#off with his friends before (there is this unspoken rule that i can't really interact with him when he's with his macho guy friends

[totheidiot]

the phenomenon of sitting next to your crush in a gay manner.

[spotaus]

A few references! (A wip because I got distracted lmao--)

I snatched a few of these from a magma with @oodlesndoodles (I took out Kale if only because I *was* planning on rendering before my distraction) but this doodle features Pretender!Sans, Paps, Gaster, Alphys, and Grillby in their monster forms!

(More rambles under the cut)

Design Choices!:

Sans: He's been underground for a long time but used to live on the surface. I imagine he *does* have the iconic Sans outfit somewhere, but right now he wears robes like the King and Queen used to. (He recieved them when he was appointed Judge by Asgore, but no one really knows their significance because only the Guard and Asgore know of his work.)

Paps: Chose his outfit mostly to match Pretender amd the Guard. His shoulder-pads are like old crystal ball props, and his cape had the same sparke affect as Pretender's hood/robes. Around his waist he wears one of the old lab coats Sans leaves around the house. (<- It belonged to one of Sans' favorite people, the one Paps tries to mimic, so he wears it now instead.) Paps has the markings on his face same as Gaster because Sans has a lot of photos from over the years hung on the walls in his room, and Paps used to see them a lot.

Gaster: He's deceased, so the current plot doesn't see him (he can't interact with K, unfortunately. I think they would've been friends if they'd met in Gaster's prime) but I still wanted to doodle him. This was how he looked towards the end of his life, when most of the lab team had passed and he was starting to fall down. He wore cardigans and sweaters, focusing mostly on comfort rather than safety (he was always cold, but especially so towards the end).

Alphys: Went a bit crazy after Gaster passed. She hadn't been eating for a long time, and she couldn't bring herself to leave the lab, even after Sans retired his studies and moved to Snowdin. She still wears her old lab coat, stained and ripped, and she's worse-off for it. Most who see her think she's a rabid animal that has taken a spot in the labs, cameras abandoned and traps scattered in the lab waiting for prey to fall into them. It's an unsafe zone. Any humans who manage to pass Undyne *always* fall to Alphys.

Grillby: Back to fun times!!! He's a short king (at least coming in at around 5'6" which is small compared to other boss monsters, but big compared to merchants) and still runs his restaurant in Snowdin. Though, it's usually empty these days since he doesn't exactly have much food to serve. And water? He doesn't touch the stuff. Sans goes there often just to keep Grillby company. Most monsters, even if they do see a human enter, won't bother attacking because they know Grillby gets first dibs. Grillby would rather not get blood on his nice counters, though. He wears a vest and button-up with symbols like Pretender's, but otherwise is fairly unchanged from canon.

Extra Notes:

-Alphys and Sans aren't on speaking terms any longer. After Sans gave up the project, Alphys became manic and fell into despair, deciding that she'd do everything herself. Sans tried to see her a few times after that before be realized she'd gone off the deep-end and he only dared to be nearby when Asgore needed him.

-I now believe that MTT would be a positive force for humans. A ghost-monster who wanted to look human, to see if they could pass the barrier. Alphys was in charge of the project before Gaster passed, and constructed a surprisingly sturdy human-like body. It was never tested against the barrier. Now MTT tries to stay by Alphys, even in her madness. He tries to help people by reminding them how humans look, act, and talk, with his show. He helps people who get caught by Alphys' traps. (Gotta talk to Ood, but I'm thinking that Pretender wasn't fast enough to help K on her first time through the lab. It was actually MTT who moved her out of immediate danger before stalling Alphys? Unsure.)

-Grillby likes the taste of human, but there are certain unspoken rules he works by, like other shopkeeps. For him, as long as you pay your bill and follow his one rule (no water (tears do not count as water)) then you're free from his harvest. If a human came in looking for shelter, he'd leave them be.

-Gaster was a brilliant mind, and Pretender took a lot of influences from him over the years. Despite his death, his image and memory lives on in the mannerisms and knowledge of those who knew him. In the grief left in his shadow. In the young skeleton who imitates him partially every day because he made his brother happy a long time ago.

[mobius-m-mobius]

I know I am wildly late to this observation, but I just rewatched Thor for the first time in a very long while, and. I'd genuinely forgotten that at the start Thor is headed down a path at least as dark as Loki's? I mean Loki is making very extremely bad choices, but Thor isn't exactly less horrifying with his whole jumping straight to the 'lets "break the spirit" of an entire realm by murdering as many of them as it takes' shtick. And it's just so clearly laid out that the divergent paths they are on by the end of the first film isn't illustrative of some inherent difference in their natures or predetermined by choices they'd made before the film started. The difference is that Thor gets the opportunity to love and be loved by people outside the skewed and insulated world he grew up in, to be loved without strings attached, and discovers that the friends he had all along loved him more unconditionally, aside from his power and conquests, than he'd realized. While Loki learns that their father attaches all sorts of strings to his love, and 'learns' (somewhat truthfully with regard to Odin I think, though not with Thor or Frigga), that the love he had from them was always conditional, mitigated, based on lies and offered to a version of himself that never existed.

