#which must be discarded as quickly as possible

[jessieren]

Mr Evans looking fine in a tux whilst also managing to act and direct

Does this man ever sleep???

Bonus profile shot…

[zhongrin]

my archon

— you sit on the floor by his leg and lay your head on his lap; how does he react?

◇ characters ◇ zhongli, al haitham, cyno, tighnari, xiao, ayato, childe, wanderer

◇ tags ◇ mostly fluff, slightly suggestive on some, petnames (dear, little one - zhongli | bunny, babe - childe | puppy - ayato)

◇ a/n ◇ is this an excuse for me to imagine getting into a position to worship zhongli? yes. yes it is-

𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡 ⬙ 𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡

zhongli, ever the gentleman, frowns at seeing you sit on the hard cold flooring and caresses your cheek gently, his other hand settling on your shoulder.

“that must be uncomfortable, dear. come rest on-”

he blinks, brows furrowing when you tell him that you want to stay down there by his feet. the protests die in his throat at the reverent gaze you give him, and something stirs in his chest. a nostalgic feeling that takes him millennia back; to the olden times when he was a feared deity of a more… disagreeable temperament.

“…. very well. but at least sit on a cushion, please,” a flutter of his long eyelashes, and for a moment you catch the shadow of his former self behind his amber eyes, “if you are so intent to worship me, who am i to refuse, little one? you already do look the part of a devoted worshipper….. hm... why don’t i teach you how to do this properly.”

al haitham glances away from his book to raise his eyebrows in amusement toward you.

“what are you doing?” he asks plainly; several possibilities pop up in his sharp-witted brain, but he would rather hear your intention from your own lips rather than blindly guess what your unexpectedly unique mind has concocted this time.

you hum nonchalantly and grab the free hand that isn’t holding his book, insistently tugging on it when he doesn’t budge. with a sigh, he lets you maneuver the appendage so it rests against the top of your head. with a roll of his eyes and a slight redness to his ears, he starts to tend to your hair, blunt nails scratching against your scalp every now and then in a way that you always praise him for doing.

“you’re a strange one, [name].”

hey, they do say birds of a feather flock together, right?

tighnari gives you a look. you know. that sassy side eye and a crooked smile threatening to lift one corner of his lips?

“am i not the one who’s supposed to be given headpats and pampering?” he asks teasingly, slightly moving his feet to nudge on your sides.

your boyfriend laughs at the playful glare you give him, and he releases the pen from his fingers to give you your much-needed pats. his eyes soften at the way you lean onto his touch, and he slumps backward onto his seat, exhaustion starting to settle in after hours of working on those reports and manuals.

“ten more minutes, and then it’s my turn.”

childe blinks owlishly at first, lips parted in surprise when you just decide to do this while he was just chilling on the sofa after a long day at work. his expression quickly turns into a teasing boyish grin, however, and he opts to squish your cheeks with his fingers.

“awww, seems like someone really missed me, hmm?” he leans down to place a quick kiss on your puckered lips, “why don’t you climb onto my lap, bunny? i can give you all the attention you’ve missed~”

he frowns when you refuse, and his clear blue eyes darken when you insistently hug one of his legs, your cheek pressing onto his thigh.

“be careful there, babe. you might start something if you keep that up.”

“what…. is the meaning of this, if i may ask?” cyno asks, flustered, the cards in his hands forgotten.

just seconds ago, you had pushed away the album containing his tcg cards from his lap and replaced it with your pretty head. while he doesn’t mind the sudden change at all - he can always sort out his cards later, you always come first, of course - he’s both befuddled and unsure of what you wish for him to do when you give him those pair of puppy eyes with this unfamiliar arrangement.

he follows your gaze that is locked onto his hand, which prompts him to discard his cards on top of the album and place them on your cheek, calloused thumb slowly drawing circles as he gives you a silent questioning gaze.

when you close your eyes in bliss, he chuckles, and he moves his other hand to settle on your other cheek before leaning down to kiss you on your forehead.

“how is it that you get more and more adorable the more we spend time with each other?”

kaeya raises his eyebrows, the hand swirling the glass of wine stopping its movements completely as he feels you hug his leg and place your head on his lap. instinctively, his free hand brushes against your cheek.

mischief colors the tone of his voice as you lovingly kiss his knuckles and give him those doe eyes he adores.

“my, a free leg warmer? how kind of you.”

he laughs in response to the playful slap you delivered to his thigh.

“so, are you planning to climb onto my lap anytime soon, or?”

another slap, another laugh, and kaeya leans down to place a kiss on the crown of your head.

“i have to ask - does this leg warmer come with the service of a wine glass holder? hmm? how about a-” [lines redacted to keep this sfw]

“wha- g-get up! you shouldn’t-” xiao splutters in embarrassment, trying to grab onto your shoulders to pull you into a standing position.

his shock is quickly overwritten by utter confusion when you protest and insist on staying where you are. he ceases trying to move you from the spot, but he decides to ask, “-i… don’t understand. isn’t it uncomfortable? what are you hoping to gain from this?”

the yaksha is still at a loss even after you answer. it’s illogical, he thinks. if his attention is what he wants, why would you choose to have this discomfort when you can just sit beside him and achieve the same thing? does this position have a special meaning to mortals? he’s only seen it on the illustration of that silly romance novel written by an apparently famous mortal from inazuma that you were reading about a week ago, telling a story about a deity and his favored subject- oh.

“…. you’re so weird,” he grumbles, suddenly avoiding your eyes as redness begins to creep onto his cheeks. he is most definitely not a being worthy of worship….. but he supposes if it’s you… he can indulge, right? just for a little….

“oh dear, it seems like someone’s bored,” ayato chuckles, not even looking down from his paperwork as he repositions his legs on his plush armchair, “unfortunately, puppy, i am currently working and unable to tend to your whims.”

his smile only gets wider when he hears you whine and tug on the sleeves of his kimono. what a greedy little thing; your adorableness truly knows no bounds, he muses in amusement. but it is true that he might have been quite neglectful of your needs the past few days…

but it’s no fun to just give in that easily.

ayato gives you a glance and two short pats that are far too brief to your liking, before he returns his attention to his papers, but not before saying with a teasing edge to his tone, “stay like that for an hour while i finish my work, and i’ll give you all my attention after, alright?”

wanderer smirks and crosses his arms before leaning back on his chair, clearly amused and pleased at the sight. he attempts to move his leg away, and when you whine and chase after the limb, the puppet barks out an amused laugh, mirth dancing like electric sparks within his eyes.

“look at you, so needy and desperate for my attention,” he rolls his eyes in fake exasperation, though he doesn’t bother hiding the pleased toothy grin on his expression, “what? what do you want?”

he parries your hand away when you reach out for him, a disbelieving huff of breath escaping the ex-harbinger. the flick on your forehead is playful, and the same tone carries to his next words, like a fleeting wisp of breeze cheekily grazing your skin.

“you think you can order me around as you please? think again,” his voice lowers into a darker and softer drawl, “aren’t you already in the correct position? beg, and then, maybe i’ll consider fulfilling your request.”

© zhongrin | 2022 ◆ no repost. reblogs much appreciated. feel free to reach out to submit suggestions, feedback, comments, or if you just want to talk!

◇ taglist ◇ @thestarsofenkanomiya | @genshinparty | @abyssmal-skies | @hamdehlesmis | @depressivecomforts | @sophiethewitch1 | @why-am-i-here-someone-save-me | @sunnshineflxwer | @heartonthemoon | @yuutasbabe | @percyval-archives | @carbs-need-more-love | @rebeccka | @queen-belial | @stygianoir | @silentmoths | @niktwazny303 | @dustofthedailylife | @herdrops | @diebischesther | @marina-and-the-memes | @angryhope | @mixed-kester | @shuangxo | @fiannee | @lordbugs | @anonymousficreader | @shizunxie | @ladylofspades | @sup-zfam | @ansy-tea

[1800jjbarnes]

𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 | 𝐉𝐚𝐲 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝

【Synopsis】 : Now that he has you have his wife, he desperately craves to have a family.

『Word count』 : 1.4k

-> Genre: Fluff. Smut. MDNI 18+

Pairing: Husband!Jay x Wife!Reader

[Warnings] : Switch dynamics. The reader is in charge of this one, hehe. Subby-ish Jay. (He's whinier than anything else) breeding kink, unprotected sex (Don't do this unless you want kids) Dirty talk. Jays a bit of a brat. Making out. Jay breaks the readers' underwear (woops).

Note: This is my first time writing for Jay... kinda very nervous, ahh. I hope I did him well. I wanna write more chicago stuff in the future, so if this does well. You’ll be seeing more, hehe.

Jay is begging again. He wants children. He’s brought it up in the past and you’ve always brushed it off with a hearty no, saying you both weren’t ready for that type of commitment, let alone with your types of jobs... Not right now. But this time is different. He stopped mid-kiss to look you in the eye and asked the question.

“Can we have a baby?”

Your throat runs dry. You couldn’t care for a kid, not now when your lives have just only begun to settle down into the first day of your honeymoon, which started straight after your chaotic wedding. But yet you couldn’t help feeling a tingle brew in your lower gut. The desperation in his eyes made your thighs squeeze together. The choked whimper in his words filled your need to please. And how could you possibly say no to your newly wedded husband while staring directly into his beautiful loving eyes? They swim with lust…. you were at a loss.

“Hmm, my Love,” you whispered, facing your body fully to him, having discarded your phone onto the side dresser while you were deep in thought. It wasn’t a yes per say, but the way you smiled with a subtle nod made him move into action.

His green eyes brighten like he has just heard the best news in his entire life as he was on you within seconds, kissing you deeply and caressing your sides. You moan into the kiss, grabbing either side of his head to hold him in place. His touch sends shivers down your spine and goosebumps across your body. You have never thought of it because of your precautions but just thinking about him going in raw gets you wet. You shift a hand down between your legs and start to rub your clit with two fingers. But a hand quickly stops you.

Jay pulls away and looks at you. “Let me,” he begs.

He looks and sounds more desperate than you feel. This man must have been yearning for ages. And now he’s finally getting it. He’s just a sloppy mess. You push him back onto the bed, his eyes on you the entire time. You climb on top of him and sit on top of his crotch. You grind down a little, feeling him grow in his pants a little. His hands grab your waist quickly, but you have other ideas. If he’s been wanting this, he’ll have to earn it. You grab his wrists and he lets go with loose fingers. Pinning his hands above his head, you suddenly feel the thrill of being on top. Looking down on him and seeing the desperation upon his delicate features. His mouth is parted and he’s breathing heavily already. It’s truly a sight to see that turns you on.

“Now if you want this, you’re going to have to ask nicely,” you whisper in his ear.

A moan is pushed from his lips as you grind down again at his lack of response. “Please,” he begs. “Let me.”

Satisfied, you let go of his hands but tsk, “Keep them there,” You ordered with a fake tone of dominance, at this point you sounded more cheeky and light-hearted, but neither of you cared. He keeps his arms above him but his gaze is all over you. You can feel his neediness rubbing against your clothed core. Shuffling down, you begin to undo his belt and pants. You stop every time he moves and wait for him to fall silent again. After a solid five minutes of playing this little game of tug and pull, you shuffle his pants off his ankles. His cock is fully erect and leaking. With a grin across your face, you sit on his thighs, placing your soft fingers down his waist. He flinches slightly but keeps his mouth shut.

“So you want kids?” You chuckle.

“Honestly,” he admits, “I couldn’t care less about that right now.”

“Oh, okay.” You reach over to the bedside table and open it. “I’ll just wrap you up then.”

“No!” He shouts and grabs you away from the table. “No,” he says more softly.

You laugh and pat his cheek. “You’re sweet. But I do have to grab the lube.”

He smiles widely and toothy as you reach for the bedside table again, grabbing a small bottle of lube out. You slick up your hand and finally begin rubbing his dick. His hips buck up slightly and he suppresses a moan.

“Let it out, honey,” you whisper.

He exhales harshly and his arms move slightly above him. You stop and squeeze the base of his dick. He chokes on a moan but another escape and oh my, it sounds heavenly. Why haven’t you done this before? This is another side of your husband you haven’t seen. You move up on your knees and push your nightie up your thighs with the hand that was on his dick. You reach between your thighs and move your underwear to the side, not wasting any more time with taking them off. With the lube on your fingers and the wetness coming from you, two fingers slide in easily. The pleasure zips through you and makes you hunch over Jay. You finger yourself above his dick, breathing into his neck.

“Keep your arms up there now,” you moan. You meant it to come out as an order, but opening yourself up over him is doing something to you you never thought would.

“Please, I just want to touch you,” he pleads.

“We can stop if you want.” You plant a kiss on his lips. “Or we can keep going.”

He shakes his head frantically. “Please. I just want to fuck you,” he pants.

You kiss him again with more want and bring your free hand to comb through his hair. Then you reach down and grab the base of his cock to line it up. He moans into your mouth as you slide down halfway onto him. You pull away gasping. You want more.

“You can touch me,” you say but it comes more out as a whine.

His hands whip forward and grab your hip and ass cheek, giving it a firm squeeze. He’s a mess right now and you’re loving it. You bob lightly up and down on him, feeling him rub up against you, sending prickles of pleasure up your spine. He guides you down slowly with each thrust until you’ve swallowed him to the base. He lets you sit there, taking his full length in for a moment before you decide to move on your own accord. You shift your hips upwards with your hands planted on Jay’s stomach before moving downwards. You set a rhythm for yourself but soon enough he’s thrusting up into you. You’re gasping and moaning each time he drives you down on his cock. You get lost in the moment and pick up the pace to chase your own high. You fall on top of Jay and he wraps one of his arms around your waist while the other snakes down to grip your panties.

"I'm sorry." His words were quick and so was the sound of a snap of fabric. Did he literally just rip your underwear? "I'll buy you more." 

"You better." You choke out a moan as he throws the broken fabric somewhere in the room. He brings his knees up and begins thrusting up into you from another angle. It sends a thrill through you that has you moaning louder. You’re both a mess and all of the teasing and playing hard to get suddenly didn’t matter anymore.

“I’m- I’m gonna-” He pants in your ear. He holds onto you more tightly as he buries his face into your neck. With a few stuttering thrusts, you feel him release inside of you. And oh god just the hot sensation of being filled up sends you over the edge as well. You squeeze down tight around him and you can already feel some of his cum dripping down his cock, leaking out of your hole. After the high end, you slowly bring yourself up, his cock still inside you, letting his cum stay deep inside you. Collecting yourself, you glance to see Jay grinning up at you with a glowing smile. It brings a smile to your face as well even though you don’t know why he’s so ungodly happy.

“What?” You ask, stroking his chest with one hand.

“I hope it’s a girl,” Is all he says. That earned him a light slap on the shoulder.

[marvelfanfics1]

Sunburn

Request: The second one would be at the beach!! Brother!jj keeps warning his sister to apply sunscreen but she doesn't want to listen and at the end of the day she got sunburns and cries to her brother and jj would be like "i told you, you ain't listening to me" but somehow will still applying after sunscreen, or a cream to ease her pain <33

Pairing: brother!jj maybank x toddler!sister!reader

Warnings: sunburn, fluff, not proofread cause I'm tired :3

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ ♡ ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

"We gonna go swim now?" You ask excitedly, holding JJ's hand and skipping by his side.

"Sure thing, squirt." He smiles at her, waiting for Kie to spread out the blanket before placing the cooler onto it together with the bag that was slung over is shoulder that had all necessities for you in it, such as snacks, your floaties, towels, etc.

You quickly get out of your shirt and shorts, revealing your swimsuit that had a turtle printed on the front, a gift you got from Kie on the first day of summer.

As JJ was rummaging through the bag for something specific you already took of running but didn't get far when he circles an arm around your body without even looking.

"Ah, ah, ah. Nice try." He chuckles, pulling out the sunblocker. "Didn't we forget somethin'?"

You make a grimace, shaking your head. "Don't need it! It's stinky."

"Trust me, ya would rather stink than have a sunburn later." He retorts, sighing when you didn't stop wriggling in his hold.

"Don't want it!" You whine loudly, pushing at his face so he would let you go.

He reluctantly let's go of you, dropping the sunblocker onto the blanket. He catches your wrist again as you were about to bolt after John B and Pope who were already jogging towards the water with their boards.

"Floaties." He reminds her, getting them out of the bag.

You huff but let him slid them over your arms, knowing that these are not up for discussion as you still can't swim without them.

"Can I go now?" You ask impatiently.

"Go." He waves you off, shaking his head with a smile as you dart off, shouting after you. "Stay close to JB or Pope!"

Kie had just finished getting out of her own clothes, smirking at the blonde. "She'll have one hell of a sunburn later."

JJ groans, grabbing your discarded clothes and dusting off from the sand before putting them in the bag for later. "Don't remind me but she gotta learn from it somehow."

Kie nods, reaching into her own bag and tossing a bottle of aloe vera at him. "You'll need that later."

"Thanks. You're a lifesaver." He smiles.

After a while of swimming and JJ helping you stand on his board a few times where you fell in the water a few time because he accidently shook the board you were now back on the sand, building castles with Kie while the boys did their thing.

Your sand castle was decorated with all kinds of shells, sticks, and leaves that you both collect from the beach.

Kie grimaces a little when she sees your back already in a light shade of red but continues to help you.

Soon enough the boys came out of the water for a snack and drink break. JJ whistles you over to him, holding out a juice box for you which you happily take. "Thank you."

He ruffles your hair and glances at your self made castle. "Whoa, that's a lit castle, cupcake."

You beam at that, smiling brightly. "You think so?"

"'Course I do. Y'think we can live in there?" He asks and you giggle.

"We too big for that, silly."

Later in the afternoon the pogues were sitting outside the Chateau with a crinkling fire, a few beers and some music while you were inside getting ready for bed.

JJ could hear you crying before you even came out, throwing his head back with a sigh. "There we go."

"Jay..." You sniffle, trotting over to him and tucking yourself into his side.

"What's wrong, hm?" He asks despite knowing the answer not even rubbing your back like he usually does when you're upset, knowing it would only hurt with the possible sunburn you definitely must have.

"It hurts!" You whimper against his bicep.

"What hurts? You gotta be specific, kiddo."

"My back." You mumble and he turns you around, lifting your shirt just enough to see your irritated skin.

"Damn, that's a nasty sunburn." He winces, turning you back around to face him. "I told ya this would happen."

The way you were looking at him with big teary eyes makes him soften and he stands up, picking you he carries you back inside and to the bathroom.

He sets you down on the toilet lid, patting your head. "Stay here, I'll be right back."

He leaves to retrieve the aloe vera cream Kie gave him earlier, rushing back to the bathroom. JJ grabs under your armpits to hoist you into a standing position, pulling your shirt over your head.

"Turn around. I promise it'll feel better soon." He instructs and starts to apply a good amount aloe vera onto your back, cooing softly when you whimper from the sudden coldness. "I know, I know."

As soon as he was done you turn back around still sniffling, reaching your arms out for him and he instantly scoops you up, swaying with you from side to side.

"Better listen to me next time."

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ ♡ ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

@chimindity

Taglist

For everything:

@my-river-lilly @pauntedblacknails @fanfictioniseverything @devilslilbabysblog @buckymydarlingangel @hallecarey1 @daybreakwinter @loveshineslikethesky @wandaslittlewhore @vase-of-lilies @white-wolf1940 @simpingbutch @mischiefsemimanaged @alina02 @teddybearsgrr @doozywoozy @angelbabydoll28 @glxwingrxse @lilymurphy03 @veryvaughnny @lokigirlszendaya @youngstarfishdinosaur @little--baby--bear @minideathgoddess @rach2602 @aagn360 @gh0stgurl @flourishandblotts-inc @fluffyblanketgecko @lovelyy-moonlight @yoruse @kissforvoid

For JJ:

@chiaraanatra

[pieroulette]

Did I, A Side Character Became the Male Lead's Wife?! : Part 2

2023 | 13+ | ONESHOT | YANG JUNGWON × READER | -> PART 1

SUMMARY the male lead was suppose to fall in love with the female lead, and yet how did he even gain an interest in you?! clenching your fist as determination blazes your orbs as you're now far beyond determined to make him dislike you for once and for all.

WC -> 22.5K *⁠.⁠✧♡・ PLAYLIST -> 💌

🎵...BLUEBEARD

"a lady like you, i'm afraid to say, intrigues me very much..." jungwon shots a kittenish wink right through your heart. "be my wife, milady. i'll show you how good I can be for you."

"b-be your wife?!" your features contorted horrendously, along with immense cringing.

this prince. this fucking prince.. no way did he just ask me to be his wife?! your orbs ogled out as his words chanted within the void of your mind, mocking your very efforts to sway this prince away to his land of fairytale, and to where he rightfully belongs.

screw you?!

"i don't want to dance with you, nor be your wife, or for you to be good for me! get. fucking. lost!"

it's safe to say, that you punched a fist right to his face after him spewing such shitty nonsense. that alone adding an nth time of gasps from everyone in the ballroom.

right now, unfortunately, you were sprinting to the long ass hallway without ever looking back. okay let's say you did look back and fortunately no one or neither the prince were chasing after you.

seriously, what has gone wrong with the male lead?! how in the actual fuck he had taken an interest in you? it seems as if every action you did to push him away only pulls him closer. might as well reset yourself from this world if you can.

whining immensely as you recalled your female lead's precious grin, "liz! what has come to my story?!"

yet to your utter disappointment and shock even, the news of the prince literally proposing to you minus the one punch incident had somehow quickly reached the entire nation, everyone and anyone you could think of has been informed of the incident between you and the prince. confirming it totally as you walked through the market with the female lead.

you’ve come to a final conclusion that the prince must have sealed everyone’s lips that was present at that ball, probably for your sake.

"his royal highness has truly taken a liking towards you, milady." liz pulled up a proud smile which had you cringing. like please don't do that, please don't. you weren't supposed to be smiling like this.

"oh god, kindly refrain from uttering that prince's in front of my face, liz. he's nothing but a—" you immediately stopped yourself from spewing shit about the prince as you don't want to ruin liz's perception on him, which would possibly furthering the already inflicted damage on your original story.

you sigh dejectedly, as your eyes lazily gaze somewhere instead. wanting to take off the stress from your chest for a while.

throwing yourself on your bed after an entire day out with liz, you refuse to attend any noble event since you discarded all the invitation letters with the contents consisting of them congratulating you for being the prince's fiancée which had you cringing to your core.

your deadpan look as you threw all of the letters had the maids bringing the tray of food—mortified to say the least.

how couldn't you? those nobles sending in a bunch of letters obviously had traces of malice and envy engraved in those over exaggerated fonts, they are akin to a predator waiting in patience for you—a little lamb to reveal itself as a free buffet.

buffet? wife? where did my comfy life go? where?!

you've decided to hide in the comfort of your manor till this so-called news of you being the prince's fiancée died out. but how long would it take then? would it take a week? a month? oh god, you're wishing it won't have to take that far as you also need a bunch of fresh air.

groaning again you did as you couldn't possibly hid forever too, as the author of this novel; you are fully aware of how you crafted the prince's character, that despite all of the charms and dazzling traits you moulded into him, you've added one specific thing that had him stood out the most and that was he's beyond possessive and obsessed with the female lead as it was rooted from one of his traits; competitive, dedicated and most of the time, he doesn't like to lose and that he had to get what he wanted or else..

chaos it is, and such chaos coming from the prince himself are not to be underestimated.

you are having such an enormous urge to bang your head on your bed right now as how couldn't you? who doesn't want a male lead to live and die for their lover? of course you and your damn adorable readers!

well, fiction isn't to be confused with reality after all. but damn your life for this is your reality now—here in your own very novel.

screw your novel, screw your life, screw reality, screw the prince! you might just as well fall into your slumber now as you try to plan another way to avoid that very prince you crafted.

"milady? would you like to try the new gown we had customised for you from the town's boutique?"

"what? new gown? since when did i ask for you to customise me one?"

"just.. the head maid had asked for it as another letter had arrived from the royal palace, more specifically, the prince himself had asked for your presence for the upcoming ballroom this week."

"nah uh?!" you emphasised in slight irritation. "don't make me repeat this again, juliet. i'd rather have the cup of chocolate i asked you for just now than attend such pointless event."

"but milady!"

"oh dear heavens, my silky and puffy blankets are to be treasured upon my hands—" burying your head in your pillow as your maid had a defeated expression, pouting slightly. lifting your head almost immediately when your maid left, you muttered endlessly to your void or more specifically to the prince. “inviting me for another ballroom, do you think that i’m stupid? now feel free to dance all by your own!—”

a pair of birds chirped in a melodious, and harmonious tone on the edge of the window.

the sun rays peering through the swaying curtains glints against your fluttering eyelashes, causing your orbs to hid behind the shield of your splayed fingers. stretching your arms upwards, a sense of satisfaction surged through your veins—fueling the corners of your lips to pull up in the widest grin.

it been approximately six days since then, with no news nor an invitation had arrived from the prince himself.

it can’t be that you've successfully overturned your fate by not attending the prince's second invitation, squinting mischievously—he must have lose interest in you for not visiting your manor, doesn't he? with his character, he couldn't have possibly had gone that long! he sure would've been tremendously patient regarding political affairs but never at the female lead!

in chapter 16 of your novel, "blooming romances" where you've written the development of their romance that had your reader's heart evaporating into nothingness as they weep under the comment section over how a single sentence you wrote had made them feel so damn single and why they haven't found a guy like the prince yet:

-> a paragraph from chapter 16 ✧⁠◝⁠(⁠⁰⁠▿⁠⁰⁠)⁠◜⁠✧

after gaining the heart of lady liz; prince jungwon was beyond ecstatic to have another day out with his lover, however alike the eclipse's separation—royal and political affairs had ripped him away from the comfort of his lover's arms. thus, he had been occupied with so much papers within the palace's quarters.

yet as soon as the grey cloak crawled back over the blue sky, pulling the moon back with it—so does the prince himself, leaving the stacked up papers on his desk and appearing before the lady's quarters after much effort climbing onto the firm tree.

wasting not a single breathe, as the apples of his cheeks serving as a physical form of his infatuation towards the lady—the tips of his tongue mellowed in instinct for her, along with his hand that were accustomed to his sword's handle to enveloped beneath her fingers—pressing a lover's vow on the top of her hand through his faint red lips.

