out a bit farther than you had intended. 

...Except...

...The first marker never came. Not after five minutes, not after ten. You walked in the opposite direction for precisely 1,000 steps and counting, and all that greeted you were the same exact scene of bare trees and dead leaves. In the same order. In the same tones and volumes and shapes.

It was going to start getting dark in the next two hours. You stopped, thinking. Running numbers. Fishing for data…...fishing…...fish…...Minhee...heheh…

No, no! Staying on track was crucial at a time like this…! 

But you ended up standing there, for another ten, twenty minutes maybe, not sure what to do. There was a strange vibe in the air, you could feel it. The way it wafted through the air and settled on your skin. Rattling your bones. It almost felt like it was bribing you in another direction. 

So you did an illogical thing unlike your nature: you kept walking straight ahead, ignoring it for as long as you could. But dammit, the scenery never changed! Not after an hour, not after two… 

You were tired at this point, collapsing hopelessly by the same tree you passed a hundred times...and then you got an idea, like a fog lifting from your brain (Why hadn’t you thought of this sooner?!). Grabbing a twig, you made a small notch in the tree. Then you took off running, jogging at a brisk pace. Never making a single right or left turn, not even in the slightest. Headed only one direction, following alongside the setting sun.

That same notch bid you a pleasant hello eight and a half minutes later. To make sure it wasn’t just a coincidence, you walked another eight and a half minutes; same notch, same place, same twig resting lifelessly to the right. Same tree.

It was getting dark now. Soon the sun would be completely gone over the horizon, tucked away for twelve hours of sleep before returning to shine light on a new day. And you had no horse to show for it; more importantly, you were lost. Trapped in some kind of...weird bermuda triangle of decaying forest with no sign of life anywhere. 

Great, just great. I hate my luck… wait… 

...Ah, yes. Conveniently, just when you’d thought to possibly scream out your frustrations into your work apron, rattling on about how much luck despises you, and how you despise her back, maybe shed a few tears since no one was around, a tower of billowing smoke caught your attention, a sign of life that hadn’t been there before. 

. . . 

You should have been more cautious. Normally, you would have been. But given recent events…

“Hello…?” You called softly, pushing the door open; though, let’s be honest, the door really seemed to just...open itself. “Is anybody here?”

The house was old and worn. A small cottage just big enough for one, it must have been at some point; now, it was practically all but decayed along with the surrounding forest. Another heap of dead wood and rotted roots among many. A faintly ripe and sickeningly sweet scent wafted about the torn chamber, wrapping around sagging furniture, torn drapes, and a half-caved roof that gave clear sight to the full moon, bulging and cackling in a clouded manner.

It was a stark contrast to the decrepit old woman beckoning you from within. 

“Yes, yes… Come in, my child.”

| Three ❧

A few hours earlier, Han Jisung had just been minding his own business, a faceless shadow of a dark hood browsing Westwind goods, humming a fiery tune, all while coming up with a plan for smuggling an innocent human girl into the cursed city of New Amber. He was pleasantly aware of the time; he had exactly ten hours left before he was due back at the palace, girl in tow, in order to keep his handsome blue-haired head and devilishly charming eyes.

He had time. The two cities may have been four hours apart on horseback, a diagonal stretch of twisted forest and steep valleys between them, but being a shadow he could just-- ...zip...and zig...and...zag...right beneath the… … … 

...He wouldn’t be returning alone. He was transporting a human girl. That had no magical curse or powers to speak. The only way to return was the old-fashioned way...which meant…

He only had half the time he thought he did. Balls.

Making his way through the afternoon crowds, he followed three winding back alleyways before making sure the coast was clear of wandering eyes, seeping into the broken cobblestone and dashing through history below, long forgotten structures and fossils of stories past: a mineshaft, a tavern sign, a snuffed-out bonfire. At just a block away he set out a brisk pace for where he last placed a tracking mark upon the one known as Rei.

It had been a simple plan; since Y/n was impossible to get near, he merely embedded a small tadpole of his shadowy spirit into the other. Since they traveled together, where one was found, the other wouldn’t be far behind. Find Rei, find Y/n.

But beside that fact, it was starting to itch; being without a part of him for too long caused an empty, nagging feeling to rise and fall through his bones like a waxing, waning tide, going back and forth, back and forth. It got downright maddening after a while, almost like an addiction, to the point where eventually, he couldn’t stand to be without himself any longer. If he wasn’t whole, what was he?

...For a shadow...being whole meant everything.

“I see you’re feeling better,” he greeted her, the girl whose life he very well saved. Rei turned around from her stockpile of cash, where she placed many bags of coins in the Candy For Me! ♫ pile and few in the Dumb Taxes :( pile.

“Oh, hey, I know you!” Her face lit up tenfold; an oddity given the fact she should have been unconscious for ninety-percent of their previous encounter... “You’re the guy that saved me before! I thought you looked familiar!”

She threw a tarp over the stacks of cash she’d been organizing before, as if that was going to...protect it, or something. She rested her chin in palm, elbows propped upon the counter space. Smiled.

“So what brings you by? What can I help you with? Oh,” she smirked, wagging a single brow. “Could I interest you in this love potion?” 

A bottle of perfume made its way between them from out of nowhere, dangling like mistletoe. It...Han couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of it. 

“You wouldn’t happen to be looking for Y/n by chance, would you~?” Rei asked.

The proposed bottle had the painted label scratched off, where the replaced paint job read Love Potion No.9, along with a price tag of thirty-five coins. Han chuckled, doing his best to play off the awkward gesture. He had to tear his eyes away from it.

“Thank you, but no,” he stated, gently lowering her arm to the table. The sliver of his missing portion swam back into him, through his fingertips and up his arm, and this didn’t seem to go unnoticed by Rei, though he distracted her into shrugging it off. “I actually am looking for Y/n, if you happen to know where she is? I suppose you’re right about that part, actually.”

“Oh? Really?!” Rei’s face lit tenfold...again. She squealed. “Eeeeek, I knew it! Oh, I just love when this happens!”

Her face thrust straight into his, nearly close enough to kiss. It startled him into backing distance. 

“What is it?!?” She cried excitedly. “What do you need to see her for?! Oh, please tell me it’s to exchange letters! Or trinkets!” She looked like the shadiest business woman ever in the next second. “Y/n may have said she was organizing paperwork, but I knew what was really going on. Tee-hee!”

“...Ahh…” ...Shoot, what the hell was he supposed to say?! This girl didn’t seem like the type to appreciate being let down... “...There’s something I…” He gulped. “There’s something I wish to show her. Before setting out, that is.”

“Oh…” Her frown encased her disappointment. “I see...well, actually…” She twirled a strand of sleek black hair away from her tan complexion. “Y/n left about an hour ago...no, it has to have been longer than that…” Her frown deepened, looking off into the distance. “She took off as soon as lunch ended, and she hasn’t come back yet. I think she said she was looking for something…? But…” 

Now she was looking down vacantly into the counterspace. There was a dull sheen in her eyes.

“...I’m starting to worry. Y/n never just runs off for hours on end like this. It’s not like her at all. ...What if something…”

Han put a stop to that thought: one, because he hated seeing girls cry, and two, because he could tell she was the messy-crier that would get snot and tissues everywhere, including his hair and earring; also there was three: his ass on a silver platter, courtesy of His Angry-Cursed-Forever Highness. If he failed to secure Y/n…

He didn’t wanna think about it. Which is why he swiftly set Rei upright, patting her shoulders and promising that he would go out and look for her. She couldn’t have wandered far, seeing as her whole livelihood was on the line (and in the hands of someone like Rei…whom he didn’t know that well, but still…)

“Can you give me an idea of where she may have gone? Which way did she go?”

“Yeah, sure! She went that way, and, oh yeah, she took our vending license with her! Do you think she could have gone to City Hall, maybe…?”

It was unlikely. City Hall was in the other direction, to the north-east; and according to Rei, Y/n had ventured south. The only thing there was lower-class common folk and the city gates, meaning the only conclusion he could come to was that she needed to verify her legitimacy in order to continue business, or she needed out.

After questioning some guards under a guise of glamour and shade (which was necessary for...private reasons), he was at last directed to a middle-aged man who claimed to have allowed the girl to leave some three to four hours ago. Before they could get an answer out of him as to why he wanted to know, Han vanished into the shadows like a thief in the night, slipping through the straying crowds towards the nearest alleyway, where he plopped down, zipped below, and popped right back up on the other side of the great city wall.

Removing his hood, he looked around, scanning the area for any clues of Y/n’s whereabouts. But, of course, nothing.

Dammit, it was getting late! It was already late!

Han bit his nails, fuming. Pacing. He was going to be in so much trouble if he didn’t…!

...Sigh. Screw it all. He’d just have to look for her. If he found her fast enough, he could come up with some plan to make it back to Everain before sunrise.

He began his search heading South, into the clamour of trees. Past one tree, two, five, twenty. Deeper and deeper he traveled, gradually becoming one with the earth and expanding his search among the elements. Beneath the earth, brushing against roots of trees and flowerbeds, he could “see” everything-- as far as a twelve mile radius. 

His shadowed extensions stretched over the land, covering all ground within reach like the hands of a clock, time traveling faster and faster until…!

...He found it. Er, her. His senses zoomed in on a house, caved in from years of age and resentment, crumbling to dust even now outside the confines of Y/n...and……someone else…

...Someone he knew.

Out of breath, he nearly choked in the enclosure of his own realm, eyes wide and heart frozen stiff. It took every last bit of strength to push himself free, for he couldn’t escape fast enough; not when a demonic witch like her was around. 

Except...he’d started to run the wrong way. And then he stopped entirely, unable to move.

He hated that decrepit old hag. After everything that happened...the magic, the sorrow, the black fires of hell...he wanted nothing to do with her. He’d sworn that the moment he saw her again, it would be too soon. The witch that had taken his humanity.

It was she who had cast them all to hell in a handbasket, after all.

Standing there beneath the blotted night, gentle caresses of wind cascading and percolating through strands of brown and blue, he looked down to his bare hands, setting focus to the rivets of small scars where rivers of shadow flooded his veins.

A knock at the door. A sneer. A warning glare.

He tightened his grip on the air, so free and billowing carelessly in contrast to him.

A push. A harsh remark. A confident smile.

He squeezed his eyes shut.

Anger… Resentment… Fire…

And…then…

He gasped for air once more. Not now. Now was not the time to think. He needed to act, to push all of this past him. It was the only way to break the curse and save Hyunjin, and in return, himself. The entire palace of Everain— the whole city, perhaps— was counting on him.

...Shadow. The only thing I remember...is black.

 Cringing, he threw caution to the wind, where fear was meant to reside with the birds.

- ❧ -

The house was as old and vile as the woman who lived there. Vines snaked and slithered their way around the entire enclosure like a brood of thorned vipers, between cracks in the wall panels and over the steps leading to a gaping front door, just asking to trip its prey into it’s dark clutches. Into her clutches; those wrinkled leathered hands dripping with metaphorical blood and darkness.

Han hated all of it. He’d known about the Witch’s home for a long time, but he refused to ever step foot on her accursed soil (...until now, that is). The problem was, her biome was always changing, shifting and teleporting all over the place. Few unlucky souls who had survived to see it dubbed it Howl’s Moving Castle.

That title entirely ruined the book for him. Not that he particularly enjoyed reading, anyway; but he refused to lift it or so much as look at the book’s spine resting in the lavish, dusty library back home.

“Hey,” he called, marching right in. There wasn’t time for cold feet or second thoughts; if he didn’t have Y/n, there would be no point in going back. Returning without Y/n meant certain death via Hyunjin, but going through the Witch’s Biome meant likely death via whatever disdainful plot the Witch could come up with. At least facing the Witch’s path, he had a slim chance of making it out alive. If he were fast enough.

He’d thought about it on the way over: before, he had no powers to speak of. He’d been a regular, average teenage boy just trying to make it up and through adulthood, figuring out what he wanted to do with his life. But with the Witch’s curse, all that changed; he was essentially one with the darkness; and darkness was everywhere. Especially here. 

Assuming Y/n was conscious and able to move, he calculated that with high enough confidence and self-esteem, he should have no problem distracting the foul old hag long enough for his last hope to escape. (And Lord knew he had plenty of that to go around...)

Darkness clouded the entire room, choking out all light save for a few small rays of moonlight. The temperature seemed to be dropping 10 degrees every second. “Hello?” He tried again, checking left, right. “I...I know you’re here. Witch.” He was already beginning to seethe. “Come out. Where is Y/n?”

There was no response. Nothing creaked, no one croaked. Not even the wind outside made a sound.

Then something darted behind him, to the right, and he parried the opposite direction, biting his lower lip. Here it came. The worst part.

A single field mouse made its way into the faint slivers of rooftop moonlight. And there it sat, perched on its hind legs, whiskers twitching and tail dancing rhythmically across the uneven floor.

“How do you like?” came a creaky frail voice from beyond. Her voice was a sour note to his ears.

Han gritted his teeth, tasting blood on the horizon. “I’m not here to rate your latest experiments,” he spat. “That better not be Y/n. Show yourself, now.”

A lingering moment passed before the fleabag chuckled, stepping ancient bones into the small pool of light. “Alright, alright,” she said, in a mockingly chiding tone. “No need to get so angry. That’s what got your friend into so much trouble, after all. And look what it did to you.”

Two minutes in, and she was already hitting a nerve. Nerves that needed to remain untouched were his plan to go smoothly. “Don’t tell me what to do. I don’t take orders from you. You already ruined me. What more could you possibly do?”

A dark foreboding thought brewed up a storm in her eyes, just lingering on the edge of sanity. “Believe me,” she rasped, “I showed you both mercy.”

Han flinched. He couldn’t help it. He wanted to explode, yet cower in terror, all at once. He was livid, yet terrified-- anxious-- and a little sick to his stomach. “Give me Y/n. Right now. I didn’t come here to chat.”

The old woman smiled. “I can’t,” she simply stated, not moving an inch.

“Why not?!”

“Because you’re standing on her.”

Horrified, Han shot his gaze downward. Corsarn, he didn’t think he’d been standing on anything but the…!

But there was nothing but paled wooden planks. The Witch laughed. “Ahahah, not physically on her, dear. Though this house is so old, you may as well be...I’m surprised the floors haven’t caved in to match the roof.”

After holding her gaze a moment too long, he took a step back, flitting his eyes between Witch and supposedly underground wardrobe. “Open the door. Slowly.”

“Oh, so now I’m supposed to be taking your orders?” She scoffed, sighing at the end. “My, how times have changed…”

“Just do it!” he ordered.

The Witch gave a stern, slight scowl. “Oh, fine. I’m out of enough magic to put another curse on you anyway,” she muttered. Tapping her ancient walking stick once, twice upon the rotting floors, something clicked below, and the square space where Han had been standing swung open. “Just so you know,” she added, “I took the liberty of having a little fun, as you probably already guessed. She’ll be out for a few hours, but I don’t foresee death in her future; at least, not in the near one,” she chuckled.

“You--!” ...Rrgh. He still had to bite his tongue. His lip was already going to be busted and sore tomorrow. 

Trotting down steadily with caution, before the gaze of a putrid old smile he descended the hidden staircase, never once letting his guard down. The girl he sought was safely snoozing in one piece, lying like a waking dream...other than being unconscious.

He gathered her up, using shadow to cross the room, just in case a trap was lying dormant on the way over, and with Y/n in his arms, he almost thought about attempting to drag her into the Shadowworld with him, just so he didn’t have to face the old has-been again and make a clean getaway.

But it was too risky. And likely, it wouldn’t work; so carefully, he placed one nimble foot in front of the other, across the blank room, up the stairs, and into the familiar darkness from moments before. The Witch was still waiting for him, still as a statue in the exact location she had been. She followed him all the way to the door, tittering at his suspicion of the whole thing. 

She then watched as they made it off the porch. “Here,” she announced, sensing his urgency; for he’d just been about to make a run for it before she called him.

Nervously, he turned around halfway, holding Y/n tighter.

The bat continued her chuckling. She scooped down surprisingly swift, tossing something gray and furry into the air. It landed haphazardly onto his arm, clinging for dear life to his sleeve with a faint squeak! before scampering up to his shoulder. “Take him,” she said, making a shooing motion with her hand. “I have no need for the pitiful thing. He can keep you company on your way back.”

Company? Oh, no no no. He didn’t think so. He wasn’t stupid; Han knew of her tricks. The rat was probably a spy, or some kind of ticking time bomb. Forcefully, he shifted his grip on the girl, snatching the creature from its place--

...Except, he meant to throw it back. He did. He would have tossed the wretched thing to the ground and stomped on its brains without a second thought.

But it’d cried. Shrieked. Wailed. He knew the sound of terror when it howled.

Glancing up, he saw that it was crying. Actually crying.

Something was off. It had to be human...or at least, have some sort of intelligent wit.

Loosening his grip, he allowed the creature to squirm and wiggle its way free, scampering up his arm and tucking itself fearfully in the pouch of his hood with a nosedive. Sensations of trembling fell against his upper backside.

“Take care on your way home; you may need it.” 

A twisted smile. Tch.

Glowering amongst the laughter, he left the darkness behind him.

| Four ❧

“How may I assist you, dear?” The old woman asked.

Your eyes scanned the area, dilating and adjusting to the faint light. “I’m sorry,” you began, giving a small, polite bow. “I didn’t know anyone was home.”

“Oh, now, that’s alright~” The woman insisted, beckoning you farther in. “Come, come, sit! Make yourself a home. I’m the one who invited you in, yes?”

“...” Carefully you nodded, moving with caution to take a seat at the dusty worn table. 

“Now,” she said, popping joints as she settled across from you. “What can I do for you today?”

“...Do for me?”

She chuckled. “Yes, yes…” Her eyes were impenetrable, boring into yours. You had trouble looking away. “No one comes here without a purpose. There are no happy accidents.”

“......” Again, you found yourself hesitating, having trouble forming the right words. Words were becoming a limited resource all of a sudden. 

“Well~?” the woman pressed.

“...” You swallowed dryly. Something just wasn’t right; but who were you to lie to an old woman? In her own home, nonetheless. “I’m looking for someone...my horse, actually.”

“Hmm, I see…”

“She wandered off...well, no, that’s not true.” You sighed. “I left her by accident. I abandoned her without meaning to, out front of Westwind city. We’d woken up late, my friend and I, and in our hurry and a near-death experience thanks to someone, I ended up forgetting all about her. When I went back to fetch her and bring her home, she was gone.”

“Oh, my…” The old woman was still smiling. “That sounds like some adventure the two of you had! Though, tell me…” She tilted her head. “Who is this ��someone” that got in your way?”

“Hm? Oh,” You sighed, again. “Some strange boy that just showed up out of nowhere and offered to help me move the cart downhill. He’s no one special.”

The woman chuckled. “Well, he must be to have stepped up and offered you assistance in this day and age,” she replied. “What was his name?”

There was an intensity you didn’t like. As if she were interrogating you for answers. 

Dryly, again, you swallowed.

“Han-something, I think. Han...Jisung.”

That’s when it had been over. But you hadn’t known that; not yet.

“Han Jisung…” The woman repeated. She was clearly searching the archives. 

Then she found what she was looking for, and curving crooked fingers skyward, she beckoned your hands to be placed atop of her on the table.

“Give me your hands, dear. I know just what it is that you need.”

If only you hadn’t listened to her… 

- ❧ -

You were no fool. You saw what the witch had done to you, just before falling unconscious.

Stirring now, you curled into the weight of something dark and soft, something sheltering and warm against the cold night air. Whatever it was held you tighter, the world slowing down.

“Y/n? Are you alright? Can you hear me?”

Ow. Yes.

One of the side-effects must have been a splitting headache…

“Yes...I can hear--”

Rrpt! Hold on a second. You knew that voice…!

In all haste you shot upright, only to collide foreheads with Han Jisung, the both of you growling in pain. Your headache just got ten times worse.

“Ow…! Sh*t, of all times and places…” After counting one, two Mississippis for the pounding to decrease, you sent him a glare, blurry vision mixed with clouded judgement. “What are you doing? What’s going on, where are you taking me?!”

The foolish boy snorted, ignoring you to continue walking. As your eyes cleared of drowsiness, you could see the two of you were alone, out in the middle of the forest. “A simple thank you wouldn’t hurt, y’know. I did just finish saving your life a few hours ago.”

“You…?” Hesitantly, you looked around again, pressing a hand to your forehead in feeble attempt to decrease anymore throbbing heartbeats. “...Where are we? I don’t know what you’re talking about. Put me down this instant.”

“You sure do ask a lot of questions for someone who was just cursed and knocked out.”

“I said, put me--! …” 

You paused. The whole world seemed to.

Carefully, slowly, you turned your face back towards the sunlight. “...Wh...What did you say?” 

Han snorted. Again. “You heard me. You waltzed right into the Witch’s Biome like an idiot, and now you’re one of us. I don’t know what I’m going to tell Hyunjin…”

...You’d stop listening towards the end. Everything just naturally tuned out, your eyes falling aimlessly to stare vacant holes into the dimensional rift of the traveling space around you. 

“In case you’re wondering,” Han’s voice cut through, calling for your attention once more. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m taking you to my friend; well, he’s really more of my...uhm…”

You waited vacantly for an answer.

“...Uhhh…”

You didn’t have time for this. Not that anything mattered or made sense anymore. Still, you weren’t going to idly sit here and listen to Tweedle Dee make dumb noises the rest of the night. “He’s what?” you pressed, aggravation clearly showing. “Is he your master or something?”

Han Jisung nearly dropped your hungover cursed arse. Which told you you were right, even if he kept insisting you were wrong. It was pretty funny to see him fuming and hot under the collar the rest of the walk.

Speaking of walking, you had fidgeted and demanded to walk by yourself, but after nine nos and a tenth yes, you found you had absolutely no strength in your wobbly, jelly-like legs. Resulting in Han carrying you like an unfortunate groom once more.

Yes, you’d argued for him to take you back. But no, he refused.

Which meant he had to be that kidnapper the city guard mentioned after all.

This lead you to be afraid, and rightly so; what if Han killed you?! What if he actually was dangerous, and he had been lying to you from the start. Nothing he’d been saying up until this point made sense anyway; and just look at the way he was dressed. Only crazy people wore such strange, unusual attire, so futuristic and bizzare-looking. 

And, you noticed, the closer you got to...wherever he was taking you...the more and more his appearance changed.

It was gradual, slow at first; just a random strand of hair, a speck of color in his eye that hadn’t been there before. Then, out of nowhere, it was like time sped up around him, and his eyes became a solid, bright blue, his hair a darker contrast, and that lone earring he wore shimmered with a paradoxical bright darkness, like shadows giving birth to light.

It was...insanity. Yet, regrettably, you had to admit he’d grown incredibly attractive. 

Han didn’t speak much the second half of your trip, and neither did you. You were too busy trying to process what was happening, and he was lost in his own world, eyes never leaving the road ahead except to occasionally check on you. It was a nonverbal communication: Are you still doing okay? / Yes, I’m fine. Quit staring at me. / Yeah, okay, you’re welcome.

About two hours later, the two of you arrived at the gates of an old, rustic castle, and a city that looked all but lost.

| Five ❧

Your headache had at last subsided by the time you arrived at Everain Palace. ...Or at least, that’s what the sign said it was called. You were barely able to read it through the layers of rust and vines, however. “This is the place?”

“Yep,” your entourage announced, setting you down beside him. “It’s been a few hours now, so you should have the strength to walk again, at least to your room. But I’m sure I can get some lackey somewhere to carry you the rest of the way if you can’t manage.”

“Hold on...what?”

“What?”

He finished setting you down, and you wobbled your way back a few steps, leaning against the gate’s archway for support. “I’m not staying here. I can’t. I have to get back to Rei and find Carrots, my stupid horse. Then, I’m renaming her Dumdum and we’re sweeping all of this under the rug.”

Instead of laughing, or perhaps getting a little angry even, Han Jisung stared at you with the most pitiful glance anyone had ever given another human soul. It was dreadful, but soft, somewhat loving, and oozing with regret.

And then he said those abysmal words you were scared of hearing all along.

“I’m sorry, Y/n. But I’m afraid you won’t be traveling anywhere anytime soon.”

You stared at him dumbfounded. This was it, you thought. The truth revealed. He really was a kidnapper; and now, you were his next victim. The whole charmingly dopey and idiotic act had been just that: an act. And you’d fallen for it.

So you did the next thing you could think of, seeing as fighting and running away were out of the question in your weak and disoriented state.

“KIDNAPPER!!!” You screamed. “THIEF! HUMAN TRAFFICKING!! HELP!!!”

But soon you remembered your surroundings, where you were at this time: a rundown city that appeared to have been abandoned for years, closed off in an eternal slumber. Everything was covered in vines and dust, and hardly anything made a sound.

You were doomed.

Han rushed over quick to keep your mouth shut while sweating at the seams, but a chomp to his hand did him right good, and while he was bouncing around and airing out his hand like a blubbering buffoon you tried making a run for it. Keyword: tried.

In the end, you only made it as far as the circle of trees isolating this town before something pierced the back of your neck, and you were a prisoner of sleep all over again.

- ❧ -

You aren’t quite sure; perhaps you slept for eight, nine hours. All you knew is that when you awoke, there was sunshine pouring through the curtain-laced window like the brightest waterfall.

A...curtain-laced window...and silk sheets… … … 

You hopped to it the next second that thought circled your mind.

