#i'll actually go in result order for this outfit round

[lilacmingi]

ALICE IN WONDERLAND AU ♤ PART 6: HOSEOK

My works are 14+ ONLY. If you’re under 14 DO NOT interact with me or any of my works

Pairing: Red Queen!Hoseok x fem reader

Word count: 4,605

"There she is!" One of the knights shouted.

This caused all three of the boys to fall silent, their argument coming to an immediate stop. Now that you were actually face-to-face with the knights, you could see that they weren't people at all, but cards. The only knight who was a human was standing at the front, donning red armor.

"We're screwed now." Yoongi huffed.

"Yeah. No thanks to you two." Namjoon grumbled.

"Taehyung is the one that started it." Yoongi shot back.

"Silence! All of you!" The knight at the front of the group bellowed. "Y/n L/n, you're coming with us by order of The Red King."

"What if I refuse?" You questioned, putting your hands on your hips defiantly.

"Yeah. What if she doesn't wanna go?" Taehyung stepped forward and mimicked you, mirroring your stance.

"Shut it, you lying rat! What happened to you not knowing about her being here?" The knight snarled.

Taehyung was silent.

The knight in charge walked over and grabbed your arms, holding them behind your back so you couldn't move.

"Let go!" You hissed, jerking your shoulders to try and break free, fighting back against him.

Of course, it was no use.

Namjoon, Yoongi, and Taehyung tried to go after him, but the card knights quickly intervened and held them in their places, rendering them immobile.

"Don't take them!" You begged. "You're here for me, right? So leave them be."

"Aw. Sacrificing yourself for your friends. How touching." The knight cooed. "Since I know how strongly The Red King feels about you, I'll let them go."

"Thank you." You sighed.

"Y/n, don't be stupid." Namjoon pleaded.

"It'll be okay. I promise." You gave the three of them a reassuring smile despite your insides feeling like they were twisting.

Somehow, you would find a way out of this.

"Let's go." The red knight ordered.

The boys watched helplessly with broken expressions as you were dragged away, but if you being captured saved them, then it would be worth it.

The red knight tossed you up on a horse and sat in front, grabbing the reins. You cooperated and didn't try to escape, knowing that if you did so, it would result in them going after Namjoon, Yoongi, and Taehyung.

After what felt like hours of staring at the scenery that passed while ultimately waiting for your demise, you arrived at a massive castle with lots of red accents and heart shapes in the towering structure. There was something vaguely familiar about it all, but your memories were still too hazy to properly recall anything. You crossed a drawbridge and entered the enclosed courtyard. Red and white rose bushes dotted the land and heart-shaped trees lined the perimeter of the area.

Hearts seem to be a common feature here. You noted.

The information wasn't important, but you'd do anything to keep your mind off what lied ahead.

The horse came to a stop and the red knight dismounted, pulling you back to reality.

"Come with me." He instructed, though he didn't give you time to move on your own accord as he forcefully pulled you off the horse. His hands held your wrists behind your back, keeping them tightly bound while he shoved you inside the towering castle.

As you walked past the entryway and down a hallway, you realized that you were about to meet The Red King face-to-face—and that terrified you. What little you had heard about him was enough to make you anxious. If he sent a giant beast after you, he couldn't be a very nice guy.

You came to a stop at a set of double doors, the sound of hysterical laughter could be heard on the other side. Two servants standing on either side of the doors reached out and opened them.

Inside was a man lounged sideways in an extravagant throne, his legs propped up on the left arm of the chair, his head on the right. He was dressed in a lavish outfit, a velvet red coat that matched the color of his hair and round rimmed sunglasses. There was a person handcuffed and on their knees in front of him. The Red King was laughing like crazy, his cackles echoing around the vast and spacious throne room.

"Tell me another one!" He demanded through raucous laughter.

The person on the floor then told another joke as requested, his form visibly shaking. The smile dropped from The Red King's face and his laughter ceased immediately. He wasted no time swiping a book sitting on a table beside him and throwing it at the man.

"That one wasn't funny!" He shouted.

"S-sorry, y-your highness." The man apologized, covering his head and cowering away from the enraged king.