"milady, i fear i no longer have the strength to contain myself from letting out a single breath without your presence." his lips ghosted against his lover's ear, "it had my patience crumbling into nothing when you, milady had reigned over my heart."

— was what the male lead had voiced out rather solemnly to his lover, as he couldn't bear to be stay one more night without her presence.

yet it doesn't seem to be that case in yours! fucking good news, finally!

ah! what a joyous occasion! you plopped on the bed with your gathered strength as you giggled like a child. bliss consumed your entire soul with your surging scream alerting the entire manor.

swaying your pillow in a circular frantic motion as you sprinted towards your hallway, "juliet! liz! i'm the happiest person ever in the world— oh jesus, someone hosts a damn buffet and tell everyone in the manor to join!"

"milady!" your grin only grew wider as the sight of juliet sprinting towards your way greeted your eyes.

"juliet! oh dear, you should—"

"milady!" she panted right after falling on your arms. "the— the—"

"hm? why are you sweating so much? what happened?"

taking a deep humongous breath she did before uttering one sentence that had your head, mind, and soul blasting into the ghost quiet vacuum of space.

"the prince— his royal highness has arrived!"

"what?!" your jaw dropped on the ground with dozens of imaginary gigantic mirrors crashing behind you in a comical way as your expressions darkened into utter horror.

🎵. . .WAKE UP

a chirping bright blue bird with its harmonious song apparently had been crashed by a swerving black velvet bird from the sky, resulting in both of them colliding and falling on top of another on the lush green blades, just a few distance away from where the table you and the prince were at.

"why. are. you—i mean his royal highness doing here again? i'm sure i've made it clear that i simply wanted nothing to do with you, didn't i? prince jungwon?" crossing your arms, holding a firm resolution in your foot before the prince as you two sat down for a tea, in the refreshing garden behind your manor.

there he was in his casual royal attire of white ruffled shirt, dark blue bowtie with tiny gems engraved on it. his lush hair bouncing slightly on top of his eyelashes as he blinked a couple of times, and tiny sparkles within those orbs which made him look like a puppy at times but those feline eye shape stood out even more.

"i assume that you require time to think about this matter, milady." jungwon answered, "that's why i stayed behind, for a while, that is."

huh.

are you hearing this correctly? him, this very prince you crafted with little to no patience for his lover—telling you that he waited and desires to not pressure you? what in the humongous sorcery is this?!

"if you think that's gonna make me feel something, then.." you leisurely caressed your cheek, gazing at him lazily. "that's quite dense of you, your highness."

little dimples emerged from his cheeks as his feline eyes twinkled at you. "that's not the only thing i could do, if you—milady, grant me the honour, then there's plenty things of things about me that you haven't explored yet."

as if! you scoffed in the back of your mind, eyes deadpanning as this guy had no clue that he is nothing but a character you crafted! how could you know nothing about him?! heck, you are the one who wrote him this way!

"you see, your highness." you sighed with a pout, "i'm a very busy person, i do not have such leisure time to explore something that is not centred around my interest."

"oh, does it mean that i perhaps don't interest you then, milady?"

"isn't it obvious by now, your majesty? plus, inviting yourself to my residence is nothing close to good manners. as a prince, manners should've been your priority."

jungwon stayed awfully silent after that, eyes looking down as if he was in a deep thought. your eyebrows knitted together, curious as to what he's trying to pull off next. like just give up already, goddamnit.

"regarding manners, how about we tie a pact then, milady?"

"a p-pact?" you frowned deeply at him.

"yes, milady. a pact that would honour both of us, and our wishes." jungwon continued after taking a sip from his teacup. "i wouldn't be able to sit still without pouring an effort for something i desire, what my heart desires." his feline eyes slowly raised to look at yours. "yet milady doesn't hold the same desire as i do, which is quite unfortunate, that is."

"i seriously have no idea what you find so interesting in me?" you shook your head along with a slight scoff, apparently breaking another bead of sweat, unsure of where this was going—definitely not in the way you've dying for.

"i have yet to know, milady. that's the very reason i had the courage to ask for such a bold request from you."

"and what makes you assume i would agree to that?" you raised your left eyebrow.

"i have yet to resort to such foul actions, which i'd rather not to milady."

your blood surged cold through your veins, "are you threatening me?"

"certainly i do not intend it to sound that way, i prefer to keep this as civil as possible as you—milady, truly does has gained my interest and it would truly be vain if i.. wasn't given the chance to prove my worth to you. all i am asking from you milady, is to give me a chance to prove myself for you."

prove himself..?

shit. you hated to admit it. but those words, the way he chose to string his words akin to woven embroidery that was meticulously sewed to perfection—pierced right through your heart strings, causing your ears to heat up. partly because of how truly sincere he sounds, and partly was.. how the fuck did he made it sound good?! you've never thought of such romantic words even after a hundred cups of coffee in your desk!

"and how would you guarantee the eligibility of this pact? that you won't force me against my will?"

"you have my word, milady. if by any chance, i failed to gain your love—i will gladly retreat. that's my promise to you." jungwon leaned in closer as he placed his chin on his right palm. "however, i'll certainly do my very best in this thirty coming days."

mischievous yet determination blazes within those feline eyes of his, which had you realising just how serious he was at pursuing you.

"fine, i'll give you a chance but as a pact requires rules, i'll share some of my own."

"sure go ahead, milady."

"one, do not call me your wife or specifically future wife in front of everyone."

"may i do it personally then—" jungwon shrugged playfully when you hissed at him.

raising your index finger upwards, "two, stay one meter apart." he obliged with much hesitation, "and three, uh. i haven't think of it yet but i'll surely add a third rule. now how about you, your majesty?"

"yes, milady?"

"don't you have any rules you want to add?"

jungwon emitted a giggle as soon as he processed your words, "oh, i don't think i need one. after all, whatever you may wish, shall i grant."

"then, stop chasing me—"

"except that one." his lips pulled up in a mischievous smirk, the sun places a tender kids on the strands of his hair—dripping honey hues on his cheeks which reflected against his feline orbs. "then shall we start the countdown, milady?"

thirty days, it is; for him to pour his entire efforts to gain your heart, while you greatly adamant in your mission to make him lose interest in you and make him fall in love with your precious female lead, liz!

sighing for the horrendous nth time as you stood before the blinding lights of the chandelier on top of the patterned ceiling, it had you remembering your old trip to a renowned palace in the real world back then, and that it had mesmerised you so much you wish to stay there a bit more.

it was also one of the main inspirations for your novel, after all.

that you kind of wish to be able to stay in such a glorious place, and wear exquisite dress, to attend a tea party and meet your own prince charming.

"i see, that this is the lady our prince had taken an interest for?" a middle aged man along with a young lady appeared before you, clearly trying to get your attention.

but now that you are here, it kind of sucks to be fair.

all of that was a mere desire, it was just a temporary part of you that desires to be in such life, not that you'd really want to be in it as you'd rather stay in your room—indulging yourself in the world of your favourite manhwas, that it had you working on your own very novel. having no matters to attend to except for working on your novel 24/7 was pure bliss, and that you'd rather spent reading all your adorable reader's comments over talking with people way too much in reality.

it was probably a way of the deities to pull you out from your dusty old corner which you definitely and would never appreciate as you gave a deadpan look towards the night sky above the glass panes of the ceiling.

"uh?"

"she truly lives up to the rumour, father." the lady snickered behind her lacy hand fan, her eyes held traces of mockery in it.

"i dare say that his royal highness had quite a special taste.."

you tilted your head at them, sighing as you very well know where this is going. of course why wouldn't you? this was the dialogue you created during a crying session after your favourite manhwa ends on a horrible note. opting to torture your characters in your dusty side novel by using this dialogue on them, and later had a beaming idea to recycle it for the female lead's fateful encounter with the nobles.

"if you'd like to keep your tongue, then i advise you to stick it inside. marquess?" goosebumps raised over the back of your neck when the prince appeared, his feline eyes held irritation in it as he stood beside you. "you had no right to speak to my future wife, don't you?"

"i- ap-pologize, your highness!"

"apologize? they say actions speak louder than words, then would you, dear marquess, cut your atrocious tongue for me then?"

the marquess held the need to tear up as the humongous dark aura the prince emitted caused his knees to turn noodles, trembling pathetically.

they all know, just like you do, obviously cause you write them that way—that this prince had not the slightest mercy once provoked, therefore he was greatly feared and will never cease to be so the more he grew up to be a fine young man, and onto his adulthood.

sneakily getting out of the ball after a few royal officials appeared and the prince had no choice but to entertain them. you took the chance to sniffed in a humongous fresh of air into your burning lungs after spending a torturous hours inside.

with the moonlight rays being your fellow companion as you wandered about the royal garden you encountered, your heels made an audible crack sound which causes something from the distance to rustle, you snapped your head at the source of the noise.

yet none was to be seen except for your presence.

a white silhouette, rather tiny in form sprinted in your peripheral vision and before you can turn your head towards it, it was unfortunately gone. then suddenly, it reappeared and only then you notice what it was as your heart immediately form shape of neon hearts.

you caught sight of the tiny snow bunny hopping along the bushes, your eyes shimmered as you approached as slowly as you can. a snow bunny. how adorable?! you cooed as low as you can to avoid scaring the bunny, and to your utter satisfaction, it hops onto your lap. with the biggest grin on your lips—you patted the bunny, indulging yourself in this form of cuteness.

"milady, you're here?"

the snow creature on your lap flinches and hop out of your lap which causes you to sigh at the prince before you. giving him a deadpan look you were itching to do all this time, and now that he's finally here..

"i'm quite sure one of the rules i stated was that you would refrain from calling me.. your wife? didn't we, your highness?"

"forgive me, milady." jungwon shrugged. "such atrocious acts had to be cut off before it grows, and aside from that, what kind of husband would i be if i couldn't do the bare minimum of protecting my wife?"

the tip of your nose was immediately dusted off with rosy hues. another shitty dialogue that you don't know where it came from, that shoots another cupid's bow to your serene heart once again—gritting your teeth as you pull the imaginary arrow out of your heart before it can grow to something worse.

you sighed at him as you placed your attention on the lush garden around you, getting on your knees as you brushed your finger across the florals. “your highness seems too confident, i fear you’ll be utterly heartbroken later.”

“to pursue something requires risk, it is a risk i am willing to take, milady.” jungwon said. “plus, it is not determined yet that i can’t win your heart.”

“hm, sure your highness. feel free to think so, we’ll see that later.” you rolled your eyes. “make sure not to come back crying later, your highness.” you notice the way jungwon’s lips pulled up in the faintest smile.

your eyes exponentially softened at that sight of him, of course seeing your male lead with your own eyes was once in a lifetime opportunity, to see one of your characters that you created with your entire heart and soul came into life and to utter words with their lips engulfed you with complete bliss. yet your heart moans in fear that this smile shouldn't be for you, it was only for the female lead.

you cannot let it grow more than this.

my precious female lead.. liz. poor her, she's definitely having her well deserved sleep after going about the town, helping people in need and such, therefore you had to get this mission done as quick as possible!

for her to indulge in the romances of love!

clenching your fist in full blown determination, you stood back on your feet—the breeze flowing against your gown as you gaze up the moonlit sky and you've gotta admit that the scattering rays the moonlight bestows upon the silent blooming florals had the image of tranquillity, instantly bringing your heart at ease.

but you would never be at ease as long as the prince had his eyes on you.

you turned your attention back to the prince who had been gazing upon the moon as well. despite the prince's back facing you, you could tell that he was deep in thought, remaining silent for quite awhile.

"but keep your hopes low, your highness." you exclaimed with a mild scoff.

"i do and will keep that in mind, milady." jungwon's lips pulled up in a slight smirk. "however, please do keep it in mind too that I will never give up yet."

taken aback by his sheer determination, you folded your arms— "well, let's see!"

jungwon slightly giggles at you, "alright, milady."

damn, author versus character? what an odd combination of a match. he won't give up? sure bring it on! i knew you better than you do, yang jungwon! a total stare down occurs between you and the prince, with a definite goal at mind.

"may i ask why.. is lady liz here with us too, milady?" dumbfounded the prince was in the presence of the lady, he surely didn't expect that right?!

hah! jokes on you, yang jungwon! you suppressed the need to smirk as the very fact was you sneakily inviting liz without the prince's knowledge which resulted in all of you three seated down for a tea party in this round table; with you in the middle, as you purposely had the prince facing the female lead in the hopes that they could lock eyes and for it to cause immense spark between them!

ah, what a sight! you couldn't help it but fangirl really hard over them, cause how couldn't you?! it's like a matchmaking session and you, obviously the cupid!

"i assume there's nothing to be curious about, as this was the pact, isn't your highness? i could bring whoever i please."

"yes indeed, but.. the pact.." jungwon pauses, then pulls a tiny smile all reserved for you. "never mind it, i had been granted the honour to be invited to the lady's manor, how ungrateful would i be if i couldn't satisfy your wishes, milady." he continues as he turns his fluttering eyes at liz. "lady liz, it's my pleasure to meet you."

"so am i, your highness."

yes! yes! freaking finally, did he turned his damn head over the female lead! you got this, you were beyond sceptical at agreeing with the pact at first but now that you've seen it before your eyes, you could make the prince fall for the female lead whenever it's your turn to invite the prince!

this is truly a blessing in disguise!

make him fall in love with her, bit by bit, till his interest in you slowly divert into the female lead before his eyes. simple it is! just make sure she's always in his line of vision, so that his heart would truly realise who it was beating for this entire time.

oh dear prince, look ahead and see the perfect lady that was meant for you! for if you still refuse to do so, i'll gladly force your damn eyes to look towards her!mission start!

"so, liz." you grin with your chins on top of your interlaced hands. "i heard you're planning to hold a feast banquet for the people in the town, i forgot but perhaps it would be held a week later?" your eyes darted over the prince to examine his reaction, yet his eyes lingered over anywhere but liz, seemingly not paying attention.

your eyes twitches in disbelief. damnit, give me some reaction, will you? liz, our precious is helping the goddamn country. your goddamn corrupted country!

"what do you say, your highness?" you asked with raised eyebrows.

"that's certainly virtuous of you, lady liz." jungwon smiled as he took a sip from his teacup, his eyebrows furrowing for a moment. "the royal nobles couldn't be compared with you, honestly."

"thank you, your highness. you're flattering me way too much."

"no, i say what needs to be said. unlike you, the nobles are greedy and selfish, often catering to their own personal needs. it tends to irritate me that i couldn't do anything yet with my current status."

"that's certainly unfortunate, however i'm sure your majesty could overturn the tables soon." liz sympathised. "what's important for us to do right now is to help more people in need."

"a nation definitely would need a reigning queen like you, lady liz."

liz covered her mouth with her handkerchief, "once again, you're flattering me, your highness. i do not think i'm capable of such a crown."

"yet your humility and kindness surpassed all, i may say. it is certainly the qualities of a queen."

"it is always my pleasure to help people in need.. but if fate persists, then i would gladly take the chance."

jungwon emitted a slight giggle, a tender smile forming in his lips. "that's fascinating of you, lady liz. is there anything you had an interest for other than helping people?"

"hm, i adore looking after birds, they're my precious friends that tend to help me more than i could count, your highness. and at times, i practise the art of embroidery.."

jungwon's eyes beamed at that particular word and it didn't go unnoticed by your eyes forming countless neon heart shapes as you watched them converse with each other, heart quenching in top fangirling mode as if they were truly a match made for each other!

aaah, my favourite couple!

an enchanting frame of them conversing with each other should be immediately turn into them slipping in wedding rings into each other’s finger! what a lovely sight indeed!

"how about you, lady (name)? is there anything you in particular liked about?"

"uh-?" your fangirling mode switches off when both of their attention are now on you.

"i'm curious about you, milady." jungwon tilted his head at you, curiosity glazed across his feline orbs as he leaned back on the chair in a leisurely manner.

you could freaking imagine the long ass arrow of his concentration fixating on you. freak, i thought you were already falling in love with liz!

you held the need to snort, and you actually missed how liz blushed over the prince's gesture towards you, secretly fangirling inside her rampant heart.

"w-what is there else to know about me?" you held the need to cringe.

"like stuff you're interested in?" jungwon added.

"oh the lady loves to—"

"hush, liz!"

the green blades swayed along the soft breeze as the scorching sun grew a tad bit hotter today yet the over-the-top umbrella you had with you—protected you from the rays at least, but you couldn't care any less as you were beyond giddy, as right now you brought the two with you to the bridge behind the manor.

adding a humongous speed on your feet, leaving the two slightly far behind you for obvious reasons.

now, now.. shall we start the plan?

a mischievous, meticulous plan you've crafted since last night, sacrificing your beauty rest for this long awaited encounter of your precious main couple. moving on to the second step of your plan.

of course, being a writer means you could imagine a dozen more ideas of how to develop romance between two characters—easy peasy. spending an unhealthy amount of time into perfecting your craft, you didn't waste your 20/20 vision to have learnt nothing, obviously.

"ah, isn't the heat a bit irritating today?" wiping off the bead of sweat down your jaw, in a slightly exaggerated manner.

"perhaps, it would be best if we return to the manor, milady." liz spoke, concern engulfed her expression.

"hm, you're probably right." sneakily taking a few glances towards the prince standing behind liz, you fake a few coughs.

forgive me, liz, my precious baby! i had to do this to make that damn prince realise his love for you, plus the lake ain't deep for god's sake..

yes, the goddamn lake. you even had to ask the maids over how deep was this lake just for safety measures, certainly you need your female lead to stay alive for your plan (and novel) to work.

and why the lake, you might wonder? oh jesus, just how many dramas had the damn water scene appearing regardless of any form; lake, river, swimming pool, waterfall, you name it—where the female lead crash into, only for the male lead to come and save her for the day?

the exquisite proximity and skin brushing against skin, those pair of orbs gazing into the universe of each other's soul as they stuttered along the line—traces of infatuation fleeting into the empty air, the heavy scent of romances blooming with prolonged gaze—eventually sealing their amour with a deep, passionate kiss.

ah, chef's kiss! massimo paborito, mwah!

upon your mere hesitation, you sneakily bumped against liz; a surging scream emitted from her lips as she fell into the lake, water splashing against your dress in the process.

"lady liz!" you pushed yourself at the edge of the bridge, feigning shock—to be fair, you would've been annoyed by the soaking spots on your dress but your main priority right now is the prince beside you!

"your highness!" it seems as if he didn't need a word from you to dive in through the lake, but oh well, that had you immensely proud at his quick reflex. now have your skin brush against each other, and look deep into each other's eyes! your eyes widened mischievously as liz's face was buried in the prince's neck.

yes! yes! now gaze deep into his eyes and thank him for saving you! seriously you're currently suppressing your rattling feet from taking small giddy jumps over the sight before you; the prince's arms wrapped around the female lead's waist—while her arms around his shoulder, their nose brushed against each other when she lifted her head.

that alone had you turning your back around, cupping your mouth as you squealed in utter fangirling mode.

shit! holy shit! is this what it feels like to see them right before your eyes?! oh dear, oh dear, just get married will you?! you truly felt like a proud parent right now.

now what is it, let me take one more look! ah!— a fat ass bee buzzes out of nowhere, at your face even. your blood run cold at this stinging monster flying around you. seriously?!

your feet stumbles backwards as you kept smashing your umbrella at this hard-headed bee yet it buzzes even louder, dodging every each of your lame attacks. to your utter shock, your entire world turns downwards as your feet stumbles backwards causing you trip over the bridge.

a humongous splash shoots up the air and against the pair at your pathetic fall.

sunken seaweeds tangled round your wrists as you fell deeper, the water rushing into your lungs and nose had your mouth burbling bubbles before you. your eyebrows furrowed as someone familiar had dove back in, swimming towards you.

why is he even bothering? go back to liz, you idiot!

his fingers found it way around your hips, however you pushed yourself up—swaying your hands upwards, causing the prince to follow suit.

"goddamnit, i can swim." instantly mumbling to yourself as soon as the air greeted your nose, rolling your eyes as you slapped the prince's arms, "i didn't take swimming lessons at the ripe age of seventeen for this shit. by the way, where's liz? why did you leave her!" you mumbled repeatedly as you pushed yourself out of the lake, groaning with your soaking heavy dress.

"milady! you were about to drown!"

"bitch—oh god, your highness be for real." you huffed, "i just said i can swim."

"how was i supposed to know, milady?"

all in all, you all ended up soaking in the scorching lake. what a perfect day for swimming, huh? anyways, why did he even leave the female lead? she can't swim for god's sake!

"lady (name)!" liz had seated herself on the grass, utterly drenched yet still you could differentiate it from the tears streaming down her face as she pushed herself up, sprinting towards you, crying over how worried she was for your life.

rubbing her back you did as you comforted her, telling her that all is fine. except it wasn't fine for you that your fucking plan failed because of your careless damn feet.

you flinched slightly when you caught his eyes never leaving your form and more even at how drenched he was, beads of water dripping down his chin, and his royal attire soaking wet along with his once fluffy lush hair dripping immensely.

the maids had given towels and another pair of dresses for now, but you're actually wondering about the prince as this manor surely didn't had an attire for a male, moreover a prince. since you've written the background history of this manor that the duke who had owned it had passed away before his daughter was born, and so since then, only females had lived in these quarters over the past 40 years.

you heard a few knocks on your door, the maid's head slipping in through the edge. "milady?"

"hm?" you didn't bother to pay a glance as you wiped off the excess soaking of your hair, still in your spiral of dilemma over what happened an hour ago. your stupid mistake of your damn foot conspiring to trip into the damn lake in a rare opportunity!

"his royal highness was asking for your presence, milady."

"and what is his royal highness trying to conspire right here, huh? i am not his personal assistant to dress him up." you snorted, "what is this, barbie and ken? barbie girl in a barbie world?"

it's fantastic? this is nothing close to fantastic at all! you were so damn close to having them crashing their lips against each other!

"goddamnit why is this song kept repeating in my mind!" you whined to yourself.

the maid who had been patiently waiting for you to finish your emo session, spoke once again. "but milady, his royal highness had been having troubles since an hour ago. he had only requested for you and no one else."

"oh god, fine!" you smashed your soaked towel on the table, huffing as you went on your way to the guest room. stomping your feet ever so loudly as you pause before the double door, "your highness, may i ask what in the world are going on for you to request for my presence?"

"come in, please."

you didn't think much as you pushed the door open, yet your lungs bursted into flames when his toned chest and down your eyes went to his bunny pack of buns greeting your lazy orbs which had by far rattled into chaos as of now.

he's freaking half naked?! your mind chanted it like an unlimited internet quota. shirtless he was with that pestering smirk on his face as if he did this on purpose. yeah, this bitch definitely did it on purpose.

"milady?" jungwon smirked, "why don't you welcome yourself in? after all, this is your manor."

"no need." you coughed with your fist.

"just come in, please?"

"stop it! this is basic decency, why would you— ah—!" you held the need to breath as he slammed both his hands on either side of your head.

his breath brushing over your cheeks like feathers, "i don't think such terms like 'decency' are needed between us. after all, milady.. you're my future wife."

"w-what are you doing?! liz is right here—"

jungwon frowned, "why is mentioning her important to us?"

"w-well then!" you horrendously blinked a couple of times as you reasoned with him, "t-the pact! this is a blatant violation!"

"i haven't even done anything yet, milady?" he leaned in closer, seductive tone enveloping his voice. "so worked up for nothing, but that's cute. it satisfies me that only i could have such a great effect for you to have this expression, milady."

you couldn't contain the suppressed hiccup inside your lungs anymore as it eventually emitted right through his face, which had you immediately covering your mouth in utter shock. yet relief consumed you somehow when the smirk on his lips dissipated, however concern adorned his feline orbs.

but just as embarrassment left your soul, another emotion surged through your throat when his hand found its way to your cheek, his thumb stroking your cheek in circular motion as his concerned orbs were wholly fixated on it. "milady, can't you just get rid of the lake behind the manor?"

"w-why do you ask?"

"are you serious, milady? the incident awhile ago would certainly grow worse once left unattended."

"you're overreacting, prince jungwon." finally gathering courage as you pushed him away with your palms against his bare chest, gasping like a dying fish with your hands on your chest when you finally got your needed oxygen.

"i'm certainly not overreacting, i don't know what could've happened if i wasn't around if ever something.. endangered your life, milady."

