#oh they changed the tag appearance. hm. as always my first instinct is to hate it

[incorrect-dnd-classes]

Druid: you know how when you go out in the middle of the woods, your phone loses internet service? that is because the trees naturally protect you from the evil dark energy rays generated by influencers and twitter opinions. follow for more information about the beauty of nature

[spotlessvast]

jetsam and flowers

        the boundary between winter and summer is ever so thin on a march day, but time moves like molasses on naked trees in lukewarm air. april teases you with hope and snatches it with rain of its final day, instead of giving rain to steptember to quench the dry grass previously scorched by flames. november and december feels more wintery than the real middle of winter, but it only ever snows in february anymore. life is delayed, and holiday shopping is no exception. i'm a stranger among sisters, and i haven't told them what i want yet. an adult among children, a child among adults. out of place everywhere i go.

        frigid december air eats at my already dry face and the only moisture left is the mist underneath my eyelashes. i pull my turtleneck over my nose and hesitate behind them. brick wall buildings are intimidating if they're just the right shade of red, with only steel and no wood. the bricks are a staple rather than an accent, and they clash with the cobalt all too well. inside the store is much warmer, and a little crowded. everyone runs off in different directions, but i stay in place while the whole store morphs around me.

        i don't want to be here, i thought. i don't like being here. i don't belong here. i already made a mistake showing myself to these girls and offering even the slightest of my obligations; now i can't escape. with eyes of an artist i observe every small detail in the faceless mannequins and faceless advertisements. consumerism is a soul-sucking disease. apparently, the younger you're exposed to it, the more it affects you.

        holiday shopping season is when i miss the summer the most. after the new year, all i see in front of me are days of pre-summer. i wait, and i watch, and i wait again. hoping that this next spring, this next summer, will happen the same with the same old people, except nothing bad happens this time. it's almost pathetic, but there's nothing else to do except wander and wait. summer comes around, and i'll end up hating the heat. it gets hotter and hotter each year, colder and colder each year, and earth's denizens continue to worry themselves. why is consumerism the only medicine they can find? don't they know it's temporary? don't they know it's—

        "excuse me sir, no loitering in the entrance."

        right, i'm still by the entrance.

        i'm outta this joint.

        hey, i don't like automatic spinning doors! i don't like self-playing pianos either! automatic spinning doors are less scary than self-playing pianos, but i see more automatic spinning doors in my life. and this store inside the mall had one. it must have been a really fancy one before undergoing renovation, because why else would it have an automatic spinning door? sidestep to the sway of glass walls, don't get crushed by bricks. avoid the consumerist death trap. i'm rewarded with warm april air and a pencil sunset.

        unconventionally. sunsets don't usually happen at this time of day during this time of year. it got dark before we even got to the store. however, this was unmistakably the same air as late april despite it being december when we walked in. i exhaust myself trying to figure out what the hell just happened, when i'm snapped back to the present by short haired guy bumping into my shoulder pretty damn hard. and first of all, ow. second of all, upon closer look it appears that i know this guy.

        he gathered himself and spoke; "long time no see."

        "haha, yeah."

        he didn't bump into me, he was knocked flying in my direction, and i realize that now upon hearing a voice as equally enraged as it was collected.

        the fancy-looking guy connected to the voice sighed, put his hands in his pockets, and sighed as a trail of smoke followed his footsteps. "well, this isn't the best place to continue a fight. we should move elsewhere." he paused, then made eye contact with me. "oh, hello there."

        i stare for a few seconds and then wave. "what the fuck are you two doing here?" i turn my head back to the entrance. it's no longer a mall, but a warehouse. who knows what could be inside it. either way, it does look like a good place to continue a fight, so why would he give it up now...?

        "what does it look like?" the short-haired guy said.

        "fighting."

        "precisely. also, he started it." the fancy-looking guy pointed at the short-haired guy.

        "haha, man. you must've done a number on him to get him all the way out here." i gave the short-haired guy a nudge to the side.

        "we have unfinished business," he said, matter-of-factly.

        i let them bicker it out for another two minutes while i shove my face against the window to the warehouse. it doesn't look like anyone's inside, but there's some lights on the ceiling and a bunch of junk scattered around. i go inside anyway, just to see if it'll take me back to the mall.

        it doesn't.

        funky.

        maybe i forgot the twists i went through on my way out. it'd make sense, though. i ended up in a different parking lot than i started in. malls are fucking huge. sometimes they have storage warehouses, but usually they're not so out in the open like that.

        what's weirder than the situation of my current whereabouts is the fact that i know these guys, but never learned their names. oh well, it's fair that they never learned mine, either. i just know them as "this guy" and "that guy," and they probably know me as "that motherfucker."

        "hey, so," i start. i wait for a response, but there is none. "y-"

        and then there's the response from the fancy-looking guy. "hm?"

        i pause. "a mall warehouse is a pretty damn good place for a fight, though."

        "but you shouldn't be in the middle of this fight," says the short-haired guy, slugging behind me.

        "so what? if one of you gets knocked into me, i could probably take it."

        there was silence.

        "if i may ask, what brings you here in the first place?" asks the short-haired guy.

        i shrug. "dunno." and i was telling the truth. i would've told him about holiday shopping, my family, but with every step i take i feel myself growing more and more distant from that. i never really liked spending winter with them, anyway. a liar among sisters. and it's not december anymore, anyway.

        a soft april breeze courses through the vast emptiness of the storage warehouse. that's how i can tell the most.

        time passes.

        time always passes.

        time passes, and we end up talking about things i don't care for talking about any longer. my throat is stuffed by ghosts of the past and wrung out with the presence of more friends who tagged along. i was told of a secret hiding spot near the outskirts of the city. an abandoned spot reincarnated to an underground mall with super fucking good pizza. or at least, that's what the guy with the fur collar said.

        he stumbled onto the conversation between myself and the short-haired guy and the fancy-looking guy and immediately caught them silent. he always dominated conversations, but had a knack for keeping the listener interested in what he had to say. or maybe i'm the only listener who cares, and i'm an exception who's easily entertained. either way, it's easy to get lost in his stories. i want that pizza.

        i tell him i wanna go there, and he leads me out of the warehouse. for a moment, we're the only two people in the world. in the next moment, we're surrounded by hurried shoppers exiting the store i walked into first. and i hate the atmosphere here, but he makes it bearable.

        ...but where did the others run off to?

        probably to finish their fight, or be petty.

        "where...are we?" asks the guy with the fur collar.

        "i dunno," i say, and i'm telling the truth. i don't remember the name of this place, or how i got here, i just know that i was here to pick up some things for some people that i don't give a shit about.

        i try to say more, but my breath runs out before my sentences can end. it's horrible. and suddenly, i'm alone again in a crowd of faceless consumerists running in and out. they get too close, and they'll infect me with their consumerist germs. i put my hands over my face to protect myself, but my hands are bare too. i cover my face like i'm about to cough into my arm, and run.

        i trip over a speed bump and land face first into a junk pile outside the ruins of a five-story parking lot.

        somehow, every scratch and bruise on my face, arms, and legs were more bearable than going home that night. am i even going home? home is a snare trap on my spinal cord.

        the fancy-looking guy grabs me by the shirt collar and pulls me up to eye contact. he narrows his gaze and stares needles through me. "you look like hell. what happened to you?"

        "a lot." i can speak now, but i'll have to limit my words. can't waste my breath. "friend's gone."

        he just sighs. "shouldn't you go home?"

        i flinch. i don't want to go home, so i shake my head side to side.

        his grip softens with his gaze, and i fall softly to the ground. my wounds hurt, though i can still walk. it's not like i'm going limp anytime soon, it's just a bit of blood. my top lip tastes like iron...

        following my instincts, i walk slow behind him. thinking about it now, he wanted to get away from me or just be left alone in general. those who want to go somewhere always look for directions, and i'll ask him for directions. i dunno what it is about him, but i can't leave him alone.

        beneath every step i take, the ground changes shape. what was once a tar road became a narrow dirt path with flowers tangling down and mossy rocks peeking out. the dirt turns into mud, and suddenly i'm walking through a lake while seasonless night sky reflects on the water's surface. i'm watching his footsteps. his shoes are getting wet, his socks are getting wet, and they look expensive. i feel sorry for him, almost.

        oh well, he could afford new socks and shoes. wouldn't even have to go through all the trouble of washing them.

        a wood fence turns into a brick wall and we walk out of the alleyway. no longer choked up, i try to speak again. i breathe in, and before i can say anything, he turns his head to face me and says; "what?"

        we sit down on the curb outside the mall.

