#On a different note this thing reminds me a bit of the snatcher from hat in time

[pokemonfrommemory]

hello come closer I am a normal teapot :)

[erekiosuncreativeideas]

Being Human - Chapter 13

<= Chapter 12

Summary : Snatcher makes up with the kids Also available on AO3 : https://archiveofourown.org/works/24826561/chapters/65582983

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Another chapter, yohoo ! I hope you'll like it ! Thank you for all your lovely comments, you're all so nice !!

The “Oh The Humanity” AU belongs to @doodledrawsthings​ !

Happy reading !

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Chapter 13 - “What’s ‘Corgi Quest’?”

With Cooking Cat to help him to stay stable in the hallway, going back to the spaceship hub was easier. Snatcher didn’t like being reminded of how weak he looked at the moment, but he had managed to push his pride aside, if only for a brief moment. The cat was nice and considerate enough to make no comments about it, which was more than welcome for the former spirit.

It didn’t take them long to leave the first hallway and to cross the machine room. When they reached the second and last hallway before reaching the hub, voices could be heard from the other side of the door, informing them that the little girls were there. Suddenly, Snatcher felt his heart sunk in his chest. God, why was he reacting this way! There was literally nothing to be afraid of! It wasn’t the first time he had angered the brats and it certainly wouldn’t be the la-

Wait. Why was he even worried about that anyway? He was the powerful ghost of Subcon Forest! He had killed so many people and now he was worried about little children being mad at him? Oh please, what a joke. He rolled his eyes at himself, Gods, he was so stupid.

A little pat on his hand cut his thoughts short, catching his attention. Just like before, Cooking Cat was patting him, trying to reassure him, to comfort him. Ugh.

-“It’ll be okay,” she assured with a smile: “I’m sure they forgave you already.”

The former spirit glanced away, both irritated and embarrassed, because heck, he hated being this easy to read. How was she even able to do that? Well, it didn’t matter. What mattered was that it was annoying and that it made Snatcher think about things he’d rather ignore. He let out a long and exhausted sigh, turning to the cat with a scowl on his face:

-“Oh please, I don’t care what they think. They might as well be sulking, it changes absolutely nothing for me,” he groaned, more than exasperated: “All I care about is to be dead again. That’s all.”

The other only nodded her head as an answer. She probably knew it was best not to argue with him on that topic, considering how sensitive it was for the moment. Whatever wanted to say at his words, she kept it for herself, staying silent and motionless instead. She was waiting for him to approach the door for it to open, not rushing him.

Gods. He was so ridiculous.

The former ghost took a deep breath and, ignoring how much his legs felt like cotton, took a few steps towards the door. As soon as it opened, the mechanical sound echoing all around, it was like a weight settled on his stomach, twisting his guts as soon as his eyes spotted the two little girls. They had changed and were now wearing coloured pyjamas, still wearing their signature headgear, weirdly enough. They were sitting in front of the television, watching, no, doing something with it? He wasn’t sure what, he was not very informed regarding new technologies, considering he lived in the same forest for centuries. They were holding weird things in their hands, black devices with coloured buttons on it. Whatever they were doing, they were also bumping each other with their shoulders, loud high-pitched giggles resonating in the room. However, when they heard the door, they both turned around in his direction.

-“Oh, you’re back,” started the hatted brat, her voice almost passive aggressive. Yep, she was mad, just like he had thought. She seemed to make an effort as her younger friend “discretly” nudged her in the back, instructing her to be nice: “You feeling better?” she asked with a more neutral tone.

Did he feel better? He supposed he did, though it was hard to say. His mind was like a cacophony of thoughts, all very, very different from one another. Some part of him did feel better, it was true, while his pride was screaming at how sappy and mushy the whole situation was. It was most likely this part of himself that snapped earlier, or had at least contributed to his meltdown. It really was strange and uncomfortable to say the least.

-“Yeah,” he replied, still with a grumpy expression on his face: “guess so.”

