#you know what? I generally do not gravitate toward celebrity AUs but this was super fun to think about!

[hardly-an-escape]

Car trip ask -- Dreamling

Famous Dream and Hob being chased by paparazzi; it's not fun as such, but they're laughing and running hand and hand to get back to their hotel

They'd made it almost the whole morning wandering around the city without being recognized, so Hob supposed he should be grateful. A few hours of peace – of precious normality – were a gift, after all.

And then the first of the paps found them, as Hob was ushering Dream out through the door of a cramped little bookstore, and then the resulting hue and cry spread down the crowded sidewalk like a miniature tsunami wave, and there were not only cameras but members of the general populace shoving their way into Hob and Dream's space.

"Well, that's torn it," Hob said, and offered Dream his hand. "Run?"

"How undignified," Dream responded dryly. But he took Hob's hand, as he always did, and they hurried down the street together.

As they always did.

Together.

Hob hadn't thought he would find love like this, not again. Not in his late thirties, and certainly not with a man. A man who'd also been married to a woman, who had also lost his wife and child in sad circumstances; who had also been, by turns, perturbed and baffled and ultimately delighted by the unexpected connection the two had forged between takes on a film set two years before.

Coming out, at that point in their respective careers, had not been an easy road. There had been pushback – both from their own people and from the public. There had been scandalized op eds published in gossip rags. Hob had had to bite his tongue on more than one red carpet when an interviewer asked them something a little too off-color (Dream had simply looked cold and imperious and stern, which he was very good at, and which was probably a more apt response, all things considered).

But even now, dodging photographers and pedestrians on the streets of New York, Hob wouldn't change a thing. Not a single blessed thing, because he had Dream's hand in his, and they were together, and they always, always would be.

They finally shook the photographers by doubling back through a busy bus stop, dodging down an alley, and walking on opposite sides of the street for a block and a half, before reuniting right in front of their hotel and slipping inside under the watchful eye of an impressively broad doorman.

They walked hand in hand across the lobby to the elevator. The receptionist gave them a friendly and professional smile, and Hob nodded gratefully in return. It wasn't until the elevator doors closed behind them that he let out the breath he felt like he had been holding for the past twenty minutes.

He would have felt self-conscious about it, were it not for the way Dream was letting out a similar exhale and melting against him as the elevator whisked them away to their suite on one of the upper floors.

"Do you ever regret it?" asked Dream suddenly.

Hob knew exactly what he was asking, and was having exactly none of it. He turned toward Dream and crowded him against the mirrored wall of the elevator, framing his narrow, noble face between his hands.

"Never," he said firmly. "Never, ever, for one singular second, have I regretted going after you." He kissed Dream once, firmly, on the lips, and a second time, more gently, just on the corner of his mouth. "I would live forever, if it meant I could spend it with you. In fact," he declared, "I plan to."

"You're going to live forever?"

"Yes." He kissed Dream again. Felt him melt just a little more.

"An eternity of this? Of running?"

"If necessary. Everyone does it. In some form."

The corner of Dream's mouth lifted. "You are not a sensible creature, Hob Gadling."

Hob laughed, throwing his head back, warm and fond and in love.

"I may be a fool," he said, as the elevator carried them ever higher. "But I've made up my mind."

come and drop a prompt in my inbox and I'll write you a drabble while I’m being a passenger princess on this road trip <3

[purplerose244]

Irrational - Chapter 5: I love you too much

HELLOOOOOOO!!! 🤩🤩

Here comes the fifth day of @spacecampweek with what is probably my favorite fic of the bunch! Little song-fic but not really situation in a normal world AU, where Krel is about to confess his feelings in a special way! 💕💕💕

Enjoy!! 😙

Summary: Prom is here at last, a night of entertainment, of happiness, to celebrate changes and the future. What better moment for Krel to finally express feelings that have been hidden for so long? Time to put those guitar lessons to some use...

Read it on the AO3

It was happening. No more holding back, no more thinking rationally about his chances without concluding a thing. Tonight, everything was going to change.

Prom had turned out to be an absolute oxymoron to walk into, between his deep appreciation for parties and his unsettledness at dealing with other people of different temperatures – or ‘cool’, as they liked to call themselves. Everyone was dancing like crazy, that was very good, and everyone was talking loud about nonsense, that was very not good. Adding to the unpleasantries was the music playing onto the stage, something pulsing yet in a hardly dynamic way. If this was another night, he would have liked to teach these people what real music sounded like and propose himself as a DJ, to properly say goodbye to Arcadia Oaks High. Then again, in another delson he would have not worn these kind of flashy clothes – he had lost the chance to call this a normal night the moment he had exited his house wearing a bow.

There was a lot of movement in the middle of the room, and in the middle some familiar faces. He could spot Jim’s questionable moves while Claire was laughing loudly with red cheeks, he could see Toby doing some robot moves while Darci danced along him, he managed to notice Aja spinning all over, between a super smiling Steve and an extremely radiant Eli.

It looked like they were all having fun, so much fun. Krel wasn’t… not yet.

“Hey Clint.”

He almost snorted at the sudden voice.

“Mary, I know you know my name at this point.”

