#Project: Daylight Shooting Star

[redd956]

Angst Prompts Based Off of the Last 10 Video Games I've Played

"Leave me!" Character A pushed Character B towards the path of freedom, drawing themselves backwards into certain danger. "You have to go now. Let me play distraction- I'm already injured." - Dead By Daylight

Character A threw themselves against the door, slamming it shut behind them. They collapsed into a curled ball at the base of the door, soon burying their face into their hands, trying to smother out the building sob. How could they fail to safe Character B? - Rainbow Six Siege

Space, nothingness, and a barrage of endless stars. This was Character's new life. They were surrounded by an abyss of outerspace, slowly watching their oxygen tank deplete. They had a whole lot to think about. A whole new world of drifting about aimlessly until the end of days. - No Man's Sky

The motherly creature didn't hesitate to pry the child from the sludge of war, brushing at the built up dirt on their face. The child buried their face into the creature's form. They begun to beg that the creature must also save the soldier. - Sky: Children of the Light

"I'm sorry." The voice seemed innocently sad, "I don't remember you." - Reverse 1999

The exhausted figure crawled into the safe haven, drawing a splotchy trail of blood. They rolled over onto to their back. All the air escaped their lungs as the extent of their wounds ran out of adrenaline. They didn't know the place they ended up. They just knew it was safe. It didn't matter whether or not it was even empty, and it wasn't. They realized that as a shadow casted over them. - Project Zomboid

"Hero- You're fired. No ifs, ands, or buts. Get out of my sight." - Have A Nice Death

"You might think I'm crazy, but I swear to god there's someone after me. I can't shake the feeling of being watched. What if... What if it's them again?" - Muse Dash

"You have to do." Character A hissed through gritted teeth, unveiling their bloodied bite from their upper arm. They continued, "You have to shoot me Character B."

"But what if I can find a cure?"

"You have better luck finding a helicopter." - State of Decay 2

Character A promised Character B that once they remove their blindfold they could finally see again. - Cult of the Lamb

[this-daydream-is-dangerous-13]

Daylight MV by Harry Styles - why was it not the unreleased Two Ghosts MV 2.0? A timeline.

This video, released on July 19, 2023, is jam packed with Blondie and Haylor references. I think it was almost the sister project to the never released Two Ghosts MV…until it wasn’t. And I have an idea as to why.

Don’t believe me that it’s Haylor AF? Go read this amazing summary by @womanexile at whose request I am writing this timeline.

As we know, Harry was filming the video on and around May 10 and 11, 2022, based in articles and pap/drone photos from the time, like this Daily Mail article:

Let’s review the timeline:

April 22, 2022 - Harry performs at Coachella weekend 2 in Indio, CA.

April 26, 2022 - OW is onstage at CinemaCon in Las Vegas when she is served custody papers. H is not there.

But where is H? According to the article - circus training!

Late April/early May - Harry starts training in Kent, England with family-owned Sanctus Circus.

From the article:

“A source told [the publication]: Harry has spent weeks being taught circus skills for this video — he wanted it to be a real spectacle.

'It is probably his most expensive video yet because as well as all the rehearsals, it was a huge set with loads of extras and really extravagant costumes'.

The source revealed to the publication that the singer pushed himself to the limit in order to perform the stunts. Adding: 'It's been a real undertaking and the finished product will prove why he's one of the biggest pop stars in the world.' “

So late April - May 11 - circus stuff. Which is part time and on-and-off, I imagine. Then filming. And this was an UNDERTAKING that would have required a lot of planning.

He even arranged to have live animals, as outlined here in an article with the horse and parrot handlers:

Some take aways:

- he was supposed to the riding *the WHITE horse*. And when that didn’t work, he ensured the white horse remained in the shot.

- they only had a short time to teach him with the animals, but he listened and did exactly what they said.

- the legendary Styles charm extends to grumpy parrots named Poppleguy. “He's a little bit picky and he went straight on Harry Styles' shoulder, the sign of a good vibe," [his owner] said.”

Who can resist this man?!

But he HAS to know that he’ll get questions about the song title, since it shares a name with a song by Blondie. And he gets photographed making this video - articles about it start appearing May 12, 2022.

So what does he do next? Creates a smoke screen! Good thing two of his best friends—Ben Winston and James Corden—run a late night show known for outrageous bits with musicians. And he has a long history of doing crazy things with them, so no one will bat an eye.

He heads off to NYC for Harry’s House promo and ONO, but first — he has a DUPLICATE video to shoot.

And it’s hilarious, watching him shock and delight a quartet of Brooklyn residents and their friends:

And look at the clapperboard to date it:

Bottom right - MAY 17/22.

The next morning, May 18, he is on air with Howard Stern who immediately brings up Blondie (look at H’s usual TS grin!!). And watch him evade:

“You’re reading too much into it…I know you’d like me to tell you ‘you’re spot on’ but…yeah, you’re not.”

But you know who thinks Howard actually is Spot On? Harry’s Mom!!

The Late Late Daylight video airs on May 26/27, 2022 (depending on your time zone). And here is Anne’s IG story when she watches it:

And then - Harry keeps the circus video in his pocket. For FIFTEEN MONTHS. And makes and releases other videos.

There’s background speculation that the still images captured (Birdrry) might be for a Daydreaming or Grapejuice or other video, despite the bird. After all - we already have a Daylight MV!

And then, on July 18th, 2023 at his penultimate HSLOT concert in Lisbon, Harry has the bird image shown on the screen as he finishes singing Daylight.

After the concert, we learn that the video will drop in July 19th at 5pm UK, 12 pm Eastern.

And while the As It Was video promo stated: “It’s just us”, this one proclaims “It’s just a video, just for you.”

Which naturally leads us to this parallel:

And it is followed by the 10-minute 2nd encore piano ballad at the final HSLOT concert on July 22, introduced in Italian by saying “I wrote this for you, just for tonight.”

**My theory - its release is another in a long line of grand gestures designed to remind and assure Blondie of his ongoing, perpetual love and devotion.**

[forevrus-in-love]

What Are Some Valentine's Day Date Night Ideas?

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and what better way to celebrate your love than with a night to remember? Let's dive into some easy-to-follow late-night Valentine's Day date ideas that promise to spark your celebration.

1. Romantic Dinner at Home

Setting the Atmosphere

Soft lights, candles flickering, and your favorite love songs playing in the background. Creating a cozy atmosphere is the first step to a perfect late-night Valentine's Day. Illuminate your space with a gentle glow, and don't forget to add a touch of magic with those flickering candles.

Cooking Together

Turn your kitchen into a shared adventure. Pick a recipe that speaks to both of you and let the culinary journey begin. It's not just about the food; it's about the laughter, the teamwork, and the joy of creating something delicious together.

Indoor or Outdoor Picnic

Who says picnics are only for daylight hours? Lay out a comfy blanket indoors or venture outside for a moonlit dinner. Pack your partner's favorite snacks, and under the stars, enjoy a romantic evening that feels simple and extraordinary.

2. Outdoor Adventure

Stargazing

Escape the city hustle and bustle for a quiet spot where the stars take center stage. Lay back, hold hands, and let the night sky be the backdrop to your intimate conversations. See if you can spot constellations and, who knows, maybe catch a glimpse of a shooting star.

Sunset Hike or Walk

For a mix of romance and adventure, explore a scenic trail or park as the sun dips below the horizon. Pack a small picnic to savor during your journey, turning your late afternoon into an enchanting experience.

Hot Air Balloon Ride

Take your love to new heights with a hot air balloon ride. Feel the thrill of floating in the sky, surrounded by breathtaking views. Share a toast mid-air, making this Valentine's Day an unforgettable high point in your relationship.

Also read more Valentine’s day date ideas 

3. Creative Activities

Paint and Sip Night

Discover your inner artist with a paint-and-sip night at home. Create a painting station, follow a tutorial, or let your creativity run wild. Sip on your favorite beverages, and revel in the joy of crafting a masterpiece together.

DIY Craft Night

Unleash your creativity with a DIY night. Choose a project that interests you, whether personalized gifts or unique home decor. Crafting together isn't just about the result; it's about the journey and the shared memories you create along the way.

Couples' Massage Night

Transform your living space into a serene spa for a night of relaxation. Take turns giving each other massages, using scented oils and soothing music to enhance the experience. It's a simple yet intimate activity that fosters a deeper connection.

4. Movie Marathon

Personalized Film Selection

Craft a movie lineup that holds sentimental value for both of you. Whether revisiting old favorites or discovering new ones, a personalized film selection adds a personal touch to your late-night movie marathon.

Snack Buffet

Elevate your movie night with a variety of snacks and treats. From classic popcorn to homemade goodies, create a snack buffet to indulge in while immersing yourselves in the movie marathon. Set up a cozy movie-watching space with blankets and pillows for added comfort.

Share Thoughts and Memories

Between movies, take a moment to discuss favorite scenes or reminisce about shared memories related to the films. These reflections deepen your connection, making the movie marathon more than just a passive activity.

Conclusion

As Valentine's Day approaches, consider these late night date ideas to create an extraordinary celebration of love. Whether you choose a romantic dinner, an outdoor adventure, creative activities, or a movie marathon, the key is to focus on quality time and shared experiences. Make this Valentine's Day unforgettable by embracing the simplicity and beauty of creating lasting memories with your significant other. 

[2singedthoughts]

the gods cry because they cannot strike me down / and the rain washes away / ashes of the ghost of me

Hello hello and Welcome to my page!

I've been lingering on tumblr for a while and just never got around to really posting or reblogging anything, as most of the time I'm alright to just lurk and enjoy things quietly.

That said, I've been getting more into posting fanart and whatnot recently, so I thought I'd make a blog! Not just to post art but to yap about my favorite fandoms and find people with similar interests, too. I'll hunt down that content - and if there is none, I'll make it myself!

Feel free to leave asks or anything, and enjoy your stay here. <3

Get To Know Me!

An individual of many nicknames! My name is Phoenix, aka SingedHazards. Phoenix, Singed, Hazard, or any variation of the sorts is fine by me!

I am 18! My birthday is May 4th. :<) (Despite the birthday, I am actually not a star wars fan.)

My favorite number is 2! hence the user. 2singedthoughts.

I don't care much about pronouns either way, but I prefer it/its or they/them.

I am LGBTQ+! Polyam and Ace <3

I like talking about my interests, and hearing about others'! My favorite color is brown. I'm an animal lover and an artist. You can probably tell from the whole aesthetic so far that I like fire. I like space, too, and storms, and flowers and birds and nature. I enjoy seeing the magic in things.

I have no idea what I'm doing most of the time! There's nothing I particularly dislike, other than math. I never have any idea what I'm doing when it comes to math.

Where to find me?

You can shoot me a message if you're interested in talking on discord! It's really the only social media I'm super active on.

Other than that I have a Twitter where sometimes, once in a blue moon, I post some art. https://x.com/2DesignHazards

Fandoms?

Yessir, I have my share of those! I'll try to keep the list small lmfao.

-Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss

-MCRP or other such Minecraft content. (FavreMySabre is my most notable fixation; TSSO, TSS, SL, RQ, TR and AR) (Calvin's From The Fog S1 and S2) (I do enjoy some good MC Horror. I've been into the ARGs lately.) (UHC Generations!) (HermitCraft! Grian and Mumbo on HC mostly, but I've been following Gem, Scar, Doc and Tango as well.) (I watch Hardcore YTers every now and again, whatever video happens to catch my attention on the recommended page)

-Dead By Daylight, Phasmo, Project Zomboid and Lethal Company are some of my more commonly played games. (I don't have specific content creators for these, if I watch anything I just click on whatever looks the most entertaining.)

-Roblox player! Flee The Facility, Abyss World and Spray Paint are my go-tos. (I don't watch Roblox content a lot, but when I do it's usually Flamingo or Remainings. Sometimes Rogurt and ratskewer)

-Some miscellaneous creators I enjoy as well; IGP, Insym, Matt Rose, AstralSpiff, LetsGameItOut, ManlyBadassHero and Fooster!

You may notice I'm a horror enjoyer lmaoo. Anything with some good chaos in it will immediately pique my interest. There's more than that too, so really just hit me up. If I don't know the creator or game, I love discovering new things anyway! :<)

Miscellaneous Information

I'm not like, a professional at making intro pages or anything so for now this is all I have to say. I'll probably come back and edit and add more or remove some stuff later as I see fit, but this is a good start!

Like I said in the beginning, feel free to send asks,

and I hope you've enjoyed the stay. :<)

[splicedskies]

What was your muse doing when Team Galactic attacked the lakes?

Lake Valor... During this time is about when Altra's Mother was planning their move to Unova when the news report came over the radio.

With Team Galactic's activity growing, she knew they had limited time before their presence would eventually find it's way toward Mount Coronet. She knew this put her at a strong risk of being found out by Team Galactic, especially the few, the commanders and Cyrus, who were well aware of their little 'rogue project' under her care.

While she'd been able to hide under a new identity, she knew with Team Galactic finally putting plans into motion, that the writing was on the wall.

----

Altra, at this exact moment in time, however. He was actually ON Mount Coronet. He'd been with his Pokémon, in which by this time he had all four, and was trying to learn how to properly 'train' them in preparation for their move. Considering he had no formal training, or schooling on the matter.

He was on one of the larger vantage points of the mountain, and had a good view of the following detonation. Rather.. the aftermath billowing cloud from it as well as watching a streak of blue light across the sky flee into the distance.

Luna had called it a 'shooting star', Desmond wondered what could have caused such an explosion, Albert was well into beating the living daylights out of a Zubat, and Sigmund was going on about 'making a wish' on the 'star'.

In which Altra did, and it was a simple one.

To reach Unova safely.

That never came to pass.

[chasepipes]

What Are Meteorites?

Every year, thousands of meteorites hit Earth. Scientists study them, as they reveal significant details about the solar system and its history.

Meteorites are small space rocks made up of numerous elements, including nickel and iron. They come about as a result of a complex process that begins with asteroid collisions.

Asteroids are large rocks left over during the formation of the solar system. They are airless and are mainly found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Regarding their size, they are typically smaller than planets but larger than most space rocks. Some are even large enough to have objects orbiting around them (satellites).

When two asteroids collide, pieces of rock break off from them and sail through the solar system. These pieces are called meteoroids. Meteoroids that make it into Earth’s atmosphere are called meteors. They penetrate the atmosphere at thousands of miles per hour, encountering so much pressure that they flare up and disintegrate. What many people call shooting stars are actually meteors burning up from the friction.

Scientists believe that thousands of meteors reach Earth every day. Sometimes, numerous meteors enter the atmosphere during a brief period, which is referred to as a meteor shower. These occur at around the same time every year as Earth orbits round the sun, passing through trails of debris left after asteroid collisions. Examples are the Perseids, which come around August, and the Eta Aquarids, which peak around May.

Most meteors disintegrate before hitting Earth’s surface. Few make landfall. Those that do are called meteorites. They vary in size and are typically about as big as a human fist. They resemble rocks, but often have a burned exterior. Sometimes they appear shiny, due to the crust that forms around them while speeding through Earth’s atmosphere.

Scientists have identified three kinds of meteorites: iron meteorites, stony meteorites, and stony-iron meteorites. Iron meteorites contain iron and nickel and small amounts of carbide and sulfide-based materials. Scientists believe they are the remains of asteroid cores destroyed in space collisions. They are very rare, making up about 5 percent of meteorites found.

Stony meteorites are far more common (about 93 percent of meteorites found). They comprise mostly silicate minerals.

Stony-iron meteorites, meanwhile, comprise iron and nickel as well as silicate minerals. They are extremely rare, comprising 2 percent of meteorites found. Scientists believe they are formed when asteroid metal cores mix with surrounding rocky elements.

Scientists can tell where a meteorite is from through various observations. They can look at how it fell, calculate its orbit, and then project backwards to the asteroid belt to determine its origin. They can also analyze its composition and match it to different classes of asteroids or planets.

It is difficult to find meteorites, as most meteors are masked by daylight and disintegrate in the atmosphere. Of the meteorites that do reach Earth, many land in the oceans and seas, while others crash into uninhabited areas like deserts.

NASA estimates that only about 50,000 meteorites have been found on Earth. Most of these are small meteorites, such as when an 8-pound stony meteorite crashed through the house of Ann Hodges in Sylacauga, Alabama, in November 1954. A more recent example was in May 2023 when a 6-inch meteorite, believed to be part of the Eta Aquarids, crashed into the home of Suzy Kop in Hopewell Township, New Jersey.

Large meteors do sometimes hit Earth. A prominent example is the Tunguska event in Siberia in 1908. A large meteor, believed to be about 120 feet wide, exploded just before hitting Earth. The explosion was so powerful it knocked trees over for hundreds of miles. More recently, in 2013, a meteor the size of a house exploded above the ground in Chelyabinsk, Russia, generating shock waves that shattered windows within a 200-square-mile area.

[sunchaserpictures]

SEQUOIA STREAMLIGHT from Gavin Heffernan on Vimeo.

This latest shoot focuses on heavenly Sequoia skies along the banks of the vital Kaweah River. In Spring, this would be a raging torrent but because of the low Fall water levels, I could step into the middle of the river and get some unique shots of the "streamlight," using moonlight to "paint" the foreground, giving the visuals a surreal daylight feeling in places. I also has some fun doing a few more psychedelic experiments with star trails and mirroring in the second half.

Also note: Some kind of creature walks through one of the shots and moves around through the river. Note how the big rock on the right of the screen gets covered with water at 1:10. You can see blurry glimpses of the beast moving around for the rest of the shot. Not sure what it is. Any guesses? :)

"Fed primarily by high elevation snowmelt along the Great Western Divide, the Kaweah begins as four forks in Sequoia National Park, where the watershed is noted for its alpine scenery and its dense concentrations of giant sequoias, the largest trees on Earth. It then flows in a southwest direction to Lake Kaweah – the only major reservoir on the river – and into the San Joaquin Valley, where it diverges into multiple channels across an alluvial plain around Visalia."

Shot and Edited by Gavin Heffernan (GavinBHeffernan.com) Music: Slow Light 1 (Ambient) by Moby. Courtesy: MobyGratis.com

Exposures were between 20-25 seconds. Shot on Canon 6D. Lenses Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L USM Wide Angle Lens and Rokinon 12mm f2.8.

This project was shot as part of SKYGLOW (skyglowproject.com), an ongoing quest to explore the effects and dangers of urban light pollution in contrast with some of the most incredible dark sky areas in North America. This project is being produced by Gavin Heffernan and Harun Mehmedinovic in collaboration with International Dark-Sky Association (darksky.org), a non-profit fighting for the preservation of night skies around the globe.

[absentcaryatid]

San's Drama

An ATEEZ fanfic by AbsentCaryatid

Part 3 in the ATEEZ Dreams Series

More important than obtaining his dream role, San finds love on set thanks to some help from his members.

1.5K words, Content note: all ages, gender neutral reader, no pronouns for reader, food mention

~

You were Yunho's co-star playing his love interest on the latest Spider-Man film. Even as careful as you had been about visiting his dorm, the press still got wind and had captured pictures of your arrival and exit, thankfully during daylight hours. While it was true you had developed a crush on a member of ATEEZ, it was not your current colleague. Truly you viewed Yunho in a sweet, brotherly role, and it was a good thing his partner knew that as well given the rumors. Instead, the whole team saw the way your eyes always found San, and the accompanying smile that would break out in his presence.

San was another actor you had worked with in the past. There had been a few scenes together in a drama early in your career when San was fresh off his work as Min Su in Imitation. You had come to like a lot of what you saw in the man who had made singing and dancing his primary career. Dating another actor then, you had soon broken it off after realizing they were not the best person for you. By the time you were disentangled, the drama filming was wrapped up and San out of your life. Not knowing if the interest was mutual, you had never worked up the courage to contact the kind and gentle man afterward. Life went on, but San remained on your mind, and to be truthful, in your heart as well.

It was with great excitement that you had snagged the plum role of MJ to Yunho's Spider-Man making the leap from television drama to cinema. ATEEZ provided a song for the soundtrack and made a cameo appearance in the movie. Although you adored their music, the delightful day shooting that scene was remembered more for your reunion with San than meeting the rest of the members for the first time.

On the lunch break Yunho had invited you to sit with his friends and you were given a warm welcome from the bunch. San's encouragement to take the place at his side made your heart skip a beat but being a good actor, you felt it was covered successfully. Once you knew the guys better, they admitted to observing from that very first day how into each other you two were as you laughed and shared bites from the catering spread.

Fortunately for your developing friendship, San had been the one to give you his number thanks to some encouragement from Wooyoung. When conversation over lunch had turned to upcoming projects you had mentioned wanting to get back to drama roles when the movie concluded.

San disclosed he was newly booked on a love story set in the Joseon era. “I am the second male lead, and they are still looking for my love interest. I can easily see you in the role.” The way his face flushed as he realized how forward that sounded only made him all the more adorable in your eyes. Moving on quickly San added, “IU will be in it as the female lead and you could play her friend. P.O said she was lovely to work with on Hotel Del Luna and Zico said the same of their collaboration on his 'SoulMate' video.”

Impressing the group with your own music knowledge, you dropped some trivia they were unaware of despite sharing a label with Zico in the past. “They worked together before too. Zico has known IU since they were young, and he even rapped on her song 'Marshmallow' before he debuted with Block B.”

Hongjoong looked thoughtful then asked, “So, you have an interest in the music industry?”

“Just a good memory. I watch a lot of Knowing Bros in my down time on set and learn a lot about idols that way.” Nodding to Yunho, you mentioned he had also become a great source of information about your favorite group. Looking directly at San you then commented, “He even answered my intrusive question about who among you was single.” Now it was your turn to feel your face heat as you heard Wooyoung cackle from down the table.  

“He told you I'm free, right?” Wooyoung then put up his hands after Seonghwa shook his head at him with a meaningful look. Chastened, Wooyoung updated, “Nope, I'm not available after all.”

Gathering courage, you mentioned you had been interested in the Joseon project until seeing horseback riding was expected of the leads. “That is not something I have experience in so unless they heavily wanted to swap in a stunt person, the role is not for me, as much as I would love to play your paramour, San.” Your regret was genuine. While filming a movie with Yunho had been fun, television dramas were where you felt at home and you wanted nothing more than to return to that medium playing San's lover.

Yeosang, the quietest of the men so far, helpfully reminded the group San had taught them the basics of riding for one of their music videos.

“That is right,” Mingi confirmed. “I was afraid of horses until San gently introduced us to the most docile horses at the stable where he had learned for one of his dramas.”  

With a softer heart than he tended to show outside ballad singing, even the sometimes stoic Jongho joined in the sales pitch for San's teaching skill to bring you two together. “We have a break coming up and I bet San could be persuaded to become a horseback riding instructor again.”

Before San could demur due to modesty, you immediately agreed lessons were worth a try to snag such a desirable role. “I'm not expecting you to do it, I can always hire....”

Interrupting your sentence, San eagerly offered his services. The joyful look on both your faces sealed the deal and within the week you had a morning date for your first introduction to the sport. Riding practice and a private lunch to follow on days you were not needed on the Spider-Man set became a habit fit in around San's time off. After multiple pleasant days together, he pronounced you ready to present yourself as a competent rider fit for the role in his drama.  

San claimed it was your high profile due to movie work that landed you the role, but you gave far more weight to San's lessons and the good word he apparently put in with the producers. If he felt he could convincingly play your boyfriend it would undoubtedly show on screen and time proved him right. By the time you and San had won the couple of the year award for your drama characters, you took the opportunity to make the public announcement of being partners in real life by that point. ATINY and your own fans took it well, with many being openly supportive of the pairing and your future together.

The reveal was not a complete surprise. For some time San had been hinting about a successful romantic relationship after reading so many comments about how happy he had looked recently. The observation was true. He had more energy these days, seemed calmer, and even had a glow about him, and San attributed these things to your doting presence in his life. There was also one more thing he had going for him. Using your contacts made through Spider-Man, you had returned the casting favor to San to make one more of his dreams come true.

You stepped out of the limousine after Yunho and his partner who were looking glamorous in evening wear for the world premiere of Yunho's Spider-Man. San emerged next and took your waist to escort you inside the theater. As good as Yunho looked dressed up, you only had eyes for San who looked like a movie star in his own right thanks to the wardrobe department and stylists at KQ Entertainment.  

While the credits rolled you heard appreciative murmurs for your acting and Yunho's while you both basked in a standing ovation. This was not the highlight of your night, however. That came next as the theater hushed once more for the final scene. In your role as MJ you were seen to answer the door and talk to a caped man with dark hair. “Peter isn't available right now, but you can come in and wait, Mister...?”

