#zelo got hot

[littlebadwolfsstuff]

Zelo looking ethereal ✨️ His stage presence is indescribable. Standing next to him for the group photo with him leaning in so close to me... I get shivers down my spine remembering the feeling. I almost melted 🫠 🤙

[jonphaedrus]

he's gone.

he had a good day. a really good day. the first one all week. he ate a ton of zelos's food (forbidden), had half a pat of butter at least (an indulgence), one whole tube of milky snack and some of a second tube (thoroughly decadent), and about twelve pure chicken dog treats (baffling to the vet). he felt well enough to cuddle this morning and spent much of the morning curled up with me, and did some walking and some jumping and some pleased nose in the air conditioning. he rubbed a few times, including against larsa. we went on two big walks, even if he got really tired after both of them (it being hot didnt help).

we were able to see a local vet and a friend went with us to help translate. she took this photo and was a godsend, one of the kindest and most wonderful people ive ever been lucky enough to know. they got us in after only a modicum of waiting, discussed other options, and were very kind and sweet to him. they were impressed how long he'd lasted with his cancer (three years in remission! three! that's insane!) and confused but delighted by his desire for dog treats.

he went easy and right when he was ready. it was his time. he was the best and most wonderful cat i think i've ever been lucky enough to own. im so glad he got love from people on the internet for so many years, and to anyone who helped pay for his ending, even more thanks. we've been able to afford everything.

see you on the other side of the rainbow bridge, mr. the slimy weasel man. you and your teeth will live on in infamy, and in a scar on my thigh.

[crush3dmary]

Pissgate? Oh?

Okay so I got 3 asks about this so it's time to spill some tea. This is some of the most insane drama I've dealt with in the Tales fandom to date and that's saying something. No holds barred here, I'm sharing this all because I don't have a ton of tales people following me here anymore lmao.

So this story goes back to 2020 when I was writing my fic absurdities and echoes, which includes a torture scene. To put it one way, it kept going in uh, directions I didn't want it to go (read: Zelos kept ending up with a finger in his ass) so I decided to do a spin off fic to get All That out of my system. The fic was initially supposed to be a one off horny thing but it eventually evolved into a whole Bad End AU where the crestoria party are sacrificed to Kasque and Aegis is kept as the personal pet of the twins. It's called Abominations against God if you want to look it up but to be honest you probably shouldn't, and don't read it unless you read the tags. Anyways, in abominations, I was trying to think of ways to humiliate Aegis so I ended up making him piss himself which was an accident, no pun intended.

So anyways, I wrote that, and a now ex friend who isn't relevant to the story was like "that was hot can you write one with Vicious" and the perks of being my friend is that since I have no limits I'll write you whatever freaky shit you want. So I wrote a Vicious piss fic, dropped the google doc in the group chat, and jokingly said "PayPal me 30 dollars and I'll post it". Someone actually did, and I'm a they of my word, so I was like fuck it we ball and posted it on anon.

Now enter the bane of my fucking existence and two of the biggest pains in my fucking neck for the last 3 years, two big name fans who we will call S and K because I don't do subtlety and I don't care if they see this. If you are active in the English twitter crestoria sphere you will almost certainly have encountered them. Anyways, these two are the definition of hypocrite purity wankers. They go on and on about freaks in the fandom and how disgusting all the r18 content is, but then they post monsterfucking smut on an alt ao3 account. I wish I could make this up. So anyways, I posted my anon fic, and then someone else posted an anon piss fic right after in solidarity which was cool. But then S and K take to twitter and complain about all the "unsanitary" content, as they put it, in the ao3 tag. I can't speak for the other one but mine at least was tagged thoroughly and you knew what you were getting into when you clicked it. Basically it was a stupid thing to complain about because if you don't like the content you can just not engage with it. They had their little hissy fit, I ended up blocking them later for being a pain in my ass, and the story ends there right? Wrong!

I have another, also unrelated friend who's into piss and I wrote something for them for their birthday and I was like "I'm not posting this because of what happened last time". They said they had a piss fic they wanted to post, and that they'd post theirs if I posted mine. So I was like, cool, let's do this. Solidarity! And OF COURSE, guess who has a problem with it?

S and K go on a tirade about all the disgusting fics in the tag again and how the crestoria fandom is full of sex crazed freaks or whatever (which is again really rich coming from people who pearl clutch and then post smut on an alt account in the same breath). In comes anon #2 again, who dive bombed in with their own piss fic the first time, posting another like the absolute legend they are. However, in the author's note they put something like "proud to be one of the 3 people keeping the crestoria tag horny" in reference to S and K's little temper tantrum... And this made them FLIP THEIR SHIT.

Literally, they freaked out soooo bad. They were talking about how because of this author's note people were stalking them and trying to trigger them on purpose and the most ridiculous shit. All the while... If you don't like the content and you KNOW that you don't like the content... What are you doing in the author's note? And people ROASTED them for that. Because none of this would have been a problem if they had just ignored it and moved on. But no, they had to open the fics up, look at the author's notes, and make a big stink about the whole thing just because they didn't like the content.

Eventually they locked their accounts for a bit when they started getting backlash but this is always going to be a big reason I will ALWAYS be on the "don't like don't read" train. Because you might not be into it, it might not be your ship, your kink, whatever, but it tickles someone's fancy, and you freaking out about how disgusting and degenerate it is will make the people who enjoy it think YOU think they're disgusting and degenerate. Do I have a piss kink? Honestly that's irrelevant at this point, but ultimately I support everyone's right to make whatever content they want and to have the people who don't want to see it utilize the block and mute functions. They're there for a reason.

Anyways, peace and love ✌️

[mannatea]

🔥 ToS

Nonsense spicy takes just 4 u:

Kloitz or Virginia should have gone through the Gate with their children and that neither of them did that SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT THE KIND OF PEOPLE THEY ARE.

The hot/cold scene is both hilariously memeable AND deeply moving and meaningful for the characters and the story.

Mithos got Raine sick on purpose to try and get onto Genis's good side by just haaapppppening to know the cure; it was all part of his master plan don't @ me I know I'm right.

Half the fandom thinks Raine merely gets seasick because they weren't paying attention to the fact that it's actually a trauma response to nearly drowning as a child and seasickness is by itself not even a factor in the usual way. This has been true since 2004.

Sheena battles intense boob sweat every fucking day and nobody ever gives her credit for that. She is a queen.

The OVA gave us the best Regal x Raine scenes we could have ever hoped for and the entire fandom slept on that shit SO HARD. WAKE UP!!!!

While I'm at it, the OVA "half-elf" reveal was an unexpectedly delicious food.

ToS gave us the beefiest eye candy man imaginable and he's always been one of the least popular characters?? I'm sorry but is this because he's not a himbo?????? ??? ???? ? Is it because his in-game model is terrible??? Because the timeline of his story has confused the entire fandom since 2004??? Where's the beef? Regal has literally all of it. The core muscles this man must possess. Don't try to tell me you're not thinking of some depraved shit right now. I know better.

I love how the fans collectively pretend the Katz don't fucking exist because like, big same actually. ghghghhgsjdfdsa

DotNW is literally evil. For what you ask? For trying to say Raine has a split personality because she gets excited about things. Let our autistic queen enjoy her trauma-induced special interest. God forbid women enjoy anything!

Palmacosta is filled with rats and they didn't even show me one rat in the game which is disappointing.

I want to fold Zelos up like a paper airplane and throw him into the wind.

Presea grows up to be so fucking buff, and I love that for her. The best lumberjack ever. I am right.

The game gave us a grand Meltokio ball but I propose that we go back in time and convince the creators to also give us a ball in Sylvarant because I want to compare the barn raising to the ball. For science. And also research purposes. Zelos's costume reward for this should be a pair of overalls without a shirt. No I am not accepting criticism.

And finally one spark of hatred: I hate how difficult AUs are for this series, since it feels like even if you can do one ship/character storyline justice you can't do everyone's story justice. (But you know me, I always have ideas anyway. I just want to complain.)

[ateliernayo]

I did it! I reworked this piece i made in 2021. Some little details were bothering me actually, so i tried to change some of them and i finally GOT the result i wanted!

Cropped a bit of the background so sheena and zelos are not Lost in the image and this light effect are adding depth to the pièce ✨ really happy with it.

Anyway, short story Time

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

11 pm, Mizuho was calm and silent, there was some flower's leftovers spreaded on the dirt paths of the village. Each home had a little incese stick burning in their porch.

It would soon be a week since igaguri passed... In a day or two mizuhohans would stop all the ceremonial, his soul would be guided to the right place already.

People had to grieve their guide, their leader, their chief and soon sheena would be their New one. She already did everything to take over igaguri's responsabilities... But she was still grieving a lot... Too much, to be honest, so people were kinda worried about how the next operations and missions would go if she didn't recover.

For once, they were glad the former Chosen was here, at her side. Usually when Zelos came to visit Sheena, he was not really the most welcome, mizuhohans don't really appreciate outsiders in their precious village. But they were kinda used now to see him sometimes.

The village was silent, until a loud sound came from sheena's hut. As if a piece of heavy fourniture fell on the floor.

Paper flew to the ground while the little table she was using as her desk was flipped to a corner of the room.

She was panting, a pearl of tear in the corner of her eye.

Zelos was sitting behind her, not far away in the little room; waiting for her to calm down. He didn't interfere, nor said anything. He observed her figure from head to toes and her legs became a bit shaky. She Took her face in her hands and fell her knees to the ground, right next to a finished bottle of sake.

" how am i supposed to do all of this? why did he want ME to be their chief? I'll never be able to make it... " she said out of breath

" you know that you are able, hun." Zelos assured serving himself a last cup of sake, almost finishing the second bottle. "He knew you are brave enough, strong enough, wise enough to be their lead. Plus you are dead sexy too"

Sheena flipped to face him, her hair a bit messy, and her cheeks a strong Shade of red, she pouted semi angrily, and a bit drunk-like. She wanted to reply something but nothing went to her mouth, she watched him sip his cup and put it by his side on the floor as if he did not drank a drop of it before this last cup, then he began to take his gloves off.

" it's hot in there, this sake is kinda strong tho, i may have drank too much, and so do you" he said pointing his index to her.

She watched him silently, a strange feeling growing inside her. Why this stupid Chosen was this handome? But why was he so annoying? Why was he there at her house since igaguri passed ? Why did he not headed back to meltokio instead of annoying her everyday?

He stayed, for..her? Sure her grandpa was not his priority. But He Always wait silently by her side, rubbing her shoulder, her hand or her head when she cried. He had made breakfasts and dinners cheering her to eat at least a bit, because she wasn't hungry at all since then. He even called her by her name more than by those stupid nicknames... he respected her boundaries?? At least he tried and she noticed only now... It have been minutes she was watching him, saying nothing, her gaze sometimes directed at him, sometimes at the ground as if she was thinking about so many things at once.

Zelos tilted his head a little concerned

" do i have something on my face, hun? You may stop dri-"

Not even knowing why, she rushed to him, grabbed his pink coat and kissed him; throwing them a bit backward and shoving the unfinished sake bottle on the tatami. Zelos put his elbows to the ground to not totally fall on it. His eyes widened but he did not fight against this sudden kiss... he closed his eyes, His hands adventured on her head, keeping her close to him, lightly reaching her ribbon to losen her hair. All of his soul was boiling hot now, and so did hers.

- i'm too Dizzy - she thought to herself

His lips were soft and his breath so sexy and his touch so-

"wait, wait wait Sheena !" He cut the kiss suddenly pushing her a bit from him a hand on her shoulder

"what? " she said out of breath and a bit irritated from this sudden stop "isn't it what you wanted?"

"of course not! " she widened her eyes, a stabbing sensation went throught Her Heart and stomach.

