#which is why she distances herself from him towards the end of her 3rd year in junior high/when yana's about to graduate

[wewerebornsextuplets]

I joke a lot about the kiru yana dynamic when they were kids/teens but to be so honest it's because they make me wanna chew batteries

[tomuras-doormat]

His Darling - Tomura Shigaraki x F!Reader

My first post <3 This writing was for one of my college classes so this version is different compared to the original. It’s told in 3rd person (kind of?) but I hope you all still enjoy it. Word Count: 3.5K Warnings: Yandere, Kidnapping  

No more than five years old, Tomura Shigaraki was abandoned by his parents. He was a frightened child with baby blue hair and red eyes, wandering the streets during the day and resting at night. He looked to other people for help, but no one did. They ignored him because he was dirty. Tomura cried and begged and on some days, he thought that he should end it all. Tomura later developed Dermatillomania due to him scratching at his eyes and neck whenever he was anxious which caused people to label him A Monster.

All those people that ignored him had brought him to where he was now. A killer who had an obsessive crush on someone he happened to stumble into one night at the bar. She was shorter than him and thin, she had beautiful eyes and silky smooth hair, she dyed her hair pink awhile back and all that stays of it is small shadows that shine under the street lights. Tonight, the girl is alone. Tomura follows her from a distance. He does not need to follow her; he already knows everything about her. Where she lives, where she goes to school, who her friends are, and most importantly, the fact that her dad put his gambling debt on his beautiful daughter. Granted that may have been Tomura’s fault after he killed her father, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is that Tomura has been helping her to pay it off! He sends her $1,000 once a week. He does not understand why she looks so confused whenever she receives the money, but he knows that it makes her happy. Tonight, Tomura decided that she is going to pay him back for all the money he has spent on her. I mean she should know where this money is coming from, shouldn’t she? He edges closer and closer to her as she gets increasingly distracted on her phone, waiting for the right moment. Tomura knows when the right moment is, he has been planning this for months now and now was finally the night for action. He walks a little closer to the unsuspecting girl and watches as she turns down the alleyway that she uses as a shortcut to get back to her apartment. That’s when he strikes. Like a predator closing in on its prey. Tomura hooks his arms under the girl’s and covers her mouth with a cloth making the girl drop her phone. She struggles a bit but eventually she calms down, a smile spreading across Tomura’s face. The one person he would never think of hurting is now in his arms. The one person who he cares about most needs him. What would happen if he left her there? Some other guys were bound to come around and have their way with the unresponsive body. Tomura could not allow that to happen, he would not allow that to happen. She was now safe in his arms. Safe from all those guys who flirt with her at the bar, safe from that crazy killer who is always on the news, safe from that nasty debt collector. She was safe. Tomura crushed her phone under his foot and picked her up princess style. He planted a soft kiss on her forehead and smiled as he carried her out of the alleyway to his home. Her new home. Their home. Main Quest Number One: Completed Tomura scowls as he drags the small figure back to his small house. Why did you try to escape? He did not understand. He made sure he had everything you liked. From the clothes you wore, to your favorite meals. He had everything memorized, it’s what a good boyfriend should do right? So why did you try to run away from him?  You were confused! That must be it. You don’t understand everything yet, that’s why Tomura is there to teach you. He’s there to be your guiding hand for you to hold. Tomura picks up the small figure gently and holds her tighter as she struggles. “Why are you doing this to me?!” she yells out at him at a volume that someone else would have heard her if he lived in a more populated neighborhood. Tomura gives her a soft smile and says, “It’s because I love you darling, you’re just confused is all and you need some guidance.” He plants a few more dry kisses onto her forehead and takes her back inside. “If you try something like that again darling, I can’t say I’ll be as nice.”  Tomura decided that she should be restrained. It was a thought that he hoped he would not have to act out, but just until she was broken in. He just needs to train her! Like a cute new pet he just got, she needs to be trained. Learn her boundaries, what she can and cannot do. He can’t be mad at her for trying to escape, he did not train her! Tomura jumped in excitement at the thought of his darling becoming obedient. Once she breaks everything will be so much better. Tomura locked the 6 locks and 2 deadbolts on his door and set his darling on the couch. “I’m going to make our dinner, stay put and watch TV, okay?” he said with a small smile. The girl starts to cry and Tomura’s expression changes drastically. “Why are you crying my darling?!” he said as he rushed over to her. “Why are you keeping me here...!” the small figure cried out. Tomura frowns and pulls the girl towards him to hold her close, a slight struggle coming from the girl. “Because I need to keep you safe darling, there are so many dreadful things in this world and I’m going to be your savior. I’ve seen the way those men eye you up. It’s disgusting to watch them, knowing they are undressing you with their eyes. I couldn’t take it anymore and I wanted you for myself.”  The girl calms down a bit and her sobs become soft sniffles. Tomura smiles at his first successful breakthrough and kisses her forehead. “I’m going to make dinner, ok darling?” he says as he stands up. He walks over to the kitchen and starts to prepare the girls favorite meal. He looks back at her occasionally to make sure she is behaving herself, growing happier and prouder at the fact that he’s slowly breaking her.  Tomura smiled at the sight of her wearing the white nightgown he bought for her. He liked seeing her in white, it made her purity shine through even more. He patted the spot next to him and waited for her to walk over to him, but she didn’t. She just stood there and hesitated. “What’s wrong my darling?” he asked, a bit annoyed. “Why do I have to sleep next to you...” the small figure mumbled. Tomura frowned and stood up, walking over to the girl. “Because I want to keep you safe in my arms even when you sleep. What if the house catches on fire and I can’t save you...?” he says as he grabs a hold of her wrist lightly. He pulls her over to the bed and waits till she is laying down. Tomura smiles to himself and crawls onto the bed himself. He pulls the covers down and holds the fragile body close to his own. He leans down to her whisper in her ear but hesitates a bit. He looks down her body a bit and kisses her neck as she squirms a bit next to him. He looks up to see a hint of pink on her face and he smiles. “I know you’re still a virgin darling, I’ll wait to do anything like that until you’re ready” he says to her and plants a loving kiss on her cheek. Tomura holds the small body close to his own and closes his eyes, waiting for the happy dreams to come to him about him and his darling. * * * Tomura woke early in the morning so he could prepare everything that needed to be done. Tomura had to leave today so he decided to give his darling a small chore list of what he wanted done while he was gone. He walked down the stairs to the kitchen to start breakfast, soon Tomura will be waking up to breakfast in bed from his darling, he must train her to do so. He was sad that he had to leave his darling alone today, but the trip was well needed. His fridge was running low on food and he wanted to have a stocked fridge for when his darling started cooking for him. He smiles to himself knowing that he has her now. He can keep her safe from everything bad in the world. Safe from everyone’s nasty glares and perverted eyes. The only eyes that can lay upon her now are his own.  He finishes making breakfast and sets it down on the table. He grabs a notepad and a pen and writes a small note for his darling. “I have to head out for a while my darling so please behave yourself. I do not want to be angry with you   I have a small list of chores for you, could you do them for me darling? -Clean the dishes -Make our bed -Pick up the Living Room a bit” With his note written and breakfast made, he grabbed the things he needed and headed out. Tomura looked up at the sky and frowned. It was dark and gloomy. Was it supposed to rain? He couldn’t remember. He sighed and walked down the sidewalk to the convenient store. It may be called a ‘convenient’ store, but it was far from that. The closest store was about a three-mile walk. Tomura would have to be gone for about 2 hours and that pained him, knowing his darling would be home alone for such a long time. He’d just have to be quick is all. Tomura smiled and started on his journey to the store, now having a purpose to go. He pulled out his small list and read it over multiple times on his way there, hopping by the time he got there he would have it memorized. There wasn’t much on it, but it was still a lot.  Tomura looked at a few display windows as he passed by some stores. He paused for a minute and imagined his cute darling in the displayed dress. He blushed at the thought of coming home to her in the outfit. He quickly walks into the store to buy the floral dress. A knee length dress that has a white base and pink flowers working its way up the fabric.  Tomura held the bag tightly as he walked out of the store. 15 minutes behind, but it would be worth it. To see his sweet in the tasteful dress and to see her reaction to seeing it herself, he was jumping with excitement. He looked up at the sky to see it had darkened even more, covering the sun completely. “I should hurry…” Tomura mumbled to himself, and so he started his quest for the store. Side Quest Number One: Completed Tomura made his way to the store and pulled out the small list. He was distracted the rest of the walk and had forgotten about memorizing the list. He looks around, walking up and down aisles to find what he needs. Frowning whenever the store didn’t have what he wanted, which was a lot of. Tomura scoffed at the thought of going to another store or even taking another day to go shopping again. He grabbed what he could get and went to the cashier to pay for his items. He glanced outside and sighed as it started to rain. Just his luck. The store clerk told Tomura his goodbyes and thank yous and Tomura walked out of the store. He looked around for the covered spots of the streets but could not find one. He sighed and started to make his journey back home at a slight job. Thunder roared and some lightning struck on his way, but it did not bother him. The only thing Tomura feared was losing his darling. He ran up to the house and pulled out his keys, unlocking the door and walking inside. “Darling! I’m back!” he yelled. Tomura closed the door and looked around. Where could she be? He walked to the kitchen and set the grocery bag down. Anger set in when he saw the untouched plate of food and the dirty dishes. He called out to her again, “Darling, where are you!”  The enraged man stormed around the house trying to find the small girl. He had started to throw doors open in his rage. Had she really left him?! Just like that! “Darling!!” he called out in an angry tone. He stormed into the bedroom and looked around. He kicked the bed and growled. Where the hell did she go? Did she seriously leave him? Tomura looked around and walked over to the closet. He opened the doors and looked down. His emotions flared in rage as he saw the girl sitting on the floor. He opened his mouth to yell at her, but the girl leaped towards him and clung onto his shirt, crying. She was crying…? A roar of thunder had the girl crying even more and suddenly he understood. He wrapped his arms around her as she sobbed into his already soaked shirt. “Did I scare you darling? I didn’t mean to, I thought you ran away from me...” Tomura had picked up the small sobbing girl and held her in his arms. He walked over to the bed and laid her down. He tried to get up, but she clung to him even harder. “Don’t leave me... Please...” pleaded the girl. A small smile spread across Tomura’s face and he laid back down with her, holding her close and whispering sweet nothings into her ear.   * * * Weeks after weeks, his darling had finally started to crack. She was warming up to him, greeting him when he returned home, started cooking meals and obeying most of his commands. Today was an extra special day, it was the first day that she had worn the floral dress that he had bought for her. The dress fit her perfect body perfectly, showing every curve off perfectly. Tomura blushed a bit as he walked over to her and kissed her cheek. She even started being more loving towards Tomura, that made him the most excited. That’s all he wanted from her was her love. He wanted her to stay home and take care of the family. A family that was hopefully soon to be a reality. “I have dinner ready for us,” she said softly. He smiled and nodded. Tomura set his stuff down and walked to the kitchen with the small girl. He looked down at the table and smiled at the home cooked meal made by his darling. This is how life should always be, this is how it was meant to be.  “I’m going to go take a shower darling,” Tomura said to the girl as she picked up his plate. The girl looked at him and nodded with a soft smile. He kissed her cheek and went upstairs to the bathroom. Tomura couldn’t even wipe the smile off his face. His new pet has finally been broken in, no need for the leash and collar anymore on his new pet. She was bound to break eventually, with no one else to talk to but Tomura, who would she turn to? She would break eventually, and it finally happened. He walked into the bathroom and closed the door. He walked over to the shower and turned it on while he started to undress. Tomura hadn’t showered a lot because he was saving the water for his darling. He finished undressing and hopped into the bathtub. He closed the curtain and leaned his head back, wetting his hair and face. Tomura smiled and closed his eyes, getting lost in thought of his darling that he didn’t hear the door open. He grabbed the shampoo and put some in his hand. Setting the bottle back down he lathered up the soap into his hair. He opened his eyes a bit to see the curtain opening, his darling sliding into the shower. A dark blush spreading across his cheeks. “Darling what are you doing...!” he managed to stutter out. The small figure looked up and smiled. “I wanted to join you...” she said softly, stepping into the shower and closing the curtain. It was the first time Tomura had laid his eyes on a woman, the only woman he ever dreamed about looking at was his darling and here she was, in front of him in the shower. His eyes were darting all over her body, not knowing where to look. The small figure stepped towards him and he wrapped his hands around her waist. Tomura looked at the girl, asking for permission with his eyes. The girl giggled and nodded, planted a soft kiss on his cheek. When he was given the okay, Tomura was on her like a wild animal. He couldn’t contain himself; self-control was blown out the window the moment he was given the okay. His hands exploded every inch of her body as she whined and squirmed under his greedy touch. Tonight, he would finally lay claim to her, he would mark her wherever he saw necessary.   Main Quest Number Three: Completed The next morning, Tomura awoke from the movement of his darling. He opened his eyes a bit and looked down at her. She was snuggled up to his chest and breathing softly. He pulled the sheets down a bit to admire her marked up body. He smiled to himself and planted a soft kiss to her forehead. Everything was now perfect. Tomura’s life was now completed. He had everything he could ask for and the next step would be soon to come. A family. * * * More weeks had passed and Tomura had been delivered the news, his darling had tested positive for pregnancy. They were both overjoyed, exchanging hugs and kisses. Worry then set in Tomura’s mind. How would this baby be delivered? He is wanted in about every state for murder, he can’t just waltz into a hospital and expect not to have someone turn him in. That was something he couldn’t risk. Tomura had to come up with a plan and he had limited time to do it. He set the girl down and smiled. “I’m so happy darling, this is all because of you, you made this possible” he said with a smile.  “Hey Tomura, do you think I could go outside...? I could buy the groceries instead of you” she said softly. Why would she want to go outside? Tomura’s chest rumbled as a low growl escaped his lips. “No, there's no reason for you to go outside! It’s not safe out there! Why would you want to leave me darling...?!” he yelled at the girl. The girl cowered a bit in fear at his loud tone. She was trying to leave him! Was everything she said an act? Was she playing with his emotions? No. No, no, no, no, no. His darling wouldn’t do that. She loved him; he knew he did. Tomura grabbed her shoulders roughly and looked down at her. “You can’t leave me. I won’t let you. You’re happy here. I know you are” he said with a dark smile. His eyes glistened with rage as the small girl whined from his harsh grip. “Tomura you’re hurting me...” she said quietly. Tomura let go as an idea popped into his head, a sadistic smile spread across his face as he looked down at the girl. He can’t have her running away from him. She has his child, she can’t run from him now He grabbed her arm and dragged her to the door to the basement. Tomura let out a low chuckle as he pulled her into the basement. He had everything prepared down here in case something like this had happened. The girl struggled in Tomura’s harsh grip; eyes filled with fear as she looked at all different tools around the basement. Tomura walked over to a wall that he had built chains into. “It’s for your own safety darling. I can’t have you leaving me. What if you happened to get hurt while you were out?”  Tomura said, worry clearly in his voice. He kneels and wraps the chains around her ankles. “I can’t have you leaving me darling…” he says with a smile. He stands up and plants a kiss on the frightened girl's forehead. “And to think I fully broke you...” Tomura walks over to the stairs as the girl cries out his name. He ignores every word she says, though it puts a great deal of pain on him to do so. The man bites his lip and walks up the stairs, a smile making its way on his hips as he closes the door.   “I won’t let you leave me darling; I’ll make sure you understand that.”

[outerbanks-fandom]

Title: I Miss You

*REQUEST OPEN*

Discription: stiles has had enough and he made it known. All in Stiles POV

Warnings: a bit of cussing. (Aka a lot)

Word Count: 1257

Part 2 to my previous imagine called ‘The Aftermath’

—————————

Ever since the break up all I can ever think about is how to get Y/N to fall back in love with me. She is and will always be the love of my life. I know it, what we have, excuse me what we had was real atleast for me it was. I will make her remember the love she once had for me because I need her. Maybe if I try treating her the way I did when we first got together it’ll make her fall for me again.

So that’s what I did, starting off with leaving notes in her locker, just this time I didn’t sign my name I signed, BM. Standing for Batman of course but hopefully she doesn’t figure that one out. I quickly slipped it through the vents to the lockers and ran to my locker to watche. After about 30 seconds she walked up to her locker with a forced smile. I could always tell when she was truly smiling and right now she’s trying to show her friends that she’s okay but I’ll always know.

She unlocked her lock and opened the door and my note came falling out, which she quickly grabbed. I watched as her cheeks flushed while reading it and then the look of confusion cloud her features when she was at the end of it. She looked around but I made myself look busy by digging through my locker. The smile that little gesture gave her gave me enough motivation to keep this going. So I went into 3rd period planning my next move.

It’s the next day and I’m gonna leave her favorite food in her locker which I used to do all the time, I know she’ll connect the pieces at this but I don’t care I just want her back. I put the gummy bears, takis, cosmic brownie and a watermelon monster on the shelf thingy in her locker which I remembered the code from the beginning of this year. So like yesterday I waited, and when she showed up I smiled until I noticed she didn’t show up alone. She was with Liam, someone who has had a crush on her since he first got here and even though we were together he never got over it. I could tell it only grew with time, she’s so perfect I couldn’t blame him.

He had said something that made her laugh and it broke my heart into a million pieces, that should be me. I was the reason she couldn’t breathe from laughing and now I’m the reason she can’t breathe from crying. Fuck, it really is all my fault though she tried to tell me it was hers but I know she lost feelings because towards the last 6 months I was so distant and just plain rude to her. I fucked it up not her, I would pick fights for no reason not her, I would catch an attitude when all she wanted to do was hang out. Yet she still blamed herself because that’s just the kind of girl she is, she will do anything to try and make the pain hurt just a little less. I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn’t notice her opening her locker and noticing the food I had bought for her. She immediately went to look for me and she found me in no time. We made eye contact and for a minute I saw the same look that she once had when she looked at me. A look of love and admiration but that was quickly covered up by confusion but still admiration. I gave her a little smile and walked to my class. She didn’t try and stop me and i didn’t expect her to. All I wanted to do was cry but I knew if I did that she would see and it would break her more and I can’t cause her more pain. So I waited and bit my lip every time I watched her laugh with her friends, or when she sat next to Liam and Mason at lunch. I bit my lip holding back the tears of seeing her happy with someone new.

I went to the place we always hung out, our secret spot. I needed to be there so I could just think about how happy we once were and not how sad I am now. But that didn’t work I cried instead of laughed at the memories going through my head. I sat on the edge of the bridge in the woods and just sat there with a mixture of sobs and laughs as I remembered every memory we ever made. I even pulled out my phone and looked at all the pictures and videos that flowed in my Snapchat memories. She was still my Home Screen, it was a picture from the last Christmas we spent together which ironically I had bought her a promise ring. Cheesy I know but I genuinely want to marry that girl. She still wears the ring just now it’s one of the many she now wears so the ring gets kinda loss.

I sat there for maybe two hours looking through my phone before it died. Still I sat and stared into the distance, so caught up in my thoughts that I didn’t hear footsteps behind me. HER footsteps.

“Before I met you, I never knew that it was possible to miss someone this much. Signed BM.” I heard her recite the note I left her and all I could do was get down from the side and turn to face her. “BM stiles really? You really thought I didn’t know that stood for Batman. That was your name in my phone for a good year and a half of our relationship.” I shrugged not knowing what to say. “God stiles what do you want from me, during our relationship you stopped showing interest so I caught the hint and left. Now that I’m starting to show interest in someone else, Now you wanna put effort in. Well guess what stiles you can’t just not want me and then want me again, that’s not how it works, we both fell out of love-“Will you just stop! I know I fucked it up. I know I stopped being the boyfriend you deserved! I know all you wanted was my attention and I couldn’t give it to you because I’m stupid I know that. But dammit Y/N I NEVER and I mean NEVER fell out of love with you! That was you who fell out of love and you can blame that on me all you want and hell I’ll even let you but what I won’t let you do is accuse me of falling out of love. You are and will always be the love of my life okay! So just accept that, and even if you move on I’ll let you because you will be happy but DONT say I didn’t love you.” I was breathing heavy and so was she. “Fuck you Stiles Stilinski! Fuck you for making me fall inlove with you, and fuck you for actually believing that I could EVER fall out of love with you. Because guess what dumbass your the love of my life also!” I didn’t respond I just walked to her. “Fuck me? No fuck you Y/N Y/L/N.” We were standing so close I could feel her breathe on me.

“Oh yeah? And why’s that you have to reason to say that!” God this girl will be the death of me. “Oh no babe. Thats where you are wrong, I have many reasons to say that to you.”

“Oh yeah? Name one Mieczyslaw.” She did not just use my government name. “This!” And I smashes my lips onto hers. My lips molded with hers like a missing puzzle piece. She made me feel complete.

“Fuck you for making me miss you.”

[kadeu]

Accepted — Al-Farsi Leila

♥   Leili Al-Farsi aka. Leila Mori looks like Ivana Alawi (actor) ♥   She was born December 25, 1814; making her 206 but she appears to be 25 ♥   This Succubi is Heterosexual and a Jack of Hearts ♥   She is the owner of The Secret Room

Biography

The Al-Farsi Family is a family greatly known for their secrecy. A reclusive family whose only presence is felt through the various charities that the family was connected to. It was rumored that the Al-Farsis were wealthy enough to become Kings, if only they would stop their habit of excessive spending for the poor. However, this was the only way the family stayed relevant over the past century. As what the rumors circulated, the Al-Farsis remained a neutral family in the years of peace within Kadeu. Their founding matriarch was a woman whose roots were traced from the City of Umibe. She had come to Kadeu for a better life and found work in The Red Dragon. Gradually, she rosed up the ranks and became the brothel’s owner in less than a decade. Her name was Lamia Mori. She was the great-grandmother of Leila Al-Farsi, or so what the family introduced her to be.

The truth was that the matriarch Lamia Mori and the great-granddaughter, Leila Al-Farsi, was one and the same woman. She was a succubus who have crossed over from the Demon Realm more than a century ago and has skillfully hidden herself undetected in the public eye, all the while feigning to be a human. However, something had changed when the succubus decided to clothe herself in the finest of tulles and satins and adorn her body with glistening jewels. That same day, her own father appeared before her. It was then that she knew of her mother’s death. Her father spared no expense on sharing his bare intentions. First, he found her current abode quite atrocious and second, he abhors the fact that her own daughter had decided to cowardly hide in the facade of a human instead of being proud of her demonic origins.

But Leila still remembers the day she was forcefully thrown out of the Demon Realm by her very own clan. It was the very reason why she could not bear to go back. It was her forty second birthday, way past her puberty and still no signs of her ‘awakening.’ It well-known in the Demon Realm that the younger a concubi would stop aging, the earlier would be its awakening and the stronger that concubi would be. Records had reported that these were the cases for those born with concubi parents. But Lamia was a daughter of a succubus and an arch demon and little had been known of the children of this kind of union. It was a pride for her father that Lamia stopped aging by the age of 24. To her clan, this was a promising sign that she would become one of the strongest concubi due to her lineage. They have made plans specially catered to her education, with the goal of making her the perfect hidden weapon of the family.

Great joy and merriment occurred on her thirty fifth birthday. Her clan had invited others to witness her awakening. However, none of that happened. No stubby spiked tail, no primal feeding ensued. Lamia caused her clan to lose face that night, but they still had patiently waited for her awakening. A year turned to two, then three yet there was still no sign of that stubborn tail. This frustrated Lamia to the core. If only she was born as a demon instead of a concubi, her mother would have been the grand consort of the clan but alas she was anything but. Without even much of an opportunity to say her farewells, Lamia was thrown off to a realm far too different than what she was familiar of. That was when she found herself at the depths of the sea of Umibe. A sudden change happened with her as she crossed over the portal, Lamia found herself growing a stubby spiked tail. How she hated her tail for years after, if only it had grown sooner. Little did she know, this was the least of her problems.

A rude awakening soon followed, enraging Lamia down to her very core. She learned of the poor treatment of the townsfolk towards concubi the hard way, through her own fault. Lamia once let her guard down and her origins as a succubus spread throughout the city like wildfire overnight. By morning, she lost the reputation she painstakingly established over a couple of years. She hated the smell of potent distrust, hated it even more that she had to feed off on those disgusting emotion. In a fit of rage, she openly hunted at The Docks until she was fully satiated. During this primal hunt, Lamia learned that aside from lust, fear became her most favorite meal. The next morning, reports on spoilt goods and missing sailors grazed the covers of the newspapers and rumors blamed such incident on the succubus whom no citizen has seen ever again.

Her overfeeding was proven to be useful nonetheless as the succubus was able to traverse the 10-mile distance from the City of Umibe to Kadeu in just a little over two hours. She must admit that the air in Kadeu was much fresher compared to the City of Umibe. Here, Lamia could easily feed without many complications as she could freely feed off in the streets. She noticed that on her inner left wrist, the once prominent 1 symbol that mystically appeared after she crossed over from the Demon Realm now became a 3. Lamia learned upon further coaxing from her clientele that the more she gathers her wealth and store it in the Zuihuo Bank, the more she would rise in the rank and this was the window of opportunity for her to have a new life. A life where she could live in peace, where the scent of distrust is absent and only pure lust and greed filled the air. The scent of greed was something Lamia had not thought of to be served in this place. The more she consumed it, the more she was influenced by it. Soon, the news of a lucky sex-worker on the streets reached the ears of the warden of The Red Dragon. There were not many blatant sex-workers brave enough to flaunt themselves on the streets, especially near his establishment, he wanted to have that worker for himself.

