#I know it can be a sort of gray area if it's a developed au

[doodle17]

I dont mean to be stirring up old drama and I don't want this post to go crazy so I'm not tagging it with anything big just using the tags to ramble. I just want to tell anyone who follows me please PLEASE do NOT interact with 2hoots and/or block them if you have to because they've made some really bad stuff on their NSFW account especially of their future AU apparently

I know it might be a gray area for some people considering it's a somewhat well developed AU or something, but they also made some... Very proship-y vibes stuff?? I've only heard about it happening once though idk if they've made more. I'm also using proship lightly because they never outright said they're a proshipper

But don't you dare harass or attack them because istg if you do I will fucking GET YOU

Just- don't interact

[inkblot-inc]

A Simple Meet-Cute

Summary: A slow night at your job picks up with the presence of a certain woman in red, this meeting also serves as the precedent for your life-course to shift...

Pairing: ???Wanda Maximoff x Hyena!Mutant!Reader

[S.S AU Masterlist]

Warning(s): Dark Themes; there's no smut in this one, but this is an 18+ AU aka MINORS DNI. To start we got depictions of breaking bones (not in depth, but it’s there, suggestion of murder, mention of mutant trafficking (did I really go back there again? Yeah, but this time with a dash of discrimination toward mutants), let’s see… language and general violence, cuz hey, you know what I get up to...kinda-

Note(s): This timeline-wise is way before "The Bigger Picture". I figure after I had my medias res moment, I wanted to go ahead double back to show how Wanda and R met. Were they done around the same time? Yes….And your point? I'll also go ahead and say that they're both a part of the Scarlet Syndicate AU. The masterlist should be up pretty soon, and I hope you enjoy this one :3

Word Count: in the realm of 1.8k

*squints* I give NO ONE permission to repost or translate my work. Make your own shit!

Mutants. The next evolution in human genetics can manifest at any time and take many forms. Some develop their mutations when they're in the throes of puberty or while in adolescence. Others have had their mutation since they were born or haven’t had them appear until they’ve gone into adulthood.

In this world, humans far outnumber mutants in population, and people are more content to ostracize those who are mutants, as man has well been known to fear and even hate what they do not understand...

“Table seven is clear, hon,” You turned to see Miss Monica pointing to the back area. Nodding, you grabbed your rag and made your way to the newly unoccupied table littered with pools of water left by sweating drinks and crumpled napkins.

It was only maybe a quarter past eight, but the bar was already running thin with patrons. The quieter hum of voices compared to the usual clambering of laughter and muddled conversation clued you in to the change easily. As you cleaned, you caught a glimpse of the designated VIP section of The Photon Call. There you saw a small group that had been there for at least two hours now.

The woman at the head of the table was dressed in a form-fitting burgundy suit paired with a glossy black heel, blacked out sunglasses framing her face. A muted fruity smell with a hint of something else followed her stride. She came in with two men and another woman, who were all dressed formally. Monica merely nodded toward the woman when they came in before she had Jimmy lead them to the VIP area.

Looking at the group now, you noticed their “leader” of sorts had now taken off her sunglasses, moving some of her auburn hair out of her face. Her green eyes were just visible in the lower light. They had an extra person with them who was sitting across from the woman dressed in deep red. This man you remembered from a short time ago. he came in some time after the group he was now seated with. he was a bit of a crude figure, and he’d been rather transparent about his distaste toward you, his nose turned up at your short tail and pronounced ears as you directed him to the VIP area. You’d been privy to a few choice words muttered under his breath as well.

There was a light sheen on his forehead now that there wasn’t before, now that they'd all finished eating. His scent was more pungent as well; he’s nervous now, and a bit fearful. Though his posture is upright, there was a stiffness to his movements when he was speaking. It was a stark contrast to the others sitting at the table who remained confident and relaxed, though you noticed the growing boredom and aggravation from the head lady as she swirled the drink in her glass lazily.

When the gray-haired man finished speaking, the woman across from him simply raised a brow and checked the watch on her wrist. The other woman in the seat next to her, who was also a redhead, shifted in her seat. Her aggravation had been there since he’d started talking.

The leading woman set her glass down lightly, “Your offer has already been considered and denied, Hayward. I have other matters to attend to, so I believe we’re done here.”

The bluntness and brevity of her statement noticeably took the man aback as he floundered for his words. “B-but you have to understand, Wanda! This is for the benefit of the company-”

“What I understand is you can’t take a hint, Tyler. You call me out past my business hours, which should be well known to you, to propose an increase in mutant laborers as a ludicrous idea to increase production rates for my company. You also know my stance on such practices, which is why I’m left confused as to why you thought I would agree to it to begin with. I wonder if you’re having a gargantuan lapse in judgment, or if you’re really at the meeting point where bold meets stupid.”

The woman, Wanda, remained unflinching as the older man, Hayward, abruptly got up from his seat in outrage. Your hand slowed wiping down the booth seats as you noticed a spike in anger and resentment along with a feeling you’ve come to recognize as violent intent. The other redheaded woman shifted forward a bit, probably as a natural response. Hayward’s back was to you, and he garnered a lot of attention all on his own, so no one really noticed you move closer behind him.

“You don’t think you’ll defer to me? With one call my associates and I make motion to flip your company around on you so fast it'd make your head spin. So, I'll tell you what, you little bitch-”

It was when he went to move and touch Wanda that you restrained the man, your rag wrapped around his wrists and his arms behind his back. His right arm was now bent in a weird way, the connected shoulder probably came out of its socket, but that didn’t make you stop. All the while, Wanda and the people with her remained calm, if a bit surprised.

Wanda raised a brow at the actions of this new person restraining one Tyler Hayward. Now, Natasha warned her that her own senses were going off due to Hayward’s visible increase in anger, and she didn’t need to read the man’s mind to confirm it. Had he gotten anywhere close to harming her or was even capable of it, she would have ended him not even with a flick of her wrist.

But now she’s simply watching you effectively take the unsuspecting man to the floor, both of his arms were bent oddly and essentially broken at this point. A twisted growl streamed out of your mouth with sporadic hiccups here and there. Hayward continued to hurl threats at you as you kept your knees on the backs of his thighs, keeping him from moving.

Nothing seems to register as you simply looked up at Wanda and those with her, eyes shifting between each of them to make sure they weren't disturbed. You kept Hayward’s broken arms locked behind his back with one hand, reaching around and forcefully gripping his face with the other; shutting him up for the most part. You hunched over Hayward’s shoulder and turned his head to face you with your eyes meeting his, your eyes now giving off a dull orange glow.

Followed by what might be considered a misplaced giggle passing your lips, Wanda watched as Hayward seemed to fold in on himself. His thrashing to retaliate turned into a struggle to seemingly just get away from your gaze.

"Done yet?" Your voice came out low and close to his ear, and you heard his heart rate pick up further as your hand clenched harder in his hair.

‘Please, please, please! I don’t want to be here! I have to get out, dammit!’

It was odd for all of them to see this sudden change in attitude, no doubt caused by the mutant busboy who still had yet to say a word to them directly.

You looked up to see Wanda and those with her rising from their seats, the two men moving toward your form still holding Hayward to the floor. The old man was basically blubbering at this point, almost incoherent due to his erratic breathing.

“I believe Sam and Bucky can handle things from here. Do you mind?” Wanda’s voice was even as she spoke to you. You moved off of Hayward’s body and out of the way for, who you now know as Sam and Bucky, to heave him off of the ground. “Take him out back boys. We’ll let Monica know on our way out, give her a heads up before we send in the sweepers.” Her gaze settled on you as you stood up from the floor. You felt a spike of curiosity coming from the woman left with her that only persisted when Wanda stepped closer to you.

Wanda eyed you up and down as your eyes shone back at her. “I’d like to thank you for your assistance, regardless of the necessity. I don’t think I’ve seen you work at Monica's bar before,”

You gave a single nod, “I’m new.” Your voice was gravelly and clipped, Wanda noticing that there was noticeable scarring around your throat that would lead one to assume you sustained an injury of some kind.

Looking into your mind was its own venture. Your immediate memories were a mirror of the events that transpired, the people talking in them making unintelligible noises, not unlike the adults in Peanuts cartoons.

The further back Wanda looked, the fuzzier they got, like the hippocampus was affected directly. There were some that were clear as day: The day your father traded you to the prime minister of Niganda for his own freedom. Your first days under a “Dr. Paine” and your short-lived freedom after the lab was taken down. Some of your time in mutant trafficking including a few of the “masters'' who had you. A clear recollection of the man who had your vocal cords clipped for being mouthier than he’d like. The day you escaped, and finally to the day Monica found you wandering Mutant Town before hiring you here about a month ago.

These "core memories" were on a subconscious and grating loop in your mind so that you couldn't forget them. Everything else in between was basically lost as it was like trying to look through frosted glass. There was little direction and purpose other than surviving to the next day.

Equal parts distressing and intriguing to say the least…

As Wanda spent the last minute or so staring you down, your focus shifted to the woman behind Wanda. You didn’t catch her name, but you know she was a mutant based off of the distinct sweet smell complimenting her rainwater and pine trail.

They’re obviously close; she hasn’t stepped away from Wanda’s side once. Not too many humans would willingly put themselves in the company of mutants. Guess you can count this Wanda woman among those in the minority along with a few others like your boss.

When Wanda comes back to the present, she stares at you with a new light in her eyes as they dipped down to your nametag. “I like you, Y/n. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing more of each other.” She rested a hand on your shoulder and suddenly you smelled a change in her scent- no, it became clearer.

Wanda’s scent was a sugar-coated apricot with a spike of cinnamon as it accented the air around her, then it hit you:

Wanda is also a mutant.

And somehow you knew you’d remember her for the long haul.

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for a Fic...

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1. Itmf, any fics with similar vibes to "Would You Come Home?" by s6115? Esp any hurt comfort fics where wwx's innocence is discovered before he gets brought back to life?

hey, don’t you wanna go? down this road and never come back? Series by comforting_monachopsis (M/T, 25k, WangXian, Diary/Journal, Golden Core Reveal, Canonical Child Abuse, Canonical Character Death, YL WWX, Grief/Mourning, Dysfunctional Family, Angst and Tragedy, Canon Divergence, Fluff and Crack, Yúnmèng Siblings Feels, Twin Prides of Yúnmèng Dynamics, Good Sibling JC, Good Sibling WWX, Yunmeng Bros Reconciliation, Good Kid LSZ, Misunderstandings, Idiots in Love, Good Uncle WWX, Good Uncle JC) Ok, so Comforting_Manochopsis' "Hey, don't you wanna go down that road?" series technically counts for 1, but only if you read BOTH stories, as the first story is technically a stand alone tragedy since it ends without wwx's resurrection.

In Exchange by FlautistsandPeonies (M, 8k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Implied WangXian Ending, The Power of Yiling Laozu Sexy, WWX Canon Memory Loss, WWX gets his original body back, Crack Treated Seriously, not for jc fans, Attractive WWX, WangXian Get a Happy Ending)

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2. So yall know how there's varying degrees of gray area/open for interpretation of evil-ness referring to jgy? (Was it all planned or just slippery slope/slow corruption? Evil from beginning or tragic fall? How much was jgy vs jgs? Esp with so much evidence learned 2nd hand in a work that thematically repeatedly throws doubt on rumors etc.?) So, I keep going back and forth on how evil to make jgy in my fic, so curious, what r ur fav good, evil, redeemed, or misunderstood and/or tragic jgy fics?

somewhere to belong by KouriArashi (T, 62k, 3Zun, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Friendship, Developing Relationship, Families of Choice, Class Issues, Bullying, Light Angst, Politics, Eventual Plot, Happy Ending)

The Lost Cause by KouriArashi (T, 18k, JGY & NHS, canon divergence, fix-it, murder bros, everyone lives (except those who suck))

Unexpected Salvation series by clipper782 (M, 162k, NHS/JGY, time travel fix-it of sorts, past incest, murder, psychology, love/hate, friends to enemies to friends to lovers, crack treated seriously, demonic cultivator NHS)

What Could Have Been by tucuxi (G, 27k, LXC & JGY & NMJ, fix-it of sorts, everyone lives au, kid fic, fluff & angst, family feels, dysfunctional family, scheming)

Nevermore To Leave by magicites (T, 17k, JGY/NMJ, NHS & NMJ, past abuse, hurt/comfort, family, fluff)

Last of Our Kind by Shiome (E, 103k, LXC/JGY, post-canon fix-it, temporary amnesia, slow burn, hurt/comfort, identity issues, angst w/ happy ending, case fic, pining, Japanese mythology & folklore)

Obligation by ilgaksu (M, 54k, 3zun, canon compliant, character study, power dynamics, politics, sunshot campaign, accountant JGY, courtship, gift giving, WIP)

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3. Ooo fics where A) nhs was on wwx's side during the whole wen remnants debacle. Even if he doesn't have the political power/resources to help (whether officially or personally). Esp if nhs pov. Also! B) Nhs finding and taking in baby ayuan.

3A)

Come From My Inkstone by magicgenetek (M, 150k, WIP, WangXianSangNing, Crack treated seriously, Canon Divergence, Slow burn, Polyamory) starts after they’re all installed in the Burial Mounds.

while covered in mud by merthurlin (T, 12k, NHS & WWX, NHS & NMJ, NHS & Wen remnants, canon divergence, fix-it)

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4. For the next 'itmf' I'm in desperate need for fanfics where lwj gets heavily injured trying to save wwx, it can be on any arc, modern aus work too, preferably happy endings! [ injuries that are not the 33 whip lashes tho ]

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5. This might be a bit of a challenge, but for an IITMF, can I get some fics that give some attention to Wei Changze?? We all know Cangse Sanren is the more famous of the two, but come on!! Give Papa Wei some love!!!

It's A Crazy World We Live In by pupeez4eva (Not Rated, 8k, CSSR/WCZ, WangXian, ZhuiYi, Humor, Light Angst, Canon Divergence, Reincarnation, burial mounds family, Protective Parents, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies)

The Wei of family by HikariNoHimeWriter (E, 46k, CSSR/WCZ, WangXian, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, CSSR and WCZ Live, Rogue Cultivator WWX, A/B/O Dynamics, Alpha LWJ, Omega WWX, Male omega with vagina, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Vaginal Sex, Genius WWX, WWX Has ADHD, CSSR Has ADHD, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Eventual Smut, Love Confessions, Mating Bond, WangXian Elope, Kinda, Not JC Friendly, not yzy friendly, Mpreg)

Wei Changze's weird day by Weiyingbestboy (Not Rated, 1k, WangXian, Time Travel, Canon Divergence, WangXian babies)

some of @soursoppi ‘s Tumblr comics feature WCZ (they tend to ship Changmian); An example: bunny for dinner LangZe and FoxXian meet Bunji; joking threat of predation not carried out

Wei's Spice Bowl by Aki_no_hikari (G, 2k, CSSR/WCZ, Meet-Cute, Romance, Flirting, Modern with Magic) Modern Cultivation AU; meet-cute between diner owner/chef WCZ and freelance cultivator CSSR

Anchors in the dark by Immortal_love (M, 2k, WIP, WangXian, CSSR/WCZ, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Genius WWX, BAMF WWX, BAMF CSSR, BAMF WCZ, CSSR and WCZ Live, Family Bonding, some hurt/comfort too, Mild Gore, Mild Horror) WWX meets the spirits of his parents during his ordeal in the Burial Mounds

Two Dads, One Box by soursoppi (E, 14k, Chengmian, Modern AU, Established Relationship, Top!WCZ, Bottom!JFM, PWP, Fluff and Smut, Teasing, Overstimulation, Foot licking, Blow Jobs, Rimming, Anal Sex, Nipple Play)

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6. hi lovely people! may ask for.. fics where madam lan's situation makes lwj goes the opposite way of 'perfect disciple' and into 'rebel' or 'maliciously compliant' territory (even if only low-key like So He Thinks He's Straight (A Memoir By Lan Zhan) ? bc in another world, using scarce visits to her as blackmail for good behaviour might backfire actually, both if she dies when he's little or in a madam-lan-lives au. thank you!

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7. Hello! Sorry for bothering, since its my first time asking something and Idk if im doing it right-- I wanted to read something about wei ying being in a band, preferable in a rock/metal band, and lan zhan being just a normal person. I really loved forever & whatever, but it's unfinished. The longer the better, and if it's novel/canon dynamics even better! Many thanks! @cosmic-latteh

B-Side by Suspicious_Popsicle (M, 47k, WangXian, Modern AU, metalhead x classical music teacher AU)

Melodies series by sassybluee (T, 241k, WangXian, Rapper WWX, Classical musician LWJ, Modern AU, Slow burn, Fluff, Hurt/comfort, Light angst, Knee surgery) WWX is a rapper and former idol in a group

Pop and Prejudice by flowerofgusu (E, 25k, WangXian, Modern AU, Popstar, Pining, Misunderstandings, popstar wwx and music critic lwj, Falling In Love, Pride and Prejudice References, Eventual Smut, Slow Burn, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, POV LWJ, LWJ Has Feelings, Pining LWJ, Famous WWX and Non-Famous LWJ, First Time, Light Angst, Soft WangXian)

Talisman by Witch_Nova221 (M, 192k, WangXian, Modern AU, Eventual Romance, Theatre, Rock Band, Childhood Friends, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Spousal Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Stalking, Minor Character Death, Friends to Lovers, Orphans, Mutual Pining)

(we've got) time for one more by impossibletruths (E, 71k, WangXian, Modern AU, Rock Band, Siblings, What It Means To Be Lonely, Late Night Conversations, Mentions Of WWX's Subpar Mental Health, The Terror Of Admitting What You Want, Weddings, Fatherhood, Music)

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8. Hello! You guys are amazing!! Thank you for all that you do <3 For whichever ITMF post this fits on next, I’m hoping to get recs for Wangxian fics in which one of them gets injured protecting the other, preferably in view for maximum angst. I prefer happy endings, but I’m open to whatever. Violent protective rages are a plus! Thank you so much!! <3 @deathdefyinglifeleaps

golden as they come (but he's bleeding out) by Shializaro (T, 14k, WIP, WangXian, Poisoning, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt WWX, Post-Sunshot Campaign, Pre-Phoenix Mountain Hunt, references to canibalism, POV LWJ)

the field meets the wood by astronicht (T, 7k, WangXian, BAMF WWX, slight whump, Ritualistic Self Harm, Canon Era, Tang Dynasty style, Blood Loss, Blood and Injury, salt economics, Post-Canon, [Podfic] the field meets the wood by semperfiona_podfic (semperfiona), [podfic] the field meets the wood by jellyfishfire) Are you up for cold meticulous slow-build protective rage? This spooky atmospheric campfire story is a perfect storm of Damsel! LWJ, Hurt! LWJ, Hurt! WWX, Protective! WWX, BAMF! WWX, Genius! WWX, YLLZ! WWX, and cosmic horror informed by geeky cultural research.

Family and forgiveness and everything in between by rinsled05 (T, 19k, wangxian, JYL/JZX, canon compliant, fluff, angst, family, romance, feels, pining, WIP) Chapter 27.

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9. Hellloo!! I was hoping if you could recommend some 'Characters watching/reading the series' trope fics, I have already read almost all of your collection but I'm still craving for more. If possible please recommend me some more which are worth reading. Thanks! @iwhateveryou2331

Disclaimer! I haven't read these ones yet! ~Mod L

hindsight by wenkexing (M, 8k, WIP, wangxian, post-canon, Fix-it, chief cultivator NHS, JC & WWX reconciliation, characters watching the series, humor, fluff, angst)

The Other Worldly Encounters? by York_Bronte (T, 22k, WYB/XZ (rpf), wangxian, modern, characters watching the series, behind the scenes, humor)

A Change in Fate by Vaeryn3947 (Not rated, 19k, WIP, wangxian, characters watching the series, abuse, neglect, PTSD, nightmares, hurt/comfort)

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10. Heyyy for the ITMF, please recommend some fics where wwx's parents are alive (Canon Divergence or Modern Au) and he grows up with love and affection (please if possible his parents do not die in the fic). @iwhateveryou2331

tall as the mountains that sheltered us by thelastdboy (M, 4k, CSSR/WCZ, WangXian, Canon Divergence, CSSR and WCZ Live, Rogue Cultivator WWX, Crack Treated Seriously, Hurt/Comfort, Childhood Friends, Friends to Lovers, Genius WWX, Inventor WWX, Background Character Death, Happy Ending, The Wèi Family are all very tall, POV WCZ)

Words from the heart by MusicMe_tc (G, 6k, WangXian, Modern AU, College/University, Secret Identity, Love Letters, Epistolary (kind of), Fluff, First Love, First Kiss, Asexual WWX, Demisexual LWJ, Love Confessions, Getting Together, Happy Ending)

I've been thinking 'bout you lately by MountainRain898 (T, 19k, wangxian, modern, high school au, getting together, first love, fluff)

The Wei of family by HikariNoHimeWriter (E, 46k, CSSR/WCZ, WangXian, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, CSSR and WCZ Live, Rogue Cultivator WWX, A/B/O Dynamics, Alpha LWJ, Omega WWX, Male omega with vagina, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Vaginal Sex, Genius WWX, WWX Has ADHD, CSSR Has ADHD, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Eventual Smut, Love Confessions, Mating Bond, WangXian Elope, Kinda, Not JC Friendly, not yzy friendly, Mpreg) (link in #5)

Aki_no_hikari’s Future Cultivation AU series; Wei's Spice Bowl by Aki_no_hikari (G, 2k, CSSR/WCZ, Meet-Cute, Romance, Flirting, Modern with Magic) (link in #5) is the story of their first meeting, and the author assures us that they’re still alive by the time of the main storyline.

The Way We Are by Imer_Jun (M, 12k, WangXian, Modern AU, High School, Superpowers, Fantasy, Teen Romance, Getting Together, Some Humor, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Feels, friendships, Happy Ending)

Bunny Love by Naeme (G, 8k, wangxian, modern, slice of life, family fluff, children, childhood friends, WIP)

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11. um.. i dont have anything to say for myself.. but are there fics like this post where nmj's hotness affects ppl majorly lmao :'D i would just like any enemies to lovers nmj x any wen, where he on the one hand lets go of his somewhat black and white morality, and on the other hand, the other person is like 'i love u daddy mingjue lemme just secure peace between our sects real quick so we can marry' ty!!