And I just—my point isn't 'you can't blame him for his war crimes 'cause he was sad', just that. Man it really was about love from the very beginning!!!

(P.S. I sent you an inordinately long series of messages about s1 Loki a couple weeks back, and your response was delightful, and added excellent points—just wanted to say that you; that was lovely of you, and I really appreciate how kind you always are on this blog!!)

Hey there anon, lovely to hear from you again! Thank you so much for your own kind words and taking the time to send another message! Your previous ones were a wonderful read as is this and as far as I'm concerned there's no such thing as being late to anything that isn't already scheduled, especially regarding media or fandom when there's a chance to discover someone/something new around every corner 💖💖

(Case in point how unexpected getting this captivated by a Marvel series was for me, which I only bring up because, well... quick disclaimer, I have an understanding of everything that happened in phase 1 but haven't exactly seen any of the Thor movies or until a few weeks into the airing of Loki had any real exposure to anything Marvel/Loki related between the original Avengers movie and then, which ironically I love because the moment S1 kicks off Loki's journey is where my perspective starts as well!)

As Loki mentioned many times previously, Thor truly wasn't ready to rule back then (not that Loki was either, lol) and you're not only exactly right about them both going down dark paths but I see Thor's view as worse considering he grew up surrounded by a level of confidence in companionship Loki never knew. The attack on Jotunheim pretty much says it all when Thor didn't hesitate to use hurt pride as an excuse to kill as many Frost Giants as possible, then after getting an entire war kicked off all Thor's friends were actually angrier with Loki for letting news of their visit get back to Odin despite the fact that they would've all been killed otherwise 🙃

Odin not being the best father to either of them is an understatement but there are unspoken conditions to his interactions with and love for Loki specifically due to his birth that (by nature of what an imposing figure Odin is) would almost subliminally impact everyone within range so I can't even imagine growing up in the midst of that and having no idea of the real cause, though I don't doubt Frigga's love for him or that the Thor of now wants them to be equals. It really does all come back to love from beginning to end, and makes it all the more important that Loki finally found that love and acceptance beyond his wildest dreams in Mobius so here we are now just waiting for them to find their way back to each other :')

[drnogender]

Oh don't even get me fucking STARTED on how many Crossovers I have for Sailor Moon and JJBA. I like to cover allll my bases ok?

Not sure how Phantom Blood and Battle Tendency would work, but time travel/displacement aus and timeline changes exist, so I'll come up with something eventually.

I have one that's Usagi and Josuke as Siblings. One with Makoto as Jotaro's sister and the school just fucked up her name (from "Kujo" to "Kino") with how many times she's changed schools. Jolyne and Usagi being best fucking friends.

And of course, Jotaro and Usagi Childhood Friends AU.

They meet as kids, both of them are about 7 years old, and they get along like a house on fire. Practically inseparable. Usagi is a born Stand User, like Kakyoin, but that doesn't stop her from making friends. She and Jotaro are friends mostly because they're both half Japanese. Having blond hair or being incredibly tall isn't exactly normal in Japan and the Japanese are known for some pretty bad xenophobia. Because of this, they're both bullied for their differences.

Usagi takes it in stride and tries to not let it get to her, but after an incident after getting the rest of the scouts together (unrelated), she decides "no, fuck it, I'm not letting this shit slide anymore," and decides to do something about it. She stops wearing the full girls uniform and wears the boys trousers instead, wears her sweater around her waist, and pops the collar of her blouse. She changes so drastically that it kinda scares the other students, but she's still the same bubbly and sweet person and she owns it.

The only thing that really changes is that before if you mess with her, you would have a crybaby pushover on your hands and having to deal with both pissed off scouts and a livid Jotaro. Now if you mess with her, the scouts and Jotaro are the last of your worries. Needless to say, it's become an unspoken rule that if you fuck with this Usagi, it's on your head. Outside of school, she still likes wearing dresses and skirts, but her style is more preppy Gyaru or Yankee now. A precursor to what Jotaro will eventually become, though his transformation is admittedly more drastic.

Usagi was always preppy and lively with a loud, emotional, and bombastic personality, so her transformation from student to delinquent isn't really as jarring because her personality is still the same. Jotaro's transformation from model student to delinquent is much more jarring because he was this sweet, quiet, and mild mannered kid that's soft-spoken, kind, and has a soft spot for animals that suddenly turns into a crude, rude punk that beats the shit out of anyone that even looks at him funny. It's like two completely different people. Where as you can still recognize Usagi as Usagi even as a delinquent, Jotaro becomes completely unrecognizable outside of physical appearance.

(Also I can't help but ship these two so Mamoru has become Naru's boyfriend instead. Naru deserves nice things, ok?)

Thing is, Usagi has Jotaro wrapped around her little finger and can see right through his delinquent act. She is the only woman that can make him cave. Anyone else and he'd be a complete jackass. Usagi? Lovesick Puppy-dog. Goes right back to a well behaved gentleman, and Usagi eats that right shit up. I'm sorry Top!Jotaro fans, but I love the "big strong character is topped by their smaller partner" trope, ok??

