hecalledme-jagi

[hecalledme-jagi]

No stop 😭 I love flower language!

And comparing their wedding bouquets to their Christmas ones???

- Zen gave Pink Roses, which mean adoration, happiness and love. UGH it’s such a perfect compliment to his wedding bouquet ＿|￣|○

- AND THE FACT YOOSUNG GOT DAY LILIES FOR BOTH OF HIS BOUQUETS!? 😫 White Day Lilies mean purity, innocence, and tranquility. That paired with the meaning of Green Day Lilies?? Just take me out now 😭

- Jumin gave Red Roses, which everyone knows that they mean passion and love. I never particularly liked Jumin with Red Roses, they felt a little mismatched for him, but now that we have his bouquet of Serbian Bellflowers I SEE THE VISION!

- Seven’s is probably the most interesting to me bc unlike the others, his Christmas bouquet seems less like a description of himself, and his feelings, but more of a description of how he sees MC. Seven gives MC Baby’s Breath, which most commonly means purity and innocence. Although, it can also mean everlasting love and devotion. The common meaning seems detached from Seven, but the secondary meaning seems more on the nose for him and really works wonders with his bouquet of Clivias.

DUDE AND IF YOU LOOK AT EVERYTHING TOGETHER YOU SEE THAT EACH BOUQUET DESCRIBES WHERE THE LEADS ARE EMOTIONALLY IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MC!

- Zen adores MC and is just so insanely happy to be with her from the very beginning. And as their relationship grows he truly commits to her and vows his loyalty—as well as his purest form of love—to her. Like a true knight, Zen loves his princess thru and thru from beginning to end and will devote himself to her continually.(this theme of loyalty towards the MC can also be seen throughout other routes too! UGHHHH MY BOY 😭)

- Jumin passionately loves the MC the moment he realizes what his emotions mean, and we’re shown this throughout his Route and in his Valentine’s Day Ending. However, as his feelings mature and he calms from the initial frenzy of emotions, he comes to have a far more everlasting sort of love. He is grateful for her bc she stayed with him during his lowest points, and so he makes the decision to consistently and meticulously love her always.

- Yoosung, when he starts his relationship with the MC, is very innocent and pure in a lot of ways; however, he is the farthest thing from tranquil. He’s immature and is experiencing a lot of grief when he first meets MC, but has no idea how to work through that grief or how to mature out of his immaturity. It isn’t until he feels encouraged and supported by MC and all of the RFA does he start to make the decision to grow as a person, so that he can hopefully support MC in return. And eventually, as he grows with MC and his feelings for her mature, he begins to move on, or forget, his painful memories.

- Seven, when he first meets MC, thinks she’s too pure for his world that’s soaked in darkness. He tries to rid himself of his growing feelings of love towards MC bc he refuses to let her be tainted by his darkness. However, before long, he is entirely devoted to her and his seemingly everlasting fountain of love for her. And after they save Searan, everything is finally complete for Seven. He’s allowed to passionately live, unlike before when he only lived bc he wanted Searan to live. He’s allowed to be happy, and even more so, he’s allowed to be kind bc he no longer has to fight and survive nor does he have to push those he could love away. And in turn, he’s allowed to feel the kindness of others.

As a big lover of flowers and their language, I couldn't help but do this uwu Every flower match each guy's heart color, but also hold some meanings that suits them well. Wanna hear me out?

Clivias mean happiness, passion and kindness.

Serbian Bellflower means everlasting love, gratitude and constancy.

White Roses mean loyalty, pure love and commitment.

Green Daylily can mean romantic love but also "forgetting painful events from the past" 😭🥺💖 sometimes is called "the flower that helps forget sorrow" 🤧🤧😭💞💕

Please check part II!!

[hecalledme-jagi]

playing zen’s route rn and i stg jumin is actually the funniest character in this whole game

[hecalledme-jagi]

Happy Children's Day 🍭

[hecalledme-jagi]

KARAOKE with Zen.

