#after I forced my friend to tell me literally 4 times how to make lavender syrup

[hawnks]

bad news everyone i have run out of lavender syrup and my package of lavender doesn’t get here until later 2day :(

[enbylesbianism]

ANY WAY THE WIND BLOWS: Simon Snow trilogy wrapped! (review)

Hi, there! It took me a while to finish this post, as I could talk about it for... a long time (not necessarily a good thing), but I got it! I like praise, so if anyone wants to tell me I did a good job... Also, I might edit this post later on. I don’t remember anything else I’d like to add, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I did after posting. My brain does not obey me. Anyways, off to it! By the way, I won’t give this book a real rating.

While this is a review on Any Way the Wind Blows, I intend on analysing some points of the overall series too. The book starts where Wayward Son left off, the end of the road trip, Simon and Baz having problems in their relationship, Penelope helping Shepard with his curse... and the whole situation of the NowNext vampires. Rainbow Rowell only seems to remember the first part. That leaves us with the second book of the series ignored almost completely, with the exception of Simon and Baz’s feelings as well as Shepard’s existence.

Don’t get me wrong, aspects of the book are mentioned, but never in a truly important way. Lamb, the Vampire King, is mentioned by Simon, but only focusing on his and Baz’s relationship, never about the fact that there are a bunch of vampires (supposedly ‘evil’) in the U.S. but I guess what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right? I could count on one hand the times the NowNext vampires were mentioned (like, literally, this isn’t an exaggeration, I looked up ‘NowNext’ on the e-book and only got five results), all of them either being one of them considering telling someone else about it, then not following through with it, or dismissing it as a concern for Lamb. Which makes the plot of Wayward Son completely useless for the trilogy. Now, that wouldn’t matter as much if everything else had been properly developed, but we definitely can’t say that.

We are introduced to a brand new, poorly developed villain, Smith-Smith Richards, whose character arc is as ridiculous as his name. He’s one of the fake Chosen Ones that started appearing after the events of Carry On (and the only one to be mentioned and/or defeated, for that matter). It becomes clear that presenting as Simon Snow-ish is part of his brand, especially when Baz describes him as looking like the Netflix adaptation version of Simon, and that he was raised and guided by his uncle, who’s just... there. I don’t think it would’ve been hard to make him manipulating Smith-Smith into believing he’s the prophetic savior of the Magickal World, which would not only make both of their characters more interesting, but it could also serve as a parallel of Simon’s relationship with the Mage. Richards also has some special powers such as increasing a mage’s magic for a limited amount of time, but taking it away afterwards, as well as making someone immune from spells. It’s worth saying those aren’t skills that are usual in the Magickal World, or else there wouldn’t be so much confusion and shock from people (specially Baz and Penny, who would definitely have heard of something like this before), but we get no explanation on why or how Richard has them.

Then, we have the Salisbury’s. We, as readers, already know Lucy and Davy are Simon’s parents, making Ruth his grandmother. It’s noticeable that Rowell builds up to that discovery, by making Simon get along with Ruth instantly, him thinking about Lucy a lot etc. It makes us excited to read the part where they actually figure it out, to know how Simon would deal with that, him dealing with the fact that he’s the Mage’s son and the fact that, technically, he killed his father. I suppose that’s the point, but actually getting to that part was incredibly underwhelming. The way they discovered about Simon—being able to lift a family sword—hadn’t been mentioned or hinted at before. One would’ve expected Simon, who’s particularly interested in swords as it’s mentioned many times throughout the series, to notice a freaking Excalibur at the Salisbury’s place before. 

And speaking of noticing things: when it’s finally revealed that Simon is Lucy’s son and the Mage’s heir, Baz pointed out the uncanny similarities between his boyfriend and the deceased Watford principal. “Those narrow eyes. That tilt of his head. I thought... I thought he’d learned it. Was imitating it.” + “Merlin, Simon, you even look like him.”  (Any Way the Wind Blows, chapter 86) Simon was the Mage’s protégé for years and I assume the Magickal authorities knew that he was the one to inherit all of his money and personal belongings, but no one, in the whole British Magickal community, thought about them being related? I refuse to believe there were no conspiracy theorist teachers at Watford or that Mitali or even the Pitch’s alongside everyone who was against the Mage didn’t at least check to know if there was something behind those characteristics. Baz literally said (chapter 88), “I think it’s undeniable. I’d cast ‘Flesh and blood’ on them, but it would bounce right off of Snow (...)”, so there is a spell for that. Plus, we didn’t even have one whole chapter of Simon dealing with this information! The chapters (no more than five, out of ninety-one) were divided between Simon, Baz and Lady Ruth’s POVs. He’s the main character, so one would think he’d get more development.

Another point that felt rushed was the romance. While Simon and Baz’s relationship wasn’t, as it’s been a topic Rowell has explored for three books (we’re not counting Fangirl here, as their ‘participation’ on it was minor and their personalities weren’t as consistent as in the trilogy. Not that it is that consistent there), the others just felt like she wanted everyone to finish the trilogy with a pair. I’ll start with Shepard and Penny. There were fans who liked them together before Any Way the Wind Blows, but it wasn’t hinted at—it was more like a fandom thing. I personally like them as a couple, but it could have had development and, maybe, foreshadowing in Wayward Son. I mean, they did fight monsters during a huge part of a road trip together.

The next one I’ll talk about is Agatha and Niamh. I love them, don’t get me wrong. Actually, it’s precisely because I love them that I wish they’d gotten a better treatment. Niamh wasn’t introduced before Any Way the Wind Blows. I get why she wasn’t introduced in Carry On—it was interesting to see a character who wasn’t caught up in Simon and Baz’s drama during the school years—but a hint of her existence could’ve been left in Wayward Son. Agatha is an important character on it, and a mention of her father training an aspiring veterinary could’ve fit somewhere, as a hint, maybe. (Also, Lucy, the dog, being absolutely forgotten during this book when a lot of Agatha’s time is spent in a veterinary clinic...) Besides, we could get the vibes from them, but after they kissed, there was barely any content. We didn’t get them calling each other ‘girlfriend’ (or if they even like that label at this point), or the aftermath of the kiss, or a POV from Niamh. Or Niamh appearing the epilogue? If Agatha was taking care of the goats, I’m sure Niamh would have a part in that too. Still on Agatha’s character, but not on Niamh’s, it felt like Rainbow Rowell was setting up for aromantic and asexual Agatha, specially because of this quote: “It was like she'd pulled the feeling right out of my heart. I could have kissed her. (I still wish sometimes that I wanted to.) (That would feel like an answer to... the question of me. Then I could say, 'Oh, thats who I am. That's why I've been so confused.')” (Wayward Son, chapter 4).

And I was leaving the best (I need to be sure everyone knows I mean this sarcastically) of the romance topic for the end: Fiona and Nicodemus. It’s just... so forced and undeveloped. Not even because, to me, they’re both gay as hell. There was just... such a lack of development! I don’t think we had any interaction between the both of them before Any Way the Wind Blows. There was no foreshadowing or why would Fiona, a vampire hunter from a family of vampire hunters, would marry... a vampire! I’d already find it weird to see fanfiction of them as a crackship, but it’s canon?! Like, canon as in they’re going to get married and use Fiona and Natasha’s mother’s ring? Seriously, nothing will take from me that this is a lavender marriage (as I’ve already discussed with my best friend, which inspired this post of theirs.)

I’d also like to speak about a topic that’d been hinted throughout the series, especially post-Carry On, which is the criticism towards the Magickal Community in the U.K.. That criticism is very much embodied in Shepard’s character. It’s explicitly said that the British mages have some kind of supremacy towards other supernatural beings, such as vampires for example, gatekeeping literal magic. Up until relatively recently, mages with weak links with magic couldn’t attend Watford (and that’s a major plot point in the final book) and there’s a denial towards any other kind of magic except the ones that are part of their craft. Even within the Magickal community itself, there are more important families that are more likely to succeed, like Natasha receiving criticism for marrying Malcolm, as a Pitch. It felt pointless not to tackle the issues you’ve set up yourself in your own universe. Penelope has very strict morals related to magickal law and beliefs, something that she could’ve deconstructed, especially considering Shepard, her love interest, symbolises that. Another point related to that is, the trilogy is very clearly heavily inspired by Harry Potter, where many of those points are very clear (e.g. wizard supremacy in relation to other species, such as werewolves and domestic elves and the status quo that makes some traditionally magical families more influential than others, like the Malfoy’s vs. the Weasley’s), so it’s not an easily forgettable concept.

The series also had a lot of inconsistencies. The one I’ve seen talked about more often is Simon and Agatha’s... intimacy status, let’s call it that. Simon’s whole thing in the first book was that he struggled controlling his magic when experiencing intense emotions, which makes it hard to believe that he managed to have sex withount an... accident. Besides that, though, there’s this quote, “She (...) presses a kiss into my temple. No one has ever kissed me there. No one has ever kissed me anywhere but on my mouth” (Carry On, Chapter 27), but in Any Way the Wind Blows, when Simon’s about to have his wings cut, Agatha says, “It’s a strange feeling to look at someone’s chest and know it’s nothing to do with you anymore, but still to remember kissing every inch.” (Chapter 14)

So, we have established that Rainbow Rowell’s work, both character and plot driven, is flawed. “But we got the characters interacting for the closure of the series, at least!” Well... we got interactions between the canon romantic relationships, yeah. But besides that, we didn’t get much. There were no interactions between Agatha and Penny, or Shepard with Simon and Baz. Or Penny and her mother figuring stuff out. Or literally anyone with a therapist. And not gonna lie, the interaction we got between Baz and Dev was underwhelming, to say the least. Niall is nowhere to be seen, too.

Rainbow Rowell’s writing is beautiful: she writes poetic lines that make the book seem perfect at first glance, if you don’t think about it for too long. Her words are very shiny, but once you get use to that light and see what’s behind them, what’s between one shiny quote and another, it has so many flaws and plot holes that it reads like a first draft. There are many concepts in there that are genuinely good: the rest of the trilogy focused on the protagonist dealing with the trauma of being a child soldier instead of being entirely an adventure, Simon being unlabelled, a fake Chosen One that gives mages fake hope... Those are all good ideas, but so poorly explored that, despite being an entire book/trilogy, it still feels like a writing pitch or something among those lines.

I felt iffy about other things during my reading of the series, but they aren’t exactly plot points, so I’ll just list them below:

Mitali, Penny’s mom, including ‘discovering your bisexuality’ as a mid-life crisis thing 

As I’ve seen people talking about biphobia/bi erasure in the books, I’ll be including this post that features both unlabelled and bisexual individuals talking about the topic (it isn’t my place, as a lesbian, to talk about this, that’s why I decided not to do so.)

Romanticising of Baz’s suicide (a.k.a. chapter 61) in the first book. If you’re not in a good place mentally, like I was when I first read Carry On, I hope you know that a kiss or romance doesn’t help any mental illness you or others might have. Don’t let anyone use your guilt to manipulate you. Paraphrasing Alice Oseman in their graphic novel Heartstopper, love can’t cure a mental illness.

Any Way the Wind Blows was... very horny. I can’t point out how this makes the book bad exactly, but it wasn’t something I enjoyed. One of Rainbow Rowell’s strongest skills is that her quotes, when loose, are good. They tend to be poetic and just beautiful, overall. But in the... explicit scenes, these skills were barely used, and I felt like I was reading NSFW tweets off of someone’s private account on Twitter. Besides, the first two books of the series weren’t written like that, so the change was very sudden.

The older people could’ve been more explored. Penelope and Mitali’s relationship and how similar the both of them are compared to each other, Daphne and Professor Bunce’s insecurities and why they believed in Smith-Smith, Fiona, Nico, and Ebb... Also, the Mage and Lucy. We could’ve had more on them, y’know. 

The pop culture references. They made the book read even more like Twitter’s feed. Honestly, if I wanted to read prompts and nice ship content alongside memes from Twitter with some horny thoughts sprinkled all around, I would’ve opened the Twitter app. Or Tumblr, Instagram, whatever.

The POV switching felt lazy to me at times. It’s nice to know how different characters are experiencing that situation, yes, but sometimes, like during the discovery that Simon is a Salisbury, it read as if Rowell wanted to create tension, but couldn’t think of any other way to do it except the switching around.

Narrative wise, I think Simon and Baz should’ve spent more time broken up. 

[falcqns]

Free Fall

Pairing: Henry Cavill x reader (first person pov)

Chapter Summary: You and Henry have a good talk about your future, and Henry propositions you.

Warnings: swearing, mentions of mental illness (ppd, insomnia, anxiety), mention of stepparent, mention of deadbeat father.

A/N: this one is very personal to me. i understand that not everyone’s father has left, and that not everyone has an amazing stepdad like i do, but i thought i’d worked with the plot. i hope you enjoyed! I also apologize for these chapters being so short, i’m battling PPD, and trying to kill time before my daughter wakes up lol

chapter one | chapter two | chapter three | chapter four |

chapter four

It was 4:30 am and you were awoken by the sound of your daughter crying out for you. But, as you moved to get up, Henry placed his hand on your shoulder to keep her in place.

“I’ll get her, you stay,” He whispered, and pressed a kiss to your temple. You sat up just in time to see Henry lifting your daughter out of her bassinet. You looked over at Henry and noticed he was only wearing underpants, which made you blush. You had never seen him this bare before. You had seen him without a shirt on, but not without pants.

“Good morning!” He cooed at her, and placed her against his chest. “Did you have a good sleep?”

Lavender smiled and waved her arms around on Henry’s chest. He smiled and brought her over to you so you could feed her. You pulled your daughter into your arms, and got her attached to your breast, before settling back against the headboard.

Henry got back into bed, and placed a hand on your leg under the covers, his thumb rubbing back and forth.

You noticed that every once in a while he would glance down at Lavender and then back up at you with a smile on his face, the biggest one you had ever seen on him.

“What?” You questioned him with a giggle.

He shrugged. “You’re beautiful like this. With her in your arms. She’s beautiful. And it’s hard to believe that you went through your pregnancy all alone, and gave birth alone-,” He said, but you interjected before he could finish.

“I didn’t go through labour alone. I had my mom and cousin in the room with me,”

Henry tilted his head to the side, with a knowing look on his face. “You know what I mean,” He said, and lifted his hand from your thigh to the hairs on Lavenders head. “You didn’t have her dad, or someone like that there for you. And you’re still so happy about being a mom, and in general.”

You scoffed. “I am definitely not happy all the time.”

Henry narrowed his eyes at you, his hand not moving from Lavenders hair.

“What do you mean?” He asked, slightly afraid of the answer.

“I have post partum depression. It’s not fun in any way. It means I get intense mood swings, I cry over nothing, I have intense anxiety and anxiety attacks, and I can barely sleep at night. I barely have enough energy after filming on top of it too.” You whispered, and Henry immediately sat up.

“Y/N, baby, I hate that you have to go through that, especially alone. I want to help you. Help take some of the stress of off you.” He said, as he wrapped an arm around you, and slid his thumb that still sat on Lavenders head, down her nose, like he had done yesterday. She unlatched momentarily to smile at Henry, before returning to her meal.

“Are - are you sure? I don’t want to force you into something you’re not ready for,” You whispered, and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “We’re a lot of work.” You joked. He chuckled, and leant down to press a kiss to Lavenders head.

“I’d want nothing more. I know she’s biologically not my child, and I literally have only known her less than 24 hours, but I want to get to know her, and raise her with you.” He said, his gaze not leaving Lavender.

You sniffles, but nodded, and pressed a kiss to Henry’s soft lips. “We’re all yours. But, can you promise me something?” You asked apprehensively.

“Of course,” He said, pressing another kiss to your head, and Lav’s.

“C-can we not tell her that she’s not yours? Atleast until she’s a grown up?” You asked. Immediately Henry smiled.

“Of course, angel. Can I ask why?” He questioned, and you nodded.

“I just- my father left before I was born, much like hers did. I have an amazing stepdad, who you’d know as my dad.” Henry nodded, remembering when he met him. “He always assures me I’m his daughter and nothing will change that, but growing up and knowing that I wasn’t truly his always bothered me. Especially when my siblings were born. It didn’t bother me majorly, just once in a while. I don’t want her to go through that.”

You heard Henry left out a breath. “I would do anything for you and her. I’ll adopt her. I’ll raise her like my own. Because we may not be family by blood, but we’re family by heart, and both you and I know that that’s all that matters. The people that you love, that’s your family, baby.”

You were full out crying now, and Henry pulled you closer. “Thank you,” You whispered.

“You’re welcome my love.” Henry answered, as Lavender finished her meal, and moved away from your nipple.

“Do you wanna hold your daughter again?” You whispered with a smile on your face. Henry nodded, tears brimming in his eyes.

He took her from your arms, bent his knees, and laid her little body against it.

“Hi, baby girl, I’m your daddy,” He whispered.

The three of you spent the rest of the morning in bed together before venturing to the kitchen. Henry hadn’t let go of Lavender since he took her out of your arms earlier that morning. He also kept pressing kisses to her head, which melted your heart.

You finally managed to convince him to put her in the high chair so he could make his coffee. He laid her down, and gave her lots of kisses before venturing away.

Neither of your felt like cooking, so you settled on cereal for breakfast. Lavenders eyes drifted over to you two every once in a while.

“Do you have to go and take care of Kal?” You mentioned.

He looked at his watch. “Oh shit yeah. Why don’t you two come with me? It pretty warm, we could take her swimming in my pool. We won’t be able to do that in a few weeks when we leave to go film in Europe.” He suggested.

You smiled. “I agree.”

The two of you finished your meals, and you packed the diaper bag while Henry distracted the baby.

Once everything was ready, Henry strapped the baby into her car seat. He put the pack and play, along with the diaper bag into his car. While you were digging around for the spare base you had for her car seat, he was making her smile with her stuffed Winnie The Pooh.

Finally, you found it, and showed Henry how to install it in his car, and how the car seat worked with it, then you guys were off to his house.

You had been there before many times, but you always forgot how big it was. He pulled into his garage, and immediately went to the back door to get his daughter out.

‘his daughter.’

That thought blew your mind. Just a few days ago, you were a single mom, struggling with post partum depression, with a baby only a handful of people knew about. Today, you had amazing co stars who immediately accepted your daughter and you even though you hid her from them, and most importantly, you had Henry. He was your boyfriend, the father of your child, your best friend, and your support system. It blew your mind how everything was falling together.

[noona-clock]

I Never Knew - Part 3

Genre: WWII!AU

Pairing: Brian (Day6) x You (Female!Reader)

Warning: Mentions of war

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, Epilogue | Words: 3,284

*gif courtesy of @cramelot​​

The sound of the front door opening downstairs made you pause.

Usually, your father arrived home quite late on his first day of work. He’d even said himself he wasn’t sure if he would be home for dinner, so when you’d accepted Brian’s invitation earlier today, you hadn’t been worried at all about your father even knowing you were gone.

“Cupcake!” you heard your father’s deep voice call out. “I’m home!”

You bit the inside of your cheek as you finished tapping some lavender powder on your chin. “Y--yes, father!” you replied. “Coming!”

As quickly as you could, you grabbed your trusty tube of red lipstick and dashed downstairs. 

Before you even set foot in the kitchen, your father asked, “What would you like for dinner?”

He lifted his head when you arrived in the doorway, and when he saw you were wearing one of your best dresses as well as an angelic smile on your lips, his brow knit in confusion.

“Why are you all dolled up?”

“I... uh...” you began, taking a few hesitant steps toward him. “I have plans tonight, actually.”

Your father’s furrowed eyebrows smoothed out, raising halfway up his forehead upon hearing your news. “Plans? What kind of plans?”

“Dinner plans,” you answered casually.

His tone was much more stern when he asked “...With whom?”

“His name is Brian.”

“A soldier?” The stern tone continued.

And your smile became even more angelic. “Yes.”

“You met him last night?”

“Yes, Daddy, of course. When else would I have met him?”

His brow furrowed again.

You stepped up to him, keeping the angelic smile on your lips before you stood on your toes to press a kiss to his cheek. “It’s just dinner, and I’ll be back before curfew, I promise.”

A quiet sigh escaped your father’s lips, and he shot you a quizzical glance. “And what time is curfew?”

“Midnight,” you answered without hesitation.

“Midnight? Since wh --”

“Since I became an adult,” you interrupted. “And since you’ve forced me to move from base to base for most of my teenage and young adult life, and I haven’t had the chance to make any true, lasting friendships because we don’t stay in one place for long enough.”

Your father didn’t answer right away. He let out a deep exhale first, and then he murmured, “Yes, that’s fair enough. Midnight, it is.”

You kissed his cheek again, almost letting out a squeal when you said, “Thank you, Daddy!”

“Have fun, and please make good choices.”

You had been about to duck into the powder room downstairs to put on your lipstick, but your father’s request made you pause and quirk one eyebrow.

“Don’t I always make good choices?” you asked.

Your father chuckled heartily and shook his head. “Yes, you do. I’ve never had to worry about my Cupcake before.”

A soft sigh left your lips, and you were on the verge of telling him he really didn’t need to call you Cupcake anymore... but... in a way, you sort of liked it. It showed how much he cared about you, and the two of you really only had each other. 

So, instead of that request, you simply said, “And you don’t need to start tonight.”

“All right,” your father exhaled, lifting his broad shoulders into a shrug. “Go on, then.”

Upon his consent, you hurried into the powder room and leaned in close to the mirror. You opened your lipstick tube, twisting it up and applying it carefully onto your lips.

Once you were satisfied with the application, you put the cap back on the tube and went to fetch your clutch purse on the kitchen counter. You threw your lipstick inside before grabbing it and heading to the front door.

“Bye, Daddy!” you called out as you practically skipped down the hallway. “I love you!”

You heard him reply likewise when you reached the door, his voice booming from the kitchen, and you left the house with an easy mind.

Just after you pranced down the front steps of your house, you saw Brian turn the corner, his hands in his pockets as he whistled a sultry but also melancholy tune which you instantly recognized.

A grin tugged at your lips as you headed toward the mailbox, and when Brian noticed you, he stopped whistling to smile himself.

“Moonlight Serenade,” you said in place of a greeting as the two of you met up, almost in the exact same spot where you’d kissed last night. “It’s one of my absolute favorites.”

“That Glenn Miller sure knows how to tug at your heartstrings, huh?” Brian replied with a soft smirk.

“That he does,” you agreed. And then your brow furrowed gently as a thought appeared in your mind. “Do you know the song we danced to last night?”

To be honest, thinking about being in Brian’s arms, dancing so close to him, made your cheeks simmer.

“You mean -- the last song?” 

You nodded.

“I, uh...” He suddenly became a little bashful, but in the most adorable way you’d ever seen. “I actually asked Jae last night, the guy who sang it. He said it’s called ‘I Never Knew.’ It came out almost twenty years ago, but Count Basie covered it in 1940.”

The fact Brian had sought out this friend to find out more about the song the two of you had danced to last night made your heart absolutely flutter and sing with joy.

“It was a beautiful song,” you said quietly, your words escaping on a delicate breath.

A smile quickly came across Brian’s lips, and he glanced shyly down at his feet. “Yeah... it really was.”

He looked so incredibly cute and handsome right now that you had the strongest urge to kiss him. But, since this was officially a date, you knew you shouldn’t. Not until the date was over.

“So, where are we having dinner?” you asked as a way to distract yourself from breaking down and letting yourself kiss him.

“Right!” Brian’s voice sounded exactly how you felt -- like he was glad you had changed the subject because he had been thinking too much about kissing you. “Right, dinner. There really isn’t anything super romantic around here, but there’s a diner nearby that has really delicious meatloaf. I know -- but it’s real meat, I promise. Or they have tons of other stuff if you just don’t like meatloaf, like burgers or sandwiches or --”

“It sounds great,” you interrupted with an amused grin. To be honest, you would eat anywhere with him, even a hot dog stand on the busy streets of the city. “It’s nearby?”

