#i don't even hate him i'm just astounded by how boring it got and how charles is cursed by god or something

[foegs]

every time I see some cool cute content from the latest in f1blr I'm also reminded by an inevitable post very close on its heels that the reason we're celebrating the little things is that max fucking won again, and then I'm out again for another month

[t4llhum4n]

Wakey, wakey, eggs and Blake-y (I type at 6pm).

Seriously though, this guy is simultaneously the smartest and stupidest man to ever speak on Redacted's channel. And I want to talk about that.

Well, kind of.

Before I get into character motivations and all that, I wanted to point something out. This? This is how you write a static character and have them still be compelling. Dynamicism is appreciated in characters, sure, but to write a static character who isn't boring? So so cool.

When I go about theorizing for a specific character's future actions, I typically take into account what stage they're at in their development. For example, my thoughts on Hush and how I believe his future actions will play out are based on what stage of development I see Hush being at in that moment. With Blake? It's a whole different ballpark.

Blake's behavior is the constant in my theories about him. His nature hasn't changed at all throughout the course of his story, save for maybe becoming a little more desperate. Even then, that desperation is fueled by feelings that he's had since childhood. Normally, that would become stale in a character (at least in my opinion). Here, though? It's anything but.

Looking into why that is, I can only think that it's because of how his character is revealed to us. We get to see both sides of him, one from "Sunshine" and one from "Bestie." And because of this, we're waiting with bated breath for both worlds to collide. His duality isn't dynamic, but it's still so intriguing. From "Sunshine's" point of view, we're left wondering just how far he's willing to go and how violent he'll allow himself to get. Then, from "Bestie's" point of view, we see a softness that he holds (seemingly) solely for them, and we're waiting for "Bestie" to see his other, darker side.

It's not necessarily Blake as a person that's interesting to me. It's how he acts around others that really gets my character analysis-prone brain whirring. I'm not interested in seeing his growth, because from where I'm standing, it doesn't look like he's going to grow. He's rooted in his obsession with "Bestie," and that, in his own words, is the reason why he's doing all of this. And nothing, not even threats from a being far stronger than him, seems to be able to change that. When his first reaction to a line like, "Watching your lover's death will feel like a mercy in comparison," was a snide, "Charming friend you've got there," I knew any hope for change in this man was lost.

So, with that said, let's talk about the brains on this man. Does he have any? I mean, he must. He got an entire major branch of a multi-establishment political hate group under his thumb, and that doesn't happen on accident. Blake is an intelligent person, no doubt, but he's also (ironically) a very blind person. He doesn't see anything beyond his lover, and he's confident that he will change their fate.

I honestly can not fathom how deep his feelings for "Bestie" are. Call it selfish, but if I were in Blake's place, I would've given up trying to change my lover's fate a long time ago. Instead, I would've cherished and made the most of the time I had with them, until ultimately I had to let them go. Blake, though, is not having that.

This brings up a point of discussion that I really love looking into when it comes to Blake. "Does he want to save 'Bestie' for their sake, or his?" I'm not going to share my stance on that just yet (mostly because both sides make a very compelling argument idk where I stand), but the fact that there's so much to talk about with a character this unchanging is astounding. It's not every day you see a static character who has so much compelling mystery surrounding them. He doesn't grow or evolve, nor does he show signs of ever wanting to, and yet we're still enthralled by his journey.

And the way his obsession is written? It's so good. I don't believe that he was always obsessed with "Bestie." Did he always have a thing for them? Sure. But I really don't think it grew into an obsession until he saw their death, and then he saw that nothing he tried could save them. See, Blake isn't just obsessed with "Bestie." He's also obsessed with changing their fate. Which leaves even more potential for character analysis.

We know that he wants "Bestie" to live. That's the main motivator behind his desire to change a seemingly unchangeable fate. But.. what if there's something else there, too? Can you imagine besting death? Overcoming something that haunted you as a fixed point in a world with no such thing as "fixed points?" The power you would feel getting the better of something like that would be nigh unmatched, and we know that this motherfucker has a god complex.

Blake wants to save "Bestie" so that they can live longer. At the same time, I think part of it turned into a challenge for himself. He's testing himself because if he can pull this off, then he's unstoppable, at least in his eyes. And what he sees in his eyes is the only thing that matters to him.

Could I say more? Yes. Will I? In a future theory, yes. But for now, I'm leaving it here. I really love diving into Blake. Characters with insane amounts of hubris and a god complex to match are some of the most fun to dive into. I hope you enjoyed my little analysis-turned-rant! Writing these is always super fun :D

[newyorkkiss]

its me 🥄 im still around im like.. on tumblr to an embarrassing degree because i have. well, problems i suppose. so rest assured i am, more often than not, seeing and enjoying the posts- i really do like all the fun stuff you find and the things you scan and the photos and gifs you post/make! also btw i just got done listening to that mount kimbie/king krule song you posted and i absolutely loved that. sorry i dont reach out much or come off anon ever its the. aforementioned problems. fun fact i live in united states central timezone (spoon technically qualifies as a semi local band to me) and have for all this time! i just dont ever sleep right haha. due to, circumstances. things sure suck and are weird huh! in a general sense. i think you can probably relate. 🫂 <- this is us if you want.

anywayyy sorry this got weird and sad lmaooo please keep listening to good music, including spoon, and posting about it so i can see!! i need to keep learning about how genuinely odd (affectionate <3) britt daniel is. something to be said for how ethereal and feylike he can come off while simultaneously being the most literally just some gen x guy ever. sir why are you willowy.. why are your features so delicate. why is your hair so downy. WHY are you wearing the lamest fit ive ever seen. and so forth, you know what i mean. i also like learning from you about what an adorable babygirlifiable dork alex fischel is which i had been sorely overlooking

obligatory ↑

but yes spoon anon i missed you so much. you are so loved. please feel free to literally say anything any time. cutting this cuz i'm gonna yap.

that description of britt is so... accurate. like nail on the head 100% truth, words taken straight from my mouth, etc. he can genuinely be so beautiful – it's actually stunning. sometimes he can look like an evil goblin lol. it's astounding. seeing it irl is kind of blinding, hypnotic in a way? he moves so fluidly and perfectly. like 100% control and command of the space he's in – he knows what he's doing. like he could just be like any other performer and just stay stood in one place barely moving – let alone interacting with any other members, which is very lovely to witness – all interaction between them is so heartwarming, like you just know they all actually love doing what they're doing and enjoy performing. they goof off sometimes, don't give a fuck when they do. it's just lovely.

and yes alex is literally the babiest girl to have ever existed imo. only one other man is that good to me but i'm not mentioning (not shameful, just don't think anybody cares. it's sebastian vettel.) that aside he is also so... bizarre? which is something even i overlooked for an extremely long time until i was like Okay what is up w this guy what is his lore. he has a deeply attention deficit riddled childlike quirkiness that i have to resonate with. his tweets on the spoon twt are really unhinged. even his personal tweets are unhinged. he says some of the most random shit sometimes in interviews. he somehow manages to look so fucking beautiful when he's bored as fuck in interviews. i made a heap of gifs from one bts video from their twms era acl performance (need to track down the full thing and make more) and he's so fucking drunk it's endearing – he's just vibing the fuck out in his own little world the entire time. in the post-show interview he's looks utterly hammered sipping from a bottomless solo cup, not saying anything.

^ literally girls when they're drunk and have no idea what anybody is saying.

it is impossible to hate him. he's genuinely hilarious and all second hand descriptions of him being an instigator and a wild man are extremely accurate. and he's also obviously extremely talented. it's so jhghd to see how -.- he kind of gets whenever britt complements him on that. i'd have to dig around but there was a lots era pod they did and britt complemented him on his ability to play guitar which is a more recent-ish thing for him and said he's better than he is and alex was like Ummm okay? that's not true -__- and it's like ohgh man.... like the first (noisy) solo on satellite is alex btw and it's good?? he even bashes himself for not being able to sing too which is such a lie he sounds like an angel whenever he does live backup... but alas. he is so loved. we love him. everyone loves him. we all know britt loves him. he is the entire universe.

also yes i will forever be posting my garbicth music need not worry... nothing will ever stop me from posting spotify links here or anywhere else. i have a massive general diary playlist of everything i listen to on a near daily basis and it's updated constantly. it's just one huge log of everything i've enjoyed since i was 16 lol. only becomes truly curated after mid 2017, though. also i apologize for the vast amount of greyed out local file tracks in that playlist but i swear a lot of them are worth tracking down if you're really interested.

[parchmentedpetrichor]

➳a mastermind ♡

in which fred weasley turns to the resident mastermind, y/n l/n, in hogwarts for advice. the problem? he has a crush on the same girl george does: angelina johnson. the story spans over a couple of months in their second last year at hogwarts.

fred weasley x ravenclaw!fem!reader

word count: ±1.4 k

tw: nothing really??

drop a follow if you wanna see more of this content!!

my masterlist:D

ft. cassius warrington

wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure

a mastermind

after fred and george weasley had given up trying to enter the triwizard tournament, their sights set on a different matter. for george, it had always roamed his head. for fred, it simply popped up at the randomest of a time.

they were in the age of chasing after pretty girls with pretty smiles.

one pretty girl in particular. angelina johnson.

george's crush really wasn't a crush. it was more like a deep love for angie. he knew her really well, they were almost best friends. and angie loved him back.

fred knew both these facts, yet he couldn't possibly grasp why he still had a good old schoolboy crush on her. and he couldn't tell george either. no, george was too considerate and needed a girlfriend. and he had been patiently waiting long enough to deserve something.

sometimes he wished he was george. still funny and prank-loving, but calm and collected at times. but sometimes he liked himself just as he was. spontaneous, dramatic and terribly idiotic.

and hey, george was handsome, so he must be too, right?

one morning after tossing and turning all night, he decided he needed help.

he spotted the girl in the blue uniform and the glasses, she had the brightest yet the wisest eyes. even before he approached her, she swiftly lifted her head from the parchment she had been writing on and saw him. she met eyes with him. she didn't show any emotion she hadn't already been showing, but the simplicity of understanding was written, like all the ravenclaws, in her brain.

"um, hello," fred started.

"good afternoon, what's up?" y/n replied friendlily, parchment now away and now doodling randomly on a scrap piece of it.

"i need some help."

"okay then, go on, i'm listening," her tone was gentle and reassuring.

"i like the same girl as my brother. i don't know what to do, really."

there was silence for a little while. her eyes were focused, her hand absentmindedly drawing across the parchment.

she pushed her glasses up.

"would you consider this 'liking' you say, to be potentially love?"

"no, not at all, it's just a crush, y'know."

"a silly one? i know we all have silly crushes which are full of quite foolish feelings. but they're nice for a while."

"yeah, that's the feeling."

"why do you think you like this girl?"

"um, because-because she's pretty, and she's nice."

"two very valid reasons," y/n chirped, "and why does your brother like this girl?"

"he loves her, because she understands him and she puts up with him and they've been best friends for years. they like the same things and have the same beliefs."

"mhm."

she was still deep in thought.

"does this girl like one of you?"

"that's the problem. she's in love with him and we all know that. i just can't get over her."

"oh, moving on is easier than you think it is. simply put, your brother or the girl?"

your brother or the girl?

everything seemed so much more clearer.

"think about it this way, fred weasley, if your brother is happy, are you? good day, sir!" she saluted jokingly and set off merrily, her steps quick and paced.

she knew it was good to be cheerful around him, because if she was cynical and way too practical, it would break him. he needed to get over angelina, she thought, or it would severely affect his and george's brotherhood.

she didn't tell him that though, that would be mean and sad.

fred was quite astounded. he didn't know how this girl, who was, to him, small in size and in ego, and probably younger by a few months, knew this much.

that's the eagleclaws for you, he thought.

she didn't look intimidating, if anything, she was nice and fun, but she somehow seemed like she could be the end of you.

she knew, she knew, she knew.

she knew who the girl was, who the brother was, she knew more about him than he did himself, and she barely knew him. she about solved his issue.

he found himself being drawn to her. instead of his eyes floating to angie, they were on the chatting, studying, daydreaming girl who wore the ravenclaw blue with much nonchalence.

☆

y/n was freezing. it was the end of the school day and it was snowing. so she made her way to the ravenclaw common room, muttering a haphazard answer to the riddle, told her best friend julia that she was going to take a nap and then bundled up in the heavy sheets.

julia just smirked. she quickly went to grab fred.

"oi, fred!"

he was laughing with george and lee.

they would make cute babies, julia pondered.

"oh, hello," he said.

"come with me."

her tone was ominous and commanding.

"okayyyy."

he followed her to the ravenclaw common room, where she sat down next to a telephone.

"in a few minutes, y/n will call for a blanket because it's cold. just wait."

"and how does this concern me?"

he got a scorching glance in return.

"i have to talk to cassius in a few minutes."

sure enough, the phone rang.

"juliaaa, you're a darling, you know that right??" y/n flattered her.

"yeap." julia's face broke into a smile.

"yeah, so be a darling and could you please possibly send a nice blanket up here?? or two or even three??"

"of course, and a handsome prince with the hair colour of fire too to cuddle," she winked at fred who turned red.

"yEs oF cOurSe, juLiE, aNd prEfEraBlY thAt hE hAs sTaRs iN hIs eyEs aNd gAlAxIeS iN hIs MinD tOo," she joked back.

"okay. right up."

"wha- julia what??!!! thanks."

they both chuckled.

he handed fred a stack of neatly folded blue blankets.

"go. fifth door on the left."

and so he did. it seemed the ravenclaws were too mature to need barriers on their dormitory quarters. the door was open and the room was insanely neat. y/n was lying in a bed, eyes wide open, a small pout on her lips.

she was clearly surprised to see him. when he placed all the blankets nicely on her she smiled.

"thank you, freddie."

"aren't you gonna let me in too?" he asked, smirking.

"oh," her cheeks heated up, "i thought julia was just joking!!!"

"apparently i am indeed a handsome prince with hair of fire, stars in his eyes and galaxies in his mind," fred smirked and y/n huffed.

"it's an expression. and i didn't know she was talking about you!"

"well, scoot over."

y/n just stared at him, before shuffling over.

"i hate you."

fred just scooped her up in his arms.

"you smell good," she blurted out, before immediately turning red.

"mhm, 'pparently my cologne does have that effect on girls."

"pretty sad that only your cologne attracts girls," y/n retorted, "and i was just telling you. it does not have an effect on me."

"'kay, whatever you say."

there was a silence.

"this is boring," y/n frowned.

"wanna make out then?"

y/n glanced at him. was he for real?

she thought not. so she pretended she was asleep, and soon she really was.

fred didn't feel defeated at all.

for he had noticed the faint blush rise on her cheeks.

☆

y/n decided it was probably time she asked fred out or something. if she got rejected, she was great at moving on.

so she asked him to meet her at the corner of the library on a thursday afternoon. he didn't show.

dismayed, she went out of the library, and met george weasley.

"hey george!"

"yello!"

"have you seen fred?"

"check the astronomy tower."

"okay."

there was something mischievous about the way he winked at her as she departed. then again, it was george.

the astronomy tower was well lit and there in all his glory, stood fred. she felt a frown on her face as she approached him. he turned around and smirked at her.

"stop it. i invited you to the library to tell you that-"

her voice was muffled as fred put a hand to her lips.

"you are not going to beat me to this."

"this isn't a game!"

"eh, everything is. i really really really like you, y/n."

he anxiously awaited her answer.

a cheshire cat smile formed on her lips.

"well i was just going to tell you that transfiguration homework is due tomorrow but okay."

"..." he was staring grumpily at her, lips in a pout.

"i like you too."

he smiled, "good."

