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sailoryooons · 10 months

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Gods of the Dark | Two | myg (m)

☾ Pairing: Dream god!Yoongi x f. human!reader

☾ Summary: Don’t ask for help in the dark. It’s an old tale you always heard whispered among the people of your village. But when you find yourself dragged kicking by the man you’re to marry, you have little choice but to beg for help long after the sun has set. The god who answers your pleas promises to save you, but every deal comes with a price.

☾ Word Count: 21,443

☾ Genre: Fantasy, angst, strangers to lovers, smut

☾ Rating: 18+ Minors are strictly prohibited from engaging and reading this content. It contains explicit content and any minors discovered reading or engaging with this work will be blocked immediately.

☾ Warnings: Sexist and patriarchal society inspired by medieval europe, a lot of world building and discussion about theories/concept of dreams, discussions of morals and ethics, world building, angst, mentions/light depictions of an abusive family, discussions of gender roles and forced marriages, attempted murder via arson, sexual dream sequences, depictions of oral (f. receiving), exposed bodies (in a brothel), pining, townsfolk essentially bullying reader, intense nightmare sequences, light depictions of PTSD (including memories of almost drowning/being physically attacked), explicit language, idiots who are obviously into one another being idiots, recreational drinking, topics of desire, feelings of shame, depictions of anxiety and fear, slight voyeurism, attempted murder

☾ Published: December 2, 2023

☾ A/N: It's finally here! This chapter took so long to write and I want to apologize for how long it took. The creative process can be so difficult sometimes, and I have been having a very hard year, which reflects in my writing. Thank you for sticking with me - I really hope this chapter is okay. This originally wasn't going to be as slow of a burn as it is, but this is where the story took me naturally, so I hope that's okay with everyone. I am going to be adding an extra chapter to this now to tell the story the way I want, so we will have five total chapters to this. I am already working on chapter three, and my goal is to write just this series until the next three chapters are done! Note: The sections of italics are used to indicate dream sequences for this fic - the way I use these are very specific and with intent... that's the only hint I will give you.

A huge thank you to @here2bbtstrash for being my beta reader - I give them huge beta projects with very little time to do them, and this story would not be nearly as polished or tuned as it is now without them. Also thank you to everyone who has been so encouraging and patient with me - your kind words are not lost on me and I'm thankful for you all!

☾ Disclaimer: All members of BTS are faces and name claims for this story. This is entirely a work of fiction and by no means is meant to be a projection, judgment or representation of real-life people. Any scenarios or representations of the people and places mentioned in works are not representative of real-life scenarios.

Eyes in the sky crying geysers How dare I have private desires

First is your mother’s screaming. It’s loud enough to make you clap your hands over your ears, wincing as she drops all of the things in her hands. Second is your father storming into the house like a hurricane, an axe clutched in his hand from cutting wood in the yard. When he sees you, he blanches and takes a few steps back, raising the axe.

“Demon,” he whispers. He reaches for your mother and pulls her behind him. “You are a demon.”

“No, I-”

Without a warning, your father launches the axe at you. You scream, arms going up to block your face, unable to dodge the attack. There’s a loud crack as the axe hits an invisible barrier. You feel your hand fly to your open mouth, staring at the axe that’s now hewn in two on the floor.

Silence follows the destruction of the weapon. In that silence, it occurs to you that your father has attempted to kill you, and was only stopped by whatever protection Yoongi promised you. The realization is dizzying and you stumble away from your parents a little, bumping into the wall that separates the kitchen and the entryway.

No one says anything at first. Your mother clings to your father, trembling violently. Her hair is greyer than you remember and it looks like the last few days haven’t been kind to her. But she has always been soft and weak.

It’s your father who no longer looks the same. Always such an imposing figure in your life, he looks aged. His face is wrinkled, his hair is grey. His presence is so much smaller than you remember, once full of rage and ferocity, now just a terrified man in a doorway.

You cannot believe this is the man you’ve spent most of your life afraid of. Where once stood a great fear of yours now stands nothing more than a shadow of a man. Weak. Afraid. Vulnerable.

“You can’t hurt me anymore,” you say in a voice much steadier than you feel. “You can’t marry me off, you can’t make me burn my books, and you can’t hurt me anymore.”

“What kind of demon are you?”

It occurs to you that you could tell him you’re not a demon. You’re just you, with a little added protection. But the realization that they are afraid of you wakes up something ugly inside of you. Something oily, that slithers, something wicked and sharp.

You don’t have to tell them you’re not a demon. You don’t have to tell them that you are. They have come to that conclusion themselves, and it has put them beneath you. Afraid of you. You’re more powerful than you’ve ever been in this home.

So you let them think you are. “The kind that survived Nathaniel Laudermill beating me in the woods and trying to drown me.”

Your father straightens. “That wasn’t supposed to happen! You weren’t supposed to run and he- he wasn’t supposed to hurt you.”

“Well, he did. And he paid for it, didn’t he?”

When you say it, you have a sneaking suspicion that Nathaniel Laudermill is dead. When your father nods feebly at your question, the knowledge slides into place. You don’t feel bad. It almost horrifies you that you don’t, but you think of the burning in your lungs, his nails against your skin, the roaring of the water.

You’re glad Nathaniel is dead.

“What do you want from us? Money? Our lives?”

“Nothing.” You realize it’s true, suddenly stricken with wondering why you came back at all. “I want you to go about your lives, and let me do what I will.”

Pushing off the wall, you turn around and head out the front door. You feel their eyes on you as you go, but you don’t look back.

For now, you walk out into the woods. Crickets chirp happily, growing quiet as you walk by and starting once again when you’re a distance from them. Under the shade of the trees, it’s cold. The river isn’t flooded up into the woods anymore, but the ground is soft beneath your feet, mud giving way to your steps.

It feels different when you walk through the woods this time. They aren’t as vibrant. No Tiera is lurking in the boughs of the wisteria. There’s no lake with merfolk peering at you with large, alien eyes. A world that was once so full of life and peace feels unsaturated now. Devoid of color.

A nasty feeling creeps up on you as you walk. You look for the creatures of the wood, hoping to see their bright colors and little lives. A snake slithers away from you, but it’s just that. A snake with normal scales, in a normal bush. A rabbit rushes by, quick as lightning, a blur of fur.

None of the birds have plumes of purple feathers. There’s no trilling song that sounds like dreams spun into notes, no smell of drifting sweetness on the wind. The air is damp and cold, and it smells like fresh earth and water. But there’s nothing about it that seems as vibrant as before.

By the river, the water rushes as fast as your thoughts. You weren’t sure what to expect when you came home, but it wasn’t this. It wasn’t your parents thinking you were a demon, but that isn’t the worst part.

The worst part is that only after two weeks, your world has lost its magic. It pales in comparison to Yoongi’s world or even your imagination. You stare at the water you used to think rushed with so much promise, the waxy leaves that used to contain so many shades of green. Now they’re just leaves and the river is just water.

A tingle presses at your neck. You turn, expecting Yoongi to be looming behind you. There’s no one there, but the feeling of awareness doesn’t go away. Frowning, you lean against the tree and stare out into the woods unseeing.

Clove and cinnamon hang in the air. You close your eyes, inhaling. The tingle at the back of your neck feels familiar. In your mind, you feel it like a phantom touch, sliding from your neck across your shoulder, dragging down the length of your arms until there is a soft twitch in your palm.

It’s easy to imagine Yoongi this way. But when you open your eyes, Yoongi isn’t there. The feeling doesn’t go away. But you always have that feeling out here, the something of other. Your heart flutters at the thought of the god lurking somewhere that you can’t see.

A silly thought. You brush it away, trying not to delude yourself into fantasies that Yoongi has any interest in you beyond your deal and beyond that night in the woods where you asked for help. Yoongi’s kindness is just that, and though you dream of him often, you know the difference between your dreams and reality.

Instead of leaving to go back to the house, you sit down on the ground. Closing your eyes, you imagine a brighter world. A more magical world. It’s easier to do this than to contend with the fact that the woods you loved so dearly are not as you remember them.

This, at least, is familiar. Sitting in the woods for hours and imagining worlds away from yours. Now, you imagine a specific world, made up of twilight and mountains in the distance. With a wonderful castle full of rooms saturated with candlelight and books you’re learning how to read.

When your stomach growls, you’re forced to stop your imagination and get up. You feel a bit better, knowing that you can at least remember what Yoongi’s dream realm looks like. Two weeks. You have two weeks until you can go back, and until then, Yoongi expects you to study.

Back at the house, your parents stare in silence when you enter. You hardly look at them, walking to the kitchen as though they are merely ghosts harboring the same space as you. Your movements are methodical as you make yourself lunch. When you reach for the knife to cut cheese, you feel the pointed look of your parents.

Part of you wants to turn around and scream at them to scare them. Another part of you has divorced the idea of them as your parents already. Yet you do nothing, biting a piece of cheese as you finish plating your meal and go to your room. They say nothing.

Sitting on your bed, you eat your meal. The world is quiet for the most part, though the muted sound of nature hums beyond your closed window. You realize there is a desk in your room stacked with books, parchment, and inkwells.

Heart racing, you get up from your bed and cross the room. You wipe your fingers on your shirt as you pick up a note written in Yoongi’s neat scrawl. You chew your lip as you look at the swirls and dips of letters on paper, immediately intimidated at the prospect of making sense of the writing.

You take the note with you to the bed and begin to parse the letters and sentences apart. It takes all of your concentration, going over the sounds each letter makes in your head to build a word. It’s not fast work and it isn’t easy, but after a while, you work out the first sentence.

Do not forget to practice every day.

A smile makes your mouth twitch, both in pride that you managed to work out the sentence and at the thought of Yoongi hunched over his desk writing you a note.

The second sentence is trickier. Afternoon light pours through your window as you spend another fifteen minutes sounding out the letters, quietly muttering them to yourself until you’ve got full words to build the sentence.

I will be watching, so you better practice as often as you can.

You bite your lip. It sounds like a playful threat, quietly muttered in one of Yoongi’s teasing moments. You can almost hear the soft rasp of his voice and picture the smirk that would accompany his words. You shiver before reading the final sentence.

Sleep well, and dream as often as you can.

The desk is a nice touch. You don’t remember seeing it this morning and you wonder how it got there. Remembering Yoongi’s magic is overwhelming. You’re still unsure what the limits of his power are, if there are any at all.

Hunched over the papers, you begin to trace letters again. It feels good to have the quill in your hand. You’re careful not to spill the ink all over the paper like you do when you’re practicing in the library - you have a limited amount of parchment here, compared to Yoongi’s endless amounts in the House of Dreams.

It does beg the question whether he’ll drop you off more magical paper if you run out, though.

