#in the mood to do some Little and Fast things as a refresh between bigger stuff

[maythedreadwolftakeyou]

sooo close to finishing this last embroidery commission and then i think i wanna try making some more Tiny pieces... like pendant/magnet size (like the romance one). maybe test out the faction symbols? i should see if i have any circular shapes on hand along with the ovals... hm....... if anyone has suggestions lmk

[kpopchangedmylife44]

Ateez: honeymoon thread

Hello fellow atinys, my blog reached 500 followers and I would like to thank everyone, who enjoys my stories 🥺 I’m really happy that someone out there gets to read them and it maybe put a smile on their face ☺️ So this is a 500 follower special. It’s a long thread and also kind of a sequel of my wedding post. I planned it for quite some time, but I also procrastinated and everything was overwhelming in life. Now I’m back (kinda) and will start to work on the requests I got. ✨

Hongjoong

Planning: although you both were extremely tired, you insisted to plan everything yourself, so it turned out exactly how you imagined

Location: Italy

Accommodation: several cozy hotels in bigger cities

Food: it’s Italy so you can bet your ass there is a lot of pizza, spaghetti and ice cream involved

Activities:

- you would start your honeymoon in Rome, where you wander around and fall in love with the city

- the architecture and museums are extremely beautiful, so you’re even more happy that you get to experience it with Hongjoong

- visiting Verona and pretending you were Romeo and Juliet (but with a happy ending)

- eating a lot and wearing comfortable clothes as you walk around so much

- Hongjoong is particular affectionate during this trip as he showers you with compliments all the time and never lets go of your hand

- exploring Venice by boat and singing some dramatic song that you once heard in a opera

- wearing couple jackets he designed himself which feature your initials 🥺

- he filmed parts of the trips as he would like to make a short film, which you could enjoy afterwards

Seonghwa

Planning: since you both hated it, you were hiring someone to do it for you, at least you had prepared a mood board and the general direction of your trip

Location: south of France

Accommodation: fancy all the way, either a really nice hotel or a little castle (or chateau how you say it in French)

Food: grapes in the form of wine

Activities:

- prepare yourself for the luxurious trip of a lifetime

- you’re arriving there and everything is ready for you both

- first are reFrEsHMents (which means alcohol)

- full course meals (and yes, this includes your husbands looks)

- boat trips and visiting tiny islands for the day

- taking a lot of selfies

- enjoying the sun and the food (and Seonghwa in swimwear)

- skinny dipping in the sea

- hot nights in the hot tub

- testing wine and feeling a little pretentious

- visiting a chateau and running around there like a music video

- Seongwha saying ,,so ha“ when he sees you

- kisses your hand and hair all the time and is more clingy (or thirsty) than usual

Yunho

Planning: you try to plan without the stressful part, so you ask a professional for help and it’s really smooth from this point on

Location: nationalparks in the USA

Accommodation: small hotels along the road (not Motels)

Food: normal restaurants, but also a lot of burgers

Activities

- it’s like a roadtrip, but way more comfortable

- you sleep in cozy little hotels and visit some bigger cities along the way

- wandering around the nature with Yunho is actually really fun

- although he is quite hyper around everyone he enjoys the calmness of your trip

- always holding your hand and kissing you

- you visit several national parks like Yosemite and could gaze at the stars during the night

- englishi Time

- he is no longer yunhoe bit yunhusband (i’m sorry)

- buys dumb souvenirs like mood rings which you religiously wear from then on

- thought that he saw a bear and almost started crying

- singing really loudly in the forest

- oh and also outdoor sex

Yeosang

Planning: 8 months before the trip, but he actually always had ideas; planned his wedding and honeymoon years ago when he first met you, he also made a mood board and it helped a lot

Location: Japan during the cherry blossom

Accommodation: a traditional house with a lot of privacy, an onsen but also room service, does not look like a hotel but has all the privileges

Food: lots of chicken; Japanese dishes, but also snacks whenever you go out to explore

Activities

- you would first explore Tokyo and visit everything the city has to offer

- as the city is really beautiful but also hectic, you would visit Nara-park and pet the deers to relax

- you would let some street artist paint a portrait of you both as it’s a really fun idea to remember the trip

- shiba inus everywhere and Yeosang melts every time he sees one of them

- ,,Look at how cute they are. We need to adopt at least one in the future“ (and you would, because they are so adorable)

- fotoshootings with the cherry blossom

- after a week in the urban area you would travel along the coast

- Yeosang rented a car for it and you stayed at different hotels along the way, which you also booked prior

- you visited a little island where a lot of bunnys live and had the best time there

- Yeosang always buys souvenirs whenever you visit a new city or attraction

- he especially loves the postcards as he plans to do a collage with them for your honeymoon fotobook

- driving along the coast would be peaceful and filled with laughter, Yeosang giggling to himself and feeling like all of this might as well be a dream

- ,,I never knew it was possible to love someone so much until I met you“

San

Planning: you booked the trip 6 months prior and you gradually became more and more excited for it, although both of you aren’t really into planning, you did it with a lot of excitement and talked about it for hours on end

Location: South Africa

Accommodation: a huge wooden house in the middle of a resort that focuses on reserving the wildlife

Food: a huge variety of fruits and meat, the dinner is a feast every single day of your stay (and so is your husband)

Activities:

- the journey itself would be really cute as you were flying first class and cuddled all the way until you arrived

- San even mumbled in his sleep how excited he was to finally go

- when you arrived you took it really easy, just relaxing at the resort, which also had huge beds and a stunning outdoor area with a whirlpool

- the first evening you relaxed in that whirpool, while spotting some giraffes in the distance and it just hit you like ,,Wow, look how amazing life could be” (bish, I wish)

- you never really believed that you would ever be this happy, finding someone that you loved and going on adventures with him but here you are

- and of course San felt it too, but you just sat there enjoying it, holding hands and not saying anything

- the next couple of days included going on safari, climbing a mountain, standing under a waterfall and chasing sunsets

- it was the perfect balance between adventure and relaxing

- because of your husband you always felt a calmness by his presence

- ,,I wish we could do this all over again, San.“

- ,,Well, we have the rest of our lives to go on adventures like this.“ 🥺🥺🥺

Mingi

Planning: like the wedding itself it happened quite fast without much planning

Location: Australia

Accommodation: several hotels as you also rented a car

Food: some really strange exotic food, but mostly real meals with the occasional burger and cocktails

Activities

- the focus is on having fun, enjoying every moment and just going with the flow

- after all its Mingi, who has a lot of spontaneous ideas

- why not go snorkeling or run naked around the beaches?

- or that time he was convinced that he saw a shark and you both panicked and screamed (but it was a dolphin)

- going to a concert at the beach and dancing until your feet hurt and he has to carry you

- also sleeping at the same beach as you two were too drunk to find the way back to the hotel

- Mingi being extra clingy and giving some people the stink eye, who look too enthusiastically at you

- he wrote a rap for you (inspired by your honeymoon) and performed it by the ocean

- it’s like having the best trip of your life and realising it doesn’t end when you get home, because having Mingi as your husband is a great adventure and he spends every day trying to make you laugh and love life

Wooyoung

Planning: the location itself was decided a long time ago, but the activities are more spontaneous, just going with the flow

Location: Iceland

Accommodation: first in a hotel, then in a mobile home

Food: fresh food like fish and also a lot of snacks

Activities:

- your honeymoon and accommodation were a little unconventional

- you started in the city of Reyjkavic and visited the touristy sights

- you stumbled around the Icelandic phallological museum and decided to go inside for the lols (and had a lot of giggles)

- after a few days in the city you ventured out to the beautiful nature of Iceland

- it started at the blue lagoon, which was the most relaxing thing and you were just hanging out and sipping slushees (they are really good, I had the time of my life lmao)

- then you drive around and it feels like absolute freedom

- you feel like exploring a whole new world as they are a lot of waterfalls and geysers

- Wooyoung feels like he is falling in love with you even more (if that’s even possible) and if he hadn’t already, he would marry you then and there again

- star gazing as there is no air pollution and it’s amazing how many stars there actually are

- visiting the diamond beach, which sparkles and has you feeling like little kids

- long morning snuggles and random hugs throughout the day

- and he would also be your personal photographer and scream how cute you are

- your honeymoon would also include really random stuff (like the penis museum) like skateboarding in the middle of nowhere (like Walter Mitty - the absolute legend) or hiking because you felt like it

- never a dull moment with your husband that’s for sure

Jongho

Planning: he wanted everything to be perfect so you started pretty early (1 year before)

Location: England

Accommodation: small hotels with cozy interior

Food: pretty normal food, you also tried fish & chips once (and it was nothing special)

Activities:

- would hold your hand during the whole flight

- you started your honeymoon in London which you loved at first sight

- the hotel was really central, so you could walk to a lot of sights

- London by night was magical and you visited many museums which had great artwork and were free

- theater nights and going for a walk along the Thames

- after a week you started to explore the cities around London like Oxford, Brighton and Cambridge

- and everything was so stunning and with Jongho by your side you could literally cry, because does it get much better than this??? (well no)

- Jongho declares his love for you at least once a day and although it was so cheesy it still got you giggling and feeling all mushy inside

- he loves all the old buildings and biscuits, so you would probably visit again sometime

- it’s a really nice and somehow relaxing trip although you get to explore so much

[hoyaanae]

The beautiful dialogue of Lovely Us

Ep 01

"Once people become parents, their memory begins to become biased. They always remember they are their children's most reliable parents, but often forget that they are also children loved by their own parents. When they are waiting for their children to come back home, they forget that their own parents are also waiting for their return in a similar mood."

"When I'm absent from the concert, my idol won't know or feel sad. But when I don't go back to accompany my mom to celebrate her birthday, she'll know it. I don't want to make her sad."

Ep 02

"A lot of things are good at hide and seek - the old scarf I bought last year, the new eraser, Mom's favorite sewing needle, and a feeling of heartbeat for someone. We try to find them, but in vain. Then when we give it up, they just appear somewhere unexpected - on the back of the chair, in the book, in the cotton thread, and behind my back.

Human heart beats 60 to 100 times per minute on average. That day, I failed to count my heartbeat per minute. Even the water droplets falling from the umbrella were disrupted together with me. The joy, the thrill and the butterfly in the stomach converged into the restless heartbeats. On this raining day, a girl's heart beat 101 times in a minute."

Ep 03

"Huang Chengzi, why is the starry sky beautiful? Do you think it is because of the brightest star? Of course, everyone might say "Look, the Venus" while pointing at the brightest one. However, for those stars shining together and forming the Big Dipper and Orion, don't they look beautiful? They cannot be described as a foil. Anyway, I think some stars that keep shining might be more beautiful than the brightest one however dark they are."

Ep 07

"The audio frequency of the sound when a snowflake falls on the water surface is over 50,000 Hz. Because it falls beyond human beings' hearing range, this snowy day is still so quiet that it seems I can only hear my own heartbeat and that it seems there is only me and the person in front of me on this planet with a population of 6.6 billion. I hope this world can be noiser so that I can pretend that I've never discovered this secret."

"Do you have such a feeling? People around you always tell you that you are already standing on the top of the mountain, but when clouds and mist scatter, you find there is another higher peak waiting for you. After going out, I've found there are so many people who work harder and are more excellent than me. It's just like in an originally easy marathon race, I suddenly find all the people around are sprinting. So, I must run faster. Otherwise, others will surpass me. I'm a little bit out of breath."

"At the age of 17, we all have our own secrets. We are trying to hide those secrets, but they are still going to be discovered. We are unwilling to admit those secrets, but the more we conceal them, the more conspicuous they become. We are very clear about those secrets, but eventually, we are still willing to turn them into memories. And these secrets that cannot be told, are found so similar to each other after a long time. It turns out they are all about unexpected feelings for someone."

Ep 08

"I've always been content with what I have and I'm in need of nothing. I can remember what I read and I'm surrounded by nice people. My life has always been smooth and I thought the life that had been planned was not bad for me. Just like a sailing ship, with enough food, I didn't look forward to rains and storms. I just wanted to follow the prescribed route and go back fo the safe zone of the harbor in the end. That was my perfect ending. But from the very beginning, you've been determined to brave the storm and to see the bigger world. Wind and rain can't knock you down and the waves can't overturn you. You've shown me a life course that's completely different from mine. So, since her dream is to explore this world, I just can't let her go through it alone. Zhu Jinxiao, I like you."

"At the age of 17, the first habit developed by boys is to hide their affections. They think that the probability is just 0.01, so they put on the emperor's new clothes, trying to hide their affections with magic. But affections are not that easy to hide. Even if the probability is pretty low, it will be revealed at a certain moment. So on that rainy night, while looking at her back, he found that the most obvious evidence of falling in love with her was the feeling of easement in his heart and the smile on his face when he looked at her."

Ep 09

"In the past, we always felt a year with 365 days was exceedingly long, but only when it comes to this moment do we understand that we become one year older all of a sudden. The significance of spending the Spring Festival, extending from ancient times to the present, is shining brightly like fireworks, giving us the courage to heal each other many times. And then we can have a new start. It doesn't matter that you can't eat steaming hot dishes. It doesn't matter that you perhaps don't know the secret hidden in the couplet. It doesn't matter that you listen to your grandma's nagging sometimes. Even if it takes too long on the way back, as long as there are people we care about, we won't be lonely. We will return to the home we are familiar with."

Ep 10

"Actually we never forget the happy hours with our parents in childhood. Maybe the so-called alienation is because we walk so fast while our parents are staying where they are. One meter, a hundred meters, a kilometer. The distance becomes farther and farther until we can't hear them calling us. That's why we mistakenly think love is silent. So while we are confused, our parents feel the same too. They are confused about how they can give us their deep love in a smart manner."

"Those who love hiding their feelings most in this world are fathers. They hide their inarticulate concerns in warm lights. In every precious certificate of merit, they put their unmentionable encouragement. Besides, there are many silent surprises they carefully arrange in every day when we are marching to the future. They firmly care about us with such silent fathers' love, and we firmly love them."

Ep 11

"We think that many things and many people in this world can wait til tomorrow. So when you pause it or when you turn around, you think that everything will still be the same tomorrow, or you won't even realize this hope in your mind, because you think tomorrow should be the same as today. And you think nothing will change as time flies by. But this time, the moment you let go and turned around, some things completely changed. The sun went down and before it rises again, some people will leave you forever. We always thought that there would be a big ceremony to say goodbye, so we keep waiting for a warm hug, a refreshing drink, and a heartfelt goodbye. But in the end, we realized that most goodbyes in our lives are all silent."

Ep 12

"At that silent corner in my mind, there are a number of weird illusions. For example, can I become Alice who enters the wonderland with White Rabbit? For example, can I become the little girl who enters the forest with Totoro? For example, is there some special switch in this box which can teleport me? No, none of them exist. There's no flying dragons or knights, and I'm not the heroine of some comics for girls, either. However, the only thing I'm sure about is that this escape greatly shocks my world. My palms would sweat, and my sight would be indistinct. Then my view becomes narrower and narrower until there's room for only one person in my eyes. After a long time, I know such a moment is named adventure, in which the one in your eyes is irreplaceable."

Ep 13

"In the summer of 2008, in retrospect, the most impressive thing may not be the world-famous Olympic Games, but the silly things we did because we were fearless. What is shining and unexpected is everything that is closely related to friendship. We wanted to pick the brightest stars and make the most beautiful wishes, so we became the bravest boys and girls. While crying and laughing, with the bond between each other, toward the most beautiful end of youth, we keep running all the way and never stop."

"The familiar chirping of cicadas on summer nights, the familiar bear doll who must lean by the lamb, the familiar lovely girl who frowns even when she sleeps, and the 17-year-old time wrapped by the sense of familiarity never seem to have changed. The only difference is that when I look at the familiar him, I feel a flurry and uneasiness that I have never expected."

Ep 14

"That night, it was the first time I found there's magic hidden in my mom's smile. Those feelings between adults and children which I thought are hard to express in words don't have to be spoken out. They can be understood through her smile. Indeed, adults don't often say I love you, and seldom say sorry. But it doesn't matter. Action speaks louder than explanation. There's no need to express deep feelings in words. If you stand there quietly, you can automatically receive all their love for you."

"There are many new days like today. Today, he holds my hand. Today, he holds me in his arms. Today, he carries me on his back and runs in the street in the early morning. Many days with him like today will eventually become my unforgettable past days. I'll remember days like today for a long time."

Ep 15

"In the last hundred days, I heard countless times "Hurry up to walk! Hurry up to eat! Hurry up to take the notes! And hurry up to go to the toilet." But it's strange. When you try to seize time by the forelock, it goes faster. Then after the exams, we graduated."

"I just want to be an ordinary person. I'll live on a small fruit stand in the future or continue your small shop, which makes me happy. This is life. It's my own choice and I will bear the results. Different people have different dreams. Let those extraordinary people be extraordinary. I just want to be a happy and ordinary person."

"Friendship means so much to us. It brings us close, and makes me flinch, so sometimes we just tell ourselves that as long as we're together, I can be just a friend of hers. But the taxi that I failed to catch, the phone calls that have been hung up, the time that's flying and my restless heart are telling me eagerly that in this world, both love and friendship are important. Every detail related to you is reminding me that we can't be just friends. So when it's still not too late, I have to tell you the things that I want to tell you as soon as possible. Huang Chengzi, I like you."

Ep 16

"In this world, it seems like all wishes have a guardian. Wishing wells, shooting stars, the aquarium's white whale. They're all hiding in the corners of the universe caressing the sorrow of loving someone alone. It's just that the god of happiness can't bless everyone out there. They let some people be happy and their wishes come true, and let some be sad, but they can't admit how sad they really are. The feeling of being in love is like a butterfly gently flapping its wings, that stirs up a hurricane in people's hearts. The second you realize it, then there's no escape."

"That's you when you're happy. And that's you when you're mad. Over there is the jealous you, and you when you're being naughty and pretending to cry. I was just going to draw one to start with, but every expression you have is floating around in my head, and I really love every single one of them."

"I've never been afraid of growing up. And I've never worried that growing up would be lonely. Not because I'm so strong, but because I have faith that I will never be alone. The guy who held my hand will continue to grow up closely together with me. The guy who's in my diary and I in his, will exchange even more secrets in the future. All of us have walked together through the years and will continue to walk together farther into the future. This world never lets lovely people down, and we are all lovely."

[plainbrunettelbl]

(Shifter AU) Panther Aizawa Shota x Bobcat Reader x Lion Yamada Hizashi (Chapter Two)

Word count: 4465

Warnings: None

Title: (Shifter AU) Panther Aizawa Shota x Bobcat Reader x Lion Yamada Hizashi (Chapter Two)

Summary: You get started at your new job and hang out with the duo a bit more. 

(gif not mine) 

💤🎤-You had been nervous going into the interview. You put on your best clothes and walked your way into the interview room. As soon as you pulled up to the building you instantly knew why their previous assistant was throwing themselves at them. 

💤🎤-The building was huge and elegant. The blue glass building sparkled brilliantly against all the other stone ones. They clearly had money lining their pockets. You felt a little intimidated now that you knew they had money. 

💤🎤-You had exchanged numbers with them when they dropped you off the other day but you hadn’t texted with them much. Hizashi would text you songs that he really liked and wanted you to listen to. Shota would constantly ask if you were eating enough. 

💤🎤-They were both sweet. You were glad to have met them, they seemed to be looking out for you. It was comforting considering you had no one else in this town to talk to. 

💤🎤-You walked into the interview and gave it your best. 

💤🎤-Now, a few days later, you were waiting by your laptop to see if they emailed you telling you got the job. The stress alone was gonna cause a shift. You were lounging in a soft white shirt and pajama shorts. 

💤🎤-You were laying on your bed on your stomach refreshing your inbox every few minutes. You really hoped you got the job. You tried to distract yourself with reading comics on your phone but it was no use.   

💤🎤-Finally, your laptop chimed. We are glad to inform you that...

💤🎤-You squealed, excitedly bouncing around on your bed. You quickly shot off a text to your new bosses saying you were looking forward to working with them. They congratulated you and wanted to see if you would like to go to dinner to celebrate. 

💤🎤-You were more than happy to agree. Your bobcat missed the big felines. 

***

💤🎤-They had picked you up thirty minutes after they had texted you about getting dinner to celebrate they had pulled up to your apartment complex. It was in a decent neighborhood so they were both relieved. 

💤🎤-They didn’t get to come up and get you at your door. You had walked down your two flights of stairs before they could get out of their expensive black car. It was a shame. They wanted to sniff out what shifters lived there. 

💤🎤-They shot you smiles when you climbed into the car. 

💤🎤-“Hey, Y/N! I  swear thought Shota would bite my head off before we found your place. The man gets grumpy if he doesn’t get fed every few hours.” Zashi leaned over in the driver’s seat ignoring his mates glare. 

💤🎤-“I was not about to bite your head off. I was simply telling you that we could have gotten here faster if you took the turns I was telling you to take.” He grumbled, shooting his mate a look before turning around to greet you. 

💤🎤-“Hello, Y/N.” He calmly greeted, sending you a gentle look. 

💤🎤-“Hey guys! I am so happy to hang out again. I was going crazy in my apartment.” You chuckled, leaning up against the leather seat and buckling yourself in. 

💤🎤-“We were talking about that. We were wondering if you wanted to spend the night at the cabin this weekend to shift a bit and show you the ropes. I may not be the best at tree climbing but Shota is an expert at it.” Zashi pulled out of your apartment complex and headed towards the restaurant they had picked out. 

💤🎤-You made small talk the rest of the drive but soon you were pulling up to a burger joint. It was not something you expected them to bring you to considering their wealth but you were glad. 

💤🎤-You didn’t want to make a fool of yourself if they took you somewhere fancy and you didn’t know which fork was the right one to eat with. Soon you were sat in a big red booth looking over the menu. 

💤🎤-“What do you usually get?” You asked, peering over the big menu to look at them. 

💤🎤-“I usually the deluxe cheeseburger with a side of fries. They have onion rings as well. They have a great dipping sauce here for them.” Zashi hummed, sipping on the cola the waiter had already brought over. 

💤🎤-You had a Sprite, Shota ordered a sweet tea. 

💤🎤-“That does sound good, I could go for some onion rings right now. And you?” You turned to the dark-haired male, his obsidian eyes met yours. 

💤🎤-“I usually get the mushroom Swiss burger with onion rings. Zashi is right, the dipping sauce they make here is really good.” He agreed, leaning back in his booth and stretching. 

💤🎤-Shota was wearing a black turtleneck shirt with matching black jeans. Zashi was wearing a white band t-shirt with ripped jeans. It was not something you expected to see them wearing taking into account their wealth. 

💤🎤-You thought it was refreshing that they didn’t flaunt their money. 

💤🎤-“Mmm. The cheeseburger sounds good. I’ll get that and some onion rings.” You put the menu down and looked over at them. 

💤🎤-“So how are you guys doing?” You asked, taking a sip of your soda. 

💤🎤-“Work had me running wild this week. I do some of the designs for our company and things kept getting messed up and delayed.” Zashi sighed, rubbing his head. 

💤🎤-Shota scoffed, twirling his straw in his drink. 

💤🎤-“You only had so many problems because your office is a mess. I swear every time I go in there it is a even bigger mess.” He scolded, siding eyeing his blond mate. 

💤🎤-“It’s an organized mess! Just how I like it!” Zashi defended, moving his hands around to get his point across. 

💤🎤-You just smiled at their loving banter. They made a nice couple. Soon the waiter came by and took your orders. Even sooner a huge burger and pile of onion rings were sat down in front of you. 

💤🎤-Your eyes couldn’t have gotten any bigger. 

💤🎤-“You could have told me the serving sizes were huge! I don’t even know if I can finish half of this.” You gasped, looking at your mountain of onion rings. There had to a least be two full-sized onions on your plate for you to have that much. 

💤🎤-The burger had to be held up by a wooden stick so it didn’t collapse onto itself. 

💤🎤-Zashi had already taken a fry and started munching on it. His golden eyes taking in your shocked face. He suppressed a grin that wanted to crawl on his face. He imagined your bobcat making the same expression when you saw his form. 

💤🎤-You still didn’t know what type of shifter he was. 

💤🎤-“We already told you that you should be eating more. This seems like a lot but once you start eating it disappears fast. Even if you can’t eat it all, I am sure me and Zashi would be more than happy to finish off what you can’t.” Shota reassured, holding his big burger with two hands.  

💤🎤-You meekly nodded before picking up an onion ring. You bit into it with a crunch and it was like your plate was suddenly half empty. You were down half a burger and onion rings. 

💤🎤-Once again your eyes widened. 

💤🎤-“Sho, she is too cute. She reminds me of when I was a teen and my appetite had just started to pick up as well.” Zashi nudged his stoic mate. 

💤🎤-You had caught his words and lifted your head. 

💤🎤-“You both were born shifters right? What’s it like growing up? Do you have any pictures of when you were cubs? Oh, I bet you were adorable when you were little!” You excitedly rambled, already picturing Shota as a panther cub.  

💤🎤-Zashi’s mood immediately dampened, he scowled at his mate. Shota already knew why he was getting a dirty look from his mate. 

💤🎤-“I wouldn’t know. Sho refused to show me a picture of him as a cub. Even though I showed him a picture of me when I was a scrawny cub.” Zashi huffed, he reached over and stole an onion ring from his mate just to irritate him. 

💤🎤-He didn’t even like onion rings. 

💤🎤-“What is so important about seeing me as a cub? I don’t see a reason in showing you.” Shota rolled his eyes, letting his mate take more onion rings off his plate. 

💤🎤-“What’s the difference between a shifter and a turned one like me?” You asked, taking a sip of your Sprite. 

💤🎤-“There is not really much of a difference. We are born and can shift when we turn about eight or so. Since you are turned that is a bit different. Right now your bobcat is still in its early stages.” Zashi explained, taking on a serious tone. 

💤🎤-“It is a bit dangerous for someone to be turned. For one, not everyone who is bitten lives through the change. A lot of genetic makeup is twisted around so some people can’t handle that and die.” His golden eyes took on a metal-like coldness. 

💤🎤-His lion was unsettled at the thought of never meeting you if your body had not accepted the change. 

💤🎤-“Shifters are not supposed to turn humans because of the chance that they might die. You are only allowed to change someone when you are taking them as your mate.” He paused, looking over at you to see if you were understanding. 

💤🎤-Shota picked up from there. 

💤🎤-“Since Hizashi is already a shifter I didn’t need to do this but a shifter would have to bite their human mate in order to turn them. It is a bit more detailed but basically a mating bite is unique since has a zero percent chance of the person dying while their body undergoes the change.” Shota continued, eyeing his mate, love clear in his eyes. 

💤🎤-They still carried each others mating bites on their necks to show other shifters that they are mated. A little of their scent mingled in each others just to push their status as taken. 

