#I can explain the full context in the morning but in short it was very much a sort of

[tiny-cloud-of-flowers]

Despite her attempts to collect herself, it took Aria a long time of letting tears fall and letting herself purr before she could finally speak again. When she did so, her voice sounded somewhat hoarse, but it was still unmistakeable as hers.

"You.. would really love something like me.." she was mumbling.

"Of *course* I would! And do..!" Clio said back, keeping her own voice light in return. "I'm always gonna be here for you, Ari. And I'm just.. so so glad that you're okay.."

She trailed off and started crying again, this time fully with joy and relief.

(Anyone is welcome to comment on and/or reblog my work if they want to, as long as my DNI is respected)

Tag list: @starlit-selfships | @edencantstopfallininlove | @yoomtahsgf | @sunlight-ships | @dragonsmooch | @thatslikesometaldude | @kuroiikamen | @artificervaldi | @keyblade-ships | @seahydra | @dmclr | @neuvilline

(If you would like to be tagged in any of my future work, please use this form!)

Thank you kindly to anyone who has taken the time to look at this ^-^

[wannaeatramyeon]

I know you’re already super busy and booked but if you can, Munseong Kim/Ji Yeonwoo fluff and headcanons would be cool. There is little to none on them, please pace yourself I don’t want you to feel overwhelmed.

Hmmm. Let's do... texting habits (ish). And sorry I included my cuties Wangguk and Taehoon too 😊

HTF texting habits hc: Munseong, Yeonwoo, Wangguk, Taehoon

Munseong is a pretty cool and reserved guy, and that shows with his texting habits

He keeps it short and to the point, not a lot of emojis and everything comes across a little deadpan with his replies.

However, he is extremely fast respond back to you and usually within the minute... even if it doesn't warrant a response he'll at least send back a 😄 Sweet boy doesn't want to leave you hanging!

And if he's late to text back (by his standards), he'll always apologise even though you've explained a million times it's fine and you know he's doing his own thing.

Don't expect any memes, or him to react with anything apart from confusion. But you can always expect a good morning or good night.

Whenever he's feeling a bit down, he will read over your old messages and imagine your smile and your face lighting up on the other side.

...Or just call you to hear your voice.

Yeonwoo always makes time for texting you even with his hectic study schedule.

Thinks of it as a little treat, something to look forward to after frying his brain for the last couple hours.

He's always a bit contrite for his late replies too but it doesn't deter you with your double, triple, quadruple+ texting. It brightens his day seeing your name pop up on his phone, even if there are 10+ messages waiting.

Once his study schedule chills out and he makes more time for Kyokushin, he also makes more time for you!

Anything that pops into his head that he thinks you'll like, or that he thinks of saying, he'll just come right out with it.

More often than not it's a cute cat/dog meme or silly fluffy pics.

Occasionally it'll be blurred selfies of him during training. Just a lil hi and a way to say he's thinking of you.

Ah, another pretty reserved one.

Wangguk uses emojis more than you would expect, and is pretty cute with them to be honest. Adds them to provide a bit more context and depth with his responses because he knows how dry he can sound 🥺

Keeps his messages pretty short unless there's something that he is passionate about then he'll just ramble and send a full on essay. Punctuated with another follow up message to say sorry. It's pretty goddamn cute tbh.

Sends you a LOT of pictures. Innocent ones that is. Pictures tell a thousand words and he loves his photography.

Pics to say good morning, good night, thinking of you, thought you would like this. Usually Wangguk isn't in them, which makes any selfies even more special.

Also loves when you respond back in kind, sending him snaps of your day and just you.

Surprisingly, or perhaps not, is extremely clued up with memes or anything slightly unhinged thanks to Gyeoul and her sense of humour. Will send on any to you that makes him chuckle.

Listen if Taehoon wants your attention, he'll let you know. That includes messages and calls at 4am just to fuck with you. Especially when he hears your exasperated sigh and groggy voice. Or even an angry reply to "GO TF TO SLEEP!!" It will never not be funny to him. Maybe that's on you for continuing to respond and pick up all the time.

Cute good morning, good night texts? No chance.

Although he is very good at letting you know where he is, what he's up to. And expects similar from you. It's not that he doesn't trust you, he just wants to know you're safe. A hangover from Dowoon.

And this bastard is also pretty leisurely with his responses. You can be having a full on conversation, responses back within the minute then he leaves you on read for hours.

However, if you do the same then expect a call "why the fuck aren't you answering me." If you miss that, then expect an annoyed Taehoon on your doorstep.

Again, another hangover from Dowoon. His mind just goes to the worst case scenarios.

[recurring-polynya]

For the ask meme (feel free to answer any/some/none):

🌙 - What’s their sleep schedule like? — Yamamoto

🤡 - What’s something dumb they’re embarrassed about? — Kira

🖌️ - Do they have any hobbies? —Hanatarou

💤 - What do they absolutely need to have to fall asleep? —Byakuya (and does this change over time?)

I hope your weekend is shaping up to be nice!

🌙 - What’s their sleep schedule like? — Yamamoto

Here’s his entire daily schedule, because, as you will see, sleep is strongly integrated throughout.

5am - rise, fully rested. Consume a light breakfast of nattou and kombucha. Hit the gym early, when all the young bucks in their short shorts are there.

6:30 am - Drink a glass of vinegar and eat an entire raw sweet potato.

7 am - Squad 1 morning standup

7:15 - Sit down at desk. Fall asleep.

9 am - Sasakibe brings in their morning grapefruit and talks about British things for an hour.

10 am - Write half a strongly worded letter to whichever captain is on his shitlist today and/or the Seireitei Bulletin. Fall asleep partway through. 

11 am - Lunchtime. 12oz of cod, two raw eggs, and another sweet potato.

noon - Set things on fire

1 pm - Official nap

2 pm - Captains’ meeting, if applicable. Otherwise, wander around and grumble.

3 pm - Dinner. 8 oz of steak (he’s the Head Captain, he can afford it), large pile of veggies, rice.

4 pm - Drills with the youngsters (no one in Squad 1 is younger than 400 years old)

5 pm - Bath. Likelihood of drifting off in the bath: high

6 pm - Drinks sake, contemplates the universe.

7 pm - Before bed second dinner. Another 12 oz of cod, some roughage, more kombucha, 4 pickled plums.

8 pm - A responsible bedtime!!

🤡 - What’s something dumb they’re embarrassed about? — Kira

You mean aside from existing?

Izuru is embarrassed about so many, many things, but this is the dumbest, which is that until very recently, he didn’t think that chameleons actually changed color, he thought it was a folklore-based metaphor, like the way people associate salamanders with fire. The reason he thought this was very simple, which is that Gin mentioned this, in numerous offhand ways, for the purposes of messing with him. I mean, it wasn’t personal, ‘chameleons can’t really change color’ was just one of a number of similar bits Gin did to anyone he thought would fall for it, it just happened that Izuru a) spent a lot of time with Gin and b) isn’t tremendously good at telling when people are lying to him, especially about things dropped in casual conversation. Chameleons aren’t native to Japan and they don’t have them in Soul Society, and who has time to keep track of all the weird animals from other parts of the Living World, some of which are made up. I mean, narwhals are real, but unicorns are made up???

Anyway, at some point after the Winter War, the topic happened to come up in the context of a painting Momo was doing (Shinji had asked her to do something colorful to hang in the office) and they got into a big standoff about it. Izuru refused to take Shinji’s word for it, because the man is at least as full of shit as Gin, so they decided to take it to the man who knows everything about the World of the Living, except that they didn’t want to explain why they were asking, so one night at the bar, Momo just casually asked Renji if he knew anything about chameleons.

Boy, does he. Apparently, at some point during the Advance Team mission, Chad had shown Renji a multipart documentary series called “Remarkable Reptiles,” and he spent the next hour regaling them with Chameleon Facts, including their weird feet, their incredible eyesight, the fact that they glow under UV light, and, of course, their ability to change color (which is not as good as a cuttlefishes, according to a different animal documentary Renji had seen). Momo grew more and more smug as this recitation went on, Izuru attempted to dissolve his own organs through the power of shame. Shuuhei was there also, but was so enraptured by the magic of chameleons, he did not notice that Izuru himself had turned bright red (not for camouflage purposes)

Anyway, Momo is a kind and compassionate friend, and did not rub this in, but it doesn’t matter, the damage was done. Izuru sometimes lies in bed and wonders how many people he casually mentioned the chameleon thing to. He wonders if they noticed. He wonders if there is any possibility that Gin himself was also misinformed about the nature of chameleons.

Shinji loved the chameleon painting (it looks vaguely like him) and hung it in a prominent spot in the office. He also framed the large, extremely random nature column that coincidentally appeared in the Bulletin shortly afterward entitled “Chameleons! Did You Know?” and hung it up next to the painting. Izuru hates going to the Squad 5 offices. 

🖌️ - Do they have any hobbies? —Hanatarou

I think Hanatarou would collect stickers! He’s very chill about it, he just buys ones he likes and he occasionally sticks them in notebooks, just making little collages of ones he things look nice together. He prefers ones that are cute or funny or pretty, but he also loves ones that come from different places or that commemorated a particular event or festival. When she gets an opportunity, Kiyone will sometimes bring them back from the World of the Living for him-- he loves the shininess and quality of the printing.

While he does have some hard-to-get ones that he keeps special, he is very generous with his stickers. The Coordinated Relief Station doesn’t see a lot of children, but Hanatarou is the one who maintains the sticker stock, just in case, plus Yachiru will often drop by for the sole purpose of demanding one.

💤 - What do they absolutely need to have to fall asleep? —Byakuya (and does this change over time?)

His wife. 😭😭😭💔💔💔

Like many neurodivergent people, Byakuya had a lot of trouble falling asleep as a kid. Byakuya is a Kuchiki though, he bends the world to his whim. He would carefully consider why couldn’t fall asleep. Was he too hot? Was there a noise bothering him? Was he hungry? Thirsty? He eventually figured out the optimal Byakuys Sleeping Conditions, which didn’t solve the problem, but it helped. From there, he tried out numerous sleep inducing techniques-- counting imaginary animals, visualizing peaceful surroundings, reciting various things he had memorized. He never found a precise recipe for getting to sleep, but he developed heuristics, and was generally able to get himself to sleep one way or another.

And then he got married.

He worried, somewhat, in the run-up to this, that sleeping with another person was going to require acclimation. A person. Next to you. Breathing. Making body heat. What if Hisana didn’t like the sheets he preferred? What if she wanted the windows closed when he wanted them open? She was the most wonderful person in the world, though, it would be worth going through all of it all over again.

As it turned out, lying in a dark room next to a person he loved was the most peaceful Byakuya had ever felt in his life and he fell asleep immediately, no alternate nostril breathing necessary. For roughly three years, Byakuya slept easily and deeply and awoke well-rested every morning.

Eventually, Hisana’s illness worsened, and Byakuya would often lay away, worrying, listening to her labored breathing, wanting to be awake in case she needed anything, thinking about how sleep chipped away at the limited number of hours he had left with her.

He slept very poorly in the year after her death, which is when he got into the habit of wandering his garden in the middle of the night. The following year, Rukia came. She also liked to wander the gardens in the dark hours, and Byakuya did not regard haunting the grounds as a group activity, so he returned to his old practices and managed to get himself back to sleep most nights. He is grateful to Rukia for this, actually. Sleep is important, and it is very irresponsible for a Clan Head and Gotei Captain to neglect his own rest.

Rukia’s own need for nighttime perambulations decreases eventually as well. Since night air can be calming, Byakuya slowly allowed himself to indulge in it again, occasionally, if he truly felt it would be effective. Even more eventually, he realized that while haunting is best done by your lonesome, a bit of companionship in insomnia isn’t so bad after all.

That was sad, so here’s a chaser:

Because Byakuya has invested so much effort in it, he can pretty much fall asleep in any conceivable conditions. He can and does fall asleep with his eyes open during Captains’ meetings. He never gets insomnia on field missions, because sleeping must be done in turns and if you do not sleep on your turn, it is a betrayal of your comrades and a risk to the operation, in short: you gotta. Renji is also an incredible Field Mission sleeper, and the two of them will just fall asleep and wake up at any time of day or night with no preamble, basically on command. Byakuya and Renji do a lot of awe-inspiring things, but it is the general opinion of Squad Six that this is the most impressive.

(original ask meme)

[cescalr]

Hey. psst. Playlists.

Preamble:

The only ones that preview even a little well are Slime's and Niki's, because they're roughly around the 100 mark (which is really only bc they're unfinished); most have over 200 songs in 'em, so following the link to the full list would be best practise. Fundy's is kind of... bad. Idk him very well yet. But, you know. This stuff takes time. Also, just as a casual, but firm reminder - no rpf, never rpf, fictional characters are not real and it's not immoral to treat improvised fiction as just as fandom-able as fully scripted fiction. Just because the media is gameplay and not television doesn't make it any less valid. Just because the actors aren't professionals doesn't mean they're doing these things in their real lives. Or do you think Tubbo set of actual nukes? C'mon guys. It's been a dacade; mcrp is here to stay. Treat it as you treat Red and Blue, or RWBY, or any other numerous other webseries. Shipping is fine. calm down about it.

(I stated all that because i have character dynamic playlists, some of which are romantically inclined, and a number of the songs within the playlists for individual characters reference canonical or canon-adjacent relations with others of that nature, alongside the platonic and familial. For a second note, no, not all ships are perfectly pure and upstanding. Fiction is fiction. I'm here for an interesting story, not a moral lesson. Make of all this what you will, but I'm not here for fandom bullshit we sorted out years ago in other places. I was there in the yogsmc trenches, and I've heard about what happened in 2019 for the hermitshipping crowd; i know it sucks. I know it's scary that people get really riled up about something that isn't even a problem - but i'm not going to stop doing it. It's fun. It's fiction. None of this relates to the ccs even a little. I am very clear about this. Any references to RPF will be swiftly dealt with. As for characters - do what you will with them. And I'm an angst gremlin who delights in making her blorbos suffer for your catharsis and my own entertainment, so. Keep that in mind. This was probably not explained very well, given it's 3:34 in the morning, but, you know. Not RPF. C != CC. Fictional character shipping is a part of fandom, and it's one i engage in - make of that what you will, but don't be a dick about it, that's unnecessary. This is all for fun and no profit other than my own enjoyment, and hopefully yours too.)

DSMP;

Remember please, to read the descriptions of the lists on Spotify. they don't show on previews embedded. Listener discretion is advised, though alas i couldn't put CWs on the spotify descs, so i'll have to do that here instead, there's still some stuff in those descs that will give context as to why the playlists contain what they do and are set out the way they are. (no, the repeated songs are not accidents - they're on purpose; i'm telling a story. It makes sense when you listen to it in sequence - think of these playlists like concept albums.)

Chars:

Ah, slime. The blorbo. He's got SCU as backstory here, ftr. This is not finished - the SCU section at the front is pretty lacklustre atm, and the ending is kind of abrupt, since im still sorting out the post-finale storyline route i want to go down, and how the hell to tell that through music alone. We'll see how that goes. (If i could make animatics, I damn sure would. I've got Thoughts about post-reset DSMP.)

[CW: Death, Murder, songs of religious trauma, a form of derealisation? i think?]

Oh boy. Schlatt, schlatt schlatt. Where to start with this guy? SCU. That's where to start. He's got SCU as backstory, ignores Tales/Earth for the most part. Need to gather my thoughts and post about them at some point, I suppose, but the long and short of it is minecraft worlds each run on different time scales in parallel, so you can spend a decade on one but bump into your friend a year after they last saw you, so you're 30 when they're 21 even if chronologically speaking they were actually older than you the last you spoke. Timey-wimey multiverse shennanigans - i've always thought this, but ever since Rendog posted his own video about the subject I no longer have to explain it myself, lol, so check out that guy's youtube channel for a much more coherent run-down than I'd ever give. (unless you want mine, feel free to ask in my inbox or ims - we do have different ideas, his are just more solid (mine's more magic, his is more science) and given he's a cc, more likely to spread.) Anyway point being; Schlatt went to university with Wil, but Wil fucked of to a fae world with Sally for a decade to raise Fundy, which makes him and Schlatt out-of-sync. Also, they were in uni in America, which is something Wil is very glad never got out, lol. Fishfucker from utah, goddamn...

adfalskfd anyway, jokes aside; Schlatt is 20-23, estimatable, during the run of the Election arc. I set him at 23 bc of Ghost Stories but it's really more like 21. I have him as SCU Schlatt completely unware of his own prior godhood (and continued godhood, if he'd just, you know, remember). He's an interdimensional demonic godly entity who thinks he's just some wolf/sheep/human hybrid with health problems and an alcohol addiction (not that he'd admit to the latter two, of course.) so, keep that in mind.

Also, the rest? Yeah. Probably not... a good idea to give Schlatt back all the memories he's lost... well. Hopefully he's changed enough, yeah? hehe. >:)

[CW: Some like, religious stuff again, a la slime, Cannibalism, Drugs, Abuse, Alcoholism, Death, Murder.]