It was then that Lamia Mori was known as the Lady Mori of The Red Dragon. The mystical tattoo on her inner left wrist became a 5 and later a 7 as she became a high-end sex-worker for the brothel. By then, she had skillfully hidden her identity as a succubus. But this was not enough, not when the brothel was rumored to be auctioned off as its previous owner had plummeted down to bankruptcy and a deadly combo of gambling and drugs. This was the window of opportunity that Lamia was waiting for. In the depths of the night, a woman was found standing at the gates of the abode of the previous owner. Nobody knew what had transpired that night, but the fact remains that the Al-Farsi family had purchased the brothel.

With the change of ownership comes the influx of patrons. The title “Lady Mori” was bestowed for a decade to a favored sex-worker of the brothel, paying homage to the first Lady Mori who was said to have been favored by a patron and was gifted of the brothel itself, earning her favor. The first Lady Mori was the same consort of the Al-Farsi family that had graced society of her presence just a few months after the family purchased the brothel. Little did the society knew that the head of the Al-Farsi family was Lamia Mori. The man whom she claims to be her ‘husband,’ the man rumored to be the patron who was enamored by her beauty was no other than the previous warden of The Red Dragon himself.

It had been several decades since Lady Mori, now known as Madam Al-Farsi, had graced society herself. However, the tales of her glory days was still known in Kadeu. She once loved to throw charity balls for various causes she could think of, to a point that she had almost endangered her family’s status as a facecard. The last time she was seen was the day she announced her pregnancy. It was said that she had died during childbirth. And news of the family could only be seen in the papers, not a shadow of their beings was in sight. One recurring fact that always appeared in the paper though, the women married to the Al-Farsis had always died of childbirth. This was rumored to be a curse plaguing the entire family.

But the rumors of the curse did not stop the family finding a new bride. The 3rd generation head of the Al-Farsi, known by many as Khalil Al-Farsi, was one whose beauty once rivaled the family’s founding monarch, Lamia Mori herself. He was the great source of pride of the family as he had single-handedly beaten their once rival strip club, The Golden Faerie. Although not a brothel itself, the strip club also caters to all ranks like The Red Dragon. Thus, the news of its upgrade followed by the new that it would now only be catering to ranks 7 and above had delighted the family.

Following the good fortune that The Red Dragon had received in the past few months was the tragic death of Khalil Al-Farsi. The scene of finding the child she once raised to be the family heir was now dead pushed Leila to seek vengeance for him. To distract the ton from his death, Leila spread the news of her debut in society. Gossip columns in the newspapers were filled with testimonies of the once loyal patrons who were too old to frequent the brothel and those who have seen Madam Al-Farsi in her glory days both of whom confirmed that the next of kin of the Al-Farsi looks just like the madam. And with this, the curiosity of the ton followed wondering of the beauty that daughter of Khalil Al-Farsi holds. A satirical laugh could be heard across the mansion. Indeed, she picked the ripe time to reintroduce herself to society as Leila Al-Farsi.

Personality

Leila is a socialite which led to her being hyperaware of the rankings. She made it a self-priority to maintain a facecard rank for survival as she had witnessed the dark side of the lowranks and abhors to be in that same situation twice. Thus, she maintains strong relations amongst the highranks, at the same time, she is kind to lowranks, even to a point of offering them jobs in her brothel to keep them off the streets. She made it her mission to get sex workers off the streets and into her brothel, in return, she asks for their utmost loyalty, which had become her unknown weakness in the long run. Using the excuse of finding a husband, Leila is at a stage seeking revenge for her father, Khalil Al-Farsi. The culprit behind his death is still at large.

Congratulations Tamara your app has been accepted and your first plot drop will be sent to you soon.

Please follow and welcome @leilamori to Kadeu!

[ahatintimestorybook]

AHIT Twin AU- Sickness and Bullying

Here is the 2nd part of the bullying arc and minor TW: someone gets hurt

Enjoy!!

@winterpower98

MJ woke up to his alarm clock ringing. He picked up the clock and turned it off before getting out of bed to clean up and get ready for school. “Wake up Luka. We have school today.” MJ groaned. Luka moaned snuggling deeper into his pillow.

Once MJ got cleaned up, got his hair tied up into a ponytail and dressed he saw Luka was still in bed. MJ groaned and shook his little brother again. “Come on Luka, we’re going to be late.” MJ shook his little brother a bit harder until he heard something come from his brother’s mouth.

Cough

MJ stepped back when he heard Luka cough. Luka got up and coughed again harder, almost gagging. MJ went over to his little brother’s head and felt how hot he was. This scared MJ, he’d been fine with Luka getting sick before, but since the Lazy Paw trio started to bully MJ it scared him to go to school without Luka. Now that the bullies were in the same class as them it was ten times worse than it was in the past.

No. MJ was not going to school alone. He quickly went to Luka’s side of the closet and picked random clothes for Luka and threw it on his bed. “Come on Luka get dressed!” MJ yelled.

Luka slowly got up and held his head as it felt heavy. MJ saw Luka’s tired bloodshot eyes, sweat rushing down his face, and pale as a ghost. As much as MJ would want Luka to stay home he is not going to school alone. MJ went over to Luka’s bed and tried to drag him out of bed to get ready, but the moment Luka stood up he collapsed on the floor before coughing and groaning.

“I know your sick Luka, but I am not going to school alone!” MJ whined.

Soon MJ heard a knock. “Michael! Luka! Are you boys up yet?” Angela asked.

“W-we are!” MJ lied. “Just getting Luka out of bed.” MJ picked up Luka and set him down on his bed as he went and tried to change his little brother.

Soon Angela came in horrified seeing MJ trying to get his sick little brother ready for school. “MJ are you crazy!” Angela shouted. “Don’t you see your little brother is sick!” MJ gulped and rubbed his arm he knew, he just couldn’t tell them why. Angela sighed and looked at Luka. “Luka, baby are you okay?”

Luka groaned and shook his head slowly. “No.” Angela sighed and hugged her son before letting him lay back down.

“Rest well Luka. I’ll take your temperature after breakfast.” Angela promised.  Luka nodded and slowly fell asleep. Angela then turned to her older son and took his hand. “You young man come down for breakfast we have a long talk before school.” Angela then dragged MJ out of the room leading him to the kitchen to eat breakfast.

“Ok mom.” MJ sighed.

At the kitchen table Angela told her husband, Richard about MJ trying to drag his sick little brother to school. Richard was upset, but MJ was already guilty about it. He knew Luka was sick, but he didn’t want to tell his parents why he tried to drag Luka along.

“MJ how stupid can you be!” Angela snapped. “Luka is sick, why would you bring him to school sick?”

MJ stuttered. He wanted to tell his parents what was going on, but he couldn’t. “I-I didn’t know he was sick.” He lied.

Angela and Richard looked at each other. Angela sensed something was wrong with MJ, when she arrived in the room she saw him try to drag his sick brother out of bed. She knew that MJ knew Luka was sick, but he tried to wake him up to get to school with him somehow.

“MJ I know you're not telling me the truth.” Angela said. MJ looked up at his mother. “Please could you tell me what’s wrong?” MJ sat there quietly not wanting to tell his parents about what’s been going on with him in school.

Luckily he was saved by the school bus. MJ sighed and threw away his breakfast. “I’ll tell you after school. Bye mom and dad.” Quickly before Angela could stop him MJ was already out the door. Angela sighed putting her hand over her face.

Richard frowned and put his arm around Angela. “It's alright Angie. We’ll ask him what’s wrong after school.” Richard reassured his wife. Angela gave a small smile and gave her husband a kiss. “Come on let’s go check up on Luka.”

“Right.” Angela agreed.

At school, MJ distanced himself from everyone. He did his class work in silence despite having to hear the snickers from the Lazy Paw Trio. Since they knew MJ was alone it was the perfect time to take down the twin.

When recess started MJ was about to walk towards the tree he and Luka would stay under, but was pulled away by Blake and slammed into the wall. The trio snickered as MJ glared at his bullies. “Look gang, Mikey doesn’t have his wimpy little brother around.” Blake mocked.

MJ growled and shoved Blake away. “Leave me alone!” He snapped.

The bullies glared and Scott grabbed MJ’s arm pulling him close before pushing him on the ground. MJ slowly tried to get back up but Robin and Blake held MJ down with their feet as Scott came close, chuckling at how defenseless MJ had become.

MJ struggled to get loose, but that made the bullies hold him tighter, chuckling evilly as MJ winced in pain. Scott formed his hand into a fist and it soon collided with MJ making the young boy scream.

Back at home Luka was having some soup for lunch. Turned out he was sick with a 101 degree fever, but with some rest, liquids and something warm he should be back to his old spirited self in no time. “Thanks mom.” Luka whispered.

“Anything for you, Lulu.” Angela replied.

Luka gave a small smile, but felt like now was a good time to tell his parents what’s going on “Mom, dad could I tell you something?” He asked.

“Sure what is it?” Richard asked in reply.

Luka opened his mouth, but quickly closed it. He promised MJ he wouldn’t tell, but after what his parents told him he needed to. “If I tell you this, would you promise not to tell MJ?” He asked.

Angela and Richard wondered if Luka was going to tell them the reason about MJ’s behavior early this morning. “Honey, MJ was acting weird this morning.” Luka’s eyes widened hearing this. Guess their parents were closing in on MJ’s behavior.

“We were going to wait till you were better for you to tell us, but if you want to tell us now. Fine by me.” Richard continued.

Luka sighed. “Alright.” He took a deep breath and got himself comfortable before explaining everything to his parents. “Well since 3rd grade, MJ and sometimes myself get bullied by these three kids called the Lazy Paw Gang.” He started. “They always make MJ so miserable. They call him names, throw things at him, corner him to the wall, and I stand up for him, but sometimes I end up getting hurt too.”

Angela and Richard were shocked. They didn’t know their sons, mainly MJ was being bullied, and this was going on for two years! “Honey!” Angela gasped. “Why didn’t you tell us?” She asked.

“Because MJ told me not to tell.” Luka replied. “If we told, it will make things worse for us because you're a lawyer mom. He didn’t want to use law as his protection.” Angela was taken aback hearing from Luka why MJ didn’t want to tell her. “Despite all the times we told the teacher and principal they got worse and worse.” Luka coughed hard and as he died tears started to come out of his eyes. “And MJ is scared of going to school alone.” He revealed.

Now Angela and Richard got their answer to MJ’s behavior this morning.

“If MJ goes alone he gets hurt badly. It happened before, remember when I was sick last year?” Luka asked. Angela and Richard nodded. “When MJ came home I found out the Lazy Paw Trio pushed him to the wall and he fell and no one stood to help him, everyone laughed at him.” Luka sobbed.

Richard went over to Luka and hugged him close. Angela herself was on the brink of tears. She didn’t know what MJ was going through for the past two years and was suprised he didn’t crack between the start of the bullying till now.

As Luka cried he started to cough harder, which made Richard rub his back hoping it would calm him down. “I wanted to tell you guys, but MJ told me not too because he didn’t want to make it worse. So I kept it a promise.”

“Oh Luka.” Richard sighed. “You should have told us this was going on.” He explained.

“Yeah Luka.” Angela agreed. “If you knew this was going on we could have helped you two.”

Luka sniffled and wiped his eyes. “I just don’t want to see MJ getting hurt.” He whimpered.

“MJ would have gotten more hurt if you didn’t tell us.” Richard explained. Luka looked up at his father and saw a mix of sadness and anger in his eyes. Luka looked down; he knew bright as day MJ was going to keep getting hurt even just to protect him, but he also didn’t want to make the situation worse.

From all the crying Luka felt tired again and slowly fell asleep. Richard gave a small smile and he ushered his wife to leave the room so their son could get some rest. As they left the room, the phone rang and Angela ran to grab it.

“Hello?” Angela answered. “Yes?” Angela’s expression dropped, almost dropping the phone in the process. “I-is he okay?” She asked. Richard quickly went over to his wife hoping to calm her down. Angela sighed at what the person on the phone told her. “I-I’ll head on over there myself. Thank you. Bye.” Angela hung up the phone ready to cry.

“A-Angela? What happened?” Richard asked.

“MJ got beaten up.” Angela cried. Richard covered his mouth in shock. Their worst fears coming true as a result of MJ and Luka not telling them about what’s going on. Angela tried to calm down, wiping the tears from her eyes but they kept falling.

“Is he?” Richard asked.

“H-he’s fine. He is in the nurse’s office and someone needs to pick him up.”

Richard nodded. “I’ll do it.” Angela nodded back as Richard went to grab his coat and hat before leaving the house to pick up his son. Once he left Angela cried that her little boy was hurt.

Richard made it to the school and quickly went into the nurse’s office. “I-Is he okay?” Richard asked.

The nurse looked up at Richard. “A-are you the father of Michael Prince?” The nurse asked.

“Y-yes.” Richard replied, but the nurse didn’t answer his question. “Is MJ alright?” He asked.

The nurse nodded and moved away, and what Richard saw left him in tears. MJ had a black eye, and had a towel over his nose getting a nose bleed from the bullies, he also had bruises on his arms thanks to Robin and Blake pushing their feet onto MJ’s arms.

“He doesn’t have a concussion, but he does need to go home for the day.” The nurse told him.

“Okay.” Richard replied. He found MJ’s stuff on a chair and picked it up. The nurse held MJ up and the older twin followed his father to the car. The car ride home was quiet, Richard wanted to start a conversation with MJ, but MJ turned away from him just facing the car window.

Once they made it home Richard didn’t get out of the car. “MJ. Luka told us what was going on.” Richard revealed.

MJ turned to his father and glared. “I told Luka not too.” He growled. “Why did he-” Richard cut off his son.

“Michael! I know you wanted to keep your secret, but look at you!” Richard yelled. MJ jumped back from his father’s outburst. He didn’t want to hear much of it and got out of the car, grabbed his stuff and went inside the house.

When MJ came in he heard more yelling coming from his mother. “Just three days suspension!” Angela shouted. “My baby got hurt! And only three days! Not a month or expulsion?” Angela saw MJ walk in the kitchen not looking up at her mother. Angela covered her mouth seeing her son’s injuries in person. Angela sighed. “Alright. Fine. Fine!” She snapped before hanging up the phone. She took a breather and sat down on the chair hoping to relax.

Richard finally came in and saw his wife distraught.  “See.” MJ started causing his parents to look at him. “This is why I told Luka not to tell.” MJ turned from his parents and wanted to be alone in his room, but Richard stopped him.

“Now MJ.” Richard spoke up. “I know you wanted to keep this a secret, but you're hurt and we were worried about you this morning.”

Now it was Angela’s turn to comfort MJ. “Michael. We care and love you and Luka told us because he cares a lot about you.” She reassured her son. “If Luka was hurt or worse would you keep it a secret because Luka told you too, or tell someone?”

This question opened MJ’s eyes. MJ turned to his family and glared. “That will never happen! Because I’ll be able to know what’s going on with Luka and protect him before anything happens to him!” He shouted.

“And that’s what Luka is doing for you!” Richard shouted. “He told us because he was looking out for you!”

“One day, Luka will need you and it's your choice to tell us or handle it on your own keeping it a secret.” Angela added. MJ frowned and looked down tears coming down his face. Angela and Richard went over to MJ and hugged him.

MJ couldn’t hold it in and sobbed into his parents arms. “I hate school! I hated them! I hate how they hurt me! I wish I could use my magic and everything will be better!” MJ sobbed letting out all the anger and sadness he held in all these years.

Angela hushed her son and rubbed his back to comfort him. “It's alright. Let it out. Let it out.” She soothed. MJ’s loud cries turned into sobs as his family gave him the comfort and love he needed.

[dontrequireyourhelp]

Dance the Blues Away

NOTE: This was supposed to be just a little drabble to show case various head canons that I had with each of the Howlies and well it turned into a long ANGST fest one shot that is riddled with my head canons and a special surprise at the end that goes along with my Bad at Retirement Verse. So you have been warned and I thank whoever actually reads this. I really appreciate it.

It was Jim’s idea. Even though he and Phillips had left the communications room, they didn’t go too far. He heard the plans she and Steve had made, heard the line go to static and knew what they had to do for her. Peggy was just as much a Howlie as the rest of them and while she and Steve shared something special, they couldn’t let Peggy feel like she was alone. She needed to know she would always have them. So that’s why, starting with Jim at 9 o’clock, they trickled into the Stork Club and danced with Peggy.

She knew it was silly to hold out hope that Steve would actually arrive but as 8 o’clock came and went, she couldn’t leave. Around 8:30 she had ordered herself a drink, claiming a table for herself. It allowed her a perfect view point of the entrance as she nursed her drink. 9 o’clock, Jim approached her, sheepish smile on his features. 

“What are you doing here?” She asked, surprised to see him.

“Well, I know I’m no Steve and I may still step on your toes but we couldn’t let you be alone tonight.”

“We?”

Jim pointed to the rest of the Howlies coming in, even Howard joined them. Peggy looked around him and the moment she saw the rest of the men who had become so much like family to her, coming to her aid, tears pooled in her eyes as she let out a soft gasp, hand lifting up to her lips. 

“So, will you have this dance with me, Peggy?” Jim asked when her focus returned to him. 

She placed her hand in his and he helped her stand before leading her out to the dance floor. “I can’t believe you organized all this.” She said as they joined the other dancers.

“I thought this would be the best way to make you smile.” He told her sincerely.

He got what he was going after, a watery smile, but a smile nonetheless. They danced silently for the rest of the song. Jim didn’t want to say the wrong thing while trying to make her laugh. Her soft smile and whispered ‘thank you’ was worth it though. He always tried to offer a joke or a quip to help lighten the mood, especially when they were out in the field. So he was glad he was still able to get a smile out of Peggy Carter.

Dernier stepped in for the next dance. “You look beautiful tonight, mademoiselle.” He complimented her as they swayed. He wasn’t much of a dancer and luckily this song was slow enough that they didn’t have to move often. 

Peggy smiled gently. “Thank you, Dernier. You’ve cleaned up rather nicely. I’m shocked you boys knew how to.” She joked with him in French.

He let out a laugh and they continued dancing in silence which spoke to much of their relationship. They worked well together, planning, strategizing, working side by side in the field. They would talk outside of the planning meetings, of course, but most of the time, they enjoyed the bit of quiet they created for each other. The silent commraderie of enjoying the liquid mud the base called coffee saying I’m here for you, I’m here with you. 

James Falsworth was next. He had been the first of the Howlies outside of Steve that she had taken to. The two Brits had to stick together afterall. Despite Falsworth being a part of the 3rd Independent Parachute Brigade, he still served in the British Armed Forces and Peggy always had a soft spot for those soldiers thanks to her brother. “I give you my deepest condolences for all this war has taken from you, Carter.”

“Thank you Falsworth. You boys didn’t have to do this, you know.”

“Now when have we ever let anyone of us go it alone?”

Tears spilled over her cheeks and she looked off to the side, not being able to face him as emotions started to choke her up. But she looked to the wrong wide. She saw the group of men that still remained, the group of Howlies, including Howard Stark who were there to make sure that she wouldn’t have to spend this night alone.

“Thank you.” She choked out through her tears as she squeezed his hand.

Dugan stepped in then, offering her a handkerchief. She took it gratefully and blotted at her tears. “I’m not going to have to worry about my feet with you, am I?” She asked when she felt like she could properly speak again.

He let out a deep chuckle. “I’m better than most of those ugly mugs over there.”

Peggy laughed softly, shaking her head.

They danced in silence for a bit until Dugan squeezed her hand. “I know we’re no Rogers but I think I speak for all of us when I say that we are all here for you. You don’t have to go it alone, Peg.”

“It seems I’m stuck with your wahooing then.” She sniffled, a small smirk on her lips.

“Don’t act like you won’t miss it once this is all over.” Dugan chuckled. “Or you could just stick with us, ya know. I’m sure we’ll be given orders shortly after the war is done. Russia’s not looking so great right now.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” She wasn’t entirely sure where she would land after all of this but it was certainly nice to know she’d have somewhere to land in case her higher ups didn’t know what to do with her either.

Howard stepped in next and in very Howard like fashion twirled her out before bringing her back in. “Heya, pal.” He said once she was back in his arms. 

His usual quirk of his lips at the greeting wasn’t there. Instead a small frown was in it’s place. Even his eyes didn’t hold their usual sparkle and Peggy couldn’t handle it. She let out a choked sob, looking towards the band so she could try and gather herself. 

“Please don’t look at me like that.” She finally got out.

“Like what? Like you’re a complete knock out in that dress?”

She rolled her eyes and returned her focus on him, her tears still running down her cheeks. “Like I’m a grieving widow.”

She couldn’t stand it. Out of all the brothers she had earned by being accepted into the Howlies, Howard Stark was the one she most equated to a stand in Michael. Oh they were most certainly opposites but Howard believed in her, trusted her, pushed her, much how Michael had and she would always hold that dear.

He sputtered for a bit before sighing and then a little bit of that sparkle came back. “I’m going to go look for him. I’m going to bring him back, Peg.”

“How do you expect to find him when he didn’t give his coordinates?” 

“I can track the tesseract. Once I find it, I’ll be able to find Steve.”

“And you’re sure finding the tesseract has absolutely nothing to do with this search of yours?”

Before Howard could respond, Gabe stepped in. “We agreed no shop talk so I’m here to relieve you from it.” Gabe said with a small smirk.

Peggy smiled gratefully. “You didn’t come over when Dugan offered me a permanent spot with the Howlies.”

Gabe shrugged. “Yeah, well, that’s useful shop talk.”

“I’m grateful to have met you all.” Peggy finally said after a few moments of silence, tears steadily streaming down her face as she thought about the ones who showed up for her and the ones who couldn’t. “I don’t know how I would have managed without you lot as utterly ridiculous as you all are.”

“I think you would have managed just fine but I am glad that we all managed to find each other too. Things have been a little easier to bear with everyone around.”

Peggy nodded in agreement. “What would have happened if he would have actually been here?” She asked between sniffles.

Gabe sighed. He knew that places like the Stork Club were meant to offer hope during all the bad that surrounded them but answering this one simple question gutted him more than the thought of Peggy having come here in the hopes that Steve would have shown. But they always seemed to have the hard conversations. “We would have cheered, probably poked fun a little before letting you two have your moment to be Steve and Peggy on their official first date.”

~

Many years later, Peggy Carter once again had to say goodbye to Steve Rogers after a particularly hard battle. 

After she said goodbye to the last person who came to pay their respects she let out a huff and leaned against her now closed door. She could hear Bucky, the only person who stayed behind after the funeral reception, in the kitchen putting stuff in the sink before some soft music began to play.

Opening her eyes, there was Bucky Barnes standing in the middle of her living room looking a bit unsure. 

“So I was talking to Morita’s grandson and he told me this story about how Morita and the rest of the Howlies along with Howard came to the Stork Club and danced with you all night to help say goodbye to Steve. And well, I thought, maybe I could do that now, since I couldn’t the first time.” He held out his hand for her and she let out a choked sob as she nodded, taking his hand.

They swayed to the music in silence for a bit, slowly going from a respectable distance to Peggy having her head resting on his shoulder. “You know at one point I never thought this was possible.” He said after a few moments after thinking about how much the both of them had gone through in order to get to this exact point.

Peggy let out a watery laugh. “We got along just fine in the end.”

“He loved you so damn much and was fucking proud of you too.” 

“I know. He was so proud of you as well, and loved you just as much.”

It was Bucky’s turn to let out a watery laugh. “I’m not him, nor will I ever be, but I’ve always got your six.” He said as his voice cracked from his own tears.

Peggy moved so she could wrap her arms around his shoulders and hug him tight. Tears began streaming down her face. “And I will try to not make it so difficult.” She laughed a bit with nostalgia as the many conversations they shared post ops about how she made it difficult to follow her and protect her because she would go places out of his scope. “In all seriousness, however, you’ve got me in your corner until the end of my days.”

Bucky’s arms moved to wrap around her waist, holding her close as they both mourned losing one of the most important people in their lives.