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12. I'm (always) in the mood for fics where the Jiangs are bad parents to wwx. Not necessarily violent or abusive, but where JFM and/or YZY don't totally bring him into the family. Where they're a bit neglectful or don't give wwx his due, if that makes sense? Especially when wwx just Accepts it. I love the angst of him being left out, or struggling if the jiangs cut him off easily/disown him, etc. Bonus for an outsider being mad on wwx's behalf. Thank you! @math-is-magic​

Stunted, Starving Juvenility by TomatenMark (E, 394k, WangXian, WIP, Fix-it of sorts, Talisman master WWX, Not JFM Friendly, Study Arc, Getting together, Fluff and Angst, Engagement)

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13. hi! i'm wondering if we have any fics where wwx is/gets pregnant in the burial mounds? it suddenly crossed my mind. thank you so much! ♥️

Until The End by abCEE (M, 365k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, war changes people, resulting to OOC, no pinning, Established Relationship, Mpreg, Good Uncle LQR, a little grey LWJ, a bit of JC bashing from LWJ, BAMF JYL, 16 years of yearning, mainly CQL verse but has scenes from the novel as well, LSZ is LWJ and WWX's Child, WWX Has a New Golden Core, Canon Rewrite, Happy Ending, Fix-It of Sorts)

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14. Hello it's me again!

So these requests are for IITMF : A) are there any fics where WWX is a genius (like ONE IN A MILLION GENIUS ) and/or is powerful af and is actually appreciated and loved as he is?

Stunted, Starving Juvenility by TomatenMark (E, 394k, WangXian, WIP, Fix-it of sorts, Talisman master WWX, Not JFM Friendly, Study Arc, Getting together, Fluff and Angst, Engagement) (link in #12)

B) are there any WangXian fics with the vibe of Chinese drama You Are My Glory ?

* really appreciate this page nd u guys ; cuz you guys are lifesavers as well as timesavers * <3

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15. hi!! for the next im in the mood for, are there any fics that have wcz/jfm/cssr together?? or just follow that theory that jfm was in love with both of them? i feel like this ship is so underappreciated. thank you! <3

you taught me the courage of stars by ravenditefairylights (G, 7k, WangXian, Modern AU, CSSR/JFM/WCZ, Single Parent WWX, Sickfic, Past Character Death, inaccurate legal advice, Child LSZ, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Pre-Relationship, questionable jiang parents) background but there

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16. For an upcoming in the mood for post, could I have recommendations for fics where wangxian help each other with their hair? Can be a minor scene rather than the focus of the fic, just love to see it

The Yiling Wei Clan by scifigeek14 (G, 45k, wangxian, LWJ & LSZ & WWX, canon divergence, Yiling Wei sect au, happy ending, families of choice, epistolary, everyone lives au, politics, weddings) I have some hair-doing scenes in my yiling wei sect series and in my two weddings and family reunion home series (scifigeek14)

Two Weddings and a Family Reunion by scifigeek14 (T, 36k, wangxian, canon divergence, shotgun wedding, politics, everyone lives au, fix-it, feelings realization, family feels, marriage proposal, marriage of convenience)

你的阳光下; wanna hide in your light by yiqie (T, 2k, wangxian, modern, domesticity, marriage proposal)

hello my old heart, how have you been? by ravenditefairylights (M, 10k, wangxian, post-canon, temporary amnesia, hurt/comfort, fluff, trauma, pining, hair washing & brushing)

Yiling Salon: Hair, Nails and Piercing by TriviasFolly (T, 22k, wangxian, modern, hairstylist au, 5+1, fluff)

contractual obligations by spookykingdomstarlight (E, 4k, wangxian, modern, friends to lovers, sex god LWJ, sharing a bath, bathing/washing, hair washing)

like real people do by daltoneering (G, 5k, wangxian, modern, sick fic, hurt/comfort, fluff, hair washing, pre-relationship, getting together)

you lucky querent! Mojo-furen has an entire post/compilation on the subject

💖 Minding series by WithBroomBefore (G, 85k, wangxian, canon divergence, what if WWX got therapy and recovery post-sunshot, trans LWJ)

❤️ Dream a little dream of me by Moominmammashandbag (M, 60k, wangxian, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, mentions of torture, Mention of dismemberment, Coming Out, Plotting and scheming, animate body parts, goose, and supporting avian cast, Anxiety Disorder, Anxiety Attacks, goose!NMJ Reincarnation, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Incest, Do not fuck with NHS, Dreamwalking, Angst with a Happy Ending, JZX Lives) WWX is rescued after many years of torture and captivity, and tenderly cared for by LWJ; his hair has grown so filthy and matted that it needs to be cut short

🧡 rain falls and soaks into the earth series by RoseThorne (T, 40k, WangXian, WIP, Near Death Experience, Attempt Drowning, Madam Yu Bashing, Recovery, No war AU)

the thread may stretch or tangle but it will never break by RoseThorne (E, 77k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Soulmates, Self-Esteem Issues, Fix-It, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, PTSD, Handfasting, Panic Attacks, Getting Together, First Time, Aftercare, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, /Referenced Torture, Scars, Chronic Pain, Golden Core Reveal, First Time, Switching, sex-related injury, LWJ Stays at the Burial Mounds, LSZ is a Wèi, Good Sibling JC, Dissociation, Burial Mounds Settlement Days)

Family and forgiveness and everything in between by rinsled05 (T, 19k, wangxian, JYL/JZX, canon compliant, fluff, angst, family, romance, feels, pining, WIP) Chapters 2 and 31. (link in #8)

DanTian Series by ArchiveWriter (E, 150k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Happy WangXian, Slice of Life, Established Relationship, Fluff, Domestic bliss, Family fluff, Tags Vary per story) Dan Tian / Heaven Chapters 28, 42, 43, and perhaps elsewhere—ArchiveWriter likes to dwell upon the physicality of their relationship.

A Cyborg's Three Laws by FairyGardenCorgis, @joshua-beeking (M, 194k, WangXian, Future, Cyborgs, Science Fiction, Science Boyfriends, Romance, Slow Burn, Medical Procedures, Surgery, Angst, Fluff, Humor, Eventual Smut, Hurt/Comfort, LWJ has RA, Idiot Friends to Idiot Lovers, Medical Assault, Dehumanization, obscene amounts of cuddling, Versatile wangxian) see Chapter 15 specifically, although a lot of affectionate hair-stroking in general takes place.

hellinglaozu has returned to Tumblr with this beautiful fanart, from an unorthodox camera angle

shake the heavy by fruitys (T, 6k, wangxian, LSZ & WWX, post-canon, established relationship, hurt/comfort, character study, fluff & angst)

~*~

17. hi hello!! thanks for your amazing work <33 for the next itmf could you recommend some wangxian fics where they fall in love and confess when they're still studying in gusu? can be fix it au but anything other than that is fine too ^ ty

Stunted, Starving Juvenility by TomatenMark (E, 394k, WangXian, WIP, Fix-it of sorts, Talisman master WWX, Not JFM Friendly, Study Arc, Getting together, Fluff and Angst, Engagement) (link in #12)

Just Say Yes Series by edenwolfie (T/M, 338k, WangXian, Matchmaking, Pining, Getting Together, Canon Divergence, POV Alternating, Fluff, First Kiss, Declarations Of Love, Humor, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Good Uncle LQR, Engagement, Hurt/Comfort, Fix-It)

joined delight by RoseThorne (M, 1k, WangXian, fast burn, Making Out, Marking, Frottage, Gūsū Lán Sect Rules, Gūsū Lán Forehead Ribbon, Marathon Sex, Implied Sexual Content, Love at First Sight, Swords, Horniness, POV Third Person, POV LWJ, Canon Divergence, Cloud Recesses Study Arc)

~*~

If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***

[wander-wren]

you know, i have a cool warrior cats name concept that i’m probably never going to get to write into a fic, because i have so much else to do that wc is indefinitely on the back burner, and even the fic i have the idea for would take….a long time to develop (it’s overwriting epitaphs, part, uh…6? 7? so)

but i want the masses to know about it, so here we go!

this sprung from the base idea of forming leader names with star as a title, rather than a suffix, ie star fireheart, star mistyfoot, etc. i dont know if i got that from someone else’s warriors au (i’ve seen it a few different times), or came up with it independently. i’ve been sitting on this for a long time.

anyway, i was thinking about how nice that formation sounded in my brain for many months, but i didnt know what to do with it. then i thought about medieval/anthro aus, and how those sorts of characters always seem to introduce themselves with either a title or a “son of [name]” or both.

so, i decided to combine the two and have a system where cats put their mother’s prefix ahead of their name like a title. for example, this would lead to a family line going Sand Squirrelflight -> Squirrel Lionblaze -> Cinder Fernsong -> Ivy Bristlefrost. cats would always introduce themselves like this to strangers, would use the titles for higher-ranked cats out of respect even if they knew them well (less commonly in their own clan, but still regularly), and would use the titles in any formal ceremonies.

“wait, but leafpool is lionblaze’s mom” yes, let’s discuss rules and exceptions!

so in warrior cats universe the mother is the much more important/present parent 95% of the time, so her prefix should always be used, not the father’s. however, if a cat does not know their biological mother’s name or does not consider her important enough to them (like a death in childbirth or loner abandonment situation), they can then take the prefix of their next-closest parent(al figure). if they don’t consider any specific cat worthy of that position, they take the prefix of the leader. for example, i don’t think fireheart knew his mom’s name, so he would be Blue Fireheart. they have to decide at their apprentice ceremony, though it’s not really a “decision;” the leader will only take their opinion into account if it is an aforementioned gray area.

this is very, very strict among the clans. family lines are already taken seriously in the books; in a world where this was normal, it would be even more serious. you can’t just decide that you don’t like your mom in a fit of teen angst and become Lark Nightheart. first of all, any cat in another clan who knew you or your parents would immediately know your family drama, and second, your clanmates would not allow/use it, generally. it is far more about who your mom is biologically than who you feel is worthy, which is why i was specific with my caveats above. someone like crookedstar (crookedjaw, rather) could make a compelling case for switching from Rain to Shell, though it would probably still be hotly debated in the clan.

i imagine jayfeather, lionblaze, and leafpool, being in a weird, unique situation, would’ve been allowed to choose which prefix to take. in the gap between the fire scene and learning leafpool is their mom, they wouldn’t have had the option to not be titled, though i imagine none of them were super thrilled to keep using “squirrel.” i wonder how fireheart might have felt if they took his prefix? i wonder if any of them (hollyleaf?) took “bramble” in solidarity with him also not knowing the secret? very messy. i wonder what they all settled on after the leafpool part came out. it’s not something i’ve speculated on too much.

jayfeather, at least, doesn’t have to worry about it, because i also decided while writing this that medicine cats get a separate title like leaders: moon, for the moonstone. this is because all of them are separated from their kin and become family to the whole clan; their connection to starclan matters more than their blood. so, Moon Jayfeather.

and yes, this would do even more to reinforce xenophobia, and likely cats would weaponize it that way. as delightful as it is to think that this gives us “Princess Cloudtail,” it would make him stand out from the others for the rest of his life. he could use “brindle” or “blue,” of course, but given the canon emphasis on his kittypet status i don’t see it happening.

so, wait, what happens in overwriting epitaphs part 6 to cause this system to come into play?

well, i want to write a sort of pyrrhic victory in the great battle. the clans win, but at the cost of about 3/4 of their population. the remaining cats coalesce into one clan, and a lot of cultural shifts happen.

this one starts as a combo of getting used to new clanmates and remembering the dead; family is one of the first things cats talk about. perhaps you’ve been under a rock and don’t know breezepelt. well, his parents are crowfeather and nightcloud. ah, the cats from the journey, interesting. it’s a little out there, forgive me, but i imagine this morphing into cats automatically including family when they introduce each other, which becomes putting your parents names before your own in a sort of casual way, like “yeah, let’s get that whole song and dance out of the way and move on with the convo.” or, again, in a spiritual honoring the dead way. i suppose it would depend who is left alive and how religious the clan still is after the whole ordeal.

somewhere in there, mistystar (the one surviving leader, you go girl) decides to change her name to mistyfoot, to put herself on more even footing with her warriors, which gets turned into Star Mistyfoot to keep some of the respect/separation in it. that leads to, slowly, the other titles forming, probably first among cats who only had one known/important parent to start with (Daisy Mousewhisker, for example. just take out a comma). and voilà, new tradition.

(all the way at the end, i realized that some cats are gay or trans. in that case, kits would take the prefix of whichever parent did more of the birthing/nursing/kit-rearing. it might also be possible to hyphenate, but again i imagine it would be frowned upon just for breaking tradition, and because it could just sound like a warrior name if you said it fast. but i could get behind Tawny-Rowan Tigerheart, because i believe in trans rowanclaw and they’re both pretty close to their kids.)

[inkstainedhandswithrings]

ooooo for the oc ask game, 13 15 20 30 48 and 60? all for Nevaeh btw (am i being sneaky trying to get backstory maybe maybe shhhh)

Aaaaahhh, Saturn, my love! It's always great to have you in my inbox, you know? You did well on your sneakiness, you get a shit ton of lore (it,,,, its really a lot, I don't blame you if you don't wanna read it all lol).

Anyway, this was SO FUN to do! Thanks so much for the ask!! 🤍🤍

13. Do they have anyone they can lean on?

Nevaeh's family is actually quite supportive. I've begun developing a culture and language for the Terrans and it's helped me get a better grip on their (and especially Vae's) intrinsic values. While there is competition between the siblings to become the next Tribe Leader, there's also a deep love and devotion between them.

Terra's culture and religion is based on their home planet. Now I talked about them colonising other planets before, but I only touched on it. Basically, Terra is in a certain point in the galaxy where the Force is stronger than other places (in my AU the Force is viewed as energy (by the Terrans at least) and moves on certain lines through the galaxy. Terra lies on a sort of intersection. This is based on ley lines) resulting in higher midiclorian count in their inhabitants. Because Terra's population outgrew their planet, they colonised other planets (this takes place thousands of years before our story starts, by which point they have stopped colonising and faced the issue) but made sure they were also on these lines. Still the Force (or as they call it va'eyaey -> va meaning life, eyaey meaning energy) is strongest on their original planet, lead by the Tikaani, Nevaeh's Tribe. The Terrans believe that everything that grows out of, or comes from their home planet is holy, because they essentially worship the Force as an entity (seeing as they view it as energy, and everything is made out of energy). 'Grows out of their home planet' therefore also applies to people. So basically, Nevaeh views her siblings & family as a holy blessing and they view her that same way. That's why their connection is so deep. (I realise I'm playing it fast and lose with canon lore, but the Jedi can still adhere to the laws of the Force that we know. They have the same, yet different faith, I guess? different denominations? idk, I hope you get it saturn, if it's not clear pls ask follow ups lol)

last little tidbit about culture and language! I developed a sort of oath for the Terran warriors which might appear in the story, I'm not sure yet. I'm gonna share it here now, bc I'm pretty proud of this one!

Na'kato erih gatar vwe ih aueiili va'eyaey. Terra'na primet, nak'Terra'na setet.

meaning:

My oath is to serve and to protect the energy given through the Force. Terran first, other second.

15. Can you name 5 personality traits they have?

uuuh good question!

1. determined for sure. stubborn is probably the better word, but Nevaeh might get a lil testy when she's called that lol

2. loyal, see explanation above!

3. cunning. Neaveh is sort of the Heroin of this story, but she sometimes does behave a little,,, well she moves in a gray area sort of. The Terrans don't align themselves with either Dark or Light side, so true warriors (like Nevaeh) can be dangerous and hard to predict

4. generous. Even though the Terrans are secretive and don't like outsiders, their focus within their own people is still very much community based. But if you see the oath above, it says that they will serve Terrans first, others second. Nevaeh has always taken that very literally. Serve others, but don't do it at the cost of your own people. As long as it won't harm a single Terran, there's few this girl won't do for you!

5. empathetic. This is based partly on her connection to the Force, but also because, even though she's only in her early twenties, as a warrior, Nevaeh has seen a lot. Leading up to where we meet her in the book, she's experienced a lot since she last saw Obi-Wan. I won't spoil too much, since the story will go into this, but her struggle has made her more human in a way. She is more sympathetic and empathetic because of her trauma. (this might not come through in the first few chapters of the book, but that's because she's pretty tense right now. Once you get to know her better I think this makes sense lol)

6. secret sixth one bc I love saturn :) hot-headed. which I think is obvious if you've read the Prologue and first chapter of When We Bleed, We Bleed The Same lol

20. What do they look like?

So, I posted about this in the past here, but I made some updates on her design. She looks something like this:

She wears her hair down (it's actually much longer than pictured, but I'm not an artist so I use picrews, lol. I love this one a lot, but they didn't have longer hair. It still captures her essence pretty well though!), but if she is on a prolonged mission or yanno,,, maybe involved in a war, maybe? she puts it in dreads, for convenience and protection. She also has a traditional tattoo of remembrance on her entire left sleeve and (when not on mission) wears a ring lip piercing on her lower lip.

30. What music do they enjoy?

I haven't really come up with how Terran music sounds, but I like the idea of their primary way of story telling - but also worship to va'eyaey - to be singing. So that, I assume lol. Just imagining Nevaeh and some other Terrans sitting around a fire with some clones during a campaign and the Terrans are singing about a fight that they won, or that one amazing homecooked meal their mom would make when they were all kids, or how Ethan broke his arm climbing up a tree that one time, or that time they went to a bar and Rose and Vae danced together all night. And the clones just sort of listen to these people sharing about their rich lives in the way they would in their culture, even though they don't really do that with outsiders, so they're just quietly listening and falling in love with the stories and Rex is just looking at Vae like she's everything and WAAAA :')

48. Do they have anything they are trying to hide from others?

Oh yeah, like a fuck ton. Girly is a spy, she has thousands of tricks up her sleeve and knows all the state secrets (even those she's not supposed to know. but hey she couldn't sleep one night, so why not break into hq and get the dirt on all the superiors? (this is not canon, but she would, let's be real))

60. In a crowded room are they in the corners, sides or in the middle?

Depends. Is it a family function? Is it a political function? Is she on a mission? Is she undercover? Is her cover someone who's supposed to be noticed or not?

I think in her natural state without a mission or ulterior motive she'd probably be in the middle. She's a pretty bold social-butterfly lol

Thanks again for the ask, friend! I had such a great time! If you need any follow ups anywhere, just let me know, I'm happy to ramble some more!!

Have a great day/night/whatever, where ever you are! 🤍🤍

[emeraldsandamethyst]

Character Characterization in Ghost Biology is Weird AU

It's ya Tumblr redacted gender here (this joke will age very well totally yes)

catch up in the master post [here]

I think I forgot to mention this because it's such a given to how I write Danny but Danny is trans; other traits I write, he has chronic pain, ADD and i write him stimming which can be either or both ADD/autistic things (and probably other things idk I'm no expert) i have ADD myself so I'm writing my experience, I'm not autistic to my knowledge so all I've deliberately done when writing him is give him stims; his stims aren't always healthy, he bites as a stim and tends to bite his hands or tail (very hard, especially when ghost. He will make himself bleed) but Sam or Tucker can usually redirect him to something else like a pillow or whatever; he also stops himself from hand flapping (usually) but he does do it; and shoves his hands against his ears and grinds his teeth sometimes when stressed (he's always grinding his teeth in ghost fights); oh right and he has a death scar as a ghost that he feels in both forms (Lichtenberg spirals/fractals from his hand across his chest to his opposite leg and foot)

in this AU I've given Danny two (2) obsessions as a teen, Space and Control; i love me some protection obsession Danny don't get me wrong I just went with this for this AU to make Vlad and Danny better foils because

Vlad has (3) obsessions in this AU Research and Control and Family

Vlad has only shown up once so far, alas, but he is running around doing things

Danielle's initial Obsession is Family, during the events of Kindred Spirits she develops a Control Obsession; I intend for her to keep two Obsessions until adulthood

once Danny has his baby his ghost side matures to adult and he starts developing a new obsession; right now I'm not set on what it is. It might be protection or it might be something else

Danny and his baby (Baby Phantom until they awaken/are born and Danny names them Neil) are both ice core; Vlad is fire core; Danni is a wind core

I think I mentioned it before but anyone that lives in Amity Park might be liminal. To elaborate, if they live within Danny's haunt (amity park and parts of elmerton and the rural outskirts) and are claimed by Danny then they WILL be liminal to some extent. If someone lives in Amity Park (Danny's Haunt specifically) but hasn't been claimed by Danny they can still become liminal due to ectoplasm levels but it's just a chance thing. in the case of Danny claiming them, the haunt is literally infusing itself into them to give itself more influence. It's entirely subconscious and beyond Danny's control (the haunts are the ghosts in this au, sort of, and haunts act as a kind of immune system)

So 'Team Phantom' are all liminal.

The only person that is aware of their liminality as of the beginning of this AU is Valerie Gray. She's liminal enough that she's starting to develop an obsession which does not necessarily mean a liminal person has a core, but they probably do; Valerie is liminal enough she's starting to infuse her dad's apartment with her energies during sophomore year; Danny cedes her dad's apartment (a bigger area than just the apartment or the complex, a lot of territory for someone without a core but not enough to make Valerie drain herself sick) to her and it starts the process of becoming her haunt; it's a much much slower process than it was for Danny for multiple reasons

Ghosts have family groups called Fraids (which Danny doesn't really know about because he has no ghost parents to teach him these things) and Fraids consist of Family-By-Birth, Family-By-Choice, Family-By-Theft and Family-By-Nest; I think the first two are fairly self explanatory; i'm also p sure the phandom has a better grasp of Family-By-Theft than I do;

Family-By-Nest is the term I'm using for ghosts that join together to raise children, it's a very specific thing that happens when a new ghost is born/awakens; when the new core is ready it reaches outside of itself seeking protection and care, any one that responds by offering and accepting this becomes bound to the baby and to a lesser extent anyone else that accepted the baby; in Danny and Neil's specific case, Danny had been storing a LOT of extra power (since y'know he's OP like that) and it gave all of his fellow parents-by-nest their own cores once the process finished.

