#trace + infinite are like siblings
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#sonic#sonic the hedgehog#project alacrity#sonic au#sonic oc#trace the tasmanian devil#infinite the jackal#zero the jackal#dire the jackal#fang the sniper#fang the hunter#nack the weasel#fang redesign#young trace#young zero#currently reworking their whole dynamic#trace + infinite are like siblings#until big misunderstanding/ betrayal#now they kinda hate / just have complicated feelings towards them#zero + dire have daddy issues#dire is kinda abusive to him#shaping his hybrid son into the ideal leader of his pack#despite zero clearly not fitting in and being bullied#and oh yeah fang's here#zero + fang are siblings because i thought it would be fun#fang hates his dad#when they're adults aka relevant to the story#they would be around their early 30s?#i think
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higher than heaven | đđŹđ
àšà§ pairing: choi soobin x fem!reader àšà§ word count: 10.3k àšà§ genre: fluff, angst, smut àšà§ tags: guardian angel!soobin, human!reader, mutual pining, sexual tension, dirty talking, nipple play, chest worship, fingering, unprotected sex àšà§ synopsis: Soobin, your devoted guardian angel, has one singular purpose in his ethereal existence: to bring your heart's deepest desires to life. Unbeknownst to him, his mere presence fulfills that desire. Yet, the lingering question remainsâ how can he effectively transform your most intimate dreams into reality? ⏠playlist: iris | nightly, dizzy | yueku, unbreakable | jamie scott, monsters | joan, feel every bit | the ivy, infinitely falling | fly by midnight, kiss my scars | august royals, next to me | peter fenn, hideaway | jacob collier, salvation | gabrielle aplin, magic island | tomorrow x together âą AUTHOR'S NOTE: First fic of 2025! Iâd like to thank @lovetaroandtaemin, @chugging-antiseptic-dye, @ylangelegy, @gyubakeries, and @xomakara for beta-reading this fic for me, I know it was a quick journey and I appreciate every one of you who followed the story from the beginning to the end đ€.
The time fills as plastic shot glasses and empty solo cups discarded into trash bags. Some stragglers of the party lay on the couch or floor, but you pass by them with ease. You sigh before Beomgyu stops you with a sharp tug. "Dude, you don't have to help me. You're supposed to be one of my guests!"
"I'm just avoiding the inevitable tomorrow. And if you come into the shelter late because you procrastinated cleaning your own apartment, I may just kill you."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get it, boss.â He rolls his eyes and unfurls the empty bag you had between your hands moments before. You giggle in earnest.
âIf I get a single text, Gyuââ
âWhy donât you enjoy the early morning hours of New Year's and get out of here?" He shoves you towards the door of his apartment with an "I love youâ to follow you out, determined to do what you swear he won't without your help.
Beomgyu may be your childhood friend, but habits hold on tight with him. Itâs clear from the three years heâs worked at your animal shelter. Your parents always said he has good intentions, although heâs brash in decision-making. "The kid just asks for forgiveness more than permission most of the time," your dad would joke, and Beomgyu wouldnât disagree.
Your parentsâ words replay in your head on the walk home. You hear every piece of parental advice with each step on the cobblestones, the clack or your heels accompanying every word. It's customary on New Years to feel the ache of their absence so strongly. Your thoughts of them are as vivid as the pain of their loss. It seems to haunt you more with every year that passes.
One day, you had been tagging new intakes and cleaning food bowls like normal. The next you were receiving the call that your parents had been in a fatal car accident. Every space they inhabited, including the shelter, felt colder, quieter, a little less like home. Even your own house twenty minutes from your job barely felt like your own.
Five years of grief made the pain manageable, but on nights like tonight, it doesnât feel like youâve made much progress..
The cold of January accompanies the repetitive emotional and mental cycle you're on. The weather bites with a hard set of teeth, almost more brutal than the traces of sadness you feel in your heart.
You donât realize amid the somber trek home how close the surrounding shadows are, one of a stranger within an armâs distance.
Your animals greet you at your door with perky barks and whooshing tails. Mina and Minho, your two tabby cats, seem to be delighted that youâre back, but save the ecstatic greetings for their canine siblings. Key, your senior chihuahua, does what he can energy-wise compared to Bori, your labrador mix.
âBobo, please,â you beg as she jumps up on you when you kneel at her eye-level. Itâs all a mess of slobbering tongue and eager pants with her. Once sheâs done, you rub Key between the ears to give him some affection.
Even your hedgehog, Rio, taps against the glass of his enclosure to say hello to you. Itâs almost like every pair of animal eyes asks you how the party went and why you left them alone for so long.
You canât supply them with an answer, because you notice the person-shaped figure at your kitchen counter, silent and clouded in darkness. The sight makes you release a decibel-breaking scream.
You grab an umbrella from the iron wrack near your door and charge to the kitchen, expecting Key and Bori to follow you and bark aggressively at the intruder. They donât, but they do pad behind you in curiosity at your strange actions.
They barely react at all when you turn on the light in the small kitchen. The new illumination reveals the black-haired stranger dressed in white. He says nothing, but holds a smile of mirth on his face at your line of defense. He's neither scrawny nor muscular, but towers over you to a surreal degree.Â
You think you can take him if you have the element of surprise, but with the alcohol still buzzing through your veins, you may lack complete hand-eye coordination. Itâs anyoneâs guess.
âWhat do you want? If youâre looking for money, you got the wrong house, buddy.â You say with a steady voice, aiming the sharpest point of the umbrella in his direction.
He smiles wide, pearly teeth and a set of dimples almost blinding you. âIâm Soobin.â
His lack of an answer and warm smile throw you off. Itâs definitely not the reaction anyone expects from a burglar. Maybe the guy's intoxication is even greater than yours, enabling him to enter someone's home without permission. No matter the reasons, you donât release your hold on the umbrella. You stare him down hard despite your shaking hands.
âWellâŠSoobinâŠI donât know what you want, but youâre not gonna find it here.â
âIâm in the exact place I need to be.â He says your name with the same level of warmth that remains in his smile, but your blood runs cold at the fact he is aware of who you are. Was he stalking you? Had he stopped by the animal shelter while you were too busy to make a mental note of him? âPut down the umbrella and weââ
âGet the fuck out of my house, you creep!â You raise the umbrella as high as you can before it falls on his head, shoulders, or any location on his body that will stun him. He knows itâs coming, though.
Soobin somehow materializes right in front of you before you can step forward, taking your wrists gently in one hand to stop you. âThereâs no need for that. Iâm not here to harm you.â
You struggle in his hold, trying your hardest to release yourself from his grip with all of your might. Then, you freeze, unsure of how both his speed and his lack of alarm to your furry animals makes any logical sense.
Soobin senses your lack of effort to go through with your attack and lets go of you, taking a small breath of air. âWill you drop the umbrella?â
âOnce you tell me what you are,â you whisper. âMy dogs would have ripped off your ankles by now, but they didnât. Why?â
Soobin chuckles, but you feel anything but humorous. âThe why to that question is a bit hard to explain. But I can tell you why Iâm here.â He runs a hand through his hair, suddenly bashful. âLetâs just say I have a mission to complete.â
Soobin sits at one end of the couch, hands in his lap, while you sit on the other. Your dogs lay at the edge of the couch, snoring peacefully now that the chaos is over. Your knees sit tight against your chest, still guarding yourself from him or any potential advances he may make.
You may not think he wants to kill or rob you anymore, but that doesnât mean youâre immediately trusting of the stranger. One that is no doubt breathtaking, but still hiding his intentions.
You size him up, still unsure how or why the guy is familiar with you when youâve never seen him before. He can barely provide you with an adequate answer for the questions that pop into your head.
Where are you from? How do you know me? Have we ever met before?
He chuckles at each one, continuing on with the same reflexive response. âProprietary information.â
You roll your eyes. âEvery time you say that, you sound like some kind of spy.â You move closer to his spot on the couch, looking at him with more intensity than before.Â
The analysis makes him laugh even more, his cheeks turning pink. âIâm not an alien, if that was your second guess.â
âThatâs not what I was thinking!â
He quirks an eyebrow at you. âYou look like youâre about to cut me open with a scalpel.â
Your lips transform into a firm line. âShould I want to, Soobin? Maybe youâre saying youâre not an alien to throw me off.â
âTrust me, I am not an extraterrestrial. Not cool enough.â
You canât help but laugh at the ridiculous situation you find yourself in, matching the smile on Soobinâs face with your own. An hour ago, you were about to kill him in self-defense for what you assumed was a classic break-in scenario. Now, youâre laughing with your would-be victim. This has to be the most peculiar first day of the year youâve ever had.
He claps his hands softly on his white denim jeans. âWe should call it a night. Youâre probably tired. I can explain more tomorrow, if youâd like.â
You look around your house, unsure where Soobin is planning to stay for the next few hours. The one-bed-and-bath cottage is anything but roomy, most of your space taken up by work supplies or your animalsâ stuff.
He senses your trepidation and grins. âDonât worry, I can come back in the morning.â
You suck in a breath. Most of you feels relief, but thereâs a small inkling of sadness that pervades your emotions. You barely know Soobin, but his presence provides a warmth that your home has been missing.
It has to be the last traces of alcohol and the simmering grief still in your system.
âOkay. I have work in the morning, butââ
âIâll be here before you have to leave,â Soobin cuts you off. He holds his hand out in a goodbye, and you take it. His soft palm meets yours and heats your skin, and you have to cut the parting short to not feel any more flustered.
âSee you tomorrow.â
âGoodnight, love.â He leaves you with one more grin before he exits, confusing you further.Â
The touch of his fingertips on you follows you into sleep, his skin the last coherent sensation you have before it all goes black.
There is a murky quality to the dream you find yourself in. Youâre surrounded by grey, the colorâs opacity fading only partly as the details become clearer.
The room around you looks more like a cavern than a traditional room. Itâs made of stone, cavelike and primitive. The entrance to the area is too vast for a normal door. Itâs almost as if you could step out and fall into nothing but clouds. The world outside is a mixture of inky blacks and dark blues, signifying nighttime outside the four rocky walls.
You look back to the inside of the space. It holds a desk covered with paperwork and photographs. Youâre alone, standing in the center of it all, but too far away from the papers on the table to see any information.
Before you can step closer, Soobin enters with a blonde man hot on his heels. They both walk right through you, seemingly not noticing your presence at all as they continue their discussion.Â
They emit their own light somehow, the room nowhere near as dark as when you were alone inside of it.
âIf you fail at this, Yeonjun will demote you and have no qualms about doing it.â The blonde man ruffles his hair in frustration, and inches closer to Soobin. They clearly have a close relationship, from the concern on the strangerâs face to the hand that he rests on Soobin's shoulder. âYouâve worked too hard to lose everything, Soobin.â
âI know, Hyuka,â Soobin says in a somber tone, sorting through the papers on his desk. âBut she needs me now more than ever. And I know I can help. And if I succeed, I can actuallyââ
âI get it. Weâre just not supposed to get involved unless weâre certain about it. You know this.â
Soobin sighs. âYou didnât see her, Kai. I have to.â
The man named Kai exhales a deep breath and walks away, his pleas seeming to hit a brick wall. The last thing he says, âI hope you know what youâre risking,ïżœïżœïżœ barely makes it to your ears. All you notice before Kaiâs departure is the unfurling of wings from his back, the white and gray feathers spouting from the tendons just below his shoulders.
You scream when he drops from the entrance, his wings carrying him away. You donât care if the sound alerts either of the two men, not after witnessing such an unrealistic moment.
You scream again when you hear the unfurling of Soobinâs wings, the sound almost whipping you onto your back from the gust his wings emit. Theyâre dark grey, larger than Kaiâs are. They create such long-casting shadows that you have no question now what Soobin is or where he comes from.
The word replays in your mind as the surrounding scene dematerializes and you wake up with a rapid heartbeat: an angel.
Soobin waits at your door in the same white button-up and jeans he had on the night prior. You welcome him inside, and he looks more ethereal somehow in daylight.Â
The dream hits you again with its full force, the image of his grey wings flashing across your memory.
âSo, youâre an angel,â You say, filling the space between you both with a new tension. The anxiety only permeates from you; Soobin exudes an air of calm instead, despite your accusation.
He almost ticks his head down in a nod as he responds with the words, âProprietary information.â
You nod your head and gulp hard. Somehow, the aura around you and the subtext in his expression tells you what you know to be true.
He showed you all you needed to know last night through your dreams, a miraculous loophole to the restrictions placed upon him.
When youâre finally ready to go to work, the morning chores around the house finished before Soobin even made it to your doorstep, you look over at the man in front of you again with trepidation. The white attire may lead to a multitude of questions that you and Soobin cannot answer.
âWhat? Is there something on my face?â Soobin asks, confused.
You laugh and shake your head, any residual tension from your realization broken. âYou look a bit tooâŠuniform for the shelter.â
âOh! WellâŠâ He blushes, unsure how to respond.
An idea pops into your head when his words come up short. âI may have some old stuff thatâll fit you.â
âWhy is the rando wearing your dadâs windbreaker?â Beomgyu asks while cleaning Jin, the newest adoptee at the shelter. His eyes peer over at Soobin filling some food bowls with kibble. Soobinâs presence fills the space the same way it did in your house.
He wears your dadâs long-sleeve shirt, windbreaker, and khaki pants well. Despite his freakishly tall height, the clothes donât look small on him, and youâre relieved heâs able to fit in like any normal guy with the change in wardrobe.
You scoff, continuing to fill out the documents for Jinâs tag and vaccinations without looking up at your friend. âSoobinâs new in town and lost everything on the plane ride here. He just needed to borrow some stuff until his luggage gets delivered.â
Beomgyu nods, still concerned. He goes back to scrubbing Jinâs coat with the anti-tick shampoo, and you leave his spot at the cleaning station to stand beside Soobin.
âYou do this every day? These bags are heavy, even for me.â Soobin grunts and clips the bag closed.
âI usually make Gyu or another volunteer do it. But you saved me the trouble of asking.â You smirk and take two of the bowls in your hands. âWant to help me feed the dogs?â
Soobinâs eyes light up, and he nods. You wonder as you walk to the cages if heâs ever interacted with animals before he left his home in the skies.
Since you were a kid, the shelter has always been a part of your daily regimen. Once college was out of the way, you had a stable job waiting for you to practice your veterinary degree on. While some could only handle so many cat scratches, dog poops, and absurd origin stories, it made every day worth it in your eyes. And the fact that you had a history with tending to furry friends with your parents only made it more worthwhile to continue doing.
The second you open the cages to let the dogs eat, you recognize how natural Soobin is at the job. He talks to them in a childlike voice and rubs their bellies as they munch on kibble and necessary medicines you give in between feeding. Even the dogs with the rougher backgrounds take to Soobin like a bee to honey, the warmth he naturally exudes relaxing them.
He truly is an angel, you realize, and not just in the literal sense.
You lock up the shelter for the day with a lot less weight on your shoulders thanks to Soobin. âI might as well give you the keys to this place. It suits you well,â you joke.
Soobin tucks his hands into his windbreaker, smiling hard. âIt just came easy, I guess. Animals arenât like people. They donât have to hide behind words. Itâs all about energy.â
You look at him as you walk away from the building together, your face softened from his words. âMy mom always used to say stuff like that. To her, animals were the bestest friends you could ever ask for. Sheâd say itâs like they see into your soul.â
Soobin grins. âShe seems lovely.â
You swallow hard, balling your hands into fists inside your jacket. Itâs not anger that permeates your body now, not the way it used to. All that exists is the reality that their words are simply memories. âShe was. My dad too. That place was their second home.â You wave your arm in the direction of the shelter. The building diminishes from view as you round the corner to head home. âAnd mine, too.â
âDid you envision this being your life?â Soobin asks, the question taking you by surprise. âI donât mean to pry.â
âNo, itâs okay!â You laugh. âI meanâI love working with the animals every day, and I have great friends. It just can be very routine sometimes, like thereâs this gap that I canât fill.â You hold back the more intimate details of your desires to Soobin, still guarded and uncertain of being so vulnerable so soon.
He steps closer, the walk becoming more intimate with his shoulder almost brushing yours. âYouâve been alone for quite a while. Itâs understandable to want to share your life with someone.â
You blush hard, a mixture of the January cold and his correct assumptions building a steady heat on your cheeks. âThatâs what most people want, I guess.â
Eyes widening, you realize now why Soobin may be discussing these things with you. Could his super secret mission, which he discussed the night you met, relate to right now?
âNo fucking way,â you whisper to yourself, stopping on the stone street. Soobin only gets a few paces farther than you before he stops.
âIs there something wrong?â He asks, his eyebrows drawn up and his mouth in a small O that you would normally giggle at.
Now, you have no time for humor.
âDid you come here because of the stupid wish I made on New Yearâs Eve?â
âTaehyun, if you give me another shot, I will throw up!â You exclaim in a fit of giggles, three drinks already in your system over the last hour and a half. His girlfriend, Kazuha, stands by your side as she downs the shot in her hand, her mouth puckering as she swallows it down. âZu, I thought you were the DD tonight!â
âFuck it, Iâll call an Uber.â She winks and chases the shot with a sip of beer. Beomgyu wades through the throng of people in his living room to join all of you in the kitchen.
âTaking shots without me? Thatâs a party foul.â
âWhatever, man. Itâs not like we canât make more.â Taehyun passes him one filled with tequila to catch up, and Beomgyu downs it in the next second. By the time the buzz of the drinks hits your head, Jungwon barrels into the kitchen with his own girlfriend Yeri to tell you all that the ball is dropping.
Everyone crowds around the television to watch the remaining minute of the year play out. The strangers around you scream out the last seconds, others speak in a drunken lilt.
You turn to your friends, somehow the only person without someone attached to their hip. Beomgyu is holding a random girl's shoulder, while your other friends stand closely together in their respective couples, watching the countdown..
âFour, three, two, one! Happy New Year!â Beomgyu says the words into his dateâs neck before kissing her roughly on the lips. Your other friends have their own celebratory make-out sessions. You feel like an intruder as they all enjoy the moment in their respective couples.
Youâve never been a grouch about your single status, not once. But it felt like a part of you was missing out with little of a choice in the matter. Whether by the confines of chance or love simply not being meant for you for the past twenty-seven years, you can only be comfortable for so long before the pain of solitude drains you dry.
Was it so awful to want to find someone to share funny videos with? To talk to about days at the shelter when a cute animal comes in and needs a loving home? When days are heavy on your heart and you need the one you love the most to lift you up and make it all evaporate with a simple âI love youâ? To make every struggle and hardship, no matter how big or small, worth it?
And so, with only a drunken mind and heart to listen to your deepest whims, you wish for what seems the most out of reach as your eyes line with tears: a soulmate to bridge the gap between your loneliness and true fulfillment.
When the reality of why Soobinâs here hits you, you canât help but release one of the loudest laughs youâve ever emitted before.
âYou have to be fucking kidding me,â you say with exasperated breaths, all the air in your lungs saved mostly for your laughter. âYou came all the way from up there to play matchmaker?â
Soobin chuckles to himself, the sounds that leave his lips a lot quieter than yours. âYou make it sound so childish.â
âCan you blame me?â You ask. âI donât need help in that department!â
Soobin gives you a knowing look, hitting you somewhere deep in the chest. âThen I wouldnât be here, would I?â
âOkay, donât speak in riddles to me!â
âIâm just stating facts, love.â
You roll your eyes, and Soobin laughs again. âSo youâre magically going to find me the perfect partner after only knowing me for 48 hours?â
âIâve known you for much longer than that.â He steps even closer to you, your fingers brushing his as he stands a few inches from you. âBut again, itâsââ
âProprietary information, I get it,â you whisper. You cough into your fist and glide past him, the moment broken. âEither way, I am just fine with or without a boyfriend, Soobin.â
He follows behind without a word, but you sense his smile without looking at him. Jerk.
Soobin has helped many people in his immortal life. Itâs an existence he couldnât fill in just one book. Heâd have to go back centuries to the very moment he started his work as a guardian. His life began long before that, but his true merits came when he started helping those who needed supernatural guidance.
Heâs seen from his eagleâs eye view many heartbreaks, losses, successes, and love stories, but nothing as encapsulating as the story of your life.
You were a vision to see the first time you held an animal in your hands, hands tepid but heart full from the creature giving all of its affection to you for you to reciprocate wholeheartedly. He was in awe of you when you stepped across the stage with your degree, eager to put all the knowledge you gained about medicine to a good use. And his ever-still heart ached with yours the second you got that phone call in November five years ago, wanting nothing more than to catch you before your knees hit the tile below.
Youâre the one assignment heâs kept too close an eye on, the others in his caseload not holding his focus so strongly. He succumbed to forbidden desires, wishes he knew were unattainable.
But the second he felt your heart break on the one night he knew he could seize the chance to step over the border between Heaven and Earth, he chose the only option that felt right: he had to leave home and heal what needed to be mended inside of you a long time ago.
He watches you help the teenage girl adopting her first pet with immense adoration.Â
You check off the supplies needed for Jin and all the vaccines the dog will need moving forward with clinical focus. Itâs admirable how dedicated you are to your work, not caring if it went beyond the bounds of a traditional work-life balance.
And when you wave the teenager and her parents out the door and turn to him with a signature eye-roll, he canât stop the way his skin heats. Your gaze in his direction screams: How long are you going to keep pestering me?
Forever, he says to himself with a hell of a lot of hope.
When youâre both alone in the shelter, one hour after youâre closed for the day, you sweep the floors in a huff. âI am telling you I do not need you to play matchmaker for me.â
âYou keep saying that and yet Iâm still here, love,â Soobin tuts, flipping through the magazine on top of your desk. He sits at the chair opposite from the receptionist counter so casually, feet crossed and casual despite his heart yearning to explain everything to you.
Iâm here because I canât take any more of your pain. Because someone deserves to know how special you are. Because Iâ
âI can find a date without your help. Beomgyu already took up that role a long time ago. Heâs been pestering me about going out with his friend Heeseung for months. So there.â You stick your tongue out at him and continue sweeping.
Soobin chuckles to himself and flips to another page of the magazine, but he canât deny how his focus remains on you, the center of his attention, for longer than he expected.
âLee Heeseung, twenty-two. Works at the ramen shop downtown. Entirely incompatible with you. Just for your information.â
You stop sweeping and aim an accusatory eye at him. âAnd thatâs not proprietary information how?â
âIâm not looking out for him. And that only took a couple of Google searches to figure out, love.â
By the time you lock up the store, Soobin is in the habit of checking the door behind you to make sure you didnât miss the back door or forget to close the play-gate on the way out. Two weeks of observing your routine up close has given him incredible intel, and not just into your schedule.
âLetâs walk past downtown,â Soobin suggests, taking your hand and walking through a new pattern of alleyways and cobblestone paths.Â
Youâre unsure why this route that adds another ten minutes to your walk is worth the trouble, but you take his advice, anyway. Heâs your angel for a reason, after all.
âSoobin, unless you suddenly got a hankering for human food, we really shouldââ
You knock into someoneâs shoulders hard; the impact sends you to the gravel. Soobin vanishes from view, his name on your tongue the second you recognize that youâre on the ground.
A pair of hands that arenât Soobinâs, more calloused and robust, lift you up off the ground.
âIâm so sorry. I shouldnât have been standing so close to the alleyway.â
A beautiful pair of brown eyes gaze at yours, and it stops you dead in your tracks. The strangerâs brown hair falls over his face in a mess of free curls, some of them tinged with sweat. He wears a baking apron around his waist; flour and, you presume, icing cover his shirt.
You look at the building next to you, the pastel pink sign reading âGyuâs Baked Goodsâ beaming over your head. And you turn back to the man in question, the baker himself as his hands keep you sturdy on your scraped feet.
âItâs totally fine. Iâm the one who should be sorry. I mean, I wasnât looking anyway and Iââ
âNo, you donât have to apologize. This is what I get for taking a smoke break when I have cupcakes to make, right?â The baker chuckles and releases you. Your heart thumps at a rapid tempo when he holds his hand out to you. âIâm Mingyu. Sorry Iâm built like a mountain.â
You chuckle and take his hand, the handshake gentle for the size of his palm. It reminds you of a sturdy fireplace, strong but tender. âPleased to meet you. Apologies for having the build of a leaf.â
Soobin looks on with a knot in his stomach from an opposite alleyway. The process has begun, and he cannot halt its progress. No matter if he wants to be the one in the human maleâs place.
Soobin watches on as Mingyu stands with you by the kennels, acid simmering on his tongue from watching the two of you in such a chummy position.
He clutches the novel in his hands with intense pressure, on the edge of ripping pages between his fingers. For the past week and a half, you and Mingyu have spent time together as new acquaintances, giving Sobbing time to read mortal literature.