“Whatever Kurt, whatcha up to?” The queen of the bees appeared in front of him, all sparkly in her pink shock dress. “Hank got all handsy, Dean is being shy, and that cute guy from Arcadia Oaks Academy that snuck in is being difficult. I’m up for some juice and it looks like you’re up to something.” And the queen of gossip too as well. She grinned at him, clearly playful. “Could it be you’ll stop being a wuss, at last? That would be nice!” He didn’t deny it. for a second. Big mistake, her eyes immediately widened, like she got struck by absolute knowledge. “Don’t tell me-”

He covered her mouth, realizing midway there that there was no point, the music was so loud it silenced everything. Despite that, he couldn’t bring her to say it. Not yet.

“Perhaps… maybe.”

Mary’s eyes turned into stars. She quickly wiped his hands off her.

“O-M-G, finally, I’ve been waiting for this for so long! Ha, I knew you were going to be the one to do it, Darci owes me five dollars! So does Logan! Pff, why was everyone betting on the space dork anyway… hey, what’s wrong?” She was perceptive. It happened after knowing each other for a couple of years. “Cheer up Kai.”

He laughed again. His chest felt like it was exploding, but in a good way. Seklos and Gaylen, for how long he had postponed what he was about to do, blaming time, work and consequences? It was terrifying in a way that was almost pleasant. Maybe. Perhaps.

“I am fine.” He swallowed, because of course the moment he had scanned the entire party, he had noticed it right away. Or rather, he had noticed a lack of him. “He… he is not here though.”

“He’s probably still bummed that he got into that accounting college his grumpy dad wants him to go but still doesn’t know about the engineering one.” Krel was holding his breath about that one too. Seamus had promised to be roommates in that case. Was it going to be weird if tonight wasn’t going to turn out the way he wanted? Was he going to be awkward around him? “Alright, I can smell burning thoughts, hashtag stopbeinganerd! You’re telling me you’re going to do it and I wanna know how, where and when, and if you try to chicken out now, I swear I’m gonna smash your precious guitar!” She sure knew how to get him riled up.

For the first time since he had come to this decision, Krel smiled, thinking of the backstage, the phases he had prepared into his head. He looked up, shaking his head.

“I believe that would be counterproductive for my plan.”

Mary’s mouth popped open, and if that wasn’t satisfying.

“No.”

“Kleb yes, I am not holding back.”

“That’s gonna be the bomb but you better don’t swoon anyone else, you dang charmer! I have all boy dates tonight and I wanna keep them focused on me only!” She giggled, patting his shoulder. “Just go for it, okay? You’re cool, even when you’re being a nerd.” It was as good of an encouragement as he could get right now. “Just wait until your dorky prince charming arri- Oh this is too perfect.” She was smirking, so much her makeup was scrunching up a little.

Krel didn’t have to turn around to know. He did it anyway.

What a view. This prince really wasn’t above physical appearance as he had first thought when he had arrived in Arcadia, powered by his absolute intellect, rationality, and general annoyance towards social interactions with amoebas. It had taken him a while, a whole while, to accept that even someone like him could get this soft inside.

Give then right time, and the right person.

Seamus was radiant, with the black jacket and the blue tie, with the polished shoes and the pulled back hair. From the relaxed eyes the discussion with his dad must had ended without a punishment, and he was actually smiling. Everything, he was so absolutely everything it made Krel choke up.

Mary was arching an eyebrow, although she most likely know what was going on. The prince swallowed, almost choking again, trying to keep his composure as usual.

Failing.

“… and… and you are absolutely sure…?”

“What in the world, Ken, yes! Yes he is completely head over heels for you, yes if you confess you bet your perfect grades he’s gonna reciprocate, yes the moment he will hear what you’ve prepared for him he might as well take a ring out of his pocket and propose in the middle of the dance room!” He grabbed his shoulders, shaking him a little. “You two are the absolute worst! C-bomb has actual guts to ask Jimmy Jam out, Darci and her Tobypie went for it naturally, even Steve is an idiot sometimes but not at dating and Aj and Eli practically gravitate around him! But you!!” She grabbed his collar, her stellar eyes turning into black holes. “You two are pining messes that I’m absolutely done with! So, I swear, Krel Tarron, if you don’t get on that stage and finally confess, you won’t have to make plans for college because this will be your last dance. Ever.” She could had stopped the threat at his actual name. That alone would have done it. Mary gave him the ‘I’m watching you gesture’, before backing down into the crowd without getting her eyes off.

Krel swallowed, nodded, watching her disappear into the party. Despite the dread of being murdered in cold blood being quite intense and even impressive, it was quickly washed away, as soon as Seamus looked at his direction with those blue eyes of him. There it was, that urge, that need to impress him somehow. It was their thing, the fulcrum of their rivalry that hadn’t stopped, even after years. The need to make the other break their mask of pride and turn it into amazement.

Bold enough, the prince grinned, winking at him. The way the blonde gaped warmed his heart. Was that pink on his cheeks? The lights were too strong and colorful, it was hard to tell.

Was it important? Not really. It was now or never.

Making his way towards the stage was a challenge itself, luckily his dancing skills were not to be ignored and swirling around these random kids was pretty easy and entertaining. The band was playing a pretty energetic movement, there was a keyboard player going absolutely nuts and a drummer doing their best. There was definitely something that could had been done to improve the whole performance – perhaps a few remixes on a DJ board, just saying –, but they were really into it. It almost felt bad going up there and show his own abilities.