Ah yes, Big Q. So. Admittedly, by the count of the playlist, you could very well argue this guy is solidly in blorbo territory. I would have to admit the truth of the matter is just that. This does not, however, mean i get this fucking guy even a little bit, so I'm hoping this is a good playlist but i'm not convinced it is. 400+ songs, though, so there's a lot to chew through here. Covers pre-dsmp headcanons and post-dsmp reset finale au. Tries to keep his canon relationships all referenced but my god is it hard to figure out which were and which weren't. Went for; elaboration on Eret, focus on Karlnapity, Schlackity, and TNTduo. Pretty sure BBQ happened at some point but it's ignored. DapDup is presented here as mostly-platonic, but can be imagined whatever way you would like other than fatherly. Q is 20. Schlatt is 7 million. Q is his mentor, not his dad. They're best friends, they're peers. it's the EmeraldDuo issue all over again (granted a little different, but still). Point being; Slime is older, wiser, and more knowledgable than Q, but his worldview is a lot kinder than Q's when they meet, and what Q is trying to teach him is cynicism. In that, Slime's a novice. So he's the protegee, because Q wants to teach him what he can to keep him safe, and to have a net to fall on for LN's leadership if he's to kick the bucket (which Q is trying to avoid but definitely expects to happen, inevitably.) Anyway, yeah. Quackicle if you like, DapDuo if you don't, basically. (I Intended legacyduo to be platonic or at most queerplatonic, though.)

Q's introduction to the DSMP is as Tommy's fellow drug operation... er, operation-er. So, that's how this playlist starts. My backstory is a bit complicated, so i've left most of it out; suffice to say Q isn't a duck, though he lets people assume that and doesn't correct them, because it's easier that way. I'd be happy to explain more, but it's a hell of a long ramble, so not here.

[CW: Cannibalism, Drugs, Abuse, Alcoholism, Death, Murder.]

Like i said, I don't know fundy as well as i'd like to be making a playlist about him. YMMV on this one.

[CW: Death, Murder.]

Ah, niki. Similar sitch to fundy, hence why their playlists are so much shorter than the others. YMMV, again. Feedback is appreciated, on these, if you'd like to give it. Keep in mind the list's description, as always.

[CW: Death, Murder, implications of depression?]

Wilbur's a funny one, I really don't know.... how to feel about his character. Either way, the playlist exists all the same.

I borrowed a lot of these songs, I'll admit, from animatics and pre-existing playlists based around him. YMMV; feedback appreciated, if you feel like it.

Note: I do not take 'SBI' as a canon thing in the way most do. Philza is his father, Technoblade is a kind of brother figure, but he's not Philza's son, he's his friend/ex-empire-running-partner-in-crimes-against-anarchy, the hypocrites. Tommy is not Philza's son in any respect; Wilbur is a kind of, older-brother-father-figure, while Technoblade is an older-brother-distant-uncle figure, and Philza is just 'Wil's dad' (And, well, Doomsday happens. After that, it's just Philza). I choose personally to ignore some of the canon backstory for Tubbo; he's Tommy's friend first and foremost. This saves some complications later for me with character dynamics - I like nuance and interconnectedness, but it was giving me a headache trying to sort it all out, lol. Tubbo was found in a box - by Tommy, when skiving school. He got folded into Wil and Tommy's little almost-family situation over a period of time, and was never technically adopted by anyone. (Neither, to be fair, was Tommy. I mean, what authority would you ask, anyway? This is the minecraft multiverse. Which England do you go to to sign the papers? How would it even work?). Either way; Wilbur is Philza and Lady Death's son, not the son of a literal smart fridge, because i can kind of sidestep the fishfucking but i can't bring myself to even acknowledge that as more than a joke.

Anyway, yeah. Stop the ramble there; have a listen, if you'd like to.

[CW: Drugs, Abuse, Manipulation, Death, Murder, Terrorism.]

Some notes: Tommy canonically ran some kind of drug operation with Q at the beginning; Wil and Q met through Tommy, not any other way around. I haven't quite reflected that in this, I don't think? it's sort of hard to. I mean, I need to figure out how Tommy and Q even met in the first place, as a point of contention. And, well... because it's just kind of not great to have to put reference to that sort of thing in a playlist for a kid, you know (since he was 16 at the start of all this, then, jeez. When did that all go down, exactly?). Honestly, this playlist isn't great in general. I tried my best, but I don't really know him that well.

I actually kind of like Dad!Schlatt but I'm bored by it being Tubbo, so. You know where I'm going with this one, right? Literal devil child. C'mon. You can't miss out on a pun (of circumstance, no less!) that good. Dad!Schlatt AU with Tommy as the literal devil child in question is taken as headcanon for my version of events. Like I said; i take what i'm given and i run with it, i mess around with it - I tend to ignore fanon and just do my own thing, even if it will inevitably on occasion contradict canon. What can I say? YogsMC was my first mcrp storyline, and that was a whole mess of mostly having to make up everything yourself. I got used to it, and the freedom is too nice a thing to let go of.

This playlist is not kind to Dream, given Exile and murder and all that, but it also doesn't pretend Tommy was some innocent who did nothing wrong. His literal first action was to murder George. Kid's messed up a lot, and is kind of prone to homicide. Keep that in mind. Again, however, being a perpetrator does not stop someone from also being a victim, and Dream 100% victimised Tommy. That's just not a deniable thing. Gaslighting isn't cool, guys. (and, for once, the term actually applies to something it's used to describe. wonders never cease.)

[CW: probable derealisation somewhere in here idk, Abuse, Manipulation, Death, Murder, Terrorism, War, Suicidal Ideation/Attempt.]

Dynamics:

Swinging a bat right out the gate - this is romantically intended pumpkinduo, aka schlackity. You were warned. My dsmp-post-finale-reset AU stuff is very much my own, and veers rather far from given canon. In fact, these playlists do a lot of swerving around the ballasts of canon. I think what i like about stories and tend to damn everything else - fanon included. I make up my own stuff; mileage will vary. I "endgame" pumpkinhusbands, in that sort of way where they're both terrible and should never bring anyone else into this mess and kind of deserve each other, but they're also just fucked up guys trying to get through the shit life they've been saddled with, and end up leaning on each other - a sure thing, if not... the best thing. So. Yk. (And Schlatt is a god with amnesia, but that's a little tangential. Only a little. I take SCU as backstory, and ignore Tales/Earth stuff. YMMV, again.)

Oh, also, i consider their dynamic mutually abusive in the election arc. if that troubles you, then pass on the Q, Schlatt and PHduo playlists. They have an arc in them, but that content warning is required. (Q was physical; schlatt was mental - as in, what they perpetrated. To put it simply; Schlatt used his words. Q literally beat him up when he said no to marriage and then went through with it anyway, without S's consent. That's very much not of the good. Q was a victim, sure, I don't disagree, but he was also a perpetrator. Abuse can be mutual. It's not uncommon, in fact. So, yes. They treat each other like shit, Schlatt dies, Q spirals, etc etc, not exactly a redemption arc but something akin to it, and they try again. Different people. Not worse, not better - just different. Aged. Changed. And it'll work this time, because they want it to. They didn't before, and that's always the failure. Relationships are commitments. They take work. A 19 year old ex drug dealer and a 21 year old alcoholic running a country are really not in the right place for anything like that. Marriage was the worst thing they could've done, and Q forced it on them anyway. Problems, problems. Interesting problems, but I can see the squick. So. Here's all this word jumble for your fair warning.)

[CW: Cannibalism, Drugs, Abuse, Alcoholism, Death, Murder.]

This was not technically romantically intended TNTDuo, but they have at least a canonical history of having sex, so make of it what you will. (Canonically, wilbur is not in love with Q. Obsession is different from love, after all, and I agree with that sentiment if not the truth of the statement itself. Wil's fucked up and complicated, and so thus are his feelings for Q also. Q never quite fell in love with Wil, and quite distinctly fell out of whatever affection he'd managed to gain. They got lust though. they got that in spades. And, like i said - they're obsessive. Bad combo.)

(I don't really like the dapduo name, so sometimes i'll refer to them as legacyduo, interchangably. this is also interpretable as quackicle if you like, but wasn't necessarily intended as such - just as much as it wasn't not intended as such. Ambiguity. >:) )

And, of course, that's all the post will allow me to fit. I've got loads more, though, mostly set to public. Some aren't ready for that yet (less than 5 hours means less than a full arc smh) but, yeah. None of them are DSMP, anyway. There's Yogs, none of which are public yet, Teen Wolf, which are, Harry Potter, some are, Esoteric Fandoms, which all are, Hermitcraft/Empires/Traffic|Life Series, which are currently awaiting publication in their entirety (but i think a few of them, notably pearl, scott, grian - I'm prioritising winners atm - are close). So, yeah. Feel free to peruse at your leisure.

[lonely-lost-soul]

Little Fox

(C!Fundy x Reader)

Request 12: Hey if you're making a request, do you do c!Fundy? If so, can I get a Fundy x half fox shapeshifter!reader where fundy finds an injured full fox!reader, and takes her home to patch her up without knowing that she's a shifter ówò? Context, the reader can shift into three forms: full fox, half and half(fox legs, tail, ears, fangs), and fully human. Thank you have a blessed day!!!

Requested By: Anonymous

Moving away from L’manburg or what was once L’manburg was one of the best decisions Fundy has ever made. Did it get lonely from time to time, sure, but at least he was finally at peace. He was away from his ghost of a father and away from the drama of everyone else fighting and the looming sense of death that lingered over everyone that lived in the once-prosperous nation. It was quiet and he was happy to be left alone, well, mostly alone. There was one exception, a snow-white fox that trotted around his house from time to time, curious (e/c) watching him with intent. He had always felt a connection to foxes considering he was part fox, he hated seeing them hurt or starving or treated with disrespect, so he kept them around. However the white fox didn’t seem to pay him any mind other than silently watching and wandering around his home, he started placing food out for the fox. This went on for a few months until one night something felt off. Fundy kept glancing out the window, almost like he was expecting to see someone but no one popped up until he remembered his little buddy. He didn’t know why it sent him so on edge, it was just a random arctic fox maybe it was the way the food was left untouched or the pull he felt to go the woods, but he grabbed his coat and stepped into the forest.

The first thing he noticed was the small animal prints littering the snow, there seemed to be some sort of scuffle. Worry entered his veins and his ears pressed flat against his head, he journeyed deeper into the forest and noticed little droplets of blood. Fundy adjusted his hat nervously and followed the blood droplets, crumpled on the ground in front of his feet was a blood-stained fox. The once pure white coat of the fox was stained with red splotches a big gash was torn from its side, Fundy felt nauseous. The wind seemed to blow against his exposed ears, almost urging him to pick up the fox and take it home. He reached out and picked the fox up in his arms and held it close, the wind blew again, his eyes widened a little in surprise, the wind seemed to whisper a thank you.

Back at the house he laid the fox down on his couch and began to patch up her wounds. Hopefully, she wouldn’t attack him in the morning, be too freaked out, he wrapped the bandages around the wound stopping the flow of blood. He just prayed his foxy friend would be alive come the morning light. Fundy flicked the lights off and went to sleep in his bedroom, even though all the windows were shut and locked tight he still felt that odd breeze tickle the tufts of his ears. ‘Take good care of her’ it seemed to whisper, his heart thudded in his chest as he snuggled under the covers. The morning sun streamed through his windows, blinding the hybrid slightly, he groaned loudly and sat up in bed. He ran his sharp nails through his hair tussling it a little bit, trying to calm the rat’s nest down. As snapped to consciousness fully when he noticed footsteps coming from his living room, very human-sounding footsteps. Fundy tensed and hopped out of bed storming into the room, a dagger in hand. He let out a startled shriek seeing a beautiful half-naked young woman standing in the middle of the room. However, he couldn’t even focus on that, he was more focused on the snow-white fox ears that sat atop her head, the fluffy tail behind her, and the fox-like legs.

She was like him.

“Fundy right?” She sent him a crooked smile, sharp fangs very visible, making him feel all types of things. “Names, (Y/n) and you saved my life last night.”

“You- Fox?! but- human-” His hands tangled in his orange hair mentally trying to come to terms with the fact that he had probably saved a forest spirit. “No shirt!” he sputtered feeling soft hands take his own, he noticed a smile on her lips, their eyes locked together,

“I’m a shifter. A pleasure to officially meet you.” He felt you squeeze his palms and he swallowed thickly,

“Shifter?”

He watched you nod tail swishing from side to side, you were very happy to be talking to him it seemed, Fundy felt oddly honored. “I have three forms! Full fox, half fox, and fully human,” You explained holding up three fingers on your hand. “Usually full fox is easier but as you can see,” You motioned to the bandages covering your chest, “it’s not without risks.”

“Hold the phone you’re telling me the fox I’ve been feeding-”

“Yup! That was me!” You giggled as his cheeks went red, “I appreciated it.”

“I gave you dog food! I’m so sorry, oh my god!” He sputtered out completely mortified by the situation. You let out a roaring laugh, it was very reminiscent of that of a fox but he supposed that, that made sense. He watched you dip your head and nuzzle underneath his chin, once again he felt his entire face burn red, your ears were so soft, the fur tickling his chin.

“It’s okay, I didn’t eat any of that. Just pretended.” You reassured lifting your head to once again meet his eyes. “Soooo...you gonna tell me your name? Or should I just call you handsome?” He felt the blush spread down onto his neck,

Oh no, she was so cute.

“Fundy! I’m Fundy.” He nodded more stiffly than he wanted too suddenly very aware of how close the both of them were to one another. You blinked after a few minutes peaking around his shoulder, oh shit was his tail wagging? A bright smile spread across your cheeks “Laugh it up okay! Not every day I get to have a cute fox girl nuzzle against me alright!” Your ears fell flat against your head, he watched pink spread across your cheeks, score.

“Cute?” You meekly whispered you pulled away a little to grab at your tail shyly, “Thank you.”

He was going to die, you were going to be the death of him.

After that first encounter, you, the real you, had become a staple of his life. You had moved with him a few days after showing your more human form to the hybrid. You knew how to cook which made him swoon, it tasted divine, he was tired of being alone. You made him feel like he still had hope, you were his family now even after only knowing you for such a short amount of time. There was an odd sort of bond the two of you had, he was happy to have someone understand him, on a level that no one has ever been able to before, especially not his father. Days rolled into weeks and weeks turned into months, it was about eight months in when Fundy finally confessed to you.

You’d spent the day away from home, in your full fox form, saying you needed to stretch your legs and Fundy let you go. That didn’t mean he wasn’t a mess all day worrying about your well-being all day, he barely could get anything done, so when he saw your white fur streak through the trees that night he knew you were home. He ran out onto the stones of the path and called out your name, he watched your ears twitch and turned towards him. He felt his tail begin wagging ecstatically and he could see yours begin to do the same, you charged headfirst towards him shifting as you run, as you arrived he held out his arms and you jumped right on in them. He felt your arms wrap around his neck as he lifted you into the air. He spun you around as he laughed,

“I missed you, Dee!” You purred out happily leaning back a little bit in his arms, he still held you above the ground.

“I missed you too Dearheart,” Fundy whispered looking up at your sparkling eyes it was then, with your white fur shining in the moonlight that he realized he was in love with you. “(Y/n)?”

“Hm?”

“Can I kiss you?”

“Please.” You breathed out softly, cheeks pink, ears twitching, “I’d like that very much.”

So, he did.

Two years being together of being together was finally when Wilbur- or ghostbur- decided to visit his son. You were outside in the garden, tending to some of Fundy’s vegetables deadset on using some of the fresh ones to make soup for tonight. You were in your human form so you didn’t get your white fur covered in dirt, so you didn’t hear the ghost coming close to the house until he was leaning over your shoulder.

“Hello!”

You screamed like a little kit throwing your basket through the ghost who shivered at the foreign feeling.

“Sorry, sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you!” The ghost apologized adjusting the round glasses on his face. “I heard my son Fundy lives around here but I must be mistaken!”

“Are you...you’re Wilbur aren’t you?”

“Oh! You’ve heard of me! Was it my music, please say yes!” The ghost’s eyes seemed to sparkle with hope, he shrunk a little as he watched you shake your head, “oh…”

“I’m-”

“(Y/n)! I heard you scream, you alright?” Fundy peeked his head out the door eyes going big seeing his dead father standing beside you. Wilbur looked between the both of you before a tiny smirk spread across his face,

“Ohhhhhh, I see now.” Wilbur nodded watching his son’s face go red, “My little champion is all grown up! With a beautiful human to mind you!”

“Er...not exactly.” You mumbled, allowing your ears and tail to pop up from your head, Wilbur’s jaw dropped in shock and awe.

“She’s like you!” Wilbur gaped reaching up to touch your ears, you flinched a little, and Fundy snarled at his father. “Sorry, sorry,” He pulled his hand back with a sheepish smile Fundy finally walked over to the both of you, pushing you behind him only slightly.

“What’re you doing here dad?” His voice was gruffer than you’ve ever heard it, his tail was puffed up in a way you’ve never seen before from your boyfriend.

He was on edge.

Wilbur shuffled a little fumbling with a piece of something blue in his hands. “I just wanted to check up on my son. No one’s heard from you for a while we’re all getting a little worried. I love you so-”

“Dad.” He groaned pressing his fingers to the bridge of his nose pinching it, “look. I appreciate you’re all worried but I’m happier here.”

“But you’re all alone out here! It’s not good for anyone’s health, especially not a young fox!”