"Sir." The red knight spoke up, finally announcing his presence.

The king sat up and removed his sunglasses to get a better look at the both of you, a bright smile appearing on his face moments later.

If you didn't know he was absolutely insane, you would say he looked like a sweet guy with that bright smile of his.

"You brought her." He announced happily.

He stopped and looked down at the poor handcuffed man, his whole demeanor changing in an instant, reverting back to that angry attitude he had just a few seconds ago.

"You, get out. Guards! Get this fool out of my sight."

Two guards approached and pulled the man out of the room. The red knight then shoved you forward until you were stood right where the prisoner was just sitting.

"Y/n. My sweet Y/n." The joyous grin that painted his features went away immediately. His demeanor changing once again.

Fear coursed through you the instant his expression fell. The first thought that crossed your mind was that something about your appearance didn't please him. Then again, with the way he reacted about that guy's joke, it could be anything that was bothering him.

You watched with bated breath as his eyes drifted to the red knight gripping tightly to your wrists that were still being held behind your back.

"Let go of her! What are you doing shoving her around like that?" He snapped. "That's no way to treat a lady, especially this one."

The red knight promptly released your hands and stepped away. "My apologizes, your majesty." He bowed. "Just making sure she doesn't escape."

The king shot a glare at the knight before turning to address you.

"Sorry about him." He gently grasped your hand. "He has no morals and apparently doesn't know how to treat a lady either."

"Oh. It's alright." You dismissed, not wanting to stir up something.

Looking at him up close, you could really take in his features. The Red King was stunning. His eyes were bright with an almost cheerful gleam to them and his facial structure was absolutely perfect. Adorning his cheek was a cute little heart, which matched well with all the other heart details scattered about the castle. His red hair was even more lively up close, the color looking much more vibrant than when you were standing farther away.

"Have a seat, my dear." He gestured to an empty spot beside him.

One of his servants standing nearby was quick to pull up a chair for you to sit in. Hesitantly, you lowered yourself into the seat, locking your gaze on your lap where your hands were folded.

"You've grown up so well." He murmured, playing with your hair for a moment. "So beautiful." His fingers left your locks and slowly trailed down your arm to your hand which he took hold of and brought to his lips, placing a kiss to the back of it.

The gesture was sweet, but you had to keep in mind that this man had a temper. It's best to tread lightly and try not to upset him.

"You're acting as if you've just met me." The statement was accompanied by a light chuckle.

"I have." You responded.

He furrowed his brows.

"I don't remember coming here when I was younger. I have no memory of it."

"How is that possible?" He asked the question mostly to himself, looking extremely worried before quickly collecting himself. "No matter." He smiled, brushing it off.

"So, what's your name? I'd rather not call you The Red King."

"Ah, yes. I'm Hoseok."

You repeated his name quietly to yourself.

"It sounds so lovely when you say it."

His eyes drifted down to your attire.

"Oh goodness. Your clothes are a mess. I'll get you new ones immediately. He turned to a nearby servant, snapping his fingers. "Go get my tailors and bring them here to me."

"Yes, your majesty." The servant nodded before walking off.

Moments later, two people, who you assumed were the tailors, came scurrying into the throne room.

"Yes, your highness?"

"Get my dear Y/n some fresh clothes please. Make her something pretty."

"Yes, your highness." They bowed.

Hoseok leaned over. "I have the best tailors in the whole kingdom. You're in good hands."

They wasted no time getting your measurements, pulling your arms out at your sides to get the length of each one, both of them working again once, measuring different parts of you.

Just as soon as they were done, Hoseok made them leave, shooing them out while telling them to hurry and make it snappy.

The atmosphere was tense as you sat in silence with Hoseok. As much as you wanted to strike up a conversation to kill the suffocatingly anxious energy in the air, you couldn't, keeping your mouth shut in fear of saying the wrong thing. The last thing you wanted to do was set off Hoseok's temper and make him upset.

Much to your relief, one of the tailors came walking into the room, putting an end to your worrisome emotions. With him, he carried a red box holding your new outfit.

"We're finished with her dress your majesty."

Dress?