"No it's not what -... i mean, yes but... " he continued embarassed by the way he said no, aware of the arsh way he spoke " i can't lie i really ... Want to, i - that was - wow, but... I can't with you in that state" he finished softly as she looked at him a Ray of sad in her eyes -why am i sad tho? She thought. WHAT DID SHE JUST DO THO???

He cupped her face in his hands and put his forehead to hers, closed his eyes and Took a deep breath.

"you are drunk, and i don't wanna abuse you like that..i ..... " Zelos marked a 10 seconds silence, Took a deep breath and whispered" i love you too much for this"

He said it, After all those years, he finally declared his love to her... He blushed a bit drunk too but not as much as her. His head still on hers

She blinked, her face still red, reddened even more. It Took her a hot second to print his words on her Brain. She backed up a bit and smiled softly (and drunkey)

"that's kind of you, i'll remember that -stupid Chosen" she said falling in his arms, asleep.

- . - . -

The next morning she woke UP on her futon, scraching her head, her hair messy, her head spinning from the last night. Her kimono still on her but opened and her long pink ribbon folded by the side of the bed.

"What the hell happened?"

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

[blood-starved-beast]

Irelia headcanons again. Should probably make a tag or something

Navori brotherhood aside, Irelia is actually quite popular with the youth of Navori and is (unfortunately) the subject of many parasocial relationships. As she got older especially, it became more and more clear to her that people were joining the resistance during the semi-peaceful gap between the two invasions either because a) there were nationalists or b) they found her hot/had a crush on her. The latter surprised her initially, but would come to annoy her eventually as that rationale had little staying power for a soldier. 

That being said when word starting circulating that Irelia is wlw, she quickly became extremely popular among the ladies in the Resistance and in the towns around the Lasting Altar. Even in her old school where is was already speculated prior to the first invasion that she was gay, between her being Ionia’s Hero and the way she would sometimes go about all dashing Prince-like (see: interactions with Liana) she became the subject of crushes and lowkey gossip among the wlw at the school. Initially, it was a big whiplash to Irelia coming back after 5 or so years of war, and it originally pulled at her insecurities over betraying her country’s pacifistic beliefs. It took Liana, in perhaps one of the most painfully awkward conversations they had prior to getting together, that no, it was that everyone was into her. 

The diadem Irelia wears is a type of victory crown in Ionia. Normally it was reserved for some sports or religious activities and not for war, but hers is a unique design specifically fashioned for her involvement in the first invasion. So much that anyone who saw her wearing it would know it’s Her (besides seeing her floating blades of course). 

I think I mentioned this before, but I headcanon that Irelia has a stupidly immature sense of humor. Juvenile middle school jokes and pranks are the things that make her laugh as oppose to adult sarcasm (another headcanon, she’s too serious to pick up sarcasm on account of her very severe child soldier upbringing. Two headcanons for the price of one!) or wordplay for that manner. Part of it comes from that aspect of her character being in arrested development since she was 12, another part comes from her nostalgia for Zelos’s dumb jokes and of better times.

That being said in the version of SOL that exists in my head, I’d like to think Irelia hit Riven with the Ionian version of a deez nuts joke once. Riven, being a second-language speaker and not really expecting something like that from Irelia, fell for it. Irelia spent the next two days snickering about it much to the confusion of Riven herself and even Diana. 

Irelia can sometimes have a morbidly dark sense of humor. Like that “ A single pebble may sink a warship. And a thousand pebbles... [laughs]” line she has on LOL. She made the mistake of making a similar joke around Liana once only to regret it immediately cause Liana did not like it at all. She picked up those type of jokes from her fellow resistance fighters during the first Invasion. This ironically, is one of the few things she’s able to meet in middle with Riven with, whose own humor can be kinda dark at times. 

Irelia is overall kinda bad at picking up verbal and facial cues from people. She’s better at reading body language, stemming from her fascination of watching people move from a young age. This comes at the cost of willing to dish out jokes, but being unable to take them.

Irelia is the type of person that if she’s gonna do something, she puts her whole ass into it. This often comes at the cost of either being too overenthusiastic or being called way into it. Combine that with an inherent competitive streak, she really really gets too into things. It’s one of the things that has cause rifts between her and her fellow classmates when she was in school. On the other hand, if you need help with something, she’s among the most reliable people to count on. 

As a child Irelia never owned a pet. Given that her family was so big with so many kids, it was simply too much to have an animal that was kept at home. Not to mention that in Ionia, pets as one would know it, aren’t really kept in the traditional sense but instead were more like, outside animal friends that one made with the local wildlife. Irelia finds it a travesty to use animals in war (as in her response to that one Noxus card). 

[goron-king-darunia]

Annon-Guy: Tales of Arise Hot-Spring Event.

Includes both male and female variants.

Question on Male Part: Was Rinwell embarrassed or was she elated after that bit with Alphen? Especially since she was staring and Kisara had to shield her eyes.

Question on Female Part: Bet you wished that happened to Zelos (like Law and Dohalim) instead of Lloyd and Emil, right? (At least Emil didn't get pummeled for Marta's silliness, right?)

Plus... HOOTLE'S A FREAKING SECURITY ALARM THAT ONLY RINWELL CAN HEAR!?! GKD Here!

Dohalim is more spoiled and sleazy than I thought. Like damn. XD I dunno what I was expecting for him but he really is “rich kid syndrome” huh? I think Rinwell was probably some combination but... she didn’t seem overly freaked out about it, and the soft swaying after sort of suggests she’s probably thinking about it and being embarrassed? Poor Alphen, though. Dohalim saw and didn’t even warn him. That said I don’t know enough about Rinwell to say for sure if she enjoyed the view or not. As for the female part, yeah. I wish Zelos got punished, or at least prevented from peeping. Mostly I just wish Emil and Lloyd weren’t the ones chewed out for it. But yeah. At least Emil didn’t get punched or blasted with magic for it. Hootles is a hero though. Even if he is the security alarm that only Rinwell can hear.

[eximalz]

50 PERSONAL KPOP QUESTIONS

stole it from @instantnochu 🤍

The first song that got you into kpop?

- call me baby by EXO.

The first band you starting staning in kpop?

- EXO

Your first bias?

- first Sehun, then I chanced to Chanyeol

Your first bias wrecker?

- Xiumin

Your favorite boy group?

- B.A.P, HOTSHOT, Omega X and TAN.

Your favorite girl group?

- Le Sserafim

Your ultimate bias?

- Moon Jongup 🖤

The main fandom your apart of?

- Babyz!!

Your ultimate band?

- N.flying

Your favorite era of your ultimate band?

- Hot Potato

Your opinion, black haired idols or dyed hair?

- Yes, both please

Aegyo master girls?

- Hyuna😍

Aegyo master boys?

- Jooheon

Your favorite maknae

- Zelo, Jiseong, Yechan and Hojung ofc ;;

Your ‘child’ group?

- I don’y think I have one

The group you could see yourself becoming best friends with?

- HAHAHA, BTOB!!!

Your favorite kpop song boys?

- I am mostly an upbeat-fan, but my faves are still the songs: don’t leave by Block B, Sick by A.C.E, Day6’s I need somebody

Your favorite kpop song girls?

- LUNA, with Madonna

Are you more into girl groups or boy groups?

- Boys, I’m afraid 😂

Favorite kpop girl dance?

- HYO- punk right now

Favorite kpop boy dance?

- Skydive by B.A.P

If you were stuck in a horror movie you’d want which group with you?

- Btob maybe, they would have maketh that movie more hillarious than scary

Favorite fandom glow stick?

- I need to stick with my babyz here, the green bunny is a HIT!!!

Favorite fandom name?

- the fandom of Pentagon have such a wonderful name: Universe

Visual king?

- My visual king is Leedo, god that man!!

Visual queen?

- it’s so many visuals queens, but the first thing that comes to mind is Yeji

Dance queen?

- Hwasa

Dance king?

- Jongup and Junghoon

Rap king?

- Zuho and Namjoon

Rap queen?

- Jessi and Youngji

A group you’d really like to get into?

- VAV maybe?

Your favorite ship?

- I am so bad at these, rooting for everyone that likes it

Your favorite intergroup friendship?

- when B.A.P still was a group, with Btob<3

Ballads or upbeat songs?

- upbeat!!!

Have you ever met any of your idols?

- Nope, only MONSTA X and Momoland

Do you prefer cute themes or sexy themes?

- Sexy themes for the win

How long have you been a kpop fan?

- Since october 2015

Your favorite comeback song?

- Btob with outsider

Do you have any kpop company you tend to prefer?

- the kind ones

Barefaced idols or make up?

- both is beautiful

Is you bias list as out of control as mine?

- YOU BET 😰😰😰😰😰😰

How many groups do you actually keep tabs on?

- 4 groups, but only one of them is still going…(rip me)

Your current favorite kpop song?

- The Wild Idol - Last Chance

First kpop dance you’ve attempted to learn?

- Call me baby by EXO (big mistanke to begin with, that was hard)

When I hear kpop songs in public I....?

- sing with it

If I knew someone irl who had the same bias as me I would...?

- try to vibe more with them through kpop, maybe new friends?

Kpop idol I would most like to meet?

- Yongguk

Kpop idol who is like a role model to me?

- I have four: Yongguk, RM, Ravn and Zuho

Favorite kpop lyrics?

- only kidding: (omega x - luv em)

If I had a whole day with my bias I would....”

- talking about music all day while doing fun stuff I know they like.

[littlebadwolfsstuff]

Zelo - Parkour

Pt 1

I'm loving his solo stuff. I've been listening to it nonstop. I also love him.

He's got so much range as an artist. I find his vocals refreshingly unique. His voice is so cute for his large frame.

[twohundredpower]

"Whoa, careful there!"

Lloyd had been walking behind the young woman down one of the steep steps of the winter fair, and it looked like it was for a good reason, too-- noticing her foot slip as she got to a particularly snowy patch on the path. Lloyd jumped a couple steps down, planting his hands down on her shoulders to keep her steady and prevent her from falling.

"That was kind of a close one, huh? You alright?" offering the woman a smile, he let go once he saw that she wasn't going to fall again, but made sure to stick close to her side in case she needed him again. "It's kinda hard to get used to how steep everything is up here-- I've been livin' on the isles for a while, but I still manage to fall every once in a while myself!" It made for great entertainment, according to Zelos..

"I can help you the rest of the way down, if you want! Were you headed to the hot chocolate stall?"

❱❱  :   —   ( @unyieldingstar )

[likes-words-and-shrimp]

Lloyd continues to suffer for crimes he never committed.

[randombtsprincessa]

Brownie Points || 01

All Rights Reserved. © RandomBTSPrincessa, Tulips98.

Author: Randombtsprincessa

Characters:  Park Jimin x Reader

Words: 2.4k

Genre: Brawler/Boxer AU!, Baker AU!, Angst, Fluff, Smut, Hurt/Comfort, Found Family.

Rating: Mature (18+)

Summary: Jimin and you exist on different sides of the city you live in and in life. While Jimin’s fingers shape dough into hearts, yours ball into the fists that do the talking for you. And yet somehow...you find yourselves on one side of an otherwise unlikely line.

Playlist - JMSN - Alone 

Content Advisory (in-chap): Descriptions of organized fights, fight scenes, descriptions of bruises, scrapes, etc, no lie I wrote JK having lip piercings and he got them later, parental abandonment, found family, social barriers.

A/N: Yep, a new series! I know...and I would say I’m sorry but really, would you all believe me? Anyway, a happy birthday to my hubbybaby and belated gifts are here! 

There was a wild rush in your ears.

Part of it was the screaming of the crowds, sitting up on the stands surrounding the ring. They loved this, loved the anticipation, the last few seconds of make or break. The other half of it was the coursing adrenaline in your veins. It thrummed in your blood, pounding in your ears.