He should be happy for you; his initial plan to find someone who fits your life and wishes so well is going perfectly. Yet why does he wish he could rewind time and take it back?
To your pleasure and Soobinâs secret dismay, Mingyuâs surprise gift of homemade mini animal treats made the day an amazing experience for all three of you.
You pay no mind to Soobinâs sudden and off-putting sulking as you show Mingyu around the animal shelter, your new friend interested in your job as much as youâre intrigued by him.
Beomgyu saunters up to Soobin with a bag of kibble in his hands, clicking his tongue. âItâs tough, isnât it, man?â
Soobin huffs and looks at the younger man, the aura around your friend similar to his back home. If only Kai could see him now, grumbling and pouting like a kicked puppy.Â
âWhat is?â
âSeeing the girl you like with someone else. I mean, sheâs pretty great so I get it.â
Soobin rolls his eyes and goes back to the novel in his hands to distract himself. His jaw ticks when he hears your laughter. The sound creates such a beautiful symphony to his ears, but itâs not reserved for him at the moment, and it makes his stomach turn. âYouâre wrong.â
âOkay, dude. I get it. None of my business.â Beomgyu lifts the bag over his shoulder and starts walking, but looks back at Soobin with a smirk. âBut maybe it might be mutual if you gave it a shot.â
Soobin scoffs at the kid, and then at himself for the split second he entertains the idiotâs idea. Soobin can pine all he wants, but he knows the boundaries. A multitude of reasons prevent this line from ever being crossed.
He may have incredibly powerful feelings for you, but theyâre hidden away and unable to reach the light of day. Not just because he has a strategy for you and Mingyu, but he is not an acceptable suitor because he doesnât belong here, simply put. Earth is only a temporary stay on his list. And when he goes back and reports to Yeonjun of his success, who knows what will happen?
All he knows is that your paths will cross only once in his and your lifetime, and never again.
Soobin almost remains stuck in his misery until you walk up to him with an orange icing-colored dog bone treat in your hands. You hold it out to him with a shy smile. âFor you.â
He smirks, taking the snack from you and rotating it between his fingers. âIsnât this for the dogs, love?â
And the signature eye roll comes, your bottom lip between your teeth as you do it. âTheyâre organic. Anyone can eat them.â You look back at him directly, suddenly concerned. âYou can eat, right?â
He chuckles. Nodding his head, he looks back at the snack. âJust not sure if Iâll like it.â
You stick your tongue out at him. âJust try it, please?â
Reluctantly, he bites down. Sweet potatoes and carrots, harmoniously blended, flood his mouth. The icing and pinch of cinnamon provides the perfect level of sweetness to round it all out, and Soobin groans. Even the dog treats the guy makes are perfect.
âOkay, itâs pretty great,â Soobin admits, taking another bite. âEven if theyâre meant for dogs.â
You laugh and take a tiny corner for yourself. âAt least you can say youâve eaten a dog bone.â
Soobinâs tender smile makes you blush, and it stirs up all the feelings youâve suppressed when youâre not in his presence. Mingyuâs a welcome distraction from it all. His looks and personality are undeniably attractive, but you always circle back to the angel in your midst.
Who can blame you? Heâs ethereal, his magnetism undeniable. But that warmth heâs had from the first day you met is why you can only stay away for so long. Heâs a part of your world now, and you canât imagine that changing in the foreseeable future.
Heâs made his place on Earth with you, and you dread the day he has to go back to where he belongs.
The end of January brings the last time for branches to stay vacant of leaves. You notice the small sprouts of leaves amidst the brown limbs as you and Soobin walk back to your house. You bite back a smile, and Soobin comments on it.
Itâs like he clenches your heart between his fingers as he says it. âYou always hide your excitement like nobody should be watching. Like itâs wrong to be happy about the little things.â
You blush while strolling beside him. âItâs not that Iâm hiding it. Maybe I just donât think anyone will get why Iâm happy about certain things.â
Soobin bumps you with his shoulder, a close-mouthed smile on his lips. âTry me.â
You exhale a breath to get your bearings. âOkay, so everyone is always excited about the start of the new year. But then itâs like the excitement dies down and we just go on our merry way until the next holiday comes up. Itâs not in the days for me. Itâs the environment that always makes me feel the shift, you know?
âLike with animals, almost. The energy is unique, and I feel it when I see the colors and feel the temperature fluctuate.â You shake your head and tuck a stray hair behind your ear. âThat may sound stupid, butââ
Soobin stops you on the open sidewalk, taking your hand in his. He looks into your eyes earnestly, wanting you to take his words to heart before he says them. âNothing youâve ever said to me is stupid, love. Every thought you have is beautiful because itâs yours.â
Like the town greenery, something shifts inside of you then. Even on the rest of the walk home and the talk over dinner about the day at the shelter, you sense an unfamiliar emotion swirling in the air between you and Soobin. You canât name it, but it reminds you of the first blooms of spring, brimming with promise.
The first week of February comes in a tidal wave. Many people flood the animal shelter looking for the perfect furry friend to complete their family on the cusp of Valentineâs Day.
All you can hope for is that a majority of them, or at least fifty percent, donât come back to the shelter after the holiday is over to return the animals looking for forever homes.Â
That was the one thing that bugged you the most about this job: biting your tongue at the obvious lack of responsibility people put into owning pets.
It holds more weight than anyone knows, bringing another being in your home to tend to like a child. The only difference is that many of them have histories that deserve more care than normal, and some donât want to put in the right amount of effort.
You sit on these thoughts as Soobin holds the newest cat to the shelter in his hands. âHave you thought of a name for Mr. Cat yet?â Soobin inspects the spot near the catâs tail. âOr Missus?â
You giggle and grab the clipboard with the catâs information on it. âHeâs a he, Soob. You can come up with a name.â
He ponders the choices, before his smile grows and he presses his nose to the catâs. âHow about Hyuka?â He rubs the back of the catâs ears tenderly.
You grin at Soobin and brush your fingers over Hyukaâs fur. âI think itâs a perfect fit.â
Soobin looks over at you with bright eyes, his expression transforming into one that feels like the one you held that day so long ago when he called your thoughts beautiful. A question forms on his tongue, but it flits away the second Mingyu walks through the double doors of the animal shelter with a bouquet of daisies.
At least the jerk knows your favorite flowers, Soobin thinks to himself as he walks with Hyuka back to his block in the back room.
You smile at Mingyu and thank him for the flowers, immediately pressing your nose to them to inhale their smell. âTheyâre amazing, thank you.â
âMy buddy Wonwoo is a florist, so donât thank me too much. I got a discount even though I shouldâve paid full price.â
âCanât beat a couple bucks off.â You set the bundle down on your desk and cross your arms over the countertop. âI take it youâre not just here to deliver flowers?â
Mingyu chuckles and presses a hand to his neck, his toned biceps stretching out his shirt. âActually, I was going to ask if you had any plans for Valentineâs.â
You stumble on your explanation, discussing the closure of the shelter for the holiday. âWell,â Mingyu starts, âI was thinking you could come by for dinner. And I promise it wonât just be me making you taste test cupcakes again.â
You laugh, but the sound falls flat. You had always been the one pining, yearning for the boy you liked to like you back. Being on the other side of the coin was not exactly ideal. âMingyu, you know I appreciate you and I am flattered, butâŠâ
Soobin.
Youâre unsure how to continue, but Mingyu holds a hand up in understanding. âI get it. How about I make you a meal, anyway? Consider it a friend treating a friend for all of her hard work.â
You blush and nod. âIâd like that very much.â
Youâre washing dried-up wet food from the cat bowls when Soobin walks up to you, his face red. By the time Mingyu left, you expected Soobin to come back to your side so you could wash the dishes together. You did it yourself, seeing as he took forever to come back. Soobin asks with a tone of authority, âWhat the hell are you thinking?â
You poke your cheek with your tongue, contemplating. âIâm thinking Hyukaâs chances of getting adopted before Valentineâs is aboutââ
âYou know that wasnât what I meant, love.â He says the pet name with annoyance as he drops one bowl into the sink next to you. His tone catches you off guard, not expecting to see Soobin angry for the first time like this.
âYou asked me what I was thinking, and Iâm telling you.â
âWhy did you say no to the date?â Soobin asks, his eyes blazing with fury. Something without a name sits below though, you can tell.
âI, technically, didnât say no. Itâs just more friendly than romantic.â
âDo you expect me to find you another soulmate like this?â Soobin drops another dirty plate in the sink for you to clean up. You donât know if the question is exactly for you or for himself.
The tension sits thickly in the air, the running tap the only sound for a good minute or two. âIâm sure youâll think of something,â you respond, hoping to ease the awkwardness.
Your cheekiness makes Soobin chuckle deeply. You missed his laugh, you realize, not hearing the sound in a while. Not since before Mingyu came around. âWhat am I gonna do with you, love?â
You shrug and go back to washing the bowls, hiding your smile behind soap suds and dishwater.
Soobinâs leg shakes as he sits on your couch, watching the clock on the spot above your door. 10:49 PM. Heâs been waiting for hours to welcome you home from your âfriendlyâ date with Mingyu. Admittedly, heâs been waiting since the second you left, the night of Valentineâs Day on the forefront of his brain since he heard the meathead ask you to have dinner.
Minho and Key keep him company, the older animals in your horde understanding and patient while Soobin mopes around. The angel feels as impatient as Bori can be when she has to wait for dinner.
âDonât look at me like that,â Soobin says to Key, the chihuahuaâs overbite hanging almost like a taunt. âIâm not stewing.â
Heâs definitely stewing. The animals must be saying to each other, conspiring about what will occur when their mother finally gets home.
And on the cusp of eleven, you walk into the house and unbuckle your heels. You watch Soobin on the couch, his hands fidgeting on his lap. âHave you been sitting there for three hours?â You ask in a cute tone that drives Soobin nuts.
âNo, I made the animals dinner.â You set your bag on the iron wrack where your coats lie, and throw your shoes in some corner of the living room before Soobin continues with, âSo, how was the date?â
You stride to the mirror, beginning to unclasp the flashy studs in your ears. âIt was fine. Nothing special. Just two friends having dinner.â
âThatâs all it was? No candles at the table, no romantic music, nothing?â
âWhy are you so concerned, Soobin? I went out, I had fun, now Iâm home.â Soobinâs not prepared to hear your voice so clipped and direct. Your frustration is usually a mask of humor or concern. Not genuine anger, like right now. You donât look at him directly, continuing to remove your jewelry as your ire grows.
You try to de-escalate the argument by retreating to the kitchen, but he only follows you there. And moving back into the living doesnât help either. âStop following me, Soobin!â
âStop running away,â he barks back.
âI will when you stop making a big deal out of this.â
âIt is a big deal,â he says with a scoff. âAnd am I not allowed to worry about you and who youâre with?â He asks with a bite that matches your irritation.
âWhy are you so concerned if Mingyuâs the person you wanted to set me up with in the first place?â
âDonât ask me that question,â he whispers. His jaw tightens and his hands clam up, but you donât give in. If he wants to finish the discussion, then youâll continue to press him for an answer.
âWhy? What kind of âproprietary informationâ relates to how you feel about this? What does me going out with Mingyu and you being a complete ass about it have anything to do with top-secret intel?â
âI love you, alright?!â He yells, standing stock still as his veins pulse in his head and neck. His hands go to the messy strands of his hair, almost like he feels himself going crazy at his own confession. âI did not mean to, and itâs awful. I canât give you the life you deserve. Someone like Mingyu or any other human man would be lucky to have you, yet I can barely stomach the thought of someone else getting to touch you in all the ways I wish I could. And itâs driving me insane.â
The confession knocks something loose inside of you, remaining inhibitions be damned if it means now that the feelings Soobin harbors mirror your own without a doubt.Â
You step closer to him, the tension almost too much to bear any longer. You press your hands to his neck, and bring him closer until your lips are a mere inch apart. âNothing and nobodyâs stopping you, Soobin.â
He takes a deep breath to hold himself back, grounding himself so he doesnât do something that will upend both of your worlds. âYou donât know that, love.â
You chuckle softly. âMaybe not, but I do know that I love you too.â
When you brush his mouth with your own, every being in the universe, heavenly or not, ceases to exist in your mind. Itâs only you and Soobin in your own world. You want to kick yourself for taking so long to seize this moment, this kiss, with him. For all of the reasons Soobin supplies as to why itâs wrong for the two of you to be together, this could not feel more right.
Soobin only gives himself a second of separation from you to catch his breath before he dives back in for one, two, three more kisses. He moans eagerly into your mouth. He tugs on the fabric of your dress to occupy his hands, his body hungry for any contact he can get.
Heavens do be damned, if it means he can keep you between his arms and against his lips.Â
Your back hits the bed as Soobin attaches his lips to your neck. The dogs scratch at the locked door of your bedroom, but you know theyâll give up after another minute of waiting for a result that will never come. You have other priorities to tend to.
Soobinâs lips and teeth mark you up as he travels along your skin with his mouth. He removes your dress and his shirt so your skin is in closer contact, the feeling of his every present warmth lighting you from the inside out. Your undergarments are still in the way, but you know theyâll be discarded soon.
âYou do not know how many days I wished for this,â he mumbles into the spot between your breasts, his kisses setting you on fire to the point you can barely tell where heâs going next. He unclasps the clips holding your bra together, your top half now bare for his eyes to witness.
He marvels at the fullness of your chest before he takes one of your nipples into his mouth. He licks at the skin as he suckles. The action pulls a moan from your lips, your body thrusting up at nothing but open air.
âYou can touch me in other ways, Soobin,â you gasp, taking his hand in yours and intertwining your fingers.
He blushes a deep crimson, releasing your nipple from his lips. âI donât know how,â he admits.
You take his hand to guide lower to the top of your underwear, urging him to slip his hand inside. He does so, immediately finding the wetness of your folds against his fingertips. âYou can move them aroundâjust like that.âÂ
He takes your advice and expertly finds your clit to take between his thumb and index finger. Your hips buck up into his touch, and he smirks against your lips. He asks, âIs this what you like?â
âYes, please.â He takes your underwear off to freely glide his fingers in and out of you, three of the digits simultaneously filling you but leaving you aching for more. âPlease, Soobin, please,â you beg.
âWhat do you want, my love? Donât hold back.â
âI want you inside of me,â you confess. He listens to your request without question. Unbuckling his pants, his cock springs free to make your eyes linger to the bottom half of his body. You donât guess for long what it feels like, as he immediately sinks into you to make your eyelids flutter.
âHoly shit,â you exclaim, pressing your hands to his lower back, pushing him in deeper until heâs filling you to the hilt.
âYou feel amazing.â Soobin says the words against your lips as he thrusts for the first time. He pulls completely before slipping back in, groaning the entire way.
While you appreciate the slow movement of his body against yours, not too eager to rush the experience, you cling to him with eager fingers, hoping the message will come across. âSoobin, go faster.â
Youâve only ever been with two other men in your life, two lackluster experiences in college you wished to forget. All the time between now was just a waiting game, you only willing to go the distance when you felt it was with the right person. And it seems like all the failures in your history have led you to this perfect blip in time.
Like Soobin can read your mind, he slows down just enough so he can whisper to you, âItâs always been you. Itâs only ever been you.â
You canât help the tear that forms in your eye, but itâs quickly kissed away with Soobinâs lips on your cheek and, subsequently, your mouth.
âIâm gonna come, Soobin. Please donât stop.â His hips work faster, his thumb pressing down and rubbing your clit harder, and you can barely feel your body before it lights up in every area.
Your toes curl, your mouth slacks, and your soul explodes as the pleasure overtakes you. You feel empty yet so full from the endorphins released from your orgasm.
Soobin continues to move his hips against yours. His pace stutters, signaling his own release. He captures his lips with yours as he spills inside of you, your body his to claim completely. Nobody has ever had you in this wayâemotionally, mentally, physically.
When you tell Soobin âI love you,â you mean it in every facet of reality, your soul intimately linked with his otherworldly one.
âI love you too, my love.â He smiles like a bashful child, taking you into his arms and pulling you closer as the night continues on outside. When you again, bodies intertwined between your sheets, all that you wish for now is for the moment to last forever.
And when you fall asleep that night in his arms a few hours later, you pray to every god you can name that it never ends.
The expectation of waking up to the warmth of Soobinâs arms and kisses dies when you feel his empty side of the bed. You search the entire house , your dogs padding behind you as you search every corner for him.Â
To your terror and slowly breaking heart, he remains to be seen. Soobin is gone like he was never there to begin with, your house flooding with a chill that hits you to the core.
You crawl back into bed, naked and alone, tears streaming down your face. The only time you rise is to let the animals eat and use the bathroom. For the rest of the day, you remain in bed like a phantom. Half out of your body, half inside of it to feel every ounce of pain. Each shred of sadness reminds you that you still exist, and the manâangelâthat you love is gone.
Yeonjun has his head in his hand when another pair of associates throw Soobin in front of his desk. Soobin put up an intense fight in the resulting scuffle to bring him back to the office above Earth, but he doesnât regret it. The only thing he regrets is not leaving you with some sort of explanation, even something as little as a minute to tell you he loves you.
âWhen I approved your descent, I expected you to help your assignment. Not sleep with her.â Yeonjun sighs and reads over the paperwork at his desk. âThe guys above me are gonna love this.â
âJun, please.â Soobin falls down on his scraped knees and raises his hands in a prayer. âLet me just tell herââ
âWhat else is there to explain? Youâve clearly done enough.â
âIâm begging youââ
âYou think Iâm going to let you spend another second with her and make me look like an idiot? No.â He slams his hand on the desk. âIf youâre lucky, Soobin, all the archangels will do is send you to the second circle of Hell. Iâm surprised theyâre not reprimanding me as your superior. You broke our greatest oath.â
Do not consort with humans, Soobin reminds himself as tears stream down his face. âI love her, Yeonjun. And you know she loves me. Didnât I do my job? I found her a soulmate, just like she wished for.â
Yeonjun shakes his head with a sad smirk. âDonât think you can get around our rules this time, Soobin. I just called you here to tell you the council will see you in the morning. Be grateful theyâre giving you a chance to explain yourself.â
The angels that brought Soobin in drag him away to the lower cells of the building. As heâs pushed and pulled through dark hallways, Soobin has barely enough time to come up with a plan to fix what heâs ruined. Barely.
Your dream is almost the same as the one you envisioned months ago, the dark cavern welcoming you like an old friend. The fog of your transition from sleep to dreaming still pervades your senses. You barely have time to make out the details before Soobin has you wrapped in his arms, holding you so tightly that you feel the air knocked out of your lungs. âThank God it worked.â
You sob immediately when you recognize Soobinâs voice and his arms around you. Itâs like a magnet the way you gravitate to one another, not worrying if the dream will last a second or into eternity. You can barely remember the pain of being without him now that heâs in front of you.
You call his name as he kisses the crown of your hair. He backs you into the desk at the far end of the room, lifting you up by the legs to sit on its marble top. He trails his lips down until they meet your own, and he says so tenderly, âIâm so sorry I couldnât be there when you woke up.â
Breaking into a fit of sad laughter, you run your hands through the hair at the nape of his neck. âIâm just happy youâre here with me now.â You kiss him again and again, until your lips feel bruised and sore.
Soobin sheds a tear and looks back into the night outside of his office door. âI donât have long. Theyâll bring me back to my cell soon. But I wanted to tell you I love you. And Iâll come back as soon as I can.â
âW-Why are you being punished? You did what you were s-supposed to,â you stutter, a mournful knot building in your throat.
âI fell in love with a human when I shouldnât have,â he answers, another tear welling in his eye. âBut it was worth every rule I broke. How could I regret finding my best friend?â Soobin smiles despite the pain that you two share.Â
You hiccup into his neck. âWhen will I see you again?â
âI-I don't know. But Iâll fix this,â he assures you, a steadfast determination in his expression.
âYou donât know that for sure, though,â you cry, heart ripping deeper at the seams with each word.Â
âI donât, but for now, know that I love you. I love you more than my existence allows.â He kisses you one more time as the edges of your dream blur. âItâs only for now, I promise.â
When you wake tangled in the comforter on your bed, the morning sky bleeding through your window, you begin the torture of waiting for the person you love most in the world to come back to you.
TWO MONTHS LATER
For the past seven Fridays since Soobin left, youâve stayed in and waited for the phone to ring or the doorbell to sound, any way to signify that he hasnât broken his promise. You donât bother going into work, trying to find any excuse to stay in the house.
Beomgyu tries to get you out, go on dates, avoid the aching hole in your chest, but he doesnât understand. None of your friends do. They think heâs left without an explanation like another random asshole would, but they donât understand how wrong they are.
Theyâll never understand youâre waiting for the one who took your heart between his hands and still holds it to this day, even if you canât see him for now.
For now. The words play in your mind on a loop, the sound of Soobinâs voice as vivid as the day he said them between kisses in your dream. Itâs only for now, I promise.
This Friday, you take his words to heart and decide to go out. You walk Key and Bori, the morning sun turning into an afternoon sky clear of clouds. The warmer weather signals winter is giving way to spring, although you can still feel the chill in your bones.
When you bring the dogs back home, youâre still too restless to stay inside, too many memories in the house haunting you with Soobinâs presence.
You walk around the town streets, the memories of those you love the most filling your heart with a solemn nostalgia that edges out the parts of you that are still miserable. You and Beomgyu learning to ride bikes around the animal shelter. Your parents treating you to your first scoop of mint chocolate ice cream after you won gold at your spelling contest. The kiss you shared with Soobin in your living room, and all the kisses that followed.
Each one contains longing for the past, yet offers some hope for making fresh memories in the same spots. And even locations you havenât discovered yet.
By the second trip around the blocks you know too well, nighttime rears its head. The city lights mark the street names and numbers with a yellow glow, the heavens above pitch black.
Your legs are sluggish, ankles sore from continuing through the world around you without stopping for rest, but no physical excursion compared to the mental expedition youâve been on today, a microcosm for all of your tangled emotions for the past two months.
 You almost give into the demands of your body when you hear the faintest sound of your name behind you. Turning on shaking limbs, you see the perfect contours and edges of the man you love in crystal clarity. His shoulders heave as his face remains wet with tears, his body on the verge of convulsing from the travel back to you.
Although every muscle strains and screams inside of you, you run towards him with all of your might and crash into his arms. The water on your cheeks mixes with his when your skin touches. He kisses each tear before he reaches your lips, his mouth tasting of salt and peppermint.
âIâm here. Iâm here, my love.â He strokes your hair with his hand and runs the other across your back.
âI didnât get to say I love you too, last time I saw you,â you say, the words tumbling over one another as you try getting them about. Youâre crying and mumbling and it all feels incoherent, but you know every sound you emit is true.
Soobin chuckles, and youâre reminded how beautiful the sound of his laughter is. âYou never had to say it back, my love. I already knew.â
Your heartbeat is erratic, but it doesnât distract you from the fact Soobinâs heart seems to beat as well. A strong, even-tempered rhythm, one youâve never heard before. You look him deep in the eyes, needing to hear the words on his lips. âAre youââ
His voice is still hoarse and tattered, but his smile is like the salve to all of your wounds. âI told you I would come back to you.â
You whimper, another tear escaping from your eyes. âYou gave up everything for me? Your immortality, your friends, yourââ
He presses a finger to your lips before running it over your cheek, his expression soft. âI completed my mission. And my everything is right here with me.â
You kiss his lips, all the I love youâs not enough to encapsulate every feeling and gift Soobinâs given you since he came into your life. You both may be on Earth, one old and one new human soul linked as one, but you know this is what it means to be higher than even the immensity of heaven.
@yvnempire @sjylouvre @mini-mews @jayparked @heesuncore @yoursjaeyun @sungbeams @jenoslutie @loserlvrss @pars-ley @lovetaroandtaemin @wonwovy @biteyoubiteme @jjunbug
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sickeningly sweet [ s.r ]
Spencer Reid had never had a valentine before. In attempt to make him feel better about it you engage in a casual conversation that leads to a potential date.
s1!spencer reid x gn!reader || fluff || 1.3k || masterlist!!
a/n: happy valentineâs day my loves <3 (i promise copy cat part 2 is coming soon đ)
You canât say that youâre surprised when you find out that Spencer Reid has never had a valentine before.
It sounds a little mean in your mind, but you know that the whole team is thinking the same thing.
âYouâve really never asked someone to be your valentine pretty boy? Youâre missing out,â Morgan canât help but chuckle at Spencerâs confession, taking a sip of his coffee with an exaggerated smirk on his face.
âI- did, once when I was nine,â Spencerâs tone carries that awkwardness youâve come to associate him with along with a small trace of uncomfortableness at the topic of conversation. âShe emptied her juice box over my head and then laughed at me,â
âAnd you havenât asked anyone since? Come on Reid you canât let one bad experience get you down,â Elle turns back and forth in her chair with her foot as a pivot.