By the time your hand is cramping too much to practice more and your head hurts, it’s evening. Your parents are locked away in their room when you come out. You can hear the soft voice of your mother go silent when they hear you enter the kitchen for food before heading out to the porch.

Twilight skies stretch above you. Sitting on the edge of the porch, you watch the world fade from purple to black. The stars begin to dot the sky, the moon making her climb upward. You grin, feeling relieved that maybe not all of your world has lost its magic.

Perhaps it’s just the light of day you’re no longer interested in. The night is far more mysterious and alluring, calling to you as you finish your last bite of dinner. You set your plate down on the porch and hop down, feeling the soft grass beneath your bare feet.

The last time you entered the woods in the dark, you were almost killed. That memory alone makes you pause at the edge of the woods. Your mouth dries a little bit and though the urge to step into the shadow of the night is strong, the memory of Nathaniel’s hands on your hair is stronger.

You turn around quickly and walk back to the house, picking up the plate along the way. It feels shameful to be afraid of the dark woods, a sour taste in your mouth as you lock yourself in your room and crawl onto the bed.

Closing your eyes, you try not to think about Nathaniel. His yelling haunts you, the phantom grip of his fingers pulling your hair, the way your mouth filled with water- a hooting owl disturbs your spiraling thoughts.

You open your eyes, straining your ears, only to find silence. Just as you begin to close your eyes again, you hear the hoot once more. Turning toward the window next to your bed, you sit up and pop the latch, casting open one of the shutters.

Above the house, the moon is a glowing coin in the sky. Everything her light touches is awash in grey. Sticking your head out of the window, you sweep your gaze back and forth, trying to look for the sound of the hooting.

As though it senses your gaze, the owl hoots again. You see it this time. A great horned owl stares at you from its perch on top of a pile of chopped wood. Its eyes are burnished gold, like two burning beacons in the night. It’s a stunning owl, all browns and whites, feathers luminous under the sheen of the moon. It moves its head in a circle, opening and closing its beak.

Then, the owl surprises you. You flinch and sit backward on your haunches as it takes flight, great wings flapping as it flies to your window and lands on the ledge. You gasp in delight. The creature is far bigger up close, its ochre eyes warm and intelligent.

The back of your neck tingles familiarly and you smile.

“Are you supposed to watch over me?” The owl chirps, a much higher-pitched noise than the hoot. “Hmm. I see. Do you have a name?”

The owl bobs its head from side to side in an uncanny movement. Though you’re not sure, you think it means to tell you no. “Well, what if I give you one?” The owl chirps again. “What about… Moony?”

Fluffing its feathers, the owl shifts back and forth and lets out a hiss. You giggle, covering your mouth as the bird settles, looking at you in a way that certainly feels haughty and bothered. “Alright. What about… Dream?” Another hiss and a bob no. “Okay, well you’re making this quite difficult. What about…”

A dozen names run through your mind. You think of the owl as Yoongi’s way to watch over you at night. It makes you feel warm and far less alone than you were before. It’s nice knowing that you have a protector, someone to warn Yoongi if you’re ever in danger. Or to steer you away from your bad thoughts.

“How about Guardian?” you offer. It blinks two large eyes before chirping and bobbing its head in a circle, pleased at the name. You grin and slowly reach your hand forward. “I like it. Guardian, then.”

Gently, the owl leans forward and lets you brush its feathers. They are silky under your touch, each plume delicate and wonderful. You can’t help but smile, stroking the owl's chest until it shuffles back and forth and gives a short hoot.

“Go on,” you urge. “Do whatever you need to do. I’ll leave the window open?”

Guardian hoots in affirmation before shuffling its wings and flying off into the night.

Laying in your back, you stare up through the open window, watching the stars go past. Slowly, you feel sleep pull at your edges, beckoning you to give in. You finally do, drifting asleep under the silver light of the moon and a blanket of stars.

Yoongi sits in front of the fireplace in the library. You blink a few times, a little dazed. You don’t remember how you got here, but you know the smell of this library and you know that shadowy frame better than anything. It suddenly makes you ache to realize how much you miss it already.

As if sensing your presence, Yoongi turns to look at you. He smirks, showing no sign of surprise at seeing you standing behind him. He gestures to the armchair next to him and you grin, quick to join him.

Warmth leaps from the fireplace, the logs popping and crackling under the hungry, orange flames. Yoongi is dressed in a simple linen shirt and pants, his necklaces reflecting the burning light. He watches you sit down and fold your feet onto the chair.

“Am I here? Or am I dreaming?” you ask.

“Are both not possible?”

You think about it. “Well yes, I suppose they are. I’m dreaming but I can come here because I’m dreaming.”

“Clever girl.” Yoongi’s eyes dance as he looks you up and down. “How was your first day back?”

“Strange. I…” You chew on your lip, wrapping your arms around your legs. Suddenly, you feel more at home than you did earlier that day in the place you were raised. You think about the woods out behind your house, the alien way you felt among trees that should be familiar. “It feels as though the world doesn’t hold as much magic anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

“Like here. It is so vibrant and beyond imagining that now that I’ve gone back… nothing compares.”

Yoongi hums. “I promise you that there is so much magic in your world. There is real magic in living that cannot be found among the imaginary.”

You rest your chin on your knees and sigh heavily. “If only I could find it.”

“You will.”

Silence passes between you. It’s comfortable. You watch the dancing fire, the world fading away. Though you are acutely aware that Yoongi is staring at your side profile, you don’t squirm or feel anxiety. You simply feel peace, happy to be here. Happy to be with him.

That makes your stomach flutter. At least you’re not dreaming of him in ways you shouldn’t tonight. As soon as you think about it, you feel your cheeks heat up hotter than the flames from the fireplace.

After a little while Yoongi sighs, drawing your attention back to him. “You should sleep.”

“I thought I was.”

“Sort of. You’re more… dreamwalking right now. You’re not really resting.”

“Do I have to stay here?” The question is small. You don’t meet his eyes when you ask, suddenly filled with shame that you can’t even last a day in the world you’ve known for over twenty years. “There’s nothing for me here.”

“There is. You just have to find it again.”

“I don’t know how.”

Yoongi stands up. You look up at him and see that his expression is soft. Kind. Your heart speeds up, tongue heavy in your mouth as he slowly reaches out to you. His hand hesitates for a second, pauses in mid-air like he’s unsure, and then he touches your cheek lightly. “Trust me.”

Before you can respond, Yoongi is walking away. The skin on your cheek tingles where his fingers were a moment before, a shiver racing up your spine. You lift your hands to touch your cheek where his fingers were moments ago. You can’t help but smile, fondness for him growing. Blooming.

Leaning back in the chair, you close your eyes and settle into real sleep.

Tap tap tap.

You twitch your nose and roll your head to the side, sniffing. For a moment, it felt like something had been tapping your nose, almost waking you from sleep. You start to sink back into it, pulling your covers tighter as your thoughts drift… further…

Tap tap tap.

You frown. Now you’re awake, your thoughts clawing their way to break the surface of sleep. When you finally collect yourself and register that you’re waking up, you open your eyes to reveal a face hovering inches from yours, so close that you cannot make out the features.

A shriek rips through your room as you scramble away from the face, clutching your blanket. You slam into the wall near the window, heart hammering as you press yourself flat, trying to make yourself small.

Taehyung falls backwards on his ass, covering his ears and giving you a ghastly expression, as though horrified to be screamed at in such a manner. Your hand clutches your chest as you realize it’s him sitting on your floor and him who had been inches from your face - tapping your nose.

“What are you doing?” you holler at him, fisting your blankets. You suddenly feel sick, the adrenaline making your stomach turn and your head spin. Groaning, you lay on your side, squeezing your eyes shut. Colors coalesce behind your eyelids as you take deep breaths, hoping it will pass. “Are you insane?”

“Well, that is up for debate.”

You open your eyes and glare at him.

Taehyung sits with his long legs out in front of him, leaning back on his palms. His dark hair hangs in his eyes as he grins at you, giddy. He’s dressed in a flowing white shirt with laces at the front that he’s kept open, revealing a tanned chest. His shirt is tucked into brown trousers and you spot a small chain with a charm tied through one of his belt loops.

You think you recognize the charm from one of Yoongi’s necklaces.

“What are you doing here?”

“Visiting, obviously.”

“You can just… visit?”

“I do what I want.”

As the adrenaline rush fades, you slowly sit up, glaring at the man on your floor. “I doubt that. How did you get in here, anyway?”

“Your window is open.”

The window in question is still wide open from last night, only now, morning light streams through. The air is cool and smells of rain, the wind rushing through the trees and making them bend and dance under its guidance. A robin flits from bough to bough, singing.

“So you came through the window?”

“No, I came through the front door. No one else is home.”

“Then why did you say you came through the window?”

“I didn’t. I said the window was open.” Taehyung gives you a white, square grin. You clench your teeth and resist the urge to throw a pillow at him. Though you’re pleased to see him, you’re equally as vexed by his teasing. “Anyway, I want you to show me around.”

“Show you around what?”

He gets up from the floor, clapping his hands together to get rid of the dirt and dust before doing the same to his pants. He shrugs, giving you a cheery smile. “I don’t know. Anything. Everything. I want to see what your life here was like.”

“It wasn’t very good.”

“That’s okay. I want to see it anyway.”

Slowly, you get out of bed. He makes room for you, walking over toward the desk where your writing practice sheets are. He flips through them, examining your work as you eye him, stretching. Your joints pop and you groan, eyes fluttering at the release of tension.

“Why?” you ask. He looks up at you, brows raised in a question. “Why do you want to see?”

Taehyung contemplates his answer. He taps one long finger on top of your tracing. “You’re getting better.” He leans against the desk and crosses his arms, regarding you steadily. “I’ll make you a deal. Show me about your life here. Teach me about you. And I’ll tell you about me.”

That sparks your interest. You know so little about Taehyung, even in the two weeks that you’ve lived in the House of Dreams. He is a charming mystery, someone who speaks in riddles and likes to goad you and talk about so much that you realize he talks about nothing at all. At least, not anything substantial.

For the amount of things you know about Taehyung, like how he enjoys cinnamon in his tea or that his favorite color is green like the bottom of the lake, or how his favorite snacks are honey cakes or that music makes him cry, you also know… nothing about him. Where he comes from. Who he was before he was Yoongi’s companion in a big, lonely castle.

Sighing, you walk up to him and extend your arm. “Deal.”

Taehyung’s hand is warm and tingles when you shake it. He grins at you, happier than ever before he drops your hand and gestures at your clothes. “Well go on,” he says. “Change out of your nighties. Unless of course, you’d like to stay in them.”

“Get out of my room and I will!”

He raises his brows. “Don’t want me to watch? How boring.”