Your vision had tunneled about ninety seconds ago.

Fists rose to protect your face, you bounced lightly from toe to toe, checking to see if anything had broken. Aside from the dull ache that was usual in the ring and after two rounds, it didn’t seem like Zelo had managed to crack at anything. His sneer made it obvious he knew the fact but he was probably thinking himself kind for it.

Didn’t matter…he had already bruised the side of your face and your left side throbbed from where he’d crashed you to the floor in the second round. Though you were now on your feet, the pain was obvious and cursed at you. You’d have to limp through the next week.

“Give up, little girl. It’s not worth it.” Zelo shot at you, closing in. His feet were unsteady, from where you’d managed to sweep them from below him in the first round. He’d landed on his back and you’d clambered on, knocking his nose straight into his face. That would bloom on your fist, you were sure…but it was still a mark of getting one up from him.

“Don’t you fucking know who I am?” You spat back, in time to catch the right hook he threw, straight back to where he’d already punched you. You ducked under the hit, aiming a jab at his kidney.

Zelo grunted, one hand going to the spot and you took the shot. Your right leg shot out, hooking around his knee and you yanked hard. Zelo, bigger than you, stumbled, closing in to the distance you needed him.

That was all you needed.

The elbow to the sternum was brutal and you swiveled out of his blind grab. Another kick to the back of knee had him going down and you pushed on his back, slamming his head in to the floor of the ring.

Zelo lay still.

Your tunnel vision remained on the back of his head, daring him to get up. After his cockiness, you’d be glad to ram him into the floor again.

“Ok! One…two…three…!” You barely heard the referee call out the fight.

“___! Up.” Another call, now with your name mixed in it and your tunnel vision widened. Your senses returned.

You felt the hand on your shoulder first, urging you up. The screams from the crowds, which had faded to black, came next. Your fans were shouting their faith in you. The rest…well…who cared?

When you unsteadily stood, your arm was yanked up, a sign of your win, a sign that you had proved someone wrong.

For now, that burning in your chest will subside.

You didn’t watch Zelo be carried away. You only turned remotely as the screaming began to die down into conversation. The fight was over, the crowd was now interested in gossip.

Your lips almost twitched. Human beings…male or female or anything else…all the same…once the pounding excitement calmed down, they all needed to vent. But you never really stayed for the venting. Your goal was reached. The thrum of red hot had been quenched and now you could sit comfortably on the bench in your corner.

Your body landed heavy, legs sprawled out and back leaning against the wooden pole at your end. You didn’t close your eyes, choosing to watch the harsh fluorescent light beams hanging from the ceilings. It probably wasn’t a good exercise in the long term for your eyes.

Someone swung up to your other side and a plastic water bottle was pushed into your line of sight. It took you a moment to focus on it as Jungkook pulled on you to sit up straight.

“It was a good fight.” He muttered, eyes roving around the ring, teething into the small ring on the corner of his lower lip. It glinted in the lights, one of the things that made Jeon Jungkook stand out in the crowds here. “Your form could still be better though.”

You snorted, almost coughing up the water you were chugging down. “You know I don’t come here for the form, JK.”

Jungkook didn’t look at you. “No, I know why you come here and I respect that. I also respect if you want to land on your ass every other round because you forget to watch the damn form I keep talking about.”

“I won the fight.”

“You won this fight. You lost the one two weeks ago.”

“So I lose some too. Keeps it interesting, don’t you think?”

“One of these days, Blazer…”

“One of these days I might stop caring only about the fight. Yeah, yeah, yeah…”

Jungkook finally looked at you, giving you one of his trademark exasperated looked, his tongue poking his cheek. “Finish that.” He ordered, pointing to the bottle. “I’ll go help Tae sort the money. Meet later to divvy up,” He didn’t wait for your answer, climbing over the ropes of the ring and then he was gone.

You obeyed Jungkook, finishing the bottle with a couple last swigs. You crushed the plastic in your hands, dropping it in the mess that would need sweeping in the morning. Hefting your body, you exited the ring gingerly.

You’d already anticipated that the next week was going to be answering you for this fight but there was no need to make it any more rough on you. You followed the neon lights to the bar, sighing when you managed to snag a free seat.

Yoongi was already cleaning a glass, his towel quick and precise in all the grooves of the bottom rungs.

“A house beer,” You mumbled at him.

Yoongi nodded calmly, checking to see if the glass was clean before setting it in front of you. You placed your chin in your palm as he walked off to the shelves of his stock. Upon his return, he dropped three cubes of ice in the glass and then poured in the drink…something clear.

You frowned.

“What’s this? Something new?”

Yoongi shrugged. “No, not really; it’s been on the planet ever since it became a planet.”

You stared. Yoongi stopped in his task of putting plates of olives on the lower counter.

“It’s water, Blazer.”

“I asked for beer.”

“I know, but no way in hell, are you drinking right now. Get hydrated. Jungkook’s orders,” he got back to work.

“Since when do you follow ‘Jungkook’s orders’?” You mocked, deepening your voice. It hurt to smile but you cracked a smirk nevertheless.

“Take it like this – Yeah I heard you!” he aimed at a loud customer. “If you drink, you’ll be drunk. You’re gonna come home and you’re gonna fall into your bed. Then I’ll have to take care of you when you’re hung over. And if you puke on me, I’m leaving town.”

You gave him your best unimpressed glare as he filled out orders and passed them up before approaching you again. “You look like shit, Blazer. You should have someone take a look at that bruise.”

“I’ve never been to a doc, Yoongi. Wouldn’t know the first thing about going to one – anyway, you know I bounce back fast. I’ll be okay in three days, five, maximum.”

Yoongi clicked his tongue, reminiscent of all the times he’d tried to get you to pay more attention to yourself – but failed and decided to hold his tongue instead.

Yoongi was the closest thing to family you had, aside from Tae and Jungkook. He’d taken you in, a measly fifteen year old from the streets and given you shelter, food, association. He’d been twenty, dropped out of college because of reasons you never asked of and started this establishment. It was everything he was, he said, everything he would ever need was here.

That miraculously included you and you returned the feeling. Moonlight was where you’d stayed for eight years. Nearly a decade and you would never exchange this for anything. You doubted you would find the kindness you found between these harsh walls anywhere else.

The wind down was always frazzling, even if the bar itself was slowing down. Yoongi would keep an eye on which customers paid, which tried to make a problem, which simply pushed off while he wasn’t paying attention and the people on the blacklist that visited despite the warning. He would check his stocks, his counters, let the cleaners and bouncers in and then head up to the residential section for a shower and hit the bed.

This time was usually best for you to slip away unnoticed. Of course, Yoongi knew you disappeared, but there was really nothing he could do.

You skirted the main area of the bar, where Jungkook and Tae might see you. Instead you used the delivery point. Pushing the metal door open, you made sure to secure it before limping your way to the little permanent parking behind the main streets.

Your Honda was an 80s model, changed hands god knows how many times with its original paint peeled and redone multiple times. You didn’t have enough money for the paint job, but you knew great mechanics.

The beauty ran great, its engine taken down and modified twice for the smoothest handle you could ask for. You would have to thank Seungyeon for her service again.

You plugged in your key, driving through the near empty streets on autopilot. The sun had already broken through the horizon, painting the world around you in pinks and rich oranges. A pretty palette, one you could watch every day and not get tired. You needed the sun, spending almost all your time underground had taken your pallor down with it.

But you’d learned after your fifth fight that the heat and chill combined felt like heaven on bruised and bumped flesh and from that point you had made it a ritual to seek out dawn and dusk when they knocked.

You parked the car at the very edge of your world, where it blurred with the ‘nice’ part of town. It was a park, or rather a large plot of land overrun with lush grass and moss and weeds. They’d tamed part of it into a little playing area, where you could see a few kids, already getting in a couple hours games in before school began. Their parents stood around the sets, probably gossiping already about the people ‘on the other side.’

You didn’t grudge them for that.

You knew your kind was rough, wild, tragedy ran in their veins, pumped by a heart that no longer felt soft. There was steel there that would cut their little children, fire that would turn their little hopes to ash.

Like yours once had…

You looked away, climbing on the bonnet, hands rubbing together to dispel some of the trembling in them as adrenaline levels dropped in them and turning your attention to the activity closest to you.

It was a bakery. The brownstone façade with fake exposed brick and blackboards of menu had always been there, a permanent fixture like the park, straddling two worlds.

Two men bustled inside, fiddling through bags of things.

Jimin carefully dug into the bag of granulated sugar, letting it sift through his hands. Once satisfied, he moved on, checking the different types of sweetening ingredients that he was going to work with. The fresh fruits came next, the bringer of the goodness standing patiently, watching Jimin’s process.

Jimin tapped the apple, spinning it, sniffing it. He brushed a finger along the carrots, eyeing the skin carefully.

“You know, they’re all fresh.” Hoseok said.

Jimin’s attention shifted, looking at his friend with a quick smile. “Oh I know, it’s just a routine and it’s become a habit by now. You know how it is.”

Hoseok shrugged, throwing a sly smile at Jimin’s coworker and co-owner of the bakery and cafe. “I know you probably show up Jin in every matter but his age.”

The remark had the desired effect. The older man glanced once over at the delivery man who’d been with them since the beginning and his partner. “Nope, Jimin was born 35 and he keeps getting older. Sometimes he reminds me of my grandmother. My grandpa definitely thinks so.”

“Does he hit on him?”

“Jimin wishes.”

“I don’t actually; I mean, I love your grandfather but he told me his one true love were his plants and your grandmother. I’m not going to compete with either.”

There were absent minded oohs on both sides before they all returned to work again. Hoseok packed up his bags and boxes and took off in his truck. Jin began the primary mixings for the confectionary and Jimin began to set up the displays from the fridge.

“So, hey…I wanted to talk to you about that charity bake off.” Jin said suddenly.

Jimin hummed, nodding for him to continue.

“You still sure you don’t want to do it somewhere…further inside the city? I mean, setting up the stall here…it might attract…all sorts of people.”

Jimin looked confusedly at Jin. “We’re doing it for everyone and this is the middle of the city…where else do you want to do it?”

“I mean somewhere where we won’t have to worry about stealing and…all sorts of stuff.”

“It’s for charity Jin, we can’t deny equal chances for attendance to everyone because of that.”

Jin was silent for a while, his hands pausing in the dough as he stared at Jimin. He shook his head.

“You’re too kind.” He said finally, sighing. “It’s too much, especially for where we are. One day it might get you mixed up with the wrong sort of people.”

Jimin didn’t reply, carefully placing a donut on a small, pristine white plate. “I don’t think there’s anyone who just was born wrong. Everyone has reasons, everyone has stories. Things that happen to people to make them the way they are at present. It’s harsh to judge a person’s future for what the past did to them in the present.”

His eyes flickered up to glance out the window. At the edge of the park, right along the lines separating the background of the city from the forefront stood an old Honda. On it was perched a single girl.

“Like her.”

[umbry-fic]

A Palette Full of You (3)

Summary: Glimpses into Colette and Lloyd’s lives as they grow up together, learn who they are, and fall in love with each other.

(Written for Colloyd Week 2021)

Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Characters: Colette Brunel, Lloyd Irving, Sheena Fujibayashi, Zelos Wilder Relationships: Colette Brunel/Lloyd Irving, Colette Brunel & Lloyd Irving & Sheena Fujibayashi & Zelos Wilder Rating: G Chapter: 3 of 6 Word Count: 6896 Mirror Link: AO3 Original Post Date: 11/06/2021

Chapter Title: Race Into the Night

Chapter Summary: Lloyd, Colette, Zelos and Sheena visit the carnival to have a night of fun after the end of exams. Lloyd and Colette end up riding the Ferris wheel alone, where...