Then again, Krel didn’t care.

He had a mission. With that determination in mind he immediately went behind the curtains of the stage, finding familiar locks of blue hair monitoring the situation. Having Douxie as the responsible one was still unusual, even though the ripped off pants and the numerous studs all over his suit were more likely. It probably wasn’t enough for him, he was tapping his foot over and over.

Krel cleared his voice, the older one turned, turning the frown into a smile.

“Krel, how’re you liking the show?” He snorted.

“Fine…” He really couldn’t help himself, it was too easy. “Would be better with some metal rock in it.” The smile was gone. Krel snorted again.

“Really, you’re going to put salt on it like that? Zoe already gives me a hard time because I didn’t get the Ash Dispersal Pattern to play here, don’t you get in the way too!” He turned to the band with a frown, shaking it. “‘Your music might not be a good example for the students’, fuzzbuckets, how old do you think these kids are?? Besides, how is techno a better alternative? Those moppets, I swear…” He muttered something under his breath, a curse most likely, then he sighed. “Alright, I’m fine. Extremely salty, but nothing a drink can solve later. I’m guessing you’re here to ask me something?” Perceptive. All of his friends had to be with him.

“Something like that, yeah…” He breathed in and breathed out, he was absolutely going for it but it didn’t make any of this easier for him. “Alright, I need a favor?”

Douxie smirked, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Oh yeah? You need a favor from this random guy who got nominated supervisor as cold comfort for not having his band play tonight? Little old me?” He snickered, shaking his head. “Should have thought before you came here to mock, shouldn’t ya?”

“Hisirdoux…”

“Nope, can’t let this one go, I’m out of patience tonight and I need to get at least one gratification. How about you apologize to me? I’ll even help, start with ‘You are the best guitarist I’ve ever known’ and… whoa, wait, what are you doing?” Was it a bluff? Krel was bowing already, but perhaps his brain was messed up tonight. “Dude, how are you actually doing it? What is this favor all about?” Oh. Right. He was the most prideful person on the planet. He had almost forgot.

Krel straightened up, shrugging a little. From the tone of the current song, it seemed that this band was almost done. He peaked from behind the curtain. Seamus was talking with Steve, giggling a little. The prince couldn’t help clenching his hand around the shirt over his chest. Ah, he wanted this, he wanted all of this.

He felt a familiar wave of warm. He turned back to the guitarist, and Douxie was gaping, blinking several times. It was probably clear.

“I want to make an exhibition.” His honey eyes widened.

“… yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“… alright then.” Douxie smiled, pointing at the backstage with his head. “Prepare yourself Lover Boy, I’m announcing you right after this.” If it wasn’t to preserve what was left of his pride, Krel would have hugged him. “Is it DJ Kleb time?”

Krel moved a few steps towards the back. He stopped.

“No,” He turned to the guitarist, smirking. “It is Krel time.”

 ***

 “Alright, give it up for ‘The Raise of the Titans’! Amazing performance you guys, can’t wait to properly see you on Wednesday!” Douxie always looked confident on stage, he was born to have the attention of a public. It was something he and Krel had in common. Right now though, there was only one look the prince wanted all for himself. “Hope you’re having a blast tonight! How’s prom going?” A cheer followed. “That’s great, because we have a special exhibition right now. A special song, for a special someone! Give it up for Krel Tarron!”

The wood under his feet made a sound after every step, it was drowned by the voiced in the crowd. It made him smile thinking how many people were going to be surprised by his presence, his appearance, and especially him appearing with a guitar instead of his beloved keyboard. There was a single stool in the middle of the place, with a microphone already adjusted for his high. He thought that really needed to thank Douxie after this, for everything, as he sat down with the instrument on his lap. He had accorded it while he was in the backstage, but out of habit he did it again, the sound reverberating into his mind. It was like a reality check, a call to the place, as he finally looked up to the public.

Aja looked close to crying, absolutely overjoyed. Mary was smirking so much her cheek looked like it was being pulled. Steve looked absolutely astonished. Toby was grinning impossibly wide. Eli had his glasses shining and a bit smile. Jim had amazed eyes over him. Claire looked ecstatic. Darci was giving him a thumbs up. Everyone was there, everyone.

And then there was him. Him, adorably confused and starstruck.

Krel grinned. I hope you are ready for this, you math blonde.

“This song is for a dear person to me. I have never been able to express my feelings properly before. I have never been particularly good at.” He let another note fill his silence, it made him smile again. “But I will not shy away from it, not anymore. I went through everything with you, high school, my problems, your problems, math and space and everything between,” There was no doubt, not anymore. “I want to go beyond now.”

His mind was peaceful, his body was burning. It felt like he had never been more alive before. His fingers knew what to do, that song was a part of him. He just took a deep breath, and let the music take over.

 I love you too much

To leave without you loving me back

I love you too much

Heaven’s my witness and this is a fact

I know I belong, when I sing this song

There’s love above love and it’s ours

‘cause I love you too much

 It used to be just him, his mind, and his sister. Them against the world, with a mother that wanted her to be proper, with a father that wanted him not to be him. Everything had turned out so badly at first without them, and so not badly after, to the point he had managed to make an actual life away from Cantaloupia. Then, the escape had become home. Then, it he had become the place where he had met the only guy that was ever going to make him feel.

