#eun devoured

[meritamiau]

so eun and i were brainstorming and

i mean she told me idea and i popped off she just created a monster

[almostwisegalaxy]

the choice that breaks us

Cha hyun su x reader

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That afternoon, hyun su went out to get supplies and also to visit Ah-yi. As he left, he promised his beloved that he would return safely. All was well in his absence. Well, as well as could be expected in a post-apocalyptic world.

Yes, everything was fine. But one thing was bothering y/n. For some time she had suspected she was pregnant. She wasn't sure of anything. Maybe her hormones were playing tricks on her after a thousand and one monster attacks. Yes, that must be it. SHE COULDN'T BE PREGNANT. Of course she couldn't be.

How could she raise a child in this totally ravaged world. She thanked God every sunrise that she, hyun su, Ah-yi and yi-kyeong were still wanted. They were all she had left after all.

But just affirming that she couldn't be didn't reassure her.

Delulu IS not a solulu

Even though she'd made a promise to hyun su to stay inside and be safe. And took a map and her bag to the nearest pharmacy two blocks away. What could possibly happen to her? Death? Who knows.

"Just go, everything will be fine. You'll get your pregnancy test, find out you're not pregnant and hyun su won't find out".

On the way, she makes sure there's no monster. When she could barely see their little house, the muscle monster appeared in front of her. He grabbed her by the feet, dangling her in the air ready to devour her. She had the reflex to pull out her knife from....... je ne sais où and slice off his body-built hand. She landed flat on her stomach, bleeding and confused. Her vision was foggy, in her ears she could only hear white noise. There she lay, agonizing on the grass, looking around hoping to regain her sight.

She needed only a moment to formulate a plan. She revealed herself, running with all her being towards the nearby cliff with Musculor behind her. Just as she needed to jump, she veered to her left as quickly as possible. The monster, too slow on the trigger, falls off the cliff.

"Proteins. !!!!!" He continues to shout despite his fall.

She stands up in pain. No time to rest, she has to get home before hyun su. Resuming her walk towards the pharmacy, she didn't notice hyun su who had witnessed the scene. He had tried to help her with the monster, but he was too far away. He had shouted her name several times, begging her to come back home. But not a reaction from her. For her it was just a blur, but for him it was something else. He'd seen her looking at him, and she'd seen him clearly, but she'd just chosen to ignore his pleas, his tears and him. He was hurt.He was wounded. Why she rejects him. He ends up alone with his monster, who keeps telling him he's unworthy of love and that she hates him.

She returned home that evening without any further complications. She was prepared to see a possibly distraught Hyun Su when she got home, but she explained everything to him. Instead, she found her rooms in disarray, not her beloved. She panics and thinks that something has happened to him. She runs around looking for him.

She finds him after Ah-yi pushes Eun-yoo into the ditch and Hyun su saves her.

"Did you think I was going to give you a reunion hug? "He said.

"Yes, I hoped so." This time it was Eun-yoo who spoke.

She tries to approach him, but he stops her with the acid from his claws, once and then again before she stops.

He withdrew his claws. Finally he saw me, but he had a strange reaction. His eyes stared at me, he began to tremble, and his eyes filled with tears.

I tried to approach him gently, but like second nature, his claws stopped in front of my eyes.

"Don't you dare come near me," he said, shaking.

"Hyun Su-"

"Are you deaf? I TOLD YOU TO STAY AWAY FROM ME."

He finds himself taking Ah-yi's hand and off they go. Ah-yi is confused as to why two of the people he cares about are suddenly fighting.

Y/n returns home upset. Why did he react so aggressively? It doesn't fit.

The next morning, Y/n goes to the hospital where she heard human voices, hoping to find Hynsu.

At the entrance I meet Ah-yi, who stops me.

"Eonni! "She says and runs into my arms.

"Hey, angel. Are you okay?"

"Yes. Nuna, have you been crying? Is it because Oppa yelled at you yesterday?"

"Don't worry about it, as soon as I sort him out we'll come and visit you and your mom, okay?" I said between two kisses.

If only she knew

"Come on, back to the boat."

I continued my search for Hyun Su but ran into Eun-yoo who blocked my way.

"Don't you understand that he doesn't want you anymore?"

"Eun-yoo, get out of my way.

"No, I won't. Leave him alone for once. Always following him around like a dog, you're getting pathetic."

"You criticize my life as if yours is a good example.

"Leave him the hell alone"

"I have found the most amazing, beautiful, kind, sweet boy who makes me smile every time I see him. He makes me feel like I'm special, beautiful, worth so much, and he makes me feel loved more than ever.

And you want me to leave him with you? "

I say my last word and leave him alone in his corner.

I finally find him sitting on a bed. Just breathe, everything will be fine.

I enter the room and walk over to him. He looks at me. His eyes are not the same. He holds out his hand, and I take it hesitantly. Somehow I end up in his lap and he begins to hug me.

"Hmmm. I've always wanted to do this, but that idiot always refused".

I stand up and elicit a disappointed sigh from him.

"I want to talk to MY hyun Hyun Su."

"Are you sure? I won't be able to do anything if he takes control again.

"Yes, bring him in."

His eyes returned to normal and he turned away from me.

"What are you doing here? Haven't you hurt me enough?"

"I assure you that was not my intention, I just wanted to..."

"Just what? Get away from me? Leave me? Do you hate me so much that you'd run away in my absence? You could have at least told me to my face," he said, tears streaming from his eyes.

"No, it's not that I-"

"YOU WHAT? A MONSTER CAN HAVE FEELINGS TOO, YOU KNOW...YOUR DECISIONS HAVE REPERCUSSIONS ON THOSE AROUND YOU. I CAN'T STAND THAT YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT ME OR OUR RELATIONSHIP."

"You think I don't care? I took this risk for us."

"For us? Ah, that's a good one. Don't lie to me," he got a few things in his face, looking closer he saw a positive pregnancy test.

"If you'd at least let me finish. That's why I left yesterday. I had to be sure before I told you. "She said angrily and crying.

Meanwhile, Hyun Su's eyes shifted from her to the object in his hands. He couldn't believe his eyes.

"Yes, I took a risk yesterday and I'm sorry I worried you, but-"

"It's okay. I apologize for upsetting you like that. It's okay," he cradles her in his arms as she breaks down crying on top of him.

He lifts her chin with two fingers and kisses her passionately. A kiss of reconciliation, soft, slow and full of emotion. After a moment, they separated and looked at each other.

"Can you forgive me? I got carried away. I'm sorry."

"I'm the one who should say it, I left without telling you".

"Hey, it's okay now, let's forget about it. We don't have anything else to do now. We have to prepare for the arrival of our child."He pulled her towards the bed.

"Now come here, you must be tired after so many emotions."

They lay down, still kissing each other so lovingly

Yes eun-yoo was forgotten. AGAIN

[femmad]

"Don't look at me like that"

Lee Eun-hyuk x reader.

Warning: +18. Mature content below, I am not responsible for any discomfort, I already gave a warning. Unedited. English is not my language, if there are errors, excuse me.

- I need you to help me undress - I murmur softly walking down the empty hallway.

- Okay - Eun-hyuk gently pushes me into the bathroom, then locks the door while I clean my hands with some water. When we are both in the area used for showering, he begins his task. He kneels in front of me, making me look at the wall to suppress my nerves and avoid doing something embarrassing. First, he frees me from my shoes and stockings. I feel his fingers on my skin, causing tickles to follow them wherever they go. He gets up and helps me unbutton some buttons on my shirt, I feel his rough hands run over my skin as he takes the hem of the shirt to take it off, leaving my breasts exposed, which he does slowly, his eyes remaining fixed on mine.

I look at his face with adoration, Eun-hyuk is always worried about everyone and tries to do the best, many don't understand him but I know he wants us all to be safe. My heart swells because of how it is - Do I have something on my face? - he asks amused.

I look down, embarrassed for having stared at him like a fool. Seeing no movement from the man in front of me, I look up only to find him looking at me with love in his eyes. I smile at his beautiful look. I use both hands to carefully bring his face closer to mine, making him bend down to reach my height, he gently joins our lips, his hands find my waist, he walks closer, making me step back.

As always, he dominates the kiss, making me gasp for his rough treatment, leaving bites on my lips - Eun-hyuk, please - his hands slide down my belly and unbutton my pants, his lips devour mine, leaving my brain without thoughts, only pleasure. from his lips. His hand slides through my panties, he wastes no time using his middle finger to start rubbing my clit, I gasp into his lips as I push my legs together, I squeeze his shirt between my fingers and push my chest towards him.

- You're so wet for me, I could easily slide - he grabs my neck, pushing my head back, I watch him with tears in my eyes, feeling him insert two fingers into my pussy, I frown at the stretch.

- You have to prepare me - I gasp taking the wrist that cups my neck, my words come out slurred, his fingers move faster - I've never done that - the pleasure I feel makes my eyebrows arch upwards.

- But you couldn't stop me - he murmurs with lowered eyes, his hand tightens a little but still allows me to breathe - You couldn't stop me from taking you however I want - he tilts his head to the side, his gaze is strange as if he were somewhere else. - You like that, don't you? - he asks with a malicious smile as he feels my walls tighten - You're a whore.

- Eun-hyuk... - I gasp his name as I feel a third finger opening me. He brings our lips together in a hard kiss, I sob, feeling like an orgasm comes quickly to me - I-i'm...

He stops his movements and pushes me towards the wall, turning me over so that my cheek is pressed against it. His rough hands lower my pants along with my panties, he opens my legs and I listen to how he unbuttons his pants before I feel how he hits his hand against my butt, I moan feeling the burning which he calms by gently touching, I turn my face a little and look at him wrong - Don't look at me like that, you haven't received your punishment yet.

The hand that was on my cheek approaches my pussy, collects the moisture there rubbing everywhere making a mess, I hear him pump himself before feeling his tip caressing my folds soaking his cock and then pushes the tip into my little hole , making me moan from the burning - It hurts Hyuk.....

- You can handle it, be a good girl - his fingers venture to caress my clit making me relax a little but his large girth makes it difficult - That's it. Relax for me, love - his breath hits my neck and his chest presses against my back. He pushes gently trying not to hurt me, I bite my lips trying not to complain about the burning, his movements on my button become rougher making me shudder from the contrast of pleasure. When he finishes inserting his cock he begins to hit it gently, his hand leaves my pussy to join the other on my hip. I feel the pleasure running through me with his soft blows but I want more, I want him to be hard with me.

- H-harder - I gasp as chills attack my body, leaving it with goosebumps. He stops his movements for a moment and takes out his cock, moves away from me and pushes my back, making it arch, revealing my swollen and shiny pussy with my juices.

- A pretty, pretty pussy, right? - Confused, I turned my head but before I could ask, he thrusts his cock in suddenly, making a scream come out of my lips. His thrusts become abrupt and I can't do anything but moan with each blow. His hand grabs my hair and pulls it back, I look up meeting his eyes - You should be quiet, you don't want anyone else to find out that you're a whore, right? - he asks with false concern and a mocking pout forms on his lips as he sees how some tears slip from my eyes.

His free hand slides in and rubs my sensitive spot in quick movements making a sob escape my mouth, I try to lower my head but Eun-hyuk pulls my hair making me keep it up - Are you going to cum yet? So fast? - a cruel laugh leaves his lips.

