#monster by exo . save me once more

[mel-loves-kdramas]

Hi this is Exol Santa one more time!❄️💜 Sorry about the messages mix up! Luckily I had to draft the ask because I was trying to get it under the character limit so I still have part 2 saved. but also it looks like the character limit on asks was removed? Apologies for my incompetence in messages (I’ve been on tumblr for like 10 years lol you think I’d have the hang of it, but maybe that’s why I expect the worst regarding functionality)

Here’s what was in the second half of the message: I just got into Exo a couple years ago! I have a friend who was into SuperM and sent me a few of their videos and basically as soon as I saw Baekhyun that was it for me, and he’s still my bias. I was in covid quarantine for 15 days and binged Exo Next Door and then a bunch of performance videos and fell in love with all the members. I’ve been slowly catching up on ten years of content since then. Monster Dance practice is a GREAT first exo video. Do you have a favorite era/comeback? Do you have a favorite of Suho’s songs? (I still need to listen to Self Portrait!)

I hope that went through this time!

I’m also having a great time chatting so I can send you actual message replies in 10 days once I can come off of anon :P I started watching Stranger so I’ll definitely let you know how that goes! And I will say that I totally agree with you about the ending of Reply 1988 I was devastated.

I think I have an idea for what I want to do for your present, and I mostly make digital art so that’s what I’m planning, but I wanted to also ask if there’s anything you were really hoping for? I’ll probably have time to make a couple things so I can do my idea and a second, or add in elements if there’s anything you’ve been thinking about. I’m not much of a fic writer but anything else I can take a shot at: moodboards, gifs, lockscreens, etc!

Hope you’re having a good week! <3

Hi Santa,

Please, no need to apologize. Tumblr is so unpredictable with ASKs. Thank goodness you had a saved draft. I wonder if the length of messages goes larger with a "response" to an ASK? I have been on tumblr a little less than you, (8 years) and I still don't know much about this crazy platform. lol

I found my way to tumblr via the CW Arrow and The X-Files' Fandoms. How about you?

What Kpop groups were you listening to before SuperM? I was so lucky to see SuperM as my first ever Kpop concert. And Baekhyun was GLORIOUS live. I am surprised I survived seeing SuperM in person. I LOVE Kai (he is one of my bias wreckers), Taeyong and Ten. SuperM's first promo photos are burned into my memory. An EXCEPTIONAL concept. hahaha

Speaking of concepts......I CANNOT wait to see EXO's upcoming concept and new music. If it has any connection to their Season's Greetings concept I will be DEAD (in the best way possible) lol.

It is hard for me to narrow down a favorite of Suho's music, but perhaps I can give you a few favs off his more recent Grey Suit era. I loved the whole album, but Hurdle, Decanting and Bear Hug were extra wonderful to me. I hope you are able to listen to Self-Portrait. His voice is just so beautiful and the album is a lovely journey of falling in love, losing it, letting it go and appreciating it. Have you seen any of the live sessions mvs? THEY ARE ALL SO FABULOUS. O2 is particularly pretty with the water concept. I don't think we would have been given such a gift of mvs for every song of that album if not for covid. I guess that is one ray of sunshine through the horribleness of the virus. I am sorry you were in covid quarantine. Were you ill or just protecting yourself and others? I hope you weren't sick with it. As far as era looks - Suho during the Lotto Era was also wow. The strawberry hair, the pink shirt and neck ties' outfit for the lotto stages. Let me see If I can add a link of it.

What are some of your fav songs from Baekhyun? AND HE IS COMING BACK SOON!!

You are so sweet to ask about the secret santa gift. I am excited about anything you are inspired to create. Seriously, I don't like to hinder creators, so allow yourself to go in any direction freely. But please don't feel any pressure to make multiple gifts. Anything you come up with will be wonderful! I can't wait to see what you create.

Have a wonderful day!

[monster-bait]

It's set in an apocalyptic world, where nature has reclaimed earth and there are now monsters both capable of sapience and not. Mc used to travel with a group of humans but now they've settled alone. (I can't remember were there gender specific pronouns but I think it's either she/her or they/them), has traps around to hunt for animals, one day she meets this forest spirit monster guy who was eating one of her animals straight out of the trap. (1)

He doesn't talk much, I think due to human speech being difficult for him, but at some point he leaves the mc animal carcasses, clean ones as some sort of mating gift. Another part I remember is that one day both of them encountered a female of this forest spirit species and a fight breaks out between the two, mc can't really fight but helps by throwing a rock at the female. The other part I can remember was when the mc accidentally stumbled upon a monster (2, oops this is long), which I imagine to look like an elephant but much bigger and dangerous. Monster tries to kill mc, forest spirit guy comes along and saves the day, mc gets very impressed/scared as those things were deadly and hard to take down (it was mentioned somewhere that when the mc was still travelling with humans it was talked about how incredibly difficult it was to take down one of those/survive an encounter. Bits of it reminds me of cozycrytidcorner's soft dawn of the morning but it's it (3

That’s def not mine, unfortunately! As I responded once before in a similar ask, that’s 100% more plot than I would ever put into a for-Tumblr piece. My stuff tends to be more character-driven, particularly the shorter pieces here. Like, pt 1 of @thelampades‘s commission was 21k words and can be summed up with: “Girl takes walk in forest, forgets stuff.” 🤷‍♀️

I always suggest starting by looking at @momolady‘s expansive masterlist for plottier stories! She does an amazing job packing a lot of story into a small package, and @thetravelerwrites also has a list of Exo creators and their respective masterlists on her page.

Anyone know of Anony’s story? Post in the comments!

[tayerroos]

Patchwork Tales: Book 1

A “9" roleplay compendium.  Read on AO3 Chapter: 10 [First] [Back] [You Are Here] [Next] Warnings for this chapter: Mild Violence, Self Harm

Stratos hadn't realized the time until some of the others yawned. She grew concerned that they may not be ready to do this yet, but she also didn't want to leave Mesos in Chase's grasp any longer than they already have. Stratos sighed. "Isaac, can you find Atmos and lead her to Chase's base? We'll need her strength and prowess in battle," she asked. "Already on it, in fact, here's a little example," Isaac said as the arms on the desk passed down a small robot with a Christmas light on top. The light on the robot flickered on, glowing a bright green. "Mesos is this way!" the little robot said repeatedly. "It'll be quiet outside. It's just doing that now because there's so many stitchpunks here," Isaac explained. "I have more being made as we speak, each having the coordinates of both Atmos and Mesos."

[theidiotwhowritesthings]

Am I Too Late?

[I post either once a week or 4 times in one day 🙃]

The prompt from @xentari94​ was this:

Hi! Omg I love your writing! ❤️ ^^ Could I request #1 on the first list with Cayde x Exo Female Gunslinger? One where she goes with Cayde to the prison and everything happens the same except this time she manages to get to him, and saves him from being shot.

Cayde-6 x (Exo) Female!Reader

Warnings: cursing, violence, angst/comfort

1,718 words

“Any second now, my partner is gonna roll in here and kill… every… Last… One of you.”

It wasn’t a prison riot. It was a prison break.

Petra Venj had called Cayde-6 earlier asking for help with an ongoing riot in the Prison of Elders, and he had roped you into it on the promise that it’d be a ton of fun. Like date night, but with more gunfire. 

And you had agreed with a smile because you enjoyed any time you spent with Cayde whether it be a night of drinks and ramyun or a mission on the Shore. You didn’t care. As long as the two of you were together.

It wasn’t a prison riot.

It wasn’t a prison riot.

It was a prison break, and as you watched Cayde plunge into the depths of the prison, riding the top of the control center, all you could think was that this wasn’t a very good date night either. The control center hit the ground floor with an explosion. You went to call out to Cayde, but before you could the metal beneath you gave out and your head slammed into the floor before falling.

.

It took a moment to gather your bearings.

.

You shuttered your eyes and involuntarily sucked in a sharp breath. Your body didn’t need the air but doing so brought comfort to you. A familiar voice brought you back to reality, “Hey, welcome back.” Shakily, you rose to your feet and your Ghost danced around your helmet once before fading away. The sharp pain in your side disappeared. “We fell at least 20 stories down, and I can’t reach Cayde or Petra.”

You opened the comm link yourself and flinched when the only sound that greeted you was loud static, “Keep trying to reach them, ok?”

Your Ghost hummed a confirmation and you jogged forward to try and figure out where you were. It looked like you were in the bowels of the prison now, and if you went down a few more stories you’d end up where Cayde had landed. That was the goal. Find Cayde-6.

As you walked, a chill went down your back and it made every plate on your body stiffen and freeze. Your hand tightened around the grip of your hand cannon as you took a few more steps forward. There was a purplish-blue fog that created a trail through the door into the next room.

“Something is loose.” Your Ghost commented and you agreed wholeheartedly. Something felt very, very wrong. You picked up your pace. “It’s close, [Name].”

Your quick pace turned into a run as you tried to catch the end of the smoke trail, but it led into a room of creatures you hadn’t seen before. You came to a screeching stop and pulled your gun up to begin firing. They looked like Fallen in shape, but they were paler, covered in unusual armor, and they wielded weapons that the Fallen typically didn’t. Their entire beings had a freakish smoky glow that reeked of ether.

“These… things… used to be fallen.” You shot the last one and then just stood there for a moment letting your mind catch up to the scene. “The fallen didn’t just become this. Someone did this to them.”

Despite being an Exo, the feeling of bile rising in your throat overcame you. This was all wrong. Something terrible was happening. You pushed forward, stumbling slightly, before breaking into a full-on sprint, “Keep trying to reach Cayde.”

Room after room, the creatures came. The lower you went the more corrupted ether filled the air around you. The stench of it mingled with the smoke coming from the burning prison walls. With every step you took, the feeling of dread grew, and you couldn’t put your finger on what it was. Your ghost still couldn’t reach anyone on comms. There was only you, your Ghost, and static.

You dug your knife into the face of a screeching monster that got too close, and then spun to throw the blade into the next one coming. With one more shot the room was clear and you pushed onward. You jumped down a broken portion of the walkway to land on the lower floor.

You barely got a few steps forward before a blast of energy hit you in the chest knocking you onto your back. Instinct had you rolling back onto your feet quickly looking for the enemy that had thrown the grenade, but no one was there.

“No.” Your ghost sounded devastated. For the first time since you met him, his voice sounded shaky. “That was Cayde’s… Sundance. That was Sundance. She’s dead.”

You were moving. Before your ghost could even stop speaking, you were moving. With every step, with every pulse of your being, the name of your hunter flashed through your mind. Cayde. Cayde. Cayde. You had to get to Cayde. You needed to find Cayde. You couldn’t even properly mourn the loss of Sundance because you were so focused on finding the Exo Vanguard. Your Ghost was making a noise, like a low-pitched whine, and it was one you had never heard before. Ghosts couldn’t cry, but you wondered if this was the equivalent. With as much time as you spent with Cayde, your Ghost and spent and equal amount of time with his.

“The… The blast came from up ahead. Two more rooms.” Your Ghost focused back on the task. There was a forced steeliness to his voice.

You whipped through the door and up ahead at the other end of the room a large deformed monster stood in your way. It turned to charge at you, but you brought your gun up while simultaneously reaching for the Light. Warmth filled your entire body as you fired round after round at it. It fell to its knees dead and your Light began to fade, but you didn’t let it.

You kept the fire burning in your chest and the warmth turned to burning. It felt like you were burning from inside out, like you had swallowed the sun itself, but you wouldn’t let go. You couldn’t. Your Ghost cried out in worry, pleading for you to release the energy, but you burst through the next door letting the Light singe you from inside out.

An awoken wearing a hood stood in front of Cayde holding the Ace of Spades over him. Behind him, waiting in the door were more of the twisted, large ether soaked Fallen, and though you vaguely recognized them it was getting hard to see through the flames that engulfed you. The awoken’s head snapped to you, eyes glowing gold as they narrowed into a glare, and then they moved back to Cayde who could barely hold himself up.

“Told you so.” Cayde chuckled in a broken voice.

He went to fire, you saw his hand tighten, but you finally released your energy in a cry of pain. Like a rubber band that had been pulled too taunt, it snapped and blew out in a blast of fire. The awoken fired a round but went flying back at the same time toward the crew of monsters waiting for him. One of the creatures grabbed him and they went scurrying off, the door closing and locking in place behind them.

You clawed at your helmet. It was too hot. Too hot and you needed that unnecessary air to fill your body. Your ghost dismissed your helmet and you sucked in the ether tanged air. You could hear Cayde groaning still and stumbled toward him only to fall to your knees halfway there. You crawled the rest of the way until you were hovering over the battered Cayde.

“Partner, you’re smoking.” Cayde coughed out. He lifted a hand to your face but burned his fingers against the metal of your face, “Both figuratively and literally.”

Cayde’s face was busted. One eye flickering and his cheek dented in. He looked bad, and as you traced his figure with your eyes you realized the Awoken had shot him. The bullet had hit him just above the hip.

“Cayde.” You breathed out.

He followed your gaze and set a hand over the spot, “Damn. That could’ve been worse, huh?”

“I thought I lost you.” You cried out. Your voice breaking on the words. “Cayde, we felt… Sundance.”