It used to be just him, his mind, and his sister. Now it was him and his sister, friends and family, a home and the world, and so many feelings in between. This was the right place, this was the right time, this was the right guy.

It used to be just him, his mind, and his sister. Now he could hardly imagine himself without the blonde in the picture, the one that could cloud his mind and fill his heart.

 I live for your touch

I whisper your name night after night

I love you too much

There’s only one feeling and I know it’s right

I know I belong, when I sing this song

There’s love above love and it’s ours

‘cause I love you too much

 The two of them weren’t the easiest people to deal with, their lives weren’t the easiest lives to deal with. It had been because of a cruel game of destiny or a lucky shot from faith that they had found each other, Krel at Seamus’ door whenever he felt like he didn’t matter, and Seamus at Krel’s whenever he felt like exploding? Was it bad that in their worst some of their sweetest moments together were born? Was it bad that overwise they might had not become this much of friends?

They were living in a world that was cruel and unforgiving, with people even less likely to welcome them. Krel liked to think that by knowing each other, they had managed to overcome that obstacle, and meet also the people that were fine. That were okay.

They were okay. He was okay.

He had never forgotten that one moment of them, not once.

 Heaven knows your name I’ve been praying

To have you come here by my side

Without you a part of me is missing

Just to make you my own, I will fight

 The song was a tragically familiar one. During the worst of his pining, when he thought he was never going to be good enough for him, when he thought that he didn’t deserve to feel something this pure and breathtaking, this had always been the song. Shannon had taught him the first notes after she had gifted him the guitar after a curious sequence of events, and then Douxie had taken over teaching him all he had needed to know. It was all so familiar now he hardly had to think about how to move, where to put his fingers, if it was too strong or just okay. It was cheesy in a way he never thought he could possibly be, with feelings he never thought he could have.

Aja had always listened from her room, he knew she had even though she had never said it, because before going to sleep the same delson she had always come to hug him. Mary had always told him that playing a love song to cure his – stupid – pained heart seemed a little counterproductive. Maybe she was right. But even if everything was to end tonight, he didn’t care.

He liked love. He loved love. He loved Seamus.

 I know I belong

When I sing this song

There’s love above love and it’s ours

‘cause I love you too much

 Caught by the sudden burst into his chest Krel stood up, almost making his stool fall down. He didn’t care. Right there the crowd’s cheering came to his ears, and despite how much he wanted to scan the place and look for that familiar strawberry blonde mane in between, he forced himself not to. Not yet, not until he said everything, not until he was sure he had delivered everything he had inside. He shushed his mind and let the rest of his body sing.

 I love you too much!

I love you too much

Heaven’s my witness and this is a fact

You live in my soul, your heart is my goal

There’s love above love and it’s mine, ‘cause I love you

There’s love above love and it’s yours, ‘cause I love you

There’s love above love and it’s ours, if you love me…

… as much

 When the last note left his instrument, an urge to cry mixed to an absolute pride took over. He did it, he actually did it. In his mind the song was still echoing, beautifully in the open as it was always supposed to be played. He was drained and so, so happy.

Then, as his head finally allowed in something other than exhaustion, it finally hit him the amount of people that was watching, and how crazy there were going with that applause. It was reverberating all over, he was surprised he noticed it only now. Steve was holding onto Eli and Aja, every single one of them looked close to tears. Mary was shouting something to one of her current dates, pointing at the stage then back at her, probably something like “I know him, he’s my friend, he’s cool because I’m cool, good old Kevin”. Toby was jumping up and down, with Darci laughing and applauding. Jim and Claire were holding onto each other, clapping with fervor. It was good, everything was so good right now.

Finally, Krel allowed himself to look.

Right then, his hear broke.

He wasn’t there. Seamus wasn’t there anymore. No blue tie around, no lock of blonde hair, no red freckles in sight. There was no way this prince couldn’t find him, so…

He left. He didn’t stay for him. He didn’t.

“How about that, huh?? Krel Tarron, everyone!!” Suddenly Douxie was by his side, Krel didn’t look at him. It hurt. He thought it wasn’t going to matter, but it hurt. “He will be all over you for autographs and junk later, let him rest for a moment, and welcome the next exhibition of the night!” His arm was onto his shoulders. Krel didn’t move. He didn’t want to. Then he got a squeeze, and he looked up out of pure instinct. Douxie was still smirking, like his heart hadn’t just gotten smashed against the solid ground of the ballroom. He pointed to the exist and Krel, sighing, obeyed.

He crossed the next couple of performers, who patted his back telling him how good he had been. It didn’t feel like a proud moment anymore. It felt like a waste. The guitar was hanging onto him by the lace, luckily, he would have forgotten it on the stage overwise. Krel sighed, putting the instrument down as soon as he was behind the curtains. He could deal with this.

He didn’t want to, but he could. He just needed some time to-

His hold was callous and warm. The prince knew it so well he almost didn’t have to turn. He did. Seamus had his entire face flushed. He looked outstanding.