You assumed you'd be receiving comfortable, regular clothes. Then again, you were in a castle with a king, so maybe you should've expected it.

"Let's see what it looks like." Hoseok gestured for the man to open the box.

He pulled off the lid, revealing a beautiful dress with black and red accents and small hearts adorning the fabric. Even though it was folded up, it was clear that the dress was designed very well. You couldn't believe an entire garment was created in such a short amount of time.

The audible gasp you let out once your eyes landed on the stunning dress echoed in the vast room due to all the empty space as you leaned forward to get a closer look.

"She doesn't like it. You imbecile!" Hoseok hissed. "She hates it! Take it back! Go make another one." He demanded harshly.

"No! I do like it. I like it a lot."

"You do? If you don't, they'll make another one. They won't stop until you have a dress that is to your satisfaction."

"No, no. I love this dress." You assured. "You and the other tailor did an incredible job. I'm beyond impressed." You praised the designer on his impeccable work.

"Thank you, Miss Y/n." He bowed.

"Follow him and he'll take you somewhere to get changed." Hoseok gestured.

The muted sound of your footsteps overlapping with those of the tailor echoed faintly as you made your exit, trailing behind the man as the large throne room doors were pulled shut behind you. It was only then that you spoke up, knowing Hoseok wouldn't be able to hear.

"I'm sorry if this sounds forward, but how can you stand him?"

"Oh. I'm not sure I can answer that, Miss." He responded, hesitancy lacing his tone.

"Of course you can. He can't hear you."

"Well..." He glanced back toward the closed throne room doors which you were quite a distance away from. "Truth be told, I can't stand him at all. He's so demanding and his mood changes just like that." He snapped his fingers. "Being around him is like walking on eggshells."

"Hm." You hummed, nodding softly. "I may have only been around him for a short time, but I can definitely see that he's a temperamental person. I think if he didn't lose his cool so easily, he'd be a nice guy."

"I believe you're correct, Miss Y/n." The tailor nodded in agreement. "You know, I've seen glimpses of someone kinder—different. Though before I can properly process it, that hardness in the king's eyes always comes right back."

This tidbit of information had your brows tugging together in both perplexmxent and intrigue.

The tailor brought you to a room where you were able to change into the wonderfully-made garment. Pulling the dress from the box, you took a moment to admire it once again, properly taking in all the intricate details of it. Those tailors don't mess around.

Removing your dirty clothes, you discarded them, trading the stained garments for the dress.

Turning to a large mirror on the wall in the small room, you took in your appearance. A soft smile painted your features as your palms ran down the skirt of the dress. You felt like royalty. Glancing back to the dress box, you spotted a pair of shoes sitting in the bottom. They were off-white heels with a metallic red heart on the tops. You slipped them onto your feet, taking a moment to admire them before exiting the room.

Hoseok's servant let out a gasp almost as soon as you stepped into the hall.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. The dress looks wonderful."

"Thank you." You grinned, swishing the skirt around.

It was then that you noticed Hoseok's servant from the throne room standing by the tailor.

"The king requests that you get your hair and makeup done. Immediately." He announced.

"What?"

"This way." The servant took your hand and began guiding you down the corridor.

Throwing a quick wave to the tailor, you told him to thank the other one for helping with the dress just before you were pulled around a corner.

The servant took you to a different room where four female servants were waiting. The group of women were quick to pull you over and sit you down in a chair, getting to work immediately.

Nearly half an hour later, the ladies stepped away and let you get a look at yourself.

You jumped back from your reflection, your mouth hanging agape in surprise. You didn't look like yourself at all, but not in a bad way. Your hair was styled beautifully, not a strand or piece of hair out of place. You gasped softly when you noticed a few red strands of scarlet hair mixed with your natural locks.

"Don't worry, Miss. they're just extensions." One of the servants reassured you.

Your makeup was very different. On your eyelids was a mix of red and black eyeshadow. The red covered the expanse of your lid while the black served as a Smokey transition color for the crease. Your lips sported a dark red color and adoring your right cheekbone was a tiny heart just like the one on Hoseok's face.

