#vanderwood my love

[delphis-oracle]

i like your vanderwood scraps. He’s underrated. His character has so much potentional for what they gave us. Like I’m so curious what he did after he helped Seven and mc, then disappeared. What’s he doing? How’d he escape on his own? How’s he doing? I’m so curious. (He was kind of cute when mc got to tell him he’s not bad looking. 😂).

AHHH, THANK U SO MUCH!! i always love getting to give him some love, he deserves it 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

i so can’t wait to have enough hourglasses to play more after endings….. i just started last year so unfortunately i haven’t gotten there yet…. But calling vanderwood attractive was my favorite part of V route so had to sketch it

THANK U AGAIN!! ����💕💕

[zyanblue]

He slaying

Are there any canonical cases of what Vanderwood's shoes look like? This is very important. I kinda wanna do heels cuz they're hella gnc, but they would never do that. They take their job too seriously for heels.

[erimeows]

Mystic Messenger: Masterlist

Hi there! I'm Eri, and I write for all sorts of stuff. While I do have everything published on here, I personally choose to have my masterlists linked to my Ao3.

Some of these are NSFW, so be sure to check the tags!

If you'd like to learn more about me, send in a request, or look at my works for other fandoms, check out my pinned post! P.S. some of these are a little old... Like, from when I was a middle-schooler old. Please be kind ^^

Headcanons:

Mystic Messenger Drabbles/Headcanons/Scenarios- this is my gigantic compilation of headcanons and little drabbles! Includes character x character, character x reader, gen, etc.!

Multichapters/Series:

Cared For (Jumin Han x 707)

Never Changing (Jumin Han x V): Pt. 1, Pt. 2, Pt. 3

Eclipse (Jumin Han x Zen)

Safekeeping (Vanderwood x Zen)

Character x Character Oneshots:

A New Hobby (Zen x 707)

Next To You (Zen x 707)

Secrets (Zen x Saeran Choi)

Mysterious Clues (Yoosung Kim x Saeran Choi)

The Letter (Yoosung Kim x 707)

Just A Little Longer (Yoosung Kim x 707)

Uptight (Vanderwood x Saeran Choi)

Again And Again (Vanderwood x 707)

Hurting You (Jumin Han x V)

Happy Tears (Jumin Han x V)

Tangerine Skies (Jumin Han x V)

Falling (Jumin Han x 707)

My Funny Valentine (Jumin Han x 707)

Philocalist (Jumin Han x 707)

Kissaphobic (Jumin Han x 707)

Priorities (Jumin Han x 707)

Dye (Jumin Han x 707)

The Things You Don't Talk About (Jumin Han x 707)

Bad Idea! (Jumin Han x Zen)

Character x Reader Oneshots:

Sleeping Beauty (Jumin Han x Reader)

Drunken Confessions (Saeran Choi x Reader)

I Could Use A Little Danger (Zen x Reader)

Shy (Zen x Reader)

Tell Me What You Want (V x Reader)

Love And Coffee (Jaehee x Reader)

Don't Tell (Jaehee x Reader)

Midnight Chips And Madeline (707 x Reader)

Webcam (707 x Reader)

Partnership (707 x Reader)

In The Same Bed (707 x Reader)

Movie Night (707 x Reader)

Cherry (707 x Reader x Saeran) (Angsty love triangle with unreciprocated love, NOT incest)

[cloudcountry]

Hey Кролик!!!! I saw you changed your bio, so I think I can still request? Maybe? Idk, tell me if I can't.

I read and reread the rules, so here is what I thought of: absolutely obliterating 707 with snowballs, the poor unsuspecting fool gets hit with way too many snowballs (that's what he gets for being mean to me >:] ) and falls to the ground getting buried for his sins >:))))

Then, he gets a little kiss as an apology because he's my little pookie bear <3

(Make sure to take your time! And eat and drink! I love you! Muah ❤️)

SUMMARY: you take saeyoung completely off guard with a snowball to the back of the head!

WARNINGS: spoilers for seven's route, contemplation of death. ITS FLUFF I PROMISE.

COMMENTS: ignore the fact that i picked the most summer cg ever for him ok HE LOOKED HAPPY. the seven kissers hiveminded you guys are so weird /aff (also abel!!! i love you too!!!!! RAHHHH)

TAGLIST: @haruhar-u since this was also your request <3

It almost seems like the rolling of the snowball in your hands is an absentminded movement, but it's very much intentional. Your eyes are training on the back of your boyfriend’s head—his bright red hair is a beacon in the bright white world around you. It’s so quiet you could hear a pin drop (or, alternatively, Saeyoung’s giggles as he sculpts the little snow Elizabeth the Third next to the snow-you and snow-him.

You’d be lying if you said you weren’t impressed at how quickly he whipped up snowpeople of everyone. Impressed, but not surprised. You think you even see Vanderwood a little ways back, isolated from everyone else, and you feel a stab of pity for the poor guy.

Working with Saeyoung can’t be easy, but he’s always been nice to you. Even up until the two of you ran away, you know deep down Vanderwood cared for Seven.

You shake yourself out of your thoughts, not wanting to get too caught up in the nitty-gritty of the situation when Saeyoung had it handled. You trusted him to protect the two of you, You know he can. You’re incredibly lucky for each and every day you get to spend at his side, even though you’re nearly always aware that each day could be your last.

But you chose this life when you chose him, and you would have it no other way.

And so, you show your love by winding up and throwing your perfectly crafted snowball as hard as you can at Saeyoung.

It hits him square in the back of the head, wetting his vibrant hair and sliding down until it hits the inside of his hood.

“Yikes!” he yelps, flailing his arms around his back as he springs away from snow-Elizabeth, “Enemy attack! God Seven is down!”

You laugh, already scooping up more snow and pelting him with your (much more sloppy) snowballs. Saeyoung makes a big show of gasping for air and pleading for mercy, occasionally playing dead and waiting for you to come over and poke him before smacking you with snow as well.

It doesn’t take long till the two of you are out of breath, your fingers ice cold but intertwined through your gloves.

“Want to head inside?” you murmur, kissing his snowflake-sprinkled brow, “We can have some of your very special hot chocolate.”

Saeyoung’s eyes light up and he gives you that big goofy grin you fell in love with.

“One thing first.” he whispers, the quiet of his voice exaggerated and theatrical.

And for a moment, you expect a snowball to the face, but he kisses you instead. It’s soft and sweet and tastes like an unholy combination of energy drink powder (which...now that you think about it, likely explains how quickly he crafted everyone out of snow.)

“Now we can go inside.” he laughs softly against your lips, scooping you up in his arms and carrying you inside, where you can be warm and comfortable with the one person you love most.

[sadability]

Did you get mysterious messages? ~🎵

MYSTIC MESSENGER MUSIC HEADCANONS :D (RFA + V, Rika, Vanderwood)

Jihyun / V

I think V would love Mitski. Just imagining him painting while my love, mine All mine plays in the background is so sweet. I also think he'd like cavetown, clario, Adrianne Lenker, Liane Flores and Tears For Fears. He often listens to it as background noise when painting or photographing but I also believe he'd practice singing using certain songs (and maybe sing you to sleep HSHSHS)

Jumin

Jumin gives me trouble because I feel like he listens to music for lyrics or lack thereof rather than sound. He listens to blues, jazz, classical and maybe a soft rock love song here and there. If he listens to a song with lyrics, he'll study them. He doesn't really listen to music often but when he does, it's often used as background noise rather than him genuinely indulging.