âYou say that like either of you have valentines,â You shake your head at the two with a laugh as you lean back against your chair.
âOh iâll have one by the end of the night,â Morgan shoots a wink in your direction and you making a mock gagging motion in response.
âYouâre gross,â You roll your eyes at Morgan with a dramatic shake of your head as you push your chair backwards and stand up.
âIâm gonna make some coffee, you want some genius?â You raise an eyebrow towards Spencer, tone harbouring infinitely less sarcasm as you nod towards his empty coffee mug.
âYeah uh, that would be great actually thank you,â Spencer hands over his mug to you with a smile thatâs embarrassingly endearing and youâre glad the kitchenette is around the corner from the bullpen because youâre sure your affection for him is showing all over your face.
Spencer Reid had never had a valentine.
Oh how you wanted to change that.
To shower the boy in all of the love and affection he so justly deserved and yet never seemed to get. To dote on him for a day and not let him so much as lift a finger to do anything for himself.
Instead, you settled for making him a sickeningly sweet cup of coffee.
âSo, when are you gonna ask then?â Spencer stopped craning his neck in your direction at Morganâs question, an obliviously confused expression painting his face.
âHuh?â
âOh come on Reid we all see the way you look at them donât try and hide it now,â Morgan rolled his eyes exaggeratedly with a shake of his head, and Spencer flushes a bright red at the accusation.
âIâm not- I donât-â
âYou donât have to deny it Reid, this is a safe space,â Elleâs tone carried all the teasing of an older sibling, and her expression hammered that message home tenfold.
âYouâve got thirteen hours to make a move pretty boy otherwise you gotta say goodbye to that sweet valentine of yours until next year,â Morgan tilted his head with a furrowed brow.
âThereâs actually twelve hours and 42 minutes until midnight,â Spencerâs response was more of a defence than anything, and he awkwardly pushed a stray stand of hair behind his ear.
âThatâs even worse, you gotta grow some balls and ask them soon man or itâs gonna be too late,â
Morgan was right. He did have to âgrow some ballsâ - whatever that meant - and actually ask you out before you ended up finding someone that was way more interesting and experienced in the dating world.
What if you already had? You never mentioned whether you had a valentine or not during the earlier conversation.
What if he actually plucked up the courage to ask you out and then you turned him down because you already had somebody else.
God that sounded like a nightmare.
âI am absolutely not going to ask them to be my valentine.â
âYouâre not gonna ask who to be your valentine?â Your voice jolts him out of his defensiveness and straight into embarrassment, not at all aided by the way you lean over the back of his chair to place his coffee mug on his desk.
âI uh- No one- Iâm not asking anyone-â His deflection is very half-assed, and the fact you donât pick up on it makes Morgan want to just force your two heads together until you both kiss.
âVery understandable honestly,â You take a seat in your desk chair with a satisfied nod, crossing your legs and taking a sip from your coffee. âValentineâs day is overrated in my opinion,â
âYou- arenât spending it with anyone?âThere was a clear sense of bewilderment lacing Spencerâs tone, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion like he physically couldnât fathom the fact that you didnât have anyone to spend the day with.
You shake your head nonchalantly at his question, swivelling around in your chair until youâre facing your desk once more. âNope, iâm gonna eat a tub of ice cream and wallow in my own self pity as I make fun of shitty rom-coms,â
You lean your head against the back of your chair to look at Spencer beside you, shrugging your shoulders. âYouâre very welcome to join me if you have nothing else to do later, itâll be fun,â
âNo invite for me?â Morganâs tone is very clearly teasing your favouritism towards Spencer, although even if you said that he could come he wouldnât, this might be the one shot Spencer actually has to grow a pair.
âOh please, knowing you we wouldnât even make it through one movie before you get bored and decide you want to go to a bar or something,â You roll your eyes with a laugh. âSpencer actually watches the movies we play,â
âRight right, you and your âmovie nightsâ how could I forget?â Morgan shakes his head at you with that knowing smile and you have half the mind to threaten him with violence at the potential of him spilling your little secret, but you know that if you do thatâll be exposing enough for Spencer to catch on about how head over heels you are for him.
âSo, whatâdâya say genius? Impromptu movie night? I have dark chocolate,â You throw the dark chocolate in there as a bonus like he wouldnât say yes to you if your idea was to sit outside on the pavement behind the office in the rain.
âSure- Sure yeah okay-â Spencerâs answer is coupled with and encouraging nod from Morgan, and it makes Spencerâs face heat up more than he thinks is humanly possible.
âGreat! Iâll even crack out the strawberries,â You clap you hands together and itâs a done deal.
âIâm gonna drop this off to Hotch iâll be back in a sec,â You hold up the file in your hand as you push yourself away from your desk and stand up, speed walking across the bullpen towards Hotchâs office.
âA movie marathon with chocolate and strawberries, that sounds pretty romantic to me pretty boy,â Spencer shakes his head adamantly at Morganâs continued attempts at trying to lay down the groundwork for him to take his relationship with you to the next step.
âTheyâre just being nice,â
Morgan and Elle both facepalm in unison.
#spencer reid x reader#spencer reid#criminal minds#criminal minds x reader#spencer reid fluff#criminal minds fluff
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Overflowing love
pairing: Bang Chan x gn! reader
genre: fluff
warnings: none
word count: ~550
summary: You have a quiet moment with your busy boyfriend, using it to silently admire him.
a/n: This man is rotting my brain and I am partly blaming one of my moots.
âł Main Masterlist
All rights reserved. Please do not steal, repost or feed my work into AI. Thank you!
âWhatâre you doinâ?â - he asked, the lilt of a giggle already grabbing onto the edge of his words. âAdmiring you.â - I simply answered, not an ounce of embarrassment leaking from my voice.
He simply sighed, but I knew it was one filled with adoration, one that he always let out whenever his younger siblings or the members did something he secretly loved. And so, I only let my fingers wander freely over the expanse of tan skin, the digits regularly stopping at his dimples, as if that was their home to return to.
His eyes watched my face, that light burning inside, the one I loved seeing on him oh so much. I didnât hesitate to caress the expanse of soft skin between his lips and eyes, tracing the lines under those wonderful crescents with impossible tenderness. I stopped my administrations for a few seconds, just staring into those warm nebulas, how an infinite number of stars seemed to twinkle in there, dancing in delight. I nearly melted on the spot, had Chan not had a steady hold on the sides of my hip.
âAnd what can I thank the occasion for, hm?â - he murmured, chest rumbling softly underneath me. âThank yourself, for existing.â - the answer left my lips in a quiet whisper, his form tensing underneath me in return.
I could feel how his lungs stuttered, how the air stilled inside him as if it became solid matter, rendering him motionless as he just stared up at me with those wide eyes of his. The smile on my lips only grew wider as the skin underneath my fingertips grew warmer, his ears matching that exact same shade easily.
He broke out of my hold, shyness painting a new expression onto his face, eyes now too flustered to meet mine. I chased after him nevertheless, thumbs already caressing those flushed cheeks once more.
âWhyâd you like to fluster me randomly so much?â - his question was so quiet I nearly didnât even hear him.
I chuckled, gently pushing his face to meet mine.
âI donât, I only state facts, my love.â - my answer was simple and to the point, expression only softening the more I watched this man of my dreams.
His own face started mimicking mine, lines melting with each passing second, a chuckle leaving him and etching itself into my brain, never to leave the vital organ.
âWhat did I ever do to deserve you, I wonder.â âExist, my love.â
He chuckled once more, pressing a chaste kiss onto my cheeks, the action tender and speaking of thousands of words, all singing his love for me. And in turn, I poured my soul into each tiny movement that left my body, the kiss I oh so gently pressed onto his forehead, my fingers tangling into those untameable, chocolate curls. The small repositioning of my body, desperately wishing to perfectly mould into him and soak up his warmth, filling my entire being with a content feeling.
Chan only tightened his hold on me, only letting out a satisfied sigh once we were basically fused together, perfectly content with just laying in each otherâs presence.
We both fell asleep like that, softly snoring with matching heartbeats, fingers laced together in an unbreakable hold.
#stray kids#skz#stray kids x reader#skz x reader#stray kids x gn reader#gender neutral reader#stray kids x y/n#stray kids fanfic#stray kids fic#skz fanfic#skz fic#skz fluff#stray kids fluff#bang chan fluff#chan fluff#x reader#bang chan x reader#bang chan x you#stray kids x you#stray kids oneshots#skz oneshots#skz drabbles#stray kids drabbles#bang chan soft thoughts#chan soft thoughts#stray kids soft thoughts
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higher than heaven ᯠđđđ
SFW version of my fic posted here on @heechwe .á
àšà§ pairing: choi soobin x fem!reader àšà§ word count: 10.3k àšà§ genre: fluff, angst àšà§ tags: guardian angel!soobin, human!reader, mutual pining àšà§ synopsis: Soobin, your devoted guardian angel, has one singular purpose in his ethereal existence: to bring your heart's deepest desires to life. Unbeknownst to him, his mere presence fulfills that desire. Yet, the lingering question remainsâ how can he effectively transform your most intimate dreams into reality? ⏠playlist: iris | nightly, dizzy | yueku, unbreakable | jamie scott, monsters | joan, feel every bit | the ivy, infinitely falling | fly by midnight, kiss my scars | august royals, next to me | peter fenn, hideaway | jacob collier, salvation | gabrielle aplin, magic island | tomorrow x together âą AUTHOR'S NOTE: First fic of 2025! Iâd like to thank @lovetaroandtaemin, @chugging-antiseptic-dye, @ylangelegy, @gyubakeries, and @xomakara for beta-reading this fic for me, I know it was a quick journey and I appreciate every one of you who followed the story from the beginning to the end đ€.
The time fills as plastic shot glasses and empty solo cups discarded into trash bags. Some stragglers of the party lay on the couch or floor, but you pass by them with ease. You sigh before Beomgyu stops you with a sharp tug. "Dude, you don't have to help me. You're supposed to be one of my guests!"
"I'm just avoiding the inevitable tomorrow. And if you come into the shelter late because you procrastinated cleaning your own apartment, I may just kill you."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get it, boss.â He rolls his eyes and unfurls the empty bag you had between your hands moments before. You giggle in earnest.
âIf I get a single text, Gyuââ
âWhy donât you enjoy the early morning hours of New Year's and get out of here?" He shoves you towards the door of his apartment with an "I love youâ to follow you out, determined to do what you swear he won't without your help.
Beomgyu may be your childhood friend, but habits hold on tight with him. Itâs clear from the three years heâs worked at your animal shelter. Your parents always said he has good intentions, although heâs brash in decision-making. "The kid just asks for forgiveness more than permission most of the time," your dad would joke, and Beomgyu wouldnât disagree.
Your parentsâ words replay in your head on the walk home. You hear every piece of parental advice with each step on the cobblestones, the clack or your heels accompanying every word. It's customary on New Years to feel the ache of their absence so strongly. Your thoughts of them are as vivid as the pain of their loss. It seems to haunt you more with every year that passes.
One day, you had been tagging new intakes and cleaning food bowls like normal. The next you were receiving the call that your parents had been in a fatal car accident. Every space they inhabited, including the shelter, felt colder, quieter, a little less like home. Even your own house twenty minutes from your job barely felt like your own.
Five years of grief made the pain manageable, but on nights like tonight, it doesnât feel like youâve made much progress..
The cold of January accompanies the repetitive emotional and mental cycle you're on. The weather bites with a hard set of teeth, almost more brutal than the traces of sadness you feel in your heart.
You donât realize amid the somber trek home how close the surrounding shadows are, one of a stranger within an armâs distance.
Your animals greet you at your door with perky barks and whooshing tails. Mina and Minho, your two tabby cats, seem to be delighted that youâre back, but save the ecstatic greetings for their canine siblings. Key, your senior chihuahua, does what he can energy-wise compared to Bori, your labrador mix.
âBobo, please,â you beg as she jumps up on you when you kneel at her eye-level. Itâs all a mess of slobbering tongue and eager pants with her. Once sheâs done, you rub Key between the ears to give him some affection.
Even your hedgehog, Rio, taps against the glass of his enclosure to say hello to you. Itâs almost like every pair of animal eyes asks you how the party went and why you left them alone for so long.
You canât supply them with an answer, because you notice the person-shaped figure at your kitchen counter, silent and clouded in darkness. The sight makes you release a decibel-breaking scream.
You grab an umbrella from the iron wrack near your door and charge to the kitchen, expecting Key and Bori to follow you and bark aggressively at the intruder. They donât, but they do pad behind you in curiosity at your strange actions.
They barely react at all when you turn on the light in the small kitchen. The new illumination reveals the black-haired stranger dressed in white. He says nothing, but holds a smile of mirth on his face at your line of defense. He's neither scrawny nor muscular, but towers over you to a surreal degree.Â
You think you can take him if you have the element of surprise, but with the alcohol still buzzing through your veins, you may lack complete hand-eye coordination. Itâs anyoneâs guess.
âWhat do you want? If youâre looking for money, you got the wrong house, buddy.â You say with a steady voice, aiming the sharpest point of the umbrella in his direction.
He smiles wide, pearly teeth and a set of dimples almost blinding you. âIâm Soobin.â
His lack of an answer and warm smile throw you off. Itâs definitely not the reaction anyone expects from a burglar. Maybe the guy's intoxication is even greater than yours, enabling him to enter someone's home without permission. No matter the reasons, you donât release your hold on the umbrella. You stare him down hard despite your shaking hands.
âWellâŠSoobinâŠI donât know what you want, but youâre not gonna find it here.â
âIâm in the exact place I need to be.â He says your name with the same level of warmth that remains in his smile, but your blood runs cold at the fact he is aware of who you are. Was he stalking you? Had he stopped by the animal shelter while you were too busy to make a mental note of him? âPut down the umbrella and weââ
âGet the fuck out of my house, you creep!â You raise the umbrella as high as you can before it falls on his head, shoulders, or any location on his body that will stun him. He knows itâs coming, though.
Soobin somehow materializes right in front of you before you can step forward, taking your wrists gently in one hand to stop you. âThereâs no need for that. Iâm not here to harm you.â
You struggle in his hold, trying your hardest to release yourself from his grip with all of your might. Then, you freeze, unsure of how both his speed and his lack of alarm to your furry animals makes any logical sense.
Soobin senses your lack of effort to go through with your attack and lets go of you, taking a small breath of air. âWill you drop the umbrella?â
âOnce you tell me what you are,â you whisper. âMy dogs would have ripped off your ankles by now, but they didnât. Why?â
Soobin chuckles, but you feel anything but humorous. âThe why to that question is a bit hard to explain. But I can tell you why Iâm here.â He runs a hand through his hair, suddenly bashful. âLetâs just say I have a mission to complete.â
Soobin sits at one end of the couch, hands in his lap, while you sit on the other. Your dogs lay at the edge of the couch, snoring peacefully now that the chaos is over. Your knees sit tight against your chest, still guarding yourself from him or any potential advances he may make.
You may not think he wants to kill or rob you anymore, but that doesnât mean youâre immediately trusting of the stranger. One that is no doubt breathtaking, but still hiding his intentions.
You size him up, still unsure how or why the guy is familiar with you when youâve never seen him before. He can barely provide you with an adequate answer for the questions that pop into your head.
Where are you from? How do you know me? Have we ever met before?
He chuckles at each one, continuing on with the same reflexive response. âProprietary information.â
You roll your eyes. âEvery time you say that, you sound like some kind of spy.â You move closer to his spot on the couch, looking at him with more intensity than before.Â
The analysis makes him laugh even more, his cheeks turning pink. âIâm not an alien, if that was your second guess.â
âThatâs not what I was thinking!â
He quirks an eyebrow at you. âYou look like youâre about to cut me open with a scalpel.â
Your lips transform into a firm line. âShould I want to, Soobin? Maybe youâre saying youâre not an alien to throw me off.â
âTrust me, I am not an extraterrestrial. Not cool enough.â
You canât help but laugh at the ridiculous situation you find yourself in, matching the smile on Soobinâs face with your own. An hour ago, you were about to kill him in self-defense for what you assumed was a classic break-in scenario. Now, youâre laughing with your would-be victim. This has to be the most peculiar first day of the year youâve ever had.
He claps his hands softly on his white denim jeans. âWe should call it a night. Youâre probably tired. I can explain more tomorrow, if youâd like.â
You look around your house, unsure where Soobin is planning to stay for the next few hours. The one-bed-and-bath cottage is anything but roomy, most of your space taken up by work supplies or your animalsâ stuff.
He senses your trepidation and grins. âDonât worry, I can come back in the morning.â
You suck in a breath. Most of you feels relief, but thereâs a small inkling of sadness that pervades your emotions. You barely know Soobin, but his presence provides a warmth that your home has been missing.
It has to be the last traces of alcohol and the simmering grief still in your system.
âOkay. I have work in the morning, butââ
âIâll be here before you have to leave,â Soobin cuts you off. He holds his hand out in a goodbye, and you take it. His soft palm meets yours and heats your skin, and you have to cut the parting short to not feel any more flustered.
âSee you tomorrow.â
âGoodnight, love.â He leaves you with one more grin before he exits, confusing you further.Â
The touch of his fingertips on you follows you into sleep, his skin the last coherent sensation you have before it all goes black.
There is a murky quality to the dream you find yourself in. Youâre surrounded by grey, the colorâs opacity fading only partly as the details become clearer.
The room around you looks more like a cavern than a traditional room. Itâs made of stone, cavelike and primitive. The entrance to the area is too vast for a normal door. Itâs almost as if you could step out and fall into nothing but clouds. The world outside is a mixture of inky blacks and dark blues, signifying nighttime outside the four rocky walls.
You look back to the inside of the space. It holds a desk covered with paperwork and photographs. Youâre alone, standing in the center of it all, but too far away from the papers on the table to see any information.
Before you can step closer, Soobin enters with a blonde man hot on his heels. They both walk right through you, seemingly not noticing your presence at all as they continue their discussion.Â
They emit their own light somehow, the room nowhere near as dark as when you were alone inside of it.
âIf you fail at this, Yeonjun will demote you and have no qualms about doing it.â The blonde man ruffles his hair in frustration, and inches closer to Soobin. They clearly have a close relationship, from the concern on the strangerâs face to the hand that he rests on Soobin's shoulder. âYouâve worked too hard to lose everything, Soobin.â
âI know, Hyuka,â Soobin says in a somber tone, sorting through the papers on his desk. âBut she needs me now more than ever. And I know I can help. And if I succeed, I can actuallyââ
âI get it. Weâre just not supposed to get involved unless weâre certain about it. You know this.â
Soobin sighs. âYou didnât see her, Kai. I have to.â
The man named Kai exhales a deep breath and walks away, his pleas seeming to hit a brick wall. The last thing he says, âI hope you know what youâre risking,â barely makes it to your ears. All you notice before Kaiâs departure is the unfurling of wings from his back, the white and gray feathers spouting from the tendons just below his shoulders.
You scream when he drops from the entrance, his wings carrying him away. You donât care if the sound alerts either of the two men, not after witnessing such an unrealistic moment.
You scream again when you hear the unfurling of Soobinâs wings, the sound almost whipping you onto your back from the gust his wings emit. Theyâre dark grey, larger than Kaiâs are. They create such long-casting shadows that you have no question now what Soobin is or where he comes from.
The word replays in your mind as the surrounding scene dematerializes and you wake up with a rapid heartbeat: an angel.
Soobin waits at your door in the same white button-up and jeans he had on the night prior. You welcome him inside, and he looks more ethereal somehow in daylight.Â
The dream hits you again with its full force, the image of his grey wings flashing across your memory.
âSo, youâre an angel,â You say, filling the space between you both with a new tension. The anxiety only permeates from you; Soobin exudes an air of calm instead, despite your accusation.
He almost ticks his head down in a nod as he responds with the words, âProprietary information.â
You nod your head and gulp hard. Somehow, the aura around you and the subtext in his expression tells you what you know to be true.
He showed you all you needed to know last night through your dreams, a miraculous loophole to the restrictions placed upon him.
When youâre finally ready to go to work, the morning chores around the house finished before Soobin even made it to your doorstep, you look over at the man in front of you again with trepidation. The white attire may lead to a multitude of questions that you and Soobin cannot answer.
âWhat? Is there something on my face?â Soobin asks, confused.
You laugh and shake your head, any residual tension from your realization broken. âYou look a bit tooâŠuniform for the shelter.â
âOh! WellâŠâ He blushes, unsure how to respond.
An idea pops into your head when his words come up short. âI may have some old stuff thatâll fit you.â
âWhy is the rando wearing your dadâs windbreaker?â Beomgyu asks while cleaning Jin, the newest adoptee at the shelter. His eyes peer over at Soobin filling some food bowls with kibble. Soobinâs presence fills the space the same way it did in your house.
He wears your dadâs long-sleeve shirt, windbreaker, and khaki pants well. Despite his freakishly tall height, the clothes donât look small on him, and youâre relieved heâs able to fit in like any normal guy with the change in wardrobe.
You scoff, continuing to fill out the documents for Jinâs tag and vaccinations without looking up at your friend. âSoobinâs new in town and lost everything on the plane ride here. He just needed to borrow some stuff until his luggage gets delivered.â
Beomgyu nods, still concerned. He goes back to scrubbing Jinâs coat with the anti-tick shampoo, and you leave his spot at the cleaning station to stand beside Soobin.
âYou do this every day? These bags are heavy, even for me.â Soobin grunts and clips the bag closed.
âI usually make Gyu or another volunteer do it. But you saved me the trouble of asking.â You smirk and take two of the bowls in your hands. âWant to help me feed the dogs?â
Soobinâs eyes light up, and he nods. You wonder as you walk to the cages if heâs ever interacted with animals before he left his home in the skies.
Since you were a kid, the shelter has always been a part of your daily regimen. Once college was out of the way, you had a stable job waiting for you to practice your veterinary degree on. While some could only handle so many cat scratches, dog poops, and absurd origin stories, it made every day worth it in your eyes. And the fact that you had a history with tending to furry friends with your parents only made it more worthwhile to continue doing.
The second you open the cages to let the dogs eat, you recognize how natural Soobin is at the job. He talks to them in a childlike voice and rubs their bellies as they munch on kibble and necessary medicines you give in between feeding. Even the dogs with the rougher backgrounds take to Soobin like a bee to honey, the warmth he naturally exudes relaxing them.
He truly is an angel, you realize, and not just in the literal sense.
You lock up the shelter for the day with a lot less weight on your shoulders thanks to Soobin. âI might as well give you the keys to this place. It suits you well,â you joke.
Soobin tucks his hands into his windbreaker, smiling hard. âIt just came easy, I guess. Animals arenât like people. They donât have to hide behind words. Itâs all about energy.â
You look at him as you walk away from the building together, your face softened from his words. âMy mom always used to say stuff like that. To her, animals were the bestest friends you could ever ask for. Sheâd say itâs like they see into your soul.â
Soobin grins. âShe seems lovely.â
You swallow hard, balling your hands into fists inside your jacket. Itâs not anger that permeates your body now, not the way it used to. All that exists is the reality that their words are simply memories. âShe was. My dad too. That place was their second home.â You wave your arm in the direction of the shelter. The building diminishes from view as you round the corner to head home. âAnd mine, too.â
âDid you envision this being your life?â Soobin asks, the question taking you by surprise. âI donât mean to pry.â
âNo, itâs okay!â You laugh. âI meanâI love working with the animals every day, and I have great friends. It just can be very routine sometimes, like thereâs this gap that I canât fill.â You hold back the more intimate details of your desires to Soobin, still guarded and uncertain of being so vulnerable so soon.
He steps closer, the walk becoming more intimate with his shoulder almost brushing yours. âYouâve been alone for quite a while. Itâs understandable to want to share your life with someone.â
You blush hard, a mixture of the January cold and his correct assumptions building a steady heat on your cheeks. âThatâs what most people want, I guess.â
Eyes widening, you realize now why Soobin may be discussing these things with you. Could his super secret mission, which he discussed the night you met, relate to right now?
âNo fucking way,â you whisper to yourself, stopping on the stone street. Soobin only gets a few paces farther than you before he stops.
âIs there something wrong?â He asks, his eyebrows drawn up and his mouth in a small O that you would normally giggle at.
Now, you have no time for humor.
âDid you come here because of the stupid wish I made on New Yearâs Eve?â
âTaehyun, if you give me another shot, I will throw up!â You exclaim in a fit of giggles, three drinks already in your system over the last hour and a half. His girlfriend, Kazuha, stands by your side as she downs the shot in her hand, her mouth puckering as she swallows it down. âZu, I thought you were the DD tonight!â
âFuck it, Iâll call an Uber.â She winks and chases the shot with a sip of beer. Beomgyu wades through the throng of people in his living room to join all of you in the kitchen.