Brian let out a quiet but relieved sigh before nodding in response to your question. “Walking distance, actually.”

“Good. I like to walk.”

As he had earlier today outside of the hospital, Brian ushered you down the sidewalk, presumably in the direction of the diner.

The base was on the outskirts of a small town, a town big enough to have a diner and a movie theatre but small enough to... not have much else. It was one of the smaller towns you’d lived near, but it was worlds better than the base which had been quite literally in the middle of nowhere. Thankfully, your father had been transferred after just four months; you weren’t sure if you could’ve lasted much longer there.

“I feel kind of bad,” Brian said as the two of you walked toward the town’s main avenue. “I know the big picture, but I don’t know all the details about you. What’s your favorite color?”

“If I tell you mine, you have to tell me yours,” you retorted with a lopsided grin.

“Deal.”

“I like green, and I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been around military uniforms my whole life or not.”

Brian chuckled at that, amusement twinkling in his eyes. “I like purple.”

You immediately made a mental note to wear your purple dress next time. And then you asked, “Favorite movie?”

“Hmm,” Brian hummed, his forehead wrinkling attractively in thought. “I guess I’ll say Citizen Kane.”

Which meant he had to be an intellectual on some level. No wonder he’d wanted something more challenging than an office clerk job.

“I love basically any movie with Cary Grant,” you told him with a guilty smile. “His Girl Friday, especially. And The Philadelphia Story. And Bringing Up Baby.”

“So... basically any movie with Cary Grant,” Brian smirked.

“Exactly.”

“I’m guessing you enjoy looking at the screen, not just watching it.”

You tilted your head slightly before you answered him. “Well, if you mean I enjoy looking at Cary Grant’s face as I watch him act, then... yes.”

Brian chuckled and shook his head, and you simply beamed angelically. What could you say? The man had a very nice face.

“I’ve also heard about this new actor, Gregory Peck. He’s only been in plays so far, but I saw his picture in the paper, and I sure hope he starts making movies soon.”

“Oh, really?” Brian asked slyly. “What does he look like?”

“Tall... dark... handsome...”

“So, he looks like Cary Grant?”

“Yes, but he’s American.”

“Is tall, dark, and handsome your type then?” Brian didn’t look over at you when he asked this, but you saw him raise his eyebrows slightly, and there was an expression of veiled apprehension on his face. Like he was waiting on tenterhooks to hear your answer but didn’t want you to know he was.

“I guess so...” you answered casually with a shrug. “I can give or take a few inches on the ‘tall’ part, but dark and handsome? How could I resist that?”

Brian wasn’t particularly tall -- taller than you, but most likely a bit shorter than either Cary Grant or Gregory Peck -- but he sure fit the bill when it came to ‘dark’ and ‘handsome.’

You obviously got your point across because Brian’s smile turned a bit shy, and a nice pink blush tinged his cheeks. He was pleased with your answer, and you were pleased that he was pleased.

“What about you? What’s your type?” you prodded, gently nudging his arm with your shoulder.

“Well,” he began, a hint of bashfulness still lingering in his voice. “I’m a sucker for red lipstick. It’s not a necessity, of course. I don’t expect her to always wear it, but... it’s certainly eye-catching.”

Instinctively, you pressed your ruby lacquered lips together.

“I also like a girl who will dance the night away with me, but also one who will spend a quiet evening at a diner with me. Someone who volunteers her time at hospitals, someone who doesn’t mind listening to me point out constellations, and... someone who will kiss me the very first night she meets me.”

Now it was your turn to blush. Of course. Who wouldn’t blush after hearing a man like Brian describe you exactly when asked about the type of girl he prefers?

“Wow,” you marveled, unable to bring yourself to look at him at the moment. “Do you really think a girl like that exists?”

“Oh, I know she’s out there... somewhere,” he answered. You could hear his impish tone as clear as day, and when you finally willed yourself to glance at him, the smirk on his lips was the most attractive one you’d ever seen.

After walking for a few more minutes and finally arriving on Main Street, Brian pointed out the diner just a few buildings ahead. And a good thing, too, because you were famished. All that walking and talking -- and flirting -- had worked up your appetite.

The hostess seated the two of you in a two-person booth in the corner of the diner, and you continued your discussion about your favorite things - books, foods, animals, things to do in your free time. You even asked him again what his favorite constellation was, but he gave you the same answer: he would tell you later.

During your meal (meatloaf for you since Brian had recommended it, and a club sandwich for Brian since he wanted to be able to switch with you if you ended up not liking the meatloaf), your conversation veered in a more random direction.  You talked about all the places you wanted to travel to, what job you would want if you could do literally anything in the world, your best and worst teachers in school... The two of you managed to fit in probably a month’s worth of talking into about an hour and a half, and as you watched Brian fish some dollar bills out of his wallet to pay for the tab, you realized... It felt like you’d known him for far longer than 24 hours.

More like 24 years.

When Brian opened the door of the diner for you and you stepped out into the cool night air, he said, “Am I walking you back home?”

You immediately shook your head. “My curfew’s not until midnight.”

“Well, well, well,” Brian chuckled, looking mightily impressed. “Your father must be very generous.”

“Once I made my argument for extending it by two hours, he had no choice but to agree.”

“Oh, I see. So, you’re just good at getting your way.”

“I guess you could say that,” you giggled.

Brian then looked down the street, nodding toward a large building with a lit-up marquee above the entrance. “Shall we see a movie, then?”

Your eyes widened with excited anticipation, and you grabbed hold of Brian’s arm, squeezing it gently. “Yes!” you grinned. “Yes, please!”

It had been a while since you’d seen a movie, and you couldn’t think of anything you’d like more than to sit in a dark room with Brian and watch a romantic movie.

Brian held out his elbow, a twinkle in his eye as he grinned expectantly down at you. When you slipped your hand into the crook of his elbow with delight, he led you to the theatre.

Your eyes widened yet again when you saw the newest Cary Grant movie was showing, Once Upon a Honeymoon with Ginger Rogers, and before you could even open your mouth to request a ticket, Brian let out a chuckle.

“Well, I guess I know what we’re seeing,” he smirked.

You were so pleased and grateful for his unprovoked offer to see a Cary Grant movie that you rose up on your toes and pressed your lips to his cheek.

When you pulled away, you laughed softly when you saw a perfect red lip print on his skin. As he walked up to the box office to purchase your tickets, you reached up to try and wipe it off, even retrieving your handkerchief from your handbag.

“Sorry,” you chuckled once he had two tickets in hand and the two of you had stepped away from the movie theatre employee.

“You should’ve seen my lips when I got back to the base last night,” he murmured teasingly.

“Oh, my -- did it really -- was it that bad?” you asked, your brow furrowing with guilt.

Brian stopped walking just before you reached the theatre entrance, turning to face you as a dazzling grin tugged at his lips. “It was well worth it, I promise,” he assured you. “And I wiped it off before anyone could see.”

While that did make you feel better, there was now a nagging thought in the back of your mind: you wanted to kiss him again tonight. Should you try to wipe your lipstick off by then?

“Come on,” Brian chuckled, interrupting your thoughts. “Cary Grant awaits.”

Well, if anything could take your mind off of kissing and lipstick, it was a Cary Grant movie.

“Oh, wasn’t that wonderful?!” you exclaimed as Brian held open the theatre door for you. You beamed at him as you walked through, taking his hand once he took his place beside you.

“I have to admit,” he began, linking your fingers together. “It was actually pretty good. I’ve never seen a Cary Grant movie before, but he’s not a bad actor.”

“No, he’s really not,” you chuckled. You nudged his side gently and tugged on his hand to bring him just a little bit closer to you. “Thank you for taking me.”

Brian’s lips curved into an ever so slightly shy smile, and he shot you a coy glance before he said, “You’re welcome. Thank you for coming out with me tonight.”

The movie had put in you in such a good mood that you found yourself replying without really thinking. “No thanks necessary. If you can’t tell by now, I am pretty much already head over heels for you.”

Brian didn’t respond right away (which made you nervous, of course), but as soon as the two of you got past the theatre, he tugged you around the corner of the building.

“You are?” he asked earnestly, taking your other hand as he moved to stand directly in front of you.

Your heart began to race as you returned his gaze, your fingers grasping his. “...Yes?”

Just like your kiss last night, you had never told a guy you had feelings for him the day after meeting him -- after just one official date! But things with Brian were just turning out to be out of the ordinary all around, weren’t they?

Before you could let yourself get any more nervous, Brian’s expression quickly morphed into one of relief and happiness.

“Good,” he breathed. “Because I am, too. I feel the same way. It’s like I’ve known you for years even though we only met --”

“--Yesterday,” you finished.

He nodded and took a step closer to you.

Well, since you’d already told him something you hadn’t planned on telling him... you figured you might as well just go for it. “Can I tell you something?” you asked softly.

“Of course,” he whispered. “You can tell me anything.”

You let go of his hands, reaching up to rest your palms on his chest. Brian took another step closer, and your heart leaped when you felt his arms circle your waist.

“I’ve... never met anyone like you before,” you admitted. “The moment I saw you last night, I knew... I knew... Well, I’m not sure what I knew, but I knew something. I knew you were going to ask me to dance, and I knew I wasn’t going to dance with anyone else, and I knew I was going to kiss you. I don’t want to scare you off or anything, but... This feeling is just so strange but wonderful at the same time, and I almost don’t know what to do about it... I just... I know I want to be with you. I want to spend as much time with you as I can. I want to go to diners and movie theatres with you. I... I want to kiss you. Hundreds, thousands of times. I --”

“I want that, too,” Brian grinned, his voice eager but gentle. “All of it. I want all of you.”

There was nothing left to do but lift yourself onto your toes and kiss him.

All of a sudden, as his lips cradled and tugged at yours, the last song you’d danced to at the party started playing in your mind.

I never knew what love could do until I met you.

You’d known when you’d heard that song that it would be important, and now you were coming to realize just how right you’d been.

You had no idea where this relationship would take you -- you had no idea how long it would last.

But you knew it would be absolutely wonderful.

Part 4

[xiaodejunletsact]

say it | dong sicheng

word count: 4,021

genre: royalty!au, princess!reader, servant/ best friend!sicheng, fluff and lil bit of angst and smut.

warnings: attempted sexual assault (nothing to graphic but still), violence, implied sex (well, kinda just sex)

author’s note: hey!! so i literally pulled this out of my ass as a little present for all of my followers as a thank you for getting me to 1K followers!!! i can’t thank you guys enough for supporting my work and i can’t believe im already at 1k what the fuckk. anyway,, i wrote this little au for y’all just a warning; its not very good since i wrote it so last minute but i still hope you guys enjoy it. actor!xiaojun is going to be done soon so please look forward to it!! once again thank you :)

synopsis: after years of not knowing what the feelings stirring in your heart for the young servant boy you know as your best friend were, an incident with a disgusting duke and the moonlight on sicheng’s face help you find your answer.

The only thing more suffocating than the corset wrapped tightly around your waist was the predatory stare the Duke of the neighboring kingdom was giving you from across the dining table.

Out of all the potential suitors your mother has picked in her 4 months of searching, this one was surely one of the worst; he was evidently almost twice your age; the top his shiny head was beginning to appear beneath the three pathetic strands brushed over to conceal the clear sign of his age. His hands were free of calluses and his neat nails were clear indication of the amount of work this man does in his everyday life. Once you finally look at his face, you realize that you have found the worst part of him: his eyes. The light blue of them that is usually seen as beautiful leans more towards grey causing an almost lifeless and frightening affect upon them, they’re hooded as they stare back at you; the shivers that go up your spine force you to look away, redirecting your gaze to your hands.

You smile when you see the neatly bent wire wrapped around your index finger, the helix shape it made as it circled your finger takes you back to the moment you received the makeshift ring.

You hadn’t known Sicheng very well at the time but you knew that he came from a poor family, your mother had taken in with the exchange of them doing the labor and work around the palace. He was only 16 when you met him for the first time, black hair falling slightly over his eyes as he frantically apologizes for god knows what only to stopped by your gentle hand on his, telling him it’s okay. He visibly calms at this before standing up straighter, trying hard to rebalance all the tray of pots and dishes he carries in his shaky hands. You can tell he’s struggling, but he covers up his failed attempts to calm down with a sweet (and slightly embarrassed) smile. That’s when you decide that you liked Sicheng. Maybe not in a romantic way, but in a way that you knew you wanted to spend more time with the young servant boy.

Which you did by following around the boy as he did his chores and asking him any questions that popped into your head, which he tried to answer the best he could while he body was racked with nerves. However, after a while, the conversation started to flow easier, Sicheng started to ask you questions back and openly display an emotion other than stoic. He would laugh out loud and even nudge your shoulder from time to time in playful gesture. Sicheng realizes he likes you too.

That’s why one day, as you two side by side down the palace halls on the way to the kitchen, Sicheng pulls a silver object of the pocket of his worn out pants and brings it up to your face. “My mother told me that my father gave her a ring as a promise to forever be loyal to her and… I just wanted you to know that I will forever be loyal to you, princess y/n.”

It’s difficult to explain the emotions that were going through you at the moment but they lead up to you happily throwing your arms around the boy, squeezing him tight enough that he can feel the genuine appreciation for the thoughtful gift. You don’t see is Sicheng’s face becoming beet red as you wrap your arms around him but you feel his arms wrap around you slowly, hesitantly, and his head lean on top of yours. When you slip the ring onto your index finger with a fond smile on your face, Sicheng has to look down at his feet to ensure that he hasn’t elevated off the ground and is floating above your head because of how happy he is.

“Is there something you find humorous, my lady?” You immediately snap out of your daydream as the taunting voice of the Duke brings you back to reality. You almost roll your eyes but smile politely, shaking your head.

“No, not particularly.”

“You were smiling just seconds ago.”

“Was I? I must have done it unconsciously.” You almost sighed in relief as he seems to buy it, nodding his head and standing up.

“Shall we take a walk around the palace?” He walks around the table and towards the exit of the dining room, not awaiting your response. You reluctantly stand get on your feet, sending reassuring smiles to the maids you sent apologetic ones you way before leaving the room.

-

“It’s a bit dusty on this shelf don’t you think?” The man’s white finger comes down on the counter in a swiping motion, picking up the grand total of about 4 dust particles. He shows you he clean finger as he makes a disgusted face. You think you might die.

That is, until you see a familiar face turning the corner. You feel relief rush through your body as you see the black hair you know so well. The voice of the Duke drowns out once again as you watch Sicheng dust a painting at the end of the hall. He has changed since the time you first met, he’s taller and slimmer. The baby face you once knew is long gone, replaced with sharp angles. The broadness of his shoulder has surely reached maximum capacity by this point, and you it quickly turns into one of those moments where you begin to wonder when did Sicheng get so… hot? These days you often catch yourself staring at him but so did every other normal person in the castle. While you were busy thinking about the hotness of your best friend your potential suitor has taken the liberty of calling him over to dust the shelves on the palace walls.

Sicheng’s presence is like a lavender candle, the closer he gets the more relaxed and at ease you feel. You nearly jump of joy when he’s right beside you. “Yes, your majesty?”

“Clean these shelves, boy. The person who did who did clearly didn’t know what they were doing because these shelves are filthy.”

You nearly snort at his statement, seeing as that you and Sicheng had dusted the shelves together that same morning.

“Of course.” Sicheng replies, carefully maneuvering the duster around the designs of the fancy shelf, cleaning off whatever it is the Duke has seen. Meanwhile the Duke goes off about the time he spent studying in Spain, and this conversation, much like the others gets drowned out. This time, by the outline of Sicheng’s back muscles through his white shirt as he dusts those shelves like a pro.

“Princess, your mind is awfully distant today.” The old man shoots you an accusing and annoyed look that shoots between you and Sicheng. You realize that he had caught you staring at the servant and was now giving you a judgemental look. “Is there something you need from this servant boy?”

Sicheng finally turns towards, keeping a straight face while making eye contact with you for the first time since you entered the hall. (Sicheng was told to not interact with you with suitors came to visit since it could put them off.) The Duke must see the corners of your lips tug slightly into a soft smile at the interaction because he suddenly steps between you two, clearing his throat simultaneously reminding you of his question. “Not right now.” But there is. You need him to get you out of here, you need him to whisk you away to the garden so you can water plants together and be at peace. Though you would never say any of these things to the old man because he would realize that you needed Sicheng in a way very different to the one he had thought of.

He watches you with suspicious eyes as you try your best to not show any of the emotions running through you right now, which proves to be harder than you expected. What with the scrutinizing gaze of the Duke and Sicheng’s gentle smile peering over his shoulder.

“Shall we continue the tour?” You suggested, desperate to move to a different topic of conversation. Thankfully, the man agrees and walks ahead of you, only after sending a dirty look Sicheng’s way.

-

“This is my bedroom.” You trace your hand across the intricate design of the familiar door, slowly moving past it to next room only to be stopped by the Duke’s hand on your arm, pulling you back. The second you meet his eyes you wish you could run away. The pale blue, dead looking eyes you hate so much stare back at you, this time, they hold a predatory feel. His intentions clear.

“I would love to see it.” You gulp, thinking of ways to politely decline his offer. However, you have no time to do so since the man is suddenly opening your door and dragging you into the room.

He examines the room with a somewhat judgmental look. Frowning slightly as he sees the odd knick knacks and artifacts you had collected with Sicheng over the years lining your window sills and filling up the majority of your desk. “This is very…interesting.”

You notice the wince in his voice as he says the words still, you force a smile. “Thank you, I got them from a good friend of mine.”

“Sit on the bed with me, princess.”

You feel your body go rigid when he says those words. Sweat begins to pool around the neck of your dress and you become hyper aware of all your surroundings. You’re nearly shaking as the man pulls you to the bed. No matter how hard you try, you can’t find it in you fight back. You don’t know why. Maybe fear. But you seem to become his puppet for a moment as he sits you down next to him on you nearly made bed.

“You know princess,” The man whispers into your ear causing shivers of disgust to go down your spine, you feel like you might cry as he moves even closer to you. His breath fanning your neck in a way that makes you sick. “I can’t be your suitor until I see what you have to offer.”

You feel yourself begin to feel sick and even then, you do nothing to stop it. It’s like you’ve lost full control of your body. Tears start running down your cheeks as the man leans forward and presses a sloppy kiss on your neck. You curl away in disgust, causing the man to look at you with an offended look.

And that’s when you see the familiar shoes from under your door frame.

“Sicheng!” You shoot up, pushing the man’s hands off of you. “Please, help!” The Duke’s hands are immediately on you again although now, they are over your mouth, being used to silence you. You try desperately to push away but his grip on you is tight. That is, until his hands are being pried off of you and his body is thrown on the floor in front of you. Suddenly you feel a pair of rough yet soft hands of either side of your face.

“Y/N?”

It’s only when you open your eyes that you realize that they were closed to begin with. The sight of Sicheng’s eyes calms you almost immediately (you were almost positive he was your remedy). His worried eyes bore into yours as he wipes away your tears with his thumbs. “Y/n, what happened? What did he do to you?”

You can only hiccup as you recall the event, the helplessness you felt and the pure disgust the memory brings you. Sicheng watches in concern as you sob in his hands, anger rushes through his blood as he turns to the man lying on the floor. Crouching down to his level, he grabs a fistful of the man’s expensive dress shirt. “What did you do to her?”

You don’t think you’ve ever seen Sicheng this angry. His forearm is bulging from the tight grip he has on the man’s shirt, the veins on his flushed neck protruding as he clenches his jaw at the man under him. “What did you do to the princess?” He repeats through clenched teeth.

The Duke stays quiet beneath him before daring to utter the words with a laugh: “Just sampling the goods.”

Before you know it, Sicheng’s fist was connecting with the side of the man's jaw. Only to be followed by another and another. Until two of the guards who had heard the commotion came running in, they both woke together to detach Sicheng from the bloodied man. Who stands up and sends Sicheng a threading glare before turning your way. He laughs incredulously in your direction and leaves the room with the little dignity he had left.

-

Once the Queen catches word of the incident, the Duke is banned from ever setting foot in the kingdom again, and she promises you to not bring in any more potential suitors for the time being. Saying she wanted to give you some time to recover from the traumatic incident.

And although she is grateful for the fact that he had stopped the Duke from taking advantage of you, The Queen was adamant on carrying out punishments. Sicheng was told not to interact with you while the suitors were here much less in such a violent manner. Even though the Queen loved Sicheng almost as much as you she did give him the weak punishment of staying two weeks in the underground servants quarters. Which moved his duties from the main palace floor to the kitchen and stables, which were inarguably the hardest jobs to perform around the palace, although you felt guilty for your friend, you knew you’re mother was only giving him a light punishment compared to what she could’ve done, so you stay quiet. Sicheng assured you that he would be fine down there but even then you found yourself sneaking out of your room at half past 1 with your thick duvet wrapped around your head, dragging behind you on your way down to the underground servants quarters.

When you reach the room Sicheng was staying in, you turn the doorknob gently as to not make too much noise. Then you’re met with makes your heart ache slightly. Sicheng is lying on a small bed with his bare back facing you, nothing but a thin sheet covering his legs. He shivers slightly as a cool breeze comes through the window and brushes against his body.

“Sicheng.”

The poor frightened boy shoots up from his bed at the sight of your unexpected presence. His hand falls over his heart as his eyes widen, his breathing calming down as he realizes it’s just you. “You scared me.”

You giggle, “I can see that.”

Seeing you like this makes Sicheng heart flutter, duvet wrapped around your head and sweet giggles leaving your lips. He nearly becomes mush as he remembers that this is a sight only he gets to see, and a memory that will be just his forever. He smiles, “What are you doing here?”

“I just can’t stand the thought of you being alone down here. It’s really chilly tonight too.” Your words scause Sicheng to smile once again, he scoots over until he’s against the wall to make room for you. You lay your body next to him and throw your duvet over the two of you. Sicheng sighs as he’s engulfed by the warmth of the duvet and your body, he then nuzzles his head into the covers cutely.

The bed is smaller than you thought it would be; you and Sicheng were practically pressed against each other. (Not than either of you were complaining.) The feeling of his bare skin under the covers causes your heart to race.

Once you’ve both settled in, facing each other as your eyes take in his face and his yours, a comfortable silence settles. The moonlight coming in through the window looks extra beautiful when it’s draped across your face, Sicheng thinks. His hand reaches up to stroke your cheek softly in an affection gesture that is not rare between you two.

“Thank you for stopping that guy yesterday,” you break the silence with the words you’ve hadn’t gotten the chance to say, “You’re my hero, Sicheng.” Though your words are childish, you couldn’t have meant them more. Without Sicheng, you would be nowhere. Those words were the only ones even remotely close to doing justice to the gratitude and love you feel for the boy laying across from you. Who smiles slightly at your words.

“You don’t have to thank me, princess. You know I would do anything for you.” It’s your turn to smile as he gazes down at you affectionately. You bring your hand up to his face and show him your ring.

“My most loyal companion.” He chuckles lightly before taking your hand in his and laying them, intertwined, between your bodies. “I want to give you something too, so you can remember that I will also always be loyal to you, Sicheng.”

Sicheng smiles but shakes his head politely, “You coming all the way down here in the middle of the night just because you thought I would be lonely was enough to remind me of your loyalty.”

You chuckle before looking up at Sicheng’s face once again. Then, it’s like the scene begins play in slow motion, the soft smile he’s wearing tugs your heartstrings a specific way, the moonlight in his eyes twinkle a bit brighter and it dawns on you…

Sicheng was your best friend. Sicheng was the one you could confide in the most. Sicheng has always taken care of you and helped you through your hardest times. Sicheng was someone you could always count on. Sicheng is the love of your life.

You’re in love with Sicheng.

The feeling had always been there, but you never knew what exactly it was that you were feeling.