707 / Saeyoung / Luciel

I think he'd listen to mostly everything but especially synth wave, pop, new wave, rap, noise and glam rock for some reason. I could see him vibing to Depeche Mode one moment and then Fetty Wap the next. He would definitely unironically listen to wannabe by the spice girls LMAO. Also probably really likes tv show intros like iCarly theme or something. AND DISCO!! Seven dancing to bee gees when!?!?

Yoosung

To get rid of the obvious he'd listen to video game osts, pixel (I think that's what the genre is called?) and probably, here me out, pop punk. Or like Falling in Reverse. I think his favourite band would be the All American Rejects but I can also see him liking old demi lavato or Camilla cabello. Both basic white girl music and then randomly pop punk mixed in. As for gaming soundtracks I think he'd really like the undertale ost and probably listens to music through gacha life amv 😔

Zen / Hyun

I FEEL LIKE HIS MUSIC TASTE WAS EXPLICITLY STATED BUT I DONT REMEMBER RAHH okay okay uhm- !! I can totally see him listening to Whitney Houston, Abba, The Cardigans, The Beatles etc for some reason but also he'd feel self conscious that his music taste is too "old" so he would throw in shit like Kendrick Lamar and Future to spice things up and he would never ever admit that his favourite song is Angeleyes by Abba.

Jaehee

Bubblegum Pop, Indie and Doo Wop!!! Mitski, Girl In Red, Kinneret, Princess Chelsea, The Chordettes and The Supremes are frequents of Jaehee's playlist! She only really listens to music on the plane or in the office though. It helps her relax and take her mind off the stress for a bit. I can imagine her learning piano and playing songs like Johnny Angel or Mr Sandman in her free time.

Rika

Rika likes Melanie Martinez and i refuse to argue. She would probably relate really hard to some of her music and overall loves the way it sounds. Can also see her liking Penelope Scott. On the other hand, i see her liking classical or just soft piano music. Color me Blue by Akane would also be a song i can see her liking.

Vanderwood

Metal, Glam Rock, Glam Metal, Dad Rock, 80s rock just. Yeah. You get the point. Metallica, Journey, Mötley Crüe, Guns n Roses, Van Halen, Cinderella, Def Leppord and Dokken !! His favourite bands. Just classic 80s/90s rock for ya. Absolutely goes to their concerts religiously. Probably plays electric guitar as well..he could perform his own concert tbf

[lucystarclub]

We love Ms. Vanderwood, ehehehehemmm, Maid 707,,, I meAn •//\\• what a gorgeous person my GoD

[reifromrfa]

Mystictober 2024: Favorite Character/Hourglass

Hello, it's been a while (ᵕ—ᴗ—) I really missed the mysme universe and, though life is still busy, I'm trying to make time to do things I love; one of which is writing, even if I only write one fanfic per year lol XD

Sooo without further ado, here's a short fic based on this list by @sensetenou :)

P.S. I think tumblr broke my post, I can't add the "Keep reading" link after editing a typo ;A;

Vanderwood

He steps out of the cabin and takes a long, deep breath

It feels suffocating inside

With that damn 707, the girl, and their blue-haired friend...

Vanderwood ties his hair into a low ponytail and reaches for the pack of cigarettes in his pocket

Taking a stick, he lifts it to his lips

He pats his pockets for his lighter and mutters a curse under his breath when he realizes he left it inside

With a frustrated groan, he turns around—

—and he freezes

Standing before him, a nervous smile on her face, was the girl

MC

"You left this inside, I thought you could use it," she says, holding out the lighter to him

His throat feels tight and Vanderwood can hear the loud drumming of his heart against his ribcage

It takes every bit of his strength not to reach out and pull her into his arms

MC tucks her hair behind her ear, outstretched hand wavering as Vanderwood stood there staring at her

He clenches one hand into a fist

Then slowly relaxes his hand, his shoulders drooping as he resigns himself to the fact that she'll never recognize him

And it was all his fault

"Thanks," he mutters, cigarette still between his lips

He holds out his hand, expecting her to drop the lighter onto his palm

But the girl looks up at him and then lights the device, holding it close to his lips

Instinctively, he leans closer before he could even stop himself

As MC focuses on lighting the end of his cigarette, he can't help but stare into her eyes

At the reflection of the flames in them

"Maybe it's the fire in your eyes that I love, baby."

"Because it matches yours?"

"Hahaha MC, baby, I don't think my fire even comes close to yours."

"It's because got this fire from you, baby. You're the one who inspires me to be bold and brave."

MC takes a step back, smiling at him

Vanderwood takes a step back too, looking away from her

Blinking away the memories he so desperately wants to cling to

"Thanks," he mumbles, taking a long drag

Allowing the poison to fill his lungs before blowing a puff of white smoke away from where MC stands

"Umm...so..."

He glances at her

She has her hands clasped together in front of her

Then she bows to him, which startles Vanderwood

"Thank you so much for helping us save him."

Him

That V guy

Her current route

"Hey, don't worry about it," he replies, rubbing the back of his neck

He doesn't want to hear this

He doesn't want to listen to her talk about how much she loves that man

Because she once felt that way about him, too

MC straightens and grins at him

"I mean it. You saved his life and I hope I can repay your kindness one day."

Vanderwood waves a gloved hand dismissively, pulling the cigarette from his lips

"If I didn't do it," he forces himself to say. "707 would be distracted and he'd stop doing his damn job and we'd both be fucked."

She gives him a look that says she doesn't buy a single word out of his mouth

"Even so, without you that elixir might've brought more harm to him...Whatever your reasons, I'm really grateful to have you here, Vanderwood."

A mixture of feelings erupt from his chest, despite all his efforts to smother them

The bloom of hope, the scathing pang of hurt

Despair in the knowledge that she'll never recognize him ever again

Vanderwood looks to the door that leads back into the cabin, unable to meet her eyes

"You really care for him, huh?" he asks, careful to keep his feelings hidden

"Do you love me, MC?"

"Yes," she answers, her voice full of emotion

Vanderwood's brows furrow as he puts the cigarette back to his lips, turning his back to MC and choosing to gaze up at the stars instead

Here, out in the middle of fucking nowhere

Away from the city lights

They can actually see the starry night sky

Out here, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, everything is quiet

He can hear the grass and leaves rustling from the gentle night breeze

Hear the crickets and owls

Hear his own heart breaking all over again

MC moves to stand beside him but Vanderwood doesn't dare look at her

He keeps his gaze up at the stars, remembering his promise to her

"It's beautiful out here, right?"

"It's only beautiful because you're here, baby."

I don't have the right to call her that anymore

He lost that right when he gave her up

But it wasn't because he didn't love her anymore

No...

He doesn't think it's possible to love anyone else but her

His MC

But when MC only chose his route, over and over again

When he and MC found a way to be together —breaking through the codes and the walls

Breaking the impossible

...the system found a way to keep them apart

"NO!" Vanderwood yells, holding MC in his arms

She's not moving, her eyes closed, her breathing shallow

His big hand envelops her smaller one as he cradles her to his chest, tears rolling down his cheek as the red stain on her clothes start spreading

"Baby, stay with me, baby. Please. I'll get you to a hospital, MC. Please, I'm sorry. I'm sorry! Don't leave me, MC. Please. Please!"