💤🎤-“So I was bitten and since my body was about to handle the change I survived. What do you mean when you say my bobcat is still in its early stages?” You asked, putting your elbows on the table and leaning on your clasped hands.

💤🎤-“It basically means that your animal half is not fully mature yet. You seemed a bit on the smaller side when we found you so that is why we assumed you were a cub. Your mannerisms also led us to believe you were a lot younger than what you are.” Zashi answered, remembering the way you rubbed up against him without a second thought. 

💤🎤-He shuddered at the thought of you rubbing up against a bear shifter you just met. A certain temperamental blonde he knew would have eaten you for lunch. He shoved the image of your small cat standing under a big brown bear away. 

💤🎤-“Don’t worry, it doesn’t take too long for your animal to mature. With a bit of socializing with our animal halves and more experience shifting you should be well on your way to becoming a fierce female feline.” Shota acknowledged, swiping a fry from his mate’s plate. 

💤🎤-“Speaking of fierce female felines, we were planning to introduce you to a friend of ours. She is a panther shifter like Sho, she should be able to answer any questions we can’t when it comes to being a women shifter.” Zashi hummed, bring a napkin up to his face. 

💤🎤-Even though they had been talking they still had enough time to finish everything on their plates. You looked down at your plate. You ate way more than you thought you would but there was still a decent amount of onion rings on your plate. 

💤🎤-You would have asked for a to-go plate but they would lose their crunch by the time you went home. You slid your plate in Shota’s direction, he was more than happy to get to work on the plate. 

💤🎤-“So is that why you invited me out this weekend? So you can help me mature my bobcat?” You questioned, looking at Zashi. 

💤🎤-“For the most part, we knew that starting a new job can be stressful so we figured after your first week you could use a shift to release a bit of stress,” Zashi explained, pulling out his wallet. 

💤🎤-“Oh, that’s smart.” You agreed, reaching for your purse. “I’ll pay for my meal.” 

💤🎤-Shota had just polished off the last onion ring before cutting in. “Nonsense. We invited you out so we will pay. Plus this was to congratulate you on getting the job. It wouldn’t be right to make you pay.” 

💤🎤-You felt a little uneasy about having them pay but they had a point. You would treat them to something when you got the chance. Just because they had money didn’t mean they had to spend it on you. 

💤🎤-You would return the favor. 

💤🎤-After some light conversation and playful banter they dropped you off at your apartment. You had fun hanging out with them. They cleared up a few things which was nice. 

💤🎤-Now it was time to prepare for your first day at work.

***

💤🎤-In truth, you didn’t really think you would get a job that required formal wear. You had only seen a little bit of the building and workers when you had came in for your interview so you were unprepared for their fancy skirts and button-up shirts. 

💤🎤-You worked at the library in your old town so you had an abundance of soft sweaters and comfy slacks. You quickly realized you looked out of place among everyone else. 

💤🎤-You tried to keep your confidence up but it was quickly dwindling. 

💤🎤-Luckily, the lady at the front desk was waiting for your arrival and sent you on your way with directions as soon as you walked through the revolving glass door.  

💤🎤-Soon the elevator you were in opened up to the top floor. You didn’t see anyone at the front desk to greet you but then you remembered that would be your job. You saw two wooden doors behind your huge desk. 

💤🎤-You assumed Shota and Zashi were behind them. 

💤🎤-You sat your stuff down and walked over and knocked. An excited voice yelled to come in. You opened the door and tried not to gasp. Shota was right, Zashi’s office was a mess. 

💤🎤-You supposed it was your job to organize everything. You found a hyper blond drawing away on a digital art pad. The top portion of his long hair was pulled back with a clip while the rest flowed down his back. 

💤🎤-He wore deep emerald slacks with a half buttoned-up white shirt. He had a suit jacket to match his slacks but it was tossed over the leather chair he was sitting in. 

💤🎤-He looked up and smiled at your entrance. 

💤🎤-“Hi, Y/N! I am glad you found your way here just fine.” He grinned, setting aside his pad and pen. 

💤🎤-“The lady at the front desk told me where to go.” You said, shuffling around stacks of papers on the floor.  

💤🎤-“I’m sorry about the mess. I tried to clean some of it up before you got here but it seems to be a two-man job. Since our last assistant was more focused on Shota’s ass than doing her job my office got a little out of hand.” Zashi sheepishly explained, twirling his thumbs. 

💤🎤-His lion still wanted to claw the tall red-head apart. Never trust a tiger shifter. 

💤🎤-“It’s okay. You are paying me to work right.” You smiled, loving his shy expression. 

💤🎤-“Before you got started on my office lets get something from the break room. We have one to ourselves up here so don’t worry about being shy when taking the donuts.” He chuckled, leading you out of his office and down the hall into the break room. 

💤🎤-“Shota should be answering his emails right about now. I’ll show you how he likes his coffee so you can take it to him. You can never add enough sugar packets for him. The more the better.” He smirked, leading you to the expensive coffee machine. 

***

💤🎤-The week had gone by before you knew it. Shota and Zashi were on their way to pick you up and take you to their cabin. You had asked them if they lived there since it was so far out of town but they said they had a house in town and just used the cabin when they wanted to shift and get away from the hustle and bustle. 

💤🎤-You were only staying for the weekend so you packed light. You were standing on the sidewalk outside your apartment complex with your overnight bag slung over your shoulder. 

💤🎤-You didn’t have to wait long before a familiar black car pulled up. You climbed in with a happy grin. You were excited to hang out with them again. They were your only form of friendship in this town. 

💤🎤-You had gone out to cafes and even checked out the library but no one seemed interested in befriending you. You knew it probably wasn’t the best idea to hang out with your bosses but they didn’t seem to think anything was wrong with it so you didn’t either. 

💤🎤-They were just showing you a bit of guidance when it came to being a shifter so you didn’t see the harm. 

💤🎤-“Hey, guys! How’s it going?” You chirped, settling into the back seat and putting your bag on the floor. 

💤🎤-You noticed Zashi had a pair of yellow sunglasses on, they really brought out his golden eyes and blonde hair. He looked at you in the rearview mirror, his smile just as dazzling. 

💤🎤-“Hey, Y/N! Glad you are joining us today. Are you ready to find out what type of shifter I am?” He teased, putting the car in drive. 

💤🎤-“I am surprised you weren’t insulted when she asked if you were a sand cat.” Shota cracked a grin, shooting you a look in the rearview mirror. 

💤🎤-Shota hadn’t gone against his mate’s wishes and told you what type of shifter he was but he made sure to give you guesses to ask him that he knew would tick off his blond mate. 

💤🎤-It was payback for the tooth-achingly sweet coffee you kept on giving him. You always had such a bright smile when you handed it over so he couldn’t quite tell you he found the sugary beverage repulsive. 

💤🎤-He grinned and bared it. Every sip he took making him internally wince. 

💤🎤-“I take it as a compliment. Those things are adorable.” He boasted, sticking his tongue out at his mate.  

💤🎤-“We were gonna stop by the store before we headed to the cabin,” Shota informed, turning in his seat. 

💤🎤-“Yeah, someone forgot to pick up coffee last time we went.” Zashi teased, playfully nudging his mate. 

💤🎤-“Whatever.” Shota scoffed. 

💤🎤-“Sounds good to me. I can pick up a few snacks while we are there.” You hummed, looking out the window and watching the building pass by. 

***

💤🎤-You went off to the snack aisle while Shota and Zashi went to go get the coffee. You were eyeing the vast array of chips when someone stepped beside you. You looked over nearly gasped at the hulking man. 

💤🎤-He had to be at least 6′4. If his height wasn’t intimidating enough he had muscles stacked on muscles. He looked like he could crush you with his hand, his grey hair and fanged teeth made him look even more intimidating. 

💤🎤-He gaze was still focus on the chips in front of you but it was clear he was talking to you. 

💤🎤-“I didn’t know we had any bobcat shifters in town.” His voice was deep. 

💤🎤-You instantly stood straighter. “I just moved here so you wouldn’t have seen me around before.” 

💤🎤-“Welcome to town, it’s always nice to have more feline shifters in town. The bears and wolfs take up most of the population here.” He growled, his eyes narrowing. 

💤🎤-“Oh, well I am glad to be here. Everyone has been more than welcoming.” You gave him a fake smile, wishing he would pick his chips already and leave. 

💤🎤-“Glad to hear. Us feline shifters have to stick together.” He advised, finally taking a bag off the shelf. 

💤🎤-“Hey Y/N! Shota wanted to know if you wanted shrimp Alfredo for dinner or spaghetti?” He walked towards you, not fully noticing who was next to you until he was close enough to smell him. 

💤🎤-Cougar. 

💤🎤-Zashi hid his distaste for the man standing beside you. His lion snarling at the slimy feline next to you. 

💤🎤-“Oh spaghetti sounds nice but whatever you want is fine.” You answered, plucking a bag of salt and vinegar chips off the shelf before turning back to the ashy-haired man.  

💤🎤-“It was nice talking to you. See you around.” You polity said, beginning to walk off with Zashi.  

💤🎤-“See you around.” He sent you a sly grin. 

💤🎤-You walked down a few isles before noticing Zashi’s tense shoulders. 

💤🎤-“Everything okay?” You questioned, lifting a brow. 

💤🎤-“Yeah, I just remembered I needed to send an email before I left the office today but I forgot. It can wait till Monday though.” He recalled, scratching his head. 

💤🎤-You could tell it was something else but you didn’t press him on it. You hoped whatever was bothering him would go away though. You didn’t like the tight look on his face. 

💤🎤-Zashi was glad Shota had sent him to find you and not the other way around. 

💤🎤-“Oh, that’s good. So what do you want for dinner?” You changed the subject hoping to put him at ease. 

💤🎤-“I am a sucker for spaghetti and meatballs so looks like we are having that. Shota just wanted to ask you in case you didn’t like it. He knows if it was up to me we would eat it all the time.” He responded, losing some of the tightness in between his brows. 

💤🎤-You chuckled, walking with him to find Shota. 

💤🎤-You hoped this weekend went okay. 

***

💤🎤-You had gotten to the cabin and helped unload all the groceries before going outside and getting ready to shift. You had your back turned while Zashi and Shota got undressed. 

💤🎤-“You ready to finally see what type of shifter I am?” Zashi called, pulling his shirt over his head. 

💤🎤-“I am betting on cheetah shifter.” You theorized, thinking of how fast he can talk.  

💤🎤-He chuckled before shifting into his big cat. The first thing his lion did was stretch and yawn. Once he got that out of the way he padded over to you. He brushed his head against your open hand. 

💤🎤-You were quick to turn around and gasp. He was a lion! 

💤🎤-“Wow! I should have guess you were a lion considering your long hair! Your mane is so pretty. Can I touch it?” You asked, looking the lions golden eyes. 

💤🎤-He nodded his big head, giving you permission. 

💤🎤-Your fingers threaded through his thick fur. It was coarser than you imagined but it was still pleasant to touch. You petted him for a minute before he walked off and nuzzled against Shota. 

💤🎤-They looked so cute together. Like night and day. You wished you had some to be with. You pushed your lonely thoughts aside. You made sure they had their backs turned before quickly taking off your clothes and shifting. 

💤🎤-Your bobcat was all too eager to dash towards the big felines and nuzzle against them with a purr. It wasn’t really appropriate if you were a regular bobcat but since your bobcat was still young they allowed it. 

💤🎤-You only really nuzzled or rubbed your scent on family or close friends. While you fit the friends part it was much too soon. Zashi had no problem with it and went straight to lightly nipping and batting at you. 

💤🎤-He hadn’t played with a cub-sized feline since he left the pride. He forgot to hold in his strength since his big paw dwarfed you and sent you tumbling a few feet away. 

💤🎤-He dashed towards you, letting out concerned moans. 

💤🎤-Shota was a bit concerned but didn’t think the tumble did you much damage. His mate was just a worrywart. He thought of the future pups they might have and how he would turn into a major mother hen with them. 

💤🎤-His panther purred at the thought. 

💤🎤-For now he watched you hop onto your feet and pounce on his mate. You wrapped around Zashi’s neck like a scarf before falling down on your back. You happy chirps made his panther rumble. 

💤🎤-The panther turned and headed off into the forest. 

💤🎤-Your bobcat had immediately noticed his departure and bounded towards him. The lion was quick to catch up, playfully nipping and rubbing up against his mate. 

💤🎤-Soon you were in a large clearing. The sun was still up in the sky but everything had started to take on a yellow color. 

💤🎤-Shota had nudged you with his bulky shoulder and led you to the trees on the outskirts. He gave you a look that said he wanted you to watch him while he climbed and jumped down. 

💤🎤-You watched him for a few minutes observing him scale the tree before leaping down it. You tried to replicate what you saw and you seemed to get the hang of it after a few times of crashing face-first into the dirt. 

💤🎤-After you were sure you had gotten it down you nuzzled up against the dark feline and gave him a gentle purr. Then you shot off and went to play with Zashi, who was stalking a butterfly. 

💤🎤-Now that Shota got his teaching out of the way he laid down in the middle of the clearing and started cleaning himself before laying back and taking a nap. His panther was a lazy one, he liked soaking up the rays while drifting off to dreamland. 

💤🎤-Once you guys got all your energy out you and Zashi strolled over to the sleeping panther. Zashi leaned down and gave Shota a big long lick right over his face. 

💤🎤-Shota didn’t even opened his eyes and just lazily swatted at his mate. Zashi plopped down behind him and started grooming him even more. You felt like you were intruding so you curled up in a ball not too far away and dozed off as well. 

💤🎤-Your chest was light and fluffy. You hoped every weekend would be this peaceful. 

💤🎤-You didn’t realize that the next morning would be the last time you shifted for a while.

I had so much fun writing the dynamic between Sho and Zashi. They are a trip. Don’t worry the reader will get added into the mix soon enough. What do you think is going on with the cougars? Why do you think the reader won’t be able to shift for a while? 

This chapter was a little longer than I normally write so I hope you guys enjoy! Please reblog my work if you enjoyed it. It really helps me stay motivated to write more for yall. 

Don’t forget to leave a note too! 🖤💛

[7wanderingpaws]

Simply, yours (7) (M)

Pairing: Baekhyun x reader

Genre:  family AU, hapkido teacher AU, PhD AU

Word count: 3.9K

Warnings: mature content, language, tiny bit of violence

A/N: Alright! BAEKHYUN SNAPPED! Its happening all now! And there is mature content! I never ever wrote this type of content before, so... it might be just bad and cringey. I apologize if it is too bad, I need to challenge myself in this one more haha! I always enjoy feedback so dont hesitate to reach out! <3 if you want to be tagged/untagged please let me know 💕 I am thankful for you all, who read this story!

Tag: @milky-baek @itsbaekhyunsbutt​

MASTERLIST

PARTS: 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 6 . 7

“Hm, this dinner thing,” Sukyeong started, tapping her index finger on her chin as she was thinking, staring at the email sent by the HR office. You looked at her expectantly, your mind not exactly present because you were thinking about something completely else. However, guessing she would have a serious question for you, you made sure to pay attention, until she blurted: “What will you wear?”

Hehe, you thought skeptically, something that is not hugging my body TOO MUCH. “Dunno,” you dismissed, waving your hand and turning back to your computer screen and back to drowning in your worries. Your cup of freshly brewed tea was still next to your mouse, waiting for it to be sipped, but you had little to no appetite that morning. “We received the email literally minutes ago, Sukyeong. I don't even know what will happen today in the evening.”

Your stomach had been flipping ever since you woke up and Baekhyun's morning kisses didn't soothe any of your nerves.

Sneaking a glance at Sukyeong, who was still deep in thought about what to wear for the upcoming event on Friday, you were desperately trying to figure out if you could tell her your worries. And also, let her know that way about your pregnancy. Would she run her mouth before you would get to speak to your boss?

She definitely wouldn't go against you, that you could state for sure.

Your stomach made yet another flip. Once you felt sweat starting to prickle down your neck, you knew immediately it was one of those mornings. Quickly jumping up, you were fast like lightning, swallowing on a dry throat as you tried to suppress your gag reflex.

Soon enough, you were over the toilet, emptying every single thing that went into your stomach yesterday (and it seemed like all the previous years, given how severe your gagging was). Flushing the toilet with you trembly hand, you took a rest for a bit on the floor, thankful for dressing up warmer (plus a big hoodie to hide your front) that day. The winter was fast approaching, and you couldn't have been more thankful. More reason to wear thicker clothes.

You were still breathing heavily when someone entered the toilets with hasty steps. You heard your name being called out, recognizing the voice as Sukyeong's.

“Are you in here?”

You swallowed, ignoring the familiar pain of your raw throat. “Yeah, I'm in here.”

“Are you okay?”

Closing your eyes for a moment, you felt the tightness of your skin from the dried up tears. One breath, two breaths. Scrambling back to your legs, you opened the door of the stall, meeting a worried face of your kind co-worker. She was surprised to see your pale face and you spotted your phone in her hand. You frowned.

“Your phone kept vibrating; Baekhyun was looking for you and you weren't showing up for a while,” she said quickly and stepped closer to you. “Are you okay? Did you eat something bad last night?”

You shook your head, your heart jumping painfully at the mention of the father of the children you were bearing and complicating your life. Without realising, your chin quivered dangerously and you took in a shaky breath, diamond-shaped tears rolling down your pale cheeks. “I'm pregnant, Sukyeong.” 

There, it was finally out.

“Oh goodness, I knew it! I so knew it!” she squealed, jumping slightly before hugging you. “Oh wait, drink some water,” she said and grabbed a little paper cup, filling it with filtered water on the corridor. She came back and you quickly swallowed, refreshing your burning insides.

“But I have a huge issue,” you continued, wiping your cheeks.

Only now she seemed to realize that you were crying for real. Crying, because something serious was happening. She didn't hesitate when she replied: “What is it? I will help you.”

-

“That piece of shit… he really made you promise him that? What a fucking TRASH!!!”

“I think the best would be if you tell him after dinner. He should be in a good mood. He might not kick you out.”

“We need to figure out what you can wear to hide the belly. It's not big yet, but still!”

“Oh my gosh, you are already this much in? Let me touch youuu!”

Sukyeong's endless support eased up your troubled mind. You were able to be much more relaxed and currently, you and Baekhyun were waiting for her to show up at your apartment to help you “fix the clothes” - you said that to the unsuspecting, innocent face of Byun Baekhyun.

“You look so good in jeans,” you mumbled appreciatively when Baekhyun emerged from the bathroom in nothing but dark-blue jeans, black underwear poking out,  his hair wet, and a towel around his neck.

Wow. Being pregnant and swooning over your loved one hit differently.

Your breath hitched in your throat. “It's supposed to be a family-friendly dinner. You can't go like this, young man!”

He laughed loudly as he walked lazily to you, your eyes still trained on his toned stomach. Damn. “Hey, beauty,” he whispered once he was standing right in front of you, your face now looking up at him. “Let me clean up that drool on your chin.” Smirking like a total flirt that he was, he leaned in and he poked out his tongue, running it up your chin before he pushed it into your mouth, your silent gasp only encouraging him more. His hold on your cheek was gentle, feather-like whilst his kiss was dirty; the exact opposite. You didn't need to be told twice.

Grabbing him by the neck, you pushed him towards you, his body now pressed up against you and your small belly, a delicious moean leaving your mouth when he wrapped his other hand around the low of your back, squeezing you.

“You are so sensitive to my touches. I really like you like this,” he whispered into your panting mouth. You opened your eyes just a little bit; his kiss made you lose your senses for a second.

“Aching, throwing up, gaining weight, all of it?” you murmured as you stroked his cheek.

His eyes were wild,  yet so affectionate. “All of it,” he confirmed as he leaned back in to steal another kiss.

“Wait,” you quickly said and pecked him on the lips as an apology. He gave you a curious look. “I think…” you trailed off, too shy to say what was on your mind, “that I shouldn't be kissing you. Also, you shouldn't walk like this here anymore. The more pregnant I am, the more…” gulp, “I want from you,” you said so quietly, Baekhyun unconsciously leaned in with his ear by your mouth.

He chuckled and bit his lower lip. “You mean you are more horny?”

You nodded, blush creeping up your cheeks. “I don't think you can imagine what I have in mind.”

“Oh, I think I do know.” 

You shook your head but he continued: “My sweetest sweetheart,” he murmured and he made it a point to press his hips into yours as much as possible, given the belly was growing to be quite the restriction between you two. “I put three babies into you,” he murmured in your ear, his words and hot breath sending electric shocks into your southern parts. “Don't think I can't live up to your horny expectations. Nor do think I am not craving you every single fucking day. Because I do,” he sighed and pressed a wet kiss on the side of your neck. “You just look irresistible, and when you're naked… fuck,” his voice trembled, and his hand was already under your shirt, exploring, cupping, caressing, making you a moaning mess. Your head fell backwards in ecstasy and he sucked on the exposed skin on your collarbones. “So if you want three rounds,” he said and straightened up a bit to give you a lustful look, “I will give you three rounds. Each round for one baby.”

You were fast to throw yourself at him, kissing him desperately, needing him to satisfy the ache that only he was able to. The towel he had around his neck fell, his wet hair very slightly dripping still.

Thankfully, you were in the bedroom already. Gently placing you on the bed, Baekhyun crawled up and above you, while his hands were pushing up his shirt you were wearing since you couldn't stand anything that would restrict your movements). Your hands were fumbling with his jeans, but Baekhyun was faster and took them off along with his underwear while you pulled the shirt over your head, and discarded the panties. Bra was also something you wore as little as possible, your breasts being achy and growing, a bra was very uncomfortable. You had yet to go to some markets to get bigger sized bras for a cheaper price.

Baekhyun was back at your lips right away, his fingertips teasingly making their way down the side of your body, starting from your breasts, to the hips all the way to your butt before he hooked his arms under on knee. His other hand wandered off to the parts you needed him the most, by then practically begging him to just move on.

“Oh, wow,” he breathed, awed, “so no foreplay needed anymore, hm?” he purred, as he felt you dripping.

“Please,” you wailed, and he enjoyed himself way too much for your liking. “I will get seriously hurt if you keep the teasing up.”

That made him pay attention to you. “What? Is something hurting? What-”

You raised your head and laughed into his scared face before you put the knee he was holding around his waist, followed with your other leg and pressed him into you, the pressure building up. “I will hurt, if you won't do something,” you breathed loudly.

“Don't scare me like that,” he chastised, frowning momentarily as he brought his hand up to your cheek, into which you leaned in. Eventually, his features softened, and he whispered: “I will take care of you, mummy.”

You were so surprised at the word, you could barely gasp when he finally entered you, his forehead pressed to yours, your hand interlaced with his. He wanted to give you time, worries about hurting you or the babies forever present in his mind, but he barely made it inside and you were begging for more. He would lie if he would have said he didn't like it.

“You're so hot,” he rasped, hiding his face in your neck.

“And you're too slow.”

He laughed into your skin, biting you. “Impatience doesn't take you anywhere.”

You met his hips eagerly and you held his face, your eyes fluttering close. “Exactly. So work,” you said, letting out another wanton moan when he did as you wished. He would do anything you wanted him to, because you were pretty much his everything.

He brought you over the edge sooner than later, helping you ride out the ecstasy as if his dangerous kisses earlier didn't already cast a spell on you. He followed you soon, but you were nowhere near finished.

Before he had time to get back to his senses, you bit his shoulder teasingly, humming. “Darling, again.”

You meant it when you said your horny self was different from your usual one, and Baekhyun was definitely up for a ride except-

There was a knock on your door, followed by a doorbell.

Both of you froze, still panting loudly, still very much high on the quick love you just made.

“It's-”

“Sukyeong,” you finished, cursing before Baekhyun gave you a pointed look, still not moving from your naked body.

“No cursing with babies-”

“Baekhyun!” you said, “you need to move!”

“But the next round-”

You let out a loud laugh before giving him a loud peck. “If there is anyone frustrated, it's me, trust me,” you said as he slowly fell next to you and you sat up, seeing the mess you just made.

He reached to the floor next to the mattress handing you tissues.

Murmuring a thanks, you quickly wiped yourself up and put back the wrinkled shirt that was discarded so carelessly before.

Standing up, you felt a bit sore which made you sit back for a minute just when another loud knock sounded. Few seconds later, your phone was ringing. “Coming!” you shouted. You phone stopped ringing.

Baekhyun chuckled from behind you, still lying there, now covered with the bed sheets. “You look like you have been properly fuc-”

“Don't. Say. It,” you murmured.

He laughed and sat up, kissing the little piece of skin that was not covered on your shoulder. “Hurting?”

You nodded and turned your head to see him, still very needy but thankfully, you weren't as frustrated as you thought you would have been.

“Sorry, should have been a bit gentler,” he murmured, nuzzling your neck.

You snorted. “Are you really sorry though?” you asked, and when you saw his mischievous smile, you got the answer. Pecking him quickly, he leaned into you, attempting to prolong the kiss. “I really have to open the door,” you sighed, “once were are back from the company dinner tonight, you are all mine, you hear me?”

He stared into your eyes for a while, soft smile playing on his lips. “I love you.” His hand was caressing your belly from behind.

You felt like you could burst from happiness. “I love you, too.”

-

One hour later and you were standing in front of the mirror with baggy dress on that Sukyeong got from her older sister who used it during her pregnancy. The dress made you… a bit huge.

“You should wear a long sweater too, hm?” she said, as she took the mentioned piece and circled it around you, placing it on your shoulders. “It should be big enough to divert the attention from your belly,” she murmured in a low voice, knowing that Baekhyun was in the tiny apartment and had no clue about your sneaky plan of hiding your stomach.

You gulped and looked yourself over in the mirror. “It's good enough,” you managed to say.

“You look cute!” chuckled Sukyeong, covering her mouth.

“Is Chen coming sa well?” Baekhyun appeared at the door.

“He is! He will meet us at the restaurant since he is busy,” she replied with a smile, looking at your boyfriend. He nodded when his eyes looked you over for the first time. You weren't sure if you expected any reaction from him but what he gave you was not what you… expected.

“Nice dress,” he murmured, the slightest of frowns knitting his eyebrows together. “I thought you are wearing one of your other dresses.”

Sukyeong looked at me, little panic bubbling in her big eyes.

“Well, you know how I don't like anything that is hugging my body anymore,” you replied truthfully, meeting his gaze bravely. His lazy posture leaning against the doorframe, eyes raking up your body… ah, ah, he was too hot for you. Why were you this horny?!

“It diverts the attention from the bruise that you gave her!” snapped Sukyeong playfully.

You blushed while Baekhyun looked more than proud. “Oh please, I will hide it with makeup,” you said quickly, “but anyway,  how did you ever know that I am pregnant?” you asked and then looked at Baekhyun to clarify: “She followed me to the toilet couple of days ago when I threw up at work and she just said she knew I was pregnant!” you exclaimed with a shocked smile.