“Excuse you?” Your eyes narrowed in offense, “I lived out here all my life.” You bristled in frustration, “I turned out fine.” Wilbur eyed you warily and Fundy squeezed your palm tightly, “I did!”

“I didn’t mean any offense. I’m just looking out for my son.”

“No offense but I think he can look after himself just fine.” You shot right back and Fundy covered up a surprised laugh, “So far so good. Plus he’s not alone, I’m with him.” You squeezed Fundy’s hand rather tightly, as Wilbur glanced at your intertwined hands.

“What she said.” Fundy nodded his head, “we have each other and that’s all we need. At least for right now. So try not to worry too much.” He waved his dad off, “Now if you don’t mind we have dinner to cook.” Wilbur gave a hesitant nod before turning back to look into your eyes,

“Don’t hurt him.”

“I don’t plan on it," You assured nodded your head you both had a brief staring contest before Wilbur said his official goodbyes and headed on his way. “I’m sorry,” Fundy watched your ears fall flat against your head.

“What for?” Fundy’s brows furrowed in concern, “He was being an ass, you had every right to defend yourself. Plus I hate him so.” He shrugged unbothered, “I love you though.” He pecked your cheek and you smiled shyly.

“I love you too Dee.” You spoke softly, pulling him close by his jacket, his tail began to wag enthusiastically.

“Kiss?”

“Kiss.” You nodded standing on your tiptoes to give him a long kiss, he purred tangling his fingers through your hair. You pulled away much too soon for his liking and let out a low whine, you giggled happily and peppered his face in light kisses. “Fundy?”

“Hm?”

“Let’s get married.”