You don’t take his teasing to heart. You’ve already adapted to Taehyung’s jesting and prodding, learning that it’s a key part to the way that he shows his affections. For the first few days, you’d thought perhaps he didn’t like you much, but after seeing him rib Yoongi for two hours straight in the library, you realized it was good that he was teasing you.

You open the small trunk of clothes and slide on pants and a loose shirt. When you enter the main house, you find Taehyung standing on the porch with his arms crossed over his chest, looking into the woods with a frown. Tucking in your shirt, you step out onto the porch, the wood creaking underneath your weight.

“What is it?” you ask when Taehyung doesn’t turn to greet you. His eyes are dark and there’s an expression on his face that makes you nervous. “Is there something out there?”

Instead of answering directly, he asks, “Is that where Yoongi found you?”

Oh. Oh. Taehyung is looking at the woods where you ran off the night that your parents tried to make you marry Nathaniel. You nod and hum, trying not to think much about it as you finish tucking in the shirt and adjusting the material.

“There’s a bad energy there,” Taehyung observes. He turns away from the woods finally and drops his hands at his side. “You should stay away from that place moving forward.”

“I didn’t exactly go in there on purpose.”

“I know.” Something flashes in his eyes. “Best not to do it again, if you can help it. You can go into the woods, just not there.”

“Okay…”

You wait for Taehyung to elaborate, but he doesn’t. A chill settles over your skin, the wind picking up to rustle the trees. He shrugs and grins, the dark expression gone in a flash as he gestures for you to enter back through the house and leave by way of the front door.

Taheyung follows you, a bounce to his step as he hurries to walk next to you. You say nothing as you lead him out of the yard and toward the main road by your home that leads into town, your stomach fluttering with nervousness as you go.

If Taehyung is confused as to why you’re not starting the story of your life at home, he doesn’t let on. He tucks his hands into his pockets and walks next to you, his feet crunching the gravel beneath his boots and the wind lifting his hair.

Studying Taehyung’s side profile, you think he looks like something from a dream. He has the kind of beauty that seems purposeful and handcrafted, each one of his features carefully designed to be the wonderful, glowing being that he is.

You don’t know what he is, really. But you’ve made a deal and you have to deliver on your end first.

“We live a bit away from town,” you say eventually. “My father inherited the house after his father, who was a very talented wood carver. He used to cut the trees here himself and decide which tree was perfect for what project, which is why we live almost thirty minutes from town.”

“A wood carver is a nice talent to have.”

You nod. “He was very good. It made a good income. My father had no talent for it, though, and opened up a store instead. He sold my grandfather’s wares and then eventually added items from other folks in town, including my mother's clothes. She’s a seamstress.”

“You were wearing a dress the night Yoongi brought you home.”

Home. Taehyung says it so easily, like he’s already accepted that the House of Dreams is yours as much as it’s his. A warm feeling blooms through you, and you look up at Taehyung and smile at him despite the looming subject of the doomed wedding dress. He returns your smile just as broadly, even if he doesn’t know the reason for your sudden turn of happiness.

“Yeah. That was one she made,” you sigh, turning back to the road. “A wedding dress.”

“It was beautiful, but I did burn it in the fire.” You look at him with your brows raised and he gives you a sheepish shrug. “You were assaulted in that dress. We wanted nothing to do with it.”

“I’m glad that you did. I never want to remember that night again.”

“Good. Memories have a way of haunting us, even when we don’t know it.”

Taehyung’s tone is ominous. Instead of asking him what he means, you let his weighted silence fall around you, propelling the both of you toward the town.

As you get closer, houses and other roads begin to pop up. You see the pathways leading up to the homes of your neighbors, pointing out each one to Taehyung along with filling him in on summaries of their family histories and gossip. He listens with a conspiratorial smirk, gasping and asking you scandalous questions as you whisper rumors you’ve long heard from eavesdropping on your parents.

Gossiping with Taehyung is nice. You feel lighter than you had the day before, nearly skipping as you near the town proper. You start passing people on the road. Normally, you’d greet the ones you know. Now, you hear gasps as people flinch when they see you, making signs with their hands to ward off evil.

You blink in surprise, glancing at Taehyung for his reaction. He frowns when he sees the second group of people do it. By the third, he pulls a snarling face at them, making a child cry. You jam your finger in his ribs and he hisses in pain, shoving lightly back.

“What?” he demands. “You’re not evil. That sign doesn’t do anything, either. If one of the more malevolent deities wanted to snatch them, they would.”

“Really?”

Taehyung rubs his ribs where you poked him. You pass the bakery owned by the Yen family, heavenly smells wafting out the door. “Of course they would,” he huffs. “Most deities aren’t bound by the rules and logic the mortals try to make to create a sense of safety from them. Many can simply do what they want.”

“Then why don’t they?”

“Because of Eternals, like Yoongi. The gods who are always here, never changing. That’s why they’re called Eternals.”

“I see. There’s seven of them, right?” Taehyung hums the affirmative. As you pass a music shop, Taehyung slows. His hands are linked behind his back as he eyes the instruments through the window and gestures at them. You nod and follow him indoors, the bell on the door above chiming. “So other deities are afraid of them?”

“Of course they are,” Taehyung muses. He stops to admire a mandolin. “Yoongi, for example, is a being that creates dreams themselves. He manipulates reality. He can create things on a whim. He’s almost as powerful as life.”

“Really?”

“What are dreams if not creation? The difference isn’t all that big, though it drives Seokjin mad to admit it.”

“Who?”

Taehyung plucks the string of another instrument. You don’t know what it is, but the note is sharp, making you cringe. “Life, of course.”

“You know Life? What are you?”

He glances at you sidelong. “We’re supposed to learn about you first. I’m doing a lot of talking.”

“Not like it’s hard to get you going,” you mutter.

Taeyung shoots you a scowl, but is interrupted by the shop owner coming around the corner. He’s a man in his late thirties, greeting Taehyung politely and wiping his hands on his trousers. He asks Taehyung if he’s looking for anything and just as Taehyung leans out of the way to reveal you standing behind him, the shop owner’s eyes go to you and he gasps, stumbling backward.

“You’re supposed to be dead,” he whispers, his back bumping into a shelf of items. You feel a shiver slip down your spine as you stare at him, arms tingling. He makes the symbol to ward off evil, the whites of his eyes wild. “Evil. Evil creature, you are a demon. You do not-”

“Another word,” Taehyung cuts in, his voice dark in a tone you’ve never heard. “And I’ll show you what evil is, sir.”

“G-god of Light spare me.”

“Your God of Light won’t answer.” Taehyung spins on his heel, facing you. His expression is thunder, his gaze dark and eyes wild as he hisses, “Speak their name all you wish. It's not daytime in here, sir.”

For the two weeks you’ve known Taehyung, you’ve never seen him like this. The room feels oppressive and dark, and you swear the lights have dimmed, shadows pressing up against the wall as Taehyung strides forward and passes you, taking your arm firmly in his hand.

Taehyung escorts you out of the store, walking swiftly. When you hit daylight, the oppressive dark sheds itself immediately. Taehyung’s presence dims with the sun beating down on him and turning his skin copper, black hair shining almost blue in the light.

He lets go of your arm and shoots you a troubled gaze. “Don’t listen to him,” he grunts. “You’re not a demon, nor are you evil.”

“My parents called me the same thing.” He scowls and begins pacing. To keep him moving, you start walking toward the other side of town where the old cemetery and abandoned church is. You don’t know why you go there, but you’re drawn to it. “They called me a demon.”

“Demons are much nastier. You might be annoying, but certainly not a demon.”

You scowl and he shrugs. “I didn’t realize everyone here thought I died. I thought I would come back and it would be…”

“Normal?” You shrug a shoulder.

The houses on the edge of town are shabbier than the rest. People hesitate in their doorways, staring at you and the tall, handsome man next to you. You see them do the warding sign as you go, and you squeeze your hands into fists as they do.

Weeds crawl up the side of the old church. The structure leans heavily to the left, the stairs unusable and the ceiling fallen in. Instead of walking up the hazardous steps and inside the dilapidated building, you lead Taehyung around it, where the grass grows higher than your knees and the sound of grasshoppers buzzing by you follows.

A dry-rotted fence surrounds what was once a graveyard. You walk toward it, leading Taehyung until he starts slowing down a few paces behind you. You stop and turn over your shoulder to look at him, bringing your hand up to shield your eyes from the sun.

Taehyung looks thoughtful, dark eyes scanning the area. He’s stopped walking entirely, head cocked to the side. “Why’d you bring me here?”

“I don’t know. I just… walked in this direction. I used to come here for the silence, sometimes.”

Taehyung has a strange look on his face. “Is that so?”

“Why do you look like that?”

“How long has this place been here?”

“The church closed before I could remember. Honestly, they said it was haunted by this graveyard, which has been here a lot longer than the church. Even the oldest families in town don’t have their dead buried here. Rumor has it that it was built long before the town was.”

Taehyung starts walking normally again. Side by side, you begin to navigate around the graveyard. “And you come here? Why?”

“It’s quiet. When I was too young to stay at the house alone, my mom would bring me to town while she ran errands. I was allowed to explore, but I liked to come here.”

“Most kids are afraid of places of the dead.”

You shrug. “It was quiet, and it gave me time to imagine things. I liked to make up fantasies about the old gods here or… what I imagined they might be. Of heroes descended from them, maybe.”

“And you felt drawn here?”

You startle when a grasshopper shoots across the grass in front of you. You laugh as it vanishes into the foliage. “Yeah, it just felt… safe.”

“Strange.”

“Am I allowed to ask why or are you going to complain you’re talking too much again?” He snorts and gestures for you to continue. “Why is that strange? Beyond the fact that it’s, you know, a graveyard.”

Sighing, Taehyung squints up at the line of trees nearby. His hand hovers along the tops of the grass as he runs it over each blade, letting the tips tickle his hands. You’re almost waist high in grass, glancing down to make sure you don’t step into any holes.

“This place is old. The people of the church felt haunted because they were. Death owns this land.”

You frown. “Well, the dead are here. The other graveyard doesn’t feel the same.”

“You misunderstand me. Death - the Eternal. His presence is all over. Someone important to him must be buried here.”

“Oh.”

You stop and think about that. Turning to look at the unmarked and lime washed tombstones, you scan for any sign of Death. You have no idea what you’re looking for. Ivy and time have taken over most of the concrete slabs, and none of the names or dates are legible by now. They’re just hewn stone, buried in green and grime.

But you feel something here, a tingling on the back of your neck like the one you felt in the woods by your house. A chill wind blows over the land, sweeping the grass and rattling the trees. You feel the breeze against your neck, cool as fingers trailing down your spine.

Suddenly, you feel a buzz on your skin. It’s not so different from Yoongi’s presence, and it chills you.