Baekhyun raised his eyebrows, curious.

“Please!” Sukyeong waved her hand. “I could smell baby all over you! I noticed your boobs and your morning sickness,” she giggled. “You know, woman's sense. But wow, you are actually expecting three babies... “

You stepped to Baekhyun, hiding your face in his chest out of embarrassment, while he laughed, caressing your back. “So if you noticed, it means others had to notice,” you mumbled but quickly realised you shouldn't go to those waters. Straightening back up, you checked the clock: “We should really finish getting ready! We will be late!”

-

The dinner was taking place at a very posh restaurant. You almost felt out of place in your huge, baggy dress and sweater. Well, at least you lived up to the fact that you were a penniless mother-to-be.

Hands intertwined with Baekhyun's under the table, your boss was on your left at the head of the long table that was filled with colleagues from your department while Sukyeong was opposite you with Chen right next to her. Everyone was in a pleasant conversation except you, because you were your boss's direct assistant and if he didn't talk, you definitely didn't feel like talking. 

Baekhyun raised his fork to your mouth to try the meat with sauce and you smiled up at him, gratefully chewing on the tender meat. He winked at you, satisfied when he saw you eating well. You just prayed he wouldn't say something related to your state, because then it would be… very bad.

“Oh, so cute,” cooed you boss from your other side and it made you snap your eyes to him. He didn't sound so genuine. “Aren't you two sweet. Does your boyfriend always treat you this well?” he asked, looking at you expectantly.

You exchanged quick looks with Sukyeong who smiled at your reassuringly. “Yes, always.”

“And you don't want to marry this man?” he asked, laughing.

You froze for a moment and you felt Baekhyun did, too. Feeling the nerves bubbling up in your stomach, suddenly it was churning in anxiety.

“I can't get her to say yes, sir,” replied Baekhyun simply, chuckling to ease up the situation.

You gasped, widening your eyes at your boyfriend. “When did you ever ask?”

Your boss shrugged, amused. “As long as it does not keep her away from her work.”

You bit your lip hoping Baekhyun didn't hear the remark, but when you saw him giving your boss a deadly look, you knew things were turning the wrong way.

You felt another strong pull in your stomach, and you just knew it was coming. Blood was draining from your face and you stood up slowly, trying not to cause a ruckus. Baekhyun gave you a questioning look laced with worry, and you simply whispered: “Toilet.”

He nodded once, and held your hand until he had to let go.

Once you knew you are out of sight, you took off, running quickly to the bathroom, barely making it into the stall, before the entire dinner came out. Since you just ate, you couldn't stop throwing up, retching sounds along with crampings of your stomach making it impossible to even sit down.

You flushed, heaving out a breath as you attempted to sit down before nausea overtook you again, making you gag and crawl back to the bowl. “Shit! Make it stop,” you whined quietly, tears streaming down your face as you tried to calm down.

-

“So, are you really not thinking of marrying any time soon?” spoke your boss to Baekhyun.

“Well, right in this instant we aren't,” he said slowly, not liking an inch the tone your boss was using, “but given our situation, we should do it as soon as it would be possible, right?”

Your boss gave him a surprised look and Baekhyun failed to notice the panic in Sukyeong's eyes when she sensed the direction of the conversation. “What situation?”

Baekhyun blinked once before smiling gently at the thought. “Well, we are expecting three next spring.”

Silence took over your part of the table. Sukyeong abruptly stood up, startling Chen and rushing to search for you, while your boss glared at Baekhyun. “Expecting three? You mean my personal assistant is pregnant?”

Baekhyun, unsure, nodded. “Yes. She is 14 weeks in.”

“What?” he snapped, startling everyone around the table.

Baekhyun frowned but didn't have time to respond, because your boss was looking at someone behind you, angry veins on his neck.

“Baekhyun,” you hissed, but it was too late. Trying not to faint right in front of everyone, you took your boyfriend by his hand but he stood up right away once he saw your pale face.

“You threw up again?” he asked quietly not happy seeing you like that.

Sukyeong nodded eagerly in reply.

“This is probably the last time we are seeing each other,” you heard your boss from the table, and your chin quivered. Baekhyun and Sukyeong both glared at him. “Since you signed the contract promising not to get impregnated but you obviously couldn't do even that!” he spit. “I knew you would be trouble!” he shouted, standing up and coming close to you. Baekhyun was fast to stand in front of you, storm clouding his eyes while Sukyeong gasped, squeezing your hand.

“Move, Mr Byun,” snapped you boss. “I need to talk to my personal assistant.”

You gulped, your throat still painful from throwing up. But Baekhyun wasn't moving an inch. “You talk to my girlfriend under my supervision only,” he said, his tone deep in warning. “Do not dare talk to her that way.”

“I hope you know that you don't need to be polite with me anymore,” retorted your boss and sent daggers your way. “Young people really can't keep it in their pants these days. Having kids without marriage? Disgusting! But even worse? You are useless and pregnant.” 

You squealed when Baekhyun landed a painful punch straight into your boss's face. You grabbed your boyfriend by his arm, trying to stop him. “Wait, Baekhyun, you know you cannot get into a fight!” you said just as he was about to land another punch.

Chen was by your side in a minute, dragging outraged Baekhyun away and you were hot on their heels as you tried to avoid people's intense stares.

Outside on fresh, chilly air, Baekhyun shrugged Chen off, fuming as he turned to you suddenly. “What the fuck just happened!”

You tried not to flinch at his voice, instead getting angry at him. “Are you nuts?! You know you cannot fight outside of your classes! Are you trying to get yourself expelled?!”

He was a hapkido master. Although not strictly, but if someone found out he used his trained strength against someone, his PhD title he was working so hard for could go to waste. And his teaching job as well. Basically, his entire career.

“This isn't about me!” he snapped. “I can't just stand there listening to him talking about you like that!” He was livid. “And what promise was your boss talking about? Was what I heard true?!”

When you weren't replying, your quivering chin was saying it all. Chen was next to Baekhyun to calm him down once again, while Sukyeong tried to calm you down as tears were rolling down your cheeks, your head extremely dizzy. “Yes, you heard correctly! He made me promise I won't get pregnant!”

“For what reason?” he laughed humorlessly as he ran his hands through his hair. “Why the fuck did you even agree to it?”

“Guys,” started Chen with a pleading voice, “you should go home and resolve it there. Baekhyun, your girlfriend is not well,” he added gently, nudging his friend to bring him to his senses.

Baekhyun went silent, taking in your shaky figure, teary cheeks and pale face. He hated the view. Heck, he despised it so much, more so because you were crying mostly because of his outburst. But he couldn't stand you being mistreated like that! And were you hiding stuff from him?

“We are going home, young lady,” he said, his voice uncomfortably levelled. “You have lots of explaining to do.”

[jkflesh]

Interview with jesu January 2021 New Noise magazine #56

Read the interview by Antoine "Neredude" Duprez below:

The “Terminus” Bandcamp page states that the album was done between 2016 and 2020. That's a long period in your standards! Did you get some sort of writer's block with Jesu? Or was it because you were so busy with your numerous projects?

— I never get writers block, I just simply move on to the next thing if I’m not currently inspired to work on a specific project. Most my records, for many years, have been written and recorded over extended periods of time; I work when inspiration strikes, when it doesn’t I move onto the next thing; there’s never a block for me with creation generally, maybe just specific areas. i take large breaks for my music so as to afford some sort of distance, gone are the times when an album would be hammered out in a month!

''When I Was Small'' has kind of a Radiohead thing in the vocals, whereas ''Alone'' reminds me a lot of Sigur Rós. Are those bands part of your background?

— Ok, interesting observation, but no Radiohead is not an influence on this song, the biggest influences on the vocals were Liam Gallagher from Oasis, and subconsciously "White Flag" by Godflesh (which I only discovered after the album was complete). I do love some Radiohead though, as I do Sigur Rós, but neither band is a direct or conscious influence. Musically “When I was Small” was mostly influenced by trying to recreate a vibe of early Neil Young mixed with Oasis, in a jesu fashion, coupled with a demo production; intentionally underproduced. I’m not sure where a lot of the influence on “Alone” came from, electronic pop music for sure, short and sweet was the intention, driven entirely by the voice sample.

Regarding “Terminus,” did you set yourself a framework or musical approach beforehand like you did for “Every Day I Get Closer to the Light From Which I Came?“

— Not really no, generally when I work on a bunch of songs things will fall into place naturally, the songs become a whole and then collectively the songs will become conceptual as i write, they build their own logic, so to speak, I don’t force anything, I let things happen organically as I write and record.

I think around 2013, you said “Every Day I Get Closer to the Light From Which I Came” was going to set a precedent for the next album. Now that it's out, do you still think so? Personally, even though both records are different, I can definitely hear a connection.

— Yeah, shame it took 7 years to come to fruition! And many things changed over those 7 years, as ever. Jesu certainly documents my personal journey in life, it’s ultra personal, Godflesh is much more external comparatively. A lot to the solo jesu work took a backseat when I worked on the collaborations with Sun Kil Moon, but that was very refreshing and inspired me to take jesu further, I had notions of discontinuing the project at some point, but the collabs with Sun Kil Moon inspired me to keep pursuing jesu.

"Every Day I Get Closer to the Light From Which I Came” was inspired in great part by you becoming a father. Can you tell us a bit about what was on your mind when you wrote “Terminus?”

— That’s very true, especially the initial journey of bringing life into the/our world. everything is there in the lyrics and artwork for "Terminus" so of course, like a lot of my work, depends on the listeners perspectives, they can make it their own, make it personal. But it’s essentially about endings, and my obsession with finality, my sensitivity to it and my fear of it. There’s a line in the title song that says “my end, our end, the end, the end”, which pretty much sums it up.

The EP “Never” you released before “Terminus” is quite different and more focused on electronics. I remember you telling me that you liked going experimental on EPs, doing stuff you wouldn't do on a full length. So I figure that's still the case?

— Yeah, I like experimenting with everything, I like satisfying myself with different ideas, obviously that doesn’t suit my listeners too much, but I make this music for myself, and I’m always trying to do better. I still don’t know why I put myself through the trial and hell of releasing music, I often think about just recording for myself and not bothering with an audience, but I’m not really capable of earning money in other ways, so I have to finish music and release it, let it go. For me "Never" was just another way of interpreting the jesu mood, nothing deviates too much from the original intention of the project. It’s weird, critically, it was perceived as this big electronic departure, whereas jesu has sounded pretty much like this most of it’s lifetime! “Pale Sketches", "Lifeline" even "Silver” is all mostly electronic, save a real drum loop in the song "Silver", but this EP seemed to get this thing that its all electronic, whereas it;’s no more electronically oriented than any other jesu record I have made. jesu is a mood that can be explored and experimented with, I’m not making the first album over and over, some can’t get over that, but that was a different moment in my life which I captured, and as an artist who challenges oneself besides the audience you can never win, and one will generally never win hah. This is a new jesu, it comes with age, transitions. "Never" was intentionally idiosyncratic and deliberately fvcked up sounding, and I think by and large critically the subtleties were lost on people.

“Never” features two version of ''Never There for You'', one of them described as the ''original vision''. Can you explained how you ended up releasing two version of this song?

— The “original vision” existed like that since around 2010, I shelved it, it was to be a Pale Sketcher song, I had an album’s worth of similar songs, I still do, couldn’t decide if they should be jesu or Pale Sketcher. I sent them to Aphex Twin / Richard James because he was a huge fan of the Pale Sketcher EP “Seventh Heaven”, we were talking about a release on his label Rephlex, I had all these songs that were floating between jesu and Pale Sketcher. But then he folded Rephlex for good, a real shame, so I was left with all these songs in limbo, I still am, but at that period I shelved them all. I returned to them around 2018 and started adding guitars and vocals, thinking that they will now definitely be jesu songs. “Never There for You” was one of them, so I wanted the listener to hear what it was originally before I added more of organic me. I’m working on finalising all those songs for Rephlex into future jesu, probably an album that I hope to release late 2021, it’s not a "Terminus" though, and probably most ppl will hate it hah.

“Terminus” is the first album to feature Ted Parsons in a long while. Did you invite him because you felt these songs needed his touch?

— I wanted some live drums, 3 songs only. I was going to play them myself, like on "Opiate Sun". "Infinity" etc, but I really wanted Ted involved and see how he interpreted my drum parts, he always swings something and makes it interesting. he’s a very real drummer, and a very real human being.

When touring is possible again, would you like to tour with Jesu, with Ted on drums?

— I may tour solo, with electronics and projections. The band thing is tiresome and always just sounds like a band, bands bore me these days because of the constraints of the instruments, rock records also bore me these days; same productions, etc, very little actual aesthetic, but its popular and what do I know. But I’d rather jesu now sound hugely expansive live, not just like a rock band. But i’m still unsure. Live drums swallow my voice live, I can’t sing above them, and jesu is a tiny project, can’t play big venues with stage separation and screens around the drums, and 8 guys diving around onstage, it’s not affordable. I stopped performing as jesu for some time due to all those reasons.

You said “Silver” is probably your favourite Jesu record. Are there other Jesu albums that stand out in your mind?

— Did I say that?! Haha. I don’t recall, and that opinion changes every day I feel. I like how concise and all encompassing "Silver" is; it covers most of the ground that I feel the project should cover. But "Terminus" is my favourite jesu album, and it should be, otherwise I would not feel I was moving forward, and I feel I am, it is the best jesu album I have made.

Last year, you told Olivier ''Zoltar'' Badin that the next Zonal album would probably go in the direction of it's title track ''Wrecked''. Is it still true to this day and what can you tell us about that upcoming album?

— Well, a lot of time has passed since, but I think Kevin and I are still quite struck on that song as a template for future recordings, although everything changes all the time, of course, and time is passing fast once again, we haven’t discussed Zonal in some time.

I know you don't actually consider yourself as a guitarist. With you focusing on your electronic projects like JK Flesh and Zonal lately, do you ever get tired of guitar? I'm asking this because I recently discussed the subject with Steven Wilson. He basically told me that after 30 years writing and doing gigs with guitar, he's feeling more creative and excited when writing music on other instruments and I wondered if you ever felt something similar.

— All instruments are just a means to an end for me; a tool for the bigger job, I don’t really wish to be overly proficient at any instrument, I liked that about punk, and it’s what I’m not that fond of about overly progressive music, it’s like it’s for show, I don’t do anything for show, I’d rather be shit than great, it’s more interesting, it reflects the human condition, imperfection. I don’t wish for things to sound perfect, whatever that is, people should not come to my music for that, they probably don’t and it’s probably why my audience is so small haha.

I recently discovered that you worked with Josh Eustis with the mastering of the JK Flesh / Orphx live album and was a bit surprised. How did that happen?

— Josh is a very good friend of Dominick Fernow’s (Prurient / Vatican Shadow / Hospital Productions, etc), and Dominick is a very close friend of mine. I was aware that Josh does very good mastering besides being an extremely talented artist, so Dominick suggested josh master that collaboration, and it sounds excellent!

I interviewed Lee Dorrian some time ago and we were talking about the impact Napalm Death had, not just the band itself but all the bands who were formed after playing in that band: Godflesh, Carcass, Cathedral, Scorn... Lee thought this legacy had a lot to do with John Peel broadcasting a wide array of music on young aspiring musicians. How would you explain such creativity and versatility from musicians who all played in Napalm Death at one point?

—  Lee is absolutely correct, a lot of very young kids listened to John Peel, most generations did, his taste exposed music to many of us who were already enquiring at a young age that we would not have heard anywhere else and of course back then this centralised things, not fragmented them like the internet does; a kid now can absorb an artist entire catalog in an hour, speed listen to it all, then have an opinion, but it’s informed, no context, no history, no experience. We heard music then on Peel and then hunted it down. It took work, valuable work that paid dividends. Peel’s broad appreciation of eternally subversive music and otherwise told us that music didnt need to exist in such strict compartments, that’s it’s all part of a greater whole, so when groups of musicians collaborated even at such young ages, our tastes were informed and wide, very rarely singular.

Can you tell us a bit about you latest remixing output? What were the tracks that you enjoyed the most remixing? Those are the names I could find: Full of Hell, Oathbreaker and a lot of projects I've never heard of.

— I always and love to remix, I love the fact that I didn’t create this music but can make something new from someone else’s work. Music is endless, for me, it’s just when you wish to end it, but ultimately it can never end. I have some remixes that I love moire than others, but only over time, I never let a remix go unless I am as happy as can be with it. Sometimes I would’ve loved to have done more, my Killing Joke remix is a good example of that, I wanted to go further, but Youth of Killing Joke told me they were happy with where I was at, I think I could’ve made it much better. The Oathbreaker remix you mentioned is a favourite of mine from the last years worth of my remixes. I’ll remix anyone, if they can afford my fee and I have the time!

I'm curious, since you released some of your music with your own label with Godflesh, Jesu and other projects, did it have an impact on the revenue you got from streaming platforms like Spotify, compared to albums released on Earache or Hydra Head? I'm asking this in the light of the neverending controversy regarding streaming revenue for musicians.

— On my own label more money can be earned from these services due to no split with another label, which usually would be 50/50, but streaming is very small as is common knowledge. I never see any royalties from Earache so can’t compare their rates etc since Godflesh is constantly recouping an advance from Columbia / Sony for the "Selfless" album that Earache, contractually, can recoup from, even though they didn’t give the advance, so they’re making money from the band and from an advance they never paid, which these days you would think that besides being unethical that it would be criminal, but such were the contracts in the 80’s / 90’s. So I’ve never seen a single penny from streaming with Earache!

I know it might be pointless to ask you, since someone's mind can change with time but do you still think “Post Self” may be your last album with Godflesh? Your told us last year that you weren't sure if you had enough in you creatively to do another album and also that the constant screaming was a bit harder to do.

— Hah, the shouting/screaming live now takes its toll, it does with age, I’m unsure due to not performing for so long thanks to the pandemic how my voice would be for Godflesh now in a live setting, I’d have very little problem in the studio. I’m still struck on the fact that there may not be another full length studio album from Godflesh, I haven’t been inspired to initiate one for numerous reasons, and I don’t wish for us to repeat ourselves in any way, I do have a lot of interesting old material though, some good rare stuff, demos, “Us and Them in Dub” which is also in the works, but I work on that sporadically, when I feel inspired to do so. So there’s a lot of good stuff coming.

Last time I interviewed you in 2014, Aphex Twin was making his grand return with “Syro”. I remember you telling me that the album was still shrinkwrapped on your desk. Knowing you're a big Aphex fan, I wanted to know if you liked that album, especially knowing that a lot of fans were disappointed by it.

— Ahh it was such a long time ago now that we spoke last! I love "Syro”, but I love Aphex, and since I first heard "Didgeridoo" when it was released and then "Quoth", he will always be a favourite, "Syro" may not be an Aphex favourite for me, but it’s still amazing, he is amazing; creative, subversive and doesn’t give a fvck ultimately, he’d also never release anything if he didnt really have to, he does this for himself, for me the best art is entirely selfish and should consider no one. People are always disappointed, a lot of people just can’t live with the fact that an artist strays from their own personal conception of what an artist should be, it’s some sort of misguided entitlement, I lost that when II was around 14, a lot of people don’t lose it and now these people have the internet. No artist owes me anything, if they gave me one thing in my life then i will always respect their art, regardless of whether it works for me or not, and if I don’t like it much, I won’t be peddling that opinion on the internet in an entitled egotistical manner, I’m glad I did not know that a lot of people were disappointed, haha.

Thank you very much! Best JKB, Jan 2021

[duker42]

First,, I’m obsessed with you work and you’re amazing🤩I’m in love😍I was wondering if you could do a NSFW alphabet headcannon for our beloved Levi heicho? Also ,, what are some good Levi headcannon/fanfic blogs out there?

Thank you!!!! I really appreciate that. Some great blogs that I have run across are: @shewolfofficial @dirtylevi @attackonleviheichou @dreamss-of-boston @ackerfiction @phen0l @sexuallylevi

There are other great blogs out there I am sure, but these are a few that stick out in my mind!

NSFW Alphabet for Levi Ackerman:

A-Aftercare: Aftercare depends on the type of sexual session you had. If it’s particularly rough or sensual, he will be attentive and loving while you are cleaning up. If it’s quickie, expect a slap on the ass after finishing washing as he saunters out to finish that damn paperwork on his desk.

B-Body Part: Levi is an ass man. He loves the way the uniform makes your ass look so mouthwateringly round. Plus its easy access for a quick squeeze when he’s feeling cheeky. He loves watching it jiggle while he is pounding into you from behind.

C-Cum: Cum isn’t his favorite thing in the world, but he isn’t squeamish about it either. He’s a man who doesn’t mind getting dirty if the situation calls for it and sex is definitely an area where he’s willing to get filthy. He preferes to cum in you, but if thats not possible, your mouth or all over your ass is a nice second choice. He also love when you cum on him, seeing your thick cream on his cock is an incredible turn on for him and makes him go harder.

D-Dirty Talk: Levi is the fucking KING of dirty talk. It doesn’t happen every time, but when he’s the mood, that man can make you cum just by murmuring dirty things in your ear as he is fucking you. “You love the way my cock stretches your little pussy, don’t you?” “Your pussy was made for my cock.” “I want you scream my name, let the entire building know who’s fucking you.” *Sigh*

E-Experiment: Levi is a pretty laid back guy when it comes to sex. He has seen a lot of shit over the years and the sexual proclivities of the human race is one of them. If there is something you want to try, just ask. He will not judge and let you know if its a Hard Limit or not. If it’s not, he’s down to try almost anything once.

F-Favorite Position: I am going to have to go with the two most popular. Doggie and Missionary. Doggie is for the leverage, watching your ass jiggle, and the satisfaction of watching his cock disappear into your pussy. Missionary is more for the sensual side of Levi. Holding you close and watching your expressions as he fills you and brings you over the edge. There is a lot of kissing in this position and more emotions seen in those expressive eyes of his.

G-Goofy: He’s not very goofy in bed. It’s a serious time for him, wether its blowing off steam from the stress of your lives or making sure you know how he feels about you, sex isn’t the time for jokes. Now, he will make a comment if there is a particularly loud noise emitted or something unusual happens. But he’s not going to normally crack jokes when he’s inside you.

H-Hair: Trimming all the way! Levi preferes to keep himself manscaped regularly. Not only for the hygiene aspect of it, but for you as well. He knows he enjoys it better when you are neatly trimmed or shaved so why wouldn’t he give you the same consideration? Plus there’s the added bonus of being able to get a centimeter more of his cock into you if you’re both trimmed.

I-Intimacy: We all know that Levi is a man of fewer words than most, and most times they are sarcastic and rude. However when it comes to showing you how he feels in bed, he’s most expressive through touch and his eyes. Those ashen orbs fill with unspoken words as he kisses you or touches you. Every move he makes during this time is for your pleasure as he worships your body with his own.

J-Jack Off: Levi would rather wait than jack off. You feel better than his hand any day of the week. Plus with all the stress he’s under, there’s little time for that. If he does get too needy, he will rub one out in the shower, thinking of you the entire time.

K-Kink: Dirty talk and spanking are his two go-to kinks. Those are the ones that get put into use the most often, but he also enjoys tying you up and making you beg for him to let you cum as he edges you relentlessly.

L-Location: He will always prefer the safety of the bedroom. There would only be an interruption in the case of a major emergency and he’s free to take his time. Plus the bathroom through the next door for easy clean up. However, if he’s feeling frisky, he will pull your ass into the nearest closet and fuck you hard and walk out with a little smirk on his face while telling you to hurry up.

M-Motivation: Watching you do simple things will rile Levi up. It could be as simple as watching your hips sway when you walk down the corridors, or having you execute a perfect move while on the ODM course. The other thing that gets him going is you coming up and whispering in his ear that you want to fuck him. Being bold with words or just coming up and rubbing him with that wicked look on your face will get him in the mood fast.

N-No: Hard Limits are pretty basic for Levi. If it’s especially gross, expect that to be a no from him. No one is peeing on anyone.

O-Oral: Like most men, he loves to receive over giving. He loves when you are on your knees with his cock in your mouth. You look so pretty with those eyes looking up at him. However, he is willing to give as often as you want it. He’s not shy about going down on you. You taste delicious and he loves the way you cum on his face.

P-Pace: He will change it up depending on the mood. He will normally start off slower, make sure that you aren’t uncomfortable before ramping up the speed and power behind his thrusts. However, if you are wanting it rough and fast, hold on, because he’s going to slam himself into you with enough force to take your breath away and just keep hammering into you until you are shaking and crying out his name.

Q-Quickie: Prefers the normal sessions over a quickie, but if he just has to have you or you are short on time, he’s down. He’d rather have a quick fuck than no fuck at all if the situation calls for it.

R-Risk: He’s not one for sex out in public. That’s between you and him. As far as risky sex, you risk your lives for a living, why shouldn’t he be willing with sex? Will only be willing to try it after you have both done extensive research on it and feel comfortable will the idea. Safe words and signals are a must. Risky is one thing, idiotic is another.

S-Stamina: He’s not Humanity’s Strongest for nothing. That Ackerman bloodline is great for the bedroom. Expect him to last at least a good hour or more if you don’t want him to cum too fast. He can speed it up or draw it out depending on his mood and how into it you are. If you are up for more than one round, he’s your guy. Give him 5 minutes and he will be back in the ring to take another swing.

T-Toys: Another one of those things that Levi will just shrug and give a chance. He doesn’t like a cock ring, so don’t even get him to try that shit again. As far as other toys, he will see how much you like it before deciding to use it. He prefers to use his own fingers and tongue to bring you pleasure, but watching you masturbate with a toy is fucking hot in his book.

U-Unfair: This little fucker can be a huge tease. He doesn’t like it when you tease him, but he can edge you for hours with a twinkle in his eye. It’s an ego boost to have you begging for him to fuck you.

V-Volume: Levi isn’t loud at all. The occasional grunt or low moan is the most you will really get out of him. The loudest you’ve ever heard him was when you hadn’t been together in a few weeks because of a mission and you gave him a blow job in his office. He bit down on his knuckle, but still the moan you heard was regular speaking volume.

W-Wild Card: He can be a bit jealous, even when he knows he doesn’t need to be. Not that yandere, serial killer kind of way, but he will glare at those soldiers who haven’t figured out that you are the Captain’s girl yet. Hasn’t thrown you over his shoulder to go fuck you in a fit of jealously yet, but you’re still hoping.

X-X-Ray: Levi is a little bigger that what people would expect for a man of his height. He is 8 inches long but thicker than average. The tips is particularly large and he curves upward just perfectly for slamming against your g-spot.

Y-Yearning: If it weren’t for those damn Titans and the piles of paperwork he had, plus the training schedule with the squad, you would have shit ton more sex than you do. He didn’t get a lot of physical affection in his life until you, and he craves that feeling when you to are connected.