He tries to lift her into his arms, but he hears the cock of guns and he protectively holds her close, glaring at the men in suits surrounding them

Each one with guns trained at the couple

A lone woman in a suit approaches them, her face expressionless as she gazes at Vanderwood and MC

"This could have been avoided, had she not foolishly jumped in front of you."

"You fucking bitch!"

Still, the woman remains impassive

She steps forward, closer to where Vanderwood and MC are

"You can save her, you know."

Vanderwood glares at the woman, but she continues

"I offer you the choice, ██████ ███," she says, lifting her hand and opening her palm

Over it, a hologram of an hourglass appears and becomes solid

"Return to the game and reset the clock. Go back to the beginning and undo what has been done. Or..."

The woman's eyes go to MC's pale form

"...live with your reality."

Return to the game...rewind time?

"If I do that...reset the game," he begins through gritted teeth. "She'll live? She'll be okay? She'll...be happy?"

"Yes. But she'll forget about you. And, to prevent a repeat of your insolence, we're removing your route from the game. We'll take your name, ██████ ███, your identity, your story...she will be happier this way, believe me."

Vanderwood's head snaps up, his eyes widening

Then...that means...

No.

"What the fuck?! If I fucking agree to this, then—"

Then I'll lose her forever

"You're losing her now, ██████."

He tenses and looks back at his girl, whose eyes flutter open slightly

She shakes her head, those beautiful eyes filled with tears

"No...don't."

"Shhh, it's okay, MC. It's gonna be okay," he whispers, his heart twisting painfully in his chest

The answer is obvious...so fucking obvious

He's the one who broke the game, who defied all the rules and brought this shit onto her life

He's the one who put her in danger in the first place...

"Mi███n...please," she pleads in a soft voice, panicking at what she sees in his eyes

"I'd rather die, having lived my life with you than live the rest of my life without you."

Vanderwood chuckles sadly, leaning down and pressing his lips to hers

He presses his forehead to hers, holding her close to him

One last time

"MC, baby..."

"I love you so damn much."

"There's not a single day of my life where I won't be loving you, MC."

"You're my North Star...you'll always be my home, you'll always be the light in my life."

"That's why I have to say goodbye."

"I can't...I can't live in a world without you, baby."

"I'm sorry...this is so fucking selfish of me, but I'm just a character in a game."

"You are REAL."

She sobs and winces, reaching out and cupping his cheek despite the pain

"You're real to me, ██nj█n."

He smiles and kisses her again

"Even if your mind doesn't remember me," he whispers between kisses

"I hope your heart won't forget me."

The woman, watching the two lovers, turns the hourglass

Around them, everything slowly fades into dust

Vanderwood smiles at MC, tears streaming down his cheeks as he memorizes all the details about her

MC holds onto him with the last of her strength, panic coursing through her body

She doesn't want this, she doesn't want to leave him

"Hey, lady," Vanderwood tells the woman without looking at her

"I have one favor to ask. Please."

"Yeah," Vanderwood replies to MC, keeping his gaze trained at the brightest star in the sky

"It's beautiful."

"Vanderwood..."

He turns to look at her and sees a confused expression on her face

"Have we...?"

The door suddenly bursts open and Seven comes out, a smile on his face

"He's awake!" he informs MC

A smile spreads across her face and she bows again to Vanderwood

"Thank you, Vanderwood!"

She runs inside and he watches her go, swallowing the lump in his throat

Guess he'll have to get used to this

Watching her from afar as she runs into the arms of another man

A man that will never be him, ever again

"After all this time?"

Vanderwood rolls his eyes, blinking away the hurt and pain and arranging his expression into one of annoyance

He turns his back on Seven, putting his cigarette back between his lips

"Aww c'mon. This is the perfect time to re-enact that scene from Garry Potted!"

"Go back to fucking work, Seven."

Seven stares at Vanderwood's wide back, a sad smile on his face

Even though Vanderwood isn't aware of it, Seven actually knows who he is

What he's been through

After all...Vanderwood isn't the only one working on breaking the game's code

Working on ending the reset system, once and for all

Seven wishes he could do more to comfort his friend

But instead, he goes back inside and sits on the couch

Cracking his fingers, Seven focuses his gaze on his laptop screen

"Hang in there, Minjun. We'll get out of this one."

"Promise."

・・・・☆・・・・☆ ・・・・

If you're reading this, thank you so much for reading my fic ;w; I hope you enjoyed it <3

P.S. Minjun is a name I made for Vanderwood, but it's not official or anything! Still hoping and praying Cheritz makes a route for him ;w;

Check out my other Mysme writings here!

Mango Shake/Ko-fi is always very much appreciated (ᵔᴥᵔ)

[marshmallowprotection]

What about an Mc who likes to take care of them? (In mind: V and Saeyoung) Like, they are doing something (working probably) and she comes out of nowhere and starts putting some products in their hair, cleaning their face with a cotton (+water micellar) and applying moisturize after. Idk, washing their hair (having a capillary timeline for it)

People approaching them: you look different, I can't explain, it's like your appearance is shining or something.

V/Saeyoung: It's because of my partner ☺️😅

Saeyoung takes care of himself when he can. Some people may think he doesn't take care of himself with how often he says he has to have a maid over, but in reality, the reason why his place is messy isn't by a mistake. He purposefully makes his place dirty so Vanderwood has to focus on that instead of trying to strong-arm him into doing his work.

He doesn't like doing his agency work because most of the people he has to target are innocent, sure, plenty of them aren't good people in the slightest, but you have to remember that guys like Saejoong Choi pay into the agency to silence people.

Good people. So, on the surface, it may appear that he's not taking care of himself as much as he needs to… but in reality, he's doing much better than you’d expect! However, it's not always been easy to take care of himself. He had to learn how to do a lot of things on his own because nobody was there to teach him. He knows how to take care of somebody who is utterly helpless but when it comes to himself—it’s a different story.

It can be exhausting to take care of your needs when your reason for living for God knows how long has been to be the last line of defense in case something tries to hurt your little brother. Who cares about a shower or meal when your work comes first? It's not the best way to take care of yourself, but until recently, that was the way he spent his life. Now? Oh, he has a reason to do better and take care of himself. It is his life and he gets to decide the way he wants to live it. He wants it to be a good one, and that means embracing the things he set aside!

It can be hard to know where to start when you haven't been taking care of yourself in the first place. But, the fact that your love language is one of compassion takes care of any mistake he might have made on his own. You want to take care of him, and it's not because you don't think he can't do it on his own, it's because nothing makes you happier than being able to take care of your partner. He has his ways of taking care of you, but you have your ways of taking care of him.

That's why he melts like a kitten who enjoys a bubble bath whenever you coax him to sit in the tub and let you do his hair. He could live in the lap of luxury thanks to your loving hands. If he's glowing it's only because he loves you! Sure, his skin might look a little better but this is undoubtedly because love can change someone, and it's certainly changed him for the better.