        "did your parents hate you, too." a ghost spoke through my mouth.

        crestfallen, he said nothing. i caught a glimpse of a cut on his neck, just the size of a fingernail.

        who am i trying to escape? where am i trying to escape to? i don't need words from you. he's not saying anything. i want to go home to my friends. this world isn't real, and this unreal world is happening in all the right places at all the wrong times. april is the real beginning of the year, and september is the real end. everything in between is suspension between beginnings and ends, and i'm unsure what to do. did my parents hate me? did your parents hate you, too? are they even mine? i am a chameleon among the norm, and my faces aren't dictated by my own will.

        are you a social chameleon too? is it my choice to pile on images to fit a role?

        "we don't have parents."

        a pair of empty hands carry murky pond water in their palms as they ache to be touched by something real. who those hands belong to, is unknown.

        and somehow, i know.

        i don't have to go back inside to buy flowers.

        why couldn't it have been you, instead?

        and if i may see you once more in the past can i say "if you are to die soon or quickly can you die pretty" like a famous movie so i can rest against your shoulders, guiltless, and spill all my bottled up muddy secrets.

        the guy with the fur collar catches up to me with the rest of his ensemble. it's about time to go home. out of the corner of my eye i see three strangers pushing a full shopping cart.

[paradise-of-guilty-pleasures]

Shattered Reflections {20}

[Helsa RP- Fanfic]

Fandom: Frozen

Genre: Post-Frozen/ Canon Divergence

- Hurt/Comfort, Drama, Romance

Pairing(s): Hans/Elsa, Kristoff/Anna

Previous Chapter: 19.Girls’ Night

A/N:

Prepare for Puns xD

20. Boys’ Night

While the sisters had a lovely tea party inside their pillow fort, the boys’ night out was continuing to be unsurprisingly uneventful. Kristoff had finished brushing Sven a while ago, and now the boys were stuck roaming around the courtyard, encircling it for what seemed like the millionth time. Olaf got bored fairly easily, so of course he tried to nullify his boredom himself the only way he knew how, by talking, practically non-stop, barely letting Kristoff get a word in edgewise. Olaf's virtually self-supporting conversation consisted of him rambling stories, spontaneously jumping into song, and (the part that actually required Kristoff to be present to answer them) curious questions. 

 "...magic, so I guess Elsa's like my mom, but kids seem to have both a mom and a dad, and they don't have magic --at least I don't think they do-- so it's got me thinking, how do people make babies without magic?" Olaf wondered curiously, it one of the countless questions he had asked that night.

Kristoff had always been a good listener, so he didn't mind the rambling. They could possibly have done other things, but Kristoff was at least vaguely aware of Hans' whereabouts and wanted to be sure he was nearby in case he was needed. He wasn't oblivious to boredom per se-- just too focused on everything else to process it. 

He just about choked when he tuned in to Olaf's question. He certainly made a sound like it, but he cleared his throat. 

"Why is this not the first time I've been asked that?" He asked, more to himself and his gods than anything. "It involves complex biology and is way more gross than you'd want it to be..." He started.

 "Oh look, we have company!" He changed the subject quickly and pointed out Hans and the Captain wandering home. In spite of the drinking, Hans seemed little more wobbly than he already had been with his injury. 

"Ahoy Admiral!" Kristoff called, just to draw attention and avoid the question from Olaf. 

"View Hallou!" Hans replied, curious what he was being hailed for. "The night is young and we are getting older." Hans joked dryly to the Captain, wandering to meet Kristoff and the party. "Well if it isn't the little snow-prince and the Arendelle royal cavalry. Good evening gentlemen. And I am counting the reindeer." He gave a respectful greeting gesture to all of them, perhaps especially the reindeer.

"I'm Sven," he introduced. He should at least be known by his name instead of just being 'the reindeer'. 

"Oh! Hans the Fool!" Olaf greeted, now completely sidetracked from the question he'd asked earlier. "Are you having a night out, as well?" Hans raised an eyebrow at Kristoff, more amused than perplexed, though there was plenty of that. 

"I am, little prince. Getting to know the Captain. It appears I'll be helping the Royal Guard with my sword. I'm a little more than a fool, I must admit. Shall we have the remains of a night out together? Telling stories and whatnot?" Hans' tone was always lighter and sweeter with Olaf, as anyone might be while working with children. Especially a fool.

Olaf's face brightened with glee at the notion of having Hans join them.

 "Yes! Let's do that!" Olaf exclaimed with excitement. He really did appreciate Hans' company, no offense to Kristoff and Sven, but having someone else that shared his enthusiasm, overjoyed Olaf. 

"If that's what you wish to do."

 "Good Evening," saluted the Captain, as he approached the group. "I see Westergaard's already inviting himself to join your party," he chuckled, already accustomed to his antics. "Is it alright to leave him in your hands?" He attentively asked Kristoff, almost as if he was watching over a puppy or a small child, instead of a grown man, a slightly drunken man, sure, but still. The Captain thought he should ask, Hans felt like he was his responsibility and he didn't impose anyone with that duty without their consent.

"Not going to join us, Captain? Just handing over Gaoler duty?" Hans joked dryly. He honestly meant it as a joke, but perhaps it did speak to his self-image. 

"We'll be fine, Captain. In spite of Anna's wariness, I'm pretty sure I can handle this driftwood log, and if he gives me trouble, I can always pitch him back out to sea." Kristoff joked, nudging Hans with his foot. 

"Oho, the Reindeer Lord has jokes. One of us is the Queen's fool, be careful who you challenge." Hans joked in return. He truly wore that stupid made-up title with pride. But then, Kristoff had his own made-up title, perhaps it was only fair.

"Hate to be an old fogey, but I'm afraid I've had enough excitement for one night, all I want to do now is get as much rest as I can to try to avoid having a headache in the morning," he said as he yawned. "I think my ears are still ringing from all that singing," the Captain twisted his pinky in his ear as if trying to dislodge something. "Keeping up with you isn't easy, you've completely drained me, boy. I need to hand over the reins and have someone else keep a watchful eye on you, just because of your capriciousness, and for your own well-being. Wouldn't want to find you floating in the fountain in the morning. I lost track of everything that happened tonight at the tavern, but if I recall correctly, I'm sure at one point you suggested doing a balancing act on a chair." 

"Oh, I've seen him do that once," Olaf interposed. 

"Of course, you've done it before, why am I not surprised?" The captain said with a disapproving head shake as he brought a hand up to his face. He let out a sigh. "Anyway, thank you for keeping tabs on him Lord Kristoff," he gave a nod in appreciation. "Fair warning though, his mood seems to be as fickle as the sea."

Hans laughed. "You flatter me, captain. And you need more practice at drinking if you plan to keep up with me. I was still sober at that suggestion." Hans grinned wryly. "And at the singing. I just like singing." He hummed. "Sleep, old man. See you in the morning, we'll try to keep tomorrow quiet then, hm?" Hans thumped the Captain on the shoulder, as good mates do. 

 "What else would we expect? Fickle moods seem to be all we know of him for sure." Kristoff pointed out. But he smiled and shook his head a little. "Tag me in next time, we'll see how I do at holding my drinks against a sea captain."

"I'd say bragging about your sobriety when acting like you were isn't something you should be proud of boy, but you already dub yourself a fool," he chuckled. "Indeed. Next time you're welcome to put him in his place," the Captain affirmed with a nod. "Goodnight gentleman, hope you enjoy the rest of your night-- and you don't cause too much trouble," he nudged Hans back. 

"I'm off to bed. I bid you all adieu." After one more reverence, the Captain took his leave.

 "Can I go to the drinking party next time too?" Olaf childishly asked. He wasn't aware of the alcohol involved, instead he was envisioning some sort of manly tea party. "It sounds like fun!"