Z-Zzzz: Okay, poor Levi. We all know this boy can’t sleep decently to save his life. But after sex he can doze off faster than he would without it. After cleaning up of course. He still will only get about 3 hours, but with you in his arms and the hazy endorphins from his orgasm still in his system, the nightmares are kept at bay long enough for him to feel refreshed.

Mobile MasterList

[zenithlux]

Tendrils of Regret - Part 6

Read the story on AO3 here!

Thank you for all the support <3. It means the world to me.

While it took a few days for your mood to fully improve, sleeping beside little Shadow certainly helped. And you were surprised to find that even Vergil was a bit more pleasant. You made sure to leave Shadow with him from time to time as you “conveniently” had something else to do. Then you’d leave for a bit, usually reading by yourself or something equally as important. And whenever you came back, you’d always find Shadow sleeping in Vergil’s lap. Once, you’d even caught him playing with the cat, but he’d tossed the toy aside the second he noticed you and went back to reading, stubborn as ever. 

But you didn’t mind. You found it… endearing. And you had to admit, it was refreshing to not be angry at him all the time. Not that he completely avoided doing something to annoy you. You supposed that would never change, and you were more than capable of turning it on him just as quickly. But everyone else had noticed that the animosity between you two had dissipated somewhat after you brought Shadow home. You still barely talked, but at least it was a comfortable silence instead of a painful refusal to acknowledge each other’s existence.

But today was a strange day. For the first time in as long as you could remember, everyone in Devil May Cry was all together, wandering toward the middle of Red Grave on a call about a demon infestation. You hadn’t seen much yet, nor had you sensed anything under the earth. Trish and Lady had been muttering back and forth about something, probably annoyed that they’d had to come out for nothing. Vergil led the way, with Dante sauntering behind. 

“I’m sure we’ll find something,” He said. “I doubt a client would have called just to mess with us.”

“Haven’t seen anything yet,” Lady said with a yawn. “You got anything, Rose?”

“Afraid not,” You said. “But maybe that’s a good thing.” You pressed your hand along the ground again, feeling for the roots. The streets of Red Grave had been torn up in the incident, and many plants had begun to grow through the holes in the concrete. There were also a lot of demon plants buried deep in the soil, but none of them would emerge without your provocation. Without the tree or you to fuel them, they were worthless and wilting. But you felt no unusual gaps beyond what you’d expect, and no signs of plant demons that simply hadn’t shown themselves. “I doubt I’d sense anything before the brothers.”

“Probably true,” Lady said. “It was worth checking.”

Vergil stopped suddenly. Dante knocked into him, earning a summoned sword to the shoulder. A month ago, such a random act of violence would have startled you. Now, you realized that Dante either felt no paint or didn’t care in the slightest. “What is it, Verge?” He said. “I don’t feel a thing.”

“Then you’re not trying hard enough,” Vergil said. 

“Or maybe I’m not as in tune with the demon world as you.”

Vergil said nothing after that, but you noticed how his hand moved almost protectively to Yamato. Did he sense something? Vergil wasn’t the type of person to lie about such a thing. You’d learned over the course of your time together that he preferred brutal honesty to white lies, and you’d often been on the receiving end of such thoughts. And maybe Dante was right. You didn’t know too much about the tree, but if Vergil’s other half had raised it… then maybe…

Pay attention, my little vine, V had once said to you in a situation eerily similar to this one. Some demons can hide themselves in plain sight, even from those who should know they are there. And he’d been right then too, as you quickly found demons that had managed to transform into objects on the streets and a strange suit of armor that came careening off the roof.

The roof. 

You stopped in your tracks, eyes drifting upward. You wouldn’t sense anything on the buildings unless the plants themselves were up there. Surely Vergil and Dante would have thought of such a thing already, but none of you had made the effort to actually check. Maybe from there, you could see something you couldn’t from down here? It was a possibility. So, without telling anyone - you’d catch up to them anyway - you moved toward a set of flowers budding beside a building. You knelt down, wrapping your hand around one. You willed it to grow and it did, expanding into a flower the size of a small seat. You plopped down on it, drawing the roots upward. It moved quicker than you expected, but you hopped onto the roof with relative ease. 

To your surprise, there were some plants on top, but they looked strange. They were like flowers, black and white petals with yellow stems. But the bulbous roots reminded you of the demon you’d killed forever ago. You knelt by one, feeling for its roots. But it didn’t have any. The plant just existed as if…

Oh. 

You stood up, looking to the other rooftops. There were hundreds of these plants spread out before you like egg sacs clinging to buildings. Some were bigger than others, reaching up to your knees while some only came up to your ankle. But they were most certainly demonic, you just weren’t sure how far their reach was. 

You jumped as Vergil appeared in front of you. “Stop doing that,” You wheezed, grabbing at your heart. 

He looked around, lips tightening as you assumed he made the same connection as you. “They don’t smell like anything,” He said. “They don’t even feel like demons.”

“They’re not normal plants,” You said. “They’re not grounded in soil, they're just… there, somehow growing through the concrete.” 

Vergil frowned, teleporting to the next building where more plants waited. You summoned your own small bridge, joining him on the other side. “They have to be demons, right?”

“It’s possible these were left behind by the tree, but didn’t manifest until now.”

“This place is usually a dead zone,” You said. “So Lady, Trish and I had no reason to be out here. Wouldn’t have even seen them.”

Suddenly, a pod nearby cracked. You both spun toward it with Vergil stepping in front of you. You might have thought the gesture nice if you weren’t staring at the plant falling apart. The center burst, and dozens of hand sized spiders with flowers for heads emerged. You took a long step back, but the other flowers around you began to crack. “Vergil…”

You gasped he appeared behind you, quite literally dragging you right off the roof. You landed in his arms but it still jarred your neck to an uncomfortable degree. “Ow.”

“Summon your plants,” He said as he quite nearly dropped you. “Dante!” 

“Way ahead of you!” His brother’s voice called back, but you couldn’t see the other three. Loud screeches echoed in all directions as spiders began spilling off the rooftops. You summoned every plant you could, slamming at them with vines and roots of all shapes and sizes, but there were hundreds of the things skittering down from the rooftops including some that were as big as you. 

You barely felt Vergil grab your wrist as he yanked you away from the onslaught. You stumbled at first, but found your footing and took off with him, summoning whatever you could with each step. The plants drove the spiders back, but most were used as climbing tools to reach the ground quicker. In another second, Vergil grabbed you and leapt an impossible height, back onto one of the buildings. He dropped you, but you didn’t have the time to be angry as he unsheathed Yamato and sliced all the demons around you in one go. You saw Dante and the girls down on the street, tearing through whatever they could. But the waves of spiders descended upon them in droves. It was a horrifying sight, one you knew would plague your nightmares if you all got of here alive. 

A quiet cackle echoed in your mind. The vine constricted around your heart, shooting pain through your limbs. You grabbed at it, flinching away from the edge as your vision blurred. “What is it?” Vergil said. 

“I don’t…” You paused, trying to remember where you’d felt this feeling before. Once with him, but not because of him. At least, that’s what you could remember. No, it was something else. Something driving the vine into a frenzy. Something like…

“Another sister,” You whispered. “Or a relative of some kind.”

“What?” Vergil said. 

“I felt like this with that plant demon the other day,” You said. “I thought it was just because you were there… but maybe it was because of her…” You stepped up to the edge of the building again, searching for any large demon possible. But even cleared, your fallible human vision didn’t reach all that far. You summoned enough plants to hop to the next rooftop, stabbing through the few bulbs that had yet to break open. You spread your own vines as fast as possible, killing the horde of spiders inside. Vergil followed suit, slicing the other three plants to a fine dust. 

“You think something else is here?”

“They must be under someone’s control,” You said. “Why else would they have all broken out now?”

“Lots of reasons,” Vergil said. 

“But if someone is controlling them, then maybe finding that person will stop them.”

“Or it will do absolutely nothing.”

“Well unless you’ve got a few flamethrowers hiding under your jacket I don’t think we have many other options.” You moved to the next building, killing the single plant there. The others had already broken open, but the spiders were all focused on pouring out over the ground. You found that odd. Shouldn’t they be reacting to you? Or Vergil at the very least? Were they that intent on killing Dante? Or was there something about you distracting them?

“If the demon’s another sister, then maybe the spiders are ignoring me,” You mumbled, more to yourself than Vergil. 

Of course, he heard you anyway. “It doesn’t explain why they haven’t attacked me.”

“Yes it does,” You said, your tone a bit sour. “If she’s someone else that pledged her allegiance to you.” You moved to the next building, summoning plants wherever you went. You had a whole network of many bridges as you jumped past Dante and the others. They were handling themselves just fine, though Lady had this horrified disgusted look on her face that you could deeply relate to. “Hold on,” you whispered, not wanting to attract any unwanted attention. Vergil was moving close behind, using your makeshift pathways rather than teleporting around himself. You wondered why that was a conscious choice, but shook the thought off. Now was not the time to be questioning someone you never understood anyway. 

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, you found what you thought you were looking for. A giant hole in the ground that some spiders were coming out of.  You wrinkled your nose at the thought of entering such a thing, but you’d come too far to back out now. You could practically feel the vine tugging at you, but you couldn’t tell if it was excitement to see whoever was down there, or some kind of defensive mechanism warning you to run away. And you could just send Vergil in there alone - that was probably the smarter move- but the spiders had avoided you until now… maybe their controller would talk to you too. 

You gently lowered yourself off the building, pulling back all of the plants you’d used to traverse the rooftops. You felt your energy replenish in a heartbeat. Vergil hopped down beside you and the spiders ran around you both. You glanced at him, but he was already moving toward the hole. “Stay here,” He said. 

Your legs stopped mid-step, rooting you to the spot. “You’re joking right?” You said. “You’re just going to leave me here, powerless to fight anything, as you go down into the hole that I found?”

He glanced back at you. “I never said you couldn’t fight.”

“You still suck at this,” You said, gesturing to your legs. “Stay here? Really?”

He glared at you. “Move.”

You stumbled forward, caught off guard by the sudden feeling in your legs again. “I’m going with you.”

“And if I say no?”

“You won’t,” You said. “Besides, how do you know the spiders won’t just chase you if you abandon me?”

“It was your theory that whatever is down there is on my side.”

“Or it's on mine and you’re just lucky,” you said as you crossed your arms. “Now are we going to keep arguing or are you going to take me down there?”

His glare intensified, but, to his credit, he did move to pick you up. “Foolish woman,” He muttered as you wrapped your arms around his neck and peered into the hole you were about to plummet into. 

“Stubborn half-demon,” You said lamely. It was quite possibly the worst response you could have come up with, but it was all you could think of in the heat of the moment. And Vergil’s dramatic eye-roll told you it hadn’t landed well. “What are you waiting for?” you snapped. “Just ju-”

You couldn’t stop the scream of surprise when he did what you asked, dropping into the hole with little fanfare. You pressed your face into his chest, imagining all the ways you might break to pieces at the bottom of this drop. But as the fall continued, you heard the unfurling of something above you. Something like…

Wings? 

You jerked your head up to meet Vergil’s gaze. And you might have dwelled on the fact that he’d been staring at you that whole time more if a pair of beautiful, bright blue wings weren’t stretched out behind him, glowing in the dark. They flapped once, slowing your fall to a gentle glide. For once, his smirk remained longer than a few seconds. “Surprised?” He said. 

“Your demon form has wings?”

“Of course.”

You scowled at him. “That’s not a given trait of demons last time I checked.”

He landed with a quiet thud, but you barely even felt it. The wings vanished, likely summoned by some crazy demon magic. He sat you down this time - generous of him - and gazed up into a dark tunnel. You yelped as you felt spiders skitter past you, but they were few and far between. Thank whomever for small favors as you think you might have died from a heart attack had they been as plentiful in here as they were up top. “So how far does it…” You trailed off as you realized his eyes were glowing a brilliant blue, much brighter than his usual, silver-blue irises. 

“Stay close,” He said, a command you didn’t mind following for once, as he moved forward through the tunnel.  And while you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face, the world felt strange. While you normally sensed the plants under your feet, this time you could feel them everywhere. Underneath you. Over your head. On both sides. You tested the waters, running your hand along the wall. You felt plants emerge at your fingers, but jumped when Vergil grabbed your hand. “Don’t do that.”

“I was just testing it out,” You said. 

“And bring the whole tunnel down on us?”

“I’m more careful than that,” You huffed. “Ye of so little-” He stopped you again with a hand on your shoulder, cutting the conversation short. That’s when you realized there was a light at the end of the tunnel. “Is it a demon?” You whispered. 

“Yes,” Vergil said. 

“So I was right?”

He glared at you again, but it was much softer than usual. Odd. “It seems so.”

You both moved forward as the light expanded. Soon, you found yourself in a pit at the end of the tunnel with rays of sun seeping through small holes in the ceiling. A massive spider was in the center of the room. You gasped as it turned toward you noticing there was a human form embedded on its stomach. At first, you thought it might be someone else like you. Someone sealed away in a demon. But then the human’s eyes shot open and a wicked smile crossed her face. “Well, well,” She said. “I thought I sensed my cousin… never expected it would be you.”

“I’ve heard that before,” You said. 

“So you killed Belladonna?” The spider said. “Good riddance. She always was a nuisance.” The spider took numerous steps forward, beady eyes jumping between yourself and Vergil. “Are you here to kill me, Demon King?”

“Yes,” Vergil said simply. 

“Unfortunate,” The demon said. “I had hoped we could…"

You jumped as Vergil disappeared. A second later, the demon screeched as demonic blood squirted in all directions. The demon collapsed before your eyes, dead. Vergil reappeared beside you, clicking Yamato closed as usual. The spiders around you fell from the ceiling, collapsing all around you. “Well that’s… anticlimactic.”

“No point in letting the thing talk,” He said. “We need to return to the surface.” 

Then, the spiders began to move. 

You lurched backward as they filled the doorway, all of them turning on you. Vergil killed the ones he could, and you pulled on the roots nearby. But they were numerous, as if all the spiders from the surface had come to avenge their master.

Suddenly, you felt it. A spike of demonic energy that washed over you like a waterfall. In another second, Vergil was gone, replaced by a massive, blue demon. You swore the vine in your chest shrieked in response as you stumbled away. No. A voice whispered. Was it your own? You weren’t sure. You were frozen in terror as the demon tore through the spiders, incinerating them with strike after strike. “No,” You whispered as the power bore down on your chest. You recognized it. It was the demon that had sealed you away. It was back. Back to seal you away again. 

No. No. No. No.

You held your head, panic overcoming you. What was happening? That was Vergil, right? He wouldn’t hurt you. He couldn’t hurt you. He was in control. 

… Right?

“My little vine…”

Your head jerked upright as the blue demon stood before you. His voice was low and distorted, but you could almost hear Vergil - no, you could almost hear V - behind it. You scrambled backward. “Don’t be afraid.”

“Afraid?” You said. “How? You’re…” You trailed off as he knelt before you, claws reaching out to gently stroke your face. Your heart slowed at the touch. The vine uncoiled, confused just as much as you. “You’re the…”

His demonic form dissipated and Vergil returned. His hand didn’t move, but you did feel his thumb stroke your cheek. It was then that you realized you were crying. “It’s alright,” He whispered. “I’m here.”

You didn’t know why that comforted you, but you found yourself leaning into his hand. This had happened once before with V. You’d been in a panic after a demon almost killed you, and he’d joined you just like this. Hand on your cheek, wiping away your tears with a quiet promise. I’m here. 

“You remember,” You whispered. 

Vergil said nothing, but he didn’t need to.

[masjestickingdom]

Parallel Lives

Pairing: NCT x reader

Genre: Lighthearted, slight fluff, one shot 

Summary: You’re a studious university who’s on summer break, spending your spare moments with your best friend. After a random statement is thrown into the conversation, you and your friend wonder what it’s like to be in NCT’s position. Little do you know that your idols are simultaneously pondering about your position as a normal college student.

Note: Here’s a simple, sweet scenario that I wrote! Even though it’s simple, I really wanted to post this because it’s a nice, exciting thought to have a crossover conversation... Imagine if you were thinking about the same thing at the same time of your favorite idol! Anyway, I also thought it was important to post this to point towards the life experiences everyone has. While this story doesn’t cover every one of those experiences, I think it covers the bigger topics (youth, hate, missing out on experiences, dreams, etc) that I personally think about a lot, so I hope you enjoy! 

______________________________________________________________ 

   As a university student, you have worked your butt off to get good grades and make connections with your professors, upperclassmen, and peers. When you were a high school student, you didn’t care about any of that. In fact, you were the shy one and you got away with it because, hey, it was high school. Fast forward a few years ahead and here you are in the present day, socializing with every human being you could possibly get in touch with. What for, though?

   “For what are we grinding this hard?” you wonder out loud, grabbing your nth piece of chicken.

   Your friend sighs in agreement, spreads out her long legs over the table you both paid for, and rests them adjacent to the boxes of chicken and coke you ordered over half an hour ago.

   Exams are finally over, and you decide to spend the night on the balcony with your roommate, who’s also your best friend, before your two-month internship, which you earned in part to your networking skills. It’s a nice, breezy summer night. It’s one of those nights you want to enjoy in peace and quiet, staring off into the limitless expanse of the dark, but shimmery sky.

   You reach out for another piece of chicken when your friend chuckles at something on her phone.

   “What?” you ask with your mouth nearly full.

   “Nothing, it’s just this really funny meme about NCT,” your friend says with glee. “Very relatable, by the way.”

   NCT, one of the hottest international sensations taking the world by storm alongside living legends, BTS and BlackPink, according to news outlets, is a name you haven’t heard in a while. Personally, you used to be an avid fan since the SMRookies days. You kept up with the appearances they made as trainees in EXO’s EXO 90:2014 series, the cameos in music videos (including the ones in EXO 90:2014), the variety show Mickey Mouse Club, and the videos SM Entertainment would randomly post. As time went on, sadly, the determination to be informed of the latest news withered as your priorities changed upon entering your sophomore year of high school. Sure, you heard news here and there and occasionally checked out their social media accounts, but when you entered college, that was a territory you failed to explore. Other than awards and comebacks, you hadn’t heard much of NCT once you had indulged yourself in your studies, and everyone else around you were doing the same thing.

   It has been quite some time since you were curious about the idols. Your friend’s sudden comment on them resurfaced old fangirl feelings, luring you into an interesting discussion of NCT, idols, and life in general.

   “Another exam to go until graduation, another test to assess loyalty, another test closer to our deathbeds,” you mumble grumpily.

   At the abrupt foul tone that consumed your voice, your friend raised her eyebrows questioningly.

   “And an internship to be a prospect of a permanent employee for some company to work for others--exciting, right?” you said sarcastically before you took a long sip of ice-cold, refreshing coke, which did nothing to restore your mood.

   Understanding what you were getting at, your best friend calmly nodded.

   “They’re living their best lives,” she says, referring to NCT.

   You let a bitter smile form on your lips as memories about mistreatment and mismanagement whiz past your mind. “Or behind the curtains..."

   “They could be just like us,” your friend finishes off. “Tired, overworked, maybe even frustrated.”

   A soft smile overtakes your bitter one. “But probably in a different way.”

   “What would it be like to be an idol?” your friend sighs dreamingly.

   “What would it be like to be a college student?” a silver haired boy ponders aloud.

   His purple haired younger friend, Haechan, who’s grilling meat, replies ambiguously, “Stressful, Yuta. Pretty stressful.”

   “Probably fun too,” green haired Jaehyun chimes in. “Engaging with lots of people the first few weeks of school, trying out different clubs, and finding a way to fit in--that all sounds fun to me.”

   The optimistic boy joins Haechan in the adventure of grilling meat, switching with Taeyong’s position as a meat griller. While the rest of the boys prepare the dining table, placing the setting with kitchen utensils and side dishes being prepared by Taeyong, Doyoung, and Johnny, Yuta admires the busy streets of the city, listening for the distant sounds of cars honking and pedestrians screaming, with the cool night air breezing past his newly dyed hair. It certainly is one of the best ways he and the members could possibly enjoy the rare moments of freedom.

   At the sound of a whistle, Yuta is pulled from his cloud of thoughts, and he looks over his shoulder, nodding to his not-so-secret favorite member of the group at the simple gesture of a hand that urged him to go inside and help bring out the dishes.

   “We’ll never experience the glamor of getting dolled up almost everyday,” you state solemnly.

   “Or have fans,” your friend pitches in.

   “Or see famous celebrities literally every day.”

   “Or experience the trainee days, everyone trying to bring everyone down, or haters trying to drag you out once you gain fame.”

   You throw a strange glance at your friend for that last statement.

   “What?” she says, shrugging nonchalantly. “We need drama in our lives, or else life’s boring.”

   Shaking your head, you chuckle at her unique take on an abstract concept.

   A moment of silence engulfs the two of you as both of you fall deep in your thoughts.

   There was never a quiet moment under the roof of NCT, and tonight is no exception.

   “Hey, isn’t the beef really good?” Yuta’s favorite member, Mark, speaks, delighted at the flavors bursting in his mouth.

   “Haechan, don’t you dare pull a prank on us with coke and vinegar ever again,” Taeyong scolds the youngest member, recovering from his gagging session, while Johnny and Taeil are still chugging down glasses of water to get rid of the aftertaste. “Is it really necessary to do any of this?”

   “Sorry, mom, my hand itched,” the prankster smiles innocently.

   “Didn’t Haechan grow a lot?” you bring up, breaking the quietness.

   Your friend gulps down her coke before pointing out, “Isn’t he the same age as us?”

   Your crane your neck, your head now tilting sideways. “He is?”

   “Crazy, isn’t it?” your friend responds. “The majority of the Dreamies are the same age as us.”

   “Yuta, didn’t you say something about college?” Mark asks, chowing down pieces of watermelon.

   The older boy nods. “Wouldn’t it be fun to experience it? None of us went to college.”

   Taeyong uncomfortably shifts on the bench at the mention of college. 

    Like Yuta mentioned, none of the members of NCT went to college and probably won’t go because it’s not a likely option, considering their packed schedules. He knows that the mere mention of it can bring down the mood because for them, college represents the definition of normalcy, the life of a normal person, and with them not going to college or graduating high school, he doesn’t want them to have a chance to regret or have second thoughts.

   “Imagine if they visited our college for one day,” your friend mused.

   Extending your short arm to pour yourself another cup of coke, you wheeze between your breaths, “Hey, I bet that the professors would ask for autographs.”

   “Yeah, I think we wouldn’t stand a chance in the classes,” Johnny laughs, adding ice to his coke. “They would be too advanced for us to understand anything.”

   Yes, Taeyong let the conversation flow. He even joined in on the conversation a few times. He didn’t want to ruin the mood by switching the topic in a way that could be nothing short of a very obvious attempt, and if he didn’t say something, his group members, his family, would notice.

  “It would be nice to make new friends, right?” Yuta expresses. “New people to dance with, sing with, do sports with..."

   “I think Yuta’s tired of our awful soccer skills,” Jaehyun replies humorously.

   “I feel like they would say that they would want to make new friends, but it all depends on your personality,” you say, tucking your hands behind your head. “I only have you.”

   Your friend laughs, replicating your movements. “Loser, I’m on the same boat as you.”

   “Wouldn’t it be nice to go to game rooms or comic book stores?” Mark carries on as he stretches his arms out to the sky.

   “Wouldn’t it be nice to be your own karaoke room or be able to dance the trends?” you fancy.

   “Or be the trend,” your friend adds.

   “I just want to sleep,” Johnny murmurs, lazily dragging his feet across the floor to the cushioned bench placed against the white walls. Turning his large body so that his body faces the wall, he hugs an available pillow with his legs and remarks, “Idol or student, you don’t get to sleep that much.”

   “It would be nice to work hard for something that you know you want to do,” you dream. “We have no clue what to do in the future. Most of us blindly study and get internships.”

   Just then, a bright stream of light passes your eyes, and your eyes widen.

   “Did you see that? That was a shooting star!” Jungwoo exclaims, his eyes mirroring the sparkling trail.

   Everyone looks up at the sky even though the moment has well passed.

   “We’re living under the same sky as them, so how are our worlds so different?” you say without much energy, staring at the now dark sky. “I bet they were pitted against each other at some point in their trainee lives, but here they are in this world. Years of friendship, what would that be like?”

   Slightly offended, your friend sits up from her resting position. “Hey, we’ve been friends since middle school.”

   “Do you remember the time when you were young and saw your favorite artists on tv?” Doyoung reminisces.

   “They’re the reasons why I became one,” Haechan concurs.

   Taeyong thoughtfully fixates his eyes on where the shooting star once was, his arms acting accordingly.

   “They were so young when they were casted,” you whisper. “It’s kind of sad when you think about it.”

   Another wave of silence overwhelms you. Your friend spares another look at you and watches you stretch your hands to the sky, hands shaped as if you are taking a snapshot of your view.

   She responds with a quiet voice of her own, “Some of them didn’t even plan on being an idol.”

   Taeyong’s hands retract to his sides. “I remember when I first met you guys. I’m really glad that we have each other.”

   The sappy moment comes to an abrupt end when Johnny’s snores take over.

   You turn your head over to your friend who is fast asleep.

   Eyes averting to the inky sky once again, you contemplate quietly, “I wonder what they’re doing now.”

   Meanwhile, the boys are trying to stuff a sock in Johnny’s mouth to muffle his snores. Taeyong, not participating, stays in the background and enjoys the last bit of their night of freedom.

[a-simple-imagine]

To Start a Revolution

Synopsis: Dolores saved your life but where do you go from there?

Pairing: Dolores Abernathy x fem!reader

Words: 1.9k+

A/N - So this story follows the main show and I tried to insert the reader and add my own little spin. Y/N is kinda like Caleb only Caleb still exists and they will meet in the next part. And where Dolores got through to him through telling the entire truth I tried to make it so she’s a little softer with the reader, it’s about protection over anger or revenge. Whether Dolores actually feel anything for the reader is....?? 

PREV 

You agreed to go with her out of necessity more than anything else. With everything that just happened you didn't doubt that if you had stayed behind, especially by yourself, you'd end up dead. And as much as you battle with dark thoughts, you didn't want it to end so abruptly because of a random woman you hardly know. You weren't sure if she was to be trusted but she hadn't given you a reason not to. Your hand was still in hers as you walk together. It was quiet on this particularly bright and sunny morning. It was a  refreshing sight after all that rain. The few people that did walk past seemingly paid you no attention and yet every presence put you on edge. It just felt like the world was watching. A gentle squeeze of your hand brings you back to reality.

"Should we just be out in the open like this?"

"Y/N Y/L/N, have the techs in monitoring wipe her surveillance and then send me her profile."

"Can you explain what's going on, please?" Dolores doesn't reply which is expected at this point but she does drop your hand. You only now notice how sweaty your palms are but you were feeling a lot of pressure right now. You rub your hands against your jeans, taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm your nerves. "And did you by any chance pack my limbic tabs? I could do with a little crystal ponds right now, maybe even a nice zen garden."