"your highness, i am not as weak as you think of me."

"perhaps i've look down on you a little, milady. my apologies." your breath hitched down your throat when he immediately took your hands to pressed a tender kiss on top of it. "forgive me, milady."

your ears heated up when your eyes fell on his bare torso, realising that he still doesn't have anything on. dripping hair, beads of water down his chest causes your head to combust. pulling your hands away you did as you exclaimed.

"there's no need to apologise!" stomping out of the room, "seriously wear something!"

🎵…DESTINY IS NOTHING

today was the third time you were in the palace, and the prince's second turn in this pact where he had been guiding you around, everywhere but his room since you blatantly ignored his request with a firm resolution after that embarrassing incident you put yourself in a week ago.

jungwon spoke about his interests and stuff which you obviously knew very well, not really bothering to say anything in order to let him know that you weren't interested at all. opting to let him down as many times as it needed for him to fall out of love with you.

yet he just won't fucking give up.

cuisine, art, languages, swordsmanship, you name it; you've made this prince to be almost perfect at all aspects that was needed for him to inherit the throne. not that you've never written about his brothers, or any other princes in the kingdom, but a prominent part of his history throughout his childhood was that he was an illegitimate child of the king, yet he was immensely capable in adapting quick and efficient.

he pushed all through the trials and obstacles with his wits and immense manipulation tactics, overthrowing his opponents and those who dare to target his head were immediately thrown towards the sharp edge of the guillotine as soon as he spotted them within his line of sight.

jungwon was deadly and far more cunning than you could ever think. mercy was never part of his dictionary as a large part of his childhood grew under a knight whose heart was ice cold like freezing winter, therefore he inherited such traits and honed it to his advantage.

yet that ice cold heart instantly melted when his eyes fell on the female lead, his one and only lover. the rest was merely a history, sweet sugary romance that had been utterly messed up due to your existence in this novel.

you truly did never expect such a nonsensical turn of events to happen.

this prince could try anything he can to win your heart with his tactics, but jokes on him—it was you who crafted this very characteristic of him. therefore you, the writer of this very novel—has the upper hand and advantage more than he does.

but this freaking prince just had to fall asleep in the comfort of his arms before you as you two were seated down at the table for another cup of tea, that is. his lush bangs hanging just above his eyelashes, the tip of his nose dusted with cherry hues as he had been rubbing it off awhile ago when you were both in the palace's garden, his lips pouting made him appear to be an innocent child.

scoffing as you rolled your eyes, is he seriously that comfortable with you? this guy with horrendous trust issues even with his own personal knights? frowning, you leaned in a bit closer, inspecting his features.

i get it that you're cute, i mean all props and kudos to me for creating this goddamn hot face of yours but seriously i had matters to settle, and that is resting in my own quarters with my legs sprawled! not in this damn puffy dress that had me sweating for the past few hours!

—and definitely not all while riding a damn horse!

yes fucking indeed, prince freaking jungwon had arranged a horse riding session in the evening after taking a freaking nap, how utterly horrendous this situation is as you found yourself before a pair of horses emitting their very friendly nose according to the prince which doesn't sound the very least friendly to you.

and you might wonder why this situation was nothing but a pure form of nightmare to you? you unfortunately didn't have any experience in horse riding, and that’s no problem at all, actually! considering your well known reputation as a manhwa avid reader on her own flower bed.

the thing is, your dumbass had written this character you were currently in to be a complete master in horse riding and had actually won multiple national championships since she was at the early age of 10 years old!

oh god, dear god, could you just let me flee into dust at this moment? why the heck didn’t you add fantasy powers in your novel? could’ve actually brought you an advantage by smacking the prince to the female lead’s arms instead of this nonsense.

this was a pure nightmare in the physical frame of the prince having a lovey dovey moment with his horse, you cringe at the thought of him offering you for a ride and your back pressed against his chest all while passing through the field—as if this was a sort of la la land of fairytale.

screw this. you definitely don’t wanna have a lovey dovey moment with him. if you could, you would’ve invited liz! there would be no damn problem! but the thing is, he had the upper hand this week!

this bitch is really using every single damn hour without a waste, huh? what should you do?! tell him you are sick or that you kind of have a weak body now? hell nah, you had just stupidly challenged him that day by punching him right in the face, showcasing your not so sick body, unfortunately.

and most important of all, why the heck did he choose horse riding as part of the weekly pact? how did he even think of this? to bond using the method of interests? bullshit. you voiced such a question to him with your eyebrows raising minus the cussing part, as you can't help your expression.

"milady appears to have a taste for adventure and a hint of rebellious judging how you ended up punching me that day.." jungwon tilted his head playfully. "so it naturally came to me to do horse riding, and it just so happens that i heard that you, milady, had an exquisite talent for it. it must be destiny, isn't?"

screw your so-called destiny!

"that doesn't appear to be a compliment, at all. your highness." you emphasised the addressment. “and for your information, i am currently not in the mood to ride a horse. so, your highness. could we just do something else?.”

"hm, but today i wish to show the meadow which was deep in the woods, milady." jungwon sighed as he pouted, “it wouldn’t be fair for the agreement we had, aren’t we? and if you wish not to ride, then you could always ride with me, you know?” a smirk formed within the corners of his lips as he turned his attention towards his horse.

huh.

i fucking knew it! this bitch of a prince is pulling a hidden agenda of initiating close contact with you through this, that thought alone had you fuming in utter rage, clenching your fist as you can’t refuse such an offer.

everywhere you look, there seems to be no escape from this bloody hell of a lovesick prince! inhaling a very deep breath into your nose as you lifted your eyes at the prince who was currently giving a nice goodie boy pat to his jet black horse, giving him a total deadpan look.

“your highness, i really am not in the mood especially when it’s not my own horse-” you gestured towards the other white horse in which it emitted a total annoyance of ‘neigh’ in response, “and i definitely do not want to risk my life again the way i and lady liz did back in the manor.”

“that’s why i was asking for you to get rid of the lake, milady.” jungwon said. “and i could request for your personal horse-”

“don’t you ever touch my lake!” you huffed in which he raises his hands up immediately, sighing in defeat. “and no, quit it. let my horse rest!”

“well then, milady. your wish is my command..” jungwon emitted a tsk all while pushing himself up on top of the horse with so much ease by placing his foot on the saddle, wrapping both his hands at the handle as he ushered the horse to move closer to you. he lets out a breath of satisfaction as he lowered his right hips and extended his right arm for you much to your deadpan look. “however today is my turn, come and have a ride with me, milady.”

right, you really had no choice!

biting your lip as there was no other way to escape this situation despite your best efforts, you’ll just slam the reality to his face then. “fine, don’t you dare regret it.”

“hm~” he hummed in utter delightment as he pulled you up easily, since you wore this annoying puffy dress; you didn’t face the front, rather your shoulders were pressed against the prince’s chest which apparently worsened the situation as you could see his dangerously close face in this way.

god forbid you punch this prince to death.

"riding a horse is utterly boring now, i might say." you mumbled.

if you actually had applied for horse riding lessons along with swimming lessons, you could’ve and definitely ride a horse all by your own, and even imagining to an extent of ushering all the way out from the palace.

yet all you did in your life was curl yourself in your comfy heavenly gaming chair—that you had to withstand this dangerously close proximity with his breath causing tingles behind your neck. you could sense his chest, his heart beating too loud for your sake, and his lush hair brushing against your ear.

"may i ask why so, milady?"

"it's the very fact that i couldn't ride a horse on my own after some little accident i had back then. you see, your highness."

"ah, so it was that?" his voice made you nervous for no reason, you flinched slightly when he leaned closer, whispering in an almost feathery atmospheric tone. "then it would be my pleasure to give you some personal riding lessons to polish your skills again, milady."

your cheeks heated up at the supposedly double meaning, yet is that even possible?! gulping down your throat, and coughing in attempts to calm yourself down. "never mind it, honestly."

"as you wish, milady." you swore you could sense his mischievous grin behind, you broke a cold sweat at the growing and brave advances this prince is making.

is there really no way to get rid of his so-called interest in you?

“oh, i see your highness and lady (name) are having a pretty little date?” your eyes ogled out at the familiar luminous puppy vibes approaching from the distance, blonde fluffy hair bouncing every couple of seconds as a ‘neigh’ emitted from the horses. “this sight appears to be lovely, i have to say.”

it's definitely not lovely at all, the fuck are you saying?!

you suppressed the greatest desire to roll your eyes at the blonde-haired prince along with the two knights accompanying him.

“prince jake, i wonder what could be the reason to the knights behind you?”

“ouch.” feigning shock by clutching his chest, jake pouted in return. “no hey, how are you’s, or at least how's life? brother?”

right, the history between these two brothers is not the brightest as it seems, as they were birthed from two different mothers; one being the queen, and the latter of nothing more than a worthless prostitute. that rooted history alone had the gap between them growing farther and larger, adding the fact that jungwon managed to soar to the pinnacle in such a short time had not only jake’s position in the kingdom in a thin ice, but also other princes.

the rest was history though, as right now jungwon obviously had the power over each and one of them. the highest in status amongst his half brothers and sisters—the crown prince.

so these seemingly playful words emitting from the other prince don't have the slightest traces of sincerity, rather that of mockery.

“lady (name)?”

you replied almost immediately, “yes, your highness?”

“do look after my precious younger brother, will you? i certainly couldn’t bear once he—”

blah, blah, blah—worthless lies one after another, only nodding your head with the sweetest smile you could afford on your lips in order to appease the prince. right, what’s the point of having such golden vibes if he had such a despicable tongue? it’s such a waste of good looks, to be honest.

well, it was you who wrote him that way though.

conversing with the golden prince lasted for quite awhile much to your inner groaning, and incredibly elated you were when he finally left with his knights—excusing himself for some military affairs, that is. but jokes on him, you knew what was he in for, yet that couldn’t be any of your priority as this prince who had his feline features contorted into bitterness will handle him later according to the original route of the story.

but of course, the original route is pretty nonexistent if he never falls in love with the female lead! ugh! and what’s up with this ugly bitter look on his face? i didn’t spend all of the hours that was meant for my sleep to craft your pretty damn face!

“milady, i’ll only repeat this once.” his feline eyes darkened as it looked into your soul, “do not ever stay even one inch closer to prince jake, he’s not what you think he is.”

gulping down your throat as you broke a cold sweat, this look he was giving you was the very expression you described on him when he felt that he was being challenged or worse, getting on his nerves.

“plus, i do not like it a single bit of how you, milady gave him a smile.”

well yeah, screw it. you gave him another deadpan look, punching his chest with your clenched fist, causing him to yelp in pain.

tap, tap, tap.

you were sure you look like a freaking duck right now as you squinted so hard at the shop before you as it was your turn in this week once again, you had been researching about this particular shop where you could try on dresses and go about the town without paying first. therefore proceeding with your plans as always, you had invited liz again much to jungwon's hidden inner groaning.

silently weeping to himself as to how he could get on with plans in winning your heart, too, if a third party is always presented and a girl, even. if it was a man, not even an ounce of hesitation will he claim you before their eyes. yet he had just to eat his own words by going along with your wishes as now he had a kitty ears on with a cape that was a tad bit colourful for him, only lowering his head down in attempts to conceal his face from the crowd as it was freaking broad daylight.

that’s right, you had chose to cosplay with the two in hopes for them to find each other adorable, at least. yet much to their deep knitted eyebrows over what that word means, you had to think of a petty lie to utter before them.

and that was brushing it off as a rare word you encountered in a goodie oldie book that they could never lay their hands on, (obviously your novel) proceeding to drag them around the town with so much ease without them protesting to match the kitty ears on you as well. you gestured all around like a child with your eyes twinkling immensely at every single object, and rushing into the crowd despite their protests.

and behold, this was your very plan! sneakily getting rid of yourself and leaving them two alone together in the crowd, dumbfounded over your existence, shape, or form-nowhere to be found, this was one in a millionth chance to have them together all by themselves!

rushing out of the crowd from the back, your eyes sparkles in luminous brightness as you observed their frantic form everywhere looking for you. with the widest grin ever on your face and a humongous sparkle on your eyes, you exclaimed within your mind:

enjoy your date, my precious!

watching them from the distance as you took a sip from your orange juice, you squealed so hard as they began to converse with each other and the sight of liz giggling as she covered her mouth, the prince must have been saying something towards her right?!

"w-what? w-what did you say?!"

"yes, milady.."

coughing immensely as you choked on your chocolate drink after your maid, juliet — broke out the news with a pout in her face and her back drooping that the prince wouldn't be able to come today as he had important matters to attend to, however she added that she overheard from the maids that the prince had visited lady liz's manor, and everyone was cooing and swooning over the perfect sugary image of them giggling together.

really? really?! did your plan work out? unbelievably joyous your soul was as it soar into peak euphoria, thanking the deities as you didn't have to go that far anymore! truly, the female lead's charms are irresistible even to the prince, himself! unbeatable indeed, that he could no longer ignore the one and truly one for him.

juliet added that another type of rumours had been escalating over the entire royal court, and it was crystal clear to you how it was causing everyone from peasants to nobles to bet on who was going to hit the jackpot; the status of the crown princess.

"was it any of the three ladies closest to the prince's circle?" was the question lingering like a super duper glue from everyone's tongue.

some wondered that it could be princess violet who had just arrived from the neighbouring kingdom. she had been prince jungwon's supposedly fiancée ever since he was crowned as the prince, the keyword here is 'supposedly' since she was initially thought to be engaged with the prince, yet till now it was never officialised nor an official banquet had been held along those years. however, her arrival after so many years causes rumours to arise that a royal marriage was probably around the corner soon.

while others say that it might not be princess violet, and it was actually noble lady liz from the house of felix; walls are akin to eyes, ears and mouth—and so it soon reaches everyone's peace of mind that she could be a rival to the princess.

yet others also had their mind fixated on another noble lady, you. some of them however, had no guts to say out loud to vote for you—since one, your brazen attitude in the ballroom that day causes a hazardous chaos to everyone's mind, and two—rumours say that even when the prince had initially visited your manor for a couple of weeks, his interest soon dissipates upon lady liz's arrival.

kicking your feet in the air as you stretched your arms with utter satisfaction, you were surely placing your entire bet not on the former, but on the latter. you had never heard of princess violet, sure you had written a princess in your novel but that character was only a minor role. so it kind of bugged you over who is this princess violet?

well yeah, screw it. what is there to worry about when the prince had been pouring his utmost attention to his one and only female lead?

supporting your head with your arms as you gaze upon the silent sunset above the horizon—somehow, someway, it kind of gives you a solemn mood? shouldn't you be happy right now?

weird.

the glowing blush of the moonlight had the clouds dissipating in a rush, showcasing it's rays towards the glasshouse from where you are right now, the scent of fresh lush garden and the sweetened blossoming flora had your mind in a total serenity, yet it doesn't last any longer as a particular someone had made his appearance today.

"hm? what are you hiding behind you?"

you raised your eyebrow as you tried to take a sneaky peek on his left, yet he dodges it efficiently. it has nearly been a week since the prince had last visited you, yet he just had to break the streak by appearing before you today. at night even! you were appalled at first, frightened even that he might do something yet an afterthought struck you that he must definitely end the pact today!

giddy you are, as you spun around with your arms interlaced behind your back. a paper it must be? a paper with an official agreement to end his pact with you!

his feline eyes looking down the ground as his cheeks profusely steamed in rosy hues, obvious to you that this prince surely is being shy for reasons you couldn't think of.

huh.

"if your highnesss think i would keep forcing you then scrap the idea." you hummed as you turned around. seriously the prince surely doesn't think that you would insist right? you've watched too many dramas for this shit, the result of it obviously falling on each other's arms.

"milady?"

with a low sigh, you turn your head towards his way. wondering what could he be saying again, yet something naturally pulls your disinterested orbs onto it.

in his hand, in the grip of his long fingers; a book appeared.

but not just any normal or average book—by the looks of it, even when your eyes fell on it for the first time—you immediately noticed that the book on his hands was a handmade one with a vintage hardcover. your lips hang slightly apart and for some reason, your heart actually mellowed before your brain could process the fact. "i made this for you."

this is dumb, seriously it can't be? this prince is certified dumb but you were even dumber as you took it in your hands, inspecting every corner of it with your tender orbs.

"y-you made this?.. for me?"

"yes, i know it's rather simple—"

"n-no," shaking your head slightly as you unconsciously let out a breathless awkward giggle. "but when did you make this?"

"the first time i was invited to your manor, milady. i didn't mean to peek into your room—"

"what?"

"b-but i swear! i didn't read the papers scattered on the floor of your room, i held myself."

relief engulfed your soul, yet why are you even relying on his words? he could be lying, that it's right? he could be lying. but why can't you rip your orbs away from this simple object?

"yet seeing how your interest was centred along papers, and the ink plate on the farthest side... i thought that you must've liked to write, milady. so, i thought that i could make a handmade book for you."

a couple beats of silence.

"don't you like it?.."

"you didn't have to go that far, seriously—" you reasoned with him, yet your eyes never leave the object on your palms. unable to process this very fact, you don't wanna admit that it does something to your heart.

"no, but i have to." he interrupted, "and this is simply what a lover would—" pausing he did after he recalled your initial distaste over that particular word, letting out the last words from his lips rather low in volume as if he was shy to let you hear it clearly. "what a man would do for the woman he loves."

your stomach grew butterflies at his words.

"you could write anything you wanted in it, pour out everything you felt, your troubles, anything.."

and if i'm lucky enough to be a part of the pages.. i surely would treasure it, milady. those words rang akin to windchimes in jungwon's head as he observed you with utmost intent.

your fingers traced over the engraved leafy patterns on the cover, you suppressed a giggle at the obvious amateur brown threads that woven the entire pages together—sure it appears to be messy at hell, yet you seem to adore this proof of wholly effort. no you absolutely adore it.

it reminded you of that time when you had poured out your inner feelings in a journal for the first time, because you weren't able to let yourself out completely for everyone. it was before you ever had the hobby of reading manhwas, and or even being a writer.

it was the only way you ever had that time.

raising your glued eyes on the book at the prince, "thank you," his shy feline eyes bubbled into bubbly bobas at your gesture, "your highness."

jungwon looks away, avoiding those eyes that he had grown smitten for. brushing his fingers on his lips in the process as he gulped down his throat. "ah, right. i still have another present for you."

"god, it ain't my birthday today though? what's with all this presents—"

jungwon smiled as he turned his head towards the entrance, "bring it in."

the knights stepped in through the entrance, yet the sight of the white tiny creature on their arms caught your interest, and the fact that this frame of the knight's buff form and the creature in his arms seems to be a rather comical, eccentric but comforting sight.

your mouth hangs apart slightly when you finally notice the familiarity of the white creature—it was the snow bunny from the royal ball that night.

jungwon took the bunny in his arms as he approached you, "i have to say it's quite an effort to catch this little bunny, yet milady is—" he pauses with a slight grin, opting not to finish his sentence. "here, from today onwards, this bunny is yours, milady."

"how did you.."

"i have quite a keen observation, milady."

"stalker." you playfully spat out despite knowing this ability of his, in which the prince giggled in return.

your orbs endlessly waver at the lively snow creature on your arms, it's round form making itself comfy and nice which had you giggling at how utterly adorable it was.

🎵...AQUARIUS

suddenly the bunny wiggles in your arms and decides to hop on your face which had your butt hitting the grass in a loud thud, you yelp in pain much to the prince's displeasure. but you brush it off with a smile on your face, opting to lay your head on the grass bed instead as you picked up the snow bunny, lifting it up with your pair of arms.

the dim blue-ish setting of this place blending with doses of lavender hues and the fleeting fragrance of the flowers enveloped your form as the night breeze grew its volume in serenity.

like an image of a violet evergarden.

the prince had seated himself on the bed of the grass as well, not too close to make you feel uncomfortable yet not too far to be able to observe the way your features contorted into silent euphoria, just at an appropriate distance.

jungwon places his chin on his palms, tilting his head sideways with his orbs fixated on yours, watching you in silence as you play with the bunny in your arms, and at the handmade book laid beside you.

you didn't notice this awhile ago but now you did, realising the prince who had seated himself on the bed of grass. "y-you're still here.. i didn't notice."

"of course, but isn't that nice?" a tiny crease emerged from the corners of his cheeks, showcasing his dimples, "that means milady is happy."

your cheeks along with your heart grew warm at his words, placing a chaste kiss on the bunny's forehead as a way to hide away your stuttering. "r-right, thank you for all of this."

a low tone giggle from him sent tingles towards your ears, threatening to push in the cupid's bow a few more centimetres deep into your heart.

in this heaven-like, dimly lit glass greenhouse with the glitters star glazed monochrome sky behind the glass panes on the ceiling serving as your cinematic view, with your silk hair spreading beneath the lush grass bed and your bare skin feeling the sensation of the tender blades, the blossoming violets surrounding you and the prince sitting at the distance had every cells inside you to mellow in comfort.

the moonlight rays shimmering against the glass panes formed a twinkling light, and an imaginary silk fabric of soft beige and black velvet flowed in utter grace above the round patterned ceiling.

you held your breath.

this utterly whimsical and fairytale mood like what you often imagined in your novels, you had never imagine to be able to experience such vivid details with the tips of your fingers, reminding you of that time when you thumbed through the dictionary, studying each root and meaning of a specific word, with a blazing desire to be able to convey your story in utmost descriptive senses to your readers.

ah, this is beyond what you can imagine.

it sort of felt like the lush muted grass bed beneath your bare skin had pulled its borders open, transporting you into another dimension, into another world where it defies gravity and the laws of physics as your soul wasn't held by anything concrete nor anything spiritual.

the snow bunny before you had fallen to its slumber as you laid it on your tummy, purring in a tender melody.

floating and floating amidst the pit patter of the star it was as the weight of the crashing reality from where you used to be, every thought dissipates as your desire to merge yourself within this enchanting dimension grew

you'd imagine the fleeting dust orbs floating above your line of vision were the embodiment of glowing fairies dusting their magical powders on you, that could be the reason for this enchanting serenity.

yet your eyes unconsciously took a glance towards the prince sitting from the distance, you were relieved when he had his eyes shut tight for a moment as if to feel the soft breeze against his face.

a thump. it was supposed to be brief yet with the way his lush hair resembles the swaying motion of the violets had your orbs lingering for a bit more. the hems of his long black coat spreaded out behind him, and his crimson shirt paired with the regency bowtie around his neck which was adorned with ruby rhinestones.

it was as if he was the garden itself.

a shooting star emerges upon the glazed starry night sky, falling across the reflection of your orbs, having you engulfed in amazement at the sight. "a shooting star."

"oh, a shooting star, the old saying goes was to make a wish before it and your wish shall be granted.." with his chin still on his palms, he tapped his cheeks playfully. "i wonder what would be milady's wish then?"

a wish?

no doubt, your wish was for the male lead to return to his original character and story, to the female lead—his lover. so that you won't have to be troubled with all this nonsense, and another wish you had is to definitely return to the real world. there's no doubt as well that you were beyond happy to be able to immerse yourself in the world you created, yet you wish to return home; home where your comfy bed was, kitchen that you often were excited for once you're done with work, your desk with countless papers of poetries you wrote and your glowing laptop with thousands of either unfinished works or complete ones residing in that one folder.

the joy of reading the long ass paragraphs your readers wrote for you once you posted the next chapter, some of them having you teared up due to how expressive and hilarious they were, all of it brought little yet significant bliss into your seemingly normal days.

but.. you had another tiny wish emerging from within, forming a rather solemn sound of windchimes to your heart.

"my wish?" raising your splayed fingers over your eyes, inspecting each unique star twinkling above the splattered paint of glitters. "i would like to be real to myself."

yes, to be real to yourself and to say nothing but truth to the tip of your tongue before everyone. to be a writer, they say, is to be a very sad child, that you have to pour all your sadness to your characters, crafting obstacles for them to fight against, and let them withstand it bit by bit till they grow to be a stronger person than they used to be.

yet to be a writer in your words would also mean to be both a liar and a truthful person, for all the words you convey to your readers were lies crafted in utter perfection and a thousand hours worth of learning—and were also truth stemming from inside you, your very own obstacles where you feel nothing but being fake.

doubting yourself of whatever you say was a daily chore to you in your original life, yet you couldn't stop it no matter how you wanted to. you felt enormous guilt before the people you called your friends, despite putting your best efforts in caring for them, you still felt like you were being fake.

yet in this novel, you poured everything with truth upon a thousand perfected lies. you cared for your characters, to think of them as humans rather than mere descriptions or profile, crafted dialogues you knew would be from them, and such.

therefore, it was in this world where you knew you weren't being fake. it was the world that was a part of you, a world you felt the most realest without punching your hands against your chest.

maybe that's why you also wished to stay a bit more in this fairytale-like world.

"what's yours, your highness?"

the dim lit glass panes glinted against jungwon's orbs as he raised his head to look upon the night sky, "my wish.. is to be a bit more sincere in the things i do."

a few beats of silence.

"—being a crown prince has its fair share of troubles too, lifting a veil of deception before everyone is utterly exhausting. to do everything for the sake of earning something is exhausting."

being manipulative is exhausting, jungwon thought to himself. he'd rather not add that one particular word for your ears to hear, as he definitely wishes not to ruin the mood.

"but aren't you doing all of these to earn my love?"