"isn't this the part you ask me on a date or something?" y/n teased, "or should i? wanna go to hogsmeade with me?"

"you beat me to it."

[calunasteria]

please, xanny. | sanzu haruchiyo

"𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙢𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚."

- wherein sanzu haruchiyo falls in love. that's all. (i'm bad at summarising my stories, i'm sorry ><)

current word count: 3.1k

tw (throughout the series): mentions of drug use and abuse, manipulation (gaslighting) and toxic relationships, mentions of blood, death, and murder, rape (attempt), use of deadly weapons, slight nsfw (??) - kindly tell me if i missed one. thank you.

date started: 07/29/21 (wattpad) | 07/31/21 (tumblr)

date ended: -

01 ! please,xanny.

-

what was it? was it the alcohol? was it the food they ate earlier? maybe it was spoiled, or worse, maybe it has drugs? probably no.

 maybe she's just overthinking things.

maybe she's just imagining all of this.

to say that she's inloveㅡ no, cross that out, to say that he's inlove is dangerous.

but how is it that the sanzu haruchiyo, bonten's number 2, is making her feel numerous things?

he reeked of instability, insanity.

yet his touch was as soft as the cotton, gentle like the wind, it was comforting.

say....

have you ever known what it felt like to drive on highways, with gnawing trepidation?

to taste betrayal and fondness while running on an endless tunnel of vague roads?

to be loved by none other than sanzu haruchiyo?

-

"welcome everyone, to our company's afterparty, please enjoy yourselves for tonight!" honey dripping voice echoed throughout the wide spaced room that is decorated with some dimmed and flashing lights, shimmering crystals plastered on the wall, extravagant leather couches, and large, black speakers booming with music. her soft, delicate hands then set the microphone down, as her wavy jet black hair bounced and swayed as she walked down the stairs with elegance.

"nakashima-san, the director wants to talk to you, he said to head towards the VIP area, over there." a small voice beside the stairs managed to squeak out, catching the girl's attention and turning her head to the direction he pointed at.

"did he told you the reason why he wanted to talk to me?" she asked, voice filled with a hint of irritation and tiredness - the complete opposite of how she sounded earlier on the stage. the boy shook his head, then uttered 'excuse me' before dashing away from his superior.

the girl then just sighed and walked towards the bar counter, which is the complete opposite of the direction she was told to go.

"one grey goose martini and a plain cranberry juice, please. thank you." she ordered as she sat down.

"wow, you're actually gonna drink tonight, kasumi? are your shits finally getting to you, girl?" the lady beside her stated with amusement as she popped out of nowhere, a glass of whiskey found in her hand, still laughing and smiling drunkenly.

"yes, kaoru. where the fuck were you? you were supposed to be the one to speak up front earlier to welcome the guests, not me, because i was the one who arranged this. and now boss said he wanted to talk to me about something." kasumi vented to her friend while her friend's grin just got wider, further infuriating her.

"whY THE HELL ARE YOU SMILING KAORU I-"

"calm the fuck down, kasumi, don't let boss get into your nerves, okay? its just me, so inhale, exhale. nice! see, just go drink your shits and talk to boss later. maybe hand in your resignation slip, you know?" kaoru laughed while wiggling her eyebrows and hugging kasumi.

the two talked to each other for a while before kasumi bid her goodbye and stood up to head to the direction she was supposed to go to earlier.

her heels clacked on the expensive marbled flooring while her black silk dress hugged her curvaceous body, gently flowing while walking.

upon reaching her destination, there she saw her boss with at least 4 women whispering and flirting with him, one on his lap and 3 beside him, along side with his other friends and acquaintances. they both shared a glance momentarily as kasumi forcefully smiled to her boss.

"ah yes, everyone, excuse me for i have something to finish up with my personal assistant." her boss announced to all the people around him, making kasumi uncomfortable and embarrassed, by all the stares she accumulated and daggers she got from the women who was flirting earlier with her boss.

"let's go, darling." sentence uttered by her boss before they left the place with him grabbing her wrist, and oh heavenly archons how irritated kasumi was because of her boss' actions and words.

she was practically being dragged away the from the event area, their shoes resonating throughout the empty hallways that are connected to the parking lot when she asked him, "excuse me sir, but where are we going? i thought you said you wanted to talk to me?"

"hmmm, yes. that's right, don't worry, kasumi-chan, we're just going to talk while where on a late night drive, and it'll definitely enlighten you. now get in the car." he ordered with flirty yet stern voice but kasumi did not budge at all - she just stared in disbelief to her boss, anger bubbling up within her.

"kasumi, we both know that i don't like repeating myself, now do what i said, please."

"i'm sorry but i don't think i'll go with you since we can talk here. so just say what you need to say so i can get on with my life, thank you." she declared cheekily.

"i said get in the car, why are yo-" he blurted out with annoyance but was cut off when kasumi said, "seems to me like you don't have anything to say, well i have one, i'm resigning, kitamura-san, i'll hand the file tomorrow, so if you have any requests, tell them to your next assistant." then proceeds to walk away that made her boss snap.

rushing towards her with malice and anger, with his system being controlled by the alcohol he consumed earlier, he grabbed kasumi's hair making her stumble and lose her balance, while the towering man held her waist with his left arm and his right arm held her face forcefully, and whispered to her from behind, "that's what i hate about you, you're so fucking stubborn, you and your smart ass mouth, i hate it so fucking much makes me want to shove my dick down your throat to make you obey me, and cry you bitch."

kasumi had chills run down her spine when she heard her boss mutter those words to her, and when she felt him grinding on her from behind ㅡ the last string of patience she had snapped in half, all she can see was red.

she used all her strength to stomp on the man's foot making him clutch down because of pain inflicted by her stiletto, releasing his hands that grasped her smaller frame. her hands then moved swiftly with anger to slap the man before her, knees being lifted up to kick his crotch making him to finally crumple down on the floor, silently mumbling profanities under his breath containing hatred.

"the next time you pull that stunt with me, or with other girls, i'll make sure you won't have something called dick after that." she threatened, voice laced with venom as she tried to wipe the ruffles that ruined her expensive, dusk colored dress.

"don't think you'll get away with this, bitch." the man croaked out while standing up, eyes filled with animosity, but then falling on his knees once again when a sharp, solid whipping sound tore through his thighs, vermillion colored blood gushing out of the gaping hole that was shot, followed by his shrill, agonized wail.

"seems like you grew stronger these past few years, kasumi-chan." a familiar voice grinned, few meters away from her.

"haruchiyo." she whispered under her breath, astounded.

***

"kasumi? are you listening?" a soft feminine voice spoke out, breaking the deep trance the raven coloured hair girl was in - chasmic ebony eyes stared at the person next to her, embarrassment creeping up in her system, realizing that she hasn't paid any attention to the words and sentences that her friend was telling her.

"i'm sorry, kaoru. what were you saying again?" she apologized, tuning her attention towards her half eaten sandwich that she was munching earlier.

"i was asking you if you know that boy over there, 5 o'clock," kasumi whipped her head towards the direction her friend gave her, eyes landing on a somewhat familiar person - he had a medium length hair dyed with bleach blonde, eyes glimmering like precious blue zircon gem, long and beautiful eyelashes that highlighted his daring eyes and a noticeable black mask covering half of his face. he looked so serene among the vast crowd  filled with bustling people.

"sanzu?" she asked turning her head to her friend who's eyes sparked with curiosity and underlying suspicions.

"how'd you know him?" the petite girl squinted her eyes to her friend, making kasumi roll her ebony orbs. "i just happen to know his name. after all, he's in a gang, right? toman, i think."

"i wasn't aware that you know about gangs, kasumi-chan. perhaps you like their leader, huh." her friend teased earning another eye roll from her brunette friend. "i'm just kidding. its just that i haven't saw him without his mask. some people say he has nasty scar on both side of his mouth, and i don't know if its legit, but given the fact that he wears that mask, its probably true." kaoru shrugged and stood up to head to their class.

sanzu haruchiyo. he was definitely mysterious, kasumi mused, as she walked. he was quiet and he had a calm demeanor when he talks. they weren't close but they shared a small talk in the past, and usually its just about school, like each of their classes borrowing and returning some school supplies and other little things. she never even heard him speak more than 7 words. well, it wasn't a big deal, since she thinks that he's just an another person on this world who has probably their own shits to deal with. he was insignificant to her as she was to him. or so she thought.

their room was filled with silent mumblings, a heavenly boring stupor that kasumi tried to fight, heavily lidded eyes blinking slowly in the hopes of trying to understand their lesson - she was tired and sleepy and it was not long until their class ended, her mind being awakened once again like a newborn baby, because she's going home.

their house reeked of alcohol and despair, of cigarettes and sorrow - it was a hopeless sight. everything was a mess. kasumi then heard a faint coughing on their kitchen and there she saw her ill mother who's trying to wash the dishes with her frail arms, her thin and small frame found her daughter who rushed to her side to help her do the chores but then just told her to sit down and rest.

"mama, you're not supposed to be doing that. you're the one here who needs to rest, i can handle that. besides, where's papa?"

"he's out, i think. but don't worry, kasumi i'm almost finished. we can then eat dinner afterwards so you can talk to me about what happened today with you? you don't have work tonight, right sweetheart?" her mother's voice was definitely her haven, it was warm and sweet. "yes, sure." the girl replied, already at ease but then her phone chimed loudly, signaling that someone texted her - it was her co-worker that texted her he can't attend his shift, and was asking kasumi to be the one to replace him for the mean time.

what are the fucking odds.

her mother noticed the younger's change of emotion and asked, "who was it, sweetheart?" and it pained kasumi to leave her mother alone again but she needs to work. she needs the money. "i need to go, i actually have work since im covering for my co-worker's shift. i'll be right back, so make sure you eat your dinner. i love you." she kissed her mother on her forehead before she left.

***

"thank you, come again!" the girl chimed in, weariness evident in her voice. it was 2:30am and god knows how tired she was. this was supposed to be her day off but the universe just straight up said no.

"nakashima-san, i'm so sorry, you can now go, i'll take it from here on. please take this on your way home as a compensation for what you did to me. thank you! take care on your way home." her co-worker apologized, shyly smiling and blush evident on his cheeks as he handed her a plastic bag filled with some foods and snacks.

kasumi uttered her thanks, with a small smile as she went to change her clothes to go home already as all she wants to do right now was sleep and rest.

upon reaching the store's parking area for bicycles, she noticed that one its tires was flat. she sighed loudly, venting out her exasperation and frustration.

"well, guess i'll walk then. fuckkkkkk. this isn't my day huh." she groaned, muttering some profanities before going on her way home.

it was a chilly night, the breeze was crisp and wintry, with her trembling breath rising up forming a ghostly smoke, vanishing into thin air as she exhales. her whole body was quivering because her cardigan was too thin for this type of weather. kasumi hugged herself in hopes of warming herself up. the skies were tainted with midnight blue perfectly combined with the pitch black heavens decorated with gleaming constellations and stars, along with the dimly hanged moon.

her way home usually takes around 30-40 minutes with her bike, and around an hour and a half if one decides to walk. it was a peaceful and cold night not until she passed this one dark alleyway where there were 2 men laughing their asses off, and another one drinking away his life. kasumi paid no attention to the men and just picked up her walking pace to quickly get out of the picture when her left arm was sharply snatched by one of the men in the dark alleyway.

"hey pretty, wanna have fun with us?" the man grinned like a maniac, his yellow teeth visible and his breath smelled like rum and hostility combined together. the other men laughed like crazy while the last one ogled at kasumi's body.

"no, let me go you ugly bastards." kasumi snapped, snatching her hand away from the man, before turning away to run. she wasn't dumb to not pick up what in fuck was happening back there, so she tried to regain her composure by trying to find her phone to dial the number of her friend who's probably still awake by now to call for help when her hair was maliciously dragged backwards making her lose her balance only to fall on the ground and be dragged away. the plastic bag she was carrying along with her phone was now nowhere to be found.

only her hoarse cry for help was audible, she was too slow, too tired, too exhausted for all of the things happening to her - but her body was flailing so hard, trying to release herself from the man's tight grasp on her hair and it felt like its going to be ripped off her head anytime soon when they stopped on the same alleyway the men were previously drinking. "bitch thought she can get away with us, well let me tell you something sweetheart, we don't take no as an answer. plus you were wearing that thin-ass blouse,  you're trying to seduce us after all so let's have fun shall we?" the bald headed man smirked while he held kasumi down on the ground.

she was terrified, frustrated, and she's doing her best to try and fight them all away. she was able to slap and kick the two of them, desperation was highly evident as she frantically scramble to her feet but that was as far as she can go for she was violently punched and slapped before she fell down with her vision getting hazy, tears streaming down her face non-stop as she lost all her energy to fight. everything was becoming blurry and she was now just hoping for everything to just end.

she was so lost in her train of thought that she didn't even realize that the men who were trying to break and ruin her were now out cold, laying on the freezing ground while a man towered over them.

"stand up." was all kasumi heard when she snap back to reality and saw a figure standing before her, wearing an all black outfit - black jacket, black jeans, and a black mask. his straight bleach colored hair was neatly tied up in a ponytail too.

"stand up." sanzu repeated as kasumi tried to stand up, still shaken by what happened to her and the picture of the scene before her. kasumi then felt something drape over her shoulder when sanzu came near her, his mint and delicate masculine scent filling her senses.

"follow me." was all the boy said before he exited the alleyway leaving her all alone with his jacket that he gave her. following his footsteps, while tightly clutching his jacket, she saw a shiny, and expensive looking car few meters out the alleyway with sanzu standing near it, and as she got closer to him, she heard him say, "get in."

not wanting and not having enough energy to fight nor say anything, kasumi just silently obliged to what he said. after getting inside the vehicle, sanzu followed afterwards, turning on the car and driving to god knows where - kasumi was drained, and she couldn't care less what would happen anymore although she wanted to say and atleast utter her gratitude towards the boy beside her, but her voice just seems to be gone. the car ride with him was silent, but it wasn't awkward. it wasn't uncomfortable. it wasn't scary either, rather, it was surprisingly comforting.

moments later, kasumi saw a familiar house outside her window when sanzu pulled up and opened the door for her, handing her some of the things she brought earlier - her bag and her phone.

he didn't talk, he didn't say anything before heading out and going inside his car once again, and driving away.

kasumi was dumbfounded.

she have so many questions whirling over her head like, how did he know my place? why did he do that?

she entered their house with her head aching - cross that out, with her whole body aching, everything that happened to her this day had taken  a toll on her. she was definitely traumatized and shaken by what happened. with her literally dragging her body towards her room desperate to rest and lay down on the soft and smooth mattress.

and even though she was almost raped, and potentially murdered, the one thing that stuck in her head was sanzu. sanzu haruchiyo.

and she swore to find him tomorrow before she fell into a deep slumber.

[maysbanks]

she moves in her own way. (jj maybank)

due to the ASTOUNDING response to my first jj fic which i have to say a huuuge thank you to everyone that liked, commented & reblogged, it honestly means the absolute world !! i couldn't wait much longer to start writing for my boy again, i have so many fic ideas and cannot wait to get them out to y'all. this one is shorter than the last, & the title is inspired from the song 'she moves in her own way' by the kooks (lol) but isn't necessarily based off of it, it's just something that i wrote up quickly bc i was in my feels™️ . also i feel very unoriginal with the whole plot and aspect of this but im gonna post it anyway bc i love jj lmao. anyway hope u enjoy !

warnings: swearing, underage drinking, drug use, violence, jj with a gun™️

summary: reader walks the fine line between either pogue or kook, though technically a kook, she ignores all social standings of the obx and jj maybank cannot stop himself from getting caught up in her whirlwind.