V is... not the best at taking care of himself. He spends most of his time trying to take care of everyone else and that's made it difficult to tend to himself when he has the moment to do so. He knows he can handle a couple of days without what he needs as long as it ensures his loved ones have what they need. Unfortunately, it hasn't always worked out that way so a large part of his sacrifice has done nothing but burn him for no reason.

Even when he has a moment to himself to take care of his needs, he doesn't do anything indulgent. The best he can do is focus on the basics and then put himself to sleep. He thinks it's better that way because why should he be able to have a moment of comfort when everyone else is in peril? It's not a healthy way to look at everything but until you came into his life and showed him what he needed to reflect on, he couldn't see any other way. 

That's not to say he didn't know he couldn't go on like that forever, but it's hard to pull yourself out of a cycle when you've been trapped in one for so long. 

He doesn't know where to start from where he left off, and that's okay. He doesn't have to know. All he has to know is that he wants to try again and you're there to support him through all of it. He can't help but consider himself lucky when it comes to you because you're patient, considerate, and always open to give him the time to breathe and figure himself out before he walks into anything he's not sure of just yet. You give him the space to think about what he likes and what he doesn't.

That's why it's that much easier for him to ask if you wouldn't mind doing this or that for him. Like, scrubbing his face and putting lotion on his back. You know, the fire he suffered left marks on his body in ways he still struggles to think about to this day. Showing you every inch of his body without shame is his way of saying, "I know I'm safe with you." Watch as he melts when you tenderly stroke his back and let him close his eyes. He's never been happier to drift off to sleep on his stomach than he has been with you.

[anas-tasiaa]

"You DON'T UNDERSTAND!"

(Part 1)

The walls of the apartment shook with the sheer force of Saeyoung’s scream.

Vanderwood winced.

They had dealt with many things in their life—dangerous missions, undercover operations, criminals, explosions, Saeyoung—but this?

This was unbearable.

With an exasperated sigh, Vanderwood turned to face the source of the absolute chaos unfolding in front of them.

Saeyoung was rolling on the couch, hands clutching at his face as if he had just witnessed *the single greatest thing* to ever exist. His legs kicked at the air like an overstimulated toddler, his whole body vibrating with so much uncontained energy that the cushions threatened to betray him and send him tumbling onto the floor.

Vanderwood pinched the bridge of their nose.

"Seriously?" they deadpanned.

Saeyoung's head snapped up at the accusation.

His face was red, his eyes wild, his expression that of a man on the brink of absolute hysteria.

"You DON'T UNDERSTAND!" he shouted, voice cracking with sheer emotion.

Vanderwood stared.

And immediately regretted not leaving the moment they walked in.

Saeyoung sat up abruptly, leaning forward as if this was a life-or-death situation, as if he needed desperately to make Vanderwood see the truth.

"Vanderwood, listen. Listen to me."

Vanderwood really didn’t want to listen.

"Saeran is—" Saeyoung clutched his chest, as if just saying his name was enough to render him physically weak. "So. Damn. Cute."

Vanderwood blinked, unimpressed. "And?"

Saeyoung gasped.

Genuinely gasped.

"As if that’s not the most important thing in the universe right now?! As if this isn’t a crisis?!"

Vanderwood looked at him blankly.

Saeyoung, unfazed, launched himself off the couch, pacing the room with wild gestures.

"Do you even understand what I just witnessed?! Do you understand the magnitude of this moment?!"

"I’m gonna assume it’s not actually important."

"YOU’D BE WRONG!" Saeyoung whirled around dramatically. "SO WRONG!"

Vanderwood sighed.

They were not getting out of this conversation, were they?

"Fine," they muttered, arms crossed. "What happened?"

Saeyoung immediately clasped his hands together, a dreamy look overtaking his face.

"He looked at me, Vanderwood."

Vanderwood's brow twitched.

Saeyoung continued, completely oblivious to the irritation radiating from his unwilling audience.

"He looked up at me, all sleepy, with these soft, adorable green eyes, and his cheeks—oh my God, Vanderwood, his cheeks were PINK!"

Vanderwood groaned.

"You dragged me into this because your brother had a slightly different facial expression?!"

"Not just slightly different!" Saeyoung clutched his head as if the magnitude of it all was too much to bear. "He was BLUSHING!"

Vanderwood was seconds away from walking out of the apartment.

"So?"

"So?!" Saeyoung gaped at them, looking personally offended at their lack of enthusiasm. "DO YOU EVEN KNOW SAERAN?! HE DOESN’T BLUSH! That’s like—like seeing a unicorn! Or finding a cat that actually listens to you! Or—or discovering a second mint chocolate chip ice cream hidden in the freezer when you thought you finished the last one!"

Vanderwood just stared.

Saeyoung grabbed them by the shoulders, shaking them slightly.

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS MEANS?!"

"It means you have too much free time?"

"NO!" Saeyoung groaned, throwing his head back dramatically. "It means he’s finally opening up to me! It means he’s comfortable enough to show vulnerability! It means my baby brother loves me so much that he can't even hide it anymore!"

He spun away, clutching at his chest again, overwhelmed by his own emotions.

"Vanderwood," he breathed, voice trembling. "He even pulled me into his room and cuddled me!"

Vanderwood gave him a blank stare.

"So what you’re saying is… your brother likes you?"

"NO—" Saeyoung paused.

Then slowly blinked.

Then frowned.

Then blinked again.

"...Wait."

Vanderwood rubbed their temples.

"You’re telling me," they began, voice dangerously close to snapping, "that the whole reason for this ridiculous outburst is because your twin brother—who literally grew up with you, spent years fighting to be with you, and has nowhere else to go—actually likes you?"

Saeyoung opened his mouth.

Closed it.

Opened it again.

"...Yes?"

Vanderwood inhaled slowly.

Then exhaled through their nose.

Then turned immediately toward the door.

"Alright, I’m leaving."

"WAIT—"

"Nope."

"NO, NO, NO, DON’T GO! I NEED YOU TO UNDERSTAND!"

"I don’t care!"

"Vanderwood, please! You’re my only witness! I have to tell someone!"

"You have literally all of RFA for that."

"But you’re here right now!"

"Unfortunately!"

"Vanderwood, just listen—"

"Saeyoung, I swear to everything holy, if you try to tell me one more thing about your brother’s facial expressions, I will—"

"—HE LET ME HOLD HIM FOR A REALLY LONG TIME!"

Vanderwood slammed the door behind them.

Saeyoung blinked.

Stared.

Then slumped against the wall, pouting.

"Man…" he sighed, crossing his arms. "No appreciation for brotherly love…"

He flopped back onto the couch, staring at the ceiling.

A slow grin crept onto his face.

He covered it with his hands, kicking his legs giddily.