Danny's fellow parents-by-nest are Sam, Tucker, Jazz, Danielle, Valerie and Dash

Jazz and Danielle are family. Entirely and totally absolutely platonic siblings. Jazz family-by-birth and Danielle family-by-theft.

Danny is polyamorous (prefers polyam over poly) and bi and ace (not sex repulsed, he likes romance and making out best but is cool with other more intense stuff); his partners (in something like a 'normal' dating relationship) are Sam and Dash (they are with Danny only not with each other); they don't have a label for their thing but Tucker is aro/ace and if he knew the term would be cool being called Sam and Danny's queer platonic partner (QPP); Valerie and Danny have been hate-flirting for years, I'm just calling it pitch, sorry. Val and Danny are pitch, they just have no idea what the feelings are or mean up until Rivalry [on AO3 here] and even then only Valerie gets something like an explanation of what it is.

This is already so long again. Uh. Right, core types and obsessions.

Dash, earth core, romance obsession [his obsession actually forms before his full core]

Sam, growth core, night obsession

Valerie, electric core, protection obsession

Jazz, fire core, research obsession

Danielle, wind core, family and control obsession

Danny, ice core, space, control obsession with 3rd forming

Neil Fenton (Baby Phantom), ice core, space obsession (@floralflowerpower has way more fleshed out ideas about baby ghosts and things, she uses the term nursery obsession to refer to babies imprinting an obsession from parents her stuff is super cool you should check it out)

And I suppose I'll end with a description of Neil. They're half ghost like Dad, when human they have red hair and purple eyes (because it's not cloning it's recombination of DNA and to simplify irl red hair is the most recessive and I decided purple eyes are as/more recessive than green, ergo Danny carries those genes even if they don't express for him); when first born they have pale blue skin, pointed ears green hair and (glowing) green eyes. After meeting Frostbite they imprint on him as family-by-choice and after that when ghost they get lil horns and their arm gets spooky translucent green with charred bones in it

Oh spirits i haven't even described adult!Danny eff. Okay this is what I'll end with (i hope)

This change happens literally when what's left of the energy he instinctively collected and then pushed into family-by-nest and Neil returns to him

Human he's as tall as Jack (6'9") and built like a long distance runner. He looks like an adult in their mid twenties (before he still looked just as 14 as he had when he died);

Ghost, when he's got legs he's 7' when he's got a tail he gets to be a long noodle boi as a treat (like, absurdly long if he had a mane of hair ppl would totally call him a dragon like an eastern style one) I'm imagining like 30ft tail but the exact length isn't important, him long boi is what important;

he's got icy blue skin, pointed ears now, and a forked tongue (he's had lil fangs as a teen and has bigger fangs now) the fangs are blunted not sharp, he has to use force to break skin can't do that on accident or well he can but it's not because he forgot his fangs are sharp it's because he did it to himself and his pain tolerance is stupid high and he didn't notice how much force he was using; he's never going to be that distracted with a partner to accidentally bite Sam or Dash and it's not an accident with Val

His Phantom jumpsuit/hazmat suit changed, maybe lil bit more white, now with neon green accents and a neon green gear circling the D P logo with (not being worn as goggles but up in his hair mimicking horns) Fenton style goggles with purple lenses

Once he learns ghost parents are supposed to have lil pouches like marsupials or seahorses (Ember tell him in Phantom's Lullaby [on AO3 here]) he manages to give himself one (it's not shape shifting tho it's a permanent change to his 'default' body)

Basically his adult body, both forms, was subconsciously influenced by what he thinks dads are: big, bright/colorful, and loud; though as a human the most he could do was be big (and accidentally be loud too r i p)

Whew okay, I think that's it for now? If you have Questions feel free to send me an ask

[glassesblu]

haxorus and chandalure if you dont mind? :>

Hi Anon, thanks for the ask! My pleasure to answer

[haxorus] do you think they hide their relationship? if so, does it bother either of them?

I change day to day cause I like different scenarios THOUGH I have to say i’m a fan of secrets and guilt and some angst here and there haha. Let me ramble unstructuredly and let is see where it takes us.

I do think the long term subway employees kinda know or just feel that its true? And they don’t really care - the bosses are good people, fair enough bosses, pretty enthusiastic and hardworking, but mostly take on extra stuff themselves (probably cause they want to?) but that usually leads to the other employees wanting to even out the work load and things get done pretty efficiently in the end. I don’t think the lads ever let the employees know explicitly - they’re pretty crisp and professional after all. But maybe they feel like the employees don’t know when they do lol.

Their friends kinda know too I guess, but yknow I don’t know much about how it feels to want to be lovey dovey in public :think_emoji: I do think they’re not touchy at all with other people, but kinda naturally touchy with each other in incredibly casual ways? And that it’s sort of like a life long thing they’ve developed even in the start with their brotherly relationship. Though I do think they are aware of some ways other people view touch. Sometimes they don’t think about it though.

I think in OG age difference AU, Yemmet is more obviously into Oingo, I mean in the sense like INGO is BACK and I will LOOK at him and you cant stop me!!! and Old Ingo is just, Oh? heheh :) THOUGH He does like propriety and professionalism in the subway, EMMET Please Behave! I don’t think in this AU they’re that secretive if they had a bit of a lovey relationship pre-disappearance. This will get way too long if I try and live-think about confession post-PLA so let’s move on for now o3o

I think in reverse!agesAU, they aren’t keeping it a secret neither I think - but they’re pretty private about it. They’re both worried they’re not right for the other, and like take a lot of steps getting closer in their own home. I think when they are more confident at accepting love from each other, they might go on low key private dates, or far away trips so they can enjoy each other’s company doing new things.

[chandelure] which one do you think most likely initiated their relationship? how?

Im also a bit loosey goosey with headcanons here :P So let me livethink and ramble.

I do enjoy the idea that it just feels so natural to them that for a bit they didn’t even think about the progression? They have always liked to snuggle, they always do everything together, and their twinliness as youths made them look pretty cute and endearing to most people. I mostly think about them as 30+ year old men haha so my ideas about them as teens are limited, but thats always such a transitional stage yeah?

Ingo feeling guilty or worried about scorn hurting his brother... I love it. Make him feel guilty!!!  (check out ‘in a gray area’ by anon OAO!) Ahaha if we go with that version of Ingo, I like thinking that they already kind of in the ‘vague zone’ of a relationship, and he maybe tries to put some distance between them. Which in turn upsets Emmet, and that upsets Ingo, then they just get pulled back stronger into their twin star orbits.

I think in reverse!agesAU, Ingo is actually the one to initiate some of their stuff. Mostly in talking though and actively spending time with Emmet (who’s like, oh yeah I forgot how to do that). Though I do subscribe to what @belltrigger said in collar where they haven’t been physically close for a bit after Ingo gets back (in any sense of that, and Emmet initiates in that fic).

I could live think more but it will get long! Cause im indecisive and enjoy exploring different versions!

Ta, thank you for reading

[guiltysecretpasttime]

Untitled Linzin fanfic

(Yet again?)

This came to me while staying at home one day (one day of many, mind you). Am I okay with starting another multi-chapter Linzin story? Maybe. Will I push through with it? Absolutely. Should this be taken seriously? No, please don’t. Am I abandoning my other work? Of course not.

Don’t take this plot seriously since it’s just something that I felt like I want to write down and share. But… let’s see. Consider this a crackfic /trope centric fic eh haha. Consider this my contribution to this teeny tiny space in the fandom.

Please leave a comment or a reply as to what you think about this. I’m gauging this to be like 3 to 4 chapters long only though.

I think this will keep as untitled for now – until I figure out the right title. And summary / overview.

---

Untitled

Overview

Legend of Korra fanfic – Linzin endgame AU

1 of 3 (or 4?) chapters (or more, if I decide to post them in chunks) – I really haven’t thought this out (shrugs and looks around shiftily)

Pre-canon AU (prior to Book 1)

--

The airbender gently slid the door closed, careful not to disturb any of its sleeping occupants. He knew he was late but as with everything – his children always came first.

He looked up at the moon, peeking from behind gray clouds. The rain did not let up at all during the day.

It was a pity. It was, after all, the first time that his children found themselves on an Ember Island vacation. It was to celebrate Jinora’s birthday – at least that was what the press release was.

He hurried across the courtyard, ignoring the squelching sounds that his sandals made on the mud and puddles.  Passing no one on his way, Tenzin finally reached the right hall.

He quickly dried himself before entering what everyone knew as the Fire Lord’s family hall, which was precisely why they selected it. He crept into the dimly lit hall, shadows were wavering across the pillars and the walls. Nonetheless, the pretense of a nightcap among the grownups was well executed with the spread on the long table.

He sat down immediately beside his mother, who inclined her head in acknowledgment.

Fire Lord Izumi cleared her throat and the soft buzzing of conversation silenced.

“Now that we’re complete – let’s get right to it.”

The airbender’s eyes wandered across the room, to everyone sitting at the long table of the Fire Lord.

Everyone who was anyone to his late father was present. Everyone alive, that is. The lack of guards or security personnel was nothing new in this situation though – in a room of bending masters, it was almost foolish to expect guards to be standing in attention, alert for any disturbance.

“As we know the Red Lotus is back at its game.” Lord Zuko now presided the meeting and went straight to the heart of the clandestine gathering. “There has been reliable intelligence that they are gaining traction on the ground and there are rumors of freeing their known members.”

To their credit, no one in the room gasped or expressed their incredulity of such a claim.

Bumi began to share all the pertinent information from the report (Tenzin idly thought that being a commander suited his brother’s temperament). It was alarming to hear of pockets of violent incidents across the nations and the United Republic that can be traced back to the Red Lotus.

Chief Tonraq took the action to inform his brother Unalaq to strengthen the guards at the North as one of the prisoners were being held there.

Katara said that the White Lotus has already been informed of the case and she had personally requested to have the number of Zaheer’s guards increased. Bumi spoke of fortifying the defenses in all the other security prisons.

“Well, if everything is secured, why even call for us?” The gruff voice of Toph Beifong finally joined the foray.

Suyin fidgeted from Toph’s side, clearly uncomfortable with the discourse.

Truth be told, he did wonder at Suyin’s presence.

When Lord Zuko issued the invitation to Ember Island, he was surprised at the arrival of the Zaofu Beifong family, knowing that they have been estranged from some time. He thought that maybe it was just in keeping up with the ruse of a family reunion. Nonetheless, here they are now and Su was found to be in their midst. She was the youngest child of their generation and had been, more often than not, shielded by her mother when it came to serious and bordering dangerous matters. It had always been the eldest Beifong daughter who shouldered the brunt of the situation.

But then again, no one called attention to the empty seat at the other side of Toph Beifong tonight. Tenzin was sure it was not allotted for Baatar (who had stayed behind to see to the bedtime of the children).

Despite her stature, Toph still managed to command the room. “The Avatar is currently far from Republic City and I don’t think her parents will be taking her on a trip to Zaofu anytime soon. I don’t see the need for us,” Her emphasis heavily implying her family. “To even be here.”

All of a sudden, Tenzin realized the former Fire Lord looked all of his age as he drew in a breath. “While that may be true, Toph, the Red Lotus is looking for a gateway to the spirit world. They think true power and equality will only be brought about by uniting our world with the spirit world. Or barring that, a way to force the Avatar’s hand.”

“But she’s a child!” The Avatar’s father choked out.

“We are well aware that never stopped them.” There was a slight pause in remembrance on what had happened the first time the Red Lotus attacked the Avatar’s family. There had been losses.

Kya spoke up, trying to figure out what that could mean. “If the prisons are heavily guarded and all the leaders of the nations have their own security detail, what else are they looking to? What is in Republic City? What are they targeting?”

“The airbenders.”

All heads turned to a figure who had been leaning in the shadows of one of the pillars. Tenzin wondered how he could have missed her.

Lin Beifong pushed herself off the pillar and grudgingly took a seat beside her mother. “Is it the airbenders then, Lord Zuko?”

All of a sudden, Tenzin realized Lord Zuko looked all of his age as he nodded solemnly. “They knew they need to lure the Avatar or in its place, use a master airbender to their bidding.”

Said master airbender’s eyes flashed. “I would never -!”

“They could use Jinora as leverage.” Understanding was visible on Bumi’s face. “Everyone knows Jinora can already airbend.”

“That’s sick.” Su managed to murmur, sinking further into her seat. “Using kids in their nefarious plans…”

“They’re not known for their mercy, sweetheart.” Bumi shrugged, years of being in the military hardening him some.

“We can add more protection for the children.” Katara threw a concerned glance at her youngest child.

Toph scowled. “So, what are you suggesting? Aside from the White Lotus, Republic City police would need to pull funds to provide bodyguards at Air Temple Island? Mind you – it would be hard to get this funding for a civilian.”

“I’m sure the White Lotus would be enough.” Fire Lord Izumi attempted to mediate what was rapidly about to become a heated discussion.

“Maybe not,” Tonraq disagreed, already shaking his head.  “If we pull in resources across the nations for the high security prisons and the sentries for Korra, I don’t think we would have any to spare for Air Temple Island at this period. Recruiting and training more could jeopardize the quality of the White Lotus.”

As the people around him continued to toss around arguments and recommendations, Tenzin could feel everything closing in.

When his wife passed a little over a year ago due to a stomach bug that had gone untreated for so long, Tenzin had stepped down from his role as part of the city council and instead turned to raising his two daughters and rebuilding the Air Nation (or what was left of it). The transition of public figure to private citizen was a welcome balm to him and his young family. His mother and sister had stayed on the island for a couple of weeks during Pema’s illness and subsequent passing, but they did have lives to go back to in the South Pole.

Tenzin thought he managed okay – training acolytes, tending to his daughters’ needs, documenting what was available of the Air Nomad culture… His visits to Republic City were now less frequent compared to his council days. He had developed a routine and he thought they were coping well.

But now, with the tenuous peace that he finally thought he attained was now at the risk of crumbling, he was at a loss on what to do. It had been a while since he felt like this – back when his father passed, and even then there was someone he had with him to support him.

“We need to send them away then.” Iroh’s voice drew Tenzin’s attention back to the discussion. “They’ll be sitting ducks at the island.”

Toph snorted and Izumi glared at the blind woman’s reaction to her son. “Yeah? Then what – they join the Fire Lady’s entourage? Or maybe head on to the tundra with the Avatar? The Red Lotus would probably be grateful that you placed all their targets in one area.”

Izumi countered. “That would solve the issue of spread out resources – if we concentrate them in a location, that may work.”

“On the other hand, what sort of excuse would you give for Master Airbender here to be away from his temples that long?” Lin asked with a tone so casual, you would have thought they were discussing the weather. “It would not do for the Red Lotus to know that we are unto them so soon when we have yet to strategize how to take them down.”

Tenzin found himself silently agreeing. Lin always was the pragmatic one.

Zuko stroked his beard in thought. “We could have them over – extended vacation maybe? Or we go around on vacation to the temples? That way we can use the Fire Nation’s security detail.”

“That would be a negative.” Iroh reddened as he realized he just spoke against his grandfather. At his encouraging nod, the younger firebender continued. “That would be a logistical nightmare. Too many variables to consider.”

Bumi suddenly perked up. “That’s it!” The shaggy-haired man stood up with a snap. “Variables – and what you all said.” He waved a hand across the table. “They can join the Fire Lady’s entourage -.”

“What!” The collective disbelief echoed in the hall.

He raised his hand in supplication. “Hear me out -what if he joins the Fire Nation Royal family as actual family? Surely questions won’t be raised.” Seeing that no one was getting his point, he decided to say it plainly. “I’m saying what if Tenzin marries Izumi?” There was a lot of disagreements to his pronouncement and so he raised his voice. “That way, it won’t be odd if he stayed there or if they become under protection of the Kyoshi Warriors.”

If Lin was the pragmatic one, Bumi always was the wild one.

And practically everyone had a say on that.

“That would never pass, Bumi.” Lin.

“You can’t pull the wool over the eyes of the public with that. What more the Red Lotus?” Kya.

“Sorry but I don’t think Master Tenzin here is my daughter’s type.” Zuko.

“Dad. Well, aside from that, the optics for that kind of union would not bode well for international peace.” Izumi.

“I don’t need a stepdad.” A beat. “Siblings would be welcome though.” Iroh.

“I agree with Izumi -this may come across as the Air Nation siding with the Fire Nation.” Tonraq.

“I doubt the Earth Queen will remain quiet too.” Su.

“Meh. I say just toss Junior here and his spawn to some remote resort (or here even) and just say he went on a vacation.” Toph.

A snort. “Now that won’t fly – Tenzin never goes on vacation.” Bumi.

“Bumi, it’s not nice to make fun of your brother’s troubles.” Katara.

Tenzin simply shook his head at his brother, who still did not look deterred at all even as the conversation around continued to dissect and put down his ludicrous suggestion.

The older man was frowning, walking around the table while partaking on the board of dried meat, fruits and cheese laid out for them.

From the other end of the table, Lin tossed grape into her mouth while Su said something that sounded like “manners!”.

At that moment, Tenzin made the mistake of catching his brother’s eye. He did not trust the gleam in Bumi's eyes.

“I got it!” Bumi once more got hold of everyone’s attention. “True, Izumi as a bride  might be to farfetched, but there are merits to the Tenzin gets married deal. No questions will be asked if he spends time with family, out of the public eye, you know – a regular honeymoon. As to the lovely bride, why not someone he has had history with – that would make the whirlwind romance and wedding more plausible, won’t it?”

Tenzin’s heart sank at who his brother was implying. 

Oh no. Surely he didn’t mean…

“Why not marry Lin Beifong?”

---

Note: Why not indeed? 🤔 where am I going with this? You shall find out real soon. Lemme know whatchuthink.

[healing-winston-pratt]

The Resistance AU Part. 2

I said in Part. 1 of this AU I would tell how the Resistance works and how it started, so here we go!

There are nine sectors:

Gathering: They are in charge of going to the surface and collecting both groceries and information (newspapers, video recordings, photos, notes, gossiping, etc). Their color is brown.

Security: Both patrol units who secure the tunnels and the important sectors of the Resistance, and technicians in charge of the security system. Their color is black.

Training: The ones in charge of training the non-prodigies in physical combat and self-defense, as well as prodigies training/who are learning to control  their gifts. Their color is purple.

Education: It’s been a decade since the start of the Renegade Regime, so children were born in the Resistance or were already babies or kids, and this sector is in charge of the schooling. Their color is dark green.

Health: The medical sector, there’s no need for further explanation. Their color is soft pink.

Weaponry and Devices: They study the prodigy artifacts the gatherers bring from the surface, and they also develop their own weapons and devices.

Kitchen: They’re in charge of the cooking and it’s basically...that. They provide the entire burrow with food. Their color is white.

Cleaning: The janitorial team. Their color is orange. 

Clothing: They elaborate the jumpsuits/uniforms, and they also put together the wardrobe of the gatherers for them to go undercover to the surface in regular clothing. Their color is cream.

They all wear the same blue-gray jumpsuit uniform and a golden name tag with their alias, but each sector has its own color represented in some parts of the uniform.

The ones who are too young or too old to help in a sector, wear yellow in their uniform.

It’s not that people live by sectors: they’re only divided that way to fulfill duties, so a family can live together and each member works for a different sector.

Now, how the characters are sorted :) 

Nova and Narcissa are teammates in Gathering.

Ingrid is part of the security system technicians.

Honey is from Training.

Winston works at Education.

Leroy, Millie, Tina and Callum are part of Weaponry and Devices.

Maggie works at Cleaning.

Tala is part of Clothing.

(Bear in mind that they’re not the only ones in those sectors, though, because the Resistance is really huge).

Ace has its own color, golden, because he’s the leader of the Resistance.

There’s a (*looks up for “Council synonym”*) Committee at the Resistance, with Ace being the head and nine people representing their own sector. Honey and Leroy are their sector’s representatives, while Tala, Ingrid and Winston aren’t (bc I picture someone else in a higher position than them being in charge of their sector), but attend the meetings and their voices are heard because they have privileges™.

Nova spends time at Weaponry and Devices to develop her inventions.

Tala made Nightmare’s costume for the infiltration mission :”)

Also, her alias is Star Queen! Because even non-prodigies wear name tags with aliases in case the Resistance is discovered, so it won’t be easy for the enemy to set prodigies and non-prodigies apart (besides the obvious prodigy features, ofc).

Millie’s alias is the Historian and Narcissa is Mirror Walker (I think this one is canon but being brutally honest, I’ve never been 100% sure bc it was Ace’s nickname for her but if she were to use an alias, it would be that one).

Ingrid and Winston are roomies! I don’t think Ingrid has that bitchy personality in this AU, so she and Winston act more like siblings instead of hating each other. THEY’RE BOTH MENTALLY STABLE, OK? (there are therapists in the Health sector, this is a great community, change my mind).

The Librarian is part of the Resistance, but he lives on the surface and provides the gatherers with information when they go to the Library (he has no Resistance uniform).

I’ve already mentioned on Part 1 that Honey and Ace hosted clandestine meetings until they are discovered: that’s how they met the rest of the OG Anarchists + a lot more of prodigies and non-prodigies who supported them, but when the Renegades attacked the building because they’ve discovered them, only the OG Anarchists and Ingrid’s parents where there that night.

When the apartment exploded due to Thunderbird’s powers (you know, lightning), Tala and the girls hid beneath the debris. Tala was carrying Maggie on her back and they were like, chilling because they didn’t want to risk the Renegades finding out about their existence.

Meanwhile, the Council battles Ace and the Anarchists; Ingrid’s parents are killed, as well as some other Anarchists (*cofcofAtomicBrainandRatcofcof)

Georgie lands to inspect the building. Since the space is so limited and it’s in ruins, she lands wrong, and she cuts her calf a little, as in: There’s visible skin in her calf area.

Tala and Nova are holding their breaths, until Maggie makes a sound (this trumpeting thing babies sometimes do with their mouths) and Georgie approaches their direction (she’s hella terrifying here guys, there’s nothing but coldness in her eyes).