âTaking shots without me? Thatâs a party foul.â
âWhatever, man. Itâs not like we canât make more.â Taehyun passes him one filled with tequila to catch up, and Beomgyu downs it in the next second. By the time the buzz of the drinks hits your head, Jungwon barrels into the kitchen with his own girlfriend Yeri to tell you all that the ball is dropping.
Everyone crowds around the television to watch the remaining minute of the year play out. The strangers around you scream out the last seconds, others speak in a drunken lilt.
You turn to your friends, somehow the only person without someone attached to their hip. Beomgyu is holding a random girl's shoulder, while your other friends stand closely together in their respective couples, watching the countdown..
âFour, three, two, one! Happy New Year!â Beomgyu says the words into his dateâs neck before kissing her roughly on the lips. Your other friends have their own celebratory make-out sessions. You feel like an intruder as they all enjoy the moment in their respective couples.
Youâve never been a grouch about your single status, not once. But it felt like a part of you was missing out with little of a choice in the matter. Whether by the confines of chance or love simply not being meant for you for the past twenty-seven years, you can only be comfortable for so long before the pain of solitude drains you dry.
Was it so awful to want to find someone to share funny videos with? To talk to about days at the shelter when a cute animal comes in and needs a loving home? When days are heavy on your heart and you need the one you love the most to lift you up and make it all evaporate with a simple âI love youâ? To make every struggle and hardship, no matter how big or small, worth it?
And so, with only a drunken mind and heart to listen to your deepest whims, you wish for what seems the most out of reach as your eyes line with tears: a soulmate to bridge the gap between your loneliness and true fulfillment.
When the reality of why Soobinâs here hits you, you canât help but release one of the loudest laughs youâve ever emitted before.
âYou have to be fucking kidding me,â you say with exasperated breaths, all the air in your lungs saved mostly for your laughter. âYou came all the way from up there to play matchmaker?â
Soobin chuckles to himself, the sounds that leave his lips a lot quieter than yours. âYou make it sound so childish.â
âCan you blame me?â You ask. âI donât need help in that department!â
Soobin gives you a knowing look, hitting you somewhere deep in the chest. âThen I wouldnât be here, would I?â
âOkay, donât speak in riddles to me!â
âIâm just stating facts, love.â
You roll your eyes, and Soobin laughs again. âSo youâre magically going to find me the perfect partner after only knowing me for 48 hours?â
âIâve known you for much longer than that.â He steps even closer to you, your fingers brushing his as he stands a few inches from you. âBut again, itâsââ
âProprietary information, I get it,â you whisper. You cough into your fist and glide past him, the moment broken. âEither way, I am just fine with or without a boyfriend, Soobin.â
He follows behind without a word, but you sense his smile without looking at him. Jerk.
Soobin has helped many people in his immortal life. Itâs an existence he couldnât fill in just one book. Heâd have to go back centuries to the very moment he started his work as a guardian. His life began long before that, but his true merits came when he started helping those who needed supernatural guidance.
Heâs seen from his eagleâs eye view many heartbreaks, losses, successes, and love stories, but nothing as encapsulating as the story of your life.
You were a vision to see the first time you held an animal in your hands, hands tepid but heart full from the creature giving all of its affection to you for you to reciprocate wholeheartedly. He was in awe of you when you stepped across the stage with your degree, eager to put all the knowledge you gained about medicine to a good use. And his ever-still heart ached with yours the second you got that phone call in November five years ago, wanting nothing more than to catch you before your knees hit the tile below.
Youâre the one assignment heâs kept too close an eye on, the others in his caseload not holding his focus so strongly. He succumbed to forbidden desires, wishes he knew were unattainable.
But the second he felt your heart break on the one night he knew he could seize the chance to step over the border between Heaven and Earth, he chose the only option that felt right: he had to leave home and heal what needed to be mended inside of you a long time ago.
He watches you help the teenage girl adopting her first pet with immense adoration.Â
You check off the supplies needed for Jin and all the vaccines the dog will need moving forward with clinical focus. Itâs admirable how dedicated you are to your work, not caring if it went beyond the bounds of a traditional work-life balance.
And when you wave the teenager and her parents out the door and turn to him with a signature eye-roll, he canât stop the way his skin heats. Your gaze in his direction screams: How long are you going to keep pestering me?
Forever, he says to himself with a hell of a lot of hope.
When youâre both alone in the shelter, one hour after youâre closed for the day, you sweep the floors in a huff. âI am telling you I do not need you to play matchmaker for me.â
âYou keep saying that and yet Iâm still here, love,â Soobin tuts, flipping through the magazine on top of your desk. He sits at the chair opposite from the receptionist counter so casually, feet crossed and casual despite his heart yearning to explain everything to you.
Iâm here because I canât take any more of your pain. Because someone deserves to know how special you are. Because Iâ
âI can find a date without your help. Beomgyu already took up that role a long time ago. Heâs been pestering me about going out with his friend Heeseung for months. So there.â You stick your tongue out at him and continue sweeping.
Soobin chuckles to himself and flips to another page of the magazine, but he canât deny how his focus remains on you, the center of his attention, for longer than he expected.
âLee Heeseung, twenty-two. Works at the ramen shop downtown. Entirely incompatible with you. Just for your information.â
You stop sweeping and aim an accusatory eye at him. âAnd thatâs not proprietary information how?â
âIâm not looking out for him. And that only took a couple of Google searches to figure out, love.â
By the time you lock up the store, Soobin is in the habit of checking the door behind you to make sure you didnât miss the back door or forget to close the play-gate on the way out. Two weeks of observing your routine up close has given him incredible intel, and not just into your schedule.
âLetâs walk past downtown,â Soobin suggests, taking your hand and walking through a new pattern of alleyways and cobblestone paths.Â
Youâre unsure why this route that adds another ten minutes to your walk is worth the trouble, but you take his advice, anyway. Heâs your angel for a reason, after all.
âSoobin, unless you suddenly got a hankering for human food, we really shouldââ
You knock into someoneâs shoulders hard; the impact sends you to the gravel. Soobin vanishes from view, his name on your tongue the second you recognize that youâre on the ground.
A pair of hands that arenât Soobinâs, more calloused and robust, lift you up off the ground.
âIâm so sorry. I shouldnât have been standing so close to the alleyway.â
A beautiful pair of brown eyes gaze at yours, and it stops you dead in your tracks. The strangerâs brown hair falls over his face in a mess of free curls, some of them tinged with sweat. He wears a baking apron around his waist; flour and, you presume, icing cover his shirt.
You look at the building next to you, the pastel pink sign reading âGyuâs Baked Goodsâ beaming over your head. And you turn back to the man in question, the baker himself as his hands keep you sturdy on your scraped feet.
âItâs totally fine. Iâm the one who should be sorry. I mean, I wasnât looking anyway and Iââ
âNo, you donât have to apologize. This is what I get for taking a smoke break when I have cupcakes to make, right?â The baker chuckles and releases you. Your heart thumps at a rapid tempo when he holds his hand out to you. âIâm Mingyu. Sorry Iâm built like a mountain.â
You chuckle and take his hand, the handshake gentle for the size of his palm. It reminds you of a sturdy fireplace, strong but tender. âPleased to meet you. Apologies for having the build of a leaf.â
Soobin looks on with a knot in his stomach from an opposite alleyway. The process has begun, and he cannot halt its progress. No matter if he wants to be the one in the human maleâs place.
Soobin watches on as Mingyu stands with you by the kennels, acid simmering on his tongue from watching the two of you in such a chummy position.
He clutches the novel in his hands with intense pressure, on the edge of ripping pages between his fingers. For the past week and a half, you and Mingyu have spent time together as new acquaintances, giving Sobbing time to read mortal literature.
He should be happy for you; his initial plan to find someone who fits your life and wishes so well is going perfectly. Yet why does he wish he could rewind time and take it back?
To your pleasure and Soobinâs secret dismay, Mingyuâs surprise gift of homemade mini animal treats made the day an amazing experience for all three of you.
You pay no mind to Soobinâs sudden and off-putting sulking as you show Mingyu around the animal shelter, your new friend interested in your job as much as youâre intrigued by him.
Beomgyu saunters up to Soobin with a bag of kibble in his hands, clicking his tongue. âItâs tough, isnât it, man?â
Soobin huffs and looks at the younger man, the aura around your friend similar to his back home. If only Kai could see him now, grumbling and pouting like a kicked puppy.Â
âWhat is?â
âSeeing the girl you like with someone else. I mean, sheâs pretty great so I get it.â
Soobin rolls his eyes and goes back to the novel in his hands to distract himself. His jaw ticks when he hears your laughter. The sound creates such a beautiful symphony to his ears, but itâs not reserved for him at the moment, and it makes his stomach turn. âYouâre wrong.â
âOkay, dude. I get it. None of my business.â Beomgyu lifts the bag over his shoulder and starts walking, but looks back at Soobin with a smirk. âBut maybe it might be mutual if you gave it a shot.â
Soobin scoffs at the kid, and then at himself for the split second he entertains the idiotâs idea. Soobin can pine all he wants, but he knows the boundaries. A multitude of reasons prevent this line from ever being crossed.
He may have incredibly powerful feelings for you, but theyâre hidden away and unable to reach the light of day. Not just because he has a strategy for you and Mingyu, but he is not an acceptable suitor because he doesnât belong here, simply put. Earth is only a temporary stay on his list. And when he goes back and reports to Yeonjun of his success, who knows what will happen?
All he knows is that your paths will cross only once in his and your lifetime, and never again.
Soobin almost remains stuck in his misery until you walk up to him with an orange icing-colored dog bone treat in your hands. You hold it out to him with a shy smile. âFor you.â
He smirks, taking the snack from you and rotating it between his fingers. âIsnât this for the dogs, love?â
And the signature eye roll comes, your bottom lip between your teeth as you do it. âTheyâre organic. Anyone can eat them.â You look back at him directly, suddenly concerned. âYou can eat, right?â
He chuckles. Nodding his head, he looks back at the snack. âJust not sure if Iâll like it.â
You stick your tongue out at him. âJust try it, please?â
Reluctantly, he bites down. Sweet potatoes and carrots, harmoniously blended, flood his mouth. The icing and pinch of cinnamon provides the perfect level of sweetness to round it all out, and Soobin groans. Even the dog treats the guy makes are perfect.
âOkay, itâs pretty great,â Soobin admits, taking another bite. âEven if theyâre meant for dogs.â
You laugh and take a tiny corner for yourself. âAt least you can say youâve eaten a dog bone.â
Soobinâs tender smile makes you blush, and it stirs up all the feelings youâve suppressed when youâre not in his presence. Mingyuâs a welcome distraction from it all. His looks and personality are undeniably attractive, but you always circle back to the angel in your midst.
Who can blame you? Heâs ethereal, his magnetism undeniable. But that warmth heâs had from the first day you met is why you can only stay away for so long. Heâs a part of your world now, and you canât imagine that changing in the foreseeable future.
Heâs made his place on Earth with you, and you dread the day he has to go back to where he belongs.
The end of January brings the last time for branches to stay vacant of leaves. You notice the small sprouts of leaves amidst the brown limbs as you and Soobin walk back to your house. You bite back a smile, and Soobin comments on it.
Itâs like he clenches your heart between his fingers as he says it. âYou always hide your excitement like nobody should be watching. Like itâs wrong to be happy about the little things.â
You blush while strolling beside him. âItâs not that Iâm hiding it. Maybe I just donât think anyone will get why Iâm happy about certain things.â
Soobin bumps you with his shoulder, a close-mouthed smile on his lips. âTry me.â
You exhale a breath to get your bearings. âOkay, so everyone is always excited about the start of the new year. But then itâs like the excitement dies down and we just go on our merry way until the next holiday comes up. Itâs not in the days for me. Itâs the environment that always makes me feel the shift, you know?
âLike with animals, almost. The energy is unique, and I feel it when I see the colors and feel the temperature fluctuate.â You shake your head and tuck a stray hair behind your ear. âThat may sound stupid, butââ
Soobin stops you on the open sidewalk, taking your hand in his. He looks into your eyes earnestly, wanting you to take his words to heart before he says them. âNothing youâve ever said to me is stupid, love. Every thought you have is beautiful because itâs yours.â
Like the town greenery, something shifts inside of you then. Even on the rest of the walk home and the talk over dinner about the day at the shelter, you sense an unfamiliar emotion swirling in the air between you and Soobin. You canât name it, but it reminds you of the first blooms of spring, brimming with promise.
The first week of February comes in a tidal wave. Many people flood the animal shelter looking for the perfect furry friend to complete their family on the cusp of Valentineâs Day.
All you can hope for is that a majority of them, or at least fifty percent, donât come back to the shelter after the holiday is over to return the animals looking for forever homes.Â
That was the one thing that bugged you the most about this job: biting your tongue at the obvious lack of responsibility people put into owning pets.
It holds more weight than anyone knows, bringing another being in your home to tend to like a child. The only difference is that many of them have histories that deserve more care than normal, and some donât want to put in the right amount of effort.
You sit on these thoughts as Soobin holds the newest cat to the shelter in his hands. âHave you thought of a name for Mr. Cat yet?â Soobin inspects the spot near the catâs tail. âOr Missus?â
You giggle and grab the clipboard with the catâs information on it. âHeâs a he, Soob. You can come up with a name.â
He ponders the choices, before his smile grows and he presses his nose to the catâs. âHow about Hyuka?â He rubs the back of the catâs ears tenderly.
You grin at Soobin and brush your fingers over Hyukaâs fur. âI think itâs a perfect fit.â
Soobin looks over at you with bright eyes, his expression transforming into one that feels like the one you held that day so long ago when he called your thoughts beautiful. A question forms on his tongue, but it flits away the second Mingyu walks through the double doors of the animal shelter with a bouquet of daisies.
At least the jerk knows your favorite flowers, Soobin thinks to himself as he walks with Hyuka back to his block in the back room.
You smile at Mingyu and thank him for the flowers, immediately pressing your nose to them to inhale their smell. âTheyâre amazing, thank you.â
âMy buddy Wonwoo is a florist, so donât thank me too much. I got a discount even though I shouldâve paid full price.â
âCanât beat a couple bucks off.â You set the bundle down on your desk and cross your arms over the countertop. âI take it youâre not just here to deliver flowers?â
Mingyu chuckles and presses a hand to his neck, his toned biceps stretching out his shirt. âActually, I was going to ask if you had any plans for Valentineâs.â
You stumble on your explanation, discussing the closure of the shelter for the holiday. âWell,â Mingyu starts, âI was thinking you could come by for dinner. And I promise it wonât just be me making you taste test cupcakes again.â
You laugh, but the sound falls flat. You had always been the one pining, yearning for the boy you liked to like you back. Being on the other side of the coin was not exactly ideal. âMingyu, you know I appreciate you and I am flattered, butâŠâ
Soobin.
Youâre unsure how to continue, but Mingyu holds a hand up in understanding. âI get it. How about I make you a meal, anyway? Consider it a friend treating a friend for all of her hard work.â
You blush and nod. âIâd like that very much.â
Youâre washing dried-up wet food from the cat bowls when Soobin walks up to you, his face red. By the time Mingyu left, you expected Soobin to come back to your side so you could wash the dishes together. You did it yourself, seeing as he took forever to come back. Soobin asks with a tone of authority, âWhat the hell are you thinking?â
You poke your cheek with your tongue, contemplating. âIâm thinking Hyukaâs chances of getting adopted before Valentineâs is aboutââ
âYou know that wasnât what I meant, love.â He says the pet name with annoyance as he drops one bowl into the sink next to you. His tone catches you off guard, not expecting to see Soobin angry for the first time like this.
âYou asked me what I was thinking, and Iâm telling you.â
âWhy did you say no to the date?â Soobin asks, his eyes blazing with fury. Something without a name sits below though, you can tell.
âI, technically, didnât say no. Itâs just more friendly than romantic.â
âDo you expect me to find you another soulmate like this?â Soobin drops another dirty plate in the sink for you to clean up. You donât know if the question is exactly for you or for himself.
The tension sits thickly in the air, the running tap the only sound for a good minute or two. âIâm sure youâll think of something,â you respond, hoping to ease the awkwardness.
Your cheekiness makes Soobin chuckle deeply. You missed his laugh, you realize, not hearing the sound in a while. Not since before Mingyu came around. âWhat am I gonna do with you, love?â
You shrug and go back to washing the bowls, hiding your smile behind soap suds and dishwater.
Soobinâs leg shakes as he sits on your couch, watching the clock on the spot above your door. 10:49 PM. Heâs been waiting for hours to welcome you home from your âfriendlyâ date with Mingyu. Admittedly, heâs been waiting since the second you left, the night of Valentineâs Day on the forefront of his brain since he heard the meathead ask you to have dinner.
Minho and Key keep him company, the older animals in your horde understanding and patient while Soobin mopes around. The angel feels as impatient as Bori can be when she has to wait for dinner.
âDonât look at me like that,â Soobin says to Key, the chihuahuaâs overbite hanging almost like a taunt. âIâm not stewing.â
Heâs definitely stewing. The animals must be saying to each other, conspiring about what will occur when their mother finally gets home.
And on the cusp of eleven, you walk into the house and unbuckle your heels. You watch Soobin on the couch, his hands fidgeting on his lap. âHave you been sitting there for three hours?â You ask in a cute tone that drives Soobin nuts.
âNo, I made the animals dinner.â You set your bag on the iron wrack where your coats lie, and throw your shoes in some corner of the living room before Soobin continues with, âSo, how was the date?â
You stride to the mirror, beginning to unclasp the flashy studs in your ears. âIt was fine. Nothing special. Just two friends having dinner.â
âThatâs all it was? No candles at the table, no romantic music, nothing?â
âWhy are you so concerned, Soobin? I went out, I had fun, now Iâm home.â Soobinâs not prepared to hear your voice so clipped and direct. Your frustration is usually a mask of humor or concern. Not genuine anger, like right now. You donât look at him directly, continuing to remove your jewelry as your ire grows.
You try to de-escalate the argument by retreating to the kitchen, but he only follows you there. And moving back into the living doesnât help either. âStop following me, Soobin!â
âStop running away,â he barks back.
âI will when you stop making a big deal out of this.â
âIt is a big deal,â he says with a scoff. âAnd am I not allowed to worry about you and who youâre with?â He asks with a bite that matches your irritation.
âWhy are you so concerned if Mingyuâs the person you wanted to set me up with in the first place?â
âDonât ask me that question,â he whispers. His jaw tightens and his hands clam up, but you donât give in. If he wants to finish the discussion, then youâll continue to press him for an answer.
âWhy? What kind of âproprietary informationâ relates to how you feel about this? What does me going out with Mingyu and you being a complete ass about it have anything to do with top-secret intel?â
âI love you, alright?!â He yells, standing stock still as his veins pulse in his head and neck. His hands go to the messy strands of his hair, almost like he feels himself going crazy at his own confession. âI did not mean to, and itâs awful. I canât give you the life you deserve. Someone like Mingyu or any other human man would be lucky to have you, yet I can barely stomach the thought of someone else getting to touch you in all the ways I wish I could. And itâs driving me insane.â
The confession knocks something loose inside of you, remaining inhibitions be damned if it means now that the feelings Soobin harbors mirror your own without a doubt.Â
You step closer to him, the tension almost too much to bear any longer. You press your hands to his neck, and bring him closer until your lips are a mere inch apart. âNothing and nobodyâs stopping you, Soobin.â
He takes a deep breath to hold himself back, grounding himself so he doesnât do something that will upend both of your worlds. âYou donât know that, love.â
You chuckle softly. âMaybe not, but I do know that I love you too.â
When you brush his mouth with your own, every being in the universe, heavenly or not, ceases to exist in your mind. Itâs only you and Soobin in your own world. You want to kick yourself for taking so long to seize this moment, this kiss, with him. For all of the reasons Soobin supplies as to why itâs wrong for the two of you to be together, this could not feel more right.
Soobin only gives himself a second of separation from you to catch his breath before he dives back in for one, two, three more kisses. He moans eagerly into your mouth. He tugs on the fabric of your dress to occupy his hands, his body hungry for any contact he can get.
Heavens do be damned, if it means he can keep you between his arms and against his lips.Â
And when you fall asleep that night in his arms a few hours later, you pray to every god you can name that it never ends.
The expectation of waking up to the warmth of Soobinâs arms and kisses dies when you feel his empty side of the bed. You search the entire house, your dogs padding behind you as you search every corner for him.Â
To your terror and slowly breaking heart, he remains to be seen. Soobin is gone like he was never there to begin with, your house flooding with a chill that hits you to the core.
You crawl back into bed alone with tears streaming down your face. The only time you rise is to let the animals eat and use the bathroom. For the rest of the day, you remain in bed like a phantom. Half out of your body, half inside of it to feel every ounce of pain. Each shred of sadness reminds you that you still exist, and the manâangelâthat you love is gone.
Yeonjun has his head in his hand when another pair of associates throw Soobin in front of his desk. Soobin put up an intense fight in the resulting scuffle to bring him back to the office above Earth, but he doesnât regret it. The only thing he regrets is not leaving you with some sort of explanation, even something as little as a minute to tell you he loves you.
âWhen I approved your descent, I expected you to help your assignment. Not sleep with her.â Yeonjun sighs and reads over the paperwork at his desk. âThe guys above me are gonna love this.â
âJun, please.â Soobin falls down on his scraped knees and raises his hands in a prayer. âLet me just tell herââ
âWhat else is there to explain? Youâve clearly done enough.â
âIâm begging youââ
âYou think Iâm going to let you spend another second with her and make me look like an idiot? No.â He slams his hand on the desk. âIf youâre lucky, Soobin, all the archangels will do is send you to the second circle of Hell. Iâm surprised theyâre not reprimanding me as your superior. You broke our greatest oath.â
Do not consort with humans, Soobin reminds himself as tears stream down his face. âI love her, Yeonjun. And you know she loves me. Didnât I do my job? I found her a soulmate, just like she wished for.â
Yeonjun shakes his head with a sad smirk. âDonât think you can get around our rules this time, Soobin. I just called you here to tell you the council will see you in the morning. Be grateful theyâre giving you a chance to explain yourself.â
The angels that brought Soobin in drag him away to the lower cells of the building. As heâs pushed and pulled through dark hallways, Soobin has barely enough time to come up with a plan to fix what heâs ruined. Barely.
Your dream is almost the same as the one you envisioned months ago, the dark cavern welcoming you like an old friend. The fog of your transition from sleep to dreaming still pervades your senses. You barely have time to make out the details before Soobin has you wrapped in his arms, holding you so tightly that you feel the air knocked out of your lungs. âThank God it worked.â
You sob immediately when you recognize Soobinâs voice and his arms around you. Itâs like a magnet the way you gravitate to one another, not worrying if the dream will last a second or into eternity. You can barely remember the pain of being without him now that heâs in front of you.
You call his name as he kisses the crown of your hair. He backs you into the desk at the far end of the room, lifting you up by the legs to sit on its marble top. He trails his lips down until they meet your own, and he says so tenderly, âIâm so sorry I couldnât be there when you woke up.â
Breaking into a fit of sad laughter, you run your hands through the hair at the nape of his neck. âIâm just happy youâre here with me now.â You kiss him again and again, until your lips feel bruised and sore.
Soobin sheds a tear and looks back into the night outside of his office door. âI donât have long. Theyâll bring me back to my cell soon. But I wanted to tell you I love you. And Iâll come back as soon as I can.â
âW-Why are you being punished? You did what you were s-supposed to,â you stutter, a mournful knot building in your throat.
âI fell in love with a human when I shouldnât have,â he answers, another tear welling in his eye. âBut it was worth every rule I broke. How could I regret finding my best friend?â Soobin smiles despite the pain that you two share.Â
You hiccup into his neck. âWhen will I see you again?â
âI-I don't know. But Iâll fix this,â he assures you, a steadfast determination in his expression.
âYou donât know that for sure, though,â you cry, heart ripping deeper at the seams with each word.Â
âI donât, but for now, know that I love you. I love you more than my existence allows.â He kisses you one more time as the edges of your dream blur. âItâs only for now, I promise.â
When you wake tangled in the comforter on your bed, the morning sky bleeding through your window, you begin the torture of waiting for the person you love most in the world to come back to you.
TWO MONTHS LATER
For the past seven Fridays since Soobin left, youâve stayed in and waited for the phone to ring or the doorbell to sound, any way to signify that he hasnât broken his promise. You donât bother going into work, trying to find any excuse to stay in the house.
Beomgyu tries to get you out, go on dates, avoid the aching hole in your chest, but he doesnât understand. None of your friends do. They think heâs left without an explanation like another random asshole would, but they donât understand how wrong they are.
Theyâll never understand youâre waiting for the one who took your heart between his hands and still holds it to this day, even if you canât see him for now.