The realization crashes into you like a wrecking ball, and the boy in question seems to notice. “What’s wrong?” Concern has seeped into the features of his face and you desperately wanted it to go away and be replaced with the gentle smile he was wearing moments ago. “You face turned serious all of the sudden.”

Another silence washes over the two of you as watch him be for another few minutes, processing the new found information. You know there’s no time like the present, there is no man like the one across from you and there’s no chance you’re going to let this perfect moment pass.

“Sicheng?”

“Hmm?”

“How would you feel if I told you I was in love with you?”

The boy immediately sits up on the small bed, eyes wide giving you dejavú to the moment you walked into the room earlier that night. “What?”

You swallow the lump in your throat as you realize that maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. All that courage you felt just minutes ago nowhere to be see. “I’m… I’m in love with you.”

You avoid his gaze that is currently burning holes into the side of your head. You attempt to hide your blushing face under the covers only to have them pulled down by Sicheng, who pulls you into a kiss that was gentle enough to send you mind reeling but hard enough that you feel all the oxygen in your lungs leaving. Leaving you breathless.

You can’t believe this is happening.

Neither can Sicheng.

As you pull away and look Sicheng’s glassy eyes and swollen lips, everything feels so dreamy, you have a hard time believing this is real.

Sicheng decides to speak first, “Are you really in love with me?”

Your eyes quickly become teary like his, you nod. “I am, Sicheng.”

A laugh escapes his lips as a tear falls out of his eye, though he wipes it away quickly. “You’re in love with me. I can’t believe… you love me back.” The sincerity that stares back you as reaches up to wipe away the tear that had fallen from the corner of your eye.

The room is filled with the sound of soft sniffles and the love that radiates off of your bodies. Which settles for a few minutes until Sicheng decides to break the silence.

“It won’t be easy for us, you know.” His words carry a worrisome tone that reminds you of the fact that you are the princess, and (even though you didn’t see him as one) Sicheng was in fact a servant in the castle. You were supposed to marry a rich prince that would benefit the political affairs of your kingdom, Sicheng can’t do that.

But Sicheng can make you laugh like no other, he can ease your stress and cure your sadness like it’s his specialty. Sicheng can protect you and keep you safe from the world.

Sicheng takes care of the older maids when they fall sick, he helps people around the town with their chores when he has finished his own, he always thinks about the people around him before he thinks about himself. He doesn’t have anything to offer other then a heart of gold and good intentions.

What better person is there to be king?

“I know,” you bring your hand up to stroke his messy black hair, running your fingers through it before letting it fall back to its original place on his forehead. “We will have fights and people won’t agree with our relationship, we will have to be strong Sicheng. It will be worth it in the end.”

A closed lipped smile makes its way onto Sicheng’s face and he pulls you closer to him, his hand grips the back of your nightshirt tightly as presses your foreheads together. His breath fans on your mouth as he whispers the words he can now say whenever he pleases, “I love you.”

You chuckle and say them back. You say it again and again and again until his lips are back on yours. You keep saying as his kisses reach your neck and jaw, this time with a breathy tone to them; elated and breathless at the feeling of his warm mouth on your neck.

You say it when he finally finds his rightful place between your legs, hands on your hips as he slowly enters you, the sheets thrown off your bodies because of the increasing heat radiating off the two of you. “My Queen.” He sighs as he looks down at you, his eyes are hooded and lust filled, messy hair sticking to his forehead. Sweat drips down his chest and toned abdomen causing your mouth water.

You say it with your hands in his hair as his sweaty body crashes onto yours, your breaths meet and mix between you before he leans forward and presses one last long kiss on your swollen lips.

His sleepy smile is the last thing you before you fall fast asleep that night, Sicheng’s arm around your waist pulling you against him so he could feel you while he slept.

-

The Queen chuckles slightly as she walks into her daughter’s bedroom only to find it empty and the duvet missing. She figured you would end up in the underground servants quarters with Sicheng. You always did have a pull towards that boy, as did he for you.

Sighing, she leaves the room towards her office in the castle where her maid sits at the desk writing. “Darling, will you please send a message to the Southern prince who was supposed to come here in 3 weeks? Tell him to not go through the hassle of traveling all the way up here.” The Queen sees the confused look on the woman’s face and clarifies her words, “I think Princess Y/N has already found what she has been searching for.”

[far-off-flower-fields]

Weird Questions that say a lot

1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans? Teacups!

2. chocolate bars or lollipops? Lollipops

3. bubblegum or cotton candy? Cotton candy

4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you? We call elementary school primary school. It depended which teachers you asked, my favourites always said I was “conscientious, kind, and a pleasure to have in class”.

5. do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups? Glass cups or bottles.

6. pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear? I have like 4 looks, pastel, boho, and goth/witchy/grunge, also vintage-inspired which wasn’t mentioned but I love it.

7. earbuds or headphones? Depends on the shape, I love my Razr headset because it doesn’t squash my ears, and I like galaxy bud shaped earbuds, the ones with the little rubber doo-dads that fit actually in your ear. Apple or a lot of older flat earbuds cause me a lot of pain.

8. movies or tv shows? TV shows. Movies are getting longer and longer and my focus is getting shorter and shorter

9. favorite smell in the summer? Rainy days!

10. game you were best at in p.e.? The game of queue-ducking (where you go to the back of the queue to avoid your turn), or dance, or the less strength intensive parts of gymnastics. Or crying, always been great at that xD

11. what you have for breakfast on an average day? Muesli, or nothing.

12. name of your favorite playlist? I prefer to listen to full albums rather than playlists, but I have a few favourites on Spotify. Born to Run 150BPM, Infinite Indie Folk, Irish Folk: Jigs and Reels, All Out 80s/90s/00s. I also love scene/pop-punk playlists.

13. lanyard or key ring? Key Ring

14. favorite non-chocolate candy? Message Hearts (or anything with that texture), the red pack of starbursts (the UK version is vegan). Does Turkish Delight count because if so then that is my fave. I also like gummies if they’re vegan.

15. favorite book you read as a school assignment? To Kill a Mockingbird (high school), or The Bloody Chamber (uni), or Hamlet (uni)

16. most comfortable position to sit in? One foot under me, the other foot out to the other side, but both in the same position (if the surface is flat), or knees up.

17. most frequently worn pair of shoes? I own a lot of shoes so there isn’t really a single pair I wear the most. Recently my Air Force 1s, I’m trying to wear them in because the previous owner didn’t so the cause blisters.

18. ideal weather? Cold, overcast, rainy, still. Or without the rain. or snow (as long as I’m not going in the car and I can go crunch my shoes in it xD

19. sleeping position? Either side, but my body is kinda rotated towards the bed so it’s like half way between on my stomach and on my side. 

20. preferred place to write (i.e., in a note book, on your laptop, sketchpad, post-it notes, etc.)? Notebooks

21. obsession from childhood? Animals, dinosaurs, goddesses, magic, crystals, neopets, sims. I still love all of these things, I am a rotating door of obsessions, usually a bunch of the same obsessions on repeat.

22. role model? I don’t have one particular role model, I do have tons of people that I love and respect.

23. strange habits? I have so many strange habits that I have become one myself. Nothing actually stands out though because 99% of it is because of my brain.

24. favorite crystal? rose quartz or moonstone.

25. first song you remember hearing? Maybe Dancing Queen by ABBA, definitely the first I remember dancing to, but my dad loves music so I grew up with a constant stream of it.

26. favorite activity to do in warm weather? Suffer xD when I’m able to do so comfortably I’d love to go out looking for pretty stones, and nice sticks with my fiance, also would like to go on picnics with him, or a friend if I had one.

27. favorite activity to do in cold weather? Baking, drawing, crafts, standing in the rain. Everything.

28. five songs to describe you? 6/10 - Dodie Robert Frost - Mal Blum Caught in the Middle - Paramore Side Effects - Jade Bird Snitches Get Stitches - Onsind  Bonus track: The Seed - Aurora I wish I still had the playlist I made of songs I relate to, several of these were on it though.

29. best way to bond with you? Oversharing, or telling me about things you’re into.

30. places that you find sacred? Nature. My favourite spots are little creeks/rivers in wooded areas, but just like, all of it is special and should be treated as such. Also bedrooms.

31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names? I think maybe I’m not gutsy or whatever enough, but also unpredictable. I wear whatever I like, and I’m just as likely to cry in all of them as I am to accidentally get in a fight.

32. top favorite vines? I feel so basic because I never really did the vine thing.  There was one that nearly killed me because I literally started to choke that was in some kind of office and the bit like can you run this past me again, and they just fucking legged it past them holding a folder up, Saw it once, never saw it again. Road work ahead. Why you can’t lift a house (might be a tok?) Brass dad and oven kid Look at this graaaaph Never learned how to read I can’t sit I have hemorrhoids The one with the people in blankets bobbing the nana nanana song Fr esh avo ca do Look at all these chickens

33. most used phrase in your phone? I love you - if I had to guess

34. advertisements you have stuck in your head? right now, nothing. I often get the old Super Liquor jingle lodged in there though.

35. average time you fall asleep? 6am?

36. what is the first meme you remember ever seeing? Charlie the unicorn or that one Noodles video by Cyanide and Happiness. Are those even memes?

37. suitcase or duffel bag? Depends. I mostly use a bag though since I never go anywhere for long.

38. lemonade or tea? Tea? Usually if you ask for lemonade here you get Sprite which is not lemonade.

39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie? I had a vegan lemon meringue pie once, so good. Cake is easier to make though, and I can eat more in one sitting without getting sick xD

40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school? Um, the principal in my last year of school got caught for being a peeping tom a few years after I left.

41. last person you texted? My Fiance.

42. jacket pockets or pants pockets? Jacket pockets

43. hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket or bomber jacket? Depends on the rest of the outfit and the weather. I wear Jean jackets most though.

44. favorite scent for soap? I love lavender, or vanilla/candy/fruity/baked goods type scents. I still have a bottle of Sugar Fairy spray from lush from a year ago and I love the smell of that.

45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero? Fantasy I think.

46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in? Nekkid?

47. favorite type of cheese? As a kid it was feta. Now I only eat vegan cheese. I was never a huge cheese fan tbh.

48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be? Rotten xD um probably a cranberry or something because I’m small, and I’m not a fan of cranberry.

49. what saying or quote do you live by? An it harm none do what you will. Or treat others as you wish to be treated.

50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have? Probably one of the vines I listed above, either “run it past” or “can’t lift a house” because both of those resulted in crying and choking.

51. current stresses? My cat has been throwing up and having diarrhoea the past week or so, she’s been to the vet, it got better for a bit, but tonight suddenly got worse. Living with my parents who I have a very toxic relationship with. Living in a single very overfilled room. Trying to not spend money so that I can save up to move next year. Nightmares about my trauma. Either the house is haunted or there’s a build up of negative energy (probably that).

52. favorite font? I always liked the look of all of the script style fonts (freestyle, french, lucida, lucida calligraphy, Edwardian, Palace) but they’re not accessible so for anything people will actually see (which is literally nothing) I always go with arial.

53. what is the current state of your hands? Slight rash on one finger because I’m sensitive to what is in a lot of hand washing products apparently (never an issue until the pandemic), one broken finger nail that is a bit shorter than the rest. Not painted nails because energy. I always wear my engagement ring, usually I wear several other rings but with how my skin is being I thought I’d better not for a while.

54. what did you learn from your first job? Bakeries are hell, my circadian rhythm will not adjust to anything besides its natural state for longer than a couple of days at a time no matter how long or hard I try. I can absolutely fall asleep standing up.

55. favorite fairy tale? Ugly Duckling

56. favorite tradition? I don’t have anyway... Yet? Hopefully when I move this can become a thing.

57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome? I’m interpretting overcome loosely here, meaning “I have not died from this” - Suicide of my first love - Bullying - 3 different jobs that all nearly killed me

58. four talents you’re proud of having? Literally can’t think of one. I’m not talented. I’m passable at a couple of things, but I worked for those things and I’m still not good enough for anyone to confuse me for being talented xD Those things I care about that I’ve worked on a lot are singing, art, languages, crafts? I still struggled to come up with 4. My bad.

59. if you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be? Aw jeez xD

60. if you were a character in an anime, what kind of anime would you want it to be? Magical Girl! This is an easy one, give me the powers and the clothes yessss.

61. favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.? Literally sitting here drawing a blank, so instead of favourite here is the first one that came into my head “eyes are the genitals of the head” (may have that wrong, I’m watching the Office for the first time rn)

62. seven characters you relate to? Clementine from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Amelie from Amelie Matilda from Matilda Quasimodo from the Hunchback of Notredame (also my favourite plush as a kid) Iris - The Holiday Jess - New Girl Amelia Shepherd - Grey’s Anatomy Struggled with this because suddenly I drew a blank and also couldn’t remember who my Fiance was talking about every time he’s watched a character and said “that’s you” repeatedly.

63. five songs that would play in your club? Starlight - Superman Lovers Pump It - Black Eyed Peas I Bet that You Look Good on the Dancefloor - Arctic Monkeys All the Things She Said - tATu Doctor Jones - Aqua Bonus: Push Up - Freestylers These are ones  I have memories of dancing to when I was younger so that’s how I picked, but I’d absolutely be a themed night club with different music on different nights.

64. favorite website from your childhood? Neopets, which I still play daily. The first I played was MaMaMedia, then Bubblegum Club.

65. any permanent scars? That’s a SORE subject heh get it heh

66. favorite flower(s)? Lavender, rose, peony

67. good luck charms? I usually carry gemstones if I’m needing to be particularly lucky, or sigils.

68. worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried? I hate anything spicy. I had rootbeer candy that tasted like literal dirt. I can’t eat banana stuff without gagging and getting a headache. I hate anything that is artificial blackberry or blackcurrant, tastes like shitty cough syrup.

69. a fun fact that you don’t know how you learned? Sea Monkeys breathe through their feet, but I remember where I learned that.

70. left or right handed? right

71. least favorite pattern? depends entirely on the colours, I like patterns. but certain stripes do make my eyes feel funny.

72. worst subject? If PE counts, then that. If not, math.

73. favorite weird flavor combo? I love pineapple on pizza but that’s not weird. Iused to eat cheese and jam sandwiches as a kid though.

74. at what pain level out of ten (1 through 10) do you have to be at before you take an advil or ibuprofen? I operate on how long it has lasted instead of how bad it is, essentially I get so desperate so I’ll try it even though it probably won’t help. I have the resistance of a rhino to most meds.

75. when did you lose your first tooth? No idea, like 4 I think? I did keep them in a weird little box for no reason though because they never got taken away from under my pillow.

76. what’s your favorite potato food (i.e. tater tots, baked potatoes, fries, chips, etc.)? I’m a fan of a good mash if it has lots of flavour (like gravy). Otherwise, crisps or fries.

77. best plant to grow on a windowsill? I grew a radish once! Something cat safe though these days, also maybe something heavy, and hard to knock over?

78. coffee from a gas station or sushi from a grocery store? Grocery Store sushi, if it’s just veg.

79. which looks better, your school id photo or your driver’s license photo? My only ID is my passport, and it is BAD.

80. earth tones or jewel tones? Both.

81. fireflies or lightning bugs? Fireflies (ten million of them to be precise)

82. pc or console? Grew up with PC. Now play my switch mostly.

83. writing or drawing? Both. Wrote more as a kid, draw more now.

84. podcasts or talk radio? Podcasts.

84. barbie or polly pocket? Both. But I prefered pollies as a kid

85. fairy tales or mythology? mythology

86. cookies or cupcakes? cupcakes

87. your greatest fear? Based on my nightmares, stairs.

88. your greatest wish? To live in a comfy house, in the country, with my Fiance, I have travelled the world, we have pets, I can function, we are free.

89. who would you put before everyone else? My Fiance and out animals.

90. luckiest mistake? Can’t think of any, most of my mistakes have been more like bad choices, also never turned out well for me.

91. boxes or bags? Depends what it’s for?

92. lamps, overhead lights, sunlight or fairy lights? lamps, or fairy lights. Unless I’m particularly anxious, then overheads.

93. nicknames? None.

94. favorite season? Winter

95. favorite app on your phone? LINE, it has my fiance, and animated stickers.

96. desktop background? Little Twin Stars

97. how many phone numbers do you have memorized? My own.

I never get asks and needed to distract myself so I’m going to just answer these anyway, like a survey or something. Original post by tr33-g1rl 

[emmaniamh13]

I can make it better, I can knead you tighter

Summary: Yoongi has been working 24/7 lately and Namjoon has had enough of seeing his best friend resembling a corpse walk through their apartment door at ungodly hours. So he forces him to relax. Little did he know, Yoongi would find a more fitting stress reliever for his body but Namjoon really didn't need to know that much.

Tags: Semi-Public Sex; Rimming; Fingering; Anal Sex; Bottom Yoongi; Top Taehyung; Slight Dom/Sub; Unprotected Sex (Stay Safe Kids)

Part 01 ; Part 2

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The door fell shut with a loud bang. Yoongi just wanted to get to his bed he was too tired to care about making too much noise

"Hyung is that you? God do you know what time it-"

Namjoon stopped in his steps after coming around the corner

"Dammit Hyung!" he cursed lowly "Have you looked in the mirror? You look like you've been hit by a bus. Multiple times" he emphasized with a frustrated huff

Yoongi just shrugged and tried to move past the younger, not in the mood for the other to pester him about his habits.

But Namjoon didn't let him, grabbed him by the arm and pulled him towards the living room. Before Yoongi could process, he had been pushed onto the couch and locked into place by Namjoon's frame.

"I'm not letting you do this to yourself anymore Hyung! You're gonna take a few days off and if I have to imprison you for that to happen then so be it" he spoke while folding his arms in front of his chest for emphasis.

Yoongi just stared up at him bewildered, his tired mind trying to figure out what his friend and roommate  expected from him right now. When it looked like nothing more would come from Namjoon he felt like he needed to respond.

So he did.

"What?"

And he watched Namjoon deflate slightly

"Hyung" he whined

"Pay attention, will you? I'm not letting you go to work for the next few days that's what"

Now Yoongi had enough time to process and when the pieces slotted together, he literally jumped of the couch to protest only to be pushed back down by his dongsaeng, landing on the soft pillows with a huff

"Namjoon what the hell" he growled but the other just continued to block his way, unfazed.

"You have to promise me, you'll stay home tomorrow and actually sleep a little"

"The hell I will" the older threw back "I need to finish that project and you know it"

Namjoon nodded "Yeah I know" he answered matter-of-factly "but that project isn't due until the 20th and I know for a fact that you're nearly finished, so a few free days won't hurt" he stated

"Namjoon" he warned "Let me sleep I need to be out early tomorrow"

"You're not going anywhere tomorrow and that is final" Namjoon didn't move from his spot and his features seemed to brighten suddenly, and Yoongi sighed. That could only mean he had some sort of idea and most of them he's had, ended badly for Yoongi. Not that Namjoon didn't always have his best interest at heart, Yoongi was aware, but Namjoon's idea of fun and relaxation was quite different from his own- to put it nicely

"Except to a Massage Parlour"

Yoongi's eyes went wide

"What"

"You heard me. I'm gonna book you an appointment at this really good one not far from here. You'll love it I promise" he sounded excited but Yoongi just groaned

"Just please let me go. I'll try to take more breaks in between I promise" he started to whine, his body screaming desperately for much-needed rest

But Namjoon only shook his head "That's the plan and that's final. I'll drag you there if I have to"

"Okay. Okay I'll do it just let me get to bed. Please" if he weren't so sleep deprived he would have rather shoved his way through Namjoon's human barricade but well, that sadly wasn't the case

Namjoon lit up and immediately helped Yoongi off the couch to bring him to his room "Perfect! I'll ring first thing in the morning"

Yoongi only nodded slowly and waved him off, mumbling some curses under his breath as they walked into his room and as soon as Namjoon let go he let himself fall, sighing as he felt the familiar feel of soft mattress underneath.

He was out like a light.

He woke up to his alarm, groaning at the loud noise blaring through his ears and hitting directly against his brain.

A headache. Just great.

He didn't stop groaning, nearly falling off his bed in the process of trying to roll out of it. The all-nighters and dozen coffees probably weren't the best routine-idea he’s ever had.

He felt like shit. But he didn’t dwell on it.

He’s plan was to go to the kitchen to start his day with a coffee; the first out of another dozen he guessed; until he noticed that he couldn't. His door was locked.

Fucking locked.

Rattling at the door, he got more furious by the second. "Namjoon!" he barked "Did you lock me into my fucking room?" He yelled for him again when he didn't hear anything

"Yep" he heard the shout back

"What the fuck!"

"I told you, you're going to stay at home today and you agreed. Luckily I know you well enough to know that you'd try this" his voice sounded closer this time "You're going to stay in this room and do anything but work, then I'm going to drive you to the parlour. You'll feel better afterwards I promise. You're going to feel brand new in that worn-down body of yours" He was right in front of the door by now

"Open the door right now or I swear I'll-"

"I'm used to your threats by now so they're no use" Namjoon deadpanned "Go to sleep Yoongi or I'll knock you out so that your body has a chance to rest, you inconsiderate idiot"

"You can't just lock me in here! I'm a grown man and I can do whatever-"

"Yeah you might be but you're a man with absolutely zero consideration for the body you're inhabiting. So fuck off and rest for once.” he continued humorously “I'm going to work! See you"

---

He got pulled through the door so fast he didn’t even know what happened. All he knew was that Namjoon grabbed him, threw him into the car, drove like an idiot , nearly crashed into a fire hydrant, ended up here and yeeted him through the parlour door in a way Yoongi seriously started to question time, space and his life. All while managing to not utter a single word; which made the whole situation even weirder.

Namjoon was busy talking to the receptionist behind the wooden desk so all Yoongi could do was look around, analyse every nook and cranny just to find a meagre flaw to use as excuse and get out of here. He really didn’t fancy getting touched by a stranger; especially on areas that were anything other than his hands.

The reception desk was right at the front and beside it was a small, cozy looking sitting area. Past the desk led a hall to several doors on each side, probably various Massage rooms. It seemed clean and the receptionist friendly

Just like Yoongi had always imagined shops with services like this – basically using those he always saw on TV as his base of knowledge

Shit there wasn’t anything wrong with this place on first glance. And what the hell could he say anyway to make Namjoon let him off the hook?

The receptionist seems too friendly? The waiting area too comfy? The floor too clean?

Nope he was fuck-

“Hyung?”

“Huh?”

Both Namjoon and the receptionist were looking at him expectantly

“Mr. Park asked you to wait in room 4” Yoongi met the Man’s eyes then flickered shortly down to his chest, where his nametag read Jimin Park

“It’s the second door on the right. Taehyung will be with you shortly so just get comfortable”    

“Taehyung?” was that a name they used for woman nowadays?

Jimin nodded curtly, showing a friendly smile “Your Masseur”

Yoongi blanked for a second before he gave a quick  "ok” as response and hurriedly scurried towards room number 4.

The room was smaller and darker than the foyer but nevertheless it gave off a rather warm vibe, a lavender scent in the room hitting his nostrils instantly and soothing him slightly. In the middle stood a massage table with a hole in the top – probably to squeeze your face through. The rest of the room was just filled with a cabinet and a stool.

He took a deep breath, inhaling the scented whatever that floated the room. He was really nervous.

How does this work? Should he already strip? How many clothing items should he even get rid of? Or should he just wait? Jimin did tell him to get com-

Upon hearing the door open he nearly tripped with how quick he turned.

And then there he stood, like a deer caught in headlights, staring with shock-filled eyes at a complete stranger. A rather handsome one, he had to admit.

“So you must be Mr. Min” he spoke with a smile “it’s nice to meet you. My name’s Taehyung and I will be the one who’s going to be touching you today”

Yoongi wondered if this was a dream and if he should just punch himself in the face despite the answer to that, muscles seizing up even more, eyes widening in plain anxiousness. His masseur seemed to catch on to that, eyes also parting a bit further as he watched the display of sheer terror.