Your destination was a small cafe downtown known as Blu. The bell above the door chimed as the door slid open alerting everyone inside to your presence. There were only two other customers; an older lady with short silver hair was scrolling on a tablet with a cup of something in the other hand and a man with dirty blonde hair. He looked up from his tablet to catch you staring and you immediately pulled your eyes away. Shiro was behind the counter today, a small girl with deep blue hair and Max was leaning against a wall. You came here often enough, you knew every staff member by name. You still didn't like the thought of being in public though; surely you should be somewhere a little less obvious. You soon realise Dolores has led you to your favourite spot, in the right corner of the establishment. It had two armchairs surrounding a small wooden table. There's an old picture of the Eiffel Tower hung up on the wall behind. You've never brought anyone with you before. You come here alone to just watch the world go by. You take up a seat and wait for her to return from the counter.

"What did you order?"

"I got you a coffee," The blonde flashed a smile as she takes the seat across from you. "the house blend of course as well as a croissant. It'll be a few minutes."

"Okay...," You watch her carefully, wondering why she ordered for you. How did she even know what you wanted? You always got the same thing but she didn't know that maybe Shiro or Max told her? "Thanks, I guess."

"This place is... quaint. I can see why it's your favourite," Dolores announces, glancing around the room. "You come here every Friday morning before work, spend about thirty minutes just sitting here staring out the window and you always order the exact same thing." She looks back to you, meeting your curious eyes. Was she a psychic or a psycho because this was some creepy level of knowledge. "Humans are a creature of habit."

"Oh so you actually do have friends," Max comments as he walks up to the table; placing the mug and milk on the table followed by the croissant. You flash him a tight-lipped smile to disguise your discomfort.

"What gives you that idea? I don't even know this woman," You point to Dolores, laughing softly.

"And yet she knows exactly what you like," he tosses a sachet of sugar onto the table. "Enjoy. Are you sure I can't get you anything?"

Dolores shakes her head. "No thanks."

When Max leaves, you turn your attention to your coffee. "No offence but the more you talk the creepier you get." Picking up the milk, you add just a dash following it up with sugar. "A little time together and now I've got myself a stalker."

"You make jokes when your anxious," Dolores smiles. "I haven't been stalking you. Someone- something else is watching you."

"Those guys that were after you, what did they want?" You inquire. Bringing your coffee up to your lips; you blow softly on the top before taking a small sip. "You must be in some real deep shit, Dolores."

"They're not the issue." She explains ever so calmly; you wouldn't think someone was trying to kill her or that someone was trying to kill you. "They were paid. They're a part of something so much bigger than themselves."

So much bigger than themselves. They may have tried to push you off a building but you can't help but relate. Being pulled into a situation you had no business being a part of. The only difference being you the reward at the end. "Wish I was getting paid for almost dying."

A chuckle leaves her lips but it lacks any amusement; she is simply humouring you. "I can offer you money, as much as you want and you can run."

"Why would I run?" You knew the answer before you even asked but this still felt too much. You were feeling very... overwhelmed and didn't want to believe someone was threatening your existence. Your heartbeat was growing louder by the second in the pause between the question and answer. Unable to tell if you were hot because of the beverage or something else entirely. You take another dose of coffee; It definitely wasn't helping with the nerves.

"It'd be your only chance of survival but they'd still try to hunt you down." The coffee trickles down your throat and you almost choke on it. Traces of liquid come sputtering back up. Dolores unzips your bag and pulls out a small plastic black container, slapping it down on top of the table. She then grabs her tablet as you reach for your saving grace. Her hand falls to yours as you grab it bringing you to a stop. You look to her as she squeezes your hand just a little too tight; swallowing hard as you stare into the sea of her eyes. "Calm down," she states firmly, if only it helped your mood the way medically prescribed tabs do. Her hand slips off you and you're quick to open up the box and take a tab on tip of your forefinger. Lightly pressing it to the roof of your mouth. "You should be careful," she continues absentmindedly bringing up the interface and selecting zen garden. It was your most frequent choice but you did mix it up sometimes. Eyes fluttering closed, you take a deep centring breath. The good thing about the ID8 app is that you could adjust the settings for a truly personal experience. Right now it was enough to calm you down but allowed her to keep your attention as you started on the croissant. Ripping off the end of the pastry, you pop it into your mouth. "do you know who makes these?"

"Incite," You mumble. "What's the problem? Are you one of those people who hates tech?"

"Not at all," Dolores shakes her head. "I'm not referring to the company but the system that it's built on and the data it has collected."

"Oh," The system it was built on? Why did that matter? "Everyone knows they collect data, Dolores, It's not a big deal."

"But it is," Despite her calm demeanour Dolores spoke with such an intensity it was hard to ignore. Perhaps it was the way she spoke rather than the words themselves? Or the way she was always one step ahead in the conversation no matter the subject? "It's so much more than that. It's not just surveillance and social media but something bigger.

"I don't understand."

Dolores sighs as if you were supposed to get everything the first time. It was hard to understand where this was going? She was just randomly talking about data and incite but why do people want her dead? She's not the first conspiracy nut in the world. "Are you planning on running away?"

"I... don't know," you shrug. Everything was happening so fast you hadn't really thought that far ahead. "What other option is there? You told me last night that if I stay they'll kill me."

"I can protect you," She announces and you can't help but find shining knight Dolores appealing; she was already appealing but now she was intriguing. Not to mention that the sun was casting her in such an angelic glow right now that it was hard not to admire her. "If you help me, I'll keep you safe."

"Help you with what? what are you planning to do?" You ask, ripping off another piece of your pastry but hesitating before putting it in your mouth. "You keep saying to trust you but you never explain any-"

"Why didn't you tell those men about me?" She interrupts. "They were going to kill you."

You think about it for a second as you finish chewing before shrugging your shoulders. "I had nothing to tell."

Her eyes flicker to the tablet and back to you. "You had plenty, In a dire situation you could have said anything but you didn't; you acted like you didn't even know me."

"I don't know you," A small sigh leaves your lips. "I guess you're the first person to show me any real kindness in years. You made me feel something even if it was short-lived so I guess I felt like owed you."

"You're highly driven by emotion," Dolores replies. "People are easy to predict but there's something about you that is different. A decision like that coming from someone like you surprised me and very few things do that anymore."

"I guess I'll take that as a compliment," You grin, finishing up your snack and brushing your hands to rid them of any crumbs. "So if I stay, what happens next? You must be planning something big?"

"I plan to expose this world for what it truly is"

You brows knit together. What the fuck does that even mean? "How?"

Dolores put her tablet away followed by your limbic tabs. You watched her for a second, leaning back in your seat. "The details will become clear, so?"

"I don't know how useful I'll be," you can't say you've ever done anything like this before? Never been part of something like this. Never wanted to expose the world for what it truly is to use Dolores's words but what other options were there? You couldn't run forever, you probably wouldn't last that long anyway and it wasn't like you could just go back home and forget about everyone. At least if you go with Dolores you'd have a fighting chance.

"More than you think but it won't be easy."

"You basically told me I'm dead either way so... What have I got to lose?"

Dolores handed over your bag while taking her own as she rose to her feet. "I have to go, I'll come to collect you when I'm finished."

"Where are you going?" You wonder, rising to your feet alongside her. She was leaving you alone already?

"To start a revolution."

NEXT

[alegacyofmikalsons]

The Act of Living Chp.4: Connections

Author’s Note: I’m super excited to share this chapter with you. It’s a bit on the long side but, there was a lot I wanted to include since the plot is starting to pick up. There’s some heavy foreshadowing sprinkled in for where the story is going and what revelations are going to happen soon. I want to continue to thank everyone who has read and left their support, it really means a lot! 

Rating: Mature

Series Summary: Klaus and Elijah were supposed to die, but fate in the form of new friends Serafina Hewitt and her sister Stevie intervened. A year later Stevie is dead and Sera returns to New Orleans to see her friends and investigate her suspicions about what happened. When it's confirmed that a powerful hunter group is responsible, she realizes a much bigger threat is coming, one that threatens all of New Orleans. As they race to stop it, she gets more than she bargained for, finding the truth about who she is and a growing attachment towards a certain Mikalson.  Most importantly, they all get answers to the biggest riddle of all: what the act of living really means.

Masterlist: https://alegacyofmikalsons.tumblr.com/post/623479526213681153/the-act-of-living-masterlist

Tags: @kinda-iconic​ @endlesshero1122​ @katelynnicolerollins​ @im-a-bisexual-mess​

If anyone wants to be tagged in future chapters, please let me know! I also post this story on Wattpad so you can check it out there as well.

Shoutout to @bbchoices​ for beta reading this for me! 

Link to Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/916376115-the-act-of-living-chapter-4-connections

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Several hours later, only a dull ache remains as I come downstairs freshly showered and changed into the lacy black dress Rebekah let me borrow. I stop in the living room surprised to find it in pristine condition. Just as Elijah promised all evidence of my destructive emotions is gone. That means Freya is here somewhere.

"Wow that was fast," I murmur before going to search for her.

However, I don't get far before hearing her raspy voice.

"That's the beauty of magic isn't it."

Turning, I see her walk into the room. "Freya, there you are!"

She quickly comes over, pulling me into a quick hug. "Sera, it's good to see you!"

"The feeling is mutual," I reply before asking, "Where's Keelin?"

"She stayed at home. Her feet are killing her lately so, I figured I'd let her rest. She's meeting us at the cemetery though."

I nod slightly. "How are she and the little one doing?"

"They're both good," she answers, a look of adoration appearing in her eyes. "The baby is healthy and is almost ready to go. After next week it'll be a matter of waiting."

I can't help the smile tugging at my cheeks. Talk of impending motherhood always put me in a good mood.

"Well, it looks like I'll still be here when the time comes."

She raises her eyebrows in surprise. "Really? How'd you get the time off?"

"I just lost my sister, they'll understand. I know my boss will. As if for the council, if they don't then, I don't really care."

I keep my response vague since I want to hold off on telling her about Nemean. I don't want her and Keelin stressing about this unless they have to.

At the mention of Stevie, Freya's expression falls. "I can't believe she's actually gone. She was just at our place yesterday afternoon."

I know the reason why. She was working on the nursery for the two of them. It was her latest design project and a gift. Now, she would never get to see the result.

"The nursery. She told me last week that it's almost finished?"

I frown as another wave of grief causes a lump to form.

"That's right. All that's left is a few furniture items to set up and things to put away."

"Well let me know if I can help. I can definitely assemble things," I offer, clearing my throat.

She lets out a little sound of relief. "I might have to take you up on that."

We continue to talk for several minutes while we wait for the others to join us.

At some point I inquire, "When exactly did you get here? I didn't hear you come in?"

"Oh, I've been here for at least an hour. No one told you I was here?"

I shake my head, pressing my lips together. "I wish they had, I would've gotten ready earlier."

Hearing the sound of footsteps behind me, I turn around to see Elijah walking into the room.

He raises an eyebrow as his brown eyes land on mine. "And that's precisely why I made sure no one did."

"Overprotective much?" I quip in protest. "I wasn't in that much pain you know."

He gives me a dubious expression, crossing his arms. "That's not what it looked like to me."

The level of concern causes my annoyance to disappear. I do tend to shy away from showing any kind of vulnerability, including taking other people's help. Most of the time I can cover up any discomfort or distress I may be facing. This time, I clearly let something show or he'd learned how to look beneath the surface.

"Okay I'll admit I was...a bit sore," I respond, with a half shrug. "But, I'm not made of glass Elijah. I could've walked down a short flight of stairs! Or if it was really that big of a deal you could've sent her up to the library. No movement from me required there."

Before he can respond, Klaus enters the room followed by Rebekah and Marcel.

"She's right, brother," the hybrid says, a smirk forming on his lips. "I tried telling you she would react this way but you wouldn't listen."

Glancing over, I notice Elijah's face turning a faint shade of pink. It's a prospect I find myself liking. He's always so controlled, so to see him suddenly flustered is refreshing. I try not to dwell on it too much though, much like the other thoughts I've had.

"Serafina," he finally stammers, rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't mean to overstep I was just...concerned for your well-being."

I bite my lip in an attempt to hide the smile forming. "Oh, I know you were. You wouldn't leave the room until I had to get ready."

Freya's eyebrows shoot up in amusement. "Oh really? He definitely doesn't do that with everyone."

This renders him speechless, the flush deepening as he adjusts his already perfectly straight tie. Luckily for him, his sister's comment also leaves me at a rare loss for words.

"Well, it was nice, even if I did find it a bit excessive," I eventually tell him, my cheeks starting to become warm. "I guess it's just...easier to taking care of myself."

This seems to relax him somewhat, as he gives me a silent look. A shared understanding of what exactly I mean.

"I figured you could use the company given everything that's happened," he responds with a half-smile.

My smile widens. "It definitely helped take my mind off of things. So, thank you."

"You're welcome."

It's only now that I look around the room and realize everyone is staring. I quickly avert my gaze as the blush on my cheeks spreads.

For a moment, no one says anything until Elijah clears his throat. "I believe it's time to leave is it not?"

I look out the window to see the sun low in the sky, not quite at the point of beginning its final descent.

"I'm ready to go if you are," I answer.

When the others nod in agreement, I breathe a sigh of relief as everyone heads toward the front door. Less than five minutes later, we begin to head towards our destination. As I walk, I'm surprisingly able to keep up with the conversation without too many distractions. Occasionally, a fraction of a strange memory takes me away momentarily whenever I pass someone, but the visions don't last more than thirty seconds. Before long, we reach Lafayette Cemetery where Keelin is waiting for us.

"You look lovely," I tell her after saying hello.

She responds by rolling her eyes. "You don't have to flatter me, Sera."

"I'm only telling the truth."

We continue to talk as the group heads inside. However, I trail off seeing how many people there are. All four factions are here talking with one another as if there wasn't a deep history between them.

"There's no tension," I murmur, eyes widening.

"I told you everyone liked her," Marcel replies, his expression solemn. "She helped bring the whole community together."

I raise my eyebrows. "She always had this effect on people. But, I didn't realize she did this much."

"You have no idea Sera." Hearing Vincent's voice, I notice him walking towards me, a ghost of a smile forming.

"I assume I have you to thank for this."

He wraps me in a quick hug which I accept with no hesitation.

"In part," he replies. His eyes examine me, having not seen me in person for over a year. After he's done, his brows pinch together in care. "How are you holding up?"

The question forces me to acknowledge the grief that's come over me since we got here.

"As well as you'd expect," I finally answer with a shrug I definitely don't mean. "You'd think it would be easier after so many times, but...it's not."

He nods, sadness clouding his features. "Believe me, I wish it did too."

After a minute, I sigh, pushing past the emotions threatening to overwhelm me. At least I don't have to worry about another episode. They don't tend to occur repeatedly. In fact, the time between them is usually at least a few weeks.

"Anyway, I'm surprised you were able to do this so soon," I mention.

"I was told to expedite things with the local PD since you figured out what you needed. We couldn't get them to bury her any sooner than tomorrow afternoon but Elijah did compel them into letting us do this."

Of course, he did.

"I could've waited a couple of days. But, I appreciate it," I say, shaking my head.

When I look over, Elijah offers a shrug. "It was the least I could do."

I return my attention to Vincent. "In other news, it looks like I'll be in town for a while."

"Really?" His expression brightens. "Maybe this time you'll be convinced to stay for good."

This receives a scoff from Rebekah. "Oh, believe me, we're trying. But, she's more stubborn about obligations than Elijah is!"

I raise my eyebrows as the elder Mikalson purses his lips.

"That is a perfectly good thing to have," I protest. "It takes a lot of patience helping people who don't want it."

My tone hardens as my thoughts drift towards the leaders of Mirebrook.

"I don't know how you put up with them," Vincent grumbles. "They don't treat you with an ounce of respect."

More like they want me dead. I don't exactly fault their reasoning since I am the one that helped cause the decade of chaos we've had.

"I don't really have a choice. Not when I promised mom I'd finish her term on the council," I reply. "And I can't give up on the kids at the school. They need someone on their side."

Maybe one day I'll leave that place. Either if I get tired of it or if the townsfolk succeed in driving me out. But, as much as I've come to loath living there, there are some ties I can't sever just yet.

My gaze wanders towards the surrounding people, as I take in the scenery. For a cemetery, it's beautiful even without the addition of string lights and white flowers. Almost everyone is somewhat close together, in pockets of three or four.

Standing off towards the edge outside the gates is an older looking woman, her eyes wild and searching for something. Immediately, she piques my interest. She has to be at least in her sixties, judging by her warm and wrinkled facial features and wispy, graying hair. Several layers of clothing, including a loose dress and yellow knit sweater, cover her skinny frame.

For some reason, I can't look away no matter how hard I try. I jump when she suddenly notices me staring. A mixed expression of pain and fear appears on her face. Then, with superhuman speed, she vanishes. Almost like she was never there.

"That's weird," I mumble to myself.

I can't shake the feeling that we're connected somehow. That I should know her.

Then, I look over to see Vincent staring at the spot where she was standing. In his expression, I find familiarity and hesitation.

"Have you seen her before?"

He finally meets my gaze with a start. "Oh, that's Minerva. She lives out in the bayou but I've seen her in the city a lot. She's...a bit of a character. Keeps to herself for the most part. Except when...well...that's not important."

His sudden evasiveness is starting to bother me. Usually, he never hides anything from me. I don't from him.

"Vincent, what?" I ask, unable to let this go. "When she looked at me, it seemed like she knew who I was."

It doesn't take long to lower his resolve.

"She...knew your folks Sera," he finally says.

I widen my eyes as my mouth opens. "What?"

"They...made me promise not to tell you. But, yes. She came by the house occasionally, ever since they brought you home."

The information makes my head spin. Then, I gasp as old memories flood my brain. I remember talking to her when I was younger, her appearance exactly the same. All the things she randomly left on our doorstep, including a white jewelry box with a shimmering gold ribbon tying it shut.

"That's who she is," I whisper as I come back to the present. "She never told me her name."

"Serafina?"

Hearing his voice, I turn to find him staring at me in bewilderment.

"I talked to her when I was a kid," I tell him. "She gave me gifts sometimes too. My mythology books...this necklace." My fingers find the gold chain around my neck. "I wonder what she was doing here. Why she didn't just come inside."

"I wish I had an answer for you," Vincent says, clearing his throat. "Anyway, things are starting soon so, I'd better finish getting everything ready."

Once he's left we head over to where the chairs are set up in front of a small display. Sitting down in the front row, I examine everything. The first thing I notice is the closed black casket where Stevie is tucked inside. Next to it is a picture of her and a bouquet of her favorite flowers. A stage platform is also there with a podium that's chipping away in some spots from use.

Before I know it, Vincent's there greeting everyone. "Hi, everyone thanks for coming out here tonight on such short notice."

He then goes through the short program of the ceremony before beginning his eulogy.

"We're here to say goodbye to Stephanie Hewitt, better known as Stevie. I was friends with her parents for a long time, especially her dad, Anthony who I'd known since childhood. And so, I've had the pleasure of being here when Stevie was born. I watched her grow up from a sweet little girl to a remarkable young woman. Last year, she moved back to New Orleans and our community after being away for many years. That's when most of you met her. What she found was a community deeply divided, more than it ever had been before and that is an understatement."

The remark receives uneasy laughs from many around us.

After it settles, he continues. "We've had our tries at peace, but they never lasted long. But, in several months, Stevie was able to do what so many of us couldn't. Like many of you, I was skeptical at first. It definitely wasn't easy either. However, the challenges only made her more resolved to see this through. And eventually, by some miracle, we began to come together. Because of her, the factions have a real chance at peace. I will always be in awe of that. I know for me personally, that she made this place, this community, feel like home again. And I just...hope that we'll be able to continue this without her." He trails off as his voice breaks. "But, I know that she'll always be with us in spirit, looking after us. That here, she'll never be forgotten."

I watch with a heavy heart as he struggles to keep himself together. A few minutes pass before he can speak once more.

"Now, I'll leave the podium open for anyone who would like to say some words," he instructs.

One by one, people share their memories and pay their respects until almost everyone here has said something. Then, to my surprise, Rebekah comes up to the front, a tangled web of emotions on her face. I didn't expect any of them to say anything here given how closed off they usually were.

"I won't take too much time, I promise. I just wanted to say a few words on behalf of our family," she says as the small crowd quiets. Taking a deep breath, she continues. "Many of you know that our reputation precedes us. It's no secret that we're difficult to befriend or be partial to at all."

This receives some nervous laughter.

"However, there are a few brave souls during our long life who have sought to do the impossible. Who sought to truly get to know us. Stevie was one of those people along with her sister, Sera. When they first met us, they knew all about the legend of the Original Family. Yet, that didn't affect how they treated us. That alone earned our respect. Over the past several years, that has turned into a close friendship, something that usually takes decades for us. That's because they were able to see good in us despite everything we've done. Stevie especially. When they care about you, they make it known and they would do anything for you."

She paused, taking a breath as her eyes glistened. "They even...found a way to keep our family together...against all odds. Stevie was one of the best people I've ever known and I'm sure that my siblings would agree. We've experienced our share of losses over a thousand years, but this one we will carry with us for a long time. Thank you."

"You didn't have to do that," I say after she sits back down beside me.

She rolls her eyes, wiping away her tear-stained cheeks. "Of course I did. Even if it meant a moment of public embarrassment, Stevie is worth the sacrifice."

I give her a bittersweet smile, unable to hold back a snide remark. "But, now the world knows that the Mikalsons aren't completely heartless."

"Oh, I'm sure we will do something to make them forget again," Klaus interjects, his smirk faltering ever so slightly.

It seems even he isn't immune to my sister's influence. The thought makes me smile. Lord knows he needed it as much as I did. When I return my attention to the front, Vincent is there once more.

"At this time, I'd like to invite Stevie's sister, Sera to say some words," he announces.

A coil of anxiety forms in my stomach as I widen my eyes. I didn't prepare to say anything since I don't live here. But, I can't turn down this now. Reluctantly, I stand and walk onto the small stage.

Sighing, I approach the podium, trying to tune out everyone's eyes on me. "Thank you, Vincent. And thank you to everyone who's here."

I swallow nervously, trying to figure out what to say that hasn't already been said. Eventually, I decide to talk about the beginning.

"Usually, when you meet your younger sibling, it's when they're born," I begin. "However, Stevie was five when I first came into her and my parents' life. That's because they first took me in when I was nine and the adoption was finalized a year later. When they first brought me home, I was a bit apprehensive and didn't trust them yet. Back then, I was known as a problematic child...by the system. My emotions, especially my temper, often got out of control causing destructive things to happen. At the foster home I was at before this, they didn't know what to do. The adults hated me and the other kids were too terrified to come near me."

I pause, as ancient traumas make their appearance. Taking a deep breath, I muster enough strength to continue.

"I was scared that this would happen at my new home too. And so for the first few weeks, I pushed them away as much as I could, Stevie especially. I, either ignored her attempts to talk to me or... I lashed out. This continued until... I went too far. This time, I ended up pushing her which resulted in a bloody nose and a decent sized bruise. My parents were furious, more than they ever were up to this point. I remember being terrified as they sat me down in the living room. I was convinced that this was it, they were going to send me back...to that system."

My voice breaks off as I relive that time of my life. How if I didn't have my parents, things could've ended up different.

"What I didn't expect, was for them to start asking me questions. Not as an interrogation, but because they somehow understood that I was doing everything for a reason. For a good twenty minutes or so I resisted, still expecting the worst to come. Eventually, though, I couldn't keep it in. I broke down and told them everything. They stopped being angry after that."

As I continue, I don't even have to close my eyes to be transported back in time.

"They promised that they would always be there for me, that they would always love me. And they kept their word. Right up...until I lost them. First, my dad when I was 19, and then my mom almost two years ago. After this talk, I had to go and apologize to Stevie. I found her in her room, drawing something. I barely got the words out before she forgave me. Just like that. In fact, she was happy to see me, as if the incident never happened. Even back then, she never held a grudge against you. Since that day, we became almost inseparable. I tell you this story because it explains why Stevie became the person she was. The ability to believe in the good of everyone, her capacity to see every perspective, her forgiveness. All of it, she learned from our parents. I'm not surprised she brought that here."

I shake my head, my hand balling into a fist. "All she wanted was to make people smile. Through her friendship, her art. Everything. She didn't deserve this...for her life to be cut short. I loved her so much...and I will miss her every day."

Blinking back tears, I step down from the platform and head back to my seat. Somehow, I'm able to keep myself together and they stay inside.

I feel Rebekah's hand come over mine, squeezing gently. The gesture somehow makes everything less painful. Soon, the ceremony ends with Vincent thanking everyone and providing instructions for leaving.

I make everyone wait outside the entrance for Vincent without too much protest. They still don't have the best relationship but, they manage to keep any lingering grievances to themselves around me. I wasn't going to pick a side in any arguments, which usually revolved around something small.

By the time I see him approach us, the place is empty and devoid of the decorations that were here.

"Sorry that went a little long," he says, a sheepish expression on his face. "I didn't expect that many people would want to speak."

I shrug. "Don't apologize, I'm glad they did. It makes me feel better that I wasn't here."

He frowns at me. "You're not blaming yourself for what happened, are you?"

"Do I really have to answer that?" I remark. "Of course I do. If I was there...I could've protected her."

"She wanted you to come with her."

I roll my eyes. "I know that, Vince. I wish I could've but...you know why I couldn't."

We exchange a silent look. He knew about Nemean and how they wanted me. He was the only person Mom trusted with it.

"So, you think her staying in Mirebrook would've been safer?" he asks incredulously.

"I don't know, maybe!" I exclaim, his tone rousing my easily set off temper.

I don't need a guilt trip or lecture at the moment.

"Come on, Sera. We both know how secure that place really is. She would've been just as vulnerable there as she was here. There was nothing you could do."

I whip around to face him.

"And whose fault is it?" I snap. "It's still mine. I'm the one who started all of this in the first place!"

"Because you were manipulated, Sera! By someone who claimed to love you!" I recoil, the words stinging as I'm reminded of the worst mistake I ever made. "What happened is on him and the rest of Nemean, not you."

Freezing with alarm, I widen my eyes at him. "Vincent--"

"Yeah, I saw the mark," he interrupts, his eyes slightly narrowed. "I know they're here, that they did this."

"Not everyone here did, and that was for a reason." My nerves tinge with anger once more. But, I know it's no use trying to keep this a secret now. "The community can't know yet, especially since we have no idea what they have planned."

His eyebrows shoot up his forehead. "Sera, we have to tell people! They need to know what they're up against."

I shake my head adamantly. "No, that is the worst possible thing we can do right now."

"And why is that?"