“What?”

~~~

Next Up: Immortality and Nymphs Part II

[bokettochild]

For the requests if you're game?

Four and Warriors dynamic since we don't see it much?

Also you're awesome and absolutely don't have to do this if you don't want haha

So, words aren't nice to me today, and your prompt really helped with that. I'm sorry I didn't get to it sooner! But I'm glad I did it today. The verb tenses are a bit off and all over, but I really like the pretense.

For context, this is something that used to happen with me and my dad when he was in pain. I have no clue why it works, but it does somehow? For him anyway. Anyway, as I am the shorty of my family, I figured Four could take my place here :)

“Four, how tall are you?”

Don’t kill him. Green whispered, whether to himself or to his brothers none of them knew.

Why would he even need to know that? The grouchier voice in his head huffed out as hazel eyes shot up to meet the captain’s blue.

Was that particularly necessary? Vio groaned, and if he’d had a physical form the color in question would likely have just flopped over tiredly.

“Four foot four.” They answered curtly, turning their gaze back down to the sword in their hand as they continued to work over its length.

Warriors chuffed out a strangled sort of noise across from them, whether it be from pain, surprise or laughter they didn’t know, and as long as the captain didn’t push, they’d give him a little grace. The poor man was in enough pain as it was, and it really would be a shame to have him writhing on the ground if they kicked him in some... painful places.

“Really?” The man wheezed. “Please tell me you’re joking?”

They rolled their eyes.

Permission to kick him in the nuts?

One minute, let me think about it.

Pities sakes you two, we are not kicking the captain! Vio scolded. We’ll dye his hair while he sleeps or sew a patch on his tunic while he walks or something, not...oy vey.

“I’m four-foot-five.” They corrected aloud. “Happy?”

Sharp eyes met the captain’s again, four voices fighting over whether to cause harm or not. “Huh.”

Guys, look at him! Red huffed. He’s not even able to sit up straight! Give him a break, this one time?

Agreement rang in their mind. Wars was in pretty awful shape. The man had pulled his back while trying to heft a wounded Twilight through the forest the other day, and while he’d insisted the entire time that he had it handled, he’d come to regret it the next day when he woke up nearly too sore to move. They all teased Time about being an Old Man, and it was well known that Legend’s arthritis gave him trouble on some days, but neither the vet not their leader had ever moved as slowly as the captain this morning when they’d been on the road, and Time had had to call an early halt simply because Wars was clearly in so much pain.

The man currently lay on his stomach on the ground at the edge of camp, trying to stretch out his strained back and staring as Four with an odd look in his eyes. “Could you do me a favor?”

Could you not mock our height?

I thought we liked our height?

We do, but we don’t need to be teased for it!!!

“What do you need?” They eventually settled on, setting their sword aside and giving the captain their full attention.

“Stand on my back.” Warriors answered.

They blinked, startled. Once, twice, thrice, four times at the man. “Pardon?”

“Stand on my back.” Warriors repeated himself, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“But-”

Is he bonkers? Captain, we are not cracking your spine to put you out of your misery? Blue frowned, confused.

We’d hurt him doing that, why would he even ask?

This is Warriors, he’s not known for having all the lights on a good day.

“Aren’t you in pain?” Red managed to take the forefront, worry spilling into his voice as he stared down at where the captain lay on the ground.

The man smiled, shaking his head slightly only to wince and instead offer one of his charming smiles. “It helps. Just trust me, ‘kay?”

And what were they supposed to do? Even Legend had stepped up to offer help with the pain this afternoon, not that it would do much good for Warriors’ specific problem, but it had earned the vet a warm chuckle and a head ruffle, resulting in much squawking and insults as the vet protested the action. Wild had searched his slate for supplies to make a cure, and Time had called a halt for the day’s travels entirely. Sky had even offered what little help he could provide, but while offers of aid had come from everywhere, there hadn’t been anything that had worked.

But Wars was claiming that actively stepping on the injury would help it, and as absurd as it sounded, the captain seemed utterly confident in it, eyes almost pleading as they shifted where they sat.

“It won’t, I don’t know, mess up your back at all? Are you sure-”

“Goddesses, Four! It’ll be fine.” The captain huffed desperately, just do it, please?”

Now they understood why Warriors could charm discounts and special deals out of merchants and inn-keepers, his royal blue eyes looked utterly pitiful and almost tearful as they stared up at them, pleading and wide. The effect was ruined though when Wars added a tiny little pout that sent Vio reeling with laughter as Blue and Green stifled their own, Red cooing softly in their head.

“Alright.” The laughter of three of the four colors spilled over in a light chuckle as the smithy pulled themselves to their feet, stepping over hesitantly and setting one foot on Warriors’ stretched out back.

“Go on.” Wars prompted, chuckling fondly. “It won’t hurt me, I’ll tell you if it does, okay?”

That didn’t help at all. They weren’t big, they knew that, but they weren’t as slight as they looked, they were smithies after all, and they were a solid little brick of muscle mass. Warriors may be certain it would be okay, but they sure weren’t.

“Four, I’m literally begging you. Step on me.”

The smithy’s nose wrinkled and they pulled back. “That is incredibly weird sounding.”

“Step.” Warriors ordered.

“This is so weird!” A nervous laugh fell from their lips. “How does this even help?”

“Just do it!” The captain groaned. “It helps, I promise. I can’t explain it, but it does.”

One tentative foot pressed against the captain’s back again, only for the smithy to back off, earning a huff in annoyance from the captain. “Four-”

“Let me take my boots off first.” They murmured, shivering off the awkward feeling that came from stepping on of their brothers. But they could only avoid Wars’ pleading gaze for so long and once their shoes are properly put to the side, they had no valid excuse to not ‘help’ the man.

How does this even help him?

Do we care? We have an excuse to step on him!

Vio, I think you spent too much time around Shadow. Stepping on people isn’t funny.

It’s funny if it’s Warriors. Vio sounded particularly satisfied with himself at the moment, and the others could only sigh at that, finally giving in to the captain's request as Vio pushed the body forwards until they are standing, fully, on Warriors’ back.

“Oh, yes, thank you.” The captain’s voice comes out in a relieved sigh. “A bit lower if you could- that's the- yes, right there. Oh gosh.” Blonde hair met the dirt as their resident “pretty boy” let his face fall to rest on the ground. A satisfied sigh escaping him, albeit muffled by the earth. “That is so much better. Thank you, Four.”

“How does this help?” They frowned, staring down at where the man spread out on the ground, utterly limp and incredibly boney under their feet.

“No clue.” Comes the muffled reply, no attempt made to explain as the captain continued to let himself melt into the earth. “But it always works like a charm, so I don’t question it.”

Always?

“Who do you usually have step on you?” They ask, standing awkwardly on a boney spine any trying their hardest to keep their balance so they don’t slip and tumble onto Warriors’ head and give him a concussion on top of everything.

“My kids.” Comes the easy reply, as if the words don’t send them reeling enough that they almost do fall. “Mask jumped on top of e once to try and wake me up. I wasn’t asleep, but it was a tough battle the day before. Come to find out having a smallish person stand on you does wonders! My younger siblings used to do it too, but then they all hit growth-spurts.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” They chuckled easily, finding a comfortable placement for their feet as Warriors’ back rises and falls with soft laughter.

“Believe it or not,” The captain rumbles, the vibrations trailing up their legs and making them stifle a giggle. “I’m the short one in the family. The eldest, but the Hylia forsaken shortest.” There’s very nearly a pout in the man's voice and they failed to hold back their laughter as they look down at him.

”You’re the shortest?”

“To my eternal torment.” Comes the groaned reply, and all the colors can do in reaction is laugh.

Later, when the others finally look over and see what’s happening, there are shouts and concerned looks from the heroes when they see their shortest standing on the previously sore and aching back of their tallest, but for now, Four gets to tease the captain for being short; something they never thought would ever happen.

Vio cackled madly in the background the whole time, leaving his brothers concerned after the first ten minutes when the color’s mirth failed to fade.

[magicrowiswritingstuff]

“What Do You Call Me?” - Din Djarin x female!reader

Summary: You try to note down and learn all the words Din speaks in Mando’a but there are a few whose meanings you just can’t figure out on your own. So, you have no other option than to ask him what the names he is calling you actually mean.

Warning: Din speaks some Mando’a (yep, still a warning), … I don’t think there is anything I should warn you about tho, it’s only a short fluffy oneshot... happy Valentine’s Day! 💜

Category: fluff

Words: 2.500

Notes: There is no use of (Y/N) in this one! Note 2: I finished this piece two hours before it was posted (I scheduled it and immediatly went to bed afterwards) because I really wanted to have something for Valentine’s Day… so it’s not beta-read at all. I normally read through my writing at least twice but that didn’t happen here.... it’s late, I’m tired… hopefully Din isn’t too OOC and I don’t cringe too hard tomorrow morning when I re-read it and delete it because I’m embarrassed. Fingers crossed! Note 3: I must add that it was rather relaxing to finally write something under 8.000 words…

_________________________________    

“What Do You Call Me?” – Din Djarin x fem!reader

It's no secret that Din's really smart. He's very knowledgeable and you really admired all his knowledge about different cultures and languages. You were especially fascinating by whatever language sometimes slipped over his lips, often when it was just the kid, him and you. After a while you figured that it was most likely Mando'a, the language of the Mandalorians. And the more it happened, the more often the words slipped from his mouth, the more curious you got and you began to wonder what exactly all those words meant. So, you had started to note them down on your datapad, or at least their pronunciation because you had no idea how to actually spell the words. You could write down their pronunciation fairly well but with what you really struggled was with their translations. Only a few were fairly easy.

When yet another cable went lose somewhere in the walls of the Razor Crest and Din yelled "HAR-chak" after noticing the problem you knew it had to be a swear word or something along the lines. Maybe "shit" or "damn it" but you never were too sure about it. Languages were tricky. Sometimes there just wasn't a translation for a specific word, and you could only note down a rough association. But you made it your mission to at least try. To try noting them all down, give them a translation or context in which you heard Din use them and learn them. It was hard, especially when you just couldn't figure a consistent meaning out. And you couldn't ask Din. Well, you could, but you didn't want to. Din didn't know about your little mission and you wanted to keep it that way for now. You wanted to surprise him with your effort, you wanted to be able to from at least one sentence before bringing it up because for now you were a bit too embarrassed and unsure. You wanted to impress him. You huffed and glanced up at the streaks of silver and blue that were swirling around the Razor Crest while in hyperspace. You were sitting on one of the co-pilot seats, legs perched up and pressed to your chest. Biting your lip in concentration you pushed your hair back with your free hand, the other one was holding your datapad, as you sighed deeply. You were frustrated, there was no other way to describe it. All the letters you wrote down seemed to laugh at you whenever you glared at them in anger when you weren't able to decipher their meaning. With a groan you put the datapad down on the floor beside you. You just couldn't look at it anymore, and stretched all your limbs away from your body, melting into the seat. You tried to focus on your breathing, to calm down your frustrated thoughts. Your goal of forming at least one sentence seemed even further away now than when you started your little mission. There were just too many inconsistencies. Sometimes you thought you finally figured out what the nickname he called the kid by meant only for him to call you by the same name. You were sure that Din wasn't calling you by a name that would translate to "child". You furrowed your brows. At least you hoped so for his sake. But one word that left you especially baffled was "REE-yay". You couldn't quite pinpoint when he started to call you that but it must have been very early on. And you could never figure out a consistent usage or meaning. At first you thought that it maybe just meant girl or woman? But you weren't so sure about that anymore. It somehow didn't feel right. The word felt too … intimate to only mean girl or woman. You huffed and scratched your neck in an attempt to soothe the aching and to sort your thoughts. You just wanted to figure out what he was calling you at that point. You didn't even care anymore if you had to ask Din to finally figure it out. You just wanted some clarity. "What are you worrying about?" You leaned your head back to look at Din who was standing behind you, his hands on the back of the seat to either side of your head. For a moment you just stared at him, in awe of how the flickering lights of hyperspace reflected on his armor in such a stark contrast to the void of his black visor. Something so typically Din in a way. You quickly shook your head and lowered your gaze when you felt heat rise to your cheeks. "I'm not worrying, just thinking" you mumbled and crossed your arms before your chest. Din chuckled lowly behind you and then sat down in the pilot seat beside you. "What is my verd'ika thinking about then?" Your body tensed, not only because of the new nickname but primarily because of the "my" he had put before it. What did he mean by that? What was he calling you? My friend? My buddy? My ... woman? You almost yelped at that thought but managed to force your jaw to stay shut. With your eyes wide and round you stared at the Mandalorian. His gaze was lowered and focused on the switches and buttons before him but not in an embarrassed manner or in an attempt to hide from your gaze. He seemed carefree and relaxed. He wouldn't just call you "his woman" and not react, right? You faintly nodded at yourself. No, this nickname meant something else. It had to because you weren't sure if your heart could take anything else. You blinked and noticed that Din was now facing you, his head tilted to one side in question. With heat rising to your face once again you noticed that you hadn't answered him yet. "Ehm, nothing really. Nothing important, don't worry." You bit your lip and cursed silently at yourself. This could have been your chance to ask him. To ask him what all those names meant. But you didn't. _______________ "Can you hold this, ner ka'ra?" Din asked and handed you a tool without turning to look at you. "O-of course" you stumbled and took the tool from him, so he had a free hand to grab the cable that had come loose yet again. You gulped and pushed your hair back while you glanced at Din's back as he continued to work. The nickname he had called you was already well known by you. He had started to call you that and that other word "REE-yay" more frequently ever since one week or two. Almost no other nickname or word in Mando'a left his lips anymore, which made it rather difficult to achieve your goal of learning one sentence in that language. And you still had no idea what the nicknames meant either. You figured that "nair" translated to "my" but that only made your face heat up even more than before. "Riye?" Your eyes snapped back to his dark visor that was now turned to you. Embarrassed you realized that you had spaced out and probably missed something he had said to you. "What?" you asked, your eyes wide and unblinkingly staring at his helmet hiding his eyes from you. Din let out a sigh and completely turned around to face you. You gulped and redirected your gaze upwards. "Something is on your mind. What is bothering you?" "Always so direct" you joked and laughed nervously, fumbling with the tool in your hand. "Riye" he addressed you carefully but with a slight warning in his tone. He was serious. You bit your lip and stared down at the ground, not able to hold his gaze. But you stayed quiet. With your mind racing circles in your mind, you couldn't decide if you wanted to finally ask him or not. When you felt hands on your shoulders your head shot up and met with the void of Din's visor again. You gulped, your eyes flickering from the visor then to the wall and back to his visor repeatedly. Then you let out a long sigh. Without a word you put the tool in your pocket and instead grabbed your datapad and quickly pushed it against his chest before you could retrack again. Perplexed Din lowered his head to stare at your hands before he slowly took the datapad from you. Silently he read through all the words you had typed down. "I tried to note down all the words you speak in Mando'a and translate them" you began to explain, fiddling with your hands while your eyes were directed to the floor once again. "But I only managed to figure out their rough pronunciation and write down some notes, I... I really struggle with their meaning" you continued to ramble. When Din didn't react after a few long heartbeats, you cautiously glanced up at the silent Mandalorian. He was unmovingly staring down at your datapad, his body completely tense. Then suddenly his head snapped up to meet your gaze. "When did you start doing that?" Confused you blinked for a few seconds, trying to sort your thoughts. "Ehm, a few weeks? Maybe two months or more?" you guessed and shrugged your shoulders. "I didn't tell you because I wanted to at least learn one full sentence to surprise you with it but..." you didn't finish and just gestured to your chaotic notes that mostly consisted of furious question marks. Din looked back down at the datapad. "Why?" You furrowed your brows. "Why?" you asked to make sure you heard him correctly. The Mandalorian nodded, his helmet still lowered but you weren't sure if he wasn't maybe looking at you. Out of reflex you pointed at him. "Because..." you cleared your throat. "Because of you." Your clasped your hands before your chest after that, your eyes darting around again in nervousness. Din slowly lifted his head and you felt his gaze burning on your skin form behind the visor. Both of you stood there, frozen and not daring to breathe for what felt like an eternity. You bit your lip and began to fumble with your hands again. "I-" Din started. "I don't know what to say." You couldn't hold back your laugh, the nervous giggles that finally spilled over your lips as you shook your head. "Sorry" you said breathlessly, the laughter still very noticeable in your voice, though. "I don't know why I'm laughing." That made Din laugh, too. He handed you back your datapad when you had calmed down. "I'm impressed" he stated and pointed at the device. "Most of the pronunciations are correct. But the translations..." He chuckled lowly and stemmed his hands against his hips. You crossed your arms before your chest and raise done eyebrow at him. "What do you call me then?" "What?" Din asked perplex, the laughter suddenly vanished from his voice. He almost sounded... flustered? Or at least surprised. "You said the translations of the words were wrong so teach me what they really mean" you proposed with your chin slightly raised in a challenging manner. You grabbed your datapad again and looked through the words as you continued. "Most of the words I wrote down are nicknames, so what are you calling me?" Din froze, you couldn't even see his chest rise and fall anymore. Now you were pretty sure that he was flustered and embarrassed. Or maybe even scared that you would figure out the meaning of his nicknames for you? Your body vibrated in anticipation, eager to finally get to know what all those nicknames mean. "Din?" you asked, eyebrows furrowed. "What does "REE-yay" mean?" For a few more moments he stayed still before he cleared his throat and tilted his helmet away from you, staring at the wall behind you. "What does... riye mean?" he questioned, his voice uncharacteristically high and trembling. You hummed and nodded. "Ehm, it means..." he started and directed his head back to face you. "It means favor, benefit or good turn." You furrowed your brows. "Good turn? Benefit?" you asked confused. "What does that have to do with me?" "When used as a term of endearment it means that this person, upon meeting, changed live for the better" he explained quickly. "Just like how you change my life for the better." Your eyes grew wide. "Wha-what?" Din slowly reached for you without another word and placed his gloved hand on your cheek that was already burning again in embarrassment. "You made my life better, riye. You and ad'ika, the kid." Your breath hitched in your throat as your eyes stared into the void of his visor, selfishly longing to peek behind it to see if his eyes were equally as wide as yours. "I-" you began but you had no idea what you even wanted to say. Your eyes darted around again as you tried to find the words, any words. But Din's hand on your face, his thumb drawing slow circles on your cheek, made you shiver and gasp for air. You had expected a lot but nothing like that. You hadn't been prepared for that confession. You had no idea what to say, so instead you just let your datapad fall to the ground and placed your hands to either side of his helmet. Din tensed but when he realized you weren't about to move any further, he let his hand wander from your cheek to your eyes, covering them completely, leaving you in the dark. Then he placed his free hand over one of yours. The touch sent shivers down your spine and you felt your heart beat repeatedly against your ribs in anticipation. Then he slowly guided your hand up, lifting his helmet in the process. It didn't move up much, just enough for him to place his lips on yours. Your heart skipped a beat when his lips melted over yours, dancing against them, tugging at your bottom lip ever so slightly. You gasped and stepped closer, pressing your chest against his. Even with his hand covering them you shut your eyes tight, as you soaked in the feeling of his lips, rough and soft at the same time. The heat spread from your cheeks to your neck and further down until it settled in your stomach. The flames in your belly hungrily fluttered and stretched towards Din, craving his touch and more. Your fingers began to tremble against his helmet, unable to hold onto anything. You let out a short whine at that and pressed even further into him. The coldness of his beskar, however, did nothing to soothe the fire in your veins. Slowly Din pulled away, his lips still hovering over yours, touching ever so slightly. "You changed my life for the better, too" you whispered into the dark, a small smile adorning your face now. And before you knew it Din's lips were back on yours.

_________________________________

Taglists:

Permanent Simps: @buckysalefty

Din Djarin Simps: @theflightytemptressadventure / @sarahjkl82-blog / @remmysbounty / @cali-beaches-wakes-and-boards / @idekah / @freeshavocadoooo / @dindaddy / @wonderless-screwup​

If you want to be added/removed/switched to another taglist at any point just let me know!

The crossed out names I couldn’t tag normally (I had to do some coding for it to work) so PLEASE check if “Allow this blog to appear in search results” or anything similar regarding tagging in your settings is turned ON for your blog! I hope that works so I can tag you more easily the next time, BUT if your name is still crossed out the next time shoot me a message to let me know you turned it on but it still isn’t work, please. I’ll try to find another solution for it then.Thank you! 💜