(Colloyd Week Day 3: Confession/First Kiss)

Notes: Chapter 3 of my multi chapter Colloyd week fic! Featuring much fluff and sap. Zelos is non-binary in this and uses they/them pronouns.

Chapter title from Yoasobi's song.

Chapter list Full fic Previous chapter Next chapter

~~~

18-years-old

"There is no way I'm ever going on that thing. You can't make me."

"Come on, you promised that if I scored better than you at darts you would ride the Riptide with me! Gonna go back on your word now, Sheena?"

"Stop smirking at me, Zelos! You clearly cheated! That game was rigged!"

"All carnival games are rigged. That's common knowledge."

"I don't care. You still cheated!"

"Cheated how? You were watching me the whole time!"

Colette giggled, watching her two friends have a go at each other as they inched closer to each other with each word they spoke. All three of them were leaning against the cold metal railing, though Colette was careful to keep a safe distance from Zelos and Sheena. When they were engrossed in arguing with each other, there was a safe zone, and a not-safe zone where one was liable to get smacked by a wildly gesturing arm or two.

Surrounding them were various stalls staffed by people who were enthusiastically calling out to potential customers, hoping to receive more coupons in the final hour before the carnival closed. There were pop-up game stalls featuring the classics like ring toss and soccer, food stands selling carnival staples like candy floss and popcorn, and even thrill rides like the aforementioned Riptide, a roller coaster that paled in comparison to USS' coasters but certainly had the most twists and turns of anything offered at the carnival. Adorning everything was bright neon lights and colourful decorations, and noise came from every angle, lending to a cheery atmosphere that could get a tad overwhelming at times.

Despite the late hour of 9 pm, there was still quite a crowd - mostly consisting of young adults like them, the majority of families having gone home for the night. She had bumped into quite a few classmates in the past three hours, who had come here with the same idea of having a fun night out with friends after the end of A-levels. A lot of pictures had been taken, until her cheeks hurt a bit from smiling so much, but it had been great fun.

She, Lloyd, Zelos and Sheena had managed to visit almost every booth, using up all of the coupons that they were sharing amongst each other. But even with their combined efforts, they had only managed to win one prize: the adorable Siberian Husky plush she was currently hugging. Though they'd certainly snacked on their share of popcorn, sharing one large carton between the four of them until their fingers were sticky with kernels.

"Colette, back me up!" Sheena begged, turning to face Colette. Despite the biting words that were leaving her mouth, her true emotions were betrayed by the smile playing at the corner of her lips. Sheena's hair was tied up into her trademark high ponytail, the ends of her hair swaying slightly in the weak wind.

"What, me?" Colette exclaimed, rather surprised she was being pulled into the conversation. Zelos and Sheena tended to retreat into their own world whenever they got into this state, forgetting anyone else existed.

"Uh, well..." Colette muttered, sheepishly smiling. "Sorry to disappoint, Sheena, but I have to give this one to Zelos."

"See? Even Colette agrees!" Zelos placed their elbow on the railing, leaning closer to Sheena, smirking.

Sheena didn't even spare Zelos a look, just shoved their face away with a hand, ignoring Zelos' sputters of protest. "How could you, Colette? How could you side with the idiot?" Sheena cried in mock betrayal.

"Well, I and Lloyd were both there, and we both saw Zelos win fair and square. And a deal's a deal," Colette replied, shrugging. Zelos did seem more insistent than usual, but she couldn't discern why.

"Just think of it as a date!" Zelos waved a nonchalant arm in the air, that smirk never fading as they took hold of Sheena's arm.

"Screaming in abject terror is not my idea of a date," Sheena hissed through gritted teeth, though she didn't free herself from Zelos' hold. "Besides, we're supposed to ride the Ferris wheel together once Lloyd comes back!"

"Eh, we won't make it before the carnival closes if we catch the Ferris wheel. Don't worry, I'll treat you to ice cream afterwards! And if that isn't enough to appease you, surely some Ajisen will." Zelos turned to Colette and winked, leaving Colette utterly confused. Was there an underlying meaning to all of this she was supposed to be catching?

"If you drag me on that damn thing, Zelos Wilder, I swear I will never forgive - GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME! STOP!" Sheena shrieked as Zelos began to drag her by brute force towards the snaking queue of the Riptide. Colette gaped, watching Sheena struggle wildly, digging her feet into the ground and hurling curses that got steadily fouler at Zelos, who didn't seem to be affected at all.

"I'm back with the drinks!" Lloyd's happy voice came from behind her as he walked up to her, holding two cups with steam venting from their tops, hair adorably ruffled from the day's hectic events, woefully unaware of everything that had occurred in the time he was gone. "Wait, what's... Happening...?" he asked, only now spotting the gradually diminishing silhouettes of Zelos and Sheena.

"I... Uh, Zelos and Sheena are going to ride the Riptide," Colette said, explaining the situation as succinctly as she could. How else could she word it, anyway? There was no explaining the antics of those two.

"Alright." Lloyd shrugged, accepted her explanation and passing one cup over to her. She pushed the plushy into the crook of her elbow, freeing up a hand to accept the cup and still managing to almost drop it. She closed her fingers around the plastic cup, soaking in the warmth it emanated.

"It's hot chocolate," Lloyd explained between gulps as he practically downed the whole cup in half a minute. "They're out of hot milo. Sorry."

"It's alright. Any hot drink would have done." Colette finally took a sip, feeling the sting from the heat and sticking out her tongue.

"Should we wait for them to come back or go queue for the Ferris wheel?"

Colette sighed. "We should just go. The queue for the Riptide is really long... They know to meet up back at the MRT at 10."

The original plan was to take a group photo at the peak of the revolution of the Ferris wheel, but that didn't look like it was going to happen now.

So it would just be her and Lloyd riding the Ferris wheel. An activity that could be seen as romantic. The pamphlet for the carnival had even advertised it as a ride of love. When they'd walked past it just now, she'd seen that the Ferris wheel was decked out with a ton of wire hearts that lit up in multiple colours.

It was just ten minutes. It would be over in the blink of an eye! Totally!

"Then, let's go," Lloyd said, grabbing her hand and giving her a minute heart attack, causing her bravado to crumble into dust.

Nope. There was no way this could end well.

The two of them joined the short queue for the Ferris wheel, having thrown their empty cups into a nearby dustbin. Only eight people were waiting for the next empty carriage to descend to ground level and open its doors. Five of them - three children and two adults - belonged to one family, while the rest were a group of three girls, enthusiastically talking to each other. It wouldn't take long for their turn.

A bout of shivers overcame her as the wind picked up, the warmth of the drink already a memory. She wrapped her free arm around herself, gaze dropping to the floor as she once again regretted forgetting to bring out her favourite dog-ear hoodie. It was always hanging on her clothes rack, and it would have been so easy to just reach out a hand and swipe it on her way out. But no, she just had to wake up late and stumble out of the house still half-asleep.

She'd forgotten how cold the nights could get. Especially for her, someone who couldn't even handle the lecture theatre air-conditioning. Forgoing a long-sleeved T-shirt for her kiwi bird-print tee was not helping matters.

"Here." Something warm and soft was draped around her shoulders, and she looked up to find herself draped in Lloyd's familiar jacket, his face hovering close to hers. "You should have told me you were cold," Lloyd muttered, his breath tickling her neck. "I would have given you my jacket earlier."

His jacket smelt like him, a safe, comforting blanket that reached to her thighs. It held his body heat, too, slowly seeping into her.

Colette flushed, turning her face away so she didn't have to look into those russet eyes. For there was concern there, as well as the ever-present kindness, but there was also more. There was no way to hide her blush, not when he was right here, but she still had to resist the urge to hide her face behind the plushy.

Why was she still trying so hard to hide, anyway? It's not like it was of any use. She was so obvious. As Zelos had told her, it had gone far past the point of being funny.

"Though I guess you're always cold," Lloyd said, tearing his gaze away from her and taking a hurried step back. Perhaps the words were meant to be teasing, but they fell flat with the out-of-place laughter attached to the end.

"I - I mean, it - it was my fault for not bringing a jacket in the first place," she stuttered, the words stumbling over each other in her mouth in her hurry to answer. Now Lloyd would know she was nervous too. She was doing really well, wasn't she? “But thank you.”

"The next carriage is here," the attendant called out, voice flat and expression terribly bored. He was staring at them with a barely veiled expression of disinterest, waving his arms to direct them into the next carriage, doors wide open.

"Come on." Lloyd grabbed her hand, the smile returning to his face. The Ferris wheel was lit up to the nines, throwing soft purple light onto everything around her and illuminating half of Lloyd's face. Beautiful. He was always so beautiful, but it was moments like these where it made her heart hurt, wanting so desperately to reach out and touch his face.

Heart pounding in her chest, she took her seat, Lloyd sitting directly on her left, their legs close enough to brush.

She placed the plushy in her lap, resting her chin on it and trying her best to slow her racing heart, knowing it would be of no use. Here, in this carriage that was slowly rising into the sky and gently rocking, it was just the two of them in this little space, cut off from the rest of the world.

It was hard to tell herself she was imagining the intense way Lloyd was staring at her, like she was the only thing worth looking at, even though the beautiful night scenery was right outside the glass. Nor was it possible to imagine the tension, sharp as a knife, that had arisen between them for the past half a year or so. Almost everything was the same: they were still incredibly close, but there was a hesitance there now - in the way Lloyd’s fingers sometimes curled away from hers, in the way she sometimes stopped before throwing an arm around his shoulder to embrace him.

Neither of them had spoken up about that tension, dancing around each other like fools. Even if he did return her feelings… Love wasn’t enough to bridge the impossible distance between them. She could never fully comprehend all that he felt, just as he could never fully comprehend the absence of what she felt. She could never give him what others could, not with her extreme revulsion towards anything sexual in nature. She’d be willing to try, for him, simply because her love for him knew no bounds, but… she couldn't say where her limits would be. Likely not very far from where she would start.

Even though Lloyd had been nothing but supportive of her, that didn’t mean he was willing to take a chance that could very well end in failure and heartbreak. She might not be enough for him when it came to a relationship. If that was the case, she could understand. Neither of them had done anything wrong. If they were incompatible from the start, then she could keep her silence. She’d be perfectly happy to remain as friends, even if these nebulous feelings would never leave her chest. She didn’t want to lose them.

"Um, do you, uh... like the plushy?" Lloyd asked, his voice cutting through her anxious thoughts. Awkwardness radiated off of him in spades as he shifted in the seat, turning his head away to stare down at the floor. At least she wasn't the only one that was nervous. He was repeating the exact question he’d asked her when he’d given her the plushy.

"I love it. It's soft, and it's cute. Thanks for giving it to me." The same answer she’d given him before.

Lloyd had been the one who won a carnival game - the ball toss, to be specific. He'd managed to down all the cans with a single ball and gotten the choice of any of the first-place prizes. Zelos had raised an eyebrow and asked him how he'd gotten past the unfair odds. Lloyd had sheepishly scratched the back of his head and said it was a lucky accident, one that he couldn’t repeat, which proved to be true in his later attempts.

Lloyd had taken one look at the prize pool, pointed out the Siberian Husky plush to the staff, and then stuffed it into her hands the moment he'd gotten it, proclaiming that it was a gift for her. Zelos had been outright snickering, while even Sheena had looked like she was holding back laughter, shoulders shaking.

Lloyd's hand found hers in the little space between them, his thumb rubbing the skin of her palm just below her fingers. It was a repetitive, soothing motion, helping to calm her down.

She hoped that, no matter what, they would always stay together. Whether as friends or more. Just the two of them.

"I'm glad you like it." Lloyd's voice was getting progressively quieter with each syllable his lips formed, slowly shifting right along the seat towards her.

“Can - can I…” Lloyd asked timidly, turning to face her and leaning closer. Her field of vision narrowed to just his face, barely lit by the scant light that reached them from the carnival grounds and the spokes of the Ferris wheel. Everything else was slowly turning into a blur. “Can I kiss you?”

The carriage had reached the top of its revolution. Through the window, she could see the sparkling lights of the high-rises in the distance. Silence suffused the air as no one spoke, the world itself seeming to hold its breath, neither she nor Lloyd moving a single part of their bodies as they stared at each other. His eyes were wide, filled with such incredible emotion, built up over years and spilling over at this very moment.

Her breath caught in her throat, a current of warmth making itself known in her heart at the fact that he’d actually bothered to ask. She’d expected Lloyd to - the kind, considerate soul that she’d come to know and love, but somewhere in the back of her mind was tucked the irrational fear that there would never be anyone who respected her boundaries, simply because she wasn't worth it.

She took a deep breath, preparing her answer. It wouldn’t be “normal”, that was for sure. It wasn’t a simple yes or no, but rather…

“Is it fine if it’s on the cheek?” were the quiet words that left her mouth, shattering the expectant silence as her grip tightened on the plushy. Maybe one day, she wouldn’t mind a kiss on the lips, but not today. She wasn’t up to it yet.

She doesn’t know what answer she expects. Probably a no. It’s perfectly understandable for Lloyd to just step away.

“Of course,” Lloyd replied instantly, the gentle smile on his face once again shattering all the preconceived notions she’d constructed in her head, absolutely terrified of rejection but huddling herself into a corner in the belief that that was all she could possibly receive. There had been no hesitation behind that statement, no hint of reproach or anger or irritation towards her.

“Yes.” The word slipped out without any thought, for she herself had yearned for so terribly long. The desire she had always held to love, and to be loved, despite everything - to experience it all with the boy that had always been part of her life and that she hoped could continue to be there for the rest of it.

She turned her head to the side, and it didn't take another moment longer before Lloyd pressed his lips against her cheek, one hand still holding hers while his other arm wrapped around her shoulder, the plushy trapped between them. He was nothing if not gentle, bringing up her earliest memories of being kissed on the cheek by her mother, before she had left her life forever. It was through that gentleness that the force of his love was truly impressed on her - for there was passion there, in the very act of holding himself back. Love, gentle like a warm flame, but not any lesser for it, for his love was just as impregnable as a brick wall, unyielding and unbreaking.

She could feel his warm breath against her cheek, his lips softer than she could have thought, his hair close enough to run her hands through as she’d always wanted. So she did, letting the strands fall through her fingers like melted chocolate.

Was he… smiling? It sure felt like it.

It wasn't a magical moment like people always said the first kiss would be like. After all, theirs was nowhere close to conventional, but it was an experience that belonged only to them. No sparks were flying in the air, nor did time stop. It was just the two of them, fitting together perfectly like puzzle pieces in the way they always had, and she couldn't ask for anything more.

Lloyd moved away, his arm dropping from her shoulder, hand joining the other to clasp her limp one. His eyes were shining with joy, the same joy that filled her heart and made it feel like it might take flight at any time. Everything had finally fallen into place.

Her whole face was now on fire as she turned away, leaning forward over her legs. Her hair fell by the side of her face like a veil, letting only tiny glimpses of Lloyd through.

“You’re sure?” she asked, knowing that she needed to clarify. Even if his actions had been the shining light that burned away most of her doubts, some still remained. Lloyd really, truly needed to understand what he was getting into. She would not let him mindlessly enter into a relationship with her without knowing about all the ups and downs, all the complications that would come with it. That would only end in them hurting each other, and then they might never be able to stand the sight of each other again. It was the dreaded future she never wanted to come to pass. “It’s not going to be easy."

“I know,” he replied, squeezing her hand, his russet eyes focussed on hers. “But all relationships have challenges, don't they? We'll figure it out together, just like always. And if it doesn’t work out, then we’ll stay as friends, forever. I just want you to know that I love you.”

There is nothing but burning conviction behind his words, and a determination that reached deep into her soul and lit a flame of hope.

There would be many more difficult conversations that needed to be had, candid discussions that would need to take place. But for now, she didn't say anything more, hoping the unspoken “I love you” from her side could be understood, clear as day. She still couldn’t make herself say it, the final lingering doubt that she suspected would never fully go away holding her back: that romantic love had to go hand in hand with sexual attraction, and that one could not exist without the other.

She simply closed her eyes, leaning against him and enjoying the gentle rocking of the carriage for the remainder of their time on the Ferris wheel.