The camera cut to your back and the face of the actor appeared as San delivered the line. “It is Doctor, and I will come in, thank you.”

The words, “Coming next, the return of Doctor Strange” scrolled across the screen as a cheer went up in the audience. San's role in the upcoming movie had been kept a secret from all but the few people who filmed the teaser. In no time at all ATINY would be buzzing with the news of another member of ATEEZ taking on a popular movie character.

You looked at your boyfriend and he looked at you adoringly in return. Holding his hand, you included San in the final bows you and Yunho took. Tonight, San was your date and partner, but there was another secret still held by you two. By the time of his Doctor Strange premiere in the coming year, you would be attending as his beloved spouse, and you looked forward to that most of all.

~

On to part 4 in the ATEEZ Dreams series: Yeosang’s Crush

Masterlist

[rocorambles]

Shareholders

Pairing: Iwaizumi x reader mainly, with sides of Oikawa x reader, Hanamaki x reader, Matsukawa x reader

Genre/Warnings: Yandere, Toxic Relationships, Manipulation, Spanking, NSFW, Degradation, Non-Con/Dub-Con

Summary: Iwaizumi is the only one who has your heart, but you’re realizing that you should have read the fine print of the contract when you signed up to be his girlfriend. Maybe then you would have seen the names of the other three shareholders clearly written out. 

Requested by Anon 

If someone had asked you how you felt about love and the idea of soulmates when you first entered high school, you would have laughed in their face. You were growing up, becoming more jaded, becoming more knowledgeable about the world. You didn’t have time for silly romantic notions, not with school, extracurriculars, and cramming for the college entrance exam. But then you met a spiky haired boy with the most beautiful green eyes you’ve ever seen and suddenly, love didn’t seem so far fetched. 

It wasn’t love at first sight, far from it. At most it was slight interest as the two of you sat through the same classes and walked past each other in the halls of Aoba Johsai. Neither of you yourselves really understand how it happened, but subtle nods of acknowledgement became friendly good mornings, polite small talk became playful exchanges full of inside jokes, and weekends spent separately became weekends you spent watching Iwaizumi’s volleyball games and going on dates to video arcades and movie theaters that were playing anything monster or Godzilla related. And now, as a third year, as an official adult, you think you just might have found your soulmate.

You cherish the moments you spend alone with Iwaizumi. Sometimes the moments are sweet as the two of you sit on a pair of swings and talk under the night sky full of stars twinkling, as if they’re winking at the two lovebirds encased in their soft glow. Sometimes the moments are heated as the two of you argue about which Godzilla remake is the best. Sometimes the moments are full of laughter as Iwaizumi holds you in his arms and recounts something stupid or funny that had happened at volleyball practice. And sometimes, now that both of you have passed the mark of adulthood and see each other for the man and woman you’ve both become, the moments are full of passion and desire as you lock the bedroom door and entangle limbs on a soft mattress.

Every second you have with your lover is perfect, but it’s becoming harder and harder to find time alone together. You like Iwaizumi’s friends. You really do. And you love the fact that he has such a good group of close friends, but sometimes you wonder if it’s normal for them to be so close to you as well. 

Matsukawa isn’t so bad, but you can almost feel his large presence hovering around you as you walk from class to class. You’ve gotten used to the way his tall frame casually leans outside your classroom door when the bell rings and you shoot a smile at him, but you find it odd that he picks you up from classes even more often than Iwaizumi does. He’s become a second shadow by your side and at first you had found it unnerving, especially since he doesn’t speak much, but over time you’d grown to find comfort in the security he radiated and the soothing peacefulness his quiet personality offered. 

On the other hand, there are definitely times when you wonder if you can muzzle Hanamaki. The chestnut haired boy has always been able to make you laugh and you genuinely enjoy talking to him, but his recent increase of pet names for you and his flirtatious remarks that borderline sexual innuendos make you tense. You had brushed off his initial usage of babe, honey, and sweetheart, but when he had called you a pillow princess in broad daylight, in front of your class, your cheeks had flamed a bright red and you had to fight the urge to slap him. But he always backed off at the perfect moment, right before you completely lost your cool, and you grudgingly continued conversing with him until the tension slackened and the two of you were back to your playful banter. 

But the worst of them all is Oikawa. The first time he had planted a kiss on your cheek you had frozen stiff, but you had just chalked it up to his womanizing ways and shrugged it off. But it’s harder to ignore the way he’s constantly finding ways to hold your hand, twirl locks of your hair around his long fingers, and far too intimately rest his hands on your hips. It’s unfortunate for you since Oikawa is also the one who you always feel the need to be on your best behavior around. You know he’s Iwaizumi’s best friend, the longest friend he’s ever had, a friend he’s practically known and spent his entire life with. But that doesn’t stop the way unease churns in your gut whenever he’s around you and it feels like he’s always around. In fact, it feels like all three of them are always around you, almost even more so than your boyfriend himself.

You consider bringing it up to Iwaizumi in private multiple times, but even when the three get up to their antics right in front of your boyfriend, he never seems to be bothered. He just shrugs his shoulders and continues talking to you when Matsukawa offers to hold your bags for you. He just laughs when Hanamaki leers at you with barely concealed lust in his eyes and says he’d love to see you in the skimpiest bikini they could find for the upcoming beach trip you’re all planning. And even when you had stared at him with panic written all over your face as Oikawa forcefully pulled you until you were sitting in his lap, Iwaizumi had just nonchalantly looked up at the two of you and told you both to keep it down as he bent his head back down to continue studying. You trust Iwaizumi with your heart, your life, so if he’s fine with everything and he isn’t concerned, maybe you’re just overthinking things? Yeah, that must be it. You mentally chide yourself for being ‘that girl’ you’ve always hated and made fun of, ‘that girl’ who complains about her boyfriend’s friends for no legitimate reason. Disgusted at yourself for getting so worked up over nothing, you vow to take your boyfriend’s lead and just take it all in stride. 

The rest of the school year continues until one day, your teacher decides to surprise you all with randomly assigning you partners for a project. The classroom groans. Isn’t it silly to forcefully pair up third years? It’s your last year and you all know each other enough to know exactly who you want to work with, but your teacher ignores your disgruntled muttering and that’s how you find yourself seated next to a boy you’ve seen around, but never really talked to outside of a few superficial lines of small talk. He’s nice enough and the two of you settle into a comfortable rhythm as you outline and plan out how to complete the project and you both smile as you exchange phone numbers, agreeing to text each other about when to meet up. 

It’s just your luck that this project is going to take an entire month to finish and you whine to Iwaizumi about not getting more time to hang out with him, but he just chuckles and flicks your forehead, telling you to behave and get your work done. After all, what’s one month when you have an entire summer break to spend together, four years of college, and hopefully an entire rest of your lives to spend together? You blush at the implications of the last part of that sentence, but you wholeheartedly agree and you throw yourself into the project, hoping to keep your grades up even in your last year. 

The work is more complex and time consuming than you had originally thought and your partner is just as studious as you, so the two of you find yourselves spending a lot of time together. You discuss what the best next step is between classes. You put your heads together at lunch as you both jot down ideas in your notebooks. You text each other about when’s a good time to meet up in person outside of school to keep on working. It’s all purely platonic, but the three sets of eyes following you, watching you, observing you narrow in displeasure. 

You aren’t around Iwaizumi as much as you furiously work to complete your project and the boys use that to their advantage, crafting words, twisting tales, whispering into Iwaizumi’s ears every chance they can get. During practice, in the locker room, as they walk back home together, they constantly feed him lies, exaggerations, and condemning words. Matsukawa makes offhands comments about how friendly the two of you seem to have gotten, claiming he was surprised when he saw your partner tuck a lock of hair behind your ear as the two of you walked together in between classes. His eyes look on in amusement as they catch the brief furrow in Iwaizumi’s brows. Hanamaki teases Iwaizumi for being so oblivious. “Iwaizumi, her partner’s going to steal her from right under your nose at this rate. I mean I saw the way he looked at her when they were talking and he totally wants to fuck her. He could barely stop looking at her tits and ass, not that I can blame the guy.” He secretly smiles when he sees the ace’s fists clench at his words. But the breaking point is when Oikawa comes rushing into the volleyball gym, loudly exclaiming of your betrayal. “Iwa-chan! I accidentally read Y/N’s text when I was sitting next to her and her partner asked her to get coffee with him this weekend. They’re going on a date! You need to stop them.” The three third years share a dark amused look when Iwaizumi spikes the balls harder than usual at practice that day.

Furious is an understatement for how Iwaizumi is feeling and he knows he’s being an asshole, he knows the criticism he shouts at Kindaichi and Kunimi is more harsh than it should be, he knows he’s hitting the spikes way too hard for a normal practice when Watari flinches as he practices his receives. But he can’t bring himself to care as the image of you and that fucking bastard who’s your partner fill his mind. The first and second years steer clear of their vice captain as the team freshens up in the locker room and Iwaizumi is so caught up in his thoughts that he misses the way Oikawa ushers the juniors out as quickly as he can leaving just the four third years alone. He practically growls when a hand is gently placed on his shoulder, but he takes a deep breath to calm down when he turns and sees Hanamaki raising both of his arms in submission. His stomach knots a little at the sympathetic look in both Matsukawa’s and Hanamaki’s eyes, but he’s distracted by Oikawa shoving a phone into his hands. “Iwa-chan, you need to talk to her right now! She should be wrapping up her club activity right now too. Tell her to come.” It’s actually not a bad idea and with the encouragement of his friends he finds himself shooting a text your way and they all wait for you to arrive.

“Can you come to the locker room? We need to talk.” You worriedly bite your lip as you run as fast as you can to the boy’s locker room. The text had come out of nowhere and it sounded so serious, so...final. You shake your head rapidly dispelling your greatest fear. No, there’s no way Iwaizumi was breaking up with you, you know how much the two of you love each other, but what could possibly be wrong then? You're panting for breath by the time you reach the meeting spot and you bang on the doors, expecting your boyfriend to come out, so you yelp in shock when instead, the doors open and a strong arm hauls you inside until you’re in the middle of the lit room, held tightly against a familiar hard chest. You wince at the harsh grip Iwaizumi has on your hips as he burrows his head into the crook of your neck, but you soothingly rub his back, the only part of his body you have access to in your current position as you gently coax him into telling you what’s wrong. 

A sarcastic laugh fills the room at your words and you flinch in surprise. You hadn’t realized anyone else was here and as your boyfriend’s grip loosens a bit, you squirm until you can look around and your face pales when you see the rest of the third years lounging around, staring at the both of you. “Hajime, I really shouldn’t be here, especially not if there are other guys in here. We’re going to get in so much trouble if someone finds out!” You struggle to escape his hold and rush out of the room, but his iron grip returns and holds you still. 

“Is it true? Are you going on a date with your partner this weekend?” 

“Wh-what?” You’re so flabbergasted by the question that your mouth flaps open and you make unintelligible sounds for a few seconds before you put yourself together. “Hajime, what are you talking about? Of course not! We’re just meeting up to work on the project.”  

“I didn’t realize you get coffee at the most popular cafe in town for dates just to work on a project with someone you barely know.” You angrily whip your head around and scowl at Oikawa. You’re beginning to realize exactly what’s happening and you frantically clutch Iwaizumi’s face in your hands and plead with him to take your side, to believe you, but you know your words are falling on deaf ears as every question he asks you and every answer you respond with is spoken over by one of the other three figures predatorily staring at you. Your heart sinks as you see the fury building in his sharp eyes and tears well in your eyes as you feel his nails dig painfully into your skin as he tightens his hold on you even more with every filthy lie his friends spew. It only stops when you begin to sob and hold Iwaizumi almost as tightly as he’s holding you, blabbering on and on about how much you love him, how sorry you are for making him feel like he isn’t the only man you need in your life.

You revel in the way calloused hands loosen their grip and begin to tenderly stroke your hair and soon the only sounds in the room are your sniffles and Iwaizumi’s affirmation of his love for you, but when your cries finally subside, a hand grabs your chin and firmly forces you to look up until you lock eyes with the green you’ve come to love. “I love you and I know you love me, but you need to be punished. I can’t just let you get away with thinking that flirting, letting other men touch you, letting other men even think they have a chance to be with you is okay.” You nervously look at the other three men still silently watching the two of you and you beg Iwaizumi to save the punishment for home, for when the two of you are alone. You know what his punishments entail and there’s no way in hell you’re letting them witness it, but your resistance and struggling only serve to irritate your boyfriend even more. You flinch when loud tearing sounds fill the room before fabric flutters to the floor and you desperately try to hide your now naked body as your ruined clothing mockingly litters the ground around you.

Iwaizumi sits on the bench and pats his lap as he pointedly stares at you and you hesitantly stumble over and lay yourself across him, your ass perfectly positioned in the middle of his thighs and you shudder when you feel his hand sensually rub the plump mounds before grabbing a handful and teasingly squeezing the flesh. Humiliation lances through you when you hear Hanamaki’s wolf whistle almost right in your ear and despite everything inside of you telling you not to look, to pretend this isn’t happening, you turn your head and see the three of them far too close to Iwaizumi and you, their shadows falling across your prone figure. You quickly duck your head into the crook of your arms as you try to hide your face, but a warning smack on your ass has you lifting it again, although you keep your eyes straight ahead, refusing to look at your spectators. 

“40 spanks.” “Hajime, that’s too much!” A smacking sound reverberates throughout the room and you scream at the sudden sharp pain. “I can increase it, babe. Don’t try me. I want you to count loud and clear and thank me after each hit. If any of us can’t clearly hear you, we’re starting from the beginning again.” You want to protest more, but the lingering ache from just that one hit stills your tongue and you whimper out a “yes, sir”. 

Smack. “One. Thank you, sir.” Smack. “Two. Thank you, sir.” Smack. “Three. Thank you, sir.” 

You try your best to keep the numbers in your head straight, to move your mouth and speak, but Iwaizumi is hitting you with the same force he uses in his spikes and pain and humiliation cloud your head and constrict your throat. When the thirteenth slap rains down all that escapes your mouth is a broken sob and you hear Oikawa’s voice mockingly sigh. “That’s no good. Iwa-chan told you what you need to say.” You clench your eyes shut in shame when Hanamaki moves to stand right in front of your face and crouches down until your eye to eye. “Did our little princess already forget how to count? Well, I hope you start counting like a big girl otherwise it’s going to be a long night.”

Smack. “One. Thank you, sir.” Smack. “Two. Thank you, sir.” Smack. “Three. Thank you, sir.” 

You make it further this time, spurred on by your determination to get this over with, but it’s no use and you stumble over your words as the 24th hit comes down on your aching flesh. You quickly try to fix your mistake, but Matsukawa just smirks at you and wags his index finger at you and you recoil at being treated like a misbehaving child. Dread pools in your stomach as you wait for Iwaizumi to start from the beginning all over again, but a voice interrupts him. 

“Iwa-chan, we have a game coming up. You shouldn’t overwork your arm.” Oikawa almost laughs at the confusion on Iwaizumi’s face and the hopeful glint in your eyes and he has to bite the inside of his cheek to keep the sick smile from stretching across his face when he sees your jaw drop at his next words. “Let’s take turns! We can forget about the counting rule since our silly little girl can’t seem to remember her numbers today. Iwa-chan’s already done more than his share, so how about 10 spanks each from the rest of us?” You wait for your boyfriend to stop this madness, to yell at them all in his trademark style, but panic consumes you when you feel him slide out from underneath you. “Not a bad idea, Shittykawa. Mattsun, you’re up.” Scrambling to get up, you raise yourself on all fours only to be shoved back down. “Behave,” your boyfriend grunts into your ear before affectionately kissing your temple as Matsukawa takes Iwaizumi’s seat and kneads your bruised cheeks. His hands are so big and you brokenly cry out from the pain of having the bruised flesh treated so roughly. It feels like ages before he finally stops his harsh handling of your sensitive skin, but you almost sob in relief when he begins to rain down hits. His slaps aren’t as powerful as Iwaizumi’s, but he purposefully aims for the tender spot where your thigh meets your ass and you scream as he repeatedly hits the same vulnerable spot over and over again. But despite the stinging pain, you don’t miss the way his other hand begins to slide down your back until it’s directly on your ass and you plead for him to stop as you feel long fingers spread your cheeks apart and fingertips begin to circle your tightly puckered hole, a hole even Iwaizumi hasn’t experienced yet. And for the first and only time of the night, your boyfriend’s voice sharply cuts through the air in warning and you relax as Matsukawa’s hand retreats back to your lower back.

Hanamaki’s up next and although he’s the weakest of the four, his hits are still strong enough that you whimper with every smack as your already abused bottom isn’t given any moment to rest. But what he lacks in power, he more than makes up for with his mouth and you try to cover your ears with your hands only to be stopped by Matsukawa gripping both your wrists tightly. “Damn, Iwaizumi. I’m jealous that you get to hit this whenever you want. You’re not going to be able to sit properly for days, princess. Red looks good on you. Shit, yeah, keep on squirming like that, sweetheart.” You freeze when you feel something hard nudging at your stomach. “Why’d you stop? You were making me feel so good.” You use all your willpower to stay as still as possible, but when fingers begin to dip into your pussy, your struggling renews. “Holy shit, you’re drenched, princess. Is this even a punishment if you enjoy it this much? Iwaizumi, your girl’s a slut.” Your ears burn with shame and you cry as Hanamaki rapidly thrusts his fingers in and out of you, the lewd wet sounds of your dripping cunt accompanying the loud smacks as his other hand continues your punishment. He finally finishes and you gasp when he rips his fingers out of you. 

You whimper when you feel a new set of hands spread your legs apart. “Wow, you’re so pretty even down here, Y/N-chan!” A tongue flattens against your pussy and languidly takes one long swipe and despite your wailing and cries for him to stop, you feel your pussy get even wetter from Oikawa’s action. You’ve never been more thankful for your boyfriend than when he yells at Oikawa to stop fooling around and get on with the last part of your punishment and with a “Mean, Iwa-chan!” the tall brunette takes his place underneath you and almost affectionately rests his hand on your ass. But you know better. You’ve seen Oikawa’s serves up close and personal. And sure enough, when his hand comes swinging down, a loud, piercing sound fills the room and it takes you a minute to register that it’s your own voice echoing throughout the room. He pauses between each hit, waiting for you to fully come down, waiting for your senses to return to you, and when you’ve barely scraped yourself together, he whips his arm through the air again. It’s a vicious cycle and you think you might faint from the sheer overwhelmingness of it all when he’s only halfway through, but Oikawa’s always been a master of reading people and he patiently waits no matter how long it takes for you to collect yourself together, wanting you to be fully aware when his palm meets your ass. You know you should feel nothing but hate for the handsome setter, especially since he’s one of the reasons you’re in this position, but he knows just the right words, just the right tone to use as he murmurs praises and encouragements to you and with your body overwrought with exhaustion, pain, and humiliation, you melt at the sweet words that act as a pleasant temporary escape.

Iwaizumi’s quick to wrap you in his arms as soon as Oikawa’s last smack echoes throughout the room and he carefully rearranges you, making sure not to even brush against your bottom more than necessary, until you’re curled up in his lap, your hands weakly wrapping around him as your face sinks into his muscled chest. He can feel your body quivering against his and he peppers kisses all over the top of your forehead, murmuring about how well you took your punishment, what a good girl you are, how much he loves you. And he feels his heart absolutely melt when you look up at him with glassy eyes and tell him how much you love him. He’s so lovestruck that he doesn’t even question the way your eyes trail to the other three men as you continue with your barely coherent words, apologizing for everything that you did. He doesn’t notice how you completely relax in his arms only when Matsukawa nods at you, Hanamaki smiles at you, and Oikawa winks at you in approval and forgiveness. 

Iwaizumi is the only one who has your heart, but you’re realizing that you should have read the fine print of the contract when you signed up to be his girlfriend. Maybe then you would have seen the names of the other three shareholders clearly written out. But as your eyelids grow heavy and you sink further into the toned body and earthy scent that have become like home to you, you vaguely think that it might all be worth it as long as Iwaizumi and you have each other.                        

[irondadfics]

I’m looking for fanfics where Peter is Tony’s biological child and he goes missing/gets kidnapped as a young child. He is raised by someone else and doesn’t know he’s Tony’s son. I’ve already read Lost Boy and Things I Almost Remember on archive of our own and I wanted to find stories with a similar plot.

WHEW! It’s kind of a long list, but we did our best finding several fics that feature both BioDad!Tony and Peter being kidnapped at a very young age. ENJOY!!

PETER IS TONY’S SON BUT THEY WERE SEPARATED WHEN PETER WAS A CHILD REC LIST

Lost Boy by winterda

Isaac Stark disappeared from a crowded park a few months shy of his third birthday. There were never any signs of him, and no arrest were ever made in connection to the case. It was as if the toddler had simply vanished off the face of the earth. Twelve years later, Peter Parker has a really bad day, which only get worse when his prints are put through the system.

Things I Almost Remember by IcedAquarius @icedaquarius31​

Peter's past is not as it appears. It all starts one day with a genetics project and slowly spirals into something Peter never could have imagined.

hydra's not a home by tempestaurora @tempestaurora​

At 6 years old, the son of Tony and Pepper Stark, Peter, is kidnapped, never to be seen again. Or, so they thought. Ten years later, while raiding a HYDRA base, the Avengers come across a new, enhanced individual, working for the enemy: in black spandex, with a tendency to stick to walls and shoot webs from his wrists, the Black Spider is a pain in the ass in more ways than one.

If They Knew All About You by MsHermia

Tony Stark had lost his son when he was only 2 years old, stolen away in broad daylight with nobody the wiser of what exactly happened. Years later, Tony has just made it through the disaster with Ultron. He is trying to keep himself and the team together but relationships are strained and tempers are running high. Then a random turn of events leads to his path crossing with that of a particular vigilante. They are strangers to each other, or so they think.

Peter Parker is on top of the world. After a few shitty years, losing his parents and then losing his Uncle, things are finally looking up. Sure he lives in a crappy little apartment with his Aunt but he might have just found his mission in life.

------

This is an AU story obvious by some of the tags. I'm starting out a few weeks after Age of Ultron took place. Civil War will be a thing. Other than that I'm not too concerned about sticking to every canon detail and storyline.

Finding Their Way Home by ElliahRose

Peter Benjamin-Edward Stark went missing on a Tuesday. For months the entirety of the New York police department, as well as anyone else the Starks could convince to join, searched for the tot. He was only three when he was taken and for four months, two weeks, and four days, Tony Stark and Pepper Stark (nee Potts) worried and fretted over their beloved child.

Peter Benjamin-Edward Stark was murdered on a Friday. A ransom call gone wrong spelt the end of the child’s life. The world grieved as the kidnappers gleefully told the devastated parents they’d find his body in the morning.

They never did.

Twelve years passed and the family was still grieving, and Tony Stark worked tirelessly to find his only child’s killer and gain justice for his son.

Meanwhile Peter Parker was having literally the worst day ever. He just wanted to help make the world a better place, but instead he got stabbed. That's just his luck, isn't it?

missing, presumed dead by hailingstars @hailing-stars

They hadn’t had a funeral for Peter.

There hadn’t been a casket or a service inside a church.

There had been, before Tony decided in his heart that Peter was gone, candlelight vigils and pleas on the media for whoever had taken him to bring him home. Neither of those did any good. Neither of those brought Peter home.

OR

Tony Stark's son gets kidnapped when he's two. Twelve years later he comes back.

I told you to be better (and you became the best) by HaruK

Tony was blessed with a healthy baby boy, and for once in his life, was actually happy. Until everything derailed and he had to send his son away to keep him safe, because those related to the Stark family, one of the worlds biggest and most targeted families in the black market, always end up hurt. With a new name and identity that Tony himself doesn't know, the young baby was wiped off the map, his existence erased, never to be heard of again. . Years later, Anti-hero Iron Man meets a local superhero vigilante and Tony becomes surprisingly close with young Peter Parker.

The Curly-Haired Boy In The Paper by Svn_f1ower @svn-f1ower​

When Tony sees the blurry, grey scale photograph of someone he thought he had lost years ago, he follows the trail to a newspaper company, to a hospital, to an adoption agency, to the police station and finally to May Parker's house.

hold him tight & don’t let go by jessicagoddamnjones @farremoved

Peter Stark went missing when he was four years old.

Eleven years later, he’s found.

Only now he’s Peter Parker by day, Spider-Man by night, and he doesn’t like the idea that his entire life is a lie.

