#from Eden superiority!!

[thesherrinfordfacility]

the absolute hubris to put starman on this list

[rhineposting]

oh so you think you're ceo of rhinedottir gold the great sinner, well then. is your rhinedottir fursona design voice actor approved

didn't think so

[ao3cassandraic]

Kayfabe: A Good Omens meta

"Kayfabe," in wrestling, is the performance (including outside the wrestling ring) of whatever storyline is being woven around the wrestlers. Breaking kayfabe is Serious Business for a wrestler; the illusion is part of the event. If you ever wondered how John Cena could anchor an entire HBO miniseries brilliantly, kayfabe is a big part of the answer.

Because of their histories and how their respective Head Offices treat them, Crowley and Aziraphale approach their version of kayfabe -- their whole "I am an angel! You are a demon! We're hereditary enemies!" schtick, also their "we are good bad proper little footsoldiers, honest, Boss" schtick to their respective Head Offices -- very, very differently.

I promise there's a point to this. I PROMISE. But let me walk through it first.

Both of them know that one awkward question to Upstairs at the wrong moment and its Fallsville. Crowley, however, knows a couple of things that Aziraphale doesn't have to:

Punishment isn't just once; in some ways, the Fall is never over. Beelzebub or Hastur can throw you in the Dung Pits whenever, after all, or feed you to a Hellhound, or zap you like an Eric. Crowley's lot do not send rude notes. (s2: we do not know what happened to Crowley after Hell dragged him back at the end of the Resurrectionists 'sode, but I think it safe to say it was not great for Crowley. Litotes: your key to quality meta.)

Downstairs can and does check in -- or drag Crowley Downstairs for a chat and possibly a bit of idle torture -- whenever they feel like it. Downstairs seems pretty disorganized, especially its leadership, so I'd expect ad-hoc surprise inspections from them. Downstairs can invade Crowley's flat's TV, his Bentley's radio, and his very mind to perform those inspections. Crowley is never, ever safe from this. He can't relax. Ever.

Heaven, on the other hand, has 37 levels of scriveners and zero interest in Earth. Talk of "reprimands" and "miracle budgets" and Michael being a stickler and whatnot suggests a formal review process happening on a schedule, governed largely by the dreaded (but quite possibly fake-able or spinnable) "paperwork" rather than direct observation by Aziraphale's peers or superiors. Otherwise, Aziraphale is usually left to his own devices. Remember how startled he is when Gabriel shows up at the sushi restaurant in s1? This is unusual!

(We also know from Muriel that Heaven's records office doesn't seem to get consulted a whole lot. It's possible this just means that first-through-thirty-sixth-level scriveners handle everything, but in my experience of large bureaucracies, it's the folks at the bottom of the hierarchy who invariably get run off their feet first. Don't see why Heaven would be any different.)

Moreover, Heaven's punishments seem pretty light, on the whole? Our angel is so anxious and so sensitive to slights that I'm sure the reprimands aren't fun, and nobody likes a reduced miracle budget... but Heavenly "needs improvement" reviews don't seem to be a patch on the Dung Pits. The real threat is Falling, which is more than horrible enough to serve as deterrent; Heaven doesn't need to add torments.

Moreover moreover, Aziraphale is mostly aligned with his Head Office in a way that Crowley really, really isn't. I'm sure Aziraphale does a lot of his Heaven assignments with a song in his heart and a skip in his step -- it's mostly not smiting or the like. Crowley... probably spends a lot of his work time figuring out how to obey the letter of Hellish law while defying its spirit. Crowley's in far more danger of angering his bosses.

So Aziraphale doesn't have to keep up kayfabe a lot of the time, not even while interacting with Crowley. He can and does save it for the rare occasions Heaven takes a personal interest. Crowley, however, must keep up kayfabe always, whether Aziraphale's there or not. The courage it must have taken that snake to slither up the wall of Eden!

The way Crowley navigates his permanent need for kayfabe is twofold. First, his all but instinctive refusal to accept any positive word or compliment about himself or his actions from anyone ever -- "I'M NOT NICE!" If Hell were ever to hear someone characterizing Crowley that way... That's also why Crowley is a bit less exercised when Jimbriel calls him nice: "nobody'll ever believe you."

Second, a species of Orwellian doublethink: maintaining a running commentary in his head of how he's going to justify any unHellish actions to Hell, since he can never know exactly when he'll have to or what exactly they'll have a bug up their butt (sorry, Beez) about. Even high as a kite on laudanum in the Edinburgh cemetery, Crowley can explain his current justification (in a curiously sober voice -- is Crowley ever really high in that scene? or is it all kayfabe? I lean toward kayfabe) to Aziraphale, "Not kind! Off my head on laudanum, not responsible for my actions."

We can see the kayfabe mismatch play out a few times, and it does appear that Aziraphale gets more concerned for Crowley's safety and more aware of Crowley's need for kayfabe post-Arrangement. That doesn't mean he always remembers, of course -- he wouldn't, he just doesn't have that same desperate need. And, of course, the ineffable walnuts do not communicate, as s2 went to some lengths to point out. I do think kayfabe is part of that -- it's hard for Crowley to be sincere when he's constantly doublethinking, and Aziraphale's off-and-on involvement with kayfabe (and all his other tendencies toward lying) disincline him to achieve or even learn about honest communication.

One s1 scene I went back and rewatched while thinking about this was the Globe scene, which contains Aziraphale's Saint-Peter-esque three-time denial of Crowley. I find it easy now to read that as Aziraphale going "oh crap do I need to drop back into kayfabe now? I didn't break kayfabe, did I?" and Crowley grinning, at least partly as reassurance. (Partly, of course, because Aziraphale is cute and funny even when kayfabing -- and partly because Aziraphale's sudden drop into kayfabe is Aziraphale trying to protect Crowley, of course Crowley's pleased by that.)

The wall pin, now that I think about it, also gains a little nuance from this. Crowley's fear-laced ire is genuine, but how many times must Aziraphale have heard Crowley snarl at him not to break kayfabe in this way? No surprise he's a little unimpressed. (With Crowley's demand. He's clearly very impressed by Crowley.)

In the s2 Job minisode, Aziraphale hilariously drops kayfabe (and that epic whole-body halo, loved that, great job FX folks) almost immediately. Crowley allows it, because Crowley is on firm ground -- Hell will be just fine with Crowley wrapping the angel in a Chuck-Jones-cartoon amount of scroll parchment and flipping him off.

When angel and demon collude on the con later, of course, they observe kayfabe, improv-style -- Crowley helps Aziraphale deal with the Job's-children situation without giving either of them away to the watching angel posse. Interestingly, it's Aziraphale who de-gecko-izes the kids. That gives Crowley an out, sort of: "look, the mansion collapse missed them because they were in the cellar, I turned them into geckos, totally Hellish thing to do, they'd never survive in the wild, but then this bloody interfering angel went and changed them back!"

And how does Crowley console a distraught angel who thinks he's about to be dragged to Hell? Crowley explains kayfabe in the fewest and clearest words possible. "Well, yeah, you did, but... I'm not going to tell anybody. Are you?"

So yeah. That's kayfabe for the Ineffable Walnuts.

But I promised there was a point to this, didn't I? Yes, I have a point.

My point is...

my POINT is...

my point IS...

(not dolphins, not this time)

My point is, how much of s2's Final Fifteen Minutes is kayfabe?

That's my point.

[dreams-shape-the-world]

I love Shakespeare, and I love Hamlet, compound that with the fact that they had Aziraphale and Crowley at the Globe Theater while they were playing Hamlet put me over the moon.

What I find most amusing, is that both Michael Sheen and David Tennant have both played the part of the Danish prince.

So we have our favorite angel and demon, meeting at the Globe because of their new "arrangement" to do miracles or temptations that are just plain and simple, a pain in the ass to do, but management wants them to do anyway.

They also discuss the fact that if either one of their sides knew about the "arrangement" it would be abysmal for them. We know what eventually happens to Crowley later on in the future, when he saves Elspeth from attempting to take her life.

I think the one thing that is key with this part of their history, is how much concern Aziraphale has started to show for Crowley. Even though he denies ever knowing Crowley, he is nonetheless worried about his wellbeing. These are the early stages of their relationship, with Aziraphale voicing his distress at the possibility of Crowley being destroyed if caught by his superiors.

During their conversation, Hamlet is playing on stage, and Aziraphale loves this play. Unfortunately, it's not that popular and it concerns him very much. They then have their coin toss to see who get to do the good and bad thing in Edinburgh.

Poor Aziraphale loses that toss and get stuck having to go there. At this point, Aziphale hears Shakespeare bemoan the fact that no likes Hamlet. This is where Aziraphale gives Crowley the, what has been called, his "heart eyes" looks. I call it the, "oh please my dear, can you do this for me?" look and Crowley just can't say no to him.

It doesn't even take him a second to agree to his angel's request, so much for putting up a fight. He never has a chance, Crowley already has it bad and doesn't even know it.

I will say, that to me, Crowley fell in love first with Aziraphale. The debate is, when, at Eden or during Job minisode? We can debate that forever, but in the end, he is already in love.

I adore how happy it makes Aziraphale, when his demon capitulates to his wishes. Look at him, he is beaming with happiness, how can anyone not love him.

Crowley makes it like, yea, whatever, but you can't tell me he wasn't smiling as he walked away, knowing that he made his angel happy.

Anyway, I love this whole minisode as I said earlier. It is adorable in their interactions over one of my favorite plays. Plus, Elizabethan Crowley is just gorgeous!

[cerise-on-top]

Love Languages

What is says in the title. I have no requests right now and I thought now would be a good time to write these, I've been meaning to for over a month now, I think. General fluff, relationship to reader is romantic. GN!reader. Only thing I can think of would be one somewhat dirty joke. But it's literally just Alejandro teaching reader a phrase in Spanish and that's about it.

Price: Acts of Service. He’s been in the military for a while now and, while he may be used to giving orders these days, he remembers the days well where a superior would yell at him to do something. Price is well aware that the chances of survival go up tremendously when everyone is working together as a team, regardless of whether you’ve been given a command to help your pal out or not. It’s almost subconscious, actually. You drop something without you noticing? He’ll pick it up, trailing behind you while carrying it. The dishes need to be done? He’s on it immediately, maybe whistling a song even while he does so. You’re in need of medication? Mans notices when you’re running out before you do and always makes sure to get the prescription and or the meds if he’s able to. And if he can’t then he’ll remind you to pick them up, going with you. As a captain, he’s a busy bee, always filing reports and doing whatnot, so him taking the time out of his day to do something, no matter what, isn’t as small a thing as one might think. It doesn’t even matter how small, repetitive and tedious the task is, he’ll do it just for you. Won’t make a big deal out of it, though, just you noticing he did something for you is more than enough. Give him a kiss in return while thanking him and he’ll be the happiest man alive as well.

Gaz: Words of Affirmation. While it’s hard to pin down one love language for him, he absolutely adores making you feel loved using his words. He can be a cheeky bastard, sassing just about anyone he knows he’ll get away with relatively unharmed, always knowing what to say to make just about any situation go from dreadful to a bit more humorous, for the most part. Gaz does well with words, plus he can also read facial expressions very well. While there might be some guesswork involved from time to time, if you let him, he’ll find the right words fairly quickly. Doesn’t matter if you just want to be told how handsome you look in your new suit, or if you want to be comforted after being let down one too many times. Finding the right time to be silent is also an art, Gaz has mastered it. It comes natural to him, speaking to his loved ones, that is. If he can, he’ll accompany his sweet words with other love languages as well. It’s not uncommon for him to shower you with compliments while twirling you around, giving you a beautiful bracelet, or simply putting his head on your shoulder. This man will hype you up, no matter how insecure you feel. But don’t ever doubt his words, he’s as sincere as it gets with you. If you do then he will make an entire PowerPoint presentation on why you’re as amazing as you are. Has no qualms about holding said presentation either, by the way.

Ghost: Acts of Service. Don’t get me wrong, he loves touching you and getting to touch you, if he could he’d always intertwine his fingers with yours, but he’s not always sure if he should touch you. Would it make you comfortable? Do you even like being touched right now? Sometimes he might be self-indulgent, but it’s not too often. However, performing just about any task for you, he knows that won’t upset you. The trees and hedges need to be cut? You don’t have time to go grocery shopping? Can’t beat this seemingly impossible video game boss? Yeah, he’s got your back. He’s not too shabby at most things in life. Ghost can notice and memorize things very quickly, he’s got enough experience in life to know what to do in most situations plus he loves you dearly, so he’d literally crawl his way to Eden and pick the fruits of the tree of knowledge if you demanded it. If you ask him to do something with you, though, then I can tell you he’s smitten. Loves grocery shopping with you, loves it if you hand him the wrench and hold the flashlight while he repairs something, loves feeding the strays outside your home with you. If you ask him to do something together then he gets the feeling of his affection for you being reciprocated, so never be ashamed to ask him for something. You could literally just ask him for a hug and his heart would soar in the heavens.

Soap: Physical Touch. He grew up with a loving mother who would smother him in hugs whenever she could. He didn’t particularly grow out of that either, he’ll still return any hug his mother gives him to this day. Having grown up in a very physically affectionate household, he took after his family and thus loves touching you in any way he can. Whether it’s ruffling your hair or putting your foreheads together, he just loves being close with his loved ones. Even his friends he’s very touchy feely with. It’s reassuring to him, feeling his loved ones, their warmth, hell, even feeling their pulse is nice. It’s not a given in his line of work, after all. Friend or lover, doesn’t matter, he’ll give you a hug, he’ll cuddle you, he’ll playfight with you. Has a very hard time toning it down and his heart breaks a bit every time someone asks him to not touch them as much, he genuinely can’t help it. When he’s lonely he becomes extra affectionate and isn’t afraid to ask you for some cuddles either, they’re very calming to him. If you return his affection, even if it’s awkward for the both of you, he becomes very happy, almost beaming with joy if you’re not a touchy person normally. Initiate a hug for once and he’ll never want to let you go again. But beware, his hugs are extremely tight. If it wasn’t as embarrassing, I’m sure he’d sleep cuddling something as well. However, it’s not the most manly thing to sleep with a plushie, so he settles for another pillow mostly. Will invite you to take a nap with him, though.

Alejandro: Physical Touch. He’s among the people of his culture who are more tactile. It’s a similar situation to Soap, he learned that from home. While he may not be as prone to being touchy with a friend, unless you’re very close, once you’re lovers he loves nothing more than having his hands on you. Not even in a dirty way, he’s more than content just having his hand on your shoulder too. Will give you massages, lots of kisses and will generally just pull you close to him. Might pick you up and spin you around from time to time as well. He’s a strong lad, so I can assure you, he will be able to pick you up. Not very fond of PDA for privacy reasons, but once you’re home alone, he’ll be all over you. Find a reason to touch him back and he’ll smother you. While he can respect you if you don’t like being touched, he will be sad a bit, but will find alternatives. He’s a very affectionate guy with the ones he loves. For what it’s worth, if you’re not a touchy person and can’t speak Spanish very well, you can say some nonsense and it’ll make him smile every time. Though, beware, he’s not above teaching you things such as “estoy caliente” either. It won’t lead to anything, but he will crack up whenever you say it to Rudy, with the latter being severely disappointed in Alejandro. You trying to speak or learn Spanish shows him that you’re trying to put in effort into learning his culture, which he can appreciate, naturally.

Rodolfo: Quality Time. Much like Ghost, he’ll love you forever if you give him hugs on the regular, maybe a peck on the cheek too if you’re together, but he won’t force anything. It’s ingrained in him that men really shouldn’t be weak, though, ironically, you can see him be just a tad bit softer with lads. A close second for his love language would be gift giving. He earns enough money to buy you something nice from time to time. But other than that, he doesn’t have too much time either, and what little time he does have he wants to spend with you. Sure, he can’t exactly make time for you during a mission, but regardless of how tired he might be, he will drag himself out of bed just to be with you five minutes longer. One activity he particularly enjoys the day after he came home from deployment would be simply taking a nap together. Doesn’t matter if you’re cuddling or not, though he would prefer if you would. He gets to rest, you get to rest, both of you are happy. Besides, whenever he gets to be near you he won’t have to worry about anything happening to you. Considering he’s confident enough in his abilities to keep bad people away from you, he likes having you close as well. You don’t even need to be talking, it could just be the both of you cooking together and eating afterwards, that’s enough to make him content. He can tell when you’re doing your best to make time for him as well, and it warms his heart every time.

Valeria: Gift Giving. She’s the undoubted queen of not having much time for anything at all, and she can’t always make time for you, or most people, either, which is why she’ll opt for other means of showing her affection. While some gifts may take time, those being the special ones, it’s normally something quick she can get you. Some new clothes, some sweets, or something else entirely. She rarely ever gets to give them to you in person, regardless of how badly she wants to see your beaming and surprised face, but she never forgets an important date, her memory is just good like that. Your anniversary, your birthday, your pet’s birthday, she has it all memorized and will get you a gift accordingly. You don’t have to give her anything in return, though, her tastes are very expensive. If you really wanna show her how much you adore her in a way she can easily comprehend, do her some favors. Clean the house, make her a meal, give the soldiers asking for her some misdirections so they won’t catch her. It’s not often she likes someone, much less actually trusting them, but she can appreciate someone, who genuinely wants to help her out, even in the small ways. She might sometimes think that you’re just trying to get a favor out of her, but if you genuinely never ask for anything big even she will doubt her theory and will trust you more. Love goes through the stomach, cook her a delicious meal every once in a while and she’ll love you even more.

Graves: Words of Affirmation. However, it should be noted that that’s just his main way of showing affection, he shows affection in every other way as well, very much so even. It’s hard to pin him down as well, he changes it up every once in a while. But what always stays the same is him giving you small compliments throughout the day. If he can’t tell you how much you’re rocking the garments in person, he’ll leave you a handwritten note to build you up. Very chatty, unlike Gaz, he loves hearing himself speak and will stop at nothing to attain the feeling of just saying something. Considering he’s from the southern part of the United States, he throws around petnames like it’s nothing. If you like it, good, if you don’t, he won’t particularly stop either. In fact, he might get more cheesy and cliche with them as well. Not as eloquent as other people might be, he’s a commander, not a poet, but just as sincere. You look fucking awesome, darlin’. They should make a Met Gala just for you. Will also tease you in a loving way. Bullying his loved ones into blushing is his most genuine way of showing love. Once he teases you, you can be certain this guy really likes you. The formalities are finally over, now he can be genuine and honest with you. Give him strong reactions and he’ll love you even more. Don’t try to fluster him back, though. Conversations like those are competitions and he’s the most sore loser on the planet.

Alex: Physical Touch. Words of Affirmation and Acts of Service are also strong with this one, but I’m limiting myself to one here. As I’ve said a few times already, he loves, loves, loves getting to hug and cuddle you. If you’re together then he has no shame in showing PDA either. Will initiate physical touch, will ask you for physical touch, he’s not ashamed at all. A guy needs what he needs, after all. Even just small touches are more than welcome with him. Hand on your shoulder, his fingers combing through your hair, deliberately leaning against you when he’s tired. Snuggle up to him after a rough day, he’s so gentle with you and will make you feel as loved as he can, either by distracting you with the top ten list of top ten lists of what he loves about you, or by watching a VOD on YouTube with you. Even if you aren’t too touchy, make an effort to initiate physical contact with him, he notices it immediately. Won’t push you, he might stop if you really hate physical contact, but will make it up to you with other love languages. Give him a kiss and he’ll rest his head on your shoulder, with eyes bigger than that of an anime girl. The heart irises are there too, of course. If he’s had a rough day, then please hug him, or better yet, cuddle him. It makes him feel a lot better, drifting off to sleep with your comforting touch. This guy would set a forest ablaze just so you can feel some warmth.

Farah: Quality Time. Unless you’re part of her liberation force, she likely has next to no time for you either. And even then, time alone with her is sparse. You can make plans with her, but chances are she’ll have the revolution on her mind, what her next step should be and how her enemy might prevent her from getting what she wants this time. It’s hard for her too, trust me, but she needs to be prepared, always. It’s not often she actually can do so, but she’ll try to make plans with you without her mind wandering. She’s usually so focused, but also hyper aware of the bad things that could happen. So, sometimes she sits herself down with you and thinks of only the things she wants to do with you. Order takeout, cuddle and maybe read some books as well. Despite not usually being one for things like that, evenings like those will be the only times she’ll try to take better care of herself. By which I mean, if you have a skincare routine, she’ll try it out with you, asking you questions about what this and that might be and what it does. If you have a face mask that evening, she’ll laugh a bit, but won’t be opposed to trying it out either. It’s rather sudden when she does have time, but it’s time well spent. Show her affection in any way, she’ll always appreciate it. Give her a kiss, tell her how much you love her, buy her some fresh baked goods, she’ll fall in love with you all over again, again and again. Once the fighting is done, she’ll repay you with everything she can, give you whatever it is she has to offer and make sure you can feel just as loved.

Laswell: Gift Giving. She’s not particularly one for physical affection, she much rather shows it through things that reminded her of you. That nail polish looked like it would go well with your new outfit, you’ve been eyeing that necklace for a long time, using a scooter to get around the city was something you’ve been into for a while. She always remembers every single small detail that might be important later on. You like Sanrio. You like motorcycles. You like sports. Because her memory is amazing, she’ll always get you something you’ll like. Even when you forgot something or haven’t thought about it in a while, she’ll remind you. Especially nice things. Brains are always biased towards the bad, she wants you to see the good in yourself and your surroundings. But aside from those two things, she’s rather versatile as well. Her words can make even your biggest insecurities temporarily go away. She isn’t always eloquent, but she can be if she wants to be. Quality Time is a given to her. If she can and you want to as well, she’ll spend every minute of her wake with you. Even when you aren’t around to do any of it and she has time to do so, the dishes will be washed, the clothes in the washing machine will be neatly hung up and the living room will be clean. Now, if you want to make her feel loved, give her some genuine words. She hears lies on the daily and knows when people are being insincere, but seeing you give her a genuine smile while telling her that she looks like a goddess in her new dress sort of does something to her. You don’t need to use the prettiest words, just say what you think, tell her how much you love her, that’s all she really needs.

Nikolai: Acts of Service. Another wildcard, he’ll do whatever makes his partner happy. But if we’re talking about his genuine self, the one that doesn’t do whatever makes you happy, then it’s Acts of Service. It’s unprompted too, for the most part. Whatever he can find out, that makes your life easier, he’ll do. He’s a real handyman for all sorts of things and in real good shape too despite his age. Mans can repair a helicopter, he can do the same for your heater in winter. Never be afraid to walk up to him and complain to him about something not working, he’ll fix it himself in record time if you let him. Doesn’t mind his hands getting dirty either, that’s just what happens. Big things, small things, doesn’t matter. Let him take out the trash or let him fix the engine of your car, he can do both. Hell, if you need someone taken care of in the most brutal way possible, if you need some dirt on someone, he’s also your guy. If he really likes you, then chances are he’ll do some of it for free as well. He’s competent enough in just about everything, he has the experience, so whatever it is you need done, he’ll do it. But if you ever were to do him a favor like that as well, he’ll be overjoyed. Most of the time showing affection is subconscious to him, but once it clicks, and it will fairly quickly since he’s a smart cookie, he’ll give you the most loving smile. You don’t have to kill someone for him, just baking him a delicious pie is more than enough. You make his life easier as it is, but the occasional baked good or gifting him a nice bomber jacket won’t hurt either.

König: Acts of Service. I guess Acts of Service just come with age. Not too big on showing physical affection, not the best with his words either since he can still get nervous around his loved ones from time to time. Another big contender would simply be Quality Time. He much prefers not having to talk all the time, so you knitting while he reads the news would be ideal for him. Being near each other in silence is the best thing he can imagine, that way he can show you how much he loves you without straining himself too much. Acts of Service because he’s old enough to realize that if you really do love someone, you’ll make their life easier in any way, shape or form possible, even if it’s just putting chicken nuggets in the oven just before they come home from work. Besides, despite it being tedious, he doesn’t hate cleaning as much as some other people do. It’s calming to him, seeing his living space be decluttered. So, it helps him and it gives you less work to do at the end of the day. Another way he shows affection is by warding off creeps with his presence. Being around you makes him protective over you. Now, you can spend your time with him in silence, or just occasionally talk, he’ll eat that right up and love it, but you can also give him the occasional hug or cuddle. He won’t mind, but don’t overdo it. He’s not a particularly cuddly person, but he will appreciate you standing on boxes just so he can lean into your shoulder for once, if you’re shorter than him. It’s the small things that count. Another thing he’ll always enjoy is you maybe knitting or crocheting him a scarf. He’s not sensitive to the cold, but he won’t mind being warm either. Spray it with your perfume or cologne too and he could just pick you up and give you a little kiss.

[raginglesbian2006]

Lucifer with archangel! sister reader (1)

A/N: Here's something random my mind cooked up!

You and Lucifer were created by God at the same time

So you're both technically twins

As you grew up together, you began sharing your ideas for the newly forming world with him

His ideas, however, excelled over yours and you loved listening to him

When the Garden of Eden was being created, you both snuck out to see it

Safe to say, you were both struck with wonder

Seeing the beauty of creation, Lucifer started suggesting even more excellent ideas to you. They were so brilliant that you urged him to tell them to your superiors

Although initially hesitant, your encouragement emboldened him to present his wonderful ideas to his superiors. He expected them to ponder for a while, maybe even tell him that it would take time to implement into the ever-evolving new world

What he did not expect was to be flat-out rejected and heavily criticized for speaking up against the will of God, his own father

Lucifer had returned to you that day, his wings down and his eyes bubbling with tears

Your golden heart ached as you held him close, letting him rest his head on your shoulders and cry his heart out. You put your wings around him as if to form a cocoon, trying to shelter him from the pain he was going through. You wished you take away his misery

Nevertheless, his pride and determination to see his plans bear fruit overpowered his initial rejection. Day after day, he went to the angelic headquarters to present a modified version of his plans to his superiors, and every single day, he was turned down. But his eyes never lost their sparkle. You loved that about him.

You wished you were as brave enough as him. You wished you could be right beside him urging the higher-ups to listen to him, listen to his ideas, listen to his wonderful imagination. But alas, you pitied yourself for being such a coward. Lucifer didn't mind it at all. He was just happy to have his sister supporting him in his endeavors

One day, you heard a commotion amongst the angels, about a certain creation gone rogue. You tried to find your brother to tell him about what you'd heard, but he was nowhere to be seen. You waited and waited till he finally came to you. His eyes sparkled brighter than ever.

He told you that he'd met a wonderful soul, a human named Lilith. The first woman. She defied her husband, Adam's, subjugation and ran away from the Garden of Eden. Both of them had met by chance and Lucifer was delighted to find that she shared the same sentiment as him.

You could see his face turn red when he talked about this special person. You were so happy to see him laughing and bubbly. You missed this side of him so much. You told him that you were eager to meet this special lady. He said he'd introduce her to you when the time was right.

Still, you felt this gnawing feeling in your chest, almost warning you of something. You brushed this feeling off, happy to see your brother happy.

It wasn't until he was faced with a trial that you felt you should have listened to that doubt in your mind. You wished you'd told him to stop, prevented him from visiting the Garden of Eden, prevented him from meeting Lilith. You shouldn't have urged him to present his ideas to your superiors in the first place.

You couldn't even look at Lucifer when he was on his knees, begging heaven, begging his own father, to listen to him, to see his ideas. Your overwhelming guilt prevented you from seeing your brother one last time before he was cast down to hell.

The last thing you heard from Lucifer was his screams, as he fell from heaven.

A/N: Stay tuned for part 2!

[tvgirlcore]

how would adam in eden treat his first wife reader

Was he an asshole before eve and lilith left him?

HOOOOLY CRAP GUYS. i went down the BIGGEST rabbit hole for this (perks of being sick and having free time)… first request!!!! (AND FEEL FREE TO LEAVE MORE :)) tysm!!! and with all the background research, i cooked !!! (proofread + i tried my best to make this accurate)

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

how would adam in eden treat his first wife reader?

was he an asshole before eve and lilith left him?

(no warnings, no pronouns used, but suggested you are his wife ^_^)

— in my opinion, lucifer pretty much messed with his whole love life. i think he would be much more chill than he is now. but to try and match his character, he will be a little egoistic.

you were adam’s first wife, and to him, you meant a lot.

seriously, being the first man on earth he grew to be a bit egotistical. but, you helped tone that down from him. 

you knew he thought higher of himself, but you tried to remind him that humans should all be equal.

life was wonderful in eden. after spending time in eden with him, you both realized you were falling deeply in love with each other.

“hey, i think i’m in love with you.”

adam says with a grin, and you can’t help but reply,

“me too.”

and your relationship bloomed from there. he thought you were the most wonderful woman he would ever meet.

and as a few years passed, you became adam’s wife. 

he could hardly believe it, considering how dumb he was. you were like a goddess to him. beautiful in every way, even if you didn’t think so. he would always tell you how important you are to him.

you spent days upon days with him, and you would plan various things to do.

one of your favorite activities was spending a day in the warm sun, prancing in meadows and playing in creeks.

adam just adored you, sometimes he got a little embarrassed to participate because of his somewhat  ‘manly’ ego, but if you asked him to do anything, no questions, he’d do it right away.

“babe, there’s a bunch of flowers in your hair.”

he says, gently leaning forward to pick some of the succulents out of your hair. you two sat in the meadow, as adam hummed while doing so.

“what happens when we die?”

you say curiously, and adam looks at you wide eyed.

“oh, sweetness, don’t worry ‘bout that, ‘kay?”

you silently nodded, curling close to him. the sun was starting to set.

you two shifted on your backs to look at the stars, and he listened intently as you mumbled about the different constellations.

and soon, he knew when your speech got slower, and your hands stopped pointing up at the sky, you had fallen to slumber. and he follows quickly.

͙͘͡★

and you remained close, in love for years to come.

when it came time for death, you both succumbed.

when you made it to heaven, you were there together.

he was so happy, happy he is able to spend the rest of eternity with you.

extra / if he left you for eve + lillith (angstyyy kinda?)

when you and adam got married, you knew this wouldn’t last forever. you love him, so so much, but you knew he didn’t love you fully.

and that’s just who he was, perhaps. he was always eyeing other women, thinking he was superior to you, and seemed to become a bit short tempered around you.

and that’s when you couldn’t take it anymore. you confronted him, tears in your eyes.

and he left.

left you for eve, left her for lillith.

you knew there was no end to it, but when you became an angel, you saw just how fucked up he was.

he was even worse now, somehow, and you knew it was all his wives fault.

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

research/long blabber about adam’s backstory i looked up to understand him further even after rewatching hazbin 4 times…  adam’s first wife lilith married lucifer,, lilith and adam fought (as of religious text) demons =sinners and freedom with a life in heaven =exterminations lilith = left and kinda evil? adam =first man earliest of man and kinda worst of man? (according to lol more religious text blah blah blah) uprise because lilliths singing which adam took advantage of? alastor’s master = lillith..(theory i think) OH GOD IM SO CONFUSED anyways. lilith hates subservience (willingness to obey others unquestionably) that’s why she left adam?? adam =toxic masculinity. eve left to eat the apple from lucifer ADAMS EX-wife set lillith up? or what. first human. after his wife’s? he’s EXTRENELY cocky and arrogant in charge of annual extermination of sinners (because of overpopulation) is mean because he thinks it’s hilarious, who’s gonna stop him? adam thinks no one can change, and thinks heaven and hell is a great system. basically abuses his power..  lucifer had a baby with adam’s ex-wife and is indirectly responsible for adam losing out on paradise. adam didn’t eat the fordbifden fruit which is why he acts the way he does? god complex cuz he’s firsy man. lillith was the first woman in hazbin, lilith left because adam thought higher of himself. EVE ATE THE FRUIT of knowledge! i tried to use my brain to the max to make this so I HOPE YOU ENJOYED!!!

[corruptedcaps]

Mallbrat

This story is based on this wonderful tweet by @shadow211e. Enjoy!

Despite Mel coming from a rich family, she had always seen herself as someone who was above the shallow, materialistic pursuits of the women who frequented the upscale mall in the neighboring town called Eden. She hated how bitchy and superficial the people were that frequented Eden, she was much more at home on the soccer field. Yet, today was different. She had come here with a pure intention: to find the perfect gift for her friend Katie.

Katie was a huge lover of fashion and followed all the latest trends but could barely afford the clothes she bought from the thrift store. Katie often told Mel that she was happy with her thrift store finds, that it made her more resourceful but Mel could see the sadness behind her best friend’s eyes.

Mel knew it would be hard, being a tomboy shopping for a dyed in the wool girly girl but she was determined to get her something perfect. It was just so overwhelming. The mall's glistening storefronts, adorned with designer labels, had always made her uncomfortable, but now she felt exhausted looking at a myriad of shoes, dresses and makeup, not knowing where to begin.

Taking a moment to sit down and gather her thoughts she watched as the bitchy girls of her school stride past flicking their hair and giggling at a joke she was sure she was the butt of.

As she was about to get up suddenly a perfume saleswoman appeared and sprayed something in her face. “Hello Miss, don’t you just love the smell of our new signature scent, ‘Entitled’. It’s such a hit that the mall will be pumping it through the air conditioning for today only. Make sure to buy your bottle before you leave today.” The saleswoman said to Mel who was coughing as she took the sweet fragrance in the face.

Before Mel could complain the woman had disappeared into thin air. Annoyed but undeterred from her task, Mel went back to walking the mall. As she strolled past boutique after boutique, something strange began to happen. Her posture straightened, and her steps became more deliberate, mimicking the confident strides of the women who were impeccably dressed around her. She pushed her chest out in front of her and walked with her chin high in a superior pose.

As she walked past store front after store front gazing at the opulent wears in the windows her mind started to drift from whether ‘Katie would like that’ to ‘I’d look good in that’. One outfit in particular caught her eye. It was a snakeskin style top that looked to have less fabric than her soccer shorts but she felt inexplicably drawn to it. She couldn’t stop picturing herself in its revealing curves.

She would have walked straight in to try it on only she got a look at herself in the windows reflection and nearly gagged. Her hair was messy, face dirty and her nails were chipped. She viewed her own reflection like the girls she saw earlier viewed her.

Mel sauntered into the upscale mall salon, her confidence preceding her. Locking eyes with a poised beautician, she snapped, "I need my hair cleaned and styled. My skin cleaned and moisturized, and my nails manicured. Make it quick." The beautician, catching the haughty undertone, nodded energetically and led her to an open chair.

As Mel settled into the plush seat, the beautician picked up the shampoo bottle labeled ‘Entitled’, the very same brand as the perfume that was spurted into Mel’s face earlier and worked diligently, washing away the remnants of soccer practice and transforming Mel's unruly hair into a sleek masterpiece. Meanwhile Mel found herself in a state of unexpected euphoria, a sensation induced by the intoxicating scent of the shampoo. The fragrance, like a veil of opulence, enveloped her senses, lulling her into a blissful reverie.

So enamoured with the aroma that Mel barely registered when the beautician put a facial mask on her as her hair dried. Her face tingled as she felt the dirt lift, bruises erase and her skin became smooth and imperfection less.

By the time her hair was dry Mel instinctively held out her hand, waiting for the beautician to start work on her nails. The beautician however was a pro and was manicuring Mel’s nails within seconds.

While the beautician worked, Mel’s internal dialogue shifted to a self-indulgent narrative. Thoughts of striving for success in soccer and excelling in academics seemed distant, replaced by a fixation on social standing and personal allure. "Who needs soccer? I'm destined for a life of extravagance," she thought, her mind now captivated by visions of high-society events and glamorous soirées.

Maybe it was how straight her posture was now and how she stuck out her chest and held her chin high but Mel absolutely adored how big her tits now looked. They were practically spilling out of her top and she knew her cleavage would have heads turning.

“Good,” she thought to herself. “It’s about time I caught the eye of a man who can treat me to the finer things in life and is my monetary equal. I’ve wasted so much time with the boys at school. I need a man.”

As the beautician skillfully completed her work, Mel, now adorned in the aftermath of pampering, gazed for the first time at her reflection with a sense of vain satisfaction. The sleek hair, the impeccable facial, the manicured nails, and her impressive breasts painted a portrait of indulgence she couldn't help but revel in.

The beautician, seemingly now intimidated by Mel, inquired cautiously, "Are you happy with the results miss?" Mel's eyes met her reflection once more, and with a dismissive wave, she retorted, "You didn't do much, darling. It's hard to improve upon perfection." The words hung in the air, leaving an awkward pause as the beautician grappled with the unexpected critique.

“But I suppose I better pay the ‘the help’. Here charge it to my black card.” Mel said coldly handing the beautician here matte steel credit card, the one her parents had given her but she refused to use but now could think of nothing more satisfying than maxing it out.

“Thank you miss, we hope to see you again.” The beautician said as she quickly disappeared out of sight as Mel stared at her with disdain. Mel liked how it felt to have someone fear her. It made her pussy tingle.

Mel, fully immersed in the conceited realm she had embraced, stood up out of the chair and sauntered out of the salon. As she expected and enjoyed, all eyes were on her as she walked the mall floor.

She strode confidently into the store that held the outfit that had caught her eye earlier and snapped at the shop assistant to get it for her. The shop assistant quickly leapt to attention and got the outfit for Mel who rolled her eyes at the shop assistant for taking so long.

In the dressing room Mel joyously slipped into the tight outfit perfectly, her body contouring to fabric as if it was made for her. As she gazed lovingly at her reflection, a far cry from the girl that had entered the mall a few hours ago, something began to nag in her mind. This wasn’t right, this wasn’t her. She had come her for Katie not for herself.

And yet the longer she stared at her magnificent body the more she didn’t care. The once happy thoughts about friendship and empathy gave way to daydreams of a luxurious lifestyle, filled with adoration and admiration. "Katie can fend for herself; It’s time she learned that this world can be cruel," Mel mused, her thoughts betraying a growing detachment from her former priorities.