No. Oh, no…

...This certainly wasn’t your room. Your room was with the stars, the ocean, the grassy plains and trees, Rei at your side. This was an actual room, complete with a bed, canopy, dresser and wardrobe, a nightstand, and an additional table with matching chairs, four to be exact; two large windows, standing side by side at opposite ends of the room to your left. One beside the table, one near the door.

There was a note left for you on the nightstand (to your left) as well.

Y/n -

I’m sorry I had to knock you out like that. But you’re one of us now, and I can’t afford to let you leave. It’s important. Lives are at stake. You have to trust me, please.

There’s someone I’d like for you to meet. More like I need you to. I’ll explain more later, when you’re awake. If you read this and you still don’t feel well, feel free to take another couple of hours to yourself, to get your bearings; but don’t sleep for too long. I’ll wake you when we’re more pressed for time.

Again, I’m really sorry about all this. I hope you can find it in you to forgive me, but I get it if you need more time. Just promise not to take it out on Hyunjin, if you happen to run into him first.

Signed, Han, your kidnapper

There was an additional piece of paper that fell from behind the original.

P.S. - That was just a joke. Don’t freak out. I’m not a bad guy, really. At least, not as bad as you probably think I am.

…

You didn’t know what to think of anything anymore. This was all just too much. What on earth had happened to you? How did you get roped into all of this? ...You’d just wanted to find Carrots, and bring her home so Rei wouldn’t be sad and you wouldn’t feel guilty and the two of you could save the trouble of having to buy a new horse, train him, yadda yadda yadda. Instead you stupidly and ill-fatedly stumbled upon the home of an actual witch, walked right in, and told her things you probably shouldn’t have. You didn’t like the way she’d looked at you when you mentioned knowing Han Jisung.

The Mark of the Rose, the witch had slurred, eyes wide with a sinister grin. A blessing, and a curse.

Then she’d spouted some sort of riddle:

When sunrise comes and all is lost, Look upon the oldtown cross There you’ll find just what you seek This aging woman’s prophecy But if yet still you manage to bend And find and seek what storm’s may rend May fortunes smile and bring you light For the many remaining days of your life

...She hadn’t told you what the heck any of that was supposed to mean. For one, how could plaguing you with a mark from some wicked sorcery be a blessing?! And, what’s more...how was it a curse…? ...Her strange chanting hadn’t made any sense, though that last part had sounded nice...maybe that was the blessing?

Something made a skittering, scuffling sound. Turning to your left, something small and fuzzy caught your eye, climbing up a chair leg and coming to rest on the cushion above. It was...holding a crumb of cheese. Sitting there like a person, flat on his bum.

It was some kind of rodent.

You bristled all over, hair standing on end. “A RAT!!!” You shrieked, leaping from bed to dresser. Thankfully it had been bare atop the surface, minus the unlit candle and some kind of ornate mirror, which was an unfortunate accident. Seven years of bad luck was just what you needed, on top of everything.

The moment you let out a cry of alarm, the mouse similarly screamed-- possibly louder than you-- spasming out of the chair and running in circles with sweat flying from its brow until it ran into another chair leg and clocked out, rolling into the path of sunlight.

You’d been about to grab that discarded candle as a weapon until the room became incredibly bright. Clouds parted from outside, sunlight magnifying to flood the whole room. 

And then, when the sunlight narrowed to pierce the unconscious vermin straight through its heart, he became a boy. 

Hair the color of sunset and cheeks flushed rosy pink, full of freckles scrunched his nose, squinted, and wearily stared back at you, upside down. Prayerfully, by some miracle, he was still wearing clothes.

That didn’t change the fact that you had no idea what to make of this sudden development. You stood there, hunched frozen atop the dresser, candle half off the floor and jaw nearly there.

“Hn-- nnnngh…” he groaned, sitting up with a hand to his head, much like you had leaving the Witch’s Biome-- that’s what Han had called it, right? “...Ouch...that’s the last time I go exploring on my own…” He glanced at you over his shoulder, giving a kind, tired smile. “Thanks for turning me back! I’m sorry I scared you, Y/n.”

Your candlestick went flying across the room. 

“OW!!!”

“WHO ARE YOU?! HOW DO YOU KNOW MY NAME?!” you yelled. An accusatory finger followed. “This isn’t funny, and I’ve been through enough now! I’m sick of playing games, give me an answer right now or I’m throwing this broken mirror next!”

The door burst open. “What’s going on in--?! …”

Han Jisung was staring at Mouseboy curiously at first, widen eyes unblinking, you on the dresser second, a careful blink there...but the moment his eyes landed on the cracked mirror, he fell to his knees, hands in his hair.

“OH SH*T!” He shrieked, panicstricken all over. His voice was more pitched than (should be) possible. “What the hell did you do?! Who did this?!?”

Innocently, Mouseboy pointed to you, as if he had any right to be part of the blame game. “It was an accident, though,” he vouched (like that was supposed to make it better!). “I did the same thing when I woke up and saw myself an hour ago; you should have seen it, I broke five of those things! Talk about unlucky!”

He laughed. Han screeched, looking like The Scream. “YOU DID WHAT?!?!”

There was going to be a river running through the room by the time he finished sweating, pacing all over the place while nearly showering the floor and furniture with strands of blue hair. Mouseboy scratched his speckled-cheek, shifting to rest on the calves of his brown-clad work pants (He’d obviously been some kind of farm or errand boy before all this). “S-Sorry about that...it was an accident, really…” He bowed his head. “I-I can maybe get my boss to cover any property damage, but man, I’ll be working forever to pay it off…”

He sighed. You almost (almost) felt bad for him. But it was gonna take a lot more than just looking cute and pitiful to sway your emotions.

When at last he’d finished his...episode...Han stood from where he’d kneeled in prayer on the pinewood floor, swiping a hand over his face, shaking it off, and placing determined hands on his hips. “Okay,” he declared. “It’s alright. I’ll just have to convince Jeongin to pull an all-nighter and fix everything. Good thing he knows a thing or two about craftsmanship!”

Jeongin? …

You faltered, repeating the name curiously as you hopped off the dresser, now that the vermin crisis was over. Thankfully, your absent-mindedness didn’t cost you any cuts or bruises, seeing as there very well could have been shards of broken glass on the floor…

Han smiled your way, nodding. “Yeah, that’s right. We have a lot of introductions to get out of the way, so if you’re ready...well, you might want to get dressed first.”

Even more curiously, you looked down to examine yourself.

An eggshell, lace nightgown greeted your eyes.

… … … 

Who changed you...?!?!

| Six ❧

“Right, so,” said Han, pointing to each stranger in a misfit-lineup. “This is Seungmin, Jeongin, and...Felix, right? ...Yeah, okay, Felix.” He smiled, gesturing to you next. “Family, this is Y/n.”

Everyone either waved or bid you their own form of greeting, some shy, others more open. Now dressed in a sea-green gown with white-lace trim and possibly the most gaudy over exaggerated bow in the back (smaller, matching ones on your shoes and hair), you did your best to curtsey, though it was awkward and embellished to say the least, and really you’d just used it as an excuse to hike up your quarter-calf socks that refused to stay put. “Yeah, alright...nice to--”

“And this...is Hyunjin.”

The air got a little colder all of a sudden; both metaphorically and otherwise. You glanced up from rebuckling the annoying Mary Jane’s on your feet. Froze.

A tall, slender man stepped forward from where he’d been leaning against the wall beneath the cloak of shadow in the hallway. Now, stepping forward in the light of a grand, deserted chapel, his dark hair combed back by rough fingers pressed for time, he was…he was… 

He was staring at you as if you’d hung the moon in the sky. His eyes were so round and...big. Practically moons themselves.

“......” Han cleared his throat, voicing everyone else’s discomfort. “Yes, well...okay, then. This is great! See?!” He motioned to you as if you were some kind of showcase prize. “I brought her back, just like you asked! Now there’s no need to do anything rash or bloodthirsty! Hahah…hah…! …”

Everyone was strangely silent. Looking at each face in turn, though many were staring at you, none could look you in the eye; and no one dared to so much as peek in this Hyunjin fellow’s direction. In fact, the red-headed boy, Jeongin, seemed...almost...rather afraid.

“Hang on,” you interjected (though there was nothing but silence for sometime now). The gears in your mind cranked back to the letter folded messily on the nightstand: Lives are at stake. I need you to meet someone. “So you’re saying you brought me here because...your friend wanted me here?” You huffed. “I don’t understand. You said that lives were at stake. Who’s dying?” 

Quiet. A somber aura fell over the small gathering; maybe that had been a little brash of you to ask outright…

But you needed answers! Why were you here? What was going on? “...Han,” you said, and instantly the boy looked up at you. “Why did you bring me here? What’s going on? …” You scanned the other four faces of boys around you. “What did you mean when you said...I was…” You shook your head. Doubts were flooding in like a dam had just snapped. “This better not be a set up.”

...More quiet. Han cleared his throat once more, stepping back in line. He had no answers to give; his features only hardened. The other three boys in line were looking anywhere else-- the floor, the walls, the ceiling. Oh, look at that beautiful glass window up there. And look at that one!

Hyunjin just kept on staring at you as if staring right through you; like he couldn’t comprehend your existence. He was completely locked in a trance.

After you’d carefully righted yourself, and had just begun turning away to get the heck out of Dodge, it was Seungmin that spoke next. “You’ll have to forgive him,” he called, scratching his head. You turned around. “It’s been a while since any of us have seen another human being before, nonetheless one that isn’t cursed--”

Han flinched, just out of the corner of your eye. Twitch. “...Oh, you mean…”

Your eyes locked with Hyunjin’s, still stuck in outer space. Seungmin nodded. “Yeah...and as for him--” He flicked his eyes on Han. “He’s just stupid.”

“Hey!” The man protested. Seungmin simply rolled his eyes. 

“Well it’s true! I bet you failed to explain anything that’s going on to this poor girl. Just look at what you made her wear!” He gestured rather violently to your ridiculously (somewhat childish) outfit. “She looks like she stepped out of a dollhouse. The cheap, tacky kind they used to sell down the street at Aunt Marie’s.”

“Um, actually…” You scowled. “I dressed myself. There wasn’t much to go off of in the closet other than old-era gowns and...well, that was basically it. Speaking of which, though…”

You stomped forward. Everyone (minus Trancy) jumped. 

“Which one of you changed me before?! I don’t recall wearing or even owning some fancy nightgown before getting the lights shot out of me.”

Seungmin’s jaw slacked. “You drugged her too?!”

“Only because she was trying to escape!” Han griped. “I didn’t want to have to shoot her! Besides, it wasn’t like I used anything heavy…”

“Still,” Red-headed Jeongin said, siding with his buddy. “What would Hyunjin say if he weren’t lost in his thoughts again? And did you even consider Y/n?”

Han scoffed. “I brought her back, didn’t I? I’m pretty sure that’s all that matters.”

“Regardless,” Seungmin spoke, “You still basically brought her here against her will. That’s kidnapping. I’m pretty sure the curse isn’t going to--”

“Hello?!” you yelled, waving your arms. “I asked you all which one of you changed--! …”

Your eyes landed on Felix. The boy blinked, innocently processing, then bloomed another shade of rosy pink. “O-Oh, no…!” He waved his hands. “It wasn’t me, honest! I’ve been stuck as a mouse since last Tuesday! A-Also, you were already...I-I mean, I suppose if it wasn’t you, someone else had already…”

His voice trailed off; too modest, and he had a solid alibi. It couldn’t be him. In the background, Han and Seungmin were still arguing, with Jeongin occasionally chiming in to support Seungmin’s case.

“Let me guess,” Seungmin mused, arms crossed. “You probably stole them from Lady Verena down the road.”

Han made an urk! sound. Seungmin sighed.

“I knew it...no wonder she’s dressed so gaudy…” He and Jeongin turned to you with kind eyes. “Listen, Y/n. We’re really sorry about all this. If you need anything, from now on come to me or Jeongin. We’ll be sure to take care of you. Heck,” he grumbled, “even the new guy Felix could have done a better job…”

Felix smiled awkwardly. You and Han both fumed; for different reasons. “That’s not what I--!”

A low growl cut through the lowly-chaotic atmosphere. Everyone ceased their bickering.

The assumed head of the palace had awoken.

- ❧ -

He walked circles around you. Circles and circles and circles… 

You were starting to get more than a little dizzy.

“Fascinating…” Hyunjin mused. It was as if he were the only one in the room, and you were merely a lifeless figurine on display. While he spun himself into further insanity and far too strong curiosity, Seungmin and Jeongin both sent you sympathetic looks to “hang in there” and “just go with it.”

But you didn’t want to go with it. You wanted to go out-- away-- back home to the caravan, to the wagon that had Rei and Carrots and all your useless junk people gave life to, and you a profit. “I’m sorry,” your voice cut the mostly vacant air, save for the headmaster’s mumbling and strangely heavy breathing. “Am I missing something here? If you like or...don’t like my outfit, just tell me and I can either say “thank you” or change and we can all move on to more important topics, like, say...why I’m here? What’s going on?!”

Hyunjin froze a quarter of the way to facing you from the left, his brown eyes strangely wide (though really, everything about this man was strange). In the back, Seungmin and Jeongin once again made faces attuning to the atmosphere; in this case, nervous frowning.

They were all treating Hyunjin like some sort of ticking time bomb. Han obviously feared and weirdly resented him, it was plain and simple on his face, and even Felix was picking up something about this guy that you couldn’t sense. When he wasn’t distracted by colorful art or the dirt under his nails, he was sending highly strung vibes his way.

...In all honesty, you weren’t sure why you didn’t just walk out. Nothing was stopping you...really. There was a clear path from here to the great big hallway Han had escorted you down, Felix in tow, and from there a million other doors, all leading to someplace that had to be better than here. One of them-- at least five, or ten-- had to lead to some winding hallway that would take you to the great outdoors.

Just when you’d thought to inquire further on that, Hyunjin finally began speaking, and not mumbling. “You appear to be real…but…”

He closed the (little) distance he’d given you in a single stride, and without warning placed both his hands on your shoulders...very...tentatively. Then, he trailed his fingers up to your cheeks.

You latched onto his wrists, on instinct. A synchronized gasping chorus filled the room like a daytime tragedy soundtrack.

But Hyunjin did nothing, if not for widening his eyes yet again to stare into the depth of your face like he was amazed at your reaction. Like it wasn’t normal or something.

“Hyunjin,” spoke Seungmin, “perhaps it would do you well to give the girl-- Miss Y/n-- her space. She is a human, just like the...er...ahem.”

...That was a sour note.

“Actually…”

All eyes were on Han except yours. Even Hyunjin snapped out of his trance to glare skeptically with concern, with Seungmin having to carefully pull him away so you could stop smelling his pungent breath.

“...Ahaha...ahahahahaha…” ...Han wilted. “I sorta...maybe...well, okay, I didn’t do it, but--”

“What did you do?” Hyunjin spoke. All eyes flew to him, then back at Han in anticipation. Like some sort of thriller novel. The daytime tragedy continued. Maybe you were in a tragic play of some sort, and there was a hidden audience just waiting to jump out and announce that you’d officially been pranked.

“………” He took a breath. “TheWitchcursedhertoo…!”

And then he covered his mouth, wincing moments too soon. 

The decaying chapel gasped. Hyunjin’s face turned hard, then slowly, bewitchingly, menacing.

“She did what?!”

Jeongin’s eyes went wide. “Y-You’ve been cursed too?” he asked, mournfully, almost with pity. Everyone appeared to display a sadness teetering on the edge between fear and hopelessness.

It was insane how quickly the airspace had shifted; though nothing normal had happened yet, everything had at least been more or less steady. Now, it was as if the room had been thrown off its hinges at the mention of the woman...the Witch. Which you were hoping had been a dream, but seeing as Felix was here, and Han bringing it up...definitely not.

Han whimpered; actually whimpered, like a child being scolded for breaking a vase. “I-It was an accident, honest!” He begged. “She didn’t know she was headed into the Witch’s Biome, and I lost track of her! BY ACCIDENT! When I found her, I swear I did everything I could to protect her, honest! Th-That’s where I met Felix, though I didn’t know he was really human at the time...and I brought them both back here.”

Seungmin made a curious face of urgency, almost seeming to sweat as he crossed diagonally forward to move you back, even going so far as to stand in front of you as a shield while Jeongin took care of Felix, tugging the mouse-turned-boy’s twine-sewn sleeve to take shelter behind some discarded pews.

What happened next wasn’t a dream, but surely a thing of nightmares. Right in league with the Witch’s hideout.

There was a swirling mass of black and deep red as something foreign and sinister took hold of the feared so-called Master of the House. Hyunjin began to grow bigger. Sharp, pointed fangs protruded from tight chapped lips pulled back in a snarl. His eyes told of hunger, bloodshot. Pitched daggers made of shadow and bone formed and crystalized along his fingertips.

You lost your voice. You could barely breathe. You weren’t even sure how you were able to stand.

“Hyunjin,” Seungmin warned, a sternness to his voice. “Think about what you’re doing. Y/n is here.”

Hyunjin growled, no longer a man anymore but some sort of...foul, hideous beast. He bore murderous eyes at Han. “I don’t care,” he growled, “I’m going to—!”

“You’re scaring her.”

… … …

That seemed to get his attention. Though the same couldn’t be said about yours; for though you stood still, frozen in time and space, your wandering mind was making a break for recalling the nearest exit. An empty, dizzying numbness choked your thoughts.

Hyunjin...if he could even be called that anymore...glared at you with wide, mournful eyes. Eyes full of fear and insecurity. Doubt. A horrible realization.

In the blink of an eye-- for you literally just had to blink-- he was back to normal. He stood apprehensively still, the rage and miasma gone, staring a hole into your Mary Janes. Perhaps staring at the reflection back at him.

Though he stood impossibly still, his voice gave him away in slight, wavering cracks. “...Forget what you just saw. It was merely an illusion. A trick of the light.”

“Uuuuh,” Felix interrupted. “P-Pretty sure that wasn’t-- mmph!”

Jeongin gave him a silencing, terrified eye. “Shhh!”

“......” With a passive grunt, Hyunjin continued. This time his eyes were directly on you; a wave of nervous energy pooled over your skin. “Dinner is at six p.m. sharp.” he said. “You will be there. ...We will have an encore of introductions, no...an entire reestablishment.” He turned his head viciously over his shoulder. The boy his eyes landed on squeaked. 

“Han,” he uttered. The said boy bit his lip. 

“Y-Yes…?”

Hyunjin deadpanned, in the most unamused, lifeless way. “Come.”

“Ahahahah, a-actually-- whAAA!”

A vase at the far end of the room shattered. Literally exploded, a few shards lodging themselves into innocently bystanding portraits and landscapes. When your attention strayed back, you could see Hyunjin had thrown something.

Han quickly bowed, visibly starting to sweat all over again. After a tense moment he stood, saying in the softest voice, barely a whisper, his agreement. 

Then, wringing the rings on his fingers, he nervously followed him out.

| Seven ❧

Dinner was set to be at six p.m. Attendance was apparently a requirement, given the formal invite Felix slipped beneath your door, turned back to a mouse once more (something about moonlight turning him into a...weremouse? ...The rules of his curse were rather complicated).

However, that didn’t mean that you had to be there.

“...And so that’s how I became a real boy again!” The mouse cheered, setting off a small party steamer Jeongin had granted him to lift his spirits. His tiny rodent eyes crinkled in delight as he beamed up at you from the dining table of your guest room, where the two of you were currently seated. You twitched your nose in timing with his, having stared at him and his life-story-since-last-Tuesday for far too long.

You shifted your weight to the other cheek. “So, really, all you had to do was make contact with sunlight. But you were too scared and kept to the shadows all this time.”

“Precisely! At least, I think that’s how it works!” He plopped down, digging some...cheese crumbs out of his coat. “That, and the old hasbeen wouldn’t let me leave every time I tried. Do you know when the last time I saw the sun was?! Go on, guess!”

“...Last Tuesday?”

He looked at you with wide-eyes, paws shoved up his piehole. He took a few minutes to chew and swallow. “...Oh, you’re good. No wonder you’re the chosen one to break everyone’s curse!”

You huffed, snorted really, leaning back to cross your arms in thought. A movie reel spun its way around your brain, projecting the late afternoon’s events on a white screen:

…Hyunjin’s retreating figure left some sort of impression in your mind, and Han seemed to vanish like ink washed off of a page. The moment they’d both gone, your knees buckled beneath you, hands hitting the cold pavement. Seungmin was down to your level in an instant, with Jeongin and Felix scurrying around pews, bits of rubble and broken glass.

“Y/n, are you alright? …” Seungmin asked, reaching out to you. He paused briefly to think. “...I’m going to check your pulse,” he announced.

As his fingers found their way around your wrist, Jeongin flanked to your other side with a first aid kit he’d salvaged from who-knew-where. Felix kept his distance, wringing his cap the way Han had wrung the rings on his fingers, but one look at his face told you he was just as concerned for your health as the others…he simply didn’t know what to do.

“Here, put this on her!”

“I’m alright,” you mumbled, pushing away an ice pack with sloth. Jeongin gave you a distasteful glare of sorts. 

“But you nearly fainted--!”

“I’m fine...really.”

“......”

Everyone laid off after that. 

Which you took as your cue to exit. In your retreating haste, albeit, you failed to see the sorrowful eyes that followed your fleeting back; but you could feel them, and it wouldn’t be long until they found a voice to stand upon.

“Come on, Felix,” you said. “I’ll see what I can do to get you home. I don’t know where you originally came from, but if it’s anywhere near Westwind, my friend and I can give you a lift.” ...It was the least you could do, after all. Felix hadn’t done anything wrong; he wasn’t the one that kidnapped you, or put a “curse” on you, which you weren’t even sure was real, by the way. Sure, some crazy stuff happened, but you didn’t feel any different. What if Han and the Witch and that Hyunjin guy were really all in kahoots, and this was just some kind of crazy...outrageous propaganda stunt?

Jeongin continued to stare, now in an incredulous manner. “Y/n…”

“Let her go,” Seungmin insisted, lowering Jeongin’s hand. The boy grasped the air weakly, the pulsing of his fingers mocking his faintly beating heart, breaths shallow and longing, feebly succumbing to trembles. It would have been painful to watch, had you known him better.

Felix, keeping a low profile as best he could in such tense situation, removed the beret he’d just finished placing back on his head, squeezing it before him. “...A-Alright,” he agreed after a moment. He paced over gradually at first, then broke into a nervous, jagged jog as he scuttled to your side. “Thanks…”

You smiled to hide the fear and insanity of what you’d just witnessed before. A man turning into a beast— a boy becoming like a shadow— everything that had happened up until now; it was just a dream, Y/n. A bad propaganda stunt. “Don’t mention it.” You turned over your shoulder. “...It was nice meeting you.”

Seungmin smiled, bitterly so, as Jeongin closed in on himself. “Same to you. Please, take care. I apologize for any trouble we caused you.”

With a nod, your footsteps echoed into the once-lavish corridor, Felix trailing nervously behind you. But then…

Those sorrowful eyes found their voice. “Wait, Y/n! Please, don’t go yet!” Someone was running after you. “Please stay, just for dinner at least! Please!!!”

...Your footsteps faded. Waiting.

“Please, Y/n…” Jeongin paused some ten feet away, falling to his knees to beg. “Cursed or not, only you can break the spell. I know how this must look to an outsider like yourself, but what Han said to you before in his letter...I’m sorry but I pried before he left it. He’s right. You’re one of us now. But you’re also you. And only you can save him. We…” His voice trailed off, eyes following, focusing on something in his hands...a locket of some sort? “...We gave up on ourselves a long time ago. But as weird and annoying and frustrating as he is, we made a promise to never, ever give up on Hyunjin. Like it or not he’s our boss, and our dearest friend. He’s been good to us for so many years...after all he’s done, we at least need to save him!” His eyes searched for yours, gripping his hands tightly, pleading, crying out with anguish and hope. “It might be too late, but we have to try! We can’t do anything like this...only you can save him. Please, Y/n…”

You’d been paying attention this whole time, but it was just now that you were starting to see: something dark and lively wrapping its way around Jeongin’s neck, then his right cheek. It was like a tattoo, only...alive. And moving. Black vines with thorns and heart-shaped leaves mapped their way across half the boy’s face, finally tangling into his bright, unnaturally red hair that sploched into ebony black, the color of Rei’s hair, only darker maybe, and then…

He began to fade. “...Please help him. He’s not as bad as he seems, honest! Please say you’ll stay and save him!”

...After that, Seungmin ran over and gave Jeongin some kind of shot that turned him back to normal and stopped him from disappearing, but…

What were you supposed to do when he started crying like that?! You weren’t expecting the waterworks…

Because you were both nice people, you and Felix hurried back to help, too, though all the two of you could really do was run circles around each other and agree to stay for just a bit longer. Just until dinner, you’d repeated. So we have the strength to travel.

...You would go to dinner. Really, the plan had been to just send Felix down. That wouldn’t do, though, now that you thought about it... Well, then, you certainly weren’t staying; you’d simply pop in to make sure that Jeongin kid was still alive, grab a roll or two, and then you’d be off to the nearest motel or campsite, because you certainly weren’t spending a night here. Come morning, you and hopefully Felix could hurry back to Westwind and after you took the boy home, or someplace close, you could get back to a normal life traveling and selling wares and running away from fate and customs.

“I’m pretty sure it’s just Hyunjin I’m supposed to fix,” you mumbled, getting back to the small conversation. You never thought in a hundred years you’d be sitting down in some old castle out in the middle of nowhere, talking to a rat (that was really a person, but still). Your eyes scanned the window beside you, out into the foggy gray beyond where nothing but trees and old abandoned buildings greeted you, lifeless along the horizon.

