#my desire to write has been renewed

[80sfeel]

the day @cinquieme stops writing is the day i log out of this site for good

[stagefoureddiediaz]

Costume Meta 7x01

Aaaaaaannnnd we're back!!

OMG I cannot tell you how good it feels to be back writing costume meta - I have missed it so very much and this first episode has given me lots and lots to talk about so lets crack on with it shall we!

Where to start?! Firstly - Its amazing to have Alayna Bell-Price back in the driving seat and she is a genius because she knows the characters better than anyone and I have to say from my perspective there is a pretty clear difference between this episodes costumes and the ones from season 6 - not that s6's costumes were bad, just that you could see the shift of having a designer who didn't know the characters to the same level. I’m going to go in order of character appearance in a non uniform capacity for this one I think so we’re going to jump around from character to character a bit. There is no Maddie or Hen this week, as we don't see them out of uniform, but every one else is accounted for and I've included Norman and Lola as they've got a multi episode arc and their costumes are interesting and playing into a colour theme!

putting it below the cut as its a long post and I on't want to overtake everyones dashes! Enjoy!

We start off with Athena in this pale pink high neck ribbed sweater with large bell sleeves. I've spoken a fair amount about pale pink over the last couple of seasons of costume metas and how, in clothes its representative of childish and immature behaviours or thoughts. That holds true here - the pale pink is playing into Athena's childhood - when she developed her fear of cruise ships - its creating a connection between her childhood experiences and the woman sitting in Franks office.

We get a flashback that shows her in yellow and orange - the yellow for communication and the orange for transformation. A literal moment where we see Athena transform from the innocence of youth to her developing anxiety and fear around cruise ships. Its really clever visual storytelling connecting adult with child and shows us her fear is genuine and founded in something that she may not have been able to articualte fully as a child, but she can as an adult, even if she doesn't actually articulate it to Bobby.

Our next non uniform costume is Chimney. The lighting is really low in this scene, so it's kind of hard to be 100% sure of the colouring, but he seems to be wearing either a dark navy or black button up shirt under a dark green and black bomber jacket. The use of really dark green in combination with black, Back is a colour that can be about hiding ones vulnerabilities - concealment and masking, but it is also a colour associated with magic (generally dark magic) as well as pessimism. The green is growth and renewal, and the hope for a better future. to use them in combination i this way is playing on Chimneys insecurites and fears, his desire to keep the 'magic' alive in his relationship with Maddie, but it also speaks to his growth, that he goes home and talks to her about it (even if he does come up with an insane plan to 'date forever').

Eddie in the locker room - aside from being shirtless for much of it and pulling some epically good faces - was a super interesting costume choice. Especially the use of his watch! first though - Denim shirt time! We don't actually see Eddie in a denim shirt all that often and we've seen him in the super washed out one far more than dark denim shirts. I've been laughing a little bit at a few people (on twitter mostly) claiming its the same shirt he was wearing at the hospital during and after Bucks coma and it being a play on bringing Buck back to life. While I like the theory, its actually a very different shirt - the one in the hospital was black with a grey wash out and was made of velveteen - so different colour and fabric.

This shirt, is however one we have actually seen Eddie wear before and its far more telling than if it were the hospital shirt. You need to bear in mind that this scene is about Buck and Eddies respective girlfriends (or lack there of) and the fact that Christopher has a girlfriend now as well. This shirt is the same shirt Edie was wearing when he (re)introduced Ana to Chris in 4x08 (breaking point my beloved! the gift that keeps on giving!) and this puts a conversation about Marisol and things going well with her into the same category as Ana - suggesting she is ultimately destined for the same fate as Ana. the other thing that plays into this narrative is the use of the watch.

Eddie does not put the Christopher watch on until after he has found out that Buck has broken up with Natalia - so during the entire conversation about their respective girlfriends, he is only holding the Christopher watch, rather than wearing it.

In the picture below from 4x08 you can see that Eddie is wearing his black 'work' watch rather than the brown strapped 'Christopher' watch. Remember that the first time we see the Christopher watch is when he goes for his first date with Ana in Jinx, so he already has this watch and in theory should be wearing it in this scene. The fact he isn't is pretty telling and I'll go into that a bit more later when we get to Chris's (and Eddies) date scene.

Then we have Buck in his outfit of many colours! The white trainers, continue to play into my theory of Buck wearing them when he is in key points on his journey to discover his self - her it is about showing his growth - that he ended the relationship with Natalia - this is a massive thing when we saw how long it took for him to end things with Taylor - The man who clings is growing and getting out before it drags him down!

The jacket is similar in style to many of the ones we've seen him wearing in season 5 and 6, but this one is much brighter and more colourful. I know I go on about white meaning bad things for Buck, but that isn't relevant here - the white bad things happen to Buck theory is much more about t-shirts, jumpers and shirts rather than jackets - its an under-layer rather than a top layer that = danger. So i'm not thinking of its relevance here for this scene. What I am going to say is that this (according to my spreadsheet!) is the first time we've seen Buck in a white jacket of any description. To me, it's playing into the idea of purity and rebirth which is what white is often associated with. This plays into the comment Eddie makes welcoming Buck back to 'the land of the living' but also implies that Buck is starting a new chapter and making a fresh start - the check patterning suggests it might not all be plain sailing though.

The check pattern is an interesting one, obviously check pattern theory comes into play here, but whether its only in relation to the reveal that he split with Natalia, or if its also foreshadowing Buck getting himself into danger/trouble down the line, remains to be seen.

I'm going to quote myself again because I did predict that this scene may be about his relationship with Natalia when we got the stills dropped - the costume department never let us down!

The only thing I can do is scream into the void about check theory because check does't bode well for people - they always end up in the middle of the drama (see my check theory posts linked on my pinned post for more) and while they come out the other side (99% of the time) Buck in check for that scene in 6x18 pretty much doomed his relationship with Natalia (its specific to her and not C&K's baby as Buck wasn't wearing it when he delivered it!) and as that shirt in the still is very un Buck like, has not only yellow ochre in it, but also its a white base (and we all know buck in white is a bad sign!!) and its check patterned - my theory is that this scene is connected to Natalia in some way - either Buck is not being true to him self in more than one way - that things are going to/have come to a head for their relationship (my kingdom for a reverse of Buck to Eddie about Ana in 5x03!!!) and lead to a pretty big change in some way (fingers crossed for Buck to end it and then finally break down and deal with his trauma!!!) Some other things about that shirt - the colour combination - the green blue and yellow ochre are giving me call backs to coma Buck (another reason I think it might be connected to Bucks unresolved trauma around his death and Eddies absense in his dream)

In the quote above, I was also referring to the blue and white check pattern shirt he was wearing when he and Natalia got together, but there was also the fact that in the balcony scene at the end of 6x18, we also saw her in one of Bucks white shirts. I wrote in my 6x18 meta about how those two things combined didn't bode well for that relationship going forward, and thats what leaves me unsure about the check pattern on this white jacket being purely about something that has already happened. If I put my Buddie goggles on, I would perhaps suggest that the troubled times ahead may be more connected to Buck and Eddies relationship, and this would fit in with a couple of the things Oliver and Ryan have said. The thing with check theory though, is that generally speaking if it's on one of the mains, they come out the other side of the dram/trauma stronger than before. So if it is connected to Buck and Eddies relationship, then we can expect it to be in an even stronger position on the other side of whatever goes down (and at this point you can't strengthen their relationship any further and keep them as just friends imo!)

Chimneys forever dating proposal to Maddie, connects with his outfit when he's talking to Hen - it's the same jeans and black shirt, so the meanings of black, can be continued on into this scene - the idea of magic and hiding his vulnerabilities. The addition of the jacket with this brickwork pattern in its weave is a fun choice, it's playing into the idea of building something, but also plays into the idea that Chimney has his walls up - again fitting in with the black meaning of hiding his vulnerabilities - because instead of expressing his fears to Maddie ad then them talking it thorough, he comes up with his insane forever dating concept. the fact that much of this scene is a contrasting parallel with the scene from season 1 when he is pretending to be someone else entirely for Tatiana all ties in perfectly with this costume. The fact that he reverts to wearing blue (ran out of picture spaces so I couldn't include one) later on - when he's realised his plan isn't realistic, talks to Maddie and they end up back on the same page is really good to see - the blue being a signature Chimney colour and is indicative of him being true to himself.

Bobbys blue suit and blue check patterned shirt. The brightness of the blue is a really important choice - it's the only time we see him this brightly coloured on the cruise until he ends up in the bright red at the end. This is important because this is the moment when he's still all excited and hopeful for his honeymoon cruise - everything is good in Bobby's world at this moment in time - the check pattern is telling us that it's not going to stay that way for long. From her on out we see the colours of Bobby's costumes slowly beginning to dull and take on a washed out tone, but here in this moment all is good.

Athena's bright yellow dress is all about making her stand out - communicating with the audience, she is the brightest person in the room (in more ways than one!!). The thing with yellow, apart from the communication aspect, is that it can also be a symbol of anxiety and fear, so this dress plays rather nicely into the theme of Athenas fear of being on that ship.

The colour does have other good traits too - its fresh and bright and is a colour of happiness in its more jewel like tones and I think we can see all of these meanings in these scenes - Athena might be anxious about being on the ship, but she is also happy and enjoying herself with Bobby in that moment.

Lola and Norman. Lola is the one we need to focus on in her very bright very check patterned Victoria Beckham dress. Obviously the check pattern plays into check pattern theory, but the red also acts like a neon sign to the audience - highlighting that Lola is in danger - the ga won't pick up on check theory, although they might connect the dots about the fact this check patterning looks very like a cage - foreshadowing her being held captive later on, but also as a nod to the fact she was incarcerated previously.

The red is also a nod towards romance and love - playing into the rekindling of their relationship and romance in the aftermath of the freeway 'see me Norman' incident.

Ok so Christophers date night and by extension Eddies date night! This is where this meta is goingto get a bit messy and I'm goingto jump around a bit becasue I need to talk about the way colour theory is at play in all the scenes in Christophers bedroom, so we're going to talk about Christophers bedroom as one big thing rather than the two separate scenes that it actually is. They are extensions of one another and build on so much of the groundwork we've already seen in previous seasons.

Chris in plaid check yellow and red check plays perfectly into check pattern theory - it’s a signifier that something is about to go down with him - namely that the fact he’s dating multiple girls at the same time. 

He’s also wearing a white shirt which is not a colour we see on him all that often - in fact, the only times we’ve seen him in a completely white shirt is with his suit in 5x01 when suit shopping and again in 6x08 for his school dance. He did wear a white vest when dressed as wolverine for halloween  So as you can see its not a common colour for him, but the times have seen him wear it as a solid colour have been connected to school/girls and dating (i’m including the suit shopping in this because Ana was there and it was kind of a Eddie and Ana date of sorts - in that it was suppose to be for this Christening - meet the family - date type thing).

The most interesting thing is the plaid hooded shirt though. It was such an interesting choice to go with for a couple of reasons. the colour way is especially loud - we tend to see Chris wearing greens and blues and greys, with the odd other colour thrown in occasionally. So red and yellow are not common colours for him to be wearing.

On the red front we see him in it a couple of times - the adapted skateboarding scene and the scene in 4x10 when he joins Eddie and Ana on the sofa - getting in the way of their date night. We do also see him wear red in Christmas related episodes (so I don’t tend to count them in the same way as the Christmas colour theming will nearly always override any other colour theming intention - the use of stripes or check or other patterning is more important in those episodes!). 

On the yellow front things are even more clear cut - the Tsunami arc, the aftermath of him falling off the skateboard, Mays graduation party and 5x03’s Eddie Ana break up! These (apart from the tsunami shirt) were all bright almost neon yellow.

This new plaid shirt is more into the yellow ochre part of the yellow spectrum, therefore tying much more to the tsunami arc, which is actually really fitting if you think about it in a little more detail - its a connection, not only to Buck, but also to loss and grief. Eddie might have been using his secret weapon (Chris) to get Buck out of his moping (read mourning) over not being able to go back to work, but Christopher is also still grieving the loss of his mother at that point as well, so its not just about cheering Buck up, its also about giving Chris a chance to do something fun and distract him from his own grief. That is why the use of yellow then ties in so nicely with its use on Chris now.

The other thing that really grabbed my attention about this shirt though is the fact that the two times we’ve seen Buck have a conversation with Chris in his bedroom, he has sat in the same spot and has been wearing one of those two colours - post shooting in maroon and this episode in the yellow ochre - if you watch those two scenes side by side, you see that they’ve used almost identical camera angles as well to film Buck.

I've spoken a lot about the use of maroon as a colour connected to parenthood - especially fatherhood , which is how its intended to be read on Buck - connecting to Eddie and his being shot, pushing Buck into a parental role in Eddies absence.

That alone is a pretty loud reference to Christophers connection and relationship to Buck, but then we have the yellow ochre of it all.

I feel a little bit insane about how close my prediction was on what the Buck Christopher scene was going to be about - this is from the meta I wrote when t he stills dropped;

Whatever this scene transpires being about, based on what we've seen with Buck wearing yellow ochre, we can assume its going to continue to play into this idea of Buck not being fully truthful with people and fitting into the role he thinks people want him to pay rather than being true to himself. I do want to add to this theory by looking at Christophers shirt as well. The grey/ yellow combination is a bit reminiscent of Breaking point (the episode that really is the gift that keeps on giving) because we get Chris in grey and Eddie in tan - that is yellowish toned whilst not actually being yellow There isn't a good screenshot of them together, but the placing of Chris and Buck in the new one has echoes of Eddie and Chris in that scene (one that is interestingly enough playing into the idea of changing family dynamics, but also the moment before and the one that happens afterwards at Bucks loft, directly placing Buck into a parental role (as an aside the idea of Buck being a miracle worker plays into the theme of Eddie looking for magic, just saying!))

Indirectly this scene was about Buck not being true to himself with people and fitting into whatever role he thinks people want him to fit into, only this wasn't an active situation - this was a scene where Buck could draw on his experience of having done that in the past to help Christopher - the line from Eddie 'you didn't end up being like you' is such a call to this and actually shows how valuable Bucks own experiences and learnings are in helping Chris (we've all been joking about Eddie choosing Buck to help him with this Chris's issue, but in actual fact he was the perfect person for the job - not just because of his being a 'reformed player', but also because of his relationship with death and the death of a loved one where you are reliant on others for their memories of a person rather than having your own)

The thing with the Yellow ochre (this meta here that i've already quoted from above is the place to go if you'd like more detail on its use on Buck more widely) isn't just its about it's connection to Buck, his place in Christopher's life and more loosely to the will of it all, (the fact that Buck and Eddie are both wearing the same colour ways as in the hospital bed will reveal scene and are both on the same sides of the screen in both scenes is a stroke of genius and is meant to connect these two scenes together) its also its connection to Shannon.

The first time we meet Shannon, she sits on Christophers bed in more or less the same position as we see Buck and Eddie sit, and looks at where Christopher has been positioned in all these conversations, and she is wearing a burnt orange top thats pretty close to the dark yellow ochre we see Buck wearing. Shannon wears a lot of yellow - as in it there are only a couple of times we don't see her wearing something yellow or with yellow in it and those are key scenes (which I will talk about later on).

Shannons appearance in Christophers room to read the letter she wrote him had her in this black top with a floral patterning on it. She was also wearing green trousers (which can be seen in the still below but aren't actually seen during the scene.

I actually really loved the green trousers and black top as a choice because the top is very Shannon - it sits perfectly with the floral patterns we saw her wearing when she was still alive. The green trousers are a bit of a departure for her, but I think its very intentional for two reasons .

The first is that they are very much in the Eddie trousers wheelhouse, especially in combination with black - he wears green khaki trousers a lot. The inference being that the black and green combination is an echo of Eddie.

The second ties to Christopher. Green is also a colour we've seen on Christopher a lot, it's probably the colour we see him in most. It's being used as a reflection of the fact he is growing and transitioning from child to teenager. But having it here in this scene - on Shannon connects a Christopher growing up without his mom.

Both of these combined really connect into Shannon in this scene, tying the three of them together and on Eddies efforts to keep her alive for Christopher - the underlying implication that his growth into who he is so far is as much to do with Shannon as it is to do with Eddie.

Her necklaces were not identical to the ones we saw her in in season 2, but that's most likely because they don't have them any longer, so they've replicated them as best as they can. The other little nod that I enjoyed is the brown bracelets on her right wrist - the same place Eddie wears his brown strapped Christopher watch!

But the top they have her in plays into a couple of other things - the prominent yellow flowers make an obvious connection to Buck from the previous scene, but they also tie into the 'I want a divorce' scene from 2x17 where she is wearing a dark blue dress with bright yellow ochre flowers all over it. the dress is not especially close to the top in the wider sense - blue dress with white squares v black top with florals in a variety of colours, but the yellow flowers are the prominent aspect of both items of clothing and play into the yellow theme connected to Shannon and then to Buck.

This is espeically relevant when you remember that Eddie is in a black suit in that scene and he's wearing black when he gives the letter to Christopher.

The black for this sequence of scenes is such a poignant choice - its Eddie mourning all over again, not for his loss, but for Christophers loss. I did find it telling that again in this scene, we have the absence of the Christopher watch. Eddie has very rarely not been wearing a watch in his scenes, so the times when we don't see him wearing one are very telling.

For me, in this sequence of scenes, it's about the fact that they are not about Eddies relationship with Christopher, but about Shannons relationship with Christopher. The watch is much more about Eddie and Christopher, so to have it absent from this story arc makes total sense and is symbolic of Eddie being a good father

Then we have Christophers grey shirt - I said when we first got the stills from that scene, how it was likely to be connected to complex family relationships - a la when we’ve seen Buck wearing his grey shirt. And what do you know - the scene was about complex family dynamics/ relationships.

It wasn’t perhaps in the manner I was expecting, but that series of scenes played with the full scope of Chris’s complex family relationships - from the relationship he has with Buck -not only as Christophers friend, but also as more or less Eddies co-parent (the way Eddie asked for Bucks help screamed co-parent rather than friend imo - that whole burnt out car scene was two co-parents discussing their child!) to the relationship he has with his dad - which is a pretty great relationship, but it is a complex one.

The relationship he has with his mom - or the fact he feels he doesn’t have a relationship with her despite Eddies best efforts, because as he grows up she feels further and further away. 

Eddies 'date' night with Marisol. Again I ran out of pictures (30 is not enough!) so you're going to have to use your imagination or go back and rewatch the scene for yourselves, but trust me when I say that Eddie is wearing the same shirt he was wearing for this date night as he was in 4x10 - when Christopher interrupts because he can't sleep!

It's also a similar tee to the one Eddie wears when he has his breakdown and trashes his room (that one was more green when this one is much browner). Its slouchy and has cut and stretched raw edges at the sleeves and on the pocket - in the same way his breakdown shirt did. there is an element of being in familiar surroundings and being comfortable at home, but stretched out raw edges and Eddie generally tend to mean not so great things.

Of course there is the element of his parenting skills being tested by Christophers having more than one girlfriend, but if that where the only reason, then it would've made more sense to have him in that shirt when he's listening in to Chris talking to Buck, rather than when he's on a date with a new girlfriend.

This is especially true as the screen time for that tee has more connection with Marisol than it does with Chris. Combined with the fact that once again, like in the locker room scene, he is not wearing his Christopher watch in this scene and that speaks volumes.

If we are to read the scene as being about Christopher soley, he should be wearing his watch because that watch is a physical embodiment of the importance of Christopher in Eddies life - that he puts Christopher first in all things.

Got to say I was a bit shocked to see Marisol in his bright magenta silk spaghetti strap top when you consider the costumes we saw her in last season - mostly dressed down, t-shirts, jumpers and dungarees so this is a complete 180 for her character.

There are a few interesting things connected to her outfit, firstly it low key ties into Natalia - we saw Natalia in a red version of this top for her first proper onscreen date with Buck (when they go to the badge and ladder joint) so there is an interesting low key parallel to draw there. There is also the fact that her bracelet is a chain one - much like we've seen on all of Buck and Eddies previous girlfriends - although those have been necklaces, so I'm undecided if this chain bracelet is paying into the same trope as those.

Then there is the pink of it all.

You see Eddie and Pink on his girlfriends doesn't bode well for Marisol.

Both Shannon and Ana wore pink. Ana wore it a lot - there are two examples below, but generally speaking its her most commonly worn colour - including on her first date with Eddie in Jinx.

The first example below is from the first time we see her in the Diaz house. the shades are different, but the fact that the first time we see both characters in the Diaz house they're both wearing pink, speaks volumes.

The other key use of Pink is when Shannon is at the beach with Eddie and Christopher and she tells Eddie she's pregnant - Eddie takes it as the sign he has been looking for - the chance to effectively start over with their marriage, but this is the beginning of the end for their relationship, even if she hadn't died a short while later. She is wearing pale pink in that scene and it's the only time we see her wear the colour in the show.

The fact we can also contrast the use of pink with when Buck wears it is telling in its own right - we see the relationship between Buck and Eddie strengthening when Buck wears pink - May's graduation party, the tsunami, the Hildy coffee machine - all moments (big and small) that show the development of various aspects of their relationship and its ability to endure.

Essentially all this use of pink on the women he has had previous relationships with, doesn't bode well for Marisol and the longevity of her relationship with Eddie. How quickly it will end I can't say, just that it will end.

I spoke earlier in this post about colour theming for the episode and this is where I talk about it!

Pink - and in particular the very bright pinks we saw scattered across the episode. Marisol above wearing it, isn't just about connecting her to Ana in costume terms (especially as at this point that costume is a departure of her costumes from s6) it also connects her to the other characters we see wearing bright pink in this episode - Lola and Norman.

At this point in time I'm not sure if we're going to see it play out as a theme across the season, but its use in this episode was very loud on characters that are going to be around for more than 1 episode. It suggests that there is some underlying theme that connects them (by this I don't mean that they're gonna meet and hang out I mean that personality traits are going to be similar)

Magenta and bright pink in colour theory means a few different things, and like with all colours, has positive and negative traits. Generally speaking its a loud and brash colour thats designed to stand out and draw attention to it's wearer.

Things that are considered positive traits for this shade of pink are; intensity, acceptance, kindness and it's supportive and uplifting nature. It's connected to naive love (as in lust rather than the passionate and enduring love of red) can also be considered a nurturing colour.

Negative traits are; intensity, volatility, arrogant and impatient, irritability and irritating and frustration. it is also said to be a stress inducing colour and is said to be overly emotional.

Theres a clear and fairly loud connection between Lola and Norman getting into danger - Lola is in magenta trousers when she is kidnaped. Norman also has bright magenta flowers on his shirt at this point as well. My guess at this point is that we're supposed to lean into the stress inducing element, and also the irritating nature of the colour (On Athenas part at the very least!) and we'll see if those are the themes that play out for Marisol as well down the line.

Norman is in bright pink when he's lying and claiming she's unwell from being outside or too long. We also see that he is wearing pink in the ditsy print shirt later on (again I ran out of picture spaces!)

Athena's black top in this scene is much like the use of Chimney in black in his scenes. It's all about power and authority but it's also about her hiding her vulnerabilities. The other thing it does is creates a huge contrast with Bobby and all of the other passengers - she is the only one in black in the scene and it contrasts her with the underlying white of Bobbys shirt - juxtaposing them and visually putting them at odd with one another.

Like I said above about him becoming increasingly pale - here we see Bobby in a sea-foam green shirt - its the palest and washed out colour we've seen him in on this cruise (grey pyjama shirt not being included as its blink and you miss it and a pyjama tee!!!). Sea-foam green doesn't really play into the traditional meanings of green - there is still the element of renewal about it (the sea washes the sand etc)but its mostly a self-conscious and uncertain colour - both things that perfectly sum up how Bobby is feeling in this moment.

The other fun thing about this outfit is the palm tree shorts the patterns Bobby has worn in relation to this cruise, up to this point (and that includes the shirts from season 6) have all been tropical themed but on his shirts, the fact that they've now slipped down onto his shorts is a visual representation of him becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the way his honeymoon is going - that the tropical vacation vibes are slipping away.

Athenas red and white shirt, in my opinion is showing her cross purposes - its the duality of investigating and being on a cruise in a shirt. The bright red ties into the red and blue first responder colour way the show uses (for obvious reasons) while the white and the palm fronds, the lei flowers and the watery theming of the pattern fit into the troipical cruise they're on.