You look up at Taehyung with wide, fearful eyes. He smiles and shakes his head. “You don’t need to be afraid of Death. Death is neither good nor bad, he just is. He only takes those who are ready.”

“Have you met - um - Death?”

Taehyung nods. “He is a man of few words, but Namjoon is unwaveringly kind and wise.”

“Strange that I was drawn to coming here.” You head back toward the town. The sun passes its zenith and makes its way into the early afternoon. “Is this whole place filled with Eternals or what?”

“No, it’s actually a rather unremarkable location. Namjoon lingers in many places. Yoongi was simply drawn here.”

“By what?”

Instead of answering the question, Taehyung sticks his hands in his pockets. “Show me more of your town.”

So you do. Taehyung is a good companion. Where Yoongi would quietly observe and make sounds to indicate that he’s listening and admires the things you’re talking about, Taehyung asks questions. You realize he’s a tactile person as well. He touches things as he walks by them, brushing his fingers on fabric, touching jewelry at vendor stands.

Everywhere you go is a similar reaction to the instrument store. People seem happy to see Taehyung at first before they see you, fear making them lean away and ward you off. You realize you don’t know how much time has passed since you vanished from the woods and returned.

When you ask Taehyung, he shrugs and explains that time moves differently and inconsistently. It could have been a day, it could have been a week, it could have been five months. By the looks on the faces of those you pass, you think perhaps it’s been a little longer than you anticipated.

Part of you wonders what lie your parents must have told them about your death. You almost want to ask, but you don’t, anxiety stilling your tongue. You probably wouldn’t be able to get close enough to anyone to ask anyway.

By the time the sun has sunk beyond the horizon and the moon has begun its climb, you and Taehyung stop at the tavern to eat. Your stomach rumbles as you step into the warmth of the room behind Taehyung, and you notice that the place goes quiet.

It’s subtle at first, something you don’t notice as you kick dirt off your shoes, but the hush becomes so intense that you can’t help but look up, gaze sweeping the room as everyone turns to stare at you.

Behind the counter, the barkeep straightens. His name is Sloan - you’ve known him since you were a little girl - and he looks less than happy at your arrival.

“I know I’m pretty,” Taehyung announces loudly, tossing the hair out his eyes. “But you don’t need to stare.”

“You aren’t welcome here,” Sloan says, voice wavering like he’s unsure if he means it. “Begone, demon. We are men and women of life and light!”

You swallow thickly and look around, feeling prickly heat crawl up your neck.

Like at the music shop, something happens to Taehyung, except this time, it’s stronger than before. The candles in the chandelier and on the tables flicker in a phantom wind and darkness pulses in the room. You feel energy rolling off of him and you swear Taehyung gets darker as he steps forward, his presence oppressive and threatening.

There is crying and gasping in the room as he seethes. “We are not demons, and you will not disallow this woman to enter your shops, your homes, or anywhere else she wishes.”

“Taehyung,” you whisper, throat dry.

He doesn’t seem to hear you. You swear there is thunder in the distance. Whatever power belonging to Taehyung is tenfold now that the night sky stretches over the tavern. “Refuse her service, and there will be consequences.”

“Taehyung,” you hiss, snatching his sleeve. You pull his attention to you. His eyes are like two obsidian coins. There is something sharp and lupine about his face, sending your heart hammering. “Stop. This is making it worse.”

“They should not insult you.”

“It’s fine.”

He softens a touch. “It isn’t. You are not… they do not understand you.”

“They never have. Come on, let’s just go.”

For a second, you think he might not. You don’t know what Taehyung is or what he can do. It doesn’t frighten you, though. Because whatever Taehyung is and whatever his intentions are, he’s linked to Yoongi. Yoongi would never put you in harm's way or let Taehyung near you if he was a threat.

Even after such a short period of time, you know this in your heart of hearts.

Taehyung relents and the light returns to the room. No one makes a sound, all eyes on Taehyung as he lets you pull him out of the door and into the night. You immediately feel better outside, the moon washing your skin in light and the stars watching you march into the street.

“You can’t just threaten everyone who insults me,” you snap, though you’re not really mad at him. “They’re only going to hate me more. And they will think you’re a demon when you do that.”

“I’m far more powerful than a demon,” he sniffs primly. “And they should not insult you. You have the favor of Dream. You are -” he cuts himself off and shakes his head. “Well, you’re far above their station. They know nothing.”

“Far above their station,” you snort, crushing a rock under the toe of your boot. “I’m a girl who was strange when they knew me before they thought I was dead, and now they think I’m a demon walking around with her scary demon husband. Or perhaps they think you are an evil entity.”

“Don’t make that joke around Yoongi,” Taehyung mutters, putting his hands on his hips. Before you can ask what that means, he says, “What if I took you somewhere instead, then?”

You raise your brows and look around. “Where?”

“Well not here. Somewhere familiar to me, where they won’t ostracize you.”

“We’re going to travel in the middle of the night.”

Taehyung gives you a square grin that lights up the world. “Time to learn about how we travel.”

You almost vomit on Taehyung’s shoes. He squeals and steps out of the way as you bend over, holding your middle as bile burns its way up your throat and splatters onto the gravel beneath you. It feels like your world is spinning and you’ve lost your center of gravity, having been pulled by something sharp in your stomach into a vortex of what felt like twisting and spinning.

It could only have lasted a second, but Taehyung has to hold you up for a moment as you gasp for air, the taste in your mouth sour and gross. You crane your face to look at him, glaring as he winces. He had given you no warning of what his travel was like or how it would feel.

You’re not looking forward to it again.

“What,” you pant, “was that?”

“Teleportation, mostly. I kind of forgot what it feels like when you’re… human. You get a little scrambled.”

The nausea makes your throat clench and unclench again. You dig your fingers into his arm as you dry heave but nothing comes up. “A little?” you rasp. The world slows its spinning and the watering feeling in your mouth that preludes puking fades. “That was awful.”

“Sorry, it’s different than portaling. That’s more stepping through the door while teleportation is like... Jumping.”

“Don’t jump me again any time soon.”

Taehyung pats your back heartily as you stand up straight. The stars swim above you in a spiraling cosmos. You close your eyes and take a few deep breaths, waiting as the nausea fades away and the world around you bleeds into the forefront of your attention span.

Noise hums from in front of you. You’re standing in an alleyway, looking up at the side of a building. It looks a bit like an inn, but you can hear the clamor of a crowd and loud voices coming from inside. Each window is curtained, keeping wandering eyes and the moonlight outside.

Taehyung leads you around to the front of the building. It’s two stories and on the first floor there’s a porch filled with chairs and gambling tables. There are men and women draped over the furniture, smoking sweet-smelling cigars and laughing loudly as they throw dice on the table.

Women and men in various states of undress sit on the laps of the others. You feel heat crawl up your neck as you avert your eyes, looking up at the sign hanging over the building that says Desert Rose. Nervousness tingles at the back of your neck as Taehyung strolls up the steps to what you’re sure is a brothel and a gambling den, greeting people as he goes.

You’re shocked that Taehyung knows people here. You’re sure that you’re still in… your dimension, as Yoongi calls it. The people here talk with an accent that is different from what you’re used to, but you still understand the language, even while struggling to keep up with the lilt.

Eyes follow you as Taehyung leads you inside. The air is thick with perfume, smoke, and loud voices. Tables are pressed closely together, filled with people. There’s a bar at the back of the room and a small bard and band in a corner, singing a raucous song with the crowd about Lady Trown who gets around and will go down.

“Where did you bring me?” you ask Taehyung as he guides you through the rowdy room. A woman falls over a card game laughing, her breasts spilling out of her shirt while another woman plants a kiss right on her mouth. “This place is - is -”

There are no words for it. You’ve never been somewhere that is so openly indecent and carnal in your life and yet… the colors and the sounds and the overflowing joy hit you like an arrow to the chest. You can’t help but be drawn to look at the exposed bodies before darting your gaze away, only to be drawn somewhere else out of insatiable curiosity.

“A haven!” Taehyung offers as he leans on the bar. “Two pints of whatever!”

You press close against him, hands shooting to his shirt as someone pushes by you. It’s a little overwhelming and you feel hot all over. Taehyung shoves a wooden tankard of amber liquid into your hands and grins, raising another to his lips before taking several swigs, liquid running down his chin and neck.

He comes away and smacks his lips, giving you a delighted grin. “It’s awful, just the way I like it!”

You take a sip and make a face. The watered-down ale is certainly nothing like the sweet wine Yoongi likes to treat you to over dinner. Taehyung seems to know this, laughing loudly as he leads you through the crowd toward an empty table in the corner.

Back against the wall, you take a moment to look around the room. There are card and dice games being held at multiple tables, alongside other games with rune-marked stones, cups and trinkets that you don’t recognize.

It’s wildly different from anything back home. You’ve never been to a brothel - at least, you think this place qualifies for one, based on the various states of undress and a few couples doing something that makes you avert your eyes - but this is nice. In its own loud and carnal way.

Taehyung people-watches with you. He feeds you information on the faces that he recognizes, lips curling as he gossips. He looks alive and happy, his golden skin glowing with a radiance that seems a little magical.

“So is it my turn to ask questions?” you ask, sipping the awful beer as you look over at Taehyung. His gaze reluctantly strays away from watching a card game where you’re pretty sure the woman who is winning is cheating. “Or do I still have to talk about myself?”

He smirks. “You can ask questions, a deal is a deal.”

“What is this place?”

“The Desert Rose.”

You glare. “What is this place to you?”

Taehyung takes a sip of his ale and grins, winking at you. “A better question. This place is somewhere I used to visit when I wanted to feel alive. When I wanted to feel humanity for its raw intensity.”

“So you’re not human.” He shakes his head. His face grows a little hesitant, but he doesn’t tell you to stop. “What are you?”

“I’m a dream.”

You blink once. Twice. You expect Taehyung to start laughing and indicate that he was teasing you, but he doesn’t. He leans back in his chair, watching you evenly with his dark eyes.

“What?” you finally ask.

“I’m a dream. The second ever, actually.”

You think about what you’ve observed of Taehyung. The way that he seems to draw people in, the animated manner in which he speaks. He seems to contain so many multitudes of the things you know that Yoongi enjoys, and yet so many things that press Yoongi’s buttons and rattle him.

Taehyung is… beautiful. Enchanting. Both to look at, and to talk to. He has a carefree personality and you know he’s magical, having witnessed it in the House of Dreams in snippets but also today, when he became angry and the darkness seemed to swell around him. Not to mention his awful teleportation to wherever you are in the world now.

He is exactly the kind of person you always imagined being the lead in your fantasies. Brave and charming, handsome and adventurous. He looks like he belongs here, melding to the energy around him, fitting in perfectly.

