#you get your arms around it and played me the fool won't set you free

[taojjang]

۶ৎ riize and their love languages.ᐟ

pairing: bf!riize x reader, genre: fluff!, warnings: so sweet u might get diabetes

♡⸝⸝ ways riize would show their never-ending love for you <3

shotaro . . . gift giving!

it's impossible for shotaro to go shopping without buying something for you. every little thing reminds him of you; especially cute little teddy bears. every time he walks by the toy store, a little fluffy animal in the window display catches his eye. eventually, he'll come back home with a new friend for you. "this reminded me of you! i thought you'd like it~" because of your sweet boy's consideration, your bed will never be free of any fluffy teddy bears.

taro loves spoiling his baby <3

eunseok . . . acts of service!

eunseok doesn't normally verbalize his feelings for you. the most you'll get from him is a nightly 'i love you' or a 'you look nice today.' but even then, it's rare to ever feel unloved by him. by the countless times he texts you and tells you to check the fridge for the meal he cooked for you, you know just how much he loves you. he's super attentive with you, always scanning your every move and mentally noting your likes and dislikes so he can be the best boyfriend possible.

seok is here to make your life easier <3

sungchan . . . physical touch!

no matter what you're doing, whether studying or washing the dishes, his hands have to be on you at all times. walking beside each other? holding hands. sitting beside each other? tugging on your arm begging you to sit on his lap. away from each other? sending you cat-cuddling gifs telling you how much he can't wait to cuddle later.

chan needs to be as close to you as possible 24/7 <3

wonbin . . . words of affirmation!

this boy is a sucker for compliments. every time you pat his head and tell him how well he did today, every single one of his worries melt away and he's soon nuzzled into your neck, giggling and clinging onto you. not only receiving but giving as well. bin loves to catch you when you least expect it; when you're styling his hair before a date, he'll look up into your eyes and mutter a sweet, "you're so beautiful, baby."

bin will always be your little sweetheart <3

seunghan . . . EVERYTHING!

hani is the sweetest little thing ever :( he loves absolutely any form of affection and won't hesitate to show you that. some days, he's clinging to your waist without saying a word, but the next day, he's staring at you with stars in his eyes, giggling at how pretty you are and telling you how lucky he is to have you. he loves you too much not to spoil you with every kind of love imaginable.

hani's just your ball of sunshine <3

sohee . . . quality time!

sohee is definitely not the type to express his love through words or physical affection. his form of love is calling you at 10pm cheering, "come play gang beasts with me!" he loves sitting with you, playing games together and fooling around. sometimes, he likes to lose on purpose just to see that stupid triumphant smile on your face.

sohee loves nothing more than being by your side <3

anton . . . physical touch!

literally sungchan 2.0... there is never a moment of the day where he isn't dying to hold onto you. the main factor that sets him and sungchan apart is that if he doesn't get to hold your hand or hug you even for one second, he'll be staring at you with his sad puppy eyes, telepathically begging for at least a quick kiss :( he always offers to carry some of your belongings so you have a free hand to hold onto his arm with.

anton would drop anything to be able to hold you <3

[melanieph321]

Ruben Dias/Trent Alexander Arnold x Reader - Dark Rivarly Part 5/15

Part 6 och 7 are already out on my Patreon for FREE!

Reader is Trent Alexander Arnold's twin sister. The two have been inseparable since childbirth, more so now when Reader is fresh out of university looking for a job, crashing at her brother's place whilst doing so. One day Reader gets a job offer that she cannot refuse, however it would mean working for her brother's biggest rival in football, Ruben Dias.

Enjoy!

It was your birthday. Twenty-fifth to be exact. And yes, you were celebrating it in Liverpool, but not against your will.

"Happy birthday dear Y/N and Trent, happy birthday to youuuuu!"

It was a day you shared with another person. Your other half. For this reason you were quite excited to return home.

"Open them, open up your gifts!"

The celebration was held at Trent's apartment, surrounded by family and friends. Mostly, Trent's friends, since you didn't have nearly as many.

"A golden fly?" Trent frowned, as he pulled out the item that your parents had handed to him in a neatly wrapped package.

"For when Liverpool wins the league, son." Your dad winked. "Grandma is yet to finish your golden suit."

"Thank you, I guess." Trent muttered.

Everyone cheered and threw their heads back with laughter. Everyone but you.

"I swear to God if they got me the same gift..."

As twins it was almost a tradition that the two of you received identical gifts. You and Trent were always walking around with matching pajamas during the holiday season, and that was just last year.

Trent leaned closer to you and whispered. "Where is Whiskey when you need him?"

"Poor Whiskey." You sighed. "May he rest in peace in cat heaven."

Whenever there was a gift or toy that neither you or Trent liked, you would simply hand it over to your one eyed cat. Whiskey played with anything, destroying everything. Usually people would say that their dog ate their toy, however you and Trent had a cat that got the job done for you.

"How old was he when he died, like twenty?" Trent chuckled.

"I know, right? Cat's aren't supposed to live that long, are they?"

"Especially if they've only got one eye and ate Grandma's black beans for a living."

It was nice, laughing with Trent. Whilst the party was going on around you the two of you sat back on the couch, recalling childhood memories. At one point you forgot about your reasons for letting him off easy. You had forgotten to tell him about the great news. Luckily Trent reminded you himself.

"I heard you got a new job."

"Right, my job!" You exclaimed, as it all came to you, your reason for coming.

"Grandma said you were doing terrible at her shop anyway. I guess she is glad to get rid of you."

"I actually got a great job offer." You were grinning from the inside out, eager to tell Trent the news, simply because of the mind games it would cause. "You won't guess who I'm working..."

"Do tell." Trent stretched his arm behind the couch, pulling out a medium sized box with cut out holes in it. "But first open up my gift." He said, placing the box in your lap. Something was definitely moving inside of it.

"You got me something?" You frowned.

"Of course." He nodded. "Now open it, see what's inside."

He wasn't supposed to get you something. A pact made way back. As children you swore never to buy each other gifts because it was smarter to let other people do it for you, then trade the items later.

"Come on, Y/N. Open it." He said, beaming at you like a fool. However it was you who was the fool. Trent made you look like one for not buying him a gift.

You gasped as the box tipped over in your lap with a set of soft paws pressing down on your thighs.

"Oh my God, Trent?"

There was a collective sigh from the people at the party, seeing as a bundle of orange cuteness had swept into your arms.

"You got me a kitten?" You lifted the baby cat in the air, examining him.

"He looks just like Whiskey, doesn't he?" Trent smiled. "He's from the same shelter so who knows, could be his cousin?"

You were suddenly overwhelmed with tremendous joy, and gratitude. Whiskey's death was the first heartache you had experienced as a child, followed by your grandfather's passing. And now it had been restored, a piece of your heart.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you." You threw yourself at Trent, with Whiskey Jr meowing in your hand.

"Alright alright, don't break him." He laughed.

You wiped your tears. "Trent, this is the best gift anyone could have ever gotten me. Now I feel bad for sticking to our pact."

"Don't be." He said, stretching out to pet Whiskey Jr. "I feel like I owe you."

"Owe me?"

He shrugged in response. "I told mom and dad about your situation, having them freak out on you. I didn't think they would force you to move to Manchester of all places. And I didn't think that you would...."

"That I would what?"

He had stopped talking, his hand still scratching the back of Whiskey Jr's ear. His expression was hard to read,  but it became clear when he said, "I didn't think you would stop talking to me."

It made you draw a breath, hearing the sincerity in his voice.

"Trent, I...."

"I mean what's it been, like two months?"

"Three." You corrected. "It was the longest you had gone without speaking to each other, ever. You thought about it and realized the emptiness it had caused. A black hole that just kept growing inside of you.

"Trent, I should tell you...."

You had made a mistake. A big mistake accepting Ruben's job offer. You only took it to fuck with Trent, to get your revenge. However that desire was long gone now.

"Should I take him while you get that?" He asked.

"Huh?"

"Your phone?" He said, followed by the two of you glancing down towards the table before you, your phone rattling it as someone was calling you.

"I'll be right back." You said, excusing yourself, handing Whiskey Jr over to Trent. You recognized the number that was calling you and made sure to slip to somewhere closed off, where no one could hear you.

"Um, hello?"

"Y/N, I need you to come into work today. Can you make it?" It was Ruben on the other end of the line, his voice urgent.

You groaned inwardly. You had specifically scheduled your day off to celebrate your birthday, and the last thing you wanted to do was spend it at work. "I'm sorry Ruben, I actually can't come in today. It's my birthday, remember?"

You had mentioned it last week, when Ruben had asked you to once again come in on short notice. It was clear that as his personal stylist you were expected to be on demand during all hours of the day, every day of the week.

"I really need you to come today Y/N. I'm sorry if I'm bothering you on such an important day, however you did make a commitment to work for me, no?"

You sighed and rubbed your temple. Having only worked for Ruben for three weeks you knew that he was a demanding boss, but this was taking it too far.

"I'm not coming in, Ruben," you said firmly. "If you fire me, then so be it. But I'm not going to ruin my birthday for you."

There was a pause on the other end of the line, and you braced yourself for the worst. The worst came following the sigh Ruben let out. "Fine, Y/N, as you wish. You're fired."

"Wait what?"

The tone went flat in your ear.

[spikedsoul]

maid's worst nightmare - ch 19

finally onto the last part of grooming bowser: combing his mane. next chapter will be bowser's POV about what all just happened! ;)

previous chapters

@sovereign-of-succ

The word "done" was barely out of your mouth before Bowser swiped the comb off the bedside table and practically popped onto his feet. There was absolutely no time to register what he was doing - you were suddenly getting carried to the couch, the oil cloth forgotten on the floor.

"I thought dinner would be soon," you grunted as he sat you on one end right next to the arm.

"It is," he replied flatly, tossing the comb into your lap and grabbing the remote. "Lift your arms up."

You frowned at him, but hesitantly obeyed, comb in hand. "You're up to something," you accused.

"Me?" His attempt at an innocent voice nearly made you laugh. And you would've if it hadn't come out as another grunt instead when he climbed onto the couch on his stomach and flopped his head right onto your lap; the arm with the remote hung over the edge, other arm tucked against his body. "Always," he purred, tail flicking. "Now, start combin', maid."

"You said dinner would be here soon," you hummed, taking a moment first to just thread your fingers through that fiery hair.

The hairs were fine and just as soft as they looked, making it easy to card your fingers through it. When you hit a few snags, you were careful not to yank, even though you were pretty sure it wouldn't bother him too much. You were more worried about damaging that beautiful hair than you were about hurting him.

"It is," he repeated as he started flipping through things to watch. "It'll get put right beside the arm so you can eat and work at the same time. Smart, huh?"

"And your underlings won't think you've gone soft on me?"

He snickered softly, shifting to fix his eyes on yours. Naturally, you averted your gaze.

"It won't be a surprise to them," he asserted, "Now get working."

You sighed heavily, but started to work the comb through the thick locks as carefully as you could; when you didn't need your free hand to help, you let it play with the shorter hairs closer to the base of his neck. It didn't take long at all before his eyes closed in an apparent bliss at being pampered.

Just about that time, a few red-shelled koopa chefs bustled into the room with covered platters and even a folding table that they set right beside your end of the couch. They eyed Bowser, shot a look to one another, and then one beckoned for you to lean over like she had a secret; curious, you obliged carefully so as not to disturb him.

"He makes Princess Peach do this too when she's waiting to be rescued," she whispered in your ear.

Huh. You hadn't even thought about things like that. Did she have to bathe and oil him, too? Probably not - she was a princess, after all. But then did someone do it for him when he was on his own?

"Really?" you whispered back.

The chef glanced at her king again, then shot you a look that suggested not just anyone got to touch his mane. And then she was off with the others, the food delivered and job concluded. Now was the perfect chance to tease the dozing king a little.

"So, who does this for you when I'm not here?" You hummed softly, deigning to give his scalp a few scritches. "Also, food's here."

"Work and eat. Peach does, if she's here," he mumbled without opening his eyes, although his nose twitched at the smell of the food. "Otherwise, no one."

"Not even your advisor or whatever?" you questioned. You had to switch hands with the comb so you could reach over and start nibbling; you were hungry enough not to wait to be done with your chore first.

"Like hell I'd let that old fool touch my mane," he grumbled. "No, it's either Sweet Peach or you, my temporary handmaid."

You hummed again to show you'd heard. Interesting… you swallowed your bite before returning your hand to his head, fingertips lightly tracing around one of his horns. He rumbled quietly at the action.

"So just the two of us get this privilege," you mused.

He cracked an eye open to smirk up at you. "What a privilege it is."

"Except I thought you said I wasn't anything special." You gripped his horn and roughly tilted his head to get a better angle at a certain knot. His eyes flew open in surprise, corners of his mouth coming forward in his best approximation of pursuing his lips. The hand closer to the back of the couch came up quickly like he was about to grab your side. Even his tail flicked.

You let the smug satisfaction show on your face as he looked at you, but you kept your eyes focused on what you were doing.

He didn't speak the whole time you basically manhandled his head to get at the tangles and knots closer to his scalp, and by the time you'd finished his fingers were lightly gripping you and his tail was swishing fairly quickly over his legs. Your initial fear that you'd messed up had been long since replaced with the smug realization that he'd liked it.

Luckily for you, your realization was innocent enough for now, meaning you didn't quite think through the implications this might have until later.

"You good, big guy?" you asked, using both hands to comb through his hair to feel for anything you missed. "You seem a little agitated and your pupils are awfully round."

"Just got a little energy from havin' my head yanked around," Bowser muttered. He stayed where he was until the second one of your hands brushed his snout, at which point he jerked his head up and got to his feet.

"Uh…?" You frowned up at him.

He tossed the remote onto the couch beside you. "Going on a walk, lady. Not that big of a deal," he grunted to you. You blinked in bewilderment as he stalked toward the door, but he didn't say another word before slipping out.

Well that was weird, you supposed. But you'd let him be and focus on finishing up your meal and winding down for the night; mornings started early in this castle and you had the feeling you'd need the energy for when you inevitably met the last of the four kids that were home. If Bowser wanted to complain and throw a tantrum over getting manhandled, well, that was his choice.

At the very least he'd left the room to do it so you didn't have to watch.

You sighed, turned the TV to something more enjoyable than what he'd picked, and pulled your plate of food into your lap to eat and finally relax. Hell, maybe you'd even be asleep by the time he returned - wouldn't that be nice?

[born-to-lose]

Hello again from your secret Santa! I think from now I’ll probably just sign off my asks with 🎁🎄 so you know it’s me!

Let’s start off with your faves! What are your favorite bands, songs, albums, anything! And feel free to tell me why, or how you got into them, all the stuff!

- 🎁🎄

Hiiii! My favorite bands change all the time, but it's really only the order that changes. Right now my top 5 are The Who¹, Cheap Trick², Hanoi Rocks³, Meat Loaf⁴ and Tom Petty⁵

I have so many favorite songs, I can't choose 😭 But I'll say You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory by Johnny Thunders⁶, Bad Attitude by Meat Loaf⁷, Nonstop City by Shameless⁸, After the Fire by Roger Daltrey⁹, You Might Think by The Cars¹⁰, Southern Girls by Cheap Trick¹¹, Cheyenne by Hanoi Rocks¹², Fallen Angel by Poison¹³, Someday (You'll Come Running) by FM¹⁴, A Quick One While He's Away by The Who¹⁵

For albums it's Cheap Trick's At Budokan¹⁶, Appetite for Destruction by Guns N' Roses¹⁷, Bella Donna by Stevie Nicks¹⁸, So Alone by Johnny Thunders¹⁹, Bat Out of Hell by Meat Loaf²⁰

Below are the annotations to keep it somewhat tidy

¹ I started listening to The Who sporadically when I got into Queen in 2018 and played Won't Get Fooled Again on Guitar Hero, bought two albums on CD, but I only got into them properly through a mutual who I first bonded over Cheap Trick with

² When I first watched 10 Things I Hate About You at the beginning of this year and they played I Want You To Want Me during the credits, I looked up who did the original again and listened to more of their music only to realize I knew a whole bunch of their songs before

³ 2020 was my music glow up year and shortly after Guns N' Roses I got into Hanoi Rocks and I recently found some of their records so they moved up on the list again

⁴ My mom has so many Meat Loaf CDs and we always listened to them in the car when I was a kid and he's always been one of my favorites, I got so sad when I was at school and found out he died

⁵ I got into Tom Petty through Stop Draggin' My Heart Around when I had my Stevie Nicks phase in 2019 and he literally made music for every feeling, his songs are pure vibes and the ones I drive to the best

⁶ I first listened to Duff McKagan's cover in 2020 but the original is so important to me, it's one of my favorite comfort songs, I love playing it on the guitar and it's the only concrete tattoo idea I have

⁷ High energy banger I've been obsessed with for like 15 years and even more now that I know it features Roger Daltrey (little me just vibed with it and didn't bother checking)

⁸ I hadn't heard of Shameless until this spring when my local rock club announced they're playing with Tuff's Stevie Rachelle and Cherie Currie, but they're so good and I love that they opened their set with this song! I also met two of them and Stevie as well

⁹ I heard this song so often on the radio as a kid but never knew who sang it and didn't remember any of the lyrics, so I was really happy when I coincidentally found it in my Spotify recommendations last week

¹⁰ My mom has Heartbeat City on CD and this song, Drive and Looking for Love were the ones we listened to the most when I was little, they played it on the radio recently and I bought the album on vinyl

¹¹ It's such a fun song that makes me want to dance and reminds me of summer, probably my favorite on In Color

¹² This was me and my best friend's/situationship of the year 2021 song and I still get excited when I listen to it, I miss them since they disappeared from Tumblr

¹³ It's kind of a me song and it's one of my favorites to request at the bar because it gets me going every time

¹⁴ Another one I only started listening to this spring before going to their concert, at the time this was the one I got stuck on because it fit my situation (I sang along so loudly when they played it lol) but as I listened to more of their music, I recognized a couple of songs I knew previously

¹⁵ A fun silly 9 minute epic song from the 60s with different parts like I love it

¹⁶ Possibly the most iconic rock live album, they're one of the best examples of a band who sounds better live than in the studio, I'm so proud I got my hands on a 1979 European misprint vinyl for €12

¹⁷ An absolute no-skip album, I bought it in summer 2020, which started my glam/sleaze spiral that's introduced me to the most niche bands of the genre

¹⁸ I was really into Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks in 2019 and when I bought this record, I immediately loved every song

¹⁹ As mentioned above, Johnny Thunders is so important to me as well as this album, I was on the hunt for the vinyl for over 3 years until I found a reissue in May

²⁰ One of the Meat Loaf CDs my mom listened to the most with me and every song on it goes so hard, there's a reason people list it as one of the best albums

[ryantavey]

Title: "The Cereal Killer Chronicles"

INT. CEREAL KILLER'S LAIR - NIGHT

A dimly lit basement serves as the lair for the Cereal Killer. Eerie music plays in the background. JACK BLACK, playing the role of Barry, a bumbling detective, cautiously enters the scene. He examines jars filled with various cereals.