"You must go back to the king now. He'll get impatient." One of the ladies urged, rushing you out of the room, hardly giving you any time to thank them for their work.

Stumbling out into the hallway, you spotted the same servant from earlier sitting in a chair in the corridor. When he noticed your presence, he immediately got to his feet and escorted you back to Hoseok.

When the giant double doors to the royal chamber opened, Hoseok was sitting on his throne with a glass of wine in his hand, swirling his finger around the rim in boredom. When he saw you enter, he set the glass aside and stood up, a look of awe flashing across his features.

"Y/n. You look magnificent." He breathed, unable to tear his eyes away from you.

The servant was quick to step away, leaving both you and Hoseok alone.

"Come here, Y/n." Hoseok grinned warmly, extending his hand.

You slowly proceeded forward, your heels clicking against the black and white checkered floor as you made your way towards the handsome yet temperamental man.

Once you were close enough, he took your hand in his, holding it in the most gentle manner.

"Would you like a tour of the castle?"

"I would."

"I was hoping you'd say that." He gleamed, leading you out of the royal chamber. "I'm so excited to show you around."

As soon as the two of you stepped foot in the hallway, Hoseok's bright expression fell into one that was more serious since he was passing the guards that stood outside the throne room. You took notice of his instant attitude change and became curious.

Was he embarrassed to show happiness around the guards and castle staff?

"This way, my sweet." He spoke, pulling you from your thoughts while guiding you down a hallway that went to the right.

You should be scared. You had been captured, but it didn't feel like it. You expected to be tossed into a dungeon or fed to that bandersnatch thing from earlier, yet here you are getting a personal tour from the king himself, wearing a beautiful dress that was created just for you. Besides his sudden mood changes, Hoseok didn't exactly seem like a bad guy, especially when the both of you were alone. Those glimpses the tailor spoke of that he had seen of a kinder Hoseok came to mind and had you wondering if maybe he was seeing the king's true personality.

Hoseok showed you the kitchen which was spacious and equipped with every appliance anyone could ever need. He showed you a common room, an office, a library, and a few other rooms around the castle.

"What do you think so far?" He inquired.

"It's lovely. Very extravagant too. I've never been in a castle before, so this is all new to me."

"In that case, it's an honor to be able to show you around. Now, there's one more room I have to show you."

Hoseok guided you down the seemingly endless hallway until the both of you arrived at a huge door. He pushed it opened, revealing a stunning room with a king-sized bed, a round gold-rimmed mirror and a heart-shaped chair sitting in the corner.

"These are my sleeping quarters, but this isn't the place I wanted to show you. This way."

He brought you over to a set of glass double doors that led to a balcony. Using both hands, he pulled the doors open and stepped outside, you following behind him.

"This is what I wanted to show you."

A gasp of awe escaped your mouth when your eyes beheld the sight before you. Approaching the end of the spacious balcony, you stood at the railing, gazing out at the huge enclosed courtyard and all the greenery that dotted the land. In the distance were hills and hills of the familiar mushrooms, spindly trees, and curly plants that were a consistent sight in Wonderland.

"What do you think?" He asked.

"It's breathtaking."

"It is. I like to come up here to calm down when things get to be... too much. Coming out here at night is also quite a treat. Seeing the sky dotted with twinkling stars could take anyone's mind off whatever is troubling them."

"Sounds like an ideal way to de-stress." You commented, staring up at the blue sky, imagining the expanse of atmosphere cloaked in stars.

Hoseok's gaze moved down to the lawn below and frowned in displeasure.

Idiots." He snarled.

"What's wrong?"

"They planted white roses when I specifically told them red."

"You could just paint the roses red." You suggested absentmindedly, glancing down at the rows of blooms.

Hoseok turned to  you, a look of surprise flashing across his face.

"What?" You questioned.

"That's exactly what you said last time you were here."

"I did?"

He nodded.

You cast your gaze out at the scenery, your mind beginning to wander once again.

For the life of you, you couldn't recall any memories of visiting this place. However, there was some part of your mind that held those forgotten moments of your childhood. Earlier you had called Taehyung by his nickname and you just repeated something that you said when you were younger, so whatever memories you had were tucked away somewhere in the recesses of your mind. You just needed something to trigger them.