Mouse Felix was still stuffing his face with crumbs of cheddar and swiss. He seemed to have found some bread crust to pair with the former ensemble. “I mean, I guess. I think I heard that one guy, Seungmin, mention something about it being for everyone though? Or I could have just been hearing things…” He swallowed, stacking another small tower. “Wow, I’ve never had such an appetite until last Tuesday…”

“......” You rolled your eyes, counterproductive to your set jaw. How the heck were you supposed to save anyone? Why you, of all people?

That annoying chant the Witch had said replayed in your mind...maybe, if you could decipher it, you’d have some answers...how did it go, exactly…?

When sunrise comes and all is lost, Look upon the oldtown cross There you’ll find just what you seek This aging woman’s prophecy

Sunrise. So when the sunrise came...but, lost? What was lost?

A cross? You surveyed the area, but you didn’t see anything like that.

What you seek...was this you, or was you someone else? What was it you, or they, were looking for? You just wanted to go home…

...All you got from the last part was that this witch was crazy. Then, the rest went something like… But if yet still you manage to bend And find and seek what storm’s may rend May fortunes smile and bring you light For the many remaining days of your life

Okay, seriously, what were you bending?! This had to be metaphorical. So bend...what, your will? Heart? Find a loophole somewhere?

Were you finding what was lost? Would you find it if you found a loophole? Or had a change of heart?

Fortunes would smile upon you...something good would come.

For the rest of your days…

…You smacked your head against the table, startling poor Felix. Who were you kidding?! You’d already decided, that old hermit in the woods was crazy. Trying to translate some old ramblings was a waste of time…!

...And effective in giving you a headache. You groaned, massaging your temples as Felix detangled himself from your locks to scamper a safe distance away. 

“Y/n? Are you alright?”

“...Yeah. Fine.”

“...You don’t sound fine. You sound like Chan when he’s had a long night working on a new project and drank more coffee than he got work done. And I don’t think he even likes coffee.”

You turned your head. “Who’s that?”

Felix smiled. The only mouse that knew how to. “My boss, sort of. We both work for an entertainment company, at least...I did, before this happened.” He regarded himself sadly. “Ever since last Tuesday--”

You groaned again. “Urgh, I know, I get it already! Last Tuesday may as well be your catchphrase at this point.”

“...Sorry.”

“......” You peeked back at him, flicking a crumb of cheese his way. It seemed to take away all his problems like a one-way train. You sat up, grinning just a little at how cute he looked, nimbling innocently. The only rodent you’d ever find to be cute. “...Tell me more about it. About Chan, was it? And this entertainment company of yours. I honestly thought you were a farmer.”

“A farmer?” He thought. “Oh...yeah, my clothes! I grew up on a farm, and our company is relatively small. I just threw those on when I went exploring the woods.”

“And what were you doing exploring the forest on your own?”

“Uh...well,” he blushed. “I’ll tell you about Chan and the company first.”

His small, yet surprisingly bass voice carried on into the dimly-lit atmosphere. Maybe you just needed to take your mind off things. You were getting too wound up in something you weren’t even committed to being a part of. Once you saw Jeongin was okay, you’d be forgetting all about this place. So for now, you just needed to relax.

And who knew mice told such fabulous, intricate stories?

| Eight ❧

“Hyunjin, please…!”

Crash!

Another mirror. Terrific.

After their departure from the old art gala, Hyunjin had led the two to one of the many old studies that lied grungy and muted like the rest of the palace. In the circular room resided one dusty old curtain over a weathering window, a few bookshelves chalked with books likely to never be read again, a small table with various junk, a chair, another chair, a small loveseat, a slightly larger small grandfather clock...and a calendar with much angry scribbling, stains, and tears.

“Hyunjin, Jeongin can only fix so many mirrors at once...you know how this all works…you break a mirror, something in the castle vanishes. Then I take the heat for it!” 

The beast growled. “You don’t think I know that? Are you talking back to me right now?”

Han flinched. If he were human, surely he would have died from a thousand ulcers and the tight sensations of horrid anxiety by now… “N-Not by any means...Hyunjin,” With gritted teeth, he bowed his head. “Please, listen to me for a second. Let me explain.”

“Oh, that you will,” the beast grumbled. He gracefully spun himself into a red velvet chair, lifting another looking glass from the small table beside it in order to glare at himself broodingly. It made the small hairs of Han’s neck stand yielding, doing a little dance of anxiety. 

“V-Very well,” He said, standing back up straight. He gave an awkward glance at the broken mirror shards before deciding he’d better start talking his way out of another beating, and clean up later. “Our journey begins in the outskirts of Westwind city--”

Hyunjin raised his right arm, the mirror held precariously in the balance. “Too far.”

“NO DON’T!”

...Phew.

Removing the handheld treasure from the prince’s hand, his shadow took a few steps back, peering into it. Watching the door and bookshelf behind him, as shadows had no reflection. “...I traveled around...out yonder, just as you asked. Just like I said I would. I let the wind and my intuition, my hope, guide me, and within less than a day’s travel I came upon Westwind city. That’s where I found her, just outside the gates...she was accompanied by another, a young woman of close age. They looked too different to be related, so I assume it was a friend, or maybe a distant...distant relative. Anyway--”

Hyunjin sighed.

“...Anyway, I--”

“How did you know she was the one? And so close? So close to our village...it seems too good to be true. And I thought you said she was lying dormant somewhere.”

Han blinked, eyes flitting forward. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face. It took all his willpower not to flinch or show anymore signs of weakness. “W-Well, yes, she was, but uh...she escaped?”

“Oh really?”

“Yes. And so, I put her to the test.” 

Hyunjin narrowed his eyes. “You put her to the test? What does that mean?”

“I quizzed her. I knocked on the door of her heart...and she ignored me quite a few times, but eventually, I got in. In exchange for a favor.”

“What favor?”

Han smiled with pride. “I’d saved her friend’s life. Or...distant, distant relative. After that, I asked her carefully, very seriously, of her thoughts.”

“...About…?”

“The curse.”

“You told her outright about the curse?!”

Seeing as Hyunjin was near fuming, Han turned on the sprinklers, fanning his arms about. “No, no! Not outright! I was very tricky! I used lots of metaphors and figuratively-speakings! She had no idea to the core of the matter, really!” ...And anyway, did it even matter anymore? Y/n was well aware by now she wasn’t exactly in Kansas anymore...

“......” Hyunjin relaxed back in his chair. “So, what did she say?”

Han searched the dusty floorboards for a minute, before slowly twisting the mirror 180 degrees. “Well, sir, it was what I said first. I asked her…”

- ❧ -

“A man, or a beast? As individuals, do we have a choice?”

“...I’m sorry...I don’t understand the question.”

“Hmm…” Han thought. “...Imagine you were put under a...spell. A spell that turned you into a hideous monster, with fangs and claws and fur in places you’d never imagined...but it comes and goes, this curse of yours.” He tilted his head. “Are you still human? Or are you now a beast? Well?”

“...I...I don’t know,” you confessed, listing your gaze aside. “I really have no idea where you got such a crazy idea from.”

“Okay...then let me ask you this. I’ll help you out.”

He leaned forward this time. “Do you think we have a choice? Is it possible to define ourselves as one or the other?”

“Well...yes, I would think so.” Your eyes met his. “We all have a choice— to be monsters, or men. It is not a matter of blood, or a spell, but a condition of the heart.”

- ❧ -

Hyunjin leaned forward in his chair, eyes wide as saucers.

This time, he knew it, too. But he didn’t care how he must have looked. That fear died a long time ago, having stared at the many faces of Hwang Hyunjin over the years.

He simply couldn’t believe it. It really was true, then. It had to be her. The girl that would solve all his problems…!

...For the record, one should never put all their faith into one person in regards of “solving problems” or “fixing them,” but this was different. In this case, this girl really was the answer to lifting the curse plaguing his home and body for so many moons, so many long, hard-watched seasons…

And she was going to be having dinner with him. Not only that, but he only had a handful of hours left until it was all over, and everything set into stone.

The door behind Han slammed open, Seungmin entering the stage and stealing his spotlight like he normally did. Even before the curse, the boy who’d been his father’s auditor-in-training was always bursting in to bask in the limelight with his savvy knowledge, goody-two-shoes this and boring document question that.

He swears this was never the case, but Hyunjin knew better. “Do you mind? I’m having a discussion with--”

“Not now.”

“Excuse me?” Seungmin was rummaging around the room, spreading knick-knacks around, tossing books off shelves after quickly examining covers or flipping through a few pages, even going so far as to demand that Hyunjin stand so he could upturn all the seat cushions. “What are you doing?”

The boy genius frowned. “Jeongin had an episode after Y/n almost left. He—”

Hyunjin found himself shaking the boy in the next second. “Did he stop her?!”

“...Shouldn’t you be asking if he’s alright first?”

Hyunjin just continued to stare. Seungmin rolled his eyes.

“Yes, I was going to say, he managed to stop her. I did say almost left. By the way, Jeongin’s in peril right now, so if you could be so kind as to release me, I’d like to get back to ensuring his safety as soon as possible.”

As soon as Hyun dropped him, the boy got right back to work; tearing the room apart. Han pursed his lips.

“He had an episode? Did you give him a shot?”

The boy sighed. “Yes, but I’ve told you both before they’re only temporary. I’m looking for lavender oil, and the vine clippers. I don’t remember the original recipe to stop the ebb and flow, but I think I can make a close replacement from what I’ve read in the past.” He glanced over his shoulder a moment. “What were you getting so hot under the collar about, anyway? Is this about Y/n? Being cursed?”

Shoot, by the day, that was right. He was still angry about that. What if Han had blown it? What if this Y/n was defective now because she’d been touched by the Witch’s mad hand?

Oh, he was so going to get it if…!

“Eeek!” Han shrieked, already knowing what was to come. “Dammit, don’t remind him of that! I had just managed to get on his good side!”

Seungmin rolled his eyes again. “You’re never on his good side. All you two do is bicker and fight and run from or after each other until you’ve become one with the walls and he passes out from anger or resentment or both. ...Ah!” He smiled. “Found the clippers. Now for that oil…”

“Forget the oil!” Hyunjin roared. “We don’t have time for this! Ahh…!” He gritted both hands in his hair, looking out the window, up at the old miniature grandfather clock. “Time’s running out. Since she’s the one, we may still have a chance. Cursed or not we only have three days...two days…!”

It was at this point that Seungmin made a quizzical expression, pausing in his endeavors to pace rather calmly over to the calendar, checking the date. “...The anniversary of your curseday isn’t until next month. You have a whole season, almost.”

A...season?

“Let me see that,” Hyunjin demanded, shoving the kid aside. He peered anxiously at the line up, the rows of weeks in the calendar month that said… … …

Seungmin was right. He’d misread the date, in all his anxious spite.

He had until the next season. Until the first snowfall. Starting tomorrow, his clock would begin.

...Oh, who was he kidding?! His clock started tonight; with dinner.

In a tizzy, his whole attitude changed. No longer was he a grumpy, repulsive, bitter soul trapped in a cursed body. Mindlessly resenting his father, his past actions, the old beggar who’d shown up on his doorstep. He was a nervous young man about to have his first date in what felt like forever, because truthfully, it had been. “What am I going to wear?! ...Oh my gosh, she saw me transform…!” Horror filled his lungs with a ragged breath, hands flying to sunken cheeks. “I can’t let her see me now! But I have to! I have to break the curse...I mean, she has to break the curse! But what if--!”

“Hyunjin!” Han clamped his mouth shut. A bold move for someone that was normally terrified of him. “Calm down! I think that’s step one!” He looked around while Seungmin continued his search. “Step two would be...uh…”

“Finding an appropriate outfit?” Seungmin offered. Han beamed.

“YES, finding an appropriate outfit! Genius!”

Again, the boy rolled his eyes. “Yeah, who would have thought…?”

“C’mon!” The two flew past him, Hyunjin too preoccupied with his previous behavior, overwhelmed by too many truths, to even-- …

He rushed back into the room. “Did you say Jeongin was--?!”

“Let’s go,” Han ordered, yanking the househead by the collar. Leaving Seungmin alone to his bumbling foragery.

My, how times quickly changed.

| Nine ❧

Another spaghetti noodle found its way into Felix’s hair, alongside a half-eaten slice of garlic bread. 

In the great dining hall, chandeliers hung like clouds in a desecrated chamber, all covered in dust and cobwebs. A long, very long table stretched from one end of the wide room to the other, all set with dining ware meant to feed the entire Royal Family and their second cousins. A rainbow of food covered the crimson-draped platform, starting with English scones and biscuits on one end and ending with an Italian pot of gold on the other, complete with pastas, pizza, and a basket of garlic bread nestled to Felix’s right, who was seated at the table’s end. All along the walls sat candles lit with a hazy tint, casting shadows like lingering ghosts, light dancing across the faces of those present.

You slid your hand down one side of your face, safely hidden amongst the confines of two large chambers doors with one slightly askew. Good grief. You were simply waiting on Jeongin to show, to ascertain he was alright; until then, it was Felix’s one job to stall. What on earth was that foolish mouseboy doing shoving food in his hair?!

Seungmin, seated to the absent head’s left, and the only other soul in the room, cleared his throat loudly enough to be heard over the cultural expansion of what was meant to be one supper. “Felix!” he called, “Might I ask why you’re storing food on your persons? You’re...not a mouse at the moment.”

Unfortunately it didn’t reach far enough, as Felix continued to store and gobble down food. “Mm… What’d you say, cuz?”

Seungmin frowned. “I said,” he repeated, raising his voice, “you’re not a mouse anymore!”

Felix blinked, pausing red-handed while sliding a breadstick into his shirt pocket. “...Aren’t I?” He examined himself. “...Oh.” He blushed. “I suppose you did give me one of those fancy needles, didn’t you? I’m not used to being a real boy at this hour.”

Seungmin sunk back into his seat; a sigh.

Oh, but for Pete’s sake, where was Jeongin?! Seungmin could at least mention his current condition, so you could skedaddle your way to the nearest exit with a salad to-go. Better yet, some pasta and a pound of those chicken tenders sounded all the better…

No, no Y/n! Now was not the time to be thinking about food...even if it’d been a while since you last ate...more like a day…

...Ooooooh...pizza and...shrimp cocktail…

A pile of desserts rested center stage. Was that German chocolate you were seeing...?

“So,” Seungmin called. “Will Y/n be joining us this evening?”

Your attention snapped back to reality. Felix shook his head alongside tearing into a drumstick. “‘Fraid not,” he replied.

“Mm…” the other boy nodded. “...May I ask why? Is she feeling alright?”

Felix paused again. Forgetting the pasta and German chocolate, you pressed yourself against the closed door in order to be as close as possible, ear resting just next to the shaded chandelier and candlelight. 

Just like we practiced, Felix. Come on, just like we rehearsed.

“Uuuh,” Felix stammered. “Th-That’s…”

His head listed aside in thought. Ugh! No, what was he doing?! 

Felix chewed much longer than he needed to while racking his mouse-sized brain for an answer. Your fingertips pressed into old polished wood, silently begging the boy to remember what you’d just discussed twenty minutes ago.

Remember...think, dang it!

Suddenly, he swallowed. “Oh!”

Seungmin shook his head, as if waking up from a trance. “Yes?”

Felix grinned, probably with salad or something stuck in his teeth. “Y/n will not be attending this dilatory gathering due to a symptom...of her curse, that makes her quite drowsy at this late hour!”

Chink...! That was the sound of your hope cracking like a broken mirror. That sounded totally rehearsed! The lie was supposed to be that your curse made you tired and you didn’t want to be disturbed. It was perfect, since you knew one of them would insist on butting in to see for themselves, but surely would respect a young lady’s wishes to be left alone…

Though it was hard to see that far, Seungmin appeared to be grinding gears in his mind to make sense of such a suspiciously wordy sentence when, heaven’s to Betsy, the door at the far side opened, and in came a blue-haired shadow. It was the only way you knew how to describe him; he was simply put, like ink off a rain-washed page… “Wassup?!” He announced, swinging out the right-side chair.

Seungmin deadpanned, appearing to squint just slightly. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

Ink-boy dropped a handful of rolls onto his plate. “...Like wha— oh!”

He leapt for the door again. Seungmin rolled his eyes (something he seemed to do a lot), dabbing the sides of his mouth before placing the cloth back over his lap. “Yeah. Oh.”

At the far end of the room, Han held both hands raised, as if he were a magician about to reveal a magic trick. “May I present to you, Felix, His Royal Highness, Prince of Everain Palace, Ruler of Finance, Master of Trade, Prosperer of...prospering, President Hwang’s birthright successor of the greatest industry of all time, Hyun— …”

Crickets. 

You couldn’t visibly see it, but you knew it was there: a single drop of sweat that rolled down the side of Han Jisung’s face, as he stood frozen, one hand hovering over the engraved door handle.

“Ha...hahaha…” He did his best to smile. “...Wh-Where’s Y/n?”

Felix bobbed his head, holding up a finger while finishing off a bite of lasagna. “Mm...one second mate…” He dabbed the corners of his mouth like Seungmin had done, taking his time to tuck and fold the elaborate cloth upon his lap. 

Han twitched. Felix surely smiled, taking a painfully slow inhale.

“Y/n will not be attending this dilabitory...dilatory gathering due to a...symptom?...yeah, a symptom of her curse, that makes her quite drowsy at this late hour!”

… …

“She whAT?!?!”

You sighed. While Han had another spastic encounter with the dust-coated floor, Seungmin hollered and tried beating the boy out of it with various hard-mattered foods, the two falling into the same bickering as they had before. Felix continued to happily stuff his face like nothing was bothering him. And you, idly residing in the cold hallway, still had no idea how Jeongin was. Not a word.

Sliding your back down the door, you pursed your lips, lightly smacking two fingers over your wrist; better check yourself before you wreck yourself, just in case.

Fifty-eight...fifty-nine...sixty. Yep, normal.

But the marking on your wrist wasn’t. 

You jumped back, hitting the door and causing the noise outside to dip for a moment before returning to...what was currently normal. You covered your right wrist with the opposite hand. Held your breath. Counted to three.

Removing your fingers, slowly, something sinister stared back at you. Something...elaborate, foreign, but distinguished. Some sort of...strange dome shape, a mark made of...ink, maybe, resembling a chapel window. Or a door, perhaps?  

Upon closer inspection, in the faint light from the other room, it seemed to pulse with...some kind of...energy… … 

...When sunrise comes, and all is lost… Hmm… 

Fwoosh!

You snapped your head back, peering through the sliver of dancing light. The far door ricocheted against its adjacent wall; an ambrosial aroma wafting through the air. The candlelight...illuminated...

...A beastly man with silky black hair.

- ❧ -

You’re pretty sure you heard a noodle slip off the fork wound tightly in Felix’s hand, who nearly dropped it all the same. 

There he was; the man who’d become a monster and nearly murdered Han just hours ago, right before your eyes. The black and red miasma, honed claws, sharp teeth; all of it came flooding back to your mind like a tidal wave. 

The sudden drop in temperature made you long for candle warmth, yet flee farther into the shadows of the empty hall. Seungmin paused with a scone held once proudly and threateningly in the air, now placed delicately on his plate as he nervously slid back into his seat. Han, once choking on a fistful of salad mix, managed to wash it down and did the same, quickly and quietly so after pulling out the beastman’s seat.

Hyunjin sat down with vigor, the legs of his chair scraping harshly to the floor. He made a peculiar face, something like embarrassment albeit just a second, before hiding it behind the fluffing of his napkin and folding it onto his lap. Then he made a fleeting...was that nervous?...glance straight head, to the far opposite end of the table.

The candlelight seemed almost hesitant to cast it’s erratic glow upon the prince’s face. When his eyes met a head of orange hair, he froze, glaring. Hotly. “Where is Y/n?”

“The million dollar question,” Seungmin mumbled. It managed to echo, along with the kick beneath the table and following hiss escaping his lips a moment later. 

Hyunjin snorted, turning his gaze back to Felix. “I said,” he repeated. “Where is Y/n?”

“Yes, I heard you loud and clear, cuz,” Felix replied with an OK sign. “Gimme just a sec...ahem!”

You (silently) banged your head against the solid matter before you. Oh, sweet stars, please no…

“Y/n will not be attending this—”

“She’s not feeling well, Your Grace,” Seungmin interrupted. Phew. “Apparently she’s rather ill as a side effect from whatever curse the Witch gave her. She’s resting in the same guest room upstairs.”

Yes! Now, someone mention Jeongin’s name so you could leave with a clear conscious!

Hyunjin blinked. “Go get her, then.”

… Huh?

Seungmin nearly swallowed wrong, apparently thinking the same thing. “I’m sorry?”

Hyunjin, again, snorted. “I said, go get her. It’s rude to keep everyone waiting, especially royalty.”

Felix, who had long started his meal prior to anyone’s arrival, stopped and hurriedly shoved any evidence under a spare napkin from the empty seat beside him. “Ahaha, yes, right! Waiting…! …” 

He awkwardly wiped his hands clean. Seungmin frowned. “Hyunjin…”He placed his fork down. “She’s sick. Resting. And after today, I don’t blame her for wanting to be left alone right now…” He eyeballed Felix a moment, leaning in with a hushed voice. “Remember, you have more time now...it’s better to be patient. Let her adjust first.” He turned back toward his meal. “I got the hint from Felix’s message, she wants to be left alone. Everyone’s already started eating, anywa—”

“That’s enough!”

The room swiftly grew colder. You shivered, ducking your head even if you technically weren’t present in the dining atmosphere. Oh, greif.

Hyunjin slammed his hands on the table, rocking himself upwards. “If you’re just going to back talk and give me excuses, I’ll get her myself!”

He made his way toward you, crossing the dining room on Han’s side in angry strides towards the vaguely slitted door.

Gasping, you bit your lip hard, frantically searching for a place to hide; but there was nothing. No furniture or randomly placed junk littered the path leading to the great hall. Could you outrun him, maybe? Would it make a sound? How good was his hearing? Did beastmen have the same sensitive hearing capabilities as a wolf, or a fox?

“Pardon me!”

You whirled around, witnessing the brave, possibly last, antics of Felix the Mouse...boy. His whole aura radiated positive, jittering energy, hopping lightly from one foot to the next as he put his old entertainment skills to use, all for your sake.

Hyunjin grunted, having been stopped in his tracks. He glared down heatedly. “What is it? You’re in my way.”

Felix saluted him. “Right on, bro! ...Except, that…”

You held your breath. Put on a good show, Felix. Or, better yet, ask him about Jeongin. That’s all I need to—

“...I need to pee. Mind showing me where the bathroom is?”

… … 

Oh…he just had to...go… 

You deflated like a popped balloon. Of course.

After staring almost incredulously at Felix, like trying to understand his existence, Hyunjin made some sort of irritated noise you assumed all beastmen made, shoved him aside, and continued his striding. 

You made it as far as a few paces from the first available turn before a cold voice stopped you.

“Just where do you think you’re going?”

Urk! … 

...You really should have just looked for Jeongin yourself.

| Ten ❧

“Where’s Jeongin?”

The room had long ago settled into an uncomfortable silence. Bitterly, you shoved a stuffed olive into your mouth, letting the salty tang of the brined fruit coax over your tongue before shivering from the sensation.

You were getting drowsy. But that also could have been from the wine Han insisted on pouring for you, and you being stressed and unsure if an evening around a beastman would be at all possible without the effects of alcohol, accepted.

You were seated across from the beast now, in Felix’s place. The boy being forced to your right...until the effects of whatever had made him a boy again wore off. As of ten minutes ago, he was a rodent yet again, nested happily in the garlic bread basket. You squinted eyes at him over your wine glass.

You totally failed the mission. Be grateful I’m having a hard time staying mad at you. And that you can safely ingest garlic.

“Why do you wish to know?”

Hyunjin’s voice boomed across the grand hall, in no more than a calm rejoinder. How he could speak so lowly and yet fill an entire hall was beyond your drunkenly buzzing comprehension.

“I just want to know,” you simply replied. “Where is he?”

Hyunjin didn’t respond. Instead, Seungmin cleared his throat, excusing himself from the room.

“Wait,” You stood. “Where are you going?”

The boy awkwardly shifted his gaze from you to the door. Hyunjin suddenly stood as well. “Why do you want to know? Why are you asking so many questions?”

“Okay, okay,” Han dabbed at his face, easing the beast back into his seat, and motioning for you to do the same. “Everyone take it easy. Y/n, please excuse Seungmin, he has many responsibilities here. Hyunjin...Your Princeliness,” he corrected, “why don’t you have some more wine? I think we all just need to have a nice long drink and—”

“Be quiet,” Hyunjin ordered, scooting himself in. His shadow didn’t need to be told twice, turning back to his dinner with a small eye roll.

Steadily, with caution, you lowered yourself back into your seat, only able to watch as Seungmin gave a brief bow to you before disappearing behind closed doors. “Please excuse me,” his voice trailed behind him.

Great. He was likely the only one who’d have been bold and honest enough to tell you anything. Now you were stuck with a beast, a shadow, and a mouse that’d fallen asleep in the bread basket.

...Then this happened.

“Ahem,” Hyunjin swallowed a swish of sweet, fermented grape juice. “...T-Tell me about yourself.”

“I’m sorry?”

“I said…” He swallowed again, for no particular reason this time. He kept a staring contest with his steak. “Tell me about yourself. What kind of...stuff do you like?”

“What kind of...stuff?”