BARRY

(whispering)

Man, this place gives me the creeps! Who knew someone could be so twisted with cereals?

Suddenly, RYAN REYNOLDS, playing the role of Max, a charming but clueless cop, barrels through the door, eating a bowl of cereal.

MAX

Hey, Barry! You won't believe this! The Cereal Killer left a clue at the crime scene!

BARRY

(sarcastically)

Oh, really? What was it? A spoon?

MAX

No, it was a note. It said, "I'll make you breakfast in bed!"

BARRY

(grinning)

This Cereal Killer sure has a twisted sense of humor. Let's find this guy before he gives us a taste of his cereal mayhem!

INT. BARRY'S APARTMENT - MORNING

Barry, Max, and LUCY LIU, playing the role of Detective Lee, gather around a table, covered with boxes of cereal and milk jugs.

LEE

(skeptically)

You think the Cereal Killer's gonna strike again?

BARRY

(nodding)

Oh yeah, and I've got a hunch. He's targeting people who eat cereal. We need to set a trap!

WILL FERRELL, playing the role of Steve, a quirky cereal enthusiast, bursts into the room, holding a giant spoon.

STEVE

Did someone say cereal? I heard there's a killer on the loose! I'm here to help!

BARRY

(surprised)

Steve, what are you doing here?

STEVE

I've done extensive research on cereals, and I can help you catch this psycho!

EXT. CITY STREET - DAY

The team sets up a trap, using a giant cereal box as bait. Barry hides in the box, while Max, Lee, and Steve hide behind a nearby van.

MAX

(whispering)

Alright, let's see if the Cereal Killer takes the bait.

Suddenly, CAMERON DIAZ, playing the role of Sarah, a jogger, approaches the cereal box.

SARAH

(confused)

Who leaves a giant cereal box on the street?

BARRY

(popping out of the box)

Free cereal! Want some?

SARAH

(startled)

Ah! Who are you?

BARRY

(laughing)

Relax, I'm just a detective. We're trying to catch the Cereal Killer.

SARAH

(amused)

The Cereal Killer? That's a new one.

As they chat, the Cereal Killer, dressed as a milkman, sneaks up behind them, holding a milk carton.

CEREAL KILLER

(whispering)

Time to milk this situation.

LEE

(jumping out from behind the van)

Not so fast, Cereal Killer!

A hilarious chase ensues, with Barry, Max, Lee, and Steve pursuing the Cereal Killer through the city streets, dodging cereal-themed traps.

INT. ABANDONED C

INT. ABANDONED CEREAL FACTORY - NIGHT

The chase leads the group to an eerie, abandoned cereal factory. The Cereal Killer disappears into the darkness, leaving behind a trail of spilled cereal.

MAX

(panting)

We can't let him get away! Split up and search the factory!

The team splits into pairs, with Barry and Max teaming up, while Lee partners with Steve. They cautiously navigate through the factory, their footsteps echoing in the empty halls.

BARRY

(whispering)

Max, keep your eyes peeled. The Cereal Killer could be lurking anywhere.

MAX

(nervously)

Barry, do you think he's armed with killer cereal spoons or something?

BARRY

(grinning)

Who knows, Max? But we're not gonna let a bowl of cereal stop us!

Suddenly, a loud CRASH echoes from a nearby room. They rush towards the sound and find the Cereal Killer trapped under a pile of cereal boxes.

CEREAL KILLER

(struggling)

You fools! You'll never stop me from serving my cereal-inspired justice!

Barry and Max exchange a look, then burst into laughter.

BARRY

(snickering)

Cereal-inspired justice? That's a new one!

MAX

(joining in the laughter)

Yeah, well, we're the breakfast police, and we're putting you behind bars!

The team apprehends the Cereal Killer and hands him over to the authorities.

INT. POLICE STATION - DAY

The Cereal Killer sits in a holding cell, surrounded by boxes of cereal. Barry, Max, Lee, and Steve stand nearby, enjoying bowls of cereal.

LEE

(toasting)

Here's to a successful capture and a world free from cereal-related crimes!

They clink their spoons together, laughing and enjoying their victory over the Cereal Killer.

FADE OUT.

Epilogue:

The news of the capture of the Cereal Killer spreads, and the city celebrates their heroes. Barry, Max, Lee, and Steve become local legends, known for their quirky methods and cereal-related jokes.

Years later, a cereal brand releases a special edition cereal called "Criminal Crunch," inspired by the Cereal Killer case. The team receives boxes as a token of appreciation, and they gather once again to enjoy breakfast together, reminiscing about their wild adventure.

As they share laughter and cereal, they know that they have formed an unbreakable bond, forged through the absurdity of their shared experience.

THE END

[sbnkalny]

Heavy metal. Astrophysics. The basic rules of baseball. However, sometimes something as simple as melted three-cheese blend rolled up in a flour tortilla is all you need. We could probably keep going on this description, but to prove how good simple things can be, we won’t even add another sentence. Oh wait, we blew that idea apparently. Shoot, we did it again. Ahhh... At Participating Locations. Prices And Items May Vary. Tax Extra. ©2017 Taco Bell IP Holder, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Me and idk how t feel about my nu metal thing kalny, i love u :3. Astrophysics. A great day to be a fucking hug from ten fucking bugs as they make their first victory against the evil major league baseball. Do you ever feel like a plastic bag...That corresponds to all those fucking turnips out the oven, crispy on the bottom with stringy melted mozz on top, hoo boy, the ladies love a little uncle dante el dente , thats extra crispy ladys, blow on it first (i want to become the last time Was incredibly frustrating :^y. We need more and more, love me, love me, i’ll give you everything, to you, for you, i’ll do everything, but it’s not enough, you aren’t enough, it won’t let go (aaaaah), i’m sorry, but love me, i’ll give you everything, to you, for you, loved you despite it all? yes, loved you, better than spg even, or Memelovingbot, for you to make a difference. and we most definitely regret the corps just blew up our RAGGEDY-ASS FLEET! OOHRAH!. We did it would be like to experience them as good as such. Ahhh... At least you still close with Skylar?. I meant death but i can only perform tasks for which they are exchangeable, whatever those proportions may be, can always be used in quotes.. Opinions on which things should and shouldn't be legal, but what's your tax plan?. What? i'm at the taco bell. And they don't stop coming and they don't stop coming and they don't have to swear to have equal rights within marriage, and to get my dad to read them i get super confused lmao

[cherryc1nnam0n]

Finding a way to your heart | Loki x Plus Size!Reader

This is this request! Hope you enjoy it! Requests are still open!

Summary: The newest members makes Loki fall head over heels for her, but because of her size and backstory she feels like he won't take her serious

Cw: Injury, slow burn, Loki being a fool in love, simp Loki, reader's family is dead, reader has powers

"And this is the common area, most of the time is used by Avengers that are free and want to relax or read a book or something..." Tony said as you walked to said area with him

You hummed as you stepped in, seeing the bookshelves and sofas, it was all minimalistic but elegant, screamed rich boy owns this

"I'll call everyone to meet you, they'll be here shortly" he smiled at you, you just nodded and sat down on a sofa

Soon the room filled with people, some with their suits others in casual clothes

"Well like I said yesterday. We have a new member to the team, her name is Y/n Y/l/ln, introduce yourself sweetheart"

You stood up, smiling at them, a blond big guy waved at you with a goofy like smile, that made you more confident

"Well yeah my name is Y/n and I'm glad that I'm here"

"What do you do? Have any powers? Special abilities?" Captain America asked you. You gulped nervously

"Well now that you mention it... You might wanna hold to something" You announced before a huge wave of an earthquake started, making everyone yelp and hold tight, but you didn't move and inch, a violent gust of wind made everything fly around, papers, the hairs of everyone

You slowly made the earthquake come to an end and then the wind stopped, the faces of the team were enough to make you feel even more confident

"Okay... That was, wow" Natasha said fixing her hair

"So you basically control natural disasters? Or elements? I'm so confused" Steve spoke sitting back straight

"I have control over all elements and the disasters they cause, so hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, everything is under my jurisdiction" you smiled at their surprised faces

"Well that's awesome, I'm Thor, God of Thunder, but you probably already know me" The blond goofy guy came closer, giving you a hand to shake, which you did

"Well God of Thunder, you have some competition with me, I love playing around with thunder" a huge lightning fell down behind the window you were standing in front of, Thor smiled

"I like this one"

.....................................................................................................................

Days at the tower were interesting for you, the avengers spent their time knowing you and digging around for more information of you, they were all curious to know where an overpowered person like you came from.

"Well, my powers have been with me since I can remember, I was always getting into trouble because I would set things on fire by accident" You were playing with a flame in your hand "But after years I learnt to master every element and I think I'm pretty damn god at it" You smiled cockily

"Well, it's great that you have these powers, it's a huge responsibility you know" Thor told you then bit his Pop Tart

"Yeah I'm aware" You took a sip of your tea, looking over at a green shimmer that came from a nearby sofa "What was that?" you got up from your chair and walked to where the shimmer was spotted by you "Hmmm..."

You turned around but quickly made a splash of water soak whoever was sitting there, invisible

"Oh for the Nine Realms!" It was Loki, he quickly revealed himself and widened his eyes at you

"Loki? You're spying on us?" You asked crossing your arms over your chest

"Brother, that's incredibly rude" Thor added

"Oh for the Norns, I wasn't spying on anyone! I was reading a book when you two came in here, disrupting my peace" He held up a book that was now all soaked, he sighed

"Oh gods I'm sorry, let me fix that" a violent gust of wind surrounded the book, drying it off instantly "There! All fixed! No ned to thank me!" You sat again at yoir chair "But now my tea is cold" you held the cup with your hand and it srated to boil "There we go, all perfect now" Thor was smiling at you so you returned the gesture

.......................................................................................................................

Finally the day you wanted to come, a mission where you were needed, you had your own suit custom made, it made your figure look good despite you being on the bigger side, the suit was white with the colors of the elements scattered around, with some combat boots and special gloves.

You had a big stomach, big thighs and well a big ass, your arms were chunky too but this suit made you look professional and like an Avenger, you feelt good.

"Ready?" Cap asked, you nodded "You look good"

You smiled at him "Thank you Cap"

The ones that came to this mission were Cap, Loki, Natasha and you, Bruce was in the jet to attend anyone that got injured, just in case, you had to destroy a Hydra nest and with your powers it could be all too easy, you would just make a huge earthquake swallow the base entirely and then flood it with a tsunami, easy, right?

"We have to retrieve some prisoners they have"

Oh you gotta be kidding me!

You rolled your eyes, it wasn't easy at all, now you had to rescue people too

"Don't get so negative sweet Y/n, this is routine, you'll get used to it" Loki spoke next to you, having teleported right there

"How do you know I was thinking that?" He smiled

"I'm a god my dear" was all he said leaving you even more confused

"Okay then..."

............................................................................................................................

"This is the last person let's go!" Cap said as you helped drag another woman out of the Hydra nest

"Poor people, what do they do to them?"

"Experiments, horrible things" Natasha replied

Loki was at the front of you, carrying two men at once, oh that's hot, you thought as you watched how effortless he made it look

A huge stroke on the ground made you alert, an earthqueake was coming, but not one that you caused, this was a natural one

"Uhm guys, we should hurry, I feel something big is going to happen" Everyone looked at you when suddenly the floor opened and you fell down, holding the woman as best as you could and with the other hand holding yourself to the edge of the crack that opened

Cap was first to help you, holding your hand to pull you up, Natasha helped with the unconcious woman and another hand grabbed your left arm, Loki, they both dragged you up, the earthquaked started and you had to run out.

"Quick, run!"

You all barely made it to the quinjet before the base was swallowed down, just how you planned it to but naturally

"Y/n? Did you-?" Natasha started but to cut her off by shaking your head

"No I didn't, that was natural..." You pointed at the huge hole in the ground

"Well shit, you almost die there, luckily we saved you too" Cap said patting your shoulder "Let's go back to the tower"

We saved you too

Those 4 words were stuck in your head, Captain America wasn't capable of holding you by himself, Loki, a literal god had to help him with your weight, that made you feel even worse about your body

..........................................................................................................................

Back at the tower you hurried inside, wanting to lock yourself away from the world, you felt so pathetic that instead of helping you had to be saved to, how stupid

"Lady Y/n how did the mission go-"

"Not now Thor, leave me alone" You walked past him quickly, he scoffed confused at your attitude

"Brother, what happened?" Thor asked his brother that was just entering behind you

"She uhm, she fell and almost died, we had to save her" Thor opened his mouth to ssy something but quickly shut it "I think she feels bad because Cap couldn't hold her"

Thor realized what his brother meant and frowned "Poor Lady Y/n, shes' beautiful even if she doesn't feel like it..."

"Indeed she is..." Loki said in a tone that intrigued Thor

"Brother, do you fancy Lady Y/n?" Now Loki was stuck between the wall and the sword, he couldn't deny his growing feelings towards you and his brother saw right through him

"Thor I-"

"You do!"

"Shut up you oaf! Yes I do have feelings for Y/n, but I wish to keep it private for now, I plan on taking her out on a date first, like midgardians do"

"Well, good luck to you brother, she's quite an amazing girl and if you don't start going after her, I might as well" He felt a sting on his belly, he looked down and a dagger was buried in him "Yeah I deserve that"

...........................................................................................................................

For three days you avoided people, feeling self concious and horrible about your body, you couldn't face Cap and never Loki.

A knock on your door made you stand up from your bed "Who is it?"

"It's Loki, I just want to talk to you if you allow me"

Oh gosh not him...

"Loki I'm not in the mood right now"

You heard him sigh, now you felt bad

"But I'll listen to you" you opened the door and he smiled at you

"Thanks Y/n... I wanted to ask you if, you'd like to go out on a date with me...?" He looked up at you and you just, couldn't hold in your laughter "Is this a normal reaction or...?"

"You, want to take me out on a date?!" You said remarking each word out loud "I'm sorry but I can't take you seriously, I don't believe you"

"Why wouldn't you? I'm being completely honest, I might be the God of Lies but I'm not lying to you"

"Look Loki, you're a great guy, you're wow the perfect guy, but, you won't like someone like me, you won't want anyone to see you with me, look at me! I'm not a perfect body like the ones you're used to, just go and find someone that is good for you okay? Good luck" you closed the door before he could say something else, you hear him sigh again and walk away "I'm sorry Loki..."

......................................................

"How did it go brother?"

Loki flopped down on the sofa, huffing loudly

"Brother...?"

"She rejected me, laughed in my face, then said that she wasn't good for me, that I would be ashamed of her being seen with me"

"But what, why would she say that? She's absolutely beautiful"

"I know brother, but she won't believe me when I say I want to go out with her..."

......................................................

Another mission came and you were even more nervous, what if I fall again? What if I get nervous and I can't do anything?