~~~

25-years-old

"Remember this Ferris wheel?" Lloyd teased Colette, squeezing her hand as they stood in front of the Ferris wheel at the reopened carnival. It wasn't the exact same one they’d ridden at the age of 18, for that one had been deconstructed years ago. But it was a near-perfect replica, down to the purple lights that lit up the spokes, though the hearts were gone. Even the bored attendant who was barely paying attention to her duties was right!

"How could I forget?" Colette laughed, her trademark bright smile on her face. Even after knowing her for twenty years and dating her for seven of those years, the sight of her smile never failed to light a spark in his chest.

At least this time Colette was dressed appropriately for the colder night, in a pencil skirt and a long-sleeved collared blouse with a few frills. She looked a lot more put-together than him, who was just wearing plain old jeans. He had picked her straight up from work before driving them here, after all.

All that was missing was the staff pass that she’d removed from around her neck and left in the car. Her smart-casual image, however, was completely shattered by the pair of grey dog ears poking out of her hair, attached to the headband sitting behind her ears. They even felt furry to the touch, though it wasn’t real dog fur.

A pair of brown ears sat on his own head. Colette hadn’t managed to win a grand prize at the game stalls like he once had out of dumb luck, but she'd managed to do pretty well at the ring toss, scoring almost all of her tosses onto the red-rimmed bottles. That meant she could redeem a few mid-tier prizes, so she'd gotten two headbands with dog ears attached, one for her and one for him that he could wear if he wanted to. He'd put it on immediately. Now they matched! He needed to take a picture of them sometime - Sheena and Zelos would appreciate the cute image.

More like Sheena would strangle him over digital space if he didn't send cute photos.

The carnival had finally returned after four years of absence, and he and Colette had jointly decided to return almost immediately upon hearing the news. It was small and honestly not that impressive compared to other theme parks they’d been to, but it still held precious memories. And it would make for a fun date, which it certainly had so far!

They'd retraced their steps from years ago, though unfortunately, they were lacking Zelos and Sheena. First riding the pirate ship, Colette’s hair going wild in the air as the ship swung from side-to-side, then visiting the game stalls, laughing at each other’s absolutely horrendous attempts, then buying and sharing a stick of cotton candy between them, taking turns biting from the fluffy substance and having their tongues curl from the overload of sweetness, before finally arriving back here at the Ferris wheel.

"I know I've said this already, but thanks for planning this all out," Colette said, linking her arm with his and smiling up at him as they joined the queue. The queue was much longer today, amounting to more than 40 people, by his rough estimate. It was still quite early in the evening, half of the sun still peeking over the horizon, the sky painted in a pink that would soon be darkening to orange. It was just as noisy as in the past, perhaps even noisier, for the families hadn't gone home yet. "There were quite a few kerfuffles with the system at work today, and this really helped."

"That bad?"

"Mm. We had a new intern come in today, and then the old system just decided to crash. Not the intern's fault, she's the sweetest girl. But it was still a headache to deal with."

"Well, I'm glad it helped. Though I'm just happy to spend more time with you."

If everything went according to plan, then he'd be seeing a lot more of her in the future.

He shoved his hand into his pocket, checking that the all-important box was still there. It was the crux of this whole operation, and he could not lose it.

Colette laughed, a sound that inevitably made him smile. "I'm sorry I haven't been free for the past few weeks. It's a busy time for the company."

"It's alright. I'll be starting work soon too, after all. Besides, we still stay two floors apart. There's pretty much no way we don't see each other every week, silly."

"Sorry, sorry. Shouldn't be a downer; you're right. Anyway, since tomorrow’s a public holiday, want to spend it over at my place?”

“Netflix and chill?” Lloyd answered, well aware that he was probably getting some weird looks from people close enough to overhear him. He wasn’t even sure if Colette knew of its double meaning - she was generally completely clueless about the world of euphemisms. Over time, they’d just started co-opting the phrase. After all, their time together at each other’s place was mostly spent… watching shows while curled up together on the couch, creating dishes that were more like unrecognisable disasters in the kitchen while attempting not to set the whole place on fire, or Colette playing video games at the foot of the bed while he tickled her neck with his toes. In terms of risque activities, they so rarely happened - and only after he checked, double-checked and triple-checked that Colette was feeling up to it and not forcing herself for his sake.

“I don’t mind, but we haven’t finished that card game we started last month. The card piles are still sitting untouched on my bay window. Wanna do that instead?”

“Sure!” He replied enthusiastically. Board games or card games always promised a good time, if infuriating when nothing would line up and Lady Luck was decidedly not smiling on him. Colette seemed to get all the luck in these party games. Maybe it was consolation for tripping all the time.

“It’s such a shame that Zelos and Sheena aren’t here,” Colette said, pulling out her phone. “I know they went on the Ferris wheel the year after we did, but we still haven’t gotten that group photo we were supposed to.”

“One’s in Europe and one’s in Australia. There’s no way they could join us on such short notice.” The last he'd heard from them, both were doing well for themselves and very happy in their long-distance relationship.

“True. I guess I can add them to the photo afterwards with the power of Photoshop. Oh, and Zelos sent me this really weird message...” After a few swipes of her finger, Colette shoved the bright phone screen under his nose.

Zelos Wilder: Looking forward to the good news ;)

“Do you have any idea what they mean?” Colette asked, cocking her head to the side in confusion. “They haven’t been replying to my question!”

Lloyd could feel his fingers twitching. Zelos Wilder wasn’t here, but if they were, Lloyd would have strangled them already. Trying to spoil the surprise, were they?

“It’s probably nothing! You know how they are. Always trying to cause chaos.” Lloyd shrugged, hoping he wasn’t being too obvious, as he tended to be.

“I suppose that’s true… What good news?” Lloyd could hear Colette repeating that question to herself under her breath, not quite soft enough for it to escape his notice. She didn’t seem to have noticed that anything was up with him, thankfully.

“It’s our turn! Come on, let’s get on!” Lloyd declared, just loud enough to startle Colette and cause her to nearly drop her phone. She hurriedly stuffed it back into her pocket, following Lloyd to the open carriage. She hadn't realised the space before them had completely cleared.

The attendant lazily waved them onto the open carriage with barely a glance at them, a mumbled: “Have a nice ride” leaving her mouth.

Lloyd was the first to scramble on, turning around to give Colette a helping hand - only to find her falling straight into him, having tripped over the raised step. With a shocked “Oh!” falling from her lips, Colette crashed into him, nearly knocking him flat onto the carriage seat. With a shocked yelp, Lloyd braced himself against the glass window of the carriage, barely maintaining his balance. Years of practice at stopping Colette’s sometimes fantastical falls over obstacles that weren’t visible to him had honed his reaction times to near perfection, giving him ample preparation for this situation.

The attendant continued to ignore them, gaze fixed not so discreetly on the phone sitting in her lap. The doors of the carriage slid smoothly shut, and with a jolt that nearly knocked them off balance again, the carriage set off on its journey.

"Um, sorry..." Colette apologised from her position pressed flush against Lloyd's chest, arms entangled in his. She slowly extricated herself from the mess, stumbling a few times but managing not to fall again, even with the gentle swaying of the carriage floor. He tried his best to steady her without falling over himself. She sheepishly smiled. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Lloyd adjusted her headband, setting the ears that had been knocked crooked back into their rightful place. He’d told her multiple times that she didn’t need to apologise for tripping, but she still did, the habit too ingrained to break. It was endearing, though. “You?”