Cayde’s face fell and you watched as he reached out to grab a red and white shard that laid not too far from him. He hissed in pain at the movement, but still brought the piece to his chest. “I fucked up. I fucked up, and she paid the price. Fuck.”

You couldn’t imagine how that would feel. The thought of losing your Ghost made you sick. Your Ghost, as if knowing your thought, curled up in the crook of your neck. Still mourning his friend. Loss wasn’t something guardians dealt with often. Not since the Red War. The thought of losing your Ghost, losing any of your friends, losing Cayde…

“Please…” The word fell from your mouth in desperation. “Please don’t leave me.” Cayde forced himself to sit up with a grunt and you reached out to hold him, so he didn’t fall over. You shook your head afraid to touch one of his wounds and hurt him worse. Sundance wasn’t here to heal him. What if these wounds were worse than they looked? “Cayde-”

He leaned his head against yours, “I ain’t goin’ nowhere, partner.”

You gripped his armor with your hands. Just having him here in your arms comforted you to some degree. He was moving and talking and whispering comforting words to you. You had made it in time.

“So”, Cayde cleared his throat and you pulled back to look him in the eyes. He gave you a smile, but with the damage done to his face it looked like an strange grimace, “I will admit, this was not the best date we’ve ever had. My bad.”

The last thing you expected to do in this moment was laugh, but you couldn’t stop the sound from coming out as you laid your head against his shoulder. He leaned the side of his head against yours with a tired sigh as the two of you waited for Petra to get down here and take you home.

[sincelight]

Can I request a reaction from the exo bois with the reader as a dragon shape-shifter (possibly new recruit)?

ok so this is my first ever reaction I’ve ever written and I unfortunately don’t know exactly what being a dragon shape-shifter entails (or what it even is lol)...so I’m gonna give this my best shot and make it up as I go. hopefully I don’t ruin this prompt for you! I think I’ll connect each reaction to tell a lil story! ok, here we go.

Junmyeon

Dating is something you’ve always tried to avoid, due to the incredibly huge secret your life revolves around. Normal people hide little things from partners, but you? How could you ever look a future partner in the eyes and say ‘oh, by the way I can turn into a dragon’? It’s just not logical. But Junmyeon, he’s been persistent and he’s nice enough, so you give in and agree to go for an evening stroll with him in the trailed woods at the edge of your small town. At first, all is well; he’s a perfect gentleman, nervously takes your hand once it begins getting dark. You’re not scared, but you let him lead you anyway. He doesn’t know that if things were to go south, you’d likely be the one saving him from harm. But, you let him believe he’s in charge. You know from experience that there are many creatures, even some monsters, that roam these woods; if he only knew what lurked in the shadows he’d likely have chosen a different spot for a first date.

When the sun has sunk below the trees and you can begin to make out the brightest stars in the sky, along with the full moon rising high, you hear it. There are wolves in these trees. You’re in danger and Junmyeon is going to learn your secret tonight. It all happens much too fast; the wolves circle around the scent of a human and you know you must shift to save him, regardless of his reaction. You crack your neck, roll your shoulders in preparation and, like a sudden firework, burst into flames forming an elegant white and gold dragon. It takes a simple sweep around the perimeter of the clearing you were standing in to scare the wolves away, and you swing back and land at Junmyeon’s feet, quacking returning to your human form, wanting to be sure he’s okay and not totally freaked out. With wide eyes he opens his mouth to speak, but instead, passes out at your feet. With a sigh, you scoop him up and begin the walk back to his car. So much for dating, and so much for living in this quaint little town you enjoyed so much.

Jongdae

Once your secret is out, you know you can’t stay, so you pack a few of your favorite things in a bag and decide to disappear into the woods in search of a new town where no one knows you. You return to the same clearing where the wolves were and are surprised to see a man crouching down, feeding and petting a deer. Though you try to be silent, he hears you and spots you with ease. He stands and the deer takes off into the trees, leaving just the two of you facing each other. He approaches you and introduces himself as Jongdae. You being to give him your name but he cuts you off. “I know you,” he says. “In all my years, you’re the only female dragon I’ve ever seen.” You try to play it off, act like you have no idea what he’s talking about, but he only laughs at you. “When I told the others about you they were curious; you’re all they seem to talk about these days.” You don’t know what he means by ‘others’, so you ask. “I can lead you to them, if you’d like. More of our kind, you’d be safe there,” he adds, nodding at the backpack slung over your shoulder. Something about his genuine smile tells you to trust him, so you nod and follow him through the thick of the trees.

Yixing

The first face you see upon arriving to the large house hidden deep within the woods is a familiar one. Yixing approaches you with concern, asking if you’re okay, what you’re doing here, if you were brought here against your will. You laugh and tell him that you chose to come here and that you’re okay. Eventually he puts two and two together and frowns at you, realizing that you must be the female dragon everyone has been so excited over. “How could you never tell me?” he asks, voice sounded a little betrayed. You put your hands on your hips, sassy as ever. “I didn’t know you were a dragon! And, you never told me either!” 

Jongin

A graceful jet black dragon appears and quickly shifts to human form before approaching you. You struggle to decide which form of his is more beautiful. “I’m Jongin. I’m so excited to meet you!” He’s nearly jumping for joy, ecstatic beyond belief, like a dog seeing its owner for the first time in a long time. He grips you up and drags you off toward the back of the house to show you around. 

Baekhyun

You hear unintelligible shouting getting closer and turn just in time to see someone rushing at you from quite a distance away. You stand still, watching him get closer and closer until, just before impact he shouts, “Fight me!”. You act quickly, grabbing his arm and tossing him up over your shoulder where he lands face first in a small pond behind you. He gets to his feet, embarrassed that he’s just been taken down by a girl, and tries to laugh it off as he shakes the dripping water from his hair. He welcomes you to the group and insists on a rematch when he’s not so tired, because that’s totally the only reason you beat him so easily.

Chanyeol

One of the guys in the house has a staring problem. You can’t tell if it’s because you’re a girl or just because you’re the new person. Even from so far away, you can feel the warmth that radiates from him; you think he must be very powerful. But still, the staring is excessive and bothersome, so you ask what his problem is. Your sudden question snaps him out of it and he smiles, suddenly bashful. “I’ve only ever seen you in your dragon form. I didn’t expect you to be so pretty as a human too.”

Kyungsoo

As fun as it is meeting everyone, you’ve had quite a long day trudging through the woods and just want to wash the sweat and dirt off. You enter the large communal shower and undress, sighing when you finally turn the water on and the warmth soothes your aching muscles. A sudden, shocked yelp from behind you causes you to jump and turn toward the source of the sound. He’s standing in the doorway covering his eyes with both hands. “I’m so sorry!” he cries out. “I’m so happy to finally meet you, and I’m so, so sorry.”

Minseok

You’re sitting at the large table in the kitchen when a coffee cup is shoved into your hands. Minseok introduces himself with a courteous smile. “Why am I holding your coffee?” you asks him, confused. “Because it got cold and you’ll make it warm for me again.” You tilt your head and give him a blank stare; without asking the question you were forming in your head, he gives you the answer by grasping your wrist with a freezing cold hand. “Ice,” he says simply. “Usually I have Chanyeol warm things for me, but I think you’ll do the trick just as well.” 

Sehun

It’s nice outside, so you’re lying in the grass when a shadow falls over you. You look up to see orange hair and a smug little grin. “I saw you throw Baekhyun into the pond.” You stare up at him, just blinking, wondering why he’s telling you this. “I’ve seen your dragon form and you’re tiny. It’s super cute,” he says, in an almost condescending tone. You decide the next person you’re going to fight in this house will be him.

(i’m on a lerning curve with this. i have no idea what i’m doing when it comes to reactions, so hopefully this is okay? either way i had fun writing this!)

[svint-of-the-deep]

I’ve read the lore book. I almost got physically sick from the lore book. I’m flat out terrified of talking about it outside of tumblr memes. Somewhere out there in the toxic mess of Destiny, this book has the capacity to weed out every misogynist in a ten mile radius without trying as hard as some other things. I’m praying I don’t see them. What follows is my giant spinfoil for everything. My bad.

Warning: lots of spinfoil. giant, giant rant.

Implications for Exos: The fact that Clovis Sr. still has the full upload scan of his son to possibly put back in a more fitting exo body raises questions. Whose scans are really saved? Is it an auto-delete button once the consciousness is transferred? Does the radiolaria/darkness mix remember the consciousness instead of the neural wiring? It would explain how Vex can connect with each other instantly. One shared consciousness remembers even when the chassis is gone and radiolaria scattered. If this is the case, it means that even with a memory reset, it’s possible to maintain a complete inaccessible memory bank. This could also explain why Banshee still remembers a fairly decent amount even with 44 resets. (And why Ada is physically fine for so long; she doesn’t have to worry about a pseudo-darkness compound in her veins.)

Aside from the radiolaria memory for exos, this could solve the conundrum of the Vex tech scannables. Radiolaria remembers the patterns its used to. It is, all things considered, Vex. It still holds the building blocks to interact with Vex data and constructs. Its interaction with and within exos could be an extension of that (let’s simplify it dramatically) programming. New body means adapting to do the same under the hood tasks. No idea when it’ll be useful, but it’ll be something. (Thoughts on if Asher was exo? Or if Kabr was so successful in integrating is Light and entire being with the Vex because he was exo? Then again totally forgot if he was or not big oops if so.)

Thoughts on pyramids: The Darkness likes seeing a natural rise and fall of life. The final pattern will always be there. It’s right in the flower game. Clovis sees this Clarity mix as a key to immortality. The Traveler hadn’t yet made guardians and this was tempting. Too tempting. We as guardians are, immortal, blank slates that have superhuman (yes paracausal just stick with me) powers, upgraded motor and cognitive functions, and are effectively stronger than what we were before. Good argument for the Traveler here.

Now we have Clovis’ hopefully perfected exos. Effectively immortal, upgraded motor and cognitive functions, stronger than they were before. The blank slate could’ve been so they wouldn’t remember the crypt or something more sinister. Both were made in a desperate attempt to stop the inevitable. I’m not equating a monster with a paracausal entity I’m totally confused about still. But they tempted fate (an inevitable death) and paid for it. The Darkness sees blatant disregard for a natural order (you live, you fight to be the top, you either succeed and live or die trying) in both. We’ve yet to see the consequences of these exo trials, but it can’t be good. Elsie is alive, but we have no idea at the cost or what she’s been through after that.

Ties to Shadowkeep: Temptation is a key theme for the Darkness. Flying into the Black Garden was a bold move for the fireteam that succumbed to the pull of Divinity. It was never meant to leave. But it did. We can’t help but run headfirst at the Moon, vanquishing our past foes and repelling new ones. Wouldn’t any guardian fight their nightmares? We fall for it every time. We fell again in the raid, right into the hands of a small pyramid that would mark darkness transmat points in this season for Contact. They can incapacitate us at any moment. But why outright hurt us when we can be lured into a trap ourselves? Guardians aren’t a fighter in the flower game as much as a complete cheat card. We win our battles, have nothing to stop us, and keep going. Without us, the Traveler loses.

Every rez we turn to our Ghost for help, to our Light, and to the Traveler. What’s a few more hard resets to make us completely dependent on the Light? There’s not a lot of guardians left who don’t trust the big ball in the sky. We shouldn’t trust the pyramids, but I think a lot more is in store than another talking ball that drops from nowhere into our arms. Stasis could be an edge, or it could cripple us completely.

The pyramids talk about us being their salvation, but what could they want? They had their answer to the game eons ago. As terrible as it is, the only solution I can think of is that they overfill the Traveler with Light, drain us of it, and make the Vex paracausal. Is it possible? Probably not, but it would be the only viable thing at 5:15 am. There’s very few futures in which the Vex win. We can’t be in them if they do. Salvation in this case is uniting all the enemy races of the Dark along with us to prepare Sol for a hard reset. This time where Light and Dark aren’t around, and we’re left with nothingness. No blinding immortality, and no shadowed entropy. The game begins again.

Extra, extra: Kinda funny how the pyramids and Savathûn are in a battle over us. She’s the other one looking for an escape from this game. We can already walk away. Our guardian stays in the world of the game and we go on with our lives. If she succeeds in breaking away from her worm, it means maintaining paracausality and immortality for her brood and the Hive as a whole. The Taken are gonna stay no matter the outcome. It would mean a battle that ends where one side has infinite control while the other has a force that won’t stay down. If either wins, it spells disaster for the Vex. So why not control both and reduce the time and energy spent fighting both?

wow beyond light is close. and still no transmog news. oh well.

[gamerwoo]

Jihoon: Fear the Soul Eater

Characters: Jihoon x reader (gender neutral)

Genre/warnings: soul eater au, horror, angst, death

Word count: 1,666

Summary: I can’t wake up from the fear so I lie again. Even my memories are staining. This is love that has spread over my body.

a/n: i was supposed to have this done on friday. don’t ask me why it took so long to write. but i rushed to finish it so it wasn’t proof read aka there might be a lot of mistakes and it might not be the best lmao

Tag list: @exo-chan-kai @purpleseleva @mntax @squishy-yamdumplings @linophobia @fullsun-donghyuck @greenmetalroof

Fear Masterlist

It needed souls to stay alive, that was all Jihoon could gather. At first, he was meant to be one of the souls it would consume. His soul was brought to its nest, which was just a darker, scarier version of the real house it was located in. The house was one on his street that had been abandoned for years -- or so he thought. After the couple who lived there had died suddenly, nobody wanted to buy it. But now, Jihoon was realizing they were killed by the soul eater that had set up its nest in a weird dimension that shadowed their world.