Heoseok had hearts everywhere: heart-shaped trees in the courtyard, hearts on the walkway stones, heart-shaped chairs and door handles—they were everywhere.

A name suddenly popped into your head. Something from deep within your memory that spilled from your lips before you could stop it.

"King of Hearts."

"What did you say?" Hoseok's eyes were trained on your face.

"King of Hearts. Isn't that what people call you?"

"Well, yes but it's mostly just The Red King now. I haven't been called The King of Hearts since you were here."

"I remember calling you that."

"You do?"

"Yes. I do."

His face lit up like how you imagined the stars in the sky were at night. A gentle breeze blew by and a silence fell over the both of you, but not an awkward one like earlier in the throne room. This one was a comfortable silence and one that lasted for at least a minute until a question that had been gnawing at your curiosity finally broke free.

"Why are you the way you are?"

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"You lose your temper easily and lash out at people for the smallest thing, but you're so kind to me. Why is that?"

"I guess you just bring out the best in me."

"I'm not sure that's the truth."

Hoseok chuckled dryly. "You're sharp."

"I notice how your mood changes around your servants and guards. You put on an act."

"I guess... I want them to know I'm to be feared."

"Why?"

He shrugged.

"I'm not a bad person, Y/n. I wasn't always this way, you know. Things were different."

"How did you used to be?"

"How I am around you. Happy and silly."

"It seems to me you're still that way."

He shrugged his shoulders again.

"What made you change?"

"My friend, Jin."

You recalled Yoongi saying that name earlier.

"The two of us were best friends, but after we became friends with Namjoon, Yoongi, Jungkook, Taehyung and Jimin they started to take him away from me."

"How so?"

"They wanted to hang out with him rather than me. Jin is a social butterfly and was always spending time with them. If I were to hang out with all six of them they'd ignore me."

"I bet you felt really isolated."

"I did." He nodded. "One day I lost it and lashed out at all of them. I built this castle far away from everyone and secluded myself."

"I'm sorry." You frowned, placing your hand on top of his.

"It's okay." He mumbled.

"Don't you get lonely out here?"

"Yes but that's why you're here."

"To do what?"

"To be with me, keep me company."

"I—"

"You don't have to say anything." He caressed your cheek with his thumb, slowly leaning in.

Before you could even register your own actions, your hand moved on its own, stopping Hoseok's lips from touching yours.

He pulled away with a frown. "What's wrong?"

He brushed your hair away, stopping when he saw a faint pink spot on your neck.

His gentle expression dropped immediately.

"Who placed their filthy lips on you?"

Every part of your body went numb.

"No one." You lied, not wanting to throw Jungkook under the bus.

"I was under the impression that my guards found you before you had the chance to meet any of the others." His tone was becoming sharper by the second. "How many of them did you meet?"

Your foot moved back as you stepped away to put some space between the both of you, opting to keep your mouth shut. Hoseok grabbed your wrist and pulled you forward.

"Which one of those idiots kissed you? Whose filthy lips touched my sweet Y/n's?" He growled angrily.

"Please calm down." You tried to pull your wrist away only for his grip to tighten. "That hurts. Please stop."

The rage that burned behind his brown irises was evident and had you shaken to the core. The need to get out of there was overwhelming and your fight or flight instincts were beginning to kick in. During your panic, you somehow managed to pry Hoseok's hand off your wrist and as soon as you were free, you took off.

"Y/n!" Hoseok yelled.

You didn't bother looking back as you dashed down the hallways, trying to get away from the enraged king.

"Get Namjoon, Yoongi, Taehyung, Jungkook, and Jimin. Every single one! Off with their heads! All of them!" Hoseok barked orders at his men. "Get the knights and bring my sweet Y/n back to me!"

He didn't know who had kissed you or how many, and it didn't matter. The completion needed to be eliminated.