"that might be the case, milady." jungwon pauses yet again, "but what i'm doing right now is showing my love for you, to let you know that you had made me do something without asking anything in return. i do not yet know if i am completely being sincere right now, since.. the sight in front of me is pretty nice.. that i desire for it to be a little longer, you know?"

you knew what he meant by his wishes, and that was the very reason why he should have fallen in love with the female lead. they were the remedy to each other’s pain, they were the answer to each other’s prayers, they were made for each other just like you intended it to be. it should have been her at this moment, with him.

yet why is it that you can’t help the way your heart grows exponentially warm at his words? avoiding his steady eye contact and his tiny dimples by covering your eyes with your once splayed fingers. "hm.."

it's safe to say that your maids and the prince's knights standing outside the glasshouse immediately cupped their mouths really hard after overhearing the prince's words, some of them squealing and the other smacking each other in attempts to stay as silent as possible.

it had grown silent after that, yet it for sure left a lingering rosy hues on your face and his.

jungwon felt like everything in this space was oddly moving in a slow cinematic motion, with the sight of you laying there with the sleeping bunny on your tummy, your sparkling eyes against the night sky, your hair and your white dress sprawled over the grass bed like dripping honey petals.

his icy cold heart; he felt as if it skipped a thump with every single breath you took, every time your eyelashes fluttered with every blink, the way your toes wiggled as you counted every single star above the universe.

this magical border where it only had you and him, was akin to the drawn images of the fairytale book he read as a child. this scene, this image, this scenery; you stood out the most.

it was as if you were the flower in this garden.

little did you know, that the so called dates he had with liz was after all his request for personal embroidery lessons. liz, herself had been awfully fangirling over you two for the past few days, giving amateur yet adorable advice that he should be away for a couple of days, to give you an air of mysteriousness and wonder over his whereabouts.

"i had to express my thanks to you, lady liz — for helping me."

liz giggled, "all are well, your highness. it appears to me that your highness' present to the lady had been a success, i assume?"

jungwon blushes at the thought of your tomato face.

"lady (name), she's a bit odd sometimes, however she's a kind person! therefore, your highness shall treat her well."

"of course, lady liz." replied jungwon as he remembered the days when he squinted hard, poking the needle towards the handkerchief. yet he eventually gives up on it, opting for another present as he couldn't possibly give you such a horrendous looking present. cussing at himself that even by being the so-called perfect prince, he is unable to be good at some things.

cringing to himself, he pondered immensely. ah, he recalled that you had a particular interest over something his eyes had fallen upon a while ago.

papers, books, inks, poetry.

he deduced that you had the probably an interest on such a particular thing, proceeding with his secret plans in acquiring new books that you perhaps would have an interest in. yet he pauses with a distant thought that you might have read a thousand books more than he did (which you actually did), and discards the idea immediately, wondering how and what kind of present he should get in order to align with your particular interest.

it should be made with pure effort, yet it should also be deemed useful for it to be on your palms everyday it could. jungwon wishes to avoid extravagant presents such as jewellery or dresses as you had expressed dislike over them by the reason "it was too hot and itchy" — plus, you as a noble lady would surely have a wardrobe filled with dozens of such stuff.

therefore, after much thought, he settled with one thing; a handmade book.

jungwon couldn't suppressed his grin as he went back to the palace, or all over the way to his quarters without being seen by the maids doing their respective chores, nobles leisurely wandering about or conversing with their peers, and royal officials that had just passed by from their usual royal meeting.

they wondered what could be the reason for the prince's sweet grin? they would never know as they have never seen beneath the prince’s crafted facade. they would never know how that facade of his crumbled the day his feline orbs softened at your curled form in the midst of the hallway.

jungwon’s intention in approaching you that day was nothing more but to bring a couple more scent of fragrance to his name, as part of his meticulously crafted plans. even when you came to accidentally compliment him that day, it was only a slight waver to his ice cold heart. yet he finds you fascinating in how you carried yourself around him.

at second meeting, he knew you were hiding something to the point you were getting rid of him— yet didn’t bother to dig in as his instincts rendered you to be harmless, and that the thing you could be hiding would be to your own best personal interest. he ain’t no fool, growing up all by his own while encountering all sorts of people had sharpened his mind and polished his skills to the finest. yet he found it interesting to bubble up those panic expressions on your face.

during those days where he chose to wait for you to appear again had him quite of missing those expressions on your features that he decided to enter your residence which marks the third time you met each other. that day, when you made it clear that you do not have any interest in him, it's not that he felt like he was being challenged like he used to—it's just that there was something he couldn't fathom.

that's the very reason he made the thirty day pact, to see how far it will go till he loses this mere interest in you.

yet seeing you was yet another wish that kept burbling up in his heart one after another despite thinking to himself that this will be the last time, and at last he finally found himself wishing to see you one more time, every time he could, as long as he can.

you were definitely not the first lady that had shown lack of interest in him, neither you were the first one he had ever first fallen in love with, nor the first one to had him crumble into this way.

but you are definitely the last one he’ll ever pursue.

your eyes flutter open with the blossom of the sun kissing your hair strands and reflecting it's honey hues within your orbs. a wholly sensation of peace engulfed your heart as you seated yourself up, your eyes falling on the curled form of the white bunny, and at the handmade book beneath it.

"why didn't you woke me up?"

"his highness had spent the entire night watching over you, milady. he left by sunrise."

"oh.. he didn't say anything after that?"

"unfortunately no, milady."

you shrugged, scratching the back of your neck as you stood on your feet. pouting slightly as to how the prince didn't left any message for you before leaving, you sighed a bit.

but hold up? why are you sighing?

your previous thoughts dawned on you a couple of seconds later as you cupped your mouth with your hands, and your ogled eyes threatened to pop out. what is this nonsense?!

🎵…THEIR OWN WORLD

so much about the grinning stuff, here your face and lips were horrendously affected by this grin that never ceases to exist since that day.

seriously? it's just a simple book with empty pages and an obvious amateur embroidery that had threads sticking out front and back, yet as much as simple as you claimed it to be, your actions says otherwise as you had placed it amongst your personal bookshelf where your favourite books were, or the fact that your feet couldn't stop bringing yourself to where it was and for your hand to pull it out for the nth time.

to carefully inspect every little detail of this hand made carved cover, recalling the prince's words that he had poured his utmost effort in creating such a simple yet.. heartwarming gift. it kind of bugged you that accepting this gift probably meant accepting his advances towards you?

no way, that can't be it.

but the fact that you recalled how your heart mellowed in a swift speed when he placed the handmade book on your palms, and how you were sure that your smile that time was pure sincerity could have meant that.. you were falling for him?

nah uh! impossible as fuck! just give this back to him, yes indeed, that's the only plausible way to get rid of these ominous thoughts in your head. you can't be falling for the male lead, the very fictional character you created for your precious female lead.

yet your feet pause on its tracks almost as immediately it started, gripping the book in your fingers—-having a second thought of it.

tick tock, tick tock.

pure irritation engulfed your lungs in a pang as your eyes had been lingering on the entrance for a long, long time. to your utter surprise, the prince had not visited for a week, not even a single day as whole seven days without any sign of his presence. he had missed your turn in the pact, you had initially thought to spend this time with him without liz.

with the lingering desire to ask him something, but when you confront yourself before the mirror's reflection of yourself. what is there even to ask about?! to discuss the book with him? that could be it, right? not that you wanted him all to yourself, right?

right..?

was he busy? was he occupied with the royal affairs? or perhaps someone had caught his eyes now that he's spending his time with them? you are dead serious about giving this book back to him, so your heart would already be at ease, yet why?

you hated to admit it but, you were longing for his presence as you flipped through the empty pages of the book he made, for you. you haven't written anything on the first page as you desire for the words to be something of importance rather than mere doodles.

"—for you."

for you, huh? this prince is horribly romantic for his own good, isn't he?

"bunny." you poke the little creature's nose that had been scratching it's head on the table before you, "your prince, do you know where is he?"

of course, the bunny could only stare at you with it's boba eyes, obviously not capable of understanding your words. yet this bunny got to be the biggest culprit of them all as those boba eyes just had to remind you of him.

resting your chin on your palms as you let out a sigh for the nth time, having the attention of the maids doing their respective chores on you—pouting slightly as they, too—were waiting for the prince's presence.

"milady?"

"hm?"

"do you perhaps.. miss his highness?"

your chin slipped over your palms as it burst into beads of sweat real quick, eyes ogling at the girl before you. "juliet?! seriously? go make me a cup of chocolate!"

"y-yes milady!" the girl disappeared into atoms as soon as she could. you facepalmed yourself as why did you even name her 'juliet' if you couldn't add her romeo at the beginning of the character's introduction, oh god. now she's pestering you with words you'd rather not hear, this girl had been spilling a dozen more words that had stuck to your mind like a super glue.

"i wonder how the prince is doing, though—" smacking your mouth immediately as it sank in your mind over what you just asked, groaning as you went back to your quarter.

you'd rather die than to visit the palace, seeing all the double faced people residing there would only cost your peace of mind and you'd rather not punch another skeleton to ashes again. you'd rather indulge yourself in the comfort of your fluffy heavenly bed than trouble yourself over the prince, right?

right..?

"well screw myself!" standing before the entrance of the palace had you thinking just what is wrong with you, have you gone insane?

probably.

"lady (name)?" a familiar voice had you turning towards that someone, the widest big grin adorned the corner of your lips as you approached her and giddily interlaced your hands with hers.

"liz!"

great! now you will totally have a plausible excuse when you meet the prince, you’d rather die than have him knowing that you came all the way here from your manor just to see his damn freaking face, or that you actually kind of miss him.

"oh, i didn't expect to meet the lady (name) on such a day?" a seductive and mature voice causes your neck to tingle, and definitely not in a good way. "i wonder what could be the lady (name)'s purpose to visit the palace?"

no shit, the princess who you've been quite curious about has finally appeared before your eyes and somehow after looking at her up and down, it irks you that she gives another villain vibes to your keen eyes and you're definitely not in the mood for it. the fact that she knew your existence, your name, and the way she laid out the question had you confirming that she had heard the rumours, and that she didn't receive it very well, didn't she?

you curtsy before her, bowing your head slightly before fixing your posture again. "greetings, princess violet, i was just intending to bring my fellow companion to visit around the royal palace."

"greetings, princess violet." liz curtsied gracefully, that alone had you grinning immensely proud over how her sparkling charms had more of an effect than the not-so-good vibes this princess was emitting before you.

"very well then, i had brought my fellow companions as well, noble ladies that is." stroking her silk lacy gloves she did as she gestured over the ladies behind her, "we're having a tea party in the evening, perhaps would you like to come?"

sounds like an invitation, to be fair, but those who had sharp eyes could see through her malicious plans—rejecting the princess' invitation regardless of what, is deemed as tasteless and atrocious to the palace despite not intending to do so.

there was rumours flying around that one word slipping from her tongue is capable of snapping people's heads into separate dripping flesh, and that could be the reason to her infamous reputation.

huh, that's definitely the reason why the royal family wasn't giddy enough to arrange an official engagement despite all those years, only holding onto the rope as long as they can if by any chance they had no one to depend on.

royal affairs is just that complicated, huh? but oh well, a cup of tea might do wonders to your dampen mood—might as well indulge yourself in such an exquisite tea party all while seeing just how this noble princess would go far.

"it would be my honour, princess."

the tea party is to say the least quite civil for you despite your initial expectations that the princess could turn out to be a total bully, the ladies and liz converse together with numerous topics just like the nobles would, one of the topics being of the princes of this kingdom. one of them squealed over the red-haired prince with the name sunoo that had caught dozens of heart as he waved his hand against the ladies, or the other one that truly live up to his status; icy piercing eyes and a beauty mark on his nose, a total prince charming vibes with the name sunghoon.

"lady (name), so it was you..?"

you paused your inner monologues, "what.. do you actually mean, princess violet?"

"nothing, i had the desire to see what type of a lady the prince had taken an interest in."

or maybe not, you were truly right after all—now would you look at that? this rookie princess is finally getting on with her plans and apparently proceeding with one of the oldest techniques called "putting you down on your place" which had been scattered all over the dramas regardless of era, often effective as it struck hard right to a character's dignity.

"you see, that his highness might have just gone bored, that he had to find a new toy for a short period, that is."

you let the bitch ramble on and on, letting her satisfy her high ego and pride cause you've seen enough, watched enough, heard enough, even had written enough for you to be affected with such basic insults.

but oh dear god, you desired to smash her face on the table yet resisted as your precious female lead is here, you couldn't possibly let her witness such a horrible sight, right?

yet for some reason you can't help the way your eye twitches and the slight pang in your heart at her words despite knowing that she's just another minor character in this very world you created.

"his highness, i fear, would lose his mere affection for you in no time."

"princess violet! i dare say that is not very wise of you to say." liz frowned deeply, shaking her head as she did so.

"it's fine, liz." you rubbed her hands in which her features softened immediately. ah, your precious sweetheart. isn't she just that kind hearted?

you took a couple of sips from your teacup, indulging yourself in the delightment of it. you wondered who could be the talented one that had created such exquisite taste?

"lady (name)!"

"oh?"

"are you listening or what?" visible veins popping on the side of her neck, obviously irritated by your leisure manner.

your lips hang apart, giggling in a low tone as your eyes crinkled in mischievous crescents. "oh princess, i wasn't aware. perhaps you could repeat it again?"

yes bitch, exhaust your despicable tongue.

"oh dear heavens, i was kind enough to invited you to my tea party, and you have not at least basic manners before me?"

basic manners? oh look who's talking! you held the need to spew insults at the bitch for you seriously had more important matters to settle, "then would it be to your own likening if i excuse myself out, princess?"

she scoffed at you, rolling her eyes as she uttered another thing. "oh please, don't tell me you're wishing to meet the prince? do you think i'm an idiot for not realising your plans?"

"what would make you assume that, princess?"

"just saying, even if his highness truly likes you. sorry to say, you would be nothing but a mere mistress. and i—"

your ears literally shuts its ability to hear anything from her any further, sighing dejectedly before your disinterested lazy eyes caught sight of someone behind the entrance. your eyebrows raised along with your lips, a sense of slight bliss surged through your soul as you recognised who it was.

"y-your highness..?" you mentally wanna slap yourself for sounding too excited, "why don't you welcome yourself over here?"

"oh, my apologies." the sight of jungwon in his glowing princely attire approached from the distance had your heart skipping not one beat but two, which had you looking away instantly, your eyes fell on the ladies behind you had their jaws dropping behind the hand fans in their tight grasp.

"oh my, your highness!" they exclaimed, obviously elated by his sudden and unexpected arrival. your eyebrow twitched at their cringy and over the top whiny voice in attempts to get the prince’s heart.

pausing on his tracks, a few metres away from the table and you. he pulled the familiar smile that held innocence in it, quite double-faced if you ask me. these ladies had no idea just how the prince really is beneath that facade. you thought as you side eyed lady violet.

yeah..

recalling those sets of memories puffed with soft pink mist of his fluttering eyelashes looking down as he stretched out his palms with the book on top of it---the way his boba eyes of innocence blended with utter sincerity, and the way he was obviously nervous by how he lapped his tongue on his lower lip.

how you utterly miss those expression, for a reason you couldn't comprehend. it's not like you had grown closer with him, so why there's a sense of warmth enveloping the silent heart behind the cage of your ribs? and with it, a sense of irritation arose within.

it won't hurt.. to teach her a bit, right?

"princess violet." you called out.

"y-yes?" she raised her eyebrow suspiciously at you.

"you were wondering why i don't have basic manners, but have you ever asked yourself if you ever had one?" you took a few steps closer to the prince before you.

"lady (name), what are you trying to imply?"

"hm," you hummed playfully, raising your fingers up to the prince before wrapping your hand around his neck. "what i was trying to imply is, spewing such nonsense before a lady about her man is certainly lacking manners."

"huh?!"

"might as well show you since you couldn't understand." you turned your attention back to jungwon, whose feline eyes were also laced with utter confusion which quickly turned into a full bloom boba when you pulled his long bowtie closer to you—crashing your lips against his.

—inaudible words along with sudden gasps arose and the eyes of the noble ladies, the princess, including the female lead ogling out tremendously hard.

"l-lady (name)?!"

"a-ah~" you lapped your lips on your plump lips before the full blown orbs of the ladies, "now, now.. this prince right here you've been addressing as 'your highness'.. is my man. kindly practise a couple of basic manners, would you, ladies? unless you would be content being his majesty's side mistress?"

jungwon's cheeks flushed into a hot mess, akin to a profusely steaming bun. his boba eyes relentlessly blinked as he tried to process what had happened just now, feeling the previous sensation on his lips before looking back at you again.

"oh my, your highness?" feigning a playful shock, "perhaps you would like to have princess violet as your wife instead?" placing your index finger on your lower lip as you pouted before the prince.

jungwon's feline orbs twinkled, regaining his well composed manner as his fingers tapped your hips—pulling you closer to his chest much to another series of squealing from the female lead, and screw loosening in the princess' jaw.

"i wouldn't dare, milady. didn't i say i would be good for you?" the sun rays kissing his soft lush hair as his eyelashes fluttered, pressing a soft kiss on top of your hand. "if milady desires, i shall announce to the people that you're my woman just as i am your man."

now it was surely your turn to blushed profusely, looking away from his lovesick gaze. what's up with him with these romantic words?!

the female lead, had by far, turned into a full blown embarrassment as well. actually turning into a diehard fangirl at this point, "m-milady?"

oh shit— what the fuck?! what in the actual shit is this?!

how could you even forget that your precious baby is right here the entire time?! kissing the male lead in front of the female lead? you've truly gone insane!

"i-i! i'm going ahead, your highness. if you'd like to follow then please do so." your feet scattered through the paths as you motioned liz to follow suit.

jungwon nodded with visible rosy hues on his cheeks, but immediately paused on his tracks, turning his head over his shoulder. "ah, princess violet?"

"y-yes your highness?" the princess immediately stood up on her feet, gulping down her throat.

"you see.. if you weren't a lady, i wouldn't have let you earn the consequences of spewing nonsense to my wife."

the princess' orbs widened in utter horror, stuttering pathetically. "n-no! y-your highness! this isn't how it looks like p-please listen—"

"next time, if you dare as much as to provoke her one more time, i assure you being a lady or a princess would no longer be enough to keep your tongue intact." with icy eyes seething with blood, the prince then went on—leaving the princess to fall on her knees, eyes darting immensely.

"lady liz, could you let me have the lady to myself for a moment?"

his voice had you immediately pausing on your tracks with your mind still clouded over your actions awhile ago, heart beating rampantly as you turned to face the prince but you keep your head down as you didn't have the courage to look at him.

liz who was still greatly affected with the obvious tomato hues on her cheeks, looks towards you with eyes asking if it's okay, in which you nodded.

the girl hastily excused herself as she cupped her cheeks, and her feet threatened to stumble at the edge of the entrance much to your deadpanning look and sighing over how clumsy she was.

you finally gathered the courage to look into his eyes yet his face alone had you constantly recalling what you did with him. the heavy crushing weight of kissing him before the ladies, and calling him your man. how cute, huh?

an excruciating silence formed between you and him, your eyes darting all around the space but him, while your hands formed beads of sweat as you waited for him to speak first.

"so.. milady? how have you been?" jungwon locks eyes with yours, the way he looks to your soul felt as if he wanted to caress you with his arms at any moment, what is this? “and i have to say i’m surprised that you’ve came all the way to visit me, was.. it for me though, milady..?”

"oh, i’ve been doing absolutely well! h-how have you been too, your highness?" stuttering pathetically, you wish the gods would launch their gigantic mega hand against your face. and it struck you utterly late when you realised his question at the end. “and.. bold of you to assume that way, your highness.”

"right..” he hangs his head low. “however i’m very pleased to hear that you’re doing well, milady. but i'm not.. okay." he raises his feline eyes that was now engulfed with traces of sadness. "i have to apologize for messing up our pact."

"there's no need, your highness. the royal affairs are your duties as the crown prince. what am i, a simple lady has the right to earn any apology from his highness who simply did what he had to do?"

"what you said was true, but certainly do not call yourself as 'simple'. you're just any other lady, you're my future wife." jungwon took a few step closer, "(name)."

silence lingers in the long empty hallway with no one but you and him.

"i have to own it up to you, milady. it is my fault for missing one week of our pact." he looks down, clearly disappointed. “will you give me the chance, lady (name)?”

your lips hang apart, thinking twice as your eyes darted into any other direction other than the prince before you. “how is your highness going to own it up to me, though?”

jungwon’s features lit up like a glowing sunrise, “tomorrow, a fireworks festival will be held at the town. i’ve been planning to bring you—milady for a day out as a way to redeem myself.”

a day out, fireworks festival at the town. you can’t help but be excited for such simple words yet alike magic—it brought the scent of liveliness all the way to you—hugging your form in an oddly comforting way.

"and milady, can we not bring lady liz with us this time?"

"oh, your highness. i have neither agreed nor said anything yet?"

jungwon blushes awkwardly, uneasiness consumed his rampant heart as he didn’t want to screw this over and definitely didn’t want to risk you getting upset or anything, "lady (name), i truly desire to be alone with you for atleast a day."

that surely had you taken aback, clenching your fist in attempts to soothe your heart skipping a thousand beats. you look down, avoiding his ever so passionate gaze. "i- u-uhm, sure? i guess?"

giddily putting on a casual attire, apparently not the first time nor the first hour with the evidence of the scattered dresses on your bed serving as pure mockery to your face at how you’ve been putting too much effort for a simple fireworks festival.

a simple festival, that is.

yet your feet spinning around for you to sway your supposedly casual dark brown dress with a corset hugging your torso seems to not likely be the case.

leaves rustling from behind the window a tad bit loud for you, causes you to flinched as you snap your head with ogled eyes to the source of the noise. unsure if it was a paranormal phenomenon or whether it was the damn wind trying to shake you off.

being the scaredy cat you are, you just couldn't afford to add a horror element in your novel so what the fuck is this ominous bell playing in the background?!

you almost let out a scream after seeing a black silhouette landing right before your rattling orbs, your brain instantly activating fight and flight mode—opting to take your mountain of a dress and throw it at the intruder.

yet your rattled orbs dissipates as it fell on the familiar lush hair and his feline orbs. instantly fell on his attire—which greatly differs from his usual royal attires. you remembered that you drew this particular fit of him when he brought the female lead to the town for a picnic.

"why are you here?!"

"i thought we're going out for the festival, milady?"

"no— what i mean is why did your highness climb through the tree and not visit the manor in a normal, civil way through the entrance?!" you patted your chest in attempts to soothe your cold heart.

jungwon scratches the back of his neck as he avoided your blazing orbs, "since it would be our first time to go out together, i would like it to be only us. no one but us—"

your orbs softened immediately.

"yet the knights would then accompany us as for protection, which would be irritating so i left the palace secretly. and here i am, milady." jungwon said. "i apologise for scaring you, it wasn't my intention."

"u-uh," you horrendously couldn't think of a proper answer, "it's okay, your highness. i just didn't expect it."

jungwon finally pulled up his usual smile, his feline orbs then looks all the way down from your hair till your feet which had you engulfed in embarrassment. "you look gorgeous, milady. i assume you dress up for me?"

"bold of you to assume it." you scoffed in return in which he smirked, knowing very well it meant the opposite.

"then milady," he lifted himself up on the edge of the balcony, extending his arms and laying out his palms for you. you held your breath with the breathtaking sight of him; his fluffy hair flowing along the night sky breeze, twinkling kitten orbs with his lips forming a slight smirk. "let's go?"

you gaze at his extended palms before you, slipping your hands on it as he takes you closer to his chest, wrapping his strong arm around your waist for stronger protection—his touch alone had you looking down abashedly—guiding the both of you down the ground from the rustling tree. landing ever so effortlessly just like the so-called cat he was, you flinched instantly when his lips ghosted against your ears. goosebumps rising on the back of your neck when that happens.

"are you okay, milady?" his other hand is still wrapped around your hips, tight as it can and yet as gentle as it can be.

"uh- i, i'm okay." you pushed yourself away from him, standing a metre apart. "remember one metre apart."

"right."

"lead the way, then! the festival—"

the blasting noise of the town enveloped your ears the more you drew closer, and you looked down after taking a swift glance at the prince lit up smile, what’s up with him falling so much for you? was it really love at first sight? you’d rather that to not be the case, to be honest, you’ve always loathe that trope which serves as a proof in your entire writing career with you avoiding it through and through.

love at first sight; such sight only lasts for a while, its only purpose is to please our eyes and such. nothing more and nothing less. that's all beautiful things are for, isn’t? it gives you false hope, false dreams, false imagination of what things could have been like.

love at first sight; just like its name, alike the blooming florals in the night sky, falling in love can be deceptive, luring you in for such a short-lasting moment that will eventually leave you in this hollow void of velvet night sky for a long long time, with the consequences of it punching a humongous void in your soul, reaching your hand out for that bursting light one more time.

"your highness, could you stop calling me, milady, milady, for now, will you? just call me by my name." you sighed enormously after having your ears blasted with his never ending ‘milady’, it sort of felt to you that he was somehow enamoured in addressing you that way.

jungwon’s boba eyes wavers, dimples emerging from his puffy cheek. "as you wish, milady. however i wish for you to stop addressing me as ‘your highness’ then."