( gif isn’t mine! please let me know if it’s yours so i can credit you. )

Everyone seemed to have a different perspective of you, unsurprisingly. You weren't really much of a social butterfly, you kept yourself to yourself, really. Nobody in the Outer Banks knew much about you at all, other than what they had come up with in their heads. And while you tried your best to stay in the shadows, that only seemed to make you stand out more.

You were known for being the best of both worlds - not really a Pogue, but not really a Kook either. While your social status and family wealth suggested you to be a Kook, your free spirit and reckless behaviour fitted you better towards the Pogue style. If anyone were to ask you, you told them you were neither.

Why should a name define you anyway? You thought it was all bullshit, the stupid territorial arguments and the snide comments from both sides. You thought it was ridiculous, you weren't living in The Outsiders, for fuck sake.

You moved in your own way, simple as that. You wouldn't let anyone tell you what to do, where you can't or shouldn't be, it was a free country you'd say, middle finger salute ready to aim towards anyone who dared cross you. You were an enigma, wild and careless, unforgiving and unforgettable. You didn't necessarily like the attention, but you got it. And you knew it, and you played on it, too.

You had used your irresistible charm more than enough times to bail JJ Maybank out of trouble, despite your parents' protest. They didn't have a problem with the Pogues, persay, how could they when your dad been one half of his life before meeting your mom and marrying into the rich lifestyle; they just had a problem with JJ, as many of the parents on the island did. He was an unstoppable force to be reckoned with, weed smoking, knuckles constantly torn, skin bruised, quick wit, sarcastic humour, daddy issues, you know the type. Kids loved him, parents hated him.

You were friends with JJ, you supposed. You spent your time with him talking about your days and smoking a joint, meaningful conversations turning into joking and general tomfoolery within seconds. With JJ, you were simply unapologetically you, and JJ never judged you. He never made you choose a side, seemingly content with the fact that you were a little bit of everything, though there was times when he teased you relentlessly about the Kook life, but that was just JJ.

And despite the social differences, him being a Pogue through and through, you technically a Kook, you were drawn to each other pretty easily. Not that you hung out all the time, but you loved every second when you did, usually joined by his group of best friends - John B, Pope, and Kiara. With Kiara a Kook herself but drawn more to the lifestyle of the Pogue's, she understood you more than anyone. You'd bonded a lot, and with each of them too.

JJ loved that you fitted in with them, like a missing puzzle piece. So perfectly, it shook him to its core. The pair of you were close, but he had no idea where he stood with you, like most people never when it came to you. You were like a rollercoaster, taking people for the most exciting ride of their lives that lasted a full three or so minutes before they returned back to solid ground. You'd given JJ a ride a number of times on your non-existent metaphorical rollercoaster, and he'd returned for another ride time and time again. You couldn't say no to that damned boy.

It was a blessing and a curse, the unspoken relationship you shared. A blessing because JJ was the best thing that happened to you, and a curse because that was your downfall. You never got attached to people, never given yourself the chance. But then JJ Maybank had come along, blonde hair and blue eyes, split lip and sharpened teeth, words cunning. You saw him as a challenge at first, the name Kook Princess haunting you as he spoke them, stood in front of you at the keg upon your first real meeting. He'd held a drink out towards you, smirk perfect on his pink lips.

You'd attended over a hundred kegger's in your lifetime, the Pogue parties more inviting than those of the Kook's. You danced and talked to anyone that came across your path, whether it be unknowing Tourons, unjudging Pogues, or unforgiving Kooks, you drew them all in. You didn't fit in with any of them, JJ had realised. You really did move in your own way, he thought. He liked that, he'd decided. And hey, you were pretty cute too.

On that particular night, he'd spoken to you directly for the first time in a long time. "Would the Kook Princess like a drink?" He'd asked, holding the red cup out towards you. You'd eyed the offended object, and subsequently him, too. He smirked at the attention. You had rolled your eyes.

"Don't call me that," you'd said simply, but taking the cup from his hands regardless. You took a sip, relieved to discover that he hadn't tampered with it in any way. You were still considered a Kook to most people, after all. You could never be too careful. "Thanks, Maybank."

And he'd blinked at you, lips suddenly raising to a sly smile as he shrugged, dimples winking at you as they appeared in his cheeks. "Anytime," and he'd spoken your name back to you and you couldn't get enough of the way it sounded coming from his mouth, and you realised hey, this guy is pretty cute, and the rest, as they, is history.

You were in the midst of another infamous Pogue kegger at the current, months after your first introduction to JJ Maybank and his friends, and you stood off to the side, listening to JJ intently as he ranted about the events of the day he'd endured. Starting from finding a Grady White sunken in the marsh, "A fucking Grady Marsh, they're like 500 G's man!", to discovering that the boat belonged to Scooter Grubbs, who had coincidentally been found dead that same day, to getting chased by two guys with a gun, to the finding of the motel key from the wreck and breaking in that same motel room, finding a safe full of money and a gun of all things, to their best attempt at laying low which, unsurprisingly, resulted in the kegger in the first place.

JJ was wild in his recite of the events, hands gesturing every which way as you watched him with your lips curled into your mouth, resisting a smile at his antics. When he finished he retelling, you raised an eyebrow and chuckled dryly. "So, complete and utter boring day for you, huh?"

JJ chuckled along with you, shaking his head as if he was still in disbelief from everything that had happened in the past twenty four hours. "Man, it was crazy," he muttered. He looked at you then, eyes sincere. "I wish you were there with us. It was like something straight from a movie, I'm telling you. I feel like such a badass with that gun."

Your secret joy at his confession of that he wished you were was short lived, as the last of his words sunk in and you felt dread build in the pit of your stomach. You stared at him, him so excited that he hadn't even realised your face had dropped, before you reached out and grabbed his arm, effectively halting his movements and stopping the hurried flow of words that were leaving his mouth.

"JJ," you said carefully, eyes trained on his as he stared, clueless. "Please tell me you did not take that gun from the safe."

Your heart dropped as you saw him falter, his lips helplessly moving but no words coming out. He held a hand up, as if to hush you, though you hadn't started to speak again, and then his hand had dropped just as quick as it was raised, his teeth biting down on his chapped lip as the realisation dawned on you.

"JJ Fucking Maybank," you spat, hands slapping gently at his arms, because you could never really hurt him, you just wanted him to know you were pissed. "Do you realise how fucking careless that is? How much trouble you could get into, if anyone knew you had a gun-" your voice trailed off, your eyes closing as you exhaled. "JJ, please tell me you don't have it on you right now."

His lack of reply was the only answer you needed, and your stomach churned as you stepped back from his figure, suddenly feeling sick. He followed you, though, not letting you get too far as he took your arms in his hands and tried to drag you closer to him once more. You shook your head, arms slipping from his hold as you glared at him fiercely.

"That's so fucking stupid, JJ. You could get into serious trouble with this, trouble I won't be able to get you out of." You warned, because you knew it was true. Your charm and looks could get him out of some trouble to its extent, but it was more so your parents wealth and status that got the both of you out of shit when you managed to get into it, and you also knew your parents would literally throw a fit if you got involved in something like this - carrying a gun was no joking matter. You stepped back once more, hand finding its way to your forehead. "And from a crime scene, no less. Fucking hell."

JJ licked his lips, standing back roughly as you watched, his jaw clenching. "Well I'm not asking for your help here, Princess," he taunted, the nickname sending a wave of annoyance through you. JJ knew it would. "It's not like I ask you to help me, you're just there. Thinking I need help, like I'm some fucking charity case, a fucking doll you picked up from the thrift store that was gonna be thrown out the next day."

You tried to protest, but JJ didn't give you the chance. "I don't need your help all the fucking time. I don't need your pity. I get that you won't understand because why would you? You're a Kook, you get everything you want handed to you on a silver platter. And you can argue and fight me about it all you want, but I know you know it's true."

He sighed heavily, hands running down his face in a sign of defeat. You watched him all the while, thankful that you had ventured off the outskirts of the party so that hopefully nobody had heard JJ shouting at you, your heart wrenching as his blue eyes settled on you. "I'm sorry, JJ," you said finally. You refused to cry, though the desire to at the sight of him being so mad at you tore you apart. "I'm just trying to look out for you. With the gun thing, with everything that I help you with. And I know I'm a Kook, and I know that my parents could afford to buy half of this fucking island if they pleased, but that doesn't define me. I care, okay? And I know I care a lot more than a lot of people in your life."

It was probably a low blow, and you knew it. But JJ took it in, let the words sink into his brain where they stayed there, his fists clenching at his sides. You crossed your arms over your chest, defeated.

"I'm gonna go back to the party," you whispered. "I'll see you around, I guess." You eyed his pockets, unsure of where exactly he held the gun. "Be careful, okay."

And even when you were angry with him, you still tried to make sure he was okay, that he stayed safe. There was multiple occasions you'd showed up unannounced, simply asking how his day was, if he okay, if he had eaten that day, stayed hydrated. At first the attention startled him, he'd never really had anyone look out for him in that aspect, and yet there you were, like an angel sent from the gods themselves, smiling down at him.

You cared, he realised. You cared so much that sometimes he couldn't take it, because he didn't know how. The most family he'd ever gotten close to having in his life was the Pogues, after losing his mother and subsequently losing his father too as he turned into the monster that he was, cold and distant, fists always poised ready for an imaginary fight, and he knew that someday the Pogues would even slip through his fingers. He couldn't let that happen with you. He wouldn't.

He'd started off in your direction, truly, he had. But then John B was grabbing him and averting his attention to him, and he focused on his friend, promising only a minute of his time. You were in his sights, stood a bit away, and he recognised the couple you were talking to as Sarah Cameron and Topper Thorton, Kooks through and through. He held his distaste back, and even held a drink out to offer to Sarah as she and Topper made their way past where he and John B were standing. Big fucking mistake, he realised quickly.

It had all happened in a blur of events, each little bit leading to big finale - as he watched his best friend being held down in the water, powerless to Topper who kneeled over him, hands forcing John B to stay put in the sea. Sarah was screaming at Topper, Pope was holding JJ back with all his might, Kie beside them as she screamed along with Sarah to let John B go. And there you were, suddenly beside JJ, gripping his arm tightly as you took in the sight with a horrified glare. JJ didn't even hesitate; the gun had been pulled from his shorts and was directed at Topper's head in the blink of an eye.

The fury in his veins was red hot and ugly, tearing through every part of him like a vice. This was the Pogues land, their side of the island, and yet the Kooks still thought they could get away with anything and everything - including, apparently, attempting to drown his best friend.

"Your move, broski," JJ uttered through clenched teeth. He could hear the screams of the crowd behind him, and he pulled the gun away from Topper's head and into the direction of the sky, firing two shots towards it as the crowd of people quickly dispersed, screeches sounding from all over. "Now everybody needs to get the fuck off our side of the island!"

He was shoved to the side as Sarah rushed to her boyfriend, telling him he was fucking crazy or something like that, he wasn't really listening. The shots rang in his ears, and the adrenaline of the moment soured through him. Kie and Pope were screaming at him, he could hear their voices distantly. His blue eyes were unfocused for a second, before they looked up, and there you were.

Sent from the gods themselves, once again. You looked vibrant, so insanely alive, lips red and cheeks flushed, eyes bright. You let out a shaky breath as you watched him. JJ clenched his jaw.

"He was going to drown John B," he thought he'd said, but he wasn't sure. He didn't really know what to keep track of at that moment, Kie and Pope's obvious disapproval at him literally doing the one thing they swore not to do, Sarah and Topper stumbling away from the scene in the distance, John B getting up and muttering something along the lines of he wasn't going to drown me, or you, simply staring at him.

Before he knew what he was doing, JJ had made his way towards you. The gun was still held in his hands, and you swallowed thickly as you eyed it. "You should put that away," you muttered. JJ seemed confused, before he caught on to what you meant and he shoved the gun back to the spot of in between his shorts and his hip. "You literally did the one thing I said not to, you tool."

JJ cracked a smile, small and uncertain as he gazed at you. You stepped closer to him, eyes glancing over his shoulder. "You really pissed them off," you said, meaning his friends.

JJ shrugged, because he didn't care about their opinion, he cared about yours. And if you hated him now, hated the fact that he was just some dirty Pogue who held guns against people's heads now, apparently. "I don't care about what they think," he spoke softly. You looked at him confused. "I care about what you think."

You smiled softly, shrugging one shoulder. "Topper was going to drown John B," you replied, matter of fact. "If you hadn't stepped in when you did, who knew what could have happened. Nothing could have stopped him." You bit your lip, hand reaching out and touching his face gently, thumb soothing over the worried line between his brows. "You did the right thing, J. A fucking crazy and stupid thing, potientally dangerous, but the right thing nonetheless."

"Yeah, that's kind of my go-to, if you haven't already noticed," JJ smiled, tongue running over his bottom lip. You rolled your eyes, though playful. "Look, I'm sorry about before, okay. I was a dick. I know you care, but sometimes that's what scares me."

Your eyebrows furrowed, a confused expression on your face as your hand dropped from his face to intertwine with his own hand, his gaze suddenly becoming fixed on your linked hands, his other absentmindedly playing with your fingers that held his hand.

"It's like, you're this untouchable thing. I mean, you don't belong to anyone, you refuse to go by anything other than your name, and you're like this perfect mix between Pogue and Kook even if you do hate it and everyone knows who are you and they make these stories up about you, like that's how popular you are," JJ chuckled. "And then you hang out with me, you look past all the dirty Pogue shit, see me for who I am, and you care. And you care so god dammed much that it fucking terrifies me because nobody's ever cared that much before about me, so why should you?"

His hand left yours to remove the hat from sitting atop his hair and then run his hand through the blonde locks. You could see his tongue running along the outsides of his bottom teeth, the action causing a bump beneath his skin. He looked nervous than you had ever seen him before, and you'd both gotten into enough nerve-wracking situations together to compare. You sighed as your hands reached for his face, gripping his cheeks and forcing his eyes to gaze down at yours.

"JJ Maybank," you started, grinning softly. "You listen to me while I tell you that you deserve the fucking world and more. All this shit that you're going through, all the crap you deal with on a daily basis, you carry it so well that nobody would even know. You fight through each day and I don't even know how you manage it half the time. I admire you so much, J. And I can't help but care about you, even if you don't want me to. I care about you so much, that you wanna know a secret? It scares me too."

JJ gazed down at you lovingly, his forehead moving to rest against yours. You welcomed the embrace, his arms wrapping around your waist and squeezing you gently, as if reassuring himself that you were actually there.

"JJ," you whispered as you were stood in silence for a precise minute, neither of you daring to break the silence until you had. His blue eyes stared into yours, awaiting the next part of your speech. You swallowed your nerves down, figuring fuck it. "I'm so in love with you."

He grinned, his head swooping down before you knew it and his lips pressing against yours in a heated embrace that sent a sensation of butterflies to fly wildly in your stomach, bashing against your ribcage and taking your breath away. Shivers flew up your spine, and every hair on your body stood on edge as the kiss grew heavier, tongues brushing and teeth clattering, bodies pressed against each other as much as they could manage.

When JJ's lips left yours, you almost whined. JJ grinned cheekily, hands digging into your hips. "I love you," he breathed against the skin of your neck as he buried his head there, lips tickling the flesh. "I can't believe you just macked on me while I have a gun in my pocket."

You rolled your eyes and tugged gently on his hair, spurring a laugh from him as you shoved him away and grinned despite yourself. "Do not remind me, please," you warned him, allowing him to pull you into his side as you made your way down the beach. "I still can't believe you took that thing."

"I knew it'd come in handy though," he grinned, pulling you closer with the arm thrown over your shoulder. You wrapped yours around his waist, face squished in his chest as you shook your head.