Tears brimmed your eyes as you scurried down a large staircase and out the huge heart-shaped entrance. The sound of marching echoed from from somewhere inside the castle. The fear of what Hoseok might do to you if he caught you caused your legs to move faster, trepidation being the only thing fueling you. By the time you made it out of the massive structure, the marching of the knights had moved to the enclosed courtyard. Knowing there wasn't many places to hide, you just ran, moving as fast as you could, ignoring the way the tall grass stung your legs as they whipped past.

You kept going until you could no longer see Hoseok's castle. At that point, your chest had begun to ache and you were having trouble breathing, so you resorted to walking.

Realization dawned on you, hitting you like a violent wave. You left Hoseok. He opened up to you about being abandoned and left out in the past and here you are doing the exact same thing to him. You're no better than the others.

Then again, he was terrifying and there was no telling telling what he would have done if he caught you, especially after you ran off the way you did. He could lock you in a cell and imprison you or hold you captive in his castle and force you to be his lover.

Lifting your gaze to what was ahead, you noticed a familiar clearing in the lush greenery.

Namjoon's chair sat in the grass with his hookah sitting idly next to it, both of them abandoned.

"No. No." You murmured, your voice slowly rising. "Namjoon?"

Your head turned in different directions, frantically scanning the area for any sign of him as you called his name over and over.

He's gone. He's not here.

Without thinking twice, you broke into a sprint and began darting through the abrasive, scraggly trees and overgrown plants.

As you made your hasty exit, your foot got caught on a tree root, propelling you forward. Everything seemed to go in slow motion, yet you were unable to catch yourself.

By the time you collided with the ground, everything went black.

➯ Part 7: Jin

Masterlist ᝰ

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[riseofarmy]

02 | SO THERE'S THIS MAGIC BOY

i can do this all day 02 | so there's this magic boy

author : @riseofarmy

pairing : kim seokjin x original character

words : 2343

i can do this all day masterlist

previous chapter

DARLING

What. The. Hell.

Before me stands a man I've never seen before in my life. He's barefoot, loose harem pants hanging low on his hips and an open vest doing nothing to hide his bare chest. The most startling thing about him though is his hair. It's purple, as in I Am The Love Child Of Amethysts And Lilac purple.

I don't get how I could've missed someone as stand-outty as him.

He leans down elegantly to pluck the lamp from the floor and my heart seizes up instantly. I have no idea where he came from, or how he got so close to me without me realising, but one thing I do know - this piece of shit is not getting away with my lamp.

With a swipe of my foot at the stranger's legs, I fell him like a tree. He shrieks, trying to pick himself up, but I pounce on him, sitting on the back of his thighs and twisting his arms behind him so he has to curl backwards to stop his arms from hurting. I pull out the twine I store in one of my pockets, intending to tie up his hands, but then...

He's gone.

As in gone-from-under-me gone, making me fall onto my back since the hands I was pulling have goddamn disappeared. Disappeared! Again: What. The Hell. I stare at the ceiling, trying to orient myself. He was right there and then he was... not.

"I can't believe you just did that to me, like surely you knew how that would make me feel."

The man stands next to my knocked-down body, bending over to look me in the eye. He flicks a lock of purple hair off his face with a lop-sided grin that might have been meant to make me feel at ease but instead makes me growl in irritation. I make a grab at his ankles, but I only touch them for a moment before my hands close around empty air.

That did not just happen.

Except it did. He's out of my arm's reach and fanning his face lazily as I get on my feet, eyes lasered in on the lamp still in his hand. He twirls it carelessly and I totally lose my mind, snapping forward to jump on him again.

This time, I manage to tackle him to the ground again and lock his head into my elbow before-

"Don't bother, you'll just tire yourself out." Suddenly, he's on the other side of the small room, a roguish curl to his lips as he lounges on one of the bigger chests of gold. He notices me twitch in his direction, and with a wave of his fingers, I'm frozen.

It's an awful feeling, like time has stopped, but only for me. There's an emptiness in my chest that takes me a second to place, but then I realise what it is - I can't breathe! Somehow, I know that my lungs have stopped working, my heart has stopped beating, that the only thing working in me right now is my thoughts.

And then he lets go of me. I suck in a grateful breath, flexing my fingers until I'm sure my blood's flowing again.

Holy shit holy shit holy shit literally what the hell.