Leaving the dressing room in the outfit she was about to pay for, she didn’t give a second thought to her old clothes laying on the floor until the shop assistant asked sheepishly what she should do with them.

“Burn them for all I care, they’re paupers rags as far as I’m concerned.” Mel said with cold detachment. She looked at the pile as a representation of her past life.

She spent the next few hours at the mall on a shopping spree. One outfit would not make up for years of neglect of her wardrobe. She needed clothes that reflected her station in life, one she had refused to embrace until now.

Along the way the same girls who had scoffed at her appearance earlier approached her cautiously but with new reverie. “You’re Mel right? You go to our school? We should hang out, girls like us need to stick together.” One of them had said.

Mel looked at them with a cold gaze, observing their demeanours. They were pretty and mean but Mel could see they feared her. She smirked knowing they’d be putty in her newly manicured hands. They would be perfect betas.

“If you must, but keep up I don’t have all day. Oh and it’s Mercedes.” She said with a turn on her expensive heels as she walked fast to make the girls try and keep up with her.

Before long the girls had filled her in on the most eligible men and the juiciest gossip. Their last leader had moved towns and they had a power vacuum that Mercedes was now only too happy to fill and they were only too happy to follow.

Mercedes was having such wicked fun that before she knew it the mall was closing. She had bought so much stuff that her new clique each held numerous bags for her as they followed her to the exit. Along the way Mercedes was sure to pick up several bottles of the perfume ‘Entitled’ as she left. She just loved its aroma.

Outside Katie stood waiting for Mel. Mel had told her at the beginning of the day that she had a surprise for Katie and to meet her at the mall. But now after waiting several hours Katie was beginning to worry.

Mercedes and her gang left the mall and made their way to the waiting limo Mercedes had ordered. Mercedes spotted Katie and with an evil smirk got close enough so her former friend could hear her say, “I really wish the mall would keep the riff raff further away from the property. They are ungodly eyesores.”

Katie went beet red at the cruel comment and quickly made herself scarce. She didn’t recognize this new girl that seemed to have her bully group ensnared but there was something so familiar about her.

The End

[novthewolf]

Two’s company, three’s a family - Part seven

Summary : As a cupid, an angel of love, your mission was to make sure everyone was paired up with the right person. Yet you couldn’t get your two most ancient clients to finally end up together. And despite the 6,000 years spent on the case, you couldn’t bring yourself to give them up, oblivious to the reason…

Pairing : Aziraphale x Crowley / GN!Reader x Crowley / GN!Reader x Aziraphale (polyamorous relationship).

Parts : First - Previous - Next

Masterlist : Here

Warnings : long, too long (someone stop me), animal corpse, implied child death, crucifixion, depiction of h0rnisness, mention of s3x, s3xual undertone, alcool, violence, blood, use of french, angst, nazis, anxiety panic, slow burn, english isn’t my first language.

Words : +19,3k (seriously, stop me)

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* 

Love ? Have you ever really felt Love ?

3004 B.C., Mesopotamia

It might be a strange thing to say, but right now you are actually learning how to walk. Oh, you knew the basics, but you never tried to practice on real soil. It felt weird on your feet, gritty and dry; it kept scratching the skin. A mix of tickles and quite pleasant itches. The reason you decided to come down was not to experiment with new sensations but to actually see why you had to bind specific animals together.

You would have asked the other cupids assigned to the mission if they knew anything, but only the principalities were aware of the actual goal. So, as curiosity overtook you, you made your way to the open land once you reached the limits of the forest. You were taken aback by the seemingly huge boat sitting on the hilltop. There were a lot of people, nicely looking at the strange scene behind some wooden fences.

Your eyes followed the multiple coupled animals, and you smiled, recognising the ones you created. Apparently, humans were leading them to that structure, leaving you more confused than ever. Slowly, you ambled to join the crowd and catch glimpses of conversation to try and understand what was actually going on. You ended up resting your arms on the wood and lifting your feet off the ground to relieve the pressure. When you jumped on your other foot, you bumped your right elbow against someone else's left side.

"Ah, sorry! I didn't see you here." You hurried, turning around to meet the unfortunate human.

"Oh, it's really nothing." The person was reassured. You gulped when you recognised him. It was the guardian angel of the Eastern Gate who stopped you from reaching said gate in the Garden of Eden. "Did you hurt your foot? My, you certainly will without any shoes on." He rambled in a worried tone. You started to worry as well. Did you just permanently damage your ride? By ride, you meant your physical body.

"No, no! I'm fine." You backed out slightly when he reached down for your leg. "I'm an angel too. My feet aren't hurt, I hope, and I never heard of... shoes? Anyway, please don't mind me." You dismissed me, looking for a way out.

He didn't seem surprised that you were an angel too. But your shattered heart missed a beat. You didn't mean to confess that. Does he remember your status? If he is aware, is he informed enough about your kind? No walking on earth, no feelings, no meddling in other angels' business. But instead of accusing you of not obeying your superior, he just nodded and actually miracled you some'shoes'. It was a really sweet gesture; you didn't know how to react. You simply muttered a small and bashful thank you and watched him kneel down in front of you.

You squinted your eyes, distruting the gentle way he took your scratched foot and helped you slide it inside the unfamiliar fabric. Once you were equipped, you trampled on the soil, laughing incredulously. It didn't hurt anymore !

"Thank you !" You exclaimed, giddy. And you were grateful to find that your overexcitement didn't faze him; he smiled brightly and joined his hands.

"Oh, there is no problem at all !" He laughed in a breath. Seeing that he seemed open-minded, you yearned to ask him the questions that burned your lips. However, someone interrupted you.

"Hello Aziraphale." A demon greeted him, his yellow snake eyes fixed on the guardian angel's face. He took place on Aziraphale's right side. You audibly gasped out of fear and embarrassment. Those two were the ones you linked back in the garden ! Plus, having a demon so close was still overwhelming.

"Crawley..." Aziraphale smiled nervously, his eyes going back and forth between you and the demon. That was when the redhead spotted you and tilted his head to the side to see you better.

"Hello there." He grinned with all his teeth. Intimitated, you simply hummed as a hello. Crawley then turned to Aziraphale. "So giving the mortals a flaming sword, how did that work out for you ?" He teased.

"You gave your sword away ?" You blurred out.

The angel huffed, flustered, and took some time to figure out what to say next. "There were really dangerous creatures out of the garden; they needed some protection." He rambled your way, then turned to the demon. "And the Almighty has never actually mentioned it again."

Crawley shrugged. "Probably a good thing... What's all this about ?" He gestured at the whole commotion. You nodded in agreement.

"Did they have a sudden urge to build a floating zoo ? Is it a common occurrence for humans ?" You wondered, truly curious.

"Well, they do have particular little quirks, but I never saw it come to that extent." The demon trailed, not meeting your eyes.

"From what I hear, God's a bit techy. Wiping out the human race. Big storm." Aziraphale gestured, and you smelled moonflower and moss, which you learned to recognise as sadness, even if he didn't show it. While Crawley's scent made you crunch your nose, you turned to him and watched his expression swing from outrage to disbelief.

"All of them ?"

"Just the locals." He nodded with tight lips. "I don't believe the Almighty's upset with the Chinese. Or the Native Americans. Or the Australians."

"What about the animals ?" You asked deeply, worried as you grasped his white sleeve. There was limited contact between you and animals, but every time you spent time with them, you felt a strong pull towards them, and you couldn't help but coo and coddle them.

"Oh no, God's not actually going to wipe out every creature." He flinched at your touch and was slowly pulling away. Despite your need for reassurance, you knew none of your fellow angels liked to touch you, so you let go. You felt the demon's eyes on you.

"You see Noah up there ?" He pointed towards the hill, and both of you looked up. "His family, his sons, their wives, and every couple of animals they brought in, they're all going to be fine."

"But they are drowning everybody else." He sneered, truly peeved. Aziraphale couldn't even answer and rather preferred to nod in agreement with sealed lips. Goats bleated in the background, catching your attention, and you turned around. Kids came running along them, blissfully playing and laughing. You shuddered.

"Not the kids. You can't kill kids." Crawley argued. He felt more disgusted by it than he showed, and you tilted your head to get a better look at him. You didn't expect him to care. Aziraphale hummed, darting his eyes away. Your heart sank, and you gulped.

"Well, that's more the kind of thing you'd expect my lot to do."

Yeah, so why isn't that the case?

As if he sensed your doubt, the angel spoke up again. "Yes, but when it's done, the Almighty's going to put up a new thing called a 'rain bow'" He offered with a smile, but all he could muster was a brow raise. "As a promise not to drown everyone again."

You couldn't help but let out a mix of scoff and a grunt. Crawley shared your distaste for the whole idea and mocked it. "How kind."

"You can't judge the Almighty, Crawley. And mh..." He stopped and turned to you inquisitively. He wanted to know your name. The last time you heard out loud was when... You wanted to slap yourself. Come on, you couldn’t be afraid of your own name, now can you ?

"Y/N." You smiled; you were actually happy to introduce yourself. Aziraphale was very nice, and even if he didn't know who you were or what you were, he was treating you with kindness and respect. You weren't sure if you were happy to know that a demon had learned your name. Oh god, what if he told him ?

"Don't fret; I'm sure God got all of this figured out. God's plans are simply:

"Are you going to say 'ineffable'"? Aw, they end each other's sentences. You almost forgot they were bonded. You smiled at the thought before remembering that you were the cause of it and how forbidden it was. You looked slightly red as you rubbed the back of your neck.

And when you thought you couldn't be more flustered, you felt Crawley skip behind you, brush his body against yours, and settle by your side. You were now as red as whatever was the reddest on Earth, and you completely froze up too. He then proceeded to burst your ears by yelling.

"Oi, Shem ! That's unicorn's going to make a run for it." A unicorn was indeed running away from the gathering towards the forest, and you were deeply alert, as you were the one responsible for its bounds. "Oh, it's too late. It's too late !" Crawley howled again.

Tired of his loud voice, you decided to leave and run after the poor creature. "Thank you for everything! Mmh.." You rushed before turning around, not sure how to respond in a non-monotone voice. "Bye bye! Smooches !" Smooches ? Really ?

You heard the angel echoe "smooches ?" as you sprinted away. Even with shoes on, you had terrible coordination and fell a few times before entering the forest, while seemingly hallucinating hearing Aziraphale's voice call you in the distance. Despite trying your best to catch the unicorn in time, you couldn't reach it in time. Instead, rain caught up to you, and you also had to discover how to swim. It wasn't as much fun.

Thankfully, you were able to fly away and find shelter in a cave, cold gnawing at your fingers and feet. And in that moment, you were the loneliest you have ever been. You hugged your knees and stared at your dreadful-looking arm, but you couldn't help but hope the unicorn was safe on the ark.

The minute the level of the water lowered enough for you to search, you didn't waste a second. You roamed for hours, your hair and clothes muddy and wet, tangling around your face and body. A few branches scratch your skin, and pebbles disrupt your messy scout. The sun shone through the branches of the wrenching trees remaining on the land.

That was when you found it. Your breath hitched in your throat, considering the sight in front of you. The water had carried it to the canopy, where the remains of lilac bushes lay still. The long legs of the unicorn lay on the sludge-covered ground. Its beautiful long white mane is all tangled and scattered all across its face, its eyes still open and terrifyingly empty. You didn't even feel your feet move or the tears pouring down your cheeks—just crushing fatigue. It was dead. You were the one who paired it, and now it is gone. God, if you had been faster... Suddenly bursting with adrenaline, you ran and jumped at its side, like you wished you had before it was too late.

You hugged the unicorn's neck as tight as you could, holding on to the vain hope that a heartbeat would be heard. But all you could feel was the wet, cold white coat of the beautiful creature. You couldn't bear to let go; you didn't want to leave it alone. Curled up against its shoulder, you waited. The faint sound of thunder rang through the sky, urging you to look up to that shallow promise that would never make up for anything. Not for the losses, not for the pain. You wish you didn't feel the hurt, but you will be damned if you ever forget the cruelty of that moment.

Footsteps slowly made their way to your miserable form. Your eyes opened on their own, and you looked over to see who interrupted your grieving. And as you thought your heart couldn't be more broken, you let out a desperate cry. Crawley stood there, his golden eyes empty, but his face showed profound sorrow, looking as messed up as you did. A small body draped in a white-drenched sheet was held against his chest. The tightness of his hold reminded you of your own, but the delicacy of his touch made him look so vulnerable. He started walking once again, seeking your eyes, and you felt his misery, adding to your own.

Gently, he rested the small body against the side of the unicorn and patted its head.

"It's not fair." You sobbed, your heart clenching violently, the broken pieces piercing through your lungs.

He kneeled down, seemingly paying his respects like you've seen humans do. "God doesn't exactly do 'fair', if you hadn't noticed."

His red hair hid his face from you, but so did his distress and deep anger. It confused you. Of course you understood how he felt; you just didn't get why. Was it just because it was in his nature to thwart her wishes? But shouldn't he cheer on so many deaths and tragedies? Laugh at pain and suffering, like you have been used to.

"It's just... so cruel, and... I don't..." You couldn't finish the sentence before breaking down in tears. Crawley studied your face, followed the path of your tears, and finally focused on your clenched hands. He inhaled deeply, turned around, sat cross-legged, and gazed up at the sky.

"You might have too much of a sweet heart." In a cheerless joke.

You looked up and saw the majestic bow that adorned the clearing sky among the deadly clouds. It felt like a cynical joke played on you. Mocking you for the naive hope that justice was something God actually cared about.

But... as you peered over the furious demon grieving at your side, you felt less alone and strangely understood. Slowly, your hand went up and down his right arm to soothe his boiling heart, dusting off petals of lilac. He turned around, and you gave him a sad smile.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* 

33 A.D. Golgotha

It's safe to say you were heavily reprimanded for disappearing like that and letting a unicorn get away, because now, thanks to you, they were all extinct. Great job once again; you kept to yourself. Of course, you didn't mention your encounter to anyone.

And yet they didn't punish you; instead, they put you in charge of their new project, "Jesus." He was an incredible human; he was so full of love and kindness that you suspected they used the essence of the Bound itself. Those thirty-three years were fantastic, and you sure were able to stock up on love. You just wish it didn't have to end so soon.

Now here you were, completely defeated. They always had to do that, didn't they? Someone walked up to you and poked your right arm to get your attention. Surprised, you flinched and turned slowly with wide eyes.

"Oh, Aziraphale." You smiled, happy to see him here, since for some reason he was joyful, despite your circumstances. You had decided to give into your heart, only feeling what other people felt. And also, the filter might be broken; it seemed to work just fine with the guardian angel. He was certainly cheerful to be in the presence of the'son' of God, so it felt nice to feel the same.

Aziraphale smiled in return. "Hello Y/N." He then turned to the scene, and his brows frowned. You couldn't help but stare, like you did in the garden. What about him made you stare? You weren't sure, but you were dead set on noticing all the little details of his expressions. He was so expressive, whether it was through his mouth twitching, teeth gritting, or eyes glittering and squinting. The same goes for his smell; you were sure you could guess everything that was going on inside his head.

"Were you assigned to him ?" The gentle voice whispered, as if not to startle you. You thought about your answer. It wouldn't be logical if only cupids were to care for him, so it wouldn't blow your cover. But why did you want to keep lying so much? You slapped yourself mentally. Because he was a principality, because you showed too much emotion for a heartless being, and because you fricking bound him like a demon! But he was so nice, maybe he wouldn't mind... No.

"Yes, I followed him for most of his life." You smiled quickly but definitely stopped gawking his way. "He is a wonderful person." Tears welled up in your eyes, but you knew his existence was still worth it.

The disturbing sound of cracking bones, the hammer, and Jesus's words brought you back to reality, away from the memories. Why do humans never acknowledge good or beautiful things without having to break them? Love was a tricky concept to them, and they didn't really know when to let things be. Because, come on, he was betrayed by a kiss. They used love and trust as weapons. Humans would rather choose hatred and ignorance if it meant they were right and their pride would remain intact.

"Yes, humans can be dreadful creatures. sometimes." The angel nodded. You looked up, flustered. Being used to having yourself as your only companion made you forget to close your mouth and not get lost in your  reflection."

You flinched when he screamed, and you averted your eyes to the ground. A long black robe came into your view. Climbing up from the dry soil to the eyes of the newcomer, you smelled the spice of the naga viper. Crawley was indeed quite angry, alright ?

"Hi Crawley." You greeted me while taking a step closer to Aziraphale, away from the smell.

He acknowledged your presence with a smile and a nod, and you felt the angel stare behind you. You turned around to identify the emotion slithering from Aziraphale, but it was already gone. Still, he was fidgeting with his fingers and slowly backing away.

"Come to smirk at the poor bugger, have you ?" The demon inquired of Azirphale.

"Smirk ? Me ?"

"Well, your lot put him on there." He shrugged.

"What ?" Your incredulous voice resounded louder than you thought. "I thought it was the hate demons." You grasped Aziraphale's sleeve for support, and you fixed him. And he didn't pull away.

"Well, it was, but we, in a sense, let them put him there." He tried to explain the best he could while preserving Heaven's integrity. "And I'm not consulted on policy decisions, Crawley. Otherwise, it would have been a more merciful death." He finally assured you, and you let go, unsure and overall confused.

"Oh, I've changed it."

The two of you turned to Crawley. "Changed what ?" You asked.

"My name. ' Crawl-y' just wasn't really doing it for me. It's a bit too... squirming-at-your-feet-ish." You chuckled at his explanation.

"Well, you were a snake." Aziraphale smirked, and his brow ticked in a teasing manner.

He was? You gulped and bit your lower lip. Thoughts came in a whirlwind into your mind, and you certainly weren't listening to anything they were saying. God, how many mistakes have you committed? The unicorn, the forbidden bound, and letting the snake tempt Adam and Eve into eating the apple. You were a complete catastrophe.

"Did you ever meet him ?" You heard Aziraphale ask.

The step you tried to take back was stopped by confusion. They were supposed to be linked, and when that happens, the people involved spend a lot of time together, as one would expect. So logically, they would at least know if the other had met someone as important as Jesus. What if... You visualised the surrounding bounds, the complete, yet-to-be finalized and the multitude of possibilities. You darted down to observe the bound of the two and realised you were standing in the middle of it. And to add to your feeling of failure, you realised the bound was anything but completed.

You can't even get that right; you mocked yourself. Laughter and tears wanted to escape your throat. Maybe it was for the better, but still, you couldn't bear to be the reason two people couldn't be together, especially not with such a beautiful bond. Perphas, you could try to shoot them one last time. You considered the thought for a moment and slowly decided against it. That was until you heard Jesus cry in pain once again.

"Oh, that has got to hurt." Crawl—no, Crowley hissed. You sniffed, but a small smile settled on your lips. The sound alerted the angel that spined to see you.

"He'll be alright, dear." He reassured me while tilting his head to the side to get a better look at you.

"For sure. Like I said, he's a bright man who wouldn't even hurt a fly; he'll go right up there." Crowley assured me too, gazing up at the sky.

You scratched your arm and hummed in response. Jesus was being horribly tortured for the ideal that love was the best thing life had to offer, and he priotized beyond anything else. The feeling was mutual; you wanted to live by that, if only your peers didn't make it sound so out of place. But you thought the least you could do to honour your philanthropic companion was to respect his beliefs.

"I'll be heading home... I'm heading to heaven. Gotta prepare for his arrival." Your eyes were lost staring at some rock on the ground before retreating away and weaving. "Bye, bye."

"You're sure-" Aziraphale tried, but you were already gone, middling in the crowd where you belonged. A faceless stranger that no one recognised. You turned your blindness spell on and flew up in the sky. You glanced down on the pair and laughed to yourself while aiming. Hopefully you wouldn't have to shoot them again, but come on: how many more arrows would this bound need ?

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* 

41 A.D. Rome

Your invisible form was flying through the streets of Rome at a daring speed. Footsteps running on stone pavers and clothing rubbing against the rough surfaces of the city walls rang in the air. The giggles of the youthful couple were mixing with your own as you twirled around in pure delight. Oh, the sheer happiness of being young and deeply believing that their first love story would last forever.

It might be surprising to hear for some, but cupids were not shooting at every couple. It is your principal job, but most importantly, you were supposed to make sure the world's boundaries were constantly supplied with love. Of course, bounds were the most secure way of ensuring it; not every love story was meant to last forever. And young love is one of the most powerful types, beside unconditional love, as it is filled with hope and innocence.

The young man suddenly grabbed his lover's hand and pulled him into a small, secluded alley. You clapped your hands and soared up in the sky to land on the rooftop of a house. You crawled your way to the hedge of it and gawked down on them with a wide smile. The smaller boy was backed against the wall while his partner was smothering him with kisses on her nose, cheeks, and throat. His arms were passed around his neck as he hugged him lovingly. You supported your head with your hands settled against your cheeks.

The taller boy separated himself from his neck, and he used this opportunity to kiss him passionately. A huge wave of love came rushing up to you, and you inhaled it with vigour, both with your nose and mouth. It raised you on your knees and made you fall down on your back. You basked in the reinvigorating feeling and strung out profusely. The cold stone made the exposed skin of your legs shudder, but the warmth you felt in your heart surpassed any other sensations. It filled your stomach, and you were completely sated.

You hummed deliciously and observed the sky. Now, you were thirsty and still riled up from the emotion, and as always, you didn't know how to manage the thrills coursing through your system. As you came to understand, humans had different ways of dealing with such stirs. The more your body experienced, the more you contemplated your options; you just didn't have the guts to try. Whether it was food, sleep, or sex, You didn't know why; you just had that urge to be human.

Of course, it was absolutely inconceivable for your fellow angels and certainly for the demons too, if you were honest. It was just a different side of yourself that you started to discover. As strange as it is to say, acknowledging to yourself that you made terrible mistakes on Earth made you feel wonderfully uninhibited. You just lack the courage and actual safety to try.

Being unable to talk to anyone about it made you feel so insecure and scared. What if something went wrong ? What if your gifted body wasn't made to experiment anything 'humanly'? Oh Jesus, what if you exploded?! Yes, you had an inexplicable fear of exploding, and you had no idea where it came from. You just needed someone to... Well, actually, you just needed someone.

You rolled to your side and listed all the endeavours you wanted to throw yourself into when you felt an oddly familiar presence. You were alone most of the time; no one was really 'homey' in your heart. So, you kept rolling towards the busiest street, forsaking the lovey-dovey couple. It was a restaurant, and a busy one at that. Still, you managed to spot a red-headed man with much shorter hair than you remembered.

You looked down at your hands, still doubting the choice you made eight years ago. To appease your mind, you slipped down and called off the spell. Maybe they were on a date. Did they eat food ? Yes, you had your priorities neatly organised.

You peeked the upper part of your head through the door frame and found Crowley sitting alone on a stool. Scanning around the restaurant, you were met with the queer sight of Aziraphale playing on his own. Well, maybe it was a tradition of theirs...

"What have you got? Give me a jug of whatever you think is drinkable." He leisured. It peaked your interest, but you didn't initiate any movements. You watched intently when you saw Aziraphale get up from his seat and go up to the demon.

"Crawley- Crowley ? Well, fancy running into you here." Damn, they are definitely the least communicative couple you have ever encountered! Certainly, a bound like that would make it so much harder for them to be apart. You flashed your eyes pink, and that was when you summoned your vision. And you felt like screaming. Their link was still incomplete !

"Y/N ? Golly, it's quite a reunion." Aziraphale chuckled, clapping his hands. He gestured for you to come to the counter too. Unsure, you tiptoed your way towards them. Your mouth opened slightly when you saw the two drinks lying there.

Aziraphale followed your eyes and chirped. "Oh, where are my manners? Would you like a drink too, dear ?"

You blushed and started playing with your fingers. "I never consumed anything from Earth." The stutters you let out doubled the intensity of your embarrassment.

"Anything ?" Crowley insinuated, even though you didn't catch what he meant. The angel did, though, and tsked in a reprimanding tone.

"Still a demon, then?" He gave him a side eye.

The redhead snarked in response. "What kind of stupid question is that,'still a demon?' What else am I going to be, an aardvark?" The angel didn't listen, however, and ordered a drink for you.

You looked down, feeling like you were overstepping a private discussion. Sheesh, your shot has been totally useless, heh? You were really good for nothing, cupid, now were you? "It's really nice of you, but..."

"Here you go, apple and pear juice." The bartender served you right before you could slip away. You eyed the goblet and sniffed the sweet smell of appel and pear, the scent of endermant.

"Don't worry, the taste is way sweeter than house brown; it'll be easier for a first try." His round hand was handing you the drink, and you gently grabbed it, brushing your fingers against his. Bubbles were twirling in your stomach at his consideration.

"Thanks." You mumbled. Crowley huffed with a smirk. When you met his gaze shyly, he winked and grabbed his own cup. A gentle and warm sensation envelopped your body, and you held your cup closer to yourself.

"Salutaria." Aziraphale cheered and went to clank both of your goblets. You and Crowley met him in the hallway, and the vibrations caused your skin to create goosebumps. You enjoyed the feeling, especially when you ran your fingers alongside the texture, like you were doing unconsciously on your right arm. Freezing mid-thought, you rushed to see that your heavily scarred forearm was exposed for anyone to see.

Hiding it in such a hurry caused the pair to study you. You forced out a laugh and raised your glass again. "Heh, a moment of hesitation." You said this before bringing the cup to your lips. In the corner of your sight, you saw the angel moisten his lips.

"So, why are you in Rome for?" Crowley wondered, not caring at all for your discovery, as he finished his drink. You hummed in delight; your taste buds felt like exploding. You darted your tongue out and rolled it around the bit of honeyed pear that couldn't quite enter your mouth. Crowley gulped audibly, as he apparently didn't finish his bevarage as you thought he did.

"Mmh... I thought I'd try Petronius' new restaurant." Adding to the fruity liquid, a heavy wave of macarons and rosé made its way to your nose. You laughed breathlessly, and you were brought back to the conversation. "I hear it does remarkable things to oysters."

"I've never eaten an oyster." Crowley confessed. Do people eat rocks? You tilted your head, confused.

"Oh, well, let me tempt you to..." Aziraphale started, making you gasp.

You weren't the only one spurred up by the vocabulary of the angel; Crowley suddenly turned around to meet his gaze. That is when you noticed he covered his eyes. Despite this, Crowley still looked somewhat exasperated for some reason but was giving hints of macarons as well. Perphas, they were so flustered because you caught them on their date.

"No, that's—that's your job, isn't it?" His expression was tight, laughing through his teeth, his eyes going back and forth between the two of you.

To make sure you weren't the problem, you tried to suggest you join them on their little trip. "I might try an oyster."

He sputtered, realising the mistake he had made. "Oh God... Mh, the taste might be a bit too rich for you." You licked your lips, chasing the saccharine flavour. Crowley looked etched and suggested something out of sympathy.

"They'll be simpler food..."

You put the goblet down and backed. "Don't mind me, I'll see myself out; I still have some, huh, miracles to do!" It was a lie, of course; your lot didn't perform miracles on a daily basis, but you didn't think much of it. Oddly enough, lying didn't bother you that much.

You were so ashamed. You didn't understand why your bow didn't work. Some couples weren't easy to finalise, but you had already shot them twice. Plus, their bound wasn't strained or weak; it wasn't a technical mistake. So why ? "Have fun." You hoped your smile would encourage them to dine together, in spite of your interruption.

"Y/N-" The crowd already covered your body, while you wasted no time scampering away. The moment you were out of breath, you had arrived at the market. Inhaling deeply, you straightened yourself up, trying to sort out your thoughts. Obviously, something was wrong, whether it had to do with you or with them. If it failed not only once but twice, it's because it wasn't meant to be at all. Continuing would be pointless; you had to give them up. You had to.

Why, in the name of love, could you not make up your mind around the idea? Why couldn't you shake off the feeling of excitement you felt when those two were together? Certainly, a bound that would send such love could not be a miscalculation. They made you feel so good, and the theory of your possible addiction is becoming much more plausible now. But you refused to get addicted to them. You had to leave them; if they were meant to end up together, they would eventually do it on their own.

"Would you like to try an oyster, dear customer ?" A merchant interpellated you, since you had stopped only a few steps away. You observed the display of rocks and took a curious look at the seller.

"How do you eat them?" You asked.

"It's easy; come see." He called you over. First, he held the head in a firm grip and brought a knife to the tail of the pebble. He then twisted the knife around and finally slipped it inside. You raised one brow at your own dirty mind and looked away. Finally, as you didn't watch the rest of the show, he levelled the now-open rock to your face. "And you eat what's inside."

You studied the bogger-like thing and sluppered the whole thing, afraid of the taste. And surprising enough, you loved the taste of it, even if the viscous consistency made it hard for you to properly touch it with your tongue. You wondered what it would have been like if you went with Aziraphale and Crowley.

Jesus, you wanted to slap yourself. Stop thinking about them; you couldn't break your new resolution so quickly. And still, the thoughts kept rushing in! How caring the angel had been when he offered you a gentler beverage. The strange device that rested on Crowley's nose, which hid his pretty yellow eyes, The visible fluffiness of Aziraphale's whole being. Or the sweet gesture Crowley had for you, even though you had imposed yourself between him and the white-haired man.

Ok, you are ceasing at all, Y/N; this is ridiculous. You just had to be a burden, now don't you? All of a sudden, a hand tapped on your shoulder, but you were too irritated to answer politely.

"What ?" You snapped and shook the hand right off your shoulder.

And you turned around. You were sadly met with a slack-jawed Mihael, a colleague and former friend of yours, before the war. She was walking—well, you thought she did—but she still floated a few inches above the ground. Her dark pink eyes scanned your face, your fully expressive face, and trailed down to where you lay. She saw you eating, walking, and feeling. Oh God, she saw you snap, broodi, and enjoy. Worst of all, she was, out of all the cupids, the most documented about your situation. Mihael knew. It made her terribly dangerous.

"Please..." You pleaded, reaching out to her, but it only made it worse. She pranced as if she had been burned by your aching hands. Wors couldn't align together.

"Mihael, wait !" You ran after her, but she had already taken off and activated her blindness spell. "No, for heaven's sake !" You then tried to scream your disapproval out of your heart. Running away was the first thing that popped into your mind. Maybe go to the bottom of the abyss to properly cool down. That's how Mihael would come back, or if you were summoned, you'd be perfectly capable of faking your emptiness.

You sighed and detected the scent of desire. It was a brothel—a fancy one. You contemplated the idea of entering and finally deciding to indulge in your sinful interests. Hey, you were about to spend a fair amount of time away from all civilization, not even having light as your company. It would just be another line you'd cross, but you stopped counting the moment you bound an angel and a demon together.Oh God, could you just stop thinking about it? Ugh...

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* 

1354, Balkan merchant caravan, Greece

"We can't just keep every infant we find, Y/N. She's not our kin." Elif lectured you severely. Who was Elif, you may ask? He's the head of the merchant group you've been following for a couple of months. You had met him and his wife a few years ago, for obvious reasons, and now you travel with them in the hope of providing the parental love the two craved.

However, they were never able to conceive. So when you found this little baby girl, you knew she needed them as much as they needed her. Convincing Nazli was easy, Elif—eh, not so much. He wouldn't have an unknown baby as his child.

"We will give her to the next village with a stop-by, and that's final." He gave you a stern look and walked away to the group of men gathering around the fire.

It would have been easy to use an emotional orb to persuade him to keep her, but you knew their link would be hollow and fake; it would never last. You sighed and caressed the chubby face wrapped in a tight blanket, nested in the woman's arms. Her eyes pleaded your way, and you sent her a wave of reassurance.

"I'll take care of it, love. Don't worry." You smiled. You jumped out of the caravan and stretched your arms and back. The night sky was truly a beauty. On the day of your creation, though it's all a blur, you remember that it was also the same day all the stars were brought into existence. It was incredible, a majestic moment you wished you could recall more clearly, but your mind was funny like that.

You sighed, the memories of your last meeting with Mihael coming back to the surface, as you did four hundred years after you spent sleeping in the ocean. Honestly, you didn't mean to sleep; it was just all so peaceful, you couldn't help it. She hadn't said anything to Jophiel or Chamuel, not even her own linked! You were so thankful for that. Adriel was a real pain in the ass.

She came to you, more worried than anything else. I apologise until your ears bleed; you still didn't show the full spectrum of your emotions. You didn't trust her. All Mihael did was warn you, advise you to show minimal emotion, and keep better track of your environment.

Following her recommendation, you strayed from your kindness while still providing enough love so they would let you be. Through all your experiences, the distance between you and your peers grew larger, and even if you shared your emotional capacity, you knew you were a freak. It was all too strong. You felt alone in your emotions. Alone in the world. Under the vast canopy of the night sky, with stars twinkling like distant beacons of hope, you stood alone in the deserted land, your heart heavy with a profound sense of isolation. The world around her seemed to fade into insignificance as she gazed up at the infinite expanse above, feeling small and insignificant against the backdrop of the cosmos.

As you traced the patterns of constellations with your weary eyes, a wave of emptiness washed over you, engulfing you in a sea of solitude. Each glittering star seemed to mock you with its unreachable brilliance, a reminder of the vast distances that separated you from the rest of your kind. The soft breeze brushed your hair, bringing along a particular smell. Images of a certain red-haided demon flashed through your mind. A gasp fell out of your lips, and your heart swelled, beating wildly. You searched franticly, bouncing on your toes.

The moment you spot him, you want to rush and greet him, but his posture and behaviour stop you. Crowley is standing next to a caravan, seemingly hiding behind it. Confused, you take baby steps towards him and wait. Once you arrive near him, you get to see what he was watching.

Thieves and barbarians were steathly making their way down the hilltop to the merchants. They were barely visible to the eye; the bright glow of the campfire seemed to warn the good people, but no one seemed to notice. You bit down on your lip when you realised it was certainly your friend's work. Friend ? You meant the client. The anger you felt wasn't directed at him, and it surprised you.

Well, no, what surprised you the most was his next action. While you thought Crowley was here to supervise everything that went smoothly, he instead did something unexpected. He straightened up, raised his hand, and snapped his fingers. You frowned, completely lost. Now, you were standing right behind him, peeking to see the scene unfold.

A huge piece of marchandise rolled out of a cart, one facing the approaching criminals. Elif, who had been conversing with his men, snapped his eyes at the bag before scanning the area around it. Including the bushy hill. The man spotted the group and alerted the others to get ready to fight or hide. You gasped and glanced over Nazli and the baby, but they were far enough away and well hidden.

Your eyes soften at the realisation of what Crowley just did. He also seemed quite satisfied with his actions, and you knew he was congratulating himself. Yeah, you smelled the mix of whipped cream and blueberries. A smug smirk appeared on your face, and you decided to scare him just a bit.

"How much has changed since I left?" You spoke up playfully, making sure to be as sudden as possible. And your wish was answered when Crowley spun around violently, screaming and bolting away from you.

You laughed despite yourself, but the demon was too stunned to really care. "Y/N ?! You scared the hell out of me!" He crowed.

"It seems like you didn't need my help for that." You accused me teasingly, a brow raised.

His widened eyes finally shrank down, and he gulped. "It's not what it looks like." His voice sounded almost pleading, tugging at your heartstrings.

"Crowley, it's okay. I ain't going to denounce you." You took a step forward and tilted your head. "But I will ask you questions." The struggles of battle could be heard, with the thieves charging at the campers.

He groaned and ran a hand in his hair. It grew longer since the last time, probably multiple times since it had been centuries since you two encountered each other. It seemed to be tied into a low ponytail, and his clothes were still as black as the night, in comparison to yours, which were always colourful.

"So... why are you doing the angels work ?"

He sighed and took some time to respond, allowing the gooshing sound of blood hitting the ground to fill the air. "I guess I could tell you..." Crowley took off his glasses and searched into your eyes. In return, you offered him an encouraging smile.

"Me and Aziraphale made an arrangement... We stay out of each other's way and help when we can." He crossed his arm against his chest, leaning again against the caravan.

"Seem simple enough..." You shrugged before frowning. "Don't... don't Heaven and Hell suspect anything ?" Your voice reflects your concern.

A dagger was thrown your way. Crowley grabbed onto your sleeve and pulled you out of its trajectory, next to him. "Nah, they never suspect anything; you know how they are." He tried to act casual, but you did smell relieved that you didn't freak out.

You hummed and chuckled. "Yeah.." A kind of comfortable relationship settled between the two of you, but you couldn't shake the awakening remaining. Leaving abruptly and disaperating for centuries will do that for you.

"Where have you been ?" The redhead inquired.

You inhaled deeply before answering. "I visited the abyss for a while, and... I kind of fell asleep."

Crowley's impressed smile echoed your embarrassed one when he turned toward you. "You fell asleep ?" He nagged with a chuckle. "For how long ?"

"For about four centuries..." You rubbed the back of your head. The air abruptly carried the piercing cries of the infant, grabbing your attention and sending them right back to your clients. You gasped sharply and held your breath. Two barbarians were sprinting towards the poor woman and the baby. Nazli did her best at keeping them at bay, swinging her sabre around and cutting them off enough to prevent them from getting closer. But their patience was running thin.

"Nazli !" Alerted by gut-wrenching cries, Elif called out to his wife, his eyes widening with terror. But he had no time to think; no, he rushed into action. The chief slashed his way to his love, not stopping for anything. Not even the cart right in front of him, where you and Crowley were currently leaning against.

"Wow." The two of you mused in chorus as the chief jumped right over your heads and landed right behind the two men. He brought his long, curvy dagger to the first's throat and slit it wide open. The cries of the baby kept ranging through the air as you watched in awe and slight disgust as the crimson liquid poured down in a thick puddle on the soil.

"Ew." You murmured, earning a scoff from Crowley, who observed the scene with arms crossed over his chest. The other thief punched Elif in the face, but he couldn't care less. He spit out a mixture of blood and saliva and then plunged his dagger into the attacker's chest with all the rage he could muster.