Hans laughed a little. "Maybe when you're much older, little prince." He teased. "The men say things we oughtn't say around younger folks, and act more like fools than we ever should." He observed. "But what the captain doesn't know is, a fool is wiser than he seems, and a wise man more foolish than wise men ever think. The wisest man is the one who takes himself for a fool, even around fools." Hans smiled a little, playing wordplay games. He always liked puns and wordplay. 

"This is like that riddle, 'the wisest man is he who understands that he understands nothing'." Kristoff hummed. "Hans likes to say silly things, and worse, sometimes I imagine he says things that get him into trouble." Kristoff observed. 

"Aye, and out of it. More often out than in, but when in, then in big." He observed. It was a statement one really had to track to understand, but that seemed like the theme. Drunken philosophy night with the strangest assortment of characters around. "So, what are we all wandering about for?" Hans hummed. 

"The ladies are having a girls’ night, so I was on patrol to keep an eye out that you weren't up to trouble." Kristoff answered honestly. 

"What a good guard you are. You've certainly done that job." Hans hummed. 

"Out drinking with the Captain of the Guard? I bet that was a wild night." 

"Cards, drinks, and encouraging positive feelings toward myself. It's so easy, as if my last visit to Arendelle never happened. Anna is thus far the most sensible person I've seen." Hans admitted, a bit more soberly. 

"You're not upset?" 

"Oh, deeply. But that's sort of the point, isn't it." Hans didn't seem too bothered, just logical.

"Aw," Olaf groaned when he was denied his request to partake in the future fun only because he was deemed 'too young'. People kept telling him, 'when you're older Olaf', but when was that going to happen? He was a walking talking snowman, not an actual child though he was very much one in essence. Olaf tried to follow Hans and Kristoff's conversation, but got a bit lost in their philosophical talk. Hans smiled a little at Olaf. "Just as well, I don't think it would appeal as much to you, yet. Not really. In much the same way that politics only makes sense and isn't boring when you get older, it likely wouldn't be quite the same for you as for us." He assured him. He almost instinctively patted Olaf's head, perhaps forgetting that he was made of ice and snow.

 "You two seem chummy." Kristoff remarked, amused. 

"Of course. He's kept me company while I've been unable to walk around and chatter quite so much. I don't talk very much at home, it's good to be here and be able to say the things I think. Oh, Olaf, did you ever figure out what the meaning of my story was, that day of the raid? I suppose I never finished it. Predictable, but the best stories are the ones that take what you know and turn it upside-down. Like an hourglass, it renews the story." He may not have been drunk, but Hans certainly wasn't sober either. He was prone enough to meander (both in words and walk) while sober, and drinking only exacerbated it as he wandered off toward grass, just to walk on something more natural than cobble. Hans loved adventure, even if it was only venturing off the cobblestones.

Olaf laughed a little at being patted on the head. "Hmm...the meaning of the story?" he pondered. "I think it means that even the Mirror Prince had his own side to the story," answered the little snowman. It was obvious even to him what story Hans had been trying to tell him that day. "You know, I have my own retelling of that story too and so does Sven, don't you Sven?"

"Oh, I would wager you do." Hans agreed, sounding intrigued. "So you've figured out that I'm not just Hans the Fool, then?" He hummed, with a little smile. "I keep picking up titles these days, sooner or later I won't know what to do with them all. I wonder if they can be recycled. Someone else can be a prince, I'll keep Fool and Admiral and let the others slide." He joked, all lighthearted for the moment-- perhaps purely because Olaf was there. 

"Do pray tell, tell your version of the story? You can be quite a storyteller all your own." Hans remarked, his tone light and sweet. Kristoff wondered if that was what he was always like with children-- as Hans seemed under the firm delusion that Olaf was more of a strange child than a 'snowman given life through strange ice magic'. Kristoff supposed that was the better way to view things. Would he be like that with his own children? If Hans ever chose to have any, anyway. That would be its own pot of problems when they got there. Kristoff was glad that wasn't his problem-- but lately he had been thinking a lot more about families and family life. One could hardly blame him for thinking about the way Hans thought. Especially since he seemed to show a different face for every combination of company he might keep. Sometimes it seemed to change by the moment.

"Oh, yeah, everybody wouldn't be making such a fuss about you if you were just a fool, but I do prefer Hans the Fool," he giggled. The young snowman's face lit up at the invitation to share his account of the day he was created and the events that followed. 

"Okay, be prepared, I'm going to start from the beginning, well, my beginning since I wasn't there for the rest of it. This story starts up on the North Mountain where Elsa created me using her magic..." Olaf was very thorough in the retelling of his story. He told Hans how Anna, Kristoff and Sven freaked out similarly (or even more so) than he did when they first met him as well. He went into detail about everything (even the unimportant stuff) from how he got his nose, his love for warm hugs, mistaking Kristoff for Sven and of course his love for summer. Olaf continued his explanation about how he led his new friends up the North Mountain to find Elsa to bring back summer. Of course he couldn't gloss over he got impaled. And trivial facts like how he waited for exactly one minute before he joined Anna to talk to Elsa at the Ice Palace. How Elsa herself was also a bit shocked that she'd brought him to life. He described the sisters' interaction after Elsa stuck Anna and how they got kicked out by Marshmallow, only to have Anna aggravate him shortly after. He couldn't leave out how he bravely volunteered to distract and hold Marshmallow back to no avail and that they all ultimately fell off the cliff. Olaf didn't skip out on any of the awkwardness. He went on to talk about how they all ventured to Kristoff's 'Love Experts', and how he thought Kristoff was totally crazy talking to rocks he called his family until they revealed themselves to be trolls. Also that he figured out his name was Kristoff not Sven. Olaf relayed the full extent of their visit with the trolls, attempted wedding and all and how they went to go find Hans (for a kiss) after they were told that 'only true love thaw a frozen heart'.

He explained how he ended up getting separated from the group and that he was the one that had found Anna locked up after Hans abandoned her. Olaf recounted how he almost melted trying to warm Anna up. He was quite proud of his 'Love Expert' advice that made Anna realize that Kristoff really cared for her. Then it was on to how the two of them managed to escape a freezing castle through a window and make it to the fjord. Olaf had gotten blown away by the storm and so the next thing he witnessed was Elsa embracing a frozen Anna on the fjord. Olaf expressed how devastating it was to think they lost Anna forever, but was happy when he was first to notice that Anna had in fact been saved, her frozen heart thawed by an act of true love different than the one they all had envisioned and that none of them had expected. He conveyed how delighted he was at the return of the summer once Elsa was able to control her powers, even though the sun had promptly begun to melt him, but thankfully Elsa kept him from melting. That was practically the end of his story about the events he'd observed, because after that he had been too distracted and overjoyed, by his own personal flurry that allowed him to enjoy summer, to pay attention to everything else that was going around him, like Hans getting punched in the face by Anna. The little snowman was very animated with his explanation, transforming himself and acting out the parts as he went along, he was a very theatrical storyteller even more so than Hans. 

"...and that's the story of how I spent my first day of life."

Hans laughed through much of it, amused by Olaf's transformations and animated behavior, and all of his excitement. 

"You lived quite an adventurous life, and all in one day! Many people would be jealous, and I would venture to say you have lived the most adventurous life of any snowman. I wonder if Marshmallow would say the same? I very much remember Marshmallow, nearly killed me on the ice bridge, but what an adventure that was!" Hans hummed. He seemed quite fond of Olaf, and only more so with time. 

"You remind me of someone, somehow, but I'm not quite sure..."

"Yourself." Kristoff proposed.

 "How, exactly? We're not exactly alike." Hans pointed out. 

"You both laugh in the face of death, love jokes and stories, change to adapt to your environment, and everyone underestimates what you're thinking." Kristoff gestured to both of them.

 "...Well perhaps, but there's no need to insult him." Hans scoffed, tone a little flatter. 

"Oh shut up, I bet he's what you would have been like if you were raised in a happy family, without whatever screwed you up." Kristoff wouldn't let Hans deflect this one. And granted, perhaps Hans would have been a little annoying. Most children were. Olaf truly was just a child. 

"Hm. That may be so, but for once I don't find much merit in exploring hypotheticals. I can't imagine that alternative history. I'll have to just enjoy the one we're in, instead." His tone was perhaps a little less pleasant. If anything, he seemed a little more protective of Olaf, after that. He didn't want anyone to think they were like him. He was one of the disappointments, a prince turned treasoner and fool. He was not an example to follow.