2024 Zen's Birthday🤍

[hecalledme-jagi]

The Ponderings of a Man In Love

I've had this FanLore for Zen strewing in my brain for a little over a year and finally decided to write it out into a one shot!

Enjoy!

What does it mean to experience first love? 

Zen wondered as he watched you doze off beside him to the sound of a movie you both had forgotten about halfway through. He smiled to himself softly, gently brushing away a strand of hair that had fallen over your face, planting a tender kiss on the top of your head. The comforting gesture caused you to snuggle further into his side, cozy and loved. Treasured and wanted.

Zen often thought about the meaning of first love when he was with you. He always felt a pang of guilt over dating other girls before you, even if you weren't bothered by it. He knew you were his yesterday, today, and tomorrow--his dusk and dawn. His moon and stars--leaving him with the fact that you weren't his first, which felt wrong in every way imaginable. So there he sat wondering, and really pondering, what it meant to experience first love. Had he experienced it before? If so, that idea devastated him, leaving his heart aching, poking, splintering, and desperately wanting your comforting. Hoping all his wondering meant nothing. 

He snuggled in close, soaking in your warmth, soothing his self-inflicted wounds, nuzzling your hair, blinking back the sting of tears.

Slowly he doze off to the sound of your steady breathing, calming his anxiety. Slowly learning to bask in the simple pleasures of a quiet evening. 

His breathing steadied, finding rhythm with your own, and in complete unison, your chests rose and fell. 

He found his peace in his small basement apartment.

But absolutely and entirely, he found his peace here with you.

And in his slumber, there came a dream. Or, more accurately, a nearly forgotten memory.

Zen was younger here, much younger than you knew him now. His hair barely reached past his shoulders, fashioned into something of a mullet. His leather jacket just a size too big, but in a year's time, it would fit him perfectly. And he stood in a place filled with familiarity. His secret mountain hideout. The view was the same as it had always been, and somehow, that comforted the young boy, here now, and the man he would come to be. 

The cold evening air nipped at his cheeks and nose, a gentle breeze passing through his hair with the faint smell of cigarette smoke. Following the scent with his eyes and nose, he found a scene this young boy very well knew but was far from the scene his adult counterpart adored. There stood a girl who simply wasn't you.

Ji-an, a younger, much more boyish Hyun, recognized with an air of giddiness coating his thoughts, and in like manner, she was viewed with rose-tinted glasses. 

He admired her long black hair as it gently swayed in the passing breeze, her sharp and unusually dark eyes staring down at the view he found so much comfort in, reflecting nothing of the setting sun or the city lights flickering on one at a time. And her lips turned in a slight frown with a lit cigarette in hand. Ji-an was a girl made entirely of mysterious beauty, and for a long time, Hyun might've considered her the most beautiful girl he'd ever met. She was in the same gang as Zen, that's how they had met. She was older than him, but only slightly, maybe sixteen or seventeen. She was a force to be reconned with, a calm before a storm. Freedom and rebellion. Anger and desperation. Loneliness and devastation. But other than that, she was a total mystery. Hyun never knew more about her than she let him see, and maybe that was part of why he clung to her so helplessly. Or maybe it was because he envied her and how free she seemed to be. Maybe he wanted to live reckless abandoned where he was allowed to be who he wanted to be, the way Ji-an seemed to. Or maybe it was because bad habits always seemed more attractive than good ones at the start.

Ji-an sucked on her cigarette, holding the smoke in her throat until it burned. 

“You know,” she began as she turned to look at Hyun, “I think if we had met before everything hit the fan, I would’ve fallen in love with you for real.”

Hyun watched and admired the rugged elegance she exuded. Marvalling, despite how her words cut him deeply. His heart secretly wondering--when will anyone ever truly love me?

“For one thing, you’re a real looker,” she leaned in and kissed Hyun's lips softly, leaving the faintest taste of cigarette smoke and strawberry lip balm on the tip of his tongue. 

Is that all I'll ever be? A pretty face barely worth loving? Another secret wonder he wouldn't discover until much later.