[sigmaleph]

@serinemolecule asked me for hot takes on this 2006 article on Argentinian food, which I am now reorganising into a proper post for y'all's consumption. you're welcome.

First of all: the titular thesis that you should eat two steaks a day. I am forced to clarify that as 'should's go you should eat zero steaks a day, but this is ethical rather dietary advice and I don't follow it as well as I should, so, y'know. I would engage with this on the level it was stated, but I actually have no opinion on it. Moving on...

Argentine beef really is extraordinary. Almost all of this has to do with how the cows are raised. There are no factory feedlots in Argentina; the animals still eat pampas grass their whole lives, in open pasture, and not the chicken droppings and feathers mixed with corn that pass for animal feed in the United States.

This is, as it happens, completely false. There absolutely is plenty of feedlot beef being eaten in Argentina, and this was also the case back when this article was written. There's grass-fed beef too, and maybe the writer structured their life around only eating those, but the claim that there are no feedlots is just not true.

if you let them make the call, you get a two-inch thick of meat[...]The Argentine steak stands alone, towering three inches over the plate,[...]This gorgeous specimen is called a lomito; it's a standard lunchtime steak, clearly so thin that the Argentines are embarrassed to send it out into the world without a protective wrapping of ham and cheese

I have no idea what their obsession with steak thickness is; meat exists at various levels of thick and thin to suit various tastes. If you like yours thick that's fine but quit the projecting, y'know.

As you might expect, vegetarians will have a somewhat rough time here. For most people in Argentina, a vegetarian is something you eat. One's diet will accordingly lean heavily on pastas, gnocchi, salads, and (for the less squeamish ) fish. Vegans will not survive in Argentina.

This is, unfortunately, true (well, hyperbole, but). Rinna had a rather bad time trying to find vegan food when fae came over for visits. The situation is improving slowly, at least.

The homemade cookies bought in the minimarket downstairs taste of steak. [picture of alfajores de maicena[

Jesus. Find somewhere better to buy your snacks.

It should be no surprise that the land of beef also has excellent milk and butter. The milk comes in plastic bags that would give any American marketing department a heart attack. They proudly advertise "GUARANTEED 100% BRUCELLOSIS AND HOOF-AND-MOUTH FREE". One brand even brags that its bacteria count never exceeds 100,000 per mL, and prints daily statistics to prove it (only 82,000 bacteria/mL on Monday! mmm!).

Are you under the impression American milk doesn't contain bacteria and that when it spoils it's because of the molecules' sheer willpower? Or do you just object to the reminder that they exist?

This menu is delicious, but with rare exceptions it is all you are going to get. People coming for more than a few weeks are advised to bring a discreet bottle of Tabasco sauce.

Eat at better restaurants.

With any order from the master menu comes the Bread Basket, which should be treated as you would treat a basket of wax fruit, that is, as a purely decorative ornament. It is considered bad form to actually eat anything from Bread Basket

What are you talking about. Do all your dining companions just suck, eat some bread.

Dulce de leche is a culinary cry for help. It says "save us, we are baffled and alone in the kitchen, we don't know what to do for dessert and we're going to boil condensed milk and sugar together until help arrives". This cloying dessert tar is so impossibly sweet that you wish you were ten years old again, just so you could actually enjoy it. It is everywhere. There is a special dulce de leche shelf in the supermarket dairy case, and the containers go up to a liter in size. Even the churros are stuffed with it - the churros, Montresor!

It is rare that I feel insulted for the sake of my country, but this? How dare you.

Yes, of course we fill churros with dulce de leche; the real question is why anyone doesn't, short of dietary restrictions. Finding out that people do otherwise was like learning that in other countries, "sandwich" just means two slices of bread. Live a little. Eat a real godsdamned churro.

I spent a considerable amount of time trying to figure out how meals work in Argentina, and they remain a mystery to me. Dinner is clear enough: people tend to go to restaurants beginning at ten o'clock (for those with small children), with the main rush around eleven, and dinner is pretty much over at one or so in the morning. And breakfast - or rather, its absence - follows as a logical consequence of eating a steak the size of a beagle at midnight. But I have yet to figure out whether people eat some kind of meal in the afternoon, and if so, when.

At... noon? Like. We eat lunch. Usually somewhere around 12:00. I am eating lunch right now, and I have done so essentially every day of my life. This is just baffling.

I've come to think the culprit in the missing Argentine lunch scene is yerba mate.

how.

Where the ignorant foreigner may see just another kind of herbal tea (yerba mate is a very unassuming shrub that grows in the northern parts of the country) the Argentine sees a taste treat of unimaginable subtlety, and a tonic for all his problems. The Wikipedia article on proper mate preparation should give you a warning of the level of obsessiveness attainable here (the Urugayans are even worse). To the virgin palate, mate tastes like green tea mixed with grass clippings. The beverage is traditionally drunk out of a little gourd, through a metal straw called a bombilla, with hot (but not boiling!!) water poured into it (without wetting the surface!! clockwise!!) from a thermos.

Yeah, this is accurate. Well, not the clockwise part, never heard anyone complain about that and I can't imagine it mattering.

What distinguishes mate from coffee and tea is the social context - two or more people share a gourd, with a designated pourer in charge of refilling it with hot water after each turn. The ritual is low-fuss but indispensible. You can buy mate gourds and thermoses in any grocery store, and get your thermos filled with hot water at any convenience store or gas station, but you will never see mate served in restaurants or sold in little disposable paper gourds, to go. it's not that people refuse to drink mate alone - anyone working a solitary shift will have a gourd in hand - but that the concept of being served mate by someone who does not share it with you seems impossible.

This is also true. Attempts have been made to sell to-go mate but it's never very popular, the social ritual is important. Also unfortunately a disease vector, I haven't had any mate in a year and a half.

Mate aficionados will tell you that mate contains a special compound, mateine, that serves as a tonic and mild stimulant, promoting alertness without making it hard to sleep, reducing fatigue and appetite, helping the digestion and serving as a mild diuretic. Scientists will tell you that mateine bears a suspicious resemblance to a chemical called caffeine. Mate aficionados will then grow indignant, explaining that mateine is really a stereoisomer (mirror image) of caffeine, with different effects, which will in turn irritate the scientists, who will snap that caffeine doesn't have a chiral center, so it can't have a distinguishable mirror image, and why don't the mate aficionados just put a sock in it.

The first part of this is true; some people definitely think "mateine" is different from caffeine and it absolutely isn't. Never heard the stereoisomer claim before but googling it does confirm some people say so.

still have no idea what any of this has to do with lunch, though. I promise you nobody skips lunch because mate is just too filling.

The wine here is very good (something has to stand up to that steak), but Argentina has no liquor to call its own, relying on whiskies like Old Smuggler and the low-maintenance Don Juan cognac to carry the flag.

There's a fundamental omission from this list and it's called fernet.

Beer is ubiquitous and comes in a bewildering variety of sizes, although there is a skittishness about the full-on liter. Things level off at 970 mL. In my case, it means I end up drinking 1940 mL of beer as a kind of personal protest, and all is well with the world. To make up for the abundance of sizes, beer comes in only one variety, Quilmes, which inevitably comes served with a tripartite platter of snacks - nuts, salty cylinders, and aged potato chips.

I never had trouble buying beer by the litre, but I confess I never tried to do so in 2006 on account of being under 18 at the time.

Anyway, beer comes in a lot more varieties today, thankfully, because Quilmes sucks. I'll never be a beer person, but at least these days there's options I tolerate.

[original post]

[bookofmirth]

Hi! I’m an Elriel, but I have a totally legitimate question that I’m hoping you’ll clear up for me!

So if you don’t think Gwyn is a lightsinger (which I’m pretty sure you don’t and that’s totally your prerogative), why do you think Sarah invests so much time and specific, descriptive language into depicting Gwyn a certain way and especially when she’s singing? Just that there’s mentions of Nesta feeling entranced, of Gwyn glowing (which is repeated a bunch) etc.

Is it just that you think Gwyn has autumn court powers, or that she really is just THAT good at singing 😅?

Looking forward to reading your answer, thanks for taking the time!

Hi! Sorry this took a few days, I knew I was going to write a long response and I was doing a readathon last weekend. 🥰 Also I hope the fandom isn’t getting you down. 😬

Short answer - Nesta really likes music and most of the main characters glow at some point in the series. Sometimes we can read the story at face value, especially since sjm tends to use the same metaphors and descriptions across multiple contexts. Occam’s razor tells us that the simplest explanation of things is usually the right one, and I think that really needs to be applied to a lot of the readings of this series because sjm is Not That Deep.

Longer answer:

I think the Nesta and Gwyn singing thing is easily explained by the fact that Nesta stans music in general. It’s something huge that we learned about her in acosf - she used music in much the same way that she used alcohol and sex, and if you listen to a choir or chanting irl, it’s mesmerizing. It’s beautiful. The main difference re: music, alcohol, and sex, is that Nesta has always loved music (and dancing) and so that’s why the gift Cassian got her was so great. It was personal to her as a character.

Here are some examples of Nesta’s connection to music (in multiple contexts, not just in relation to Gwyn) (also the word music is used 81 times):

Sex, music, and drink she’d learned this past year - all of it helped.

That thing deep in Nesta stirred, but she ignored it, pushed it down as best she could without the distraction of music or sex or wine.

“Yes,” Elain said. “She was trained in dance from a very young age. She loves it, and music. Not in the way I enjoy a waltz or gavotte, but in the way that performers make an art of it. Nesta could bring an entire ballroom to a halt when she danced with someone.”

But what Feyre does with paint, that’s what Nesta did with music and dance.

(Nesta to Gwyn) “It’s a long story, and not one worth telling, but through it all, I picked taverns and pleasure halls to frequent because of the music. I’ve always loved music.”

(same scene) “The drinking, the males, I don’t miss any of it. But the music... that I miss.”

And then Gwyn invites Nesta to come listen to the singing. Occam’s razor = Gwyn saw that her friend was in pain and missed something that she loved, and offered her a chance to experience it again. It’s after this that Nesta ends up unintentionally scrying to find the harp, and it makes sense that music is what would help her with that because she uses it to forget her anxieties (see: the first two quotes above).

I was going to do a full meta on the use of the word “glow” in acosf, but when I did a search in my ebook it came up 64 times 💀 Some examples, and I tried to vary the uses I found:

immortal glow radiating from Elain’s fair skin

Amren’s eyes glowed, a remnant of the power that once burned inside her

Rhys’s violet eyes glowed

his siphons glowing

Gwyn’s hair seemed to glow brighter with her song

“do you know that your eyes glow when your power rises to the surface?” (Cassian to Nesta)

Elain had been glowing the next morning

Gwyn lowered her hands, noted the lack of glowing power in Nesta’s eyes, and sighed in relief.

And inch by inch, fresh steel glowed - truly glowed, like moonlight lay within the metal

Her eyes practically glowed in the dimness (Nesta)

No grey fire glowed in her eyes (also Nesta)

His grin was brighter than the glowing siphon (Cassian)

One small lantern glowed, faintly illuminating

Nesta seemed to glow with the attention

Eris’ eyes gleamed with wanton desire, as he drank in Nesta’s smile, the glow about her

And as a side note, in acowar (I believe? someone correct me if I’m wrong) Lucien’s hair is also described as glowing when he gets upset. I think it’s when he and Feyre are escaping the Spring Court.

Another side note, Feyre, Nesta, and Elain are all described as glowing during and after sex.

So what I get from this, in this mini meta, is that “glow” is used in two ways: 

to show that something is going on with fae powers, 

or as literal description of light

While yes, Gwyn is described as glowing, the word is used most often to describe Nesta’s eyes glowing, although Lucien, Rhys, Amren, Elain, Cassian, and Feyre all glow at some point as well, and more than once. That alone points to it being maybe about fae power, but if we were to say that Gwyn glowing = lightsinger, then what does it mean when all these other characters glow? 

Occam’s razor = Nesta is super into music, nearly all the characters glow when their powers are acting up.

The idea of lightsingers is cool, especially if it were used to complement or contrast shadowsingers. But then their description in acosf is.... creepy af. And there isn’t any description of glowing (or singing!) as being inherent to their power. I don’t think anyone has ever suggested that Azriel, as a shadowsinger, tortures his victims with... song? Or lures them with song? 

My main thing with analysis of certain words or phrases is that they need to be applied across the board. If we’re going to say that use of a word is super important in one context, then it should be looked at in all contexts. That’s when it becomes a theme, and so looking at the word (or phrase, or idea) across contexts can tell us what the theme is. For example, discussion of Az’s shadows should include every instance of them being described for the full picture to emerge. I think there are other examples that make people think Gwyn is a lightsinger but glowing and music aren’t enough because when looking at the broader context and use of those words 1) there is way more evidence to show that Nesta was being influenced not by Gwyn’s “power” but more by her own preference for music, and 2) If we’re going to say glowing is a lightsinger thing then almost everyone in the books is a lightsinger.

I hope this makes sense! Sorry this got long, I like to cover all my bases. 

[xgummibearx]

Hit with a quirk! Hawkes X (F) Reader

(Been taking my time to write here and there, thank you so much for your patience and allowing me to take a short break from this series! For context since I haven't updated in a while; the pro heroes awere hit with a quirk that turned them into children and the reader is UA's adolescent quirk development specialist. she works with children regularly and has been called to help monitor the heroes until the quirk wears off. Hint: all of the fics I am writing for this series connect. Enjoy!)

(X)= your name

warnings: none

(I've never written or even read anything for Hawkes or Endeavor before but!...I'll try! I'm actually going to be loosely basing Keigo as a kid off my own little brother, I feel he would have been similar lol)

"Hey man lighten up, you're a walking lava lamp! that shouldn't be hard for ya big guy." Hawkes was hovering at Endeavour's eye level, wearing a smirk as he crossed his arms. Endeavour growled, glaring at the stubborn bird brained hero. "Hey what can I say it was a good burn." He added with a snicker. Endeavor swatted at Hawkes as if he were nothing more than a pesky mosquito. His phone was ringing.

"Silence!" He snapped, "The agency is calling." He answered gruffly; "what is the meaning of this? I am working on a case!"

"About that sir!" A voice nervously responded, "we were just informed that Eraserhead and Present Mic disappeared while in pursuit of a lead? Regarding that villain you were pursuing..." Endeavor growled;

"Do I look like a street patroller?! Just get a hold of Fatgum; tell him, and stop wasting my time we're professionals!" He grumbled under his breath; "since when did we come to a time where pro heroes needed babysitters?" His receptionist quietly explained;

"That's the problem sir...Fatgum as well as his intern were the first ones on the scene; but...they disappeared as well, and never made a report." Endeavor froze; what was this? The league? All for One? He narrowed his eyes.

"I see...the situation is alot more serious than I thought, thank you for notifying me. Ensure that the rest of our units continue as normal but have them on standby if things get out of hand."

"yes sir..." Endeavor hung up.

"Come on Hawkes..." He grumbled. "We have work to do."

---

Hawkes was flying high above the air, they were nearing Aizawa and Hizashi's last known location when he heard a loud shout. Keigo stopped, doing a double take. "HEY!" He looked down to see what looked like a group of kids being chased by some wierd looking guy in a purple cloak.

"Pick on someone your own size you psycho!" He shouted, swooping down and kicking the assailant square in the chest. He was knocked back into some garbage cans, making one of the boys cheer.

"Good hit mister!" Hawkes turned with a grin.

"Thanks, don't you worry I'll make sure you get home..." He froze, his eyes wide as he got a good look at the kids. One of the boys was chubby, wih a familiar wide grin. "...Fatgum?..." The kid with shaggy black hair that looked an awful lot like Aizawa suddenly screamed, pointing over Hawkes shoulder.

"HEY LOOK OUT!" The villain suddenly appearing and grabbing Keigo, not to mention Aizawa's shout startled poor Hizashi and he screamed loudly; bringing Keigo and the villain to their knees. In fear, the boy quickly turned and ran.

"Hey, wait!" Keigo tried to stand but the figure in the purple cloak hovered overhead with his boot planted on Hawke's back.

"Come on!" Taishiro quickly lead the others away after Hizashi, "we have to help him!" Hawkes couldnt move as he reached towards the kids.

"Dammit wait!" He froze as he felt a hand on his head.

"Nice try hero!" The last thing Hawkes saw was a cloud of smoke.

---

Keigo was aching all over when he opened his eyes, his tiny body picked up like a ragdoll as the villain lifted him by the scruff of his shirt. The rest of the events were a blur, a huge man that looked like a walking roman candle burst in and punched the villain but as he was picked up, the second that Keigo had touched the man's arm he too was surrounded by smoke.

The next thing Keigo knew, he was sitting in a waiting room with a group of other kids. All of them tired, one kid with particularly shaggy black hair was passed out on the tile floor snoring loudly.

---

"We made arrangements for Taishiro and Hizashi already; do you think you could handle Takami?"  (X) shrugged.

"Sure, but if he gives me shit when this thing wears off I'm blaming you!" She chuckled, shaking her head. Nezu laughed, walking alongside her to the waiting room.

"Takami?..." (X) called, glancing around the waiting room. Her eyes fell on a kid with small bright red wings wearing a familiar dazed look. Nezu walked Keigo over, explaining that she was going to look after him for a couple days. The small eight year old boy looked right up at (X) with a deadpan expression.

"So I'm staying with that old lady?" (X) narrowed her eyes, even as a child he had a sharp tongue.

"Keep that up and I'll make you take a bath when we get back home." The boy immediately shut his mouth, remaining quiet until they got home. Keigo was very unimpressed upon arrival as he found himself coaxed into getting a bath anyway. Afterwards as he lay in bed with a sweater that was much too big for him  however, even he had to admit he felt much better.

---

"I want chicken nuggets!" The boy declared, his feet on the table and his pitiful wings proudly outstretched. (X) rolled her eyes, he had come barreling into her room at 6am begging to be fed. "I'M STARVING!" He had insisted. She glared at him.

"No." Keigo scrunched his face up and crossed his as he crossed his arms.

"Yes!" He snapped.

"I said no." (X) sighed.

"Well...I said yes!" She smirked.

"That doesn't change anything! You can't have chicken nuggets for breakfast, you're not supposed to have your feet on the table so get them off, and get some manners while you're at it.." (X) grumbled, standing up to the sound of the coffee pot announcing a fresh brew of the nectar of the gods. (X) sipped her coffee slowly, mostly black but with a tiny dash of creme.

"I wanna try some!" Keigo hopped off the table, bouncing at her feet.

"Definitely not, now I am going to wash my face and then I'll make us some eggs okay?" Keigo nodded.

"Okay, eggs are good..." He watched (X) leave then slowly turned to the coffee pot.

(X) returned to find an empty mug left on the ground, a half empty coffee pot and Keigo laughing uncontrollably in the next room. She gasped, he was hanging upside down from the ceiling fan. "KEIGO!?" (X) shouted, running to detatch him. As she got closer Keigo's feathers got caught on the pull switch of the fan and before they knew it he was spinning uncontrollably, was flung off through the air against a wall.

The rest of the morning was no better, he was running around nonstop, even flying indoors and sending things sailing. The school owed her a new set of dishes to put it simply.

Eventually (X) admitted defeat, taking Keigo to the nearby park to blow off some steam. "This kid is going to be the death of me..." (X) moaned, leaning back as exhaustion washed over her. She found herself dozing off, her eyes growing heavy snd before she knew it (X) was asleep. It like it had only been seconds when she was woken to the sound of thunder. There was a very light drizzle but it would definitely get heavier.

Everyone else in the park had left, Keigo was standing on the bench beside her. He was attempting to use his tiny wings as an umbrella. "You look tired...can we go home?" (X) smiled, laughing softly.

"Well aren't you sweet. Okay."

Warm clothes, hot bowls of beef stew, and plenty of  cartoons made for the perfect evening. By the end of their third film they had both fallen asleep on the couch, the tiny boy curled up beside (X) with her arms sleepily wrapped around him.

---

It was still the middle of the  night when Keigo woke and was back to normal. It was unexpected, considering him suddenly being full size left him with no room on the couch and he loudly crashed to thw floor.

"mm...Takami?..." (X) mumbled, sitting up slowly. She looked at the floor to see Keigo, staring back up her. He could feel his face burning, the memories of the day flooding in.

"uhm...for what it's worth?...I don't actually think you're an old lady..." He mumbled slowly.

(X) smirked, shaking your head. "Come here you idiot..." Keigo curled back up on the couch with her. "So, you're not going to give me shit?" Keigo chuckled, she could feel his voice vibrate as he slowly pulled her into an embrace. His nose and mouth softly nuzzled into the top of her head.

"Maybe I'll wait a couple days first." (X) giggled, her face pressed into his chest.

"Maybe we should go on a coffee date."

Keigo laughed, "oh fuck off!"

[teresa-moyocoyotzin]

QOTS 5.09 “I Love You” Scenes Meta

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR 5.09 OF QUEEN OF THE SOUTH ABOUND

Okay this is basically just me trying to place James and Teresa’s ILY scenes within the larger context of their relationship and other kisses, and analyzing their respective reactions!

(Also just a disclaimer that obviously this is just one fan’s interpretation, there’s no right or wrong here! This is just how I see it and hopefully it’ll connect w some of y’alls insight too!)

