#tw for run on sentences tbh

[bunni-v1]

idk if this counts as a story idea but may I request Lillia x child human reader. It was during the fae and human war and you were his kid but got ripped away by the humans from the war and years later you reunite.

Stay safe pls!! <33

Lost and Found

TW: War Trauma!; Lilia does stalking again but only a little; You look like Lilia

Info: Lilia x Reader (familial); Angst with a happy(?) ending; Not cannon compliant; Not my finest piece my bad guys

🍓I LOVE writing Lilia. I started writing him for Cureé and I realized how silly he is. I was a bit lost on how to go about writing this since canonically Lilia didn’t know how to (or didn’t know he could) love until Malleus. But… tbh making shit up is what fanfic is for lol.

Fae can only be born through love. That was a fact that all Fairies knew. You could not produce a child unless there was mutual love. So, it was quite a surprise when General Lilia found himself stuck with a child who looked a little too much like him for it to be a coincidence.

He was not capable of love, at least… he didn’t think he was. He had no clue who could’ve mothered you — he had no idea who he loved, except the princess of course, but she did not love him back… Without your mother, what was he supposed to do? He was a General and he was in the midst of a war — how could he have time to raise a child?

He would’ve dropped you off on someone else’s doorstep, making you another unsuspecting person's responsibility. When he looked into your big red eyes, he knew he couldn't. You didn’t ask to be born just like he didn’t ask for you. Whether he liked it or not, you were his responsibility and he was just going to have to live with that fact.

So after drills and horrific blood-filled battles where he lost hundreds of soldiers, he would return home to you. 

You were old enough to be walking and talking, and boy did you walk and talk. You wandered around his small quarters and babbled on and on about things he couldn’t even begin to comprehend. It was annoying, at first. He was used to silence when he was alone — he treasured it. You did not.

Still, he put up with it because he didn’t have a choice. 

He would make you little meals — none of which looked all that… delectable, but you scarfed them down like they were the best things you’d ever had. Maybe they were.

Eventually, he began talking to you — about his troubles, about his day, about his workload. It didn’t matter, because you would sit there and listen attentively to everything he had to say and respond with the best sentence you could muster for your age.

He hated to admit it, but he came to care about you. He liked spending time with you after his long day, and worried about you while he was gone. Each milestone you crossed filled him with a sense of pride he’d never gotten on the battlefield. He adored each hair on your head, even when your little hands were tugging too hard on his own while you tried to practice braids.

He even began to teach you magic and loved how your face would light up when you got a spell right. 

The both of you would go for runs together in the forest, and your long black hair — so much like his — would flow in the wind.

When it would storm, you would cry until he wrapped you up in a blanket and held you tight in his arms.

He would’ve been happy with this little life he had with you. He could’ve lived his days out like this and been satisfied.

War tears families apart, though. War does not have favorites. War doesn’t discriminate.

He should’ve known better, he should’ve been more careful, he should’ve moved you as soon as he knew humans were in the area. He didn’t, though. He left you there and promised you that he would be right back. He promised you that he’d keep you safe.

He rarely failed his missions, but this one he had. He came back to his home ransacked and you gone. 

He searched for hours: Nothing.

He screamed your name until his throat was raw: Nothing.

He begged his men and friends to look: Nothing.

It was one of the few times in his life he cried. It was one of the only times that he could not stop. The little family portraits you’d made served as cold reminders of what he had lost. He could hardly handle looking at anything that belonged to you, so he locked it away in a little box and hadn’t opened it since.

That was centuries ago, and Lilia had long since moved on from his loss. He only hoped that the humans did not kill you — that they had enough humanity to let a child survive, even if you were his. That, maybe, you were still happy and alive out there.

He used what he learned from you to raise his boys — who were his pride and joy. Still, he missed you every time that Malleus would proudly show him a drawing of their little family. Or when Silver looked at him in excitement after finally perfecting a spell.

You would’ve loved your younger brothers, he was sure of it. If only you could be there to see what they’ve all achieved.

Still, they grew and time passed until eventually Malleus and Silver were both attending NRC. Lilia joined them — half to keep Malleus safe, half because it seemed like a fun idea. He had seen most things in his life, so there were few surprises left that could actually surprise him.

Seeing Malleus chatting with a near-carbon copy of himself, however, did quite the number on his old heart.

You were short — still taller than him, unfortunately — and had grown your hair out so you could put it up in a ponytail. Long like his used to be. Your red eyes seemed to sparkle in such a familiar way. His heart and his head couldn’t take the shock, so he slipped away before he could be spotted.

He continued to observe from a distance, trying to convince himself that he was wrong. That it could not be you after all these years. Everything proved him wrong. The way you talked, your mannerisms, and your love for art. Especially your keen eye.

When you cornered him in between classes was when he really knew it was you. You had a scowl on your face that could scare off any trained soldier. It was his scowl.

“Are you going to explain why you’ve been following me all this time, or am I gonna have to use force,” you said, just as he might’ve so many years ago.

He didn’t have much of a defense, so he improvised, “I like your art, watching you draw is interesting.”

“That's…” He was busted,  “a bit creepy… If you liked my art you could’ve just talked to me, I know I’m a little scary looking but I don’t bite.”

Thus began the ruse of art-loving Lilia. The two of you would meet up around campus and he would watch you sketch these elaborate drawings like it was nothing. He always knew you would be a talented artist. 

He got to know you again. Got to see what you liked, and what you didn’t like, and learned that you couldn’t taste — which explains why you ate his cooking so happily. He found out that you were saved by a loving human family who not only adopted you but did their best to let you learn about your origins. He knew you were loved in the way that you were meant to be — in the way he never would’ve been able to during that time. 

It helped heal his heart enough that he was able to go through that little box of your stuff that he had kept for so long. He had missed looking at the little drawing of you and him you’d given him for his birthday.

Truthfully, he thinks you forgot all about him, and he was okay with that. Less pain for you to suffer through. Then, one day, that changes.

The pair of you were in his room because he had this cool piece of architecture you were dying to sketch out in person. He had left the room for only a few moments, but when he came back you were focused on his desk, and he realized that he did not put things back into the box like he usually did the night prior. You were staring at one thing in particular, the picture you drew all those years ago.

“I apologize for the mess,” he sounded behind you, but you didn’t react. 

Instead, you picked up the little picture yourself to examine it closer. The silence as you observed the piece made Lilia’s skin crawl.

Finally, you turned to him with an awkward smile, “This is gonna sound crazy, 'cause we’re both college students, but… did you ever have kids — like, your own kids?”

Unsure of how to respond, he muttered, “Once.”

“Were they taken by humans,” you followed up.

“A long, long time ago.”

“This is probably a stretch, but, do you think that maybe you could be my dad…?”

He didn’t respond for a long moment, face going stiff as if he was once again that young soldier who found you crying on his doorstep after your mother abandoned you. You bit your lip nervously, unsure of what to do yourself when he was looking at you like that. 

“It was just a stupid question, I’m sorry,” he didn’t respond, “I’ll go. Sorry.”

As you began to walk out, his mind came back to him and he kicked into full gear, “Wait, no, I’m not upset. Please… sit, let’s talk.”

Talk you did. About him and his life. How you disappeared and how he searched for you for so long. Then about his boys, and how much he loved them and how badly he wished that he could tell all of you the truth. You cried as hard as you could, and he swaddled you up as best as possible and wrapped you up in his arms — like he always used to do. He cried too, the hardest he had in his entire life. Because you were safe, and because you were reunited with him.

At some point, you asked, “Did you miss me?”

He could only respond, “Every single day.”

[ventitititi]

Good morning, ilayda. This is my third and final Gaming request for the day. Please kindly consider this Gaming hurt/comfort request: Gaming and Reader have been betrothed ever since they were kids and Gaming makes it a point to visit Reader during the weekends. During his most recent visit, Gaming finds Reader being rather distant. Rather confused, he inquires around the village and finds out about the rumors about him and Yun Jin getting closer and Reader was expecting him to break off the betrothal to be with her. Gaming hurries back to Reader to assure her that he has no intention of annulling the betrothal. Please also kindly take as long as you need with this request; I have no qualms in waiting. Furthermore, by no means feel obligated to prioritize this request over your other requests

I've seen all your requests and man, i sure hope I'm doing your boy gaming justice as i chip away at these

Cw/tw; none!! Expect lots of fluff, headcanon-ish format, the hurt/comfort is very mild tbh, it's 2:30am here so yeah take this with that warning

🌱. Gaming had come back from another trip in the harbour, gifts in hand and excited to tell you all about the people he's seen and the places he's been

🌱. But... You seemed off. Normally, he'd expect open arms and warm hugs, maybe even a kiss on the cheek (definitely a kiss on the cheek,) instead though, you were... Quiet, distant

🌱. So, he did what anyone in his situation would do. He started to ask the aunties and uncles why you seemed so different, asking everyone he could about the matter

🌱. One aunty held the awnser to his plight, she'd overheard you talking about how gaming was getting closer to this girl by the name "yunjin"

🌱. Worse still, the aunty informed him everyone thought he'd break off the engagement

🌱. Interrupting her mid sentence, gaming holds up a hand, "sorry aunty but i gotta go! I'll hear the rest of your story later!"

🌱. And he was off, running like his life depended on it back towards your house. Never in a million years would he dream of breaking this engagement, you were the best thing to happen to him

🌱. Upon opening the door, you're greeted by a very frazzled gaming. His chestnut hair in a disarray and his clothes all unkempt. Before you could fully close the door on him with some uttered excuse, gaming had his foot in the door, keeping it open

🌱. "Y/n! Wait! Just hear me out, okay?"

🌱. You eye him warily but you do wait, you owed him at least that much

🌱. "Listen, i know you'd heard how I've gotten close with another girl recently, but i promise it's not what you think! She's a performer, too! She sings opera and i just thought she could teach me some useful tricks... Regardless, my point is that you're wayyyyy more important to me! You're like my heart! So please, let me in?"

🌱. He was giving you his best puppy eyes, and while you were still doubtful you opened the door.

🌱. Immediately you were swallowed in the soft scent of his clothes, strong arms holding you in a hug. Melting into him, you sniffle softly, "I thought you were gonna leave me, i didn't know what I'd do with myself"

🌱. "Nonsense, I'm never leaving, not even in a gajillion years! So cheer up, y/n"

🌱. Spends the rest of the evening/night holding you and doing his best to soothe any worries you have bottled up, his hands gently rubbing your back and occasionally pressing little kisses to your face

🌱. Genuinely, you're stuck with him for as long as you'll have him

[atiny-piratequeen]

𝑩𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒚 𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝑪𝒉.𝟓 (𝑷.𝑺𝒉)

✧.*Summary  ✧.*-Due to olden traditions, you’re sent off to be a sacrifice to an unseen beast on an island far from home. You’re not exactly the one to go down without a fight and you promise when you get yourself out of this situation, you’re going back for revenge.

After an encounter in the ocean and arriving on the island in question, you collect yourself and begin making preparations to get yourself off of this island.

All while being watched over by a pair of unfamiliar, narrowed emerald eyes.

✧.*Pairing  ✧.*-Siren!Park Seonghwa x Fem!Reader

✧.*Genres  ✧.*-Angst, Romance, Smut, Action, Fantasy, Survival, Slight Horror Elements, Hurt/Comfort, Revenge, Siren AU, Monster AU, Enemies to Lovers

✧.*TWs  ✧.*-Guilt, Intimidation, Stabbing, Blood, Biting, Pregnancy (Oh Look, the Consequences to our actions-)

✧.*Sws ✧.* - Creampie, Chase Kink, Cunnilingus, Breeding Kink (Yall look what all that stuffed poosi did-), Double Penetration, Monster Anatomy (Double Cocks), Scent Kink, Fingering

✧.*Rating  ✧.*- Explicit (18+)-Minors DNI

✧.*WC  ✧.*-+ 11.9k

✧.*Previous Chapter

✧.*Next Chapter

✧.*A/N  ✧.*This was originally a 3k+ paid commission thanks to the lovely @jacksons-goddess-gaia​​ but I loved the idea so much that I decided to make this into a short series! Thank you again for allowing me to turn your comm into something of a bigger scale and I hope you and everyone else also likes this little series! Just a note of warning, the ending of this series does have a pretty dark ending so please be mindful of the tws of each respective chapter (tbh I don’t think its any darker than the shit I make yall suffer through write anyway but just a fair warning, you are not ending this as any kind of pacifist lol)

✧.*Series Playlist ✧.* (I keep fidling with this one so dont be surprised if songs are added lmao)

✧.*  AO3 | Ataraxia Info| Taglist Form | Commission Sheet  ✧.*    

✧.*  ©atiny-piratequeen. do not repost, translate, or use my works. Minors DNI✧.*

✧.*Network Pings- @kwritersworld | @kdiarynet | @k-vanity

Divider Cr.- @benkeibear (tysm ily)

“It’s time to wake up, my love.” 

You feel lips against your head and grumble, tucking yourself firmly against the warmth pressed against your cheek. There’s a deep chuckle that rattled your bones and for a moment, you are under the wrong assumption that you’d be able to go back to sleep. 

Instead, you’re lifted clean up, and your eyes snap open, large and silver as you scramble to hold onto the giant so rudely mocking you with his dumbass handsome face. 

“Good morning, Y/n.” 

You stare at him, unimpressed, and for a moment you lament not being able to shift into your SeaBorn form at will. You’d found slapping Seonghwa with your tail was surpiringly effective when it came to him teasing you. 

You could only do it when wet, though. 

For now. 

Speaking of wet, you blush feeling a distinct wetness run down between your legs, reminding you of last night's messy love making. You huff, crossing your arms as Seonghwa held you up off the ground. 

“How wrong are you going to hold me up?” 

Seonghwa looked at you for a moment in confusion before he chuckled. 

“Long.”

You arch a brow. 

“Yes, you’re wrong.” 

He shook his head, gently, touching your lips. 

“You’re still getting used to your new language. Here, follow me.” 

Seonghwa repeated the sentence and you flush, realizing your clicks had, in fact, been off. You’d come a long way since you and him mated a week ago, but you still found yourself stuttering over your clicks or holding down a note too long occasionally as you spoke to him. 

As flustered as it made you, Seonghwa found your pattern of speech rather cute, calmly helping you every time you stumbled. 

He’d actually been pleasantly surprised when he found out you wanted to talk to him only in your new language, and for the first three days after you’d mated, you couldn’t understand a damn word he was saying. 

Seonghwa had been surprised by how adamant you had been to understand, fumbling through your tones and hums until he’d perked midday through the third day, hearing you call to him and ask him for a kiss because you were frustrated. 

The look on your face when you’d gotten the desired kiss all but made him fall in love all over with you again.

“I dod it!”

“‘Did’ it, baby.”

“I did it!”

Back to the present, Seonghwa walked you to the beach, the salty air blowing his bangs as he looked out at the ocean. You look up at him and then follow his gaze. 

“...Wanna go tell Hongjoong the good news?”

You don’t miss the way he perked, his eyes lightening, excited as he nodded. You kiss him, cupping his jaw lightly before he walked you to the water.

“Remember, don’t panic. I have you, and I won’t let you drown. Ever.” He assured you. You smile and kiss him gently. 

You hadn’t gotten the hang of holding your breath quite yet. Seonghwa had assured you the more you did it, the longer you’d be able to do it, and you’d be able to talk freely as well. 

For now, all of your focus usually went into not panicking while underwater. 

Seonghwa waited until you were ready and gently waded into the water, holding you bridal style so your legs would shift, the dark grey speckles of your legs stretching up to your torso, a thick, rather smooth tail forming. Seonghwa ran his fingers up the speckles, smiling to himself despite the shiver that ran through your body at the intimate touch. 

“Sorry, I got distracted. Let’s begin. If you do well, we’ll go down and visit Hongjoong.” 

You smile and nod, floating vertically with your head above the water as Seonghwa let you go. You drifted a bit from him before gently keeping yourself in place, your hips working gently as you watched his tail slap the surface in his usual fashion. 

You feel his hand lace into yours and dive in, smiling as he pulled you lower. 

The water is pleasantly cool, but you find yourself marvelling at Seonghwa’s tail. 

While yours was a simple grey, dotted with different colored splotches, and much rounder and thicker than his, Seonghwa’s tail had definitely gained some color since you both had mated. 

Before his tail was a simple, yet elegant ombre of platinum and gold, now it held many intricate designs and colors along the expanse. 

Thick, brown stripes started along the midway point of his tail, with beautiful orange and yellow dots speckling the space along the stripes, all the way down to his tail, which was a contrasting black with a single, distinct electric blue stripe going along the tips of his tail fin. 

You found yourself mesmerized by the upper half of his tail, which was the same electric blue as the tips of his tail, a series of mesmerizing (and sometimes glowing) platinum rings drawing your gaze directly to him. 

He smiled at you and swam backwards, encouraging you to follow after him, and you clumsily do so before you get into the groove again. 

The two of you swim in tandem, twirling around one another, swimming through reefs and enjoying each other. Seonghwa didn’t rush you, and instead waited until you took your breaths before continuing. Each time, he’d keep you for longer and longer, encouraging you with clicks and words of affirmations. 

After the fith dive, you hear a loud, distinct bellow that drew your attention. 

“My, look at this.” 

You look down and find Hongjoong casually circling you, his expression interested as he eyed your tail. You smile and wave at him. 

“Helho!” 

He blinked before chuckling and swimming closer, greeting Seonghwa with a gentle nudge. 

“Hello, Y/n. You’re learning the language a lot quicker than any human I’ve ever met, besides myself. How are you handling swimming?”

You purse your lips, frowning for a moment. 

“I still can’t stay underwater indefinitely.” 

He chuckled and crossed his arms. 

“You wouldn’t be able to, anyway. It’s the Landling in you. We are Reborns. Humans turned Seaborn. We have to come up for air eventually. It's just a matter of perfecting closing down one breathing system and using the other.”

You blink slightly and tilt your head at him. 

“‘We’ have to? Hongjoong? Were you also-”

“A story for another day, but yes. I was.” There’s something…dark in his eyes the moment you mention him previously being a human, and you immediately decide it’s none of your business to pry. 

Hongjoong seemed to appreciate you not doing so, and in an instant, you watch his eyes lighten back up as he looked at Seonghwa. 

“You’re doing a wonderful job, Angelfish.” 

Seonghwa’s scales tinted pink for a moment before he coughed and looked away bashfully. Both you and Hongjoong noticed immediately, matching grins on your faces. 

“Cute~” You both chirrup. 

“Oh oceans no, please don’t start ganging up on me” Seonghwa immediately half heartedly complained. You laugh, raising yourself to the surface for a fresh breath of air with both of the men trailing behind you. 

When your head surfaces, you find its night out, the stars twinkling in the sky as a crescent moon illuminated the surface of the water. 

The three of you don’t say a word, simply bobbing in the water as you enjoy each other’s company. Seonghwa kissed the top of your head, a calm smile on his face as he hugged you close to his body. 

“I think it’s about time she meets the others, don’t you?” Hongjoong inquired sometime a while later. You hadn’t even realized you’d been nodding off, your head resting on Seonghwa’s chest as he held you from behind to keep you from drifting. 

Seonghwa let out a nervous laugh that made your head perk up. 

“I’ll call them, Wooyoung probably will need to be warmed up first.” 

You frown and turn your head to look at his expression. His eyes were tinged white around the edges, something you’d never seen before. 

Was he…afraid?

“Who is Wooyoung?” You quietly speak up, reminding both of the men that you were not only right there, but able to understand them through the bouncy notes and hums of their conversation. 

Seonghwa looked at you and gently rubbed your hips. 

“He’s our best friend. One of them.” 

You purse your lips. 

“So why do you look afraid?” 

Hongjoong chuckled quietly. 

“Because he’s worried Wooyoung might not exactly take it kindly knowing you stabbed Seonghwa and nearly killed him.” he answered honestly.

You feel the weight of the world slam into you. Your lips part and you find yourself unable to speak. It hadn’t came up again since you’d dragged Seonghwa to the ocean to save his life. You glance at him again, and Seonghwa doesn’t respond, staring at the dark inky waves as he held your hips, the cogs in his head turning quickly. 

“What…what exactly does ‘not take kindly’ mean?” You ask slowly, putting your hand over Seonghwa’s. Hongjoong clicked his tongue, floating past both of you, looking at the sky. 

“Do you want to tell her?” He looked at Seonghwa but the SeaBorn simply shuddered and kissed your head. 

“It’ll be fine. I’ll talk to him tonight using the resonance stone.” He muttered. You could smell his scent, tinged with anxiety and fear, and press yourself back into his chest more to comfort him as much as you could. Even though you had no idea what was going on. 

Hongjoong hummed and gently flicked his tail hard enough to send both of you drifting to the left. Seonghwa sent him a curious look before Hongjoong waved his hand dismissively. 

“Go to sleep. I’ll check back on you both tomorrow.” He encouraged before he dove down, disappearing into the dark waters. Seonghwa took your hand and guided you to the shore, carrying you once you got there. 

You cup his chin and kiss his cheek several times until you make him turn his gaze down to you. When he does, you steal a kiss from his lips. 

“I really am sorry I hurt you.” You whisper. He nodded.

“I’ve long since stopped being angry and hurt about it. You were scared and defending yourself.” 

You nod and then gently press your forehead together with his. 

“I’ll explain myself to this friend of yours. Even if they yell at me, I deserve it. So don’t look so sad. We were having such a wonderful day, tomorrow will be the same.” You encourage and Seonghwa sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. 

You had no idea the beast of a man that Wooyoung was, but Seonghwa would undoubtedly handle the man’s ire first that way you could meet everyone worry-free. 

It’ll be fine. 

When he opened his eyes again, they were back to their normal emerald, and he gently walked you back to camp, settling you in your bed. Since you couldn’t hold your breath as long as Hongjoong could, you still preferred to sleep on land and Seonghwa didn’t mind accommodating you. 

You find yourself drifting once more against his neck and he gently sung, soft, airy notes swirling through your mind. Seonghwa rubbed the space between your shoulders, kneading out any tension his fingers found there. 

“Just rest. Tomorrow I’ll make a big breakfast for us.” He promised. You smile and let the embrace of sleep pull you under. 

For the briefest of moments, you feel as if you’re being watched by the sky itself, but you pay it no mind and drift off.

.·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·.

Something warm began to rouse you from your sleep the next morning. There are undeniable puffs of air blowing directly onto your face, and while tinged with the scent of amber, you couldn’t help the way the hair at the back of your neck stood on end. 

You should wake up. 

“Rrrrr.”

The moment you hear a growl, your eyes fly open, and in an instant, you’re greeted with a mass of hair, a GIANT canine standing over you with blazing, molten eyes that looked like fire peering out at you past their undeniably bear-esque face. 

You stare up at them in horror, your voice caught in your throat. The canine doesn’t move from their spot above you, though you watch where you assume the ears are under all of that fur twitch and rotate, listening. They raised their head, looking North East before looking back at you, letting out a bark that rattled your bones. 

You scream and scramble up to your feet, grabbing your knife in a hurry, but the dog made a snap at your heels, and you decide running is much more viable for you in this moment. 

“SEOGNGHWA” You scream, rushing into the trees with the giant dog on your heels. Every time you moved to make a turn and shake them off, they threw their massive body in that direction, howling and barking and forcing you to pivot in the opposite direction. 

Had you had been a bit of a calmer mind, you’d realized this demon dog was much faster than you, and seemed to be corralling you in whichever direction they wanted you to go in. 

You, however, are not of a calm mind, and keep running for your life, screaming Seonghwa’s name, panic flooding into your system when you realize he hadn’t came for you yet. 

Above you, the sky is blotted out for a brief moment as something humongous flew overhead, obscuring the sun for a few seconds before it was gone, also heading in the direction you were running in. There’s the sound of a primal roar that vibrates the air. 

You pay none of that any mind, nearly tripping over your own feet as you catch a root on your ankle. The dog grabbed your dress in their jaws and spun their body, nearly hurling you in the direction you were running in. Surprisingly, the maneuver doesn’t tear your dress, and you keep sprinting after the close call, finally breaking the treeline. 

Seriously, where the fuck is Seonghwa?!

“SEONG-”You stop yourself, eyes wide as you finally see your lover. 

Your stomach drops in an instant. 

He’s being held above the water of the ocean by his throat, a different man staring at him with an unimpressed look in his eyes. They were glowing a shifting deep purple and blue. 

In an instant, all of your fear melted away, your claws elongating and your eyes bleeding red. Seonghwa looked in your direction, and threw his hands up. 

“Y/n, wait, no!”

You don’t heed his words, rushing over, tossing the sheath to your knife away, your feet moving faster than they did even with the dog on your heels.

You don’t ask questions, driving and twisting the knife hard into the man’s back, throwing your body between them as much as you could and biting down on his forearm, tearing the skin and crunching down on bone. 

Seonghwa paled and the man hardly flinched, his gaze, once fixed on Seonghwa’s face, now snapped down to you. 

You don’t back down, your nose scrunched as you lock your jaw, biting harder. His blood runs down between your lips, into your mouth. You ignore all of it, glaring hateful daggers at the unmoving and infuriatingly smug looking man. 

“So. You’re the mate, hm?” 

“Wooyoung, listen to me, calm down.”

You don’t hear anything but the blood rushing through your own ears. Wooyoung smiled at you, but you can see a wild look in his eyes as he cocked his head ever so slightly to the left. 

“Is this how you did it? Did you stab him the same way here? Or was it a little higher? How about to the left? Mm? Hit any organs? How about we try again? I don’t quite feel like I’m getting the full experience, little seal woman. Though, the bite is certainly new.” 

You hear a bark from somewhere behind you and Seonghwa reached to touch your head and try and push you off. 

“Y/n, baby, my angel please I’m begging you, let go. You’re making it worse.” He genuinely looked terrified, his eyes pale platinum as he glanced at you and Wooyoung.

“No, no, Seonghwa. Let her do what she wants. I’m finding out every little thing I need to know here.”  

You hesitate and Wooyoung’s arm flexes in your mouth, in a moment, he lets Seonghwa go, grabbing your jaw and leaning into your face. 

“I don’t take too kindly to having harm fall upon my loved ones. So, what should I do, seal woman? I’m facing a dilemma.” He sighed dramatically, ignoring Seonghwa’s rapidly protesting and trying to separate you both. 

Suddenly, he perked, looking at the tall SeaBorn for a moment. 

“My, that was a dangerous thought, Park Seonghwa. Were you thinking of biting me too? Putting your fist through my chest? Are you sure that’s what you want to do here?” 

Seonghwa froze and you frown. He hadn’t said anything threatening. Hadn’t even moved. But the look on his face told you everything you needed to know. 

Who is this guy?

Instantly, purple and blue eyes are back on you, as deep as the night sky, speckled with stars. 

What is this guy?

“Jung Wooyoung. Eldritch god. Any other questions? I’d be careful, if I were you. I’m not sure how much of my blood you’ve consumed~ Who knows what could happen to you consuming the blood of a god like this.” He teased. 

You let go in an instant, and everything hit you in an instant, horror crossing your face. 

This was the friend, the one Hongjoong mentioned. You look at Seonghwa and he looked distraught, reaching for you. Wooyoung narrowed his gaze, and a barrier instantly separated him from the two of you. 

“Haven’t I let you do whatever you want for too long, dear Hyung?” He inquired, though the honorific sounded more like teasing venom with his tone of voice. Seonghwa locked his jaw, red bleeding into his pale eyes as anger began to swell in him. 

“Wooyoung, that’s enough.” 

“Is it? You nearly die, don’t call me even once to save you, and now you think the person responsible can suffer no consequences? When you fell, did you crack your head, perhaps? I gave each and every one of you a resonance stone and instead of it being anywhere near you for a case of emergency, where is it? Hm?” He turned his gaze to you, and you shrink back from the overwhelming pressure coming from him as he looked at the peridot earring dangling from your ear. 

“I was hoping you’d help protect her from harm in case I wasn’t enough.” 

“Protect her? She almost killed you.” 

“The spider almost killed me. The toxins would have killed me before I bled out.” 

Wooyoung looks infuriated, turning his head in an instant. 

“And WHO could have avoided all of that if he’d just called me? Are you out of your mind, Park Seonghwa? Do I need to remind you of how important you are to m-”

You can see he’s about to lay into him, and before you can think, you reach out, grabbing his face and forcing his head back to look at you. 

“I’m sorry. Whatever it is, I’ll take responsibility, just…please, enough of this. My mate is upset and I hate this. You think I don’t already feel horrible for what I did? I did then and I do now, every time I see him, I see the scars he got from that day and it won’t go away, it never will. But that doesn’t mean I don’t love him. So whatever it is that you’re going to do, whatever punishment you feel I need or deserve for it, just do it already so I can go back into his arms. This has been a very long and fucking chaotic morning.” You speak a mile a minute and Wooyoung stared at you with a half lidded look once more. 

“So, you’ll die? Because that’s what I deem appropriate for hurting one of my seven.” He answered flatly, all emotion gone from his voice. You hear a bark again, and a different noise that sounds like a growl, but you don't tear your eyes away from Wooyoung. Seonghwa pounded on the barrier, frantic and enraged. 

“WOOYOUNG?!”

You feel his killing intent, but don’t look away from him. 

“If that’s what you think I deserve. Just make sure he’s not hurt.” 

Seonghwa’s voice nearly breaks from the sheer rage in his voice as he slammed on the barrier, and for a moment, you think you hear a crack. Wooyoung looked into your eyes for a long moment before looking down at your stomach, cold fingertips pressing against your abdomen. A thoughtful hum left his lips. Seonghwa’s enraged voice grew louder. 

Wooyoung looked up, meeting your unwavering gaze. You were terrified, but you didn’t back down. A long pause stretched between the two of you.

Then, he chuckled. 

“Welcome to The Fold, Seal.” 

He snapped his fingers, and in an instant, you feel the world rush by. Colors and scents whirl past you until-

-you jolt upright, heart hammering. You’re back in your hut. 

…what were you doing?

Seonghwa startled from beside you, and the moment you lay eyes on him, you burst into tears, kissing and embracing him tightly. 

“Y/n? Why are you crying, my love?” He inquired. You open your mouth to ask him if he was alright after seeing…who, again? 

Why are you crying? 

Seonghwa looked at you, checking your head, your face, and your neck for any injuries. You relax the moment you feel his touch, putting your hand over his. 

“I guess I had a bad dream. I’m okay as long as you are.” You kiss his nose and smile. He sniffed gently, making sure you weren’t hurt before he kissed you deeply, hovering over you. 

You run your fingers down his abdomen, smiling at the way he rumbled and shuddered into the kiss. Seonghwa’s scales turned pink around the edges of his eyes and he smiled. 

“Oh? Is this how you want to start your morning?” He purred, pressing his hips down and grinding between your legs. You smile and thread your fingers through his hair, intending on pulling him into a kiss when a bone-shaking bark drew a loud scream out of you. 

Instantly both of you jolt up and Seonghwa looked perplexed for a moment, standing and sticking his head out of the hut. 

It took a brief second before a black and red blur tackled him back into it. You scream again, reaching for your knife and then frowning when you note it definitely wasn’t where you’d left it last. 

When the hell did it get so far from you?

“Yunho!”

You turn your head to the sound of your mate's voice, and in an instant, you relax when you hear Seonghwa laughing.

Your gaze falls upon this massive mass of black and crimson fur. They appeared to be a canine, and you got the confirmation when they licked Seonghwa’s face, nudging his hand until he began roughly rustling and ruffling their fur. 

“Y…Yunho?” You parrot, slowly coming closer, the knife forgotten. Yunho turned his head towards you and keened. 

“This is one of my best friends. What are you doing here?” Seonghwa inquired. Yunho wagged his tail, sitting straight. You were amazed at his massive form, and you nearly forgot to wave in greeting to the canine. 

“Wooyoung said we had to meet your partner.” Yunho spoke despite his form. Seonghwa paused, and you could smell the twinge of anxiety in his scent. 

“Oh, please. Just come outside, we made this feast for you and it's going to be eaten completely the longer we wait.” 

You hear a voice seemingly coming from the sky and Yunho made a gruff keen before turning himself around and lowering himself, seemingly waiting for you both to get on his back. 

“Yunho, I’m too big to be riding-”

You jolt as Yunho let out a dramatic yowl, slamming his weight playfully against Seonghwa and nearly knocking him over. Seonghwa caught himself and sent him a scandalous look. 

“Fine!” He huffed and turned to you, smiling sweetly and picking you up. He kissed your nose and raised you high, setting you carefully on Yunho’s shoulders. He rumbled and you smile, gently scratching his ears. He radiated warmth, but he wasn’t uncomfortably hot to the touch. Seonghwa mounted him next, wrapping his arms around your waist. Yunho rumbled and stood up to his full height. 

If you weren’t tightly clenching your thighs to keep yourself in place, you're sure you’d fall right off. Falling from this height would hurt like a bitch.

Was Yunho as tall as Seonghwa on all fours like this? Was he taller? 

"Hold on, I'm going to go fast." He warned before he walked outside. Seonghwa tightened his grip on you, kissing your head before Yunho broadened his stance and took off like a shot. 

You let out a scream before you cover your mouth and burst into joyful laughter as Seonghwa held you. Yunho wove through the trees as if he’d done it a thousand times before. 

When he stepped foot on the beach, he slowed down to a trot, walking over to a group of men talking amongst themselves. 

“I brought them.” Yunho keened, closing his eyes and wagging his tail as the tallest of the group, a man who towered over the others, scratched below his chin. 

“Good job. I hope you didn’t startle our new friend too bad.” the man with the golden hair with the deep orange tips spoke. Yunho nudged his hands. 

“I didn’t mean to, if I did.” 

You look at the two of them and then take the time to survey your surroundings. 

Hongjoong is here, his arms crossed as he looked down at a man who was sitting on….air? His legs crossed and a cup of tea to his lips. A man with long hair and a ponytail stood with them, seemingly scolding the man sitting on nothing with his quiet gaze. 