[jeonchristineimnida]

Namjoon - Badbye

Genre: angst, swf

Pairing: Namjoon x named female OC 

Warnings: none

Word count: 2899

Song Inspiration: Badbye - RM

A/N: This is written in third person POV and the highlighted text with no indentations are flashbacks 

Masterlist

~~~ This fic is made in line with ficswithluv's event: Bulletproof Bingo! If you guys are interested in joining, they still accept sign ups until June 13! ~~~

Goodbye.

This word is always closely related to pain and tears, both for the receiving end and the person who has uttered it. At times, it is uttered as the circumstance dictate, and other times it is said against the person’s will. Although a closed door can mean that another has opened, the pain of letting go, especially if it’s against one’s will, cannot be denied. 

Namjoon sets off once again, riding the bus with no specific destination in mind. It was the dead of the night and most of the other passengers are too sleepy to notice the internationally famous boy band leader at the back.

Where did you run off to again, Namjoon ah.

He smiled as he replied to Yoongi, who was the first to find out about his absence. He reassured him that he’s fine and that he’ll be back first thing in the morning. He placed his phone back into his pocket before returning his gaze to the vast dark sky with no stars in sight. Only the crescent moon was dimly lighting up the night as it hid amongst the thick clouds, just like that night when he said his first goodbye. 

The sound of the sea drowns out the noise of the city behind him. With his eyes closed, he can imagine himself in a different world, one with no failures, no regrets, no doubts, no competitions, no toxic standards, no pain. But he knows himself a life like that can’t be called life. He heaved a deep sigh as he felt the sands beneath his palm while he sat by the shore just far enough for the waves not to reach where he was. 

“Joonie!” her voice once again melted the young man’s heart. Namjoon was only 15 when he got offered to be a trainee in the company called Big Hit. His parents have always been disapproving of his new found passion in music but only his best friend, Seoyun, was supporting him wholeheartedly. Of course he was happy to be able to receive such an opportunity, however it meant moving to Seoul and leaving her behind here in Ilsan. His contract has already stated that he’ll be training for almost 15 hours a day, which barely left him time for himself. 

As she approached him, he couldn’t help but stare as he wanted this moment to be etched into his memories for a long time. How she always wears a baggy sweater with the front part tucked in her high waisted fitted pants that she always pairs with her beat up, red, Converse. How she always puts her chestnut hair up in a messy bun, and most especially how her eyes disappear when she smiles as she walks towards him. 

“I brought us some snacks!” She says as she stands in front of Namjoon, holding up a black plastic bag filled with convenience store food. She sat beside him, dusting off the sand on her palms before taking some snacks.

Namjoon didn’t know how to break it to Seoyun, but he knew he had to tell her. Especially when his move is in 2 days. 

“What’s the bad news?” She suddenly asked, taking Namjoon by surprise. His face was lost for words which urged Seoyun to answer his wordless question. “We’re at the beach at night, which meant this would be a serious conversation. You taking your time to speak can only mean it’s not an easy news to break. Come on, Namjoon. We’ve been friends since we were kids. I can read you like an open book.” 

“I actually auditioned for this entertainment company.” He focused in front as he spoke so he couldn’t see the face she’d make. “and I’ve been offered a contract to be a trainee.”

“Wow--Joonie, that’s amazing.” Her voice showed genuine happiness. “You’ve been working for this really hard. I’m so happy for you!” she smiles as she takes Namjoon’s shoulders and makes him face her. Her happiness didn’t match the face of the one who got offered the contract though. 

“The thing is, I’ll have to leave Ilsan in 2 days, stay in a dormitory in Seoul while I train. It may take years before I could come back.” She was now silent as she looked down for a second. She cleared her throat, trying to get rid of the knot that was starting to form. She wanted to support her best friend with her whole heart, but there was heaviness in his words. It was like he was saying a permanent goodbye.

“I don’t like your tone, Joonie. Why are you saying goodbye like you won’t ever see me again?” She wasn’t able to hold back her tears as she let go of him to cover her face. She quickly wipes her tears before looking in front of them, focusing on the sound of the waves as she tries to calm herself. 

She won’t be the one to get in between Namjoon’s dreams as she knows how much passion and potential her best friend is brimming with. 

“Seoyun ah,” Namjoon cooes, already thinking twice of whether to leave her alone when he’s all she’s got. With no parents, no siblings and an abusive uncle, he badly wants to take her with him to Seoul but he doesn’t have the capabilities to do so. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s gotten into me for a second” Seoyun laughs as she wipes the tears before facing Namjoon with a smile. “I won’t forgive you if you don’t pursue the dream you’ve been pestering your parents about for awhile now.” 

Namjoon pulls her close, hugging her tightly as to reassure her that no matter the distance, he’ll always have a special place in his heart dedicated to her. 

The bus had stopped and Namjoon had no idea where he was. He’s probably disoriented from the long trip, and the fatigue from the day that has passed. He crossed the road from the bus stop, noticing a convenience store. He went inside and walked straight to the drinks area, deciding whether he should grab a bottle of soju or stick with the cider. Already thinking about the uproar it may cause if he gets caught by dispatch, he reluctantly grabbed the bottle of cider and a bag of chips, heading towards the cashier to pay for it and settling down on the tables and chair set up outside the store. 

As he always did, he starts observing the place, at the dead of the night with almost no noise but the quiet rustling of the wind and the scent of a sea near by. It was a decent place, not highly maintained, but definitely not worn down either. At this late night, it seemed like a ghost town until a group of loud teenagers came by and entered the store. 

Namjoon gazed with a smile as he remembers his time with his members during their trainee days. They were innocent, quite pure as they were yet to be exposed to the real world waiting upon their debut. All they know was they loved what they were doing and were eager to share their sentiments to whoever they can reach. They trained day and night, working on their music, working on their dance moves. Their body barely kept up as they only had instant noodles to refuel them, but they never gave up. But no practices and late nights were enough to prepare them for the heavy criticisms once they step into the spot light. 

Coming from a small company, the burden has been hard trying to keep the group together with such little finances available to them. The members have considered disbanding multiple times when they were still starting and those were the hardest time for him. Not only was the public ridiculing them but even the members were starting to lose hope within themselves. It was only Seoyun that kept him pushing on.

It’s been a year since they debuted and Namjoon tried to keep it in, not wanting to break down infront of his members. He locked himself in his studio, making his composition as an excuse to keep to himself. 

“Joonie?” A soft knock was heard from the door. The guys must have let Seoyun in without him knowing. 

Seoyun was able to move to Seoul to attend high school after his uncle passed away from kidney failure and she had to move into a distant relative’s place in Seoul. It didn’t even take a day before she shared the good news to Namjoon and the two couldn’t express how happy they were through mere words.

“Come in.” Namjoon grunted as he opened the door, closing it abruptly as soon as she came in. She made him sit down on the couch, making his back face him as she gently massages his shoulders. 

No words were exchange as they already understood each other. Her soft touches were able to calm Namjoon down, letting his wall break as he lets it out. His frustrations, his pain. Slowly, he chokes in his sobs, burying his face in his hands. A weight shifted from behind him to his front before being wrapped in Seoyun’s embrace. 

“It’s just so damn hard,” he was able to mumble as he succumb to the embrace, slowly being soothed by her soft caress. 

“You don’t have to suffer by yourself. Your members are there for you, I’m here for you. You know that, right?” Her soft voice comforted the young boy after being under heavy unjustified criticism, which is honestly just borderline insults. “You’re not alone here, Joonie. You have people that believe in you. Have you forgotten the hearts of the ARMYs you’ve reached? Remember when one came up to you and just cried, thanking you for your existence and how you stopped her from taking her own life when she listened to your song ‘Tomorrow’?” 

It was a reminder that Namjoon needed to hear, and he couldn’t be thankful enough for her existence in his life.  

Namjoon was taken off his trance when his phone rang and his manager’s name was displayed on the screen. He only had little time for himself that he felt conflicted about answering the phone. The ringing soon stopped and soon came a text message

Namjoon ah, I just got off the phone with this American talk show. We’ve scheduled an appearance for you on the 3rd week of the month. We fly right after your goodbye stage in Music Bank. 

I’ll leave it to you to inform the other members, leader.

Namjoon sighed as it was yet another restless month for everyone. It’s been 5 months since they were able to visit their families. Little by little, everyone was growing exhausted, both physically and mentally and it affects their relationships.

Relationships within the group and as well as with people outside the group, 

Everything’s been hectic since their first win. The fanbase was steadily expanding and they’ve gotten more projects as they started promoting in Japan with Japanese translations of their songs. The group has been exhausted but nevertheless excited. However, the pressure that the group felt can’t be denied. As their fanbase grew, they felt as though more expectations should be met. The heaviest pressure lies on the shoulders of the leader who takes part in producing most, if not all, the songs in the albums and while promoting, is working on the songs for the next album.

With no rest, no sleep, and barely enough time to eat, the members have been irritable and exhausted. Most of the time, they’d get into petty arguments with each other that sometimes get physical. 

“Joonie!” Seoyun was able to visit their last week’s promotion before they fly to Japan for a month. They’ve been officially dating for 9 months and the company has acknowledged their relationship but has no approval of making it public. 

She wanted to surprise her boyfriend but as she entered the waiting room, the atmosphere was tense and no one was smiling at all.

“Noona,” Jungkook looked at Seoyun with a face of relief as his eyes silently pleaded for help. She now focused and saw the scowling faces of Namjoon and Hoseok. 

“Ah, whatever. I’m going to get something to drink.” Namjoon stood up and left, brushing past Seoyun without even acknowledging her. Jungkook explained that things got heated when Namjoon and Hoseok had a confrontation from the correction of position during their set recording. She patted the youngest’s shoulder and gave him a comforting smile before going after Namjoon.

To be honest, the couple weren’t in a good condition either. They haven’t met for almost 5 weeks and they barely had a decent conversation because Namjoon was too busy. She has been feeling insecure but she never brought it up to him, not wanting to add anymore burden than he already is carrying. 

“Joonie?” Seoyun softly calls out after finding him near the vending machine. It was in a restricted area, only for idols which allowed her to approach him freely. Namjoon only looked at her, still visibly annoyed from the incident. “What happened?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” He coldly replied, resting his head back on the wall as he sat on the bench beside the machine. 

“Come on, you know you can talk to me right?” Seoyun cooes, sitting beside him as she tried to hold his hand but he abruptly pulled away.

“Can’t you just leave me alone for one second?!” Namjoons voice echoes the empty hall, shocking Seoyun. She’s seen him angry and agitated before, but this was the most aggressive he’s been with her. “No matter what I tell you, you wouldn’t get it. You wont understand. No one does.”

“You know that’s not true” her voice was soft and shaking as she fights her tears from falling.

“Just leave. I’m not in the mood to talk.” He says, still refusing to face her. 

“You think you’re the only one who has it hard, huh?” Seoyun snaps, now the tears fall from her eyes. Namjoon finally looks at her. He starts to realize just how much his girlfriend has gone through, but was not able to see that as he got blinded from the pressure and exhaustion. He wasn’t able to speak as Seoyun breaks down in front of him. She tells him her frustration and how she tried to keep it together for his sake. She now starts to spill about her problems one at a time, from the family’s mistreatment yet again to her problems in school. His problems as an idol overshadowed the problems of others, including the members and only Seoyun was able to make him realize this mistake. 

“I’m sorry.” Namjoon says, head bowed down in shame as he tries to keep his tears at bay. He felt like he had no right to cry after hurting his girlfriend this much. “I’m sorry, Seoyun ah. You deserve so much better.” He mutters, his hands slowly taking hers as it subtly shake.

“Jooni--”

“Lets break up.” He raises his head to face her. As if the words that he has said hadn’t hurt enough, seeing her reaction completely shattered his heart. Her face was pale from shock as tears continue to fall even without her blinking. “I’m sorry, Seoyun ah. I can’t take care of you as I promised. I thought I could, but all I’ve done was to hurt you. If we get exposed as a couple, I don’t know if I’ll be able to protect you,” He now has his head back down, closing his eyes as he wipes his tears. His voice softly cracks as he feels his chest tighten before facing her once again. “I love you, Seoyun ah. Be happy. Goodbye.”

Namjoon sighs as he remembers how poorly he used to handle the stress and the pressure of being an idol. It has been 5 years since then and he’s happy that he can now say he has matured with the members, handling the pressure and exhaustion better and being able to take the criticism that comes with their success. They know better than they can’t please every body, and that they’re content with being able to reach people with their music and crossing language and culture barriers. 

It has also been 5 years since he had to let go of someone due to his immaturity, and if only he was given a second chance to go back in time and change how he handled that situation, he’d do anything. 

He wouldn’t have said goodbye, because now he’s only left with regret.

An alert from his phone sounded and he picked it up, clicking on the notification that led straight to an article that he already knew about. 

His best friend, Jackson has just gotten married.

He places his phone down, regretting that he only got a cider as he reached into his pocket bringing out a delicate envelope with a laced ribbon. He opens it as he reads the content, tears pooling on the edge of his eyes before falling on the opened letter dedicated to him.

Kim Namjoon,

Park Seoyun and Jackson Wang along with their families request the pleasure of your company at their wedding in XX XX at 5PM in the afternoon on XX XX, 2020.

[ryqoshay]

How to Handle a Nico - Dinner at the Nishikino’s

Primary Pairing: NicoMaki Words: ~4.1k Rating: K Time Frame: Late in Maki’s 1st year and Nico’s 3rd year in college. Story Arc: Stand Alone

Author’s Note: This chapter was assembled from a patchwork of about a dozen instances I wanted to include and thus wrote each separately. And somewhere along the lines, MS Word decided not to sync between my PC and mobile devices, so I ended up with two, slightly differently edited versions. Thus, here’s hoping my self-purported prowess with prose was successful in stitching this scene into a sensible structure. Please forgive any unsightly seams.

Nico couldn’t remember the last time she had been this nervous. No, wait, just a few days ago, her first date with Maki. Well, first official date, not counting all of the not-actually-date-but-technically-were-dates from years prior. Unfortunately, that was quickly falling into second place as she approached the gate to the Nishikino home.

Perhaps the date had been easier because she knew Maki, knew Maki liked her, knew Maki liked spending time with her, knew Maki wanted to date her, and was fairly confident Maki was attracted to her. She had known all of these things even before they started dating officially. As such, looking back, she wasn’t sure why she had been so nervous for their first date, because with the exception of one little hiccup named Etsuko, it had all gone splendidly.

But the parental Nishikinos were more of an unknown. Nico had met both of Maki’s parents a handful of times throughout the years, but had never really gotten to know either. She was all but certain she would have little problems with Maki’s mother as she had apparently been talking behind the scenes with her mother about her and Maki’s developing relationship. And she had been quite supportive of Maki’s time as a school idol, so Nico didn’t think she would object to her intended career choice.

Maki’s father on the other hand… Nico remembered quite vividly when he almost made Maki quit being a school idol after her grades slipped the tiniest of bits; not even enough for her to drop from her position as top of her class. Umi had been the one to stand up to him, which made sense insofar as she understood having parents with high expectations. Still, looking back, Nico couldn’t help feeling a bit of regret that she hadn’t been the one to protect Maki. Sure, she had offered her support, but…

“Good evening, Yazawa-san.” A voice came over the speaker.

Nico jumped. Had she even pushed the button to announce her presence?

“Yes, good evening.” She replied as she recognized the voice of the Nishikino estate manager.

“Ojou-sama has informed me of pending arrival, though as always, you are most welcome here.”

“Thanks.” Nico replied as the buzzer sounded to indicate the gate was unlocked.

One gate down, literally. Nico thought as she made her way toward the front door. Though part of her wished Maki had been the one to answer the intercom, she was nonetheless thankful that it had been a member of the house staff with whom she got along well. At least it hadn’t been…

“D-Dr. Nishikino?” Nico sputtered as the door suddenly swung open to reveal a towering, bespectacled man who immediately fixed her with a cool and calculating gaze.

Damn. Why had she stuttered? This wasn’t the first time she had met Maki’s father, and if all went well tonight, it wouldn’t be the last. You can do this Nico! Sure it wasn’t the man she expected and she was caught a bit unaware, but… Gah! Stop being intimidated. You’re here for a reason! And that reason is Maki-chan!

“Yazawa-san.” Maki’s father stated flatly.

“Hi…” Nico cutoff by clearing her throat. “Good evening.” She corrected, offering a polite bow. “I’m…”

“I’m afraid my daughter will be unable to entertain your visit tonight.” Dr. Nishikino interrupted. “We are expecting an important guest who should be arriving presently.”

I’m an important guest? No, wait, of course I am! I’m Maki’s girlfriend now. So, buck up and tell him that.

“Yes, sir, that guest is me.” For emphasis, Nico indicated the stylish dress she had picked out specifically for the occasion. “I’m Maki’s date.”

“…” Dr. Nishikino raised an eyebrow but remained steadfast in his position.

“Nico-chan!” the voice of an angelic savior came from behind the barrier of the paternal Nishikino. “Papa, let her in.”

Dr. Nishikino stepped aside and…

Holy… Nico had to make a conscious effort to avoid letting her jaw hit the floor. Not that Nico, at any point, had forgotten that Maki was beautiful, but when the redhead went all out, it was all she could do not to stare. Though elegantly modest, the deep purple dress still managed to highlight Maki’s best features.

“You’re early.” Maki said, bringing Nico back to reality.

“I’m sorry, did I take you away from your precious piano?” Nico couldn’t help teasing a bit, figuring the younger girl had wanted to arrive at her parents’ home earlier for a few moments of nostalgia with the instrument she grew up playing.

“Yeah, actually.” Maki admitted as she glanced away sheepishly.

“Well maybe after dinner, you can continue your concert, but with an audience?” Nico pointed herself as if it wasn’t already obvious who she meant.

“I’d like that.”

“You look lovely, by the way. Purple always looks good on you, Maki-chan.”

“Thanks.” Maki replied as pink dusted her cheeks. “You look good too. I like when you leave your hair down. It makes you look more…” She trailed off.

“More?”

“Sorry, I meant…”

“More mature?” Nico completed what she believed to be her girlfriend’s thought.

“Uhm… yeah…”

“I’ll have you know Nico is always mature.” She squared her shoulders and placed her hands on her hips pridefully.

Maki raised an eyebrow in a way that left no question as to her linage.

“Anyway, I haven’t seen that dress before, is it new?”

Maki nodded. “Mama and I just got back a little while ago from picking it out.”

Huh… Mama and I were also just out shopping for my dress. Nico thought to herself. And, wait a minute… “We match.” Or at least they matched in the way their old idol costumes matched in overall theme and enough details to be an obvious set while maintaining enough individuality to be unique as well.

“We do?” Maki glanced down at herself before back at Nico. After half a second, she smiled. “Yeah, we do. What a nice coincidence.”

Nico found herself wondering if the coincidence was perchance planned by a pair of meddling mothers who meant well. She made a mental note to ask her mother about the issue later, if for no other reason than to thank her for the cute gesture.

“So, dinner isn’t for a little while yet” Maki continued “but they might have appetizers ready already so why don’t we head to the dining room and I’ll quick check?”

“Lead the way.” Nico decided not to bring up how she still got lost in the huge house, even after visiting frequently over the last few years.

“You coming, Papa?”

Nico realized she had all but forgotten the paternal Nishikino was still there. Stealing a quick side glance, she found him quietly observing the couple. If she was reading things correctly, his aura had warmed somewhat, though was no less calculating than before; gears were obviously grinding behind his stoic expression.

“Your mother and I will meet you at the table.” Dr. Nishikino stated. “I’ll go find her.”

As Maki took her hand to lead her through the house, Nico noticed her grip was tighter than normal. A lot tighter. Maki was more nervous than she was letting on. Just how worried was she about her father’s approval of their relationship? Nico already knew Maki’s mother was wholly supportive, as was her own, but the only things she really knew about Maki’s father were that he had high expectations for his daughter and was not particularly fond of idols.

“Wait, Maki-chan,” Nico said, stopping in the hallway before they reached their destination “hold up a moment.”

“Eh?” Maki uttered, not seeming to notice the change and almost yanking Nico’s arm out of the socket before being held to a halt. “Nico-chan?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Wh-what do you mean?”

“Maki.” Nico fixed her girlfriend with a steady stare. The redhead returned the gaze, though was far more furtive, and when she began to fidget with her hair, Nico reached out and gently touched her hand. “What’s wrong?” She repeated.

Maki released a puff of air. “I’m nervous, alright? I… I just really want Papa to like you.”

“I’m nervous too.” Nico admitted, her thoughts racing through things she could say to calm them both down. “But you know, he didn’t turn me away at the door, so that’s gotta count for something, right?” She paused for a moment. “Well, technically, he did, but that was before he realized why I was here, but he still let me in, so that has to mean he’s willing to give me a chance, right?”

“I just… I know he’ll bring up idols, and…”

“Maki-chan.” Nico took a step in to close some of the distance between them. “Nico didn’t become the No. 1 Idol in the Universe without learning a thing or two about reading her audience.”

“…” Maki’s expression wasn’t one of disbelief but of continued concern.

“Look, I’m not going to lie to your father about my career of choice, but I’m also not going to try to convert him into a fan or convince him that idols are the most amazing thing ever, even if I believe that myself.”

“I know…”

“And I am attending college and aim to get a degree.” Nico continued. “Sure it won’t be a fancy medical degree like yours, but I’m getting it while still being an idol. So that’s also gotta count for something, right?”

“Papa does respect hard work.”

“And Nico is a hard worker.”

“I know.” Maki affirmed, dropping her hand before leaning her head into Nico’s hand. “Nico-chan is one of the hardest workers I know when it comes to working toward her goals. It’s always admired, and envied, about you.”

Nico scoffed. “You say that as if you don’t work hard as well, Maki-chan.”

“Mmm…” Maki hummed in a tone that implied she was paying attention to something other than the conversation at hand.

Hand… Maki closed her eyes and nuzzled her cheek against Nico’s hand, causing her to open her fingers to increase contact. It should be fine here, right? Nico moved in the rest of the way and tilted her chin up. Maki followed her hand as Nico guided her down. Their lips touched and…

“Oh dear…” A startled voice uttered, causing the couple to jolt away from each other. “I’m terribly sorry to interrupt, Ojou-sama.”

“I-It’s f-fine…” A blushing Maki stumbled through.

Nico recognized the woman one of the newer members of the Nishikino house staff. She was responsible for general assistance wherever needed.

“Welcome, Yazawa-san.” The woman said with a polite bow, but when she righted herself, her expression was thoughtful. “Although, now that you’re dating Ojou-sama, perhaps Yazawa-sama is more appropriate?”

“Just Nico is fine.” Nico assured.

“Right, anyway, I’m on my away to retrieve some bottles of Cloudy Bay at the behest of the master.”

“White?” Maki inquired.

The woman nodded. “We’ve prepared a delightful shrimp pasta for the main course.” She turned to Nico. “Ojou-sama has informed us of your talent in the kitchen, so we hope to meet your standards, Yazawa-sama.”

Guess the new title is going to stick. Nico thought to herself. “I’m sure it will be great.”

“The caprese salads should be ready if you wish to head to the dining room now.”

“Tomatoes, of course.” Nico couldn’t help commenting.

“Yes.” The staff member confirmed. “We have also been informed of one of your preferences, so for dessert, we will be serving traditional crepes with lemon and sugar.”

“Sounds delicious.”

The woman smiled before bowing again to excuse herself and hurrying down the hall.

“Is there anything wrong with your father requesting white wine?” Nico asked, trying to gauge her girlfriend’s reaction.

“I don’t believe so.” Maki shook her head. “White is better paired with seafood, after all.”

“Yes, but…?”

“No, sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.” Maki shook her head again. “Cloudy Bay is actually one of Papa’s favorites. He’s quite fond of the New Zealand area in general.”

“One of his favorites? That’s gotta be a good sign, right?”

“I hope so.”

Nico took a deep breath, held it for a moment, then released it slowly. “Well, the salad is apparently ready, so we may as well get to it.”

Maki nodded before taking Nico’s hand once more to complete their journey to the dining room. Nico noted, thankfully, that her girlfriend’s grip was far more relaxed this time around.

Upon arrival, the couple was greeted by the Nishikino estate manager who showed them to their seats. Shortly thereafter, Maki’s parents arrived and took their own seats. Next the chef and her assistant from before arrived with the first course. Finally, the first bottle of wine was uncorked and the meal was underway.

“So, Yazawa-san,” Dr. Nishikino stated, drawing Nico’s attention “you’ve known Maki since high school, am I correct?”

“Yes.” Nico affirmed. “It was Maki-chan’s first year and my third.”

“I see. And were you one of the girls who helped convince her to become an idol?”

Well, that didn’t take long for the subject to come up. Nico thought to herself. Straight to the point, I guess, unlike a certain dishonest daughter of his…

“Actually, it was the other way around.” Nico replied.

“Oh?”

“I was in a disillusioned and jaded state back then, after my first attempt at forming a group fell through.” Nico admitted. “And it was Honoka and Maki-chan and the others that pulled me out of my funk and helped me remember why I adored idols so much and wanted so desperately to be one.” She couldn’t help smiling as fond memories flooded her mind. “I really do owe them all a debt of gratitude for that.”

“I see. And you are still an idol now?”

“Part time.” Nico nodded. “I was able to find a small production company that was willing to work around my classes. It fills up my schedule and keeps me busy, but also lets me keep my foot in the door.”

“Because you intend to go full time even once you’ve earned a degree?”

Nico wasn’t particularly fond of the wording of the question and had to resist the urge to call it out; had it been Maki and they were in a more casual setting, she likely would have done so.

“I do.” She said aloud instead. “And once I retire from being an idol, the degree will help me find other employment.”

“And what type of employment might that be?”

“Something still in the industry, if possible.” Out of the corner of her eye, Nico caught a suppressed expression of surprise on her girlfriend’s face. Understandable, as it was news to Maki as well. “Choreographer, trainer, costume design, heck maybe even a producer, someday. Basically, I’d like to pay forward my debt by helping the next generations of idols.”

“And one is able to earn a living in such an industry?”