Suddenly, the thought of Taehyung being a dream makes more sense than anything else. A being of infinite possibilities, one who can shape themselves to anyone and anything, who can sense what people want and become that very thing.

You’re not sure what the complexities of dreams are, but you understand the very basics from Yoongi: most dreams are flexible and full of infinite possibilities. It’s what makes them so real, so strong.

“That makes a lot of sense,” you murmur. “So you’re old.”

“Very.”

“If you’re the second dream…” you trail off, thinking about how Yoongi explained how he came to existence. How life dreamed and so he was born. “Yoongi is the first. That’s why you say he is Dream - he is the first and the essence of dreams.”

“Very clever.”

“When you said you came here to feel alive, what did you mean by that?”

He sighs heavily. “Yoongi was born because Life dreamed of - well, making life. And when Yoongi was born, he was the very concept of dreaming itself. Imagination, creation, wonder, hope. It’s why creation and dreaming are so close in their nature. But still, there is a difference between lifeforms and dreams.”

“You wanted to know what it was like to feel life?”

He nods. “Yoongi made me as his first companion. He couldn’t help it, really. He didn’t make me on purpose so much as he thought of someone to spend time with, someone to offset him. To balance him. And then there I was.”

You chew on your lip. There is a distant look in Taehyung’s gaze. He stares at his ale, not drinking anymore. He picks at splinters in the tankard handle, the noise around the two of you a dull roar.

“But?” you offer, sensing his hesitance.

“But,” he agrees, nodding. “When Life created humans, I wondered what the difference was between us. I sort of looked like them and I talked like them, but I wanted to know what it was like to be them. And dreams… They are wonderful. Beautiful. But I was afraid they weren’t real, so I started to visit here. To go places. To see if life was the same as dreams.”

“Is it?”

He shakes his head. “It’s not better, it’s not worse. It’s just different. But I did learn that dreams are as real as life. Perhaps you cannot always see them and feel them depending on where you are, but anything someone dreams here is real there.”

“That’s sort of comforting.”

Taehyung smiles. “It is. Plus, I really enjoy people. They have an edge to them that dreams don’t.”

Someone catches Taehyung’s attention. He turns in his seat, head craning as though he senses something. You follow his line of sight to where a young man descends the stairs leading up to the second floor. He is unlike anything you’ve ever seen, with dark, silky hair tucked behind his ears, full lips that pull into a smile as someone greets him, and sharp, dark eyes that crinkle when he laughs.

He’s beautiful. Suddenly you think that this might be what a dream truly looks like. Taehyung is all dark and shadows, but the man Taehyung watches is lightness and magic, his face so perfect that you cannot help but imagine it must be the result of someone carefully painting every feature.

Your eyes flicker back to Taehyung when the man leans on the bar, talking to the barmaid behind the counter. Taehyung doesn’t move. You don’t even think he’s breathing. He sits in his chair, knuckles paling under the grip he has on the back of his seat, his eyes filled with such sudden longing that you have to look away.

“Who is that?” you ask gently. Taehyung doesn’t seem to hear you. He watches and watches, wanting to look nowhere else but at the bar. “Taehyung?”

“His name is Jimin.”

“That’s a pretty name.”

Taehyung nods. “He’s like you.”

“Like me?”

“He dreams loud enough for us to hear it. For me to hear it. I’ve been coming to this place long before he existed. A silly coincidence that he exists here, too.”

“Fate, perhaps?”

That makes Taehyung turn around. His expression is dark and he’s frowning. “Don’t start talking about Hoseok,” Taehyung mutters. “Lest he show up.”

You didn’t mean Yoongi’s sibling Fate, but you realize that’s who Taehyung is talking about. Your eyes drift back to where Jimin is at the bar, sipping a glass of amber liquid. As though he senses eyes on him, his gaze sweeps the bar until it lands on Taehyung, who straightens immediately.

Jimin smiles and it’s like watching the first ray of sun break over the horizon. You can’t help but blink at his radiant beauty, completely taken aback by it as Jimin pushes off of the bar and begins heading your direction.

Taehyung swivels in his chair, taking in a few calming breaths. You giggle and he looks up at you, giving you a pitiful smile. You reach across the table and squeeze his hand quickly. “Don’t be nervous.”

“I’m not nervous!”

“You definitely are.”

Before Taehyung can hiss a rebuttal at you, Jimin sidesteps a woman and grins at Taehyung. He drags his gaze to you and startles, as though he had not realized you were there, eyes going round and mouth forming an ‘o’.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize you were with anyone,” Jimin says. His voice is soft and smooth, immediately comforting. “I wanted to come say hello.”

“Hi,” Taehyung breathes, blinking up at Jimin as though he is lost in starlight. Perhaps he is, you think. “Your hair is longer than the last time I saw you.”

Jimin flushes, a hand coming up to touch the ends of his hair gently. “Yeah, I thought I would grow it out.”

“It looks great.”

For a moment, they stare at one another, Taehyung grinning with his eyes gleaming, and Jimin soft with his eyes scrunched. You look at the table, trying not to disrupt whatever spell they’re under as they peer at one another, but it seems Jimin senses your presence still. His eyes flicker to you and he raises a brow, questioning.

Taehyung fumbles to introduce you, turning and giving you a sheepish grin. You smile and stretch your hand over to shake Jimin’s. His hands are small and delicate but his grip is firm. “It’s nice to meet you. Taehyung wanted to show me this place because he enjoys the people so much - I believe that includes you.”

Jimin smirks and shrugs a shoulder while Taehyung looks for a chair, yanking it away from someone to give Jimin a place to sit. He does, throwing Taehyung a grateful smile. “Hmm, is that so? Has he said nice things about me?”

“The nicest. In fact, the whole reason we came here is because he wanted to introduce me to the amazing Jimin.”

Taehyung shoots you a look that tells you to shut up, but you hide your grin in your tankard as Jimin raises a brow, glancing at Taehyung.

Watching Taehyung and Jimin is comedic and sweet. Taehyung isn’t an entirely different person around Jimin, but he becomes softer at the edges, his smiles gentler and his laughs louder. The longing in Taehyung’s gaze when he thinks Jimin isn’t looking is palpable, and even as a bystander and a friend, you feel a pang watching the two of them dance around one another.

For his part, Jimin seems equally enthralled. He watches Taehyung with rapt attention, asking questions and touching Taehyung gently everywhere he can - the tops of Taehyung’s hands, his arm, his elbow. When Taehyung turns around to watch the table next to you topple over, you realize he’s unaware that Jimin is looking at him as though begging for Taehyung to see.

You see. And you want.

Never before had your parents inspired much desire for love in you. While they worked well together, you still can’t call what they had happy or loving. Functional, sure. Successful, even. But they did not look at one another the way Taehyung and Jimin seem to, and you can’t help but suddenly feel like that is something you want.

Someone to look at you when they think you’re not looking in a way that implies you are their sun and moon. Someone who smiles with such mirth at something you do or say that you can feel the heat of it.

Jimin gets up to refill the drinks, scooping yours with a grin before vanishing in the crowd. Taehyung watches him go, craning his neck to ensure he has eyes on Jimin as he makes his way to the bar.

“Have you told him you’re in love with him?”

Taehyung shakes his head, eyes never leaving where Jimin is leaning over the bar to order. “There’s no point.”

“What? Why not?”

“I’m a dream. He’s a human. We could never be something.”

“Oh. Surely there’s a way?”

Taehyung turns to look at you, the joy on his face slipping to be replaced with a soft sadness. He shakes his head again, picking at the splinters on the table. “I would be no good for him. We live in two different worlds… I come and go… He deserves a normal, human life. We could never be something.”

Jimin starts to head back toward the table. Taehyung shakes off the melancholy and smiles just as bright when Jimin returns, as though he wasn’t sad only a moment ago. You accept the refilled drink from Jimin with a weak smile.

Taehyung’s words cycle through your mind as the two men fall into giggling conversation, and all you can think about is a pair of dark cat eyes, a soft raspy voice, and a man who is made of dreams.

We could never be something.

“I was starting to worry, you know?”

Yoongi’s voice makes you blink. You realize you’re standing among the wisteria, the breeze carrying their sweet scent over your warm skin. You turn to look at him over your shoulder. He’s leaning against a tree, his long hair down and dancing in the breeze. The thin white shirt he wears does little to hide the lines of his stomach and chest today, making you avert your eyes.

“Why?” you ask, voice steadier than you feel.

You walk toward a low-hanging vine, bringing your hands up to brush along the purple petals. You feel the tree shiver under your touch. You sense it, like it purrs, a response that is hard to explain but you innately know.

“It took you longer than usual to fall asleep.”

“Can you not see me when I’m not asleep?”

“I could, but prying is rude. I only see you when you come to me.”

You turn to look at him sharply. He seems a little smug at that, the corners of his full lips twitching like he’s fighting a smirk. Your heart skips a beat for a moment before Taehyung’s words from that night play in your mind. We could never be something.

And yet Yoongi is implying it’s you who visits him.

You scowl and turn away from him suddenly. Yoongi makes a sound like a sigh and pushes off of the tree, his footsteps quiet as a whisper. “Have I upset you?”

“I want to go to sleep.”

He hesitates. You cannot see his expression, but you can picture it perfectly: brows drawn together, mouth pouted slightly, head cocked. His confusion is evident when he says, “You are asleep.”

“You know what I mean.”

Silence, for a moment. Then, in that soft, rasping voice that you know so well, he murmurs, “Goodnight, then.”

Silence greets you when you wake up the next morning. Your home is still empty - you have not seen either of your parents since you arrived the night before. Either you’re coming and going at hours they’re not around or they’re avoiding you. The latter is most likely, and you certainly don’t mind.

Your day goes similarly to the day before. This time, when you walk through the woods, you feel a little more of a spark. You’re sure it has to do with your conversation with Taehyung, his words about dreams and reality being different but equally powerful pouring a little bit of magic back into the woods you loved so dearly.

Still, you miss the other realm and the House of Dreams, even if you’re a little embarrassed by your dream last night, recalling the way you dismissed Yoongi.

Sitting on the ground with your back pressed against a cypress tree, you let out a heavy sigh and close your eyes, your arms hugging around your middle. You try not to think too hard about the way Yoongi looked leaning against the tree, dark eyes drinking you in.

Yoongi occupies more than his fair share of thoughts. You hate it, the way your mind strays to him, thinking this is something Yoongi would like or Yoongi would find this funny. Only two weeks and he and Taehyung are suddenly all you know, your experiences with them painting most of your thoughts.

Thoughts of Taehyung don’t plague you, though.

The fluttering feeling every time you think of Yoongi has not faded with time or distance. It might be easier if he didn’t visit your dreams every night - or if you didn’t visit him in your dreams, which you don’t know how to do.