So once the Crusade starts, Jotaro is pretty much the same except when Usagi is involved. With anyone else he still act the same as canon, but will flip on a dime when directly interacting with Usagi. It can be a little funny to watch during a fight, him cussing out an enemy one minute then being soft and loving with Usagi the next. I can just imagine Usagi walking in with a skip in her step and the other Crusaders commenting on how she must have slept well then Jotaro trailing in behind her blissed the fuck out and limping. Or, he's in an argument with someone or just being himself (the whole "don't FUCKING touch me" thing like a moody cat) then the moment Usagi walks in, he's a big cuddle bug demanding attention.

He really is just a big cat. He doesn't like other people and will try to scratch them if they get too close except for Usagi, but if you manage to win his trust, he's gonna be softer and gentler with you. Maybe even go out of his way to seek you out, like being smoking buddies with Polnareff or hanging out with Kakyoin. Usagi doesn't just have one cat here, she's got two. Luna and Jotaro.

FUCK that got long. Sorry for the info dump, I don't get to talk about my crossovers often.

OH I LOVE ALL OF THIS!! I would love to hear more from you omg, my messages on here are open for you or hell discord if you felt like it! I love crossovers and the fact you have so many ideas for one of my favs and one I'm getting into, I have died and gone to whatever paradise there is in death. Amazing, immaculate, show stopping ideas coming from you my friend!

[a-blue-secret]

CHAPTER VIII

BACK TO MASTERLIST

Chapter VII | Chapter VIII | Chapter IX

GENRES: royal au; fantasy au; magic au; friends-to-enemies-to-lovers; king!beomgyu, vizier!taehyun

PAIRING: taegyu

WARNINGS: severe swearing, mentions of blood, mentions of fire

WORD COUNT: 3.2k+

AN: this chapter took an achingly long time to complete, and while it’s not very long, it’s really important!!

SUMMARY: Best friends turned enemies, Kang Taehyun has managed to trick Choi Beomgyu into his service, and to rule for a year and a day, until his youngest brother would be old enough to take the throne. Choi Beomgyu has no intention of being obedient however, and tries to thwart Taehyun’s orders at every turn. With a growing amount of distrust and lies within the court, will Taehyun manage to keep the kingdom of Gojongja from falling apart?

"Stop fidgeting," Taehyun said through gritted teeth.

"I can't help it," Beomgyu responded, teeth similarly clenched. He waved politely as he sat down on the throne. "This is so itchy. I told the seamstress not to put the silver stitches down the side of the trousers, but evidently she didn't listen to me."

"Well do try and endure it," Taehyun said, a plastic smile on his face as he bowed to the noble who came up to him. “We have three more hours of this.”

Beomgyu crossed one leg over the other, trying to quell the itching. He rubbed his nose, annoyed. “Who made the revel this long?” he demanded, glaring at Taehyun.

“You said to keep it as if it were a real revel,” Taehyun replied smoothly. “Don’t you remember?”

Beomgyu sighed. “The flower ritual, the ballad composing, the synchronised dance and then the free dance? Is the schedule normally so packed?”

“Well, it’s a festival celebration,” Taehyun reasoned. “Those are always really long. Plus, we needed to include something like a flower ritual to make it seem real.”

Beomgyu grumbled, fidgeting with the silver stitches on his legs. “I can still go and interact with them, right?”

“Yeah sure, I don’t care,” Taehyun dismissed. “If you get mauled before your speech, it’s not my problem.”

“I won’t get mauled,” Beomgyu said. “That happened one time, okay?”

“Yeah, and since then we’ve hidden in the King’s Corner. Which you didn’t set up this time. But by all means, you’re welcome to try and see if you’ll be overwhelmed by the people.”

“Rude,” Beomgyu muttered. Nevertheless, he stayed up on the dais, elbow propped up on the throne’s armrest, cheek smushed against his hand.

.・゜-: ✧ :-　　

Taehyun had gotten good at zoning out during formal events. He stood, next to Beomgyu’s throne, staring at nothing and thinking of nothing. He was completely and utterly zoned out from everything that was going on around him. When he registered a finger annoying at his sleeve, however, he gradually zoned back in. Taehyun looked down, a look of mild annoyance on his face.

“What are you doing?”

“Those ruffles look annoying.” Beomgyu, eyebrows furrowed, was examining the lace ruffles of Taehyun’s sleeve, a look of utmost concentration on his face.

When Taehyun tried to tug his arm away, Beomgyu only held tighter to the fabric. Afraid of ripping it, Taehyun kept his arm in place, choosing to subtly glare at Beomgyu.

“Come on, I know you’re not really that fascinated by my sleeve. What do you want?”

“I want to know what colour this is. Ivory? No, it’s far too much of a soft colour to be ivory. Chiffon, maybe?” Beomgyu paused, frowning down at the sleeve. He leaned forwards so that his nose was practically touching the material, and spoke in a low tone. “Also, there are Lords watching me, and I don’t like it.” He leaned back with a casual smile on his face. “Ah, I’ve got it. It’s pearl.” He smoothed down the fabric, gently rearranging the folds so that they hung evenly. Taehyun’s ears burned when Beomgyu’s fingers brushed against his skin, and he quickly crossed his arms to prevent Beomgyu from playing with his sleeves anymore. He shot Beomgyu a glare, before scanning the crowds. The scowl slipped off his face once he noticed what Beomgyu had picked up on.