"Please tell me you've calmed down." I flick my gaze up to find the strange man eyeing me warily. He has a better grip on the lamp now and isn't flinging it around like before, so I force myself to stay on the ground even though I was itching to take it from him.

"Who are you?" My voice cracks, but he didn't seem to notice. Instead, his expression clears up significantly into an overly bright beam.

"You know what, I have a song prepared for exactly that question, gimme a second to change." Before I can consider the ridiculousness of that statement, he snaps his fingers, and suddenly he's wearing...

Actually, what is he wearing?

He has on a startlingly white jacket, with odd, overblown shoulders, and a matching pair of breeches that were fitted to his body and made of a stiff material. The outfit was studded with what looked like diamonds, his hair was slicked back off his forehead, and the whole look completed with a set of short, silver boots.

I can't help it. Before I can slam a palm over my mouth, a snort slips out.

The man looks a little shocked, mouth dropped into a horrified 'O'. "Are you laughing? At me? Why are you laughing?!"

"You look... What are you wearing?"

He splutters, ears reddening so quickly they might just pop. "Do you not have any taste? This is high fashion, the result of a gorgeous marriage between class and art and I look stunning."

This man was serious! His hand was curled into a fist and he looked almost comically furious, but I just couldn't take him as anything but a joke.

Especially not when, a few seconds later, he lets out a scream and jumps onto a chest. It takes me a moment realises that the thing that had him currently shaking like a leaf was none other than... Yoongi.

Yoongi, my little furball cat, who slinks past the terrified man and curls into my bent form.

"Wait. Are you scared of cats?" When he doesn't reply, I have my answer. The man flinches as I stand up and step closer to him, eyes trained on the only-slightly-feisty ball of fluff at my feet. "How does this sound: you give me the lamp back, and I won't tell Yoongi to bite you."

At this, the man looks up. "The lamp is yours anyway! Take it! Just keep that thing away from me! WHY IS IT COMING CLOSER?!"

I stop moving closer to him, eyebrows furrowing - it seems too easy. I pat Yoongi's bum and direct him to the other side of the room before turning to address the man again. "You'll just... give it back to me? Then why did you take it in the first place?"

Now that Yoongi's further away, the man looks at me directly, throwing his hands up in what was probably frustration.

"Are you out of your mind? Seriously, did you get knocked on the head too hard before or something? Why would I take the lamp? It's literally yours? I can't? Do anything with it? Just? Take it?"

It was my turn to splutter. "Well- I- Alright then? I'll just? Take it?" It's strange to be talking in question marks, but everything about this situation is strange and I don't have the time to get hung up on the details.

I rush forward before he can change his mind, swiping the lamp from his hand. I cradle it to my chest, deciding right there that the next person to even glance at it without my permission is getting castrated.

"Can't you keep it away from me?" The stranger jerks his head at Yoongi, who was pawing through a pile of gold, completely unaware that he was the object of the man's derision.

"It isn't even near you and it has a name. Yoongi. He's not gonna hurt you."

"Mmm-hmm, that's what they all say before letting those monsters maul your face off."

"It's a little concerning how oddly specific that was, but Yoongi's not gonna 'maul your face off', he can't even catch rats. Anyway, can't you just save yourself by doing whatever it was you did before?" Before, when my body stopped but my mind didn't. "Um. What did you do before."

"Well, that's exactly what I changed into this incredible outfit to explain!" He gestures at himself, the diamonds throwing light around the room. "I literally told you I have a song prepared. You have a problem with that?" He adds in the question, probably realising that my face was twisted in disgruntlement.

"Can't you just say it?"

The man visibly deflates, and I almost take my words back. Almost, but not really. He clicks his fingers again and he's back in the harem pants and vest, then once more, and two plush armchairs appear. I think I'm already desensitised to things popping into existence.

"Sit," he gestures, plonking into the one opposite. "Since you want to do this the boring way. What do you want to know?"

I sink into the seat, half expecting it to disappear from under me, but it holds. Yoongi jumps into my lap, and I quickly look up at the man for his reaction, but he seems to have calmed down from his initial fear - he just purses his lips and avoids looking at Yoongi.