"Still…" he whispered to himself, cheeks warm. "He was so cute…"

[kitsuneplushie]

winter with them ʕ⁎̯͡⁎ʔ༄

mystic messenger edition, part two

a/n: hi... hallo!!! yes, i am alive again, this time for real (hoping) i wanted to post something similar to my one winter dates post since tis the season and whatnot. but i made them into little drabbles to expand just a bit. they're quite short because i was terrified to not have enough room. i don't know the limit for tumblr and didn't want to test it. obey me version here! if you care abt those demon boys ANYWAYS, i hope you enjoy! and remember to take care of yourself, mwah

includes everyone but vanderwood and rika + genderless reader

※*: . ｡. — jaehee kang

the cozy dim light of the kitchen illuminated the various ingredients laid out on the kitchen. jaehee’s gaze was soft but fully focused. you two had spent the day figuring out seasonal snacks for the cafe. you dusted her nose with flour as she pulled you closer. her laugh echoed through the kitchen, filling you with a warmth you adored. she'd hand you a pastry for you to taste and tell her your thoughts. she studied your expressions, seeing what you liked. and what you didn't. it was clear the passion she had regain after quitting. it made you happy to see her finally bright. to see her have life in her. it was even more special that you were the one to help her see it. that life doesn't have to be miserable.

※*: . ｡. — jumin han

waking up to snow wasn't completely surprising, you had expected it for a while. what you didn't expect was waking up to the other side of the bed empty. usually, jumin would notify you if he was to leave. you groggily get up, petting elizabeth as you exited the room. the sweet smell of breakfast and coffee found you, heading to the kitchen you expected one of the various of chefs. but found jumin instead. he revealed he had been taking secret cooking classes to surprise you with a breakfast in bed. he was slightly disappointed you'd woken up a bit earlier than expected.

※*: . ｡. — jihyun kim (v)

you loved the winter season. even more than that you loved the holiday festivities. you expressed to jihyun that you'd wanted to decorate the house for the season. he made it an entire day activity. he was mainly there just to help you put decorations where you couldn't reach or to put up things you couldn't carry. he just loved seeing your bright smile. you two ended the day putting up a christmas tree. you sighed, leaning your head on his shoulder. he pulled you closer, as you two admired the tree. it was the first time in a long time that he was able to fully appreciate the pretty lights.

※*: . ｡. — saeran choi

while half-heartedly watching a bad hallmark movie, saeran asked if people really did do these activities. your heart ached a bit remembering that he'd never experienced anything like that as a child. you nodded before stating that you were going to help him be able to experience them. he was a bit hesitant but with a little push, agreed. the first thing was to build a snowman. he felt a bit awkward at first, questioning why he gave in. but eventually, he grown fond of it. he gently placed a hat, finishing the snowman. he let out a laugh, proud of your shared efforts into making such a silly thing.

※*: . ｡. — saeyoung choi

this was planned out to be just an outing for some hot chocolate but ended up as taking a walk through the park. you nudged into him slightly, continuing the playful banter between you two. he laughed, bouncing back into you. you both found a trash can to dispose your garbage. and as saeyoung asked if you were ready to head back, you'd ran into where the grass would have been, now piled up with bright snow. in seconds, a snowball was formed in your hands. you playfully threw it at him as he was none the wiser. he dramatically gasped as if he was offended before chasing you with a snowball of his own. you continued your little snowball fight for a bit, before he swept you in his arms. causing the two of you to crash down (unhurt) before placing a soft kiss on your lips.

※*: . ｡. — yoosung kim

yoosung pouted like a troubled puppy, as you try to help him with his finals. he whined that he should be celebrating the season with you doing more exciting things. you'd assured him that he'd be able to. he continued to pout as you sipped on your coffee. you added that a cafe date was actually very cute to you, causing him to immediately perk up. you smiled seeing the effect your love had on him. it was sweet and innocent, at times. with a newfound resolve, he pushed through his studies. after a bit, you both decided to pack it up for the day. as yoosung returned his books in his bag, he remembered what he initially came here for. unbeknownst to you, he bought you an early gift. he laid out a box in his hands, revealing a pretty necklace inside.

※*: . ｡. — ryu hyun (zen)

winter season was busy for most celebrities and actors. there were plenty of cheesy romcom movies to be made. even though zen wasn't a big name yet, he was just as busy. however, he still made incredible effort to spend as much time as he could with you. though he felt bad for most of that time being behind the scenes of whichever project he was currently on. which is why he'd taken matters into his own hands. he invited you out for a surprise date, not revealing any hints. even going to the extent to blindfold you until you reached the location. he'd 'rented' (agreed to do an ad) out an ice-skating park. you were hesitant for your lack of skills. zen assured you that he'd take care of you. and he did. you weren't as good as he was but, he was a great teacher.

[delphis-oracle]

yk who else doesn’t have valentines dlc

vanderwood

valentines post part 57 guys there’s new content that means vanderwood route is coming its COMING its ON THE WAY it WILL GET HERE I SWEAR ITS COMING I SCREAM AS THEY DRAG ME AWAY

but until then i will continue to feed the,,,, like five vanderwood fans that exist

i warned u i love love month expect more if i can also get my work done (im not)

[michiigii-writes-mysme]

Love and Deepspace x Mystic Messenger

I am full of unpopular, problematic opinions, with this crossover! Because the similarities and differences I see are unlike what everyone else seems to see!

The easy one: Zayne and Jumin are the same.

Hot, cool, stoic.

Elite Sir.

Does Zayne wear gloves to fancy hospital charity events? Because I think he should.

If you like Jumin, you will like Zayne. Not an opinion, just the facts.

Less easy one, but not unexpected: Yoosung and Xavier are very similar.

Blond

Videogames

huge "step on me, mommy!" vibes, until their switch is flipped, and then it's "I'm The Alpha."

if I had been playing from the beginning, Xavier would have been my favourite. He's not, but more on that later.

They're very Wolf in Sheep's Clothing. Fandom Flanderization sort of devolves them into slacker gamer and sleepy boi. But then you get to know them more and you see how responsible and hardworking they can be. Love it, 10/10, very husband material

And then there's Rafayel. A lot of people have paired him with Zen, because he's an artist, he's famous, he's talented, he's a diva. But he also hates sweating/working out, he expects to be pampered, he expects not just praise but worship. (Which is fair, considering where he's from!) These aren't Zen things. Zen doesn't expect anything from his MC; she could treat him like dirt and he'd still stay in a relationship with her (Bad Relationship Ending 2? 3?) No, I see Rafayel as being similar to Seven.

flighty and odd on the day to day

Very Memeable. Very good.

running off and doing Art Things feels like running off and doing Hacker Things

goofy and breezy when things are light, when times are good.

when times are bad, they get surprisingly intense and dark.

the old "remembering past lives/remembering past playthroughs" conspiracy

If they need to be serious, they will be The Most serious.

Hacker v. Assassin?

Dodging their managers.

It's the hidden depths, for me.

So. My favourite is Sylus. I started playing when they introduced him because white hair, red eyes, broad shoulders. I am a simple woman with simple tastes, sue me.

The easy thing would be to say that he and Zen are similar. And they have their similarities: aside from confidence in their unearthly beauty, they also handle their MC like gold, they have rough, violent pasts, and basically raised themselves up.

But I would say Sylus' MysMe parallel is Vanderwood.

We don't have the VanderRoute (although it would be nice, it doesn't make sense to the Rika/V of it all!), but:

elite, special operative of some kind

shady deals

guns

fashion

being frustrated with their underlings

the banter. The amazing, chemistry-steeped banter.

a dangerous man who needs a love interest who can keep up with his lifestyle.