“You’re not so bad of a guy either,” she reached out, with her free hand and gently played with the fringe that hung over his forehead. “If I wasn’t so damaged, I’d probably be able to appreciate that heart of yours,” she poked his chest playfully and with a tone of self-mockery, sucking another puff of cigarette tar into her lungs. 

“But instead, here I am, giving you cigarettes, beer, and bad memories,” she scoffed. 

Hyun took a step closer to Ji-an, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with her. He peered into her face, hoping to read the meaning in her words by seeing her expression more clearly, but there was nothing he could see. Her eyes continued to stare dispassionately at the scenic view, and not for a moment did she meet his searching gaze, nor did she acknowledge his presence at her side. Instead, her brow furrowed, and irritation fizzled in her vacant eyes.

"We shouldn't have met," she said, tossing her cigarette onto the ground and stomping it out under her boots. 

Hyun felt his heart drop.

Ji-an turned on her heels and walked towards her motorcycle.

"W.. wait! Ji-an, where are you going?" He called.

There was no answer except the loud roar of a motorcycle engine starting.

"Ji-an!"

She paused, looking towards Hyun, with more emotion in her eyes than Hyun had ever seen before, "Get out of here. Become something." 

And that was it. 

She rode off, the rumbling of her motorcycle fading the farther she got. And Hyun could only watch, confused, lost, and entirely too alone for a boy his age.

Zen jolted awake, beads of cold sweat running down his back and his heart dropping into his stomach, leaving his chest feeling hollow and unbearably lonely until he heard you.

"Hyun?" you said, coming back into the living room with a glass of water, "Are you okay?"

He looked at you, and the frenzy in his eyes became calm. A deep breath entered his lungs, and it was exhaled smoothly.

And that's when his wondering all made sense. 

Zen realized it then as his hysteria calmed at the mere sight of you. He knew then that perhaps in all possibility, before you came and before he had forgotten what life was like in your absence, he would've considered Ji-an his first love experience. And in some way, maybe she was. Maybe she was his first love, but that thought didn't seem to bother him so much anymore. Because maybe love was more about changing than firsts and lasts. 

(Although, admittedly, he was perfectly enchanted by the idea that you would be his last. You would hold all his ending chapters, and perhaps, that was far more important than keeping all his opening phrases.)

Ji-an encouraged his flaws but neglected his strengths. He knew now that they were bad for each other, beasts ravenously hungry for love and acceptance. In love with their shared self-pity. Wanting each other because of the addictive nature of cigarettes, loving the nicotine clinging to their clothes and mingling in their mouths. Loving the faint taste of strawberries after every kiss that made the bitter taste of tobacco seem pleasant and sweet. But even still, she inspired his drive for freedom.

And you? You came and captivated him.

You nurtured his strengths and loved his flaws, and for that, he loved you, but as his feelings began to grow, he wanted to be better for you. He wanted to change. So maybe, just maybe, it was for the best that you came at this moment in his life. You came at the point in his life when he still had room to grow but was mature enough to treasure you wholeheartedly. Perhaps now was the best time to love you--not to say it was the only time he could love you, nor was it the perfect time, for he knew that if he had met you ten years ago or ten years from now, he'd be ready to love you precisely and honestly--so now as Zen looks at you, finally finding his moment of lost peace, he realizes that all this wondering about "first love" was for not because all that matters is that he loves you.

Zen nods, gently grabbing at your waist and pulling you in. He rests his forehead against your torso, hugging your waist tightly.

 "Never better, honey~"

˚✧₊⁎𝒥𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑎⁎⁺˳✧༚

I do not own any characters, all ownership goes to Cheritz. Thanks for reading!

[hecalledme-jagi]

@cheritzteam seriously spoiled us Zen Stans this year 😭 IT FEELS LIKE ITS BEEN FOREVER SINCE IVE SEEN MY BEAUTIFUL BOY IN SUCH HIGH QUALITY.