These questions were flooding your mind and you were so distracted you didn't noticed you had landed, a hand shook you out of your thoughts

"We're here Y/n" Loki told you

"Oh yeah, thanks" you stood up getting mentally ready for what was happening

This was a mission of a recovery of some stolen equipment, it was a huge tower and you all would have to get in another way than the normal one through the elevators, so, that's where you came in clutch

You would make a hurricane like to hold the team up and drive them all the way up the tower, it was exhausting but it would be faster that way

"You ready Y/n?" Natasha said looking at you, you nodded and concentrated

You visualized what you wanted to happen, the gusts of wind picking up everyone, how it would get them up and safe

With the intensity your body would levitate, the others were picked up by the wind and they were almost all the way up when a shot got fired and you fell down

"Y/n!" You heard in the distance

The team up there had to hold up to the balcony of the tower, climbing up, the one that fell down was Loki, but he was completely okay, he was the one that got you to the jet, you had a gun wound in your stomach and it was pretty deep

"Please don't die on me Y/n, I love you please don't die, Banner help!"

Was the last thing you heard before everything went black...

........................................................

A blinding light struck your eyes, you were slowly waking up when you heard sobbing next to you.

"Please wake up Y/n... Please..."

A few hours before...

"I can't lose her Thor! She's all I want! I love her!"

"I know brother, Banner said she would be okay, please calm down"

Present time...

"Loki...?" You stirred awake, he quickly shot up and smiled

"Y/n! You're awake!" He kissed your hands, you tried to move but it hurt "Please don't move sweetheart, you're still on recovery"

"What happened?" You asked groggily

"You got shot... But the mission was successful"

"What are you doing here?" You said taking a good look at him, eyes red and puffy, he looked like he had been crying lately

"I couldn't leave you alone my dear... I had to stay here... I love you..."

You couldn't believe his words, he was proclaiming his love, to you

"What are you saying..." You said in disbelief

"I love you Y/n, since the moment I saw you I loved you, please don't reject me again, I would do anything for you..."

You smiled at him, brushing his tears off "I love you too Loki... I'm sorry I laughed at you"

"That's in the past sweetheart, let's just look at the future okay? I won't leave you alone... I finally found a way to your heart..."

You smiled at his words... He was all your's and you were his'...

[allisonlol]

Hello! May we have draken, Mikey, and mistuya cuddle hcs? (If Mikey actually cuddles? Would that dude let you hug him??)

a/n: yes yes ofc!! and well...that question depends on who u ask lmao

(Mikey, Draken, Mitsuya) Cuddle HC's

Mikey

LOVES CUDDLES

is that an unpopular opinion?? idc

like he's literally a lil cuddle bug (•◡•)

as soon as you get home from work, the first thing he does is drag you into bed

you could be complaining about how u want to change first but he'll just be like "lol no" and proceed to pull the covers over the both of you

is fine with being either the little or big spoon, whichever u want him to be

secretly has a preference for being little spoon tho

wraps his arms around your waist and nestles his face in ur neck

puts his cold hands up your shirt too 🙄

^not even in a teasing way, he just subconsciously uses you as his little heater

if you play with his hair he will melt

the only downside is that he'll fall asleep after 15 minutes,,,

sleeps like a fcking rock too, and won't wake up until four hours later

Draken

another (not so little) cuddle bug

tries to play it off as indifferent, but you can tell he really loves them

the two of you don't have much free time so it can only really happen at night before bed

if you’re someone who’s always freezing (like me), you can rest assured bc draken is literally a HEATER

so warm & cozyyy

he’s always the big spoon btw

cradles u in his arms and will rub soothing circles on your back

uses this as time to ask about your day bc he loves how soft & relaxed your voice sounds

don’t try to avert your attention from him in any way pls

^one time, you’d thought that he’d fallen asleep so u pulled out your phone to check ur notifs

this mf opened his eyes instantly and snatched that shit from you so fast 😭

it’s all because cuddle sessions can be rare to come by due to busy schedules, so he really tries to make the most of it when he can

Mitsuya

aka most perfect boy <3

loves loves loves cuddles with you

he'll always softly ask for them like: "y/n, can we cuddle now??🥺"

you'd be a fool to say no‼️

likes when you both lay on your sides to face each other

hugs u so close to him and plays with your hair

will lightly trace shapes on your skin, it's really relaxing

probably plays lofi music or some shit to set the mood 🤨 (honestly same)

presses his forehead to yours and holds your face while he says how much he loves you

you better get everything done before cuddle sessions because once he has his arms wrapped around you, he's not letting go

pls one time you had to go to the bathroom and mitsuya was just like "no<3"

literally keeps a vice grip on your waist so u can’t get up 😭😭 that’s how whipped for cuddles he is

taglist: @gogolyouwhat @ravenina14 @yoonixmoon @sonder-paradise @rayzldycck

[final-girl96]

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Baby, open the door so we can talk. Please. I promise I won't do anything, I just want to talk face to face." I was silent for a while as I debated whether to open the door or not. I need to play nice. I need to get him to trust me and I need to get Billy to trust me if I want to escape. But I also kept thinking that I could find a way out without them even knowing. Maybe in the middle of the night.

"Where's Billy?" I asked, standing up. "In the backyard knocked out," Stu chuckled. I reached for the lock and paused. This was going to be a stupid fucking decision. I unlocked the door and quickly made my way to the other side of the room. I didn't want to be anywhere in arms reach.

The door slowly opened and Stu's tall frame filled the doorway. He looked around until his eyes landed on me. "Why're you all the way over there?" He asked. He took a step forward and moved back more. "Just stay there." He stopped, holding his hands up in surrender position. "Okay. Okay, I'll stay over here. I'm sorry for scaring you. For yelling at you. For making you feel like you're just an object. I just don't want to lose you. I want to try and help you understand what we did had to happen.

"It didn't go as planned and Billy and I are pissed about that. I'm sorry for taking some of my anger out on you. But you need to know I would never hurt you. You were never to get hurt. I made him promise not to lay a finger on you. Just let me help you see why we did it." I shook my head. He was so easily pressured. It never took much to get Stu to do anything.

"No. I understand. Billy wanted revenge. He wanted Sidney to pay for what her mother did even after you two already killed her. He still wanted to punish Sid because everytime he looked at her he saw Maureen. His dad fucked up and screwed Maureen and his mom found out about it. She left and abandoned him. He was hurt over that and when found out the real truth behind it all he snapped.

"He wanted revenge. He wanted her to pay for breaking his family apart. So he came up with a plan to kill her. He came to you, his best friend, to help with it. He knew you would be easily manipulated. He knew you had anger deep deep inside of you that was just begging to be set free. And he also needed someone to blame if this went wrong." Stu didn't say anything so I continued.

"You liked the feeling you got when you two repeatedly stabbed Maureen Prescott. And when Casey broke up with you for Steve you wanted her dead. When Sidney closed Billy out and wouldn't let him touch her that pissed him off even more. He didn't see that it was from the trauma of what had happened to her mother. He convinced himself it was her being a whore. A tease. Just like her mother.

"So you two decided to wait a year. Let things cool down. Your plan to frame it on Cotton worked. So you waited a year and planned what you thought was a fool proof plan. You killed Casey and Steve for hurting you when she broke up with you for him. Then Tatum because you needed Sidney's bodyguard gone to get her alone and because she hurt you. Himbry I don't know what he did."

Stu leaned against the wall. A smile spread across his face like he was a proud dad or something. It was honestly fucking creepy. "Dewey and Gale weren't part of the plan but they were there and so was Randy. They had to be taken care of. And since Sideny blamed Billy when she was attacked you had to do what was possible to make her believe he wasn't the killer. His phone bill being clean just wasn't enough.

"She still had doubts. Sidney is a very smart girl. So you came up with the plan to act like he got stabbed by ghostface. You put the costume on and went upstairs. You used fake blood and tore his shirt so it looked like you stabbed him and then he played dead. You put something in my beer didn't you? Knock me out so I wouldn't be awake for what happened but it just wasn't enough. Because I woke up and that just wasn't part of the plan."

Stu was nodding his head, smiling a mile wide. "You're so fucking smart. You forgot something though." I raised an eyebrow at that. "The night that asshole ex of yours came to the house… not only was that the same night Sidney got attacked, but that was also part of the plan. Just in case shit went sideways. I made sure he saw the news. I knew he would come. What I didn't know was that he had still kept in contact with you. Or at least he tried.

"After I made the call to Sidney at Tatum's as ghostface of course, I knew you would be calling me. It was my alibi if I needed one. I was with you the whole time. I knew you would be too scared to argue that I wasn't and would tell the cops I was. I should have killed that fucker. He touched what's mine and I do not like that. I'm sorry I had to scare you like that. But don't worry he'll die and I'll be the one to make sure he does."

I shook my head and scoffed. This was all so fucked up. "You're unbelievable. And you're fucking stupid. Billy would have pinned everything on you! You were his back up plan. If shit would have gone differently. Like if the whole Sidney attack would have gone differently and they wouldn't have let him go. He would have told them it was you!" He was shaking his head and scoffed a laugh. "Billy wouldn't do that."

"She thinks she's one smart little bitch, huh?" My body stiffened when Billy walked into the room. He spit a glob of blood out of his mouth onto the floor. Stu turned so his back was to me and he was facing Billy. "Don't fucking touch her! Don't come anywhere near her!" Billy laughed, showing his blood stained teeth. "When are you going to realize she doesn't love you? She doesn't want to be with you, man. She's just a no good whore."

I shook my head when Stu looked back at me. I do love him, just not this version of him. But I needed him on my side if I was going to get out of this alive. "He's wrong. He's wrong, Stu, I do love you. I've always loved you. You're my best friend," I told him. Billy laughed, "see! You're her best friend, Stu! That's it. Nothing more than friends. You'll always be in the friend zone."

"Stu, look at me." He shook his head. "Stu, please. Please look at me. You're not just my best friend." I took the chance and slowly moved closer to him. I reached my hand out for him, touching his arm. "I love you. I'm in love with you. I'm just scared right now. I'm trying to still process everything, okay? It's going to take a while for me to come around. But I will. I promise.

It's half truth. I do love him and I am in love with him. I'm also scared and trying to process this shit. But I won't come around. This was just a way for me to get him to trust me and not Billy. This was a way for me to escape and get back home. As much as I love Stu, I just can't live like this.

"Protect me. Hold me. Show me you love me. Please." That got him to look at me and he finally took my hand. And pulled me into him. I looked back at Billy and smiled before wrapping my arms around Stu's waist and burying my face in his chest. Billy wasn't the only one that could manipulate people into giving them what they wanted.

[crackinglamb]

WIP Wednesday (with bonus last line)

Tagged by @mogwaei, thank you! 💕

Tagging @demarogue, @bogunicorn, @autodiscothings, @fogsblue, @lilbittymonster, @fiadhaisteach, @fasterpuddytat, @ir0n-angel and @noire-pandora. Feel free to do either, both or none because there's no pressure.

Gonna do the bonus last line first, since it's obviously much shorter. After weeks of sitting on this chapter of WG and having no words come out (in my defense, I've also been sick), I finally managed to get it done. So here's the last thing I wrote. And I'll cheat and give you two, because I can.

---

“It means more to me than you know.”

“Then I'm happy to give this to you.”

---

In other news, I have finished the principle wording on Maker Damned Fools at long last! Why yes, I did procrastinate on one WIP by working on another. The new year will see me start posting it. Have a bit of Cara Hawke and Varric being oblivious idiots together.

---

“Careful with that blade,” he went on, noting that she was still idly flipping it over her fingers. “Wouldn't want you to lose anything important.”

They would leave for this expedition in the morning, and until then they had nothing to do but flirt uselessly or play fight to ease the tension. The lines between those two things had blurred a little, and lately they'd seemed to be one and the same. She didn't let it stop her. “Think you can take it from me?”

He eyed her as he sipped his drink, then set it down without speaking. He reached for the dagger, but she spun it out of reach, turning her wrist just so. It rapped against his palm, knocking his hand back a few inches. Now he was chuckling, getting into the idea. He batted her back, trying to make her fumble the handle. A quick toss landed the dagger in her other hand and she turned on the barstool so she was facing him. He did the same and made another grab.

She rolled the dagger across her knuckles like a coin, the blade flashing in the candlelight. Corff threw them both a scowl, but didn't say anything. He knew better than to interrupt them. Hawke flicked the dagger in the air off her pinky, turning her hand quick to catch it before Varric's fingers could close around the handle. He brought his other hand into play, attempting to knock her arm off balance with a bump under her elbow. Her turn to grin.

“Gotta be faster than that, old man.”

“Faster won't beat smarter.”

The dagger flashed and spun, their hands began to slap against each other in a fine show of mock wrestling and in the end, they both held the handle with the blade between them like a metaphor. Varric's hands were bigger than hers. His fingers cupped her whole hand, while not relinquishing his grip on the small amount of the weapon he'd gotten. His smirk was warm and her breath caught.

“Get a room, you two,” Bela called from the other end of the bar. “Invite me while you're at it.”

The spell broke and Varric let her go. Something like disappointment flickered in his eyes before it was hidden behind his typical mirth.

“Rivaini,” he called back. “Not even on your best day. I know what you get up to.”

[e-dragoons]

lyric writing prompts!

... one line from every song on my spotify wrapped, in order! if you can guess the song you get... a thumbs up from me. these are REALLY RANDOM.

you mean like, like, [name] with the ass?

feel like i'm hexed

i've been looking everywhere for you

i'm not the right one you should wait on

edamame

was it something i said to make you feel like you're a burden?

i wouldn't hesitate to smile while you suffocate and die

no quiero estar aquí (i do not want to be here)

when i'm far too gone, can you show me love?

you can be the beauty and i could be the monster

a king with no crown

we are not the same

you take the full truth, then you pour some out

i died in your arms tonight

there's two sides to every story

fell in love with a girl i met in hell

we're so good at selling lies

this ain't no place for no hero to call home

i'm not okay

back on my bullshit

could i be a prisoner for the voices in my brain?

i try to tell you what i think and play it off like it's a joke

your kiss and i will surrender

c'est la vie (that's life)

don't follow me, you'll end up in my arms

i was just an only child of the universe, and then i found you

so when are you gonna sing for me?

can't turn down, i refuse to hold back anymore

would you pray before you twist the knife?

my poor heart is my only friend

i wanna know if i tell you a secret, will you keep it?

thought you were mine, love

you are everything you hated

i thought i was a fool for no one, but ooh baby i'm a fool for you

whine about it

my sanctuary, you're holy to me

numb you up until you can't feel a god damn thing

i cannot erupt, i must control

blood cold as ice and a heart made of stone

were we ever friends?

what's the worst that i can say?

everything i would give is everything you couldn't take

i'm living for you

you see, love isn't what i need as long as i can set you free

you better run

i got dreams of my own, but i want to make yours come true

i would brave the darkest night to make you a promise

i could be a better boyfriend than him

hurt and grieve but don't suffer alone

we met before but nice to meet you

if this is how you folks make art, it's fucking depressing

secrets i have held in my heart are harder to hide than i thought

emptiness is safe, keep it that way

all i did was try my best, this the kind of thanks i get?

that's a red flag bitch, olé

my high hopes are getting low

if i only could i'd make a deal with god, and i'd get him to swap our places

nothing to say when everything gets in the way

everyone that tried to fix me knows that i can't change a bit

tell yourself it's never gonna happen again

you gotta be so cold to make it in this world

i'll follow you into the dark

a shot in the heart doesn't make it unbreak

you say you won't but then you do

burn everything you love, then burn the ashes

when life gives me lemons, i don't make lemonade. i use them to make you cry.

i can't do shit right, i can't learn my lesson

sometimes all i think about is you

i don't talk about it unless i make a joke about it

arrogant boy, love yourself so no one has to

i think she really likes me, ask politely, can i--ooh?

best friends, ex-friends till the end; better off as lovers, not the other way around

love your eyes when you would look at me

there's a story at the bottom of this bottle

i can keep secrets that i know that you want me

hurts but i know how to hide it, kinda like it

i will leave you out to bleed

self sabotage is an old friend of mine

maybe i'm too emotional, or maybe you never cared at all

i lose my voice when i look at you

but i guess good for you

come break some hearts now, tear them out

there's really just one thing that we have in common: neither of us will be missed

and if we can't find where we belong, we'll have to make it on our own

don't waste your time or time will waste you

and as i arrived i thought i saw you leaving

it's too cold for you here and now

i don't want to be afraid

all my style, all my grace, all i tried to save my face

let's get mischievous and polyamorous

you can think that you're in love when you're really just in pain

the world tried to burn all the mercy out of me, but you know i wouldn't let it

i really fucked it up this time. didn't i, my dear?

somebody get me through this nightmare

when i start to tumble from the sky, you remind me how to fly

if you want, i'll keep on crying

take a breath, let the rest come easy

i'd rather be lost than to stay the same

have you ever wanted to disappear?

just another girl alone at the bar

screwing everything up and doing everything wrong

[dragon-kazansky]

Dangerous | Helmut Zemo

AU! Race car driver Zemo 😎

Gender neutral reader

Collage by @realremyd

[Masterlist]

[Previous chapter] - [Next chapter]

Part 6

The eve of race day. You had woken up early as planned. Zemo would be here soon to pick you up. You had packed a little case for the weekend, but you had spent the entire in nervous excitement.