[meh-kris]

Spoiler for 707 Bad Ending 2 below, and warning for lots of reoccuring statements

sometimes I remember 707's bad story ending 2 and it just kinda reminds me of Last Words of A Shooting Star by Mitski. Like I kinda imagine it like:

The first lyrics are maybe if Vanderwood is cleaning his room ? XD Like while he's at the APT he hopes that his room is tidy and (u know the lyrics..) maybe they'll think of him better, not just as depressingly boring Seven, but the good "fun" Seven.

Then the next verse is, in my opinion, Seven carefully thinking about his life choices and what the hell has been happening in the past week since MC joined. Perhaps in the nighttime, he's just blank about everything.

Oh my god the next line is where everything kicks in.

"You wouldn't leave till we loved in the morning" in a way is like, MC (this is the bad ending version of her) kind of forcing Seven to love her positively and continue showering her with affection without truly caring for his situation. Hence the 'you learned from movies how love ought to be', where MC keeps forcing him to be the happier, sappy Seven.

'And you'd say you love me and look in my eyes

But I know through mine, you were looking at yours'

MC says she loves Seven and constantly mentions about being his future wife, lover (chatroom options for this ending), but I believe that with this song, she's just finding a way she only loves herself (she basically makes Seven become like her, AKA her personality and attitude towards him). Looking at his eyes only to say it to HER reflection.

THE LIBERTY BELL PART OH MY GOD. It's like... The Saeyoung that could've been from that situation if he was taken seriously, was immediately put down by the overwhelming positivity wanted by MC, and so only 'happy' Seven exists in them. The Saeyoung that could've been is silently housed in the facade of Seven. He wasn't able to properly vent out his (rightful) feelings about the situation and instead was forced to make himself 'better'.

I also believe that Shooting Star that he's in is also a reference to the end of the ending, where he and MC speed up the car. Not a thought left in that head, just happiness and thrill. But at what cost? They couldn't have changed anyways.

okay I need to take a break now

[bluejay-writes]

MysticTober Day 10: Seven/MC & Robot

You can read this over on Ao3 if you’d prefer.

Rating: E for Everyone <3

Prompt: Seven/MC && Robot

WordCount: 1507

Summary: MC is keeping a secret from 707, and it's tearing him apart. But is it as earth-shattering a secret as he thinks?

Seven looked around the bunker, even going so far as to check the locked storage room. No MC.  This wasn’t the first time they’d gone somewhere, of course, but lately it had started to grate on him a little bit that she wouldn’t tell him anything.

She knew that secrets nearly tore about the entire RFA.  She knew he had abandonment issues. He was working on them.  But just disappearing was no good.  Sure, she’d leave a note telling him she was heading out to “work on something” or “take a class” but never about what, on what, for what.  Sometimes she took Saeran with her, sometimes he was moping around because she was busy.  As if one twin moping around wasn’t bad enough.

He flopped backwards onto the couch, fighting back the tears that were threatening.

“You could just ask her.” Vanderwood said, and Seven shouted in surprise.

“Where the hell did you come from?”

“I’ve been here for the last twenty minutes, watching you pace around like an angry kitten.”

“Yeah, well MC’s gone.”

“Yep. Note says she’s working on something. Why are you so out of sorts?”

“She’s been ‘working on something’ or ‘taking a class’ or ‘out with school friends’ almost every day.”

“You’re supposed to be working too, you know.  So she’s doing something with her summer break, what of it?”

Seven sighed. “I know I’m overreacting. I just. I’m nervous. What if she.. what if she’s bored with me? What if I’m just too much and she needs a break? What if she only thought she loved me because there was a bomb and things were scary and she was trapped in a bad situation and now she realizes she has so much future ahead of her that being with a nerd like me is holding her back, and --”

“Zero Seven. You’re spiraling. MC Loves You.”

Seven huffed but didn’t say anything else, and Vanderwood stood and left the room.

Great, now I’m making everyone else hate me too. Soon I’ll be all alone. Poor little Zero Seven who can’t even keep the people around him who are paid to be there.

He sighed as his eyes started leaking.  He wasn’t crying, they were doing this all on their own without his input, just like everything else in his life.

Seconds or hours later, perhaps millennia, (but what was probably like three minutes), Vanderwood appeared with a glass of PhD Pepper on ice, and a bottle.

“You should take one of these, brat.” Vanderwood said quietly, shaking the pill bottle at him gently. “You’re stuck.”

Seven knew they were right, and took the pill with the soda, not even arguing when Vanderwood set the soda aside in order to pull Seven into a hug.

“Why do you care so much now?” Seven said, once words seemed like something he could make again.

“I always cared. It was just… forbidden.  But you freed me from those rules, so now you’re stuck with my feelings, kid.”

“You’re not even that much older than me.”

“Really? Could have fooled me.”

“No one can fool you, Vandy.”

“Don’t call me that.”

The telltale beeps and clicks of the door opening woke Seven from the unexpected nap he’d been taking on the couch. At some point Vanderwood had disappeared, but a coaster had appeared under the (still cold) glass of PhD Pepper, so not all was lost.

Seven looked up to see MC walking in with her arms full of fast food fried chicken.

“Hey sweetie, I’m back from class, did you have a good nap?”

Seven shook his head, and MC set the food on the counter before coming over to crouch next to him.

“What happened?”

“You were gone.” he croaked, and wrapped his arms around her. “And you’re leaving again after dinner.”

MC hummed softly, hugging him back. “Yeah, I’m working on a project.”

“Are you going to leave me? Am I too much?”  He sniffed, trying not to cry. He’d gotten this far without crying about it, surely just another minute more…

MC pushed him out to arms length so she could look him in the eye. “Saeyoung Choi. I love you. More than my projects. More than school. More than the stars in the sky. More than life. More than PhD Pepper.”

He sniffed. “Now I know you’re exaggerating. It’s not possible to love something more than PhD Pepper.”

“See, that’s where you’re wrong. Our love defies the laws of physics.” She leaned her forehead against his, and he shut his eyes. He may be weird, but that was probably the strangest view you could have of another person. “Listen, Sevenny.” She said, softly. “I love you. I’m trying to surprise you with something for your birthday, but I think the secrecy of it is too much. Not worth the stress I’m causing you. Do you want to come with me tonight?”

He gasped. “Wait… really?”  He pulled back from her, confused. “You want me to… come with?”

“I mean, I wanted to surprise you. But this surprise will be enough. I’d rather have you happy and confident every day than overjoyed on one specific day and stressed out and sad the rest.”

Seven’s chest felt tight. She really… “God, I love you MC.”

“I love you too, babe.” She chuckled, and kissed his cheek. He really did have the best girlfriend. “Come on now, I brought chicken and if it gets cold I think Jaehee would come beat me on principle.”

“Ooooh, she would.” Seven said, considering how that woman felt about proper nutrition and food safety combined. “Let’s not invoke her wrath.”

“What is this place?” Seven said, turning circles as he looked around the big, loud warehouse full of people working on various crafts.

“This is our local Maker Space.  It’s got all the tools I could possibly need, and classes so I can learn how to do things, and I can reserve space so I can work on projects like my lovely boyfriend’s birthday present without him spoiling himself by trying to help.” MC said with a pointed look. 

Seven blushed. He did like helping, was the thing. He was already itching to try and see what some of the people were doing so that he could hold a nail or put down some glue, or god forbid saw something.