A stifled noise came from Han’s lips, as he did his best to hide a smile. He spared you a polite grin before quickly whispering something to Hyunjin, like a lawyer to a client. “...Never mind!” The beastman awkwardly bleated, to which crimson coated his cheeks. He angrily picked at his plate, and the room once again fell into silence.

That was weird. Switching gears, you glanced down to your wrist. The mark from a bit earlier was still there, now lit up beneath the flickering light. Tentatively, you slipped a spare napkin, rubbing at the ink.

It didn’t budge. You tried wetting the cloth with a bit of wine when the others weren’t looking; thankfully, Hyunjin was too...enthralled in his steak, or something, and Han was too busy whispering to him.

The ink didn’t smudge, either. It was as if the markings were a part of your skin.

When sunrise comes, and all is lost… 

“What do you do for fun?”

“Wha?!” Your head shot up, focusing to see all four eyes on you. Han and Hyunjin glaring at you expectantly. You gulped, taking a deep breath to clear your thoughts. You just couldn’t get that old bat’s wacky slogan out of your head… “...What do I do for fun? Is that what you asked?”

Han gave a single nod, encouraging another conversation attempt. You lowered your head, thinking. It couldn’t hurt to participate in mindless chatter. Just until I get the information I want.

“I like...selling things. And making people happy.”

Hyunjin’s eyes grew just a little. “Is...that what you do for a living?”

“Mm-hm.”

Both men were silent. Hyunjin, in particular, looked like he may have been experiencing indigestion of some sort. Then he scowled. “Shouldn’t you be home with your parents? Taking care of them? Doing something more decent?”

You scoffed. What the heck? Where did that come from? “This is how I take care of them. Almost all the proceeds go back to them. What do you mean, more decent?”

Hyunjin had opened his mouth to speak when Han cleared his throat, jumping in on the conversation. “Does your friend work with you? Her name was…”

“Rei.”

“Yes, Rei! You both sell artifacts and collectibles, right?”

“That’s correct.”

Hyunjin blinked. “Oh…” He relaxed, indigestion cleared.

Placing both hands on your lap, you sat up a little straighter. “So where’s Jeongin?”

The beastman’s face resembled one of annoyance and grief. “Why do you keep asking about him?”

“I…” You took another swing of wine, swirling the contents afterward. Watching as your reflection altered. “I’m just curious is all. Is he doing okay?”

Something like...jealousy?...resided among the beast’s brow and set jaw. “He’s fine. Quit asking. I want you to tell me about yourself. Where are you from? How old are you?”

It was at this point that you’d at last had perhaps one too many swigs of sweet relief and numbness, for you placed down your glass after chugging the last bit. One out of...how many refills of this stuff have you had? “Can’t,” you stated, standing. “I got what I came here for. Now I’m leaving.”

“Leaving?”

Hyunjin...the beast, regarded you incredulously. “Yes, leaving…” You giggled. “Leaving. Leeeeeaving… Like leaves blowing in the wind, leaf-ing.” It was a hop, skip, and a jump to the door some ten or whatever paces away. “I know that Jeongin is okay now...er, wait.” You frowned. Turned around. “How do I know you aren’t lying to me?”

A brow was raised. “You think I’m lying? About my Jeongin?” He snorted. “Why do you care so much about him? Do you know him from a past life? Was he your lover? Do you like him now?”

“Hyunjin…” Han muttered, glaring. “Cool it...please.”

“I will not!” He rose to his feet with twice as much vigor as before, chair flying backward. Han eep-ed. “This dinner is supposed to be about you, and me. Why do you keep bringing up my blacksmith? Tell me!”

Because you were already pretty numb (good gravy what was in the wine?), you just laughed at the fact a beast was getting this angry over something so trivial to you. “Why do you care so much? Do beasts always get this angry?” You groaned, like it was all such a bother. “If you really wanna know, he had a nervous breakdown or something and begged me to come to dinner. But he got all weird...like...there were these moving images, and he started vanishing. I could see right through him!” You sighed, making your exit again. “I just wanted to know if he was alright. Turning into air like that can’t be healthy.”

“Absolutely not.”

You chuckled, nearly at the door. “Exactly, that’s what I’m say—”

“NO!”

Boom! Chik!

...You flinched. Gradually, bit by bit, you inched yourself to partially facing the dining hall.

A chunk of the table was missing. A decently-sized, pretty big chunk, torn right off the left corner. Han, on the opposite side but right next to the disaster, was twisted up like one of the noodles that’d been trapped in Felix’s hair, his face ghostly white.

Hyunjin was seething. “You are not going anywhere outside the confinements of these walls. That is an order.”

Han coughed, waving away dust and floating wood chips with minimal effort so as not to draw too much attention. “O-Okay, easy there, Hyunjin…technically…” He smiled. An apologetic one, voice skittishly squeaky. “Technically, you can’t order her to—”

“I’ll do whatever the hell I want!!! This is my manor, my life, my curse!!!”

“That doesn’t give you the right to order me around!” You screamed. “How dare you raise your voice to me! Over something so stupid and absurd!”

His eyes narrowed to slits, head twitching aside. “What did you just say?”

You mirrored his image. “You heard me. Don’t pretend like you didn’t hear. Surely, as a beast, your hearing is as good as a dog. Or a bat. Or some kind of vermin.” Pushing open the door, you whipped your head around. “I said, I’m leaving.”

Hyunjin’s eyes went wide...then nearly vanished behind a curtain of vexed, enraged brows. “You wanna go so badly? Fine! Get out of here! Go to your room!!!”

“Who do you think you are, my father?!”

“Obviously, running amuck from your parents has left you with a lack of discipline.”

Your jaw went slack. “What did you just say?!?”

Hyunjin smirked, a sarcastically snobbish and mocking tone to his voice. “You heard me. Don’t pretend like you didn’t.”

“Uh!” You raved. “Whatever! I’m going to look for Jeongin myself, since I can’t trust that you’d tell me anything sincere. Then, I’m out of here.”

“What does that mean?!”

“It means I can’t trust anything you say, because you’re a monster!!! Then, I’m going home!”

You couldn’t quite see it, but there was a hint of pain in Hyunjin’s eyes, mixed with scars and years of regret. But everything quickly flooded back to anger and bigotry before you could count to three. “...Get back here! You’re not allowed to leave the manor! I forbid you to go anywhere except straight to your room! Do you hear me?!”

“No!”

“Yes!!”

“No!!”

“FINE!!!”

“Fine!!!”

…Slam.

| Eleven ❧

The rain coming down that night was the only thing stopping you from leaving. Not that you were afraid of a little rain by any means; no, not in the slightest. Rather, it was that you weren’t going to kill yourself over a stupid argument just to get away from a beast. You couldn’t risk catching pneumonia or a silly cold and leave Rei to handle taking care of you and the fort. Plus, there was the matter of Felix...you’d be responsible for him as well. You already told him you would.

...All of that, and it was raining pretty hard.

So here you sat, out in an old web-infested barn, slack atop a stack of hay a few feet away from the open barn doors, just watching the rain fall. Praying it would let up so you could escape. Praying no one would find you here, out in some shabby old building behind the kitchen. And what a nightmare that had been, by the way.

From your left shoulder, Felix did a nervous little jig, spinning in circles twice before bridging across your back to the other side. “Y/n…I don’t know what happened, cause that cheese and wine got me pretty good, but…” He heaved a small mouse-sigh. “...Do you think you maybe overreacted? You don’t seem like a person who gets worked up so easily.”

You scoffed. Wasn’t that right. “Yeah...you’re right. I’m not.”

“Then what happened?”

“......” It took you a moment to gather your thoughts. What did happen? Why did I get so worked up like that? Sure, there was the alcohol. That definitely had an effect. But it wasn’t everything, because now that it was wearing down, now that your mind was clearing and you’d had some time to settle down, to breathe in solitude, you...knew it was something more. There was truth in the midst of all that anger.

Felix was waiting for an answer. So were you.

“I—”

Chunk! “Y/n!!!”

You took a startled breath, turning toward an old door you could have sworn was sealed shut. “Jeongin…?”

It was Jeongin. The red-haired reason you’d decided to stick things out, albeit a little longer. The boy greeted you with flushed cheeks and a lazy smile; he still didn’t look all that well. “Y-Yeah...I came because I heard...you…”

He hunched over, out of breath. The face of another appeared behind him. “Jeongin! I told you to slow down, you’re in no condition to be running around like…” He stopped, blinking into the darkness. “Y/n? Why are you here?”

Brown hair, matching eyes. Mr. Excuse-Me-From-This-Horrifically-Awkward-Dinner. You just smiled, lazily in response. “Hello, Seungmin.”

The young...caretaker nodded, acknowledging you before being swatted away by his patient. A flash of vacancy lit up the night sky as you turned the opposite away, facing the other two in a triangle. Jeongin hustled to shut the barn doors despite Seungmin’s protests, and pretty soon the three...four of you, with Felix taking a nosedive for the hay, sat in awkward silence.

It was almost an encore of dinner not but twenty or thirty minutes ago, though not as worse. It was obvious the two of them wanted to say something, but neither wanted to be the first to speak. Finally, after twenty-odd seconds of nose scratches, unnecessary shifting, and forced coughs, the only employee with a braincell sat up a little straighter.

“Listen,” Seungmin began, using his hands to speak. “About Hyunjin—”

The beast. No thank you. You swatted your hands before you. “I do not want nor need to have another conversation about that ill-mannered buffoon.”

“...I’m pretty sure this is the first one.”

“Second,” Jeongin inquired. “...Right?”

“I’m not counting the first encounter,” Seungmin...countered. “Those never count.”

Jeongin nodded. “Yeah, I can see why—”

“Enough!” You yelled. “...It doesn’t matter if this is the first or second or even the tenth time. I can tell you one thing, it’s definitely the last.”

Seungmin gave you a pitying look. “We all have to walk on eggshells around him.” His voice sounded pleading, borderline apologetic, and all-over exhausted. “...It gets rough, I know. I understand he’s not the easiest person to get along with. He’s very different and outcast and behind the times. But if you could just hear me out for—”

“Hear us out,” Jeongin corrected. He gave you the cutest, saddest smile a boy of his caliber could possibly manage. It made your heart melt; it didn’t help that he was still ill to boot. “I heard what you did for me, Y/n. I really appreciate your concern. No one has ever stayed, especially when one of us...has an...episode.” 

His gaze grew sad and distant. You could feel your heart sizzling in a pool of pity. “...This has happened...before?” you whispered.

Jeongin nodded, Seungmin averting his eyes. “...Yeah.” He said. “Twice to Jeongin, three times to Han, Hyunjin too many to count...and uh…” He scratched his cheek, holding up an index finger. Eyes peeking shyly under the hood of neatly-groomed bangs. “...Once I may have...had a bad day.”

“Wow…” Felix mumbled, head sticking out of the hay barrel. The boy looked like a stray whack-a-mole project. “That sounds rough. Been there done that.”

You rolled your eyes, shoving him down with two fingers. He let out a muffled squeak on the way down. “So…” ...You sighed. “...What is it that you wanted to say, then? This is the last time I’m listening. I only went to that banquet to make sure Jeongin was okay.” Another crack of lighting pierced the sky, followed by the ominous rumbling of thunder. “You have maybe ten minutes, since the storm isn’t letting up anytime soon. But after that, I’d like to be left alone in peace until I can leave this joint. Go.”

Seungmin nearly beamed nonexistent sunshine. “That’s plenty of time.”

“Get to the basics. Just the essentials.”

“The company fell under a long time ago.”

“I’m sorry?”

He huffed, running a hand through his hair while Jeongin glanced nervously at the door. “The company, this place. The first thing you need to know about Hyunjin is that he wasn’t always this way. And I’m not just talking about the curse. He’s the son of a wealthy businessman; this is his estate. He owns the whole town...or at least, he did.” His eyes scanned the walls and dusty interior, as if checking to see if someone else was watching. As if taking in the entirety of the estate. “...Now it belongs to Hyunjin. Everything.”

You crossed your arms. “I could have put that together myself. He’s obviously a rich, spoiled brat.”

“There’s more. The people that know him personally know him for who he really is.”

You huffed. Unbelievable, really. “And what would that be?” You pressed. “A monster?”

A bitter silence flushed the room. You instantly felt a pang of resentment at that remark. Perhaps...again, that was a bit too harsh. 

“...I’m sorry.” Your arms laid in surrender across your lap. “Please continue.”

“......” Seungmin glanced to his left. “You wanna pick up from here?”

He leaned back, Jeongin lifting himself to take the lead. “...Hyunjin is a pain in the ass. He’s a pain in the morning, we basically play rock paper scissors to see who has the unfortunate task of waking him up and handling his breakfast, and to decide who’s turn it is to do laundry and lunch we place bets on when he’ll randomly combust in a daily rage or which book he’ll throw across the room first.” He counted on his fingers, listing them off one by one. “For dinner and his bath we usually draw straws or play an old board game, but Han often cheats, so…”

...His voice trailed off, eyes intently examining his mental checklist. You frowned. “...What does any of this have to do with…” Shook your head. “What are you saying again?”

He smiled sheepishly. “I’m sorry,” he bowed. Cute. “What I meant to say was that deep down Hyunjin is actually a very kind person, but...I just ended up making him sound like an overly-dependent...man...child.”

You couldn’t help but chuckle, twirling a piece of hay around your finger. “Well he sure does seem like it. His manners at the dinner table were atrocious and incredibly beast-like.”

“But you don’t know him like we do,” Seungmin insisted...then smiled, apologetically so, sitting up straight again. “...Forgive me. But what we’re trying to say is, Hyunjin is really a nice guy, he’s just...stuck. You definitely didn’t help with that daily ledger,” he scolded beside him. Jeongin bowed again.

“Well, sorry, I was just trying to—”

“Stuck?”

That lone word rang out like a gunshot. Seungmin and Jeongin both turned to you with sour eyes, the former swallowing a bit uncomfortably. “...Yes, stuck.”

“In what? Time? Space? Adolescence?” You tilted your head. “Because he never learned to grow up?”

“Exactly! ...Sort of.”

You glanced down to the hay-riddled fabric adorning your lap. It’d never really occurred to you to analyze or care anything for Hyunjin’s personal life, mostly because you weren’t planning on staying and the moment you saw him transform, you didn’t want to know. Your instincts told you to run, to flee, to flood your system with a coping-mechanism gene and forget and ignore what you just saw. You wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but you were scared...and who in their right mind wouldn’t be?

...But hearing this now...even given the smallest sliver of insight…

...Well, your mother had often scolded you for being nosy. “So you’re saying he never learned how to...grow up.”

Both boys nodded. “That definitely can be said.”

“And so, that’s why he acts out.” You looked around, questions popping up about the hedge maze in your mind from every direction. “How long has he been alone here? Where are his parents? …How old is he?” Your eyes focused on Seungmin. “What happened to him, exactly?”

“......” Seungmin and Jeongin shared a look. It all but drove you crazy how long it took one of them to answer. “...Do you have longer than ten minutes?”

| Twelve ❧

“Hyunjin was born to a wealthy mother and a poor, impoverished father in the year XXXX. No one knows where or how they met; Hyunjin is very selective and quiet on the matter. However, documents of his mother’s family buried in one of many attics claim they met at some time around the Summer harvest festival, an annual event that used to take place here in New Amber.

“It was the responsibility of noble families to uphold the annual harvest ceremony at the start of the season. As a part of tradition, many noble families and a few middle class families with connections to noblemen and their wives would use this great gathering to announce engagements and arranged marriages, in order to shift the power to new families and invite a sense of balance to the community. Hyunjin’s mother was reportedly sixteen years old at her time of arranged marriage, to the wealthiest family in New Amber next to the king; a family called the Song’s.

“The Song family oversought all affairs in the king’s absence; which he was absent a lot, given his aloof nature and uncaring attitude towards politics. The Song family basically ruled the city with an iron fist; many offers came to them from pushy mothers or greedy fathers who wished for their sons and daughters to tie a knot to the family name, connecting a chain to their own. A man by the name of Yun Jeongsun, Hyunjin’s grandfather, was one such parent. He weaseled his way into the Song’s good graces, and they offered their youngest son to be wed.

“Hyunjin’s mother, Yun Haerin, was against the marriage from the start. She had no interest in marriage, and instead wanted to craft her own trade to be of use to society. She wished to work alongside the Song family, rather than become one herself. As you can imagine, this angered many people; not only did it go against protocol at the time, but refusing an offer from the ruling family was considered a huge offense. And the Song family took it that way.

“As she was packing to leave the city one night— as she’d decided to melodramatically run away from her problems— she was met with Hyunjin’s father, a dirt-scratcher named Hwang Jihoon. The Hwang family had fallen on hard times ten years prior when their oil company snagged a few false investments, and the company went bankrupt and fell under. Having learned to fend for himself and adapt to life on the streets, Hwang Jihoon saved Yun Haerin from some typical back alley bandits, and finding her fancy offered to escort her to her new life outside of town.

“As you can probably guess, the two fell in love during their travels, and settled for a simple life outside of New Amber. However...Hwang Jihoon wanted more for his family. 

“No one in the Hwang family ever forgot or gave up resenting the hardships they faced. And no one especially more than eldest son Jihoon. To summarize and keep this short...Hwang Jihoon became a tyrant. He used Haerin’s maiden name to forge a new path for the Hwang’s, and eventually, the nameless city they had escaped to fell flat. It couldn’t withstand the intense amount of economic tyranny and inflation. The taxation without representation. Hwang Jihoon had swindled his family to the top and drained the entire community dry.

“So they went back to New Amber. For stability. For revenge. Now having the security and stability he needed, which he stole from others, the Hwang family came back with an iron fist of their own. Due to a current drought and a bad economic year, not to mention the king up and abandoning his people, not even the Song family could stand up to them. And promising a new resurrection of New Amber, Hwang Jihoon took the throne.

“He crowned himself King of New Amber and tore half the city apart drilling for oil. As luck would have it, the community had been sitting atop a natural oil reserve that flooded the country back into promising times. Things were actually quite peaceful for the first five years...until they ran out of oil. Taking the snag in stride, however, Jihoon used his deceit and backhanded tactics to manipulate the economy, trading and stealing from other cities. Because he was so crafty, no one caught on until it was too late.

“Hyunjin had been born just a year before. Upon his birth, Haerin and Jihoon began having marital problems, according to a diary entry by Haerin. In it she claims to have regretted her choice in marrying Jihoon, and that she’d fallen out of love with him. She claims that his only interest was power and revenge, tearing down the social hierarchy to make everyone pay— and the unfortunate effects it was having on everyone. 

“In her last entry, Haerin claimed to fear for her life. She wrote that Jihoon had violently threatened to forfeit her life if it meant continuing his reign. She was never seen or heard from after that…”

...Seungmin’s voice grew faint for a while. Tension in the air rose higher, the thickness suffocating.

You couldn’t believe such a tragic and long-rich history had occurred in such a wasteland. It obviously had fallen eventually, but…

You needed to hear more. “...So he killed her? Then what happened?”

Seungmin nodded, slowly. “It likely wasn’t him. Due to his constant appearance in the public eye, it’s more probable to say he hired someone to do the job.”

You shivered. How awful. 

As Jeongin fished out and dusted off an old blanket for you, his light coughs echoing around the barn, Seungmin continued. “With Haerin gone and the Yun family name no longer needed, Jihoon continued to thrive and plunge the city to new heights— and a harder fall. He manipulated the economy to continue spinning in his favor; meanwhile, as years flew by and he became older, he began having thoughts of the future, and who would succeed in his place. Because he was a man with no trust in anyone but himself, he summoned his only son— Hwang Hyunjin— to be molded in lessons of business and trade. How to lie, cheat, and steal.

“Supposedly the brainwashing began around the age of nine. Hyunjin had been a clueless child sent away to be cared for by a few nuns from the community in a remote location before; he’d grown up without any friends, never knowing the love of a mother or father. Only the required care provided by the Sisters of the Church. However, that does not mean he was never unhappy; the sisters did a fine job of raising him, and they truly did grow to love Hyunjin as their own.

“Of course that all changed when he was taken back to the palace. From then on Hyunjin spent his days locked away in the estate’s highest tower, like a prince out of a fairytale; forced into the education of topics he could scarcely fathom. Another maid who kept a journal of her own reported the occasional, almost frequent scream coming from the prince’s tower. She noted them as punishments for incorrect responses and behavior.

“Hyunjin was fourteen when his father died. Five years of torture and humiliation, along with a healthy dose of effective brainwashing, formed him into an angry and bitter soul. Originally, he wanted nothing to do with his father’s company. He wanted nothing to do with the position of king; but being outnumbered and powerless against the force of countless impoverished civilians forced him to make changes. 

“...I did the best I could to help him. As an advisor in training to Jihoon, I truly did what I could. Honestly, seeing him that one day...the day of his coronation...it fascinated me. There, I thought. Up there on the highest balcony. That’s the boy rumored to be the source of the screaming at night. That’s the boy who is Jihoon’s only son. His flesh and blood. The son of the late Haerin, a lasting survivor of the Yun legacy.”

Seungmin took a deep breath here, sighing out into the open space between you. Watching him flashback nearly took your breath away.

“...And so it came to be that Hwang Hyunjin took the downfall of his father’s handiwork. The moment he sat down at the throne, all the lies his father weaved came unraveled. All the shortcuts and manipulation tactics came back to haunt him. All the stolen time and resources were forced to be paid back in full. Hyunjin could hardly bear the weight of it all; the toll was almost too great. Many people saw him as cursed, and up and fled the palace to be with their families in poverty. But they hadn’t seen anything yet...”

“So…” You hesitantly reached a hand forward, then flinched, retracting it. “...I’m sorry to interrupt. But how did he...um…”

Seungmin gave a bitter half-smile, nodding. “Yeah. I’m almost there.

“One night at the head of a harsh Winter, an old woman showed up seeking shelter. Hyunjin was out stalking the palace halls lamenting his position, and upon answering, turned her away.”

Your eyes widened. “She was...the Witch of the Biome. Er, whatever her name is…”

Seungmin nodded. “Yes, that’s right. The Witch revealed herself to Hyunjin, and put a curse upon all who were present within these walls. At the time that was...well, there were a few others, but before you ask about them...they’re gone now.”

You listed your head a moment before realizing what he meant. “...O-Oh...I’m so...sorry…”

The advisor shrugged. “It was a while ago. There was nothing we could do about it. It was their choice…”

Sniffling filled your ear from down below. You bowed your head to find Felix with tears in his eyes, turning to you in need of comfort. Gently, you lifted him onto one leg, hovering cupped hands around him. “And then?”

“Then...well…” He gestured around him. “Here we are today. After the people saw what he had become, families and villagers left, some in hoards, others more sparingly. But eventually the whole city was left to erosion. Hyunjin couldn’t hide his curse forever; and neither could we.” 

He stood suddenly, dusting stands of hay and a few piles of dust from the atmosphere away from him. Outside, the sounds of clarity of nightfall graced your ears.

“So now you know. This is Hyunjin’s story...and our own.”

“So then, why am I here?”

This question seemed to catch Jeongin by surprise; but Seungmin smiled as if anticipating the notion. “The Witch tends to spout riddles about how her curses can be broken; it’s like some weird tick or bad habit while she’s casting them. Or maybe it’s just the incantation itself; no one really knows. However…” He scratched his cheek, looking to Jeongin for confirmation. The red-head nodded. “We were hoping you would be the one to break the curse. You see, the incantation, according to Hyunjin, went something like this:

“Lips to lips and mouth to mouth Calls the speaker of the shrouds Summon forth your courage and might In order to love and end within night But yet if still ye cannot fathom Ending here the chilling anthem Suffer still and face your demise For all the passing days of sunrise.”

The smallest gasp escaped your lips. Sunrise...sunrise. When sunrise comes, and all is lost...

“...Hyunjin sort of lost his way after the curse was cast. Well...no. He’d lost his way a long time ago. I guess what I’m trying to say is, he never found his way to begin with. So he really lost it after the curse hit, and he was forced back into hiding. He didn’t know what to do with himself. Everything was so...messed up. It was just a mess. His whole life had been a dark, night-infested wasteland...much like this town, almost...and then it was like someone came and dropped a hedge maze over it. He didn’t know where to go or what to do. He was already lost. So he just...screamed. And cracked. He broke, like many of the mirrors you’ll find around here. Covering it up with a delusional fantasy. That’s why he acts the way he does; sort of like he’s just existing, and nothing is really wrong. Inside...it’s chaos inside his mind. Just an ill-chosen coping mechanism to disguise the front of war. So, Y/n…”

You flinched at the mention of your name, sitting up straighter. Seungmin looked down upon you with an intense fire.

“Now that you know the story, what will you do? I didn’t tell you all this to guilt you into staying, so I hope you don’t feel that way. Nor did I tell it to scare you. You have nothing to fear but fear itself; something we’ve been trying to teach Hyunjin for a long time…” He sighed.

You glanced around the worn-down barn. At the empty hay barrels, the decaying wood structures, the various puddles of rain seeping in. What were you going to do? It was a tough decision to make...and a lot of information to process.

Your eyes traveled down to the lone marking on your wrist, now appearing to have settled into something bolder. It was definitely a petal, or an ambrosial symbol of some sort. The Mark of the Rose… 

You swallowed hard. It would seem your destiny had led you here. Even if it was a sudden destiny, a fate you never asked for. If you were going to get your old life back, well, it looked like you were going to have to take a detour. “I think...I’m going to do what I have to.”