But Jihoon soon became a pawn in the soul eater’s game. It needed more souls brought to its nest, and it planned on using Jihoon to do so. The task wasn’t difficult using somebody like Jihoon. He was a young adult who had a lot of friends, so it wasn’t like it would take much convincing to get souls close enough that the soul eater could take them. It even set up its new next in Jihoon’s house because it was more convenient.

The problem was that Jihoon still had to come off like he was himself, so the soul eater had to return his soul to his body and possess him. So while a little part of Jihoon was still in there, it was mostly the soul eater that was in charge. Jihoon was like a prisoner in his own body, and he couldn’t even scream for help.

Overtime, his own memories started becoming warped with what the soul eater saw and wanted him to see. It was like he was becoming the soul eater. He started to not feel any emotions, recognize any faces, or remember things from his old life. People could tell there was something different about him, but because it was still his body, nobody had reason to suspect he could possibly be possessed. That was stuff that only happened in movies. But they didn’t realize until it was too late and they were lured into his nest.

Over the course of only a few weeks, Jihoon -- his own soul that was still somewhere inside his body -- slowly got weaker and weaker until he swore he became the soul eater.

-

“_____.”

Hearing Jihoon’s soft voice say your name, you turned around just as you were about to leave the classroom. Despite the fact it sounded like Jihoon, something about the tone always seemed off. You noticed there was always something a little off about Jihoon, and there had been for a while now. You only knew because you’d had the biggest crush on him for who knows how long.

There was some sort of silent acknowledgement that you and Jihoon both had feelings for each other, but both of you were too shy to do anything about it. The farthest anything went was being partners for projects together since you were studying the same major and had a lot of classes together. Both of you were too shy to make a move, but Jihoon suddenly...changed. He still didn’t speak much but it felt off somehow. Colder, maybe. It wasn’t just shyness, it was like he didn’t want to interact with anybody. But either way, it was odd for him to call after you when class had already ended.

“Would you like to come back to my place?” he offered coolly.

You noticed that something in his eyes wasn’t exactly right, either. There wasn’t the same sparkle there. They were dull, almost like he was spacing out yet he still was looking right at you rather than through you.

You trusted Jihoon. Despite him being very quiet and introverted, he was always very sweet -- especially when it came to you. The way he spoke to you, acted around you, and even looked at you always made you feel at ease. You never once suspected Jihoon would hurt you, even when he seemed a little odd. In fact, his change made you worried and you wanted to get to the bottom of what was going on. Maybe he was going through something and needed a friend. So you said yes.

That was the biggest mistake you could’ve made.

You didn’t realize what was causing you to see the horrible things you saw when you entered Jihoon’s house until you were caught in his nest and had it explained to you by another trapped soul. He made you hallucinate horrible things to make you vulnerable, and then he stole your soul, saving it to eat when he needed it.

“But he likes to...play with us first,” one of the souls mumbled when he tried to explain what was happening. “I think he likes to make us feel afraid. We never know when he’ll end it. He gets into your mind and makes you see awful things. I think death would be better at this point.”

But this wasn’t the Jihoon you knew, and you suspected that he was in there somewhere. This...thing was cold and sadistic and menacing. But Jihoon -- though shy -- was warm and kind and gentle. There was no way that Jihoon was this. No, you wouldn’t believe it.

Even though you wanted to believe Jihoon was still there, you were no exception to his mind games. He could make you see and hear whatever he wanted until you were shaking and crying and begging for him to do anything to stop it.

Jihoon smirked, ready to walk away and leave you there to try to collect yourself after all he had put you through. But he stopped when he felt your cold hands wrap around his leg, keeping him from moving. He stopped and looked down at where you had sunk to your knees, tears streaking your cheeks as you looked up at him.

“Jihoon…” you whimpered.

He turned away too quickly for you to see his expression. He tugged his leg away and carried on, leaving the room you were in.

The soul eater had felt Jihoon’s soul spark to life, even if it was a small spark. But considering Jihoon had been all but gone for weeks, it was concerning. It didn't realize how strongly Jihoon felt for you; it didn’t know you had that kind of power over him. But it wouldn’t let anything like that happen. It knew you were trying to break him and bring him back, but it was going to break you first.

-

You became his favorite target. He would spend up to an hour just watching the fear in your eyes and on your face as he made you see things that you couldn’t even imagine in your worst nightmares. He would listen to you sob for him to stop, smirk as you screamed and tried to somehow get away from the things in your own mind, and felt pride as he saw your mental state crumble bit by bit.

And yet, you did the same thing to him every single time.

Sometimes you’d whimper, “Jihoon, make it stop.”

Other times, you’d find yourself clinging to his leg as he sat and watched you, crying his name over and over more like it was a safety blanket rather than the root of your fear.

Every single time, the spark got stronger and stronger. Memories of you would start trickling back. The way you giggled and blushed whenever Jihoon would realize he forgot a pen. The way you smiled at him across the table at the library. How bashful you’d get if you even brushed hands reaching for the same thing at the same time. How his heart would pound whenever he would see you or be near you. He remembered how you affected him and how happy you made him.

But it still had some control. It tried to twist those memories into awful, ugly things. It tried to make him see you as something to want to stay away from and forget. It tried to make you out to be the monster, and Jihoon started to not know what was fake and what was reality.

The next time you saw Jihoon, he was even different from the first time you noticed he was different. It was like he’d gotten worse, and that made you feel deflated. But you didn’t want to give up. You had to save Jihoon. You weren’t sure if that would get rid of the soul eater, but you had to at least try to help him.

After yet another session of being tortured by him, you scrambled to grab one of his hands with both of yours.

“Jihoon, please!” you begged. “I know you’re still in there, please!”

He slowly turned his head to look at you. But that little shimmer of hope you were starting to see over time had been drained completely. He now looked not only cold, but sadistic. And the way he smiled at you only intensified that, sending shivers down your spine.

“His soul is long gone,” Jihoon’s voice told you, but it didn’t sound like Jihoon at all.

You were starting to give Jihoon’s soul hope. It was starting to try to gain control of his own body again, and it worried the soul eater. It had to get rid of Jihoon’s soul. Besides, he already lured all of Jihoon’s friends. He didn’t need to act like Jihoon anymore. So he got rid of his soul and kept his body just to torture you that much more.

Watching as your face fell made his -- its -- smile widen. It could see all the hope you had completely fade. You were looking at Jihoon’s face and hearing his voice, but knowing it wasn’t him was far scarier than anything that thing had shown you.

It knew that, and it was going to milk that for all it could before finally consuming your soul like it had done to Jihoon.

[khaosgaming22]

Date Night

Hailey walked uptown to the restaurant she had selected, most of the time her and Bee would just go to the Stardust Tavern but personally she wanted something a little more romantic this night. The tavern was alright but the stories that she had heard about the parties her mom and dad had there definitely prompted her to find another option. She checked the time on her watch, 7:00 on the mark, which meant Bee would be here in exactly five minutes. It was something that always made her laugh, Bee always felt like she was late but Hailey didn’t mind. It had become routine at this point, she just found it funny because Hunters were usually the most mobile of the classes, but she supposed that Warlocks were the most punctual too.

She sat down on the bench outside the place and waited the extra five minutes when she saw a sunflower yellow blur come dashing up the street. Hailey wore a nice orange skirt and a black top, she admitted she was never very fashionable. Her mother never really passed that trait down, and when you go shopping with Aleina that many times it kinda knocks any enjoyment out of nice clothes early on. Hailey however, was not expecting to see Bee in that.

“I’m so sorry I’m late! She apologized quickly as she usually did and straightened her purse back to her side. “Couldn’t figure out how to walk in these stupid deathtraps...” She scorned looking down at her black high heels and when Hailey said nothing she looked at her. “Are you okay? You look like you just saw a Ghost, not like a Ghost I mean like a y’know.” She made a motion with her hands that was supposed to mimic one.

“No no yeah.” Was all Hailey could get out of her mouth, in truth she was absolutely speechless. Bee had dressed up a bit before but this? This was a new level, and the Titan liked it. “W- why don’t we head inside?”

“Okay.” Bee shrugged still a little confused at what was wrong with her date. They walked into the classy restaurant and immediately knew this place was very different from their usual hangout. The tables and booths had red cloth over them, the waitstaff was all dressed up in suits and the lighting was mostly by candlelight save for one crystal chandelier. Bee didn’t know how to feel about all this, it was a bit overwhelming but it was what Hailey wanted for tonight so she’d go along with it until she couldn’t.

Hailey pulled a chair out for Bee before sitting down in her own across from her still being quiet. There was light chatter around the restaurant as they both looked at the menu. The selections were all expensive but then again she expected that from a place like this, she decided on a pasta dish with marinara and went to look at the selection of cocktails. They were all too fancy for her liking so she decided to ask for just a simple glass of Vodka and Orange Grenadine.

Bee was stuck as well, this place hadn’t even been her idea in the first place and Hailey was being awfully quiet. Granted Bee was usually the talker even she had to admit that but still, it was strange for her to go this long. She wanted to break the ice a bit. “So uh... that’s a nice um dress you picked out, it really matches your hair.”

“Th- thanks.” Hailey responded smoothing out a wrinkle on her top. Well that was a fail, she barely talked. A waitress got to their table soon after.

“So what will it be to start off you two ladies?” She asked cheerfully taking out her pen, this place got guardians and civillians alike so it was a bit hard to tell who was who. Bee thought she was probably a civilian.

“I’ll have a Vodka with Orange Grenadine and a splash of lemonade thanks.” Hailey said opening up more to the waitress then Bee, what was going on? She jotted down Hailey’s drink order and turned to Bee.

“Oh. And uh I’ll have the... um I guess I’ll have what she’s having actually.” She said giving up on looking at the menu at all the fancy sounding drinks. If you asked her for tea or coffee she would know right away but alcohol was more Hailey’s area. The waitress walked off to get the two drinks and Bee focused on getting her Sunbreaker back.

Hailey didn’t really know what to do, she picked out this place to add to the romantic aura not snuff it out. It just made her wish they were back in their cozy, rustic tavern. Bee’s outfit didn’t help either, for a strong and defiant Titan let alone Sunbreaker, Hailey was melting inside with every glance of her she allowed herself. She figured alcohol would help her chill out so she asked for something that would help with that.

As for Bee she was still trying to figure out what was going on. She put a hand on the table as descrete as she could so Hailey would hold it but she still wouldn’t budge. She was pretty much looking everywhere around her but her. Finally Bee couldn’t stand it anymore.

“Alright, come with me.” She demanded and motioned for her to take her hand getting up from their table.

“Wh- why?” She stammered and looked up at Bee’s face for a second, it looked a bit annoyed. Something the Titan had never really seen before out of her.

“Just- cmon.” She crossed her arms and walked off toward the restroom while Hailey followed close behind. This was new, she had seen Bee sad but never angry. She followed her into a stall and Bee locked it behind them. Hailey didn’t really have anywhere else to look but her now as her heart pounded in her chest.

“Okay. What is your problem? You wanted to have a date together here and now you’ve been avoiding me all night what is going on!” Hailey looked down at her shoes blushing red that matched both her hair and outfit. Finally she spoke.

“I- I’m sorry. I thought this place would be nice but it’s so... I dunno suffocating? No that’s not the word- You get what I mean.” She explained and Bee nodded.

“O...kay but that still doesn’t answer why you’ve been avoiding looking at me all night.” She pushed and Hailey put her hand up to nervously tuck a lock of hair behind her ear.

“Th- that’s just because... well the way you’re dressed-“

“Why? What is there something wrong with it? I wanted to dress up since this place was so-“

“No no no! The dress is fine... it’s more than fine is the issue, you just look so... hot in it.” She blushed more and Bee’s optic shutters widened.

“Oh.” Hailey smiled sheepishly red still painting her cheeks as she moved a little closer.

“The moment I saw you in it my heart just stopped and I couldn’t look at you without blushing, so I didn’t... sorry.”

“Just blush then!” Bee laughed. “I like seeing you blush, it’s something Exo’s like me can’t do... plus it’s really cute.”

“Oh don’t you dare start talking about who’s cute now missy.” Hailey giggled with her putting her hands at her hips. The two stayed in the stall together for a bit like that until Hailey finally spoke.

“Hey if we both hate this place so much why don’t we get outta here?”

“And ditch the waitress? That seems a little mean.” Bee said concerned.

“We’ll pay and leave her a big tip, would that help your soul?”

“You know I don’t physically have one silly.”

“Oh shut up you absolutely have a soul.” She leaned in to whisper into her audio sensors where her ears would be. “You got a heart too.” She pulled away and smiled.

“Sh- shut up no I don’t.” She said flustered proving she did indeed.

“Mmmm we’ll see about that when we get outta here.” Hailey winked. Out of the two of them she was definitely more smooth and seductive, Bee had tried a few times before but Hailey always just laughed at her being cute.