Oh boy okay so I’m just gonna do this in the style of my old Bolivia visions meta b/c I think the best in bullet point form, so we’re just gonna go thru the scenes like super in depth, w/ way more detail than necessary. Think of it as a close reading, but instead of a piece of writing, it’s a tv show, and it has no sources except My Opinions lol

I’m still planning to actually write out my reactions to the whole episode when I re-watch it, but I can’t stop picking apart the I Love You scenes b/c honestly there’s so much going on there! Come on y’all this has been building since the second episode of this show there’s a lot to unpack here. I’m mostly focusing on how these kisses are vastly different from any of their other kisses IMO and how that affects the love confessions!

THIS IS GONNA BE UNNECESSARILY LONG AND NOT VERY ORGANIZED, BE WARNED

Let’s start when James says “You wouldn’t let me do it, so why should I let you?” shall we? B/c THIS MOMENT

SO as others have pointed out, this line really feels like a love confession in and of itself, and I’m sure if they hadn’t confessed their feelings in the same scene we would all be obsessing about it. I low-key am anyways..

Sure they’ve acknowledged that they do things to protect each other etc. etc. but this is really James making sure that she knows that he knows that SHE knows that they both feel the same way, and he’s not dancing around it anymore, not when she’s throwing herself into danger yet again. Teresa doesn’t have an answer, but it does make something click in her brain. No matter what moral code she’s following these days, if James was walking into a death trap like that she wouldn’t want him to go and would try to stop him. And right now, he’s feeling the same thing for her, he knows that she cares as much about him as he cares about her and that it’s a LOT, and he’s telling it straight to her face.

When she kisses him, I think it’s an acknowledgment of that, as well as her sort of trying to return the sentiment. And also, she doesn’t have a good answer to his question and wants to kiss him so she does!! James is clearly surprised by the kiss, as evident by his posture and slowly relaxing into the kiss. But THEN

After James’ brain catches up, he kisses her again, and even tho it’s short it looks to me like a pretty powerful, strong kiss!!?? (hard to tell b/c as usual…. they filmed it in a black hole..) and to me, it reads like he really let all his true feelings come through in that kiss POSSIBLY FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER

Now, lemme explain. Their first kiss in 3.05 was undeniably full of feelings and emotions, and I’m sure that night was super passionate and full of love! However, knowing what we know now about how everything plays out, I don’t think they were really at the point of saying ILY yet. Even if they did both love each other then, and I think they did, they had a lot of trust issues and abandonment issues to work through first. And as we all know, after that night everything goes to shit and they go about 12 steps backwards. My main point here is that I think both James and Teresa are still feeling generally unsure about each other’s feelings during their first kiss. This is also true for.. literally all of their kisses? Until now. Because in 3.09, they’re just super horny from taking over Phoenix but Teresa is just barely getting over Guero’s death in that episode.. I think that kiss was more about them feeling like the King and Queen of phoenix and less about their Actual Feelings (just imo obviously). And then they kiss after Teresa gets back form Bolivia but Teresa is suspecting him then and he’s certainly feeling her hesitation so no big feelings in that kiss either. Then of course there’s the goodbye kiss at the end of s3, and yes in that one I do think they were both letting their true feelings show in their kiss but they were both misinterpreting the other’s feelings and both were in a way lying to the other in that scene. James about his reason for leaving, and Teresa about her true reasons for wanting him to stay. And THEN, the kiss at the beginning of s5 is very much a “I’m happy you’re back, I want to be with you, but we can’t” kind of kiss, and again, there were feelings there but they were both still holding something back, and still not on the same page about what they wanted and were working towards. But in this kiss, they are on the same page , working toward the same thing, which is to get themselves OUT, together. Ever since they made that decision, there is an implicit agreement between them that they’re getting out together, and I think they both know that they want to be together if they make it out. And they both are desperate to have the other know their feelings before any potential deaths. However, they don’t really KNOW that they’re on the same page until that KISS.

SO ALL THIS TO SAY that in my eyes, the main reason Teresa’s so shocked is that this is the first time that James didn’t hold ANY of his love for her back when he kissed her, and she FELT IT babeyy. Teresa initiates this kiss to show him her true feelings, which takes him bit by surprise, but then he returns the feelings Full Force which takes Teresa totally by surprise.

I mean just look at her face after they part, before he says ILY. She looks shocked and confused, almost a little angry? I don’t think it’s really anger though, so much as it is being taken aback by the emotions that James is laying all out on the table for her to clearly see. Her face here is actually what drove me to write this meta, because at first I was so confused as to why she looked so shook up after the first kiss, cuz like girl U INITIATED IT?? I think part of it is that Teresa was a bit taken aback by the strength of her own feelings in that moments and the urge to kiss him despite them not being out of the business yet. She’s realized that if she’s gonna die tomorrow, she wants to kiss James first, and she wants that like, really bad. And also she loves him and was overcome w the urge to show him. But mainly, I really don’t think she expected to be met w/ such strong love from James’ kiss, because all the other times, he had been holding back his feelings.

James’ face after the kiss totally plays into this theory for me - he looks like he just got CAUGHT. She’s looking at him like what the Fuck was that!!! And he’s like oh SHit now I just gotta say it. The way he looks at her and shakes his head a little like, wow I’m really about to say it. I think it’s been on the tip of his tongue all episode, but he realized he just totally showed his hand with that kiss and there’s no going back now.

But omg you guys his face when he says it just SENDS ME TO THE FLOOR his little smile???? Like he’s thinking “how did we end up here? am I really about to tell Teresa I love her? YEP”

I don’t think she had any intention of telling him her feelings so outright yet, to me it totally makes sense that he tells her first. At the beginning of the season, Teresa made it clear that she does want to be with James, but she felt restricted by their life. So, James has spent the past season coming to terms with a) that Teresa still wants to be with him if they can get out of the business, b) that she’s changed a lot and no longer follows her old moral code, and c) that he still loves her even if she’s not entirely the same person he fell in love with originally.

Meanwhile Teresa came to terms w/ the fact that she wanted to be w/ him early in the season but pushed that Right down after indulging in 1 kiss (which I think was also meant to be a reassurance that she did want to be with him) but spent the rest of the season trying to grow her business, which in her mind would forever keep her from being able to be with James. So even if she acknowledged her feelings, she was not letting herself dwell on them. James, however… oh boy has he been dwelling. Especially since Dumas so kindly pointed his feelings out to him lol. So I think Teresa’s strong feelings for James have been building under the surface but she wasn’t allowing herself to acknowledge them at all, and therefore I think she kind of surprised herself a bit by kissing him, was then even more surprised by how strongly her feelings were showing, and then James hits her with a Big Feelings kiss and then an I Love You??? Oh boy

Taking this into account it totally makes sense that she looks super shocked after James tells her, even if they both have ~known~ for a long time. Y’know?

Okay so then there’s the sex scene which I LOVED omg, like absolutely zero complaints, super hot, exactly what they and we deserved. I’m not gonna get into it b/c I think it speaks for itself, but like, would happily read a meta about it if someone wrote it 👀

Anyways I think the morning after, when Teresa is laying in bed admiring James, is when Teresa is really digesting all of these feelings and the fact of them being out in the open, and she’s deciding that she needs to tell James she loves him, like ASAP. She is also at the same time having to accept that she’s going on a super dangerous mission today that she night not come back from, and if she does come back from it, they’re gonna have to still find a way Out. All in all, safe to say she’s got a lot going on in her mind, but it’s clear by her gazing at him that James is a big factor in all of it.

I love the next scene so much omg

They’ve gotten ready for the day and James is once again pulling tricks out of his bag to ensure her safety, and she’s just.. staring at him. My personal headcanon here is that Teresa’s intuition was telling her that a) the phonegun was gonna be irrelevant, and b) that she had about 30 seconds before her phone rang and she had to leave for potential death. Therefore it just blocked out literally everything but James and needing to tell him that she loved him. The moment I love the most is actually when James says “Here, try it” and he steps closer and she sort of jolts like they’re physically connected. The first time I saw the scene I literally gasped from that one step he takes because they just had this electric pull between them that was so obvious that I literally felt it. The chemistry!!!!

She’s just so focused on him in that moment and that whole scene, and the way she whispers “I love you” likes she just HAS to say it, she has to make sure he KNOWS she loves him before she runs off to risk her life. And the fact that it happens while James is actively trying to set her up for protection??? POETIC CINEMA I tell you. Kudos to Alice for that because apparently it was her idea and it’s my FAVE

Another thing that I really don’t know how to interpret but I find interesting from a cinematic point of view: James and Teresa are literally left in the dark during James’ love confession. It’s at night, and there is NO DAMN LIGHT AT ALL ON THEIR FACES (I bet the gif makers really appreciated that one huh…) so we can’t even see their reactions very well. Meanwhile, when Teresa confesses her feelings, it’s super brightly lit, in a white room, she’s wearing white, we can see all of the emotions on their faces. IDK what this is meant to symbolize exactly, so if anyone has thoughts PLEASE share them.

James seems a little in shock after, I think he really didn’t expect her to say it, even if he assumed she felt the same. And I think he was okay w/ that and had accepted it, knowing it would be really hard for her to say. After all, once she acknowledges it, it’s that much more painful if they have to say goodbye…

I think the way she says it perfectly captures how hard it is for her to get the words out, even if she feels an overwhelming urge to say them and make sure he knows. She seems very sure of her feelings, and I don’t think she hesitated to tell him at all, but it’s still a big step, and presumably the last person she said ILY to, in this context, was Guero. And his death destroyed her, so ofc she’s be scared to admit that she’s in love and put herself at the risk of losing it again. God Alice did such a good job w/ that line it really gets me every time. So sure, and soft, but with no room for doubt. Like she knows he doesn’t expect her to say it, but she can’t bear to let him think she doesn’t love him back. And it’s so simple too, like she’s saying “of COURSE I love you, how could you think I don’t?” AHHHH

And just the way she stares at him the whole time like she’s just waiting for him to stop talking so she can say it, and while she waits she’s perfectly happy to ignore the situation at hand and think about how she loves him and he loves her and also probably how good he FUCKS cuz like……………y’all saw his hand goin’ down there after he flips her over right 👀 okay ANYWAYS

So she finally tells him!!!!!! That she loves him!!! And kisses him!! Just to really drive the point home. And because, again, I think something was telling Teresa to kiss her man and tell him she loves him because she was about to get a call from Kostya’s men any second.

I really think James’ sort of blank look after she tells him is just him being in shock that she actually said it. I would have loved to know what he would have said after that, but alas.

That final shot before the phone rings though ❤️ their foreheads together, her hand on his heart and his hand on her hand, also the way that visually her arm (clothed in white) is across his body (clothed in black/gray) and vice versa w/ his arm is across her body, sort of continuing the sort of yin-yang theme they have going this season, I just think is a cool touch on the behalf of whoever choreographed/directed the scene.

I also interpret it as a very grounding moment for both of them, rooted in physical touch but not sexual in any way, just comforting. They finally can completely take comfort in each other because their feelings are out in the open and they’re completely connected. AGH they really have me in a chokehold lol

Anyways this is so fucking long and rambly, I don’t know if it makes sense but I did my best to proofread, I’m so sorry but thank you for reading if you’ve made it all the way here, or like even if you made it thru 1/16 of it lol I APPRECIATE YOU

I’m not sure what the main point is here, but anyways I think the actors, writers, directors, etc. did an amazing job w/ their I Love You scenes and I’m personally feeling v satisfied w/ it!

[glapplebloom]

My 200th Revisted Review. I wanted to do a video but I just don’t have the opportunity to do so. But I figure why not review a great fan series.

My Tiny Pony was made by the Youtube Channel Double W Brothers. You may know them for their other numerous Pony Animations or their most recent video (at the time) Teeny Tiny Undertale where they try to kill you by too much adorableness in Kid Toriel. So I’m going to review the entire My Tiny Pony series (even though together they probably don’t reach 15 minutes).

The first episode features Twilight Sparkle in name only. Sadly, while it is adorable to see her do everything in this short, its very unlike Twilight. It is like if you had a pet that wanted a cookie in your pocket. With this one, you can tell the animation is drawn more traditionally compared to later installments. And one thing continuing throughout the series is how everything is told in music and animation. No dialogue at all. Despite that, still easy to follow.

Episode 2 improves on the original by bringing in Pinkie Pie. While Twilight wasn’t really Twilight, this Pinkie is definitely Pinkie. Complete with cartoony anctics that wouldn’t make sense in any other context. Twilight also improves as we see her in a book fort reading a book, showing the Twilight we know. But Pinkie makes a good pet as she’s affectionate and playful. 

Almost four years later, we get the next part as Rainbow Dash enters the picture. You can tell the animation is different from the first two, as they look to have moved on to what I presume is flash. But it is still adorable, especially when Rainbow Dash hugs the owner’s finger and not letting go. She’s as playful as Pinkie Pie, but in her own unique way. 

Now for my favorite episode of the series: Rarity. I do call her best Pony for a reason and this is just another example. Despite being a Tiny Pony, her full character is on display. From wanting to help out artistically, to her over dramatic nature, and right down to her fashion sense. She’s going to make everyone fashionable one way or another.

Applejack shows us their morning routine in the next episode. How she has to wake up the owner one way or another (guy gets knocked out of a window twice and is still asleep, but a small peck on the cheek is enough to wake him), how they both enjoy coffee, and how Applejack eats an apple. It is definitely adorable how she cuddles to the apple slice and rocks herself. And of coure, putting on Applejack’s hat.

Before the final one, there’s a video called “About My Tiny Pony” where Discord explains why its taking a while. Basically, animation frame by frame takes a lot of work and while they probably have some shortcuts here and there, it definitely takes a while so its understandable. To make it up for me, they shoot Discord and have Angel Bunny attack him. 

And the final episode (for now) has us learning he gets a box with a Pony magically. And this one he has to earn her trust as she’s so afraid of her new surroundings she tries to escape. Even hurts herself and nearly gets herself killed. But the owner proves his worth and Fluttershy is now part of the Pony Possee.

Overall, this is a great series especially to watch with kids. The music and animation will keep them entertained as well as yourself. I highly recommend it. Also not canon with GLAB.

[thephantomessoftheopera]

Notes on Gaston Leroux’s “The Phantom of the Opera” - Chapter 17: “Astonishing Revelations by Madame Giry, Concerning Her Personal Relations with the Opera Ghost”

<< Previous chapter

At the beginning of this chapter, Leroux rewinds the clock yet again in order to show what happened to the managers before, and why they are behaving in such a strange fashion. His use of different sources such as transcripts, newspapers or letters resembles that of a historian, and in this chapter, he actually identifies his work as that of a “historian”.

In short, he now describes how the Opera Ghost collected his salary. When the managers received the first note with the payment instructions from “O.G.” (which was placed in a locked room probably by Erik himself), they explained what was happening to Gabriel and Mercier, and then gave the sealed envelope containing 20,000 francs to Madame Giry, hoping to set a trap for the ghost - but they did not take the cleverness of a talented magician like Erik into account. To the eyes of the managers, Madame Giry left the envelope on the railing of Box 5 as instructed, and while it seemingly lay untouched during the whole performance, at the end of the evening they opened it to find only play money inside.

Richard initially opposed Moncharmin’s idea of calling the police because he feared that they would be ridiculed. Both of them are partly suspecting the previous managers, Debienne and Poligny, of a practical joke, but Moncharmin’s suspicions are increasingly shifting to Richard. They are now waiting for the next time the ghost asks for his monthly payment, ready to strike. On the morning of Christine’s abduction, another note arrives, asking them to carry out the payment of his salary again in the same fashion.

They prepare the envelope with 20,000 francs for the ghost and then send for Madame Giry, hoping to extract from her who the ghost is, and why she is so devoted to him. Madame Giry, in this version, seems to be rather simple-minded, but she still does have a very proud and haughty attitude. She is referred to as an „old woman“ and is described as having only three teeth left, but as Meg Giry still seems to be quite young, we must conclude that she is probably not more than 40 to 50 years of age. The loss of her teeth, other than old age, could also be due to pregnancy or insufficient hygiene.

We now learn how Erik enlisted Madame Giry‘s loyalty in the first place: by promising her that Meg‘s dancing career would make her an empress through marriage by 1885. This also puts the events story safely before 1885 - according to the dates given, 1884 is the most likely year, although the story is commonly assumed to take place around 1880 (due to Leroux‘s indication that the events go back „no more han 30 years“). Due to this „prophecy“, Meg Giry is thrust into the corps de ballet in the first place, with Erik facilitating her acceptance. As far as the Girys’ support of the opera ghost is concerned, we can conclude that they are mostly in it for fame and fortune, aided by the fact that the ghost sure knows how to charm Madame Giry. According to this article (https://www.history.com/news/sexual-exploitation-was-the-norm-for-19th-century-ballerinas) on the exploitative relationships between wealthy patrons and the ballet dancers at the Paris Opera, those connections that offered a (slight) chance of achieving a higher social status were often set up by the girls’ mothers themselves. The book characters of the Girys and the historical context make LND seem not quite so far-fetched to me because they are supporting Erik mostly in the hope of getting money - a lot of it - out of it in return at one point. Meg and Madame Giry also have no connection to Christine in the novel.

Moncharmin and Richard accuse Madame Giry of being the ghost‘s accomplice, but it turns out that she really doesn‘t know the details of what the envelopes contain. When Richard threatens to have her arrested for thievery, she slaps him full in the face with the envelope, causing the 20,000 francs to scatter all over the office. When Moncharmin and Richard rush to collect the banknotes and make sure they are still real, Madame Giry tells Richard that he should know better than her what happened to the money, since she put the envelope in *his* pocket. Richard is dumbfounded, Moncharmin suspicious.

Now, what really happened the first time was that during the first night, Madame Giry kept the envelope containing the real money, given to her by the managers, to herself, while she put the sealed envelope containing the play money, which Erik had given her, onto the railing of Box 5. There, it was avidly watched by the managers all night long, until they finally discovered the play money that had been inside all along. The next day, when Richard and Madame Giry were both backstage at the dancers‘ lounge, she secretly slipped the envelope containing the real money into Richard‘s coattail pocket. But as Richard - though unaware of it - now had 20,000 francs in his pocket, and Moncharmin had none, he turned against Richard as the main suspect. So - what happened to the 20,000 francs, now that they were sitting in Richard‘s pocket without his knowledge? We’ll find out in the next chapter...

I can’t deny that to me personally, Erik is the most charmingly mischievous blackmailer I have ever seen. He outsmarts them all and does it with so much wit, artistry and cleverness that I find it hard to hold it against him… And, well, we all know that weddings tend to be expensive, so I guess he needed the money…?

It‘s also remarkable how narrow the time frame of the entire action is. The second monthly payment is made on the day of Christine‘s abduction, which means that it probably has been a maximum of 2 months since the arrival of the managers and their welcome gala night in early January, which means that it is now between late February and mid-March. It‘s been roughly 5 months now since Erik first started giving Christine lessons.

Image from “The Phantom of the Opera” (2004)

Next chapter >>

[sparklingchan]

The Prince and I || Jeong Yunho(Ateez)

Pairing : Reader (fem.) x Yunho.

Word count : 9.2k+

Warnings : Cuss words, minor injuries, Yunho BEING A FLUFFBALL!!

Genre : Fluff, angst, Arranged marriage au, Royal au.

Description : Your marriage to Prince Yunho feels like nothing less than a fairytale - but a fairytale is incomplete without a villain, right?

A/N:  This fic took longer than I thought it would lol  

This is a part of the holiday treats event conducted by kafenetwork.          This fic is for the lovely Anna! I hope you like it and I hope it didn’t disappoint. I’m sorry I cannot tag you here because this site always decides to eat up my posts with tags in it :((

Enjoy!

"This wedding dress is a little expensive, granny."

The silky cloth slips away from in between your fingers, as quick as sand. You hadn't ever touched a piece of cloth as beautiful and smooth as this one, really. In fact, you'd never ever seen anything like the dress presented before you at the moment. And well, as much as you want to buy it, you knew you couldn't. Not unless you use up all your life's savings.

"I'm sure Ms. Claire here could find us something less...royal." you mutter again when your Grandmother doesn't respond.