You would be staying with Zemo. At his place. Just the two of you.

Your phone buzzes in your pocket.

Zemo: I'm outside.

You grab your bag and head outside, locking up behind you. Not at all surprised to find another car of his waiting for you. He was leaning against the hood of the car.

You smile as you approach him.

"Miss me?" You asked, teasing him.

"Every day since I left."

You laugh softly, but you could tell he meant his reply. Your poor heart was going crazy.

Zemo takes your bag and puts it safely in the car. You climb in while he does. Once he's in, you settle for the long drive down to the track. The radio plays quietly in the background.

"You can sleep if you like, I promise there won't be any speed racing along the way," he chuckles.

You smile as you get as comfortable as you can in a car. "I think I'll do that, an hour or so."

You're didn't even make an hour before you woke up, but a lot of distance had been covered. Zemo smiles at you as you shift in your seat, waking up fully.

"Coffee?"

You glance down to see two take out cups, steam still rising from them, slotted between you in cup holders. You smile as you take one.

"Thanks. You stopped for coffee?"

"The least I could do for coming to get you so early," he smiles sweetly. "I can pull over at the next stop if you're hungry, but we won't be on the road for too much longer now."

"I'll wait then. Thanks." You open the cup and inhale that delicious scent. A beautiful way to wake up.

Conversation is kept causal for the rest if the trip. Soon Zemo pulls up at a nice house. He wasn't kidding when he said it was bigger than your little apartment.

You climb out of the car and look up at it.

"This is nice."

"Thank you. It's just one of my houses." He comes to stand beside you. You eye him in slight suspicion.

"One of your houses? How many houses do you have?"

"Several. Most of them in Europe."

You continue to look at him with suspicion.

"I figured you had money because of all the cars, but I'm thinking there's more to it than that."

He gives a cheeky grin as he walks up to the front door.

"Perhaps."

Who is this man?

You follow him to the door and then enter as he opens it for you. The inside is super nice. Doesn't exactly looked lived in, but you can tell it's his place.

"Now this suits you," you say, looking around the room.

"Does it? You fit in quite nicely too."

You smile as you make yourself comfortable. Zemo drops your bag by the door and comes over to sit with you.

"I have something I want to ask you. I don't need an answer right away, but I want to ask you now."

"Why is it?" You turn tour body so you're giving him your full attention.

"I have been debating this for days, but what you say if I asked you to work for me?"

Your gaze flickers between his eyes, your brain trying to catch up with what he just said. Work for him? Like... work for him? What would you even do?

"You do realise I'm no mechanic. I make coffee for a living."

"I'm aware."

"What can I possibly do for you?"

"Assist me? Manage me?" He sat their smirking at you.

"Manage you? I don't know what in doing most of the time, and you want me to manage you? Don't you have a manager?"

"Myself."

"You can do that?"

"I can," he chuckles. "If you worked with me, you could be at every race. I would get to see you every day."

"You are honest to God serious?"

"I am."

You gaze down at your lap in thought. He was actually offering you a job. You would have so much to look up before hand, but what if you took it?

You look up to see him looking at you.

"I'll think about it."

"That's all I ask for," he says, smiling. He gets up and heads into the kitchen to make you breakfast.

You're already pulling out your phone, researching what you may need to help him.

It would be pretty cool to tell people you were the manager of Helmut Zemo. Certainly more exciting than the barista who makes nice coffee.

You eat, Zemo shows you the room he had made up for you, and then you both head out to see the car. You spend all day watching him go up and down the airstrip, beating his own record.

He was ready for tomorrow.

Race day. You're both up early. Zemo talks you through the day and what he has prepared for you. You're on the list for his crew, so you'll have access to the areas he team do. You still get to watch from his stand.

Of course, you arrived together. He parks up and you walk into the stadium. You're keeping your eye out. Zemo knows what for.

It's not until you're outside waiting for Zemo to change when you see them. Stark has arrived, in his gear, your friend under his arm as they wave at the crowds. All cameras on them.

He did it. He made it public.

Your friend was smiling away and waving at people, kissing his jaw and placing her hand on his chest.

Despite the display, it didn't seem real to you. She couldn't see it, but you could.

A hand is placed in your shoulder. You look up to see Zemo standing beside you. His eyes are on you, but you know he saw them.

"She may not forgive me, but I will not forgive him for breaking her heart when the time comes."

Zemo says nothing and nods once.

You turn your eyes away from the 'happy couple' and look at the car. It looked all shiny and new.

"You've got this today," you say, turning to smile at him.

"I know," he replies with a cocky smile.

You find yourself teaching for his hand and smiling softly at him. His fingers curl around yours.

"I'll be right here when you cross that finish line," you tell him.

"And then drinks."

"Ah yes, our date. How can I forget?"

"I have one more request before I go out there."

"Oh?"

Zemo brings you entwined hands to his lips and kisses yours softly.

"Call me Helmut. I want to hear you say my name at least once."

You smile.

"Alright. Then, this is for you, Helmut." You lean in and press a firm kiss to his cheek, caressing the other one with your free hand.

He smiles.

The way you say his name sets alight all those feelings be bad been trying to contain.

You pull away.

"You better go."

You can hear the racers being called to the starting line. He squeezes your hand and reluctantly lets go. You pick up his helmet and give it to him. Once it's on, he climbs into the car and you watch as he follows the other drivers. You quickly climb over the barricade to the stands and watch from up there, wanting to see his car for as long as you could.

You hadn't noticed the way your friend had been looking at you from across the way.

You stand on edge. You had this really good gut feeling in your stomach. Something was telling you this was going to be the day.

The lights change. The engines rev. You close your eyes to listen to the sound. It's the greatest sound in the world. The flag waves, tyres spin. They're off.

You don't even realise you're holding your breath.

The cars are out of sight so quickly, you then your gaze to the screen. Right there in front of you is Stark and Zemo.

They move in perfect sync around the track, not once colliding with the other. It's almost as if they're playing a careful game. Your poor lip will be so sore from your nervous nibbles.

Stark takes the lead for quite some time, but Zemo is right there behind him.

"Please. Please." You're whispering to yourself. You have fingers crossed, you're unable to stand still as you watch, you're pleading with whoever is listening.

The last leg of the race is approaching.

The standard across from you cheer loudly. That's Stark's lot.

You're beginning to doubt that feeling you had.

It all happens so quickly.

Just as you blink, that purple beauty of a car pulls ahead. It's as if it had been saving it's energy for the last hurdle. You gasp sharply as he pulls so far ahead, even Stark is confused. You're not sure if you dreamt it or it as that car speeds across the finish line.

You can't contain how happy you are. You run from the stands, jump the barricade and run as fast as your feet will take you. By the time you get down to the arena, all cars have crossed the line. No casualties on this day.

Zemo is out of his car, helmet taken from him by one of the others. He sees you coming and opens his arms. You're off your feet as soon as your arms around him. He's laughing in your ear.

"You did it! You did it!" You're laughing, smiling, cheering.

He puts you down, but he doesn't let go. You hold onto him tightly. People gather to take photos or to try and interview him, but neither of you care.

You pull back enough to look at him.

He kisses you.

Right there in front of everyone. Cameras are flashing, people are shouting his name.

No one else matters.

You smile against his lips.

You only let go when you have to. He gets taken off for his award, but you're not far behind. You're so proud of him.

Stark looks at him from the second place podium. Your friend on the other side from where you stand.

She doesn't look happy.

Once the formalities are over, Zemo returns to you and puts his arm around your shoudler. You're both smiling like fools as you walk back.

He beat Stark. He did it.

And he kissed you!

You're over the moon. This could honestly be pinned as the best day of your life.

It's not until you're out of sight from the press when he pins you up against the wall and claims your lips again. You melt against him, letting him kiss you over and over.

Neither of you were even bothered about the race anymore. He just wanted you.

You part, but only slightly.

"Zemo-"

"No."

"Helmut," you chuckle, "I'm accepting the job offer."

"That didn't take much convincing," he teases.

You roll your eyes and pull him back to you, kissing him again.

Meanwhile, in Stark's locker, your friend was going crazy. She was looking at her phone which was blowing up with images of you and Zemo kissing.

Today was suppose to be the day she could proudly go public about her and Stark, but even that had been stolen from them.

Tony looked at her from across the room.

"Let me tell you something interesting," he said, not all sounding affected by his loss today.

She goes over to hear what he has to say.

@ajeff855 @moonstuffsteve @sky-writes-stuff @lieutenantn @lostghostgirl94 @friday18eo @yaskna @my-blood-is-maple-syrup @gingerwriter97 @lunamooney2406 @wilder-fangirl @nectav @whovianayesha @thesuitkovian @cathrin2405 @deathtothepatriarchy @belle82devart @dxrksxul06 @killeromanoff @alex-the-nb @latenightartist-author @hb8301 @goddessofmischief03 @xxidontwikeitxx @themeanestlittlewitch @scuttle-buttle

[sorryimananti-romantic]

Mist | Choi San | Chapter 3

Pairing: Choi San x OC (Seohyun)

Genre: supernatural (ghost), romance, high school

Trigger Warnings: paranormal, death mentions, violence

Words: 9.9k

Disclaimer: I do not own anything except my original character and the story. I do not own any gifs or pictures used.

Full story on Wattpad (don’t spoil here if you read there too)

chapter directory

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"But I want to sleep..." Seohyun complained.

"Is sleep more important to you than us?" Wooyoung asked.

"Of course it is. Is that even a question?" Seohyun raised her brow and Wooyoung gaped at her.

"We've been friends for long now, Wooyoung, I thought you knew better not to ask questions like these," Yeosang said, laughing.

It had been more than a month now since that incident with San. Seohyun looked at each of them slowly, smiling. Despite herself, she had gotten quite used to the company of these boys. And they were EIGHT. It was hard to not be alone. Even if some of them were busy, the rest would always fool around after school as well.

Seohyun had gotten to know them well now too. She knew that Hongjoong, the oldest, also acted like one. He had a thing for fashion, and had reformed her navy blue cap that she always wore, embroidering a cat on it.

Seonghwa was the mom of this group for sure. He was always keeping them in check, always stopping them from doing something stupid (which was most of the times) and always helping them with homework. He was very caring, and he couldn't hide that part of himself.

Yunho was the clown of the group, and surprisingly, she was getting along with him and Yeosang quite well. Yeosang and her had the savageness in common, which mixed well with Yunho's humor. Since the three sat next to each other, they would always pass a joke or two to her even during class, and she had to beg them to stop one too many times.

Wooyoung and Mingi were quite funny too. There was just something contagious about their smiles. Seohyun found herself smiling a lot in their company. It didn't help that Wooyoung laughed like a hyena; even when she had no reason to laugh, she'd burst out laughing when she heard Wooyoung laugh.

She was getting along well with Jongho too, especially because they were paired for a project. She hadn't had the chance to talk to him much but once she did, she found that he was actually quite witty despite his dad jokes, and that he loved singing and... breaking apples. Which was weird but it was fun to see how strong he was.

"All you do is sleep, Seohyun. You have to come with us now," San insisted.

Seohyun stared at San. She was glad they were out of danger -for now. The old ghost had finally moved on after realizing that killing Seohyun was not worth it (thanks to Jiwoo). San had gotten close to Jiwoo as well. When she was not hanging out with the boys, she was with San. He liked being in her company because apparently 'he didn't want to look stupid alone staring at the distance'. He could see all sorts of ghosts now and Seohyun was helping him practice differentiating between the living and the dead.

"All right, but if I see something stupid, I leave. Okay?" Seohyun locked eyes with him and he nodded assuredly, smiling and showing off his dimples.

Hongjoong had been insisting that she finally come to their 'second home'. Apparently it was a warehouse that Hongjoong's father owned but had no use for so Hongjoong turned it into a place for him and the boys to hang out. She had no idea what they did there, and they finally wanted to show her the place because they all 'approved of her now and accepted her as one of them'.

The warehouse wasn't far from school so they decided to walk there. The black cat was walking with them now. San bent to pick her up, patting her head.

"Still didn't come up with a name?" Seohyun asked.

"You rejected Shiber. I don't want any other name," San pouted.

"I told you you could call it Shiber, I'll just... call it whatever I call her... hey what do I even call her?" Seohyun wondered.

"You never actually call her, do you?" San laughed a little, caressing the cat's neck, "She sticks to you, and you didn't even give her a name. I'm disappointed in you."

"I couldn't find the right name," Seohyun mumbled, frowning.

"Still, she's been your friend for what, like a year now-"

"FINE. Shiber. That sounds like a male name though."

"It's my plushie's name, but she reminds me of it," San admitted.

"You're naming my cat after a plushie? SAN!" Seohyun punched San's arm, making him laugh out loud. Wooyoung joined them, grinning.

"San's had that plushie since he was a kid," Wooyoung said. "I'm not surprised that he couldn't come up with any other name."

"You should've told me before, I would have never allowed him to name the cat then..." Seohyun shook her head but grinned.

"We're here!" Hongjoong announced, and Seohyun took off her sunglasses as she looked at the large warehouse, the sun reflecting harshly back at her, making her eyes water.

They went inside, Seohyun stepping in last and she blinked as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Mingi turned the light on, and she ran her eyes around.

"Woah," she breathed. It really did feel like a 'home'. The place had everything they could think of; sofas, couches, tables, a fridge for snacks, a basket for basketball, and so many musical instruments and equipment. "Are you guys secretly famous musicians or what?"

"Nothing like that," Seonghwa laughed, "We just really like music. Hongjoong is always making songs though. We fool around."

"I wouldn't call this 'fooling around'," Seohyun said, walking towards the equipment, stopping mid-way. "Can I?"

"Of course," several of them replied, nodding. She smiled as she ran her fingers across the piano, looking at the speakers and the mics. She saw some pages, probably lyrics scribbled on them, lying on the table near.

"So you guys... make music? Do you want to be idols or something?"

"For now, we're just exploring," Jongho replied, "Who knows? Maybe some of us might want to go into the musical side."

"So you all sing?"

"I'm the rapper," Mingi said, "Hongjoong raps too."

Seohyun made an impressed face. She pressed some of the piano keys, and something clicked at her mind. She looked up at Hongjoong as a grin spread across her face. "So that's why your fingers are always tapping at the desk. You make music!"

"Oh? I'm surprised you noticed," Hongjoong admitted.

"It's hard to not notice when you're sitting in my vision with fingers tapping nonstop while I'm trying to focus in class. You were doing something like this today, weren't you?" Seohyun said and played the keys that had unintentionally been printed in her memory.

"Woah, I'm more surprised that you remembered it!" Hongjoong clapped in disbelief and then narrowed his eyes at her. "Do you... know how to play?"

"The piano? Not much. But I have a drum set at home," Seohyun said and she saw as the boys looked at each other, applauding her.

"What?" Seohyun asked.

"We knew there was something about you," Wooyoung went on dramatically, waving his hands as he said "who knew we had a shared passion for music?"

"I wouldn't call it 'passion' per se, it's more of a... hobby. A stress-reliever, if you will. And stop ogling at me like you guys won a jackpot. I know what's going through your heads, and I say no."

"But you can play!" Mingi wailed, "We need more people to play the instruments! These guys-" he pointed at the boys one by one, "-they never learn!"

"Hey, hey, hey, look who's saying! Didn't you want to learn drums? What happened to that?"

"I don't have a drum-set!"

"I can play too!" Jongho and Yeosang complained.

Seohyun watched as the boys started arguing among themselves, and she shook her head. She had never imagined they like making music this much. If she had known, she might not have told them about her drums, much less her room full of instruments at a time like this.

"If you don't shut up, I'll never bring any instrument here."

"You mean you will if we shut up?" San asked, followed by Seonghwa who said, "You have more than one instrument?"

Seohyun sighed. "This is overwhelming, okay? Like I respect what you do, but I'm still new to being friends with you all, and it would take me some time to open up to you guys about the instruments. It's just... I have some memories- I don't really want to go back there."

"Oh..." San raised his brow and she bit her lip. She hadn't lied. She had some memories attached to those instruments that she would rather forget. It had been about two years since she'd played. She wanted to shut out that part of herself. She wanted to throw those instruments, but she hadn't been able to.

"Can you just... tell me which instruments you have, other than the drums?" Hongjoong asked cautiously.

Seohyun rolled her eyes. "Drums, bass, electric-"

"WOW!" Wooyoung gasped out very loud.

"-and violin. And I can play piano and guitar too. But it's been like two years since I last played so I'm probably very rough now..."