“Others have before me; I believe I can as well.” Nico gave another glance to the redhead beside her. “I may not have the skills to become a life-saving doctor like Maki, but I can still do my part to make the world a better place; one smile at a time.”

“Medicine, law, business, engineering,” Maki’s mother suddenly spoke up “these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.” She smiled at Nico. “I believe Mr. Keating’s words hold true for many things. Music, painting, writing, really the arts as a whole are what make life worth living.”

“Mr. Keating?” Nico inquired.

“The lead character of Dead Poets Society.” Maki responded. “We should watch it sometime, Nico-chan; it’s really good.”

“And it is because the arts are so important” Dr. Nishikino continued “that my husband and I strive to support them as much as possible. In fact, we will be attending a performance of The Barber of Seville late next month and have not even started sending out invites to fill our box. You two are more than welcome to join us.”

At this, Maki’s eyes lit up. “Next month? When?”

“I’ll message you the dates later, but it’s a weekend so you should be able to work it into your study schedule.”

Maki turned to Nico with an expression rivaling the one she wore when December started. “Do you want to come with me?”

Nico smiled at her girlfriend’s excitement and word choice. “I’d love to. But where have I heard that title before?”

“From my playlist.”

“Tchaikovsky?” Nico made sure to pronounce the name as correctly as she could.

Maki shook her head. “Rossini.”

Nico racked her memory. “Cinderella?”

“Yes, different opera, same composer.”

“One smile at a time, you said?” Maki’s father suddenly stated.

“Oh, yeah.” Nico recalled her words from a few minutes ago.

The barest hint of something tugged at the edges of Dr. Nishikino’s lips. “Well, if nothing else, you have succeeded in making my daughter smile.” He nodded toward Maki, directing Nico’s attention back to the mentioned reaction. “And as my wife and I can attest, that is not always the easiest of tasks.”

“… P-Papa…” Maki offered a mild protest as pink dusted her cheeks and her mother chuckled.

Nico couldn’t help a smile of her own as she turned back to Maki’s father. “I think I’m up to the challenge.”

“Indeed.”

Wait… wasn’t this a bit hypocritical? Nico suddenly thought. Why claim to be a patron of the arts while simultaneously disallowing one’s daughter from being an artist?

On occasion, Maki had bemoaned being railroaded into the medical career while her dreams of being a professional pianist were dismissed as a passing fancy. Yet she hadn’t acknowledged the contradiction. Was she even aware of it? With the level of reverence Maki held for her parents, Nico could easily imagine her remaining oblivious; well, that and Maki’s overall naivete in many aspects of life.

Should she tell her? Was it even Nico’s place say such a thing? Nico was no stranger to speaking her mind when it came to her own interests, or those of her siblings. And she was dating Maki now, which meant defending her girlfriend’s best interests also shouldn’t surprise anyone. Or at least what she believed to be Maki’s best interests, as her parents obviously felt differently.

“On a related topic, Yazawa-san, Maki has told us much about your shared love of music.” Dr. Nishikino continued.

Nico derailed her own train of thought and refocused her attention on the conversation at hand. “It is one of our favorite subjects to discuss… or argue over.”

“And you often listen together while studying.”

“I believe music helps keep us in a good mood, which then helps us study.” Nico explained.

“I think we can all attest to the positive effects of music.” The Nishikino matriarch said.

“Indeed.” Her husband agreed.

“And Maki-chan has helped expand my appreciation of other genres of music.” Nico turned to her girlfriend. “And I’d like to think I’ve expanded hers as well.”

Maki nodded an affirmation with a smile.

“Maki also has told us that she often helps you study.”

“She does.” Nico confirmed. “Maki is incredibly smart. Even if she doesn’t know the answer to a problem, she is often able to logic things through and help guide me in the right direction. Honestly, if I didn’t already know she was going to be a doctor, I’d’ve suggested she become a teacher.”

“Now that would be an interesting career choice.” Maki’s mother said thoughtfully.

“Hrm…” Her father seemed less than convinced. “So, do you help her study in return?”

“Well…” Nico started.

“Nico-chan helps in other ways, Papa.” Maki offered. “Even if she isn’t able to help me with a given topic, she helps ensure I take regular breaks so I can come back with better focus. She makes sure I’m hydrated and helps track my nutrition and is quite insistent on keeping a decent sleep schedule. Honestly, she’s better at taking care of me than I am.” Her eyes widened as her admission registered in her mind.

“That’s right,” Her mother continued with the thoughtfulness from earlier, though Nico was sure she detected some teasing undertones “wasn’t it Nico that saved Maki from herself back on her birthday?”

“Mama…” Maki was losing a battle in trying to keep down another blush.

“Maki is very diligent in her studies.” Nico stated. “And I’m happy to help where I can.”

“Hmm… sounds like another couple we know, right Dear?” Dr. Nishikino sent a sly smile toward her husband, the teasing more obvious now.

“… Perhaps.” Maki’s father conceded.

Was it Nico’s imagination or did she just catch another glimpse into the source of some of Maki’s behavior? The Nishikino patriarch wasn’t the easiest to read behind his stoic mask, but his daughter wasn’t always straightforward with her emotions either and Nico had figured her out fairly well by this point.

As far as Nico was concerned, the rest of dinner went quite smoothly. Once Maki’s father got past his initial questions, he remained mostly quite. It ended up being Nico and Maki’s mother carrying the bulk of the conversations, which honestly didn’t really surprise Nico all that much. Maki’s mother inquired about Nico’s family, though Nico suspected she already knew most of the things anyway and it was more for Maki’s father’s sake. Still, Nico wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity to brag about her amazing siblings and about how proud of them she was in taking care of the household and themselves in her absence.

After dinner, Maki’s parents excused themselves to finish up the day’s emails and paperwork. Nico couldn’t help but wonder if that would be something Maki would end up doing once she became more involved with the hospital administrative duties.

As for Nico herself, she joined Maki in the Nishikino music room for the previously promised private concert. There, she had happily settled into the best seat in the house, next her girlfriend on the bench. All in all, it was a wonderful conclusion to what she believed to be a wonderful night. However, as confident as she was, she still wanted to be sure, so she made a mental note to ask the one she believed would know best, or at least better than herself.

“So, how did I do?” Nico asked, once she was sure they were well beyond earshot of anyone even remotely associated with the Nishikino residence.

“You were perfect, Nico-chan.” Maki responded with a smile that sent a warm feeling through Nico’s chest. “I think Papa likes you and is fine with us dating, and we already know how Mama feels.”

Thank the gods… Nico thought with relief. And with that load off her mind, “Of course I was perfect,” she decided to get in some teasing of her own, after spending the evening watching Dr. Nishikino do so “Nico is always perfect.” She grinned and held up her signature gesture.

“Id…” Maki’s typical retort was interrupted by a yawn.

Nico laughed before continuing the tradition. “You love it.”

“… Maybe…” Maki managed to get out as her energy seemed to be leaving her rapidly.

Nico leaned her shoulder into her girlfriend. “Steady there, Maki-chan, you going to be alright getting back to your dormroom?”

“Eh? But, I thought…”

“You thought…?”

“I thought I was going to your place?”

“Well you can, obviously you’re always welcome, but…” Nico motioned to Maki’s outfit, taking the moment to enjoy the view as well “I figured since you don’t have a change of clothes, you wouldn’t want to put this back on in the morning.”

“It’s fine…” Maki stifled another yawn. “I just want to go home…” She blinked and shook her head. “I mean your home… Yours… yours and Nozomi’s, I mean… ueeehhh…”

Nico chuckled. “It’s your home too, Maki-chan.” By the gods did she want to kiss the redhead whose cheeks were now matching her hair, but even this late at night, there was a risk of being seen. Later. She promised herself. “Nozomi and my names may be on the lease,” she said instead “but that doesn’t make it any less home to you or Eli.”

“T-thank you…”

“You don’t have to thank me for that; that much is normal for couples, right? But you know, Eli does leave a lot of stuff in Nozomi’s room…” Nico thought aloud “perhaps I should clear out a drawer and make some room in the closet for you.”

“I’d like that.” Maki smiled. “I’ll be sure to bring some stuff over soon.”

“Good. For tonight, you can borrow your usual sleep shirt and we’ll figure out something else in the morning. I think the outfit I lent you the other day is clean, but if not, maybe Nozomi has something that will fit you.”

Maki nodded.

“Then it’s settled.” Nico took Maki’s hand as they boarded the train together. “Let’s go home.”

Author’s Note Continued in Followup Post

[lilzebub]

Through the Years (CH 1)

I have this posted on https://archiveofourown.org/works/23913232/chapters/57499045, but thought I’d share here too! Finally finished this work yesterday.

Five Hargreeves x F!reader

Summary:  Number Five and the reader experience friendship and love that spans across the years and timelines. Word Count: 11k+ across three chapters.

Warnings: Violence in chapter 2, brief mention of smut in chapter 1, some angst, some language, canon divergent content

Setting her steaming mug gently on the table, she thumbed over a copy of her favorite book. “The Time Traveler’s Wife” emblazoned in large white letters across the front, the book was obviously well loved and well read. Her eyes flicked over to the calendar that hung on the wall: February 2nd 2019, circled in bright red marker. Today was one of the days, one of the final ones marked on her calendar. It was raining all day, but it would clear up by this afternoon, at least that’s what he had told her. She trusted this strange omniscience, the knowledge of things that would happen, the absolute certainty and resolve. She retrieved a second mug from the cabinet and poured a cup of rich, black coffee from the French press. He had told her she made the best coffee of anyone in any timeline, and she was inclined to believe that. Where he came from, coffee was a sparse and sought after resource. The ticking of the clock counted down the seconds, and she found herself syncing up her breathing. “Why am I so nervous?” she whispered out loud to no one in particular. A blue light flashed brightly on the opposite side of the room, and her breath hitched in her throat. The illuminated man composed himself, this time much older than she was used to. “Five?” She stepped forward, voice wavering. “February 2nd, 2019?” His face stern and weathered. Her head nodded in confirmation. Face softening, he strode towards her, wrapping her in a warm embrace. “Five, you’re filthy, is everything okay?” “Let me take a shower and I’ll fill you in.” He glided past her towards the bathroom, knowing precisely where he was going. She no longer felt hurt at the lack of affection when he first arrives, but had rather come to expect it. They had done this countless times in different locations: her parents’ home, her first apartment, once while she was on vacation. Five could seemingly always find his way to her, regardless of the time stamp. She sat quietly on the couch as the low hum of the shower started down the hall.

The first night he came in 2002 had been tumultuous. Her parents fought loudly in the living room, like they had done countless times since her sister had committed suicide. Those nights she found solace in lying on the roof of the house, staring at stars. The serenity was broken by a loud ‘pop’ from her bedroom. Wiping away her tears, she snuck back in through her window, to be greeted by the form of a boy around her age who appeared very shaken up. The girl began to scream, and the boy rushed over and placed a hand gently on her mouth. “Shhhhh. Please wait, listen. I need you to tell me the date.” He removed his hand, placing it on her shoulder. “It’s January 3rd 2002.” His mouth curved into a sly smile. “I’ll be damned, I DID IT.” Her eyes traced the emblem on the front of his neat sport jacket. “I came from two days in the past!” “You’re from the Umbrella Academy, aren’t you?” “Five Hargreeves, spatial jumper and now, officially, TIME TRAVELLER. Oh, father dearest is going to love this…”He paused, holding out his hand. “I’m sorry, I really don’t know why I showed up here of all places.” She reached out and shook his hand. “I’m (y/n),” she replied quietly, still attempting to mask the fact that she had been crying. Their friendship soon became a constant in her otherwise bleak life. He began visiting in the normal timeline, for the better part of a year. He would occasionally pop up in her room, asking what the date was: she could tell he was practicing for a bigger jump. One night, when they sat on the roof, she broke down. “I’m sorry I’m so boring. We sit up here nearly every night, I know this has to drive you crazy. You could be honing your time jumps, or literally doing anything else, than sitting up here with me. You’re extraordinary and I’m just…ordinary.” His hand brushed hers, so gently she thought she had imagined it. “Hey, you’re wrong. You’re definitely not ordinary. You’re like a beacon, or a lighthouse. If I ever get lost in the timeline, I think I’ll always be able to find you. That must be why I showed up here after the first jump!” He paused, staring at the sky. “You’re my best friend, (Y/n).” That night, he had left in another loud ‘pop’. At first light, she rolled over in her bed, noticing some items missing from her room. A picture frame that held a class photo, a necklace from her nightstand, small things that would seem mundane to an unknowing eye. Beside her head on the pillow, a letter was conspicuously placed. “(Y/n), Today I am going to attempt the furthest time jump that I’ve done yet. I know my father will protest, but I think I’m ready. If something happens, just know I’ll find you eventually. I promise. Yours, Five”

She was fourteen the first time he came back, popping up in the kitchen of her house. She marveled at how he was all at once the same, but was somehow different, perhaps a bit older. Once the shock subsided, she threw her silverware at him, unleashing her pent up anger. “You left me, Five. You left me,” she sobbed. He was unphased, standing with arms crossed. “Are you done?” he stared at her from the place she had collapsed in the floor. “You know the drill. Confirm date and time.” Five turned from her, rummaging around the cabinets. “August 15, 2004.” She hiccupped quietly, collecting herself off of the linoleum. “Do you know how to make coffee?” His facial expression didn’t change, but she could detect a hint of a smile in his eyes. Over a cup of French press coffee, he began telling her what he had been doing for the last two years. He had been recruited as a part of an organization that maintained appropriate timelines called the Commission. He dodged most of her questions, noting that his career was secretive. The question sat on the tip of her tongue, waiting for a lull in conversation. “In the future, do you see me?” He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, hands clasped around the mug. “I do.” He answered curtly. “I can’t speak to you though, it would alter the timeline. There are certain variables that have to be met…” he trailed off, a barely detectable sadness settled into his expression. “Otherwise, certain things won’t happen. The Commission says things have to happen exactly in the right order or it ruins the whole thing.” His jaw clenched. His mind goes to a particular fall day in 2014 that the Commission insisted on him traveling to, over and over again. A day in which he would love nothing more than to forsake the timeline and the Commission. “Like what?” cocking an eyebrow, her interest clearly piqued. “You’ll have to wait. Just give me a few years and I’ll have this all figured out. I’m not strong enough to jump too many times by myself. I’m only able to jump now because the Commission has given me the tools to do it with ease.” The coffee cup in front of his was empty. His arm outstretched across the kitchen table, and he grasped her hand. “Whenever I’m not on a job, I’ll come back as much as I can. I promise.”

She waited for four more unbearable years for her best friend to come back. She was on vacation in Mexico celebrating graduation, and a bright blue light illuminated her hotel room. As was the tradition, he requested the date first and foremost. She noted his height, he was several inches taller than her now, and he had the beginnings of unruly facial hair, and appeared to be in at least late 20s. His eyes remained the same. “Handsome” she thought outrageously to herself. He closed distance, placing his hands firmly on her shoulders. “(Y/n), the world ended. I have to fix this.” His eyes were blown out, panicked. “I came from year 2032.” “Well that explains the age gap. Five, you’ve got to slow down. Do you know where you are right now?” He looked around the room, then rushed to the open doors leading to a balcony, overlooking a calm, deserted beach. Whipping around rapidly, his eyes ran over her from the bottom up. His pupils dilated: she had grown into a beautiful young adult. He couldn’t have prepared himself for how she had gotten taller, her features slightly more pointed. “Oh my God, I missed your graduation, didn’t I?” He did his best to avert his gaze, she wore a baggy shirt and underwear, hair thrown in a messy bun. A flush crept over his cheeks. Nervously, she strode over to the balcony. “Five, you’ve been gone for a while…You missed everything.” There was no anger in her voice, just a hint of loneliness. She had rehearsed the moment he would return to her for years now, knowing exactly what she would say. “I can’t believe you’re here…”she paused, noting his somber expression. “It’s all going to be gone. The world ends and I have no idea how to stop it. Do you know how long I’ve been alone out there? There’s no one left…” he thought for a moment. “I didn’t think I would ever find you again after getting kicked out of the Commission. I practiced, and worked, and slaved just to be able to jump again, but I couldn’t. Then I thought of you. Just sat there, and thought about you, and I was here.” “Wait, you left the Commission? What are you talking about??” “Shit, I’m screwing up. I can’t talk about that anymore, otherwise I’m going to muck things up even worse.” Unexpectedly, he wrapped his arms around her, burying his scruff in her neck. Whispering, he murmured, “I don’t have much time. Any minute now I’m going to revert back to where I was. I just had to see. Just had to see….” He stopped himself, knowing if he poured his heart out, it would only make things harder. She didn’t know what he knew. In a quick sleight of hand, he slipped a piece of paper into her palm. He gently pushed back from her, the cool touch of metal brushing her chest. Around his neck, he wore the necklace that he had stolen off of her nightstand, accompanied by a thin gold band. Her eyes widened. “Five, is that my necklace? What’s that ring?” He placed his hands, clad in fingerless gloves, over her flushing cheeks. “I had to take it. I needed something to keep me grounded to guide me back. My lighthouse…” He began pulling her close once more, but just before the inevitable crashing of lips, a flash of blue light took him away from her again. It felt wrong. Five laid on a filthy mattress in the middle of a wasteland now circa 2032, knowing she was back in 2008, feeling miserable and devastated. He wanted to tell her what he did in 2014, just a few years before the apocalypse, but he knew it could alter everything.

(Y/n) moved into her first apartment while attending college in 2009. She had not seen him since he came to her on the balmy night in Mexico. Unfolding a small piece of paper he had slipped in her palm that night, she noted that one of the days, scrawled in what appeared to be blue crayon, was today. Attending her classes like normal, she had a creeping sense of anxiety at the unknown nature of the significance of the date. (Y/n) chose to skip her afternoon classes, and made her way back to her apartment. Immediately upon opening the door, the scent of black coffee hit her. A sense of panic washed over her: she definitely had not brewed any coffee that day. She felt for the light switch on the wall beside her, to be greeted to the sight of Five sitting comfortably on her couch, a briefcase positioned on the floor near his feet. “Christ, Five, what the hell? You couldn’t turn a light on? Why are you just sitting in the dark?” He stood from his seated position: clean cut, with a button up shirt rolled above his elbows and dark dress pants, easily younger than he had been in Mexico. “Sorry,” he smoothed his hair back with his hands. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” She stared at him quizzically, noting the dark circles under his eyes. There were unmistakable indicators that he had been crying. “Hey, are you alright?” Her feet were frozen just inside the threshold of the door. Seeing him in this state was completely new. Five had always been fairly level headed and logical: emotions weren’t necessarily his strong suit, nor were words. His eyes darted around the room, unable to meet her gaze. “What’s wrong?” He shook his head and rushed towards her, wrapping his arms firmly around her. His chin rested atop her head, and his breathing steadied. “I just….need you.” He pushed back slightly to look her in the eyes, his own wild with a flurry of emotions. Her mouth slightly ajar, he reached up and ran his thumb across her bottom lip, an inquiry. There were no words he could use to describe what was happening, he needed to show her. Tentatively, she leaned into him, placing a slow kiss onto his lips, the answer he had been searching for. As if the flood gates had opened, he swept her up against the wall, a flurry of hands and unsure lips. It was nearing midnight, and the two laid tangled together on the couch. No words had been spoken in hours, only the praises of two human beings occupying a rare moment in time. Her fingers pressed idly on his chest, she felt his heart rate increase. She knew that time was up, and instinctively pushed herself away from him, granting him access to leave. “I don’t want to go.” He whispered as he sat up, placing his head in his hands. “But if I don’t make it back before midnight the Commission…” “Will turn you into a pumpkin? Or worse?” He peered up at her and cringed. “They’ll send someone after me. Then it will probably be worse.” He dragged himself from the couch, collecting his clothes from the floor. “Sorry I didn’t have a whole lot to say tonight.” He looked at (Y/n) sympathetically, as she wrapped herself in a blanket. “Well, I think you said plenty,” she blushed as she marveled at him, noting that he was a bit leaner and built, apparent in the ease with which he lifted her from the floor just hours before. He leaned down and kissed her, fighting back tears, and began unlatching the case beside the couch. “You’re not angry that I have to leave?” she looked down at him, his somber expression breaking her heart. She knew that somehow this was hurting him more than it hurt her. “Of course not. You have a job to do. I know you’ll always come back to me” “Okay….I’ll see you soon, check the dates.” In a flash he was back at the Commission, back pressed to the wall. He wished he could have told her that his devastation was from watching her wedding, again, and how he wished that it was him instead: it would be selfish to ruin this for her. The knowledge that she could never be his made it even more painful. He wiped the tears from his eyes, and peeled himself from the floor.

The shower had stopped running, bringing a thick silence to their sometimes shared home. Five walked out of her bathroom wrapped in a towel, and found his way to the couch, collapsing in an exhausted heap. (Y/n) brought him his coffee and sat down beside him. “So….” She started, unsure of what to say. There usually wasn’t a lull in conversation, but things had been mostly quiet for her, and she surmised, for him as well. “I’ve pinpointed the day when the world ends. All of my calculations appear to point at the same date. I just don’t know the why or the what.” He frowned, rubbing his freshly shaved cheek. “What year did you come from?” She stared down at the vortex she had created in her coffee. “Still 2032. I think I’ve managed to sync everything back up. We’re in the same timeline now, I’m just coming from…a little further ahead.” He frowned. Her hand reached out to clasp his slightly weathered hand, touch starved after months of waiting. “You changed your hair?” Taken aback by his change of subject, she recoiled, running her fingers through her hair. “Oh, yeah. I dyed it a couple of weeks ago.” “Fascinating…it suits you. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it like this before.” He replaced her fingers with his own and she exhaled, reveling in his touch. “All these numbers and figures, and I never even think about how you might be different when I see you.” Eyes pressed firmly shut, “It’s all I ever think about. How someday, you’ll come back, and decide I’m not beautiful anymore. Or you think I’ve gained weight, or my hair isn’t quite right or…” Five cut her off, placing his finger over her lips. “You have nothing to worry about. I feel sorry for YOU,” he emphasized. “I’m getting old and haggard, and you’re even more beautiful than the day I married you.” His strong hand guided her towards him, placing a firm but loving kiss on her lips.

(Y/n) sat in front of a mirror as her best friend adjusted her veil. A frown plastered her face. “I don’t think I should do this, I mean, we’ve only been together for six months. It’s kind of a whirlwind, don’t you think?” Fingers busied themselves nervously with the delicate beading of her dress, arguably one that wasn’t even remotely her style. (Y/f/n) swiveled her chair to meet her eyes. “This is supposed to be the happiest day of your life, you have to stop trying to talk yourself out of it. You finally have a man that won’t go disappearing on you, it’s literally the best thing that’s ever happened to you.” (Y/n)’s eyes welled up with tears. “But what if he comes back? What if he comes back and I’m married to someone else? I don’t know if I could live with myself.” “Five isn’t coming back. The Umbrella Academy assholes are all maladjusted, miserable people. You know this just as well as I do.” She shot back bitterly. “Just because you and Diego didn’t get a happy ending, that doesn’t mean I can’t.” Her friend passed her a tissue, expression softening. “I’m sorry, (Y/n). I’m not trying to be hard on you, I know this is a stressful day. But this is what it is. This is your happily ever after! Let’s celebrate!” She handed her a champagne flute, and toasted the bride and her bridesmaids. As she sipped her champagne, she began to wonder if Five had ever loved her at all, considering he had never said those words in any exact capacity. Maybe he simply felt comfort in her presence. Her fiancé never missed an opportunity for those words to pour from his lips, like a slow, miserable drip from a leaky pipe. He was even accepting of the fact that she did not want to sleep with him before the wedding, completely oblivious that the only reason was that the thought of another man touching her made her feel sick. Pachelbel’s Cannon in D began playing throughout the garden, and she felt her chest tighten. This wasn’t the song she wanted, but her fiancé was incredibly traditional. She chose to have no one give her away, so she would take this long walk to the altar completely alone and exposed. Her fiancé wasn’t particularly pleased with that either. Plastering on some semblance of a smile, she strode slowly, taking in all of the faces in the crowd, doing her best to not look up at the groom. She knew it wouldn’t be the absentee man of her dreams, the one she had loved since she was 12. No, that man was lost in the aether of time, with an important job of maintaining order in a world made of entirely chaos. This would be as good as it could possibly get. There was nothing wrong with her fiancé per say: he was handsome, had an excellent job and most importantly, was there all the time. Unlike Five, who could only offer middle of the night trysts where fevered hands did the talking, those fleeting moments he could break away from the Commission without being caught. Nights where he couldn’t utter a single word to her, since any moment speaking would be a moment his lips weren’t on hers. The moments that she knew he was a ship without an anchor, the only thing holding him to those hours in time were his desperate hands clinging to her. None of those stolen moments mattered anymore. Her feet planted firmly in front of the man with whom she had every intention of spending her life, she took a deep breath. The string quartet stopped. Cicadas began singing as the sun set. “Does anyone with us today have a reason why these two should not be joined in marriage? Speak now or forever hold your peace.” A bright blue light illuminated the middle of the aisle. “I do.” Five stood there in a slick black suit, looking as though he had just come from a day of work at the Commission. His jaw tense, he stood for a moment as the realization dawned on everyone in the audience. “Oh hell no,” her maid of honor stepped in front of her, “who the FUCK do you think you are? Showing up today of all days, after MONTHS of radio silence. You have DESTROYED her, give her this chance to make it right.” He closed distance, and couldn’t help but laugh to himself at the dumbfounded look on the groom’s face. He probably didn’t even know about them. “Don’t speak for her. (Y/n), please hear me out…I love you. I’ve loved you since we were kids. I should have said it sooner. I couldn’t stand by and watch the love of my life marry someone else, not without telling you my piece first.” Her expression was blank underneath her veil: there was no reading the myriad of emotions she was feeling. She stepped in front of (Y/f/n), placing her hand gently on her shoulder, giving her a knowing nod. Gently, she swept the veil away from her face, and crossed her arms, as if wordlessly telling him to continue. Five swallowed hard. “The Commission was testing me…They’ve sent me to this moment in time over and over again. I’ve watched you be with someone else no less than a dozen times now, and I can’t do this anymore. The first night we-“ he paused, deciding better than to bring up the events of that particular evening”…this is where I came from. I had just watched you marry him, and it broke me.” “But the timeline….the variables, the rules?” She gestured vaguely. “Fuck the timeline, and fuck the Commission. I quit. Nothing in this world is worth it to watch you end up with someone else. Maybe that’s selfish, maybe I’m an ass.” He shrugged, and she did not respond. Peering around the room at the attendants, they all seemed to be weighing what was going to happen next. Five stood in front of her, placing his hands on the sides of her face. “I’m a terrible romantic, always have been, but here it goes. I can’t promise you that things will be stable. Hell, I can’t promise that they’ll even be good. But I promise you, there is no one in any timeline, in any reality, anywhere, that will love you more than I do.” In a swift motion, he dropped to his knee. “Let’s get married instead, (Y/n). You and I.” Gasps and murmurs erupted from the crowd, as she turned her back on him and walked up to her groom, still dumbfounded at the altar. “Sorry…” she said in almost a whisper, removing the ring that she never particularly liked from her finger and placing it gently in his palm. From this vantage point, Five could not make out what was happening, but watched the groom’s expression change from shock to defeat. He found that he couldn’t move, frozen in time, with baited breath. (Y/n) turned on her heels, looking at the man kneeling on the floor. “Five…stand up.” She put her hands out, helping him up. “Are you ready?” His confusion was apparent. “Ready for what?” “To marry me, dumbass. This is all already paid for, if we’re going to do it, let’s do it right now.” She threw her arms around his neck. “This is all I’ve ever wanted. Marry me, Five?” Nodding, he nervously fumbled around in the pocket of his dress pants. “You’re going to think I’m crazy, but I bought this ring in 1921 in Paris on one of my first jobs with the Commission…I’ve had this for years…”He placed in on her finger, their hands steadying one another. “I’ve always known that it had to be you.” The ceremony was filled with laughter and tears, despite the grand exit of nearly half the attendants when the bride dumped the groom at the altar. The event was postponed for an hour, so Five could contact his family to attend. The reception roared into early evening marked by jovial alcohol consumption. “I know I’ve been asking a lot of big questions today, but I have one more thing I need of you, Mrs. Hargreeves.” Five murmured in her ear, surrounded by people on the dance floor. “Anything, for you. What do you need?” She replied back as seductive as she could. “I need you…” he nipped at her neck …”to….” He peppered kisses along her jaw. “cut the Commission tracking device out of my arm.” “The ACTUAL fuck, Five???” She screeched, slightly tipsy. “Yep, then we throw it in the river. After that I’m completely yours. I’ll finally be able to wake up next to you.” Weighing her options, she nodded. “Let’s do it.” The pair snuck into the bathroom of the reception hall, stumbling and giggling. He removed his dress shirt and flung it over the top of the bathroom stall door, removing a small thin blade from a holster around his ankle. Kneeling near the sink, he draped his arm over the drain, placing the blade in her hand. “You know how much I love you, right, Five?” She eyed him nervously. “I’ve always known. I love you, too. Now let’s get on with this, I’m going to need another drink after this.” He pointed at the spot on his arm, indicating the location of the tracking device. (Y/n) gently pressed the tip of the blade into his arm, creating a small incision. A sudden, sharp breath escaped his lips as he took the blade from her, digging out a small pill shaped device from his forearm. He applied a butterfly bandage, and pulled his button up back on. “Let’s start our happily ever after.”