But Taehyung’s forlorn words come drifting back to you, reminding you that there is some distinction between humans and dreams. That even for Taehyung, it cannot work.

When you return home, your parents still aren’t there. You busy yourself with lunch and then begin practicing your letters, tracing them until your hand is cramping and your head is starting to hurt. You manage to take up most of the afternoon that way, focused solely on your studies and trying to read through your work.

Just as evening falls, Taehyung appears in the yard, hands on his hips as he looks up at your window, whistling to catch your attention. You grin when you see him, happy to have a friend, even if it’s just Taehyung. You don’t ask why Yoongi doesn’t come with him - the Eternal is busy, you’re sure - but you’re pleased to just have Taehyung.

It becomes a routine. It’s not as thrilling as your life in the House of Dreams, but it isn’t as terrible as you thought it would be. The few times that you do see your parents, they glare at you as though you have become something evil in their house, lurking and stealing their joy.

You say nothing to them and they stay away from you.

It’s the same in town. You only visit with Taehyung, otherwise you are too afraid to go on your own. The villagers say nothing when they see the two of you walking around and visiting the old church, but they glare and you catch them doing the signs to ward off evil as you pass by.

Still, Taehyung makes it worth it. He visits you nightly, whisking you away to the Desert Rose, which has become a refuge for you. You’re no better at teleporting, but you manage not to vomit on his shoes each time you do it.

Tonight, the energy is thrumming at the Desert Rose. Your gaze lingers longer on those around you and you even introduce yourself to the people that Taehyung is familiar with. Though Taehyung opts to play a game of dice, you do not. You’re content to watch, standing over his shoulder with your arms crossed over your chest.

You feel… alive. Just like Taehyung described when he started coming here. It’s so different from your life before, and after over a week of being around people who seem to spill over with joy without restraint, you feel yourself loosening up. Becoming something a little different. Someone who wants. Someone who wants openly.

You think about Yoongi. Once he’d told you that he wasn’t just Eternal of dreams. He also has power over desire, and he believes in indulgence. He wants to teach you to indulge more. It suddenly makes all the more sense that Taehyung likes it here. He’s someone who dives in head first to things, taking any bet someone throws his way and snatching drinks off of passing trays.

Even his desire for Jimin is open and obvious, though you’re sure Taehyung doesn’t know that.

It’s a lovely night. You feel warm all over, the drink getting to you as you guzzle down the remainder of your cider, which you favor far more than the ale. Jimin clambors onto the table, a cup in hand as he starts yelling the words to the song the band is playing in the corner.

Taehyung begins to slam his wooden cup on the table in time with the beat, yelling the words and standing up as the room joins in, stamping their feet and slamming on tables. You don’t know the words but you laugh loudly, slamming your palms against the top of the table. They sting with the force of your slap, but it feels good.

You feel good. Happy. Drunk. A little dizzy as the table wobbles and you dive out of the way as Jimin comes tumbling down. It doesn’t stop you from taking a shower of beer from Jimin’s cup, dousing you in warm liquid as you shriek and laugh.

Taehyung catches Jimin, of course. They’re a tangled mess of limbs and wet with beer all the same, pointing at you and laughing as you blink through the drink dripping down your face. You flick beer at them with the liquid on your hands, making them howl.

“Gross! Jimin!”

“I’m so sorry,” he gasps through the laughter, his arms slung tight around Taehyung’s neck as Jimin leans into him. “I slipped!”

“You owe me a new shirt!”

Jimin nods, grinning so broadly his eyes are crescents as he stands properly and beckons you. “Come on, both of you. I’ll get you new shirts that aren’t soaked.

Upstairs is a series of private rooms. The hall is lit with flickering sconces and the plush carpet mutes your footsteps. Jimin leads you and Taehyung, giggling, to a door. He thrusts it open and the three of you tip inside, stopping short at the scene in front of you.

Your hands fly to your mouth to mute your gasp, but Taehyung and Jimin collapse into another fit of laughter. If the two people in the bed are bothered by the interruption, they don’t show it. They are a tableau of pleasure, a woman laying back on the bed, arching upward as she lets out a moan. Her skin is slick with sweat, nipples hard as she teases them with one hand, another hand slipping between her legs to cradle the head of someone there.

The shock roots you to the spot. You can’t look away, completely hypnotized by the way the person between the woman’s legs moans, pressing their mouth further into her, the wet smack of their mouth loud over the woman’s trembling moans.

You’ve never seen such a raw, carnal exchange. As Taehyung apologizes and grabs you and Jimin, pulling you back out into the hallway, you know you’ll never forget that momentary vision. Even as Jimin directs you to the right room to change your shirt in, you replay the scene over and over in your head, thinking of a different detail every single time: the pleasure on the woman’s face, the delicate bow of her back, the soft swells of her breasts, the wet sounds of the mouth between her legs.

It haunts you. You swallow thickly when you’re done changing, skin still smelling like beer. Your mind wanders to Yoongi, wondering if this is what he was talking about when he spoke of desire. If he also meant physical desire, the indulgence of the erotic variety.

The thought shames you so thoroughly you’re silent the rest of the night. You’re embarrassed by your immediate curiosity - angry that you even entertained the thought of being in that position with Yoongi, no matter how fleeting the idea was.

Yoongi certainly did not mean he was going to teach you that - did he?

You shake the thoughts from your head and focus on reality. Of course he didn’t mean that. Taehyung was right when he spoke about the relationships between humans and dreams - it could never be something.

Sweat trickles down your neck slowly. You feel every inch of it, your skin sensitive and over-warm. Your stomach clenches and your hands twist in your sheets as a hot mouth presses against your throat, teeth scraping, tongue licking.

An inferno grows inside of you as the mouth sinks lower. You hear your heaving breaths, loud and ragged. Your heart beats in your ears, the staccato almost louder than the whimper that leaves your mouth when a wet, messy kiss is placed on your collarbone.

It’s madness. It’s tortuous. It’s glorious, this feeling thrumming through you, making you twist your head to the side, muscles clenching and letting loose over and over again, your body completely at war with itself.

But it feels so good.

One of your hands shoots to the silky, dark hair of the person kissing your chest. You card your fingers through soft strands, tugging a little. A deep, throaty moan escapes the lips pressed to your skin, breath hot and warm.

Dark eyes meet yours, lips parted and swollen, Yoongi’s pupils blown and -

Panic explodes. You realize it’s Yoongi kissing you this way. Yoongi’s hands skimming up your sides, Yoongi’s mouth pressing searing kisses to your flesh, Yoongi’s moan that is falling from his lips, honey sweet.

“We can’t,” you whisper, though dream-Yoongi just stares at you, eyes fathomless. “We could never be something.”

“Of course we can,” he murmurs, tilting his head to the side. “You are everything I’ve ever dreamed of.”

The weight of his gaze is blazing. You feel your skin burn under the heat of it, you feel like it’s harder to breathe, you feel the sweat run down your spine, your arms, you feel like you’re overheating, it’s hot it’s too-

You wake up to something screeching. For a moment, daylight blinds you. You hold your hands in front of your face, shielding your eyes from the light. But the light is an inferno of heat against your hand, making you gasp and choke on thick air as you blink sleep away, trying to make sense of where you are.

Fire. It isn’t daylight you’ve woken up to, it’s fire.

Leaping up from bed, you throw your sheets off, scrambling to push yourself against the wall. The flames are already high, licking toward the ceiling and filling your room with thick, grey smoke as the fire eats at the old wood of your house.

The screech comes again, the shutters on your window rattling. Heart pounding, you slide your hand along the wall, fingers trembling as you press them into the wood, trying to find the metal latch to open them. You cover the lower half of your face with your opposite arm, coughing into it.

Your fingers slip on the latch, sweaty and shaking. You inch closer to the window, getting a solid grip on the metal and flipping it upward. The latch clacks and the windows swing open, a gust of wind entering the room. It makes matters worse, the oxygen fueling the fire into a rage as it climbs higher and jumps towards your bed.

You look frantically around your room, realizing you can’t take anything. The writing desk in the corner is aflame, all of the sheets of paper and your hard-earned practice curling into smoke as they’re consumed, your letters from Yoongi turning to ash.

“No!” you sob, realizing those things are lost forever.

Again, there’s a wild screech. You turn to look out the window to see a large, brown owl - Guardian, you realize - screeching, flapping its great wings, gold eyes fixated on the fire. It yells at you again, as though imploring you to move.

You take a breath and dive out the window. For a moment as you fall toward the ground, you’re reminded that this is the second time you’re having to use it to escape danger. That thought sinks like a stone in your stomach, going down, down, down until it rests weighty in your gut.

The smack of the ground rattles you. Every part of you hurts, bones jolting as you roll until you’re flat on your back, gasping as the air leaves your lungs momentarily, knocked out of you. Scrambling up despite your limbs protesting in pain, you look up at the fire crawling over your house.

That’s when you notice it - the noise and the yelling of voices. Inside your home, with the roaring and crackling of the fire, you couldn’t hear the crowd outside. Now, you see them in full. They carry torches and farm tools, some of them with axes and hoes, others with scythes.

They don’t see you yet, giving you a long moment to stare open-mouthed as the pieces of the puzzle slide together. They’ve set your home on fire because of you - they’ve tried to kill you. Because they think you’re a demon and because they think you’re an evil creature.

Heart in your throat, you scan the lines of the faces. Toward the edge, you see your parents. A group of women consoles your mother, holding her by the shoulders gently as she stares into the orange flame. Your father stands a few feet away, almost by himself, watching and watching and watching.

They knew you were asleep. And your window had not been closed before bed - you’d been leaving it open at night so Guardian could come and go as he pleased.

You sit there on the ground, staring in shock, for too long. Someone notices you and points, screaming something that you cannot hear over the blood rushing in your ears. Panic seizes you and you scramble to your feet, sliding a few times as the crowd runs at you.

There’s no time to see what your parents do. The image of them watching their home burn with the thought of you inside is fresh in your memory, a razor-sharp cut that flays you open as you turn and run. Run toward the woods where Nathaniel chased you on that fateful night.

Run to the woods you almost died in. Run to the woods where Yoongi swooped in and made a promise to protect you.

Darkness descends. You think for a moment as you enter the woods that you won’t get lucky a second time, that your luck has run out. It’s the panic that scrambles your thoughts, and the memories of Nathaniel chasing you through these woods make you stumble and fall.

You don’t make it far. You trip over a tree root and tumble into strong arms. The smell of clove and cinnamon is overpowering as you look up at Yoongi, who pulls you into his chest. You let him, sliding your arms around his middle and pressing your face into his neck as you squeeze your eyes shut.