Nova sticks her hand out of the hideout and releases her power on Georgie, and once she falls asleep, Tala  makes it look like she was hit by debris and that’s why she fell unconscious (when Georgie wakes up, there’s dried blood on the back of her head). Then takes them out of there because neither the Anarchists nor the Council are on sight.

Tala gets a message from Honey until the next day, and that’s how she knows they’re hiding on the tunnels: During battle, Ingrid was very distraught due to her parents’ death (she does love them here :”)), so she was just...attacking people because she wanted to kill someone. ANYONE (as long as they were part of the Renegades). However, Ace was concerned about the fact that too many people were dying. 

In this AU, like it is implied in canon, Ace is the only person who can destroy Hugh, and Hugh is the only person who can destroy Ace (I’m not counting David because, well, David’s already gone). Hence, Ace KNEW that they were coming for him and that, if they killed him, there was a chance they would leave them alone. 

So, he took advantage of the fact Ingrid was going feral, and stepped in the middle pretending he was shielding someone. When Ingrid’s powers did their thing, a structure fell on top of him, but he stopped the debris using his telekinesis before it crushed him, *this* close to his body. And the Renegades were like “There’s no way he could’ve survived that lmao” (bc of course they would find that funny).

Ace had to wait another 30 minutes until they left, and when they did, he was very weak (ALMOST fainting, I think) but still he heard Honey HOWLING (And the other ones too, because bear in mind Ingrid, almost crazy with grief, was thinking she k i l l e d him) but somehow he managed to have the strength to get the debris off him on time (before he suffocated or fainted). 

So they hide in the tunnels, and once Tala and the girls join them and all of them have rested and attended their injuries, Ace builds the underground burrow while the rest of them (Nova stays and takes care of Maggie, ofc) go undercover to the surface, to take their allies (the ones that didn’t attend the meeting that night) with them.

The Resistance population eventually rises (it’s currently around 5,000 people) because they take refugees and families are created, but people on the surface don’t know about them: it’s usually the gatherers who save people who are being persecuted.

But Ace and the Anarchists know the Renegades are aware Honey, Leroy, Ingrid and Winston are still alive, so the four of them go to the tunnels every now and then and pretend to live there: they’re in sync with the security staff of the Resistance to know when a Renegade patrol unit is going to visit them.

The Council is pleased to “know” they live under such n a s t y conditions and that’s why they don’t kill them, besides, the first time they showed up after discovering them, Honey gave the performance of her life and pleaded them to at least let them stay there, and they were so amused by her suffering that they accepted, so they could watch their misery every time they pleased. 

Callum and Tina joined the Resistance as refugees (they came from separate ways, tho), while Millie and Gene were already allies who attended meetings, but Gene asked them to take care of Narcissa while he helped them from the surface so she could be safer underground.

And then she goes, with her two whole functional brain cells, and joins Gathering lmao. Also, she lives with the Artinos because Gene used to take her to the clandestine meetings so she and Nova usually played together :)

[petri808]

The Truth is not far from Fiction

@nalu-week bonus day AU prompt. Ghost story, modern setting, 7k words

Based on a real life experience.

One day late in the afternoon, Layla Heartfilia hears talking and pops her head into her toddlers bedroom. She sees the four-year-old playing with a doll in the middle of the floor, just babbling away and smiles. “Who are you talking to Lucy?”

The child’s brown eyes beam at her mother. “Mishi wanna pway wich doll.”

Assuming it was just an imaginary friend, the woman plays along. “I see. And are you being a good girl and sharing your toys?”

“Uh-huh, mommy.”

“That’s a good girl. I’ll be back shortly to get you for dinner, okay, you just keep playing nicely with your friend.”

“Otay,” Lucy giggles and looks at the girl sitting across from her, “Mishi you hungy too? Oh.” She then looks back at her mother, “Mishi say no can eat.”

“Why is that dear?”

“Mishis dead.”

><><><><><><><><><

From all outward appearances, Lucy Heartfilia was just your typical teenage girl. She had her tight-knit group of friends, a girly-girl when she wanted to be, but deep down was just as comfortable hanging with the guys. Fangirling over the latest manga heartthrob or relaxing with a good book were her two favorite things to do, well that and spending time with her best friend slash boyfriend Natsu Dragneel.

Natsu was born and raised in Hawaii whereas Lucy was a transplant to the islands. After her mother’s death, her father moved them to Hilo when the opportunity to invest in some new property developments came about. It was a small town compared to the big city they’d left behind, but it was a beautiful place and Lucy fell in love with it quickly. She knew her mother would have loved it because if there was one thing Layla Heartfilia had instilled in her daughter, it was a love of the stars.

Every cloudless night on the island provided a perfect opportunity for stargazing thanks to the role of the observatories on Mauna Kea; the islands largest volcanic mountain. Nothing brighter than an orange amber glow was allowed by law, cutting down on the amount of light pollution in Hawaii. Lucy loved it and took any opportunity to simply kick back under the stars picking out her favorite constellations.    

It was now the summer of their graduation from high school and the friends wanted to do something together to kick it off. A few options were thrown around, but when the idea of relaxing under the stars came to mind, Lucy suggested a camping trip. Campfires and smores, maybe some hiking, or even better, snuggling after dark. The group was sold.

“Gajeel’s dad said his contact will let us stay at K.O.E.C in volcano for the weekend since it’s not being used during the summer.” Levy McGarden was the first friend Lucy made after moving to the island and Gajeel Redfox was the girl’s boyfriend.

Lucy tips her head in confusion. “Where’s that? I don’t think I’ve heard of it before.”

“Oh,” Levy chuckles, “sometimes I forget you weren’t born here. In elementary school, all the kids are taken camping there. It’s like an educational retreat cause it’s right next to the national park.”

“Ah, gotcha. So, it’s a camping ground?”

“Mmm, sort of. There’s a building and a big grass area and a bonfire pit.  I don’t know the details if they’ll let us use the main building, but it’ll probably be fine if we just set up tents. Gajeel said the guy will give us a key to the gate when we arrive so we can go in and out.”

“Sounds perfect to me.”

Despite her father’s wishes for Lucy to go to a bigger college in the states, she decides to stay local for now, though that still meant relocating to a different island. It was true her decision was partially based on where her boyfriend was also attending school, but Chaminade University had a good reputation as well as the programs she was interested in. Natsu had graduated the year prior and received a football scholarship to attend the University of Manoa.  He’d be home for the summer in just a couple of days and she was excited to spend as much time with him as possible.

Starting fresh in a new place during middle school after leaving all of her friends behind in California can be tough on any young person, so it was really thanks to Levy and Natsu for making her feel so welcomed in Hawaii. On the first day of class Levy had befriended her and introduced Lucy into the group of kids that would stick together all the way from Waiakea Intermediate through Waiakea High. They’re like a second family for the girl who didn’t have any siblings and a father who was too busy to pay much attention.

But that was part of the beauty behind her and Natsu’s relationship. It wasn’t something that happened overnight, rather blossoming over several years from a friendship until one day their friend Gray Fullbuster pointed out they were already a pseudo couple so they might as well just make it official. Whenever Lucy thinks about that moment, it always makes her smile, because Natsu had simply chuckled, asked if she wanted to be his girl, she said yes, and they went on with the conversation as if nothing had changed.

Bright and early on a Friday morning, the group meets up at the local McDonald’s parking lot before the caravan heads out as a group to the Volcano area. Lucy rides with Natsu in his pickup truck, while everyone else were in other vehicles. There were eight of them total on their way for a fun filled weekend out in the countryside. It was the first time Lucy would be spending an extended amount of time in the area. Prior to this trip she’s only visited the park to do the typical tourist things like seeing the Jagger Museum or hiking the sulfur banks.

As they make their way to the area, no matter if the vehicle slows or accelerates, the road ahead blends as Lucy stares out the window. Greens, browns, mixed with multiple colors when they pass buildings. Her mind drifts with it, strangely lulled by an energy she cannot place, nor is even aware of its pull on her. The radio playing becomes a background noise with only the bass beats standing out… the drums especially calling to her and lulling her into a spell.  

“You okay, Luce?” Natsu questions her as she stares out the passenger window. The normally chatting girl was surprisingly quiet through the drive.

Lucy breaks out of her trance and looks over at her boyfriend. “Yeah, sorry I was just spacing out.” She smiles to allay his concerns. “I was so excited for this trip that I didn’t get much sleep.”

He reaches over and squeezes her hand with a smile. “How about I set up the tent first thing so you can take a nap?”

“I think I’ll be okay once we start doing stuff.”

“Whatever you say,” he winks.

She really wanted to enjoy this trip but the closer they got to the area the more a churning knot tightened in her stomach. It was a dubious feeling to place, not sick as if she were coming down with a cold, and she didn’t get motion sickness like her boyfriend, it was more like a foreboding feeling. Though a strange time to kick in, she had been a little stressed out about going off to college in the fall, so perhaps it was just a case of nerves.

That must be it, Lucy chalks up the weird feelings and rationalizes them as nothing more than a case of the jitters. Going away from home to a new place was a scary proposition, but she reminds herself she won’t be totally alone. Natsu will be on the island and so will Cana Alberona another close friend. And hey, thanks to the internet, those like Levy will be a simple click away too. She takes a deep breath and releases the churning emotions. It was time to focus on this camping trip and make it memorable.

When the caravan of vehicles pulls into the parking area, everyone waits with their vehicles while Gajeel settles up with the caretaker. Once that was complete, the group starts the task of setting up their gear. They break up the work, with the men focusing on the bigger jobs, erecting the tents, tables, and carrying the heavier items. The girls follow up with the sleeping bags, getting the food and other supplies squared away.

It was a nice place, just like Levy had described to Lucy. To the left of the parking lot was a large main building that housed expansive rooms used as classrooms. Downstairs were restrooms and showers, along with maintenance rooms. The caretaker had turned on the hot water and electricity for them to use on the bottom level, but the upstairs rooms were locked for security purposes. There was also security lighting around the building and on the street, but from what Lucy could gauge, once the sun goes down, the area would be quite dark. Good thing they brought a bunch of lanterns and flashlights.

In front of the building and parking lot, it opened up into a sprawling grassy area surrounded by trees. Beyond the trees were homes and subdivisions. At the very edge of the lawn, Lucy could see the bonfire area her friend had mentioned tucked in a corner. According to the caretaker, it was no longer used for full bonfires due to the threat of starting a forest fire, but they were allowed to make a small, normal sized campfire for doing things like roasting marshmallows or for warmth. The pit was also ringed with fallen Ohia tree logs to sit on.

The place was serene alright… but why was that nagging feeling eating away at her? As she stared towards the bon fire area, every fiber of her being was screaming at her to stay away from it. She didn’t like the vibes this place was giving off, which made absolutely no sense to her. It looked completely safe and quiet, they brought children here to camp for Pete’s sakes! Surely, the county wouldn’t allow visitors if this place wasn’t safe.

A shiver rushes along Lucy’s frame despite the lack of a breeze. Maybe she was just psyching herself out, so she turns away from the pit and focuses on something that did make her feel safe. Natsu had just finished setting up their tent. It was time for her to get their bedding down so they could settle in. Perfect, she could do that.

“So, how do you like it?” Natsu asks her as soon as she walks over to him. “Nice, right?”

“It’s a really scenic place,” Lucy agrees. She didn’t want to concern or spook him with her true thoughts of the place. “Is the tent ready?”

“Yup,” he grins, “pretty sure it won’t cave in.”

She chuckles, “I’ll get our sleeping bags and stuff set up.”

Natsu pulls her close and wraps his arms around her waist. “Just make sure I’ve got easy access to ya,” he wiggles his eyebrows. “After six months apart, I need to make up for lost time.”

That brings a flush to her cheeks and a giggle from the woman. “I think I can figure something out.”

He places a soft, lingering kiss on Lucy’s lips. “Remind me again how I managed to make you my girl?”

Lucy grins coyly, “by being an adorable dork.”

“Dork? Says the weirdo,” he chuckles and kisses her again. “Okay, you get cracking on this and I’ll be back in a bit after we set up the campfire for tonight.”

She just nods and watches him walk away for a moment, before turning her attention to the tent. Natsu had even added an additional tarp over the top in case it rained, how thoughtful and smart considering the weather here could turn without warning. Everyone had set up their tents, five in total, at distances from each other. Lucy chuckles in her head, knowing they weren’t the only ones with a little hanky-panky on the agenda.

Instead of using the sleeping bags as they were designed for, she unzips the two sets completely open, using one as the bottom and one as the blanket, finishing off their makeshift bed with the pillows. She then takes the bags that holds their clothing and toiletries and places it in the corner of the tent. Lastly, she double checks that their lantern was working properly and stores it near the entrance, so it was easy to turn on when needed.

With their accommodations ready, she could relax a little while she waited for Natsu to return. Since she didn’t know how long it would take the men to finish, Lucy decides to lay down and close her eyes. He’d suggested she take a short nap, and well, it seemed like a good idea now.

The moment she closes her eyes, the sunlight fades away behind her eyelids as her body slowly gives in. ‘This sleeping bag… is really comfortable…’ She felt peaceful, a sense of stilling calm like in the eye of a hurricane. The blue skies brought warmth streaming through the thin nylon fabric of the tent, pacifying the nervous pin pricks licking along her frame. Is that music playing somewhere? Lucy wonders as the edge of oblivion comes calling... Does someone have their bass cranked up?  

‘Did I sleep the afternoon away?’ Lucy looks around as the hairs on the back of her neck stand on edge and the sickening feeling pitted in her stomach tightens. Something’s wrong, her mind screams. Where was the tent?! Why was she in the forest?! Where did everyone go? She was taking a nap and suddenly she was in the middle of the dark Ohia forest.

It was deathly silent save for the drumbeats and chanting getting louder— so loud that she felt it in her bones. No other signs of life, of crickets or coqui frogs, nor distant sounds of the homes she knew were laid out around the campsite. Only the drowning of drumbeats and the word kapu (sacred) repeated over and over. She covers her ears in a useless attempt to shield them from the noise, but it was as if they were coming from inside her head.

‘Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!’ Her voice cracked and trembling, desperate to get away from the torment. Fight or flight takes hold and she starts to back away, but her legs feel like rubber, her feet like dead weight. She looks down as a silent scream bubbles up in her throat. Why is her feet sinking into the mud! The ground had been solid a second ago!

She opens her mouth to cry out for Natsu, anybody, but no sound leaves her. Panic sets in, sending her mind into a tailspin, and energy surges through her body. She claws at her throat in desperation, why wasn’t her voice coming out! Her mind is begging for someone to please hear her screams. Natsu! Where was Natsu?!

Something grabs her from behind and her arms begin flailing out desperate to fight back.

“Lucy, wake up!”

“Natsu!” The blonde screams, kicking and punching as she sits straight up on the bedding. Still in a panicked fight for her life, she scrambles away until her back hits the wall of the tent. Her brain is struggling to take back control from the dreamworld, but the sounds were all she could hear roaring in her eardrums.

The hold around her center felt as if something very strong and powerful was squeezing the life out of her. All she could hear in her head were her own screams and that incessant drumbeat! Make it stop! Make it stop! The tears are pouring down, clouding her vision and marring the scene in front of her. Get me out of here!

“Lucy, Lucy!” Natsu grabs hold of her wrists to keep her from hitting him. “It’s a dream, Lucy, you’re okay now.” His own panic was rising faster than a flood. Why wasn’t she responding to him? Her eyes are open, but she was staring past him as if he didn’t exist just screaming for help.

“Lucy?” He feels what he can only equate to as sticking your hand in an electrical socket. His hands start to tingle and the air around them heats up. “W-What the hell is going on?!” Natsu squeaks out as a true fear takes hold. He could understand daymares, but this… this was abnormal!  

She thrashes against his hold for a few more seconds, shaking her head as tears pour in torrents down her cheeks. But despite the eerie shocks Lucy was giving him, he holds on tight until the opportunity presents itself to pull her into a fierce bear hug. Natsu had no idea what had set this off, so he fights off his own panic and does what he can, cooing and speaking softly to calm her. He couldn’t tell if his voice even had any weight behind it, but it was all he could muster.

“Shhh, babe I got ya now. Whatever it was, you’re safe.”

Natsu cradles her head, keeping it locked against his chest. There are footsteps around the tent along with a few ‘are you guys okay’ being asked. He responds that it was just a bad dream and not to worry. Lucy must have been much more tired than they’d realized for her to fall asleep so deeply and enter the dream stage in less than 30 minutes. He and Gray had only completed a third of the firepit when Levy had come to get him. The woman had heard distressing sounds coming from his girlfriend and they’d been enough to concern her.

Though Lucys mind was coming out of the dream world, and reality was taking hold again, a heavier panic sets in. How was she supposed to explain this to him? There was something about her life that she’d kept secret from everyone for fear of being looked at as a freak, and most of the time it wasn’t a problem to keep it hidden. Lucy fights to gain back control and to stop shaking. ‘It was just a dream Lucy,’ she tries to psyche up the lie in her head. ‘Nothing paranormal about a dream. It’s the stress manifesting itself.’ She didn’t want to worry anyone.

She takes several long, slow, deep breaths until the panic attack starts to wane. “Thank you, Natsu I-I’m fine now. I’m so sorry. I think all the anxiety of college is just getting to me.”

“No need to apologize Lucy, leaving home is scary. But you know I’ll be there for you right?”

“Yeah,” she cracks a smile. “I know you will be.”

“That was a pretty crazy dream though. Do you remember what it was about?”

Kapu… “No,” she shakes her head as if accentuating the word, but in reality, wishing the sounds echoing in her head would disappear.

“Okay.” His gut tells him not to push the topic until she was ready. Natsu kisses her forehead, “well if you do and you wanna talk about it, I’m all ears.” He smiles at her, “hey, why don’t you go wash your face, catch your breath, and maybe hang out with the girls to distract yourself while I finish up what I was doing?”

Lucy nods, “That’s a good idea.”

Of course, the moment she sat down with her concerned friends they bombarded her with questions about the daymare. Cana the ever-budding ‘spiritualist’ of the group pressing for information so she could discern the meanings behind what Lucy had seen. But she feigned not remembering anything once she’d been awoken by Natsu. She didn’t want to remember, rather forget it had ever happened. So, she falls back to the same excuse she’d used for him. Why not? At least if it were a consistent lie it would be easier to keep up.

“Are you sure Lu?” Levy reaches over and places a hand on her friends knee, “cause the way you were screaming… I swear even I was getting chills.”

“You literally sounded like you were being murdered.”

“Blunt enough, Cana?” Levy rolls her eyes. “She doesn’t need to be freaked out any more than necessary.”

“I really appreciate you’re guys concern, but I swear I’m fine now. I don’t remember what it was about and if it’s as bad as you’re saying, I’m glad I don’t remember.”

Levy fixes Lucy with a stare. “At least promise me if it happens again, you’ll talk to me.”

“I promise.” Lucy smiles back hoping to allay her friends concerns. “I think my nerves are just fried over college.”

To Lucy’s relief the rest of the group quickly switched into that topic. Juvia Lockser, Gray’s girlfriend was already a Sophomore in college, but she and the others shared their feelings of anxiety. It turns out they all felt similar to her, maybe even more so. Levy and Cana were born and raised in Hilo and had never travelled outside of the state before. Juvia is a transplant like Lucy except she came here for college from Seattle, Washington. It was only after meeting Gray at the University last year that she was folded into their group.      

“Lemme see if I can explain it,” Levy taps her chin. “A lot of islanders feel like they’re stuck here— okay maybe not stuck, but like… they don’t wanna leave their comfort zone. So, going away for college is really nerve wracking, that’s why I’m really anxious about it and excited at the same time.”

“Speak for yourself,” Cana chimes in, “I’m nervous sure, but I can’t wait to go to Honolulu! First thing I plan to do is hit the clubs! And I plan to drag you with me Lu.”

“Oh, no, no, no,” Lucy waves her hands excitedly while laughing, “don’t drag me into that!”

“Aww, come on, think about it! I’ll get you all hot and bothered and unleash you on Natsu.” Cana winks, “I’m sure he won’t mind.”

“OMG!” Lucy throws a handful of ripped grass at her friend as the other girls burst into laughter.

It’s not long in chatting with the girls that Lucy’s fears subside and the daymare is semi-forgotten. They talk about the rest of their plans for the weekend, like how tomorrow will be spent in the park checking out the latest volcanic activity and hiking the trails. Someone needs to stay behind to watch the camp, so Cana and Loke de Lioncourt agree to do it. Their reasoning is let the couples have fun exploring, but everyone else knows that the pair wanted some “fun time” to themselves.

Things were still quiet for Lucy by the time the men finish prepping the fire pit. The girls had made a simple lunch of sandwiches for the gang, so the guys join the conversation and things continue to flow smoothly into a relaxing afternoon. With Natsu by her side, Lucy feels an additional calming energy and that helps to settle the remnants of creepy sensations she was still having. She didn’t know how of why he was having that effect on her but welcomed it regardless.  

No matter where you go, there are spirits and because of her abilities, Lucy did what she could to acclimate to her surroundings. After moving to the islands, she familiarized herself with local legends and lore, about the gods and aumakua’s (spirit guardians), and so much more. There were tons of spirits here. But that didn’t mean she knew everything or when or where she may encounter them, and she certainly was no expert in how to deal with it. There’s no training manual for this stuff. The lucky ones find someone to mentor them, but beyond picking up tidbits where she could, Lucy worked by intuition most of the time.

After the incident in the tent, Natsu’s instincts were heightened. He couldn’t get a good read on what Lucy was thinking or feeling, but he could tell something was bothering her despite her downplays. But unless she was willing to tell him, he could only guess why her energy was spiking in an unusual manner and as darkness approached it was only increasing.

He watches her closely and starts to notice more troubling signs. Clearly, she was trying to hide them, but her mood was starting to change from engaged to removed. Where she was chatting normally at lunch, Lucy had slowed to only answering when spoken to. It was as if her mind was elsewhere and her energy level was waning. It reminded him of her behavior in the truck on their way to the site. Was it returning again?