He had been tempted to go with his usual approach, putting a show with the loud persona he had fabricated through the centuries. After all, it had almost completely fused with his, well, original personality, having been kept in a cold cellar for days changing him greatly, just like the after-life did. He was not the nice and compassionate Prince anymore. He was The Snatcher, a powerful soul-stealing ghost that had no remorse over killing people for his own survival and, by now, even for fun. And yet… And yet, sometimes, putting on the mask that had become such a second nature to him became… Difficult. Unnatural.

Right now was one of those times.

For a brief instant, he thought he saw a remorseful look on the hat-wearing child’s expression, though it quickly died down as he glanced away. She looked like she wanted to forgive him, but it was a bit too early for her to completely do so. At least, that’s what Snatcher thought it meant, it wasn’t like he was some kind of social behaviour specialist. If anything, law was his forte, but this? He was just guessing at this point.

His thoughts were cut short as the bow-wearing kid joined the conversation, lifting a plate of grilled cheese sandwich that had been on the ground until now. She was smiling at him, yet it was easy to see she was somewhat trying to hide her unease behind a warm expression:

-“We saved some for you,” she informed him with a gentle voice before cringing a bit as she glanced down at the food: “… Well, it’s cold now, but we can always reheat it later when you want!”

Snatcher frowned, feeling something akin to guilt rise in his chest. It felt wrong, so, so wrong, and he couldn’t help but grit his teeth. He normally didn’t care about being the bad guy, about being unfair or mean, or, well, murderous. Yet, there was something in this very specific situation that gave him an awful feeling of shame, one he really wished he could ignore.

What was happening to him?

-“Yeah, fine,” he simply replied, embarrassment unfortunately clearly audible in his voice as he walked closer, not comfortable enough to say the magic word just yet. It just got stuck in his throat. Thankfully, the kids didn’t mention it. Just as he was about to ask what they were doing with the television and what they were holding in their hands, Cooking Cat’s voiced echoed just behind them:

-“Well,” she started, straightening her chef’s hat with her usual smile: “it’s getting late, I think it’s time for me to go home. I had a lot of fun today, thank you for inviting me!” she said to the kids before turning to him: “I hope you’ll teach me how to tell scary stories soon! But, on a more serious note, I really hope your wish to be a ghost again will come true. I can’t imagine how hard it must be to experience being alive after so much time as a spirit.”

Snatcher glanced away:

-“It’s… Not so great, yeah,” he confirmed with a frown.

Her smile disappeared for a bit, quickly replaced by a serious and compassionate expression:

-“Don’t push yourself too hard,” she advised with a caring tone: “Do what you can and if that doesn’t work out, it’s okay. You’ve been human for a day or two, barely, and I can only guess how much it is to take in. Try being nicer to yourself, it’s fine to fail sometimes.”

The former ghost scoffed at how corny this all was. Oh sure, what a great idea to rest and relax while his crazy ex could wreck havoc in his forest, freezing everything and everyone again! Of course, he’d have the right to, since he could “be nicer to himself” and that it was “fine to fail sometimes”! And if he came back to see the whole forest being covered in ice again, well, “whoopsie daisy!”, right?!

What a joke.

Cooking Cat could obviously tell that Snatcher wasn’t taking her words well, but knew better than to insist. She looked away, a bit embarrassed, though she tried to smile again. She turned to the children, who had watched the scene, silently:

-“Can you teleport me down there?” she gestured to the floor, or what was under it. The planet.

-“Yeah, of course,” replied the hatted girl, moving to the control panel, before waving at her: “See you soon, Cookie!”

The younger kid soon imitated her:

-“See you, take care!”

The cat looked happier from the kids’ kind words and waved back at them. Her eyes then glanced to the former spirit, smiling back at him:

-“Goodbye, Snatcher. I hope I’ll see you soon as well, in your true form this time,”

Snatcher only nodded in response, feeling all the stares being fixed on him once more. He liked attention, sure… But not like this. This one was oppressive, stressful and… In this meat sack of a body, he didn’t feel completely safe. However, Cooking Cat seemed satisfied with his answer, and nodded to the hat-wearing little girl, telling her she was ready for teleportation. Honestly, the man couldn’t help but be impressed at her calm face: his own experience through scientific teleportation was… Not a good one. He had always been fine teleporting magically, but this? This could be labelled as a vomit-inducing machine and he wouldn’t even be surprised.