“So I’ve been making all of these calculations, right?” (Y/n) pulled his clothing out of the dryer and tossed it on the couch. He began getting dressed, since he knew he reasonably only had a few more minutes until he had to go back. “And since I know the exact date, my plan is to travel to just a week before, and see if I can nail down the cataclysm that causes the apocalypse. I’ll have to connect with my brothers and sisters…” She stared at him with exhausted eyes. “So if you can prevent it, maybe we can actually go back to having a normal life?” “I think so. We can finally settle down, I can assemble the bookshelves for all the books I’ve been stealing from the Academy and stashing over here, breakfast, lunch, and dinner together every night…and maybe…” “Maybe what, Five?” He turned towards her, smirking. “We can finally start a family?” a guffaw escaped her mouth, as her hands flew up to cover it. “Five Hargreeves, wanting to be a family man? I thought you ‘never wanted to bring kids into this world’ and ‘didn’t want to risk them having powers and ruin their lives’.” He shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess living through the apocalypse has given me some perspective.” His hands rubbed together rapidly, as he prepared to travel back, knowing this version of himself couldn’t remain here permanently. “I’ll see you the week before the Apocalypse, okay?” He disappeared in a haze of blue once again, and (Y/n) collapsed on the couch.

Just a few blissful years: that was all they were able to squeeze out of their marriage, before the Commission inevitably caught wind of their location. The tall blonde woman, the Handler, had appeared in their front yard, ready to strike up a deal with Five. He had two options: stay in the present, and himself and (Y/n) would be killed at a date of the Commission’s choosing. Be sent to the future and continue work for the Commission, and they would allow them both to live. Little did he know that his punishment would be far worse: they provided him a faulty briefcase, their particular method for time travel, which led to him being stuck in time. The years he spent in the Apocalyptic wasteland allowed him to regain some of his strength, and he began the time leaps that brought him back to (Y/n) in various parts of the timeline.

The final date marked on her calendar in bright red marker had arrived. “This is the last one,” she murmured to herself. “Now if the world could just not end in a week, that would be great…” Nervously, she adjusted the delicate ring that Five had gotten from Paris technically nearly a century ago. A tingling in her scalp alerted her to an intense feeling of dread that had suddenly taken root: something bad was about to happen. Maybe just the impending doom of the apocalypse, maybe something else. She was started by a knock at the door. “Well at least I know it’s not Five, since he’d just poof into the room.” She swung the door open, “Can I help….you….?” “This is bad, (Y/n). This is really bad.” Five stood before her in his school uniform: the very same he had worn when they had first met. She peered down at the young teenager before her. By all appearances, it was just some gangly fifteen year old kid, certainly not her husband; unfortunately, she knew better. Some things about him stayed exactly the same: his eyes, the timbre of his voice, the way he stared at her when he was panicking. “Something was wrong in my calculations…I’m stuck like this and I can’t jump.” “Oh…..Oh, God….”

[anangelicday-mrwolf]

Wolfsbane : Noblesse Fanfic (post-ending)

(previous chapter)

Chapter 25 – The Post-Encounter

“You...?!”

Before 3rd Elder’s voice dissipated into air, with a swish and a thud his visitor ripped through the distance between them to leave a considerably pregnant impact on his chest, earning a grunt from him.

“It’s been a long time, 3rd Elder, sir. Forgive my rough salutation. Believe me when I say I have gone through a whole lot of trouble to find you.”

The woman’s orange hair rippled as she nodded in greetings.

“I’ve tried my best to pinpoint your next destination, but I would contribute our encounter today solely to chances. As soon as I go back, I should make a tribute to Lady Luck, if she is real.”

She sounded as if she was striking up a conversation with a friend, but unfortunately her countenance was strange to him.

Although he did not know her face, he would have recalled her codename, if only orange hair and a pair of sky-blue eyes were rare in Union.

Which is why 3rd Elder could not help inquiring about her identity, feeling like he was thrown into a super-awkward New Year’s Day with all relatives in one place, with him being forced to break the ice with a relative he had been separated from for too long.

“I’m sorry, but you are...?”

He thereby cast a net of thousand cracks upon Helga’s face.

He was THE 3rd Elder – the right-hand man of 1st Elder, and one of the top personnel of Union when it comes to intel and information.

Yet he did not recognize her or recollect her codename.

And Helga could not shake off this ominous and offensive impression that perhaps he did not even know her, let alone remember her.

‘How very kind of him to push into my face the degree of my presence within the Union.’

The ex-lieutenant of Crombell gritted her teeth, bowing to herself that she will completely and permanently flip the table through this opportunity, before she bowed once more.

“Apologies for my late introduction. I am Helga, one of the assassins who used to serve Dr. Cro – I mean, Crombell.”

At last recognition spasmed across 3rd Elder’s profile.

During the time when the Union’s throne had belonged to 1st Elder, 3rd Elder made it mandatory for himself to memorize all contents of the dossiers for all modified humans and especially those classified as assassination agents following Crombell, the greatest person of interest for him.

So of course he knew about Helga – though he ended up forgetting her face because she was an actress drastically deprived of stages.

No matter how talented or famous an actress used to be, she will hardly remain in heads of the audience if she cannot find stages to perform on.

“What are you doing he...”

Spilling sound from his mouth with his calm as good as halfway down the drain, 3rd Elder at the next moment stepped backwards, rigidity sweeping through his entire body, like a hedgehog raising its thorns towards its predator.

“Come no closer.”

“You are mistaken here. I am aware my salutation was a bit rough, but by no means will I ever hurt...”

Feeling no need to hear any longer, 3rd Elder threw himself into the air.

It was daytime, and buildings were not thick or tall enough to hide him, but he had no problem at all escaping from his initial spot without drawing any civilian eye on him.

That is, he had no problem, except that his party took no time at all to tag along in movements just as fast.

And based on the sounds emitted from behind, she was making sure she will not leave him that easily.

“What’s the matter? Is someone watching you as we speak by any chance?”

Helga’s voice was not very highly pitched, but it was good enough for any modified human to pick up without missing a syllable. As he heard her speak, 3rd Elder could only zip his mouth.

He was not convinced that hinting how his body is plugged with recording device-slash-tracker and a nano-camera at all times would prove useful for him.

He also knew, nevertheless, that it is no use hiding the fact and his flesh from her.

He was well-aware his orange-haired pursuer was equipped with outstanding combat capabilities as well as analytic capabilities.

“Have no fear. I’m sure that man you’ve made your roommate has foreseen this.”

And just like that, Helga put herself before 3rd Elder and stopped him in his track.

“Don’t tell me you haven’t see this coming – at least one remaining agent of Union popping up before you, either for vengeance or for offer.”

He had to admit, she did have a point.

If a sunk vessel means the end of the world for its passengers, the term “survivor” would have not been coined.

And the survivors would try to stay survived to the best of their abilities.

So he should have expected the pieces of Union would writhe and trash and flail into every direction to weave themselves back into a flag of glory they used to brag in the past.

So this encounter would not serve as a legitimate excuse for Frankenstein to drill his head with Dark Spear just for the pure fact that Helga confronted him.

Not to mention the Union agent is the one who sought out for him.

His breath was relatively pacified once he comprehended the situation.

Only relatively.

“And no need to worry about what your recording device would record at this moment.”

Helga’s smile intensified as she witnessed 3rd Elder’s lips wriggled as his eyes froze.

“Yes, I am aware that you would be implanted with a recording device or a tracker. I mean, such a monstrous man has you as his company. And only the most idiotic would send his dog outside without any collar.”

Even though Union’s system has been shattered to naught, it is far from proper manners to compare an ex-elder to a dog. Knowing that, 3rd Elder could not, however, make any complaint or disagreement.

Ever since Crombell was gone, he had caused no direct harm upon Union. Yet he merely watched very small portion of Union being viciously dissected by Frankenstein’s forces. He knew that was what she was criticizing.

The man’s shoulders withdrew without notice, and his words were produced sluggishly.

“I believe you have not been waiting for me for days to simply dub me his dog. What do you really want?”

“Why, offer you an alliance, of course.”

“An alliance...?”

“Indeed. You don’t want Union to be permanently history, do you? Did you forget Union’s purpose and pride just because you’ve been relieved of your cloak for all this time?”

Helga’s voice was raised above normal, and 3rd Elder could not say anything.

In fact, at the same time his eyes were dragged towards his feet.

“Allow me to rephrase that. Did you simply forget our purpose? Or did you want to forget our purpose?”

“I’m not sure if I see any difference in your choices.”

“Our castle has lost all of its pillars, and our wall is lost. So did you decide to temporarily hang on to the oxygen tank that man offered so you would not suffocate under our castle’s debris? Or...”

“Or...?”

“Did you settle to dress and eat and talk like those puny, worthless humans, not giving a damn whether the castle can be rebuilt or not, and whether the man who is providing you hospitality is the one who detonated our castle?”

The white-haired human sealed his lips. Surprisingly, he could not tell whether she hit the nail on the head or not.

“I’m sure you’d already know, but I was hoping you did not opt for the latter. No, if I am to dare take a guess, I’d say you are with former.”

“...What makes you say that?”

“Be honest – you were actually not displeased with my offer and appearance. What was his name again? Frankenstein? (That moment 3rd Elder could not help flinching.) You wanted to run away because you did not want him to see you with me. But on the other hand, you were also afraid that he could catch sight of me. Which means you don’t want that man to gain knowledge about me and later eliminate me. Which means you still care for Union. If you had decided to ditch Union for good, you would have run away the moment you leaped. I know that I’m not good enough to catch up to you or block your path once you run full-speed.”

Helga added thorn in 3rd’s Elder’s mouth with her every claim, and he could not even mumble a soundless yes or no.

The curves of her face crooked more deeply as she watched him in faint pleasure.

“Relax. I’m not asking anything from you – not yet. I just wanted to let you know that you are always welcome to join us. When you are ready, find the spot in this country where we lost 8th, 7th, and 6th Elders. That’s where one of my agents is stationed. You’d be able to meet him as soon as you get there.”

Helga bowed to him at the end of her speech, making herself gone without any warning or trace, just like when she first appeared.

Afterwards 3rd Elder could feel his heart flexing and twitching.

Based on everything that had happened, he knew it is insanity to return to Union now.

Frankly speaking, he would surely serve as a huge help on Union’s side.

However, none on Frankenstein’s side could be considered an easy opponent, with Lukedonian fighters and werewolves and Noblesse and his men.

He could swear that if they put up a fight against them in a struggle to bring back Union, it would irrevocably seal their fate.

Especially when Frankenstein’s devilish attitude and aptitude in battle are alive.

But that did not mean he could brush off Helga’s final words, and he ended up being sidetracked in his way and walking more than necessary during his return.

‘I should focus. I wouldn’t want to be lost from my destination.’

As soon as he thought of his destination, 3rd Elder grimaced, remembering the man who owned the said destination.

‘He will accuse me regarding my conversation with Helga as soon as I make it back. What should I do?’

Lying that Helga threatened how she will eradicate every living form within 100 kilometers radius if he did not spare her some time, though that was not recorded in either the footage or the voice recording.

Trying to make Frankenstein believe that he let Helga talk to him on purpose, to turn their encounter into an opportunity for him to collect some intel on Union’s current situation.

Asserting that he could not remember anything from the time he wasted with Helga.

The man sweated his head off to come up with a good excuse, but he soon realized there was no need to endeavor to come up with one.

The moment he reached the island, 3rd Elder decided to walk up to Frankenstein and tell him first, before Frankenstein figured out what happened and decided he purposefully hid the occasion.

What he found at Frankenstein’s lab was beyond his imagination.

‘What...?!’

The lab was noticeably damaged – no, devastated – centering on the desk that Frankenstein had occupied all the time.

And the devastation was ongoing as 3rd Elder was fixed to his spot.

He noticed how the subject of blame was the dark purple aura that was being emanated from Frankenstein, seemingly asleep.

‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen him sleeping in this island. Is this why? But just what the heck is going on?!’

At then, Frankenstein bolted awake, shrieking, “NOOOO!!!!” Out of pure reflex, 3rd Elder shielded himself behind the wall and played as if he had just returned, thus successfully walking away from the scene.

He later told himself that whatever Frankenstein had gone through within must have been a huge torment, for the blonde-haired human checked the footage and voice recording a day later, which has never happened.

And that was not all that added to 3rd Elder’s wonder.

“What happened with that orange-haired modified human?”

“Pardon...?”

“Didn’t you know that your camera and recording device stopped working right after she punched you in the torso? I doubt you two had a skirmish any harder than that, since you came back in one piece.”

“Is that so...? I’m not sure how that was possible, but she tried to win me back to the Union.”

“...And that’s it?”

“That’s it.”

He anticipated the host of the island to demand more details on the matter, but he did not. Frankenstein merely waved at him that he is good to go, his countenance full of fatigue.

Such memory was branded into the depth of 3rd Elder’s memories, and he could see it before his eyes even now.

Helga had a means – which was clueless to 3rd Elder – to nullify the high-tech recording device and camera made by the master scientist.

And the master scientist was keeping a physical or emotional secret, detrimental enough to hinder his judgment and thinking.

And this master scientist will be gone for days at the werewolf realm.

Finishing his deliberation, 3rd Elder grabbed his hoodie.

He could not tell where his heart truly lay, but he knew he is not going to waste this golden opportunity.

(next chapter)

Remember how in Chapter 11, Frankenstein fell asleep, saw Dark Spear making up effigies of his loved ones to kill in his sight, and woke up with a start before 3rd Elder came back? Well, what do you know - 3rd Elder was actually at the scene before Frankenstein woke up, and now he knows about Frankenstein’s weakness. For next chapter, you’ll get to see 3rd Elder faced with a choice - stay tuned to find out what he will choose!

[judasold]

hi  friends !   below ,   you  will  find  some  info  about  jude !   go  ahead  and  like  this  if  you  want  but  imma  snake  into  your  ims  to  plot  either  way 😜

ʻ   /   wow ,   i  am  so  excited  to  introduce   judas  ‘ jude ‘  crawford   to  our  current  students  at  cape  coral .   he  is  extremely  excited  to  join   student  government .   coming  in  as  a  19  year  old   sophomore  ,  they  shouldn’t  worry  about  fitting  in .   the   cismale  gemini   has  always  reminded  me  of   axel  auriant   ,  but  some  people  don’t  see  it .   trying  to  keep  the  fact  that   he  has  been  dating  someone  from  cape  coral  for  over  a  year   from  getting  around  this  school  is  going  to  be  tough .   no  worries ,   though ,   cape  coral  will  create  a  new  life  for  them ,   i  assure  you .  ʼ      (   muse 22 ,  weachy ,  24 ,  est ,  she/her   )

TW FOR HEART ISSUES / CARDIAC ARREST / DEATH

jude was born on a chilly day in the middle of september .  the only people present were his mother (   jasmine  ) ,  grandmother ,  &  aunt .  jude’s mother was adamant about keeping jude a secret from his father ,  due to the fact that they were no longer speaking .  there was a previous relationship with  JASMINE &  TED  that ended poorly ,  which resulted in a secret child .  he was from a different part of town than she and that got in the way .  in a last effort attempt to convince herself that he  deserved  to know that he had a kid ,  jasmine named in   JUDE CRAWFORD WESTON .  however ,  after the first few years of her life ,  she’d slowly come to terms that his current family was the most important thing to him  &  before he started preschool ,  she dropped his last name for fear that too many questions would be asked  &  further deciding that distance from that family would be best for jude .

growing up ,  jude found himself alone a lot of the time .  if he wasn’t at school ,  he was in their apartment complex .  when his aunt could come over ,  she would be with him ,  but his mother had been working two jobs all his life so that they could survive comfortably .  his grandparents owned a winery in upstate maine so they would send money when they could .  they weren’t dirt poor to say the least but living paycheck to paycheck was just how it worked for them .  while his mother was working ,  jude would find someone in the apartment complex to play with him .  whether or not that was board games or on their playground or video games or the like ,  jude was always busying himself .  

as he started asking questions about his dad ,  his mother always wrote them off .  the first few years he asked ,  she tried to claim she didn’t remember him  ––  that he had existed for a few months of her life and was gone .  at that was satisfying ,  for a little bit ,  but he always wanted more .  however ,  due to his mother’s ability to so easily brush off his requests to know more ,  jude started making things up .  he’d tell people in his class in second grade that his father was an astronaut and that’s why he wasn’t ever home .  in third grade ,  however ,  jude had decided that his father had to be a rock star ,  touring the country  &  he just never made any stops in portland .  anything to make him feel like his father was ,  quite possibly ,  the coolest person to ever walk the earth .

he didn’t learn about the true identity of his father until he was a freshman in high school . at that point ,  he had sort of forgotten all the amazing stories he’d conjured up in his head about how great his father must have been .  because at that point ,  he’d learned that his father had been in portland the whole time .  his father had been close to him his whole life .  (  he knew because his father had other kids that were in his fucking classes  )    sure ,  he had a pretty fantastic job  &  was well known amongst the country ,  but learning about his dad was heartbreaking for him .  it had crashed this whole view that he’d had of his dad in which the other wanted to see him and couldn’t .  little to his knowledge ,  jude knew who his father was before his father even knew .  jasmine kept the secret for a handful of reasons  &  had always felt as though it was better that way .  she was protecting her child because her heart was broken .  and she’d done a damn good job of raising him on her own .

throughout high school ,  jude started to get more and more quiet .  maybe it was because he was aware that he had half siblings in his midst at all times  ––  except school .  maybe it was the fact that his aunt had moved up to maine to be with her parents .  maybe ,  just maybe ,  it was also due to the fact that slowly but surely jude had started to come out .  by the beginning of sophomore year ,  his life had taken a 180 to the year before .

the few constants ?  his mother and his music .  jasmine had put him in practically every instrument instruction she could until he found something that fit .  and that fit was piano .  boy oh boy did jude feel at home at a piano .  his mom had bought him a keyboard for christmas when he was seven  ( because that christmas was a little hard  &  a full piano was a little too much )  .  however ,  by high school ,  due to a lot of begging and a lot of help from his grandparents ,  jude crawford had his own baby grand in their living room .  he was only allowed to play between the hours of 8am and 7pm because they lived in an apartment and his mother sure as hell didn’t want complaints .  but he had lessons twice a week  &  seasonal recitals .

towards the end of his sophomore year ,  his mother started having heart issues .  she always made them out to not be that big of a deal .  she had to be on a heart monitor for a little bit ,  but overall it was seemingly as harmless as heart problems could be .  harmless being the key word .  a year and a half later ,  on december 27th 2019 ,  jasmine suffered a heart attack in her sleep .  the next morning ,  jude found his mother ,  called 9-1-1 ,  and the rest was history .  the first few days after her death were a blur .  to this day ,  he still can’t remember them .  he had to see a lot of family ,  talk to medics ,  and came in contact with a lot of casseroles .  his mother’s family came down from maine to plan the funeral ,  which occurred on january 3rd ,  2020 .  he refused to speak at the funeral  ––  having nothing that anyone else in that room needed to hear for his mother  ––  instead ,  he spent time with his grandparents and aunt and mourned her death in the most vulnerable way possible .

his aunt ended up moving into their apartment after his mother’s death and the rest was history .  when the opportunity came to apply to cape coral ,  his aunt practically begged him to take it .  due to his merritt ,  he got in with flying colors .

WANTED CONNECTIONS :

    lit anything tbh .  i’ll come to you all and plot but any exes / ex friends / new friends / previous fwb / besties / anything tbh i am all ears !  i do have two up on the main if any of you all want to check those out !

[god-hunter]

My Major Turnaround

Hey folks,

Things have really turned around for me in the past 2 weeks - a month.  Honestly I could have and should have written earlier, because there was a lot of build up and toss up between 3 jobs that I could’ve taken at one point.  It would’ve been interesting to analyze how I felt in that moment before I made a decision, and relive that in future readings.  I also have to tell you about my recent luck in the Dating Scene!

On the job front, things finally worked out for me.  It was a lot of back-and-forth with a Recruiter, then a phone interview, followed by an in-person interview 2 weeks later, where it was basically a done deal already.   Only, it really wasn’t that simple at all.  I was applying left and right daily and 2 other things hit too.  I had this interview at a bottle/can sleeving company that was so different and interesting and very high pay.  It was honestly a why not apply, but they actually bit and were interested in me!!  [It’s clear that these guys were my first choice, but it didn’t work out.]. Still, that interview was SUPER positive and I wouldn't have some sort of answer until 3 weeks.  [The fuck!?] That was not unlike the job I ended up with.  Long waiting period.

Then, there were 2 other places that bit too, but they were an easy 3rd and 4th place.  I won’t give names, but both were Warehouse jobs.  The 1st one was just so disorganized and the place looked dirty.. and when it came time to talk about pay, it was kind of up in the air, but I’d either get $14 as a Warehouse Associate or $16 as a Lead.  Get the fuck outta here.  I was upfront and let her know that I needed time to get back to her because I was waiting to hear back from other places.

The other Warehouse opportunity was way more promising, but the bottom dollar was $15.72 at start.  As I’ve never worked in a Warehouse before, there wasn’t much room for negotiation, but I really tried very hard.  This was a Hiring Event that I was at, so things moved quick.  Before I knew it, I was filling out an app on one of their laptops and then received an offer e-mail.  But when I saw that low number, there was no way I could sign the dotted line.  After any of that negotiating at the first interview!?  What the Hell, man?

The only thing that would've made me consider taking that risk was the Game this guy talked.  He was promising me that this was a lasting career.  People moved up there.  Great benefits.  There’s nothing wrong with starting at the bottom.  In 6 months, things open up, you apply within and see what happens.  etc. etc.  He told me that people on his team moved up to Corporate or other high paying departments, and he trained everyone on everything if he saw that they were willing to go that extra mile.  All this good stuff.

But I crunched those numbers, and they just didn’t make sense at all.  I’d barely be making grocery money, let alone bills.

So...  in my mind I had my 1st Place spot - the canning/sleeving company, this 2nd place spot from the Recruiter, the 3rd place spot, which was the $15.72 Warehouse job and 4th place, which was a last resort $14 or possible $16.