“You’re right.” He bit his lip, scanning the ballroom. Now he was paying attention, he noticed that something about the atmosphere felt… off. He widened his eyes a little, realising what it was. “Shit. Beomgyu, are you sure you still want to go ahead with this?”

Beomgyu looked at him as if he were crazy. “Uh, yeah? Of course? A few hostile Lords aren’t going to stop me.”

“No, no, it’s not just them,” Taehyun said. He nodded his head towards the ballroom floor. “Can’t you feel it?”

Beomgyu looked out at the ballroom, scanning the marbled room. He looked at the people, gathered together in their small groups, talking, dancing, eating. He looked at the few strange Lords lurking behind the pillars, glancing at the dais on which Beomgyu and Taehyun stood. He looked at all of this, before turning back to Taehyun. “No? I don’t feel it?”

“You don’t?” Taehyun said sceptically, scanning the ballroom himself. “Hm. That’s odd.”

Beomgyu tilted his head. “Why? What do you feel?”

“I don’t know, it just feels… something feels… not right. Something doesn’t feel right.” Taehyun shook his head. “Don’t worry. It’s probably nothing.”

Beomgyu eyed him for a moment, before signalling over one of his personal guards. “Call in the Invisi. Something’s not right here, and we need to be cautious.” The guard nodded, stepping down from the dais to carry out the order. Taehyun looked at him curiously.

“You’re bringing in the invisible guards?”

“I trust your judgement,” Beomgyu stated simply. “If something happens, it’ll be good to have them here. If nothing happens,” Beomgyu shrugged. “That’s fine too. They won’t appear unless necessary, so it’s no harm done if we don’t need them.”

Taehyun nodded slowly. “Yeah, I suppose that makes sense,” he acknowledged. “You trust my judgement that much, huh?”

“Well duh. You’re literally one of the smartest people in Gojongja. I didn’t pick you to be my vizier just out of spite,” Beomgyu said. “I’d rather like to have you by my side as I rule.” He quirked a small grin. Taehyun’s ears warmed at the unexpected compliment. With a start, he realised he missed this. Missed how warm and friendly it could feel to be around Beomgyu. The past few months, they’d constantly be surrounded by this cold, electric chill around them, as if one wrong word would ignite an explosion from either one of them. He glanced down, and gave a small smile.

“So I guess you want me to be the Queen to your King?”

Beomgyu’s smile froze in place, before slowly slipping off. He gave a small scowl. “That’s not saying I want to be King,” he said. “I still haven’t forgiven you for that.”

And just like that, the fragile, comfortable atmosphere they’d created was shattered with those words. It reminded them both of how they’d managed to end up here, and the unspoken undertone of ‘I still haven’t forgiven you for betraying me’ hung in the air between them, like a cold, unshakeable chill.

Taehyun didn’t say anything, and returned his gaze to the ballroom floor.

.・゜-: ✧ :-　　

The two of them stood there on the dais for a while longer. Neither said a word. Beomgyu kept glancing over at Taehyun, while the vizier was intent on avoiding his gaze. Taehyun scanned the crowds of people idly, before doing a double-take and looking more closely.

"Beomgyu…"

"King Beomgyu, if you may," Beomgyu corrected, taking a sip of water. "We're in public."

Taehyun ignored him. "Where's Lord Yeonjun?"

“Oh, he’s visiting Aruyeo,” Beomgyu said calmly. “He had a letter to deliver. I told him one of our messengers could take it for him, but he said the person it’s for is wary of strangers. So he’s taking it himself.”

“He’s riding all the way to Aruyeo?” Taehyun asked, surprised.

“Yes. He left this morning. He might not be back for a while.”

“So he took one of the horses… and left? To Aruyeo?” Taehyun said doubtfully. “Do you trust him?”

"Yeah. Don't worry," Beomgyu patted Taehyun's arm, "everything is fine."

"Did you actually plan a speech?" Taehyun asked skeptically after a few moments.

"Yes. Sort of. It's all up here," Beomgyu said, tapping the side of his head. "I'll know what to say when the time comes, chill," Beomgyu sighed when Taehyun glared at him. "Remember the impromptu speech I gave when you crowned me? That was good, wasn't it? It'll be fine."

Taehyun hummed dubiously, but didn't say a word.

.・゜-: ✧ :-　　

“Sir, it is almost time.”

Beomgyu nodded. “Thank you, Seojung.” He took the glass and decorative spoon offered to him, and looked over at Taehyun. Taehyun nodded.

“Whenever you’re ready,” he said to Beomgyu.

Beomgyu stood up from the throne, and walked towards the front of the dais, lifting up the glass and spoon.

The light, tinkling sound of metal against crystal filled the ballroom, and gradually the chattering died down as everyone looked up at the King. As he looked around, suddenly, he felt it. There was something wrong.