The cat disappeared in a blink, a blue light quickly engulfing her for a second before it was gone, leaving no trace from her, as if she had never come onto the ship.

Silence fell in the room as the trio was left alone once more. The atmosphere was tense, almost palpable, no one knowing what to say after everything that had happened in only one single day. After all, it was a lot, it made sense that tensions started to appear after a while. Well, perhaps they mostly appeared because of him, but it didn’t matter.

Eventually, after a while, the bow-wearing kid gestured to the television with an awkward smile:

-“Wanna keep on playing Corgi Quest?” she offered, winking at the hatted brat, once more very “discreetly”. But it seemed to work as the other sighed yet shrugged nonetheless, visibly exhausted from the events of the day:

-“Yeah, fine, sounds good to me.”

Snatcher watched them walk to the television and sit on the nearby coloured pillows. Confusion was plastered on his face as he wondered what they could be talking about. ‘Corgi Quest’? What was that? Was it what they were doing before he and Cooking Cat entered the room? Was this a “TV thing” he wasn’t aware about? That could very well be the case, seeing as he only knew what a television was from what he learnt with his ex-contractors.

So, not a lot, considering they didn’t live long enough to explain what it was in further details. Not like he had thought he would need it someday, though…

-“What’s ‘Corgi Quest’?” he questioned, voicing his confusion, glancing at the kids then the television repeatedly, trying to understand.

-“Our favourite video game,” answered the hatted child, picking up one of the device from earlier -what was it?-, pushing some of the buttons and… Controlling what was happening on the screen? What? His brow furrowed even more: how did that work?

-“It sounds pretty simple, but Corgi Quest actually has a deep storyline!” added the younger child, her eyes full of stars: “It’s also very cute, and there’s even a multiplayer mode! Much better than in the last game, Corgi Quest 6. Oh yeah, we’re playing the 7th one, but you don’t need to have played the oth-”

-“Woah, woah, kiddo, stop,” interrupted Snatcher by lifting his hands in the air, already feeling a headache coming up just from hearing about all this stuff he couldn’t understand. What were they even talking about? He took a deep breath and pinched his nose, stopping soon afterwards. Wait, he never did that before, was it because he had a nose now?

-“First, I don’t care about all of that,” he established, though it was a lie: he was curious, at least on the way this was working: “Second, what the heck is a video game?”

This was a simple question, really, one he thought was basic and pretty common… And yet, as soon as the words left his mouth, the two children gasped as if he had insulted their parents in the worst possible ways. Wait, did he ever do that? He didn’t remember. Still, they were staring at him with wide eyes, clearly not believing a single word he had just said. Was it that obvious? If it was, why didn’t he hear about that from his victi- oh wait, right, he usually killed them before they got the chance to talk. Not that he wanted to, life outside of his forest didn’t interest him usually. And it wasn’t like talking with his “brain-dead servants” were entertaining, hearing them scream in pain was though.

His thoughts were cut short as the little girls exclaimed at the same time:

-“You don’t know what a video game is?!”

Snatcher shook his head, warier and warier as seconds passed. This was getting extremely suspicious and he wasn’t sure he wanted to know anymore, given the reactions he got just from not knowing whatever that thing was. In any case, apparently, said thing was pretty famous or at least common now.

The two kids shared a knowing and decided look, as if they telepathically agreed on something.

All of a sudden, Snatcher felt like he should have kept his mouth shut. But he didn’t have the time to think more, as the bow-wearing little girl moved behind him and pushed him more towards the television, while the older kid placed more pillows on the floor for him to sit on.

-“Wait, wait, what-” The former ghost tried to protest, but was interrupted as the brats forced him to sit down, his opinion clearly ignored from now on. Soon, one of the strange-looking device was placed in his hands, and he turned his head to the kids, even more perplexed than before.

-“Okay, so you definitely failed in life just not knowing what a video game was,” informed the hat-wearing child, an exaggerated look of disappointment in her eyes: “Allow us to educate you on that topic.”

-“Trust us,” added the younger one, placing her hand on her chest as if what she was saying was extremely important -when it wasn’t-: “We’re specialists.”