I moan as my abused pussy spasms around his big cock - Eun-hyuk I'm going to.....

- Come pretty girl, make sure to put on a show - his fingers hit my pussy a couple of times making me grab his wrist trying to stop the painful pleasure forced by his slaps, the sounds of wet skin colliding can be heard throughout the room. The hand that was holding my hair goes down to my mouth, covering it to prevent more sounds from escaping.

The strong pleasure that runs through my entire body reveals the strong orgasm that leaves my eyes blank, I let out loud muffled moans almost like crying sounds and a puddle of semen between my trembling legs. Unfinished Eun-hyuk still holds my limp body, using my pussy like a sleeve, his loud grunts falling into my ear, feeling my pussy swollen and sensitive from my recent orgasm makes me try to beg him to stop but his hand hasn't moved from my mouth. His thrusts begin to lose pace and he just rubs against me, I gasp feeling how he cums filling me with his semen - That's it, that's my girl - he says between agitated breaths feeling how my pussy absorbs him not wanting to let anything escape, he lets go of my mouth to surround my body with his big arms in a warm embrace.

Our agitated breathing synchronizes until we calm them down - I have to clean myself - I whisper, not wanting to separate from his embrace but my thighs are uncomfortably sticky.

- Okay, wait - he comes out of my pussy, leaving us both with a moan and a shiver, he adjusts his glasses and closes his pants, then he takes off his shirt and places it on top of me without buttoning it, it's so big that it almost reaches to my knees.

- What are you doing? - I ask, confused, still with my panties and pants below my knees.

- Come out so she can clean herself - Eun-hyuk says loudly. Confused, I tilt my head slightly away from his arm to look at where he is looking and notice the door of a cubicle half open, it slowly opens completely showing a nervous Hyunsu with a completely red face and his eyes fixed on the floor. Quickly my cheeks compete with his and I press against Eun-hyuk's back trying to hide, although it doesn't help because it's obvious that he saw everything - Did you like the show?

You can find stories of this type on my wattpad

If you use the browser you can translate them into your language

[bobaandasiandramas]

The Truth Untold

As promised I have the next chapter right here for you all. I almost didn't post because I spiked a fever when I got off of work today and felt like complete trash. But I'm feeling well enough to post this now.

I hope you all like it.

CHAPTER TEN

Pairings: Lee Rang x F. OC

Rating: M+

Trigger Warning: sexual themed acts,

Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11

Eun-ji woke slowly, her eyes opening it little blinks as she tried to break through the comfort she was wrapped in. There couldn’t possibly be another time in her life where she felt just as comfortable as she did now. She let her eyes slip close so she could drift back off into a peaceful slumber.

Someone had different plans. 

Lee Rang could sense her slight state of awareness which meant she was finally waking up. He ran his fingers down her arm, nails scratching so gently it made goosebumps rise in their wake. He breathed in her scent deeply before moving closer and nipping her shoulder. “Good morning darling.” 

She yawned and rolled over to face him. “Morning handsome.” She mumbled sleepily before nuzzling into his chest before placing a kiss over his heart. She felt his fingers card through her hair as he guided her face up to his. She noticed his eyes drop from her own to her lips. 

One would think he got plenty of kisses last night -  the two of them missed the entire movie he had selected. Once the movie was over he picked her up, making her wrap her legs around his waist as he brought her to his bedroom, she nuzzled into his neck, pressing small pretty kisses to the column of his throat. He then sat her on the bed and had his lips back on hers, mixing their breaths together, tracing every cavern of her mouth for at least another twenty minutes. He wanted to memorize the taste of her for all of eternity. 

Eun-ji could swear she could still feel the tingling sensation on her lips, they felt slightly puffy from the long assault on them the previous night. Lee Rang mentioned he would devour her, she thought it was a figure of speech - but the hickies and bite marks on her shoulders and collarbone stated otherwise. “Rang…” She whispered as she felt him dipping in to claim her lips again. He was insatiable. Not that she minded, it was a welcomed distraction from the information she received from Lee Yeon yesterday. 

The fox wasted no time in deepening the kiss, moving his body to hover over hers. He never felt like this before, surely he's had women in the past but they were easily disposed of, dropped like a hot candle. With Eun-ji he didn't want to stop; he craved more, wanted more and needed more. He couldn't get enough of her sounds, taste and the responses she gave to his actions. 

He was used to already making marks on her body and scenting her before they decided to see where this would go. Now he was consumed by furthering his actions. Wanting more than to claim her completely, like he was meant to do so. 

The fox moved away from her lips, traveling down the column of her throat again, teeth scraping her skin gently. There was more of her skin exposed now than there was last night - she had changed into a tank top and sleep shorts to sleep in since she changed to sleep in. He dared to go further, traveling towards the mounds on her chest. He paused to look up at her. “You’re okay with this?” He asked, he wanted to confirm where her boundaries were. 

She threaded her fingers in his hair, gentle puffs of air escaping her lips. She nodded her head and was not disappointed when his lips landed on her skin. It was getting rather warm in the room and she was craving something but she wasn’t sure what. It was almost like a chain reaction as he sucked a dark mark on her flesh; a whimper escaped her, she tightened her hold on him and her legs widened more, allowing his body to rest against between them. “R-rang… more.” She pleaded before biting her lip.

His mouth left her skin as he looked up at her with darkened eyes. He knew what she wanted but he wasn’t sure if she truly wanted it. “More what, my dear?” He asked before dragging his tongue against the mark he just created.

She shook her head as if trying to clear her thoughts. “I-I’m not sure. Need something. Need more. Need you. Please.” Her mind was frantic with whatever this was. 

“I’m gonna try something, but if you don’t like it - you need to tell me immediately. Understand Wolf?” He felt her thighs tighten at his words as she nodded her head quickly. “I need words of confirmation this time sweetheart.”

“I understand.” It came out as a breathy whimper, her grip tightening on him to keep herself grounded.

He captured her lips, kissing her deeply and languidly, his tongue tangling with hers as he dragged his hands to the bottom of her tank top. Slowly raised the shirt higher and higher until they had to break apart in order for him to take it off. The article of clothing was lost quickly somewhere in the room before his mouth touched her skin again. Kissing down the center of her breastbone first he could feel her breath hitch and her nails slightly scrap at his skin in anticipation. 

His lips wrapped around the first peak to his left and he was not disappointed by the breathy moan that escaped Eun-ji’s lips. Her back arched and thighs tightened to squeeze the sides of his hips, keeping him stationed there as if he would dare run off now. Lee Rang continued his assault on her flesh, switching to the other mound, swirling his tongue around the hardened peak - while he used a free hand to pinch and tweak her perked nipple he had left. 

Moans were music that filled the air and the need to be against each other was unchanging. “Ngghh, Rang!” Eun-ji choked on a sob of pleasure as he kissed and nipped down her stomach. She was sure he was bleeding by how hard her nails were pressed into his shoulders but she couldn’t help it. Her mind kept telling her to hold on, grip tighter, cling, don’t let go. She felt it was the only way she was keeping the sliver of her mind that was lost to his touch. 

As Rang reached the top of her sleep shorts with his kisses he let out a loud groan that obviously affected Eun-ji, her legs started to tremble and shake in subtle waves. He was just as affected by her as the scent of her slick reached his nose and made his mouth water. He wanted to taste her so badly but there was a small part of him that was the mind of reason - moving too quickly could cause her to backtrack. He wasn’t sure what her previous relationship with that asshole was completely like. He was sure Kyong was a selfish man that didn’t do much for the woman.

With much restraint he skipped over the shorts, slipping out of her grip and he watched her hands fist the sheets of the bed. He smirked and planted his lips on her inner thigh. He pressed small kisses there and he slowly moved up toward the apex of her legs. Sure he wouldn’t taste her fully today - but when he finally does so he plans on doing it languidly, making sure it’s everything about her. However, with much regret that wouldn’t be today so he was going to go as close as possible without removing her shorts. 

There was a slight panic switch in her breathing. “R-rang.” She spoke in a worried whimper and it made him falter in his movements. “I - I…” She didn’t know what to say and was starting to be visibly upset as she pushed herself up on her elbows to look down at him. 

Lee Rang shifted his eyes to hers, his lips hovering just over the soft skin right at the base of her shorts that had ridden up. “Do you trust me darling?” 

Eun-ji stared back at him, his breathing tickling her skin. The look in her eyes brought her some comfort - he was different, he’d stop if she wanted and she knew that. “Yes.” Her reply was quiet.

It almost had him pulling away since she seemed unsure, so he tested out her answer by placing his lips on her skin. His eyes never left hers as she let out a shuttered sigh. His tongue pressed past his lips as he tasted her flesh and nipped her gently. He watched her eyes flutter shut and her mouth part with a small breath. He took this as a good sign and continued applying suction from his mouth. She slipped down back into a laying position - her breathing calmer now as gentle moans passed her lips. 

The heat between them didn’t die down but it shifted direction and once he made a dark mark into her skin he felt pleased sliding back up her body, pressing soft healing kisses to her skin. Once he reached her face he kissed her deeply and slowly. “You okay?” He asked as he pulled away from her lips. 

She nodded her head again and wrapped her arms around him. “Yes, I just can’t get used to how intense everything feels with you.”

His one hand absentmindedly traveled up her side and cupped her breast, his thumb rubbing over the nipple gently. “Is it a bad thing?” He asked with a smirk already knowing her answer. 

“You know it’s not.” She replied as her eyes slid shut, enjoying his touch on her. She frowned and forced herself to say the next words. “I do have to get up and get ready for work.”

He frowned with her. “That's no fun.”

“Like you don’t have your own things to get done?”

“Ah, you got me there. I definitely have some things to take care of.” He pressed one more kiss to her lips before removing himself from her body. He found her shirt and returned it to her. 

She slipped it over her head and smiled. “I’ll make some breakfast if you make the coffee.”

He smirked. “Sounds fine.” 

***

Eun-ji frowned as she took the last few steps to her job alone. Her mind flashed back to her departure with Lee Rang about five minutes prior. 

Their walk didn’t keep her mind free of thoughts as information from Yeon rang in her head. She tried not to think of it but she couldn’t help it. If she was spaced out at all, Rang didn’t seem to notice. They stopped at the coffee shop, not for coffee but Eun-ji wanted a muffin for a snack with her lunch. 

At departure she had pushed up to give him a quick kiss on the lips. He had other plans, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her in for another. “I’ll see you after you get out of work, my wolf.”

Maybe it was because she was already thinking about her conversation with Yeon that it made her ask. “Why do you call me that?”

He paused for just a moment - almost as if startled to hear her sudden question. “It suits you. Why do you ask?”

It was strange, for some reason she felt like that wasn’t the truth. But why would he lie to her? She shook her head, she was being paranoid about everything. Maybe she should have talked with Yeon more yesterday. She made a mental note to send him a message later today. “Just curious, I don’t feel very wolf-like.” She replied. 

“You are. Trust me.” 

She grabbed the handle on the front door and opened it slowly, lost in thought and unaware that she was just standing there for a minute. 

Shin-Joo watched her from his desk, giving her a moment before calling out to her. She snapped out of her daze and blushed in embarrassment before walking in. “You okay?” He asked. 