"I guess I'll start with... Who are you? And how did you get here without me noticing?"

He cocks his head. "Do you even know what the lamp is?"

I look down at my lap where Yoongi was batting at the purple gem in the lamp. I don't want to let on that I knew what the lamp can do, but something gave me the feeling the man already knew. "Yeah, it's a magic lamp. Makes all your wishes come true."

"Wow, it's so interesting that you think that because that's wrong."

Cue round two of me spluttering. This man did not just show up, out of nowhere, and deny what I have known for the last eight years.

"Wrong? What do you mean wrong, I'm supposed to be the only one left who knows about this lamp."

"And who told you about it? Actually, it doesn't matter, because sorry to disappoint you, honey, but whoever it was didn't have their facts straight. The lamp doesn't do anything, it's just a vessel for the real wish granter. That's me."

I blink, waiting for the punchline. It doesn't come, though, and the man cocks his head again, an amused smirk lifting his lips.

"Since you haven't figured it out yet, I'll spell it out for you. I am a djinn, a genie if you will. And since you freed me, you are now my master until I grant you your wishes." He furrows his eyebrows. "No wait, I've missed something. You know, my song was perfected to give all the information you need in the right order and now you've messed me up."

And then he starts humming something under his breath, bobbing his head to the beat in his head. "Oh! You have four wishes. And my name is Seokjin."

"What?!" Oh hell no.

"Yikes, what's with that reaction. Seokjin isn't a weird name or anything so-"

"No, what do you mean four wishes? I'm supposed to be able to make as many as I want!" If I can only have four wishes...

"I mean exactly that. I can grant you four wishes, no more, no less - not that anyone's ever wanted less. And before you even think it, you can't ask for more wishes." He looks at me sternly, as if it's something he's had to say repeatedly.

His words feel like a physical blow to my chest, winding me and making my brain blank. Four wishes. That certainly is less than I had planned for, but I guess it could have been a lot worse. I could have had only one wish, or I could have never found the lamp. Yes, thank goodness I have at least this many - I just have to make sure I make it count.

"Are you okay? You haven't said anything for, like, two minutes. I mean, I'm used to people becoming speechless in my presence, but you look more stressed out than in awe, so."

"Huh?" I shake myself out of my increasingly spiralling thoughts. "Yeah, I'm okay, I just... Wait, the ball!"

Only four wishes? This new stranger I'm apparently stuck with? Both of those I can deal with, I can find a way. But if I miss this ball then it doesn't matter how many wishes I have, I won't even be able to start with my revenge plan.

The ball, as in the prince's twenty-third birthday ball, which is only a week away. It was announced by the king when the prince was only ten: a grand ball open to nobility from all over the world. Even in Paaratham, the announcement sent tremors through towns because the prince was to choose his bride from among all the single noblewomen that attended.

I'm not from a noble family, and I'm definitely not a princess, but I'm determined to be the one the prince chooses.

The lamp was supposed to help me with that, and I had planned to wish myself into the kingdom after getting the lamp, but that's not an option anymore. If I wanted to get there in time, I need to leave now.

Immediately, I snap into action. I start stuffing my pockets with gold, since I don't have much more money on me, and packing into my rucksack the few bolts of fabric that were already tailored into clothes. The man - Seokjin, I tell myself - only stares at me, until I address him.

"Some of us can't magic up stuff whenever we want, so excuse me for snatching what the dead won't use anyway. Is there anything from here you want to take?"

"Me?" He looks shocked, probably thinking I must be dumb to ask a genie if he needs anything.

"No, the creeper behind you. Yes, you, is there anything you need from here? You have two minutes."

I go back to filling my pockets as Seokjin frantically rustles through the room. I don't see what he's getting but he seems satisfied when I call him to me.

Yoongi meows at him, obviously wanting to investigate Seokjin, but I pick him up and lay him on my shoulder. I kinda want to figure out this whole genie thing too, but I don't have the time right now.

Right now, I've got to get to the capital, Mansae. Everything else I can sort out later.

"Alright, magic boy. Let's get outta here."

i can do this all day masterlist

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