Nevertheless, he willed away the foreboding feeling in his stomach, and smiled, a brilliant, sparkling smile, which lit up even the darkest corners of the ballroom. “You’re all well, I hope? I apologise for organising a revel at such short notice, but I hope you all don’t mind.” He gave another bright smile, looking around the room.

“As you all know, this revel is to celebrate the Flower Moon, which is today. Now, you may be slightly confused at this, since here in Gojongja we don’t really celebrate the Flower Moon. But, this date coincides with an important announcement I wanted to share with you.” Beomgyu clasped his hands together, and a little flicker of nervousness fluttered in his stomach. There was definitely something wrong. “About a month ago, Coronation Revels ended. During then and now, several things have happened, which I believed it would be best to tell you about.

“Some of you may know that an Aruyeonan representative came to my coronation, as is custom when a Gojongja monarch is to be crowned. This lord has the name Lord Yeonjun.”

“Cut the chase!” a voice called from the crowd. “We know what you’re going to say, so hurry up!”

Beomgyu blinked, momentarily thrown off, before quickly regaining his composure. “Alright. Lord Yeonjun came to propose an alliance, and I accepted.”

Outraged yells were heard from the crowd. Some people nodded their heads in a ‘I told you so’ way, as if they knew of the alliance already, while others looked outraged and shocked.

Taehyun’s hands, which were clasped tight behind his back, dug into the soft skin of his forearms. This was going to go wrong.

“I told you!” The same commoner as before yelled out. “I told you, that Lord told me he’d made an alliance, and no one believed me! He did this without telling us! He gave away our land!”

“Please calm down! I assure you, this alliance was made with Gojongja’s best interests at heart. I’d never give away your land. It is beneficial to us, it truly is.” Beomgyu placed a hand over his chest. “I swear it.”

“Sir!”

Taehyun’s fingers wrapped around his wrists tightly. He turned in the direction of the voice. Though his face didn’t change, inwardly, he cursed. Those stupid Lords.

“Your Greatness, if I may,” the Lord called out. “Even if this alliance was to be beneficial, don’t you think it would have been best to discuss with the public? This is their land you’re bargaining with, their lives you are potentially altering.”

Beomgyu frowned. “I am sure I just said that this alliance does not affect your land, nor your lives. The only thing we bargain is our knowledge.” He looked at Taehyun. “Is that correct?”

Taehyun nodded. “Yes, sire. The only physical part of our country that we bargain are the forests.”

“See?” Beomgyu turned back to the Lord.

“But still,” the Lord continued. “Discussing it with us beforehand gives us reason to trust you.” The Lord turned to address the rest of the public. “Do you think, having a new King make important decisions such as an alliance, without discussing with his people first, is a trait of a King you trust?”

People voiced their agreement, still glaring at Beomgyu.

“That is enough,” Beomgyu said, annoyed. “Please, sit dow-”

“Is it the sign of a good, strong King to team up with another Kingdom? Is it a sign that you are capable, if you need another Kingdom to back you up? And most importantly, is it the sign of a trustworthy King for you to do these things without telling any of your people?” The Lord scoffed. “It’s not. It’s not at all. You-” he stabbed a finger in Beomgyu’s direction- “are not a King I’d trust at all.”

Beomgyu blinked, shocked, before letting out a laugh. “Well that is indeed a pity! You don’t trust me? That’s understandable.” When the Lord opened his mouth again, Beomgyu held up a hand. “Enough. I am not even a year into my reign. And, being from a new clan, of course you don’t trust me! However, you must have seen me in court, perhaps about five years ago? And you’ll know that I am nothing if not trustworthy and have Gojongja’s best interests at heart. You, however…” he looked at the Lord, and gave a pitying smile. “You are a lesser Lord. Who, I believe, has only been in court for just over a year. What do you know about what I’m like?”

The Lord pursed his lips, face growing dark. He stood there, vibrating with anger, before rushing towards the throne. Before he could get far, though, Beomgyu thrust out his hand, presumably to use the wind to push him back. However, as soon as he flicked his wrist, the chandeliers suddenly exploded, raining crystals onto the ballroom floor. Most fires from the candles were extinguished as they fell, but some caught the ivy and set fire to the vines. People screamed, cowering away from the crystal shards. Over the chaos, the Lord continued to yell.

“He can’t even control his abilities! What sort of King is he?”

More voices began to chorus angrily against the King. Beomgyu didn’t seem to hear any of them, glaring at the first Lord who had spoken out. The Invisi had already begun to spill in from where they’d been standing to try and placate the people. Beomgyu was still stood, motionless, and Taehyun felt his hands curl into fists. He looked back out at the crowd, and saw that all the Lords had disappeared, and only the common folk remained. He felt his arm being tugged, and suddenly, Beomgyu was pulling him off the dais, away from the ballroom.

“Hey!” Once they were out in a hallway, Taehyun tried to yank his arm away to no avail, glaring at Beomgyu. “Let go.”