“Here you go,” Natsu hands Lucy a plate of dinner. The group had barbecued some meat and thanks to the buildings electricity were able to make rice for a starch.

“Thanks,” she smiles, though the look behind it gave off a disinterested vibe.

Lucy had been holding her arm around her stomach as if it were bothering her. He’d just hoped she would say something if that were the case, but she never had. He sits down beside her, eating, and continuing his vigil. Was Lucy getting paler, or was it just the waning light? Even her eyes seemed dimmer.

“Are you feeling ill, you don’t look well.” Natsu finally whispers hoping not to gain attention from the group.

“Huh? Why?”

“You just look a little peaked is all.”

“I don’t know,” Lucy picks at the contents of her plate, “maybe I’m still tired… I kinda feel zapped all of a sudden.” She was feeling ill, as if an unexpected flu was kicking in, but she didn’t want to admit it. Her stomach was queasy, and her head was starting to get dizzy.  

“If you’re not feeling well, I don’t mind taking you home.”

“No, no,” she shakes her head determined to push through this bout. “I don’t wanna ruin your weekend.” But shaking her head was a bad idea and now she really felt dizzy. Why was this happening now? She’d been perfectly fine when they were in Hilo.

“Luce, helping my girl out isn’t gonna ruin my weekend.”

“Are you sure? Because…” her voice trails out and eyes roll back seconds before Lucy collapses forward. She never had a chance to finish.

The next 30 seconds is like a slow-motion scenes in a movie. Her name is screamed, and gasps ring out. Natsu reacts on instinct, dropping his plate and shooting his hand out to grab her before she face plants onto the ground. Everyone around them is on their feet in a flash, rushing over for support. When he lands partially under Lucy, Gajeel and Gray help him to get back into a sitting position with the unconscious woman still cradled in his lap.  

Natsu could feel a dark energy gathering around her that hadn’t been there before, triggering electrical sensations along his skin, similar to what he’d felt in the tent. This was not good… not good at all! Whatever had affected Lucy earlier in the day was intensifying. “I better get her to the hospital, somethings not right!” He scoops the unconscious woman up and gets to his feet.

Gray reaches out to support some of Lucy’s weight as Natsu stands up. “Yeah, man, do what you gotta do.”

“And don’t worry about your stuff, we’ll take care of it,” Gajeel chimes in. “You just worry about you’re woman.”

Levy places a hand on Natsu’s arm, her eyes clouded and barely holding back the pain of her concern. This was her best friend. With such an eventful afternoon, every worst-case scenario was running through her mind. Was Lucy sick? What kind of illness could strike a healthy young woman down so quickly? “Please call us as soon as you find out what’s wrong, okay, promise me.”

“Will do, Lev, I promise. Thanks guys.”

As Natsu secures Lucy into his truck, the girls grab the couple’s personal belongings like Lucy’s purse and a duffle bag of clothing for him. The camping gear, tent and such will be safe in the care of their friends. He was doing all he could to stay calm because the last thing he needed was to lose control and wreck his truck or something. When he climbs in and starts up the vehicle, he notices Lucy starting to stir a little. She was strapped in so she wouldn’t fall over, and her body stayed slumped, but her head was working to hold itself up. “Lucy? Can you hear me?”

“Yeah…” she mumbles with her eyes closed.

“I’m taking you to the hospital.”

“What… happened?”

“You collapsed.”

Once he makes it out of the country roads and clears the forest, the truck roars it down the highway. Natsu wanted to get Lucy to the hospital as quickly as possible since it was about 40-50 miles away. Lucy was healthy, so he was concerned with the speed this illness had hit her, fast and hard.

He keeps his eyes on the road but checks on the woman in his passenger seat every few seconds. When they’d put her in the truck, she was barely ambulatory and coherent. Lucy still had her eyes closed as she rested her head in the crook of the door frame and seat. She was breathing normally as far as he could tell and at least her arm had relaxed away from clenching around her abdomen.

If he didn’t know better, it was as if Lucy had fallen asleep again. But the longer he watched, the more he could tell the situation was changing. After 10 minutes of driving and reaching the Fern forest area, she had shifted in the seat, stretching out her legs and sitting upright.

“How ya feeling Lucy?”

“A little better,” she responds. It was strange, but the heavy pressure she had felt back at the camp was slowly lifting the further they got away from it. Her body still felt tired as if all the energy had been sucked from it, but at least the foreboding vibes were melting away and she could breathe easier again. It was a complete reversal of how she felt going to the area.

“That’s good to hear.” It wasn’t just her words that brought him some relief. Natsu could sense the shift. The aura around her was no longer as dark as it had been at the camp.

Another 10 minutes or so passes by and they’d reached the town of Mountain View. Here Natsu was forced to slow down due to a slower speed limit and higher traffic flow. They come to a red traffic signal, so he takes the opportunity to make a better assessment of his girlfriend. Not only was Lucy’s eyes open, but they looked bright and her skin wasn’t as pale anymore. She was sitting fully upright just looking around as if taking in the view. Certainly not the look of someone being rushed to the hospital.

“Could we stop and grab food,” Lucy asks out of the blue when they’re about to hit Keaau town. He turns and looks to see her smiling at him. “I’m really hungry all of a sudden.”

“Um, yeah sure,” his eyebrow raises in confusion, “we could stop at McDonalds.”

“Great!”

“You know,” he pauses, “you seem a lot better Lucy, like completely normal and that’s kind of freaking me out.”

Lucy averts her eyes and her lips curve down in a small frown. “I’m really sorry for worrying you Natsu.”

“Is there something you’re not telling me?”

“I don’t really like to talk about it…”

“Well I think I deserve to know considering you just scared the hell out of me Luce.”

She sighs, “You’re right— I-I don’t know exactly what happened back there, but there is something I haven’t told you or anyone else.”

Natsu can see the moisture building in her eyes, she was clearly torn and upset over whatever it was. He wasn’t angry that she’d withheld something from him, maybe a little annoyed, but he assumed she had a good reason for it. Lucy was never one to lie to him, so this must be a big deal to her. “You know I’d never judge you, right? You can tell me anything.”

“I know you wouldn’t,” she sighs again. “You don’t need to take me to the hospital, there’s nothing medically wrong with me.”

“Are you sure?”

Lucy nods. “Can we grab food and go back to your house? Then I’ll come clean… a-about everything.”

He picks up her hand and kisses it, nodding before turning off into the shopping complex’s parking lot. They order food through the drive through, then set off for his parent’s house in Hilo. It takes them about 20 more minutes to arrive and after giving a half-hearted explanation of cutting their trip short to his parents, the pair settle upstairs in Natsu’s bedroom.

Starving had been an understatement as Natsu watched Lucy inhale her burger. Normally he would finish meals first and would have to wait for her to catch up. It was eye opening, and probably the first time in all the years they’ve known each other he’s witnessed it. Of course, the whole day has been filled with new experiences with her, and this was the least concerning of it all.

With her food gone, Lucy pushes herself up and sits back against his headboard contemplating exactly how she should explain things to Natsu. She didn’t know why she was so worried about telling him, since he’s never been judgmental before. In fact, he often teased that he found her quirks endearing. But this wasn’t exactly normal. For his part, Natsu just sat on the bed in front of her in a cross-legged position, patiently waiting.

With her fingers fidgeting in her lap and her eyes boring holes into his comforter, Lucy starts out with a question of her own. “Do you believe in ghosts?”

“Never seen one before, but I believe it’s not impossible for them to exist.” He shifts in his position to let his legs stretch out and props himself with his arms behind his back. “I mean growing up here and being bombarded by the culture kind of gave me an open mind to it.”

“W-What if I told you that I’ve been able to see them since I was a kid? Would you think I’m weird?”

“You mean weirder than I already think you are? No,” he chuckles, “I wouldn’t.”

“I’m serious!” she pouts.

“So am I,” Natsu laughs harder. “Hey, I’m sorry,” he leans forward and pats her foot, his expression softening. “I’m just trying to show you that it doesn’t bother me. I’m not making fun of you, I promise. Is that what is was back there, a ghost?”

Lucy shakes her head. “I don’t think it was a regular ghost, and I still don’t fully understand what happened.”

“How about starting from the beginning. You were distracted before we even got to the place.”

“It was strange… like, as we drove into the area, I was getting a creepy feeling, you know, like when the hair stands up on the back of your neck? I tried to ignore it, but it only grew stronger once we reached the site. I kept telling myself it was nerves and then that daymare happened.” Lucy didn’t want to admit it, but in hindsight all the warning bells were there, and she’d chosen to ignore them. The creepy feelings, the energy drains, that daymare… If she’d listened to her instincts, she could have invoked a protection barrier. Of course, with how strong the energy source had been, she didn’t know if it would have worked, but trying would have been better than nothing.

“Yeah, the daymare. Do you remember it?”

She squeezes her eyes shut still wishing she couldn’t, but nods, “I do.” Sometimes her abilities came in handy and other times it was more like a curse. Lucy couldn’t see ghosts, but she could feel them, hear them, and being a sensitive attracted them to her. Most were benign, simply stuck in this realm, while others were angry and strong enough to affect the living world. As a sensitive, Lucy was more likely to become a target because just as she could sense them, they could sense her.

“Are you up to telling me? You don’t have to if you don’t want to cause you were pretty freaked out about it.”

“I should…”

Natsu realizes just thinking about it is triggering a small panic attack again. He sees her body start to shiver and shake. “H-Hey,” he quickly crawls over, pulls her into his lap and cradles her. “Don’t force yourself.”

“No, I-I want to. Maybe if I let it out, i-it’ll help.” Lucy releases an exhale. “I was in the forest hearing all these drumbeats and chanting and it was getting louder.” Her hands cover her ears as if she was re-living the dream. “I was so confused, no idea how I got there. My feet started to sink into the ground, and I couldn’t fight back when something grabbed me. I-I started to panic and the word kapu kept ringing in my head. I was screaming for you, for anyone… ugh the drums! A-and that’s when I woke up.”

He moves her hands away from her ears and tightens his embrace in a bid to make her feel safe again.

“After you calmed me down, I was able to forget about it for a while. I figured it was just a bad dream and moved on. But then during dinner I started to feel drained, like all my energy was being sucked away. I tried to ignore it thinking I was just tired and the next thing I knew, I woke up in the truck.”

“And this has never happened to you before?”

She shakes her head no. “At least not this bad before.” This wasn’t the first time Lucy had encountered an area heavy with spiritual energy. The islands were rife with it, but this was the first time that it had affected her to this extent.

“So, it has happened before?”

“Sort of… like once before when I went to a place that I learned later has evil spirits.” Lucy relaxes a little. “Best I can explain it, is when there’s really strong energies around me, it makes me feel weird, like zapped. Maybe there were powerful spirits around the camping area.” A chill runs along her spine causing her to shiver. “Definitely not going back to that place again.” Lucy looks up at Natsu. “Do you think I’m crazy?”

“Far from it.” He hugs her tighter. “You just have a gift and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Lucy snorts a laugh, “can I return this gift?”

“Mmmm,” he chuckles too, “probably not. But you know, you’re not alone, right? I mean, you’re the only person I know that’s actually seen stuff, but as far as being sensitive, you’re not the only one. My mom says that I have a little bit of empathic abilities. I don’t know,” he shrugs, “I just know I pick up on how people are feeling around me. That’s why I kept asking if you were okay.”

“Wow,” her eyes widen, “I had no idea.”

“Yeah, cause I don’t advertise it,” Natsu laughs. “The guys know about me, but it’s not something I talk about to others.”

She sighs, “guess we were both hiding something from each other.”

“I won’t hold it against you, if you won’t hold it against me.”

“Thank you Natsu.” Lucy leans up and kisses him softly. She cups his cheek in her hands, “I really appreciate you being so understanding.”

He places his hand over hers, eyes smiling, just holding the special moment. “I’m just glad you’re okay.” He then pulls her head against his shoulder.

Lucy settles happily on his lap just relieved that the whole ordeal was over. It was disheartening that she wouldn’t get to hang out with their friends this weekend but having Natsu with her was enough for now. They still had the rest of the summer to spare.

While she recuperated in his arms, Natsu sends a text to Gray and Levy explaining what happened. To his surprise the girl sends a message back saying she may know what Lucy was experiencing. There was a Hawaiian legend from the volcano area that may explain it. So, he calls Levy and puts her on speakerphone.

According to the girls readings, during the time King Kamehameha the First was working to unify all of the islands, many battles took place with local chiefs, including in the volcano area. Legend holds that sometimes spirits of deceased soldiers will continue to march in death. Such ‘Night Marchers’ have been seen right around the area where K.O.E.C. is located. They come out at specific times, which Levy had no idea when that could be. But perhaps, that was the source of what affected Lucy?

It was as good a guess as any.

Levy, “Some say that if the living encounters them, unless there is an aumakua in the procession of marchers to protect that person, they can become ill or even die from exposure. Course no one’s ever verified any of that.”

“I remember reading about the night marchers. I always thought it was exaggerated like a lot of claims are.” Lucy frowns, “but it sure explains what I might have been sensing.” She’d studied local lore because it was interesting to her and the culture in Hawaii made it fairly easy to research things. Stories of ancient tales and ghostly encounters abound here, but there was so much information, it wasn’t always easy to tell fact from fiction.

“Do you think they were warning you or something?” Natsu questions. “Cause it wasn’t even fully nighttime yet and I heard they come out later in the evening.”

“Ugh,” Lucy groans, “I have no idea because I really don’t fully understand all this stuff yet. Like I said, I thought night marchers were just folklore, so I never believed all the stories. But thanks Levy, knowing what it might have been makes me feel a lot better that I wasn’t going crazy.”

Levy, “Aww, you’re welcome Lu! It’s kind of late to pack it in for the night, but everyone agrees we rather find somewhere else to camp so you guys can join us for the rest of the weekend.”

“Wow, really? That’ll be so great!”

Levy, “Of course! It’s always better when everyone’s together. Take care you guys, and don’t worry about us. I’ll text you as soon as we figure out the plan.”

Natsu hangs up the phone and bundles Lucy close. “So, what’dya say? Spend the night here with me?”

“Your parents won’t mind?”

“Pfft, my parents love you. Just kinda bummed we can’t… you know,” he grins.

“I’m just as bummed about that too,” she teases, “but there’s always tomorrow.” Lucy cuddles against him and closes her eyes. Natsu’s energy was so soothing to her and now she knew why. It was kind of amusing that she ended up with a guy who had gifts like her, albeit a different one. Still, it made her feel normal for once in her entire life. “Thank you again Natsu, you know, for everything.”

He kisses the top of her head and leans his against hers. “You’re welcome, weirdo.”

“Yeah, well a weirdo you’re stuck with.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

><><><>Notes<><><><

Much of the spookier elements are based off an experience I had when I was around the age of 11 when we were taken to this location for a school trip. By the end of the day I was getting so sick a chaperone had to take me home, but just like in the story, once we were away from the area, I was completely fine. I’ve had many experiences over the years, this one isn’t even the scariest. No idea how you label me, all I know is I am sensitive, possibly an empath, I absorb and affect energy. I don’t actually see spirits, I just sense them and generally unless they are strong like those in this story, they don’t bother me or can’t because I can repel them now. Oh, and the reason I made Natsu have something too is just because lol. My husband actually sees stuff, and I think it’s ironic that I picked someone that has gifts too. 

[atmilliways]

On the 10th day of Dethmas this writer gives to thee…

Dec 22 - Metalocalypse but it's a cheesy Hallmark holiday movie

He’s a big city notary, only in town to clean out his deceased grandparents’ condo.

He’s a small-town metalhead pot dealer/part time taxi service with no one to hang out with for the holidays.

Is it fate, or is it Christmas?

Chapter one of a Murderface/Pickles, what-if-Dethklok-never-happened AU. I went heavy on Pickles' accent for this and I refuse to apologize for my crimes.

~

Deck The Halls With Ughs & F*ck Yous

When you boiled it down to the bare essentials, the first half of the letter basically said, “Merry Christmas, your grandparents are dead.” 

Which, William felt, was kind of nice of the lawyer writing to him. He hadn’t liked his grandparents particularly much, for all that they’d raised him ever since the unfortunate murder-suicide that had claimed his parents. Everything he’d accomplished in life had been in spite of them. They’d wanted him to be a hubcap salesman like his grandfather; he’d gotten his notary license and done just fine. They’d wanted him to stay in the same kind of podunk towns they always lived in; he’d gone to the big city and landed a steady career notarizing deeds and titles for a huge real estate company. All they’d done was yell at him to make sure was still alive for seventeen years. Anyone could have done that. 

It was the second half of the letter that was the problem. Apparently they’d had no money to leave him, just all the crap in a condo that needed to be emptied out by the end of the year so the next owners could move in. If he didn’t, there would be a ridiculously large fine due of some truly idiotic wording in the lease they’d signed. 

A quick check online told him it would be cheaper to just fly out to this . . . Tomahawk, Wisconsin, throw all the shit in a dumpster, and be done with it. He had a couple weeks of vacation time coming up anyway, with Christmas and New Years, and no particular plans. Why not go? Maybe it would be . . . cathartic or something. 

William sighed and reached to grab a credit card from his wallet. So much for a quiet Christmas to himself, holed up in his  blissfully undecorated apartment with takeout from one of the best sushi places in the entire city. 

~

Tomahawk was pretty much what he expected. Once he made it out of the four-gate airport with a baggage claim so slow that it might have been faster to  walk  instead of fly, it turned out there wasn’t even a taxi queue. He had to go back inside and call one himself. And it wasn’t so much a taxi service as something called “Pickles Cab” scratched in above the payphone.

As long as it had wheels and knew how to find the address, he didn’t much care. The dispatch guy had seemed kinda stoned on the phone, but hey, William figured, that just meant he might be able to find some to buy in the area. 

The car was easy to spot because it was the only non-white thing moving in the snow-caked parking lot. William eyed the shitty old Vista Cruiser in shades of drab green, rust, and beat-to-shit wood paneling skeptically as it pulled up to the loading zone curb at an angle that was, frankly, terrible. The driver put it in park and popped out the driver’s side door with the engine still running, spewing thick steam out of the tailpipe in the frigid air. 

“Hey dood, welcome to Wiscahnsin,” the guy called, waving. “Abandon hope all ye to enter here, heh.” He smirked. William recognized his voice as the person he’d talked to on the phone.

“Uh . . . hi,” William replied awkwardly, hefting his two suitcases, 

“Trunks open. Lemme get it fer ya.” The driver hurried around to the back of the car and opened it for William to toss the suitcases in. He had a shock of red hair trying to escape from his black beanie in all directions, and park-job aside seemed slightly less stoned in person than he sounded. “Wanna sit up front? It’s warmer up here, I’ve had the heat blastin’ all the way here . . . uh, just let me clear some shit out first.”

‘Some shit’ seemed to be a lot of empty bottles and cans and snack wrappers, but William waited patiently because it’s not like this place had any actual taxis he could call instead. When he did climb in and buckle his seatbelt, at least it was warm, as promised, even if it did smell like pot and stale beer. 

The driver popped back in, stripped the glove off one hand, and rubbed at his nose above a vivid red goatee before grabbing the wheel, “Okey, here we go. I’m Pickles, what’s yer name?”

“William Murderfasche,” William replied. What kind of a name was Pickles? But . . . it did explain the name of the ‘cab’ company. 

“Murderface, that’s a fuckin’ cool name. Mind if I just call ya that?”

“. . . Sure.”

“Cool. So dood, Murderface, where to?”

William gave him the address. The car pulled away from the airport with a jerk and he stared out the window at passing snow banks and white-shrouded trees, starting to sink into all his misgivings about the decision to come out here. There was a certain smell that developed anywhere his grandparents inhabited for long enough that he hadn’t realized until moving out on his own kept him in a near-constant state of upset stomach. 

“Hope ya don’t mind there ain’t no radio,” Pickles told him companionably, not appearing to mind when William didn’t react. “Tape deck’s broken too. . . . I’m tryin’ ta save up the money to fix it by givin’ people rides and shit. And doin’ some other stuff too, but don’t tell the cops, heh. All the local stations are pretty much shit anywey, all they’re playin’ right now is fuckin’ Christmas songs.”

“Hm,” William agreed. 

“What kinda music you listen to?”

“Hm. Uh, what? Oh, schorry. Moschtly metal, I guessch.” He shrugged, shaking himself out of the funk he’d been about to sink into. Usually he would prefer to just be left to his own thoughts, but right now the chit chat was actually a welcome distraction. “It’sch good background muschic for conschentrating on not thinking.”

“Hey dood, me too!” In his enthusiasm, Pickles gunned the engine and sent the car into a brief skid on the wintery road, but corrected it with an ease that spoke to lots of practice. “There’s naht much of a metal scene here, fuckin’ sucks. What else am I supposed to get fucked up to, huh? People jest don’t get that. Is it any better where you live?”

William, braced for impact as he now was and would probably remain for the rest of the ride, shrugged again. “I don’t know. I moschtly keep to myschelf, but there are plenty of schtoresch that have deschent schtuff, if you’re willing to schort through all the other crap.”

“Well, cool. Hey if you wanna hang out at all while yer here, I got a pretty good collection on vinyl. Y’know, if you don’t have family shit to do. I’m avoiding mine due to sort of a . . . landlord tenant dispute. They won’t let me put a lock on the house-door to my basement-room, so I’ve got it barricaded and stopped payin’ rent, and now Mahm won’t let me eat anything she cooks. But it’s cool, I’ve gaht an exterior door so I can still get in’n out.”

It took a moment to digest all that, but William noted the invitation with the tentative optimism of a guy who’d moved a lot as a kid but never quite gotten the hang of making friends as a survival method. 

But he was only planning to be in town for a few days, get the condo cleaned out ASAP, and go home, never to return. Not a lot of point in making friends. 

“Thanksch, but I probably won’t have time.” He wasn’t looking directly at Pickles, but he saw the driver’s smile drop a few watts out of the corner of his eye. Feeling bad for the guy, he quickly added, “Schoundsch like you’ve got a pretty good schet-up, though.”

“Eh . . . it’s alright.”