"Mh, talk about killing for love." Crowley commented. But didn't answer. Instead, you looked at the scene tenderly. Elif helped his wife get out of the caravan, putting his hands around her and the baby. That's when the infant instinctively grabbed onto the man's finger. By the way his breath caught in his throat, you knew it pulled right at his heartstrings. You couldn't help but smile like a complete goof.

After what felt like hours, the marchants finally won their battle. Now was the time to mend wounds and sooth souls. Crowley stayed with you the entire night, giving you two hours to catch up. And despite how much you struggled to admit it, you did enjoy spending time with him. Not because he was a dreadful company, quite the opposite. But you knew you had to keep your distance.

Right now, you sat next to each other, watching the spouses cuddle the baby. In the soft glow of the rising dawn, Elif and Nazli sat side by side next to the fire, their hands clasped together in a silent gesture of love and solidarity. The room was bathed in the warm hues of sunrise, casting a soft, golden light upon their faces.

"Nazli." Her husband began, his voice filled with emotion, "I've been thinking a lot about what you said... Maybe we should take her in."

Nazli's eyes lit up with delight, her heart swelling with gratitude for the man she loved more than words could express. You swore in that instead, as you smelt the intoxicating scent of love, you could sink back into the deep abyss and leave solely on the memory of their love.

"Oh, Elif.." She exclaimed, her voice trembling with emotion. "Do you really mean it ?"

Elif nodded, a smile spreading across his face as he reached out to gently caress his wife's cheek. "Yes." He replied, his voice filled with conviction, "I mean it with all my heart. I want nothing more than to offer you the family you always wanted." His hand caressed the small baby's hair. "Offer her the family she needs. Little Qamirah." He smiled foundly.

Tears of joy welled in Nazli's eyes as she threw her right arm around her husband, pulling him into a tight embrace. "Thank you, my love," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. You smiled tenderly and glanced towards Crowley, your hand gesturing to the couple. He smiled softly and rolled his eyes in anoyance, but you knew how he truly felt.

You retreated from the wholesome, resting your head back against the wooden cart. "Maybe this deal isn't such a bad idea after all."

Crowley mirrored your chuckle. "I guess you could be added to the contract." He jested teasingly.

You gasped happily and smiled. "Really ?"

"Sure, but it'd be best if you stayed on the surface of Earth for that." He nudged your elbow with his own.

"Don't worry." You streched your back and raised your covered arms high in the sky.

Crowley frowned as he took notice of the clothing. "Afraid you'll get a tan?" He teased.

You bit your lip and caressed your right arm. "Nah, more like a fashion choice." You winked. Crowley laughed hoarsely and then streched up his arm. You watched softly as he got up and dusted himself off.

"I'd love to stay, but I got some reel demonic work to do." He waved off and had already started to walk away. In a matter of seconds, you got up and followed after him. Somehow, you didn't want to let him leave, at least not this way.

"Wait !" You called, and Crowley stopped midstep.

"What ?" He turned softly.

Instead of answering, you sprinted towards your caravan and grabbed a plant you had snatched when you went to the other side of Earth and spent time with the Tupi-Guarani ivilization. They have wonderful, complex social structures, rich oral traditions, and extensive knowledge of the natural world. Ah, what a wonderful vacation !

You pulled out the plant; they called it the flower of the moon. It was a stunning plant, prized for its graceful, glossy foliage and elegant white flowers. With its lush, dark green leaves that arch gracefully from the base, the moon flower produces delicate, white flowers with a central spadix surrounded by a white, petal-like spathe. "There you go!" You handed it to him with a bright smile.

Crowley observed this little beauty of nature before looking up at you with an unimpressed expression. "A plant ?"

You rolled your eyes. "Not just a plant, a moon flower. But it's so great to have one of those! You never really feel alone."

His bright yellow eyes stared into your own before he smirked. "It was time for you to emmerge, sweetheart." He nagged.

You pouted and nudged his arm. "Shush. Take the plant, a gift for everything you taught me." He groaned and took it anyway.

"Just so you know, if it dies, it's not my fault." His warning made you chuckle.

"I'll keep that in mind." You winked. "Thank you for your help." He simply nodded as a goodbye before disappearing from thin air.

As you stood there, you felt loneliness crawling its way back onto your shoulders. All the while you stayed with the demon, you never once felt alone. And more than that, you truly experience true understanding, and it was so refreshing... The irony of the situation was truly oddly amusing to you. You didn't trust another cupid, one of your kind, to display every emotion you could have. But it felt so natural to do so with a guardian angel and a demon. Swallowing with difficulty, you observed the newly founded family and felt something echo deep into your soul.

You laughed—a mixture of disbelief and strange relief. Not only were you one of a kind, but you also found out that you weren't alone in this. Yep, maybe you could indulge yourself in their company... Just a tinsy bit...

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* 

1793, La Bastille, Paris

"Rattrapes la, bon sang!" You yelled at the young woman, hoping she would finally decide to run after her friend.

"Non, Y/N." She dismissed her sternly, though the tears threatened to leave her eyes. "Elle a fait son choix; c'est son problème." Turning away from you, she hid her feelings for her friend from you. At least she tried.

You groaned and added exasperation. "Elle a juste eu peur, Lucie. Robespierre est en train de couper des têtes à la volée; c'est tout à fait normal!" Lucie's 'roomate' Madeleine had joined her during the revolution, but the more the franzy took over, the more scared she became. People began beheading anyone who was against the Republic ideology, which included severing the heads of nicely dressed people.

Obviously, an argument ensued, and Madeleine decided to run away from Paris all together, to be safe from all the madness. Lucie wanted to stay, to continue the fight, but you knew she loved her more than anything. And here you were stuck between the two, trying desperately to smooth things over and reunite them. Which was insanely difficult.

"Alors quoi, tu vas la laisser partir? Ne plus jamais la revoir?" You tried to reason with her.

"Absolument !" She exclaimed and threw her hands in the air, acting like a spoiled brat. All of this was still too fresh. Lucie was immensly offended and hurt by her lover's words; there was no way to calm her down right this moment.

So you sighed and ruffled your hair. "D'accord, si c'est ce que tu veux..." Softly, you turned away from her. "Mais n'oublies pas qu'elle ne part que demain matin... agis avant que tu le regrettes." You threw her one last glance towards her, giving her time to pound.

As you made your way towards the square, you saw a couple young men tearing out pavers from the street and children gathering wood for their home. The city streets bustled with the fervour of revolution, while you kept seeking solace amidst the chaos that engulfed the lovely city. The distant echoes of revolutionary chants mingled with the clatter of horse-drawn carriages and the murmur of lively conversations, creating a symphony of sound that enveloped you in a cocoon of anonymity.

With each step you took, you felt the echo of Lucie's convictions pressing down on your stomach—the burden of long, agonising memories hanging over your heart, ready to come crashing down any second. The events of the day had left you shaken and unsettled, your mind swirling with thoughts of rebellion and resistance that once again didn't originate from you.

As you kept walking, you found yourself drawn towards the quieter corners of the city, away from the tumultuous crowds and swirling currents of political intrigue. Picking up a small yarrow, you softly palyed with it in between your fingers. As you wandered through narrow alleyways adorned with quaint cafes and bustling market stalls, your sensitive nose smelled of Parisian life and emotions.

With each passing moment, the rhythm of your footsteps became a mantra, a soothing cadence that calmed your racing thoughts and grounded her in the present moment. The cool night air brushed against your skin as you rolled up your sleeves, enjoying the relaxing wind on your scarred arm. The scent of freshly baked bread and aromatic spices was a comforting reminder of the simple pleasures that still existed amidst the turmoil of the revolution.

Slowly, you allowed yourself to be swept away by the beauty of your surroundings, finding solace in the timeless elegance of Parisian architecture and the soft glow of gas lamps that illuminated the streets like beacons of hope in the darkness. You brought the small white flower up to your nose and inhaled its scent deeply.

And as you flew up to a moonlight-bathed rooftop, you closed your eyes and took a deep breath, allowing yourself to bask in the stillness of the sky. Reajusting your red béret on your head correctly, your eyes suddenly snapped down to two guards guiding an overly dressed and white figure away towards the Place de la Révolution, where the crowd was gathered around the guillotine.

And you knew who he was, for sure. "Oh God, Aziraphale..." You sighed and shook your head. The angel had quite particular taste in clothing, so it wasn't really a surprise when you spot him parade in Paris with such expensive clothes. Yeah, he always had a way to miss social clues. So, you flew back, saying farewell to your newly found peace, and followed them from a safe distance.

For your part, you dressed as the typical revolutionary Parisian, while slightly more colourful, so you had no trouble sneaking inside the prison, dodging the aristocrats being taken away by the very clear slashing sounds and screams coming from the lace. You kept searching among the moist cobblestones until you heard Aziraphale's gentle voice.

"Look, this is all a terrible mistake." He assured me while you slowly peeked your head from behind the cold stone wall. "I don't think you understand."

"I have good news for you. You are the 999th aristocrat to die at the guillotine by my hand." The man affirmed himself cheerfully, like a proud collector. "But the first English." You rolled your eyes at the statement, still waiting for the right moment to interfere. Why did Aziraphale not consider using a miracle? Why risk discorporation, especially such a painful one ?

"Now..." The man started before you heard him move around.

Before you understood what he was doing, Aziraphale got up, his chains clanking on the ground. "Please ! No."

You frowned, anger bubbling in your stomach and your teeth gritting. No way I'm letting him hurt Aziraphale... A rush of adrenaline washed over you, but just before you could intervene, a voice spoke from behind you.

"How about we help our little friend, mh ?"

A loud, high-pitched yelp escaped from your throat, and you turned violently around. Crowley was looking at you through his sunglasses and mocking a smurk on his lips. You let out the breath you kept in your lungs and growled.

"Don't do that." You scowled.

He shrugged and leaned over the prison cell. "It's just payback, sweetheart." He mumbled in a low voice and snapped his fingers, causing your brow to raise.

"Animals." The angel grumbled, deeply reproachful. You smiled and pushed the cell door open.

"Animals don't kill each other with clever machines, angel." Crowley said before sitting down nonchalantly.

"I'm afraid only humans do that." You added, standing with your hands behind your back.

"You..." Aziraphale sighed, and you smelled utter relief emitting from him. "Good Lord..." He smiled, rolling his eyes. You close up to him and gently remove the chains from his wrists. Your eyes trailed on his clothes, and you scoffed. Long white coat, richly decorated vest, obviously tailored pants, gee... The only thing you missed was the way your friend looked down at your hands, his breathing picking up slightly.

"What the deuce are you doing locked up in the Bastille?" Crowley inquired from his corner. "I thought you were opening a book shop."

"In London, nontheless." You finally got rid of the metal and let it fall loudly to the ground. Stepping away from him, the angel had space to take a deep breath and explain himself.

"Well, I was. I got peckish." He pouted, rubbing his bruising wrists.

Crowley smirked. "Peckish ?"

Aziraphale couldn't meet your gaze as you tasted funnel cake in the air. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, if you must know, it was the crêpes." You chuckled in response.

"Crêpes ? Don't they make 'em in England?"

"Not as good as the ones you find in Paris, that's for sure. Oh, and the brioche." He assured me, filled with conviction. You shook your head and kept laughing.

"So you just popped across the channel during a revolution because you wanted something to nibble?" The demon almost, ironically, lectured.

You shrugged. "Meh, I could understand. But not dressed like that, Azy." A smirk took place on your face.

He eyed you two up and down and then stated: "I have standards." In all your responses, you stuck out your tongue. "I did hear they were getting a bit carried away over here, but..."

"Yeah, this is not getting carried away. This is cutting off lots of people's heads very efficiently with a big head-cutting machine." The red head pointed out his slight resentment.

You nodded in agreement, but tried to bring up the positive. "At least, they are quite creative." But all you earned in return were jaded looks from your two clients. You raised up your hands to plead your innocence. "But, why didn't you miracle your way out?"

An effective way to change the subject. Aziraphale looked down once again. "Oh, I was reprimanded last month." You glanced towards Crowley, and you shared a knowing look. "They said I'd performed too many frivolous miracles. I got a strongly worded note from Gabriel."

Your lips twitched in a contrite pout. Only imagining what Chamuel would do if you ever got reported didn't settle quite with you, and the last thing you wanted was to bring to yourself. In a way, you were envious of how Aziraphale had even the chance to make a mistake.

Crowley stood up and strolled towards you. "Well, you're lucky I was in the area."

"We." You wasted no time correcting him.

Aziraphale scoffed. "I suppose I am." A soft smile appeared on his face, and the faintest blush appeared as he gawked at the two of you. "Why are you here?" He frowned.

"My lot sent me a commendation for outstanding job performance." The demon answered first, waving off his own statement.

Aziraphale gasped and got agitated again. "So all this is your demonic work?" He gestured towards the raging crowd.

"No. The humans thought it up themselves. Nothing to do with me." Now it was Crowley's turn to clear his name. So, there is a chance for you to restore your image.

"Heh, I told you, creative." You chirped proudly. But the same silence welcomed your words. You sighed, and your shoulders fell. "Fine..."

"Well..." Azirphale talked up again after a few seconds of judging silence. "I suppose I should say thank you for the, uh, rescue." He swung his arms from either side of his body softly.

"Don't say that." Crowley suddenly surged forward and snarled, startling you slightly. "If my people hear I join forces with an angel to save another, I'll be the one in trouble."

You sighed and rolled your eyes, already starting to walk away. Over the centuries, you learned to leave these two whenever they started to have a moment. "And my lot, do not send rude notes." Crowley's voice was fading and was replaced by your own footsteps.

"Well, anyway, I'm very grateful. What about if I buy you lunch?" Aziraphale offered. You stopped in the middle of the hallway and, at a turn, smiled, melancolic, before foresaking their conversation. Even though it didn't stop there.

"What do you think, Y/N?" The red head stopped mid-sentence as he noticed you were gone. He sighed and rolled his eyes. "What do they always do?"

Once again, you didn't join them for lunch. Why would you? They were just clients. You repeated this to yourself all the time, hoping one day it would finally make its way to your brain. But this desire never went away, despite how many times you echoed your words over and over again.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm golden glow over the slowing city, you stepped out of a restaurant, crêpe in hand. Obviously, to avoid any unwanted attention, you made sure to pass by Lucie and, thank you enough, Madeleine. Quietly munching on your treat, you observed their bodies finally coming together. The tension that had lingered between them for so long seemed to melt away in the fading light, replaced by a tentative sense of reconciliation. They were a few feet away from each other, but still Lucie reached out tentatively, her hand trembling slightly as she touched the blonde's cheek, her eyes filled with regret and longing.

"Je suis désolée, Madeleine." She whispered softly, her voice barely audible above the gentle rustle of leaves. "Je n'ai jamais voulu te faire de mal." Tears softly formed in her eyes. "Je t'aime plus de tout au monde." She confessed, her voice breaking under the emotion.

Madeleine's eyes glistened with unshed tears as she reached out to clasp her lover's hand in her own, the relieving scent of forgiveness filling the air. "Je t'aime aussi, Lucie." She replied, her voice trembling with emotion. "J'ai juste eu tellement peur... tout ce qui passe en ce moment..." Her breath quickened once again through her fear.

"Je sais, je sais, et je m'en excuses. Mais je te promets qu'il ne t'arrivera jamais rien, jamais." She assured, so determined with the firm intention to protect Madeleine until her last breath.

And in that moment, as they sat together beneath the canopy of clouds, you felt a pang of longing tug at your heartstrings, a silent reminder of the feelings you had buried deep within your soul. It wasn't the first time you felt envious, but you would never let those feelings settle in your heart. The choice you made so many centuries ago will never change. However, as you watched from the sidelines, you were unable to recognise the truth that lay dormant within your own soul.

Lucie and Madeleine embraced, their love rekindled amidst the fragrant blooms and gentle whispers of the night, as they finally found solace in each other's arms. "Ça ira mon amour..." Lucie hugged Madeleine tightly against her chest as she continued to sob her relief and fear. "Ça ira pour toujours."

Yeah, it will be okay. You bit off a bit of your crêpe, the mixture of the taste of love and your little snack warming up your belly in the best way. You got up and stretched out your arm, bow in hand. And while you shot the two of them, you kept hoping that one day you would be at peace with your choice.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

 

1811, Windsor Caslte, London

The grand ballroom shimmered under the warm glow of candlelight, its walls adorned with opulent tapestries and gilded accents. As the musicians tuned their instruments, the air buzzed with anticipation. Ladies draped in silk and lace, gentlemen adorned in tailored coats, assembled in a choreographed display of social refinement. As the orchestra struck the first notes, couples gracefully glided across the polished floor, engaged in the intricate steps of the minuet. The scent of perfumed wigs mingled with the delicate fragrance of flowers scattered throughout the hall. Servants discreetly circulated, offering glasses of fine wine to the elegantly attired guests. You swiftly grasped a glass and nodded to the young woman, thankfully.

Amidst the rhythmic rustle of silk and the subdued murmur of conversations, the atmosphere exuded a sense of sophistication and regality. The ball at the court of George III unfolded as a spectacle of grace, where every movement and gesture spoke the language of grace and societal hierarchy. You strolled among the crowd to fade into the background while observing two enemies dancing together. The line between love and hate was so thin. You couldn't help but feel drawn to them, despising the risk of facing a hate demon. She was sent to kill him, a duke, but they've been dancing for hours now. The tension was there—the ballroom, the dancing—if you wanted to, you could just send a wave of temerity, and the deal would be sealed!

I continued to stroll in a circle around the couple, listening to the music softly. You enjoyed the sweet melodies and the frail details of each note; it made your heart react differently to every song. You hummed the languishing melody as you closed up to the buffet, where you were met with a familiar presence. Your head softly snapped to study the table covered with baked goods, and you smiled brightly as you recognised the person. Rushing to his side, you wasted no time greeting him.

"Aziraphale !" You chirped as you stood a few feet away from him. The white-haired angel was startled, as he didn't expect you here, even less to catch him with his mouth full. He let out a muffled exclamation before swallowing with difficulty.

He coughed a bit before greeting you back. "Y/N, hello!" Aziraphale smiled and closed up to you ever so slightly. "Golly, I haven't seen you since the bastille." His whole presence was so warm, and you couldn't help but bask in it.

You nodded, still smiling like an idiot, as you looked at him up and down. "I'm relieved to see you understood how to dress according to the situation." You teased him playfully and nudged him gently. Worry had eaten you up for a long time since the last time you saw the trusting angel almost getting disintegrated, so it was refreshing to see him well and still so fluffy-looking.

"O-Oh.." He smiled, embarrassed, while rubbing where you had touched his arm. He laughed softly. "Yes, I learned my lesson well enough."

You grinned gently before grabbing a small snack from the display of food. "So, what have you been doing here?" You munched softly on the little dish before looking back up at him.

"Oh, well, I've been sent here to perform some miracles, as always." Aziraphale explained. "But I must admit that I stayed for the music and the food." He hummed as he picked out something too. "Ah !"

You laughed softly at him and took in the ballroom once more. "I see. It's nice to see another angel enjoying music too."

His eyes seemed to sparkle when he nodded. "Indeed, it is." He smiled, his squishy cheekbones raising up. Despite yourself, you couldn't help but blush at his attention, though you would not admit it. To shake those ideas out of your head and tilt your head towards the intricate dancing. "Even danced before?" You wondered, taking the last sip of your wine.

"Oh, heavens no..." Aziraphale dismissed you, while you still caught his yearning gaze directed to the dance floor. "Angels don't dance."

You raised your brows, your lips pouting in an agreeable manner. "True, but we are one of a kind." The smirk on your face was nothing but devilish.

He exhaled deeply and shook his head. "You spend too much time with Crowley." The last dance came to an end, and the room roared with delicate applause. Aziraphale kept fidgeting with his fingers, longing to join in on the next dance.

"By the way, I know the steps of the minuet." You trailed off casually. "I could guide you." A small grin creeped into the corner of your mouth.

His chest swelled quickly at your words. "You do?"

twirledYou didn't ans;er him, instead, you giggled and led him to the dance floor. In the dimly lit ballroom, the strains of a delicate melody of the song 'St James' House' twirling in the air. With a gentle yet firm touch, you guided him through the intricate steps of the dance, your movements fluid and effortless. As you two glided across the polished floor, your poised demeanour contrasted with the angel's tentative strides, yet he followed your lead with a mixture of awe and determination. His steps faltered occasionally, but your encouraging smile and subtle corrections kept him in rhythm. With each turn and twirl, you conveyed a seemingly lifetime of experience, while Aziraphake, with his earnest enthusiasm, added a sense of freshness and spontaneity to your performance.

He had the happiest grin on his face while gracefully gravitating around one another. "You're doing great."

His cheeks were coloured a soft pink. "It's so much better than I could imagine."

"You shouldn't be afraid to do what your heart wants because you dread what others might think." You chuckled and squeezed his hand.

His brown eyes met yours, and you smelled cypress and pitaya. The words escaped your mouth before you could think; they shocked both of you but truly conflicted him. And you wanted to slap yourself with your own hyprocrisy. However, Aziraphale didn't give your dark thoughts enough time to form.

"Sometimes I wish..." He whispered, looking down at his feet. You gave him time to form his words correctly, gently leading the dance. "I wish I wasn't attached to Heaven." He was truthfully letting his vulnerability out, trusting you with ideas that could get him erased. "Not that I want to be a demon; far from that! But... at least not having so many restrictions and rules."

"I understand how you feel; it's the way Heaven does things. I find it odd and... cruel." Under the facade of elegance and refinement, a sense of unease hung heavy in the air, casting a shadow over the grandeur of the evening. You two kept twirling and spinning, your steps now synchronised in perfect harmony. With each turn and dip, no one could suspect how you spoke in hushed tones of the injustices and inequalities that plagued the very system they were sworn to uphold.

"It's unfathomable." Aziraphale murmured, his voice tinged with frustration, as he guided Amelia through a graceful turn. "How can we claim to be the arbiters of justice when we let incommensurable horrors happen on Earth ?"

Your brow furrowed in agreement as she met Aziraphale's gaze, a silent acknowledgment of the harsh realities they both faced. "Indeed," she replied, her voice tinged with sadness. "I also had been exposed to a certain... hypocrisy." You kept escaping his gaze. "But at least, I think we can find beauty in the fact that despite all the hate in the world..."

You trailed off your last words, preferring to watch over the angel's shoulder and see your two clients still dancing with ardor. Their movements were a silent protest against the injustices that permeated their world, a defiant assertion of their shared belief in a better, more equitable future. A hope that encouraged them to share a kiss instead of guiding each other to their deaths. You smiled softly and led Aziraphale towards the outlet of the dance floor, as you had an arrow to shoot. "Most humans choose love."

As you finished your sentence, you reached the rest of the ballroom. Aziraphale's mouth was slightly open, as if totally mismerized by words. On instinct, you chuckled and kissed his cheek. "Sorry, Az, I have to go, but it was so good to see you again!" You chirped and fantastically ignored the angel's blush. "Bye, bye! Smooches !"

And you left, bouncing up and down and disappearing in the crowd. But you couldn't resist a last little peek. As you did, you catched Aziraphale, pressing his hand to his cheek with eyes wide open. You giggled. Sometimes you forget how angels aren't used to being physical; you have to cut him some slack.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* 

1862, St. James Park, London

In the tranquil setting of the park, you stood next to the serene pond where ducks paddled lazily through the shimmering waters. With each gentle toss of seeds, you watched as the ducks eagerly darted forward, their feathers ruffling with excitement as they pecked at the scattered treats. You were waiting near the Aziraphale and Crowley, discretely, of course, and waiting to see the result of your new attempt. You had tried a new technique and sincerly hoped it worked this time.

Lost in the soothing rhythm of your task, Sarah hardly noticed the passage of time as she waited for her friend, Alex, to arrive. But as the minutes stretched into hours, a frown creased her brow, and a sense of unease began to gnaw at her. Finally, you spotted Crowley alone, striding towards you, his brow furrowed and his expression clouded with frustration. Your heart sank as you recognised the telltale signs of a heated altercation, and you braced yourself for the storm that was about to come.

As he approached, he stomped his foot heavily on the ground beside you, his movements stiff and tense. Sensing the tension radiating from her friend, she hesitated for a moment before tentatively reaching out to lay a hand on his arm, a silent gesture of comfort and support.

He groaned loudly and kept fidgeting and squirming around; it was obvious he didn't handle frustration really well. "I can't believe him!"

You chuckled and turned back to the pound. "It's good to see you too, Crowley." You smirked.

"Yeah, yeah..." He dismissed me but didn't ask anything. Without another word, he reached into his pocket and withdrew a crumpled paper bag, tossing a handful of breadcrumbs into the pond with more force than necessary, causing the ducks to scatter.

"Don't feed them bread!" You slapped his hand to stop him, causing all the crumbs to fall to the ground.

He frowened and shook his hand to nub the pain. "Why ?"

"It's bad for them! There." You stood up and gave him your small bag. "Give them some cracked corn, or even peas is fine!"

Crowley nodded absently and started throwing the seeds inside the lake in a more calm manner now.

“So, what did Aziraphale do to piss you off this time?” You grinned softly. 

He didn't smirk like he used to. Nor even scoff. You turned to him and realised he was playing with the small, empty bag. You frowned slightly and inhaled deeply. Rusty metal and tuna filled up your nose, making you fully turn. Why was he feeling guilty?

“Was it something you did?” You guessed in a soft voice, trying to show him you wouldn't judge him if he made a mistake.

He groaned and took off his glasses to rub his face. His bright yellow eyes met yours, and you saw doubt. What wasn't he ready to tell you? After everything you had discussed.

“If it’s something you said, I'm sure it can be dealt with.” You smiled reassuringly.

He shook his head and faced you slowly. “It's something I asked.” His answer was evasive, but at least he was giving you hints.

You nodded absently, though you didn't know what Crowley could have possibly asked that Aziraphale wouldn't allow. “Did you ask to buy a book?” 

He scoffed out a laugh. “I wouldn't dare.” 

“Then what?” You pressed in a near whine. Crowley lost his smile and looked back ahead. 

His chest rose in a deep inhale, and he reached in his pocket for a piece of oddly wet paper. With a scrunched nose, you took the slimy paper and opened it. And what you read made you feel what other cupids thought you always did. Dead serious.

“What…w-what..” You coughed and blinked repeatedly. “Why would you need that?” 

He was fixed on your face, examining your reaction. “For insurance. In case the deal goes wrong." 

“It's too dangerous.” You took a step back. Anger started to bubble in your stomach. Why ? You couldn't exactly pinpoint it. Maybe it was against Crowley for ever considering such an idea. Or against yourself for participating in a deal that you knew could bring mountains of troubles. You squished the paper in your hand and miracled it away. The red-haired man sighed next to you.

"Fine, take his side; I don't. As I said to him, I got other people to 'fraternize with, some more open-minded people." He pestered you, but you didn't miss the smell of hurt. You huffed anyway and frowned.

"Yeah, right, go on then. Go tell your demon friends how eager you are to get your hands on this; I'm sure they'll be thrilled!" You snarled and threw the last bit of seed into the water, miraculously not hitting any ducks. Not wanting to stay any longer, you left, purposely stepping on the ground harder than necessary.

In an effort to clear your mind, you strolled through the park while the regular questions came running back to you. Why, when you shoot an arrow at them, it doesn't complete their bound but instead leads them apart even more? What were you doing wrong? It often confused you and kept gnawing at your brain, so very often. You entered a part of the park filled with roses of all sorts, similar to the different types of affection and love. Because flowers tend to represent the variety of loves that exist in the world. White roses for young love, pink roses for gentle love... And in the case of this one, you weren't sure.

While you observed this new rose, you failed to notice the angel's presence right at the angle. He was smelling the same flowers as you, Jack Roses, as they were called, to calm his nerves. As he gazed back up, he spotted you. A smile adorned his face, and he gently made his way to you. "Y/N ?" He gently called out. You looked up, too, and smiled. Yeah, you both knew you had the same conversation.

In a comfortable silence, you went to sit together on the worn park bench, the evening sun casting a warm glow over the tranquil scene. You noticed the furrowed brow and tense posture of your friend. He kept twirling the rose in between his fingers. Quietly, you grabbed it from his hand and attached it to his jacket as an ornament.

With this gentle touch, you offered a wordless gesture of support and solidarity. Aziraphale's gaze flickered towards yours, uncertainty etched in the lines of his face, but as he met your reassuring gaze, a flicker of relief crossed his features. In that moment, you felt the tension in his body begin to melt away, replaced by a sense of reassurance and, you’d call it, camaraderie. After a few minutes, you grinned slightly and joked. “Fraternising ?” 

He scoffed and closed his eyes. “You know what I meant.” 

The problem ism that you didn't. Through theMilanals,s you never understood the nature of their bon,orr your relationship with them. Are they friends,camarades, or, lovers ? It was so mess and confusing. Maybe it was because of your heart, but you were not capable of identifying the truth of it all. And solely about them,m which only made it worse ! But now, you couldn't leave Aziraphale alone, could you? It was your fault if they split up, the least you could do was, well, do the right thing. And you always, always do what you think is best.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* 

1941, London

In the heart of wartime London, amidst the chaos and clamor of air raid sirens and echoing footsteps, you raced through the bustling streets, your heart pounding with urgency. The cobblestones echoed the rhythm of your hurried steps as you darted past dimly lit alleyways and bustling market stalls,your breath coming in short, ragged gasps.

In the heart of wartime London, amidst the chaos and clamour of air raid sirens and echoing footsteps, you raced through the bustling streets, your heart pounding with urgency. The cobblestones echoed the rhythm of your hurried steps as you darted past dimly lit alleyways and bustling market stalls,your breath coming in short, ragged gasps.

You were frantancly looking for Aziraphale. The two of you had been hanging around each other, and you started to notice when he first had contact with the Nazis. And despite your anger, you knew he was putting himself in danger, and you couldn't help but come to his aid. The only problem was that you had no idea where he might be. With every passing moment, the weight of uncertainty pressed down on your shoulders, driving you forward with a relentless determination. Your senses were heightened, attuned to the cacophony of voices and the distant rumble of explosions that reverberated through the city like a symphony of chaos.

Through the haze of smoke and dust, your eyes kept flashing pink, searching frantically for his familiar aura, your aching heart hammering in your chest as she wove through the throngs of people who filled the streets like ants scurrying for cover. Each passing moment felt like an eternity as you raced against time, your mind consumed by the singular purpose of finding Aziraphale and avoiding a catastrophe.

As you turned a corner into a narrow alleyway, your breath caught in your throat as your eyes finally spotted Aziraphale's bound, guiding you to a nearby church. With a surge of hope, you quickened your pace, your heart pounding in anticipation as you drew closer to the familiar energy. In your haze of thoughts, you didn't realise you were standing right in front of the huge wooden door and had kicked it open. The noise the door made mimicked thunder, startling the three men, though your blazing gaze was focused on only one. Azirphale had his eyes wide in complete confusion and was surprised. But only after a few seconds of taking your messy appearance in did worry morph into his face.

"Y/N ? Oh, my dear Lord, what happened to you ?" Aziraphale rushed to you, totally abandoning the two men.

"War happened to me." You growled before shaking your head and strolling towards him. "I can't believe you're dealing with Nazis !"

Meanwhile, a thinner man packed up the books Aziraphale had brought. "I will pass it on to the Fuehrer."

"To Hitler ? The wost human ever ?!" You sighed then, completely dejected. Like every war, it took a real toll on you. Love was hard to come by, and you were famished, going as far as bounding rats together. Aziraphale stumbled on his words, wanting to explain everything to you, but stopped himself.

"These volumes of prophecy will be in Berlin by the end of the week. The Fuehrer will be most grateful." You glared the Nazi's way, your face utterly sullen.

"You have been exceedingly helpful, Mr. Fell." You sent a deadly look in the white head direction while he kept fixing ahead of him, lips drawn in a thin line. That's when the noise of a gun resonated inside the empty space of the church. "Such a pity you and your friend must be eliminated, but take heart, just another in the blitz."

A loud, exasperated sigh left your lips, and you commented. "Again ?"

He pouted apologies in response and then turned back to his little friends. "That's not very sporting." You frowned, intrigued, and crossed your arms in front of your chest.

The chubbier one copied your frown and observed. "You do not appear worried, my friend."

The sound of heels was accompanied by another cocking gun. You turn around, your eyes widening along with the two other men, while Aziraphale fakes nonchalance. Still, he reeked of arrogance.

A woman dressed in black was aiming her weapon at the Nazis. "He's not worried." She revealed. She didn't smell friendly, though, but surprising enough, some humans were more talented at hiding their real intentions than others. That's why you couldn't figure her out. Wary, you softly stepped back, in between her and your friend.

"Who is she?" The man asked, and Aziraphale wasted no time in answering. "She, my double-dealing Nazi acquaintance, is the reason why none of those books are going back to Berlin." He turned to you, bowing his head with pride at his own schemes. "And why your nasty little spy ring will be spending the rest of the war behind bars." The two men nicely raised their hands and dropped their guns.

Suddenly, malice hit your nostrils—a mix of sweetpea and the steathy scent of gunpowder—revealing itself when you least expected it. Oh, come on...

"Let me introduce you to Captain Rose Montgomery of British Military Intelligence." The way he talked truly felt like he was reliving a scene from a mystery book, and you could easily get distracted by how much you enjoyed his almost childish joy if you weren't busy eyeing the woman's swinging aim.

She stepped closer, but you stood your ground next to the angel. "Thank you for the introduction." Her smile was too fake, and her gun kept pointing in the wrong direction, and you didn't hesitate to constantly step in the way.

"Our side knows all about the two of you. She recruited me to work for you." He insisted on the word 'work' while glancing furtively at you. But you knew something was off. "Aziraphale..." You started with a meek voice.

"And now she is going to tell you this building is surrounded by..." Aziraphale continued to ramble but interrupted him firmly.

"Aziraphale." You grabbed onto his arm to ground him as a twisted smile diformed the man's features.

"I'm afraid she works for us, Mr. Fell." You held back and growled as the man spoke up.

"Allow me to introduce Fraulein Greta Kleinschmidt." The smaller man spoke slowly as the woman turned towards both of you, clearly aiming at you now. Aziraphale gasped, but you kept keeping him away from the weapon.

Greta kept stepping away and started to talk tenderly with one of the men. Gee, you couldn't believe that the most love you had felt in weeks was coming from the most terrible people God had ever created. You glanced back at Aziraphale, who was completely lost, and it pained your heart to see him like this. "Now, where were we? Oh yes." The gun was so close, you swore you could just knock it out of her hand. "Killing you."

"You can't kill us. There'll be paperwork." Azirphale almost pouted behind you, but you sensed him moving closer. But before anything could happen, the heavy wooden door slammed open once again.

And whoever had just entered seemed to have quite trouble breathing. Or maybe they were hurt. In the end, it was a mix of both. "Sorry, consecrated ground." It was Crowley, daring to walk into a church. His feet seemed to burn as he tried to spend minimal time on the ground. And you thought about how grateful you were that you had the ability to fly. "Oh ! It's like being at the beach in bare feet." His voice was so high-pitched that it almost made you laugh.

"Crowley ?" You mused, at a loss for words. It's been years since you've seen him—well,  since your argument in St. James—and it would be a lie if you said you hadn't missed him.

"Yep, the one and only, always there to save your butts." He teased while turning around in circles to avoid standing in one place.

"I should have known, of course. These people are working for you." Aziraphale accused you and finally stepped in front of you.

The demon seeked suppot in one of the dark benches as the floor kept burning him. "Nah, they're a bunch of half-witted Nazi spies running London, blackmailing and mudering people. I just didn't want to see you  embarrassed." He tried to nag but couldn't handle the pain. Instead, he waddled around like a duck.

"Indeed, I see you are covering for us both." Azirphaled mocked you in a hushed voice and smiled when he noticed the growing grin on your face, even if you tried to mask it.

"Mr. Anthony J. Crowley. Your fame precedes you." The man started, catching your attention, and you noticed the woman almost drooling over your friend. Well, it was a bit exaggerated, but it seemed like the best vocabulary to use in that moment.

"Anthony ?" Aziraphale wondered, unsure if he heard him right. "You don't like it ?" Crowley retored, and you smelled legit curiousity; the thought of him changing his name to suit the angel caused a cheeky smile.

"No, no, I didn't say that. I'll get used to it." The white head reassured me, though he kept frowning. And it raised a couple questions for you too.

"Wait, so what's your name ? Or do they call you Aziraphale Fell ?" You leaned in, tilting your head to the side. "Kinda redundant, don't you think ?" You jested with a smirk.

"Really not the place, dear." The angel lectured gently but didn't lean away.

"The famous Mr. Crowley ?" She kept eyeing him like a piece of meat, and you really didn't like that, and you unconsciously moved in front of the demon, but it was kind of useless considering he had to keep moving. "That's such a pity that the three of you must die."

Crowley tipped his hat, and you pouted. "What does the 'J' stand for ?" You continued, despite what Aziraphale had just said.

"It's just a 'J', really... Look at that !" You frowned, followed, and looked over where he was gawking. Holy water. You scowled. "A whole fontful of holy water doesn't even have guards !" The red head explained a mixture of pain and excitement.

"Enough babbling. Kill them both." The Nazi finally ordered, already grabbing the bag full of books.

However, Crowley had other plans. "In about a minute, a German bomber will release a bomb that will land right here." He gestured while dancing around. "If you all run away very, very fast, you might not die. You won't enjoy dying; you definitely won't enjoy what comes after." You nodded in agreement, almost mocking.

"You expect us to believe that ? The bombs tonight will fall on the East End." The chubbier man smirked.

"Yes. It would take a last-minute demonic intervention to throw them off course." Crowley confirmed, and you decided to play along.

"I think you're all wasting quite valuable time, dear fellows." You smirked; you couldn't admit it, but you truly hoped they wouldn't run away and would rot in Hell.

"And if, in 30 seconds, a bomb does land here, it would take a real miracle for my friends and I to survive it." He tilted his head to the side, towards Aziraphale.

"A real miracle?" The angel stammered in response, carefully moving closer to the two of you.