[hecalledme-jagi]

Bazzi’s music has big Zen energy

[hecalledme-jagi]

(I saw your tags and I have to say, don’t feel bad about sounding bitter BC IM THE SAME WAY 🤣 I’m a Mystic Messenger Stan, and I’ve raged about how my fave ML deserves so much more than what he’s received. In my humble opinion it’s correct to defend our boys into the grave LOL)

EXACTLY! The entire reason I fell in love with Artem was bc he’s (supposed to be) a complete dork! Like when he tried, and miserably failed at, telling a joke??? And Rosa laughing bc she understood what he was trying to do??? That scene lives in my brain rent free bc it’s so Artem and so stupidly sweet and so unbelievably funny. Or him taking notes on an office romance show? I LOVE HIM 😭 and the way he gave Rosa an opportunity to reject him is EVERYTHING! To bring up Vyn and Luke as comparisons again, both leads try to make a decision for Rosa or in Vyn’s case, try to get her opinion to sway in their favor. Luke tried to make Rosa reject him, which obviously didn’t go according to plan, and Vyn got the outcome he wanted because he facilitated an environment where Rosa could fall in love with him. Both leads start their relationship on very very rocky footing, but as their respective relationships mature, they get healthier. Whereas with Artem, he was simply Artem. He was himself in all his insecurity, awkwardness, and dorkiness. Rosa very naturally came to love Artem exactly where he was at. And this is a big reason why I’ve always believed that if Rosa was to ever date someone in the Main Story, it would be Artem. He takes care of her in a way the other leads(still can’t speak for Marius) don’t and they have a mutual respect for each other that can easily lead to a much deeper relationship than work partners.

UGH AND YOU’RE SO RIGHT ABOUT NEIL! I hadn’t noticed it until you mentioned it, but now that you have I can’t unsee it! Neil was such a huge part of Artem’s life and a good majority of his early stories mention him at least once. That just goes to show how important Neil is to Artem. It shows how devastated Artem would be if Neil betrayed NXX. Of course, there is the possibility that Artem’s grieving heart somewhat healed, during the course of his relationship with Rosa, but if the writers wanted to express that sort of development it should’ve been shown to us rather than dropping Neil without a word.

Artem being an insane freak is such a weird idea and I’m not sure how I feel about it being our current reality 🤣 I ranted about this recently, but one of my favorite things about Artem is the way he looks at Rosa. It’s such a tender and gentle gaze that clearly communicates how much he cherishes Rosa, long before they even start dating. It completely counteracts the Cold CEO expression that he wears when he’s working AND the idea that he’s a daddy dom! Instead, it openly communicates to the viewer that he is the farthest thing from cold and domineering. ALSO the fact that the writers are trying to convince us of Artem being a freak is completely shattered when they give is normal Artem behavior! Like in the Cue the Champion event, they mention that Artem keeps a polite distance from Rosa whenever they’re in public, which signals to me that he’s still very shy about openly displaying his affection for Rosa. Or in his Belle Nuit d’Amour card when he got embarrassed about his mom seeing them kiss! Sure, they can have moments alone while in public, but past records have shown that Artem is usually only comfortable with holding hands, maybe a peck, and I loved that for him. If the writers really wanted to increase the amount of physical affection between Artem and Rosa, there are so many different ways they could’ve done it. Using Luke again as an example, Rosa and Luke are very awkward in the beginning of their relationship bc they’ve been friends for so long, but over the course of their relationship they naturally become more physically affection with each other in a way that differed from their friendship. The Lukeout, Fire! Event is a prime example of how openly affectionate the pair are without crossing over into weird territory. It’s just simple, and more realistic, forms of affection.