Bobbys red shirt contrasts with the lavender that we see on Athena - its not a colour we see on Bobby all that often and that makes its use all the more important. Especially considering the entire cruise thus far we've seen him in blues and greens - especially pale closer to pastel tones.

This red is bright snd bold and unlike his usual choices. Red is a colour of cross meaning - there is obviously the connection with love and the heart, which is absolutely at play her - his love for Athena is spurring him on and is part of what is pushing him in to investigator Bobby mode - and its representation of love is what is going to be the key player in the up coming episodes on the ship - when he is looking for Athena during the evacuation etc. But the other meaning of red is war, courage and anger and that is very much present here in this episode, and will (i'm assuming) be later on in 7x02 and 3.

The other thing I think its worth pointing out at this point (which is pure conjecture on my part at this moment in time but that I think will become relevant in the next two episodes rather than this one) is the foreshadowed parallel with Buck in season 5 when he broke down Eddies door. The bright red we saw him wearing then was an uncommon colour for him, in the same way it is for Bobby here. It's paralleling the way Buck was prepared to go into battle for Eddie, with the way Bobby is prepared to do so for Athena - going to war for your closest person, your loved one and doing what you need to do to save them.

Putting Athena in lavender the moment she gets to go into cop mode was a choice that had me giggling! Lavender is a colour of relaxation and order so for her to start wearing it the moment she gets to start being a cop again - speaks volumes for her state of being - it shows that her fear of being on the cruise ship and of being alone with bobby, has been overridden by her need to do her job and start investigating things. Its the perfect colour for this moment and for the impeding trouble brewing on the ship - Athena will bring order to things as order has been restored to her inner world.

Hopefully you've enjoyed this little canter through the costumes of 7x01 we're back in business and I can't wait to read your comments in the tags and comments 🥰

Tagging for those who've asked to be tagged - drop me a comment on this post if you'd like to be added to the list for the next meta 😎

@theladyyavilee @mistmarauder @xxfiction-is-my-realityxx @mandzuking17 @spotsandsocks @loveyou2thecore @wanderingwomanwondering @oneawkwardcookie @leothil @copyninjabuckley @nathleigh @shammers86 @crazyfangirlallert @missmagooglie @inandoutoffocus @katyobsesses @radiation-run @gayandbifiremenofmine @lemotmo @bi-moonlight @satvojihusana @crazyaboutotps @princesschez75 @mongreloer @alliaskisthepossibilityoflove @sherlocking-out-loud

[yaekiss]

𝑴𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒚

꩜ Room Content: Dom! Top! Reader x Sub! Bottom! Ayato, no gendered terms for reader, reader has a cock, gratuitous mention of spit, lmk if I missed out anything ! ꩜ A/N: First post! Had Ayato on the mind and couldn't study so I wrote this instead of writing my exam notes LMFAO 💀 SHOUT OUT 2 @eugenarayy FOR BEING MY HYPEMAN

Ayato loves loves loves the mess the both of you make after one of your more than savoury sessions.

After all, he's been stuck in his office all day, his high collared undershirt choking him (and hiding the pretty marks you left on his neck, though, if the elders knew, he'll never hear the end of it). His work surroundings are pristine. Thoma does his job impeccably well and there's never a speck of dust to be found anywhere. All the stationary poised neatly on his table. There is nothing out of place. Everything is too pristine, too sterile. Something, everything is expected of Kamisato Ayato. He feels the pressure of his entire commission weighing down on him when he sits in his office, silently busying himself with flipping through mountains of paperwork. 

Although he should really be focusing on his work, memories from your last session together with him flood his system with arousal, his mind's eye replaying each and every single intimate detail he can remember (albeit not that many since he got so fucked out towards the end!) Pale lavender eyes flutter shut as he recalls the burning grip you had on his thighs, manhandling him as you saw fit, blunt fingernails digging into the supple flesh of his plush ass. A shudder travels its way down his spine and he bites his lip to prevent any noise from escaping (he might be a whore but he still has a reputation to uphold mind you!) He squirms in his seat, pants suddenly uncomfortably tight and all the layers he’s wearing become extra stuffy. Hands shaky with desire, he sheds his outer coat, folding it expertly by his side but this does nothing to quell the rising heat in him. Ayato is utterly intoxicated by you. 

He loves that he doesn't have to be the ever-competent Kamisato Ayato with you, all he has to do is lay back and just let you pound his brains out until the only thing he can blabber by the end of the night is your name ♡

By the end of his day, he's been away from you for too long :( He missed you so much :(( Won't you indulge him tonight? :(((

He bursts through the door to your shared room, catching you off guard. Making sure that the door is locked, he immediately makes a beeline straight towards you, wasting no time as he pounces on you. The second he makes contact with you, he’s pressing every inch of himself into you, nothing but urgent craving in the way he smashes his plump lips against yours, opened mouth kisses leaving a string of drool when he finally (begrudgingly) separates from you to catch his breath. You’re pulled to the bed by the needy brat and he scrambles to straddle your thigh, grinding down with renewed fervour when he catches the hungry glint in your eyes.

“Please take- ah! -care of mmmm! -me tonight!” Ayato gasps out as he uselessly ruts his clothed cock against your thigh, hands on either side of him to keep his body upright or else he would've collapsed onto you long ago. 

"At least someone still has enough manners to say 'please'," you tease, eyeing the delicious desperation consuming your boyfriend. You can feel the stickiness seeping through his pants as he oozes precum and his breath hitches. 

"D-don't tease!" Ayato tries to demand, ever the brat that he is, trying to regain some control over the situation, but he fails ultimately when it comes out as more of an adorable whine.

Not long after, the both of you have stripped down to nothing, with your cock snug in his supple ass. 

“Haa… No matter h- hnng! -how many times I t-take you, I always f- fuuuuck! -forget how big you are ahnnn! ♡” Ayato moans out loud shamelessly, his familiar everyday intellect reduced to nothing but mush once you bottom out in him. He pants heavily as he adjusts to your size, his hands clasped behind your shoulders, while yours grip his hips like a vice, just the way he likes it. He wiggles his hips with a satisfied dazed look on his face and you hiss as his walls clench down on your length.

Press your tongue flat on the mole on his chin and unceremoniously lave your way down to his collarbones. The lingering warmth in your breath sears against his cheeks and he can barely hold himself back from panting, his own mouth falling open and tongue lolling out. Suckle some hickies just below his collarline, a depraved canvas of reds and purples blossoming across his neck and collarbones. The insatiable way you bite and teeth a path along his jugular, leaving a trail of your spit as you have your way with him, riles him up more than he'd like to admit. When you reach his pretty cherry pink nipples, pay them extra attention, they’re super sensitive and your whore loves it when you swirl your tongue around them, making them glossy with your saliva! Tweak and pinch them to make him let out the cutest high-pitched squeaks and feel his ass clamp down pleasurably on your cock fully sheathed in him. By the time you’re done with his chest, teeth marks and lovebites litter the milky expanse of his upper half. Ayato’s cock jumps at the way pride shines in your eyes while you take in your handiwork.

Pound into him without abandon and watch him struggle to catch his breath with how deep you’re reaching in him. Watch his ass jiggle with each wet sinful squelch that echoes throughout the room as you rhythmically pull out and sink back into his warmth. Ayato chokes on air when your cockhead brushes past his prostate, hips jerking downwards to take more of you in, the burn of your cock stretching his hole out further sending him straight to heaven. When you slide your fingers into his mouth, Ayato doesn’t hesitate to coat your fingers in his spit, skilled tongue licking over every inch of your digits, subsequently getting drool all over his chin. With a mouth that spews nothing but shrewd sweet talk all day, it’s no wonder he has an oral fixation.

"Aww look at yourself, tongue out and panting, like my bitch in heat." Even through his sex-addled brain, he catches the subtle possessiveness in your tone. Devotion overwhelms his mind and he keens lewdly, cock twitching and hips jutting up harshly.

"Ah, ah, hnnn… I'm- ah! -all yours! Puh- Please I’m sssss-so close oogh!!" Ayato cries out obscenely. Taking pity on him (your poor boyfriend worked hard today), you angle your next few thrusts so that your cock bumps up directly against his prostate. His eyes roll back with frenzied bliss as he cums with a pornographic moan, head thrown back in ecstasy and you’re acutely aware of his blunt fingernails raking down your back. White splashes across his pale tummy and drips down onto your thighs, making the mess that he so craves. You finish with Ayato, spilling your load in him and he screams at the blinding heat filling him up. His legs loop around your hips and trap you, not allowing you to pull away from him, burying you further, deeper into him. You feel him nuzzling into the crook of your neck, heated breaths fanning across your bare skin as he tries to steady his racing heart rate.

“Such a whore Ayato, you came untouched!” You laugh at him even though you doubt he even understands what you just said given his obviously fucked out state. Head dizzy with euphoric pleasure, he giggles dumbly, tongue hanging out as he pulls you down for more open mouthed kisses. He peers up at you through wet lashes, eyes swirling with pure lust and aphrodisia.

He looks so wrecked. His unkempt hair sticking to his forehead and spread out around him like a halo, lilac eyes shining with tears, sticky spit all over his chest. When Ayato finally lets you pull out, he whimpers at the loss of your warmth. His fingers attempt to push your cum leaking out of his ass back in but all he’s really doing is pathetically smearing it all over his inner thighs and ass, making an even bigger mess of things :(

Why not take a photo of him when you’re done so he can remember better this time? ♡

Thanks for reading! Consider supporting me on kofi if you enjoyed this or check out my other works hehe ♡

[ofstarsandvibranium]

Precious Truths: Part 13

Fandom: Bridgerton

Pairing: Benedict Bridgerton x F!Reader

Summary: After your father finds out you’ve been writing under a male pseudonym, he threatens to marry you off to an atrocious man unless you find yourself a husband within a month’s time.

A/N: hello! yes, finally, an update! thank you to all of you who were patiently waiting for this. tbh the Benophie announcement gave me a bit of a spark of motivation to finish this chapter! enjoy!

Series Masterlist

My dearest Y/N,

I am not sure what else to say other than I am sorry. I am sorry for making you feel as though you meant nothing to me. I must admit, due to my own self-induced heartbreak, I refused to read your letters previously. However, you will not find me doing that again. I have missed your friendship dearly. It is my own fault for doing this to us. I will never do that to you again, I promise.

Always feel free to write to me. You will receive a response from me, now and always.

Yours,

Benedict

You read the short letter over and over again. You're in a bit of disbelief, yet you're overjoyed. You kept your expectations low after sending that letter to Benedict. However, you're pleasantly surprised that not only has he written back, but he desires to renew your friendship once more.

You immediately go to your writing desk and begin to write a reply.

You spend some time writing everything down, how grateful you are for Ben, how you've been spending your days, as well as your moments of grief.

James' parents have provided good company to you. Ever since meeting you, that have been so kind and loving. They remind you of how your parents used to be prior to your mother's passing.

In your letter, your relay to Benedict how you've been trying to write poetry to help you process and cope James' passing, but nothing has come from these attempts.

Admittedly, Benedict was your muse for so long. After he left, James became your muse. Now he's gone. You don't want to think about Benedict potentially taking up the place as your muse again. A part of you feels as though that would be a betrayal to James, however, your muse was originally Benedict...

It's fine. You won't worry about it too much right now. You'll just take things day by day.

After you finish your letter, you fold and seal it. Calling upon a footman, you ask him to send it to Benedict and the young man leaves promptly.

__________________________

Dear Benedict,

I may be going stir-crazy here. Mama and papa have been very loving and supportive, however, I feel that, even in this large estate, I cannot get away.

I've been riding a lot more than usual now just to get out. I know, it is shocking to me as well since I was never fond of it. However, now I find myself wanting to ride every single day just to be out and about.

Maybe I should discuss with mama and papa if I can start accepting guests again. For I am not sure how much longer I can take this.

Anyway, I hope you are well. It has been some time since we last exchanged letters. I am sure you have been busy with the new exhibit coming up. I hope it is successful. Everyone will be able to see just how talented you are.

I am so proud of you and what you have achieved, Ben. Never forget that.

Yours,

Y/N

Benedict sighs, reading over your letter. He is visiting his family, taking break from working on his last painting for the exhibition.

"What ails you, brother?" Eloise asks as she sits beside him.

"Would it be improper if I were to visit Y/N soon?" he asks her with confliction written on his face.

"Why would it be improper? You two are friends again, yes?" Eloise asks confused.

He lets out a deep breath before explaining, "After the death of a spouse, it's customary to mourn them for a year before accepting guests and taking part is society again. It's only been sixth months."

Eloise scoffs, "Benedict, you know that I am the last person to tell you of what you should or should not do in terms of societal rules."

"Of course," he says with a roll of his eyes.

"What is it that you really want to ask me?"

Benedict remains silent, contemplating on how he should ask his sister.

The truth is, Benedict has felt whole again. Having you back in his life has brought so much happiness, familiarity, and comfort that he's been seeking for the past few years.

It's clear to him that his love for you will never seize. You will always remain a part of him and he will always hold you in a special place in his heart. However, if he takes this step to be close to you again, will it end in heartbreak once more? He doesn't want to think of such an outcome, but there's always a possibility. No. Nonsense. He can't think about that.

Benedict may love you, but you are first and foremost his best friend. Therefore, any feelings he has of you must be cast aside. Being your friend, in your company, speaking with you, being there for you, that is the priority. Benedict's feelings be damned. He will not make the same idiotic mistakes he made before. He's wiser and stronger now.

The relationship you two share is much more important, now that ever.

Benedict turns to Eloise and smiles, "I think I'll alright, Eloise," he stands with confidence.

His sister looks at him with uncertainty, "Are you sure? You're not going to do anything stupid again, are you?"

He shakes his head, "No. I promise, I am better. I will be better for Y/N."

"If you're sure," Eloise says before Benedict exits the sitting room.

______________________

The wind is blowing through your hair as you ride through the forest. It is midday and you have a lot of energy. James' horse, now yours, Bluebell, is fast and agile. She leaps over bushes and fallen tree trunks with ease.

You and Bluebell have gotten quite close these past few months. She's been able to grant you the freedom you've been aching for.

The first three months after James' passing were hard. Now six months later, you've finally accepted his death. It was unexpected and there was nothing you could do to help. You had loved him dearly and he accepted and understood you like very few have.

You are grateful for the short time you had with him, but now you'd like to slowly move on with your life.

You've been trying to get back into writing. Very few pieces have come out well. The rest thrown into the fireplace, burning to ash so you wouldn't have to see it again.

You've come to realize that the few works that have been kept, you've come up with while riding. Another reason why you have gone out a lot more. You're trying to find that spark again that you once had before James' passing.

You stop at a small creek flowing through the Montclair land. You dismount Bluebell and guide her to the water so she may quench her thirst and rest a bit. You sit by the creek, watching as the water flows by. You listen to the birds chirping, the trees swaying in the wind.

You think about how you've been feeling the past six months. How only in the late hours of the night is when you experienced the heart ache of James' passing, how you felt knowing you will no longer experience his freeing and doting love.

You pull out your journal from your satchel and begin to write:

Deep in the shadows where heartache grew

Mourning hearts match skies of grey

A love once bright as morning dew

Now drifted gone as night to day

The halls keep our memories

Our laughter and tears

Walking among those walls, memories sunken

deep within the seas

It's short yet conveys the feelings you want it too. You don't hate it, but it may need some work. So you keep it in your journal and stand. Some time has passed for Bluebell to catch a break. You mount her once more and head back to the estate in more of a trot rather than a flying gallop.

When you arrive back, you see Clarissa waiting for you.

"Something the matter?"

She gives you a small smile, "I know Jean Louis and myself have informed you of the mourning customs, however, it has been brought to our attention that sometimes one does not need twelve months to mourn the loss of her husband."

"Mother?" you ask her confused.

"I just know that you have always been more of a free spirited woman, which is why James was so drawn to you. I also know that you did love him dearly and I will not be upset that you shorten your mourning period. You wanted to be free from societal standards from the very beginning, therefore, we will allow you to start accepting guests back at this home. You are also free to go back to yours and James' home in London."

You're not sure why your mother-in-law is saying all of this, "I-Thank you, mama. I do appreciate all of that, however, I must admit I am confused why you are mentioning this."

"I received a letter from Mister Benedict Bridgerton. He was requesting to see you."

Your eyes widen in surprise, "I assure you, I didn't ask him to do that. I was planning on asking you myself."

Your mother-in-law chuckles, "Yes, well, it seems Mister Bridgerton beat you to it."

You sigh, "So it seems."

"Everyone mourns differently, cheri, we understand that you would also like to be in the company of others during this time. Mister Bridgerton is a close friend of yours, yes?"

You nod, "He is. I'll make sure we can be seen and-"

Clarissa chuckles, "You don't have to worry about those things here, cheri. I trust you. I will write back to Mister Bridgerton right now."

You curtsey, "Thank you, mama. As usual, your kindness is greatly appreciated."

The older woman sighs, walking up to you and cupping your face, "You never have to thank me for kindness. It is a mother's duty to listen and understand her children. Although you are not my blood, you are my daughter just the same."

Her words brings tears to your eyes. She reminds you so much of your own mother, it hurts a little. To know that your own mother can't be here with you during this time. You're sure she would have provided a lot of her wisdom and advice. Nonetheless, you are grateful to now call Madame Montclair as your own mother.

"Thank you, again."

"Of course," she kisses your cheek, "Best wash up before lunch, yes?"

"Right. Excuse me," you pick up your skirt and rush back into the house to have a quick bath.

[miumura]

BITE ME — SUNGHOON ONESHOT

SYNOPSIS : Throughout history, it has been a common practice for vampires to select unsuspecting individuals from the streets as a source of food, feasting not only on their blood but also on their fear. Sunghoon, accustomed to encountering terrified individuals, found it unusual to come across someone devoid of terror in their eyes—until he met you. Not being in the right state of mind, you had requested him to bite you instead. This unexpected request stirred a peculiar warmth in Sunghoon's pale cheeks, deviating from his usual routine of draining all of one's blood.

— when a supposed feast turns into an surprising attraction.

PAIRING : vampire!sunghoon x fem!reader

GENRE : fantasy, vampire au, strangers to lovers

WARNINGS : mentions of blood, biting, kidnapping, marks on body, mentions of food, cursing, mentions of toxic parents, abandonment, lmk if there’s any more!

FEATURING : all of enhypen

WORD COUNT : 15.7K+ (15722)

SOPH : its here its here!!! def the longest fic i’ve ever wrote 😭 . god this fic will be a ROLLER COASTER i swear (me saying that as roller coaster by txt is playing). i gen had so much fun writing this fic and i was so immersed in writing 😭 this is my first time writing a vampire au so i think its pretty okay for a first timer 🙏 posted a teaser of this and FINALLY finished it sooo thats great 😊 anyways, i hope you enjoy this fic as much as i enjoyed writing it <3

thank you for my wonderful mooties who read / seen some parts of the fic, your help + comments were great <3 + esp @flwoie , who proofread the whole thing that made their grammar checker crash MANY times … love you 😊🩷

also tysm for 1.5K+ :( <3 i can never be more grateful for all of you guys to keep little tabs on my works so thank you <3 i guess you say this is dedicated for it since i dont have an event planned out for it sooo <3!

ONE — desire for blood

The moon held high in the night sky, casting an eerie glow over the deserted streets. Sunghoon quickened his pace, brushing against the tall trees that stood before him. Seeking respite, he sought out an empty clearing, settling upon a rugged rock, a faint groan escaping his lips as a throbbing ache pulsated in his head. The change in his eye color served a reminder that he needed to find something, a person whose blood he could consume.

“Jay, I’m going to murder you.” he muttered under his breath, stealing a glance at the night sky. Jay had left him to venture alone, an attempt to foster his independence. “I better find someone, fast.” Renewed determination surged through him as he rose from the rock, relying on his heightened senses and supernatural swiftness to locate his prey.

It was difficult to find someone out in the dark, anyone would know better not to walk alone at night. Especially near the forests, near the vampire’s homes. Yet, there were always those foolish souls who remained oblivious to the dangers, dismissing the existence of the immortal creatures. This was the only time Sunghoon wished for a person just like that to appear in front of his eyes.

Moving with an otherworldly grace, Sunghoon's senses sharpened, propelling him forward with astonishing speed as the scent grew stronger. His swift strides covered considerable ground within mere seconds, until his gaze settled upon a woman strolling along the trail adjacent to the forest—an unwitting offering destined to be his meal for the night.

Focusing on his thoughts, he quickly tapped into the energy that coursed through his immortal veins. Gradually, his body began to shimmer, as if fading from the mortal realm. His transition was complete, and Sunghoon found himself invisible, taking swift steps toward his victim.

Unaware of the danger, his target continued along her path, oblivious to the invisible presence stalking her. Sunghoon positioned himself behind you, mere inches away, his concealed form ready to strike. A muffled scream escaped your lips, stifled by his own hand.

Frantically attempting to break free, her resistance waned, her body growing limp in his firm grasp. A smirk tugged at Sunghoon's lips as his elongated fangs became visible, a sinister transformation hinting at his insatiable thirst. Another night, another feast secured. Without delay, he took her away to his old castle, where he would drain every drop of blood from his new victim.

TWO — bite me

Upon entering the castle, Sunghoon was greeted by a bustling scene that filled the halls. His eyes landed on Jay, lounging in a chair and casually holding a wine glass filled with blood. Jay's legs rested nonchalantly on Sunghoon's cherished table, an act that irked him.

"You're back?" Jay chuckled, wiping the traces of blood from his mouth. Sitting up straight, he placed the glass down and met Sunghoon's gaze. "How did it go?"

"It went fine, but once I finish my meal, I'm going to make sure you regret leaving me alone," Sunghoon retorted, his tone laced with a simmering threat.

"Oh, come on—wait, you brought your meal home? I thought you were planning on disposing of that body," Jay remarked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

"Yeah, well, Jake does this all the time," Sunghoon replied dismissively, his impatience growing.

"That's true. Well, you better hurry. I can sense that the girl is about to regain consciousness," Jay advised, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips.

"I'm on it. And please refrain from putting your feet on my table. I had it custom made for a reason," Sunghoon grumbled, annoyance evident in his voice.

"I can't make any promises," Jay retorted with a smirk, reclaiming his drink. Sunghoon rolled his eyes in exasperation before walking up the spiral staircase. He showed no signs of struggle as he made his way to his room.

Arriving at a door emblazoned with his name, Sunghoon pushed it open, revealing a room adorned with eerie decor. He carefully placed you in front of his ornate chair, a seat that had witnessed countless victims before their deaths.

Adjusting the leather straps to your wrists, he makes sure it’s difficult for you to break free. Settling into his seat, he positioned himself directly in front of you, patiently awaiting your return to consciousness. It didn't take long for the groan that signaled your awakening to reach his ears.

As you struggled to open your eyes, the world appeared hazy and disorienting. Blinking repeatedly, you attempted to discern the figure before you, but the blurriness persisted. Your hand instinctively moved to rub your eyes, only to discover the confinement of the restraints. Panic surged through your veins—were you being held captive?

"You're finally awake?" His voice resonated, sending shivers down your spine in a way no ordinary human's voice ever had. Gradually, your vision cleared, revealing a man seated across from you. His dark brown hair fell messily across his forehead, while he wore a black cloak, a suit adorned with ornate gold gems, and a partially unbuttoned white shirt, hinting at an air of elegance mingled with darkness.

Taking off his cloak, he makes eye contact with you again, and you get a gulp of fear. A smirk played on his lips, his sharpened fangs now fully visible, confirming your worst suspicions—he was a vampire. Your heart raced, with fear coursing through your veins with increasing intensity. Fuck, they were actually real. You were certainly not dreaming.

"Your fear only enhances your scent. Only makes it smell sweeter and irresistible for vampires like me." He remarked, rising from his seat, his senses captivated by the intoxicating aroma that came from you. Rare and special, your scent beckoned to him, captivating his vampiric instincts. Grateful that Jay's hunger hadn't pushed him to steal his meal in mere moments, Sunghoon savored the anticipation.

“You'd better calm that racing heart of yours before I lose control," he warned, his frigid breath grazing your neck as he leaned in closer to deliver his message. Inhaling deeply, you tried to steady your breathing, attempting to stop the pounding beats that echoed within your chest. Sunghoon emitted a low chuckle, surprised at how obedient humans could become when vulnerable to the supernatural allure of his presence.