“I’m fine!” Colette smoothed out her skirt (though there weren’t any noticeable wrinkles in it from the fall,) and sat down to rest her weary feet, giving Lloyd the cue to sit down as well. “Thank goodness I wasn’t wearing heels…”

Lloyd did not want to imagine what would have happened if she was - she might have twisted her ankle, or worse. She rarely wore heels due to her clumsiness, but when she did, all sorts of accidents tended to happen.

He stuffed his hand into his pocket again, fingers feeling the velvet texture again.

It’s still here.

"What's still here?" Colette’s confused voice broke through his relieved thoughts. Her hands were resting in her lap and she was leaning forward, eyes shining with a curious light. The usual white lights of the new condominiums close to the carnival grounds shone, a few glimmers of pink visible as people celebrated Pink Dot. It was at this very moment that the Ferris wheel's lights turned from purple to pink, the spokes emanating soft pink light that washed over Colette, making her hair glisten - almost like an ethereal fairy with imaginary wings that shimmered, having come to visit him on this mortal plane. The dog ears only added to that image, somehow. Even now, the sight of her was enough to make him feel dizzy, both out of love and awe, even if he no longer blushed like an embarrassed schoolboy. Awe that she could get more beautiful every time his gaze landed on her. And awe that such an incredible person had chosen to trust him and stay with him.

He was so enraptured by the angel before him that it took a few seconds for her words to process in his mind, after which he froze in horror.

OH NO, HE’D SAID IT OUT LOUD. A thousand alarm bells were ringing in his head. Some days he was reminded that he was an adult now, and other days he was reminded that he was as much an idiot as he used to be. Some things just never changed.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” Colette said, a teasing lilt to her voice as she rested her chin on her palm, an amused smile playing on her lips.

He could just play it off - he knew Colette wouldn’t pursue it any further if he gave off the signals to drop the topic. She was just like that: the most considerate person he knew.

But…

The original plan had been to do it on the Ferris wheel. It even had Zelos' approval. This, right now, was the perfect chance to just let the cat out of the bag. And he would grasp the opportunity in hand before it could escape him.

For he could think of no future happier than one spent Colette’s side.

Taking a deep breath, he pulled the purple box out of his pocket with a shaking hand, dropping to his knees on the surprisingly clean carriage floor, devoid of the usual spilt drinks and crumpled up tissues.

He could tell the exact moment Colette gleaned the true intent behind his actions, the blank, confused expression on her face morphing into one of shocked disbelief, eyes widening and hands flying up to cover her mouth.

Damn it, he’d completely forgotten the script he’d written with Zelos’ assistance in a back-and-forth over messages, Zelos alternating between giving actually good advice and being extremely annoying, though Lloyd had gotten them to shut up by asking them when they planned to propose. The two of them had both struggled to find the right words, since neither of them had done super well in English. But Lloyd had persevered, wanting to get his feelings across eloquently.

But now that he was staring into Colette’s blue eyes, all the words were sprouting wings and flying mockingly out of his head, leaving only blank space for him to reach uselessly for.

The one piece of advice Zelos had given him that continued to stick in his head was this: speak from the heart, and surely she would understand.

He couldn’t keep her waiting forever.

“I… ” He couldn’t help but start off slow, struggling against the block in his mind but determined to push past it. The words then seemed to just come to him, progressively faster as time went on, stumbling out of some unknown part of his mind - or perhaps it would be more accurate to say his heart. Somehow, throughout it all, he didn't drop the box despite his trembling hands. “Colette, you’re the most amazing person I know. Your compassion, your gentleness, even your clumsiness, they’re all vital parts of my life that I wouldn’t give up for anything. You are my shining star in the sky, the one that gives me hope, that inspires me to be the best version of myself. If I had the choice to relieve my life from the start, I wouldn't change a thing, because meeting you on that playground all those years ago was the best thing that has ever happened to me. All my years spent with you have been incredible, and I would like to spend many more by your side. So, just like years ago, Colette, I have something I need to ask you, right here and right now.”

“Will you… Will you marry me?” He finished, voice drifting off into silence as he flipped open the box to reveal the two plain, thin metal rings he’d bought. Colette wasn’t the type to go for flashy diamonds or colourful gems. She’d appreciate something simple like this.

He waited, the few seconds of deafening silence seeming to stretch out into eternity, broken only by the sound of blood rushing past his ears. This wasn’t the first time he’d asked this very question, if in a different and less dramatic form. He’d already received her answer once. But he would respect whatever answer she gave now, and most of all, they would keep the promise they had made at this very place: that they would always remain friends, no matter what.

~~~

Colette still couldn’t quite believe her ears, gaze flitting between Lloyd’s face and the box he was holding up towards her, the two rings housed snugly within reflecting pink light.

Marriage had crossed her mind many times. She had learned over the years that it wasn’t a penultimate goal that had to be reached to prove her relationship successful, and she’d told Lloyd as much when he’d asked her two months ago if she’d be willing to get married.

But still, even if she had managed to break free from most of the notions the fairytales of old had implanted into her head, able to just enjoy them as sweet stories now, she couldn’t quite rid herself of the dream of having a fairytale wedding. One that was perfectly planned, with family and friends present to stand witness to their union.

She’d told him yes. That she would be willing to tie the knot with him, the one she loved. The expectation of a proposal had been simmering in the back of her mind ever since, often going forgotten. She had not expected the time would be now. Lloyd had been more fidgety than normal, constantly checking his pockets while disguising the action as keeping his hands in his pockets. She’d known something was up, but his true intentions had escaped her detection until just moments before, when she’d been taken off guard. All she’d thought when he’d pulled out the box was that it resembled the ring boxes in the dramas Sheena was always recommending to her, the ones that appeared in all the emotional proposal scenes, until the realisation had hit her in the chest like a truck.

Once again, like years ago, they’d reached the top of the revolution. The silence remained unbroken as Lloyd patiently awaited her answer, not pushing her towards one. And so events repeated, mirrored across time.

Colette slowly stretched out her arm, eyes shimmering with unshed tears as a smile graced her face. She nodded, her throat blocked by all the emotions that swirled in her chest, unable to say ‘yes’ out loud even as she screamed it over and over in her mind, the tears finally breaking free of whatever barrier was holding them back to spill down her face.

Lloyd broke out into the most beautiful smile she had ever seen, radiating pure joy as he slid one of the simple, elegant, silver bands onto her ring finger. It fit. Perfectly. When had he even learned her ring size?

She picked up the other ring that was meant for Lloyd, marvelling at how her hand could somehow remain stable as the rest of her body trembled in barely contained emotion. The ring was so tiny, held between her thumb and index finger, and yet it held such significant weight as she slid it onto his ring finger, the skin of his hand rough against hers and the metal cold.

Lloyd jumped to his feet, pulling her into an embrace and pressing a kiss to the top of her head (his nose bumping the dog ears), holding her close, his happy laughter rumbling through his chest. Even now, when he must have been bursting with joy, he was still mindful of her boundaries, refusing to do anything that would cross the line. Heart filled with warmth, she pressed herself impossibly closer, intending to just melt into his arms forever -

"Please get off the carriage."

The deadpan voice that belonged to neither her nor Lloyd broke through the peaceful bubble that had been constructed around the two of them. She froze, feeling Lloyd stiffen around her as well. Looking to the left yielded the view of solid ground, and the same uninterested attendant gesturing towards it.

Ah. They'd reached the bottom without even noticing. This was… embarrassing, to say the least.

Thankfully, no one seemed to be in the queue at the moment, allowing the two of them to escape from the Ferris wheel without much attention. It appeared that only the attendant had borne witness, and she couldn’t seem to care less, having returned to the booth.

Their interlocked hands swung in the air, the matching rings glinting under the bright neon lights of the carnival as she wiped away her happy tears, both of them grinning uncontrollably.

"I love you," Lloyd said, the words leaving his lips with ease, as they always had. "Shall we go home?” he asked.

Home was with friends and family and Lloyd, the one who held her heart.

Colette squeezed Lloyd’s hand. She felt light as a feather, like she could somehow fly with wings that she didn't have.

"I love you," she replied, the words coming so easily now. "Let’s.”

~~~

The attendant shook her head, scoffing as she returned to scrolling through Twitter.