Ms. Claire, the owner of the elegant boutique you find yourself standing in this morning, smiles at you sheepishly. "Oh, what nonsense! You will be married into a royal family, y/n. I cannot have you wear a normal wedding dress."

You sigh, turning away from the mannequin that donnes your dream wedding dress and crouching down to speak to your granny, "Granny, we won't have any money left if we buy this."

Your grandmother has been in the wheel chair for as long as you could remember. But she has more energy and life in her than most young people out there, including you. She's like this ball of sunshine who adores you to death. And now that the most important event of your life is slowly coming close with every passing day, you find her enthusiasm increasing likewise. She would wake up every morning and coax you to work out and do your skin care routine every night before bed. Today too, she forced you to allow her to tag along on your last shopping trip before your big day. Though you never say it out loud, your grandmother is nothing short of an angle. And you'd do anything to make her happy.

"I have saved up enough money to buy three such dresses, y/n." Your grandmother says as you lean down , "Miss Claire, pack this one up please."

Miss Claire nods and smiles at your granny, "Surely, madam."

Her assistant takes away the mannequin to get it packed up and billed.

You sit on the small couch present in the room as your eyes roam around the room full of pretty dresses and veils and shoes. It feels surreal all of a sudden, as if you were in a day dream you'd often think about as a teenager.

"What? Do you want anything else? I have enough money for that too." Your grandmother chimes in, rolling the wheelchair a little towards you, "Should we buy one for your mom too?"

Your mom, though equally excited for your wedding as your grandmother, was more on the realistic side. She'd give you a reality check ever so often - about husbands and in-laws and everything surrounding it. You're also not very sure your mom would appreciate spending so much money on dresses in a single day, especially when your wedding stands only four days away.

"No, granny, mom has enough dresses." You run a soothing hand through her grey and thin hair, "Aren't you tired? We've been out for a long time now."

"Do I look tired to you? " she raises an eyebrow, her eyes wrinkling up as she smiles at you sweetly. She's such an adorable little woman that it makes your heart melt everytime she looks at you.

"No," you roll your eyes, "Guess we can go and pick up Maya's dress while we're at it."

"Maya as in your best friend? The annoyingly loud girl from your college?" You snort at your granny's choice of words to describe your best friend.

You hear Miss Claire call you towards the payment counter and before you could move a finger, your granny races you to it.

"Come on, girl, what are you- eighty?" She teases you with a loud chuckle.

And still, you may not say it out loud , but your granny is your whole world. And when you are married off into the royal family of your father's old hometown, the only person you'll miss badly is probably your sweet old grandmother.

Later that evening, after dropping your grandma back home, you decide to walk to your best friend's apartment which is located just a few blocks away from yours. You carry her dress with you but deep down, you know that's not the only reason as to why you wanted to visit her this late at night.

"I need advice. "

"About what?"

"Marriage and life. "

Your best friend's eyes widen at your words. Her lips part as if she wanted to comment something but then stopped herself. "Maya, dude please. I'm terribly scared and I can't talk to anyone else at home." You admit, playing with the hem of your dress. A sudden sense of embarrassment and shyness washes over you but you push all that away before they get the best of you.

Maya puts down her dress on the bed.

"Y/n, I could give you all the advice in the world but believe me, you won't be able to apply it practically. I married a normal man from a normal family. We live in a cozy apartment in a city. But for you, it's different. You'll not marry a common person- you're marrying a prince for God's sake. A Crown Prince on top of that. You'll be living in a castle far away in the mountains. I don't know how my advice would be of any help here, y/n." Maya says, her hand gently patting yours.

You shift in your place, the bed creaking softly beneath you.

Maya is unarguably right - her advice won't be useful in your case. In fact, no one's advice would be useful to you unless they've had a first hand experience with an arranged marriage and a royal life. Yet these facts do little to comfort your growing fear and anxiousness.

"I haven't even met him in person yet. I only saw him over a few stupid video calls and in his pictures. I don't know what to expect." You say.

His Highness Crown Prince Yunho is a pretty busy man it turns out. So busy that he hasn't even been able to take some time out of his duties and come visit his fiancé for a few hours. He's a beautiful man, you have to say. Elegant and stylish and well mannered and everything about him screams Royal. He often texts you in his free time and calls you once in a blue moon. He seems like a nice man indeed, the kind you'd love to marry even without his royal heritage. But being his wife and a Crown Princess is a challenge you'd have to face completely on your own.

"Your granny thinks he's a good man, y/n. Maybe you should trust her judgement. Old people have that in themselves, you know." Maya says with a small smile, "Plus he's a Prince. You'll live a luxurious life, y/n. Don't be so pessimistic! I'm sure things will turn out great."

You give your best friend a tight hug for trying to cheer you up and helping you forget your fears even if it's just for a few hours . That night, as you toss and turn in your bed, trying to keep your mind free from thoughts about your life after marriage, you realise how big of a change this one thing will make.

And you're not very sure if you're ready for that change yet.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

The weather is quite pleasant today, the sun shining softly through the thin curtain of clouds and the humidity deciding to be a little forgiving today but too bad you're stuck inside your room, folding clothes and making sure all your necessities are packed in the luggage.

"Well, this is not how I expected my last day at home to turn out, " you complain to your mother who sits across from you on the bed, helping you pack your things, "But it is what it is, I guess."

Your mom chuckles, placing your folded clothes into huge black suitcase spread open on the floor. "This isn't bad. You're alone with your family and friend, what more do you need?"

A fancy Bachelorette party with your friends and a few male strippers didn't sound like a very appropriate response so you decide to just shake your head.

"Aren't you angry though? Even just a little bit?" She asks. You scowl at the unexpected, out of context question. You are scared and anxious and nervous but angry? Not at all.

"What do you mean? Why would I be angry?" You reply, crossing your arms in front of your chest, "I'm fine."

She sighs, momentarily pausing her actions to face you. Her eyes are a little moist, you notice, and her lips pressed into a sad line. "Your grandmother betrothed you to Prince Yunho when you guys were just nineteen. It is an arranged marriage, to a person you don't know and a family which holds so much power. She didn't give you freedom to choose your own partner. Aren't you angry about that?" She elaborates.

You feel a soft tug in your heart at her words. You've been so preoccupied with worrying about how you'd handle yourself after marriage that you never really thought about this. Even so, when you really think about it, you can't find it in yourself to be angry at your grandmother.

"Granny and Prince Yunho's grandmother were best friends, mom. They made a promise and I respect that. Plus granny never forced me to say yes. I did that on my own account. " you explain yourself, your hand slowly reaching over to squeeze your mom's shoulder, "Don't worry about me. I'll manage. I always do."

Its rather funny how you were the one needing assurance from Maya a few nights ago and here you are, repeating the same words of encouragement to your mother. A part of you is obviously still terrified of the future, but that's not your mom's problem to deal with. It's entirely yours.

Your mom sniffs, but a tear manages to roll down her cheek, "I'll miss having you around. Why couldn't she have arranged your marriage to a normal person who lived in the same city?"

And then it finally dawns on you. It really is your last day at home. Your last day in the city you so dearly loved, your last day in the house which has seen you grow from a little baby to a beautiful, young woman. It's your last day as y/n y/l/n, your parents' only child and your grandmother's favorite grandchild. Tomorrow, you would be a Princess, a wife, a person of political importance. And your heart breaks a little at the thought of never getting this life back again.

"Mom.." you mutter, your eyes tearing up as well. Words fall short when it comes to describing how much you'll miss everyone and everything here. Starting from your friends to your family to the smallest of decorative items in your room that you've managed to collect over the years. It's like a piece of you would just cease to exist. As the night grows darker and the day crosses over to the next one, you hold your mother close as the both of you let out the quietest of sobs and realise that this might be the last time she'd have you all to herself.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡   

The journey from your parents' old house to Prince Yunho's ancestral palace is short - not with respect to time but with respect to the fact that amidst tearful eyes and memory flashbacks, the car ride gives you little to no time to settle your hurricane of thoughts.

As your dad's car slowly pulls over in front of a huge black metal gate, you are welcomed with a view that seems right out of a fairytale. The Royal palace is located in the most beautiful locations you've ever been to, a place you never thought could exist in real life. It almost feels like you are in a dream. With the beautiful backdrop of lush green mountains in the back, the Palace stands tall on the foothills of the mountains. The pastel pink walls and the carefully carved window panes look ethereal with contrast to the tall black gates that securely surround the palace. A group of servants are rowed in front of the man main entrance, with warm smiles and trays full of welcome drinks.

But you're far too mesmerized by the place to bother consuming anything at the moment.

This place - this breathtakingly gorgeous palace with the biggest gardens and tallest fountains- would be your home. For a long time, home meant your crammed little apartment which always smelt like cinnamon and bread. It had no big gardens, no servants, no fountains but it was your home. Your safe place. You wonder if this place could ever feel like home.

"Geez, y/n, I'm so jealous." Maya whisper-squeals in your ear as the servants lead you inside, "Do you want to exchange husbands?"

You nudge her gently with your elbow, "Shut up. Or I'll have you thrown out."

You are made to walk through a quiet hallway that has a huge wooden door at the end. On both sides of the hallway, pictures and paintings and vintage weapons are displayed like in museums and the marble floor beneath you shines like water under the sun. Every nook and corner of this place is a treasure waiting to be discovered, you realise.

The servants open the wooden door and lead you inside into what appears to look like a Throne Room. Now, you'd never really been to one before but movies and books have taught you that this is what a Throne room probably looks like - with a Grand Throne placed at the very center and numerous chairs placed on either side of it. The walls in this room are graced with more pictures and paintings of kings and queens and common people and soldiers. You wonder if your picture would ever be up there somewhere in the future.

"Oh, hello lovely people!" A manly voice booms through the hall, "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."

A few quick taps of feet on the floor and there stands in front of you a very familiar face - as if you'd almost seen him in a dream.

Black tuxedo, perfectly styled hair, a walkie-talkie in his hand, the man before you looks right out of a James Bond movie. "I'm Choi San, Prince Yunho's personal secretary and the royal family's representative for the day."

He claps his hands together, "Her Highness the Queen Regent, Her Highness the Queen Mother and His Highness Crown Prince Yunho sadly couldn't be here since they have some important charity event to attend. I deeply apologize for that. In their place, allow me to welcome you to the Jeong family's Grand palace!"

"You'll all be taken to your rooms now because you must be tired from the journey. If you need anything, just tell one of these servants."

The servants nod at San and signal you and your family to follow them.

"Uh, lady Y/n. Mind if I have a word with you?" San interrupts.

Although surprised, you nod as you let your family walk off to their rooms.

"Yes?" You ask San.

San's eyes are focused on your frame - every movement, every expression, every word - he's observing you as if to make sure you're the right person for Prince Yunho. You feel self conscious all of a sudden.

"Yunho did say you're a charming person. I just didn't think I'd agree with him before, but now..I definitely do." San giggles, offering you his hand, "I'm Choi San at your service, madam. Your wish is my command."

You bow gently at him, "I'm y/n y/l/n. It's nice to meet you too, sir."

San chuckles, "Please don't call me that, your Highness. I'm your employee. Besides I have something important to talk to you about. "

The last few words form a tight knot in your stomach, fear finding it's way through your veins.

"Y-yeah?"

"You have a coronation ceremony tonight. I hope you know that. We've already hired a stylist who will take care of all you from now on. She'll meet you immediately after lunch." San explains, "And here's my business card. Contact me if anything comes up, okay?"

You gulp as you accept the shining business card from him, "Thanks. I'll do that."

San smiles sympathetically, as if he understood the fears swimming inside you. He offers you a gentle, encouraging pat on the shoulder.

"I know how you feel. A palace is a scary place, I won't deny. But if I can survive here, so can you. Plus you have Yunho. He's the nicest man a person could ever ask for, I'm sure." San says.

Your whole body relaxes a little as a soft breeze of comfort washes over you with the words leaving San's mouth. This is what you'd been wanting to hear for a long time - a reassurance that you'll be safe and okay as a member of the Royal family and that Prince Yunho might be a person you could love. But for now, you focus on keeping your self calm.

"Now, do you mind walking me to my room? I find myself a bit lost." You giggle.

San finds himself chuckling in response, "Of course, your majesty."

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

When San had told you that you'd have your own personal stylist, you did not expect this . Even in your wildest dreams, this is not something you'd catch yourself wanting.

The beautiful blue gown clutches to your upper body at just the right places and then flows down your waist like a beautiful waterfall under the sunlight. A diamond necklace graces your otherwise empty neck complimented with matching earrings. The stylist - Alisa - puts your hair up in a pretty bun and then places a beautiful diamond tiara on your head. And when your eyes finally land on your reflection in the mirror, your mouth hangs open with no words but just air slipping out of it as response.

"Do you like it, your Highness?" Alisa asks with hopeful eyes. Her shy smile giving away the fact that she wants you to like what she's done, her efforts and ideas.

You have to blink hard for a few more seconds before coming to terms with the fact that you look so beautiful right now. A part you is in denial while a part of you is jumping around, doing a victory dance in happiness. You weren't used to seeing yourself look this good. Your heart leaps at the thought of Prince Yunho seeing you like this - almost like a princess who's lived in castles all her life. And then you realize that you would be one ; in only a few minutes.

"I love it, Alisa. You're brilliant!" You exclaim, wrapping your arms tightly around the stylist in happiness. By Lisa's stiff response, you are sure you'd taken her by surprise. Royals do not go around hugging normal stylists yet this hug was a symbol of your thankfulness towards her for putting so much effort into you, to make you feel special. Alisa's proud smile reaches to her eyes as she quickly works on placing the brooch pin in the right place on your dress.

A knock on your room's door attracts your attention and you are quick to fix yourself in case it was someone from the Royal family.

"I'll get that." Alisa jogs quickly towards the door.

When the door creaks opens, you see a familiar face standing there - familiar enough to know it was your fiancé, the most handsome man you'd ever laid eyes on, with the kindest smile and brightest eyes. Your heart stops beating for a dangerous second.

"Oh, hello your Highness. " Alisa greets him, bowing slightly, "Miss y/n is ready to go."

And when Yunho looks at you, your soul as if escapes your body. "H-hi, Prince Yunho."

He walks towards you with warm, red cheeks and perfect black hair and a stylish black tuxedo and offers you his hand, "It's nice to finally meet you, my lady."

How does one ever respond to that? How does one ever behave in front of an actual, real life prince, who also happens to be your fiancé? He presses his lips to your fingers ever so gently.

The butterflies in your stomach go wild.

"Shall we go now? Everyone's waiting for you, my lady." He asks.

You nod, wrapping an arm around his, "Yes."

The short walk towards the throne room is mostly filled with a comfortable sense of silence, except for the times when Prince Yunho points at some random picture on the wall and talks about it. Your eyes seem to be following every movement of his, and everytime your eyes meet, you find yourself melting under his gaze. You are smitten by him and there's no denying in that.

On entering the throne room, all heads turn towards you - ministers, relatives, your family, Yunho's friends, San and all servants present there observe you as Yunho walks you down the flowery aisle leading to the Throne. You could feel everyone's eyes on you, scary yet exciting, they follow your every movement and every word and every expression.

And when they bow down slightly as you stand on the right side on the Throne, you realise these people weren't just bowing at Yunho, there were also bowing down at you. Because you'll be his wife tomorrow, a princess, a figure that should be loved by the people. The only thing keeping you grounded is Yunho's gentle hand softly clutching yours. It's as if he could sense your inner turmoil before even you do it yourself. "Are you nervous?" He whispers in your ear.

"Yes, a little. "

"Don't be. I'm here with you."

The main door to the hall opens and two women walk inside, at least ten soldiers walking in front and behind them, guns at ready and eyes critically scanning all the faces.

The older woman, who you assume to be the Queen Mother and Yunho's grandmother, wears a sweet smile and walks as gracefully as ever even in this senile age. She waves gleefully at the crowd bowing down to her. On her left stands a slightly younger woman, Yunho's aunt and the Queen Regent who has been the ruler of this kingdom after Yunho's parents passed away in a tragic accident ten years ago. Rumor has it that the Queen Regent is a strict, emotionless ruler who has no mercy for criminals and is harsh with all the employees of the palace. You notice her serious gaze fixed in your direction and shudder in fear even though you've barely ever talked to her before.

"May the Queen Mother live long! May the Queen Regent live long!" Someone chants and the others follow suit in the blink of an eye.

You suddenly feel as if you are in some period drama.

The Queen Regent takes her place on the throne while the Queen Mother takes a seat on the left side of the Throne. A single wave of the Queen Regent's hand and the crowd goes completely silent.

"Hello to everyone gathered here today. I am very, very glad to welcome a new member of the family - lady y/n y/l/n. She is to be the wife of my beloved nephew Yunho and the future Queen of this kingdom. Please give her a warm welcome!"

The hall erupts into claps and cheers and your name being repeated as if in a chant. Your grip on Yunho's arm tightens.

"I'm there, my lady." He says again, "Don't be afraid."

San brings out a huge sword and places it in the Queen Regent's hands. This sword is what you assume to be the Jeong family's old, sacred sword used by generations and generations of brave kings and queens to protect themselves as well as the citizens of their beloved country. This sword is a symbol of pride and victories. And a lost history.

"As per ancient traditions, I will now be crowning miss y/n as a princess before her wedding with the prince tomorrow. From now on she will be called her Highness Crown princess Y/n. She is an important member of our family from this day forth."

"Y/n, go on and kneel in front of my aunt." Yunho whispers, nodding at you with a proud smile, "You're doing so great already."

You comply by his words and kneel in front of the throne, your head hanging low and eyes squeezed shut with anxiousness of what is to come.

"Welcome to the family, y/n." You hear the Queen Regent's voice before she gently taps your right shoulder with the tip of the sword and then the left one. You feel a few droplets of water being sprinkled on your face.

"Rise, Crown Princess. Face your people and let them welcome you with open arms."

It is done. You are a princess now. This can never be undone, this name, this title will stick with you till the end of time. You're no longer a normal girl with small dreams and basic requirements, you're a future Queen now.

Rise, Crown Princess.

And you do.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

Every person has dreamt about their own wedding at least once in their life - whether it is in the peak of their teenage or in the innocent wonders of their childhood or the wildest dreams of their adult years, this thought found itself in everyone's mind.

You had one such dream too.

But your dream had always been very simple. A nice man, your closest friends and family, a cheap and beautiful wedding dress, a small party with limited people - that is all you've ever wanted. You didn't want a gathering of four hundred people who you barely knew, the new reporters shoving their cameras into your face, heavy make up or expensive jewelry, or a husband who you barely knew. But guess that is what the Gods had written in your fate. And you have no option now than to accept things the way they are.

You don't remember much from the wedding ceremony or the huge party that follows, really ; you only remember Yunho's lips pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead when the priest asks the groom to kiss the bride(probably the best part of the day), your grandmother's tears of happiness and Alisa and San winking at the two of you after the ceremony was over. Everything else felt like a blur, as if your head had been underwater all this while.

An hour or so into the party, Prince Yunho asks you to walk with him. Alone. Though reluctant, how could you ever say no to those innocent eyes? The discomfort from being surrounded by hundreds of unknown people slowly disappears as the two of you walk around the garden, your eyes never meeting but a sense of familiarity settling between the two of you.

"I'm not used to this, you know." He says with a shy smile.

The sky is beautiful, decorated with stars and a full moon but nothing compares the glow on Yunho's face when he turns to glance at you.

"Used to what?" You enquire, "Having so many people here?"

He shakes his head, "No. I'm used to having a lot of people here. That's all I've ever seen. What I'm not used to is this. Having a partner or someone else live in my room with me."

"So...?"

"I'm happy about it. I really am. But I know you're new to this royal lifestyle and we barely even know each other that well but I hope you don't regret this marriage. Because I'm sure that I won't. " Yunho sighs, "And if you ever feel like it's not worth your time anymore, you are more than free to leave. Forget about everyone else, do what your heart says. "