"Kill them. They are very irritating."

Crowley raised his hands and pointed at the ceiling, expectingly. Suddenly, a distant rumble echoed through the darkness, growing louder and more ominous with each passing second. The ground beneath your feet trembled as if in anticipation, sending shivers down her spine. The air crackled with electricity as the sound of rushing wind filled your ears, drowning out all other noise save for the rapid beat of your heart.

With a deafening roar, the bomb plummeted towards the earth like a deadly harbinger of destruction, its descent marked by a piercing shriek that cut through the silence like a knife. As the bomb crashed into the church with a thunderous explosion, the earth shook with the force of its impact, sending shockwaves rippling through the air like ripples on a pond. Glass shattered and metal groaned in protest as the building buckled under the sheer force of the blast, the sound of crumbling masonry echoing through the night like the tolling of a funeral bell.

At an agonisingly slow pace, things settled. Your eyes had started to water, and you had instinctively closed your eyes to shelter yourself away from the bright light, the noise, and the chaos. The fear inside you was growing exponentially. It all happened in seconds. Your heartbeat was racing wildly, and your breath was shallow and erratic when you felt a person's touch. You were confused, and the person kept calling your name, but you couldn't find the strength or courage to look up and see who it was.

"Y/N..." The voice sighed, saddened by your state. Ever so gently, you found yourself enveloped in a warm embrace. You inhaled deeply the scent of the coat in which your face was buried and recognised Aziraphale. His arms encircled you with a sense of unwavering comfort and solace. Your body trembled with the aftershocks of shock, and your mind was reeling from the turmoil of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her.

As the angel held you close, you could feel the steady rhythm of his pristine heartbeat echoing against your ear, which was so reassuring. Crowley came closer too, but kept a distance and slowly stroked your. You felt the tension in your muscles begin to ease, the tight knot of fear slowly unravelling under the soothing touch of your friends embrace. In this cocoon, you allowed yourself to take a deep breath and process everything. You weren't used to so much action, preferring to act from afar. With each passing moment, you felt a sense of tranquilly wash over you, like a gentle tide lulling her into a state of calm surrender.

Finally, you regain composure and separate yourself from Aziraphale, while Crowley backs away. "T-Thanks..." You sniffed. The angel simply smiled warmly and kept his hand on your right arm, as if to grant you at least a bit of contact.

He then turned to Crowley. "That was very kind of you." He smiled once more and nodded thankfully.

"Shut up..." He brushed off, putting back his sunglasses, despite the darkness of the night.

"It truly was." You thanked me too. And you saw Crowley lip twitch in an apologetic pout, but you weren't mad at him; you didn't even think you would react like that. "Hey, there'll be no paperwork !" You chuckled.

Aziraphale along with you too, until he realised something. "Oh, the books!" He quickly scanned over the debris but didn't see them. "Oh, I forgot all the books !" You tried to look for the bag too, and apparently so did Crowley. "Oh, they'll all be blown away."

The demon approached us once again, the bag full of books completely untouched. Your eyes widened, and you watched the interaction with a tender gaze.

"A little demonic miracle of my own." Crowley handed it back to Aziraphale, who simply watched, dumbfounded and so, so smitten. You grinned and blushed at the rush of love you felt deep in your heart. "Lift home ?" He offered as if nothing had happened and walked over a black Bentley.

After inhaling deeply and discretely fed on the love, you gasped at the sight of the machine. "You have a car ?!" You chirped and sprinted behind Crowley, while Aziraphale stayed behind. Though the night was far from over, it started incredibly well, 'cause tonight, you'll be able to feast on a whole lot of love!

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* 

1967, Soho, London

In the smoky haze of the dimly lit bar, you sat perched on a bar stool, a tumbler of whisky cradled in her hand. The amber liquid glinted in the soft glow of the overhead lights, casting a warm, comforting glow over your features as you took a slow sip, savouring the burn that spread through your chest. You truly enjoyed this new pub, and particularly its name, 'The Dirty Donkey'. Yeah, it always makes your drunken laugh out loud every time you think about it.

For a fleeting moment, you felt a sense of contentment wash over her, the familiar rhythms of the bar providing a sanctuary from the chaos of the outside world. But as you glanced across the room, your gaze fell upon your dear client, Crowley, engaged in a conversation with two humans, causing you to cock a brow. They were moving to a private room, much to your surprise and honest annoyance. Thankfuly, not all your clients were desperatly trying to get themselves in trouble; expect two very specific men.

Groaning, you abandoned your glass on the counter and followed them. And yes, you had no shame in eavesdropping on people. Crowley hunched over the table, his voice low and calm as he exchanged words with the shady couple. Your brows furrowed with concern as you watched the exchange unfold, a sense of unease settling like a stone in the pit of your stomach.

"So, Spike, you're the muscles; you'll be hauling on the ropes." The demon explained it all too professionally.

"And she'll be going down on..." You didn't have time to hear the rest as you felt a presence nearing you. With a gasp, you swiftly put on the blindness, and you reprimand yourself for not thinking of it sooner. A young man walks past you and enters the room. In spite of your desire to follow him, you knew better and focused on spying.

"Who are you ?" A man spoke.

"I understand you need a locksmith." You grew even more confused. Why on Earth would Crowley need help picking up a lock?

You recognised Crowley right away. "I was expecting Mr. Narker."

"Well, Mr. Narker's passed on to his reward. I've taken over the business." The voice was the nearest; you figured it was the youngest. "He was my cellmate. He taught me everything he knew. "You rolled your eyes. Gosh, you hated when you were right.

"My name's Shadwell." You kept focusing; you needed to know what Crowley was planning.

"Please... sit down, Mr. Shadwell."

"Lance Corporal Shadwell. If you don't mind." Unbeknownst to the both of you, Crowley and you shared an unimpressed expression at the man's arrogance.

"So, what's so valuable that they're going to leave it in a church at night?" A more feminine voice inquired.  That was when the truth came crashing down on you. You closed your eyes and sighed. He was still after that god-forsaken holy water. You gritted your teeth in anger, but another emotion overtook your wrath. You truly feared for his safety, knowing that he was treading dangerously close to a path from which there might be no return.

With a sense of determination, you straightened up and marched your way out of the building. You had to talk with Aziraphale now. So, wasting no time, you strolled proudly to the angel's bookshop, which was only a few miles away, and even if it erased any trace of epicness, you rushed in.

Startled, Aziraphale's gaze shot up from his book, and he met you in a near panic. "Oh my Lord, Y/N, don't enter like that." He said it gently while putting down his book.

"Sorry, Az, but it's kind of urgent." You apologised while hurriedly floating his way. "Crowley is in trouble."

He met you half-way, sending you a wave of snowy nights. "What kind of trouble?"

"He's going to rob a church to get holy water!" You cried out, deeply worried, too.

"Oh my God, I cannot believe him!" He exclaimed angrily, still in his polite tone. You sighed and waited for a few minutes, as Aziraphale's footsteps marked the tempo of his passing. It gave you both time to consider the whole situation and what your options were. There was no way you would just stay still without doing anything. But how could you prevent him from putting himself in danger?

That's when you got an idea. It wasn't the best, and you knew you'd have to convince the angel and yourself. Swallowing thickly, you finally took a step towards him and called his name. "Aziraphale ?"

He stopped in his tracks and waited for you expectantly, thinking you had found the solution to all your problems. Your lips formed a thin line before you finally offered him your thoughts. "I know what we agreed on, but... maybe we could trust him."

"What ?" His face had lost all its colour, and he looked at you like you had lost your mind. Which was understandable.

You exhaled and put your hand on his shoulder. "Think about it. What's worse? Has he tried to get the holy water on his own, possibly getting caught or, even worse, splashing himself in the process?" You seeked his eyes to convey how much you believed in your idea.

Aziraphale almost pleaded with you with his eyes. You frowned apologies and smiled softly. You were asking for a lot; he was terrified for his life, and you had just suggested giving him a suicidal pill. However, the angel surprised you once again. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply before opening his eyes. "Okay."

A few moments later, you and Aziraphale teleported to Crowley's car. You held tightly to the bottle and hid it on the ground in between your legs. Just at the same time, the demon entered his car, sitting lazily. That's when he felt your presence and turned to you, astounded. "What are you doing here?"

"We needed a word with you." Aziraphale started calmly, with a high reserve.

"What ?" He faked ignorance.

Obviously, it didn't fool you, and you rolled your eyes. "Please, we both work in London; it's hard to miss things." Crowley glanced at you from the rear mirror but didn't say anything.

"And apparently you're setting up a... caper." The angel glanced towards you too, searching for backup. "To rob a church."

You nodded and leaned forward, between their seats. "Crowley, it's too dangerous." But your friend didn't let you influence him and kept looking away.

"Holy water won't just kill your body. It will destroy you completely." Aziraphale added, dread lacing his voice.

"You told me what you think 105 years ago." He snarled lowly, exasperation in the back of his throat.

"And nothing changed." You said it serverly, gripping on the leather seat, gaining Crowley's attention as he turned towards you.

"But... we can't have you risking your life." Though you knew you should have backed out the moment you were added to the equation of 'we', you couldn't just leave. "Not even for something dangerous..." Aziraphale sighed.

"So..." You reached down to the car floor, carefully pulled out the thermos, and slowly handed it to Crowley. His hands shook as he reached to grab it, though you still held onto it.

Aziraphale swallowed thickly and eyed the bottle like a hawk. "You can call off the robbery."

Your fingers met with the demon's as you let go of the bottle. "Watch the cap. Don't unscrew it unless it's your last resort." You warned in a hush voice, afraid the cap might just pop right off it.

"It's the real thing?" Despite his glasses, you can see how incredulous his face was. He held the holy water like a bomb, ready to explode.

"The holiest." Aziraphale was incredibly stiff, and he kept leaning away.

"After everything you said..." he whispered, unable to wrap his mind around the idea of the both of you giving in. "Should I say thank you?"

"Better not..." You smiled.

"Well, can I drop you anywhere?"

"No. Thank you.." Crowley pouted; he really wanted to do something for Aziraphale, but he kept being so stubborn. "Oh, don't look so disappointed. Perhaps one day we could... I don't know." He smiled thoughtfully. "Go for a picnic." He then glanced at you, truly hoping you would accept his next offer. "Dine at the Ritz." He shrugged. You looked down; maybe you were the stubborn one after all.

But Crowley insisted. "I'll give you a lift, anywhere you want to go."

"You go too fast for me, Crowley." Really ? Like, really? You sighed and roughly leaned back on the seat. Aziraphale didn't waste any more time and slipped out without saying another word.

But you could see past the facade of bravado the vulnerability that lurked beneath the surface of Crowley's neutral exterior. So, you reached out to him, making a silent plea for him to not give up. You knew that no matter how fiercely Aziraphale resisted, he would always be there by his side, despite how much he wanted to pull away.

For your part, you stayed, feeling a kind of pull urging you to do so. After spending some time in silence, Crowley spoke up. "Need a life, sweetheart?"

You chuckled and sat back up. "Please..." You observed the wheel for a few seconds before chirping, interrupting his movements. "Can I drive?" You used your big, charming smile.

Crowley glanced your way for a few minutes, contemplating the idea before shrugging. "Sure." He opened his door to switch places. You grinned mischievously and grabbed the stirring wheel tightly.

"I'll give it to you fast, boy." You said that and started the engine. Pray for Crowley's poor heart.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* 

2000, Aziraphale's bookshop, London

On your way to meeting Aziraphale and Crowley, you couldn't help but giggle like a little child. You skipped through London, avoiding flying and frightening the sweet baby creature snuggled against my chest. You didn't know such an adorable thing could ever exist, but humans were always full of wonderful surprises! You squeezed your way through the crowd on the busy side walk before finally catching a glimpse of the angel's bookshop.

"Almost there, baby!" You cooed with a big smile and felt her squirm against you. You hurried to cross the street and forcefully pushed the door open with your shoulder. The bell rang loudly, which brought your friends attention to you. Crowley was sitting on the couch, well, more like his body was thrown carelessly on it, whereas Aziraphale was nicely sitting on his big, comfy chair and holding a small device in his hand.

Crowley threw his head back to look at you. "Happy new milenial." He joked with scoff. You smiled brightly and floated towards them, not far away from the ground but enough to not walk down the stairs.

"Hello..." You sang and giggled again until I landed next to the couch. You squeezed the little bundle of joy into your arms. Aziraphale cocked a brow, amused.

"What do you have here, dear?" He smirked, curious. Crowley sat up and looked at you, intrigued as well.

"Oh... nothing..." You chuckled, giggling. Scanning the room for a place to sit, you notice a brand new big divan, which you had never noticed before. "Well, this is new."

Aziraphale got up and took the place next to you. "Indeed, it is." He laughed softly. "It's for you." You looked at him, showing him your disbelief.

"Aw, really?" You asked while approaching the grey van. It had a back, so you didn't have to just lie on it, and it looked really squishy too. You sat down on it and smiled brightly. "Oh, this is great! Thank you.."

The angel dismissed your gratitude with a small gesture. "No need to thank me, dear. "You'd simply like a place to sit on your own."

You smiled gently at him before Crowley spoke up. "What kind of animal is that?" He titled his head to the blanket in your arms as he gave off strong aromas of curiosity and... endermant?

You brushed it off and inhaled deeply. "Gentlemen..." You started trying to set the ambiance. Both of them leaned slightly. "Let me present to you... Eden!" You exclaimed wildly and took off the blanket, reaveling your new baby white dexter mini cow in all her cuteness. She mowed softly as you put her down. She was extremely tiny, with her white coat, black ears, and snoot.

"Oh..." Aziraphale cooed, and you could smell how smitten he was already with her. "She is precious." He affirmed.

Crowley gave off the same scent but still tried to keep up his mocking exterior. "Wow, that's where mini hambergers meat comes from." He teased, his uncovered eyes sparkling with mischief.

You gasped loudly, fakely offended, and went to cover her ears. "Shh, you fool ! She might hear you." Eden mooed and nudged your arm. "I know, baby, he's a meanie." You cooed and kissed her forehead.

"Damn right." He laughed and caressed the mini cow's fur.

"Right, you are absolutely dreadful." Aziraphale rolled his eyes, mocking the gentle behaviour of his friend. Crowley growled but didn't retort anything. "

"Really, you would do that ?" You smiled brightly, earning a chuckle from the angel.

"Of course, you spend so much time here; it would be cruel to leave that poor creature all alone." He tilted his head to the side, inviting you to follow him.

Aziraphale opened a door, right behind all the shelves, in the hidden parts of the bookshop. The room was dusty and crammed with books and antics, from the ground to the ceiling. And despite the library in itself, it was the largest room the bookshop had.

"We'll just put all that into other rooms and upstairs."

You turned to Azirphale, who was making grand movements to explain his whole plan. "It would be its personal stable. He smiled from ear to ear. It truly warmed your heart to see him so involved.

Crowley was leaning against the door frame, holding Eden to his chest. You spotted him and cooed mockingly. "Aren't you a sweetheart?"

He scoffed while petting Eden's head. "Nah, that's your job."

You pursed your lips into a bashful smile before an idea popped into my mind. "Oh, I never thought of what a cow might eat !" You exclaimed, outraged at your ignorance.

"Don't worry, dear, I'm sure I have a book about it somewhere." Aziraphale was reassured, already leaving the room to find it.

You sighed in relief and followed right behind him. It took some time, but you eventually found it and walked back towards the room, leafing through the book. The two of you came to a sudden stop. Everything that was previously in the room was lying on the ground. Aziraphale let out an offended gasp.

"Crowley ?" You called out, midway concerned and amused. "I'm not sure that's how you tidy a room."

The angel was the first to open the door abruptly and stop just as fast. You pressed yourself against him to see what happened to the room. Your eyes widened, your heart quickening, and your eyes flashed pink. "Wow..."

The room, if you still call it that, had enormously enlarged. So much that it actually had an horizon. In the seemingly soft glow of dawn, the meadow unfurled like a tapestry woven with a myriad of colors. Dew-kissed grasses shimmered with a silvery sheen as they swayed gently in the early morning breeze. A symphony of bird songs filled the air, weaving melodies that danced among the fragrant blooms.

Clusters of wildflowers adorned the landscape, painting the meadow a kaleidoscope of hues. Sun-kissed daisies nodded their heads in greeting, and their cheerful faces turned towards the rising sun. Delicate lavender blossoms released their sweet, intoxicating fragrance, mingling with the earthy scent of fresh grass and damp soil.

Water streams meandered lazily through the meadow, their crystal-clear waters glinting in the golden light. They carved sinuous paths among the greenery, creating small, tranquil pools where dragonflies darted and frogs sang their morning serenades. Butterflies flitted from flower to flower, their delicate wings shimmering like stained glass in the sunlight. Bees hummed busily, collecting nectar from the blooms and adding their gentle buzz to the symphony of nature's orchestra.

The ceiling—no, the sky—wasn't entirely blue, but it reminded you of a gentle summer morning. Just the softest warmth. We slowly walked into the landscape, afraid to disrupt it. The thick grass felt mellow under your feet, and you couldn't resist kicking off your shoes to feel it yourself. Aziraphale chuckles, joining the sweet sounds of birds and the running water.

"This is amazing !" You laughed in disbelief and utter joy, twirling around, taking in everything this beautiful place had to offer. The ground was now the last thing on your mind, and you took off in the air, floating around like a cherub.

"I can't believe Crowley did all this in such a short amount of time." Aziraphale backed up, caressing the petals of a Jack Rose.

You chuckled and floated in a circle around him. "Where do you think he is ?" Your eyes scanned the area, and you spotted him beyond a field of yarrows, answering your own question. "There ! C'mon !" You landed abruptly next to Aziraphale and took his arm, hurrying him to climb up the small hill.

Crowley was sitting underneath a tree that bore the colours of a pink cherry tree, but the lazy branches resembled those of a weeping willow. Eden quiet moos caused you to smile and rush the final feet, seperating you from the two of them. The demon smiled almost smugly at your arrival, and you responded with a bright grin.

"This incredible..." You panted a bit and roughly let yourself fall on your back, on the grass. Aziraphale chuckled and miracled a blanket under the four of you. A comfortable hum came out instinctively, and you completely laid on the ground. With a happy coo, Eden waddled her way and rested her head on your stomach. Aziraphale sat down as well, crossed his legs, and congratulated Crowley on his work.

"Now, this is a wonderful place to have a picnic." Aziraphale sighed and rested back on his arms. You chuckled and laid down on the blanket. Eden's weight left a comfortable pressure on your chest. Staring at the sunny sky through the pink brenches of the tree, the scent of heliotrope embraces your entire being.

You never knew what heliotrope was meant to represent, despite how many times you asked Mihael about its meaning. All she ever gave you as an answer was a cheeky smile and a shrug. So, you didn't ask further. And right now, all you wanted to do was bask in the scent and never leave this meadow.

Or its inhabitants. For anything in the world.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* 

There... Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to sleep U,w,U

Hope you liked it, I put extra details for you to enjoy ! Now let's hope Y/N | Balael will be and about in the next chapter, 'cause they're running out of time ;)

And if they're any errors like a lot 'I's instead of 'You's please let me know ^^

Bye bye !

Parts : First - Previous - Next

Masterlist : Here

Taglist : @legendary-maddie @kpop-athena @drugs-for-memes @emo-queer-boi @cunning-girl @mochikofi @brain-has-left @cup-of-tee007  @anonymoussherlockandmarvelgeek  @somekale08 @liyacreate @msyolocat-blog  @scoliobean  @notahappystan  @nebulagoddess @mxxny-lupin  @bluebear19  @yvonneeeee   @kniselle  @dmitrytherat @lookingforlifeoutthere @neenieweenie @lunalixya @socksandaslide @planetaryperson @kaillou66 @elleofdragons @rust-in-polar1s @who-goopy-goober @shadowluna25 @m1r-rored @sebs-oxygen @lieutenantlashfaz @a-winged-dreamer @keira-kaz2y5 @redsakura101 @captain-winter-wolf-aehs @cantdothis-nomore @yeeteth-the-raven

[rubra-wav]

Various Adam headcanons

A/N I'm not an Adam simp, I just have been thinking abt him since the last post I did.

A lot of these are just things I feel in vibes and are completely baseless haha.

Cw: SFW, angsty in parts, misogyny, slight reference to disordered eating, uhhh idk man it's mixed

He's very messy and his house is like a bombsite of unwashed dishes and laundry.

Think messy roommate horror stories: that's him, and he doesn't give a single damn about it. Thinks he shouldn't have to clean up his house because that's a 'chick thing'

He's naturally really warm and overheats a lot because of it. Due to this, he has his house cold so he isn't sweating his ass off at all times.

He's really good to sleep next to during cold weather, but is God awful during hot weather.

Will not stop bitching about it being too hot when he's slightly uncomfortable and laughs at people who are easily cold, calling them weak.

His favourite things to watch are shitty b grade movies - especially comedy ones.

Prides himself on knowing current lingo, memes, and jokes (and actually pulls off not sounding like an old person trying to be 'hip with the kids' and cringey)

Follow up: makes deez nuts and ligma jokes out of everything and finds it hilarious. Sera sent him out of a meeting for doing this to Emily one time.

He's the type of mf who is pretentious asf about beer being superior and believes any guy who likes sweeter drinks / doesn't like beer are pussies.

He secretly doesn't believe this in the slightest and actually hates beer, he'd never admit it though. He has a sweet tooth and actually really likes drinks like Baileys.

Constantly talking, even if it's just to himself.

He likes AC/DC a lot. Ironically, 'highway to hell' is one of his favourite songs of all time.

He always wears his mask because he feels more vulnerable without it.

If you're close with him, he'd likely feel more comfortable to take it off around you - would fight to keep it on at all times if he doesn't trust you or feel safe with you.

I headcanon he put on weight after getting to heaven because after he was kicked out of Eden he didn't have nearly as much food, so he began binging when he finally had it again. It kind of just stayed a comfort for him.

He's really insecure about his weight gain too. If you point it out he's gonna get really upset. (Like how Lucifer does in ep 8)

Follow up: he literally always has snacks and is an absolute bitch about sharing them. If he does share them with you, he expects you to be really grateful.

His masculinity is fragile as it gets.

Would physically wilt if you even slightly imply he's not masculine and then become extremely angry and try to prove he actually is.

The main reason he is misogynistic is due to his experience with Lilith.

Before Lilith ran away from him, I think that Adam actually had extremely high respect for women.

His whole purpose was to reproduce. Women do a hell of a lot more then men during the whole process of reproduction and dude worships pussy even now (he named his best soldier after it. Not after dick, vag)

I imagine that it was a much larger appreciation for women in general before Lilith screwed him over.

This soured into misogyny, though, after she ran away and likely grew much, much worse with Eve due to her actually being made from him.

Eve then proceeded to eat the apple given to her and resulted in them being kicked out of Eden, which made it even worse.

He's the definition of that one reddit incel who had bad experiences with a handful of women and now is an absolute misogynistic cunt lmao

Hella abandonment issues.

Also hella jealousy issues.

Doesn't matter if you're a friend or a partner, he's going to be grappling to be number one and the only one in your life.

He's not manipulative or slick about it even a little though, it's obvious as it gets. Will vy for your attention by being literally as obnoxious as possible constantly.

Literally so clingy.

If you ever point it out, he'll deny it though and get very flustered.

Bro needs reassurance so bad you aren't gonna leave him if you're his partner.

Will sometimes just get really quiet and ask if he did something if he even slightly senses a tone shift to negativity.

Pretends it never happened afterwards and will downplay his fears massively if you call him out on it.

He's the type of sleeper who moves around a lot and ends up upside down somehow. Also a sleep talker.

Is the type of mf who has the skill to transcribe songs into guitar simply by ear.

He never shuts up about it, so although it is actually a really incredible skill, you want to not praise it because of how annoying he is over it.

Follow up: can play most types of guitar.

One of those extremely annoying rock fans who scoff when you put on anything but rock.

Also acts like he knows more about rock than anybody.

If you put on country music around him, he will forcefully grab the aux from you to turn it off.

He knows he actually isn't very smart at all and is super insecure about it.

He's had it used against him time and time again by people like Lilith and overcompensates to deter this by acting like he is actually the smartest person at all times.

When someone treats him like he's stupid, especially about something he actually knows/is knowledgeable about, he's extremely defensive about it (like when Lute points out the shield to him in ep 8)

Would be the type to go "Mansplaining means 'man explaining things'" to you with complete lack of self-awareness.

I need to draw Sera looking absolutely horrified as he screams the lyrics to highway to hell so bad.

Got possessed with the energy I had to suddenly write this omg.

[aspoonofsugar]

Do you think Adam will come back as a demon, having to redeem himself? It kind of feels like that's where the few hints at smth deeper going on with him are going.

Hi!

I mean, there is this:

As Charlie and Emily sing about amoral angels staying in the sky, the focus is on Adam and he looks very triggered. I also personally hope he comes back because I think his character offers great opportunities to explore others. Like Lucifer, Lute, Sera, Lilith and Charlie herself. That said, I am also okay if he is meant as a one-season villain tbh. In this case, I trust it is because the story has other plot-lines to follow. Also, it would be an hilarious call-back to his line:

A man only lives once, we'll see you in one month Gotta say, I can't wait to Come down and exterminate you

Adam, you're either right in how THE man only lives once, or you are so wrong and Charlie is so right, that you yourself get a second chance :P

That said, I think there is clearly more about Adam, Eve, Lilith and Lucifer's dynamic that needs to be addressed (either through Adam coming back or in other ways):

The series starts with the retelling of the myth of Eden in the form of a fairy tale. Still, it is clear that we are given only partial information.

Lucifer: Well, your first wife didn't seem to hate what I had to offer…or the second! Bowchicka pow pow!

Sera: He was the first human soul in heaven…

It is very unclear what happened with Eve and Adam himself is judged a "virtuous soul", after his human death. Not only that, but he affirms what brought him into Heaven is:

Vaggie: reading list "Act selfless, don't steal, stick it to the man." Are you fucking serious?

Except that Adam never once acts selflessly throughout the whole season. So, I wonder if an eternity spent being spoilt in Heaven made him worse.

In short, the things I am interested in when it comes to Adam are:

If and how Heaven has changed him

His relationship with Lucifer and Lilith (Eden + his pact with Lilith)

Let's now try to analyze Adam, starting with what we have in the series.

ADAM THE ANGEL

Adam: Call me, Dickmaster.

Adam is introduced as a powerful angel and a jerkass mysoginist. Both things are important, as they tie to different conflicts:

Adam is a genocidal maniac, who mistreats everyone. Still, he is considered a virtuous soul and holds some authority in Heaven.

Adam is "the man" and is shown discriminating and dismissive towards women. According to Charlie's recount in Overture, his mysoginy might be at the very root of the conflict behind the forbidden fruit and the birth of Hell.

These two sides of Adam come together in his interactions with Charlie, who is both a demon and a woman.

1- He dismisses Charlie's ideas of redemption in his song Hell is Forever, which is full of Christian references:

'Cause it's cut and dry Fair is fair, an eye for an eye And, when all's said and done (said and done) There's the question of fun And for those of us with divine ordainment Extermination is entertainment! Guitar solo, fuck yeah!

In general, he sees himself as superior to demons because he was judged worthy of Heaven. In his mind, this makes him automatically the "good guy", while people who exhibits virtues like Charlie or Angel are still beneath him, as they are demons. In short, he has a black and white mentality:

'Cause the rules are black and white There's no use in tryin' to fight it

2- He flirts with Charlie and calls her with sexist names:

Adam: I got you again, bitch! *laughs* Fuckin' hilarious!

Not only that, but his overall characterization highligths his sexism to hilarious degrees. Some examples:

His favourite food is ribs because Eve was born from one. So, it is as if he likes "eating women up"

He leads an army of hot and lethal women, who follow his orders in battle (classical male fantasy)

He gives Vaggie the name "Vagina" and calls it "the best thing ever"

So, Adam is a combination between a zealous religious fanatic and the patriarchy. All neatly tied up with jock imagery (his tunic resembles a letterman jacket). As a result, his interactions with Charlie explore two different power dynamics:

Heaven vs Hell or to better say Hell is Forever vs A Happy Day In Hell. Is Hell a place of eternal damnation or is it a chance of redemption?

Man vs Woman - Adam is far more childish and less intelligent than Charlie, but she has to kiss his butt because he is in a role of power. As it often happens in human society.

The question is: "How can such a person be worthy of Heaven?"

SERA THE MOTHER

Sera: I thought, since I'm older It's my load to shoulder

Sera is Adam's authority figure, as she is the only one Adam shows respect for. He asks for her validation and is ashamed after disappointing her. Considering Adam was created by the angels, it is easy to infer Sera is probably the closest thing he has to a mother. This also ties with Sera's overall role in the narrative, where she is framed as a parental figure to Emily and to the other angels and souls:

Not only that, but her parenting style seems rooted in the determination to protect those in her care, no matter what:

Sera: It is my position as the head Seraphim to protect our people at all costs.

Even if she has to lie to them:

I wanted to save you, the anguish it takes to Do what was required

Or if others end up hurt in the process:

Sera: Heaven needs us, Emily. Everyone looks to us… and we can't doubt ourselves or worry about the fates of demons when we have our own souls to protect.

She keeps Emily and the rest of Heaven in a Gilded Cage and chooses to exterminate the Sinners. In a sense, she too sees the world in black and white, just like Adam. Her loved ones. All the others. This attitude is present in her relationship with Adam too, as she enables him. Some examples:

She gives Adam permission to lead the exterminations. Even if Sera thinks killing Sinners is necessary, there is no reason to entrust it to Adam, who has a very obvious grudge against Lucifer.

He lets Adam boss around the exorcists and mistreat them. Like he did with Vaggie. In general, Sera gives him no rules, if not a generic "do not embarass me" one. And even then, Adam faces no consequence after he reveals the secret.

Sera is angry at Adam's cruelty towards Charlie and reproaches him for targeting the Hazbin Hotel. Still, this is all she does. She could have stopped Adam from attacking the hotel. And yet, she only makes a single remark.

In general, Sera gives Adam free reign and even fulfills all his cruellest requests. This is made clear during Charlie and Adam's questioning.

Since the beginning, Charlie is set up to lose and the seating arrangement shows it. Sera and Emily are at the very top, as they are the judges. Below them there is the jury and then there are the two sides. Still, Charlie and Adam are not at the same level. Adam is higher, while Charlie is at the very bottom.

Sera sustains Adam's petty objection:

Adam: Objection, lame and unoriginal. Sera: Sustained. No further dictionary references please.

But she is about to refuse Charlie's request and only agrees to it because of Emily:

Charlie: Angel will make good decisions, come on! We have to keep watching! Please? Sera: sighs Yeah, I don't know. Emily: Yeah, let's give him a chance. Sera: Very well, the court will allow it.

Finally, when Adam reveals Vaggie's secret (which is irrelevant to the matter at hand), Sera allows it to happen:

She is the one projecting Vaggie's angelic shadow on the wall. Once again she enables Adam's cruelty, instead of stopping it.

in short, Adam is a person who ascends to Heaven, but once there he spends millenias without anyone questioning or disagreeing with him. All his self-serving fantasies are fulfilled and he is never punished nor called out. As a result, he clearly becomes complacent and grows worse:

Lucifer: So, this is what you been up to since Eden? Gotta say, you've really let yourself go, buddy.

Lucifer's taunt mostly references Adam's physique. Still, this is metaphorically true for Adam's soul, as well. In the end, Adam regresses in Heaven, instead of evolving. Moreover, he never addresses nor solves the key event, which defined his life.

LUCIFER AND LILITH

Adam: You judging me? You're the most hated being in all of creation!

Adam's sense of self is clearly warped by what(ever) happened in Eden. Specifically, he is hurt that both his relationships with Lilith and Eve ended up badly (apparently). This is why:

He overcompensates by being overly masculine. He insists he is THE MAN and keeps blubbering about his love adventures. And yet, he has still no wife, that we know of.

He projects his own feelings on Lilith and Lucifer, to the point that thousands of years later, he chooses "messing their home", as his hobby. Specifically, he tries to steal Lilith away (through their deal) and to make Lucifer as miserable as possible ( which is why the King of Hell sends Charlie to meet Adam at the very beginning - he doesn't want to deal with the Exorcist).

This behavior is mirrored in how he treats the Princess of Hell too.

On the one hand Adam associates what he considers Charlie's positive traits with Lilith:

Adam: To think someone as worthless as you landed Lilith's little hottie. 'Grats on that I guess.

On the other hand Adam links what he believes to be Charlie's negative traits with Lucifer:

Adam: Risking your immortal life for sinners? That's some crazy shit, even for Lucifer's brat!

So, it is implied he still wants Lilith and despises Lucifer. These emotions are mirrored in his design, specifically his horned mask:

The horns ironically show that Adam was cheated on by (both?) his wife(s)

The horns give him a demonic-like appearance, which may be just another way Adam tries to appear more badass than what he is. All while trying to look more like a demon (Lucifer) to begin with

In other words, Adam is nothing, but a man scorned. Even moreso he is a person, who deep down could never really like himself. Hence why he chooses to wear a mask 24h/24h. Adam wants to be either a Demon or a God, but deep down he is just the Man. Ironically, this is what he could never truly accept about himself.

ADAM- A MAN

In the final fight, Adam is unmasked and we get a glimpse of his real self. What is he like? His design is far more average and human-like than other angels and demons. It is even inspired by his real voice actor, apparently. Why is that so? Because deep down Adam is no-one special. He is just a dude. He is the man. Not even that. He is a man. A person.

Sadly, though, he refuses this truth and tries to be more:

Adam: I started everything on Earth! All of mankind came from these fucking nuts! You all should be worshipping me, you ungrateful, disgusting, fucking losers-

He tries to be God and in this way he becomes worse than a Demon. He dies pathetically, after refusing mercy:

Adam: No… you don't get to end this! I'm fucking Adam! I'm the fucking man, and you're just some fucking clown or something!

He sees Lucifer as his enemy, but the King of Hell barely registers his presence and only considers him in relation to Charlie. His true opponent turns out to be a small woman of low status. And even she barely considers him as someone worthy of her attention.

And yet, Adam is still a man and he shows humanity in death:

Lute: NOOOO! Sir! Sir! Stay with me sir! ADAM!

Lute is his one genuine bond and probably the only person who earnestly makes him happy.

If only he could have pursued his humanity, he might have not turned into a monster. He might have developed a healthier sense of self and could have become happier. Instead, he could never love himself for being just a man and has spent eternity trying to be someone different.

HEAVEN ISN'T MEANT TO SUCK A LOT

Adam embodies the anti-theme.

Charlie thinks that everyone can redeem themselves:

Charlie: If I can show them the dream I've dreamed That any soul can change! Then they will know everyone can be redeemed From the evil to the strange!

Adam thinks nobody truly can:

'Cause Hell is forever Whether you like it or not Had their chance to behave better Now they boil in the pot

Charlie tries to grow into her own person:

Gotta come into my own Gotta come into my throne Gotta take charge and defend my only home

Adam turns himself into an idol:

The golden exorcists bring to mind the golden calf from the Bible.

Charlie thinks happiness and beauty can be found even in Hell:

I can hear all their stories The lost and displaced And I know that they're more of an acquired taste But if I open the door and I give them a place At my Hazbin Hotel It'll be a happy day in Hell!

Adam can't find happiness and beauty in Heaven and his only source of joy is knowing others suffer more than him:

Fuckin' Hell is forever And it's meant to suck a lot!

And yet, Hell might be meant to suck a lot, but Heaven shouldn't:

St. Peter and Emily: 'Cause every single day in Heaven is a happy day Welcome to Heaven

Still, Heaven could not make Adam happy. And if Heaven can't make its own people happy, then what is the point of such a Kingdom?

Sera: It's your position to keep them happy and joyful. Emily: How can I bring joy when I now know we are bringing misery to thousands of innocent people?

Adam is a character that embodies Heaven's problems, not only because he is an evil monster, but even moreso because he is an unhappy and unsatisfied man.

Here are my two cents on him :D We'll see if he comes back and manages to get some development!

Thank you for the ask!

[dyssonant-skyline]

2. What's your favorite and least favorite design in either show?

9. Since you mentioned drawing your redesigns, I have to ask - is there any way I could see Verity having a jolly ol' time on a swing? I was looking over your art again and the thought just struck me on impact out of nowhere.

13. Where does Lilith fit in Hellbound Hostel? Is there anything planned for her yet / concepts you're tossing around?

9. I know this probably isn't what you were imagining but!!! I love conversations on swings and I wanted to draw Eden and Verity together.

2. Favorite and least favorite designs are hard to figure out, most designs I like have glaring details I don't and designs I dislike have potential somewhere in the design. I'll pick the ones from Hazbin that I like/dislike the most as they are, speaking roles only.

Carmilla Carmine is my least favorite design. Her hair completely throws her design off balance imo. I hate the fact none of these characters have ears and I thought Carmilla’s earrings were dangling from her hair at one point. When her hair is down, her design is better I guess… but then there isn't anything that screams hell or sinner in her design. The hairstyle at least alludes to horns, without it she is just a grey human with red eyes and slightly big arms. I kind of wish she kept her extremely long fingers from the pilot, but that wouldn’t tie in well with her fighting style imo??? Eh.

Breaking my own rules since they never speak but, but this design ruins every scene it is in. What an attention grabbing eyesore, it was impossible to watch the overlord meeting with her just sitting on the side orz

Sir Pentious is probably my favorite design in the show, but the story behind his design just makes me sad. I don't like his tail and the eyes pasted all over it, slithering on your eyes?? ow. The hood acting like hair and flaring out is very enjoyable to watch. His palette is also more balanced than most characters. Prefer him without the hat though.

Breaking the rules again, my real favorites are background characters.

13. In Hellbound Hostel, Hellborn are created through a ritual that only requires one participant. Eden is more like a creation to [Lucifer] than a daughter and she has no mother. Sort of an [Adam] parallel. I might shift Lilith's role/traits to one of the Sins, Idolatry.