“a—alright, what would you like for me to call you then...?” you exclaimed a tad bit joyful than usual which had jungwon smiling ever so happily.

"jungwon." he shots a playful wink, causing your already hazardous heart to weaken even further. "(name), is it? pretty name for a pretty lady."

you looked away, "we're in public."

"wow, i didn't expect that you would be embarrassed after the spectacular scene you did during the ball back then, (name)?" purposely emphasising your last name, you glared at him.

"well, that was your fault! when a lady asks for you to let go, then you shall do it."

"but then, us right now—wouldn't happen at all, right?"

you didn't expect you would agree with him, but you obviously weren't going to show it. simply shrugging at his playfulness like a child.

"also that kiss was nice."

taken aback, "you—"

"young sir, would you like to buy a single violet for your lover?" your eyes fell upon an old lady in a weary persimmon cardigan and a beige dress reaching down below her knee, and at the baskets filled camellias dangling on her right arm.

taken aback by that chosen word, your cheeks flushed as you stuttered, unbelievably horrid after realising your own reaction. "h-he is not my—"

the old lady's eyes widened, "oh, my apologies!"

"of course," jungwon pulls not one but the entire camellias into one bouquet, smiling as took a few sniff. "i wonder how much a bouquet would be for my wife?"

"your wife?!” you exclaimed with your features contorted into disbelief after he had paid for the whole damn bouquet, “as far as i assume, the pact is still active?”

“hm,” the prince pulled a sly smirk as he caressed the camellias against his rosy cheeks, “you were the one who wished for me to stop calling you ‘milady’, what would be a better way then to call you my wife? (name)?”

"s-seriously? just where did you come up with all these words!" you cupped your cheeks as you turned your back against him. “this is ridiculous.”

jungwon's orbs widened, looking away immediately as he raised his slightly curled fingers up to his cheeks, hiding away his rosy blush. "have you forgotten the kiss? it might have activated this odd magic of well chosen words, my wife.”

“one more time and i’ll leave!”

“alright, alright! here,” jungwon sneakily sways before you, “a bouquet for a pretty lady.”

“you just had to buy the whole thing, seriously.”

“the old lady would surely go about the town, looking for people to sell her flowers. don’t you think it’s a good idea that we could help her quickly?”

upon his words, you shrugged despite wholeheartedly agreeing with him, sniffing the fragrance of the camellias instantly soothes your soul, yet you couldn’t suppress your grin when you recalled his words and his considerate thoughts for the old lady—opting to hide this blooming grin behind the bouquet while you two walked about the town, exploring every bit and bit.

"if i could be bold once more, could i ask you for something again?"

"hm?"

"i had something i wish to give you."

oh please god, no way, if it's the heirloom you've written on page 76 in your novel, you'd rather not as that object is hella important and the particular scene that includes the heirloom was when the prince gave it as a present to the female lead, his lover—on their wedding day.

and you definitely don't wanna be a queen, screw the crown—you'd rather sleep on your fluffy pillows and blankets.

"whatever you're thinking, do scrap the idea." you nonchalantly said, yet the way his eyes looked down in disappointment had you hissing in response all while rolling your eyes. you kind of loathe to see that expression on his face somehow.. "i'm already satisfied with the book you gave me, there's nothing more i wanted than that, do you understand?”

his feline eyes lighted up so quickly as the corners of his faint red lips pulling up in a satisfied smile. “i understand.”

“good.”

🎵... IMMORTAL BIRD

blasting drums and a roaring crowd suddenly engulfed the entire town, causing your voice along with jungwon's to drown alongside it. you caught sight of everyone in a pair regardless of gender or age hopping into a circular pattern in the centre of the street, holding hands together as they spun around, getting closer and then far. their faces adorned with the brightest smiles.

you caught sight of a mother dancing along happily with her two younger sons, a son pulling his father’s hands as they slowly dance in their own world, a pair of best friends from afar as they giddily created their own silly dance, and a sight of two ladies with their hands interlaced as they look into each other’s eyes with traces of tenderness and warmth, and many more you aren't able to mention.

it was a canvas that held love dripping in thousands of hues, and yet it was still in the form of love.

"it's a yearly ritual, milady. to dance together under the night sky as it blooms into fireworks."

"that's wonderful.." you were astounded, yet you somehow don't remember that you wrote this particular ritual. yes, you did wrote about the fireworks festival and that the main couple had their first kiss in that scene. but the dance ritual?.. was there any important memories that you haven’t somehow recalled yet?

"may i then, milady?"

"w-what?" astounded you were at the sight of him standing in front of you with his arms extended, and palms spread before you with sincerity brushing over his faint red lips.

"may i have the honour to have a dance with you, milady?" jungwon asked with hope evident in his eyes, "last time, it didn't end that well for us."

a couple moments of silence grew between you and him despite the gradually increasing volume of the luminous town behind; the dancing pairs, chatters of the elders, murmurs and gasps from the ladies as they go about their day, footsteps of children stomping all across the pathway as they play hide and seek, while some had kites and balloons tied around their wrist—giggling endlessly.

the low volume of musicians playing their respective instruments of accordion, harmonica, and guitar blended accordingly so that it flowed pleasingly to your ears.

a sentient mood of belonging, comfort, and home.

this sight, this atmosphere, the mood this town emitted, this young man before you turning into an innocent young boy whose feline eyes twinkled and blinked slowly for you.

a frame of everly purring garden.

"so.." jungwon raised his palms once again, "may i, milady?"

truly a breathtaking canvas of a man who falls in love.

tugging both sides of your skirts as you lower yourself slightly, curtsying before him. "of course, my prince." you slipped your hands onto his palms, it didn't go past your sight how his feline orbs widened and twinkled a couple of seconds later as the corners of his lips pulled up in a slight grin.

skin brushing against skin and the comforting heat from his chest as he pulled you closer to him, leaning closer he did with his lips brushing against your ear and his warmth voice sending chills down your skin.

"follow my lead, milady."

interlacing his warm fingers with yours, he guided you around the bursting fountain—swaying around in a circular motion just like every other pair did.

the accordion switches to a lively bursting melody, opting to move everyone's feet in a tapping frantic active mode, a goofy grin and giggles emerge from everyone's face as they spin around on and on.

dancing with him feels oddly calming despite everyone’s sudden burst of energy— the lights turning round and round in a circular motion as you danced with the prince had you feeling slight bliss, that is. you shouldn't be enjoying this too much, right?

this town spilling in golden hues like an overflowing sink, yet this prince drips even more in over-saturation with his own colour, splattering its shades across your bare skin.

it feels as if, as if in this very moment that you were the main character with him. as if you were one with him.

his hands lifted your arm as he let you spin around freely for the first time, both your hands and his immediately reattached and he guided your hands onto his shoulder.

two pairs of feet swaying and spinning beneath the ground with golden orbs particles following along as if it had life in it.

and as you spun a couple of times more when he let go of your hand, it didn't go past your vision on how his fingers twirled your hair locks in tender and utmost affection, and the sweetened sugar smile on his faint red lips never ceasing to exist.

as soon as you got back into his arms, jungwon caressed your cheeks in the process—lifting your arm as he turned you around, pulling your back against his chest as you faced the luminous golden town and everything before you. gasping for the nth time when his right arm wrapped around your clothed tummy, and his left hand; two fingers tapping across your bare arms till it reaches your left hand, interlacing your fingers with his as he lifted it up.

hushing in a lullaby-like motion.

shutting his eyes tight as he buried his chin in the side of your neck—he began to guide you to dance in this very intimate position, he whispered, "milady."

goosebumps arise on every cell in your body, as you two indulged in this dance.

the lively instrument along with overlapping voices gradually merging into one, sort of like as if they were a voluminous orchestra, soaring higher and higher with their vocal chords spiralling into utter euphoria with the blasting footsteps on the ground.

yet the man holding you close in his tender pacifying embrace, had you engulfed in solace; the spirited bustling soul of this town and the stark contrast of the serene soul enveloping yours blended in a perfect balance of home.

purring so lovable.

it had you speechless as his strong pair of arms held you up, bringing your feet up and beneath the ground in this hypnotising dance for a couple of times, spinning you gracefully one more time with the frame of your skirt swaying like a blooming flower in its glory— rendering your mind into utter malfunction.

floating and soaring up the air.

he then spun you around to face him, lifting you up with ease like a fairy floating up in the air, "y-your highness—jungwon!" your vision of the crowd all over the space grew hazy and dazed, with only you and him remaining crystal clear in the glowing frame. supporting yourself with your arms on his shoulder, you were about to protest and yet his eyes had such a breathtaking universe within it that it had you sealing your lips.

breathtaking indeed.

like a stone hopping on the ocean causing a butterfly effect of limitless blossoming ripples, it formed a hypnotising image that lured your soul closer to it’s deepest void, rendering you helpless in getting yourself out and yet you wish not to go, but to stay longer, to stay a bit more to see of what would come out of it. floating like a fairy amidst the dreamy ripple within his orbs, you stuttered from this prolonged magnetism gaze.

pit patter of the flowing fountain afar merged with a sudden burst of crackles.

flashes of voluminous sparks exploded within his orbs, your lips hung apart in awe as the dreamy ripples within it bursted into an ocean of light—that instead of a stone, it was like a single marble smashing into it’s void—forming thousands of scattered and shining golden beads of lights within those infatuated orbs, illuminating those engraved words of romances within it.

all solely for you.

you flinched at the exploding thunder-like shooting above the night sky that surpasses what your mind and ears could take, clenching your hand on his shoulder tighter in hopes to find solace, yet you caught sight of his lips mouthing two words that you took a while to process amidst the sound.

“beautiful indeed.. my firework.”

soaring and colourful, the whole city is immersed in the sound of this sea of bursting lights. crowd's roaring in awe surged through your ears, your cheeks met jungwon's chest as he lowered you down, protesting you did yet he hushed you to gaze upon the limitless neon flora blossoming on the starry glazed night sky; the blinding colourful lights illuminated the smile on everyone's face including yours and the prince.

shimmering gemstones rained upon the black velvet sky, forming a waterfall of lights in all sorts of colours and images; crimson petals of roses, aquamarine waves ushering to the seashore, white blanket of scattered snow powders, yellow fleeting dandelions, green blades of the field swaying with the breeze reluctantly slipping down the town, reflecting on the vast water lake.

it was as if the luminous sun had risen upon the town, and another one shooted above on your right side; blossoming its veil-like umbrella that had millions of garden petals on top of it to rain upon everyone. each and one of them had differing images of it representing itself, yet each and one of them was splendid, breathtaking and awe-inspiring.

it showers down the town like fleeting fairy dust.

"it's breathtaking, isn't it? it’s like a shooting star.."

"truly it is—” you flinched at his feline orbs gazing at you in awe, admiring you utterly as if you were the scenery of fireworks itself. you found yourself getting lost in those blossoming sparkles reflecting within his eyes once again.

"stop it."

"why would i?"

"just look at the damn fireworks, will you?" slightly biting your lips as you look away, breaking the prolonged eye contact.

"alright, milady." he shrugged in amusement. it remained in silence for a couple of minutes before he spoke again. "they say, couples who watched the fireworks together had their first kiss under it."

"u-uh?!"

"but milady, you had stolen a kiss from me." he leaned in playfully, flashes of colours illuminating his kittenish orbs and grin. "would you mind if i steal one, too?"

“i-i said stop teasing me!”

jungwon lets out a couple of lighthearted giggles at you attempting to punch him, sprinting and dodging you playfully, and as the both of you were immersed in your little game, the firework festival had wrapped up in one final splendid sight of bursting petals of garden.

glowing golden lanterns illuminating the sidewalk along the way, pit patters of pouring rain dropped on top of your extended palms out the window of the carriage, tender breeze of the night sky blows through your fallen hair locks as your eyes remained glued on the bouquet on your lap, along with his melody chords flowing through your ears like a lullaby.

it has reached past midnight when you two came back from the town, but on the way back home, jungwon had suggested for you to take a look at his quarters first, which you had initially denied due to obvious worrying reasons. yet today, as you delighted yourself in the bouquet of violets, and the sets of memories from the festival, you agreed with little to no hesitation. however along the hallway as you follow behind the prince, despite ignoring these blurbing thoughts—it dawns on you every passing second of what could happen once you step inside his room.

the sight of jungwon’s back facing you had your cheeks flushing immensely as you recalled his bare chest that day in your manor, mentally cussing yourself for even thinking of it. your brain had just got to be your greatest enemy in this moment after your heart, huh?

“y-you see.”

jungwon spun around to face you, yet still walking backwards with his hands interlaced behind his back. you stuttered at the euphoria evident on his cheeks and crinkled eyes, the moonlight from the vast window illuminated on the edges of his divinely sculptured face, and a faint shadow laying beneath his dimples.

“yes, milady?” this guy just really had to play it cool and nice as he sang the addressment in a playful manner.

“remember the pact, okay? i agreed to visit your quarters in order to just take a look, nothing more than that.” your eyes were on the long red carpet as you said that, yet you raise your head finally in order to see his reaction after an excruciating silence that occurs.

"i'd certainly would not dare, milady.. but if you insist." he shots a mischievous wink at your way, causing your already rampant heart to burst in a thousand volts.

shit.

seriously, you couldn't be bothered by this, aren't you? god knows how much filth you've written in the past few years of your life, you could even describe all of it without releasing a few screams or there, which shows how much of a pro you are.

after what seems like an eternity in the hallway, much to your groaning over your aching legs, you and the prince halted before the huge double door with engraved golden swirling patterns all over it.

you were beyond distraught when he pushed the door open to his room, revealing the entire outlook of the furniture, painting, couches, table, and lastly.. the king-sized bed.

bitch, get a hold on yourself. this isn't your first time.

your lips hang slightly apart to feign surprise as if this was your first time to be in his room, cause heck it wasn't obviously not the first time you've seen this place. you were the one who designed his room! this isn't your first time so why were you this nervous?!

“ugh—” you yelp in pain.

“does your feet hurt, milady?”

“no, no, it’s just aching, that is.” mentally cussing once again at how freaking long the hall in this palace was, you could’ve sworn it felt like you were going for the thousand stairs up to heaven. your head grew dazed when your vision slightly floated upwards from the floor, eyebrows deeply knitted together as to how are you up so high? your haze vision caught sight of your legs dangling up the air and slowly at the pair of strong arms carrying your legs, it finally dawned on you as you let out a yelp with the close proximity of the prince’s face against yours.

“wait- put me down! put me down!”

“hush, milady. you got to take some rest.”

“then in the couch! on the couch, right now!” you pleaded within the depths of your mind, oh my god. oh my god please god help me!

“the couch is not ideal for this situation.” he reasoned with you, not even budging nor pausing in his way to the king-sized bed.

🎵...STUCK IN LOVE

“what is not ideal?!” you whimpered as he placed you on the edge of the bed, taken aback at how he simply gets on the floor with one knee, rubbing your feet after pulling out your shoes. the prince poured his utmost concentration in massaging your aching feet, with his long fingers rubbing and stroking your sole in circular motion. to your surprise, he had been doing this for a whole good ten minutes without saying anything.

you didn’t expect this at all, were you that dirty-minded?! groaning within, you weep to the deities to cleanse your mind at least.

“milady is so worked up for nothing, i wonder what could she be thinking about?” you gave him a deadpan look at how he obviously was teasing you to death.

“stop teasing me.”

“hm? why not? teasing you has been my greatest hobby for awhile now, milady.”

“i said stop it, i dare you or else—”

“or else.. what?” your head blasted in utter chaos when he lets your feet down, leaning closer and closer.

“s-stop!”

“or else.. what, milady?” jungwon cooed, tucking your hair locks behind your ear. “i’m awfully curious.." he pushed you on top of the bed, hovering over you as he caged you within his arms on both sides of your head.

"milady."

your breath caught up on the back of your throat with the sight of him on top of you, akin to a predator about to feast on its prey, due to his feline orbs switching to an expression you very well knew what it means.

"that's certainly brave of you, don't you think? milady?" he keeps emphasising the last word as if he adores to call you that very much, adding such a seductive tone had your heart skipping a beat. "kissing me in front of other ladies, that's quite a fascinating trait."

a thousand hazardous beats, actually. you really can't do this. "i mean, i don't know.."

"milady." he whispered. "are you really shy?" giggles emerged causing tingles on your neck. "after kissing me?"

"c-can you just stop messing with me?!"

"as you wish, milady." he pressed a passionate kiss on your forehead, chanting the word a dozen more times as he continued on making you feel so loved.

his affectionate gestures were driving your bones into weakness and your knees to marshmallows as you indulge yourself in his love—the love he bestows only for you.

"milady, come." his lips brushed against your hair, and to your surprise, he grabbed your hand and pulled you on your feet. surprise and speechless you was as nothing had gone past the limits you placed for him, and the fact that he did nothing but simply tease you does wonders to your heart.

your mind floated into confusion as he urged you to take a seat in front of the big round mirror with a golden frame, letting you view yourself and the prince in the glassy reflection.

you sat there in silence; curious, confused, and a bit intrigued blended with tiny traces of fear of what he intended to do. your heart skips a beat when you observe him taking your hair locks on his palms as he feels it against his cheek, it was an eccentric lovesick sight of him. his long fingers wrapped around the handle of the hair brush on the side of the table, he brushes the piece of your hair locks in his palms gently with it.

"i adore it when you call me 'your prince'."

you felt uneasy, a whole new different meaning of uneasiness as his small gesture of brushing your hair had your heart burbling into forms you couldn't understand. what is this feeling? why was he so gentle and loving with you? for what?

after what felt like eternity, he lets your hair down. his fingers brushes against your bare shoulder which had you flinching slightly. he notices this, the corners of his lips pulling up as he caresses your bare skin with the back of his hand, excruciatingly slow and tiny, tremendously affectionate and enamoured.

he knelt down before you, taking both of your hands in his, engaging it—bringing it on his cheeks which causes you to feel the sensation of his skin. then his lips ghosted across your fingers as he pressed a long deep kiss on top of your hand.

the sensation of his lips has your face flushing in utter mess, you wanted to stay calm and yet these tiny gestures he claimed as a lover's vow, had you crumbling into his hands.

his other hand plucks out a single violet from the bouquet, tucking your hair behind your ear as he pushes the flora in. caressing your hair after in such an affectionate manner.

"milady," his feline eyes raised to gaze deep into your crumbling soul, "i wonder if i am worthy enough to be your lover?"

speechless as your tongue tied on its own, gulping immensely. "my lover?.. just why are you so damn infatuated with me? i don't understand, this must be a joke, isn't?"

"i am not joking, milady. just as you called me your man that day," jungwon spoke, as sincerity engulfed his voice, "i myself also desire to call you my woman.. and not just my woman.."

his hand reaches down to hold your hands in his again, grasping it with burning passion.

"..my lover, my wife, the queen of this nation, and if you would like to someday.. the mother of my future child."

after a couple seconds of silence of you being utterly speechless at his words, he then spoke again with his wavering boba orbs, tongue lapping his lower lip in obvious uneasiness. “all i need is your permission, and one word from you, milady.”

those strings of words holding traces, no, a heavy scent and weight of undying love—he basically just professed his love for you, and proposed to you this time in a more appropriate, intimate, and affectionate way.

to you, he was the garden that slowly held you in his lush bed of comfort. to him, you were the flower that made this garden blooming so evergreen. the violet to his eyes.

the choice is all yours, what is your answer, milady?

「 © talesofyuan on tumblr 2023 」 all rights reserved. do not copy or post without permission.

💌 TAGLIST: @rinirou @moonchus @seonushine @nourhan-8 @heeseungsim @positivelyinlovewithjungwon @ineedsomezzz @chaechae-23 @axartia @altgojo

[todayontumblr]

Thursday, August 3.

vintage ads.

Capitalism: bad. Vintage ads: good.

Or so dictates the paradoxical logic that we have decided for ourselves, and when the question is this awkward, the answer is obvious: to stick our collective heads in the sand and simply enjoy the pretty things. And goodness, they are pretty. The problems with advertising, and its seductive evils, are laid bare by this selection of ads handpicked from the dashboard. The common thread between all of these ads is that they have been produced by corporations whose end goal and very purpose is to convince you (against your better judgment, or circumstances) to spend your money (money which you need) on their products (products which you don't—and possibly can't really afford.) 

Similarly demonstrated, however, is the irresistible nostalgic glamour. Perhaps when contemporary advertising tries so hard to be a meme, or be funny, or be quirky and off-beat (or perhaps more simply put, tries too hard) there is a genuine allure in classic adverts that, even now, feel so effortlessly stylish. This effortlessness is also paradoxical because, like the products they often advertise, they are the result of hard work, time, dedication, from those at the peak of their craft. Like these products, they were made for leisurely, long-term use and enjoyment, and not to be so quickly consumed and discarded. What we're really saying, I suppose, is when #advertising is this slick, and pleasing to the eye, we must simply ask that you be quiet, promptly, and accept our money.   

And remember, folks, one eye on the pretty ads, the other guarding your piggy banks x

[cafejulii]

I was scrolling through instagram and came across that one scene of Kurapika repeatedly punching Chrollo while on route to make the trade off with the phantom troupe, a scene that though is not canon in the manga nor 2011 anime, is in hxh 1999. I went to the comments to see what others had to say on this addition, and was disheartened to find many fans unanimously coming to the agreement, especially because of this particular scene, that the main difference between Kurapika's characterization in 1999 vs. 2011 is that he's fundamentally "more childish" or "isn't able to keep his anger repressed as well"; rhetoric that I personally couldn’t disagree with more, respectfully.

I must say, they are correct about one thing though, in my opinion; Kurapika in the 1999 version is indeed characterized differently. All of the main four are. Its actually one of the main reasons why I prefer hxh 1999 despite not it not being fully accurate to cannon with the addition of several non-canonical scenes and dialogues. Such scenarios looked upon the original narrative given, estimated what would be the missing pieces in between in order to get to the current picture, and then used a combination of both the filler and original cannon to create characters who are consequently much more dynamic than their original counterparts. All the creators have done was really just set off on a proper set of chain of events in the plot to follow their development.

(In short, hxh 1999 is akin to a very well written, cannon compliant, fanficton with a very specific focus on character study through its additional scenes)

This is one of the many reasons why I find this scene particularly meaningful, as it serves as a direct expansion on Kurapika's characterization. Kurapika is the sort to scrutinize every action he makes based on his self imposed moral structure. We see this aspect of him made clear in the hunter exam, in which Leorio asks him if he's really willing to go to the depths it would take to become a blacklist hunter, knowing this fact about him just simply from the way he talked about hunters, and why, he found becoming a hunter just for the money, unjust. Kurapika, in response, assures him, that he will do anything, no matter if he deems it morally impermissible, if it meant to find and enact his revenge on the Spiders. However, when it came time to follow through with his statement, there is an inherent hesitation made or a flat out failure to act upon it. The very first instance of this is seen when it came time for him to kill the prisoner in trick tower so that he may advance past the third phase of the exam, resulting in a further advancement to his goal as quickly as possible.

He flat out refused to do so, despite it being the easiest most logical thing to do. The man was knocked out unconscious after all. And of course, Kurapika did state that he'd be willing to do anything. So then, why didn't he do it?

Because to him, killing in any circumstance is wrong. He creates a moral paradox for himself:

Cause of Revenge= morality->guilt-> duty

Execution of revenge= duty-> abandonment of morality-> guilt

And moreover, he is horribly self aware of this fact. He knows that discarding pieces of morality for the sake of his mission will fundamentally change him. His duty will never bring him peace and he knows it. In fact, it is the opposite, for he knows it will torment him relentlessly to the point in which he either breaks, or instead, he will become apathetic to it all. The later is the result he strives for though, as to follow through with his mission, he needs to be complicit in the face of evil.

But throughout the narrative, time and time again, it is evident that such moral sentiments never leave him. Sure, he works as a body guard for some of the most notorious criminals in the underworld, so rotten that Melody even goes as far to describe them as "devils", but fails to abandon his paradox. For Christ's sake, he even said in this particular version, that he found the sounds of pain Uvogin made while dying to be so abhorrent to the point, he couldn’t fathom how Uvo does it does it at; nonetheless without feeling any form of remorse. Kurapika loathes violence so greatly that he feels revolted in partaking in it, even if it is towards the person in which inflicted violence on him first. This displays that, to an extent, he held pity for Uvo, not in the sense that he regrets his actions but in the sense they had to be done at all, yet bares this sin for the sake of his brethren. But at the heart of it, especially since so little was gained for his overall mission, he falls to the gripping weight of his actions due to the breach of morality and it overtakes him for a brief moment.

But afterwards, he must carry on regardless if he likes it or not. He must continue up until the point in which he feels indifference to every morally abhorrent thing he has to do for the sake of his mission. Yet of course, he is not there yet, and because of this it only rightfully expected that his anger would boil over due to his moral turmoil, only for him to retreat in a sort of shame directly after doing so, realizing this part of the cycle he signed up for.

And this is why he rages at Chrollo. It's simply a part of this said cycle.