“Just a lot on my mind.” She replied as she moved around to her chair. 

Shin-Joo was about to go back to his paperwork when his nose caught a scent. He looked up at Eun-ji again, she didn’t smell like her normal self. In fact he couldn’t smell her scent at all. He knew this scent, he knew he did. He wondered why he knew it so well. He shook his head knowing that it would be a little creepy to ask her about it. Instead he focused on other questions. “How did you sleep last night?”

She blushed, thankful she wasn’t facing him at the moment. Obviously he was worried about the conversation yesterday and how it was affecting her mental state. “I actually slept great, it was the walk here that had me thinking again. I decided I want Yeon to tell me more about himself and see if it triggers more memory flashbacks.” She took her seat and looked at him. “What can you tell me about foxes and wolves? I want to understand and learn more about who I am and the secret part of the world that I’m from. Maybe you can tell me your story.”

“I’ll make some tea first.” He got up from his seat and headed into the kitchen. He felt a heavy weight on his shoulders. His story wasn’t one that started pleasantly and he hoped Eun-ji wouldn’t look at him differently. She had a right to know - especially now that she was aware of her true self. He grabbed two mugs and began to heat some water. 

It didn’t take very long, the sound of tinkering in the breakroom had her second guessing her conversation. Shin-Joo didn’t owe her anything, he and Yeon had good intentions in their hearts to keep her safe. He gave her a job when she could have ended up in the wrong place. 

“If the wrong being got a hold of a wolf, then it wouldn’t be very good. That’s why Shin-Joo and I wanted to find out who you were and protect you.” 

Yeon’s words rang in her head. She sighed and pulled her phone out, sending him a text that she’d like to talk more when he is free to do so. As she placed the electronic device on her desk she caught Shin-Joo walking slowly from the kitchen. 

He was carefully shuffling toward her with two very full mugs in his hands. “I may have overfilled them.” He explained causing her to laugh and stand up to meet him halfway. He smiled at her as she took a sip from her cup, making the fill line go lower and easier to walk with. He did the same in return and followed her back to her desk. He placed his cup down and then retrieved his own chair, sliding it across the floor before parking it to the side of her desk. 

She looked at him with all of her attention. She noted the bruises on his face from, apparently Lee Yeon’s brother, who attacked him yesterday. She hoped to never meet that person, she couldn’t understand why anyone, especially someone who was related to Yeon, would hurt her boss.  Her heart hurt for him. His movements weren’t flowing smoothly, obviously filled with unsteadiness, anxiety and maybe some soreness.  “If you’re not comfortable talking like this - then that’s okay. I sent a text to Yeon about talking later.”

“It’s okay. You should at least know the story of who you’re around.” He looked down at his hands in his lap. “You must remember that this story of mine started a very, very long time ago. I hope you can wait before passing judgment until the very end.”

The wolf frowned at his words. “I understand Shin-Joo.”

“My family wasn’t very big for a fox family; I was the eldest and had two younger sisters. They were always so playful and loving. They saw the world as a giant work of art. Everything was to be admired. My mother didn’t survive many years after we were born - she died trying to protect us from the evils of other spirits.” He took a sip of his tea before continuing his story.

“Unlike Lee Yeon, we weren’t blessed with the same magic powers as a Mountain God, not that we should have been but it would have helped her. As for my father, well let’s just say he wasn’t monogamous and had several families. We weren’t at the top of his list, in fact after mom passed he felt he didn’t need to step in and help us at all. When I approached him about my mother's death he told me that I was in charge of my sisters.”

“Shin-Joo, I’m so sorry. How old were you?” 

“It will sound silly to you, your mind thinks like a human. I was only 54 years old - see I knew it would shock you!” He laughed as her jaw dropped. 

“How old are you?!”

“I promise Yeon is older than 1000 years.” He laughed. “To be honest - you’re probably older than me.”

“Definitely not. I’m in my 30’s at the most.”

“No, my friend, you’ve definitely been around longer than that. If you had a flashback on Yeon as the Mountain God - then you’re older than ‘30’s at the most’. I should probably start calling you ‘Noona’.”

She made a grumpy face at him. “Continue your story.”

“Very well. I started to serve under a Mountain God, he provided us with a home and protection. It was not Lee Yeon’s mountain, at that time I had not even known him. We were happy there, my sisters and I, and lived there for a few years before the incident.” Shin-Joo took a deep breath. 

Eun-ji could feel the anxiety that was building on his shoulders. “Shin-Joo-”

“One night my sisters did not return home after being out to play. It wasn’t yet dark but I knew something was wrong and so I set out to find them. They had been caught by human traps and were killed. I was so angry. They had done nothing wrong ever in their lives. I ran to my Mountain God and begged for help, ‘the humans should be punished’ I told him. He disagreed. I cursed at him, screamed at him for not protecting them. He stated it was because they were off his lands that he couldn’t do anything about it.”

Eun-ji placed her hand over one of his as he continued. 

“I fled that night - I couldn’t stay in the den by myself. I needed revenge and so I took it. I bewitched the minds of the whole village. Forced them to do unspeakable things to each other and I sat there and watched. Laughed like it was a comedy. But then after that, I realized it didn’t make me feel any better. My Mountain God was furious and wanted to give me my own punishment for going against him. I ran. I ran so far all the way to Yeon’s mountain.  Once he found me I spilled my tears, told him my story and begged for forgiveness, though I knew I didn’t deserve it. He saved my life. Confronted my Mountain God when he showed up to retrieve me and refused to return me to him. I promised to dedicate my life to him to make up for all the terrible things I have done, so many of those villagers were innocent but I grouped them all as villains.”

There was a long pause between the fox and wolf, before she sighed. “Shin-Joo, do you think your past will change how I see you today? That’s silly. You went through some things and made some terrible choices but you also chose to see you were wrong and have changed for the better since then.” She gifted him a soft smile. “Thank you for sharing that with me. I’m sorry you had to travel those roads.”

Shin-Joo couldn’t believe how she accepted his past flaws so easily. Tears welled in his eyes, retelling the story always got to him. He missed his sisters so very much. He hung his head and started to cry as two arms wrapped around him and comforting words were spoken into his ear. 

***

It was nightfall, Lee Rang leaned against a street light as he watched over the residence that he made his delivery at. The box was small but the thing inside was worth a great deal. The Tiger’s Brow. Lee Rang wished he could be there when the big reveal happened but he knew he needed to get far away from the house once Lee Yeon knew what he did. 

“There she is now.” He mumbled to himself as he watched the woman Yeon had been spending all his time with reach her house. 

Nam Ji-A bent down and picked up the box. She looked around but didn’t see anyone. She opened the box and pulled out his note, looking over it and looking around again. She pulled the ordinary looking glasses and inspected them. After a moment she threw the note and glasses back into the box before heading into her home.

Lee Rang smirked as she disappeared from his sight. With his fox hearing he heard the front door close and he turned away, heading back toward the city. Everything was going according to his plan. He waited until the streets were lit with building signs before he pulled his phone out. The woman was sure to have put the glasses on by now. He chuckled at the thought and scrolled his contacts until he reached Yeon’s name and pressed the call button. 

By the second ring Yeon answered sounding slightly annoyed. The smile on Rang’s face grew tenfold. “I sent the woman a gift. It was a tiger’s brow - or something.” Rang spoke excitedly. He could hear the hitch in Yeon’s throat as the only response before the line cut. 

Rang felt victory like he never had before. He looked at the time and decided to head to the coffee shop a little early, Eun-ji would be off soon enough. He had plans to bring her to Yuri’s where they could hang out before Yeon would surely call and demand him to meet. He felt almost giddy, like a child who just received a giant lollipop. 

He ordered his and Eun-ji’s favorite drinks and sat at a table outside, waiting for her to arrive. He couldn’t stop thinking about it. That woman was probably freaking out, her mind thrown for a whirlwind. He was sure Yeon was there by now, trying to calm her but the damage would already be done. She would know the secrets, the regrets and lies that Yeon kept.  Oh he should have set up a camera so he could watch it. 

“Rang - did you get here early?” Eun-ji walked up to his table and noted the two drinks sitting there. 

“I did. I haven’t been here long.” He answered as he got up from his seat and greeted her, wrapping an arm around her waist, pressing into the small of her back and drawing her to him. He pressed his lips firmly to her for two long seconds. “How was your day my dear?”

Eun-ji took a moment to recover from the kiss before she smiled. “It wasn’t bad. Routine exams. My boss and I talked a lot. He told me about how he grew up, his story is a sad one.”

Rang frowned. “That’s unfortunate.” He honestly didn’t care but pretended for now. “I was thinking that we could go visit Yuri tonight, what do you think?”

The wolf perked at the suggestion. “Oh, really? I’d love that. Do you think she is free?”

Rang smiled at her. “I’ve already spoken with her earlier, she’s free and looking forward to us coming over if you were up for it.” He stepped away from her to grab both of their cups, placing one in her hands while keeping his own. He held out his arm to her, which she took immediately with a grin. 

“Thank you kind sir.” Eun-ji stayed close. “How was your day?”

“It was perfect.” He stated. 

The pair kept walking, making small talk until they fell into a comfortable silence. Unfortunately that silence allowed Eun-ji to think about her past two days. During work, when Shin-Joo was talking about what Yeon’s mountain was like she started getting small flashes. She was walking through the woods, looking over the meadows, smelling the flowers, cooling her feet in the river - all quick memories of her time apparently on the same mountain. She had Shin-Joo continue to describe the mountain - pausing during every flashback she had. That was until it came to a point where he pulled her into the bathroom to look at herself. 

Blue whimsical ears were perched on the top of her head. She was so surprised to see it that she backed into the bathroom door and startled herself, and the ears vanished at her own shock. Shin-Joo explained that when creatures like them either feel strong emotions or have no control over them then sometimes the dormant features can appear. He even confessed that on the first day she walked into the hospital he noted seeing the very faint outline of her ears and tail. 

“Wolf?” 

Eun-ji had not realized she got lost in her thoughts and her eyes focused on Lee Rang who was standing in front of her looking worried. 

“What’s wrong?” He asked her as he noticed her eyes finally focus on him. 

“Hm? I’m sorry, Rang. I was lost in thought.” 

“About what? You weren’t there in your mind anymore.” He cupped her cheek and stepped closer, his scent invading her space. “No, more like you were lost in there.”

She didn’t know what made her tell him but the words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop him. “I had memories of adventuring on a mountain today.”

Rang was shocked. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” He was excited and worried. He wasn’t sure exactly what she saw - but it wouldn’t be that she found she was a wolf. He knew she’d be more freaked out and he wanted to help her uncover that about herself. But he was excited that she had this memory and wondered how he could help her unlock more. 

“I’m not sure - it slipped my mind because of the day at work. Sorry, I should have called you after it happened to let you know.”

“Darling, you don’t need to apologize or feel like you need to tell me everything. I was just shocked because this is something exciting and big for you. I’ll be more on top of hunting down that man that Bastard was talking about.”

“Thank you Lee Rang. I don’t want to think about it anymore tonight - let’s just go in and have fun with Yuri.” She replied as she noticed they were outside of her best friend’s house. 