“I have one condition.” Bee said determined which made Hailey giggle.

“And what’s that my darling Bumble?” Oh yeah, nervous Hailey was long gone.

“You have to carry me with your big Titan muscles.” Bee smirked and Hailey answered by opening the stall door and sweeping her off her feet in a princess carry.

~

They paid for their drinks and Hailey downed hers making it clear to everyone that she was indeed a Guardian cause only they could take that much alcohol at once. Bee took a sip but immediately hated it so she left hers for the waitress. True to her word, Hailey carried her all the way back to her house. Ken was in the living room playing a video game from the Golden Age where you collected and fought with adorable little monsters. He heard the door open and was not expecting who walked in.

“Hailey? What are you doing back so early it’s barely nine o clo-“

“Where’s mom’s stuff?”

“Uh....”

“Never mind, we’ll find it cmon my little pollenator let’s go to my room.”

“Hehe, okay.”

“Hey dad?”

“Y- yeah?”

“Don’t come up.” She kissed Bee as she walked up the steps and Ken went back to his game with a shrug. Bee ended up staying over.

[kpop---scenarios]

Collateral (6)

WARNING: Violence, Abuse. Caution when reading!!!

You groan as you struggle to attempt to open your eyes. Your head is throbbing as you slowly move is around your pillow. Wait. Not your pillow. This bed is far too comfortable to be the one at the EXO mansion. You manage to peel your eyes open, and you’re greeted by one of your worst nightmares. The pink room. Everything came flooding back to you. In the car was Jimin, not your brother. He knocked you out and now you were back at his house, in the room he tried to lock you away. 

 When you and Jimin dated, it was great for the first few months, but then he became creepy and possessive and obsessive. You had tried to break it off but Jimin had a way of making you feel guilty for trying to leave him and he always ended up charming you back into his world.

 The night you had finally escaped from him was after an evening at the bar. You were supposed to have met Jimin there but he was running late, like usual. You saw a friend you knew from high school and began talking with him, joking about teachers and what not. It had been completely innocent. Neither of you were touching each other, not leaning in close to one another, nothing romantic whatsoever. 

 Your friend had told you he was going to run to the bathroom quick, but was taking a lot longer than one normally would. You had decided to go and look for him around the bar. When you approached the small hallway towards the bathrooms, that’s when you hear the grunts and swearing. You swung the bathroom door open, only to be met with Jimin beating the shit out of your friend. 

 “Stay away from my girl" he panted, throwing another punch to your friend who was already on the ground.

 “What the fuck Jimin, get off of him" you cry, trying to tear Jimin away. 

 “Y/N.. I-“ he begins. 

 “I don’t want to fucking hear. Get out” you yell, trying to lift your friend to take him to the hospital. The entire time you had been at the hospital with your friend, Jimin had spammed you with apologies.

 I’m sorry.

 Please forgive me.

 I love you. 

 Please Y/N   

You hadn’t responded to any of the messages. When you returned to his apartment to gather your things, Jimin was laying on the couch crying. Liquor bottles littered around him on the floor and coffee table, but you didn’t care. This was the last straw. He was too possessive of you, you felt like you couldn’t breathe. It wasn’t healthy.

 “Y/N" he mumbles. “You came back.” 

 “I’m only here to grab my things, and then I’m gone. I’m not kidding Jimin, I’m done.” You spit, walking into the bedroom. 

 You hear Jimin roll off the couch, onto the floor whole struggling to get up. Once he does, he charges himself into the bedroom, huffing, his face twisting with rage.

 “You think you can just fucking leave me like that? Over what? Some guy? I was fucking protecting you!” he screams, spit flying from his mouth. You could see the vein popping in his forehead, his face red with anger. “You’re fucking him aren’t you? You always were a dirty little slut" he spits.

 “Jesus Christ Jimin!” you yell. “Do you hear yourself? You sound fucking crazy! I haven’t seen him since high school! This is why I’m leaving. I can’t handle this shit!”

 “Ha. That’s cute baby. You’re not going anywhere. You’re mine. Forever and always” 

 “Like hell I am.” You spit. 

 Jimin rushes towards you, pushing you onto the bed before climbing on top of you, straddling you. His weight bearing down on you, making it hard to move. 

“Get off me Jimin!” you yell. 

Your efforts are useless, he’s much stronger than you, but you don’t give up. You manage to punch him in the face, temporarily shocking him. You push him off of you, scrambling to get off the bed. You roll onto the floor, attempting to get to your feet. Screw your things, you could buy more. This was now life or death. “I don’t think so" Jimin said in a sing song voice. He scrambles behind you, managing to catch your foot, trying to drag you back. You kick him in the chest, taking his breath away before getting to your feet and running to the door. Opening it, you look behind you, seeing Jimin charge for you, you try to run but he’s quick. He grabs you by the wrist, pulling you back to him. He gives you a small smile before bashing your head against the door frame, knocking you out cold. He drags your body back inside before peaking his head out, making sure none of his neighbors had witnessed anything. 

It would be a shame to have to kill them. 

 When you had woken up a few hours later, you were in the exact room you were in now. The pink room. The windows were bolted shut, the door locked from the outside. You were stuck. The only reason you had escaped the last time was because he had forgotten to lock your door before he left to do something. You snuck out and never looked back. But now you were back, and scared for your life. Jimin was unpredictable and unstable, you didn’t know which version of himself you were going to get. Either he would be happy you were back here, with him or extremely angry that you had left him in the first place. When you heard the sound of the door being unlocked, your stomach dropped. You hugged your knees tightly against the headboard. 

 “Ah, my sweet Y/N. I finally have you back" he sighs, staring at you with a smile on his face. “I’ve missed you baby”

 “I’m not back Jimin. You took me! I don’t want to be here!” you cry. 

 “I’m saving you from those ruthless monsters you’ve been working for, and no doubt fucking.” He snarls. 

 “Who cares if I am. I’m not yours!” you say. 

 “Oh, but you are baby and you always will be.”

 “I will never be yours" You can see the anger boiling up inside of him. He balls his fists, clenching his jaw as he walks towards you. He reaches over, grabbing a fist full of your hair before yanking you off the bed. Your scalp burns as he drags to from the room and into the living room where you see a chair and some rope. 

“No no no" you cry. 

 “You will love me. Even if I have to beat the hate from you.” He spits, pulling you up into the chair and tying you up. 

 No matter how much you wiggled and fought, you were unable to free yourself. You held your tears when he first punched you in the face. You held your tears as he continued to beat you. You finally broke down only minutes later, but your pleas and begging for him to stop went unheard. You’d finally passed out after what felt like hours of torture. Upon waking up, your laying in the bed in the pink room. Your body is weak and throbbing but you know you need to get out of there, now. You turn the hand, but unfortunately the door is locked.  You drag yourself to the window, praying and pleading it to be unlocked, and it is. Your open it, climbing out onto the grass. You’ve never been so happy for a ground level apartment.

 After a few minutes of walking, you’re on a main street, holding onto the brick buildings to steady yourself. You’re exhausted, your body is even weaker from having to push yourself to keep going. You feel like you’re going to break. “Y/N?” you hear from down the street. Your vision is blurry, but you watch as the figure walks closer to you. 

 “Jesus, what the fuck happened to you" you hear. You recognize the voice, it’s Yixing. Who the fuck did this to you" he growls as you collapse into his arms. 

“Park Jimin" you mumble, fading into the darkness that has been pulling you under. 

[myforeverforlife]

Chapter 4: Suhø

Right before you passed out, you felt a sudden cooling sensation on your cheek. A hand rested on your face, as refreshing as an ocean breeze, a glass of water on a warm summer day. 

Masterlist

Obsession Masterlist

Trigger warning: Mentions of drowning

It was getting extremely frustrating to keep repeating this cycle of near death, blacking out and then regaining consciousness only to be subjected to the a different set of horrors all over again. But a small flame of hope flickered into being when you realized you were alive. Still breathing, a bit worse for wear, but still determined to make it out of here.

It was dark when you came to, and you feared that you were still in the burning field. But the clean, untainted breaths of air proved that you were somewhere entirely different. 

You were lying on the floor, although this floor was now made of marble instead of being the dirty, dusty plains of the abandoned field. Looking down at your hands, you jolted upright when you realized that they were free. 

Your relief was only passing, however, as soon as you felt a slight pull at your ankles. 

Wrapped around your legs were what you could only describe as ropes of... water? 

Confused, you reached out to pull at one of them, gaping in disbelief when the water didn’t separate in your hands. The ropes trailed behind you, leading to a large tank of water. The tank spanned the entire wall, small waves of water lapping against the edges. 

You spun around, eyes catching how the water reflected against the white walls, bare expect for a few paintings hung up here and there. Under any other circumstances, you would have thought this room beautiful. 

But now wasn’t the time to be admiring your surroundings. 

A doorway was situated in the far corner of the room, a yellow light illuminating the space beyond it. You heard him before you saw him — the brisk tapping of shoes against the marbled floor as the shadow in the doorway grew larger. 

A shock of vibrant, fire-red hair came into view. The man wore a suit in the same crimson color, although his torso was completely exposed. He leaned against the doorframe, an eyebrow raising in amusement. 

“Junmyeon,” you whispered in horror. Even sweet, kind, diplomatic Junmyeon was one of these monsters in this universe. 

“No,” he said, voice just as soothing and melodic as you remembered. His soft-spoken demeanor contrasted so strongly with his intimidating appearance, it left you speechless. “Suhø,” he corrected you. “Although I’m under the impression that you know us by different names in your world.” 

He strolled over to where you sat on the floor, hands shoved lazily into the pockets of his pants. As he came closer, you could see a dark red scar beneath his left eye — something your Junmyeon didn’t have. 

Suhø stopped when he was a couple feet away, staring down at you. He studied you like you were one of the paintings hanging on the wall, trying to make sense of your character. 

“I have to apologize for my brother Chanyeøl’s temper earlier. He’s always been hot-headed, I guess you could say.” His smug smile brought you back to being stuck in the ring of flames, and a chill ran down your spine at the thought of what this man had in store for you.

“You’re the one I felt before I passed out,” you stated, voice hoarse and strained from exertion. “Your hands were cold.”

Suhø laughed airily, devoid of any real amusement. If anything, it seemed to be out of pity. “Yes, that was me. You’re quite smart. I’m sure you’ve already pieced together that these restraints are also my doing.” He nodded towards the coils of water wrapped tightly around your ankles.

“Why did you bring me here?” you shot back, determined to keep your voice even. “Your brothers were both determined to kill me, so why would you save me?” 

“Their youth makes them impulsive, more lustful for immediate results. I am more patient,” he said with a smile to himself. “And, I don’t necessarily agree with them.”

This had you reeling in surprise. Would this be your chance? Would he take pity on you and let you go without a fight?

“You show so much promise. Only the select few become Gatekeepers, the revered protectors of our worlds,” he added with a layer of sarcasm coating his words. “And you are much stronger than the other visitors we’ve had from Exoplanet, although it seems that all of you are cursed with horribly terrible judgement.”

Suhø sighed, examining his suit jacket and absentmindedly flicking off a bit of dust before turning his attention back to you. “I’m here to make you an offer, Gatekeeper. Join our ranks as a member of X-EXO, and we will ensure that no harm comes to you.”

And there it was again — the tiny shred of hope crushed right in front of your eyes. Join them? Doing so would mean turning your back on everything you had known, signing a death sentence for everyone you loved back home. The mere thought of it made your stomach turn.

Suhø smirked, your disgust apparent on your face. “I was worried you might be opposed to it.” He shrugged. “I can’t say that I don’t see why. I’m sure living as a Gatekeeper, sheltered and worshipped by all, sounds much more appealing than becoming one of us.” 

He pulled a hand out of his pocket, lifting it slowly and watching as the water from the tank began to spill out onto the floor. The water held its form, a large, misshapen puddle as it traveled across the floor to where you were sitting. Once it touched your shoes, it began to cover every inch of your body that it could touch. 

Just before the water could reach your neck, Suhø brought his hand down, the water pausing in its tracks. You were suspended in it, only a few seconds away from being entirely covered. 

“Shall I revise the deal then, if the previous one wasn’t to your liking?” He tapped one finger against his chin as he pretended to be deep in thought, his telltale sly grin giving him away. 

“You can make this easier on yourself and simply relinquish your ownership of the keys to me. A simple transaction of magic — you give me the keys, and I give you the means to return to your universe safely. You’ll have enough time to run home and tell your family that we are coming,” he added with a snicker. 

“But of course, if you refuse, I don’t know what will become of your fate here. I have three younger brothers still, each just as eager to get their hands on those keys of yours. Make the right choice.” 

Your eyes narrowed, a scowl twisting your mouth. “Fuck off. I hope you all rot in hell.”

Suhø clicked his tongue in mock disappointment, shaking his head even as he smiled. “I hoped you would be smarter than this. You leave me no choice.” 

An abrupt movement of his hands had the water rushing upwards, completely submerging you in a mass of flowing water. It was like being caught in a riptide, powerful currents of water assaulting you from all sides even as you were held in place. You couldn’t breathe, nose burning from the water being forced down your throat. 