The Sins are effectively Eden’s family as they are all fallen angels that rebelled with [Lucifer]. A lot of the early/pilot stuff with Lilith shows her as wanting rebellion from sinners and I think Idolatry would also stoke that flame. She is a champion of individualism and finding your own “gods” to worship. She believes that the free will that humans were granted makes them superior to The Creator.

As for the aspect of someone from hell residing in heaven as a potential villain? I have some ideas but most of the conflict I’m figuring out right now is episodic conflicts centering around the hotel, like a power outage and trying to get residents excited for a hellborn holiday.

Thank you for asking! :D

[actual-changeling]

I agree with you that Crowley cares about humans on a more personal level, whereas Aziraphale more cares about humans in the more vague sense.

Perhaps because he thinks it's what a good angel should do. As we know, Heaven (and the high ranking angels) have never cared about humans. But Aziraphale does, at least to some extent. So this must come from his own goodness (and the influence of Crowley, probably), right? He thinks Heaven should care because he cares, and knows it the right thing thing to do.

Of course, he needs to realise that he can't just pretend that Heaven is good by pretending God doesn't want whatever bad stuff Heaven is doing to happen, for himself and to be with Crowley.

(Also, I'm sorry if this comes off rude. I genuinely don't meant it to.)

(Dw, you're not coming off as rude!)

I think with Aziraphale it's kinda half/half.

A part of him genuinely cares about humanity because he just has those thoughts and feelings as a person. However, there's also a part that cares about humanity because he thinks that's what a good angel is supposed to be like. To Aziraphale, heaven is fundamentally good, and that any cruelties and uncaring angels he has seen are an exception to the rule—get rid of a few bad apples, and heaven will be perfect, right?

It's why he thinks that being the Supreme Archangel will "make a difference", because the thought the problem were the people in charge. But if he is the one in charge then everything will be great.

The mistake here is that Aziraphale does not understand that heaven is not good and never has been. He sees Crowley's fall as a mistake because he's seen Crowley do good things, so deep-down he must still be an angel since demons are Evil and Bad.

Crowley and all the other demons falling was the system working as intended, there's nothing to fix or change. Once he actually understands that, we will finally get somewhere.

Humanity and him have had the same relationship since Eden: He is standing on a wall above them, caring in a way an angel is supposed to while staying separate and in a superior position. Giving Adam the sword was a one-time thing, a spur of the moment decision (he's very prone to those), and while he helps the individual human every once in a while, overall he doesn't engage with them.

[sunflowericescribbles]

A Radioapple SpyxFamily AU idea dump

It seems that I´ve become incapable of writing down my ideas into a decent story, so I will just dump everything into this post - and whoever wants to pick up these pieces and string it together into a coherent story is welcome to take them and run with it. I just need to get it out of the system otherwise I´m gonna mad here.

Setting:

SpyxFamily Universe - Cold War between Ostania & Westalis (if I wanted to be funny I´d have renamed them into "Elysiana" & "Ereboris" or smth like that, because there already exists Eden Academy, so why not turn it into "Heaven & Hell")

A/B/O- Universe (?)

Alastor as westalian spy known as "Smiles". He´s an expert in hiding in between shadows & and concealing his presence. (You only know he´s there when you see a creepy smile, but then it´s already too late for you.) Officially he works as a radio host at a radio station, which serves also the purpose to get the latest news from everywhere and subtly altering it if necessary. They also use it to communicate in code via broadcast. His excuse for getting almost murdered on the streets or for coming home with injuries will most likely be "haters of his radio persona" or "fanatic fans". Yes, he has a very intense fanbase (and hatebase), yes some might call him the radio demon.

He accidentally rescued a little girl called Niffty while on a mission, who refused to leave his side since then. And before he could get rid of her, his superiors had the brilliant idea to keep her, so he could take on operation "Strix", because it seemed that she´s smart (& old) enough to be enrolled in the famous Eden Academy.

Niffty is able to read minds, so she knows that the plan is to get closer to the youngest son of Sera Desmond, Adam. (You can imagine how the first meeting will go when I say that Adam will be terrified of her most of the time and will constantly try to convince everyone that she tries to murder him.) Lute will be his bodyguard, of course.

Our little gremlin will also make sure that Al gets a "wife"/mate/partner, because of course Eden Academy has this strange/stupid rule that the kids need to a whole set of parents to even have a chance to get into it. Al is not eager to go through the list of potential partners that his informant and old friend Husker provided him. Fortunately the problem solves itself with a chance meeting at the park where Niffty almost falls into a pond full of ducks.

And look who´s there! A cute little blonde (omega) with the name Lucifer, who is pondering his life choices and who´s in desperate need to prove that he´s NOT single and/or incapable of taking care of himself. See, he can still look after a kid and prevent her from falling head first into a pond. See, he can also sympathize with being a single parent, because he´s been in that role many years since Lilith´s death.

The wedding ring on his hand? Oh, that´s just an old remnant that he keeps wearing because he´s not really into finding a new partner & when they see the ring they usually back off and leave him be. Unfortunately it led to his new coworkers believing he was still married, because he had been too distracted (and not in the mood to talk about it) in giving them a direct answer ("I don´t have a wife"- "Oh sorry, husband then"). And somehow he talked himself into a corner with his adult daughter Charlie, too, because she believes he´s been dating someone for a while now. He had only been on a handful of dates because she had been constantly nagging him over the phone & then simply started lying to her about it to make her stop worrying.

Now he has one problem coming from two sides: His new coworkers invited him to a dance party, so he needs a dance partner - preferably his nonexistent husband, because he´s too embarrassed to admit he´s single now that he´s already been there for a while and never corrected this assumption. His daughter deems it appropriate to finally meet his new (imaginary) partner & make sure her dad is in good hands.

Lucifer also kinda fears that Charlie would actually throw away her carrier chances if she worried too much about him, because as much as he tried to hide his struggles from her, he knows she´s seen it. Luckily Charlie doesn´t (& hopefully never will) know how far he went to make ends meet for them, because he´s definitely not proud of it. He will never regret marrying Lilith & having Charlie, even though they got disowned by their families and never got the chance to finish their education at Eden Academy after they found out about them (and the pregnancy).

Lucifer is officially working a boring office job, but has a (regrettably) successful carrier as an assassin since his daughter´s childhood years, because he was desperate for money and would have done anything for his daughter to get her a at least somewhat decent childhood & education. His codename is "Rotten Apple" (he always leaves a faint smell of rotten apples behind) and he´s very good at disguising himself. His small and slender build also makes it easy for him to disguise as woman if necessary.

Anyway, Alastor & Lucifer come to the conclusion that it will benefit both of them if they entered a fake marriage. Lucifer is very glad he found Alastor, because not only can this man cook a thousand times better than him, he can also dance and make his coworkers jealous! Well, Charlie is not entirely convinced yet, but you have to forgive her, she´s very protective of her dad & worries too much (Vaggie is trying to convince her to let her dad be). Alastor is somewhat relieved that he found someone who has experience in child raising & knowledge of Eden Academy. He doesn´t care that his mate is older than him & already had a child roughly 20 years ago. If someone asks why he didn´t choose a younger one: He likes that they can enjoy the same things, such as music, dancing, playing instruments, etc. He´s also good with kids, has experience, doesn´t mind marrying someone with a child, does he need to go on? Ah, yes and both of them don´t ask too many unnecessary questions, because gotta keep their secrets.

Btw Vox is not happy about this fake marriage, because he wanted to play happy family with Al. (Niffty does not, she likes her new "bad boy" dad very much, thank you.)

[sonicblueartist]

Are your requests actually open for bullfrog? If so, is it alright to request for yandere headcanons of him? ( or oneshot if that fits more to your liking! ) With human reader that possibly works for eden?

It doesn't has to be anything bloody! Any yandere scenarios that fits him are fine, You can change the scenario if you want it too

And sorry if im misunderstood it! You can just delete this request if i did so!

A/N: Yandere looks so out of character of him. But I give it a try for you dear anon~ Yan!Bullfrog and a worker of Eden? (It's not like humans and hyberds already have a complex realationship enough) Oh jeez. We are going in a big rollercoster ride here, so buckle up your seats guys! 😏👀☕️💦

I need one more thing to say. There is a similar ask like this one. A reader working for Eden. So I'm gonna change this request a slightly bit, so both wouldn’t cross much. I hope that's alright for you :)

AND SO SORRY THIS IS SO SHORT AAAA--

Bullfrog x h!reader HEADCANON-ish? (It's a bit diffucult to tell with what I write here :')

Warnings: blood, dead bodies, possesive behaviour, ooc

Masterlist

Word Count: 1.1k

Taglist: @blorbostation @eateableworm @livelaughluvvfaithyy @darkchanx @astoraa

Btw does anyone want to be in the tag list?

Dear anons; I would really appreciate it if you could choose an emoji while sending your asks and requests (and stick with it) so I can tell you apart. Thank you~

×Anouncment: I am no longer writing for Yangere Bullfrog. It's so out of character of him and I don't want that. Please don't ask me to write about it again my dear readers~ Thank youu. (I'm also so bad at writing yanderes oh my god 😭)

You both already knew each other when it all started

"Hey, do you have any gum?”

"Gum?" You glance at your soldier friend.

"Yeah, I like to chew on them. Do you have any?”

"Uh... no sorry." But you checked on your pockets anyway. Who knows? Maybe you actually have it. Before you can even lift your head a breeze past you.

A breeze? In the middle of the hall where no windows open?

You glance at your side, seeing what is left of your friend on the ground, his throat ripped open as he choked on his own blood and died in mere seconds. You stared at him as his lifeless body lay down motionless.

"I was talking to him.”

"Pas désolé, he is pretty much dead now."

You glance at him unimpressed while he stared up at you with a smile, a sweet sickening one, making you feel annoyed even more. His bloody blades disappearing behind his wrists.

"You need to stop your little visits. They will notice our talks one day. And it's not gonna be pretty for both of us.”

“We never agreed it would be. Qui a dit que ça m'intéressait de toute façon.” He grinned at you as he connected his hands behind his back.

How do you two know each other? Well, you two met when you started to work for Eden, seemingly. You're an agent observing Eden's work and informing your superiors. That's it. That was your job. Being a spy. Dangerous you need to say. Thankfully, if someone notices your act, you know how to fight.

It wasn't long before the assassin and spy met in unfortunate circumstances. Forcing you to fight side by side in a station where both of you are in grave danger. It was in the past now. Either you regret meeting him or not… you weren’t sure.... yet

After that day, he didn't seem to forget about you. Or your purpose. It looks like you managed to catch his attention from the first moments.

He started to show his face whenever he could to the point you can't ignore anymore.

You did get irritated by that a lot of the time, especially in the beginning. But now you just… get used to it? You don’t know. It’s not like he listened when you told him to go.

Thankfully whenever he kills your ‘comrades’ he helps you to not get caught because of his reckless actions? You actually started to think he's doing it on purpose too. Just to stay a bit longer and interact with you more.

You don’t actually care who he kills. You just want him to not ruin your cover.

But when you start to notice every person you talk to starts to disappear or end up dead? You start to worry. Like a lot. How can you not? Your life is on the line.

You know it was him doing it. But you just didn't get why. You are more than capable of handling yourself.

What was he thibking doing all that? Risking your whole mission- YOUR life- To get you caught? There need to be more to it. There is something really wrong with him…

And you were proven right when you found one of your agent friends covered in his own blood, near him only stood and stared Bullfrog while he slowly... died. Like he wanted to teach him a lesson in his own mind.

His blades were bloody. There was something horrible the way he just… stared. What shocked you even more was what he uttered out to the body laying motionless, to the soulless eyes.

“No one… no one can take her away...” he slowly wiped the blood from his mouth.

Your eyes widen with that. How does a normal person would act in this situation? Run away for their life? Scream? Cry? Grow in anger? Probably. But you were a skilled agent. You stepped inside, even you couldn't belive how calm you were, he quickly got aware of your presence and tilted his head with a smirk. He never hid that glint in his eyes.

“Bonjour, mon lumière. How was your day? Good I hope?”

You shook your head, and went straigh to the point, “What have you done?” It was the only thing you could let out at the moment. A lot of things went trhough in your head but you just stood there and actually hoped to hear a manageable answer?

He opened his arms towards you and approached, he actually believed in what he said, “He was going to get in between like all the others. I couldn’t let that happen.”

The more he came closer the more you stepped back, you shook your head, “You are not even making any sense. You are sick, you are—“

You yelled in pain and dropped down on your knees before you could even put up a fight to get away. He cut your ankles. Not actually cut them in two but that still hurted like hell. You hissed and suck in a breath. You grimiced and tighten your fist. You are not going to show any weakness to him.

You panted in pain as he held you in his arms, caressing your back. You growled in anger on his shoulder, wiggling in his strong hold, trying to get away but he didn't even move an inch and continued holding you tightly, not very affected. How could he be so strong?

“Don’t worry, ma vie. You will soon understand that I’m freeing you from the burden of working under an organization as vile as Eden. You’ll be at peace with me. I promise." He caressed your head ‘lovingly’. “Nous serons ensemble pour toujours.”

Your angry yell muffled in his chest. As his eyes stared blankly into space with a smile on his lips.

Everything got so much worse after that...

[yessa-vie]

03 || HEART STRING OF GOLD || OT8! ATEEZ.

FOX || HEART STRING OF GOLD || OT8! ATEEZ.

→ PARING. OT8 (wooyoung & seonghwa focus) x fem!reader.

→ GENDER. heavy angst (!!!). enemies to lovers. soulmate au (sort of). ateez lore au.

→ WC. 31,810 (i apologize, but i promised i tried to keep it short).

→ RATING. R (mdni!).

→ IMPORTANT. heavy angst (i'm sorry). mentions of death. sugegstive. sex talk. implied sex as a coping mechanism. manipulation (by the reader). possessiveness (mostly one sided). insecurities. flashbacks (sort of). violence. fighting. blood. choking. death threats. torture (knife use, cold water, whip, salted water, weights and hanging from the wrists). forced proximity (kinda?). wooyoung is a little shit (and i love him). explosions. fire. gunwound.

→ NETWORKS.  @cromernet @pirateeznet @atzhouse @newworldnet

⇦ || hsog || taglist || masterlist || ⇨

             Your mind was still processing what had been said by your superiors.

  In all truth, it should come as no surprise, considering how you joined the Black Pirates' Search & Capture Team. Videos of the supervised interactions between you and Angel circulated freely within the Command Center and Guardian's Island. The videos combined with the way you managed to get Angel to spill some information in the presence of your superiors, already made you join the squad. The events of your last encounter with them a month and a half ago helped you get to the position you were in, the way you handled the ambush, how you, Chan and Jeongin handled both the fight and what was apprehended after the revolt was controlled, which they managed to discover thanks to the fact that you and the other two agreed on the idea of looking at the points that had been discovered as possible cells of the Black Pirates, made all eyes turn to you.

             Despite that, no one knew about the warehouse, you and Minho had made a promise to each other to keep it a secret, especially after the perimeter investigation when you found out what had happened. Mentally thanking the smoke caused by the explosion of the vehicle that managed to hide them both as they fled the scene. Fortunately, the fire was far enough away to not reach the warehouses, but elaborate enough to cause the smoke caused by the explosion to occupy virtually all of the warehouse space.

             “Finally,” one of the last slides appeared in front of everyone, two cars parked in a spot not too far from where the warehouses would be located, the date on the satellite photo capturing your attention, but you had, fortunately, managed to disguise it, “two stolen cars were found in a location near the warehouses the same night we left the location.”

             “Why wasn’t this revealed to us before?”

             Park Jinyoung was one of the most eager generals in capturing the Black Pirates, making him also one of the most annoying to be around when something was discovered, hence the reason for all the irritable sighs you were able to catch after that line, including of Eden by your side.

             “We were investigating the perimeter, trying to discover both the path taken by the cars and check those inside them.”

             "And?"

             Even though Jinyoung was considerably irritating, everyone remained silent, waiting for what Namjoom would say regarding that information. Your eyes met Jungkook's which were already on you, a movement that was not ignored by Eden who discreetly touched the pen to your leg, making you both look forward while Namjoom nodded, changing the slide.

             Ten people got out of their cars and entered another location, looking from above it looked like another warehouse, but far enough away from the previous ones that it was necessary to use cars. Photos of tire tracks that were connected with the warehouse. They had fled in a car, the explosion had been planned, they would never let you catch them. Serpent had already told you, this was a test, they wanted to know how capable you were, how sagacious you were, what you would be able to risk to meet them.

             Nausea washed over you as the latest events started to make sense. The power they had, the knowledge, not just over the government, but over you. The fact that Angel arranged for you to find the writing, for you to go meet Serpent at the warehouse, to meet them.

             “Someone from the Black Pirates used the location that night, we got satellite photos of a person entering the warehouse at around eight,” another photo was seen and you found yourself from above, you swallow hard watching the photo, so there was a way to see it, even in the dark, “just before the explosion, we were able to define the silhouette of another person approaching, but we were unable to get details of what happened after it thanks to the smoke, apart from the tire tracks of the two stolen cars.”

             “Do we have anything on these two people who entered the place?”

             Yang Hyunsuk's voice made you stare at Namjoom with your lips in a thin line, trying to control the trembling of your body. They had been seen, there was a way to see – even in the dark – any movement made outside the warehouses, but they hadn't captured anything, no movement of people, so how had they managed to go unnoticed? It was then that you cursed at yourself, sawing your fists on the table, they used the Cromer. Hatred rose in you for not realizing until that moment, how only tire tracks were seen, how no people or footprints could be found beyond the warehouses.

             “Unfortunately no, General,” everyone cursed quietly and you sighed, lowering your head, but Eden noticed the difference in your sigh, it wasn’t one of irritation, “we can only say that the explosion was not planned, considering that not long after the last person ran to warehouse six, but we have no notification of anyone leaving, leading us to believe that everyone left when the smoke was high enough to cover the path they were traveling.”

             For a moment you thanked Mars and the others, beating yourself up for being so stupid and irresponsible. You getting caught was one thing, Minho being dragged along with you because of your idiocy was another thing entirely. Only then did you notice Eden's eyes fixed on you, analyzing you, making you just nod before going back to focusing on the slides.  Two cars indicated that the others were there too, that they probably heard your argument with Mars, Logan, Serpent, and Angel. A small smile of satisfaction threatened to take shape on your face that you hid by faking a cough.

             “Any images of the place where they stopped and the ten people got out?”

             “Negative, sir,” Namjoom went to the next slide and a video from one of the BTS members’ bodycam played, showing the place completely empty, no signs of recent use.  “Not even fingerprints were found, nor were we able to find out how exactly they left without leaving a trace.”

             Because they used the Cromer.

             “Cromer,” the voice came from Eden drawing all attention to him, including yours, his eyebrows slightly arched when his eyes fell on you briefly, “we already know that they use it in events like these, we never knew how these events happened, but I think we can believe that they are using the Cromer whenever they can, to stay under the radar.”

             Everyone nodded and you just stared at your hands in your lap, fingers playing with each other. If they were using the Cromer whenever they could, why risk discovery in that empty space? What was special about it? Your eyes focused on the images still shown on the slide. It was a warehouse, several things scattered in the corners, but they seemed untouched. Another long-forgotten spot in Strickland, so what was so important about it?

             The subject was quickly changed to the revolts that were taking place on the limits of Strickland, as they had considerably increased since the problem that you, your team and the XKRS encountered when you were going to investigate the possible Black Pirates cell that was located at the school that you, Chan and Jeongin insisted on being investigated, getting some important data and capturing some other members before more could be found.

             Fortunately, Eden was responsible for defining which teams would be part of the contingency plan for the revolts spread across the country. Your mind is still processing the last details, trying to connect the dots, the importance of the last, remote warehouse, the reason it was used. It was clear that it was abandoned, several pieces of furniture could be seen scattered around, it was a long-forgotten place of rubble.

             “Gather your team and the XKRS and meet me in my office in thirty minutes.”

             Was all Eden said after the end of the meeting, making a frown appear on your face, receiving only a smart look from Eden as he walked through the corridors with a folder under his arm. What the hell could he want with both teams? It was true that you were the only team completely made up of people without blockers, but the XKRS were a newly formed team and were not selected for the Black Pirates Search & Capture Team which, now, was the only thing your team was allowed to do, considering the success of recent operations.

             “Tough day?”

             The only reaction you had was a slight shiver on the back of your neck. You already expected Jungkook to find you after the session, you just didn't expect him to be so close considering the location you were in. Fingers firmly on your arm indicating for you to follow him, stopping in the middle of an empty room. His eyes met yours, confused and tired, making you sigh as he continued to watch you curiously and worriedly. 

             “I’m fine Kookie, just a lot going on,” you sat down at one of the tables in the place, sighing and running your hands over your face, the sound of Jungkook’s boots on the floor being the only indication that he was getting closer. “You, Chan, Mingyu and Moonbin’s team with that damn promise you made to my brother is annoying sometimes, you know?” 

  Both laughter filled the space when Jungkook intertwined their fingers. His eyes analyzing every detail of your tired face. A simple kiss being placed on your cheek made your entire body want to burn, but only a small heat could be found within you, but no movement was made, and he didn't move away much after the kiss, his eyes roaming your face, you could see some confusion in them. When Jungkook's hand went to his face, you pulled away. 

             "What happened?" 

             “Nothing happened,” in a way, it wasn't a lie, nothing had happened. The truth is that you always felt something for your brother's friends, you weren't blind, they were extremely beautiful, nice and polite, but they never looked at you as anything other than a younger sister, at least not until you were abandoned by your eight friends that occupied your mind. “I’m just tired, Kookie, no big deal.”

             “Chan said you were more airy than usual, more in your head,” you closed your eyes, already knowing what was coming next, “you do remember the last time this happened.” 

             Yes, you remembered it clearly, because it was when your brother died and your best friends and the first men you loved romantically abandoned you. It was also the same time you started getting involved with your team, expanding this for your brother's friends, starting with Chan and ending with Jungkook. When you did everything to feel something, even if it was momentary. 

             “If that were to happen, we wouldn't be talking right now, but probably on top of this table,” your voice was sharp, earning a doubtful look in your direction. “Why exactly did you bring me here, Kookie?” 

             “That’s you in the satellite photos taken that night, isn’t it?” His eyes never left yours, but your silence was enough for him to sigh, taking a step to get between your legs. “Do you have any idea how dangerous that could be?” 

             “I saw a clue and I wanted to follow that clue, what’s wrong with that?”

             Jungkook opened his mouth a few times before sighing, closing his eyes. 

             “Who is the second person? Was it anyone there?” You finally put your head down, you wouldn't tell about Minho, no matter how much you trusted the man in front of you, if this got out, you deserved all the blame, no one else. “(y/n)?” 

             “There was no one,” your eyes still didn't look up, your fingers gently caressing Junkook's hand, noticing his muscles soften, “the other person went there to meet me at my request, but I'm not going to tell you who it was.” 

             “You know I can find out, right?”

             “Leave it alone Kookie, for me,” your voice was a plea, your eyes then met his. The truth is, they've all always had a soft spot for you, which was only made worse when you started sleeping with them, when you convinced them to sleep with you. When Jungkook's eyes dropped to your lips you knew he would do whatever you asked, so you moistened them before pulling your hands back, placing his hands on your hips while yours went to his shoulders. “Please, Kookie, what do I need to do to get you to leave this alone?” 

             Your fingers played with his hair, foreheads touching lightly. His eyes finding your lips whenever they could and you knew what he wanted, even though you didn't want it and he felt it, that's why he still hadn't done what he wanted so badly. Your head moved forward, both breaths mixing, your lips passing delicately across his, feeling his fingers dig into your hip, thanking it for the clothes or else the crescent moon marks of his nails would be present on your skin. 

             Please, Kookie, was all you wanted to say in that simple act, a sincere request before a small touch of mouths and his arms finally wrapped around your waist, pulling you closer to the edge of the table, your legs wrapping around his as your fingers messed around his hair. His tongue invaded yours allowing a small moan to come out. Jungkook was one of your favorite kisses, but something was wrong. Only your body reacted normally, the electric current was no longer present, the heat was different, it wasn't all over the body, just on one point, your heart no longer palpitated.

             Jungkook was right, something had happened, that thing was currently ten, but two of the ten seemed to affect you more than the others. Angel and Serpent. Anyone who asks, you would lie, but the truth is that none of them left your mind for long. The way they acted in the warehouse was set in stone in your mind. Mars and the others still had considerable space, but your mind couldn't help but allow itself to wander and recall the moments shared with the two ATEEZ members.

             Remembering how Angel's touch was always discreet but firm, his skin warm against yours, the grip firm but delicate, his concern for your injury, but at no point did he change the way he treated you because of that injury, the way how his hand always seemed to find your knee and wrist always could, especially when you were alone, how his eyes always looked for you in the crowd, always tortuous, but when they found you it seemed like a calm could be seen.

             Angel was your biggest puzzle and you wanted to figure out every single piece.

             Then came Serpent, grip as strong as Angel's, features as if they had been sculpted with the greatest of care, but his eyes were predatory, he drank in you every time his eyes met yours, the smirk always present just like the damn tongue. Something in you said that he would be one of the best kisses you could receive in your life, the paths that his tongue could follow while his firm hands explored your body -

             “Are you fucking serious?” Jeongin's voice brought you back to reality, to the fact that you were with Jungkook, but with full awareness that the heat radiating through your body wasn't because of what you were both doing. Although the kiss was cut off, Jungkook's hands didn't leave your body, neither making any move until Jeongin entered the room, closing the door behind him. “Eden is paging us, he said to find you, couldn’t that wait?”

             Your eyes fell on the space between your body and Jungkook, aware of his hands on your thigh and lower back. With a simple exchange of glances, he nodded, moving away from you, hands on your waist as you got down from the table, Jeongin's eyes were almost cynical when they fell on you, but you could see a small glint of jealousy and a smirk appeared in your lips, noticing how your third in command's eyes fell on them, probably swollen and red.

             “We were just sorting something out, don't worry Innie,” your hand found Jeongin's cheek making him finally take his eyes off Jungkook who was fixing his pants, again you could see the sparkle in Jeongin's eyes and you smiled at that. “Hey, everything is fine, okay? Let's go, yeah?"

             Jeongin looked one last time at Jungkook who was already approaching you, feeling his hand on your lower back and his voice low in your ear, but not enough for Jeongin not to hear.

             “Be more careful next time.”

             A simple kiss was placed on your temple before he left the room, leaving you and Jeongin alone. His eyes darting to the table you were at before falling back on you.

             “Why were you here?”

             “Jeongin, c’mon, we were really just talking, but it just escalated, that’s all,” your hand dropped from his face making him march over to the table you were at with Jungkook a short time ago, sitting on the edge of the table, legs spread wide, curious eyes on you. “Innie, what happened?”

             “What did he mean by ‘be more careful next time’?” You sighed, walking towards him, positioning yourself between his legs, your fingers touching his knees lightly, but you saw his gaze fall on that spot. “If someone catches you with him -”

             “If someone catches me with one of you it’s going to be a lot worse and you know it,” your voice was quick but not rude, just presenting the fact that you all already knew. Jeongin's fingers found yours, intertwining them before bringing your hand to his mouth, lips touching your knuckles lightly, eyes fixed on you. “Innie, please.” 

             “Don't look anywhere else,” was the only thing he said before pulling you close, his right arm wrapping around your waist while his left hand still held yours before bringing it to his shoulder, making his left hand find your right side before wrapping his arms around your waist, holding you in place. “We don’t like to share.” 

             You could feel your whole body burn from the way Jeongin was looking at you, holding you. Your hands found the back of his head, playing with his hair just in time to cut it while a smirk grew on your lips. 

             “I thought we agreed, no strings attached.” 

             “It wouldn’t be the first rule we broke,” the smirk that appeared on Jeongin’s lips made you lightly pull his hair, eliciting a groan from him, before hungry, predatory eyes appeared, but not predatory enough, not like the ones of Serpent, but you decided to bury that observation far away in your mind. “Eden is waiting for us.”

             “Chan?” You connected Jeongin's comm point, since communication points were prohibited in team meetings, the third leader's small wave made you move even closer to Jeongin's face, feeling his fingers tighten around your waist even more. “I need you to find XKRS and the rest of our team, then meet me and Jeongin on Eden's office floor,” another pause, your lips brushing against Jeongin's, a subtle nod was enough, “if anyone asks, make up an excuse.”

              No one waited for Chan's response, so Jeongin finally found your lips before moving away from the table, continuing the kiss before holding you and placing you on the table just like you were previously. Unlike the kiss with Jungkook, Jeongin still had a certain effect on you, probably because he was the first one for whom you allowed yourself to feel something similar to what you felt for the eight after your fifteenth birthday, or perhaps, it was because he was your first.

                “Is that all you found?”

                Yeji's eyes scanned the documents Eden had made available to them one last time. Chan was still looking at the aerial photograph of the site. Jeongin explained some situations to Minjae, the rest of the XKRS boys watching everything from afar, some taking notes, others with their eyes attentive.

                “That we managed to recover, yes,” the older man sighed before refocusing on the aerial map that Chan was analyzing, your eyes following every movement of the man you considered your teacher, knowing something was wrong, “but I called you here because I believe that the inspection was not done properly, probably because none of you,” eyes fell on Chan who lowered his head, his mouth in a thin line, “were allowed to enter, supervising only from the area considered safe.”

                “Not even after?”

                Your question made all eyes direct to you. That day, both you and Ryujin were escorted back to the Command Center to report on the situation that had taken shape, leaving both Chan and Jeongin in charge of the situation, but you already knew that some superiors wouldn't like the idea of either of them being in charge of an operation like that, not when it was discovered in the middle of everything, that everyone was close to one of the Black Pirates' active cells.

                “They said we had already done enough and that the fact that some of us were injured could make us easy targets and they couldn’t take any chances.”

                You could feel the venom dripping from Chan's speech, accompanied by a scoff, repeated by some of his team members, making you understand the urgency of getting you out of the place, as you would ignore that order, but your team wouldn't, as they knew that this would result in direct consequences for you, something they agreed never to do, even if you had given them permission to do whatever they thought was right.

                “It wouldn’t make much of a difference, (y/n),” Eden’s voice was quick, as he understood both sides, he had participated in the punishment you had suffered years before due to your team acting against direct orders when you weren’t present, even if you had said it was for them to do it, being correct in your position. “There wasn’t much to do, but I believe there is now,” Eden’s eyes met yours, all 22 eyes in the room watching him walk back and forth pointing to the board with the satellite photos, “it looks like they are promoting movements to return to the site in small quantities so as not to attract attention.”

                “Did Jungkook take the photos?” From your peripheral vision, you noticed Jeongin change his posture when he heard the name come out of your mouth, you held back a laugh, receiving a small nod from Eden. “Were you able to define when they happened?”

                “Sporadic schedules, varied groups, there is no consistency in activities.”

              Seungmin read the report, looking quickly between you and Eden, noticing the silent conversation that was happening, everyone silently waiting for what would be said.

                “How sure are you that they will authorize it?”

                “I have my contacts,” Eden smiled smartly after answering your question, earning a sigh when your eyes found the school surrounded by a black circle. “I'm still organizing the proposal, but as soon as the council accepts it, and they will,” your doubtful eyes met Eden's who just continued with that gleam of someone who knew more than they would say, “my nomination will be made, probably accepted not more than two business days later.”

                “How are you going to get them to be part of it?”

                Your head indicated the XKRS who remained quiet, just listening carefully.

                “Technically this isn’t direct interaction with the Black Pirates and you need someone who knows the area to help you when you enter the school.”

                “We are ready,” Minjae's voice broke the silence that fell in the room after Eden's speech, who knew that you were afraid to add another team, especially a newly formed team that had no connection with what you all already knew. Everyone's eyes fell on the leader of the XKRS who looked at you with determination, “we are ready, let us prove it, we are capable of helping.”

                “It’s not that I think you’re incapable Minjae, it’s just…”

                Your voice stopped for a moment, mouth creating a thin line, holding it in so that your eyes wouldn't meet Minho's, the reminder that other people could get hurt because of your problem with the Black Pirates. The idea of anyone present suffering the consequences of what could happen makes you stop for a moment, controlling you, your actions and thoughts.

                “We don't know how many people are there,” Chan began to speak, your eyes met his and he gave a weak smile in your direction before focusing on Minjae, “we don't know about the situation of the surrounding buildings, much less the current situation of the school , things could get ugly, both for us and for you.”

                “We can propose an inspection of one of the buildings as a stakeout before we investigate the perimeter and you enter the school, this way we reduce the chances of ambushes like last time, right?”

                Hyunwoo commented, exchanging glances with everyone, finding a small smile on your lips before exchanging glances with Eden and Yeji who were already getting up to face the photos.

                “How long do we have between you finalizing the proposal, it being accepted, you nominating us and the mission happening?”

                You could see the gears turning in Yeji's head as she walked towards the board with the pictures, Eden smiled pointing at the calendar and turning the page before pointing to the number ten. One month. You would have a month to get everything working perfectly.

                “Yeji and Hyunwoo work together on this part, Chaeryeong, Changbin, Felix, Yechan, Yujun, Seeun and Junghoon work together so that we have everything we might need, I want you to cover all the possibilities,” everyone nodded with each direction you made, feeling Eden's eyes on you, despite the XKRS being slightly wary of completely following your orders, a simple look at Eden and they knew he was in agreement, “Hunter, Seungmin, Jinsik, Jisung Sumin and Minho, I need you to check who participated in the inspection operation, select who will participate in this one that we will do before we enter and watch all the videos relating to that day, both the interviews with those who participated and those who were captured.”

                “Minjae and Junmin, I need you to talk to Chan and Jeongin about combining both ways of acting, take the Shadows along, everyone needs to be aware of how each other does things,” everyone nodded, watching Eden point to you, “you stay, I need to talk to you.”

                With that simple phrase, everyone quickly left Eden's room, the atmosphere becoming considerably more tense. The few times Eden called you to talk alone, were times when he would ask you to do something that would be considered irresponsible and even illegal in the council's view, but both knew it was necessary and that you had the ability to do it. But now, the tension went beyond that, as your mind remembered the way Eden watched you during the meeting earlier.

                “Can they know?”

                “Only if you need any of them during the mission,” you nodded and approached the table furthest from Eden, it was one of the few interactive tables, only a select number of people had them, your team was one of them. “There is a more hidden part of the school, it is in the parking lot, I need you to go there and check the place for me.”

                “Why didn’t anyone investigate last time?”

                “They investigated,” he said simply, opening a password-protected file. As soon as the digits were placed, the folder was opened and several photos were presented to you, making you swallow hard as your eyes went over the amount of fallen bodies, “most of the rebels were in the parking lot burning files while the people inside the school diverted attention and the room they were using was sealed.”

                “Who took care of this?”

                “Kai went there alone while everyone was leaving and took these photos for me,” you nodded touching some of the photos to expand them, Eden’s eyes focused on you, “we managed to capture an informant, Kai, Moonbin and JK took care of him, making us understand some of the data we found.”

                “What exactly do you want me to do, Eden?”

                Eyes still fixed on you, he pressed a key and three photos appeared, three different locations, but only one thing in common, making your breath hitch, your head spinning. You would recognize that drawing anywhere. Your blood boiled at the idea that it was being used, after everything that happened, you didn't expect them to actually use that drawing to communicate in some way, or maybe it was just because they knew you would find them. An ironic way to get your attention.

                A drawing of a blue bird adorned those three photos like a beacon, your eyes unable to see anything other than the outline of the bird's drawing, a small branch being held in its beak. Your mouth formed a thin line that you tried to hide when you noticed Eden moving next to you. Despite knowing that your brother was also a protégé of Eden, knowing that the mission he was doing when he was killed was organized and supervised by Eden, the probability of him knowing the meaning of that drawing was almost impossible, only a certain number of people knew, one of them dead and the other eight wanted by the State.

                “It’s not the first time this drawing has been found in an active cell of the Black Pirates,” you couldn’t control your shock, your bulging eyes meeting Eden’s curious ones, making you curse in your mind, before noticing another page being opened and another password being entered, “I need you to find out what this bird means.”

                “Isn’t it easier to get one of them to talk?”

                “None of those we captured could say,” the lines were simple, but something in Eden’s gaze said that wasn’t everything he wanted to say, making you hold your gaze on his. “Your brother was a good drawer,” despite your features remaining neutral, your body completely stiffened, “I remember he had a nickname for you, but he never explained to me why, but I never pressed him either, but he said the drawing he was doing was for you. He carried it to remember you.”

                “What are you suggesting, Eden?”

                “I had seen this drawing before your brother disappeared, in the last video call we made, this drawing was on the bedroom wall, along with the nickname he had for you,” the photos of the bunker came back to your mind, but no drawing like that came to mind. “The drawing wasn't there when we went to find out why he wasn't responding anymore, the drawing wasn't found with his body either, which makes me wonder -”

                “What could the Black Pirates do with a drawing of a bird, Eden?”

                “I think it’s a signal to indicate that they should leave the place they are in.”

                Eden's eyes were focused on your reaction, making you close your eyes to control your breathing, staring at the photos he was showing, knowing that it would make sense to think that way. The drawing seemed to mock you in every photo.

                “Maybe so, but if you already have a theory -”

                “You don’t think the theory is right,” you threatened to say something, but Eden moved away from the table and faced you head on, “I like to think I know you well enough, so please...”

                You sighed thinking about how to tell the truth without saying that you knew the leaders of the Black Pirates.

                “I think it’s some kind of message, but it may not necessarily be to let them know to leave, but rather something else.”

                “So you need to find out what this is,” with that you nodded and started to walk away before receiving a paper from Eden, the code to access the files handed to you, “be careful where you open this file.”

                “Yes, sir,” your mind was still processing what was happening, the way Eden was looking at you said he knew something. “Will you allow me access to my brother’s last video?”

                Eden lowered his head, pursing his lips, which was enough of an answer, making you nod and head out of the room.