Good to hear the 3rd anni card isn’t entirely awful, tho I do fear a boring story LOL

You came up on my recommended feed at the perfect time bc I have Artem brainrot rn AND YOUR ANALYZATION OF ARTEM’S CARDS ARE FANTASTIC! I’m one of the few players that avoids most CN server spoilers, and I’ve been abstaining from pulling most cards so I can pull for 3rd anni(which now I’m kinda questioning if I should LOL), so I missed out on a TON of content for all of the male leads. BUT, from the very few cards I had pulled this past yr, I did notice an odd shift in Artem’s personality. Although, I wasn’t too sure if it was just me being dumb or if it was a real thing that was happening. And after reading some of your posts I kinda want to re-read Artem’s Second Anni Card again bc I was so excited for the artwork from that event, that I didn’t pay much attention to the story LOL However, now that I’ve seen what you’ve said and what many other Artem fans have said, I’m sure my feelings weren’t wrong. And now I’m sad 😢

Artem was my favorite bc his relationship with Rosa felt the healthiest and was built on respecting each other’s boundaries, learning how to set boundaries, and working as a team, while also having a more traditional framework of a male leadership role(which I’m extremely fond of). Artem never restricted Rosa from spreading her wings as his work partner or as his life partner, he simply asked if he could come along beside her where ever she wanted to go. AND LIKE HIS ORIGINAL PERSONAL STORY IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THIS BEHAVIOR! Rosa makes a reckless decision to go get evidence, without Artem, for a the domestic violence case they were working on and almost gets hurt in the process. After that, Artem scolds Rosa for being reckless and for not taking better care of herself. And Rosa doesn’t take it lying down either! They equally argue and get their grievances out in the open, feel bad about later, and apologize. (THE COMMUNICATION IS SO REAL 😩) FURTHERMORE! This incident leads them to learning and understanding how differently they work as lawyers. Artem learns that Rosa is a lot more personal with her clients and handles her cases with an empathetic approach, while he works more pragmatically, so through this case they learn to work to each other’s strengths as partners, covering for what the other person lacks. And the chapters this incident took place in solidified my growing love for Artem bc unlike Luke or Vyn(I’m not sure about Marius bc admittedly I haven’t read his original personal story 😅), Artem doesn’t hinder Rosa by being overprotective like Luke or push her beyond her capacities like Vyn tried to do in his original personal story. Artem allows a natural course of growth to occur in Rosa, while being a hedge of protection for Rosa BUT ONLY when she seems to REALLY need it, and the same can be said for Rosa towards Artem.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk, sorry for ranting 😅

WAHHH YOU'RE TOO KIND!! ;_; thank you so much for the sweet words, it really means a lot!!! i'm so so happy you enjoyed my ranting and raving, honestly having a community of super awesome people to talk about this with has been such a comfort and ive made some awesome friends from my time here, even if we don't chat as much anymore!

and omg, do NOT ever feel bad for ranting in my inbox!!!! i've been ranting about tot in the main tag for two years at this point and i will Always be thrilled to read delightfully written meta such as yours!!!!!

i have to say, i entirely agree with all of this. and i mean ALL OF IT. his personal stories 2, 3, and 4 are my absolute favorites of his and gosh that's like. prime artem to me, i think. your ask reminded me of some meta i read such a long while ago about his second personal story (link can be found here, it's SUCH a good read)

i think a huge issue is that artem originally always felt like the antithesis to your typical daddy dom boss character. when you start playing tot, appearances wise, he looks and even comes across as one. but these initial appearances are quickly shattered.

he is absolutely inexperienced with interpersonal relationships. he fumbles the bag CONSTANTLY with rosa. he's terrible at holding conversation, he's constantly apologizing for being boring. he needs his own fucking boss to wingman (haha. wing) for him. he blushes if mc looks at him the wrong way. he's kinda strange. but he's earnest and genuine. he respects rosa's boundaries. he makes mistakes, but learns from them. he gives rosa time to think over her feelings for him so she can still say no to him if she changes her mind.

it's the contrast between this and his initial appearance that makes him interesting. what is extremely bizarre with artem's recent writing is it feels like someone who only read artem's introduction scene got some vague pointers and was like oh. your typical daddy dom boss guy. okay yeah i can write this. and then they did. which . defeats the whole entire point of what made artem compelling in the first place. he was compelling BECAUSE he subverted this trope. by just making him play the trope straight, you remove any and all intrigue from his character.