“Uh..” he started awkwardly “I’m sorry I thought I was being funny. You know, break the ice and..stuff” he grimaced, scratching the back of his neck in slight embarrassment.

Yoongi just nodded but not trusting his vocal cords to fabricate words right now.

He realized that this was really happening. Unless he pukes all over the room or faints right on the spot he won’t be able to get out of this. Namjoon is waiting right outside and if he makes a run for it - he'll notice.

Taehyung shut the door and began walking further into the room, heading for the cabinet and setting something on top of it- probably ignoring the way Yoongi flinched at the sound.

“So what massage option did you choose?” he asked with his back still turned

“Uh” Yoongi had no clue “M-My friend set me up for this so I- I don’t really know”

Did he just fucking stutter!?

Taehyung hummed “Ok no problem I’ll just check your profile” he turned to face the other, eyes meeting

And Yoongi was able to really look at him for the first time. He looked like he was in his early twenties, black, longish hair that fell over his forehead casually, a straight nose, full rosy lips, ears that could’ve been too big but complemented him perfectly and tanned skin that reminded him of honey.

He was brought out of his thoughts by Taehyung starting to move back to the door “You can strip and get comfortable under the towel. I’ll be back and knock on the door, just tell me if you’re ready or not.” He spoke calmly, grabbing the handle

Yoongi froze again “Strip?”

Taehyung also halted and turned around halfway “yeah for the massage” he smiled warmly “we don’t have a massive variety of massages but for most of them I need to be able to reach as much muscle as possible. Unless you chose a foot massage?”

Would Namjoon make such a fuss just over a foot massage? Nah he doubted that. So he shook his head

The masseur huffed an amused laugh “Well then I’ll need you out of those layers” he pointed at Yoongi’s black jeans and sweater with a certain glint in his eyes that Yoongi failed to notice

“Again, I’ll knock so just tell me if you need more time” and with that he left the room

So he decided to do just that. Strip

But to what extend? He didn’t know. And for him it was another reason to have another inner crisis.

Down to his trousers? To his underwear? Or completely nude? He just started to undress and by the time the expected knock came from the door he stood there in only his underwear, not knowing how much the young masseur wanted him to wear and he only had a few seconds to decide. All in or chicken out?

“Mr. Min? Are you ready?”

“Yeah just, just give me a second”      

and Yoongi just yanked the only clothing item left on his body down his legs – flinging it to the rest of his poorly folded pile and hurrying to the bed to get under the white sheet. Again he was overwhelmed with the decision of how much of himself he should cover with the cloth but he just decided to pull it all the way up to his neck.

Taehyung can fix it, if he needs to

Another knock resounded through the room “Ready?” And Yoongi heard himself call out a short “Yes!” – Probably a bit too harsh for a completely relaxed client about to get a massage

The door opened and in strolled his masseur with towels and various bottles in hand “I see you’ve made yourself comfortable” he spoke in a light tone and Yoongi just stayed quiet, not knowing if Taehyung was expecting a response.

“So” he continued, lowering his voice, perfectly fitting into the relaxing atmosphere with his fruity voice “I’ve brought multiple scented oils with me. Do you have any preferences or should I read them out loud and you pick or how do you want to do it?”

Yoongi thought about if he wanted to smell anything in particular right now but his mind was blank except anxiousness and the feeling of the table hole straining his face. At least he knew that he wasn’t going to get any extra wrinkles by lying here.

“No not really” he remembered to answer “You can pick if you like”

Taehyung gave a hum of acknowledgement “Alright. I can do that” From his position on the bed he heard rustling, the water tab running and stopping again. Footsteps followed – wandering from left to right. Then suddenly he felt a touch at his shoulder and he flinched, not expecting it.

“Oh sorry I should’ve said something” Taehyung apologized but Yoongi laughed it off nervously “It’s fine. I should have been ready for it”

With that the touch was back “I’m going to move the sheet to your lower back ok?”

After Yoongi consented he started lifting the fabric, Yoongi tensing at the feel of cold air hitting his bare back. “Good? I’m going to start with your arms alright?”

Yoongi noticed that Taehyung now tried to talk him through all the movements – Probably noticing his hesitance which didn’t take a body language expert to say the least. He confirmed another time and so he felt Taehyung’s fingers on him once again, slicked up with a rosy-smelling oil and starting to massage down the side of his right arm with a pressure that instantly soothed him.

“The pressure okay? Just speak up if you want it harder or softer” and the other only grunted, too lazy to move his mouth The masseur continued to stroke his arm, sometimes wedging his thumb into a knot below his armpit and eliciting a groan from the older.

Once he was done with the first arm he moved to the other to repeat the pattern.

“I’m going to move to your back now. Feel free to mention any areas you might have problems with” he spoke up again, voice low

“Everywhere” the other deadpanned

“What?”

“My back always hurts. Everywhere” when he didn’t get a response he continued “I work a job that requires a lot of sitting and -well – my friends like to say that I’m quite the workaholic” he elaborated further

“Alright” The masseur answered, sounding in thought “then with which part do you have problems the most?”

Yoongi mulled the question over in his head, thinking about different situations where he had to deal with back pain – which were a lot

“Well I think my lower back kills me a bit more than the rest” he chuckled drily “I have shit posture in general”

“Then I’ll do your upper back first and spend a bit more time on your lower back” the other suggested

“You’re the professional” Yoongi shrugged, which he assumed only looked like a light shoulder lift in his position but Taehyung got it anyway

So he started working his shoulders, feeling the other literally melt under his fingers and hearing him yelp once or twice when he tried to dig out a particularly tight knot. “Well even if you hadn’t told me about your back I would have felt it” he began “it’s like I’m massaging stone”

And he heard the older laugh for the first time, apparently finding the worrying state of his shoulders funny “Well it’s good that I warned ya then isn’t it?” he shot back playfully

Taehyung smiled and continued to press his fingers into different pressure points

“So what do you do for living then, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Uhm I’m a producer” came the muffled reply

“Oh? Impressive” he grinned “Well did you work on any songs that I might know?”

“I work more with Rap Artists so if you’re into that scenery you might- AH”

“Sorry” Taehyung apologized sheepishly, moving away from the base of his neck for the time being. “I do like Rap actually” the masseur continued the conversation “It’s not my main genre but I do listen to a few artists. So shoot! Maybe I’ll know someone” he encouraged

“Okay uhm- do you know Zico for instance? Or J-Hope? I’ve worked a lot with them until now” he paused, thinking “I’ve worked with DEAN as well. I don’t know if you might know him he’s more in the R&B scene -uh and I did a bit of stuff for a few kpop bands as well.”

“I actually know all of those artists!” The other exclaimed “Wow so you are quite the bigshot huh?” he teased

Yoongi chuckled “Nah nothing like that”

Taehyung hummed “Someone’s being modest here I see." He smiled "If I’m allowed to ask, how was it working with J-Hope? I’ve heard quite a lot about him, isn’t he like - one of the biggest Rappers in Korea? I mean, I’ve listened to his music and the lyrics sound so sincere. Like he’s telling a proper story, you know? I also love how he's not so stuck on Rap, there are quite a few songs from his that are slower, more emotional if that makes sense. I like to say I'm a fan”

Yoongi chuckled quietly at Taehyung’s excitement

“He’s really good to work with. Knows what he wants but is always open for change or another’s opinion, which in return allows him to try new stuff and see a perspective of things that he’s not familiar with himself. So yeah Hobi’s an amazing artist and an even better person. Not to mention a literal ray of sunshine so I enjoy working with him every time” he felt his mouth pull into a smile at the thought of Hoseok. He should text him again some time.

Taehyung's hands continued down Yoongi’s back “Wow you sound like you’re very fond of him. So I’m guessing by how you just called him that you know him more than just a co-worker? You friends?”

“Yeah. He’s the total social type so he gets on with literally anyone – well if he wants to that is. Even if you’re the grumpiest human on the planet he’ll get you to like him.” He chuckled breathily as the memory of their first meeting flooded his mind. God did he want to lock Hoseok into the toilet back then so that he wouldn’t have to hear his laugh every fucking 10 seconds.

Now it was one of his most favorite features that came with Hoseok, that made him - him. “I feel like we complete each other, as cheesy as it sounds. He’s so lively and I’m- well not that much. We’re complete opposites but I could never get mad or annoyed with him because I know that he always wants what's best for me. Fuck sorry that got a bit too deep didn’t it? Didn’t even notice I was rambling..” he trailed off quietly

Gosh was he friend-whipped

“You really adore him don’t you?” Taehyung answered after a while of comfortable silence

“I guess.. Again sorry, you didn’t need to know all that”

“It’s more than alright Mr. Min trust me. I asked didn’t i? It’s nice to hear about a person living a life in public; how he’s in private and not just how the tabloids portray him. How you just described him makes me instantly want to meet him.” He laughed

“Yoongi”

Taehyung’s hands faltered slightly “Sorry?”

“Call me Yoongi. After what I just told you I would feel uncomfortable if you keep calling me Mr. Min” he huffed “But yeah maybe if you’re up to it someday I can introduce you to him. He’s always excited to meet new people”

“I’d be more than just up for it” He answered quickly, smile seeping through his voice “So I’m done with your back is it okay if we move on to your legs now?”

“Right yeah” Yoongi felt the sheet being lifted from his lower back and settle lower, right before his back rounded into his arse. He realized that his breath caught a little in his throat at the mere thought of being exposed like that.

He had to admit to himself that he hadn’t gotten laid in ages due to being pent up in his studio nearly all of the time.

Damn, fuck Namjoon and his fucking valid points.

Plus, he had no idea why that thought just crossed his mind in the middle of a massage, when the masseur wasn’t even near an area where it would be acceptable to have thoughts like this. Not that it was acceptable in the first place.

And once this thought had broken through the barrier it had created a hole for more. And Taehyung’s hands really didn’t make it any better. More like the opposite, funny enough

The young masseur was now busy with kneading the flesh around Yoongi’s hips, pushing his thumbs into the muscles. Sometimes his fingers would slip a little lower- maybe a milli-centimetre under the sheet to reach the skin and that alone made Yoongi’s thoughts spiral

And it just felt so good.

Taehyung was moving his hands perfectly, with expertise and found just the right pressure for Yoongi to feel it through his muscles straight to his core. And that’s when he didn’t catch himself fast enough to notice the sound that just escaped his mouth. Only when Taehyung halted, did his eyes fly open in horror, realising how that moan just sounded. He knew it sounded dirty. But the other must have recognized it as a moan of pain-relief or something along those lines because he continued, moving his hands as if nothing happened.

After that embarrassing incident Yoongi made sure to keep quiet before he made another fool of himself. But that caution flew out the window rapidly when the Taehyung first began massaging tightly into his calves, then moving up to the back of his thighs. He spread his thumb and forefinger and slid up to where he had lifted the white cloth off his legs and back down again.

And sometimes – just sometimes – his thumb would slip toward his inner thigh and Yoongi felt it every time with an intensity, he didn’t want to admit. He begged Taehyung in his head to let off that spot. To avoid it. But he didn’t utter a word and sadly the masseur was no mind reader. So after a few times of slipping, Taehyung just gave up and just let his thumb slide freely. Over his inner thigh.

And yoongi felt himself twitch. Fucking twitch on a fucking massage table in a massage parlour getting a fucking massage from an unbelievable handsome young man. Yep these thoughts definitely made it better.

He cursed himself. He never guessed he would be the type to get a semi hard-on during a massage but his fingers were just. So. Good. The way he pushed his fingers into sore spots and how he dipped into his skin just to soothen it back out afterwards.

“Is it ok?” he heard the soft voice “You haven’t said anything in a while” Yoongi could just grunt hoping he understood it as the consent to continue. And he did, to the elders relief. It even seemed like the feedback spurred him on, his fingers digging into his skin a bit harder, drawing circles a bitdeeper.

And then his finger ground hard against his inner thigh and it caught Yoongi by surprise. Which led a deep grunt to escape his throat. But this time Taehyung didn’t stop and only ground over the inside more often, with more pressure – obviously noting that Yoongi seemed to squirm whenever he let his fingers glide over the skin there.

Laying on the table he started feeling too restricted, too crushed and he really didn’t know how he was supposed to get out of this without the masseur noticing. The said man started to switch legs, starting the same routine on the other. But this time he knew which buttons to press.

Yoongi had been fairly quiet throughout the massage but once he pressed there, he saw the other tense. Felt it.

And he liked it. The way Yoongi was trying to keep it together but wasn't aware of how tight his grip on the cloth below him had gotten. The way his moans sounded absolutely filthy and Taehyung couldn't stop imagining how sweet he would sound if Yoongi let him touch him. Properly. Because Taehyung wanted too. Really wanted too.

He knew this wasn't professional and normally he wouldn't encourage this. This has never really happened before. Of course he had clients that were moaners, or had fetishes that Taehyung really didn't want to feed. But Yoongi was different. He was rough around the edges and looked intimidating as hell. But he had the biggest heart for people that he cared about, even if he didn't like to admit it.

And he was just so fucking pretty. He wanted to ruin that porcelain skin the moment he saw it without fabric blocking his sight. And just the thought of tearing him down, to make him leave his tough facade so that he's only left with broken sobs and a chant of Taehyung's name on his tongue. Yeah. Now that's what he really wanted to witness

So the same process occurred, Taehyung paying more attention to the inner thighs and Yoongi trying not to drool or rut against the bed. But the next thing Yoongi knew, he was letting out a long, guttural, breathy moan, not even trying to hold back and he felt himself leak onto the table beneath him. The young masseur had decided to take both his hands and deliberately press and grind up and down his inner thighs.

He did it again, just to test, and again Yoongi couldn’t help himself; The moan escaped and his breath was shaky, desperately trying to get his act together but it was just so hard

“Taehyung” he groaned, half-biting into the fabric of his face hole

The other hummed in acknowledgement

“W-What are you doing?”

“Why. Don’t you like it” it wasn’t a question and as to confirm, he ran both his thumbs down the inside of Yoongi’s thighs until he reached the bed underneath with both, so close to his already painfully squashed dick but yet so far. Yoongi nearly whined at how sensitive he was but was able to not embarrass himself entirely - though a whimper still made it past his lips

“Taehyung stop I-I’m going to-“ another swipe; this time back towards his ass, grazing it lightly with his nails

“ghn”

“Seems to me that you like it Hyung. I mean look at you. Trying to act like you’re not half-rutting against the fucking bed” Yoongi’s eyes flew open. He hadn’t even noticed-

“Oh don’t stop just because I caught you now. But if you really want me to stop…just say the word” His voice was sincere; the complete opposite of his fingers that wandered further and over his cheeks, giving them a good squeeze and spreading the oil over his ass at the same time. Yoongi could feel the fingers wander towards his crack slowly and then hesitating

“Can I?” Taehyung sounded unsure

“Please” came his strained reply. And from there on he knew it himself - he was oh so fucked

[redfoxwritesstuff]

Coffee and a Wedding (Chapter 4)

Welcome to my weekly apology for Friday’s series. How have you all been since I last spoke to you? Those of you following Dust- recovering well, I hope. As always, I love hearing from everyone. Also, as always, the tag list is open. 

Clint x ofc, eventual smut, coffee shop AU and my personal challenge to hit as many tropes as I can. Got a trope you want to see? Let me know and I’ll see what I can do. 

Chapter 4

Absently I smoothed down the silky fabric of my blouse as I paced back and forth in the room. Clint was on the phone with the cafe manager he left in charge for our trip for a quick check in before we headed out to the tavern. Sarah said the place was just fancy enough to make me want to dress up a bit but I couldn’t really be sure how much of that was from her simply not wanting me to embarrass her with my ratty jeans and tee.

It wasn’t really that I had dressed up all that much but for me, it was something. My jeans didn’t have a hole in them and they were clean and neat for once. They were not faded. Matched with a shinny lavender blouse, I thought I looked pretty damn good, all things considered.

The fabric was so soft and smooth, while I waited I kept running my hands over the fabric. I nearly jumped out of my skin when a large warm hand ran down my back.

“It’s so smooth!” Clint laughed while slipping his phone into his pocket. “Sorry, I couldn’t help it. You kept petting the shirt so I wanted to too.”

“Everything good at the cafe?” It was so damn hard to pretend like it was normal for her boss’s hand to rest on her lower back, thumb rubbing back and forth.

“Yeah. The order of syrup was late and panic insured since they’re almost out of vanilla.”

“Oh heaven forbid, no vanilla lattes.” I laughed at my own joke because I wasn’t sure what else to do.

“Indeed!” He opened the door for me and the show was on. Oddly enough, it felt like the show had already started before we left the room because nothing seemed different when we stepped out that door.

“And what did you tell them to do, in your infinite wisdom?” It felt so close to normal to tease him, to joke like this while we walked down the hall. His hand fell from my back but when we turned to the lobby, his fingers laced with mine. It was just an act. It was just part of the act. I had warned him that family, friends could be lurking anywhere.

“Mix vanilla extract with one of the extra bottles of simple syrup. Taste and adjust as needed.” Clint shrugged but it was honestly something I wouldn’t even have thought about doing.

“The Taxi should be out front.” I nodded.

~~~~~<3

Clint helped me out of the cab but my feet were hardly on the pavement before arms wrapped around me suddenly. The force knocked the wind from my lungs and a thin frame with surprising strength lifted me up off my feet and spun me around. All I could see was a flurry of blonde hair and a pink lacy jacket- if you could call it that, it wouldn’t keep her warm. It was her laugh that gave Sarah away, as if someone else would quite literately sweep me off my feet.

“It’s so good to see you!”

“You just saw me like a week ago.” My laugh probably gave away that I wasn’t nearly as indignant as I wanted to pretend to be. Sarah and I had our differences, we didn’t always get along now or as children but one thing never changed. Though sometimes I didn’t like her, I always loved her.

“Like two weeks ago!” She insisted as she put me down and directed her attention to Clint and the wide smile on his face.

“Clint! It’s so good to see you!”

“It’s so good to get out of the city.” He wrapped her in a warm hug for a moment before stepping back to my side, heavy hand resting on the small of my back and thumb stroking the smooth fabric.

“Guys, this is the man I’m going to spend the rest of my life with, Matt.” It took everything I had to not roll my eyes. I was never the most dramatic when it came to romance. “Matt, this is my sister, Alexis and her boyfriend, Clint.

Matt stuck out his hand first to Clint to shake his hand. “Matt Matthews. It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”

I was proud of Clint for not rolling his eyes at the name. But really, what sort of name was that? I couldn’t get ‘Bart Barton’ out of my head ever since Clint made the joke about the names and my mind went there every single time I heard Matt’s name.

~~~~~<3

“So, what do you do for a living?” Matt asked once we were seated, eyes trained on Clint as if trying to decode him.

“I own a cafe, actually.” Clint answered, not shying away from whatever was going on in Matt’s head. Sarah took the chance to tell Matt how cute the cafe was and praise the coffee as we ordered drinks.

One drink became two. Two became three and I was feeling pleasantly warm. Clint’s arm was draped around my shoulders at times, fingers playing with the edge of my sleeve. Everything seemed to be going well. Clint was always present with subtle touches and warm smiles while staying focused on everyone at the table. Just enough of a show to sell our story and it felt so normal, so natural.

“So-” Matt started as he finished his third drink and ordered another. “What’s the deal?” He waved a straw at us, clearly feeling the drinks and Sarah looked a little more worried than I would have liked.

“Excuse me?” Clint asked. He was calm, relaxed and unconcerned even as I stiffened up at his side. His large hand found my knee and rubbed. I wondered if he was trying to tell me something. Perhaps, ‘calm down, I’ve got this’?

“You’re clearly older.” Matt started only to have Sarah hush him for being out of line. “You normally date the kids you work for?”

“It’s fine, I’ve got nothing to hide.” Clint assured Sarah before directing his attention to Matt. “This is actually the first time I’ve involved myself with an employee before.”

“So it’s not some weird power thing you get off on?” Matt slurred, taking a long sip from his drink before starting again. “If it’s not a power thing, what? There something wrong with you so you can’t get a woman your age?”

“Matt!” Sarah snapped again before turning her attention back to us. “I am so sorry, normally he doesn’t drink.”

“No, I get it. He’s just looking after your lovely sister.” Clint leaned back, tipping the chair back in the process before declaring, “I’m a mess” as if that solved everything.

“So you can’t get a real woman?” Matt challenged.

“We’re leaving. I’m so sorry, Clint.” Sarah pulled Matt to his feet only to have to support him as he wobbled.

“I haven’t dated in a very long time.” Clint answered., again leaning back in his seat, tilting the chair back and eyeing Matt with a simple confidence that would not waver. “I work too much and I take shit care of myself. I ordered pizza for dinner five days in the last week and my laundry only gets washed when I’ve run out of boxers. I’m not perfect by any means.

I don’t know what the hell she sees in me, but she sees something. And she makes me want to live up to whatever it is that she sees- to be a better man. Is there an age difference between us? Clearly. I’m the oldest person at this damned table. And I can assure you at no point has our relationship and its status mattered in way of her employment. And most of all, she’s an adult. As am I.

What we have works for us, right now. And if or when it stops working, we’ll move on and deal with that like the adults we are. Now, let the lovely Sarah take you home and put you to bed.”

“I am so sorry.” Sarah again repeated.

“It’s fine.” Clint assured her. “Don’t worry about the tab, I’ll get it. Just get him home and into bed. He’ll sober up by morning and feel like an ass, I’m sure and that’s good enough for me.”

Sarah nodded once and I watched as she walked Matt out. It was shocking, seeing him act that way and I felt terrible. Clint didn’t deserve that and my heart hurt. He said such amazing things, such wonderful things and really, none of them were true.

“Well, that happened.” Clint announced and orders us another round. “We deserve one more drink.” He reasoned.

Though Matt and Sarah left, Cling and I still sat close. His fingertips still trailed over the fabric of my blouse at times. Heads tilted together as we joked. It was easier to joke about what had happened than to deal with the fact that Matt had been so clearly out of line. I tried so hard to ignore all the warning signs screaming at us that he had some issues.

But what could I say? What could I do? They were getting married in a few days time and all I really had was one bad dinner with him. That’s hardly something to raise flags about, right?

I knew I had to talk to Sarah about it. There was a point in our lives where we talked to each other about everything. It’s hard to say exactly when that changed but it did. Now, I didn’t know if I was overstepping to bring up my worries after just one dinner.

“You okay?” Clint’s words were slightly slurring and I wondered if mine were too.

“Yeah, just thinking.”

“No thinking.” He declared as he stood from his chair. With an inviting hand I couldn’t turn down, he pulled me from mine and onto my feet. I loved the way he seemed to pull me around as if I weighed nothing. And after seeing him without a shirt, it made sense why he was able to.

“What?” Yep, I’m the picture of class and can totally keep up with what’s going on around me.

“No thinking, let’s dance.” The way he said it made it seem as if it was decided.

“I can’t dance.” I had a feeling it really didn’t matter, though.

“It doesn’t matter.” At least I got that much right. “I’ll teach you. And when in doubt, have another drink.”

“Because that’s responsible?”

“Just like imaginary boyfriends?”