Snatcher’s confusion was now reaching new heights. He had no idea what they were talking about, and he was so bewildered by what was happening that, despite his wish to protest, his voice got stuck in his throat. His brain was trying so very hard to understand what was happening, but soon, the brats sat next to him… And started to explain things and concepts he had no idea existed before.

How did this even happen…? Whatever the answer was… Snatcher knew he was stuck with them until he learnt what those ‘video game’ things were.

This was it. Snatcher was cursed, and he had the feeling this was not going to end soon.

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Well, everything goes well ! Isn't that wonderful ? Truly, it would be such a SHAME if SOMEONE were to ruin that................. Not that it's going to happen or anything !! ... Unless...?

:)c

Anyway, thank you all for your comments, they mean so much to me !

=> Chapter 14

[siconetribal]

Forevermore (Part 2)

Pairing: Jumin Han/Maya (I named the MC for ease of writing, you can change the name in your head since it is just MC)

Warning: Fluff, Angst 

Requested by: @bat-yo-us​ - Thank you so much for the request, this is a bit of a slow start but I do hope you enjoy the development.

Maya stopped in front of the small flat she had rented out, smiling at the humble abode. Though her family had lived for so long, they never amassed too much money. They stuck to keeping a very low profile to avoid anyone realizing they were the same people that never aged for years. It was clear that if word had gotten out about their gift, she would probably be locked up in some lab or hospital for all sorts of testing. The mere thought of being nothing but an experiment sent shivers down her spine as she curled the brim of her hat around her face.

Ok, enough about that! She shook her head and clapped her cheeks. “You’re here for a purpose! Keep positive and focus. No one knows you here.” She reminded herself aloud before grabbing the handle of her small wheeled carry-on and adjusting the strap of her duffle bag that hung off her shoulder. “Oh, what was my apartment again?” She hummed, fishing for her phone through her purse when someone ran by and snatched her purse. She stood there for a quick moment, blinking at the fact her purse was missing when she snapped her head in the direction of the thief. “Hey!” She shouted angrily and was about to run after him when a hand pulled back on her shoulder.

“Allow me,” a male voice spoke up from behind. She watched as a man with long white hair vaulted after the snatcher and caught him in no time. Pinning the man to the ground, she quickly grabbed her bags and rushed over. “Is this your purse?” He smiled, handing her bag over. “Please check to make sure everything is safe inside.” Maya could only mutely nod at the handsome hero, quickly rummaging through and was relieved to see nothing had been lost.

“Everything is inside, thank you so much.” She bowed to her savior who only smiled and winked at her. She was surprised to see two ruby red eyes that contrasted his snow white hair. It all certainly looks real, he’s very handsome too! I at least have some luck so far. To think I almost got run over by a car today and lost my earring! She sighed, adjusting the sunhat on her head that had tilted from her running over. She fiddled with the simple lantern shaped pendant around her neck in one hand as her other touched the unusually lighter ear. Her heart sank for losing something so important to her after so many years.

“Nonsense, how could I leave such a beautiful lady like you to chase after a scoundrel. Just bear with me a moment please, I have to call the authorities.” He gave a troubled smile to which Maya quickly shook her head, snapping her out of the guilt that threatened to overtake her.

“No, no, I can wait. I’m not really doing anything. I just moved to the area...quite a welcoming huh?” She laughed off, brushing some of her brown locks behind her ear. She suddenly felt so ordinary in comparison to this man, but she liked that. It was a different sort of feeling she never felt before.

“You just moved in? Oh, you’re the new tenant to the building? Are you living alone? I’m sorry you had to deal with this first thing, this town really isn’t that bad. A few pickpockets, but you’ve already witnessed that.” He frowned and gave an apologetic bow.

“Yes, that building we met at is my new home for now. You live there?” She asked curiously, carefully moving aside as two officers came and she gave a quick overview of the situation. She noticed one of them seemed overly attentive to her mysterious hero who she soon found out was called ‘Zen’ and was able to piece together that he was some sort of actor from talks of his last work and scenes.

“Ah, so embarrassing. Sorry about that! Where were we? Right, yes, I live in the same building. I’m in the bottom floor actually, and oh my name is Zen. May I know the name bestowed on such a beauty as you?” He sauvely took her hand as he stepped closer. Maya was unfazed by the gesture, used to this old fashioned courtship and took it with a grain of salt.