“I suppose love does make the world go round.”

~~~

Next chapter

[colloydweek]

Coffee Shenanigans by Lil-Samuu [Fanfic]

Rating: G

Summary: Bonus fic for free day! Lloyd and Colette try out mixtures of different flavors for drinks which include coffee and hot chocolate, with Sheena as their taste-tester.

-

Sheena had been both amused and touched at Colette and Lloyd's enthusiasm when they'd asked if, as it was the first Winter Festival when they had a house of their own, they could host the festivities that year. She'd told them that of course they could and that it was a lovely idea, sure that they'd do a great job.

So far she'd been right, everyone had had a lovely Winter Festival's Eve with games and songs and stories and which had been even cozier because Colette and Lloyd had insisted on wearing pyjamas. Although the idea might have seemed a little childish Sheena had to admit that it had been a really nice, comfortable one and the couple wearing their home-made fluffy Noishe themed pyjamas complete with hoods with ears on them had caused much amusement.

Although they had said that they were happy to do the cooking things that needed starting early and didn't need help Sheena found herself wandering towards the kitchen much earlier than she'd expected to be awake the next morning. Zelos had woken her up with a couple of loud snores and though when she'd nudged him he'd moved and stopped snoring she found herself wondering how Lloyd and Colette were getting on with the food rather than drifting back to sleep and had decided to go the kitchen to see if they needed any help.

When she got to the doorway she saw the two of them still in the Noishe pyjamas sitting at the kitchen table with a lot more items than she'd expected to see scattered over it. Frowning slightly she noticed that a lot of the ingredients weren't ones that were needed for the food preparation that she thought they'd be doing at this hour, although she could see that the oven was on so they had started some of the right things.

"Happy Winter Festival!" Colette said chirpily and Lloyd echoed the greeting. Sheena yawned then returned the greeting.

"Are you two getting on alright? Seems like there's a lot of stuff on the table," she said, yawning again as she sat down.

[Continue reading on FF.net!]

[maidenof-thesea]

Snakes & Butterflies | Part XI

Pairing: Jimin x Reader

Genre: Soulmate Au!, Fluff, Angst, Smut (in the future)

Words: 3.8k

Warning: minor swearing

Note: I’m really sorry that I haven’t posted in a while!! This quarantine is making me lazy but I was inspired today. Just a little warning this quarantine has me really desperate if you catch my drift ;) ANYWAYS I hope you enjoy! 

Reminder: * conversations in Korean *

Say anything, Y/N. Talk about the weather!

But I couldn’t. I couldn’t think of anything else, except for what happened last night. I felt my heart just race, remembering Jimin’s expression last night. I hope my face isn’t red. I couldn’t pinpoint what emotion overcame me last night. I have been attracted to other people before, and I’m pretty sure it's normal to fantasize about celebrities, such as Adam Driver. Whatever I was feeling last night was nothing like attraction...it felt more sexual...OH MY GO-

“Y/N?” Jimin said as he waved his hand in my face. I flinched away, causing him to flinch as well. “What’s the matter? You’re breathing heavily.”

“Wow!” I exclaimed, I flinched once more. I was unnecessarily loud. “This weather is something else, oh are we here? Cool!”

I then hop out of my jeep, Jimin quickly scrambles to follow me into Petco. I quickly pull out my phone and open the notes application. I found the file of Yuki’s favorite treats and what cat food she likes best. I didn't notice that Jimin went ahead and got a cart until he gently bumped into me. 

“Lead the way,” Jimin said with a dazzling smile. I felt a pain blossom in my chest. I felt my eyes water and before he could notice I cleared my throat and furiously began to blink my eyes to keep the tears at bay. I felt my face turn red once I remembered my breakdown in the shower yesterday. I walked ahead of him to the cat food aisle. There were people with their dogs shopping and kids excitedly looking at the aquariums and other animals they had displayed. 

Once we turned into the familiar aisle, an excited familiar voice shouted out.

“Miss!” said the familiar employee, as he put down a couple packages of cat food. I felt Jimin stiffen by me. “I was wondering why you haven’t come this week!”

“Oh,” I sighed, ruffling my hair nervously, I inconspicuously glanced at his nametag. “Hi, Junhong, how have you been?”

“Good,” He said smiling and also ruffling his hair. I had to look up at him to get a good look at his face. He had a couple of new piercings in his ears and his tattoos were seen through the white longsleeve he wore under his uniform. “Did you run out of cat food for Yuki?”

“Yea,” I said sheepishly, feeling a bit embarrassed. “I forgot to buy some,  I usually come before-”

“Before you run out,” Junhong finished for me. Jimin then clears his throat and Junhong quickly glances at him but simply smiles. “I was actually in the middle of stocking, but there should be some of the cat food you usually buy in the back, Jongup will give it to you.”

I politely nodded and started heading toward the back, not hearing him radio his coworker. 

*

“Hyung,” Junhong said into his radio. “The noona you like is back! She’s on her way to the back, don’t mess up!”

* 

                                  Jimin

Here I was thinking that if I came along with her on this shopping trip, I could finally be alone with Y/N but even here I am competing against all these guys. Even with me there right next to her, this guy-Jongup I guess is his name-- literally sprints from wherever he was in the back and shamelessly stares at her as he attempts to hand her a huge bag of cat food. 

“I got this,” I say stepping between them to grab the cat food. He looks startled almost as if he didn’t even realize I was there. Seriously…

“Thank you,” Y/N says with her signature smile and just as she’s about to turn around, the guy speaks up.

“How’s Yuki doing?” Jongup says attempting to start a conversation. All the while he keeps glancing at me, confusion evident in his eyes. “She hasn’t come in a while, doesn’t she need her claws cut?”

“She’s fine,” Y/N replies nonchalantly, inclining her head in confusion. “I think I set an appointment sometime next month for her to get groomed..”

“You usually come every month for that…” he says. The guy is starting to get on my nerves.

“Yea, money is a little tight, plus I have guests now..” Y/N said, this time I could tell she was feeling a little awkward. He takes another glance at me, much to my annoyance, she notices this time. “Oh, this is Jimin, my friend. He just offered to come help me, plus we have plans after this...”

“We should go, the others must be waiting,” I say feeling a bit pleased that she referred to me as a friend instead of as a guest.

 “Oh,” Jongup says in realization.  “Anyway do you think you have some spare time next weekend? Zelo-I mean Junhong and I were competing in this dance competition at the festival for charity…maybe we can have dinner after?”

Why can’t this guy take a hint? 

All the while he was talking, he was nervously pulling his sleeves up, revealing his Mark. His Mark was a faded marble. Faded..his Soulmate..

“Sure that seems like fun,” Y/N replies with a soft smile, I felt my heart drop. “Maybe the other guests would enjoy that!”

In spite of her agreeing, Jongup didn’t seem pleased with her answer. Of course she wants to go as a group. I guess Jungkook was right, she is quite clueless about dating(Much to my relief). She doesn’t even know he’s asking her out. It’s not her fault though, this guy has probably never asked out a girl... he probably never had the chance to, but still. It wasn’t like I was gonna let him.

But wait.

Is this normal behavior? I’m sure people have weird ways of mourning, I’m not really one to judge. I only did that because I was so sure Y/N rejected me, but would I have done the same if she died? I take one more quick glance at his Mark, it doesn’t seem to be too faded away, so his Soulmate must have died not too long ago. Why does it seem that this guy seems so sure of himself? He’s not even nervous about who I am. Maybe I’m overreacting. But-

“Jimin?” Y/N said quietly. I flinch and I realized they were both staring at me. “You and Hobi both majored in dance right?”

“Yea,” I shrugged. “Hyung majored in hip hop and I did more contemporary..”

“Oh!” Jongup said excitedly. “Are you Korean?”

“Yes,” I replied. “We should really get going Y/N. I’m sure Jin-hyung is losing his mind.”

“Oh yea!” She says and her eyes go wide in fear. She pulls out her phone and it starts ringing, she quickly answers. “I’m on my way! Yes I know! Yea we can go when I drop off the stuff.”

“Bye Jongup!” Y/N says as she rushes to push the cart to the cat litter aisle, leaving me alone with Jongup. 

*

“It’s fascinating,” Jongup says with a smile. “There’s not a lot of Korean people in this town, so it's quite surprising to see you here.”

*

I shrug and I start to walk after Y/N, not really in the mood to have small talk, but he follows.

“See you next weekend!” Y/N says coming from the aisle, and she quickly gestures for me to take the cart. “I have to go get some fancy feasts! I have a coupon!”

Once she came back, she paid and we started heading back to her Jeep. She quickly hops into the driver's seat and we head back home. Once we are halfway, is when I start to feel nervous. I want to ask how she got so friendly with those employees but I’m not sure if that was overstepping any boundaries. It was at this moment I felt envious towards Taehyung. Even Jungkook for that matter, they would have not hesitate to ask her how she knows them. 

“Jimin,” Y/N sighs. I felt tense. “I wanted to ask you something.”

“Go ahead,” I replied nervously. “You can ask me anything.”

“Do you perhaps hate me?” She asks, clutching the steering wheel. “I don’t understand you...the past two days you seem -”

“I don’t hate you,” I answered feeling tears pool in my eyes. “I could never hate you, why-”

“If not,” Y/N interrupts me. “Have I done or said anything to upset you?”

“Why are you asking me this?”

“Because you were my first friend.” Y/N says putting the car in park. I didn’t even realize we were on the driveway. “I understand that just because we were childhood friends, it doesn’t exactly mean we have to be friends now.”

“What are you talking about? Of course we’re friends!” I say in disbelief but a part of me understood what she was saying. The me from yesterday would agree with her. Before I found out about her Mark. “Listen I’m sorry about yesterday, I shouldn’t have gotten angry and left with that girl, she only approached me because of you and-”

“What?”

FUCK

“The girl you went to the rave with knows me?” I say confused. Her face flashes in my eyes and I feel my spine stiffen and my heart drop. I quickly pull out my phone and open Instagram. I quickly scrolled past the cat pictures and in my friend suggestions was her. Her most recent post was Jimin and her. “Melanie Cruz…”

“Y/N?” Jimin says nervously. I felt my eyes spring with tears and the air felt so thick, I couldn’t catch my breath. 

“Why do you always wear sweaters?” Melanie sneered. “Aren’t you hot? Or are you hiding something?”

“Y/N?”

“Where’s your sweater loser?” Melanie laughed with her friends. “Have you tried the bathroom?”

“Aww,” Melanie sighs from behind me. There my sweater was in a clogged toilet. Soiled. “Well at least you have your T-shirt still..”

“Why are you still wearing your PE shirt!” Melanie says as she slams me against the locker room door, leaving me dazed from the impact. Before I could stop her, she forces my sleeves down and I hear her gasp. “Here I thought you had a really embarrassing Mark like a rat or something but you don’t even have one! Wait until the whole school finds out!”

“Y/n!” Jimin shouts and I flinch. He’s shaking my shoulder and before he reaches up to wipe my tears, I shove him away. He looks at me in shock and I stare right back. Did he know? Did she tell him? I unconsciously clutched my arm and his eyes followed my movement and his eyes filled with regret. He knew. “It doesn’t even matter! I don’t ca-”

“Let’s go!” Jin sings songs from the porch, startling the both of us. I quickly grab the sunglasses from the console and put them on right before Jin could lean into my open window. Jimin is rigid in the passenger seat. “Why didn’t you text me back? Where do they sell napa cabbage? Everything okay here?” 

I nod and smile the best I could but Jin didn’t really look convinced. Before he could question us further on it though, out came the rest of the boys. 

“So I fed Yuki a fancy feast Y/N,” Namjoon says. “But I really think you should trim her claws. She scratched me!”

“Hyung,” Jungkook said, rolling his eyes. “I told you that she only lets Noona pet her while she eats...Yuki is a rescue pet and only trusts Noona around her hunt...what’s the matter Noona?”

“Are you all coming to get supplies for side dishes?” I ask, grateful that my voice didn’t waver but also ignoring Jungkook’s piercing gaze. Taehyung was also trying to get Jimin’s attention. Both Yoongi and Hobi were swinging their clasped hands and waiting by the SUV.

“I told them that we would need help carrying everything and that I would only need 2 extra people but they all insist on coming.” Jin sighs. “We probably have to go in the SUV.”

“Um okay,” I sigh awkwardly, sliding out of the car but before I closed it, I noticed a USB on the floor wedged between the door and the seat, I quickly put it in my pocket and closed the door. Everyone else headed to the sidewalk where the SUV was parked. “Jin?”

“Yea?” He asked, already unlocking the door to the SUV. 

“I’m gonna just stay and take a shower,” I say shrugging my hair. From the corner of my eye, I see Jimin freeze and turn around and face me real quick. “Plus I feel a headache coming.”

“But I don’t know where to go..” Jin says reluctantly.

“I know where to go hyung!” Jungkook says helpful and I felt my body sigh in relief. Jin still seemed unsure but he shrugged his shoulders and hopped into the driver’s seat. I quickly glanced at Jimin and he was staring at me intensely. I’m sure he wanted to ask me a lot of questions and even though I was horrified at the thought of him possibly being disgusted by me, I really wanted to know what he meant about not caring. Did he not care that I don’t have a Mark? Or does he not care about what she may have said about me?

As the rest of the guys are getting in the SUV, I open the trunk of the jeep so that I could start carrying Yuki’s things inside. I placed a couple of light things into a spare box I had. Just as I turn around with a box of supplies, Jimin quickly takes it from my grasp.

“Hyung!” Jimin shouts. “I’m staying too!”

Without waiting for a response, Jimin starts heading up the pathway to the house, leaving me to follow him. I wave to the boys as they drive away and before I could even turn around, Jimin snatched my wrist and pulled me inside. 