by not building off of older cards, you abandon all of the plot lines he had set up. they undid any angst in his stories. they dropped his issues with his parents. they downplayed neils impact on his life. he doesn't even grieve for him anymore. he doesnt even think about him most of the time. what happened to entwined fate? praying for neil's safety? what about neil being his father figure? neil potentially betraying the nxx? are we just going to ignore that now so we can watch artem be an insane freak who just apparently woke up with the skills of a sex god, forgot all of the lessons he learned, and doesnt care about consent anymore?

god, now IM ranting.... regardless. youre so right. i hear artem's newest cards are good so im praying those rumors are true : ((

EDIT: SORRY I MEANT TO TALK ABOUT HIS THIRD ANNIVERSARY CARD!!! it's not as bad as his second anniversary card. i know the bar is in hell but it's something. it's pretty contrived in the grand scheme of things (like why are they moving into a house...?) and has some weird moments, but is ultimately not as bad as it could have been in the slightest. i'd say its biggest crime is being boring as sin. holy fuck. i put that shit on 2x speed and i still found myself wanting to fast forward. like nothing happens at all???? it's so bizarre HAHA

[hecalledme-jagi]

the poor boy just wanted to talk about his new bowl

[hecalledme-jagi]

Can we just take a second to talk about how Artem looks at Rosa?? Like this man clearly adores her long before they started dating and it’s so obvious, that it hurts.

LOOK AT HIM! ROSA HAD BARELY STARTED FEELING ANYTHING FOR ARTEM AT THIS POINT AND HE JUST!!! ＿|￣|○ He looks at her with so much tenderness and all the while he’s under the impression that he’s struggling to communicate how he feels??? Sure, he’s a clumsy dork when it comes to romance, but his eyes say so much more than any romantic gesture he could possibly conjure up or whatever poetic words he might want to say. Those eyes express a very deep longing to treasure and cherish. He wants, and is content with, experiencing the mundane things in life at her side and it KILLS ME 😭 he’s happy, beyond compare, watching the waxing and waning of her expressions and feeling her warmth.

AND DON’T GET ME STARTED ON HIS BIRTHDAY INVITATION! Out of ALL the First Birthday invitations, Artem’s was my absolute favorite(and it’s probably my favorite invitation of all time). For one thing, it’s stunning, but it’s so unbelievably soft T^T!!!!!! The gentle way Rosa shifts closer to Artem, the way he gently holds her hand and blushes when she gets closer. The adoring look on his face and the soft smile on hers! UGH!! And it only gets better when you think about how she spent DAYS recreating an iconic scene from Artem’s favorite movie!? As a movie buff myself, Rosa’s actions spoke volumes! She dedicated so much of her personal time to get Artem a gift she knew he’d love. I wouldn’t be surprised if Artem fell in love with her all over again after that!

And after they start dating, he just continues to be more loving!? Some how his gaze becomes EVEN SOFTER!? HOW!? TELL ME! HOW!? If a man looked at me the way Artem looks at Rosa, I’d actually die. Out of all the leads, I think I love with way Artem looks at Rosa the most. It’s such a gentle and adoring expression that is 100% content with just looking. Just observing. The way he looks at her makes you think he’s committing every micro expression to memory and tracing every contor of her face, so that if there ever comes a day that he can’t see her face, it’ll be permanently seared into his very soul.

AUGJRVWWejtbegw AND IT GETS BETTER! They revealed, during the Cue The Champion Event, that Artem keeps a polite distance with Rosa when they’re in public, meaning he’s probably pretty shy about PDA, so he makes up for it through his loving gaze(thats how I’m interpreting it anyway :3). Artem and Rosa, in my humble opinion, create a very warm atmosphere around each other without having to express their affections verbally or physically. Any bystander could tell the two love each other just by seeing how they look at each other. Just by seeing how Artem looks at her. UGH JUST LIKE IN THE MYSTERIES OF BAKERLON EVENT! He’s composing a wordless love letter (´༎ຶོρ༎ຶོ`)

I’m mostly adding this card just for fun, but there’s just so much affection Artem carries for Rosa and as much as I love the other leads, Artem holds a very special place in my heart that I just can’t ignore 🥺

[hecalledme-jagi]

“Can we always be this close” with zen please 💛

“You’re not scared, are you?”