"Ah, yes, an adventure of a lifetime, those were the days. My, how time flies." Olaf said in an almost reminiscent tone. "I don't know if Marshmallow would say the same, he's not much of a talker. But what I can say for him is that sure mellowed out since the last time," Olaf laughed at his own joke.

"You both love wordplay..." Kristoff added, amused, as Hans laughed at Olaf's joke. Hans was probably the only one who would laugh at that joke. 

"Your lifetime is only just beginning! You also lived through the assault on the castle, remember, there's plenty of adventuring time left." Hans assured, then he brightened up more. "Ah! I'm out of the castle, I can visit my horse in the stables! Would you all mind if we went? I haven't seen him in... probably a month? I'm not sure how long, now. Two?" He turned to go that way without waiting. Whether Kristoff wanted him to go or not, Hans wanted to see his horse. Kristoff shrugged and moved to follow. He was planning to end the night there anyway, and may as well let the man see his buddy.

"Oh! You have a horse? Is it a boy or a girl? What's it's name? Do you talk to them like Kristoff does to Sven," Olaf asked an abundant amount of questions as they headed back towards the stables.

Hans chuckled. "It's a boy, his name is Sitron. I talk to him, but he doesn't talk back." Hans assured with a little laugh. When he made it there, he jogged toward the horse, ignoring the pain in his side. Sitron seemed happy to see him, too, making happy sounds and tossing his mane. Hans threw his arms around his horse's neck and petted him. He was deeply fond of his horse, and they clearly missed each-other. Once again, it was easy to forget he was a prince, once. Now he was a man who had little but a mixed reputation, and a horse. A horse he was very glad to see again. 

"Hello you, I'll have to go riding again soon, they haven't been giving you enough exercise, hm?" He cooed to the horse, petting its nose. "I never thought I was going to see you again." While he kept his tone relatively neutral, it was just because there were people around. He had deeply missed his horse. He had few other friends.

Sitron was indeed ecstatic to see Hans again, it had been far too long that they were about. He gently trotted with excitement at the notion of being ridden again. His tail was raised in excitement and his ears were facing forward in full attention. Of course he had to sniff and nuzzle Hans with his nose. There was no doubt Fjord Horse had deeply missed his friend as well.  

"Oh, so that's Sitron, handsome horse, I was wondering where he'd come from, looks like he really missed you," smiled the little snowman. "Maybe you should groom him," he suggested, seeing that Kristoff had brushed Sven to start off the night and the reindeer seemed to enjoy it, so. "I know Sven likes it a lot when Kristoff does that to him."

"You know, I was thinking that myself." Hans agreed, immediately rolling up his sleeves and looking for the supplies to groom. Kristoff handed some over so Hans wouldn't have to think about it, and Hans happily took to tending to the horse as if he did that all the time. Maybe he had been a prince, but he had been a prince who wanted to be useful. "Ah, the lemon's turning into a lemon cake. You need to exercise." Hans teased, patting his horse's side to indicate that the horse was getting a little chubby. Still, he was glad his horse was being overfed, rather than underfed. He was the horse of a treasonist, after all. "Are they taking good care of you? You look well-groomed at least. No parade horse, but there's no neglect in Her Majesty's stables." Hans observed, more muttering at the horse than really talking to him as he groomed.

Sitron whinnied to show he was content. He was being treated well of course but he sure did miss going out for rides instead of being cooped up in his stall most the day. 

"Did you name him yourself or was he named that when you got him?" Wondered the curious snowman. "He doesn't look like a sour horse to me," he commented since he didn't understand why he was named after a lemon.

Hans chuckled. "I did, I was a boy and boys do silly things. He's got a slightly yellow-y tint and it reminded me of lemon meringue, especially with his mane." He hummed. "Certainly not a sourpuss, Sitron has been my friend for years. Sometimes the only one I felt like I could talk to, since he can't talk about whatever I tell him. Secrets are a resource in my homeland, they're hard to keep and valuable for it. No matter how mild, it seems it can be a danger. So if I only told my horse, I never had to fear it getting to anyone else. And what does a horse care what I have to say? He's a horse. He cares that I feed him, groom him, ride him, and make sure his shoes are on right." Of course, the stable hands handled the shoes in Arendelle. Not that he would usually shoe a horse, but he liked to at least make sure they were taken care of.

"Your homeland sounds like an awful place if you can't talk to anyone but your horse," remarked Olaf. "No offense to you lemon meringue, I'm sure you're a great listener."

"It is." Hans assured, nonchalantly. "Our family and staff have a lot of petty squabbles and teasing that tends to go... overboard. I'm the youngest, I get a lot more trouble than the rest. That's why I left for anywhere else. The sea is a great big 'anywhere else' to me. When I couldn't sail, I rode. As far as possible, somewhere as wild as possible. Often to a beach or a shore, sometimes to explore some forest. A horse makes for a fine friend, but it does lead to much less conversation." Hans admitted, focusing on his grooming. Sitron didn't seem offended, it was the truth.

"You and Kristoff are a lot alike when it comes to finding fine friends in animals, yet Sven does seem to converse more than Sitron. But then again Kristoff isn't much of a conversationalist when it comes to people, I've heard him sing that he thinks 'reindeer are better than people' when playing his lute," mentioned the childish snowman. "I think it's because he was raised by rock trolls," he tried whispering the last part.

"Aye, you could say that." Kristoff admitted, amused as he folded his arms and looked down at Olaf with a raised eyebrow.

 Hans laughed a little. 

"Maybe he's not wrong. A reindeer never committed a coup." He pointed out lightly. "Everything's a matter of perspective, I think. Perhaps the rock trolls have a better perspective." He paused a bit. "Did I know about the rock trolls? I think I didn't. That's weird. But not the weirdest thing I've seen, I hope one day to meet them, then. If only to say I've done it." He hummed a little bit at that. He liked experiences for the sake of them. Who needed reasons to see or do something new?

"You should definitely meet them, the rock trolls are fun, very nice, wise and they really like telling embarrassing stories about Kristoff," Olaf said, completely ignoring the look Kristoff gave him. 

"Maybe they'll do the fixer upper thing with you and Elsa, it looked like a lot of fun," he said, not really aware that it had resulted in the trolls attempting to wed Kristoff and Anna last time or was he? It was hard to tell will Olaf sometimes.

Hans looked curious, and chuckled a little. 

"Afraid I'm not a big fan of embarrassing stories from family." He admitted. "Too familiar with that bitter pill, myself. I'm not sure I know what you're talking about, but, it's probably for the best if we don't. I'm the Queen's fool, but I won't flatter myself to think we'll be spending much time together." He waved the thought aside, with a horse brush in-hand. Kristoff gave Olaf a curious look, wondering if Olaf was thinking the same thing he was about that. Olaf could be dim sometimes, but he -like Anna- had a habit of hitting upon the important things without knowing it.

For the first time in forever Olaf was uncharacteristically taciturn. 

 "Oh," he voiced in a slightly dispirited tone. He looked up at Kristoff a bit bemused.

Kristoff held the silence for a moment, a slow smirk showing up, identical to the one he wore when he wanted to tell Olaf all about how snow melts in the heat, but Anna stopped him. 

 "Flatter yourself, idiot." Kristoff shifted over to swat Hans playfully on the back of the head. Hans ducked, perhaps a little more than he needed to, receiving some small amount of the swat anyway. 

 "Excuse me?" He seemed uncertain whether he should be offended, or amused, but he looked a little more defensive either way. 

"You think she visits just to make sure your wounds don't rot? That's what doctors are for. Anna may not like you, but Elsa does, at least as a friend. You might hate yourself, but you're the only one. And maybe Anna, but she'll forgive in time, if I know her at all. I won't tell you to get over it, but at least get the picture; you're staying in the castle, you're going to see the Queen plenty. Still, probably best you don't see my folks and her at the same time, they're likely to marry you both." Kristoff joked dryly. 

 Hans laughed, a somewhat nervous laugh. But he didn't know how to respond, so he focused on brushing Sitron, instead. 