“My name is Maya, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance of honorable knight Zen..” She stepped back and gave a proper bow, she suppressed a giggle as he gaped a little at her before laughing and bowing to her as well.

“Tis but my duty dear maiden Maya!” He chuckled but then grabbed her bag. “Allow me to help you inside and make sure you don’t have anymore run ins with trouble.” On the way to the building, they spoke about his work and she noted that many girls had stopped to stare at him. She observed him silently, noting he had quite defined features but it meant nothing to her. He was quick to praise his looks, which was surprising to her but she found the odd trait cute so she let it be.

“That would be great, thank you.” She hugged her bag close this time as they headed back. Zen gave her a mini tour of the place while on the way, telling her about local spots for food and quick bites and how to work certain finicky areas of the building like some of the laundry machines. She was a quick study so she took in all the details and tricks given to her. When he was done and her things were set to the side in her small place, smiled a little at the excitement that bubbled inside her.

I’m on my own...I’m actually here and I’m one step closer to him. She turned to Zen who was silently waiting at the door. “Oh, please come si-well, I don’t really have much to sit on.” She laughed nervously, scratching her head. Zen quickly shook his head and smiled at her words.

“It’s the sentiment right?” He assured her. “Thank you though, are you waiting on furniture to be sent over? Do you need help setting it up?”

“Oh, no I’m fine.” She quickly shook her head. “You’ve done more than enough already, I don’t want to intrude any further than I have. Is there anyway I can pay you back for helping me so much?”

“It was my pleasure to helps such a beauty.” He winked at her, noting her staring at him again. “Have my devilish good looks gotten you smitten?” He smugly grinned, tilting his head to the side as if to show off a good side. She nervously laughed at this sudden shift back to his looks. This had to have been about the fifth time if she correctly counted, which she had a feeling she was. “Please don’t get too smitten, my work is my mistress.” He sighed with dramatic gestures, she tried her best not to laugh.

“You certainly are handsome as well as gallant, but you’re not my type. I’m also happily taken, thank you though. I”m sure you’ll make a special young lady very happy someday.” She smiled, Zen stunned that she was so calm and blunt with him. It was refreshing to him.

“Of course someone as beautiful as you would be,” he smiled at her. “Though the thought of having lost you before having a proper chance pains me, I wish you and your lucky man the best.”

“Thank you, I hope you find the woman perfect for you. That aside though, I insist on re-paying you in some way for everything you’ve done.” She firmly placed her hands on her hips as she looked up at him. She was not about to back down and Zen could tell.

“Mmm, well I only did it because it was the right thing to do.” He crossed his arms and hunched a little as he mulled over some options. Maya happily awaited, not pressuring him at all. “Ah, how about you and I have lunch some time?” She raised a brow at this. “Not as a date! Well, no, not that sort of date anyway! A date between neighbors or sorts.”

“As friends?” She smiled at this and he nodded his head. “Then as friends it is. When are you free?”

“Well I know this is pretty sudden, but I am free now. I don’t have rehearsals until this evening. If you’re not busy, shall we? That is, if you haven’t eaten as well!” He quickly added.

“That sounds perfectly fine to me and I’m actually quite famished myself. The travel was a lot longer than I thought and I’ve had enough excitement so far.” She laughed, placing a hand on her stomach. Grinning, Zen held the door open for her and the two were off as soon as she locked the door.

Jumin had been busy with paperwork as soon as he returned to the office and for once he was happy with it. The thought of something happening to his love left him a torn up mess inside. The dark emotions of despair and anger swirled and swelled in him, making home in every corner of his heart to the point he actually started to feel physical pain. subconsciously rubbing his chest for the umpteenth time, he read the document at hand but none of it seemed to stick.

Jaehee had been watching silently, waiting for him to review and hand the document back. It was a quick task, but she had noticed he had been behaving strange since they had gotten back in the car a few hours back. She found herself actually curious about what could possibly have the heir so odd.