At the other side of the barn, Seungmin blinked, remaining ever calm and collected since the moment you first met him. Jeongin, on the other hand, bore his eyes into you as if waiting to hear the climax of the story. “And what’s that?” Seungmin asked.

You stood, placing Felix on your shoulder. “You’ll see. Just watch me.”

| End Act One ❧

ღ Stray Kids M.List | M.List ღ

 .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。 .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

[thescatterbrainedwriter]

Crossed Wires pt.2

Flash Fanfic

——

Warnings: None

Word Count: ~2,000

Pairings: Oc x Canon

***Note: Emily is my own creation, I just like sticking her in random places***

——

They popped back up in the living room of Nash’s place, Harry holding onto Emily for a moment when they touched ground again not really wanting to let her go. “You good?” she asked making sure his footing was stable. “Yup, I’m good,” Harry assured. “You sure?” She asked with a smirk lifting their still joined hands. “Mhmm,” he repeated still holding on. Her heart skipped when he smirked making her tense for a second. “Ok, good,” she said letting his hand go and moving to take her shoes off. “So, I’m assuming you may be hungry? Want anything?” She asked making her way to the kitchen. “No, I’m ok for now,” he dismissed shaking his head. After taking off his shoes and jacket he followed her to the kitchen. Her heart rate picked up as he got closer and she bit her lip trying to keep herself together. “Theeeeen what.... did you waaaaanna do?” Harry shrugged. “I dunno,” he stated casually somewhat amused at her discomfort. It was his turn to make her blush and he was going to have fun with it.

“Ok, well, I’m gonna go.... make a snack. Or something. Should probably calibrate and affix your neural scanner first though.”

“Oh right, yeah. Should probably... do that....” he said pulling out the device and handing it to her. He followed her into the kitchen and took a seat, Emily standing in front of him given he was so tall even on a chair. As she concentrated making sure everything was in order, Harry studied her with a smile that slowly got wider the longer she took. He saw her brows furrow, her eyes fixate on her task, pupils dilate, mouth pouted and even her tongue stuck out the side of her mouth a little. “Hmmkay... that should do it,” she said completing affixing the small device to his forehead. Smiling satisfied she caught him looking at her with soft eyes. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?” She asked.

“Just... watching you concentrate,” Harry said with a shrug. “You know, you stick your tongue out and your pupils dilate when you zone out?” He smiled leaning forward and pointing at her. Emily smiled embarrassedly putting her hand in his face to push him away. “Pfffff— stop... staring at meeee,” she whines with a giggle. “Das rude!”

“Maybe I don’t want to,” Harry teased grabbing her hand and removing it from impeding his vision. Emily squinted before licking her other palm and planting it square in the middle of his face prompting him to release her hand in order to wipe the saliva off. She took the opportunity to retreat away all the while giggling at his sounds of disgust. “Uuuugh, why!” He complained.

“I need my hand to make snacks, how else was I supposed to get you to let go?”

“You could have asked!”

“Were you really gonna let it go?”

Harry paused. “.....yes, I would have.”

“You hesitated!” Emily accused pointing at him from across the table squinting suspiciously.

“I would have! ...... Eventually.....” Harry admitted sheepishly. “Mhmm, yeah sure,” she said with a smirk. “Anyway, I’m gonna go change into comfy pj’s and then make a snack. Technically this is your place too so go get comfortable or something. I’ll be back.” She poked her head back out of the door she had just disappeared into after a brief pause. “Don’t worry, I’ll wear pants this time,” she assured and grinned. Harry grinned with a nervous chuckle still sitting at the table and she disappeared again. He sat steeping in uncertainty, his ears beginning to burn as he debated telling her what was on his mind the entire time she was gone today. When she wandered back into the kitchen muttering her nightly to-do list he decided to blurt it out. As she said, how often would he get this opportunity again?

“Hey Emily,” he said quickly standing nearly tipping over the chair. Emily’s head snapped over to him in surprise having been jolted from her thoughts by both his voice and the noise of the chair. “Ack! Oh, you ok?”

“Yeah, ah, I’m fine,” he dismissed righting the chair and breezing over to her. “I.... have spent a lot of time thinking. Today. W-while you were.... out....”

“Ok?” she said raising an eyebrow curiously and leaned against the table. “Whaaaaat was it you thought about and conclusion did you come to? If you came to one.” Harry paused before averting his gaze and scratched his face. “Well.... as you can imagine,” he started. “Things were, well quite a lot for me to take in. Today.”

“Mhmm, though you handled it rather well from what I understand.”

“Yeah, well, I guess..... I guess a few... wires, may have been crossed. So to say.”

“I would say so, yeah,” Emily affirmed.

“No, you don’t understand, it’s more than just me being front and center. I’m talking about......” he paused, his breath seeming to catch and he felt really rather warm now. “Harry?” Emily said concerned.

“Emily I.... I think.... I think I’ve been, feeling things.” Harry stuttered trying to explain himself. “And I spent a lot, and I mean a lot, of time thinking it over because I wanted to make sure it was not just carry over from Nash or....” he looked up at her making eye contact, eyes both apprehensive and anxious. “Or me....” Emily’s heart stopped and her cheeks became rosy. “Whaaaat do you mean?” she asked trying to keep her voice level.

“Well, I— as I’ve said— I was doing quite a lot of thinking today, and going over past memories and doing a bit of.... self reflection I.... I guess. And I came to the conclusion that..... that......” Emily’s eyes grew wide in anticipation and she barely breathed waiting for him to speak. Harry relaxed his shoulders and his face softened. “I love you.” Her breath caught and all she could do was stare at him. “I know, I know,” Harry said after the awkward silence, “this is a really bad time to be bringing that up but, I just..... I was afraid and then Earth 2 was destroyed by the Anti-Monitor and..... and I really regret not telling you sooner.”

A tiny smile cracked Emily’s face and she looked down at the floor scratching her head. “And here I was thinking I scared you off....” she muttered. “Wait, you....?” Harry asked. “Yeaahhh,” she said smiling at him shyly. “But, I mean, you took your wife’s death hard and I thought at some points in time I was over stepping soooo...... I did my best to quash them. The feelings, I mean.” Harry smiled and sighed. “Mixed signals, god I hate those...”

“Eh well, I was.... admittedly, a little scared too,” Emily explained. “Being ripped away at any point and all that doesn’t exactly make for eager relationship mentality.”

“You know people go through a similar fear, called death, right?” Harry asked.

“Yeah.... I know. I’ve been told the before believe it or not,” Emily followed, “But by that logic, I’ve been through that pain, and inflicted that same pain, half a dozen times at the least. Does that indicate someone who would want to make another connection only to hurt someone like that?”

“No, not really,” Harry admitted. “So then.... why Nash?” Emily pursed her lips and shifted very wide eyes to the sides. “I..... guess I have a type? I’m sure Sherloque could relate,” she smiled a cheesy smile. “Besides, in case you didn’t notice, he had to do an awful lot of convincing.”

“Yeah, I guess,” he sighed. “Didn’t hesitate like I did either.”

“No, no he was.... quite persistent. Took him a while to pluck up the courage though.” Emily smiled and Harry mirrored it. “Soooo, then I have a..... question. For you,” he said slowly walking over like he was embarrassed or too shy. “Can I kiss you?” He asked after a hesitated pause. Emily tensed at the question and chewed on her top lip trying to keep goosebumps from erupting all over. “Why don’t you, try and find out?” She asked smirking a little with hints of deviousness. Harry’s heart stopped, he half expected a yes but didn’t think it would come in the form of a challenge. Tentatively he leaned forward after shaking off his surprise and met her lips with his. They stayed like that for a moment letting the kiss linger between them as they absorbed the tingling feeling that came with it. “So that’s what I missed, hmm?” he commented after they parted. “You’re not half bad yourself,” Emily observed with a smile. Harry chuckled. “If Jessie saw me now. By the way, have you seen her? How is she?”

Emily’s smile dropped a bit. “I.... I uh....”

Harry’s entire face dropped noticing her change in body langue. “Jessie.....”

“I haven’t seen her since, uh, since the universes merged,” Emily admitted causing Harry to turn away, she thought he would pass out with how pale he became. “But! Buuuuut, that doesn’t meeeean she doesn’t exist anymore,” she said rubbing his shoulder, he leaned over the table and stared at the surface with a blank expression. “Cisco traveled around to study and catalog all the changes that have showed up including new metas. And we haven’t seen Wallie around in a while, it’s possible they’ve come across her.”

“Yeah, yeah I guess you’re right,” he muttered.

“Why don’t you, uhm, make a list of things you’d.... like me to ask her. When I do find her, hmm?” she asked trying to distract him.

“Yeah.... yeah I’ll.... I think I’ll do that.” Harry nodded. He slowly shuffled his way into the bedroom and sat on the bed. *Yet another thing to absorb,* he thought to himself.

“I’ll be out here if you need me. For anything,” Emily assured with a gentle smile. Harry nodded and she closed the door to give him quiet. *I think now would be an opportune time for brownies,* she thought to herself. *Not that there’s ever a wrong time for them.* She smiled to herself and headed off to raid the cupboards for ingredients.

——

Harry wasn’t sure how long he sat in the quiet room, but he knew it was an hour at the very least by the ringing now very pronounced in his ears. He had compiled a short list of things he wanted to know about Jessie, short for him anyway, mainly pertaining to how she was doing to making sure she was taking care of herself and he wished to tell her he loved her. He also wrote down a few things he wanted Emily to do for him occasionally in regard to keeping an eye on her. Rubbing his face with a hand he sighed deeply, too much thinking and digestion of information for one day had made him very tired and for once he really wanted to not think about anything. He decided to exit the room and find Emily to see what she had found to make for a snack, and what she considered a snack.

Peeking out of the door he first found a smell of chocolate wafting through the air, then heard humming coming from Emily and similar buzzing from a drone or two. Coming closer to the kitchen, he heard bare feet tapping on the floor and laughter every now and then. He stood in the doorway and leaned against the frame watching with a smile, and after a short while Emily happened to turn enough to catch him watching. “What are you doing waaay over there?” She asked with a giggle.

“Oh, you know. Watching,” he replied.

“Being a creeper, eh?” She smiled making her way over to him. “Creeper? What?” He responded in mock insult. She smiled a little wider. “Creeeeeep-errrrrr,” she said and poked his nose leaving a substance on it. Recoiling at the unknown, Harry touched it to find it was brown and smooth in texture. “Fudge?” He asked confused.

Emily grinned again making her way back over to the counter. “Fudge brownies! My favorite, and guaranteed to cheer anyone up,” she said gesturing dramatically to the still hot bake pan. Harry followed and inspected her handiwork. “Is it all done?” He asked. Emily nodded. “Yup, should be cooled enough t— hey wait, what are you doing?” she asked suddenly noticing Harry move to put his entire open hand right on top of the fudge icing she had finished spreading moments ago. Before she could stop him he firmly planted it in the middle of the pan thoroughly coating it. “Ahh! No, my brownies!!” She near screeched. “Why did y—“ her sentence was cut off by the sudden chocolatey hand plopped into the middle of her face. She froze in disbelief leaving Harry to just smile smugly. “For calling me a butthead earlier,” he explained noting her questioning look. “And the saliva handprint.” Emily’s shoulders dropped. “Fair,” she relented. “But did you really have to ruin such beautiful brownies?”

“I really had to ruin your beautiful brownies,” he confirmed. “But are they really ruined? I think they look better.”

“You know, this isn’t what is meant when the request for a hand is given,” Emily replied washing her face. “So I’ll not ask you for a hand in anything any time soon because of this.” She sighed when she turned and saw him proceed to lick all the icing off his hand. “You want a towel or something instead?”

Harry shook his head. “And waste all this fudge? Never,” he smirked. “Want some?” he asked holding his hand to her face. Emily gave him an unimpressed look fueling his smugness before gripping his wrist and licking from the base of his palm up to the end of his middle finger. Harry swore his heart stopped, he did not anticipate a reaction like that in the least. “Mmm, yum. I love fudge, so much. Good call,” she said with a wink. Harry just stared at her as she casually started cleaning her baking mess like nothing happened. “You’re dangerous,” he commented finding his voice again. “I dunno what you’re talking about,” she replied feigning innocence. He squinted at her with a pause before washing his hand, no way was he risking something like that again. *She seemed too confident doing that,* he thought. *I’ll bet Nash instigates that behavior a lot.*

“So, did you manage to make a list?” Emily asked after a brief silence. Harry paused letting the water run down his hands. “Yeah, I did.”

“Good,” Emily replied finishing wiping down the counter. Smiling she turned around. “Now, eat a feel good brownie, properly this time, and then we can go to bed. No more thinking today, sound good?” Harry nodded with a relieved smile. “Yes, very.” Emily stayed in the kitchen while Harry left to change, brownie in hand, and wandered around closing up for the night. When she made her way to the bedroom, she found him staring off into space sitting on one side of the bed. “Hey,” she said breaking his concentration. “I thought I said no more thinking?”

“Ah, right. Sorry, couldn’t help it I guess,” he said with a chuckle before settling into bed. Emily gave a sympathetic look and made her way to the other side. “Alright, tell me what’s on your mind,” she said sliding under the covers and settling in herself. He looked over making eye contact and his face softened almost immediately at her quiet concerned but attentive look. “Too much,” he says with a sigh. “But, I think mostly, I’m scared.”

“Why are you scared?” She asked scooting a bit closer to him. He sighed again turning on his side to face her. “I’m.... I’m afraid of being lost. I’m afraid to go to sleep because I don’t know if I’ll get the chance to manifest again. That never crossed my mind before today.” Emily sighed softly and gently place a hand on his cheek. “The stubborn and persistent Harry? You’re too assertive to ever disappear.” He chuckled sadly continuing to look at her, his mind calmed and he remembered how he felt the day his mind began to slip and she was there to assure him. “I’ll keep you safe,” she assured softly. “I know,” Harry replied.

“Hey, c’mere,” Emily said after a brief thoughtful pause and stretched out her arms. Harry looked at her quizzically but did as she asked. “What are....?”

“Nash sometimes has nightmares,” Emily explained pulling him close. “This never fails to keep him calm and get him back to sleep.” She wrapped her arms around him gently cradling his head close to her chest and rested her head on top his. Harry stiffened at the close proximity but soon relaxed feeling safe and wrapped his arms around her in return. It didn’t take long for him to drift off to sleep to the sound of her level heartbeat and Emily soon followed.

———

[queenmuzz]

A little Christmas ficlet...

A little fic set post-DMC5

Julio looked disappointingly at both Kyle and Carlos, both passed out on their beds.  They'd all made a promise to stay up all night together, but they'd given up mere hours after their bedtime.  Ah well, they were younger than him, so they had more trouble staying awake.  And besides, if he could stay up just a few more hours, he'd be able to lord over them that he'd seen Santa.

It had started with a rumour at school that the jolly fat man didn't really exist, that Santa was just their parents that left out presents.  Julio and his roommates knew that was a lie, since they didn't have parents, just Miss Kyrie and Mr. Nero, and yet there was still presents under the tree.  So obviously it had to be Santa.  As a result, the three of them had agreed to stay up and catch Santa in the act, and when school came back the next year, they'd be able to tell all those kids that He did exist. Julio even had an old Polaroid camera he'd found in the closet, primed and ready to catch Him in the act.  

So now, he maintained his solo vigil at the bedroom window that faced the well lit front door, as the time went by, minute by minute, hour by hour.  Occasionally Kyle or Carlos would shift or mumble something incoherent, and Julio would spare them a side glance, before they'd fall back asleep.  This was a lot more boring than he thought it would be.

They'd left cookies and milk for Santa, as well as carrots for the reindeer, and asked that the front door could be left lit up.  Carlos had been a bit worried, since the house didn't have a chimney like the orphanage.  Miss Kyrie had cheerfully explained that Santa came through the front door when there was no opening to the roof.

And that's when Mr. Nero had scooped up all three of them, with his cool new shimmering blue wing arms, and as they screeched with joy and delight, he carried them all up the stairs at once to their shared bedroom.  And after getting a Christmas story,  and hugs, they wished the three of them goodnight.  Mr Nero had been a bit happier the past few months, ever since he came back from losing his arm.  He had a new normal looking arm, but he also now had these cool wings (which the kids were told not to talk to anyone about).  But even with that, he was happier about something else, something that he hadn't talked to the kids about, since he also seemed to be worried about it too. Julio might be just a kid, but he knew things.

It was almost midnight, and Julio's eyes were getting heavy.  Perhaps... perhaps this was a bad idea.  If he stayed awake much more, he'd sleep through the present opening.  Maybe he should just go to..

Wait!

There was movement in the front yard.  At first glance, Julio thought it might be a stray cat, but then a person strolled up the walkway.  He had white hair, a beard,  (not as long as he expected, but maybe Santa shaved?) and had a big grin on his face. And the kicker, He was wearing all red.  This man had to be Santa!   He began snapping photos, accumulating proof.  Odd, Santa didn't have a big sack of toys.  But maybe he had magic shrinking powers so he could carry all those presents.  And he didn't have any reindeer.  But Fortuna was pretty warm, probably too warm for reindeer.  And besides, Santa looked really dirty, like he'd been up and down a lot of chimneys and covered in that black stuff.  So it had to be Him! He almost came to the front door, but then he paused and turned back.

“You coming? He's gonna kill me if I don't bring you with me.”  

Out of the edge of light, a dark figure approached who looked like Santa with his white hair, but no beard.  He didn't wear red, he wore black...or was that really dark blue?  He looked kinda scary, and he had a weapon at his side.  Julio felt very nervous.  In class, he heard that in some countries, Santa came with a guy who would punish kids who were bad. And since Santa had no sack with him, maybe....

He thought back to all the bad things he had done that year.

Eating cookies from the cookie jar before dinner

Blaming Kyle for the broken vase he knocked over while running through the house

Getting into Miss Kyrie's makeup kit and painting his toenails

And he knew both Kyle and Carlos had done some bad stuff as well, so.. oh...no... were they all gonna get punished by the man in black?

“Do you think he would wish to see me?” the scary man asked, perplexing Julio on who he was talking about.

“He didn't kick both of our asses just to kick you to the curb, brother” Santa has a brother!? “Just give him a chance, like he gave you a chance.  He'll probably be pissed, but trust me, your kid has a good heart.”

“Still, the last time I was here, I vaguely recall...”

Santa seemed annoyed at his brother, “Uuuugh, just stop with your wiffling and grow a spine.” His brother grumbled something, but Julio couldn't make it out.  “Look, whatever happens, I'll be by your side.  You can't put this off forever.” He placed his hand on the shoulder of the man in black, and Julio took another Polaroid.

And with that, Santa went to go knock on the door. Santa knocks?  That's weird. But before he could rap his knuckles, the door was yanked open...

And then Mr. Nero stabbed Santa in the chest.

Julio almost dropped the camera in shock.  Mr. Nero had just killed Santa!  Why would he do that!?  All those kids who didn't get their toys!?  

“Nice to see you too, kid.” Santa wheezed, as he helped Mr. Nero pull the sword out of his chest. “You.... ass-holes” Mr. Nero hissed, using an adult word he and the other kids wasn't allowed to use.  What was weird was that he sounded like he was about to cry.  Apparently Santa wasn't too upset about having a sword shoved through him, or the swear word because he chuckled slightly as Red Queen was removed.  

“Hey there kid, long time no see.” Santa softly said, and the scary man in black came a little closer.

“You... left me.” Mr Nero was definitely crying.  “You never told me who I was, and then you tried to kill each other, and then.... you ass-holes left to go to god knows where!”

“Hey...hey...” Santa said, placing both his hands on his shoulders “We were gonna come back, it just...took a bit longer than I expected, and look!” he waved his hand to his brother “I even dragged your old man back, like I promised!” The scary man stiffened a bit, as if he was scared “Look, we're sorry, I'm sorry...I dunno what else I can do to make it up to you.”

“How about not running the fuck away again? Or trying to kill each other?  Both of you!” he hissed, pointing at them both, tears dribbling down his cheeks.  Mr. Nero never cried, even when his arm was ripped off by the monster, so this must mean he was really upset.

“Look kid, we're not going anywhere,” Santa assured him, “and we've had a good talk, we've hashed out our differences....mostly.  It's gonna take more time, and some more work, but your old man and I aren't going anywhere”

Mr. Nero looked like he was about to fall down, but Santa caught him in a hug, and with a jerk of his head towards his brother, he said softly “come on Verg, your kid needs you.”

Hesitatingly, the man in black and approached, before being pulled in by Santa,and gingerly placed one arm around Mr. Nero, and one arm around his brother.  And with the cool magic Mr. Nero had ever since he came back, his big bright blue wings appeared out of nowhere and and enveloped the both of them.  Julio took a lot of photos, and soon the Polaroids littered his bed.

After a few moments where he couldn't make out of what they were saying, Mr. Nero broke away, and as his wings vanished, he wiped his tears away.  “God, you guys stink.... get inside and get yourselves into the shower.” Santa chuckled as he pulled his brother inside. Nero continued “I'll tell Kyrie that we got extra people for Christmas dinner today, she'll probably make more than enough food”

“Ah crap, it's Christmas!?” Santa Swears!?  “We were gone a lot longer that I thought... I didn't even get you anything...”

As the door closed behind the group, he could just make out Mr. Nero, “I think this is a pretty good present...”

It only took a few minutes for an exhausted Julio to pass out afterwards with a big smile on his face, his pile of photos stacked on the nightstand.  He couldn't wait to show both Carlos and Kyle, and the fact that Santa was going to have dinner with them......

[a-solitary-marshmallow]

A Word For You

Another short Sanders Sides drabble! This one is Prinxiety with a dash of pining, featuring a very flustered Roman

______________________________________________________________________

“Come on, Panic-at-the-everywhere, it’s like two in the afternoon. At this point you’re not even fashionably late!” Roman knocked more insistently on the blotchy black and indigo door with his free hand, frowning at the flakes of paint that stuck to his fist. Sure, Virgil had his aesthetic, but his room really needed a makeover. Maybe some magenta to go with his purple theme, and oooh, plate glass windows! And of course he needed to re-vamp his movie nest. The circle of blankets and pillows were comfortable enough for the two to watch Disney on Roman’s phone, but Roman was thinking a pillow fort, obviously stocked with books and stuffed animals and maybe a coffee machine…

He’d been standing here in thought for five minutes.

Roman shook his head to clear it and knocked again. “Virgil! Patton made you pasta and by god you are going to enjoy it while it’s warm!” He waved the steaming plate, balanced haphazardly in one hand. “Virgil, if you don’t open the door I’m coming in.”

At his threat there was a mumble from the other side of the door, too indistinct to make out. Well, a prince could only have so much patience. Roman opened the door and stepped inside with a flourish.

“Your pasta comes to you, then!”

“Princey!” Virgil shrieked, and Roman could only stare.

Virgil cringed, with a hairbrush stuck in his bird nest of hair. His skinny frame was draped in an old band t-shirt and sweatpants, skin lightly dusted with freckles and flushed without its usual coating of foundation. And most noticeably, a pair of black-rimmed glasses rested on his nose.

“You wear glasses?”

“Why are you in my room?” Virgil demanded shrilly. He tried to yank the brush out of his hair and grunted when it remained firmly lodged in his bedhead. “What have I told you about knocking?”

“I knocked!” Roman defended himself. “But more importantly, why didn’t you tell me you wear glasses?”

Red crawled up Virgil’s cheeks and tinted his ears as he scowled. “It’s not a big deal. They’re embarrassing. I just wear contact lenses most of the time.”

“Embarrassing? They’re adorable!”

Virgil jumped. In the nick of time Roman remembered to place down the plate of spaghetti on a desk before rushing forward to grab Virgil’s shoulders.

“Oh, there’s so much potential for aesthetic! And why do you cover up those freckles Stormcloud, they’re marvelous!”

Virgil flushed even darker, and Roman suddenly became very aware of his hands on Virgil’s shoulders and how close their faces were – he could taste mint toothpaste in the air between them.

Shit.

Roman turned away with a flourish to hide his dry swallow. “You look lovely Virgil, it’s a good look on you.”

“Really? I woke up ten minutes ago.” Virgil grumbled. He tried to tug out the hairbrush again only to yelp in pain, and Roman turned back quickly, tutting. He was going to pull out his gorgeous locks at this rate!

“Here, let me.” He sat Virgil down on the bed and crawled behind him to grab the hairbrush and start wheedling it free. Virgil hunched in front of him. Oh no, Roman wasn’t making him nervous, was he? Oh bother. He’d been trying to make Virgil feel more comfortable around him, but it seemed he’d screwed it up again. It was bad enough that time Roman took Virgil into the Mindscape for some de-stress, and was two seconds away from blurting out his feelings when Remus appeared. And what a mess that trash goblin had caused. Virgil had looked so unhappy when Roman dropped him quickly back in the common room and gone to clean up his brother’s mess.

Roman wanted to be a comfortable friend, gosh darn it! It was the least Virgil deserved after working so hard for Thomas’s sake. He did go slightly overboard, but didn’t they all from time to time?

Roman opened his mouth to apologize for crossing any boundaries, but Virgil beat him to it. “The glasses and stuff… don’t exactly add to my aesthetic, y’know?”

Oh, so that was the issue. Now he felt silly for worrying. “There’s more than one way to pull off a good aesthetic.” Roman finally got the brush free, with some hair tugging and wincing on Virgil’s part, and started gently teasing out the knots. “I personally think those glasses, with some eyeliner of course, would really accentuate the emo theme. They make your eyes seem much more mournful and dark. And as for the freckles, they make your skin seem paler and more colourless in comparison! Oh – or you could make them little spiders! I have a perfect makeover idea. Do you have a makeup set? What am I saying, of course you do. Wait, where was I again? Oh yes.” The knots were gone and Roman ran the brush through short, silky hair. “As I was saying, I happen to think you look lovely.”