 "Let's talk about something else." He was quick to press the conversation away. Even if it was awkward, he would sooner hold an awkward silence than think about what Anna thought of him, or acknowledge that the Queen might like him. Somehow, both were painful.

Maybe the awkwardness now was karma for what happened earlier at the tavern. Kristoff had brought a wide smile back to the young snowman's face. 

 "You sure are a strange fellow," Olaf commented. Countless people would love to be in Elsa's good graces (especially since she still wasn't the most open person), but Hans seemed to think it was a bad thing, maybe he thought he didn't deserve that kind of attention, Olaf didn't quite understand and thought the former Prince was being silly, the title of Fool suit him quite well. He wasn't going to press him any further he saw Hans didn't seem too happy about the topic and Olaf preferred smiles to scowls. Of course Olaf couldn't bear the silence for too long, so he tried breaking it. He was an expert on changing the subject and going on random tangents. He didn't wish for Hans to stay silent, it just didn't feel right to him. 

 "Hey, Sven," he began "What do you call a reindeer with no eyes?" Olaf paused for a moment and Sven grunted. "What? You really don't know? I was only asking you cause you're a reindeer and I have no eye deer." He resorted to telling jokes, it was second nature to him. He’d much rather hear laughter than nothing at all.

Hans laughed quite suddenly at that joke, and rested his free hand on his face while he recovered from that one. 

 "Oh! That was a genuinely good one! it has layers." He did so love wordplay and puns. 

"Honestly, he has snow idea how to tell a good joke." Kristoff proposed. He liked Olaf's tactic. It worked a lot better. 

 "Snow thanks, Ice see what you're doing here." Hans retorted. They were probably going to be doing that a while.

And that they did. Once you start wordplay especially with people that are willing to continue it's a bit hard to stop. There were lots of snow and ice puns, of course, those were the easiest to make, as well as horse and reindeer ones, but the best kind of wordplay was undeniably the one that used their names.

  "I gotta Hans it to you, Sitron is looking more Hansome now that you brushed him," Olaf declared with a giggle. --

The puns continued for a long while, certainly long enough for Hans to finish tending to his horse and spending time with it. When it was finally time to leave, he gave his horse a fond farewell with reassurances that he would be back. Kristoff escorted him back to his room, just feeling as if that was now his duty, since the Captain of the Guard was gone-- and also he was the most sober one there (both of mind and body). 

By the time Elsa would have come to check on Hans, much later in the evening than she probably intended (because Girl Talk and catching up was simply too riveting), Hans had already decided to sleep, with an arm over his eyes and a leg hanging off the bed. Some people when they slept looked as if they had been laid to rest. Hans looked as if he had been thrown to rest, and he seemed perfectly comfortable with that fact. His hair was mussed and his collar rumpled, but only from the day's activity. And of course, he smelled a bit like rum and horse. It was sometimes easy to forget that he was an admiral. But not at that moment.

[bookenders]

11/11/11 Tag Game: 16/17/18?

Back again to spill the tea about myself for all you lovely people.Thanks @cataclysmic-writer, @maybeillwriteit and @aurisadventure for the tags!

My answers are under the cut. 😊

Rules: Answer the 11 questions of the person who tagged you, make up 11 questions, then tag 11 people to answer them. 

Bilbo Taggins: @brittanyisart, @quilloftheclouds, @brittanyisart, @brynwrites, @creatvrae, @elisabethrosewrites, @elizabethsyson, @ren-c-leyn, @yetmorestories, @pinespittinink, @timefire25

My Questions:

What are your thoughts on throw pillows?

Do you have any podcast recommendations? How about TV shows?

What month would you be on a calendar, and what would the picture be?

What is one book that you absolutely love, no matter what anyone else has to say about it? 

What’s your favorite kind of scented candle?

What’s your favorite urban legend?

Would you ever go on an arctic expedition?

What’s the furthest from home you’ve ever been?

What is the best snack?

How purple do you allow your prose to be/get? What’s your purple limit? Is there one?

What’s one word/line/scene/character that you want to put in a story, but you haven’t found the right place for yet?

@cataclysmic-writer‘s questions:

What do you eat or drink while writing? It varies depending on how I’m feelin’. Usually a big giant glass of water. I used to have coffee and/or tea, but it always got cold because I forgot about it. That’s actually how I used to measure my progress, by how cold the drink was.  And coffee got me too jazzed to sit still, so I stopped drinking while writing. Good for academic papers, though.

Best piece of advice you ever received? Like... ever? Okay. People are more interested in themselves/absorbed with themselves to really care what you’re doing. Very empowering for someone with real bad social anxiety (like myself heyooo).

Which book inspired you to write the most? I’ve talked about Laurie Halse Anderson’s Wintergirls before, and I’m gonna mention it again. And that I went to a signing for her new book Shout and I got to thank her and my life has been enriched a thousand-fold.

Which author do you try to emulate when you write? Oh, man, I do not do this at all. Okay, well, not at all, because I find it to be a valuable writing exercise to practice with. But I super don’t. I’ve done projects where I’ve emulated Walt Whitman, Philip Levine, Tolkien, Dostoevsky, Poe (eugh), and Anne Valente. Those were super fun. I like imitating styles and I’ve gotten pretty darn good at it. Sometimes I tell myself to put a Gaiman-like twist on a section, though, or describe something like another author if it fits the tone for funsies. But I like writing like me! 

Where did you get the idea for your current wip? I’ve already talked about Heart to Heart, so I’ll talk about “Fish Food!” This one happened when I was pondering superheroes, James Bond, tropes, evil monologues, and the like. I had the image of a hero tied up and dangling over a pit of piranhas while the villain detailed his evil plan. But the hero didn’t follow the script. And then, like every one of my short stories, it spun way out of control. I started to think of what heroes would inhabit this world that erupted from the fertile soil of my brain and suddenly I had a big complicated story that I was excited about. And it was funny, which is a change for me.

Do you have a go-to beta reader/writing buddy you bounce ideas off of? I do! One of my goodest friends is a fellow writer and she’s my spaghetti wall if I need assistance. We went through the same creative writing program one year apart and had different teachers, so we offer each other pretty different advice, and it’s great. She’s super into fae lore, too, which is ridiculously helpful for me, a nerd who is writing a light fantasy story with fae in it. We operate in different styles and genres, though, so sometimes idea-bouncing is a little tricky.

Which of your WIPs is your favorite? Of the ones I’m working on right now? Probably “Incarnate.” Partly because it’s closer to my usual writing fare, partly because it’s weird and disturbing in my favorite ways, partly because the ending is really cool and surprising in a way that hits you long after you finish it. I also like it because it’s hard for me to write. Yay, challenges!

Tea, coffee, or soda? Tea for chillin’, coffee for workin’, soda for pizza times.

If you could have any fantasy creature as a pet, which would you have? A brownie to clean my house, or a domovoi to act as a weird home security system would be neat. For non-practical purposes, I’d also say a pegasus. I can ride pretty well and it’d be so convenient to just fly everywhere on my awesome horse buddy.

Do you like creepy/scary movies? NOPE. I am a big chicken shit when it comes to spooky things. As a kid, I was terrified of E.T. That’s how bad it was. 

What genre do you have yet to write in, but want to write soon? Hm. Maybe historical fiction? I already play with it a little bit without actually going into the history part of it too deeply. Maybe I’ll give it a shot in the future.  I’ve always wanted to give magical realism a good try, though. It’s always been hard for me to write. 

________________________________________

@aurisadventure​‘s questions:

1. Who is your favorite oc? Why?

Right now, it’s Lithium from “Fish Food.” She’s just so fun. I also just figured out a big part of Jill’s character that I’m excited to add to H2H!

2. What is your favorite thing to do when you’re not writing?

I got into cooking a while ago, and that’s pretty fun. I do yoga sometimes. I read a bunch. I also like putting things together. Honestly, I’m a big giant nerd who likes learning in their spare time.

3. What is your least favoured genre?

Hard sci-fi is really hard for me to get into. And some contemporary stuff, but it’s not as bad as hard sci-fi.