“Come with me.” His voice was low, almost fearful, and Krel could do nothing other than follow his lead. He was dragged along as they were staying as far away from the crowd as possible, going for the exit. If anyone had noticed them, Krel was sure Steve or Mary would have taken care of them. As soon as they were out of the room, it was silence. The school looked almost dormant like this, without lights around, the abandoned lockers circling the corridors.

It was going to be one of the last times, in this special place.

There was little time for that kind of nostalgia, as they didn’t walk for long anyway. Seamus seemed in a hurry, he was moving forward without a single word. It almost made the prince fear that he had gone too far and had made him mad. Some more uncharacteristic apologies brushed his lips, at least as a precaution, no matter how weird it was going to be.

They died into his throat as soon as he was pressed against the wall. The echo of the music was gone. There were only those impossible blue eyes getting closer and closer and-

Krel would have laughed. He would have laughed in any other occasion, because this guy was rough and prideful and used to be really bad at dealing with his anger issues. Yet he kissed with the outmost gentleness, like he was genuinely afraid of breaking him, like he was terrified that at any point something was going to wake them up from this dream. Krel wanted to hold onto this dream. He held onto him, hands reaching for his shoulders, then up into his hair. They were not fluffy at all. Again, he would have laughed if he wasn’t this overwhelmed by the fact that this was happening, that Seamus was kissing him and it was happening. The hold onto his mane must had woken up the blonde, as he moved forward with urge, breathing in and taking more.

It was marvelous. It was uncertain and clumsy and they were both really inexperienced at this, and it was marvelous. Slowly the timing was getting clearer for the both of them, because despite pride and their social skills they were instead really good at learning and understanding. The rhythm drowned them both, and it almost made Krel forget he had lungs. It got him there, the urge for air, and he let out almost a strangled noise when he got out of one last kiss.

Seamus was panting just as hard, if not harder, his pupils blown. Krel had never seen him like this, it was a whole new side. He wanted to know it. He really wanted this.

“Sea-”

“Shut it.” Another kiss that made him hum, it was sweeter than before. He almost forgot the words. When he tried to talk again Seamus promptly kissed him again. He completely forgot the words. “You said more than enough, now it’s my turn.” The blonde was smiling of that beautiful smile again. “I’m gonna make every single word count.” His hand went over his hair, caressing his brown locks like they were precious treasures to keep. The urge to cry came back.

Along with another desire, that made Krel come back to his senses and smirk.

Once again, rivalry.

“Aren’t you an overachiever?” Seamus hummed questioning, brushing their noses together. It was too good, the prince giggled. “There are exactly 212 words into my song.” It was too perfect. This wasn’t an out of the world experience, this was the natural consequence of their relationship. Seamus was holding him, and he really didn’t want to be anywhere else.

The blonde seemed taken back by his words, for almost a full second, only to laugh. He brought him even closer, breathing against his lips.

The world disappeared. Prom could wait.

“Better start counting then.” He lunged forward, a quick press closer to a caress. “One,” Another one, deeper but still quick, that made Krel naturally lean back. “Two…” This time it was proper, making him decide that he didn’t really need his mind right now. There was no issue, no invention in standby, no math problem to solve. He could allow himself this. “Three.” He could take every single part of him, as a reward in a way, as a present even more. Without a single remorse Krel laced his arms around his neck, deepening every following kiss.

They stopped counting after nine.

[akaluan]

Soulmate au ask: I was wondering, is there difference in the way shinigami and quincy approach soulmate? Like, cultural difference or belief?

I’m also wondering if there is an actual difference between having a soul for a soulmate or a human?

Also, what would happens to the bond if Erich died? Would it stays even as he become a soul? Since Erich is spiritually aware, would he keeps both his memory and his bond?

So many question but, since a soulbond is well... soul deep, does it affect the inner world if shinigami at all?

Very long response, so cutting it <3 All very good questions tho and this was super fun to write, thank you!

There are many cultural differences between Shinigami / Quincy / and human takes on soulmates! Quincy take is more similar to baseline human take, tbh-- Soulmates are generally good and to be celebrated, just like humans. Where it diverges from there is that, for Quincy, more soulmates tends to be considered "better", in a way? They believe it reflects upon the strength of your soul, that you can / do have more than 1 soulmate, even if you never meet all of them.

However, like I wrote in the very beginning of the AU, Erich having a soulmate mark from the moment he was born is a tiiiiiiny bit of an awkward "let's never talk about this again" sort of thing, because it indicates that one of his soulmates is older than him. No one knows HOW much older, just that Erich isn't the eldest. That's important because Erich is supposed to be the Quincy heir, and having an older soulmate is considered to be an indication that Erich will "need" an older, more learned soulmate, which can indicate either that he's gunna suck balls at being a leader or that the Quincy are going to get into Trouble during his time leading them.

(Of course, if it was discovered that Erich's soulmate is like.. less than a year older than him, those worries go away. Like, if Alexis and Erich had switched birth order, that would be fine and wouldn't mean anything. But they have no evidence of who Erich's first soulmate is, so.... They Worry. Especially bc he's so far proven to be a pretty reliably leader.)

Shinigami, on the other hand, sort of view soulmates as... very private things. Humans / Quincy view the MARKS as something a bit sacred and not to be flaunted, but the fact that ppl are soulmates is definitely a discussion topic and the source of many songs etc. (Songs about the marks / shape of marks / etc are generally labeled risque in the period this fic is set in, so like.. 1940s-50s ish, I think?)