The last phrase catches you off guard. It is very, very rare to find people who give you this sort of freedom in any arrangement. The fact that he opens up his thoughts to you makes your heart leap with happiness. And a little sadness too that he'd think you'd leave him so easily.

"Hey," you pat his arm, "I'm not leaving anytime soon. I promise. We made a vow, didn't we?"

Yunho blushes at your words, but under the bright moonlight it goes unnoticed by you.

"Do you mind if I hold your hand?" He suggests after a few seconds of silence.

The butterflies in your stomach are seemingly having the time of their life these past few days.

"I don't." You slide your hand into his and your fingers intertwine almost instantly. His warm palm presses against your cold one, bring a sense of comfort you never thought you'd ever experience. In the midst of a chaotic royal gathering and the paparazzi trying to sneak in through the gates, you and Yunho find a small world for yourselves that no one else can ever have access to.

And for the first time in months, you realise that this marriage might be worth more than what you thought it would be.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

You've always wondered what the people in royal palaces do. Do they spend all their time greeting the citizens and walking in the gardens? Do they keep dancing in the ballroom all the time? Or do they busy themselves with war conspiracies?

Sadly you realise that royal life sounds very exciting and extravagant only when you're not the one actually living a life like that. And this conclusion dawns on you only after ten days of the wedding.

The first week is packed with activities, alright. Visiting the common people and distant relatives and going to various public events. Your curiosity was at its peak till a few days ago, but now here you are, sitting on the edge of your soft bed, phone in lap and eyes drooping with sleepiness, wondering how to keep yourself occupied.

"Y/n?" The door creaks open as Yunho peeks inside shyly, "Can I come in?"

You nod, "It's your room, Yunho. You don't need my permission to enter."

"Oh, I was just making sure you weren't doing anything you didn't want me to see."

Oh. Your cheeks turn into crimson fruits as his words finally hit you.

"Anyway, I actually came to get my file. But I saw you sitting here. Are you bored?"

Are you? Heck, yes!

"Yes." You reply almost guiltily.

Chuckling, he leans down to press a loving kiss on top of your head, "Come on. I'll show you something."

You took pride in the fact that after only a week of staying here, you knew the palace fairly well. The corridors and paintings and artifacts and the workers weren't as foreign to you anymore. Yet the path Yunho takes you to seems weirdly unfamiliar.

Guess new surprises await everyday.

Soon enough, your steps halt in front of a huge wooden door labeled as ' library '.

Rows and rows of books welcome you the moment you step inside, Yunho leading the way into the most beautiful library you'd ever seen in your life. As always, paintings grace the wooden walls and a huge crystal chandelier hangs from the middle most point of the ceiling.

"Yunho...is this..what heaven looks like?"

The smell of old and new books hit your nostrils as you run a gentle hand over the book kept in the shelves, feeling the various materials of book covers brush past your fingertips.

"Maybe." Yunho responds with a grin.

Yunho's heart feels full with adoration and content at the sight of you dancing around the books shelves, gleefully taking notes of the books you plan to read on the days to come. Your eyes curl up into crescent moons as your toothy smile seems to have taken Yunho's breath away. Beautiful is what you look. Simple and elegant and so innocent.

All his life he's spent among royal people, people with political intentions and lots of money. But you make him feel differently. Being with you feels like a breath of fresh air for Yunho. And who wouldn't like that?

"Earth to Yunho." You click your fingers in front of his face after you catch him staring at you. Not that you didn't like it, but you had to do something before you turn into a mush before his eyes, "What are you thinking?"

"Oh, um..nothing." you. He was thinking about you, "How about I ask the workers to bring my office stuff over here? I can work here while you read. I don't want you to be alone."

A shameless grin plasters over your lips.

"I'd like that, Yunho. I'd like that very much. "

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

"How's the married life treating you?" Your granny asks you this question every damn time she decides to call you. 

And surprisingly somehow, you always answer positively to her query.

"Well, good. I think so at least. " you smile to yourself, remembering the soft kiss Yunho had placed on your head as he left for an official trip this morning. Even in your half asleep state, your cheeks had turned bright red, "Prince Yunho is a nice man. "

"Oh, of course he is! I wouldn't have asked you to marry him otherwise, you idiot." She yells at you although you know she's smiling through the phone, "Anyway, I can't talk for long today. I have a doctor's appointment so I'll need to dress up for that."

That comes as a surprise, "What? Are you sick ?"

"God, no. I'm not a weakling, okay? It's the regular check up. Don't worry." She says, "Bye now. "

The line goes silent.

Sighing, you put your phone down on the night stand. On times like this, when the room is too quiet and you are too lazy to walk out and talk to other people, you start missing home. A lot more than usual. Your house, though only consisting of four people was way too noisy from sunset till sundown and somehow, you'd gotten used to it. The quietness has yet to grow on you.

A slight knock on the door attracts your attention and you immediately allow whoever it is to come inside.

"Oh, Alisa. It's you!" You exclaim as relief washes over you on seeing a familiar face.

"Yes, your Highness. How have you been?" She bows down to you, "Are you able to adjust to this new life?"

"I've been okay, you could say. Still a little overwhelmed whenever I have to face people but I think I'm getting there." You laugh a little.

Alisa gives you an understanding nod, "I totally understand. But I'm glad you're feeling more comfortable. By the way, I came here to ask you if you wanted to visit my boutique in the town nearby. It's a new one and I wanted you to come see it before the inauguration. "

Your heart jumps at the offer. You remember back in your college days, you would often go shopping with Maya, especially on weekends. The two of you would wait for months for a sale or special offers because online shopping sometimes just doesn't do it for you. You smile, nostalgic, "I'd love to go."

"And then maybe we could go and eat in the pizzeria nearby. It serves the best pizza in the world, I swear."

This is just beyond tempting at this point, a literal trap to have you step out of the role of a royal Princess and embracing the careless city girl inside of you and who are you to keep her hidden for too long?

"What are we waiting for then?"

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

Yunho surprises you every now and then.

On the outside, he is a strict man with the sharpest of brains and the most observant eyes. The title of being a crown prince sits heavy on his shoulders and with every passing day, the weight just get heavier.

On the contrary, the Yunho you get to see everyday is very different. Soft and cheerful and smiley, he's the literal embodiment of the sunshine and your heart doesn't seem to rest everytime you see him.

It must have been roughly a month since the wedding when he makes an impromptu plan of visiting your city and your parents' house since it had been a long time you last saw them.

"Heard you were going to your parents house?" You had gotten ready to go before Yunho did, so instead of sitting in your bedroom, you decided take a short walk outside in the gardens. And as you strolled around aimlessly among the flowers and bushes, deep in thoughts, you had come across the Queen Mother sitting by the water fountain.

"Yes, your majesty." You reply, rather intimated by her aura.

It's hard to accept sometimes that this person is best friends with your grandmother, when the both of them are as different from each other as the two poles! Your grandmother is the ever so sweet, smiling, supportive person. You would never see her angry or upset. But on the other hand, the Queen Mother is uptight, very quiet and rarely ever smiles. Just like her daughter, the Queen Regent. Maybe it's a royal thing but you're glad you don't have to see this serious side of Yunho on a daily basis.

"Good. The farther from here, the better." She mumbles.

You are alarmed at her words, "I'm sorry?"

She sighs, her walking sticking tapping the marble wall of the fountain, "Y/n, I adore you. I might not show it but I'm glad my grandson has someone like you to make his life less lonely. But you have to be careful. Not everyone is appreciative of a person of common birth being crowned as a Crown Princess. "

Fear slowly clutches you in its palms. You had gotten very occupied with Yunho and being a crown princess and making new friends, you admit. So occupied that you let your guard down. And the Queen Mother's words sound more like an advice than a threat.

"Should I be worried?" You ask, your skin going cold at the thought of someone actually wanting to hurt you.

"Not yet, no. But be very, very careful. You cannot trust anyone here. Not even me. The only person you can lean on is Yunho. Why? Because he might be as much in danger as you."

Have you ever seen how people start panicking when any sort of alarm goes off? Yeah, thats exactly how you feel at that moment.

"Y/n, let's go!" You hear Yunho call you from the front gate, already taking his seat inside his car.

You bow at the Queen Mother before jogging towards Yunho, your heart no longer into the trip as it were a few minutes ago.

Yet seeing your parents and granny after so long did comfort you.

They had prepared this small barbeque party in your backyard, your dad playing guitar and purposely singing badly to embarrass you while your mother shows Yunho your childhood pictures. And the food, oh, the food! The five star chefs from Yunho's palace could never replace this comfort food you had at your parents house. It might not be well decorated with garnishes or spices or fancy plates but it made you feel like everything will eventually be okay - which is exactly what you needed at the moment.

The entire evening you try hard to talk to Yunho but when your house is full of three excited adults, it is hard to do that. Around one am in the morning, you finally find yourself in your old bedroom, Yunho's fascinated eyes roaming around the room that feels like it were straight out of some teenage romance movie. Where in reality you'd honestly been too lazy to change the room's layout once you outgrew your teenage obsessions and interests.

"You seem to be liking my room a little too much. " you chuckle, scrolling aimlessly through your phone, your face partly squished into your favorite pillow.

The boyband posters, old polaroids from your school functions, romance novels stacked up neatly by the nightstand - all of this is as foreign to him as his palace is to you.

Yunho lies down beside you, still in awe of the room, "Yeah, it literally mirrors your personality. "

"How?"

"I can't explain it, you know," he clicks his tongue, "But everything in this room screams y/n. Like everything here is made only for you."

You raise your eyebrow at his words. He's very observant, that you've noticed, but the fact that he knows you this well in barely a month warms your heart.

"What about our bedroom in the palace? Is it not made for me?"

"Oh, it is. Of course it is. But you're staying there because you have to, right? Because we're married and all that." He replies.

"No, I'm not. I told you Yunho - I'm staying there because I want to." You say, now no longer in a mood to joke around.

Suddenly, the words from The Queen Mother swim back into your mind, as you start seeing her words in a completely different light.

Yunho has somehow always expressed how he is unable to believe your presence around him and how he acts like you're doing a favor by doing that. And you find yourself wondering if Yunho knows what she'd said to you. The danger that looms above both of your heads must not be as much of a secret to him than you thought it would be. So instead of confronting him, you decide to comfort him.

"We'll be fine, Yunho. " you drag your hand towards his, your body relaxing the moment he squeezes it back, "Both of us."

Yunho looks at you with love and desire clear in his eyes, his free hand slowly dragging towards your face. You could see it now- the loneliness from the loss of his parents and the negligence from his aunt and grandmother throughout his childhood still very much exists behind the mask of a happy prince. You do not know the language of royal people or politics but you do know the language of love and more than a stupid gold crown, he needs someone to love him. And thats exactly what you intend to do.

Was it too soon? You didn't care anymore. And you know for a fact that he didn't either.

You lean in close and press your forehead to his, "You're not alone anymore. Okay?"

You see him smile from your hooded gaze, your breath mixing with his in an intoxicating mixture. "Thank you, y/n. You have no idea how much I appreciate it."

And that in itself are a combination of words much more heavier than a simple 'I like you.'

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

"The Queen Regent wishes to see you."

San runs up to you the first thing the next morning, right after breakfast.

"Why?" You ask, your eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

You had a plan to accompany your granny and the Queen Mother to their small tea party in a nearby Farmhouse but you couldn't obviously say no to meeting the Queen Regent. Because well, she's the Queen.

"I don't know, your Highness. I try to stay away from her as much as possible but whenever our paths do cross, she always assigns some work to me." He whines, "Go on, I'll tell the Queen Mother that you're occupied. I will be heading out with Yunho right now anyway."

Shaking your head in annoyance, you make your way to the Queen Regent's office.

Her office smells like expensive cigars the moment you step inside, and the full ashtray on her table only feeds into your conclusions.

"You asked for me, your majesty?" You ask in a low voice.

When she looks up from writing in her journal, your heart skips a few beats in fear. Her eyes hold no resemblance to Yunho's angelic ones or even The Queen Mother's serious ones. They look like two deep, bottomless black holes that swallow everything and anything in its vicinity. Her long hair is tied in a braid and her lips quiver passively upon seeing you.

"Ah, yes." She replies, "Please have a seat."

You take the chair in front of her desk, uncomfortable at the close proximity between you and the one person who everyone tries to avoid.

"How are you?" She begins, closing her journal and keeping her pen inside the drawer, "How are things going with Yunho?"

"I'm good, thank you for asking. And yes, things are going well with Yunho."

Her question seems odd, but you let it pass.

"Okay. That's really great to hear. Anyway, I met your husband a little while ago. And he asked me to tell you that he intends to see you on the rooftop alone later tonight." She raises an eyebrow, a gentle smile playing on her lips, "Looks like he has a date planned."

Her words seem too far fetched to be true. Too unrealistic. Not the date part though, but the part where he specifically ask her to pass on the message to you. He could have easily asked San or Lisa or even told you in first person, so why would he choose the Queen Regent out of so many people when he you've barely seen him talk to her?

But you're a Crown Princess, and she's the Queen and you cannot question her. "Okay, I'll be there." You get up from your seat and bowing gently, "Thank you for letting me know, your majesty. By the way, did he mention what time I am to go ?"

"Oh um...Around seven in the evening?" She's fumbling on her words, and you're sure she's lying about something.

Still you suppress your doubts and walk back to your room, hoping to find the truth behind her words this evening at seven.

The entire day goes by in the blink of an eye, but to you it feels like an eternity. The curiosity has you sitting at the edge of your bed, ready to make a run for it if any danger ever comes your way.

Yunho, who was out with San for some official work has surprisingly not texted you today at all. And it only adds to your doubts of the Queen Regent being a liar.

And when night finally falls, you find yourself tense up more than you'd done the entire day.

The night is quiet, calm but beautiful and as you step into the terrace and the soft wind kisses your face, you almost believe the Queen Regent's words. Maybe Yunho did really plan a surprise date for you. Because this is everything that Yunho likes. A beautiful night and a company he loves.

The terrace stands high giving you a beautiful view of the entire palace complex, the gardens and everything beyond. And for a moment, your worries diminish as you step near the railing, inhaling the fresh air and you feel safe.

But, you see, that's where you are wrong. This imaginary cloud of safety that you'd thought was around you was never there in the first place. Since the first time you stepped into the palace, all eyes have been on you - on every action, every activity, every word. You'd always been swimming in a dangerous sea. One wrong move, and you realise the shark is right behind you. And just how the Queen Mother had told you, you were only ever safe with Yunho by your side. But he isn't here anymore.

So it doesn't come as a when a pair of rough hands give you a single, harsh push, sending you falling right down five floors.

"You will never be our queen." Is what you hear before your vision dissolves into a black hole.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

When you were six years old, you fell down your bike once while trying to copy some stupid stunt you'd seen people on television shows do. The excruciating pain that followed the fall was something which you thought you'd never have to experience again. That was the kind of pain which hurts you down to your very bones, sending waves of shock through your body with a single movement of your hands.

And that is exactly how you expect to feel the moment you open your eyes and come face to face with a familiar ceiling. But all you feel is sore, like how you feel the morning after exercising after a long while.

The bandages on your arms and abdomen indicate that your fall wasn't as bad as you thought it'd be but it was, nevertheless, a fall which was very much done on purpose.

"Y/n, honey, are you awake?" You hear Yunho's groggy voice coming from somewhere near the foot of the bed you lie on.

"Y-yeah. What happened?" You manage to sit up even though your body feels heavy with fatigue, "How did I fall?"

Yunho appears by your bed side in the blink of an eye and your heart clenches with relief when he bends down to kiss your head.

It feels like you hadn't seen him in days, years, where as it had only been around two days since you passed out. Yunho had rushed back home the moment he found out about it, leaving all his stupid official work for some other day. Hell, he would happily give up all his responsibilities if it means he could see you and keep you safe. He'd cried for nights and days, never leaving your side even when the nurses would change your clothes or bandage dressing. The mere thought of you never waking up again was too dark for him, especially when he'd found such a happy place in you. You are the owner of his heart and everything else that he could give you. You are, literally, his only family member. His whole world. And if he loses you, he would lose himself with you.

"A-are you okay?" He sits down on the bed, holding your hand so tight as if he was afraid you'd disappear if he let's go, "does it hurt anywhere?"

"Just a little bit, but I'm okay. I feel fine." You say, smiling through your busted lips.

Your smile as if breaks a wall he'd been holding onto for days, and his eyes immediately tear up.

"I'm so so sorry, y/n. I should have been there. I should have been protecting you. I keep forgetting I'm not a stupid guy with a normal life and that people I associate with might get into trouble anytime. I'm so sorry, I should have protected you from my Aunt and Alisa. I'm so fucking sorry."

Aunt? And Alisa? What is he taking about?

"Yunho, what are you -"

"They planned it. The entire thing. They purposely sent me and grandma away so no one would doubt them. Aunt had supposedly promised my hand in marriage to Alisa a long time ago but Grandma got us married instead. They were angry. So angry that they went ahead and tried to k-kill you. " he sobs into his hands, the tip of his nose turning bright red, "Alisa was the one who pushed you. They forgot to remove the CCTV footage."

You freeze for a second, Alisa's betrayal hurting you worse than The Queen Regent's. You almost thought you could find a friend in her, just like Maya. You trusted her. You felt safe around her when in reality, she'd only been a time bomb - waiting to blow up.

"Alisa did?" You mutter, your lips drying with fear, "I-I don't know what to say. Yunho, I- I can't believe Alisa would do this."

"I didn't either. But both of them have admitted to it. The police took them. I'm so sorry, y/n. " Yunho rubs his tears away, "I talked to your granny and parents. They said you could move back in with them. The divorce will take about a year or so to get finalized but you don't have to stay here till then. You can go back home whenever you want."

Your heart crushes in your chest. The fear of abandonment Yunho carries within himself yet he has the guts to let you go is something you would forever admire and hate in him. How could he think this way, especially after you've reassured him countless number of times that you're here to stay.

"I didn't agree to a divorce. What the fuck are you even cooking up in that mind of yours?" You say, stern and angry.

He looks up at you, his guilty eyes making the pain in your chest more painful.

"Y/n, please, you cannot stay with -"

"Shut up. Just shut up. I don't care. I don't care what you think. I am an adult and the crown princess of this kingdom and I will do as I please. " you almost yell, "I am staying here, with you, for better or worse. I told you I wouldn't leave. "

Yunho bursts into tears, wrapping his arms gently around you, hiding his face in the crook of your neck as you gently pat his back, reassuring him that you'd always stay. No matter what.

"Y-you might get hurt again, y/n. I don't want you to stay and get hurt again." But his tight hold on your body tells you otherwise.

"We're both in danger for the rest of our lives. Does that mean we stop living?" You whisper, pulling away from the embrace only to grab his chin, "Does that mean we stop loving?"

He shakes his head as his lips curve down and a shaky sob escapes his mouth, "Nothing will ever happen to you again, I swear. I will keep you safe. You will not have a reason to complain again."

You nod, dabbing his tears away with your thumb, "I know. I believe you. "

You stare into his eyes - his beautiful eyes made of the finest stardust that make your brain go hazy every morning that you wake up and find them right beside you. And that's exactly how you choose to wake up every morning till the end of your days.

"Is this the part where we kiss or what, because I've waited a long time -" he cuts your blabbering off by finally placing his plump, peachy lips on yours ever so tenderly.

He steals all the air from lungs, driving you breathless and crazy with every movement of his lips on yours and the gentle touch of his fingers on your face only adds to the unbounded euphoria you feel at the moment. He's beautiful. Even with your eyes closed, you know that he is beautiful. And not just with his face, he is a beautiful man inside out. He is yours and nothing in this world can ever change that. So when he pulls away, panting and out of breath, and gently kisses your forehead, you say, "I love you, my prince."

These words. These damn words that he'd waited for months to hear, nights he spent dreaming about hearing them. And he has to mentally slap himself to make himself believe this all to be true.

Stealing a quick kiss from your lips again, he whispers, "I love you, too, my princess. "