There was a fire pit on the beach, and beside that was another man clad in tight, form fitting black clothing. He had part of his pendant in his mouth, and he seemed to be focused on getting the food on the fire cooked to the perfect degree. The man beside him watched on quietly, though he cast you a few cautious glances, the scorpion tail swaying behind him twitching every now and again. 

Seonghwa got off first, gently letting you down and smiling before he looked over at the man floating in air. He took a breath, seemingly steadying himself. 

“Just wait here, I’ll go talk to-”

“There’s no need.” 

You’d blinked, and in an instant. The man with the teacup was floating in front of you, his blue and purple eyes twinkling like the night sky itself. You startle, Seonghwa’s hand instinctively goes in front of you. 

“Wooyoung, I want to-”

“I said there’s no need. I’ve learned everything I needed to know already. Isn’t that right, Seal? Or, rather, Y/n?” He inquired, offering his cup to you. You blink at him and then gently take the cup, sniffing. 

It smells sweet. 

Seonghwa looked stunned, watching the two of you and the look of joy bloom on your face as you sip the tea. Wooyoung smiled casually and leaned back, sending Seonghwa a mysterious smile. 

Seonghwa pursed his lips. 

“Did…did you do something? You’re taking this a lot…calmer than I expected.” He admitted. Wooyoung shrugged a shoulder. 

“Have I done anything? Is there something wrong with me greeting one of my seven’s partners with open arms and a cup of healthy, immune system boosting tea?” He inquired, looking in your direction as you drank another sip, peeking over the rim of the cup at the two of them. 

Something about him seemed familiar, but you couldn’t put your finger on it. Seonghwa touched his abdomen subconsciously but then he relaxed, putting an arm around you. 

“Y/n, these are my seven. They’re…the most important people in my life. I didn’t know everyone would come to greet you.” He shied, rubbing his neck as he looked at the others. Hongjoong shrugged, wearing attire you weren’t familiar with, though he looked comfy as he approached you. It dawned on you that you hadn’t seen him on land until today. 

The man who was beside him followed and stopped in front of you, a row of freckles stretched across his cheeks and nose, and a nearly heart-shaped, splotchy birthmark at the corner of his left eye. You stare at him for a moment, taking in the unique look of his eyes. They were an interesting mixture of blues and pastel yellow and they glittered in the morning sun as he smiled sweetly at you. 

“My name is Yeosang. I’ve heard you’ve had quite a rough time. If there’s anything I can help you with, please let me know.” He greeted, glancing at your stomach for a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment before looking back at your face.

The man with the gold and orange hair towered above you, smiling and extending his hand. 

“Name’s Mingi. The weather is quite nice out here today.” 

You took his hand, marveling at how huge every part of him was. Two thick horns sprouted from his forehead and the moment you nodded and greeted him back, you noticed his massive tail swaying to and fro behind him. 

Speaking of massive, the dog you’d come to know as Yunho shifted before you all, standing taller than Seonghwa, as well. 

The corners of his crimson eyes had smudges as if left from the cinders of a once-burned fire and he smiled from ear to ear as he offered his hand to you, as well. 

“Hi, Yunho. Thank you for carrying us here.” You smile and hand Wooyoung back the now-empty teacup. Yunho’s tail wagged so fast, it thumped into Yeosang’s hips. 

“Who are they?” You inquire, pointing to the men by the fire pit. Seonghwa took your hand and gently brought you over to the two. 

The man with the scorpion tail tensed for a moment before relaxing the moment Mingi sat to his left and Yunho to his right. His ears, rounded, yet cat-like, twitched and swiveled. 

“Good morning.” He quietly greeted. You nod and sit across from him. 

“Good morning..uh…sorry, what is your name? My name is Y/n.” 

“....San.” 

He didn’t meet your eyes, but you found Mingi subtly opening his posture so the man could press closer. The small, yet familiar action made you smile. 

‘He must be nervous because of something.’ You think, not realizing you’re doing the same, leaning into Seonghwa’s chest as your eyes fall upon the last man. 

The one with the black clothes and hazel eyes. He had a laser focus on the food in the fire, his pendant firmly in his mouth as he turned the fish and gently stirred the pot that had what looked like a stew inside of it. 

Where on earth did he get that on this island?

“Jongho, baby bear, you’re being rude.” Yeosang gently scolded, touching the back of his neck to get his attention. 

He tensed in an instant, his spade-shaped tail sticking straight up. That was the only indication of him being startled aside from his wide eyes. In an instant, he relaxed and looked over the fire at you, smiling. 

“Oh, uh. Sorry. I spaced out. My name is Jongho. It’s nice to meet you.” He greeted. He smelled incredibly sweet, almost mouth wateringly so.

You waved at him and introduced yourself, looking at the group. 

“To what do I owe the pleasure of meeting all of my mates…seven?” You’re not sure what the significance of them calling each other their ‘seven’, but you don’t pry. They all seem very close with one another, no matter what. 

“We figured we might as well stop by and say hello just in case a certain angelfish decided to not bring you around to greet any of us.” Yunho answered, staring as Jongho finally finished one of the bigger pieces. He nodded in his direction and he picked it up right out of the fire, seemingly unbothered by the flames nor the heat of the fish as he immediately tore into it. Mingi followed suit, splitting his piece with San and continuing between bites. 

“Our den isn’t exactly ready for other people to be in it.” He rumbled. San made a sour face before biting into his fish to seemingly keep his comment to himself. 

He didn’t seem privy on you being in their ‘den’ yet.

You hummed and accepted a cooler piece of fish on a stick Seonghwa had passed over to you. It was full of flavor and you can’t help the seal-like bark of joy that came out of your mouth. 

All eyes land on you and you blush, clearing your throat and looking away. 

Wooyoung smiled smugly as Seonghwa gently broke off more of his fish to hand to you. 

“Jongho, make sure to give our lovely new friend extra.”  He instructed. Jongho nodded and handed you a bowl. 

You look down into it and tilt your head. 

“It’s full of protein, and I brought some freshly harvested veggies to stew in there. I added some spices, too. Not too many, though, I promise. It's very good for you.” Yeosang smiled softly and handed you a spoon. You sniff gently, the aroma smelling slightly spiced and savory. You take a sip with the spoon and smile, going in for more. 

Seonghwa leaned over your shoulder, blinking owlishly. 

“I want some.” 

“It’s not for you.” Hongjoong muttered flatly. Seonghwa gasped in horror while Wooyoung laughed, leaning on Yeosang. 

“Why not?! There’s a whole pot full of it!” He complained. Hongjoong arched a brow at him and San eyed the two of you before speaking up. 

“Y/n needs the extra protein.” He spoke gently, wiping his mouth. He seemed to be trying to convey something, but it seemed to have gone over Seonghwa’s head.

Instead, you tilt your head and look at the bowl before sneaking him a spoonful anyway. 

“It’s okay. I know I’m still growing into my size now that I’m SeaBorn, but I still will share with him, and you all, too. I can’t possibly eat an entire pot full of food all by myself.” You tell them. 

They seem to exchange a look with one another before Yeosang sent you a gentle smile. 

“Well, it’s alright. We’ll all eat until you’re full. If you want more, just call us back and we’ll be happy to make more. Or, Seonghwa can bring you around The Whetū Faewilds and I can cook something different, but just as nutritious for you.” He cooed, and you can see the freckles along his skin twinkle and glitter. 

“I’d love to visit everyone’s home one day. Maybe I can make some food from my old home for you all….”you trail off, thinking about your village. 

Oh. 

You’d been so engrossed in your new life, you forgot your promise of revenge. You stare idly into your bowl of food, brows pulled together. 

Wooyoung looked at you from across the pit, eyes narrowing for a split moment before he gently was slapped on the back of the neck. 

“Stop reading the poor girl’s mind.” Yeosang scolded him, his voice low. San, Mingi, and Yunho perked regardless, looking over at you as you nurse your bowl in your hands, unbothered by the heat. Your eyes had begun to bleed into a deep red color.

“Not my fault her thoughts are so loud. That woman’s mind has a storm just festering below all the goody goody emotions Angelfish is giving her.” 

Yeosang blinked before he looked over at you, as well. A stormy expression crossed your face before it disappeared the moment Seonghwa kissed you. Your grip on the stone bowl in your hands loosened and you relaxed once more into his grip, clicking and purring as he peppered kisses all over your face. 

“Give it a few months, tops. She’ll call us. I’ll bet on it.” He rumbled, leaning on Yeosang. The faerie exhaled and looked at him. 

“True as it may be, you need to let it come to pass naturally. For now, stop prying.” 

“Yeah, yeah. You’re no fun.” 

You eat and listen to the stories of the group of unlikely friends until you feel yourself dozing off, your eyes growing heavy. Seonghwa wrapped his arm around you, smiling softly. 

“I think it’s time we head to bed, everyone. I promise I’ll be better about visiting.” 

San sent him a look and then looked at you instead. 

“....I’ll let you in our den if you make him stop by. This one is terrible at keeping his word. He gets too comfortable on this island taking care of sea turtle babies and monkeys and neglects us.” 

“I do not!” Seonghwa gasped, scandalized. Jongho snorted and Mingi arched a brow. 

“You haven’t stopped by in months.” 

“It was during Season! You two were-” His cheeks flared red before he cleared his throat, San's face igniting as well while Mingi stared back, unbothered.

“And I told you, you could have joined. I have two-”

“I’llDoBetterLet’sJustDropIt.” Seonghwa muttered quickly, his face dusted with pink scales. You looked at him before snickering. 

“It’s a promise. I want to visit, anyway.” You tell them through a yawn. Hongjoong gently motions with his hand. 

“Go rest. We’ll clean up.” 

You wave goodbye to them and get on Seonghwa’s back, your limbs dangling as he chuckles and disappeared back into the trees. 

The seven remaining men watched the two of you leave and Yeosang glanced at Wooyoung. 

“I know what you did in the first meeting, Wooyoung. Must you threaten people like that all the time? What if the stress was too much?” He scolded. Yunho sent them a curious look before tilting his head. 

“Did you do something? Is that why I have this weird sense of deja vu?” 

Wooyoung yawned, stretching his limbs before he flopped back, his head resting on San’s thighs. San gently ran his fingers through his hair, looking down at him. 

“If anyone intends to get near you, they go through me. I needed to see if she was worthy. Besides, she’s not nearly at the point where overstress would be a concern. If I were you, I’d worry about that hatred she’s got in her pretty little head instead of me testing her.” Wooyoung checked his nails before locking eyes with a concerned Yeosang. 

“That woman has murder on her mind. It’s below the surface, quieted only by her love for him, but it’s there. All we need is one monumental event, and it’s all over for that sorry-ass village. And when that time comes…”Wooyoung trailed off, humming softly. 

“We help. Where she goes, Seonghwa goes and where he goes, we go.” Hongjoong cut in. 

In an instant, all of their eyes hardened. Wooyoung’s lip quirked. 

“Now who’s the one who’s being threatening?”

Yeosang looked at him flatly and threw a ball of magic his way. It exploded into dandelion-esque puffs and Wooyoung instantly began sneezing. 

“Oh, shut up, you sound like a damn villain. Help us clean up the beach.” 

 .·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈*¨¨*:·.

1 Month Later

.·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈*¨¨*:·.

You feel the wind blow by you, and your lungs protest from the strain as you rush through the trees. 

Several tree branches snap behind you, but you pay it no mind, rushing faster through the island’s forest. 

You’re almost there. You’re so close. 

Goodness, you’re a bit more winded than usual today, aren’t you? 

In the briefest of moments, as your mind trailed off, you feel yourself get swept off of your feet. 

“I caught you.” 

You look up, sweat running down your temple as you meet Seonghwa’s gaze. He’s looking at you with deep magenta eyes, his chest rising and falling as he catches his breath. 

You smile. 

“You won this round. I won before. That means we need a tie breaker.” You tell him through pants, reaching to wipe his face. Seonghwa gently set you on your feet and held you close to him instead, burying his face in your neck. 

You look at him, smiling softly. He’s breathing in your scent deep, and with him so close, you find yourself doing the same, grazing your fangs over his shoulder, pressing yourself against his sturdy body. 

“How about we do something else?” You coo, running your fingers through damp blonde locks and tugging. Seonghwa purred deep from his core, his cock hard against your thigh as he tilted his head back. 

“Kneel for me.” 

Seonghwa doesn’t make you ask twice, getting down on one of his knees before you and looking up. You run your fingers through his hair, pushing it back before you lift your thigh and set it on his shoulder, smiling sweetly. 

“Go ahead. Enjoy your meal.”

Seonghwa let out a keen, grabbing both of the globes of your ass and pulling you flush against him after muttering a soft ‘thank you’. 

You clench and sigh, feeling him work his tongue into you, his claws leaving indents in your skin as he curled his tongue. 

You move his head, thigh flexing every now and again as the sparking pleasure from his saliva started to creep into your system. 

“Don’t make me cum yet, I want to make a mess of your cocks.” 

You watch his pupils dilate, a reverberating growl tearing from his lips as he looked up at you. You smile, sweet as nectar as you push his face flush between your legs, challenging both him and yourself to actually fulfill that wish. 

Seonghwa, for his own credit, ate you out slower and more deliberately than he usually did, kneading and panting against your pussy as your juices ran down his chin. 

You don’t think you’ll ever get tired of the look on his face when he’s between your legs, dazed with his eyes deep and pink. 

He could be there for hours, if you let him. You’d tested that one day and he’d only stopped because your eyes were full of pleasured tears and your legs were trembling. 

You pull and tug at his hair and grit your teeth. Reluctantly, he stilled all movement, looking up at you with half lidded eyes. 

“Where?” He growled, short and simple. You growl back at him, trembling and impatient. 

“Right here. Both.” 

He stared at you for a moment before he chuckled and pulled away from you, letting your thigh down and slowly licking his lips. He stood to his full height, backing  you against a tree and leaning into your space, tilting your chin up to make you gaze deep into his eyes. 

“My, you haven’t had a single time where you didn’t ask me for both.”

You stare back at him, brow arching. 

“Why should I? You’re mine and that means both of them are mine too.” You fire back, running your fingers down the expanse of his abdomen until you stopped over the slit at his pelvis, smiling at the way his eyes darkened. 

“You’re insatiable.” He whispered, though it distinctly lacked any real reluctance. You smile, regardless. 

“Am I?” 

“Yeah.” 

You pretend to think for a moment before nodding, kissing the tip of his nose. 

“Okay.” 

He blinked, head tilting, and in an instant, you bolt back through the trees, leaving him stunned in your wake. 

“I’ll take care of myself, then~” You call over your shoulder. 

It took another second, and you fight the urge not to laugh as you hear the loud, undeniable roar of your name come from behind you. 

The birds in the trees squawked and flew off as Seonghwa tore through the island, chasing you with renewed vigor. 

“Y/N!”

“Seonghwa~!” You mock him lovingly, calling his name as you make sharp turns and pivots through the familiar terrain. This island had become your home in your time here, you were more than familiar with all it hid.

Seonghwa, of course, knew this place like the back of his hand and in no time he skid into your view, scales shimmering and glittering beautifully in the sun as he laid eyes on you. A smile stretched across his face as you rush to the left, giggling to yourself. 

You find yourself at a familiar rock formation, the same from when you first arrived on the island, and realize with a pout that you’ve hit a dead end. 

The sound of Seonghwa growling behind you confirmed it and you don’t even get the chance to turn around before you’re being embraced from behind. Seonghwa purred, planting kisses upon your shoulder and up your neck and ear before he nibbled the shell of it, clicking slowly. 

“I caught you again. What do I win?” He purred. You smile and turn your head to kiss him, taking one of his hands and guiding it between your legs. He got the hint, long fingers working you open while he held you flush against his body. 

You sigh and relax into his grip, moaning as your head rolled onto his shoulder. Seonghwa kissed you with an urgency his fingers did not share, and the mixed speeds made your head spin. 

You move his other hand to your breast, smiling as he kneaded it in his free hand, rutting his cocks against your ass. You can feel him dribbling against the dimples at the small of your back and you have a passing thought. 

‘He’s wasting it.’

You’ve long since stopped being flustered about these thoughts, and cup your hand over his, pushing your own fingers in beside his as you kiss him with a tad more aggression. 

“Want you.” You growl, hoping he gets the hint. Seonghwa moaned into the kiss and pinched your nipple between two fingers. 

“Bend over.” 

You pull your fingers from yourself, sending him a searing look over your shoulder as you lick them clean. Seonghwa followed the movement with his eyes before they drifted up to yours.

“Ah ah, down here.” You spread your legs and hold your folds open, your core aching. Seonghwa pressed himself against you in an instant, slowly guiding his cock coated in essence into you first. Your eyes nearly roll back at the pleasure of finally having his warmth inside of you. A shaky gasp left your mouth as he held your hip, pushing the other into you once he was sure you’d adjusted to the first properly. 

Seonghwa waited until you were ready, kissing your head and singing sweet nothings into your hair. 

“Put your arms back.” He instructed and you do so, feeling him work one of his arms through both of yours, pinning them back as he slowly rolled his hips forward and keeping you arched. 

“Seonghwa~”

“You’ve become such a fast baby, Y/n. I wonder what you would have done if you got away from me. Maybe I should’ve let you this time, just sit back and watch you pleasure yourself just right.” He growled against your ear, taking your earlobe between his teeth. You whine, clenching down possessively on his cocks. 

He noticed, a deep, throaty groan ripping from his chest as he snapped his hips up before reminding himself he wanted to drive you crazy, slowing himself back down. 

“I would have called to you-ah…faster, it’s too slow-” You whimper, trying to rock your hips back. Seonghwa’s arm flexed between yours as he held them back, clicking his tongue in your ear. 

“I’m enjoying my mate. Be still.” 

You shudder and feel yourself gush around him. Your body is getting hotter again, and you loosen up. Feeling precum run between your thighs as he moved faster over time. 

You stand on your tiptoes as he rocked into you, moaning his name like a chorus as he nuzzled your neck. 

“Sweet…you smell so sweet.” He panted, both of his cocks rocking hard into your gspot at the same time. 

You feel your brain disconnect for a moment, your mouth falling open before a guttural moan of pleasure fell from your lips as Seonghwa repeated the action. Encouraged by your song, he angled his hips, focusing on making you melt in his arms, his teeth sinking into your shoulder. 

Beautiful, glittering silver droplets run down as you feel him let go of your arms, pressing them above your head on the smooth rock wall as he thrusted into you. 

“Seonghwa! S-seonghwa slow down I’m gonna cum-” You try fruitlessly to drag it out for longer. Seonghwa had other plans, his free hand finding its way between your legs, rubbing your clit in rapid circles as he licked your shoulder bites closed. 

“Cum for me, then. You sound s-so pretty for me, clenching me like a vice….c’mon, don’t hold back. Make a mess. That’s what you want right? To make a mess of your mate’s cocks?” He chuckled into your ear, both of his cocks throbbing deep inside of you. You can feel them, and your mouth waters at the undeniable need to be bred swirling in your mind. 

“K-kiss me?” You plead, nearly crying in relief as he immediately tilted his head to do so, his tongue melding against yours as you feel yourself standing on your tiptoes due to the force of his thrusts and his heights. 

Your stomach bulges from the size of his cocks and the moment you hear him growl ��I love you’ into the kiss, you feel yourself clench down, fingers flexing and clenching as you came with a spine-shaking orgasm.

Seonghwa moaned, your scent flooding his senses as he sped up his own thrusts, cumming deep inside of you and keeping himself still as he kissed you, keeping you pinned between him and the wall. 

“Love you, I love you.” You pant, mewling as you look back at him, your eyes no doubt matching his in their magenta color. He smiled and hugged you close, keeping himself inside of you. 

“I love you.” He rumbled, letting both of you catch your breaths and settle down before pulling out, watching as his cum and essence roll out in thick pearls, leaving a glittering puddle on the stone between your legs.

You pant, and for a moment, you consider cupping yourself to keep it inside, but you blush and perish the thought, instead.

Seonghwa picked you up, kissing your temple and carrying you off to the waterfall where you both had first gotten intimate. He gently guided you into the water, chuckling at the way your legs instantly shifted into your tail. 

You look down and he ran his fingers over your tail, smiling fondly. 

"Your tail really is beautiful."

You look at the gray speckles and purse your lips. 

"Yours is stunning. Mine is just…"you trail off and Seonghwa clicks disapprovingly.

"Beautiful." He ran his fingertips in small loops, tracing words of love and patterns of lace along your tail and chuckling as you shudder.

"You can always tell the difference between a Seaborn who was born that way and one who used to be human. We call them Reborns, at least, the older generations did. As Hongjoong told you, humans who were turned into Seaborn will retain mammal traits. Namely, the tail." Seonghwa hummed, drumming his fingers along your tail. You look at his face, watching the cogs turn. 

"Everything else is basically the same no matter the type. Our strength, our longevity, our basic anatomies, how we give birth, it's very similar regardless of being Reborn or Seaborn." He continued, beginning to wash your tail with long caresses after opening the container of self-made soap he'd left at this particular waterfall since it held sentimental value for you both. 

"How do Seaborns give birth?" You inquire. He blushed and rubbed his neck. 

"Laying eggs and keeping them warm? 

You blink at him.

"Laying eggs…and then keeping them warm after that?"

"Yes."

"Like a chicken?"

Seonghwa gave you a funny look, his eyebrows and nose scrunching up.

"....did you just compare us to chickens?"

"....its kinda chicken-like"

He stared flatly at you and pushed you into the water further, face deadpan as you came back up laughing.

"Seonghwa! I'm right!"

"No, wash yourself, chicken girl"

You snicker and come close to him, resting your arms on his knees as you feel him work his hands into your hair, gently washing and scratching your scalp.

“Our village is fortunate. There is an underwater volcano within our territory. There is a nursery nearby that is protected by magic and round the clock security. This is for couples who are active in hunting or may not have time to incubate them above water, in sand. During particularly busy egg hatching seasons, Yunho will come and stay within one of Hongjoong’s gardens and use his body heat to keep them warm. We have had our numbers quadruple and our success rate for hatching guppies almost perfect itself because of him and Yeosang enchanting our nursery gardens for Hongjoong." Seonghwa explained, purring softly as you close your eyes. 

You don't even realize the way your tail slapped the surface of the water, just enjoying the feeling of him taking care of you. He chuckled and reached in, picking you up out of the water as he continued to wash you. 

His hand wanders as he sings and hums to you, but so do your lips, and it takes but a few minutes of him cleaning his essence and cum out of you before you press your face into his throat, kissing and nibbling at his pulse. 

Seonghwa opened his mouth to tease you again, but paused. Once again he can smell it. That sweet scent lacing your usual one. 

His fingers twitched. As you place nips and kisses along the edges of some of his scales, you can hear him rumbling. 

".....sweet."

You look at him, blinking. 

"Sweet?"

"Yes. You smell sweet."

You blink before you hum quietly. Your eyes drift between your legs.

"Your fingers are still inside of me."

Seonghwa’s platinum scales along his cheekbones and the corners of his eyes turn a dusty pink, but all he did was hold you close. 

"Y/n."

"Yes, Seonghwa?"

You can tell there was nothing to panic about-yet-Seonghwa had spoken in a calm tone, his scales never paling or his scent tinging with fear. 

Instead, excitement? Nervousness?

"I think you're pregnant."

You stare at him. 

He stared back.

For a while, you think the world had stopped, had it not have been for the rushing sound of the water behind you and the gentle, steady sound of splashing as he continued to wash you with gentle, reverent hands. 

Then, your eyes well up. Seonghwa bit his lip and smiled as you bring your hand to your stomach. 

“Pregnant?” 

“Your scent has changed. It’s sweeter than usual, gentler.” 

He gently ran his hand over your stomach, landing on top of yours. 

Tears roll down your cheek as you pull him down for a kiss, feeling like you were floating. He smiled into it, holding you securely as you both sang and purred words of love and adoration to one another. 

That would explain…a lot, actually. The hunger you felt growing steadily, your portions growing significantly, getting winded easier while doing work around the island and in the ocean, and the increased clinginess from Seonghwa. 

You two clean up and Seonghwa held your hands in his, smiling softly. 

“How about we visit The Whetū Faewilds tomorrow? Yeosang may be able to help us out. He’s really good at helping out new families and I want him to give you a protection enchantment. I need to see if I can have my own seagarden somewhere here for our eggs so you can lay them separate from everyone elses. Maybe if Yunho brings a magma stone we can keep them warm on our own and-”

You watch fondly as Seonghwa excitedly chattered on about setting up your own nursery for your eggs. You cup his cheek minutes later and he stops mid-sentence, looking into your eyes. 

Neither of you say a word and he simply pressed his cheek into your palm, smiling. 

“Let’s get settled into bed early. We’ll leave for Yeosang’s early tomorrow.” Seonghwa suggested. You nod and smile, letting him carry you off to bed, a new kind of joy settling in your body as you cuddle into his arms that night. 

˚*＊✿❀༓❀✿＊*˚

“So how are we getting to Yeosang’s faewilds? Do we swim?” You inquire, looking over at Seonghwa the following morning as you both stand on the beach. 

Seonghwa fiddled with his ear, blinking as they brushed against a peridot earring. 

He had a feeling something had been misaligned, but couldn’t put his finger on what. Instead, he gripped the earring and called out to the ocean. 

“Wooyoung?” 

There’s a silence that stretches between you both. The ocean swayed calmly, unbothered. 

Seonghwa furrowed his brow and opened his mouth. 

“I’m right here. What do you need?” 

Both of you look behind you, finding Wooyoung standing on the air above both of you, looking down as you clutch your chest, startled. Seonghwa rubbed the small of your back and Wooyoung cocked a brow. 

“You two don’t look like you’re in danger. What do you want?” He yawned, stepping off of whatever invisible platform of air he was standing on, getting right in both of your faces. 

“We need a lift to The Whetū Faewilds, please.” Seonghwa informed him, smiling in greeting. Wooyoung blinked before looking at you. 

Whether you noticed or not, you’d been idly rubbing small circles along your stomach, taking note of the subtle bulge forming. 

“Oh, good. You both realized she’s pregnant. I see.” Wooyoung stretched and ignored the stammering coming from Seonghwa. 

“You knew?”

“We all knew. Now, c’mon before I change my mind. I don’t recall when it was I said I was suddenly a transportation service.” Wooyoung grumbled. He took a few steps towards the ocean, and you could see trails of stardust glinting with his every step. 

You blink. 

His feet never actually made contact with the sand, now that you looked closer. 

Wooyoung made a sweeping motion and in an instant, a tear appeared before you all. You frown, looking at the unnatural tear space and peer through it, holding Seonghwa’s hand. Through it, you can see a lush forest. 

“I don’t have all day, go on.” Wooyoung urged, nodding towards the tear. Seonghwa smiled at you, kissing your knuckles before he pulled you towards the spacial tear, guiding you into it. 

Immediately, the aroma around you changes. 

The smell of sea salt disappeared into the distance, now replaced with fresh rain and flowers. You breathe deep, smiling as it caresses you and brings about an instant calm. The forest seemed to welcome your presences, and you watch as a tiny, cotton ball shaped entity bounced over to you. 

It made a noise you could only describe as a puppy-like squeak before it ran down a row of fragrant plumeria and gardenia bushes. 

“That’s a faerie, they’re leading us to Yeosang.” Seonghwa explained. You smile and turn to thank Wooyoung, but find him already missing. 

“Oh-uh, okay, let’s go.” You take Seonghwa’s hand and follow the fae through the forest. You are careful not to step on any flowers along the way. A few other fae peeked out of the bushes, watching you before they began following you both, some of them cooing and climbing up Seonghwa’s body with a sense of familiarity. 

You smile, watching as the small glowing puffs dot your mate. One of them crossed the bridge between your and his shoulders, squeaking as it pressed against your cheek and began to shake in what you assumed was excitement. 

“Ah, you’re here. Welcome.” 

You look up and blink in surprise, finding yourself standing in front of a beautiful hut in the center of a village you don’t remember walking into. You look around, lips parted as you spy faeries of all shapes and sizes, looking curiously at you as they held fruit and flora in various baskets. 

Your eyes drift back in front of you and you find Yeosang smiling softly at you both, his hair secured back in a clip and a dangling jewled hairclip catching your attention as he walked closer. 

“You kept your word and stopped by. I appreciate it. We’ve missed you,Seonghwa, and my people have wanted to greet you, Y/n.” He gently gave Seonghwa a hug. Seonghwa closed his eyes and leaned down, pressing his forehead to Yeosang’s. Yeosang closed his eyes back, gently holding Seonghwa’s forearms. 

When they pulled away, Yeosang muttered something in a tongue you couldn’t understand, smiling softly before he looked at you. 

“Do you mind?” He asked, holding his arms open. You smile and lean into his embrace without a second’s hesitation. Yeosang smiled and hugged you back. He pulled away after a moment or two and you follow what Seonghwa had done, closing your eyes and tilting your head up slightly. You miss the small look of surprise on Yeosang’s face before it melted into a fond look, with him leaning down to press his forehead to yours, breathing gently. 

A sense of warmth and welcome washed over you, and just like with Seonghwa, Yeosang pulled away and muttered something. This time you could understand him. 

‘Welcome home.’

Seonghwa put his arm around you and guided you into Yeosang’s home, sitting down first and patting his lap. You sit down with a small blush, settling into his embrace as Yeosang began to move about his home, grabbing some decorative cups and setting them in front of you both before he set down a few small ceramic bowls. 

“So, I can smell the excitement on you both, and I noticed you had Wooyoung bring you here instead of making the day-long swim…I’m assuming you both have come to realize you are with children, yes?” Yeosang inquired, his movements graceful as he removed the lids of each bowl. You lift your head to peek, seeing dried flowers and fruit inside of each one, as well as the one at the end having some form of glittering powder. 

“Was I really the last to know?” Seonghwa frowned. You laugh behind your hand and kiss his jaw after turning your head and Yeosang chuckled, gently adding certain petals and leaves to a small bag, tucking them carefully into it. 

“It’s alright. Love is as exhilarating as it is blinding.” Yeosang mused, looking at both of you with a gentle fondness in his eyes. 

“How are you feeling, Miss?” He inquired. You wave gently. 

“Y/n is fine, Yeosang. I’ve been slowing down a bit but I’m okay. I imagine in the next eight months that may change drastically.” 

Both he and Seonghwa looked at you curiously before Yeosang hummed gently, adding dried apple and lemon to one bag. 

“Seaborns do not hold their eggs for nine months like humans do their young. You will probably need to lay in about two or so months. You’re a month in, so you’ll notice your body adjusting and changing fairly quickly from here on out.” He explained. You feel your lips part, staring at him in surprise. 

“Two months?” 

“Or somewhere about that time, yes. I recommend you keep your stress levels down and try and stay away from dangerous situations until then.” He met your eyes and you feel like there’s something he’s not saying in this moment. You don’t look away, rubbing Seonghwa’s knuckles as he adjusted his embrace. 

“What would I be doing that’s dangerous, Yeosang?”

Yeosang’s eyes didn’t betray anything in his head, and instead he only shrugged a shoulder. 

“I don’t know, I’m just warning you regardless.” 

He put the bags in the cups and gently poured the water into them. A pleasant aroma flooded the room and you find yourself sniffing eagerly, watching as he covered each cup with a small lid made of some kind of wood. 

He closed his eyes and took a moment, seemingly thinking before he looked at you both once more. 

“You would like me to place a protective enchantment on your womb, correct?” Yeosang inquired. You and Seonghwa nod in unison and Yeosang hummed, staring at the cups. 

“Have you chosen a place to lay your clutch?” He inquired, looking into Seonghwa’s eyes. 

“On the island, in a mini spring with a waterfall.” 

“Is it deep enough to have a magma stone placed in it without overheating it?” 

“I would need a smaller stone than usual, but yes. It's a good twenty-five feet deep. At least.” 

Yeosang tapped his lip and nodded quietly, humming to himself. He took the lid off of the cups and gently grabbed some of the glittering dust from the final ceramic bowl, sprinkling it into your cup before smiling softly and handing it to you. 

“Here.” 

You take a moment to take a deep breath, enjoying the aroma of hibiscus mixed with dried fruit. You sip gently and lean back against Seonghwa’s chest fully. 

“How many guppies do Seaborns usually have?” 

Yeosang looked at Seonghwa, arching a brow. Seonghwa rubbed your hips, putting his chin over your head. 

“If all goes well, usually two or three. If they aren't incubated properly, they won’t make it. We also would have to watch for predators. Usually, the creatures of the ocean stray clear of Seaborns but nurseries that aren't properly guarded have been known to have opportunity hunters go after the eggs.” he sighed. 

The sound of a growl drew both of their attention to you. A deep leer settled on your face, your eyes bleeding into crimson as you gripped the cup tight. 

“Baby?”

“I’ll kill anything that comes near my fucking babies, Seonghwa.” 

He blinked in surprise before he rubbed your hips and kissed your cheek. 

“I know, baby. Nothing will get close to our nursery.”

Yeosang watched the two of you and moved closer, sitting in front of you. 

“Can you lift your shirt? Just so I can see your stomach?” He inquired. Seonghwa moved his hands away from yours so you could decide and after you sit up a bit, you lift your shirt up until it was bunched over your belly. 

Yeosang’s eyes gleamed, and he held his hand over your stomach, fingertips glowing. He blinked for a moment before he exhaled, laughing to himself. You frown at him, worry settling in your brow. 

“What? What’s wrong?” You ask quickly. He waved and pressed his palm firmly against your belly. 

“Nothing, just thinking. Hold still for a moment.” He instructed. You hold your breath without thinking. Yeosang’s fingertips begin to glow with a soft, pastel yellow twinkle, small symbols appearing around the curve of your stomach before he pulled his hand away and gently lowered your shirt. 