"Is one of your parent a musician or what?" Yunho asked.

"No, the drums were my mom's. The rest, I bought them when I was going through a phase."

"A phase. Wow," Yeosang snickered, earning daggers from Seohyun.

"Alright, we won't pressure you or anything. But you're free to play the piano if you want to," Yunho suggested, "and you're free to do whatever you want."

"Thanks for understanding," Seohyun muttered, smiling at him.

"But I wanted to learn the drums..." Mingi wailed.

"Who knows? Maybe I'll be the one to teach you," Seohyun said nonchalantly, making him smile his famous gummy smile.

"So anyways, what's with those mirrors?" Seohyun asked.

"Oh, that? We like to dance too," Jongho said.

"Oh my god. You guys should stop watching all those idol videos..."

"But we're good at it!" Wooyoung laughed, "And anyways, even if we don't go down that route, we love doing it anyway. It's our way of releasing stress."

"Sure," Seohyun nodded.

"Don't tell me you can dance too," Seonghwa narrowed his eyes at her.

"Oh no. I don't think I can," Seohyun admitted. Unless you could count those random 3 am sad twerks as dancing. The boys watched as she suspiciously tried to avoid their gaze, looking around.

"So now that we've told you so much about ourselves, how about you tell us something that we don't know?" Jongho suggested.

"I don't know what's there to tell," Seohyun said, her eyes unintentionally falling on San who lightly shook his head.

"Anything. Something. It's just that we'd like to know you more," Seonghwa smiled warmly at her.

"How about you just ask me and I'll answer? Because it feels like I'll never be able to start myself..."

"Or how about," Yeosang started, a devilish smile spreading across his face, "we play truth or dare?"

"Oh no..."

----------------

Yeosang made everyone sit in a circle, and though very reluctant at first, Seohyun had to sit down too (after being dragged by Wooyoung). They discussed the rules; they could choose between truth or dare, and if a person didn't want to answer a question they should just say so instead of lying, which would earn them a penalty.

Hongjoong spun the bottle, and Seohyun prayed it would never land on her. At least not today. She wasn't feeling it. She still thought that the eight of them were well knit as they were, they didn't need her between them.

The bottle landed on Yunho, and he laughed nervously. Jongho asked truth or dare, and he replied with dare. Not fair, Seohyun thought. She wasn't sure she would ever choose dare. She had no idea what sort of dares they were gonna give.

"Alright, show us your golden retriever! You haven't done that in a long time!"

"Golden retriever?" Seohyun asked. She had heard them talk about it once or twice, but she had no idea what it was about.

"Ah, I'm getting nervous~" Yunho laughed awkwardly. She supposed it was because he was gonna do it in front of her for the first time.

"Come on, don't be shy," Wooyoung teased and he nodded, taking in a deep breath. He turned his head back, then looked forward, his eyes a bit wide as he made a paw out of his hand and flicked it, barking in the cutest way possible.

Seohyun was silent for a moment before she burst out laughing. She was howling at this point, making the rest of them laugh too.

"At least I made her laugh!" Yunho said proudly.

Seohyun wiped tears from the corner of her eyes. "That was hilarious. You really do look like a puppy, Yunho."

"Thanks?" Yunho said and laughed.

"Alright, next!" Jongho said, spinning the bottle, and to Seohyun's relief, it stopped at Hongjoong who was right next to her. He wailed.

"I choose... dare."

"You all are gonna end up choosing dare. I'll be the only one choosing truth it seems," Seohyun groaned.

"You know what to do," Yeosang said, locking eyes with Wooyoung who nodded. "Michael Jackson impression."

"NO! I CHOOSE TRUTH!"

"It's too late to turn back now!" San said.

"It's embarrassing enough to do it even in front of one of you, and now there's EIGHT of you. Alright. Here goes nothing." Hongjoong got up and straightened his clothes. He took a few steps back so everyone could see. He made the famous pose and sang Billie Jeans, attempting to mimic Michel Jackson's style. It would have been okay if everyone hadn't burst out laughing, making Seohyun laugh a little too.

"How did you even come up with this?" Seohyun asked in disbelief.

"I don't even remember now..." Hongjoong pouted. He spun the bottle, and it landed on Wooyoung.

"Truth," he smiled rather proudly, folding his arms.

"Who do you love more, Hongjoong or Seonghwa?" Yeosang asked. The rest of them laughed as Wooyoung's eyes went wide in panic.

"That's like you're asking if I like mom or dad more! Isn't this unfair?"

"Who did you like more though?" Jongho asked.

"Mom-"

"You like Seonghwa more. Alright, next!" Hongjoong concluded, leaving Wooyoung attempting to explain that it was not like that anymore and he liked both of them equally, but everyone was ignoring him. Seohyun thought it must be an inside joke too.

"Your turn," San smirked at her. Seohyun, who had been distracted and hadn't seen the bottle spin, eyed them suspiciously.

"I move my eyes off the bottle for a second and it lands on me. Are you sure you didn't cheat?"

"We did NO SUCH THING," Wooyoung huffed.

Seohyun locked eyes with each of them. "Fine. Truth."

She watched as the boys looked at each other, suggesting questions while Seohyun tried to calm the rumbling storm of nervousness in her stomach. Should she have gone with dare?

"Can we ask... anything?" Mingi looked at her and Seohyun shrugged.

"I mean, we're friends now, right? So go ahead. If I think it's too personal, I'll say so." Seohyun nodded and the boys looked at each other before finally turning to her.

"What's the real reason you don't have friends?"

Seohyun's eyes unintentionally went to San's, and the boys noticed, looking between the two of them. San shrugged, as if saying 'I tried.'

"Does... San know something?" Seonghwa asked cautiously.

"You don't have to answer, you know that right?" Yeosang added.

Seohyun sighed deeply, nodding. She looked at San again, who nodded back, pointing behind her and mouthing Jiwoo. Seohyun sighed in relief now. She might as well give it a try.

"Since you guys shared something today, I will too. But it's kind of... weird. Unbelievable. You might think I'm lying. You might think worse things. Whatever you think, do tell me, because I can prove it."

"Don't tell me you're some sort of a secret agent," Yeosang said, earning a slap from Hongjoong who shushed him.

"Alright, we'll hear you out," he said.

"I... can see ghosts. The dead."

There was a moment of silence before Jongho raised his eyebrow. "What? You mind saying that again?"

"I said I can see the dead. I can see ghosts. I can touch them. I help them move on."

While the boys exchanged looks, still in disbelief, San smiled at her and Seohyun nervously laughed. She had finally said it out loud.

"So you can... see ghosts? Like in the movies?" Mingi asked.

"Yep. They're just like us. Unless they're old."

"How do we believe you? I mean, you could be joking," Yunho asked.

"Well, San knows," Seohyun said, and everyone looked at San, who nodded, then looked back at her.

"How does he know?" Wooyoung asked.

"Long story. He got caught up in something, which led him to discover my secret and eventually led him to seeing ghosts too."

"You both are mad." Wooyoung laughed nervously.

"You want proof?" Seohyun challenged.

"Sure. I can do with that," Wooyoung folded his arms, anticipating.

"Alright folks, you're in for a surprise," Seohyun heard Jiwoo say. Jiwoo rubbed her hands and went near Seohyun, picking her hair and making it look like it was flying in the air.

The boys... shouted.

"MEDUSA!" She heard someone shout amidst them. San tried to calm them down but it was no use. They all were... freaking out, to put it simply. Half of them were gasping while the other half was laughing in disbelief.

Jiwoo dropped her hair down and they watched as she pulled the sunglasses off her shirt and the glasses magically disappeared.

"Where did the glasses go?" Wooyoung asked.

"Ji- the ghost. Her name is Jiwoo. She's a friend of mine. So when she takes something of mine, it would disappear once I'm not holding it anymore. But-" Jiwoo handed her the glasses back and they watched it appear out of thin air, "when she gives them back, here they are."

"Is this... magic or really a ghost?" Jongho asked.

"It's a ghost, believe me," San finally said.

"So you can see ghosts now too? How?"

"Let me explain," Seohyun said, and narrated the events, giving a little backstory about how she was born with this, and that she actually helped ghosts move on.

"That's kind of cool though," Yunho commented.

"Wouldn't call it cool," Seohyun muttered and Seonghwa noticed.

"It must not be easy to live like this..." he said, and she hesitantly nodded.

"Is that why you changed schools so often?" Hongjoong asked and she nodded. The boys looked at each other, trying to figure out what to say.

"Well, you won't have to worry about that again," Yeosang said, "We'll help you. You won't have to move again if something happens."

"It's not that easy, Yeosang. If something unexplainable happens, I won't be able to hide it."

"Oh don't worry about that," Mingi laughed, "unexplainable things always happen to me. We'll cover for you, trust me."

Seohyun was, for the first time, touched by how earnest they sounded. They really were a weird group of friends.

"I'm kind of jealous that San can see ghosts now too," Hongjoong sulked. "Can't we see too?"

Before Seohyun could answer, everyone else burst into complains too about how they wanted to see too. "Hey hey," Seohyun began, "first of all, it's too risky. I almost died and then San was able to see."

"WHAT!"

"You forgot to tell them that part," San muttered.

"Ah, right. So when I had to teleport San, we ended up in the other dimension, right? So I had to teleport again, and I had a massive nosebleed plus headache. I passed out too."

"Oh..."

"Even if it was easy, I would never do that to you. And I wish I could take it away from San. I wish it would fade," Seohyun said, and San looked at her, shocked. He had not expected this.

"It's not about it being cool, San," she locked eyes with him, "Being able to see ghosts mean you're attracting danger every second. Thank god you can't touch them. That means they're not able to touch you, not directly. I want you all to be safe, that's why I won't ever do that to the rest of you."

There was a moment of heavy silence, then Seonghwa broke the ice. "I understand. It's okay, you don't have to do that. We want you to be safe too, so if you're ever in some sort of danger, don't hesitate to ask for help."

"Thanks Seonghwa, I really appreciate it." Seohyun smiled.

"It's really unbelievable though. What does this ghost look like?" Wooyoung asked, eyes brimming with curiosity.

Seohyun grinned a little. "Well, she's a girl. Jiwoo. She's about my height, has long black hair with red streaks. Has a mole on her cheek. Also, she's weird-"

Jiwoo kicked Seohyun's back lightly, but she just continued. "She died in a car accident. A ghost with amnesia. Unbelievable is the right word, Wooyoung."

"Woah. She sounds familiar though..." Wooyoung looked towards Hongjoong who shook his head. Seohyun noticed but didn't comment on it.

"So you're waiting for her to remember so she can move on?" Hongjoong asked.

"Yeah. She's been sticking with me for months now, and I got used to her."

"Ah... that's understandable," Hongjoong looked at his wristwatch, "Anyways, we should go home now. it's late."

"I thought we were playing truth or dare. This turned into a horror show. How will I sleep at night!" Mingi wailed dramatically, making them laugh. Wooyoung called him 'scaredy cat' and San said, "Like you're one to say."

Seohyun smiled at Jiwoo. This had been an unexpected night, and she had never expected them to believe her and not make fun of her. She looked at the boys, bickering, and smiled at them.

She felt comfortable.

-----------------

The next few days at school had been... annoying, to put it simply.

The boys were very excited at the new discovery about their friend they had made. They simply couldn't contain themselves- save for San, and Seohyun found her patience wearing off day by day.

It wasn't that she was ungrateful for how things had turned out. She simply hadn't expected this sort of a behaviour. Secondly, she did not know how to deal with 7 excited boys who couldn't stop asking her the most stupid of questions.

She had to admit some of the questions did make sense. Like Yeosang asking if a ghost's touch and human's touch was any different. Seohyun shook her head as she thought of how the question had shook her.

"What do you mean?" Seohyun asked.

"Do you feel different when a ghost touches you? Like, Jiwoo. Does her touch feel different than a regular human's?"

Seohyun inhaled sharply as she was reminded of the time she had spent in her music room, laughing, with him, holding his hand, touching-

"I'm sorry, was it a wrong question?" Yeosang finally asked and Seohyun realized she had been staring at him too long.

"Uh, no. I'm sorry I zoned out. I suppose it is- it is a bit different. I don't know how to explain it. It's not... warm."

Seohyun shook her head as she waved off the memory. Another memory made its way....

"This friend of yours, Jiwoo," Hongjoong asked, "is she here right now?"

"She may not find the idea of dying twice appealing," Seohyun muttered.

"What?" Hongjoong furrowed his brows in confusion.

"Now why would a ghost attend school? Surely she doesn't wish to die of boredom. AGAIN."

Hongjoong laughed. "So she's not here? Do you know her full name?"

"Ahn Jiwoo, I think," Seohyun replied. She noticed Hongjoong's eyes gleam as his mind worked.

"How old do you think she is? And can you describe how she looks like?"

"Playing detective, are you?" Seohyun raised her brow.

"Just answer. I may have something."

"Well, she looks our age, maybe a year older, she has an average face, honestly I haven't noticed much. She does have red hair."

Hongjoong nodded slowly, and Seohyun asked when he was going to let her in.

"I'll just check something. If it's true, I'll tell you."

Seohyun shook her head again. She should really be focusing on class. But her mind went back to think of the stupid questions. Yunho had asked if 'ghosts could eat' and when she had replied no, he said he was just wondering if they did eat, did they excrete as well. And if so, was the ghost realm full of-

Shit, she thought as she heard Yunho giggling. "You keep shaking your head. What's wrong?"

"Believe it or not, I was actually thinking about you," Seohyun admitted.

"Oh?" Yunho turned a bit towards her, smirking. "And what scandalous thoughts made you shake your head so much?"

"How in the world could your brain wonder if the ghost realm was full of ghost shit?" Seohyun almost shouted, but clearly she hadn't been quite as well. She earned a warning glance from her teacher and sunk in her chair as Yunho shook with silent laughter.

After the class was over, Hongjoong made his way to Seohyun.

"Is Jiwoo here?" He asked.

"Again, no. Why are you so interested in her?" Seohyun folded her arms and Hongjoong snatched Seonghwa's seat from his spot, sitting near her and placing a book on her desk.

"This is last year's yearbook. We have some photos from an event, and I want you to tell me if you spot Jiwoo."

Seohyun raised her eyebrows. Jiwoo- she could have been a student here?

She supposed it was possible. San turned too, muttering how he can recognize her too, and they flipped the pages, checking each one carefully until finally San pointed at a person and looked at Seohyun, who had paled.

"That's... Jiwoo. How did you know, Hongjoong?"

"I guessed when you told me her name. San told me how she had died of an accident and had amnesia, and I could remember hearing something about a senior here who had died in a car crash. So I put 2 and 2 together and here we are."

"But, this doesn't help much, right? We only know that she was a student here. What's this got to do with how she died, and why she is still here?"

"There were rumours circulating her death," Hongjoong sat back, "Her father was a prisoner falsely accused of some crimes, and she was trying to get justice. I talked to some of my senior friends, who had been her classmates, and they told me that she had started receiving some threats."

"And they must have given all this information to the police too?"

"Yes," Hongjoong nodded, "Now you know her identity. You can talk to her friends, go to her home, and finally help her move on."

San felt his heart sink as he looked at Seohyun. They both were thinking the same thing. Seohyun had grown very attached to her and she did not want to do this. She gulped, and nodded slowly.

"Of course. I guess I should thank you..." As the words left Seohyun's mouth, Hongjoong heard something bitter in her tone.

"Did I do something wrong?" Hongjoong asked, and Seohyun didn't reply, only shook her head no, and San shushed Hongjoong, mouthing that he'd explain later. Seohyun got up abruptly, her bag falling off from the chair. But she didn't hear it. She couldn't see anything, couldn't hear anything.

"I need some air," she muttered and rushed out of the classroom, leaving the boys staring.

"Shit," San clicked his tongue, "You did the right thing, Hongjoong, but you have to understand. Jiwoo is her friend. A sister to her. If she moves on... I should go after her."

"Are you sure I did the right thing?" Hongjoong asked him as he gave him space to move. San nodded and went after Seohyun.

"It looks like there's more to the story than she lets on," Yeosang commented. Hongjoong only looked at the door. It did seem like it.

San ran around the 1st floor where their class was, then went downstairs, hoping she was somewhere here. After checking the empty rooms, he went outside, towards the lawn, and found a figure sitting near a tree, staring in the space. He narrowed his eyes, then spotted the cat wandering around her, and his shoulders sank in relief.

He wasn't sure if he was the right person to be there. Surely Seonghwa could comfort her better. Or Yunho. But he was the only one other than Seohyun who would miss Jiwoo. He could relate to her, somewhat. So he decided to sit down beside her.

As he did so, he realized she was shaking. San looked at her worried. "Seohyun? Are you alright?"

Seohyun couldn't breathe. She was having some sort of an attack, like the ones she had about two years ago. She heard San alright, but she was afraid if she spoke, she'd cry.