“Fair point.”

~~~~~<3

After a certain number of drinks, I don’t think I cared anymore that Clint and I were only playing pretend. He was a good dancer, spinning me around the small dance floor in the restaurant. I however, was tripping all over myself yet somehow, he kept me from falling even as the world tilted and twisted with each spin.

I was so damn aware of the way his hands moved, caressing me as he guided me. The dining room was open and as the night got colder I became more aware of the warmth of him. Sometimes, he held me close as we swayed and moved together. Closer than I had ever dared to expect outside of maybe the wedding reception itself.

His eyes were bright and blue, alight with the twinkling lights around us. There was a life to him that I hadn’t seen before. That’s not to say that he seemed dead or undead before- just that this was a different light in his eyes than I saw when he was setting up a new machine or trying out a new mix of syrups.

It was a light I was having a hard time looking away from. It was a light that made it hard to remember that this was just a game. Just pretend. But god how I wanted it to be more than that. To be something other than that. To be real.

Perhaps I was just drunk, but it seemed like he was getting closer as we swayed to a slower song. His breath fanned over me and I swear, I hadn’t noticed it before. His hands were so large and his grip on me was firm. I felt safer in his arms playing a game of pretend romance than I had with any man I had actually dated in a long while.

He was getting closer, I was sure of it.

“Son of a-” Clint blurted out when he crashed his hip into the corner of a table, sending drinks spilling and people clamoring to stand. “I am so fuckin sorry.”

“Watch where you’re walking.” A man snapped.

“I’m so sorry- let me- Hey, let me get those for you? Yeah? I’ll cover those and all’s good, yeah?” Before I knew it, Clint was pulling me toward the hostess and passing his card. In what seemed like a blink of the eye, we were outside and running down the street before anyone could chase us down and demand the cost of dry cleaning from Clint.

The alcohol was swimming through my system now, mixing with the adrenaline and fresh ocean air. It was an intoxicating mix that seemed to sweep us away. The stars glittered in the sky and off of the distance, I could hear the waves crashing against the shore. Part of me wanted to chase that sound, to chase the perfect romcom this night had become.

“We should get back to the hotel.” The words broke the spell. It wasn’t fair. But he was right. We needed to get back, get some sleep and be ready. I had Sarah’s bachelorette party to go to tomorrow night and my liver needed every second it could get to recover.

~~~~~<3

The room was cool and I would have given anything to be wrapped up in Clint’s arms to stay warm for the night. It was a dumb daydream and I knew I needed to not let myself get swept away with the act.

I grabbed an over sized tee shirt and a pair of shorts out of the dresser drawer I had dumped my clothes in earlier and made my way to the bathroom. The world tilted and swirled around me still but after downing a glass of water, it got better.

After changing and washing the day off my face, I almost felt human. Almost. Turning off the bathroom light, I found Clint already asleep on the couch in nothing but a pair of purple plaid pants slung low on his hips.

There wasn’t a reason not to take in the sight of him. Every bit of him could have been sculpted from stone. Yet he had countless small scars. Clearly, her boss had lived his life and in a way that the story was written on his body. It only made her want to know him more.

I could have stood there watching him sleep all night but I didn’t. The bed was singing a siren’s song that pulled me away, convinced me to go to it instead of enjoy the view I would only get to see a few times in my life.

As an afterthought I turned back toward him, grabbing a blanket from the closet on my way to his side. After carefully draping it over him, I knelt at his side. I’d never seen a more handsome man with my own eyes. I don’t think I could ever find another.

It was impulsive. I leaned forward and ever so softly pressed my lips to his cheek.

I don’t know what I thought that would do or change. I guess I had hoped that it would somehow cure me of my childish crush, having gotten to kiss him. Yeah, it was just on the cheek but it was just a crush. Still, as I stood up- my heart pounded in my chest.

It didn’t change anything. Nothing changed. Since nothing changed, I’d just have to climb into the bed and pray for the spell to be broken by morning.

~~~~~<3

The sound of grumbling woke me. The room was dark but there was just enough light coming in from the windows to see him. It was clear that he wasn’t comfortable. I could only imagine the aches and pains he would have by morning.

“Clint?”

“Shit.” The word was a hissed whisper. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Yet here we are.”

“You’re cranky when you first wake up.” The warm laugh filled the room.

“Pretty sure we had this conversation yesterday.”

“Fair point. Go back to sleep.”

“Will you?” I couldn’t help but ask.

“I’ll try.” The dark blob that I knew was Clint shifted around on the couch some more.

“The couch is pretty uncomfortable, huh?”

“I just don’t fit well.” He quickly followed the statement up with, “I’ll be fine though. Just gotta get used to it.” I stood, pulling a pillow to my chest in the process. There was something about being alone with him in the room, in the dark that made me feel more exposed than ever before. “What cha’ doing?”

It was so hard to think with how gravely his voice was, thick with sleep. “You take the bed for a bit. I’ll fit better on the couch.”

“I’m not making you sleep on the couch.”

“Well you’re not sleeping on the couch, either.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“You wont.”

We bickered back and forth about who would sleep where when he stood, rather suddenly and the dark figure stalked through the room. It was hard to keep track of where he was as he moved through the shadows with silent ease.

His arms were around my waist in an instant and a shriek slipped out of my lips only for me to clamp my hands over my mouth to cut it off before someone called the cops.

“What are you doing?!” I demanded.

“Sleepy… ‘m tired.” He grumbled as he lifted me up and tossed me on the bed.

I bounced a few times and he climbed in next to me. “What are you doing?!”

“It’s big enough for both of us. This is dumb. We’re adults. Go to sleep.” He demands as if it was that easy. Yet somehow, listening to his soft snores I eventually managed to do just that.

~~~~~<3

Tag List: @theheartofpenelope, @winterisakiller, @tnystrk-exe, @0-0-0-0-0-0-0-7, @j-u-s-t-4, @theoneanna, @missaphrodite23, @bradfordbantams, @ruebx, @hufflepuff25, @toozmanykids, @tinchentitri, @bambamwolf87, @nonsensicalobsessions, @michelegurl, @xoxabs88xox

 Michelegurl- I cannot tag you and it appears that your blog is gone or renamed?

[3norachas]

irremediable • lee know (V)

« irremediable - not able to be repaired or corrected »

— lee know x reader

— disney au, fluff, angst, enemies to lovers

— angst, killing owo, idk to be honest I’m not good at warnings

— Y'ALL THOUGHT IT WAS DONE HAHAHAHAHA JOKES ON Y'ALL HUEHUEHUE

PART 1, PART 2, PART 3, PART 4

masterlist

Waking up to dead silence was something you were not accustomed to. It was always either Felix and Hyunjin being noisy or Jisung jumping, uninvited, on your bed.

You always wake up to the loud chirping of birds, the rustle of trees, the sun light hitting your face and litting the room into a soft glow, and the smell of food being cooked by Seungmin and his soft call for breakfast.

And their smile lit up the house, no matter how bad the weather is, there’s always a warm feeling in your stomach whenever they smile at you, like how home should feel.

But right now, it was neither of those.

The room was silent, cold, not even the softness of the bed your in can lessen the gloomy aura of the room.

But the caress on your hair was calming, almost familiar. It felt like what home is, someone there to be with you when you’re at your lowest, to comfort you when you’re close to give up, and someone to love.

You wanted to open your eyes when you felt the touch on your head disappeared, replaced by the loud stomping of metal covered feet coming near the room you reside in, the loud calls of everyone to wake up by men and suddenly, a high pitched cry of a familiar friend of yours.

“Minho, we have to get out of here!”

Your ears perk at the name. What was he doing here? You remember leaving him at the forest from your last encounter, confronting him about a curse.

Ah, right, the curse.

Now you remembered why you were here, in this eerie and uncomfortable room. But why was Minho there with you?

The weight beside your bed dissappeared, and you can clearly hear the shuffle of movements made and the closing of your door. Minho had left you.

And as he left, he took the small warmth he provided with him and you were left with the sudden cold of the night, your eyes fluttering open as you get used to the light from the moon.

✧ ———— ❋ ⋇⋆✦⋆⋇ ❋ ———— ✧

Your feet padded gently on the stone cold floors of the stairs, hands timidly on the walls to support your weak body.

Your head was aching, stomach asking for food, and your bare feet on the cold floors was begging you to go back to bed from how weak your body was and you thought, maybe you did slept more than a day.

But your mind kept going back to Minho.

Your want to see him, talk to him, maybe get an explanation and the noise from downstairs was really hard to ignore.

Especially when before you woke up you were sure you heard Jisung calling out to Minho, who you now recognized as the one who was caressing your head when you were half conscious.

“Y/n?”

Your head turn to the source of the voice and saw the terrified look on Felix’ face.

“Lix?”

He rushes to you, pulling you down the stairs with hurried steps.

“We gotta get you out of here,” he kept repeating under his breath, your feet struggling to match his speed, “We got to get out before it’s too late.”

“Lix, please tell me what’s happening!”

Before he can even answer your question, a loud roar rung through the whole castle, the ground shaking from the loud stomping of, probably, large set of feet. It was so loud that you’d have to cover your aching ears.

“We have to get you to safety before it reaches us.”

“What do you mean!?”

Felix tugs on your wrist again, reaching the lower grounds. Your eyes travel across the sea of armored men rushing to the center of the castle. Your thoughts flew to Minho when you saw the said dragon, it’s wings caught into the many hooks of the warriors. It’s eyes saw yours, widening for a bit before it focuses on the men trying to get a hit on it.

It’s eyes reminded you of Jisung, those same brown eyes that were warm.

Where’s Minho?

Your eyes travel across the large ballroom of the castle. When you caught a glimpse of a familiar head being surrounded by green smoke, you stop on your tracks. Minho was busy protecting himself and his eyes goes to Jisung’s dragon form, almost as if he’s watching over him. His clothes were bloodied and you can clearly see how breathless he was, his magic weakening against the amount of warriors.

Did he just went inside a castle filled with people who want him dead just so he can see you?

No matter how evil he was, your feelings for him when you didn’t know about the curse was still threre, and you know for a fact that they will remain there for a long time.

“Wait, Lix!”

You can’t just leave him alone there, near death, when he had saved your life from a curse that he had gave you in the first place.

“We can’t waste anymore time, Y/n!”

“But I can’t just leave Minho!”

Felix looks at you as if you grew another head, his eyes shifting to where the dragon resides, in the middle of the large center of the castle and to the said warlock. Your hands brought his attention back to yours, your eyes begging him.

“Lix, he saved me.”

Felix felt his heart ache at the tears ready to fall from your eyes. He really couldn’t say no to you, after sixteen years of taking care of you. Sighing, his eyes glowed a bright orange light.

“I’m going to blame you if I get in trouble for this.”

✧ ———— ❋ ⋇⋆✦⋆⋇ ❋ ———— ✧

“I knew you would come.”

Minho snares at the man before him, watching how the said man is getting closer to him. His magic was drained, he’s bleeding too much, and his eyes wander to Jisung’s large form, covered in ropes that are tied to some big pile of rocks and a few hooks digging in his scales as he whines in pain.

Even in the most ridiculous situation, Minho forces a smirk on his face.

“I didn’t know that my step brother wanted to see me so much.”

“Don’t call me that, I’m nothing close to the horrible person that you are.”

“Ouch, so much for sibling love,” Minho laughs sarcastically, finally raising his head to king in front of him. He winches at the amount of knights, “Did you really hated me that much?”

“Oh, I hate you more than you think.”

Minho was about to retort when he saw a familiar sword in the king’s hand. His eyes darken, blood boiling, his anger rising to his head as he sneared.

“Your blood shouldn’t be holding that sword.”

The man scoffed, rolling his eyes at the warlock, “Oh, you mean, you’re father’s sword? I’m pretty sure it’s mine, now that I’m the king. I don’t see why I shouldn’t be holding it.”

“You’re just a replacement, you’re not even royalty,” Minho smirked at the scrowl on the king’s face, “You’re just one of their little puppets, randomly picked up from the slums and they never really loved you-”

“You little shit!”

The king swung his armored feet at Minho’s face, the impact making a loud noise across the ballroom. Jisung growled, moving his trapped body in an attempt to attack the king, but that only caused him more pain. The king laughed, raising his sword high above Minho’s lowered head, spitting blood on the floor.

“Such a shame, if your father didn’t commit to a dirty blood like your mother, then you wouldn’t be here right now.”

“Say one more thing about my parents and I will rip you apart.”

The king laughed at his threat, “Well, you’d be dead by then.”

“Not if we stop you,” a sudden sparkle of blue and orange mix in the air, the contact between different sparkle forming into a large fire and flaring at the knights.

The fire formed a large circle protecting Jisung and the ropes that tied him and his body got caught in fire, the ropes wrapped around his snout snap free. He lets out a loud roar, his tails flicking at all the men near him. The king groaned, but his hold on the sword tighten.

He let’s out a cry, before he takes the sword down.

Minho screwed his eyes shut, waiting for the contact of his own father’s sword, but all he felt was a tickle on his face with the scent of lavender. His eyes open to see purple sparkles and butterflies fluttering near him and a hand pulled on his arm to help him stand up.

“Seungmin.”

“Don’t thank me, Y/n literally begged me to come and save you.”

The young fairy scoffed, letting Hyunjin take a hold of Minho so he could deal with the rest, but Minho’s mind was far from the situation.

“Y/n’s awake…”

His eyes travel around the ballroom, searching frantically. It worked, he saved her and she’s wide awake. His eyes glisten with tears at the thought.

“Yes, she’s awake.”

Hyunjin leads him out of the castle, watching out for nearing men until they reach the large doors of the castle.

The weight on Minho’s shoulder disappeared. It actually worked, even though he didn’t very much believed in himself that Y/n would love him back. His breath slowed, his knees gave up and his weight brought his body down, Hyunjin grunting at the sudden added weight. His eyes scanned over Minho’s bloodied body and half lidded eyes and he panicked.

“Oh, no.”

He set Minho on the ground, his hands supporting the warlock’s shoulders. Hyunjin’s kind wasn’t really familiar with healing spells, so he’s at his most terrifying situation.

“Minho! Stay with me!”

His call for him went unheard. Minho’s vision blurred as he faces the dark skies. He felt pain, but he also felt relief. Relief because if he’s going to die here, then Y/n would live.

And if that’s what it takes for you to continue on without any worries, then he’d gladly die here. All that matters is that he’s able to save you.

He can hear multiple calls of his name, but he couldn’t really see who it was and he didn’t care enough.

“Y/n…”

His eyes shut completely, the last thing he saw was your image and a bright sparkle of blue, the smell of the sea, and a hand caressing his cheeks, giving him a touch of what feels like the home that he never had.

✧ ———— ❋ ⋇⋆✦⋆⋇ ❋ ———— ✧

It has been a few days after the fight in the castle. The whole kingdom found out about the dragon that miraculously appeared to attack the king’s men, and the so called powerful warlock. The chaos that occurred turned the castle into a mess and a lot of men died.

Apparently, the people in the kingdom found out about the intruding of the warlock into the castle.

Some said that he was there to finish off the royal family.

But they also said that he has come to save the princess, for they heard that the princess woke up after the appearance of the warlock, although she suddenly went missing after the fight. A few knights said that they saw her coming down the stairs in the hands of one of the fairies.

Speaking of which, the three fairies were also missing, leaving only dust of their sparkles after the fight.

The king, who was badly injured, courtesy of a certain purple fairy, was enraged that the said fairy had betrayed him, letting the warlock and the dragon, who disappeared in smokes, get away from the kingdom.

No one can tell where they had gone to, the king had ordered the search for them, but the forest was just too big.

What they didn’t know was that the forest had a special place for the magical creatures, just inside the cave hidden by the large water fall, and behind the cover of rock and water was a beautiful land for the magical creatures.

Your eyes grew wide at the sigh of different kinds of animals.

“Those aren’t just animals, princess.”

Hyunjin sat beside you on the grass, his large fairy wings in display. The three had told you about how they were fairies all this time.

“So, this is why you never grew old. I’ve always been curious about how you guys stayed young as I grew up.”

“It’s not the easiest thing to hide,” Hyunjin chuckled, “Living as a human is hard! I can’t even use my magic to do chores and that’s tiring!”

“You’re just lazy.”

Seungmin throws the flower petals he had pluck off onto Hyunjin’s face, his own wings fluttering along his emotions. He’s pretty annoyed at how loud Hyunjin has been. The said fairy pouted.

“Your wings are pretty.”

“I’m not surprised but when it comes from you, I’m pretty much flattered, my princess.”

“He said that because every fairy falls in love with his wings.”

“They’re just filled with colorful chitin!” Hyunjin gasp at Felix, his hand clutching his chest as he throws a few periwinkles at the orange fairy.

“You did not just said my wings are made up of chitin! That’s a disgrace!”

Seungmin sigh at his two bantering friends. You laughed when they started throwing ruined flowers at each other. A rustle of the bushes took your attention. It was Jisung, in his squirrel form, peaking from the said bush. You beem at him, patting your lap for him to rush to, and he did just that. Not without limping though.

“Does your foot still hurt?”

“Not much, but it still stings,” he whines, curling up on your lap and against your touch, “Please do continue petting me.”

“How about the gash? You didn’t open it, did you?”

“Nope, it’s perfectly fine.”

You gently pet him, avoiding the stich on his side that still has a bit of dried blood. He couldn’t clean it because it hurts, but to Seungmin, he’s just being whiny which does sound like a Jisung thing to do. You smile as his small noises filled the silence.

“How’s Minho?”

Hyunjin’s question broke the silence, the mention of the warlock’s name making you look at Jisung, a silent question. The squirrel sighed, shaking his head.

“He said he doesn’t feel well.”

“Where is he right now?”

“I left him near the lake. He wanted to be alone. He said this place reminded him too much of his mother.”

“I told you it wasn’t a good idea to bring him here.”

“It’s the only place that has the good herbs,” Seungmin shrugs, tying the flower crown in his hand to finish it, “Plus, we can’t really bring him to any other place. Everyone would kick us out for bringing death himself, and it’s either we’re too far from the other witches or Minho’s the only one who knows healing spells in our kingdom. The only other witch that I know was his mother, which pretty much doesn’t help us because she’s gone.”

“We can’t really go out either,” Felix trailed, “We’re basically wanted by the whole kingdom.”

“It’s the only safe place for us.”

The conversation was replaced by silence, the fairies busied themselves with the flowers and Jisung quietly napping on your lap. Your mind went to how Minho would be feeling right now.

You haven’t seen him after the escape from the knights. He got better after two days, but he hasn’t really gone out, saying that he wasn’t feeling better enough. You knew it was just his excuse to avoid you. It was offensive, but you knew that he’s blaming himself for everything that you’ve gone through.

Your eyes went to watch the fairies do their flower crowns.

You wonder what the flower crowns were for, when you were still back at home they’d always make a bunch of them every other day and argue about which fits you better.

Maybe it’s a fairy thing.

You sighed, your mind once again going back to Minho and his undeniably attractive smile. Even if he was a little bit evil and almost sent you into an eternity sleep, growing up with him watching over you made your chest flutter with affection, his caring nature and angelic smiles brought you out of that anger, because in the end, he was the one that saved you from his own curse.

Speaking of curse, your cheeks flared in embarrassment.

Saving you meant he kissed you.

You have a strong urge and need to talk to him. The kiss didn’t meant nothing, he would have to love you before he can save you.

“I’ll go talk to him.”

“What?” the three fairies raised their head to you.

“Finally,” Jisung whined, limping his way off of your undeniably comfortable lap and to Felix’s.

You didn’t speak as you stood up and walk to the direction of the lake. The three fairies eye you until you disappear, they’re faces adorned with smiles.

“How did you know?”

Hyunjin directed his question to an unbothered Seungmin, who just smiled at the question with a shrug.

“Lucky guess.”

✧ ———— ❋ ⋇⋆✦⋆⋇ ❋ ———— ✧

Your eyes stare at the slump form near the lake, feet sunk in the water. He was staring at his reflection on the water, glowing green eyes glaring at its own glow on the water.

“You’re standing there and staring at me like a creep.”

You pout at his teasing, coming to sit next to him on the ground, sinking your bare feet in the water.

“How are you?”

“I’ll live, I guess,” he snort a laugh at his own lie. He was still having a hard time moving around, his face had a lot of bruises and his body got a lot of wounds. He’s particularly irritated at a certain large bruise on the tip of his eyebrow that he got from the king’s kick, and I quote, ‘destroying my beautiful face’.

“You know,” you nudge his elbow gently, “I didn’t expect to get my first kiss when I’m unconscious.”

Minho’s cheeks redden. He was too flustered to make a remark, choosing to groan when he heard your laugh.

“I have no choice.”

“And seriously, the only cure is a true love’s kiss? How cliche can you get?”

He whined at your teasing, his feet kicking at the water to cause a small wave. Shortly, he answered with a small voice.

“My mother used to tell me about it.”

“Really? Is it one of those fairy tales?”

“No, it’s better than just a fairy tale,” he smile softly, “she used to describe the first kiss she had with my father. How it felt magical, more magical than she expected from a human. They had their first kiss here, in this very same lake.”

You listen to him ramble about his mother’s description of her wonderful kiss experiences. He looked so into it, a smile on his face whenever he mentions about how wonderful she felt, his enthusiasm about his mother making you fall in love more than you already are. His hands make gestures that made you chuckle and his eyes twinkle whenever he mentioned how in love his parents were.

“It’s ridiculous how she treats every kiss sentimental.”

“Do you want to know how she felt when your father kisses her?”

He turns his head to look at you, stopping his ramble to stare at your bright eyes. For the first time in a few days, he had paid your beauty some attention. He can see how cute your eyes wrinkle from your smile, your skin glowing from the light reflecting off the water and the your bright smile can rival the sun’s, the color in your eyes brighter than any day from the happiness you were feeling. His eyes travel down your nose to your lips, just like how he did before he kissed you as you slept.

“You know, I wasn’t able to enjoy my first kiss, since I was literally asleep.”

He chuckled at your sly remark, your head leaning closer, or was it him? Your smile was so contagious that he couldn’t help the grin on his face as he watch the distance between the two of you disappear, slowly.

“I can’t even consider it a first kiss.”

“Do you want to know how it felt?”

Minho felt his heart clench at the shine in your eyes, he wondered how bright your eyes can get. He wouldn’t mind if he was the reason behind it.

“Well, after your detailed story about how your mother felt whenever your father kisses her, I’m pretty curious right now.”

With a deep exhale of breath that Minho didn’t know he was holding, he leant forward to connect your lips, just like he did at that night, but this time you gave him the same amount of push that he gave.

The smile didn’t go away, even as he move his lips in sync with yours.

If anyone ask him from a few years ago if true love’s kiss existed, he would have spit a lot of curses to that person.

But here he was, living the story of his own mother about how amazing it felt.

And he smiled, it really did felt magical than he expected from a human.

[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 216: You’re a Good Man, Shinsou Hitoshi

Previously on BnHA: Deku calmed his emotions and activated Blackwhip a second time, this time On Purpose, and for a moment it looked like he was going to completely curb stomp poor Shinsou. But then he crumpled in pain and the quirk vanished, and he realized he wasn’t physically strong enough to use that quirk just yet. So instead he chased after Shinsou using good ol’ full cowl. Meanwhile Ochako captured Monoma, who taunted her about having one last ace up his sleeve. This turned out to be a Twin Impact shot he’d been saving to hit Deku with, and it worked pretty nicely, but unfortunately our boy Shinsou didn’t have enough experience yet to take full advantage of the resulting opening. Meanwhile Ochako went to bail out Mina and Mineta and took out not one but two more opponents singlehandedly like the fucking ninja she is. Mina took out the third with a raging uppercut, leaving Deku to wrangle Shinsou, thus securing 1-A’s total victory. Now all that remains to be seen is what kind of excuse Deku will come up with for his sudden new quirk, and whether or not Shinsou will be accepted into the hero course. We’re all rooting for you, kid.

Today on BnHA: The 5th set wraps up with a 4-0 victory for Team A, which also gives class A the overall victory over class B, having won 3 of the 5 matches. As 1-A celebrates, Shinsou broods. He was able to piece together that the exercise was a test for his potential transfer, but he feels like he didn’t accomplish enough. The teachers gather the two teams for the post-game analysis and are all “what the fuck, Midoriya.” Deku is all “I don’t know either,” and for some reason everyone just buys that and moves on with their lives. Deku credits Ochako and Shinsou with helping to save him, but Shinsou says he just did it to stop his team from losing. Aizawa chokes some sense into him and says that just because he’s not a perfect 100% self-sacrificing martyr all the time doesn’t mean he’s not worthy of being a hero. Everyone else chimes in and says that Shinsou did really good, and Vlad says that although they still need to make it official, it’s more than likely that Shinsou will be joining the hero course next year. Having settled all that, Aizawa asks Monoma if he can do him a favor and come with him to see Eri the next day.