MC expected to hear a trace of mockery in his tone, but much to her surprise (and delight), Zen sounded completely, genuinely, honestly, candidly... concerned.

“Of course not,” MC declared in a huff. She straightened up her posture, and every vertebra in her back seemed to squeak in protest at her bold movements, as if they knew the truth that she was so desperately trying to hide. She tilted her shoulders back and lifted her chin up, then puckered her lips out in a pout. Her bold display of power seemed to announce, “Look at me! I don’t know fear! How dare you question me?”

But the knocking in her knees as she stood still and the trembling in her fingertips as she gripped onto the helmet completely betrayed her facade.

A soft sigh slipped out of Zen’s pitiful smile as he turned off the engine. “Hey, come here, my princess,” he cooed. He thrust off his helmet, hopped off the motorcycle, and placed it on the seat where he had been a moment before. “I shouldn’t have told you about my injury,” he murmured, and traces of regret dragged down the mood of his usually rhythmic, lulling voice. “I promise I don’t drive that recklessly anymore.” As if to demonstrate, he planted his foot on the seat of the bike, bending his knee and shifting his weight back and forth to display just how healthy his leg was. “Of course, I also heal like a monster, since God made a mistake in creating me, but...” He shook his head, sending his ponytail whipping back and forth. “Sorry. That’s not exactly what you want to hear right now.”

MC allowed her shoulders to cave in and her head to tip downward, now that Zen had already seen through her act. “I trust you, Zen,” she whispered. “I just... I don’t trust everyone else on the road.”

Zen nodded slowly, carefully considering her concerns. “Then you’ll just have to hold on tightly to me,” he decided at last. “I’ll shield you with my body, princess. We will ride on my noble steed to the castle, where we can celebrate an evening just for the two of us, safe and sound.”

His dramatic description prompted a chuckle from MC-- the first time she had smiled ever since Zen had taken her outside to his bike. “We’re just getting burgers, Zen,” she reminded him. “You promised to allow yourself a cheat day for Valentine’s.”

Zen tutted and lifted a finger to her mouth. His smooth skin pressed against her sensitive lips was tempting, tantalizing... but she would have to suppress any of those urges until after dinner. “I’m creating a stage, darling,” he informed her with a wink. “Won’t you please be my costar?”

MC removed one (sticky, sweaty) hand from the helmet and reached up to press her finger against Zen’s lips. “Alright, my prince,” she murmured. “Let us ride into the sunset to the White Castle.”

“Away we go!” Zen cried, and he hopped back onto the motorcycle. Carefully he fastened his helmet onto his head, and then he reached out with one hand towards MC. “Watch your step, mademoiselle.”

Faith. Trust. Princess dust.

She trusted him, and that was what mattered most.

MC inhaled sharply, pulled her helmet onto her head, and gingerly slid onto the bike behind Zen. As soon as she got on board, she wrapped her arms around Zen’s waist, needing some form of stabilization for both her shivering body and her rapidly pounding heart.

“Hey, hey,” he whispered. “Scoot in as closely as you need. Squeeze my beautiful abs as much as you want. Bury your face against my shoulderblades to shield your eyes. Do whatever makes you comfortable.”

Scoot. Squeeze. Bury.

With every miniscule movement, every subtle shift, she could feel her fear dissipating and comfort taking its place.

“Hey, gorgeous prince Zen,” she mumbled into his back.

“Yes?” he called back as he revved up the engine and kicked up the kickstand.

“Can we... always be this close?”

[hecalledme-jagi]

It's so funny that everyone's inner thoughts in the invitation are related to the game while I-don't-wake-up-before-nine Vyn is like "why are y'all frolicking on the STAIRS this early........"

[hecalledme-jagi]

hi! i'm so upset after picking up mystic messenger again so i wanted to ask if you could do a zen x MC hc, but they're both aware that they are in different dimensions and will never be together... but they see each other in their dreams!!