Sunghoon raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued as he observed your lack of response. Returning to his seat, he locked eyes with you once again, awaiting your words with an air of anticipation. Yet silence hung heavily in the room; words didn’t seem to escape easily from your mouth.

“You know, I’m not very patient,” he hissed softly, dissatisfied with the lingering quiet that filled his large room. “Don’t think you have any chance of making it out here alive. Just spit it out already.” Crossing his legs, he reached for the golden wine glass, tapping his sharp nails against the delicate surface, his gaze never leaving yours.

Caught off guard by the pressure, panic slipped past your lips, the words tumbling out before you could fully comprehend their weight. ‘Just….bite me.” The room fell into an eerie silence, granting you a moment to process what you had just said. Regret mingled as you realized the significance of what you had uttered.

“Well, that’s certainly unexpected,” Sunghoon responded, a mixture of bewilderment and intrigue flashing across his eyes. He sets the golden cup down, unable to form words himself. The request to be bitten, especially after learning his true nature as a vampire, was entirely new to him. It sparked a strange sensation within his being, a feeling he couldn’t quite decipher. Do humans also feel these kinds of emotions?

“You’re definitely a weird one,” Sunghoon remarked, still feeling flustered by your unconventional response.

“What do you mean?” you questioned, pretty oblivious to the whole situation.

“Most people wouldn’t dare ask a vampire to bite them, especially after their lives are on the line. It takes away the thrill of the feast,” he explained, a faint smile playing on his lips.

“Wait, so you vampires feed off fear too?” you inquired, attempting to make sense of the earlier statement.

“That’s a bit rude of you to address us that way.” A small frown forms on his face. “But, of course,” he replied, amusement evident in his tone, “that’s why I told you to claim your racing heart. Fear tends to make it beat even faster.”

“Well, guess what? I am scared right now,” you retorted, defiance lacing your words. “But you can just take a small amount of blood—definitely not all of it, I swear. And don’t forget, I’ll fight back if you push too far.”

Sunghoon raised an eyebrow, his amusement turning into a more serious demeanor. “Bold words from a mere weakling. Don’t forget who holds the power of a vampire here.”

“Don’t forget, you’re basically glued to that seat.” He taps on the arm rests of his chair, signaling the leather straps that restrain your hands from moving anywhere.

“Whatever,” you dismissed, frustration tainting your voice. “Are you going to bite me or not? I just want to get out of here, even though I have nowhere to go.”

A flicker of warning passed through Sunghoon's eyes as he leaned in closer. "Don't test my patience. You have no idea what I'm capable of."

Maintaining a strong gaze, Sunghoon straightened his posture, his eyes locking with yours. His tongue briefly flicked over his lips, causing his sharp fangs to show once more. “Do you really mean that?” he inquired, his voice laced with a mix of curiosity and hunger.

Nervously, you swallowed hard, offering a slow nod in response, Closing your eyes, you braced yourself, knowing his approach would come closer. The sound of his approaching footsteps echoed in your ears, heightening your fear. Your breath got caught in your throat as his breath brushed against your skin, signaling the upcoming bite. “The pain will be bearable. Just let me know when to stop, and I’ll stop,” he assured you.

“Really?” you stammered, your voice trembling, to which Sunghoon responded with a chuckle. “Vampires have self-control too, you know.”

With the warning given, his teeth easily punctured your neck, and to your surprise, the pain seemed to be more manageable than you thought. He proceeded to drink your blood, causing your head to grow dizzy as if he were sucking all your blood. “Stop,” you groaned, feeling the need to stop the dizziness.

Sunghoon withdrew his teeth, his mouth and fangs were stained with your blood. He was disappointed about how short you lasted, but your blood was great—the best he had in a while. It was sort of addicting; he couldn’t explain the taste. “Barely lasted two minutes. You truly are a weakling,” he snickered, wiping the blood from his chin.

"Shut up," you retorted, the remnants of your strength pushing you to respond. "Could you release my hands now? I promise I won't attempt to escape." You were desperate to remove the restraints being placed on your hands; you felt them becoming sore.

“Oh right,” he replied, walking over to free your hands effortlessly. As the restraints were finally removed, you let out a sigh of relief, feeling the soreness and observing the red marks left behind on your wrists. Instinctively, you tilted your head, your fingers gently making their way to the two puncture wounds near your neck. A hiss escaped your lips as pain radiated from the fresh marks.

“It should heal on its own soon, unless you’d prefer me to heal it immediately,” Sunghoon offered, his gaze focused on your every move. Curiosity tugged at his features as he awaited your response. “And how would you heal it?” you questioned, wary yet curious about his suggestion.

“Well, if you’re comfortable with me licking it–”

“I’ve heard enough,” you interjected, cutting him off. “I’ll pass—I’d be fine with some ointment or bandages.”

“Suit yourself. I’ll fetch something downstairs,” he stated, rising from his seat and adjusting the sleeves of his jacket. “Don’t even try to leave; we have matters to discuss later. And remember, there are other vampires roaming around here who won’t show you the same mercy I did. It would be wise of you to keep that in mind.” With those words of caution, he walked towards the room’s entrance and left after receiving your assurance,

Once again, you found yourself with nowhere else to go. And you definitely did not want to face any more bloodthirsty beings; one was definitely enough. However, an unsettling feeling gnawed at your stomach, and you tried to brush it aside by distracting your thoughts.

As you looked around, the weird atmosphere of the place suddenly became more noticeable, leaving you shuddering that you had only just noticed it.

THREE — keeping a secret

Leaving you to deal with your thoughts, Sunghoon ran down the stairs and made his way through the kitchen, determined to locate a first aid kit. As he rummaged through the cupboards, a voice suddenly disrupted his search, causing him to startle in fright. Jake, wearing a mischievous smirk, held a large cup of blood in his hand.

“God, don’t do that,” Sunghoon chastised, his heart still racing from the surprise.

“You haven’t had a good scare in a while, did you?” Jake chuckled, clearly amused by his reaction.

“Whatever. Do you happen to know where the first-aid kit is? I live here, yet I have no idea where things are kept.” Sunghoon said in annoyance, still looking in the cabinets.

“Why do you need it? You don’t seem to be injured.”

“I just want to have one in my room. I’m tired of coming down here every time I need something.”

“Ah, the life of a loner. That’s probably why Jay made you hunt for your own food—to get you out of your room. And you never leave that area.” Jake teased.

“And you never stop talking. Blood is all over your mouth; don’t embarrass yourself and wipe it.” Jake took Sunghoon’s remarks in stride. He wiped the blood from his mouth as instructed, unfazed by the insult. “The first aid kit is in that cabinet over there, second row.”

“Thanks. By the way, where’s Jay?” Sunghoon asked.

“Probably in the dining room. Why do you ask?” Jake responded.

“I need some more food.”

“Feast wasn’t enough today?”

“Not that. It was too good, and now I crave for more.”

“You should have shared; it must have been good if you say so,” Jake remarked playfully.

"Whatever. See you later. And make sure you clean up your mess. We don't need any more corpses lying around randomly," Sunghoon cautioned.

"Aye, aye, captain," Jake retorted, giving a mock salute.

After leaving Jake behind, Sunghoon continued his search for Jay and found him in the dining room, indulging in another feast. The woman’s screeches were so loud that it was possible to hear them outside of the castle.

“Oh god, not in open daylight.” Sunghoon pretended to cover his eyes, not wanting to see one of his brothers attack a person who's still alive. “We’re vampires, there’s no sunlight— ”

"Take a joke, will you? You're worse than Jake sometimes." Jay laughed, finding amusement in Sunghoon's reaction.

"Chill out, would you? No wonder the others tease you so much," Jay shot back, grabbing a cloth to wipe his mouth as he glanced at Sunghoon.

"Do you need anything?" Jay asked, curious to know what Sunghoon wanted.

"Yeah, do you have any blood packets?" Sunghoon inquired.

"Again? I told you to hunt for something fresh. Why settle for a packet?"

"You saw me carrying someone earlier. I guess that wasn't enough?"

"You need to hunt with me next time. You're not very good at it," Jay remarked.

"Says the person who needs at least five people to feel satisfied with their hunger," Sunghoon countered.

"Shut up. Anyway, you can take that one," Jay pointed to a person sitting in the room without moving. "He's under the influence of sleeping pills. He won't wake up for about eight hours."

"Well, it's certainly better than nothing," Sunghoon responded.

"Are you kidding? That one is blood type AB, the best kind you could get. You should be thankful," Jay emphasized.

Without further ado, Sunghoon sank his teeth into the guy's neck. The person's face grew pale, and their heart gradually slowed until it ceased to beat.

"You were right; that was the best kind," Sunghoon stated, satisfied with his meal. Though, it wasn’t better than yours.

"And you sure were starving. You owe me," Jay reminded him.

"Whatever. I'll just ask one of the guys to hunt someone like that for you," Sunghoon teased.

"You better keep your promise," Jay warned.

"I can't make any promises," Sunghoon mocked Jay, leaving the dining room and making his way back to his room. Jay laughed once more, sinking his teeth into the woman again.

Perhaps he would find a way to make you pay for making him come down here to face two of his annoying siblings.

FOUR — sealing the deal

After what seemed like hours, Sunghoon didn't take that long to come back to his room. I guess he is pretty attached to his own room. Meanwhile, you remained seated, growing increasingly bored as time dragged on. As he closed the door behind him, Sunghoon spoke up, breaking the silence.

“I’m back. Have you noticed any improvement in the healing of your wounds?” he asked. You emitted a soft hum in response, acknowledging the progress. Brushing your fingers over the scabs, you could feel the rough texture of the forming scars.

“Though they’re drying up, I still wouldn’t mind some ointment. And, of course, bandages, of any kind, really,” you requested. Sunghoon surprised you by offering his assistance and asking for your consent. It was a rare display of kindness from him. "Sure," you mumbled, feeling a warm flush on your cheeks. Pushing aside the unfamiliar feeling, you tilted your head towards Sunghoon, allowing him to take care of your wounds.

Sunghoon approached you, and a slightly surprised expression appeared on his face because of your agreement. He brought a chair and placed it closer to you, taking a seat. He moved closer, carefully examining the wounds on your neck. After looking at them, he reached for the first-aid kit he had brought from the kitchen.

Opening the kit, he took out the tube of ointment and a pack of bandages. With gentle movements, he applied the ointment to your wounds, his touch surprisingly tender. You felt a soothing sensation as he spread the ointment over the scabs, alleviating some of the discomfort.

Once the ointment was applied, he proceeded to place a couple of bandages on your neck, securing them in place. He worked efficiently, his movements precise yet careful. The bandages provided a protective layer over the wounds, preventing you from picking at the scabs.

As Sunghoon finished tending to your injuries, he stepped back, looking at his work. “There you go,” he said softly, a hint of satisfaction in his voice. “That should help with the healing. If you want me to check up on it, just let me know.”

You thanked him, appreciating his unexpected act of kindness. Despite the circumstances, there was a fleeting moment of connection between you and Sunghoon—a brief glimpse of a different side to him.

As Sunghoon tidied up the first aid kit and stowed it away, an uneasy silence settled in the room. You anxiously twiddle your thumbs while waiting for him to address the matter he mentioned earlier.

"Oh, right!" Sunghoon exclaimed, as if suddenly remembering. He took a seat closer to you, causing a slight flutter of anticipation in your chest.

"You mentioned that you have nowhere to go, correct?" he confirmed, seeking clarification.

"Yes, that's right." You nodded, your voice tinged with curiosity. You couldn't help but wonder where this conversation was headed.

“How about I let you stay here?” Sunghoon proposed, his voice filled with a surprising offer.

“Here...?” you repeated, a hint of disbelief in your tone. The room you were currently in didn’t exactly scream comfort or safety.

“Yes, here in my room,” Sunghoon confirmed, slightly perplexed by your reaction. He was about to remind you of your past statement about having nowhere to go.

“And how long are you suggesting I stay?” you asked, wanting to clarify the terms of the arrangement.

“As long as you want,” he replied, not understanding why you’re hesitating to just agree.

“Well…I have to ask, what’s the catch?” you questioned, sensing that such an offer wouldn’t come without a price.

“You catch on quickly,” Sunghoon remarked, acknowledging how clever you were. “In exchange for your stay, I propose that you provide me with your blood. It seems like a fair deal, doesn’t it?”

“Woah, hold on,” you protested, feeling a mix of shock and distress at Sunghoon’s proposal. “There’s absolutely no way I’m agreeing to this. I mean, we just met! Aren’t you trusting me, a stranger, a little too much now?”

Sunghoon shrugged nonchalantly, seemingly unfazed by your reaction. “It didn’t strike me as that crazy of an idea, but I guess humans are more sensitive about these things,” he remarked, surprised at how fast your voice was raised at him. “I don’t know why you’re so baffled now; you were the one who asked me to bite you.”

“Okay, that was clearly different! It was due to shock, alright?” you said, clearly not being able to rack up any responses to fire back.

“But, whatever! Anyway, as we were saying, of course it sounds crazy to me! You’re a vampire, not some ordinary person that I know. It’s not like I can trust you completely,” you shot back, your frustration becoming more evident.

“Look, I don’t even know your name.” You paused, realizing the absurdity of the situation. You two were getting into a heated conversation, trying to make deals, yet you both haven’t introduced yourselves properly.

“Oh, right—the name is Sunghoon, Park Sunghoon,” he interjected, his tone brimming with impatience. You swore if he wasn’t a stupid vampire, you would’ve knocked him out right there.

“And yours?” He interrupts your thoughts, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.

“It’s Y/N,” you replied, slightly taken aback by his abruptness.

“Nice to properly have a greeting with you, Y/N,” Sunghoon says with a slight smile. “Now, let's go back to our previous discussion, shall we?”

“Glad you mentioned that. So, exactly how is this deal supposed to work? Where would I even stay, and how often would I have to give my blood to you? Lord, who knows, you might kill me on my second day staying here!” you exclaimed, wanting to understand how shameless Sunghoon can be with his crazy thoughts.

“I understand your concerns about the deal. Let’s address them one by one, alright?” You nodded, willing to hear him out despite your concerns.

“As for where you’ll stay, you obviously don’t need to worry about that. I mean, how bad could it be?” he added with a smirk. “Consider it your sanctuary; don’t worry about anything.”

“And regarding the blood part,” he continued, his tone serious. “I assure you, I have no intention of killing you—well, I’ll try not to. We can establish some clear boundaries after you accept this deal. And we’ll figure out something where you can provide blood for me in controlled amounts.”

You furrowed your brow, still skeptical. “But why do you even need my blood? Can’t you just feed on others?”

Sunghoon sighed, his expression softening slightly. “It’s not as simple as that. I won’t go into all the details now, but let’s just say that your blood has a unique quality that appeals to vampires, especially me. It’s not something I can easily explain.”

You pondered his words for a moment, considering the possibilities. The idea of staying at this castle with a vampire, in fact many, was still unsettling, but you were running out of options.

“Fine,” you finally gave in. “I’ll give it a try. It's not like I can do anything anyway. But if anything feels off or if you break our agreement, I’m out.”

Sunghoon nodded, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Fair enough, Y/N. I’ll do my best to upload our agreement and ensure your safety.”

"Wait, so you’re telling me you put on the bandages and ointment for nothing?” you asked, touching the side of your neck.

“Oops,” he says, scratching the nape of his neck.

With that, a strange alliance between you and Sunghoon started to take shape, settling for a unique and uncertain journey ahead.

FIVE — the consequences

As the first night at Sunghoon’s place began, you couldn’t help but wonder how you had gotten yourself into this situation. It was clear that he hadn’t fully thought of a plan for your stay or how to ensure your safety amidst his unpredictable siblings.

Sunghoon, maintaining his composed demeanor, raced his mind as he contemplated the best course of action. Though Sunghoon lived in a spacious place with a huge room of his own, it became apparent that it was not designed to accommodate two people. After all, as a vampire, he would have never imagined sharing a room with a mere human, especially in a place he cherished deeply.

Sunghoon couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease, but he quickly pushed those thoughts aside. He reminded himself of the circumstances that brought you here, his promise to keep you safe, and the fact that this arrangement was temporary. He had to do something to make you feel comfortable; he isn’t that bad of a guy after all.

After a few moments of deep thought, he finally spoke up. “Y/N, I apologize for the lack of preparation. You see, I wasn’t expecting this at all.”

“Trust me, I wasn’t expecting this either, until you decided to kidnap me,” you joked, recalling the past moments and trying to tease him with it.

“I guess you’re right.” He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, smiling to himself as he remembered the past. “But here we are, working something out together.”

Sunghoon contemplated his thoughts, attempting to find a suitable solution. “Well, I guess you can just sleep on my bed.”

“What the hell are you saying? Me, sleeping on your bed?”

Sunghoon raised an eyebrow, surprised by your strong reaction. “What’s wrong with sleeping on my bed? Why do you seem so offended by the idea?” He blinks in confusion, not understanding the commotion with his idea. “You should consider this a luxury—even my siblings do! They rarely lay here, and I’m allowing you to.”

You crossed your arms, clearly uncomfortable with the suggestion. “It’s just...we barely know each other, and it feels too intimate to share a bed. Plus, it’s your personal space.”

Sunghoon tilted his head, feeling the need to tease you just a little bit. “Intimate? It’s just a bed; we are just sleeping on it. I don’t see it as a big deal. Besides, it’s a spacious bed, and I promise not to invade your personal space. What did you think was the intent behind my words?”

A mischievous smirk graced Sunghoon’s lips as he observed your cheeks turning a shade of red. Caught off guard by his response, you quickly cleared your throat, attempting to regain your composure. However, his gaze remained fixed on you, his smirk persisting, much to your annoyance.

You sighed, trying to find the right words. “Look, I appreciate your offer, but I think it’s best if we find another solution. I need my own space, and you should have yours too.”

“Alright, here’s the plan. You take the bed, and I’ll take the sofa. How does that sound?” Sunghoon proposes, trying to find a compromise.

“The sofa? Wouldn’t that be uncomfortable to sleep on for the night?” You voiced your concern, staring at the white sofa near his bed. It looked rather small, especially for his height.

“It can actually turn into a bed,” he reassured you.

“But I’ll feel bad if you have to sleep on the couch. Are you sure? We can always switch.” You protested, not easily accepting his kind act.

“Look, it’s either we both sleep on the same bed or I sleep on the couch. Keep arguing, and you’ll end up sleeping on the floor. Got it?” Sunghoon’s voice turned stern, attempting to make his point clear.

"...Understood," you reluctantly agreed, realizing his sudden change in mood.

You found yourself lying in Sunghoon’s bed, gazing up at the ceiling. The mattress was undeniably comfortable, but the unsettling atmosphere of the room made it difficult for you to drift off to sleep. Each time you closed your eyes, a chilly breeze seemed to brush against your body, further heightening your unease. This room was definitely not meant for humans to stay in.

Shifting slightly, you noticed Sunghoon’s silhouette remaining still in the darkness. His presence offered some sense of reassurance, but it wasn’t enough to completely dispel the unsettling feeling that hung in the air.

“Stop moving around so much; people might hear you,” Sunghoon whispered, his voice audible in the quiet room, causing you to freeze in your position. You didn’t know he was awake.

You remained silent for a moment, not sure if you should tell him the reason why. However, Sunghoon’s persistence broke the silence; his words were laced with a subtle attempt to gain your trust.

“No, I’m fine,” you replied, turning away from him and facing the other side of the bed.

“Sleep well, Y/N,” Sunghoon said, his voice echoing with the same enigmatic tone that had sent shivers down your spine when you first met.

In a way you couldn't quite understand, Sunghoon's presence was driving you to the edge of madness, albeit in a strangely captivating manner.

“So you’re suggesting I stay here for my entire stay?” you asked, still unsure of what had been planned by him.

“What? Would you rather be thrown into a bloodbath with six other vampires?” Sunghoon questioned you and was quite offended by your response.

“I think I’ll pass on that,” you replied, not eager to experience such a gruesome scenario. The thought of facing six vampires who were similar to Sunghoon, or even worse, sent a shiver down your spine. If they had possessed even a fraction of his intensity or darkness, you knew you would deeply regret your decision to stay. In fact, the idea seemed so terrifying that you would rather take matters into your own hands and end your own life than allow them to have a single drop of blood, Sunghoon included.

Ignoring the potential dangers ahead, you found yourself in his lavish library, with shelves overflowing with books. It was a comfortable and well-maintained space, with not a single speck of dust in sight. Picking up a nearby book, you asked, “You’re quite the reader, huh?”

You read the title, “How to Kill People : Guide for Vampires,” and quickly returned it to its original position. Sunghoon chuckled at your reaction, reminding you, “You’d probably see worse than that.”

His comment left you both intrigued and slightly unnerved, wondering what exactly he meant by it.

“Before I leave, let’s go over some rules I want to establish, shall we?” Sunghoon asks, only to get a nod from you. You hoped these rules weren’t going to be as bizarre as it was for you to be sleeping on Sunghoon’s bed for the whole stay.

Sunghoon dragged a nearby chair and settled himself into it. Resting his arms on the sides of the chair, he cleared his throat, preparing to lay down some ground rules.

"Rule Number One," he began sternly, pointing at you to emphasize his point, "you cannot leave this area until I say it's okay. As I mentioned earlier, I live with six other people who are extremely nosy. Any noise or disturbance will attract their attention, and they'll come running like meerkats trying to figure out what's going on."

You fought back a chuckle, imagining the scene he described, but you held it in, not wanting to upset Sunghoon by not paying attention.

"Rule Number Two," Sunghoon continued, his voice carrying a sense of seriousness, "is to never, and I mean never, expose yourself to them. They can get you killed in an instant, no joke. The last thing we need is another dead body lying around here, especially in my room."

You gulped, feeling a wave of unease wash over you. You nodded along to his words, but your mind began to wander, causing his instructions to fade into background noise. Your nods became automatic, hoping that he would finish speaking soon.

Sunghoon noticed your lack of focus, though he chose not to mention it. He debated whether to stop talking and address the issue or to continue and hope you would snap back to attention. Reluctantly, he decided to keep going, aware of the possibility that you were nodding along to nothing.

"...You got it?" he asked, his voice snapping you back to reality. You nodded and agreed, though you had no recollection of what he had just said. "Really? What did I say?"

You hesitated, realizing that you had completely missed his instructions. Sheepishly, you asked him to repeat it once more, hoping to catch up.

“We are going to be here for a long time, aren’t we?” Sunghoon let out a sigh, clearly disappointed.

He started from the beginning again, and this time, you made a conscious effort to pay attention.

At least that’s what he hoped you would do.

SIX — under his care

"You know, you're going to have to take care of me, right, Sunghoon?" You asked nervously, feeling the weight of your dependency on him.

"What do you mean? You should be able to take care of yourself," Sunghoon replied, seemingly indifferent to your needs.

“I need some food to survive being confined here; I’m not like you,” you pleaded, hoping he would understand.

"Oh. Take a blood packet," he suggested, opening a drawer to reveal a neatly arranged row of plastic packets. He quickly handed one to you, but you couldn't help but feel repulsed by the sight of the bright red liquid.

"I'm not a vampire, Sunghoon. I'm human. I need real food and water, not your blood packets," you protested, suppressing a gag.

"Oh, right," Sunghoon muttered awkwardly, realizing his oversight. He awkwardly moved closer, retrieving the blood packet from your lap and returning it to the drawer. He seemed to be slowly grasping the responsibility of caring for a human, but you couldn't shake the feeling that he resented it. The thought crossed your mind that he might even be contemplating killing you on the spot, and it sent a shiver down your spine.

“So…I’m supposed to hunt for you?” Sunghoon asked, sounding completely clueless about the needs of a human. “What kind of food do you guys enjoy?”

"I'm not really picky," you replied, trying to think of all the things you could eat.

"You're okay with raw animals?" he asked, clearly unaware of human dietary preferences.

"Are you trying to kill me?" you retorted, slightly alarmed by his suggestion.

"I'm sorry, I'm not really familiar with this," Sunghoon admitted, realizing his lack of knowledge.

"We eat warm, cooked foods. Sometimes when it’s cold, although it's not always enjoyable. You might need to cook something," you explained, hoping he would understand.