The conversation petered out after that, and William had no idea how to get it going again. He’d always been shit at this sort of thing. Looking back, it was probably a miracle that he’d stuck through high school long enough to graduate, having alienated, avoided, or accidentally insulted enough of his peers that virtually no one on campus had ever willingly spoken to him. The only social group he’d ever successfully infiltrated was the lunchtime stoners that hung out in the park across the street, and that was because they’d mostly just sat around passing joints, trying to blow smoke rings, and napping before having to face sixth period. 

Eventually Pickles put his turn signal on and announced, "Here we go, Christmas Mountain Avenue. Sheesh, that's a little on the nose, huh?"

Privately William agreed, but awkwardly swallowed the chuckle before it could make itself heard. As they pulled up in front of the building, he peered out the window at the gray, shitty condo building and felt his lip curl. Fuck, there was a fridge in there full of rotting food and cans of condensed milk that he was going to have to deal with somewhere in there, he just knew it. 

“Is this where yer staying?” Pickles asked dubiously. 

“No,” William said with a shudder. “Thisch isch juscht the . . . family schit I’m here to deal with. My grandparentsch died and I have to clean out their plache by the end of the month.”

“Ooh.” Scratching thoughtfully at his goatee, he leaned forward to get a better look at the building. “. . . You know, the nearest motel is a ten minute walk and it’s gettin’ dark soon. Yer gonna want a ride, prahbably.”

William blinked. “Oh. I hadn’t thought of that.”

Pickles made a show of looking thoughtful. “So . . . want any help? I gaht reeeeal reasonable rates.”

“Well. . . .”

“And I’ve gaht weed, too,” he added. 

“Done,” William said immediately. 

Well. At least the ordeal would probably be over with sooner this way, and also a lot less horrible with something to blunt the edges (and cover the Smell).

[higuchimon]

[fanfic] Rust:   chapter 3

Ryou examined the blanket to make certain he had all the stains out, then draped it over the drying rack, dusted himself off, and started out of the laundry room. It was called a laundry room for the simple reason that was where they did what little laundry they had. Neither of them brought changes of clothing along with them when they’d gotten swept up into this confusing situation, but clothes didn’t care that their owners couldn’t easily replace them. Clothes got dirty regardless.

Modesty wasn’t something he or Edo worried about that much anymore. When their clothes needed washing, they washed them, and put them back once they dried. Though in fairness, they did do that mostly after dark, with a cheerful fire burning in the laundry room fireplace. Neither of them cared what the other saw. But people whom they didn’t know? Ryou didn’t think the state of his body was anyone else’s business but his own.

Edo lounged in their main room, flipping through a few cards, his wings stretched out over his back and legs. Like most wings, his were long enough to cover all of him. Ryou took a look, since Edo had them out for display anyway.

Most people would say that Edo’s wings were angelic. His feathers were a mix of silver-gray and white, with a few touches of blue on the edge, matching the rest of his coloring. He didn’t have them fully spread out right now, since that would’ve covered most of the room and not left Ryou anywhere to sit.

Ryou took a careful look at them and knew differently.

“They’re swan wings, aren’t they?”

Edo glanced up, one eyebrow quirked. “Excuse me?”

“Your wings. Everyone I know who mentioned them says they’re angel wings, but they’re not.” Ryou shook his head, settling into his preferred chair and bringing his own wings out for a quick inspection. Edo insisted on preening him every day, which helped with the rust spots. That meant the blanket had to be washed every day as well, but the weather here was warm, and they had their wings for more if they needed them. After two weeks of regular care, Edo’s bottle of wing-oil was almost empty and Ryou’s wings gleamed like they had when he’d graduated Duel Academia.

Edo’s face revealed nothing as he turned back to his cards. “Of course they’re angel wings. They’re white. All white wings are angel wings.”

“No, they’re not. White feathers do not mean angel wings.” Ryou picked up a glass full of some strange pale green liquid and gave it a very careful look. “What is this?”

“It’s a drink they make a couple of villages over. I got it at the market today. It’s supposed to improve one’s energy and speed healing.” Edo didn’t look up as he spoke. “I don’t like the taste of it. You can have it.”

Ryou took a careful sip, finding the taste of honey and mint flowing over his tongue, not so sweet it would revolt him, but just enough to satisfy him. He couldn’t say if he found himself any more energetic but a few drops could hardly do that much. He sipped a little more.

“If you -” Edo broke off as there was a sudden banging on the mansion door. The two of them looked at one another for a heartbeat. They had never had many visitors after dark, and to have one on laundry night wasn’t the best of timing. “I’ll take care of it.”

Edo stood, his wings shifting around until they vanished altogether. Not everyone could conceal their wings like that – Asuka hadn’t ever caught the trick of it, Ryou remembered – but Edo didn’t seem to have any problems mastering any trick that he chose. Now clad only in his own skin, Edo strolled down to the main door.

Ryou set himself where he could see what was going on, his own wings out and ready if he needed to do something. There was enough room for him to strike if he needed to. Edo could move fast enough to get out of the way.

It certainly wouldn’t be the first time.

A knight of some sort stood at the door, or at least someone in head to toe silver-washed armor. It wasn’t a particular monster that Ryou recognized, but identifying them came second to wanting to know why they were there in the first place.

He could easily envision the calm look Edo gave them, a look that shouldn’t have been possible from someone standing there in nothing but his birthday suit.

“Can I help you?”

The knight hesitated, helmet-head tipping upward to meet Edo’s eyes. “My troop is in the area searching for any who serve Haou.” The head tilted up higher, pride rippling off of them. “Would you know any such foul beings in the area?”

Ryou could only see Edo’s back but he read the set of his shoulders and the tilt of his head very well. Edo wasn’t impressed by this knight at all.

“No. We haven’t seen anyone but ordinary villagers here for weeks.” Which wasn’t entirely true, but neither Edo nor Ryou saw any actual reason to tell the truth to this person. A few words that just said they fought against Haou weren’t enough to convince either of them.

He couldn’t see the knight’s face either but he could guess the confusion from the way their head moved. “’We’?”

“Yes.” Edo still didn’t move, but Ryou could recognize a cue when he heard one. He leaped downward, wings spread out to counter gravity, and strolled over to join Edo at the doorway. “We prefer living here in peace to being bothered by the war.”

They’d discussed this before, though having it involve being actually nude hadn’t come up in their considerations before. But now Ryou rested a hand on Edo’s shoulder.

“Is something the matter?” He gave them his very best glowering look, the one he turned on idiots who wanted to ask questions that weren’t any of their business.

The knight stared at them, trying very hard not to lower their gaze away from their faces. “No. Of course not. Have a good -” They swallowed, then delivered a quick salute and hurried away to where a group of other knights, all in identical armor, waited. Ryou could hear some kind of excited babbling but in moments, all of them rode on out of sight, with the occasional glance being thrown toward the mansion, until the visitors vanished out of sight.

Edo closed and locked the door, every movement snappish with annoyance, before he turned to Ryou. “What were you saying about my wings?” It was rather obvious he wanted a complete subject change from annoying visitors. Ryou could not blame him at all.

And yet he couldn’t resist something so obvious.

“You don’t have angel wings. Someone with angel wings wouldn’t have lied like a rug just now.”

Edo sniffed. “I didn’t lie. We don’t want to be bothered by the war.” That was so. Their intent was to end it, by ending Haou, if they could.

But Ryou kept on. “If they’d tried to force their way in, or anything else, you would’ve broken then in half. With your wings.” As they would be the only weapons that Edo had on him at the moment, there was no lie there either. Ryou let a small amused smile touch his lips. “Your wings are just like you: hidden danger. Your wings are swan wings.”

Edo stared at him for a handful of moments before he flashed a dangerous grin of his very own. “Saiou’s the only person who ever figured that out without being told. I won’t even let them put it on my official Pro League article.” He shook his head before gesturing back to the main room. “Care to get tonight’s preening started?”

“I don’t think I have anything more pressing to do,” Ryou said, leading the way.

Maybe he’d preen Edo as well tonight.

The End

Notes: What other kind of wings would Edo have, seriously?

[peonybane]

Agape and Pragma: Chapter 8

Pairings: OT7 (BTS) x Reader

Word Count: 2.8 k

Genre: Hybrid AU, Fluff, Angst, Sci-Fi, Crack (?), Smut (eventually)

Chapter Specific Notes: Lots of angst, pining, suggestive material. Like. REALLY suggestive.

Terminology: A ‘queen’ is a female cat (didn’t know this and ended up researching this a few time to make sure). A ‘doe’ is a female rabbit. A ‘peahen’ is a female peafowl (peahen vs. peacock).

Summary: Your entire world had be torn asunder by just one lab test. Time heals all wounds, but does it really? What will it take to feel whole again?

Hybrid Types: Peacock Jin, Serval Yoongi, Golden Retriever Hoseok, Gray Wolf Namjoon, Scottish Fold House Cat Jimin, Great Dane Taehyung, and French Lop Eared Rabbit Jungkook

a/n: Thank you to my best friend and beta reader, @ropeseok for helping fix and refine this chapter. Things are really heating up! Please look forward to some, ahem, ‘fun’ time in Chapter 9!

<— Previous (Chapter 7)

As you made your way across the street, you heard your name being called by a familiar voice. Turning around, you spotted Jongin. He was dressed in a simple button up and comfortable, but nice, pants. You wore a sundress and a light sweater since cafes sometimes get cold. Seemed like both of you had the idea of casual, but not too casual for coffee. He joined you, his tail flicking happily and his ears at attention, their focus on you.

The smile on his face faltered as he got into arm’s reach. His nose crinkled as if he had smelled something unpleasant. You tilted your head. “Something wrong?”

“No. It’s nothing. Think I smell—“ He paused, reconsidering himself. “Actually, never mind. Probably nothing.”

He seemed to be hiding something, but you gambled not to push any further. “Anyways, let’s go inside.”

Nodding happily, you let him lead you into the cafe.

Once inside, you both made your way over to the line to order. Even in line, Jongin still wore that sour look on his face. “You sure everything is alright?”

His tail began flicking nervously and his ears swiveled about, giving away some sort of nerves. “Yeah, just… is that some new perfume? I think the smell is messing with my head. I can’t figure out why though.”

Your brow knit together. “No. It’s the same one I wore on the plane.”

Realization seemed to have dawned on him, his eyes growing large and just as he opened his mouth to reply, the cashier called for the next person in line. Once you both had ordered, Jongin insisted upon paying (“I’m a gentleman. Don’t hurt my pride like this.”) And you shyly let him, despite guilt gnawing away at you. 

Waiting for your drinks, you exchanged more simple pleasantries, Jongin continued to act well, kinda squirrelly around you as he looked around the cafe, as if waiting for someone to jump out of the shadows to attack him. Once you both had your drinks, Jongin led you over to a table in the corner. Instead of sitting close you like you thought he would, he sat as far away from you as he politely could. You’d be lying if you said that it didn’t slightly hurt your feelings. 

You slowly sipped on your drink as you thought about what to say next. It wasn’t nearly this… tense the last time you met him. In fact, the last time, it felt like you two were perfectly in sync, comfortable in each other’s presence. He called your name.

“Yes, Jongin?”

“I’m sorry.”

“For what? There’s nothing to apologize for.”

“Yes. There is. I messed up. I should’ve noticed. I pressured you.”

Your voice rose an octave as he refused to meet your gaze. “No, you didn’t. I wanted to come here.”

“You’re too nice. But it’s almost cruel. Giving me some hope. Despite the fact that you’re already mated.”

“Mated?!”

Your voice was much louder than you had meant. But you couldn’t help it. That was last thing you had expected to come out of his mouth. A group of giggling teenage girls caught your attention and your face immediately flushed, knowing that they were giggling at your outburst. Jongin shot them a look and they immediately quieted down, whether it was out of intimidation or attraction (after all, that jawline could cut glass), you weren’t sure. Not that it mattered.

“Am I wrong? I didn’t smell it the last time we were together, but you’re covered in pheromones. It’s so strong…. I don’t know how I missed it the last time. It’s also so odd. It doesn’t smell like any one scent.”

You swallowed. “How… how many do you smell?”

He looked at you hurt. You didn’t deny his claims, you guessed he had secretly hoped you would. There was a venomous edge to his words. “What do you mean how many? I can’t really tell. But there’s at least a gross wet dog smell to you, a cat, some sort of rodent, and a bird.”

You did your best to remind yourself that he didn’t mean anything malicious by those words. After all, how was he to know just how deeply you felt for your roommates if you didn’t know either? 

“Jo-Jongin? Can I ask you a question?”

He hesitated for a moment, his tail flicking, but hummed a confirmation as he nodded. You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding.

“What does it mean? For a Hybrid to be in love?”

He knit his brow together. “Depends, I guess. I mean, while we’re different from normal people, we’re not too different. But I guess our feelings are more… visceral. Primal. We do things without really realizing what we’re doing. Why?”

“My best friends think….” You hesitated in how you should answer. “They think, my roommates are… in love with me.”

Jongin stared you down with a hard look. “Do you love them?”

“Yes. They’re like family.”

“Don’t lie. Please.”

Sighing, you leaned back in your chair. “I don’t know. I think I do. But… how do you love seven people?”

Jongin was silent for a moment. “It’s not talked about a lot, but polyamory is a big part of the Hybrid culture, after all, very few of our species are monogamous. But it’s not something we necessarily talk about out in the open too much. Especially with normal people.”

“But you’re talking to me about it.”

“That’s because you’re apart of it, now.” He leaned towards you. “For Hybrids, attraction is like a positive feedback loop. If we like someone, no, love someone, we develop a specific pheromone just for that person. If that person loves us in return, they also emit a specific hormone, which, whether or not we’re conscious of it, will make our own hormones even stronger. It’s this endless cycle that feeds in on itself. The… scents,” he seemed to involuntarily wrinkled his nose at the word, “that I smell on you can’t be as potent as they are on you if you didn’t at least return some of their feelings.”

You swallowed. This was too much to stomach. As if sensing your nerves, Jongin sighed and said, “You love them. When you look at them, does your heart swell? Can you forgive them for everything, no matter how badly it may hurt you? Do you feel safe with them? When you’re touched, do you feel calm? Can you stand to be in complete silence around them and have no need to fill that silence? Do you want, any of them, to bend you over and just do what they want to you?”

At first, you couldn’t deny the sweet feelings he was describing to you. But your breath caught and something in your clenched at the mention of them doing with you what they will. Your throat went dry but there was no denying it, especially as the images of all seven of them doing something absolutely sinful to you flashed before your eyes. 

Your voice trembled and was barely above a whisper. “…Yes.”

Jongin sighed, almost painfully as he let his head fall back. “Didn’t even have a chance, did I?”

Something tugged at your heartstrings. Guilt. “Yes, you did.”

He looked into your eyes, sadly. “No. You think that, now. But… you were always theirs. We may have worked out for a short while. But ultimately, you love them. And they love you.”

Hot tears that you couldn’t control started welling up in your eyes. Jongin smiled sadly and reached across the table, wiping at your tear with his thumb. “Don’t cry. It’s not worth it.”

“But I hurt you.”

“What’s there to be hurt about when it comes to mates? It’s not something that we can control. Sure, we can lie to ourselves that we can, but really, we can’t. I’ll just have to wait a little longer to find mine.”

He suddenly stood up, startling you. You followed his lead and stood up as well. Jongin gave you gentle, but sad smile before walking around the table to your side. You weren’t sure what was coming, but it certainly wasn’t the hug he gave you. Unsure of yourself, it took you a moment, but you eventually hugged him back.

Again, you found yourself tensing as he buried his face your neck, rubbing it against you. As he pulled away, he kissed your forehead and you looked at him with wide, almost fearful eyes. “What— What was that for?”

Jongin smirked, stuffing his one of his hands in his pocket and the other grabbed his coffee. “Just a little something to move things along. Maybe a little revenge. See ya around.”

You stood there gaping like a fish out of water as he gave you one last wave of goodbye before leaving the cafe.

^~^~^~^~^ 

“I’m home!”

The house was silent and you were reminded that your roommates were all out of the house, either at work (Jin was probably at the restaurant, Yoongi at his studio, Jungkook was probably with a client, and Namjoon was probably at the library) or out doing something else (You weren’t quite sure what Jimin, Taehyung, and Hoseok were up to, other than mentioning that they’d be out).

You sighed, dropping your bag off in it’s usual place. Since the guys were out, may you’d watch some of those horrible conspiracy theory tv shows and treat yourself to one of Yoongi’s top vintages or a carton of ice cream. You kicked off your shoes, leaving them at the door; you’d get them later. As you made your way to the kitchen, you draped your sweater over the back of one of the chairs in the dining area. 

Entering the kitchen, you sighed heavily as you rubbed your neck. This whole ‘mates’ thing or whatever it was was really starting to take its toll on you. You opened the freezer. Now was the time to decide: vanilla or chocolate or mint ice cream for the conspiracy theory marathon. As you stared into the blinding light of the freezer, humming an unknown tune as you shook your bottom, making your decision, you didn’t notice the presence looming behind you.

Taking out your chosen flavor to defrost, you nearly drop the damn thing when you turned around, finding Jimin looming in the doorway, his tail flicking and face unreadable. You gasped, hand flying to your chest. “Dammit, Jimin! You scared the crap out of me.”

As you placed the carton of ice cream on the counter and closed the freezer, Jimin continued to stare at you, being strangely… quiet. Your brow knit together and for some reason… the hairs on the back of your neck stood up. “What— what’s wrong, Jimin?”

He remained silent. This silence sparked an unknown fury inside you. “Fine. If you’re not gonna talk then just go brood somewhere else, Batman.”

Just as you were about to push past him to go to your room to change, one moment you were marching towards the stairs, the next you found yourself pressed up against the wall, the impact slightly throwing the air out of you.

His face was pressed into your neck, he used his whole body to trap you against the wall. You brought your hands up to push him away, but he grabbed your wrists and slammed them against the wall. He was… bristling. Just like an actual cat as he growled. “Jimin! What the he— Ow!”

He bit you! Like actually bit you! It wasn’t hard enough to make you bleed, but dammit, it hurt!

Jimin growled against your neck, muttering something you couldn’t understand as you continued to struggle against him. He began licking the spot that he had bitten with his rough tongue, making you gasp… and a shiver run down your spine. “Why?”

Breathlessly you ask, “Why what?”

“Why are you covered in another damn cat’s scent? You reek of him!”

Jimin pulled away from your neck enough for you to see his eyes. They were constricted slightly in a diamond shape, something you didn’t know was possible for a Hybrid. This sparked a bit of fear in you. Why? Why was the animalistic side of him pushing against the thin veil of his humanity? You tried to respond, but all you could do was sputter. He grabbed you almost harshly, pulling you away from the wall and spinning you around, pinning you against the wall once again. 

That was when you felt it. He was hard. Jimin groaned against your ear and something inside you, despite the slight fear that was quickly dissipating, clenched in need and desire. He leaned into your ear and whispered, "We were all set to stand by and watch you be happy with a normal person. But a Hybrid? If you wanted a Hybrid, any one of us was willing to step up."

You couldn’t help the needy whimper that left your lips as he ground himself against you. “J-Jongin… mmmm… is just a friend!”

Jimin let out a hiss and nipped at your neck, making you squeak. Your cheeks heated up. This shouldn’t have turned you on the way it was. “Don’t you dare say anyone else’s name. You’re mine! Jungkook’s! Hoseok’s! Yoongi’s! You’re all ours!”

Your pelvic floor clenched and the way Jimin stiffened behind you told you that he could smell just how turned on you are. “You want that? For us to make you ours? Mine and Yoongi’s queen? To be Jin’s peahen? Jungkook’s doe? A bitch in heat for the fucking canines?”

His words were making you light headed. It was so brusque. It was so dirty… and you liked it. It had been too long since anyone had spoken to you like this. And you didn’t want him to stop.

Reality came crashing down on you though at the sound of the door opening followed by Hoseok and Taehyung’s voices. You both froze for a moment until you realized that both of them were heading for the kitchen.

You panicked. Squeezing out from under Jimin, you ran. You ran past your dog Hybrid roommates as they called after you, but didn’t stop, even as you practically flew up the stairs.

Taehyung was hot on your heels as always, but you managed to get to your room and lock the door behind you before he could reach you. You heard him panting from the other side of the door. Another set of steps joined him. Hoseok called out your name. “Come on, let’s talk about it.”

“No, Hobi. I need to be alone. Not after what just happened. Not after what was said.”

Taehyung started to call your name, but you cut him short. “Please! Just… leave me alone. I can’t be around any of you. You mess with my head. And I don’t want to mess with yours.”

One of them let out the saddest whimper you had ever heard, but you ignored it, rushing to the bathroom attached to your room. You turned on the shower and stripped your clothes as quickly as you could. Once naked, you hopped into the still cold shower. Grabbing a sponge and your bottle of body wash, you prepared them as hot tears started finding their wait to your eyes.

You started scrubbing furiously at your body, wanting to get rid of the scents that were making them lose their sanity; even if you couldn’t smell them yourself. It wasn’t until your body was scrubbed almost raw and red did you stop. 

Dropping the sponge, you sank against the wall of your shower until you were crouched in a fetal position. You bit the inside of your mouth to keep from crying out, lest one of your roommates forced their way in to rescue you.

Salty, hot tears ran down your face as you stared off into nothing, hoping that the water would wash away your confused feelings. But you could still feel him: the way Jimin’s body pressed up against yours, the way he growled, the way it all left you painfully aroused. 

Even if you were just beginning to come to terms with your feelings for them, arousal was something else all together. And how could something so… dangerous turn you on like that? It felt… wrong. You had always been, well, vanilla in your sex life. But the implication of just being taken, of being tamed… that both aroused and terrified you. But you wanted it again. You wanted to be touched like that. You wanted to feel him against you again… you wanted them. All of them. 

As always, reviews, comments, asks, and tags are always loved! ~Peony

Also, please note that I do NOT do tagging lists. Please see my FAQ for why.

Next (Chapter 9) —>

Agape and Pragma Masterlist

Masterlist

In the meantime, please check out my first smut, Frisky.

All rights reserved. © Copyrighted 2019.