(Bruh I wrote this a yr ago and completely forgot about it. Sorry Anon ;;;)

Anon, you hurt me so T_T I love the angst, but why!? ＿|￣|○

I am a weak, weak, woman for Zen angst and now I must offer it to you and the rest of this fandom. I must break my heart for this man, AGAIN! For you, Anon, I will dive back into the depths of despair. On that note, I hope you enjoy, or feel sad(??).

Sorry for the delay, but fitting that I write Zen angst on my 6th MysMe Anniversary LOL

Zen and MC in Different Dimensions

- Zen could feel when you missed him. It’s a warm yet heartbreaking feeling that rests in his chest and stings in his eyes.

- You could feel Zen’s thoughts of you. They’re constant and lovely but left you melancholic and lonely.

- He knew when you were thinking of him or talking about him because suddenly everything appeared so much brighter.

- You knew when he longed for you because bright and unhindered smiles always seemed to paint your face.

- Sometimes he swore he could hear your voice and your beautiful laughter when he was going about his day.

- Sometimes his laughter was all you could hear and all you wanted to hear.

- Zen often wondered if you got the same feelings he did. Did your heart feel unbearably warm when he missed you? Did your world light up when he talked about you or thought of you? Did you hear his laughter and his voice throughout the day?

- The answer was yes, a thousand times over, with every ounce of love, joy, and sadness.

- And sadly, he would never know, but he knew one thing for sure, sharing dreams was something you both looked forward to.

- Knowing you could only reach each other in your dreams, made sleep the most treasured thing either of you could ask for.

- In those dreams, he could hold you and offer you the affections he couldn’t in the waking hours of the day. He’s created vast and beautiful worlds in those dreams, hoping each one would make your waking hours a little more bearable.

- He made sure that those dreams encouraged you to live in reality bc that’s where you truly belonged, but deep down he wished that sleep would never end and he could stay with you.

- On the hardest days, when his feelings of loneliness became more than he could take, when his insecurities raged and roared at him, when life got too difficult to bear; all he wanted was to sleep and be where you are.

- To feel your warmth and comfort, support and love.

- He wanted, so desperately, to bridge those distant dimensions for as long as possible, even if it became unhealthy.

- But what good would that do? He would only be dragging you down with him, and he could never do that to you.

- Furthermore, he knew, better than anyone else, that you would want him to continue living and perusing his dreams, the same way he wanted that for you.

- So, sleeping until you wake, would be enough.

- Holding you until morning came.

- Kissing you until daybreak.

- Sweet nothings until sunrise.

- Laughter until first light.

- Loving you, and you loving him, without limit or requisite.

- He would take his fill, searing ever inch of you into his memory. Filling his cup until it overflowed with you, hoping it would bleed into the day that followed. Hoping it would make up for the lack of you in his world.

- Hoping maybe one day that the yearning you shared would somehow turn the two dimensions into one, where he could finally have your scent cling to his clothes and melt into his skin. Where he could have you part of his life, morning, noon, and night. Where sleep wasn’t the only place he could find you. Where loving you beyond a screen and short lived dreams was no longer a wish, but rather something mixed with normalcy.

˚✧₊⁎𝒥𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑎⁎⁺˳✧༚

I do not own any characters, all ownership goes to Cheritz. Thanks for reading!

[hecalledme-jagi]

ref under cut

[hecalledme-jagi]

mystic messenger characters as tweets pt 10

[hecalledme-jagi]

It's Zen's day after all, but was thinking about how whenever Zen lands a role, he tells everyone the dates in advance hoping they'd come but always adds "it's alright if you guys are busy, I'll try not to take it personally" as a joke. Deep down, he really wants everyone to be there to show them how hard he's worked and how much everyone helped in his preparations.

But every opening night, without fail, when Zen looks out into the crowd, he sees every single member sitting in the crowd talking excitedly and his heart fills with immense gratitude and love. Because even if his biological family never supported him in the past, he knows the RFA - his real family - will always be there for him instead.

Which gives Zen all the more motivation to put his all into his performance.

[hecalledme-jagi]

Blizzardous Threads of Red in a nutshell