“Shut up,” Beomgyu glowered, striding fast down the hall. Taehyun was going to say something else, but caught sight of Beomgyu’s face. His mouth was set in a hard line, eyebrows furrowed. Taehyun hadn’t seen Beomgyu with anything other than an annoyed frown or a teasing smirk before, and this strange side of him sent chills down his spine. Beomgyu’s eyes, normally twinkling with a mischievous light, were now dark and fierce, and burned with a ferocity that Taehyun had never known a human to possess. Taehyun gulped, and let Beomgyu keep a firm grip on his arm, leading him to wherever the King was going.

“Wh-where are we going?” Taehyun asked.

“Council room,” Beomgyu replied shortly. “All the Lords disappeared, see? They’re probably there.”

“O-okay.”

Beomgyu glanced at him, and noticed the iron grip he was keeping on Taehyun’s arm, and let his hand release the vizier. Neither of them said another word.

.・゜-: ✧ :-　　

Beomgyu threw open the door. “What-” he roughly scraped the chair across the floor, pushing it aside- “the fuck-” he slammed his hands down on the table, glaring at the other members of the council- “was that?”

Taehyun quietly followed Beomgyu, standing behind the King.

Beomgyu’s fingers curled into the wood, ferociously glaring at the Lords, who had suddenly gone silent. “Well?” he asked.

At that moment, the one troublesome lord strolled in, followed by an incredibly tall one. “Ah, you’re here already. I don’t think I’ve properly introduced myself.” the Lord bowed mockingly, smirking. “Lord Haejun, Your Greatness. A pleasure.”

Beomgyu stared down his nose disdainfully. “I don’t care. I just want to know what that was.”

Lord Haejun widened his eyes, putting his hands up innocently. “Don’t put all the blame on me!” He looked around, and grabbed the tall lord’s arm. “It was Lord Soobin’s idea.”

Beomgyu let out a sarcastic laugh. “I’m not dumb. There’s no way this was his idea.” He stalked up to Lord Haejun, and brought his face close to the Lord’s. “Why did you do that? Why would you go to so much trouble as to put fucking bombs in my chandeliers?”

Lord Haejun looked unfazed, grinning obnoxiously. “No bombs, Your Greatness. It was simply you and your out-of-control power.” Beomgyu growled, and fisted Lord Haejun’s collar, pushing him up against the wall.

“You little shit,” he hissed. “That wasn’t me. You know that!”

At this point, Taehyun knew that he should step in, maybe separate the two, but he couldn’t seem to do anything other than stay against the wall, and watch it all unfold.

“Oops, looks like you found me out,” Lord Haejun said. As Beomgyu snarled at him, scrunching up the Lord’s collar even tighter, he let out a laugh. “Gosh, father said you were calm and composed! Where’s all that gone, hm?”

Beomgyu growled, and released the Lord’s collar. “Lord Namjae’s little boy, are you?” He turned to glare at Taehyun. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Taehyun, for some reason, couldn’t speak, couldn’t utter a word against Beomgyu’s rage. It was like all his words had deserted him. He opened and closed his mouth helplessly.

Lord Haejun straightened his collar, smirking. “He didn’t feel like there was any need, obviously. Anyways, Father’s away on business, so I planned the little… performance in his stead.”

Beomgyu clenched his hands into fists. “Little? You harmed the public! This is serious. Did you all know about this?” he thundered, glaring at the rest of the nobles. They all stuttered, suddenly unable to form coherent sentences. “Doesn’t matter. You probably all did.” Beomgyu turned his fierce gaze to Taehyun. “You take care of them. And this time, don’t fucking forget to remind me to change the members of this council.” He gave one more disgusted look to the cowering lords, and a venomous glare towards Lord Haejun, before sweeping out of the room. Taehyun stuttered weakly, hand raised. Beomgyu was just… storming out? He looked around the room, unsure what to do, before waving a hand.

“You- you’re all dismissed.”

And then, without waiting for the lords to react, Taehyun hurried out after Beomgyu.

“Beomgyu!”

Beomgyu turned at the call of his name, and saw Taehyun running to catch up with him. “What?” he snapped.

“A- are you okay?”

“I’m fucking fine,” Beomgyu said sarcastically. “I’ve just been accused of intentionally harming Gojongja, and called weak in front of the whole Kingdom. I’ve never been better.” He glared at Taehyun. “Don’t ask me stupid questions.” With that, he stalked off, leaving Taehyun standing shellshocked in the middle of the carpeted hallway.

“Sir Taehyun!”

Taehyun looked behind him to see Yeonjun coming up to him. It was evident he’d just gotten back from riding, as his boots were splattered with mud, and he still had a coat on.

“I saw all the glass in the ballroom,” he said, stopping next to the vizier. “And there’s a lot of blood, and some fire. What happened?” For some reason, the question ignited an irritated fire within Taehyun, and his mouth twisted into an annoyed frown.

“Well the announcement went fine,” Taehyun said sarcastically. “What do you think?” He glared at the Aruyeonan. “Just go to your chambers. Don’t interfere.” Yeonjun hesitated, but bowed and walked away, muddied footprints following him down the hall. Taehyun watched him go, and ran a hand through his hair. What the fuck had just happened?