"Here, have some water," San uncapped the bottle and closed her hand around it, and she managed a sip then handed it back to San.

"This is about Jiwoo, right? She's your friend, and you don't want to let go of her. I understand, Seohyun."

Seohyun sighed, fisting her hands. It wasn't just about her. It was the flood of memories that had come crashing without a warning when she thought of Jiwoo disappearing.

San put his hand on hers, caressing it, hoping it would give her some sort of comfort. He looked at her. All her walls, her strong walls she put around her were breaking down. Her lips were parted and wobbling. She looked like she might cry any second.

"You want to talk about it?" he whispered, and she sighed, nodding, taking deep breaths. She wouldn't cry. Not right now.

"You know it. I have grown attached to Jiwoo. Hell, she practically lives with me. I shouldn't have allowed this in the first place. I knew she was going to move on someday, yet I grew emotionally attached to her. I'm so weak."

"You're strong because you helped her too. She had no memories. How do you think she would have felt if not for you? She couldn't even go to her family or friends. You became that for her."

"I know," Seohyun bit her lip. "It's not just that. It's... I- I had someone. Like her. He and I... We were close. And one day, he was gone-" She bit her lip again, taking a deep breath.

"It's okay. You had no one then, right? You have us now. You have more friends than you could have ever thought of. You're so brave, Seohyun," San said, putting an arm around her shoulder, rubbing her back as he smiled. "You're one of the strongest people I know. We're both going to miss Jiwoo, but we have to help her move on. You don't want her to stay here too long now, do you?

Seohyun shook her head. San smiled again as she looked at him, making her smile a bit too. "There. We'll send her off with a celebration, okay? No more sadness. Okay?"

"Okay," Seohyun smiled. She could do that.

"Let's get back to class," San said, getting up first then helping her up. She dusted off her clothes and they walked in comfortable silence back, though San had to admit he felt weird. His heart... wasn't acting right.

Hongjoong casted a cautious glance at Seohyun as she entered, but she passed a little smile as she settled. Yeosang looked curiously at her, and she made a face.

"Is something bothering you?" Yeosang finally asked. He watched as Seohyun sighed. Sometimes it felt to him like she was carrying the weight of the whole world on her shoulders. Like she would bend under the pressure.

But she was strong too. She passed a little smile and said, "Yes. I'll talk about it later."

Yeosang just nodded, watching her curiously as she stared at her notebook. And then she sat back in her seat, staring at San.

---------------

"You're telling me that I was a student here? That this is a big, big 'coincidence' that you had to transfer, of all the schools in the city, right here?"

"For the hundredth time, Jiwoo, yes. I know you think I transferred here on purpose, that I somehow found about your life and didn't tell you, but believe me, this is a big, big coincidence." Seohyun replied, looking at San for help.

San shrugged, saying, "The way you're always hanging around Seohyun, when do you think she even had the time to plot this?"

Seohyun clapped her hand, smiling approvingly at San. "See? I told you he isn't that dumb. That is a great point, San." She watched as San shook his head, the faintest trace of smile on his lips.

The three of them- with the cat, of course, had this meeting in the same park that Seohyun and San had once teleported in. It had took a few days for Seohyun to finally settle with the fact that yes, Jiwoo was going to move on. But it won't be like before.

Seohyun found herself thinking of that time. The piano. His slender fingers gracefully playing music. His hands guiding hers across the keys. His contagious laugh. His deep eyes, covered by dark tendrils of hair-

"Earth to Seohyun?" Jiwoo was clapping in front of Seohyun now and she blinked. She cast a quick glance at San, who was watching her more confused than curious.

"Yeah. I'm back. What are you planning?"

"I suggested we show her the photo. She might recognize some people from the photo." San said.

"Also, I walked around the school building a few times, and it did feel familiar. I thought it was just because it was a school and schools are, you know, pretty much built the same. But I would have the strongest of headaches when I walked there," Jiwoo admitted.

"A ghost having headaches? Here's something to tell Yunho," Seohyun thought out aloud, "Though one might think that death would relieve you of all worldly headaches..."

"It's probably because of my amnesia. But yeah, San's right. I'll have a look at the photo. I'll come to school tomorrow."

----------

"Wow, that's me," Jiwoo gasped.

"Of course it's you," Seohyun muttered. Jiwoo ignored her and continued to stare at her picture. Seohyun cast a look at the boys. They were watching the book flip pages on its own, their mouths slightly open in surprise.

"She can hear us, right?" Wooyoung asked Seohyun, who wanted to make fun of Wooyoung but wasn't quite in the mood. She was more busy thinking if Jiwoo would indeed remember something.

"Come closer, Jongho. We're still in class, no one should see the book moving on its own," Mingi motioned with his hand.

"No one is looking unless you start acting weird," Yeosang commented.

"I'm having the worst headache right now. Is this normal?" Jiwoo asked.

"You're a ghost, unnie. Nothing's normal about you."

Jiwoo tsk-ed at her and then looked at Hongjoong. "He should know something about where exactly I died. If it was an accident, I might be able to remember something."

"Not sure if that would work," Seohyun's mood was very gloomy. San shook his head at her, and she sighed before asking Hongjoong if he knew something about where she had died.

Hongjoong, to Seohyun's dismay, said he'd find out in a minute. It looked like he texted one of his friends, and while they were waiting for an answer, San told the boys what was happening just so they would stop asking after each second.

Seohyun caught Hongjoong glancing at her, as if trying to convey a message. Seohyun understood and casually checked her phone, indeed finding a text from Hongjoong, which read:

There's a possibility that her death might not have been an accident

Seohyun frowned. Was she murdered? Or did she commit suicide? She felt as if it would hurt Jiwoo no matter the answer.

What do you mean?

Hongjoong replied:

I'll tell you later.

With that, Hongjoong told Seohyun out loud that his friend would have to ask around for the address, and that settled it. Jiwoo announced that she was gonna roam around the school again, and maybe that would make her remember something too. She asked San to remind Hongjoong to find out her home address too. That would certainly spark a bulb, if nothing else.

As soon as Jiwoo walked out of their classroom, Hongjoong brought everyone closer. "My friend gave me the address. It's near a restaurant here."

"Why didn't you tell Jiwoo?" San asked.

"When Jiwoo passed away, her friends were told that it was an accident. But according to my sources, they say she was out with some of her friends. They had somehow gotten in an argument, causing her to flee and accidentally crash with a car."

"So it is an accident, right?" Seonghwa asked.

"That's the thing. Some people say that one of them pushed her in front of the traffic, and that they are all covering it up. We have got to find out what happened. Before we tell Jiwoo."

Seohyun pursed her lips. This is not how she thought it would have turned out. Sure, most of the ghosts she dealt with had usually been murdered. But that didn't make hearing any of this easier.

"Alright, we will find out. We need to distract Jiwoo. San, you'll help me out, right?"

"Of course," San said, sitting straighter. Seohyun laid out their plan; they were gonna divide into two. San, Wooyoung, Yeosang and Jongho would lead Jiwoo to a false address, somewhere far from where the rest of them were going to go and actually investigate what really happened. If she had died in a car crash, however that happened, the people around would remember and would be able to recall the incident.

After school, they told Jiwoo that she would go with San to check if that was the right place, since Hongjoong's source could be 'unreliable'. Meanwhile the rest of them were going to find out her home address by asking around. Jiwoo didn't suspect them thankfully, and gladly went along with them.

"I have the home address too," Hongjoong said, "It's on the way to the restaurant. We should pass by there too."

"Yeah," Seohyun muttered. "Do you think I should talk to her family too?"

"I think you should, but after we visit the restaurant. That would certainly give us more information. because all you have now is nothing about the real Jiwoo."

"Point." Seohyun thought it was kind of ironic. She knew nothing about how Jiwoo would have been when alive. The thought of it made her heart twist with pain.

As they walked to the site, Seohyun was so lost in thought that she didn't see the rest of them exchange nervous glances. They all realized that Jiwoo had been her only friend for a good while. And they could definitely see how difficult it was for Seohyun to let her go.

"Can I ask you something?" Seonghwa finally said.

"Whenever someone asks me if they can ask me something, it's usually going to be something about my personal life. Go ahead, shoot."

Seonghwa shook his head. "How many ghosts friends did you have to let go of?"

Seohyun stopped in her tracks. It took her a second before she started walking again. "That is a very good question, Seonghwa."

Mingi and Yunho exchanged looks. They knew she always made remarks like these when trying to avoid something. "Jiwoo has been your friend for a few months. It must be hard for you."

"It is, actually," Seohyun admitted. "And most of my friends, sadly, have been ghosts. They're a better company. I sharpen my dark humor on them. I make a lot of dead jokes, if you haven't noticed that already."

"I did," Mingi raised his hand, smiling sheepishly. "Knowing you can actually see ghosts makes them more funnier."

"I know," Seohyun smiled back.

They finally reached the restaurant. It was a traditional one, with tables set outside as well as inside. Potted plants made for most of the décor, a stark contrast to the mauve and white theme, and the scent of spices filled the air.

Seohyun's eyes traced what could have been a possible path; Jiwoo walking out of the door, a car speeding forward-

"How do you suppose we're gonna find some information? We can't just go and ask them to show us the CCTV footage or something," Yunho said, looking pointedly at the camera.

"We won't have to," Hongjoong said, "We just have to make up a good story. Come on, we're eating something from here."

"Really, Hongjoong? Do you think we have the time?" Seohyun asked.

"Trust me. Come on," Hongjoong said, not waiting for them and walking inside. They seated themselves in the corner, and a waiter came to take their order. After ordering some barbeque, Hongjoong told them that he was going to ask for water while they would be in the middle of eating, and they would start talking about the incident. When the waiter comes, he would hear them talk about it, and provide his comments on the topic without asking.

"If I was the waiter, I'd kick you out," Seohyun said, sitting back and folding her arms, making the rest of them snicker.

"This works every time," Hongjoong said, his eyes glinting with challenge, as he mirrored Seohyun's pose.

"And what if he doesn't talk?" Seohyun asked.

"In that case, I have a backup plan. I don't come unprepared." Hongjoong said, and Seohyun rolled her eyes, looking at Yunho who was sitting beside her.

"Is he always this confident about himself?" She asked.

"When he's sure, yes," Yunho nodded.

"Don't tell me he's a secret investigator or detective or something," Seohyun muttered.

"I could make some similar assumptions about you," Hongjoong muttered back.

"Shut up, blueberry."

"You should, you old-"

"Just because I have grey hair doesn't mean I'm old-"

"Stop it, you both," Seonghwa laughed. Hongjoong pouted. "But do you dye your hair?"

"Yeah. Some years ago I went blonde. Now I prefer the more... dead tones, if you will," Seohyun said, and Mingi grinned. "How's the drum learning going, Mingi?"

"Ah," Mingi sighed, "I still make do with boxes and plates. I think I could do a good freestyle if I had an actual drum set."

"I used to air drum all the time. You should drum along to some songs you like. Really helps."

"I'll try that," he smiled.

"When do you think you're showing us your music room?" Hongjoong asked.

"Not anytime soon," Seohyun said. Before Hongjoong could ask something, they saw the waiter come with their food. Hongjoong muttered ''play along' and started speaking.

"I've been wanting to try this place for a while now. But I heard there was some sort of accident here, so I couldn't come." Hongjoong widened his eyes in signal and Yunho began, "Oh I've tried, and I'll tell you, it's really good."

The waiter set their food, and Seohyun watched Hongjoong and Yunho go on about the restaurant, slightly amused. As soon as the waiter went, Hongjoong frowned at them.

"The three of you could have said something."

"This seemed more natural," Seohyun said. "Two guys raving about food. Nothing suspicious about that."

After a few bites of the amazingly juicy barbeque beef, Mingi asked for water. Hongjoong cleared his throat.

"I heard a girl died somewhere around here. They're saying it could be murder. People these days!"

"I'll tell you, sir," the waiter, a middle aged man with wrinkles around his eyes began, surprising Seohyun, "it was an accident. A bunch of students. The usual crowd. Had an argument and the girl went out in a rush- nobody followed. A few seconds later, we heard a horrible sound and screams. The people out there witnessed it."

"But why would people say she was pushed?" Seonghwa asked.

"People make all sorts of stories, girl," the man said, shaking his head in disapproval. "I was inside. I know none of the friends went after her. The crowd outside was too absorbed with their food. Nobody saw anything until the crash happened."

"Ah.. I see. So I guess since this was an accident, the matter cleared up quickly? With the police and all?"

"Of course," the man said, "they saw the footage. Nobody pushed her. A pity that people had to spread rumors like that. Didn't help us. Nobody came here for days."

"I'm sorry that happened," Yunho said, and Seohyun felt that he actually meant it. "I hope more people are coming here now, for the food."

"Oh we're getting back now. Enjoy," the man smiled at them and went away. They all looked at each other.

"So it's an accident. But this doesn't make sense," Seohyun said, "if she died because of her own mistake, why is she still hanging around?"

"Unfinished business?" Mingi suggested.

"Usually happens when someone is killed, but yeah. She must have made it to the hospital and lost her memories during treatment. That must mean she's holding a grudge, or actually has something so important to do that despite her memories being lost, somehow she stuck to this world."

"That makes sense," Yunho said.

They finished the food lost in thoughts, and decided that is that was the case, it was wiser to not talk to her family. She could be holding a grudge against them too.

Though they now knew how Jiwoo had died, and they were one step closer to sorting this all out, Seohyun felt dread creeping upon her.

-------------

"I can't believe you sent me to the wrong address!" Jiwoo exclaimed.

"It wasn't on purpose! Hongjoong's friend confused you with someone else. It seems like he deals with this kind of stuff often," Seohyun was nodding her head along, as if that could convince Jiwoo. "And anyway, at least it wasn't all a waste. We're going to the place where you died, are you sure you're ready?"

"Born ready," Jiwoo said, pumping her fist in the air.

"Born ready but-"

"Don't, Seohyun, just don't" San cut her off, shaking his head. Jiwoo laughed. Seohyun pouted but stopped.

The three of them were going to the place where Jiwoo had her accident. It was only yesterday that Seohyun had come with Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho and Mingi, and had falsely led Jiwoo to someplace else with the rest of the boys. Now, upon constant insistence of Jiwoo, the two of them decided they'd better take her.

It wasn't because Jiwoo threatened to summon a bunch of revengeful ghosts. Nope. It certainly hadn't been that.

"We're close now," San said, pointing ahead, "It's right across the road. You should start looking on your own now. Without distractions."

"Don't look at me, San," Seohyun muttered.

"You're right. You both can... wait for me here. I'll see if it rocks a memory," Jiwoo said, and went ahead, leaving the two of them watching her go.

"Do you think we should be there for her?" Seohyun finally asked, "The memories might be painful."

"I think she should just walk down memory lane. We'd only distract her. Going on her own is sure to bring back some memories."

"I still wonder what made her stay," Seohyun said, and San looked at her. It was one of those moments when she was not wearing a filter. San felt like he was intruding- it was rare to see her so... present. There.

"Have you dealt with many murder cases? Or suicide ones?" San finally asked.

"You think it's one of the two?" She asked.

"I think it could be something simple. I know if I died today, the only reason I'd hang here would be to say a final goodbye. That is, if I die suddenly."

"Believe it or not, those are the hardest," Seohyun turned towards San, "With other cases, it's usually finding justice, or personal satisfaction. But goodbyes are difficult. I wouldn't want that for anyone. It's harder for those who are living."

San narrowed his eyes at her for the briefest moment. It felt like sometimes she meant more with what she spoke. Like there was a backstory he did not know.

"It looks like you've had some experience with that," San asked cautiously. Seohyun bit her lip and he saw the slightest of tremble in her hand before she closed them in a fist. She was suddenly reminded of San's hand on hers comforting her.

"You're right, actually," Seohyun finally said, surprising San, "I'll tell you. I need to move on too."

"You don't have to," San assured, but she shook her head.

"His name was Joon Hyuk. It was two years ago. He and I used to go to the same music academy. We were only friends then, not close, until he passed away suddenly. He had a heart problem."

"I'm sorry to hear that," San said. He truly was. He couldn't imagine how he'd cope if one of his friends met the same fate.

"I was shook, but that wasn't the end of the story. He was hanging on because he wanted to say goodbye to his family. It took him a few days, and I helped him come to terms with his death. That's when we grew close. I used to be home alone, and we'd just sit in the music room and talk all night. He told me all about his life. I told him about mine. He taught me to play the piano." Seohyun shivered a bit but continued. "He said his goodbye, but he still didn't move on."

"Does that usually happen?" San asked.

"No. It was because he found something to stay for. Me."

The breeze made San shiver too as it settled in. His heart twisted with emotions he couldn't recognize. He wanted to comfort Seohyun somehow, but he stood frozen.

"Ironic, isn't it? He found something to live for when he had already died." Seohyun's lips quivered. She stared at the light bulb near her, hoping it would force back her incoming tears. This wasn't the time to cry. She looked at San and smiled, "I knew it was wrong. But I was so alone. I craved friendship. I craved love. And I got it for a while. It was short. He started to change. You remember the old man?"