“I’ve got you, little lamb.” His voice is dark as the shadows that wrap around you, cool and soothing to the touch. “They cannot hurt you.”

As Yoongi whisks you away like that fateful night, you hear the echoing voice scream behind you. Devil! Demon King! The Dark God!

“It’s my fault,” Yoongi murmurs, cradling your face to inspect it for the tenth time. He’s crouching in front of you, dark eyes wild as he inspects your face for any damage. You pull your jaw from his grasp - even if his touch tingles pleasantly - and look in the other direction. “I should have known.”

“Yes,” Taehyung snaps behind Yoongi, arms crossed and presence thundering. “You should have.”

There is no fire going in the library tonight. You have a feeling Yoongi has extinguished it for obvious reasons, but you say nothing. You look over Yoongi’s dark head to where Taehyung is raging, his face pinched with anger. You give him a look and he tosses his hands in the air.

“What?” he demands. “It’s true.”

“Taehyung.”

“I’m not going to lie to him. He should have known sending you back was an idiotic idea. Thinking anyone would have accepted you was an oversight.”

Yoongi grits his teeth and stands. You watch as he visibly tries to control his frustration, taking a step back from you. Tonight, he’s dressed in all black. His cloak is still on and his necklaces pool at his throat, the silver cold in the dark of the library. His hair is pulled back out of his face and you think he looks like the real Eternal, tonight.

He turns to Taehyung. “You know why I sent her back.”

“Yes, your fucked up sense of morality and-”

“Don’t talk about me like I’m not sitting right here,” you snap. You ball your fists in your lap. You’re still dressed in night clothes and the scent of ash and sweat is heavy on your skin. You stare at your hands. “I want to go to bed.”

“Alright.” Yoongi’s extended hand appears in front of you. You drag your eyes up to meet his. Gone is the anger and severity, replaced only with a soft, almost fond expression. “I’ll walk you.”

Putting your hand in Yoongi's, you let him pull you out of the chair.

You could be mad at him if you tried. Perhaps it would be easy to blame Yoongi for sending you back to keep some semblance of normalcy in your life. Maybe you would feel lighter if you got angry with him for promising to protect you, but only being able to physically do so, unable to shield you from the hatred of your community.

If you tried, perhaps you could blame him for not letting you drown in the first place. For bringing you here with the fantasy that you could exist with one foot in each world.

You’re not mad at him, though. Unlike Taehyung, you don’t need to wonder why Yoongi wanted you to spend two weeks in the real world. The real world is yours. It’s where you belong. To want some sort of normalcy for you or hope that you’d be able to pick up your life there anew was perhaps shortsighted, but rooted in the desire to do good for you.

So you’re not angry with Yoongi, though you’re not sure you’re pleased either.

The walk to your room is silent. Yoongi has let go of your hand but he walks close enough that your arms brush, sending shivers down your spine. You don’t know what to say, so you say nothing, and he seems content to let you keep your thoughts to yourself.

This isn’t how you wanted to see him for the first time since your two weeks spent in your realm.

The inside of your room is warm, but there’s no fire. You almost ask if he’s doused every flame in the house, and protest that you’re not afraid, but you don’t. He follows you into your room and shuts the door behind him. You walk toward the chaise and sit on it, looking up at where he hovers by the door.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers, eyes finding yours. The emotions there are deep, but unreadable. “It was foolish of me to think they’d accept you as you were. Foolish to think that maybe the relationship with your parents might mend.”

“You couldn’t have known.”

“I am thousands of years old. Humankind has not changed so much in their ability to fear the unknown and react violently. I do know better, but I…” You wait for him to explain further, but he doesn’t. Yoongi lets the sentence drift off into the night. Instead of finishing it, he ventures, “Are you sure you’re unharmed?”

“Yeah, Guardian was screeching at the window.”

“Guardian?”

“Yeah, the owl. I assumed you sent it to watch over me.”

Yoongi frowns. “No, that’s what Taehyung was for. I did not…”

“What?” You see the look on his face change, shifting from confused to steel calm. “What is it?”

“Hoseok,” Yoongi mutters, turning to exit your room. “Try to get some sleep. I have a meddling owl to deal with.”

As he moves to close the door, you lean forward. “Yoongi?” He looks up, eyes wide, expression soft. He looks like a dark star, just then. The light from the window makes him glow from within, his eyes endless pools, his power ebbing in the room, a constant energy. “Thank you.”

His mouth turns downward. “For what?”

“Saving me. Again.”

His eyes darken. “Your safety will always be paramount to me. I’ll do better.”

“I think you’re doing the best you are able.”

“Thank you for saying so.”

Silence hangs between the two of you. It’s heavy, filled with friction that wasn’t there before. You squirm where you sit, suddenly unable to meet the set of eyes pinned to you. You’d forgotten what his gaze could do to you in person, and now the full force of it is dizzying.

“Goodnight, little lamb.”

A gentle scratch sounds on the other side of the window. You look up from your writing desk to the windows facing the mountains. Beyond the first sprawling peaks, you see the tallest of them all, the dark mountain wreathed in shadow and lightning.

The thunder rolls, vibrating your bones. You stare at the mountain, feeling the hair at the back of your neck stand on end. You grip the quill tight.

Beneath the hum of thunder, you hear a scratching on the glass again. You squint, but you see nothing there. Just open air and those ominous mountains in the back, watching you as you scrawl your letters.

Carefully, you set the quill down and get up. The floor is cold as you walk toward the window, which is strange. The floor is always warm in your room, as are the walls and most of the House of Dreams, fueled by whatever magic lives through Yoongi.

Near the glass, you almost feel how cold the window is. You frown and lift a hand, pressing a single finger against a pane. It’s freezing to the touch and you yank your hand back, perplexed as you stare at the single fingerprint left by your warm skin.

The fingerprint fades but the scratching sound does not. A gentle scritch scritch scritch, like a nail on the window.

“My betrothed,” someone whispers. Your blood runs cold and you whirl around, expecting to find someone standing in your bathroom. “Won’t you open the window for me? It’s so cold outside.”

Fear turns your stomach into acid. Your hands begin to shake as you stare into the emptiness of your room, suddenly feeling like it’s darker. Did the ceilings get taller? Is your room blurry at the edges? The scratching on the window intensifies, and with trembling lips, you turn to look over your shoulder.

There’s nothing outside, but there’s a shadowy reflection on the glass. A little taller than you. A little wider.

“Betrothed,” Nathaniel whispers again. “Won’t you let me in to reunite?”

For a moment, there is silence. The shadow doesn’t move. You don’t dare breathe. The shadow leaps at you and a scream tears through you -

Hands press you into something soft. You kick and scream, lashing out. Sheets tangle your legs and stick to your sweaty skin. Suddenly it feels like you can’t breathe and you thrash wildly, screaming at the top of your lungs as you claw at whatever’s holding you down.

Panic like never before seizes you. Your head smacks into something hard and it knocks you backward, suddenly dizzy as a hand comes up to your head automatically. It hurts where your fingers press into the skin, and you’re momentarily subdued by the way the room spins; the pain morphs your panic into confusion.

Breathing heavily, you blink your eyes rapidly, tears streaming down your face and vision a little blurry as you try and put the pieces together. Finally, you realize Taehyung is sitting on the floor next to your bed with his hand pressed against his forehead, in a similar fashion to your current state. Yoongi stands next to him, hands held up tentatively, as though he is about to grab you or has just let you go.

Silence hangs in the air, your breathing ragged. Your head - which you can surmise you’ve smacked against Taehyung’s - throbs wildly. As though sensing your discomfort and sticky thoughts, Yoongi’s eyes flicker away from your gaze to your head.

“May I fix that?” he asks slowly, voice gentle. “You smacked heads quite hard. I’m concerned you may be concussed.”

“Concussed,” you repeat back slowly. The word feels heavy on your tongue. “Right.”

Yoongi’s face colors with concern and he gestures toward you, asking permission again. It takes you another minute to put it together, but you nod dumbly, watching as he steps forward very slowly, dark eyes looking for any sign of protest or panic from you.

When you don’t bolt or swing at him, he takes another step toward you, hands reaching up toward your skull. You flinch when he reaches near and he stops, hands hovering. You can feel the heat of his skin a hair's breadth away, feel the magic skimming along him where he hesitates.

You look up at Yoongi. His eyes are wide and full of concern, his brows pulled up. His tongue darts out to lick his lips nervously as his eyes shift from your head to your eyes, trying to assess what to do. You smell cinnamon and clove and it calms you a little.

This is Yoongi. Not Nathaniel. Yoongi, who saved you from the grips of that hateful man and who brought you here. Somewhere that made you happy.

“It’s okay,” you whisper. You feel tired suddenly, like your adrenaline is waning and the aftereffects are bleeding you out. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” he whispers, pressing his hands gently to your head. You wince, the lump there giving a painful throb as he does.

“Maybe apologize,” Taehyung mutters from his spot on the floor. “Are you going to give me magic hand, too?”

“Silence, Taehyung.” Yoongi’s voice is cutting. It’s a voice you’ve never heard him use with Taehyung, your eyes shooting up to his in shock. He pays you no mind, focused on his hands.

Warmth emanates from his palms. Immediately you feel the tingle of magic. It’s soothing, making your eyes flutter as you become dizzy again. You let the warmth wash over you, accompanied by a peculiar array of senses: dark spicy smells; the feeling of velvet against your skin; the taste of cherry wine; a warm breath against your lips.

You shiver, head rolling back a little as it grows heavy and you grow drowsy suddenly, limbs weighted, mind fading.

“I didn’t… I didn’t know that was a dream.” Yoongi grimaces and says nothing. “Why didn’t that feel like a dream, Yoongi?”

“Sleep,” Yoongi murmurs, and his voice feels very far away. “You’ll be fine, now. You don’t have to worry about anything.”

“Thank you.”

“An easy fix.”

Yoongi removes his hand and you catch his wrist gently, eyes opening for a moment. “No,” you slur, speech heavy as the exhaustion pulls at you. “Thank you for saving me.”

You don’t know if you mean before, or when your neighbors came for you, or now. Maybe you mean all of it. Maybe you mean saving you from a life that you hated and bringing you here. You mean it nonetheless, though you’re unsure from where the bravery came to say it.

Dropping Yoongi’s wrist, you fall backward unceremoniously onto your bed. There is no fear of Nathaniel scratching at the glass anymore, your mind mostly empty, save for the smell of cinnamon and clove.

Yoongi and Taehyung gather to leave your room, and as you fade, you catch the tiniest bit of conversation from Taehyung. “... need to teach her. It’s only going to get worse… spinner.”

Sleep takes you.

Being back in the House of Dreams feels like home. Though the lingering feeling of hot flame and the look on your parents’ faces as they watch their home burn still haunts you, you feel safer than you have in the last week.