4. Top three favorite video games? (Any console)

DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS (with Awakening DLC, obvs) (except for the goddamn Mage Circle Fade part I hate it and it deserves to burn in hell)

Ori and the Blind Forest (I’m stuck on the last stupid fire volcano level and I’m so mad because it’s hard but this game is beautiful)

To The Moon (so many tears, such good story)

Honorable mention to Assassin’s Creed 2. 

(I love RPGs.)

5. What’s the craziest thing you’ve done for inspiration?

Hm. I don’t really go out and seek inspiration like this. I just consume a whole lot of art in varying mediums. 

I went to a poetry slam one time. Does that count?

6. Buggy or Cart?

Horses, buggy. Oxen, cart. As much as I’d like to be Gandalf...

7. Have you finished any of your wips?

I am so goddamn close to finishing “When Your Song is Over and Done” I can taste it. I’m hoping to write that last stupid scene this week. It’s been the one WIP that’s been kicking my ass lately. How rude.

I’m a short story writer, so I finish a lot of my WIPs. It’s kinda nice. That’s also why longer projects scare me.

8. But like… can I read it?

😉

In the meantime, you can read these!

9. What is your favorite animal? Why?

Highland Cows! Just look at them. 

I’m sure I have a more interesting answer for this, but honestly, cows are all I can think of. I love cows. 

10. Name one place you want to visit more than anything.

Norway! Not sure why. Seems like a really cool place to be.

(I lied I love space and want to go to the observatories.)

11. What is your most cherished childhood memory?

Saturday mornings curled up in my grandfather’s armchair watching TV and eating Burger King before we go visit the animals at the farm.

________________________________________

@maybeillwriteit‘s questions:

1. Which oc would you most like to go for a drink with?

I don’t drink, but I think Treena would be an excellent conversation partner. 

2. Where do you like to write? Bed? Desk? Cafe? etc etc

I have a desk in my room. Not that I usually write at it. I’m good anywhere I can sit up straight and rest my arms.

3. Which of your ocs do you think people are most likely to make fanart for?

Eventually, I hope Mel. I love her character design. Or the superheroes and villains from “Fish Food.” They all have really distinct appearances and cool costumes/uniforms.

4. Favourite piece of writing advice you’ve received?

Probably the time my mentor also admitted he hated writing dialogue, but that sometimes you just gotta. 

5. Which place in your stories would you like to live? (i’ve read this sentence ten times and i ain’t convinced it’s grammatically correct lol)

(maybe: In which place/where in your stories would you most like to live? I dunno this one’s freaking my brain.)

Linsay would be the best place to live, I think. A very chill small town that has everything you need, very supportive soon-to-be friends, an apothecary on stand-by, and lovely weather. Its residents are fiercely protective and are very willing to look the other way where the law is concerned if it helps someone.

6. Do any authors/books influence your writing? Which ones?

Oh, tons. Jim Butcher, Laurie Halse Anderson, George Saunders, Anne Valente, Tolkien, Gaiman, Matt Bell, Aimee Bender, and a whole bunch more authors. And, if you wanna get all heartfelt about it, every single book I’ve read has influenced my writing, whether it’s learning how to do something, learning how not to do something, or finding a new technique that jives with my style.

7. Pick one song that represents your wip.

I’ve done a bunch of song stuff with H2H, so this is for “Fish Food:”

Honestly, my first instinct is “Superboy and the Invisible Girl” from Next to Normal. But it’s not quite right.

I also wanna say “Super Friends” from Holy Musical B@man. 

But in my heart, I know the true answer is “Under Pressure.” How could it not be?

8. Favourite thing about being a writer?

The feels! I love writing things and getting my own feels out, then making other people feel things. It’s so satisfying. 

9. Characters or plot, what came first?

Characters! Oh my God, always characters. And before characters, concept and theme(s). Sometimes a scene just pops into my head and I have to figure out who these people are and why they’re there.

10. Do you like writing prompts?

I do indeedy. They’re pretty helpful when I’m stuck. I only write for the ones that instantly spark an idea in my brain, though. All the ones I’m getting for my 800 followers celebration are insanely good. 

11. Part of your wip that you’re most excited to write?

Oh, man! So many!

H2H: The climax! Well, one of them. The one of the magic incidents and Mel and Gemma’s relationship, to be specific.

Fish Food: When my main two dudes meet Lithium! And figure out what’s going on with her. Or anything about Lithium’s real life. Her story is wild.

WYSiOaD: The goddamn rooftop scene that’s been kicking my ass for a month. It’s gonna be so emotional and poignant and great and I can’t wait for it to be over.

[fairyscribbles]

Love at First Bite - Witch. (Kyungsoo, pt. 4) [Chronicles of the Wolf series]

Enjoy~

-

"He doesn't look it, but he is one of the most playful members of the pack. How those two work is beyond me." Kyungsoo shook his head, leading you further down the hall.

"Are any of the other couples problematic as well?" You couldn't help but to ask- the dynamics of a mated couple intrigued you.

"Hmmm...well, there is Kris and Bom, for starters." Kyungsoo answered after a while of thinking. That didn't surprise you.

"Bom is the same as Bora but from the other side- she used to be a thief." Kyungsoo chuckled at the sudden memory.

"He actually imprinted when he caught her stealing our food." You laughed as well. Nothing better than a start of an original love story.

"And even now they still have problems, since Bom is pretty much against the idea of being marked."

Marked?

"Marked?" The question appeared again, only out loud this time.

"Mm..." Kyungsoo adjusted a random picture frame as he continued his slow pace. "Wolves are pretty... territorial. I'm sure that doesn't surprise you."

Not really, but your mouth was quick to open again. "With their women?"

"Woman," Kyungsoo laughed. "We mate for life. So while imprinting is important, marking is just as important for us."

It sounded like a very stupid question, but you had to...

"Why?" Your dumbstruck question had him laughing.

"Once a mate is marked, she is forever recognized as the wolf's. Other wolves can feel it in her scent and the humans see it in her mark. And she doesn't belong to anyone else but to him and vice versa." That had butterflies fluttering in your stomach.

"And...How do you mark?"

Kyungsoo said nothing, his eyes just flashing to yours as a small smile curled his mouth. It clicked, and you blushed madly even though he provided no clear answer.

"It's a bite," Kyungsoo said softly. "We are wolves, after all."

"Does it hurt?"

He seemed taken aback by your question, and really, so were you. Why you felt the need to know that was beyond you.

"Well yes, but my job is to make sure you don't notice the pain."

Your mind reeled at that, but he was already opening a door to the right and ushering you over.

"And this is my room." He told you with a small smile, holding the door open and waiting for you to walk in. The room was just like Kyungsoo- clean and organized, with everything having its place.

"It probably has the best view at sundown. Come on." He grabbed your hand, pacing over the length of the room, until he reached the balcony.

"You have a balcony in your room?" Kyungsoo chuckled, nodding.

"I have certain privileges since I did most of the work here." You almost didn't hear the last comment, because the balcony door opened and you saw something like never before...

"Ohh..."

"Pretty, isn't it?"

He led you out until you were pressed up against the edge of the balcony railing, Kyungsoo behind you just in case.

"Beautiful..." you breathed, watching the palette of colors paint the sky as the sun dropped.

When you watched the sun set, you realized one thing with a start and your heart fluttering.

"H-how am I going to get back home? The guards are already patrolling."

"I can bring you back," Kyungsoo said surely. "Don't worry."

"No!" You turned until you were face to face. "Don't do that. I wouldn't want them to catch you. That's..."

At this point, it was unimaginable. You didn't want anything bad to happen to him

Kyungsoo smiled, brushing your hair behind your ear. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

You shook your head again, grabbing his arms. You've heard of the horrible things guards would love to do if they ever got hold of a wolf. You didn't want it to be Kyungsoo. Especially not because of you. "No. I can go back alone if I have to."

Kyungsoo's amber eyes darkened at that.

"There is absolutely no way I'm letting you back alone. Not through the dark woods." Kyungsoo sighed, running a hand through his hair nervously.

"Look, I can hear Yixing calling us for dinner. If anything, you could maybe sleep here and go back into town tomorrow. I heard Yijie wanted to buy some stuff at the market."

"O-oh. Can I do that?"

It sounded quite interesting, spending the night in this crowded house. It felt so nice and comfortable here, so warm and homey. Especially with Kyungsoo.