“This is amazing.” He said, feeling very much like a Gisnep Princess. “But what are you working on?”

MC chuckled, and pulled him along over to a space along the wall where there were welding torches and other heavier metal-working tools set up.

“Stay right here and don’t touch anything and I’ll be right back.”

Seven was vibrating. This place was awesome.  So much better than just building his robots on the floor of his office. No wonder Vanderwood had been trying to get him to make a workshop… Now he didn’t have to. He could just come here with MC!

“Okay, close your eyes and hold out your hands, Seven.” MC said, and he did as he was told, until something solid was put in his hands.

“Can I look yet?”

“Not quiiiite…. okay, look!”

Seven opened his eyes and a small little Calico Cat sat in his hands.  She wasn’t complete, there was etching to mark out where all of her different colors would go, but her eyes lit up, and her ears twitched.  He’d never seen anything more adorable in his life, and he’d both met Elly and had a girlfriend. 

“Oh my god.”

“Yeah, like the Elly-bot you made me. but calico!” She looked chagrined. “She’s not done yet, and the personality chip is way harder to program than I thought it was, even taking a class on it.”

“I can help with that!”

“I know you can, babe, but that’s why I didn’t want to tell you. I didn’t want you to have to do all the work to make your own present. I wanted to do it for you.”

“Oh.”  She was right.  If he’d known she was working on this he would have made her a full step-by-step IKEA-level guide on how to do all of it, but then it would have been basically him doing it with her hands, and not her making it for him, and he’d even gone and spoiled the surprise by being a complete ball of garbage, and--

“But how about this… Now that you know, there’s no way I’m going to keep you from helping… what if we made her together? We can make one for Saeran too.”

Seven bounced on his toes. He loved doing things with MC. And making a gift for Saeran? That was ideal. “He wants a shark.” He said, thinking about his twin.

“A shark robot.” MC was dubious.

“Yes.”

“We can’t make it swim though.”

“No. But we can make it hover.” His glasses flashed.

“Oh god.”

“Say yes, MC. Tell me we’ll build robots together.”

“Yes, Saeyoung. Seven. My love. Of course. The answer was always yes.”

[brighteststar707]

Faye!!! Congrats on your two years 🎉 I'm so so incredibly happy that we met through good old Mysme I could CRY fr. You are so special to me!!

So I was thinking for a while but didn't want the slots to go, so I'm gonna come outta nowhere and SHOCK HORROR not pick either of my two husbands, Jumin or Zen.

But how about number 30, confiding in them, with Vanderwood. The little tease we got in V's route just made me smitten at the time. He literally is thrust into the RFA drama and I can't help but feel he'd connect with MC. Like lord help us Vandy, wtf is going on.

Lola! Thank you so much for your message! I'm so grateful to have met you, you mean so much to me and I wish only the best for you <3

I'm pleasantly surprised by your request! It's a good event when I can write more than one fic for Vandy.

Picture this: It's V's route, Seven has saved you from Mint Eye, now you, V Seven and Vandy are in the cabin. Your relationship with V is.... not really existent at this point so this fic could be romantic when you squint hehehe

Love ya <3

Confiding in Them

✦Vanderwood x Gn!Reader ✦ Words: 1553

Time in the cabin feels like it has slowed down to a crawl. It is dark outside, and eerily silent. Inside, there are only the sounds of footsteps back and forth across the floorboards, and V’s harsh breathing in the next room. The repetitive nature of the noises has only added to the liminal feeling.

You had reassured the others that you weren’t tired, and then promptly fallen asleep on the sofa, still sitting upright with your jacket draped over your shoulders. When your eyes opened again, you weren’t sure how long you’d been asleep for, or where your dreams ended and reality began. Your life lately has been so strange, it has been hard to keep track. You had dreamt of car chases and cult initiations, the faces and voices of your loved ones so close and yet out of reach. How was that any different to what you had experienced over the last week?

Someone had covered you with a spare blanket when you were asleep, as well as lit a fire in the fireplace opposite you. It was warm, and you were still disoriented from sleep, so you stayed put, wrapping the blanket tighter around yourself and watching the fire dance over the logs.

You allow yourself, maybe for the first time, to process the fact that you managed to get away from Mint Eye and everything they had planned for you. In the (relative) silence of the cabin, with everyone else occupied, it starts to sink in. Back there, with a part of you constantly in fight or flight, it was hard to process the reality of your situation. You were just trying to survive. Now that you’re safe, it all hits at once.

The isolated compound, the flowery pink room, the wardrobe full of clothes made to your measurements. Ray, monitoring your conversations with the RFA, his kindness that teetered on the brink of desperation. The minty blue of his eyes, too vibrant to be natural. The silence in the hallways, so unsettling for a building so full of people.

“Oh, you’re awake.”

You jump and turn your head towards the speaker. You were too caught up in your own thoughts to hear him approach you.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” Vanderwood says. To his credit, he does actually look apologetic.

His voice is quiet, deep, and still unfamiliar to you. You have grown used to the voices of the different RFA members, have even started to find a certain comfort in hearing them. On the other hand, he is still practically a stranger to you.

You had very briefly met Vanderwood when he first got to the cabin to help Seven, but you had said little to each other since.

“It’s okay. I’m just a bit jumpy, I guess.”

“From what I’ve seen tonight and what Seven told me – which isn’t much, mind you - that’s not surprising.”

Seven has been keeping an eye on Vanderwood since he entered with a vaguely threatening air you haven’t yet seen from him, reminiscent of someone keeping their attack dog on a short leash.

“What did Seven tell you?”

He joins you on the sofa, sighing deeply before answering. He has been at V’s bedside, tending to him in his terrible state, since arriving, and he has good reason to be tired.

“He has kept most of the story from me. I know that that guy back there has been fed more different drugs than I’ve ever seen before and that you’re his…?” He leaves it open-ended and throws you a meaningful look. He’s still trying to fill the holes in his story.

“Don’t look at me, I don’t even know what we are.” Thinking about V too much makes you scared all over again, so you change the subject. “What else do you know?”

“Nothing except that you were there with them. He’s smart enough to keep RFA stuff away from agency stuff most of the time. I guess desperate times call for desperate measures, though.”

“You can say that again.”

You sound wearier than you mean to. The longer you think about everything, the more ridiculous it all sounds. You watch as a log cracks in the fireplace with a satisfying pop and feel Vanderwood turn to assess you for a moment.

“And who are you in all of this?”

“That’s a long story.”

“And I am a very good listener. Literally, it’s part of my job.”

You laugh. He doesn’t.

“Really, I feel like I haven’t talked to a single person since I arrived - Seven doesn’t count. I need a change of scenery.”

It isn’t that his voice softens, but he sounds like he’s choosing his words more intentionally this time he speaks. It makes him sound more sincere. Maybe that’s what encourages you to indulge him. Or maybe, you just need someone to help ground you now that you feel like you’ve detached from reality.

“Well, I was sort of… kidnapped and held hostage in this cult?”

His eyebrows disappearing into his fringe is the only thing that gives away his surprise. He scans you once over, a well-practiced look. He’s looking for any obvious damage.

“I’m fine, you say quickly, “Seven managed to save me before anything really bad could happen.”

He nods. “You can trust him with these things.” He thinks for a moment, before quickly adding, like a sudden thought that came into his mind “were you with the hacker?”