“I’ve put some protective magic over your womb. Remember to be careful, it doesn’t make you immune to injuries, but it simply makes it easier for you with carrying and eventually when you lay. I’ll send you both home with some fae meals to keep your energy high and boost your health. Because you are a Reborn, you will find that your body will most likely begin to lactate, as well. Only Reborns can, seeing as you hold onto your mammal genetics to some extent. You can come back to me when your guppies are born and I will provide you with more Fae meals in order to keep your body healthy and cleansed of toxins so you can nurse them…if you choose to do so.” Yeosang explained, moving to sit back down, taking a sip of the tea in front of him. You touch your stomach ever so slightly and looked over at the kind Fae man. 

“That’s so kind of you…all of this is…Is there anything I can to repay you for your kindness?” 

Seonghwa kissed your head and pressed a kiss to your temple. 

“Yeosang, I’d like to show her around the village and your forest. Is it alright if I do it alone? I want her to see the Vermillion Gardens. If you don’t want anyone there, I understand, too.” Seonghwa spoke gently, and you could tell from the way Yeosang had paused his drinking, this was something of a special place. 

He rose his gaze up to the two of you before he smiled, his nose scrunching slightly. 

“Just be mindful of the flowers. Do not stray too far from them. My Faewilds may be friendly towards those I welcome here, but that does not mean you shouldn’t watch your own back.“

Seonghwa smiled wide and took your hand, pulling you out of the hut and guiding you through the beautiful village. 

Yeosang watched the two of you leave and sat down, bringing a cup of tea up to his lips. 

“I never expected you to be such a softie for an addition of The Fold.” He spoke into the brim of the cup. For a moment, there was no response in the seemingly empty room. 

Then, 

“A ‘softie’? You wound me. I don’t give a damn about that woman or those kids, I just want to make sure-”

“There was an Eldritch rune on her womb long before I touched her. I wonder who that came from.” Yeosang cut him off and motioned to the empty spot beside him, his fingers glowing as a second cup of tea began brewing. Sure enough, Wooyoung emerged, taking a seat beside him, pouting. 

“I really can’t hide a thing from you, huh?” He grumbled. Yeosang sent him a smile, eyes twinking with mirth. 

“No, you can’t. I don’t even know why you try at this point.” 

˚*＊✿❀༓❀✿＊*˚

You step carefully as you trek through the Vermillion Garden, the petals of countless spider lilies tickling your ankles as you walk beside Seonghwa. There was a gazebo in the center of the field and Seonghwa carefully helped you sit in a bench, touching you with added care, as if you were to lay at any moment. 

It was as equally adorable as it was endearing. 

Seonghwa put an arm around you, looking at the illuminated flowers as he took a deep breath. You admire your surroundings, holding Seonghwa’s hand. 

“This flower field…is it special?” You inquire. Seonghwa nodded, looking up at the stars above. The sky was a much different color than the one back on the beach. 

Instead of a pitch black or a deep blue, the night sky was a deep purple. A shimmering aurora flowed through the sky above the two of you, and for a few moments, you forget to breathe, simply taking it all in. 

“The heart and soul of the Faewilds. It all started here. Yeosang always brought us here when something good would happen in our lives. Something about the flowers helping lift the soul and spirit. So…its only right I bring you here.” 

You blush and smile, kissing him slowly. Around you, the flowers begin the glow, wisps of light dancing around the night sky like fireflies. You cup Seonghwa’s face, feeling like you were floating. 

Everything was going to be alright. 

….right?

︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

Taglist

︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

@kimnamshiks @angel0taiyo @atiny-dazzlinglight @jacksons-goddess-gaia @smallfrye @daniblogs164 @daisyhwa @yunhofingers @xlilehx @violetwinters @jess-1404 @perfectlysane24 @babiebumm @bangteezbaby @skmoonchild @universe-sighted @seomisaho @sanraes @asyamonet22 @drunk-on-hwa @shingisimp @yungiland @serialee @justatiredhuman @heesuncore @twistedsiren @xuxibelle @delphinium3000 @horizonmoonfics @cookiechristie @stardragongalaxy @ateezwonderland @spooo00oky @shymexican

[ex0rin]

oh look a distraction from work!

tagged by @jdeanmorgan (thanks! 😘)

10 questions for 10 writers

How many works do you have on AO3?

195, would have been more but i recently orphaned a whole pile of them (sorry if this is the way you're learning of it)

What's your total AO3 word count?

686,289

What fandoms do you write for?

i know i haven't written anything in like two months, but i'm still going to put The Walking Dead since all of my active WIPs are from that one - but like, in general i write whatever i'm into at any given time (prev: The Boys, TFATWS, CA: TWS, Witcher, Watcher Entertainment, general rpf, etc etc)

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I SWEAR I TRY i'm just so fucking bad at it, when i'm in an upswing of writing i don't want to stop to reply (which makes me an asshole) and then when i can't get words out i'm just too sad to try and respond to everything... usually once a year (right before @febuwhump i do a full two weeks of JUST responding to as many as i can from the previous year) (so i guess if you haven't heard from me, wait till January 2025 😅)

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

i have! multiple times. almost ALL rpf from Buzzfeed Unsolved stuff weirdly enough

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

also yes! i think the only one(s) posted are the ones with @ponderosa121 (Gotham, Constantine) but i've done some Very Good and Very Long RP fics with @sparklingbinjuice that one day i'm going to make into actual fics and post

What's your all-time favourite ship?

why do people keep asking me this 😅 if you asked me RIGHT NOW (which is kind of what's happening) i would say neggie (negan x maggie) but this answer is subject to change at the drop of a hat. a month ago it would have been cegan (negan x carl), seven months ago it would have been butchie (butcher x hughie), and before that it was winterbones (rumlow x bucky) or hell, roosmav (rooster x maverick) and so on and so forth

What are your writing strengths?

smut. descriptive smut.

What are your writing weaknesses?

dialogue. jesuschrist i hate writing dialogue (esp for negan, fuck that guy and his tone and innuendo and run on sentences) (affectionate but still annoyed)

First fandom you wrote for?

first posted on AO3 is for NBC Constantine but that's only from 2015 and i've been writing smut since the late 90s 🙃 reader-insert for Star Wars was probably the first thing i ever wrote (before i even really knew what fanfic was tbh) (luke x me babyyyy) but some of the first stuff i published to an audience back in the yahoo groups days would have been the UK queer as folk or... shit, gundam wing probably?

(also, sidenote but tfw you realize charlie hunnam was in the UK QAF on this day of our lord 2024???) (just need a moment while my childhood watching queer as folk collides with my adulthood adoration for pacific rim crash into each other)

okay, anyway, tagging: @sparklingbinjuice @the-ravening @unlikelymilliner @winterbonesthings @duchessonfire @sequencefairy @crushcandles @grianhole @stunt-lads (my tenth @ is whoever would like to participate! you can say i tagged you)

[jjtheclown555]

Hey QT, this is fayiif on my alt 😍 since it wont let me request from my main. If our blogs follow the same request rules then I'd like to request a !MermaidJouno x !PirateReader xx Drabbles of fanfic, I don't mind! Have fun, excited 2 see what U make 💙

Stolen Coins and a Tail

tw. your pirate crew treats you like shit tbh

content. you're counting gold pieces after your crew finds treasure when a mermaid appears all of a sudden in the water

pairings. mermaid!jouno x pirate!reader

word count. 1.7k words

a/n. jouno is highkey ooc and i wrote this rlly fast so its not spellchecked but hey whatre u gonna do?? also everyone check out @fayiif bc shes writing mermaid au fics too!!

As per usual, after finding every treasure, you were left counting and calculating every item and their worth. Your captain had found just about any reason to keep you from showing off your skills and capabilities, busying you by having you count the gold coins and various items being one of them. You had found something with a worn down label that you could barely make out as, “Game Boy.” You didn’t know what it was, only that it would be worth a hefty penny back on land. You count every gold piece of the thousands the crew had conquered, boring yourself.

“1, 2…” You mutter counting up another 10-coin pile. As you look at the large pile of gold you still hadn’t finished counting, you realize that given you were already over 1000 coins and you weren’t close to done. Upon this realization, you reach over to the pile, grabbing a small pile of coins to sort out, slipping some down your sleeve to keep as payment for this service.

You stole a few coins every time you did this, keeping them in a little box in your barracks under your bedding for when you returned to land. Part of it was the payment the captain refused to give you and another part was a slight revenge. When your ship would inevitably be hijacked, the captain would lose everything—all his goods stashed away in his office as apparently to thieves as you could imagine—while you would still have your little stash of a few hundred coins under your bedding. Part of you was thrilled for that day, in hopes the other pirates would see your strengths or at least take pity on you and allow you to join their crew.

Unfortunately, the cruelty of your captain wasn’t lost of you when he steps over, knotted black beard waving in your face, much to your irritation. You pull a fake smile, asking what he needed today and praying he didn’t notice what you had done. “Well, I was just wondering how the counting was going!” He says, jovial tone as if you don’t know why he assigned you this job, how he was scared of you getting too skilled and taking over, how he wanted to keep you soft and sweet so you wouldn’t ever use your talents to take him out.

You tell him the items your found and how much gold you had counted out. While telling him your estimates on how much each item would go for, you are interrupted by a crewmate shouting, “There’s something in the water!” He runs off in the middle of your sentence, not a single apology as he looks over to see a tail flick in the water.

You rush up to see what had happened, staring at the mermaid, short white hair with red tips, eyes shut as he feels around the boat. He tunes into the voices shouting, the ale swishing in cups, and even the confident heartbeats that could only belong to pirates. You watch as his face morphs into a realization, his mouth tightening and features scrunching as he attempts to swim away. Unfortunately, he hears a net fly out where he was attempting to swim, causing his to try his best to reroute.

You try to reason with the crew, to let the mermaid leave when one member, a man who had it out for you since day one shouts, “How about we throw Y/N into the water and let the mermaid keep her?” You recoil out of disgust, his croaky voice creeping under your skin. You think he’s joking until him and a few of his friends begin to shout, “Throw them! Throw them!” over and over. You tell them to shut up, calling them immature when the rest of the crew begins chanting along with them.

“Throw them!” Their voices echo, screeching in your ears.

“Throw them!” You can feel the boat shake with the cheers to be rid of you.

“Throw them!” Each voice muddles together until you don’t know who’s who.

“Throw them!” You hear one final time before you tune it out when the captain picks you up, carrying you to the edge of the plank. You kick and scream nearly freeing yourself multiple times until you’re at the very end of the plank and you hear the captain say, “Fine, I’ll let you go,” before dropping you into the ice-cold water below.

The last thing you see before shutting your eyes is the same mermaid rushing over to where you’re falling. You feel yourself sink into the water, accepting your fate. You would never be saved, you’d never get away, you had no one but this crew of pirates that didn’t care what would happen to you so long as it made you miserable. You stop fighting it, you don’t try to swim up, you don’t try to hold your breath. You just open your mouth and let the water begin to fill your lungs.

That is until the mermaid from before pulls you out of the water, he drags you along as you cough the water out of your lungs, not paying the slightest attention to your state. He simply drags you to a nearby island, one you recognized from the maps. An uncharted island with the infamous Amantes Lake, a place swarming with sirens. You assume this is where he came from, thinking carefully as he places you on land. He stares at you in soaking clothes and hair as wet as can be. You know you looked like a mess but it was rude to stare.

He looks for a few more moments, observing you with a curious stare before he reaches over, placing a few gold coins in your lap. “Those fell out of your sleeve.” Is all he says before he swims off, disappearing into the water. You smile at the coins. It isn’t much but it is enough to get back home if a sailor comes by for research. You think of the mermaid that had saved you. While they existed, it was rare for male mermaids to be seen above water. Women were typically the ones spotted, men are presumed to stay beneath the waters surface to find food and take care of the cove while women were thought to keep others in their species safe from sailors.

It was odd, you assumed it was a rare occasion, maybe due to his clearly poor eyesight, but still, you appreciated him saving you. You were a little upset you couldn’t at least thank him but there’s not much you can change about that. All you can do is stand up, still a bit wobbly and try to look for wood to burn. As you wander, finishing setting up a fire after a few minutes you notice a familiar hed of white hair rise from the sea, heading in your direction. You walk over to the edge and he tosses some fish onto the land. “Food.”

You laugh, “I can see that, thank you.” You respond with a hum, bringing the fish to the fire to cook.

He apologizes. “Sorry, I’m just a little tired from those pirates.”

“You and me both,” You chuckle, beginning to cook the fish, ”At least you haven’t had to be tired of them for the past 2 years straight.” You say, thinking of every rude comment, threat, loud night time drinks where you’d get yelled at if a single one of them saw you.

He snickers, “They’d all be dead if I did.”

“Kill them anyways?” You say, tone quirking into a question. You smirk, giggling as he slinks away in an instance.

He throws his head back to think before pulling closer to your place on the land. “No. I wouldn’t do that for you, you’re almost as annoying as the people I work with.” He states, a twinge of his eyebrow showing an intense disdain. Whether it’s for you or his coworkers, you don’t know.

“Oh, are your co-workers at your nine to five job annoying?”

“Not as annoying as your co-workers on that boat.” He says and you kick at him, “Also, I don’t work a nine to five.”

You ask what his job is then. At first he says he can’t divulge but after a little badgering and a few empty threats from each of you, he begins to explain. “I protect Atlantis from humans, keeping it a safe haven for beings like me.” He goes on, explaining his job which leads you to ask if that’s why he was by your ship. “Yes. You were getting too close to our territory so I was sent to divert you. What I wasn’t told is that you were pirates, the worst kind of sailors. I was just supposed to distract them and get away when everyone else arrived to deal with it but no, you had to get in the way and cause problems for me so now they might be on their way.”

You squint at him, “Sorry that I was thrown off my own ship and have almost no way of getting home.” You take the fish off the fire and start eating, finishing your bite and saying, “My bad.”

Your sarcasm isn’t lost on him and he responds in turn, “It’s okay, I forgive you.” THis causes you to scoff, irritated by him. Who knew mythical creatures would be assholes just like humans. “Look, you can just stay on this island. I’ll bring you food and make sure the sirens don’t fuck with you. If you couldn’t save yourself from getting thrown off a boat by one measly human, You couldn’t possibly be a threat.”

“Or is that what I want you to think and this is my plan to get to Atlantis?”

“Shut up.”

“Okay.” You say pausing for a moment. He goes to swim back down and you stop him, “Thank you, by the way. I don’t really have any other options unless a sailor happens to find me here, which is unlikely since almost no one will come here, let alone make it out alive.”

He smiles a little, “I would say it’s no problem, but it will be a hassle.” He mutters and you toss a rock at him, telling him to shut up through a laugh. He swims off, returning everyday to give you food, whatever items he finds thrown into the sea, and providing you some company on your long days. It’s lonely, and he’s not exactly the nicest company, but he’s kind and he is better than nothing.

tag list: @fayiif @valenrien

[panda-writes-kpop]

Detective Lee

A/N: Hi guys, girls, and non-binary pearls! First of all, Happy Dami Day! I’ve been waiting for this day so I can release my pride and joy of a fic that I’ve been holding back for a month or two. I hope you enjoy this, and let me know how you like it! I enjoy reading the feedback and asks you send me about fics! :) Also, this is a long one, so grab a drink and something to eat if you’re going to read this in one go.

WARNING: This fic is VERY LONG (21.9k words to be exact) so this may crash your app if you’re a mobile user. I’d recommend viewing this fic on a computer or a mobile browser.

TW: A bit of Gahdong and a lot of Suayeon, Suayeon angst, SuA and the reader get into it for a hot minute but then they make up, alcohol, plenty of food mentions, 17th/18th century AU with a bit of period-relevant misogyny, the romance may be a bit cringe, reader has MAJOR mommy issues (same tbh), missing parent trope, based on Enola Holmes 1 + 2 since I’m obsessed with those movies, this fic is completely self-serving and I’m not sorry about that :D

Summary: (Lord help me how do I summarize 21.9k words into two sentences-) A detective’s first case always leaves a mark on them. Dami’s first case involves chasing down a mysterious individual that’s consumed her waking nights and days, and the completion of this case leads to a sequence of events that even the great Detective Lee could not predict.

♡ Masterlist ♡

"Be careful around those Lee girls, Y/N-ah, because they, along with their mother, are nothing but trouble! Don't let those Kim girls influence you too much either because I do not trust them as far as I could throw them." Your mother scolds you as you readjust your outfit.

"Yes, mother. Would you like to criticize anything else about me and the company I keep?" You harshly say before backing away from the mirror.

"You could use a haircut." She blankly says as you sigh deeply.

"I think you know where I am headed, mother. I will be home before dark." You tell her before grabbing your satchel along with the handheld mirror that your father gave you before his disappearance a few years ago.

Oh Father, you have no idea how much I miss you… Mother does too, but her way of showing it is much different than mine.

"Do not let Kim Bora ruin that outfit of yours!" She yells as you open the door to your family home.

"I will sow it back up if anything happens to it." You reassure her before heading outside.

"And if Lee Siyeon tries to make any moves on you, you tell her that she can-"

You sigh before slamming the door behind her.

Maybe that will give her my true opinion on her nagging.

You hike up the bottom of your outfit before running along the dirt road that leads from your house to the main path that connects the country homes to the city. Along that main path was the Kim residence, where you met up with SuA nearly every day.

You'd usually head into town together, arm-in-arm in order to discourage suitors from trying anything. Today, however, SuA had told you that she planned on visiting the Lee residence, or rather, planned on trying to woo her way into the Lee residence.

Despite what your mother thought, the Lee family was very private. Besides an occasional carriage, no one really came in or out of the giant mansion that the three girls and their mother lived in. This had caused many rumors to float around about the four residents, which you and SuA had been eavesdropping on while in town.

Their mother, Mrs. Lee, had the most interesting rumors by far. People had constantly been gossiping about her husband, since he hadn't been seen in the city in years. There were rumors of a mistress that had taken his attention, or maybe he worked overseas and sent money to his family in order to support them. Some even assumed her to be mad since she had some radical views for such a time period. You doubted that rumor since her kindness could be seen through her many donations to the city and its welfare.

Lee Siyeon had captured SuA's curiosity the most, and you didn't blame her. Siyeon was the resident who made the most appearances by far. She was a charmer, which had rumors of witchcraft floating about every time she came into town. Her wink had once sent a woman into cardiac arrest, but that was just a coincidence in your mind. SuA had tried to capture Siyeon's attention multiple times, and succeeded once on your most recent trip into town. A kiss on the hand and sweet promises had put SuA into a spell, which was the main cause for today's outing.

Of course, you couldn't mention Lee Siyeon without bringing her main accomplice, the youngest sibling, into the picture. While Lee Siyeon was dignity and grace personified, Lee Gahyeon was the troublemaker of the family. Running through the stalls and grabbing whatever she fancied was a favorite pastime of hers. Most let her get away with it because, like her sister, she had a charming smile and a way with words that would bend anyone to her beck and call. You and SuA had bumped into her once while she was running away, and you helped Gahyeon up as SuA distracted the guard chasing after her long enough for the young girl to make a quick escape.

Lee Yubin was the girl that not even the gossiping townspeople could figure out. She made less public appearances than her mysterious mother, which had people assuming that the middle Lee sibling was most likely dead, or had gone off with her father to god-knows-where. Although Siyeon and Gahyeon were quick to correct anyone who called her Yubin since she preferred the name Dami, or at least, that's what you heard from other people.

The dirt road that you were following quickly swallowed your small home up as you glanced behind you.

Thank goodness Mother is not following me… but I should keep moving because I don't want to be late again.

You cringe at the thought of another lecture from SuA as you pick up the pace. The spring weather was pleasant enough for you to admire the scenery as you turn onto the main road.

You don't have to think as your feet have memorized the path to the Kim household.

You might not have known much about the Lee sisters, but your mother was right about the Kim sisters: they were nothing but trouble.

Kim Minji was the ringleader, although she managed to talk her way out of most of the trouble that she dragged her sisters into. You heard from SuA that lots of suitors would come knocking on the family's door because Minji had been described as the most beautiful girl in the world. You'd definitely agree with them, but Minji has been like an older, wiser sister to you since you were younger.

Kim Yoohyeon was the youngest in the family, and her jokes and charm constantly captivated the younger gentlefolk in town. Since she was still finishing her studies, Yoohyeon had claimed that she was too preoccupied for a relationship, but you could've sworn that you once saw her sneaking into town with a rose in hand when you were walking home late at night.

Mr. and Mrs. Kim had become like a second set of parents to you, especially after your father disappeared from his business one night. Mr. Kim had a soft spot for you, and he'd teach you many of the activities and life lessons that your father missed out on. Mrs. Kim was a strong baker as well, and you were her favorite kid to test new recipes on.

"Hey, you are late!" A loud voice yells, and you turn your head towards the sound of her voice.

Ah, of course, how could I forget about my partner-in-crime?

Kim Bora, or SuA, as you often called her, had become synonymous with your name. Wherever one of you was, the other was just behind. Besides that, you and her didn't have much of a reputation in town. Sure, SuA got into the occasional scuffle with a drunk gentleman, but she was a good woman with a good heart.

You, however, knew a different version of SuA - the true version. She was loud and eccentric, and her scolding became a way to mock your overbearing mother. You were there for her nonetheless, as she was with you.

This, however, had led you to this moment, where you were wondering what exactly you were doing with SuA.

"Sorry, I got lost in thought while I was heading over here." You shyly admit as she scoffs.

"I can tell. You are still spaced out. Good thing I am here to bring you back!" She says as you smile at her enthusiasm.

"Are you sure you want to do this? We could get in serious trouble if we get caught sneaking into a much richer residence-"

"Oh, cut the bullshit, Y/N. We will be fine!" SuA pulls a piece of paper from her dress pocket before handing it to you. "Besides, who said that we were sneaking in?"

You unfold the crumpled paper before reading the words on the paper.

You have captivated me, like no other has before.

Would you do me the honor of joining me at my humble estate?

Best, L.S.

"That was short." You say before handing her the paper back. "Guess she is not much of a poet?"

"Not everyone can be like those romantics that you read about in novels!" She yells, and you don't cover your ears in time.

"Yeah, SuA, I know. I am still waiting for someone that is worth my time." You say after SuA takes your hand in hers. "Why do you want me to join you?"

"I need some emotional support." SuA softly whispers as the wind blows her dark brown hair. "Besides, are you not just a little curious if those rumors are true?"

"Okay, maybe I am… but I am not a gossip, I swear!" You plead your case as SuA pulls you down the road. "Hey, do not drag me down the road! I can walk by myself."

You brush off the dust on your outfit that SuA had left in her wake.

I wish I was as careless as she was…

"Walk faster, then. We do not have all day." She scolds you again as you chuckle and catch up with her pace.

"You've got this, SuA. You are as charming as they come." You look over as she lets out a shaky breath.

"You think so?"

"Oh, no…" You pause as SuA looks at you with nervous eyes, "I know so."

You yelp after she smacks on the shoulder.

"Yah, you are so mean to me!"

~

You both look up at the large metal gate that keeps you and SuA from entering the Lee mansion.

"This was such a bad idea… why did you encourage me to do this?" She accuses you as you gasp in response.

"Me!?!? You were the one who wanted to come here. You dragged me along to go on your romantic escapade, and now I am making you go through with it." You firmly say as she tightly grips onto your arm.

"But whyyyy~" She whines, and you sigh.

"You will complain if we do or do not go in, and I would rather you have regrets over bad memories than 'what-ifs'." You nod towards the gate as SuA looks away from you. "Besides, someone is unlocking the gate right now."

She yelps as you watch a man unlock the gate and open it for the both of you.

"You are SuA, and her guest, correct?" He says, and you nod on SuA's behalf.

"Allow me to welcome you to the Lee residence." He quickly locks the gate behind you and SuA, and you stare at the wonderland of apple trees and rose bushes in front of you. "I will escort you to the residential section of the property."

"There is more than one part of the property??" You whisper to SuA as she lets go of her death grip on your arm.

"Yeah, they're rich-rich. Did you not know this?" SuA softly chuckles as you shake your head. "You are so naive that it is cute."

She pats your head, and you huff as the two of you walk towards the giant mansion in the distance.

"Excuse me, sir, how long have the Lee's occupied this home?" You ask, and the man thinks for a moment before answering.

"I have had the pleasure of serving three generations of this wonderful family, so I would say that it has been a long, long while." He laughs to himself. "Although the children have been in more trouble now, I can remember seeing the Mistress of the house running around these halls as a child herself."

"You are a loyal butler, I can tell." You say, and you see him crack a quick smile before returning to a stoic expression.

"This family has been nothing but good to me. I have no complaints at all." He says before stopping at the entrance of the mansion. "This is your stop, Ms. Kim. May I escort you inside?"

SuA nervously gulps as you squeeze her arm in reassurance.

"I would like that."

She quickly lets you go before taking the arm of the butler. He walks a few steps forward before turning back to you.

"Oh, and if you would like, there are more apple trees around the back of the property. They look quite pretty this time of year." He smiles at you, and you offer a small one back.

"I might just have to check it out, then." You say as you watch SuA and the butler walk into the house.

She's charming in her own respect, and I know she can handle her own. I just hope this works out for her since I want to see her happy.

You know that SuA will no't want to make this encounter quick, so you decide to follow the butler's directions and head around the back of the mansion.

Wow… this place is so scenic and wondrous… I wouldn't want to leave if I lived here either!

Apple trees were randomly scattered around the back, as if they were trying to direct you to something that was beyond comprehension. If you were younger (and braver), you'd climb one of those trees, but your balance isn't as good as it used to be, plus your mother would kill you if you managed to put yourself in harm's way while out with SuA.

She'd kill me if she knew that I was here, so it doesn't really matter anyways.

The daylight only enhances the beauty of the backyard, so you quickly find yourself exploring as if you had become a child again. You weaved through the trees, and you might have stolen an apple to snack on, but who would notice when there was a full forest of apples ripe for the picking?

After finishing the apple, you toss it aside before placing your hand on one of the trees.

Nature really is a modern wonder… I can't believe people would rather spend time in the city than be out here.

You pause after you spot another figure resting against a tree that was just a bit too far away for you to make out any of their features.

Maybe it's a servant taking a break? I wouldn't mind doing that if I worked here.

You sneak closer before ducking behind a nearby tree.

I hope they didn't see me!

You spare a glance, but you find yourself gawking at the stranger as you realize that a beautiful woman is resting against the tree while writing in a brown journal.

Oh my goodness…

Her soft brown hair carelessly floats in the wind, as if that's where it naturally belongs. Occasionally, she brushes a piece of it out of her face or mouth before continuing to write. Circular glasses frame her small face and deep brown eyes.

She scrunches her nose when she vigorously crosses out something in the book before continuing to write in ink. She does pause to admire the scenery, and to dip her quill in the ink pot that is balanced on a couple of books that are sitting next to her.

The white blouse that she's wearing is slightly unbuttoned, and her brown pants are stained with a mixture of dirt and grass. Her messy appearance would give the notion of improperness, but the way she rolls her shoulders back and calmly breathes when frustrated with something in the journal tells you that she's as refined as they come.

Mother did say that money can't buy class, but she seems to be doing just fine as is.

She looks up again, and this time, she looks in your direction. You gasp before trying to hide behind a tree.

"Is someone there?" She softly calls out as you hear shuffling from behind you. "Are you lost?"

You remain quiet in the hope that she'll just forget about you, but the footsteps continue to approach until they stop. You guess that she's just a foot or two from the tree that you're using as cover, and the volume of her sigh is enough to prove your point.

Your heart pounds, deep and heavy, inside of your chest. A million possibilities run through your mind, but the one that comes from her lips doesn't cross your mind at all.

"Gahyeon, if that is you, can you please stop spying on me? I told Mother that I like to be left alone." She waits for a moment before letting out another sigh. "Or, at least, can you tell Siyeon to stop asking me about a suitor? I am busy trying to start a detective agency, and I don't need any distractions."

Detective agency, huh? So, that's what the middle Lee sister has spent her time doing here… it's ambitious, but I like it.

You wait for Dami to walk a few steps away, and then you call out to her.

"You should start that detective agency. The city could use someone that is looking out for the people who are too busy to watch their own backs."

"Who are you?" She asks before turning around.

"Wait," You say while continuing to hide behind the tree, "do not come any closer."

"Why not?"

A devious idea forms in your head.

"Every great detective has to solve the first mystery, right? That mystery that launches them into the rest of their career."

"I don't think I understand what you are saying… do you require my help?" She gently asks, and your heart softens at the selflessness in her voice.

"No, Dami, not in that way. Your first mystery is to find who I am… if you want to, of course." You tease while still offering her an out.

The silence is unbearable until Dami begins to speak again.

"I am interested… do I have any clues to work with, or am I just supposed to listen to the sound of your melodic voice?"

You laugh before smacking a hand over your mouth.

"Nevermind… I think I just got one." You hear her run off before quickly returning.

You wait before hearing the sound of her writing in the journal as you try to keep your cool.

"Easily charmed, and a sweet laugh… is there anything else I should add to this list?"

Your face heats up at her words, but you push down the flustered emotion inside of you in order to tease her just a little more.

"My friend is interested in being courted by Siyeon." You say, and Dami laughs.

"That really narrows it down."

"Well, detective, have you figured it out yet?" You sweetly ask.

"Not yet, but I do have a lead to chase."

You laugh again before slowly backing away from the tree.

"The game is afoot, Dami… I look forward to hearing from you again."

You don't bother to hear what she says next as you, as quietly as possible, escape into the maze of apple trees.

You retrace your steps, and you find yourself in front of the mansion as SuA exits the manor with a big grin on your face.

"How did it go?" You excitedly ask as she gives you a big hug.

"I think she is the one… I am being serious, you know." SuA looks in your eyes, and you give her a warm smile.

"I am glad to hear that, SuA."

"What about you? You did not just stand out here all by yourself, did you?"

"No…" You bite your lip as you think back to your encounter with Dami. "I just got myself into a good sort of trouble, as you would expect."

"You are being mysterious… I like it!" She cheerfully says. "C'mon, let us go home before your mom hates me for the rest of our lives."

"I hate to break it to you, SuA, but she already does not like you."

"Damn it."

~

"You are not going into town like that, you-"

"I will see you when it gets dark, Mother." You darkly say before grabbing the satchel and stuffing the handheld mirror in your bag.

Father, wherever you may be, give me the strength to deal with your horrible taste in women.

"Do not be seen with that Kim-"

"Oh, hush, Mother!" You scold her for the first time, and the surprise in her eyes is enough to motivate you to leave the house immediately.

I've never done that before… it felt kind of good, to be honest.

You nearly smack into SuA as she pulls you down your porch and down the dirt road.

"What are you-"

"We are going into town right now! There's something that you've got to see!" She yells, and you flinch as her voice reverberates in your ears.

"I can hear you quite fine from here, SuA-"

"Lee Dami made an appearance in town!"

You pause in the middle of the road, and SuA huffs before trying to pull you along again. You're like a dead weight at the bottom of the lake, or a sturdy oak in a strong windstorm, and you refuse to move as you comprehend the words that just came out of her mouth.

"I beg your pardon, Bora, can you repeat yourself?" You ask in disbelief as SuA stops trying to pull you for a moment.

"Lee Dami is out with her sisters in town, but trust me, it gets better! I heard from Minji, who heard it from that cute florist that she is looking for a suitor who came to visit her yesterday."

You cough as you try to hide your shock.

"Oh my… I hope the fruits of her labor are merry." You softly say as SuA squeezes your hand.

"You know we can gossip and walk, right?"

You shake the nerves out of your system as you nod and begin to walk alongside SuA.

"Yeah, I know." You observe the afternoon sun, high in the sky, before directing your attention to SuA. "What happened between you and Siyeon yesterday?"

"Oh, you would not believe me if I told you! It would seem like something out of your fantasy books." She softens as she recalls the memory. "We had a good, long chat about the future and what we are both looking for. She says that she is open to courting, but Siyeon wants to explore the world a little more before settling down."

"How are you feeling about that?" You ask to keep yourself engaged in the conversation, and to keep your mind from wandering to her.

There's nothing to think about, and besides, you're the one who challenged her to this game. You should see if she's a good detective or not.

You smile to yourself as SuA begins to talk again.

Focus, Y/N! You can't be distracted around SuA, or she'll never let you live this down.

"I am actually okay with that. We still have a bit of our studies to finish before we can fully put ourselves out there, you know." She offers you a wink, and you scoff.

"It is bold of you to assume that someone has caught my heart." You say as SuA pokes your side. "Now, what was that for?!?"

She laughs after you hollered at her touch.

"You seem different from when I was with you yesterday. Who knows, maybe you snuck off with some gardener while I was talking to Siyeon yesterday…" She trails off while observing your reaction.

You try to remain stoic, but your hand shakes as you comb a piece of hair out of your face, and SuA yelps before pointing an accusing finger in your face.

"I KNEW IT!"

"SuA, please stop yelling. We are almost in the city." You point at the approaching tall buildings as you and SuA navigate to the side of the road in order to let a horse and carriage through.

"Okay, right, who was it? I need a name, address, family history if it was given, and-"

"SuA! Do you really think I know that information?" You ask before letting go of SuA's hand and folding your arms into your chest. "You are blowing this way out of proportion, plus you have not told me everything about your face-to-face meeting with Siyeon. Who knows what you two were doing behind closed doors?"

SuA sharply smacks your shoulder, and you yelp in pain as she turns her head away from you.

"How dare you accuse me of being improper! You know I am as proper as ladies come."

You try not to snort as you laugh.

"Good joke, SuA. I heard the taverns are looking for a jester, if you're interested."

SuA slaps your shoulder again, and you grumble this time as SuA defiantly sneers at you.

"Oh, you deserved that one."

"C'mon, we are not going to find Siyeon if we keep fighting like this." You say as SuA looks around like a lost puppy.

"Siyeon? Where is she?" She softly asks as you cackle.

"It appears you have fallen for another of my tricks."

You wink before running through the busy crowd of people in the city.

"HEY! GET BACK HERE!" She screeches before quickly chasing after you.

You laugh like a maniac as you listen to SuA's footsteps while running. She's still trailing behind you, by a far distance, but she'll catch you if you stop soon.

I know exactly where I'm gonna lead her.