My in-person interview at the 2nd place area was the next day, and I didn’t know what I was gonna get.  He could’ve trapped me with more in-depth questions about things I didn’t know.  He could’ve completely caught me off guard.  But instead, just like the phone interview, he was very impressed.  He told me he needed a week, before he had his answer. That night the Recruiter called me, asked how it went and then told me, I got the offer.

!!!  I was shocked.  It was 2nd place, but it’d been so long since that 1st Place job saw me, that I had to consider putting it out of my mind.  4th place, also wasn’t an option.  So really, it was down to this place, which gave me an offer, which met me at my number, or a Warehouse job that was offering $15.72 an hour.

It should be a no brainer, but again - gotta think long term.  The Warehouse would've hired me directly, and despite starting at bottom, I’d be one of them, and climb the ranks within.. Maybe.

Meanwhile this job offered my number, they wanted me, but its Temp-Perm for 6 months.  No promises at continuity.

I had to weigh this option and I decided that it was a risk worth taking.  As I said to my family the night of the first phone interview.  It’s low risk.  On their end, if this doesn’t work out, they could just let me go.  And on my end, even if this doesn’t last past half a year, I’m going to learn more skills and really hike up my resume in experience.  Also the work is very comparable to what I’ve done for the past 2 years.  It’s Customer Service for an Aerospace company.  It just makes sense.

But again, at this interview, I really impressed it upon him that I was interested in working full-time in the long-term.  I asked how often it was that they’d hire a Temp, but things were going well and smooth, so they ended up hiring them full-time after the contract was up.

His answer was pretty positive.  He projects that the company is only going to keep needing people, and kind of let me know that this is how they do it.  [They just want to save a buck.]

But I’m not just gonna sit back and think I’ve got this in the bag.  I’m going to work hard and prove myself and earn my keep.

And all of that starts Tomorrow! I honestly can’t wait to get back to work and feel a sense of normalcy again.

But wait, there’s more.

In the Dating Realm things are heating up again!!

Last time I mentioned that Teacher person on Tinder.  She’s out. I don’t remember the time table, but there was another girl on Tinder that matched me, and for a literal 2 days that was exciting, until she peetered out as well.  Let’s call her TinderCat for lack of a better name. There’s no reason to really get into it about her, but our first conversation was a lot to do with cats, but then we just found that we didn’t have a lot in common.  It certainly wasn’t personal.  But when I gauged the whole Social Distancing and eventually meeting, she ghosted completely.  So.. ::farts::

Then came this week when a pretty hot girl swiped on me.  She was blonde and  looked a little tougher, but I said, “Cool!” and matched.  Conversation was fine, but not really groundbreaking.  Then, when I showed her off to my Dad, he thought she looked like a Whore, because she didn’t smile in any of her pictures...  I was so pissed at him, but that nickname has certainly stuck.  The Whore and I talked a little more the next day, and we put out a tentative plan to hang out at a bar near me that Friday or Saturday.

That night, while in a band meeting conference call, this other girl swiped on me out of nowhere, and I was blown away!  She’s a brunette, has a beautiful smile, she kind of looks like Allyson Hannigan and already, she just seemed so sweet!  I don’t have a name for her yet, but we’ve been talking, getting along and are starting to bond a little, so we actually have a date already!!  It’s tonight, so I’ve been referring to her as Sunday Girl, lol.  She’s really sweet and I can't wait to meet her.  That’s practically what we’ve been saying all week.  ::fingers crossed::  We’ve both been keeping it cool.

But that’s not all.  I hit a touch of deja vu when that Old Flame with a kid wanted to go on another trail date.  I know better now though.  She’s seeing someone and it’s getting very serious.  This was just a friend thing.  But I’m bringing it up, because on that day she posted some pics of us walking on the trail, and suddenly the Whore unmatched and unfriended me on FB.  I didn’t notice until that night.

Honestly, I’m head over heels for Sunday girl, but I didn’t forget about the Whore.  I let a healthy 2 days of space go by, but that was too much for her.  We already set a plan for later that week.  I was gonna check back on Thursday or something to talk about hanging on Friday or Saturday.  We never clarified the day.  But now that she fucking deaded me, I had a choice to make.

Let her Ghost and just let her win, thinking I wasn’t interested at all, or be a dick about it and show her that she fucked up.  I chose to be a dick.. I was careful, because I honestly didn’t want this date anymore.  I didn’t want to fuck up any potential for Sunday, however I needed to know if it was those Trail Pics.  It turns out it wasn’t.  It turns out that after 2 days of space, she thought I ghosted her.  She said it wouldn’t work out because she needed attention.

What the fuck ever.  I was busy.  I actually have hobbies.  And it’s really funny, because I’m Never the ghoster.  But apparently this time it was.  So there was real role reversal here.

I’m still a nice guy though and told her that if she ever changed her mind, I’d still be down to hang out.  But no.  This is done.

Then came a new contender!  This one matched me on Tinder and calls herself the Real-Life Daria, so we’ve got that nickname covered.  We spoke just a little bit on Friday and everything was positive, but then she just disappeared.  And I’m absolutely fine with that.

This is why they tell people to multi-task and gear up in the dating scene.  Everyone is different, but most people have the attention span of a gnat.  So they’ll either gravitate toward you, or they’ll completely focus on themselves and forget to respond altogether.

It’s a dangerous balancing act though, because things are still going well with Gal Pal.  Needy Girl is also still in the picture.  I haven’t mentioned them at all yet, because by shitty coincidence both of them had Covid scares and quarantined just in case.  In Gal Pal’s situation, she’s also been recovering from having her tonsils removed.

I honestly don’t remember the last time I physically saw her.  We made up since that weird date, and things have absolutely normalized again.  We don’t text every day, and since getting all excited about Sunday Girl, I’ve been pretty quiet.  But Gal Pal has been making the extra effort and she’s been feeling better.  She’s well enough to talk on the phone and wants to start hanging again, which is nice.

We had 2 really good conversations this week, and she continues to surprise me.  We really do get along and have more in common than I think.  So things are really getting interesting now.

But we’re gonna see what happens.

In general, to sum up the crazy dating life, the newest developments were:

* getting ghosted by TinderCat * getting deaded by the Whore  * setting up a date with SundayGirl * randomly talking to RL Daria * Needy Girl quarantining for my safety * Gal Pal recovering/quarantining herself, but texting/calling again.

You might have noticed that I haven’t said too much about my Date tonight. Honestly, it’s because I don’t want to jinx anything.  I don’t want to gush too much, just to tear it all down if things don’t work out tonight.  

But again, what attracted me was certainly her Allyson Hannigan look, she’s into metal, hiking, good beer...  2 of those are kind of common, but the Metal aspect is a specialty.  She’s definitely my kind of person in that regard. But then it turns out she has a cat and we bonded pretty hard about certain things in pet ownership.

She just seems fun and sweet and really likes my attention.  She’s also a hard workin’ woman, which is good, because I’m about to be quite busy myself.

So we’re gonna see!  I’m really excited to meet her.  We’ve been saying that to each other literally all week.  So here’s to tonight.

And the Future, as I start a new job!!

2020 is going to feel very different from here on in.  What’s left of it.

[arisamsara]

The change of relationship: breaking point of Yoo Jung

Cheese in the Trap Season 4, Ep. 30

WARNING: This post contains several spoilers of the story released up to this particular chapter. The selected plot points are needed for explanation of the chosen topic. If you haven't but plan to read Cheese in the Trap (much reccomended), please avoid this post or read at your own risk.

Cheese in the Trap (치즈인더트랩) is a Korean manhwa (aka comic) series created by Soonkki (story and artwork). It was published on online platform Naver Webtoon in 2010-2017. Later the story was published in print, translated into English on Webtoon app, made into a TV series and live action film. The English translation is in its last 4th season and still has around one year worth of material yet to be translated.

The story revolves around Hong Seol, a hardwoking and little overthinking 3rd year university student majoring business management who is suddenly approached by her same major sunbae, very rich, handsome and popular 4th year student Yoo Jung. It would seem Seol hit a jackpot, attracting attention of such a guy as Jung; however, there is no promise of typical romance in sight. Why?

Maybe because Seol knows that Jung is not as nice as he pretends to be in public?

Or maybe because the previous year Seol's university life was turned into hell and the main puppetmaster behind all those evil schemes seems to be... Yoo Jung?

Relationship that began shrouded in misunderstanding, antipathy and suspicion. Can it ever be turned into romance? Or is it just another Jung's masterplan to get back at Seol?

THE ANALYSIS

In this post I will:

1) do a quick recap of "Jung's attitude towards Seol" evolution (in approximate data graph form in interval -10 to 10 because they're business majors, duh);

2) explain what happened in this episode, what was mistranslated in Jung's monologue and what character details are hidden here;

3) clear the mistranslation of Jung's repeated "Seol" in this episode.

Important parts are highlighted with colour (setting/situation) or bolded (particular events). The words in "..." are actual quotations. The words in '...' are rephrased sentences. Lets begin!

[1st Part] RECAP

How Jung's attitude towards Seol changed since the beginning of previous year aka flashback year? Jung returned from military service to the 3rd year, Seol returned to the 2nd year; they first met during comeback drink party. Seol got wasted (she can't drink much), picked up thrown ciggarettes from the ground outside (for Bora) and kept side-eyeing Jung all evening (how he spilled drink on clingy girls). Jung's first impression of Seol was bad, around 0 to -1 (she's "pathetic"). Then Seol kept saying hello and smiling to him (he was sunbae and popular/respected as well) but Jung flat out ignored her (thought she's another leecher).

During Jaewoo's study group Seol was the only girl there (they thought she outsmarted other girls and came alone to be closer to Jung); Jung caught her laughing at him (he thought she was mocking him and saw through his "nice sunbae" mask; she was just laughing at her imagination of Jung as aloof prince) and his impression dropped to -5 as he really disliked her now. Seol tripped on waxed floor and Jung caught her saying "Be careful" (not about tripping but about her behaviour towards him).

Seol then badmouthed Jung in public (said he was distanced, chose with whom to mingle, acted a bit fake); he found out about it and started to hate Seol (drop to -8). Seol tripped again and dropped papers, Jung kicked them and said "You keep making mistakes. I told you to be careful" (again not about tripping but about making him seem WEIRD to others in public). So he began to act nice with Seol to make Juyeon (black-haired girl who crushed on Jung) jealous and ruin Seol's life (in study related matters)

Then Younggon badmouthed Jung during basketball game (something like 'Jung pities you clingy people', which was true). When everyone turned their backs on Younggon, who went to talk to him, comfort him with snacks? Seol. Jung saw that and likely thought 'So these Jung haters team up now, huh? They deserve each other'. Jung's hatred for Seol got even bigger (drop to -10). When Younggon came to Jung asking for forgiveness, Jung was tired of his sh*t and wanted to go home already (he sighed and ruffled his hair). Juyeon told Younggon he and Seol would be a great couple; they asked for Jung's opinion and he was like 'Yeah whatever you would look good' with a fake smile to be left alone and not involved in unnecessary rumours and drama. He also didn't stop Inha from taking his phone and writing Younggon (pretending to be Jung and advising to send Seol gifts etc.), because, well, he disliked Seol and couldn't be bothered thinking about her. However, Jung had no idea how far Younggon would go during summer break (stalking, threatening and assaulting Seol).

When Seol came straight to Jung and asked if he really told Younggon Seol liked him (and Jung found out how obsessed Younggon was) Jung was shocked and felt bad. Yes, he hated Seol but didn't wish her to be hurt/threatened. Then Juyeon sent homeless woman to the library where Seol was and Seol got cut with a glass. It was Jung (if I remember correctly) who secretly called security guard to save Seol (yet Seol thought Jung was there knowing what happened and did nothing). Jung was really mad with Juyeon for this.

More things have happened that I forgot a bit, but essentially Jung kept noticing he and Seol are somewhat similar. He overheard her phone call with her parents and learned she was also lonely and not fully appreciated by her family. They both were diligent and hardworking in studying (both often were the ones who were used in team projects and ended up doing most of the work, or even did all work alone so their grade would not be affected by other people's laziness). They disliked petty drama. And found it difficult to speak their worries to others (Seol was too self-conscious and afraid to burden her friends, Jung had no one to speak to at all). So Jung's hatred for Seol started to decrease and he occasionally found himself thinking about her and even smiling when doing that (which made him frustrated and confused).

Jung looked for opportunities to speak with Seol but she always ran away, avoided to be left with him alone. During festival Jung made her a part of his preparation group, assigned her an easy job (sort out boxes) so she wouldn't overwork herself as she usually does and so that they could have time to talk alone. Jung didn't know silverware arrived earlier than planned and those boxes were heavy instead of light (Seol thought Jung gave her that job on purpose, to get back at her and just make her more miserable). While working they kept glancing at each other (Seol saw Jung wipe his sweaty face and cough - he caught a cold and felt really sick, but kept working). As others ran home early avoiding work, finding ridiculous excuses, Jung said Seol will help him clean up, but when everyone left, he told her to go just home (no one will appreciate her sacrifice and hard work, he knew that from experience). Seol wanted to leave, but seeing how Jung was sick, she went into rain to place directions towards their bar space. As she got back to take her bag, she saw Jung cleaned the place and lied back on the sofa, mumbling with fever. She couldn't just leave him there, bought him medicine, placed a wet towel on his head and fell asleep on the other couch. Jung woke up feeling better and was surprised to see Seol who was also sick and grabbed his hand in her feverish sleep (Seol's habit). The way they both tended to each other as both were sick (such caring gesture) made them closer but still confused about each other.

Jung left umbrella to Seol (she didn't take one and got wet while placing directions outside) and next day didn't take it back immediately between lectures so they could speak in person when she returns it, but that plan failed (Seol was too sick to keep running after Jung; she didn't want to be alone with him; the students' pissed her off saying 'Poor Jung, got sick working all alone'). In episode 29 sick Seol mistook Jung as Euntaek and asked him for money (initially 10$, then changed her mind and said 2$ was enough). Jung was happy to help her (he knew Seol wasn't like other students who hanged out with Jung only because of his money; also she approached him first and he hoped now they could talk) and offered 40$ (possibly all the cash he had on him, as Jung seemed to favour his card for paying). However, Seol recognized him and ran away again thinking Jung was showing off his money and pity, humiliating her. He followed her and saw her crouched (she vomited), tried to approach her but couldn't (street between them was drawn as an abyss); during next break Jung bought a health drink for Seol but she collapsed and was carried to the infirmary.

Then this episode happened (explained in detail in 2nd part). After that, Jung found out Seol was taking a study break. He was desperate to keep her at university so he could finally get close to her (it was going to be Jung's last year, so if she took a break, they would likely never meet again). Having no other idea how to do that, Jung blackmailed Assistant Seo to make his research paper dissapear (Assistand Seo had stolen and used Jung's credit card, so Jung gave him a chance to be forgiven; once research paper was gone, Jung's grade would drop, Seol would become first in business department, get the scholarship instead of Jung and stay for another year). Then the first chapter of CITT happens when Jung approaches Seol all smiles and offers to buy her dinner (bomb food and triangle rice). So during this 'realization' period which started after Younggon's assault, Jung's like/dislike bar towards Seol jumped from -10 to a decent 8.

[2nd Part] EPISODE EXPLANATION + JUNG'S MONOLOGUE MISTRANSLATION + CHARACTER DETAILS

This whole chapter is from Jung's POV, so it's a rare opportunity not only to see him behave but also hear what he's thinking. Infirmary part is the breaking point is Seol-Jung relationship: it's Jung's last effort to stop being bothered and confused by his feelings towards Seol; and his utter defeat as his opinion of Seol changed completely. Jung was getting worried of her and her health before, but here we see the extent of it. Jung is super diligent when it comes to studying (a bit later, during their first movie date at the cinema Jung was hangover and asked Seol to wake him up if he falls asleep; but it was Jung who stayed up watching boring historical film without breaking attention because it was homework; while Seol quickly fell asleep). It is absolutely outrageous to see Jung deliberately skip important lecture (which has attendance marks) in the middle of it just to go and see Seol. It shows how much he worried about her without even realizing.

Then Jung quietly stared at Seol for a long time with a serious, cynical face as if criticizing, evaluating. Although Jung has dated many girls before (they asked him out and he said ok), he has never had any romantic feelings for them and had no experience with love. So here Jung tried to rationalize whatever newly experienced softness he was feeling towards Seol, remembering past incidents (how she fell several times and got her hand cut). But his concentration broke as soon as Seol moved and Jung was controlled by the unconscious desire to touch her HAND. Seol woke up (delirious) so Jung put his HAND over her eyes to make her sleep (it mirrors how Seol put her HAND over Jung's eyes to calm his rage after Sangcheol pushed them and Jung hurt his HAND). Seol grabbed Jung's HAND half asleep, thanked he was still there and told him to go already. Since she spoke in banmal (informal language), she must have mistaken Jung for Euntaek again, as she never spoke informally with Jung before. Obviously a HAND motif is extremely important in the story. Seol keeps grabbing people's hands (usually Jung's after they became close, ex. when he asked her to become his girlfriend, during volunteering etc.) because she pushed away grandmother's hand; Seol had her hand cut by homeless woman; Inho got his hand hurt during assault; Jung's habit to tap his fingers when he's thinking. I can say this hand grabbing was one of the deciding elements that defeated Jung and last effort of resistance, but why exactly this gesture has such an impact on him is revealed only at the end of the story.

The part time job paper he found in her pocket softened him more. Jung's monologue is MISTRANSLATED in English version on Webtoon app; in essence Jung said he was frustrated about his feelings towards Seol but now feels better (weird), it means he changed (that's weirder). Seol caused a chaos of emotions inside him and she was the only one who could contain that chaos and bring back peace to his heart. He had no proof they could get along as their relationship was dissapointing so far but he wanted to try once more and make sure of it. He admitted he had never regretted his actions so much as he did now (things he did to Seol). Jung realized he couldn't run away from Seol, was fascinated by her, worried (her call with parents), touched by her kindness (she cared for him at festival), apologetic (she crouched after asking for 2$). Suddenly realization hit Jung like a lightning -  he lost the battle and got taken over by affection and crush towards Seol. Jung fell in love for the first time. And here started his obsession with food and having dinner with Seol.

[3rd Part] MISTRANSLATION OF "SEOL"

Why Jung kept repeating "Seol" like crazy? The way it's translated in English on Webtoon app, there is no difference between Jung addressing Seol as he first got into the infirmary and at the end of the chapter. In original Korean version there is a huge difference. For ex. Seol never adressed Jung as Jung; he was Yoo Jung or Sunbae (the latter even after they started dating). Titles of hierarchy or full names are used between people who are not very close and are in official respectful relationship, mostly professional. Family members, close friends and lovers use banmal (informal speech) and address each other using each other's name (there are exceptions; also Bora and Euntaek also often called Seol as Hong/Hong Seol but it may have been a tease). So people who are very close would usually add ending -ah to other person's name as a form of endearment.

When Jung first entered the infirmary, he adressed Seol formally as "Hong Seol" (a fellow student and hoohae of the same major). But after Jung realized he fell in love with Seol, he smiled and called her name softly as "Seol-ah", suggesting she became a close person to him, a dear friend and a possible future lover. Being first time in love, Jung was fascinated by how lovely it sounds and kept happily repeating it.

AFTERTHOUGHTS

CITT emphasizes the importance of subjectivity of one's point of view. This post was written explaining Jung's point of view, how he saw Seol and judged her behaviour. However the story is written mainly from Seol's point of view, so the reader identifies with her and can clearly understand only her actions and thoughts. Most of the time Jung looks weird, unreadable and suspicious to the reader because Seol sees him like that, affected by her past experiences which were caused by misunderstanding between them (and also because Jung is a complex person in general who on top of that is inexperienced in expressing himself clearly).

Nothing like that would have happened if Jung and Seol had sat down and talked everything out in the beginning. But these two do not openly speak about things. Instead they observe, overthink and internalize, judging people by subjective patterns of their own experience. Seol and Jung are similar in this appproach, only their patterns differ.

Seol grew up nice, diligent, disliked troubles and drama, smiled at sunbaes and was often underappreciated. And Jung was always at the center of attention. Seol thoght it was unfair, but she didn't know that people hanged out with Jung only for his status, money and connections, looking for personal gain. When Seol tried to be nice to Jung because she was just raised like that, Jung thought she was another leecher as he only knew such people.

Money was a touchy issue in Seol's family and she had to work several part time jobs to earn for tuition. Jung never thought about money at all or give it much importance. He was collecting expensive watches because he hd nothing better to do (habit came from the childhood as he was lonely and wanted to have a hobby). His issue was not using money for other people (paying for team dinners; Jung is generous) but for people using him only for money. So when Seol paid for her dinner (like she was raised to do) she thought Jung considered her a fool. Actually, he was impressed and surprised (sge's a first who did that) and even felt a little mocked. So he had no issue to give her more cash than she asked - 'I have money, you need it as you're sick, take it all'. She felt humiliated as if Jung was showing off.

Jung made her part of his festival preparation group only to have a chance to speak with her. She thought he did it to make her life hard. Whatever nice Jung did later, he was misunderstood by Seol as having evil intentions. Even when he "lost his paper" and gave up his scholarship so that she would stay at University, he avoided telling her the truth as Seol could (and eventually did) misunderstand and judge him resorting to blackmail (Seol is very righteous). But she would not open to him or ask him for help otherwise, so Jung had to repeatedly help her from behind the scenes and later get scolded.

Also, I wanted to clarify Jung's line "I'm all you got" from episode 27 that generated a lot of discussions about his 'inappropriate, sketchy and manipulative' behaviour. The sentence does sound creepy, but it was partly the fault of translation. Actually this sentence does not mean Seol has no family or friends and has to rely solely on Jung. It is a mistake to take this one sentence out of context, as the sentence was a continuation of Jung's train of thought about unconditional love and trust; about putting someone always first.

Read the colour coded dialogue below:

Jung Seol

"Next time tell me anything. Even if it's just a suspicion. Didn't we agree to share everything? That night, at my house... We talked about it."

"Yes we did, that conversation. Well, I was suspicious of him (Sangcheol) for being a thief so I had to be cautious."

"Seol, when you get suspicious, you had a good reason to be. You can tell me."

"What? How can you be so sure? Aren't you trusting me a little too much?"

"Of course. Who else would believe you and take your side if not me? See? I'm all you got."

Jung never experienced unconditional love and trust; his father never put Jung, his son, first above everything else. Jung was told to give beloved picture frame (mom's treasure) to a boy who simply liked it. Father told Jung to stop whining and be nice - apparently how other people saw Jung was more important than what Jung wanted. Jung's father considered him weird and the lack of trust was expressed by making Baek twins spy on Jung and report back (twins were manipulated too). Father even seemed to like twins' company better than Jung's as father was always smiling and laughing around them, but giving Jung a cold shoulder and scorned face. In Jung's mind, he was never first to Inho too although they were best friends. Jung went to see Inho's favourite musician and get autograph in Inho's name. And Inho kept reporting to Jung's father about Jung, laughed about father liking him more than Jung and caused a scandal about being a second son in the family. People at work and University also don't care about Jung as a person, only about his status in society.

Seol's life is different, she has family and friends yet she can relate to Jung a lot too. In episode 29 Seol said: "No matter how hard I try, there is someone else who's on a whole different level from the beginning. Do I really need to feel this way even at school?" and a picture of Seol's brother Joon appeared. Seol was never put first too - her brother as the only son in the family was the most important. Grandma used to favour Joon and bring him more snacks. Parents sent him to USA to study (Seol also wanted that) and sent him money frequently but Joon stopped his studies and went home. Meanwhile, Seol took a break and had several jobs to earn money for her tuition. No one at home asked how she felt, what she wanted; no one noticed how sick she was (father said no one around the house was useful). Seol had Bora and Euntaek but they had their own problems at home and Seol couldn't find strength to tell them everything thst bothered her. This lead Seol to keep stuff to herself and just brace through it alone.

For Jung, Seol is his girlfriend, the girl he loves and by far the closest person he has. Despite rocky start she eventually tried to know him behind the façade. She bought him a watch (he collects them) with her scarce savings when her time, interest and honesty were more than enough for him. After arguing she would still come and try to work it out and understand him (the night they talked at Jung's house). She often worried about him to the point where she thought she would trouble him with her "small" problems. So that's what Jung talked about - he wanted Seol to share even the smallest worries with him, not bottle everything inside. When friends can be very close, they both are a couple. For Jung couple means people who are ultimate, the most important for each other. "I'm all you got" means "the ultimate/the last one/ the only one to remain with you when everyone turns their backs on you and leaves". It means that as her boyfriend, Jung is the only one who ALWAYS puts Seol first above others, supports her and is on her side no matter what, even if she is wrong or mistaken. That is unconditional love and trust they haven't experienced from their family and friends, so have to give to each other instead.

END

Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

[devilinsheepswool]

Obey Me! MC Character Sheet

Thanks to @kyungi-i for the spred sheet! I've seen others do it and thought why not me?

Name: Alisa Moreno

Nickname: Ally, Lisa, Li-Li, Al, Isa, Moreno

Age: 18

Height: 5'3

Weight: 170

Race: Human

Gender: ♀️

Birthday: April 13

Star Sign: Aries

Hair Color: Brown (pink streaks)

Eye Color: Brown

Skin: Brown/freckled

Demon brother, she is most to least like:

1. Levi

2. Belphie

3. Satan

4. Lucifer

5. Beel

6. Mammon

7. Asmo