Rise from the Ashes; Just to See You Again by Mintstream @iwritedumbshit​

Tony Stark didn't expect Mary Fitzpatrick, or the news she delivered. He didn't expect that he would become a father, or that he would actually enjoy it. He didn't expect Penny to love him just as fiercely as he did her.

He didn't expect to lose her so soon.

In the wake of the loss of his daughter he tried--tried to do right by her. He became Iron Man, he was an Avenger, he protected his world because he couldn't protect his daughter, but through it all, he hoped to be reunited with his daughter.

He didn't expect to be alive when he was.

AKA the biological daughter kidnapping AU no one asked for. Hope you read, and hope you enjoy.

Updates on Saturdays.

Coming Home by inkinmyheartandonthepage

AU – Peter Stark was kidnapped when he was just three years old. Tony and Pepper never stopped looking for their boy. Years later, Peter finds his way back home.

A Change In What We Knew by Imissyoutoo @imissyoutoo

Tony scoured the floor behind Steve as though his one-year-old son had somehow crawled to him, before finally, he looked up. The realisation dawned on him like an eclipse; the decaying darkness hiding the sun. Hiding his son. Because his boy wasn't there.

”Where is he? Steve? Where's my son Rogers?!” At only a year old, Tony Stark’s son is taken, leaving him shattered. Little does he know, his journey to find what is lost only begins twelve years later. In the most unlikely of places, and all because of two words.

”Hey kid.”

I Found You by honestchick

Tony had a son; he raised him for two years until someone kidnapped him. Tony was devastated and heartbroken. And who would have thought in Starks Expo, he’d be able to see his son once again?

move back home forever by chasingflower @evahmohns

The results say he’s not actually Peter Parker.

They say he’s Peter Stark. You know, the one who’s been missing for 10 years.

Yeah. He knows.

Soon You'll Get Better by lostinmorewaysthan1

Peter Stark was kidnapped. That was all anyone knew. He vanished into thin air, no traces left behind, when he was eight years old.

Six years later, on one of the final raids on the HYDRA bases, they find an enhanced assassin, with super strength and the ability to climb walls. No one imagined that it would be Peter. Least of all Tony.

With no memory and brainwashed by HYDRA, Peter Stark goes home and tries to recover.

Let This Road Be Mine by CommunicationFlail

Ten years ago, five year old Peter Stark disappeared. When the trail went cold, the case was closed. Now new evidence has been brought to light and Tony will stop at nothing to get his son back. No matter how many fakes he has to meet. His son is out there, and he will find him.

Return to me, the one I love so endlessly by SuperHeroTiger @superherotiger

James Edwin Stark was born on the 10th of August 2001, and for the first time in his life, Tony Stark cried tears of joy.

All the fears, all the dread that had once consumed his soul washed away with a single look at the baby’s gentle features, so familiar and yet so distinctly unique at the same time. Tony made many promises that day. Promises to love his son, to protect him, to always be there for him.

On the 10th of August 2002, James Edwin Stark was stolen in the middle of the night, and his father’s world came crashing down. Shattered and alone, Tony whispered the same promise he’d made to his son the day that he was born.

‘…My love for you is endless…’

Fourteen years later, hidden away from the world in a forest of pine, Peter Beck would dream of a day he might get to see the towering city of New York. And when a wounded stranger stumbles onto their property a week out from his birthday claiming to be a famous billionaire from New York, his dream might just come true.

Once Lost Now Found by FreckledAvenger11

Peter Parker was just trying to get used to life without his uncle. He wasn't expecting to find a familiar face in an article about Tony Stark's missing son. Follow Peter on his journey to discover just who he is. Is he Peter Parker? Is he Spider-Man? Or is he someone else entirely? Just who is he and what secrets died along with his parents in that plane crash?

So He Walks The World Alone by Miola014

This is a story 'bout a broken boy With his headphones in just to block out the noise Of everyone around him telling him the way to go So he walks the world alone Wondering if it gets better Or if he's always gonna feel empty forever So he gets lost tryna find another way back home As he walks the world alone

Or

The Kidnapped Peter Stark AU that I promised y'all!

[johngarfieldtribute]

Julie ❤️ from fellow actors

John Garfield pictured above with his movie family from THE BREAKING POINT. The older daughter was played by Sherry Jackson. She was in the early cast of TVs “Make Room for Daddy” with Danny Thomas.

She said this of working with Julie, "Most of all, I remember a long scene with John Garfield, who played my father. I was told he was a “Method” actor, but at that time I really didn’t know what that meant. He had two daughters and one had died. When he looked at me, he was projecting his grief, but also his past joy – the whole experience of being a father. I told myself I knew he must have a daughter, as no one ever related to me like he did. His understanding, his performance – he had so much love and warmth towards the person I played…It’s heart-wrenching. Totally genuine – an absolutely different aspect of his character, which made him more complex, so real."

Edward G. Robinson teamed with Ida Lupino and Julie in THE SEA WOLF. In Robinson’s memoir, “All My Yesterday’s” he wrote, “John Garfield was one of the best young actors I ever encountered, but his passions about the world were so intense that I feared any day he would have a heart attack. It was not long before he did."

Lana Turner was Julie’s costar in one of his most best known films, THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE. Lana said Cora Smith was the role she liked best and Garfield was her favorite leading man. She said, “John Garfield was shy, vibrant and intelligent. And so ahead of his time. He had terrific magnetism and I respected John as an actor, and we had developed a certain steamy chemistry as we performed together. [He had] a reputation as a demon lover.”

In her later days in Florida, Hedy Lamarr spoke highly of her leading men James Stewart and John Garfield, of whom she had autographed, framed photographs prominently displayed in her living room. Here’s a touching article about those days.

Hedy also enjoyed working with Julie in TORTILLA FLAT. Together they projected remarkable screen chemistry. Hedy took delight in his stories of riding the rails as a hobo when he was a youngster, before becoming an actor. There was something very Steinbeckian in his persona. Hedy loved adventure, and her romantic fantasies were whetted by Julie’s tales. One particular vignette, when Dolores feeds a sickly baby, is tenderly photographed by Karl Freund.

This was one of Julie’s favorite films to make. He called Hedy 'Wild Cat Lamarr', and she seems to have enjoyed making the movie too. She relished the opportunity of not having to glamorize her character. (See Train Bellies blogspot).

This interesting woman was an inventor! Here’s some info from the Smithsonian, “there was much more to Hedy Lamarr than her stunning dark locks, translucent fair skin and sparkling green eyes. She was an ingenious inventor who planted a seed that would blossom into some of today’s most ubiquitous technology, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, cordless phones and cell phones. Her inventions were a part of a complicated life filled with contradictions and elusive truths that were not part of her film star persona.”

Eleanor Parker later said the "big break" of her career was when she was cast opposite John Garfield in PRIDE OF THE MARINES (1945). "It was a great part, and who wouldn't look good with John Garfield", she later said. "He was absolutely wonderful."

Ida Lupino was not only an actor but a pioneer. She was a writer, producer and director. As an actor she was Julie’s costar in two films, OUT OF THE FOG and THE SEA WOLF. This article covers this groundbreaking and fascinating person, and here is a Train Bellies blogpost.

As mentioned earlier and above, Edward G. Robinson was impressed with Julie’s abilities. Ida was also enthralled. She said, "His real name was Julius Garfinkle. He was wonderful and I loved him.”

In 1941, Lupino took on the bad-girl role in the seafaring film The Sea Wolf, filmed on a mock ship in a dank tank on the Warner Brothers lot. She quickly found an intellectual kindred spirit in her sensitive costar John Garfield. “He and I were like brother and sister,” she recalled. After a brutal shoot with autocratic director Michael Curtiz, the exhausted cast and crew had had enough. At the cast party, she and Garfield pushed Curtiz into the stinking water tank. “Boom!” she recalled. “He was wet.”

A staunch Democrat, Lupino was horrified by the post–World War II Red Scare, and watched angrily as her friends, including her third husband, Howard Duff, were persecuted for their alleged ties to communism. Garfield in particular found his career tanking and began a personal and professional downward slide.

Garfield went back to New York and found new success on the stage, but was beset with personal and medical problems. Out in Los Angeles, Lupino had been meeting with the FBI, working to redeem both Duff and Garfield. She flew to New York to tell Garfield that he had been cleared, but found him haggard and exhausted, unable to go onstage. Checking in on him one night, she found him propped up on pillows, asleep. Lupino hugged him, and Garfield awakened.

In the book, “Ida Lupino: A Biography”, by William Donati, the scene is described, “Would you mind holding my hand till I drop off?” he asked. The words sent a chill through Ida. “You bet,” she told him. “I’ll sit here till daylight if you want.” She held his hand until he fell asleep.

Lupino went back to Hollywood, determined to find Garfield a film role. But it was not to be. In 1952, shortly after their last meeting, John Garfield died of a heart attack. He was only 39 years old.

[neurodecadence]

nobody gets away with being my mutual and reblogging ask games. do the prime numbers

Hey emily I only gave you nine. I will remember this moment, Emily.

2. do you like the feeling of cold air on your cheeks on a wintery day? Mixed feelings. It's a nice wake up, but it's nostalgic in some kinda unpleasant ways.

3. what random objects do you use to bookmark your books? String, museli bar wrapper, receipts.

5. are you self-conscious of your smile? I have a great smile, provided you don't mind that I don't show teeth. I like my smile a lot, so I am not worried about how it looks

7. do you name your plants?

I don't keep plants. Brown thumbs.

11. do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach? Side, hugging things, usually pillow, sometimes cute girl.

13. what’s something that made you smile today? A dude in a game asked me if I was "real girl yes no?" and when I said "yesno" replied "umm explan". I grinned a lot at that.

17. what’s something that made you smile today? Purple, and mission accomplished.

19. do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it? I'm too forgetful to keep a journal. I just scribble ideas sometimes.

23. what’s your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations? Brunch.

29. what’s something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing? Delta is deliberately contrarian in a very funny way, it used to annoy me but now I think it's cute. Koy is stubborn as a rock, and has a very funny definition as to what "taking it easy" or "a small project" mean. Olive is incapable of going easy in fighting games, and digs so deep into knowledge about things it's amazing to talk with her. I could keep going but I'd be gushing all day.

31. Socks: the question. Yeah I just don't like em, the way the seams get twisted and uncomfy. SIgn me up as a sock hater.

37. do you like keeping your room messy or clean? Clean, but due to chronic fatigue the option is out of my hands sometimes.

41. what’s the last book you remember really, really loving? The Last Girl Scout, by Natalie Ironsides. Fucking read it, it's incredible. Trans women in love dealing with trauma and shooting fascists, it's a treat.

43. who was the last person you gazed at the stars with? Technically my cat?

47. what food do you think should be banned from the universe? Anything coated in edible gold. Unnecessary and gaudy.

53. have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? heathers? beetlejuice? pulp fiction? what do you think of them? I live in the hometown of the writer of RHPS, shame he's a fucking terf. Heathers is fine, Beetlejuice I haven't seen in a decade but remember liking. Pulp Fiction is typical tarantino "a bit much" but still pretty damn good.

59. what’s your favorite myth? Girly you can't make me pick! I kinda love Arachne for showing Athena to be every bit the petty god as her siblings. Sekhmet having to be sedated with beer-spiked blood cause she was destroying all of egypt is amazing. Maui slowing the sun so people have more daylight was one I loved as a kid. I think maybe I have to give it to Ragnarok on the whole, the imagery presented is so strong, so mythic feeling. It's a hel of a way to end the world.

61. what’s the stupidest gift you’ve ever given? the stupidest one you’ve ever received? Given, garden gnome. Received, a broken air rifle that was never repaired.

67. how do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel? Mentally I love them, physically storms hurt my bones these days, which is a shame.

71. what’s your favorite kind of tea? Whatever kind is fartherest away from me.

73. what are some of your worst habits? Nail biting, under medicating for pain because "I can take it", forgetting shit (tbf, that's the fatigue, but still annoying)

79. what’s one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you? An ex made me a stuffed zigzagoon once as a gift. A friend stayed with me to help with housework for a while. Partners stay up way too late to talk with me. All cute as hell.

83. what’s some of your favorite album art? This is actually a topic I have no opinion on, at all.

89. are you close to your parents? That is a loaded question and a half! Mum yes, we're good. My father is dead to me, but unfortunately still alive.

97. myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house? Myer briggs is a scam, harry potter is crap peddled by transphobes, and I'm a cancer. Never thought that's the one I'd have the least problems with, but here we are.

THERE. I'm DONE. IT'S OVER. EVEYRONE GO HOME NOW.

[prairiesongserial]

16.1

The lights on the burlesque stage went out just as Friday’s brassiere fell open - the timing of which she and Abernathy had been practicing for days. The crowd was so reactive that Friday felt the whistles and applause reverberating in the floorboards as she hustled off the stage. It was a louder reception than she was used to. She’d had fans at the Ace, but unlike the burlesque tent of the Madsen and Graves Circus, the Ace was just as much about drinking and catching up with friends over cards as it was about the girls.

Behind the curtain, in the tiny staging area, Beatrix was getting ready for her fan dance - she always did the finale, and it was always the same act. Friday had picked up the importance of crowd control since she first started hanging around the burlesque tent. With just cloth tent-flaps between yourself and a crowd that had been waiting a year for the circus to come through town, it was important they understood when the show was over.

A little girl popped through the curtain behind Friday while Friday was still trying to fix her brassiere back in place.

“Hey, baby,” Friday said, shooting her a smile. Jaelle, All-Fair’s kid, had been working the crowd. It was odd - usually Johannes did the burlesque tent himself, or at least got one of the men to do it. They blended in better. On the other hand, looking at the dozens of rings jammed on Jaelle’s fingers and the watches crawling up her arms, maybe the kid was the right choice.

“Hello, Miss Friday,” Jaelle said. She deposited her goods in the tin lock-box that Abernathy would come collect at the end of the night, turning the key with an air of great importance. “Can’t stay and chat - Johannes has me working every tent in the circus.” She heaved a sigh. “Bury me standing - I’ve been on my knees all my life.”

Friday had no idea what Jaelle was talking about, but the kid took off before she could ask. The circus would be winding down, now that the burlesque tent was putting on its last show. Friday threw slacks and a shirt on over her sequined underwear, still soaked in sweat from performing. She needed an ice cream cone before the stall packed up for the night.

When Friday left the tent, she was abruptly reminded that this was no ordinary show.

Her boots tread on grass, but there was no sky here. Despite the fact that it should have been past ten at night, dozens of lights high up on a domed ceiling gave the impression of daylight. Johannes’s amplified voice reached her from the main tent as he announced the last attraction. All at once, the lights on the ceiling shifted from yellow to orange to red, performing dusk in a matter of seconds. If not for that, the effect would have been eerily realistic.

Friday got a strawberry cone from Di and decided to wander over to the main tent. Might as well.

The last act in the main tent was fire-hooping, which was worth watching. The twin clowns had shed the baggy overalls from their tumbling routine and now wore form-fitting red and blue harlequin outfits as the flaming hula hoops arced through the air in perfect sync. Not only were the fire-hoopers impressive, but when the flames were extinguished at the end of the show, it made for a powerful symbol. Lights out, go home.

Friday felt the lightest touch against her back pocket. Most people would have written it off as the movement of displaced air as someone nearby walked past. Friday jerked her hand back and caught a slim wrist.

“Damn, I’ve been made,” Jaelle whispered.

“It’s just me,” Friday said, letting go. She beckoned Jaelle forward. “See that cluster of people three rows ahead of us, a little to the left? Heavy purses.”

Jaelle squinted in the direction Friday had indicated.

“Thanks, Miss Friday,” she said, then disappeared into the crowd again.

On stage, one of the clowns tossed her hoop up in the air, tumbled through the center of her twin’s hoop, and caught the one she’d thrown on the other side. The crowd clapped. That was the perfect moment to pick pockets. People’s hands were occupied, it was noisy, and the whole tent was filled with vibration, making little touches harder to notice. Friday felt the urge to check her own pockets again.

She did wonder at Johannes’s directive to go hard on pickpocketing this show. They were underground - had actually had to pay a toll to get into this giant bunker - and only after the steel door had been sealed behind the circus caravan had Friday learned that this was Washington, DC; home of Hemisphere Central. If Jaelle was caught picking the wrong pocket, that pocket had a pretty good chance of belonging to a powerful mobster. And the circus was trapped in here.

It was interesting how the Madsen and Graves circuit just happened to hit so many Hemisphere towns - from Everglades City to the accidental run in with the Good Guys - and now Central itself. No, interesting wasn’t the right word. At this point, it was almost boring, how obvious it was that Johannes was planning on handing her, Val, John, and Cody over to Hemisphere. Friday had finally tested her L-shaped pin against those used in the trailer hitches, and it was a perfect match. Johannes was trying to kill them, and Friday didn’t have a next move.

The fire-hooping ended with the lights shutting off just as the fires were extinguished. When they came back on, Johannes stood center stage to announce that the night of spectacle had come to a close. He’d changed backstage, and now wore a sequined suit - the left gold and the right black - and a cream cravat with a gold pin. Also cream colored was the porcelain mask that covered the top half of his face. Strange.

“Thank you all for coming to our show - that’s all the entertainment we have for you tonight. We hope you enjoyed the feats of athletics and wonder of the Madsen and Graves Circus.”

Friday spied Enis climbing down the ladder of the crow’s nest from which he controlled the lights. The crowd began to move toward the exit.

Friday wondered what Val thought about all this. She hadn’t tried to talk to him since he came back from Monocacy, but she’d pieced together from the gossip that Johannes had kissed him, it hadn’t been appreciated, and Val was pissed about it. Di, who was approaching sixty and had likely been with the circus since before Johannes was born, had called Johannes a dog and spat on the ground.

The crowd cleared the main tent surprisingly quickly - there were whispers of stopping at home to get changed. Interesting. Apparently the Madsen and Graves was the unwitting first half of a double feature.

As the last of the crowd left, circus members began to file into the main tent. Not unusual - after a show, there were sometimes special instructions for striking the sets. Friday saw Val hanging around the edges, and John and Cody front and center. She made her way over to Val.

“Catch my show?” she asked him.

Val looked at her, made an embarrassed face, then looked back to the stage.

“Would you rather I said yes?” he asked.

Friday smiled to herself, stuffing her hands in her pockets.

“A girl can dream,” she said, and winked at him. Val rolled his eyes. For a second, the summer had rolled back to the start, before John, Cody, and the fire. The reminder of how things used to be made Friday forget what she wanted to say next.

“Alright people, gather round,” Johannes called out, tipping the mask up to show his face. “You all know your strike teams, but there’s a little change. Enis and Abernathy are standing in for me and Ezra. We’re gonna shmooze at the gala and see if we can’t get us some extra gigs next year.”

Ezra had joined Johannes onstage by this point. He too was dressed up, wearing a bright navy suit and polished red leather shoes. He held a red mask in one hand. 

Friday was surprised when Ezra projected his voice exactly as competently as his brother had.

“Once you’re done, feel free to go into town, buy things that aren’t good for you, and give Enis a hard time.”

The crowd of circus members laughed, and a few ribbed Enis.

“Alright, get outta here,” Johannes added.

Friday stole another glance at Val. His brow was furrowed, his eyes intense on the brothers as they descended the stage.

“Gala, huh,” Friday said. “Sounds like a high class affair.”

Val gave her the look that meant I know what you’re getting at.

“I’m just saying, beer and campfires are nice, but I’ve never been to a champagne-on-little-trays kinda party.”

Friday wanted to keep an eye on Johannes - to judge if this was going to be a planned handoff, or if he’d spend the gala advertising the bounties to interested parties. Either way, Friday needed as much advance warning as she could get. And if Val came to the gala with her, maybe he’d finally see Johannes for who he was.

“It’s a Hemisphere party,” Val said.

So don’t you think it’s interesting that Johannes is looking for work there? Friday thought. Come on, Val.

“No one’s gonna be looking for us there,” she said. “It’s a fancy ball. We’ll wear big sparkly dresses and masks and introduce ourselves as the stars of a not yet released Bellamy picture that no one’s even heard of yet. No further questions.”

“I’ll come, but I’m not doing that,” Val said. “Someone has to keep you out of trouble.”

“Me? Trouble? Never,” Friday said, a wide grin growing on her face. “Come on, let’s find costumes.”

epilogue 15 || 16.2

[jiminniethemarshmallow]

Fairy Dust

Pairing: Jimin x reader

Genre: adventure, fantasy, fluff

Word Count: 22k

(A/N): This is my first time writing anything like this and boy was it tough! Also I really didn’t mean for it to be this long so oops 😬

For BCC One Summer Night Project

You follow Jimin away from your campsite off the beaten path on a journey guided by starlight, walking hand in hand and treading lightly so as not to disturb the wildlife around you. You weave through the wooded area of your night trail to a destination that your boyfriend has not yet disclosed to you. Shades of midnight blues and purples color what was once green and brown around you, blackening shapes at your feet that you step over with care.

“Are you sure you know where you’re going?” You fret with a chuckle, enjoying the warmth of his fingers when they squeeze yours.

“Of course, I used to come here all the time with my family. It’s right up ahead.” He points with a finger you can barely see in the dim lighting. You trust him, shrugging to yourself as you trek on. He stops you a few steps later, looking down at his feet until you do the same and come to the realization that there is a stream in your path. “I’ll go first.”

He demonstrates by stepping on a flat stone in the center of the water source, leaping to the other side gracefully before turning to offer you his hand and a smile. Your movements are a lot more unsteady than his. A hesitant step on the stone is all you can manage before you’re grasping for his hand, stumbling to his side and nearly pulling both of you down into the water, a few bugs flying up at your rough landing. It’s smooth sailing after that, avoiding a fallen log, regretfully stepping over the corpse of a poor decaying animal, and brushing past short shrubbery before you finally reach a clearing with a perfect view of the starry ceiling above you.

“Wow,” From this vantage point at your altitude in these mountains the beautiful glow of the galaxy is not clouded by pollution or artificial light. You’ve never seen so many stars in your life, all twinkling at you in clusters of white dots that form patterns and constellations above your head. Jimin pulls a purple blanket from the bag on his back, placing it in the uncut grass at the center of the meadow. You take a seat next to him, laying back to curl into his chest comfortably as his arms come to wrap around you.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” He asks in a whisper, watching the environment around you come to life from your movement. Fireflies rise above the blades of green beneath you to put on a display of light for you, creating their own pictures that rival even the stars.

“It’s... perfect.” You are utterly speechless, simply thankful that he decided to share this with you. Looking up, you discover that he is no longer looking around but is focused solely on you now, and when you lock eyes, you lean in for a kiss. You could swear that the fireflies around you begin to circle around your bodies once your lips touch, your eyes now closed and a delicious scent engulfing you. It’s easy to get lost in Jimin’s kiss, so easy that you begin to lose track of time and space and lose consciousness.

“Why did you pick them?” A voice sounds distantly, distorted oddly in your ears.

“Uhm, well, I- uh,” The timid squeak comes from much closer, and you can almost hear the nervous way the mysterious person gnaws on their lip. A loud sigh. “We’re desperate.”

“...Fine. But you couldn’t have found someone more— I don’t know— muscular than them? I mean come on, they’re both practically splinters!”

“There was no one else around... maybe we could make this a stealth mission instead?”

Your eyes start to crack open once the grogginess fades, a soft and fuzzy fabric swallowing you in its folds. Jimin is not in your immediate line of sight and everything is brighter than you remember. Your head lifts before you’ve gotten both eyes fully open, alerting the two that now accompany you.

“Oh, one of them is awake!” The timid voice whispers, and the first thing to come into view is a flawless face, features too smooth and delicate to be real. The woman’s skin sparkles as if she had been bathed in glitter, but it seems that she’s producing her own light, an supernatural glow outlining her body and... wings? Maybe your eyes were still adjusting...

“Mm, what happened?” You mumble, your mind feeling hazy. Once your eyes fully focus, you jump at her proximity.

“W-wow, I didn’t know humans were this pretty.” She gushes, earning a slap on the shoulder from the other person she’s with. Looking to the left, you find a shorter woman whose features are just as undefined as her taller counterpart, the same glow haloed around her.

“Don’t say things like that.” She scolds.

“Jimin?!” Suddenly you think of your boyfriend, who you have yet to see, and begin to search around, finally taking in your surroundings and noticing that you appear to be lost in a sea of purple, blanket-like material, its folds blocking and trapping you as you move around to find your partner. You call out to him again, this time receiving a response.

“(Y/n)?” He sounds sleepy, probably just waking up from whatever slumber you had fallen into.