[marshmallow-phd]

Secret in His Eyes

Spinoff of Sins of the Father

Genre: Mafia Au

Pairing: Luhan x Reader

Summary: A vacation exploring China’s famous city was supposed to be relaxing. When you witness a horrifying murder, you instead find yourself in police custody, unable to run. Trying to stay alive, you meet Luhan, and you believe you can trust him. You never imagined that he might be the one you should be running from.

Part: Prologue I 1 I 2 I 3 I 4 I 5 I 6 I 7 I 8 I 9 I 10 I 11 I 12 I Final

**

Luhan wanted to curse up a storm. Only your presence kept his mouth at bay.

“Do you realize how long we’ve been searching for you?” Tao snarled.

At his harsh tone, Luhan caught you shrinking into the bark of the tree. No wonder you rejected him. You were still terrified of anyone who wasn’t him. The fake him, at least. And even then, you were still cautious.

“Sorry, boss,” Luhan artificially apologized.

Tao blinked at his emphasis, confusion pinching his face until his eyes landed on you. Then it dawned on him.

“That’s right. You’d better be sorry,” he snickered. Luhan threw him a death glare when you weren’t looking. The punk was enjoying the power play a little too much.

“(y/n), you’d better go back inside,” Luhan told her gently. She nodded slowly, pushing off the trunk and giving Tao a wide berth as she darted for the tree line and back to the house.

Now that they were alone, Tao tilted his head and scoffed at the older leader. “You’re still dressing like that?”

Luhan shrugged as he shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned up against the tree that you had previously occupied. “It’s comfortable.”

“Sure,” Tao scoffed. Narrowing his eyes, he commented, “You’re taking too much enjoyment in this.”

“Maybe I am,” Luhan snapped. But they both knew that he meant it differently than what Tao was implying. That maybe what he enjoyed was not having to be the one in charge when he was with you.

The sting of you telling him that you wouldn’t stay with him in the end was still fresh, made worse by the fact that he could sense you felt the connection too. He could see the attraction and the longing in your eyes whenever he met your gaze. But you were smarter than him. You could see farther than him, knowing that anything started between you two couldn’t last forever. That didn’t mean, however, that he didn’t want to try anyway.

He should know better than this. He should know already that even the happiest memories would cause pain later on down the line. How many nights did he spend cursing the air after she had left? How many days had he been haunted by the sound of her laugh? The way she called his name?

Over time the pain of those memories had faded. It didn’t hurt as much if they happened to cross his mind and he’d hardened himself more to the disappointments of the world. Nothing could touch him and he had no weaknesses. How easily he fell back into the trap.

Was he simply doomed to fall for the person who wouldn’t stay in his life?

“Luhan?”

Pulled from his self-loathing, Luhan snapped his head up. “What?”

Tao rolled his eyes. “I was trying to find you for a reason and it wasn’t to interrupt your little game of make believe.”

“Did you find him?” Luhan asked eagerly, ignoring the little swipe.

“Not exactly,” Tao muttered. From his back pocket, he pulled out a small tan envelope. Luhan took it eagerly, ripping out the contents to see what demands would be asked of him.

But there were no demands.

Inside was one picture, one photo recently developed. The image it held made his blood boil and knuckles turn white from how hard he was gripping the edges.

From the vague clues he could pick up on, the setting of the scene was an old warehouse or some equally grimy place. But that hardly mattered. It was the true subject of the photograph that was the real focus of his rage.

In the very center to drawn the eye in was his missing lieutenant. Blood pooled all around him and – even though he was lying on his stomach – a fresh bullet hole right between his eyes was clearly visible, emphasized by the blank, dead look in his wide open eyes.

“When did you find this?” Luhan asked through gritted teeth.

“About an hour ago,” Tao answered. “It came right to the front door. No one saw who dropped it off or when exactly it arrived.”

Fire was roaring in Luhan now. His defenses were slipping. He used to be untouchable. Now look at him. Not even his own home was safe anymore. “How could someone have gotten past the guards?”

“We don’t know,” Tao said. By the growl in his voice, he was equally pissed about the breach, perhaps even more so since security fell under his division. “They have to be watching the house, learning the shift schedules and area rotations. There’s no other explanation for how they achieved this.”

“Mix it up then!” Luhan ordered. “And double the bodies patrolling the grounds. I don’t want anything like this happening again. Until we can find out who-” He stopped, his eyes having drifted down to the mocking gift in his hand once more.

“What is it?” Tao leaned forward to try and see what had made Luhan stop mid-sentence.

In the corner of the envelope was a small blue stamp, easily missed if your mind was somewhere else. Lifting the paper up for a closer look, Luhan frowned as he inspected the wording that made up the blue ink.

“Did you really look at this before you came to find me?” Luhan asked in an eerily quiet voice.

Tao shook his head. “Once we saw what was inside, I went to find you. Yixing was the one who told us that he thought he’d seen you go out the back.”

“This is a police issued envelope,” Luhan held it up for Tao to see. “That’s their official letterhead on here. You can just get these anywhere.”

“So the police are behind this?” Tao questioned. He shook his head. “That doesn’t make any sense. I mean, sure, some of them are corrupt but they wouldn’t go this far and then leave something that points right back to them.”

“I don’t think it’s the department itself that’s doing this,” Luhan agreed. “Whoever is behind this – behind all of this – is either under the police force but doing this on their own or they just want us think it’s the police.”

“There’s too much gray area with those scenarios. I don’t like it.”

“I don’t either. But I want to end this once and for all and this is our only lead so far.” Fueled by his own declaration, Luhan shoved the envelope into his back pocket and stormed off towards the house, ripping off his jacket in the process. Until this was over, Lin would have to disappear. Right now, he needed to focus on being Luhan, leader of the underground world.

**

He was mad at you. Or he got in trouble. Or maybe he was mad at you because he got in trouble. Not that it was your fault. It was his own decision to take you out of the house.

It’d been nearly two weeks since Lin confessed to you. Or… could it be considered a confession? Technically, you were the only one who used any sort of words that conveyed true feelings. That you liked it when he was vulnerable and open. All that he’d told you was that you made him feel lighter, like the world wasn’t resting on his shoulders. Was that really the same thing?

Lately the house felt emptier. Each time you ventured out into the hallways, they were deserted, no hired help, no mafia members, not even Lin or Yixing made an appearance. Part of you wondered if you’d been abandoned, but the constant piling up of glasses and dirty dishes that weren’t yours in the kitchen, along with the ever growing pile of empty liquor bottles told you that someone was present around here. Those clues just might have been the only reason you stuck around.

Well, that… and the pathetic little emotion called hope. Hope that he’d knock on your door or walk around the corner. If you saw him again… you just might be tempted to….

Blowing air out of your lips, you mentally shook yourself. Were you only thinking that way because you hadn’t seen him in so long?

You’d promised Lin that you wouldn’t run away from him for now. So why did it feel like he’d run away from you? It didn’t feel like things had ended badly when you were interrupted, but you had no idea what had happened after you left. It was possible that he was ordered to stay away, you supposed. That just made your heart throb in pain.

But that didn’t explain the lack of people you saw recently. And sitting there in that kitchen, you felt the loneliness more than ever. You wished that anyone would walk through the entryway just remind you that you weren’t the last living being on earth.

“You’re brave to be out here, aren’t you?”

You jumped at the sudden voice, nearly knocking over your glass and spilling water all over the island counter.

The blonde higher up from the forest wasn’t exactly what you had in mind when you’d asked for company. Obviously taking pleasure in having scared you, he was smirking as he leaned up against the doorframe. His hands were stuffed into the pockets of his slacks and his eyes shined with a mischievousness that had you squirming in your seat.

“I was just hungry,” you answered in a small voice.

He laughed at you. “No need to be so scared. I won’t hurt you.”

Somehow, you found that very hard to believe. Finishing up your meal, you wiped your mouth and headed over to the sink, hoping that he would leave as you rinsed off your plate.

No such luck.

Instead, he came right into your personal space, leaning back up against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest. “I’m Tao, by the way.”

You barely glanced over at him. Whispering, you replied, “(y/n).”

He scoffed at you. “You’re very different from what I was expecting.”

“What exactly were your expectations?” you asked bravely, immediately regretting it. Engaging with him meant he stayed longer, kept the conversation going. Then again, he might have just kept pestering you until you gave in anyway.

“Considering who you’ve attracted, I figured you’d be feistier or more challenging,” he somewhat explained. “But you’re kind of like a mouse. Weak and easily frightened. Not exactly the ‘strong’ type.”

That was it. Practically throwing the dish down in the sink, you turned to the mobster. “Excuse you! Just because I don’t throw punches or yell and scream or shoot guns doesn’t mean that I’m not a strong or valid person! I don’t care if you’re a leader here or not, you don’t get to decide what I am!”

“Ah!” Tao leaned in close, smiling at you in a wicked fashion. “There it is. Now that I can see him falling for.”

“Falling for?” Was he talking about Lin?

Tao chuckled as he straightened up. “Oh, yeah. He can deny it all he wants, but Luhan was definitely caught feelings for you. Which just makes him an-”

“Luhan? Did you mean Lin?” It had to be a slip of the tongue… right? The names were similar....

Clearing his throat, Tao backtracked. “Um, yeah, that’s what I meant. I meant Lin. Not Luhan.”

But you didn’t believe him. As much as you wanted to, you couldn’t. You once were told there were three leaders here and you’ve managed to run into two of them. But the third one, the one who was at the very top and who owned this mansion, you’d never even caught a glimpse of him. Or had you caught more than a glimpse and never realized it?

Too many coincidences and moments were lining up. Like the way Yixing relented to Lin or the fact that he insisted that wasn’t his room, but what else could have been doing there? And the way he looked at that woman’s picture and told that story….

No, it wasn’t just a simple slip of the tongue. And you were played for a sap.

Whirling on your heels, you stormed out of the kitchen and down the halls. Each door you came to you swung open, searching for the man who had lied to you this entire time. He was never behind the barriers but all that did was narrow it down. He couldn’t only be in so many places.

“You can’t just go anywhere you feel like!” Tao yelled after you, capturing your upper arm and slamming your back up against the wall. A whimper echoed in your throat from the impact, stinging your shoulder blades. “Listen here, mouse, you were told-”

“Tao, what the hell do you think you’re doing!”

You flinched at the shouts of the newcomer. It turned out you didn’t have to go looking for him anymore. The feared leader had found you.

Letting you go, Tao stepped back, facing Lin- no, not Lin. “She was snooping around-”

“I was looking for you,” you snarled, cutting Tao off.

With a look of defeat in his eyes, Luhan motioned with his head for you to follow him. Tao rolled his eyes and walked away in the opposite direction. Swallowing back the humiliating tears, you walked behind Luhan down the hall and into a large study that you assumed was where he’d been hiding these days.

With the door closed behind you, he rounded the oversized desk, taking a small, square package that had been sitting there and tossing it into the corner.

“What’s that?” you asked quietly, not quite ready to face what you were really doing here.

Turning to face you, Luhan sighed. Gone were the t-shirts and bomber jackets that had made him seem so normal. Now his once messy hair was slicked back off his face and the white button down was wrinkled and haphazardly tucked into his pants. Even with the clear disregard of how put together he didn’t look, he was still so different, like the mafia leader he was pretending not to be.

“Just a random package that showed up,” he muttered, not even bothering to look at you. His gaze stayed trained on the patterned carpet as he asked his own question. “Why were you looking for me?”

You answered with a question of your own. “Why didn’t you just kill me? It would be so easy to just get the one witness out of the way! Did you never really believe me when I said I didn’t know anything? Or did you just want to see how much fun you could have playing with me?”

“I never played with you!” Marching up to you, he grabbed your shoulders in a desperate attempt to cling to the lies. “Yes, Lin was someone I made up, but I wasn’t lying out in that forest!”

“I can’t believe you!” Tears stung at your eyes as you stared at the person you’d thought you’d fallen for but really had no clue who he was. “After everything! After every chance you had to tell me the truth, you still lied! How can I believe you now?”

Though his grip remained strong, his voice faltered. “Because I’m begging you.”

You shook your head. “That’s not eno-”

BOOM!

[the-chanteloup]

InuYasha RP Bio

Omg. I’m alive! Things have been so hectic, I forgot I had a Tumblr! Silly me. Well, I’ve returned, and with that return, I give you my finalized InuYasha RP bio! 

So, I created this character about 18 years ago when InuYasha first aired on Adult Swim. I debuted her on Yahoo!Chat, and when that died, she sort of went into hibernation. With the series coming out, and this sudden surge of InuYasha, I really wanted to finalize her, and get her out into the world. :3  

Name (last, first): Setsuna ( Of the Karyukai, The Flower and Willow World )

Nickname(s): Hanyou, Runt, Pup, Geisha

Age: 55 (Youthful appearance, commonly mistaken for 20-25)

Species: Half-Dog Demon, Half-Human (Hanyou)

Gender: Female

Birthday: Around the Winter Solstice

Life Story:

Left on the doorstep of an orphanage in the village of Sawara, in a shabby reed basket during a harsh winter was not the ideal beginning, but, all great legends must start somewhere. Luckily, warm hearts were in good spirits this cold night, and the overseers of this particular orphanage just couldn’t leave a bright eyed, bundle of joy out in the elements. Brought in out of the cold, and raised alongside human children, the pup never really knew she was different, other than having two black fluffy ears atop her head. As she grew, she was given a general education along with the other children, nothing fancy since they were considered the lower class, but enough to get her by should she ever take to selling turnips.

Unfortunately, all fairy tales have to end, and when her 16th year rolled around, she was tossed out into the world to fend for herself.

Being a small Hanyou had its benefits job wise, roaming gangs of thieves were always willing to have her tag along for heists, at a quarter of the profit for most of the dangerous work. But fate is a fickle mistress, and while perusing through a shop during a heist one night, she was detained by an older man named Ino Tadataka, with nun chucks. How embarrassing. She didn’t need superb Demon hearing to know her comrades had bailed, leaving her the scapegoat. However, before she could decide which hand she was okay with having chopped off, the old man offered her a deal. She would assist him in mapping some of the harder to reach places in the area, and in return he would house her, feed her and teach her to read.

Since climbing trees for an old man was a much better option than losing a limb, she hastily agreed, and spent many years assisting “Old Man Ino”, as she called him, in completing his map of Japan.

In the Spring of her last month with Ino, he referred her to an old friend in a village called Kanazawa in the Western Lands for another job. With no other real work leads, other than going back to stealing, she took the lead. When she arrived at the mapped destination Ino had given her, it turned out to be an exotic tea house. She swore on all the Gods above and below that she would knock the taste out of that old pervert’s mouth for this. As she stood outside making her proclamation to bash an old man’s head in, she was interrupted by the tea house’s 'mother', Kikuya. Seeing a rare opportunity to be the only tea house in the district with a Hanyou entertaining, Kikuya took her in instantly.

Amazingly, after several rough years of learning, she was finally “promoted” to the highest rank, Geisha.

Fast forward a few short years, just a few months from fully paying off her debt, she is one of the more popular girls advertised at the tea house. Fully skilled in playing the kokyū, flirting with men in a proper way, starting and losing games of Janken or Daruma Otoshi gracefully, and pouring hot tea in hazardous ways, courtesy of her quick Hanyou reflexes, she has acquired several frequent guests.

A Samurai named Yorimoto quickly became her favorite “customer”, and though they saw each other as nothing more than siblings, she developed a connection to the Human. He was never short on adventurous stories about fighting, and war, which she soaked up like a sponge, enjoying the romantic way he told of their honor code. Being half-Demon, she was naturally drawn to weapons and all their convenient ways of killing things, and eventually convinced Yorimoto to teach her how to use the Naginata. Unfortunately, it was highly un-Geisha like to swing around a “blade on a stick”, as her mother called it, so, under the guise of certain services, they met and trained. Several months passed, and her Samurai was called away to battle, but before he left, Yorimoto gifted her a Naginata all her own, for emergencies, of course.

Even though she was content to stay at her tea house and practice her Naginata in peace until the day when she could afford to open her own business, she also wouldn’t mind a little bit of adventure sneaking in and stirring things up.  

Appearance:

Setsuna stands an intimidating five feet tall at her black ear tips, which has earned her the nickname “Runt”. Thanks to her Demon genetics, despite her small stature, she is sturdily built, muscular and has a curvy frame. She is a milky skinned Hanyou with loosely curled raven black hair that trails down to her rear, and cobalt blue, cat like eyes rimmed in coal eyeliner. Her ears are slightly fluffy, and sport two small silver hoops in each, a gift from her Geisha mother, Kikuya. Her claws are a soft pearl color; however, they are kept at a shorter length due to her kokyū playing and aesthetics for the tea house, but they still remain filed to a point and sharp.

Her only truly intimidating feature is a deep, guttural growl that could easily be mistaken for a much larger demon. Setsuna’s normal attire is that of a typical Geisha, minus the white makeup. Elaborate silk kimonos and obis, along with jeweled hair trinkets and pins. Her hair is never tied up, allowing her ears to remain out in the open. When she is training with the Naginata, she dons a black hakama, with a royal blue sash around her waist. Setsuna is almost always barefoot as she likes the feel of Earth on her skin.

Like all Hanyou, she reverts to a mortal Human form on the night of the new moon. She becomes weaker, as she loses all of her Demon abilities. Her hair fades to a dusty blonde color, and her eyes dull to a pale gray.  

Personality:

Setsuna is usually the center of the party. Having trained with her Geisha mother, she can strike up conversations easily with almost anyone. She has a laid-back demeanor, seeming to just roll with the punches. A smile of some sort is usually found on her face, giving her an easy to approach look. She has an old wisdom about her, and is always available to offer advice or find an answer to a question. She tends to have a soft spot for animals and children, but she prefers both go home with someone else. Her one true weakness is a field of wild flowers, or flowers of any kind. Though she hates to admit it, she’s a sucker for romance and intimate physical touches.

Unfortunately, with a decent amount of Demon blood in her veins, Setsuna is not the quiet, demure creature one would expect when they see her in full Geisha attire. Having been raised by thieves, her mouth is dirtier than a sewer grate, and her mind has been likened to that of a lecherous old man’s. Even with traditionally excitable genetics, she is calm, collected, and calculating, preferring her enemies to either make fools of themselves or to wander right into her trap. Though she has never been in a true battle, the canine in her usually wishes a mother fucker would so she could let her Naginata bathe in blood. Of course, that doesn’t mean she goes looking for a fight, but should one happen to peek around a corner….

Good Habit(s):

She is very understanding, and a good listener. No problem is too dramatic, or small for her ears. She offers honest advice (This could be good or bad) She is fiercely loyal to those who have earned it. Her colorful background and lifestyle have given her a wealth of wisdom and knowledge, both useful and not.  

Bad Habit(s):

Hot headed, she finds a boiling point rather quickly over certain things. Decently excitable, the World is a big adventure to a young Hanyou. Territorial, what’s hers is hers. Cursing bad enough to make perverts blush.

Like(s):

Walking in the forest, feeling the sun on her skin and the Earth on her bare feet. Having her hair done/played with. Food. Training with her Naginata. Playing the kokyū. Listening to stories, mostly battle and war stories. Thunderstorms at night. Wildflower fields.

Special Powers/Abilities:

Aside from the typical Hanyou speed, flexibility and agility, she has a natural ability to hide and camouflage herself due to her small stature. She’s also decently formidable in a fist fight. Intimidating low, guttural growl usually used for intimidation. Rapid healing.

Ambition/Life-long Dream:

Even though she longs for the thrill of battle, a more reasonable ambition would be to finally pay off her debts to Kikuya, and to open her own tea house that specializes in ‘unique’ Geishas like herself.

Love Interest:

Unknown.  

Occupation/Job:

Geisha, entertainer, Hanyou

Notes:

Now, I know y'all who follow the series are looking at me like, "Uh...THAT NAME IS FAMILIAR" And, yeah, I know, trust me. I had a moment when the official announcement was made, but when I created Setsuna, I actually used the name from the manga Angel Sanctuary ( showing my age here ), and this character was never meant to follow any sort of canon story line, ever, she was always strictly AU. With all that being said, please don't come for me. xD I am smol and anxiety ridden. I really just wanted to have her bio published, because I love this little shit of a Hanyou. She was one of my very first creations and holds a pretty special place in my cold black heart. A few more notes: I'm totally up for RP! Feel free to send me a note or whatever. I'm pretty laid-back, and open to most scenarios.

I usually ship Setsuna with Sesshomaru, because it's adorable, but, I’m open to any ship.  

She has no art. Like I said, this has been a long time coming, so I haven't had any art of her commissioned, but maybe in the near future I will. ( -eyeballs the extremely talented @destinyfall) But, I can give you details and photo references if you decide you would like to RP.

[noona-clock]

Something’s Brewing❄️☕ - Part 3

Genre: Coffee Shop!AU

Pairing: Jungshin x You

By Admin B

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

The next morning, you woke up pretty early as you usually did, but decided to wait a little while before heading into The Grind. You figured Jungshin would probably think you came on purpose because you knew he would be there, but...oh well. 

You had shown up at his concert last night. You were getting past the point of having any shame.

The Grind opened at 7am every morning, and you made your way in around 8:30 (which was still really early by some people’s standards). 

You tried not to worry too much about what you wore, but after hearing Jungshin say your outfit last night was cool, you did feel a bit of pressure to look...well, cool. 

It was pretty cold outside, so you threw on a long-sleeved t-shirt with a gray sweatshirt over it, black ripped jeans, and your favorite maroon Converse. You could barely be bothered with your hair and makeup, so you threw it up in a messy bun yet again and slid on your glasses. You found wearing glasses always helped distract from the fact you were wearing very little makeup. 

Before heading out the door, you grabbed a scarf (which, if you hadn’t guessed, was your favorite cold weather accessory) and some gloves.

The Grind was surprisingly quiet for a Sunday morning, especially one that was cold and perfect for a hot cup of coffee or tea. It didn't worry you too much, though, because The Grind had been open for so many years, and it always went through non-busy times. Plus, this meant Jungshin might be able to talk to you some.

As usual, Seungyoon was behind the counter, and he had already rung you up by the time you arrived there, your card in hand.

“Guess what?” he smirked.

“What?”

“Jungshin talked about you earlier.”

“He did?!”