***

Rang was thrilled, about 40 minutes into his time at Yuri’s house Yeon finally called him and told him to meet at The Snail Bride. When he entered the establishment, he was filled with victory and cockiness. “Bring me the most expensive drink you have, Mrs. Snail Bride.” He ordered loudly as he headed toward the back of the restaurant. 

Behind the sliding door he found his brother sitting in front of a ‘Go’ board. He quickly took a seat and stared at Yeon, who looked glum. “Did she see it?” He didn’t get a response. “She did see her past life. What did she say?” 

Yeon didn’t even look at him. 

“Say something. It will keep me up all night if I don’t hear it.”

“Lee Rang.” 

“What?” He asked as he crossed his arms, ready for whatever his brother was going to say to him.

“If you were to be born again, what would you want to be?”

Confused, Rang didn’t answer the asked question. This was not the response he was expecting. “What kind of bullshit is that?”

“Tell me.” Yeon finally looked up from the game and to him, breathing deeply and calmly. 

The younger fox didn’t have an answer that came to mind quickly. “I don’t care what I get reborn as. If I must decide, then maybe a Dok-do shrimp? I like how it’s bread looks good on its face. The existence itself is luxurious too.”

Yeon didn’t show any emotion before speaking. “If I were to be born again, I wish I could live as a human at least once.”

“What a pathetic wish.” Of course his brother would pick to be something so boring. Rang resisted to roll his eyes at the response.

“I wish my life was full of firsts and lasts. The first step. The first picnic. The First love.” Yeon looked at Rang, a knowing expression flashed quickly.

“What’s up with this pathetic talk?

“Just because. It’s been a while since I had this kind of open conversation with you. Surely something like that would have interested you too. A special someone?” Yeon pushed a little, as soon as Rang walked into the room he could smell a different scent on his brother again. He remembered it from the day on the rooftop. It was a slight floral scent at that time but now it was almost over powering Lee Rang’s normal scent. He knew this scent and wasn’t sure if he hoped that he was wrong or not. Eun-ji flashed in his mind - would she be tangled up in Lee Rang’s games too? He didn’t have time to think about that now.

“Did you eat something spoiled? Did you lose your sense after you fought with that woman?”

“Imugi.” The brothers stared at each other. “Where is it now?”

“Do you think I’d tell you?”

Yeon nodded his head. “I knew you wouldn’t. So, that’s your decision.” There was a long pause between them.  “Do you want to play a match? We used to play this a lot.” Yeon shifted into a more comfortable playing position. 

Rang shook his head. “It’s no fun playing with you. You’ve never won against me.”

Yeon held up a white piece. “Play or not?”

They started their game in silence. At first Lee Rang was doing well, remembering all the times he beat his brother as a small child but then the board started to turn on him. Lee Yeon looked up at him. “Your placement is too rushed. I told you to throw away the tail. I told you not to needlessly fill up empty space. You find it strange, don’t you? How you’ve won against me all those times with that poor skill…”

Rang was pissed as he watched Yeon block his moves. His brother had been playing all along, all these years. He felt like a fool.  “Shut up.”

“I let you win. There was not a single exception.”

Rang wiped the board angrily with his arm. “I said, shut your mouth.” 

“I don’t intend to let you win from now on. I called you to say this.” Yeon stood and made his way to the door, sliding it open slowly.

“Hey stop right there.” Rang’s eyes started to pink around the rims. Once he heard the door open he jumped up to his feet. “If you leave now, it’s really over between us.”

Yeon looked at him and took in his entire appearance. “Take care of your flower, Rang. Water her with care, make sure she gets a lot of sunlight. Too much darkness will stop her from blossoming. Azaleas and Orange blossoms are easy to care for if cared for correctly and smell quite lovely. ” 

Rang froze, wide eyed. Yeon knew? How- His scent! Of course - he scented Eun-ji so much this morning and she unconsciously scented him back, but at the time Rang didn’t care one bit. He was reckless and now Yeon knew, but did he know it was Eun-ji? Before he could even respond his brother was speaking again. 

“I’m sorry.” Yeon stated as he turned around. 

Rang sputtered a second. “Sorry? What are you sorry for all of sudden?” 

“For saving you back then, after you’d been abandoned by your human mother. Then, I don’t think we would have ever seen each other as brothers.” Yeon stepped out of the room, effectively crushing Rang’s heart.

Rang felt like he was slapped across the face. He thought back to that day. He was small, young and terrified. He was attacked by one of those creatures ruthlessly and it left him with a bloodied leg. He pressed his body against a tree, hoping that it wouldn’t find him. Then a second one came for him in the tree above him. He thought it was the end, that he would be ripped into shreds, but Yeon had saved him and took care of the creatures. The older fox confirmed they were half brothers and Rang couldn’t help but want to stay with him. 

He felt the swell of emotion stuck in his throat as he tried to swallow it down. He needed to get out of there but found he didn’t have the will to leave. So he sat himself down and just thought about everything while he sipped the expensive drink he ordered.

***

Eun-ji laughed, holding her sides as she looked at Yuri, who was covered in flour. The two of them decided that tonight was a night for cupcakes and Yuri tried to help by opening the flour but put too much strength in her pull and the flour shot upward. Startled, the fox dropped the bag but then tried to quickly catch it, fumbled it in the air and it sprinkled down all over her. 

“Shut it.” The fox grumply glared at the wolf. She was happy the female was having a good laugh. When Eun-ji stepped into the bathroom to change into comfortable clothes, Rang pulled Yuri to the side and told her about Eun-ji having a flashback but not wanting to think about it anymore today. It was then the vixen’s mission to do just that. Which is why cupcakes were the first thing on the list when Rang left. Then the fox went right into girl talk - much to Eun-ji’s dismay- as she could smell Lee Rang all over her friend. 

Eun-ji wiped the tears that formed in the corners of her eyes. “I’m sorry for laughing-”

“You’re not. Don’t lie.” Yuri looked at the mess around her. 

“Okay, it was funny. Go shower and I’ll clean up here and continue to make the cupcakes. Maybe we should just have to stick to reading the ingredients for me.” Eun-ji covered her laugh with her hand. 

 “Yeah, yeah. Keep laughing. I’ll be back.” 

Eun-ji started grabbing a small broom and dustpan as Yuri left the room. She cleaned up the mess quickly, disposing the flour into the garbage before seeking out another bag to use. Moving through the recipe quickly she had the batter made and poured into the cupcake trays by the time Yuri came back, freshly showered. 

The fox prepared them both a glass of wine and moved to the living room. Yuri was getting comfortable when Eun-ji came in and basically cocooned herself into a blanket. The wolf took a few deep breaths and then looked at her friend. “Okay, you can ask now.”

“Ask what?” Yuri questioned. 

“Oh, I know you know something. You keep looking at me with knowing eyes and I know you wanted ‘girl talk’ so before I lose my confidence - just ask.”

Yuri felt a grin stretch across her face. She scooted across the couch and sat directly next to the wolf.  “Okay, soooo, how are things with Lee Rang? I could feel the floating hearts around you both today when he was here.”

Eun-ji groaned loudly. “Are we that bad?” 

Yuri laughed. “To normal people - probably not. ButI know you both and I could feel the connection between you both. Something shifted. So don’t try to hide it.”

“Okay, well yesterday I started getting some bad anxiety about my past self and who I was. Anxiety about if you guys didn’t like who I was before and what if I didn’t like who I was before? My head was all mixed up and when Rang came home I told him about my concerns and he just… he just knew what to stay and how to act around me. I started to not feel so anxious. I felt safe, cared for and loved. So I kissed him, and”

“WHAT?! Miss ‘kissing it more intense’ went and kissed Lee Rang?”

Eun-ji burrowed further into the blanket so just her eyes were peaking out. Her voice was slightly muffled when she whined out Yuri’s name, feeling the blush rise to her cheeks. “I’m not telling you anything anymore.”

Yuri pushed the blanket off her head and shoulders. “That’s a lie. You love me and will tell me eventually. Please continue - or I’ll just ask Rang and he won’t be shy about it.” Yuri bluffed, she was sure Rang would tell her to mind her own business but Eun-ji didn’t need to know that.

A small “eep” noise escaped the wolf and she shook her head. “Okay, okay fine. I kissed him, just a small little tiny kiss,” she noted Yuri’s face deadpan at the confession. “But then he pulled me back in.” Eun-ji noticed Yuri’s eyes widened and her face changed radically. “Yuri, I don’t know why I waited so long to kiss Lee Rang but I’m wishing I did it sooner. We kissed almost the remainder of the night.”

“Whoo, go Eun-ji.” Yuri cheered and laughed at the wolf’s blush. “I’m glad for you girl.”

“Oh, that’s not even all of it.” Eun-ji was now tomato red as she looked down at her socks. 

“What? Tell me!” 

Eun-ji wasn’t sure how she was able to speak at all as she told the story of this morning, the way Rang discarded her shirt and kissed down her body, how he marked her inner thigh and how she herself wanted more but was thankful that Rang seemed to have more brains and control than her.

Yuri was so excited for her friends. “I’m so happy that you make each other so happy. Eun-ji, you deserve this happiness and so does Lee Rang. 

“Thank you. I’m going to have to keep myself in check though. I don’t want to move too quickly - I want to know more about myself and I want to learn more about Rang. I know some things but there is a lot of mystery too.”

“That’s reasonable. I bet if you asked him he would share a little with you now.”

Eun-ji nodded and then heard the timer go off. “Ohh the cupcakes!” She bounced off the couch and into the kitchen. 

*** 

Rang was sitting on the couch when Kwon Hae-Ryong came into the room, gasping for air and holding his chest. He watched the man stumble to the Chinese Lantern tree and pull an orange bulb off a branch before inhaling it quickly. Themna sighed in relief as his body recovered quickly. 

“Guess you will have a longer life than I do.” Rang stated, catching the attention on Hae-Ryong. 

“Do you want one?” He offered. “You look sick.”

“No thanks.” Rang eyed the tree. “Humans’ souls smell too bad.” He scrunched his nose at the thought. 

“And their memories uselessly seep into our minds and make us restless in our sleep.” Hae-Ryong added. “But we are still alive because of these lives. Both you and I.” 

“Why does it have to be Chinese lanterns? Gross.” 

“I was told that these Chinese lantern plants resemble souls the most.” The man gently held a bulb in his hand, admiring it as if it was gold.

Rang wanted to get to the point of coming there. “Is Imugi home? Let me see it’s face.”

There was a small pause between them before Hae-Ryong released the bulb in his hand and turned his attention back to the fox. He looked him up and down before addressing him. “Right now is not a good time.”

Rang scoffed, he had a feeling that would be the answer - but he couldn’t wait anymore he wanted to see the one who would be the bringer of true pain to Lee Yeon. “If I haven’t laid a finger on you till now, isn’t it natural to say hello and repay the kindness? Otherwise, you’re a gold digger.”

Hae-Ryong pushed his hair back. He wasn’t in the mood for this. “Why don’t we talk? You and I.”

“I don’t want to.” 

“I’m just worried. My precious guest might get hurt.”

“What?” Rang couldn’t believe his ears. He moved quickly and grabbed the man by the front of his shirt. “Just because I played along with you until now, do you really think I’m some sort of puppet?” He watched the man smile in response to his anger. “You smile?”