You smirk as you continue to weave through people. Most let you through with a grumble, a chuckle, or a sweet smile. You reciprocate whatever they give you with whatever energy you have left before you take a sharp left into the business district.

The businessmen pay you no mind as you continue to run straight past them. You slow down as you see exactly what you're looking for.

It's the only tavern on this street, and Siyeon is known to frequent it. SuA'll thank me later.

You calmly walk into the bar, as if you're not sweating up a storm. You take a seat at the bar as a bartender approaches you.

"What can I get you?"

"A glass of water will be fine." You say between sharp inhales.

They chuckle before bringing you what you requested.

"Sounds like you need it. Do not work too hard, alright?"

"Trust me, I do not plan on doing so." You joke before nearly finishing the glass in one sip. "Thank you, by the way."

"It is no issue, alright? Let me know if you need a refill, or if you would like to order anything else." They say before walking over to a customer on the other side of the bar.

You relax as you enjoy the atmosphere of the bar, and shortly after, you hear SuA come clattering through the door like a tornado coming to wreck whatever was in its path. Unfortunately, for you, you're not a mighty oak in this scenario, but rather, you're a flimsy leaf that will be torn apart by the windstorm that the tornado creates.

SuA stomps over to you, and she opens her mouth to tear you and your dignity into pieces, but luckily for you, a savior with a blonde wolf-cut comes to your rescue.

"Ah, SuA, I did not know you went here!" Siyeon smiles before leaning against the bar.

"Oh, you know me, I visit this place all of the time!" She excitedly says before giving you a death glare while Siyeon isn't looking her way. "I did not know that you hung out near this part of the city."

"Yeah, I come here a lot too. It's a shame we have not run into each other more since this is my escape from the main part of the city." Siyeon sighs before taking a drink out of a small glass. "I do not mind the attention from time to time, but I would like to not be surrounded when I leave my house, you know?"

"Absolutely!" SuA cheerfully says. "Could you spare some time for a drink or two?"

"I would like that, but I would also like to know who your friend here is. You were the one who came with SuA to my home, right?"

"Oh, me?" You say, surprised that she even noticed you. "Yeah, I am. You take such good care of your property."

"I know. We are so lucky to have such a great team of gardeners and housekeepers. There's no way we could keep up with the maintenance without them." Siyeon smiles before taking another sip of her drink. "Would you like to join us?"

"Oh no, I would not want to be a bother-"

"Please join us, it would be my pleasure. If money is an issue, I can-"

"No, Siyeon, I have money. I would just rather observe than be involved in any antics, that is all." You say, and Siyeon nods.

"Excitement is not for everyone, I get it."

"Excitement is for me, however. What do you fancy, Siyeon?" SuA saddles up to Siyeon's side as you scoot into a chair farther away from the two of them.

"Well, besides you, I am a fan of scotch and beer."

"Oh, you flirt~" SuA playfully hits Siyeon's shoulder, and the other girl laughs before SuA lays her head on Siyeon's shoulder.

You finish your water as you smile at the two of them.

I guess that was one productive chat that they had…

The door to the bar opens again, and you sneak a quick glance at the pair who's entering.

Well, look who it is… I guess good things really do come in threes.

Gahyeon storms through the door so she can give Siyeon a surprise back hug, and Dami slides in with a slight smirk on her face.

You nervously bite your lip as you direct your attention back to Siyeon and SuA.

"Ah, Gahyeon, you came early." Siyeon chuckles before rubbing Gahyeon's hair. "This is SuA, the girl I invited to our home."

"Ah, it is great to meet you! Though, I swear, I think we have met before…" Gahyeon trails off before letting go of Siyeon.

"Yeah, I was one of the two people who helped to save your ass when you were running from the cops in the market." SuA jokes as the bartender hands her a glassful of some brown liquid.

"Gahyeon, did you get in trouble again?" Siyeon tuts before shaking her head. "You really are your mother's daughter."

Dami silently approaches behind before slipping between you and SuA.

Does she really have to position herself right there? Now I can't help but stare!

"You are surprised by this behavior, Siyeon? You know this is how she acts without a chaperone around." Dami mutters before readjusting her glasses.

"I do not need a chaperone!" Gahyeon huffs. "Besides, you're one to talk about behavior. You never leave the mansion… like you are some sort of shut-in!"

"I prefer my own company rather than the company of others. It is nothing personal to them." Dami shrugs before refusing the drink that the bartender offers. "No thank you, I only drink on special occasions."

"We have company around, you two." Siyeon gestures to SuA first before nodding at you. "Can you save the squabbling for home?"

"Fine." Gahyeon reluctantly agrees before turning to SuA. "You are so beautiful, by the way."

"Oh, thank you, but I think I am a little too old for you~" SuA teases as Gahyeon immediately backpedals.

"Wait, no, I did not mean it like that-"

"Aww, Gahyeon, you are trying to court someone who interests me? Well, as a big sister, it is my duty to fulfill your wishes above mine." Siyeon adds on as Gahyeon turns pink.

She squeals as Siyeon and SuA burst out laughing. You smile at the interaction before pulling something special from your satchel.

You lose your nerve a bit as your heart beats out of control, but Dami is so focused on the conversation going on next to you that you'd be surprised that she even noticed you at all. You feel yourself deflate at that revelation, but you shake off the feeling of rejection in order to give yourself courage for what's to come.

Just breathe, Y/N, and let your heart take control. You've got this, don't lose your cool.

You slip the bundle of calla lilies next to Dami as quickly and quietly as you can before slipping out of your barstool. No one notices you leaving until you hear Siyeon say something to Dami.

"Hey, when did those flowers get there?"

You escape from the building without hearing another whisper about what was going on inside of that bar.

~

"You have done so many favors for me that I'm not sure how I should pay you back." SuA mutters as you help set the table.

"Please do not mention it. I like being around you since you drive me less up-the-wall than my mother does." You chuckle to yourself before adjusting the position of the silverware on the table. "We did a good job. The house is spotless, and the dinner table looks great."

"I am going to take that as a compliment, whether you meant it that way or not."

You laugh before peeking your head into the kitchen.

"Do you need any help, Mrs. Kim?"

"No, I have it all handled. Everything has been prepared in advance. Thank you for the offer, though. I appreciate your willingness." Ms. Kim smiles when SuA walks into the kitchen. "Can you get your father from the backyard? I want him to be here when our guests arrive."

"Of course!" She smiles before leaving the room and the house.

"Thank you, again, for all you do for SuA and the rest of our family. I don't know how I can thank you more than I already have."

"Do not mention it, Ms. Kim. I just want what's best for SuA, that is all." You sweetly say as you hear a knock on the door. "Would you like me to get that?"

"Yes, please! I am still adding the finishing touches to the ham." She excitedly says as you head towards the front door.

You take a deep breath before opening the door.

Siyeon is the first person you see, and she offers you a warm smile.

"You look well. I have not seen you in a long time, so I feared that something may have happened to you." Siyeon admits as you place a hand on her shoulder.

"I appreciate the concern, but you need not worry about me. I am grown, you know, plus someone has to take care of SuA when you are not around."

Siyeon laughs as you allow her to enter the house.

"I promise to take good care of her, now and always."

Gahyeon is the next one who comes out of the four-person carriage, and she offers you a toothy grin.

"You are the other person that was there when I was trying to get away from the police, right?"

You nod as she giggles to yourself.

"Thank you for helping me that day. Your kindness really influenced my decision-making from then on."

You raise an eyebrow at her, and she gives you a subtle wink before slipping inside of the house.

She's a sneaky fox, alright.

Mrs. Lee and Dami walk to the house arm-in-arm, and they both stop a foot away from you.

"Are you a member of the Kim family, or a servant, perhaps?" Mrs. Lee asks, and you shyly smile as your eyes focus on your feet instead of her.

"No, but I do know SuA quite well."

"She does have siblings, right?" You nod as you continue to look down. "You can make eye contact with me, dear, I do not bite."

You cover your face in order to hide your embarrassment as Dami sighs.

"Mother, I think you are going to scare them off."

"Oh, I am so, so sorry! Please excuse my forwardness, I did not mean to offend you."

"No, no, you are quite fine." You softly say before making eye contact with Ms. Lee and Dami.

See, you have not burst into flames! This is fine, you will be fine.

"The Kim sisters… well, Minji is studying abroad and Yoohyeon went to boarding school for the season, so it is usually just SuA and her parents here." You explain as Ms. Lee nods.

"A home is only a house when everyone is gone, right?"

"Mother, you are speaking in riddles again…" Dami gently warns as Ms. Lee shakes her head.

"Ah, what was I thinking? You have not met Dami yet, have you?" She lets go of Dami's arm before giving her an encouraging smile. "I will let you two chat since it would be rude of me not to introduce myself to SuA's parents, given the matter we are discussing."

You look at Ms. Lee with confusion as you let her walk past you.

I'm not going to even ask about that one since I'm not sure I want to even know.

"Ah, I know your name, but you have not a clue about who I am." You quickly introduce yourself as a small smile spreads across her face.

"Do not feel the need to be so formal around me. I like to keep up appearances for my mother's sake. She has enough trouble on her hands with Gahyeon and Siyeon, not including her own struggles." Dami says before offering you her arm. "Will you show me around the property? I would love to see this place through someone else's eyes."

"I would be pleased to do so." You quickly take her arm before leading her around the back to admire SuA's backyard.

A few rose bushes and a couple of small trees dot the backyard, but the main attraction is the mighty oak that rests directly in the middle of the backyard.

I remember when SuA and I used to climb that thing as kids, when we were less afraid of being hurt… those were simpler times, for sure.

"Do you live around here?"

"Yeah, just down the road." You bite your tongue in an effort to keep the words from spilling past your lips like a broken faucet.

"I apologize for my lack of manners, but may I ask you a question?" Dami suddenly says, and your feet pause along with any sort of coherent thought.

"I see no issue with curiosity." You say after mentally scrambling to figure out what to say.

"Do you admire flowers past their physical form?"

"As in symbolism?" You ask for clarification, and she nods. "But of course! I like to read in my free time."

"You do?" She pauses for a moment as another smile graced her lips. "What do you like to read?"

"Oh no, my taste in books would bore you." You confess before Dami gently squeezes your arm.

You hate the way that your heart rate speeds up at such a simple touch, but you have to remain calm and focused in your efforts to not make a fool of yourself.

"Now you've only made me more curious." She says, and you laugh.

"Well, if you insist, but you must not be too surprised by anything I say." You let a smile rest on your face as you recall some of your favorite books. "I like to read a bit of everything, but romance is my favorite."

"A romantic, huh…" Dami softly says before mumbling something incoherent under her breath.

"You are not a fan of romance?" You cock your head at her, and she shakes her head.

"No, it is quite the opposite. I can be a bit too traditional when it comes to romance, I am afraid."

"And there is nothing wrong with that. Love is timeless and endless." You find yourself drifting into a dream world, but you quickly snap out of it. "Ah, I mustn't bore you with such chatter."

"I like discussing such topics with someone new. It keeps my mind fresh, plus Siyeon has not stopped talking about love since she became entranced with your friend." Dami admits, and you giggle.

"SuA does tend to have that effect on people. She is quite the charmer." You say with a dreamy smile. "I am envious of her at times, if I were to be honest."

"I would not doubt your abilities. You can hold a conversation well, and you manage to be captivating in your own right."

"Ah," You hide your face with one of your hands, "thank you for the flattery."

"No, I would be flattering you if I did not return these to you." Dami retrieves a bundle of dried calla lilies from her coat pocket before handing them to you.

Stunned, you look at her before carefully grabbing the flowers from her.

"How did you figure it out?" You mutter as Dami smiles a little wider.

"Well, I was clueless until you left me these flowers at the bar. After a few too many drinks, SuA was open to questioning, and she eventually, with her answers, led me to you." Dami explains as you nod along.

"That sounds like something SuA would say while drinking." A mischievous smile appears on your face. "So, detective, what is your next move since you have solved your first case?"

"For now, I will be working on my sleuthing, and I will be shadowing some of the greats as I chase after something I never knew that I needed." Dami looks at you with a soft tenderness in her eyes as you dare to ask the question that's sitting on the tip of your tongue.

"Oh, and what would that be?"

"You."

~

"You seem so star-struck… are you sure you are feeling alright? If you do not feel well, I can send word to your mother and I-"

You wave your hand before looking at Mrs. Kim.

"I am well, but my thoughts are a bit distracted at the moment… perhaps it's best for me to take my leave before I cause my mother any more worry." You gather your satchel before glancing around for SuA. "Where is SuA?"

"Oh, you did not hear, did you?" Mrs. Kim laughs to herself. "Siyeon asked SuA to enter a courtship with her."

"And?"

"She has not left her room since the Lee family has left."

You chuckle to yourself as Mrs. Kim cleans the final dish.

"Thank you again, Mrs. Kim. I appreciate the invite."

"Oh, you know you are always welcome around here!" She excitedly says before setting the last dish out to air-dry. "Besides, you seem to have taken a liking to one of the Lee girls as well, hm?"

"Ah!" You exclaim before covering your face. "Was I too obvious?"

"You both were. The subtle glances and hidden smiles… oh, the two of you reminded me of my husband and I before we began courting. You fancy her, right?" Mrs. Kim blankly asks as you uncover your mouth.

"I-...I do."

The words stumble out of your mouth as you admit to her, and to yourself, how deeply you were infatuated with Dami.

It was all going to come to a head sometimes. Why not let it be now?

"Oh, you and SuA are growing up far too quickly! I remember when you both were barely tall enough to reach the cookie jar on the counter…" Mrs. Kim giggles at the memory. "In all seriousness, that girl seems to be just right for you. Not too bold and exciting, but not too dry and dull, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah, she is perfect."

"You should head home now, and I will tell SuA where you went. I think she just needs some time to… process everything." Mrs. Kim explains.

Yeah, well, she's not the only one in that situation.

"I will see you soon, Mrs. Kim. Thank you again." You say before placing a hand on the door.

"Oh, do not thank me at all! You are welcome here any time, plus we will see each other at the ball, no?"

"Ball? What ball?" You turn back to curiously gaze at Mrs. Kim.

"Oh, Mrs. Lee wanted to celebrate the courtship with a ball, and I agreed. It would be good for everyone involved, plus Minji and Yoohyeon will be home in time for it as well."

"Are you trying to marry off all of your daughters at once?" You laugh along with Mrs. Kim as she shyly nods. "You must like the idea of an empty nest."

"I want my girls to have the best life possible, and that applies to you as well. You're basically my child, whether or not your mother realizes it."

You hold back a chuckle before opening the door.

"See you soon, Mrs. Kim."

"I look forward to seeing you all dressed up in a fortnight!" Mrs. Kim calls out to you before you close the door and begin to make the trek home.

~

"You are not going to a ball, especially not looking like that-"

"What is it, Mother? Am I not to your standard of beauty?" You scoff before slipping your handheld mirror into a pocket that was built into your outfit. "I am taking my leave, no matter your opinion on me or my affairs."

"You will regret this! What if you end up like your father-"

"Do not speak of my father in such a tone!" You hiss at your mother, and she jumps back at your venomous words. "He was a good man, and if I am to be true to my vow of honesty, I see why he 'disappeared' from your icy glare and harshness towards others."

Your mother stands down for a moment before going back onto the attack.

"What if some suitor takes you away from me? What then?"

"I am not your property, Mother!" You scream before taking a few hurried steps towards the door. "Banish the thought from your mind, immediately, before this becomes the last moment that we spend together."

You do not bother to listen to her rebuttal as you slam the door shut behind you. The door creaks because of how much pressure you applied to it, but you continue to storm towards the carriage that SuA had prepared for the two of you.

The driver quickly steps down to let you in the carriage, and you slip in the empty seat as SuA stares at you with concern and sympathy.

"What did your mother say?"

"It does not matter, and I shall not let her ruin this night." You calmly say as the driver closes the door. "That shade of violet looks nice on you."

"Thank you! Siyeon suggested that I dress like royalty, since that is what I am to her."

You cringe at the statement as SuA laughs.

"I am glad that she has charmed you so much. You deserve someone who shall love you until the end." You pause as you hear a whip crack in the evening air, and you feel the carriage lurch forward after a moment of silence.

SuA nearly tumbles into you, but you catch her in your arms before she can harm herself.

"Thanks for that." She quietly says before staring out of the window. "Are you excited to see the inside of the mansion?"

"Yeah, it will definitely be an adventure." You mindlessly say as your mind drifts towards Dami, which seemed to be a common occurrence since your last meeting.

I wonder if she will make an appearance tonight… I certainly hope so because I would love the chance to speak with her again. She’s so different from everyone else, I… I don’t know what to say, really.

“Do you have someone to fill your dance card, or will you be floating around the entire night?” SuA nudges your shoulder as you shrug.

“We shall see where the night takes us.”

“Ah, so mysterious~ I love it! I am glad to see that you are open to courting.” SuA excitedly starts talking about potential suitors, which is when you mentally exit the conversation.

I am glad that SuA is getting the fairytale that she deserves… we all could use a break since life has felt so nonstop.

You admire the scenery that passes by before the carriage slows, which causes you to crash into SuA. She howls in pain as you grumble and rub your elbows, which had collided with her shoulder blades.

“Sorry, SuA, I did not mean to hurt you.” You softly apologize, and SuA mumbles a curse before looking at you.

“It is not your fault. The carriage driver is simply too reckless, and I can only hope that I have not been bruised.”

You laugh before opening the carriage door. You hop out and offer to help SuA out before the carriage driver can move from their post.

“Thank you!” She gives you a warm smile as she takes your arm.

You make sure that her long, lilac gown is fully out of the carriage before you wave the carriage driver off. They nod before taking off, and the two of you stare at the mansion for a moment before beginning to walk towards it.

You see Siyeon expectantly waiting at the front steps of the mansion, and she becomes visibly excited when SuA comes into her view. SuA blushes before waving, and you softly chuckle at the encounter.

“You two are adorable.” You mumble under your breath before SuA elbows your side. “Yah! Why was that necessary?”

“I swear,” SuA mumbles your full name under her breath before continuing on, “I will make your life miserable when I find out who has you so transfixed.”

“Well, it looks like you will be waiting for a long, long time.” You tease as Siyeon makes her way down the stairs to meet you and SuA at the bottom.

“I hate you.” SuA says at a soft volume before excitedly greeting Siyeon. “Siyeon~ How have you been?”

“I have been well, but I have missed you too much for my heart to handle.” Siyeon takes SuA’s free hand before kissing the back of it. “May I escort you inside?”

SuA squeals like a schoolgirl before letting go of you.

“Of course you can! Lead the way.”

The pair begin to idly chat before walking up the stairs and into the mansion. You admire them for a moment before heading into the mansion as well.

You thank the servant who opens the door for you as you gawk at the interior of the mansion.

Dear God, I do not think we could afford a single candle on the chandelier, let alone anything else in here.

Someone in the distance calls out your name, and a flash of black hair is enough for you to recognize them.

“Kim Minji!” You call out her name in response as she quickly makes her way towards you.

She offers you a warm embrace once she comes close to you, and you happily accept before she tightly squeezes you.

“You have no idea how much I missed you. The letters from my family were enough to tide me over, but it wounded me greatly to not know how my favorite sibling is doing.” She rubs your hair before smoothing it out. “How have you been? Everything seems to have changed so much since we last saw each other.”

“I have been well, Minji, although I missed you a lot more than I usually do. Have your studies been fruitful?” You ask as Minji hands you a drink. “Thank you. You seem to know what I need, and when I need it. I missed that part of you when you were gone.”

“Well, the institution has asked for me to come back for another semester, so I would say that I have done well.” Minji giggles as you clap for her achievements.

“I am so proud of you, Minji. I cannot wait to see what you have been working on. When will you be able to take your family, including myself, back there?” You take a drink as Minji sets her glass down.

“I have to have three semesters behind me in order to receive guests, so in a year’s time, you will be traveling alongside me.”

“I look forward to it.” You finish the drink before setting your glass down next to Minji’s. “Has Yoohyeon arrived home yet?”

“Yes she has, but she has clung to my parent’s side since the moment she came home.” You both laugh before Minji continues to talk. “Yoohyeon is with my parents, if you would like to speak with her.”

“I would like that. If you would excuse me, Minji, it has been a pleasure to see you. We will have to have dinner before you head back in autumn.”

“I will hold you to that offer.” She smiles as you slip past her.

You hold your breath for a moment as you do your best to navigate through the large sea of people who have congregated in the first of many rooms in the mansion. A hand grabs yours, and you have no time to react as you’re pulled through a crowd of people.

“Hey, you remember who I am, right?” Gahyeon faces you, and you sigh in relief at the sight of her face.

“I thought someone with… poor intentions had taken a hold of me. Thank the heavens that it’s just you, Gahyeon.” You softly say as Gahyeon leads you through the mansion. “Where exactly are you taking me?”

She winks at you before turning back towards the front.

“It’s a secret!” Gahyeon giggles before squeezing through more people. “Excuse me, pardon me! I’m coming through.”

Most people offer her a kind smile or a laugh, and some shoot you a sympathetic look as Gahyeon continues to drag you behind her.

Why would she do this? What is her goal?

The sea of people begins to thin as Gahyeon takes you deeper into the mansion.

Thank goodness that people are congregating more towards the front. I’m glad that I have a chance to catch my breath.

Eventually, Gahyeon turns down a random hallway, and everyone else in the world disappears as the only chatter comes from the sound of feet hitting the ground.

She stops at a certain doorway before letting go of your hand.

“Well, this is your destination!” She happily says before skipping away.

“Wait, where am I-” You pause as Gahyeon disappears into thin air.

I guess I have no choice but to go in.

You enter the room while keeping an open mind, and you gently close the door before looking around at the room.

Gahyeon must have led me to the wrong room because this is definitely someone’s private chamber!

You stop moving once you realize that someone is sitting at the desk directly across from the door. A soft sigh escapes them as they stop writing and lift their head up towards you.

“Gahyeon, I told you that no one was to be in my room during the hours of the ball.”

You softly gasp as you recognize the sound of Dami’s voice.

Well, it’s nearly impossible to make her out in this dark room. The only light is right next to the door and to Dami.

“Dami?” You softly say, and Dami grabs the candle holder before turning to face you.

“You are not-” She pauses and softens once her eyes scan you. “My goodness… you look wondrous.”

“I-” You shyly hide your face as Dami blinks before standing up.

“Ah, where are my manners? I apologize for my improperness.” She moves away from the desk before gesturing for you to sit. “You must be uncomfortable in that. Please take a seat.”

“Oh Dami,” You sweetly say, “there’s no need to be so formal with me~”

Her eyes widen before a smirk rests on her lips.

“Ah, you do remember me fondly. That pleases me.” Her hand rests on one of her bed posts before she takes a seat on her bed. “I insist that you take a seat and rest.”

You awkwardly bow, and she chuckles at the gesture. You quickly scurry over to the chair, and you sigh in relief as your back touches the chair.

I did not realize how much pain I was in before I sat down.. But then again, I was just dragged around by Gahyeon, and that is enough to wear anyone out.

You admire the way that the candlelight manages to perfectly highlight every part of her face.

I doubt that there is a scenario where she does not look good. It seems to be impossible for her to look less than divine.

Dami’s outfit is similar to the one that she wore when you first met, except her shirt and pants are both black this time.

“How long have you been here?” Dami inquires.

“Just for a few moments. I was catching up with an old friend, and then Gahyeon dragged me to your front door.” Your face becomes heated as you realize how improper your current situation is, and how your mother would definitely kill you if she found out about this. “I apologize for intruding. You were busy working, and I have ruined the mood-”

“No, I needed the interruption. My mother has asked me to compose something since she found out I was taking music lessons from a family friend.” Dami explains before pointing at the paper. “Feel free to read it, if you wish.”

You take the parchment in your hands, and you hum the melody on the paper.

It’s very simplistic, but the melody is very catchy.

“You know how to read music?” Dami asks with a hint of surprise in her voice.

“My mother and father insisted that I had a well-rounded education.” You nonchalantly say before setting the paper down. “I like it. What are you composing?”

“A wedding song.”

Ah, that explains it.

“Your mother has high hopes for SuA and Siyeon.” You note as you gently set Dami’s quill back into the ink pot.

After a few failed attempts, you manage to make it stand up straight before Dami speaks again.

“I do as well. It would be nice to see a new face around here.” She wistfully says before standing up again. “I should not be monopolizing your time. You came to a ball to dance and socialize with others, and I have taken that chance from you.”

What is she talking about?

You pause as you hear a familiar piece being played from a distance.

Ah, so the dancing has begun.

“No, Dami, that is not the case.” You stand up and take a step towards her. “I came to see you.”

“You did?” The weakness in her voice is unmistakable, and you quickly take the chance to say what’s been on your mind for weeks.

“Somehow, you have managed to enchant me, despite our limited encounters. I do not know why, but something about you has changed so much in me. I am less afraid, and more willing to chase what I desire… which is why I am here, now, with you.” You confess before reaching out to Dami. “I do not wish to be another feeble memory in your mind. I want to take everything slow, but I just cannot stand the thought of not seeing you again.”

“I… can say that I feel the same as you. No one has challenged my mind like you have, and I quite enjoy getting to know who you truly are.” Her hand meets yours, and she interlaces her fingers with yours. “I will give you as much time as we need.”

“Thank you, Dami.” You softly say before grabbing the quill and an empty piece of parchment with your free hand.

You scribble your address down on the paper before handing it to Dami.

“Since I have seen how you live, maybe you could come to see me sometime?” You say as she takes the paper with her free hand. “I live nothing like you, but I think that would give you an idea of who I truly am.”

“I would enjoy seeing how you live, and the wonderful people who have raised you.”

You do your best to hide the grimace that appears on your face at the last part of her statement.

I can tell her about my mother and father at another time.

“I-” You pause as a piercing scream comes through the near silence that you and Dami were in.

You look around, alarmed, as Dami looks out of her window.

“No one’s outside.” She mumbles before sighing. “I bet someone had too much to drink.”

You pause, awaiting another scream, but you hear music continue to play.

“You are probably right.” You bite your lip before taking a step towards the door. “I should be taking my leave. SuA is probably worried sick about me.”

Dami lets go of your hand with a sad look in her eyes.

“Oh, alright. If you need an escape for the rest of the night, you are more than welcome to come back here.”

“I might have to take you up on that offer.” You brush a piece of hair out of your face before exiting Dami’s room. “Goodbye, Dami. I hope that our paths cross again.”

~

“Who is knocking at our door? Did you invite SuA over again?” Your mother angrily asks as you shake your head.

“Not exactly, but I ask that you give her a chance.” You plead as she sighs.

“Is it a Lee?”

You nod as your mother gasps in horror.

“Absolutely not! I will have no daughter of that heathen of a woman in my home!” Your mother spits out as you continue to walk towards the door.

“Listen, can you put your history with her mother behind us for just one meal? That is all I ask for, Mother, and I would be forever grateful if you could grant this simple request.” You softly say, and your mother sighs before agreeing.

“One dinner, then I will return to my rightful disliking of that family.”

You cheer before turning back to the door.

It’s one meal, that’s all.

You had begun to exchange letters with Dami after you met with her during the ball, and your mother had quickly grown suspicious of the amount of time you spent inside instead of being out with SuA, so you had confessed that you had fallen for someone.

Your mother, surprisingly, did not overreact and was, in some strange stroke of luck, quite excited to meet this suitor. So, you had set up a meeting between Dami and your mother, but you had yet to tell your mother who this suitor was.

You open the door, and a bright smile appears on your face when Dami appears before you. You do not hesitate to give her a big hug, and she pulls her hands away from her chest before hugging you back.

“I hope your mother is not allergic to flowers.” Dami mumbles before you let go of her. “Have you been well?”

“I can say that I have been well since I have seen you last.” You take her free arm before leading her into your home. “Are you well?”

“I have seen better days.” She chuckles to herself. “The detective agency keeps me quite busy.”

“I am well aware. You still travel from here to the city, and back again?” You ask before closing the door behind the two of you

“I have been looking for different accommodations, but I have a few more arrangements to make before I can fully adjust to city life.” Dami admits as you turn into the kitchen. “Ah, you must be the mother I’ve heard so much about.”

You do your best to hide the mischief in your eyes as Dami politely shakes your mother’s hand.

“Unlike your mother, you appear to have manners.” Your mother grumbled, and Dami simply cocks her head at her.

“I beg your pardon?”

“Dami, my mother and your mother have a… complicated history.” You gently explain in an effort to diffuse the tension that has slipped into the room.

“I do not understand what you mean.”

“A long time ago, my mother and your mother were competing to win the heart of a certain suitor that you may or may not know very well.” You say with a smile. “Anyways, my mother failed to capture his heart, and she married my father while your mother fell in love with the man that is your father.”

“I never knew that about Mother.” Dami softly says under her breath. “You know Mrs. Kim too, right?”

“Yes, she was my closest friend.” Your mother says through gritted teeth. “Unfortunately for me, she sided with your mother instead of me, and look where we are today.”

“So that’s why you and SuA are so close…” Dami acknowledges your mother with a nod before changing the subject. “Can I help with dinner?”

“No, I have it handled. Please take a seat and enjoy yourself.” Your mother suggests as you lead Dami into the parlor room.

“That went about as badly as I thought it would.” Dami whispers under her breath as you softly giggle.

“Dami, that’s the best my mother has reacted to someone that I have brought to the house. You should have seen the look on her face when I brought SuA over to my house for a night spent at my house. My mom nearly made the poor girl cry.” You explain before resting on a loveseat.

Dami sits next to you as you grab a dusty book from next to you. You blow the dust off of it before carefully opening the book.

“What is that?” Dami inquires.

“It’s a journal that my father kept that recalls his memories from the day I was born to the day he disappeared. This is not the only journal, but it is the last one I have.” You hand Dami the journal, and she looks at you with confusion in her eyes.

“Why are you giving this to me?”

“You should read it. He gives some great advice, especially to my future suitors.” You take the book back from her before opening it to one of the back pages.

You read from the book with a steady tone as you imagine your father’s voice speaking to you in the present moment.

“My sweet child, oh how I wish to see the world you shall leave in your wake. You are brighter than every star, sweeter than a freshly-picked cherry, and warmer than the sun on its best days. I cannot imagine a world without you, without the changes that you shall make.

You are barely old enough to understand the world that you live in. Someday, you will understand the sacrifices I have made for your comfort. You are my everything, my light and my joy. I wish nothing but the best for you in everything that you do.

I know that you are approaching a special age, one that is very thrilling but very isolating. You may begin courting, and your mother and I may not agree about who you are courting. This, however, should not persuade you or your lover. The only person who can write your destiny is you, no matter what your mother may demand of you now.

As a father, my only wish is that the person that you marry will appreciate you for who you really are: a shining star. You, my dear, are so special and deserve nothing but the best. You can accomplish anything that you put your mind to. You have made friends with your mother’s sworn enemies, but you don’t know that now. You will most likely marry someone that your mother hates, but you will never know, or you will just be old enough to know better.

Please, my child, heed my warning: Be everything that me and your mother were not. Be in love with the person you marry. Do not accept less than perfection because you deserve to be treated with respect and love, as does your lover. You can be different, you can change, you can be better than us. I just know it.”

You shudder as you finish reading your father’s last written words.

‘You can be different, you can change, you can be better than us. I just know it.’ Father, I hope I have made you proud.

“Was your father a scholar?”

“A writer, actually, although he was not very popular.” You correct her before grabbing another book from the pile of books besides you. “We have been living off of his trust funds and royalties since his disappearance, which explains the state of the house.”

It was no secret that your home was not in the best conditions. From the creaky floors that could give out at any time to the paint chippings on the wall, the house needed an overhaul that you could not provide without a quality education or a rich suitor.

“Ah, I see.”

You set both books down on the ground before turning to Dami.

“Do not let my mother phase you. She is all bark, no bite.”

“I certainly hope that her bark is not strong enough to blow me away.” Dami mumbles under her breath as your mother calls out from the kitchen.

“Dinner is ready! Come in and get it while it is still hot.”

You slip out of the room, and Dami follows behind.

“Did you show her the parlor room?” Your mother asks as you silently nod. “Good, it could use some guests since we barely have anyone over.”

Well, I wonder why that could be the case…

“Do you like to read?” Dami attempts to engage and connect with your mother as you serve yourself dinner.

“I was never a reader like my husband and my child. I often had social hours with my friends who lived in the city while my husband was still around.” She explains as Dami grabs a plate as you sit down at the dinner table. “Are you as studious as my child is?”

“I think you already know the answer to your question, but if you are looking for an answer from me, then yes, I have been educated by tutors and self-studying on my own.”

“Self-studying, huh? So you are trying to become a scholar?” Your mother asks with a sliver of curiosity, but Dami shakes her head.

“Oh, I have recently opened my detective agency in the city. You may know-”

“You are Lee Dami, correct?” Your mother cuts Dami off, and Dami nods before your mother continues on. “I have heard all about you and your expeditions.”

Here we go…

You take a sip of water as Dami sits to your left, and your mother sits to your right.

“I have consulted your child for multiple cases. They have been quite useful, and they have been helping me with some of the more difficult problems that I face.”

“So you’ve been putting my child in danger?” Your mother’s pitch rises an octave, and her eyes twitch as Dami immediately backtracks.

“Oh no, that is the last thing I would want to happen. I assure you that their safety and comfort comes first before my work or anything else in my life.” Dami places her hand over yours, and you shyly smile at your mother, who looks very unimpressed.

“How should I be sure that you do not have poor intentions with my child? Many have tried to pursue them before, but what makes you better than them all?” Your mother tries to provoke Dami as you intervene.

“Mother, that is enough! Dami is a guest, not a criminal. Please stop investigating her.” You plead with your mother before shooting Dami a sympathetic look. “I am so, so sorry-”

“No, your mother has a point, although her intentions may not be innocent.” Dami clears her throat before squeezing your hand. “I want nothing more than to provide your child with everything that they need in life. Love, safety, commitment, money - whatever they want is what I want to give them.”

“Are you… asking for their hand in marriage?” Your mother prods, which causes Dami to blush.