“Yep. He asked how long I've known you, and he said it was really nice of you to come to the show last night.”

“Hmm, interesting…”

You took your card back after he had swiped it, sliding it back into your wallet. “Where is he?”

“In the back doing finance stuff. I can tell him you're here?”

“Nah… well, actually… No, don't. But I mean if you can make it seem casual…”

“Okay,” Seungyoon laughed. “I'll get your drink and then go find him.”

You mouthed a ‘thank you’ before heading toward an empty chair by the fireplace. You regretted not wearing an actual coat because you were now freezing from walking outside for that long. But sitting by the warm fire and drinking your hot beverage would certainly help.

Seungyoon brought your drink a couple minutes later then headed toward the back to try and casually tell his manager that you were here. A relationship better come of all this because Seungyoon really didn't want to be doing all of this for nothing. He pushed through the Employees Only door, strolling down the hall toward the break room. Jungshin’s office door was open, and when he passed by, he heard his boss call out.

“How's it going?”

Seungyoon stopped, taking a couple steps backward and popping his head through the doorframe.

“Okay. Finally got a few customers. Y/N just came in a couple minutes ago.” 

Yeah, he was pretty proud of that delivery.

Jungshin perked up a little, setting his pencil down. “Oh yeah?”

“Mhm,” Seungyoon nodded. “I'm just taking a quick bathroom break, I'll be back out there in a minute.”

“Hey, no worries. Take ten, I'll go on out and take over.”

Seungyoon held back a smirk. “You got it, boss.”

After Seungyoon had left, you curled up in your chair and got out your phone. You really wanted to look through Jungshin’s Instagram again, but you had looked through it last night, and you were sure there was nothing new. Plus, he might come out to talk to you… So you logged in to your school account to check and see if your grades had been posted yet. It was Sunday, so probably not, but it couldn’t hurt to just check.

You typed in your student number and password, waiting for the page to load once you’d logged in. You took this opportunity to take a sip of your drink and scan the shop. 

No Jungshin yet, but also no Seungyoon. Maybe they were still talking. 

Your eyes focused back on your phone, and you clicked on the link to take you to your grades. After scrolling past your previous classes, you found the classes you’d just taken… Wait, your grades had been posted, and you’d gotten A’s in both classes! You smiled widely, keeping yourself from squealing with joy. 

Now you just needed two more A’s to graduate with honors. You were so close you could feel the graduation cap on your head.

“Someone’s having a good morning.”

Your gaze shifted up toward the voice you’d just heard, your eyes landing on none other than Jungshin.

“Oh, yeah,” you chuckled. “My grades were posted.”

“And they were good?”

“Yeah, I got all A’s,” you told him, biting back a smile.

“Wow! Congratulations! You must have worked really hard.”

“Well...kind of, yeah.”

Jungshin gestured to an empty chair nearby. “Do you mind?”

“Oh, no, not at all. Be my guest.”

He sat down, resting his elbows on his knees and sort of wringing his hands together. “So, how much longer do you have left of school?”

“Just one semester,” you told him, taking another sip of your drink. “I’m set to graduate in May.”

“I bet you’re so ready.”

“Yeah, basically. I’ve been in school for so long though, it’s going to be weird not to be.”

“I can understand that. Plus, the ‘real world’ kind of...sucks.”

“Yeah, I'm not looking forward to it,” You chuckled. “I have a job already. Well, an internship, but still. Even having that little taste of the real world is not fun.”

“Where do you intern?”

“The history museum,” you told him, cradling your mug in your hands to keep your fingers warm.

“Oh, really? You must enjoy that.”

“Yeah, I absolutely do. I'm hoping it'll help get me into the archives, but I could probably get hired full-time there if I needed to.”

“Man, I haven't been there in years…”

“You should go! I mean, obviously, I think that. But you should!”

“Well... if I'm gonna go, I'd wanna go with you since you know all about everything.”

Your stomach flipped. Was he...maybe...about to ask you out? Or...what?

“I would gladly be your tour guide,” you smiled.

Jungshin thought for a moment...then took a shaky breath. “Are you free tonight?”

“I believe so.” Oh, god. Oh, god. Oh, god.

“Would you...wanna go with me? To the museum? Tonight?”

Oh, wow, okay, he was 95% most likely asking you out. He could just be trying to be friendly, but…

“Yeah, sure!”

Jungshin smiled, and your heart started doing somersaults.

“What time does it close tonight?”

“Six o'clock.”

“So, should we meet at...4?”

“Yeah, that would work!” You knew you could spend at least three hours there, but not everyone was a nerd like you were. Two hours was plenty of time for the average person.

“Sounds like a plan. I’m actually...really excited.”

“You sound surprised by that. You should be excited!” you smirked.

“I am, I am,” he assured you, laughing sheepishly. “I also should get back to work…”

“Oh, right. I’m being a horrible customer.”

“I don’t think you could ever be a horrible customer.” Jungshin stood, shaking his head slightly. He was pretty sure you could never be a horrible anything.

“Well, I try,” you joked.

“So...I’ll see you later? If not sooner.”

“Yes, you will. 4 o’clock on the dot.” You hid your smile behind the rim of your mug.

“4 o’clock on the dot.” He shot you one last grin before heading toward another customer to see if he needed anything.

When you were sure he couldn’t see, you did a little dance in your chair, just refraining from letting out a squeal. 

Where was Seungyoon?! You needed to tell him about this development in the situation ASAP!

Almost as if he could read your mind (God, you hoped he couldn’t), Seungyoon came back through the Employees Only door and looked around the shop to see what he needed to do. When his gaze swept over your area, you widened your eyes to let him know he needed to get his ass over here. He, apparently, understood your unspoken message because he nodded before heading over there.

“I’m guessing he came to talk to you,” he said softly after taking the seat Jungshin had just occupied.

“Yep,” you beamed.

“I figured. Right after I told him you’d come in, he told me to take a break and that he would take over for a while.”

“I think he asked me out.”

“What!”

“I told him about my internship at the museum, and he said it’d been so long since he’d been there, so I told him he needed to go back. Then he said he’d want to go with me since I know everything about it, I told him I would gladly be his tour guide, and then he asked if I was free tonight. We’re meeting there at 4.”

“How random that we both have museum dates today.”

“Oh my god, you’re right! What time are y’all going?”

“We’re meeting at 3, and we’ll probably have dinner afterward… Y’know, I bet that’s what Jungshin plans to do.”

“You think?”

“Probably! If you guys end up eating dinner, it’s definitely a date.”

You bit your lip, already getting nervous. What were you going to wear?! What if you were so awkward, and he realized he deserved way better?!

Seungyoon put a hand on your arm, obviously sensing your nervousness. “It’ll be fine.”

You let out a breath you hadn’t realized you’d been holding in, smiling warmly at him. “Even if Jungshin and I don’t end up dating, this whole thing has made us kind of really good friends, so I’m glad for that.”

“Yeah, it has, hasn’t it? We’ve never hung out outside of the shop before last night.”

“I wouldn’t even hate hanging out again!”

“Yeah, same. Unless I start dating your sister for real. Then I’ll forget all about you and all my other friends.”

You laughed, rolling your eyes. “I would expect nothing less.” You just hoped he remembered what you said last night about hurting your sister.

You didn’t stay at The Grind as long as you normally did because 1) you had no homework to keep you busy, and 2) you wanted to have plenty of time to come up with a cute but cozy date outfit. 

If this was actually a date. 

You needed to leave your house around 3:40ish, and it was currently almost 10am. That meant you had approximately 5 hours to decide what you were going to wear.

...Hopefully, that would be enough time. You obviously also had to take a shower and do your hair and makeup, so really you had even less time!

After standing in front of your closet and perusing Pinterest for at least an hour and a half, you finally decided on a very simple but chic outfit: your favorite dark wash skinnies, a plain white blouse, a black suede jacket, and your trusty white Chucks (which were now more off-white than white, but whatever). You figured you would throw on a chunky gray scarf before you left and call it a day.

Now you had your outfit figured out, you just had to shower and do your hair and makeup. It was currently just after 12:30pm. All that shouldn’t take three hours right?

Cut to three hours later. 

You had just barely finished doing your makeup because, of course, everything which could go wrong while doing one’s makeup did go wrong, so you’d had to start all over again (doing your eye makeup first this time - you’d learned your lesson). 

You managed to make it out the door right at 3:40pm, and you kept your fingers crossed traffic wouldn’t be bad. You hated being late, and you most certainly did not want to make a bad impression on your first date with Jungshin. You kept trying to tell yourself it wasn’t a date so if it actually turned out not to be, you wouldn’t be disappointed. But your heart kept getting in the way and calling it a date. 

Plus, going to the history museum was basically a perfect first date for you, so you kind of desperately wanted it to be a date.

Thankfully, you arrived at the museum at 3:58, and walking in from the parking lot took less than two minutes, so you would definitively not be late. Praise the Lord! 

As you approached the front of the museum, you saw Jungshin was already waiting. You had to stop walking because...a guy. Who was early? You hadn’t been sure if such a thing existed, but apparently, it did. This was a good sign. Asking you to go to a museum and showing up early? You weren’t sure if it could get much better.

He spotted you when you’d almost reached him so you lifted up one hand in a wave. He waved back, and you could see his smile from here.

“I’m early, but you still beat me,” you said with a slight smirk once you got close enough.

Jungshin lifted his wrist to check his watch. “It’s 4 o’clock now. You’re not early.”

“I pulled in at 3:58!”

“You call two minutes before ‘early’? Hmm, interesting…”

“Yes, I do.” You could tell he was messing with you, so you tried not to sound too serious even though you really did think two minutes before should be considered early.

“Are you ready?” he chuckled.

“Are you?”

“Absolutely.”

You got out your staff ID as you walked inside, showing it to the lady behind the counter. When she waved you both through, Jungshin looked a little confused. He’d gotten his wallet out to buy a ticket, but you were now past the front gate… You turned to ask him where he wanted to start but noticed his puzzled expression.

“What’s wrong?”

“Don’t I need to...buy a ticket?”

“Oh, no. I obviously get in for free, and staff can basically get in any guest for free as long as we don’t bring a huge group of people.”

“Oh. Well. Thank you,” he said, sliding his wallet back into his pocket.

“My pleasure. Where would you like to start? Would you like to go chronologically or by topic?”

Jungshin chuckled, already looking completely lost. “I’ll let you lead the way. This is your world, I’m just visiting.”

You giggled and immediately hated yourself for it. But he was just so cute, you couldn’t help but giggle. Even if it was super annoying.

“Okay, we’ll start from the beginning and work our way to the future.”

“Sounds like a solid plan.”

The two of you spent the next two hours exploring the whole museum; well, by ‘exploring’ I mean Jungshin followed you around and listened intently to your explanations and stories about everything. There really was no actual exploring going on; you knew exactly where you were going, and Jungshin was simply going along for the ride.

Just before 6:00, you were in the middle of talking about the Montgomery Bus Boycott when you heard your manager’s voice come on over the loudspeaker announcing it was just about closing time.

“Guess we should get going,” you said with a bit of a frown. You hadn’t seen everything yet, but you’d made sure to show him your favorite exhibits already, so it wasn’t that big of a deal.

“But what about the rest of it?”

You bit back a smile, glad he seemed into it. “We can come again another time if you want.”

“I think I’ll have to,” he replied, following you toward the exit. “You are honestly the best tour guide.”

“Really?”

“Yeah! You made everything so interesting and easy to understand. You should be a teacher!”

“I thought about it,” you told him, your brow furrowed. “But I’m too much of an introvert to be around so many people all day. I’d rather be holed up in the archives all by myself.”

“Oh, really? I’m more of an extrovert.”

“Yeah, I figured. Coffee shop manager and musician? Both deal with people all the time. If I did either of those, I would be exhausted every single day.”

“Do you know that one personality test with the letters?”

You let out a little gasp. “The Myers-Briggs test! Yes, I love it! What’s your type?”

“I’m an ENFP. We had to take the quiz during orientation for my last job, and I thought it was so cool. It explained me perfectly!”

“I know, right?! “ You told him your type, as well, agreeing that the description of it fit you to a T.

You had reached the exit of the museum by this point, so Jungshin opened the door for you. The sun had already set, for the most part, so it was pretty dark, and the temperature had dropped about ten or fifteen degrees.

“Hey, uh,” Jungshin began, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Do you...wanna go get something to eat?”

You remembered what Seungyoon had said about getting something to eat after the museum. 

This was totally a date.

“I’m starving, and I think my stomach is about to eat itself, so yes.”

Jungshin laughed, a cloud of white vapor escaping from his mouth, showing just how cold it was outside.

“I’m also freezing,” you added, arms crossed tightly over your chest. While your jacket was warm, it was definitely meant more for fashion than function.

“Here, let’s go to my car and figure out where we wanna go.” Jungshin put his hand on the small of your back, guiding you to the parking lot. 

You walked quickly to his car, a red Honda hatchback, and he opened the passenger door for you once you arrived. Once you were safely inside he ran over to the driver’s side, getting in quickly and turning the car on to blast the heat.

“Do you like Mexican food?” you asked, hoping he couldn’t hear your teeth chattering.

“I love it.”

Oh, thank God. “There’s a really good Mexican restaurant down the street, Agua Linda. They have the best salsa.”

“Sounds good to me! Just tell me how to get there.”

“I’m an excellent navigator, no need to worry.”

Jungshin followed your expert directions, arriving at Agua Linda in less than five minutes. The hostess seated you at a small table in the corner, a relatively quiet spot away from the televisions and a quite rowdy party of young ladies seemingly celebrating a bachelorette party. 

You wanted to remark on how annoying they were, but you didn’t want to come off as negative in front of Jungshin just yet. The first few dates were all about making the best impression of oneself; the real stuff could come later. (You really, really hoped there was a ‘later.’)

Now you were face-to-face with Jungshin and you weren’t talking about history, you felt your shyness come back in full force. The comfort of the history museum was gone, and your nervous habits had replaced it. 

You found you couldn’t look him in the eye for longer than a few seconds; you couldn’t figure out where your hands should go (on the table or in your lap?!); basically, everything which came out of your mouth was accompanied by either a nervous chuckle or an apology. You apologized for everything when you were nervous.

After the waitress took your orders and menus, Jungshin frowned slightly at you. “Are...you okay?” he asked, his concern nothing but genuine.

“Oh, yeah,” you chuckled. “Sorry. I’m just...nervous.”

“Why are you nervous?”

Oh, god, why did he have to ask that? “Because… I dunno, I’m just not used to eating dinner alone with a cute guy.”

“But we just spent two hours alone at the museum. You definitely weren’t nervous then.” Rather than sounding accusatory, Jungshin’s tone was one of pure curiosity.

“Well, yeah, but I had all the history to keep my mind off it.”

“Ah, I see… Wait, did you say ‘cute guy’?” A slight smirk came across his lips.

“...Yes?”

“You think I’m cute?” The smirk grew.

“...Yes?” Jesus, your cheeks were practically on fire now.

“Hmm. Interesting.” He bit back a smile before taking a sip of his drink.

“What do you mean ‘interesting’?”

“Nothing,” he replied innocently. “Interesting!”

“What do you mean ‘interesting’?!” you repeated with a laugh.

“I mean it’s interesting you think I’m cute when I also think you’re cute.” He shrugged, his smile definitely hiding something.

“You do not,” you said, eyes slightly narrowed as you looked at him.

“Do, too. Why do you think I always talk to you so much at The Grind?”

“Because...you’re a good manager?”

“Well, I am, but also because I think you’re cute.”

You focused on stirring the ice in your water, biting back a huge smile.

Jungshin watched you, wanting to reach across and take one of your hands. But you were so nervous and shy (and adorable), he didn’t want to make it awkward.

“So…” you said a bit softly, your gaze darting back and forth between him and your drink. “Is this...a date?”

“Absolutely,” he replied, brow furrowed. “Did you not think that before?”

You shrugged. “I wasn’t sure.”

“...Would it make you less nervous if I said it wasn’t a date?”

“No,” You chuckled. “I wanted it to be a date.”

“Okay, good,” he sighed. “Just checking.”

This little conversation broke the ice somewhat, and you started talking about your favorite things - movies, music, tv shows, books, hobbies, and the like. Jungshin was in the middle of voicing his disbelief at you never having seen his favorite movie Back to the Future when the waitress brought your food.

“Well, I’m just going to have to make you watch it,” he announced, picking up one of his tacos.

“Okay, fine,” you chuckled, grabbing your knife and fork and digging into your chimichanga. “After you watch Star Trek.”

“Deal.”

You continued talking in-between bites, and Jungshin made sure to express his satisfaction with his meal numerous times. 

You mentally patted yourself on the back for choosing this place. It was always delicious, of course, but it could be nerve-wracking telling someone a restaurant they’d never been to was good. What if they thought it was horrible? Then they would never trust your opinion again! 

Thankfully, this was not the case tonight.

Jungshin insisted on paying when the check came since you had gotten him into the museum for free - and since it was a date.

“Why does a guy have to pay on a date?” you asked, pursing your lips.

“He doesn’t always have to pay. Just on the first date. After that it’s fair game.”

“Oh, really?” You raised an eyebrow. “So you’ll let me pay next time?”

“Are you asking me on a second date?” he smirked. He knew that would make you blush, and… 

Bingo! There it was.

“No, I was just -- I mean, not no, because I want to -- if you want to -- but I wasn’t --” God, you were a mess.

“I would love to go on a second date,” he assured you, his foot finding yours under the table and nudging it.

You let out a soft sigh of relief. “Me too.”

Once the waitress had brought back Jungshin’s card, you headed back out to the parking lot.

“Oh my god, it is freezing!” you exclaimed, crossing your arms tightly over your chest.

Jungshin immediately took off his jacket and put it around your shoulders.

“Oh -- no, wait,” you stammered, though it was too late to protest. “But you'll be cold.”

“I'll be okay,” he assured you.

“Okay, but let’s still get to your car instead of standing out here any longer.”

“Good idea.”

You rushed over to his car, though Jungshin made sure to open the door for you even though it meant he was left out in the cold longer - with no jacket. 

Once he did get inside, he quickly started the engine and turned the heat up as high as he could. 

All the while you kept thinking of other ways you could get warm, which obviously made you blush because - well, yeah. But your cheeks were already pink from the cold so it didn’t even really matter.

He drove the short distance back to the museum, parking next to your car so you wouldn’t have to bear the cold for too long. 

Before you could leave, he turned toward you.

“Thank you for being my tour guide earlier. I really enjoyed it,” he told you, his hand itching to reach across and take yours.

“Oh, you’re welcome. I hope I wasn’t too boring,” you chuckled, only glancing at him. You were far too nervous to look him in the eyes right now.

“Not at all!” he assured you, his smile very evident in his tone. “I can tell you’re really passionate about history because you make it not boring.”

“Because it’s not boring!”

“Exactly. And you’re obviously passionate about Mexican food, too, because that meal was delicious.”

“I am quite passionate about Mexican food, actually,” You admitted with a laugh.

Jungshin smiled as he watched you smiling, holding back the urge to lean over and kiss you. 

“So, um, I realized that I don’t...have your number, and I was just thinking about how we didn’t get to see everything at the museum, so I would really like to go back and finish one day. I know you come into the shop a lot, but I think it would just be easier if I could call you or something.”

“Oh, yeah, sure!” you replied, finding it awfully cute how he’d come up with a legitimate reason to get your number. 

After he slid his phone out of his back pocket, you told him your number slowly, watching him type it in.

“Great,” he murmured once he’d finished. “So...I can call you?”

“Yeah! Or text me,” you told him with a shrug. You didn’t want to tell him you hated talking on the phone; he was an extrovert, so he probably wouldn’t understand. “I should...probably get going, though.”

“Right, of course. Drive safely, okay?”

“I will,” you assured him as you began to take off his jacket.

“No, keep it,” he said before you could.

“Oh -- what, why?”

“So...you have a good excuse to see me again. To give it back to me.”

You blushed, biting back a smile. You slid the jacket back onto your shoulders. “Okay,” you said softly. “I’ll see you later, then.”

“See you later.”

You quickly got out of his car and into yours, turning it on and putting the heat on full blast. 

You honestly couldn’t believe tonight had just happened. 

You’d just gone on a date with the guy you’d been crushing on. You were currently wearing his jacket, and he’d told you to keep it so you’d have a good excuse to see him again. And he had your number.

As you were driving home, you saw your phone light up with a notification, but you couldn’t quite tell what kind of notification it was. When you arrived at your apartment, you checked to see and were more than excited to find a text message from a number you didn’t have saved. It was easy to guess who it was, though, since the message said:

You decided to have a little fun.

You hid your face in the sleeve of his jacket even though he wasn’t even there to see you blushing or hear you giggling.

Obviously, you went to sleep with a smile on your face that night. In fact, you were in such a good mood that whole week, your co-workers at the museum kept asking what was going on. 

It wasn't until Lena, the lady who'd been working at the front desk on Sunday evening, said you had come in with a tall, cute guy the other day when everyone understood.

“So you got yourself a boyfriend, then,” your co-worker, Harriet, said with a smirk as you ate dinner together on your break on Wednesday.

“No! He's not my boyfriend,” you corrected. “We’ve been on one date.”

“Are you going on a second?”

“...Yes.”

“Oooooh, girl! What's he like? Tell me everything.”

You tried to hold back a smile as you told Harriet all about Jungshin, even reading some of the text messages he’d sent over the past couple days.

“He really likes you,” Harriet smirked, nudging your side.

“You think? I really have no clue about boys,” you chuckled, your cheeks flushing at your admission.

“He does, trust me. He’s acting just like my husband did when we were first dating.”

You let out another chuckle, lifting your shoulders up into a shrug. “Well, great, now you got my hopes up that I'm going to marry him!”

“Maybe you will!” she said with a wink.

“Well... if I do, you will definitely be invited to the wedding.”

Part 4

Tagging @cramelot  @veryhotkpop  @daelicious-jongbulge  @askmalstwin @elysjin @shinrin-yokeu  @lovebuginlove @lost-girl-inc @takura-rin to let them know this has been posted! Readers, if you would like to be added to this list, let me know! Thank you!!

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