                “Most of your brother's files were destroyed,” you stopped instantly, but didn't dare turn around, your vision already blurred, “the little I got is in a file shared by him to save important things, but he never gave me the password. To access what I have, enter the sequence of the investigation file and when it comes up to enter a code, enter your brother's name, one of the files is the data I have, the other is the things your brother kept, but I don’t have the password.”

                That was an apology, you knew that, even though you didn't know why he was apologizing, maybe because of the way he looked at you, with suspicion perhaps? But he wasn't wrong in thinking that way, you were betraying everything you believed in by not saying that you knew the leaders, by having protected not only the eight of them, but also Angel.

                “Thank you, Eden.”

                “Not for this, (y/n).”

                To anyone looking from the outside, the scene looked like a fighting ring, except for the mat at the feet of the sixteen men who were fighting and screaming. Left Eye was the only spectator of what the sixteen were doing, a small smile on his wrinkled face, unable to deny that he was happy to see them act like the boys they were for the first time in a long time, even though he knew it was all a competition and Wooyoung only needed to win once.

                All the ATEEZ boys could now distinguish between each of the people present. Wooyoung gave a small smirk watching Howl's movements, losing track of the training number they had been doing for over a month so he was prepared for you. Not that Seonghwa wasn't, but everyone admitted that he should have expected the kick you delivered to his midriff after he blocked your first kick.

                Considering that none of the sixteen had many things to do, a small competition was created, even curiously encouraged and partially organized by Nightingale so that Wooyoung and the others could be able to fight against you. Hence Howl was who Wooyoung fought, because it was the one that most resembled your fighting style, light, fast and precise, interestingly, not very different from San's style, perhaps another joke of fate as they learned to play along.

                The challenge consisted of a single task. If Wooyoung managed to defeat Howl, ATEEZ would have their own office in the bunker. As the Mirrors had been cleaning the place over the past few weeks, everyone knew that they supported the idea that Wooyoung could beat Howl, that he could beat you, if necessary.

                In a quick movement, Wooyoung managed to dodge a punch thrown by Howl, receiving shouts of enthusiasm and provocations, making the two in the center of the circle laugh before Wooyoung ducked and tried to trip Howl, who managed to dodge and move away, avoiding a Wooyoung's punch. With an amused smile, the Mirror beckoned him with its fingers to come closer.

                That was the end of the training, so they were all sweaty and exhausted, but that didn't stop any of them from doing that 'extra training' that had become almost routine in the last two weeks, always changing who was fighting who, except for Wooyoung and Howl until the first managed to win.

                Wooyoung felt the cut on his eyebrow, present from training with Lucky earlier, burn thanks to the sweat that dripped from his forehead, his eyes observing Howl as a whole, already managing to identify some of the movements that could come from the Mirror. He approached with cautious steps, eyes scanning all of Howl's features, resting briefly on his wrists and feet, the smirk always present, at least until he felt like he was losing it, which wasn't happening yet.

                Howl threw a quick punch, making Wooyoung duck, moving away to avoid the knee that was already aimed at his face, turning quickly, extending one of his arms to hit the back of Howl's head, who also easily blocked the action, raising his eyebrows to Wooyoung shook his head with a convinced smile before turning on its own axis again, throwing punches and kicks, barely giving Howl enough time to react, until the Mirror turned to the side, bringing a smile to Wooyoung's face. He threw a kick that hit Howl's side, causing him to stagger, giving Wooyoung enough time to spin and throw a high kick to Howl's face, catching the Mirror's temple before turning again, wrapping him in an armbar, pulling Howl towards him until the two were falling back on the mat, Wooyoung's legs immobilizing Howl as best he could.

                Which, fortunately, was successful when Howl raised one of his hands while the other lightly slapped Wooyoung's arm, making everyone scream in celebration, going to join the two on the mat who were already hugging each other with a smile, proud of what had just happened. Yunho and Iyaah quickly caught Wooyoung lifting him, while Uno and Mingi did the same with Howl, who exchanged another happy hi5 with Wooyoung while Mars followed Hongjoong out of the improvised training space in the bunker.

                “Only we will have access to the office?” Hongjoong asked one last time, receiving a smile and wave from Mars as they headed to the place that would be ATEEZ's office. “Will we have access to everything you have?”

                “Yes, Hongjoong,” Mars commented, laughing, looking at the youngest who had an excited sparkle in his eyes, “you will also have a direct connection with Nightingale, so you will have messages only directed to you.”

                “Like the messages referring to her?” Mars nodded, a glimpse of sadness passing through his eyes, making Hongjoong look away out of respect, something he found himself doing constantly since the night Seonghwa and Yeosang accompanied the Mirrors to meet you at the warehouse. “How would you feel if you had to interact with her again?”

                Their eyes met and Mars just pursed his lips, closing his eyes.

                “It doesn't matter, if you guys need us to be in the same space as her, we'll do it,” from the corner of his eye Mars noticed Hongjoong try to orchestrate a few words before stopping and turning to the ATEEZ leader with a sad smile. “This is bigger than her, this is something only you can do, the most we can do is help you reach our ultimate goal, even if it comes at a cost to us, a cost we chose to pay a long time ago.”

                “Even so, we cannot ask that -”

                “Joong,” the youngest stopped when he heard the nickname, making a smile appear on Mars' lips, “we'll do whatever needs to be done, she's made her feelings for us clear, and we're all okay with that -”

                “Are you guys okay with the girl you love hating you?”

                The others quickly joined the conversation that the two leaders of each group were having, hovering around the two with curious and worried looks. Mars was calm, but Hongjoong had that look of curiosity and concern, making the others automatically worry, even though they didn't see anger on the ATEEZ captain's face.

                “If she hates us, you will be able to do what needs to be done better than if we are insignificant to her,” Mars' eyes fell on Yeosang and Seonghwa who were swallowing hard, “after all, isn't that what you wanted? That she could differentiate each one of us?”

                “Do you think it’s a bad strategy?”

                Mars shook his head no to Jongho's question.

                “When she sees us, she acts with emotion, making her hate us even more, but with you, she acts with reason, even if she has a little emotion behind her behavior.”

                “Does that mean you’re going to tell us about what really happened between you?”

              Yunho's question made all the Mirrors sigh, exchanging glances, nodding slightly with each glance they met with Mars.

                “When you become familiar with the files we will talk about all the details, but we want you to analyze everything with a clear head, drawing your own conclusions, see her for who she is now and know the best way to act, because despite her still be a memory of everything we’ve experienced, she’s not our (y/n) anymore, she hasn’t been for a while.”

                “And you still love her, even after everything?”

                All the Mirrors smiled at San's question, nodding weakly.

                “We love her soul, even though it is now protected by stone walls, mostly built by us, but there is still something of the girl we knew, who wanted to explore the world, who smiled listening to the noise of the forest, who ran to the lake, played with the animals and always had a smile on her face, she looked at everything with an enchanted look and we will fight so that this (y/n) can emerge again without guilt, even if she hates us in the process, we just want to see that (y/n) one last time.”

                Howl and San were definitely the romantics of the group, that was clear, hell, they all realized how similar they all were, their personalities weren't that different if they were honest, but ATEEZ had more scars, thicker skin, that was the difference, that was what would make the plan work. Hongjoong's eyes fell on each of the fifteen men and friends who were in that circle, a small idea appearing in his mind. 

                “How do you think she would react to having all of you in one space?” Everyone's eyes fell on him, curious to understand what he meant with that question. “Think about the answer while we check the office, I will test the direct connection with Nightingale in the meantime.”

                Hongjoong winked at the Mirrors before calling the other ATEEZ boys towards the open door not far from them. Shinwoo and Lucky approach Mars with an amused smile on their lips. Wooyeon was the first to break the silence, letting out a small laugh, pointing to the door that Mingi had just closed.

                “He’ll definitely make an impression on them,” all the other seven nodded, “fuck how I wish I could see her face when she meets Hongjoong!”

                “Do you think Nightingale tells us anything about their vision of Hongjoong?”

                Logan asked curiously, crossing his arms in front of him and joining Wooyeon's side, who was also looking at Mars curiously.

                “None of our Nightingales will do that, at least not openly.”

                “But it’s worth a try, right?”

                Iyaah asked with a mischievous smile being joined by the others, even Shinwoo joined the plan, the six of them focusing on Mars and Lucky who sighed. Lucky being the first to speak.

                “I’ll get the drink, you take care of Nightingale while we create scenarios of how she will react to each of them.”

                While the Mirrors turned their backs to the room that had the door completely closed, ATEEZ decided to explore the place, observing if there were any plugs, or anything that indicated that they would not be alone in that space, but after a thorough search, nothing was found, making them scatter around the place, Hongjoong sitting in the swivel armchair he had pulled in front of the mahogany table. The other seven watched him curiously.

                “We need her team's files, both teams,” Mingi and Yunho nodded, already starting to look for the physical file while Yeosang and Jongho worked on the interactive table, connecting it to the network, “we need the recent videos of the interactions, since you say she changes behavior depending on who she’s talking, we need to understand how it all works, how it’s triggered.”

                “At least the initial idea is working as expected,” Hongjoong's eyes fell on Seonghwa who was looking for something in his pockets until he took them out in a sequence of numbers and letters placing them on Hongjoong's desk, bringing a frown to the other’s face before continuing, “we need to find out about this file too, Mars locked it in a drawer in his office, but I think we have access to the digital, even if minimal.”

                “What do you think it is?”

                "Honestly?" Seonghwa's eyes fell on San with the question, even though he knew that everyone was waiting for the answer with ragged breaths. “I think it involves her and her brother who apparently no one wants to talk about.”

                “Except her,” Yeosang commented, seeing the light from the screen shine in front of him, Jongho quickly entering the data that the Mirrors had passed to them not long ago. “We need to focus on the brother, I think he is the key.”

                “I thought he died?”

                Seonghwa nodded, making Hongjoong continue to look at him with a look of doubt.

                “The brother is a sensitive topic for her and them, we need to figure out the connection.”

                “It seems like her anger is also directly linked to the way they treat the idea of her brother,” Yeosang completed Seonghwa’s train of thought, watching the gears turn in Hongjoong’s head. “Whenever she can, the topic of her brother is brought up, whether it’s when she was with me on Guardian’s Island or in the warehouse with Seonghwa, Mars and Logan.”

                “We also need to understand about the necklace.”

                Seonghwa comments quickly, everyone gathering around him, but he ignores it, watching Yeosang's eyes scan the older man's face looking for the answer, nodding when he seems to finally understand, heading towards the interactive table looking for the warehouse file.

                “What necklace?”

                Wooyoung's question hung in the air as Seonghwa joined Yeosang watching the warehouse's night camera, pausing the four cameras at the exact moment you pull the drawstring out of your blouse. Your features were pained, almost desperate, while Logan and Mars' were pained, longing and slightly shocked. If your words were considered at that moment it was clear that none of the Mirrors expected you to still carry the 'gift' that you put on display for anyone who wanted to see, venom and pain pouring from your lips.

                “They gave it to her before they disappeared after her fifteenth birthday.”

                Yeosang clarified by zooming in on the four camera images. Hongjoong's eyes scanning every detail of the frames, fixated more on your expressions, he could feel the hatred. His fingers were quick to capture each frame it followed, finally finding one in which your eyes fell on Yeosang and Seonghwa, the hatred softening, but determination hardening, almost like a wall being erected.

                Mars was right. As long as they managed to make your feelings speak louder than reason, they would have a chance, they needed to use the hatred you had for the Mirrors in their favor, to get closer to the final goal. The captain could not take his eyes off the image of yourself in each frame that was shown. He had to admit, you were attractive, your posture exuded a call for a challenge that Hongjoong wanted to defeat.

                The screen was quickly turned off and replaced with the image of a blue bird, making all eight of them hold their breath, eyes falling on Hongjoong who had his lips in a thin line as the gears of his mind could clearly be seen working as he squeezed so that Nightingale's message was opened.

                “Hello, captain, I hope you are already adapting. We had news that a mission is being created so that in almost a month, the school will be invaded again by the Government. I need you to plan two different plans, one in case (y/n)'s team is selected and the other, for the case another team is chosen. As a warning, I need to inform you that Yang's team is a strong competitor for the choice to be in his favor, but we are creating enough situations for the Council to understand that there is the possibility of your presence, authorizing (y/n)’s team in participating, promoting the meeting with Wooyoung. Left Eye will leave something it needs to be delivered to her, I don't care how they do it. The piece is important to get into her mind, when I have more information I will get in touch.”

                With that, Hongjoong was sure of two things: they needed to be able to separate you and your team; then he needed to be in the same space as you, understand your feelings, which he couldn't do despite Seonghwa and Yeosang's attempts. And he knew exactly how to do all these things when his eyes met the frozen image on the interactive screen.

                One week.

                A week in, and your mind didn't think about anything other than the interaction with Eden.

                He knew about your nickname, about the drawing, about what it meant, even if he didn't understand the nickname. As if that wasn't enough, fate seemed to laugh at you when your team was selected to guard Guardian's Island for a week, the exact week that Eden would send the request to revisit the school. Fortunately, something good could end up coming from this, as you would not only have access to Guardian's Island data, but also access to your and your brother's old room, being able to open the folders that Eden had indicated to you days ago.

                The surprise on everyone's faces when you informed them that you were going to the part of the dorms that was designated for your parents, was enough to know that you would have to be careful, as you say. Not only had Eden built an entire apartment in her head with the lines about the drawing, but he had also done the same by wanting to talk to you alone, neither of you letting anyone know what the conversation had been about or why you had left considerably upset from Eden's office.

                You noticed Chan and Jeongin's eyes following you with considerable concern, being the two who knew the most what that place meant to you, including your brother's influence and how you refused to stay in that space when he himself stopped using it. The truth is that you just took advantage of the fact that your brother left the island because of what he was doing, as well as the chance for you to live at Prestige Academy thanks to the level you were in Class 5. Mostly, you wanted to forget about everything that could remind you about the eight guys who had started to break your heart back then, leaving everything of them behind in that room, knowing that your parents – at the very least – respected your and your brother's individual space.

                The place wasn't much different from years before, but the parents' reaction when you entered with the code allowing entry was enough to make you rethink what you were about to do. They had actually taken out the blockers. The smile and red eyes of both when they saw you was enough to confirm it, but you could still see the madness in their eyes, the madness that you had started to see in Jungkook before you convinced him to stop using the blockers.

                Their arms wrapped around you, but only despair took over, despair and anger. That should have happened when your brother died, you needed them at that time, but instead they used the blockers, not only blocking both of their emotions, but also any kind of interaction with you, still having the capacity to say that it was better to use blockers, but you had made a promise to your brother before he went undercover, a promise you refused to break. The only one you refused to break.

                The words that came out of your parents’ mouth never being processed by your mind, just wanting to finally create space between you. Your father's eyes were the first ones you saw, the glow of madness not as present as in your mother's, but you chose not to think too much about why. On the other hand, your mother refused to let go of you, hands always on your arm or back, guiding you around the house as if you didn't know the place that was still intact even five years later.

                “You must be hungry -”

                “My team and I ate earlier,” their eyes met yours and you felt the need to explain, “before the shift change, me, Chan and Jeongin always sit down to talk about how it's going to go, including who's going to be responsible for the watch of that shift, so we took the opportunity to eat something.”

                “You could have told us; we could have brought you and your friends something to eat.”

                “No need,” your words were quick as you tried to control your voice, your parents had never worried about your friends before, nor about you until that moment. “My team and I have our routine and we already know what we need, Yongbok and Changbin organized the food, there’s no need to worry.”

                It was only after your response that your father noticed how you were behaving, a shadow of sadness took over his face, while you held back from showing satisfaction and slight irritation with everything. Your mother, on the other hand, just seemed to be happy to have you there, not leaving her side at any time.

                “When we found out you were staying here, we bought some things,” the quick movement of your mother moving some things in the kitchen made you look at your father who lowered his head before joining his wife in the kitchen, “I hope you still like -”

                “She’s tired, darling,” your father’s hand rested on your mother’s shoulders making her stop instantly, eyes falling on you, softening enough to make you want to vomit. Now they were worrying about you?. “Let’s let her rest, let’s go to the room, we have a meeting tomorrow.”

                “Yes, of course,” the weak voice hid a cry for help from her husband, almost as if asking him to help bring you back. “It’s your house, (y/n), please make yourself comfortable.”

                At no point did your face show any emotion as your parents headed towards the room. When the click of the door was finally heard, your eyes found the things your parents had bought on the kitchen counter, eyes closing as you sighed trying to keep everything under control. When your eyes opened again, finding the food you and your brother ate before everything happened, a lump formed in your throat, your eyes began to burn, leaving your vision blurred before you left everything behind, heading to where your room would be.

                As soon as the door opened, it was like you went back to five years ago. The room exactly as you had left it, it was as if every corner brought back to you the memories buried deep in your mind, in your heart. Every corner you looked, it was as if the nine of them materialized in front of you and you could see them all helping to organize your room the way you always wanted.

                You could see Howl, Wooyeon and Logan placing fairy lights around the bed while Iyaah and Uno placed them on the walls and ceiling. Mars and your brother organizing the photos you took, spreading them across the walls, just like organizing the desk exactly how you wanted, the photos and little reminders of their size differences always present.

                Shinwoo organizing the gift they had given you, the record player along with some vinyl records, positioned perfectly in the corner along with the guitar he had given you, after teaching you how to play, the keyboard leaning against the wall, the image of Shinwoo with the guitar, Lucky on the keyboard and everyone around singing and laughing came like a longing and painful slap. It was then that your eyes fell on the separated clothes in the corner.

                The denim jacket Lucky had painted seemed to scream for you to pick it up and wear it again. The jumpers and hoodies on all of them just below the jacket didn't help on the matter, if you rummaged through the small pile of clothes, you'd certainly find the boys' sweatshirts and sweatpants too. Before you could focus on it any longer, your eyes found the drawing that had been haunting you for a week. The bird drawing your brother had done all those years ago hung on the bulletin board, surrounded by polaroid photos of you with each of the nine who had your whole heart.

                Quick steps guided you to the bedroom's bathroom, making you close the door behind you before turning on the tap and splashing water on your face and the back of your neck. Your face was red and already wet from tears that you didn't even realize had fallen as you took in everything that was present in the room. It was then that your eyes looked up at your own reflection in the mirror. Eyes red and swollen, your lower lip between your teeth trying to stop the tremor that always came when everything got too much, before tears started to fall again, your legs gave out and your back met the cold tiles of the bathroom before her body slid down to the floor.

                You didn't care who heard it, even if you knew that only your parents would hear it – if they really wanted to – considering that the place you were in was soundproof, so no one would know what was going on. Then you screamed as you cried holding your own body. The memories of everything that had happened in that room invading your mind, the memories of the last time everyone was there making you dig your nails into your arm trying to get you back to reality.

                You cursed Eden for showing you the drawing.

                Cursed your brother for dying.

                Cursed the eight for abandoning you after promising to stay with you.

                Cursed Angel and Serpent for coming into your life.

                Cursed your parents for abandoning you after all.

                Cursed your team for always supporting you regardless.

                Cursed yourself for still feeling those feelings for the eight of them.

                And you cursed one last time as Angel and Serpent appeared in your mind.

                You didn't know how long you stood still on the bathroom floor, but it was long enough for your entire body to shiver from the cold, even though your face was still hot and wet, finally deciding to turn on the shower and let the warm water fall on you, clearing any and all memories that had arisen at that time. Even though you knew the guilt would never be completely washed away.

                Guilt not only about your relationship with your team and the others who didn't have blockers, but mainly guilt about Mars, Lucky, Uno, Logan, Howl, Iyaah, Wooyeon and Shinwoo. Guilt for not being able to hate them as much as you hated yourself for what you felt for them, for what they felt for you.

                The glass and gold pendant was caressed by your wet fingers, the drops from the shower decorating the eight pieces of glass. Howl and Serpent's words echoing in your mind. They loved you, but they still abandoned you. Howl's writing along with Mars' speech when he visited your apartment months ago made you close your eyes tightly.

                The noise of the shower taking you to the noise of the waterfall that you and the others always went to, when visiting the other dimension. If you really tried, you could smell the air with the smells of the forest around you, you could feel the grass under your feet, you could hear the laughter of each of your nine boys. You could feel Shinwoo carrying you to where the others were, you could see most of the shirtless boys entering the lake and throwing water at each other.

                You could see Wooyeon and your brother hiding in the corner while you pretended not to know that they got a cake to celebrate your fifteenth birthday. Shinwoo stopped on the side with you in his arms, holding the boy's neck as if your life depended on it. If he threw you, he would go with. Uno quickly removed your shoes, placing them with the other shoes before Shinwoo placed you on the floor, taking off his own shirt and shoes, following the path Uno had taken previously. Lucky quickly by your side with his hand behind you, the other boys already in the lake watch you curiously.

                There had been enough time for you to have become aware of your body and theirs, of how their skin felt, of the suggestions they played next to your ear bringing shivers down your spine. That would be the first time you were conscious of it all, and in just your bathing suit in front of them. The wet earth being what made you most focused on everything that was happening, trying to ignore the presence of all eight boys that occupied your mind recently, the fact that they were shirtless not helping your process of maintaining some sanity in their presence.

                Mars was the first to break you out of your trance, his fingers cold from the lake water finding your elbow, making you startle and elicit a small laugh from all the boys, Shinwoo and Uno quickly joining the others in the lake. Mars and Lucky's eyes asked if everything was okay and you just nodded before taking a few steps back, arms wrapping around your waist as you heard the laughter of the boys behind you. The thoughts about how they would feel about your body made you even more aware and stopped you from taking off the shorts and blouse you had stolen from your brother.

                Memories of talking about you getting involved with any of his friends coming back to mind. Even though you knew he talked more about people at Prestige Academy, all the other eight were also his friends, which meant you shouldn't feel the things you felt about them. But, in all honesty, your mind and heart don't care about this detail, not even when your brother appeared at your side, taking off his own shirt and putting it on with his shoes down in line.

                With a simple kiss on the top of your head and a 'we're waiting for you at the lake', he turned away and you could hear the splash as his body came in contact with the water. Hands grabbing the hem of your blouse, aware of the girls you had seen in this dimension and in your own, how they looked at the boys, how they looked at those girls, the way you wanted them to look at you.

                "Is everything okay?" Wooyeon was quickly beside your, worried eyes found the arms wrapped around your waist, fingers tightening on your shirt. “Are you in pain?” When you just kept your head down, Wooyeon cursed under his breath looking at the group of friends. “He said you wouldn’t be –”

                He cut off his own speech and you found yourself laughing at the memory, even though your face burned at the time when you saw what he wanted to say, quickly shaking your hands and head high, making Wooyeon sigh, his fingers quickly finding your arms, his eyes soft and slightly worried.

                “It's been a while since we've been to the lake, that's all,” your fingers quickly removed the shorts, your brother's loose shirt doesn't make much of a difference considering it covered half of your thighs, but you see Wooyeon's eyes finding your legs before he looked away with a shy smile, making your face burn even more. “It’s been a while since… well, we haven’t…”

                “You can come in with your shirt on if you want,” your heart ached as you remembered that memory, how sweet Wooyeon was, the way his eyes fell on your body and went up to your eyes, making you curse for how naive you were, for not having noticed how his gaze was on you. “It’s okay if you don’t want to take your shirt off, today is your day, you can do whatever you want and the last thing we want is to make you uncomfortable.”

                A tear joined the water drops from the shower, a sad smile on your lips at the memory.

                “You could never make me uncomfortable Yeonie,” your voice was weak, shy, as it always was when you were with them, your heart feeling like it would come out of your mouth at any moment. The giggle that came out of Wooyeon's mouth took you by surprise before he stopped behind you, making you highly aware of the small distance when you felt the warm air of his breath against your ear. "What...?"

                “Do you trust us?”

                “Completely,” and back then you really trusted them blindly. Your heart clenched in your chest as your hand tightened on the pendant and your face lowered to meet your knees, the water from the shower hitting directly on your neck and back, squeezing the pendant tighter as you remembered Wooyeon placing it around your neck. "What -"

                “Our gift to you,” your hands rested on his shoulder after closing the necklace at the back of your neck, his fingers brushing lightly against your skin, making the area burn and the butterflies in your stomach wake up, “do you know what it means?”

                You didn't dare turn back, knowing he was closer than he had ever been, and you didn't trust your own body's reactions at that moment. The eyes and fingers quickly passing over the pendant. A gold thread wrapped around eight broken but mended pieces of glass, the thread forming the design of a heart while the eight pieces of glass met in the middle, meeting another dot of gold, a delicate heart design in gold.

                “It’s pretty, but...,” Wooyeon’s fingers found yours on the pendant and your breathing stopped for a minute, “Wooyeon, you guys don’t -”

                “The outer heart of gold is your brother, for he arranged everything for us to meet, the eight pieces of glass are each of us, for your brother also held us together before you arrived and brought us together completely, so that you are the heart in the middle, at the center of the pendant, connecting everything within you, because you were the missing piece, you are our heart, (y/n).”

                Your fingers rested on the middle heart, your eyes still closed, the water from the shower running along with the last tears you allowed to fall for Wooyeon and the others. Finally remembering how Wooyeon kissed your cheek after that speech, how he carried you towards the lake, how each of the boys took care of you, how your brother's shirt wrapped around your body until you finally decided to take it off, feeling the eight of their hands on your waist and back, trying to ignore the effect it had on you, trying not to think too much about all the times they pulled you close, holding you against their body, how their lips burned into your skin every time they found some place that day – cheek, shoulder, temple, top of the head, hand, wrist, it didn't matter the place, it always burned.

                It was the vibration of your cell phone that made you wake up to reality. How many times it had vibrated, you couldn't say, but considering the state of your skin, you had spent a considerable amount of time in the shower. Quickly washing your hair, you let your phone ring a few more times, three to be specific – one from Chan, one from Jeongin and one from Minho. When you finally got out of the shower, your cell phone rang a fourth time – which you managed to see who the call was from –, finding Jisung's name on the screen, sighing, you answered it and put it on speaker.

                “I was taking a shower, did something happen?”

                Silence quickly took over the other line before everyone started talking at once, making a smile appear on your lips.

                “Do you have any idea how long you’ve been in the bathroom?”

                Seungmin's voice made you stop for a minute checking the time on your phone, your silence being enough for them to know that you had no idea.

                "Did something happen?"

                “How do you know how long I’ve been in the bathroom?”

                You can hear Yeji, Ryujin and Chaeryeong laughing, making you sigh, slightly irritated, but not at all surprised, ignoring Chan's question again before opening the door, wrapping your body in a towel, your eyes passing through every corner of the room before finding the hidden camera near the shelf next to the guitar and keyboard, giving it the middle finger, your team's laughter making you laugh along before going back to get your phone.

                “We just wanted to know how you were doing.”

                Yongbok's voice was worried, and you just pursed your lips looking at your reflection in the mirror, knowing that from that angle, they couldn't see you, giving you one last moment of calm.

                “I'm fine, but if I find out that you boys hacked the cameras here without telling me, again, so you could spy on me, I'll make sure you never have heirs.”

                “Why do you think it was our idea?”

                Changbin exclaimed almost painfully at your realization, making you sigh before picking up your cell phone and returning to the room, eyes focused on the camera in front of you.

                “Because none of the girls would do that, they know that when I need time it also involves being fully alone!”

                “Is that why you always ask them to come with you to keep watch?”

                You allowed yourself to laugh, noticing the sadness in Jisung's voice.

                “You are very desperate when I don't respond, they know how to act more with their heads, don't take it personally,” some complaints were heard before light slaps made you laugh on the other end of the line. “Minho, stop watching me, I’m fine, but I need some time alone.”

                “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

                “Don’t worry, the list is almost zero, so there aren’t many things I can do.”

                Before you could hear anything else, the call ended and you made sure to remove the camera, hiding it among the pile of plushies that Howl, Wooyeon, Shinwoo, Iyaah and Uno had gotten for you years before. Did they already love you from that time? The memories played around appearing in your mind, today you could say that the answer was probably correct, they always loved you, even before everything happened, so why had they done everything they did? Why abandon you? Why kill your brother?

                Your brother's file.

                You quickly searched on some clothes, eyes going to the pile of clothes in the corner, their pile of clothes. Maybe you allowed yourself while you were there, that last moment to happen, as you were already digging the hole again. They were back, they were already fucking with your mind, why not surrender once and for all and wear their clothes? A pair of sweatpants – according to the size, they were from Iyaah or Uno – and a hoodie – they were gray and with the words: UNALLOYED, making you smile knowing that they were from Howl.

                You quickly grabbed your computer, opening it and connecting to Strickland's system. Your data quickly placed so you could access the files made available by Eden. The school’s blueprint could be seen, but also another one with drawings within the blueprint that you believed had been made by Kai and Niki, after reading some of the notes that Eden made about the day, writing down in your mind from talking to both of them before entering the school, noticing that there were areas that were not in the original plan making you curse under your breath.

                The photos of the event were considerable, both of the bodies as of the walls painted red with some bullet holes. So many people dead on both sides. Your heart sank, knowing that this was one of the reasons you didn't want to stay in Class 5, because these moments hit you, they made you question things you shouldn't, hell, they even made you agree with the things the Black Pirates stood for, even though you knew it was wrong.

            Your eyes went through the list of names that they had managed to identify from the Black Pirates, but what surprised you was the number of unidentified people, some with justification, but most didn't have any, making you pay even more attention to the photos and feel the bile in your mouth. How bad had that encounter been and what could be so important that the members would protect at all costs?

            When you arrived at the last file, your fingers went quickly to the paper that Eden had given you, the password being typed quickly as you memorized it before burning it and throwing it in the metal trash in the room that still had some ashes from five years ago. Your parents had never touched the room, was it because they didn't care enough, or completely the opposite? But you didn't see any signs of dust, they probably just cleaned it superficially, but never for long enough. It was then that a noise came and your eyes quickly fell to a corner in the room, one hand closing the computer while the other went under the pillow, realizing that they hadn't really touched your room, when your fingers found the dagger, but you laughed to yourself when you noticed the vacuum cleaner running inside your room, explaining the lack of dust.

            Your eyes finally returned to the computer screen, several extra files being found, but you chose to focus on the videos, quickly opening the first one, finding the image of Niki, Minhyuk and, consequently, Kai who had the bodycam. You could see each of the rooms, the aftermath of the events, the fallen bodies, red bathing the walls and floor, papers scattered, places torn apart, you could only imagine the work that had gone into collecting all the evidence, identifying the people lying in the ground, your heart squeezed for those who could not be recognized.

            Regardless, you organized a cursory plan for your team, also considering the best locations for Minjae's team to stay and oversee the space for you guys. Fortunately, most of the places Eden had required your attention were on the same floor, but you needed to go down three floors to get to the room he had said was sealed, making a note to talk to Jihyo, Changbin, Chaeryeong and Yujun, knowing that all help was welcome.

            It was almost midnight when you finally finished the outline of the plan, leaving it in a protected folder on your computer, remembering what Eden had said about what happened to your brother, about the secret file he had. Your eyes fell on the camera you had lowered, knowing it had been placed by your brother and being thankful that it didn't take up the entire room, especially not the part where Mars and the others were appearing.

            With a sigh, you opened the network search, checking if the VPN was still on and restarting it just in case before sighing, fingers nimbly placing the sequence of numbers and letters you knew so well: 8B92QMO. You saw the screen open blank, a few quick clicks and the part to enter a password was released, opening the folder that Eden had commented on. Your eyes were already burning looking at the dates, knowing that it would soon be three years since your brother's death.

            Your trembling fingers guided the cursor to the last date that was the last video he had shared, clicking softly, the image of your brother opening on the screen and a sob leaving your throat, one of your hands quickly going to your mouth trying to stifle the sound. His hair was disheveled, he had some dark circles under his eyes, but nothing too serious, his hair was longer than usual, his skin was also more tanned due to his undercover work. Despite everything, what really caught your attention was the damn drawing that Eden had commented on.

            Like a beacon, your eyes quickly found the drawing of the bird hanging on the note board behind your brother, along with a photo of you and him on his graduation day from Prestige Academy. The lump in your throat increased, making you close your eyes and take a deep breath, calming your nerves, adjusting your headphones before opening your eyes finding the image of your brother looking down, you could see the tiredness, deciding that later you would going through all the files that Eden had gotten, hoping to find something new, something that explained why.

            “Update on the case,” your breath caught when you heard your brother's voice after everything that had happened, his eyes meeting yours on the computer screen, “I still haven't been able to know exactly where everything will happen, but I believe I managed to make contact for the first time after…,” his voice trailed off followed by a sigh, “well…, it doesn’t matter, but I need to do this, I need to do this for her.” Your heart tightened in your chest, tears began to fall from your eyes. “She deserves answers, I just hope I get them and -” then the speech was cut off by a noise and your brother took out his cell phone, the glow hitting his face before a small smile appeared on his lips making you smile along with him, after a few moments and text exchanges later, his eyes found the camera again, “tomorrow, (y/n). If you watch this video, I'll get some answers for you tomorrow, okay? Wait for me, I’ll be home soon.”

            Then the video was cut.

            Along with that, a muffled scream from you broke the silence of your room.

            He was doing all this for you.

            They were doing all that for you.

            All you wanted was the nine with you and not this fucked up situation you found yourself in.

            Wiping away some of the tears, you quickly moved the cursor through the folders that Eden owned, but unfortunately, the only new thing was your brother's videos. As expected, sporadic and with little indication of what was happening, just routine videos to show that everything was still fine, no safe words were used, his eyes showed no fear, everything seemed fine, so what the hell happened that you disappeared and turned up dead a month later?, that was all that was going through your head with every video you saw.

            Then the last file appeared, also password protected.

            The file that Eden said belonged to your brother, that only he had access to.

            Both you and Eden knew the password could be anything and you wished he had passed on the passwords he had tried. With a sigh, your fingers were quick trying to somehow find the possible password for that folder, but the only information that was offered was the number of files and the date of the last modification, curiously, it was the date following his last video.

            Once again opening all the files that Eden had made available, ending with the last video posted, eyes and ears looking for any clue that your brother could give about the folder's password.

            I need to do this for her.

            She deserves answers.

            You knew your brother well enough to know that him saying those words and then saying your name meant something, but you didn't know how many attempts Eden had made, you also knew your brother well enough to know that when the limit was reached, all files would be automatically deleted from the archive.

            Your eyes scanned the video looking for any hint as to what the password could be. He had to have placed it somewhere so you could identify it. That video was for you. There was a reason he did it. The drawing caught your attention again, the conversation with Eden coming back to you and you cursed under your breath at how stupid you were being. His voice could be heard next to you mocking how clueless you had been about it all.

            With a sigh and a plea, your fingers typed in the only password you could think of. Fingers trembling searching for each key, it was almost as if you were typing, each keystroke a silent prayer that you were right. Erasing the password twice and entering a third, paying attention to each key, you closed your eyes one last time, a silent request followed by a sigh.

            Eleven letters.

            One word.

            One meaning.

            Lots of memories.

            The dots representing each of the typed letters.

            Your eyes rested again on the image of the drawing his brother had made that was in his room.  A silent plea that you were right.

            Tremblingly, your index finger found the enter key, closing your eyes at the same second, waiting for any noise that would indicate an error or a file destruction sequence, but nothing came, making you open your eyes, finding all the files exposed in front of you. A simple image of your brother was present, probably a video taken right after the one he had sent to Eden. The outfit was the same, the position was the same, everything was the same, even your brother's small smile.

            You had done it.

            Unfortunately, you couldn't do anything until you watched the video that was displayed for you, making you sigh and calm down. Knowing that this was probably the real last video of your brother before his death. Again you braced yourself for the video, even though you knew it would probably be in vain, considering what he had done to contain those files.

            “Of all the people who could find these files, I hope it's you on the other side of the screen, (y/n),” the mischievous smile was present, it was almost as if you could talk to him, as if nothing had happened so many years ago. “I know a lot has happened and I believe if this video reached you, something happened to me and I'm sorry for that.” The space button was quickly pressed and you found yourself sobbing as you held your face in your hands, tears falling onto your hot face. Everyone knew how complicated working undercover was, but no one ever expected death to happen, at least not in the way it happened. The space key was pressed again and your brother's voice flooded your ears. “I need you to know that I love you, to promise me again that you will never use the blockers and to know who to trust,” a sigh and you noticed him shifting in the chair, his back straight. “There are monsters under the bed, yes, but never forget that the real monsters can be on your side helping you kill the so-called ‘monsters hiding under the bed’, okay?”

            His gaze had become hard and you stopped the video again. Something had happened after the video he had shared with Eden, something involving the messages exchanged.

            "What do you want to tell me? What really happened?"

            Your eyes scanned the video frame again, everything was exactly the same as before, the only difference was your brother's posture, all this after the messages he had received. What the hell had happened the next day? Sighing, you pressed play again, hearing your brother's sigh on the other side.

            “If the worst happens, know that I won't be upset if you get hold of my video games, but be careful with my computer, be careful with the pages you open, the last thing we need is a virus getting in there,” you they both laughed, but the raising of eyebrows had been different, his laugh had been different, there was something on his computer, but how did he gain access to the computer while undercover? “Mom and Dad’s house has more things than mine, just be careful, many things there are valuable and I spent a lot of money!” His spine became more erect, your eyes falling on the clock. Almost two in the morning, your parents must have already been in their twentieth sleep. “One more thing, I love you (y/n), nothing in the world will change that. Be aware, not everything is as it seems, there are wolves in sheep's clothing in every flock. I love you, my nightingale.”

           As soon as the video was finished, you spent a while just observing the image of your brother, his weak but affectionate smile; his eyes tired, but with a sparkle in them. How you wished you could have him close one last time, hug your brother, hear his laugh, train with him... All you wanted was your brother back. The cursor went through all the files, you already knew you wouldn't sleep, but unfortunately, you couldn't find much beyond what Eden already knew, except some encoded files that you would need time, knowing you couldn't ask any of the people who were with you, that was something you needed to do alone.