In all honestly he had finished with brushing, but Virgil’s hair was so soft, like feathery down, when it wasn’t combed down over his face. He just wanted to play with it. It seemed like such a short time ago that Virgil was just a Dark Side to him, who would prickle at his presence – Virgil would never have let him this close. Back then Roman hadn’t realized how soft Virgil’s hair was, or how easily he got flustered, how his voice broke when he was embarrassed and how extraordinarily beautiful he was when that happened.

No, beautiful wasn’t quite the right word. Neither was just ‘cute’ – adorable? – no, something deeper than that. Extraordinary, breathtaking, exhilarating, sublime, pulchritudinous. Was there even a word? How could he describe the wonder of a storm with deep brown eyes and a quick wit and a cocky smirk that made Roman’s heart melt?

“Uh, Princey?” Virgil said, and Roman realized he’d stopped moving again. ABORT, ABORT. Time to leave before he made things worse. But he was already moving. Before he knew what he was doing, Roman leaned down and kissed the top of Virgil’s head. “What are you-”

“OKAY BYE SEE YOU LATER!” Roman dropped the brush and bolted for the door, leaving a rather stunned Virgil in his wake. The door slammed shut and a few stray shards of paint showered down.

Roman leaned against the door and buried his burning face in his hands. Uuuugh, what had he been thinking? He’d totally overstepped the line, and now Virgil would think he was weird and not want to hang out anymore and he would be alone forever-

A creak of hinges. Roman tumbled backwards with a shriek as the door he was leaning against suddenly wasn’t there any more. He found himself groaning and rubbing his back.

“Ow.”

A shuffle. Roman squinted up as Virgil crouched next to him and offered a small grimace. He moved his hand towards Roman’s face and Roman sat there, transfixed.

Virgil cupped his hand around Roman’s cheek and wiped his thumb under his eye to remove the streak of eyeshadow that had taken hold. Oh. Benefits of being in Anxiety’s room.

“Black’s not a good look on you, Princey. That’s my aesthetic.” He mumbled.

Virgil removed the second streak and the anxiety Roman hadn’t recognised as anxiety stopped gripping his chest. His normal confidence bubbled through, only to shrink again at Virgil’s smile. He smiled with his eyes more than his mouth – they crinkled at the sides into little brown crescents that made Roman melt.

Oops, and now Virgil was staring. Say something. Say something!

“Uhhhhh. Thank you.” Roman blurted out. Wow, real eloquent. Virgil snorted and stood, offering a hand which Roman reverently took and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet, back smarting in pain. “Um. Pasta.” He pointed past Virgil to where the plate sat on his desk.

“I know.” Virgil looked mildly confused. “Thanks for bringing it.” He wrinkled his nose. “I don’t really feel like being around people right now…”

“Oh.” Roman tried not to look crushed.

“…So do you wanna hang out and watch Parks and Rec with me for a couple hours?”

“Yes. I would absolutely love to.” Roman blurted. He resisted the urge to slap his forehead – what was wrong with him today? He blamed a lack of sleep – he’d been up most of the night planning out the perfect date and had gotten a little too excited, and ended up designing a series of masquerade outfits.

“I’d like that.” Roman finally managed to say in a normal voice, like normal people did. Virgil’s eyes crinkled in that smile again, and he nodded.

“Okay. Your room in ten?”

“Sure.”

Virgil ducked back into his room to get changed, and when the door closed on a beaming Roman he slid to the floor and buried his face in his arms, groaning. Why did that prince have to be so goddamn adorable???

[name-me-regret]

The Hoodie Borrower - Chapter 8

Summary:

Tony wasn’t going to get involved with the kid. He’d made a mistake bringing him to Germany. Then he started to realize that he needed to keep this dumbass kid alive. Yeah, that’s all it was.

Author Note: So, I got super blocked and I kept going back to methods of trying to get past it but it didn’t work for a long time. Yeah... so, sorry this is so late. Didn’t mean for it to happen. Thanks to Diana for her spamming and encouragement. You helped me, girl.

Read it on AO3.

- - - - 

 “When the night has come    And the land is dark    And the moon is the only light we'll see    No I won't be afraid, no I won't be afraid    Just as long as you stand, stand by me         And darlin', darlin', stand by me    Oh, stand by me    Woah, stand now    Stand by me, stand by me    Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me    Oh, stand by me    Woah, just stand now    Oh, stand, stand by me...“

~Stand By Me - Ben E. King   - - - -   Peter grinned as he read the text message that Miles had sent him, always thinking his friend was super funny. He’d just scored a DVD player from the dumpster a few blocks from school as he headed for the subway to get home. Even if it didn’t work, Peter was pretty confident that he could get it working once again.   Miles to go for road work: So... wanna hang out this weekend? I found this awesome cafe last time. Wanna get some food or something?   Peter bee Parker: Yeah sure, that’d be great. MJ likes cafes and stuff, and Ned is always down. Let me ask them if they’re free   Miles to go for road work: Oh, yeah sure. Lemme know.   All the way in Brooklyn, a teenage boy let his head drop onto the pillow with a groan. “Damnit,” he mumbled.   Ganke laughed from his seat at his computer. “Again?” Another groan was Ganke’s answer. “Parker is totally oblivious, man. You gotta ask him straight... well, maybe straight isn’t the right word for it.”   “Fuck off,” Miles grumbled.   “Anyways, what I’m more concerned about are these... new abilities of yours. What’re you planing on doing with them? Gonna become like that crazy dude on YouTube?”   Miles turned on his back and looked at his hand, flinching as electricity crackled along it. “I dunno,” he muttered, flexing his hand and tried to do it again only for nothing to happen. “I think I gotta figure them out first before I decide to do anything.”   Ganke hummed in agreement as he continued to type on his laptop.   - - - -   “Hey May.”   “How was school today?” she asked as he tossed his bag aside and put the DVD player he’d found in the trash on the table.   “It was ok,” he said with a bit of a shrug. “There’s this crazy car parked outside...” He turned to face her and froze when he saw Tony freaking Stark sitting in his living room.   “Oh, Mr. Parker,” the man said with a smirk.   - - - -   Chaos Squad   Peter bee Parker: Sorry guys can’t make it to the cafe! I’ll explain when I get back   Miles to go for road work well go when you get back   Michelle aka the boss has changed the group chat to Nerd Squad   Ned your boi: Type F to pay respects to Peter ‘ditches’ Parker   Miles to go for road work: F   Michelle aka the boss: F   Peter bee Parker: :((   - - - -   Peter groaned as he lay on the concrete of the airport terminal, not wanting to get up but he forced himself when he heard what might have been machine gunfire. He sat up, clutching his bruised ribs and lifted his face. The fourteen year old was horrified as he saw what appeared to be War Machine falling out of the sky, judging by the colors of the armor.   He staggered to his feet, stepping forward as if he would help him, but he didn’t have super speed and would never make it in time. Peter heard Mr. Stark’s desperate cry of the Colonel’s name moments before he plowed at high speeds into the unforgiving ground. Peter shut off the comm with a shaking hand, the other one still holding it against his abdomen.   “Kid,” he heard, turning to see Happy signaling Peter to follow him. He glanced toward the direction he had seen War Machine fall, before he turned and hurried away.   - - - -

Tony went against the doctor’s orders when they told him he needed complete bed rest. He knew he should be resting, because he was in such pain due to his cracked sternum from getting a vibranium shield slammed into his arch reactor in his chest. It had been like after Afghanistan all over again, and it was hard to take deep breaths without feeling pain, and if he coughed or laughed it was agony.   However, he had to see the kid home. He knew that Happy could have easily taken him home, since he’d picked him up four days ago. Tony had to meet with Rhodey and coordinate their plan or attack. It had been such a difficult thing to think about, attacking whom had once been their friends.   And he had almost let Happy take him, because of the pain. Then the image of being knocked out of the air by that giant hand had invaded his brain, Rhodey falling with frightening speed toward the ground. So, he had gotten his battered and bruised body up. As he dressed with difficulty, Tony realized that he never should have taken him into this fight. He was fourteen years old for crying out loud. Luckily, he was more resilient than he gave him credit for, but the imagine of the kid laying on the tarmac looking broken wouldn’t leave his head.   Tony picked up the kid from his hotel room and driven them to the airport. And even if he had been on it before, Peter was still so amazed by the plane and the seats and being in the air for the second time in his short life (fourteen!), and his guileless attitude eased some of the hurt (Don’t think of it).   Then he had fallen asleep, proving he was more tired (or hurt) than he was letting on. That was after eating three servings of the meals on board. Tony was looking through the newspaper Happy had shoved in his hand and was amused as he remembered how much the man had bitched about it.   He must have dozed off as well, since he was also still injured and exhausted (more emotionally than physically). Tony hadn’t even woken up when Happy had lowered his seat to a more comfortable position. It was as they cleared USA airspace that he was woken up, by several dozen beeps. He jerked out of his slumber and into a defensive position, feeling agony shoot through his chest.   The man bit his lip to stop the cry that wanted to claw up his throat, seeing black spots from the pain. His heart was beating wildly in his chest and Roger’s voice (which he’d come to despise) in his ear ’He’s my friend.’ ‘So was I.’ The shield, which had been made by his father and that had once stood for justice, coming down as if for a death blow as he helplessly-   “Oh, mood,” a young voice giggled. Tony’s eyes shifted to the right and came to alight on one Peter Parker, a smile on his face still plump with baby fat. He was looking through his phone and Tony realized all at once that the beeping had been coming from his shitty iPhone. They must have gotten within satellite range of whatever phone company May Parker had.   It took him another moment to realize he was staring, and that’s likely why the teen was giving him a questioning look. Tony cleared his throat before he spoke. “You’re certainly popular, or is it a clingy girlfriend?” he teased, hoping his voice didn’t sound forced. He was certainly forcing himself.   Tony was amused at the look on kid’s face, seeing the flush crawling up his cheeks. “I don’t have a girlfriend,” he muttered petulantly as he hunched his shoulders.   “A cling boyfriend then? I don’t judge. Free love and all that.” Peter’s face was pretty red by then and Tony felt like giggling. He was so easy to fluster, and it was a refreshing change. Peter wasn't like Steve at all, who would have shaken his head and ignored Tony.   Well, he supposed that he still wasn't use to Tony's antics, and gave it a month until he was sick of Tony. It was bound to happen.   "No, Mr. Stark. It's just my friends Ned and Miles. They're roasting me on Discord," he said with an eyeroll but a  smile on his face. It was a fond kind of smile that Tony hadn't worn since the days before the Avengers had become a thing. When it had just been Rhodey and him, and Pepper and Tony had just started what wasn't yet a doomed relationship.   "Oh, is that so? And what are they "roasting" you about?" he inquired, lifting his hands to do air quotes.   Peter giggled. "I can't  believe you did the air quotes. That's such a dad thing to do." He was distracted by another ding on his phone that he missed the stunned look on Tony's face.

No one had ever said he was paternal, in any way, and here was this fourteen year old having just crushed all that with one word. Granted, he hadn't  actually called him dad, but he had said he had done something a father would do (or did).   And even if it wasn't a big deal, since Peter had gone back to laughing at his phone, it was huge to Tony. He had no fatherly qualities and had no plans on becoming a dad, since his own father hadn't been... the best dad. So, he knew he would never make a good one.   As they dropped off the kid off in front of his apartment building, where he had laughed for the first time since before the Siberia incident, he knew he had to put some distance between Peter and him. He'd planned on taking the superhero teenager under his wing and teaching him the ropes, and perhaps he would be better than he had been; wouldn't make the same mistakes he'd once done. Now, however, after that one word, Tony couldn’t take the kid on as a mentee, it just wasn’t possible. He had to break away now, while he still had a chance.   Besides, he'd be fine. How much trouble could a super-kid get into stopping purse snatchers?   - - - -   When he had to save the disaster super-kid from drowning after getting tangled in his own parachute, he knew he couldn’t leave him alone anymore. Now, he had a new job, whether he wanted it or not. That new job was to keep one dumbass super kid from killing themselves.   - - - -   "Uuuugh," Miles groaned as he landed heavily on the concrete, spitting up a bit of blood which got on the mask he was wearing. He'd gotten the idea to use a Mexican wrestler's mask to hide his identity for now, since using a ski mask would make him look like a burglar.   Ganke rushed to his side as soon as he climbed the five flights of steps of the apartment building, breathing heavily. "H-holy... shit, Miles?" he gasped. coughing a bit. "Is... anything broken?"   He pulled up the mask, spat the blood in his mouth and lifted a thumbs up. Then fell back against the pavement, another pained groan escaping his mouth.   "Rip," his traitorous friend laughed at him, reaching out to help him off the ground. "Come on, enough with trying to kill yourself. Don't you have a date today?"   Miles elbowed him with a scowl. "It's not a date."   Ganke just laughed as he clutched his stomach. "Crashed and burned again," he cackled.   Miles only grumbled but didn't deny it.   "Is he still gushing over that Liz girl?"   When his friend's shoulders slumped as he sighed, Ganke only patted his shoulder sympathetically. It was one thing to try and ask Peter out and fail, but another to see him crushing after some girl from his school. Miles was hoping it was more that he was oblivious than him being straight. Because if he was straight, than he was screwed.

“This sucks,” he grumbled, Ganke nodding solemnly, even if Miles knew he was an asshole that enjoyed his pain. He didn’t know why he was friends with him.

“Come on, let’s grab some burgers. My treat,” he told him.

Oh yeah, cause he was awesome and bought him food constantly since his metabolism had skyrocketed like crazy.

“Then we can work out why you suck at asking out one guy to a single date.”

Also, cause they were roommates and it was too late in the year to change rooms.   - - - -   Peter jumped as his phone rang, fumbling with it for a moment and it was only his sticky powers that kept it from falling to the pavement down below. "Hello?" he asked uncertainly, recognizing the number but not sure if it was really Mr. Stark.

“Hey, kid, do you want to come over to work in the lab Friday after school?”

The fifteen year old was sure he was dreaming, so he used his free hand to pinch his right arm. It hurt. So, meant he wasn’t dreaming. “S-sure!” he sputtered before he could change his mind.

“Great. Happy will pick you up after school. I’ll call Aunt Hottie and let her know.”

He hung up before he could ask him how he had his aunt’s phone number, but he should have known better. He’d found him when he had thought he was being super careful on keeping his secret identity a.. well, a secret.

- - - -   Peter grinned as he put the finishing touches on his new web shooters. “I did it! I can’t believe I was able to make this all on my own-“

The canister exploded, covering him in webbing as he was flung back. He’d clenched his eyes and mouth closed, his senses screaming at him in time that he was able to spare them from being filled with the sticky webbing. When he opened them and glanced around, he realized he was stuck to the wall, arms and legs spread-eagle. Well, at least he could see, even if opening his eyes had been hard, but breathing was proving to be a bit difficult.

As he wondered how he was going to get out of this, the door opened with a swish and it was only cause he was already facing them that he saw them, since he was barely able to turn his head. Tony and a blonde haired teenage boy he didn’t recognize were standing there. He was super embarrassed, and also, he couldn’t breathe.

FRIDAY must have alerted Tony of this (he also couldn’t hear too well), because the man hurried over, grabbing a screwdriver on his desk to cut away the webbing covering his face. Now that he was closer he could kind of hear him. “Jesus, kid,” he grunted as he freed his nose and mouth, and Peter took in a gasping breath. “Is that better? Breathing okay?”

“Yeah,” he croaked. Peter tried to pull away from the wall, but realized he’d have to use his super strength to accomplish this, and he didn’t want to let this other boy know and possibly oust himself as Spider-Man. By then the other had reached Tony’s side, whom was taller than the man.

“Isn’t there like something to dissolve it?” he asked, eyebrows raised questionably. His dark blue eyes were almost like the deep waters of the ocean.

Peter shook his head when he realized he’d actually been seeing black spots. “Y-yeah, I think it’s in a jar in that drawer behind you.” The kid went to do that while Tony continued to cut away the webbing covering his face. His hands were shaking.

“Don’t scare me like that, Peter. I have a heart condition.”

The use of his name showed how shaken he’d been, and it was a scary thing. He’d been thrown against the wall, and that had punched out the air from his lungs. The webbing had been so thick that he couldn’t get any air in. So, Peter would have been in trouble if Tony and this other kid hadn’t come when they had.

By that time he’d managed to uncover his entire head and face, and the other had returned so he couldn’t say anything to his words. “Is this it?”

Peter had put it in a small spray can for easier administration, so it was easy for Tony to take it and spray it about three times and get him down. “The rest can dissolve in water.”

“You’ll have ta get in clothes an’ all,” the other teen said, and Peter now noticed his southern accent. It sounded nice, a real change from the usual New York accent, and Miles’s Brooklyn accent. He was wearing a black denim Harley Davidson jacket of some kind with a black hoodie under that, and some frayed blue jeans with some beat up sneakers.

“Yeah, I guess so,” he grumbled. There wasn’t enough dissolvent to get rid of all the webbing. He went to walk away and looked at him. “Um, nice to meet you. I’m Peter. P-Parker. Peter Parker,” he stuttered, feeling his face warming.

What a terrible first impression. This was almost as bad as the basketball covered in dog poop incident when he’d first met Miles. Peter just hoped this turned out alright in the end as well, and especially with him having a new friend.

“Nice to meet you, Peter Parker. I’m Harley Keener,” he said with a grin. “Hope we can become friends.”

“Sure!” he enthused, his voice breaking and making him flush even more. “I’m gonna,” he motioned toward the door.

As soon as Peter walked off, the blonde boy turned to Tony. “So, that’s the intern you’ve been raving about?”   Tony sighed and nodded. “Yeah, that’s my disaster kid,” he confirmed.

Harley nodded with a hum. “So, you didn’t tell me he was super cute.”

“Excuse me, what?”

“Since he’s your kid, does that mean I’d be your son-in-law if I started dating him?”

Tony looked at him and then pointed at the door. “Get out of my lab.” Harley cackled and simply ignored him.

- - - -    When Peter came out of the bathroom, towel wrapped around his waist, it was to a pile of clothes folded neatly on his bed. He didn’t have clothes in the room that Tony had dubbed as ‘his’, so they must have been Tony’s clothes. When he saw an old but well maintained MIT grey hoodie, he knew they had to be. It was warm when he pulled it over the slightly baggy shirt and pants.

If he purposefully kept it, well, Tony never asked for it back.-

[vampyaloha]

So why didn’t you tell?

It’s another story! Woo! Featuring Vampire Mask

Cod Mask was bored.

Right now he’s trying his hardest not to fall asleep while Army was giving a lecture for their next battle against Green team. Last time he did that, well he got such an earful for Army. “And that’s all we have today” Army voice rang out, as he put his manual away he was using to write on the board. “Finally~!” Aloha said, stretching as he got up from his seat. “Really Aloha? Were you that bored?” Army asked as Aloha shook his. “Nah~ I’ve been feeling tired a lot lately” Aloha replied, getting a look from all three of them. “Are you okay?” Skull asked, Army wondering the same thing. “Yeah~ Maybe I’m pushing myself too hard that it finally caught up to me~” Aloha smiled as Mask stared at him. “Yeaaah right. Yoooou’re alwaays staying up paaaartying!”

“Shut it, otaku!” Aloha replied as the two started to bicker back and forth, only it to end with Army slapping his hands on the table telling the two not to fight before dinner or else.

Night came as Mask laid on his bed with a soft grumble. Of course he had to be hungry tonight, huh? Not to mention he never told the others that he was a vampire squid, even though he was okay eating normal food. Getting up from his bed, Mask quietly left his room heading down the hall, stopping by a door.

Mask slowly opened the door, seeing Aloha’s asleep. Cod he was hungry. Not to mention he’s been secretly feeding off on Aloha for quite a while now. It’s not like he had any other choice since Skull was too overly sweet and Army smelled too much like curry which gets tiring. Quietly walking to Aloha’s bed, he slowly got on Aloha’s bed, hopefully not to wake him. Seeing Aloha hasn’t stirred yet, he carefully moved to Aloha’s hand, a sigh escaped his lips. ‘Better make this quick’ Mask thought as he bit down on Aloha’s wrist and started feeding off the other. He pulled away after a few seconds before quickly cleaning the wound, leaving quickly. As much as he disliked the other, Mask wouldn’t lie that he enjoyed the other’s blood as he laid back down on his bed, deciding to sleep.

Aloha couldn’t sleep as much as he wanted to. He’s been feeling tired, despite being one of the most energetic inklings, and he noticed strange bites on him. With his eyes closed, he hoped he’ll fall asleep soon until he heard his bedroom door opened. Keeping his eyes closed, he didn’t know who was in the room until he heard a bit of shuffling and a familiar sigh. Mask? What was he doing in his room? Aloha felt the bed move a bit and before Aloha could open his eyes to confront him, Aloha felt a sharp pain on his wrist. He started to feel woozy before the pain went away and Mask leaving. What just happened? Sitting up on his bed, Aloha turned on the lamp on his nightstand looking at his wrist. The same bite marks he seen were on his wrist.

Now that Aloha thought about it, the bites look oddly familiar from the horror movies he seen before. That’s when he remembered the vampire squid horror movies he seen. He had a lot of questions to ask to Mask now.

The next day, Mask groggily got up from his bed, automatically putting on his Gas Mask. ‘Cod I hate the morning’ Mask thought as he left his room and head to the kitchen, seeing Aloha cooking instead of Army cooking. “Is Army noooot awake?” Mask asked, scaring Aloha. “Heh?! Mask? No he left for something.” Aloha replied, turning his gaze back to the frying pan. “Uuuugh, really? Then why are you cooking?” Mask asked, though got no reply from Aloha. He thought it was rather strange, knowing Aloha was quite talkative, though he was probably tired, Mask knowing why.

Mask started to slowly let his mind wander while he waited, only to snap out of his thoughts when he heard a plate clattered in front of him. “Breakfast is ready~” Aloha winked, causing Mask to roll his eyes. While Aloha sat on the other side of the table, Mask noticed something. “Where’s Skuuull?”

“He left with Army” Aloha replied with a small shrug, “don't ask me why. All Army did was left us a list of things to do why they’re gone.”

“Uuuugh great, staying with only yoooou” Mask groaned, as he started eating. It wasn’t bad, Mask noted, but it wasn’t as great as Army’s cooking. Though the entire time was silent, Mask had caught Aloha eyeing him a few times. “Whaaaat is it?”

“Nothin’. Just wondering why it couldn’t be Skull here” Aloha replied with a shrug before leaving, grabbing his dish and put it in the sink.

Aloha sighed as he read the list of things to do while both Army and Skull were gone to a city quite far from here. Though maybe he could try making lunch seeing one of the things on the list is grocery shopping. ‘Cod I don’t know how to cook that much’ Aloha thought, looking at the list of what to buy, ‘though I could make some cream stew. Cod I hate doing chores and errands for him.’ Grabbing the list, he head out of the kitchen, turning to Mask. “I gotta do some shopping, so I’ll return” he said before leaving the silent Mask all by himself.

Lunch came around, Mask came out of his room just as Aloha came back from Mako Mart, carrying different bags. “Cod how much did you buy?!” Mask exclaimed as Aloha rolled his eyes. “Whatever Army wrote, including a few extra” Aloha said, heading to the kitchen to put the things away, “Army text’d me by the way. They’re not returning till tomorrow night.” Mask didn’t like that, as he showed his annoyance to the usual loud inkling. “Seriously? Coood!” Mask frustratedly covered his face as Aloha rolled his eyes. “Could say the same thing. Anyways I’m cooking again.”

“Uuuuuuuugh. I dooon’t want to eaaat whatever yooou cook!” Was Mask reply as Aloha gave him a weird look before shaking his head. “Too bad Masky~ Besides we’re eating it for dinner too~” Aloha said as he continued to put things away. “Whaaaat is it?” Mask asked, surprised by Aloha’s answer.

“Cream Stew~”

Night came fairly quickly as Mask started to play one of his games. While he wouldn’t say it, Aloha was better making cream stew rather than having to eat curry. Mask heard a knock on his door, making him pause on the game he was playing. Looking at the clock, he noticed it was already past 12 in the morning so why was Aloha up this late?

“Heeeeeey Masky~”

Cod it really had to be him, huh?

“Whaaat do yooou waant, Alooooha?” Mask asked as Aloha only smiled at him. “What~? I can’t hang out with you~?” Aloha asked as Mask rolled his eyes. “It’s fricking past twelve in the morning, Aloha. I’m pretty sure it’s late.”

“Says you~ Besides, I can't sleep anyways. Especially since Skull isn’t here.” Mask frowned at Aloha’s reply, making him feel a bit bitter. Not to mention Aloha’s always making sweets for the other. Why couldn’t he try one? Rather, why didn’t Aloha go to him? He seen him go to Army a couple of times and Skull a lot, but why not Mask? As much as Mask would hate to say it, he was quite bitter and jealous about it.

“Who caaaares” Mask replied, before going back to his game. The room begin to become quiet, Mask think Aloha had left until the other had spoke up.

“Hmmm~? I wanna know something Mask~”

Aloha said, getting a tired look from the other. “Whaaaat?” Mask replied, tired, though his eyes snapped opened when he heard what the other had to say.

“Hmm, why didn’t you tell us you are a vampire squid?”