You were drowning, trapped in this bubble with no way out. Even as you reached for the edges, tried to break out and touch air, you were only met with more water. It was like the bubble was made of rubber, pulling back whenever you pushed against it. 

Suhø watched as you tried to kick and fight your way out, an impassive expression on his face. Suddenly, with a snap, the water receded, dropping down to the floor with a splash before climbing back up the wall and into the tank. 

You lay coughing and sputtering on the floor, completely drenched. Your hair clung to your face, clothes heavy with water and weighing you down.  

Suhø looked over his shoulder, staring at the doorway. “Sehûn,” he called out. New footsteps could be heard, much more brisk and light. Sehûn came walking in, a large bow and a quiver of arrows strapped to his back. He only spared you a quick glance, his expression blank before turning his attention to his older brother. “Yes?”

“Take her with you. I don’t want you dirtying up my art gallery with whatever you have planned next.”

You couldn’t stop the goosebumps that ran over your skin as you heard this. 

Things had gone from bad to worse, and continued to do so. Whereas you had previously been outside, now you were stuck in a building with a layout that you weren’t familiarized with. Add that to your list of growing concerns.

Sehûn pulled you up by one arm. You gritted your teeth, refusing to let them have their satisfaction by showing how much pain you were in. 

“Come,” he said, a sharpness to his words even as he whispered lowly. 

“I’ve been waiting for my turn.” 

A/N: I love writing all of these, but Junmyeon’s chapter has to be my favorite so far. I’ve been trying to incorporate the settings from the MV in the music video, and X-EXO Suho definitely seems like the kind of guy to just have a mini art gallery in his home, even as his world is ending LOL

Tag list: @thalasoophilia​, @skjdln​, @trishmarieco​, @jongin-be-my-jagi​, @violentcosmicsymphony 

[tayerroos]

Patchwork Tales: Book 1

A “9" roleplay compendium.  Read on AO3 Chapter: 9 [First] [Back] [You Are Here] [Next] Warnings for this chapter: Panic Attack, Violence

[marshmallow-phd]

Lies Untold

Part of The Untamed - EXO Wolf Universe

Genre: Supernatural, Wolf Au

Pairing: Luhan x Reader

Summary: For generations, your family has been the protectors of mankind. You were considered one of the best and due to that reputation, you were sent on what could be the most important mission for the organization. Going under cover in a college to sniff out a particularly large and threatening wolf pack seemed easy enough. But when you meet one of the members, everything you’ve known since birth will be overturned and your loyalty to your family and heritage will be tested.

Part: 1 I 2 I 3 I 4 I 5 I 6 I 7 I 8 I 9 I 10 I 11 I 12 I 13 I 14 I Final

**

Ice ran through your veins. You could feel his hot breath against your neck. His very proximity was enough to churn your stomach. Your skin was crawling to get away from him. He’d had this effect on you since you were children. There was always something unnerving and unsettling about him.

Out all the people… no. You couldn’t lose your cool. You could still control the situation. You’d conquered your fear of him long ago.

“I don’t know what you’re blabbering about,” you hissed as you stood up from your chair abruptly, causing him to jump back. “I was fixing the files after finding there was a mistake in the information. We can’t exactly operate at an efficient level if we’re strategizing off of inaccurate information.”

Johnny raised an eyebrow, something sparking in his gray eyes. “Inaccurate information, you say?” Out of his pocket, he procured a folded up piece of paper. He held it up between his index and middle finger like it was the winning card of a poker game; his ace in the hole. “If the town was incorrectly named in the files, then why do your GPS coordinates have you going only to the town previously mentioned in the files?”

You always knew that Johnny was twisted. He crossed lines and went around orders. His disciplinary file had an above average amount of papers that had found a home there, but he was never really punished for any of his transgressions. Most of the council actually preferred his methods, even if they went against tradition and honor. And he had mastered hiding the more insatiable parts of himself from the elders. His greatest trick.

This, though… it was like he knew you weren’t going to go through with your mission. Or… he’d been planning something from the beginning….

“What are you getting at, Johnny?” Challenging him in this moment probably wasn’t the best idea, but you needed to keep him talking. Johnny was like the villain in a spy movie. Once he started on his speeches, he gave away everything.

“Entrusting you with this mission was a mistake from the start,” he sneered. “You’re too soft. You’ve never even slain your own wolf.”

“This mission wasn’t about killing,” you snarled back. Whether you were choosing to leave this life or not, being called soft or weak was still an insult. You’d been taught since you were little that being either one of those things would get you killed. “It was getting the book. That’s why you weren’t sent. You’re too reckless. All you think about is the kill. You never look at other perspectives.”

Johnny scoffed. “Other perspectives? You sound a little peace-loving, don’t you?”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

Slowly, a smirk grew across his lips. “Do I?”

Turning into the predator he really was, Johnny began to circle you, his eyes trained on your face. You tried hard to remain collected, to act bored or uninterested in his little game while in reality, panic was beginning to shake the very fibers of your muscles. Fight or flight was kicking in and either one would give you away.

“I don’t think I do know what you mean actually,” he hissed in a very snake-like fashion in your ear. He was directly behind you now and enjoying the game he was masterminding. “You forget, (y/n), I’ve seen you hesitate before..”

You elbowed him hard in the stomach, receiving a satisfying groan in return. “That was years ago, in a simulation. If that’s the best you’ve got, then maybe you should pick a new career.”

Before you could walk away, Johnny grabbed your arm and spun you around. His wide, round face was red from the strain it took to hold himself back. Controlling his temper was always a struggle for him and you might have just pressed the wrong button.

“I was born and bred to someday lead this section of the organization,” he growled, the grip on your arm tightening, forcing a wince out of you. “I am the only one strong enough to lead the next generation. You are weak and sympathetic. It makes me sick.”

“I am not,” you argued back desperately.

“Yes, you are. You don’t have the willpower to do what is necessary. But don’t worry. Because I have the will and the vision it takes to eradicate the world of those creatures. I will make sure that every single mongrel is wiped from the face of this earth and I’ll start with your precious monsters.”

“They’re not monsters!” The words were out from your lips before you could bite them back. By the sickening grin spreading across Johnny’s face, you knew you’d given yourself away.

Slowly, the real monster turned his head and glanced over his shoulder. “Is that proof enough for you?”

Suddenly the monitors on the walls flickered on, revealing the council sitting back at the conference table after you’d been told the meeting was dismissed. You were surrounded on all sides by the people you used to admire and look up to. Every member wore a cold expression, save your father. Disappointment and heartbreak were written all over his face.

“No judgement will be passed as of yet,” your father declared. His voice was much more powerful and indifferent than what his features showed. “We’ll investigate further. Until then, she’ll be held in the cells with the possible charge of treason.”

The monitors went black again, cutting off any possible argument you might have given. Pressed against the delicate skin of your neck was the sharp edge of Johnny’s favorite knife.

“Don’t try to fight,” he laughed. “There are more of us outside this room.”

You didn’t plan on fighting. Not right now. But of course he brought backup. He knew if it was simply one-on-one, you’d win. Johnny couldn’t hold his own in a long running match.

Knowing that you didn’t have any other choice, you let him lead you out of the main hall and across the grounds towards the holding cells while his loyal goons followed closely behind with Tasers crackling in their hands.

“(y/n)?”

Shit.

You kept your face forward, ignoring the cries of your baby sister as she ran towards you.

“What are you doing with her!” Alli shouted.

Johnny snarled at her. “Mind your own business, child!”

“I’m not a child!” she bit back. Turning to you, her fierce façade melted away to a desperation for answers. “(y/n), what’s going on?”

“Don’t worry about it, Alli. Everything’s going to be fine.” An empty promise. And she knew it. She maybe not have been an adult, but you couldn’t get away with simple generalizations with her like you could a child.

“Don’t lie to me!”

“Your sister is a traitor, how about that?” Johnny shoved Alli away, making you fight against his grip, but the knife was back at your throat and his slid the metal just enough to break skin. “Get out of here. If you want answers, find your father.”

Alli shot you one last pleading look. At your silence, she took off for the main hall. You weren’t sure if your father would actually explain anything to her, but you hoped he would keep her in the dark just a little while longer. For her own sake.

The only light that was given in the small, stable-like prison came from the high windows that would be just out of your reach. Concrete slabs made up the walls, impossible to climb with their smooth surfaces, and old iron bars speckled with red-orange rust created the doors to the five-by-eight rooms. Old, musky straw covered the dirt floors and several of the cells had worn wrist cuffs hanging from a heavy nail hammered into the walls. Thankfully, Johnny didn’t see a need to chain you up as he shoved you into one of the cells near the middle of the single-hallway building after patting you down for weapons. You hadn’t strapped any on you this morning, deeming it unnecessary. That decision still seemed right. If you were able to get out of here, you knew exactly where your weapons were stored, rather than being in the possession of Johnny. Again, that was if you got out of here.

“This is a truly enjoyable sight,” he snickered as he slammed the cell door shut. With a motion of his head, he led his posse outside, leaving you alone.

You slid down to the ground, not caring about the dirt and grime that was getting all over your pants. It wasn’t a surprise that you landed here. As soon as you’d gotten into Innie’s car, you knew there was a high chance that you’d be caught. You’d come to terms with the end and so now all there was left to do was sit and wait for your fate.

**

Luhan crouched down low in the shrubbery that outlined the compound. Buildings that ranged from large training facilities to personal homes were scattered among the grounds in no specific order. Hunters were wandering around in groups of three or four, the older ones walking stoically with their hands hand their backs while the more youthful hunters were loudly joking and shoving each other.

The sun was still too high in the sky for his liking, so Luhan waited - rather impatiently - for the better cover of night. He had no idea where you were or which house belonged to your family, but that was easily handled. He just needed to find a small hint of your scent. Surely you’d been gone long enough that he wouldn’t pick up old, confusing traces.

As soon as he had the cover of darkness and the compound seemed to have settled for the night, Luhan emerged from the forest and slowly walked along the cemented trails. He stuck to the shadows, but at the same time tried to look like he belonged so no one would question him from a distance. Taking several deep breaths, he tried to concentrate on finding your scent among dozens scattered around the area.

Finally locating it, he followed your trail to the largest building in the center of this place. He knew walking into what was obviously the headquarters for this branch of the organization, but he needed to find you.

And the front door was unlocked.

So, he opened it slowly, stepping inside and carefully, quietly closing it back up again. He scanned the long hallway, careful to look for any signs of movement. After a hundred feet or so, your scent came to a stop at a pair of double doors. There was no light shining out from underneath onto the carpet, indicating that the room wasn’t in use. Was it possible you were still in there?

Luhan decided to take the risk. He placed his palm on the shiny golden handle and pushed.

The room was empty. Great. Now he had to find the trail again.

“Well, isn’t this a lovely surprise?”

Luhan whirled around. Leaning against the opposite wall was a cocky-looking hunter about his size twirling a knife between his hands. Luhan knew his eyes were giving off an amber glow, catching the smallest bit of light to give him better sight. This hunter knew what he was, anyway.

“It’s interesting that you came after her. Very revealing,” the hunter mused, not looking up at Luhan. He instead kept watching the knife as if it held the world’s secrets in its structure. “I thought (y/n) had just gone soft, unable to hurt the poor, unsuspecting wolves. But now that you’re here,” he pointed at Luhan with the knife, finally making eye contact with him, “I suspect that it’s much more than that. Is she, perhaps, your precious, fated mate? That would certainly explain a lot.”

Luhan let out a low, threatening growl. “Where is she?”

“In the same place all traitors go,” he shrugged. “But she won’t be there very long. Especially now that you’re here. Maybe we’ll be nice and kill you both together. Wouldn’t that be sweet? Just like Shakespeare’s stupid play.”

Luhan wanted to pounce. He wanted nothing more than to jump on this sick, sadistic hunter and rip his throat out for even thinking about hurting you. But before his muscles could twitch, the doors at the end of the hallway flew open, revealing a new group of hunters.

Shlink.

The knife the first hunter had been holding was now embedded into the wall near Luhan’s ear.

Well, shit.

Taking off in the opposite direction, Luhan burst through the doors, making it to the outside before the other hunters made it to their leader. Thankful for his supernatural speed, Luhan bobbed and weaved through the buildings. He couldn’t head back to the woods. Even though it was his territory, the place he was most familiar with, it would make getting back here nearly impossible.

From what he heard with his acute ears, the hunters were still a ways behind him. He glanced over his shoulder, but he couldn’t see where they might be looking for him. Up ahead, there looked like what might have been an unused building. The grass around the edge of overgrown and a few of the higher up windows were cracked or missing corner pieces. He ran towards the possible hiding spot.

He didn’t make it.

Strong hands stopped him in his tracks and yanked him off his course. He landed hard on his back against the wall of one of the steel buildings. The jolt sent a shockwave through his system, unnerving him for a few seconds as he shook the stars away.

“If we live through this, I’m going to kill you.”

Luhan blinked, his eyes widening as he made out the silhouettes of some of his pack members. Kris still had a good grip on Luhan’s shirt and his eyes were flickering red as he towered over him.

“Why the hell did you take off on your own?” Tao whispered harshly. Concern was evident all over his face, even in the low light of a crescent moon.

Luhan shoved Kris’ hand away. Guilt bubbled up in his stomach, growing worse when he saw that Minseok was among the tiny rescue party. “You shouldn’t have come for me. The more of us there are, the more easily we could be caught.”