"Cook? The only thing I know is how to boil organs," Sunghoon confessed, his words never failing to make your jaw drop. He’s so unpredictable, you hate it.

"Enough of that," you said firmly, shaking your head to dispel the uncomfortable thoughts. "At least you can do something."

"You have to eat something cooked?" Sunghoon scrunched up his face, contemplating what the future held for him.

"Yes, that's what a normal human being needs," you replied.

"I'll figure something out. You're not picky, right?" Sunghoon asked, trying to reassure himself.

"Don't think I am," you responded, amused by his concern.

"I'll be back," he said, determination filling his voice.

"Don't take too long; I'm starving," you teased, sinking into Sunghoon's comfortable couch in the library and surrounding yourself with piles of books. You just hope he will do something right for once.

Leaving his room behind, Sunghoon let out a deep sigh of exasperation. Cooking a full meal that didn't involve blood was a daunting task for a vampire like him. The last thing he needed was to be caught in the act and subjected to endless questions from his nosy siblings. He moved swiftly and silently through the house, his senses heightened, ensuring that his movements remained undetected.

When Sunghoon opened the fridge, he wasn't surprised to find a limited selection of ingredients. After all, it was a typical vampire household with a preference for non-food items. Who would expect to see a fridge stacked with fresh produce? Luckily, among the assortment of mysterious meats, Sunghoon managed to unearth some ingredients courtesy of Heeseung's recent cooking practices. Heeseung seemed to have taken an interest in culinary pursuits, although the reason remained unknown.

"I'll keep it simple," Sunghoon muttered to himself, reaching for a container of eggs. Setting the eggs aside, he looks through the unorganized cupboards, looking at the scattered pots and pans. He cracked a few eggs into a bowl, whisking them with a fork. As he moved around the kitchen, the sound of clattering pans and plates filled the air, punctuated by brief pauses as he adjusted his movements to avoid making too much noise.

“What are you doing?” Heeseng’s voice rang out, laced with confusion, as he came to a sudden stop upon seeing one of his brothers actually cooking.

Sunghoon turned to face Heeseung, holding a pan in one hand and eggs in a bowl in the other. He couldn't help but feel a bit sheepish, caught in the act of preparing a meal.

“...Practicing?” Sunghoon shrugged, feeling a bit embarrassed about him catching him out here.

"You're making eggs? Want me to help? I can cook some meat or something." Heeseung offered, rolling up his sleeves. "Gotta get some protein for a guy like you." He flashed a smile and opened the fridge.

Sunghoon couldn't help but let out a quiet sigh, setting down the pan and bowl. Heeseung's easy-going nature reminded him why he was his favorite brother. Heeseung never questioned him unnecessarily and was always there to lend a hand when needed.

In no time, Heeseung finished cooking and guided Sunghoon through the steps. As he cleaned the countertop, he asked, "So, what made you want to try your hand at cooking?"

Sunghoon quickly tried to come up with an excuse, standing awkwardly with the dish in his hands. "Uhh...I've seen you cook multiple times and was curious. I thought I'd give it a try and see if I could make some real food. If it turns out good, maybe I'll start cooking more often."

"Ah, I see. Well, if you ever need any help or have any questions about cooking, my room is right next door," Heeseung offered.

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind...if you're home," Sunghoon replied, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

As Sunghoon entered the library, he saw you lying on the couch, engrossed in a book, with a stack of books beside you. The sight of you brought a flutter to his heart, a feeling he couldn't quite explain. He greeted you and placed the dish on the table, letting out a sigh of relief.

"You have no idea what I just went through," he exclaimed, flopping face down onto the couch in front of you. You chuckled, and once again, he felt that ticklish sensation in his stomach. These random feelings were starting to puzzle him, but he pushed them aside and focused on your words.

"It's a shame you have to keep going through this," you remarked, surprised at how delicious the simple dish tasted.

Sunghoon sighed, realizing he would have to cook three meals like this every day and rely on Heeseung's help. However, he found himself not objecting to the idea. In fact, he rather liked it, though he couldn't quite figure out why.

SEVEN — unexpected encounter

As the days turned into weeks, the routine of sleeping in Sunghoon’s bed and spending time in the library continued. Sunghoon remained consistent in his actions, always bringing you food despite the strange glances he received from his siblings.

Engrossed in one of the books from Sunghoon’s collection, you heard the door creak open. Assuming it was Sunghoon returning, you began to express your relief, only to pause when you looked up and realized it wasn’t him standing near the door. Instead, it was a different guy—blond hair with bangs gracefully covering his forehead. He exuded an attractive presence with his tall physique and sharp features. Both you and the unknown guy shared a moment of shock, caught off guard by the unexpected encounter.

“I knew Sunghoon was hiding something!” he whispered to himself, unaware you could hear his words. He seemed rather happy that his prediction was correct rather than shocked by a random stranger at his house. “No wonder why that sweet scent lingers around his door,” he continues, pretending to act all smart.

“Um, who are you?” you questioned, trying to make sense of the situation.

“Oh right! The name is Jake. And yours?” he introduced himself and asked, offering a friendly smile. He seems way nicer than Sunghoon, as you thought.

“Y/N,” you said, offering the same smile back. He chuckles. “Nice to meet you, Y/N!”

“Dang, so Sunghoon was brave enough to keep a human hostage?” Jake remarked, clearly surprised that you even managed to live. The Sunghoon he knew would have sucked out all of your blood already. Were you that special to him?

“Where is he?” you inquired, wanting to know Sunghoon’s whereabouts. You couldn’t believe you’d be caring about someone you hated the first day you met him.

“Hunting, perhaps? Why, looking for some company?” Jake teased with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“I don’t mind...” you responded, contemplating the idea of having some company while you waited for Sunghoon’s return.

“Don’t mind if I do!” Jake exclaimed enthusiastically, grabbing a book he had been eyeing from the shelf. He hurriedly made his way over to you, claiming the empty spot on the cough. His vibrant energy was surprisingly comforting, quickly making you forget that he was just a stranger a few moments ago.

“What brings you here?” you asked curiously, genuinely interested in his presence.

“I always sneak into Sunghoon’s library, even though he never explicitly allows it. Sometimes he’s fine with it, sometimes he’s not,” Jake explained with a slight pout, recalling past experiences. “Especially this week! He specifically told everyone to stay out of his room and the library because of some deep cleaning. It’s complete nonsense! He always shows up to my room uninvited and complains whenever I do the same.” He scoffs, closing the book for a quick moment.

You chuckled at his storytelling, finding yourself drawn into his narration. It was as if you were being hypnotized by his words. Jake glanced at you, noticing the way your eyes crinkled with amusement. His smile widened, and he felt surprisingly comfortable sharing snippets of his life with you.

You found yourself engrossed in constant conversation with Jake, losing track of time as it slipped through your fingers. He made your entire day in the library more bearable, and you enjoyed his company immensely.

"Sunghoon should be returning soon," Jake mentioned, unaware of how much time had passed. "I should probably leave now."

"Oh, but will you come back tomorrow?" You asked eagerly, hoping he would say yes.

"I'll try my best. Just promise me that you won't tell Sunghoon that I've been sneaking in here, okay?" Jake requested, his eyes searching yours for assurance.

"I promise," you replied sincerely.

"Pinky promise?" he suggested playfully.

"Absolutely, I can even come up with something to prove that my lips are sealed. Maybe I can offer you my blood? You know, to seal our deal." you added, having no harm behind your words.

"You're quite bold, aren't you?" he remarked, slightly taken aback by your audacity.

"Do you want to?" you asked, your voice teasing.

"Where would you like me to bite you?" he quipped back, playing along with your banter.

And with that, Jake left with a broad grin, bidding you farewell with a wave. You waved back, and as your sleeve rolled down, it revealed the two distinctive fang marks near your wrist, a reminder of the unusual encounters you've had lately.

You hoped Sunghoon wouldn’t bother to check your arms.

EIGHT — unwanted guests

As days turned into weeks, Sunghoon diligently continued making your meals, ensuring you had warm and cooked food to sustain yourself. He became more skilled in the kitchen with each passing day, and you couldn't help but appreciate his efforts. Despite the initial awkwardness, a sense of familiarity grew between you, and you found solace in his presence.

Meanwhile, you continued to meet Jake in the library, enjoying each other's company and engaging in conversations that ranged from lighthearted to deep. He became a source of comfort and distraction from the confinement of the vampire household. The stolen moments with Jake brought a sense of excitement and adventure to your otherwise mundane routine.

If you were going to be honest, it would’ve been difficult to choose who was better between the two. While you appreciated Sunghoon's care and the bond that was slowly forming between you, there was an unspoken understanding that your connection with Jake was something entirely different.

Despite the initial success of the plan, Sunghoon's peculiar behavior didn't go unnoticed by his siblings. They started to find it strange that he never left his room and continued to cook meals despite being a vampire who normally consumed blood.

As Sunghoon returned to his room, Sunoo made sure to close the door behind him, maintaining the air of secrecy. When he joined his brothers downstairs, their confusion and concern were evident.

"What's going on with Sunghoon?" Jungwon asked, his expression reflecting his bewilderment after returning from a short trip.

"I've been noticing it too. He's been like this for the past week," Niki chimed in, shaking his head in disbelief. "This is not his usual behavior."

"He's been acting strange, not just with the cooking but also isolating himself in his room," Jay chimed in, furrowing his brows. "I tried talking to him, but he just brushes me off."

"He even told me not to enter his room and to stay away from his library," Heeseung added, his voice filled with genuine confusion. "It's like he's hiding something."

Sunoo, who had just returned from escorting Sunghoon back to his room, couldn't shake off his own concerns. "I've been trying to protect him, keeping everyone away from his room," he admitted. "But I don't know what's going on either. Something feels off."

The brothers exchanged worried glances, realizing that Sunghoon's behavior was a cause for concern. They knew they needed to get to the bottom of it, not only for their own peace of mind but also for Sunghoon's well-being. They decided to confront him together, determined to uncover the truth behind his recent actions and offer him support if needed.

Little did they know that their investigation would reveal the hidden secret you and Jake shared, adding an unexpected twist to the situation and potentially reshaping their perception of Sunghoon forever.

Sunghoon overheard his brothers' worried conversation, their voices growing louder and catching his attention. Concern filled his mind as he realized they might discover his secret. In a state of panic, he darted around, desperately searching for a solution.

Finding you in the library, he hurriedly approached you, his face filled with urgency.

"You need to hide right now," Sunghoon urged, his voice hushed but filled with intensity.

Startled by his sudden request, you quickly set aside the book you were reading and stood up, ready to follow his lead.

"My brothers are onto me. They suspect something's not right," Sunghoon explained, glancing around nervously. He keeps staring at his door, trying to listen for any sudden noises. "I'm afraid they might come barging into my room. We can't let them find you."

You could see the worry in his eyes, and you understood the weight of the situation. Without hesitation, you followed Sunghoon's lead and looked around for a hiding spot.

"Where should I hide?" you asked, trying to remain calm.

Sunghoon scanned the room, his gaze landing on a large antique wardrobe tucked away in a corner.

"Quick, get inside there," he said, opening the wardrobe door and motioning for you to step inside. It was large enough to fit you and pretty hidden away from any of his siblings.

You hurriedly made your way into the wardrobe, squeezing yourself in and pulling the doors shut. It was a tight space, but you hoped it would provide enough cover.

As the brothers deliberated downstairs, their uncertainty apparent, Sunoo voiced his reservations about invading Sunghoon's privacy. Nervously fidgeting with his fingers, he expressed his concerns.

"I don't know about this. I just don't want to intrude on his personal space," Sunoo admitted, his voice filled with unease. "You know, maybe he's still trying to deal with the past.” He bit his lip, avoiding delving into the details of his troubling history.

Heeseung sighed, acknowledging the validity of Sunoo's thoughts. He too was unsure of what to do, caught between his curiosity and his desire to respect Sunghoon's boundaries. The situation left them all in a state of indecision, unsure of how to proceed.

"I'm still worried about his well-being," Jay voiced, with Jake nervously nodding in agreement. Jake's heart raced not only out of concern for Sunghoon but also out of fear of you and him getting caught in the midst of their investigation.

"Okay, let's go." Jungwon decisively took the lead, leading the way up the stairs. The rest of the brothers followed suit, their curiosity piqued as they contemplated what Sunghoon could potentially be hiding.

As they reached the top of the stairs, the brothers could sense the tension in the air. They approached Sunghoon's closed door, hesitating for a moment before Jungwon took a deep breath and knocked.

"Sunghoon, are you in there?" Jungwon called out, his voice filled with concern.

There was a brief moment of silence, and then Sunghoon's voice came from the other side, slightly shaky but composed. "Yes, I'm here. Give me a moment."

The brothers exchanged glances, their anticipation building. They knew something was off, and their worry for Sunghoon only grew stronger. As they waited for him to open the door, they couldn't help but wonder what they were about to uncover.

Sunghoon swung the door open, his mouth full of food, as he greeted his six brothers. "Whoa, what's the occasion for this surprise gathering?" he asked nonchalantly, trying to mask his unease.

The rest of the brothers exchanged puzzled glances, failing to detect any apparent change in Sunghoon's behavior. "Do you need something from me before I continue finishing my meal?" Sunghoon inquired, hoping they would take the hint and leave him be.

Niki stepped forward, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Do you mind if we come in?" he asked, voicing the question that had been on everyone's mind.

Sunghoon shrugged, reluctantly allowing them entry. "Sure, but just for a little while. I'd like to eat my meal in peace."

Sunghoon reluctantly stepped aside, allowing his brothers to enter his room. As they filed in, their eyes scanned the surroundings, trying to piece together the puzzle of Sunghoon's recent behavior. The room appeared relatively normal, with the plate of food he cooked on his table and an organized bed.

"What's been going on, Sunghoon?" Heeseung finally spoke up, his voice laced with concern.

“What do you mean? I’ve only tried new things; it’s been interesting, I’ll tell you that.” Sunghoon shrugged, pushing away Heeseung’s question.

"Would it be alright if we entered the library?" Jay proposed, and the six brothers turned their gaze towards Sunghoon.

Sunghoon forced a smile, concealing his anxiety behind a facade. "Of course, go ahead," he replied, his words betraying his true feelings. Deep down, he was terrified of being discovered, even though he had already hidden you away.

Jay reached for the doorknob, his hand trembling slightly as he cautiously opened the door. The brothers held their breath, unsure of what awaited them inside. Their curiosity had overridden any doubts or concerns.

As the door swung open, the brothers stepped into the library, their eyes scanning the room for any signs of unusual activity. Sunghoon tried his best to act nonchalant, with his heart pounding in his chest. He hoped that you had a good hiding spot and that his siblings wouldn't stumble upon any evidence of your presence.

The library appeared just as it always did: shelves filled with books, a cozy atmosphere enveloping the space. The brothers exchanged glances, perplexed by the situation. Everything seemed normal, except for Sunghoon's apprehensive demeanor.

"Smells...rather sweet," Jungwon says, surprised at how quickly he picked up on it. The others nodded in agreement, detecting the faint yet enticing scent in the air.

“Could it be from the cups?” Sunghoon points at them, thankfully coming up with a quick excuse.

Jungwon's face lit up with understanding, and he couldn't help but let out a small sigh of relief, followed by a chuckle. “Ah, you've got yourself some good blood there.”

The others continued to look around, not seeming to find anything suspicious.

"Are you sure there's nothing unusual going on here, Sunghoon?" Jake asked, a hint of suspicion in his voice. He had to look convincing to his brothers, at least.

Sunghoon shrugged, feigning innocence. "I'm just enjoying some alone time with my books," he replied, hoping his casual tone would deflect their attention.

The brothers continued to search the library, their footsteps echoing softly on the wooden floor. Sunghoon's anxiety grew with each passing moment, praying that his secret would remain hidden.

“Well, there’s nothing,” Jungwon says, finishing his search.

“Sunghoon, just know we care about you, and you can tell us anything, okay?” Heeseung says, making Sunghoon nod to his words.

“We will be leaving now; don’t spend too much time in your room,” Niki says, walking closer to the library’s exit. Finally, satisfied that nothing seemed out of the ordinary, all of the remaining brothers made their way back towards the library entrance. Sunghoon released a silent sigh of relief, grateful that they hadn't discovered your presence.

Sunghoon had nothing else to say but nod his head, wishing his brothers a short goodbye. As the door closed behind them, Sunghoon leaned against it, his body trembling with a mix of fear and relief. He knew he had narrowly escaped being caught, but he also realized that he would have to be even more careful moving forward.

Turning his attention to you, he approached your hiding spot with a mixture of concern and gratitude. "You can come out now," he whispered, a grateful smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "We managed to keep them away, at least for now."

How long will this thing last before the secret is out?

NINE — unbreakable cycle

Sunghoon's recent behavior has left you puzzled. Lately, he has been requesting your blood more frequently, surpassing his usual once or twice a week routine. Not only that, you started feeling a bit tired too, having both Sunghoon and Jake take your blood whenever they wanted.

"Y/N, I need more," Sunghoon said, entering the library with a breathlessness that hinted at an intense workout session. His exhaustion was evident, as if he had been pushing himself too hard in his training.

Concerned by Sunghoon's increased requests for your blood and his apparent exhaustion, you couldn't help but worry about his well-being. You set aside the book you were reading and approached him with a furrowed brow.

"Sunghoon, are you okay? You seem really tired," you remarked, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Is something bothering you?"

Sunghoon sighed heavily, leaning against the library wall for support. His gaze met yours, reflecting a mix of weariness and determination.

"I've been pushing myself harder lately," he admitted, his voice tinged with fatigue. "I've been training more intensely, trying to improve my abilities. But it's taking a toll on me. I’ll be fine with a little bit of blood, though."

"Sunghoon, maybe you should take a break," you suggested gently. "Rest and recuperate. Pushing yourself too hard might do more harm than good."

"Thank you, Y/N." He let out a small, quiet chuckle, feeling a bit strange for you to be caring for him right now. "I'm assuming you're tired too? You look like it; it seems like you've been draining all your energy for more than one person."

"How did you know?" you asked, taken aback by his observation.

"What? I was just teasing," Sunghoon replied, his chuckle fading as he sensed your surprise.

Shit. You inwardly cursed your slip-up, realizing you had revealed more than intended.

"Who have you been seeing?" Sunghoon's tone turned stern, his eyes searching yours for answers.

You awkwardly laughed, trying to brush off his suspicions. "I was just joking, Sunghoon. There's no one else."

But Sunghoon wasn't convinced. He could sense the subtle changes in your heartbeat and the uneasiness in your eyes. The trust between you seemed to falter, and he couldn't ignore the nagging feeling that something was amiss.

"Your heart is beating faster," he pointed out, his voice tinged with a hint of betrayal. "Who have you been seeing behind my back? Why can't you be honest with me?"

"Why does it have to concern you?" you replied defensively, feeling a surge of frustration. The tension in the room escalated as both of you struggled to communicate your true feelings.

"It's my room," Sunghoon retorted, his voice growing louder with anger. "You've been hiding something from me, and now you're avoiding giving me your blood. Is this all because of one of my brothers?"

The words hung in the air, a bitter realization dawning on both of you. Sunghoon's protective instincts clashed with the sense of betrayal he felt, while you grappled with the weight of your secrets.

Sunghoon's grip tightened on your wrist, causing a sharp sting and making you instinctively try to pull away. As you did, the pressure on the bite mark caused a slight seepage of blood, staining your sleeve. He stared at the blood with a mix of shock and confusion.

"Did—did one of my brothers do that?" Sunghoon asked, his voice filled with disbelief as he looked back at you. A whirlwind of emotions swept across his face.

"It's nothing. Just mind your own business," you scowled, your frustration evident as you continued to struggle against his grip, wanting to break free.

Sunghoon's eyes narrowed, his anger rising. "How can you expect me to ignore this?” Sunghoon clenched his fists, his anger boiling over. He clearly allowed it to take the best of him, not knowing there could be other ways to talk about this. "I can't believe you would lie to me like this! How could you hide something so important?"

You stood your ground, your own anger rising to match his. Why would you want to allow him to be the only one who could yell? “You don’t have to know everything. You probably see me as a burden anyway.”

"Burden? You think I see you as a burden?" Sunghoon's voice was filled with frustration. "I've done everything I can to protect you and keep you safe. And this is how you repay me?"

"I didn't ask for your protection! Look, I’m glad for your help, but what’s with the big fuss?" You shot back, your voice trembling with anger and hurt. "You think you're the only one who has sacrifices to make?"

Sunghoon's face was twisted with anger and hurt. “Since you think my brothers are so great, why don’t you just leave right now? Let them have you! Then you would know what it feels like to be abandoned!"

"You don't owe me, Sunghoon. God, just because you're some vampire, do you think you're superior? I wonder how your family even manages to deal with you," You say, returning the same harsh tone he gave you.

The words stung, hitting him like a punch to the gut. You hadn't meant to belittle him, but in the heat of the argument, it felt like the only way to defend yourself.

Sunghoon's expression hardened, his anger giving way to a deep sadness. Your words only brought back his past, making him wince. He turned away from you, his voice filled with a mix of frustration and hurt. "Is that really what you think of me? Just some stuck-up vampire who thinks he's superior?"

Tears welled up in his eyes, and his voice choked with emotion. "I've done everything to make you feel welcomed and loved; well, I tried, and this is how you see me? I never wanted you to feel like that."

The realization hit you like a wave, crashing down your walls of anger. You hadn't meant to reduce him to a stereotype and make him feel unappreciated for all he had done for you.

"I– I didn't mean it like that," you mumbled, your voice filled with regret. "I was just angry and hurt. I didn't think about how my words would affect you."

Sunghoon shook his head, his shoulders slumping with the weight of his emotions. "It's too late now. I can't forget what you said or how you made me feel."

As he walked away, shutting the door with a resounding thud, the silence in the room was suffocating, the realization of the damage you had caused sinking in.

What the hell was that about, and why do you feel guilty?

Great, there's more stuff that you need to take care of.

Guilt was starting to eat you alive, and you had to do something about it quickly.

And how will you do that? It’s simple—asking his sibling for help.

Jake.

TEN — the plan

To your luck, Jake managed to sneak into the library, closing the door quietly behind him. His eyes widened as he looked at you, sensing the tension in the air. He walked closer, whispering to you.

"What's going on with Sunghoon?"

You sighed, the weight of the argument still lingering in your mind. "We had a big fight. Things got really heated between us."

Jake furrowed his brows, concern etched on his face. "What happened?”

"We had an argument about you," you said, wincing as the incident kept replaying in your head. You didn’t want to tell him everything; guilt was just starting to take over you again.

"Me? What about me?" Jake asked, his expression turning serious as he took a seat next to you.

"He found out," you replied, pulling down your sleeves to reveal the fang marks on your arm. "He found our secret meetings."

Jake's eyes widened in realization, and his voice filled with concern. "He knows about us? So was that why he glared at me all day?” Jake says, finally piecing the puzzle together.

“How did he react?"

"He was furious," you confessed, your voice filled with regret. "He accused me of betraying his trust and hiding things from him."

Jake sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I never wanted things to get so complicated. I'm sorry, Y/N."

"It's not your fault," you reassured him, placing a comforting hand on his. "We both made mistakes. I should have been more honest with him from the beginning."

Jake nodded, his gaze filled with a mix of guilt and determination. "We need to find a way to fix this, to make things right with Sunghoon.

"But how? He probably hates me now," you said, frustration evident in your voice as you rubbed your head with your hand.

"He doesn't hate you. He probably never will. You just have to be the first one to reach out and talk to him," Jake reassured you, his hand comforting you as he rubbed your back. "Trust me, he's seemed really happy ever since you got here."

"Really?" you asked, a glimmer of hope in your eyes.

"Really," Jake confirmed with a nod.

"Okay, so how am I going to apologize?" You asked, eager to find a way to make things right.

"I have a plan," Jake said, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

Curiosity sparked within you as you leaned in, urging him to share his idea.

Jake leaned in closer, his voice lowering to a whisper as he shared his plan with you. His eyes gleamed with a mix of excitement and mischief, making you curious about the details of his scheme.

"Here's what we're going to do," Jake began, his voice filled with confidence. "We'll organize a surprise gathering for Sunghoon, something that will catch him off guard when he sees you walk to him instead. I’ll tell him how I need to talk to him.”