“We should help.” The taller woman says, appearing behind you to grab you under your arms and lift you. Lift you? Wait, were you flying?! Your legs dangle as you rise higher above your fabric prison, the new perspective allowing you to see that you were surrounded by giant blades of grass and that you had, in fact, been on your blanket. She lowers you next to Jimin, huffing from the exertion, and you scramble to his side. What the hell was going on?

“Did you just... Fly?” He looks at you funny, then turns his attention to the two mysterious figures who have yet to introduce themselves.

“Hello, humans.” The shorter one starts awkwardly, cringing at herself. “You’ve finally awoken! That’s good.” There’s quiet— well, not really, the atmosphere is no longer muffled sounds of the forest, but now resembles a bustling town in daylight. Everything is so much louder. “W-well, my name is Alva and that’s Laila,” She nods in the other’s direction.

“What happened to us? Why did we pass out?” You question immediately, not bothering with self-introduction.

“O-oh, well, y-you both, um,” Laila starts, unable to look either of you in the eye. “What I mean to say is... you- we kind of-“

“We sprinkled you with Fairy Dust.” Alva finishes bluntly. Your jaws drop. She can’t be serious, this must be a joke. Yet you can’t bring yourself to laugh. No, she looks too serious.

“Fairy dust?” Jimin barely cracks a smile, subconsciously touching your arm to make sure this isn’t a dream.

“Y-yeah, but it appears I was a bit heavy handed. My apologies.” Laila smiles wryly, wringing her hands together nervously. “We are the fairies that live in this forest, and we need your help to save a dear comrade.” It is only then that you actually process what you’re looking at. The two of them hover in front of you, their wings fluttering gracefully like those of a hummingbird, the movement too quick for your eyes to perceive.

“Are we fairies now too?” Jimin checks his own body, then yours, inspecting you for any differences. The only thing that has changed is your size, and he sighs in relief.

“For the most part you are just tiny humans now, but we can make you wings if you so desire.” Alva deadpans, impatiently waiting for you to come to terms with the situation. She continues before you have the chance to let things sink in. “Stink bugs have infested these lands and have made their home by the water source, blocking all creatures on this side of the meadow from reaching the water’s edge. We fairies have put up a resistance to this, and in retaliation, they have kidnapped our leader. Please, we kindly ask for your help in retrieving her.”

“Why can’t you save her yourselves? Don’t you have an army?” Jimin frowns, unsure of how he feels about being this little. You may still be in shock.

“They have fortified their home with troops that protect them from land and air. In order to enter their territory, we would need to get past them, but they attack everything that they identify as being from this side of the meadow.” A chill runs up your spine. Were you willing to embark on a dangerous mission like this?

“But t-their eyesight is pretty bad, so they might not recognize you as fairies, even with wings.” Laila speaks up when she sees you wavering. “You may be able to negotiate a way in.”

“I don’t know about this.” Your boyfriend murmurs to you as he weighs your safety versus adventure. He’s always so kindhearted, so you know he wants to help them, but how far was he willing to go if danger was involved? If it was you he was worried about, you wanted to quell his fears.

“It sounds scary, honestly. But when in our lives will we get another chance to do something like this? We get to be fairies! That’ll never happen to us again.” You smile. But suddenly your eyes shoot wide, turning to the women again. “Wait, this does wear off, right? We won’t be stuck like this forever?”

“Well, there is a spell to reverse this, but the fairy you must rescue is the only one who has mastered it.” Laila offers with another apologetic look.

“Then we have to! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, we have to take advantage. These people need our help! Plus, what else are we going to do while we’re this tiny? Might as well become hero’s while we’re at it.” You chuckle, pulling a smile from him. “If it gets dangerous we’ll protect each other, promise.”

“What if something goes wrong and one of us gets hurt?” He asks. It’s uncharacteristic of him to worry like this, but this is uncharted territory so you can understand his apprehension. But as a couple you are known for your adventurous nature— hell, he’s the one who suggested going camping in the Rocky Mountains by yourselves in the first place. You won’t let him back down from this.

“What if everything goes right?” Your hand finds its way into his, squeezing in reassurance as he looks over your face. With a second more of hesitation, Jimin finally nods in agreement and the two fairies sigh in relief.

The mission they explain to you seems very much like the objective of a video game: traverse through different landscapes and hone your skills until you reach the villain’s lair, where you will then attempt to rescue the princess (or in this case, fairy leader) and defeat the villain. Of course, you will be responsible for coming up with the plan once you reach the lair because the fairies know nothing about where their leader is kept or what the stink bug king will think of you. It is entirely possible that you’ll be able to negotiate with him to release their leader and stop blocking the waterway, but it’s more exciting to think you’ll do a bit of fighting.

“We have supplies and tools for you that will be helpful for you on your journey.” Alva is kinder to you now, advising you to come along to their home to prepare for your mission.

“We don’t have wings yet...” You point out, assuming that you would fly to their abode.

“Obviously.” She rolls her eyes at you, not bothering to explain. A high pitched whistle comes from her with little effort, followed by an intense buzzing noise approaching from behind. You and Jimin turn in horror as 3 giant fireflies appear from the sky, landing weightlessly on the surface before you with a blinding flash of light. It is then that you realize that the brightness in the sky above you isn’t from sunlight, but are actually the bulbs of the fireflies you had admired before. The three in front of you dim their lights to save your eyes, peering down at you with curiously large eyes.

Laila begins to speak with them in a language of chirps and clicks, and much to your surprise, they respond energetically to her. Although you now pale in comparison to these creatures, they are still awe-inspiring; with their red upper bodies that contrast so prettily with the luminescent glow of their yellow-green rears, the hard outer wings that protect the delicate transparent wings beneath that you’ve never noticed until now. Never in your life have you expected to see any bug from this close up.

Laila lets out a laugh that brings your attention back to her. “They agreed to give us a lift home.” She seems brighter after the interaction, though she still refuses to look you in the eye. “Ah! Let me introduce you— this is Magus,” She points to the one on the right, who tilts his head down at you in what you assume to be a bow. “This is Meri,” the one on the left nods at you two as well and you nudge Jimin in his side to offer a bow back. “And this is Garnet, named for her color.” The firefly in the center lifts her wings slightly in greeting and it takes immense self control not to step back in intimidation. She is the largest of the 3 and her color is distinctly different, her body appearing as a deep shade of red mimicking that of a garnet stone, as opposed to the pinkish shade that her counterparts take on.

“Since there are two of you, you will be traveling on Garnet because she is the biggest.” Alva explains, already in the air and mounted on Magus’ back.

“Wait, you want us to ride on its back?!” Jimin seems startled as you walk ahead of him and reach your hand out to Garnet, touching her head. Normally bugs were something you feared, but you have a newfound sense of bravery that is sparked by the novelty of this experience. “(Y/n), don’t touch it!” He shouts, eyebrows furrowing cutely when your hand makes contact with the insect.

“Babe, it’s fine, stop being so wimpy.” You snicker at his distress. “She won’t hurt us, I can tell. She’s nice.” The firefly chitters at you, causing Laila to giggle.

“She says to hop on, she doesn’t bite. But if you need a nip of encouragement she’s more than willing to give you one.” Jimin shutters and takes a hesitant step forward, following your lead with a soft pat to her head. She lowers to the ground as much as she can, and the two of you hop on with Jimin in front and your arms wrapped comfortably around his waist. He can feel your smile and it gives him a little peace of mind.

“No offense, but we don’t have time for cowardice. Anything could be happening to our leader right now and the more time we waste, the more danger we put her in.” Alva cuts in sharply with a twitch of her wings.

“Grab the ropes and hold on tight.” Directing your gaze to the thin ropes seamlessly attached to the smooth surface of Garnet’s shell— by magic, you assume— you take Laila’s advice and grab onto them from behind Jimin. “I already told her where we’re going, just tap her back twice to signal when you’re ready and she’ll take off.”

“Are you ready?” Your boyfriend asks, rolling his shoulders.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” At your confirmation, he taps his hand on the hard shell and her wings open up, fluttering loudly on either side of you before you begin to lift from the ground. You rise quickly yet carefully, and you can’t help but let out an elated squeal as the earth beneath you gets farther and farther away. The footprints you left in the grass when you arrived in the meadow have somewhat disappeared as the blades slowly return to their normal standing position, but you can still see the sheer size of them compared to how small you are now. Even from high up they look enormous, each one flattening an area that would probably take you several minutes to cross on foot. But the most amazing sight of all is something that Jimin points out with a dropped jaw.

The blanket that you had both been comfortably laying on not 10 minutes prior was now unreasonably large and you struggle to comprehend the scale. If being on the back of a bug wasn’t enough, seeing your own belongings look so disproportionate compared to you is what makes you realize just how tiny you really are. It’s almost frightening being so small and fragile, the human body does not have many natural adaptations to fend off the world making this situation that much more dangerous, but having Jimin with you eases your heart significantly. He isn’t the strongest or the bravest, or even the smartest for that matter, but you know that if you work together you’ll be alright. At least that’s what you tell yourself as you cling to him on your way up into the trees, not missing the opportunity to take in the view.

You’re taken to what looks to be a treehouse, perched on one of the thin branches at the top of a tree. It could be mistaken for a small bird’s nest from the outside, but the home is actually complexly made with a variety of materials and innovation you are unfamiliar with. Jimin grabs your hand immediately after you dismount from Garnet, glancing down from your height with a silent warning. Of course he’s weary, if either of you fell from this distance you would be dead before you were halfway down the trunk. Even a fall to the next branch down would be life threatening, but you try not to think about it as you walk carefully to the entrance of the home.

“Do not touch anything.” Alva hisses as she holds the door open for you. The inside of the abode is cozier than you expected, sheltered from the chill of the night and decorated with art and color.

“Alva, don’t be so crude to our guests.” Laila scolds, wringing her hands again. She seems to be nervous once more without the presence of her firefly companions.

“Do you live here together?” You ask, moving to inspect some items on a bookshelf. Jimin smacks your hand when you go to lift something up, reminding you of Alva’s warning.

“Y-yes.” Laila nods, turning away from you when you meet her eyes. They say no more on the matter so you don’t press it. “Anyway, you’ll need a few things for your journey. We’ll accompany you most of the way, but we won’t be able to enter once we reach the stink bug’s territory so you’ll need disguises.”

“I thought you said they won’t recognize us?” Jimin questions, walking over to where Alva is hard at work crafting something on a workbench.

“The stink bugs won’t, but they have spies everywhere. We’ll have to pass through some town centers on the way there and that’s where you’ll have the highest risk of being discovered. Also, they know that the two of us are part of the resistance so they will automatically be suspicious if we’re seen traveling together.” She murmurs. You watch as she sprinkles glowing dust onto the table, grabbing tools that glow similarly and manipulating the powder with skilled hands.

“That’s Fairy Dust.” Laila whispers to you when she sees the looks of confusion on your faces. It looks just how you imagined it would.

“So, are you saying that we’ll have to go through the town centers by ourselves?” Jimin’s question makes your heart jump with nerves.

“Yes and no. We’ll have to walk through the towns since their surveillance is stricter on air traffic, but all you have to do is follow behind us and everything will be fine. We’ll go first and lead the way while you trail a safe distance behind us. We can fly together between towns, when we’re not being watched.”

“Fly?” How would you fly if you didn’t have wings like them? You’ll probably use the fireflies again, so you don’t fret, but Alva shakes her head.

“What do you think I’m doing right now?” She asks rhetorically, rolling her eyes at your stupid question. “I’m making you wings so that you can fly with us.” Just as she says this, her workspace begins to glow red.

The Fairy Dust had somehow turned into thin sheets of glass-like material while you were looking away, inflexible and cloudy in quality but now burning a bright red color. Alva whispers something under her breath as she places her hands over the material, closing her eyes in focus. The glowing intensifies and Jimin pulls you back a few steps protectively to look on at a safer distance. Amazingly, the material transforms right before your eyes into transparent and featherlight wings that mimic those of the fairies beside you. They bend when she lifts them, they look extremely frail and delicate, so thin that you almost want to doubt their capabilities in holding you up in midair.

“Turn around.” She instructs quickly to you, using two fingers to rub more Fairy Dust on the edges of each wing. You spin for her and feel her move closer before pausing. The perplexed and irritated look on her face can be felt through the thick air and you don’t even have to see her to sense it.

“What’s wrong?” Jimin dares, eyes flicking back and forth between you.

“What covers your skin?” She asks, much to your confusion. You want to answer but you honestly have no idea what she’s referring to. Neither does Jimin.

“I believe they call them ‘clothes’”. Laila responds quietly.

“Ew, remove them.” The disgust in Alva’s voice is clear, startling you. Somehow, one small detail had escaped both you and your boyfriend this entire time: the fact that the two fairies are completely naked. Their bodies are just as undefined and nondescript as their faces and the odd light they seemed to give off acted as some sort of censor, making it difficult to tell whether or not they were wearing anything. But their reactions confirm that they, indeed, are in the nude. It makes sense, humans are the only creatures to cover themselves like this. But you’re still human and the thought of roaming naked and free in this unfamiliar landscape is uncomfortable.

“Is there a way that you could put the wings on over the clothes?” You turn to allow her to see the cringe on your cheeks. “Logically, it would make sense to keep our clothes on so that when we save your leader and return to normal size, we won’t be naked and exposed in the wilderness?” It’s phrased like a question because of the intimidating glare Alva is giving you, sucking the confidence right out of your words.

Thankfully, Laila is there to back you up. “It’s true, if they aren’t wearing their coverings when they turn back, i-it will remain our size.” Alva gives her the death glare too, but surprisingly, Laila doesn’t back down.

“Fine, but if this doesn’t work, you’re making the next pair of wings.” She points to her roommate, smoothing down your shirt to get a feel for the structure of your back before gently attaching the wings. Their attachment is joined by a ticklish sensation that makes you squirm and giggle, pulling against the small hands that attempt to hold you in place. You expected it to be painful, but the ticklish feeling fades quickly followed by nothing, your extensions successfully attached. She moves onto Jimin swiftly and you grin as the cutest giggle bubbles from his throat at the feeling. The wings really suit him, he looks like a fairy prince that has come to sweep you off your feet and fly off into the distance.

“Excellent.” Laila sighs in relief when your wings move with the motion of your shoulders, steadfast and not likely to come off. “I have prepared these for you as well.” She thrusts a bag into your hands, as well as a shiny whistle. “This Fairy Dust is essential to our mission. Fairies use it to craft things and manipulate items around them, so it is imperative that you get this to our leader to aid in her rescue and escape. This whistle is to only be used in emergencies,” Placing one in Jimin’s hands, she glares when he immediately puts it to his lips. “It will call Garnet to you in case you need a ride, but she is very busy at this time of night, so try not to use it.”

“Okay! Now we’re all set to go!” Alva rushes, practically pushing you out of her house.

Laila is the only one who has patience enough to teach you to fly, speeding through a lesson and demonstration with pressure from the other woman who looks on with annoyance. To Jimin, who is always quite graceful, flying is easy. The wings on his back move to his will and it’s as if he’s dancing in the air, lifting above you and quickly using his skills to twirl and flip. You, on the other hand, struggle immensely. As soon as your feet leave the ground, balance loses all meaning to you and you toddle unsteadily, smacking into things left and right because of the uneven flutter of your propellers. You bet you look silly right now— no, you know you do because Jimin makes sure to laugh loudly every time you struggle— but this is no time for shame. Alva concludes your lesson once it’s apparent that you won’t fall out of the sky and suggests that you’ll get the hang of it as you go, barely waiting for you before taking off from the tip of the branch.

“Now, I must warn you,” She says as you rush to keep up. “These wings do have a time limit, so it’s important that we make it to the water as fast as possible before time runs out or you’ll have to walk.”

“G-got it.” You’re still uneasy, veering off to the side occasionally and nearly smacking into Laila when the wind catches you. Just when you’re starting to get dizzy from your wacky steering, a warm hand closes around your arm. Jimin smiles at you, this time not with humor but with care, and you feel yourself relax. Pulling you closer to his body, he helps you balance in order to fly straight, offering tips and holding on tight for support. Even after you’ve gotten the hang of it, he holds your hand and stays close to you.

Traveling across the meadow takes far longer than you expected and by the time you reach the first town, you’re already tired. Alva lands several meters away from the tree line, turning abruptly to face you. “We’re about to enter the shrubs. This town is full of friendly faces so it shouldn’t be too hard to spot spies, but stay on the lookout. Laila and I have to meet up with an ally in one of the shops; once we get there, stay outside in the area and try not to look suspicious.”

“How are we supposed to do that?” Folding your arms, you wait for a response, but Alva simply shrugs and continues ahead.

“Just try not to bother anyone.” Laila says softly, avoiding your eyes as she speeds up to walk in front of you.

As soon as you enter the shrubs, hundreds of eyes zero in on the unfamiliar faces of you and Jimin. Some greet the fairies as they pass farther in front of you, but seem to burn holes in your back when you walk by, squeezing the hand of your boyfriend at the horrifying bugs that are now very close to your size. Ants and worms, caterpillars and centipedes all roam freely on the dense floor, chewing on fertile dirt and decaying leaves, carrying on with their lives all around you. None seem particularly threatening, but that doesn’t stop your hands from becoming incredibly sweaty in Jimin’s palm.

“I’ll protect you.” He whispers, though his voice shakes in uncertainty.

“How? There’s no way you can fight any of these things!” You whisper back through gritted teeth. Your eyes are so focused on trying not to lose sight of the women in front of you that you don’t notice the roots sticking up from the ground and trip noisily over one of them. Jimin reaches out with lightning fast reflexes and catches you before you come crashing to the ground, offering you a cheesy smile when your wide eyes lock on his before pulling you back up to your feet.

“I don’t need to fight them, I just need to save you from yourself.” You pout at his words, feeling your cheeks get hot at how embarrassing that fall must have looked. Even though you’re surrounded by bugs, you still have your pride.

Finally, Alva and Laila enter a shop, giving you a meaningful glance before disappearing inside. Jimin leads you just a little bit past the store before finding a spot to stand just opposite of its entrance so you can watch for their exit, pulling you against him as he leans against a mushroom. You take this time to take in your surroundings: the ceiling of this area is made of the dense leaves and vines of shrubs, yet it isn’t dark. Instead, everything is lit by glow-in-the-dark fungi that is speckled above and below you. Large mushrooms, like the one you sit beneath, grow in bundles in the darker places, their smell humid and pungent like a room full of mold. It tickles your nostrils and you sneeze, causing a movement from behind you.

“Oh!” Calls a voice that appears out of seemingly nowhere. Jimin moves you defensively away from the person, turning to confront them as they step from behind the fungus’ stem. “I wouldn’t sit under this if I were you. It’s smell can be quite intoxicating after a while and may cause hallucinations to those who aren’t used to it.” A male fairy steps forward, coated in Fairy Dust and naked just like your guides had been. The only difference is that he is covered in spores. This doesn’t seem to bother him, though. He eyes both you and Jimin up and down, smiling oddly at your appearance. “New around here?”

“Yes.” You answer hesitantly, but he seems nice enough.

“I can sense that you’re not fairies... Hmm, where are you from?” Just as you open your mouth to speak, Jimin cuts in.

“We’re just visiting. Who are you?”

“Ah, yes! I’m a mushroom fairy, the name’s Bayard.” He extends a hand and you shake it despite Jimin’s weary expression. “I work here and tend to the mushrooms that light this place. We don’t get visitors often, welcome!”

“Thank you! We’re actually heading to the water, do you have any helpful advice for us?” Alva and Laila said that this place was full of friends, so you want to take a chance. He seems kind and helpful and the two of you are absolutely clueless in your environment, so you figure it would be beneficial to get all the help you can get. The hand holding yours tightens, but you ignore it to listen to the fairy’s advice.

“Oh, I’ve never been to the water before, but I heard it’s pretty dangerous over there now. I say it’d be smart to invest in a weapon if you’re heading over that way.” He nods solemnly. “You can probably get one at the shop over there,” He points to a small stall next to the store your comrades entered and you sag.

“We don’t have any money, though.” You pout, using your charms on him.

“Money? Nah, you just need something to trade for it, that’s all. Here, since you seem so sweet I’ll give you something, wait here.” Bayard flies up to the head of the mushroom and you watch in awe as he collects something from its surface before coming back down to hand you 2 bags. “These are the hallucinogenic spores I was talking about. They’re worth a lot, so you should be able to trade it easily, but you could use it for your own benefit.”

“What do you mean?” You ask innocently, making him chuckle.

“Well, a good whiff of it might lead to a wild night, if you catch my drift.” He winks at Jimin and your face bursts into flames at the implications, and you can see that Jimin has a similar reaction. Bayard laughs heartily, clapping his hand together in a plume of spores that you wave away from your face. “I’m only pulling your leg. But seriously,” His expression drops so fast that a chill runs up your spine, all humor wiped from his eyes. “This is some powerful stuff. One bag of this is enough to knock out something 10x our size, so be careful. I gave you 2 bags in case you need to buy more stuff, but please, handle with care.”

“We will.” You nod, giving your bag for Jimin to hold. “Thank you so much, Bayard, this is very generous of you.”

He grins shyly. “Don’t mention it. If you ever need a friend, you know where to find me. Good luck on your travels, I gotta get back to work.” He waves you off as he disappears back behind the bundle of mushrooms, hidden in the deep shadows they cast.

“I think we should be more careful with who we talk to, (Y/n).” Jimin whispers, following you as you walk toward the shop. “We can’t tell everyone our business, they could be spies!”

“I know, but I could tell he wasn’t. Plus, he turned out to be really helpful, so everything worked out.”

“Yeah, but we could have just gotten lucky this time. This is real life, babe, you need to be more careful. You shouldn’t talk to everyone like that.” He argues back, tugging on your arm to stop you before you reach the stall. You turn to look him in the eyes.

“But if we didn’t talk to him, it would have been suspicious. We can’t go around looking nervous and jumpy because then people will start thinking we’re up to something (which we kinda are). I was just blending in.” The determined look in your eye makes him pause and he can no longer argue. Dammit, he’s always so weak when you look at him like that. And you’re so beautiful in this lighting, your eyes shining back at him and the structure of your face contoured perfectly with the subtle shadows. You’re right and he has no choice but to accept it, even if he does have more to say. You can see the moment he drops it, his face softening with the slight nod he gives you as if admitting defeat. But you’re also weak to him when he looks down at you like that, like he wants to kiss you senseless and make you forget about whatever you disagreed about. You decide to compromise. “But I’ll be more careful from now on to make your job a little easier.”

He cocks an eyebrow and tilts his head cutely in confusion.

“You said you would protect me, right? It would be rude of me to jump headfirst into danger when I know you’ll jump right in after me.” You try to shrug indifferently but it comes off as flirty, pulling a smug smirk from him as you continue your way to the shop.

It costs a whole bag of the spores Bayard gave you to acquire a weapon. Jimin chooses a small blade that the shopkeeper explains is made with Fairy Dust and can cut through even the toughest bindings. He advises that you should only use it for self defense in extreme situations and gives him a sheath to saddle on the belt loops of his pants. The sight perplexes the shopkeeper, but he sends you on your way without question.

“I know you said you’d be more careful, but you have a penchant for trouble so we’ll probably find ourselves in some bad situations. But at least I can protect you properly now.” You wrinkle your nose at his accusation, but end up chuckling at the way he brandishes the blade as though in a heated battle.

Alva clears her throat as she glides past the two of you with a twitch of her wings, announcing her presence subtly as Laila follows swiftly after, pointedly trying not to look at you and accidentally being the most obvious one in the group. You linger for a few more moments with an embarrassed Jimin, asking the shopkeeper one more question about your purchase before making a smooth exit in the footsteps of your comrades. You’re a good distance away from the shrubs before you begin flying again, catching up with the two who wait for you at a nearby tree.

“Oh my goodness, that was so nerve wracking.” Laila sighs, biting her lip.

“Sorry that took so long, but we got some great intel on the enemy.” Jimin reaches for your hand again when you take off even though you’re infinitely better at flying now. You act like you aren’t affected as you try to listen to Alva’s words. “We’re about to pass a carcass so we’ll need to go around, but it has a spy checkpoint on each side so we’ll have to split up when we cross them to avoid suspicion. Be on the lookout for a shady looking ant and a really chunky maggot. Laila and I will do the talking, but don’t answer any of their questions in too much detail if they ask you directly.”

The way she lists off the warnings makes you sweat. What would happen if you got caught? Yes, this was a once in a lifetime adventure, but the danger is not lost on you. Jimin is right, this is real life and you could get seriously hurt or worse if things go south. You had to rescue their leader, this had to work because she is the only one that can return you to human size, and that realization settles uncomfortably in your stomach. Separating from Jimin only makes the feeling worse.