[crazytxgradstudent]

If I Was Your Vampire (pt4)

 The next few days went by in a flurry, with all the preparation for my birthday taking up so much time. Never in a million years had I thought that I would have one of those birthday parties that you see on television, the over the top and way too lavish 'sweet sixteens'. But I did, and it was more than I ever dreamed of. It seemed like the whole island was here, and it was definitely more than I’d invited, so I could only assume that Vlad had something to do with it. The birthday went on for hours, the pool party was a hit, and the local band playing music was everything I could have ever wanted. Well, except for Marilyn Manson to show up…in person. That would have been great, but whatever.

In honor of turning 16 and getting my actual license, Vlad bought me a new Mustang, purple of course, with black, leather seats, complete with all the upgrades. My friend, Sofia and I, took it for a spin to the cheers of all my friends and who I now considered family. Vlad looked incredibly proud of himself, and I was incredibly happy. After the car, he left and went to where I didn't know. The party eventually wound down, and only a few remained: Sofia, Jennifer, and Chloe, as well as a few boys, Kevin, Ethan, and Aiden. Aiden, I was particularly fond of, and may have a had a bit of a crush on, so I was very happy that he’d decided to stay over in the pool house. Another benefit of having a vampire as your guardian, I supposed: no stupid rules about no boys in the house.

Once all the others left, the seven of us had disappeared out back to get in the pool, and that was when Kevin produced a bottle of tequila. Now, I knew that alcohol was not allowed for kids my age, even as mature as I was, but it was my birthday, right? I was only gonna turn 16 once, and so I decided, to hell with it, and let loose. Shot after shot we did, until we were all very, very wasted. Well, them more than me, because I literally couldn't stomach the stuff, and started to get sick way before I should have. At some point after 10pm, Kevin and Chloe had disappeared somewhere, while Ethan and Sofia were currently making out on one of the pool loungers. Jennifer was softly snoring in the chair right next to them, her phone clutched against her chest. I stumbled around, grabbing towels and trying to dry off, when I felt Aiden wrap his arms around me, and pull me back into his chest. I stiffened, the memory of the last boy that did that to me popping up in my head and triggering all the worst feelings.

“Let me go,” I told him, firmly. Aiden laughed in my ear, and turned me around in his arms so that my chest was pressed to his. We were only wearing our bathing suits, and through the thin fabric, I could feel his erection pressed at my stomach. I swallowed, bile rising in my throat again. I pushed at his chest, but he wouldn’t let go.

“Aiden, stop fucking around. Let. Me. Go.” I pushed at him again, and again he ignored me with a laugh.

“You stop fucking around, Sarah!” Aiden pressed his mouth against my forehead as he squeezed me. “You and I know the only reason you invited me here was for this, so why are you acting so weird now?”

“I didn’t invite you for this, Aiden!” I wiggled away from him, finally. I wrapped the towel around my body and hugged myself to ward off the chill.

“Well what the fuck then? Did you just want me to spend the night with you, like some lame-ass slumber party?” Aiden approached again, his hands flung wide with his anger. I started screaming at him, and he at me.

*****************************************************************************************************

From upstairs, Dracula watched out of his window, his form concealed in shadows. His jaw clenched, his fists squeezed tight together as he watched the interaction between Sarah and this boy. He scowled. Was this all boys were interested in? Surely there was more to life than this constant need for sex. It was taking everything in him to not go downstairs and destroy this boy just like he’d done Sarah’s last boyfriend, but he’d promised her that he wouldn’t interfere in her little party. That he’d be on his best behavior.

He was not the praying sort, but he hoped, with all his might that this boy would leave, 'ere he had to go down and kill him like he had the last one.

*****************************************************************************************************

We argued for some time, until eventually, Aiden got fed up, and he, Ethan, Sofia, and Jennifer all left the party. I was left there, alone on my birthday, sat by the pool feeling entirely pathetic.

I wiped at my eyes, feeling so stupid and so very sorry for myself. The seat next to me dipped as someone sat down.

“Are you alright?”

“Go away, Vlad,” I whispered, turning from him and giving him my back.

“You should be thanking me that I didn’t come down here and take care of that boy myself,” the vampire returned. There was a slight edge to his voice, an unmistakable grit to his normally-lilting accent.

“You saw?” I asked, sniffling again.

“And heard. You forget, I have excellent hearing.” Vlad reached over and tapped the empty tequila bottle with the toe of his boot. The bottle fell over and rolled away.  “And aren’t you a little young to be drinking? 21, I believe is the age limit.”

“Are you, a vampire, seriously going to lecture me about drinking things I shouldn’t?”

“Touché,” Vlad replied. I could hear the smile in his voice.

“And I didn’t bring it, Kevin did. And I didn’t really drink. It makes me sick.” I tugged at the towel, drawing up my knees so I could rest my chin on them. "I can't even drink like a normal person."

“So, I take it they are gone?”  Vlad looked around, and saw that the chairs were all empty. I shrugged.

“Pretty sure Kevin and Chloe are still in the…uhhh… pool room.” My cheeks heated with the unspoken, and Vlad chuckled.