You listened intently, nodding as Jake outlined the steps of the plan. It involved a lot of convincing. Sunghoon knew one of his brothers knew you; he just didn’t know which one. Despite his possible anger toward one of them, he’s going to have to speak to them, not wanting to expose the secret of you being here.

"And when the time is right, you can seize the moment and apologize to him sincerely, letting him know how much he means to you." Jake explained.

A mix of anticipation and nervousness filled your chest, but you felt a glimmer of hope. It seemed like a thoughtful and heartfelt gesture that could mend the rift between you and Sunghoon.

"Are you in?" Jake asked with a hint of excitement in his eyes.

With a shared sense of determination, you and Jake began to put the plan into action, eagerly looking forward to the opportunity to make amends and rebuild the trust that had been fractured.

You had to make things right again.

ELEVEN — making up

“Are you ready to talk to him?” Jake asked, sensing your nervous behavior.

"I believe so," you replied with a sigh. "I've allowed him enough time to process."

"Okay, I'll inform him before he comes upstairs," Jake said. You nodded nervously, fidgeting in your seat as you awaited the opportune moment to reveal yourself.

Before you knew it, you heard footsteps ascending the stairs, approaching Sunghoon's room. Holding your breath, you waited for the perfect moment to exit the room.

You opened the door, revealing a fatigued Sunghoon perched on his bed, awaiting Jake's arrival.

"Sunghoon?" You called out his name, causing his eyes to widen. He averted your gaze, not quite ready to meet your eyes. A part of him yearned for a conversation with you, while another part hesitated, unsure of the outcome.

Taking control of the situation, Sunghoon cleared his throat and spoke, his tone detached: "YN, you should return. Jake could return at any moment."

You were hesitant about carrying out the plan; it would reveal who you’ve been seeing for the past few weeks.

But you gathered your courage and walked further toward him, taking a seat beside him on his bed.

Sunghoon's gaze shifted from the floor to you, his eyes searching for answers. You took a deep breath, steeling yourself for the conversation that was about to unfold.

"I'm sorry, Sunghoon," you spoke up, your voice filled with sincerity. "I should have been honest with you from the beginning. I never wanted to hide anything from you, but I was scared. Scared of causing any conflicts between you and your family. I thought hiding it was the best thing I could do.”

“I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that or said anything harsh to you. You didn’t deserve it,” you continued, looking back to meet his eyes. “I’m sorry.”

Sunghoon's features softened, and he moved closer, his eyes locking with yours. "Y/N, I didn't handle the situation well either," he admitted, his voice filled with remorse. "I let my anger get the best of me, and I'm sorry for hurting you."

"I just... didn't want to talk to you after you made me think about my past,” Sunghoon sighed, feeling the weight of his experiences. He found himself unexpectedly opening up to you, trusting you with a part of his life he had never shared with anyone before.

Closing his eyes, he allowed the memories to resurface, replaying the painful moments from his past.

"I'm exhausted from constantly taking care of you. Why can't you be normal and not some damned vampire?" Sunghoon's father's voice reverberated in his mind, filled with anger and frustration.

"I'm sorry, Father. I just haven't had anything to fill me up. Not even regular food. I feel myself growing weaker day by day," Sunghoon confessed, his voice tinged with sadness as he recalled the desperate need for blood.

"You're fortunate that your mother and I provide for you. Who else would? But god, I can’t handle having such a freak in the house,” his father continued, reaching for his phone and dialing his mother's number. "I have to do something about you."

"What do you mean?" Sunghoon's fear intensified, unsure of what his father intended. "Father? Father!" he pleaded, trying to push him away, but his father remained fixated on the call to his mother. Sunghoon sat there in resignation, realizing that his true family was willing to abandon him or, worse, even consider harming him.

After hours of intense discussion between his parents, Sunghoon's heart sank as his mother called him over. He hoped against hope that he would be able to stay, praying for a positive outcome. Taking a seat in front of his parents, he braced himself for the verdict, hoping it would be in his favor.

"Sunghoon... I'm sorry, but you can't stay here anymore." His mother's voice trembled with sadness, and her eyes filled with tears. "It's just not possible. It’s not safe.”

“You can’t just throw me out like that!” Sunghoon's voice wavered with a mix of sadness and frustration, unable to comprehend how his own parents could abandon him. "I'm your child!"

"You're not our child—well, my child. You're just some wretched vampire who has no place in this household. Who knows what harm you could bring to your other siblings?" His father's words were laced with bitterness, his tone devoid of any remorse as he witnessed his son's disbelief and hurt.

He sat there, his mind filled with shock and a deep sense of loss, as he watched his mother pack up his belongings. After leaving his family home, Sunghoon's life took a drastic turn. He found himself in a state of constant turmoil, resorting to feeding off random animals he came across in a forest. If it hadn't been for Heeseung's intervention, he might still be wandering the streets, struggling to survive.

"But unlike my past parents, my siblings here embraced me wholeheartedly. They provided me with a sense of safety and acceptance that I had never experienced before," Sunghoon explained, his voice tinged with vulnerability and the hope that you would understand his deep-seated trauma.

"Oh my god, Sunghoon, I'm so sorry," you exclaimed, overcome with regret as the weight of your words and their impact on him sank in. "I had no idea about your past and what you went through."

Sunghoon's smile softened, touched by your genuine remorse. "It's alright. I never expected you to know or bring it up. We can leave it in the past now," he said, a sense of relief evident in his voice.

He reached out for your hand, his hands trembling slightly. “I forgive you. Do you forgive me?” You smiled, reaching out and taking his hands into yours. “I do.”

The weight of the tension that had been lingering between you lifted, replaced by a sense of relief and renewed hope. You and Sunghoon slowly embraced, holding each other tightly, letting the healing process begin.

Jake smiled, quietly slipping out of the room, leaving the two of you to mend the bonds that had been strained. As you and Sunghoon held each other, you knew that despite the challenges you had faced, your love for each other was stronger than ever, ready to face whatever lay ahead.

Next time, there will be no more misunderstandings.

You were going to make sure of that.

TWELVE — secret revealed

"You know, your brothers are eventually going to figure out that you keep me here, right?" you remarked, laying on Sunghoon's lap. Despite the mixed signals between you, there was a sense of comfort in your connection, and you both secretly wished for more.

Sunghoon chuckled, his fingers tracing gentle patterns through your hair as he continued reading his book. "You think so?”

“It has been quite a while. You think they would be okay with the sudden news?" You asked.

"They better," he replied with a playful smirk.

"I hope they'll be comfortable with it." you said, still filled with worries.

"They should be. One of my brothers already knows you, so that's one less person to convince," Sunghoon said, his tone lightening the mood.

"Ah, Jake," you nodded, feeling a sense of relief. "And just to clarify, we are not offering blood to my brothers to win them over. Just putting it out there," he added, making you roll your eyes playfully.

“Blood is only yours.”

“That’s quite flattering coming from a human like you.”

"Oh, stop it—tell your brothers about us whenever you feel like it’s time.”

“Like right now?”

“Well, do you want to?”

“I’ll ask them to come upstairs.”

"Sure, go ahead," you replied, lifting your head from Sunghoon's lap and adjusting your position. You watched as he stood up and made his way towards the door, calling out to his brothers to join him upstairs.

As you waited for them to arrive, a mix of anticipation and nervousness filled the room. You couldn't help but wonder how they would react to your relationship with Sunghoon. Would they be accepting? Would they hate your guts? Only time will tell.

Soon, you heard footsteps approaching the room, and one by one, Sunghoon's brothers entered. They glanced at you in shock, stopping in their tracks besides Jake.

Jay furrowed his brows, puzzled by the presence of a human in Sunghoon's room. The sweet scent emanating from you intrigued him, adding to his curiosity. "Who is this?" he asked, his confusion evident.

"This is YN," Sunghoon replied, observing Jay's expression as he connected the dots. "She's the person you saw me carrying on my shoulder."

Recognition dawned on Jay's face. "Ah, so you're her!"

"Well, that's certainly surprising. A human living here with us." Sunoo chimed in, happy that his suspicions were correct after all.

Niki's eyes widened in astonishment. "Wait, she's been here for months? How is she not freaked out by all of us being vampires?"

"Right...you're human. Aren't you scared or uncomfortable being around vampires?" Heeseung asked, with a hint of confusion and amusement in his tone.

You remained calm, unaffected by their supernatural nature. "To be honest, it was a bit overwhelming at first. But, after a while, Sunghoon seemed chill, making me think you all would be the same.”

The room fell into a momentary silence as everyone but Sunghoon and Jake processed the unexpected situation. It was clear that your presence had caught them off guard.

Jungwon couldn't help but offer a lighthearted remark. "So that sweet scent was yours. Well, well, who would've thought a human would willingly enter our world?"

You chuckled, feeling at ease in their presence. "I guess I'm an exception."

Jake, who had been aware of your connection with Sunghoon, smiled warmly. "We're glad to have you here, YN. It's refreshing to see someone who embraces us for who we are."

Sunghoon placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder. "I couldn't have asked for a better family, and I'm grateful that you all accept YN."

Niki shook his head in disbelief, still processing the revelation. "I can't believe I only found out about this now. Sunghoon, you really kept this secret well."

Jake, unable to resist adding some mischief, chimed in with a cheeky smile. "Well, I already knew about it."

His statement caused a range of reactions among the others. Some looked at Jake with astonishment, while others couldn't help but let out a shocked gasp.

"You knew too?!" Sunoo exclaimed, his eyes wide with surprise.

Jake simply shrugged, enjoying the reaction he was getting. "Yeah, I've known for a while. I guess Sunghoon didn’t find out that I knew about YN until a week ago."

Jay shook his head, finding the situation amusing. "I can't believe you two managed to keep this from us. Secrets, secrets everywhere."

Sunghoon placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder. "I couldn't have asked for a better family, and I'm grateful that you all accept YN."

As the initial shock subsided, the room filled with a mix of laughter and teasing remarks. It seemed that despite the surprise, they were all eager to accept the new dynamic and embrace you as part of their vampire family.

“Since our Sunghoon has taken an interest in you, we accept you here.” Heeseung smiled, noticing how Sunghoon would look at you with such loving eyes. It was amusing but weird to see his brother act in such a way, but it made him feel pleased.

Feeling a sense of warmth and acceptance, you realized that you had truly found a home with these vampires, a place where you wished to stay forever.

THIRTEEN — transforming

"Sunghoon, have you ever thought about turning YN into a vampire?" Heeseung's curiosity was piqued as he prepared a meal downstairs while you were sleeping. He couldn't help but wonder about the possibility of Sunghoon turning you into a vampire.

Sunghoon's response was immediate, with a hint of surprise in his voice. "No, why would I?"

Heeseung's expression turned serious as he voiced his concern. "But she's human. Are you prepared to watch someone you love age and eventually pass away?"

Sunghoon's features shifted, his realization dawning upon him. The idea that you couldn't remain with him forever settled heavily in his mind. "Oh, I hadn't truly considered that. But what are the chances of a successful transformation? And if I were to proceed, how would I even do it?"

Heeseung paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "The chances of a successful transformation can vary. It depends on factors such as blood compatibility and the individual's willingness to undergo the process. Turning someone into a vampire is a complex undertaking that should be approached with great care."

Sunghoon absorbed Heeseung's words, his mind racing with possibilities. "If there's a way to turn YN into a vampire, and if it's something she genuinely desires, I would be willing to explore that option. However, it's a decision that we would need to make together, considering all the risks and consequences involved."

Heeseung offered an encouraging smile, understanding the weight of Sunghoon's contemplation. "I have faith that you'll find a way, Sunghoon. Just remember to have open and honest communication with YN and support each other in whichever path you choose."

Sunghoon nodded gratefully, appreciating his brother's guidance. He knew he could rely on his brothers for wisdom and support as he navigated the complexities of your relationship.

“I’ll talk to her about it when she wakes up,” Sunghoon says, bringing the plate of food to his room.

Gently whispering your name, Sunghoon noticed you were still peacefully asleep. A smile graced his lips as he approached the table, carefully setting the prepared food down before settling himself beside you.

As he brushed away a few strands of hair from your face, he couldn't help but be captivated by your beauty. A stirring feeling fluttered in his stomach—an undeniable effect you had on him that he couldn't ignore.

His fingers continued to play with your hair as your eyes slowly opened, revealing a pair of curious and sleepy eyes that met his. A smile formed on your face as you took in the sight of him smiling back at you.

“Did you sleep well?” He asked, his gaze never leaving you. You nod, snuggling in closer to the blanket, letting a small chuckle escape from his mouth.

“I need to tell you something, but eat and freshen up first, okay?” Curiousity took over, making you nod as you got out of bed.

As you finished your meal, you couldn't help but notice Sunghoon's slightly nervous demeanor. The anticipation grew within you, and you decided to break the silence.

"What do you want to say to me?" you asked, wiping your mouth with a napkin. Your eyes were fixated on him, searching for answers in his expression.

"Have you ever wanted to turn into a vampire?" Sunghoon finally brought up the question, hoping to gauge your thoughts on the matter.

You pondered his question for a moment, reflecting on your past perceptions and current feelings. "It seemed cool and everything when I was younger, like in the movies. But now, I'm not so sure about it," you admitted, voicing your uncertainties. "Why do you ask?"

Sunghoon took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts before responding. "I've been thinking about it lately—about the possibility of turning you into a vampire," he confessed, his eyes searching yours for a reaction.

You blinked in surprise, caught off guard by his thoughts. The idea had never crossed your mind before, and now it hung in the air between you, laden with implications and questions.

"Why would you consider that?" you asked, a mix of curiosity and apprehension in your voice.

Sunghoon's gaze softened, and he reached out to gently hold your hand. "Because I can't imagine a future without you, YN. Turning you into a vampire would mean we could be together forever. I don't want to watch you grow old and leave this world while I remain the same."

A whirlwind of emotions swirled within you as you processed his words. The thought of eternal life was both alluring and daunting. You thought about the sacrifices and challenges that would come with such a transformation, but also the promise of everlasting love and companionship.

"I need time to think about this, Sunghoon," you replied honestly, your voice tinged with uncertainty. "It's a big decision, and there's so much to consider."

He nodded understandingly, his grip on your hand tightening slightly. "Of course, YN. Take all the time you need. I just wanted to open up this conversation and let you know what's been on my mind."

Hours turned into days and weeks. After pondering about it for a while, you decided to talk about it with Sunghoon. "Sunghoon, I've made up my mind," you said, your voice steady. "I want to be with you, and if becoming a vampire means we can be together for eternity, then I'm willing to take that step."

A mixture of relief and joy washed over Sunghoon's face as he squeezed your hand. "Thank you, Y/N. I can't express how much this means to me," he whispered, his voice filled with gratitude.

"Okay, I don't want to scare you, but part of the transformation process would involve you drinking my blood regularly," Sunghoon explained, gesturing towards his sharp teeth. "It's how you'll develop your own fangs and embrace your vampire nature."

You couldn't help but feel a slight shiver of unease at the thought. Drinking blood was far from your comfort zone, as your experiences with blood were limited to minor accidents and dental procedures.

"It does sound a bit intimidating," you admitted, your voice tinged with apprehension. "I've never done anything like that before."

Sunghoon nodded understandingly, realizing the unfamiliarity of the concept to you. "I completely understand your concern. It's a significant step, but I assure you, I'll be there to guide you through it every step of the way."

He gently took your hand, his touch offering a sense of reassurance. "We'll start slowly, with small amounts. I'll make sure you're comfortable and safe throughout the process. You won't be alone in this."

His words, coupled with his caring demeanor, helped alleviate some of your worries. You began to consider the possibilities that lay ahead.

"I appreciate your support, Sunghoon," you replied, mustering up courage. "If this is what it takes to be with you and embark on this journey, I'm willing to give it a try."

Sunghoon's eyes lit up with gratitude and love. "Thank you, Y/N. Your trust means the world to me," he expressed, his voice filled with genuine warmth.

"Let's start, shall we?" Sunghoon smiled, gently taking your hands in his. You nodded, watching him get up and get a cup. "You can look away if you want."

Choosing to avert your gaze, you listened intently as the sound of blood pouring into the cup filled the air. It was a strange and surreal moment, knowing that soon you would be consuming that very substance. Your heart raced, but you trusted Sunghoon's guidance and the new love that you two were creating.

The clinking sound of the cup being placed on the table made you turn your head, catching a glimpse of Sunghoon as he healed his cut with his vampire abilities. It was a fascinating display, reminding you of the extraordinary world you were about to become a part of.

Your eyes shifted back to the cup, anxiety creeping in once more. Sensing your worries, Sunghoon reached out to reassure you. "Don't worry, Y/N. Just think of it as a cup of wine," he suggested, his voice soothing and comforting. "An expensive and rare kind that you can't get anywhere else."

His words brought a hint of lightheartedness to the situation, and a small smile formed on your lips. Sunghoon's ability to find humor even in unconventional circumstances was one of the things you admire about him.

Taking a deep breath, you mentally prepared yourself for what lay ahead. As you lifted the cup to your lips, the scent of blood filled your senses, mixing with a hint of excitement and fear. You closed your eyes and took a small sip, feeling the warm liquid glide down your throat.

The taste was distinct and unlike anything you had experienced before. It carried a primal energy tinged with a hint of sweetness. As you swallowed, a surge of energy coursed through your body, awakening these random senses.

As you placed the cup back on the table, your eyes met Sunghoon’s. He smiled and was glad you didn’t back out. This was only the start, and Sunghoon would gladly walk that path with you.

FOURTEEN — always forever

Sunghoon's voice trembled with concern as he pleaded, "Please, Y/N, you need to drink this as well." You lay in his bed, eyes tightly shut, consumed by fear and doubt.

"I'm really scared, Sunghoon. I don’t know what’s happening to me," you confess, your voice quivering. Cold beads of sweat trickle down your forehead as the symptoms of the transformation continue to unsettle you. The thought of relying on blood for sustenance forever sends a chill down your spine. "I don't want to spend eternity feeding on blood."

"I understand your fears, Y/N," Sunghoon spoke softly, his voice filled with compassion. He grabs a cloth, wiping off the sweat on your forehead. “This feeling is only temporary. After this, you’ll be back to normal again, just with new abilities and drinking blood.”

He watches you open your eyes, looking at the cup of blood on the nightstand. The blood started to increase more and more daily, making you feel worried.

"Once the transformation is complete, you'll gain better control over your vampire instincts and abilities," he explained, his voice gentle yet reassuring. “You can’t just die on me here, just because you don’t want some blood. We made a promise.”

“I don’t know…” Fear was starting to eat you alive, and you weren’t sure if you wanted to continue this. You felt like dying; these new abilities were starting to take over your body. You felt your teeth shifting and your body stirring with random feelings—you had no control over your body.

It took a while for you to realize the process wasn’t pretty. The thought of relying on blood for sustenance sent shivers down your spine, and the mere idea of an eternal existence dependent on it felt overwhelming.

Sunghoon noticed you felt like giving up. He prays that you wouldn’t; he couldn’t bear seeing you leave, especially after trying out his idea. He found himself falling for you; it was impossible to get out now.

He reached for your hand, pouring out his true emotions. "But please remember that I love you. I have never felt this way before, and I can't imagine my life without you. This transformation is a means for us to be together and embrace our future. It won't define our entire existence."

His words reached the deepest corners of your soul, stirring emotions that intertwined with your fears. The intensity of his love and the profound connection you shared offered a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness of uncertainty.

"But Sunghoon," you whispered, your voice trembling with vulnerability, "what if I can't handle it? What if I can't adapt? I don't want to lose myself or hurt anyone."

Sunghoon's hand gently cupped your face; his touch was warm and reassuring. "Y/N, I have complete faith in you," he declared, his voice filled with unwavering belief. "You're strong, and together we'll navigate this journey. I'll be by your side every step of the way, guiding and supporting you."

His eyes locked with yours, their depth revealing his sincerity. "You're not alone in this, Y/N. I’ll be yours always and forever.”

Tears streamed down your cheeks as you absorbed his words, feeling the weight of his love and commitment. Though your fears still lingered, his unwavering support brought you solace and reminded you of the extraordinary bond you shared.

With a trembling hand, you reached for the cup, your gaze never leaving Sunghoon's. As you took a sip, his tender smile filled you with a sense of courage. It was the strength of your love that would carry you through the uncertainties, assuring you that together you could overcome any obstacle.

In that moment, you knew that your love for each other would be the guiding light amidst the darkness. As you embarked on this transformative journey, you held onto the belief that love could conquer all and that with Sunghoon by your side, there was nothing you couldn't face.

From that point forward, you mustered the strength to confront your fear of blood. There were moments when the metallic taste in your mouth became overwhelming, and you longed for a different existence. However, with Sunghoon's unwavering support and guidance, you persevered.

As time passed, you noticed the unmistakable signs of your transformation. Your once ordinary teeth have now sharpened into the iconic fangs of a vampire, marking your departure from humanity. It was a strange and exhilarating feeling, knowing that you were no longer the same as before. Sunghoon observed your progress with pride, a smile dancing on his lips as he witnessed your remarkable adaptation.

Under Sunghoon's patient instruction, you embarked on training sessions together. He taught you how to harness your newfound invisibility and leverage your enhanced speed to capture your future prey with precision. Although you made occasional missteps and errors, Sunghoon remained a pillar of calm and support, always offering gentle guidance, unlike his interactions with his own brothers.

Together, you honed your skills, learning the delicate balance between strength and restraint. Sunghoon's understanding and empathy fostered an environment of trust and growth. With each passing day, you grew more confident in your abilities, emboldened by the unwavering belief Sunghoon had in you.

"You're doing great," Sunghoon reassured you, his words instilling a surge of confidence within you.

"You think so?" you asked, seeking affirmation.

"Yes, absolutely," Sunghoon replied with a warm smile. "You're adapting to this new life with remarkable ease. It's truly impressive, even more than I could have imagined."

His genuine praise filled you with a sense of pride and accomplishment. Hearing such words of encouragement from Sunghoon, who had experienced the vampire transformation himself, meant the world to you. It reaffirmed that you were not alone in this journey and that your progress was real and significant.

Sunghoon's unwavering support gave you the strength to push beyond your limits and embrace the challenges that came with your newfound abilities. With each step forward, you grew more confident in your capacity to navigate the vampire world alongside him.

"Thank you for being so patient with me, Sunghoon," you said, a genuine smile gracing your lips.

"Of course, YN," Sunghoon replied, his own smile mirroring yours. "I'll always be here for you, ready to offer my support and guidance whenever you need it."

His words resonate deeply within you, reaffirming the strength of your bond. Sunghoon's unwavering patience and dedication have been instrumental in your transformation journey. He had never faltered in his commitment to helping you navigate this new world and discover the extent of your potential as a vampire.

With Sunghoon by your side, you felt an unspoken sense of security and assurance. He had become more than just a mentor or guide; he was a pillar of strength, a source of comfort, and a confidant who understood you in ways no one else could.

As you gazed into his eyes, you knew that this journey was not just about becoming a vampire. It was about the profound connection and trust that had blossomed between you. And with each passing day, your gratitude for Sunghoon's unwavering presence in your life only grew stronger.

ENHA PERM TAGLIST — @flwoie @ixomiyu @yenavrse @shinsou-rii @bearseulgs @ilovewonyo @yenqa @dimplewonie @bubblytaetae @wtfhyuck @ineedaherosavemeenow @starcubes @starikizs @wonioml @chirokookie @xiaoderrrr @neozon3nha @en-chantedtomeetyou @millksea @enhaz1 @eundiarys @woon2u @ja4hyvn @judeduartewannabe @j-wyoung @thia-aep @vampcharxter @softpia @officiallyjaehyuns @itsactuallylina @hsheart @sweetjaemss @ahnneyong @hanienie @jwnghyuns @kpoplover718 @jiawji @rikizm @haknom @yeokii @wvnkoi @tnyhees @teddywonss

TAGLIST FOR BITE ME — @soov @lunacrtk @differentchildwombat @amortenha @kyungssem @skinnyzlegendz

[dollfaced-erin]

𝔻𝕣𝕒𝕘𝕠𝕟'𝕤 ℂ𝕣𝕒𝕕𝕝𝕖 (Blade x F!Reader x Jing Yuan)

PART 16

PART 1 , PART 2 , PART 3 , PART 4 , PART 5 , PART 6 , PART 7 , PART 8 , PART 9 , PART 10 , PART 11 , PART 12 , PART 13 , PART 14 , PART 15

A/n :-

how has everyone been since i was gone ?? i hope you all have been doing okay !! i was trying to do requests but i was WHOLLY stumped so i had to take some time off from writing to refresh myself a bit so sorry i didnt update about my past hiatus ! Another thing im not sure if i mentioned before, but Dan Jia-(Y/n) is about the tall woman model size, but would be shortest amongst all of them !