For now. The words play in your mind on a loop, the sound of Soobinâs voice as vivid as the day he said them between kisses in your dream. Itâs only for now, I promise.
This Friday, you take his words to heart and decide to go out. You walk Key and Bori, the morning sun turning into an afternoon sky clear of clouds. The warmer weather signals winter is giving way to spring, although you can still feel the chill in your bones.
When you bring the dogs back home, youâre still too restless to stay inside, too many memories in the house haunting you with Soobinâs presence.
You walk around the town streets, the memories of those you love the most filling your heart with a solemn nostalgia that edges out the parts of you that are still miserable. You and Beomgyu learning to ride bikes around the animal shelter. Your parents treating you to your first scoop of mint chocolate ice cream after you won gold at your spelling contest. The kiss you shared with Soobin in your living room, and all the kisses that followed.
Each one contains longing for the past, yet offers some hope for making fresh memories in the same spots. And even locations you havenât discovered yet.
By the second trip around the blocks you know too well, nighttime rears its head. The city lights mark the street names and numbers with a yellow glow, the heavens above pitch black.
Your legs are sluggish, ankles sore from continuing through the world around you without stopping for rest, but no physical excursion compared to the mental expedition youâve been on today, a microcosm for all of your tangled emotions for the past two months.
 You almost give into the demands of your body when you hear the faintest sound of your name behind you. Turning on shaking limbs, you see the perfect contours and edges of the man you love in crystal clarity. His shoulders heave as his face remains wet with tears, his body on the verge of convulsing from the travel back to you.
Although every muscle strains and screams inside of you, you run towards him with all of your might and crash into his arms. The water on your cheeks mixes with his when your skin touches. He kisses each tear before he reaches your lips, his mouth tasting of salt and peppermint.
âIâm here. Iâm here, my love.â He strokes your hair with his hand and runs the other across your back.
âI didnât get to say I love you too, last time I saw you,â you say, the words tumbling over one another as you try getting them about. Youâre crying and mumbling and it all feels incoherent, but you know every sound you emit is true.
Soobin chuckles, and youâre reminded how beautiful the sound of his laughter is. âYou never had to say it back, my love. I already knew.â
Your heartbeat is erratic, but it doesnât distract you from the fact Soobinâs heart seems to beat as well. A strong, even-tempered rhythm, one youâve never heard before. You look him deep in the eyes, needing to hear the words on his lips. âAre youââ
His voice is still hoarse and tattered, but his smile is like the salve to all of your wounds. âI told you I would come back to you.â
You whimper, another tear escaping from your eyes. âYou gave up everything for me? Your immortality, your friends, yourââ
He presses a finger to your lips before running it over your cheek, his expression soft. âI completed my mission. And my everything is right here with me.â
You kiss his lips, all the I love youâs not enough to encapsulate every feeling and gift Soobinâs given you since he came into your life. You both may be on Earth, one old and one new human soul linked as one, but you know this is what it means to be higher than even the immensity of heaven.
@yvnempire @sjylouvre @mini-mews @jayparked @heesuncore @yoursjaeyun @sungbeams @jenoslutie @loserlvrss @pars-ley @lovetaroandtaemin @wonwovy @biteyoubiteme @jjunbug
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#kstrucknet#keopihausnet#lapydiariesnet#kvanity#soobin fic#soobin fics#choi soobin fic#choi soobin fics#txt fic#txt fics#tomorrow x together fics#tomorrow x together fic#soobin fluff#choi soobin fluff#txt fluff#txt angst#soobin angst#choi soobin angst#[ lexi's works ]
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âLeave me behind.â â ethabaster (romantic) angst
for the request game
Alabaster stares at his boyfriend. âIâm sorry?â
âYou heard me.â Ethan turns over in his bunk to face the wall, away from Alabaster. âIf you really plan to defect, you better fucking leave me behind.â
âWhy?â
âIâm in this for better or for worse, Bas. Thereâs no world where I take the easy way out.â
âThe easy wayââ Alabaster swallows hard as heat rises to his face. Heâll be damned if he cries in front of Ethan, even if the tears were of anger. âEthan, if this goes on, nine-tenths of our army will be decimated by the time we win.â
âThatâs the price of war.â
âThree of my siblings died today!â
âNot in vain. We rescued the Clazmonian Sow from the Hunt.â
âAnd thatâs what theyâre worth?â Alabasterâs voice crack. âA flying pig? Makes me wonder what youâd trade me in for.â
A sigh. Ethan sits up.
âCome here.â Ethan draws him in. A sob rips a path out of Alabasterâs chest as he buries his face into his boyfriendâs shoulder. âIâm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."
A few seconds is all he lets himself indulge in before Alabaster pulls away, furiously scrubbing at his eyes. "if you're really sorry, then come with us," he says heavily. "I'll lose my mind if I see any more of my siblings die. Or you."
"I can't." A strong hand tucks errant strands of hair behind his ear, rueful and loving. "Three of your siblings might've died today, General, but do you know how many other demigods have died since I joined the Army?"
Alabaster sniffles. Maybe thirty-two, thirty-three. He'd lost exact count at twenty. Keeping demigods alive as the Army moved around the North American continent without the magical protections that Camp Half-Blood offered had been incredibly difficult; not all newcomers adapted well, especially the younger ones.
He's so tired.
"We have a cause, and we have a responsibility to the corpses we stand on," continues Ethan. His hand slips down Alabaster's face, tracing his jaw before nudging the younger boy to look at him. "I can't let their deaths be in vain, even if you're willing to turn tail because some of them hit closer to home than you were prepared for."
"Do you always have to be so pragmatic?" Alabaster heaves.
"I'm not saying that I relish their deaths. There's a reason why I remember the number, and every single one of their names and faces." A trembling smile spreads on Ethan's lips. "But it's nothing that I don't expect of myself, too."
With the tidal wave of grief and the combined six hours of sleep he'd managed over the past three days, every remaining neuron in Alabaster's brain is struggling to keep firing. Too many emotions and arguments and apologies fighting its way out of his body.
It's infinitely easier to sink back into Ethan's embrace.
"I hate you," Alabaster mumbles.
"You like that I give zero fucks about openly disagreeing with you. I mean, you said so yourself when you very dramatically made your feelings for me known." Soft snickers escape them both, before Ethan's tone turns somber again. "Changed your mind?"
Their foreheads touching and fatigued breaths mingling, Alabaster traces the eyepatch strings along Ethan's temple.
"A good general doesn't leave his men behind, I guess," Alabaster answers, hoping and holding his mother's words to his aching heart as a balm.
We will be victorious, Alabaster. I'm sure of it.
---
"Child," his mother warns, Greek fire-green eyes flaring in alarm as Alabaster's discordant laughs echo around them.
"Mother," he says hysterically. "Even if I leave him here, I can't let his death be in vain."
"Think about the siblings you have left under your care."
"Ethan would've wanted this." His fist curls iron-tight around his sword, the handle of it now bound to his hand by the frayed eyepatch he'd pried off Ethan's broken body. "We regroup."
***
thanks for this req! it was extremely yummy to write đ
this is based off an idea i had of ethan and al having kind of opposite trajectories wrt their loyalties to kronos. ethan is under no illusion that hes being a hero and this will be a bloodless fight, only turned by the excessiveness and aimlessness of kronos' violence; meanwhile al genuinely wants to be the good guy and struggles with making sacrifices even if it's for what he perceives as a good cause - right up until he's lost too much and he gets hits with the worst case of sunken cost fallacy known to man
ethan is a tad manipulative here, which is something i don't think i see that often in fanworks, but i just think that with al being Delusionalâąïž, ethan is also kind of the og Delusionalâąïž even if it's to a lesser degree, so it's fun to kind of sprinkle in how one influenced the other... al had to learn his shit somewhere.
casualty numbers completely made up on the fly. im not here for statistics-scaling
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Tartaglia could barely stand. Blood dripped from his mouth as he desperately tried to suppress the tremors shaking his body. He knew he was on the edge of his limit, that every movement brought him closer to unconsciousness. Even so, with the last of his strength, he tried to summon his Hydro daggers again.
But it was useless. Every attempt was stifled by sharp pain, a cruel reminder of his wounds. His vision blurred, and black spots danced before his eyes, making him question if he could withstand another attack.
It was then that he felt a presence in front of him, a dark energy that made him shiver, not just from fear, but from something deeper, something that came from a place buried in his subconscious, a hazy memory he couldnât reach. Someone crouched in front of him, and before he could react, a cold and powerful hand grabbed his chin, forcing him to lift his head.
The face he found belonged to no being of this world. Luo Binghe looked at him with a mixture of satisfaction and disdain, as if Tartaglia's weakness was a spectacle he enjoyed every second of.
"How pathetic" Luo Binghe said, clicking his tongue with a slight smile that didnât reach his eyes. They were dark eyes, infinitely deep. "Itâs a shame to see my dear Shizun reduced to this"
Tartaglia tried to look away, but Luo Bingheâs hand held him firmly. A distant scream cut through the air, pulling Tartaglia from his confused thoughts. It was Teucer, his younger brother, calling him with a mix of panic and desperation. Tartaglia felt as if a dagger had pierced his heart. He wanted to turn towards the sound, but the iron grip on his chin prevented him.
"Donât worry, Shizun. I wonât hurt him⊠yet" Luo Binghe spoke in a softly threatening tone, a tone that sent a shiver down Tartagliaâs spine. "But maybe you should give me a good reason not to"
Tartaglia felt a primal panic, one he hadnât felt since he fell into the Abyss, grip his insides. The image of his siblings, defenseless against this monster, made a primitive fury begin to boil within him. He wouldnât allow Luo Binghe to touch them.
"Donât you dare touch them!" Tartaglia spat the words with fierce intensity, clenching his jaw so tightly he felt his teeth might break. His eyes, usually filled with icy indifference, now brimmed with a dangerous mix of hatred and desperation. A spark of Electro briefly flickered in his pupils, a reflection of the intensity of his emotion.
Luo Binghe observed the transformation with interest, his smile widening slightly. "Ah, thereâs the look I remembered. But itâs still not enough, Shizun" His thumb caressed Tartagliaâs cheek with a tenderness that felt completely out of place, almost reverent, while his other hand slowly slid towards the hilt of his sword. "Maybe I should teach them a lesson, just to make sure you understand your place"
Tartaglia felt his body move on its own, fueled by adrenaline and desperation. With his injured and trembling hand, he grabbed Luo Bingheâs arm with all the strength he could muster. "Donât you dare" He repeated in a trembling voice, but it was loaded with such deep hatred that anyone else might have recoiled. But Luo Binghe was not just anyone. There wasnât a trace of fear in his expression, only cold amusement.
"You seem so concerned about them, ShizunâŠ" Luo Binghe murmured, almost as if speaking to himself, as his eyes lazily drifted towards the place where Tartagliaâs siblings were. "Alright, how about a deal?" He suggested, his voice like sweet poison. "You come with me, no complaints or more fights, and I wonât touch a single hair on these people who seem so important to you. Does that sound like a good deal?"
"Tartaglia, no!" Lumineâs voice rose, breaking the tension of the moment. There was concern in her eyes, and Tartaglia could see how tightly she gripped the hilt of her sword, ready to act at any moment. He knew what she was trying to do, buying time for Zhongli, or any other ally, to arrive. But he also knew that, like him, Lumine was on the edge of her limit. He couldnât ask her to endure more.
"Do you promise you wonât do anything?" Tartagliaâs voice was low, barely a whisper, but each word was laden with a desperation he hated to feel. He was helpless, and there was nothing he despised more than that feeling.
Luo Binghe smiled, a smile that was as sweet as it was lethal. "This disciple would never lie to Shizun" He murmured, as if the mere idea were absurd. "I only need you. The others donât interest me in the slightest"
Tartaglia looked at him, trying to find any sign of deceit in those words, but all he saw was unshakable certainty. He had no choice, and he knew it. He couldnât risk Luo Binghe harming his family or Lumine. He had no choice but to surrender.
"Fine" Tartaglia murmured, letting his hand drop and allowing all traces of resistance to fade. "You winâŠ"
Luo Binghe observed the change in Tartaglia, and for a moment, his smile softened, but only a little. "Thatâs more like it, Shizun. Donât worry, youâll be safe with me. Youâll never have to worry about anything or anyone else again. Iâll protect you⊠from everything" His voice became softer, almost affectionate, but Tartaglia couldnât help but feel a chill of revulsion.
#the scum villain's self saving system#scum villian self saving system#svsss#original shen qingqiu#og shen qingqiu#shen qingqiu#shen jiu#original luo binghe#luo binghe#luo bingge#luo binghe x shen qingqiu#bingjiu#genshin impact#tartaglia#childe#childe tartaglia ajax#teucer#tonia#traveler#lumine#tartaglia & shen jiu are same people
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Home
(Not Requested)
Hunter x Male!Reader
Y/N is Willow's older brother- aged 17. Also, the lack of gayness for Hunter is sad. Maybe I'm just hopeless. We Don't judge here. We.. eat fudge? Somebody stop me before I start making puns.
---
"WILLOW!?"
Y/N cried, stumbling from the hallway of New Hexside and shoving his way past the crowd of his classmates. Willow perks up, gasping.
"Y/N!"
Her older brother crashes into her, nearly sending them both to the floor. He grasps onto her, fisting her costume and letting out a sob into her shoulder.
"Papa- Dad- They aren't- I can't- I can't fix it."
"I know," she pulls away, but the siblings hands stay linked together. Her hands are shaking, and Y/N registers her "keeping it together" expression. "It's okay."
"And then you were missing- and I was with Edric and he broke- Willow."
He let's out another cry and she pulls him back in. "I thought you were dead, or at least puppet-fied. I was so scared, Willow."
"I know. I'm here. I can't wait to tell you all about the Human Realm, Y/N. You'd really love it there."
Gus comes over and punches Y/N's shoulder, automatically lightening the mood.
"Hey, big bro. Long time no see."
"Yeah. Miss your boyfriend?"
"Me and Matty aren't-"
"Boyfriend!"
Y/N cries, shaking Willow's shoulders and looking around. He spots Hunter, and runs over before Willow can stop him.
"Hunter!"
"Y/N?"
Hunter opens his arms just in time for Y/N to crash into them.
"I thought you were dead! Oh my titan, Hunter, your scars."
He traces his fingers over the base to the corner as it ends at his eyes, and Y/N blinks.
"Your eyes."
His lip quivers before he busts into tears, burying his face in Y/N's shirt as he fists at the fabric. He's trying to form words, but is nearly suffocating himself. Y/N inhales shakily, then helps him up and gestures to Willow.
"We'll be right back! Maybe!"
"Okay..! I love you!" She waves her arms, and Y/N smiles wearily.
"I love you too!"
As soon as they're in an empty hallway, Y/N picks him up bridal style to carry him to one of the empty classrooms. Hunter has stopped crying, but now he can't meet Y/N's eyes, holding his arms and keeping his body tense. Y/N sets him down and Hunter stumbles slightly, legs weak. Y/N catches him as he shuts the door, locking it. He turns back to Hunter, watching him sit down on the edge of a desk that isn't flipped from the previous panics.
"Hunter?"
"Yeah?" His voice cracks and Y/N sits next to him, the blonde automatically leaning against him.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have run at you like that. Maybe the last thing you needed after all of the shock."
"It's.. okay. I needed that." He was silent for a moment before he sniffled. He leaned off of Y/N, gripping the end of the table so tight his knuckles turned white. Y/N furrowed his brows.
"Why isn't... oh."
"Yeah. Flap.. isn't here."
"Is that why your eyes changed color?"
Y/N gently turned Hunter's head, and his newly brown eyes were sad. He shut them, grimacing as he leaned into his touch.
"He's the reason I'm alive."
After Hunter explained the story, Y/N was shocked. He couldn't help his lip from quivering, or the tears slowly pooling in his eyes.
"That's.. I'm so sorry. I should've gone with you. Dunce." Y/N sighed, lying back on the table. Hunter shifted to lie his back over his chest, the two forming a makeshift plus-sign on the table. Y/N ran his hands through Hunter's hair before the boy sat up, leaning on one arm but keeping himself draped over his boyfriend.
"Don't.. say that. I'm so glad you weren't there to see what I did."
"Belos did."
Hunter smiles, but Y/N knows its really one of his hiding expressions. "Yeah. Belos did. Besides.. I don't think Flap would've wanted you there, either."
"I know." Y/N whispered. His voice was always infinitely gentle, but it sounded like he was trying to convince himself it were true. Hunter sat up before he could start crying again, standing and unlocking the door.
"Alright, let's not keep everybody waiting."
"Okay, but.. we'll talk more, right?"
"Sure." He mentally punches himself for sounded so unconvincing. Y/N sighs.
"Alright. Hey, Hunter?"
"Mm?"
Y/N kisses his forehead, hands sneaking up to cup his face. Hunter's own, shaking hands place themselves over Y/N's. The slightly taller boy pulls away, smiles, and pecks Hunter on the lips.
"I'm so glad you're home."
---
đ
#the owl house#the owl house x reader#the owl house x male reader#gay#the owl house hunter#the owl house golden guard#golden guard#hunter noceda#toh hunter#hunter x male reader#hunter noceda x male reader#toh hunter x male reader
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đ đđđđđđđđ đ
~ ŃĐœÎ” ÏÏ
ŃâαηâΔŃs ~
ă Welcome us with your light ă
When existence takes form, light bursts forth.
Perception is possible with the existence of light, and life is breathed into existence with either belief or desire. Such radiance is accompanied by sublime darkness, the shadow which always follows. The universe is a blanket of void filled with twinkling light that each holds potential to blossom into life.
In the eyes of a child, the possibilities are endless.
SOLSTICE, the younger sister of Aether and Lumine, looks at the world with great curiosity. No matter where the twins take her, she would look around with eyes widely open of wonder. She never misses a chance to observe all the vibrant colors and forms of civilization. Before Solstice had been born, the twins were always out exploring the universe by themselves. With an infinite number of worlds to discover, the two have a vast variety of homes to choose as options to settle down.
This particular one is gorgeous in its simplicity.
The landscape is quite linear: green everywhere surrounded by oceanic blues, and very abundantly blessed by nature's touch. Its real beauty shines from the ethereal aura of the backdrops, emanating a sense of unity. From where they landed, they saw almost everything there is to be offered by this world. The twins smirked at each other, giddy to be able to explore every spot. Multiple sets of cliffs could be spotted along the coastlines, and a few tiny islands decorated the borders with beaches of white sand. On the horizon, they can detect a trace of civilizationâbut it looked more like ancient ruins now. At the heart of it all, one giant oak tree stood tall like a silent guardian.
Flower fields seem to never run out. Each plain has at least five different kinds of blossoms dancing by their feet, and every meadow is rich with splendor. Solstice loved them, squealing happily at the new colors and scents as her siblings carried her throughout their strolls. She definitely took a liking to grapes when her siblings found vines of them in a random nook of the continent. She was just as quick to get sick of it though, such is the ever frivolously fickle whim of a toddler. The continent seems to match that mood, carefree and wild yet a natural peace guiding it to order. Everything comes alive with every breeze as if this world breathes and speaks through them.
It was quite mysterious yet enthralling, as if they were being welcomed.
ă Grace the morning sky ă
AETHER looks back at his two sisters.
Solstice is sitting on Lumine's lap under the giant oak tree, gazing at the lush green hills. The tree itself reaches above the clouds like a wooden obelisk, casting a massive shadow on the land. It has been a while since the last world-hop, and he knows that they should plan a departure soon. Sure, this one has forests that are full of life and cliffs were no danger to an Outlander. He even saw a functioning windmill and manor estate in the remains of an ancient city. Life is undoubtedly possible for them, yet...something was missing.
Something is always missing.
After a while, he catches the gaze of Solstice who is reaching out to him by spreading her arms open nigh expectantly. He walks over to them and crouches down to her eye level, making her grin cheekily like a spoiled cat that got what it wanted. Her eyes beam at him while she holds her rattle out towards his twin sister, whom chuckles fondly.
"Perhaps, the next world would have some entertaining creatures for her." Aether mused.
As nighttime hit, pyreflies came out of hiding and illuminated the forest where they rested. Some have dared to go near the Outlanders, especially the ever charming Solstice. She stares at the floating lights, giggling whenever they nip at her nose. The oak tree granted them shade from the moonlight if ever they wish to sleep. Flowerbeds accompanied the grass on uneven terrain, soothing the trio into a free session of aromatherapy. The shades of midnight devoured the entire land, giving it a somber view that lulls its witnesses to slumber. A million stars twinkled mischievously from the sea of black that is the nightsky. Dandelions glided along the gentle currents of the evening breeze, swaying like a sweet windblume dream.
Truly, it is a quaint and lovely world.
ă Comfort Lunaâ ă
LUMINE smiles down at Solstice.
At this age, the young Outlander would not be able to understand words yet. Her twin brother points out his index finger towards their sister's nose, poking it with a gentle boop. For a moment, the toddler is shocked; but then, as Aether smiles, she laughs and reaches for her nose with her free hand.
Aether sits down next to his sisters, "What are you wishing for, sis?"
Lumine brushes away a straying lock of hair from Solstice's face and hums contently, "Anything."
The rattle in Solstice's hand makes a unique sound that was both magical and beguiling. It resembled the soft tinkling of windchimes, yet presents an imagery of sparkling stars due to its sustaining echo with every shake. The sound was something that gave comfort to the youngest Outlander, especially when it is accompanied by the changing of its color palettes to suit her moods. Its shape was also quite fascinating, as its translucent sphere held a tiny glowing four-pointed star. The surface seems to be made of iridescent crystal, gleaming like glass amidst a spectrum of dawn.
Aether takes Solstice when Lumine hands him their dearest little traveler. Her eyes glimmer as she looks up at her older brother. He leans down to give her a kiss on the forehead, soothing her. She once again shakes her rattle as her version of thanks, releasing sounds which further delighted the little girl.
When Solstice was born, the twins dutifully watched over her. Once she had enough energy to sustain herself, the siblings took it upon themselves to find a new homeâa world suited for their baby sibling, as well as their personal desires. That is their current mission and why they could not stay on this world, no matter what beauty the place holds.
Therefore, at dawn, their time was up.
Aether and Lumine gave the world one last glance, melancholic to finally leave it. Solstice is held by her brother, snoozing on his shoulder. They chose a spot that gave them the smallest view of the old windmill, one of two things that remained in tact amongst the infrastructures of the desolated town. Amongst the sharp cliffs which cross over each other, families of tiny creatures seem to peek out from wherever they kept themselves hidden. As dawn arrived, the fog lifts like a curtain from the trenches and isolated corners. The waters began to clear, sparkling like liquid diamonds against the rays of a rising sun.
The Outlanders turned, wings spread as they jumped into the portal for their next quest.
The morning breeze bade them farewell.
ă âas she wanes from Terra's might ă
Even with millennia of experience, the twins have yet to find the "answers" to the universe.
All Outlanders were born in Cosmogenesis, yet none ever stayed. It was the same for Aether and Lumine, entitled by their peers as The Light Bearers through the names they were given. Both came to existence and then ventured out once they have grown old enough, all to find the world where they can settle down together. Alas, neither expected it to be as difficult as it had been. Some veteran Outlanders describe it as never knowing until you find that place, home. There is no logic behind finding one. It is a feeling that they can only hope to experience once in a lifetime. Even some Outlanders as old as time have yet to find theirs.
Aether and Lumine had visited many stars with Solstice, even before their younger sister had fully matured. One of the first worlds had been populated with dragons, a diversity of ecosystems as habitat to specific breeds. There were no other creatures aside from smaller animals that likely function as prey, deeming the world a perilous shelter for the siblings even if only temporarily. The twins would have hopped to another world the moment they arrived; yet Solstice, with her ever curious nature, made them stay.Â
Perhaps, because dragons were the first lifeforms she saw outside of Cosmogenesis, she quickly took a liking to them.
ă Veiled in amber haze ă
Solstice giggles, reaching her hand out as far as she could dare towards the dragon.
Aether has her body securely wrapped in a blanket while she was hugged protectively to his chest, warm and safe. Upon first seeing a giant beast, most people would react with caution. The wise move is to slowly and carefully step back in order to not alarm or provoke it. However, his baby sister had the opposite reaction. Her ecstatic smile seems to intrigue the beast as well since it laid down. The new position made it appear small and vulnerable, an invitation for the Outlanders to come closer.
Aether and Lumine share a bemused look.
Solstice, in the bundle of blankets, continues to reach her hand out to the dragon. She kept her Primo Stella rattle close to her chest with the other hand. The dragon itself is smaller than others but longer, more like a reptilian drake if not for its obvious wings. It has an extra pair of legs to keep its elongated body supported. Its wings were brightly colored, from a golden rose tinting towards a gradient black like the void. The twins were not surprised that the young Outlander was so intrigued by the beast.