It’s probably has to do with his cat. I hope he won’t just up and leave work or something. Wouldn’t he have left by now though? Did Luciel play some sort of joke? No, he wouldn’t be so thrown by that. It’s too normal of an occurrence. She wracked her brain for possible plausible solutions but nothing seemed to strike her as fitting for such behavior. I guess I will have to ask...but what if he uses it as an excuse? He’s been so diligent at work today too...what’s gotten into him suddenly? She frowned, not wanting to have more work piled on because her boss was out of sorts. “Director Han, is there something wrong with that page?” She finally spoke up.

“Hm?” He looked up at her, a little surprised by her presence it seemed to her. That was another off thing. “No, nothing in particular. Why do you ask?” He answered simply as he turned back to the paper.

“Well, you’ve been staring at the same page for over fifteen minutes now.” She glanced at her watch to make sure she was right. “Yes, just over fifteen minutes now. You’ve also been rubbing your chest frequently in that time span. I have counted almost seven times already, are you feeling any sort of discomfort? Was the food from lunch not to your liking?”

“No, the food was fine.” He shook his head, dropping his hand from over his heart. “I am fine Assistant Kang, you need not worry.” You need to get a grip Jumin. You have no idea if she is hurt or not. She is probably at home tending to the temple. Yes, that’s most likely it. It’s the most logical, she always waits to assure we always we meet. He assured himself as he straightened his already straight posture and returned his attention to the paper in hand.

Pleased that he was focused again, she smiled to herself as she looked at her watch. She may just get out at a normal time tonight. She already had a lovely evening planned in her head that consisted of a dinner of leftovers, wine, and her favorite Zen DVDs.

Yes, that is the perfect night that I deserve for working so hard all the time! She felt the tension already melt away when there was a ping on both their phones. She quickly grabbed her phone, it obvious it was a message in the RFA since they both had gotten one. “Oh, it’s from Zen.” She informed him, opening the app to see that it was a picture of him with a lovely young woman. “He’s having dinner with a fan. He’s so kind, such an excellent and dedicated role model!” She praised, typing just that. Huh, she looks a bit familiar...then again she’s probably on his fansite.

“He really has nothing better to do than hang out with fans? Then again, she may just like him for his looks. It’s not uncommon for women to be so fickle.” Jumin said, recalling the countless women in his and his father’s life that had proven this to be a hard truth. In every life too. He clicked his tongue as he pulled out his pen and started to pick up the errors he had not marked in his daze. Jaehee sighed as he marked the paper, it was not much but still she rather just head home.

“Well, she is quite lovely.” Jaehee simply said, looking back at the photo. Something about the woman just struck her as familiar. It was not until she saw the simple but elegant necklace on her neck that she quickly fished out an earring from her pocket. “This is the woman who was in front of the car today!” She suddenly exclaimed, catching Jumin’s attention. Frowning, he picked up his phone to check. Normally he would have just let it be, but he needed to know who she was.

No, I just want to make sure it isn’t her. He thought, unlocking his phone only to be greeted by the one face he yearned for most. He knew those beautiful honey eyes anywhere. She had her silky brown hair tied in a braid, her go to style for when on the go. He smiled at how her bangs perfectly framed her face. She looks healthy, that’s good. His heart throbbed at the sight and now all he wanted was to run to her. I don’t know where she is though. He frowned. “Assistant Kang, you said we have her earring yes?”

“Ah, yes.” Jaehee was surprised by his sudden interest.

“Please give it to me and schedule a meeting with her for me. I wish to return it to her and make sure she is alright. That will be all. You can finish this document tomorrow, submit it before lunch. I am extremely tired today it seems...I will be heading home tonight.” He said, stopping any possibility for her to question him as he stood and extended his hand for the earring. He looked at the small weight that fell into his palm. The jade of the lantern faces glistened with gold borders, a small and short red tassel hanging from the bottom. The corner of his lips quirked up into a little smile that was gone as soon as it came. “I expect to know progress on the meeting as soon as you get word of any information. Zen will certainly tell you over me.” He said simply, placing the earring in breast pocket.

“Yes sir,” she bowed to him and was out as soon as she was dismissed and the two of them head their separate ways as Jaehee contacted Zen to try and get the mystery girl’s information.