“We’ll be traveling together,” Alva informs you once you land, instructing Laila and Jimin where to meet. Your eyebrows crease with worry and you quickly grab his arm before he leaves.

When you don’t say anything, he gives you a soft smile, reading your eyes. “What happened to all that bravery you had back there?” He teases.

“I was confident because we were together. How can we look out for each other if we’re not together?” The only thing you can think of that’s worse than you getting captured, is if he got captured without you. It’s not just about him protecting you, you want to watch over him too.

“We’ll be fine. Alva and Laila will keep us safe.” They both nod at you.

“Yes, we’ll do everything in our power to keep you two safe.” Laila adds in her timid voice, glancing up at your eyes.

“Okay...” You reluctantly let go of him and watch them start to walk away. “Please be careful!” He sends you a thumbs up as he gets farther away. The starlight above you is partially covered by the trees, making this area much darker than the meadow had been. Fireflies flicker in the distance but it still isn’t bright enough to see him clearly as he continues on.

“Come on. The faster we go through this, the sooner you’ll be reunited.” For the first time, Alva offers words of consolation, and you’re almost shocked that she has sympathy for you. She mumbles in a quieter voice than usual. “I’m not thrilled about splitting from them either, but this is the safest way. If we all went through together, that would definitely raise some red flags.”

“Why couldn’t we just follow you like we did back there?” She scoffs.

“Not many newcomers cross these parts alone. You two would never make it past the spies without being noticed. Even with us, it’s a risk. I just hope Laila’s okay.” This is the first time you’ve actually seen her worried and for the second time in a row, you’re baffled. This entire time Alva has been hardened and crude, but now she seems almost as worried as you. You can’t help but ask.

“You seem to have a soft spot for her. Do you have feelings for her?” She knows you’re teasing by the lilt in your voice, and you see her wings twitch, something you’re beginning to notice that signifies her annoyance. Her eyes roll so hard you think they’ll get stuck in her head.

“Of course I have feelings for her. In human terms, we’re dating, why do you think we live together?”

“Oh!” You chuckle nervously, feeling a bit dumb. You saw only one bed in their home but thought little of it, and now much of their decor makes sense. There’s an awkward silence for a while and you can’t for the life of you think of anything else to talk about. You wish the ground beneath you would just open up and swallow you whole. Thankfully, she breaks the silence for you.

“We learned another important detail that I didn’t mention,” She waits until you glance over at her. “We found out that the stink bug king plans to marry our leader, so it would probably be smart for you to come up with a plan to intercept this.” You sigh in thought, turning your gears to come up with a plan.

The smell of the carcass is much worse than Jimin imagined, it hits them long before they reach the body. Laila leads him to the right side of the unidentifiable animal, a heap of fur, bones, and flesh in the middle stages of decomposition thanks to the abundance of bugs and fungi working diligently to break it down. They stop before the animal as Laila crafts 2 masks from her own bag of Fairy Dust, handing one to him to reduce the horrific smell as they trek on. He tries to ignore the sounds of the ecosystem feasting on its prey, and thankfully his partner offers a distraction.

“I know you’re worried about your girlfriend, but Alva will protect her. And I will protect you.” He notices that she easily makes eye contact with him, unlike before. “Stink bugs aren’t vicious, they’re just resilient and armored, making them tough to beat. But hopefully we won’t have to fight.”

“I know she’ll be alright, I have faith in her. She probably won’t get caught by the spy, she’s too smart for that.” His words are genuine, yet his heart still races at the possibilities. A darkness eclipses his face that she catches onto immediately.

“What’s wrong?” Her voice is so gentle that he has no problem opening up to her.

“If she gets captured or hurt it’ll be my fault. I brought her out to the meadow to have a romantic date, but instead it ended up putting her in danger. We should have stayed at the campsite.”

“No.” Laila says firmly, causing him to yank his head up in surprise. “If anything, this is my fault. I chose you because you were the only ones around that could help us, but I could have left you alone. If anything happens, I am to blame.” He says nothing to this, not quite accepting it, but she seems steadfast so he won’t argue. “I apologize for not asking sooner, but what is your name?”

“Jimin.”

“And what is hers?”

“(Y/n)~” He says your name almost dreamily compared to his own, a smile subconsciously finding its way to his lips. She grins.

“Do you love her?” Laila doesn’t seem to be the blunt type, but this is obviously amusing. Especially with the way his ears color red at that one question.

“I- I don’t know if I know what love is,” is his response.

“I think you do. I see how you look at her, how you smile when you think of her, the way that you say her name with such delicacy; I bet you don’t even realize how lovestruck you look when she’s around.” Jimin turns away from her to avoid her eyes, bringing a hand to his warming cheeks. He mumbles something under his breath. “I know because that’s how I am with Alva and I love her very much.”

“Alva? Wait, are you-?”

“Yes, she is my girlfriend.” The confirmation makes his jaw drop, some pieces falling together just as they had for you. “Never be embarrassed by your feelings, they can be a source of power at times like these. It is because you love her so much that I know you’d do anything to keep her safe, and I have no doubt that she is exactly the same way. This mission will be a success, I can feel it. You should tell her how you really feel when this is all over.”

“Oh... I don’t know about that. What if she doesn’t feel the same way...”

“She’s intelligent, compassionate, outgoing, brave, charming, and above that, so beautiful that everyone around takes notice— a woman like that can be pretty intimidating. But trust me, she loves you too. Though I haven’t known you two for long, I can see how her body language changes with you, that sparkle in her eyes whenever you interact. She’s just as lovesick for you as you are for her. But I won’t pressure you.”

Laila is a lot wiser and more perceptive than he originally expected. She hadn’t looked you in the eye much— which he now knows is because you intimidate her more than her own intense girlfriend does— but it seems she’s picked up on a lot about both of you in this short time. Maybe her observations are right and you do love him back. But this feels like an inappropriate time to confess to you, so he decides he’ll keep it in for now.

As he’s ruminating on that idea, a huge tan bug crawls in front of them, blocking their path with its large body. Upon closer inspection, Jimin comes to the conclusion that it is a maggot, and it is indeed very “chunky”. It’s at least 3x his size, towering over them and angling it’s head in their direction. He can’t see its eyes, but it apparently can see them, turning its attention to Laila.

“It’s been a while, Laila. Haven’t seen you around these parts lately.” The breath that billows out from its mouth is even more rancid than the corpse it was feasting on, the stench so pointed that it slices through the barrier of their masks. It almost brings tears to Jimin’s eyes as he tries to refrain from gagging.

“Yes, well, I’ve been busy in the meadow, so I haven’t had the time to come out this far.” She replies easily, not the slightest quiver in her voice present. The maggot hums.

“And who is this?” Turning to face Jimin, it gives an interested tilt of the head and leans in closer, its pincers coming just inches away from his face. The smell is vile, beyond sickening, and if it were to have a color, he’s sure it’s breath would be the most impure black sludge— yes, sludge, because it is too thick to be a gas— imaginable. As black as death itself. The most he can do is hold his breath.

“He is simply visiting the area. We’re just passing through.” Laila answers, but it hisses at her to hush.

“Visiting? What business do you have visiting here?” The hairs on the back of Jimin’s neck stand straight, every cell in his body telling him to run, yet he stands frozen. The pincers in front of his face are large enough to bite his head off and he gets the sense that if he doesn’t say something convincing, that’s exactly what his fate will be.

“I’m visiting my cousin.” He rasps out, his head feeling light from running out of air.

“What cousin?”

“Um, h-his name is Bayard. He’s a mushroom fairy that lives in the shrubs.” At this the maggot leans away, finally allowing Jimin to take a breath of the slightly less offensive air.

“Bayard, huh?” He nods quickly, watching nervously as the insect snaps its jaws in thought. Does it know him? If it does, there’s a chance that Jimin will be caught in his lie, that somehow it will know that Bayard does not have any visiting relatives and that he’s not who he says he is. He and Laila share a tense stare as the bug takes a few seconds to process before it bursts into laughter. “He’s a crazy bastard, isn’t he?” They sigh in relief and Jimin nods along, forcing out a laugh. “Why isn’t he showing you around? I would’ve loved if he came to visit, I don’t get to see him often.”

“Oh you know, he’s busy working. You know how he is about his mushrooms.” They laugh again and the air seems to get a bit thinner.

“Ah, well, we’ll tell him you said hello. For now, though, we must get going.” Laila interrupts, much to his relief. The hefty maggot walks forward, opening the path for them once again and nods its head at them.

“Safe travels!” It wishes them well as they pass, watching as they continue around the side of the carcass, no longer conversing with each other but making headway straight out of the area. It isn’t until they reach the rendezvous point that Laila finds the courage to speak again, holding both hands over her chest as if she were in pain.

“That was close. If it wasn’t for your quick thinking, I don’t know what would’ve happened.” Then she tilts her head and looks up at him quizzically. “How do you know of Bayard, anyway?”

“(Y/n) befriended him in the last town.” Jimin rubs the back of his neck, thinking back to how upset he was about you speaking to strangers like that and how silly he looks now. Without you, he wouldn’t have made it out of that situation. Maybe he should have more faith in your instincts— they may just be your way of protecting him.

It takes several minutes before you and Alva emerge from your side of the animal. Alva is nodding at you, looking apprehensive, but you seem determined and sure.

“Let’s not tell Jimin, though. He probably won’t approve.” You whisper to her just out of earshot before you reach them, smiling in relief when you see that they made it here safely. You didn’t encounter your spy, though you did see him interrogating someone else who was passing through, and when you tell him this he shakes his head at the rare good luck you’ve just experienced. He tells you about the Bayard lie as you wrap your arms around him briefly and you laugh in a way that says “I told you so”— and it is then that he notices the look that Laila was talking about. The one you give him when you’re hanging onto every word he says like it’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever heard. His heart flutters at the thought. Laila and Alva share a meaningful look but say nothing, coaxing you onward with your journey.

This place has a worse atmosphere than the carcass you just passed, you can feel it. Supposedly, this is the last obstacle in your path before you reach the water, and even Alva seems on edge about what lies ahead. A fallen log stands before you, decaying and riddled with plant-life, fungus, and insects. Hostility leaks from every crevice of the black wood, the breeze itself seeming to carry a sneer as it blows past it.

“Okay, a word of advice before we continue,” Alva begins, slowing her pace in order to turn and face you as you fly. “Unlike the shrubs, this place is full of shady characters, so do not stop to talk to anyone or anything. That being said, keep your eyes peeled as we pass through, the creatures here will feast on anything that moves— and that includes you.”

“Also,” Laila casts her eyes down away from you. “Your wings will likely start to disintegrate soon. We’ll have to fly through this area because we’ll be too slow on foot, therefore putting us in more danger. The wings should last long enough to make it out of here if we fly, but it will be close, so we can’t have any interruptions or stops.” You both nod grimly, biting on your lip as a dark feeling swells within you.

It’s a gut feeling that alerts you to the danger up ahead, and you mindlessly reach for Jimin’s hand for comfort. He doesn’t seem to be as nervous aside from the warnings the two of them explain, and you wonder if you’re being paranoid.

“Why can’t we just fly over or around it?” You ask, trying to hide the tremor in your voice. Alva gives you a frustrated sigh before explaining once again how closely the skies are monitored, going against your plan to slip through undetected. But you can hardly say that this route is any safer.

It’ll be easy to stay out of trouble if you just stay off the ground though, right? Fly over the heads of everyone and make it out of this area before any real damage can be done. You cling onto that ideal as you watch Laila and Alva enter the center of the log, moving slowly until you and Jimin follow behind them.

“Please stay close to me.” You whisper to him— more like a plea because of the growing anxiety building in the pit of your stomach, your gut feeling worsening as you near the entrance.

“I will. Don’t worry, I won’t leave you.” Softly, he presses a kiss to your forehead, but even that doesn’t help you shake this feeling.

It’s dark and muggy within the rotting wood, the lack of light contrasting even with the dimness of the night sky. Glowing fungi are speckled against the walls of the log, but it is nowhere near as bright as it had been in the shrubs, leaving many areas cloaked in shadows. Jimin holds onto you tightly, his other hand feeling for the blade equipped to his pants. Your nervousness is unsettling; he can feel how cold and clammy your hands have become, the slight tremor of your body as your heart races within. He wishes he could reassure you, but you have amazing instincts and he doubts anything he says could contest against the physical reaction you’re exhibiting at this moment. All he can do is prepare himself.

The fairies in front of you seem to shine against the blackness, making them easy to follow. You execute your plan for flying as high as possible in the somewhat cramped tunnel, almost scraping your head against the ceiling in your effort to avoid the crude faces that crawl underneath. Insects hide in the crevices of the jagged walls, disturbed and squirming as you whoosh past their lairs. Something about them makes you think they’re blind, but you wouldn’t know for sure since you won’t give yourself enough time to inspect them.

Something brushes your arm when the tunnel narrows, causing you to gasp and jerk embarrassingly only to realize that it was just soft moss. You give a sheepish look to Jimin when he turns to you. “Sorry, I’m a little jumpy.” So far, you haven’t encountered anything of noteworthy danger and you’re almost halfway through the log, and you start to think that maybe you were just being paranoid.

As you move along, the wood gets denser and the pathways become smaller, only allowing one person at a time. Laila’s wings are still visible due to the waning light, but you’ll have to fly faster if you want to keep an eye on them, so Jimin flies ahead of you since he’s generally faster and better at flying than you. Reluctantly, you release his hand and follow close behind, blind to what lies in front of you and solely relying on him to guide you forward.

“You okay?” He asks quietly, unable to turn and look at you.

“Yeah, keep going.” Is your quiet response, trailing right on his heels. “Can you still see them?”

“Just barely. Let’s try to go a little faster, I don’t think our wings will last too much longer.” Jimin can sense how his body seems to feel heavier on his wings. The transparent material of them is getting thinner and he isn’t sure how much longer they’ll be able to hold him up before they become unusable.

“Okay, I can keep up.” Picking up the pace, you start to feel less weary of the life around you. Nothing seems interested in your presence as you float by and that’s exactly how you like it.

The path opens up into a hollow section, allowing you more space, and you shift to the left of Jimin in order to see around him briefly. You intended to catch a glimpse of your guides, laser focusing your eyes in front of you so intensely that your surroundings are forgotten. Jimin remains in your peripheral as you squint through the darkness, but in an instant, he zips by and leaves you behind. Confused, you turn around to see if you got snagged on something and find yourself losing your balance and landing on something sticky. Long threads form a net around you and it dawns on you that they are the cause of your immobility— so naturally, you try to shake free from them, only to find that the more you struggle, the more parts of you become stuck. You barely have any time to process what this could possibly mean before several long legs emerge from the corner of your eye.

“It looks like there’s light up ahead. We’re almost out, (Y/n)!” Jimin smiles in relief, eyes still watching for the pair of wings that flutter several centimeters ahead. But when you don’t respond, his eyebrows crease. “(Y/n)?” Before he can even turn around, a blood curdling scream rips through his ears, the voice sounding alarmingly similar to yours. He spins around and immediately notices that you are no longer right behind him. How long have you been gone?! He races backwards toward the source of the scream, fear and worry bubbling in his chest with every second it takes to reach you as you let out another deafening scream.

The first thing he sees is the underside of an enormous body with 8 hairy legs protruding menacingly from its center. They splay out methodically to walk the thin cords beneath it with the expertise of a tight rope walker, graceful, long, and elegant in the most wretched way. Next, he spots you, placed in the center of its legs, completely caged in and frozen by the sheer size of the arachnid above you and shaking in terror. Jimin’s eyes drag up to find 8 odd black orbs locked on yours, sitting just above open jaws aimed directly at you. Before he can even stop himself, he’s calling out your name.

“(Y/n)!” It’s more of a reaction of surprise, but it catches the attention of the spider, who looks up from its prey with glazed eyes. But he is not the one that’s caught in its web, so it quickly returns its interest to you.

“Jimin?!” You cry out with an unsteady voice.

“I’m here, baby! Just stay calm.”

“How?!” You can’t see him because of how your back is facing his direction, but you can hear how panicked he sounds. He knows that spiders are your weakness. You suffer from mild arachnophobia and he’s sure that encountering a spider that is many times larger than you and moments away from eating you is intensifying that fear unimaginably. He has to think fast.

The first thing he can think of is to distract it, so he breaks off a piece of wood and taps it to the web, sending vibrations that catch the attention of the previously uninterested insect. It glances over with curiosity before making its way to the other side of the web to inspect the swinging wood chip that is now attached to the threads on one end. Taking this opportunity, Jimin runs over to you and pulls out his knife, praying to everything that it is holy that it really can cut anything. If this fails, he doesn’t know what he’ll do. He tries to break one of the threads with a quick slice, but when he brings the knife down, it promptly bounces off as though he had hit a steel wire, instead sending more vibrations that bring the spider back over to you. It hisses loudly, likely upset that he’s trying to steal its dinner, and it lunges at him with its fangs, barely missing him through the web. He falls backwards, but catches himself with his wings unsteadily.

He tries the same method again and again, shaking the already stuck stick to lure the spider over, then swinging his blade at the thick bindings that refuse to release you, to no avail.

“It’s not working! And I don’t have enough time to break the web because of the spider!” He’s clearly distressed, using all his force to push down and break the web that has the integrity of metal. Spider webs break easily to a human, but it’s an entirely different monster when you’re this small. This knife, this stupid knife that cost him an entire bag of spores is doing absolutely nothing, and his frustration grows with each slice.

Wait, that’s it!

“Jimin, the spores! Do you still have them?” The words come out hurried and jumbled, but miraculously he understands.

“Yeah, why?” He looks up at you, but swiftly jumps out of the way when the spider returns. This time it won’t leave you, guarding your body from the intruder, repeatedly striking and hissing at him to leave. The wings that hold Jimin up are weakening, he has to hurry or he won’t be able to reach you from the ground.

“Throw them on the spider! Bayard said that one bag is enough to ‘knock out something 10x our size’, you can use it to buy time and cut me out!” As you’re explaining, Jimin reaches for the pouch in his pocket, opening it to look at the small particles piled up inside. He isn’t sure if it’ll work as well as you hope but he has to try, so with only a second of hesitation, he looks back up at the colossus on top of you.

“Hold your breath.” Once he hears you inhale, the bag of spores is flung straight into the face of the spider, some getting in its mouth, most of it landing on and around its head, caught in the hairs that line its body. Your eyes close as they float around you, but you can feel how the spider stumbles back in shock, trying to shake the particles from itself. Jimin immediately gets to work with the knife, trying a sawing approach this time with every bit of hope poured into his efforts. Thankfully, the string breaks with just 2 back and forth motions, loosening the integrity of the web just the slightest bit. He works fast, snapping each connection around you until you’re falling backwards into his arms and away from the staggering monster.

He grabs your arm and pulls you along as you attempt to gather yourself, flying as best you can with the few unbroken strands still stuck to your wings, but you won’t let that stop you now.

“We’re not gonna make it, our wings are-“ You try to say, but Jimin cuts you off.

“There’s light up ahead, we just have to make it there.” Fairy Dust has begun to fall from both of your wings, leaving a shimmering trail behind you as you push them to their limit. They can barely carry you an inch off the ground now, but that’s all you need as long as you make it to the light. But of course, it’s never that easy. As if on cue, the spider comes barreling through the log from behind, its eyes crossed and confused as it swerves up the sides of the tunnel in pursuit of you, its legs scraping the dead wood and causing crackling and falling pieces avalanching down.

You scream, pushing yourself even harder to escape your doom, ducking under protruding chunks and narrow openings desperately. You know the feeling when something’s chasing you and you feel like it’s just a step away at all times just teasing you, waiting to grab you, and you can swear you feel them breathing down your neck no matter how far back they are? Yeah, this is one of those situations. Except the spider actually is just a step away, and the only reason it hasn’t caught you yet is because of the spores in its lungs. It lunges forward aggressively, just barely missing you and grazing the side of your right arm— had its aim been any better, you surely would be dead. It hallucinates several versions of you flying before its eyes, your screams echoing off the walls and damaging its overwhelmed senses. It stumbles, using its front leg to reach for you and barely missing your side with the razor edge of its claws, a feature you hadn’t known existed until now. But the claws are very real and your torn shirt is proof.

The light that Jimin was talking about suddenly emerges, the dim starlight seeming as bright as the sun compared to the dark that engulfed you within this black wood, and for a moment, hope sparks in your chest. But your heart drops to your stomach when both of you suddenly fall to the floor, your wings finally giving out as they continue to disappear. You scramble to your feet and take the lead, glancing back at the spider that is squeezing his way through the tiny opening you and Jimin managed to slip through, spitting foul noises at you out of rage.

“Up here!” Shelf fungi line the walls, creating a convenient ladder up to the top of the log that you climb, finding strength you never knew you had to pull yourself up each one. Jimin is close behind, pushing at your feet when you struggle near the top, but his eyes widen at the sight of the spider with half of its body through the opening, its legs flailing and scratching to pull itself through. The mushrooms end just a body length from the ledge of the log, your freedom just fingertips away, but you can’t reach from your height and you don’t have the strength to pull yourself all the way up.

Jimin nudges you out of the way, the adrenaline pumping wildly through his veins allowing him to jump up and grab hold of the ledge and pull himself up, disappearing on the other side; and for a moment you fear that he’ll leave you here. You gasp when your eyes meet the dizzy ones of your pursuer, it’s body nearly free, and panic rises within you like never before.

“(Y/n)!” Jimin calls, and you look up to find his hands reaching down to grab you, his hair and the top of his forehead the only thing visible. Without wasting another second, you jump up and grab his hands, and with strained grunts, he helps pull you up to his level on the outside of that Hell. “Where do we go now?”

You’re high up, really high, and it’s a long way down without your wings. Honestly, you hadn’t thought this far, but now isn’t the time to stop and think, not when you hear the sound of splintering wood and hissing beneath you. Jimin follows as you run forward, looking to the end of the timber suspiciously.

“(Y/n), what’s your plan here?!” The edge is nearing alarmingly fast and it looks to him like you intend to run right off the side. He wishes he could say that he was thinking of a plan too, but his mind becomes blank with terror the moment the spider re-emerges from the opening. It takes a few seconds to find you before chasing, its speed significantly slower now thanks to the spores, but it is enough to drive you forward with no hope of turning back. Leaving the only option to jump off the side. But you couldn’t be thinking that, there’s no way, because from this height you’d both break your legs from the landing, at best.

“Do you trust me?” You ask, your eyes determined. You can’t be thinking what he thinks you are. But despite his worries, he answers without hesitation.

“Yes.”

“Okay.” You pull out the whistle stored away in your pocket and blow, the noise barely audible over the bustle of the night. You blow into it again, this time longer, but nothing happens and the ledge is right in front of you. The skies are empty, few bugs crossing your paths as you come to a stop and look around, the creaking wood below your feet mocking you as you stand still. “Are you sure you trust me?” Jimin nods. “We need to jump.”

“Jump?!” He’s not sure he heard you right. But then again, what choice does he have? The spider seems drunk behind you, clumsily galloping toward you with eyes that look through you, and if it doesn’t eat you it’ll surely smack directly into you and push you off the cliff, spelling your doom either way. Jimin watches as you blow the whistle again and step closer to the edge, looking down at the drop with that determined look he’s seen so many times. You’re serious. But you haven’t been wrong yet, so with a deep breath, he steps up next to you. “I trust you.”

He doesn’t say this with a tone that holds doubt, it's a definitive statement. And that makes you smile. Even if you are leading him to your deaths, you know Jimin has his full faith in you, so you take his hand and pray that this works. On your count, you both jump, your lips on the whistle that you continue to blow. As air rushes past your face, you squeeze Jimin’s hand and search your surroundings during the slowest, most uncertain seconds of your life.

Suddenly, a flash of green and red appears with lightning speed and before you know it, you’re landing on the hard back of the creature with a force strong enough to drop her a couple of inches and rip your hand out of Jimin’s. He lands straight in the center of Garnet’s back, but you skid off the side, grabbing at the smooth surface of her body helplessly. But Jimin has quick reflexes and latches onto your arm, using his strength for the second time to pull you onto Garnet’s back. You secure your arms around him tightly as he holds the reins and tells her to take you to Alva and Laila, who are probably already out of the log and waiting for you. Hopefully she can understand what he’s asked. Looking up, you catch sight of the spider just as it careens off the edge of the wood, following you blindly with now uncontrolled limbs and foggy eyes, it’s body narrowly missing you as it falls all the way to the ground, crumpled into an unconscious heap. That uneasy feeling in your stomach almost immediately subsides, and you tighten your arms around your boyfriend with a sigh of relief, burying your face in his shoulder and breathing in his scent to calm your pounding heart.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt at all?” His worry is heavy and it warms you.