Mask almost dropped his controller hearing those words coming out of Aloha mouth. How did he find out? Aloha took Mask’s silence and shock look as the truth. “Heeey now Masky~” Aloha said, plopping down on Mask’s bed, sitting down by him, “I know there’s other vampire squids around man, though I wanna know why you hide the fact you are one from us?”

“I doooooon’t feel comfortable talking abooout it” Mask replied, going back to his game. While it’s true there were other vampire squids out there, Mask hated how both normal and vampire squids treated each other.

“By the way Masky” Aloha said face to face with a serious tone, making Mask pale a bit. He never seen the other too serious before. “W-Whaaat?” Mask stuttered, moving back more into his bed. “It’s quite rude to bite someone without asking, y’know!”

How did Aloha knew that?

“How did you know-“

“Last night dummy! You came to my room and bit me. I couldn’t sleep during that time!” Aloha said, pouting towards him, “If you did told us, you could have asked y’know! Not secretly biting me cod who knows how many times.”

“Fifteen….incluuuding last night” Mask replied, Aloha staring at him. “Uuugh, no wonder why I’ve been tired” Aloha replied, lying down on Mask’s bed, “You’re the worst.”

“Says the one who’s taaaaaking my beeeed!” Mask grumbled, “geeeeeet oooff!” Aloha shook his head, refusing to move, “Nuh-uh! I don’t wanna move since I’m tired~ It’s your fault after all~” Aloha replied, turning on his side.

“Cod if we’re in a relationship, you’ll definitely be the one wearing the dress” Mask grumbled as Aloha look at him confused. “I have no clue what you’re talking about” Aloha replied, causing Mask to groan. Of course he didn’t. “Haaaaa? You’re the one who keeps acting all cute and all!”

“Ooh~ You think I’m cute Mask~?”

Mask bit down on his lips. ‘Cod I had to say that’ Mask grumbled to himself, deciding to save and quit his game. “You’re sooo annooooying Alooooha” was Mask’s only reply, “I doooooon’t want yooou to sleeeep here agaaaain!”

“It’s just for one night! Geez don’t be sour!” Aloha replied, getting under the covers.

“And no biting while I’m sleeping” Aloha huffed, “I don’t want to feel tired tomorrow morning.” Mask rolled his eyes as he got under the covers. “I make no prooomises to yoooou.”

“Then I won’t make anything sweet for you.” Was Aloha’s reply as Mask let out a sigh. “Fiiiiiine. I won’t bite yoooou” Mask replied as Aloha let out a small good. “It’s rude to bite without permission!” Aloha said before he got a bit more comfortable, his eyes slowly fluttering shut as sleep took over.

Mask on the other hand watched as slept. As much as he wanted to bite the other again, a promise was a promise. Not to mention he really didn’t need any. Deciding it was best to sleep rather than watching the other sleep, Mask leaned forward to give a small peck on Aloha’s forehead, signaling the other was asleep as Aloha didn’t stirred. Moving away, Mask laid his head back to the pillow and decided to get some sleep too.

[darklingandy]

Spirits of the Earth and Air

Chapter Thirty: White Stone Path 

Almost 11 AM.

It was a soft grey room full of soft grey light. The bed was empty, no one beside him, and Hiccup thought—in a detached sort of way—it wasn't right. Someone should be there. But there was no Astrid and there was no Jack and Toothless seemed distant, curled up at the foot of Astrid's bed and watching him with cautious unblinking eyes as Hiccup sat up slowly.

Astrid must have gone to school. At least she'd listened to him when he said to act as normal as possible. He'd half-expected her to ignore him and stay home so they could do faery quest stuff. He felt a little lonely that she'd gone, but she still had her life.

He yawned and stretched out his limbs, feeling different. A little better rested. Everything looked strange. The world was a little too sharp, colors a little too bright even in the cloud-diffused light. When he breathed in there was a soft of humming, energy in his lungs or his bones.

What's… what's happening to me? he thought in wonder. He held his hand up and turned it over. It looked the same. It didn't feel the same though: when he focused on it, he started to feel something akin to pins and needles, static crawling over his skin. He still wasn't hungry. When was the last time he'd eaten?

Unbidden, the image of his own reflection came to him, the night the wild hunt had come upon him, the way he'd looked in the mirror of the gas station bathroom. Bloody and bruised, but feverishly alive, his eyes bright and glassy, a crown of thorns pressed onto his head. The way every freckle had stood out stark against his pale skin. The way he hadn't felt like he'd known himself. He'd looked wild. He'd looked almost like he was one of them, the folk themselves.

Without Astrid or Jack, there was nothing Hiccup could do or plan, and it drove him crazy to be idle. The uncertainty, the not knowing, it was all driving him crazy. Even though there was nothing he could do by himself, he couldn't just sit there waiting, so he left. Even though it was a probably a bad idea, he walked toward town, with Toothless trailing him at a concerned distance.

As soon as the chill outdoor air hit him, some of the tension in his shoulders drained away. Lately it had been like that: indoors made him feel restless and cooped up and itchy to get out. What is with me?

He still wasn't hungry — hadn't been for days now — but he craved something; his lips felt dry, his mouth dusty, his muscles tired. He wandered into Astrid's favorite coffee shop, past several people in Halloween costumes (What day is it? he wondered. He'd lost track) and lifted a stranger's drink off the pickup counter. This caused a stir of confusion. He heard it as he left, the people trying to figure out how a cup had just vanished into thin air, and then forgetting quickly.

A customer: "Sorry, I thought you called my name?"

"Oh I… thought I did. I set it… you didn't pick it up?"

"No… what…?"

"I don't know what is going on with my brain today. I swear, I—"

The barista's bewildered ramble was cut off as the door shut behind Hiccup. He sipped; it was a little more bitter than he usually liked, but it warmed him from the inside out. And it was definitely pumpkin something.

No destination in mind, his feet wandered until he found himself at the tiny park where they'd found the four leaf clover. It was cold enough that there were no humans and only a handful of faeries sitting on top of a picnic table, gossiping amongst themselves. Hiccup ignored them out of habit.

He sunk down on one of the creaky swings, coffee in hand warm and tethering. I wish I knew what to do. Deep down he was afraid that there was nothing to do, no way to get Jack's memories, no way for him to get his old life back. He missed Jack suddenly, missed him so much it was an ache in his chest that made it harder to breathe. Jack would have answers, or an idea, or even just reassurance. Hiccup desperately needed all or any of those.

He still felt weird. He drained the last of his pumpkin-whatever coffee before it got too cold and crumpled the cup in his hand, glaring at the ground. It bothered him, the feeling that had followed him around all morning: the tingling of his skin, the buzzing in his bones, the static energy he took in with every breath.

What was this? He had a creeping gut feeling but he was afraid to put words to it, even to himself. That didn't stop him from crumpling his empty cup up harder and focusing long and hard on turning it into something else. Nothing special, he just thought about turning it into a rock. He pictured it in his head, a smooth white stone dotted with little flecks of gold mica.

His fingers uncurled but it was still just crumpled cardboard. He didn't know if he was relieved or disappointed.

Somewhere a crow let out loud caw. Hiccup raised his eyes and froze. The doe-antlered girl was standing a dozen feet in front of him, watching and waiting patiently. How long had she been there? As he noticed her, she smiled and approached. "Hello."

"Hi," said Hiccup.

After a moment, he motioned to the swing next to him.

She sat down, adjusting the ratty jacket she wore over a short floral sundress that looked like something from the 90's so it covered her arms against the chains. They both swung back and forth a little. There was a grating squuerrrrk…squueerrrrk… with every motion.

"You may call me Vine," she said.

"Hiccup."

"Where's your human friend?" Vine asked politely.

"Astrid? She's…" Doing human things that I can't do. "…at school. Where are your friends?"

"My friends?" She seemed puzzled. "You mean the two from last night? One is there…" She pointed at the picnic table clique, and Hiccup realized the blue-skinned sharp-toothed boy stood there with two strange fey, watching them from the corners of his eyes. The girl continued. "…I know not about the other. I wouldn't name either a friend, though. I find them cruel."

That was a comforting thought, a little breath of warmth in his currently very cold world, that some fey thought like that. A welcome reminder that not all the fey were cruel, some were kind and respectful even of life forms they didn't understand.

Across the lawn, the boy smiled sharp and gnashed his teeth when he caught Hiccup staring at him. Hiccup looked away; the boy gave him goosebumps. "Hmm," he said.

"I do not like it here," said Vine, her face forlorn. "Everything smells of metals. It makes me tired." The faintest dark shadows had appeared under her eyes since Hiccup had seen her last. Unlike Jack, she was new and unused to the cold metal and human trappings of Berk.

"I know." Hiccup touched his own dark shadows with the pad of one finger. "Sorry I got you banished. Hey, can you tell me…"

Her antlers jingled the swing as she glanced sideways at him, waiting for him to finish his question.

"I ate the food you gave me. Would you still have given it to me if you'd known I was human?"

She cocked her head to one side and shrugged. "Perhaps. Does it matter now? I did and you ate it."

"And I feel so different now." He steeled himself. "How… how does magic work? I mean, how do you use it?"

Surprised, she let out a thin tinkling laugh like a bell. "What a question! You might well ask how life itself works. And I might well spend years answering. It's all the same underneath."

"Please." Hiccup leaned toward her, closing up the space between them. He'd crumpled a hole into his cup and sopping dregs were leaking all over his hand, but he didn't care. "Just help me. I don't know what's happening to me. It was because of you that I ate the food, and now I'm never hungry and I feel like my skin is too tight and my bones are vibrating or something. Am I not human?"

She didn't pull away from him. She regarded him with her too-large doe eyes, appraising, wondering. "I can't say," she began. "You are…different from most humans. This is outside my ken. But if you will have the magic, same as we do, if you believe that is happening, I will tell you…" She licked her lips; there was an air about her of trying to pin down an idea, wrestling with something larger than words. "…it is will. Focus. It will listen to you if you push hard enough." She closed her eyes, releasing Hiccup from the intensity of her stare, and shook her head. "I know not how else to tell you."

Hiccup sagged. "But what if I'm—"

He froze then, mouth hanging open because — as one — the other fey had climbed from the picnic table and were slinking toward him, sharp-teeth in the lead. Vine stiffened beside him.

"This is he?" asked one of the new strange fey.

"Yes." Sharp-teeth looked at Hiccup and there was something so hungry in his gaze, Hiccup shrank back. "You're the Sighted boy."

"I know," said Hiccup.

"He doesn't look like much," said one faery.

The other shook its head in agreement. "Not was I was expecting."

"Expecting?" echoed Hiccup. He didn't like the idea that any of the folk were expecting anything from him at all.

Vine touched his arm, gentle. "What does it matter?" She addressed herself to the other fey. "We know not what he is capable of. It may be—"

"Everyone is talking about you." Sharp-teeth cut her off, his inky black eyes boring into Hiccup. "They talk about how the other Sighted one had a son, and he's the same as her. How he'll come join us, under the hill."

"…you mean my mother," he said slowly.

The faeries all tilted their heads as if they were confused by his reaction. The new girl voiced it. "We don't truly understand," she confessed. Her skin was mottled with the colors of autumn, and her eyes burned right with gold and orange. Her voice held whispering tones of wind and leaves. "What is a mother?"

"Uuuugh, geez." Hiccup thought of the safe haven of Astrid's house. He should never have left it. He wanted to go back to it now, but the faeries were on all sides of him. "A woman who gives birth to you and raises you. Until you're an adult and you can take care of yourself." How much of that would they understand? They'd seen human children, surely, but Hiccup had never seen a single faery child. It was as if faeries just appeared fully-grown. Where did they come from? Did they spring from the earth, sprout from trees, rise from rivers and lakes? They didn't have moms? "She… takes care of you…"

"But yours didn't," sharp-teeth interrupted, "did she?"

It wasn't really a question. A lump formed in Hiccup's throat, but he couldn't afford to fall apart here, in front of them while they were all eating up his every reaction. He clung to the swing, to his empty cup, and held himself upright. "No…" he choked out. "She's gone."

"Yes." Sharp-teeth had obviously been expecting that. "Gone under the hill. Is that sad?"

Yet again, all the air was punched out of Hiccup and he struggled. "…What?"

"You didn't know." Another non-question. "She came to us."

There was a loud ringing in Hiccup's ears. He couldn't focus. His mouth opened and closed on its own, and his brain was full of roaring white noise like an empty radio station. He couldn't get a coherent thought together.

"No…" he heard himself saying. "No, she didn't. She wouldn't. You took her!"

"I never touched her," sharp-teeth scoffed. "She came to the court of her own free will."

Hiccup's vision narrowed until all he could see in front of him was sharp-teeth: that wide predatory grin, those hungry eyes.

"You're lying!"

"If it was a lie I couldn't say it."

Pounding heart, ringing ears, hollow lungs; Hiccup couldn't find his voice, didn't know what to say, didn't know if there was anything to say to that. He was desperate to get away, escape, but sharp-teeth was still talking, not done with him yet.

"Who can blame her?" sharp-teeth was saying. "Human lives are so boring and short. Yet when they come to us they can live for an eternity if we desire. A blissful exciting eternity. Of course she came to us. What did she have to stay for?"

"She had a life!" It was painfully close to the moment that he'd yelled at Jack on the rooftop in the rain. I had a life before you got here! A nice, calm, peaceful life! "She had a family! A husband—" Dad. Stoick, who was shadow-infected and catatonic in their dark house somewhere, waiting for Hiccup to save him. "—and a son!"

"You?" Sharp-teeth let out a laugh. "A puny awkward runt that sucked the life from her?" His lip curled. "That's what human children do. Ugly, squawking things."

It was too much. Everything welled up inside Hiccup, overpowering him even as he pushed back against it, every fear and insecurity that he tried to keep buried but couldn't ignore. She left… she's gone… Jack's gone… Why wasn't I enough? "She didn't leave," he tried one more time, and his voice cracked on the word leave. That sound rent the air and he knew he had failed.

"She did. She abandoned you. It happens all the time. Humans are easy to enchant and beguile; they give us their words and their wealth and their bodies just to dance with us one night."

Exactly as Hiccup had done.

Sharp-teeth raised a hand to tap Hiccup's cheek gently. "Fools," he remarked, sounding almost fond.

Hiccup bolted.

Vine rose, reaching out after him but he shied away from her outstretched hand. "Hiccup, wait!"

Hiccup ignored her.

"We'll be ready when it's time!" she called after him. "When you're ready, we'll be there! We'll follow you!"

He ran, leaving behind the faeries, the swings, the park, and a smooth white stone with little flecks of gold mica laying in the grass where it had fallen.

next chapter >>

[masterweaverx]

Semi-Neurotic Teenage Girl of Action

Chapter 2: A Handy Little Talk

Phineas yawned as he awoke, stretching his arms and glancing around the room blearily. “Hey? Where’s Perry? He usually wakes us up.”

Ferb leveled a flat look at him.

“Right! Still merged with Candace.” Phineas rubbed his chin. “You know, it’s a good thing we’re definitely going to reverse that today. The longer that they remain in the same body the more cellular mitosis will happen, making it that much more difficult to separate the fundamental proteins of teenage girl and platypus.”

“Hey boys!” Linda leaned through the door. “I just wanted to remind you we’re picking up your grandparents from the airport today, so you should be ready to leave in twenty minutes. I’ll prepare you a quick breakfast, alright?”

“Okay, Mom!” Phineas turned to Ferb. “Yeah, that was happening today, wasn’t it? That’s a conflict of interests. I’ve never really had that before. Ferb, how do you handle that sort of thing?”

Ferb casually juggled a few different fruits before slicing through them with karate chops and catching them all on a plate.

“You’re right. We just need to break down the problem and do the individual steps when we’ve got spare time!” Phineas smiled. “Candace does it every day. I’m sure it can’t be that hard.”

Linda jostled the door to her daughter’s room and frowned. “Candace, sweetheart? Is there something in front of your door?”

“Yeeaaasssuuuaaaa....”

“...What was that?”

“Pushed my--bleaghrkbla...pushed my bed there,” Candace moaned. “Self-imposed quarantine.”

“You’re sick?”

“And I need to clean the carpet,” Candace reported sadly.

“Well...” Linda sighed, pushing against the door. “Come on, let me see the damage--”

“NONONO!” The door slammed shut quickly. “I, uh, reeeally don’t want you to catch this. Uuuugh, and my skin is all, sliiick, uuuuuuuuunh.”

“And yet you’re feeling well enough to push a bed against your door?”

“Ugh, Moooooom...” Candace groaned. “I’m, ooooh, I’m.... BLARFGURGLBLAAAAaaaaaaa....”

“Oh.... that does sound bad,” Linda said sympathetically.

“I got it in the trash can this time...”

“I guess that’s good. Look, I have to take everyone to the airport to pick up Grandpa Reg and Grandma Winifred for their visit. We’ll be back this afternoon, and if you aren’t feeling better by then I’ll schedule a hospital visit, alright?”

“Alright, Mom... I’ll clean up the carpet while you’re gone.”

“And I’ll make you something to eat before I go, alright?” 

“Actually, Ferb’s already made a fruit platter,” Phineas interjected as the two of them walked up.

“Well, that was fast.” Linda ruffled Ferb’s hair fondly. “Just leave it outside the door for your sister, okay? I’ll go make you two some french toast.”

Phineas watched her head down the stairs for a moment, before turning to Candace’s door. “Wow. Sick, huh? That sounds bad. Do you think this has anything to do with you being merged with Perry?”

“Yes, in the sense that I’m not actually sick.”

“Wait.” Phineas frowned. “You’re only pretending to be sick?”

“Yes! I don’t want Mom to see me like this, remember?”

“Yeeeeeah, I’m still not clear on that,” Phineas admitted. “I mean, she’s Mom. Do you think she’d freak out or something?”

“Um, yes!” Candace replied through the door. “Yes, she would freak out if she knew her daughter was half platypus!”

“I dunno. She seemed okay with Marty the rabbit boy.”

“Marty the rabbit boy is a stage musician she saw one time. I’m her actual flesh and blood daughter, and I’m not even human anymore!”

“You do have to admit that jumping the species barrier isn’t really something that comes up all that often,” Ferb pointed out.

“Well, alright.” Phineas shrugged. “But you know you can’t hide in that room forever.”

“I know, I know. I’ll... figure something out. You guys go downstairs and get ready to go to the airport.”

“Will do. We’ll think about how to separate you two on the way.” Phineas put a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Come on Ferb!”

Candace slumped against the other side of the door, her eyes rolling skyward.

“You know, this is the perfect way to bust my brothers. And also the perfect way to get my cover blown. I know, I know! That’s why I’m keeping it secret. Good. Now I need to go down to the lair to check on--I can’t go down to the lair, all the tubes are too small! There are other entrances. What about Major Monogram, though? That could be a problem, I suppose. You know what else is a problem? This whole conversation. Yes, it is a little confusing... hang on, I’ve got an idea.”

She walked over to the vanity, taking a bow and tying it around her right hand. Then she put a tiny fedora on her left hand.

“There,” said the fedora-wearing hand. “Now we know who’s talking.”

“Really,” said the ribbon-wearing hand, tilting sardonically. “That’s your solution. We flap our hands when we want to talk to each other.”

“They didn’t exactly cover this in basic training,” the other hand replied.

The ribbon hand snapped around quickly. “Ugh, fine, whatever. I guess this works.”

“Right. So...” The fedora hand bent down. “Look, I don’t want to take away from your life, Candace. But I do have a job to do. An important one.”

“Important, really?” The ribbon hand scrunched up. “From what I can tell, this Doofenshmirtz guy practically foils himself.”

“Not always. Sometimes I need to take a few extra steps to stop him. There’s also the fact my hat auto-scans his inventions--”

The ribbon hand shot forward. “Wait, hold on. If you’re scanning this Doofenshmirtz’s stuff, are you also scanning the things Phineas and Ferb make every day?”

“...yeeeeeeeees,” admitted the fedora hand warily.

“And you have some sort of replicator tech in your lair, which could be used to remake any of them at any time, right?”

“How do you know that?”

“Perry, we’re sharing a brain,” the ribbon hand pointed out. “I know everything you do.”

The fedora hand opened, paused, and twisted thoughtfully. “Right. I’m used to keeping secrets, I guess.”

“Soooooooo,” the ribbon hand continued, “you could, at any time, recreate something Phineas and Ferb have made, and put it in the backyard, even--especially--when Mom is out there.”

“You want me to bust your brothers,” the other hand said dryly.

“YES! Come on, Perry, you’re constantly stopping Doofenshmirtz!”

“Who is doing evil. Phineas and Ferb are always trying to have fun and usually help out some of their friends--”

“And! And putting themselves in danger, and doing things Mom wouldn’t like, and--”

“Alright!” The fedora hand rolled. “Alright, fine. I’ll put one of the boys’ crazy inventions on display.”

“YEEEEEEEES!”

“AFTER we’re split apart. And we still have to fight Doofenshmirtz, alright?”

“Fine, whatever. Ee-hee-hee-hee-hee...”

The fedora hand leaned back. “...It is seriously creepy that you are matching up hand movements to that laugh.”

“Right, whatever. Let’s go to your lair and get today’s mission, the sooner we stop Doofenshmirtz the sooner we can be back to get split apart and bust the boys!”

“How about we eat Ferb’s fruit platter first, though? I am a bit hungry.”

“...Eh, sure, fair enough. But how am I going to eat with a fedora on my hand?”

[uber--duper]

Cold Snap

Kirumi takes the day off to deliver a little something to her girlfriend on her birthday.

Happy (late) birthday Kaede!

AO3 Link

Kirumi Tojo let out a quiet sigh, watching her breath spiral up into the air. The sky was overcast, the clouds a moderate gray blanket over the city. Frost coated the leaves of trees set into the sidewalk and the edges of awnings, the air holding a sharp chill that Kirumi honestly thought was not appropriate for the end of March. The wind playfully flapped at Kirumi's brown overcoat, exposing the black sweater and jeans beneath, as though such cold weather wasn’t out of place. Mother nature was a fickle parent, and it seemed she was not happy today.

Aside from the sudden cold snap, however, Kirumi was in a pleasant mood. In her gloved hands she held a tiny box, holding something she had made for a certain someone. She had taken the day off from her work and spent the entire morning making sure this little confection and its companion were perfect, and now that it was the afternoon, Kirumi was headed to her destination. The surprise cold made her plans a little... difficult, but she was sure that things would work out. After all, her special someone always seemed to make sure they did.

Clouds swirled forebodingly overhead as Kirumi finally approached her destination, a run-of-the-mill apartment building on the corner of a block right next to the smallest supermarket Kirumi had ever had the pleasure of shopping in. She walked up to the front of the building, sparing a short glance to the new piece of graffiti etched into the brick before turning to face the building's intercom. To her right lay the front door, its awning rustling quietly in the breeze. It was a short matter to locate the correct apartment number, and Kirumi gave the button a steady poke, waiting for the old machine to buzz before releasing it.

“...” The speaker beside her crackled, slowly rousing itself from its chill induced sleep. A moment later it crackled again, and then again before a familiar voice finally came through. “-llo? God, this du... ing never f... orks... Hello?”

“Hmm hmm...” Kirumi hummed in amusement before pressing the button that allowed her to respond and leaning forward to get closer to the microphone. “Hello, love.”

“Oh!” The intercom shouted back, voice distorted and wavering. “Oh, Kirumi! I d... alize you w... oh jeez... hold on...” The intercom shut off for a few seconds, and Kirumi patiently waited. After a minute, the front door let out a loud snap, letting her know it was unlocked, and the intercom spoke up again. “Uh... ease take yo... me. I'm not r....” And then it cut out. Kirumi spared another glance at the intercom, making sure it wasn't going to say anything else, before she nodded and headed inside.

The lobby was quiet, with nobody was in the lobby at the moment. That was fine, Kirumi knew where she was headed anyway. She made her way over to the elevator, hearing the front door lock behind her. Her destination: Apartment 537.

The front door of said destination was given two swift knocks, and Kirumi moved her little package behind her back. Even inside the building, it was rather chilly, and Kirumi wondered why they hadn't turned up the heat. Oh well. There was some shuffling coming from inside of the apartment, and it grew quiet and louder a few times before it finally seemed to arrive behind the door. There were a few clicks and snaps of locks being undone, and then the door swung open with a blast of warm air.

Over the threshold stood Kaede Akamatsu, a local piano instructor and Kirumi's lovely girlfriend. She looked somewhat disheveled, hair askew and clothes somewhat rumpled. Kirumi could tell that they had probably been sitting at the foot of Kaede's bed up until just now. Speaking of said clothes, Kirumi frowned. Kaede's shirt, a pastel pink long sleeve, was clearly something that should have gone in the wash, as Kirumi could see the tiny dots of spaghetti sauce on it, and the hem was fraying. Her pajama pants were in better shape, but... green and red plaid?

“...” The two stared at each other for a few moments before Kaede groaned. “Uuuugh, you should have told me you were coming over, I look like a mess...” Still, she stepped to the side, allowing Kirumi access.

“Yes you do, dear.” Kirumi said with a chuckle, stepping into the tiny apartment. Kaede let out a quiet sound of protest, but Kirumi simply leaned over and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “But I only say that because I love you.”

“I know...” Kaede murmured, clearly grumpy, but with a lilt of joy. She was evidently happy that Kirumi was here, even if things did look messy. “What are you doing here? I thought you had work today.”