He punches him repeatedly, not only for the murder of his people, but the choices that he had to make as a result of the slaughter; that he was forced to create this paradox and resort to vengeful duty in which can only be fulfilled by measures of violence. The repeated punches, to me, are not done for the sake of incapacitation or for killing Chrollo (after all he couldn't have as that would mean that Gon and Killua's lives would be lost and it's apparent he'd never allow that) but as to give the biggest "fuck you for being so senselessly violent and cruel that in order for me to enact a properly weighted vengeance for my people that I must become just as senselessly violent, just as senselessly cruel, as you are."

Utilizing violence to mourn against the use of violence; this act is the pinnacle of it. A genius, visual representation of his profound moral conflict created for the audience. This is why this scene was so impactful. This is why this scene was needed.

[mangoshorthand]

If we're insisting on a romantic plotline for Five set up in Season 3

Right. I've heard people saying that Five/Lila was set up from season 3. That all their banter was deliberate foreshadowing or something. Now, I'm not sure if that's something the writers said or if that's just people seeing banter and affection and then attributing it to romance with the benefit of foresight. (If it's the former, then it was set up extremely poorly and frankly I refuse to believe that was the plan).

So, if Five had to have a romance plot in s4, (as Blackman decreed) here's how I would have set it up from season 3 in a way that would hopefully not have seemed too weird/forced.

One of the main gripes people had about that season is that most of the Sparrows were introduced and then discarded quickly, so the introduction of a plotline in which Five has a dynamic with one of them might have gone some way towards helping with this.

Now, I know that pairing Five with a Sparrow is an overused fanfic trope that rarely plays well and it's kinda weird for TWO Hargreeves boys to pair up with their multiverese sisters, BUT we are living under Blackman-law and thus Aidan Gallagher must swap spit with someone as soon as possible after turning 18 so this is the best I have:

I would change/develop (and potentially recast) Jayme. Be prepared...this is long:

Personality/Background

She feels out of place in her family.

She hates the limelight and doesn't cooperate in their branding activities.

Even with Reggie drugged up, life feels just as shitty (maybe shittier) to her being under Marcus' regime.

She's been done with the whole sparrow academy thing since she was a kid and is fascinated by the somethings and nothings of ordinary life.

She has a tendency to 'run away' and do her own thing. The Sparrows see her as unreliable and selfish.

She's cynical and feels no loyalty to the Sparrows as a whole, but she does have personal loyalty to Sloane and Alphonso.

You could put her in the wrong/younger body like Five, which could also be leveraged to put distance between herself and the other sparrows, but I also think that would be too convenient a plot contrivance to play well on screen.

I would keep Season 3's plot largely similar, just with the addition of a friendship between Five and Jayme:

S3 E1+2

Initial fight

Five and Jayme have the same initial fight scene with a little more prominence. It goes roughly the same way but perhaps add a bit more interaction/smack talk between them.

Bar Room conversion

At the point Five is first wearing his retirement outfit, a situation occurs that sees he and Jayme sitting at the bar of the hotel obsidian. There are few hard feelings about the fight. They grouse a little and rub along well even though Five clearly thinks she's a spy.

They get onto the kiss with hallucinatory Delores and Five's whole story comes out.

Jayme thinks the peace and quiet of the apocalypse sounds kind of nice (a notion he thoroughly disabuses her of).

She finds herself oddly touched by Five's devotion to getting home to his family, although she can't really fathom doing the same and finds it hilarious that he continues to insist that she must be a spy because they're her family.

Jayme tells a story of being a child and hiding in the mansion and playing house in a little den where nobody could find her. It was her escape. When she got older, she used to escape the mansion and hitchhike around the country for weeks at a time, enjoying a slice of ordinary life.

Five asks her why she came back every time instead of staying away. She can't answer him, but the answer is obvious to him: she too loves her family and doesn't really know how to live in the real world beyond her childhood 'playing house' in her den.

She strikes back that it takes one to know one, and Five concedes this.

But her story chimes with Five, and this is what catalyses his retirement/roadtrip arc with Klaus.

S3 E3-6

Five is pretty busy so they don't interact again until E7. BUT...

The bar room conversation with Five pricks Jayme's conscience and she throws herself into trying to find Marcus and protecting her family.

The confrontation with Harlan goes similarly except Jayme doesn't die and she is instead devastated about Alphonso's death, making her one of the fiercest advocates for killing Harlan. She's angry that Allison did it and she couldn't.

S3 E7

Before trapping the Kugelblitz in Christoper

Jayme lashes out at Five/all of them. Five correctly intuits that she's still upset about Alphoso and angry she didn't get to kill Harlan.

He comforts her in his uptight way and tells her from experience that killing for revenge/out of anger doesn't do any good, but resonates with her that not being able to save the people you love is a terrible, powerless feeling. He ends in saying that, for what it's worth, she shouldn't feel bad for wanting a normal life.

She hugs him tightly, surprising him. He hugs back stiffly but not unhappily.

Post-Kugel-trapping

Lila encourages Five onto the dancefloor, and Five in turn encourages Jayme onto the dancefloor.

They dance and laugh, and it's clear that they enjoy being dance partners. There are a few cross shots that show them liking one another's company. The last we see them together is somewhere around Lila telling Diego she's pregnant and Luther and Sloane's engagement:

Five and her are slumped on a couch. She said she's glad it's over and she's going to put all this behind her.

He asks what she's going to do. She says she wants to try to be a family without being a Sparrow and find her own way in the world. She's going to open a little coffee shop, grow her own food, find a simple life. What about him?

He tells her that his road trip with Klaus didn't go as planned, so he's planning to get nice convertible and go travelling for a while. She says that he'd better put her coffee shop on his route. He replies that he'd like that, and then leaves to find Viktor.

Right before the Kugel-splosion

She is in the conversation with Ben, Christopher and Fei and states her intent to leave and have nothing to do with their plans, but still wants to stay on good terms.

They reject her pretty roundly, and she leaves to go and find Sloane thinking she'll have more luck with her.

And then Christopher blows.

Halfway up the stairs, Jayme is unconscious as a result of some falling rubble, and the expanding Kugelblitz puts her and Ben in equal danger. Five instinctively saves Ben (because he will always choose his family) and Jayme dies in the mansion.

S3 E8-10 (After Jayme's Death)

Five feels guilty and more than a little resentful of Sparrow Ben's assholery given what happened.

His decision to give up the fight and accept the end of the world is somewhat influenced by his bitterness over this.

Otherwise, S3 continues unchanged.

S4 (nearly there)

I would have to rewrite the entire series, but here are the basics:

Jayme crops up again, unable to remember anything until marigold is reintroduced.

She and Five are the ones who get stuck in the subway (or similar plot device that allows years to pass for them while no time passes for Five's siblings). They get together relatively quickly, maybe within a year or so. They have a peaceful few years together growing their own food and trying to coax an old barista station back to life so they can make their own coffee. They're both genuinely happy, Jayme absolutely thrives there, and there would be lots of scenes of Aidan Gallagher kissing someone for Steve to enjoy. (Sorry Steve. Your writing decisions might suck but I'm really giving you a hard time here.)

When Five finds the journal, he hides it from her, although he clearly struggles with himself over it, and becomes unhappy. After a few months of him not being himself, Jayme finally gets it out of him.

When she asks why, Five's all: "Because I choose you. I didn't choose you last time so I'm choosing you this time. I love you blah blah kissy kissy for Steve"

And Jayme's like "Yeah, I appreciate it but I love you too. You wouldn't be the man I love if you didn't leave this behind and go back to your family. I want you to be happy and you can't be happy knowing that you can get back to them."

Five accepts this sadly and thanks her for the little slice of normality and peace they shared together. For a moment it looks like she's going to stay and he's going to leave, but at the last second she joins him. Five is her family now, and so are all the Umbrellas too. She can't keep 'playing house' alone. Wherever they are, she will be happy.

And then the series ends totally differently and they all get their happy endings.

[chaptersleftunwritten]

Silver & blood taste the same…

Blurb: FBI special agent Amaranthine Delaware has a nose like a blood hound. She can sniff out crime wherever it may lurk, not even the shadows are safe. But what happens when a crazed killer is tearing through towns rampantly and she has no idea who they are and where they're going next?

Pairing: Bill Skarsgård x OC

Part 1 of ?

Warnings: Gore, blood, violent depictions, homicide, dub-con, somnophilia, sexual themes, sexual acts, swearing, mentions of torture, kidnapping, mentions of weaponry, mental health struggles, addiction (alcohol dependency and cocaine) and possibly more throughout. 18+. Read at your own discretion and risk. You have been warned.

-

October 17th, 2013

The killings started in the early fall here in Indigo Grove. It must have been around September time because all the kids were back in school and that's how our first Jane Doe was discovered. She had been left- no, she had been discarded, in an overgrown area of greenery near a family home. It was the youngest of the children who found her... now two lives are ruined.

I say 'it must have been around September time...' but I know that it was. I remember everything from that first day. Every smell, every sob, every single one of my hairs standing on end as I try not to dry heave onto the ground next to the poor girl laying there on the frozen earth. Her red eyes staring up at me forever piercing and tainting my soul.

I try not to panic at the coffee counter as the barista with smudged eyeliner blinks at me, evidently annoyed at my prolonged silence and stilled movement, "Sorry," I breathe, finally, "How much did you say that was?" she rolls her eyes as she glances back at the till.

"You owe 5.75 today, ma'am."

Ma'am? The word makes my head spin. Her and I are clearly close to being the same age and she is referring to me like I am some 30 year old woman. I would laugh if I weren't so tired.

I stuff my hand into my damp coat pocket and pull out my purse. Loose strands of my rain soaked hair stick to the side of my face. The purse is a faded shade of purple and the faux leather is of a smooth grain. It's about the only thing that has been with me through thick and thin.

I rummage through the compartments of the purse, my cold shaking fingers scraping together the last of the coins that I have. I count them out in my palm before quickly handing them to the cashier.

She looks down at the metal like it is a foreign form of currency before she as well briefly counts them, obviously not trusting my judgement. After slotting them into her till she rewards me with my morning beverage and sweet treat. Nothing better than sugar at 8 in the morning.

The lights in the café are dim as I enter further into the sea of tables, every person appears like a blurred silhouette- or maybe it is just the three glasses of wine from last night catching up to me. My patrol partner, Johnny Franklin, is sitting in a dark far away corner of the café at a small table for two. He is tucked against the wall, his coffee mug in one hand and his toasted sandwich in the other. He orders the same thing every day; Regular coffee with three spoonfuls of sugar and whole fat milk alongside a toasted cheese and tuna melt sandwich and a chocolate chip muffin for dessert.

Johnny is around the same age as my older sister Jocelyn, which I find great comfort in… maybe that’s why I enjoy having him around. He is also a creature of habit, making his days predictable. I always know where he is going to be and when he is going to be there. It’s why I stay so fond of him, he doesn’t surprise me.

“Mornin’ sunshine,” He grumbles lazily, bringing his coffee mug up to his thin pale lips to take a leisurely slurp as I take a seat across from him. A small stubbly beard has grown in on and around his mouth, I notice this as he says, “You seem as chirpy as ever today.” His hoarse voice is dripping with sarcasm and I pray that this won’t be the running theme of the day. Johnny talking nonsense and me with a pounding headache.

“Yeah, yeah, get it out of your system.” I wave my hand, almost dismissing him- or maybe I’m trying to swat him away like he is a fly. He is always getting all twisted up in other peoples shit.

“You look like shit, kid.” The now empty coffee mug comes down onto the cheap wooden table, a light clatter of the porcelain following close after, “I’m in two minds of even telling you what I got paged this mornin’…”

And there it is. That horrid feeling of dread, doubt, despair, anger, hurt, anxiety- my body knows what he is going to say before he has to say it. The way my stomach twists into painful tight knots and how my breath is now lodged, undoubtably stuck in my throat. The world around me pivots on a sideways axel and I’m struggling to make it stop.

“Tell me.” I am strangled as the words come out, almost too quiet for myself to hear. Do I want to know? Can I handle what Johnny is going to tell me? The answer is no, probably not. But this is the work, and I owe it to those girls to catch this sick fuck-

Johnny’s beady brown eyes examine my features. It takes him a moment but he sucks in a deep breath and I see his bushy eyebrows knit together, his mouth also downturning distastefully, “Another body was found early hours this mornin’, around 3am. She has thought to have been out there for at least two weeks they said.”

The sourness in my mouth intensifies. Two weeks… two whole weeks. Evidence could be lost, the crime scene tampered with, decomposition.. animals. The thought alone sickens me to my stomach. How could she have been missed for that long?

“Who found her?” I ask after a long pause, my mind is buzzing with fear. That’s the thing about this line of work, people expect you to have no feeling- but I feel everything.

Johnny takes a bite of his sandwich and grease pools at the corners of his mouth making me cringe. I want to scream at him for even being able to stomach anything after telling me that information. He chews for an agonisingly long time before he finally grumbles, “A trucker on the highway nearly swerved off the road- agents at the scene think she must have still been alive after the attack and tried to crawl to the nearest road to wave down some help but her wounds were fatal. She died as she reached the highway.” Another bite. Another bite of that disgusting fucking sandwich.

My nostrils flare as I suck in a deep aggravated breath, standing up from the table the chair legs scrape along the floor, the screech punctuates my exit and I am gone before Johnny even has the time to comprehend what’s happening.

Dark clouds swell the sky and the chilly air nips and whips at my cheeks. The rain conjures a hellish dance upon my head as it pelts from the heavens above, drenching my hair further. My chest rises and falls with every breath I struggle to pull into my lungs and I find myself thinking about him.

He keeps me awake every night. I dream about him, I write about him- I wonder, what does he eat? What does his morning routine look like? What does he hate? What does he look like? His eyes, his lips, his smile… is it nice? Is it a nice smile, a warm smile, a welcoming smile? What does he smell like?

He consumes my life, he controls my every thought.

I hate it. I hate him.

It feels personal. Every murder… every life that he takes. And I know that it shouldn’t, but it does.

It fucking does.

-

Blue lights flood my vision, captivating the world around me in an inescapable light. The light in which we should all feel safe in, but I don’t. I never have.

The yellow and black police tape is lifted for me as I enter through to the official crime scene. The highway has been closed off and traffic is being redirected elsewhere, creating this ungodly eerie silence. I want noise, I need the noise… it’s too quiet.

“Special agent Delaware, this is Milo Reed, our truck driver.” My supervisor, Harold Hawkins, approaches me from a nearby vehicle. The man stood to his left is as pale as chalk, his eyes wide and dark with purple circles cladding the skin beneath his sockets.

My steps are steady and slow as I inch closer to the pair, deciding it may not be best to go in for a handshake in this moment, “Milo, my name is Amaranthine and I’m the lead detective on this case. My partner will soon be here to take care of you.” My own voice echoes inside of my mind. I can’t imagine how this man may be feeling. All he manages to muster in response is a nod and then he is shuffling off in another direction, his actions meek and stilted.

My next walk feels like one to the gallows, but I find comfort in one thing. I know what his mark is, I know what he has left behind that’ll tie this girl to the last and to the one before her. The butterfly. He irons it into their skin. Always in a different area, but always just as deep and just as brutal. Taking something so beautiful and blackening it with evil…

That’s how he got his name from the media.

The butterfly killer.

It headlined in every newspaper a month back, and it still continues to steal the spotlight today. Front page, big and bold for all to see. I bet he is basking in the glory of all of this…

It makes my stomach churn.

As I advance further into the scene I spot an unmissable tanglement of red hair on the ground. The colour is admirable.. it is absolutely gorgeous. Or so I thought, that is until I realise that it’s not at all the colour of the victims hair- it is her blood.

I fight the urge to vomit, swallowing down whatever salvia I have in a desperate attempt to maintain my composure- especially in front of my male colleagues.

“Have you been briefed?” One of them ask and I nod my head, remaining silent, “It was him, she has been branded on her right shoulder. Her wounds, however, are of different technique. He was angrier this time and he used some sort of screwdriver.” His words are so cool it leaves my skin feeling icy cold, like the decaying corpse in front of us, “She has been photographed but with the recent weather conditions, evidence might be tricky to recover. We will be lucky if we identify any from her, never mind any from him.”

I can feel a slow build in my chest, a rising fire of complete rage. When will this end? Will he ever be satisfied? And will I ever catch him?

“Try your best.” I plea and my eyes flicker from the ground to the flashing lights that are now intensifying my headache and then back to the body. The attending agent has left my side and I struggle to grasp the reality of anything around me.

I crouch down to further investigate our victim. She tried to fight. She tried to flee- she wanted to live so desperately that she crawled 10 metres from her drop off point before her lungs finally filled with blood.

She died alone.

I watch as they carefully remove her body from the scene and into the back of an ambulance, taking her back to the lab where hopefully we will be able to identify her.

She will have a family somewhere, and they are waiting on her coming home.

-

“You can’t smoke in here!” I am four vodka cokes deep in the ‘Hell Gate’ bar just off of the highway and maybe I’m feeling brave and maybe the buzzing red lamp above my head has officially drove me insane but I have had my eyes on this delicious stranger since I arrived and I’ll be damned if I leave here without him. I know that he has noticed me and I know smoking indoors is illegal, and it has been for over 10 years, but there’s just something about watching him do it that makes my insides flutter.

The music in the bar is deafening but it’s pretty vacant of people, even the bartender keeps disappearing elsewhere. The man spares me a quick look, taking one long last drag of his cigarette before he is stumping it out into a nearby ashtray. His face slowly turns towards mine and just like that, he exhales the large cloud of cancerous smoke right into my face.

“What you gonna do about it?” His gravelly deep voice challenges me and my thighs clench together at the mere sight of him. Plump pink lips, stunning round eyes, a strong nose and not to mention the gorgeous brown hair. His tall frame slouched leisurely over the bar has my mind reeling with sin.

I just want to forget. Just for one night.

My front teeth toy with my bottom lip, nibbling on the cushiony skin as I try my hardest to force my drunken brain to think of a quip and sultry response but all I seem to muster is a pathetic, “Steal your lighter.”

He hadn’t noticed but around three seconds ago I had pinched his lighter from on top of the bar and secured in my pocket.

A smugness braces his face, pulling his lips up just ever so slightly at the corners, “What’s your name, angel?” I can tell that I’ve caught his attention by the way his body leans into mine and the total thirst that has consumed his eyes. He wants me.

“You first.” I counter, proud of my own confidence. It’s not every day I manage to pluck up the balls to talk to guys and I would like to thank my liquid courage for tonight. Wherever it may lead.

“Bill, but you can call me whatever you want.” I expect to see a hand stuck out in front of me, but I don’t. He keeps himself to himself, and I quietly admire that. It’s sort of gentlemanly…

I take a short but sweet sip of my drink, letting the alcohol sere my throat on the way down before I chirp, “Amaranthine, but my friends call me Amara.”

His eyebrows perk up momentarily on his forehead before they proceed to faintly knit together in what I assume is confusion, “Are we friends, Amaranthine?”

I bite rabidly at the inside of my cheek, pinching the flesh to stop a shit eating grin from taking over my entire face. There is a short pause as I pretend to think of an ‘honest’ answer, “We can be. If you wanna?” My blood feels hot as scolding iron as it flows through my body, flushing my face for a brief moment.

“Hmm,” Bill’s pink tongue darts from his mouth to swipe over his bottom lip, his teeth gentle nipping the skin, “I don’t know… what do your friends usually say about you?” He is closer to me now and I can feel my breathing start to become a bit ragged. It takes every ounce of restraint I have to not press my lips to his. They are all I can focus on. I wonder what he tastes like.

“My friends would tell you to run for the hills…” In order to regain composure I play with the metal lighter that belongs to him, flicking the cap and watching as the flame would erupt from within. On the side there is a word that is engraved… Love.

It takes mere seconds before Bill is pulling my wrist toward him with force, but not enough to hurt me, only enough to frighten me. And it does, and the gasp that leaves my mouth is borderline erotic and makes my cheeks fervent. He is gentle to take the lighter from my loose grip, placing it into his dark jean pocket and then returning his attention back to my face.

“I think this could work… this ‘friend’ thing.” His grip remains tight around my wrist, “Only thing is.. I don’t think friends fuck their friends, do they, Amara?” Somewhere along the way Bill has stood up from his barstool and he is now towering over me. He must be at least 6ft 2 and looking up at him from my seated position is making my mind spin uncontrollably. I thought I was attracted to him before but now… I want him to take me right here, right now in the middle of this dive bar.

“Friends sometimes do that.” I say meekly as I swallow thickly, all the saliva in my mouth has mysteriously disappeared and maybe it was the alcohol or maybe this is just what he does to me. The greed grows between my thighs and as I'm staring into his eyes I can see the hunger growing within him too- infatuation blowing his pupils to the size of bullet holes.

He yanks me to my feet, his face is uncompromising and I am on fire with anticipation, "Your place or mine?" His lips brush the shell of my ear and I feel electricity race down every vertebrae in my spine, making my legs unsteady. His voice is almost a moan and his tone is low and yet I am willing to totally submit to his every beckon and command.

"Mine..." I feel like I can't breathe, "I.. I don't have a ride." My quavering voice declares my evident embarrassment and Bill tucks some loose strands of my wind stricken hair behind my ear.

"It really is your lucky day." Bill winks at me, a semblance of a smile gently appearing onto his face and his long arm snakes around my waist, guiding me toward the bar exit.

"Oh- I haven't paid!" I exclaim in a state of panic.

"Shhh-" Fuck. His voice is like a lullaby, "I know the owner, don't stress." It was at that moment that I realised, in my inebriated state, that I would believe every word this man said.

-

Sober Amara would never have given her home address to a total stranger- but drunk and horny Amara just did. We are always warned as children- don’t speak to that strange looking man, don’t go near that lady, stay away from them and so on.. but if we lived up to those rules- to that fear, we would never live. We would be so alone..

I juggle my keys, struggling to control the adrenaline that is coursing through my veins, causing my hands to tremble. I manage to slot the key into the lock and jimmy it open- I really have to get that looked at.

I shoulder barge my way inside, losing my balance as I do and I expect to see the floor coming up to meet my face- but instead I feel Bill’s colossal hands gripping my waist firmly, holding me restrained in the air. Shock roots us both to the spot and I can feel something brewing rapidly between us.

My apartment is small, but it’s cozy and it’s home. I keep it clean for the most part, overall the only mess visible is the case files I’ve left on my desk and the map that’s strung up on my wall. To the average person, like Bill, I’ll probably look crazy. Luckily for me, that’s not where his attention is.

“I'm waiting for your permission to let me have my way with you.”

The door has been kicked shut and I can hear the rhythm of my own heart pounding in my ears. I’m starting to feel a bit lightheaded, like I am levitating above the ground. He knows just what to say, he knows how to look at me in just the right way to make my mind turn to mush- it’s almost like he knows me. Have we been here before?

“I’m gonna need your help to get my clothes off…” my hands dance up to behind his neck, cradling it gently whilst pulling him closer to me. My fingers card through his luscious dark hair, tugging the roots playfully which causes a groan to erupt from his lips.

Bill's large hands come to fondle with my chest, his fingers struggling with the buttons of my blouse. His breathing hitches and with a leap of faith and a lewd huff he rips the seams apart. My mouth falls agape as I watch the buttons fly across every square inch of the room. Some of them I'll never be able to find again...

His lips are on mine before I have time to form any sort of coherent thought and the warmth of his skin is enough to heat my entire body for days. My lips part, allowing his wet tongue to slip inside of my mouth and I moan out at the contact. He tastes like alcohol and cigarettes with the mildest touch of mint- just what I expected. Abruptly he pulls away and I whine with the need to have him near again, "I'm going to take good care of you, I promise. I just wanna enjoy the view. It's not everyday I get to fuck someone as pretty as you." His voice has dropped an octave or two lower and the simple task of breathing becomes obscenely hard in that moment and I battle the urge to pounce on top of him right there and then. He slides my ripped blouse down my arms, letting it fall to the hardwood floor below my feet. He steps further away, urging me with his eyes to continue undressing.

"You don't have to be gentle with me, I won't break..." I offer him a smirk and my feet move toward him with gentle strides and I notice Bill's eyes fluttering to and from my chest. My bra is boring but it's black- and black always leaves an impression no matter what it is. Plus, he seems to like the colour, considering he is dressed from head to toe in it, "You can do whatever you want with me."

The air vibrates between us, "What do you want to do to me, Bill?" My eyes flutter innocently up at his stocky frame and he pulls a quick breath into his lungs through his teeth.

"You want me to tell you, or do you want me to show you?" He is walking towards me now, an impure domineering twinkle gracing his eyes. He backs my steps up until I feel the wall crash into my spine and his long muscular arms cage me to the spot, "Are you afraid?" His face is craned down into my neck now, I can feel his breath on my skin and it settles just above my main artery that I can feel thumping.

I shake my head.

"You got any neck ties laying around here?" He asks and I nod in response.

"Top drawer, in the bedroom." I nod toward the dark hallway that connects my living room to all the other rooms in the house. He glances at it before allowing me to move from the wall, his hand slapping my ass hard.

"C'mon then, lets go get them." I giggle a bit as I run toward the bedroom, Bill following closely behind me, "And take the rest of those clothes off before I get there- or you'll regret it."

Excitement pricks at my heart and I assume he is talking about my suit pants and my shoes, and so I am happy to oblige as soon as I pass through the doorway into my bedroom. It's dark in there- pitch black, so I scramble around for the lamp on my bedside dresser, stumbling over clothes that have been left on the floor and more case files that really should be getting organised but aren't. My shoes are first to go, kicked beneath the bed and my pants are peeled down my legs. The rain had caught us on the way in so my skin is a bit damp and cold, making the fabric cling to my skin like it has been glued down.