“Ah, no… but I am interested in courting them.”

“Oh, you’re old-fashioned.” Your mother thinks for what feels like a century before answering. “Yes, you may court my child… but there is to be no tomfoolery in this house! Are we clear?”

Dami lets out a sigh of relief before glancing over at you. You grin at her before looking over to your mom.

“Yes, Mother!” You excitedly say before working on finishing your dinner.

Dami chuckles to herself as your mom shakes her head at you. Everyone eats dinner in peace as the tension finally evaporates from the air.

~

“Siyeon-ah!” SuA cries out before laughing. “You are supposed to be kind to a woman, not bring harm to them.”

“So your fencing skills are not as strong as you thought they were, hmm?” Siyeon teases as SuA throws her sword to the ground.

“You are simply no fun!” SuA exclaims before huffing and backing away from the small white cement circle in the middle of the courtyard.

“Has she always been this good at fencing?” You mumble into Dami’s ear before linking your arm with hers.

“Siyeon has the most physical strength out of the three of us.” Dami states as you lean against her.

“So you are admitting that she is better at fencing than you are?”

“I did what I needed to in order to get a seal of approval from our fencing instructor.” Dami sighs in disappointment before you squeeze her arm.

“I assure you that you make up for a lack of physical strength in many different ways~” You teasingly say, and Dami blushes as you let go of her arm.

“Your praise is the sweetest melody in my ear, and it is all I ever want to hear until the end of my days.” Dami gently grabs your hand before pulling it up to her lips. “I suppose that you feel the same?”

You pause as she kisses your hand, and that action only fuels the burning flame in your heart.

“You are as charming as your sister, I assure you.” You say while trying to hide how flustered you truly are.

“Ah, have I driven you away with my outward affection? I only wish to please you, my dear.” Dami pulls you close as your mind scrambles from the words that come from her lips.

I absolutely should not let her have this control over me, but I enjoy it so much. I would love to stay like this until the end of time.

You play with the seams of your outfit as you shyly look Dami in the eyes.

“I adore you, Dami, even though I may not express how I truly feel to you.” You mumble against her body, and she stops breathing for a moment before you feel her chest rise and fall again to a steady rhythm.

“My adoration goes farther than any complex arrangement of words could suggest, and I wish for you to take your time in expressing how you feel. We have the rest of our lives to look forward to.” Dami says as you watch SuA mournfully approach the two of you. “I only wish that I would gain your mother’s full approval.”

“Hell will freeze over before that day comes, Dami.” SuA grumbles before you hand her a glass of water. “That old woman does not like anyone, so having a luke-warm reception from her is about as good as you are going to get.”

“My mother may be a nightmare to handle, but she still is my mother. She raised me after my father disappeared, and I only have her left to support me.” You bite your lip as SuA pats the back of your shoulder.

“My mom and dad would love to take you in. We love you as you are. There is no need for you to put yourself through torture because you feel like you owe your mother a part of yourself.” SuA says before taking a sip of the water. “Besides, I had promised you that I would help you look for your father, and I fully intend to keep that vow.”

“Yeah, but what if what I find is the opposite of what I need?” You softly ask. “What then, if uncertainty strikes my vulnerabilities?”

“I assure you that everything will be fine. Once I have finished my current work, we can start working towards reopening the case, if you wish.” Dami rubs your back as you shake your head at her.

“I could not ask you to abandon your work like that-”

“No amount of coins and notoriety is worth the price of a good night’s rest. You need answers, and I will happily help you find them.”

“Dami, I do not think I can thank you enough…” You trail off as she takes your free hand in hers.

“Think nothing of it. I want to provide for you, to prove to your mother and to everyone else that I can care for you and myself.” Dami admits as you and SuA nod along. “I will see what I can finish tonight, and I will hopefully be able to start working towards finishing everything tomorrow.”

“Really?” Your eyes shine brightly, which makes Dami smile.

“Of course, dearest. You are my priority now, as I am yours.”

“Did you not say that you would never fall for someone who was not like a person in your fantasy novels?” SuA teases as you quickly become embarrassed.

“Priorities and preferences change, plus who said that Dami was not everything I dreamed of and so much more?”

“Ah, you have not changed at all, dear friend! I love to see you so happy and content.” SuA slaps your back, and you jump as Dami laughs. “Siyeon! I am challenging you to another round!”

“Are you sure that you can take another loss, my love?” Siyeon playfully says as SuA grabs the sword from the ground.

“Who says that I will lose?”

Siyeon and SuA ready themselves as you and Dami continue to watch.

“En garde!”

The clashing of swords causes you to pull your attention to Dami, who looks deep in thought.

You place a comforting hand on her shoulder, which causes her to look at you.

“Is everything alright?” You ask.

“Yes, I am quite fine, but I worry that I am taking too long of a break.”

“I think you are committed more to your detective work than you are to me, dear.” You wink at Dami as she eyes you up and down.

“I assure that a greater fallacy has not been spoken since-”

You interrupt Dami by softly shushing her.

“I know that your mother’s departure has been rough on all three of you. It is okay to admit that you miss her, you know.”

“I wish she would have told father to meet us here, to want to see his children again, but instead, mother bent herself to his needs again.” Dami sighs before continuing to speak. “Siyeon and Gahyeon have adjusted well, as have I. Our mother has not been involved in our affairs since we were young, so it is not like there is much missing. I just miss the smaller moments, like the weekly book recommendations and family tea time.”

“I am sure that she misses the three of you as well.” You reassure Dami before a figure approaches from the mansion. “I think that is Gahyeon in the distance, right?”

“Yes, it would appear so. I wonder what she is looking for?”

You hear Siyeon laugh and SuA angrily shout as another sword flies through the air. Siyeon helps SuA off of the ground, and the two of them intimately look each other in the eyes as Gahyeon approaches you and Dami.

“I am sorry to interrupt-”

“Gahyeon, you are more than welcome to join us at any time.” You correct her before gesturing for her to continue.

“We have guests.” A grin appears on her face as she looks back at the mansion. “Handong has come to visit us again, plus she brought one of her friends from the academy. Correct me if I am wrong, but the friend is the youngest sister of the Kim family, right?”

~

You allow Dami to lead you to the front door as you walk arm-in-arm. SuA, on the other hand, drags Siyeon to the door as Gahyeon instructs the butler to open the door.

SuA was never one for tradition.

You smile as the shadow of Yoohyeon and another girl appears in broad daylight. Once Yoohyeon makes eye contact with you, she nearly runs over SuA, who had her arms extended towards Yoohyeon, in order to reach you.

You let go of Dami as Yoohyeon tightly hugs you.

“You are home, Yooh.” You mumble softly before playing with a few strands of hair and wrapping an arm around you. “I missed you to the moon and back. How has your schooling gone?”

“I seem to have more focus since I have left my house, so I have been flourishing academically. You and SuA have completely finished your studies, if I have my dates correct, which means that you two…” Yoohyeon trails off before backing away from you and eyeing Dami. “Oh, I see what is happening here. I never thought you were one for courting.”

“I… have changed for the better since your departure.” You shyly say as Yoohyeon raises an eyebrow at you.

“Are you implying that my absence was the cause of your sudden shift in behavior? What a menace you are, you-”

You squeal as Yoohyeon laughs at your state.

“You have no manners, Yoohyeon!” You tease before glancing at Dami. “This is Kim Yoohyeon, one of SuA’s sisters.”

“I can see the resemblance.” Dami gently shakes Yoohyeon’s hand. “My name is Dami.”

“Ah, you have taken an interest in my sweet friend. Tell me, what is the secret to getting them to fall for you?”

“Yoohyeon!” You whine as Dami smiles while lovingly gazing at you.

“They have enchanted me far beyond what should be considered normal, so I had no choice but to be as charming as possible in order to keep them by my side.”

“A lover and a romantic, huh? Have you considered learning a card game or two? Your luck is so good!” Yoohyeon cannot help but laugh as you take Dami’s arm again.

“I shall look into it.” You say before waving her off. “You should speak with SuA. I am sure that she is dying to see you.”

Yoohyeon rolls her eyes as you sweetly giggle.

“You act as if we are not like oil and water when mixed together.”

“Just say hello, and then you can take your leave.” You encourage her as Yoohyeon nods and calmly walks over to her sister. “She is very special, is she not?”

“The Kims, strangely enough, remind me of my family. I do not mind the teasing or games since they enjoy it much more than I do.” She vaguely gestures to the scene of Yoohyeon and SuA wrestling on the floor in front of you.

Siyeon watches and laughs as the girls holler and pull each other’s hair.

“Dami? Is that you?”

“Ah, Handong, it is great to see you!” Dami greets and welcomes the other woman at the door while gesturing her to come in.

She quickly walks over to the two of you in order to avoid the debacle happening in the middle of the foyer.

“Who might this be?” Handong asks before you introduce yourself. “Oh? Is that so? It is great to hear that a friend of mine has found someone to take care of her.”

“Handong, I assure you that I can take care of myself.”

“I know, but you can distract yourself with your work and lose focus from time to time. You need that person to pull you back and remind you what life is about.” Handong wistfully says. “While we are on the subject of work, how has your business been doing? I have seen you on the front of many newspapers, but gossip means nothing to me nowadays.”

“As strange as it may seem, the articles themselves are very, very true. I have made myself a name in this city-”

“-and I could not be more proud of how much great work you have done.” You admire Dami before sheepishly backing off. “Sorry, I did not mean to interrupt. Continue on as you were.”

“No, my dear, you are welcome into the conversation at any time. You are right, though, I do not do such strenuous work for the satisfaction of money, although that is a plus. I like to help those in need when possible.” Dami lets go of your arm in favor of holding your hand, and you notice Handong smile at the gesture.

“As much as I wish to keep speaking with both of you, this is a business visit, unfortunately.” Handong sighs as you cock your head at her. “My family and the Lees have been working together for centuries on developing the land. That is how we ended up with such fortune, after all.”

“So you need to speak with Siyeon?” Dami inquires, and Handong nods.

“Yes, I do. Perhaps we could do so over dinner?”

Gahyeon jumps into the conversation by leaning on Handong’s shoulder.

“Absolutely! I will tell the chefs to prepare dinner for seven!”

Handong laughs at Gahyeon’s sudden appearance before giving her a warm hug.

“Now, where did you come from?”

~

Dinner goes smoothly as you sit in-between Dami and Yoohyeon. Conversation flows like a flowing river on a sunny day, and you are more than content when Dami reaches over and places her hand over yours.

The same cannot be said for SuA, who is sitting across from you with a grimace on her face. Not once during dinner has Siyeon acknowledged her or turned her direction, and all of you have been sitting at the dinner hour for over two hours.

I do not want to be here when she finally says what is on her mind. That will be a world-ending experience.

You shoot her a sympathetic look as she continues to absentmindedly pick at her food as Gahyeon chatters on about something that SuA really does not care about. After looking over at you, she rolls her eyes and angrily eats a piece of steak. Siyeon and Handong calmly chat at the other end of the table, as if they are completely unaware of SuA’s burning gaze.

Eventually, to everyone’s surprise but your own, SuA suddenly stands up and carelessly tosses her fork on the table.

“My love, is everything alright?” Siyeon reaches for SuA, but she takes a step away from Siyeon.

“It is late. I should be arriving home with Yoohyeon before my family worries.” SuA coldly states before glaring at Yoohyeon. “Let us go.”

“But I have not finished my-”

“Now.”

You shiver at the anger in SuA’s tone as Yoohyeon sets her fork down and stands up alongside her sister. The two of them silently leave the room as everyone stares in disbelief at the situation that unfolded right in front of them.

Siyeon stands up after SuA slams the dining room door shut, but you gesture for her to sit before standing up yourself.

“Let me talk her down a bit, okay?” You offer her a weak smile before taking your hand away from Dami. “I will be back in a while, dear.”

You quietly slip out of the dining room before entering the foyer. You catch SuA dragging Yoohyeon out of the door when you call out for her.

“SuA? Why are you running away?”

SuA immediately lets go of Yoohyeon and directs her anger towards you.

“I am not running away from anything! Siyeon refused to acknowledge my existence!” SuA raises her voice as you attempt to calm her down.

“I know, but-”

“No, no you do not! You have not a clue what it feels like for someone to abandon you, to leave you out for the wolves!” SuA hisses as Yoohyeon gasps.

“SuA, their father-”

“-will never return home, and honestly? I will never blame him for doing so. Your mother is a nightmare, and you are simply too scared to stand up to her fully in the fear of being kicked out. Your father would be ashamed of the person you turned out to be!” SuA’s words hit you hard, and you cover your face with your hand so she does not have to see you cry.

“SuA, that is enough!” Yoohyeon raises her voice, which causes you to jump. “You are taking out your anger on the one person who would do anything for you within a heartbeat. Are you sure you want to throw that all away over someone who may only have a temporary residency in your heart?”

“If I cannot have the woman I love, then what does it matter?” SuA weakly says as she holds back tears. “Love is sickening, Yoohyeon, do not let the pretty flowers or lovely notes fool you.”

“Yooh, she is misguided by her emotions.” You softly say while trying to wipe the tears from her face. “You have to give love a chance in order to decide if it is for you or not.”

“I am not misguided! One day, Dami will ruin your life by falling out of love with you. Maybe she already has, and you are just stringing yourself along until she finally has the courage to end things with you-”

Your sobs are what push Yoohyeon to back away from SuA and pull you into her arms.

“Go home, SuA, and get some rest.”

“What will mother and father-”

“I will happily explain to them what you said if you will not tell them yourself. You are a grown woman, SuA. You should know better than to take your anger out on an innocent party.” Yoohyeon harshly critiques SuA as their carriage pulls around. “Now, go before you can cause any more damage.”

SuA huffs before turning towards the carriage. She enters it without a word, and the carriage drives away as you collapse into Yoohyeon’s arms.

“I am so, so sorry for her behavior… I have never seen her act like this.”

“Neither have I.” You croak out in between sobs.

“Do not speak. I will call a separate carriage for us, and-”

“Yoohyeon?” Handong calls out from the dining room, and she pauses before looking back to the dining room. “Yes, Siyeon, everything is alright. I will be back in a minute.”

“Handong, go back and enjoy dinner. This is not-”

Handong waves a hand at Yoohyeon before calling over a butler.

“Call my carriage over, and have the driver take these girls wherever they wish to go.”

“No, that will not be necessary-”

“Yoohyeon, I insist. I bear some responsibility in this, anyway.” Handong guiltily says before looking at you. “You should have come out here with someone else, someone who could have helped you calm her down faster-”

“No, she would have gotten in a screaming match with you or Siyeon, and Gahyeon or Dami would not have a clue what to do. It had to be them, in one way or another.” Yoohyeon wraps her arms around your neck as you lean into her touch.

“Home. I want to go home.” You mumble into her neck as she nods.

“Do you want to say goodbye to Da-”

“No, I cannot face her after what SuA said.” You bite your bottom lip as you try to stop more tears from falling out of your eyes.

“Dami adores you, and unlike SuA, I will not allow you to push her away when you need her most.” Yoohyeon glances over to Handong, who nods and quickly heads back into the kitchen. “You are allowed to need her as much as she needs you.”

“I feel guilty for monopolizing her time-”

“You are courting, for heaven’s sake!” Yoohyeon exasperatedly says. “Of course you will take up much of her time, but that is because she wants to be there for you. ‘For better or for worse’, right?”

“Is SuA right? Will she eventually lose interest in me?” You ask, scared of what the answer will be.

“To be very honest, SuA was talking out of anger and jealousy. She told you what she felt was happening to her.” Yoohyeon explains as you steady yourself. “Are you better?”

“As good as I will be after that verbal lashing.”

You and Yoohyeon awkwardly laugh as Handong returns with Dami in tow. As soon as Dami comes into your line of sight, you somehow find your way into her comforting arms.

“Please never leave me. I do not know what I would do if I never got to see you again. You are a piece of me that I wish I could keep forever.” You mumble into her neck as she comfortingly rubs your back.

“I will stay with you as long as you will have me by your side. I am yours, now and always, and that will never change.” Dami softly whispers as you tightly hug her.

“I love you.” The words slip out of your mouth before you realize what you have said.

You feel Dami’s breath hitch as she processes what you just said.

“I… I love you too.” She parts from you, only to give you a kiss on the cheek. “Go home and get some rest, alright? I will come to see you tomorrow, I promise.”

“You promise?” You repeat as you watch Handong’s carriage pull up to the mansion.

“I will never let you down, my dear.”

~

“So, you have finally gotten rid of that Kim Bora for good?” Your mother asks after knocking on your door. “That is a step in the right direction! Now, if only that pesky Lee girl could let go of her claws in you, and we would be set to-”

“Leave Dami out of this, and set my food by the door.” You loudly mumble from your bed.

You had not gotten out of bed nor had you changed out of your sleepwear. You only felt like reading one of the journals your father had given you, trying to sleep, or staring at the wall and replaying last night over and over in your mind.

“But you have not touched breakfast at all-”

“I will eat something today, I promise.” You weakly say, which causes your mother to leave, and for you to sigh in relief.

I just want the rest of the world to fade away as I stay in bed for just a while longer.

You hug the stuffed animal that SuA gave you when you both were children, and it brings you a moment of comfort before you hear your mother calling out for you again.

“I know you are in no state to be seen, but Dami is here to see you. She says that she has something to speak with you about.”

Your eyes widen when you realize that Dami is in your house and awaiting you, so you quickly ready yourself before calling out to your mother.

“You can send her up! I am ready to be seen by my company, whether or not you think so.”

You open the window in your bedroom and adjust the hem of your outfit before you hear a single soft knock on the door.

“Dear, may I come in?”

Dami’s sweet voice floats through the cracks in the doorway, and you sigh before sitting down on your bed.

“Yes, you can come in.”

The door creaks open, and Dami stands there with a plate of food in her hands.

“You should eat, even if you do not feel like it. You will make yourself more ill if you refuse to take care of yourself.”

“I- Thank you.” You briefly say before extending your hands towards her.

She softly smiles before walking over to you and handing you the food, along with a set of silverware.

“I like the decorations in your room… it is fitting for your personality.” Dami comments as you take a bite of food.

When the taste of your mother’s cooking hits your tongue, the knot in your stomach unravels and you’re suddenly hungry enough to eat the food that has been prepared for you.

“Thank you…” You say in-between bites of food. “My father gifted me most of it, and the rest is from Minji or Bora.”

You soften once her name comes from her lips, and Dami sits next to you before placing an arm around you.

“Siyeon visited SuA before I came to see you.” Dami looks out the window as you stare at her in curiosity.

“What happened?”

“SuA cursed her out before throwing her promise rings at Siyeon.”

“So they are no longer courting?” You feel sad when you ask Dami that, even though you already know the answer.

“Although Siyeon is awaiting a direct answer, I believe it is fair to say that the two of them are going separate ways, at least for a little while.” Dami explains as you nod along.

“I know that SuA can overreact at times, but that was extreme, especially given the scenario-”

“No, I think she was in the right.” Dami states as you furrow your eyebrows.

“What do you mean?”

“Any reasonable person would have been upset with a lover if that lover had been ignoring them. SuA should not have directed any anger towards you, which is something we will both agree on, I am sure.”

You set the empty plate on your nightstand before grabbing the gifted stuffed animal from the back of your bed.

“Yeah, she has never gotten so angry with me, and not over something like that. She must have been feeling so upset, and I tried to reason with her, I did, but-”

“She was in no mood to hear you out, but SuA should have sent you away if she knew that she would explode like that.” Dami pulls you closer before rubbing your shoulder in reassurance. “I heard from Gahyeon that the two of them have been arguing over small things for a while, so I guess this was the tipping point for them.”

“And Handong? Is she alright? I know she must feel awful for what happened.” You show concern for the black-haired girl, and Dami sweetly smiles at you.

“After everything that was said to you, you still worry about how others feel. That is how I know that you are just perfect, not for me, but in general.” Dami shakes her head as a light chuckle falls from her soft lips. “Yes, Handong is staying with us for a while. She wants to bridge things over with Siyeon, but I think her efforts will be fruitless. I think it is best for all of us to leave this whole mess where it belongs.”

“In the past?” You ask as she nods.

“As a bad memory. There are things that cannot be fixed, of course. You and SuA, you have not-”

“No, I think she will need more time before I reach out to her. I know that Bora is upset over all of this, and I would rather not start another fight.” You bite your lip before squeezing the stuffed animal in your arms. “I wish I could go back and fix everything, but I need to look forward. You are right, Dami, like always.”

“I know, but now is not the time for that. As I told your mother, I have something to speak with you about.” Dami pulls away from you for a moment, and you find yourself craving her touch as you force yourself to respond.

“Yeah, did you not mention something about my father last night?”

“I did, but that only partially relates to what I was referring to.” Dami fishes a key out of her pocket before handing it to you.

“Dami, sweetheart, what is this for?” You examine the key before you notice that Dami is staring at you with a hopeful look in her eye.

“I… put a month’s rent down on an apartment in the city.”

“Dami, are you serious?” You tightly grip the key before looking her in the eyes. “My mother, she will not be happy when she hears about this. Besides, what will people say? What about your sisters and your parents?”

“I assure you that many more scandalous acts are happening in that city. I am not asking for a long-term commitment, my dear. Just come and stay with me in the city for a month. It will be a nice change of pace, plus you can help me work on a few cases in more depth, like-”

“-my father’s disappearance?” Your voice jumps up in pitch as Dami nods in agreement.

“As I said early, just give it some thought. I do not wish to rush your decision-making. When you are read, send a letter to my residence and I will-”

“Yes, I will live with you.” You do not blink or move a muscle as Dami stares at you.

“Are you sure about this? If you need more time, I can-”

“No, you are right. I could use some space from my mother and everyone else in my life. I think this will be good for me… for the both of us.”

“I will take you to visit the property tomorrow, and we can slowly move in from then on. Does that sound okay?”

You slip your hand into Dami’s, and you give it a gentle squeeze.

“That will work well for me. What about my mother?”

“I will take care of it, I promise.”

~

Although your mother was not the biggest fan of you leaving the house at such a young age, she did like the idea of you staying in the city.

“Maybe you could meet another lady at that time… one that is richer, and not related to the Lee family-”

“Mother, I am crazy about Dami, whether or not you approve of it. I am going with her, no matter what.”

She sighs before waving you off.

“I was afraid you would say that. Be safe, and come to visit often, alright? The house feels less like a home without you.”

You had given your mother a tight hug, the first one you’ve shared in many years, before hopping into a carriage to spend a month with the person who made your life exponentially better.

You could not resist saying your goodbyes to the Kim family, even though your relationship with SuA had not fully recovered at the time.

“You will still come to visit, right?” Mrs. Kim asks after letting you out of a tight hug.

“Yes, I will, as long as you will have me. I will even bring Dami, if you will have both of us.”

“It would be my pleasure.” She pinches your cheek before walking off.

You jump slightly as Mr. Kim gives you a firm but reassuring pat on the back.

“You will be okay out there, kid. You are smart enough to do anything that you wish. Do not forget us when you get mesmerized by everything the city has to offer, alright?”

“I will not, I promise.” You firmly shake his hand as he gives you a softer pat on the back.

When Mr. Kim moves, Minji rushes up to you and gives you a sweet, warm up.

“Ah, you are growing up too fast!” She teases as you hear Yoohyeon approach from the kitchen.

“I know, Minji, it feels like yesterday when we all were playing outside in the garden.” Yoohyeon sighs before leaning on the doorframe. “Do not forget to invite us to the wedding, alright? I would like front row seats, right next to your mother-”

“Yoohyeon!” You squeal before letting go of Minji. “There is no wedding in my future.”

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that~” She winks before giving you a quick embrace. “Tell me all about the city when you get back… if you come back.”

“I will, I promise.” You turn to Minji with a warm smile on your face. “Please come and visit us while you are still here for late spring and the whole summer.”

“I cannot think of a better way to spend my time.” She smiles as Yoohyeon points at the stairs.

“Well, look at what the cat dragged out of bed!”

SuA slowly walks down the stairs while avoiding eye contact with you.

“Yoohyeon, be nice. SuA has been having a rough time as of late. We should not be contributing to her stress.” Minji walks away from you before grabbing Yoohyeon’s arm and leading her outside.

“SuA… I am sorry that I did not come to see you earlier. I was worried that I had upset you past the point of no return, and I-”

“Oh, please do not apologize to me. After all, I should be kissing your feet after the shit I said.” SuA chokes back some tears before looking over to you. “You will find the willpower to forgive me, right? I was so incredibly misguided when I projected my anger onto you, and it was wrong of me to do so.”

“SuA, I will always be here for you when you need me.” You open your arms to her, and she gladly gives you a strong hug.

“Are you really going away to the city?”

“Just for a month, and then I will be back here.”

“What makes you so sure that you will dislike city living?”

“I…” You pause before letting go of SuA. “I do not think I will dislike it at all. I just hope Dami and I are compatible as roommates and lovers.”

“I do not think there is an area where the two of you are not compatible.” SuA chuckles before looking at you. “I am so happy that you are living your life with the girl you have dreamed of for years. Continue to be that way for me, alright?”

You tilt your head at her.

“Will you come and visit me sometime?”

“You know I cannot resist an offer like that~”

~

One month had turned into two, and before you knew that, spring had shifted into summer, and summer flew by without a second warning. The only event that made you realize how fast time was going was the annual send-off for Yoohyeon and Minji that was held at the end of summer. That was when SuA had brought up that you and Dami had been living together for over half of the year, and you had to dodge more proposal and engagement questions than you could reasonably count.

“Is it so wrong to be curious about my friend’s marital status?” SuA teases as you brush her off with a scoff.

“No, but telling lies and spreading my private business everywhere is not at all what I want!”

As autumn approaches, you have been working long hours to find some sort of information in the case of your father. Dami was right by your side, but you still were unable to make any progress.

After searching through the hundredth newspaper, you sigh before collapsing on the couch in your shared apartment.

“Giving up so soon?” Dami asks before removing the glasses from her face.

“We have looked in thousands upon thousands of newspapers, yet there is no news of his disappearance. It is almost like he did not want to be found…”

Your shoulders slump after you toss the newspaper on a spare end table. Dami is quick to comfort you as she sits next to you and takes your hand in hers.

“We will keep looking, as long as it may take. I know a few people who may be able to get us some travel logs from the last ten years. If he went through the city, then he is in there, I assure you.”

You do not get your hopes up as you briefly glance at Dami before squeezing her hand.

“You think we will find him?”

“I cannot assure you of that, but I will not rest until we find out the truth.”

~

You take a sip from the teacup in your hand as you sit next to the window that faces the main road of the city.

I wonder if it is always this peaceful in autumn, or if the city is just begging for me and Dami to stay here.

A small ‘click!’ pulls you back into reality as you turn towards the door. You set the teacup down as the door opens to reveal Dami. Before she can step inside, you grab her wrist, pull her inside, shut the door, and bury yourself in her arms in one clean motion. Dami laughs at your swiftness before hugging you back.

“Did you miss me that much, my love?” Dami softly teases before pressing a kiss to your face.

“You ask me that question every day, Dami. I am surprised that you, the famous detective, have not figured out the answer.” You shoot back before slightly pulling away from her.

“Some things are better left as a mystery.” She shows you a warm smile, and you reciprocate it before pulling her in for a kiss.

You and her both sigh as you melt into each other. She still smells like freshly printed books, but it is mixed with an indescribable ink smell and a whiff of some expensive perfume.

It must be from one of the secretaries at her office, or a potential customer, perhaps?

You have to push Dami away from you when you realize that someone is knocking at the door. She looks hurt at first, but when you gesture towards the door, she relaxes.

“I thought I had offended you in some way.” She mumbles before fixing her clothes.

Did I accidentally untie her necktie while I was in that haze? What strange behavior for me to engage in!

“You? Never.”

Dami bites her lip and blushes before gesturing to your lips.

Is there something on my-

“Oh, dear…” You laugh before rubbing a bit of her lipstick off of your lips with a napkin.

I guess I was not the only one, then.

The knocking continues, and you clean up the apartment a bit as Dami answers the door.

“Siyeon?” Dami tilts her head before Siyeon comes crashing into her arms.

“Oh, dear sister, you must forgive me!” She wails as Dami looks at her in pure confusion.

“I do not think I understand what you mean…”

“It is Gahyeon! She has run off, and Mother will end me when she finds out!” Siyeon cries as Dami pulls her over to the couch.

“I will go make some tea.” You quickly say before exiting the living room.

You listen into their conversation as you set the kettle, filled with water, on a metal stove.

“When was the last time you saw Gahyeon?” Dami asks, and you hear a few papers shuffling around as Siyeon sniffles and tries to recollect herself.

“Two nights ago, when Handong came to visit. She has not been around since.”

You hear Dami write on a piece of parchment paper before stopping.

“Has Handong received word of this incident?”

“Yes, and she wishes me nothing but the best in the effort to find my sister.”

Dami sighs before continuing to write.

“I do not know why I expected something better than a non-committal answer from Handong.”

“So you’ll help me?” Siyeon hopefully asks.

“Of course, Siyeon, Gahyeon is our sister. After your nerves calm, we will take a trip to the mansion and take a look around. Is that alright?”

“Yes, but I must ask, are they going to be coming with us?”

You try to hide in the kitchen because you think your cover is blown, but luckily for you, the kettle whistles and you quickly pull it off of the stove as Dami answers.

“Do you not want more help?”

“No, I want them there. They make you a better detective, in all honesty.” Siyeon briefly chuckles before blowing her nose. “Thank you for taking me in, Dami. That is something I have always loved about you.”

“Siyeon, you are my sister. You can count on me when you need me.” Dami sets a hand on Siyeon’s shoulder as you walk into the room with two teacups.

“It will help with congestion.” You softly say before handing her the cup.

“Thank you for your consideration. I appreciate the thoughtfulness that you always seem to show.” Siyeon expresses her gratitude, and you bashfully smile.

“Ah, thank you for your praise.” You hand Dami her cup with a smile. “It is exactly how you like it.”

You grab your cup from the windowsill before taking a seat next to Dami.

“Thank you again, to the both of you. I do not think I will be able to thank you enough.”

~

You notice the way that Dami softly stares at her childhood home, and you reach over and grab her hand.

“Nostalgic? I do not blame you at all.”

“A bit, but if I had the choice between staying here or being with you, I would choose you over and over again.” Dami interlaces her fingers with yours as you both walk towards the entrance.

“Ah, you romantic! You always know how to woo me~” You giggle before leaning on her shoulder. “I love you, now and forever.”

“I shall love you, forever and always.” She repeats back before holding the door for you.

“What a lady~” You tease before pulling her inside with you. “Do you know where you want to start looking?”

“She liked to hang out in the common room, so I will start there. Siyeon is going through her private office, but you are free to wander where you wish.” Dami explains before letting go of her hand.

“Are her private quarters off-limits?” You ask, and Dami shakes her head.

“She is not here to tell you otherwise, so you are more than welcome to look in there.”

“I will let you know if I find anything.”

The two of you part, and you slip into a familiar hallway as you look for the entrance to Gahyeon’s room.

Dami’s old room was not that obvious, but maybe Gahyeon’s will be harder to find-

You pause as you stare at a door that has her name engraved in the wood.

Okay, maybe I was wrong…

You open the door, and it softly creaks as you take a peek inside. It looks much like SuA���s room when you would come to visit her, except there were a few more items of value in here than you expected.

What catches your eye, however, is the stack of parchment paper sitting on her vanity. You take a seat before picking up one of the papers.

My Dearest Fox,

Oh, the day shall come when the moon and the sun shall eclipse, and we shall meet again. You, my sun, make the world bright, and I, the moon, cast shadow wherever I go. We work in tandem, like a perfect pairing made from above.

Tell me you will come and see me again?

Your Darling Cat~

You place the letter aside before grabbing another one.

Is it a love letter? Has Gahyeon found someone that has interested her?

You scan this letter more carefully, and another paragraph jumps out at you.

Fox, you continue to amaze me. The way you move captivates me beyond what is normal, and the way my heartbeats confuses my common sense. I feel sick at the thought of you, but I would rather feel like that than feel nothing at all. Do you feel the same way I do? A silly question, I know, but I must know that my love is to be received, and your love is to be given.

You shuffle through more of the letters, but it is more of the same.

Gahyeon must have run off with this ‘cat’... but where did they go? Why did they feel the need to run?

You collect the notes as you prepare to talk to Dami, but you pause when you see that you have left one behind.

Now, what is this?

You set the other papers aside, and you gasp when your eyes flicker to the last figure on the paper.

Gahyeon drew everyone with an animal beside them, and the last girl has a cat next to her… but that is not any regular girl.

It is Handong!

~

“Did you find anything?” Siyeon softly asks as Dami shakes her head.

“No, did you?”

“No.”

“So we are at a dead end?” Dami sighs before combing a hand through her hair. “She has done an excellent job at covering her tracks, I must admit.”

“WAIT!” You yell before rushing into the common room with a bunch of papers in your arms.

“Is everything alright? You look-”

“It does not matter. You need to see this.” You hand Dami the three documents that you looked at before handing Siyeon the rest.

“Darling, what am I looking at? Is this a love letter to Gahyeon?”

You nod before pointing at the drawing.

“I-” Dami’s eyes widen as she has the same realization that you do. “My God, that is why Handong would not give you a straight answer.”

“What do you mean?” Siyeon asks before Dami shows her the drawing. “My goodness, I never expected Handong, but why did she feel the need to run off?”

“I am not sure, but we can ask her when we find her.” Dami hands the other remaining papers to Siyeon as she carefully puts them in order.

“I will put these away. Good work, detective!” Siyeon sends you a wink before walking away. “You should consider putting their name on your building too, Dami, because they are just as smart as you are.”

“I have, but they refuse.” She answers before turning to you. “I am in disbelief that you found that. How did you know where to look?”

“I was once young and believed that I had to hide my love from everyone else.” You wistfully say as Dami bumps your shoulder.

“How did that turn out for you?”

“Quite well, but I think you will have to ask my lover if you want a concrete answer.”