“Let him go.” A voice spoke from behind him. 

Suddenly there was a pressure on his hand, as if someone was prying his fingers off of Hae-Ryong until he was forced to let go of the man’s shirt. Slightly impressed, Rang turned around and smiled to see the other male in the room. “Are you Imugi?”

“Nice to meet you. I wanted to meet you, too.” The male answered before walking across the room to stand in front of the other two men. 

“I thought you’d still be a little child. I guess you’ve been eating a lot.”

Imugi turned toward Hae-Ryong. “Could you leave us alone?” 

The man was hesitant and looked between the two men. “Still….”

“I’ll be fine.” Imugi answered. 

Rang started at the creature in front of him. While he enjoyed the power he felt off of the Imugi, he was also wary of it. 

“What makes you so sad?” Imugi asked.

The fox was confused. “What?”

“You’re hurt. A lot.”

He was fine. This creature wasn’t as smart as he thought. “Stop that crap.”

“Is it because of your brother?” 

Rang’s heart twisted at the mention of the man who he felt abandoned him yet again.  He huffed a breath out his nose in annoyance. 

“I can see everything. You are living in hell. There is a small light however, she brings you a type of happiness you didn’t know you could feel.” The Imugi gave a knowing smile.

“This thing is worse than I thought.” Rang muttered, clearly not pleased that he was read so easily like a book by this creature.

“Don’t you think we’re alike?”

“I hate things that shed their skins.” Rang stated as a matter of fact. “Listen carefully. I don’t care what goals you have. I’m moving forward at my own pace from now on. I can't wait for you anymore.”

“So you want to kill that woman, I see.” The Imugi took a deep breath. “That can;t happen though.”

“How come?” He asked with certain curiosity. 

The Imugi looked him up and down. “She’s an offering made to me. She’ll be my bride.”

Rang wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with that information but he stared the creature down until Hae-Ryong came back into the room. 

***

Even though the office was closed today, Eun-ji went to meet Shin-Joo. Her boss had informed her that he had plans to go meet Lee Yeon and she was hoping to talk to either one of them a bit more. Rang never came home last night, but he did send a simple text. ‘Won’t be home tonight. Stay safe.’ She never heard anything again from him. She hoped all was well but couldn’t help feeling anxious. 

Apparently, Yeon was suffering a sort of heartbreak and Shin-Joo wanted to make sure he was taking care of himself. So the two of them walked side by side, food and drinks in hand on their way to the former Mountain God. Eun-ji wasn’t sure why she had come to accept this supernatural world, maybe it was because she was a part of it - or maybe she was still in disbelief. Heck, maybe she was dreaming this all up. 

“I made Yuri annoyed.” Shin-Joo spoke suddenly, there was a bashful smile on his face.

“Hm? Then why are you so happy, and when did you see her? I was with her last night. She didn’t mention being mad at you.”

Shin-Joo looked up at the sky. “I saw her this morning. I wanted to talk to her more about the dog she brought in. I had her name him.”

“And that made her annoyed?”

He chuckled a little bit. “For a moment yes, she wanted me to name it myself. I told her she was the dog’s mom and she needed to name him. His name is now Anastasia.” He was quiet for a moment, lost in his own thoughts. “And then before I left, I kissed her cheek.”

Eun-ji’s eyes widened. “I bet she wasn’t thrilled about that.”

“No, not at all.” He chuckled.

“Yuri is the type of person who needs to give you permission to invade her space first.”

“I couldn’t help it. She’s just so beautiful.”

The wolf nodded. “You’re not wrong there.” Eun-ji looked ahead of them and saw Lee Yeon sitting on a bench by himself. She could sense his dampened mood from where she was. It made her frown with concern. It's weird to think that she was concerned about him. At one point she was always wary of him. However, it could all make sense - she must have felt his energy and was unsure if he was friendly or not. 

Shin-Joo walked a little ahead of her, but still approached slowly, looking at his friend. It was obvious that he was unseen by the older fox and so he stood up straight. “Do you need a hug?”

“Go away.” Lee Yeon replied. 

“That’s a relief.” Shin-Joo nodded his head. “It’s a relief, you’re still the same old Lee Yeon.” He took a seat next to his friend. He started opening the lunch he made. “I packed some yubuchobap. You haven’t eaten or slept, right?” 

Eun-ji moved to stand in front of the older fox, grabbing his attention as he looked up at her. She touched his cheek with one of her hands, a finger brushing the dark circle under his eyes. “Yeon..” She whispered sadly. 

He gently pushed her hand away and looked down at his hands again. “It’s alright.”

Shin-Joo was already grabbing a piece of food with a gloved hand. “Just one. It’s sweet and sour, so delicious.” He spoke cheerfully.

“Am I a preschooler?”

Shin-Joo frowned and looked all over before looking up and jumping in his seat as if he was suddenly startled. “Oh, what’s that?” He pointed to the sky above them and Lee Yeon looked up quickly as well. Shin-Joo took advantage of his slightly opened mouth to shove a piece of food between the older foxes lips. 

Eun-ji covered her mouth with a hand as she giggled at Yeon’s unamused expression. 

“Eat. That way you can protect and fight.”

Yeon ate the piece and looked up at Eun-ji who held out a bottle of water for him. He took the beverage and took a small sip. “I’m sorry I have been neglectful to your needs Eun-ji. I plan to seek someone out who might be able to give me information about yourself. Truly they were looking into you as soon as we met you but it has been a while since I checked in about your case.”

“Yeon, you don’t need to worry about that right now. Shin-Joo has been so kind to tell me a little more about himself and I think that was good for now. I don’t know what you’re going through but please take care of yourself.” 

Yeon stared at her before nodding. “You too. Just remember, not everyone is who they seem to be. I hope you’re being cautious and not trusting others too easily.”

She shook her head. “Of course not, just you two and my close friends.” 

Yeon stared at her with calculating eyes, he thought about mentioning Lee Rang to her as he could faintly smell his brother on her being. He would see what happens for now, he had a bunch on his plate.

A buzzing noise came from her pocket and she pulled out her phone quickly. There was a text message that she opened right away. ‘Should be home in a little while.’ She was happy to finally get communication from Rang. “I’m going to head out. I have to pick up some supplies for dinner tonight. Yeon, please let me know if you need anything - I know I can’t do much but I can be a great ear to any problems you want to talk about.” 

Yeon nodded his head. “Thank you, Eun-ji. Please let us know when you’ve gotten home.” 

“Okay. Goodbye Shin-Joo, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

The two waited for the wolf to be a certain distance away, both watching her until she was out of sight. 

***

Eun-ji was walking home with a small bag of groceries and thinking about the dinner she was going to make for Lee Rang and herself. Maybe she should call Yuri while she’s cooking and tease the girl about the cheek kiss from Shin-Joo. She giggled as she imagined her friend getting all huffy about it. 

She hit her shoulder on someone and it caused her to drop her bag. “Oh, I’m so sorry!” The wolf turned to help the woman off the ground before picking up her bag and a bottle of some kind of green drink the woman was carrying. She handed the woman the bottle and apologized again. “Are you okay? I really wasn’t paying attention.”

The woman was dressed in a bright green shirt and jacket. She gave a smile and shook her head. “No worries, pretty lady. No one got hurt. Please, take the drink.”

“Oh, I couldn’t. Thank you though.”

“What are you most afraid of?” She questioned and she grabbed Eun-ji’s hand. 

The wolf ripped her hand away from the woman, the words of warning from Yeon ringing in her head. “Just remember, not everyone is who they seem to be. I hope you’re being cautious and not trusting others too easily.”

The smile turned into a twisted smile. “How interesting…” With that the woman walked off. 

Eun-ji was breathing heavily out of nervousness. Who was that woman and what did she mean? The wolf felt exposed and started walking again - thankfully she wasn’t far from home. She definitely planned to text Yeon about the woman and also tell Rang. 

‘Gatekeeper, gatekeeper, open the gate. I can’t open it without a key. Which gate shall I enter? Enter Dongdaemun….’

A song started chanting in her head, she never heard it before, she didn't know where it suddenly came from but it was soon all she could hear. She walked quickly to the front of the building and threw open the front door. What she saw before her made her eyes widen and she covered the gasp that wanted to escape her mouth.

[bettsfic]

Glory Anon! I’m only about midway through episode 9, and I continue to be feral. The tent! With the sparkling lights! My heart. I love how Dong-eun still has her moments of trauma where it affects her normal living. It makes her feel more real and less like a robot.

I’ve also gotten incredibly attached to Do-yeong. I feel like he’s going to die, but I hope he doesn’t. He actually has a moral center which I didn’t expect. Maybe the opposite of Yeo-jeong who seems to have a lot of darkness hidden away. Something rotten, at least.

It actually reminds me a lot of the show Revenge, although this is a lot better. Revenge got /very/ soapy very quickly, which isn’t a bad thing but it wasn’t what I was hoping for.

But I love it. So so good

i started watching the glory and the first episode upset me so much that i had to turn it off. but then a couple months later a friend told me about the romance and confirmed that the cruelty depicted in the first episode is later explained, and so i jumped into it again and devoured it in like 2 days. "let me be your executioner" has been haunting me for months now. i'm desperate to write that dynamic into a story at some point. (i mean i did write that into my novel but not to the insane degree i'd like.)

song hye-kyo's performance of dong-eun is so stellar. she's a master of microexpressions. like the camera can be on her and she can be completely still and silent, and yet there's basically a monologue happening with her face. she's amazing.

i haven't seen revenge or have maybe even heard of it? i do tend to get turned off by soapy stuff, especially if the emotional reactions of characters becomes unpredictable or inconsistent via random tonal shifts. but generally speaking i really love revenge narratives.

very excited to hear what you think of the ending!!

[distant-screaming]

Five favourite songs at the moment!

thank you for tagging me ana @solana-ceae omg I love songs and music and I will always talk about my faves <3333

These are in no particular order because I can choose five(ish) but I can't rank them :D

Lullaby for a Princess by Ponyphonic

GOD I love this song so much! The vocals are absolutely incredible, the music is very simple and fits the vibe perfectly, and it's so incredibly blorbo (specifically tragic siblings which is one of my top favourite tropes literally ever I eat it up EVERY time). Also, it's so fun to sing with its slight shifts in octave!

creature - w/ Orchestra by half•alive

Man. This song is so. It's magical, almost? I love the orchestra part because I'm a shameless music kid, but just - the entirety of this song is sooo good. It's this blend of heartbreaking and hopeful accompanied by amazing backing + vocals. And it's just such a song I love it - I want more of this genre of songs.

Inarticulation by Rio Romeo

This song is one that, every time I listen to it, I once again realize how much I love women <3 it's such a tender and raw song that's given life by utterly wonderful vocals and music. The wordplay is also so fun to me specifically because I'm a nerd through and through. I can't fully describe it but all of Rio Romeo's songs are very 'this is EXACTLY what it feels like' and I love it so much.

Night Flower by Ahn Ye Eun

Literally no one talk to me Ahn Ye Eun is one of my all time favorite artists - I only recently discovered her, but. chef's kiss. I adore ALL her songs so much. I debated putting CHANGGWI here instead, but Night Flower is the one I've been more obsessed with recently so! Her range is absolutely incredible I love listening to it, and the song just has a vibe that makes me want to listen to it forever. Also, I'm pretty sure Night Flower was written for a gay manwha? Which just makes it even better!