Shinigami don't talk about who they're soulmates with. Sometimes they don't even go out of their way to FIND their soulmates, especially since, well... as shown by Kisuke, it IS possible to have a soulmate in the Living World, and that's a bit of a no-no. The fact that soulmates can sense/communicate with each other's blades is DEFINITELY never discussed in more than hushed whispers. It's Just Not Done.

I'm not quite sure what your second question means, but I'm going to guess and if I'm wrong lmk xD

2) "if there is an actual difference between having a soul for a soulmate or a human?"

So a person with no soulmate has basically "Bleach standard" sort of souls, chain of fate and everything. People WITH soulmates tend to have other ties leading away from them, and those ties can keep them from hollowfying if they're strong enough! At least for a time. Effect also increased by number of soulmates they connected with during their life. In this world, it's not exactly uncommon for soulmates to report seeing the ghosts of their dead soulmates -- everyone's essentially "spiritually sensitive" when it comes to their soulmates! But only people with spiritual powers can see ALL ghosts, still.

3) "what happens to the bond if Erich dies"

It doesn't go away! Soulmates are soulmates even through multiple cycles of death and rebirth, and it takes very specific things to break it! One of those things is repudiation, like what Tanya suggests early on -- that basically says "you are definitely no one I can ever come to like or care for, so we are NOT soulmates no matter what this universe says!" and it has repercussions for both partners in that specific lifetime, because you're essentially cutting a pseudo chain of fate, so it takes a cycle or two to entirely heal from it. Another is the Quincy style of unmaking, which.. yeah. It's a bit Awkward when you think about it, since the Quincy are essentially going "this soul and all souls it has consumed are being returned to the ether, to become brand new souls in time" which.. basically erases any soulmate link they ever had.

Also, a soul can "collect" new soulmates slowly as it ages and comes into contact with more and more other souls, but these new links don't form until the person has died and been reborn in the living world. They're just little proto-links until that point.

Soulmates are not guaranteed to always be "in the cycle" at the same time -- I'm assuming that there isn't entirely a smooth transition between Living / Dead / Living in this reality, so that sometimes a soul can pause to "rest", especially if something traumatic happened to it in the previous life -- and they're never guaranteed to MEET in every life, but unless one of the above actions happen, the same souls will tend to gravitate towards each other time and time again.

Erich won't lose his memories or his bond when he dies, and neither will Alexis-- I'm almost always operating under the idea that souls retain their memories even into death, until time / effort / trauma washes them away in SS. (We're shown in the anime that parrakeet boy remembers Chad, so I don't think it's much of a stretch to say that memories in SS work the same as memories in the Living World. You just.. slowly forget things over time, and in SS you have a LOT of time to forget and make a new life.)

Memory loss happens upon rebirth into the Living World, so as long as none of the three "die" as souls, they're going to be together for quite a while.

4) does the bond affect Shinigami's inner world

Yep! Though Shinigami have to have an active, strong soulmate bond in order to really see the effects. As Kisuke strengthens his connection with Erich and Alexis, he'll start noticing changes to his inner world to reflect that as well. Also, Shinigami with other Shinigami soulmates can draw each other into their inner worlds, so you can shared jinzen together and hang out with your soulmates, their zanpakutou, and your own zanpakutou at the same time!

It's possible for Kisuke to learn to draw Erich and Alexis into his inner world, but it's going to take significant practice on all three of their parts, since it requires a lot of trust and a lot of practice at a skill that Erich and Alexis don't innately have.

[worldofblade]

Head Assassin Ch 4

BTS Fanfic:   1 |  2 |  3 |  4 | (T-1) | (T-2) | 5 | 6 | (T-3) | 7 | (T-4) |

Warnings:  DARK!!, Mention of non-con elements, Mention of child abuse, violence/gore, mention of torture, dark!namjoon, dark!bts, forced marriage, mention of mental abuse, hybrid fic, au fic.

Beta:  None

Rating:  R

Summary:  General Kim Namjoon was going to get what he wanted, no matter what.