You both laugh as Dami wraps an arm around you.

“I am proud of you, and who you have become.” She says as you look up at her. “I suppose this means that we should visit Handong. Will you come with us?”

“I have housework to catch up on, so I think I will pass on this adventure.” You admit as Dami leans her head against yours.

“Are you sure that you do not want to come along?”

“I should stay home because you have to earn your title of ‘The Greatest Detective Of The Civilized World’, Dami~” You tease before pressing a kiss to her face as you wait for the carriage to take her and Siyeon to Handong’s residence.

~

You thank the carriage driver for taking you to the apartment before you slip inside of the building. Although only two couples lived below you and one old lady lived in the apartment next to you, the building could be busy at times, depending on the season or if someone had plenty of company over.

Today, however, there was pure silence as you climbed up the stairs and grabbed the keys to your apartment. You go to unlock the door, but you notice that the lock has been picked, and the door opens with ease.

That was not how we left the apartment…

You pull your coat open as you grab the knife that Dami had gifted you when you had first moved in together.

“Dami, this is completely unnecessary.” You had said as you held the heavy knife in your hand. “I can take care of myself, and it is very unlikely that I will ever get into a situation where-”

“I know that you can protect yourself, darling, but I worry about you so much. This is less about your safety and more about giving me peace of mind while I am away.”

“So you worry about me?”

She places a hand on your cheek as she nods.

“It is only natural that I worry about you. I love you, and you will forever be one of my main focuses in life. I can teach you how to defend yourself, if you’d like.”

You smile before placing your free hand on hers.

“I would love that.”

The knife still feels heavy in your hand, as if the weight of using it for harm would drag you under the surface of the ground. Your tight grip on the knife remains as you slip inside of the door. Your eyes dart around the living room as you look for any signs of an intruder, but you sigh in relief and shut the door when you realize that your apartment has remained untouched.

Papers are still scattered around Dami’s desk in the study, and not one book has been touched in her personal library, so you continue to walk through the house before you reach the bedroom.

When you reach the bedroom, you yelp before putting your knife away as you come face-to-face with Gahyeon.

“Gahyeon! You should not be here!” You gently scold her before closing the blinds in the bedroom.

“Why not? Am I not welcome in this house?” She teasingly asks, and you resist the urge to smack her as you pull her into a tight hug.

“Your sisters are worried sick about you. Where have you been?”

“I was with Handong, I promise.” Gahyeon watches as you nod. “Did you figure that out from looking through my bedroom? I am impressed!”

“Now is not the time for congratulations or compliments. Why are you here?” You bluntly question her before pulling away from Gahyeon.

“As I said, I was with Handong before I realized that she was hiding something from me.”

You raise an eyebrow at her.

“Have you figured out what that would be?”

Gahyeon smirks before grabbing a folded paper in her pocket. She hands it to you with conviction as you grab it with confusion.

You carefully unfold the paper, and as you scan the paper, you gasp.

“It’s a wedding invitation…”

“Yeah, but not any wedding invitation. It’s yours and Dami’s. Care to explain?”

“Ah!” You cover your hand with your face as you realize that Gahyeon has probably figured it out by now. “So you know…”

“How long, though? And, most importantly, why wouldn’t you invite me?”

“We did not want the word getting out.” You admit as Gahyeon places a hand over her chest in offense.

“You think of me as a gossip?”

“If it makes you feel any better, it was not me.” You mutter as Gahyeon scoffs.

“Dami is so mean to me!” She whines, and you laugh as she collapses onto the bed. “Do you have the rings?”

“Of course I do.” You play with the collar of your shirt before walking towards the nightstand on your side. “I suppose now I can actually start wearing it…”

You pull out a silver box, and you set it on the bed as Gahyeon watches you open it. She squeals as you hand her Dami’s ring, and you put your own on your finger as Gahyeon admires the ring.

“The invitation said this wedding happened a day before JiU and Yoohyeon left… Were one of them your witness?” Gahyeon inquires.

“Yeah, they both were. I am guessing that you figured out that Handong was Dami’s witness?”

“Handong told me everything once I found this invitation and confronted her about it… I just wanted to hear it from you to confirm that the wedding really did happen. Does SuA know?”

“She is as clueless as Siyeon is, believe it or not. I have come close to telling her, but my lips have been sealed.” You smile at Gahyeon before putting the box away and closing the drawer. “Did you really stage your disappearance so you could talk to me alone?”

She sheepishly laughs before raising her hands in the air.

“Guilty as charged~”

You take Dami’s ring from your hand, and you admire it for a moment before heading into the kitchen.

“Dami and Siyeon will be back here soon after they figure out what you have done. I will prepare a meal for four, then.”

“Are you going to tell Dami what I know?” Gahyeon calls out to you as you grab a kettle.

“I trust that you have that covered, Gahyeon.”

~

When the bell tower tolls three o’clock, the sound of gentle knocking on the front door causes you to set the plates down and answer the door.

“Dami…” You mutter softly before pulling her inside. “We need to talk.”

You gesture for Siyeon to enter as you pull Dami aside, and Siyeon silently closes the door before heading into the kitchen.

“What is the matter?” She softly asks, and she takes your left hand in hers. “Your ring… you’re wearing it?”

“Gahyeon sniffed us out.” You say before handing her the ring that belongs on her finger.

Dami stifles a chuckle before taking the ring from your hand.

“I had no idea she would figure us out so fast… I thought we would have more time.” Dami looks remorseful, but you’re quick to comfort her with a warm smile and a soft kiss.

“C’mon, I made everyone something to eat.” You lead her along with your hand in hers, and you glance back at her before heading into the kitchen. “How long did it take you to figure out that Gahyeon came back here?”

“Handong is honest, so after a nice cup of tea and a quick chat, she told us of Gahyeon’s plan.”

Gahyeon flinches at the mentioning of her name, and Siyeon places a gentle hand on her back.

“Do not worry, sister, we are not mad at you. We just wish you would tell us before you run off to your lover.”

“We are not-”

Siyeon laughs at Gahyeon’s defensiveness.

“Do not be so foolish and angry, Gahyeon. Enjoy being in love. It is a special, wonderful thing.” Siyeon looks saddened at the thought, but she quickly lightens up once you begin to serve food.

“Siyeon, I have something I wish to tell you.” Dami softly says, and you carefully observe as Siyeon looks at Dami.

“Do tell.” Siyeon places her elbow on the table, and she rests her head on her hand as Dami  places both of her hands on the table.

“I… We-” Dami pauses as Siyeon takes Dami’s left hand in her free hand.

“Is that a wedding ring?”

“It is.” Dami softly says, and Siyeon smiles as she squeezes her sister’s hand.

“I am happy for you. I just wish we could have been there.”

You cannot help but to smile as you serve Dami a plate. You kiss her cheek before taking a seat next to her.

Her hand meets yours under the table as Siyeon turns her attention to you.

“I guess that makes us family now… Gahyeon?”

“Yes?” Gahyeon says in between bites of food.

“Is this the reason you ran from Handong’s estate to here? Did you wish to harass two innocent people-”

“Siyeon, please, it’s alright. She was just curious about what her sister was doing, especially when said sister tends to keep her affairs under wraps.” You say in defense of Gahyeon, and you speak again before Dami can get a word in. “There is nothing wrong with Dami wanting to be more private, but, if it is not too bold of me to say, I think the three of you should open up to each other more.”

“No, you have a point. We are sisters, after all.” Siyeon says, and the other two girls nod as someone knocks against the door again.

“I will get it. You three should talk.” You reassure them, and Dami pulls you in for a quick side hug before completely letting you go.

You quickly make your way to the door before opening it. You observe the man standing in front of you with a sense of familiarity. It was almost as if you had seen him before, as if you had known him a long, long time ago.

“Papa?” Your voice went soft as the older gentleman gently combs through his hair.

“I was not sure if you would recognize me since you had grown up so much, but I-”

He pauses when you give him a tight hug before wrapping his arms around you.

“Where have you been all of these years?” You mumble into his chest.

“I went out of the country to do some underground business with an old friend of mine… I believe your wife will know him very, very well.”

“Mr. Lee?”

“You were always a bright kid, but yes, that is the truth. I decided to come back when I heard that your mother was giving you some grief, plus I heard the news of your marriage from her father.”

“My father?” Dami softly says as she walks over to you.

“Yes, your father and I had many different ways of still learning about the two of you.” He reassures you as you let go of him.

“Would you like to come in?” Dami asks, and he shakes his head.

“I believe I have a visit to arrange with their mother, but I am more than happy to have that offer another time.”

“Another time, then.” She nods, and he bows before leaving the two of you alone.

“Case closed, I guess.” You shrug before closing the door behind you. “Are you surprised?”

“My father was a mysterious man, as was yours. I do not believe this behavior was above either of them.” Dami takes your hand, and she pulls you into her arms. “Our fathers had to take care of us in some way. Did you never think about how we were able to live such promising lives, despite the fact that neither of our mothers worked?”

“I… I had not thought of that before.” You put your coat on a hanger before taking Dami’s off of her. “Good work, Detective Lee~”

“I would not be able to do anything without you, love.” She gently says as you wrap your arms around her.

“Ah, as charming as ever, dearest.”

[morelikeravenbore]

How to Make a Villain - Sebastian Sallow x FMC

✨ Ao3 | Wattpad ✨

A comprehensive guide on how to turn the good guys bad.

Seventh year mostly soft!seb but he's got the ✨trauma✨ | slooooow burn | idiots in love | mutual pining | hurt comfort | villain arc | that one trope where the fmc has to either embrace her special magical ability or be destroyed by it but I don't know what it's called specifically.

18+ No smut (tbh there probably will be segs eventually but it'll be geared more toward the emotional end of the scale rather than the explicit), lots of fluff, lots of angst. TW: Mentions of parental loss, family trauma, implied murder, sexual references and mild violence.

A Hogwarts Legacy fic that explores how grief & trauma can fundamentally change the course of a person's entire life.

THE BLURB:

Aurélie Collins wishes she were invisible. Unfortunately, despite her best efforts to be normal, there are a great many unusual things about her. She's the only transfer student Hogwarts has seen in recent memory, she has an absolutely abysmal sense of direction, and - though she desperately wishes she couldn't - she can wield an ancient and highly unstable form of rare magic.

When a tragic event rips her from her life of opulence at Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, Aurelie is unceremoniously thrust into the freezing cold Scottish highlands to finish her final year at Hogwarts, where the castle's floor plan is impossible to navigate, obsession with blood status runs prevalent among the student body, and it's freezing bloody cold - all the time.

Worse still, she finds herself unable to escape the unwavering attention of Sebastian Sallow. Tall, handsome and infuriating, the Slytherin Quidditch captain is convinced he's the greatest thing to ever walk the halls of Hogwarts, is best friends with a Gaunt, and, to Aurélie's endless irritation, does not want to let her out of his sight. Ever.

Read chapter one under the cut.

If Aurélie Collins had to choose one word to best describe herself, she supposed it would be - to put it as delicately as she could - completely and utterly overwhelmed. Granted, that was four words, not one, but as she trudged down yet another unfamiliar corridor, she was just relieved she could string together a coherent sentence at all. After the last few months of hell she'd endured, Aurélie wasn't her usual eloquent self, to say the least.

She hadn't always been that way - overwhelmed, that is. In fact, if asked only a few months ago to describe herself, she would've said she was dutiful, quick-witted, and, if not brave, then definitely unafraid of facing challenges head-on. She'd been a confident girl once; she got good grades, always did as she was asked and never stepped a toe out of line, and everyone - from her parents and teachers to her friends and peers - knew that Aurélie Collins would go on to achieve whatever she set her mind to.

Now, though? Well, nowadays she was too exhausted to set her mind on anything. Since she'd been forced to start a new school in a new country - in the seventh and final year of her magical education at that - Aurélie felt that the only substantial thing about her was the crushing sadness that pervaded her every waking thought, as if every other part of her had been utterly annihilated by grief. Not that she allowed herself to feel any of that grief if she could help it - but it was always there, pervasive and relentless, weighing her down like a heavy wet blanket as she tried to swim through the rapidly changing currents of her new life.

Breathe, Aurélie, she told herself as she trekked ever deeper into the immense stone castle that was her new school. You've handled worse than this.

But this was a lie; she hadn't handled anything worse than this. The truth was that she was adrift in a perpetual ocean of grief that constantly threatened to consume her. She had no anchor, nothing to tether her to anything solid.

And this new school of hers certainly wasn't doing anything to improve her situation.

Bloody Hogwarts.

Of all places she'd ever imagined herself living, the freezing cold Scottish highlands was absolutely not one of them. But, then again, she wouldn't have believed that she'd be an orphan at seventeen either, yet here she was.

Hogwarts was famous, of course. Heralded as the pinnacle of magical education and the top school in the wizarding world, most witches and wizards were honoured to attend such a prestigious establishment. But Aurélie Collins was of the opinion that every bloody thing at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was confusing, unnecessary, or just downright nonsensical. From the ever-changing floorplan to the myriad of talking portraits - all of whom gave wildly conflicting directions to her classes depending on which ones she asked - nothing about Hogwarts made any sense.

Aurélie was almost in tears by the time she reached another dead end. It was simply impossible to find one's way around a school like this; there were too many floors to navigate, too many disused classrooms and far too many staircases that led to absolutely nowhere. Not to mention, beyond its confusing floorplan and unbearably draughty rooms, the ancient hulking castle was rather ugly - by Aurélie's standards at least. The monolithic Gothic castle was so far removed from the elegance and charm of Beauxbatons that it seemed almost cruel that she should be forced to endure it at all. She could almost hear her best friend Céleste's reaction if she were with her now. 'Ugh, it's so awfully medieval,' she would say. 'Stone Gargoyles? And all those uncouth English boys? I don't know which I find more barbaric!'

She almost smiled at the thought. But only almost - for thinking of her best friend only made her sad.

Aurélie shook herself mentally, shifting the heavy weight of her books from one arm to the other. She did not like thinking about her old life, least of all on her first day of school while she was lost in the labyrinth of never-ending corridors and endless classrooms. She had the distinct and slightly alarming sense that she was headed in completely the wrong direction as she tried to find her first class of the day, but, having never set foot in Hogwarts until the night before, found herself without any point of reference with which to correct her course.

'Which Merlin-forsaken floor is this, anyway?' she muttered to herself in French as a group of first years skittered around her, giggling obnoxiously as they hurried down the long corridor. They were wearing the green and silver colours of Slytherin house. She knew of Slytherin house only because her father had attended Hogwarts in his youth; though he'd been a Hufflepuff - a badger, not a snake.

Aurélie's heart gave an awful lurch at the thought of her father. Oh, her wonderful father: patient and good-humoured and endlessly curious and -

Dead. He's dead, Aurélie. Stop thinking about him.

She swallowed down the hard lump in her throat and trudged on determinedly, descending what felt like the hundredth set of stairs she'd already followed that morning. She could feel disappointment and embarrassment roiling in the pit of her stomach; she wasn't used to failing at anything let alone something as simple as getting to class on time. Even the bloody first years knew where they were going, for crying out loud, and they'd been here for just as short a time as she had.

When at last she found herself facing yet another dead end, she finally conceded defeat. Trying very hard not to cry, she adjusted her unflattering black robes (oh, to be dressed in fine blue silk again) and began to seriously consider how much trouble she'd be in if she just went back to bed. Or, more tempting still, how badly she'd be punished if she fled back to France and never returned to Hogwarts again, graduation be damned.

But no, she couldn't leave Hogwarts; it was the safest place for her since her parents had died, and Professor Weasley, the deputy headmistress, had evoked the power of Merlin himself to secure her a place here at such short notice. Apparently, it had not been an easy feat convincing Headmaster Black to take on a student with her reputation.

Aurélie sighed and squeezed her eyes closed. 'It's just for one year,' she muttered under her breath, repeating the phrase that had become her mantra. 'Just one year, that's all.'

'Unless you're trying to break into the Slytherin common room,' said an unexpected voice behind her, 'I'm going to assume you're lost.'

Aurélie whirled around so fast she whipped herself in the face with her long auburn braid. She hadn't always been a jumpy sort of person, but losing both parents at the same time had a way of making one rather fearful of unexpected voices in unfamiliar corridors.

The boy who stood before her had his wand held aloft; its tip glowed brightly red in front of his face, casting an ominous-looking hue over his pale skin. Aurélie's mind immediately conjured visions of dark shadows and searing red pain, and for one dreadful moment, she thought he was about to curse her. Her palms tingled; a telltale sign that the forbidden magic that flowed through her veins was still very much alive - and very much wanted to be used.

She took an automatic step backwards, clenching her fists tight. Thankfully, the boy made no move to attack; instead, he simply stared at her. No, that wasn't right, he wasn't staring at her - he was staring through her. It was then that Aurélie noticed his eyes; milky white and translucent, they gleamed like ghostly orbs in his angular face.

The boy was blind.

'Sorry,' Aurélie said, a little breathlessly. 'I'm trying to get to my Defence Against the Dark Arts class, but I'm afraid I have no idea where I am.'

The boy laughed, and though the sound was pleasant enough, it was undoubtedly more incredulous than amused. 'Oh my, you are lost, aren't you?'

A small badge engraved with the words Head Boy was pinned to the breast pocket of his immaculate robes. Even bathed under the red glow of his wand light, she could clearly make out the tiny snake etched onto its gleaming surface. Another Slytherin. She'd known very little about the four Hogwarts houses before coming here, but when the sorting hat had asked her if she had a preference, all she could think was that she didn't want to be part of a house whose emblem was a snake.

When Aurélie did not reply, the boy heaved an impatient sigh.

'You're the new Ravenclaw,' he said matter-of-factly. 'I must say, I didn't expect to find you all the way down here.'

The boy had a rather aristocratic air about him - haughty and vaguely displeased as all aristocratic types were loath to be, with silvery hair slicked back from his face, high cheekbones, and a sharp jawline that screamed of fine magical breeding. Aurélie wondered vaguely which noble family he was from, for she certainly knew a wealthy pureblood when she saw one; half of Beauxbatons was full of old ennobled wizarding families.

As she opened her mouth to ask him how he knew who she was - being blind and all - he spoke again.

'I recognise your accent,' he explained as if he'd read her thoughts. 'There aren't any other French students at Hogwarts.' His sharp, clipped voice was a stark contrast to his delicate features, and yet, there was something strangely ominous about it that stirred something inside her. Something familiar. Something... unpleasant.

'Half French,' she corrected him, pushing the thought away. 'My father was English, mother was French. But - er, yes, I suppose I do sound different to everyone else.'

Having been duo lingual all her life, Aurélie spoke both English and French perfectly - but apparently, her French accent wasn't as undetectable as she'd hoped. She smoothed her clammy hands down the front of her awfully drab robes, acutely aware of how the boy's unseeing eyes seemed to be looking right at her with surprising intensity.

'Yes, well,' he drawled in a tone that suggested that he didn't particularly care about the finer details of her heritage. 'You're absolutely nowhere near the Defence floor. In fact, you're almost in the dungeons. Frankly, I'm baffled you managed to make it here from the Great Hall all by yourself. Why weren't you following your classmates?'

'Oh. I wasn't in the Great Hall. I came straight from my common room.'

Not entirely trusting that anything she ate would stay down for long, she'd opted to skip breakfast in the hall with the other students that morning and head straight to class instead. Though the few Ravenclaw's she'd met so far had seemed friendly enough, their interest in the new foreign transfer student made her uncomfortable. One particularly brazen Ravenclaw boy - whose name she couldn't remember - had ogled her like she were some sort of exotic beast and told her that Hogwarts never got transfer students - not ever. 'If I'd been made to be sorted in front of the entire school as a seventh year,' he had said, 'I would have died of humiliation.'

Inwardly, Aurélie had agreed with him, for she certainly didn't count the sorting ceremony as one of her favourite life experiences. Outwardly though, she had only smiled politely and told him it hadn't been so bad before excusing herself to a quiet corner of the common room to sit alone.

She had no intention of making any friends during her single year at Hogwarts. In fact, she'd made a promise to herself that she wouldn't. After all, she was planning on heading straight back to France the moment she graduated, and the thought of saying goodbye to any more people she cared about was an ordeal she wasn't sure she could handle. But beyond that, she also feared that should anyone find out why she'd transferred in the first place, their interest in her would only intensify.

As a seventeen-year-old witch who hadn't achieved anything particularly extraordinary, Aurélie didn't think herself interesting by any stretch. But unfortunately, having your family murdered by dark wizards certainly was - and that was not something she wanted to be known for. Better to be invisible than be a source of gossip and speculation.

The boy tilted his head, his translucent pupils a little unnerving under the red glow of his wand. An inexplicable shiver of fear skittered down the back of Aurélie's arms and settled in the pit of her stomach.

'So you're telling me you managed to get yourself from the Ravenclaw common room - one of the highest points in the castle - to the very lowest depths of the dungeons, and you didn't at any point stop to think that perhaps you were headed in the wrong direction?' he said. 'Nor did you think it prudent to eat something before you start studying for your N.E.W.T.s, the most important and difficult exam in a witches educational career?' He shook his head in exasperation. 'And here I was thinking Ravenclaw's were supposed to be intelligent.'

Aurélie didn't know how to react to this outburst but rather thought she'd been right to not want to be in the snake house. When she made no reply, the boy heaved another heavy sigh, clearly annoyed.

'Very well. As Head Boy, I suppose it is my duty to help you - even though you ought to be old enough by now to look after yourself. Come along, then.'

With a small shake of his head and a mild sneer, the boy turned on his heel and strode purposefully down the empty corridor. Despite her chagrin, Aurélie couldn't help but marvel at the way his wand seemed to act as a proxy for his sight; pulsing like a heartbeat, it lead him effortlessly through the maze of corridors that even she - with her perfect vision - couldn't seem to navigate. She hurried after him, silently chastising herself for being so useless that she had to be led to class by a blind boy.

'Ominis Gaunt, by the way,' he said once she'd caught up to him; he was rather a fast walker for someone who couldn't see where they were going.

'Oh, er - hello, I'm Aurélie -'

'Collins - yes, I know who you are. Now, do pay attention, won't you? Defence Against the Dark Arts class is on the third floor, not in the dungeons. Even I can tell this isn't the third floor, and I'm blind.'

Aurélie flushed. Perhaps the sorting hat had made a mistake putting her into a house whose members were valued for being clever.

'So... you're Head Boy?' she asked timidly.

'That is what I said, isn't it?' came his sharp reply. 'And I'll have you know that I've quite enough to be getting on with today without needing to rescue stray Ravenclaws from the dungeons.'

'I didn't need rescuing,' she muttered under her breath. Ominis only ignored her, and after a very tense silence and several staircases later, they came to a stop outside the correct classroom on the third floor.

'Do try not to get yourself so embarrassingly lost again, won't you?' he said tersely. 'I don't have time to babysit seventh years, I've enough first-year drama to deal with as it is.'

And with that, he was away again, muttering darkly about Ravenclaw's and incompetence as he went, leaving Aurélie standing dumbfounded in his wake.

[derangedanomaly]

SpongeBob rant lmao (Tw- stupid ass Star fish rage-bait?)

I hate that stupid pink starfish, patrick start from spongebob.honestly, im not good with writing long sentences, essay etc (not good with phrasing words as well, and horrible with using words that dont fit it) but i can write a list on why Patrick is a horrible friend to spongebob.now, im not going to list EVERY episode with him being a jerk, but i'll name a few with the episodes i rewatched recently what made me want to have a breakdown.

S2 E2: Something Smells/Bossy Boots

In this episode, spongebob eats some food what makes his breath smell like garbage, whenever he talks to someone, they run away or just perish. Patrick tells spongebob that hes just UGLY- i understand, according to the wiki, patrick doesn't have a nose. But he forces spongebob to accept the fact hes ugly witch is straight up just sad tbh, i mean- in my opinion i would be upset if my friend who i knew for a long time just told me to accept the fact im ugly. Later on patrick eats whatever spongebob ate what made his breath smell, the same thing basically happens to patrick, now hes "ugly" and hes crying and blaming spongebob until spongebob, our hero, tells patrick it was the food they both ate and it made their breathe smell.though before SpongeBob says its their breathe, patrick says he caught the uglys. and quote on quote HE SAYS "i was one of the beautiful people, now look at me. im almost as ugly as YOU" WTH? HOW IS HE KNOWN AS A FRIEND---

S2 E9: Dumped

Okay, so idk if i got the episode number correct but im looking on google and the wikipedia and the episode is called "dumped".

On the wiki (synopsis) it says:

As the episode begins with SpongeBob and Gary playing tag, Patrick joins in and begins to get better acquainted with Gary. At the end of the day, Gary seems to want to spend time with Patrick a while longer, so SpongeBob agrees to let Gary have a sleepover at Patrick's house. The next morning, Gary is still reluctant to leave Patrick, who concludes that Gary wants to be with him permanently, and so claims him as his own pet. SpongeBob refuses to believe this, but when Gary is given the choice of who shall be his owner, Gary heads for Patrick. SpongeBob is heartbroken, and out of jealousy, he attempts to find a new pet to show Gary that he does not need a two-timing snail.

It turns out gary only "liked" patrick is because he had a treat in his shorts, and gary actually liked spongebob ( i think )what i hate about patrick in this episode is that he steals gary and acts like a twat to spongebob about this. Not much to say really, other than patrick being a jerk like always.

S4 : Driven to Tears

Okay so idk yet again, the episode but its in season 4. here's what google says about it:

"Driven to Tears" is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from season 4. In this episode, Patrick gets his driver's license, and rubs it in SpongeBob's face.and heres the wiki synopsis:The narrator opens the episode by stating "It is a very special day in Bikini Bottom." The camera then shows SpongeBob and Patrick heading down to Mrs. Puff's Boating School. Once they arrive at the entrance, Patrick says he brought SpongeBob's special learning cards that has everything he needs to pass the boating school test. However, Patrick then eats the cards and claims learning tastes good. Even though SpongeBob needed those learning cards, Patrick convinces SpongeBob that he is a winner and does not need them. SpongeBob then claims he is a winner and takes his boating school driving test.Unfortunately, after one minute and thirty-seven seconds, SpongeBob fails the driving test for the 58th time. Patrick, thinking the test is rigged, decides to take the test himself and passes with a perfect score on the first try, much to SpongeBob's surprise and jealousy. They go to receive Patrick's license, but while his picture is being taken, an announcer comes out to reveal that since he is the one millionth person to pass the test, he has won a brand new hot red boatmobile, the new Bass Blaster 3000.

Okay so basically some ragebait i guess? idk. But tbh i wouldnt say its jealousy, more like envy. ((Jealousy is basically three people, lets say your in second place of a race and your friend is third. Your enemy is first and you cant help but feel jealous about it.envy is two people. you got nothing lets say and your friend gotten lots of gifts.))

but yeah, i guess it can be both. The episode is where patrick rubs it into spongeBobs face and hes just SOOO ANNOYING ABOUT IT- patrick is just a jerk. no explanation needed. He also forgets that spongebobs parents aren't his, he calls them his parents. Dumb bitch cant believe a cartoon pink starfish is getting me mad. btw spongebob gets arrested for littering, a wiki commenter (idk what to call it lmao-) says this:

Technically, Patrick should have also been arrested for reckless driving. As he was driving slightly above the limit, ran three red lights, and made an illegal U-turn through an orphanage offscreen. He also drove recklessly after SpongeBob ripped up his license and the police told him to simply pull over and nearly hit several people as well. Basically, Patrick gets off scot-free for his actions while SpongeBob goes to jail simply for littering

(by snide2012)

S3 E24 - 25: New Student Starfish/Clams

OKAY- this episode made me grit my teeth. (just want to say, yet again the episode number could be incorrect!) Wiki synopsis:

SpongeBob is about to leave for boating school when Patrick asks him to go jellyfishing. SpongeBob says that he has go to school, but suggests that Patrick come with him, to which Patrick agrees. Upon arriving at school, SpongeBob shows Patrick around and explains their classroom's "Good Noodle" system, where Good Noodle stars are awarded to well-behaved students. SpongeBob has by far the most stars of anyone in the class. He also introduces Patrick to Roger, an egg in a case with only a lightbulb for warmth.

(my thoughts - later on in the episode, patrick RUINS his good noodle streak which made me nearly cry because it just triggers me for some reason to see a streak get ruined?)

When class starts, Mrs. Puff sees Patrick and asks him his name. Patrick gets nervous and replies with "twenty-four," which he and SpongeBob find incredibly funny. Mrs. Puff hears their jokes and catches them, letting Patrick off the hook with a warning since he is new, but gives SpongeBob a stronger warning that she expects more from him. Patrick then draws an insulting picture of Mrs. Puff and puts it on SpongeBob's desk. Mrs. Puff, thinking the picture is SpongeBob's doing, removes one of his stars from the Good Noodle Board as punishment for two classroom disruptions, much to SpongeBob's horror. Mrs. Puff then tells SpongeBob to move to the back of the room, where Patrick continues to annoy him. When SpongeBob snaps upon being annoyed that Patrick pestered him only to say a less-than-significant "Hi," an angry Mrs. Puff appears, sarcastically stating that SpongeBob can have his recess.

(my thoughts - im just glad the wiki agrees that patrick is a annoying cunt face)He has constantly made SpongeBobs life miserable with his aggressive hypocrisy and soulless jerky-ness tbh.

(I accidentally deleted the episode and season name :( but it's the episode about Patrick and SpongeBob being parents)

Wiki synopsis:

One day, after chatting with each other, SpongeBob and Patrick hear a noise that they suspect is one another, but realize that it's coming from a baby scallop in the middle of a coral plant who is alone and helpless with no parental guardian and has yet to develop the ability to fly. SpongeBob and Patrick take him in the former's house, name him "Junior," and raise him as their baby, with SpongeBob as the mother and Patrick as the father. After feeding Junior and changing his diaper, SpongeBob, Patrick, and Junior go out in Bikini Bottom through a montage. Returning home at night, they put Junior to sleep in a cradle in SpongeBob's bedroom then go to sleep themselves.The next morning, Patrick eats breakfast then explains that he has to go to work since he is the father, leaving SpongeBob to do housework. He promises to give SpongeBob a break when he gets home. Eventually, he returns home only to be exhausted from work, and then tiredly decides to sit on the chair and watch TV for the rest of the night. This goes on for several days until SpongeBob realizes that Patrick was a lazy father figure who broke his promises to assist him with Junior. Seeing his patience is completely terminated and fed up with Patrick's laziness, SpongeBob furiously lashes out at Patrick, showing him all the diapers that Junior used; including on Squidward's house from the outside. Patrick, feeling remorse, then realizes the error of his ways and promises to come home at 6:00 PM and give SpongeBob the whole night off.

The episode is basically about how hard it is to be a mother i guess, housewife with work-husband? like in the "oLdEn DaYs". Patrick in this episode, his "work" was actually him going to his rock (house) watching tv and eating junk food. Hes a lazy idiot. no, hes a SLOTHFUL idiot. (sloth as the deadly sin) Sloth is about a person not wanting to work, because of their lack of motivation. Patricks "work" is him just doing sloth. The work hes suppose to be doing is taking care of junior. Something i like about the wiki is this part:

After SpongeBob and Patrick say goodbye to Junior, they are proud to have looked after him. Patrick, learning his lesson, reconciles with SpongeBob by teasingly suggesting they would have another baby, shocking SpongeBob (knowing that he will probably do the same thing when they were taking care of him)

anyways, i could go on and on with more reasons i hate him and why hes NOT a better friend than anyone, but it been years since i watched the full show, thats why im rewatching it lol, made it up to season 4 or 5 so far so yeh.thanks for reading!!!! :)also sorry if i got any mistakes / typos !!

(1718 words??)

HELP- HOW LONG DID YOU SPEND ON THIS?! MY GOODNESS-

[clumsyclifford]

though you make me balanced (you can’t make me whole)

tell me it won't hurt; now i, i'm your passenger. Abruptly, Luke shoulders Ashton’s hand off, and immediately he regrets it, wants to take it back, to grab Ashton’s hand and replace it where it had been. Ashton pulls his hand away, and Luke starts to cry. (Luke is not okay.)

TWs: suicidal thoughts, discussion of suicidal thoughts, i really cannot stress enough that a lack of will to live is central to this fic, PLEASE approach with caution. also implied depression, drinking, and general angst. title from passenger by noah kahan.

note: this fic is in the same ‘verse as i’ll be your eyes (you be my face), and though the order doesn’t matter, you may wanna read that one first. (tumblr link for whoever prefers that for whatever reason)

read it on ao3 here

~

Luke hides in his room. He doesn’t want Ashton to see that he’s drinking, or know that he’s drunk, or know what he’s thinking about. Ashton will be concerned, and Luke cares far too much about the smile on Ashton’s face to let it crease.

Maybe that’s what they’re here for, but it doesn’t mean Luke has to like it.

Unfortunately, the world does not work in precisely the ways Luke wishes it would, and Ashton comes in anyway, louder in Luke’s head than he probably is in real life. Luke looks up, and the world spins. It occurs to him, distantly, that he’s drunk a lot tonight, and possibly he should stop.

“Jesus, Luke,” Ashton says. Luke stares, squints. Ashton’s face looks concerned, which is exactly what Luke was trying to avoid. Aghast, if Luke were more eloquent.

“Just Luke’s fine,” Luke mutters. Ashton crouches down, which reminds Luke that he is on the floor, and that’s not the best place to be. He could stand up, but the last time he tried that he nearly tipped over.

“How much did you drink?” Ashton says, prying the bottle out of Luke’s hand. Luke reaches for it half-heartedly, but Ashton holds it away from him.

“I’m a grown man,” Luke protests weakly. “I can drink as much as I like.”

“How much, Luke.”

“Well.” Luke thinks. Tries to think. “It was full when I started.”

“Full,” Ashton repeats, sounding like he’s trying not to be horrified. “Luke. Okay. Come on. Get up. Let’s get you some water and then you can go to sleep.”

“No,” Luke says, remembering violently why he’d been drinking. “I don’t want to. Give it back.”