“For all your pretense, you are still so naïve, aren’t you? That the mere mention of intercourse should bring the most delightful of blushes to your cheeks.”

“Is that your fancy way of saying I’m an immature idiot?” I grumbled, feeling shame wash over me again at how inept I was. Especially around him.

“Oh, quite the contrary, little one. It’s refreshing, indeed, to see a person of your age not already... awash with sin,” Vlad leaned over towards me, and dipped his head so that he could meet my eyes, and he smiled. Playfully.

“Huh,” I mumbled, wiping at my nose again, not believing him at all.

“I am sorry your party didn’t go as you hoped.”

“My party was fine. It’s just, why does everything have to come with some kind of strings attached?” I started crying again, straight-up ugly crying, and before I knew it, Vlad had pulled me back and tucked me at his side. I sat there, hugged to his hard form, and cried. His hand at my shoulder, and the other at my cheek, as he murmured soft words of consolation against my hair.

“He’s a boy, little one. One day, when you get older, you’ll find someone to treat you better. To treat you how you deserve to be treated.”

“Is that true though?” I cried harder, remembering my father. “My dad was an asshole. He beat my mother so much that she killed herself. That’s what happened, whether he wanted to believe it or not!” My hands were shaking, my fists balled up with repressed rage that had never been allowed to come out. No school counselor had heard this, no community ageny had ever heard this from me. No one but Vlad, and deep down, I unloaded it on him because I knew because he could take it.

“Your father was a terrible man, Sarah, and I am sorry for your lot in having to have him for so long.” He turned me, cupping my face with his large hands, and smiled. “But not all men are that way, though they are few and far between.”

“So, like what, are you a good guy?” I asked, my voice a mere whisper. I was fixated on his eyes, on the way the lights from the house reflected back at me in their murky depths.

“Hardly.” He leaned forward, his eyes narrowing just a bit. “I’m probably the worst kind there is.”

Maybe it was my drunkenness. Or maybe it was my teenage hormones, or maybe it was my naivety, although I’m pretty sure it was nothing more than my huge, completely-inexplicable crush I had seemingly developed overnight on him, but I did the dumbest thing in the world right then and there, and pressed my lips to Vlad’s, seeking a kiss. I kissed him. His eyes popped open wide, and I saw that they did, because, like the inexperienced idiot I was, mine were still open wide as well. He pushed me back from him with what sounded like a snarl, and I fell back onto the lounger. Vlad stood up, wiping a hand over his face as if he were wiping away any remamnts of my lips. I started crying harder at the dejection.

“Are you insane? What the hell are you doing?” Vlad snapped at me. He started pacing, his hands on his hips as he walked back and forth in front of me. I started sobbing, clutching the towel to my breasts and pulling it up to my chin. With a sigh, Vlad stopped in front of me, and knelt down. His hands rested on either side of my thighs.

“Sarah, listen. I’m sorry I snapped at you like that, but you cannot do that with me. Never with me, do you understand?” Vlad reached up to caress my cheek, but I turned away, still awash with embarrassment. He sighed again, dropping his hand as he stood back up.  

“You know what I am, don’t you?” His voice was soft as he peered down at me. “A monster. And you are much too young, little one. There are things about this world that you have no concept about, terrible things. People are terrible, and will do terrible things if you let them.”

“Yeah, no shit!” I snapped at him, finally finding my voice. I was so mad. Mad at him. Mad at myself. Mad at my stupid life. Just mad. I jumped up, and pushed my way past him with a shove at his shoulder, and ran upstairs. I slammed my door, and cried myself to sleep in my pillow.

*************************************************

Vlad paced his room, one hand in his pocket, and the other wiping at his jaw. Occasionally, and perhaps subconsciously, he would run his fingers over his lips, remembering the feel of sweetness pressed against him. The warmth of innocence. How it had snaked down his icy body like tendrils of the sun, reminding him of all the good that was still left in this world. He traced his mouth again, remembering. Remembering the scent of alcohol mixed with vanilla and cinnamon, the forbidden and the unforbidden. He sighed and walked back over to his window to stare down at the spot where it had happened, and he remembered.

He was no mortal man, and was certainly not constrained by the laws of this land, or of any land. A meal was a meal, and blood was blood, whether it came from an infant or a geriatric. But Sarah…he mused….Sarah was forbidden. The most forbidden type, and he would do well to remember that. He had made a promise to her grandmother, one bound in blood, and dare he say faith, and he meant to keep that promise that he’d made. If he never kept another promise, he would keep this one. To see her to adulthood, and to provide her with every opportunity that he’d sworn he would. And then his commitment would end, and she and he would both be free. He was trying to do better, to be better, as much as his being would allow. If he was fated to walk this earth for eternity, he was determined to do it with at least some modicum of decorum. And this one thing, he wanted with all his might for it to come to fruition, maybe just to prove to himself that he could do it. That he wasn't a mindless beast. A monster incapable of basic things.

He sat down in his chair with a weary sigh, his hands clasped at his thighs.

He only hoped he could manage to get her there, unscathed, and unharmed, by him or anyone else…