Pairing:  Kim Namjoon/Female OC

Notes:  Thanks so much for the love.  Yoongi gets super dark in here.  Be warned.  I now have lots of little stories rolling around in my head about all the hybrids, I don’t know if I will give them their own stories or what.

~~~

“Such a low-quality party…”

“What do you expect from a family that forces a marriage to rise up in the world….”

“…. the General isn’t even here, shows what he thinks….”

“Ghastly family, from the beginning….”

Ji-Soo took a deep breath and counted to ten for what felt like the millionth time.  It was getting harder to ignore the group of women in the corner.  Forcing herself not to glance over, she continued her directions to the staff on placement of center pieces.   The women from the Jeon House, had shown up, making sure everyone in the room heard that they were “here to help”; then proceeded to sit at the far side of the room, calling for food and water while making ugly comments that were getting progressively louder.  Ji-Soo knew she shouldn’t have been surprised, the Jeon family had always had a special type of hatred for the Lee family; but today they seemed especially harsh.

“The Jeons’ are in top form, I see.” Ji-Soo’s mother said, giving her daughter a smile.  “Don’t let them see you get angry.  It is what they want.”

“How have you managed to deal with them for all these years?”  Ji-Soo asked, following her mother as she checked the tables.

“Truthfully it hasn’t been this bad before.  They usually would throw a few harsh barbs my way at gatherings, but then move on to bigger fish.  The problem now is that, with your marriage, we are the biggest fish.”

“Yes, my illustrious marriage.” Ji-Soo said, while the two shared a sad smile.  Ji-Soo’s mother squeezed her hand, before they both turned toward the youngest daughter of the Song House, who was timidly making her way to them.

“The flowers are exactly how you asked for them,” the girl said, “What else can I help you with?”

“Thank you, Ga-Yoon. You’ve been a life-safer today.” Ji-Soo said, giving her the warmest smile she could manage.  It pained her when she thought about the Song House.  They, out of all the Houses, probably got the worst deal.  Their household had not produced a viable Hybrid for many years, so after the war the government assigned a Hybrid to them. The only people who knew exactly what happened on the night that Taehyung came to claim the Song House, were not talking. Ji-Soo hoped the rumors were exaggerated, but feared that it had probably been worse than anyone could even guess.  All the men had been killed, the women had not been touched; at least not physically. Ga-Yoon and her mother’s mental strain was clearly evident in how they jumped at every noise, and had an almost manic need to be as helpful as they possibly could.  The forced cheerfulness seemed ghoulish, and Ji-Soo just wanted to hug both women and not let them go.  The only thing really known about Taehyung was that the House who had bred him, was one of the lesser noble Houses from the countryside and that they had been obliterated during the war.

Seeing the girl stiffen, and the hush that fell over the room; Ji-Soo assumed that the Hybrids were here.  Turning, she watched with the others as six men walked into the room.  It truly was a sight to behold.  Six devastatingly handsome men, who everyone knew could kill them in an instant.  Ji-Soo pushed aside the little thought, that wondered where her own handsome killer was. Squaring her shoulders, she walked towards the group, very grateful when her mother fell in beside her.

“The final preparations are done, Gentlemen.” Ji-Soo’s mother said.

“I am sure that when the General gets here, he will be pleased.” Jin said as he looked around the room.  “The journalists and photographers will be here soon, and the Generals ETA is about 5 minutes.”  

Awkward silence fell after Jin finished speaking, and the Hybrids made their way over to where the members of their respective Houses were.  Ji-Soo couldn’t help but watch the Songs’ while Taehyung approached.  They seemed to shrink in on themselves, and hurried over to where the Park family was congregating.  Taehyung stood next to Jimin, looking up at the ceiling and quietly humming, seeming to have no interest in what the other man was telling everyone.  Catching her staring, Taehyung smiled, and gave her a quick wink.

Jerking her eyes away from him, Ji-Soo felt her face heat up and a small shiver go down her spine. She found herself feeling grateful that she only had to deal with Namjoon.  Just then, the door opened and the man himself was walking into the room. He was impeccably dressed in a black tux; and Ji-Soo found herself taking note of how attractive he looked. Pushing that annoying thought aside, she went to meet him.

“Are you ready to smile for the camera, and spend the night acting like you are proud and happy to be a part of the Kim House?” Namjoon asked, and then looked around the room. “Everything seems in order.”

“If that is your way of saying things look nice, thank you.” Ji-Soo said, forcing herself not to roll her eyes.  “I won’t start blubbering to the journalists about how I was forced to marry you, don’t worry.  I know what is expected of me.”

“Shall we, then?” Namjoon placed his hand at her back, as they both walked to their place by her mother. Ji-Soo cursed her damn heart for kicking up a notch at the warmth that his hand created.  Coming to their designated place, Namjoon got a nod from each of the other heads of house, before he gave the signal for the main doors to be opened.

A night of smiling, bowing, and forced laughing was beginning.  Ji-Soo reminded herself that this was truly for a good cause, and even if it also pushed through the new governments agenda, at least the Hospital would get the money and supplies it desperately needed.  Plastering a smile on her face, she started welcoming the swarm that was making its way into the room.

```

 “I need to speak with you, General.” Yoongi quietly said.  Namjoon excused himself from speaking with a hospital administrator and followed his second in command into another room.  The initial photos and interviews were done, and now was the tedious small-talk part of the night.  Namjoon hated small talk.

“What do you have to report?” Namjoon asked.

“Nothing whatsoever.” Yoongi said with a small smile.  “I figured you could use a break before you started telling all those bastards what you truly thought.  All though, that could be fun to see.”

Sighing, Namjoon rolled his shoulders back, releasing some of the tension he had been carrying. “Would you have ever thought that we would be at a party with the very people who felt that how you and I were made and trained was a good idea?”

Shrugging, Yoongi leaned against the wall.  “I wanted to kill everyone and go down in a blaze of glory.  The powers that be wanted to kill the main baddies, and then force everyone else to bend to their will.  After being at this party, I say my idea was the better one.”.