“I’m fine, just a little shaken up.” It’s probably just the shock, but you feel oddly at ease. You know that later— maybe tomorrow— you’ll be freaking out about your worst nightmare nearly coming true if it weren’t for Jimin. “Thank you for saving me.”

Your surroundings are serene, the night air warm and soothing. The landscape is pretty from this perspective. Full of hidden terrors and thrills, everything looking so peaceful despite you nearly losing your life moments ago.

“I said I would protect you.” He smiles cockily, and you giggle into his shirt. “But seriously, you did most of the work. We make a great team; let’s keep working together.” If Jimin was being honest, he doesn’t think he’d be able to save you if it wasn’t for your quick wit. His brain is no good in times of trial, he freezes up mentally, and though he jumps into action without a second thought, he rarely has the capacity to come up with an effective plan. You are certainly the brains of the operation, and the more he thinks about it, the more attractive your intelligence becomes. He wouldn’t want to be in this situation with anyone else in the world, and he means that with his whole heart.

When Garnet lands, Laila runs over to you, helping you and Jimin off her back with care and concern. She looks you over, gasping at the tear in your shirt. “What happened?! You disappeared toward the end and we heard screams, but Alva said we couldn’t go back. I was so worried for you! Are you sure you’re not hurt?”

You explain what happened bashfully, feeling embarrassed that you were the one to screw up the plan, but neither of the fairies seem upset by it.

“We’re just glad you made it out alright.” Alva reassures in a rare moment of sentiment.  “Do you still have the Fairy Dust?”

Thankfully, the bag remains untouched and secure around your waist. You weren’t thinking about it during that near death experience, but you’re glad that it wasn’t lost in all the action. After Laila takes the time to physically examine you to make sure you actually weren’t hurt, they lead you ahead to the last leg of your journey.

Though they had talked at length about the stink bugs’ fortress, you were completely unprepared by the sheer number of bugs that were involved. You were forced to go the rest of the way on foot and had the chance to see the change in landscape that came as you neared the water. Where you would expect luscious plant growth you were instead met with hole riddled leaves and weeds, plants wilting with eaten roots, and scarred fruit littering the area, much different from the land closer to the meadow. Laila explains that these bugs are rapidly expanding their feeding grounds and will soon take over this side of the stream, and the thought sends a chill up your spine. But it isn’t until the water is in sight that you see the perpetrators of all this damage.

It’s almost like a swarm of bugs appears out of thin air once you cross a certain threshold, all of them crawling from under rocks and holes in the ground, flying up from plants where they were once hidden, and disgusted chills overcome you again at the sight of them. Jimin steps closer to you, putting an arm out in front of your body protectively when they form a wall in front of the 4 of you.

Laila steps forward, walking up to meet one bug that stands in the center of them all. She communicates with it for a few seconds, again amazing you with her lingual skills, and when she’s done, it turns away and flies in the opposite direction, leaving its army to stand guard. You don’t know what she said, or what is even happening right now as you seem to be standing in a stalemate, so you decide to ask.

“Was that the leader?” You whisper, as if speaking any louder would break the tension and prompt fighting with the soldiers ahead of you.

“No,” Alva answers, looking at her girlfriend’s back as she stands strong. “That’s only a messenger. I think she has asked to speak directly to the leader and the messenger agreed.”

“You think?” Jimin questions, tilting his head.

“Yeah, Alva, why don’t you know how to speak to bugs? Isn’t that a power you fairies have?” You join, blinking at her innocently.

“No it’s not some inherent power all fairies have, it’s a skill. A skill that I do not possess.”

“Well why not? I think it would be useful to learn.” You nod in agreement to Jimin’s words.

“Laila could probably teach you! Hey, babe, did you know they’re dating?” You ask excitedly, ignoring the winged woman to converse with your own significant other, but she cuts in quickly.

“This isn’t about me!” Her wings flick and you both stop talking, wordlessly returning your attention to the front where the bug returns with another creature in tow.

“Why the long look, Laila? Aren’t you glad to see me?” The voice of a man cuts through the air and you look up to find a thin fairy fluttering toward you, landing a few steps away from your comrade as she glares intensely at him. He’s colored brown similarly to the bugs he commands, but he is so twig-like that you could mistake him for a stick insect with wings. His features are as undefined as every other fairy you’ve encountered so far, but you can still tell he’s grinning by the way he opens his arms merrily.

“That’s their leader?” You whisper to your boyfriend, who looks on with the same shocked expression you wear.

“I have no desire to see your face.” Laila spits, shocking you even further. “You kidnapped Nissa, you do not deserve my kindness.”

“Is that so?” His arms drop to his sides. “Then, what brings you here, oh fair and beautiful warrior?” She visibly cringes at his words, Alva also wrinkling her face at his unwanted compliments.

“We’ve come to negotiate for our leader,” Alva speaks up, stepping closer to him to draw his attention. He scoffs, saying something about the two women not being allowed into his territory in order to negotiate, but she stands firm. “That is why we have brought ambassadors with us this time; surely, they are not banned as well?” His eyes then shift to yours, squinting at you and Jimin with a perplexed look. It’s probably the clothes that are throwing him off, you think.

“And what have they come to offer me? Will my sweet Laila finally trade herself in for her leader and become my bride?” A goofy smile crosses his lips, but it’s quickly wiped away with your next words.

“No, I will. I’ll become your bride in exchange for their leader.”

“What?” Jimin turns to you so fast that you think he’ll give himself whiplash, staring at you in disbelief. He must have heard you incorrectly, why would you say something like that? Placing his hands on your shoulders, he turns you to look at him, checking your face for any hints of a lie. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am serious, Jimin.” You say, looking back at his eyes. “If I offer myself to him, then Nissa will be free to go and there’s a chance for this place to be saved.”

“Yeah, but... we’re not even fairies. We don’t belong here. Why would you trade your own freedom for them?”

“Just because we aren’t one of them, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do everything in our power to help them. Their situation is hopeless without us, I can’t just sit here and let them suffer— not when I can do something about it.” It’s not that Jimin didn’t want to help them, it’s just that he’s not willing to give you up in exchange. And yes, all of your plans have worked so far, but this is going a little overboard.

“I want to help them too, but isn’t there another way?”

“This is the best way.” You say resolutely.

“But I can’t let you, (Y/n)! I can’t let you live with bugs for the rest of your life. Forget that, I can’t let you marry anyone else! I want to be the one you spend the rest of your life with— I love you! And I’m not willing to give you up for anything.” Your heart skips at his confession, your resolve wavering for a second. He’s never said anything like that to you before and it almost makes you dizzy with emotion. “I said I would keep you safe through all of this, and if we learned anything throughout this experience it’s that we need to work as a team, so it would be irresponsible of me to let you go through with this. Don’t forget, this is real life, no matter how surreal it seems, and you have a life to go back to after this.” His eyes are pleading, but you’ve already decided on this.

“You said you trusted me.” You say quietly, lip in a straight line.

“I do, but-“

“Do you trust me?” You ask again, his mouth left open with unspoken words. He takes a moment to answer, dropping his head.

“Yes.”

“Then trust that I know what I’m doing. We’re still a team, babe, I can’t do this without you. Go save their leader and trust that I’ll be okay. I have a feeling that everything will turn out well in the end.” Though his heart is hurting, Jimin let’s go of your shoulders, frowning deeply with conflicting emotions swimming in his eyes. For who?, he wants to ask, but he can’t say anything more.

“Now that I look at you, you are quite pretty.” The fairy walks up to you, bowing and kissing your hand. “Hello, I’m Hix. And you are?”

“(Y/n).” You reply simply, his lips feeling ticklish on your hand like when the wings were being attached to your back.

“And what are you, exactly?” He directs the question to both you and Jimin, but Laila answers.

“Humans. From a distant land.” Her arms are crossed and she’s still giving him the most disgusted look possible, but he doesn’t seem to notice.

“I’ve never seen a human before... they must be rare. Esteemed much higher than a fairy leader.” Hix thinks aloud, a finger on his chin. After a few seconds of deliberation, he comes to the conclusion that this is a worthy trade. “Come with me. We can discuss this further once we’re inside.”

“What about him?” You point to Jimin and Hix pauses, raising an eyebrow.

“What about him?” He asks incredulously.

“He should come with us. He’s my... assistant.” You say slowly, hoping the excuse works. None of this matters if Jimin isn’t welcome in the fortress with you. Hix accepts with little thought, leading you away with a short farewell to your fairy accomplices, but Alva pulls Jimin aside as he passes her.

“Don’t worry, (Y/n)’s a smart girl and she can talk her way out of almost anything. She has a plan, just make sure you get Nissa out of there.” She leaves him with that as he follows you through the army of stink bugs, each of them dispersing once you reach the fortress.

His home is nothing to brag about, it doesn’t come close to the innovation and beauty of Laila and Alva’s place, but it is structurally sound and complex, so it has a few things going for it. It’s colors are of mud and dead plants, it’s foundations rooted in the bleak gray of smooth stones, and you find it to be quite depressing.

“Do you live here alone?” You ask. You can’t imagine staying in a place like this all by yourself. Maybe that’s why he’s so desperate to find a wife.

“Yes. I also built this place by myself, so it’s very personal.” The smile on his face is proud and your eyebrows scrunch in sympathy. He leads you two to a wide room before he remembers that Jimin is with you, turning abruptly to face him.

“You may leave us now, assistant.” He commands rudely, and you reach for Jimin’s hand just as he makes his exit.

“Here. Take this to her.” You whisper, slipping the bag of Fairy Dust to him discreetly. Of course, he’s reluctant to leave you alone with this strange fairy, but you seem confident so he’ll do his best for you. Since there is no one else around, not even guard bugs, he is free to roam the fortress, and he enters a hallway to begin the search for Nissa.

The building is much more complex than he expected. The hallways wind and most lead to dead ends, leaving him confused in a maze of empty, doorless rooms. Jimin finds that the fortress isn’t completely deserted, there were a few close calls with some bugs that were monitoring certain hallways, but after searching surrounding areas he comes to the conclusion that they must be guarding something important.

Maybe I can just walk past them? He thinks, biting his plush bottom lip as he spies on the occupied corridor from around the corner. He is a guest here after all. But what would he do if they questioned him, or worse, what if they attacked? Since he knows none of their language and he isn’t sure they can understand him, he goes with a stealth tactic.

Shimmying along the brown walls, Jimin moves as slowly as possible so as not to draw any attention to himself. There’s another turn up ahead, just before the entry way that the insects keep watch over, and the plan is to slip into it and cause a distraction in the opposite direction to get them to walk away. He thinks he’s seen that in a movie somewhere, but he’s praying it’ll work in real life. The halls are wide to accommodate the girth of the shelled backs of Hix’s soldiers and Jimin feels exposed, inching his way toward the opening and hoping they don’t spot him. Of course, the bugs are low to the ground, crawling around on all fours which would make his feet very easy to spot from their vantage point, but they appear to be talking with one another, their heads so small compared to their bodies that he can’t even see their mouths. They probably wouldn’t be able to do much if they did decide to attack, but he wouldn’t risk it to find out. He continues at his painstaking pace noiselessly, holding his breath to make 2 bold leaps into the opening, so close to them that the breeze from his motion causes them to look up.

They make a noise but make no attempts to investigate, and after a few silent seconds, Jimin throws out his distraction. The only thing he has on him is the whistle Laila gave him and the bag of Fairy Dust, so he fishes the small shiny tool out of his pocket and holds it in his palm, hoping dearly that he won’t need it in the future. He isn’t even sure Nissa is behind this door, so losing important items could be costly, but he has to trust himself. You’re counting on him after all. And you’d probably come up with a silly plan like this if you were in his situation too. He tries to have a little more faith. With 2 short deep breaths, Jimin gathers his courage and throws the whistle down the hall, snatching his head back behind the cover and closing his eyes when it clinks loudly against the dry walls. Now he’s caught—he’s sure— because they have to walk right past him to reach the noise and he tenses in preparation.

But miraculously, the plan works!

The pair of stink bugs crawl swiftly to the end of the corridor, giving him the perfect opportunity to slip into the now unguarded room. Upon entering, he sees what appears to be a normal bedroom, decorated nicely with windows that overlook the water and furniture that would make for comfortable living. But oddly, the room is unoccupied. Surely this would be where Hix would keep the fairy leader, unless this is his personal bedroom and he just has very feminine taste. But she’s nowhere to be found and disappointment curls around the pit of Jimin’s stomach. As a last effort, he calls out her name, wondering if she would be hiding somewhere.

“Nissa?” A few seconds go by and nothing happens, but just as he turns to leave, motion in the corner of the room startles him. Seeming to peel right from the wall itself is a figure, invisible at first glance, but slowly morphing into a distinguished body right before his eyes. Nissa changes color as she walks up to him, eying him suspiciously with every tentative step.

“Who are you?” Her voice is high but strong, her stance so intimidating that Jimin feels as though she were here to rescue him and not the other way around. She is most definitely a warrior.

“Uhm,” He clears his throat when his voice threatens to crack. “Alva and Laila sent me and my girlfriend here to help you escape. I-if you want to.”

She lets out a hearty laugh at that, her defensive posture slacking into something more relaxed and casual, and subconsciously Jimin’s body does the same. “I’ve been planning an escape for days, I can’t wait to get out of this place.” He wants to say something else, but instead he just stands awkwardly for a few seconds. Clearly, he isn’t as good with people as you are. “So, you’re human?”

“Yes.” He tilts his head at her and she grins.

“Laila must have done a pretty good job with the spell if you’re still in one piece.” His eyes widen as she walks past him, looking through the opening of the doorway.

“Why haven’t you escaped yet? The door’s wide open.” Actually there’s no door, but those are technicalities. He watches with interest as she presses her hand to the thin air, pulling it back sharply as though she had been shocked. But he’d just entered through there, there’s no way it could be sealed off.

“Hix sealed this room with magic. Don’t worry, though, it only works on fairies so you shouldn’t be affected by the barrier. My plan was to make the room look empty so he’d think I had already escaped, then to leave once he broke the barrier; but since you’re here I can use a different strategy.” Nissa turns to Jimin abruptly, her smooth features glowing brighter with an idea. “I need materials. Can you get them for me?”

“Oh, that reminds me!” Jimin gives her the bag of Fairy Dust that he had nearly forgotten about, and the relief on her face is clear once it’s in her possession. She thanks him, thinking quickly before nodding her head.

“Okay. I need a leaf and some wood. There should be a stash of leaves somewhere on the other side of this fortress and twigs scattered outside.” Just as Jimin goes to step out of the door, the guards return, stopping in front of the doorway without even glancing inside. He ducks behind the wall just to be sure, he and Nissa sharing a brief wide-eyed look. She grabs his wrist and wordlessly pulls him to the far side of the room, opening the bag of Fairy Dust he had just given her and pulling out a fist full. Jimin watches with fascination as she manipulates it between her hands, the consistency changing right before his eyes as she displays her mastery with the medium. Soon, it’s worked into a thin film and before he can react, she holds up her palms to him and blows into it like a bubble, the film stretching over his body from head to toe until he’s completely covered. Nissa pinches off the bubble, but it doesn’t pop. Instead, it tightens around him like a second skin, leaving him glistening and shiny with the odd texture of the material. “There.” She says proudly, grinning when he gives a ticklish shiver.

“What is this?” From what he can tell, nothing has changed except for the fact that he looks like he's wrapped in plastic.

“I just made you invisible. Now, you can leave without being noticed,” She explains, turning and pushing him toward the door. “They won’t be able to see what you’re holding when you’re like this, but they can still hear you, so be as quiet as possible. Now go, time is of the essence!”

Ever so carefully, Jimin steps out of the room and around the bugs. He presses himself to the wall, hoping that he doesn’t accidentally touch one of them or make a noise— he’s known to be pretty clumsy, so he needs to be extra careful. The hallways are fairly clear, he has an easy time making it to the other side of the fortress and gathering a leaf from what looks to be a break room of sorts. Next is the wood, and his plan is to slip outside, but just as he is passing by the large room that you’re in, he hears something curious.

“Ow!” You hiss, a scowl etched into your features as Hix prods you with a wooden staff. You appear to be frozen in place, your body unnaturally rigid, and telling by the shimmering quality of your clothes and skin, Hix probably cast some sort of spell on you.

“This is very interesting,” He hums, jabbing you in the back near your shoulder blades. “You look like you should have wings. They should be right here.” He drags the staff along your back, obviously perplexed. “Is this a genetic defect of some sort? You say you’re human?”

“Are you finished?” You ask impatiently, ignoring his questioning.

“I don’t entirely trust you yet. I need to make sure you aren’t just a fairy that’s trying to trick me to help Nissa escape. Even if you are who you say you are, there’s no guarantee that I’ll let her go. Surely I’ll gain some status if I have 2 wives. One who’s powerful and one that’s exotic.” He continues to circle you. Jimin fumes at that, ready to do something, but then you speak again.

“What’s your goal here?” You seem calm, and something tells him to wait.

“What do you mean?”

“Why are you doing this? Why did you suddenly decide to kidnap Nissa and invade this area?” Hix debates whether or not he should tell you this or not, but in the end, opens up. There’s just something about you that makes people do that.

“The fairies treated me so poorly here. I was an outcast and everyone always excluded me, barely even considering me a fairy just because I had a knack for destroying things. Do you know how it feels to be rejected by your own people? Well I’ll tell you: it sucks. Most bugs didn’t even want to socialize with me, having heard rumors from the fairies about me and not even giving me a chance. I was sad and lonely and spiteful, so I decided that I’ll become powerful and gain control over this side of the water and force everyone to pay attention to me!”

“Is that what you want? Attention?”

“Yes. I want everyone to acknowledge me and see that I’m not worthless. If I control the waterway, I control everything. And if I have the fairy leader at my side as my wife, there’s no way anyone can ignore me anymore. I won’t have to be lonely or outcast, pushed to the corner where I’m out of sight and out of mind. My friends on the other side of the stream helped me realize that if I want to be happy, I need to be at the top.” He says this thoughtfully, placing his poking stick to the side and coming to stand in front of you.

“But this won’t make you happy. Sure, you’ll be married and may be able to control this area, but really, all you’ll have is a wife that doesn’t love you and a land full of people that hate you. They all know you kidnapped Nissa so she isn’t really on your side, and that your minions are destroying this place. The type of attention you’re getting from this isn’t the kind you want, trust me. It’s only confirming their thoughts about you.” He narrows his eyes at you, clearly disliking your reasoning.

“Then what do you suggest I do?” As the two of you stand face to face, Jimin decides to take this chance to creep over and steal Hix’s wooden stick. That way he won’t be able to poke you anymore and will inadvertently be aiding in his captive’s escape. Jimin hadn’t planned on staying to listen to your conversation, but what you say next makes him pause.

“What you need is to find real love and passion. I have someone that I love with my whole heart and I’ve been so happy since I met him. He’s a person that makes me feel brave, that would protect me at all costs, that takes me on adventures outside of my comfort zone, and I’ve grown so much just from being around him. On top of that, he helped me find my passion for exploration and travel, and we’ve had so many new experiences together that I wouldn’t have even dreamed of with anyone else. That’s what you need. You need someone— a lover or a friend— that challenges you and makes you happy. All of this stuff is great, but it doesn’t mean anything to you. In fact, all it does is hurt the people involved, including yourself. You’re not a bad person, you just need to branch out and find yourself. Let all of this go and find what really brings you joy.”

Was what you said true? Did you really feel that way about him? Jimin feels like his heart is about to burst at your confession. Although it wasn’t meant for him to hear, that makes it that much more sincere. He told you he loved you a little while ago and you didn’t even react, but hearing you say this eases every worry he had. Now motivated more than ever to finish this ordeal and get back to normal life with you, he snatches up the stick and hurries back to Nissa as Hix thinks over your words, his resolve looking shaken.

“You’re back!” She says as he enters, looking at him as though she can see him. She removes the spell on him, the film around him disappearing with the flick of her hand. Swiftly, she takes the leaf and staff from Jimin, moving to a table to drop the contents onto a prepared pile of dust. “Hix’s staff? Nice choice.” She giggles inspecting the wood with satisfaction before coating the items in the powder. After less than a minute she produces her finished product, the new staff glowing brightly. “Hold this.”

She thrusts it into his hands, and to his surprise, it’s quite heavy compared to the almost weightless stick he brought to her. Nissa walks over to the barrier, hands covered in dust, and places them in the center. Her palms move over the barrier independently, as if searching for something, and after a few seconds, she returns to him to take the staff back with now clean hands. He watches in awe as spots of gold seemingly float in midair as if attached to glass and the fairy walks over wielding her tool, not hesitating for a second before thrusting the blunt edge into the gold spots. Sparkles radiate out along the doorway with every strike, her technique looking like a fencing player expertly brandishing her rapier, and as soon as the last spot is pierced, the barrier flashes once and dissipates into a plume of dust. The dust lands on the stink bugs underneath, both of them falling to the floor, and the woman simply steps over their sleeping bodies without batting an eyelash.

“Come on, let’s go!” She waves him over, snapping Jimin out of his stupor as he follows her into the hall. They make their way back to you cautiously, avoiding all enemies as they navigate through the fortress.

Meanwhile, you sit with Hix on one of the benches in the center of the large room, your backs facing the entrance. You didn’t mean for this to turn into a therapy session, but somehow you ended up listening to all of his problems and sympathizing with the struggles he’s faced leading up to this, trying to help resolve this conflict peacefully.

“If you have friends on the other side of the stream, why don’t you just move there and live with them?” You ask, eyebrows furrowed in pity. “You would have a better life where they already accept you, instead of trying to force others to see your worth here.”

After giving this some thought, Hix stares out of the window in front of you. The water passes lazily outside, the other side looking several times farther away than when you were normal sized. “Maybe you’re right... but I put so much time and effort into this plan, I can’t give it up so easily.”

“You can! I know it seems like a waste of time, but the damage hasn’t been done yet. Things aren’t set in stone, you can still change your path and redirect yourself in a better direction. You haven’t married Nissa yet and your stink bugs haven’t destroyed this area, but if you continue like this, you may end up doing something irreversible and regretting it. Walk away now and start over. People don’t get many chances to do that in life.”

“But-“ He shakes his head. “They’re never going to forgive me for what I’ve done. I kidnapped their leader and threatened our home!” His head drops to his hands, and you put a hand on his back.

“They might not ever be able to forgive you, and that’s okay. But what’s important is that you never forget and use this experience to better yourself as a fairy. Look back on who you are now and tell yourself that you’ll never make the same mistakes again. I believe in you, Hix. I know you aren’t bad, you’ve just had a hard life— and I know I can’t do anything to make up for that, but I truly wish you the best in the future.” Your smile brings him to lift his eyes to look at you.

He sighs, looking at your sparkling eyes. You seem passionate about this and he can’t understand why you care so much about this. About him. You aren’t even a fairy from here, yet you’ve shown him more compassion than anyone in his entire life. And for the first time, his heart thumps wildly in his chest with warmth.

Nissa and Jimin arrive at the doorway, both peeking their heads in to see what was happening. They see you talking with Hix, your backs facing them, but the fairy looks to be in some sort of turmoil next to you, his head in his hands, looking mildly distressed. Jimin moves to interrupt, but Nissa holds her hand out in front of him, whispering to keep watching before taking action.

“I’ve had a change of heart because of you. I think it would be best if I did move to the other side of the water, away from the creatures I hurt and oppressed here. You’ve opened my eyes, (Y/n). You truly are a beautiful soul inside and out.”

He looks up at you again before suddenly lunging at you and pulling you into a hug, but from another perspective it looks as though he’s grabbing you and pulling you to him against your will. Nissa and Jimin gasp as they see your eyes wet with tears, and as soon as one slips down your cheek, they jump into action.

“I’m sorry you were treated so badly here. I wish I was born a fairy so that I could be your friend and change how things were for you.” You mumble sadly into the embrace, to which he chuckles.

“Thank you for your empathy, but you do not mean that. You have another life to live. Go be happy with your lover and tell him that you love him everyda-“

THUNK!

Nissa storms over from her hiding place and swings her club down, landing squarely on the back of Hix’s head. A short scream falls from your lips when he goes limp, the noise echoing in the room as he falls out of your arms and off of the bench onto his face, laying flat on the floor. Jimin pulls you up and into his arms, replacing the space where your new friend had been without a second thought. Cradling you into his chest, he misses the horrified look you have on your face.