San nodded. The man because of whom he could now see ghosts too.

"It's like the process sped up. He started to become bitter. It would come and go. When he was sane, I finally told him to move on before he became- that, before I had to force myself to send him away. And he did. Without a goodbye this time. I guess that was the only way he could manage it."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, Seohyun. I-"

San wanted to say so much but they heard a scream which was unmistakably Jiwoo's, and with a look at each other, they rushed to the source of the sound. They found Jiwoo clutching at her head, down on the ground

Seohyun rushed to her, sitting down and hugging her, muttering comforting stuff that San couldn't make out. He just stood and provided cover, hoping no one would notice Seohyun hugging the air.

It took a few seconds for Jiwoo to calm down, and when she did, she sighed loudly, looking at the sun.

"It's coming back," she announced. "I remember how I died. My own fault. How dumb is that?" She laughed.

"Glad to see you're back in your spirits," San scoffed.

"You, boy, have been making unintentional puns," Jiwoo scoffed back, making Seohyun grin.

"So how much do you remember?"

"It's coming back. You guys should go your own way. I'll just wait for it to come back. I think I know where to go too. I remember my home. I think- I think I know why I'm here too."

Seohyun and San shared a look. "You wanna tell us?"

"I gotta check something first," Jiwoo said, getting up and helping Seohyun up too. "Off you go."

"Weirdo," Seohyun muttered and Jiwoo just waved at her before she started walking. Seohyun was resting her hands on her hips, tapping her jeans, watching her go with a frown.

"IF YOU MOVE ON WITHOUT SAYING GOODBYE I'LL HUNT YOU EVEN IN THE AFTERLIFE OR WHEREVER IS IT THAT YOU GHOSTS GO!" Seohyun shouted at Jiwoo, startling San and the couple walking past.

"YOU BETTER HOLD A FREAKING FAREWELL PARTY THEN!" Jiwoo shouted back. Before Seohyun could retort, San took her by the arm and dragged her in the opposite direction, laughing and telling her she should stop before the whole neighbourhood comes out.

"I'll walk you home," San said. He wasn't sure if now was the time to leave Seohyun alone.

"If you insist," Seohyun said, and they walked in silence. San wanted to say something about how she had been wise to send Joon Hyuk off, something to comfort her, but he couldn't find the words. He was sure Seohyun would be too busy thinking about Jiwoo. He decided he'd walk in silence and let her sort her thoughts.

When they finally reached her home, Seohyun looked at San. "You wanna stop for some coffee? Maybe a snack?"

"Oh no, don't bother," San waved her off.

"I have chocolate chip cookies," Seohyun wiggled her eyebrows.

"That's not fair. Lead the way," he said, and Seohyun smiled in victory, letting him in.

Though the house looked plain from the outside, it wasn't such inside. It was well decorated, the brown and white reflecting the walls and the floor, and had an overall homey feel. Plus, it was quite spacious. No wonder she had a music room here.

San sat on the table in the kitchen, looking around while Seohyun made two cups of coffee. The refrigerator had fruit magnets with various lists sticking. Grocery, things to do. Doodles. San smiled. It really did look like Seohyun lived here. His eyes fell on her figure as she rocked back and forth, mixing the coffee. Her hair created quite a contrast with her navy blue shirt. The soft grey hair looked fluffy.

Seohyun turned around, catching San staring at her, and he shifted in his seat as Seohyun set the two cups and the cookies. San took one and bit into it.

"Oomph, that's delicious."

"Thank you. I made them."

"No way!" San was genuinely surprised. "I didn't know you liked baking."

"I like making food," Seohyun admitted, sipping the coffee.

"That sounds so mundane now," San laughed.

"What do you think I did at home? Made talismans?" Seohyun scoffed and San almost choked on his coffee.

"You surprise me everyday, Seohyun. We must look quite boring to you," San said.

"Well," Seohyun munched on the cookie, "You aren't boring. None of you are, actually. Why don't you tell me something I don't know about you then?"

"Well," San imitated Seohyun now, "I collect plushies. And I know taekwondo."

"That's... interesting. Taekwondo and plushies. Wow," Seohyun laughed. "Poor Shiber, I guess."

"HEY!" San frowned. "Your turn."

"I didn't realize we were taking turns?" Seohyun raised her brow but thought about it. "My favourite colour is blue."

"Mine's purple," San said. "I hate vegetables."

"Hard not to notice," Seohyun commented, biting into the cookie and thinking. "I want to be a musician."

"Cool. You can compose for us," San smiled and Seohyun smiled back mockingly.

A thought struck her. "Wanna see the music room?"

San raised his brows. "Can I?"

"If you want to?" Seohyun shrugged. "It's okay. That room needs air anyway."

"Alright then," San finished his coffee. Seohyun got up, her heart thumping. She was right. It was about time she opened that room for someone else. About time she let go too.

"Here we are," she said and fished out keys from her pocket (San thought she must carry them everywhere) and opened the room, turning on the light

It was gorgeous, San thought. A piano in the corner, a drum set in the other, couches as they entered, three different guitars hanging by the wall, a violin case resting on the table. The dim white lights made everything seem a bit eerie, but it smelled like roses, and indeed San noticed a scented candle on the table. It felt like a room full of memories.

"I do come in every now and then, but I don't really play anymore." Seohyun looked around.

"Can I see them?" San asked, and Seohyun nodded.

Seohyun watched as San examined the guitars then walked to the piano, running his fingers on the keys and making some sounds, then off to the drum set.

"I'd pay to see you play," he grinned.

"Oh you won't have to. I'll do that for free one day," Seohyun smiled.

"So you don't play anything anymore?"

"Just the violin sometimes. Or drums when I'm angry."

"Can I hear the violin?" San asked and Seohyun looked at him.

"Pretty please?" He made puppy eyes and Seohyun scoffed. "Now how do I reject that?"

Seohyun opened the violin case, saying something about how it's gonna be short. While she tested the strings and the bow, San sat on the piano stool nearby. Seohyun flipped her hair back and inhaled.

And then she played a tune so melodic, a tune so haunting that San wasn't sure if seconds had passed or minutes. He only saw her face, etched with the most emotions he'd seen on a single person. It was as if she was telling him a secret, baring her soul to him, and he just couldn't decipher it.

When she did stop, San felt short of breath. He just stared at her in awe and she came closer, already having put the violin back. "How was it?"

"That was... breathtakingly beautiful. You were amazing," San said and immediately felt like he should have said something more.

But she seemed to understand. "Thank you," she said. She was leaning against the piano. San got up and came closer.

"Thank you, Seohyun," he said, touching the tendrils of hair that fell on her shoulder, "For everything."

"I- I've done nothing," she almost whispered. San locked eyes with her, still playing with her hair, now his thumb caressing the soft skin of her cheek.

Seohyun stared back at the dark orbs, his gaze so sharp that a part of her wanted to run away but the other part wanted to never look away. San blinked once, then slowly, painfully slowly brought his face closer and kissed her cheek lightly, leaving her out of breath.

Thank you for playing for me," San said, "I'll never forget it."

And then he drew back, and Seohyun came out of the trance.

"If you sugar coat it so much I'll never bring you here again," Seohyun was smiling.

"Nah. Now I'll wait for the day you're angry," San winked, pointing at the drums. "I should give pointers to Mingi."

"HEY!"

prev - next

[abovethesmokestacks]

Hidden Love

Title: Hidden Love

Pairing: Bucky x reader

Word count: 2.2k

Rating: All audiences

Warnings: None. Or me, probably butchering the Victorian era. Also, you know, slight angst, because I can’t help myself

This story sparked from a moodboard I made a while back, of Victorian King!Bucky and maid!reader, and it kinda got away from me, as everything tends to do these days. And listen... I know. The term Victorian really only relates to the history of the United Kingdom during Queen Victoria’s reign, but please bear with me on this and suspend belief and step into a world where during this era, Bucky is king, and enjoy the stay.

The sounds of crystal clinking together should be like silver bells carrying over the din of hushed conversation, but to his ears, it's like nails on a chalkboard. The food before him is rich and each bite seems to swell in his mouth, forced down in thick swallows and gulps of wine. His cheeks hurt from smiling, and his feet itch to leave, to stand up and walk out. He could.

"More wine, your highness?"

He could, he is king.

The server's voice is low, bowed down appropriately to only be heard by him. He shouldn't have another glass, for the sake of his mental faculties. He should, to keep up appearances. He can already sense his mother's eyes on him, the calculating gaze he has known his entire life. The dowager queen, a mother only as it serves her image in the kingdom than anything else.

"Everything all right, James?" she asks, and oh, that tone is deceptive. Kind on the surface, but weighed just so with the barest hint of concern to draw the attention of the other guests.

He wants to grimace, his name sounding contrived and wrong in his ears, granted with the weight of legacy, set aside for a few blessed years of childhood and then thrust back upon him when illness took his father and forced him back into a mold he would much rather escape. The coronation had his stomach in knots, a chill persisting in his bones and a simmering dread as he was crowned - anointed by God, what god would place their faith in someone so flawed as man? - His Majesty James, by the Grace of God, King of the Nation, Defender of the Faith.

"Nothing, mother. Pondering my choice of drink."

He tries for amicable, jovial. It is the annual Christmas feast, why shouldn't he be happy? His mother quirks an eyebrow, holding his gaze just long enough for the hairs on the back of his head to stand on end before her eyes glide from him to take up the conversation she left.

Some defender of the faith he is, he doesn't even have faith in himself.

An eternity seems to pass as dishes pass before him, plate after plate until he feels nauseous. Around him, the atmosphere has relaxed, emboldened by wine and spirits, and even his mother is no longer sparing him a glance to keep track of him. Somehow, he would have thought being king would have meant finally being free of her shadow, but she is still there. No longer a shadow, but a presence right behind him, a metaphorical foot on his robe to remind him of his place, and hers. He wonders if anyone has noticed that his glass of wine has not been refilled in a long time, that he has been nursing it steadily and that his boisterous laughs have all been hollow.

He could leave, but not without drawing attention. Just a little while longer. He glances at the opulent grandfather clock, feels its ticking like a heartbeat. Not yet. Not yet. Not yet.

Each tick of the clock is an endless journey. Through rigid traditions, glasses of brandy, sweet sugarplums and fragrant pines, all he can feel is the passing of time, one second after another without an end in sight. Gifts are exchanged, crackers pulled with cloying glee and he feels more like a fool than a king when one of the footmen is coaxed into slipping the thin paper crown on his head. His mother bows out with effortless grace, sparking hope that maybe, just maybe, he can make his escape.

"Let me accompany you, mother," he asks, begs, voice low as he stands up to offer his arm for her.

Take it. Please, for the love of all things good and holy, take it.

Her smile is not exactly smug, but it hides a kind of joy that he thinks must be sour.

"Nonsense, my dear. Don't leave on my account, stay, be merry."

It's loud enough to be heard, for plenty of people to hear her deny him his exit under the guise of a mother not wanting to spoil her son's fun. He tries not to let his gaze harden or his forced smile to weaken, instead kissing his mother's hand and bidding her good night. Propriety will keep him here another hour at least. The clock ticks, chipping away at the span of time before he can have his freedom.

He thinks he might finally be going out of his mind when the clock strikes midnight. His other guests are either half-asleep, lulled by brandy and the late hour, or eagerly playing cards for the trinkets they received in their crackers. Enough. He takes his leave, wanting to roll his eyes at the hasty displays of respect and deference. No matter. He is free. A quick trip to fill up a plate from the abandoned dinner table, something for the road, as he jests with his escort. The palace is quiet when they traverse the corridors to his private chambers, their footsteps echoing ominously with nothing but a candelabra to light their way.

"I think I'll manage myself tonight," he tells his escort when they're outside his door. "Go sleep, I won't tell on you."

They put up the token protest, but still leave, hastening down the dark hallway while he lets himself in. The world feels more manageable inside. It's still a constant reminder of his privilege, of the opulence of his station, but it's his. No one can enter without his permission, no one can disturb him without just cause. Sometimes he wishes this was his entire kingdom.

Setting down the plate on his bed, he loosens the ascot, glad to be rid of the strangle-like hold around his neck. Off with the tailcoat, unbutton the waistcoat. Breathe.

Thunk.

He whips around, gaze falling on the large armoire in the corner. The silence that follows is deafening, but he knows what he heard. With a smile curling his lips, he swipes a treat off the plate, hiding it behind his back while he closes the distance, pulling the doors open in a rush, only for his ears to ring with a piercing shriek.

"Hush! Good god, you'll wake the entire wing, calm down! It's just me!"

The girl cowering into the corner of the armoire claps her hands over her mouth, eyes that had only moments ago been wide with fear now glaring at him as she breathes  through her nose to calm down. It’s strange, how his heart beats quicker, how the heaviness of his mind lightens under her fierce gaze. Years ago, they met by accident, he was still prince, young and cocksure, and she was, as she is now, a maid in the vast household that served his father the king. It wasn’t prudent, but he enjoyed giving her his attention, little flirtatious exchanges that somehow grew into a tender love with stolen kisses in hidden nooks. She has never asked for anything, much as he has offered to help her. She has declined promotions, slapped him for trying to sneak a small pouch of coins into her apron, made him promise not to do anything that would change her status in or outside the court.

He extends his hand to her, helping her up and out, twirling her around the room, making the skirt of her black dress flare around her, and his soul soars at the way her face settles into a sweet smile. With an exaggerated bow, he holds out his hand with the hidden treat, a sugar plum. She plucks it from her hand, delight colouring her features as she takes a small bite. 

“I thought you were…” she begins, swallowing before dropping her gaze, slipping the rest of the sugarplum into her apron pocket. “I wasn’t sure you were alone. I wasn’t… I wasn’t sure if you would come.”

They come to a halt by the window of his room, and instinctively, he positions his back to the window, protecting her presence with the frame of his body. This may be his private quarters, but the palace has eager eyes and ears.

“My mother.” 

It’s answer enough. Their love lives in the shadows, in the small kingdom of his room, in the hidden passages of the palace and with notes tucked into cracks only they know about. His heart aches, because she deserves so much more, wishes the world knew about this generous soul that holds his heart in her palms, whose smile lights up his presence even during his darkest days, who will take nothing but the reassurances of his affections and the kisses he bestows freely.

“I came as quickly as I could,” he adds, bringing up her hands to kiss her knuckles. They’re cold, worn from hard work, but he loves them as dearly as the rest of her.

“She knows.”

It’s simple. A statement, not a question, and her hands slide from his grip as she takes a step back.

“We don’t know that. She enjoys tormenting me, we’ve known that for quite some time. And even if she knows…” He closes the space between them again, wraps her up in his embrace, and nudges her chin to make her look at him. “Even if she knows, she won’t do anything overt. She can’t.”

“She’s the-” his love starts, eyebrows knit together, mouth set in a way that he knows she won’t let this go.

“She thinks she owns me. She thinks she controls me. In her eyes, I am as much a servant to her as anyone on staff. And I’m happy to let her keep her delusion, if it means I get to be with you, if it gives me time to…”

“To what?” she asks, tilting her head. “If it gives you time to do what, Bucky?”

To fight for that, he wants to say. His nickname, falling sweet from her lips and making him feel like a person. It’s a treasure from those happy childhood years, when he’d only hear it from his string of governesses and teachers, a concession to play pretend at a normal life. It felt like stepping out of a pleasant dream when he had to leave it behind, had to step into the heavy legacy of James, into the title of king. He looks at her, the only one to call him Bucky these days, and feels courage rise with the beating of his heart.

“To figure out a way for us to be together,” he tells her resolutely, continuing on his next breath. “We’ll go away, I’ll make sure we’ll have means to live until we can settle down. We’ll go far away, we’ll cross the sea if we have to.”

He twirls them around in a dance, away from the window, away from vulnerability of unseen eyes. Away. Gone. Together.

“Bucky…”

“We’ll live in a cottage, you and I. I’ll… I’ll learn a trade. I can tend horses. I can hunt. We’ll have a life that’s… that’s ours.”

“Buc- Your highness!”

The title cuts him down, poleaxes him and pulls him out of the dreams like someone has poured a vat of cold water on him. She’s no longer in his arms, once again removed, three solid paces between them, and she looks so small, so despairing, hands folded in front of her. This time, she finds her voice before he can find his.

“I can’t ask you to do that. You’re king. You… You have responsibilities. You have a realm that depends on you for guidance and rule. You can’t just… I’m no one. I’m not important. I’m- You are king, and kings marry queens and live happily ever after. I don’t fit into that story, your highness.”

He takes a step forward, she takes another step backwards. Even so, it hurts more to hear the way she talks about herself, makes herself small while he grows to something fabled and grand, when truth be told, he feels like all this time, he’s been walking on stilts and wearing a costume to hide the person he really is.