Personality: she's pretty cynical and pessimistic, she also seems very aloof but somehow has a way of knowing a little bit of everything that's going on. When she wants to be she can be very observative and dedicated to her work, otherwise, she can come off as lazy, or disinterested just as much as aloof. Her snide personality comes off subtle mostly due to her wallflower and nerdish appearance. And she does have trouble getting to know other people due to her self-consciousness, low self-esteem and social anxiety; all of which she masks under witty remarks, jokes, and sarcasm. She puts up walls and its difficult to get to know her past surface level, despite it all Lisa does have a soft side and softens up around people that have a natural kindness and positivity about them or are straightforward. She has a good sixth sense, which helps her be an extremely good judge of character more often than not she is correct about her intuition regarding others' intentions towards her. Lastly, she has a bad habit of acting out and deliberately going against authority, she doesn't like feeling controlled and being told what to do. She'll usually follow the rules because she can't be bothered with the effort to break them but if she feels like someone's trying to control her or that she's being patronized then she will deliberately go out of her way to break the rules.

Background: Before coming down to Devildom, Lisa, despite only being 18 had already finished all her schooling, including higher education. Back on earth, she was recognized as a child prodigy in her research on historical documents and records, despite her early achievements at such an early age, the pressure of being placed on such a high pedestal career-wise eventually got to her and she fizzled out. Growing up an orphan without a past or family, the academy she worked for and her work was all she had, after she cracked due to the pressure she ran away hoping to live out the youth she felt she had never experienced in childhood. At age 16 she was a runaway and going under a different name. She lived on the streets and squatted in abandoned buildings for a few months before she met some people that offered to help her. During this time she developed an interest in music seeing as the people who helped her were a musical band full of teens just like her.

In order to stay with them, she lied to them about the truth of who she was and why she ran away. She stayed with one of the band members she had become close to during her initial days of having met them. While she stayed with them she learned how to play several instruments and eventually sing as well. She went on to perform with them but after two years of playing with them musical difference surged and a fight broke out, after which Alisa decided to run away again. It was during her second night of squatting in an abandoned house that she woke up in Devildom.

Hobbies: Music; Singing, Electric Guitar, Violin.

Likes: Sweets, Reading, Music, Animals, Writing, Video Games and drawing.

Dislikes: Liars, being lied to, math, meddling (Ironically), cruelty, injustice/unfairness and short tempers. Words that sound one way but are spelled another, or that sound like they mean one thing and then mean something else.

Appearance:

She's fairly average height. She's on the plump side, with a rounded face that makes her look baby-faced. She has freckles but due to her brown skin they're difficult to notice. Her eyes are rounded and large despite the dark circles brought on by years of bad sleeping. Her hair is short in a bob cut and wavy/curly, usually, she has a singular braid running down her left side. She wears glasses to see and prefers to wear loose-fitting clothing except for at performances. She tends to dress on the nerdy side.

Casual Clothing -

• Top: Sky Blue sweater rather loose fitting sweater over a white button up blouse.

• Bottom: plaid moss green skirt. Over the knee length, style is somewhat pencil skirt. Black tights under skirt.

• Shoes: Brown Boots.

• Accessories: star-shaped hair clip, silver necklace with a star pendant, a bunch of woven, or leather, or beaded bracelets. 

• Glasses: Yes. Black plain.

Uniform:

Alterations?

Not many, she wears the uniform properly a skirt version with the same black tights underneath the skirt. And a light blue tie on her uniforms blouse.

• Mother: N/A

• Father: N/A

• Siblings: N/A

• Pets: A black cat she adopted during the first time she ran away, she found her in one of the abandoned buildings fed her and the cat kept following her after that. Her name is Pandora.

• Friends: Prior to joining the band Alisa had none, after joining the band she made 2, Lydia and Florence. The lead singer and drummer of the band, respectively. She stayed with Florence and her grandmother during her time in the band.

• Past Relationships:

She had a mentor/advisor who eventually became a colleague when she finally started working with the academy. She was very close to her and was her only actual relationship. Her relationship with Dr. Aver was the closest she's ever had to a familial relationship. In the early stages of their relationship Aver became endeared with a rather small and young Alisa and tried to offer her the closest thing to a family she could through her and her husband. While they had a solid well-going relationship, they hit an obstacle when Aver was offered a position teaching at a highly prestigious institution abroad. Aver tried to keep connected long distance but it all came to an end when Alisa ran away.

Alisa dated three times during her time in the band the first relationship was bad from the start and ended badly, the second and third one ended with Alisa self-sabotaging herself due to the first bad experience. All occurred relatively back to back during the first year and half of her being in the band.

The first one though was the longest one, which lasted for 9 months. The last two were relatively short-lasting about a month to two each.

Sexuality: Unsure, possibly Pan.

Have they been in love before?

Because of her first toxic relationship and overall young age, at the time Alisa is hesitant to say that she ever was truly in love in any of her past relationships. But she was the most heartbroken with the ending of her 3rd relationship. Prior to her third relationship, the other two were mainly out of curiosity for exploring with dating than actual love.

How easily do they gain crushes?

Not easy, she wasn't aware of her feelings towards her third (future) partner until she was in her second relationship, her feelings for her 3rd future partner had started amidst her 1st relationship when it started going downhill.

Do they believe in love?

She doesn't really have an opinion on it, she's rather cynical and with her negative past experiences you would think she doesn't believe in it anymore if she ever had, but honestly, it's not something she's thought about that much. She's just experiencing life as she goes, maybe someday...

What's their type:

Alisa is the type of person to look for what she's missing in her life in someone else; she's typically drawn to kind, warm-hearted people, more likely than not optimists with positive personalities. You get the sense that she's into the "angelic" type (thus her third ex/first love) with a strong moral compass always set on doing right. Of course, this being her type doesn’t mean it’s what suits her the best. Mixed with her low self-esteem, a relationship with her ideal type may turn out to be hazardous as she might end up over-idealizing the person or self-sabotaging once again due to low self-worth as well.  

Which of the 7 brothers is her favorite?

That's a tough one she likes both Mammon and Levi but couldn't pick a favorite between both. Although Beel is also a strong contender for her favorite.

Why?

Mammon, despite not being honest about what he truly thinks about her is easy to read and has always been there for her when she's truly needed him, he's stepped in to save her multiple times and she knows he clearly worries about her. She's grateful to him despite his antics, and is able to look past the big cool guy/bad boy facade he puts on and appreciate him for being there when she really needs him.

Levi, she actually sees a lot of herself in him. Especially, a lot of her from prior to her first run away. She relates to his hermit-like personality because prior to running away she was like that as well. She can also sympathize and empathize with his obvious insecurities and wants to more than anything be there to reassure him and help become more secure of himself. Despite not being a total weeb like Levi, during her time in the band she did develop some interest in anime and manga, just not as passionate as Levi's.

What do they look for in a partner?

Ideally, she likes kind-hearted, empathetic people but speaking practically she'd prefer an honest straightforward person easy to read that doesn't try to play mind games or control her. Someone patient and that can reassure her when she doubts herself, and most importantly someone that will call her out when she needs to be. She doesn't want someone that will coddle, pamper, or try to spoil her like a little doll and let her get away with things that are prick-ish. She's good at keeping herself in check but she'd like the reassurance that someone will call her out if she slips up without noticing.

General -

Fav. Food: Tamales, but she also loves Cheeseburgers and Milkshakes.

Least Favorite: Meatloaf, Eggnog, Rasin Muffins, Salmon.

Favorite color: blue & green

Least Favorite: White or Neons

Sociable or Recluse? Both, she can be something of an ambivert but prefers to be more reserved due to her majority introvertness.

Favorite Movie Genre: Droll Comedy, or Action Political Thrillers/govt. conspiracy, K-drama's

Reader or not? Very much a reader, liked it and eventually it was what her job required of her in order to conduct her research.

Favorite Animals: She likes cats and dogs, but she also has an ample love for animals of all kinds but especially the ones that can be found in the woods; Owls, Raccoons, Wolves, Crows. Her favorite however has to be the Fox.

Favorite Music Genre: Rock, though she's big on ceremonials and sea shanties as well, and loves testing her vocal range with gregorian chants and Hymns.

Least Favorite: Country

Do they like sweets?

BIG YES.

Do they like spicy food?

👌👌👌👌

Do they like school?

Not so much like but she was good at it, and a majority of her life was dedicated and depended on it, overall she doesn't have bad memories about school perse, so I guess you could say that she does.

Pet Peeves:

Loud food chewing, bad breath, meddling in her business, being patronized, people pointing out her baby face, people trying to manipulate, use or lie to her.

[the-magic-lava-lamp]

Soul Siblings

Summary:  This one-shot belongs to the ‘Caught Up In You’ universe which is my high school AU in which most characters are seniors (apart from the likes of Loki, Wanda, Pietro etc. who are Sophomores) ! 

However, this story takes place before the beginning of ‘Caught Up In You’, during Loki & Wanda’s freshmen year.

*Loki & Wanda Friendship* 

Word Count: 3,872

“You two almost ready up there?” 

Wanda nearly jumped at the sudden sound of her mother���s voice from below the carpeted bedroom floor. But thankfully, she remained perfectly still and was able to sweep the eyeliner brush across her lid in just the way she wanted & had practiced. 

Scooting her chair back from the large deep red vanity, Wanda checked herself out for a final full-look and tried to keep her pleased smile from taking over her face. 

“They’re not gonna let you out of the house like that.” 

Holding back the smile was no real effort now. Wanda pushed her hair so it could fall over her shoulders. A distant memory of Pietro falling down the stairs and knocking his front teeth out when they were around seven or eight came up in her mind while she fidgeted. “Just go downstairs and tell her we’re ready.” her voice was husky with annoyance. She hadn’t made fun of his silly front-toothless grin then but Pietro had no problem making fun of the way she had shrieked as if it were the end of the world and not just an early tooth fairy visit. 

Her brother flashed her an amused grin before thumping down the stairs with loud booming footsteps. Wanda allowed herself a minute to admire her work again before following after him. 

But it was the middle step, around stair five which was the one just above their cute little height markers drawn in pencil on the wall were, where she heard her mother gasp. “Wanda....” 

She popped her leg out and slapped her hand down to curl it against the railing. The traces of red glitter from the eye-shadow she’d used were shining against her skin. 

“It’s not that I don’t want you to express yourself-” 

Her mother climbed a few steps, trying to meet her daughter. Wanda only gave her a look that suggested a ‘But....?’ 

“This is a family dinner and you-”

“Look like you’re wearing a Halloween costume.” Pietro gave her a large smirk to which she rewarded him with a roll of her eyes. 

Their mother waved Pietro off and turned back to Wanda. “Why don’t you just take the makeup off and come have a nice dinner with us?” 

“Why should I? You guys never make a big deal out of Pietro going out in the same ugly track suit!” She shoved her hand out to point at him and her brother stepped forward to argue. “It’s just makeup.” 

“If it’s just makeup then can’t you do your mother this favor and wipe it off?” She pleaded and Wanda gripped the railing harder. 

“It’s ok to express myself as long as it’s not embarrassing for you. Got it.” She gave a passive-aggressive false smile and a thumbs up. 

“Wanda, you are fourteen years old and have black and red smudged all over your face like some kind of...” She waved her arm around but never did finish that sentence. “Just get cleaned up and we’ll go to that place you like so much, ok?” 

Wanda pursed her lips. “No! This is what I want to look like! I don’t understand why you’re being so controlling about it.” She growled. 

“Listen to your mother, Wanda.” Their father came in from the kitchen and stood at the front door but she was far too mad to really care. “Take off the makeup or you’re staying home.”

She gave them all a heated glare and crossed her arms. “I’m staying home, then.” and with that, she huffed dramatically and pounded her way back up the stairs. 

“Make sure to slam the door and stamp your feet some more while you’re pitching a fit like a child!” Her dad called out after her. 

“Ughhhhh, just leave!” 

She slammed the door and waited until she heard her family leave without her before hopping onto her bed. 

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

Soul sibling. That’s how they referred to each other since about the 3rd grade. Loki and Wanda had been introduced when the twins were new in town and were in desperate need of friends. Thus, their parents decided on making play-dates with some of the neighborhood kids. 

It was not an event that ever went smoothly. Mr. & Mrs. Maximoff quickly learned that though little Pietro was astoundingly social, he’d been very protective over his twin. And Wanda just never seemed to click with any play-mate the parents set them up with. Their little girl was quiet and mostly kept to herself. Though she’d open up about certain things...

it was just that none of the kids really wanted to talk about how she was a ‘witch’ or how she could ‘predict the weather’. And it was always a ruined play-date when Wanda pulled out her thick binder of Bella Sara cards. 

Most of the neighborhood kids just didn’t click with Wanda and so Pietro hadn’t made much of an effort either. The Maximoff’s had been worried their children just wouldn’t make friends at all. 

But then they set up a play-date with two brothers who lived close by. The younger, Loki, was the twins age of 8 and his brother,Thor, was three years older. 

Thor was a polite and energetic little kid that Pietro got along well enough with but the real magic was that Wanda finally seemed to have found a friend she could bond with. Finally. The Maximoff’s felt extremely comforted by the fact that their daughter wasn’t alone. 

The Odinson’s told them all about Loki. He too was a bit of an off-beat child that didn’t play well with others, even his brother on the occasion. He was a tad bit mischievous, absolutely refused to cut his long shaggy black hair, and sometimes wore his mothers large rings, insisting he could do magic. He spent most of his time isolated (though Thor was always willing to spend time with him). The Odinson’s had been a little nervous about the making friends aspect of school as Loki grew. 

Both sets of parents couldn’t believe their relief when Wanda started her speech about being a witch and Loki only listened with interested ears. They let go of the breath they’d been holding when he offered her some of the rings on his fingers. 

They couldn’t believe their lucky. At the moment, it didn’t even matter if the other two kids got along. That had been the most comforting sense of relief that a parent could have.

And so from then on, Loki & Wanda had been best friends. And Pietro was feeling less like he had to watch over her so much. Wanda had a friend. They passed around a journal at school, wore gaudy friendship mood-rings, begged to be driven to the mall, and made potions in the kitchen at 3 a.m. during sleepovers. 

They’d spent many nights over at each other’s houses, talking about things they couldn’t talk about with anyone else. 

So when the call came, Loki didn’t hesitate before picking up the same over-night bag and walking the short distance to Wanda’s house. They lived just about a block away from each other and her home was tucked into the middle of a quiet street. 

“They just don’t get it! No one understands.” Wanda wined as she padded up and down her carpet, bare-feet sinking in slightly. Loki followed her movement with his eyes but remained silent because it was best not to interrupt her. He only gave her a look. 

“Except you!” she added with a small smile before leaning back on her vanity. “It’s just that...” She fiddled with her fingers.

“I’m listening.” Loki hummed and she threw him a light smile. 

“It’s annoying when I can’t be myself, y’know?” She stepped away and came towards the edge of the bed where Loki was perched, legs crossed with his hands folded together. 

“Oh, I know.” He huffed, eyes rolling in that flawless way of his. “At least you don’t have my dad. He thinks he’s subtle about...” his voice trailed off “Not liking my personality, to be blunt, but he’s not.” His shoulders shrugged and Wanda put on a deep frown. 

“At least you have your mom and Thor.” She reminded him gently and he made an amused expression. “Pietro doesn’t even seem to like me anymore. He’s always got something to mean say about the way I dress or my makeup.” 

Loki glanced up to take another good look at her makeup. “Well, You’re still not very good at it.” He pursed his lips but was rewarded with a punch in the arm and Wanda punched hard. She wasn’t weak but she wasn’t really aware of that yet. “Ow! I’m sorry. You’re getting better, truly.” he put his arms up in mock surrender. 

Loki learned early on in their friendship that he couldn’t be quite as snide as he usually was with Wanda. She was a sensitive girl but it was the first time he ever valued a friendship, so Loki made the effort. “Your brother’s just in that phase where he’s got to tease you. It’s like...a rite of passage.” He gently patted her hand. 

“Thor doesn’t tease you that much.” 

“That’s because I tease him.” Loki grinned, wide and mischievous. “Anyway, not that listening to your misery isn’t fun-because it is...” He pinched her hand and she smacked his arm. “But can we move on to something else? A movie maybe?” 

Wanda grinned. “Movie, huh?” 

“Oh-no.” He sighed, rubbing his hand down his face. “Wanda, we’re not watching that.” He crawled over to fetch her laptop which was sitting atop her nightstand and started typing. 

“Please?” 

“Pick something else! You always pick that one!” Loki rolled his eyes but he knew this was a losing battle for Wanda was already setting it up her way. She got her DVD and shoved it into the player before hopping down next to him, again not gently. Loki nearly shot up from the force of her jump but was weighed down by Wanda resting her chin on his shoulder. 

As ‘Scooby-Doo & The Witch’s Ghost’ flashed on screen, Wanda burrowed her arm into Loki’s and watched him browse her computer. 

He opened her Facebook messages and sighed. “He never answered you, huh?” Loki tried to look down at her but his vision was clouded with her hair. 

“Nope!” Wanda lifted her head and slammed her back against the wall but she wasn’t even close to upset. In fact, she was more amused. She kept their arms interlocked but was now leaning on her light red wall and kicking her feet. 

“Remind me why you like Steve right now?” Loki raised his brow and tilted his head slightly as he flicked through her recent messages. Wanda hummed. 

“He’s really...” She blinked, in long thought and Loki held back a laugh. “Sweet.” 

His laugh came out then and she smacked him but not quite so hard. “I’m serious. He was really nice to me when he was at your house with Thor.” She picked at the nail polish on her fingers. “We’re gonna be in Student Council together when it starts up!” She grinned and shuffled to tuck her legs under herself. Loki rolled his eyes. “Why don’t you like him?” 

“For starters, he’s very boring.” He happily replied and even took the time to glance at her before returning to his 'work’ which Wanda had 100% stopped paying attention to. “And so...painfully...plain. Nothing special about him.” 

His friend whistled to his right and watched the TV screen as she spoke. “I should’ve known he’s not your type. That’s why you’re into Tony.” She giggled, tossing the remote and catching it flawlessly no matter how she twirled it. “He’s so eccentric. Like you.” She crinkled her nose and turned up the volume. 

The television fuzzed a little in focus before it fixed itself and Loki chuckled. “Yeah but he’s eccentric in a...party boy nerd way. And I’m eccentric in a...” Loki paused, trying to find his words. 

“Moody, emo, drama kid kind of way?” Wanda poked his arm.

Loki poked his elbow into her side. “Yeah...” He nodded. “That’s why I’m much too good for him. But I’ll give it a pass if he ever shows interest.” He winked a Wanda whistled loudly. 

Loki and Wanda had major crushes as often as people ate. At least every week there’d be a new guy on their radar. 

Wanda reached over the laptop and grabbed a scrunchie from her nightstand. “Guess I’m gonna wash this makeup off if we’re gonna get comfortable.” She sighed, dissapointed but not surprised that it never got to see the light of day, just the light of her flickering lamp. 

“If it helps, I like it.” Loki flashed her a grin and hoped it didn’t come of as sarcastic. He’d been told countless times that his joy could sound that way. But Wanda nodded with genuine understanding. “You’re just not so great at the girl stuff, huh?” He teased her some more and gently smacked the back of his hand against her arm. 

“I’m really not.” She giggled and scampered off to the bathroom that joined to her room, which was a blessing. But left the door cracked a little so she could listen to the television. “Remember when I tried to curl your hair and burned all my fingers and your neck?” Her laughter was loud and bubbly which countered the girls dark personality. It was very contagious. 

Loki put on an annoyed tone. “How could I forget? That was a fun thing to explain to my parents when they saw the mark.” 

Her laughter was getting to the point where she must’ve been shaking in silent giggles behind the door. 

As the sink began to run, Loki glanced up and fondly rolled his eyes at the movie because ‘How many times could Wanda watch this and not get sick of it?’. He heard the familiar creaks of her home from behind the fuzzy TV and felt comfort wash over him. Which, he wouldn’t admit to needing but he really did. 

They’d just started their Freshman year and he would be lying if he didn’t say he was nervous. But that was fine. He liked to lie. So he could mask that feeling well. Though it wasn’t just that. 

As he entered High School, Thor was starting his second half. a Junior. And although he put on a front, Loki was actually very close to his brother. Not many people but Wanda were aware of that. 

Loki mercilessly teased Thor but who else was he gonna record doing stupid things? Who else would understand him in the same way that his brother did? He didn’t like to admit it but Thor was his best friend in a different way then Wanda was.  

Having a brother meant having someone you can have a knock-down-drag-out fight with but still get ice cream with a 3 a.m.

And soon enough, that could be coming to an end. 

He glanced up at the bathroom door, hearing Wanda stumble through a mumbled version of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Gypsy’ as she splashed her face with water. “You know, my dad thinks we’re dating.” 

“Gross. Why?” She spoke from behind the door as she opened and closed multiple drawers. 

Loki had to agree with her immediate reaction. “Well, the curling iron incident probably didn’t help...plus, remember when he came to wake us up and we were sleeping in the same bed?” 

Wanda snorted. “That was because you made me watch those scary videos-!” 

“They’re not scary! You’re just too easily scared.” 

“I am not and you know it!” Wanda stuck her head out of the door, ponytail flopping downwards. “People need to respect ghosts and NOT try to antagonize them.” She scoffed and he shrugged. 

“Anyway, he’s been calling you my little girlfriend for ages.” Loki’s voice was small and a little insecure which did not happen often. “I don’t mind it so much because I’m not sure how he’d react to me being gay, y’know?” Loki frowned and Wanda gripped the side of the door. 

She was about to speak some genuine words and he knew that just by her expression. But it was too much for him at the moment so he decided to change the subject.

“Speaking of parents...” He flicked his tongue. “When are yours due back and are they gonna be upset with my being here?” He asked as she moved back to the bathroom. 

“I don’t know. They’re only getting dinner. So probably soon.” There were a few more shuffling sounds. “And they gotta be used to you showing up by now.” 

The room went silent for a few minutes besides Wanda running the sink a few more times. So Loki glanced back at the screen. 

“You’re about to miss the whole reason you love this movie.” 

The girl shoved the door open and darted over to the bed once more and hopped next to him. This time she dangled her legs over the side and he set aside her laptop. 

‘I'm gonna cast a spell on you You're gonna do what I want you to Mix it up here in my little bowl Say a few words and you lose control...’

“I'm a Hex Girl and I'm gonna put a spell on you. I'm gonna put a spell on you!” Wanda playfully pushed Loki as she sung along. This part of the girl was hardly ever seen by anyone but him. She was so quiet in school. 

Wanda sank back into the bed, the palms of her hands buried in the blankets. “Besides her whole Vampire thing-I never had a vampire phase, I always knew I was a witch girl-she’s my style icon.” Wanda pointed out the same girl she did every-time they watched this movie. “I wanna dye my hair that red color.” 

Her lips pursed sadly and Loki had about enough of that kinda mood for one night. “Why don’t you dye it then?” 

She scoffed. “Sure.” 

But Loki picked up his phone and started texting before even looking at her again. She paused the movie and tried to peek over his shoulder. “What are you doing?” 

The man didn’t answer until he got a satisfying reply bell back and proceeded to leap off the bed. “Thor’s picking us up to take us to a CVS or something.” And with that, he twirled out of the room and picked up his night-bag on the way out.

“Text your parents and tell them your staying over at my house! Things could get messy and you’re bathroom’s way too nice to destroy!” 

Wanda widened her eyes and stood still for a moment or two before doing just as Loki told her and rushing down the steps after him. Her bedroom door hung open.

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

The turning blinker was beating in their ears and the glare of the red light was almost painful. Loki leaned back on the fabric seats of Thor’s car which had been a gift from their parents and sighed. Rain splattered against the window and provided a nice background noise to their record silence. 

“You know, one of you could sit up here with me for once. It’s pretty lonely.” Thor teased, though he was kinda serious, as he tapped his fingers against the wheel to the blinker’s beat. 

There was about two different ways for Loki to respond, Wanda learned. The boy was either going to be a little smart mouthed kid and make a comment back to him. Or, Loki was-

‘-Oh, looks like he went for the second option.’ 

Wanda laughed as Loki reached over to smack the back of Thor’s head. The two brothers smacked each other around so often and it never seemed to bother either of them where their location was. 

This was far from the first time she’d seen them attempt to fist-fight while Thor was driving. Wanda let them do their little skit and took some time to zone-out as water pitter-pattered against the window. 

:

:

:

:

CVS was playing a far off version of ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ when the three idiots in their Pajamas stared at box-dyes in the hair-care aisle. 

Thor, the largest, was curled up criss-cross style on the rough carpet. He was digging deep into the bottom shelf and pulling out whatever colors he thought the others might enjoy. 

Loki was completely off-topic and not all there with his eyes targeting the last half of the aisle. Which was made up of useless home-ware and a half-broken into Lava lamp box because suburban drug stores never made any fucking sense. 

And Wanda was hovering between them with her pinky finger resting unconsciously on her bottom lip. 

They were frozen in their positions for a good solid five minutes which actually clocked in around ten minutes in small-town shopping time. 

Somebody in the store checked out with a loud beep, the double-doors slid open, and with no warning the fuzzy song above them made an abrupt change in genres to ‘Somebody's Watching Me’. 

Wanda popped out her leg and knelt down next to Thor, who at that very second held up a ruby red shade that was just what she wanted. 

The electric doors came open again and momentarily allowed the sound of rain to take over the music before it was muffled all over again. 

“-All I want is to be left alone, in my average home But why do I always feel Like I'm in the Twilight Zone?”

From two aisles over, somebody sneezed over another person’s question of the time. 

“You’re paying, right?” Loki smirked at Thor but the gentle giant only nodded and ruined the annoying little brother game.

Loki paid and they escaped back out into the rain. 

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

“She is like a cat in the dark and then She is the darkness She rules her life like a fine skylark and when The sky is starless-”