I pull open my drawer, ignoring the vibrator that I usually hide in there I retrieve multiple neck ties- just in case he wants more than one and then I sit on the edge of the bed, watching the open door as Bill’s sturdy frame emerge's from the darkness of the hallway. Like a hunter stalking its prey.

"Are these okay?" I hold out the palms of my hands, the colourful neck ties splayed flat across them as I present them to Bill like a knight receiving his sword.

Bill's hands find his knees as he bends down to my line of vision, his face mere inches from mine, It’s almost mocking and I feel like I am about to get a telling off for bad behaviour, "I'm going to fucking ruin you, sweetie." His lips pinch his cheeks as he smirks devilishly, his hands pushing me harshly down onto the mattress- knocking the air out of my lungs.

“Wrists.” He demands and I clasp my hands together in the air without a second thought, my drunkenness blinding every ounce of my reasoning. Bill climbs on top of me, his knees at either side of my torso and he hovers there as he skilfully knots and binds my wrists tightly together. He has done this before...

“Please take your clothes off,” I beg, my voice coming out as a sweltering breathy pant and after he had finished securing my wrists to the bed frame he stands from the bed, my body moving with the shift in weight.

“You’re so polite, so fucking cute- you know what good girls get?” He perks an eyebrow, his hands gripping the hem of his black t-shirt as he pulls it up and over his head. The sight of his abdominal muscles tensing and contorting to the movement of his body has my mind sobering up slightly. I want that image permanently engraved in my mind, “They get anything that they want, sweet cheeks.”

He moves onto his jeans next and even just watching him unbuckle his leather belt has my pussy aching for more. I can’t stop admiring his body- he is so lean and strong, chiselled by the Greek gods themselves.

“Like what you see?” His voice takes the reins of every one of my thoughts and I nod my head, my thighs impatiently rubbing together desperate to get some sort of release, “Awww, is she pulsing?” Up until this moment I'd never been provided the chance to experiment this much in the bedroom, my one night stands were always so vanilla and borderline unsatisfactory- so to have my hands tied to the bed and someone as hot as Bill mocking my arousal... it's all so new. I love it.

"Touch me." It wasn't supposed to come out as a command, but it does and the dimple that screws itself into Bill's cheek leaves my wrists tensing against their restraints.

Bill's eyes settle between my legs, his tongue swiping out to briefly coat his swollen lips in momentary shine as he prowls up the mattress and only then do I see how stiff he is in his briefs- I just want him inside me.

Despite my state of tenseness Bill separates my legs with ease, a small 'fuck' leaving his throat as he drinks in the sight of my pantie class core, "Wanna make you scream..." Two of his slender fingers tactically stroke over the slick covered fabric that sticks to my puffy slit, teasing me softly as he applies just the right amount of pressure to my stimulated clit, "You're so wet already and I've barely touched you-" An egotistical hum swims through his deep voice, "My fingers are covered in you already."

I can't help the mewl that leaves my mouth as I watch Bill foam at the sight of me. No one's made me feel like this before, this wanted- this desired. Bill gasps as his fingers hook beneath the fabric of my underwear and it is shortly followed by a profane groan as his fingertips tease my needy entrance, "You're killin' me, baby." It makes my head whizz with exhilaration as Bill tears the poor garment of clothing from my body, slightly burning my skin with the friction as he does.

Goosebumps arise on my skin at the expose to such cool air, making me shiver where I lay. Bill's head of messy brown locks dip between my spread thighs, pressing trails of kisses from my kneecaps up to my bare centre where his tongue strokes a long slow strip through my glistening folds. His lips make a 'pop' noise as he sucks my sensitive cluster of nerves roughly , pulling away only to dive right back in again. And again...

"A..ah!" My back curves up from the comfortable springs beneath me but Bill continues to secure my hips in place, the grip his fingertips have on me is bruising as the room is filled with nothing but the lewd noise of wet sloppy slurping and pleasure pained moans.

"She's dripping," He coo's cutely, his voice is a muffled hum against my pussy and the vibrations cause my legs to quiver as they cage Bill's face between them. After one final stroke of his muscular tongue Bill spits on my folds before rising to steady himself on his knees, "Think you're ready for my cock now, babe?" His huge hand lads a sore slap against my heat and I cry out at the sting, tugging harshly on my bounds. It hurts but it also feels so fucking good...

"Yes! Yes, please. I'm ready... just want you to fuck me, Bill, please." I say with so much agony that it is comedic.

Two of his slim fingers push inside of me, filling and spreading me out as Bill finally free's his shaft from his underwear. His hand pumps at his length a few times, his thumb gently spreading the pre-cum from his tip to the rest of his thick rod, "Say, 'pretty please' and I'll think about it." His smile is more intoxicating than any of the alcohol that I've consumed and I'm growing to detest the affect he has on my body.

He carries on touching himself, his eyes hooding as he throws his head back in total bliss, "Pretty please." The words are almost a sob as I wiggle my hips, trying to meet him halfway. He bites his bottom lip, clearly satisfied with my pleading he taps his dick a few times against my slit only to shock me at the very last second as he pushes himself all the way inside. The stretch is glorious and my eyes are rolling to the back of my head at the sensation of him filling every inch of me.

"So warm- you're squeezing me so tight." It's now Bill's turn to moan as he bottoms out of my pulsating cunt and plunges himself back in again, "Keep this act up and I'll end up cumming before you do, sweetheart." The image of him coating my walls with his hot spunk makes me want to scream.

His thrusts quicken and with more ferocity, the room is captivated by the loud sounds of wet skin slapping skin and the perverted moans from both Bill and I.

"Don't stop! Ah.. fuck! Please don't stop!" My screams reverberate in my chest, bouncing off of every wall and playing back at us. It's evident that Bill has no intentions of slowing down and I struggle to keep my eyes open long enough to watch the perfect contour of his parted lips widen and how his dark eyebrows pinch together in pure delight.

He pulls out of me and grabs my hips. He flips me around to my stomach before pulling my ass up into the air where he spanks the skin brutishly and I endure the red marks that tingle their way up to the surface. Forcing my face down into the pillows he holds my head there as he propels himself back inside of me and the scream that leaves my mouth leaves me drooling all over my pillowcases. My mouth is unable to close from the constant moans exiting past my lips.

"I knew you were a slut, look at you-" He slaps my ass cheek again, punctuating his words, "Taking my cock so well. Am I hitting that sweet spot, baby?" I try to speak, I try to communicate with him but I can't. It's all too intense, "Right there? Yeah, Ugh, fuck yeah!" Bill's moans bless my ears and I feel a knot forming in the pit of my stomach, my high is hurdling toward me with every thrust his thick cock gives.

"Want you to cream all over me, can you do that?" I nod into the pillow, having given up on my words and Bill releases a noise that is somewhere between an hum of approval and a moan, "So good for me, so fucking good.." Maybe I hadn't noticed before now, but the way he praises me only increases the fire consuming my insides and I don't know if it's because of how attracted I am to Bill or just a newly discovered kink of mine but whatever it is it's working.

I struggle to breathe against the fabric of the pillow and my eyes pinch closed alongside every muscle in my body tensing as my howling orgasm washes over me. My legs are a shaking mess and I swear I pass out for a moment or so because Bill is the only thing keeping me kneeling upright as he pounds into me from behind- chasing his own release that soon follows closely after mine...

And we are left both a panting muddle of sweaty flesh in a room stinking of nasty sex.

-

taglist: @colorful-white-ideas

[woodlaflababab]

It never fails to make me sad to see people call Aang's arc stagnant or claim he didn't change. His arc is unconventional. It's not a well established trope so there's not obvious cues we can draw on that we've seen dozens of times before. (Not that there's anything wrong with well worn tropes. The classics are classics for a reason.) But the unwillingness to examine his story outside of trying to spot familiar patterns just saddens me.

Maybe it's because I relate to his arc so much, and it's a lesson that I see so many people struggle with yet a lesson I rarely see truely represented.

Aang's arc is about balance. It's not like Zuko's, it's not about having a set of ideals and having to challenge and ultimately discard them for new 'better' ideals. Aang already has some pretty solid ideals, but the problem is, he sits in extremes. Throughout the entire series he is tettertottering between extremes of many different kinds, with these changes becomes less drastic as he goes on and builds his balance.

One of the things he has to balance, that I wish people saw because it is so so important, is the balance between protecting yourself vs protecting others. In the water you hold a child above your head, but in a falling airplane you provide yourself an oxygen mask first.

It's self-care vs matching expectations.

Which is such an insanely relevent contemporary subject and only becomes more so as we go on. Too often you see the hero must learn to be willing to sacrifice everything, whether for the world or for a person, but that's not healthy and is an ideal that can go wrong very quickly.

I just wish people saw this. I wish people saw Aang's climax of his arc as validation that they are allowed to be themselves, that they don't have to be what everyone expects of them, that bring true to yourself and being what people need are not mutually exclusive. I want people to see Aang and understand the value of being an individual made up of your background and personality and not a being formed to fit what's most efficient for society.

I want people to see Aang and know that it's possible to have this balance, that wanting to do things differently does not mean failing. I want people to see Aang and know that they don't have to lose childhood in order to grow and improve.

Some characters start out with incorrect answers, and they learn the correct ones, and we recognize this, but it's just as important to learn that sometimes you do have the right answer, it's just that there's more than one right answer and you can't cling to a single one as the pure singular truth.

Idk. I want people happy. I want Aang happy.

[moraxsthrone]

⌈ WIN-WIN ⌋

⌈ pairing ⌋ kaeya alberich x f!reader

⌈ wc ⌋ 1.1k

⌈ warnings/notes ⌋ nsfw. MDNI. alcohol consumption. bet sex...for science. this was supposed to be a drabble but ended up being over 1k words 😩.

you’ve been drinking with kaeya and a few other friends at angel’s share one night. you’ve all had a few and it’s getting pretty late, but the lively conversation you’ve been having with kaeya is starting to get even more interesting. your other friends have already tapped out for the night, leaving just the two of you to continue your light-hearted debate. 

what had started as a harmless, serious discussion about the female orgasm’s potential role in evolution had quickly gotten personal. 

“...that’s not necessarily true, kaeya," you interject. "some women simply can’t cum from penetration alone.”

“you think so?”

“oh, i know so. for example, no guy has ever made me cum from penetration alone.” before you can stop yourself, the words are already on the table. maybe it's time to cut yourself off...

“oh? how unfortunate.” his frown is genuine. “perhaps they were all shitty lovers.”

“all of them?...”

he shrugs, barely concealing his intrigue.

a bemused chuckle leaves your lips. “that’s certainly one theory, but until my theory is disproved, i’ll maintain that it’s simply not possible for all women...myself included.”

“care to put our respective theories to the test and see which of us emerges victorious?”

“but how? who would…oh. oh. you mean…”

the corner of kaeya’s lips curve upward into a wicked grin and you almost spit your drink out. you’ve had a crush on kaeya since the first time you laid eyes on him, but you laugh, waving his audacious dare off as mere banter because he must be joking.

only, you realize he’s not kidding when he raises an eyebrow at you with an unwavering gaze.

“wait. are you trying to bed me, kaeya?” not that you're about to turn him down.

turning his palms up, he shrugs with a smirk before meeting your eyes again. “just wanna prove to you that you’re wrong.” he leans in, making all your body heat rise to your face as he speaks so quietly that only you can hear him. “how about this? if i can make you cum with my dick alone, you’ll buy my drinks next time. if not, all your drinks are on me.”

you give it careful consideration, hoping that your tipsy state is enough to trick him into thinking the flustered heat on your face is from the alcohol and not at all from his brazen forthrightness. you maintain eye contact with him as you take the last swig from your glass and set it down on the table before standing up.

“you’re on, mr. alberich.”

“your place or mine?” he asks with a cheeky grin.

“mine.”

the cavalry captain smiles, leaning back in his chair, his cock stirring at the sight of your thighs rubbing together as you walk to the bar to square up your bill. feeling his impending erection, he figures now is a good time to do the same before his arousal becomes impossible to conceal. after laying his mora on the bar, kaeya walks with you to the door. he pushes the door open in front of you, the cool early spring air kissing your cheeks, making you wonder if his lips will feel the same.

…

kaeya behaves like a perfect gentleman as he walks you home. once you both cross the threshold of your door, however, things begin to quickly change.

the knight barely closes the door behind himself when he moves in close and cups your jaw. “may i kiss you?” he whispers, his voice almost as sweet as the dandelion wine on his breath.

“please~” you sigh.

your lips meld together, tongues seeking each other out as kaeya backs you up against the nearest wall. his lips trail down the graceful column of your neck, relishing the aftertaste of your sweat from angel’s share. you grip his dark blue hair as you roll your head back, aware of his thumbs digging into the flesh around your hip bones.

you somehow manage to direct him towards your bedroom while making out, leaving a messy trail of discarded clothes along the way.

one thing leads to another and next thing you know, you find yourself on your back with your legs in the air. in the dim light of your bedroom, while kaeya strokes himself before pressing his blunt tip to your needy opening, you notice that his full erection is long and a bit thicker than average with an upward curve - perfect for g-spot fucking. your long-time crush lifts your ass off the bed, an ankle in each hand as his naked thighs soon begin to slap against your soft, moist skin.

now your wet pussy is slurping noisily on his shaft as the bulging ridge of his cockhead rubs vigorously against your sweet spot. kaeya’s heels are digging into his cute butt cheeks with every thrust of his narrow hips, conflicted because he wants to throw his head back in ecstasy but also watch every inch of your face and body as he fucks your orgasm out of you, hands-free. 

the firm head of his dick beats against your g-spot, making you feel so full, every nerve ending in your cunt standing at his attention. one of his hands moves to push your thigh further back as he plants the other one against the mattress to anchor and give himself leverage to fuck your g-spot at a new angle. your eyes roll back in your head. you dig your nails into kaeya's hard thighs as they ride against yours, trying and failing to stop his name from spilling from your lips as he fucks you towards the edge of oblivion. the ridge of his thick cockhead is dragging perfectly over all the right spots inside you. you’re keening, back arching, legs shaking. your body would be twisting except kaeya’s warm hands are pulling on your hips, keeping you right where he wants you. his dark-skinned balls are tightening too; he’s starting to think he might actually lose your bet when you sharply gasp his name.

“k-kaeya?” the tightening of your walls accompanies the spilling of his name from your lips. “you- oh fuck - you’re gonna make me cum! kaeya!”

“that’s it, let go…cum for me, y/n~” he breathes, his syllables broken somewhat by the power of his own thrusts.

and just like that, without touching your clit, kaeya alberich tears down your walls and makes you come apart all around him. it's unlike any orgasm you’ve ever had before…deeper and more intense than any other - including the ones you’ve given yourself. 

you're still riding out your high when the cavalry captain lets your feet fall so he can anchor himself to the bed with his arms on either side of you, caging you in as he dips his head to kiss a path from your lips to your collarbone. your gasps of his name only fuel the fire that rages wildly in his loins, finally snapping the tightly-wound coil deep inside his full balls. 

“hnn- fuck, y/n,” he sighs loudly. “gonna cum…ohfuckgonnacumsofuckinghard…” wet slapping noises fill the room as your quivering cunt drives him over the edge… “~ahhhh fuck yes~”

he quickly pulls out, cum already shooting from his slit to paint your twitching pussy and lower belly white with his thick seed. he thrusts his narrow hips a couple more times in time with the spurts of his hot cum throbbing from his deep purple cockhead.

he lets out a breathy chuckle as his hooded, pussy-drunk eye lays into yours.

“looks like you’re buying next time.”

kaeya m.list

much love and many kithkith to 18+ rebloggers, commenters, likers, and followers !!

[bunnyofcresent]

Monster of the night

Cw : Noncon, monsterfucking

The cold breeze blew past your slumbering form as you shifted uncomfortably on the bed. The cold feeling was getting unbearable and you had to wake up. Confused, you look down upon your form. Your shirt had ridden up exposing your breasts and your blanket was at your feet. Must have been your movements during your plight to sleep so you pulled your shirt down and your blanket up went back to sleep.

:readmore:

Again a sudden chill ran up your spine. This time coldness felt different - it was no longer the feeling of a breeze but featherlight cool touches.

They felt like hands?

You forgo the thought, it must be your hazy mind playing tricks on you and so, rather irritably, you continued your slumber.

After a few moments yet again you feel a cold touch. This time the feeling was not ignorable. You open your eyes to look down upon your form once again. This time your shorts had been discarded off to who knows where and your bare cunt was exposed.

You would've panicked but your sleep-addled mind made it hard for you to react quickly. Suddenly a sharp jolt of pleasure coursed through you.

You felt your left nipple being tweaked and played while a wet suckling feeling on the right. You looked down and saw a transparent sheen of what you perceived to be saliva. Your mind couldn't ignore it anymore.

There was no one here, your window and door was shut down, no one should be able to enter your house. You felt those invisible hands rubbing against your thighs and spreading your legs apart. You thrashed in its grasp and wanted to get away but it had other plans.

The creature hoisted you up and you were levitating now. You were about to scream before the breath from your lungs was knocked out. Your back was now against the wall and your hands up your sides while your legs were spread apart. Your form was held up by a few hands - it felt queer but you couldn't do anything against it.

The monster of the shadows inserted something in your cunt. First it settled itself cozily in your plush walls before it started pounding into you. The feeling was dizzying - you being fucked in the middle of the night by a ghost of what you couldn't comprehend.

The being kept thrusting into your tight folds with such fervor that your thighs started quivering and breasts bounced up and down in a continuous motion. The harsh thrusts and sloppy squelching sound from your cunt filled the room and your moans seemed to spur it on further. It started thrusting faster which you thought would not be possible. Your thoughts were all mixed up and your bubbling protests died down before it could even be spoken.

Finally you couldn't take it anymore and cummed while the creature went on rutting into you for a few moments before finally cumming as well. The cum dribbled down from your pussy and slided down the walls. You were beyond exhausted and sleep was overtaking you. The creature put your form on top of the bed, your legs still spread, letting the cool air caress your abused wet hole. You felt its presence disappear but something told you that this won't be the last time you would be used up like this.

[ja3hwa]

Day 11 : Impregnation - Seonghwa

「Tilte」 : I want It

「Word count」 : 1.4k

-> Genre: Smut, Fluff

Paring: Husband!Seonghwa x Wife!Reader

[Warnings] : Switch dynamics. The reader is in charge for this one hehe. Subby-ish Seonghwa. (He's whinier than anything else) breeding kink, unprotected sex (Don't do this unless you want kids) Dirty talk. Bratty reader & Seonghwa. Making out. Hwa breaks readers underwear (woops). Pet names. Honeymoon romance. Newly wed and all that. If I missed something let me know ♡

February Filth Fest Event Day Calendar

Seonghwa is begging again. He wants children. He’s brought it up in the past and you’ve always brushed it off with a hearty no, saying you both weren’t ready for that type of commitment. Not right now anyway. But this time is different. He’s stopped mid-kiss to look at you in the eye and asked the question.

“Can we have a baby?”

Your throat runs dry. You couldn’t care for a kid, not now when your lives have just only begun to settle down into the first day of your honeymoon, which started straight after your chaotic wedding. But yet you couldn’t help feeling a tingle brew in your lower gut. The desperation in his eyes made your thighs squeeze together. The choked whimper in his words filled your need to please. And how could you possibly say no to your newly wedded husband while staring directly into his beautiful loving eyes? They swim with lust…. you were at a loss.

“Anything for you, my Love,” you whispered facing your body fully to him, having discarded your phone onto the side dresser while you were deep in thought.

His eyes brighten like he has just heard the best news in his entire life. He’s on you within seconds, kissing you deeply and caressing your sides. You moan into the kiss, grabbing either side of his head to hold him in place. His touch sends shivers down your spine and goosebumps across your body. You have never thought of it because of your precautions but just thinking about him going in raw gets you wet. You shift a hand down between your legs and start to rub your clit with two fingers. But a hand quickly stops you.

Seonghwa pulls away and looks at you. “Let me, please,” he begs.

He looks and sounds more desperate than you feel. This man must have been earning for ages. And now he’s finally getting it. He’s just a sloppy mess. You push him back onto the bed, his eyes on you the entire time. You climb on top of him and sit on top of his crotch. You grind down a little, feeling him grow in his pants a little. His hands grab your waist quickly, but you have other ideas. If he’s been wanting this, he’ll have to earn it. You grab his wrists and he lets go with loose fingers. Pinning his hands above his head, you suddenly feel the thrill of being on top. Looking down on him and seeing the desperation upon his delicate features. His mouth is parted and he’s breathing heavily already. It’s truly a sight to see that turns you on.

“Now if you want this, you’re going to have to ask nicely,” you whisper in his ear.

A moan is pushed from his lips as you grind down again at his lack of response. “Please,” he begs. “Let me.”

Satisfied, you let go of his hands but tsk, “Keep them there,” You ordered with a fake tone of dominance, at this point you sounded more cheeky and light-hearted, but neither of you cared. He keeps his arms above him but his gaze is all over you. You can feel his neediness rubbing against your clothed core. Shuffling down, you begin to undo his belt and pants. You stop every time he moves and wait for him to fall silent again. After a solid five minutes of playing this little game of tug and pull, you shuffle his pants off his ankles. His cock is fully erect and leaking. With a grin across your face, you sit on his thighs, placing your soft fingers down his waist. He flinches slightly but keeps his mouth shut.

“So you want kids?” You chuckle.

“Honestly,” he admits, “I couldn’t care less about that right now.”

“Oh, okay.” You reach over to the bedside table and open it. “I’ll just wrap you up then.”

“No!” He shouts and grabs you away from the table. “No,” he says more softly.

You laugh and pat his cheek. “You’re sweet. But do have to grab the lube.”

He smiles widely and toothy as you reach for the bedside table again, grabbing a small bottle of lube out. You slick up your hand and finally begin rubbing his dick. His hips buck up slightly and he suppresses a moan.

“Let it out, honey,” you whisper.

He exhales harshly and his arms move slightly above him. You stop and squeeze the base of his dick. He chokes on a moan but another escape and oh my, it sounds heavenly. Why haven’t you done this before? This is another side of your husband you haven’t seen. You move up on your knees and push your nightie up your thighs with the hand that was on his dick. You reach between your thighs and move your underwear to the side not wasting any more time with taking them off. With the lube on your fingers and the wetness coming from you, two fingers slide in easily. The pleasure zips through you and makes you hunch over Seonghwa. You finger yourself above his dick, breathing into his neck.

“Keep your arms up there now,” you moan. You meant it to come out as an order, but opening yourself up over him is doing something to you you never thought would.

“Please, I just want to touch you,” he pleads.

“We can stop if you want.” You plant a kiss on his lips. “Or we can keep going.”

He shakes his head frantically. “Please. I just want to fuck you,” he pants.

You kiss him again with more want and bring your free hand to comb through his hair. Then you reach down and grab the base of his cock to line it up. He moans into your mouth as you slide down halfway onto him. You pull away gasping. You want more.

“You can touch me,” you say but it comes more out as a whine.

His hands whip forward and grab your hips. He’s a mess right now and you’re loving it. You bob lightly up and down on him, feeling him rub up against you, sending prickles of pleasure up your spine. He guides you down slowly with each thrust until you’ve swallowed him to the base. He let's you sit there, taking his full length in for a moment before you decide to move on your own accord. You shift your hips upwards with your hands planted on Seonghwa’s stomach before moving downwards. You set a rhythm for yourself but soon enough he’s thrusting up into you. You’re gasping and moaning on each time he drives you down on his cock. You get lost in the moment and pick up the pace to chase your own high. You fall on top of Seonghwa and he wraps one of his arms around your waist while the other snakes down to grip your panties.

"I'm sorry." His words were quick and so was the sound of a snap of fabric. Did he literally just rip your underwear? "I'll buy you more." 

"You better." You choke out a moan as he throws the broken fabric somewhere in the room. He brings his knees up and begins thrusting up into you from another angle. It sends a thrill through you that has you moaning louder. You’re both a mess and all of the teasing and playing hard to get suddenly didn’t matter anymore.

“I’m- I’m gonna-” He pants in your ear. He holds onto you more tightly as he buries his face into your neck. With a few stuttering thrusts, you feel him release inside of you. And oh god just the hot sensation of being filled up sends you over the edge as well. You squeeze down tight around him and you can already feel some of his cum dripping down his cock, leaking out of your hole. After the high end, you slowly bring yourself up, his cock still inside you, letting his cum stay deep inside you. Collecting yourself, you glance to see Seonghwa grinning up at you with a glowing smile. It brings a smile to your face as well even though you don’t know why he’s so ungodly happy.

“What?” You ask, stroking his chest with one hand.

“I hope it’s a girl,” Is all he says. That earned him a light slap on the shoulder. 