Lately, living alone had been taking a toll on you. You never really left the house, and while you generally enjoyed your privacy, that also meant leading a rather lonely lifestyle. A family like this was both an intimidating and amazing change in pace.

"Of course you can," Kyungsoo said with a laugh. "Come on. I'll take you back to see more later if you want. Let's go get some dinner."

He held out his hand, and you placed yours in it without hesitation, letting him lead you out to the hall and down the stairs to rejoin the bustling family downstairs.

The two of you came in when the most of the family were already sitting in their places- only three chairs were vacant.

As the two of you sat down, Baekhyun and Chanyeol howled with laughter.

"Well, I guess Tao and Bora are the one chaired couple tonight." Kyungsoo muttered under his breath with a smile, plate in one hand as he shuffled in the food with his other.

"One chaired couple?" You asked him for an explanation, looking at what Kyungsoo was putting on his plate- you didn't know the cuisine at all, so you went by his instincts.

"Since one chair is missing, one person can't sit." Yijie leaned over Kyungsoo to explain to you with an excited glint in her eyes. It looked so cute, how happy she must've been to be able to talk to other people.

"And so usually the mate has to ride the wolf for dinner." When he heard Yijie's words, Jongdae choked around his food with hysterical laughter.

"Okay, who taught her that?" Yixing glared at the two of them, both of them pointing at each other.

"Hey! We didn't even have to teach her bad things. She mixes them up by herself," Chanyeol said between snickers, blatantly ignoring Jimin's glare.

"It makes it a lot more fun for us," Jongdae added, to which Haerin just clicked her tongue at him.

"I'm not even sure if I want to help you correct her," another wolf added, brushing his brown hair from his forehead, only to take a long swig of something from a bottle that couldn't be for juice.

You turned to Kyungsoo as he filled your plate, and under his breath, he murmured, "Baekhyun."

"Ah..." You made the mental note as you scanned the rest of the busy occupants.

You spotted them all, tagging them off in your head as well as you could - across the table, it was Kris and Bom, Chanyeol and Jimin, Jongdae and Haerin; then it was Minseok and Haneul in the corner, Yixing and Yijie helping to serve the food they prepared, an empty chair for Tao and Bora your right; to your left was Kyungsoo serving people food naturally, the Baekhyun man he'd told you of, Luhan and his mate whom you haven't met, the teleporter Jongin, and two other men whose name you didn't even know yet. One, with a shock of blonde atop his head, was speaking to Jongin as the other listened to the ruckus in the dining area with such an expression of calm and fondness. An alpha, your brain supplied instantly. Which made for two - Kris and this man with the chocolate brown hair.

Kyungsoo set the plate down in front of you, and the growl of your stomach was painfully immediate. "Ohh..."

You crossed your arms over your belly, to which Kyungsoo just chuckled. "Good thing we're eating now, hm?"

You nodded rigorously at him, still looking at the way Yijie blushed adorably when Yixing explained to her what she just said. She looked so cute, it was impossible to describe.

"Oh, oh, oh, wait for it! Here it comes!" Baekhyun's excited whisper hushed the whole room down and Bora with Tao walked into the complete silence.

"We're sorry we're late. We still had to check the perimeters." Bora apologized curtly, not being able to bow as she wanted because of the arm of her mate wound around her.

"It's okay, though I regret to inform you..." Kris was the one to speak up, probably saving his pack from the feared captain.

"That you have the one chair left."

"Ahh..."

Your eyes widened when you saw Bora's cheeks fill with color. She stared at the empty seat for a moment before looking up at her mate, who just sighed and took her hand to lead her to the chair. He was pretty good at keeping his composure as she awkwardly settled on his lap.

Kyungsoo just chuckled as he set your plate down in front of you. "That's always fun to see around here."

You turned to look at him gratefully, picking up a fork to dig in.

"Fun?" Kyungsoo nodded.

"It's usually when the shy mates are put there- for example Bom or Bora and at times, Yijie. Even Haerin, who's been Jongdae's mate for a long time, still blushes when they get the chair." You moved to look at each of the mates Kyungsoo mentioned- it was evident that Bom was holding onto Kris under the table because of the soft expression he currently sported and Bora, who yelped when Tao hoisted her up higher in his lap, making the wolf laugh.

His chuckle died down when he felt Bora twist his wrist up, making him howl and to your surprise, the other wolves laughed.

"You should stop messing with her," Kris chuckled.

Tao let out a whine before spouting off in a language you didn't understand. Bora gave you - of all people - a look of confusion before frowning at her mate. "I hate it when you do that."

Kyungsoo chuckled, settling down beside you with his own plate and answering your unspoken question. "Tao is from Yixing and Yijie's home country too."

"And so is Kris." Tao revealed, rubbing his wrist and biting at his mate as a form of revenge, making her squeak in surprise. That playful exchange made you feel giddy. It made you feel like...you might just want that.

For your whole life, you've been with a few men, but you never had anything like that with him. The playful banters, the cute kisses and hugs...you wanted that. And with a small glance to the side, you might know who you want it with.

Your heart began racing. Being with a wolf, it was hard to imagine. But at the same time, you couldn't deny the thrill. Especially because of Kyungsoo...

"You okay?"

"Huh?" You jerked, coming back to the present with his query.

"You've just been staring... at me for a while..." Maybe you were imagining, but his cheeks looked flushed.

"O-oh." Your face heated in the same way, your gaze falling to the barely-touched food on your plate. "Sorry..."

"Just got lost in my thoughts."

"The main thing is that you found your way back, then." He grinned at you, something which you couldn't help but to return.

It was different, this wolf love, but it felt more natural than the conservative regulations of the capitol. There, even Bora's innocent sitting would be punished with more than twenty hits with a whip.

A last shake of your head tried to run the thoughts out of your mind, as you dug into the food. The spices were foreign, something you've never tasted before. It tasted very good, though, and your hungry stomach asked for more.

There was a feeling of someone looking at you and you turned to look at a happy Yijie.

"Is it tasty?" She asked you, her last fiasco probably forcing her to shorten her sentences.

"Very tasty," you confirmed, beaming at her before going back to putting forkfuls of food in your mouth.

She just laughed before offering her mate a bite. Yixing opened his mouth with a loud 'ahh~', and again, you were back to looking away from the intimacy.

This room was drowning in it, and while it wasn't something you felt particularly opposed to, it was making you think too much. Making you kind of jealous, and you weren't sure you liked that.

"Almost makes you wanna throw up, doesn't it?"

"Huh?"

Yijie looked offended, and the man clarified with a wave of his hand. "No, no, the food is amazing, noona. I meant all the lovey dovey stuff in here."

He gestured to the entire room, then at your face. "I see it on your face."

Kyungsoo chuckled from beside you. "Don't corrupt her, Baekhyunnie."

"I'm not," Baekhyun scoffed, taking a bite from his plate. "I'm just trying to let her know she's not alone."

You smiled at Baekhyun in understanding. You weren't even with the pack for a day, how must Baekhyun feel to see these things on a daily basis?

"Are you mated, Baekhyun-sshi?" You asked, your voice as polite as it could get. The wolf grew solemn for a second, before taking a swig from his drink.

"I'm...not."

Kyungsoo's hand patted your leg gently under the table, and immediately, you bit your tongue. No more questions, easy message to decipher.

"But you know, I figure I'd rather be the one disgusted than contributing to the atmosphere," Baekhyun explained with an almost self-deprecating laugh. The fact that he took another large swig just punctuated that. "Not that you're not welcome to it, ___."

You were just going to ask what he meant by that when you were interrupted with Kyungsoo's squeeze to your leg. "So how do you feel about spending the night so you don't have to walk the woods in the dark?"

"Yeah! You really shouldn't go out in the night!" Yijie called out, mouth full with food.

"There are creatures outside different from wolves. Creatures without a heart, that won't hesitate to attack." Jongdae rolled his eyes, taking another bite from his dinner.

"Yijie, there's nothing out in these woods that could hurt you when we are here." The seemingly cute girl turned to the wolf with a hiss.

"You didn't see her. She was standing right in front of the house the first night I stayed over."

"Who was?" Blood ran cold in your veins. To see the adorable girl turn so serious, she couldn't have been lying.