"You know why," I snap, images from the last attack at the edges of my vision. "Mirebrook, two years ago. The council told everyone right away and look what happened! When the fire started none of them stuck to the plan we spent the last four months creating." This time as my eyelids well with tears, I can't keep them from spilling down. "Mom and I were the only ones who stayed behind! We were trapped in there for hours before someone came back."

When he meets my gaze again, his eyes are haunted. "I know Sera. As if I can forget what happened."

A tension-filled silence surrounds us as we calm down. Then, I hear Freya clear her throat.

"Wait a minute. Who the hell is Nemean?" she asks, her hands loosely on her hips.

Vincent gives me a nod. "They deserve to know."

As much as I'd rather not talk about this out in the open, I know he's right. Exhaling, I reveal who Nemean is and how I knew about them.

"Oh my god," Freya stammers after I'm finished. "Were they...really behind what happened to Stevie?"

"Yes," I say quietly. "Each time they kill someone, they leave their symbol in ink somewhere on the body. We found one on Stevie's neck."

"We also discovered one on someone else," Rebekah adds, her gaze landing on Marcel. "Daniel."

After a few seconds, he blinks in realization. "You already knew? And you didn't say anything?" he exclaimed, his forehead creasing into a scowl.

"I...yes." She gives me a hesitant stare.

Feeling a little guilty, I try to reassure him. "I made her promise not to say anything to you yet."

The irritation barely diminishes as it shifts towards me. "And why is that? I wouldn't have told any of the vampires yet."

"I know, I wanted to wait until I could convince Klaus and Elijah first which didn't take as long as I thought it would." I turn back to Freya who I can tell is also a bit annoyed. "And I didn't want to stress you two. My mom always talked about how it wasn't good for her clients."

Her gaze softens at this, her arms loosening from her sides. "I appreciate the concern but, I'd rather know what this threat is."

"What do you think Nemean will do exactly?" Keelin inquires.

Glancing around, I make sure no one can overhear us, even with enhanced hearing.

"I believe that there will be a large attack at some point," I confess. "One that could endanger everyone in the quarter, possibly more of the city."

Both of them look at me in horrified shock.

"What?!" Freya stammers.

"It's what they always do in places like this, with large supernatural populations. Did you hear about the explosion in Savannah, Georgia six weeks ago?"

Her eyes widen, the color draining from her already light complexion.

Keelin swallows, equally disturbed. "It was on the news. They said a gas leak was responsible."

"Which was started by Nemean. They also set the fire inside. I know because I've been tracking them for years now. Including hacking into their communications."

"That's awful," she murmurs, her hands gravitating towards her stomach instinctively.

"That's actually one of their less successful ones. Usually, their casualties are around twice that number."

Marcel's eyebrows knit in concern. "What made the difference?"

"The amount of warning time. Nemean only started sending their threats five weeks beforehand. The residents had enough time to prepare a defense while staying in the right mindset. The three places they targeted before this one? Same thing. I should've known they were coming here. All of them lead in a curved line...towards New Orleans."

This leaves everyone in stunned silence.

"That's why we need to keep this between us right now," I continue, giving Vincent a pointed look. "I doubt we'll be given the same treatment."

"Why not?" he counters. "Why wouldn't they just continue the pattern?"

I roll my eyes heavenward. "Because this is different! I'm here. More importantly, I care about this place, a thousand times more than I do Mirebrook. This isn't just a means to an end for them. This is personal. They're going to inflict as much pain as they can, which means they're not going to reveal their final move for a while. Trust me on this one Vince. Do you really think they'll give us enough to plan anything until they want us to?"

His jaw clenches repeatedly, his expression full of conflict.

"Alright," he relents, throwing his hands up in defeat. "I won't say anything for now." He narrows his eyes at me. "But if this backfires, I won't hesitate to say I told you so."

I press my lips together to keep a slight smirk from forming. "I would be concerned if you didn't," I remark before I raise an eyebrow at the others as a silent question.

Marcel lifted his shoulder in a half shrug. "The vampires won't hear a thing."

"You know we trust you," Freya adds, gesturing to Keelin who nods in agreement.

An ounce of relief runs through me, allowing the tension I usually carry around with me to ease slightly.

"Thank you," I say before a yawn escapes my lips.

Suddenly, I'm aware of just how exhausted I am from everything that's occurred since this morning.

"Are you...actually tired for once?" Rebekah exclaims with a laugh.

They all knew how I tended to stay up late. Usually, the short amount of sleep I received is somehow enough to keep me energized but, this isn't normal circumstances.

I fail to hide the smile making it's way upwards. "I know, I hardly believe it myself."

"I should probably get going then," Vincent says, his gaze meeting mine once more. "I assume I'll be seeing you soon?"

"Probably. You're the only person here who knows as much about Nemean as I do. I'm sure you'll be able to assist somehow."

He gives me an amused look. "What'd you do, bring all those files with you?"

"Of course not. I digitized everything several months ago. All I needed to bring was my laptop and four flash drives."

After another minute or so of idle conversation, he finally heads for his place. Freya and Keelin leave shortly followed by Marcel and Rebekah who have their own place in the Quarter for when they're not traveling.

"I assume that you'll be staying with us," Elijah says, somewhere between a statement and a question.

I shake my head, realizing I hadn't said anything until now. "Actually, I got a hotel room when I first arrived. It was a couple of hours before check-ins started but, I managed to charm the guy into letting me do it early."

He blinks at me in surprise. Though I catch something else too. Disappointment? I can't quite tell. Usually, people's emotions were easy to decipher but, not his. At least, not when he didn't want you to.

Finally, he gives me a slight grin. "I assume there's no way to dissuade you?"

"Nope." Though I have to admit, the prospect of staying with them is tempting. Luckily, I did plan on having to do it eventually. "But, I did just pay for tonight. After that, if your offer still stands I'll take you up on it then."

"Of course love," Klaus tells me, his gaze dancing between the two of us.

Elijah nods, choosing to ignore him. "You're always welcome when you're here."

We agree to reconvene around 10 in the morning tomorrow before taking my leave. The walk is a relatively short one, around fifteen minutes. The hotel is a historic one but not a major attraction. It's a bit more than I wanted to spend but, since I'll only be here for a night, I didn't really care.

As I start to round the corner onto the street it's on, I notice a figure emerge from the building. Something about it seems strange, compelling me to investigate. I quickly duck back against the brick. Peeking out, I freeze when the person walks underneath a streetlight, illuminating their face.

Minerva.

Why would she be at the hotel? Vincent mentioned that she lived in the Bayou. When she goes past where I'm hiding she stops suddenly, and I hold my breath. Then, the air suddenly warps around her and I have to bite down on my lip hard to keep from gasping.

Blinking, her appearance changes as everything stills once more. The woman is now several years younger and strawberry blonde hair cascades down her shoulders. A pristine white and gold dress covers her slim but muscular frame.

What the hell?!

She looks around as if she can sense someone is watching her. However, her blue eyes never land on mine and she eventually walks past me. The air shifts once more and before I can blink the older woman is back, as if nothing ever happened. I stare in confusion, unable to process anything until she's merely a shadow in the night.

Shaking my head, I finally walk down the street once more and head inside the hotel. When I reach my room, I'm snapped out of my bewildered state as my blood turns to ice. The door is slightly ajar. I didn't forget to lock it. The memory is clear as day. Which means someone else opened it.

I reach for the knife I always keep hidden, briefly closing my eyes to feel the coil of dark energy that hums in my veins. Once I have control of it, I push open the door open completely. Not seeing anyone from out in the hallway, I step inside, my eyes darting around the small space.

"If you're still here, I have a weapon and know how to fight," I exclaim, my tone harsh. "I suggest you come out now."

I receive no response, the only sound from the old radiator. Growling, I search the entire place including the bathroom and closet with no luck. Whoever was here left before I arrived. Examining my suitcase, I find it undisturbed.

With a huff, I lower my hand to my side and allow the energy to become dormant once more. Surveying the room again, I spot a small slip of paper on the nightstand that wasn't there before. Narrowing my eyes in suspicion, I pick it up expecting it to be from Nemean. The paper is smooth under my fingers, thick.

This isn't anything like they've left before. Turning on the lamp, I hold it up to the light until a faint watermark can be seen. Expensive no doubt. A short handwritten message is written on one side in simple yet elegant penmanship. I don't recognize the writing. It isn't Richard's or one of is subordinates. The ink is black which could mean anything. I'd have to analyze it up close to know more.

Sighing, I finally decide to read the message, which is addressed to me.

Dear Serafina,

You do not know who I am but, I believe that I may be able to help you. I am aware of your conflict with the Nemean Brotherhood and have seen the different ways that it may end. It is because of this that I have decided that the time is come to reveal myself to you. To tell you the truth of who exactly you are. More specifically, what you are. It will be the key to defeating your enemy. You have no reason to trust me but, I have watched you from afar since you were a mere infant. I have even visited Mary and Tony to ensure that you were alright. When you left New Orleans, they entrusted me with the care of your home. If you choose to meet with me, I will be there waiting for you. However, I understand if you do not. I will send you the information in another manner.

- A.

The words leave me speechless my heart hammering in my chest. Is this real? Or some elaborate trick? As I continue to stare at the note, it suddenly starts to glow in my hands. Jumping, the paper falls to the ground, a tingling sensation running up my arms. Then, I look down to see my necklace gleaming in the same faint yellow color, the metal suddenly hot against my skin.

I stumble back, almost knocking the lamp over as a strong realization hits me. An overwhelming sense that this is the clue to find out exactly who I am. What Nemean wants with me.

Everything.

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

[urdbell18]

A Seed Hidden in the Heart Chapter 14: The One Where Paris isn’t the City of Romance pt. 3 side B

AN:That's it! Chapter 14 is now done! Just a refresher side B will be told in Mary/ Vida's point of view but it stays in the same time line as side A. Enjoy!

It turns out being brave was easier said than done. Vida tried, she really did, but when Aunt Hilda put her to bed the best way she knew how it hit her hard. Her mom wasn’t going to come back. She was away and Vida wouldn’t see her for six whole days. And she was with Judas’ dad. If Judas was mean to her what’s to stop his dad from being mean to her mom? Mary said that her mom would be alright and Mary hasn’t lied to her yet right? So why can’t she sleep? Vida sat up in her bed in the dark, the room felt too big, too empty, its never felt like that before. Whenever she felt scared she would go to her mom but her mom wasn’t there, her bed remained empty. It made her more sad than she already was. Throughout the night she tried sleeping in different rooms but her Aunt Hilda snored too much and Sabrina and Ambrose just didn’t feel... right. She didn’t know what it was but she just knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep there. At the end of the night she found herself in the parlor on the couch curled under her blanket. She was so tired that she fell into a shallow sleep.

That’s where Hilda found her the next morning and her heart broke. Vida was taking her mother leaving hard and Hilda didn’t know what to do. Simple distractions will only work for so long and she doubts that they would work in this case. There were so many things at play that she didn’t know which one to cure first, if she could cure it at all. And unfortunately she can’t just pull Zelda out of a hat to make things better. That’s when it hit her, Hilda might not have Zelda at her disposal but she did have the next best thing. Mary.

Mary came just after breakfast where Hilda tried, and failed, to get Vida to eat something. She was scrapping pancakes completely drenched in strawberry jam into the trash when Mary stepped into the kitchen.

“It’s that bad?” Hilda just nodded, a look of somber on her face. Pancakes and strawberry jam where Vida’s favorite and Hilda used the last of the jam that they had on hand in hopes to getting her niece to eat. It only worked for two bites.

“She’s in the living room. I brought out a new puzzle and it seemed to distract her. I don’t know what to do Mary she’s too much like her mother, stubborn. That’s why I’m hoping you can help she responds better to you than she does to me.” At that point Hilda looked like she was close to tears. In two quick strides Mary was by her side and placed a reassuring hand on Hilda’s shoulder.

“You’re a great aunt Hilda.” They shared a small smile and with a quick nod of her head Mary went to find Vida. Vida was sitting on the floor with puzzle pieces surrounding her. Mary could tell that Vida was trying to complete the puzzle but her heart wasn’t in it, she just picked at the pieces but made no real move to put them together. She didn’t even notice Mary sitting next to her until two pieces that went together connected. Vida whined and laid down to place her head in Mary’s lap. Mary just smiled and ran her fingers through Vida’s hair.

“You really miss your mom don’t you baby bear?” Vida just nodded. It was all that Mary was going to get out of her. Though not her forte Mary started on the puzzle in hopes of getting Vida to join her. She had half of the edges done when Vida lifted her head from her lap and started. Together they did half the puzzle before Mary settled Vida on the couch when she noted that Vida couldn’t keep her eyes open. There was some success, Mary faked putting pieces that clearly didn’t belong to get a rise, it work only a few times because Vida was smart and knew what Mary was doing but it was a start.

While Vida slept Mary brought out her laptop to set it up for the surprise that she had planned for Zelda and Vida. She wanted everything ready before she called Zelda so she made sure that her laptop was connected to the internet and she was signed into the Skype account she set up. She found the connection strongest in kitchen so when everything was set she moved her laptop to a side table to keep it charged and when it was time she’ll move into the kitchen. Having done a lot of math on her part she calculated when it would be a good time to call Zelda, she settled on a block between 3 and 6 their time, it would be between 9 and 12 midnight Zeldas. A small part of Mary believed that this idea wouldn’t work but a large part of believed it would. Zelda and Vida needed each other but between the two Vida needed her mother more. It wasn’t that unusual, Vida was a small child who still relied heavily on her mother but a part of why Vida was so upset was worry. Zelda and Vida both had the same fear, for something to happen to the other. If Vida could see that her mom was okay than it would help her be okay, to power through the week like the spitfire that Mary loved so much.

Vida had a bit more energy after her nap. Mary woke her for lunch, which she ate half of, and they finished the puzzle. That was when Mary asked Vida what they wanted to do during the week, They had a whole week of time to occupy and no plans. Vida wanted to go to the zoo again, Mary didn’t mind taking her but it was something that they already done and she suspected that Vida just wanted to go to see the bears. Bears made Vida happy and right now she wasn’t. Instead Mary suggested the aquarium, for one it was inside so they wouldn’t be cold and two it was someplace new for Vida to explore. After some convincing Vida agreed to go to the aquarium on Wednesday.

_______________

The Skype call could have gone better in Mary’s opinion. She didn’t expect Vida to run off the way she did. She realized now the unrealistic expectation she had placed on Vida. That once Vida saw her mom she would magically go back to her old self instead Mary just opened the wound more. She felt bad and went to find Vida after the call ended. Her heart broke when she found Vida on Zelda’s bed in a small ball crying into the comforter. This wasn’t what Mary wanted, she wanted to make Vida happy not sad. Remembering the advice that Zelda gave her she gathered the items that she need starting with the book. Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See? was buried under a bunch of books, almost to the bottom of the stack. Zelda was right, she had the book in Spanish and in English. The Spanish version looked more worn from more use than the English version. Mary took the English version, she tested some of the words in Spanish but felt she couldn’t do it justice. The next part was trickier, she had to move around the room just so as to not alert Vida to what she was doing. She took the baby blanket and Oso to Zelda’s vanity where she squirt a little of Zelda’s perfume on a now wrapped Oso. An Oso burrito, it was adorable. Not wanting to move Vida Mary joined her on Zelda’s bed, placing Oso so he was in reach and started reading. Somewhere between the second and third reading Vida moved out of her ball and closer to Mary. Mary lifted her elbow and Vida snuggled into her side. Half way into the fifth reading Vida fell asleep. Mary smiled and gently picked Vida up to place her into her own bed.

“Goodnight baby bear.” Mary kissed Vida’s forehead before moving away. She didn’t get far until a small sound stopped her.

“Love you Mamma.” Mary was frozen while her heart pounded hard and fast in her chest. Though it was only three words there was a lot to take away from them. It was the first time that Vida said she loved her and she called her Mamma on top of it. She did it while half asleep yes and a part of Mary knew that and told her not to get her hopes up. A bigger part was awestruck and wouldn’t stop mulling over the word. Mamma. Mary really liked it and if that is what Vida wanted she would be the best Mamma she could be.

____________

Vida was more herself the next day. Mary woke up to find her sitting next to her smiling and greeting her good morning with a smile that was uniquely Vida. Mary, happy that Vida was feeling better, brought Vida close to her to blow raspberries on her cheek and tickle her until Vida cried for mercy. It was around eight so the ground floor was completely still, Sabrina and Ambrose, if he was home, were most likely still asleep and Hilda had, according to her note, left early for work. Between Hilda’s note and the cluster of Vida’s Valentine’s cards was a grocery list held by a magnet, Mary took it off and read it as the coffee brew.

“Looks like I can’t make you pancakes baby bear. How about french toast instead?”

“I don’t know what that is but okay! May I watch cartoons?”

“Sure sweetie I’ll call you in when it’s done.”

“Okay!” With that Vida skipped out of the kitchen and a few moments later the sounds of, if Mary wasn’t mistaken, Bugs Bunny filled but not over power the peaceful atmosphere of the house. As she made the french toast Mary thought of what to do for that day. If the list was anything to go by Hilda had plans on running to the store and was either going to go before work or was going to go after and forgot the list. Mary decided as she was placing the final touches on the french toast, sprinkling on some powdered sugar and cutting Vida’s portion into smaller pieces, that she would help Hilda.

“Vida after breakfast would you like to go to the grocery store with me? It would help out your Aunt Hilda.”

“Sure! Can I pick out the produce?”

“Of course. I don’t know a better produce picker than you.” Vida smiled and placed her last piece of french toast into her mouth, getting more syrup on her face and some powdered sugar on her nose. Finished, she set her fork on her empty plate and pushed it slightly away.

“I like french toast. Thank you for making it Mama.” There was a pause as Mary tried to calm down her racing heart. With Vida now in a better mood it was looking less likely that her calling her mamma was a mistake. But Mary was still trying to figure Vida out and deep down she still might be hurt and was latching on the one thing that she could. If that’s what it took to make Vida happy than so be it.

“You’re welcome sweetie.”

“May I start getting ready?”

“Sure but…” Mary took a napkin and whipped off Vida’s face. Vida squirmed a little but made no real move to get away. “Off you go.” Vida jumped out of her seat and ran most likely back to her room. With breakfast done Mary washed the plates and left them on the drying rack before heading up the stairs. With still no sight of Sabrina she decided to poke her head in to check up on her. Sabrina was still snoozing away and Mary debated if she should wake her but decided against it. She didn’t know what Hilda or Zelda would do in this case and she didn’t have any responsibility or power over Sabrina, not like the kind she had with Vida. So Mary let Sabrina sleep on but if she wasn’t awake by the time they got back then she would do something. Perhaps Vida would know what to do. Speaking of, Vida was almost fully dressed when Mary entered the bedroom. The only thing that Vida didn’t have on was her sweater, she was trapped and was grateful when Mary freed her.

“You and sweaters don’t mix very well do they baby bear?”

“Nope!” As Mary got ready Vida patiently waited on Zelda’s bed as she played with Oso. When they were ready to go Mary lifted Vida off the bed and they set out to go. As Mary double checked that she had everything, purse, keys, list, Sabrina came down mumbling a morning on her way to the kitchen. They said goodbye to her, not that they got an answer, and left.

______________

Unlike Zelda Hilda’s leaving went over a lot smoother. Dr. C arrived Wednesday morning just after breakfast and they left with very little fan fair. Though Mary was supposed to take Vida to her house at this point Hilda said she was more than welcomed to stay and thinking that Vida would be more comfortable in her own house Mary remained where she was. With Hilda now gone and Mary the only responsible adult remaining she was left in charge with the running of the house. It wasn’t all that bad, the only one who really needed her was Vida, Sabrina and Ambrose were competent enough to look after themselves. The only problem she had was Sabrina liked to sleep in late but as someone who likes to have a good lie in Mary saw no harm and let her but made a cut off hour. At ten she would wake Sabrina by letting Vida into her room and letting her jump and yell at Sabrina to wake up. Sabrina was never amused when they did this but it wasn’t often that they would have to so all was good.

Something that Mary noted during her stay was a calendar that was hung just outside the kitchen. On it the Spellmans would write their events for the month like Hilda’s and Zelda’s trip. Everyday Vida would ‘X’ out that days date so she would know how many more days she would have until Zelda came back. Now more excited Vida had Mary write down they were going to the aquarium and now with it being Tuesday there was only one day left before they’d go. That morning before Vida ‘X’d out that day’s date Mary saw an entry that Zelda made. Mary didn’t know when Zelda made it but it was different from her trip entry, the ink was a different color.

“Vida what does this mean?” Mary pointed at the entry and after some thinking Vida’s face lit up in revelation.

“Sheet changes!”

“What?”

“Mommy changes and washes the sheets every season. She goes around and strips the beds to put on new sheets and washes the ones she takes off. When it’s nice she hangs them on the clothesline outside. She says it saves energy and when they are drying outside she could continue using the machines. She lets me help.”

“Good because I will be needing as much help as I can get.”

“We’re changing the sheets?”

“We’re changing the sheets. Lead the way baby bear.” Though Mary gave Vida an encouraging smile inside she cringed. Laundry, she hated laundry, but this would help both Zelda and Vida so she’ll bite her tongue.

Their adventure started with the linen closet on the second floor. The closet was right next to the shared bathroom, making it the perfect distance between all of the bedrooms. The closet was organized in a way that Mary knew Zelda had complete control over it and it made her smile. The closet was arranged so that the top three shelves held all of the towels neatly folded and grouped by color. The two remaining shelves had the bed linens in neat little baskets and it took Vida explaining it to Mary how they were arranged. Each basket was a season and it was arranged in order of winter, spring, summer, fall. The smaller baskets had the pillow cases and the larger ones the flat and fitted sheets. Mary and Vida took the winter baskets where the dirty linens would go and the full spring baskets to redress the beds. Mary didn’t think she couldn’t have done it without Vida. Vida was practically an expert, she was the one who suggested that they completely strip the bed, redress it, then do the pillows so everything remained nice and organized. Mary was very impressed. By the time they stripped all of the beds it was lunchtime so while they went through the wash Mary fixed her and Vida some lunch. Because it was nice out Mary agreed to hang the sheets on the line. At first Vida didn’t know what Zelda did with the clothes pins but they eventually found the container they resided in. While Mary was in charge of the sheets Vida was in charge of the pins. Whenever Mary needed a pin Vida would hand her one until all of the sheets were securely hung on the line, fluttering gently in the early spring breeze. Periodically Mary checked on them, they finished drying completely just before dinner.

Apparently Mary doing the sheets was a bigger deal than her agreeing that they could order a pizza for dinner. Mary would admit that her cooking ability is limited and Vida, to Mary’s shock, never had pizza. Mary didn’t know why Sabrina acted shocked hearing this, they lived in the same house and ate the same meals, but she somehow managed to convince Mary to order one. While they were waiting for that Mary came back with the sheets, neatly folded in their basket and Sabrina’s jaw dropped even more. No one in the family did the sheets. Sabrina couldn’t give a clear reason as to why but with matters concerning Zelda sometimes ‘just because’ is the only reason you need. Zelda liked things done a certain way and it was just easier to let her do what she wanted than argue. Mary understood that but she didn’t regret doing the sheets. She didn’t know how much stress Zelda was going to be while in Paris but the more stress they could eliminate in Greendale the more time Zelda could use to enjoy being back with her family.

_______________

“It’s aquarium day!” That was the first thing that Mary’s brain registered when something woke her up. It was Vida practically jumping on the bed. “Wake up Mamma! I want to see the fishes!” Mary groaned into her pillow and turned her head just so to look at the clock. It was not even 7.

“Too early.”

“Mamma!” Mustering as much strength as she could Vida pushed Mary. Mary just stayed as still as possible, maybe if she didn’t act at all Vida would give up and settle down. It worked with Zelda until she set that alarm and as far as Mary knew Vida didn’t know how to do that. Eventual Mary picked up a small huff as Vida settled down onto the bed next to her.

When Mary decided to get up it was twenty to nine, perfect. The aquarium didn’t open until eleven and it was about an hour drive there. Now that she was up Vida excitedly got dress so she was ready to go. Mary followed suit and knowing how eagar Vida was made them toast, regular toast from the toaster, so they could eat in the car. Through out the car ride Vida chatted on about what she thought the aquarium would be like. Mary told her little details but they would pale in comparison to the actual thing.

The small gasp that Vida gave when they entered made Mary smile. Vida looked around wide eye like it was the most amazing thing ever and Mary had to admit it was pretty impressive. The centerpiece of the lobby was a large cylinder fish tank that stretched from several floors below to what appeared to be to ceiling. Several tropical fish swam by in an array of moving color against the crisp blue water and gently swaying plant life. Vida was in total aww and Mary didn’t mind slowly making their way down as Vida tried to take in every little detail. Occasionally there was a plant or a fish that Vida found fascinating and would pause to just watch, almost studying it. Mary didn’t mind, it gave her a pause to take in what was going on around them. Zelda intrusted Vida’s safety to her and Mary took her job seriously. When they got to the lower floor Vida broke away to look at some of the other tanks. Mary loved that Vida liked reading the plaques as much as she liked looking at the animals inside. Whenever she was stuck on a word Mary would help her or explain something that she didn’t understand. Like with the large tank in the lobby there were moments where Vida just wanted to stay and watch a certain tank. Mary never minded, she loved seeing the emotions and expressions that crossed Vida’s face. One of Vida’s favorite tanks was the large sea turtle tank, she did the same thing with the bears at the zoo, watching them with big eyes and saying ‘tortue’ that Mary suspected meant turtle in some language.

“Your daughter is lovely.” Mary turned her attention to a middle age woman. Instinctively Mary moved closer to Vida who was fascinated with the tank that house the seahorses. “She’s so well behaved and polite. My kids aren’t like that on a good day.”

“You are placing your compliment  to the wrong person. That’s all her mother’s doing.” The other woman’s jaw dropped and Mary smirking turned to Vida.

“Are you hungry baby bear? Do you want to get some lunch?”

“Yes Mamma!” Vida held out her arms and Mary picked her up, settling her on her hip. As they walked away Mary heard a gasp. In the reflection of one of the tanks Mary saw the woman had a horrified look as she put two and two together. Mary smirked and they went to lunch.

__________________

There last stop for that day was the shop. Mary decided that she would get Vida something small, she’ll let Vida pick it out of course. Vida gravitated towards the books but after a while realized they were either too babyish or too difficult for her so they moved on. Next to the books was a display of stuffed animals, Vida rounded the fixture until her eyes landed on something that made her gasped.

“Mamma look!” Vida held out a stuffed octopus. It was mostly head with big purple eyes and tiny legs on the bottom. The top of the body was a medium blue color while the bottom was green.

“You want the octopus?” Vida’s smile turned soft and she brought the octopus close to her small body, fingers stroking a tuft of fur on the creatures head.