“Did he hurt you? Are you okay? Did he touch you or make you do anything against your will?” His eyes are worried and you almost don’t have it in your heart to be angry. Almost.

“What the hell are you doing?!” You shout, looking down at his body. “Oh my god, did you kill him?” Jimin holds you as you try to go over to Hix, but you rip out of his grasp to kneel down to your new friend.

“Of course I didn’t kill him, he still needs to face the consequences of his crimes. I just knocked him unconscious.” The fairy beside Jimin says nonchalantly, looking incredibly satisfied with the sight of him lying unconscious.

“Why? He just agreed to let us go and move to the other side of the water! We resolved this peacefully!” Your eyes are flames as you look at them, and Nissa’s mouth falls open.

“Wait, he what?!” Even Jimin looks surprised. Yes, you are the most charming and persuasive person he’s ever met, but did you really sweet talk a villain in such a short amount of time?

Before you can say anything, several stink bugs enter the room, the commotion causing them to check on their leader. Their tiny eyes land on you leaning over his limp body, Nissa with a club and Jimin standing suspiciously near the scene of the crime. You try to explain— as if they would even understand you— but the wings on their backs open up and they begin to charge toward you aggressively.

There’s little time to react as Jimin grabs hold of your wrist and pulls you up, dragging you along as he follows the fleeing fairy that dashes toward the exit. You have no choice but to run with them, looking behind you only to be met with the large armored bodies of your pursuers. They close in from the left, right, and from behind as you head toward the door, close to cutting off your exit. You and Jimin sprint past Nissa when she suddenly twists around to face them, and with one swing of her club, the bugs are pushed backwards, allowing the three of you to make your escape.

Fresh air slaps you in the face once you make it outside, the humidity and guilt feeling suffocating in your lungs. In your heart you know this isn’t right. You connected with Hix, you made so much progress with him, but in the end violence was still used to get your way despite that. Yes, you and Nissa escaped, but someone else was hurt in the process. If Hix decided to go back to his original plan, you wouldn’t blame him, but you still feel horrible about how things turned out. You suppose your gut feeling was wrong after all.

“Babe, we have to keep running or they’ll catch us!” Jimin breathes exasperatedly, your feet slowing down beneath you without you noticing. A swarm of guards are now flying in from all sides, there’s no way you’ll be able to get around them. But that doesn’t mean Nissa won’t try, the fairy flying up to smack down the insects in an attempt to clear a path. But she’s just one woman and it won’t be enough, and you can’t force yourself to keep going. Just then, Alva and Laila appear, joining their warrior leader in the battle, knocking down the bugs to help you advance forward, but by now, you’ve stopped running. “(Y/n)!” Jimin pleads, tugging on your arm, but you ignore him.

Looking around, all you can see is a mess of flailing bodies and Fairy Dust, warriors attacking each other for an irrelevant cause. The sounds of buzzing and grunts fills your ears at an unsettling volume. It’s pure chaos. You hoped to avoid this— a war where others get hurt instead of solving things diplomatically and sensibly. As the appointed “diplomat”, you supposed you failed if things had to come to this.

“Alva, Laila, Nissa! Please stop!” You shout at them when one falls to the ground roughly. “You don’t need to fight, Hix has changed! He was about to let us go, there’s no need to fight unnecessarily!” They barely spare you a glance, the three of them trying to push through the blockade.

“Then why are they attacking you?” Alva points out, ducking as one bug tries to tackle her.

“You really believe he’s changed?” The leader asks, strained.

“Yes, he has. I could tell just by looking at him, he was telling the truth.” Nissa looks unconvinced, scoffing at your response.

“Then you don’t know him like I do.” She clearly doesn’t trust what you say, so you turn to your boyfriend, hoping he’ll be more understanding. Jimin looks at you and into your eyes, reading your emotions as if they were written in ink. He knows from experience that you’re a great judge of character and that you’re seldom wrong about things like this, but at the same time, you’re talking about the person who has tormented this side of the stream so much that the fairies here needed to recruit the two of you for help. It’s hard to believe that you’d be able to change him so easily. Only a few seconds pass but he feels like he’s standing there for minutes debating on if he should take your side or not. But he trusts you— you need him to trust you— so he does.

“I believe you.” He says quietly, letting go of your arm, much to your relief. You’ve always been a pacifist, so he knows you’ll take this personally if anything bad happens to any of your comrades. He calls up to the others. “If she says he’s changed, then he has! Please, stop fighting.”

“How can you be so sure?” Laila questions, looking down at the two of you briefly.

“I know my girlfriend. (Y/n) wouldn’t lie about something like this.” As he speaks, nobody notices the male exiting the fortress with a throbbing head, looking out at all of the action in front of him. “Laila, Alva, you brought us here to help save your land, and it was (Y/n) who convinced me to help you do it. The least you could do is believe her and listen to what she has to say. She cares so deeply about this place after only being here for a short time, she would never do anything to hurt you. Just please stop attacking and listen. You don’t have to believe her right now but at least stop fighting.” Jimin isn’t nearly as eloquent with his words as you are, but you can’t help but smile at his short speech. It may not mean anything that he’s taking your side, but you appreciate the support nonetheless. And to your surprise, everyone does stop fighting soon after.

The stink bugs land in an orderly pattern, standing solidly like before as Hix approaches dizzily from behind. Your three friends land as well, glaring at the man who now holds his head with a sorrowful look on his face. Without seeing him, you step forward, prepared to explain all that you have learned. You tell them of how you listened to Hix (the first time anyone has ever done that) and found that he was just a misunderstood and lonely villain of their own creation. You spoke of how he simply wanted to be acknowledged, and how all of the creatures around did everything in their power to make sure he never received that acknowledgement by spreading untrue rumors about his character. Hix isn’t evil, you explained, he’s just desperate to be one of them, and if it took him going to such extreme measures for them to finally notice him and his struggles, then the problem lies with them and not him.

“So he won your pity? Good for him. But that still doesn’t excuse what he’s done.” Alva crosses her arms, followed by Nissa, Laila staying silent.

“Yes, I know.” He finally speaks up from behind you, looking dejected and apologetic when you snap your head around to look at him. Upon seeing him, Jimin steps in front of you out of instinct, not liking how physically close the two of you were before the escape. You trust Hix, but it is still his duty to make sure that you are safe. Your hand rests on his side, but you don’t push him out of the way, simply peeking out from behind his back to watch as the fairy speaks. “I know that what I have done is unforgivable, but this human has given me a lot of insight. Enough to change my heart.”

They scoff at him, but refrain from speaking at your sharp glare. Hix approaches you, but Jimin stands firm, holding his arms out to block him— something that surprises the mud colored fairy before you.

“It’s okay, Jimin.” You say, placing a gentle hand to his shoulder in reassurance. Hix looks on in awe as you stare into each other’s eyes, communicating in an unspoken language that makes your boyfriend slowly comply and allow you to step into the open. But he still makes sure you’re right at his side. He won’t let you out of his sight again.

“I see. So this “assistant” is your lover?” Hix grins in realization, donning sparkles in his eyes. You nod. “I’ve never... known love or kindness. But seeing you like this, and having experienced the kindness you showed to me— a complete stranger— makes me want to find it on my own. Away from here.” His fingers are soft when they touch your arm, color painting his cheeks. Nissa gapes at this, not having seen the man be so tender before. She’s only seen his bitterness or the mocking, teasing persona he used when addressing Laila, whom he’s long had a crush on. He turns to them, addressing the three that stare in shock. “No amount of apologies will undo the trouble I’ve caused, but I’m willing to take whatever punishment you all decide for me. I want you to know that I plan on moving to the other side of the water, where I was more welcome there than I ever was here, and I will never bother you again. Nissa, I’m sorry I kidnapped you.” He looks down sheepishly. “It was very childish of me to think that it would solve anything, and instead it just caused more conflict and fighting. You are completely justified in knocking me out. Let this lump on the back of my head be a reminder of my wrongdoings and keep me on the right path.”

You stifle a laugh at that, biting your lip to hide your smile.

Then, Hix turns to you once more, looking between you and Jimin’s faces. “You are very wise,” You blush at this, feeling the earnestness in his compliment. “You said earlier that this person is someone you love, correct?” He asks, pointing to Jimin, to which you nod shyly. “Well, he is very lucky to have someone like you: someone so sincere and caring. Never change.” His eyes find Jimin’s. “I don’t know much about love, but she thinks of you very fondly. Please treat her with all the delicacy in the world and never let her go.”

He doesn’t know what to say to that, blushing furiously at your confession coming from the wrong mouth. You try not to look mortified when he looks down at you, your cheeks shaded prettily as well and lifted into a soft smile. He doesn’t plan on letting you go any time soon, and this whole experience has made him want to hold on to you tighter than before.

“What should we do with him?” Nissa whispers to her companions, eyeing the remorseful male that comes to stand in front of her.

“You are our leader, I think you should decide.” Alva replies. An odd look crosses Nissa’s face then, one that almost mirrors her enemy’s as they look back at each other.

“I’m your leader...” She mutters thoughtfully before standing straight. “I’m no leader. I caused everything that’s happened, everything that Hix has done. The rumors that ruined his reputation: I started them. I... I didn’t realize that my words could have so much power— that as the leader of the meadow that I had the strength to destroy someone just by giving my misguided opinion of them. No, I never liked you Hix,” He rolls his eyes at that. “But I never meant to cause you such pain. You deserve to live a normal life, so as leader I will allow you to leave without punishment.” Shocked, he bows his head in thanks.

“How noble and humble of you to admit your faults.” Laila comments quietly, her cheery attitude returning.

“Furthermore,” Nissa continues. “I’m stepping down.”

“What?! You can’t do that!” Alva protests loudly, eyebrows shooting up as she leaves the ground just slightly in her surprise. Laila also seems shocked, but she grabs her lover’s arm and tells her to calm down and let her explain.

“A real leader doesn’t slander others mindlessly. They are diplomatic and generous with a perfect balance of modesty and fierceness. I believe Laila fits that description perfectly.” Everyone turns to her then, your eyes lighting up when they meet hers for the first time this entire night. “Laila, I name you the new leader of the meadow. We can officially title you in front of everyone in the morning.”

You all clap, Alva jumping on her in a tight hug, the taller fairy spinning her girlfriend around before setting her feet back to the ground. Jimin smiles at the adorable display, his arm thoughtlessly wrapping around your waist and pulling you into his side. Your eyes are glued to him as he watches the happy couple. You’re happy he’s here with you through all of this. It’ll all feel like a crazy dream in the morning, but at least he’ll be there to recount all of your experiences with you.

“Since you’re giving up your position, whatdoya say we both start over across the water?” Hix interjects, wiggling his eyebrows at Nissa. “We could build a new place, find ourselves-“

“NO.” She cuts him off sharply, her wings twitching similarly to Alva’s.

“Well, then... I guess it’s time for me to go.” He says, pout on his lips, but it disappears when he turns to face the stream. In his eyes, you can see him envisioning his new future, the possibilities of having a new life where he doesn’t have to feel lonely and rejected anymore. You wish him the best, you truly do. He walks up to the water’s edge, dipping himself in safely and re-emerging looking clean. His real complexion is actually a dark leafy green, and you assume he colored himself brown to fit in with the stink bugs. He calls the creatures and they come flying up to him, all of them floating over the water together and dispersing into the wildlife there.

“I guess my gut feeling was right after all.” You tell Jimin, giving him a toothy grin. “Everything turned out just fine.”

You ride Garnet back to the meadow, yawning and resting your cheek on Jimin’s back for the entirety of the trip. It’s mostly silent, the breeze whistling lullabies into your ears and combing through your hair sweetly as you fly over the terrain. The spies are gone, you notice, the highly policed skies looking empty and calm. Many creatures have already started migrating closer to the water and you presume that Hix’s fortress won’t be standing for much longer once the insects get ahold of it, tearing it down to get to the bank of the water and restore their supply. You feel proud of you and Jimin for accomplishing your outlandish mission, and you whisper as much to him in the quietness of the night.

With one stop to visit and say your goodbyes to the friendly mushroom fairy, Bayard, you’re off to Nissa’s home, which you find out is right next to Alva and Laila’s.

“Alright,” She says, guiding you and Jimin inside her abode. “Time to make that reversal spell. If I can remember it.” She mutters the last part, causing your eyebrows to scrunch, but she waves you off when you question it.

“Thank you for helping us.” Laila walks up to you, meeting your gaze for the second time. She doesn’t seem as intimidated by you anymore, which is a relief. But her cheeks still flame the longer you hold eye contact. “We couldn’t have done this without you. Both of you.” Then she turns to Jimin. “Remember what we talked about. Never be embarrassed.”

You look between the two of them as he nods, neither saying anything more than that, but you’ll let them keep their secrets. She hugs both of you and then it’s Alva’s turn to say her last few words to you.

“Thank you both. I wasn’t sure if you’d be able to pull it off, but things turned out better than I could have hoped. Really, you two are lovely, come visit us again sometime if you can. Then you’ll get to see how beautiful the meadow is in times of peace.” She pulls you both into an awkward side hug that makes you giggle, her own cheeks pink and wings flicking when you tease her about it.

“Mm, I think this is it!” Nissa chimes, scooping the now blue Fairy Dust into a bag. “Are you two ready?” At your okay, they fly you back to your purple blanket, placing you in the center where you find other bugs inspecting the odd surface. “I guess I should say thanks as well. You didn’t have to save me, but I really appreciate that you did.” She bows her head at you, taking both you and Jimin’s hands in hers to show her gratitude.

A ticklish feeling overtakes your whole body when she sprinkles the blue dust onto you, but this time you don’t faint. You watch as the waving fairies become smaller and smaller, their figures disappearing until they are nearly microscopic to you. The blades of grass around the perimeter of your blanket shrink too, as well as the trees and fireflies surrounding you, all returning to normal proportions that take a minute for your mind to process.

“We’re finally normal again.” Jimin sighs, looking at his body and the area around you. It does feel better to know that your chances of being smashed by something are significantly lower now.

“Was that... real?” It feels fake, like a pipe dream, and when you check your phone you find that only an hour has passed since you first got there. “That can’t be right.” You blink a few times, both you and him staring at the time in confusion.

“Time must move slower when you’re that tiny.” He reasons, running a hand through his hair. You take the time to reorient yourself, gazing back up at the stars above you. They twinkle invitingly, their light feeling so much brighter after experiencing the darkness of the forest floor. You look over at Jimin to find that he’s already staring at you, looking as though he’s nervous about something.

“What?” You ask, eyes wide at the expression on his face. He takes a deep breath, your heart beating a thousand times faster.

“I...” Taking his lip between his teeth, he pauses to choose his words. “(Y/n), I love you.” Your heart flutters, and this time you let it. “I meant it when I said it earlier, I really do love you. I wanted tonight to be special so I brought you out here to a place that was special to me as a kid, and I wanted to confess to you here, but I wasn’t sure if you felt the same way. But I’m not afraid to say it anymore.” His hand finds yours, fitting perfectly like it was made to be there. “This whole experience made me realize how much I need you, and how terrified I am of losing you. I was so terrified that something bad would happen to you the entire time that I have a headache right now from all the stress!” You laugh, placing your free hand on the side of his face, fingertips grazing his temple. “But even though I was scared, you taught me how to be brave and step out of my comfort zone. I wanted to protect you, but somehow you ended up protecting yourself and saving the entire meadow with your amazing instincts (which is incredibly sexy, by the way), but now I feel like a useless sidekick. So, I guess the only thing I can offer a girl that has everything, is my heart. I don’t mind being your sidekick as long as I know you love me too.”

Jimin tends to ramble when he’s nervous, word vomiting everything that’s on his mind, but it’s one of his charms that you find absolutely adorable. You can’t help but smile at his confession, the dampness of his palms melting you. “Of course I feel the same way, Jimin. Hix kinda confessed for me, but I still want to say it myself. Park Jimin, I love everything about you. You might feel like you’re my sidekick tonight, but we’ve been on so many adventures before this where you were the one who led me out of my comfort zone and taught me how to find my own courage. Do you remember our first date?” He giggles at the memory with you, looking away with fondness. “It was around Halloween and you convinced me to go to one of those haunted trails with you after I said I’d never been to one. And you pulled me along every step of the way and held me close so I wouldn’t get lost or hurt myself because I had my eyes closed the entire time.” You let out an embarrassed chuckle. You really have changed a lot since meeting him. “I think that was the day that I realized I was in love with you. Or at least that I would fall in love with you. I’ve never felt so safe and comforted in anyone’s arms before, but when you held me, it felt like home. Every time we went on an adventure, you were always the one to reassure me and make sure I was okay; that’s the reason why I slowly began to open up to the world and realize my passion for exploration. I don’t think you realize just how much of who I am today is because of you, Jimin.”

“You don’t mean that..” He says, though his love for praise starts showing in the pleased look he has in his eyes. You decide to indulge in it.

“I do! I’m only able to be brave because I know that you’re there to protect me. You saved my life twice tonight! And thank you for having my back and helping me stop the fighting. I couldn’t have saved the day without you.” His hand wraps around the wrist of your hand that still rests on his face, both of you looking into each other’s eyes lovingly.

“Of course, babe, we’re a team. Let’s always stay together.” He leans in to softly press his lips to yours, and you stay in that gentle kiss under the stars for an indeterminate amount of time, lost in each other’s embrace. When you pull away, you see shapes being drawn into the air, Fairy Dust in the shape of hearts traced above your heads, and you smile at the antics of your friends, wondering if they were listening the whole time. It’s a beautiful display that warms your heart. “I think it’s time to head back to camp.” Jimin says softly when you yawn, standing before extending a hand to you and pulling you up against his chest.

As you bend down to pick up your belongings, you feel something hard in your pocket and reach inside to pull it out. An unnaturally shimmery whistle rests between your fingers, now grown to a proportionate size as it must have been caught in the spell as well. You meet eyes with Jimin as he folds up the blanket, raising his eyebrows at you to blow it, and when you do fireflies come swirling up from the grass, synchronized and brilliant as they put on a spectacle for you. You can’t help the giggle that bubbles from your throat as you watch them perform, spelling their thanks to you and your boyfriend before one comes to land in the center of your hand.

“Thank you, Garnet. We’ll come back to visit someday.” She flutters her wings and flashes her colors at you before taking off again into the night, her light blending in against the starry sky as Jimin takes your hand to begin the trek back to your campgrounds.

[drkreviews]

Album Selection of 2020 | August

Kenshi Yonezu - Stray Sheep (05.08.2020) [★★★★★] *REVIEW*

In the vastity of Japanese pop scene, Kenshi Yonezu is a incredible exception, thanks to a fascinating commistion between music and arts. With his fifth album, he confirmed to deserve his growing popularity, bringing up a nice genre variety on the plate, going from upbeat themes to more melancholic and nostalgical ones, helped by his compelling singing style. Thanks to this recent work, Kenshi’s music will definitely see a bigger audience, for a which exceeds the imposed limits of pop music.

ARTIST REVIEW

REVIEWS: Diorama (16.05.2012), Yankee (23.04.2014), Peace Sign (analysis)

TRACKLIST

Campanella

Flamingo

Kanden (Electroshock)

Placebo (ft. Yojiro Noda)

Paprika

Uma to shika (Horse and deer)

Yasashii hito (Kind person)

Lemon

Machigai sagashi (Look for a mistake)

Himawari (Sunflower)

Mayoeru hitsuji (Stray sheep)

Décolleté

Teenage Riot

Umi no yuurei (Spirits of the sea)

Canary

Mary’s Blood - Re>Animator (26.08.2020) [★★★★★]

Already appeared with: Revenant (2018) ,Confessions (2019)

Like many other metal bands in Japan, even Mary’s Blood decided to take a turn from their musical path, releasing a cover album which quite reflects their own skills. The band chose to bring famous anime themes into a new life, filling them with energetic notes, strong rhythms and charismatic vocals, where the tones change according to the song’s style. These four girls could definitely make an anime opening of their own and this album is a strong confirmation of this.

TRACKLIST

Pegasus Fantasy (Make-up cover)

Kouga ninpouchou (Ninja scroll of Kouga) (Onmyo-za cover)

Magia (Kalafina cover)

Syuukyoku Battler -Kouryoutaru shinsekai- (Final song battler -Desolate new world-)

Unravel (Tk from Ling Tosite Sigure cover)

Forever Love (X Japan cover)

Zankoku na tenshi no teeze (Cruel angel’s thesis) (Yoko Takahashi cover)

Invoke (TM Revolution cover)

Driver’s High (L'Arc~en~Ciel cover)

Exterminate (Nana Mizuki cover)

We Are! (Hiroshi Kitadani cover)

Nothing’s Carved in Stone - Futures (26.08.2020) [★★★★]

Already appeared with: Maze (2015), Existence (2016)

Nothing’s Carved in Stone has built a solid image in their eleven years of career, bringing on a paced and refreshing rock sound. For their latest work the band decided to cover some of their most famous themes, in an album made of two discs, where their sound is the result of their maturity, including catchy themes and great rhythmic touches. This band has grown so much since their debut and there’s a lot of interest of what the future has in store for them.

REVIEWS: Parallel Lives (06.05.2009)

TRACKLIST

DISC 1

New Horizon

Isolation

Spirit Inspiration

November 15th

Red Light

Rendaman

Hakutyuu (Day)

Out of Control

Like a Shooting Star

Kirameki no hana (Shining flower)

DISC 2

Dream in the Dark

Youth City

In Future

Brotherhood

Midnight Train

Around the Clock

Milestone

Pride

Tsubame Crimson (Swallow crimson)

Blue Shadow

Crystal Lake - The Voyages (05.08.2020) [★★★★]

Staying on the subject of self-cover albums, the metal band Crystal Lake has repurposed some of their old songs, precisely the ones made with Kentaro Nishimura as singer, this time empowered and modernized by Ryo’s harsher tone, along with a more refined sound and an improved technique. Despite being a brand-new release, Crystal Lake managed to make it fresh and addicting, and we can’t wait to hear more of their music.

TRACKLIST

Fabricated Refuge

Twisted Fate

Open Water (ft. Daniel McWhorter and Takashi Uesugi)

The Passage (ft. Kentaro Nishimura)

The Burden

Freewill

Innocence

Daylight (ft. Go Nakaharada)

Voyages

Into the Great Beyond (ft. Kentaro Nishimura)

Arlequin - The laughing man (19.08.2020) [★★★★]

Already appeared with: Utopia (2016)

After four years made of a bunch of singles and a mini-album in the middle, the visual kei band Arlequin delivers a full album, disproving whoever thought that their sound had become boring. The album is made of distinct songs, ranging from energetic ones, which see a reinforcement of the rhythmical component which characterized them since their debut, to passionate ones, mixing cheerful and aggressive notes without any effort. If you think that visual kei has nothing to offer, maybe Arlequin’s latest work will surprise you.

REVIEWS: Near Equal (12.11.2014), Dilemma (25.02.2015), Utopia (08.06.2016), Puzzle (analysis), Exist (15.03.2018)

TRACKLIST

In the Mirror

Veludo

Ikasama (Trickery)

Sora ni ochiru (Falling into the sky)

Kasabuta (Scab)

Todome wo sashite (Stop it)

Fireworks

Himawari (Sunflower)

Kimi to no Aida ni (Between you)

The laughing man

-HONORABLE MENTIONS-

Seventeen Years Old and Berlin Wall - Abstract (05.08.2020)

The first mention of the month is for the not-so-known shoegaze band Seventeen Years Old and Berlin Wall, active since 2015 and become quite notable thanks to the indie music platform BandCamp. Their latest EP sees a really enigmatic sound, with shaded notes, electronic vibes and a cohesive rhythm, creating an unique atmosphere, driven by an awesome vocal work by the singers Yusei Tsuruta and Eriko Takano. Literally made for shoegaze lovers and not only.

TRACKLIST

Rakuen wanai (There’s no paradise)

Paraglide

Machi no tobira (Doors of the town)

Touketsu-chi (Frozen land)

Darekaga ita umi (Someone by the sea)

Tounen (Ten years)

Tatsuya Kitani - Demagog (26.08.2020)

Tatsuya Kitani might not be a familiar name for you, but maybe you know the Vocaloid band Sajou no hana, whose he is the bassist. Between a single and the other, he has found time to shape up a solo project of his own and releasing also some album. The latest one offers a catchy pop-rock sound, well driven by his good vocals, along with electronic, dance beats and funky vibes. Tatsuya Kitani may be another name which can rise within the Japanese pop scene and this album is definitely worth checking.