-

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[yandere-fics]

♡ Dark AU Nikki ♡

You had never met your mate before despite living in the same area as her and being told about her constantly, angels weren't allowed to met their mates until they'd completed their training, after all they weren't going to waste a human on a angel who couldn't guaranteed protect their mate, if she took you and then you died it would be a waste of a human meanwhile if she died in training you could still produce more humans, humans who would wind up being soulmates to other angels. You were not allowed contact with her because they feared the moment the bond fully sunk in, she would no longer be able to tolerate you being apart from her. You knew things about her though, snippets of how her training was going, she was close to finishing her training which you had to admit made you extremely nervous, she was apparently a high ranking angel, born with 4 wings, now the number was 6 because in a world with monsters trying to eat your mates it never hurt to have more, plus with all the angels discarded in their training, spare wings were everywhere, your mate herself had discarded a number of angels, you'd seen many a human cry because the mate they never even met had been discarded and while being a human mate was bad, being a human with no mate was a far worse fate.

"Mate I don't understand why you're so scared. Come here." Those were the only words you ever heard her say in your dreams, confusing you deeply. You had always known you were going to be the soulmate of an angel, it was a fate you had grown to accept, a bad fate but there were much worse circumstances you could be under, you could be a human who had no mate, forced to have children that would be stolen from you the day they had their first dream of their soulmate, never permitted to go visit them in the zone all the human soulmates lived in together, what could she have possibly done that would make you scared of her, you'd looked every night for a clue in the dream for why you would be scared of her and yet you could find no signs, terrifying. Other people's dreams were more detailed, they could brae themselves for the horrors more but your's were simple. Nothing that would give away anything about the horror she might have been about to inflict on you. You were glad you still had the dreams though, when soulmates stopped having the dreams it meant your soulmate was close to death or had already passed. Your old roommate knew her soulmate was going to be discarded a month before it had happened, she'd tried to make a break for it but the angel caretakers had caught her quickly. Though your dreams were vague and unsettling, it was better than them stopping all together.

You'd learned her name recently, Nikolai, Nikki for short, it signified her training had almost completed, humans were always told the name of their soulmate before they meet, perhaps they wanted to wait for the name for the last second to prevent the humans from developing any silly attachments to their soulmate that would hinder them having other human children, though there were some who's soulmates were discarded even though their training had gone exceptionally well, you couldn't feel bad about the angels who had been brutally cut down, after all they knew what would happen to their soulmate if they failed yet still didn't try hard enough, sure it must have been hard for them but if the angels loved and wanted their soulmates as much as they preached, they wouldn't have been discarded. You only felt bad for the humans who no longer got to live with the soulmates, who had been let down by their mate

"Mate, your crying will only attract monsters, cease this at once." That was a completely new dream, you'd never heard of anyone having a completely new dream before, you didn't know what have changed, but it was scary. Still this one gave you more context, you were scared of her and it had to do with monsters potentially, unsettling, you had actually seen a monster in that dream, you'd never seen a monster before that, the angel caretakers would have never let one get near your place of living. You couldn't change this, at some point this week you would encounter a monster and there would be no way to stop that from occuring, a frightening thought. Even more alarming was how deadly quiet it was in the house for the morning time, no one had come to wake you up and you realized in horror your roommate wasn't in bed, her soulmate had likely been discarded. You never could seem to make it even a few months without your roommate being replaced. Still you had to get on with life, but as you wandered downstairs you locked eyes with her. Your soulmate, Nikolai, holding your roommate up by the throat, strangling her to death as the angel caretaker allowed it.

"Wait! What's happening?" Nikki shot you a glance, a scowl on her face.

"This thing tried to kill me for decommissioning her mate, she must be taught a lesson." Finally the angel caretaker stepped in, making Nikki drop her, the caretaker carrying her out of the building, it seems her mate had died, her punishment for trying to harm an angel would be minor, at least in comparison to the much worse fate she would suffer. "Come mate, I finally get to take you today, we're leaving this territory."

"What? N-no, I don't want to leave angel territory!" It was a death sentence no matter how strong she was, how did she not realize this! Your pleas didn't stop her from taking you out of the territory though, repeatedly demanding you stop crying or you would have to watch as she killed a bunch of monsters viciously. You were wrong, there were worse fates than being no longer a human mate, you could be mated to a crazy person who decided she needed to monopolize you so badly that she would willingly take you where all the monsters were.

[crowfeatherquill]

To Aid and Be Aided, Pt. 2

Link to Pt. 1

--

That shocks Astarion fully back into his body -- possibly for the first time since they’d entered Szarr Palace.

“Go to-- excuse me?” Tathlyn shrinks away from Astarion’s sudden ire, but Astarion can’t find it within him to reign it back in. He’ll ask forgiveness later. For now, “Is that all you think this is? That you’re some…some disposable resource to be drained and discarded as soon as you’re no longer of use? To be-- consumed?”

Cazador’s voice echoes over his own as he says the word and it kills any trace of hunger that might have lingered, leaving only the cold nausea of dread in its wake.

“Well. Not discarded, I’d hope,” Tathlyn says and the rueful humor in his tone makes Astarion wish an eternity of violence on whoever did this to him, “I believe I’d be what the druids call a renewable resource. If properly cared for.”

Astarion rises part-way out of the water, flooding the stone and washing away most of the blood still lingering there. Tathlyn seems taken aback by this and Astarion uses the opportunity to take his face firmly in his hands and demand eye contact.

“Tathlyn. Darling. Heart of my heart, you are not a resource. Renewable or otherwise. No more than I am.” 

Tathlyn tries to flinch away from the implication and Astarion holds him fast. He doesn’t think he’ll be able to manage this if he doesn’t do it now.

“I love you. I adore you and I’m…I’m grateful. That you’d be willing to do that for me after everything else I’ve put you through today. But you are not my mother or my sire, and I am very much capable of feeding myself.”

Tathlyn simply stares at him, looking somewhat in awe. It breaks his heart a little to think that a statement which seems so obvious to him should come as any sort of a surprise to Tathlyn.

“Now,” he continues, pushing past the quiver of emotion in his voice, “You are going to get in this bath -- with or without me, your choice -- and you are going to let me fix…this.”

Tathlyn’s expression shifts from awe to bemused indulgence with a slight twitch of one eyebrow and one corner of his mouth.

“Am I, now?”

“Yes,” Astarion replies, more firmly than he feels he should be able to get away with, “You are. Because…you wanted to know what I really wanted. And I’m telling you it’s this.”

Tathlyn’s brow takes on an uncertain tilt, but he leans his face into Astarion’s hands and closes his eyes briefly.

“Alright.” He is just as soft when giving in as he is when he insists. Every time Astarion thinks he can’t possibly love this man any more, Tathlyn finds new ways to defy expectations.

The way he removes his clothes is unceremonious and to the point. And with each article he sheds, it becomes more obvious that he has not actually paused to do more than the bare minimum since they returned from the crypt. Bruises bloom across his torso, some of them bad enough to imply cracked ribs, and though the gash on his arm seems to be the only one actively bleeding, there are several more scrapes and cuts that need tending. His hair is streaked with red and only roughly secured out of his face. His face, which, now that Astarion is really looking, is beyond exhausted. He looks as though he’s managed to miss several nights of sleep in the last twenty-four hours alone.

The whole thing makes Astarion ache for him, and sets his resolve tenfold. If no one else out there is going to bother taking care of him after everything he’s done for all of them, Astarion damn sure will. It’s the least he can do.

Once he’s stripped down to the skin, Tathlyn sinks into the water with a wince and a sigh. He leaves a respectful distance between himself and Astarion, which Astarion quickly closes, taking Tathlyn’s injured arm in soft, unhurried hands and beginning the process of washing the wound clean -- thoroughly clean. Tathlyn, to his credit, does not flinch, despite the way it must hurt.

When he’s finished, he lays Tathlyn’s arm gently on the side of the bath, out of the water, to be bandaged later, and moves on. He tends one injury at a time, with a singular focus, as the water grows cloudy again around them.

“Darling…” he ventures, “Have- have you stopped at all since we got back?”

“Took my armor off,” Tathlyn almost-mumbles, his usual enunciation sapped along with his flagging energy, “But, uh. No. Not really. Had to…make sure Halsin and Karlach were alright. And you. ‘Specially you.”

Astarion frowns and brushes the cleaning cloth over a raw scrape on Tathlyn’s jaw that he’d initially mistaken for a patch of dried blood. Tathlyn seems content to lounge, eyes closed, mostly still apart from the occasional involuntary wince.

“And…no one bothered to help you, did they?”

It’s a purposefully leading question, and not particularly subtle at that, and it doesn’t take long for Tathlyn to catch on to precisely where it’s meant to lead. He takes a slow, measured breath and levers himself forward, more upright. His exhale is equally measured, if constricted in pain. Astarion’s hand goes to his chest as if to stop him -- put him back to reclining where at least he’d seemed comfortable -- but Tathlyn just takes him by the wrist and presses through until he’s leaning forward, the two of them nearly touching foreheads.

With his free hand, Tathlyn takes Astarion by the chin, running his thumb over Astarion’s lower lip.

“Before you start, you should know I didn’t ask them to,” he says, and though it’s apparent he knows it was foolish, he seems more intent on diverting Astarion’s indignation. “No need to go crusading for justice on my behalf. This,” he indicates his own battered body, “is no one’s fault but mine.”

Astarion can’t help a derisive click of his tongue against his teeth as he pulls his chin away from Tathlyn’s grip -- though the hand Tathlyn has trapped against his chest stays where it is.

“It should’ve been obvious,” he gripes, “You shouldn’t have to ask -- you’re injured.”

Tathlyn has the unmitigated gall to laugh. Astarion seethes at the way the sound makes him fall in love all over again. How dare he be so disarming while Astarion is trying to maintain a perfectly reasonable level of scorn.

“I am also a grown man,” Tathlyn points out, fondness softening the edge of every word, “You said something to that effect just a bit ago. Something like…you’re not my mother and I can look after myself?”

Astarion tries to glower at him, but Tathlyn only shifts the hand he’d pulled away from to the nape of his neck and brings their foreheads back together, toying with Astarion’s hair until he shuts his eyes and lets out a forced breath of resignation.

“I’ll be alright, love,” he insists, “And anyway. Tell me you’re not enjoying bossing me around. At least a little?”

“As if I would ever admit it. I’d never get another chance.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that.”

Astarion elects to ignore the things that thought does to his insides, pulling away from Tathlyn’s grip instead to survey the state of the water.

“We’ll need to clear this again,” he says, aiming for a businesslike tone and getting mostly ill-concealed fluster. “There’s still your hair to deal with and I refuse to try washing it in this murk.”

Tathlyn raises a brow and releases his grip on Astarion’s wrist.

“If there’s something you’d like me to do, you’re going to need to be a little more direct than that.”

Astarion is not really capable of flushing anymore, but his expression betrays that if he could be, he would be.

“Of all the times for cheek, now? Really.”

Tathlyn attempts an innocent shrug and fumbles into a cringe of pain partway through. Astarion starts back toward him and realizes he doesn’t know precisely where he can touch that will help rather than make things worse. The thought leaves his hands hovering, nervy and unsettled, until Tathlyn bats at the air in what he supposes is meant to be a gesture of dismission.

“S’alright. I’m okay. Promise.” He seems to second guess the words as soon as they’re out of his mouth, and then, after a moment of re-assessment, “Nothing’s broken, at least. Pretty sure about that.”

“Then sit still, damn you. No more of this teasing, not if it’s going to hurt you.”

“Yes, nurse.”

Tathlyn’s expression should vex him, Astarion is quite sure, but somehow he can’t manage to stay upset with him for more than a moment. He turns his attention to getting the water clean -- a feat of magical engineering he might even be impressed by under less distressing circumstances -- and, perhaps a little reluctantly, pulls himself out of the bath to sit at the edge.

The air is cool against his skin -- not unpleasantly so, but enough that he can see why there are dressing gowns set aside in easy reach. Tathlyn is looking up at him with that curious furrow in his brow again.

“It’ll be easier with me up here,” he explains, “And behind you. If you don’t mind.”

Tathlyn hums, a sound on the crossroads of understanding and consent, and Astarion settles at his back, picking through the various soaps, oils, and perfumes as he goes. 

The first thing is to pluck at the leather tie Tathlyn uses to hold his hair back until he’s able to get it to fall loose. It always takes him a little by surprise just how long Tathlyn’s hair is -- he so often wears it tied back that Astarion forgets. It’s a sorry sight as it cascades into the water -- dull, sweat-mussed, and somewhat tangled -- but this, of all the things he’s done, feels like familiar territory.

He coaxes Tathlyn’s head back so he can wet his hair all the way to the scalp, and begins the laborious process of working out the knots, dirt, and blood. He watches as he works, as Tathlyn seems to drift in and out of focus, evidently soothed the point of lethargy under Astarion’s careful attention.

“You know,” he says, in a precious moment of lucidity, “The Matrons used to do this. With each other, mostly, although sometimes trusted servants got to help.”

Astarion’s hands go still in Tathlyn’s hair but he restrains the comments that come to mind the quickest. Instead, he simply prompts, “Go on…?”

“It always seemed…like the kind of thing you only ever did for someone important,” Tathlyn elaborates, though Astarion is still not entirely sure what to make of where he’s going with this, “It was a privilege. To get to bathe somebody else. To be bathed was an even bigger one. It’s…nice. I guess. To feel special like that. With you. Not a servant.”

Astarion laughs softly and bends down to kiss Tathlyn’s forehead at the hairline.

“You are special to me, my sweet. Even if it seems I have to remind you every now and again.”

Eventually, Tathlyn’s hair returns to its usual color, and Astarion helps him adjust his posture so he can recline against Astarion’s legs while Astarion takes the now-clean strands into a towel he’s spread over his lap. He doubts Tathlyn will be awake long enough to let it dry completely, so he does what he can while he has the opportunity -- gets as much of the water out as he can reasonably manage and works it into a loose braid to keep it out of Tathlyn’s face.

As he works, Tathlyn goes more and more slack against his legs, so that by the time Astarion has well and truly finished with his hair and goes to move, he finds he’s pinned by what must be most of Tathlyn’s weight. He sighs -- more affectionate than he can really manage to be exasperated -- and brushes his knuckles across Tathlyn’s cheek and jaw, hoping to rouse him as gently as he can.

“Alright, you,” he says, “I think if we stay in this damp any longer we’ll start growing mold.”

Tathlyn shifts, but instead of leaning forward like Astarion expects him to, he presses stubbornly back against Astarion’s legs, pinning him more firmly in place.

“You said stay still,” he says, in the most wheedling tone Astarion has ever heard him use, “So I got comfortable. Now you want me to move?”

“I don’t suppose it would entice you at all to know that you’ll likely be more comfortable in a bed?” Astarion pushes back against Tathlyn with his knees, trying in vain to apply enough pressure to shift him without hurting him. “You know -- like the ones we paid for upstairs? I don’t know if you’ve noticed but they’re quite nice.”

“Seems cold,” Tathlyn responds, “I’ll stay here if it’s all the same to you.”

Astarion lets out another forced breath -- this one a bit more irritated than the last -- and gives one last fruitless shove against Tathlyn’s back before giving up entirely.

“And how would you know whether it’s going to be cold? You’re hardly even awake.”

“You’re cold,” Tathlyn insists, “Since you got out.”

“I am for all intents and purposes a corpse, darling. We’re not exactly known for retaining heat. And besides, that’s what the dressing gowns are for -- now are you going to get up on your own or shall I arrange for you to be lifted? Because I should warn you -- I’m not going to be able to do it, and the only person I can think of who could and isn’t currently recovering from a nasty bout of ‘dead-a-few-hours-ago’ is Lae’zel. And something tells me you’d rather I didn’t call her in here.”

“Hmmm. You make a very compelling argument,” Tathlyn concedes. Mercifully, he shifts his weight forward, freeing Astarion’s legs from his devious trap. “Could maybe use a little help, but I’ll try my best not to drag you in.”

It’s an awkward process, what with Astarion not being particularly strong, but between the two of them, they manage to get Tathlyn standing more or less on his own while Astarion finds what he judges to be the most comfortable of the selection of robes. He returns loosely draped in one that’s lightweight and a deep midnight blue -- more for modesty than any real insulation -- and offers the thicker one to Tathlyn.

While Tathlyn goes through the somewhat-stiffened motions of wrapping himself in the robe, Astarion stoops to pick through the injury kit they’d abandoned by the side of the bath for bandages -- the one thing there is left to do, now that Tathlyn is clean and mostly dry.

He holds his hand out, expecting Tathlyn to extend his injured arm and let him finish tending the wound, but instead finds himself taken by the arm and pulled into a tight embrace. Tathlyn’s body radiates warmth and he rubs one hand over Astarion’s back as if he’s attempting to encourage circulation. Astarion has to fight not to melt and forget the bandages entirely.

“Darling,” he clears his throat, pointedly, “This is lovely but I can’t actually get at your arm while we’re like this.”

“Leave it. It’ll heal.”

“Mmm, no, I don’t think I’ll be doing that. I am decidedly unwilling to let you stain those perfectly good linens. Now give it here. It won’t take long.”

They part -- though Tathlyn stays as close as Astarion will let him -- just long enough for Astarion to bandage Tathlyn’s arm securely, before Tathlyn pulls him back in and brings his head to rest on Astarion’s shoulder. Astarion presses a gentle kiss into the crook of Tathlyn’s neck and tries not to inhale too deeply.

“Y’know…offer’s still open, if you’re hungry,” Tathlyn says, as though that isn’t the furthest thing from Astarion’s mind at the moment.

“I think it’s about time we got you off your feet, hm?” he prompts in lieu of an answer, “You’ve had a very long day. We can leave that for tomorrow.”

Astarion’s words are quiet, coaxing, and not particularly subtle, but they seem to be enough to put the matter to bed at least for the time being. Tathlyn nods mutely into Astarion’s shoulder.

Their quarters are quiet when they enter -- many of their companions having retired to bed, and those who haven’t having settled into whatever evening routines they’ve begun to establish during their stay. Astarion and Tathlyn fall into bed together, as has been their habit for some time now, and though Astarion still has far too much to think about to find rest yet, Tathlyn sags against him as soon as they’re off their feet.

“Poor thing,” he murmurs, the words mostly breath for Tathlyn’s ears alone, “Feeling any better, at least?”

“Mm,” Tathlyn adjusts his posture slightly more towards horizontal, and tugs Astarion with him, “Much, actually. Just…tired.”

“I’d expect nothing less, darling. You’ve been through so much.”

Tathlyn’s brow furrows and he shifts, slightly. Opens one eye.

“You too, though,” he says, tone taking on an edge of insistence, “You alright?”

Astarion pauses to think before he answers. Tathlyn’s weight rests comfortably against his side, still giving off vital, living warmth, and keeping him from drifting off beyond the confines of his own body again. The lingering phantom feeling of Cazador’s blood on his skin has faded entirely. Some pain remains on the periphery of his awareness, and the hunger still lurks, as it always does, but these things are not new, and not urgent. They can be addressed some other time.

“I am, I think,” he says, with as much finality as he can muster, “Or at the very least I’m on my way. Consider your duties fulfilled for the moment.”

Tathlyn yawns and settles deeper into his slump.

“Never stop taking care of you,” he mumbles, “But…that’s alright. For now.”

Astarion occupies himself running his fingers across Tathlyn’s back until he feels his lover’s breathing even out and deepen in rest. Tomorrow, all the crises of the oncoming apocalypse of the Absolute will surely crash back in on them, and Tathlyn will chase off after the next impossible errand -- and more than likely drag him along whether he cares what they’re doing or not. Odds are they’ll end the day just as battered and exhausted as they did today, if perhaps less distraught. But that’s to deal with after dawn. For now, none of it matters. They simply rest.

[pascaloverx]

Hit The Road

Chapter Six

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Summary: You are a hunter of supernatural beings who is forced to experience a new reality: being a vampire. The only thing stronger than your thirst for blood is your thirst for revenge.

Author's note: the characters mentioned here were created by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, based on the book series of the same name by author L. J. Smith. They don't belong to me. That said, this fanfic will be short. This fanfic may address scenes of violence, inappropriate language and adult content. Minors should not interact with this story.

Running might not have been the best option, you admit. Or maybe it was the best option, just not for someone who doesn't know where they are. Mystic Falls could easily be Lost Falls. Another terrible idea was stealing a car instead of using your super speed. You have no idea who this car is, you just needed to get away from the Salvatores as quickly as possible. When you locate the city bar you feel like you can relax at least a little. But that doesn't last long, because apparently Damon doesn't understand the notion of you having a moment alone.

"Do you usually run away from other people's houses like you're crazy, or is it just mine?" Damon seems to be angry, which you try to ignore.

"I need a drink, preferably a strong double or triple one." You ask the bartender, ignoring Damon's presence, as honestly, he was the last person you wanted to face right now.

"Do you want to tell me what's wrong with you?" Damon questions, arching his eyebrows and staring at you as you drink whatever strong concoction the bartender handed you. You then order a beer from the bartender, who says he'll get it for you. You reach into your pants pocket for payment, and when you're about to pay, Damon is behind the counter. Obviously, he'll do anything to get your attention, including manipulating the bartender to serve tables while he takes care of the bar.

"Damon, could you leave me alone for the next few hours?" You ask, grabbing the beer that Damon is holding out of his hands.

He looks at you in a different way, as if he wants to understand you but you're making it difficult. Before he can say anything, a blonde woman calls his name, and both of you turn to see who it is.

"Does Elena know you're serving other women as a pastime, or is it another dirty secret of Damon Salvatore?" The blonde says with a certain arrogance. You observe her and then turn to look at Damon, who has a mischievous smile on his face.

"Caroline Forbes and her presumptions. You, better than anyone, should know that I don't owe explanations to Elena anymore, just as she doesn't owe me anything. Now, if you're done playing the curious Barbie, you can go back to taking care of your own life." Damon says sarcastically. It seems he has some familiarity with Caroline, whom you imagine is a friend of Elena. You find yourself thinking that maybe it would have been better never to have sought out Damon.

"It's part of my life to ensure that one of my best friends has a decent boyfriend, as much as possible. I don't like that it's you, but if you're going to be, at least be worthy of her." Caroline says. You feel uncomfortable, as if you're a person tainted on the inside. I mean, you had a fling with two brothers, and now you're interfering in the love life of one of them, which doesn't seem right.

"If you claim to be her best friend, you know that she and I are no longer together. Now, it's important to respect each other's choices and boundaries." Damon seems almost sensible saying that, putting Caroline in an awkward position. You simply observe them, thinking that Elena must mean a lot to both of them.

"Look, I don't know you, and I have no idea why you know this guy, but understand that all women are like puzzles to him. Once he's done putting you together, he'll discard you and move on to another game." Caroline warns you. She looks directly at you, as if she wants to seriously warn you; Damon seems a bit upset by what she said. You shake your head as if you don't know what to say. Caroline leaves like a storm about to erupt. Without saying anything, you head towards the exit.

"Are you really going to ignore me?" Damon says, following you after several attempts to get your attention by calling your name. You get into the car, which, by the way, might even be his, and he joins you, taking the passenger seat.

"Do you think we made a mistake getting romantically involved with each other?" You look at Damon, seeking answers in his gaze. The atmosphere in the car becomes tense, laden with the uncertainty of what the shared past might mean for the present.

"Maybe we were a mistake, but you're definitely not a regret for me. Even if you don't remember what you mean to me." Damon says. You don't know how to react.

"Did you know that Stefan and I had an affair?" You ask Damon. You have to make sure he has no idea what you're talking about.

"You told me, right before this all happened. I wasn't happy about it but you know my situation with Elena so I can't criticize you for it." Damon says looking at you with a certain annoyed look. You wonder if he cares about you enough to not want to share you with Stefan.

"What if my destiny is to love your brother?" You ask, unsure if you even want an answer from Damon. The truth is, you don't know who you love, don't know who you truly want – you only know that being close to the Salvatore brothers makes you feel... alive.

"You once told me that your destiny only depended on you." He replies subtly. I guess this situation must be commonplace for him. Have I never truly loved him, or have I loved him too much?

You looked at him as if you understood what he's trying to convey. And then, you realize something is in front of the car. A werewolf, in the middle of the road. It's alone and seems angry. The curious thing is that you didn't notice the werewolf before crashing the car into it. The werewolf gets angry and starts attacking the car with me and Damon inside. You know that a werewolf's bite on a vampire is lethal. So you fear, dying or watching Damon die. The car crash thankfully only caused superficial injuries Damon seems more concerned with seeing if I'm okay with protecting himself. And for a moment you black out, being flooded with yet another vision.

"Can you do it or not?" You ask the mysterious woman in front of you, she looks at you with a look full of doubt.

"Not that I don't understand why you want to erase Damon and Stefan from your head but don't think it's a bit radical?" The woman says looking at you, while you two are in that same cabin in the middle forest.

"Bonnie I just want to know if you can do it or not. I don't need a therapy session, I need my biggest weakness outside of myself." You look honestly exhausted, like you're at your limit.

"There could be consequences if you regain your memory, bad things could happen. Are you sure you want me to do this?" Bonnie asks, holding her mother. You try to think that anything is better to be a hunter who fell in love with two vampires.

"I am sure." You respond as you see the woman pick up an old book from the small table near the cabin's entrance. Everything goes dark after that, you just feel unbearable pain.

Pain makes you regain the consciousness that had been lost. When you wake up, you see blood running down your arm and you feel something burn inside you. Your blurred vision doesn't let you see anything other than Stefan's face. You're relieved to see him but immediately panic when you see your arm completely. You were bitten by a werewolf and worse, Damon is nowhere you can see.