“Well, we’re not going to be caught because we’re getting out of here,” Kris argued.

“No.” Luhan glared up at the alpha. “They have (y/n) locked up and they’re going to kill her. I have to get her out.”

Tao looked back and forth between Kris and Luhan, his uncertainty of who to follow apparent. Minseok, however, had no trouble on deciding.

“I’ll help you get her out.”

Kris’ looked down at the eldest wolf in shock. “You realize she’s the one who shot you, right?”

“Yes, I do,” Minseok nodded. “But at the end of the day, she’s Luhan’s mate. If getting her out means Luhan comes home, too, then I’m going to help.”

Kris tried to hold his ground. They all knew if he really wanted to, he could order them all back home. The only one who wouldn’t be able to obey would be Luhan. Only the mate pull was stronger than a true alpha’s orders. But Kris had always refused to be the person who forced his authority.

He sighed heavily, looking up at the twinkling stars before bringing his face back down. “Fine. We’ll get the hunter out.”

Luhan smiled, but the flickering, hope-filled joy only lasted a second as an ear-splitting scream cut through the air.

[annakie]

An Annotated Mass Effect Playthrough, Part Twelve

List of Posts: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Last Time: we helped a criminal and chased some monkeys.

This Time: we Main Quest again!

Feros!

I love Feros!  It’s such a cool place with crazy, brutalist atmosphere.  From a scappy little colony filled with brainwashed people to a scary tower filled with Geth and then down to creepy eldritch horror monster basement... it definitely feels like something new and different.

So let’s start out with that colony.

Tali comes with us to Feros, because of the large amounts of geth on the planet.  It seems like the best of the four main planets to have her along with, until the end.

This poor guy.  It’d be great if there was some way to save him.  Why was he out here on his own!?  Someone should be here to help him!  and he shouldn’t be standing out where there’s no cover!  Hide, man!  Hide!

I’m kind of sad we never see muscle-white geth in subsequent games.  What are you hiding from us, Harbinger? What did you do with the white-and-blue wall-clinging geth?  Do their loyalties lie only with Sovereign?  

Also, great job making them seem really freaky here.

One thing I love early on is that the game does a pretty good job not immediately giving up the brainwashing plot, while still making you not feel like a dummy for not figuring it out earlier, yet there are still hints its there.

Alicia here at first seems like she could be a problem. turns out she’s just like, really good at her job and mad about being abandoned here.  And the colony is really struggling and on its last lets and they ARE glad you’re there.

And before you can get into too much discussion, geth attack!

It’s a crazy intense fight up the stairs and into the tunnel, until...

Whew, a reprieve.  Also, what a cool and terrifying shot. They’re really amping up the tension and complete shittyness of the situation here.

Things are seriously fucked at this colony.  

YES I’ll help you!

And you!

Hang on real quick and let me grab this sidequest.

Talking to Hollis Blake is like, the first really big hint that something is very, very wrong here.  Always wondered if he’s any relation to Helena.

Hey, is it just me who always, always, always misses one of these water valve fuckers and has to backtrack to find it?  This time I was specifically like “I am not going to miss any of the water valves.  I will NOT.”  And then I did.  Does one just.. not show up til you get to the end of the Feros tunnels or am I just that stupid?!?!

Anyway, another reason to bring Tali, she’s pretty much an expert at fixing stuff like this!  Kaidan does fine if needed, but the tunnels quests in particular I feel like are right up Tali’s alley.

PUPPIES.  That are apparently full of tasty meat for hungry colonists.  

This screenshot reminds me that I haven’t driven my car for a week and a half due to quarantine and should do so before the battery dies.  Sounds like a job for tomorrow!

Also, I want to know like, how did those vehicles get down here?  Is this really underground?  What level is the colony on?  How do the prothean towers the colonists live in even WORK?  How many other levels have people living on them (or did?)  Does everyone live in this tower and skybridge over to the other tower for office work?  I have QUESTIONS about pre-geth life in this colony that will never be answered.

Poor Ian Newstead.  The strongest of the colonists, but not quite strong enough.

Somehow, I managed to not take video or good screenshots of this terrifying fight.  Oh ok we got drones up top, and several charging Krogan and geth in a tunnel with zero cover?  Sounds SUPER FUN.  Also feels impossible on insanity.  It’s not easy to lure things out to the cross-hallway here.  I die on this fight a lot, even on normal.  

But not this time!!

Hey raise your hand if in the past you’ve forgotten to blow this thing to bits and had to trudge back down here a second time?  

I managed to only get halfway down the hall before remembering and turning around this time.

Oh yeah, yeah Fai Dan, everyone here is SUPER NORMAL.  Poor Ian, indeed.

But hey, turning in all the tunnels quests is great, feels like you’re making a noticeable difference in these people’s lives and survivability, at least.

Anyway, now that the colony is stable, time to head over to that other building!  Just a short, pleasant, easy drive across a skybridge.

HOW. DID. THE.MAKO. GET. HERE?  

Is it just like, Exo Geni’s Mako?  It can’t be ours!  But how would they get a mako!?

Sigh.  Let’s not think about it too hard, and enjoy this boring drive across...

DAMNIT.

But hey, those visuals!

Once again, we deal with these geth in our usual way.  And I didn’t even drive off the skybridge!  So Pro.

Tunnel!  OK we have time to stop for a tunnel.

Peekaboo!  Time to pick up some sweet easy loot!

Hey, thanks ExoGeni for placing large chunks of debris in the middle of the road.  I know it was you because it clearly didn’t fall from anything around here.

Oh no, this asshole.

It feels extra prescient right now that hypercapatalist Ethan Jeong is super willing to sacrifice real people’s lives in order to protect profits, right?  Fuck you even more than normal, Jeong.  Seriously.  I’m now sorta regretting cheating in extra paragon points so you can live later.

I do love Juliana Baynham, though?  Of course I always love a good mother/daughter story.

Hey, don’t forget to talk to Gavin... if you want Conrad Verner to live!

But seriously you guys, this level design.

Sorry not sorry for the flycam pic spam.  I just really love the skybridge of Feros.  

I also really want to know like, what’s down there under the clouds?

Also, great job to the Protheans to have built shit still standing after their reaper invasion +20,000 years!  I’ll have to tell Javik in a couple of years.

Okay, that’s it for this update!  Next time... we’ll make it to the tower, and probably just have an extra-long finishing up Feros post!  Can you believe this post only has twelve of the fifty two Feros gifs I made?  So THAT’S coming up!

[neonlights92]

CHARRED: Chapter V

Jung Hoseok never thought he would find love.  So when his wife - the woman he has somehow fallen madly in love with - leaves him for somebody else he is heartbroken.  Of course, Bangtan waits for no-one.  Soon Hoseok is roped into yet another marriage, and this time he’s determined to keep himself safe.

When the man you thought you would spend the rest of your life with runs away with Jung Hoseok’s wife, you find yourself suddenly tied to a man you think is a monster.  But beneath the darkness in Hoseok’s eyes is a warmth you can’t help but yearn for.  Perhaps love truly does work in mysterious ways.

WARNINGS: Language and this chapter has some smutty smut smut

A/N: PLEASE ENJOY!

You stared at Irene, mouth gaping open.

She was smirking at you, a twinkle in her dark, smokey eyes.

“What- what are you doing?” You felt your throat dry out, “Why are you here?”

“I’m going to need you to come with me, Y/N,” Her face was relaxed, but she glanced downwards, and as you followed the shape of her body you noticed she was pointing a gun at you, “C’mon.  Don’t make a fuss.” You felt your heart thump against your chest loudly, “Why are you doing this?” “Sweetie, I’m the one holding the gun here.  I’ll ask the questions.”

“Actually,” You lifted your trembling hand, holding on tightly to the small pistol nestled between your fingers, “I think you should answer me.” Her eyes shifted and she quirked a thin brow.  Red lips pursed she sighed heavily, as though you were nothing more than an annoying child.

“You and I both know you’re not going to use that.”

There was a long beat of silence as you stared at her, unflinching. Irene sighed heavily.

“What do you want me to say, Y/N?” You flinched at the hardness in her eyes, “I want you to tell me what you’re doing here.” “The longer we stand in this doorway like this, pointing guns at each other, the more dangerous this become.”  She glared at you, “Just come with me, alright?  I won’t hurt you unless I have to.” “I’m not fucking-”

“Come with me,” She spat harshly, and suddenly she lurched forward, yanking your arm and causing you to drop the gun you’d been holding so tightly, “Fucking hell.  Give me that.” She snatched it from the ground and stuffed it into the combat boots she was wearing, turning to shake her head vehemently at you.

“Come on Y/N.  Move.” You didn’t want to follow her, but the cold lead of the pistol was pressed against your ribcage and suddenly your heart sped up.  Was this going to be how you died? Was your husband’s ex-wife going to murder you and throw you in a ditch? What was she doing here? What the fuck was going on?

Irene pushed you forward, nipping the back of your heels with the front of her shoe, “Move it.” She led you towards a fire exit that had been propped open, shoving you past the portal and gesturing towards the fire escape that led onto the dark alleyway below.

“Climb down.” When you gave her a look she pushed the gun against your skin a little firmer.

“Now.” You felt your pulse race, and despite your better judgement, followed her instruction, grabbing onto the cold, steel railing, and lowering yourself down slowly.  Irene was not far behind, and she kept her dark eyes on your carefully.

“Don’t try and run.”  She hissed, “Jinyoung is waiting for you at the bottom.” Your chest froze over.

“What?” “Shit,” She laughed coarsely, “I forgot you two were a thing.  Yes.  He’s down there, with a gun twice the size of mine.  If you try and get away, we’ll be forced to shoot.” You wanted to tell her that Jinyoung would never hurt you.

But you didn’t know if that was true, anymore.

Once upon a time, you’d believed your ex-husband truly cared for you.  But since what had happened with Irene, you weren’t sure of anything anymore.

When you reached the bottom of the fire escape, you stumbled a little, surprised when a big, warm, familiar hand helped steady you.

Jinyoung.

You whipped around sharply, gazing up into the handsome face of the man you had once loved so fiercely.

He smiled down at you.

“Y/N.  I missed you.” You looked at the gun he was aiming at you and scoffed, “Yeah.  I can tell.” When he noticed what you were glaring at Jinyoung shook his head, “This is only for precautions.  We didn’t want you to run away.”

“Whatever.”

Irene joined you on the ground, and motioned towards the sleek, black car parked just to your left.

“C’mon.  Get in.”

You felt something akin to fear crawling up your throat.  Despite the fact that it seemed like neither of them actually wanted to hurt you, you couldn’t be sure.

After all, you’d grown up in the mafia, for Christ’s sake.  You were used to men double crossing each other, and treating life as disposable.  

“Y/N.”  Irene seemed to have sensed your hesitation, “You have two guns pointing at you, right?  Just move your ass to the car, and nobody gets hurt.  If we wanted to kill you, we would have done that already.” Swallowing thickly, you moved slowly towards the car, flinching when the back door opened, and a young, slim man with platinum blonde hair and a shark like smile was staring at you.

“Y/N, I assume?  Mrs Jung Hoseok?” “This is her,” Jinyoung answered for you, gruffly, “Let’s get her to JB.”

Jinyoung and Irene climbed into the front seats, and you slid beside the blonde haired stranger, feeling something tight begin to blossom in your chest.

“I’m BamBam,” The stranger spoke after a moment, when the car slid into gear, “A friend of Jinyoung’s and Irene.  It’s a pleasure to meet you, Y/N.” You turned to BamBam, wondering how he’d gotten that nickname.

You assumed he was as nefarious as every other man in this kind of business, and the word Bam could only mean one thing.  You shivered.

“What do you want with me?”  You asked again, hoping that maybe somebody would take it upon themselves to answer.

“You’ll find out soon enough,” BamBam smiled again and you felt yourself grow cold at the look in his dark eyes, “Until then - I’m sorry about this, darling.” And then he pressed something cold against your face.

You struggled against his grip but it was useless.

Eventually your body began to relax as something warm and fuzzy seeped into the corners of your mind.

And then, you passed out.

//

When you woke up, you were in an office.

You were tired to a chair (obviously) and somebody had taken it upon themselves to put you in something a little warmer than the pajamas you’d been forced to leave your hotel room in.

There was a desk in front of you; dark mahogany, with a golden globe placed right in the middle of it.

You blinked a few times, trying to assess your situation.

The room was empty, save for the desk and the chair you were sat on.

Somebody coughed and you swiveled your head, wincing when it cracked uncomfortably.  There was an unfamiliar man stood at the doorway of the room.

He was tall, with dark hair and squinted eyes.  He was handsome; broad shoulders, and a strong, athletic build.

“Y/N, is it?” When you nodded, he made his way towards you, closing the door behind him, and coming to stand before you.

“I’m JB.”  He folded his arms, “Would you like something to drink?” You realised for the first time, how thirsty you were, and you nodded vigorously.

“Please.” JB grabbed a bottle of water from the drawer in his desk, and passed it to you.

“Here,” He told you, “Drink up.” You gulped down as much as you could, wincing when you noticed how dry and scratchy your throat was.  How long had you been asleep for? The last thing you could remember was that man - that blonde haired man - forcing you to pass out.