It's Tokyo by kakizaki yuta

kakizaki yuta is another one of my top music artists, I enjoy his songs a lot! It's Tokyo is probably my most played though. I don't know how to describe it because there isn't any one specific thing in the song that stands out, but all together it's so enjoyable to listen to that I often have it on loop. It's a very danceable song while also not being too upbeat so as to be distracting for when I'm studying :')

Bonus:

A Quick One Before the Eternal Worm Devours Connecticut by Have a Nice Life

The song title is WILD and I adore it. But the song itself is just absolutely amazing. There's no lyrics, just music, and it just. It feels like a very specific type of feeling I can't name but it makes me go absolutely insane every single time. Listen to it and you'll get what I mean.

Tagging: @qt-qtoey @jojotichakorn @akaane000 @ranchthoughts @cornflowershade @mutlishipperfangirl @softneomiro @chainedupgirlsblog @justafriend-ql @theoryofarson and anyone who wants to! I love finding new music and I wanna see your faves <3

[iibonniee]

Coffee Shops - Chapter Two

Pairing: Chae Hyungwon x Reader

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: None

Rating: G

Word Count: 2.1k

Masterlist | Previous

The human brain is both a blessing and a curse. It allowed you to remember everything, and when those memories were tied with utter embarrassment, one can only hope that that experience wasn’t paired with eyes to see. If that was the case, said person could pray that they would leave the story to go with the passing minutes. After all, who enjoys being the butt of a joke at work?

That was never the case for Y/N.

Her eyes remained firm on the giggling stranger, his smile evident through his creased eyes as he watched her movements. She felt like a show for him. A project to study and then write about. His name was unknown, but whatever his name was, she’d silently curse him and her coworkers, whose grins put her into a corner of embarrassment as their own smiles weren’t covered by the mask this stranger wore.

“Here you are.” Y/N’s voice was small as she handed the male his freshly re-made coffee. She wanted to groan at how his smile was unchanging. “Again, I am so sorry. Please let me know if you need me to pay for anything, clean up, whatever. I can give you my number if you need to contact me.”

She was rambling. Her nerves were eating away at her, and she simply couldn’t shut up. His soft chuckles only seemed to encourage her onslaught of rambling mess.

“Are you asking me out on the job?” The smoothness in his voice was next to criminal. She knew her face was as red as a tomato, and she had prayed with every fiber in her being that the ground would open and swallow her whole. This was simply not happening, not on her first official day.

“No – you seem so nice, but I’m sure you have a girlfriend – or a wife even – I don’t judge. I just meant that I could pay to clean your clothes. Coffee on a white shirt will be so hard to get out, and the reason it’s there is because of me.”

Just shut up, Y/N.

Sealing her lips shut, she noticed how the male’s laughter kicked up tenfold. He was doing this on purpose. Perhaps it was fair that he got a rise from her while sitting there with a coffee-soaked shirt. His brown eyes finally found her own once more, his smile still there as he tilted his head ever so slightly.

“Thanks for the coffee and the great laugh, Y/N. I’ll remember you.” She watched as he shot her a wink, then turned and made his way to the exit. Her eyes widened as she turned to Eun, who watched the whole interaction with a hand-covered mouth. She knew he was seconds away from snapping and laughing. Perhaps even doubling over as he usually did when he found something just too hilarious.

“Don’t start.” She pleaded with her friend, moving to clean up the mess she made from the coffee spill. She didn’t need to hear how he wouldn’t let this situation go. She already knew of the many stories he had told her about the other employees here. He was undoubtedly the one to go to for stories whenever anyone needed them.

“I wouldn’t know where to start, Y/N.” The male giggled as he turned to help the next customer. “I can start with how everyone saw what just happened or how you got more than “One Iced Americano to go, please” from the man who hardly speaks. Did I mention he’s a regular here?”

“How about not starting at all? I was already praying the ground would open and devour me alive the more I rambled. Why didn’t you step in to help? And why would you mention the fact that he’s a regular?”

“I was going to, I truly was, but watching you and how red your face was is my year’s highlight. Not even Gi had me laughing as hard as you did.” Eun grinned at her, satisfied with his own answer and the support of a nodding customer who had witnessed the interaction in full. She groaned, wanting to collapse to the ground and cry.

“Let’s hope he won’t come by again after this. I can’t bear to see his face after I embarrassed myself as much as I did.”

⊰ ☼ ⊱

Six harsh knocks rattled the door of apartment 3D. Y/N didn’t know how many knocks meant “emergency,” and she sure as hell was not planning on embarrassing herself any more than she did at work. But fuck if she had to keep pounding on her friend’s door for the sake of her opening the fucking door, she would.

Eight grueling hours and Eun simply wouldn’t drop the story for a damn second. Not even when a customer who was patiently waiting for their drink of choice would be able to outrun the story. She wanted to quit on the spot, damned if her saving would go to bills and not foolish spending.

“Jesus, is this an emergency?” Aera questioned the second she opened her door. When Y/N’s eyes met Aera’s, relief filled her blood far too quickly to be considered okay.

“Yes, this is an emergency!” Y/N cried, waving her phone in the air to signal that she gave her best friend ten messages of SOS and thirty in pure pity and despair. How could Aera put out such a question when the situation was evidently on the phone her friend held close to her?

The softness of Aera’s couch was pleasant, and she had just hoped it would do her the favor the earth clearly wouldn’t grant her the previous hours. Y/N had kept her eyes on her friend, who fell beside her on the couch and was eager to see what her phone offered her. It made Y/N wonder how much Aera had blown her off in favor of what was present in front of her.

“Aera, did you read any of my messages?” Y/N tried, hope lacing her voice. She needed her best friend to comfort her and to tell her that it wouldn’t happen again. And maybe, just maybe, she had embarrassed herself so much that the nameless masked man would save her the embarrassment even more and pick a new Starbucks to frequent.

“Did I what?” Y/N watched Aera peek from around her phone to her friend, a tiny smile on her grind.

If Y/N knew any better, she knew her friend was surfing the internet in favor of listening to her life problems. This caused Y/N to groan loudly, seemingly ignored by her dearest friend, who immediately switched her attention to her phone.

“My messages? Did you see them? I spilled coffee all over this guy at work, not even a full hour into my shift. The worst thing is he was tall and probably super attractive, too. He wore this white mask and had a hat almost covering his eyes. But I’m not kidding when I say I could see his smile! He even winked at me before he left!” Y/N repeated what she sent in her messages, only to notice once again Aera was focused on her phone. “Aera, please! I’ll start crying on your couch!”

The urgency in her voice was palpable as she desperately attempted to grab her friend’s attention. With a wild look in her eyes and her voice filled with concern, she persistently called out to her friend, desperately trying to make her understand the gravity of the situation. As her friend seemed preoccupied with her own thoughts, the woman became increasingly frantic, her gestures becoming more erratic and emphatic. She knew that time was of the essence, and she needed her friend to fully comprehend the severity of the matter at hand. With each passing second, her heart raced faster, and she could feel the weight of the situation intensify.

When her back fully sunk into the couch, Aera threw her phone down, her attention now entirely on her distressed best friend.

“I was just catching up with your messages. I’m sorry.” Aera spoke sheepishly. Y/N watched as Aera studied her friend’s face, noticing how her emotions changed from bubbly to upset as the hours passed. “If he was joking with you, he doesn’t hold it against you.”

“Aera, Eun wouldn’t drop it. He kept saying that the guy was a regular and never heard his name, not even when asked for a name. He said the guy would avoid answering because “his order is too easy and quick for a name. But today, I got more out of him than he’s ever heard.”.”

Y/N watched Aera think carefully. Her words seemed calculated, carefully picked out as she spoke, “You could’ve spilled coffee on an Idol, you know? Typically, Idols wear the type of look you explained to me when they don’t want to be recognized.”

Aera’s suggestion was something Y/N didn’t want to hear. In truth, it would’ve saved the girl from planning her early trip out. Suppose it was true, and she managed to actually spill an Iced Americano on an Idol. In that case, she’d immediately find her next plane ticket out of the country.

“That’s – that’s not even funny, Aera. Why would an Idol come to this side of town for coffee, anyway?”

“Easy,” Aera answered, “It’s quiet, not a ton of traffic flow, so the chances of them being recognized are slim to none on a good day. And our Starbucks is cute.”

Puffing her cheeks, Y/N had to give her friend that much credit. She had done her fair share of exploring and noted she picked one of the best places to live. It was much quieter than other places she had her eye on, and the Starbucks she worked at was no more than a 15-minute walk from her home.

She closed her eyes, needing a distraction from the day she had.

“What were you looking at?” Y/N questioned, opening her eyes to meet Aera’s, who now had a grin spread across her face.

“Some of my favorite groups are making comebacks soon! Oh – I must get you into some! You aren’t fully my best friend if we aren’t into the same groups!”

⊰ ☼ ⊱

Y/N had to admit a few things. Spending a night with her dear friend Aera was always a treat. Her friend was never one to hold back when it came down to something she was very passionate about. Another would be the confusion she felt when the nameless masked man greeted her. But there he was, a smile evident the moment he spotted her. Her body froze at the entrance as she watched him stand, his phone finding safety in his pocket.

She had a million questions. The main one was why the fuck was he here and smiling at her as if she was his long-lost friend? Exactly how long he had been waiting for her to appear and whether he knew she would be working. Slowly, she moved behind the counter where Eun waited patiently for her, his smile just as bright as the previous day.

“He asked about you. He wanted you to serve his coffee, his usual.” Eun spoke, caring for the customer who came before the nameless man.

Now, that was something Y/N wasn’t expecting. Stepping up to the counter, the man gave her a bright smile seen through the creases of his eyes, his black cap almost covering his eyes fully if it wasn’t for him tilting his head up so she could see it.

“You won’t spill coffee on me again, right?” The male spoke, giving her the money for his coffee.

She had to admit his teasing won him a shy smile, one that seemed to please him. She felt his eyes on her as she made him his coffee.

“I can make no promises. Thankfully, you aren’t wearing white, so if I spill any coffee on you, the stain will be much easier to remove.” She quipped back, her smile full as she focused on the coffee.

She was happy he couldn’t see her full smile. She knew by now his ego was probably far beyond boosted if the previous day’s activities had anything to do with it. She couldn’t begin to wonder what exactly was going through his mind. “I wore black just in case.” His words were smooth as she turned to hand him his coffee. “And not a spill this time. Thank you for the coffee, Miss Barista.”

Once again, his departure was met with a wink. Heat filled her face as she turned to Eun, who met her wide-eyed look with a grin of his own.

“I don’t want to be the one to say it, but I will say it. He was totally flirting with you.”

[vyrim]

Eun-ae, Leader of the Unity of Love and Togetherness

In a world beset by beings beyond normal comprehension, the presence of cults is of no surprise. Many of these religions desperately seek the power and favor of various entities that feed on the concept of faith and worship, and sacrifice a great deal for even a fraction of their gifts. As such, however, these cults are normally hunted down and stomped out before they become problems.