“Don’t run away,” Jimin says and his tone is unfamiliar. It sounded angry. “Could you just listen to what I have to say?”

I felt my resolve shake and I was too afraid to look into his eyes. Would his gaze be disgusted or worse filled with pity? I couldn’t bear it if it was pity. The last thing I needed-

“Jimin?”

He hugged me and his shoulders were shaking and I felt water against my neck from where he was tucking his face into my neck. He was crying. 

“Why are you crying?” I said and my voice was wavering, I was on the verge of tears myself. “Don’t cry Jimin. Please don’t cry.” 

I wrapped my arms around him, with my hands resting against his fluffy hair. 

“I’m sorry,” He sobs. “I’m sorry I left without saying goodbye, I’m sorry for leaving you all alone. I didn’t know! I didn’t know that happened to you! They told me you would be okay, but they lied!”

“What are you talking about Jimin?” I say confused, grabbing his face from my neck. I wipe his tears and quickly wipe his nose with my jacket sleeve. “Who lied to you?”

“My grandpa..said you would be fine, you would make lots of friends and live a normal life.”

This whole time...he felt guilty for leaving?

“Jimin,” I sigh. “It’s not your fault.”

“It is!” Jimin yells. “If I never left, I would have never let that bitch bully you.”

“What else did she tell you?” I say letting him go but he grasps my hand leaving it pressed against his cheek. “Besides that?”

“She said that just because you didn’t have a Mark, you wou-” Jimin says but stops abruptly, his face turning red. He takes a step back, not meeting my gaze. I sigh and take a step closer.

“Did she say I messed around alot?” 

“N-No!” He stutters and he picks up the box and just about runs into the living room. She did, that bitch. I sigh internally and follow behind him after taking my shoes off, not really paying attention to my surroundings, I end up walking into his back. He stopped in the middle of the hallway. Once more he puts the box down and turns around to face me. I looked up at him, in spite of him being shorter than the others, he was still quite taller than me. 

“Did you?” Jimin asks, his tone unreadable. I scoff and glare at him, instead of answering his ridiculous question, I try to walk around him. Once again, he grabs my arm and pulls me closer to him. Something clenched in my body and it was like fire erupted in my lower belly..the same feeling that happened last night.. “Did you mess around Y/N?”

“It must be true if that’s what she told you,” I say annoyed and I yank my arm out of his grasp. I pick up the box and head to the laundry room where I keep Yuki’s supplies. All the while Jimin follows closely behind. “You don’t have to be so protect-UGH”

He had picked me up and placed me on the folding counter. Then he wedged himself in between my legs and once more the fire burned inside my belly and I felt myself blushing furiously.

“I will always be protective of you baby,” Jimin whispered. “I’m just concerned because you haven’t really denied it…”

“Can you not say things like that? And do things like this?” I whisper back, squeezing my eyes and willing the fire to extinguish. 

“Say things like what?” Jimin says brushing my hair back from my face. “Do things like what?”

“Say things like ‘baby’ and getting in my personal space,” I whisper. “I keep getting the wrong idea..we’re friends..friends don’t do things like this..”

“I’ll stop if you just answer my question,” Jimin teases and I whine trying to push him away. I feel embarrassed because of my reaction, he must be having fun teasing me like this.

“Why are you so concerned about that?” I ask, feeling shame creep into my heart. “Why aren’t you asking about my Mark?”

Jimin pauses and takes a step back, giving me a break from his intoxicating presence. I felt my face flush in embarrassment when I noticed that my sweater was slightly lifted over my hips, where his hands were. I quickly push my sweater back down and wait for him to respond. 

“I figured you would tell me when you were ready,” Jimin sighs, leaning against the washing machine. “I had been wanting to ask you since last night but Namj-”

“Namjoon?” I say in shock. “Namjoon knows too?! Does any-”

“Yes,” Jimin says, quickly stopping me from jumping off the counter by placing his hands on my thighs. “Shh, it’s okay. Namjoon and Jungkook heard her but no one else did. I promise.”

“Okay…” I gasp, feeling the panic go away. He continues to rub my thighs until my breathing returns to normal but I gasp when his mouth presses against my neck. Did he just kiss my neck?

“What are you doing?” I gasp, willing my voice to stay normal but it came out sultry. 

“You have to answer my question now.” Jimin whispers, tickling me with his nose. He didn’t even answer my question properly! How did we end up like this? Where do I go from here on? But why does this seem so familiar. I felt the dread stiffen in me when I remembered why Melanie started that rumor. Jimin pulls back from me when he realizes I’m no longer responding to his antics. “Y/N?”

“You want to know why Melanie said I messed around?” I say not meeting his eyes. “Because of what you’re doing. Seducing me.”

“What?”

“You see,” I continue. “Once she told everyone I had no Mark in 8th grade, it was like open season for me. Because I belonged to no one, every boy would try to mess with me. It didn’t matter if I said no, they would still try to touch me, ki-”

“Stop.”

I quickly looked up and Jimin was livid. I felt my body stiffen and I felt like a helpless prey under his gaze. Why does he affect me so much? 

“I’m gonna say this one time and one time only Y/N,” Jimin says stepping closer to me. “So listen carefully babe.”

I feel my thighs clench at his tone. In spite of feeling fear, there was a part of me that knew he wouldn’t hurt me. 

“Do not ever compare me to those pigs,” Jimin says tucking my hair behind my ear. His gaze lowers to my lips. “I’m sure none of them made you feel like this. I’m sure you felt numb the moment they tried to touch you.”

I felt my eyes widen in surprise. How did he know that? I couldn’t feel a thing when this boy tried to kiss me. It was like my body was incapable of feeling pleasure. But Jimin. It was like Jimin opened this door I didn't even know existed. 

“None of them could make you feel alive like me,” Jimin whispers as he leans in. My vision goes blurry and it's almost like time stops. I feel the addicting sensation of his hands resting against my lower back as he scoots me closer. 

Thoughts are racing through my head. Is this okay? Can I kiss him? Do I want to kiss him? Will I be satisfied with just a kiss? Will he be sat-

Those thoughts are silenced the moment his pillow plump lips part against mine. The taste of cherry chapstick swirls in my mouth and without realizing it, I had pulled Jimin even closer by his hair. Jimin groans against my mouth and pulls me even closer, encouraging me to wrap my legs around his waist. I gasp when I feel his hands inside my sweater rubbing against my bare back, all the while his wet lips trace my neck, causing me to arch against him. I moan the moment I feel his teeth graze against my collarbone. 

He shivers once I pull him off once more by grabbing his hair. His eyes were glazed, lips swollen. I felt a sense of pride. I made him like this. Melanie could never, no other women before me could ever. When I caressed his face he turned his hand, kissing my fingers. My breath hitched when he pushed my sleeve up and kissed my scars, where my Mark should have been, but instead the dagger was there, almost completely faded.

I quickly looked at his arm, and for the first time I felt the overwhelming urge to see his Mark. I go to reach for his arm but I stop myself. As quick as it came, the feeling of pure bliss and desire left my body and I felt shame and guilt creep into my heart. 

“What’s the matter?” Jimin says detecting my state. “Did I do something wrong? I should have asked you first, I just got so carried away..”

“Jimin,” I whisper. “Please don’t take this the wrong way...but can I see your Mark?”

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Masterlist

[goron-king-darunia]

Annon-Guy: Marta has her flaws, don't get me wrong. She was definitely pushy at the beginning. I just don't agree about her being manipulative. She does grow as a character in my opinion, she's just hampered by poor writing, miscommunication with her unchanged Post-Battle Quotes and putting her character development in the Journal. (Crossover Titles do Marta good though.) People who defend Marta make good points personally. But, I'm sorry for disagreeing on the subject of Marta here.

I mean, that’s very fair and she’s definitely not done any favors by having all her (alleged) development happen in the journal and she DEFINITELY got the shaft for poor writing. Her main arc could have been finally having the courage to face Brute, and then they did that and then just completely forgot to develop her at all and then were like “Whoops, game’s not over, let’s do the romance thing now real quick” and then they 100% fell flat with it. I think it depends on the crossover title. Rays I think did a good job, but from what I’ve seen in Crestoria (I haven’t played yet.) she’s, like, SUPER selfish. Emil goes through some shit and he’s just like “Okay so... this is Ratatosk.” And Marta’s just “Haha, great WHEN CAN HE LEAVE?” Like... In that one moment, Crestoria basically undid all the good faith I’d built up for her. Marta in Rays? 8/10. Actually has decent interactions with everyone else and isn’t so pushy with Emil since they’re post-game and just yadda yadda’s over the important shit and just starts with her and Emil basically being a couple and Emil seems fine with it so it’s WAY less uncomfy. Marta in Crestoria (just what I’ve seen, maybe she gets better) is like -1/10 for me because they somehow made me like her less. She literally treats Ratatosk (who in Crestoria LITERALLY EXISTS WITHOUT HIS CONSENT, HE JUST FUCKING APPEARED) as a COCKBLOCK. Her main concern seemed to be NOT what Emil went through, NOT what Ratatosk must be going through, but the fact that Ratatosk lives in Emil’s body so it throws a wrench in her being able to do kissy kissy things with Emil. DotNW canon Marta is, like, 3/10 for me. Cute design, has some good moments, had great potential, and was COMPLETELY MISHANDLED. Like, obviously this is to taste so I’m not trying to shit on anyone that likes Marta as is, but I think she could have been done SO much better if they dialed that clinginess down from an 11 to an 8 and actually gave her a consistent arc instead of waffling over it. What they did early on with her and Colette? That was good. Appropriately casting Colette as Marta’s “villain” and then having Marta learn that, no, Colette’s a genuinely good person. It works well with the overall themes that sometimes good people (Richter, Ratatosk, Lloyd, Marta, Colette, Emil) make terrible mistakes and that doesn’t make them bad people. Like, I don’t think Marta is a terrible person. I just absolutely HATE how she’s written and she’s NOT someone I can see myself being friends with if I met her in real life. But then Marta’s later arcs did her so dirty. Her arc that should have been about standing up to her dad got absolutely kneecapped by Emil’s man-pain and the arc that should have been about Marta learning to accept Emil and Ratatosk as they are was completely reversed as soon as it was over because she went right back to showing Emil preferential treatment and nothing about her DEMONSTRABLY changed. We’re told she changed but the fact that this change doesn’t carry through in the battle quotes or any subsequent interactions is just... terrible.  And the manipulation bit? I’m getting that 100% from the hot springs scene. In ToS, Zelos is framed as being a sleeze who’s taking advantage of a situation and Lloyd gets punished for his crimes. DotNW tries to do a call back to that but WAY WORSE because Marta LITERALLY ORCHESTRATES THE CIRCUMSTANCES by making Emil think he’s going in for a soak with the other guys, WAITING UNTIL HE’S ALONE, putting up a sign so no one comes looking, and then sneaking in to be alone with him. She’s not a manipulator of people necessarily, but she’s DEFINITELY a manipulator of circumstance and that does NOT vibe well with me. I get that the game was trying to make it cheeky and cute and they do try to make Marta look good by having her trying to take the blame for it, but the fact that she didn’t think about the consequences before doing it, or the fact that she DID and decided they were worth it anyway just... makes me hate her for doing it. And I think the scene could EASILY be fixed if, like. Marta had ASKED Emil to go to the hot springs alone with her and he agreed and they got discovered a different way (Too loud cheeky giggling might have been enough) If Emil had been part of it consensually and then everyone accused him of being a letch and then Marta tried to take the blame like “No, it was my idea, I talked him into it.” That would have been SO MUCH BETTER TO ME. Same fundamental interaction but makes Marta look a LOT better because she’s not being a puppeteer trying to get Emil alone. She’d instead just be a hormonal, slightly pushy teen girl trying to do grown up things with the boyfriend she’s trying to woo and Emil would be doing it willingly because he likes her back. Instead Marta’s just... ambushing him and he clearly wasn’t 100% into it. This wasn’t like a welcome surprise because when he finds out she’s in there with him he SCREAMS.  Like if we saw the same scene play out but with the gender reversed: A man orchestrating a situation where a woman is in a hot spring bath alone, then putting up a sign so he can sneak in and be alone with her and she was not expecting it and her first instinct is to SCREAM? Yeah, we’d view that situation as pretty gross. Putting it in context does help because the game is trying to establish that Marta is trying to court Emil and Emil’s at least shown to not be 100% opposed. But if Emil had been a girl and Marta a boy, Marta would rightfully have gotten the blame. So I just hate it on two vectors, because the characters are low key sexist for acting like Marta couldn’t possibly have been the one trying to be a letch (even though it was DEFINITELY EMIL THAT SCREAMED so maybe high key sexist...) and Marta’s just pulling strings instead of thinking about what Emil would want. Like, even if Emil was 100% down for a sneaky hotspring couple’s bath, I think he would have liked to know about it first hand instead of being surprised by it, because even if you think Emil was 100% down for it and only screamed because he was surprised, HE STILL SCREAMED. If Marta wanted to surprise him, she could have put up the sign FIRST, and then told Emil “Hey, so, I put up the cleaning sign so the hot springs are available for just the twooooo of ussssss~” instead of what she actually did.  Maybe I’m just putting too much importance on scenes that are meant to be funny, but even if that’s true, the writers are seriously hiding some very uncomfy messages behind a veil of humor and I DO NOT LIKE THAT.