"You're an idiot, Maybank."

[ji-yaaan]

@kendal0ksw Asks: Anyway... I would like to request a sweet honey milk tea of Deuce, Azul, and Malleus (being called Tsunotaro) with a male Yuu kissing their hand. And when asked why he responds that 1. they looked like they needed a little distraction from whatever was troubling them and 2. to show how much they care about them. Hope this is alright...

𝑨 𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒈𝒐 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚

Headcannons with: Malleus, Deuce, & Azul

Note: Someone pls shoot me I don't know how to write 3 repetitive scenarios w/o making it boring asf. So with request that has similar patterns per character, I figured Headcannons would work? I hope it's ok. I tried making imagines but it looked boring... OH! But I added my short Azul scenario as compensation. Blergh enough chitchat I'm thirstea.

[ 𝙷𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝙱𝚘𝚋𝚊 𝚝𝚎𝚊 𝚖𝚢 𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚍... ]

-ˋˏ•𝑴𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒖𝒔 𝑫𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒂•ˎˊ-

After a long day of being avoided being the infamous “Malleus Draconia” this fae gets tired from the attention he draws and the lack of attention he gets.

Dealing with Dorm duties, People constantly fearing him for nothing, people approaching him to pry information *cough Rook cough* and to not even get an invite in dorm leader meetings? This just gives him a bit of a headache.

He will probably flee to his room when things get a little bit out of hand and he needs some of that good relaxation time.

Resting his head on the bed. Eyes slowly close. The atmosphere relaxing as breaths slow down. "Welcome back Tsunotaro!" You cheerfully exclaimed.

What? Nani? What in the world? Was he that distracted to not notice you in the room this whole time? Expect yourself a O.O face from you local fae.

"Hmm? I didnt notice you were there Y/n..." Even if your lovely Malleus is shocked, He will still gently smile at you. Eyes narrowing, an endearing smile appears in his face everytime he looks at you.

Slowly, your hands would make it's way to creep in his hands. Bingo! Hand holding complete!

Ok! Time for mission number 2! After a tight clasp on Malleus' fingers, you brought your face close to the hands you held dear, and gave the fae a small kiss at the back of his hands.

As if the shock earlier wasn't enough, The fae's eyes widens in surprise yet again. Malleus definitely doesn't get your behavior at times..... But it's not like he hates it... In fact, He loves it...( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

A warm giddy smile paint your face. How infectious... A smile that can melt all your troubles away within a hitch of a second. Malleus can't help but smile ear to ear with the endearing gestures he received.

"But why would you even kiss my hand?" The fae questions in laughter. "Well, you looked pretty troubled today and I dont really know how to help... So I thought that a small kiss will do the trick!"

"You know how much I care about you right?" The answer Malleus got was something priceless. His heart felt warm and fuzzy hearing that someone cares for him. There really was never a dull moment with you.

Expect a little tint of flushed pink in the fae's cheeks for a brief moment. But gotta look close! Malleus won't show it, but he's blushy wushy and melting all over!

Tsunotaro is not much of the type to get the receiving end but he's still very thankful you did this for him uwu.

Expect malleus to give you a kiss on your hand in return too! He can't help but want to share the feeling he got when you kissed his! ^~^

-ˋˏ•𝑫𝒆𝒖𝒄𝒆 𝑺𝒑𝒂𝒅𝒆•ˎˊ-

Finishing the last lesson of Alchemy class, Spade boi is exhausted. Using too much braincells is not his forte, but he still needs to grind to get to the honor roll!

He will probably stay in the classroom for a bit and study some of the history materials and alchemy reviewers for the test tommorow... Oops, our cutie fell asleep while writing down his notes.

You walk your way to the classroom because you forgot something. But surprise surprise, it seems like the something you forgot is actually a person, not a belonging...ಠωಠ

You peeked at deuce sleeping soundly with his head resting on the desk. You laughed at how cute he looked sleeping with his mouth open.

He didn't even spare time to take off his lab coat. He must be exhausted huh?Worried by deuce, staying for a bit won't be a crime right?

While reading, somehow, your eyes wanders off to his hands that fell off the desk while he grunted "five more minutes." Wow, sleeping deuce is probably one of the best deuce out there huh? You laughed to yourself.

Maybe it was because of boredom, maybe even from worry, or maybe its just because you simply wanted to do it. But you started to intertwine your fingers with deuce... WoaH...

Smiling at how comfortable it was to hold his hands. You prop your face to kiss his fingers. Chu~♡

"Uhhhmmm....." Oh... You got caught redhanded... Deuce wakes up to find you holding his hands... furthermore, YOU WERE KISSING IT! How embarrassing...(O////O)

Looking up at Deuce, You see a red tomato flushed boy. His cheeks up to his ears are painted pink from embarassment.

"Ahaha... Good morning... Oh wait... Good afternoon." Deuce will look away from you bashfully... How embarrassing for him... But face it, this is such a treat for you.

"You know... You've been awfully dazed and troubled these days... Please take take a break too... It's bad if you keep sleeping in random places! I care about you a lot and I don't want to see you stressed ok?"

Deuce was left astounded with the heartwarming speech you gave him... He felt butterflies flew in his stomach, like flowers bloomed inside his heart. Truly touching words...

Spade boi will smile gently at you, pink cheeks like powder blush, and eyes that sparkled Joy.

Expect this boi to grab your hands and put them in his pockets, saying "If taking a break is ok... Then this is ok right? Let's stay like this for a little bit longer... Ok?"

He'll look away in the other direction, propping his other hand and resting his head on it. If you look closely... A delicious red blush can be seen in his neck and ears too!

“Even if Riddle were to scold us, i think it will be worth it”♡♡♡♡♡♡

-ˋˏ•𝑨𝒛𝒖𝒍 𝑨𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒐•ˎˊ-

After a tiresome day as Mostro Lounge, the lounge closing a little later than the usual, A certain octopus is really tired and frustrated because the work got pushed back in their schedule.

As he skims through the numerous pages of parchment, octo boi let out a sigh from frustration. He has to deal with a lot of things this night....

But what he didn't expect was that you were there to brighten his night!

Have a short scenario cuz I love u ♡

Boisterous laughter. Joyful screams. Drinks spilt in the floors and tables. The lounge was getting rowdier with each passing second. Fights fuming in the other tables. Song being sung across the bars.

What's up with this chaos? Where was Jade and Floyd?.... Oh right... Azul nagged on floyd earlier this morning. He's now in his infamous bad moods leaving Jade the only responsible person azul can rely on. But Jade got his hands preoccupied with stopping fights at the moment... Dammit... This is going to be one hell of an evening.

After dealing with the chaos of Mostro Lounge's happy hour, strain and fatigue was evident just by a peek at Azul's Face.

"Haaahhhh... Dealing with those morons was a waste of time, I've still got a long night reviewing the deals and homeworks... Hah. Wonderful..." The sound of pen scratching the wood rang across the room as Azul hummed a melody trying to relieve stress...

"A.z.u.l. kun! Hello!" You happily hummed as azul got caught off guard shocked. "Hm! Oh! Y/n? When did you get here? Pardon me, The lounge was quite rowdy earlier and we had to close a little later than the usual... Oh wait a second lem me just take care of this..." Fingers swept through the crisp pages of numerous books. His pen lightly tapping a beat in the wooden desk.

Moments pass as seconds became minutes. The pen scratching noises enveloped the room drowning in silence. Azul was lost in thought as he burn through the hundreds of words written in the thin pieces of parchment.

You pout at the thought of azul ignoring you, but it's not like you can disturb his work either. So in the end, you just watch him skim through hundreds of pages and thousands of words. Eyebrows furrowed, he fixes his eyeglasses again...

Lost in thought, your eyes wanders off to his ungloved hand... The back of his hand looked smooth and it looked soft. Caught in the moment of daze, you didn't even realize your hands crept stealthily working its way to lock fingers with Azul. This caused azul to look at you in disbelief and shock as a tinge of pink paints his pale face.

What? Octoboi is confused. What? Why were you holding his hands? What? You're not letting go of his hands! futhermore, your fingers are INTERTWINED! Azul.exe has stopped working. Azul wasn't made for cute moments like this.

"Y/n... May I ask why you suddenly linked fingers with me?" Azul asked with his fingers tinged pink, face was painted red down to his neck. "Well... You looked really troubled while you were doing your work... So I thought that you can use a short break? You looked pretty stressed so...."

Ahhhh.... Azul really should've read that one romance book he once stumbled upon, how does he deal with this? Damn, he surely wasn't made for this... He stared up your eyes only to look away again bashfully.

Pfttt you gotta admit... Azul really looks cute like this. You slowy brought your lips to azul's hands. Chu~♡ a kiss on the hands! bingo! "There! Have a kiss as a token of my love for you and how much I care for you! Hehe!"

That's it, Azul needs maintenace after this... This is just too cute for his soul. Cheeks tinged red, he fixes his glasses up again. His hands lightly squeeze yours as he began to say "Well, I cannot abandon my work and responsibilities... But maybe it's not a crime if its just for a few minutes... Don't let go of my hand ok?" The night at Mostro Lounge was quite chilly than the usual. But the hours that passed by felt warmer with the hold of a certain octopus.

End.

Note: Running low on braincells, Hope you liked this. And yes, I'm currently in my real time Azul loving hours. Time to buy takoyaki~ jk no I'm doing more requests that is rotting in my inbox. Again, sorry if this was not your cup o' tea (༎ຶ‿༎ຶ)

[euphoriyoongi]

♥︎ Seven Deadly Sins ♥︎ ot7

♥︎ One ♥︎

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Summary: The seven princes of hell, who are the embodiment of the seven deadly sins, are sent on a mission to find the human with the purest soul. The prince who successfully retrieves the pure soul will become the next king..but what happens when all 7 of the princes fall in love with the beautiful soul?

♥︎ Pairings: ot7 x OC (original character)

♥︎ Genre: fantasy; fluff, smut, angst

♥︎Word Count: 4.0k

♥︎ Warnings: smut/sexual scenes and situations, heavy language, polyamory

♥︎Rating: Mature (18+)

prev. //next.

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The world is a hellish place, that's for sure.

Everywhere you look, you see some form of evil. Whether it be someone spending too much on a purse, or someone looking at themselves in the mirror thinking that they are the best thing since sliced bread.

The thing is, most of these humans don't realize what they're doing. They show little-to-no respect or gratefulness for the things they have. Most of them believe that they need more. That one dollar isn't enough. So then if they had a million...would that not be enough either?

It's all a race. For example, two brothers racing to have a better life when in reality they're just wasting it away to receive superficial things that will just be gone when they leave this world. It's idiotic, and self-centered. If people actually thought about how well they have it, they wouldn't sin. And well, every single human being sins on this planet. It's what makes it go around.

The person sitting next to you at a restaurant just ate his girlfriend's food of her plate. The waiter is stealing another waiters tip money. The owner of the restaurant is sleeping with someone else's wife. The customer threw his drink at the waitress because his food was too cold. The group of teenagers won't get up to leave to make room for the next group. Sin. It's all around. And there's no escaping it.

Well, unless you're the Pure Soul.

Choi Nari. Her name means Lily in English. And the name lily means "purity."

She's known for her ethereal looks, and cascading long black hair that flows so softly. She's sent from heaven, but has no idea of her origins. She only believes she's a human just like everyone else. And lives a life filled with peace and love.

She never harmed a single soul in all of her lifetimes. Once every hundred years, she is reborn, and every one of those years, she's avoided the devil, whom wants her all to himself. The reason? Well, you always want what you can't have, right? The devil is all sins, himself.

This reincarnation, however, will be a bit different. There's something different about her, and the only way she'll be able to avoid the devil is if she avoids sin.

The devil has his own plans, though. Hell stop at nothing to have her. He will send all of his seven sons to earth, for they need to bring her back alive so he could deal with her. And the son that successfully brings her back, will become the next king of hell.

His sons were the embodiment of the seven deadly sins. And his goal was to make the Pure Soul suffer all seven of them, and make her sin to have her all for himself.

If this plan works, he'd successfully take away all the food in the world. So, he hopes all seven of his boys will not falter at her beauty.

__

"You what us to do what?" Yoongi huffed at his father, crossing his arms over his chest. "Hell no, I'm not fucking leaving my soft bed for that."

Yoongi is the prince of laziness, and definitely lived up to his title. He dreamed of living as a rock in his next life, but sadly, his next life was never going to occur. He was immortal. There was ways he could die, though. But for now, the best he could do was imagine he was a rock while he slept.

The devil growled. "Sloth, you dare to deny me?"

All seven of the boys were gathered in the throne room, where the devil sat on a large chair that floated on flames. The room was all black, with a bit of red detailing.

The devil was very old. He wanted to retire the throne to one of his sons, but he didn't know which one he should give it to. They were all so untrustworthy and well, the only one who he probably could trust was the one who envisions himself as a rock. That's just sad.

When Yoongi didn't answer him, The devil's voice boomed across the high-ceilings. "God damnit sloth! You're so slow sometimes."

Smiling, Yoongi winked at his father. "It's what I do best, dad."

Still fuming, the devil looked towards his oldest son, who was currently eating a bowl of noodles. "I-how did you even get those?" He smacked a hand to his head, sighing. This was ridiculous.

Jin didn't even answer. He just kept slurping his noodles until his father got mad enough to move on with what he was saying.

"Listen, my sons. I need you to retrieve the Pure Soul."

"The pure soul?" Jimin smirked. "That hot ass chick from heaven?"

The devil smiled viciously. "Yes, that's right." Rubbing his hands together, he raised an eyebrow. "And son, I give you full permission to seduce her in any way." He laughed, knowing she wouldn't be able to cave in from his charm.

"So, she's hot? Does she need money?" Taehyung smirked as well, crossing his arms. "I could give her anything in the world."

This was getting out of hand. All he needed was for his boys to bring her back here. "Okay. Anyway, you have 100 days to bring this beast back here, got it? And none of you dare to get attached to her, or you'll be dead meat." He huffed, praying they wouldn't turn against him. Heh, praying. He hasn't done that in a while.

"She couldn't be any near attractive as me, father." Namjoon smiled. "You have nothing to worry about."

The devil hoped that were true, but he knew how beautiful this woman was, and also knew that his sons have never seen anyone like her. Even Lust, who's slept with countless demons and everything in between. He's never seen a pure soul. And even the devil himself wouldn't be able to resist.

“So, what do we get if we bring her back?” Taehyung smirked, looking at his brothers. They all looked as if they didn’t care. Well, except Jimin. He just wanted something to fuck. But Taehyung knew what he wanted. And what he wanted was to take his father’s place. His greed was strong for it, and wouldn’t stop for anything or anyone.

The devil smiled. Finally. He should’ve known it was going to be greed. He couldn’t turn down anything especially if he’ll get something out of it. “Well, the throne, of course.” He shrugged his arms upward, a sneer on his lips. “That is, if you earn it.”

“Oh, believe me, father. I will.” He laughed, looking towards his younger brother, Jungkook.

Jungkook was starting to get mad. He absolutely hated it when Taehyung would get whatever he wanted. It just wasn’t fair. As his eyes began to fade from a dark brown to a vibrant red, the prince of envy patted his shoulder. “Down, boy.”

His eyes faded back to their usual color. Envy was nice, when he wasn’t jealous. He was a sweetheart, and always seemed to be able to calm him down. He goes by Hobi, but his name is Hoseok.

“Alright. Now. Are you guys ready.” The devil growled impatiently. “Do you have everything you need?”

Every one of his sons nodded, except Yoongi. He was now sleeping while standing up. Was that even possible?

“Sloth!” The devil sneered, just waking him enough to blink. “Dammit I don’t even—Do you have everything you need?”