Wanda sang into the tiny brush before once more running it down a chunk of her hair. Performing effortlessly in the Odinson bathroom while drowning in an old sweatshirt of Thor’s which he’d offered kindly so as not to ruin her outfit. 

Loki, who’d been watching from the edge of the tub, took the opportunity to swipe the brush from her fist and go about the back of her hair. Wanda would surely miss a large space if he didn’t do it for her. As much as she wanted ruby red hair, she was still a teenager with loads of other junk on her mind. 

:

: : :

:

During the thirty minutes of waiting, Thor made them popcorn and humored Wanda in her questions about Steve. He genuinely loved hanging out with his little brother and his friend even when Loki shoved him out of the room. 

But Loki asked him back for the hair reveal. 

Thor’s little brother playfully rubbed the towel against Wanda’s head a couple times before finally sliding it off. 

The shining ruby hair flopped from the cloth and water-falled off the smiling girl’s shoulders. 

Clearly, the day had turned out much better than she expected. Her smile was the dead giveaway of her joy. 

[sosthemortalcoil]

Ko-Fi Request: Date with Tadea

Alexandra made a request for the following:

Romantic date with Tadea

From Tadea’s PoV (3rd person limited is my preference for other characters)

World-weary Gabriel who finds herself surprising smitten with Tadea

Tall Gabriel

Total word count is 5,235 words and if you would like a pdf or word document copy, let me know via private messages here or on discord! Enjoy~

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

“Tee, it’s going to be fine.”              

“Oh easy for you to say!” Tadea snaps, chewing on her lower lip as she continues to pace. “Everything comes so easy to you! Pack alpha, valedictorian, full ride—”

“Not everything,” Leo says softly, closing his laptop and standing up, catching her by the shoulders. She narrows her eyes at him. It’s no secret that Gabriel had captured both of their attentions, and there was only one victor in the war for her heart. For once, Leo hadn’t had everything handed to him on a silver platter.

“Boy, I can still kick your ass, alpha or no.”

Leo’s smile is gentle. “I know, Tee.” He squeezes her arms and then drops his hands. There’s no jealousy, though, just a quiet acceptance and support. In some ways it’s harder, having him be so supportive. She’s not sure she would be in his position. “It’s okay to be nervous, though.”

“What’s there to be nervous about? It’s just a date,” Tadea says, crossing her arms and shrugging her shoulders up about her ears.

“You’ve checked your appearance in the bathroom at the end of each loop you’ve been pacing through the apartment.”

“I have not!”

Leo inclines his head. “So you weren’t checking that the one strand in front that never likes to stay there—” He breaks off into laughter as Tadea frantically touches the pads of her fingers to her forehead, trying to make sure that her mohawk, combed down for once in an attempt to look more formal, is still in place.

“You’re a brat,” Tadea hisses, torn between scowling some more and wanting to cry. Not that she particularly wants the latter, but she’s never felt so nervous in her life. Facing life and death situations? Fine. Going up against creatures more powerful than her? Easy-peasy.

Taking an archangel of the lord out on a date?

Someone help her.

“Cálmate. Eres linda y fuerte. Estás lista.”

Tadea shakes her head. “No. No, no, no.” She isn’t ready. Sure, she might look pretty, might look the part, but she’d rather go fight a swarm of ghouls with one hand tied behind her back than do this right now. The consequences of screwing up seem less dire with the alternate scenario.

Then there’s a hand at the scruff of her neck and as much as she wants to fight against it, bare her teeth and snarl, she reminds herself that it’s okay to be vulnerable. It’s okay to trust her alpha.

“But if you don’t go now, you’re going to be late,” Leo comments, his eyes warm.

Tadea’s go wide. “Why didn’t you say anything!” She bolts for the door to the apartment and slams it as she books it down the stairs.

Thirty seconds later she’s sprinting back up the stairs and nearly breaking the door down as she barges back in. “Purse!” The strange expression on her alpha’s face lets her know he’s trying hard not to laugh at her behavior. Fortunately, before he loses it, Leo picks up the black clutch and tosses it to her.

Fumbling out her keys, she raises them triumphantly over her head. “I’m off!” There’s a glow to her, and she even manages a wink this time. “Don’t wait up.”

“Have fun!” is the last thing she hears as once more she clatters down the dark, narrow stairs before bursting out into the fading daylight. The clutch is tossed unceremoniously into the back as she slides across the old leather bench seat, the engine roaring to life a second later.

A glance at the clock has her cursing under breath. She can’t be late. She’s been dreaming of this day for longer than she’d like to admit. Of course, she hadn’t known initially what Gabriel was, but it hadn’t mattered. The woman had come into her life and stolen her heart in an embarrassingly short amount of time.

Some might say it was a childish crush, but Tadea had waited, bided her time. It hadn’t faded, and for fair reason. After the brilliance of Gabriel, other women seemed a dull in comparison. Smitten didn’t begin to cover it.

And then Gabriel had chosen her. The rough-around the edges, barely-passed-highschool mechanic over the brilliant alpha. This was the one thing Tadea had wanted for years, the one thing she truly would fight for. And her effort had paid off in a nearly unbelievable turn of events.

Her hands feel slick on the wheel, and it takes a concerted effort not to wipe them on her slacks. The price-tags had only come off this afternoon and she’d rather not get her outfit wrinkled before dinner starts. The material feels silky on her skin, and she hopes Gabriel likes it. For a moment she had contemplated getting a dress or skirt, but ultimately decided that her physique would look better in black slacks and the sleek sleeveless turtleneck top she’d gotten to go with it, leaving her arms bare.

Gabriel could kick her ass in a fight with a bend of her pinky finger, but Tadea figured she had to appreciate the hard-earned tone the werepanther had. It was one of her better assets, and it showed off her tattoos. She’d spent too much to get them to not show them off when she could.

Taking a corner harder than necessary and drawing a few scathing stares, she pulls her car into the parking lot of one of the classier restaurants on the bay.

Then she sits there and stares mindlessly off into the distance. Maybe this was a mistake. She’s going to stick out like a sore thumb here with her tattoos and hairstyle, not to mention she’s likely a good decade younger than everyone apart from the waitstaff.

Hell, she looks nearly a decade younger than her date. She frowns. Date? Girlfriend? Gabriel had said yes to the date so did that mean they are girlfriends now? Her heart thumps erratically in her chest at the thought. She’s never had a girlfriend before. Plenty of hookups, sure, but not someone she would take out on a date.

Not someone she would buy new clothes for and fuss over her appearance for hours hoping to live up to expectations.

Tadea groans. “I’m so fucking gay it’s a wonder I can function right now,” she grumbles, shaking her head, trying to rid herself of the nervous thoughts flitting around her head like so many gnats.

And then promptly scooting across the seat so she can see herself in the rearview mirror, afraid that she’d messed up her hair after finally getting all the strands to lay just so.

She jumps at the knock to her window. A familiar face peers in, lips stretched in an amused grin. Much to her horror, Tadea can feel the blush spreading through her cheeks.

“Coming out?” Gabriel mouths.

Nodding, Tadea buys herself some time by turning around and rummaging for her clutch. It’s fallen under the front seat, which necessitates her climbing half-way into the back to grab it. As she returns to the front seat she catches a glimpse of herself and groans. She’d been afraid of using too much product and causing her hair to look stiff so she’d tried to use as little as possible. The result is that now her hair is falling haphazardly over her head. This is why she doesn’t like purses. Much easier to jam a wallet into a pocket of her utility pants. Now she’s undone all of the hard work she’d put into looking presentable.

Dismay crosses her features. Gabriel’s right outside but if she hurries—

The door opens. “The date is happening out here, right?” she asks, her voice low and musical to Tadea’s ears, ears which now feel like they’re on fire.

“Yea, just a moment,” she mumbles, trying her best to hastily sweep the strands back into something resembling neat. A hand taps her shoulder, and she turns reluctantly to face Gabriel. The woman is leaning down, nearly in half, to see into her classic car.

“Come on gorgeous,” she murmurs in that smooth voice of hers. “You’d think being as old as I am I’d have learned patience, but I don’t want to wait another minute for this.” Her hand is palm up, inviting Tadea to take it.

Blushing furiously, annoyed at herself for still primping in the car while Gabriel is waiting, Tadea places her hand in Gabriel’s. It’s warm, calloused like hers which is oddly comforting. It’s a reminder that while Gabriel might seem worlds away from her at times, they have a lot in common.

She’s pulled out of the car and given her first good look at her date. Now she feels underdressed, and these are the most expensive clothes she ownss. Gabriel is stunning, the colors perfect for her complexion, the flow of the fabric accentuating her form.

“Hold still,” Gabriel instructs. Tadea is glad she said it though because she cannot move and finds it unlikely that she will be able to in the near future, still recovering from taking in her date.

Her. Date.

She swallows, her palms starting to feel sweaty again, her heart picking up speed. Adrenaline she’s familiar with, but she’s used to channeling it into fighting. Uncertainty makes her tongue heavy and she’s stuck staring silently and up close at Gabriel’s face as the taller woman bends over her, fussing with her hair. Her fingers are gentle against her scalp, comforting and intimate at the same time.

All too soon she’s pulling away, lips curled with satisfaction. “There you are. Though, for the record, I think how you style it normally is just fine too,” she comments, sweeping around and striding towards the sidewalk up to the restaurant.

Tadea scrambles after her, feeling completely uncoordinated, legs leaden and head spinning. Pull it together pendejo, she thinks to herself, catching up and offering her arm to Gabriel. One eyebrow raises.

“That’s still a custom after all these years?”

Tadea’s tongue darts out, wetting her lips before she speaks. “If you like I can kiss your hand, make you feel more at home,” she offers.

A soft laugh greets her proposal. “Maybe later,” Gabriel says, shaking her head. “Humans are such strange creatures…”

Tadea wrinkles her nose as they approach the double doors. “I’m not a human,” she reminds Gabriel gently. The archangel waves her hand in a dismissive motion.

They draw attention as they walk together. She can’t fault the onlookers; even in her work clothes in the middle of the night, sleep deprived, bags under her eyes and everything wrinkled and half-tucked, Gabriel was beautiful.

Today, dressed up, she shines like a supernova. In comparison, Tadea might as well be a remora, Gabriel the beautiful and deadly shark that she’s clinging too, attempting to prove herself not a parasite.

“Is my company so boring I cannot hold your attention for even a few minutes?”

The question makes Tadea blink, then shake her head. “Sorry, no, that’s not it at all. I can’t think about anything but you at the moment.”

Gabriel makes a noncommittal noise and reaches for the handle. Tadea tries to beat her to it, but the disadvantage of having a taller date manifests itself in the fact that she can’t reach the handle before her date. “I might suggest ceasing thinking about me and instead talking to me,” she says as she holds the door open for Tadea.

“You could have let me get it,” Tadea tells Gabriel, eyeing her sideways as they step into the cool interior of the restaurant. “You already opened my car door for me.”

“So I did,” Gabriel agrees, the door closing softly behind them. “It is no trouble, Tadea. Relax. Human courting rituals may change over the centuries but a simple door opening is not the end of the world.”

“I’m—not human,” she repeats.

“I’m aware,” Gabriel says dryly. “But many of your behaviors, customs, and rituals are. Or at least, have the appearance of being.” She falls silent as they walk up to the hostess.

“Guerrero, party of two,” Tadea says. The hostess glances at her, and Tadea catches a glimpse of nictitating membrane sliding across what would otherwise appear to be a perfectly normal human eye.

She’s beginning to think there’s very few humans in New Jericho.

They follow her out to the balcony over the water, to a quiet corner table where they’re left alone with two menus.

“As I was saying—humans borrow and steal, blend and appropriate as they like. They are an extremely adaptable species, very compatible with a wide variety of creatures from across the planes. Many of what they consider to be their habits are simply things they have gleaned from other, older races.”

Tadea isn’t sure what to say in response to that, so she switches topics.

“The ambience here is nice.” There are floating lanterns below, bobbing gently in the harbor, and a candle in a hurricane glass on the table, surrounded by a wreath of fresh flowers. Primroses, if she’s not mistaken.

“It’s strange.” Gabriel looks out over the water, drumming her fingers against the bottom of her chin. “Candles were necessary for so long as a light source. I’m not sure it was considered particularly romantic; it just was. Now that humans have advanced past that level of technology they regard it with a certain fondness. A soft spot for archaic things.”

“Maybe, but I think something like a gondola ride or—or a horse drawn carriage is romantic,” Tadea says with a small shrug. “Being archaic or old,” she adds, her smile curling up with mischief, “isn’t such a bad thing.”

Gabriel looks at her, her expression flat. For a moment Tadea fears she’s offered insult, ruining the date before their waters have arrived. That would have to be some kind of record.

“No, I suppose not,” Gabriel finally responds, one side of her mouth tugging up. She takes the glasses of water from their waiter as he arrives, thanking him in a tongue that isn’t of human origin.

“Fae,” she explains for Tadea. “At least part. Likely some sort of selkie hybrid, possibly naiad. Or would that be oceanid? They’re really all of a similar species but I suppose they do have their preference in type of water.”

Tadea opens the menu. “I don’t really know a lot about other supernaturals. Not like we had a ‘how to be a werepanther’ class or anything that also covered the other types of creatures we might encounter.” She looks over the top of the menu at Gabriel.

“Finding out that angels are real was a nice treat, though.”

Gabriel blinks slowly, before a smile curves her lips. “I have quite enjoyed my interactions with werepanthers as well,” she says languidly, the words soft and intimate. One of her fingers runs around the rim of the water glass, creating a low ringing sound.

“I thought only crystal did that,” Tadea blurts out, curious and happy to latch onto a subject that won’t lead to her blushing.

Gabriel quirks her lips. “I’m not entirely playing fair,” she admits. “Nervous habit.”

“You’re nervous?” Tadea asks, her voice rising in disbelief.

“Are you so surprised?” Gabriel asks in return, leaning back in her chair, showing off her long frame.

“Well, yea,” Tadea admits, rubbing the back of her neck. “You are kind of a few millennia old archangel of God. I would think this is all run of the mill for you.”

Gabriel’s brow furrows. “I’m sorry,” she says after a beat, “but my Babylon matrix isn’t translating that. Could you explain?”

Tadea mentally slaps herself. Good going. Confuse your date; I’m sure that’s a brilliant strategy.

“It’s an idiom meaning that this is ordinary or routine for you.”

“Ah.” Gabriel turns her head to look out over the water. “No, no I wouldn’t say that.”

“You’ve… never gone on a date before?” Tadea can’t conceal the shock in her voice.

Gabriel looks back out of the corner of her eye, eyebrow arched. “Not like this.”

“But—but—!”

“But what?” Gabriel asks, turning around fully. “You’ve said it yourself: I’m an archangel. Dating doesn’t come with the territory. It’s not forbidden, but angels don’t often take a mate. I think I know more angels who have Fallen for creating Nephilim than I know who have another angel for a mate. And dating outside of angels is—discouraged.” The way she says the last word is like it leaves a bitter taste in her mouth.

Tadea frowns, her eyebrows drawing low. “That seems kind of depressing.”

Gabriel gives a shrug, her expression resuming its normal inscrutable mask. “You haven’t dated before either, or at least that’s what I’ve surmised from your behavior.”

“Well, no, but I’ve been a bit busy trying not to die for most of my life and then crushing on a certain archangel since then.” The server comes back, and Tadea has to request a few more minutes, feeling bad that she hasn’t glanced over the menu at all yet.

“I could tell a very similar tale myself,” Gabriel muses, flipping open the menu.

“You’re making this up to make me feel good,” Tadea accuses. “I’m not anything remarkable. There’s no way I’m the first person you’ve ever had a desire to take out on a date.”

Gabriel snaps her menu shut and lays it down. There’s a crispness to her words, cutting Tadea to the quick. “No, you’re not remarkable.”

Tadea bites down on her lower lip. Her eyes rove over the printed words rather than look at Gabriel, but she sees nothing.

 “You’re not an alpha, though we both know you could have been. You’re not particularly gifted in any area with the exception of fighting and perhaps mechanics, though the former seems an unhealthy obsession at times and the latter seems less innovative and more routine.”

Tadea clenches her jaw. After a few beats she sets her menu down as well, meeting Gabriel’s gaze for the first time without a trace of nervousness.

“Then why are we here?” she demands, voice low. Whatever happens, she refuses to make a scene. She refuses to give any of the people who look at her and think they know her type a reason to believe themselves superior, and that includes her would-be date.

“I cannot answer that for you,” Gabriel states.

“I think you just did,” Tadea says, starting to get to her feet. Faster than her enhanced reflexes can track, Gabriel seizes her wrist.

“Sit down.”

It’s not a question, and Tadea finds her butt back in her seat, heat crawling up her neck. Taking orders wasn’t something she had ever enjoyed with her previous partners, preferring instead to fight for dominance—quite literally, most of the time. With Gabriel, though, it feels—well, like lightning shooting through her veins, nerves from her toes to her head sending signals to her brain and making her entire body flush. Desire, irritation, and a touch of awe mingle.

Gabriel is an aphrodisiac all on her own. Eyes glittering in the dark, the soft glow of the candlelight making her wonder just how Gabriel must look when not bound to a mortal form. She’s already taller than most people and turns heads everywhere she goes. Was her light bright, scorching? Or was it soft and gentle? Something inbetween? How much of her was avenging angel and how much was this… tired and world-weary being?

It’s not a bad date, not really. Not that Tadea has been on a lot of dates to compare against, but the company is good, and the food she sees being served up looks and smells delicious. The conversation hasn’t been terrible either.  

Except for the whole part where Gabriel had practically admitted to being here out of some stray sense of curiosity.

“Stop.” Her voice is clear but softer now, charging through the cacophony of Tadea’s thoughts. “I’m… I have watched the world for a long time, Tadea. I have seen a great many things. I have met some of humankind’s most brilliant specimens, seen what they call miracles up close and personal.”

Tadea focuses on the way her water glass sweats, cool drops rolling down the sides, picking up speed as they join other droplets. It’s easier to focus on than to see the light turn away from her, than to see Gabriel decide that this was a mistake.

“Tadea, please look at me. Please.”

Irked, Tadea gives in, raising her dark eyes to meet Gabriel’s. They’re wide open, and she’s leaning across the table towards the werepanther, the long-fingered hand on her wrist flipping Tadea’s hand over and stroking the calloused palm. It takes all her control not to shiver at the touch. Gabriel isn’t playing fair and Tadea doesn’t understand what game they’re playing anymore.

           “There are books with names, important figures in the movement of the world. Yours isn’t in it.” Surprise, surprise. Tadea is a nobody. She’d always known that. It wasn’t her father who had ruled the pack. It wasn’t her mother who organized the resistance to the encroaching alpha. Her father had been killed without doing anything but being an ordinary member of the pack and her mother had been dead or as good as for longer.

“You’re doing it again.”

The note of wry amusement in Gabriel’s dry observation has her wrinkling her nose, withdrawing her hand and folding her arms across her chest. “So?”

“Would you at least wait until I finish talking before getting cross with me? This is a new occurrence for me.” Gabriel’s lips twitch up, relaxed despite the tension Tadea felt mounting in her body. Fight or flight seems like a valid response here. Sensing her reluctance, Gabriel presses her further. “You can teach an old cat new tricks but it might take nine lives.”

Tadea blinks, and suddenly giggles. Horrified, she claps a hand over her mouth, not having anticipated the sound to be so loud or so high-pitched.

Gabriel beams, before abruptly frowning. “I didn’t say that right, did I?” she asks, shoulders slumping, dejection heavy in her voice.

Taking pity on her date—she is quite old and if this really is her first time dating, then it is perhaps unfair to expect her to be better—Tadea holds up three fingers. “Curiosity killed the cat.” She lowers a finger. “Cats have nine lives.” Another finger goes down. “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”

“Well that’s just nonsense. Curiosity only kill the unprepared, cats do not have nine lives—at least not ordinary house cats. Perhaps some varieties of creatures that look like cats but no actual earth-origin cat. Unless you found a necromancer I suppose and brought it back but I think that counts as an unlife not a—”

Another snort escapes Tadea, though this time she doesn’t hide her laughter behind her hand.

Gabriel’s lower lip juts out and she slowly flutters long lashes at Tadea.

“That’s not going to work on me.”

“You can teach an old dog new tricks,” Gabriel wheedles.

Tadea shakes her head. “Nope. But—” she holds up a single finger. “I might be willing to try and teach an angel new tricks.”

Gabriel’s eyes light up. “So you’ll wait?”

“If you get to your point,” Tadea comments. “Our poor waiter is going to come back and we’re still not going to have an answer for him.”

“Well I certainly know what I would love to eat,” Gabriel murmurs, and there’s nothing innocent about the way she says it. Dating might be new, but clearly seduction was not.

“Gabriel,” Tadea hisses. Holding up her hands, she leans back.

“As I was saying: you are ordinary.” Her eyes soften, her head canting as she looks at Tadea, unblinking. Tadea wonders if she has any idea the kind of instincts that triggers. Gabriel’s not another werepanther so it’s unlikely. It’s a silly child’s game for the most part, but the urge to stare back and see who blinks first is nearly overwhelming.

She resists, though, forcing herself to blink.

“Humans seem to regard ordinary as a terminal condition. And I’m sorry my dear, I don’t mean to offer insult, but many of the weres and other supernatural creatures that dwell on this plane have adopted human behaviors by and large to assist in blending in so for the purposes of brevity I shall simply use humans as a generalization.”

Tadea nods, hoping Gabriel will get to her point sooner rather than later.

 “You have to understand… most mortal creatures aren’t worth the notice of immortals. Not as individuals. And it’s not that you’re not interesting or that we don’t care, but when you know something will die and be like a brief flare of light in your life… well in the absent of that light the darkness seems that much more intense for having seen it otherwise, if that makes sense?”

Tadea realizes something as she watches Gabriel. Her date’s posture isn’t tense, it’s perfectly poised. She doesn’t twitch or fiddle, no toe-tapping or finger-drumming. There’s no outwards signs of nervousness, except that she’s a touch to perfect with her posture, with the way her fingers wrap around her water glass or the way her long legs are crossed neatly at the ankles beneath the table.

The archangel is nervous.

For the first time tonight, Tadea breathes out slowly, a weight lifting from her shoulders. All this babbling, these round-about words bordering on insulting, all of it is the archangel’s way of being embarrassed. Flustered, even, if the touch of a blush on her cheeks is natural and not due to the assistance of make-up.

“This assignment wasn’t part of my plan. And then I expected to be here for some two decades or so to raise the boy to adulthood. I figured it would be over and done with quickly and I could go back to watching, as we angels do so well.”

Her tongue darts out, wetting her lips. “I never expected to be here.”

Tadea, having found her footing, cannot resist teasing the angel across the table from her. “At a restaurant on the bay run by fae? I mean we can always run to the fish and chips stand down closer to the shipping docks.”

A peal of bright laughter tears from Gabriel’s lips, her eyes crinkling at the corner. “There she is!” she exclaims, teeth flashing in a stunning smile. “There’s the woman I was hoping would show up for our date.”

Tadea shrugs one shoulder, leaning back, at ease. “No pressure dating a literal archangel of God or anything, you know? I had to buy new clothes to be sure that I wouldn’t have grease on anything. It gets everywhere.”

Gabriel arches an eyebrow. “I’m eager to see the extent of the truth of that statement,” she murmurs.

Tadea narrows her eyes playfully. “Finish your explanation. I’m still not impressed.”

 “You’re still here.”

“You’re hot,” Tadea counters. “And this—seared Chilean sea bass with rosemary potatoes and herb sauce sound delicious. If I’m going to get all dressed up the least I can do is get a good dinner out of it.”

More soft laughter greets her words.

“Fine. As I was saying, I didn’t expect this. I didn’t expect to meet this young woman who is resilient and fierce and loyal, with a heart she tries to hide behind thorns but is more beautiful than any rose.”

“Now you’re just piling on flattery,” Tadea says, too quickly to sound casual.

“It’s not flattery if it’s true.” Gabriel is staring at her again, and this time Tadea doesn’t blink, getting lost in her eyes. Maybe it’s her own personal bias, but there are depths to Gabriel’s eyes that other creatures seem to lack. They’ve seen so much, and normally there’s a flat affect to them, a general disinterest born of seeing too much of the awful side of life.

It was a look Tadea had seen in many of the survivors of the previous alpha’s takeover.

Now though, there’s a spark. A twinkle of delight that Gabriel seems unsure of how to handle. “And it is true. You aren’t remarkable because some celestial force has your name in a book or someone wrote a prophecy. Yes, being a werepanther sets you apart. Your skill as a fighter and as a mechanic sets you apart. Even your beauty sets you apart. But it’s—it’s not given to you. You are unique, in ways that I have to pay attention to notice.”

The waiter comes up, and this time they both hastily give an order, neither one interested in delaying the meal further but eager to return to their conversation. The fae gives an appraising glance at the pair of them.

 “A bottle of champagne for the sweethearts, on the House,” he declares before gliding away.

Tadea inclines her head. “He knows you aren’t a null, doesn’t he?”

It’s Gabriel’s turn to shrug nonchalantly. “Let’s just say that the dialect I spoke is both old and most often used by powerful fae.”

“Sneaky,” she comments, taking the napkin and moving it to her lap, smoothing it out over her legs. Gabriel copies her motions.

“Age often leads to wisdom which sometimes leads to a certain canniness that could be described as sneakiness,” she demurs. “Now—let me finish. You are… amazing, Tadea Guerrero.”

She rolls her r’s now, something she hadn’t done the first time she had tried to say her last name. It’s obvious she’s been practicing, and not with Tadea. Perhaps it seems small and insignificant, but for Tadea, it makes her heart warm.

 “You couldn’t have just said that from the beginning?” she asks, her voice coming out in a hoarse rasp, emotions clogging her throat.

“I was trying. I am… before you I thought I knew the world. I thought I knew all about it and the banal, insipid creatures that went about their lives. I thought that this would be a torture, that I would be bored out of my mind.”

Once more Gabriel reaches out across the table, grabbing Tadea’s hand.

“You caught me off-guard, and your devotion, your belief… Tadea, I don’t know that I deserve any of it, but for the first time in a long time, I have something to work towards that is for me. Well… for us.”

Heart pounding, Tadea squeezes Gabriel’s hand. “I like that.”

An eyebrow climbs. “That?”

“The idea of us.” Her smile is broad as she leans forward. “You already know full well that I like you.”

Gabriel grins. “I’m sorry, could you repeat that? I think the Babylon Matrix—”

“¡Por el amor de Dios!” Tadea exclaims, rolling her eyes. “That works one time, chica,” she tells her archangel, wagging a finger. “Una vez.”

Not the least bit perturbed, Gabriel shrugs. “Worth a try. Don’t worry, I’ve got plenty of other things I’ve been dying to try out.”

Tadea shakes her head, her grin stretching wider. She hadn’t been sure what to expect from a date with an archangel, but so far she wouldn’t change a thing. Raising her glass, and gesturing for Gabriel to do the same, she clinks the water together. “To figuring this out, together,” she murmurs.

“Together,” Gabriel echoes, and drains the water.