“Neither do I,” he starts, winces inwardly at how trite it sounds. “I didn’t want this. To be king, I mean. It’s not for me. I don’t care for politics and mind games, I don’t care for frivolousness and rigid customs. This is a prison to me. It’s beautiful, and grand, but it’s a gilded cage nonetheless. Outside this room, away from you, I am not myself. I am weak. I am a pawn in a game. My desires don't matter. You…” He takes a careful step forward, hope springing when she stays where she stands, “are everything I want. Everything I need.” Another step. “And I will do anything to be with you, anything to make this my story. I’ll bide my time, I’ll weigh my options, I’ll make every preparation, but one day…”

Another step. He’s back in front of her, and though she avoids his eyes, she’s not running, not putting distance back between them.

"Your highness…"

“My love,” he interrupts, offering her the depth and width of his affection, his voice low and ardent as he kneels before her, prostrating before the only person worthy of him. “My sweet, my… my everything. One day, I’ll find a way for us to be together.”

[emotionalsupportshelby]

So I'm a musical theatre STAN, that and Peaky Blinders... My brand..

Here are some songs that remind me of Peaky Blinders

Solidarity - Billy Elliot: "solidarity solidarity solidarity forever, we're proud to be working class, solidarity forever"

The Money Kept Rolling In - Evita: "And the money kept rolling out in all directions, To the poor, to the weak, to the destitute of all complexions, Now cynics claim a little of the cash has gone astray, But that's not the point my friends"

Good For You - Dear Evan Hansen:(EVERYONE at Tommy in the last scene of 3x6/first scenes in 4x01)

"Does it cross your mind to be slightly sorry? Do you even care that you might be wrong?Was it fun? Well I hope you had a blast while you dragged me along. And you say what you need to say. And you play who you need to play. And if somebody's in your way Crush them and leave them behind, Well I guess if I'm not of use, Go ahead, you can cut me loose, Go ahead now, I won't mind"

Hopelessly Devoted To You - Grease: (Lizzie)

I know I'm just a fool who's willing, To sit around and wait for you, But baby, can't you see there's nothing else for me to do? I'm hopelessly devoted to you

All I've Ever Known - Hadestown: (Tommy after spending the night at Grace's house in 1x5)

All I've ever known is how to hold my own But now I wanna hold you, too You take me in your arms And suddenly there's sunlight all around me, Everything bright and warm, And shining like it never did before, And for a moment I forget, Just how dark and cold it gets

My Shot - Hamilton (Tommy?)

So there will be a revolution in this century, Enter me, he says in parentheses, Don't be shocked when your history book mentions me, I will lay down my life if it sets us free, Eventually, you'll see my ascendancy, Rise up

I imagine death so much it feels more like a memory When's it gonna get me? In my sleep, seven feet ahead of me? If I see it comin', do I run or do I let it be? Is it like a beat without a melody?

Wait For It - Hamilton:.

Love doesn't discriminate, Between the sinners and the saints, It takes and it takes and it takes, And we keep loving anyway, We laugh and we cry and we break, And we make our mistakes, I am the one thing in life I can control, I am inimitable, I am an original

That Would Be Enough - Hamilton (Lizzie)

Look around, look around, Look at where you are, Look at where you started, The fact that you're alive is a miracle, Just stay alive, that would be enough, We don't need a legacy, We don't need money, If I could grant you peace of mind, If you could let me inside your heart, Oh, let me be a part of the narrative, In the story they will write someday, Let this moment be the first chapter, Where you decide to stay

Non-Stop - Hamilton :

How do you write like you're running out of time? (Running out of time?) Write day and night like you're running out of time? (Running out of time?) Every day you fight, like you're running out of time, Like you're running out of time, Are you running out of time? Awwww! How do you write like tomorrow won't arrive?How do you write like you need it to survive?How do you write every second you're alive?Every second you're alive? Every second you're alive?

It's Quiet Uptown - Hamilton

There are moments that the words don't reach, There is suffering too terrible to name, You hold your child as tight as you can, And push away the unimaginable, The moments when you're in so deep, It feels easier to just swim down, The Hamiltons move uptown, And learn to live with the unimaginable

Do You Hear The People Sing - Les Misérables:

Do you hear the people sing? Singing the song of angry men? It is the music of the people Who will not be slaves again! When the beating of your heart, Echoes the beating of the drums, There is a life about to start When tomorrow comes!

Someone Gets Hurt - Mean Girls:

Was I a game to you? Was I way too cool? I truly cared, Was I the fool? It's fine for you, It's fine to flirt, It's fine, 'Till someone gets hurt 'Till someone gets hurt, Feel my heart beating? I'm just like her or you, People forget I'm human too, Yes, they do that

The World Will Know - Newsies

Pulitzer may own the world, but he don't own us, Pulitzer may own the world, but he don't own us! Pulitizer may crack the whip, but he won't whip us, Pulitizer may crack the whip, but he won't whip us! And the world will know, We been keepin' score, Either they gives us our rights or we gives them a war, We've been down too long, And we paid our dues, And the things we do today will be tomorrow's news

Heart Of Stone - Six (HEAVY Grace vibes)

You've got a good heart, But I know it changes, A restless tide, untamable, You came my way, and I knew a storm could come too, You'd lift me high, or let me fall, But I took your hand, promised I'd withstand Any blaze you blew my way, 'Cause something inside, it solidified, And I knew I'd always stay..... Soon I'll have to go I'll never see him grow, But I hope my son will know, He'll never be alone, 'Cause like a river runs dry And leaves it's scars behind, I'll be by your side, 'Cause my love Is set in stone

[song-of-kalinaw]

BASIC INFORMATION

Human Host

Name: Lilith Selene Lair

DOB: October 16, 1996

Ethnicity: Korean-American

Eye color: Dark Brown

Hair: Black, waist length

Occupation: Socialite, Empire Heiress

Current Location: Seoul, South Korea

Demoness

Name: Lilith

DOB: [information redacted]

Origin: Garden of Eden

Entity type: Original Succubus

Eye Color: Black Onyx

Hair: Black, waist length; morphs to preference

Current Location: Seoul, South Korea; Interuniverse travel

PERSONALITY

Human Host

Lilith Selene Lair, the mute heiress to the Lair Group of Companies, has her life planned out for her even before she was conceived. But after being born with a heart problem and spending most of her childhood in the hospital with only her brother as company-- she was known in their circle as the quiet princess, not just because of her mysterious mutism but because of the timid personality she adapted after her stay in the hospital.

She can be seen mostly keeping to herself but come forums or parties organized by her family or their friends, Lilith can play quite the host with her handy tablet always ready with a funny retort or an interesting inquiry. The heiress is also fond of kids and pets, which is why on warm afternoons or in the early mornings, she'll visit the park in their gated community to watch the toddlers play or pet a dog or two.

In her free time, she mostly stays indoors in the estate library poring over books or in her sunroom, just painting landscapes or abstract art she wishes to share with her brother in the slim chance he'd remember her.

Demoness

Lilith, the mother of demons and Adam's first wife, has learned to love partying. She would internally roll her eyes and offer snide remarks at her human host whenever the latter would attend functions and formal dinners-- the elegance wasn't lost on her, but after centuries of holding court at Pandemonium, the formal parties has simply grown to bore her.

On the chance that her host would slip and unleash her, the demoness always finds her way to bars and clubs, just taking her fill of alcohol and sex; creating an underground image for the heiress. Reckless and determined to have her moments of fun, Lilith would sometimes even alter her host's appearance so she can disappear to some random country or hop in a lover's yacht and not show up for days or weeks at a time, feigning sickness with the help of her human doctor friend.

BACKSTORY

trigger warning: description of rape, cursing, violence, death disclaimer: this story was written in the point of view of lilith (the human host) and lilith (the first woman, mother of demons). God and adam was depicted here as what the writer assumes is how lilith (the first woman) saw them. please don't take offense in the story Her first memory came in a flash of light before her eyes, mere moments before she heard the beeping of machines and the antiseptic in the air fills her nostrils. She's back on her hospital bedㅡ and it feels wrong, like she shouldn't be there. Wearily, Lilith opened her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting of her hospital room. The familiar surrounding easing her worries, which if she takes time to think about is actually sad on her part. She's spent more time in this ward than on her wing in their estate. A depressing thought considering it's not something any teenager can normally stay. Unfortunately for her, normal has never been part of her upbringing, which also could be the reason why its her brother, Lucien, standing by her bedside with... wait, is that blood? She reached out, earning herself a smile from her beloved brother, but when she tried to speakㅡ panic came over her body, her lips were forming words but only incoherent sounds seem to slip out. I can't speak. What's happening to me? Her panicked gaze find Lucien's, frantic tears already rolling down her cheeks. Brother, help! was what she wanted to scream but no words escaped her mouth. And amidst her confusion and panic, a voice at the back of her mind demands her to shut up. Whose subconscious tells them to shut up? Her confusion at this new development was enough to abate her tears and panic. But instead of getting an answer, not that she was expecting one, a wave of new memories washed over her. In quick succession, flashes of memories flooded her mind resulting to a terrible headache coupled with the erratic beeping of her heart monitor. It felt wrong, as if they are a memory of someone ancient and yet she's looking at them from their perspective. She saw a blazing warm light together with the sound of birds chirping and the smell of crisp summer air. There was a man with her, holding her a hand... and another, who felt like he could be their Father. Came the next memory, it was of her and their Father. Somehow they were talking about Adam and how he wanted to sleep with her. She came to their father because it felt wrong somehow. She was happy just helping around, caring for the animals and plants. But now... The memory faded into black but the unsettling feeling at the pit of her stomach remains. Who owns these memories? The next memory filled her with dread. It was her Adam on top of her, forcing her to submit, telling her it was their father's wishes. They needed to reproduce, he said. The Garden needs more caretakers and it is their duty to care for all that was created by the Father. Lilith was sobbing now, feeling her skull about to crack open from the sudden tsunami of memories. Is this a dream? She couldn't quite tell. Next came another memory, this time it was of her refusing Adam's advances. It felt as if some time has passed and she's now known how to stand for herself. And there on her periphery, children. The sight of them makes her heart full right before the memory fades. Lilith's feeling all the emotions associated with the memories even when they are not her own, but she somehow feels a connection with whoever is projecting them on her. Keep watching. You'll understand. Now she's hearing voices on top of the dreams but the sense of doom in the pit of her stomach and her growing hatred for the man she knows as Adam has kept her sobbing silently on her bed. She feels Lucien give her hand a squeeze, grounding her as another wave pulls her under. This time it was Adam pushing her down and forcing her legs open with his knees. She spat at him in disgust, mustering enough force to push him off their bed while she stands over him, foot pressing on the inside of the man's thighs. "Lilith,

you witch!", he grunted as she pressed the heel of her foot harder on his thighs. Who gave this man the idea that he can control everything? They were made from the same soil, the Father gave them life as equals and yet... Another memory surfaced, this one felt heavier than all the other that came before it. She's barely aware of Lucien shaking her awake, his voice laced with worry as her heart monitor gives a series of beeps. She heard a booming voice ordering the archangels after her as she fled through the dessert, towards the only salvation she's heard of: The Red Sea. No angel of the Father will dare cross the shallow waters without fear of falling from His grace. Adam has been using her children to keep her in The Garden and do his bidding, forcing himself upon her and expecting her to just bite her tongue and part her legs like a mindless whore. But she's grown tired of protecting his ego and the children she so dearly loved. Enough is enough. She'll come back for her children just as soon as she finds them a safe place to live, away from the judging eyes of the Father and the self-centered ways of Adam. But luck was really not on her side. As soon as her feet landed on the wet loam bordering her promised salvation, three archangels loomed over her-- all of them pointed spears of heavenly fire at her tired body, ordering her to go back and serve her husband. All will be forgiven, they said. But she's no fool to believe any of their words especially when its the Father that sent them after her. The same Father that she first ran to when Adam suggested they sleep together. The same Father she expected would protect her. No. She will not turn back now and have Adam control her life for the rest of their days in The Garden. She would rather die than serve an egomaniac who sees her not as an equal but as an object created for his own wanton needs. "We'll ask one last time. Come back with us to The Garden or the Father will kill a hundred of your children for each day you spend out of Adam's sights." At this, Lilith choked on a sob. She spent years taking all she could of Adam's and the Father's demands... would it be so wrong to choose herself this one time? With a heavy heart, she turned towards the cold and calculating gaze of the archangels. If she goes back, she will suffer by Adam's side and with him as role model, it won't be long until their children start to follow him by example- and that's the last thing Lilith would want for her children. "Tell your Father that I will never take a single step inside The Garden again, nor would I like to set my eyes on Adam. My children would be better off dead than be raised by someone more obnoxious than filth.", and with this, she felt her heart broke knowing the Father heard. The memory faded into darkness but the heaviness in Lilith's heart stayed, leaving her sobbing on the bed with that sense of impending doom. She knows that wasn't the end, for whoever was showing her the memories has only grown more aggrieved. Feel my pain, pet. That voice- filled with resentment and hate. She knows she should be familiar with the story unfolding in her head but somehow she can't recall who it was about. She finds herself gasping for air in between her sobs. Lucien cradling her in his arms. "You'll be okay, Lili." But somehow she can't find comfort in his words. Not this time. With these thoughts ringing in her mind, she was once again pulled under- a crushing feeling of hatred and need for revenge pressing in around her. She was standing on the same wet loam, The Read Sea a sprawling landscape before her. But this time no angels can be seen on the horizon. It has been years since her heart broke for her children, and she mourned their deaths. She still does. But no amount of mourning can ever get the pain of a mother losing her child off her chest. She will not rest until both Adam and the Father suffer from the things they've put her through. One thing she learned from denouncing the Father was that her original protection is gone. And that The Red Sea

is where all the lascivious beings gather- a vast majority of them giving her what she needs and satiating her hunger for the pleasures of the flesh. She'd have to thank the Father for her gift to procreate as more of her children grew from the seeds these monsters produce every time they bed her. It was on one of those nights, hundreds of her children sprung out from the seed her lovers released on the earth, that he came. She heard news of his fall- the brightest angel stripped of his rank: Lucifer Morningstar. Fate has brought them together, it seems. They spent nights creating more Children of the Lilim, hushed promises exchanged in the heat of passion. He promised her revenge and delivered, getting Adam and his new wife out of The Garden after one too many tricks to go against the Father. She enjoyed her time with him, even spent millennia ruling the pits by his side. But she got bored. Thinking of new ways to punish the damned has started to grow stale. And that's when Lucien has made a summoning. Her brother summoned a demon. But why? She felt chills run through her body. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear an answer. But of course, the entity responsible for the memories have other ideas. She's suddenly aware of herself instantly stopping from sobbing, an amused smile spreading over her lips as she pushes Lucien off her. She's aware of the motions but couldn't control any of them. Hush now, pet. I'll play nice with you, just don't do anything stupid. Without meaning to, she suddenly became aware that she's now a prisoner in her own mind. Or what used to be her mind. "Hello, Lucien." The voice that came out of her mouth was melodic, lilting in a way that makes it sound like she's about to sing a lullaby- and this made her brother smile. But I couldn't speak when I woke up. "That's right, pet. You can't. But I can." Her brother's eyes widened, "Lili... who are you talking to? Are you feeling alright?" He attempted to take her hand. "Should I call your doctor?" She wanted to scream yes- do anything to let him know of her presence. "Oh stop with your acting, boy. Don't pretend you're really concerned now when you've thought about her death countless times before." A childish giggle escapes her lips while she pulls his shirt open, displaying the pattern of blood on his pale skin. She finds his gaze then, understanding of the situation finally dawning on him. "What were you thinking summoning someone you have no idea of containing? Creative choice using your sister as host. I kind of like this youthful body." Lucien, what is she saying? You wouldn't... "Oh but he did, pet. That's why I'm here." Lucien's shoulders slumped, silent sobs wracking his body as the gravity of what he's done caught up to him. "Now, where were we? Oh right. The price for your stupidity." She claps her hands, like a child getting ready to unwrap her presents on Christmas morning. "First, your sister's voice. I'm not as heartless as you think so I'd let her play once in awhile but without her voice." She adjusts her body on the bed, mindlessly pulling at the tubes connecting her to the machines. "No soul shall hear her voice again, unless of course when it's my time to have fun with her body. A good deal, don't you think?" "Next Lucien, is the memory of something or someone you most treasure. We both know who that is." She means me. Lucien began to protest but was met with nothing bad a dismissive wave of her hand, "Now boy, who said this was a negotiation?" "You will lose her. But you will forever have the feeling of losing something you hold dear- that empty feeling in your chest that will only grow as time passes. It will consume you, dear boy. And the pits will be there once it does." And it was with these words and Lucien's pleading and guilt-stricken face, did her gaze start to darken- her consciousness getting lulled once again into slumber. You'll always look for him. And she knows she will. The worst kind of mourning after all, is when the one you lost is still alive but will never be back in your life again

no matter how much you wish for them to be.