(As always, all comments not marked with an ETA are my mostly-unspoiled reactions from my first readthrough of this chapter. I’m caught up with the manga now at chapter 225, so any ETAs will reflect that.)

so we’re opening with Shinsou’s perspective on those last few moments against Deku

wow

you’re telling me Izuku was spinning around over and over again in mid-air? he wasn’t just twisting the binding cloth around?? he himself was literally twirling at high speed? that’s what this panel was depicting?? the author of this series is drunk

ahhhhhh my poor exhausted lavender son

welcome to shounen manga, friend. we only go forwards not back

ahhhhh fff dammit Shinsou

YOU BETTER NOT START CRYING OR I’M GONNA LOSE IT

and now we’re belatedly getting the hero names of the four class B kids waaaaaay after the fact

Emily??

(ETA: Exorcism of Emily Rose?? that’s what Viz’s translator speculated, anyway. idk I don’t watch horror movies so I don’t know what else it could be.)

I like the name “Mines” for Shouda though! his quirk kinda is like a landmine I guess. also this poor kid has seen better days Mina what did you do to him

anyways so poor Vlad is being forced to announce class 1-A’s perfect 4-0 victory for the second time in a row

haha check out Mina’s kung fu pose

and Ochako’s peace sign. MVPs. I stan some motherfucking legends here I tell you what

oh lol it was Midnight that was doing the commentary since Vlad went with Aizawa and All Might

I’m glad the kids’ petitioning paid off

so in the end class 1-A once again proved themselves against the unfortunate class 1-B who had all of the cool quirks but none of the luck

Midnight’s making the official announcement and everyone is cheering!

poor class B

it’s not your fault, Manga. at least your team actually won, mainly thanks to you

ahhhh we’re cutting back to Shinsou and his face is hidden and he’s tugging at his scarf and hesitantly addressing Vlad and Aizawa

SHINSOU STOP IT

SOMEONE GIVE HIM A HUG!! AND STOP LEAVING HIM IN SUSPENSE!!!

he says this was also supposed to be his transfer exam. so he knew??

lol Vlad is asking Aizawa if he told him, but Shinsou says he basically just put two and two together even though he wasn’t 100% sure

“not to mention, I was the only one who participated in two matches” yeah that was certainly a big clue

lmao Vlad looks so impressed

just how low are your standards dude

and now Aizawa is changing the topic and says it’s time for the teachers’ critiques! OH BOY THIS OUGHTA BE GOOD

Deku’s critique basically should just consist of “what the actual fuck Midoriya”

and like I said in the previous recap, Shinsou should get credit for his performance in the first battle as well as his save in this battle which showed he has the true spirit of a hero!

LOOOOOOOOOOOL

I WANT TO SHAKE HORIKOSHI’S GODDAMN HAND

so Aizawa’s asking what the principle is behind Deku’s new move since it’s so radically different from his established “super strength” quirk

and Deku’s just standing there nervously

Tokoyami and Kuroiro are bonding over their mutual admiration of how goth the new quirk is

hmmmm how you wanna play this Deku

so basically just be all “fuck if I know, this quirk only manifested for the first time eight months ago and it keeps surprising me with weird new shit. petition to rename it ‘mystery quirk’”

sidestepping the question like a pro there Deku

so he says his power suddenly started overflowing and he couldn’t suppress it and it scared him, but that thanks to Shinsou and Ochako’s help it turned out all right

he says that if Shinsou hadn’t knocked him out he’s not sure what would have happened

and he’s turning to Shinsou now and explaining that he wasn’t bluffing earlier, and he’s thanking him

what the fuck Shinsou

were you?? fooled me then

YESSSSSSSS GIVE OCHAKO HER PROPS

SHE WAS A FUCKING BADASS. NOW TALK ABOUT THE PART WHERE SHE’S RESPONSIBLE FOR CAPTURING 3 OF THE 5 ENEMY TEAM MEMBERS

noooo goddammit Mina not now!!

MINA ARE YOU JEALOUS NO ONE HAS GIVEN YOU CREDIT YET. WE WERE GETTING TO THAT, BE PATIENT

oh sheesh lmao

and now she’s nervously twiddling her fingers and smiling hesitantly and saying she’d rather do that than not do anything and regret it later

oh my gosh

SO PROUD OF MY LITTLE BABY GIRL. YES!!

and holy shit but I want to take that picture of him smiling almost imperceptibly and fucking frame it

look at Ochako managing to completely deflect the attention away from Deku somehow. not only was she the MVP of the battle, but she just keeps saving his ass even afterward

holy shit

DEKU’S FACE ALSO BEING BEET RED THOUGH. HE MUST LOOK LIKE A GODDAMN RADISH

anyway, so Shinsou says he just did what Ochako asked him to do

yeah, but you did it despite them being on the opposing team though!

exactly. you knew it was the right course of action and you didn’t hesitate

SHINSOU STOP MAKING THESE SAD FACES!!!

FOR FUCK’S SAKE I CAN’T TAKE THIS??

AIZAWA OH MY GOD YES

PLEASE REASSURE YOUR DEPRESSED PURPLE SON AND TELL HIM THAT HE DIDN’T DO ANYTHING WRONG AND HE’S A GOOD HERO

sdlfhaslkdfj

holy --

lmao at Kaminari immediately breaking into a chant. methinks the mangaka is too self-aware

and well then, since Best Dad Aizawa Shouta has officially entered the ranks of parents who occasionally discipline their children via shocking comedic violence (consider also: All Might decking Deku at the beach a mere chapter before Mitsuki’s infamous introduction), maybe we can finally put that debate to rest. I think it’s pretty clear when Horikoshi is intentionally portraying abuse and when he’s just being over the top because this is a fictional story in a fictional world where not three pages ago there was a character with a literal comic book for a head

oh snap Aizawa

in other words, it’s okay to be a little selfish. sometimes selfish is even needed. because he’s absolutely right, if you don’t take care of yourself as well you’ll fuck yourself over before long and then you won’t be able to save anyone

and also, at the end of the day, if you save everyone successfully and complete the mission, does it really make sense to stand around and argue whether or not your intentions were pure enough?

anyways needless to say I’m really digging this “nobody’s perfect” speech right here you guys

(ETA: oh hey it’s Aizawa’s Mysterious Cloudy Friend, Shirakumo! probably. hey Shirakumo. what’s your fucking deal goddammit)

this is basically Aizawa’s version of All Might’s speech from chapter 120. I always love when the series metas about what it means to be a hero and what separates the great ones from everyone else. and we saw firsthand in Bakugou’s match just a few chapters ago the difference it makes when a hero is focused on both winning and rescuing

now Deku is complimenting Shinsou on all of his strategic moves like dropping those pipes down on him and trying to lead him back to where everyone else was to regain his advantage

oh my god you guys Deku is so passionate and generous with his praise, this is exactly the kind of thing Shinsou needed to hear though

kinda getting that “a true hero doesn’t just save people, they save people’s hearts” vibe thing here on top of everything else

oh my god Deku

what the fuck are you talking about, if anything you lean into this too much and you need to relax a little and take some of Aizawa’s advice to heart

ahhhhhhhhHHHHHH

YESSSSSSSSSSS THIS IS WHAT I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR. YOU DID IT SHINSOU I’M SO PROUD OF YOU

oh my god. the one hand clutching his scarf and the other one in a clenched fist. and that face. oh shit here come the feels

and I desperately need to know if this means next year as in January/next term, or next year as in when they move on to year 2

(ETA: Viz’s translation indicates it’ll happen in their second year of school.)

OH FOR FUCK’S SAKE

GODDAMMIT HORIKOSHI I WAS SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS CHAPTER TO FIND OUT, AND THEN YOU GO AND PULL THIS SHIT. UNBELIEVABLE

(ETA: I love that both classes so clearly want him though. again, they’ve all collectively adopted him and I love it

also, class 1-A still has a traitor in their midst, so depending on when and how that all goes down, they may just end up having a vacancy, just saying...)

oh my god

Mina this is why I want you to run for President. and Aizawa, she absolutely is right and he should be punished

loooool Monoma is trying!

hang in there buddy

so getting back to that, I’m guessing what happened there was that he did take One for All the quirk, but not any of the stockpiled power within Izuku? because to get that it has to be willed to you by the previous owner. so basically he was trying to activate it, and it probably was working, but his version of the quirk was at OFA Prime levels. basically starting from scratch with no additional power stored up other than his own. and we all agree this is actually very fortunate for him and he’d be getting carted off to Recovery Girl right now if things had gone differently

does that not bother him, by the way? like, Ochako just figured he was “bluffing”, but Monoma knows he was actually trying to activate the quirk and nothing was happening. I wonder what he made of that. it seems like maybe he’s too caught up in the loss to class A to really think much on it just yet

(ETA: so apparently he knows enough about how his quirk works to have already figured this out, lol.)

whoa oh shit and I just read the last three panels and a ton of interesting stuff happened so quickly lol

okay let’s break this down and then we’ll end the recap

(1) Deku is so fucking pure. middle of a battle and being attacked, and his only concern is that the quirk is gonna be too much for Monoma and badly injure him

(ETA: and can I just say, the other students could have used a little more of that concern though. the teachers too for that matter.)

(2) so I take this to mean Horikoshi is going to explain what happened, but for now I’m assuming my speculation is more or less near the mark. he definitely did take OFA because you could see the telltale red flashing pulsing shit happening with his skin. so it has nothing to do with Deku originally being quirkless; it’s the way that OFA as a quirk works

(3) Deku is super fucking lucky that no one started questioning what happened with his quirk again, what with Monoma bringing the subject back up

and lastly, (4) OH SHIT. is he gonna have Monoma copy Eri’s quirk to see if he can control it? lol we only just established how lucky he is to be alive after taking Deku’s quirk. what are you trying to do to this poor kid

though I am glad to see Aizawa being a logical dad who cares about his baby girl and is constantly thinking of ways in which to possibly help her out. ah well, hope nothing goes wrong there

and that’s it! on to the next chapter to hopefully see Bakugou and All Might grill Deku about WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED lol

[k-fiction-therapy]

Into The Night (Version 5 - Hyungwon)

Moodboard by Admin Scar

Starring: Chae Hyungwon & Reader

Includes: Vampire!AU, Night Life & Vague TB References

Rating: 18+

~*.*..*“It was just supposed to be a night out, but this...this was a night in hell--and how beautiful the devil was.”*..*.*~

A/N: Hello, all! This is the fifth installment of “Into the Night”, a series that highlights seven very different Vampire!AU stories, each involving a different member of Monsta X as the main male lead. <3 I hope you enjoy them. I have been obsessed with Vampires since I was a child, and my attraction to them only grows the older I get~ I do hope that my take on these different vampire tropes tickles your fancy as it has mine.

Version 1 - Shownu

Version 2 - Wonho

Version 3 - Minhyuk

Version 4 - Kihyun

Version 5 - Hyungwon

Version 6 - Jooheon

Version 7 - Changkyun

Asks Open for Feedback, Comments, Kudos and Thoughts. <3

             Dust settled in your bones as you unpacked boxes in the living area of your new house, the layout open, making the home look far bigger than it actually was. Eyes traveling over the furnishings, you found yourself with a bittersweet taste in your mouth. You remembered that moving out on your own represented independence and new opportunities, it also shed light on the things that life had ripped from you—the very things that pushed you to move in the first place. In the dust and peeking sun rays that dotted the tops of marked boxes your memories were written; forcing you to take a moment’s pause.

              He had run into the arms of someone else as if he had loved them all his life, crushing your heart beneath his heel. You could have strangled him to death for what he had done to you, but despite the pain he caused you and the knife he put in your back, you still kept his clothes and smelled them while you sobbed as if you were in grief of a wondrous love lost. He was poison, but damn did the apple taste so sweet. He had another heart to mangle, and you were left with no one. You felt utterly alone, and regardless of your best friend telling you that you were a ‘catch’ and that they would help you ‘get back out there’, you still felt the pangs of hopelessness tug on your broken heart.

              Sighing, you dropped down into your floor and leaned against the couch, your legs crisscrossing comfortably. The wind pushed from you, and particles burst from the vintage cushions, the sofa groaning as if it were commiserating with you. You couldn’t allow yourself to wallow. What good did it do? None. What would it heal? Nothing. Perhaps you should take your friend’s advice and get back out there—but where would you go?

              A club had been suggested, only about a half hour train ride from where you lived, but the notion made you laugh. It wasn’t that you were against clubs, it’s just that you weren’t exactly up to the task of being thrust into such a physical environment. Truth be told, you weren’t exactly the club-goer, and when you thought of awkwardly gyrating on the dance floor, you wanted to facepalm. If you were already embarrassed of yourself, how did you expect to manage actually doing it?  

              Your phone chiming broke your concentration, and you quickly picked it up, secretly hoping it was a Snap from your bestie, goading you into attending tonight—but what you got was a social media notification…for him. You had forgotten that you had tapped that bell, that every time he posted, you were going to see it—and there they were, arm in arm, lips close and eyes lovingly focused on one another. You could have crushed your phone, a tear rolling down your cheek. Anger became you, and you quickly unfollowed him, closing your phone before dropping it onto the couch behind you. Forcing air from your nose, you cracked—

“You know what? Fuck it. Let’s go.”

                                                    ***************

              The night was cold, and with you scantily dressed, the warm color of the pink neon was doing nothing to stop the chill of your exposed skin. You walked down the sidewalk towards the blacked-out doors of club ₩onder, your best friend by your side, stumbling a bit as they fixed their makeup in a compact; and you found yourself curious of where they were going to stash it, sure it would leave an odd shape in those spandex hot-pants. Honestly, the thought of it gave you a much-needed laugh.

              Prodding you because you were laughing, they knocked against your arm and smiled wide, locking fingers with you to pull you along, quickly moving into the line. Glancing to the other patrons, you felt immediately out of place. Black leather, lace, and chokers galore, you swore you had stumbled onto the Gothic underground. Honestly, you weren’t dressed badly, but you felt like you should have been warned so that you could have worn black and blended in—no one likes to stick out because they’re one blue smudge in a sea of ash.

              “You should have told me it was a bondage club, I would have dressed the part.” You whispered to your companion, leaning close to them, your ass perked and back arched, catching the attention of the bouncer, who did his part to move the line along.

              “₩onder is not a bondage club, it’s…artistic.” Your friend said, waving a hand.

              “There’s literally someone in a leather puppy mask, and another with a horse tail butt plug.” You gestured towards a few people not far up in the line from where you stood. Honestly, the horse tail had you mesmerized, but you found yourself wondering if they straightened, or brushed it. It looked so soft as it moved, perfectly contrasting the rubber tail of the puppy a few spots further up the line. Said puppy was on all fours, moving their hips back and forth obediently, making their tail wag, as their master gripped a leather leash and gently pet their snout, making cute little sounds pour from their lips. A part of you found it oddly cute, and you might have smiled, but you couldn’t shake the scene.

              “Come on. Keep an open mind!” Your bestie said, swatting at your arm playfully, before winking, “—or would you rather go home to your vibrator?”

              “Hey, don’t bring Kai into this!” You could have put them in a headlock, but someone here might have taken it the wrong way. They just deserved a punch for saying something like that out loud. So embarrassing–you might have been blushing, but your layers of makeup saw to it that it didn’t see the light of day.

              “I can’t believe you named it that.” They rolled their eyes so dramatically that you swore you heart them turn in their head, “You’re so sad.”

              You wrinkled your brows and shook your head, gesturing to the line and towards the club, though the volume of your voice didn’t raise. You didn’t want to call attention to yourself, “You are the one that is looking for love in a place like this—”

              “Oh, I’m not looking for love. Unless it’s thick, and deep…Mmf.” They said, running a hand down their front, giving a half-hearted, trashy body roll. You laughed behind your hand, but they didn’t stop there, moving their ass like a bitch scorned, “You should stop thinking about ‘marriage’ and ‘eternity’, and all that shit. Focus on the here and now.” Their fingers pointed to the ground before they made an obscene gesture, tongue in their cheek, “You need to get laid.”

              “Well, that’s your opinion—” Crossing your arms, you looked away, pretending to scan the place, mostly because you didn’t want to talk about it anymore. It wasn’t that you were sensitive about your lack of recent carnal vocation, but rather because you felt like the odd one out for not jumping on the first cock you saw.

              “Mhm. The right one. Fill up your empty hole.” They twitched a finger back and forth, grinning from ear to ear.

              “Why are we friends?” You huffed.

              “Shut up, you love me.”

              The bouncer moved a hand from side to side, gesturing for you both to move forward. He was a tall man, and quite dense in muscle. His shirt was rather tight, and he seemed perpetually flexed, waiting for someone to pick a fight with him. There was a real masculinity that radiated from him that made you feel both safe and terribly insecure at the same time. Checking your IDs, he waved you in, taking a moment to roll his eyes down the line of your spines—and it sent uncomfortable shivers across your bare shoulders as you pushed into the place.

              Pulsing with rhythmic pop and dance music, ₩onder truly looked like an undulating mass of Gothic intrigue, the mass of people making it hard to tell where one ended and the other began. Trying to get into the swing of the place, you wound through people, keeping as close to your friend as you could, heading for the bar. Looking over the drink list, you wrinkled your brows—they were all named after blood types and the like.

              Glancing to your companion, who had already ordered and was smelling their drink curiously, you assumed it was just witty word play, and ordered a “O+ Passion”, which was handed to you in a crystal glass, and was as deep red as the night was black. You sniffed at the rim of the glass, the copper bloom of the liquor filling your nose, making your eyes water. What the hell. Taking a drink, you immediately spit it back into the glass, trying to do so behind your hand so as not to offend anyone, especially the bartender.

              You felt as if the liquid had stained your teeth, so you licked furiously at them, feeling as if a film had been permanently placed atop your canines. What an odd drink. Turning to the dance floor, you glanced up to make sure no one had seen you—and over the crowd, from the front of the room, eyes like pale-blue, lavender ice gripped you, cutting straight to your heart. Plush tiers of rose down, and porcelain skin held your gaze, making you shake where you stood—you were lucky you hadn’t dropped your drink in awe.

              He must have been many meters from you, across the dance floor, but he felt like he was standing right in front of you. Seated in a baroque style throne atop a pedestal, white yet reflecting pink from the lights of the club, he exuded power and dominant sensuality. His legs were as long as you could see, and his arms matched, hands resting delicately, and fingers flexed. He was somehow the most dominantly severe and beautifully soft thing you had ever seen in your entire life. A fire lit within you, and suddenly, you needed to know him at the deepest parts of your soul—to have him fill you with all that he was, and use you as he liked; twist you into a gorgeous pretzel.

                                                     ***************

              On your knees in front of him, like King and peasant, your back arched, chest heaving as it begged for him, his energy having taken you over, as if his power was wrapping around your nerves and guiding them to act. You didn’t know how you got here—you didn’t remember walking to him, and you certainly couldn’t recall kneeling as if he were your king. You didn’t feel in control of your faculties, much less your own limbs, and when your lips peeled open, your primal desires dripped from your tongue.

              “Tell me…why are you here, mortal?” The male didn’t speak, not one word, but his voice was so loud in your mind that it made your ears ring. His eyes never left you, their intent obvious in the shift of color within their spreading iris.

              “I want you to take me…” You said aloud, and no one in the room seemed the wiser. Your friend, lost to the crowd, was bleeding from major pulse points, being fed on by multiple patrons who had ensnared them, their body shaking in orgasmic death, clawing for release on the dance floor, the sound of the music drowning out the sound of their voice.

              “You want to be mine? Hm?” His hand lifted, grazing the long earring in his left ear before trailing down over the layered lace choker he wore, the top a glinting silver that read “Appelle-Moi”, the necklaces beneath it falling down his chest, accentuating perfect skin as it dipped into a low shirt. The veining of his skin was like a sensual road map, and each time your eye caught sight of a new shade of blue, it trembled. Soaked.

               “Take me.” You whimpered, your lips remaining open as if held by strong fingers.

              “Obedient slave, I like that.” He nodded, and smiled, but his lips formed no shape, “…Call me ‘Master Hyungwon’. Say it.” He commanded, his mental tone deeper and quite a bit more even than before. You shook as you remained still, his lips peeling apart slowly, showing long fangs, making you quake with pleasure at just the sight. How had this happened to you? Kneeling and wet, you begged for him.

              “Master…Hyungwon…” You croaked.

              “Mmnn…Good…” He lifted his chin and raised an arm, pointing off towards a velvet covered doorway to the left of where his throne sat, “Go. Through there. Crawl.”

              “Yes, Master Hyungwon.”

                                                  ***************

              Hand fisted in what he could grip of your hair, bare hips forced against your tear-streaked face, your throat taking his cock as deep as it would as he face-fucked you, your nose hitting soft pubic hair with each strike of that thickened head to the depths of your slender esophagus. The glide made your throat bulge visibly, but he only pushed deeper, breathing heavily through his nose, thrusting himself harshly, the welcoming muscles enveloping him, making your eyes roll back in your head and your gag reflex act up.

              Snarling, he kept himself controlled, but his hips jerked back and forth several times vigorously before he pulled from your throat, saliva stringing from your mouth to his girth, the thick of the veined member bobbing in the dense air of the room. Staring down at you, he brought your face forward once more, rubbing the mushroomed, red head against the shape of your lips, swirling the glistening precum against your mouth.

              Your lids fluttered open at the feeling of that cock against your lips, a submissive expression taking you as you stared up at him, opening your mouth slowly, your tongue slipping forward to press to the thick underbelly of that girth, the tip flicking, silently begging for more. Hyungwon licked the expansive curvatures of his lips, bringing the hand that had once been in your hair forward, gently petting over your crown, “…Mm…so hungry…” He finally spoke aloud, though it was no more than a whisper, and as he watched you, his lean abdominal muscles flexed visibly, making you feel weak. Your hands ran down your thighs and you moved your head forward, that thick tip popping into your mouth, and he gave a moment’s pause just to watch you before gripping the back of your skull a second time, slamming his cock into your mouth once more, arching to keep it deep, “A-ahh…suck…harder.”

              You found yourself unable to defy him, even with the painful stretch of your throat nearly taking over your ability to breathe. His hips moving again, he would roll them, starting a slow, hard rhythm, grunting deeply from how you stimulated him. Picking up the pace, he snarled, gripping your hair a second time, this time harder than prior, fucking your throat as if he was a man starved. Your nails dug into your thighs and you tried to keep yourself stable, tears rolling over your cheekbones, the stretch nearly too much.

              “A-ah, I’m close. Yeah, just like that.” He groaned lewdly, his head tipping back and body tensing hard as he chased his orgasm, “Fuck…” Jerking his hips forward a handful more times until he slammed himself deep and stilled, shooting thick, immense, cum into that throat, against your nasal passage and second gag reflex, the white fluid forced from your nose, your throat spasming around his throbbing girth, which pulsed hard against your tongue.

              You closed your eyes tightly until he pulled back, popping free of your lips once more, cum flooding from your bottom lip, dripping from your chin and covering the bottom half of your face. You stared up at him, messy and broken in the most beautiful of ways, used by the vampire for his more carnal needs, you had somehow found yourself feeling far more alive. Staring up at him again, you knew that your pants were soaked from your own arousal, and you wiggled in your spot a bit, whining needily.

              Dropping a hand down, he would tip your chin up, staring at you, his fingers slicking with his own seed, though he kept your face level, staring down at you, “Mm…You listen so well. I’ll keep you around for a while…use you for blood…and sex…” He bit his lip slowly, letting his teeth drag from the plush of his bottom tier, “…you’d like that wouldn’t you?”