Yawning, he opened his mouth to mumble “have everything for what?”

Silence broke out among them. “You…you know what..just fucking go.” With the flick of his hand, the boys were now transported through time to the planet earth, where they now need to search for the Pure Soul. But wait..how will they find her?

__

South Korea

Spring time, 2021

The trees were blossoming. The beautiful colors of whites and pinks danced as the petals fell to the ground. Nari was enchanted with them. Their beauty was astounding. She wished she was like them, to be so graceful, even while they fell.

Her favorite season was spring. She lived a full twenty five years of life constantly waiting for spring to come back around every year. She loved to see the flowers bloom, and all the aromas of different plants. She wished she was one. They never had to worry about anything. They just looked pretty.

She never had any friends to share her happiness with. She always wished for some, praying to god that she won't be alone anymore. Was there a reason why she was? Was it because she always agreed with everyone? Was it because she was too nice?

Well, she was too nice, but she had no control over that. It's just how she was made. She didn't know she was from heaven. She only knew that her family died when she was small, and doesn't remember them. So she was alone in this world, lost and left to find her way through life. She only wished she had someone to love unconditionally, just like the couples she'd see as she'll walk down the streets.

Nari made her way back to her small apartment. It was perfect for her though. Just enough space for her to cohabitate with her cat, Mochi. There was one bedroom, and a living space that combined with the kitchen. A tiny bathroom was across from her room, but it was big enough to have a full-sized tub in it. She did like baths more than showers, anyway.

As she walked into her bedroom, her cat was sprawled out on its back on the bed, purring as it slept. Mochi was a happy cat, and loved belly rubs and being held. She’s never had a cat that loved as much attention as mochi did, and he was the type of cat that never wanted to leave her side.

“Hello, mochi mochi.” She smiled, giving him a little pet. “How’s my cutie?” The cat let out a large yawn, then started to stretch out his paws. “Ah. Big stretch.” She chuckled, letting the cat continue to sleep and walked over to her desk in front of the window.

All over it was scattered drawings and short poems she’d write when she was bored. There was something off with her, though, and she knew it. She always wondered why she flowed with everything that went on around her. No matter what it was, she’d agree with it. That includes relationships.

Nari has never been in one. Despite how stunningly beautiful she was, no one would give her the time of day. She also didn’t know her own beauty, which might be part of the reason. But was she meant to live alone in this world? Was that her purpose?

Feeling upset with herself, she walked over to her full-body mirror. There she stood, her long white dress flowed down past her knees, and her long black hair fell down towards her backside. She curled the ends of it today, feeling happy with the way it looked. Her eyes were a hazel type color, but closer to green that black. Her lips were a soft pink, that plumped and were Un-chapped. 

She was beautiful. No one would be able resist her. And now, the reason she’s never had a significant other was because she never let herself notice that someone was trying. That could be because god hated the idea of it. Her soul purpose was to keep sin away from taking over the world. He never expected her to start thinking for herself. She’s been reincarnated since the beginning of time. So why is she starting to think for herself?

 She spent 25 years of life without any sexual activity. Without anything special in her life. She never had a family, and works as an ice cream shop cashier. There’s nothing to her life. No purpose. She wanted to change that. But as soon as that thought went through her head, it left like a flicker of light.

__

“Dude, this is absolutely ridiculous.” Yoongi huffed once again, just wanting to rest. “How are we supposed to find her.”

“Yeah.” Taehyung sighed, holding pink petals in his hands that were falling down from the branches above. “Anyway, what are these things?”

“I wonder if they taste good.” Jin giggled as he stuffed a few in his mouth. Spitting them out after a few chews, he shook his head. “Nope. Not good.”

Namjoon was sitting down on the ground with his legs crossed. There were lots of people walking by, and he noticed a man fixing his hair in the camera of his phone. Smirking, he closed his eyes and made the man see himself in a new light. Too bad that new light was for him to think too highly of himself. The man then tossed his phone onto the ground and walked away, thinking he was too good to have one.

“Damn, Joon. We just got here.” Hoseok muttered. “Let’s just stick to our task.”

Nodding, Jungkook spoke up. “Yeah, let’s find this girl so we don’t combust.”

Jin side-eyes him. “What do you mean, combust?”

“Well, you were too busy eating to even pay attention to father.” Jk rolled his eyes at his hyung. Leaning up against one of the trees, he smirked. “Father said he’ll kill us if we don’t find the girl.”

Jin bursts out in laughter. “Yeah, right. As if he—wait you’re serious?” His face turned from playful to worried. “I—oh, you are serious.”

“We need a plan.” Taehyung dropped the flower petals off his palm and dusted them off. “I say we split up.”

“It’ll be an uneven number then.” Jimin pointed out, who seemed to be in and out of the conversation. There were plenty of pretty girls walking around, and he was turning himself on. “Anyway, I just want something to fuck. I’ve never fucked a human before..”

Ignoring Jimin, Namjoon agreed with Tae. “Yeah, Tae, I think we should do that too.” He pointed to Jimin, Jungkook, and Taehyung. “You guys go one way, we’ll go the other.”

Yoongi was surprisingly awake, and agreed also. “Alright. That’s good with me. As long as I don’t gotta do any work.”

As the boys set on to where they needed to be, little did they know that Nari passed them out as she was walking to work.

They kept walking, and Taehyung noticed a brand new car roll up to the curb. Smirking, he left the group to go check it out.

He walked around it with his arms behind his back, looking it over. He must’ve looked off because the owner of the car came out and asked what he needed.

Wrong question.

“What do I need, you ask?” Tae smiled down at the man. “What I need..is this car.” He smirked, his eyes turning into an icy blue. He wanted it, and he’ll get it. The man proceeded to give him the keys and stood stationary, and Taehyung called over Jimin and Jungkook.

“Let’s go boys!” He yelled, and hopped into the drivers seat. He didn’t even know how to drive, but he’ll make himself.

“That was fucking sick, hyung!” Jimin high-fived hun as Jungkook sat in the back with a frown on his face.

Jimin noticed. “What’s wrong, Jk?” He asked him, turning back towards him in the leather seat.

“I wanted that fucking seat.” He hissed at him, sending daggers through his eyes. This made Jimin nervously laugh, and he turned back around.

“Anyway!” Jimin changed the subject. “Where should we look for her? What does she even look like, anyway?”

As Tae drove, he described her. “Well, she has long black hair and a bright soul. We should be able to see who she is the minute our eyes land on her.”

“Ah.” Jimin nodded. “Well, the minute my eyes land on her is the minute I’ll fuck her.”

“Jesus, Jimin. Lay off the sex for once. Some of us need it too.” Jungkook growled from the back seat.

This made Jimin laugh. “Yeah, as if anyone would be attracted to your wrath ass.”

“Don’t piss him off, Jimin. I really want a peaceful ride.” Tae huffed, stepping on the gas. “I say we look around a shopping mall. Girls like shopping here too, right?”

“I like shopping.” Jk muttered under his breath.

“I say we should go to a park or something.” Jimin chimed in.

Taehyung scrunched his nose. “The fuck is a park?”

Letting it pass, they decided to drive to the nearest mall, while the older brothers were currently walking by foot to find her.

“Do you think she’ll like me? I think she’ll love me. I mean, who wouldn’t? Look at me!” Joon laughed, talking himself up as they walked amongst the humans. “I’m getting all the stares!”

“Um, no. I think it’s actually Yoongi. He looks like he’s dead.” Hoseok chimed, holding in his laughter.

Yoongi was sleepwalking. He couldn’t keep his head up, and was nearly walking like a zombie. He was catching all the eyes around him and Namjoon thought it was all for him. Well, he was most certainly attractive. But he wasn’t the reason for the stares.

Pouting, Namjoon rolled his eyes. “I’m sure I’m the reason for some of them at least.”

“Oh my god! Look! It’s a noodle restaurant!” Jin excitedly chanted, jumping up and down. He was a grown man, and looked like he was a kid at a candy store. “Let’s go!”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea—hey!” Hoseok got cut off as Jin grabbed ahold of his shirt.

All four of them sat down at a table, their legs too long for the chairs. All seven of the boys were above six feet tall. That was because Satan was nearly seven feet.

“Do you think that the other boys found the girl yet?” Namjoon said as he chomped on the noodles. The noodles that they weren’t going to be able to pay for.

“Nah.” Yoongi said, shaking his head. “But if they did, good for them I guess.”

Jin was already on his fifth bowl. “I don’t really want to be king anyway. I just came here for the food.”

“Jesus fuck.” Hobi grunted. The soup part was too hot for him. “This is fucking spicy. Why is it spicy?”

“Maybe because you got the chili powder.” Jin chuckled, grabbing Hoseok’s bowl. “Here, I’ll eat it.”

Hoseok glared at him with a frown. “I don’t know how you’re so skinny.”

“Alright guys.” Joon clapped. “We should get a move on with finding her.”

When no one responded to him, he sighed, shaking his head. “Maybe I should’ve picked a better group.”

As Joon was thinking this, Taehyung was thinking the same thing.

“Alright, where is Jimin at now?” Tae sighed, putting a hand up to his head as they stood in the middle of the mall. They looked like giants amongst all of the people there, making them stand out even more. Jungkook stood next to Tae, also wondering where Jimin went.

“All I know is that he said something about going to flirt with the cute girls.” Kook stated, shaking his head. “I don’t know which cute girls he was talking about, though.”

“Oh my god. It’s never ending with him. We can’t bring him anywhere.”

It was silent for a moment, until Jungkook spoke up again. “Do you ever get so mad that you just want to kill them?”

Taehyung looked at him, blinking. “I can’t take you anywhere, either.”

While Taehyung was having an existential crisis, Nari was three stores down from him in her cute ice cream shop.

A few cute boys walked in, and ordered some ice cream. As she gathered their order, one of them kept asking for her number. “My number? Like a phone number?” She mumbled, scrunching her eyebrows.

“Yes.” The cute boy nodded, a smile on his face when he thinks he’s getting it.

“Ah, that. Well, I don’t have a phone.” She smiled at him, and continued to scoop his ice cream. The bus’s friends all laughed at this, making the one who asked get upset.

“Listen here you little bitch.” The boy reached over to grab her by the neck, making her confused as to why he freaked out. She just said she didn’t have a phone. As he pulled her against the glass of the ice cream stand, someone’s voice boomed through the shop.

“Hey hey, that’s no way to treat a lady.” The boy said playfully, making the boy who was holding Nari falter. “Well, only when you’re in bed, I guess.”

His hair was a dark blue, almost black. His eyes nearly looked as if they were a pink of some sort, but maybe he was wearing contacts.

After that comment, the blue haired man stood face-to-face with the asshole who held Nari. Letting her go, he turned toward him. “Who the fuck are you?” He said, his two friends standing behind him with crossed arms.

The mysterious man didn’t even look over at Nari. He just glared at the boy. In came two more boys, who immediately walked over to the mysterious guy. One of them had longer hair than the other, but both of them had black hair. All three of them were unusually tall, and looks as if they had no fear. The longer haired guy spoke up. “I’ll beat your ass so hard you won’t be able to walk.”

The three other boys seemed to get a bit scared, knowing they had no chance against these guys. Nari stood there, in awe of their beauty. She never had thoughts of anyone like this. They were all so beautiful, she just wanted to know more. She wanted to know why they were standing up for her.

As the three childish boys ran out of the store, Nari caught eyes with the blue haired boy, who immediately dropped his jaw.

Jimin couldn’t believe his eyes. There she stood, the most beautiful soul of the human race. Her long locks were held back by a scrunchie, and her eyes were lined with black eyeliner. She was so beautiful, he couldn’t help but stare. He wanted her.

Taehyung felt the same way as well. How in the world could a creature like this exist in the world. Is this way his father wanted her? He began to experience dirty thoughts, some of them pertaining to keeping her all to himself. That could be because of who he was—Greed. He wanted her. He wanted her bad.

Jungkook was quietly staring, his eyes open wide. He’s never experienced this feeling before, but to be fair, he’s never seen someone so beautiful in all his years of life. He wished to have something so passionately, and that something was her. He didn’t care that his brothers were also infatuated with her, he wanted her all to himself, too.

Nari didn’t even know what she had done to the boys. She had no idea that she was made just to compel the sins themselves.

What was she supposed to do now? Was she supposed to thank them? She really had no idea. But before she had the opportunity to say anything, one of the boys said something first.

“Well, we finally meet.” Taehyung smirked. “Choi Nari. The Pure Soul.”

“The..the what?”

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prev. // next.

[dong-hyucks]

Hello, may I please request an imagine for nct dream Chenle with an evil-Peter Pan au if that makes sense? If it doesn't then just do a normal Peter Pan thing, after all I do want you to enjoy writing this. I don't mind if he's a lost boy or Pan himself. As for the gender I'm She/Her but it's fine if you don't want to use those. Thank you and take your time I'm patient and will happily wait until 2076 if that's the time you need. Lots of love a girl that loves your writing.❤️💘🥀

The Lost Boy ; Chenle

Characters: Chenle / Reader / ft. NCTGenre: Peter Pan!AU, adventure, suspense, fluff, angst (happy ending)Warning: implications of death and a rough home life, slight swearingA/N: dEDICATED TO THE SOFTEST CHOONLOO STAN TO EVER WALK THE EARTH; @chenlays HAPPY EARLY BDAY SAM ILY

Masterlists

“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.”- Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul

1902, London

   The streets were cold, empty. Dank cobblestone clip-clopped under your scuffed and water-ridden shoes. Your arms, uncovered and unprotected from the cold, were covered with goosebumps, little hairs standing up in response to the sheer coldness of the night. In the distance, you could see the large clock tower. The building was rundown, as was practically every other building in town. The clock chimed and chimed, you could almost see the rickety building tremble with each vibration, alerting you and the townspeople of the hour. You swallowed thickly. Hairs on the back of your neck stood rigid, not from the gelid air that surrounded you, imprisoned you in its freezing hands, taking you as it’s prisoner. No, the hairs that stood, your knees that shook, your breath that caught; they all did so out of fear.

   You were late. Five minutes late, to be exact.

   There was a sudden, muffled thud. You stopped, quickly moving to hide behind a nearby building.  A man, a man you recognized as Mr Percy from two roads down, exited your home as he fixed the collar of his trenchcoat. He looked around as if to see if anyone had seen him, before quietly sneaking off into the darkness. It wasn’t long before his form disappeared into the dark fog that always followed London’s nightfall.

   Your doorstep drew near, and you dreaded each step closer you took. You could practically hear your adoptive mother, Madam Iva, screaming– her voice raspy from yelling so vehemently. Her eyes were what scared you the most, the beady, coal black pairs of eyes that would stare you down as if you were prey. They’d narrow as she screeched, her irises almost disappearing under her wrinkled eyelids. She was always like that. A hawk compressed into human form. Watching. Always watching.

   In fact, you could see her now, glaring down at you from her bedroom window. Chills ran up and down your spine as your hand clasped around the doorknob and twisted. You waited patiently, patiently yet with an immense amount of fear, at the door. As if on cue, her heavy footsteps came stomping down the creaky wooden staircase. You had to remind yourself to replace the wood tomorrow.

   Soon enough, her face, red with anger and vexation, came into view. Her puffy cheeks and dropped eyelids obscured her eyes in an ever so familiar way. As she made her way down the stairs two at a time, loud thuds sounded within the household. With each step, the ruffles on her evening gown fluttered slightly due to the astounding strength she used with each step. The only thing on her body that remained still was the bun atop her head, her hair tightly twisted and tied in such a way that made her eyebrows arch upwards.

   “You!” she sputtered, her eyebrows knit together as she jabbed a stout finger in your direction. “Do you know how late it is?” Her tone demanded answers, and you could tell she wouldn’t like yours.