TRACKLIST

Hide and Seek

Panopticon

Dead Weight

Humanlike

Bad Dream

Demagog

Lotuses

Spoilman - Body (05.08.2020)

The final mention is for a pretty indie rock band, Spoilman, active since 2019 but came out only last year with an album. Their sound is quite adrenalinic, with roots into noise and punk rock, empowered by quite heavy vocals, energetic riffs and bass lashes, making each track more pumping of the previous. Spoilman can definitely shake the ground of Japanese rock and they deserve more recognition.

TRACKLIST

Amaryllis

Declaration

Ghost

Inner Haze

Sunday

Drunken Man

Cloudy Eyes

Monotonous

Comfortable

Life is REM

Body

Pail and Ladder

Rampage

Woodcutter

Utonagan

TO BE CONTINUED...

[alarawriting]

52 Project #15: The White-Haired Boy

They called him Alyn Ysmai, the White-Haired Boy.  In the village he came from, it was said he had fallen from the sky as a child, carried on a shooting star.  His skin was white as the clouds, and his hair as white as the Moon, and his eyes the golden color of wild animals.  From earliest days, it was said that the Lady of the Moon had marked him for her own, for his sight in the darkness was like that of the night beasts, while the sun blackened and blistered his moon-white skin. Later it became even more apparent that the Moon had favored him.

None could resist the charming spell of his words, his eyes.  Like the Moon, he mesmerized.  All the young women and not a few of the young men threw themselves into his arms, desperate for his love.  Not a few of these killed themselves afterward, too, when he abandoned them for a new lover or cruelly rejected them.

In the 25th year of his life, he still had the form and features of a boy, but a boy so beautiful none could take their eyes from him. To men who had never before considered another male attractive, he seemed almost a woman in his beauty, and they gave him anything he asked.  He was as precocious in mind as he seemed slowed in his growth; when 13, he completed his Passage to manhood by trickery, and since then had made three fortunes and become Captain of a vast Company, specializing in the acquisition and sale of information, as well as the dispatching of skilled assassins.  All the other Companies in the city of Tylar trembled in fear of Alyn Ysmai, and his every word was law.  Some grumbled, quietly, that Alyn Ysmai sought to make himself a Lord, as they had in some of the barbarous lands of Lysar.  But they grumbled this very quietly indeed, or they vanished, never to be seen again.

In truth, the charge had teeth.  Alyn Ysmai held a kind of court, where people seeking favors from him came to grovel and beg.  Sometimes it pleased the White-Haired Boy to grant their requests.  More often, it pleased him to shred their feelings, humiliate them, ruin them, or else steal their souls and make toys of them.  Few, few women dared go to him; ever since the Captain of a rival Company killed herself for love of Alyn Ysmai, none who sought men for their night's pleasure, male or female, went to the White-Haired Boy unless their need was very great.  The old and hardened, the men and women who loved only women, these were the only ones safe from loving him, and these faced other dangers of the soul instead.

There were those who said he was the son of the Lady of the Moon, one of the star angels fallen out of the night sky.  Others said he was a demon from beneath the ground, with his skin that could not bear the daylight.  It was people possessed of the former opinion that Alyn Ysmai surrounded himself with.

One day in his 25th year, as the White-Haired Boy held his "court", an old woman was brought to him.  She had the reputation of a seer, but none of the psychic Companies would take her, claiming she was a charlatan who prostituted whatever Gift she had.  Her only son had betrayed his Company and broken his bloodpaper, and so a deathpaper had been placed on him.  She had come to beg Alyn Ysmai to use his influence to save her son.

His gold eyes bored into her own, and it seemed to her he could see all she desired, and more; all her pains, her tragic memories, all her deficiencies and the weaknesses in her heart.  Almost, she cringed from his gaze-- she was not a very brave woman.  But though she was not brave, and though she might be called a trickster, still she loved her only son.  So she bowed deeply, instead.  "My lord of the white hair, my humble bones groan with the honor you place on my shoulders, agreeing to lower yourself to see me.  Words cannot describe my gratitude and humility..."

"Then don't waste them,"  Alyn Ysmai said, and his smile was as cold as ice. "I am not terribly fond of lowering myself to see gutter trash like you, old woman.  Apparently you convinced my assistants that you were worth my time; either you've got a treasure unheard-of hidden in those rags, or you've a silver tongue.  In which case, it would look very attractive if I melted it down and made a necklace out of it.  So which is it?"

The woman quailed at his vicious words, all the more terrible for the mild, somewhat bored tone they were spoken in. Trembling, she prostrated herself at his feet.  "O most noble lord, I have had a vision concerning your exalted self.  Poor as a seer though I might be, still it is said that the gods may choose base vessels for their lofty messages, and who can gainsay the will of the gods?"

"Oh, you have a vision.  Concerning me.  No doubt, something about how I will be successful in love, or achieve wealth, or something.  Since if you came with some doom­saying prophecy, you wouldn't expect a gift for it."  He yawned, ostentatiously.  "You have no way of knowing how tired I am of every halfwit who fancies herself a seer telling me things about my future anyone could have guessed from looking at my past.  If this is another of those tedious predictions, I don't want to hear it."

"No, no, nothing like that, noble one! My vision concerns your true nature, and your rightful position among the people of Tylar. Indeed, the people of all the land of Taldyr!"

"Oh, don't tell me.  I'm the chosen of the Lady of the Moon, right? I do get tired of this. Guards..."

"Wait! My lord, you don't know your true nature-- it's even greater than anyone had predicted!"

That had gotten his attention.  He leaned forward slightly, gesturing to the guards to hold their places.  "So tell me then, base vessel of lofty messages that you claim to be."

She dared not look at his eyes, or he would discern the truth of her message soon enough.  She had to make him believe it.  "My lord, as you know, four days ago was a night with no moon.  It was on that night that I dreamed.  I dreamed I went out into the street and looked up at the sky, and I could not see the Lady's face.  I called out, 'My lady Moon, don't leave us behind! Don't leave us in darkness!'

"Then the stars spoke to me.  They said, 'You fool! You call to the sky for the Lady, when she dwells on the same ground as you? Your brains are addled, old woman!'

"I asked, 'How can the Lady be on the same ground as me? Surely any ground I walk on must be too unworthy for her exalted self...'

"They replied, 'Do not overestimate your importance, gutter slime.  Your actions are so totally meaningless that they can have no bearing on the Lady's actions.'

"But then one of the stars said, 'Wait, brothers and sisters.  Feeble, old and unworthy this piece of human trash may be, but she may yet perform a valuable service for us.  After all, she is not the only human who does not know what magnificence walks among them.'

"'That is true,' said the other stars.  Then they said, 'Our Lady walks among your people, in the very streets of your city, trapped by her enemy the Sun and unaware of who she truly is.  We will give you a task worthy of far better than you, old woman, and no gods shall help you if you fail it.  You shall find the Lady and inform her of who she truly is, and ask her to take her position of worship.  For if, trapped on Talla in the body of a human, she does not receive the worship of her loyal servants, she will pine away, and the Moon, her visible manifestation, will fade forever from the sky.'

"'But she cannot be among the people of Tylar!' I protested.  'For her loyal worshipper and chosen servant, Alyn Ysmai, would surely have found her, seeing as he knows all that transpires in this city!'

"They laughed.  Then they said, 'Oh, yes, Alyn Ysmai knows everything-- except the secret of his birth.  Perhaps you have forgotten, old woman, that in other countries, the Moon is worshipped as a man.  As lord of desire and love, the god you call the Lady of the Moon is not bound to the shape of a woman-- she contains within her the essence of the masculine, as well. Go and tell Alyn Ysmai that he is no mere servant of the Lady of the Moon-- he is the Moon, trapped in the form of a white-haired boy on Talla, bound by his enemy, the Sun.  He must know himself for what he is and be worshipped, or he will never achieve the strength to break the bonds the Sun has placed on him and return to his rightful place in the heavens.  Tell him, old woman!'

"And then I awakened.  I feared to come to you at first, believing my dream only the foolish fancy of an old woman.  But then I remembered the legend, that the touch of the Sun corrodes your skin. There have been others favored of the Moon, but it is the birthright of all humans to touch the Sun and be warmed. If the Sun is inimical to your existence, my lord, then you cannot be human.  Your substance is of an entirely different nature, and the Sun is its ancient enemy.

"Is it true, my lord? Does the touch of the Sun truly burn your skin? Are you the Moon in human incarnation?"

Alyn Ysmai stared at the old woman, shocked to his core. Always had he believed he was touched by divinity, but never that he was divinity himself.  Could he believe that? Dared he believe that? If he was not the Moon, and claimed to be, would not she withdraw her protection from him, as punishment for his pride?

Yet-- if he was the Moon, it would explain a very great deal. It would explain his power to see into the hearts and sometimes the minds of others, knowing what they felt as if it showed on their faces even when they showed no sign, and sometimes knowing their thoughts as if they had spoken them, even when they had made no sign. That was no seer's power, no psychic's trick-- that was a far greater power than the humans of Talla had, and he had it.  Why? Why did the sun sear his skin? Why was he so pale, as if all the color had been drained from him, when even the babies never bronzed by the blue-white sun were born brown? All around him had black or red hair, curled tightly, loosely, or waving-- his was white and straight as moonlight.  All around him had eyes of black or brown-- his were tawny gold. The men of 25 years that he knew were muscular and tall-- he was yet small and slight, with the beauty but not the strength of a woman, as if he were yet a boy.  Why?

If he were the Moon, trapped here by the Sun-- oh, that would explain it all.  A deity in human form could not be expected to look human.  The Sun's substance would corrode the Moon's skin, naturally.  And he could not grow to full manhood as long as he remained ignorant of his true nature.

No wonder people loved him whenever he wished, if he was the god of desire and love.  No wonder people threw their reason away for him, lost their willpower to his, when will and reason were gifts of the Sun, if he was the Sun's ancestral enemy.  It all made beautiful, perfect sense.  He felt a sudden rush of warmth for this old woman, who had shown him the truth of what he was.

"Yes,"  he said. "Yes, it's all true.  Now that you tell it to me, it's so obvious I wonder how I could have failed to see it before.  I am the Lady of the Moon."  He stood, and graciously helped the old woman to her feet. "You've done me a great service, old woman,"  he said. "Is there any service I can do for you, as a token of my gratitude?"

"If you would, my exalted Lord,"  she whispered, her eyes cast at the ground. "My dear and only son, the delight of his mother's old age, has had a deathpaper placed on him by the Athysuvyras Company.  If you would only use your great powers to make them rescind the papers and let him join a new Company..."

"I'll do that,"  the White-Haired Boy, now revealed as the Lady of the Moon, told her. He took from her the details of the case, and dismissed her.  Then he dismissed all those who sought an audience with him.  Turning to his subordinates, he said, "You've heard what she said.  Do you believe it true? Will you accept me, not only as your Captain, but as your goddess?"

As one, all of them bowed deeply.  His second-in-command, a woman he had never found attractive enough to seduce but who loved him deeply, said, "We will follow you even to death, my Captain and Lady, my god.  Command us, and we will follow."

"Then we all go to the temple of the Moon-- to My temple, tonight.  There are a few matters I wish to discuss with My priests."  Already he had shifted into the dialect used only in myths and religious services, the speech used by the gods to mortals.

***

In the temple, the Lady's priests awakened as their goddess's manifestation first began to brighten in the sky.  They went about their duties as if this were a day like any other, until they heard a clamor outside.

One of the priests went to the door, and saw there the White-Haired Boy, followed by a hundred or more.  It was well-known that Alyn Ysmai was the favored of the Moon, and so the priest opened the gates.  "What brings you to the temple this fine night, sir?"  he asked.

Alyn Ysmai looked at him with an expression of cold fire, and the priest suddenly wanted to wilt into the ground beneath and die. "You will address Me with proper respect,"  the White-Haired Boy said.  "It has been revealed to Me today that I am your Goddess, taken flesh in the form of a human male.  I wish to address all of My priests.  Call them from their duties and have them assemble in the main courtyard."

Stunned, the priest managed to stammer, "Y-yes, my lor-- my Lady..."  He turned and ran, to bring the news to the other priests, his mind in turmoil.  How could it be that they had not divined the presence of the Lady in their midst? Something had gone terribly wrong.

The priests came out from the chambers where they worshipped the Lady with their bodies, men and women with disheveled hair and hastily-donned ceremonial clothing.  Hairbrushes and makeup flew about as they tried to restore themselves to the beautiful aspect they should present, before their goddess should arrive.

Then finally the White-Haired Boy strode into the room. He had dressed in the garment of a priest himself, and was made up to be unbearably beautiful.  None who looked at him could disbelieve that he held feminine essence in himself, nor could they disbe­lieve that he was Desire incarnate. His followers mingled with the priests and prostrated themselves in the courtyard, except for the bodyguards who stood behind him.  In his pale white beauty he seemed to glow like the moon itself, and this is what he said:

"Listen, priests of My temple! Today it has been revealed to Me that I am not merely the favored child of the Moon.  I am the Moon herself, taken flesh in My male aspect.  The Sun, my ancient enemy, has trapped Me here, giving Me a male shape in a place where I am worshipped in My female aspect. But look at Me! Can you not see in Me the duality of My nature?"  His voice became seductive, his whole body sensuality incarnate.  Every lover of women saw a woman in him, while every lover of men saw him as a man, and all adored him beyond belief.  "Is there anyone here who does not desire Me? Who does not think Me beautiful? Who would not die for Me, should I ask it?"

"No one, Lady, no one!"  the prostrated priests and followers chorused.

He beckoned to one of the followers.  "Stand up and be counted!"  he called to him, and the man stood.  "Do you not love Me?"

"Yes-- yes, my Lady! I will do anything for You!"

"Take your knife and plunge it into your breast for Me, then,"  Alyn Ysmai said.

Mesmerized by the burning gold eyes and the beauty, the man did so, and died with a cry of anguish and ecstasy as his own knife pierced his heart.

As the man fell dead, Alyn Ysmai said, "From this day forth, all of you will direct your worship to Me, to My fleshly aspect, as well as to My heavenly manifestation.  You will obey My every order without question, and serve the desires of the flesh I wear.  If I tell you to break all your bloodpapers, to murder your employers, to make the streets run with the blood of those who worship My enemy the Sun, you will do it. And I will reward you with My presence, and with fortune in love, so long as you please Me."

***

They built Alyn Ysmai a throne in the temple, and brought him the finest brocades to wear, the finest delicacies to eat.  He enslaved the hearts and minds of those who opposed him, or claimed he was no god.  If they hated him too much to be enslaved, his followers and priests would compete to devise new and interesting ways of putting them to painful death. People broke their bloodpapers and murdered their employers at his order, just as he had said, and when deathpapers were placed on those who had committed the crimes, his worshippers would rise up against that company and devastate it.  The streets ran with the blood of those who worshipped the Sun, or sometimes, any god but Alyn Ysmai.  Those who earned his gratitude had great rewards granted them, and led enviable lives. Those that disappointed him were required to abase or humiliate themselves, or sometimes to commit horrible suicides.

And through it all Alyn Ysmai grew very bored.

He showed no sign of aging, of developing a more manly body. Worship satiated him, but gave him no mystic strength to command the heavens, or any other of the great powers that should be his by right.  And his pleasures had to grow progressively more unusual to appeal to his jaded soul.

Finally, one night he had a dream.

In the dream he saw a woman, and she was mirror to himself, with long hair the color of moonlight, and eyes the color of night. Her body was perfection, and more than perfection, and he fell immediately in love with her, desperately and completely.

"Alyn Ysmai,"  she said, and her voice was the music of the night.  "I've heard a great deal about you."

"Have you?"  he asked, and his mouth was dry.

"You're very beautiful,"  she said.  "Truly, you are favored."  And she smiled at him with biting sharpness.  He could not tell if her smile was a mockery, or if she meant what she said.  For the first time, his gifts deserted him, and he could tell nothing about her, affect nothing of her.

"You are also very beautiful,"  he managed.

"Yes, I am, aren't I?"  she said, and stepped toward him.  

She drew him into her embrace, and it was like nothing he had ever experienced.  It was more real than any dream he had ever had-- more real, in fact, than reality had ever been.  And when she took him in love, there was more pleasure than he had ever imagined, more than he could easily comprehend.

Then she faded like smoke out of his arms, leaving him unfulfilled and despairing.  He called out to her...  and realized that he was awake.

Desperate with unfulfilled desire, he summoned one of his priests, a beautiful woman trained in all the arts of pleasure, to his bed.  But she was empty, hollow, after the woman of last night.  He felt dirtied by her touch, and experienced no enjoyment, only the release of a physical pressure.  His mind and soul were left as unfulfilled as before.  

For hours he lay in bed, throughout the burning day, trying to regain the dream he'd lost, but to no avail.  Finally, sick to the soul, he rose with the moon, dressed, and glanced out the window.

She was standing in the courtyard below.

Alyn Ysmai was down the stairs faster than anyone should be able to move.  But when he reached the courtyard, she was gone.  

"Did you see a woman here?"  he demanded of a priest passing by.  "A woman, with hair and skin as light as my own?" In his desperation, he forgot the terms of godly address, and spoke just as he had when he was thought an ordinary man.

"No-- no, my Lord,"  the man said.  "I saw no one."

"Did you see her?"  the White-Haired Boy demanded of other priests, searching the entire courtyard.  "Did you? Did you?"

Finally one said, "I think I saw a woman like that heading out the gates, my Lord."

Like a man possessed, Alyn Ysmai headed for the gates, searching for the woman.  Already he knew that he would never know pleasure, real pleasure again, never enjoy anything in life again, until he found her.  Without her, his life would be empty and meaningless.  And when he found her, she would become the reason for his existence.  He would worship her, as he himself was worshipped, and give her everything he had, and in return she would give him pleasure far beyond the domain of mortal men.

So he went into the city, and demanded of passersby that they tell him where she had gone.  He had none of his bodyguards, but the force of his need was such that even those who hated him answered him readily.  It did no good.  The fragments he learned indicated that she had somehow drifted out of the city, like a flower blown on the wind.  He turned and left the city, hiking out into the wilderness to seek her out.

In the day he sheltered from the sun under the rich brocades his worshippers had given him, and still he searched.  In the night, he drove himself without food, without sleep, crossing the wilderness alone, and still he searched.  And for days and nights he searched, until days turned to weeks, and then to months, and then to years.  And still he searched...  for his life would not be complete until he found her again.

In the city, his worshippers tried to follow him, but found that the moon was too dim to find him by-- it clouded their vision, somehow. And slowly they awoke, as if from a dream, and realized that their goddess in male cloak would not be returning to them.  So they resumed the old patterns of worship, and the life of the city returned to the way it had been, before the arrival of the White-Haired Boy.

***

In the heavens, the Lord of the Night, master of sleep and dreams, and his sibling the Lady of the Moon, stood in the palace of the sky and looked down.  Alyn Ysmai still continued his desperate quest for the woman who had stolen his soul-- she who was none other than the true Lady of the Moon, herself.

"I'm not sure I should have let you enter his dream,"  the Lord said.  "You've stolen his soul, sister, and doomed him to wander all Talla, searching for you."

"Surely you don't think the punishment was too extreme,"  the Lady of the Moon said, surprised at her brother.  "The White-Haired Boy brought chaos to the city he dwelt in. He toyed with the hearts and minds of others, and destroyed people for no better reason than his own pleasure, or to alleviate his boredom.  If anyone on all Talla could be called evil, it would be Alyn Ysmai.  Surely you must realize how much he deserved his fate, brother! I did nothing more to him than what he did to countless others."

"I know,"  the Lord said gravely.  "For what he did, the White-Haired Boy deserves a thousand punishments, and I don't grieve to see him tormented the way he tormented so many others.  But I question your motives, sibling."

"My motives? Why do you question--"

"When he won the hearts of all his family, so that they spoiled him and gave him all he desired, you smiled on him.  When he tricked people of their birthrights and of their bloodpapers, you clapped your hands in delight like a small child.  And when he played with the hearts and minds of others, enslaving people to his desires, robbing them of will, making them his toys, you laughed and beamed down on him.  He was your favored child, agent of your pleasures and your manipulations.  It wasn't until he grew arrogant enough to believe himself you, to steal your worshippers and rain blood in your name, that you grew angry enough to punish him."  The Lord of the Night gazed sternly at his sister.  "You destroyed him, not because he was evil-- for he was evil even before he took your temple, made so by the gifts you gave him.  No, you destroyed him for the sake of your own pride."

And the Lady of the Moon could make no reply, for it was true.

***

They say the White-Haired Boy lived a long, long time, and spent all that time searching for the Lady of the Moon, never finding the cruel goddess again, nor regaining her favor.  Some say that he wanders Talla still, calling her by the name "Beloved,"  calling to her as he searches.  If you cross his path, these say, he will doom you to a devastating and unrequited love, to make another share his anguish.  Others say he died a long time ago.  But even those turn aside when they see a pale form in the distance, on a moonlit night, or when they hear the wind crying a name.

***

Translator’s notes:

Aside from the Great Diaspora, when the people of Laon fled their original homeworld, and the world of Scamara, which according to their legends wasn’t settled by willing Laon’l, there is very, very little evidence of Laon’l space travel prior to being contacted by the Galactic Confederation. This is understandable; prior to the Diaspora, the Laon’l perceived space to be the realm of demons, while the chthonic realms of their planet’s depths were understood to be the realm of their afterlife, cradled in the peaceful bosom of their Mother. After the Diaspora, Laon’l saw space as the realm of their tormentor, the Daishenéon Emaroth (the title translates as either “Great Empress” or “Greatest of Demons”.)

However, it cannot be denied that on the new world of Laon, the technology for space travel existed, and the Laon’l leadership has always tended to be conservative and controlling – a combination that often leads free-thinkers, iconoclasts, and members of minority cultures to flee their homes. The Laon’l leadership is known to have suppressed any knowledge of individuals fleeing Laon, in the past, but archaeologists have found evidence of attempts to build spaceships. Until now, however, we’ve found no evidence on Laon’l presence on any world other than Laon and Scamara.

This particular legend comes from the continent of Taldyr on Talla, and has been understood by the Taldyrese to be fictional, or possibly to be based on the actual exploits of a charismatic leader with albinism. However, there are certain factors that suggest that this is not the case.

-          The White-Haired Boy is presented as unusually sensitive to Talla’s sun. The blue-white sun of Talla is in fact a serious problem for the rare Tallese albinos, and for humans of the “Caucasian” subgroup and Draigoili of the “anthela” subgroup, but only Laon’l are known to actually die of radiation poisoning from a full day of exposure to the Tallese sun (during summer, or near the equator, and on a cloudless day). The exaggerated sensitivity the White-Haired Boy supposedly had to sunlight in legend sounds significantly more like Laon’l sensitivity to the Tallese sun than to the sensitivity Tallese albinos exhibit.

-          The White-Haired Boy, if he existed, would almost certainly have had to be psionic to demonstrate the abilities he supposedly had. This might simply be a convention of fiction – on Earth, another low-psi world, legendary figures have abilities that in reality would require powerful psi, as a matter of routine. But Alyn Ysmai is actually the only Tallese legendary figure to demonstrate abilities that seem to fall in the range of telepathy, telempathy or expathy; most Tallese trickster figures or legendary heroes have abilities that cannot be explained by psionics, such as shapeshifting, flight, abnormally high strength, et cetera.

-          “Fallen from the sky as a child, carried on a shooting star” : any version of the Alyn Ysmai legend that covers his childhood at all makes reference to this part of the legend. The resemblance to a spaceship crash-landing is obvious.

-          “had the form and features of a boy”, references to the femininity of the White-Haired Boy – Laon’l are significantly more neotenous than other humanoid species, and typically have less sexual dimorphism. To a Tallese of a thousand years ago, a Laon’l of 25 Tallese years would look much more like a teenager, and would appear more androgynous than the average Tallese teenager.

-          Talla’s star is visible in the sky of Laon, often during the day. It’s one of about ten stars that writings of Laon’l who believed their species should return to space spoke of attempting to reach.

-          Laon’l and Tallese are not interfertile without modern genetic engineering, and some variants of the Alyn Ysmai legend make much of the fact that he fathered no children. No variants claim that he did have children. With the amount of coitus, the number of partners the legends suggest he would have had, and the social status he had, it’s implausible that he wouldn’t have had children if he were fertile at all.

Of course, all of this is circumstantial evidence; without access to Alyn Ysmai’s remains, we have no way of proving for certain his species. However, it’s fairly strong circumstantial evidence.

Given the value to identifying evidence of pre-GalConfed Laon’l space travel, we suggest that an archaeological expedition to Talla to attempt to determine whether the White-Haired Boy actually existed or not, and to potentially recover whatever may be left of his remains, should be funded within the next five years.