              You couldn’t help but nod, the sound of the club outside the curtains still pulsing with music, the other patrons none the wiser that your face had just been fucked senseless. Drowned in his power, you wanted him, and you wouldn’t dare think of leaving his side, or disobeying, so you merely answered, “Yes, Master Hyungwon. I would very much like that.”

              Dropping a hand, he would hook a finger in the choker you wore, pulling you up as if you were leashed. Staring into your eyes, he bore his teeth at you, and you could feel your blood pulse as if it were begging for him to drain you, and in many ways, it was. You knew he could so easily kill you—and one day, he just might. You swallowed hard, your throat moving against the finger that pressed against it. You had never felt more alive than with this undead King, never more full in heart and mind. He hissed through his teeth, hungry for more of you—every inch.

              “Alright…then together we shall become entwined, deep…

              …Into the night.”

Admin Death

[arctic-rising]

1-5, 9, 16, & 37!!

tysm for the questions!! this got…real long.

1. Write from the perspective of an outsider of your lair, what is their first impression? How have they discovered this group? How are they greeted?

      The young spiral twirled around her companion, twisting among the towering reeds. The skydancer, a map clenched in their claws, laughed as they caught sight of flashes of purple scales.       “When do you think we’ll be there?” Impressive stalks of bamboo clattered against each other as the little dragon zipped through it, and then back onto the well worn path.       “Well,” The skydancer tilted their head as they looked over the map, “if my calculations are correct, we should arrive there…now!”The tall bamboo- tall enough to reach towards the clear blue sky, seemed tiny in comparison to the massive painted gates that rose into view. Two stone towers with green and orange banners flanked the gate; shadowed figures darting around the structure could just be made out as plush clouds glided over head. The closer the duo approached, the louder the song of wind chimes became. When the shadow of the arch passed over them, they could make out heavy ropes draping bowls of unicorn dust and cerdae sparkle; the golden and red glitter contrasting against the green painted doors. A massive wind flight symbol had been engraved and then painted over in white across each door, splitting it in half when the gates where open.       The spiral gasped in delight and fluttered through the open doors. The skydancer followed, smiling as they kept pace with their friend through the crowds. Dragons of all kinds and all flights mingled through the cobble streets- some filtered into inns and taverns, others went straight for shops while some were content to sit underneath over hangs and watch.        The spiral soon fluttered back and wrapped herself around her friend, clinging to their fur as they walked. Her wide eyes darted around, moving from a snapper in furs to a ridgeback in armor, then over to a smattering of fae.      “You alright there?” The skydancer asked. The spiral looked up at them, her purple eyes turning a soft lavender in the sunshine.        “There’s so many dragons here. So many. Didn’t you say this place was hidden?”       “Yes! It’s hidden to those outside of the Plateau, and this place’s allies I’d assume. But, if you’ve been around here for a while you can figure out where it is easy enough.”       “But how did you figure it out? And where did you get that?” She poked at the parchment with one toe. The skydancer laughed and tugged it away.       “This? Got it from a friend! Who got it from another friend, and that one got it from their uncle, and that uncle got it from another friend. Probably.” The skydancer gracefully slid out of the way of an armored bogsneak who bared a white wind flight symbol. She nodded respectfully, and was soon lost to the crowds.       “You see, GuidingWinds is a trade hub. It has to rely on visitors to survive, but it wants to be a safe place at the same time, yes? So, tell me friend, what’s the best way to spread word of your little home to your neighbors, and your neighbor’s neighbors without letting all of dragon kind know?”       The spiral frowned and thought for a moment. She shrugged.       “Word of mouth, but of course you through in some rumors to help keep things under lock and key. You know, some lizards don’t believe this place even exists! But us wind folk know, annnd because we like our reputation we tell others about this place! Only if we like them though. It’s no good ratting your lovely neighbor out when they’ve been nothing but kind.”       The spiral blinked, her eyes going impossibly wide. “No- that’s so clever! But what happens if a bad egg gets in anyways?”       “That’s what the kingdom champions are for dear. You saw that bogsneak back there, yes? She was one of them- they’re an elite force that keeps the peace, and collects treasures and goods for the kingdoms personal stock. They’re awfully nice until you break the rules. Then they’re not so nice.”       The duo’s conversation continued as they slipped through the streets, two smears of color adding to the sea of manes and scales in the afternoon light of the Kingdom.

2. Is there a class difference in your lair? If so, how do the ‘lower’ ranks of their society live? If not, how do they maintain equity?

Ooo, yeah there’s very much a class difference. Thankfully the big wigs up in the castle (mostly lucien and azuleopa) do their best to make sure the treasure is being spread equally throughout the kingdom. Some dragons have more things because they either came into the kingdom with more money, or they’re just really good at saving up and making good investments. Another factor to keep in mind is the fact that the kingdom gets the majority of its cash via trading with visitors and merchants, so how popular someone’s product is can absolutely influence how much money ya got, and more over how comfortable your home is.

uhh the main reason why the royals are rich is probably because taxes. Merchants, both outside and inside the kingdom gotta pay a fee to keep their business legal and approved within the city, but the tax itself is determined by how much you normally sell in a month. there’s math that i can do with this but i dont wanna.

3. How is discipline dealt out? Is there a legal system? Fair trial? Vigilantism? 

The criminal is normally arrested and placed in temporary holding cells within the castle until Toxin and Arctic can find a time to determine their fate. If they decide that the crime was a minor offense, they’ll decide that the criminal has to do some time of sitting around in a cell before they can leave. Bigger offenses can lead to banishment or long-term imprisonment (or both, if you don’t rot away in the prison first)

4. Are there any important figures in history involved in your lair? Who are they and why are they significant?

Yes! Two dragons (who have been exalted) named Percy and Iolite were some of the first dragons within the clan before it became the kingdom it is now. Toxin, Arctic, Zaleka, Tahara, Phobia, and Adelaide will tell about stories about them if you ask nicely, but they always seem a little sad and wistful when retelling those tales. Percy was a scribe and Iolite was a very sneaky warrior, although both were said to have had hearts of gold. Iolite and Dawn initially trained Zaleka, and Percy helped plan the initial layout of the kingdom before they left. No one knows where they went, mainly because the dragons that knew them won’t talk about it…

and as a side note, Arctic, Toxin, and Dawn are all pretty important historical figures too but they’re still around

5. How has history constructed & molded your lair’s culture, morals and ideals, if at all?

As mentioned before, Dawn and Iolite trained Zaleka to be the fearsome warrior that she is today, and Zaleka went on to pass that knowledge down to the kingdom champions she’s trained. Kingdom champions have a special type of fighting style that utilizes their strengths to their absolute extent by boosting their skills with their innate magic. For example; Tokyo, a wind skydancer, is SUPER fucking fast already, but he uses his wind magic to make himself extra speedy, which lets him get in and out of situations fast and land a tooooon of quick strikes. Each kingdom champions’ fighting style varies, so it’s difficult to anticipate what’s gonna come next!

The kingdom def puts a lot of emphasis of just being nice to each other. The kingdom used to have a nasty serthis problem, and before they were able to fortify themselves a lot of dragons were lost in the conflicts. You don’t know when someone is going to meet their end, so just being kind to others in what moments you have with them is something the founders of the kingdom really emphasized after they lost a lot of their clanmates.

9. What is the political climate? What are some issues currently in the public’s eye?

the fact that literally every single prince and princess has died except Kima is very much a sore point with long term residents. some have blamed Blister, some have blamed the gods, and some think there’s something else going on. most are just thankful that Kima survived though.

another strain is from the events of Bounty of the Elements! haven’t actually gotten to that with the main lore arc, but because of a lot of the internal conflicts within flights (especially fire flight) trade and merchandise has been lacking in some places.

16. Who holds authority or is looked up to in their society? Do they hold any real power, or is it more of a concept?

Regina and Rahab are the queen and king, so of course they are at the very top of the food chain and technically have the most power. Arctic and Toxin have the most favor and influence over the population because of their history with GuidingWinds itself, and in the kingdom Dawn is the most powerful in terms of magic while Toxin is the most powerful in terms of athletic skill. Andromeda, Lotus, and Ana are pretty tied when it comes to who has the greatest potential to be more powerful than Dawn, and Antigone has the greatest potential to be more powerful than Toxin.

also Gaia is a super powered technically immortal druid but she doesn’t care about climbing the power ladder, so she’s more than content with selling weird plants.

outside of the kingdom is a different story. there’s some uh, demigods running around. Balthazar is one of them and is often called ‘the fighter’ because of his prowess in combat. he’ll absolutely reward you if you kick his ass but it’s super difficult, so don’t get your hopes up. he can also transform into a featherback boar at will, so there’s that. Ruthe is the other demigod! she’s called ‘the caster’ because she’s mastered all types of spell casting. she’s also incredibly difficult to beat, but she won’t reward you for kicking her ass. you might be able to convince her to teach you some tips on magic tho! Ruthe can also transform into a powerful beast, but i have yet to choose which one.

37. Are there any common domesticated animals used as livestock, labor or transport? How did this happen? Are they common place?

have i been meaning to figure this out for a while? absolutely!

have i actually figured it out yet? nope

short answer is that they probably have a bunch of the goat and bird based familiars. which ones, i have yet to decide on. i will say that southmarsh podids are absolutely used to pull carts and stuff like that.

[midlisacrisis-blog]

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Dear future daughter, Where can I begin? I didn’t think I could even gathered the idea of myself having the capability to love the people I cherish in my life, until today. These moments of everyday and every night and every car ride, every song danced, every conversation had, I can’t tell you how much all of this....life- this life, this energy, these people. How much all of these mean to me. My friend, J, left for a five month volunteering trip to Europe today. She’s probably on the plane right now (well right now x 20 years time when you’re reading this), sleeping...or nervous, excited, knackered. Being close with someone who is off to somewhere 20 hours away was never a concept that I had imagined would happen to me. To be honest, I didn’t think I’d cry. This year so far, I’d been to the airport 4 times to pick up family, and drop off family. It’s always been hugs and waves and more goodbyes. But I never felt the urge to cry, I don’t know why, maybe I was logically thinking that they’d be around for long enough for me to see them again and again for many years to come. That they were a plane ride away, far but near. And so what was it that made today different? Perhaps it was her person. The woman that I’ve grown and learned and laughed and cried with, perhaps it was literally her entity itself. I’m probably going to read back over this in a week or two and realise that I sound like a total idiot because of course it’s the person. But honestly I don’t think I can really explain why I’m so dumbfounded by my emotions today. It started off so weirdly. The most unproductive day I’ve had in several months, hit me today like no other. I feel like I was just waiting to pick up Zee and Pi to see J off. To say goodbye to J was perhaps the most surprising and tranquil moments I think I could say, I’ve ever had so far. I think the tears that tumbled from my eyes gave me more of a shock than to anyone else who was watching. I completely forgot how much I cherished J, and in the moments of her circling around the family and friends that had gathered there in that terminal today, hugging each person; it really hit me hardcore that she was leaving for five months. I’ve always felt weird about saying “I love you.” to anyone that isn’t immediate family, but today at the airport it felt so right. Fuck. I can’t believe I’ve become so emotional even right now. Tears man, fuck. This probably won’t make any sense in the morning. I’ll read it, shake my head at myself, and keep going with my day. I’ll leave it here because I don’t know how much more raw you can glimpse from me. The ride back from the airport, driving Zee and Pi back to Pi’s place for some tea, was hella fucking sad. I put a playlist on and it immediately sent out a whole multitude of fucking sad acoustic songs. Not only that but the route we took back to pi’s home was fucking beautiful. Rolling hills with the sun settling down on one side, the golden hour was what hit the landscape back. There was a silence in the car but it was a mutual silence of reflection and “I’m fucking missing her already.” Fucking feels man. After talking for a bit, eating homemade raspberry cheesecake and lavender macaroons, more mutual silences, Zee and I took off to go home. I needed a distraction, I was too fidgety and unsettled to go to sleep, so I agreed to go to a party at some strangers house with my close friend, Keira. (Childhood bestie, hope I’ve told you heaps about her in the future) The party did its trick, distracted me for a good couple of hours, and then at midnight Keira and I decided to head off and so I followed her car out of the loud, pack with cars streets, back to home. Of course the playlist had to shuffle and play the exact song in the video above, the song that first played on the drive back after the airport. It sent me back to the events of today and how fucking lucky I am to have had the experiences and memories and even the hope and excitement for future ones with J, Zee and Pi. Keira slowed down at my exit, and I put a hand out the window and waved goodbye. A couple of milliseconds and her hand was out the window waving goodbye too. It is moments like these that I realise that friendships, relationships- they should never be forced. These memories will hit you hardcore when you realise just how much people can mean to you. And that takes us to the present. To right now, I’m lying in bed, yumi’s hooving around on the doona and I’m tryna not delete everything I just wrote because fuck I’m so tired and I’m so emotionally drained. Okay. Goodnight future daughter. Ask me how I coped with it tomorrow. Or whenever. Or now. Au revoir - Goodbye, and till we meet again. l.l

[shutupandblog]

cute tags

1: when you have cereal, do you have more milk than cereal or more cereal than milk? // more milk! 2: do you like the feeling of cold air on your cheeks on a wintery day? // YES OMG YES. 3: what random objects do you use to bookmark your books? // forks, notes, socks....anything I find in that moment... 4: how do you take your coffee/tea? // tea: just with water. coffee: flavoured creamer.... 5: are you self-conscious of your smile? // YEAH. 6: do you keep plants? // my mom forces her plants onto me so I have unexpected children to take care of. 7: do you name your plants? // no, I'll feel bad if I forget their names. 8: what artistic medium do you use to express your feelings? // songwriting 9: do you like singing/humming to yourself? // sing out loud, man. but yeah. 10: do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach? // fall asleep on back easiest but wake up on my side. 11: what's an inner joke you have with your friends? // innovation at its finest, man. 12: what's your favorite planet? // saturn 13: what's something that made you smile today? // finding some of my old songs and realizing that they're not ALL lost. I was a genius in 2014 and backed it up on usb wow 14: if you were to live with your best friend in an old flat in a big city, what would it look like? // open concept omf hit me with the natural light and big windows. no walls. big kitchen. no curtains. piano. hardwood. pictures in frames. 15: go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is! // "The Apollo astronauts' footprints on the moon will probably stay there for at least 100 million years." Source: https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0ahUKEwji75-ZwYXXAhWqxFQKHSroDssQFggxMAI&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmashable.com%2F2014%2F03%2F05%2Fsun-stars-space-facts%2F&usg=AOvVaw2BqM1yEL36GBccqMtEtOWs) 16: what's your favorite pasta dish? // i don't normally eat pasta so every time i see pasta i'll take anything. 17: what color do you really want to dye your hair? // grey and lavender. 18: tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up. // 19: do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it? // i keep a lyric dump journal! 20: what's your favorite eye color? // GREEN 21: talk about your favorite bag, the one that's been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces. // my navy backpack was with my throughout high school and ib and i'm still using it in uni, so it's been to hell twice. 22: are you a morning person? // hell no 23: what's your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations? // listen to all my cd's and find new artists...song write...listen to more music... 24: is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets? // yes 25: what's the weirdest place you've ever broken into? // lol none 26: what are the shoes you've had for forever and wear with every single outfit? // threw them out yo 27: what's your favorite bubblegum flavor? // banana  28: sunrise or sunset? // sunrise 29: what's something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing? // my one friend has a habit of crossing her legs and tapping her foot that’s in the air when she listens / hums music and it’s sO CUTE. 30: think of it: have you ever been truly scared? // yeah. my mom went through a rough time and I hated being awake. 31: what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about socks. // in general: no socks. Weird socks are cool. I usually take off my socks as soon as I walk in through the front door. If I wear songs, they’re ankle length. Can’t do anything higher than that. I hate tights, I don’t do tights. 32: tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends. // i literally think we woke up at 4 to watch MAMA 2015 together. 33: what's your fave pastry? // i have no idea....bread pudding served on pie crust and ice cream? 34: tell us about the stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it? // it’s gone. but it was called bonsai and it was a giant ass panda and i miss it. I had to get rid of it because we were moving and its head got ripped off. Or, ripped in half should I say. 35: do you like stationary and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often? // I love them but I never indulge in it!!! alkjngakjdfd 36: which band's sound would fit your mood right now? // my mood right now? omg bts - wings. 37: do you like keeping your room messy or clean?  // messy. 38: tell us about your pet peeves! // wet bathroom floors, getting my socks wet, sweaty in the winter, when people touch my things and don’t put them back where they are supposed to be so i can’t find it ugh, touching people’s food while doing dishes (SCRAPE YOUR PLATE @ SIBLINGS), people stepping on my shoes, looming too close to me while talking....etc.... 39: what color do you wear the most? // grey, black, pink. 40: think of a piece of jewelry you own: what's it's story? does it have any meaning to you? // all my jewelry is meaningless bc I bought it all myself. Ahh- I have this one pearl necklace that my grandpa and dad bought for me in china and I haven’t worn it once. 41: what's the last book you remember really, really loving? // gallagher girls series 42: do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it! // i’m not a coffee person 43: who was the last person you gazed at the stars with? // myself a few mornings ago when I was going to my lab and waiting at the bus stop. 44: when was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything? // when i was in hawaii doing the longest hike of my life and finally reaching the “end” of the island and you could see no city. Just sea lions, turtles and water. Dark stones. Wind. It was just myself and it was quiet and it was so beautiful. I have so many videos. 45: do you trust your instincts a lot? // fuck that shit, I got so many q’s wrong on tests because of it. 46: tell us the worst pun you can think of. // gravity sucks. 47: what food do you think should be banned from the universe? // onions omf 48: what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today? // the dark. and yeah. 49: do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought? // I LOVE CDs. Last record I bought: paramore- after laughter (i think). 50: what's an odd thing you collect? // cineplex tickets and guitar picks. 51: think of a person. what song do you associate with them? // my friend S- I associate her with the song “Tokyo Jellybean” by Ingrid St-Pierre. She’s one of my favourite artists. I have never told her this. 52: what are your favorite memes of the year so far? lol cracking a cold one with the boys bc my psych always opens a pop can in the middle of this lecture (ALL THE TIME) and i just get reminded. 53: have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? heathers? beetlejuice? pulp fiction? what do you think of them? only heathers bc my friend showed it to me and I really liked it! 54: who's the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face? // my friend Y. 55: what's the most dramatic thing you've ever done to prove a point? // raised my voice? 56: what are some things you find endearing in people? // being completely absorbed in their work, drinking coffee and looking out the bus window, falling asleep in random places. 57: go listen to bohemian rhapsody. how did it make you feel? did you dramatically reenact the lyrics? // uhh i just use this song to check if my right headphone is working lol 58: who's the wine mom and who's the vodka aunt in your group of friends? why? // wine mom is T and vodka aunt is Y. I mean, if you meet them you’ll know. 59: what's your favorite myth? // im uneducated 60: do you like poetry? what are some of your faves? // i like poetry- short poetry. 61: what's the stupidest gift you've ever given? the stupidest one you've ever received? // I gave cough drops / i received paperclip holders 62: do you drink juice in the morning? which kind? // i’m a morning water person 63: are you fussy about your books and music? do you keep them meticulously organized or kinda leave them be? // YEAH I AM. Bookshelf man. 64: what color is the sky where you are right now? // black 65: is there anyone you haven't seen in a long time who you'd love to hang out with? // no bc if I haven’t seen you in a long time, I’ve probably dropped you. 66: what would your ideal flower crown look like? // baby’s breath, blue bells, daisy. 67: how do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel? // I LIVE FOR THOSE DAYS 68: what's winter like where you live? // either snowy heaven or mushy hell 69: what are your favorite board games? // i’m basic, so monopoly. 70: have you ever used a ouija board? / no 71: what's your favorite kind of tea? // oolong or vanilla something.... 72: are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you'll forget it? // yeah i really need to 73: what are some of your worst habits? // drop my clothes all over the bedroom floor and leave them there.  74: describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns. // a breath of fresh air 75: tell us about your pets! // i had a goldfish once but on the car ride home to my house it died. 76: is there anything you should be doing right now but aren't? // STUDYING WTF AM I DOING ANSWERING A 100 QUESTION TAG 77: pink or yellow lemonade? // PINK 78: are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub? // i’m a spectator  79: what's one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you? // painted me fake polaroids and stuck them in a colouring book omg 80: what color are your bedroom walls? did you choose that color? if so, why? // tan. it’s the colour of my entire house.  81: describe one of your friend's eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of. // didn’t pass engl man i can’t do this 82: are/were you good in school? // i WAS 83: what's some of your favorite album art? // rise against, fob, volbeat, ingrid st pierre, ts, bts. 84: are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones? // i’ve always wanted a roman numeral tattoo but i don’t do commitment. 85: do you read comics? what are your faves? // i only read peanuts and archie as a kid 86: do you like concept albums? which ones? // i only listen to pink floyd ..the wall. 87: what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives? // not a movie person. can’t comment. 88: are there any artistic movements you particularly enjoy? // idk.... 89: are you close to your parents? // sure 90: talk about your one of you favorite cities. // tokyo omg god save me 91: where do you plan on traveling this year? // the farthest i’ll get is my bed 92: are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch? // barely sprinkles a pinch 93: what's the hairstyle you wear the most? // up 94: who was the last person you know to have a birthday? // my auntie 95: what are your plans for this weekend? // this weekend is over and so is my academic career 96: do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot? // procrastinate 97: myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house? // 1. don’t know, 2. scorpio, 3. ravenclaw 98: when's the last time you went hiking? did you enjoy it? // real hike: this summer in hawaii, fake hike: w my friends downtown. I loved both times the same. 99: list some songs that resonate to your soul whenever you hear them. // Exo- what if/my answer, Taylor- all too well/never grow up, Shawn: running low, Alessia: my song, Bts: sea, Pierre Luc lessard: sans combat 100: if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why? // 5 years in the future. The past 5 years have been hard.

I tag: @kabul1998, @iamnotmadamebovary

[mischiefandspirits]

Scales and Arpeggios

Part of the Cat of a Different Color series

While Allura’s resting from the Balmeran ceremony, the paladins go on a training mission. Meanwhile, the cats run into an old friend and see an enemy.

Part 4: Mind Over Meow-tter

Pidge undergoes the sphinx's tests while the cats catch up with an old... friend?

<Ugh! We’ve been flying forever! How much farther?>

<Don’t you mean, are we there yet?>

<Are we there yet? Are we there yet?>

<Merla, Chip, enough. Blue, don’t encourage them.>

<Yes, dad.>

<Gross, could you imagine Ryou being our dad!>

<That’d make Blue our aunt and you’d be->

<Yes, Chip, thank you for that.>

<Knock it off you two.>

<Oh, come on, Ryou. They’re just keeping busy. The last thing we need is those two getting bored.>

<Might I remind you the last time I got bored, it resulted in all of us figuring out how to separate from our metallic forms? I’d say me getting bored is very profitable!>

<Merla, love, that is literally one moderately good instance tucked within millions of terrible ones.>

<Kiss a kwaila!>

<We’re flying right now, I can’t kiss you.>

<BURN!>

<I’m going to kick your->

<I’m surrounded by children. Honestly, can we have five minutes of quiet. Just five.>

…

“Anyone else tired?”

<Ha! Pua’s human spoke first!>

<Hunk didn’t count. Besides, it wasn’t a competition.>

“No.”

<Keith, I’m tired! Tell them I’m tired!>

<No, you’re not.>

“Okay, just asking. It’s been a while since we’ve, you know, not been fighting or adventuring or anything.”

<Point.>

<Better point, the three of us got blasted out of the sky an hour or so ago. I think we’re due for a nap.>

“You think we have it bad? At least our life force wasn’t sucked out to fuel an entire planet. Princess Allura still hasn’t fully healed.”