   “I was only–”

   “I don’t want to hear any excuses coming from you! This is the fifth time this month you’ve come home late, you ungrateful brat.” With each sentence, she took another massive step toward you. “Who do you think you are? I work day and night working so you can have a good life and this is how you repay me? Staying out late when you have a reasonable curfew? I bet you were messing around with those disgusting groupies of yours.”

   You frowned a frown that almost mirrored her own. “Madam, my friends aren’t groupies, but I really didn’t–”

   She took a quick step toward you, raising her arm in a feinted swing. You flinched, backing into the door as you shut your eyes tightly. Eyeing your trembling form, Madam Iva scoffed. She relaxed her arm for a moment, crossing them as she looked down on you. “Insolent, weak child,” she spat, turning on her heel. “I should’ve left you to die on the streets when I had the chance.” And with that, she walked back up the stairs, this time her steps softer as she attempted to walk in a ladylike manner – though, to you she still looked as much of a cross elephant in a dress as she did before.

   You stood in the foyer, waiting to hear the noise of Madam Iva’s door clicking as it locked. When you did, you made your way up the stairs as quietly as you could. Today, you were lucky. Madam Iva stuck to using words and didn’t go any further. Perhaps she was too tuckered out to do much, you had seen Mr Percy leave just before after all.

   When you got to your room, Ms Lula was gathering her things. You quietly greeted the cleaning lady, ignoring her presence as she made her way out into the hallway. After she left, closing the door behind her, you collapsed onto your rock-hard mattress. “I hate this,” you mumbled tiredly into your pillow. Though you were used to Madam Iva’s discourteous behaviour, you absolutely detested being on the receiving end of it all. You always had to watch as she pretended to be the perfect mother in front of others, though she was everything but.

   Turning onto your back, you stared up at the cracked ceiling. Your room was always cold– there was a hole in the corner of your ceiling, one that let in all of the frigid air, rain, snow, and just about every mouse that required shelter in the winter. Madam Iva was always too cheap to pay for a repairman’s work.

   As you stared, your eyes tracing each imperfection, you wondered. You wondered what you had done to deserve such a life. You always saw other kids your age getting along well with their mothers, their fathers, their sisters, their brothers. Though they still lived under the poverty that everyone in the area suffered through, their lives seemed perfect to you. You, on the other hand, were a reject sob story. You were left in the streets by your parents at birth, almost experiencing hypothermia in the coolness of the city. Madam Iva’s late husband, Mr Howard, was the one to suggest taking you in after finding your basket. After his death, your life spiralled into hell.

   Hot tears burned your eyes, tears that you wiped away roughly. You weren’t one for tears. They didn’t fix anything. Shaking your head, you took out the pillow from beneath your head and covered your face, pressing it into your skin gently as to allow yourself to breathe.

   “Poor, poor child. Living a life of such hostility.”

   You jumped, throwing the pillow in the direction you thought you heard the voice from. You looked over, watching as the pillow thumped against the wall. “Too slow,” the voice whispered into your ear. Scrambling off of your bed, you held a hand against your mouth. If you screamed, you’d be in more trouble by Madam Iva– something you would rather not face. Once your eyes landed on the figure in your room, you let out a gasp.

   A male, perhaps in his early 20s, was standing in your room. Rather– he was floating in your room. Your eyes quickly darted from the space between his dark gray slippers and your splintered wooden floor to his face, one with sharp features. He stared back in amusement, leaning back on some invisible surface as he raised a brow at you. You noticed something glittering, something glowing right above the fabric of his shirt, one that matched his slippers.

   You shut your eyes, smacking your cheeks lightly. “Wake up, [Y/N]. You’re having too weird of a dream–”

   “A dream? Is that what you think I am?”

   You yelped, hastily grabbing the nearest object and holding it before you. The man snorted at the sight of your outstretched arm. You were tightly grasping onto a stuffed bear, it’s fur visible in the spaces between your clenched fingers. He raised his arms in mock defense, smirking over at you as he floated toward you. “I’m so scared,” he drawled, sarcasm heavily evident. You glared.

   “Who are you and what’re you doing in my room?” You paused. “How are you floating?”

   The man paused mere metres in front of you, floating about a foot off of the ground. “I am Pan,” he greeted nonchalantly. “You can call me Taeyong.” He tipped the front of his black cap, your eyes travelling to the red feather that came from it. His attire reminded you of some old fairytale you had heard before, one that told the tale of three siblings who travelled to a faraway land. “And you are?”

   “[Y/F/N]. That doesn’t answer all of my questions, Taeyong.”

   “Impatient little thing, you are.” He clicked his tongue before twirling in the air, quite literally, staring at you upside down. You noticed the glowing, glittering something once again, this time below his hat. Is that, you thought, what’s keeping his hat from falling? “I was bored, your window was unlocked, so here I am.” He glanced over to your window, “You should lock that, by the way. Wouldn’t want some weird stranger coming in during the night, now would you?”

   “… Right.”

   Taeyong moved forward, though he kept his feet pointing upward. “Your mother,” he began, “is very rude.”

   “Tell me about it.”

   “I was trying to sleep up here, and there she went running down the stairs as though she was racing for gold.” He rolled his eyes. “Her little toy was annoying too. Wouldn’t stay quiet while he was here.” Before he could continue, you quickly shushed the flying male, not wanting to hear any more. Pushing your hand away, Taeyong sent a smirk your way, turning in the air to land on his feet. “I have an offer you can’t possibly refuse,” he sang, clasping his hands together behind his back as he moved away.

   You stayed quiet, still feeling incredibly distrustful of the seemingly magical man. You shook your head, the thought of this all being a dream still very liable. Taeyong, noticing your doubtfulness, chuckled. “Then, I guess you don’t want to escape from here.” You looked up at his words, your eyebrows coming together. You could feel your hands getting clammy, your interest piqued. You would give anything to leave, to escape. He chuckled, the noise as deep as his voice. “Would you be willing to fly away with me?”

   As if on cue, he began to float up toward your ceiling. You backed into your dresser, your legs shaking. “I can’t fly,” you prompted. “Not sure how you think I can go about that.”

   Taeyong laughed, bending over as he held his stomach,as if you had just said the greatest joke known to man. You glanced at your door, an image of Madam Iva bursting in, as red as a baboon’s behind, and you shuddered. Turning to Taeyong, you brought a finger to your mouth in your silent way of telling him to be quiet. “Of course you can’t fly,” he said with the wave of his hands. “You need a little something to assist you.” He then grabbed at the air. You frowned in confusion. Hovering over to you, Taeyong held his hand above your head before shaking it as if he were adding salt to a dish. “All you need is a little pixie dust,” he smiled.

   “Now, fly!”

   You rolled your eyes, stepping away from the madman. “Taeyong, whoever you are, I can’t fly.” You looked down at his floating feet. “I’m not sure how you’re doing it, but whatever it is, I can’t.”

   Taeyong groaned, moving in front of you. “No, you can’t, not with that attitude. You need to believe! You need to want.” He looked at you as if he were urging you to try. You sighed. “Just close your eyes and wish to fly.”

   This is just a dream, you told yourself, what’s the worse that can happen?

   As if to just humour him, you closed his eyes. I wish to fly.

   Nothing happened. You opened your eyes, deadpanning at Taeyong. He groaned yet again, flying over to shake your shoulders. “You aren’t trying enough! I can barely feel your energy and I’m just over here. Try again.” You leaned back. His tone no longer sounded kind nor boyish; but demanding. He must’ve noticed your sudden change in demeanour, because he smiled nervously, moving away. “Just,” he tried again, this time with a gentler tone, “try.”

   Not wanting to anger him, you closed your eyes tightly. I wish to fly. I want to fly.

   You kept your eyes closed, not wanting to open them to Taeyong’s annoyed expression. To your surprise, he started clapping. “You’re doing it!” Opening your eyes, you looked down. True to his word, you were no longer on the floor. Your legs shook as you got higher, your inexperience blatantly obvious.

   “So,” Taeyong grinned boyishly as he turned to face you. He held out his hand as he jumped onto the sill of your window. “[Y/F/N], do you trust me?”

   You looked down at his outstretched hand. You glanced at the door again, before your eyes darted to your floating legs. Slowly, you took his hand.

   Taeyong’s grin widened to the point where it was almost devilish. “Then!” he exclaimed, taking an alarming step out your window. “Off to Foreverland we go!”

   Foreverland? “Wait, Taeyong–”

  Suddenly, he shot himself and, by extension, you into the night sky with the push of his leg. You almost forget that you were just floating, a scream ripping from your throat as you watched the ground get farther and farther away. Taeyong glanced over at you, “Come on, [Y/N], relax! Believe.” You glared up at him, your eyes watering from the wind. Believe– the word was starting to sound annoying coming from him.

   Once you were very high off the ground, to the point where fog heavily obscured your view of the old buildings below, Taeyong stopped midair. To your luck, you didn’t plummet to the earth when he let go of your hands, but instead, you remained afloat. “What’re–”

   Taeyong shushed you, his hand going moving to a small sack that was attached to his waist belt. You watched curiously as he took out something minute. It looked like a simple fountain pen, one like the ones you used regularly whenever Madam Iva had you create a list and go to the market. Suddenly, he began moving his arm in an oval, one almost as long as the length of his own body. “What are you doing?” you questioned, tilting your head in confusion. Before he could even answer, the oval he had drawn in the air became something else. It was as if he had cut a shape into the sky. You gazed through in astonishment, looking down at an island that was just as far as the city was.

   Without warning, Taeyong pushed you in.

   “Welcome to Foreverland!” You heard his voice bellow from above. You could barely stabilize yourself, nowhere near experienced in ‘flying’. Taeyong raced passed you, moving in a much more comfortable and smooth manner. Your heart raced as you looked down at the almost pitch black ocean down below. As you neared the island, Foreverland as Taeyong had called it, something struck you. A searing pain erupted from your shoulder, shooting down into the nerves of your arm and more. You let out a yell and suddenly you were falling. Whatever magic Taeyong had used on you seemed to leave you as you got closer and closer to the sea. You turned midair, looking up at the sky in hopes of finding Taeyong. You could barely see the fletching of an arrow within your quickly fading vision.

   The last thing you saw before you hit the harsh surface of the freezing water was Taeyong as he watched you.

   Was that a smile you saw etched onto his features?

   A boy clad in ripped and dirty clothing smiled happily as he gathered fruit from the highest of the trees. Down below, he could hear his friends singing to themselves in harmony, their voices soothing to the ears. The boy hummed along to the familiar tune, his head bobbing slightly as he picked one last mango. Content with his pick, he slowly made his way down the tree trunk. He passed his youngest friend, the only friend younger than him, and jokingly pushed himself off of the trunk to nudge him gently. The vines he had tied to his waist kept him up as he manoeuvred around the tree. “Chenle,” his friend poked, softly throwing a small mango at him. “You picked them all up there?”

   Chenle grinned with a nod, easily catching the thrown mango. “Slowpoke,” he teased, sticking out his tongue as he continued his descent. The voices got louder as he reached the ground, his bare feet landing upon the damp dirt. As they picked berries from bushes, Renjun, Jeno, and Donghyuck were singing the same song they always sang together – a song of loss and acceptance – the song of the Lost Boys. As he neared them, Chenle even joined in, dropping his mangoes into the large basket in which numerous other fruits were contained.

   Jeno looked up from his bush, inspecting the basket. It was almost full, which meant they had to go back to the house soon. “Last batch,” he called loudly, loud enough for Jisung in the trees to hear.

   It wasn’t long before the humongous basket was filled to the brim with a variety of fruit– mangoes, oranges, apples, strawberries, blueberries. Mark, the oldest of the six, came out from the thick vegetation with two wooden buckets, each filled with water. “Are we ready to head back?” he asked, carefully placing the buckets on the ground. When the five boys nodded, Mark moved to help the older of the few while Jisung took hold of the buckets.

   Then, the six began their trek down the path to the house in the trees. The older members noticed how much harder it was to hold the basket with only five people, as it was big enough to hold each of them with extra space. Chenle glanced over at the gap between Donghyuck and Jeno, where another boy had once stood. Similarly, there was another space between Mark and himself.

   They didn’t make it far before the familiar sound tinkling of bells invaded their ears. Jisung stopped and the boys put the basket down, happy to take a break. “Yuta?” Renjun called, looking around for the little faerie. Before long, they all spotted the tiny faerie, a faerie only visible to beings of Foreverland.

   Yuta didn’t even bother greeting the group, instead heading straight to Chenle and landing on the set of arrows that hung across his back. “You need to shoot a predator,” he told the boy, his voice urgent despite being small. “A killer bird is after Taeyong, you need to shoot it once they get back.”

   Chenle frowned, his hand involuntarily going to the bow at his waist. He didn’t like shooting at animals. Yuta knew this, but he also knew that the others couldn’t aim as well as he could even if their lives depended on it. “If you don’t do it,” Yuta started, narrowing his eyes, “you know how Taeyong will react if you let him get hurt.”

   Chenle flinched. Nodding, he quietly agreed to shoot the killer bird. At his submission, Yuta grinned. “Good. I’m glad we don’t have any conflict here.” The faerie glanced down at the basket. “Now hurry up. He’ll be back within the hour, and he’ll want those fruits home by the time he is.” With that, he flitted away, the only sign of him being the trail of dark blue faerie dust he left behind.

   Donghyuck lent the younger male a small smile, patting him on the shoulder gently as if he were saying it’s okay. Chenle merely returned the smile before moving to his position around the basket. Getting the hint, everyone aside from Jisung went to their past positions and heaved the basket up into their arms. They kept moving.

   Luckily for them, the fruit trees weren’t too far from their treehouse. The only struggle was bringing them all up into Taeyong’s room. They had built a contraption using buckets and rope and despite the convenience, the operation was a strain on their muscles. “First batch ready,” Mark called to Chenle and Donghyuck, who stood at Taeyong’s window. They nodded, simultaneously reaching out to pull the rope that brought up the buckets of fruit. Below, the boys helped.

   “This,” Donghyuck huffed, “is a lot harder without Jaemin and Hansol–”

   “Chenle!”

   The boys flinched at the sudden voice, almost letting go of the rope. Yuta impatiently jumped on Chenle’s shoulder, though to Chenle it felt like a mere tap. “Taeyong’s back and the bird is with him!”

   After Donghyuck took hold of the rope, Chenle took out his bow and arrows. His eyes searched the darkening sky, looking for Taeyong and the killer bird. Soon, Donghyuck pointed toward the Treasure Cove. “There!” Chenle looked over, and sure enough, Taeyong was flying away from another flying figure, though whatever it was wasn’t clear.

   Yuta tugged on Chenle’s ear, noticing the way his arms tensed in hesitation. “Shoot, Chenle!”

   Feeling pressured, Chenle held up the bow and aimed. Within seconds, an arrow was fired.

   Taeyong chuckled, watching as the water began to grow flat, the ripples that had followed your fall dispersing. He looked into the distance and saw the treehouse. He could just barely make an outline of two of the Lost Boys. He mentally commended them before heading toward them.

   As he neared, he pulled a straight face. He gracefully landed on the balcony of the treehouse. Yuta came to him quickly, landing on his shoulder with ease. “Good job,” he whispered to the faerie. Yuta’s bells sounded quietly, only loud enough for him to hear.

   He walked into his own room, watching as Chenle and Donghyuck pulled up another bucket of fruit. “Thank you for shooting down that bird,” he acknowledged, though his town sounded anything but grateful. He looked down at the growing pile of fruit. “That’s enough,” he commanded. “Get out and bring the rest to your rooms.”

   “Yes, sir.”