Taglist : -

@rebeccawinters , @nayukiyukihira , @pix-stuff , @fluffy-koalala , @swivy123 , @starxao , @kaoyamamegami , @kimura-uzuri , @rsvye , @seikouryuu , @just-here-reading , @matsulovesyou, @sincerely-aaronette , @prettyliliy , @chibiduck , @hermosacolibri , @la-diablas-thingz , @farelady-fate , @everi-eve , @shadowfoxey , @helloyuki , @immahuman , @samptlay , @boomie-123

(Y/n) felt baffled from what Kafka had told her. For a Mara-stricken individual, he managed to maintain more than just a shred of his sanity, his senses, and his distant memories where most involved would've been buried deep in their graves.

All maintained by a simple desire, a longing to see a beloved he had left behind so unwillingly. The cradle of arms he fled from as soon as things had fallen from their originally planned course.

(Y/n) left Kafka's questioning to someone else, and she moved away to ponder on her thoughts and opinions. Her heart was heavy with guilt and misery, feeling empty and lonely. Her steps were hollow and light, walking off without a motive.

Perhaps it was the Dan Jia in her heart that longed for the arms of her lover's embrace...? Could that still be possible despite her accepting the fact that Dan Jia was once her past and she had learned to let go of the past, Dan Jia still had longings ?

Or...was it herself that yearned for what she once had, with a lover reformed anew ?

(Y/n) admitted that she indeed longed for Blade, his arms and warmth bringing her great comfort and familiarity. She admitted that perhaps there was a longing for his renewed self to be with her as they once were, but was that what she really wanted...?

All he wanted was to go home and rest...

And all she wanted was to dance again under the moonlight...

But what about Jing Yuan...?

She couldn't just leave him. She didn't have the heart to. Not after what he had done for her before and after her slumber...

But if the time came to choose...

She would choose--

"Lady (Y/n) !" a voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

The dragon lady immediately turned around to face the voice that called for her, and there was the Fu Xuan, looking straight at her and coming up to the taller lady.

"Fu Xuan." (Y/n) greeted with a nod of her head. She knew what the Master Diviner wanted to ask her. It was an itching question that everyone who saw what Fu Xuan did and heard what Kafka said clearly had the same questions.

What was her connection to Blade...?

"I'm sorry if it stirs up...distant woes..." Fu Xuan began, feeling a little hesitant to ask the question plaguing her mind.

"B-but I hope you understand the utmost importance of this information ! It's for the safety of--!" "Worry not, Master Diviner." (Y/n) said softly, her gaze softening as her luminescent (e/c) eyes landed on the pink haired lady, who was usually so composed, now reduced to a stuttering mess in her presence.

"I...was Blade's past lover. Well...Dan Jia was." (Y/n) said, a hand on her heart that beat so distantly in her chest. She felt a gnawing void eating away inside her, so she moved her hand to the accessory dangling by her pointed ear, fiddling with it with her fingers.

"The legend of the lovers under the moon...isn't merely a legend, you know ?" She said with a silent sigh, a distant look in her eyes.

It was a legend. It was widely believed to be true, a strong belief amongst the commonfolk to never overstep the boundaries of interracial romance, lest they befall the pain of separation due to the differences in their lifespans.

The legend was indeed true, but it wasn't the entire truth either. It was a forged story to show the disastrous end of the lovers. The one that died. And the other that fell into madness. It served as a warning to remind them. But of course, it was treated as a tragic love story and had young lovers to be daring like the heroes in the tale.

"But Lady (Y/n)-- AH!"

The ground beneath them shook, a loud rumbling filled their ears along with sharp gusts of wind whizzing past them. The wind was exceptionally dangerous, most of them struggling to keep their eyes open.

"Lady Fu Xuan !" (Y/n) called out, reaching for Fu Xuan's hand to help stabilize their stance on the shaking platform.

That was...before she heard Tingyun shout over the gusts.

"Th-The Ambrosial Arbor !"

(Y/n)'s head whipped from looking at the Master Diviner to the direction where the dormant tree would've been. And she gasped, the sight before her sending cold chills down her spine.

She had never seen this before. Not in all her hundreds of years living.

The tree that had been subdued for eons...was growing again. The trunk got taller and taller, gold substance running through its veins with power and life. Fiery golden leaves sprouted and combust into eternal flame, lighting up the sky with green-yellow fire that could never be put out. Some began to shed, its eerie golden sheen making it seem like it was gold leaves instead of fruit of the forbidden. Words began to hang from the trees like large talismans, words of immortality and curses in headlines.

Screams of civilians were loud and heard from the streets, the divination commission, filled with terror and question and horror. No one had ever foreseen the signs of the tree, feeding seeds of terror like plague spreading.

But this was indeed the sign of the Abundance. The forbidden seed that the Plagues Author Yaoshi had planted. And it was blooming again.

Stelle looked at the tree in concern, though she knew little of its origin and its representation. The Stellaron Hunter behind her smirked, already anticipating this from the anonymous source, Destiny's Slave.

Kafka chuckled, a sweet sound of her sigh as magenta eyes watched the chaos and discord surrounding her. The binds that held her wrists together snapped in a blink of an eye, without the littlest effort. She admired the state of her body and her clothes, before turning to head off without anyone noticing.

"Stelle !" (Y/n) exclaimed as when she rushed over and heard the sound of the chains snapping into nothingness. The female trailblazer perked up, turning to (Y/n) who pointed in direction to Kafka who was escaping without hesitation nor curiousity.

Just as she was about to catch up to Kafka, a figure with long dark hair landed between them, separating the two. The divine weapon in his gloved hand shone, the gold in the cracks glittering in the dim lighting as the figure stood up.

Dangerous red eyes watched Stelle carefully, his blade pointed to the young woman menacingly. Then they landed on (Y/n), without a hint of surprise nor did he even try to search for her.

Blade knew she was there.

But (Y/n) was shocked to see him.

Lover or not, he was threatening the lives of the innocent, so she rushed forward and pushed the taller girl behind her, fan in her hand. She was ready to fight him should the need arise.

But looking into his tired but passionate eyes, she knew he had no intention to attack. Just standing still to serve as a warning.

"Let's go, Bladie~" the wine-red haired woman called out as she looked down from the platform they were standing on, as if to approximate the height of the platform to the main ground or to foreplan their landing.

"Two more places to visit..." the woman said, before turning around and falling off the ledge freely, arms widespread as she did.

Blade immediately put the shattered sword behind his back in a stance, giving (Y/n) one last longing glance. It seemed that he had more to say but out came no words nor did his mouth open to say the words he desired to whisper.

But they needed no words to be able to tell what he wanted to say.

"Stay out of this."

With that he swiftly left and dived down, following after Kafka.

The two swiftly landed on the ground and merely walked through the public without the need to hide nor camouflage. The revival of the Ambrosial Arbor served as the perfect distraction.

Kafka smiled and laughed softly as she walked past the guards and civilians, taking in the sweet feeling of fear, a feeling she wasn't able to experience herself. Then she saw her companion that looked a little less than usual.

"Oh, don't look so disdainful, Bladie...you'll get to see that princess soon than later." She said with a soft chuckle leaving her slightly chapped lips.

"No." The brooding man answered in a deep voice, as if holding back his own emotions and thoughts.

"I don't want her to get involved. I don't want her to get hurt."

"But with the path chosen, she'll have to get involved, whether she likes it or not." Kafka replied with a sorry smile on her lips.

Ah...lovebirds...

"Agh ! Did Kafka escape ? How are we supposed to explain this to the Master Diviner ?!" March groaned, looking down from the platform they stood on, then back to (Y/n) and Stelle.

"If what she said is true, then we wont have to explain anything." Stelle said, and (Y/n) who stood next to her nodded, a frustrated frown on her lips.

"H-hey ! D-did she brainwash you ?!"

(Y/n) chuckled softly and shook her head in amusement.

As they were heading back to meet up with the Master Diviner, who (Y/n) had left hanging a while ago due to the fear of the Stellaron Hunter running lose before them, they had met up with a certain foxian Amicassador who was standing on one of the bridges on the other end of the screens, staring at the tree in awe.

"Wasn't this the dead tree Qingque showed us earlier ? How did it grow all of a sudden ?" March asked as they watched the fiery tree blazing in the distance, fire eternally burning without leaving any ash nor dying out.

"Amazing ! Absolutely amazing !" Tingyun gasped, watching the Ambrosial Arbor with intense fascination in her eyes. "Even the long-lived might not witness something like this in their lifetime ! I'm incredibly lucky !"

(Y/n) could merely stare at the brunette, suspicion in her bright (e/c) eyes. Was this a normal reaction towards the plagues of abundance thriving ? She would've expected a more...horrified reaction, but...maybe that's youth these days ?

Perhaps they didn't really account towards the horrible meaning the tree represented. Nor the sacrifices made to keep it sealed deep down in waters...

"No. This isn't something to rejoice about." (Y/n) said sternly, glaring at the tree with hate and remorse. "This tree...is a plaguemark of the Plagues Author. And it was by no normal means was it revived. It was meant to stay dormant, and sealed."

"Such...extraordinary energy. It's no doubt the Stellaron." Welt said, stepping up and pushing up his glasses up his nose.

"Mr. Yang, do you mean...that the Stellaron is making the Ambrosial Arbor grow ?" March asked, looking at the older man who stood next to the former High Elder of the Xianzhou : Luofu.

"Yes, the Stellaron that the Cloud Knights are searching for must be causing this anomaly !" Welt said, looking at (Y/n) who looked oddly guilty, seeming restless.

She knew the reason for the seal growing weak. It was her own fault. But...

She looked at her own hands.

She alone isn't enough to seal the power. Her power is split into two, and she has no idea whether the authority still lied within her, or was it passed onto Bailu, the current High Elder...?

And she didn't know what happened after Imbibator Lunae's execution. Was he safe ? Where was he ? What did he look like now ?

Welt noticed the anxiousness of the woman next to him, and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as he tried not to startle her. He smiled warmly at her, nodding his head.

"Whatever the cause, we must first go meet Lady Fu Xuan." He said, looking straight into (Y/n)'s eyes.

Yes. That was exactly what they needed right now. So she nodded her head. Welt nodded again, relieved that she was alright and still within the zone.

So off they went, walking towards the inner gates of the Divination Commission to find Fu Xuan.

"Unless Kafka deceived the Matrix of Prescience..." Fu Xuan mumbled, putting her hand to her lips, anxiously biting on her thumb subconsciously.

"Stay calm, Master Fu, the Matrix of Prescience does not lie." Jing Yuan said softly. "The logic you laid out concerning Kafka makes sense-- it helped me fill in another piece of the puzzle."

"I agree that there is a hostile external force at work on the Luofu. The Stellaron didn't appear out of thin air-- someone managed to sneak it onto the ship." Jing Yuan explained to the anxious Master Diviner, but his own face looking grim and serious, noting that this wasn't something to be taken lightly.

"As for the culprits behind the Luofu's internal strive, I believe we are dealing with the so-called Disciples of Sanctus Medicus-- that shadowy organization of the Denizens of Abundance."

"Kafka's revelation's confirm my suspicions." Jing Yuan said with a nod of his head, a small smile on his lips.

But his insight was what shocked Fu Xuan instead of relieving her. "You..." She stuttered, thinking about her choice of words for a bit. "General, when did you have these suspicions ?"

This man surely wasn't a force to be taken lightly. But with that lazy gaze of his and his lack of enthusiasm for work made people look down on him or even disregard him as a threat.

But he wasn't the one of the seven Arbiter-Generals for nothing.

"The moment the planter of the Stellaron revealed themself." He said simply, crossing over his arms. "The Xianzhou has the blessing of the Reignbow Arbiter-- only another Aeon's Emanator would be capable of sneaking onto the ship without my knowing."

"We are dealing with an external threat."

"The Stellaron corrosion continues to flood into the ship, yet it bypassed both the Seat of Divine Foresight and The Shackling Prison...there is forethought here-- our enemy must have had the access to Luofu Intelligence for things to unfold this way..." Jing Yuan said, looking around the base of the Divination Commission.

This reminded him of a scene long in the past.

Of an arrogant man seeking to be paid favor by the man with the coldest stares and the most selfish and self-centered man, resulting the in the death of a beloved.

"It is evident now..." Jing Yuan sighed softly.

Shall events come to unfold the same as in the past, he wouldn't let the same outcome happen again. No. This time, he's an adult with power and experience.

He'd do anything to protect that soft smile on those smooth lips he watched to be still for centuries.

"The Stellaron Hunters..." Jing Yuan addressed, looking at a little solemn at the mention of the faction. "They aren't the ones behind the curtain. No, as soon as I set eyes on Blade, it was clear to me. But why is he here ?"

He knew the answer to that question. But that wasn't enough of a reason. Why did he bring Kafka ? Why this timing with the Stellaron burst ?

"And why did he draw the Astral Express ? That piece of the puzzle still eludes me."

The man thought long and hard about it, but he was still confused to specifically why the Astral Express had to be brought here onto the Xianzhou Luofu. Why not anywhere else ? Why during this timing ?

He couldn't answer that himself.

He sighed.

"Nevertheless, Lady Fu." The tall general said, looking at the smaller lady before him. "Your intel means the puzzle is more complete than it was before, haha."

"These Stellaron Hunters are a captivating group-- such lengths to get the Xianzhou and the Express on the same track. Who would've believed it ?"

Fu Xuan was getting a little pissed though, this wasn't anything related to the current status quo.

"General, we must retain all urgency ! The Ambrosial Arbor--" "It's the Stellaron." The General cut her off with a frown on his lips.

"No need to search high and low-- the traitors have planted it in the Ambrosial Arbor's delve, thereby causing the tree to grow once again. The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus couldn't hold off any longer." Jing Yuan said, unfolding his arms.

"Every crisis has a turning point." Fu Xuan said softly. "A problem is easier to resolve when you know where it lies."

Jing Yuan then smirked at her words, putting his hand on his hip as he knowingly raised his eyebrows at her. Fu Xuan didn't get it for a moment, but when she did, she frowned with a small pout on her lips.

"Am I coming up with the plan again...?" She sighed, looking up at him.

"Of course," Jing Yuan said without shame nor hesitation. "I'm sure you have a countermeasure at the ready, Master Diviner."

"From my perspective, convening the Cloud Knights is our immediate priority." Fu Xuan said after a while of thinking. "We must head into the roots of the Ambrosial Arbor, expel the Stellaron spirits, and prevent the Arbor's resurrection."

"I hope we need not ask the assistance of the Saltator Lunae...it would be...quite poor of us to make her use her powers after being in and out of consciousness repeatedly..." Fu Xuan said, looking down, deep in thought. "I propose that we request her help shall the need arises."

"Mhmm~" he hummed in satisfaction, nodding his head to the Master Diviner's thoughts towards resolving the matter. "As ever the Master Diviner's omniscia provides the fastest solution. However, sometimes speed is not everything."

"I have known the Stellaron's location for a while now, so why have I held back our forces ? Why did I let (Y/n) roam around even when I knew is her...unstable constitution ?" He asked, letting Fu Xuan think for a moment.

Fu Xuan thought for a moment, looking down before her eyes went back up to Jing Yuan.

"General..."

"You're a scoundrel."

Jing Yuan chuckled softly, shaking his head softly. Those words...were somewhere distant in his past, in his memory, through years of living.

He looked at the board of Starchess before him, smiling smugly as he looked at his opponent who sat across him. She frowned, her eyebrow twitching in displeasure and irritation.

"Jing Yuan, you scoundrel." She said with contempt.

"Haha~ you cant say that, (Y/n). It is unbecoming of the benevolent and highly-respected Saltator Lunae~" He said with a smirk on his lips, chuckling with pride and slyness.

"And you cannot use such underhanded tactics in trying to fool me." Dan Jia said, hands on her hips as her beautiful hair swayed in the wind.

"Who said I was fooling you, dear friend ?" He asked, reaching out a hand to sweep back her soft and silky strands of hair behind ear.

"I was just...suggesting you a move and you fell right into my trap."

"You're just too kind for your own good, Dan Jia." He said, putting his chin in the palm of his hand, a light blush on his cheeks as he retracted his hand from her.

"You should be careful. People might take your kindness for granted, or even take advantage of your naivety."

Dan Jia pouted, crossing over her arms over her chest with an embarrassed blush on her cheeks for being called naive and gullible.

"It would surely eat you up one day. So be careful..."

And it really was the reason for her downfall, being betrayed by her family. Her lover and her brother.

[gentlebeardsbarngrill]

01/22/2024 Daily Recap

Hey all! It's been a long day huh? I wanna apologize ahead of time, whatever sickness my kiddo had last week finally got me so I'm not feeling terribly well. I'm gonna do my best to articulate todays events for ya!

===Renew As A Crew====

So the very first thing I want to touch on today is updates from @renewasacrew. As you may have heard, they were going to be changing leadership as the shift in priorities changed from renewing to saving OFMD. That being said, the leadership change happened over this weekend with some hiccups (I don't know what the hiccups were entirely and I'm not going to speculate, if you wanna delve down that twitter hole you can, but having been in it for today I'd recommend against it for your mental health, and we don't want to be drawing a bunch of media attention to it) there's a lot of confusing information, and as we know things can get conflated fast if we don't have all the pieces to the puzzle-- let's not speculate and wait for the to come out with more info.

So what I'm focusing on today is @renewasacrew's message to please give them some time and practice some patience while they get back up and running. This also includes anyone you happen to know on twitter working with them, for example: @TheCozyPirate. Let's give them some grace, they've been steering us well so far.

The good news is, several folks, on tumblr: @iamadequate1, @quirkysubject, @asgardian--angels, On twitter: @havethisonelife @yougotoofast @Lcmwriter100, we have all we need to keep going for a few days while things get ironed out. (If I forgot someone please let me know, sorry I am half awake tonight)-- see the HOW CAN YOU HELP section below.

One thing I will mention-- we are moving so very fast right now. It's only been 13 days since the announcement that OFMD wasn't renewed, and we've accomplished SO MUCH. So when there's a lull, it's going to feel like things are standing still and maybe something is going wrong. Don't fall into despair, that's just how things go with negotiations. Take a break, take a breath, and just keep on Polite Menacing until we hear more from the leadership team.

===How can you help?===

**Go to visit the DAILY RENEWAL TASK LIST there's lots of ideas and ways you can help! Have more? Shoot me a dm! I'm happy to add stuff!**

*Note: To our international fans, I promise I'm working on a write up for you as well I've just been sick today and have been able to finish!*

Something new today-- a lot of you have expressed your desire to help in the @renewasacrew efforts. Well if you did-- and still want to, now you can volunteer! Many thanks to @redshiftsinger for getting this up so quick!

Please visit their survey: Volunteer Intake form and fill out how you may be able to help!

=== Cast and Crew Sightings ===

As if on cue, Chaos dad reached out to everyone on twitter today to express some encouragement!

He also saw we were at 77K and posted his astonishment!

Some folks have been a bit weary about his vagueness today, but as we know, Daddy Jenkins is the king of vague-- and he has to be! If there are contracts in the works, he can't be hinting at things. Don't lose hope!

===Samson Kayo ===

Our beloved Oluwande updated his IG with some pictures and a message. If you have IG I'm sure he'd appreciate some love!

Next up was our favorite Captain, Rhys Darby, promoting a fellow comic @jamesroguecomedy over on IG!

And our pirate queen Ruibo Qian was making posts about saving ofmd and fanart about Zheng! Featuring folks you probably know around tumblr: @mistysblueboxstuff and @tsutsu_ya over on twitter

=REMINDER: Cross Fandom Watch Party! on 01/23/2024 1 PM PT, 4PM ET=

Looks like there's gonna be some cross fandom watch parties on twitter you're welcome to tune in for Jan 23-26 on twitter. They'll be watching good omens in an effort to try and get engagement up with PrimeVideo. It sounds like it'll be similar to the LubeAsACrew but with Good Omens fans! Thank you to @Dandeebakes on Twitter for getting these organised!

Hashtags to use: #PirateOmens #AdoptOurCrew #SaveOFMD, and helps to @PrimeVideo

===Articles===

New article, but take it with a grain of salt, see @TheCozyPirate's message:

Our Flag Means Death's marketing was concerned about the shock of violence in the show

===============================================

Alright lovelies. Here we are again, I told you it'd be quick. Today was very very very busy. Take a break and get some sleep ya? Lean on your crew, we are here to support each other. I'll end with a quote from Tolkien (it being all of us in your crew):

"May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out."

Tonight picture features Taika and his "I love you eyes" at Rhys. Thats me, I'm Taika, I love you all.

PS: Idk why this isnt showing up in my recaps repository but ill figure it out in the morning.

[jackiegaytona]

This season has been incredible so far. The three of us who worship Laszlermo (not sure who the other 2 people are) are being FED. Each episode has been hilarious, it's currently tied with s3 as being my favourite season so far.

I so badly want to write a fic about Laszlo defending Guillermo from Nandor once Nandor finds out he was turned by Derek.

But tomorrow I start a 3 month long fulltime uni placement (unpaid of course, ugh) so it'll take a while. I'm putting this here to REMIND ME. TO WRITE IT. I haven't written a Shadows fic in almost a year but I feel a renewed desire to write something about my bingest of bongs.

[perseidlion]

Hey folks I know fic isn't the same as the real thing. But if it's any consolation, I intend to keep writing as long as people keep reading/I have ideas.

I am not really experiencing a loss of my muse because I am kind of a cynic at heart. I would've been pleasantly surprised if Netflix renewed the show, but I hit play on the first episode pretty much expecting it'd get cancelled.

I'm back to regular updates on Through a Mirror, Darkly, my fic that deals with Niko's fate. Updating 1-2 times per week.

It's been a few months since Edwin, Charles and Crystal left Port Townsend after the death of their friend Niko. They've done their best to move on. In the meantime, they've matched wits with Desire of the Endless, and Edwin has started dating the Cat King.

Cat's gift of a spirit mirror offers the boys a chance to speak to Niko again - if she is indeed on the other side.

--- This is a sequel to my fic, Cat and Ghost though you don't have to read that one to follow this story! I do my best to catch you up in chapter 1.

Continuity note: the short fic, The Human Bargain takes place between Cat and Ghost and this fic. But again, it's not strictly necessary to read it,

[the-ace-with-spades]

For the celebrity chef Bradley AU, featuring kinda jealous Jake...

(I'm not writing it, just to be clear, but different scenarios keep popping up in my mind and I need them OUT)

So, to recap from my prev post about this AU, Bradley became a celebrity chef by taking part in Hell's Kitchen-like reality TV show and impressing the show lead chef, first working as his sous chef after the show and then opening his own Michelin-starred restaurant.

He and Jake met and Jake didn't know he was a celebrity chef because he doesn't watch TV, doesn't know shit about the cooking world and Bradley doesn't look like the type at all.

They've been together for some time at this point, Jake is still a bit of a shithead about Bradley's cooking (a tough critic, he likes to call himself) and Bradley gets an offer to come in for a new HK-like show season as a sous chef or supporting lead chefs for one of the teams and offers Jake to come with him to Los Angeles for the ten weeks he's going to be filming since Jake is on leave. He's going to be returning with another contestant from his season, Monica, and will run cooking workshops for the contestants behind the scenes.

Jake isn't a fan of reality shows — he hasn't even watched the HK season where Bradley was the contestant — and not a fan of Los Angeles so he's like No, thank you and Bradley goes alone.

Jake tells Javy about this when Bradley is gone for like two weeks already and Javy, who is a bit too emotionally involved into cooking shows, gets all cagey until Jake prods him and Javy is all like, "So, were the rumors true? About Bradley and Monica, I mean. Did they really...?"

"Did they really what?"