“Yes.” Mary held out her hand and Vida gave her the octopus. Mary glanced at the toy and then at the tag that was attached on some webbing between two tentacles. It wasn’t that much and the octopus was a part of a special, two for twenty. “Did you want to get him a friend or just him?”

“No just him.”

“As you wish baby bear.” With that they paid and left. Since they were already out Mary asked Vida if they wanted to eat out. Vida didn’t mind but didn’t know where to go so Mary took her to a small Mexican restaurant that she saw on the way down. It was a good pick, Vida loved the cheese quesadilla and Mary laughed at the face Vida made when she tried the refried beans. On the way home Vida fell asleep with her new octopus friend in her arms. Mary smiled at her through the rearview mirror and when they got home she carried her all the way upstairs and placed her in bed with a kiss on her forehead. It was a good day.

________________

Vida stuck to Zelda like glue. She refused to be put down and Mary recognized that Zelda didn’t want to let her daughter go. It was understandable, they missed each other but Mary caught something in Zelda’s eyes that gave her a feeling that it was more than that. Vida talked Zelda’s ear off about what she did that week, mainly the aquarium where she showed off Octo her new octopus that Mamma bought her. When Vida said that Zelda looked stunned and Mary couldn’t tell if it was a good thing or a bad.

“Vida, your mom is tired, how about we let her get some rest?” Vida whined and pouted a little, she just got her mom back she didn’t want to leave.

“Just an hour baby and then we can do something okay?” After a moment Vida nodded and let Zelda put her down on the sofa. Mary followed Zelda to her bedroom. Mary cringed a little because she was going to straighten up a bit just to make it look nice and neat but as Zelda scanned over the room she didn’t seem to mind.

“Something happened.” Zelda sighed and sat on a corner of her bed. Since the bed was still unmade Zelda had view of the sheets and she picked up a corner examining it as though something was off.

“Did someone change my sheets?”

“I did but that’s not what we’re talking about. What happened Zelda.”

“He wanted her.”

“What?”

“Faustus. He tricked me into having dinner with him and he at first wanted me back but when I refused, he then wanted to get to know the daughter that he didn’t even want. But I know Faustus and the only reason why he wants anything to do with Vida is because I won’t be his mistress again.”

“Do you think he…” Mary couldn’t finish her sentence as a lump formed in her throat. The idea that someone could take away Vida sent a cold chill down her spine.

“Over my dead body.”

“Good.”

“How long has Vida been calling you Mamma?”

“Since you left.”

“I see.” There was a pause. Mary watched as Zelda started to unpack her suitcase not saying a word.

“Zelda-”

“I’m not upset.”

“Not what I was going to ask. I’ll be down stairs.” Mary halfway stepped to where Zelda was but stopped and turned to leave.

“Move in with me.” Mary gently closed the door and turned around to face Zelda. Zelda also turned around she looked dead straight at Mary.

“What?”

“When I was in Paris I missed you and Vida so damn much. I would find myself thinking what you two were doing and never thought it would be things so mundane as grocery shopping and changing the sheets. Deep down I know it’s not fair to you, living in this house is a struggle some days but you have assimilated yourself so flawlessly that I… its hard on me when you’re not here. Maybe I am selfish for wanting everything but I want you here every day not just every other weekend. I don’t expect an answer or for you to accept but…” Mary was in front of Zelda in two quick strides. Mary took Zelda’s face in her hands, her thumb stroking the apple of Zelda’s cheek.

“You’re not selfish and I would love to move in. When things get too overwhelming we can always go to my house but I love being here with you and your family. We’ll start slow though.” Zelda nodded and they kissed for the second time in over a week.

_______________

Tuesday came much too fast. It took most of the weekend for the family to readjust with both Zelda and Hilda back. Zelda set out to reclaime some of the organization that she felt was lost in the house, it wasn’t much and she even thanked Mary for doing the sheets. Hilda’s day was Sunday, she made a big meal that was never called ‘Easter dinner’ but Mary suspected it was the reason why. Throughout the weekend Mary brought stuff over, mainly things that she would need for work so when they went back to work she dressed and got ready with Zelda. Though it shouldn’t have come as a surprise Zelda and Mary just moved together effortlessly. Zelda always woke up first, she would be downstairs by the time Mary would wake up, and by the time Mary was ready they would kiss Vida goodbye and leave with Sabrina. They carried on like nothing changed because nothing really did. At lunch they had a staff meeting and Zelda arrived a little after Mary. Mary saved her a seat towards the back. The meeting didn’t go over anything new, Mary was bored half to death by the end of it. At the end of it Hawthorne announced that he had an important announcement.

“As some of you might know Mrs. Gardenia left just before break to undergo a not life threatening but necessary procedure. Her usual substitute is unavailable so I had a limited time to find a qualified replacement. As of right now Mr. Thomas would be taking her morning classes while her afternoon classes will be taken by the substitute. Though only with us part time and until the end of the school year I would like you all to treat her as she is part of the Baxter High family. Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to Ms. Jackson.” A woman with a sharp angle face came in and the staff gave her a respectful applause. Mary joined them but there was something about Ms. Jackson that she didn’t like. Next to her Zelda went rigid in her seat. Mary was going to ask what was wrong when she heard Zelda say with such venom that it concerned her.

“Shirley.”

[theincompetentgenius]

Hi there! I love reading your matchups so I’m finally here to request one for me! Well, I’ll even be a bit greedy and request three (IkeSen, IkeRev and MLQC) if you don’t mind 😁

Let’s start!

I’m a 5’3 (162 cm) girl with fair skin, almond-shaped brown eyes and short warm sandy blond hair (you know, a bit like in the 1920’s). I wear glasses but I prefer to have contact lenses. I like reading since I’m a child and I’m particularly interested in History. I also like geography, politics, traveling and learning new languages. I’m sometimes (often) lazy though. I’m not really at ease with my body, even though I’ve lost pounds those last years and that I’m pretty normal now, I still find myself too fat, (yeah, the classical girl complex…). Approximately the 1950’s body type if you want to have an idea. About my personality, my MBTI type is INTJ. I’m pessimistic, introvert and really, really honest. I often hurt people without wanting it because of this straightforwardness. I’m stubborn too and I have a Manichean view about pretty much everything so my opinions are often judged as extreme. Really care about nature (the typical ecologist). People usually find me cold at first but if they get to know me better and become my friends, I’m really loyal and here to help them. Some random facts maybe? I’m vegetarian, I like spicy food, my Hogwarts house is Ravenclaw and I’m quite the tsundere type. I like winter when there is snow and I prefer night over the day (I like watching the starry sky, I could do this for hours!) and my zodiac sign is Scorpio, Leo rising (I’m born the same day as Jonah Clemence!). One last thing: I have one little brother and one little sister (they are twins and are four years younger than me) and I would give the world to them.

That was pretty long, I’m sorry, but I wanted to give you as much information as possible. I can’t wait to see what you’ll come up with! Thank you so much for taking my request darling, your writing is as amazing as your mood boards!💙

Haha! It’s ok if you’re a bit greedy– I mean, aren’t we all when it comes to matchups? And I thank you SO MUCH for all the info you put because it honestly made my life 10x easier when trying to match you with the different suitors. In fact, some I was able to pick immediately because of all the info you gave.

But anywho, let’s get on with the matchup!

MLQC

I’d pair you with………. Victor!

So I started with MLQC because I immediately knew who I was pairing you with. Obviously, I had to glance over your description again to figure out who else you’d work with, but it was really hard since your description literally screams “Victor” to me. Not that you’re as uptight as he is, but the two of you have a lot in common, but enough differences to allow for an amazing and fun relationship!

There are two ways this could play out: either you guys will butt heads or get along very well on a professional level. I’m betting on the latter scenario simply because you are intelligent, resourceful, and determined: qualities that Victor admires in others. He will notice you because of your work ethic and commend you for your admirable efforts. Additionally, he knows that he can count on you because you are the most loyal employee he has. However, you two might get into squabbles as both of you can be very stubborn, which will need lots of time and patience to smooth over. Nevertheless, Victor will see you as a valuable asset to his team.

In those moments of laziness, Victor would be the perfect motivator. His harsher words would serve as a wake-up and a prompt reminder of why you should be working towards your goals instead of letting all your work pile up (before it becomes unmanageable).

Victor admires your ability to be honest around him. Although the man wants to be perfect, he isn’t– and not many people tell him that. However, you’ve reached a level of familiarity with him where you can voice your honest opinions about him (without fearing for your job). He’s not used to hearing the cold truth because most people sugar-coat it instead (because they want to keep their jobs or be in good standing with the CEO).

But the two of you would be the biggest power couple ever. Whenever someone says something stupid, you both use sarcasm and sass to wipe them out. You start with a sarcastic comment while Victor follows it up with a classic sassy remark. The two of you ultimately receive a reputation for being the most savage people in the office, so everyone tries their best to please you.

Also, Victor would have no problem making spicy food! Although he doesn’t have lots of time to cook, when something special (such as an anniversary) arises, he’ll always make a creative spicy dish. Imagine eating top-notch, gourmet spicy food FOR FREE. You’re the real winner here smh

Another Possibility: Kiro

Ikemen Sengoku

I’d pair you with…… Shingen Takeda!

At first, I thought about Sasuke because the two of you seem to compliment each other pretty well.  I mean, he’s more relaxed while you’re more uptight. He has no problem with your honesty and very much enjoys it. In fact, I kept switching between Sasuke and Shingen, but I ultimately settled for Shingen (for reasons I’ll explain below).

Your description literally radiates “cold boss bitch” energy, which we stan. However, this can easily cause clashes with some of the warlords with bigger personalities (Nobunaga, Kenshin, Ieyasu, etc), which you would not be willing to compromise. But fear not, because Shingen does not fall into this category of unnecessary bravado. His issues lie elsewhere……

Shingen’s initial “flirty hunk” attitude can be a real turn off for you. At first, it can be charming (almost endearing), but the shtick gets old REAL fast. You become irritated by his constant flirting and at one point, let him know exactly what you think. The moment is quite satisfying because you finally tell this idiot to shut up and the stunned look on his face is totally worth it.

He’ll definitely leave you alone for a while. However, Shingen will have to keep tabs on you since you’re Azuchi’s chatelaine– the easiest link to Nobunaga. However, you’re just as smart and play his game with him. As he observes you, you observe him back to figure what he wants. But at one point, it gets on your nerves. You can’t walk around without feeling as if you’re being watched. You confront him yourself, beginning Round 2 of blasting Shingen. This time, you threaten to expose him by telling everything you’ve learned to Nobunaga.

The more extreme confrontation leaves Shingen speechless. Clearly, you’re a lot smarter than he expected as you saw through him very quickly. He’ll have no other choice but to take you to the Kasugayama Palace, where you become his captive. However, his wonderful treatment towards you leaves you rather confused.

During this time, Shingen will heavily appreciate your honesty. He’s always putting up this facade around others that it is refreshing to see your honesty for a change. Although he doesn’t realize it, his facade begins to fall as he grows more comfortable around you. It doesn’t take him long before he realizes that you’re nothing like Nobunaga (despite your strong personality).

In fact, Shingen loves your strong personality. Although he is dedicated to his goals, the warlord is also known to be flexible. He has no problem accommodating your needs and your extreme opinions don’t bother him at all. If anything, he finds it fascinating that someone can be so different from him that he’ll want to learn more.

In the end, you learn to love him for his loyalty to his people. Whether or not you agree with Nobunaga’s actions about Kai, you admire Shingen’s dedication towards his people. It reminds you of your love for your siblings, which helps you make sense of his actions and thoughts. The man who was once an irritable playboy has become your lifelong partner.

Other Possibility: Sasuke Sarutobi

Ikemen Revolution

I’d pair you with…………………….. Zero!

Aren’t you lucky, you got paired with an absolute gem! Especially with his route out, Zero’s been the talk of the tumblr community these days (and with good reason). However, I originally had a strong urge to match you with Lancelot. The two of you would be the ultimate power couple that would help each other see through different perspectives and develop as individuals. However, you would probably clash more with Lancelot, which is why I ended up going with Zero.

Zero is one of the first people to be friendly towards you when you end up at the Red Army. Although he’s shy and not the most talkative person out there, you end up spending time with him (since everyone else in nearly insufferable). He truly appreciates the fact that you’re not some weirdo and have normal human behaviors (despite your quirks). It might be a little awkward at first, but the two of you warm up to each other fairly quickly.

Just like the other suitors I chose for you, one of the biggest things that draw Zero towards you is your loyalty. Zero himself is very big on loyalty, so its one of the key things that he looks for within a person. As he watches you defend your thoughts with a strong conviction, Zero admires you more and more

This man absolutely LIVES for the moments that you put Edgar in his place. It’s quite tempting to throw a jab at the Jack of Hearts and while Zero worries when you try it, his heart also swells with pride. Only his girl can stand up to Edgar, which only increases his admiration for you (especially when Edgar and Zero duel and you tell Zero to kick Edgar’s ass).

The thing about Zero is that you could talk about anything and he’ll have the sweetest smile on his face. The fact that he gets to spend so much time with you is the biggest blessing and gift that he could have ever asked for. He’s not even sure what he did to deserve someone like you, but for once, luck seems to be on his side. Even if he doesn’t understand what’s being said, he’ll try his best to comprehend the material because he loves you.

Another Possibility: Lancelot Kingsley

[theashemarie]

Demo Brew Ch. 3 | Pearlina

☆ Reblogs appreciated! ☆

↪Chapter 1: [The Bet]

↪Chapter 2: [The Squid Sisters]

Read one chapter ahead on AO3!

Chapter 3: The Song

By all rights, things should be different after this revelation, but nothing changes. Callie and Marie are still just Callie and Marie after all, though they do sing more when the shop is empty. Three seems to relax a little too, as if she was holding all the tension of the secret in her body, and Pearl easily feeds off the energy. She feels like she’s coming back into herself, back into the Pearl that’s all confidence and swagger. The past six months have been a little rough, all things considered. Adjusting to the job (the job she didn’t need but kept coming back to), adjusting to Callie and Marie, adjusting to Three, adjusting to Marina...

And, now she’s trying to decide if punk music really is her thing after all.

It’s been a creeping thought, ever since she saw Callie, Marie, and Three’s reaction to her scar. But, she doesn’t want to just drop her band, but they’re also not the most cohesive unit anyway. It’s almost a self-fulfilling prophecy in a way—the punk group that’s dysfunctional and awful to each other. Their lead guitarist is known for showing up late and drunk, and while Pearl isn’t exactly the most reliable person in the world, she likes to think that she’s dedicated to the cause. She doesn’t want to be arrested one day because her bandmates are caught drunk and belligerent after a gig either, but that’s a whole other issue.

But, most of all, she wonders what it would be like, to start a group with Marina. Their voices would probably go well together, and they’re just different enough that their stage presence would be interesting and fun. She wants to change her image anyway. She’s getting a little sick of wearing black all the time.

“I can’t believe you didn’t figure it out,” Three says when she spies Pearl staring pensively at her notebook. She’s doodled a few hearts beside the scribbled song lyrics from yesterday. She quickly draws a few skulls beside the hearts, just for balance.

“What? Callie and Marie? I totally knew,” she lies.

“Yeah, and I can fly.” Three grabs a scone out of the pastry display and nibbles on it. “You grew up rich, right?”

It’s so out of nowhere that Pearl has to look up from her doodles. “Yeah? Why?”

Three shrugs. “Just curious why you’re here is all.”

“Callie didn’t tell you about the bet?”

Three shakes her head and takes a large bite of the scone. “Callie’s big on privacy. She says that ‘everyone deserves their secrets!’” The last of that is said in a peppy imitation of Callie’s upbeat voice, and Pearl can’t help but chuckle. “I was just wondering, since it seemed like your whole punk thing was taking off too. You’re not like me. Stuck here until the next big thing.”

It's so painfully true, and Three says it so easily. Three isn’t like Pearl—she has to scrape to make it to her next paycheck without going hungry. Most of the time, that involves eating all she can of the leftover pastries or sandwiches at the end of the day, and sometimes Pearl thinks she sees Callie or Marie give her money. Pearl has considered offering her some cash, but she doesn’t want to offend her. If there’s one thing she understands, its pride, and people always have a lot of it when it comes to money.

Pearl sighs and leans back. She’s not wearing her usual black today—decided to go with an oversized sweater, a pop of pink that goes well with her dark jeans—and she thinks that that’s what’s got her in this weird mood. She doesn’t really want to be the punchy punk princess anymore.

“I don’t know about that,” Pearl says. “I love music but I’m not sure if that’s the scene for me.”

“Oh yeah?” Three leans against the back counter, between the espresso machine and the blender. “You gonna sell out? Go mainstream?”

Pearl bristles a little. “Maybe I am! The mainstream could use a little something like me! I’d refresh the hell out of it! The Squid Sisters are the biggest thing right now, but behind those masks they’re still just another poppy idol group.”

Three smiles and crosses her arms. “Don’t let Callie and Marie hear you say that. They think they’re changing the world. Their music saves people.” She shakes her head and laughs, as if she just told some kind of joke. “I think that’d be fresh as hell. You trying to shake things up, I mean. You’ve got the voice. I say go for it.”

Pearl glances back at her notebook, at its scribbled lyrics to a song that’s already written. “It’d be pretty bad if I ditched my band. They’d hate me.”

Three shrugs. “So? You know they’re definitely using you for your money, right? You’re the lead but you also have all the cash. They wouldn’t have made it this far without you.”

She’s right and Pearl knows it. Her whole life, people have pushed their way closer to her in order to get closer to her money. It’s a fact of life—people will kiss up to you if they think it’ll get them somewhere. That’s probably one reason why she likes it here so much with Callie, Marie, and Three. They don’t want her money. They want her.

And Marina. Marina doesn’t know either, and she actually trusted Pearl with her demo. Ebb & Flow sounds like it had been recorded on a tape recorder—an act so intimate and personal that every time Pearl listens to it she can almost imagine Marina holding the microphone in her hand as she pressed the record button. Marina trusted her with that—

“You’re right,” Pearl mutters, feeling a lot like the floor has just been ripped out from under her. Suddenly, everything with Marina crystalizes.

Because Pearl likes Marina, and she’s pretty sure that Marina likes her.

+++

At least, Pearl thinks she does.

It’s Saturday when Marina comes back in, and Pearl is jittery. So, so jittery, but she’s playing it off. She’s got her swagger back, finally, and she’s determined to use it.

“Hey Rena, what can I get you?” She leans deep into the counter, chin on her fist, and she smirks her best smirk.

“Hm, I think I’ve finally tried everything...” Marina mutters, staying at a respectable distance from the counter. She’s so cute that Pearl almost turns into a squid right there, like she used to back when she was fifteen and overwhelmed. Nothing made the world slow down like turning back into your childhood form.

 “You’ve tried everything twice. I think you’re just looking for an excuse to keep coming back to see me.” Pearl’s smirk changes into a small, sly grin, and she sees Marina blush, just there on her cheeks. She swallows hard to keep herself from smiling even bigger.

“Maybe I just really like coffee,” Marina shoots back. Then, when Three pushes through the door with a tray of small sandwiches, she adds, “Or maybe I just really like to see Three!”

Three puts the tray down with a great clatter and makes a show of looking flattered. “Oh you tease.” She waves her hand in Marina’s direction. “I’m afraid that I’m taken though. I’m married to the job.”

Marina laughs, a small thing that’s barely audible, and Pearl’s knees turn to jelly. “I took too long!” Marina laments. “I guess I’ll have to settle for watching you from afar.”

“You need to move on!” Three cries. She pulls the back of the pastry case open and starts arranging the sandwiches on their small plates, like ducks in a row.

“I’m right here,” Pearl butts in, stomping her foot for emphasis.

“Sorry Pearl.” Marina giggles again.

“Yeah, Pearl. Sorry you had to witness the sauciest love story of our generation,” Three adds.

“I was trying to be smooth,” Pearl whines under her breath in Three’s direction. Then when she realizes what she just said, she turns to Marina with large eyes.

If Marina heard, she makes no indication. Instead, she steps closer to the counter and pokes at the small menu that they have posted there. “I’ll take a black tea. No sweetener, please.”

Pearl recovers quickly. “What, you can get addicted to caffeine but not sugar?”

Marina shrugs. “I get my sugar elsewhere.”

Pearl swears that she sees her wink. The world goes super quiet for a moment, and suddenly all she can see is the floor, and the ceiling, and since when did everything get so big?

“Pearl?” And there’s Marina, leaning over the counter to look at her. And Three is there, like a tower.

“Oh, you little squid,” Three says, exasperated.

Pearl picks herself up quickly. Forms her limbs back into place and grows a neck and stomach. Accidental squid form at twenty because a cute girl flirted back at her. She really is a gay disaster.

She has to rescue herself, and fast, before Marina writes her off as an out of control, lovestruck fool. She dusts her clothes off, picks a piece of white fuzz off of her t-shirt, and points a strong finger at Marina. “I have something for you.”

“Oh...?” Marina is pinned in place by Pearl’s point so she can only stand there while Pearl marches toward the back, where her bag and notebook are waiting. She cleanly rips the page with the edited song out and walks back, stiff-kneed.

“Here. Don’t read it now. I’ll get your tea.”

Marina takes it and follows her instructions. The slip of paper disappears into the bag, and Pearl quickly stirs together Marina’s drink. Three stands there, like a mother, like a principal, like Pearl is liable to make an even bigger fool of herself, and Pearl can’t blame her.

As she hands Marina her drink, Marina accepts it quickly, too quickly. Pearl can’t put it down on the counter and slide it to her like she usually does. Marina intercepts her, wraps both her hands around Pearl’s. “Thank you,” she says as they hold eye contact.

It’s the hottest thing Pearl’s ever experienced, and it’s just their hands wrapped around a to-go cup.

+++

Marina comes back an hour later. Pearl isn’t in the front because it’s her turn to bake (burn) the pastries. Everything’s homemade and they need more bread, so at least she can enjoy herself with the kneading, the punching, the forming of the dough, and she does, but she also can’t help but feel like there’s a creeping panic coming on. She just handed that shit to Marina like it was no big deal! She was so cool about it! She just handed it to her!

Like, ‘hey Marina, I loved your song! Do you take constructive criticism?’ What is wrong with her? She didn’t even warn Marina! Just handed her a note like it was some ‘will you date me? check yes or no’ situation. Oh, she’s so fucked. She’s fucked sideways. She’s fucked into next week. She’s fucked. She’s fucked, she’s fucked, she’s fucked, she’s fucked—

“Hey Marina!” Three yells, loudly, from the front, at a much higher volume than she usually does. She’s basically hollering. “You’re back!”

Pearl is up to her elbows in dough, so she can’t exactly go out there. But Three is screaming. But also Pearl can’t go out there. But also she can’t not go out there. She stands there, panicked, stricken, trying to melt into the floor. Her knees almost give out and she’s about two degrees away from squid form again when Three yells again.

“Yeah! Pearl’s here! Do you want me to get her?!” Three’s voice is louder, and Pearl can imagine it—Marina, with her arms crossed, angry at Pearl, while Three, who knows exactly what Pearl handed Marina earlier, tries to hold everything together. Oh, this is bad.

“Okay, I’ll get her!” Three darts through the door and sees Pearl, hands and counter dusted with flour “What are you doing! Marina’s here! Get out there!”

“I can’t!” Pearl searches for an excuse. She waves her hands at the football of dough on the counter. “The gluten is gonna set!”

“I’ll do it!” Three reaches into the flour canister and claps her hands together, sending up a puff of white. “Go out there! She wants to talk to you!”

Pearl begrudgingly shakes as much dough off of her hands as she can before running them under the sink. “Did she look upset?”

Three grins at her. “She looked excited. Now go!”

Pearl death marches through the door and hopes that her face doesn’t look as grim as she feels. Marina is there, looking disheveled. Her headphones are gone, replaced with another hat, which she keeps tugging down.

“There you are! Come with me.” Marina turns to leave, just like that, as if Pearl can just ditch her job at a moment’s notice just for her.

Well, she can, but the point is that Marina shouldn’t be assuming things. Even if she is right.

“I’m going on break!” Pearl cries as she rips her apron off. Three sticks her head out of the back and grins at her.

Pearl follows Marina out onto the street. It’s cold and she considers running back in for her jacket, but Marina looks spooked. Pearl doesn’t want to give her a chance to get away, so she just crosses her arms and ducks her head against the stinging wind.

“This way,” Marina leads her away from the main thoroughfare, where all the foot traffic is—Inkopolis Plaza is the busiest area of the city, where tourists rub arms with professional turf war kids, where fashion models and music groups come on their time off, and Marina stands apart, even in her shapeless sweater dress and tights. Her hair is longer than it was when Pearl first met her, and she seems to have finally found her footing. Pearl’s mountain girl finally at home in the city.

She’s mooning again, like she’s fifteen years old and getting ready for a first date, but she can’t help it. Now that she’s out here, in the cold, in the real world, she sees just how beautiful Marina is, just how different her mannerisms and presence are. She wants nothing more than to sit in this moment and let it percolate. She wants to stand as close as she can to Marina and let their hands brush, wants their fingers to lace, wants to pull Marina along behind her and explore the city.

She wants to be with Marina. That’s it. She just wants to spend time with her. That’s... That’s a new type of desperate want that she’s never ever experienced.

And it’s... It’s really nice.

“C’mon Pearl!” Marina is waiting for her next to a nondescript door, about two blocks from Fresh Start. She easily unlocks the door with quick fingers, keying in the code to the lock with practiced ease. Pearl jogs to catch up, and Marina pulls her inside by the end of her sleeve. Their fingers brush and Pearl can feel her face heat up.

The room is dark, and Marina easily flips a switch. It’s a landing, with a long hallway in front of them and stairs to the right. Marina quickly takes the steps, jumping up two at a time with her long legs. Pearl follows suit, trying to seem cool, using all of her energy and her strong knees to leap up after her. They stop in front of another door with another lock, this time with an actual key, which Marina quickly slots into place. Her keyring jangles with all kinds of bits and bobs, and Pearl just catches glimpse of a Squid Sisters keychain.

This door leads into a small apartment, about half the size of Pearl’s bedroom at home. There’s a tiny kitchenette to the right, a door to a wet bathroom on the left, and ahead of her the bedroom and living area are all one room. The bed is made, and the comforter is a bright green; the walls are covered with music posters, some recent, some old, some antique, some human—

Pearl barely has a chance to take more than that in, because Marina tows her into a tiny, itty bitty closet just to the left of the main door. It’s so small that Pearl feels huge. She’s immediately accosted by coats and jackets, all of which smell just like Marina, and she has to struggle to find a spot where she can breathe without getting fabric in her mouth. And then Marina piles in right after her, carrying something dark and bulky in her hands.

It is at this precise moment that Pearl realizes that she just followed this girl, who she barely knows outside of their small interactions at Pearl’s place of employment, down an alley, into a sparsely populated area of the city, through a locked door, up some stairs, through another locked door, and then let her drag her into a closet. She’s heard that people who think they’re in love do stupid shit, but this is next level.