Chuckling, Namjoon felt himself relax a bit.  Yoongi was an Intel Hybrid.  He was made to be silent.  To blend into the background.  To lull people into a false sense of security.  He was the face you couldn’t exactly recall, and then were shocked when you realized you had just told him all your deep dark secrets.  He seemed to move slowly, be lazy, and not as strong as the other hybrids.  It was a well-developed camouflage.  Intels were a force to be reckoned with and had no problem using any means necessary to get the information they were sent in to find.  Yoongi was an especially good Intel.  Even Namjoon would be terrified if Yoongi was sent in to get information out of him.  Intels and B Hybrids were made to work well together.  Both highly intelligent and even though the B was always the leader, the Intel was the right-hand man who could guide the B down the right path when needed.  In training, Namjoon had been placed with another Intel, but had always gravitated to Yoongi.

“What is the news on the reports of the rebel fractions?” Namjoon asked.

“You really want to go into that here?” Yoongi asked, rolling his eyes.  “General, this is a party.  You should be out there mingling with the snobs and smiling at your beautiful wife.”

“Yoongi-“

“Fine, fine.” Yoongi laughed, amused at Namjoon’s discomfort when Ji-Soo was mentioned.  “The rebels are still well hidden.  They seem to be one step ahead of us.”  At that, Yoongi lost his lazy facade and Namjoon could see the anger.

“In other words,” Namjoon said, “we have a mole.”

```

 Ji-Soo was drunk.  The benefit had been an amazing success, and she celebrated.  She did it after she got home, so that those snooty Jeons’ wouldn’t have more ammunition to use against her.  Stepping out onto the balcony, she looked towards Namjoon’s room.  The light was on.  Without really thinking about the consequences, Ji-Soo went and tapped on his door with her glass.

“You know you’re a son of a bitch, right?”

Namjoon just raised one eyebrow, and then stepped out of his room.  Ji-Soo plopped down in one of the chairs taking another sip of her drink.

“Well?” Ji-Soo asked.

“You want me to answer if I know I am a son of a bitch?” Namjoon asked, a small smile on his lips.

“Yes! No.  Oh, hell I don’t know.  I’m drunk.” Ji-Soo finished her glass and placed it on the floor, then motioned for Namjoon to sit down next to her.  After only a second of hesitation, he sat.

“Other than your truly interesting question, is there another reason you knocked on my door?” Namjoon asked.

“I was a success, you know!” Ji-Soo jumped up and made her way to the railing.  Turning, she gave Namjoon a huge smile.  “Finally, I did something that my mother could feel proud of. Something that can shut up those Jeon Hags!”  Stumbling slightly, she came back towards the chairs, and stood in front of Namjoon. “Except, it really wasn’t me.  It was you.  You and your murderous bunch of male models.”  Leaning in, she steadied herself with one hand on his shoulder, and then used the other to poke his chest.  “That ticks me off!  The only reason the benefit was any good was because of you.  I don’t like you, but now I feel like I have to thank you.”

Namjoon was truly smiling now.

Ji-Soo took a step back and stumbled.  Before she could hit the ground, Namjoon stood and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her flush with his body.

“Your eyes don’t look so mean and dead tonight.” Ji-Soo whispered, tucking her head to his chest.

Namjoon knew that she was going to be embarrassed as hell in the morning, if she even remembered this at all, but he was thoroughly enjoying her cuddling into him at the moment.  His body wanted to take it to the next level, but he wouldn’t.  Not like this.

“Ji-Soo, you need to go to bed.” Namjoon whispered, hating that she was pulling away from his grasp.

Mumbling what sounded like “dimpled devil”, Ji-Soo gave him a weird little salute and then made her way back to her room.  Namjoon stood for a little while, listening to her run into things and swear, before he went into his own room and used the intercom to call for a servant to help Ji-Soo get settled for the night.  After a while, he finally saw the light go off in her room.  

In bed, he found himself chuckling at the things Ji-Soo said.  Even though they were not very flattering, he liked how honest she was.  In fact, he was pretty sure she would have said all the unflattering things to him without the help of alcohol.  It was the other little things that she wouldn’t have said to him.  Letting him know that she was thankful.  Letting him know that she has worried about her mother all these years.  In a round about way, letting him know that she thought he was good-looking.  Then the random comment about his dimples.  These all lead him to believe that she didn’t only see him as a monster. That thought, and the memory of how his wife felt snuggling into his chest helped him have the first nightmare free sleep in years.

```

 The man walked down a trash strewn alley, and rapped on a door.  Codes were exchanged.  Money switched hands.  After the man was gone, a group talked about how they were going to take down the hybrids and their government.  Starting with Kim Namjoon, the Head Assassin.  It was interesting to them, that his new wife was more than just a power play to gobble up Noble Houses.

```

 In a brightly lit room, the pounding music abruptly came to a stop.  The door creaked open, and the prisoner watched, through the one good eye he had left, as Yoongi sauntered into the room.  

“Went to a party tonight, before coming to see you.” Yoongi smiled as he leaned against the desk that was across from the bound man.  You know, I have a reluctant respect for you, my friend.  You are one strong man.”  Yoongi pulled out a photo from the desk drawer.  Bringing it closer to the prisoner, he could see him tense.  He even started trying to pull at his bindings, something the prisoner hadn’t done for days now.  “Did you really think I wouldn’t be able to find your lover?  Not smart to have someone close to you.  Lets you have a weakness.”  Tapping the photo against his thigh, Yoongi went back to the desk.  “I wonder if In-Sook will be as strong as you?  I’m afraid I might just have to find out, unless you start talking about how the rebels are getting information.”