First, Lumine had walked closer to test the patience of the draconic creature. They needed to confirm how close it would let them get. It would not have been the first time that either of the twins saw a creature of this ilk. Sometimes, the dragons would be big and others much smaller; but all can still be dangerous in their own ways. Many differences in color palettes made them interesting as well, yet always recognizable as draconic. There are breeds which had been quick to rage, hence their worries.
The young woman stopped within arm's length and held her hand out, letting the wild yet wise creature approach on its own pace. After an intense glare, it acquiesced by nudging its snout towards her palm.
After Lumine had been able to pet it, Aether took the chance to walk closer. He still shielded Solstice's frame with his free arm, just in case. If something happened, both would be quicker than the dragon could attack. He knew this well, yet his protective instinct held his sister closer to his form. The young man lays his hand on the other side of the dragon's head once he was sure he had permission.
"You want to touch the dragon as well?" He asks Solstice gently.
Aether adjusts her position in a way where the little girl would be facing the dragon. Both her hands reach out to the dragon, even the one holding the rattle. Her hand makes contact with the scales and, as it does, she squeals with excited laughter.
For a moment, the twins heard the dragon purr.
ă Fueled by violent rage ă
During their time on this world, the dragon had kept them company like a silent guardian.
Besides dragons, the world lacked forms of human civilization no matter how far they sought. Not even anything that bear a semblance of ancient ruins, or even hieroglyphs of history could be found on any landmass. The caves in the mountains were enough for the dragons to call home. Furthermore, they come in all sorts of types: vishaps, wyverns, drakes, wyrms, lindwyrms, amphipteres, basilisks, hydra, bahamuts, leviathans, and of course the typical dragons. Each functioned as an independent unit or clan, while there are those preferring to go solo and hoard their treasures. Aether and Lumine had talked about staying since Solstice loved this world so much, but then decided otherwise.
Thus, the twins set out to other worlds. They were determined to keep trying to discover that feelingâthe sensation which their fellow Outlanders often told them in stories. Solstice had been too young to understand the reasoning her siblings gave, but she nevertheless made no trouble as they left. While the twins searched for another star, she looked back at the small gathering of dragons. They watched the trio intently, as if bidding them a safe journey and a bittersweet goodbye. At the very front is the dragon which greeted them first upon their arrival.
Big round eyes shimmered with glee as they peek over Lumine's shoulder. A chubby fist waved and the rattle, which it held, chimed with a melodic echo.
The Twin Outlanders spread their wings as they left the world of dragons behind...
...and it faded with the mightiest of roars.
ă Dancing, discordantâ ă
In Cosmogenesis, a star named Luciel dies.
Cosmogenesis is a vast space located at the center of infinity, the origin of the universe yet not quite the one that birthed it. The dimension has a plethora of stars and galaxies revolving around a group of levitating platforms, each designed as archaic suns and moons. They serve as welcoming perches for Outlanders to rest or stargaze. However, the widest one at the center of all serves as the universal chamber for newborn Outlanders. It can transform to properly accommodate those too young to leave and survive independently, whether as a cradle in a nursery or as an entire house floating through the cosmos. Directly across is a gaping maw that serves as a gateway wherein Outlanders can enter or leave the cosmic space. Sometimes, it even becomes an all-seeing mirror to view a specific galaxy orïżœïżœblack hole from far away.
Now, at the peak of Cosmogenesis, the birth of Luciel's twins is about to occur.
From all across the universe, Outlanders gather to witness the birth of Aether and Lumineâthe pair of siblings incubated by Luciel and now to be born from its timely death. It is extremely rare for twins to be conceived by the stars of Cosmogenesis, yet never really dangerous. Although, as two souls that shared one star, they will live with a connection that binds them for life.
It is a special bond that cannot be severed.
The Outlanders watch as the star collapses on itself, seeming to gather every wisp of its light. In seconds, the core of this star shrinks and takes the shape of newborns about to breathe their first. A supernova explodes with a flurry of dazzling light and stardust, covering the expanse of Cosmogenesis. Witnesses were blinded by the sheer brightness of nothing but white, a familiar ringing noise lingering in their ears.
Alas, the experience is always worth it.
After all, the birth of an Outlander happens only once every million years in Cosmogenesis.
Then, as color returned to their sights, they admired what seems to be the most beautiful supernova they have ever witnessed. The ivory haze fades out, making way to the colored nebula that remained. Clouds of various shades and hues float as stages to the multitude of dancing stardust, like galactic fairies doing an imperial ballet. From its core, Aether and Lumine slowly descend into the cradle of silk which rose and formed from the central platform.
With the birth of the twins, the star named Luciel was gone and only left a stellar nebula in its place.
The elderly Outlanders named it: Luciella.
In Cosmogenesis, nebulae are considered nurseries for future stars. Then, should a star die again after a million years or so, it shall give birth to another Outlander or two. There are certain conditions where a nebula would disperse into the maw and become a new galaxy instead, which will expand the universe further outward. It shall go beyond the wide scope of Cosmogenesis, and then possibly birth all sorts of species. This cycle of life and death has been on loop since the beginning of time; and it can only end with the death of the universe itself.
The Outlanders slowly leave their perches to check on the twins. One by one, they approached to impart their blessings in the form of welcoming smiles and well-wishes in different languages. The newborns responded with soft coos and huffing whimpers, still asleep. Like most newborn Outlanders, Aether and Lumine will likely not open their eyes until their first birthday. That is when they would have absorbed enough energy from the cosmos to enable their five senses to observe their surroundings.
ă âspinning in retrograde ă
Once an Outlander is born, the energy that flows within Cosmogenesis serves as their overall sustenance. A species known only in Cosmogenesis called the stardust pixies are also present to educate them, based on accumulated knowledge from all corners of the universe. Because of this, most Outlanders live without a parental figure. There are some that choose to personally mentor the younglings, but most just leave after witnessing the birth and let nature take its course.
Aether and Lumine remained in Cosmogenesis for a little over a decade. They spent that time gathering enough energy and training their powers with help from the pixies. A veteran Outlander will sometimes come to pay them a visit and give some helpful tips, preparing them for their own future travels. Those moments made the dimension less lonely, but the twins were eager to just leave it as well. It was too barren and too dull, even with the mesmerizing view of the cosmos. Even the flickering company of the pixies does little to soothe them.
Maybe this is the reason why no Outlander ever chose to stay here for long...
When they had enough power to fend off any dangers, the twins attempted their first world-hop.
It was an exhilaration like no other.
During the next few centuries, the twins jumped from world to world. They discovered new civilized species, new fauna, new flora, and cultures that are so inherently unique from each other. On the rarest instances, they would even cross paths with fellow Outlanders. Once, they were fortunate enough to meet those who found their true home; and these Elders managed to tell them in even greater detail when a world feels like their true home. Such tales inspired Aether and Lumine to journey even further, making them witness the rise and fall of countless stars in multiple galaxies. There were times they would stay longer in a particular world they both like, but it was never a permanent place to stay. It was not the home which the Elders told, and certainly not what their restless natures seek as Outlanders.
Although, there are times that the twins did find this quest tediously impossible.
"Home is when we're together." Aether would tell his twin sister with an encouraging grin.
Lumine would hold his hand in response, "We will always have enough time."
ă Born from the sea and the waves ă
Every Outlander is linked to Cosmogenesis.
Since birth, they all possess a homing beacon within their core that will lead them back to it. If there is an enemy they cannot defeat, the realm will always leave an open gateway for them to escape. If there is any adversity they can hardly surpass, the realm is a place for them to heal. It was odd how it can even operate as some sort of telepathic or empathic link amongst their kind. For this reason, news of any particular Outlander can be received from all parts and corners of the universe. On the other hand, Cosmogenesis can send visions that are treated as summons for special events that are too significant to miss. Examples are the formation of a galaxy after a nebula dispersed, or the discovery of another unnamed star. After all, one thing that unites all Outlanders other than finding their respective true home is the obligation to archive the truths of the universe.
The most common for these summons, of course, is the birth of a new Outlander.
When such an update reached Aether and Lumine, their first thought was that it made no sense whatsoever. It took a million years for an unnamed star to be born, and a hundred million more for it to die while birthing an Outlanderâor two, in the rare case of twins like them. The timing was much too early. They were still so young compared to the rest of their kind, barely a few millenniums old. Both of them were still trying to find their own place in the cosmos.
Then, so unexpectedly, another was born.
Therefore, the Outlanders gathered once again.
It was certainly different from most births witnessed in Cosmogenesis. Admittedly, it was underwhelming compared to the surreal display that the recent birth of the twins had demonstrated. Nevertheless, there was a certain beauty to seeing a nebula swirl and converge. It was like a calm vortex before the eruption of a storm. Nobody can ever truly know if it will reach and hit them, or whether there would really be a storm to anticipate.
They all watched, patient and reassured.
"You know," an Elder addressed the twins, "since this child will be born from the nebula of your star, they are considered your sibling by Outlander standards."
Aether blinked confusedly, "Our sibling...?"
The Elder nodded, "You were both born from the star of Luciel, and this child will be born from the Luciella nebula. By that context, you share the same flesh and blood."
"Has there been an incident like this?" Lumine asked.
"Only a few," the Elder replied solemnly, "mostly because this case is as rareâif not rarerâas twins being born from the same star. Fitting, that the three of you will be tied together by destiny."
Those words filled the twins with a joyous sort of excitement, an anxious type of expectance.
ă From a cosmic array ă
Much like Luciel's supernova, there was nothing quite like the convergence of Luciella. There was no explosion, no blinding lights, and no obnoxious noise ringing in their earsâjust the remaining dust and gas from Luciel which became Luciella. However, a sort of fascination brewed as these clouds of gas and stardust came together. They gathered at the eye of the storm, where light and heat was slowly building like flame in a hearth. Perhaps a forge is a more accurate comparison, wherein a simple ore can take a more concrete form. Nonetheless, the Outlanders all stood aside to watch as the colors of Luciella turns itself into a ball of light.
Then, a shockwave announced the birth of this unexpected little Outlander.
It was the birth of the twins' baby sibling.
A baby sibling.
Aether and Lumine mused in awed tandem. They could never ask for more. Amongst their fellow wanderers, they watched as the tiny infant made a slow descent. Remains of Luciella floated around them like a protective cloak, all fluffy clouds and sparkling dust.
The twins moved before any of their peers, standing upon the central platform before a cradle could even form. Their baby sibling kept floating down while wrapped in a bundle of silk manifested by the stardust pixies. They approached quietly, each planting themselves at one side of the fragile newborn. With a brief glance, the pair came to an immediate understanding.
Lumine was the first to hold the baby close, a girl as they discovered. She cooed as the little one fussed at the sensation of being embraced. Comforted by the humming and rocking of an older sister, she settled down with faint sniffles.
Meanwhile, Aether seems to know by instinct on what to do next as he stared up at the remnants of Luciella. He did spare a look at the Elders, whom nodded back to encourage his plan. There was no way that another starâlet alone an entire galaxyâcould be born from it anymore, yet a powerful resonance lingered as a thrumming of magic. The young man summons a relic in the shape of a crystal, and then seals it all away. He feels his twin sister assist him by lending her own power by holding his shoulder with her free hand. The relic transformed into a baby rattle, housing a small glowing star in its sphere and producing a soothing sound.
Primo Stella, whispered Cosmogenesis.
Its energy will stabilize their little one until she can fully harness its power with her own.
Aether gently tucks the rattle with his little sister, delicately petting her head. He presses a chaste kiss on her hand, so small and soft compared to his. A warm smile accompanied his tearful eyes. His chest swelled with adoration as he felt the tiny fingers squeeze his own single digit.
Lumine did the same as her brother, taking their little sister's other one. Like her twin, she tenderly kisses the dainty fingers so faintly squeezing onto hers. Her breath hitched due to the surge of affection that consumed her.
Solstice would be her name, they decided.
Their dear little sister.
Her birth was yet another miracle, and it would be their miracle to keep. Nothing in the world would stop them from loving their little traveler. Nothing in the universe could stop them from cherishing and protecting such a treasure.
On Solstice's first birthday, she opened her eyes for the first time like any other Outlander. She gathered enough energy to sustain herself, especially with the help of Primo Stella. Her eyes mirrored a thousand stars as she looked up at the twins, whom gazed back in breathless admiration. Light reflected as wisps of silver that gleamed like clair de lune, and colors blended as a symphony of worlds within a thriving galaxy. They twinkled charmingly, a play of enchantment that leads bystanders into a trance.
She was beautiful, and so very precious.
Aether and Lumine beamed proudly at their little sister as she laughed, rattle shaking in her hand.
Solstice understood. This is her family.
ă Of the colors in space ă
It was dark.
It was cold yet warmth lingers.
It felt like nothing at all, but there was enough of something for it to be called hollow.
Solstice forcefully extends her hand forward, trying to grasp anything. It was an effort that seems to take a lot from her, as if her soul was literally being pulled out of her body. When she leans forward, her hand meets a sea of darknessâan endless void of nothingness. She reels back and tries again, pushing harder and further through what seems like a veil of nonexistence yet an opaque blanket of obscurity.
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
The only thing accompanying her in this abyss is that familiar jingle, the faintest of chimes. A weirdly unique yet familiar sound...and no matter how hard she thinks, she has no idea where it originated. Her ears were so attuned to it, as if a habitual stirring from her soul which she always recognizes.
Solstice steps in the direction she thinks is forward yet had no way of confirming. How long has she been here? When she yells out for her older siblings, she is met by a deafening silence. For a moment, she doubts herself and halts in her tracks.
Perhaps, this is just a dream.
Aether and Lumine would never leave her alone, so it must be a dream. Yes, that must be it.
Henceforth, there is nothing to fear.
Again, Solstice tries to reach forwardâfailing, and then falling yet never meeting a surface. In a bout of frustration, she closes her eyes. She always took Primo Stella with her, the rattle Aether and Lumine gifted her at birth. If it was gone here as well, surely this was not real...right?Â
Solstice shuts her eyes tightly and tries to calm herself. Breath in. Breath out. She tries to think about all the worlds she had previously visited, and then imagines the worlds she has yet to see. It had been some time since the twins took her to another world, so they should be hopping to a different one soon.
Then, she will wake up.
Right...?Â
When the magical sound starts to fade away, the void started to feel like the closest corporeal experience of being able to breathe underwater. Solstice falls into a loveless embrace of darkness. An invisible weight makes her sink into the depths and she lets it, forevermore trapped in limbo. There was no cause for alarm, as she knows that her twin siblings would wake her up soon. They will take her to another world as they always did, together.
This is just a bad dream. A nightmare.
ă Nothingness erased ă
Lumine walks over to Aether.
"Isn't it about time you wake her up?" She asked.
The young lady puts the fruits she gathered in a basket next to her brother. He glances up from his makeshift workplace, humming. He then looks over to Solstice's figure, peacefully sleeping on one of the portable beds. Her rattle is tightly grasped and pushed against her chest. Sometimes, she would move and the toy would make a soft sound.
Aether shrugs, "I'll wake her up once breakfast is ready. She must be adjusting to this new world."
The sun was already up, as they were too after being trained as early risers. Both were ready for a new journey, yet neither of them woke up the little Outlander. Travelling across the mountains costs a lot of energy, especially from young Solstice who is yet to fully develop.
The three currently resided in a house the village had provided for them. The shelter gave them a chance to rest longer, and to bond with their little sister in-between commissions that earned them some coin for expenses. Solstice enjoyed spending her time with the villagers too. She was now able to properly communicate and spent her days chattering with them, kids and adults alike. Likewise, she listened to topics about their history and the tales they would spin playfully like straw on wheels.
It was no ordinary village either. The people all have tails and other animal attributes. As Aether and Lumine talked with the villagers, they got to know more about their transforming abilities. Most chose to show their animal attributes, even in humanoid form, and only a handful walked around without them. If the person is around a person they trust, then they are able to wholly morph into an animal as wellâtheir true form, as they call it. That goes without saying, Solstice was curious and enjoyed the presence of these nature dwellers. She held a very particular fondness for the foxes and crows.
The sights also served as a pleasant playground, presenting a view of eternal spring. The blossoming trees never seem to run out of petals that rain down and flutter with the morning breeze. It was not odd to find a coat of pink somewhere as a result. Some would make piles of them and jump on it, laughing with resounding echoes.
The other day, Solstice had spent the entire noon running with the neighborhood's children. They had been showing off their animal forms, running faster than Solstice who would do her best to keep up; and when she got tired, the children would run back and sit down with her. She is now 3-years-old, and is able to do most things without any hands-on guidance from the twins. Outlanders adjusted fairly easily and she was no exception, thankfully. Solstice might be a petite young miss, but she was already quite adept at understanding adult conversations.
Aether puts the fruits he had cut in a bowl and then wakes Solstice up. He pokes her cheek gently, trying to coax her out of dreamland.
"Sol," he murmurs, "breakfast is ready."
She groans, nose scrunching in displeasure, but she still blinks her eyes open as requested. They squint at the ray of sunshine peeking through the windows, blinding her. As she moves to sit up, the rattle jingles again and her hand clutches it by habit. It reminds her of the stars she sees every night. No matter which world they greet, the stars always seem to be constant. They make it easier to adapt.
Solstice stretches her arms and yawns.
"Good morning." She says groggily.
"Put some other clothes on before you eat." Lumine says as she walks past. She ruffles her little sister's bedhead, making it even messier.
From across the room, Aether adds: "We're going to the other island today so try to hurry."
Solstice looks up, shoulders sagging as her brows furrowed together.
"Today...?" She parroted.
Her voice is quiet, hesitant and disappointed.
Aether crosses his arms over his chest, honey gold eyes stern yet soft. He knows that the villagers have grown on Solstice and vice versa, but it could not be helped. They cannot afford any more delays. Like the previous worlds, this one is not their true home and so leaving was a matter of time. They already stayed longer than usual for Solstice's sake, to let her play with kids around her own age.
"We want to explore this world a bit more before heading to the next. We talked about this." He ever so patiently explains again.
Every time Solstice had to leave people behind, she got sad. Both Aether and Lumine could understand the feeling, since they were the same when they hopped between worlds the first few times. It is what made an Outlander's quest difficult, especially on their younger days. Before Solstice was born, the twins settled down on the older stars until they died as if in sympathy. It was different now though, now that they have grown. In some way, they were more indifferent to the thought of leaving. They stayed detached from every world once they realize it lacks the aura of "home" which they sought.
Someday, their little sister will understand too.
Or, if they were fortunate, they could find their true home before that youthful wonder could fade from her eyes. Her older siblings certainly hoped for it.
After a while, Solstice smiles again.
"Maybe we can come back someday..."
The hopeful tone made it seem like a question, a bit more rhetoric and expected no answer.
Aether nods his head anyway, smiling back.
The pink petals and scarlet leaves from the trees outside blow through the open windows. The curtains fluttered, and the windchimes tinkled like a fairy's giggle.
"Maybe someday..."
The next world they visited was composed of a kingdom in endless winter. The terrain was basically just various states of frozen tundra, with wildlife along the botanic coastlines and amongst the cliffside forestry. Average weather was filled with long-lasting blizzards that hindered the three from adventuring outside for longer periods. If it was not for the village they had found, the twins would have moved on to the next world as soon as possible regardless of their depleting stamina. While the situation remained unpleasant, Solstice needed to rest and she always took priority above all else for the older duo. Thankfully, the people in the village were kind and offered to shelter the three for as long as needed. The twins accepted with humble gratitude in their hearts.
A jolly huntsman offered one of his unoccupied cabins so he was put in charge over their care. He wasted no time escorting them home, especially after seeing Aether holding a smaller body to his chest rather protectively.
"These will suit you three well." Their host said with a welcoming smile, holding out a pile of fabric.
Lumine took the proffered items, seeing that they were thermal clothing and hooded fur coats. There are also three pairs of warmed wool socks and indoor leather boots. A glance towards their front door revealed a few crates of food and coal.
She bowed deeply, "Thank you so much."
As soon as they were left alone, she took the clothes to her siblings. She let Aether get dressed first as she took over the job of changing Solstice. Their poor little sister was already too drowsy to move by herself due to the freezing temperature. Once she was all cozily tucked into the sheets of blanket and comforters, Lumine took her turn to switch to her own set of warmer clothes. Her twin brother exited the bathroom just as she entered, and cuddled their youngest to share some body heat.
For the rest of the visit, Solstice had been a lot less talkative yet retained her jubilance. Her tiny body does not have much resistance to extreme climates like this one. They had not been in the cold long enough to cause damage, yet she still needed to recover her energy. As she slept, she kept her rattle close to her chest to absorb more of its mana. Because Solstice needed to recover from the harsh circumstances, Aether and Lumine decided to delay the next world travel. The duo let her sleep as long as needed, and waited until their sister was ready to leave.
"I'll be back soon." Aether yelled with a salute.
Lumine waves him goodbye from a distance, silently wishing him a safe trip. Solstice timidly poked her head out from behind her older sister's legs, as she waved and grinned at their departing brother.
Aether had offered to help their host hunt down food and get some more supplies. He was now heading into Pinewood Forest with a borrowed hunting gear, and a huge husky acting as his guide. Because of Solstice's delicate state, Lumine remained in the village to look after her. She would be there for her if she needed something while their brother explored.
When the twins had set out to find a home, they knew that travelling dimensions might have a stronger and direr impact on the newborn Outlander. They had taken her out of Cosmogenesis earlier than most Outlanders would leave. With the combined powers of Aether and Lumine, they found a solution through Primo Stella. They had made that relic, her rattle, to seal the remains of Luciella. This way, she would have a reserve of cosmic energy to sustain herself while travelling from world to world. Then, on her 16th year, the power contained in the relic will permanently merge with her when she is finally ready. While sealing it was convenient, the two constantly worried about their sister's curious nature breaking it by accident and releasing the dormant power prematurely.Â
Lumine watches Aether disappear into the forest with an eager pep in his step. She turns around and heads back into the house where they stayed, firmly holding Solstice's hand. The twins were used to doing commissions in other worlds as well so both were willing to help the villagers, especially ones so kind and generous. However, now with Solstice in their lives, they could not freely do these missions together anymore. It was fine with them. She has full faith in her twin brother's return, and he felt the same way whenever the jobs are reversed. Both would gladly protect the little traveler as long as needed.
As soon as they sat by the fireplace, the younger female yawned while rubbing her eyes.
Lumine smiled fondly, sweeping her sister's fringe behind her flushed ears.
"Do you want a naptime story?" She asks.
Solstice beamed as she snuggled up to her older sister's side. Her head rested on Lumine's lap, mumbling her soft thanks when she felt a thick fleece blanket cover her. A doting voice lulled her to sleep as it regaled her with tales about an ice queen and her eleven knights. Before she could succumb, a caring hand combs through the strands of her hair and massages her scalp.
Once again, Solstice was in deep slumber.
ă Come dance with her in the stars ă
It was the same darkness again.
Alas, something was differentânot with the void, but with her own thineself. She could feel the thrumming in her veins and the soulfulness of her breaths.
Solstice sensed power within her.
The young Outlander was no stranger to power or otherworldly magic. She was a being born from the center of infinity, a fragment of cosmogony. Even if she has yet to learn how to channel it, she is more than aware that it has always existed within her. However, this time, it was practically tangible. She can envision that power and hold it as easy as lifting her Primo Stella rattle. It was the first thing that she knows she can legitimately grasp in this endless void, and so gripped tightly as if it was her lifeline.
Her ears perked up at the sound of familiar chimes, echoing in the depths. There was no source as the reverberation seems to surround her. It kept tinkling even before the preceding echo could fade, like the persistent ticking of an antique clock. The hypnotic rhythm allured her to its pendulum chant. Her body takes a fetal position, directing her hands to her chest. A ball of light takes form in her cupped palms, peeking from the gaps of her fingers. Her eyes remained shut as she begins to lose awareness the more she embraced the divinity which hummed in her veins.
One last chime resounded in the abyss before it stopped for good.
The little traveler gradually straightened her posture; yet now, it has become a mystery if she has fallen half-asleep. Her bare feet finally make contact with a surface, but it rippled more like water. It did not matter, since she stayed as upright and steady as if it was a cemented pathway. Her cupped hands pushed forward, and it unraveled like a spring flower in full bloom to present a radiant beacon.
Thus, Solstice decreed unto the darkness:
"Let there be light."
...and light was.
It scattered as stars from the beacon which shone vibrantly from her hands. Some gathered to become the moon and another cluster created the sun, born simultaneously amidst a sea of twilight. As all light did, it took more shapes and then life was breathed into each one by her spiritual will. When the last wisp flew off, her limbs began to move in a choreography that matches a melody only she can hear.