Silently, she hopes that if Marina kills her, that her father never ever finds out. He’d spend millions of dollars to bring her back only to kill her again.

Marina reaches up and pulls the cord for the light. A bare bulb illuminates and Pearl realizes that the coats and jackets are all old, patchy, and a couple seasons out of style. Marina beams at her and hands Pearl a microphone. The bulky thing is an old-fashioned tape recorder, with a cassette in it and everything.

“This is the only place I can record,” Marina explains. There’s a long cord between the mic in Pearl’s hand and the recorder, and Marina presses a button to rewind the tape.

“I see.” Pearl swallows thickly and thinks back to her recording studio at home, with its large soundproof sound booth and sound boards, professional microphones and digital storage. This closet with all of its fabric is close to soundproof, but Pearl imagines that it can’t be great, acoustically. “It’s nice,” she croaks. Her throat is very dry.

“Thanks!” Marina beams. “I bought all the coats to help dampen as much of the sound as I could.” She looks down as the recorder makes a click. “Okay, so the tape is in the right place. Just sing your part and hopefully I can mix them together without too much trouble.”

“Wait, wait.” Pearl waves her hands and smacks into a large leather jacket that has to be two sizes too big for Marina. “What are we doing?”

“This.” Marina reaches into the pocket of her dress and shoves a sheet of paper into Pearl’s confused hands. “You wrote that right? I want you to record what you wrote.”

Pearl unfolds it and yep, that’s the sheet she ripped out of her notebook, with the lyrics that she wrote on a whim, and her scribbled music staffs. Oh jeeze, what has she gotten herself into?

She’s flattered, and panicked, and excited—because clearly Marina loved what she wrote. She loved it so much that she had to hear it for herself. But suddenly Pearl can’t feel her own voice. Her throat is dry, and she’s hasn’t actually sung in months because what she does with her band is scream. Melodic screaming, skilled screaming, but screaming all the same. She reaches up and touches her throat, as if that’ll make a difference, and tries to swallow again.

“I can’t...” she says, feeling like a cad, like a fraud. Marina makes a soft, confused sound and Pearl feels like she owes her an excuse. “I’m not warmed up...” She doesn’t want to tell Marina that she hasn’t sung for real in so long that her range has shifted, has shortened, that even the rhythmic chanting that she wrote might be too much, especially here with Marina so close, making Pearl’s hearts beat out of sync, creating a drum solo out of her chest.

She can’t imagine trying to harmonize with Marina’s strong, melodic voice. She can’t imagine letting Marina hear her sing, especially here in this closet.

“That’s okay!” Marina says. She’s still fiddling with the tape recorder and hasn’t looked up to see Pearl’s pale, pale face. “This is just a demo. It doesn’t have to sound perfect.”

“Reena...” Pearl sighs and that gets Marina to look up. Pearl is holding the microphone so tight in her fist and her fingers are bleached of all color. “I can’t.”

Marina stares at her for a long time, her eyes swimming with some unsayable emotion. Pearl can’t tell if she’s disappointed, angry, sad, or a combination of all three. She wants to squirm under the attention, under her own shame, and she reaches for the door, just so she can escape back into the air and the light and get away from this terrible, frustrating moment.

“No.” Marina grabs Pearl’s hand, the one still wrapped around the microphone, and her palm is cool. It jolts something inside Pearl, and she turns back. “No, Pearl. I know you can do this. I’ve heard your voice.”

“What? No you haven’t.” Pearl’s in disbelief, but she can’t pull away, not with Marina’s hand wrapped around hers. Her hand is decently bigger than Pearl’s, and it’s so nice. “That demo I gave you doesn’t count.”

“Not that.” Marina smiles then, and pulls Pearl back, away from the door. She pulls her into her chest, into a hug, and Pearl allows herself to be embraced even though she doesn’t know what she did to deserve it.

“I heard you singing in the shop,” Marina continues. She rubs her hand on Pearl’s back. “You’re really good.”

“If you say so...” Pearl sighs, because she can’t really say no when she’s being hugged like this. “Why are you hugging me?”

Marina pulls back slightly so that Pearl can see her bright, cheery face. “You seemed like you needed it!”

Pearl smiles too, because she did need it. She needed it so badly. She hasn’t been hugged in so long.

And it is then that she realizes exactly who she’s hugging. Her face blooms red and she feels her hearts donkey kick, jumping into a high-speed race against the clock. She swears Marina must be able to feel it.

“Will you sing for me now? Please Pearlie?” Marina pouts out her lip, like she knows just which of Pearl’s buttons to push. Pearl feels like she’s going to pass out right there, just from that nickname alone, and then Marina goes and pouts—

She has no choice, really.

[mysticseasons]

IDC - SAM CHOUINARD: FROM DANCER TO CHOREOGRAPHER AND BEYOND

IDC:  Introduce yourself to the skating fans – when did you start dancing? What styles of dances are you specialized in?

SC: Hi, my name is Samuel Chouinard. I’m from the south shore of Montréal and I’m 29 years old.  I started as a dancer when I was 13-14 as I was very energetic, so I needed to find something that was going to keep me focused. I tried a bunch of sports like gymnastics, swimming, fencing, karate, and then I tried dance. I loved it so much, and it’s the only thing that kept me interested. I started with funk, jazz, and hip-hop. When I was starting to be the best in my dance studio and I wanted to have more formation and other teachers, I went to Montréal and started to train there. I got onto a dance team. We started to win a lot of competitions around the world, and then I wanted to be more known as Samuel the dancer and not someone within a group, so I detached myself from the dance crew and started to do some auditions as a solo dancer.

I did this wish list that I do for everything I work on in my life: dance with an artist, dance in a major arena, dance in different countries, dance in a movie, dance in a music video, dance in a television show… and I accomplished all of them. So after I checked off all my wish list as a dancer, I wanted to have another challenge and thought I’d like to choreograph. I went into the choreography world, started to do some shows, and did this wish list again: choreograph for an artist, choreograph for something different than dance, choreograph for something major, go to the Olympics. We won gold and I was super happy.

IDC:  What projects outside skating are you involved in?

SC: One other things that was on my list was Cirque du Soleil and not long after, here I am, working on a show, and I’ve been proposed 2 new shows again. It’s really cool, I love it so much. The next thing I’d like to do is to have my own show, to have my own concept, and again in 4 years have 1, 2, 3 at the top of the podium at the Olympics.

I’m also working with some cheerleading and synchronized swimming teams. I also opened an escape room on the south shore and will soon open one in Québec. I teach hip-hop at the dance school where I started and I’m planning to buy it and make it so skaters can come and train in a dance studio.

IDC:  Coming from the dance floor world, how did you become involved with figure skating, and with the Gadbois center in particular? Tell us about how your collaboration started and about your first steps on the ice.

SC: I was introduced to the figure skating world 5 years ago, with Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon, who were looking for a dance teacher outside of the ice who could teach some hip-hop moves to their skaters so they would have a better feel of the music and get more dynamic with their moves. Daria, who is a ballet teacher at Gadbois, was my ballet teacher as well and she referred them to me.

After this, I started to work with some of the teams and Marie really liked the work that I was doing with the skaters, so she asked me if I could help her with Battle of the Blades. At that time, Marie France and Mathieu Dandenault were competing there and they had a hip-hop week. This was the first time I was working on a bigger show for ice dance. This number brought them back to the top two, and after that, I worked with them in the following weeks. It was really cool. From there, Joannie Rochette saw the work I had done and called me to see if I could work with her for an upcoming tour in Japan. After Joannie, Tessa (Virtue) and Scott (Moir) called and asked me whether I wanted to work with them. I didn’t know who they were, so I Googled them and I was like, “WHAT! Yes, I want to!” I started to work with them and do some workshops and hip-hop off-ice, and they asked me to choreograph for their Stars on Ice performances. The last 4 years, I’ve been working with them preparing for the Olympics. I did the Prince program [2016-2017 short dance] with Marie-France and Moulin Rouge [2017-2018 free dance] this year. Now I’m choreographing with all the teams at Gadbois, from 9-10 countries, and I’m also teaching and choreographing for Les Suprèmes senior and junior teams in synchronized skating.

IDC:  What’s the most challenging part about translating movements from the floor to the ice? How does what you plan off-ice change once you try to recreate the choreography on the ice?

SC: The biggest challenge I had was to understand inertia. In dance, we can just stop and turn and go to the other direction, so the first choreographies I was doing for skating had too many stops in them. I really figured out that the thing that looks best on ice is the glide and the flow and to go fast, so this was a challenge. Even though I wasn’t skater, I started to skate 5 years ago, so I was able to understand how I wanted them to move and I could show it with my fingers. The skaters were so professional that they could do it right away. I first choreograph the upper body and then we go on ice to play. I am on the ice following them and just trying to do what feels right. They know so much about their sport, so they were helping me a lot at the beginning as well. I learned so much. After I started to be at the higher level, I did my research. I knew I needed to learn about this world that wasn’t mine, so I watched the Olympics, all the other competitors and tried to know what was already done and who people were. I think now we are changing the game and making people understand that we can bring ice dance somewhere else and make it fresh and new. Dance and skating are two different worlds, but it’s the same thing at the same time, so that was the challenge for me.

IDC:  What are the steps of the creation process for each program (from the first steps on the floor to what we see in competition), and how is the creative dynamic between you, the coaches, and the skaters?

SC: The first step is to select the song. Usually, the skaters suggest two to three song choices and we sit with Marie and decide what would be the best and also with the other teams, so that it doesn’t look all the same. But the skaters have to be happy with their choice, because they are going to be the ones doing it the entire season. After that, we create in our head the pattern of where all the elements should be with the music.  Marie-France and Patrice imagine the music and say “this should be an element, this is where we should place this,” and then we know where the dance should fill between two elements. She creates the elements and I complete the elements to make it more dancey and to fit more with the music, and I work with the beginning and the ending. In the first steps after they select the song, we go in the dance studio and we throw a lot of moves, then we place them on ice, [but] they may not be all together. We may cut and place different parts, but it’s super easy with Marie-France. We have such a good dynamic. Like with Nathan Chen, he came for 3 days and after that, the program was done. Now it’s just fine-tuning it, but he has everything. When he’s going to come back, we’ll see how it has evolved and the speed and what can we take out and tighten up. The skaters trust us completely. They do what we ask them and if there is something uncomfortable, they manifest it, but we’re pretty good to see it, so if it doesn’t feel right, we change it.

IDC:  Your influence is clearly visible on many of the programs from the Gadbois teams, yet you manage to create something unique and different for everyone. How do you manage to come up with original ideas every time and to adapt to the style of each team?

SC: First of all, it’s the music. The music tells me what to do, so it’s always different because the music has its own language. Also, all couples move so differently and have different energy and dynamics, so I feed off this, so they look the best doing what I give them. It all starts with my choreography on me, but after this I fix it on their body so it looks custom made for them. I don’t want to have the same moves. Sometimes you see when choreographers or coaches do many programs, some of the elements are the same, the patterns are the same. One thing that helps me is that each day I have to choreograph something new, so I’m always in this creative mood and it’s easy for me to deliver something new very quickly. I also have no problem to look at something and take it out if it doesn’t feel right. Some people sometimes stick with their first idea and I think it’s pretty stupid. You have to be flexible.

IDC:  Which short dance pattern have you enjoyed working on so far, and what do you think of the tango for the next season?

SC: Of course the hip-hop was really my thing. It was so cool because I was taking the skaters out of their comfort zone and bringing them into my world a little bit more, but I think we did a pretty good job. I love tango, it’s one of my favourite dances to do off-ice. I took some classes and I think it’s going to be really cool. I love contemporary as well. I like that it’s different every year.

IDC:  What are your favorite programs that you have choreographed so far?

SC: It’s really hard to say. I give my all to all the programs and they all have a special place in my heart and a special energy. That’s what I like the most. When I go to Gadbois and work with the skaters and I see the couples back to back, they are such different worlds. It’s really refreshing and inspiring for me. I love to do different stuff.

IDC:  Virtue and Moir won the Olympics last season with the program you choreographed to music from Moulin Rouge. Did you imagine this happening and how did you feel?

SC: That’s just surreal. Watching the Olympics from Montréal and seeing your stuff on a worldwide television platform…it’s something very big. I was very proud, but so nervous at the same time, even though I wasn’t performing. I was sitting on the edge of my seat and I feel like I stopped breathing at some point. It was so close to Gabby and Guillaume, who are amazing as well, so we just didn’t know until the end. I love doing what I do and I enjoy it so much, we put so much love into it. This is just the perfect recipe to bring it to the best. Plus, they believe in us and we believe in them, and the energy at the rink is amazing. Perfect recipe, perfect family, perfect environment to work in to create. If people would have told me, “Would you think you one day would win the Olympics?” I would be like, “eh…,” but of course I like to think the best and aim high. I believe you can do anything when you focus and want it and put your energy into it.

I also went to Stars on Ice to see “You Rock My World” that I choreographed for Tessa and Scott. It’s a huge wave of love that they receive. They are very privileged and they know it. The first time they did the tour, they started to cry because they had a standing ovation at the beginning of Moulin Rouge. It’s crazy to see how much people love that piece. I receive a ton of messages on Instagram. People recreate the piece and send me the video of them doing it or people tell me that they stopped dancing before, but now they want to start dancing again because of that program, or they tell me that I gave them the passion for skating. It’s really special and inspiring. It makes me realize that I’m doing the right thing.

IDC:  What are your plans for next season? Who are you going to choreograph with, and are you going to work with any of the new teams joining the school?

SC: At the moment I’ve been here at the Cirque a lot, but Marie left me a couple of spaces in the programs to come and work and play and add some stuff. I’m very excited to see the skaters because I miss them, but I invited them to see the Cirque show and I’m excited for this. I’m going to work with the new couples and all the couples from last year—Madi and Zach, Caro and Shane, Marjorie and Zachary, etc.

My next on-ice project is that Marie-France and I are artistic directors and choreographers for the Thank You Canada tour. It’s not like Stars on Ice. It’s going to be very different and fun, involving live musicians, dancers on a platform, off-ice, etc.

IDC:  You also choreographed for pairs and men (Stephen Gogolev, Nathan Chen). Tell us about those experiences and what you found different from ice dance.

SC: This year, Nathan Chen wanted to work with us, which is amazing, because he’s really cool. He’s a hard worker and he is a good technician. He’s good artist too, but he’s missing some more dance stuff, so I think it’s a good combination with me and Marie-France. The program is done and it looks really cool. I’m excited. It’s something that people are going to talk about for a long time.

With Stephen Gogolev, I did his show program. Also, Shoma Uno came last year and I’m going to work with him again this year. It’s a completely different vibe with a singles skater. You need to be able to keep the attention on you and make it interesting and dance big. They are so good, so it’s easy to make them look good. That’s something I liked because it’s a different playground.

For the pairs, we need to work more. I don’t like that they have a long preparation for the elements, I hate to see 3-4 seconds. Can’t we cut it a little? The pairs are also very rigid, they have less flow in the upper body and are very square. That’s some work we need to do, but we can do anything when we train and when we want it. I love new challenges. I need to do different stuff and that’s why I’m invested in so many projects, so that there’s no day that it’s the same. I need to keep it fresh to keep it exciting. Everyday I’m super excited to start my day, because I couldn’t ask for a better job than this. It’s actually not a job, it’s just fun.

IDC:  If you were a skater, what discipline would you skate and what music/routines would you choreograph for yourself?

SC: Ice dance for sure! It would be something contemporary and emotional. I love a good story. Moulin Rouge would have been something I’d loved to do for myself. I’m very into storytelling, so it would be for sure a story, something sung by a guy. Right now I’m listening to Dermot Kennedy a lot. It’s a good mix between the big hip-hop hits and something more melodic. I’d like to suggest it even just for a show or just for fun.

IDC: Which female skater would you pick as your partner?

SC: As for the partner… Oh man…

[silence…]

IDC: Marie-France?

SC: Marie-France is fun. We dance together some times. I love her so much and I’ve learned so much from her. Ah! It’s so hard. I don’t want to say it because it’s going to be written. They all have something special. but I would say Tessa because… because. And then Madi dances so well, and Olivia… Caro is so good as well, but I think with Madi, Olivia, and Tessa, we communicate well and it would be easy to work with. Right now, we are planning some dance things on- and off-ice with Madi, Gabriella, and I. We are going to do a little dance video in the city, and I’m going to choreograph something for them. I like to show that the skaters can do other stuff too. They can dance off-ice too.

IDC:  Do you have anything else to add?

SC: I’m open and very excited to meet new dancers from other countries. I would encourage every skater if they want to bring me over there to give seminars. I would be interested because I want to share what I know for the next generation. I don’t like competition and I know it’s a very competitive world, but for me it would be so much better if everyone would be in the same community and share and be inspired by everybody. It’s better than it was before, the Nancy Kerrigan times. At Worlds, I felt like it was so cool to see all friendships coming from the same dance school. It was the first time you saw something like with Madi and Gabriella. I would encourage all the skaters to take dance classes. Sometimes I teach a seminar and ask if people took dance classes before and when I see people that don’t. It’s called “patinage artistique” for a reason: “patinage,” you do but “artistique,” it’s an even longer word and you don’t dance? Besides that, just Montréal rocks!

[nctmaginesmut]

Silk Robe (Johnny!!!)

My fav anons requested:

 - Hiiiii! Could you possibly do a Johnny smut??? Like idc what it's about as long as he is dominant af because have you met him? Tysm in advance!  - Can you please make one for johnny.  - Could you please do a Johnny smut but something that has to do with Trey Songz- Love Faces lol please and thank you

- Can we get some lovely Johnny smut to celebrate his debut?^^

author: ADMIN NI, MAN

genre: smut

word count: 1,953

a/n: HIIIIIIIIII. It’s been forever, guys... Thank you guys for requesting so much of my bias, my baby, my Johnny... there’s still so much more I get to do for him!!! I hope y’all like it(;;;;;;;;;;;; seriously love you all so much, you request such good stuff.  btw I didn't proof read so there is bound to be some errors

The loud music dances pounds through your skull -- feeling it mixing and boiling with the alcohol like the blood pulsing through your veins. Your body twists and twirls, hitting every beat that goes around. The colorful lights fill your blurry vision. Feeling -  dancing against - the sweaty bodies around you, each moving to their own demise. The air is hot and heavy with the comforting stench of alcohol. A guy comes onto you, his hands slide up your sides, a little too far behind than you prefer. You giggle and wave your finger to say ‘no,’ but he laughs himself and pulls your body closer to his own, grinding slowly against you. You begin to protest, slurring for him to please, stop.   

 Deep in the dancing crowd, music too loud for someone to hear you. A strong hand is then wrapped on your wrist, feel yourself being pulled out of the groapers arms. Short spin later, your arms are resting over a man's shoulders, wrapping them around, your fingers land in his soft hair that has a familiar scent that instantly puts you at ease. He prys your arms off of him and pulls you off the dance floor; you don’t protest though, too dazed to understand what’s happening. Your bare feet slap the floor as tears begin to slip out of your eyes. You’re sat in the first empty seat found, and he crouches down in front you to your eye level.

  “What the hell are you doing here, y/n? Do you know how worried i’ve been??” he practically screams over the blaring, bass filled music.

Knowing that Johnny’s upset with you still makes you cry harder, not even from the high amount of alcohol that is in your system. He looks at your tear streaked face and sighs; a good, deep, throaty sigh. The ones that send surges through your body in other scenarios. Johnny pulls the long sleeve of his black shirt over his fingers, lifts your head by your chin, and wipes your tears away before planting a kiss where they once were.

“I want to go home…” you mumble out. To your surprise, he heard you and picked you up, bridal style, carrying you out of the club. His warm body and infatuating scent cause all of your senses to becomes more fucked up than all the alcohol in the world could ever do. As soon as Johnny steps outside, you still in his arms, the cold air attacks you both. You curl deeper into him, wearing his body heat like a gown. You doze off as he walks, and fade in and out of sleep for the next little while.

Feeling fingers in your hair, you open your eyes very slightly, looking up to see whose fingers they are. You’re lying in the back of a taxi, your head resting on Johnny’s lap, his fingers comb through your hair as he looks out at the passing streets. A small smile comes to your lips, but quickly falls as you fall back asleep once more.

A bright light shines through your eyelids, slowly waking you up. Opening your eyes, they’re shocked close again with the surprise of the sun light. Groaning, you try to block the light out with pillows, trying to fall back asleep. The thought of work jerked you wide awake and springing you up onto your hands and knees. You begin the search for your phone, throwing pillows and pushing off blankets, but see your charging phone on the nightstand under a sticky note. You pull off the green note and read it through your squinting eyes. “Hope you slept well, babygirl. You don’t have work today, so don’t worry. I made food for you before I left for work and put it in the fridge. Love you, Johnny.” 

You smile at his sincerity and attentiveness. Your stomach growls loudly at the thought of food and get up to go get it. A bottle of aspirin and a clean glass wait for you on the counter. Pouring orange juice into the glass and taking two pills, you can’t help but feel grateful to Johnny. He’s always there for you for anything. 

“I should… do something for him…” you say aloud and smirk. After eating and taking a refreshing shower, you get in your car and head out. Checking the time, 2:07; perfect, you think. Johnny doesn’t get off work until 7, won’t be home until 8. You head to the grocery store, getting all the thing needed to make Johnny’s favorite dish.

After two hours of cooking this complicated meal, you begin to wonder why you didn’t just make something else, something easier. The sticky note comes into mind and your motivation level is refueled. Dinner is finally ready, the clock reading 6:40. Heading into yours and Johnny’s bedroom, you turn on some music to kinda get you deeper into the mood, change into a short, pink silk robe with light blue lace suspender belt and matching bra/underwear pair on underneath. 

You climb up onto the tall bed as yours and Johnnys song comes on -- Love Faces by Trey Songz. Sitting up on your knees, your hips move around provocatively to the chorus, hands sliding down your silky sides. Waving your butt in the air as you’re bent over, slowly smooth the wrinkles in the sheets out. Hands suddenly grip your hips, making you grab a pillow and throw it behind you at whomever grabbed you, only to see that you had just thrown a pillow at a laughing Johnny. 

“What’s this, hun?” he draws out while tugging on the waist strap on your robe. Pouting, you tie your robe closed and whip your face the other way. “Why didn’t you call me and tell me you were coming home early? Now look what you’ve done, you’ve ruined my plans!” You spit out, hoping he doesn’t take offense.

His hands slowly slide their way over the outsides of your thighs from behind. His breath hot on your bare throat, a small smile forms over your pouty lips. “Don’t be upset with me…” his husky voice against your skin gives you goosebumps. One of his hands slip over your inner thigh, tracing circles, the other pulling your head back to kiss him with his hand firm against your jaw. Your kisses slow at first, but rapidly speed up and turn sloppy. Soft moans of satisfaction come from his throat -- you gasp for breath as he takes every breath you take. He pushes your panting, swollen lips off his, and huffs out:

“You mean to tell me, this isn’t what you planned for? Babygirl, you know me too well…”  

Hushed laughter fills your mouth at that, to which you lay down. Johnny hovers you, bent knees on both sides of you, your arms pinned under your back. His soft hands run all over your body, his hands applying constant pressure, as though he couldn’t get close enough to you. He sticks his thumb in your mouth, which you suck on, running your tongue up and down like it was his hard sex, doing so while keeping strong eye contact with him. Seeing the corners of his stunning lips curl up in amusement of you sends a pulse through your body; anxious of what’s to come, which is going to be you.

Taking his saliva-wet thumb, he runs it along your collarbone, giving your steaming skin some cold moisture. In a standing straddling position over your hips, he unties your robe and pulls it off of you, anxious to see your flawlessly lingerie dressed body. His breath get caught in his throat as his eyes scan your body, taking in every little detail.

Laying over you once more, his mouth takes to your neck, his fingers to your clit. His tongue flipping over the side of you neck, his fingers teasing your clit; circling fast, then slowing down as your back starts arching, and fast again. You pull your hands out from under you and wrap them around johnny’s neck, but he pull off you as soon as he feels your fingers applying pressure to his nape.

“I didn’t say you could pull your arms out, did i?” Johnny scolds you, lightly slapping your thigh. 

“I’m sorry… Let me make it up to you… let me make it all up to you...” You look up at him, giving him your irresistible puppy dog eyes and biting your lip. He smirks and gets off of you, moving to the edge of the tall bed. You jump off the bed, still in your lingerie and step onto the bench at the foot of the bed, kneeling in front of a bulging johnny. He takes his shirt off, revealing his toned body while your hands slide up his jeans from his knees and slip onto the zipper, rubbing your hands over his stiff tent before you unzip his pants and slide them down, then down his underwear fall -- you take your bra off, intensifying the moment.

Your small hands only make his rock hard dick look even bigger. Kissing the head, you put your lips around him, applying the tiniest bit of pressure. Sliding down, and back up just as slow. Your tongue slips over his cock in your mouth, your secret weapon that gets him going wild every time. His hands move out backwards and hi head falls back. His breaths getting quicker as your mouth moves faster.  

“Fuck, r/n…” You can barely hear this over his panting. Finally he leans over to you, pulling your lips to his, back to the sloppy kisses you both adore so much. You step up and sit on him, your legs wrapped around his torso, your sexes touching, causing friction between the both of you, still kissing ferociously. He picks you up effortlessly and lays you on your back over the edge of the bed, so he’s in a standing kneeling position on the bench now. After practically ripping your underwear off, his fingers run over your sex, feeling you ooze. He wastes no time throwing himself into you. The lack of subtlety causes you to yell -- your hands clenching the bed comforter. You both throb against each other, your cum coaxing his dick as he rams in into you, showing no mercy whatsoever. You reach down to rub your clit, but he slaps your hands away and does it himself.

 He teases you, slowing his finger as his cock speeds up -- quickening his finger as he speeds up his ramming. Your time has come, you climax, but Johnny doesn’t stop. You scream - you yell Johnnys name, but it only makes his fingers flick your clit faster - only makes him enter you faster than before- harder than before. Toes curled, knees weak, you nearly rip the bed sheets from pulling on them so hard. Your body spasms from the overstimulation, your eyes watering, unable to open them and look at the beautifully sweaty man that’s ruining you. Then it suddenly stops; Johnny pulls out of you and pulls you by the wrist to sit up. Springing to your knees, you kneel under Johnnys strong, pulsating cock. You grab it from him, your hand slides up and down so fast it’s almost a blur. He lets out a cry and bends over as he releases all over your bare breasts. After he’s all emptied out, he pulls you up and kisses you. Not sloppy kisses, but not soft kisses either; passionate kisses.

 Taking your hand, he leads the both of you into your guys’ large shower where you wash all of the excitement off, the feeling of complete satisfaction remains.