           Your eyes fell back to the computer, cursing under your breath thinking about how long you had until the sun started to rise and your parents woke up. With light and quick steps, you left your room and entered your brother's. Releasing the breath you were holding, your eyes turned to the room, untouched just like yours. You froze in place for a moment, closing your eyes and taking a deep breath, still finding your brother's scent in the room, it was faint but it was there. Your whole body shook before you opened your eyes, finding the bed, your brother's words coming back to you, just like your eyes falling on your desktop computer.

           Before you could think much, your feet were already guiding you to the bed, knees and cheek finding the floor while one hand lifted the duvet, looking for anything under the bed, cursing under your breath when you couldn't find anything, eyes finding the desktop computer. Taking care not to make any noise, you moved the swivel chair away, pressing all the necessary buttons to turn on the computer, your leg shaking nervously as your mind went over every piece of information you had gathered.

           That had all reignited the fire that burned inside you.

           Maybe now you would finally have answers.

           Unlike what you expected, you were met by a black screen with blue bold letters, a rectangle waiting for a password to be entered and you sighed, re-entering the password that you hoped was correct. The letters shining with each key pressed.

           NIGHTINGALE.

           Then the entire computer went black before a string of words appeared, such as various file names and registrations, recognizing some as those of your team and your brother's friends. They all had the date of last access, making your mouth form an 'o' when looking at the names of the last accesses, but not necessarily for the reason you would expect. The scare didn't come from the fact that the names of your team and your brother's friends were some of the last to be viewed, but rather the fact of when they were viewed.

           Most importantly, the fact that your own file had been opened five minutes ago.

           Your breathing stopped for a moment watching the computer screen. The well-known names were displayed on the computer's black screen, the dates of interaction were recent, but then everything stopped when a new name appeared at the top, your brother's file had just been opened. Your hand quickly found the mouse, the cursor heading to the well-known name, but which had been deleted from Strickland's files.

           "What the hell is happening?"

           Your voice was weak, less than a whisper, almost a breath when the click on your brother's name made the entire screen fill with data. There was information from when he was at Prestige Academy, when you were just a child who didn't know anything about life. Various and various files were present on the screen, some you knew, others you never saw anything about in your entire training period or after your graduation.

           C2REKL3 – your brother's first mission after he graduated at sixteen. The boys had stayed with you throughout the period, as the fear of the possibility of losing your brother consumed you completely.

           GBQJ9DU – the first mission he participated in when he was still fifteen, you still remembered how he, Chan, Mingyu and Jungkook were stressed about what was going to happen, even though you knew that BTB would be there to protect them if necessary.

           7KC93ZZ – his first mission (still supervised) after being selected for the ASTRO team, not long after the success of the GBQJ9DU mission, which was the first time he had needed to kill someone. Until today you could see the emptiness on his face and how much he took himself whenever he could, trying to get rid of the invisible blood that stained his hand.

           FI2U9KY – your first mission with him when you were thirteen.

           ZVYQ8H7 – his last mission with ASTRO before Eden's recruitment so he could carry out the undercover work that would cause him to lose his life in the badlands of Strickland.

           On the other hand, your fingers quickly searched for your cellphone to write down some of the sequences: 0JIL63EJ, XWET73T, NAXZMG0, KN3JA0J... How many missions had your brother been part of that you had never imagined? Finally, your eyes focused on the last mission he participated in (but not the last folder that had been changed). Seven months. He had been undercover for seven months, which explains his tan and long hair. Your fingers quickly went to the first file shown, your blood running cold with every word you read from the document.

           He had been selected to check the movements of a possible opposition group that seemed to already be causing problems even after having been there for a short time. According to the reports, they were a group of eight people, there were no records of them at Strickland, they were complete ghosts, with considerable knowledge of how the system worked. It didn't take much for you to know that your brother had been chosen to study and capture Mars and the others, you knew he had picked it up on that easily too.

           A video appeared in front of you, the first video of the mission, making you hold back your tears, the image exactly as you remembered it. The video was merely introductory, explaining who he was, his role in the team and the ultimate objective, some information about what had happened. You could hear and see other trusted people in the video, Eden was considerably specific in who and which groups participated in the missions he commanded, especially those that required stealth.

           The next video was accompanied by a report. Maddox. That was the first word that appeared in the document followed by numbers and coordinates, the last word you could see in the document was a simple: CONTACT. Then the entire screen went black and you cursed under your breath before a blue glow appeared on the screen. A simple 'hello', the user written was Maddox, but you had never met a Maddox and, curiously, the conversation had only started after you opened the file that had that name as the first word.

  MADDOX: (y/n), I know you are there, please respond.

           Your fingers were still on the keyboard, the tips lightly touching the keys. It couldn't be, he wouldn't do that to you.

  MADDOX: Eunwoo is dead, this is Maddox, now answer.   NIGHTINGALE: how do you know my name?   MADDOX: you really thought it would be this easy to enter your brother’s things and no one would know?   NIGHTINGALE: who are you?   MADDOX: Maddox.   NIGHTINGALE: no shit, now answer the question.   MADDOX: let’s say I’m the Lee Minho to your brother, but better.

           A scoff left your lips as your back met the back of the swivel chair. You needed to find out who Maddox was and what he wanted.

  MADDOX: your brother gave me access and control over his data, who do you think created all of this and made sure his registration was not canceled?

           With that your back quickly became straight, your eyes determined and angry.

  MADDOX: I knew this would get your attention.   NIGHTINGALE: what do you want from me?   MADDOX: I can help you if you want.   NIGHTINGALE: why is that my name?   MADDOX: should we use your real name when involving high treason documents?   Your breathing stopped for a minute.   MADDOX: I can help you get justice for your brother.   MADDOX: I can tell you who wanted him dead, but I still don't know who was successful.   NIGHTINGALE: The Black Pirates killed my brother.   MADDOX: he said you were smarter and thought for yourself, shame.   NIGHTINGALE: he was after them, how come they weren't the ones who killed him?   MADDOX: If they really wanted to, even you would be dead, child.

            So he was older, but how much older?

  MADDOX: you two have the same face when you're thinking.   NIGHTINGALE: since when have you been watching me?   MADDOX: since you entered that password in Eden's data.

           Your entire body froze.

           Maddox had access to Strickland's system, but whose side was he on?

  MADDOX: I have to admit that I thought I would have to watch you look for the password, but you surprised me by not taking long to find it, both then and now.   MADDOX: Maybe the rumors about you are real.   NIGHTINGALE: and what could these rumors be?   MADDOX: too many for the little time we have.   NIGHTINGALE: So how do you expect to contact me after this?   MADDOX: If you had looked more meticulously under your brother's bed, you would have found the flash drive that gives you access to everything you were so focused on discovering.

           You quickly got up, bending down again, turning on the light on your cell phone, going through the entire underside without finding anything, grunting quietly and rolling your eyes before finding a small reflection in the wooden part of the bed. The light quickly directed there, a flash drive was taped to the wood of the bed, reaching out to pick it up trying to make as little noise as possible, knowing that it was close to the time for your parents to wake up.

           Your eyes fell to the computer screen, Maddox had sent a few more messages, so you quickly headed to the chair, flash drive carefully in hand.

  MADDOX: Eunwoo made several requests to me before everything happened, I know a lot more things than most superiors.   MADDOX: I know you don't have much to believe in me, but I believe that when you see all the data we have in the system, maybe you will use your big brain and help get justice for your brother.   MADDOX: by the end of the week a brand new computer will be in your room at Strickland, use this computer to communicate with me and open the files, if you don't do so, using your computer or importing the files with the programs created by Minho in the new one, I'm going to do something about it and you don't want to know what I can do.   MADDOX: Your brother risked everything and more, you don't have to trust me, but at least do this for him, so that what he fought for was not in vain.   NIGHTINGALE: you talk too much for someone who hides behind a computer.   MADDOX: you're not far away, little bird.   MADDOX: you're considerably more intimidating in person than on a computer screen.

           Your eyes widened, but before you could type anything Maddox had beaten you to it.

  MADDOX: yes, Eunwoo recruited me, saw potential in me, Eden too and yes, we have already met in person.   MADDOX: I was part of the team that was undercover with him, but my work was more at the base and at the Command Center, which was where I was when the place was invaded.   MADDOX: don't do anything stupid, we all have skeletons in our closet and yours isn't the emptiest one.   NIGHTINGALE: I wonder what my brother would do knowing you're threatening me.   MADDOX: unlike him, my reason for protecting you is nothing more than strategic, it is to him that I swore loyalty, not to you.   MADDOX: if anyone on your team knows, know that there are advantages to having access to the Strickland Security Network, little bird.

           You let out a small scoff, but the smirk on your lips gave you away. You had liked Maddox, you could understand why your brother had taken him close.

  MADDOX: your parents will wake up in an hour and a half, I suggest you get some sleep and wait for the computer to use the flash drive, unless you want your own to self-destruct.   NIGHTINGALE: I want the new computer tomorrow.   MADDOX: earn it then.

           The screen went completely black, you couldn't connect with Maddox in any way, until the screen turned on again, your brother's computer screen from the last time you shared that house was present. You wouldn't be able to contact Maddox, whoever he was.  His words replayed in your mind. Mars and the others had abandoned you to organize the Black Pirates. Your brother was assigned to handle the situation they were trying to create. But as Maddox noted, they had several chances to cause your death if they really wanted it. Serpent also made it clear that one of the reasons – if not the only reason – that they hadn't completed the revolution was because of you, because they were in love with you, because they had already destroyed so much of what you loved and believed they couldn't finish the only thing they knew you held on to with all your might.

            You were already waiting for that to happen.

            Your entire team was already waiting, you knew that some members of your team had also passed on the information to the XKRS, so it was no surprise to anyone when punches were heard at the door of the room designated for you and your team. The eyes of the XKRS boys fell on you with concern, those of your team on the other hand, were determined. They had been waiting to have a talk with Yang ever since you told Hyunjin what had happened for your stitches to open.

            Jeongin was the first to move towards the door, being stopped when you raised your hand before sighing and heading towards the repeated knocks and Yang's screams demanding to speak to you. When Eden said that the team that would be responsible for the second sweep of the school would be published that day, you wanted to make it clear that you would be in your office, as you knew that Yang would come after you, this time you were prepared for whatever he wanted. would do.

            Maddox had also made it clear that he would arrange for your team to be selected and that he would help you with the door sealed in the school parking lot. You would need to use a communication point with him, which made you put Chan and Minho in charge of communicating with the XKRS. The justification was simple, Chan hadn't yet worked directly with other teams below you and Minho could help Sunmin with any issue he might need with the network, as you needed all the eyes possible to complete the mission effectively.

            The punches on the door became more constant, Yang's muffled voice also became more present. With a simple look back, your team understood that they should stay quiet and let Yang be dealt with, even if all the eleven wanted at that moment was to annihilate the oldest. You made a point of making noise by pulling on the handle – which you knew wouldn't open, as you all always locked the door – and then, unlocking the door before sighing and opening it a small crack, just enough for Yang to see your face.

            In a quick movement, he pushed the door away, his other hand finding your neck and you allowed it, holding back your laughter as you felt him pinning you against the wall, just like before, just as you expected him to do. In your peripheral vision, you could see the XKRS mobilizing to head towards you, only for your team to deny the advance and place their index finger against their lips.  This was supposed to be resolved between you and Yang and just you two.

            You allowed yourself to smile when you realized that he was so upset that he didn't notice the presence of the others in the room, his eyes angry and fixed on you. The fingers pressing against your neck enough to make you struggle slightly, he pressed you against the wall again, his free hand finding your left, pinning it firmly against the wall. Your right hand going for Yang's forearm, applying enough pressure to make him imagine the situation was repeating itself.

            “I told you to stay the fuck away,” his face getting closer to yours, his fingers squeezing your neck, cutting off the air making you open your mouth, creating half moons on the skin of Yang's forearm, “you have so much desire to be the same as that grub of a brother, that you want to end up like him?”

            Air finally returned to your lungs as he released his neck, holding both hands on top of your head, his other hand at the top of your thigh already anticipating a possible knee to his side. Your eyes met his with arched eyebrows. 

            “It feels like someone has been studying,” the air was inviting and painful in your throat, but you did your best to maintain your posture, you had been through worse, “does this mean that the great Yang is afraid of me?”

            The cynical laugh that left your lips brought a slight grimace to Yang's face that squeezed your hips and wrists. Giving him a small smile, you leaned your head against the wall.

            “You really want to end up like your brother, don’t you? Who knows, maybe something won't happen in the next mission, hun? We’ve already lost a lot of agents in the field, one more won’t be a problem, right?” Your face hardened, the memories of the data you had access to thanks to Maddox still fresh in your mind, could Yang be one of those possibly responsible? Considering the hatred he possessed for your brother, being driven by you after bringing Jeongin to your team, it was to be expected. “A bullet to the skull, the skin devoured by animals, passing for nothing more than a piece of meat thrown in the middle of the desert -”

            Before any of the others could do anything, you threw your head forward, your forehead meeting Yang's nose and making him stumble back, giving you enough space to untangle yourself from him and the wall, grabbing his dominant arm, forcing it behind his back before pressing him with his chest against the wall, pulling his arm up listening to his complaint, the blood that came from the nose staining Yang's mouth and chin, consequently, also staining the wall that you had pressed it.

            “You just threatened another government official, you know the consequences that brings, don’t you?”

            “It’s your word against mine, princess,” God how you hated that nickname, especially when said like that. “You may be who you are, but I spent time creating my reputation.” 

            “You should have spent more time in strategy classes.”

            Quickly, you pulled Yang's body, so that his chest was now against one of the nearby tables, trying to hold him as best as possible, trying to remember what Changbin had been through to you so many times. Only when he turned his face meeting Jeongin and Chan's gaze did he stop fidgeting, you could see he had realized how screwed he was.

            “You dumb bitch, I'm gonna fucking kill you.”

            “Oh, you still won’t shut up?”

            In a quick movement, Yang managed to free himself from you, just as you expected and wrapped his arm around your neck, trapping you in a headlock, making everyone move towards you before you hissed a ‘no’, making everyone stop, but you could see both Changbin and Yongbok moving around the corners, Chan, Jeongin, Hyunjin, Ryujin and Minjae taking slow steps towards you. Yang's ragged breathing could be heard in your ear, but you made no mention of it.

            “Are you really going to keep betraying your family for pussy?” Everyone knew that the words were directed at Jeongin, who seemed unaffected. Yang continued taking a few steps back, your eyes meeting Yongbok and Changbin's who were just waiting for your signal. “As if all your brother’s friends weren’t enough, you also have to fuck your team and my brother?”

            “Are you mad because I’m fucking them all, or because I’m not fucking you?”

            Yang's arm tightened around your neck making you gasp, everyone else becoming highly alert, but only the XKRS reacted more openly to what was happening. Yongbok and Changbin were still far away, making you think of something to help distract Yang as they got closer.

            “A whore's word doesn't mean anything, you should know that,” his lips pressed against your ear and you had to hold yourself back from moving away, “or do you think no one ever knew what you and my brother were doing back home? Or at the Prestige Academy?”

            “It’s not like it was a crime what we were doing.”

            “But the feelings you have for each other is.”

            “So is the feeling you feel right now,” he paused for a moment and you found yourself smiling, “and that’s why you’re not as good as you believe yourself to be, Yang.”

            Your elbow quickly met his side while your heel met his toes, causing him to move away enough for another elbow to find his diaphragm followed by a headbutt to Yang's – already broken – nose. Yongbok quickly pushed Changbin and Yang out of your way, Changbin pinning Yang against the wall, Yongbok being your support as you recovered, one of your hands finding your neck which was quickly inspected by him.

            Jeongin quickly getting between you and his older brother, still being pressed by Changbin, Chan quickly joins in to hold Yang if necessary. The younger Yang's eyes fell on you for a minute, more specifically on the mark on your neck, making him purse his lips before focusing again on Yang who was watching everything, still slightly aghast at what you had done. You could see the gears in Jeongin’s mind working.

            “I think you spent enough time free for what you did,” there were very few times when you felt afraid of Jeongin or any of your team, but hearing the icy voice of your third-in-command made your entire body shiver, remembering one of the reasons you chose him as your other right hand in command, the reason why many were afraid of him. If Yang could be cruel, Jeongin could be the incarnation of Satan if he needed to. “Take him to the room.”

            Changbin and Chan didn't even look their way before punching Yang unconscious, dragging his body to the room in question. Initially created for moments when someone was frustrated, angry or simply wanted to speak out loud without the fear of someone overhearing. As your team grew, there were times when it was necessary for some mechanisms to be used, even by you and Jisung – no matter how much you were against such mechanisms. This means that the soundproofing room could also become a torture room on specific occasions, even if rarely used for that purpose.

            “Innie,” the nickname seemed to soften Jeongin’s gaze before falling back on you in concern, a small pain forming in your chest. He would torture his own brother for you, what situation had you all gotten yourself into? “Innie, there’s no need -”

            “He threatened you,” the words were simple, harsh and had consequences that you knew went beyond a mere settling a score for what Yang had done to you months ago, “we have the recordings of everything, what he did has consequences and you know that -”

            “You don’t have to be the one to do it.”

            The dimples appeared, making your heart weight heavier on your chest.

            Yang was right, in the end. You loved them and they loved you.

            Even though deep down, you knew it wasn't the same love you once felt for Mars and the others, that you believed you would never feel again, because in the end, the higher-ups were right, Henry Jo was right, the Sciensalvar were right, Z was right. Feelings were the worst evil that could exist and the universe seemed to prove this to you with each event.

            “You are my boss, my leader, my friend, my -” he stopped for a moment and you found yourself holding the air you breathed, Yongbok's fingers on your back serving as a way to keep you centered in the midst of what was happening. Jeongin's sigh was enough to make you release the breath you were holding before his eyes met yours, stopping momentarily on your neck. “He is my brother, if anyone, other than you, has the right to do something, it is me.”

            “How will this affect your family?”

            “You and the others have been my family for a while now,” the smile was weak but truthful, you knew he believed every one of those words and the tightness in your chest seemed to ease a little at that, but only a little. “Go over the plan with the XKRS boys, we’ll be waiting in the room.”

            It was only then that you realized you had been left alone in the office with the XKRS boys. Their worried eyes on you as they watched Yongbok make sure you were okay enough for him to follow behind the others, which he did once you gave a slight nod. Your mind was a mess, not only with what had just happened, but also considering the information you had seen in your brother and Maddox's files.

            With a sigh, a mental note came up to check Yang's name and registration in the records. You always knew there was more to the whole situation between the two of you, you knew it went beyond your relationship with Jeongin. Your fingers found the bridge of your nose before you sighed one last time and met the curious and worried eyes of the new Strickland unit.

            “You have three seconds to put on a poker face, otherwise you will be demoted to insider work for a month,” all ten straightened their posture, faces becoming closed, but you could still tell by the look what was going on. “ You also need to work on your eyes, but this is better than expected.”

            “Erm,” you didn’t look up, preferring to re expose the photos and blueprints of the school and nearby buildings, but you had noticed the exchange of looks between the ten, “if you need some time, we -”

            Everyone was cut off by the muffled scream that came out of the room, shocks ran through your body as you swallowed hard and closed your eyes trying to focus on the plan, instead of imagining what everyone was doing in the room. The XKRS's eyes quickly fell in the direction of the scream and you held back a laugh, as you saw yourself in those boys in front of you, remembering what it was like when the others removed the blockers, how you and Chan helped the others adapt, until Jeongin arrives and takes care of this issue.

            “Chan has already requested three helicopters to take us to the school,” despite the shouting, your voice didn't change its tone, making the other ten begin to understand how things worked. Even though they had some missions, some things only really happened after graduation. “I’ll leave the organization of the buildings to you,” your eyes and pointed fingers found Minjae and Junmin who nodded, making you hand over the blueprint photos of the buildings to them. “After we enter, Minho will try to connect with the network, which will give you an inside look and you will be able to help us when we need it.”

            “Are we going to have a communication point with all of you?”

            You denied Hyunwoo's question, approaching the table that you had organized in relation to the school locations, both those that had the most deaths, those that had the most information, and those that had both. Everything is divided by area and floor. A smirk formed on your lips when you noticed how none of the boys in front of you squirmed because of the photos.

            “Only Chan and Minho will communicate with you, Chan needs more training helping teams below ours and, as we don't know what will happen, I'm going to start putting him and Jeongin in charge of this issue on certain missions,” the others nodded carefully, as they knew that that piece of information was important, that if they did well, they would possibly be called to work on missions related to the Black Pirates again. “Minho knows practically everything about all existing systems so he will be able to help Sumin with whatever is needed, I also need Seeun to have a direct connection, photographic memory can help us more than the cameras itselves.”

            "What is the problem?"

            You smiled brightly at Jinsik's question, knowing that Jisung had spent enough time with the youngest and explained the little details that would help him see beyond the words. Honestly, you just hoped that what Eden had asked you to do wouldn't affect your performance as much as you believed it might, not as much as your brother's drawing already had in some ways.

            “There is only one part that does not have a camera and is not present in the blueprint,” your fingers indicated a point below everything, making all ten eyes become confused for a moment, “that is the parking lot, but it does not have cameras and the space is not the same as what is specified here.”

            You let out a small sigh when you noticed the eyes of the ten in the photos and files of the place. As soon as you headed directly to the parking lot after passing the three rooms that Eden had indicated had the drawing, you knew they would talk to Chan and Minho.

            “What can we do to help?”

            “Making my team complete this mission smoothly,” before anyone could say anything, you placed a paper on top of where the parking lot would be, “none of them are supposed to go to the parking lot, in case something happens, I want them out of that building, I don’t care if I’m still there, understood?”

            "But -"

            “The question is of ‘yes or no’ nature,” your voice was hard, you knew there was something in that room that could change the situation for better or worse and you were okay with whatever came, but that was your choice. There was a reason it was sealed, a reason so many died in the parking lot, and you would do anything to make sure your team didn't suffer from whatever came from that room specifically. “The priority is my team, if you have to lie, I want you all to lie, I don’t care, I deal with everything if necessary afterwards, but they are the priority, understand?”

            All ten were silent for a moment, your eyes met Minjae's and you knew he understood what you wanted to say, perhaps better than anyone present. He knew you wouldn't say why you alone had to go to the parking lot or why it was relevant, but he knew you had a plan and if they did anything to hurt that plan, you would finish them off without having to lay a finger on any of them.

            "Yes ma'am."

            Despite the small fright and confusion that appeared in the eyes of others, they quickly followed what Minjae had said. A simple wave was all you made available to them before pointing to the board behind you with all the information they could need. Your feet went to the room the others were in, Yang's screams and curses could be heard, even if muffled.

            “If you want,” your feet took root on the floor, not needing to look back to know that you had all the ten complete attention, “you can leave the office, I can ask Minho to share the necessary files with you, you don't need to be here in case it’s still too early.”

            Silence once again took over the room, murmurs began to appear little by little. Everyone knew that you wouldn't go towards the room where the muffled screams were coming out, not until you heard back from them. They didn't know, probably neither did your team, but your mind kept replaying the information gathered over the last few days, what had just happened only helping your mind create scenarios of what could have happened.

            "We’ll stay."

            A sigh left your mouth before your feet walked back towards the room where your team had taken Yang. As soon as the door opened, a scream came out of Yang's mouth and you knew the other ten behind you were startled, but you were on a mission, you would have your answer, even if you only analyzed it later.

            The door closed with a click making Yang's eyes find your figure. Jeongin was crouched not far from his older brother, Chan and Changbin on each side of the chair, Chaeryeong was holding one of the electrical cable connections, Yang already had the copper crown on his head. You could see each of your team with injured knuckles, Jeongin, Chan, Hyunjin, Ryujin, Yeji, Changbin and Yongbok's were the most injured ones.

            Blood dripped from some of the cuts that were already present on Yang's face, his nose even more crooked than when you had seen it previously. The restraints on the wrists and ankles already red. With a simple shake of your head you caused the copper crown to be removed from Yang's head, the two points that connected the electricity to his temples also being removed. A small sigh of relief was heard from him, but when dark laughter from all of your team members were heard, fear flashed across Yang's face.

            Despite being known for being a great interrogator, which you were, and knowing that you preferred methods that didn't involve torture, few knew how well you could torture someone. You didn't do it very often, but when you did, everyone broke down under your hand. Maybe you should thank your brother’s death for that, because you wanted answers and you were willing to go to the ends of the earth to get them.

            “The situation is simple, Yang,” your steps were calculated, everyone had opened a corridor for you to find him, the smell of blood was already strong, “you just need to tell the truth and you can walk out of here.”

            “You can’t do this to me,” despite the attempt, you managed to see the tremor in his words, making you smile cynically, “I’m an officer just like you, this can’t happen.”

            “But weren’t you the one who threatened to kill me a short while ago?”

            You walked away swinging your hands up, having Changbin and Chan release Yang's wrists while Yongbok and Hyunjin released his ankles. Yeji handed you one of the daggers that were hanging on one of the walls, making you turn the handle, the tip of your index finger finding the tip of the dagger. Yang's eyes widened slightly at that, he had heard about your torture sessions then.

            “Wrists or ankles?”

            "Wrists," your response was simple, your voice soft, unbothered, which made only terror run across Yang's face, "take off his shirt."

            “His record has already been changed,” Minho’s voice caught your attention, even though your eyes remained on Yang, Changbin ripping off his shirt, leaving his torso exposed to you, “two weeks away due to injury during an unsuccessful mission.”

            “You guys can't do this -”

            “You couldn't threaten me either, but you did it anyway,” the threat wasn't the problem for you, everyone there knew, except Yang who tried to justify it, but you silenced him by touching the tip of the knife to the exact spot where his jugular pulse was. “Do you really think this is happening because of a simple threat?” You laughed, lowering the knife to Yang's left collarbone, the tip entering his skin as you brought it down towards his sternum, you could hear the grunts as he tried to squirm away from it. “For someone who claims to be so excellent, your brain is very underdeveloped to analyze the situation.”

            “You want me to beg, is that it?!”

            “No,” the knife found the sternum and ended the contact of the metal with the hot skin of the older man who sighed, “I want you to say if you gave my brother a chance.”

            "What you -"

            A quick and deep enough cut was made on Yang's right side, in the same location and size as yours that he had opened the stitches months ago. The scream echoed through your head and you ignored it, watching Yang's expression.

            “Let's say I discovered something interesting in the report on the invasion of my brother's bunker,” you noticed everyone looking at you curiously, some eyes falling on Minho who seemed equally lost, but no one dared to say a word, “some passwords were used to enter the location, but interestingly, the person to whom that password belongs was on a mission, there is evidence of this person carrying out the mission at the time of the invasion.”

            The silence was heavy and everyone saw how Yang went into a slight panic as your words were processed in his head. Some still exchanged confused looks. What you were indicating was a plot to get another officer killed, tantamount to high treason.

            "I do not know what you're talking about."

            “So there won’t be any problem telling me where you were when my brother disappeared, right?” 

            “Eunwoo disappeared, no one knows what happened until he turns up dead in the desert.”

            “Are any of you comfortable enough to grab the belt?” Everyone knew what that meant, you noticed Yang's fingers wrapped around the iron chain, your eyes meeting Jisung who watched everything curiously. “Ji, can you go further up, please?”

            “How much on the feet?”

            No one dared question you, everyone knew how much you hated torture, that it was always your last choice. If your allegations are right, which everyone also knew you wouldn't make without having considered all the possibilities, Yang had committed the worst of crimes within their area. That's why when Jisung agreed without much reservation, Yang knew he was fucked. His eyes met Jeongin's in pleading, only receiving a cold look in response.

            “Fifty,” the answer came from Jeongin who positioned himself behind you, his fingers finding your lower back, a silent answer to the question you were asking all of them with that request, if they were on your side and that you wouldn’t be hurt or hold grudges if someone decided to turn their back on the situation, “let's increase 10kg every five minutes and move up the chain when the weights are lower to the ground.”

            “Jeongin,” Yang’s voice was a plea, “I’m your brother -”

            “My brother is Chan, Minho, Changbin, Hyunjin, Jisung, Yongbok and Seungmin, you are not my brother.”

            “Are you going to leave this -”

            The sound of the belt was heard, just like the sound of the buckle meeting Yang's exposed skin, Chan and Changbin were behind him, taking turns so that neither of them got tired. Chaeryeong and Ryujin threw salt water at Yang, making a scream reverberate throughout the room, but no one dared to move. Hyunjin and Seungmin tied the weights to Yang's ankles. Minho's computer keyboard was clicking every second, you already knew what he was looking for.

            “Where were you the day my brother disappeared?”

            “You fucking lunatic bitch, are you -”

            Five times the buckle found Yang's skin, but only on the fifth did he release some kind of reaction, making you raise your eyebrows in acceptance of the challenge.

           “We know you weren't alone,” the tip of the dagger went through every area of Yang's abdomen and you laughed, seeing the muscle contract, digging the tip even deeper into the skin, leaving a red line wherever it passed, “if you say the names, I’ll go easier on you.”

            “Go to hell, you fucking slu-”

            Your knife stuck in Yang's thigh at the same moment the buckle found the already red skin again. You and him knew the knife was close to the bone but hadn't caught the artery, but he wasn't completely free to do as he pleased. The growl that left his mouth was more from the knife than from the five times the buckle met his back.

            “You have two weeks off, there are too many things I can still do with you to justify those two weeks, are you sure you want me to do them all?”

            It was then that Yang saw, finally saw, Strickland's weapon.

            And you smiled as you saw terror meet their eyes, for in that moment, you were the monster they had created.

            Your eyes passed one last time over the notes of the stakeouts that took place on site. Your intuition told you there was something you weren't seeing, but no matter how much you analyzed it, something still didn't seem to add up. Your fingers quickly found the files from the day of the school invasion that were with Jeongin and Chan, your eyes trying to find what was making you uncomfortable about everything. Something was out of place, you just couldn't visualize what.

            “Sumin just confirmed the images from the latest scan,” Minho’s voice made you look up from the pages, his fingers quick against the keyboard before turning the screen to you, Jeongin and Chan. His eyes quickly met yours, followed by the other two, making you sigh. “What do you want to do, boss?”

            One of your gloved hands found your face, resting your chin in your hand, eyes observing the images that Sunmin made available to you. There were many more people than expected. That place had seen a lot of death, but there was only so much that could be prevented.

            “Tranquilizers,” your hands quickly went to the second gun that was hanging on your body reaching the amount you had, “since most of them are at the top, we need to get through there without being noticed or everything will go down the drain.”

            “How do you want to organize the descent?”

            Chan's eyes searched yours waiting for orders, Jeongin's fingers checking the other three weapons before handing them to Minho, Chan and taking the last one. Your eyes quickly passed through the thermal vision of the school building, you needed to contain your tranquilizer darts for when you arrived in the parking lot. 

            Despite wanting to be first, you cursed under your breath knowing you should be last.

            “Chan goes first, I go last, I don't care who is in the middle,” a small sigh before the pilot's voice indicated that they were already above the school and the descent would begin. “Let's all stay on the emergency stairs, let's follow the sequence of whoever comes down.”

            “Ryujin and Jeongin will bring up the rear with you.”

            Chan commented quickly before the pilot allowed the exit and you were the first to get out of the helicopter, pulling the mask from your clothes to your face, the protective glasses being quickly pulled down. The place was as deserted as it had been when you and the others had been there weeks ago. Boots thumped against the concrete of the roof and you quickly ran to the door that connected the building to the roof, noticing Jeongin right behind you.

            You pulled the door open revealing the freed up space, much to the delight of your team. Quickly each of the twelve members of SKZY entered the building, Chan and Minho exchanging glances checking the communication point with XKRS before heading downstairs. Jeongin and Ryujin's eyes met yours before they followed behind everyone. If everything went well, you would find out what Eden wanted and you would get out of there without much trouble.

            Small noises could be heard with each step that your team took deeper and deeper into the school. Quickly the first floor had been cleared for your team to check, your steps leading to the first room Eden had shown you, one of the separate rooms used by the school's vice principal. Most of the notes that had previously been torn out had been replaced, the television playing the video of the warehouse that made you meet Serpent weeks ago.

            The drawing of the blue bird screamed just like the first time you saw it in the photo that Eden had given you, the difference was that now it was in front of you. Your fingers passed over the blue line of the drawing and your heart sank for a moment before you sighed and focused on the papers pinned to the bulletin board, searching for any kind of new information, but nothing but the same seemed present.

            With a low curse, your hands rested on the table, the image on the television capturing your attention momentarily. Despite everything Maddox had shown you, something still told you that Mars and the others were involved in some way with what had happened to your brother, maybe not with the bunker raid, but something had happened between the raid and your brother's body turning up in the desert, something you felt only the eight of them could answer.

            With a sigh you looked away, your hand balling into fists before your eyes focused on one of the papers that were laid out on the table. ‘Hourly update: stable. Requirement: list present in the dark room - hand it over to one of the ATEEZ’. Your fingers quickly grabbed the sheet, placing it between the pockets of your clothes, the static in your ear indicating it was time to move to the next floor.

            More and more bodies fell around you, some with tranquilizer darts, others clearly using force to knock them out. Your mind returned to the words on the paper in your pocket, the dark room could only be the place that had been sealed when the invasion happened weeks ago. A moment of calm passed through your body, knowing that the probability of self-destruction of the place would decrease considerably, because if something needed to be removed, it meant that it was only present in that place.

            Another important detail was the possible presence of ATEEZ on site. Angel and Serpent's faces appearing on your mind quickly, you felt anxious at the thought of meeting them again. The last thing you needed was to find them together with your team, even though you remembered Angel's behavior back at Guardian's Island, you couldn't contain the thoughts of someone discovering your relationship with them.

            “(y/n) we need you up front,” the tension in Changbin’s voice made you freeze for a moment, four floors still had to be overcome for you to reach your goal. Everyone made room for you to find Changbin in one of the curves that gave access to the floor below. He and Chan signaled to each other, a silent conversation about how to proceed, until they nodded beyond the curve of the wall, “how do you want to proceed with the plan?”

            The whisper was almost inaudible at your point of communication and you mentally cursed when you noticed the number of rebels that were between that floor and the one below, you couldn't use up all the darts, not yet. The largest quantity was three floors down, you needed the darts for the library floor. Your eyes went over the weapons in the hands of the rebels, only a few had them, but you could see hidden knives, as well as some pistols.

            You needed to attract some to be able to move forward. Your eyes met Yeji's, calling her and pointing to the same place Changbin had pointed out. You could see the gears of her mind turning as you headed to meet Chaeryeong, rummaging through the bag the girl was carrying. A light bomb and a gas bomb, that would have to be enough to deal with those who weren't attracted to whatever Yeji was planning.

            You, Chaeryeong, Yongbok, Yeji, Minho and Changbin headed to one of the nearby rooms, the blueprint of the space being opened up on one of the tables. Your eyes and ears just watched as your team organized the best method to move forward. Yongbok and Changbin would try to get close enough to contain those who haven’t caught the bait, Minho confirmed the number with the XKRS, such as their presence being mostly on the stairs. The only thing missing was the distraction to reduce the number of people they would have to pass.

            Despite everyone thinking in different ways, you knew it needed to be something considerable to make them leave their posts, something that only Mars and the others would use, something that you knew that if it was seen, it would not be questioned at any time by the rebels in the stairs, but would draw enough attention to make them leave their posts.

            Drones.

            With quick steps, you went searching through the rooms before signaling what the others should look for. Drones were one of Logan's passions, he was also present a few weeks ago, guiding you to where Howl was in one of the buildings to the east. It was a long shot, but you didn't have much to go beyond that, at least it would give you enough time to get through the stairs.

            Jisung quickly found a drone and its controller, handing them to Chaeryeong who handed the drone to Minho while she fiddled with the controller. The drone had a camera, which could help them further. While Minho, Chaeryeong and Yeji worked on how to proceed with the drone, you, Yongbok and Changbin went to a further part.

            “We need to consider that at least one of them has a communicator, be it a cellphone or a walkie-talkie,” your voice was low enough to make them both approach you, “Yongbok is more agile, I need you to arrive as quickly as possible to beyond the stairs and catch anyone who tries to escape, in the meantime,” your eyes turned to Changbin, “I need you to do your best to keep the others unconscious, but use the darts as little as possible, we need them for the library floor.”

            “How can we get close to them? As much as the drone helps, it can only do so much,” your backpack was pulled forward, the gas and light grenade being handed to the two, Changbin carefully taking it in his hands with a smile. “Regular gas?”

            “We don't have a mask, we can't risk it,” your smile was a mirror of his, Yongbok's eyes fell to the corridor they would just pass. “I know we agreed on no deaths until we get to the library, but don’t hesitate.”

            The simple wave was enough for you to hand over one of the daggers that was attached to your vest, small enough to go unnoticed, sharp enough to cause damage.

            “Is there a reason why you shouldn’t be at the front?”

            Even though you expected it, that wasn't the moment you imagined happening.

            “We need to get to the library, there is something we need to find and I believe it is there, but I also need Chan and Jeongin to be more present in the events, in the decision-making, not just them but the entire team.”

            “Do you think what happened to Yang will have repercussions?”

            Until that moment, that hypothesis had not even crossed your mind. Despite all the evidence you and your team gathered, you, Jeongin and Chan knew how influential Yang could be, despite being weak compared to others, the few allies he had were strong enough to pull the council to disapprove of your actions and attitudes, however justified they may be.

            Your silence was enough of an answer for the two who nodded, making you grateful for that without having to invent a half-truth to justify the choices that were being made that day. When Chaeryeong's voice appeared at everyone's communication point, you sighed in relief, the sooner you finished that mission, the sooner things could be resolved.

            As expected, you stayed behind, Chan taking Jeongin's place since his tranquilizer darts had run out. You could see the smoke, hear the grunts and quick footsteps against the wood, you also heard a body hit the ground hard and you just prayed that Yongbok was okay.