The Outlander danced with a serene smile, yet her eyes stayed close as if in slumber. Her hands waved and swayed, arms swinging gracefully as the waves that followed her bidding. Each step made the water ripple until it lifted her up, making the petals of a flower cradling its fairy queen. Her legs kicked up as she spun with mildly flawed yet nevertheless charming pirouettes. The stars danced with her, and pixie dust gathered like a mystic robe. Some stars gained a spectrum of colors, appearing to mimic glass prisms reflecting rays of light. They flew as crystal cores that grew a pair of large wings each, fluttering around their creator delightedly.
Beauty and grace, Solstice is the light.
ă Watch her transit afar ă
Solstice stares with unbridled awe, eyes wide open and mouth shamelessly agape.
Currently, she and her siblings are riding by gondola as they toured this new world. It is indeed a fortress that earned its title as a city of water. The state is structured by large buildings seemingly built straight from the ocean floor. A single yet solidly wide and long bridge was the only access by land to the main entrance of the city from the rest of the world. Small waterfalls circled it along the bottom, streaming from the rest of civilization. Every architectural work is a breathtaking masterpiece with clear intentions of representing the people's love for renaissance art; yet the subtle intonations betrayed their ambitious pursuits for technological advancement.
Aether curiously wondered outloud if he could take samples of a few gadgets, like the thing they call mobile phones. He thought it could be useful amidst their travels. Lumine was intrigued by the idea; but she also brought up a particular downside: this technology might stop working well when they jump to another world. They are not inclined to waste resources over something that will likely fail them before it could serve its worth.
It was, nonetheless, an interesting possibility.
Outside of the city, the entire civilization seems to run on water for everything. Within it, the towns did not disappoint at all. Rather than paths of cobblestone and concrete, most of the streets are either rivers that need a gondola to travel or bridges that entwine one harbor to another. The state was so big they can only reach this side rather than the elite capital that housed the aristocratic population. Their gondolier sang praises about it, calling the place the center of history enriched with ancient knowledge as much as material wealth. Although, he sassed that a few of the folks could use some attitude adjustment.
As the three arrive at the docks, they are met by a swarm of people leading into the urban area. It was the marketplace side of the harbor so the crowd was to be expected. There are also less towering houses which gave them a view of the distant mountains on the more rural islands.
When the ever curious Solstice asked what was out there, the gondolier hummed kindly yet firmly.
"Only adventurers dare to travel on those parts, dear little one." He said, "The aristocrats reach out to the guilds to commission them in harvesting the rarest materials from the mountains. Historians say it is a home to enlightened sages, whom helped push this city to its current glory and prosperity."
He playfully pokes her forehead with a scary faceâ
"Others believe it is a home for colossal monsters that sometimes lurk under our seas."
âbut his countenance was so dramatic and comical that his words only amused the little girl rather than terrify her, much to her siblings' relief.
The friendly man chortled in tandem, beaming at Aether and Lumine knowingly.
"I think you two might be capable enough." He commented, "Those commissions fetch quite hefty prices. If you're interested in exploring while earning some quick money, I highly suggest taking a few of them from the guild. It's an automatic permission to travel the commonly restricted areas, such as the catacombs."
Lumine tilted her head bemusedly, "The catacombs, you say...?"
"You'll recognize them when you see them, milady~!"
Aether gives one last thanks to the gondolier, paying a good tip for his entertaining tour. He then heads for the city with his sisters, acting as the barricade between them and the strangers inevitably bumping into them. One of his hands was placed on his twin sister's shoulder to not lose them since her hands were occupied with Solstice, though he made sure not to put weight on it. His aureate eyes were kept sharp and alert, yet they also gleamed appraisingly while absorbing the magnificent sights. It has been a long time since he felt this childish excitement well up from his chest.
Lumine opted to carry Solstice on her back to avoid losing her in the crowd. She appeared just as gleeful as her twin brother, but retained vigilance. Her head turned to various stalls, selling everything from food to souvenirs. A mental note was made to buy new durable clothes for her little sister, whom is starting to outgrow her current sets.
"Look, look! Mimin, look there."
Solstice points with her rattle at the seagulls. As expected from a city of harbors, there was a great abundance of them gathering to fetch discarded morsels. No doubt, they were also being a bit of a nuisance to the tourists. The twins swore they even spotted a few pelicans hovering from the bright blue sky.
"Do you like the birds?" Aether asks adoringly before they passed by the avians.
Solstice hums affirmatively, giggling when some of the birds made funny faces at her.
For the little traveler, this was the first big city she has ever seen. The worlds they have discovered so far were usually centralized in nature, and the urban ones tend to be small towns rather than an evolved metropolis like this one. A perk which made the twins thank their lucky stars is that tourists are also quite common here. This fact effectively refrained them from sticking out and catching unwanted attention. It seems like the three could comfortably settle down here for a while until Solstice was ready for the next hop.
âą
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When first arriving here, the twins had been initially disappointed and a little depressed.
Once again, this world lacked the spark of "home" much like the previous ones. At times, Aether and Lumine would feel lost but still kept moving forward if only for Solstice. The small Outlander did not seem to mind the delay though, not at all. Instead, she seemed to enjoy herself in this world. The twins also took this opportunity to spend time with their baby sibling, cheered up by her optimism for life and adventure. Perhaps, that is why they decided to settle down in this world for a little longer. From a smaller town, they travelled on another boat to the capital city.
Fortunately, it was their lively gondolier again!
They even learn his name this time: Pierre.
"Good morn, my friends~!" He sang.
Aether and Lumine grinned at him while Solstice squealed, glomping the laughing man's legs.
Once away from the docks and into the actual city, the three could see bigger stands as well as more sophisticated shops that likely sell more exclusive wares. Almost everything is either an expensive boutique or a remote pawnshop. This part of the state have structures primarily made out of a white stoneâresembling marble and jadeâgiving the city a clean and luxurious look.
Behind the city and separated by the ocean from miles away, the mountains are more visible now due to proximity and less obtrusive structures to block the view. Each is as high as the clouds, almost matching the castle towers and wealthy manors. Veiled by heavy mist, the eldritch silhouettes loomed from afar like phantoms with glowing eyes. Despite its gloomy outlook, the formation of the mountains were almost protective as they encompass the borders of entire city state. Once again, their gondolier told them about the rumored monsters. He speaks of how the ocean surrounding the city has been cradling beasts as big as these same mountains for millions of years. It is relatively debated whether some of them could be guardians of the fortress.
Since the city was surrounded by water, it was good for import and export trading as mentioned. Day in and day out, the city would receive goods from ships that would be sailing for weeks to trade. This is why the common grounds had docks scattered all over the territory. The capital was more formal since businesses are conducted through a schedule of meetings and the daily signings of orderly lawful contracts. Like they were told, commissions came easy through the guild and the merchants across the harbor. Both Aether and Lumine soon had gathered enough coin to live leisurely.
Once the twins had found an inn, they rented a room to leave some of their things. Then, they decided to visit the popular tourist spots and scenic routes to entertain Solstice. They took her to waterfalls, a smaller one where they can carefully guide her small hand into the flowing water. It never failed to make her laugh, which gained enamored smiles from her older siblings. The two had taken her on boat trips as well, sailing between the rows of houses in the rivers that crossed the city.
At one point, the twins followed the advice of taking commissions that let them explore the mountain islands. Sadly, Solstice had to sit out for her own safety; but she did not mind after getting bribed with a chance to spend a day in the capital's playground park. After hiring a trustworthy babysitter from the guild, they set off. Neither of the twins encountered any immortal sages, but they did feel many watchful eyes on themâwary yet not hostileâthe entire time they lingered. They actually got lost a few times too, but trails of will-o'-the-wisps helped them get back on the right path. Aether even found secret passages that led to the infamous catacombs. As a lofty story to tell their sister, Lumine was more than excited to decipher the history behind them. It was a dark and spooky area but neither of the Outlanders were genuinely fazed by it.
They ended up discovering deep tunnels that went underwater. It was a series of coves wherein guild members are stationed at a checkpoint cabin if adventurers wish to scuba dive. Aether actually had fun with getting back to the city state that way, while Lumine opted to just use the transport they had upon arriving in the mountain isles. It will not do to neglect the sailors that helped them travel here.
Besides visiting these tourist spots, Solstice got to try out many delicacies as well.
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Lumine walks back to the table once she finished ordering their food.
The twins had decided to visit a popular restaurant today since they will be setting out to another world soon. Before that, they wanted to give Solstice the opportunity to taste whatever she wanted. All three of them are quite the foodies, which makes gourmet their default bonding moment. It was hard to leave, especially when the twins have no idea what would come next. They could only hope that "home" is as fun for their little sister as this world.
"Don't let the bird bite you." Aether warned.
He watches guardedly as Solstice crouched down next to the seagulls. A piece of bread is in her hand, tearing it crumb by crumb to feed the birds. They can always find a colony of them in every tourist spot they visited. The youngest Outlander liked to befriend them but Aether disapproved. As she hears her older brother call out for her, Solstice stands up again and turns away. She shoots one last goodbye and returns to her siblings.
When Lumine sees her sister struggle to get on the chair, she helps by lifting her up.
"Did you make new friends?"Â She asks.
Solstice always had a soft spot for winged animals, specifically dragons. Birds would do just as well, especially colorful ones like peacocks or the dainty hummingbirds. She also likes a few insects such as butterflies, dragonflies, and bumblebeesâas long as she keeps her distance to avoid giving the twins a heart attack. In response to her sister's question, the little traveler puts up two fingers.
"Two, eh?" Lumine teased playfully, "I think that makes it...twenty-one bird friends already?"
She turns around and grins mockingly at Aether, who just glared back at her. He somehow had managed to get pecked by the seagulls when taking Solstice away from them. Apparently, the things get moody when a third party tries to take their snack supplier away. One flock would peck and pull on Aether's braids, while another would act like perfect little angels by nuzzling Solstice for more food. Ever since then, he had held a grudge. The feeling seems mutual with how they tauntingly squawk at the mere sight of him.
During dinner, the trio listened to a storyteller who had been entertaining the restaurant regularly. Much like Pierre yet more solemn than comedic, the old wiseman recounts about ancient tales and stories of the ocean monsters. He also spoke myths regarding the sages in the mountains, about how they grant wishes and protection via lantern rites on the first full moon of the year. There are even tales of a clash between these sages and the ocean beasts so long ago, before ending on a treaty that paved the way for the age of contracts. His version had more details, focusing on facts with immersive flare than theatric entertainment. Solstice had been more intrigued by the storyteller than the food. Both of the twins had to remind her to eat before the food got cold and unappetizing.
The next morning, Aether and Lumine took Solstice to yet another world.
ă Crossing Sol's burning gaze ă
"Whoa!" Solstice exclaims, "What is that?"
Her mouth is parted in dumbfounded shock before just as quickly turning into an excited grin. Her eyes are focused on the erupting volcano in the distance, ashclouds and magma rising. In the middle of the night, a powerful shockwave was released by said volcano which then captured the attention of the three Outlanders.
Aether lifts Solstice up in his arms.
"It's a volcano." He replied.
Lumine walks up next to her brother and ruffles her sister's hair, a habit she had developed.
"No worries." She reassured calmly, "We won't feel its impact here. Most we'll notice is the shockwave that already passed."
The trio can see how the gray ashclouds invaded the previously clear blue skies. Its cluster is gradually taking over the territory around it like an avalanche of soot. The bright lava gave a beautiful firework show as it exploded into the air before flowing down like a slow stream of rio grande. As hypnotic as its beauty appeared, the people closer to the volcano are likely looking at it in terror.
Solstice's eyes are wide open, staring at the lava still shooting into the air. The glimmers in her eyes now stand out even more because of the bright light it casts. As she watched the force of nature, her twin siblings found it more fascinating and amusing to watch her reactions. They exchanged wide smiles before leaving their little sister by the window, now aiming to get some snacks. It was pointless to try falling back asleep by now.
The trio had been sleeping in a cottage built in an oasis on the other side of a jungle. They had seen the volcano but decided to move around it, travelling through the thick marshes and swamps. It was a bit troublesome for the twins, especially with a small child to carry the entire way; but it seems like they made the right choice in the end. A few insects and wandering wild animals from the unforgiving jungle were no match to a duo of protective siblings. They did spot treehouses spread out in the dryer parts of the forestry, but only few people were stationed. It was more likely a bunch of outposts than legitimate residences, but all of them look fortified as real functional shelters.
Solstice's eyes are still focused on the volcano. Its eruption lasted long, and it made her want to stay awake for the whole night. The lava had shone so brightly, an ominous glow that depicts beauty in a natural catastrophe. An adventurous voice inside of her said, "Touch the bright glowy thing!"
âbut both Aether and Lumine had explained that it was dangerous. That is why they had taken a detour in the first place, which meant no touching.
The little traveler nods sagely, "I'm a good girl."
In this world as well, Solstice experienced many new things. First, they landed in a desert. There was sand everywhere, and it was too hard for Solstice to walk amongst the dunes. Luckily, there were friendly animals that she could ride as the twins guided it with a leash. The caretakers called them "camels" which resembled horses with lumps on their backs, and a relatively goofier face. Once out of the desert, they found signs of civilization. Unfortunately, the twins thought it was too close to the volcano as they ventured towards the jungle. Soon enough, they reached the oasis just on the other side of the jungle and renovated the cottage for shelter.
When the Outlanders had ventured further into the jungle, they had noticed its great food source and minerals; and if there was a lot of food, a village follows where the river runs. For the next few days, the twins had searched for another town yet they only stumbled upon this oasis cottage. Inside, there were maps and books which gave the two enough information about this world. From what they have read, the former owner must have been a researcher or perhaps even a fellow traveler.
It was no permanent home, everyone knew; but they decided to stay a few more days. Survival in this world was more tiring than usual, even for Aether and Lumine. Rather than earning money through commissions, they needed to scavenge for their own food and other daily resources. Thankfully, the maps aided them in finding the good spots and the notes told them what was safe to consume or otherwise better left alone. Solstice even found a hidden ledger for medicinal herbs and potion mixtures. There was also a chest of interesting clothes, looking like they belong to fairies due to how they sparkled. The style varies from tunics, off-shouldered crop tops, veils, turbans, harem pants, cardigans, shawls, scarves, and vests. The bottom is filled with gold accessories and gemstone jewelry, very priceless and heavy.
In respect to the former owners, Aether and Lumine returned the chest to where they found it.
Indeed, they will just spend a few more days here to recuperate and perhaps even train. After all, their youngest is at a good age to learn more about her powers and practice swordsmanship. There is no time like the present to seize the day.
Afterwards, they would venture out again.
Solstice is outside, playing with her Primo Stella rattle and unleashing its jingle. The unique sound has always somehow calmed her, reminding her of the realm where she was bornâCosmogenesis, the twins told her of its name. There are times in-between worlds where Aether and Lumine would take her for a short stop in the dimension. It was usually to ask for some advice from the older Outlanders. Meanwhile, she is usually left to play with the stardust pixies that take form due to the realm's cosmic energy. Then, her siblings would join her again and share some stories that the Elders had told them when they were little.
The innovative little girl wonders if she can make those same pixies with Primo Stella.
While she was playing, the twins are getting ready to leave the current world. They gather the few things they have in their possession, such as their swords and extra clothes. Their wings are out and openly exposed, ready for the flight to another star. Every now and then, the appendages would move to help them levitate and reach a higher shelf.
Lumine walks inside the cottage and checks it one last time for good measure. They could not afford to leave behind anything. Last night, both of the twins had returned the interior as they found itâa trivial thing they always did in courtesy, but also to leave no traces. It was an innate habit that most Outlanders develop, to never ever imprint signs of attachment to a world that is not their home. It helps deter them from looking back or having regrets.
"You ready to go, sis?"Â Aether asked.
He was already out of the cottage, stretching and keeping an eye on Solstice. His sword is in his right hand, swinging it a few times skillfully.
"I hope we find a nice world where we can celebrate Solstice's 6th birthday."Â He continues.
His aureate gaze focused on his baby sibling for a moment. She was completely enraptured by the rattle, which was glowing brighter than usual.
Aether returns his attention to Lumine, who was almost done checking. The tinkling sounds from the rattle fills the silence as he waits for his twin sister, just a tad impatiently.
Lumine walks out of the cottage, closing the door on her way out. She points the hilt of her sword towards her brother so he could take it. Last time, he carried Solstice; so this time, it will be her turn. Their sibling is a growing girl, and they needed both arms to carry her safely. They take no chances until her own wings could sprout, which might be soon.
Suddenly, there was a heavy silence.
Aether arches his eyebrow, looking over his shoulder as the incessant chimes had stopped. He wants to ask Solstice what was wrong, but he was interrupted by another shockwave. This time, it was way closer and filled him with wordless dread due to its catalyst. He heard Lumine exclaim something in alarm and distress.
Solstice had broken the relic's seal.
Horrified, both twins urgently reached out for their little sister. The Elders warned them that the seal should never be lifted prematurely, so they had implemented a failsafe for it. How did such a young girl like Solstice break it? Nobody knew what to expect. Most assume what would occur is nothing short of disastrous. They were so utterly terrified because they could not survive the thought of losing their sister, not now and not ever.
Alas, it was practically inevitable.
Because when the shockwave had passed, Solstice was undeniably already gone.
ă Venus sets ablaze ă
The first year of Solstice's life was spent sleeping in Cosmogenesis, as expected.
Just like any other Outlander, it was spent gathering enough energy to sustain herself. During this time, the twins stayed by her side and comforted the newborn in her sleep. They had told her all about the worlds they visited, and how they wanted to find "home" together with their new baby sister. It was a moment filled with innocence and warmth.
The first year of Solstice's life was also dark and admittedly dull. Dark, because she was not able to witness anything with her own eyes yet; and dull, because she could not do anything at all. The only thing she felt was the energy flowing inside of her, making her wholeâas if she was a doll slowly being put together by an expert craftsman. It honestly felt peculiar, but also warm and comfortable. Perhaps, that was because Aether and Lumine were always by her side to keep the loneliness at bay. They had always assured she was kept healthy and secure.
Currently, Solstice is experiencing something similar yet also something different.
There was an immense amount of energy flowing inside of her and then back outside. It was like she acted as a medium in a cycling network. The clinical process lacked the familiar warmth and comfort from Cosmogenesis. However, it was not entirely unpleasant...but more so disorienting and confusing. This is new and unknown to her so she felt the need to be a little cautious despite her curiosity. Her siblings taught her to always practice that balanced mindset.
Solstice wondered if she was dreaming again. There are times when things took too much energy from her, so she would fall into a deep slumber. Still, there is a nagging at the back of her mind that tells her this time would be different.
Then, she gains an astonishing epiphany.
Usually, her Primo Stella rattle would give her energy in the form of mana. This time, it takes from her in a way that it was channeling her power. The star had synchronized with her will, especially her memories and her dreams, to create something. She had no idea what it could be but she wanted to see.
Ten years pass and at lastâ
on the eve of Solstice's 16th birthday,
TEYVAT was fully created.
As midnight struck and the day arose, Solstice has reached full maturity as an Outlander. Her power lets out a final surge across the new land. This celestial phenomenon created three realms coexisting in harmony, welcoming yet untouchable.
When dawn settles over Teyvat,
Solstice finally opens her eyes
for the first time in ten years.
ă Welcome us with your light ă
#genshin impact#ê§cÏηsŃΔââαŃÎčÏη sαgαê§#ê§cÏηsŃΔââαŃÎčÏη gΔηΔsÎčsê§#collab fic#genshin sagau#genshin cult au#sagau#cult au#reverse harem#prologue#fem!oc protagonist#genshin impact fanfics
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Meowcrontyr story
This is completely inspired by your cat lore @redsasexualdisaster
I had to make a Mhelob story ! I hope I didn't misunderstood the sacred incense thingy~!
Necrons are cats in this AU. Lol it is 4 am
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Mhelob was only twenty-eight days old kitten, and already treading the interesting expanse of the world around him.
He and his siblings spent most of their time around Orikan, their parent, who currently was luxuriously spread on the little bed in the corner of the garage. Their father, Trazyn, would visit them from time to time, bringing treats and shiny toys for them to play with.
But Mhelob was very special. He was the tiniest kitten.
Orikan told him so. He was the smallest kitten he ever made.
Usually, he would be proud of that, but right now, as his brothers and sisters were pushing, squishing, and kicking him out of his parentâs reach, he wasn't feeling too proud.
He meowed angrily.
There was no more space around their parentsâ belly, and his stomach was rumbling.
He went to present his protests to a higher authority, by shoving his fluffy whiskers all in Orikanâs face.
The older necron cat listened to the concerned meowing of Trazynâs spawn, and decided that it was a great opportunity for the kitten to learn how to solve his own problems. So he communicated that to him.
To the skitarii watering the plants outside, this all looked like a kitten went to Orikanâs face, and meowed, once, to which the bigger cat licked its face, once, and promptly went back to sleep.
Poor Mhelob was left to solve this problem all alone.
He decided that the best strategy was to summon more allies. With this in his tiny kitten brain, he went outside the garage they were sheltered by, and trotted straight to the back door that the grander skitarii forgot to close.
The house was supposed to be a space only for the necrons of the Nihilakh dynasty and humans. Orikan often warned Mhelob and his siblings against going inside.
But this necron was one determined kitten, so holding his tiny tail high, he marched inside.
At first, the strange space was spooky, but the weird smoke that seemed to come from little sticks burning at one end seemed to relax him.
He decided that walking inside the house was fun. He quickly learned that when he placed one front and back paw down simultaneously, it would make him bounce slightly.
This made every step a little jump, which brought him faster and closer to his goal.
Navigating with his nose was harder than usual, because of the thick smog in the house. It made his eyes water a bit. But he still could smell the faint trace of his father.
Soon he found himself in front of an open door.
Peaking inside revealed a long-haired cat
It was his sire, Trazyn the Infinite, and the current prize-winning cat of Belisarius Cawl.
The fluffy necron was busy jumping from shelf to shelf, from time to time, rubbing his nose, probably from the thick smoke in the house.
Speaking of.
Now Mhelob realized that his nose was itching too.
He let out a tiny kitten sneeze, alerting the bigger necron of his presence.
âWhoâs there?â, he turned, squinting at the kitten.
âMhelob?â The necron jumped on the ground level. âWhat are you doing here?â
The tiny necron rushed to their parentâs belly. The sudden motion caused the big cat to place a paw on the kittenâs tiny head.
The kitten meow indignantly at the injustice.
âI am not the right parent for this, child. âTrazyn sighed. âLetâs get you to where you belong.â
After saying that, the necron grabbed Mhelob by the scruff of his neck and started walking with him toward the garage.
The kitten was calm while being carried outside the house, sneezing a couple of times on their way.
When they reached the outside, they noticed that the skitarii stopped pretending to water the plants, abandoning the still-open water hose next to the fuse box, to stare at the necrons on the cat-bed.
Trazyn dropped Mhelob and got close to a seemingly snoozing Orikan.
Mhelob trotted closer and noticed the lack of space.
He meowed loudly, prompting the skitarii to switch its focus on them.
Trazyn nodded, acknowledging his kittenâs complaint, and got closer to Orikan.
The single-eyed necron was still sitting comfortably, ignoring the both of them. The long-haired cat licked him once on his face, which was ignored.
Trazyn looked at Mhelob, winked at him, then shoved his whole face on the smooth skin of Orikanâs middle, blowing a raspberry.
The loud noise scared the one-eyed cat.
Orikan let out a yowl and jumped in the air, scaring the other kittens next to him.
When he fell back down on the bed, he raised his tail, letting out a threatening growl directed at Trazyn, only to be cut by Mhelob, who zoomed in on him, glad to see his siblings out of the way. The sudden interruption tempered Orikanâs anger.
âSo you were behind all this!â He meowed angrily, his tail swooshing violently.
âHe complained that you were doing a bad job.â Trazyn licked his paw, pretending not to hear the angry hiss coming from his mate.
The long-haired cat turned around, looking straight at Orikan, and blinked slowly at him.
The hissing stopped, and after a moment, Orikan blinked back at him.
Trazyn decided that now was a good time to take a catnap, after he moved the rest of the kittens in the bed before he curled in it too. After a moment Orikan lay down. Both of them ignored the skitarii watching them, as well as the thick smoke coming from the now-wet fuse box.
#idk how to tag this#catverse#orizyn#Vizier Mhelob#I saw someone blowing a raspberry in a Sphinx cat and it was just too funny#I am still looking for a hypoallergenic necron cat
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Submitted Prompts #135
I know I tend to send in DPxDC prompts, but today I had A Thought.
I've been playing Warframe again, lately, and I've been grinding for the Operator Affiny things (thank you Zenurik Focus, for blessing me with boundless Energy with which to commit chaos :D )
And a thought struck me: Operators use Transference to pilot a Warframe. It comes from their Void powers, granted to them in an accident, where their ship was about to dimension-jump into the Void. This overlapping of dimensions made the Tenno into something Other (hilariously, they're called Tenno because they were from the Zariman 10-0. Ten-Zero. Ten-O. Tenno) with extra-dimensional powers, among which is a beam of energy from said dimension. Sound familiar?