“I did.” Kirumi said simply, beginning her walk towards the kitchen. Kaede followed, moving to walk at Kirumi's side. Kirumi turned her body so that the box remained hidden. “But I knew you didn't and I thought that it would be a pleasant surprise to visit my wonderful love on her birthday.” At that, Kaede's face lit up.

“Oh my god.” She said, lurching towards Kirumi and wrapping her arms around her. “You're so cute! Oh my god, thank you so much!” Kaede squeezed, and Kirumi let out a breathless chuckle.

“You're... crushing me... dear...”

“Oh!” Kaede released her. “Sorry...” The two arrived in the kitchen, and Kaede finally noticed that one of Kirumi's hands was locked firmly behind her back. “What's that?”

“What's what?” Kirumi teased.

“The thing you're holding behind your back!” Kaede stepped to the side, and Kirumi shifted so that the box was still hidden behind her back.

“I'm not quite sure what you're talking about.” Kirumi said, cocking her head.

“Kirumi!” Kaede cried out, moving to the side again, trying to peek behind Kirumi's back. The two went around until they had turned in a full circle, and there was a ghost of a playful smile on Kirumi's face. “Please tell me what that is.” Kaede whined, pressing her front to Kirumi's and trying to hide her smile. She looked up at Kirumi, a mock pout on her face. “Is it for me?”

“...perhaps.” Kirumi finally said. She used her free hand to lightly push Kaede back, bringing the box to her front. “Happy birthday, love.”

Kaede took the little box with a child-like wonder in her eyes, as though she'd never received a birthday present before. She marveled at the unembellished box for a few moments, almost turning it upside down before Kirumi stopped her. Kaede finally pulled the top of the box off and glanced inside, gasping in delight when she saw what was inside.

There were three things in the box. The first thing, and the one that took up most of the space in the box, was a cupcake. Chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting, simple yet elegant in its creation. Unfortunately, it had grown colder than Kirumi would have liked, due to the temperature outside. Kaede plucked it from the box and marveled at it for a few moments, much to Kirumi's amusement, before placing it onto the kitchen counter.

The second item made Kaede gasp again as she pulled it from the box. It was a polished silver necklace, with a small aquamarine set into it. It sparkled in the less than optimal kitchen light, and Kirumi watched with a smile as Kaede stared for a few seconds, mesmerized. The third item, which Kaede plucked from the bottom, was a simple folded slip of paper.

'Happy Birthday, Kaede', the note read, written in Kirumi's polished and flowy handwriting. 'You treat me so well, so today I will treat you. I might struggle to show it at times, but here I can fully express just how much I love you. I hope you enjoy the gift, my dear. -Your Love, Kirumi Tojo.'

A hush fell over the kitchen as Kaede's eyes scanned the note. The only sounds in the room were the humming of the fridge and the muffled howl of wind from outside. It took a second for Kirumi to notice the shaking in Kaede's shoulders. A frown settled onto her face. Oh no. Was something wrong? Kirumi racked her brain, trying to think of what the matter could be. Before anything came to mind, however, Kaede looked up, tears streaking down her cheeks.

“K-Kirumi...” She said, voice wavering.

“Kaede.” Kirumi responded. She started to reach out to her girlfriend, but before she could make contact, Kaede lunged forward, tightly wrapping her arms around Kirumi.

“K-Kir-rumi!” Kaede cried, burying her face in Kirumi's chest.

“Kaede, I-” Kirumi began.

“I l-l-love you! I lov-ve you so-o m-much!” Kaede wailed, looked up at Kirumi with fat tear drops rolling down her cheeks. “Th-This is so sw-weet an-and... and lovel-ly... and I... I...” She sniffled.

“You scared me, dear...” Kirumi murmured, running a hand through Kaede's hair.

“S-Sorry...” Kaede laughed, wiping her cheeks with a fist. “I just... It was so unexp-pected… and I’m… I’m so h-happy...”

Kirumi let Kaede cry for a minute, gently rubbing her back, before speaking up again. “I take it you enjoyed my present?” she asked, smiling.

“It was perfect.” Kaede replied, taking a deep breath to steady herself. She did, however, smush her face back against Kirumi’s sternum, her fingers digging into Kirumi’s back. “Thank you...”

“It was really no problem.” Kirumi remarked, continuing to comb her fingers through Kaede’s hair. “I’d tell you that you should eat your cupcake before it gets cold, but it appears that it’s a little too late for that.”

“Pff.” Kaede snorted, pulling away again to look up at Kirumi. “Is it really that cold?”

“Yes, unfortunately.” Kirumi sighed in annoyance. “And I wanted to take you somewhere nice for dinner too. I tried to make reservations at that Italian place down the street, because you think it’s so romantic, but they were full for some ungodly reason...” Kirumi frowned, her brow furrowing. Kaede snickered, causing Kirumi to look down at her and raise her brow.

“You’re so cute when you’re trying plan things.” Kaede said, smiling. Now it was Kirumi’s turn to look away, pink rising to her cheeks.

“I… well… it’s important to plan things beforehand.” Kirumi managed. “Things… well, they didn’t work out and...”

“It’s fine.” Kaede said. “We can… order a pizza. Lay on the couch, watch a movie.” She grinned, loosening her grip on Kirumi a bit so she could wipe away the rest of her tears. “I’ll eat your cupcake, you can have a bite, and then I’ll put on the necklace.”

“...” Kirumi smiled. “You’re so cute when you make things work out.”

“I know.” Kaede teased. She finally separated from Kirumi, rubbing at her eyes with the heels of her hands before straightening her back. “I’ll call the pizza place.”

“Then I suppose I must warm up the couch.” Kirumi smiled, removing her coat and laying it onto the counter. “...” She turned to see Kaede with her phone already in one hand, the other digging through a drawer for the pizza place’s menu. Kirumi looked over her girlfriend with affection. “...I love you, Kaede.” She said.

“Love you too!” Kaede replied. Kirumi smiled. What did she ever do to deserve someone like Kaede?

[onebangtanstan]

Power Style - Chapter Nine : The feeling

I'm surprised at first, but once that feeling is gone, I completely lean into the kiss. This feels like a movie scene. His right hand is behind my neck, while his left hand holds me against him. His lips are so soft and so passionate. I can sense that he's been wanting to do this for a while.

We keep going for a bit before I lean back and look at him. His eyes are now full of desire, but he respects my unspoken wish.

"Goodnight, Gina" He says to me.

As I head up to my apartment, I can't help but smile at the feeling in my stomach. It's been a long time since I've felt butterflies.

I get into my pyjamas as soon as I'm home and head for my couch. It's a Netlfix and wine kind of night.

An hour into the cringiest rom-com I've ever seen, my phone starts ringing. Hobi's name is on the screen.

"Hey Hobi! How are you?" I really am happy he called.

"Oh my Gooood! Jin told me everything! I hope you don't mind by the way, we talk a lot together" He starts ranting "I don't care about Namjoon, he's an ass to be honest. You guys kiiiiiiissed! This is epic! JIN AND GINA SITTING IN A TREE! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

I burst out laughing hearing how cute he's being. "Yeaaah that happened" I'm smiling again, thinking about this evening. But this time, a chill goes up my spine. Weird.

Hobi and I stay on the phone for hours talking about Jin, the shoot, life and finally Namjoon.

"He's so weird around you. I mean he's always been an asshole, but I've never seen him go this far."

"I don't know, I guess we just won't ever get along. There are some people like that, the energies just don't match" I tell him

"Yeah but it's not an excuse for what he said."

I stay silent, not knowing what to say. "Anyway, it's quite late, I'm gonna head to bed"

"No problem babe, I'll talk to you soon."

I get all comfortable in my bed and doze off as soon as my head hits the pillow.

I wake up around noon, and start working on the video, not before making myself some coffee. I spend all day on it and on ideas for the upcoming tour. Hobi and Yoongi both texted me during the day, asking how I was doing.

Jin called me around 6, but I didn't answer. The strangest feeling appeared in my stomach when I saw his name on my phone. Instead, I sent him a text reading "Sorry, working, will call you during the week"

I have trouble concentrating again on work so I watch the end of the movie I had started the night before.

I go to bed around 10 and remember that tomorrow is Jimin's shoot. Uuuugh I hope everything goes well.

I struggle to fall asleep that night, my mind not letting me. I can't stop thinking about the feeling I had when Hobi mentionned Jin and when he called me. I can't shake it off but I also can't figure out why it's here.

The same feeling is here as I wake up, but I figure it's just because of today's schedule. I get ready as per usual, but this time I'm not as happy to go to set. It's not a great mindset to start the week off.

My staff is already setting up when I get there. After greeting them and checking if everything is good to go for today, I head to the bathroom. When I walk in, I hear someone coughing from one of the stalls. Almost immediately, I hear the person rushing to flush the toilet. The door open and I see Jimin come out, eyes red and sweaty forehead, panting. I stare at him, not knowing what to say. I kind of gathered what was going on in there, but I'm guessing no one was supposed to be here.

"What are you looking at?" He spits as me as he walks out, not without bumping my shoulder on the way.

Shit. I rest myself on one of the sinks to process. No wonder he acts the way he does. He's not arrogant, it's a defense mechanism. I'm guessing he's very insecure about himself. Now I get why Yoongi said Jimin wasn't great with the tour coming up! He must put a lot of pressure on himself because of it.

I won't bring it up to him, this is clearly not something he wants to be known. I go back to set and see that he his all ready for the shoot to begin.

"You look amazing Jimin, keep going" I encourage him. He actually does. The lighting hits his skin perfectly, his poses are incredible. He truly is a beautiful man, almost angelic.

The day goes by smoothly, apart from a few comments he makes towards me, but after this morning, I don't give into him.

We wrap up while Jimin is getting changed. As soon as he's done, he walks straight to me.

"Whatever you think you saw or heard this morning never happened. But if it gets out, your are dead meat, do you hear me?" His face is so close to mine that I can feel his breath against my skin. His eyes are pure wrath as they stare me down, a long way from the divine-like pictures we just took of him.

I gulp as he's still staring angrily at me and barely nod as an answer. Satisfied with that, he turns his heels and storms out of the place. I take a long breathe, realizing I had completely frozen during this interaction.

I need some air.

I quickly gather my things and walk to my office. Today is particularly cold. The breeze is hitting my skin like a thousands little knives. This isn't helping. I can't unsee Jimin eyes right in front of mine. I pick up my phone to call Yoongi. I struggle to hit the screen, my fingers numb from the cold.

"Hey Gina!" He answers after 2 ringtones.

"Hey Yoongi. Am I bothering you?"

"No not at all! What's wrong? Why do you sound like you're about to cry?"

"For your information, I don't cry. But yeah if I were a cryer, I would be weeping right now."

"Do you want to talk about it?" This is why I called Yoongi. I could've dialed Hobi, but I knew there would be too many questions. Yoongi will just listen to me if I need to talk.

"I guess so yeah" I start. I don't want to be too direct about what happened. "So it was Jimin's shoot today, and I heard something in the toilet this morning and he got super defensive about it and-"

"Okay stop." He doesn't let me finish. "Whatever he said about it, don't listen. You heard it so I'll tell you. He has an eating disorder. I believe it's important for you to know, everyone we work with does."

"I see." I knew it. "Is that why he acts that way?"

"Yes. That's what I almost spilled at the restaurant the other day, but we had only known each other for 2 days. Given the new circumstances, you needed to know."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, you don't know." He pauses. What is he saying? "Did you talk to your boss recently?"

"Not since last week, but I'm meeting with him in an hour, why? Please tell me Yoongi." I'm starting to get anxious. Why do I have to talk to my boss?

"It's not my place to tell. Talk to M.Yi and we'll talk about it after."

I run to the office, and try calling my boss. No one is in his office. Fuck. I have to wait an hour.

I imagine every single scenario as I wait. I'm pacing in my office while my mind is spiraling. My anxiety levels are through the roof by the time I have to meet M.Yi.

My stream of thoughts is interrupted by a knock on my door.

"Ms Douglas, are you ready for our meeting?"

"Of course M.Yi!" I try to hide my impatience.

"May I?" He points to the chair facing my desk.

"Please!" I gesture him to sit down, and I do the same in my chair.

"So I've got some feedback from the BTS project" He starts. Fuck. What is he going to say? "I have to say I'm very impressed with your work. Pulling that off with only a few days of preparation is quite an achievement!"

Okay this is a good start. I can feel my muscles relaxing just a bit.

"Well I couldn't have done it without my team"

"Give yourself some credit Ms Douglas, you're good at what you do."

I smile as I bow my head to him as a thank you.

"But more seriously, the band and their team all agree in saying that you did an amazing job. As you already know, we are sponsoring their world tour that starts next month. At first it was only a trailer and some clothes to wear, but now they want to make it into a documentary." I don't see where he's going with this, but I enjoy the fact that my work is appreciated by our partner. "The thing is, since we're sponsoring it, we have to make sure that the clothes they wear are properly represented in the movie." He stops, looking for an answer.

"M.Yi, I'm sorry but I don't quite understand why you're telling me this."

"Well, long story short, as Visual Creative Director, you're going on tour with BTS to make sure our products are promoted in the right way. You leave in 3 weeks."

My jaw drops. What? I'm going on a world tour with the biggest K-Pop band?

"I - um - wow.." I'm startled. I gather myself to form a proper sentence. "Thank you so much for this opportunity, M.Yi."

"Don't thank me, I'd rather have you here. Thank the members, they pushed for you to join them."

I smirk at that statement. I doubt it was a unanimous decision, but who cares. I'M GOING ON A WORLD TOUR!!!

We talk about all the details, and straight after, I organize a meeting with my team for the next day. We're going to have to make a plan for this.

As soon as I leave the office, I type a text to the group chat. "Hi all, I would like to thank you guys for the opportunity. I'm sure we will work wonders during the tour."

The answers come in one by one :

- Hobi : "FINALLY YOU KNOOOOW!!! CAN'T WAIT! 🎉🎉"

- Yoongi : "You deserve it."

- Jungkook : 🤗🤗🤗

- Tae : "Well I haven't seen you work yet, so don't think it's a done deal! Just joking, you're safe 😉"

I get a personal text from Jin stating : "Can't wait to see you everyday xx" And there's the weird feeling again. I don't have time to analyze it, because my phone bings again. It's from Namjoon.

"Don't think everyone is onboard. You better not fuck it up." My stomach turns into a knot, and tightens even more when I see that Jimin reacted to his text with a thumbs up.

I won't let any of this get to me. I have the biggest opportunity of my life waiting for me, and I plan on making everything work.

I call Sarah to tell her all about it. We end up Facetiming the entire evening and let her in on everything that has happened. The shootings, the guys, Namjoon and Jin. I eventually tell her about the weird feeling I've been getting these last few days.

"And I don't know, it's strange.. Like every time I think of this kiss, every time his name shows up on my phone it's the same feeling in my stomach and up my spine.." I tell her

"Gina..would this not be because of Pete?" There's a long silence after she says that. The sound of his name sends shivers down my spine. I immediately close off.

"No, and don't mention him again." I answer harshly. "I'm gonna go, I have to get up early tomorrow"

"Gina, I'm sorry, please don-" I hang up.

How could she do that? Not now, not when everything is going great for me for the first time in my life? I block out any thought about this conversation and go to bed.

I jump up at the sound of my alarm. I'm on the wrong side of the bed, covered in sweat, my sheets on the ground. Last nights conversation comes back to mind. I head straight for the shower to gather myself. I give myself a mental peptalk. I absolutely cannot fall back into this. I have an amazing life, an amazing job, my past isn't who I am.

The peptalk didn't have the desired effect, and I'm a mess when I get to the set. It's Taehyung's turn, and I really don't him want to see me like this. My skin is pale, my eyes look tired, even more because of the huge bags under them, my hair is up in a bun (which almost never happens).

I see him walk through the door but he's not alone. Jungkook is here too. They both walk towards me.

"Kook wanted to see what the set looked like, I hope you don't mind." He says as he's walking. "Are you okay?" He's close enough to see the state of my face now. He actually looks worried.

It's that obvious, huh "Not a problem, nice to see you both." I turn away. "Just tired."

"Gina, I'm sorry, but you look like shit." He's not wrong. "What's wrong?"

"Not here, let's just get to work." They both nod, but still look very concerned. They look at each other, then back at me. I gesture Tae to go get his makeup done and does as I ask.

We start the shoot, and I'm not as into it today as the other days. My team notices, and of course, being the best team in the world, they take control of the shoot.

Tae is killing it, and he doesn't even need the directions he's given. He's a natural. Everyone looks over to me as I look at the results.

"We're good to go guys, thank you for today."

Tae and Jungkook come straight to me "So where are we going?"

I check the time "I have to go to the office, I have a meeting in 30 minutes."

"Okay, but come to my place as soon as you're done." Tae orders me. I don't want to talk but I also don't want to be alone. They leave when I agree.

I rush back to the office. I get there just in time for the meeting. We spend the whole afternoon figure out a plan, but we don't go too deep. We know we have a bit more time to prepare than for the campaign.

After we settle everything at work, I grab a cab to go to Tae and Yoongi's place.

I'm greeted at the door by an even more concerned Taehyung. His eyes are darker than usual, maybe because his brows are frowning.

I follow him to the living room, where Jungkook is already sat on the couch. Tae comes forward with a bottle of wine and 3 glasses. We wait for him to open it and pour some into each glass.

He sits beside me. « This is a safe space, Gina. It's just the 3 of us, say whatever you want. »

I do feel safe here. Both of them are sat beside me, surrounding me with a comforting energy.

I usually don't talk about this but I feel the need to do so, which is strange for me.

I start telling my story.

[animegirl266]

Just Say Yes|| Jack Avery|| Why Don’t We Imagine|| Part 3

Sunlight screams at your eyes as your little sister, Marina pulls open the blinds in your bedroom. You groan, pulling the blankets over your head as she says, “Rise and shine! You can’t stay in bed forever. Stop sulking already!” 

“Get out, Mare!” You scream at her, the frustration clear in your voice.

“Not until you get up.” You can’t see her, but you know she just crossed her arms over her chest. 

“Get out!” You scream again, sitting up and throwing your pillow at her. She shrieks, running out of the room, slamming the door behind her. You fall on to your bed, closing your eyes. As much as you know she’s right, you can’t even imagine getting out of bed right now.

It’s been six months since you started dating Jack. You planned to visit him during your Christmas break, but being in college now, you realized that your break is only a three day weekend. Even so, you thought you could spend those three days in LA, but with money tight at your house, your mom said they couldn’t afford you a ticket. And you couldn’t drive there either, considering you still don’t have a car. You’d been looking forward to seeing Jack and all the boys for months now, thinking the whole time that you’d be able to spend Christmas with them. With reality crashing down on you all at once you slumped into severe disappointment, hence your sulking that Marina and your mom have been pestering you about for the last week.

Your phone beeps, notifying you of a reminder. Grabbing it from your bedside table, you look at your lock screen.The reminder reads: December 23rd. Get packing! Leaving for LA tomorrow! 

You had made your calendar last month and had forgotten to delete the notification. “Uuuugh!” You moan, dropping your phone on your bed. After a few moments of blissful silence, your iPhone starting ringing. What now? 

You pick up your phone, looking at it reluctantly. You read Babe on the top of your screen. Jack was Facetiming you. You press accept, and are greeted by Jack’s handsome face. 

“Hey, gorgeous.” He smirks at you, making you giggle. 

“Hi, baby.” Worry flashes across his face as he takes a better look at you, noticing the bags under your eyes, and the sadness written on your features.

“What’s wrong?” His voice is soft and tender, yet raspy with the early hours of the morning.

“Nothing. I’m just bummed that I won’t be able to visit you guys like I planned.” You shrug, trying your best to not make him worry like he always does. 

“What do you mean you won’t be able to visit us?”

“Jack, I told you like, three days ago. Were you not listening?” You furrow your brows, frustration replacing your sadness. 

“No, no. I was. Did you check your mail today?” He slumps back against his couch and you can just imagine him crossing his legs, resting his ankle on his other knee. 

“What? No. Are you trying to distract me?” Jack laughs at your accusation, a beautiful smile playing on his lips. 

“Just go look.” You raises an eyebrow at your boyfriend, but do as you’re told. You leave your phone on your bed, telling Jack you’ll be right back. A couple minutes later you return to your room holding an anonymous letter addressed to you. You wave it in front of the camera, getting Jack’s attention. 

“What’s this?” You ask, pursing your lips as you sit on your bed. 

“Hmm... don’t know. Maybe you should open it and see.” He suggests with a wink. You laugh and start ripping open the envelope. Jack’s eyes never leave your face which makes you blush and giggle as you continue to open the envelope with your fingers. You dump the contents on to your bed and gasp. A single plane tickets sits on your sheets. “See you tomorrow, beautiful.” With that, Jack hangs up and you’re left there, staring at the plane ticket in awe.

You step out of the plane and into your gate, looking around for the boys. Jack texted you before you took off, telling you the all five of them would be waiting for you when you landed. After literally five seconds of looking you found them... or more, they found you. “Y/N!” You hear the lanky boy you call your best friend scream. You get a sense of deja vu as you charge into his arms. You hold on to Daniel for what must of been a whole five minute. Someone taps your shoulder and clears their throat. You turn around, retreating out of Daniel’s grasp.

“Just saying, usually the boyfriend gets the first hug.” Jack says, running a hand through his curls. You laugh and throw yourself into your boyfriend’s arms. You stand on your tip toes to nuzzle your face into the crook of his neck and he rests his chin on the top of your head. Pulling away, you place a kiss on his lips and turn your attention to the other boys.

On the drive to the boys’ house, you sit next to Zach. “You ready for a Why Don’t We style Christmas, Y/N?” He asks, making sure to get you in frame for his Instagram story.

“Lay it on me!” You smile at the camera with a wink.

The Why Don’t We house is in full season. Christmas lights hang from the roof, there are reindeer in the yard, and Corbyn has a stash of candy canes in his coat pocket. Entering the house, you get a full blast of holiday spirit. There are pine wreaths hung on the walls, peppermint and pine scented candles adorn every surface, and a breath-taking Christmas tree sits in the living room. Beautiful ornaments, strings of lights and popcorn, and a glowing, golden star decorate the tree. It’s so easy for you to imagine all five of the boys and their friends huddled around this tree, laughing as they decorated. 

The boys’ laughing brings you back to reality and you realize how long you had been staring at the tree. A blush blossoms across your face as you look down at your feet, placing a stray hair behind your ear. “You’re so cute.” Jack says, kissing the top of your head on his way to the kitchen. 

That night, all eight of you (eight being, you, the boys, David, and Aspen) sit around the Christmas tree in the living room, eating dinner. You sit there for hours, laughing and sharing stories. You don’t know when, but some how you end up in Jack’s lap, snuggling in front of everyone. At midnight, you wait a second before bursting out, mid-conversation, “Merry Christmas!” You and Zach say it simultaneously, making everyone laugh. 

Your Christmas was magical. All day, the boys made you feel like a princess, doing little things like opening doors for you, or pulling out your chair. But at the same time, you felt like one of them, engaging in idle banter with Jonah and poking fun at Corbyn with Zach.

When it was time to exchange presents you were jumping in your shoes, excited to see the boys’ reactions. You had bought them each a gift or two, hoping they were the perfect ratio of thoughtful and casual. You gave each of them their bags, watching as their faces went from shocked to happy. You had spent a considerably large amount of money on their presents, without your mother’s knowledge, of course. You watched Jack shrug on the Adidas jacket you had gotten him, the color contrasting from his skin perfectly. “You look great, babe.” You smile at him as he turns to you. “Do you like it?” You ask hesitantly. 

Jack presses a kiss to your lips, resting his forehead against yours. “I love it. Thank you.” 

Later that night, after your shower, you sit beside Jack on his bed. He leans over, kissing your forehead before pulling back. “Here, Y/N. Merry Christmas.” Jack places a small box in the palm of your hand. You smile at him before opening it. You stare down at what the tiny box holds inside, an infinity necklace with studded Amethyst crystals, your birthstone. You place your hand over your mouth, something you find you do a lot when you’re with Jack. “I love it.” Jack takes the necklace and puts it on you. You beam at Jack’s present, holding the necklace in your hand.

You look up at your boyfriend seeing unease on his face. Placing your hand on his, you ask, “You okay?”He tilts his head slightly so he’s at your eye level.

“I uh... I have something to tell you.” You get worried for a moment, but reassure yourself that Jack would never do anything to hurt you. You nod, urging him to continue. “The boys and I are gonna go on tour again in a couple months to promote the new album, and I won’t be able to see or talk to you a lot when we leave.” Your face falls, and you stare down at your lap. You text Jack every single day. To think that he’ll be out of reach for weeks... months. It’s too much for you to comprehend. 

“So... I was thinking,” He continues, catching you off guard. “Will you come on tour with us?” Your breath catches in your lungs. Your head snaps up, and you look Jack in the eyes.

“Ar... Are you serious?” Your voice is airy as you laugh. The thought of coming with the boys on tour didn’t crossed your mind. You never dreamed of going around America, considering the low income your family has dealt with your whole life. 

“Of course I’m serious. I don’t get to see enough of you. Spending two and a half months with you on the road sounds too good to turn down in my head... Say yes, Y/N.” You love this about Jack -  the way he pushes you to do new things. The way his eyes light up at the sign of adventure. Jack says that a lot to you - just say yes, and you can never turn him down. 

“I’d love to come.” You smile at your boyfriend, suddenly thrilled. You jump into his lap, giving him the biggest hug possible. You kiss him, pecking at his lips. He holds the back of your head, bringing you in for a longer, more meaningful kiss. “I’ve never been more excited for anything in my life.”