<Listen to your paladin, Merla.>

<A good mother listens to her children, but that doesn’t mean she has to obey!>

“Speaking of Princesses, didn’t Malocoti say we’d find this zigg-a-whatever here?”

“Ziggurat. It’s a step pyramid.”

“Then why don’t they call it a pyramid?”

<Probably because most people think of the Egyptian pyramids when you just say pyramid. Ziggurat’s look much diff- Oh! Pidge!>

“Just keep looking. Wait, I’m getting a reading! There!”

The lions landed and everyone walked out towards the ziggurat.

“It’s massive! So inside is where we’ll find this sphinx guy that’ll tell us where the pearl is?”

<Not exactly.>

The paladins jumped back with a shout as the ziggurat came apart, rearranging itself into the shape of a creature with the four-legged lower body of a feline and the upper body of a winged humanoid.

<HI ZYLIN!!!> Chip chirped.

<Chip, flirt with your soul-bound later,> Pua huffed.

<He is not my soul-bound anymore!>

<Hello, Great Pride. It is good to see you all again after so long,> the sphinx hummed before announcing, “I am the Great Universal Sphinx! Why have you disturbed me?”

<Why is your soul-bound always so dramatic?>

<PUA!>

“Wow!”

“We’re looking for the Yalexian Pearl. We were told you could help us find it. We need it to rescue our friend.”

<Can you just tell them instead of being your usual difficult self?> Ryou asked.

<No, My King. There are rules and traditions that must be followed, even by you and yours,> he answered. “I am a repository for great research. I have been analyzing life throughout the cosmos for over a million years. Of course I know where the pearl is; however, I do not know whether you are worthy of the information. Tell me, who is the most knowledgeable amongst you?”

“Her.”

<Chip.>

“The green one.”

<Her.>

“The short one.”

<Pidge.>

“That’s Pidge.”

<Chip.>

“Me.”

<Me.>

<Six, four, in favor of the human.>

Chip shot her sister a glare, which was met with a completely unrepentant look.

“It is decided. Your body, mind, and spirit shall be tested. Enter to prove yourself… and save your friend.”

Zylin collapsed back into Ziggurat form.

<Nice going, Merla,> Pua huffed.

<What?>

<We would have been better off allowing Chip to face the trials,> Ryou growled as the group began heading inside.

<Psh, Pidge will be fine.>

“Why’d he ask for the smartest person if there’s going to be a test of the body?”

<You were saying?>

<Come on, am I the only one that has faith in Chip’s palain?>

“You’re the smart one. Shouldn’t you know that?”

<I have all the faith in her. That doesn’t change the fact that we would have had much higher odds if I’d been the one selected.>

“Commence test of body.”

Suddenly mushrooms jumped off the walls and attached themselves to the male paladins. Their cats shivered as they felt the connections between them become clouded.

“What are you doing!?”

“The spores control your friends.”

<Keith!> Merla shouted, running for her cub, but a cyclone of sand rose up around the cats before solidifying into a glass dome.

The paladins rose up, glaring at Pidge with eyes covered by a white film.

“You must defeat your allies in combat. Without the assistance of the Great Pride.”

Shiro’s hand lit up with energy and he charged Pidge.

“They will fight exactly as your friends fight.”

Pidge brought up her shield, but the blow was still strong enough that she was knocked back into Keith’s arms.

“Let’s see if you’re smart enough to defeat them.”

Pidge kicked off Shiro’s chest, launching herself and Keith into a pillar. Taking the brunt of the impact, the Red Paladin released her on instinct. Freed, Pidge darted to the side, only to receive a kick to the side from Shiro that knocked her to the ground at the other paladins’ feet.

<Pidge!> Chip yowled.

<That’s it!> Merla hissed. She faded into quintessence and shot forwards.

The glass held her back just the same.

There was a thundercrack and she lit up with a wave of blazing blue flames that rolled across the dome.

<Merla!> Ryou roared as the four ducked under the assaulting heat.

The flames died back into quintessence and Merla collapsed into her cheetah form, panting and shaking with anger as she glared up at the unaffected glass.

<Zylin, let us out!> Blue growled.

<I apologize, Princess Salia, but I cannot. The rules must be followed. I will not control you out of respect, but you cannot be allowed to interfere.>

The five refocused on the fight, just in time to see Pidge bring a boulder down on Keith.

<I'm going to kill him,> Merla groaned.

Pidge scrambled out of the way as Shiro appeared behind her. She shuffled backwards as she brought up a holoscreen on her gauntlet.

<What’s she doing?> Blue asked.

<Using her brain,> Chip said.

<I thought this was a test of body,> Merla sighed.

<Well, the brain is a part of the body.>

<I thought Chip was supposed to be the know-it-all, Pua.>

Shiro stood over Pidge and bought back his fist. Suddenly his arm locked up and the glow died away. The shock even snapped Shiro free of the mind control for half a second.

Pidge used the pause to slip forwards and-

<By the Anodites! Did she seriously just deck Shiro!? You go Pidge!>

Pidge dropped to her knees, panting. “Sorry I had to hack your hand, Shiro, but I’ll turn it back on.”

The glass dome collapsed into sand as Zylin said, “Impressive. You will rise to the next level.”

<Keith!> Merla called, shakily rising to her feet before she and the others rushed over to their paladins. She froze as she saw the skin around his eyes slowly fading from lavender back to normal.

“Hey girl,” Keith said, reaching up to pat her on the head.

She flinched and focused in in time to see the last of the film disappearing from his yellow eyes.

“You okay?”

<Fine. You?>

“A little sore, but alright,” he groaned, sitting up. Merla helped him to his feet as the lavender faded from his skin and his eyes began to shift back to purple.

“Sorry, Pidge. We couldn’t control ourselves,” Hunk told the girl as she and Pua helped him to his feet.

“How’d you beat us all, anyway?” Keith asked, rubbing his side.

“I keep running files on all of your weaknesses. I exploited those weaknesses.”

Everyone except Chip stared at the girl.

“Our weaknesses?” Hunk asked incredulously as the group started heading up the stairs to the next room of the ziggurat. “How could you keep a running tab of our weaknesses?”

“Yeah, that’s messed up,” Lance agreed.

“Smart if you ask me.”

<Hate to say it, but me too,> Pua chuffed. <It would help us better cover the team’s weaknesses.>

“It worked, but if that information were ever to fall into the wrong hands…”

“Look, I’m sorry. I know it’s weird to do, to keep all that information on you all, my friends, but it’s just how I am. It’s my nature.”

Chip growled softly and nuzzled her side.

The group reached the top of the stairs to discover… a giant chessboard?

“The second challenge will be a game of chess.”

“Chess, huh? How do we both know about chess?”

“This is not the first time your species was tested. They failed, but remembered the game.”

<Seriously?>

“Wait, what!?”

<You’re kidding?>

“I visited Earth long ago. The game remained with your kind. Even though they got it wrong for a while, trying to make the king the most powerful piece, but eventually your society corrected itself.”

<Oh my- that explains so much!>

“That’s crazy!”

<How long were you there? How many humans did you interact with? When->

“Can we get back to the test. Please?”

<But->

<Chip.>

“Fine.”

“A draw will be considered a loss for you.”

“Doesn’t sound too hard. Who am I playing?

“Yourself.” Another mushroom hopped out of the shadows and latched onto Pidge before jumping across the room.

“Pidge! Are you okay?” Shiro asked, stepping forward to help support the girl.

“Yeah, but I feel like I stayed up all night not studying.”

“The spore has absorbed your mind. It will use your skills against you. And to be certain there’s no interfering…”

Holes opened up beneath the cats.

<Not again,> Merla hissed as they fell down. The sand of the tunnel swirled around them before shooting them out onto the chessboard.

Ryou landed in the spot of the white king, with Blue next to him as a bishop and Pua next to her as a knight. On his other side, past the Queen, Chip and Merla were also a bishop and knight respectively.

“You will have thirty ticks for each move. Begin!”

<Yeah, I’m not doing this.>

<Don’t move.> Chip snapped at her sister’s paw before it could leave her square.

<Why?>

<Have you never seen Harry Potter?>

<Harry what?>

<By the Anodites! Just stay on your square unless Pidge tells you to move.>

<Great.>

<Remind me again why I can’t just kill the king? It’s right there.>

<Once again, that’s not how knights move,> Chip sighed from off to the side where she and Blue were lounging after having been taken out.

<But if I have this chance why shouldn’t I just take it?>

<Because you’re a knight, not an assassin.>

<Not in this game, at least,> Blue snickered, rolling back to her feet and yawning. <Give her a break, Chip. She is the one in the room with the most experience attempting to kill a king.>

<Thank you, love, that’s very helpful.>

<She’s also the one with the most failed attempts at killing a king.>

“Checkmate!”

<Thank the Anodites!> Merla chirped, running over to the stairs that were rising up to allow the cats to reach their paladins. <Are we almost done with this nerd stuff?>

“Now to the most difficult challenge of all…”

The moment all the cats had made it onto the platform, it shot upwards. It carried them up to the top of the temple before knocking them down the side. Once they’d reached the ground, Zylin reformed into a sphinx.

“What can be totally broken apart and yet reform stronger than ever?”

“Oh, I actually know it!”

“What is it?”

“It’s Voltron!”

“Incorrect! You have failed!”

“What? Then what is it?”

“Hope. The correct answer was hope.”

“But Voltron is applicable! And very relevant!”

“I’m sorry, but the answer was hope. And now I will never tell you where the pearl is!”

<Are you kidding me!>

<ZYLIN!>

“I mean, like a lot of things could have been the answer if you think about it. Like love.”

<A kingdom can be stronger once it’s brought back together,> Ryou offered.

“I’ve heard of people breaking swords and then smelting them even stronger.”

<Bones. Bones are stronger after you break them!> Merla hissed.

“My heart is stronger than ever, despite it being broken many times.”

“Isn’t that love, like Hunk said?”

“Oh be quiet before I break you and see if you reform stronger.”

“I think Pidge’s answer should be honored,” Shiro said, stepping between the two fighting boys.

“Well that’s not how it works! I make the rules! And I’m not helping you at all!”

<Zylin!> Ryou roared.

<I’m sorry, My King, but the rules say the test of spirit is mine to set and this is the one I’ve chosen. The human has failed,> Zylin growled. “Now get in the lions and leave!”

“I’ve always hated riddles,” Keith growled as they all returned to the lions.

As Pidge passed the Red Lion, she turned back and pointed up at Zylin. “You know what? You want to test my spirit? Try standing between me saving my friend. You’re gonna have hoped that you hadn’t!” She jumped inside Chip and grabbed her controls in a white-knuckle grip. “Mind if I say it, Shiro?”

“Go for it.”

“Form Voltron!”

Pidge relaxed as images flickered past her eyes, her mind linking up with Voltron’s system. Meadows, forests, cliffs, hills, wrenches, whisks, storms, thrones, charts, shields, volcanoes, wildfires, swords, stars, glaciers, rivers, paintings, and sweaters all flashed through to leave her feeling connected.

“Tell us where the pearl is!”

“You are more foolish than I thought! I will crush you!”

The sphinx hit them right in the jaw.

<Ow! Zylin! Dim!>

They crouched down and Pidge called out, “Keith, help me stabilize. Hunk, lock it up. Lance, do your thing!”

“Oh yeah! Finally! Voltron Leg Swipe!” the Blue Paladin cheered as they spun about, swinging their leg out.

The sphinx lifted into the air before the could hit.

<Whoops.>

“Oh come on!”

They shot into the air, then body slammed him to the ground.

<YIELD!>

“Okay! Okay! I’ll tell you, ” he groaned and they got off him. As he stood, he said, “ I’m sorry. I know it was a horrible riddle. I just do that so people can’t answer correctly. I do it to make myself feel superior.”

<Never changes… Not my soul-bound anymore!>

“It’s pathetic really.”

“I’ll say,” Lance snorted.

“Hey, I saw in your mind. Do we really want to get into who’s more pa- ” he cut off with a flinch. He knelt down and ducked his head. “ Apologies, Blue Paladin.”

<Go Blue!>

“Uh, what just happened?” Hunk asked.

“I think Blue just told him off,” Lance said, sounding awed.

“She did. I spoke hastily and without thought -”

<The usual.>

“- and should not have said what I did. From your response, I can see that you all have come far in such a short time. I can tell you will do great things as the Great Pride’s chosen knights.”

“Great Pride?” Pidge questioned.

“The pearl is in the Evershadow or our moon. But it is a dangerous place and darkness lurks below.” He stood up and began to collapse back into a ziggurat. <Take care, Great Pride. And farewell sweet Dansa. Until we meet again.>

<Shut up.>

“So… that’s it then?” Hunk asked.

“Apparently.”

“I think Blue still wants to kick the pyramid.”

“I know Merla wants her to.”

“Alright, let’s head out. Looks like we’re heading up to the darkside of the moon.”

“Do you think they’ll have cookies?”

“Cookies?”

<Merla!>

“I’ll explain on the way,” Lance sighed.

[tokyoteddywolf]

A Blue CatAstrophe Ch.9

*inhales*

YOOOOOO WHO’S READY FOR MORE CAT AU?!??!? Glad to be back! Have an update as an apology for not writing in so long! (My computer was confiscated bc my room was a mess) Anyway, have some Shance!

 Ch.1 Ch.2 Ch.3 Ch.4 Ch.5 Ch.6 Ch.7 Ch.8

Lance woke up, feeling much better than the day previous, and hummed quietly as he blinked awake, swishing his tail. He still felt a little smaller than before, seeing as his shirt was a bit bigger on his body than its usual slightly loose fit. He was on top of something firm and warm and yet not all that uncomfortable. Not to mention is smelled really freakin' good, like that smell you get from dust after rain mixed with lavender and a really faint undertone of black coffee. He purred and snuggled closer, shutting his eyes again and curling his tail happily and drifted back off. He was really tired for some reason, plus he felt lazy and didn't wanna get back up…

He pouted when he felt his pillow move… wait. Pillows aren't supposed to move. “Uh, Lance? I need to get up...” His ears flicked up and he lifted his head to stare into familiar dark gray eyes. Oh. Oh. Well shit. Lance felt his face heat up and he scrambled to get off of Shiro's chest, falling onto the floor with a startled yelp. “Oh quiznak Shiro I'm so sorry!” He squeaked, curling up to hide his bright crimson cheeks.

Shiro sat up and slid out of the bed, controlling his blush better than Lance thankfully. “Um, it's alright. You got pretty upset last night when I tried to leave you in your room, so I guess I just accidentally fell asleep trying to calm you down… Sorry about that. I'm uh, gonna go get breakfast. I'll see you later?” He phrased it as a question, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. Lance squeaked an affirmative from the ground, and Shiro nodded before walking out of the room.

As soon as Shiro was halfway down the hall he let the blush spread over his face and let out a long, deep exhale, trying to remember how breathing worked.

Lance uncurled from his position on the floor and decided to get dressed, and stood up on shaky legs, tail swaying to balance him out. “Oh my God that was so embarrassing!” He whined to himself as he sorted through his shirts before ultimately deciding 'Fuck it' and pulled on some sweatpants, but not before tearing a hole for his tail in the back. Though, for Altean sweatpants, the fabric sure was flimsy… or his claws were sharper than he first thought. Huffing, he stalked out of his room and paused, sniffing the air and allowing the smell of sunflowers, apples and nutmeg to lead him to where Pidge, Keith and Hunk were chatting in the common room, something about improving Red's flamethrower.

“Hey guys! What are you talking about out here?” He asked, tail swishing as he plopped down next to the source of the sunflower smell, Hunk. Lance yawned. “Man, have you guys always smelled like this?” He asked, tilting his head at the Yellow Paladin. “What do you mean? Is it a bad smell? I just showered this morning!” Hunk yelped, suddenly horrified. Lance laughed. “No, man, I mean right now you smell like sunflowers and that warm, earthy smell you get in the springtime, and snickerdoodles or sugar cookies of some sort. It's actually really nice.” He reassured his large pal, who relaxed.

Pidge tilted her head at him. “Wait, what do I smell like? Also, what's up with your voice? It's all… weird? You aren't using your L's right. Wait, is it because you have cat vocals?!?” Her eyes gleamed. Lance shrugged. “Well you, ya little gremlin, smell like fresh cut grass and kinda floral, as well as machine grease and cotton and that smell you get just before lightning hits, you know, that crackly almost spicy smell? That. Oh, yeah, and nutmeg too.” he listed off, and even Keith looked intrigued.

“And before you ask, Mullet-Man, you smell like campfire smoke and sunlight mixed with cinnamon and apples. Oh, and a touch of caramel for some reason.” He beamed proudly, but blanched when Keith smirked. “What about Shiro?” The Red Paladin asked, and Pidge and Hunk backed him up with matching smirks. “Oh, uh, well,-” He stammered, not noticing Shiro, Allura and Coran in the doorway behind him. “He smells like dust after a rainstorm, and lavender and black coffee with vanilla… also kinda warm, like just how warmth smells? It's a little hard to describe...” The Blue Paladin fidgeted in place, ears swiveling as Allura entered the room.

“How interesting. Did you recently learn this, because of your part feline nose?” Lance jerked to look over at the princess. “Oh my god Arrura you startled me!” he mewled, hair fluffed up and tail lashing in agitation. Allura raised an eyebrow. “Is something wrong with your voice, Lance?” True, Lance wasn't using L's like he should have, instead replacing them with rolled R's.

“That's what I said!” Pidge yelped, throwing up her arms in exasperation. Lance snickered at her reaction, while Coran and Allura shared a look. Shiro, meanwhile, had way too many thoughts going through his head, and coughed into his fist to get everyone's attention. “Well, I'm glad we're all in one place, because we just got a transmission from the Olkari and The Blade Of Marmora. A meeting has been called to discuss the matter of some major Galran outposts that have been causing trouble recently.” The Leader of Voltron stated, eyes lingering on the way Lance's cat ears swiveled to catch his words.

Allura motioned them all to the main control room, and pulled up the star map once everyone was inside. “We've agreed to meet on an uninhabited planet a few galaxies away, to discuss a plan of action to take down these outposts. Lance, you don't have to come if you don't feel up to it.” The Altean Princess said kindly, nodding to indicate Lance's… condition. Before Lance could speak up, Pidge jumped in. “Wait, the Olkari are gonna be there too? They have that connection with nature thing! Maybe they can help us with a cure for Lance!” The Green Paladin explained, eyes sparkling. “Since it was a plant that made Lance this way, maybe they have a way to reverse engineer the process further and leave Lance completely human again!”

Lance's eyes widened. True, being a cat had been weird, and his current state wasn't really what he'd like to be, but he did have to admit that being part cat was kinda cool. Vaguely he wondered if Keith felt like this, being half Galra. He nodded to Allura, grinning. “I'm up for a flight anytime! I kinda missed flying Blue.” He admitted with a shrug, and felt Blue purr in agreement in the back of his mind. Shiro nodded. “Right. Once we've wormholed to the location, suit up and head out in your Lions.” He said, taking his seat as Allura prepared the teladuv.

Lance flattened his ears back and gripped the seat as the jump was made, tail lashing since for some reason he felt really thrown off balance, like when you were on that spinny carnival ride that used gravity and force to spin you around. Tilt-A-Whirl, he remembered, and let out a discontented murraowing noise as the ship stabalized and he could get his equilibrium back. Apparently having sensitive cat ears meant you were more sensitive to wormhole jumps. “Alright, we're heading into orbit now! Paladins, to your Lions!” Allura commanded, and Lance jumped out of his seat, nearly vibrating with excitement at the thought of flying again, pushing down the sudden dizziness from getting up too fast and tugging on his armor before he paused. His tail! It was going to be squished and cramped in the suit!

Lucky him, he had almost forgotten that the suits adjusted to the wearer, and suddenly there was a hole in the suit for his tail to squeeze through, the edges of the suit sealing off comfortably around the base. He swished his tail experimentally for a moment before deciding he felt comfortable and jumped onto his zipline. Blue was purring with so much anticipation that he could have sworn she was actually vibrating.

He slid into the pilot seat, a little startled that the cockpit was sparkling clean and blood free. Blue hummed and sent him an image of Pidge and Shiro cleaning up all the dried stains, Shiro looking pale and more than a little exhausted, while Pidge had a grim determination set on her face as she scrubbed.

“When we get Lance back, the first thing he'd do is probably berate us for not taking care of Blue in his absence.” Pidge murmured, wringing out a towel. Shiro chuckled wryly and nodded. “Honestly, I wouldn't care if he flirted with Allura, at least we'd hear his voice again and know he's safe.” The older man sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly. Pidge smiled. “Yeah, but you know? He wouldn't just tell us off for not keeping Blue clean, he'd probably scold you for not getting enough rest, and pull Keith out of the training room for some fresh air and tend to his bruises while clicking his tongue like an exasperated mother with a troublesome child. He'd pull Hunk from the kitchen and yell something about having a bro spa day, and he'd drag me from my computer to join because I'm his friend and we were the original Garrison Trio, and he'd tell jokes and make us laugh… He'd rope Coran into spilling some stories from Altea, and have Allura listen in too, maybe braid her hair? We'd all get pulled into story time, and he'll flail his arms as he talks about some silly story involving his family, and just make us all feel better.”

Pidge sniffled and rubbed her sleeve across her face. Shiro moved over to put a hand on her shoulder. “We'll find him, Pidge. I promise.”

Lance came out of the vision when the Hangar door began opening, an alarm warning the Castle that the Lions were ready to fly. Shaking his head, he slid on his helmet, flattening his ears down to fit underneath comfortably, and ran his hands over the controls while Blue purred excitedly. “Ready to fly again, Beautiful?” he teased, already knowing the answer as he started her engine and his gorgeous girl roared to life quite literally, standing on all fours and her rockets flaring to life.

“Right, meet you guys on planet! Bet I'll get there first Keith!” He yelled into the comms as he gunned the engine, Blue flying out into the atmosphere of the planet. “Oh no you won't!” Keith shot right back, Red flying into view as Lance laughed as Blue's joy at being able to fly again filled him, God how he had missed this. “Alright you two, stay close. We only just got you back Lance, so no wandering off!” Shiro scolded lightly, rolling his eyes at the sarcastic “Yes sir!” he got in response from the Red and Blue Paladins.

Keith slowed down a little, while Lance grinned and had Blue loop around the Red Lion playfully, tapping her head with a paw before dashing off, yelling “Tag! You're it!” as he flew off to the sound of Keith's sputtering and growl of challenge. The Blade of Marmora weren't there yet anyway, and the Olkari were barely entering the galaxy, so what's a little harm in playing? Blue dodged all of Red's attempts to tag her back, and actually shot behind the Green Lion to avoid the collision course. Red smacked into Green and Blue dodged out of the way, Lance giggling like crazy. “Pidge is it now!” He voiced cheerfully, and could practically feel Pidge smirking. “Oh it is on!” The girl cried, immediately turning on Hunk and Yellow. “Pidge, no, do not drag me into this. Pidge! No!” Hunk pleaded, but the Green Paladin had no mercy for her teammate and slammed into the slower Lion, laughing wickedly as she flew off. “Hunk's it! Hunk's it!” Lance cheered, absolutely beside himself with amusement.

Hunk groaned, before doing a sudden barrel roll and smacking into the Black Lion. “Sorry Shiro! Your turn to be it!” Hunk yelped as he sped off. Shiro chuckled and rolled his shoulders. “Okay, I'm game for this. Get ready to lose!” He said, Black growling in playful challenge. He immediately took off after the Lion closest to him, Lance, who yowled and sped off to hide behind Hunk.

Allura and Coran watched the Paladins playing around with fond amusement, glad that at least some of the stress of the past week was being alleviated now that Lance was back.

He really was more important to the team than he realized.

//ending this chapter here! Next up, The Blade Of Marmora, and irritating Olkari scientist, a new Second-In-Command for Kolivan, and Jealous Overprotective Shiro! See ya next chapter my dudes!  ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