“No.”

“Give it, Ashton. You’re not my fucking boss. Boss of me. Give it.”

“Stop it,” Ashton says firmly. “I’m going to go pour this out and get you some water.”

“I don’t fucking want water,” Luke snaps. 

“Hey,” Ashton says, curving one hand around the back of Luke’s neck. He’s sturdy and reliable, and this feels familiar. Luke starts to sink into it. “Take a deep breath.”

“Don’t do that,” Luke whines. “I don’t want to feel better. I want to drink.”

“You’re already drunk.”

“And I wanna stay that way, you fucking — get off me!” Abruptly, Luke shoulders Ashton’s hand off, and immediately he regrets it, wants to take it back, to grab Ashton’s hand and replace it where it had been. Ashton pulls his hand away, and Luke starts to cry.

“Hey, hey,” Ashton says softly, although he doesn’t reach out again, which makes Luke cry harder. “Okay. Hey. It’s okay. I’m here.”

“I didn’t mean it,” Luke says through gasps of breath. “Sorry, sorry, sorry, I’m sorry, do you still love me?”

“Of course I still love you,” Ashton says, in a voice that’s both reassuring and unequivocal, like it’s obvious. Like Luke should have known that. But how could Luke have known? How could he ever consider himself worthy of Ashton’s continued love? Already he’s overstayed his welcome here, if there’d ever been welcome to begin with. Ashton can say what he wants, but Luke is imposing. He hasn’t “moved in”; he’s a glorified houseguest and Ashton is his world-weary host and they’re both so tired, all the time. Ashton must be tired of Luke by now. Luke certainly is.

“You can touch me,” Luke whimpers, grasping for Ashton’s arm despite the way his vision blurs in and out, like a camera trying and failing to focus. Immediately Ashton settles onto his knees and pulls Luke towards him, and this time Luke really does melt. Ashton touches Luke like he loves him, holds him like he’s this piece of artwork made of glass, like he’ll break from a stiff breeze. Luke lets his head fall onto Ashton’s shoulder, still kind of crying. The guilt from the tear stains working their way into Ashton’s shirt stacks itself on top of all of Luke’s other troubles.

“Talk to me, Luke,” Ashton murmurs. “Tell me what’s wrong. Tell me how to help you.”

“You can’t help me,” Luke whispers. That’s not exactly true, though, is it? Ashton’s already helping him. Just by being here, right now. By letting Luke in. By gathering Luke in his arms when he cries and just sitting here with him.

But it’s not help if the problem isn’t going away. It’s just postponing the inevitable.

“I can try,” Ashton says, a very Ashton thing to say. Luke’s never met anyone so tenacious. Ashton will never let a problem beat him. It’s one of the most admirable things about him.

“ You can’t,” Luke sobs, and realizes he’s crying more now, “you can’t, every day you keep me alive but eventually —” 

“Don’t say that.”

“You can’t save me forever.” Luke buries his face into the crook of Ashton’s neck. He can’t see the look on Ashton’s face, but he doesn’t want to. It’ll be hurt, no doubt. Fear, probably. And that specific brand of dogged determination that Ashton encompasses.

“I can,” Ashton says quietly. “And I fucking will, Luke.”

“You shouldn’t.”

“Bullshit. I need you here.”

“Don’t say that.”

“Why not?”

“I’m not — I’m nothing. I’m not worth it,” Luke manages. “I’m not worth anything or anyone I’m just a piece of shit who’s in a band that got lucky and I’m the most replaceable person in the entire fucking world, Ashton, and every single day is so fucking hard, and I don’t see the point.”

“Luke.” Somehow, Luke’s name on Ashton’s tongue sounds like a prayer, a distress call, a promise. Somehow, when Ashton says his name it’s imbued with love. Luke cries harder, gasping irregularly for breath. “Do me a favor and take a deep breath.”

“I can’t,” Luke says desperately, clinging to Ashton’s shirt like a lifeline. One of Ashton’s arms snakes around Luke’s back and his hand makes its way to Luke’s hair, scratching rhythmically at the nape of his neck. Luke shivers.

“With me,” Ashton says soothingly. “You can. Come on. You can feel me breathing, right? Deep breath in.” Luke feels the way Ashton’s chest rises with the breath, hears the steady inhale by his ear. Struggling, he manages some shaky halfway imitation. “And out. That’s it. Again.”

Slowly, painstakingly, Luke catches his breath, and Ashton doesn’t waver, counting him through deep breaths in and out until all of Luke’s senses have tunneled in on Ashton. Eyes closed, face hidden, there’s nothing else in the entire world but Ashton, and the cotton of his shirt twisted into Luke’s fingers, the damp skin of his neck where Luke’s tears have left their mark, the slow, steady rumble of his voice in Luke’s ear, the rise and fall of his chest, one hand carding through the ends of Luke’s hair, the other a warm weight against his waist.

There’s a war waging in Luke’s head, because half of him is still at the edge of the cliff, chanting furiously for him to jump, louder than it’s ever been, terrifyingly loud; not, as Luke had hoped, numbed by the drink, but bolstered from it. But the other half of Luke is all Ashton’s. This is it, he thinks dimly, this is all I am, and all I live for, but he can’t tell that to Ashton, can’t say that some days — most days — Ashton is the only reason Luke brakes at red lights and resurfaces in swimming pools. That’s clingy, desperate. That puts Luke’s life in Ashton’s hands, and that’s a responsibility Ashton doesn’t want or need.

“Are you with me still?” Ashton whispers, once Luke’s breathing has steadied.

Luke doesn’t want to respond. If he answers, the moment breaks; Ashton’s calm, collected voice will be slashed in half with Luke’s, which is scratchy and needy and tired. Everything is fine as long as Luke pretends Ashton is all that’s left of the world. Maybe there’s been an apocalypse, and Ashton’s the lone survivor; maybe the room is in shambles around him, maybe there’s debris everywhere, maybe Luke can just stay here forever and never open his eyes and keep pretending until he runs out of air.

“Luke, love. We don’t have to talk about it now, okay? I can get you a glass of water, and you —”

“Don’t go,” Luke begs, hating the desperation in his voice. “Don’t leave. Please. Don’t.”

“Okay,” Ashton says immediately. “Okay, breathe, Luke, I won’t leave. You want to come to the kitchen with me? You wanna go straight to sleep?”

Luke shakes his head. He doesn’t want to move. He doesn’t want to open his eyes and remember that there’s a world out there. 

“I’m scared,” he whispers, and Ashton takes a sharp breath in, and Luke knows that Ashton is suddenly scared, too.

“What are you scared of?”

“I don’t know. So much.” There’s supposed to be glue in Luke’s throat, imprisoning his tongue to the roof of his mouth, but now it’s unstuck and there’s no way to stop the flood. “I’m scared that there’s not going to be an apocalypse and — the fucking world is still going to be out there, expecting things from me that I can’t give, and scared that you’re going to leave me alone here, and that you’re going to hate me for loving you as much as I do, and I’m scared that I’m going to give up, one day, and that there won’t be anyone to remind me not to. Ashton. Do you know how important you are? Do you fucking know? Do you know how many bad songs I’ve written trying to tell you how important you are to me?” Opening his eyes means facing the real world, the world he knows is still there, but something feels more urgent. Dizzily he picks his head up off Ashton’s shoulder and blinks some light back into his vision, and though it means he’s momentarily blinded, he clumsily finds Ashton’s eyes and locks onto them. “I’m sorry for how much I love you, Ashton, I really fucking am.”

“Don’t say sorry for that,” Ashton says quietly. 

“I am,” Luke says bracingly, “because it’s a burden —”

“You’re not a burden, Luke.”

“I’m —”

“Luke. Stop. You’re not a burden. To me, ever. Doesn’t matter how much you drink, or cry, or how many times you want to kill yourself.” Luke jerks instinctively, but Ashton keeps him in place, the hand in Luke’s hair stalled but still cradling his head. “This isn’t conditional. And I’m going to be here, always. You have to know that, okay?” 

“You aren’t.”

“I will be. I want to be. Can you believe me on something? One thing?” Ashton asks, the light of his eyes grounding Luke. Luke nods uncertainly. “Okay. I love you as much as you love me. And keeping you around is my number one priority.”

“That’s a shitty priority.”

“If it were me, would you?” Ashton challenges him, and it’s not even a question, really.

“I’d fucking do anything,” Luke breathes. “Don’t even think about it.”

Ashton presses his forehead to Luke’s. “Whatever you’re feeling right now about me, that’s what I’m feeling about you. I promise you.”

Except he’s not, because Luke is nothing, not even the shell of a man; he’s just nerve endings and love for Ashton, glued together with the feeling of Ashton’s breath on his face, Ashton’s cooking in the morning, Ashton’s laugh when Luke tells a terrible joke, Ashton’s unapologetic grin when he does a perfect play-through on drums.

“Trust me,” Ashton reminds him. Luke swallows thickly and nods once.

“I’m so tired,” he says hoarsely.

“Get in bed,” Ashton suggests gently. “I can get some water and aspirin and be back in two minutes.”

“You’ll come back,” Luke says nervously.

“Luke,” Ashton says, with no exasperation, just a sweet, sad smile, “when are you going to understand that I’ll always come back? As long as you’re around, you’re the one I come back to.”

Something in the sincerity of Ashton’s voice, the way he says it so matter-of-factly, makes Luke feel safe enough to release his grip on Ashton. The shirt is wrinkled from Luke’s grasp, and Ashton’s whole shoulder is wet, drenched in Luke’s tears, but Ashton kisses his forehead and says, “Be right back.”

He goes. Luke heaves himself to his feet and collapses, mostly, onto his bed, twisting until he’s sort of under the blanket. He’s cold and exhausted, and all of his skin feels like it’s too small for his body, stretching thin to keep all of his insides where they belong. Ashton comes back, like he said he would, and puts the water and aspirin on the bedside table.

Without a word he climbs into bed, pulls the covers back to tuck them both in, and wraps his arms around Luke. Luke sighs. He ducks his head into Ashton’s chest, shuffles closer until there’s nothing between them. Ashton presses a lingering kiss to Luke’s forehead.

“Sometimes,” Luke says quietly, “I think you’re the only thing holding me together.” Sometimes, I know you are.

Ashton squeezes him tight for a second. “I fall apart without you, you know that?”

Luke huffs. “We’re well-suited.”

“Yeah,” Ashton murmurs. “We are.”

[eldritch-spouse]

WAIT JESUS CHRIST PINNIE HAVE WE EVER HAD A FIC WITH FANK-E??

I mean- *COUGH*- I've searched high and low and I've come back from a fruitless voyage... Now all I really want is a little something where Fank-E just drills into their S/O's pussy/ass real nicely... Holy shit, vibrating intercourse combo tho 👀

Or just... Fank-E and his S/O vibing. S/O teaches him stuff he can't learn on the web, Fank-E watching in awe as his little squishy does something any normal human being does, showering his lil qt in praises, failing miserably at flirtation, whatever the fuck- I never realised it, but I'm starved of Fank-E content,,,, :c

[Ahahhh yeah, there's some characters I should write for more, tbh. Also, I want to apologize in advance, because Fank-e exclusively speaks in broken l33t and your reading experience will be most painful... Fem reader.]

TW: Starts as dub-con, becomes consensual.

" 4Nd D1S h3r3 1s t3H G4rD3N! "

You blink, still very much holding onto the rave stick you were gifted. It's quiet outside, foggy, but peaceful. This might be the best part of the tour yet.

The tour your captor is giving you of the place he intends to keep you in. Because that makes sense. That's totally not counter-productive. Maybe he's just that cocky that you won't make it. The nerve. Well, for now, you're just happy to not be inside anymore. Inside that horrific, reality-defying building, where everyone is committing the wildest atrocities you've ever seen and looking at you like you're a slab of meat or a fucktoy on legs. You know, deep in your heart, that the only reason no one laid a single hand on you throughout this "tour" is because Fank-e had a hand on you the entire time. A strong hand, in fact, the type of vise grip that would sooner dislocate your shoulder than allow someone else to pry you off his grasp. Much as it is depressing to think about the current situation, you're safe, for now.

And to think that, in the end, you survived thus far not because of your self-defense classes, not because you're fast or strong or witty, but in fact, because you were dressed for a rave party. That's right, you got abducted as you were leaving for a party, dressed to the nines in typical bright eyesore fashion... You remember the terror of being lumped into a truck with a bunch of other random humans, whose whereabouts are unknown to you currently, of being dragged and pushed inside this fantastical building, a myriad of strange monsters evaluating all of you like discount products.

Then this fucking sore thumb of a robot shows up, speech like a buzzing alarm, covered in swirls of color, making goo-goo eyes at everyone before he squeals like a dying animal at the sight of you. You were scooped out of the horrified crowd like a plushie plucked by a claw machine. And that's when you met Fank-e, who is essentially your savior. Is he aware of that? Debatable, but staying in his good graces might be a good bet, which is why you're not trying to dash out right now. You're sure he could catch up quickly anyway.

A large gray hand swipes before your face.

" KUuc00, AnY0N3 TH3R3?? "

You jump, naturally. " Ah? Yes, I'm just... Curious. This part seems much calm- "

SCREE-

As if the cosmos had heard you, before you could finish that sentence, an ear-piercing shriek cuts through the air. And, seemingly out of nowhere, a grayish monster creature collapses on a bed of flowers. Flowers which, for some unknown fucked up reason, run away from the impact. Yeah. Okay. Nonetheless, you've never seen a critter like that. It's made of stone? Horns? Holy shit, is that actually a gargoy-

Something else plummets on top of it. Another monster who just launched itself... From the roof? This one's like some sort of overgrown flower, with a long meaty neck and a fluffed tail. The gargoyle howls in what you assume is pain and the two start brawling, all teeth and claws and raw fury.

Nevermind, this entire fucking place is cursed.

A tiny flower with legs brushes past your ankle as it runs away and you scream, launching yourself at your captor. Oh God. Oh fuck. You hate this entire place. It's haunted. It's vile.

" H4H4, u R 5o S1LLY! :P "

Large servos clutch you harder against the robot's frame. The previously tiny blush lines on his visor have turned bright pink, increasing in size. You wonder if that's a conscious choice from him, to emote things that are normally involuntary in people. You don't know how that makes you feel.

The large... Machine? Appears to sense your discomfort, giving you a couple of mildly uncomfortable head pats while the two of you watch half-feral monsters attempt to gut each other.

" Fank-e? " You think that's his name.

" Y3s? "

" Is this... Normal? "

" Tot4LLY. " He says this with the most serene expression ever.

" Uhuh. "

A couple of minutes pass, both garden-variety abominations butting heads violently. You're not the only ones watching, at least one odd deer-thing and several other gargoyles are looming in the distance. Fank-e is cheering someone on, but his speech patterns are already so jumbled normally, you can't hope to make out what he's saying when the robot's excited. What the fuck is your life anymore.

At some point, a loud groan cuts through the air. It sounds exasperated, transmitting the burnt-out energy of a babysitter who really hates their job. You have no choice but to gawk when the bench, who you could swear was just that, unfurls into a gangly mess of gray limbs topped by a massive, tooth-filled chest. What in God's name is that one supposed to be? How can Fank-e be so calm?!

The creature, whatever the fuck it is, lumbers past you and the robot without a single glance, heading towards the wrestling pair. Just as you think it's about to eat the smaller ones, the thing lets out a raging snarl of a noise, long arms prying gargoyle and... "Plant" aside. The stone monster has several dents and something has been stabbed into the green one's leg. The chest-headed monster sighs, groans, then sets the winged one down, making a dismissive "shoo" motion. The gargoyle appears to huff, a glare spared towards the hissing thing wriggling in protest before it clumsily takes flight.

Oddly enough, he- Well, it has no breasts and wears a long loincloth, so you're assuming it's male- Doesn't release the long-necked menace, trudging back the way he came with the thrashing being at arm's length.

" g00d J0b, 5yB! " Fank-e offers a thumbs-up when the monster passes by, making it sigh and nod towards the robot. You can finally see his glowing yellow eyes, submerged in a sea of damp darkness. They're inside his mouth, ew. Regardless, he's staring quizzically at your figure and you don't like it.

What did he call this guy again? " ... Syb? "

" mhM! " The robot nods. " he'2 my K0w0rK3r! "

Coworker?! That fucking dude?! " Ah... "

" ... Her. " Syb grunts quietly, jolting the ever-loving Christ out of you. A shackled wrist rises to point at you. Honestly, you just want distance from the croaking, twisting thing in his other hand.

" R19hT! " You're pushed forward a bit, much to your displeasure. Syb glances at you with weighed ambivalence. Oh God, is he going to hand you to this massive, toothy creature? " Syb45t1AN, 7H1s 1S mY qt-π! "

Both you and the other blink. " Uh... I'm your what? "

Sybastian shakes his head, as if having decided that he's not going to waste more time trying to comprehend the situation, sparing you another look, a painful one this time. Probably because you're wearing very bright clothes and it's still dark outside. In fact, both you and Fank-e must be eyesores to literally everyone right now. The monster nods and drags the screaming critter in his arms out of sight. Ah... Well... That's that then.

You turn, glancing out of curiosity to try and see what'll happen next, but are swiftly halted by a pair of hands on your hips dragging you back towards a metal body. Fank-e's head curls into view upside-down, the crude green face on his visor twists to be at the right angle however.

" U'r3 T3H Kut3St 5ku1shY 3v3r! "

Squishy? Couldn't this jackass just... Well, you don't know, install Microsoft Sam as his voicebank or something?

" Thanks... "

He laughs, grabby hands quickly groping at several sections of your form. There's a bit of child-like wonder at first, but it quickly turns into a lascivious action the more he's allowed to knead at your tummy, run cold hands up your sides and play with your tits through the fabric. You're frozen, unsure if you should let this go on. Would he stop if you told him to? Is there a benefit to this? He's... Kind of cute, in a really quirky way. But you're not here of your own volition and he's ultimately part of the problem.

" i k4'Nt w4IT 2 5h0W U 2 4ddy! " The robot interrupts your internal dilemma. Who's "Addy"? You don't want to admit it, but being palmed so eagerly by this perverted idiot looking at you like he's starstruck is arousing you. Maybe it's the accumulated adrenaline of all you've gone through tonight, maybe it's loneliness, you did want to make friends at that party... Or it could just be you looking for some sort of escapism.

Eitherway, you stop squirming when Fank-e's digits poke at the edge of your black ripped shorts.

" my 5kU1Shy... " He murmurs, or at least that's what you think it was meant to be, he's still rather loud. His fingers drum pensively on your skin, the expression on his visor winks at you while the hem of your clothes is teasingly flirted with. You just met this dude, in the worst possible circumstances, and yet, you're seriously considering letting him do this. Amazing.

Reality snaps through the fog of hormones and you glance around, suddenly feeling very exposed in spite of still having your outfit fully on. " Wait- Hold on, someone'll see... " Maybe that strange chest monster will come back. Now that you think about it, people aren't subtle about what they're doing inside this establishment either. But it still feels risky, wrong-

Kinda hot. God damn it.

" LM40, wh0 c4r3S? " A static-filled cackle rings out, you're half-convinced he's being loud on purpose now. " 1'm N07 SH4R1n9. ;P "

That's not really the confirmation your logical side wanted to hear, but the hormonal one that always kind of wanted to show off is howling in approval. His hand suddenly zips into your shorts.

" Fank-e! "

" O0P513 d41sy~! "

Bastard.

With a burning face and an equally heated situation near his hand, you cave. " Fine! Make it fast. "

The figure on his visor turns into a heart. " 1S 7H@ 4 ch4lL3n93? "

No. No God, it is not.

Nonetheless, the robot appears to take it as one, because your panties are quickly shoved out of the way and he's tracing at your lips with fast, greedy little motions. The sudden stimulus makes you twitch, but when corralled against a comparatively hulking frame, there's not much space to squirm with. As soon as Fank-e makes the trip back to your clit, there's the faint sound of a click somewhere, then a jolt of sensation.

Holy shit, his fingers vibrate. Because of course they do. Why wouldn't they? This guy sounds like he wouldn't pass up the opportunity to have somet- " Ahn! Ohh fuh- "

Maybe it was a mistake to tell him to "make it fast", the pervy machine isn't sparing you any gentleness in terms of intensity. He doesn't even have to move his servos much, you're already clenching your legs and shaking lightly.

Robotic humming is heard from somewhere, you're not really too focused on that, until a phone is shoved in your face. It's sudden enough to make you peel back and bonk your head on a metal chest, to which Fank-e laughs.

" H3re! 1 w4n7 U 2 P1Ck 1. "

A muddled mind struggles to keep up, until you realize what it is that you're staring at. Dicks. More specifically, attachable, artificial genitals with a variety of designs. Several sizes, with gradients and textures and- Fucking Hell, could he stop fingering you for two seconds?! That's a lot of options though, you feel yourself getting wetter just thinking about some. All of them appear to have the same "port" so to speak, something you presume means they're compatible with him. He has a dick then. Huh. Good.

Wait, focus- He wants you to pick.

" Uuhhhn- " Did he just turn the intensity up again? Son of a bitch, you can't even think.

Fank-e frowns at your lack of answer, though the emote is wiped off as he seemingly gets an eureka moment and starts typing something furiously, albeit accurately, with his free hand. Lord, you just want to come already.

" 0h!! i Kn0, u wan7 1 0f 7h3S3 7H3N? :3 "

The phone is pushed back into your line of sight. Instead of cocks, you are now glancing at a sea of what you can only describe as "robussy". Just as colorful and weirdly customizable as the male set. But why- Oh, he thinks this is your preference. Honestly, who cares? If he can make you feel this good with basically no effort, you're sold no matter the set.

" I- A-Ah-! " You attempt to speak through the digits now gliding mercilessly against your g-spot, only succeeding in gasping and tearing up. " C-Can we pick mmf- Later? " You're going to browse all of those like a family dad does the morning paper.

" 5ure 7H1n9! "

His thumb joins the party, nudging at your clit in a position only someone incapable of cramping their wrist could ever achieve. Already dripping and moaning, it's only a matter of seconds before you buck your hips, clang against his upper body and probably make a very embarrassing expression while clipped moans and whimpers carry you through your very fast orgasm. Those fingers never cease, Fank-e appears to be silently studying the process.

In this dazed state, you could never hope to spot the tiny red dot at the corner of his visor, indicating that he's clearly recording the events unfolding.

The robot only stops when you start nearly hyperventilating from overstimulation. Holy shit. You've never come that hard that fast before.

A thankfully clean thumb smooths something on your cheek. Ah yes, another sticker, as if you weren't already half-covered in them. " L0L KuT3. <:] " He comments on the look of your disheveled face.

Before you can even try to start righting yourself, the robot's hand is off your shorts and he pushes your legs apart slightly, adjusting position so that something can wedge between them.

Is that...

It's quite literally a rainbow-colored cock. The size makes you gulp.

" 1 Be7 1 k4N d0 f45t3R TH4N th@. "

Oh boy.

[shokopan]

𝐢'𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐮𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮  .  𝐭. 𝐤𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐨

summary: if you take the leap of faith, will kuroo be there to catch you?

pairings: kuroo x gn!reader  -  genre: angst to fluff? hurt/comfort?  -  tw: insecurities, fear of attachment

note: tbh i think this is one of my fav fics i’ve written for hq in terms of the feelings && general plot :D

the chilly night air swallows you whole as you step out of the family mart, the tense conversation you had a few days ago still ringing in your mind. that friday,  kuroo, your lovely coworker, had taken your hands in his and confessed to you how he felt and his desire to pursue a relationship with you. unfortunately for the both of you, you ran off, fearful and anxious due to everything that had and could happen.

you like kuroo, you truly do, but the fear of getting into a relationship where you’d have to place such an immense amount of trust on your significant other to be there for you and accept you for yourself was awfully paralyzing. your past relationships were all notably dull, plagued with lingering fears of their true feelings and possible discomfort with the physical affection that you so dearly craved but did not know how to ask for.

and as much as you like kuroo, you miss him (and his grossly cheesy jokes) even more. it’s only been a few days, but each time you bump into him at the office, he promptly turns and talks to another coworker as if he hadn’t even seen you. at meetings, he deliberately ignores your attempts at eye contact and doesn’t pitch in conversations that you’re either actively engaged in or started.

guilt continues to pool in your stomach as you mindlessly walk, wondering if those fears of really trusting the one that you could potentially love to love you just as you did were really worth missing out on a potentially loving relationship and more importantly, losing your friendship with kuroo tetsurou.

was sacrificing the yakitori trips after work to vent about your supervisors, vending machine breaks to share work gossip, and nighttime strolls by the shopping district worth protecting yourself?

you shook your head, knowing the glaringly obvious answer to the question as you chuckle at your foolishness and blink, suddenly aware of your surroundings as you find yourself face to face with kuroo’s apartment door, stunned by your hand already being raised and ghosting the doorbell. it was as if your legs had gone into autopilot while your mind was preoccupied by your guilt about what had happened with kuroo.

you sigh, recalling the screaming of a close friend after telling them about what had happened, trying your hardest to suppress the fact that throughout your years of working with kuroo, he inevitably became your rock and a close friend that you learned to depend on. during your first few presentations, just briefly meeting his eyes brought enough assurance to overcome the flurry of nerves in your stomach. and despite all the layers of fear, confirming knew the answer to your earlier question.

losing kuroo tetsurou was not worth it.

after a moment’s hesitation, you ring the doorbell, immediately staggering back as you see kuroo swiftly fling the door open with a frenzied look in his eyes.

“y/n,” he breathes, blinking for a moment as he rubs his eyes, almost as if he is trying to confirm that you are in fact standing in front of him, “what- what are you doing here?”

“i just- i need to see you and tell you that i’m sorry, so fucking sorry. i’m sorry for running away, i’m sorry for ruining our friendship, and i’m sorry for everything,” you choke out, “i didn’t want to lose you and so i got really fucking scared about the possibility of getting into a relationship and having to really trust you with accepting me and everything, and i got really in my head so i just-“

you suck in a deep breath, losing the momentum from earlier as you scramble to find a way to salvage your unfinished verbiage disguised as a sentence.

“ran away,” kuroo finishes for you, chuckling dryly as he heaves his shoulder up. you wince a little and nod, unable to bring yourself to lift your head up and meet his piercing eyes despite the lack of animosity in his voice. you’d imagine for him to say it almost sarcastically, yet there’s a tone of sympathy and a hint of sadness.

“fuck, y/n,” kuroo runs a hand through his hair, averting his eyes and cracks the knuckles of his free hand “i’ve been such an asshole,” you swiftly lift your head up in confusion, wondering if you misheard as you furrow your eyebrows, “sorry, what?”

“i was such an asshole to you yesterday,” kuroo grimaces, “and the day before that. i was so upset about the fact that you left and i kept ignoring you when i didn’t even give any thought to why you reacted like that, especially because your reason is completely valid and you’ve even- fuck you’ve even told me before about your insecurities about shit like this.

oh my god. y/n i’m so fucking sorry for pushing you when you’re uncomfortable with relationships- i got carried away and too caught up in my own emotions when i realized you liked me too, oh my god. i’m so fucking sorry i shouldn’t have done that. if you’d like, i’ll try to get over everything and we can go back to how we used to be,”

“no, tetsurou, that’s not what i’m here to tell you,” you cut in, shaking your head and sighing in exasperation as you clasp your hands together tightly. the two of you finally look each other in the eye as kuroo takes his turn to watch you in utter confusion.

“i’m here,” you began, slowly heaving regulatory breaths as you continued, “because i want to take that leap of faith. i want to be with you, and i don’t want to keep doubting people. i don’t think it’ll be easy, but i want to be with you, tetsurou. i want to run to you, and i want to be assured that if- when i do, you’ll be there to catch me,”

kuroo blinks owlishly as he lets your words sink in, a slow smile spreading on his face as he opens his arms subtly, waiting for permission. you nod, rushing into his arms as he wraps his around your body, burying his face into the crook of your neck as he chuckles, “i’ll catch you, i’ll always catch you,”

“can i?” kuroo envelops your cheek with his palm, thumb brushing your lip as his gaze practically pierces through you.

“yeah,” you respond in a hushed whisper. kuroo wastes no time, immediately closing the gap and pressing his lips against yours. your hands find their place against kuroo’s chest as one of his palm remains on your cheek and the other slides to your waist.

as you two pull away from the kiss, you still remain in the position. his whole body practically envelopes yours as you glance up and hold eye contact with him with foolishly tender smiles mirrored on both of your faces.

“again, i want this. i want to be with you, and i’ll put in the work for that. we can take this slow and you can set the pace so that you’re comfortable. i won’t push you and we can continue to talk to each other honestly like this to figure us out. i’ll catch you, so run to me alright darling?” kuroo whispers, caressing your cheek softly before moving his palm to the back of your head for you to bury your face into his sturdy chest.

you’re hesitant at first, but you gradually sink into his arms, reveling in the warmth, “promise?”

kuroo blinks owlishly as he lets your words sink in, a slow smile spreading on his face as he opens his arms subtly, waiting for permission. you nod, rushing into his arms as he wrap his around your body, burying his face into the crook of your neck as he chuckles, “i’ll catch you, i’ll always catch you,”

you sink into his arms, reveling in the warmth, “then i’ll run to you,”

[realcube]

haikyuu!! boys with a s/o that becomes clingy/affectionate while drunk

characters: kyōtani, kenma, iwaizumi, matsukawa and bokuto

thank you anon for this marvellous request mwah

ALL CHARACTERS ARE AGED UP!

tw// drinking, suggestive themes, sexual references, swearing

Kentarō Kyōtani

kyōtani was used to having a cool, laid-back s/o who was just as awkward about physical touch as he was 

i mean, that’s kinda a part of the reason he liked you so much - so y’all could get over your awkwardness together

so imagine his surprise when his usually level-headed, calm s/o came stumbling out of the club, a blubbering mess and threw themselves into his arms, wailing something about a maths test

THE AMOUNT OF EMOTIONS THAT FLOODED HIS MIND IN THAT ONE MOMENT OMFG ADFGHJKL

he was like ‘omg why are they touching me? i kinda like it- wait are they crying? tf? i ain’t ever seen them cry before- should i help them? lord everyone is looking at us now. so what the fuck do i do- AYE DON’T TOUCH ME THERE’

so he had no choice but to dip with you flung over his shoulder lol

he took you back to your shared apartment and forced you to drink some water and instead of ordering a take-out, he just gave you his leftover burrito which he took to the club smh

it was probably cold 

but that was the best he could think of at the time bc he simply needed to shut you up with food bc the alcohol in your system was causing you to become especially touchy, hence resulting in kyōtani getting especially aroused

but the last thing he’d do is fuck you while you’re drunk and i firmly believe that despite the fact kyōtani is a bit of a lout - he still has like a basic moral compass

but i mean if you kept being so damn suggestive then it was gonna be a lot harder for him to resist his urges

you were rubbing him up and shit, calling him every pet name in the book so ofc he just stuck a burrito in your mouth and went ‘stfu 😡’

the painful part was that he was silently enjoying it too (┬┬﹏┬┬)

(though, he was red from blushing lol, not anger) 

and he wasn’t used to it either so obviously he was gonna get flustered, i mean, everything was happening all at once

oh and you told him ‘i love you’ and he literally combusted like lord have mercy on this man 

just that morning you were calling him your ‘annoying rat boyfriend’ (jokingly, ofc) and now you love him?-

that wasn’t the first time you told him that you loved him but he was still blushing none the less 

and he stammered out a ‘love you too’ PRAYING that you wouldn’t remember any of this the following day

anyway, he cuddled you to sleep and railed you as soon as you sobered up - the end ❤

Kenma Kozume

pov: you’re kenma happily being a wallflower in the club then your s/o approaches you, demanding for you to fuck them 

- ok, end of POV - 

anyway, your speech was slurred so kenma wasn’t really sure if that was what you were asking him to do but if it was, he would’ve happily obliged if it wasn’t for the fact you were clearly drunk

mans was blushing though

bc y’all hardly ever do it but now - all of a sudden - you were tightly wrapped around him, garbling erotic threats into his ear

kenma was worried at first but you were like..really weak

so it wasn’t hard to get you off his torso, usher you out of the club and grip your hand as he ordered a taxi 

also kenma had read enough wattpad fanfictions to know how to deal with someone while they’re drunk 

but none of those fanfictions ever mentioned a single thing about how to deal with yourself while your partner is drunk

like seriously..he was in pain

both from the throbbing erection he had and the aching embarrassment he felt - both stemming from the fact you tried to give him a lap dance in taxi ✋ please oml

anyway, he took you back to his apartment and insisted that you have a few slices of the left-over pizza in the fridge along with a glass of water

after you changed into your pyjamas, you had clearly sobered up slightly as you could now compose coherent sentences

but that wasn’t any better for him bc now you were draped over him, whimpering into his ear about how much you love him

‘i’m so lucky to have you, kenma. i love you so much. you remind me of my first cat - you’re such a cat- i mean, blessing..you’re such a blessing.’ 

ngl, at that point he would be at a loss for words, just deciding to hug you until you fall asleep

like he finds it so cute that you’re finally opening up to him about how you feel as you’re usually quite composed and restrained 

but also- what does he do now? 

you eventually fell asleep in his arms and the next day, you woke up to kenma having made breakfast and telling you how much he adores you which was..confusing, to say the least

he told you about how you acted when you were drunk and to say you were embarrassed would be an understatement 

also, he’ll tease you about it for the rest of your life ;)

Hajime Iwaizumi

literally all you had to do was send him a text like ‘iwa...,,.,...ily so mycj ❤’’ and he’s already waiting in the line to get into the club lol

he marches in there, finds you, grabs your hand and drags you home 

let’s hope that your friends know what iwaizumi looks like so they don’t have to just watch a random guy haul you out the club-

and tries to act all like angry iwaizumi >:( but when you are trailing behind him, muttering about how amazing he is, he becomes more like angy iwa grrr (* ￣︿￣)

by that, i mean that angry iwaizumi would bring you home and lecture on how irresponsible it is to get so intoxicated 

but angy iwa just takes care of you but with a disapproving scowl 

and angry iwaizumi would make nasty, bitchy remarks about how inappropriate your outfit is 

while angy iwa would be like ‘babe, your outfit is lovely but maybe wear something different next time, idk....’

either way, he takes good care of you 

he makes sure you eat (and he cooks good food btw - he doesn’t make you eat leftovers lmao) 

he lets you change into more comfortable clothes

he ensures that you don’t die in the shower 

and he forces you to go to bed

but all of that is rather difficult when you’re clinging to him like your life depends on it, raving on about how sweet of a boyfriend he is and covering his face sloppy kisses

his original plan was to go train some more in his gym (yes, there is a gym in y’alls house-) but when you were peppering his cheek in kisses, begging him to stay with you for whatever reason, of course he didn’t have the balls to leave

 so he ended up laying like a log in bed as you cuddled up to him like koala, resting your head in his chest and allowing him to run his hand through your hair as you slept

in that moment - as he stared down at your tranquil figure - he realised how grateful he was for moments like these, as he finally got see a side of you that he knew you’d almost never exhibit when you’re sober

like yeah, you often tell him how much you love him but he can always tell that it’s as if you’re setting aside your pride to say such a thing but now, you’re gushing on about it with the most genuine look in your eyes, he can tell that you’re being completely sincere 

and to say that he adores it would be an understatement 

so yeah, you were kind of a pain while drunk but you were also the most adorable thing that iwaizumi had ever laid his eyes on (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)

Issei Matsukawa

ok so the only reason matsukawa wasn’t getting drunk with you was bc the first time y’all got drunk together he got fined for public indecency and you got done for public intoxication

so you decided that it was best (for your wallets) if you took turns getting tipsy

emphasis on ‘tipsy’ bc you both went to the bar together (along with a few friends) and you promised matsukawa that you’d only have a few drinks 

so please explain to him why he is now having to carry you bridal style out of the bar because you are too hammered to walk properly 

and he was kinda grumpy bc he had to leave his friends mid-conversation bc not only were you pestering him but also, the erotic things you were whispering in his ear caused him to get a boner

and he was getting weird looks from people as he carried you home but that was the least of his problems tbh- he didn’t even notice lol

the biggest issue on his mind rn was the fact that you made him hard yet you can’t help him bc you’re drunk smh 

like he was tempted at first bc you seemed down to do it but he quickly came back to reality and realised how morally incorrect that’d be 

so he was mumbling curses the whole way home just to tune you out bc if he paid any more attention to the racy promises you were muttering in his ear- he’d explode

he’s alright at taking care of you like he isn’t iwaizumi’s level of caring but he’s a close second, i mean he’s gotten drunk plenty of times so he knows the basics

he was like ‘drink water idk lol ’

anyway, once he handled himself he wasn’t too fazed by your lustful advances

and he was so smug about it too deadass like ‘keep talkin’ me up, (y/n), you ain’t getting shit until you’re sober.’

smh ANYWAY he thinks you’re so charming when you’re like lovey-dovey drunk but SO annoying when you’re horny drunk bc like- he can’t get some (T_T)

Kōtarō Bokuto 

best for last 👌

ok anyway he’s an athlete and he doesn’t need alcohol to have a good time- he’s forever drunk tbh- drunk on life :)

so while you’re getting hammered with your pals, he’s doing stupid shit while sober lol

once you both rendezvous outside the club to head home and you’re absolutely steamin- he’s just like ‘hi, babe! how’s your night been?’