“I know you must be confused-” “Why am I here?” You interrupted, “What’s going on?”

JB paused for a moment, seemingly taken back by your response, before he collected himself.

“Y/N.  Your husband is a very powerful man-” Your chest tightened, “You’re going to kill me.” “No.”  He answered immediately, and you felt a small measure of relief fill your bones, “We’re not going to kill you.” “Then what?” He sighed deeply, “You were forced into this marriage, yes?”

You watched him carefully, the way his clicked his long, thin fingers against the surface of the desk.  The way he wet his pouty red lips, as he took a deep breath.

What did he want? “Yes.” “And you still love Park Jinyoung?” Your heart squeezed itself in your chest uncomfortably, “What does that matter?” “Because I have a proposition for you,” He tugged a hand through his dark hair, “If you go along with my idea, then you have a place, here, with us.  In GOT7.”

GOT7.

You’d heard of them before.  Im Jaebum was their leader.

JB.

They ruled Busan.

Suddenly everything clicked into place.

“You want me to kill Hoseok.”

It was clear as day.  Everything made sense.

Why Irene and Jinyoung had run away in the first place.  It hadn’t been for love.

It had been for power.

How very cheap.

JB smiled tightly, “This is cyanide,” He produced a small clear vial from the front pocket of his shirt, “Two drops in his tea, and he’s gone.  They won’t perform an autopsy because he’s a member of the mafia.  They won’t ever know it was you.” You stared at JB.  He’d underestimated your feelings for Hoseok.

He’d taken for granted that you didn’t care about your husband.  That your feelings for him hadn’t blossomed into what they were now.

“Jinyoung and Irene ran away together to set this all up.  They knew Taehyung would force me to marry Hoseok.”

JB sighed deeply, “ We weren’t sure of course.  How could we be?  Things are never certain in this line of work.  But when news broke that the two of you were engaged - well it was perfect.”

“Why do you want to kill Hoseok?”

JB flexed his hands, running a hand across his attractive face.

For the first time you noticed the long, thin scar that ran across his left cheek.  

“Bangtan has ruled Seoul for too long.  With the death of Taehyung’s father, and the war with EXO raging harder than it ever has before, Bangtan are weak.”  He breathed deeply, “Now is the time.  If we take out someone so close to Taehyung - one of the inner seven - we weaken his defences even further.  Then it’s GOT7’s time to take to Seoul.  Take back what is ours.”

“Oh.”  Your heart tighened uncomfortably.  They wanted you to kill your husband.

Your husband who you loved.

Your husband who you so desperately wanted to spend the rest of your life with.

“And what happens to me, then?”  You bit back the tears lodged in your throat, “I kill Hoseok and then you kill me?” “No.  You come and join us, here in GOT7.  And you can have Jinyoung back.”

You can have Jinyoung back.

Four months ago, you would have killed to have been given this opportunity.  Hell, you might have even done it.

But now.  Now things were different.

You didn’t love Jinyoung anymore.  You weren’t sure you ever had loved him.

Now that you loved Hoseok - that you understood what it was to let someone in completely  To bare your soul to somebody and let them have it all: the good, the bad and the ugly.  Well it just couldn’t compare.

But of course, JB didn’t know this.

And so you had to play along.

After a long moment in which you feigned deliberation, you nodded.

“Okay.”  You whispered, “I’ll do it.”

JB smiled widely.  

“You’re making the right decision, Y/N.” You nodded decisively, “I know I am.”

“Two drops of this in his drink,” He untied one of your hands, and slipped the poison into your palm, “Tonight, at midnight meet us in Haneul park - the lover’s bridge.  From there, we will bring you to a safe house and plan our next step.”  JB winced as he jabbed a needle into your arm, and your jerked against the movement, “Sorry to do this to you, Y/N.  We’ll see you tonight.”

The world slowly  blurred into darkness.

And the last thing you thought as you sunk into another deep sleep, was the fact that you were about to condemn the entirety of GOT7 to death.

And you didn’t feel a scratch of remorse for it.

//

When you woke up, you’d been placed back in your hotel room.

There was a big, warm hand, on your head.

You blinked once, twice, jumping back quickly, and staring up into the face of your husband.

He looked exhausted.  Granted, he also still looked so handsome but you saw the dark circles under his eyes.

“Hoseok.” Your throat was dry, “Are you okay?” “I just got back from my meeting with Bangtan,” He took off his shirt, and slung it to one side, removing the gun belt strapped around his chest, and sliding out of his slacks, “I’m sorry I had to leave.  It was urgent.” He seemed to be deliberating something as he crawled under the covers with you, turning so that your faces were close to one another.  He smiled tiredly.

“Hi.” You smiled back, “Hey.” “Y/N…” He brought a hand up to your cheek and stroked your hairline carefully, “There’s something I need to tell you.” There was a moment of silence.  You knew what he was going to say.

“Jinyoung and Irene are back.”  He sighed heavily, “Yoongi picked them up flying in from Busan.  All this time we thought they had escaped the country, and they were right under our noses.”

Hoseok rolled his eyes, “I don’t know what they want, babygirl,” The sudden endearment turned your heart, “But I know that we have to be careful, at least until they’re dealt with.” You waited a beat of silence.

“Hoseok,” You started carefully, “I need to tell you something, and I need you to promise me you won’t get mad.” His eyes darkened, “That’s an encouraging start.” “Please?  Just… Let me finish the story, at least, before you get mad.” He licked his bottom lip and then nodded, gesturing for you to continue.

“Irene turned up at our hotel room whilst you were gone.” Hoseok’s eyes widened into two saucers, “What?  Irene is fucking dangerous what the-”

“You promised you wouldn’t get mad until I finished the story.” “Right, right.”  He closed his mouth and gave you a look.

“She took me to GOT7’s headquarters.  I spoke to their leader. JB.” Hoseok’s eyes widened, “What, why?  What did he want?”

“They wanted to me poison you,” You fished out the vial that had been strapped so tightly against your chest, “With this.  It’s cyanide.” Hoseok took the vial from you, his dark eyes stormy, “What?” “I suppose they thought that I didn’t love you.  That I still wanted to be with Jinyoung.  JB told me if I poisoned you, I could become a member of GOT7.  That I could have Jinyoung back.” Your husband’s face was almost stone cold as he listened to you, save for that telltale muscle ticking away in his sharp jaw.  He breathed harshly out of his nose.

“What did you say, Y/N?” “I played along,” You told him, feeling tired recanting what you’d been through, “I said I’d do it, so that they’d let me go.  But I could never do that.  Obviously.  That’s why I’m here, telling you.” Hoseok paused a moment.

He stared at you, as if trying to deliberate what to say next.

After a long moment, he placed the vial to one side carefully, and took your face in his hands, treating you almost as if you were made of glass.

“Nobody has ever treated me the way you do, Y/N.”  You held your breath, “Thank you.” And then, he pressed the softest, most tender kiss on your mouth.  You kissed him back gently, feeling your heart twist in your chest at all the unsaid emotions he was whispering on your lips.

Could it be that maybe, just maybe Hoseok loved you back? When he pulled away, your eyes scanned his face slowly.

“They wanted me to meet them tonight, at midnight.  Haneul park.  The lover’s bridge.” Hoseok ran a finger down the length of your nose, resting the pad of his thumb on your lips.

“We can deal with all this later,” he whispered, “For now… C’mere.”

And then he kissed you again, and your body thrummed to  life.

Hoseok pressed his firm body against yours, and you felt yourself turn to molten lava at his touch.  

He moved his lips away from your mouth and trailed kisses along the soft skin of your neck.

“So fuckin’ beautiful,” He whispered against you, “And all mine.  Isn’t that right babygirl?” You nodded furiously, tightening your hands against the bedsheets underneath you as Hoseok travelled down the length of your body, pulling your nightgown off quickly, and leaving you in your lacy underwear.

You were delirious with need, watching the way his hungry eyes raked over your body, and feeling something hot pulse in the centre of your stomach.

“I need you, Hoseok,” You whispered, and his eyes darkened, “Please make me yours.”

He growled and you gasped as he ripped your panties, muttering something about replacing them later, before his head lowered to your core.  

“You smell so good,” He breathed against your hot skin, kissing the space between your thighs, and melting everything you’d been thinking of, off your body.

You felt yourself keening against his gentle touch, feeling yourself teeter towards that delicious edge.

“Oh my god,” You groaned, and Hoseok took your flesh between your teeth, sucking with such vigour that the breath left your body.

“Shit.” And then you crashed over that edge, and he took everything from you, moaning against your convulsing body, and swearing that you were the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

Your eyes opened after a moment, and you connected gazes with him; his hair swept to the side haphazardly - his eyes dark and swirling.

He was perfect.

“Your amazing.”  He whispered and you flushed.

“Come here.”

You wrapped your arms around his shoulders, bringing him down to meet your lips.

He pushed his trousers down and you helped him along, desperate to have him inside you already.  He didn’t bother to wear a condom, and you didn’t bother to ask him to put one on.

And then he pushed inside of you, and you felt yourself arch against his hot body.

“Jesus,” You whispered, “Fuck.  Hoseok.  Shit.” He chuckled darkly, “My sentiments exactly, darling.” “Come on,” You told him, pushing yourself closer towards him, “Move.” He did as he was told, thrusting towards you with the practice of someone who knew exactly what he was doing.  Hoseok was beautiful as his eyes connected with yours fiercely, his body keening so deliriously against your own.

This was all you’d ever wanted.  This was all you’d ever needed.

And now it was here, in your hands.

“I love you,” You whispered as you came, and Hoseok’s eyes grew large as he chased after you, his own high crashing over his body only a few moments later.

That was it, really.

You were his.

Forever and always.

“Y/N-” He began as you both tried to catch your breath.

But he was cut off, by the sound of his cell phone ringing.

He rolled off of you, throwing you an apologetic look and bringing the phone up to his ears.

“Hello?”  He answered gruffly.

You waited a moment as something dark touched his face.

“Shit.” Another moment.

“Okay, I’ll be right there.” He hung up the phone sharply, turning to face you, an unreadable look in his eyes.

“Hoseok?  What’s wrong?” “It’s Irene.”  A long pause, “She showed up at Taehyung’s door about twenty minutes ago.  She killed them.” “What?” “GOT7.”  Hoseok’s eyes were filled with smoke, “She killed them all.”

//

[rnufharose]

Blood, Sweat, and Tears - Chapter 10

Words: 2.8k

Trigger Warnings: None

︻デ═一 ♥

"You're afraid," Sehun sighed, noticing her immediate change in posture. He didn't need her to turn around to know her eyes held fear. "I swear... nothing bad is going to happen to you." He spoke gently, kindly, inching closer to her ever so slowly. "I just need you to listen to me for a few moments so I can explain this situation."

"This was a scam," she choked, her hand gripping the doorknob tighter. She wanted to push through the door and run, but she couldn't move. She was far to terrified to do so, her blood running cold as she heard him come closer. "Stay away!" She cried, and his footsteps ceased.

His eyes became half-lidded, his gaze soft as a frown crossed his features. He wasn't sure how to assuage her. He figured it would take time for her to adjust to him, but the fact that she wouldn't look up made him sad.

"If you're going to kill me, please don't," she pleaded. "I'll die on my own terms, not with a gun to my head. I don't want any part in this so leave me alone!"

"And who said anything about me wanting to kill you?" He wondered, tilting his head slightly. "By now, you should know I am a hitman for one of the most ruthless syndicates in the city, but believe me when I tell you that I will never bring you harm. It's quite the opposite, really," the raven-haired male had to find a way to convince her before she could so anything rash. "I've been assigned to protect you."

Haneul chuckled humorlessly, shaking her head for a moment, "Why would you want to do that? I'm going to die one of these days anyway... my Halmeoni's killer is after me too. Everything was normal until that night. If any random person was told of my situation, they would think I'm riddled with bad luck and don't deserve protection."

Sehun exhaled, puffing his hands into his pockets as he continued to stare at her. It seemed she truly didn't know about the origin of her family. It was like she was never a part of it. Taking her away from the violence was the best decision her parents had made and yet, her family's past was catching up with her. "I guess I might as well fill the gaps. Cho Haneul, you are the last living member of the Cho Clan, which was one of the most powerful crime syndicates this city has ever seen."

︻デ═一 ♥

"Do you know where Haneul is?!" Jungkook piped quickly over the phone.

"I thought she was with you... why?" Bella asked from the other side.

"I thought she came inside, but she's not in her room!" He cried. The male was in a panic, frantically searching for his friend who had suddenly disappeared so hour a trace. He thought after what she had been through, she would have stayed home and not bothered to go outside with all the danger looming in the city, but she may have left without telling him.

"Okay, calm down," the silver-haired female said. "Let's think: why would she suddenly get up and leave?"

"I—I don't know," he hissed, running a hand through his hair as he paced the apartment. He wasn't trying to think of all the worse things that could happen to her if she left, but it wasn't until he saw the flyer on the coffee table.

It was the listing for the apartment.

"Kookie? What's going on?" Bella asked when he had went silent. "What happened?"

"I think I know where she is," he said as he held the flyer in his hand, reading the address and the price of rent. This has to be a scam. "Tell Tae hyung to get the car."