Apparently, she didn't know the word in your tongue, so she said it out in her mother language. And even with that, the name sounded like trouble.

"She said she saw a witch." Luhan translated for her, a small smile on his face.

"I don't think you have to fear a witch, ___. We have a witch here by the table."

"Soomi-sshi is no witch. She is a seer." Bora spoke up with furrowed brows, looking at Yijie.

"Seers are much different from witches. Seers work with nature, helping it and those in need...and they are alive, unlike witches." The whole table died down, trying to listen to Bora's explanation.

"Witches are dead servants of the devil. They feed on fear and on pain. They latch on a town, so they have many victims on who they can feast on. It would be a surprise if there wasn't a witch latched on the capital." Bora shrugged, taking a bite, almost nonchalantly, as if she was talking about weather.

"How do you know so much about this, baobei?" Tao asked his mate gently, awe written all over his face.

"My brother is a witch hunter. And my baby sister hunted vampires. All three of us know the basics of what a vampire, were and witch is. Yijie-sshi, what did the woman look like?" Yijie set het fork down, squeezing her hands tightly together, looking like she not quite wanted to talk about it. The memories still frightened her.

"Well, she...she was very pale...her skin was a greenish grey, and she was wearing a dirtied nightgown, ripped up already...her hair was long and very, very messy…but...but her face was the worst. She...she had no soul." Your heart dropped and you seriously hoped that they just were having a scary story session.

"Her eyes were...yellow and...crazy. She looked completely crazy, as she stared right...right at me..." Bora's look hardened.

"That's a witch, Yijie. How come you haven't told us?"

"Is that why I found you asleep under the bed and the spices on the window those times?" Yixing's voice was much softer than Bora's, as he grasped his mate's hand gently. Yijie welcomed the touch, because you could see how she squeezed back.

"The spices were supposed to ward her away…but then she came in again a few days ago...I told you about it, I really did." Yixing's look was guilty.

"I thought you were having a nightmare, tianshi...I'm sorry..."

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it now...Bora, do you know how to kill it?" To your horror, she shook her head.

"Unfortunately, I wasn't trained to kill a strong witch...I will have to talk to my brother." Kris sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Alright then, until we do that, nobody is going out of the house after dark. Is that clear?"

"B-but-"

Kris turned to you. "Oh, ___. Sorry about that. We'll make up a room for you though. For the night. We'll plan better next time, won't we, Kyung-ah?"

Kyungsoo just chuckled. "Yes, duizhang. I'll help you with your room, ___."

You nodded, but you couldn't help but worry. How could they just talk of such scary things and expect you not to worry? Of course, the women here were also all mated, so they had protection. You didn't.

"It'll be fine, ___. I promise," Kyungsoo told you with a smile.

You smiled at him, but it wasn't as sincere as you wanted to be. All what was in your head was your own imagination of the dead woman with crazy yellow eyes. In fact, it haunted you so much, you couldn't enjoy most of the evening with the wolf pack. You couldn't laugh whole-heartedly at the bickering between Jongdae and Baekhyun, at Yijie's little misspellings. You couldn't even appreciate when the runt of the pack, Sehun, came to showcase you his superpowers. All you could see was that dead look and manic smile.

It haunted you all the way until everyone retired to bed, and Kyungsoo showed you to your room.

"Your room is just across from mine. If anything happens, whatever it is that will upset you, come right to me, okay?" Kyungsoo told you with a stern glance, hoping you would do as he asked. Your panicked nod had him sighing.

"Wouldn't it be better if...you just slept in my room? You know, backs facing each other, all that...or?"

Your eyes were darting around frantically, your hands wringing together.

"I-is that... too much to ask?"

Kyungsoo looked back at his own door. "They really shouldn't have told that story during dinner, hm?"

You fidgeted, reminded of the eyes. Kyungsoo was still hesitating, which only made you more embarrassed of the request. Shaking your head vigorously and clenching your fists, you decided against it. "You know, that's okay. I'll... I'll stay in my own room. Thank you, Kyungsoo-sshi."

You ducked into the room with a final, forced smile at Kyungsoo's dumbfounded face. The first thing you did was pull the shades shut, closing the curtains until there was barely a crack to between the fabric. You changed into the clothes provided for you, constantly glancing around at the windows for any sign of disturbance.

You would make it through this. You had to.

Climbing under the covers, you tucked yourself underneath until the sheets covered the top of your head, and you closed your eyes tight, praying for sleep.

-

It was only a couple of hours later. A couple of hours of you thinking of the most mundane things to keep yourself occupied, with half of them ending up Kyungsoo-related and thus leaving you at ease enough to fall into a shallow sleep.

It was then that you heard the scratching. You didn't want to peek, because if it was hard enough to rouse you from sleep, then it must have been bad. But you weren't as brave as you hoped you would be. You weren't sure what to do when the scratching turned into a banging.

Smothering your sob with one hand, you curled into a ball. God, this couldn't be happening.

All you could picture were those eyes. That face, the threat it posed.

The banging was getting more aggressive. You couldn't.

You shot up off the bed, nearly tripping on the sheets as you scrambled out, fumbling briefly with the doorknob before practically falling into Kyungsoo's door.

There was a shocked grunt, and you had just enough time to stand up straight before Kyungsoo was ripping the door open and you were tumbling into his arms.

"___!"

"Kyungsoo! K-Kyung... soo..." You buried your face into his neck, holding on to him as tightly as your trembling arms would allow.

He held you just as tight, his hand smoothing down your back with attempts to comfort you. "Shh~ What is it? What happened?"

"Sh-she's out there! She was... b-banging on my w-window!" You were shaking your head over and over, still shaking.

Kyungsoo cursed under his breath, his hold on you not letting up. "I should've just had you stay with me. Dammit."

With a small growl, you were being lifted up and carried into Kyungsoo's room. The door was faintly closed behind you, but the only thing you had in your head was the swaying body behind your window, tapping against the glass mercilessly.

"Shhh~, ___...it's okay...I'm here now..." Kyungsoo's calming voice whispered into your ear as he slipped back into bed, under the covers with you still gripping him tightly.

A soft sob racked through your body, and you buried yourself deeper in Kyungsoo's warmth. His arms wrapped around you- one gripping your waist tightly for security while the other was in your hair, massaging your scalp comfortingly.

"I'm so sorry, ___...I'm here now...it's alright now...don't worry..."

For some reason, you found yourself shaking your head, your face burying as close as you physically could to him. Kyungsoo's hands smoothed over your back in comforting strokes, his lips mouthing what were likely soothing words. Not that you could hear them past the pounding of your heartbeat.

"She was knocking on my window." It came out in a rush, into the warmth of Kyungsoo's neck.

"I know. I'll check on it."

"No!"

Your arms squeezed him closer. You didn't want him to leave you, and you definitely didn't want him going out there to potential danger.

"I don't want her to hurt you."

"O-okay... I won't..." He brushed his fingers through your hair.

"Don't leave me..."

"I'm not going to, ___. Shhh~"

Your tears had subsided, but you were still trembling. Kyungsoo seemed to pick up on that because he tucked the blanket tighter around you.

"It's okay. She won't bother you in here. She can sense me. She doesn't like wolves."

It wasn't his statement that made you feel better. It was his presence; just having him there made you feel safe. His arms were strong around you, his legs tangled with yours.

"Go back to sleep, okay..?"

You nodded, hoping to try. The excess warmth you could feel radiating from him definitely helped. You realized he probably wanted you to move, but you couldn't find it in yourself to release him.

You thought about saying something, asking him if this was comfortable or if you should move away a bit, but Kyungsoo was already moving you, making sure you were facing away from the window, as he wrapped his arms around you from behind, smothering your back against his front.

"This is more comfortable..." he muttered his reasoning into your hair and you nodded, grabbing onto his hand that wound around you. Immediately, his fingers entwined with yours, squeezing them in reassurance.

Kyungsoo sighed behind you in contentment, his breathing evening out quickly. You found yourself relaxing, finding the protection wrapped around you reassuring. She wouldn't get to you while Kyungsoo was here.

So you were glad for the gradual calming of your heart rate, the slowing of your breaths to match the pace of Kyungsoo's.

And thankfully, dream land was peaceful.

-