The "Unity of Love and Togetherness" was different, dangerously so. Despite efforts from the city, the group's influence and power steadily grew, and attempts at eliminating core members were meant with failure. No normal person could hope to take down an individual like the cult's leader, Eun-ae.

While information is lacking that could explain how the event occurred, Eun-ae is now the vessel of "The Heretic Mass", an ancient eldritch abomination that indoctrinates members of a world's species, who would then summon the massive monstrosity, allowing the Mass to devour the galaxy's star, sentencing all worlds to a cold, silent death.

With it's powers, Eun-ae has become a writhing hive of evil, capable of infesting organics and forcefully transforming them into servants of the Mass. More threatening opponents are instead torn apart by the various bone like appendages that hide within her robes.

When not quelling deniers of the cult, Eun-ae is seen as a charismatic and kind person, with a habit of viewing others as family members. Deep down, however, her reverence for the Mass and the power of eldritch entities has made her obsessive to those she believe have potential as vessels for their power, and sadistically cruel when dealing with those who would defy her.

For her, unity is all that matters.

[isobelleposts]

A Reminder That We Are Human: ‘Human Acts’ by Han Kang Review

by Isobelle Cruz [May 21, 2023]

I’ve been hesitant to open up my laptop lately, afraid that I had lost it in me to write a really good article, not in terms of how many likes I receive, but on how much I enjoy the process of making it. My recent works, I admit, have felt passionless and forced for the sake of keeping my blog alive. But this is different. I devoured “Human Acts” by Han Kang over the course of one weekend—my eyes rarely drifting from its pages.

I’d never encountered an interest in the author’s works before, but once I stepped foot in the bookstore, I was suddenly drawn to its cover; simple and clean, silencing the world that surrounded me into muffled echoes.

“Gwangju Uprising” scene in Saedeuldo Sesangeul Teuneunguna at the Yeongwoo Theatre, 1988 [Image Source: Yeongwoo Mudae]

Her lips move, but no sound comes out. Yet Eun-sook knows exactly what she is saying. She recognizes the lines from the manuscript, where Mr. Seo had written them in with a pen. The manuscripts she’s typed up herself, and proofread three times. 

Page 101 of Human Acts

The book features the perspectives of seven characters, one of them being an editor in 1985. Eun-sook’s chapter shows her struggle against censorship and how the company overcomes this, still able to deliver the crossed-out lines of the censors through chilling imagery. Han Kang’s writing is delivered almost in the same feels as the play tackled in her book; quiet, slow, but enough to tell the story.

Gym turned mortuary in May 1980. [Image Source: Robin Moyer, Korea JoongAng Daily]

Another perspective that drew my attention closer than the others was of The Boy’s Friend, Jeong-dae. The words of the dead were briefly featured in the book; faceless spirits hovering over their bodies and watching as others live on, unable to do anything but watch.

If I could escape the sight of our bodies, that festering flesh now fused into a single mass, like rotting carcass of some many-legged monster. If I could sleep, truly sleep, not this flickering haze of wakefulness. If I could plunge headlong down to the floor of my pitch-dark consciousness.

Page 56 of “Human Acts”

It was depressing, and made me conscious of the body I still have control over—a blessing that I often take for granted.

Students on the streets of Gwangju, 1980 [Image Source: Lee Chang-seong, May 18 Memorial Foundation]

Is it possible to bear witness to the fact that of a foot-long wooden ruler being repeatedly thrust into my vagina, all the way to the back wall of my uterus? To a rifle butt bludgeoning my cervix? To the fact that, when the bleeding wouldn’t stop and I had gone into shock, they had to take me to the hospital for a blood transfusion?

Page 164 of Human Acts

Human Acts is flinchingly explicit and gory. It tells the stories of victims from different angles, some of which I would forget to consider if I had not opened this book.

It disturbs me to display these photos on here, but I believe that if words are not enough to deliver chills to the blinded eyes of people, photographs will.

The kids in the photo aren’t lying side by side because their corpses were lined up like that after they were killed. It’s because they were walking in a line.

Page 133 of Human Acts

Whether you read this in the rain, or at the beach where life is supposed to be happy, a strike of pain will stay in the back of your chest, the images of agony haunting you even in bed. 

Human Acts truly opened my mind much more than the other books I’ve read that spit out facts and statistics, so much so, that I am driven away from what matters most—feeling and sympathizing with the victims. Most books I’ve encountered focus solely on hating the dictator that I finish them feeling sort of empty, that I am the same person as I was when I started the book. But that is not the case with Han Kang’s third novel. It reminded me that I am human, and how much my life should be valued.

[aajjks]

TPOL!JK

you’re listening to every word she spews and it takes everything in you to not reveal yourself and punch her in the face but you stay hidden behind jungkook’s tall and built figure.

ji-eun is at a loss for word because has he really been seeing another woman? she told her friend to act like it was jungkook screwing some girl so she wasn’t expecting him to outright admit he was seeing another woman.

yet she believes she can change him. so what if he’s been around, she doesn’t mind being the other woman. all she wants is him.

“so?” she laughs “mr. jeon, you never cheated on y/n because i set it up b-but don’t freak out! i only did it because i knew she wasn’t get enough for you. you need someone like me or, or someone like these people inside. she’s just some gold digger who doesn’t deserve you. hell, i don’t deserve you but i like you a lot and i’d do anything for you”

“so you set him up?!” you yell and reveal yourself to a shocked ji-eun who had no idea she was being set up. “you thought that shit was funny, huh? and then you had the audacity to smile in my face when that woman talked shit about me AND him but you like him so much, huh?”

you’re slowly walking up to ji-eun, five seconds away from slapping ji-eun across her face but jungkook holds you back from doing so since he doesn’t want to cause too much of a commotion.

“so you knew? m-mr. jeon, p-please! i am so sorry. please don’t fire me—“

“yeah, don’t fire her, jungkook. we can tie her up and have her watch us fuck in the office”

“wh-what? no! please don’t do that! i’ll do anything else but watch you touch someone that isn’t me. please, i LOVE you!”

Jungkook scoffs at her and he says ‘fuck it’s under his breath before he takes your hand and pushes you into his chest and he crashes his lips to yours.

Passionately kissing you infront of the woman, he smirks against your lips, and you kiss him back with an equal passion. You both make out shamelessly infront of her, and she starts to cry.

It’s so satisfying to hear her screams while he devours your mouth. He squeezes your ass and moans into your mouth, not caring about what people might think.

It’s what she deserves and he’s missed you. And why would he miss any chance to kiss you? “I love her.” You finally break the kiss and she then he looks at jieuns now tear stained face.

Her mascara is running down her face. “And Jieun?”

And then focuses back on you. “Princess do you want to tell her, I think you should.” He rubs his hands over your back. “Say it.” He encourages you and you finally let out those words.

“YOURE FIRED.” And he smirks proudly at you whispering that’s my girl.

[epithmia-moved]

   光を求めた反射  /  光を飲み込んだ反射 ,    ( 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥., 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 / 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 )

𝐈.    kami of wind and light, humanity’s desire for understanding and redemption of / for a higher power, protection and to a lesser extent — change through atonement which may lie as synonymous with the chaotic shift known to take place on the yearly occurrences of the blood moon, able to take the form of a dragon. 

𝐈𝐈.  born from the blood of a god once it spilled into the eye of a dying mortal.

       A.     was only brought into the world once the body of the deceased mortal had been returned to the earth, and thus belongs in origin to both the heavenly and the earthly. came into being as a fully developed child no younger and no older than 6 to 8 years old, covered in sediment and blood and rainwater during the night. 

      B.      sought completion and true autonomy and allowed themselves while newly born to be governed and swayed by more malignant and apathetic actions.  years past their making did they fight and defeat their progenitor god after fourteen days and nights and proceed to devour them to balance their ever further growing omnipotence, and in turn assimilating the previous kami’s responsibilities and domains.

𝐈𝐈𝐈.   similar in fashion to other kami, they eventually become known as an ancestor to the mikazuki clan. the accuracy of this truth lies as them having been more of a patron than an actual relative to the lineage, though those born under the title and name lack this truth over the generations and otherwise claim a familial relation.

      A.     when adopting an identity to co-exist in human society while still a god however, this is the family name and history they will always take.  

𝐈𝐕.     they are a god with no name yet many titles — they were born alone and with no proper name and thus that is how they shall one day face the end.

     A.      instead, they generally just allow other divinities and mortals alike to call them as they please as long as there is no outward or hidden disrespect within the chosen name. when named by a mortal they will use that name for as long as that “lifetime” is perceived, often discard it once all who knew them have passed on and proceeds to begin the cycle anew. 

     B.      purely for worship and general mentions, often are they referenced by the people as 智月 chigetsu or 血月 ketsugetsu.

over time the general beliefs and retelling of their origins will diverge into multiple stories, and while everything shall generally remain the same — to some peoples due to their bloody and violent beginning that led into a far more peaceful and caring deity, they are believed to have been born as two kami instead of one. in which both chigetsu and ketsugetsu are used in worship and one name denotes to the malevolent kami and the other the benevolent¹.  some retellings further list both of those names and qualities but still view the kami as one being, and instead use the names to refer to which form or personality the deity is hence acting in, or the side of the deity they are seeking to curry favor from.

to other countries does their myth stretch, and as such do they carry further titles:  红色 月亮  Hóngsè Yuèliàng ( transl. bright red moon )  /  红月  Hóng Yuè,  붉은 달  bulg-eun dal ( transl. red moon ),  लाल चंद्रमा  laal chandrama ( transl. red moon ).

𝐕.   shrines dedicated to them were most often found in smaller and some well off villages and towns.  the coming of fall — momijigari — is often doubled as a time to enjoy and welcome the season as well as to welcome the kami. noted as their favorite of the seasons, when maple trees displayed foliage of a redder and brighter hue than average, it was said that they must have sat beneath its boughs at some point and conferred to this nature their wishes and knowledge of the coming year.

    A.    the first statues to be built in their likeness by mortal hands were ones that displayed them in their ‘childhood’ and adolescence. somewhere between how they appeared with their first months on the earth up into the defeat of their better. most of these, if any at all, no longer exist. for in their temperamental states when gazing down would seek harsh winds or other slight misfortunes to tear them down.

    B.      more tales surface as the years pass, and so too will descriptions of their appearance now fully grown and godhood completed. and it is these creations of their likeness that would be left alone after a short period of sharing the same fate as the first attempts. many artists and worshippers took the destruction of their effigies as judgment from offending their kami. as per their origins would sculpting their god before their fated battle be bringing light to their inadequacy and hierarchy as less than. and to depict them fresh from victory, to lessen the bitterness that comes with having to consume your forebearer most viscously to achieve one’s own balance.  or simply, to the lesser overthinkers, that they just did not get the correct appearance the first few times. at the end these works stood often to display a figure dressed beautifully, of long hair and always staring with a look between brightened rage and intense apathetic protection, sometimes with chosen sword in hand.

   C.      the eventual desecration of said shrines will take place centuries later. with no clear cause known but many rumors and reasons. yet all the same the fate is immovable. as is their fading into obscurity with nearly all of their followers over time. very little of their shrines are left to remain, a pitiful number, barely reaching that of any double digit number.