SO OBLIVIOUS OML

anyway, he drives back to y’alls house and since you’re fatigued at first, you spent 90% of the car ride sleeping

but when you get home, more awake, you’re all up on him

but you’re not like sensual drunk- more like..emotional drunk but with love 🥺

so basically you are sobbing into his chest about whatever and bc he is an such empath he will start crying too, or at least get a bit emotional 

you could say something like, ‘omg, bo. i hardly get to see you because you’re at work so often- i wish i could spend more time with you. i miss you so much’  ╯︿╰

and he would deadass reply whole-heartedly while weeping into your shoulder, ‘I’M QUITTING VOLLEYBALL, (Y/N)!!’

(ok, so maybe he was a bit tipsy too- but like..definitely not has drunk as you)

he has no idea where to start when it comes to taking care of you but he tries (´◡` ‘) 

at the very least, he ensures that you don’t having any more alcohol and that you don’t die somehow 

he’s v overprotective though 

you could be getting a fork to eat your instant-noodles with and he’ll be like 

‘apologies ✋ but i cannot allow you to handle such a dangerous weapon while intoxicated. maybe eat with a spoon instead, idk.’ /h

other than that, he just cuddles you to sleep and deals with you in your badly hungover state the next day

[blahkugo]

Rouge

Satori Tendō x Reader (Haikyuu!!)

Word Count: 2.5k

TW: Mafia AU, Dark themes, Blood play (an excessive amount of blood mentions in general), Knife play, Asphyxiation, Angst (?), mentions of death (no main characters), Just two psychopaths going at it tbh.

A/N: I’m so excited to be writing for @the-smut-pile’s newest collab, hosted by @present-mel, @pleasantanathema, and @linestrider. Please make sure to check out the rest of the masterlist here!

Every night, the smell of bleach stings your nostrils and prayers left unsaid weigh heavy on your tongue. ‘It comes with the job,’ they had warned you, had urged a ‘pretty little thing like you,’ not to take a position you couldn’t stomach. You didn't listen, of course.

Because death isn’t a stranger in your life, nor an old acquaintance you catch up with once every few years. It’s a friend that phones daily, a lover you scurry into bed with—the chill down your spine when you walk home alone in eerie silence.

As a doctor you saw it everyday, with every patient that prayed for pity when the pain became all too much. Cries of the sick plagued your every waking moment; who were you to deny them release? Their suffering ended the moment you injected the drugs.

But you’ve never seen death like this before.

“Daydreaming again, angel?” Tendō swipes a disinfectant across the cold metal counter, rubbing until pools of pomegranate red match his long, messy hair. Despite the dreariness of the task, an impish smile remains plastered across his face, the glint in his eyes unscathed by the scene you’d both just witnessed.

“It’s still Doctor to you.” Try as you might, your voice comes out shaky, your heart pounding so hard you’re worried it may actually jump out. That feeling never quite leaves you.

He straightens his gloves and out comes his signature laugh—that high, maniacal, chuckle that stops just short of a song. You’d rip out your car radio if it meant getting rid of it.

“You haven’t been one for a long time.”

The truth makes you shudder, but he’s right, of course. Once your license had been stripped away and you were on the run, your career had officially ended. An ‘Angel of Mercy,’ all the news stations had called you, yapping on for days when you were that week’s most wanted woman.

You don’t have the right to be called a medical professional and yet, you stand your ground. If it means getting him to quit with the dreadful pet name, you’ll say just about anything.

“Your boss calls me Doctor.”

“Because my boss can’t remember your name.” He meets your eyes, lips quirking upward at the little huff that escapes you, your furrowed brows spilling bits of frustration you so desperately attempt to keep bottled. The air hangs heavy with the shrieks of anger you wish you could unleash, all the words you don’t dare say aloud in fear of looking weaker than he already believes you are.

Instead of challenging you further, Tendō simply turns away, chucking the wipes in a bin and humming a tune far too cheery for a man who just ended a life.

When night comes, you dream of the older man who begged to see his children one last time and the laugh that sounds like a song.

—

The next day isn’t any better, because it never is. Ushijima’s moles bring in three more bodies for questioning; bodies, because you’ve been instructed to refer to them as nothing but. And they’re young this time, heavily tattooed kids that can’t be much older than nineteen—children that look so much like the thralls of young men you’ve learned to call friends, you have to avert your eyes when they send panicked glances your way.

You wonder if Tendō ever makes these comparisons.

“I’ll only ask once,” the gruff, even voice echoes within the small space. “Who’s your supplier?” Your boss is cold and calculated. He never wavers, never says more than he needs to. He’s everything you’d thought the leader of a crime organization would be and more.

Tendō hovers next to him, gnarled fingers twitching eagerly at the knife splayed between them. It’s his weapon of choice, because—as he mentioned your first day on the job—he can ‘take his time with them’.

The captives crack immediately, pleading helplessly for their lives as they vow they know nothing. They probably don’t, appearing to be nothing more than lowly thugs in a long hierarchy of vile men. It doesn’t stop what comes next.

As expected, Ushijima remains silent except for the soft sigh that leaves him. Tendō sighs as well, though it seems more pleased—euphoric, even—than bored. He presses a slender finger into the tip of his knife, watches as a bit of blood runs down his lean arm, paints a strip of his tattoos red, and drips onto the metal table.

“Are they ours now?” Ours. The word brings bile to your throat. Ushijima makes his way to the door, bluntly calling over his shoulder,

“Do what you must.”

You push up your glasses, Tendō grins, and the screaming begins.

—

Blood-stained lab coats are a staple of your wardrobe. No matter how hard you scrub, fingers raw and aching, the faded pinks never seem to give. You quit months ago, resorted to throwing the worst ones away instead of putting yourself through that hell.

This coat’s going straight to the bin.

Through every horrid interrogation, you’ve forced yourself to watch. You’ve never looked away, never dared allow him to smell the fear off of you. You hand him the tools, write the information on the clipboard, assist with cleanup and disposal, and answer any questions he may have—like the good little medical doctor turned mafia member you should be.

And Tendō smiles the whole way through. Even as dagger meets flesh, as pained cries shatter your eardrums, as your vision is clouded with red, red, red—Tendō smiles, humming a tune that you hear long into the next evening.

But today, when the third young man had looked you dead in the eyes and sobbed, begging you to tell his mother he loves her, you couldn’t help yourself.

Of course, the towering redhead didn’t fail to detect the misstep.

“Bad day?” He questions innocently, resting his elbows on the now spotless titanium table. His muscles ripple as he leans, boasting the thousands of dollars worth of art across his arms. It bothers you that you notice it, even more that he probably catches you gawking. He sees everything, after all. Everything but the blood still splattered across his body.

“Won’t be the last, for us at least.” Brows raise, as though the thought hadn’t occurred to him. If at all possible, the wicked grin on his face widens.

“You’re exactly right.” And like clockwork, he laughs. Your hands grow cold, ice corroding your veins. He swipes his tongue over his lip, leaving a slick shine on his lips. When he rises and steps toward you, you stand your ground, though you so desperately long to run. “Why so serious?”

“They didn’t know anything,” you mumble under your breath, “and you tortured them anyways.” In all your months of working with him, this is the first you’ve complained—and you immediately wish you hadn’t.

Tendō moves even closer, as though entertained by your tiny outburst. Perhaps he’s been waiting for this moment, for you to finally break your silence. When he speaks, his tone is gentler than usual, but still holds every hint of mockery and nonchalance the bastard is known for,

“It’s our job, angel face.” Another step, another tiny breath you’re holding in, worried that the slightest of sighs might shatter your perfected image of faux indifference. He tilts his head to the side, peering down at you, like you’re- a child.

And the glass breaks.

“Enough.” You splay your hands in front of you, halting him in his tracks, just as he invades your space. “Enough of the patronizing looks, and the humming, and the stupid pet name that you know bothers me!” An accusatory finger is jabbed into his chest. “Don’t you feel guilt? Fear? Empathy? You murder people.”

Your chest burns, heaving with rage. Tendō’s half-smile still sits on his face, words of ridicule ready to roll off his tongue any second. But when you look into his eyes, there seems to be something more—an emotion you can’t quite place. Anger? Understanding?

His next sentence is whispered with such sobriety, you’re unsure who it is you’re speaking to anymore,

“People like us don’t deserve those feelings.”

“There is no us!” The claim may come out crazy, hysterical even— a woman covered in warm blood shrieking within a cold, sterile room. For once, you don’t care. “I’m not like you.”

Those words may be what set him off, hand wrapping around your chin and tilting it up so that you’re unable to look away. Fingers that incite panic and enact violence, fingers you’ve feared since your first day here, clutching you ever-so casually. “Exactly. You’re not like me.”

He doesn’t wait for your rebuttal, gripping harder at your face. “I’ve made my peace with who I am, but you,” his breath fans your cheeks, “you only pretend you don’t enjoy it.”

Then, Tendō’s kissing you. And to your utter surprise, you’re kissing him back. Heat rises within you, the hairs at your neck curling as your lips meet with a ferocity. His palms graze your lab coat—no doubt staining his skin with the blood it’s drenched in—before he’s peeling it off.

When you tug at his messy locks, the butcher smiles and sinks his teeth into your bottom lip. He pulls you closer, hurriedly stripping you of your remaining clothing, until you’re left in just your panties. Hands roam at your supple skin, kneading at your hips, meshing into you wherever he can. All the while, your lips do the same, bleeding into each other until you’re unsure of where you start and he ends.

“No.” The command is stern, perhaps the most you’ve ever been with him. His eyes narrow in disappointment, limbs rapidly untangling from your body. You shove him backwards until his knees hit the edge of the table, nudge him again so that he falls against it, and grab a clean scalpel off the side counter. “No, we do deserve to feel those things.” His grin returns in full force—and he laughs.

This time, you don’t hate it.

“Deep down,” he grunts as you hitch a leg over his thighs and climb onto him, “you know that I’m right.” The scalpel’s pointed tip grazes his black tee, cutting through the material meticulously. You run a palm up his broad chest before pressing a finger to his mouth, smearing nearly dried blood across his jaw in the process.

“You talk too much,” the hushed murmur tumbling from your lips doesn’t sound like you, is foreign and twisted, and too much like him to bode well for either of you. The muscles in his thighs tense beneath you, his hard chest rumbling in a silent glee.

Your fingers brush against his cheekbones and you gasp, losing all perception of who you are. It’s absurd, but the individual you knew before, the persona you so adamantly believed you could uphold, crumbles with a single, soft touch of his skin.

And it’s unfair, really, that someone so beautiful—covered in art, blessed with hair the color of sweet wine and a laugh that sounds like music—could be so utterly fucked up.

When you nick his cheek, observing the drip of blood that trickles down, you wonder if Tendō ever makes these comparisons. And when you lick at it, preening at the groan that leaves him, you wonder if you’re just as fucked up as he is.

All at once, you’re flipped beneath him, back crashing against the cool metal table. He climbs down and drags his pants off, yanks you towards him with one pull of your thighs, and presses against your core. A shiver runs down your spine at the heat, crazes you for something you didn’t think you needed.

“By the way,” Tendō speaks through kisses and nips at your neck, “you are just as fucked up.” Though you hadn’t realized you’d said that aloud, you’re unable to retaliate, only wrap your legs around his middle and moan at a particularly harsh bite. He soothes every spot of broken skin with his tongue, drifting downwards until his lips meet your cotton panties. “How cute.”

“Well, I wasn’t exactly expecting thi– Ah,” your complaint is cut short when he moves them to the side and licks a long stripe up your slit. And he doesn’t stop, lapping and sucking at your soaked cunt, holding you down with one lean arm when you writhe in response to the pressure. “God, fuck.”

“Satori, but I’ll take God too,” he smirks against your mound. It’s then that he inserts a lithe finger, then two, stretching you out until you’re tugging at his long locks, goosebumps raised as the warmth of his mouth intertwines with the cold beneath your back.

You’re panting, unconcerned with time or it’s passing, only his fingers, his tongue circling your puffy bud, and your steady ascension to the edge. Just as your legs tense, breath caught mid-mewl of his name, he stops. You lean up on your elbows, rut against him, searching for more—friction, movement, anything—but he doesn’t let up.

“Fuck- why?” Your cry is loud, whiny even, but you don’t particularly care when euphoria’s been ripped away from you so suddenly.

“Tell me I’m right,” he teases, eyes peering straight through yours. You whine again, a mix between a pained groan and ‘are you fucking serious?’ before he flicks at your bud once more. “Say it.”

And you do. Because, as strongly as you've denied it, you’re every bit as perverse as he is, every bit as infatuated by the idea of power, of playing God—of holding a life between your fingertips and choosing death.

The second the words are out of your mouth, he thrusts deep into you. Your fingers scramble for purchase, nails dragging against the table, then his back, as skin slaps against skin.

There’s nothing gentle about Satori, all lean, hard muscle and jagged edges, but the pain is just as blissful as the pleasure. His fingertips rub at your clit, other hand moving to wrap around your throat and squeeze tightly.

“Satori, I- I need more,” you choke out, lightheaded. And he complies, shifting you to your side and throwing one of your legs over his shoulder. Your cries melt into his, sweat soaking your skin, your hair, the table, as he pounds into you over and over again.

“That’s it baby– fuck, let go for me.” He presses the long-forgotten scalpel against your throat—and your vision goes white. Electricity sparks through your spine, your tongue lolls out, and you swear you feel tears run down your cheeks.

He doesn’t stop, working you through the orgasm as your legs bind his waist. A few more thrusts and he’s following you, holding your hips against him so tightly, he’ll probably leave deep purple bruises.

He finally stills, chest falling against yours and heaving, allowing you both to catch your breath. Flashing a set of pearly canines, his wild grin and the glint in his eyes reappear. For the first time since you’ve known him, Tendō is completely silent.

And then he laughs, lawless and untamed, the howl of a hyena that sounds like a song—and you laugh too.

[gcnedark]

What Now?

Characters: Rusty Caldwell, Beller Cross

Cw/tws: Murder, mentions of mass murder, injury. General violence tbh

•

•

•

•

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"You don't have to do this- no- STOP!"

The begs for mercy were silenced by a bullet ringing out into the air and piercing Bellers skull, his blood and bits of his brain splattering onto the headboard of the bed he laid on. Leaving Rusty standing there in silence, aiming the revolver at the man's corpse.

It took him a few moments to truly realize what had finally happened. He had killed the man who was the main reason everything was taken away from him, the officers that arrested him, the judge that sentenced him to prison, the bastards that stole the wagon in the first place- all of them were dead. Left as nothing but husks in his path of destruction- but now, the main one behind it all was dead...

So now what?

What could he really do now? Rusty had been butchering dozens upon dozens of people over the course of days, he'd never fired a gun before this. But here he was with 4 on him like he was some kind of gunslinger, he wasn't sure where he got the skill from. He'd only used bows and melee weapons in his past, never a firearm. But the moment the revolvers fell into his hands, it was almost as if they were meant for him.

But now that everyone was dead, what was he supposed to do? He got his revenge, he got his identity back. There was nothing left except bodies to be buried by whatever poor shmuck found them. And Rusty?

He was a wanted man now. He broke out of prison, he'd murdered all these people, and he was sure the law knew it was him. Rusty wasn't exactly the greatest at covering his tracks, he could admit that. Was he just supposed to go on the run now? Hiding out for the rest of his life?

As he turned around and began to walk out of the bedroom, he tried to think of what to do now. Rusty didn't have anything left, his parents were dead, his siblings were around, sure. But would they even accept him after what he'd done? Sure, he had those family friends that had busted him out- but they were also well known criminals, then again. So was he.

He didn't know what to do now, maybe he'd go and stay with Skel for a little while. That seemed to be the only good option he had at the moment.

He just hoped the guy wouldn't push him away for this.

[mortedeveles]

Model For Me

Summary: Y/N has always been a timid, awkward person and artist when it comes to social interactions and it only gets worse when she asks her crush and best friend, Katsuki Bakugou, to model for her. And not just any type of modelling; Y/N needs to do a composition of a nude male body. Luckily for her, Katsuki's personality is anything but shy and he doesn't hesitate to undress in front of her. It's for art, he says. But something tells Y/N that the boy has hidden and devious intentions. 

Genre: fluff, humor, suggestive content (a wee bit of NSFW themes)

TW: cursing, sexual themes, nudity.

Pairing: Katsuki Bakugou x fem!artist!reader

HERE: PART ONE

PART TWO.  PART THREE.  PART FOUR. PART FIVE. PART SIX. 

a/n: this was originally going to be a oneshot but it was too long to be 1 oneshot, so the chapters will be rather short (1k-2k) but all of it together would be too long for a oneshot so it’s staying as a short story. i have two pointers for this short series!

1- reader is not white in this oneshot!  (i don’t specify reader being white in others, but skin color isn’t usually mentioned) (i’m using the term poc since i’m not sure what else to use) nationality or ethnic background won’t be stated so feel free to employ your own! this isn’t really relevant tbh but i just wanted to clear it up in case someone got confused.

2- reader’s best friend here is Aneko! i would’ve used (F/N) but it would have been more troublesome so i decided to name the friend! 

 enjoy!!

Copyright © 2020-2021 by Veles. Do not repost, plagiarize, or read my fanfiction without my permission. 

''This month's assignment is human anatomy,'' your teacher stated. She walked around in the cramped classroom, holding a beautifully drawn painting of the nude female body to her chest. 

Even though your classes weren't high end or expensive, you were still at awe at how talented your teacher was, especially since the classes were held in a small recreational center that was on the poor end. Since the classes were cheap, you would've thought that the art teacher would be inexperienced or an amateur. Sometimes you wondered how an artist like her didn't have more recognition.

''Since I'm familiar with all of your abilities and weaknesses, each of you will have a specific kind of rules,'' she said. She passed the papers around the rectangular table and once you got your hands on your copy, your face paled.

The bold words GENDER: MALE stared back at you as you swallowed nervously.

While you weren't shy or timid around the opposite gender, having to sketch a naked guy with his dick out sounded... unpleasant.

Your eyes only widened as you continued to read the rest of the rules.

The assignment must be done in a live session with the model, do NOT use images or any other type of resources.

Male must have a muscular and athletic body.

Preferably, the model should be in a position in which they are using their quirk. 

Medium: charcoal.

The model must be drawn with the background as well. This assignment also includes a linear perspective. 

You slowly raised your hand as you bounced your thighs nervously with the tip of your toes. The teacher raised an eyebrow and beckoned you to speak.

''Ma-Ma'am, is it necessary to do the assignment with a nude male model? Can I change it?'' You said nervously.

You could hear your friend snicker beside you and you elbowed her in the stomach without glancing, keeping your eyes on the art teacher. A soft 'ouch!' was heard from your left. 

She sighed in response and stared at you through her glasses.

''Yes, Y/N. Everyone received different requirements. I will revise the progress every three days and I expect the project to be done by the end of the month. Remember that this assignment won't be done in class, so try your best and remember to use your knowledge to your advantage.''

You nodded and ducked your head, swallowing nervously. Who would you even ask to model for you? Money was tight at the moment, you were too broke to hire a model. And besides, most of your money would go to the art supplies you needed to restock on for the assignment.

''Aww, is the baby too shy to see a guy naked?'' your friend's teasing voice made you snap back to reality. Pouting, you turned to face her evil grin and stick out your tongue at her.

''Shut up, Aneko... I'm not shy! I've just never...well...'' you stammered, fiddling with your hands.

Aneko smiled smugly in response as she lowered her head to meet your nervous gaze,

''Never what...?'' 

You shook your head in response, refusing to admit that you'd never seen a naked guy. Scratch that, you had, through a screen of course, but being in the same room as a naked guy...? Nope. Hell, it was a rare occasion for you to be alone in a room with a boy. But staying with a naked boy?! You sighed. You can already feel the headache forming. 

The teacher's firm voice snapped you out of it. ''Very well. The class is over. I'll see you all next week. Have a great weekend!'' 

Everyone rose from their seats, stashing away their art supplies and heading out of the small classroom. You stayed behind with your best friend Aneko, chatting about nonsense.

''So, who are you going to ask model?'' she said casually, stuffing her can of spray inside her ratty backpack.

''I don't know...'' you mumble. ''I don't really think I'm close enough with any guy to ask him to model for me...''

''Don't say that!'' Aneko chided. ''Well.. there is one person you can ask....'' she grinned at you as the two of you walked out of the classroom.

You furrowed your eyebrows at her words. Who was she talking about? From all the boys you knew, someone who was a male had an athletic build and a flashy or useful quirk, you'd say it would be...

Katsuki Bakugou.

Suddenly, you froze in the middle of the hallway. Aneko raised her eyebrows and she stopped as well, questioning your actions.

Thank god for your dark skin, otherwise, Aneko would've noticed you were blushing. She tugged your hand and urged you forward. But nope, once his name had surfaced, you were frozen. Thoughts of undressing your friend Katsuki were all over your mind, making you feel more flustered with every passing minute. 

''Y/N, is something wrong? Why are you...'' she trailed off and her voice died down. But a devious grin rose from her lips and something told you that she knew exactly what you were thinking.

''Ohhh. Naughty Y/N! You're thinking about him, aren't you?! Asking Bakugou, your big, fat crush to be na-'' her next words were muffled violently as you pressed a hand against her mouth and with the other one, grabbed her ear and dragged her out of the run down the recreational center. 

Aneko was screeching in protest, but her noises were muffled by your hand, keeping a firm grip around her. Once the two of you were outside of the center and no one was around to hear, you dropped your hand, grimacing when you saw that Aneka had tried biting you. Several times.

''Ouch, ouch! Why'd you do that?'' she grumbled, rubbing her sore ear.

''Don't say that when we're in public!'' you hissed, rubbing your warm cheeks.

''Even though he's still a student, Katsuki Bakugou gets a lot of attention from the media! Not to mention, I'm a U.A student too! If someone heard a word of this, who knows what they would've done with it! I don't want to be part of a teenage scandal!"

''Sorry...'' your friend mumbled as she glanced towards the ground. You sighed, pinching the bridge of your nose.

''It's okay, Anne, just please be more careful next time,''

Aneko smiled sheepishly and gave you a thumbs up. You smiled and shook your head in disbelief and the two of you began to walk home.

''Do you really think I should...ask Katsuki to model for me?'' you blurted out. Aneko shot you a glance as the two of you crossed the road and continued walking forwards.

''I think Bakugou is the type of person that will never back down from a challenge,'' your friend said. ''And besides, he'll probably agree so you don't ask another guy to strip for you. He'll get really mad.'' she snickered.

You gasped and you felt the familiar warmth travels across your face. Squeezing your eyes shut for a moment, you shook your head in denial and frowned.

''No he wouldn't!'' your voice was a pitch higher and what was intended to be harsh, ended up sounding like a harmless squeak. 

Your friend laughed loudly and her laughter turned into relentless wheezing as she bent over her knees and leaned against the wall. Her lips were quirked upwards and her eyes danced with amusement.

''It's so funny seeing you all riled up when I mention your crush,'' she cooed.

Scowling, you stomped away and you were so angry that fumes were basically rolling off your body. You could hear Aneko's joyful laughter as she picked up her speed and caught up to you. 

You were frowning deeply with your arms crossed, gaze focused anywhere but your cruel, cruel friend.

''Come on babe, don't get upset! You know I say it because I know it's true!'' there was a hint of pride and smugness in her last sentence, making you stop dead in your tracks and point a finger at her.

''You don't know that. He'd never like me...'' you mumbled. ''I'm too awkward and a dumbass to be with someone as confident and loud as him,''

The hope in your heart was quickly extinguished when you realized she was merely joking. Huffing, you shook your head and grabbed her by the ear, dragging her all the way home, though she kept complaining and whining the entire time. 

''Don't you get it?'' the look in her eyes was sincere. Slowly, you could feel a hint of hope growing in your heart. ''You guys are a perfect combination!''

''He's a tough and strong grunting caveman and you may be a dumbass, but you're his dumbass,'' she cooed. ''He'll protect you from anything!''

''Please don't tease me a lot of that,'' you spoke up once you had reach your door. Your gaze drifted to your doorknob. ''I know you don't mean any harm but...it just makes my hopes get up. And in the end, it never works out. And I just get myself hurt for no reason.'' You smile at Aneko's pained expression and opened your door.

''I'll see you later, Anne. Take care and don't forget to text me once you get home, okay?''

Your friend nodded mindlessly and walked away, sending you a final wave. You waved back, smiling softly. Once she was out of your sight, you closed the door and leaned against it. With your phone in your hands, you shakily texted a risky message.

Katsuki had been your friend since the beginning of U.A, since you were quick to befriend him, despite his violent and rude attitude. You didn't mind. It was funny and endearing seeing him react to the smallest of things.

Y/N: hey katsuki, can you stay behind after school tomorrow? i have something to ask you.

Once you had hit SEND, you threw your phone on your couch, a giddy smile on your face as you spun and looked like a clown for a few moments until you calmed down. Sending the message had sent a surge of adrenaline and confidence into your heart. 

Maybe Aneko was joking, but if you were up to the task, you could get closer to Katsuki. And if you were lucky, you'd score a date with him. 

Copyright © 2020-2021 by Veles. Do not repost, plagiarize, or read my fanfiction without my permission.

[zontiky]

Hey for bullet point AUs ideas (you were asking for them right..?) 2010s-type sitcom (like Community or B99) AU! What Silly Sitcom Tropes would the siblings get into?

i actually havent seen either of those shows 😳 nor do i watch sitcoms, but to my knowledge u SIT and u are ENTERTAINED so everybody SIT DOWN and i will ENTERTAIN ✨✨

(wait are disney shows sitcoms? because when i think abt older tv humor i get slapped in the face with bits of disney tv i managed to catch as a kid. my entire sense of humor thru elementary school was based on that. ok i can be funny i promise here we go)

diego: wait... so she’s... our sister?

*laugh track plays*

grace has a laugh track function because i think thats extremely cursed and also hilarious.

reginald building himself a robot wife: what do kids these days like? humor? is humor still popular? yeah im adding it

there’s a christmas episode but it’s very obvious that none of them have ever fucking celebrated and half of them don’t fucking want to skjhfs

is wacky ringtones a thing? patch calls diego to help her out in the hotel and the dial tone is britney’s toxic

britney obviously exists in the tua universe and i will accept nothing less. a world without britney is a really sad one and like i know tuaverse is kinda shit what with the apocalypse happening thrice and the music cult and all but like come on... its not THAT bad. it cant be

luther’s coat gets torn off and there’s a slightly smaller, other coat underneath

that gets ripped off too and he’s wearing a tshirt

YOU KNOW THE GAG WHERE A CHARACTER JUST KEEPS PULLING WEAPONS OUT OF THEIR CLOTHES, WHERE THERE SHOULD NOT PHYSICALLY BE ROOM FOR WEAPONS? FIVE

or lila

i think that would be really funny with either of them tbh

five whipping a knife out of his bowling shoe: a-HA

lila unsheathing a broadsword out of nowhere: o-HO

five pulling a rifle from his waistband: a-ha-HA

lila swinging a mace from behind her back: o-ho-HO!

and so on

every time klaus makes a joke there’s applause coming out of nowhere but also distantly, faintly, the ghostbusters theme

specifically “who you gonna call? GHOST-” on loop

ben is the only one aware of it. not even klaus hears it

ben constantly makes stupid mocking faces behind klaus + over klaus’ shoulder

klaus: guys please take me seriously

ben giving him bunny ears: yEah GUyS LiSten tO hIM

nobody else can see it. i know thats obvious but i have to specify. only the audience can see ben doing it. klaus knows ben does it but hes never caught him in the act and has absolutely no proof. ben does it purely for his own amusement and to fuck with klaus big-time

there is no young!hargreeves cast. it’s just the adult hargreeves but in umbrella uniform crouching down to 12yearold level

before slaughtering the commission board five uses one of those toy BANG guns on carmichael and then immediately whips out his impossible axe

vanya plays a tiny violin and it’s only her, every other violinist in the orchestra has a normal violin and her tiny little violin is never brought up

by tiny i mean realistically tiny. like maybe 1/32? thats a small fucking violin yall

helen with her full size violin: you’ll never amount to anything

vanya:

who else have i not made fun of yet

allisons hair is purple but not bc im laughing at her bc i genuinely think she would have peaked with it. purple hair allie ftw

leonard runs a toy store not a woodwork shop and he hands vanya a weird cartoonified wood action figure of her and she’s like thaaaanks as the laugh track plays

vanya storms out of the family meeting and her back faces the camera and we see that there’s a piece of paper taped to her shirt that says NOBODY KNOWS I’M A LESBIAN

*laugh track but gay this time*

klaus makes a joke about ben being his only straight friend and it cuts to ben passionately making out with a ghost dude in the back of a club or smth kjhwkfd

WOULD THIS BE A GOOD TIME TO SLIP IN OUR LIGHTHEARTED CRACK “BEN IS THE ONLY ALLOROMO” AU? IHFHKLHFKFD

five is wearing bowling shoes the entire first season as well. when they go to the bowling alley he switches them out for a different pair of bowling shoes, which he wears through the entire second season. again this is never brought attention to or mentioned in any way

diego drives an impala /j

little girl god popping wheelies on a motorbike in greyscale heaven

allison has a fight scene where she stabs someone with heels and then breaks the heel and goes aw :( my stilettos and this isnt even funny its just extremely badass i love her a lot 

we get more screentime with dave but he says groovy every other sentence

klaus’ ‘68 club shirt is garishly flamingo patterned

a scene where five is sitting at the breakfast table, half asleep, sipping a cup of coffee, and allison sits down next to him with a mug of hot cocoa (we can tell by the overabundance of whipped cream and marshmallows) and quietly swaps out his mug for the cocoa and he doesn’t even show any sign he noticed he just keeps sipping and allison either quietly finishes off his coffee or takes the initial mug and walks offscreen. cut scene

there’s a scene of klaus and ben in the 60s  on october first and ben is wearing a little ghost party hat and holding a single balloon

whenever sissy and vanya are in a room together careless whisper starts playing

remember that snl lesbian totinos sketch. yeah

the handler only addressed aj by his full name. ATLAS JERICHO CARMICAHEL.

dot is twice as tall as herb. i mean shes already taller than him but like, dot is Really tall. it’s implied dot and herb are married (it would be cute i think dont judge me)

when diego fucks with the infinity switchboard the thing like in cartoons happens where the screen fritzes out and everything goes black and then after a second or so his eyes appear

reginald dresses exclusively in green. im not saying he dresses like the onceler. but im not NOT saying that. *sigh* does this joke require a onceler tw tag on this post

i dont know if this post is what you had in mind but i hope you liked it anyway! <3