︻デ═一 ♥

She mulled over his words, her grip slack around the doorknob. This couldn't be right. There was no way she could be connected to any sort of crime. She was normal girl from Icheon whose parents passed in an unfortunate accident, and her grandmother stepped in to raise her. "I don't believe you," Haneul spoke softly. "Me? A mob princess? I'm not such thing. My parents live in America!”

"I swear," Sehun repeated. "Every word of this is true," he began moving toward her again. "Knowing this life would be dangerous for you, your father sent you away to live with your maternal grandmother. Not long afterward, most of the Cho Clan was though to have been eradicated, but now some know a direct descendant is among them. Their primary target was you, but they got your grandmother instead. That is where EXO comes in. Our clans were close allies back in the day and I was assigned by my boss to make sure you're never in harm's way."

She mulled over his words, letting go of the door and keeping her hand at her side. Haneul turned slowly, her eyes still on her shoes. "So what now? You want me to live here?" She questioned. "Do you think that's enough to protect me? For all I know, EXO will probably get rid of me. They'll kill me when because I am a part of this so-called clan you speak of. I'm just a normal girl who plays piano and loves to sing... who loves her dead grandmother more than anything... this doesn't make any sense to me!"

"I know it doesn't," Sehun said softly, his eyes harboring pity. He managed to step closer to her, hoping she would look up. It was killing him that she wouldn't even look him in the eye. "I don't want you to be dragged into my world... but sacrifices have to be made. You have my word, I'll protect you... just give me a chance...”

She tensed again as he came closer, until she could feel his shadow creeping over her, making her feel a lot smaller than she actually was. "And what if I don't want you near me?" She held her arms, stepping back and shutting her eyes tightly, the first signs of a panic attack coming along, her heart racing while she trembled.

"Haneul," he began, reaching to touch her in an effort to bring her comfort, but the door swung open, and his eyes were on the two males and female that had entered his apartment.

"Neullie!" Taehyung shouted, and she opened her eyes once she heard her friend.

"Gwenchana?" Jungkook asked, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her back, his eyes set on the tall male whose expression had hardened.

"Are you hurt?! Did he do anything to you?!" Bella wondered as she inspected her best friend.

"N-No," the brunette answered, and Taehyung stood in front of her, glaring daggers at the hitman.

"You stay far away from her!" He growled, and Sehun kept his stance tall and unwavering, his tone cold and calm as he answered.

"I prefer you stay out of this," he said. "Leave. I won't ask again."

"Like hell I'm leaving her here!" The younger male yelled, his hands becoming fisted. He wasn't afraid. In fact, he hated this man with every fiber of his being. "How dare you! Preying on the mind of someone who is still mourning! You think you have this power of her, you monster?!"

"You're getting mixed up in things you don't understand," Sehun said, the other male's words stinging, but he didn't back down. "I know more about what's going on around her than you would in a hundred lifetimes. She's in danger and I'm trying to help her. Do you think someone like me would save a random girl for no reason?"

"What, is this another one of those speeches where you say she belongs to you?" Jungkook joined in now, much angrier than Taehyung ever was. "It's our job to protect her. She is our family. She's not expendable like the girls in the brothel houses. She's worth a lot more than you realize." He grabbed Haneul's wrist, dragging her out of the apartment and into the hall.

Bella glanced back before following after them. It seemed they'd arrived at just the right moment. "Thank goodness... lets get you home."

Haneul looked between the three of them as she followed Jungkook, "How did you figure out I was here?" She asked, the symptoms of her panic attack no longer there.

"The apartment listing," The other woman said. "You left it on the coffee table, remember? We followed you because we were worried something else might happen to you."

"Haneul, wait!" Sehun called out, running through the door and running down the hallway. "I swear what I'm telling you is the truth! You staying on your own will only put you in more danger, and staying with your friends puts them in just as much danger."

Taehyung came to a stop and so did the others, abruptly facing the hitman and shouting. "What did we say before?! Stay far away from her! If we're in danger, we can handle ourselves! We're leaving!" He proceeded toward the elevator, pushing the button to the ground floor, and before he could step inside, he looked back, finding Haneul hadn't moved. "Neullie, what are you doing standing there?! Let's go!"

What Sehun said before was slightly true. Haneul realized that if she hadn't lived with her grandmother, she would still be alive. Her friends at The Magic Shop wouldn't have to witness the violence they saw yesterday. She truly was putting them in danger. Even though she couldn't stand the sight of the man behind her, everything he spoke was the truth, "I'll stay..."

"Neullie, you can't be serious?" Bella questioned her friend, dumbfounded. "I think all this shock has gone to your head again. Let's get you out of here."

Sehun's mood perked up slightly heating that she'd decided to stay, but he wasn't going to show it while her friends were around. "You're making a wise choice. I promise to do everything within my power to keep you safe while you're in my care."

"What did we say before?!" Jungkook scolded her. "Men like him ruin people's lives! He's a monster! You have to run away—disappear, if you have to! As long as he's around, he'll go after you!"

"You don't think I know that?" She asked silently, lifting her head to smile sadly, tears brimming in her eyes. "But as long as I'm around you, you'll be targets too... the last thing I want is for my family to get hurt because of me... the both of you should go and be safe... it's better if I'm alone anyway... my days are numbered..."

"Haneul, we aren't going to leave you. Please come back with us," Bella pleaded to her, "Everyone is so worried about you. We'll find somewhere safe for you to live where they can't hurt you, and where all of us don't have to constantly look over our shoulders."

"You heard her decision," The raven-haired male looked between her friends. "She's made up her mind. She'll be safe here with me. You have my word." He already knew that despite his continuous efforts to persuade them, they wouldn't really trust him.

Jungkook was about to speak, but after hearing Sehun's words, he was about ready to explode with rage. However, he kept himself from speaking, his gaze hard. "Let's go," he said to his other friends before glancing at Haneul. "We'll be back for you. We'll make plans to move to Busan, away from all this crap."

Haneul didn't say anything. All she did was nod. If her friends were planning on leaving Seoul to escape, she would do the same, but she couldn't stay with them knowing there were people after her. She thought she knew everything about her family, but really, she felt like she was living a lie.

"I'll have my phone on me incase you change your mind," Bella said, giving her a sorrowful look. "I'll come and get you immediately when you decide." She then turned and left with the two males. They entered the elevator, facing the girl and the hitman one last time before the doors closed, and the bell rang, the shaft descending.

They we're finally alone, and Sehun was able to release the tension in his body, looking back at the girl in front of him. "Did you did really choose to stay here on your own accord, or did you just decide to staying hoping I'd spare your friends if they choose to keep arguing?" He was glad she'd decided to stay, but he didn't want her to feel like she was being forced into becoming a prisoner.

Haneul dropped her shoulders slowly, turning to face him, her eyes on the intricate carpeted floor, "I chose to stay on my own... but also because I want to protect them..."

"I believe you made the right decision for your safety and theirs," He gave her a smile even though she chose not to look up, gestured for her to return to the apartment. "I don't want you to feel like your being locked up here because you aren't. I only ask that you don't wander about without me with you, and that you keep communication between only those you know."

She began to walk toward the apartment, pushing the door open and stepping inside, taking her shoes off and holding her coat. She began to relax, but even then, she was on edge since Sehun was with her.

"This place is your home now too. Everything here is yours just as much as it is mine," he shut the door to the apartment behind him and starting walking around the room. "My study is in the back corner. I'll usually be in there talking calls or in meetings regarding work. If I'm not here, you'll have Vivi to keep you company until I get back."

"Vivi?" She asked, puzzled by the name. She recalled that was the name of the dog that she met hours earlier. At first, Haneul thought this was a coincidence, but she heard the older man call out toward his pet. The sound of tiny barks echoed from a different room before a white mass of fur came running out into the main room, immediately moving toward her. This was the same Bichon she met earlier in the day, and he recognized her, giving her a smiling, his tongue out while he panted.

She knelt before the critter, scratching him behind his ear for a moment, and Sehun was relieved that she at least felt alright around the dog.

"And... my room...?" She glanced up for a moment before returning her gaze toward her feet, gripping her coat tightly.

"Straight across the hall from mine. You'll find that it's already fully furnished and ready for you," He motioned for her to follow him to the room. "We can have the rest of your clothes and personal belongings moved here as soon as possible."

She followed him toward the room, and once the door opened, she found the bed was already covered with clean sheets and soft pillows with two dressers on each side. The wide window showed the city skyline, and the closet was waiting for her clothes to be hung. She didn't mind it. It was simple, just as she liked. She walked toward the closet to hang her coat.

"I hope you like it," Sehun leaned against the door frame, but she still didn't look at him. That didn't mean who wouldn't stop trying. He was patient and he would give her time to adjust. He felt his phone vibrate inside the pocket of his slacks and he pulled it out, an urgent text from Chanyeol on the lock screen. "Looks like I have to go... I'll be back in a few hours. As I said before, this is your home, so please, feel free to do as you please."

She took in his words, listening to his footsteps as he left her room, and she and Vivi were the only ones there. She looked toward the open door, and even the slightest trace of his shadow wasn't there. She walked toward the door and closed it gently, releasing a long exhale as she reveled in solitude.

In the next few hours, Haneul stayed in her new room, laying on the bed with her eyes closed. She thought if she tried hard enough, she would wake up and everything would be just a terrible nightmare. She would be in Icheon and Halmeoni would be alright. All this talk about clans and violence wasn't real and she was just a normal person from a normal family with no ties to crime.

[yeoldontknow]

🎶 top 10 kpop songs 🎵

i was tagged by @stolenjendeukie @ditzymax and @serenililly and i think @red-exo to do this. thank you angels! i hate it! 

this is impossible. i've been thinking about this from the moment i got tagged the first time and i'm so stressed. i can barely pick fave music in any order let alone ONLY TEN. yikes. ok well here we go! 

going under a cut to not clog dashes!p because i talked a lot!

EXO - White Noise ~ when i was getting back into kpop i found this song after listening to monster and i...lost my mind. i'm pretty sure white noise is the reason i'm an exo stan. i listened only this song for a solid three months. i couldn't get enough of it. still can't. when i tell you it's a perfect song in every way, i mean that with every fiber of my spirit

BTS - Cypher 4 ~ i once broke a couch at karaoke to this song. i really don't think any more needs to be said about this other than the fact that i am deeply, deeply embittered i will never see this song live.

SHINee - Sherlock (Clue + Note) ~ barring taemins unfortunate hair in this video, there are few things that really set me off the way this song does. shinee were my first kpop band ever, and taemin was my first bias before i even know that was a term or a thing. when i heard this song i was confident pop music was saved. i still think shinee saved pop music and i will fight that point to the death.

f(x) - Nu Abo ~ literally this song is nine fucking years old and sounds like it was produced yesterday. its centuries ahead of its time and i'm perpetually in a stampede every time i listen to it. there will never be a decade where this song is not good or impressive and you can stamp that on my fucking grave.

CL - Hello Bitches ~ this is one of those songs that if you said ‘sing a kpop song or this is IT’ i'd bust this out and get free shots in the process. i once nearly broke an elliptical listening to this. who would we become if CL was in our mirrors every morning amping us up by aggressively giving precisely -300 fucks? idk but i think that's my next pokémon evolution.

Zico - Bermuda Triangle ~ talk about an experience. this song makes me feel like i'm strapped time a comet ready to break the planet by the sheer force of my hype. another karaoke jam, i have to listen to this at least once a week or the fabric of my reality collapses.

SEVENTEEN - Habit ~ the first time i heard this song i was on a train and when the chorus hit and that muted timpani clash in the back exploded i was so overcome with emotion i could barely process my existence up until that moment. this is the audio personification of ‘i showed you my heart, please respond’ for me. like this immediately gets me so deep in my feels it's like i'm drowning. 

Sister - Touch My Body ~ my party jam. i'd done so many shots to this song, so many drunken nights to this song like what a jam? i love ladies who demand the love they deserve and party while doing it. it's such pure, unashamed pop that you cannot help but adore it.

Chen - Love Words ~ this song moves me, truly. it speaks for itself literally always and i have such special memories of walking through a rainy street in tokyo listening to it feeling so love sick and heart touched. it's a g i f t. i am showing you my heart and soul sir please respond

Taemin - Want ~ i love sin.

honorable mentions:

NCT 127 - Firetruck

Girl’s Day - Something

Red Velvet - Kingdom Come

EXID - Up & Down

BEG - Abracadabra 

Super Junior - Sorry Sorry

EXO - Sweet Lies (i love more sin)

EXO-SC - Daydreamin (this could and should be number one but it's way too personal to actually talk about so just know there are few things in this universe i love as much as this song)

BTS - Outro: House Of Cards

GOT7 - My Swagger ~ my FIRST cease and desist notice to yugyeom which he promptly ignored

G.Soul - Circles

tagging: @yehet-me-up @gingersaysjump @kyungseokie @queenoftheimpala @baekwell--tart @baekphia @imdifferentshadesofpurple @x-exo @ninibears-erigom @fairyyeols @iq-biased @taestfully @taetaetrashhh @readyplayerhobi @seoulmap @chengf and anyone who wants to do this! but as always please only do it if you want to 💗