   The two scrambled out of the room, and climbed down the ladder to the rest of the Lost Boys. Mark quickly told the two to head up to the shared room, glancing up nervously at Taeyong’s room. They didn’t argue, climbing up without a word.

   Night came quickly, the orange light of the sun soon disappearing as navy blue bled into its colourful hues and, eventually, taking over the sky completely. The Lost Boys lay in their beds, too afraid to make a noise. Yuta always flew around at night and if they were too loud he would most definitely tell Taeyong.

   Chenle went to bed that night wearing a frown. He felt like a mere fish swimming in a sea full of bloodthirsty sharks. He always did. Shifting under his thin blanket, he stared across the room. The two empty beds made him feel uneasy.

   The next time you awoke, you were warm. It was an almost unfamiliar feeling– you could barely remember the last time you felt so cozy. Light flooded into the area mercilessly, too bright for your dazed being. Once your eyes adjusted, you realized you have washed ashore, lying on a bed of dead grass. You were so far away from the sealine, however, that it was as if you had been placed there.

   Upon further investigation, perhaps you were.

   Barely a foot away from you, you found a silver ring. It hadn’t been affected by the water as it was still shining brightly without a single bit of rust, so you assumed it had been dropped recently. That wasn’t the only sign that someone had been near you, as there were footsteps all around you, each unique footprint stamped into the sand. However, not a person who could’ve left those behind was in sight.

   You moved to get up, only to gasp out in pain. Your shoulder was still sensitive from your injury. Glancing at it, you notice how it was wrapped with ripped cloth, a poultice of seaweed just barely peeking out from beneath. Whoever had brought you to shore had taken care of you, delicately so.

   Staying flat on the ground, you moved your head to look around. You had no idea what to do. Panic began to bubble from within your soul, making your breathing heavy as you realized how severe your situation was. It would sound insane to anyone else– saying you were taken to ‘Foreverland’ by a magical being and then shot by an arrow? No one would believe you if you lived to tell the tale.

   That is, if you could even get back home.

   This time, you moved slowly, picking yourself up off of the ground with such care it was as if you were holding a newborn. The entirety of your upper left body was sore, but you tried to ignore as you trodden slowly around the thick vegetation. You kept close enough to the trees that no one would be able to spot you if they were up above, like Taeyong, but far enough from the forest itself to see sunlight. Your eyes darted back and forth from one point to another, wary of your surroundings.

   Your, now, bare feet felt odd against the soft sand and the damp feeling of your clothes was plain uncomfortable. In fact, everything about Foreverland was making you feel insatiably antsy. It was quiet– too quiet. You had only been near the sea once, but you could only remember noise, the loud rush of water as it pounded against the white sand, the whispers of the wind as it passed by, the lovely voices of birds as they flitted across the sky. But here, it was deadly silent. You could only hear a high pitched ringing in your ear, though that wasn’t unusual.

   Without realizing, you stepped on a branch.

   In a split second, there was shuffling. You could see the movement of bushes as something small ran past them, toward you. Your heart began to race, your feet subconsciously bringing you away from the treeline. Suddenly, something jumped out at you and landed on your chest, bringing you flat against the sand once again. The fall brought another shock of pain up and down your arm, making you cry out in agony. It took you a moment to realize what had jumped on you, but when it did you nearly screamed again.

   Laying atop your chest, was a fuzzy, black and white creature. You had never seen one before, but you had heard stories and inspected drawings of the small beast.

   “A panda?” you questioned, your voice cracking in pain. Sitting back up, letting out yet another set of groans, you took the panda in your hands and looked at it. “What odd place does this Foreverland have to be to have pandas of all animals?”

   You barely had time to process the fact that a baby panda was in your arms before there was more shuffling from within the thick forest. Without thinking, you held the panda against your chest and scooted back toward the water. To your complete and utter surprise, a boy began to speak. “Who’s there?”

   You stayed quiet, hugging the surprisingly calm panda to your chest. You were about to back right up, into the calm water, when a boy walked out from behind the trees. Your breath caught in your throat at the sight of him. You had seen boys dressed similarly before, in dirty and ripped clothes, but this boy still managed to look clean somehow. He laid eyes on you and you watched as he tripped over his own feet. He landed on his knees, luckily on the sand.

   There was a silence, as you weren’t willing to speak to the strange person and he was staring wide-eyed at the ground. Finally, you opened your mouth, though you inched away ever so slightly. “Are you okay?” you stuttered, your words slow and unsure. Your shoulder and arm were pulsing in pain, but you were still trying hard to ignore it.

   The boy smiled up at you over his dark brown bangs and nodded. “Peachy,” he mumbled, although he was wincing. He shifted to look at his knees and there were bright red marks. The skin hadn’t broken but there was some irritation. “I’ll be fine in a few.” He looked back up at you. “I’m Chenle,” he paused. “At least, that’s what I’ve been told.”

   You raised a brow. “You aren’t sure?”

   He shrugged. “I can’t remember much,” he confessed. “We were named by Taeyong after he–”

   You droned out the rest of his words, your body going stiff. He must’ve noticed because he slowly stopped talking and looked at you with concern. “Hey, are you–”

   Without a word, you got up as fast as you could, your shoulder burning in pain, and bolted. Your feet slipped beneath you constantly atop the sand, but that didn’t deter you. You could hear Chenle running after you, calling after you although he didn’t know your name. You held the small panda close to you as you ran; its claws digging into your shoulder and adding to the pain.

   Suddenly, another boy, dressed similarly to Chenle, jumped out of the forest holding a spear. The sight of him and his weapon made you halt in movement, which gave Chenle enough time to catch up to you.

   “What’s going on, why did you run?”

   You tried to run in another direction, only to meet the eyes of yet another boy. Then, one by one, three more came out. Chenle looked at you with worry, stepping cautiously toward you. With each step he took forward, you took one back until your feet touched water. “We’re not going to hurt you,” he murmured, glancing at your, now bleeding, shoulder in worry. “We want to help.”

   “You know Taeyong,” you grumbled, your voice shaking. “I can’t trust you.”

   The six of them looked at each other with wide eyes. “How do you know him?” one of them asked. You could barely respond before Chenle shook his head.

   “Guys, they’re injured. Let’s get their shoulder patched up before we start asking questions.” He turned to you, holding out his hands as a way of showing no harm. His posture reminded you of Taeyong, back in your room when he had asked you to trust him. Sensing your distrust, Chenle offered a small smile. “I promise you, we won’t take you anywhere Taeyong is.”

   You looked down at your own arm, where blood was trailing down slowly. The panda looked up at you innocently, blissfully unaware to your distress. Your shoulder wasn’t in good condition, you could tell– heck, anyone within eyesight could tell. Swallowing thickly, you took a cautious step closer.

   “Okay.”

   The boys brought you into the forest and to a waterfall. You looked up at the open sky warily, scared that Taeyong would suddenly come out of nowhere. One of the boys, Donghyuck as he had introduced himself before, smiled warmly at you. “Don’t worry,” he said nonchalantly, “we’re safe here. We’ve hid here a lot since we got here and Taeyong has never noticed.”

   You just nodded, petting the panda slowly. Another boy, Renjun, looked at the animal with affectionate eyes. “What’s it’s name?” he asked, cooing at the panda. You shrugged; you weren’t sure to be honest. Naming the panda hadn’t exactly crossed your mind since you stumbled upon it. Renjun hummed. “How about Wren?” He smiled down at the baby animal. “Do you like that?” The panda reacted in such a way that couldn’t be described as positive or negative, with the baby just yawning and resting its head against your collarbone.

   You smiled at him, “Wren is good.”

   Unbeknownst to you, Chenle had looked over just in time to see your smile. He coughed, looking away. Busying himself with grinding together a poultice, he tried to ignore the invisible strings that were pulling his lips up into a smile. Jisung, who had been helping him, noticed this and laughed quietly.

   “Okay,” Chenle said, holding up the makeshift bowl (which, in reality, was just a large piece of bark that had been cleaned). You handed Wren to Renjun and sat on a rock across from Chenle. Slowly, he peeled away the cloth from your shoulder and used it to wipe away the old poultice. He gasped at how deep the wound was. The boys all gathered around and had similar reactions. Chenle began to frown, his suspicions ringing clearly in his head, though he kept them quiet. Using water from the waterfall, he cleaned the wound despite your flinches and wrapped it with care.

   “How did this happen?” Jisung asked, gesturing to your wound.

   “Actually,” Jeno cut in, “how did you even get here?” The boys seemed to all want an answer for the latter, each looking invested in words that had yet to be spoken.

   You sighed, fiddling with Wren’s paw. “Well, to begin…” Then, you began to tell the story of how Taeyong appeared into your room, lead you to Foreverland– everything up to the moment you lost consciousness. One by one, each of the boys looked at Chenle with rounded eyes. You did as well, curious. Your eyes darted to the set of arrows on his back to the bow that hung from his waist. “You,” you mumbled, “you shot me, didn’t you?”

   There was a pregnant pause, tension grew thick in the air as Chenle struggled to answer. “We were told,” he started, “that you were a killer bird going after Taeyong. If we didn’t comply with orders, he’d…” he trailed off, not wanting to finish his sentence.

   “He’d what?”

   Mark frowned. “If we disobey orders, given from him or his faerie, Yuta, we get taken away.” He looked down. “He’d take whoever went against his word and we’d never see them again.”

   Sensing that you had hit a sensitive topic, you zipped your mouth closed.

   Changing the subject, Jeno frowned. “How do you think you’re going to go back home?” he asked, leaning against the large boulder behind him. “You said Taeyong brought you here with a portal. We can’t exactly do the same.”

   Your expression mirrored his. You hadn’t thought of a how and true to Jeno’s words, you had no means of creating a portal yourself. It’d be absolutely mad to try and take the pen away from Taeyong, suicide even. And after hearing about what he does to Lost Boys who don’t follow orders, you weren’t about to send them away for theft.

   “Why don’t we eat first,” Mark suggested, taking out a mango from his sack. “You’re probably starving and our minds won’t work as well on an empty stomach.” When everyone agreed, Mark tossed you the mango, which you luckily caught.

   While everyone idled and went away at their fruit, you wandered off. Nearing the waterfall, you fell back against the waterfall’s cliff, sighing in exhaustion. Beside you, Wren fell against your thighs, pawing up at the mango in your hands. Do pandas even eat mangoes? You glanced around. You hadn’t seen any bamboo anywhere and you weren’t sure which leaves a panda could eat.

   “Hey,” Chenle said as he made his way over to sit beside you. The rushing noise of the waterfall almost drowned him out. “Are you not hungry?” he asked, eyeing the way the panda began to gnaw on the mango.

   “Not really.”

   Chenle suddenly looked like he had just remembered something of significant importance as he looked over at you. “What’s your name, by the way? You know ours, but yours remains a mystery to us.”

   “[Y/N].”

   He repeated your name once, twice, then thrice, the syllable(s) rolling off his tongue easily. Something about the way he said it made you feel giddy. You couldn’t place your finger on why– after all, people had been calling you [Y/N] since birth, so why were you feeling like this now?

   He paused. “What’s it like? Living in a real home with a real family.” You looked over at him as he stared wistfully up at the sky. It couldn’t be more than an hour past noon, based on the sun’s position.

   “Do you really not remember anything?”

   “No, not completely. None of us do, actually. The lot of us, we only remember random snippets of anything. Donghyuck, he remembers his mother and how she wanted a cheque book, whatever that is. He wants to buy her one,” he smiled sadly, “if we can ever leave this place. And Jeno, he says he can remember lots. Like how everyone lives in these big houses and how it only ever rains once in a ‘blue moon.’” You raised a brow at the fibs, curious as how he came to even think of those.

   “Mark remembers,” he stopped, trying to remember what exactly Mark remembered. “He remembers painting! Yes, painting.” Chenle started to laugh, the noise sounding like heavenly bells to your ears. Something about the boy next to you was calming, soothing even. “We tried painting once. It didn’t look to good and I don’t think we were supposed to run berries against stone tablets, but it was great fun.”

   “Jisung, he remembers writing. He’s not sure where or why, but he can remember bringing pen to parchment and just letting ink flow.” He chuckled, “That’s what he always says. ‘The ink just flows from the pen, just like that!’” A smile came to your lips at how fond Chenle seemed of the others. “Respectively, Renjun remembers reading. He can faintly recall the tale of a dragon, a knight, and a royal stuck high up in the sky.”

   Turning to you, Chenle hummed. “Do you think that’s what we are? People stuck in the sky?” After hearing himself talk out loud, a light pink hue took over his otherwise light skin. “Ah,” he mumbled, scratching the back of his neck in an embarrassed laugh. “That doesn’t make any sense, does it? Never mind.”

   You smiled, petting Wren gently as she began to fall asleep, a half eaten mango laying on the ground next to your leg. “No, no. It makes sense. In a way, we really are just people trapped up in the sky. After all, I had to fly to get here.” You glanced over at him curiously, your gaze catching his eye almost instantly. “What about you, Chenle? What do you remember?”

   A frown took place of his easy smile. “I’m– I don’t remember a thing about the past.” Your expression dropped. Chenle had sounded so dejected, so miserable over the fact that he couldn’t remember anything. “I don’t get it; the others remember things. Why don’t I?” His voice cracked, as though the topic of his memory wasn’t something he liked talking about.

   Slowly, you moved in front of Chenle, gently placing Wren on the ground. He watched you curiously as you shifted. Leaning forward, you wrapped your arms around him in a gentle hug. Chenle stared over your back in shock– he could’ve sworn his heartbeat was loud enough for you to hear in such proximity. Then, inch by inch, Chenle raised his own arms before hanging them over the small of your back. Soon enough, he was bring you closer, reciprocating the hug happily.

   The feeling was so unknown to the both of you. You never received hugs, at least, not since Mr Howard’s death. Chenle, on the other hand, couldn’t remember if he had ever been hugged. The warmth, the contact, all of it was so odd to the two of you and yet neither of you wanted to move. Chenle buried his face into the crook of your neck, something that felt oh-so natural to him. “Thank you,” he whispered, his voice sending slight shivers down your spine. You pulled away slightly, smiling at him.

   Before another word could be uttered, Donghyuck started yelling, effectively gaining your attention. “Come here,” he called, “no– not you, Chenle–”

   You chuckled, standing up. Brushing your pants off, you looked down at Chenle, who had gone to play with Wren. “I’ll be right back,” you said. Then, out of habit, “goodbye.”

   You could barely take a simple step before Chenle was moving to grab your wrist. You let in a sudden breath, not expecting the sudden movement, nor his hand that was now clasped around your wrist. Chenle looked somewhat embarrassed as his eyes travelled to your wrist. He coughed, fumbling with himself as he cleared his throat. “Sorry about that but,” he looked away for a moment before looking you in the eyes, “don’t say goodbye, okay? At least not to m– not to us. Goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting.” He frowned, “I don’t want you to forget us.”

   You smiled, moving your hand so that it lay in his. “Don’t worry, Chenle. I won’t forget you guys– I don’t think I could even if I tried.”

   When you walked off, Chenle watched. Your words rang in his head, echoing effortlessly.

   You reminded him of something, though he didn’t know what.

   “Did you need anything?” you asked once you reached the group. At first, they said nothing and just laughed amongst themselves. You waited patiently, hoops of confusion swirling around your head.

   Eventually, Renjun spoke up. “You and Chenle are getting cozy over there,” he commented, faking nonchalance. Your cheeks burned. Only then did you realize that all five of them could easily see the small exchange you just had with the aforementioned Lost Boy.

   “I bet he knows your name too,” Jeno sang with a chuckle.

   Mark and Donghyuck laughed in unison, glancing over at Jeno. “You say that like knowing a name is scandalous,” said Mark. Donghyuck looked to you.