𝐕𝐈.   as their double sided constitution for protection and violence pervaded so too did the associated martial prowess depicted within art and poetry. written works tell of various stories in which they use a range of weaponry to enact fury, to answer the prayers of warriors on the battlefield, or to deliver an unlucky mortal from unjust death — holds favor for swordsmanship for how often it seems to appear in these tales. only sometimes rivaled by the artistic renditions that choose instead when not rendering them with sword to do so with the naginata.

    A.    the most popular of their works to exist were silk screen paintings or sumi - e. and unlike the fate inflicted upon various statues built for the shrines, these creations weren’t destroyed nearly as much. and aside from maple trees, other plants such as pampas grass and painted ferns can be present within landscapes associated with them.

𝐕𝐈𝐈.   the one who bore them had been a moon and wisdom deity who had descended centuries prior from takamagahara to live and wander among the earthly, and eventually found themselves embroiled within a conflict that stretched beyond their handling. while of a gentle demeanor with the choice to avoid conflict if given, the previous kami still held a level of undeniable power.

    A.    half of the usurped responsibilities and associations came from this being, as well as the capacity to take on and maintain a steady secondary form.

𝐕𝐈𝐈𝐈.   their own relationship with takamagahara and the deities that live there remains grey at best. they are not their predecessor, but hold no personal qualms to any of the others there in which to spur insubordination or animosity. rarely does one permit their presence there — and in steady fashion, continues to wander and live within human society. they hold more responsibility to humanity than any other and will not shirk the duty. all decisions or actions are otherwise made with the consequences to be had upon mortal folk in mind, and they do not take kindly to having it threatened within their presence save for certain exceptions.

[daebakreviews]

Extraordinary Attorney Woo

Extraordinary Attorney Woo was the first k-drama I ever watched and it was all thanks to TikTok. I know, I know....TikTok? It's true. I saw a clip of Kang Tae-oh's Jun-ho telling Park Eun-bin's Young-woo that he was disappointed she needed to touch him to see if she liked him. I swooned. I fell head over heels and rushed to Netflix to devour Extraordinary Attorney Woo.

Woo Young-woo is an attorney who just happens to also be autistic. She tends to struggle in aspects of her job but overall is one of the best attorneys. But people are not happy she is working with them and Young-woo has to deal with new experiences including falling in love.

When Extraordinary Attorney Woo came out last June it was a huge hit but not everyone was excited about it. A lot of people felt they over-dramatized being autistic and it gave the wrong idea. Honestly, there were times when it was a little over the top but all k-dramas tend to overdo it sometimes.

Park Eun-bin plays Woo Young-woo really well and you can tell she really loves the character. It felt like she wanted to do justice to the character and prove that Young-woo isn't really that different from everyone else.

Overall I am thankful I saw that TikTok because it gave me a show I really love and I rewatch often. It also forced me down a rabbit hole of Kang Tae-oh content and honestly, I am not mad about it. He's a great actor and I know when he gets out of the military we can expect a lot of amazing roles from him.

If you haven't already watched Extraordinary Attorney Woo I suggest checking it out on @netflix. Chances are you are going to love it as much as I did.

[eunxyeong]

tw: blood, death mentions, allusions to depressive thoughts and suicidal ideation..

staring at his phone, it took everything to not crush it in his hand. it was rare for eun. the desperate feeling under his skin. growing into something could devour. beryl knew but would say nothing. the other in france knew, also said nothing. something foreboding in the man’s voice when they had spoken about the elder vampire’s confusion. it was caution he heard in the youngers voice. his fingers got marginally tighter around the expensive phone. there were things he could not remember before. post often he approached them with a nonchalance that age could allow him. but not now. not for the one he had run into. there was something boiling in his blood, and he couldn’t name it.

so, he thought of other options. mortal psychology was an option. that, however, took time. patience. a love for oneself that eun wasn’t certain he could give to himself in the moment. sleep would not save him, for sleep never came. there would be now dreams to connect the scents and feelings. then there was magic. magic. something he didn’t often rely on simple because being dependent on others to do it rubbed him the wrong way. his distrust of most people in the world made sure he was careful with everyone he encountered. even if it didn’t seem to be that way. his secrets were his own…

the phones metal casing began to creak with the pressure his hands were putting on it. a bone deep ache twisted in his gut when he closed his eyes. the smell, so familiar, like fire on the wind but the warmth of it. comfort. battle with the emotions that seeped between each conscious thought. hunger, but it didn’t feel the same as it usually did. something pleasant curling up like a cat. a contentment he didn’t understand.

those were all muted. nothing compared to the gut-wrenching despair. it colored every moment eun tried to dig more. it grasped at his heart, that some days he forgot he had. he ached. like something raw torn open for the world to touch. the taste of blood on his tongue did nothing to ease it. it tasted like ash. as if he was swallowing down what had been left behind by the fire burning within him. a sympathy of confusion and a pain he didn’t fully understand. when the crescendo of his thought finally crashed… there was only one thing left behind…

with a cry, more akin to a snarl out of his mouth, the phone was crushed in his hand. the pieces thrown to the side as if it had offended him… it starts from there. his rage tearing him apart from the inside out. he is only lucky enough that he somehow keeps himself from leaving his home. the devastation eun would unleash would only be upon himself.

the inferno raged…

nothing near him was safe, as he tore through his living room. priceless antiques. carefully hunted down artifacts. they all crashed against on his cold floor. shards of them digging into his skin but the flash of pain was nothing compared to the inferno in his mind. eun didn’t stop. not when slivers of wood and glass dug their way into his skin. rapid healing encasing them as if they belong there. his bare feet not safe from the damage but it did nothing to cause him to cease.

soon enough, there was no object within the closest of his reach that stood in one piece. nothing but destruction all around him. it was a miracle that he didn’t go further. that he was able to plop onto the ground and leave the moment at that.

in silence, he sat. gone was the heat of his rage. the flames doused in something so numb all he could do for a moment was blink. his own blood covered his skin, but the wounds were healed. tomorrow, he would need to dig out the shards. tomorrow, he may clean up the living room. leave it barren and as empty as he was feeling in the moment. tomorrow he would present himself as if nothing changed. as if there will be no discomfort in his limbs until he picked out every piece out of his skin.

eun would smile and flirt like there was no desperation in his soul. like he didn’t wish to crawl into a cave. never leave. but that wouldn’t due. he had items to get for his favorite little bedlam. she would help him in her own way when they finally got the chance. a sudden strike of anger hit him deep at the thought that he had to wait because of fucking hunters. useless humans that feared everything that was more powerful them... if given the moment, he could kill most of them himself.

there was a sigh, one he didn’t need to let out but the practice of it seemed to calm him slightly. quietly, his eyes closed as he slowly leaned back. soon enough he was laying in the shattered pieces around him as if they weren’t there. one more sigh, moved over his lips as he simply laid there. with intention of moving. with no urge to move, eun allowed his muscles to relax

nothing around him but destruction and the darkness of night. silently, he wished for oblivion to fill him to the brim. swallow him whole. if only for a moment. for a small amount of time. perhaps he could leave all of the rest there too. in the dark.

[funkytoesart]

Hii! i just discovered about your comic and i LOOOVE it! I squee seeing how the girl is gutsy and chivalrous loyal.YAS! I devoured it in 2 days and am excited for what's to come. If you don't mind questions, what inspired you to pick korean historical setting instead of others, and also, i'm curious if there will be other unfeminine women in the story, even if they're younger or older and not literally disguised as men like the protag, like among the antagonists, or among side characters? hugs!!

Awwakhg;ahsgl;k Thank you so much!!! I'm so happy you like my lil' comic :') To answer your question, I chose a historical korean setting honestly bc i'm a giant kdrama fan LOL but the secondary reason is that I love writing/drawing historical settings in general and I was particularly interested in that one. Also because I had all these ideas for a story that played into or subverted common tropes in kdramas and cdramas. So it just made sense to tell this story in a historical korean setting :) this comic is basically my love letter to kdramas <3 I'm so happy you like Eun-ah !! Ahhhhh This message makes me so happy :) I hope you have a great day!!

[ijustkindalikebooks]

July was just too hot.

I mean I a very white and pale redhead living in England, and this is climate change should be the next Spotify playlist to be made, it's too hot. I am writing this in 27 degree (celcius) heat and it's not normal.

However, it did mean I got to hide from the sun and read books. This month I read 32 books which were a mix of manga, poetry, fiction and non fiction, these books I'm going to talk about are all books I gave five stars in July.

Fullmetal Alchemist Vol. 24 by Hiromu Arakawa - I won't go into much detail as it's quite far into the series, however I found the volume before this to be filler? Anyway but this one, oh no, no it's not, this is packed with action and filled with story through all 192 pages. I really love this series and there are 27 volumes to read and I can't wait to get through the final few of them. It's just so well written.

I Am The Subway by Kim Hyo-Eun - I am a huge fan of picture books and always look for unique stories told via them and this is definitely a unique and touching, not a story, necessarily but a short exploration of humanity as they go about their day on a subway train running through Seoul. Told by the train itself it explores different people as they go about their lives and it's just so beautiful and the artwork compliments perfectly, I loved it.

Blue Exorcist Vol. 1 by Kazue Kato - With FMA coming to an end, I've been wanting to read a new series, and this is a fantastic first volume of a series. With a great and interesting plot with characters that have personality abundantly, I'm really looking for ward to getting into this series.

Rainbow Grey: Eye Of The Storm by Laura Ellen Anderson - This is such a great series. About a young girl who is endowed with rainbow magic, Rainbow Grey is a fantastic middle grade series. With the clouds disappearing and Rainbow apparently to blame she goes in search for why this is happening and it makes for such an incredible adventure, no matter how old you are. Maybe made me cry a bit as well, not gonna lie.

Middlegame by Seanan McGuire - Look, I think this author has appeared on so many of these posts, but she's just that good! Incredible characters, beautiful scenes, a plot that just kept me stuck to my seat. Genuinely I devoured this book and I need Seasonal Fears as soon as possible. Her storytelling is just impeccable and I highly recommend this book.

What did you read in July? I'd love to hear from you!

Vee xo.

[purgatoriorpg]

WELCOME TO PURGATORIO, ZERO. YOU HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED FOR FALLACIA.

Every character we welcome home to PURGATORIO always feels like a bit like discovering a missing piece of our puzzle, and that was exactly the feeling I had with your application, Zero. This was a richly dark and fascinating exploration of FALLACIA and the space she exists in between the surface level of her veneer and the fairytale monstrosity of her life and family. I particularly loved the thread of reflections and mirror imagery you wove throughout your writing to showcase Ji-Eun’s duality, the division between girl and monster, and the blurring of those lines. Your writing is a sheer delight to read — visceral and raw, but also devastatingly lovely. “Darling, sometimes the truest freedom is in being allowed to be the absolute worst version of yourself, the crack in the mirror a dark so dark it devours light. What is there left for a girl to want, when everything she has ever wanted has been clasped rightly in her hands?” There’s a story of metamorphosis in all fairytales, a through-line of transformation and destruction. Ji-Eun represents something new and ruinously dangerous for our game and I cannot wait to see how you unravel all the threads we’ve spun so far.

To begin your descent, please refer to this checklist as your guide and submit your blog within 24 hours.