            As soon as your team passed the stairs, you found Yongbok, Jeongin and Hyunjin holding the rebel, your third in command holding the walkie-talkie while Yongbok pinned the rebel in front of him who, even with a gun to his head, seemed to just stop fidgeting as Jeongin handed the walkie-talkie to you. Your fingers quickly moved to find any frequency that was being used.

            “Helicopter spotted three minutes ago, everyone stay away from the windows.”

            Despite trying to appear calm, the tension in your body upon hearing the unknown voice seemed to increase as you knew that five helicopters would pass by the place as you had planned, which could also indicate that they knew that you had entered the school.

            “Movement spotted in building 3, request for inspection team.”

            “Await further information while we verify the order.”

            A sigh seemed to come out of everyone around you, knowing that they possibly hadn't been found yet, but an even bigger sigh seemed to come out of you considering you hadn't identified anyone's voice in any of the sentences said. Maybe the ATEEZ boys wouldn't be in school, maybe not even your boys are.

            With a simple wave, Yongbok made the rebel unconscious, letting his body fall delicately to the ground, the walkie-talkie going to your vest as you indicated them to follow, Changbin still leading everyone, you following only when you heard his voice in your point of communication. Your feet were quick to the second room you knew the drawing was in.

            For a moment, your feet took root, observing the place in front of you. Blocks of soundproofing material, instruments scattered around the place, an old but apparently comfortable sofa, vinyl records and radios with CDs were arranged on the walls, but only when your eyes came across a blue bird graffiti in one of the spots that the soundproofing material was non-existent, that your feet began to walk into the room.

            Fingers gently touching the keyboard, the guitar neck, the drums, the electric guitar, even vinyl records. That damn room just reminded you of Lucky's room in their dimension. Finally, your fingers found the blue paint on the wall, your fingertips passing over the entire line of the drawing before turning them towards you, why were you sad that the paint didn't stain your fingers? With a simple shake of your head, you turned your back to the drawing, only to find a sheet of music open on one of the farthest keyboards, the bird drawing was also present.

            The score was not complete, but the lyrics that accompanied it were, along with the respective letters of the respective guitar notes for the song to be sung and played. Star 1117. The small drawing of the bird being seen next to the title, the lyrics a mix of Lucky and Iyaah. Your eyes burning with each word read of what was written. If they weren't there at that moment, they had been at the school for the last few weeks, they had been in that specific room, creating another song that you would never hear.

            “We need to move forward, there is no one on the stairs.”

            Quickly, the letter had the same ending as the paper you had found in the first room. Quick steps against the wood made you find most of the team gathering at the beginning of the stairs, Yongbok and Chan being the last to join before everyone nodded, following the drone that Chaeryeong was using, Minho's eyes focusing on the screen of the tablet, eyes focused on the movements of his hands.

            Just one more floor and you would be at the library, the last mandatory stop until you could head to the parking lot. Your body was shaking, not only from the stress of the situation, but also from what you could find in the other two places considering what you had found in the other two rooms.

            Fortunately, the next floor was relatively empty, but still, you had to use three darts when you noticed movement occurring near one of the rooms, while the walkie-talkie screeched with interference, but nothing had been said, and was quickly ignored, making your team breathe for a moment before getting together to evaluate the best route to take to get to the library and having few deaths considering that half had already used all the tranquilizer darts.

            “Request for inspection of building 3, are you listening?”

            Everyone stopped breathing for a moment, completely forgetting that one of the unconscious people could have been the one who made the request. Chan quickly making everyone move as silence formed. Chaeryeong quickly connected with the drone, everyone's eyes on the tablet that showed the images of the staircase that connected to the library floor, the murmurs could be heard, confirming the number of people.

            “We believe that five people will be more than enough for the inspection.”

            The drone stopped at the same moment the voice was heard, causing Chaeryeong to bring the device back to them. Your ears were focused on the walkie-talkie as you pointed to Minho's tablet, which he quickly handed over to your side, Chan and Yeji moving away to go over the rest of the plan.

You needed to find out which building was categorized as three.

            “Checking candidates, please wait for the next information.”

            “Movement was also spotted in building eight.”

            “Leaders have already been contacted, please wait. Let’s check the cameras in the meantime.”

            With a simple exchange of glances, Minho walked away, contacting Sumin through the communication point while you went towards Chan and Yeji, making all eyes fall on you.

            “We need to go now,” that wasn't a request, much less a suggestion, it was an order and everyone nodded. “I'll go ahead with Ryujin, based on the number of people we managed to find out, it'll be every man for himself, we'll meet at the designated building, be careful.”

            Despite saying this looking at Chan and Yeji, you had connected your communication point, not only with your team, but also with Maddox. The interference and keyboard noise on your left spot being the only indication that he had heard you. When you get to the parking lot you wouldn't have much time to open the sealed door, you knew that Maddox's distance wouldn't help either, but there wasn't much you could do, not without being discovered by both the rebels and your team.

            “Have the XKRS been warned yet?”

            A simple nod was enough for Jisung as a respond as he placed himself right behind you, as he was one of those who had darts still available. Seungmin quickly found himself next to him, determined eyes with an amused smile on his lips made you smile in response.

            "Everyone ready?" You knew your entire team and Maddox were listening, you needed to tell him what was going to happen so he would be ready when you reached the parking lot. “The library is large enough for us to have visibility of the targets, but it also has several corridors that lead to separate rooms. Be careful. We will meet at the designated building, keep each other informed of your positions and when you leave the school.”

            “Good luck.”

            Was all Maddox said before you disconnected the communication point with him, being able to hear the others on the team confirming. Even though Ryujin was your shadow, your feet were the first to find the stairs that would take you all to the library. Your boots firmly on the concrete, you can hear the sound of the rest of your team's feet following behind you. Your breathing was controlled, even though you could hear the blood pulsing in your ear.

            With each step you took towards the door that led to the stairs, the more you could hear the movement of people, noticing that they were reconstructing the place, the information. With a simple signal, you noticed everyone on your team stopping, a few more steps were taken by you, helping with the visibility of the location.

            You would never be able to enter that place without being seen. As soon as you entered you would be spot on, it was necessary to change the strategy, only starting everything after you were already among everyone and, unlike the upper floors, most had weapons, which in itself was a sign that things would not be well received. You needed another plan.

            Your fingers quickly removed your goggles, ignoring your team's protests, shutting them up with a simple look. With a simple nod, Jeongin, Yeji and Chan were by your side going through the same process as you and quickly understanding your point, imitating some of your movements, Chan and Jeongin going further and also pulling the sleeves of their clothes to their elbows, Yeji untied her hair, pulling the mask down, but stopping you before your movements could happen. Her voice was low enough that only the four of you could discern what was being said.

            “They don't know who we are, but you're the face of the team, if they know you're here...”

            With a nod you agreed with Yeji's concern, indicating with your head for everyone to also do what they were doing, the only change you had made was removing your glasses. As the three went towards the others helping with small adjustments, your eyes once again faced the visible space of the library, some rebels also had masks, making it not at all strange if you entered the place.

            “Let's go in separately, I'll go first, but we can't communicate,” everyone nodded, even though they didn't completely agree with the idea of leaving you alone in a space where they knew you were a person of interest to the leaders of the movement, “we need to position ourselves in various locations so that we can pass through this space and escape unharmed, but if we are discovered, we need to know somehow.”

            “This is the last point of important information that can be collected, after that it is mostly resting places for the rebels, including surveillance through the documents that Eden gave us.”

            “With that,” Jeongin continued Yeji’s speech, “take what you can get, any possible piece of information could be important.”

            “And try not to get caught until the last possible minute,” everyone nodded at Chan's speech, who turned his gaze to you, softening considerably as his hands cupped your face, your foreheads touching for a minute making you both close your eyes. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

            “You know I can’t promise anything.”

            “At least promise you’ll come back in one piece.”

            A weak nod and Chan released your face, making your eyes meet everyone else's before your feet guided you past the staircase door, a long sigh leaving your mouth, ending only when you found yourself surrounded by people and light. The eyes finding the main source of natural light. Even though the sun was partially covered by the accumulation of clouds that enveloped the place, the rays still struggled to pass through them.

            Perhaps symbolism about the Black Pirates and Strickland's government.

            A small smile appeared beneath the mask, a few people walked past you, some waving their hands or heads, others walking past looking at documents, carrying boxes, or simply talking about something you couldn't discern. It was almost comical how easily you and your team had infiltrated the Black Pirates cell, maybe you could even brag about it to some of the boys if you found them.

            Your eyes quickly found a shelf full of books, not just one, but at least three, with two ladders that allowed you to reach the top if necessary. Your heart sank knowing that this would be one of your brother's favorite thing about that entire mission. You could even see him carefully picking up some of those books, not at all surprised when your feet guided you to the base of the bookshelf. Titles written on the spines of books that you knew were banned at Strickland, that you yourself had read or heard about thanks to the boys.

            Before your fingers could touch any of the books, you could see a chair next to the window, sheet music open in front of the chair and a violin resting on top of it all. The image of Logan playing the violin came back in full force, of how you had helped him when he had a performance all those years ago, how nervous he was, the fear of making mistakes, the way he had asked you to be present at the performance, because if you were there he would be able to do everything without missing a single chord.

            “If you had gotten here sooner, you would have seen him play,” an unknown voice brought you to reality, turning your face and finding a girl smiling openly at you, she was pretty, delicate, the kind of girl you introduce to the family, she shouldn't be in that place. “Logan doesn’t play much, but whenever we’re here, for some reason, he plays the violin for us.”

            Logan was here, not just ATEEZ.

            With that piece of information you smiled, knowing that the girl in front of you noticed despite the mask.

            “Is he still here?” You tried to sound casual, hoping the girl wouldn't notice how hard your heart was beating against your chest. “I need to talk to him about a document we received a request about and -”

            "ATTENTION!" Everyone's gaze fell on the base of a staircase that you beat yourself up for not noticing before. An officer stood still, fingers on the trigger of the gun he held against his body. “Movements were detected in buildings three and eight, through the cameras we were able to identify some people who should not have been there. The leaders decided to promote two inspections, members will be contacted by radio -”

            Everything seemed to get muffled when you found Logan coming down the stairs, in an avid conversation with another officer. He was playing the violin, he looked fine, so the one who was hurt wasn't him. The sigh you let out was quickly suppressed by yourself, especially when it didn't go unnoticed by the girl next to you.

            “He’s beautiful, isn’t he?” Her eyes met yours and a simple nod was enough for the girl to sigh and her eyes fell on Logan again. “How can a man as handsome as this be real?”

            You allowed yourself to laugh, being imitated by the girl next to you. You understood her point. Despite everything that happened and your history with Logan, there was no denying that he was handsome, his ethereal beauty always leaving you slightly airy, but what made you stop laughing was the memory of Angel during those two weeks. If she found Logan handsome, Angel managed to be even more intriguing in his beauty and way of carrying himself.

            “Lim Nayong?” The shock that ran down your spine made your eyes widen quickly, but no movement was made. His voice could be recognized anywhere, your eyes finding his feet not far from you. “You are Lim Nayong, correct?”

            “Y-yes, sir.”

            The girl next to you, Nayong, responded quickly, but you could notice her body's reaction to Logan being so close. He was one of the few who could recognize you, you needed to get out of there.

            “And who is your friend?” Mother fucker, you cursed him in your mind, before your eyes lifted and met Logan's – no, that wasn't Logan. Your mind thanked Yeji for stopping you from removing the mask, not only because you would be easily recognized, but for the hiss of curses you let out when you noticed Angel's eyes pass over your entire body before returning to your eyes, the well-known smile present along with the shrewd, stormy eyes. “Sorry, but can I pick up Nayong? We need her for a mission, if you don’t mind.”

            Your negative shake of the head made Angel smile widely before his eyes fell on Nayong and indicated for her to follow some of the officers who were nearby. Angel's eyes still observed every detail of your face, but you didn't look away, only to find the birthmark covered again with makeup, your fingers itching to tear off that foundation and leave the pink skin exposed for anyone who wanted to see.

            He took another step forward, you could feel several eyes on the two of you, including that of your team, wherever they were. Angel's scent intoxicated your lungs and all you wanted most was to be able to push him away, as far away from you as possible. A smirk appeared along with a small guttural 'hm' that made you feel heat throughout your body. Logan wouldn't say you were there, but Angel? Angel was an unknown puzzle in every possible way, you didn't know what to expect from him.

            As quickly as he approached, the warmth of his presence receded. You noticed his eyes darting quickly towards the stairs he had recently descended, but subtle enough to appear as if he was just looking for one of the officers, who quickly appeared at his side, interestingly enough, the same officer who had descended the stairs along with him before that scene.

            Your eyes followed Angel as people went back to their tasks, but you managed to find the eyes of some of your team members fixed on Angel's silhouette. Whether he noticed was never clear. With a quick glance in Chan's direction, you can see Changbin clenching his fists.

            “Chan, 60 degrees to your left,” casually Chan turned around finding Chagbin with his eyes fixed on Angel, being quickly blocked by Chan receiving a simple eye roll before you saw the two bickering before they both headed to the opposite side of where Angel was following. “I need to get into the room he was in, if anything, find a way to let me know.”

            A small thank you for no one being near you was said before you walked to the side of the windows. The street space was equally empty, your eyes falling on the buildings you knew the XKRS boys would be in, wishing they weren't the respective buildings three and eight.

            “I thought he was going to select you too,” another strange voice appeared next to you, this time it was a man, his eyes fell on you and a small smile was present on his lips. “Although we don’t know what was going on most of the time in their minds, I believe we all thought you would be called.”

            "And you are?"

            “Yuri,” he said quickly, “Park Yuri, I don’t think we’ve ever met before.”

            His outstretched hand was cautiously embraced by yours, but you didn't give him your name.

            “I was just transferred to this area, it would be unlikely that he would call me,” was the only thing you offered, your eyes falling back on the buildings. “What are buildings three and eight? The only information they gave me was about the school.”

            With quick fingers, Yuri pointed out two buildings, none of them the ones you had agreed with the XKRS, which made you hold back a sigh of relief. A small smile of gratitude formed on your face and you hoped it could be seen in your eyes as well. Not only was it important that your team to be safe after completing the mission, the safety and well-being of the XKRS could be considered even more important, not just for you but for the other members of your team.

            “So, what is your current job? If you want, you can -”

            “I need to check some documents in Logan's office, one of the leaders requested it, so…” Yuri quickly nodded, moving away from you and indicating the stairs that Logan had just come down, confirming your suspicions. With light and quick steps, you climbed the stairs, the fact that you didn't know exactly when Angel would be back made your heart feel in your throat. “Please let it be empty, please let it be empty.”

            As soon as your body turned at the top of the stairs, a drawing met you.

            The damn bluebird drawing.

            Your hand wrapped around the doorknob, ignoring the bird drawing on the door, breathing a sigh of relief when you noticed the empty room. The click of the door behind you made you pull your mask down, finally able to breathe fresh air as your eyes roamed the entire space of the room. Papers and more papers covered the table, a blank board with a drawing of the space they were in, the school and the buildings around it, arrows and notes.

            Your eyes turned to the table, the bold letters and censored parts seemed to scream for your attention. One of the folders that was on top of the others was related to the invasion that you and your team had carried out weeks ago. Again, your eyes found the whiteboard, some dots marked the locations where you, your team and the XKRS stayed during the uprising created by the Black Pirates.

            A date was written in the top corner, making you approach the board, each step making your mind work faster. The date was today. The words ‘moving day’ written on the front. They would reactivate that cell, even though they knew it had already been exposed. However, as Angel had seen, your superiors weren't the smartest, considering the work Eden had to go through to simply get them to think about authorizing this second inspection. Perhaps reusing an already known space would be more advantageous than abandoning it completely.

            “Hello, princess.”

            The click of the door along with the breathing on your neck made you highly alert. Your right arm quickly moved so that your elbow hit the torso of the person, who was faster than you, grabbing your arm and pulling it close to his firm and slim body before pressing you against the wall, allowing you to feel every part of his body against yours, his hand holding your hip after joining your two wrists above your head, his feet spacing yours, allowing him to stand exactly in front of you, just like he had done in the warehouse.

            “So you’re here too,” Serpent’s smirk made you laugh derisively. “Did he say I was here?”

            “Our mutual friend?”

            “Are you now impersonating them?” The question came out almost painfully, as it was an admission that you could differentiate between them, better than even the followers themselves. Serpent's smile confirmed to you that he also captured it that way. “He pretends to be Logan, you pretend to be Mars and how long will this continue?”

            “Now princess, I told you that back in the warehouse,” the pressure of Serpent’s fingers wrapping around your wrist as you tried to free yourself from him made you let out an angry growl before throwing your head back, eyes finding your wrists above your head, giving Serpent the chance to bring his face closer to your neck, “we will do whatever it takes to see your government fall,” your face lowered, the distance between you two mere centimeters making you swallow hard, “the fact that just you being able to differentiate us is just an advantage for us.”

            “How far do you think your followers are willing to go?”

            “How far do you believe your team can go to protect and defend you?”

            Silence fell in the room, the answers were clear in each of your eyes. As soon as you felt Serpent's hand leave your hip, you dared to move it, being met with his right hand firmly on your waist, making you move away reflexively, the cut, despite being healed, was still hypersensitive to pressure, the shadow of genuine concern flashed through Serpent's eyes, turning them almost into the boba you and some of the other team members loved to buy it.

            Before you could say anything, Serpent's hands went down on your hips, his fingers digging into the material of the clothing, even though the clothing prevented marks from being made, you knew the likelihood of seeing the red marks from his fingers when you took it off the clothes.

            “Let go of me,” you said seriously, ignoring how your body burned under Serpent’s presence. “As much as I believe you’re loving the current situation, I imagine some people wouldn’t be so happy with it.”

            “Is this about your team, Mars and the others, or yourself?”

            Your head went forward at the same moment, but Serpent was quicker to dodge, but gave you enough space to free yourself from the wall, throwing your body forward, making him lose balance. Allowing you to grab your gun and point it at Serpent who looked up, you could see the fright and slight fear in his eyes, something you hadn't seen in Mars or the others.

            “I think you’re projecting, no?”

            “There are other ways to hear someone praise you other than pointing a gun at them, don’t you think, princess,” just like when Yang had used the nickname days ago, hearing Serpent call you that way made your body burn, but for a reason completely different from Yang's. “Time is passing, moving day is upon us.”

            Your eyes fell back to the whiteboard.

            The photos and documents scattered around, like the documents you had looked for in all the rooms being the same, the boxes that were carried, like most of them didn't use weapons. They weren't moving into the school, that was just a distraction, that's why you had managed to get in so easily. Serpent pushed your weapon away pushing your body against the wall, his body on your back, one hand being held behind your back while the other was between you and the wall.

            “Where are Mars and Logan?”

            “A little surprise information for you, princess,” Serpent's free hand brushed your hair off your shoulder, making it easier for his eyes to meet yours, his predatory eyes finding every detail of your face before you felt his breath on your ear, “it's we who are in charge now, get used to seeing us more often.”

            When the heat of Serpent's body moved away from you, it was a mixture of relief and irritation, more specifically because of how aware your body and mind were of how perfectly his body fit into yours. He's not Mars, that's what you repeated whenever something like this happened. Those weren't your boys, you didn't know who those men were, regardless of how physically similar they might be, they weren't the same people and your head should start to get used to that idea.

            “What is moving day?”

            “Exactly what it appears to be,” his eyes turned predatory again, making you notice when his hands found the door handle, opening it with his eyes still fixed on you. “Use your head, princess, the answers are all here, you just need to see them.”

            The click of the door behind him made you release a breath you didn't know you were holding.

            He had left you alone in that room, meaning that maybe there was nothing important or relevant, or the complete opposite and you were being blind. Your eyes returned to the whiteboard, to the notes made, the arrows being pulled from each point, until you found an 'x' in the part close to the sports court that was behind the school, where the parking lot was.

            With a quick movement, you pulled the mask to cover your own face, quick steps followed you all the way to the end of the stairs, your eyes met Jisung and Seungmin's before you continued down the stairs, you needed to get to the parking lot as soon as possible. Whatever 'moving day' meant, it involved the damn sealed room in the parking lot.

            Deftly you reached the weapon, checking not only the number of darts you still had, but also the cartridges in your pockets and the hidden knives. The reason for Serpent to inform you about the 'moving day' was still unknown in your mind, but also, everything involving the ATEEZ boys was unknown, probably why you couldn't get them out of your mind. Not being able to see their movements was something that bothered you, especially when they were so physically similar to your boys.

            With quick steps you made your way up the stairs, five darts being thrown in the process. Unlike other times, you hid the bodies. Any chance to avoid being discovered and delay the start of whatever ‘moving day’ meant, you would use. Panting by the fast and constant movements, you finally arrived at the top floor that connected to the parking lot. Only two more darts were available and you were grateful when you noticed only two members guarding the door.

            Your eyes fell to the stairs above, wishing that both Angel and Serpent would remain silent, focusing again on the two rebels in front of the parking lot door, noticing the shift in weight between the feet of the one closest to the stairs. A dart was thrown at the exact moment his weight was thrown onto his left leg, causing him to fall on top of the other rebel, a smile took over your lips before the last tranquilizer came out of your weapon, making the last of the rebels fall hard on the floor.

            Almost immediately, gunshots and screams could be heard from the floors above, making you curse and quicken your step towards the parking lot. You didn't know what the moving day involved, but judging by the talking you could hear at your communication point, your team was already trying to control the situation. The gun cartridge being quickly engaged while you checked the situation, everyone's screams could be heard along with the gunshots, but so far, nothing problematic enough to make you turn your back and head to where everyone was.

            With a sigh, you jerked the door open, holding it with your leg as you scanned the room. A single bed was placed in the middle of the deserted parking lot. The friction between your boots and the concrete was the only noise you could hear, the sealed door could be seen from the other side of the parking lot, for the same reason that made you curse every other time: the damn blue bird.

            “Took you long enough,” your gun had been taken away from you before you could even react properly, noticing Wooyeon in front of you throwing the gun away, “I was imagining I would never meet you, princess.”

            “You’re not Wooyeon,” your speech was harsh, observing the sly man in front of you, his eyes were curious, his movements were fluid, they were both predatory and playful, “but it seems like you all agreed on a damn nickname for me, does it not?"

            “Oh, but the news that has been passed on to me is that you don’t mind us calling you princess, princess.”

            And honestly, you didn't really care, maybe that was what made you most uneasy with Angel, Serpent and now Wooyeon's copy. His movements were agile, but cautious, his smart eyes seemed to analyze every little detail you allowed yourself to release, but his smirk was always present, if not an open smile with a touch of mischief. He looked like a fox, patient but agile, cute but sly.

            “And what should I call you then?”

            “Amuse me, princess,” he laughed at your scoff, making you fight a smile that threatened to emerge, but he managed to catch the twitch at the corners of your mouth. “Oh, don’t be shy, we are all friends here, are we not?” 

            Your eyes fell again on the drawing of the blue bird on the other side of the parking lot, but the raise of eyebrows followed by Fox's smile made you focus on him again. A small lift of the corner of your mouth was allowed by you, receiving another as his tongue appeared between his teeth.

            “What’s the big point in you being here then?”

            “Aren’t you going to share with me the name you’re going to use for me?” Your tongue could bleed as you bit it strongly so as not to react in any way to the pout that Fox was throwing at you. “Okay, you have time to choose, but how about telling me about the others?”

            Angel. Serpent. Fox.

            Each one invading your mind with the simple existence and momentary exchange of words. Fox was definitely the most different from the others, from ATEEZ, the most similar to what you know Wooyeon – and consequently, your other boys – is like, but with the je ne sais quoi that all ATEEZ members – so far – possessed. His steps were determined, but slightly playful, despite your eyes trying to focus on him, the way his body moved was like a dance, a dangerous dance and you were the prey.

            And you hated that feeling whenever you were with one of the ATEEZ.

            Fox surrounded you, you could feel his presence and perfume completely intoxicate you, making you close your eyes and a smirk appearing on your mouth as you listened to Fox suggest names for him and the others, with each step and word, you felt him get even closer to you.

            “I have a question,” your eyes remained closed, but you could identify that he was somewhere behind you allowing you to open your eyes and find the drawing of your brother in blue in the distance, “what does that damn bluebird mean?”

            “And why would I tell you that?”

  ��         Despite being prepared for whatever Fox would do, you felt your entire body burn and the hair stand on end, as well as an discomfort in the abdomen area that you refused to consider for a long time. He was much closer than you expected, his breath lightly brushing your ear, his hands close but never close enough to touch you.

            “Are you saying that because you don’t know?”

            Your face turned as your speech was completed, allowing you to notice how close Fox really was. Fuck!, how they were similar to the others, you cursed as your eyes lingered on his face. The mole just below his eye being the first thing you noticed before your eyes fell on Fox's lips, meeting the mole you had only heard others talk about over the years, the damn mole on his lower lip.

            “See something you like, princess?”

            Your eyes quickly noticed the light smile on Fox's lips before going up and finding his on yours before going down to your mask, his hand removing it causing his eyes to fall on your lips, making you wet them with your tongue, smiling when you notice his gaze completely on your lips.

            “My eyes are up here, do you know?”

            “Oh, I know, but I needed to admire the lips I heard so much about,” an electric current passed through your body, burning completely when you felt Fox's hand on your lower back, his face mere millimeters from yours. “I have to say, you really are something else, princess.”

            “The drawing,” despite the fear of your voice breaking, you managed to say without moving a muscle away from Fox, a fact noticed by him who returned with a smile on his lips, “tell me about the drawing.”

            “I'm afraid you'll have to ask one of the others,” your eyes closed once more to try to ignore the lack of Fox's warmth and presence than actually the idea that you would have to talk to Mars and the others to get the answer, “the only thing we know is that it represents something, or someone," your eyes quickly fell on Fox who, even from afar, you could see the smile growing on his mouth for having captured your attention, "ah!, it looks like you know what the drawing means."

            “If I knew, I wouldn’t be asking, right?” Fox nodded and giggled as he headed for the door that had your brother's drawing on it, the mischievous look returning to his eyes with every step you took getting closer to where he was. “Can you tell me the next one of you I’ll have the pleasure to meet?”

            His laugh was genuine when you emphasized the 'pleasure' word, making you hide a smile, thanking him for ignoring your failed attempt to contain the smile that formed on your face.

            “And what would be the fun in that, princess?” With that, the door was opened, genuine surprise showing on your face, making Fox smile and approach you, his left hand lightly pressing your lower back indicating that you entered the completely dark room, not a light or indicator of one in sight, his breath in your ear. “That’s why you came, isn’t it?”

            “Why are you doing this?”

            “Call it a peace offering of such.”

            “Why are you doing this?”

            “Time is running out, princess, moving day is upon us.”

            Your eyes met his one last time, predatory, analytical. 

            His hand on your waist, burning the area even though it was covered by your clothes.

            “What does ‘moving day’ mean?”

            “Exactly what it sounds like, except we are rebel revolutionaries just as your government categorizes us,” his lips lightly touched your ear, an electric current ran through your entire body, “we need to move in style, don’t we?”

            “You gonna burn down the building or something?”

         The smirk returned to Fox's face, the only response you would have. When your movements went to the parking lot door, Fox trapped you between his arm and the dark room door, his face serious, his eyes determined.

            “Your team will be safe if they don’t do anything stupid,” a step forward, but you didn’t dare move, your eyes tracking to the weapon that was relatively close at that moment, mind going to the hidden places in your clothing, “That includes you, not doing something stupid, princess.”

            With a quick movement, Fox managed to trip you before one of his hands found your waist, pushing you into the room and the door closed shortly afterwards. Curses leaving your mouth freely as you punched and kicked the door, only stopping when you heard a noise on the other side.

            “Why the fuck are you doing this? Get me the fuck out!”

            “Don't worry, princess, I'm sure you can get yourself out,” the playful tone in Fox's voice made your blood run cold, “you and your team have thirty minutes, check the desk, there's a present there for you.”

            As silence reigned both inside the room and outside, you tried to calm your breathing, the dark room quickly lighting up with blue emergency lights. Cautiously, you turned your body, believing you weren't alone in the space, but there was no one but you, there was nothing but photos of you, the team Eden had created with you and the others, photos from the warehouse day of you talking with Jungkook and Moonbin, photos of you entering the warehouse late at night.

            Your eyes continued to roam the space, photos of you in the refugee camp, even of the cut you had received there were photos, however, they were not from the middle of the revolt, no, you were in the hospital bed on Guardian's Island, Hyunjin, Minho , Changbin, Chan and Jeongin by your side. The photos were from Angel's first day on the island. Did they have someone inside the complex? Your mind went on and on as you looked at each of the photos meticulously placed on the walls and in lines throughout the room, before landing on some of the papers.

            Not only were the profiles of each person in the photos, but also of other people, even the XKRS were present in photos and documents. Your feet dug into the floor as you turned to the table, finding not only a huge drawing of the bird with a branch made by your brother, but a circular metal object exactly in the middle of the drawing. You would recognize those two things anywhere.

            Your fingers went to find the bracelet, fingers finding the cold metal before wrapping it around and bringing it close to your face, the words still present, screaming at you: 'be free ♡'. Your fingers follow the outline of the words and the heart. Your own heart clenching momentarily with the memory of the last time that bracelet had been seen by you, the last person who wore it. Your eyes resting one last time on the space around you, on each of the photos, on each of the people you know, the way and place they were taken.

            The Black Pirates were much better than you, they were way ahead of all of you.

            Your superiors had no chance, if the strategy didn't change, they would never be caught, that damn room confirmed your suspicions. That's why they came back, that's why they were organizing to leave. No one in the government could know how much they knew, but they insisted on showing you more and more, they didn't care if you knew about their plans or not.

            “(y/n)?” Ignoring the shock of hearing Maddox's voice in your ear, you composed yourself, automatically placing the bracelet on your wrist, hiding it with your sleeve. “You there? What the fuck is happening at the school?” 

            “I’m here, what do you mean?”

            “The helicopters that just came back said they saw spots of light and the sounds of gunfire, but no one is responding,” It was only then that you noticed how quiet your communication point with your team was. "How are you?"

            “I have no communication with them,” the words came out quickly along with the realization that the Black Pirates had managed to interfere with your communication points again, you were alone. “Can you hear me well?”

            “It’s not quite ideal, but I can, yes. Where are you? Did you manage to get to the parking lot?”

            The sigh that left your mouth made Maddox ask again how you were, your footsteps against the floor was all he could hear until you arrived at the door again. It was locked, sealed again, how did Fox expect you to come out?

            “I managed to get into the dark room, but I'm trapped inside. Do you think you can help me get out?”

            “What’s in the dark room?”

            “I guess I’d better tell you after I get out of here,” a sarcastic sigh left your lips, “unless you’re not as badass as you say you are.”

            “Give me a minute child and answer all the questions I have for you.”

            A simple smile formed on your face as you could hear Maddox's fingers on the keyboard, worry growing by the second, your team was somewhere in that school, Fox had said you only had thirty minutes, now they should have cut it down to twenty.

            “If you can do everything in less than twenty minutes that would be ideal,” his fingers stopped and you sighed. “They are going to destroy the school, I need to get out of here before that happens.”

            “Tell me what you see.”

            A smile appeared on your face, Maddox was cunning enough to try to circumvent your words and get what he was looking for, but you were the offspring of Strickland, of powerful people in the government, you knew the game of words well, what people wanted, except when the subject was Angel, Serpent and Fox. Shaking your head, your eyes focused on the door and what could be seen around it, your fingers passing along the wall, pushing documents nailed to them, photos falling to the floor, you knew that none of that mattered, you wouldn't be able to leave there with everything or anything at all, maybe you wouldn't even be able to leave that room.

            “Maddox, everything that could exist here, I gave you, can you or can’t you get me out of this fucking room?”

            “Do you still have that object I gave you?”

            Your feet took root in the ground, your hands finding the computer mouse-like object you were meticulously keeping in one of your pockets. Maddox's words came back to you as you questioned him about what that was.

            “I thought you said it would do more harm than good if I used it.”

            “This might also be the only way you can get through that door before the school blows up in three minutes.”

            “How can you be sure?”

            Despite it being a simple question, they both knew that it had three hidden questions.

            How can you be sure it will work?

            How can you be sure I won't die in the process?

            How can you be sure that the device will activate properly?

            Because this was another detail of the object, if it was activated incorrectly, it could explode not only the person but anyone within a kilometer radius.

            “I have trust in both our abilities, do you?”

            “What do I have to do?”

            You knew you didn't have enough time to question or play any kind of joke. Meticulously, your fingers followed Maddox's instructions, the reaction was almost mechanical as your mind wondered about his life story and how your brother found him. What you had in your hands was a small bomb, a bomb with an extremely high mortality rate for its size.

            “Now place it right in between the door and the frame, it has to be precisely in the middle,” you nodded, even though you knew he wouldn't see, barely daring to say or breathe, “now click on the bottom left so the bomb attaches itself to the surface,” at the same instant, a countdown began, Maddox’s voice was fast, you could feel the worry in his voice, “now hide!”

            Skillfully, you turned the aluminum table that was in the center of the place, the papers falling to the floor, the only thing present on it being your brother's drawing mere millimeters from your face, almost like a bad joke. A noise was heard and you felt the whole room shake, dust and debris falling on your head. It hadn't worked, Maddox's bomb hadn't worked.

            Before you could get up, the entire space in the room was filled with heat and noise forcing you to bend down covering your ears, the table ricocheted and hit you with full force causing you to fall to the floor before another noise began to be heard. Rain and gunshots. Your eyes opened slowly, the photos and papers burned around you, the table was hot against your boots. Maddox's bomb had exploded

            With wobbly legs you stood up, the door to the dark room was wide open, a hole where the handle was. Despite the table being hot, you pushed it away with the sole of your boot, looking one last time at the place, at the information that Fox had let you have, for whatever reason.

            Your eyes fell one last time on the drawing of the blue bird.

            ATEEZ didn't know the reason for using the drawing, Eden said that it had already been seen in other active cells of the Black Pirates, maybe that was the boys' way of saying that they never forgot you? As Howl and Mars had said the times you met them? But there was something different about the drawings you had seen that day with the others from Eden's archives, but one thing was certain, the drawing was a message to you, even if you couldn't read it yet.

            With one last breath you ran out of the room, eyes looking for the gun thrown in the same place as before, cursing when you didn't find it, Fox nowhere to be seen. It was then that you noticed the bed, not far in front, your gun rested there, with a paper on top, the handwriting was Fox's, considering it was identical to Wooyeon's.

            ‘Looking forward to seeing you again, princess, hopefully sooner rather than later.’

            The eye rolling was interrupted by the noise of the parking door being forced open, making you find a chain passed through the handles, Fox had done that?, but what was the point? In a quick movement, you put away Fox's note, grabbing your gun just as the door opened enough for an arm and a leg to get through, then a face met you just as a noise was heard from outside, lighting up the parking lot a little – an explosion – allowing you to see another door, responsible for the entry and exit of cars, which you believed would be blocked.

            “You really are the most intriguing of all, Fox.” Another noise that made the entire structure shake, followed by a scream from one of the rebels trying to open the door made you curse softly and try to communicate with your team by pressing the communication point. “If someone can hear me, I’m in the parking lot, going towards the court, I repeat going towards the court!”

            With quick steps, you finally left the parking lot, the sports court was still burning with the fire from the explosion, but that wasn't what made you stop with your feet planted on the ground. No, a small explosion wouldn't be enough to make your heart stop beating for a second, it wouldn't be able to make your knees weaken, much less it would bring about the tightness in your chest that you were feeling at that moment.

            Your fingers wrapped around the gun that was lying next to you, making no move to use it. Even though he was physically Shinwoo, something in the way he carried himself and the look he gave you said he was one of ATEEZ, Shinwoo's copy from another dimension. The eyes were hard, analyzing you as if you had three heads. The fire surrounded him, your eyes quickly falling on the burning basketball not far from the stranger.

            When your feet finally started to move, a car approached you. The back door opening, revealing Yongbok waiting for you with worried eyes, Hyunjin in the passenger seat and Minho driving the car. Your eyes followed one last time to the figure in the flames, but he was already turning his back on you and heading through the flames, one last noise being heard from the school and the metal door being opened revealing some of the rebels, weapons drawn in your direction.

            Shots rang out and you knew they were coming from the car, causing the rebels to quickly take cover as your feet hit the ground, the rainwater spraying both around you and onto your pants. The exchange of shots began and you felt the bullet in your right arm before it hit the car, another one grazing your thigh, burying itself in the leather of the car.

            With a jump you finally got in, but with the jolt of the acceleration, your hip hit the metal part, just like the car door slamming against your leg before Yongbok pulled you inside, Hyunjin pushing the door next to you from outside so that you wouldn't be hit by a bullet again.

            "Where are the others?" The words were finally able to come out of your mouth, even if between grunts considering the pain that reverberated through your body with each movement that Yongbok made to wrap the wound on your arm trying to stop the blood pouring from the bullet wound. Blood also stained the leather of the back seat and you cursed the shooter and Hyunjin when he pressed the graze wound – which apparently wasn't that graze after all – with a piece of fabric. When the silence continued, your voice gained an authoritative tone, knowing something was wrong. "What happened?"

            “They caught the XKRS members.”

03: fox.

heart string of gold || OT8! ateez || lore au

They had abandoned you, all nine people you cared about most had completely abandoned you. In the end, you were just like your parents and superiors said you would be if you continued to allow feelings to be felt. You then became Strickland's weapon and the Black Pirates, like their leaders, were your ultimate target.

⇦ || hsog || taglist || masterlist || ⇨

taglist: open || @cksanpurpleluv || @lavishloving || @roomsofangel || @ismelllikechlorine247 || @saintriots || @fanoflife || @unlikelysublimekryptonite || @woosmaid || @onedumbho3 || @sousydive || @classic-anna || @the-anarchist-public || @sannwa || @itstheghostofmypast || @bunnliix || @heihaneul || @byeolbeloved ||

↪ if your name is crossed, is bc i couldn't tag you for some reason.

let me know if you want to be added to the taglist ❣