What I'm getting at here is: Immortal Danny finds himself transported into the Zariman after the tragedy that befell it, and since The Void and the Infinite Realms are neighbouring extra-dimensional planes of existence, he feels right at home with the survivors (canonically, the adults all went insane, while the more adaptable children survived with powers) and helps them with their powers.
Eventually the Orokin find them, as in canon, and take them in as their Tenno Warrior caste. Their Praetorian Guard, of sorts, and build the Prime Warframes for the children to inhabit and pilot.
Danny goes along with it, because hey cool space bio-armor that he can power with his abundance ecto-energy. Maybe Pandora and frostbite might want to take a look, too.
His Warframe? Banshee Prime
Shit happens, as one might say, and as the Tenno are put into cryo-sleep by the the Lotus (Space Mom!!!!) Danny goes back to the Realms, after his vacation is done.
Eons later, the Tenno rise again, to a shattered and warring Solar System.
They reestablish their Relays, and their presence once more brings order and peace to the System. And as the Order once again grows, as more and more Tenno wake up, Teshin, the Last of the Orokin Dax (the Royal Guard) tells them of Banshee Prime, and her incredible powers over sound and voice.
As the Tenno pilots reawaken in their stasis pods in Lua, one remains missing. Tenno across the System all wonder where everyone's favorite older brother went, and what happened to his Banshee Prime Warframe that he always lovingly maintained and repaired himself.
One, the Harrow pilot, peers into the Void, as he typically does, and finds a trace leading to another dimension other than the Void where the Moon had been hidden, with their pods in it.
Essentially, a whole legion of high school murder-inclined feral teens go on a trip to the Ghost Zone to bring back their older brother, so he can once again tell them of the stars and their meanings. They think he would like to have words with some people, and the Main Character has spotted the Lotus look to the stars with grief in her eyes as she wonders on her wayward child's whereabouts.
Danny, for his part, has grown up into his Fenton Brickhouse genes (not being in a stasis pod will do that to you) and is ruling the Realms along with his Council of Ancient, and generally getting his new powers as the Ancient of Space under control, like he's done before with his basic ghost abilities, and later his ice.
What he didn't expect, was for his old siblings to knock down the doors to his Throne room and crowd him, all screeching about how come he grew up when they're all stuck as kids still, and why dies he look so different, and so many questions that he gets a little overwhelmed.
When Clockwork (grandpa), Pandora (mom) and Frostbite (dad) turn to him and his baby siblings, and say Danny really should take a break "for your own health, Your Highness. You're overdue a vacation!"...let's just say the System was ready for the Tenno. Alad V was ready to face them in battle and experiment with their Warframes (the Valkyr lore is horrifying if you pay attention to it).
No one was ready for Phantom and Banshee Prime to take the System by storm, leading an army of feral children with murder-hobo inclinations
#bones submissions#DPxWarframe#wild though hours#it grabbed me by the throat and wouldnt let go#so i had to write it#hope there's some Warframe players that will enjoy this#I can imagine the Lotus almost kills hin again by squeezing GDanny unti he can't breathe#fortunately he doesn't need to#he'll Have Words with Tyl Regor and the Grineer Queens for their shitty cloning processes#Alad V facing Valkyr's pod: why do i hear boss music?#hi bones here. i dont know a damn thing about this Warframe but this do be neat
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stargazing !
â pairing neteyam x gn!reader | wc 0.4k | warnings just fluff | authors note this is the first thing i have written in a very long time and the first piece of work i've ever published. constructive criticism is always appreciated, but please be gentle with me.
neteyam is a sucker for everything celestial. there are only few moments when he can switch off and forget about all his duties, his responsibilities for the clan and his siblings. ironically getting lost in the endless withs of the universe catching a glimpse of the past is what grounds him most. hence you regularly use the safety of the dark to your benefit and sneek out of the village to get to your favorite spot and look at the stars together. hand in hand you stroll through the thicket of the forest until you reach a clearing on a hill and lay down on the damp grass. legs intertwined, his one hand on top of the one you put on his chest. he admires the night sky, illuminated by tiny bright spots, while you focus on his steady breathing, which slowly becomes one with his heartbeat. tilting your head you see him looking up at the stars with a content smile on his face. moments like this make him realize that there is only so much control he holds in his hands. that there is something so much bigger than him out there. it makes him feel small. insignificant. which gives him the chance to mentally take a step back and just take in and appreciate his surroundings. no matter how much weight he feels like he has to carry on his shoulders, in the end it doesnât matter. nothing truly matters as everyone and everything will one day return to dust. something that he cannot really fathom. a rather gloomy prospect that brings him quietude. he finds peace in the silence engulfing both of you. after some time of dwelling on random thoughts neteyam looks down at you. you shuffle. adjusting your body and scooting up a little, one half of you lying on top of him, facing each other directly. his eyes look like they took up the whole night sky, now holding galaxies within them. you take your hand and put a loose braid behind his right ear before placing your palm on his warm cheek, admiring the markings on his face and tracing the scattered glowing dots with your thumb. an almost inaudible giggle filled with happiness escapes your lips. his ears perk up as he feels your abdomen vibrating. a smile forms on his face, one corner of his mouth sitting slightly higher than the other. the look in his eyes is filled with adoration. you put your forehead against his and close your eyes. his soft breath tickling your skin. and in that moment you swear you were infinite.
© thesecretsoftheuniverse 2023 | all rights reserved. do not repost, republish, steal, translate, modify or claim my work as your own.
#neteyam x reader#neteyam sully x reader#neteyam x female reader#neteyam sully#neteyam sully x female reader#neteyam#neteyam oneshot#neteyam x y/n#neteyam x you#avatar 2009#avatar 2#avatar way of water#avatar x reader#avatar the way of water#avatar fic#avatar fluff#avatar neteyam#avatar#neteyam x gn reader#neteyam imagine
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Helloo Smooches
Would you like another episode of me being possessed by angst ghosts? I was just thinking about Arlie with lover from Fontaine.. I'll try to avoid 4.2 spoilers as much as possible, so:
Reader helps those, who are caught up in primordial sea catastrophe. Arlie will try to persuade you into staying out of this, since the water is dangerous for you, but you just.. Can't leave these people, even if it's a little help because it's your mutual home
But.. just a single mistake and you're gone. Disappeared without a trace in seawater. No matter how much fatui agents and children from Heart of Hearth try to search for you - you're gone gone gone.
You were the only person Arlecchino let in her life on personal level. The one she could drop her mask before and be not Arlecchino, not The Knave, but just.. herself (if only we knew her real name..)
And now.. she can't even do a proper funeral for you, because your body is dissolved. Her mind is plagued by infinite "what if". What if she didn't let you go? What if she was there? What if she came to you just a mere minutes earlier to catch you? What if it wasn't you, who died..?
"Father", who told Freminet that tears are a sign of weakness found herself all alone, hidden from everyone's gaze, with tears streaks on her face, which she doesn't even bother to wipe. Ah, if you were there.. you'd gently come to her, placing hands on her face, wiping the tears gently..
This is exactly why she teaches her children to value their life above all else.
-đ„
(just venting my frustration over the fact Fontaine just has so many beautiful womenđ. It's not fair to my wallet)
đ„ ANON... đ„ ANON... IM SENDING YOU AWAY!! STOP THIS MADNESS!! But yes... i have to admit i do love and enjoy your angst.
In all honesty, Arlecchino did not want you to come to Fontaine with her. She wanted you to stay in Snezhnaya, where you'd be safe. Which, wasn't particularly unusual - although you came with her on a lot of missions, sometimes she wanted you to stay home. Whether to rest, or take on other duties, or if this mission was going to be especially bloody... but this time, uncharacteristically, it's out of gnawing fear. She knows she shouldn't be nervous, she knows you're strong, you're careful, you're her other hand after all, but... the threat of death is far more looming in Fontaine, especially as a Fontainian. But no, you're stubborn, you always have been. Always wanting to help, always wanting to look out for others. That's probably why you got so attached to the three siblings as well. So, Arlecchino can't fight you anymore, the only thing she can do is keep a watchful eye on you.
Only that her eyes are not watchful enough. If only Arlecchino knew that morning would be the last she saw you, the last that she kissed you and held you. If only she knew. If only she was able to protect you, or if she instructed you to go elsewhere, the water wouldn't have gotten you. She's the Fourth Harbinger, with incomparable strength, yet she couldn't save one person? If she tried harder, she could have. Could have forced you to stay, could have done something. It is even worse this way, your body isn't here for a proper funeral, neither she nor her children being able to find closure and say goodbye to you one last time.
Lyney and Lynette are trying to calm their shaking bodies, while Freminet is already on the verge of tears despite knowing how much Father dislikes crying children, but he can't help it. And Arlecchino could not blame him for once, because in the privacy of her office, she does the same thing. She longs for you to walk through that door, come behind her, and hold her, softly wiping the silent tears away, murmuring how it was okay for her to be vulnerable, and how it was all going to be okay since you two had each other.
Not anymore...
Children who enter the House of the Hearth after that are always greeted by a large painting of an unfamiliar person in the halls, questioning who it could possibly be. The only response they get is a head pat, a sad smile, and "someone who was very important to Lord Arlecchino."
#smooches talks#đ„ anon#arlecchino love notes <3#more like arlecchino goodbye note cuz WHYYY#also im TOTALLY feeling you on that last line. especially after seeing the livestream it hurts me SO bad to skip navia#and to skip furina and clorinde. I WANT THEM ALL SOOOO BAD.#but im trying to c6r1 arlie so sacrifices have to be made đđ#also im sorry for throwing in the three siblings here I HAD to i just love reader parenting them sm#ALSO yes i need to know her real name sooooo badly. đ i just know its gonna be beautiful though
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First of all, SPOILERS FOR THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY SEASON 4! Kinda. It's an attempt at an alternative "what if" ending, but still. Also language, obviously.
Now, for my version I came up with at five in the morning. If y'all want to see a more detailed version, might make one if I'm given the time. For now, have this.
... ... ...
The Cleanse. Lumbering its way towards The Umbrella Academy to consume the last traces of Marigold and merge the shattered timeline once and for all. And Five, in every one of his infinite wisdoms, only has one plan.
5: "We need to sacrifice ourselves."
Luther: "Am I the only one that doesn't like this plan?"
Klaus: "Yeah, old Klaus might've been into that kinda thing, but I don't really vibe with the whole-"
Viktor: "I'll do it."
And this is where things change. This time, Viktor takes charge. With his power, he'll take everyone's Marigold and sacrifice himself. Everyone else can take the last train with Lila and Allison's families to try and escape to the new timeline.
Allison: "Viktor, we would never leave without you-"
Viktor: "Please. I'd rather not have all of us erased from existence if there's a chance I can save you guys."
5: "I'm staying as well. If you're dead set on doing the sacrifice play, then someone has to blink the others to the station."
Viktor: "Five, but-"
5: "I've lived a long life. I've lived many long lives. And if you have hope for them, Viktor, then... Then so do I."
With The Cleanse approaching, Five blinks everyone to the subway station to buy Viktor time. There, everyone says their tearful goodbyes to Five and Viktor as they all join hands. The show gets its poignant moment, as Viktor takes the last of everyone's Marigold...
Allison: "... I'm so sorry you left Canada for this."
Viktor: "I'm not. Guess I finally get to be special, huh?"
5: "You were always special."
Until someone interrupts, taking Five's Marigold as well as Viktor's.
Lila: "Sod it."
5: "AGH-! Lila!"
Viktor: "Lila, what are you-"
Lila: "You lot said I should save my family, yeah?"
Lila mimics Viktor's power to take the Marigold for herself, making sure Viktor and Five can escape with their family.
Diego: "Lila, you're insane! Our family needs you! I need you-"
Lila: "Our family's gonna be fine. They've got you lot in it. You've got this."
With one last kiss to Diego, Lila pushes the rest of the group onto the train before it departs. Lila follows the train as long as she can to say goodbye to her family. Then she blinks away.
5: "Diego, there's nothing we can do."
Lila faces The Cleanse with a defiant shout. To this universe, to every universe, to this abomination that tried to tear away the only things she'd ever loved in life.
Lila: "FUCK YOOOOOOOOOU!!!"
The timelines collapse back into their one true form, and on the 12th hour of the 8th day of August, 2024, absolutely nothing happened.
Pogo (narrating): "You might even say it was completely ordinary."
And The Umbrella Academy, for all the times these six siblings have been starting and stopping the end of the world non-stop...
...They really needed a day like that at long last.
... ... ...
And that's how I would've ended the show. There's a lot of other parts I'm sure others have ways to fix, but I think this ending is a bit more satisfying. I kept Lila's self sacrifice, I felt that moment was too good to waste, but added some depth to Viktor and Diego's parts in that scene considering their plots in the show gave them some focus.
Hope you enjoyed, let me know what you think, looking forward to seeing the endings everyone else had in mind.
#how it should have ended#altending#alternate ending#tua season 4#the umberella academy#viktor hargreeves#lila hargreeves#yes i kept her last line the same#how could i not#does this count as#fanfic#i dunno#maybe#umbrella academy#non canon#unfortunately#tua
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Sonic OC Showdown Ask Game!
âšïž - How did you come up with the OC's name?
Trace's name originates from the same oc tutorial video I watched when creating her. One of the example characters was named Trace, after their ability to sneak around without a trace, and I thought it was cool.
đŒ- How old are they? (approximate age range)
I'm thinking mid-to-late twenties. But that might change depending on how I structure events in my AU.
đș- Do they have any love interests?
Hmm.....
đ- What is their favorite food?
Applesauce! The air slits in her muzzler are just big enough for her to fit in and drink through a straw; applesauce is just the easiest since it's already pre-pureed and tastes great!
đŒ- What do they do for a living?
Nothing necessarily. She and the rest of the Daybreak's Angels spend their time either relaxing or on patrol for danger. They defend those who can't help themselves and were most active during Infinite's conquest of Mobius.
đč- Do they have any hobbies?
Back when she could still speak, Trace loved to sing folk songs from her hometown. She can still be heard occasionally humming these songs quietly to herself.
đŻ - What do they do best?
She's well versed in various physical fighting styles, and now due to her muzzler, she has gained a sharp advantage in silent espionage.
đ„- What do they like to do? What do they hate to do?
She enjoys talking and spending time with her team. She doesn't hate much of anything. Things that are purely mechanical somewhat set her off. She doesn't trust them.
â€ïž- What is one of your OC's best memories?
The day she met Zess. He helped her when she was all on her own, teaching her sign language, helping her get food, and just overall caring for her. Her life has changed forever thanks to him.
âïž- What is one your OC's worst memories?
Being defeated by the Jackal Clan. It scarred her, mentally and physically. She feels as if she let her people down by letting her cover get blown.
đ§- Is their current design the first one?
NOOOOO. She's definitely had some changes, most of which in outfit designs and colors. Her muzzler was originally a completely different (and severely illogical) shape, and there were a lot more greens and even golds in her design. The most recent change I've made to her design was the addition of the burn scars across her face.
đ- What originally inspired the OC?
This tutorial by Creative Planet Entertainment I had previously mentioned in the first question. This is the video that taught me how to draw sonic characters in general, albeit poorly. This is also where she got her name, as I said before, and even inspired the idea of a muzzled sonic character! The Tasmanian Devil aspect was unrelated to this video and was chosen purely because it's just a cool and unique animal.
đ-What genre do they belong in?
what?
đ - What is your OC's gender identity and sexuality?
She is a sisgender bisexual woman. She/Her pronouns.
đ - How many siblings does your OC have?
Unsure. Let's say... she's the middle child of 6 siblings?
đ- What is the OC's relationship with their parents like?
Good. They care about her well-being, even taking care of her in the early months after the incident. When she left, they were heartbroken.
đ§ - What do you like most about the OC?
She's my little baby girl. She was my first real sonic oc, and I'm proud of how much she's grown. She is a mini time capsule of just how much I've developed as an artist and writer when it comes to Sonic.
âïž- How often do you draw or write about the OC?
I'll have swings, just like I do with all the fandoms I'm obsessed with. When I'm in my Sonic cycle, I usually bounce back to working on fleshing out and drawing choice characters from my project; Trace being one of them.
đ- Do you ever see yourself killing off the OC?
Initially, yes. I had an idea of how and when she would die, but it came much too soon, much too jarring, and read like something you'd find in a shock fic. So no. Not now.
đ- Does your character have any phobias?
She is afraid of becoming lethally ill, suffocation, and drowning.
đ©- Who is your OC's arch nemesis or rival?
Infinite, or as she knew him, Zero. They go back all the way from her infiltration of the Jackal Clan camp, to her traumatic silencing, down to the aftermath of his conquest of Mobius.
đ - How long have you had your OC?
Since I designed her during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. I actually drew her during my break between virtual classes!
đ„ - How old were you when you made the OC?
Early Teens
@sonic-oc-showdown
#sonic#sonic au#project alacrity#sonic the hedgehog#trace the tasmanian devil#trace propoganda#sonic oc showdown
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My take on how Fierce Deity was sealed inside the cursed mask. Chapter 11 of 'A Deity's Son'.
Content Warning: Behind the scene death, description of the body (not too graphic), wings being removed.
Notes: FD has the gift of seeing already faught battles through spilt blood.
âLink? Link?!â Fierce went around the makeshift town of tents filled with Hylian soldiers. He made his way to Hyliaâs tent and opened it up, hoping that Link was there with her. Of course he wasnât.
âFierce, whatâs wrong?â
He growled at the realization. âHe left! We explicitly told him to stay put until we had a full proof plan. We need to find him before he does something stupid, like play hero against Demise.â
Hylia grabbed her hooded cloak as well as her bow with an infinite amount of light arrows. âDemiseâs pet would love nothing more than to get his dirty hands on Link.â
âWe must hurry then. They have not stayed in one place for more than a few days at a time.â He walked out of her tent and whistled. A large six legged, black horse galloped to his side. He mounted the beast and stuck his hand out for his sister so he could help her up behind him. Once she was, he spurred his horse on. They knew where Demise had recently been and that was their first stop.
They werenât there.
Fierce and Hylia traveled the whole land looking for Link and would not stop until they found him. Their hope for finding him alive decreased everyday, but they still hoped for the best. After over three weeks, that hope too was fading.
They happened to stumble across an abandoned castle ruins and at first glimpse, thought they met another dead end. That was until someone started clapping from the third story where what used to be a window and now an open room was. âI was starting to get bored waiting for you two to get here. It took you long enough.â
Hylia slid off the back of the horse, never taking her eyes off the person in front of her. âGhirahim, where is Link? I demand you release him.â
âYou are in no position to make demands, Goddess.â The Demon Lord twirled a black dagger between his fingers.
âWhere is Demise?â Fierce asked as he also dismounted his horse.
âIf it isnât the runt of the litter, Fierce Deity.â Demise slowly walked over and stood near his pet. His smile said a thousand words. âAre you looking for Link? Hylians are so predictable and stupid. I canât understand what you see in them. This one does have a stronger spirit about him though. Made things fun.â
âIf you have hurt him.â Hylia took a few steps closer. âI will end you.â
From somewhere behind the walls, a voice rang out. âHylia! Get out of here! Fierce, get her out of here!â
Demise told Ghirahim something, leaving the siblings to talk. Fierce glared at his older brother. âWhat have you done to him?â
âWhat havenât we done, is a better question. Let me show you.â There was the sound of chains and something being dragged.
Fierce could smell it before he saw it. Blood. There was so much of it. They watched as Demise flung something over the edge and hooked it to an exposed beam of wood. It was Link. His green tunic was more red than green, red cloak was in shreds around his thinned shoulders. He looked nothing like he had just a few weeks ago. Crimson liquid was still dripping from his freshly cut throat onto the ground below. He could see the bruising around the blue eyes that were partly open, showing his last emotions. The once thicker muscles were thinned and bones were more prominent for them to see. White webbed lines traced across exposed skin and only one person was able to do that.
It took Hylia a few moments to register the sight in front of her and when it did, Fierceâs heart broke not only for himself, but for her. She screamed and put her hands over her mouth. Fierce spun her around quickly from the sight and held her close. âThis is your fault. You were supposed to help him. Supposed to save him. He is dead because of you!â
Fierce took that blame upon himself. He had told Link to stay put due to Demise playing baiting games. Unfortunately Link took the bait and paid for it with his life. Demiseâs goal was to get Fierce and Hylia to him, away from everyone else. He still didnât agree with Hylians helping with the siblingâs war, but Link loved Hylia and wouldn't sit on the sidelines. Fierce charged himself with the care of Link, something he had just failed at.
He ran his fingers through the golden hair of his sisterâs. He kissed the top of her head as she sobbed into his armored chest. âIâll make it right. I canât bring him back, but Iâll give you the opportunity you need to seal Demise.â
She sniffled. âHe will kill you, Fierce. You know that he wants you out of the way since I am not as strong as he is.â
âHe wonât kill me, but I will wish he had.â Demise had a plan for him and told him a few details of what it was. Did he want to do it? No. This was going to be the most painful thing he ever did, but Hylia couldnât do this without the distraction. âIâm so sorry, be ready when the time comes.â He kissed her head one more time and his heart raced.
When his sisterâs fingers let go of his silver armor, he walked towards his older brother. He unclipped his blade, holding it with both hands, eyes locked on Demise. He needed to fight them just enough that it wasnât obvious that he wasnât giving the fight his all. He needed their guard down and he desperately needed this plan to work or else the world was going to suffer.
Ghirahim unclasped his cloak, allowing it to disappear in a flash of diamonds. He twirled a dagger between his fingers and held his thin sword in his other hand. âThe favorite son has come to play.â
âHold your tongue, demon.â Fierce demanded.
The Demon Lord growled at him before he flicked his long and pointed tongue at him. He disappeared in a flash of diamonds and predictable reappeared behind him.
Fierce fought violently against his brother's pet, showing his strength, speed and his nature for battle. He used his wings as shields since they were almost indestructible. The only area that was weak was the base of the white wings.
He wasn't ready for what came next, but Ghirahim was wearing out from the encounter. The next time the demon appeared at his back, he let him strike. The thin blade sliced across the back of his knees and in the next second, five black daggers were flying at him with a trail of red magic behind them. His left wing swatted two away, his blade deflected another. He allowed the remaining two to get past his defenses. One of those daggers went into his left thigh as the other embedded itself just above his armor, under his armpit.
He hissed in pain since it actually did hurt, but in a real fight he would have left them were they stuck. This wasn't a real fight though. He reached for the one under his arm so he could pull it, only to have a sword rake over his armored chest and across his unprotected upper arm.
He curled his wing around himself so he could still pose as if he was in the fight. That was when Demise stepped forward and summoned lightning down on him. The metal in and on him sparked and made the effect much more unbearable. That was something he didn't have to fake. He dropped his Helix sword and his hands continued to twitch with the pulsing electricity.
Demise was right next to him when he kicked Fierce to the ground. He stepped on Fierce's back with one foot and grabbed one of his white wings near the base. Fierce knew this was going to happen, but he still thrashed under his brother's weight. Ghirahim walked over with a smirk, dagger in hand and made the first cut.
Fierce screamed out in pain as the left wing's bone snapped in half, then the final cut was made to take it off. Searing white pain engulfed his nerves, blocking out everything else outside of the uncontrollable pain caused by the bone, skin and muscles being ripped from his body.
When he felt Demise grab the other wing, he nearly gave up on the whole thing so he didn't have to go through with it. When he made it to his hands and knees, he caught the glimpse of Link hanging lifelessly. This was on him and he needed to do this. He didn't feel the skin or muscles get cut, but he felt the bone shatter, then twisted to break it off. The jagged ends of the bones dug into his skin when he made the remaining bits retreat to under the skin of his back between his shoulder blades.
Ghirahim handed something to Demise before he took Fierce's hair into his grip, wrenching his head back and forcing him up into his knees fully.
Demise let out an ominous chuckle. "Baby brother, it seems the table has turned with who gets put in a mask this time. Tell Majora I said hello. I'm sure he has missed you."
A wooden mask appeared in Fierce's line of sight. It radiated darkness from it. It wasn't just going to hold him, but it was cursed.
"Oh and enjoy the visions too." Demise added. Only then did Fierce notice the unnatural crimson color on the inside of the mask. Blood. Link's blood. He was going to see every second of Link's torture and ending. That was worse than his wings being removed by far.
He screamed as the mask fused to his face, then absorbed his being inside of it with his sword.
#ao3 writer#fierce deity#a deity's son#goddess hylia#first link#canon and non canon fic#demise#ghirahim
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