And Javy, the HK fan number one, gets Jake a brief overview of the lore. The lore being that Bradley and Monica were the finalists of their HK edition and Bradley, who had been named an individualist focused on winning from the beginning (and disliked by anyone who wasn't paired with him for both being skilled and brutally honest) had a soft spot for her. Any time they could choose a pair for a challenge, they'd choose each other, they had a wicked banter going on, and at some point at the end of the show, they were filmed sleeping in the same bed (or bedroom? It wasn't clear). The night before the finale they fell asleep cuddling on the couch together.

Obviously, viewers went shipper crazy and the rumors about Bradley and Monica were mad and never really died down (they've been seen together a few times after filming).

Bradley's never talked to Jake about Monica. In fact, he didn't even mention she was the one he lost to when he was telling Jake about the return to the show.

So, maybe Jake spirals a little and maybe some of his insecurities show up — he is aware in the eyes of the general public, there is a big disproportion of success between him, a naval officer, and Bradley, the world-renewed celebrity chef. Bradley earns a shit ton of money and is well-known and one of the best in his industry, Jake is just, well, a good naval aviator. He's also, despite being such a hard critic towards Bradley's skills, not much of a cook — there's a lot he doesn't understand about Bradley's job and he's not sure he could actually ever be as good as he is, not to mention so knowledgeable, sometimes he doesn't understand what Bradley is ranting to him about or what he's making, etc. Someone who works in the food industry would have much more common than he and Bradley have, and probably would be able to understand him more.

Their relationship isn't public, mostly because Jake has no desire to be a celebrity spouse, but also because he's aware Bradley dating a guy would bring a lot of uproar still.

He binge-watches the HK edition Bradley took part in and suddenly regrets not being more public about their relationship, not being Bradley's plus one to the big events or not letting Bradley talk about him in interviews.

He understands why there were rumors — Bradley and Monica had chemistry. They looked cute together, they obviously had a lot of respect for each other, and they almost seemed to be a level above all the other contestants. He knows some of the show is staged, but Bradley seemed so critical of everyone but Monica, only ever working seamlessly if he was a leader in the groups (during service or challenges) or if he was paired up with Monica.

Jake doesn't really use much social media but he googles and then stalks her a bit — sees the promotional material with Bradley and her on insta, for both the current and past show seasons, sees how they look at each other during interviews, all warm and soft and playful, and sees that people still ask about their relationship. And something just sets him off.

Bradley's never talked about Monica to him.

So maybe he's being impulsive but he drives to Los Angeles and goes straight to Bradley's hotel room to talk. He doesn't say anything because when he arrives, he finds out Bradley and Monica have rooms next to each other and they're literally talking to each other in the corridor, all nice and cozy with Bradley hovering over her, when Jake shows up.

He stays and follows Bradley around on the show's filming site. Maybe he is a bit of an ass to Monica, and more of an ass than usually to Bradley.

Maybe Bradley gets mad at him for behaving the way he does. Maybe they fight. Maybe Bradley even tells him to go home and let him work if he's going to be like that to his coworkers and the people on set.

Maybe Jake explodes in his face.

[virgoilluminati]

World Class

Chapter 5

next chapter

previous chapter

A/N: Hey guys I'm sorry for being MIA. Currently juggling uni, work and I've not really have any time to write anything. But hey this has been in my drafts for ages and I just thought I'd post it. I'm not sure if anyone still reads this but I thought I would post it anyways 🤷🏻‍♀️❤️

y/nmorrison

liked by leahwilliamson, judebellingham and 150,000 others

y/nmorrison unbothered

view all 24,320 comments

y/nno.1fan not her posting this as a direct response to the papz 😂

user199 absolutely iconic behaviour

user10 @user199 period 👌🏻

leahwilliamson missin you'

y/nmorrison @leahwilliamson see you soon💕

In the midst of the flight, your mind carried you into a vivid dream, immersing you in the memory of her brother Noah's final match.

As you watched from the dream's vantage point, the 87th minute had arrived, and the stadium's atmosphere was charged with anticipation. The game had been deadlocked between Man United and Chelsea, and your collective yearning for a breakthrough was almost palpable. The roars of the fans echoed through the air, creating a symphony of hope and excitement.

You heard the commentators' voices resonating around you, their words narrating the unfolding drama with a palpable intensity:

"Ladies and gentlemen, we're entering the 87th minute of this gripping encounter between Man United and Chelsea. The tension in the air is electric, and fans from both sides are on the edge of their seats, hoping for a game-changing moment."

"And here comes a substitution that could shift the dynamics of this match. Man United's coach has signaled for Morrison, the young talent who recently joined the team. He's known for his exceptional speed and technique. Could this be the turning point the Red Devils need?"

Noah was a recent addition to the Man United team, was subbed in, his presence on the field instantly injecting a renewed energy. His every move was a testament to his skill and determination. The ball found his feet, and like a conductor guiding an orchestra, he orchestrated a series of seamless passes that left the defenders scrambling. With each calculated move, Man United approached Chelsea's goal, closing in with a sense of purpose that was almost palpable.

The sequence unfolded repeatedly, a mesmerizing dance of skill and strategy that held you in rapt attention. And then, it happened. The ball was at Noah's feet, and he sprinted forward with a burst of speed that left defenders in his wake. With breathtaking precision, he launched the ball with a combination of power and finesse, sending it soaring into the top corner of the net. The stadium erupted in a euphoric roar, a crescendo of collective joy that reverberated through the air.

Amid the jubilation, the clamor of camera shutters began to punctuate the atmosphere. The paparazzi had descended upon the scene, their initial excitement palpable.

"Pictures of Noah's triumphant moment! Get the shots!"

"Look at him go! The focus, the determination—it's all there!"

As the dream continued, the atmosphere shifted, the camera clicks growing insistent, mingling with hushed, possessive whispers:

"Capture every angle!"

"That's my shot! Back off!"

"Wait, is that his sibling? Get a shot of them too!"

The once-positive commentary became a jumble of voices, each photographer vying for the perfect shot, their possessiveness growing as the scene intensified. Your dream had morphed into a cacophony of conflicting motives, reflecting the invasive nature of fame.

Amid this chaos, Noah's voice cut through, stern and protective:

"Enough! Give us some space!"

A particularly aggressive paparazzo seemed undeterred, reaching out toward you:

"Hey, pretty lady! Over here!"

In an instant, Noah was by your side, a protective arm around you as he pushed the paparazzo back:

"Back off! Leave her alone!"

The confrontation escalated, the paparazzo's voice melding with others as the scene dissolved into a clash of desires and boundaries. Noah's voice was strong and determined as he tried to carve a path through the crowd:

"Move aside! Let us through!"

But the throng of paparazzi seemed insurmountable, their intentions increasingly overwhelming.

As you and Noah attempted to leave, the paparazzi's fervor escalated. Your voice rose above the chaos:

"Get out of the way! You're blocking us!"

But they persisted, their attempts to capture the moment turning invasive.

Noah's anxiety grew palpable as he navigated the chaos:

"Y/N, they're following us! This isn't stopping!"

Panicked, you tried to calm him:

"Noah, we'll be fine. Just keep driving."

As you continued, the scene shifted with startling abruptness. A blinding light engulfed the dream, accompanied by the sound of a deafening crash. The world seemed to spin as your heart raced, the final, tragic moments playing out before you.

Awakening with a jolt, your breath was ragged, your heart aching with the intensity of your emotions. The dream had cruelly transported you back to that fateful day, replaying the overwhelming chaos, the fear, and the unbearable loss with a sadistic precision. You wiped away tears, your mind overwhelmed by memories of Noah's triumphs and the profound love they had shared. Ever since the incident with Jude, it felt like the paparazzi had become a relentless specter, haunting every aspect of your life.

It was the incident with Jude that had triggered the nightmare about your brother, dredging up the haunting memories of that fateful night when you had lost Noah forever. The trauma had lain dormant within you, buried beneath layers of grief and resilience, until the intrusion of the paparazzi had torn open old wounds.

You had always known that being the sister of a footballer came with a certain lack of privacy. From the moment your brother had entered the professional spotlight, you'd seen the media attention, the intrusive interviews, and the constant scrutiny. You had accepted it as a part of your lives, a necessary evil that came with the fame and fortune.

But what you hadn't realized was just how little privacy you would truly have. It wasn't merely the occasional paparazzi photo or interview request; it was the unending invasion, the relentless pursuit of every facet of your existence. It your the feeling of being stripped bare, your every emotion, her every move, laid bare for the world to see.

The tragic loss of your brother had brought a brief respite from the constant intrusion. It was as if, in the wake of Noah's death, the paparazzi had briefly recognized the depths of their trespasses and retreated. During that brief interlude, you had dared to hope that maybe, just maybe, you could regain some semblance of a private life..

But the bitter truth remained—you hated the paparazzi with every fiber of you being. They seemed determined to snatch away even the smallest moments of joy you could find, turning them into spectacles for the world to gawk at. It was a constant battle between your love for the sport and your loathing for the invasion of your privacy.

As soon as you made your way back to camp, the match against Nigeria awaited you. Sarina had already warned that by going to see your boyfriend during camp, the likelihood of starting or playing given the lack of training was slim. You loved football but you loved Jude more and it was important you could be there for him. Besides the England women's lineup was secure and everyone felt ready for the Nigerian side. Or so you thought.

Nigeria vs England.

The anticipation was palpable as fans from both nations gathered at the stadium, their cheers and chants creating a vibrant tapestry of sound. The atmosphere crackled with energy, a testament to the passion and pride that women's football had ignited across the globe.

As the two teams lined up on the pitch, the sun-kissed field seemed to shimmer with the promise of an unforgettable match. England, with their rich history in women's football, exuded confidence, while Nigeria, known for their flair and tenacity, were determined to make their mark on the world stage

Before the match began, you found herself on the bench, deep in conversation with Beth England. You discussed strategies, potential plays, and ways to exploit the Nigerian defense. Beth's voice was animated as she shared her insights: "Y/N, we've got to work those wings and keep them guessing. Their backline isn't as solid on the left side, so we might be able to create some openings."

You nodded, your mind focused as you absorbed Beth's words. "You're right, Beth. And they can use their speed to catch them off guard. Quick passes and overlapping runs could give us the edge."

As you continued to exchange ideas, the coach's call to get ready for the match interrupted your conversation. With a last encouraging smile, Beth patted Y/N's shoulder: "we've got this."

You returned the smile, a surge of determination coursing through her veins. "I hope so. They will give it their all."

Throughout the match, you, a substitute for this game, experienced the tension from the sidelines. You couldn't bear to watch every moment on the field, feeling the intensity and pressure rising with each near-miss by the Nigerian team. Your heart raced as you observed, your fingers tightly interlocked, your gaze shifting from the action to the scoreboard, and back again. The close calls by the Nigerian attackers had your heart leaping into your throat, and you felt a sense of helplessness not being able to impact the game directly from her position on the bench.

You found yourself almost involuntarily standing up, clenching her fists, and then sinking back down in nervous anticipation as the Nigerian forwards seemed to breach the English defense. Your support for your team was unwavering, but the sight of the Nigerian team coming so close to scoring made you nearly unable to watch. Each almost-goal left you breathless, urging your teammates on with silent cheers, hoping and praying for England to hold their ground.

Your mind raced with the desire to step onto the pitch and make a difference, yet you knew your role was to support from the sidelines. The adrenaline of the game pulsated through your veins as you sat, eagerly awaiting a chance to contribute.

You knew that the decision to risk visiting you boyfriend in Madrid had come at a cost — sacrificing the opportunity to step onto the pitch. As the match unfolded, your mind oscillated between the thrilling atmosphere of the stadium and the longing to be out there, contributing to the game you loved. The internal struggle you faced was evident, torn between the desire to support Jude and the burning passion to be a part of the on-field action.

The disappointment of not being on the pitch during such a crucial game left you crestfallen. Your eagerness to have a shot at playing, to feel the rush of adrenaline in a high-stakes match, collided with the choice she had made. The conflict within you grew more poignant with each passing moment.

As the clock wound down and the game headed into extra time, you found yourself in a whirlwind of emotions. The missed opportunities on the field mirrored the inner turmoil you experienced, a battle between personal desires and professional commitments. The adrenaline and longing for a chance to make a difference on the pitch remained, juxtaposed against the heartache of the decision you had made.

Even amid the tense silence before the looming penalty shootout, you couldn’t shake the sorrow of missing a chance to play. The price of being a spectator instead of a participant in such a crucial match was a bitter pill to swallow. The conflict between personal life and your career in that pivotal moment lingered in your thoughts, a struggle you knew you'd have to come to terms with.

In the midst of her internal conflict, your attention snapped back to the present as you heard Sarina, delving into the potential players for the upcoming shootout, considering Reece James’s departure due to a red card. The intensity heightened as the anticipation of the looming penalty shootout filled the stadium.

Caught in your thoughts, you were shaken from her reverie by Beth’s hushed whisper. “They said your name, Y/N.”

Surprised, your heart skipped a beat as you realized that despite not being on the field during the game, you might have a chance to contribute during the crucial moments of the shootout. The sudden surge of hope mingled with a flood of emotions—surprise, disbelief, and a glimmer of opportunity.

Your mind whirled as you tried to process the unexpected turn of events. Despite the sacrifices made and the emotional conflict within, the prospect of potentially stepping onto the field for the penalties reignited a spark of determination within you. With a mix of apprehension and renewed purpose, you found yourself drawn into the immediate strategy discussions, your focus shifting entirely to the coach’s plan and the team’s preparation for the decisive shootout.

Before you knew it, amidst the restless energy, Sarina made her way toward the bench. Your heart raced as the coach’s gaze fixed upon her, and a mix of anticipation and apprehension filled her being. Sarina’s eyes met yours, and a moment of intense silence passed between them. The coach’s expression held a blend of serious contemplation and a hint of reassurance.

"Your up Morrison."

lionessess & england

liked by leahwilliamson, lucybronze, y/nmorrison and 1.500,000 others

england Morrisons penalty gives us hope still for our squad. England vs Nigeria 4:2 penalties.

view all 95,000 comments

user1891 absolute legend. 🔥

user1002 Comes off the bench and scores an absolute beauty! 👌🏻

user5678 does this mean she may be replacing Reece James in starting lineup??!!!

The rest of the shootout felt like a blur for you, still unable to truly comprehend what had just happened. You stood at the penalty spot, ready to take the crucial shot. The crowd murmured with curiosity, wondering about the decision to bring you on for this pivotal moment.

Amidst the tension, the supportive voices of your teammates resonated:

“Show them what you’re made of, Y/N! You’ve got this!” Kelly’s voice rang out with unwavering support.

“Give it your all! We believe in you!” Bronze’s encouraging words echoed through the stadium.

“You’ve trained for this, Y/N. We’re right behind you!” Walsh’s voice joined the chorus, reflecting the team’s solidarity.

Your heartbeat pounded in your ears as you approached the penalty spot. The weight of the world seemed to rest upon your shoulders—the hopes of your team, the expectations of the fans, and your own personal journey. Yet, amid the pressure, a sense of calm overcame you. You remembered your dream, the vision of your brother, and the promise you had made to yourself.

With a deep breath, you steadied yourself. The stadium seemed to fade away as you focused solely on the ball, the goal, and the profound connection you felt with your brother, Noah.

“3”

“2”

“1”

You struck the ball, and it sailed into the net—an unstoppable shot that left the goalkeeper rooted to the spot.

The crowd erupted in cheers, their jubilation a symphony of voices from every corner of the world. You were engulfed by your teammates, their celebration a testament to the unity and spirit of the game. You raised your arms in triumph, feeling a profound connection to your brother, as if he had been with you every step of the way.

Among the cheers and celebrations, Lucy Bronze approached you with a warm smile. She placed a hand on your shoulder and leaned in to speak softly: “I knew you had it in you. That goal was pure magic. From now on, consider me your big sister on and off the pitch.”

Your eyes glistened with emotion as you looked at Bronze, your heart swelling with gratitude. You nodded, your voice filled with sincerity: “Thank you, Lucy. That means the world to me.”

The match against Nigeria ended with the opposing team emerging victorious. Your penalty would forever be etched in the annals of football history. The Women’s World Cup of 2023 had delivered more than just a match; it had offered a spectacle of skill, heart, and the power of determination. And for you, it had been a moment of closure, a fulfillment of your promise to play not just for yourself but for your late brother, Noah—a promise that had propelled you to victory on the grandest stage of all.

In the dressing room after the victory, you felt exhilarated. The team’s atmosphere was electric, filled with jubilation. You were showered with affection from all the players, sharing in the joy of your success.

“Y/N, you were incredible out there! We couldn’t have done it without you!” Millie Bright’s words resonated through the room.

You blushed, responding, “Thanks, Millie! It was a team effort!”

Millie then playfully lifted you onto her shoulders, and the rest of the team joined in, singing and dancing, their voices echoing through the room, capturing the elation of your victory.

As you celebrated, Sarina Wiegman, the coach, grinned from the corner of the room. “What a fantastic performance, ladies! We’re through to the quarter-finals, and I couldn’t be prouder.”

lucybronze

liked by y/nmorrison,leahwilliamson and 200,000 others

lucybronze This one, @y/nmorrison secured us the quarter finals. Never been prouder ❤️

view all 30,000

leahwilliamson a goat 🔥

keirawalsch thats my girl! 💕

milliebright an absolute star 🌟

bethengland trooper ✨👌🏻

user4728: stop! The girls are all hyping y/n up!! Cryin' 🥹🥹

Exiting the buzzing dressing room, you stepped outside, seeking a moment of solitude. As you pulled out your phone, a familiar pang of longing for home washed over you. With a mix of hope and anticipation, you dialed home, hoping to catch up with your dad.

The phone rang a few times before diverting to voicemail. Disappointment flickered momentarily before a notification indicated a new voicemail.

As you listened to the message, the voice of your dad, filled with pride and joy, flooded your ears. “Hey, Y/N! I just watched the game, and you were incredible out there. Your brother would have been so proud of you. We all are. Keep doing what you’re doing, sweetheart. We’re cheering for you all the way from home. Love you.”

A rush of emotions welled up inside you. Your father’s unwavering support and acknowledgment were a reminder of the incredible network of encouragement and love you had back home. It felt as if your family was there with you, celebrating this significant moment.

[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

Hello! If you are writing for Ettore could you please write a drabble or hc of him with a hypersexual!reader?? I’m infatuated with him aside from that one scene. If you are uncomfortable with this ask, there is no worries at all😊totally understood, thank you!

Hello! I am indeed more than happy to write for Ettore. I hope you don't mind, but this will be a part two to this request.

Warnings: Smut, violence. Word count: ~1200 Part one Series masterlist

It has been two weeks since the night of her little "deal" with Ettore, and she is plagued by the memory of the feel and taste of him in her mouth. It has awakened something primal in her that has her core throbbing for what she is certain only he can provide.

Her use of The Box has increased dramatically. Before, she had used it a couple of times a week to ease tension; now every spare moment she has she finds herself in there if it isn't already occupied. Thoughts of Ettore's body against hers, and all of the depraved things she'd allow him to do to her bring her to release each time, before she exits with her cheeks flushed and heart filled with shame.

The other inmates aboard have all commented upon her recent frequent usage of the masturbatory aid - not that they have any right to judge, it is an amenity used obsessively by everyone - so she is sure Ettore must have noticed too.

He hasn't said anything, but she knows he is trying to torture her. His work duties, that she wouldn't have batted an eye at him doing in the past, he now performs without the top half of his scrubs. She finds herself staring at the way his naked chest and biceps flex as he kneels to scrub the linoleum floor. She struggles to regulate her breathing, her mouth runs dry at the sight.

She has never experienced such unadulterated lust before and wonders if he is as affected by her as she is by him. Cursing under her breath, she turns on her heel and heads towards The Box. She spends the next half an hour toppling over the edge imagining his pectoral muscles tensing as he is above her.

Exiting, she runs straight into Ettore and she visibly flinches, shrinking backwards with a gasp. Her cheeks burn with embarrassment, her heart hammering in her chest, but he merely glances down at her, saying nothing. He brushes past, his expression unreadable as he enters the now vacant Box and closes the door behind him. She is silently hopeful he'll think of her, and a fresh wave of mortification washes over her.

There is a part of her that feels spurned by the fact he's made no further attempts to engage with her following that night. Though the rational side of her mind knows there is no privacy aboard the ship and sex is prohibited, it does nothing to slake her desire.

They are criminals, destined to die in outer space, nothing more than walking lab experiments for Dibs' twisted intentions. There is no happily ever after for her and Ettore, she is aware of that. She is not expecting them to ride off into the sunset together, however, his darkness calls to hers and she is all to willing to answer. Perhaps that is the issue; Ettore likes taking what isn't freely given and the novelty has worn off now that he knows she is willing.

The following morning she busies her hands and mind with tending to the plants in the garden. Tchemy is helping out in the lab, so for once she has the green space to herself. She relishes the tranquillity of it, it reminds her of being back on Earth, she can see why Tchemy spends so much time here; it's comforting.

She straightens, brushing soil from her hands onto the trousers of her scrubs. Her shocked yelp is muffled by a calloused palm clamping over her mouth, as she is pulled backwards by her throat into a familiar hardened torso.

"Stay quiet." Ettore orders in a murmur, his hot breath tickling the shell of her ear.

He spins her to face him, renewing his grip on her neck and forcing her to look up into those sinister icy blue eyes of his.

"I hear you." He says lowly. "Hear you moan my name through the door in The Box when you're getting off."

Her answer is a mere whimper, unable to speak through the intensity with which he's restricting her airway. It's painful and yet it sends a throbbing ache straight to her centre.

"Gonna have to do something so you stop going around the ship like a bitch in heat. Can't have you getting me into trouble."

He hooks his foot behind her ankle and pulls back, sending her toppling to the grassy floor. The wind is knocked harshly from her lungs as her back makes impact with the ground. Before she's had time to fully register what's happening, he's on top of her, pulling at her waistband.

"Ettore, what the fuck?!" She cries out, struggling beneath him. She attempts to kick out her legs, but he is too tall and heavy for her to budge.

The sharp crack against her cheek sends her head reeling to the side as he slaps her hard across the face, a hot stinging sensation instantly blooming across the skin.

"Shut the fuck up!" He hisses. "You're gonna get us found out."

She stays quiet, drawing in ragged breaths as he pulls her scrubs and underwear all the way off. She could cringe at the arousal that's pooling between her legs at his manhandling of her, but this is what she's been craving and now she's finally going to get it. It seems pointless to continue fighting it.

Ettore doesn't even bother to pull his trousers all the way down, simply lowering them enough to free his stiff cock before stuffing it inside of her.

She whines. Despite how wet she is, he's done little to prepare her and the sudden intrusion and stretch is painful.

As he begins to thrust inside of her, she turns her face to kiss him. He is quick to stop her, pressing his hand against her jawline and pushing her away.

"Don't do that." He says darkly, picking up the pace of his movements.

He is brutal with her. His hips snap against hers in quick, hard strikes, animalistic and relentless. There is no regard for her pleasure, and yet she finds herself enjoying it.

She angles her hips upwards and the head of Ettore's prick begins to bully at the spongy spot deep inside of her. She knows she won't last for much longer. She has been pent up for too long and this feels too good.

As the coil within her lower belly begins to tighten, she elicits a breathy moan.

"Oh fuck...I'm so close!"

"Keep your whore mouth shut!" Ettore barks back at her, never faltering as he continues to rut into her.

She realises that besides the occasional pant, Ettore has been completely silent. However, as her inner walls begin to tighten and spasm with the onslaught of her orgasm, she can't help but feel a small swell of pride at the grunt that escapes him.

He stills and she can feel from the pulsations inside of her that he's reached his own end. She has little time to bask in the afterglow, as he quickly pulls out once he's finished, standing and readjusting his clothing.

"Thanks for that." He shoots casually over his shoulder, as he walks out of the garden, leaving her laying there bewildered and half naked.

[ivesambrose]

𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 🌿

1. 2. 3.

And we're in April 🧡

To book a personal reading with me DM or email me at jovescorpioreadings@gmail.com with your name and query 🌙

Paid services 🤍 Pick a Cards 🤍 Feedback & Testimonials 🤍 Instagram

Thanks for the tip 🩷

Gif 1

A month of regaining balance. Something has been off key in your life that's effecting the harmony in your body as well. A month of looking after yourself, being mindful of what you eat, how and when you eat. You may prefer less spicy foods and even consider a detox.