“Yeah.”

“You met him? What was he like?”

The questions tumble out of his mouth faster than he can stop them. Is this what he sounds like when he’s excited? You had heard him discussing the hacker with Seven earlier, asking questions with his eyes wide. Turns out it’s rare for someone to give Seven this much trouble.

“Strange. Kind of sad. I wish there was something I could do for him.”

Vanderwood’s enthusiasm vanishes.

“Then he sounds just like the rest of us.”

In the silence that follows, you both turn your attention back to the fireplace. The flames seem to have a life of their own, and your cheeks feel warm from the heat of it. Somewhere, from another room, you hear Seven’s voice. You wonder who he’s talking to, or if it's just to himself.

“So, if that guy,” Vanderwood gestures back to the bedroom where V is sleeping, “was drugged to oblivion by that cult, how did you get out okay?”

“He has a bit of a personal history with their founder. The whole RFA does, actually, but his is more… delicate, from what I understand. See, I’m the stranger in this equation.”

“Huh. I don’t know why I expected this to be simple. Nothing Seven involves himself in ever is.”

“They used to all be like a family once apparently. I’m still trying to understand it all myself.”

He puts his head on his hands for a second in a show of exhaustion. “Maaaaan…. how are you staying sane through all of this? Just hearing the gist of things is making me tired.”

You’ve been asked this question a few times, but you’ve never given the real answer any thought before. Next to V, who could barely stand upright and was talking to the air last time you were at his bedside, you were always fine. It felt wrong to even imply otherwise.

But now, when you think about where you were a week ago and how much has changed since then, you aren’t so sure. You can’t remember the last time you felt rested and, even though you’ve been reassured that you’re safe here, you’re scared someone is watching you. You can’t even think of walking down the street by yourself before you break out in goosebumps.

"Oh. I guess you hadn’t gotten that far yet, had you?”

“No… I guess not. Is it that obvious?”

He holds out a gloved hand in front of your face and taps your forehead once, lightly.

“You’re easy to read. Or maybe it’s just me.”

With only the flickering firelight on his face, his expression is hard to make out, but you find some comfort in his gesture.

“I feel like none of it is real. At least if you can see it, it means that I’m not making any of this up.”

He nods and you lapse back into a comfortable silence.

“Hey, I know it may not be much coming from me, but I think you’ve got some good people on your side at the moment.”

You’re not sure what possesses you to ask, “Is that including you?”

He seems to be stunned for a moment before he smiles. It transforms him into a brand-new person, and you can imagine what a different life might have looked like on him. Your anxiety gets pushed down by a wave of pride at managing to elicit that expression from him. You have a feeling it’s quite rare.

“Yeah, I guess it does.”

Suddenly, V groans loudly, startling the both of you. Vanderwood jumps back to his feet and quickly follows the sound to the bedroom door. Before he disappears completely, he turns to you and says, “Listen, I need to go back to playing nurse, but can we talk more a bit later?”

You smile.

“I’d like that.”

[shxtodxroki]

Match-Up Exchange Guidelines

Because I’ve been more interested in doing match-up exchanges lately, I figured it would be smart to make a single concise post explaining everything important when it comes to doing match-up exchanges with me! Below are my guidelines for doing match-up exchanges, so if you’re interested in doing a match-up exchange please read this once I’ve sent it to you/if you’re interested in doing an exchange!

Fandoms I Do Match-Ups For:

These are all the fandoms I offer match-ups for! Feel free to choose any of the fandoms listed below if you’re interested in doing a match-up exchange or just requesting a match-up in general, and this list will be updated whenever necessary:

My Hero Academia, Haikyuu, Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan, Life Lessons With Uramichi Oniisan, Bungou Stray Dogs (though I am currently only on season 3, so as of now I would only be able to match you with characters established up to that point), Mystic Messenger, Obey Me, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K, Death Note, Stardew Valley, Sk8 The Infinity, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc.

Characters I Don’t Match With:

Among these fandoms, there are certain characters I won’t do matches with for various reasons. First of all, If a character is below high school age (I’d say generally they have to be 15 or above at least) then I will not be matching them with anyone. This includes characters like Luke from Obey Me, Muichiro from Demon Slayer and Kenji from BSD, among others. Additionally, any characters who are abusive/inappropriate, specially to children, will not be matched with anyone. This would include characters like Mei Mei from JJK and Mori from BSD, as well as characters like Endeavor from My Hero. I also just don’t really know much about Vanderwood from Mystic Messenger so I probably won’t match him for anyone just because I’m not sure if I would be able to make it accurate lol. This list may be changed/altered as needed.

Things I Need From You In a Match-Up Exchange:

If you’re interested in a match-up exchange, please feel free to DM me asking about it! Unless I’m on a hiatus or going through a tough time in my personal life, I will almost always say yes! Once we’ve agreed to an exchange, these are the things I will need from you:

Your preferred name/a nickname you’d like to go by, pronouns, age (or if you’re uncomfortable saying, just tell me if you’re under or over 18 instead), and if you have a gender preference when it comes to your match. If you do not indicate a gender preference for your match, I will match you with a character of any gender who fits you best, so please indicate if you’d only like to be matched with a certain gender and I will oblige! 

The fandom(s) you’d like your match-up to be in. You may request up to 5 different fandoms at a time, though you are free to request more or request the same fandom again at a different date. I only set the limit at 5 so that it doesn’t take me too long to post my part of the exchange! (You are also free to request, for example, to be matched with a man and a woman in a particular fandom, though this will count as 2 of your 5 match-ups) 

Any characters (if you have any) that you’d prefer not to be matched with, for any reason. I will avoid matching you with any characters you request not to be matched with! Also, if you have any preferences for which characters you're matched with (ex. only wanting to be matched with Class 1-A students) then please state that as well!

The rest of these are not required, but highly encouraged in order for me to give you your best possible match:

Personality types (like MBTI or zodiac sign, for example)

Notable physical features/appearance

Personality traits

Likes/Dislikes

Hobbies or interests

Qualities you find important/look for in a partner

Love languages

And anything else you’d like to add! This isn’t an exhaustive list, you’re welcome to add anything you’d like me to know about you to make your match–up better :)

Also, please don’t hold back or worry that you’re including “too much” because I promise, the more information you include, the more detailed and personalized I can make your match-up! 

When it comes to my match-up(s) for you in an exchange, this is usually what I offer:

Your match-up(s) will always include the reason why I matched you with a character, 8-10 headcanons about your relationship with them based on your personalized info, who my second choice for a match-up would be and a brief explanation of why, and a song that I think describes your relationship with your matched character! Unless stated otherwise (if I’m going through a difficult time or incredibly busy with school) my goal is generally always to get my end of the exchange posted/to you within a week of us agreeing to an exchange, though we can solidify a date together once we’ve decided on doing a match-up trade!

And when it comes to receiving my match-up(s), I’m totally willing to be patient and if things come up/you need more time than you thought or even if you need to cancel the exchange, please just let me know and I promise to be understanding :) All I ask is for communication! 

And that’s it! I’m currently open to and welcoming match-up exchanges with fellow writers for any of the fandoms listed above, so if you’re interested in doing one please just reach out/message me and I’d love to organize one! :D