   “Speaking of, what is your name?”

   You barely had time to introduce yourself before all of you hear a familiar noise.

   Bells.

   The boys’ eyes widened, each of them standing stiffly. You froze, unaware of what consequences the boys feared. The hairs on the back of your neck stood stiffly straight as the rest of your body shook. A familiar glow, a shimmer even, appeared right above Mark. It was the same glow you had seen back in your room.

   “… his faerie, Yuta…”

   You’ve been found.

   Suddenly, Yuta’s faerie dust began to fall, fluttering over Mark’s head. Before any of you could reach out and grab him, he began to rise, and he rose much faster than you had before. “Mark–!”

   It was too late, Yuta’s glow disappeared and Mark was flying seemingly out of control to sea. Chenle came running, Wren hanging off of his shoulder. “Yuta?” he asked urgently, his eyes not leaving the screaming form of Mark. Jeno merely nodded, looking incredibly distraught.

   Jisung let out a shaky breath, tears lining his eyes. “Do you think Taeyong’s going to,” he stopped himself short, shaking his head fervently. Jeno brought the younger male into a hug to mask his own tears. The boys had experience this three times now and none of them were mentally prepared.

   “We have to get him before Taeyong can do anything,” Donghyuck stammered, staring down at his own shaking hands in fear. He turned to you and only then did you see his glossy eyes. Looking around, you could see that all of them were on the verge of tears in their panic. “Please, [Y/N], help us. We’ve already lost two Lost Boys– none of us can handle a third.”

   You nodded, shaken up yourself after witnessing the absolute terror in Mark’s expression as he realized what was happening. “Of course,” you stuttered, “I don’t know what I’ll do, but I’ll try to be as helpful as possible.”

   Without another word, the six of you began your trek through the thick vegetation of the forest. The only noise being the sound of branches and leaves crinkling beneath your running feet and the breathing of each and every one of you. Once again, Foreverland seemed eerily quiet to you. It’s lack of audibility disturbed you to no end. It gave the, otherwise beautiful, island a creepy vibe and you did not like it. Not one bit.

   No one spoke as you each ran, too focused on their thoughts. You knew even without them telling you what they were all thinking. Though you didn’t know the details about their friends, you knew they hall thought Mark would have a similar fate.

   You looked up, looking at the backs of each of the Lost Boys– at least, the boys that remained. You had only met them that day yet you felt emotionally attached. They were so kind, far kinder than anyone else whom you’ve ever met– from both Foreverland and London.

   Your eyes fell upon the first Lost Boy you had met. Chenle’s face of determination pushed you. It pushed you to keep going even though all you wanted to do was give up and weep. It surprised you, how much influence the boy had over you without even trying.

   You thought back to the conversation you had at the waterfall, then to the pen Taeyong had used to create a portal.

   Yes, you decided. I’ll do it. I’ll make sure these Lost Boys are finally found. You swallowed thickly. If anything bad happened to them solely because of you, you don’t know how you’d live with the guilt.

   Soon enough, daylight began to break through the gaps in between the trees thick branches until the six of you reached the beach. The sky was turning orange, tendrils of warm colours galore painting themselves over the soft, baby blue of the sky. Clouds cast shadows here and there, leaving their temporary mark on the world. To you, the world’s beauty was unfair.

   How could the sun set, the sky turn and the wind blow like usual when someone could meet an undesirable fate?

   “Look!” Renjun pointed outward, out to sea. Your gaze followed his finger out above the cool water, until it struck upon the side of a ship. You had looked just in time to see Mark drop onto the deck. “That’s Captain Johnny’s ship!”

   Chenle narrowed his eyes, focusing on the ship. Then, he let out a gasp. “On the stern, that’s–”

   Suddenly, you could no longer hear Chenle, or any of the other Lost Boys. All you could hear was bells. A dark blue dust fell upon you and without realizing, you started getting closer and closer to the ship. The Lost Boys, they called after you, desperately calling your name, but you had no control of your body– not your head, not your mouth, nothing. You felt as though you were in a daze.

   “[Y/N]!”

   You blinked. From the corner of your eye, you could see a blue glow flitting back and forth. Yuta. You tried to move your arm, but it felt as though they were tied to your body with the strongest, most durable rope in existence.

   Straining every muscle in your arm, you willed yourself to break those invisible ropes. Moving as quickly as your injury would allow you, you hastily grabbed at Yuta. You felt him struggle against your curled fingers as you pressed him into the skin of your palm. However without Yuta controlling the faerie dust, you quickly began to plummet. You let out a scream, screwing your eyes shut. Despite everything that had happened, you found yourself repeating Taeyong’s words like a mantra.

   Just close your eyes and wish to fly.

   You opened your eyes just barely. A sigh of relief left you once you realized you were hovering mere inches above the water.

   “You’ve mastered flying in such a short time. I’m impressed,” a condescending voice said from above. You looked up and saw Taeyong floating, hovering as though he were lying down on a chesterfield bored out of his mind.

   “Pan,” you muttered disdainfully. You glowered as he came closer, to which you flew back a few metres. You could practically feel Yuta trying to shove his way passed your fingers, but you weren’t willing to let him go whilst under his faerie dust’s control.

   Taeyong chuckled, though you could tell he was anything but amused. “Pan? Why, [Y/N], you sound so distant with little ol’ Taeyong. I’m hurt.”

   “Stop acting as if you’ve done nothing.”

   “Oh, but [Y/N]. You see, the thing is– I haven’t done as much as lifting a finger since you’ve arrived in Foreverland.”

   “Bull. You had Yuta tell Chenle to shoot me and you watched as I fell to what could’ve been my death. You’ve taken Mark onto that bloody boat to do who knows what.”

   Taeyong grinned down at you, his constant look of amusement infuriated you to no end.

   Before you could say much else, Taeyong looked back onto the boat. Up on the starboard appeared a pirate, one with a hook as a hand and an eyepatch over his right eye. “John,” Taeyong started, “get them.” ‘John,’ who you assumed was Captain Johnny, nodded and disappeared for but a moment. Not too long after, men of all sizes and ages appeared onboard, each clambering into row boats that were then ejected to sea. You turned around in your spot with wide eyes, watching as they rowed toward shore.

   The Lost Boys!

   You moved to stop the boats from getting any further, but Taeyong was quick to grab your arm, pulling you flush against his chest. “You get to watch,” he murmured into your ear, “as they bring your little friends onboard.” He chuckled. “Though you may not want to see what happens next,” he clicked his tongue, as he dragged a finger over your throat. “Not that you’ll have a choice.”

   “Bastard,” you spat, “why’re you doing this? They’re just boys!”

   Taeyong chuckled, flying back onto the ship and bring you with him. “Why?” he repeated, roughly forcing your hand open. Within seconds, Yuta clumsily fluttered up onto Taeyong’s shoulder, gasping for air as he clutched his bent wing. “Why. What an interesting question.” With the single wave of a hand, Taeyong managed to push you against a wooden post, trapping you against it. Only then did you notice the blue shimmering on his hand that only shone against the fleeting rays of light.

   “I can’t think of any reasons why I should grow old, shrivel up, and die. If I do, what were my accomplishments for? My memories?” He rambled, talking as though what he spoke was common sense. “Even after being twenty-two for ten years, I will never grow sick of not growing. I hated growing up, and now I don’t have to.”

   You furrowed your brows together in confusion. Your mind tried to grasp onto frayed ends of his speech to no avail. Upon laying eyes on your confused expression, Taeyong threw his head back in a deep, bellowing laugh. He sounded completely insane. “You still don’t get it, do you sweets?” Beside him, Yuta’s bells tinkled as he quietly mocked you. “Here, in Foreverland, each day that passes takes a year off of your lifespan. But I, the oh-so wonderful, the ever so amazing Pan– have found a way to keep myself young. To live for years upon years.”

   Two boys walked out from the room under the stern. Their eyes were hazy, their skin pale as crisp, new parchment paper. They looked soulless. One of the boys, the shorter one, had a ripped sleeve. The cloth, you noted, had a familiar pattern. “All I have to do, is take.” With his final word, Taeyong reached into the same sack that he had taken out before. Instead of taking on a pen, he took out a clear flask containing an almost murky gray liquid. Within the liquid were strange, black blobs. The longer you stared at them, the clearer an image came.

   Screaming souls.

   In that moment, your heart dropped. Your eyes darted to the sea, where five rowboats were on their way back to the ship. In that single moment, you realized what Taeyong had done to the two Lost Boys and what he was going to do to the rest of them.

   You screamed, yelled for the Lost Boys to escape. To swim away, to hide deep within the forest of Foreverland. Taeyong grew more and more irritated with every sound that came from your throat, muffling your voice with the palm of his hand.

   Why hadn’t they listened?

   As the pirates began to flood the deck of the ship, you realized why. One by one, burly pirates climbed up the ship’s edge, each heaving an unconscious body over their shoulders. You struggled against Taeyong’s magic and his hand, but with no luck.

   Then, everything went black as Taeyong forcefully hit your head against the post.

   “… -joy the show, boys.”

   When you came to, you were tied to the post. You gasped at what you saw before you.

   The Lost Boys, all six of them stood in a line. Behind them were the same burly pirates who had carried them onboard. Each pirate had their hand to the hilt of their swords. You could tell the boys had been crying, their eyes red and puffy. Crying. As you glanced at each of them, that’s all you wanted to do. You felt weak under the scrutinizing glare of the pirates.

   You struggled to breath. Fear encased you like a prison trapping its prisoner. But, with the touch of a familiar paw, your vision cleared. Your breathing steadied.

   Taeyong came into view, tossing the flask back and forth between his hands. Both you and the boys watched him warily as he stepped in front of you. You noticed the boys turning away, but it didn’t take long for the pirates to redirect their gaze, forcefully keeping their heads pointing toward you.

   Taeyong brought the flask up to your lips. Immediately, you clamped your mouth shut and turned your head. He tried again. You did the same. The more you moved and refused to drink from the flask, Taeyong grew annoyed. “Drink it, dammit,” he spat, his strident voice making you flinch.

   “I’ll never drink it,” you glowered, “not while they’re still in Foreverland.”

   The boys’ eyes widened. Chenle moved forward, only to be held back by the pirate behind him. “[Y/N], what are you doing–”

   Ignoring Chenle, you looked Taeyong in the eye. “You want to live longer right? You already have their lives,” you nodded your head toward the two lifeless Lost Boys. “That’s plenty already.” You sounded desperate. “I’ve only been in Foreverland for a day. Them? Weeks. My lifespan is definitely longer than theirs, maybe even combined. You want my soul? Let them go. Bring them back to earth– let them be found.”

   Now, the Lost Boys struggled more and more against the pirates, their voices muffled. Taeyong, too obsessed with the concept of a longer life to think properly, looked as though he were weighing his options. Without hesitation, he took the pen from his sack and drew a portal. “Free them,” he ordered the pirates. The group looked at each other, unsure of whether or not they wanted to follow his orders. “Free them!” he repeated, seeing red.

   You gulped. Taeyong wasn’t in the right state of mind, that was obvious enough. You looked up at the Lost Boys, almost immediately meeting the teary eyes of Chenle. Your lips moved, mouthing a goodbye, but he beat you to it.

   “Don’t say it,” he whispered, smiling painfully.

   “Don’t say goodbye, okay? At least not to m– not to us. Goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting.” He frowned, “I don’t want you to forget us.”

   You smiled, moving your hand so that it lay in his. “Don’t worry, Chenle. I won’t forget you guys– I don’t think I could even if I tried.”

   With that, the last you saw of him was one last fleeting smile before he was pushed through the portal, back to earth.

   Then, you met eyes with Taeyong, who was in the midst of turning back to you. He held the flask to your mouth again, only to wheeze in pain once your foot came in contact with his stomach. He dropped the vial, the murky liquid spilling everywhere. The sounds of the screaming souls almost deafened every being on the ship, momentarily distracting them. You tugged hard at the almost broken down ropes that trapped you, covering your ears as you ran away from the post. You glanced back, finding Wren scampering toward you. Picking her up in your arms, your eyes darted from left to right in search of Taeyong’s pen. The portal the Lost Boys had gone through had disappeared into thin air mere seconds after Chenle entered. Finally, you saw it. It had rolled near the foot of the tallest pirate– Captain Johnny.

   He must’ve noticed your gaze, because he was quick to reach for it. However, not fast enough. A force sent him backwards, one that you weren’t expecting. One of the soulless Lost Boys had tackled him before kicking the pen in your direction. The other Lost Boy fended off pirates that neared you. The flask. Their souls, they must’ve returned to their original hosts!

   Wasting no time, you took hold of the pen and drew an oval just as you had seen Taeyong do. Without thinking, you jumped in, taking the pen with you.

2017, Seoul

   Chenle awoke with a start. He bolted upright, panting. He had broken out into a cold sweat, something Renjun noticed right away upon entering the bedroom. “Did you have a nightmare?” he asked, playing with the strings of the hoodie he wore. Chenle merely shook his head. “We couldn’t wake you up earlier. We’re going soon, so I suggest you get changed.”

   “Going? Going where?”

   Renjun chuckled at the boy’s memory– “To the zoo, Lele. You know, the one you’ve been rearing to visit since our manager said we could go?”

   Chenle made a noise of recognition, smiling at Renjun sheepishly. “Right, right. I remember,” he laughed as he spoke, ruffling his messy chestnut brown hair. “I’ll be ready soon.” Renjun nodded. He took one more worried glance at the still frazzled Chenle before leaving the room to let him change.

   Chenle ran a hand through his hair, sighing. “Weird dream,” he mumbled to himself before kicking off the covers. His mind conjured up an image of the stranger, [Y/N]. He couldn’t remember even meeting a [Y/N] and that left him with questions.

   Shaking his head, he bounced off of bed and got ready.

   At the zoo, Chenle grinned up at all of the enclosures. The rest of NCT Dream could barely keep up with his bubbly attitude and his rush to see the next exhibit. In truth, Chenle hadn’t been able to visit a zoo in a long while, and he always liked seeing the animals. “Wait up, Chenle,” called their manager as he trudged after the energetic group. Jaemin, who walked alongside the man, laughed. He himself looked on, watching with keen interest as his members rushed from one cage to another in an attempt in catching up with Chenle.

   Finally, Chenle had stumbled across the one exhibit he was most excited for. The others hadn’t yet caught up with him, still two or three enclosures down. After his odd dream, he hoped there would be an exhibit for pandas. To his luck, there were three pandas left– a small family that had grown within the enclosure.

   He stared at them, passed the glass with rounded eyes. He watched as they interacted with one another, their actions reminding him of the numerous families he had seen along the way. Then, one of the pandas, the mother he assumed, seemed to look at him. He blinked, small, quiet noises of awe escaping his mouth as the panda drew near. He laughed in astonishment when the panda sat down in front of the glass, placing her large paws on the smooth surface.

   “She’s cute, isn’t she?”

   Chenle jumped, having not heard anyone walk down the hallway. He turned and saw a person wearing a cap and a mask standing a little ways away from him. Slowly, he nodded. “Very,” he agreed.

   The stranger smiled from beneath their mask. “Her name’s Wren. She was found outside the zoo a few years ago. Odd, considering we’re in the city.”

   Chenle frowned, turning to look at the giant panda. Her paws still pressed against the glass, as if she suddenly longed for freedom.

   Wren?

   He looked back at the stranger, only to stop short. The stranger had taken off their mask to reveal their smile.

   “[Y/N]?”

sO fOrCeD– i hope!! you all enjoyed this 10.2k worth of messy trash :) (esp u chenle’s wife ily i hope ur bday goes great !!!!)