You'll feel more in touch with the element of air subconsciously. Find yourself enjoying the evening breeze with some tea, collecting feathers, writing things down physically etc

It will be a deeply spiritual month as well. I see that you'd want to distance or unwind yourself from the materialistic side of life or people and crowds overall. There's too much noise and you'd prefer selective sounds now.

You'll realize that to get what you want you'll have to detach from what you see and go within. Remind yourself that you have / will have this without having to take extra steps. Less planning and more inner discipline. By that I mean, instead of going back to your old ways of thinking or being which will only make you repeat the same cycle in a different font, switch the narrative to see the change.

There will be change in your heart in regards to what you want in love and what you seek in life. Trust your dreams, signs and intuition. You'll also see something emotionally significant manifesting for you.

Lastly, learn to fill your own cup and accept help when it's offered to you.

Gif 2

Brace yourself for an incoming metamorphosis. It is unavoidable. You have been sensing it but perhaps trying to avoid or hold it together but the more you resist it the rougher it will feel when it's not supposed to be that way.

There's immense luck when it comes to work, finances, career, studies and/or networking however. Being in the right place and being around or coming across the right people at the right time.

Simplify your life this month. I feel some of you are trying to make peace with something that's ended or gone. But the sync and rhythm you seek in life is slowly catching up with you.

Keep your focus on whatever it is that you want, the destination could be anything personal to you.

Keep your focus and don't waver.

Drink more water by the way, enjoy a dip in the pool or a treat yourself to a nice bath when you can.

Know that you're making progress even if it isn't always linear.

Gif 3

When you let go of control and simply stop to smell the roses or rather just step into the mode of, 'No thought. Head empty. Only vibes.' that's when everything you want start coming in.

You'll have a change in mindset and approach, pick up a hobby or something that diverts your attention from things that get you overthinking. I see you simply being an observer but having little to no clue that you're the one being observed from near and afar.

I do see a deep romance blooming or simply on it's way to you. But I see you romanticizing yourself and the life that you want.

It's like you're preparing yourself for your desires this month. Focusing on healing your inner teen. A lot of sudden breakthroughs and renewals.

I see some of you learning or teaching others or teaching yourself something. Intuition will be heightened and people will be drawn to your presence a lot this month.

Try some channeled meditation, magnesium supplements and yoga/stretches or light dancing. You may be prone to feeling a little drained post waking up from dreams.

I heard the lyrics by Lana, "All the pretty stars shine for you, my love."

[theluckywizard]

Hi Lucky, happy Friday!! How about “You'd like to captain a capsized ship, but I like watching you live” from Fiona Apple + Antivan Sip-Sip from Bottles of Thedas for Rose/Cullen?

Thank you, Ad! for @dadrunkwriting

I also used this prompt from @nirikeehan

I feel like I pulled a muscle writing this one! I started it last Friday and it ate my brain over and over. I scrapped a bunch but I really love where it landed.

Pairing: Cullen Rutherford x Rose Trevelyan

WC: 2101

Rating: Mature

Tags: Grieving, messy relationship choices, nudity, hurt/comfort

Her renewed hollow look at the war council ground Cullen’s resolve to dust.

Cullen promised himself that he would give Rose space to mourn. He would wait. But his impatience has been unruly and unpredictable and he hates himself every time it surges. 

He consoles himself that her clothes aren’t as baggy on her as they’d been a few weeks ago. There’s more color in her cheeks. But today the wound looks fresh, like the sturdy little flame in her eyes everyone has been working so hard to tend has been snuffed out all over again. He needs her to live.

Whenever he tries to imagine what it must be like for her to grieve him, he already knew. She’d been missing for days, presumed swallowed by the Fade. He’d had an entire fortress to secure— the site of large scale blood magic rituals— and while he held himself together mostly, he’d been unable to eat during that time save a few tentative bites here and there, but nothing could spark an appetite. The three days Rose Trevelyan had been presumed lost had ruined him. But she returned.

And he had not.

Cullen spends a half hour searching for her, asking around. He’d nearly given up on the courtyard, until taking one last sweep of the garden he sees Rose leaning against the wall on the mezzanine above, staring beyond the ridgepole of the roof across from her at the setting sun. Beautiful as she is in that orange glow, she looks like she’s daring the sun to set her ablaze.

He crosses under the colonnade and takes the steps two at a time.

“You’re a hard woman to find,” he says, approaching.

Rose glances at him, her lips turning in the faintest of smiles. Maker, he’d give anything to see a proper one on her face. 

“You caught me,” she says, looking into the sun once more.

“Have I discovered your hiding place at last?” he asks gently, resting his forearms on the wall beside her. The biting citrine of the low sun softens behind a wisp of a violet cloud. Despite the dozens of dawns they’d seen together, he’s not sure they’d ever shared a sunset.

“Oh, I’ll find another,” she answers. She doesn’t smile, but the dry turn of her humor sends his heart aloft. “What do you need?”

The question catches him off guard. He’s been looking after her since they returned from Adamant; since she showed up in his office before the sun was up and cried in his arms until she fell asleep. Bringing her meals, taking her to the lake to discharge the anchor. But perhaps she doesn’t want to be bothered or checked on today. Any of the dozens of tasks he has compiled in folders on his desk would suffice as an excuse but they all evade him. The truth will have to suffice. He rambles for a moment about the concerning observations of her, watching her body shift closer, close enough he can feel the heat of her. Her gloved hand slides along the weathered stone of the railing until it bumps his. Her look is inscrutable, but trained upon him so intently that color threatens to rise in his cheeks.

“I— uh. I just needed to see that you’re all right—”

Rose tugs him to her with a hand in his hair, pausing an inch away, her eyes scanning his for something— a sign perhaps. Cullen starts to suspect she’d wanted to hear him say all that. And then her warm lips close over his, a sensation he’d struggled to recall during long sleepless nights with his hand in his smalls. As long desired as her attentions are, he locks up, his sense of decency protesting loudly.

“I’m sorry,” she breathes, having felt his sudden tension. Her expression falters. 

No. He won’t have it. If she needs this, she can have it.

“Don’t be,” he says, his attention darting between her parted lips and her sad gaze. He fails against the force of his desire, clasping her face and drinking of her. There’s no gentle prelude to their kiss, instead they pillage one another with tilts of their head and strokes of their tongue. They stumble away from the wall where anyone in the garden might notice them and crash into a door in the opposite wall. He’s intoxicated by the taste of her, the richness of her open mouth against his. The last time they’d done this had been disastrous, but he’s not like to make the same mistake twice. Rose pats around for a latch and is met with a lock.

“Next one,” she murmurs against his lips. 

They shuffle toward it and stumble through the door to one of the guest rooms they have prepared for diplomatic use. They part, both of them recovering their breath from the ferocity of their kiss as they assess whether it’s currently occupied. Silvery light floods in through a small diamond paned window in the back of the room and confirms they’re alone. He wonders if it’s long enough of a pause for Rose to come to her senses.

Instead, she backs him against a desk, her fingers raking up the back of his scalp as she kisses him, her tongue parting his lips. All the sensible protests that flicker through his mind wither beneath the weight of his desire, of his love. He’d do anything to make her feel something other than grief.

He matches her intensity, kissing her like he could wash away her pain. Rose sneaks her hands beneath his jerkin, smoothing over his abdomen and drift lower toward his waistband, her fingertip catching on his belt. He’s been hard since the first touch of her lips, but now his cock aches, trapped in the leg of his breeches. His hips reach for hers and they mold to one another, soothing their need with hungry pulses. Rose lifts her leg along his hip to bear into him more deeply.

“I need you,” she whispers. Maker, he needs her. 

“Are you certain?” he asks. The question is absurd, born more of his disbelief than her obvious hunger.

She answers by undressing herself, freeing the clasps on her vest with one hand while she tugs her scarf away with the other. By the time he snaps to his senses and starts divesting himself of his own clothes, Rose is nearly bare, the same beautiful parts of her exposed as that terrible morning. She steps forward to assist, and catches him gazing at the scar on her left shoulder, his throat all tied up in knots. 

Rose picks up his hand and lays it against it.

“Don’t think about it,” she insists. There’s urgency in her voice and frankly, he shares it. 

Cullen leans in to kiss her again, their lips grazing and catching as he unbuckles his belt and tugs it from the loops but he hesitates when he begins feeling for the fastenings of his breeches.

“What?” Rose asks quietly. He meets her look for the first time, his eyes locking to hers in this weak light. There’s something raw and desperate that pierces him too deeply. She’s all washed out, the brilliant copper of her hair and blue of her irises and the tan of her freckles all shades of black and gray. In a way, it matches the way she’s been for too long now. Reaching for her cheeks he banishes all the space between them. Maybe he could coax color back into her.

Cullen kicks off his boots while they feast upon each other and then slides his breeches off his hips, embarrassed by the spring of his erection as the constraints drop away, heat staining his cheeks. At least she’s too busy unlacing her stay to notice his flush, and soon her breasts fall free as she pushes it back off her shoulders. Rose quickly hides them under his hands, biting her lip, her nipples pressing into his palms. She shifts her hips so he nestles in the little hollow between her thighs and then churns lightly against it, her body pressing to his. Truthfully, he’d rather they feel their nakedness than see it.

As their hands and mouths grow wild and venturesome, all the echoes of their ragged, broken breath seem to scold them for stealing away in tidy, official space. He glances at the bed— freshly made in expectation of dignitaries with a little welcome basket Josephine had assembled— and finds himself ashamed to have trespassed.

But her wet lips plying his own, her breasts grazing his ribs, the dry warmth of her skin against his all conspire to snuff it out. He clasps her closer with a hand cupped over her rear and surrenders to all the sensations.

Boot steps and a jangling of keys sound outside the door and they both snap upright, shushing each other and scrambling barefoot to press against the wall behind the door. Breathlessly they wait to see if they’re about to be intruded upon.

“Don’t worry. I’ll— I’ll explain everything,” he says, breaking the silence. 

“Like that? No you won’t!” Rose hisses back, gesturing at his swollen state. “We’re hiding.” Cullen clutches a sheepish hand over his erection.

He argues in a stubborn murmur. “If they come in here, we’ll be discovered as soon as the door closes.”

A sudden laugh busts out through Rose’s nose. “And as soon as they see the commander stammering in his smalls— they’ll trip right back where they came from.” Cullen can see the shadows of her dimples in her cheeks. He smiles himself.

She’s right, of course. He slumps back against the wall, exhaling the tension. The interruption had almost instantly softened him.

“They walked past,” she observes, glancing at him. She covers herself up with an arm, though it does little to quell the stirring in his smalls. “We’re safe.” 

Rose rises and picks up her chemise from the floor, tugging it on as she crosses toward the bed where Josephine’s welcome basket sits. Unscrewing a jar, she gives it a sniff. She laughs.

“Candied walnuts,” she says, holding it out to him. He saunters over as if they’re fully clothed and takes the jar as easily as if it’s a missive in the war room. There’s no shame in her eyes, only a cheeky willfulness like they’d only been up to some mischief. Free of the spell of their desire, something breaks between them, a fragile barrier crashing to the ground. The anxious tension in his belly melts away.

He takes a bite, smiling as the earthiness and bitterness and browned sugar strike his palate. “We had a walnut tree growing up. We’d take turns climbing up to shake the branches while the others would stand below trying to catch them in baskets.”

She takes the jar back to feast on her own handful and then flops onto the bed with it, sitting half propped up against the pillows. He picks up the rest of the basket and joins her, pawing through it in the moonlight.

“Antivan Sip-Sip?” he asks, squinting at the label on a small bottle.

“Brandy,” Rose explains, taking it. She uncorks it and tips back a swig that prompts a little cough.

They make a mess of the basket, snickering to one another about how confused and chagrined Josephine will be when she learns of it. There are praline chocolate truffles from Orlais and Nevarran landjaeger sausages. Rose reaches out to tap a sausage to his in an absurd little toast. Cullen swings the connected links like a flail until she laughs. He’s not sure he’s ever done anything so stupid. 

“I’m sorry,” she says again. “I shouldn’t have— taken advantage of you like that.”

“In case it wasn’t obvious, I was quite content to be taken advantage of,” he says into his lap, his lips turning in a wry smile. Rose chucks a walnut at him.

“You deserve better,” she says.

He scoops her hand into his and squeezes it. “Perhaps. But I want you.”

Cullen isn’t sure where the courage comes from. There’d been romance between them once, a time when everything felt heady and enchanting before he tore it all down in a blind panic.

Still gripping his hand, she wipes her cheek, a subtle sheen betraying the tear. Rose loves Hawke still and will— well— probably forever. Few things feel as insurmountable as hoping to compete with a dead man. But maybe her heart could open a little wider.

Maybe she could make some space in there for him, too.

[ekwolfwriter-blog]

I just want to get this out but I am getting tired of people complaining about Live action Katara's lack of rage in the show. Especially because now, because it is missing from the LA show, there is a general trend of people that were annoyed with her behavior before now are defending it being part of her character. And before people think I am hating on them, no. I am not against people defending her rage, as I liked it a lot growing up and watching the show causally just as the next person. Katara was one of my favorite character of being a kind person while also taking names and kicking butt, she was that awesome. So more defense for her the better. Hell, I would say from just the interviews I have seen of Kiawentiio, she has - to me - the Katara sass and I am living for it.

What I am hating on is that the Live action Katara is getting ragged on for a lot of reasons - some valid, but other are (in my opinion) surface level stupid and not knowing of what actually might have been going on during the filming of season and probably the mindset that caused her character to be deflated. Because there is a lot to consider as to why it had to be condensed either for conveniences sake or - in my personal opinion - was done on purpose by two individuals that have a track records of curving that behavior in Katara to their desire.

Also: DON'T use this as an excuse to attack the actress! She is doing her best and giving her all! She is doing her job and any slander on her will be instantly blocked! I will not take any slander on her or any of the actors!

Also, mid spoilers so read at your own risk near the bottom

First thing we should consider: the amount of episodes. Yes, I am aware of the telling and not showing arguments that are being flown around. I get it. Normally, I am one of the biggest supporters that this show needed time to breath and let be to show than telling. If it had more time to breath, Katara's rage might have been more visible and we could have had more time for her arc to improve. And this is not to say that they could not have been able to do it, but I will say that this show NEEDED more than 8 episodes to be able to get as much in (To be clear, there are some shows that this works for - Amazon's Reacher and Legend of Zorro have short seasons and formatted for hour long content. But it makes sense for those shows because they are working within parameters of their medium and are newer (both are adaptions of older stuff but still) shows that can play around with the format better). For as ambitious as this project is, it has a lot to condense. At least that it is a show and not a movie, but still. Let's not forget that it could have been so much worst if it was a movie.

Now some people will say, "Well if they were good enough writers then they could have done more to show than tell," which fair. I will admit that there are infinite number of ways that they could handled some of the topics: such as Sokka's sexism and Katara's rage that everyone is missing. But with the landscape of media as is where you would be damned if you do damned if you don't if you so much as talk about some sensitive topic and you could be canceled for it instantly! Which leads me to the next point!

Second thing to consider: Multiple season renewal was never confirmed prior. Yes, we can all complain that the shows pacing was out of place. Yes, they cut some filler. And yes, it feels like we are getting too much of the world building through talking and now showing. But can you really blame them? To most people, if you saw the reaction of the cast before the news came out, you can see they were saddened by the fact they thought would not get a season 2. They changed their tune when season 2 and 3 was confirmed, and honestly happy for them. But again, that confirms to me that the writing had failed mostly because if they were never going to get their chance, might as well go all out. And with how easy shows can get picked up and canceled, I can see they needed to try and cram it in.

Which also plays into Katara's rage - they did not know if there was going to be a chance for her to grow and get bending abilities or go through her arc as steady as the animated. Again, I am not saying losing it was good, but that we need consider that if they were not going to get another season, they had to progress faster than usual. (Side note, while I like this show, Amazon's Hazbin Hotel has the same problem. We are steam rolling through what could be slow progression and change but can't slow because of episode constriction and no time to sit and allow the show to progress because it is so easy to drop the show for the studios, might as well end it on a note that at least can feel like it was it's own story.)

Speaking of studios, that would be my next point as well: studio and producer control. While I know directors can have a say in it, we should not forget about the studio that is allowing them to make this show in the first place and what they are asking for. As I keep saying, we don't know about what their restrictions are or if they can have more than a certain amount of episodes, and maybe that is a mandate of Netflix or something else, we as the audience don't know. We don't know what happens on set or behind the filming outside of glimpses and interviews, so for all we know, there was some changes to the script or teleplay to make it seem like they needed to cut Katara's rage to make her more meek. Which if this was the whole show, fine, that is a choice but not one I will have to like. But when watching the 3rd and 4th episodes, seeing Katara being a teenage girl and angry for once and even more open about her emotions was possible. Hell, it was the only times she was allowed to snap. And guess what people: it was because of the writing this time. That feminine rage you all wanted - while faint - was there. So clearly Netflix is not solely at fault - they have many mistakes but writing is not one of them.

But it is when you look who wrote what and where and what they were going for that - to me - puts EVERYTHING into place!

Final point: the original creators being brought on.

This might seem weird because one would think having the creators on the original show should be not as bad. The creators of the show is watching to make sure that the show is just right and that the characters feel the same or at least some of the story beats feel similar enough to enjoy. Why would them being on the set cause issues with the pacing and writing?

To a casual fan, yeah that makes sense. But to those that have been in the fandom, have see what they do post cannon to ALL of the characters - especially how they treat Katara in Legend of Korra - then anyone watching might have realized that that should have been a warning sign. Especially with how they would have wanted to depict the characters. And this is also the reason I think Katara's rage is gone: I think they wanted to make her like the comics version of her being a meek and demure girl that while caring was not getting as angry or as passionate about things because that would go against what Bryke wanted Katara to be in the show.

As I mentioned before, Katara's rage or at least genuine anger was only in for about two episodes out of the 8. And if you take out the 5th and 6th where she has been basically damseled with Sokka in the spirit world, that leaves on 4 more episodes to allow her to have her anger. Typically, one can thing, "Okay we can sprinkle it here or there in the other two and it should world". But all it takes is to see who was writing the episodes that truly not only hinder the world building of the show and breaks the rules of show don't tell or crammed it in so blatantly it feels like cringe and got rid of Katara being the one to free Aang because of her anger - was Bryke! They were the ones that were the head writers of the first episode and the 8th episode. The ones that had the most cramming down your throats dialogue, the clunky explaining of Aang's character out of now where and even curving Katara's rage or ability to be angry or snarky like she was in the show. Because Bryke wrote them, and also teleplayed a few - this being like adding notes and what the camera needs to do and how to frame scenes along side the dialogue. Meaning that they had some hand in making Live Action Katara this way.

If you notice in the episodes they didn't write: Omashu and the Cave of Two lovers - they were the only ones where Katara could be a bit more snappy and a bit more annoyed and vocal toward at least Sokka and Jet - not a lot but it was there. And oh would you look at that, the episode that they did not write had HEAVY hints for a certain firebender and waterbender being hinted at and color coded the lovers more vividly. And also, Katara getting to be empathetic while also not over explaining - which many always ragged on her for - where she could be human for once. Those episodes were the ones that they did not write and the story was somewhat better (Not better but I will take it over what we got prior)

And again, casual viewers might not know why this is a bad thing or probably wondering why I am against Bryke. But all it takes is looking at what they did to animated Katara that you all try to say "Was perfect as she was before" without considering what they did to her after the curtain fell. For any fan that has been following the show, you will find that most fans of Katara - the animated one -did not like what they did to her in the comics that continued their story and Legend of Korra, where she was a husk of a shell of her former self. And how she was all about "What Aang would have done, and what Aang did and oh how I missed Aang, he would know what to do". And yet, if she even showed any anger or negative emotions, she was painted as the bad person - easily look up Katara in the comics with a google search and you can see her being pushed around and flattened almost all the time when she is showing negative emotions that are genuine and not the funny mad in the show. Especially in the show as seen through this post, it did not always paint her anger in a natural thing for her or reinforced her angry as more comedic than actually something to consider as important until someone else stepped in to help her see it *cough* Zuko *cough*.

So to all the people that are trying to come after the live action Katara as being "Not the same energy girl power character who was expressive about her anger" you all "loved from the start'', please consider who and what was behind the scenes to make her this way. Especially since the animated show had other writers besides Bryke that understood Katara better if not more. Bryke wanted her to be more demure even in the pilot, and damsel. And yet the other writers gave her an actual story. Byrke have shown time and time again they do not want and angry passionate water bender that wants to be more active in changing the wrongs in the world, they want her to be more meek and docile and not fight back to let others save her in the comics and after. The OG had other writers that gave her her arc and Mae Whitmen give her the sass that we all love.

Live action Katara is no different. She has been trying to come into her own - with limited time to tell a story, limited time to get her arcs in fearful of cancellation, and with different writers, she can work, but not with Bryke. Same goes for the other characters too, not just Katara, but it seems that everyone pokes at Katara more and it is getting frustrating because some of these people just can never be happy with Katara.

Hopefully with season 2 and 3, we can have more time to flesh out the characters and maybe even have more show don't tell moments and being able to explore their feelings more. But only time will tell.

Rant over, sorry for the rambling mess.

[miguelswifey04]

as a request for noir because its amazing for what you've done!! I wass wondering if you'd do a noir x reader of noir writing a love letter as a love confession,, ft. first kiss ;]

ima get a lil creative with this one hehe <3

Dear [Y/N],

i hope this letter finds you well and swirls your thoughts with the same passion and desire that has consumed my own mind since our encounter. in the time that has passed, i find myself unable to dismiss the memories we have shared. your presence has left an indelible mark on my heart, one that i cannot ignore.

from the moment i first laid eyes on you in that dimly lit bar, searching for my lost cigarette pack, i was captivated by your beauty, your confidence, and the alluring spark that radiated from within you. never before have i experienced such an immediate connection, a magnetic pull that drew me towards you, as if we were fated to meet.

our time together, brief as it may have been, ignited a fire within me, a yearning that I cannot suppress. the way your body responded to my touch, the passion that flowed between us, it was unlike anything i have ever known. your desires mirrored my own, and it was in that shared exploration that i realized the depths of my feelings for you.

so, with this letter, i confess my love for you. the mere thought of you consumes my thoughts, day and night. your enchanting presence, your intoxicating allure, it has bewitched me entirely. i find myself yearning for your touch, your lips, the warmth of your embrace. you have awakened a side of me that i thought long dormant, a side that craves your presence and longs to explore the depths of our connection.

i understand if this confession takes you by surprise, and i respect whatever decision you may make. but know that if you choose to share your heart with me, i promise to cherish you, to honor and protect you in every way that I can. our journey together will be filled with passion, adventure, and unwavering devotion.

with all my love,

spider-noir

———————————————————————

as you read the heartfelt words penned by spider-noir, a rush of emotions washed over you—excitement, curiosity, and a yearning that mirrored his own. the sincerity in his words spoke volumes, and you couldn't ignore the pull it had on your own heart. with resolve and a curiosity that burned within you, you found yourself seeking him out, the longing for his touch too strong to resist. in a quiet corner of the city, beneath the flickering glow of a streetlight, you finally came face to face with spider-noir.

there was an undeniable electricity in the air as you locked eyes with him, the weight of his confession hanging between you. without a word, he gently cupped your face, his touch as tender as he could muster, his lips hovering above yours.

in that moment, time seemed to stand still, the anticipation and desire building between you. with a flutter of his dark lashes, spider-noir closed the gap, pressing his lips against yours in a lingering kiss. it was as if the world around you faded away, leaving only the two of you, connected by a love that defied logic and convention.

the first kiss shared between you was both tender and fervent, passion blending with tenderness as your lips melded together. it was a culmination of desire, of a confession answered, and the beginning of a new chapter in your shared journey.

as your lips parted, a smile danced upon spider-noir’s face, his eyes filled with adoration. the depth of his feelings was echoed in the way he held you, his fingers tangled in your hair as he whispered, "you have my heart, my darling. we shall navigate this path of love together, and let it lead us to places we could have only dreamt of."

and with a renewed sense of purpose, you ventured forward, hand-in-hand, ready to embrace the boundless pleasures that love and passion had in store for you both.

———

a/n: the letter part was lengthy ngl 😭