In the House of Dreams, there's no one to mutter prayers and sign wards against evil as you pass by. There’s no one glaring at you - except Taehyung, who pouts when you steal the last of the honey for your toast at breakfast. It’s just Yoongi and Taehyung, who talk more chipper than usual at breakfast.

You eye Yoongi carefully. He sits at the head of the table, dressed in a beautiful, jade-colored silk shirt. His hair is pulled back in a bun, earrings dangling as he leads forward and plucks melon from the bowl in front of him.

Yoongi lifts the fruit to his mouth. You pause chewing your toast, eyes focused on the way he bites into the fruit, lips plush around it, a bead of juice running down his chin. Suddenly you’re thinking about the night at The Desert Rose, a head between legs, a back that’s arched, skin sweaty-

Taehyung clears his throat from across the table and draws your attention. He’s staring at you with thinly veiled amusement, wiggling his eyebrows up and down. You scowl and take a large bite of your toast before swallowing what's in your mouth, feeling heat bloom in your cheeks and neck.

Yoongi is none the wiser, chewing happily on his fruit as he scratches Tiara under her chin. She chirps like a bird and purrs like a cat, letting out small curls of smoke everytime she puffs happily.

Your mouth twitches in a smile as you look at your plate, happy to be back with them.

“I want you to come to the Dream Tower with me today,” Yoongi ventures lightly. You snap your gaze up in surprise. He looks casual, as though he’s not offering you to come to the place he works, filled with magic and dreams. “I think you could help me.”

“Me?”

His mouth quirks. “Is there another human prone to trouble around here that I’m not aware of?”

“I thought you blamed yourself?”

“So I do. But yes - you.”

“How do you want me to help?”

Yoongi grins as he pops another piece of fruit into his sinful mouth. “You’ll see.”

Despite your excitement and the promise of a look inside Yoongi’s lair, even him asking for your help doesn’t earn you a break from daily reading and writing lessons. When Yoongi gestures to the assigned work on your desk, you throw him a severe look followed by a pout. As endeared as he seems, he is unwavering, patting your desk chair as he walks by.

You’re not really mad. You fall into an easy calm as you sit down and scoot up toward the desk. The fire is low and crackling in the fireplace today and the library smells faintly of cardamom as you work. Tiara flights around the second story of the room, chittering and following Yoongi - who seems to be organizing the shelves.

Taehyung vanishes to do whatever it is he does during the day. You’re not even sure if it’s day in your world. You hope he will take you to The Desert Rose again to see Jimin and to drink cider. You love the warmth of the crowd and the loud bustle.

The House of Dreams is quiet.

Time slips as you work. You lose yourself in swirling letters and short reading passages, so much so that when there is a tingling presence near your shoulder, you flinch, ripping your quill across the page and splattering ink.

Yoongi tsks and apologizes, grabbing an ink stained cloth to wipe the spilled liquid from the desk. His proximity makes your head spin, the edge of his hips grazing your shoulder as he leans over you to clean the mess you’ve made.

Mouth drying, you drop the quill and flex your hand, coughing out an apology as you try to organize your thoughts that spill like the ink on the desk at his nearness.

Being away from him almost made you forget how dizzying his presence could be. Yoongi regards your work in silence, but all you can focus on is the measured sound of his breathing, the warmth radiating from him, the curve of his mouth, the juice running down his-

“Ready?”

“What?” you ask, blinking and looking up at him owlishly. He gazes down at you, cocking a brow. It’s obvious he had asked you a question. “Sorry, I wasn’t listening?”

“What were you doing?”

“... Staring.”

“At?”

“The wall?”

“Are you asking me or telling me?” he questions, his voice laced with teasing.

You scowl and shove your chair backward into his stomach, knocking him back. He lets out a loud oof and a bit of laughter as you stand and stretch, hyperaware that he’s been in a rather cheeky mood since breakfast.

Together, you begin your walk to the tower. Tiara comes along, jumping up on Yoongi’s shoulder and curling herself around him like a scarf, her tail wrapped gently around his neck. She regards you with distaste and her tongue flickers out to taste the air, a curl of smoke escaping her nose as she huffs.

Fighting the urge to stick your tongue out at a dragon, you opt to walk in comfortable silence.

As you do, your thoughts inevitably drift to the night before and the dream that didn’t feel like a dream. For the most part, you feel like you can tell when you’re dreaming. There’s always an opaque feeling to your dreams, something a little off.

Now, you’re worried that perhaps you can’t tell the difference. You think that maybe you should ask Yoongi if he can help you tell the difference between being awake and dreaming, but your desire to ask is stopped as you reach the foot of stairs you’ve never climbed before.

Yoongi looks down at you as he begins ascending, giving you a gummy smile that sends your pulse galloping after him. You curse your traitor heart, trying to remember what Taehyung said to you about the relationship between dreams and humans. It could never work. But… you’re here. In Yoongi’s home, and you don’t know how long you’re allowed to stay - if you’re ever supposed to go back again.

Both of you seem to completely ignore that you were brought back to the dream realm ahead of schedule, that maybe going back is no longer an option.

There are doors leading to rooms as you ascend the stairs. Yoongi ignores all of them in favor of climbing up, up, and up. Your calves burn by the time you make it to the top, pausing to catch your breath and sweep your eyes across the large, circular room.

It’s stunning. Glancing up, your mouth falls open in surprise when you see that there is no ceiling, but a mass of writhing cosmos and something like a night sky. The nebulous display casts a lavender and blue glow on the room below, the two-tone light shifting and moving.

There are all manner of things in the room. Tables covered in papers, rich rugs with different designs, chairs and bookshelves and curiosity cabinets and glass cases full of glowing things that you cannot identify. Tiara hops off of Yoongi’s shoulder and floats on small wings toward a pile of blankets, twigs, and leaves that looks like a nest.

What demands your attention most, though, is the massive stone dais in the room, with a stone column about waist high with something that looks like a bowl carved into the top. From where you stand, you can see there’s liquid in the bowl that moves and shimmers with its own glow. Occasionally, a sparkle or wisp of color drifts from the cool surface.

Energy vibrates in the air. You can feel it like a static on your skin and taste it like a buzz on your tongue. You’re drawn to the dais, taking a step forward and halting. It feels like a hum shivers through you. You look at Yoongi, questioning.

“The dream pool,” he answers, as though you have any idea what that is.

He walks toward it and looks back at you, hesitating before he offers a hand. Excitement shoots through you as you take his hand and he pulls you toward it. Your hand tingles where you hold his. Even when you reach the dais and he lets go, there’s pins and needles left behind.

“This is where I help create dreams for those who can’t do it on their own.”

The liquid in the basin brightens as Yoongi steps up close. You watch as a watercolor of lights splashes across his face. He looks down into the bowl lovingly, a soft smile on his face, and so much adoration in his eyes that you find yourself watching him instead of the magical water in the bowl.

“This room is full of things that help inspire dreams. I make everything myself but Taehyung likes to help - he likes to decorate and fill the room with items that inspire creativity.”

“Somehow I think dream personified doesn’t need it.”

He shoots you a grin. “You’d be surprised. Come look.”

Tentatively, you step up next to him. You’re aware of how close you stand, his sleeves brushing yours as he places a hand on the basin. It comes up to your stomach and is two feet in diameter. The water looks so much deeper than you thought. You’re unable to see the bottom, an illusion that makes you dizzy.

Like the sky above, the water shimmers and moves with its own set of stars and colors. It feels alive, like whatever power is in the dream pool recognizes you and wakes up, spinning as you look into the glittering surface.

“I can feel and hear people dream,” Yoongi explains. “It’s like a frequency that I can tap into. I can turn it on and off at a whim. Those who don’t struggle to dream are so much quieter than those who cannot dream. I listen for those who cannot, and I come here and focus on them in my mind’s eye before creating them a dream. I pour in thoughts, feelings, scents, sounds, memories and the like into this bowl. I think it, and so it appears.”

“How?”

“What you’d call magic. Really it’s just divine power. This is a part of me,” he says, tapping the rim of the basin. “Just like dreams are.”

“How can I help you do… this?” you ask, gesturing wildly to the water.

Yoongi’s smile is angelic. “You have the raw capability of a dreamer. Someone who dreams so powerfully and loudly that it can’t help but catch my attention.”

“What does that mean?”

“Your imagination and your ability to come up with things is more innate than most people. You’re an innovator, a great conjurer of stories and fantasies. It’s a rare gift in humans. Some call you Spinners - you can spin dreams up just as easily as I can, with practice, but you cannot do so without a tool like this basin.”

“A spinner.” You remember the night before, hearing the word on Taehyung’s lips. “Are there others?”

He nods. “Under fifty in the entire world. I believe you’ve met another one. He’s the one Taehyung visits.”

“Jimin?”

“Mhmm. He’s like you. You have no power though, not in your world. Just raw ability.”

“So if I were to use this… pool of dreams, I could give people dreams.”

He nods, smiling. You smile back at him, his happiness infectious. You like the way his eyes crinkle when he grins broadly at you, the way his cheeks tint pink. It is strange to think that this soft man in front of you is also the same dark, powerful god who has swept in to save you, whose voice haunts your dreams and whose phantom touch lingers in all of the places that it shouldn’t.

Licking his lips and rolling his shoulders, Yoongi takes his stance at the basin. You watch, fascinated as he sweeps a hand over the surface, not touching the water. It ripples an entire rainbow of colors, casting shadows on his face when he peers down into the water as the surface smoothes out like a mirror.

An opaque image materializes on the surface. You watch as Yoongi concentrates. Slowly, things begin appearing. A cerulean ocean, waves rolling gently against a sandy beach. Foam clings to the sand. Starfish of every color - blue, green, red - begin to dot the beach. A gull cries above, so clear it feels like you’re there. Then you smell it - the salt, the brine. The subtle scent of driftwood. A breeze blows against your face, carrying the cool ocean mist.

You let out a laugh as Yoongi smiles, his eyes never leaving the images unfolding in the basin. You watch as a dolphin crests a wave, earning a gasp from you. You’ve never seen a dolphin, only heard about them in passing from fishermen from the coast. They spray water high into the air as they break the waves, moving smoothly through glittering waters.

It feels so real and warm, the dream bright and full of hope. Happiness. Excitement. You feel what Yoongi pours into the basin, your toes curling as though you can feel hot sand beneath your feet.

“The trick,” Yoongi explains carefully, “Is imagining everything that would make it feel real. It can’t be just what you see. It has to be what you hear, what you feel, what you smell, what emotions you evoke. You have to do all of these things at once - you have to believe in them all at once. Dreams about real things are the easiest. More complex dreams can include anything you can imagine that humans believe to be fake: dragons, brownies, griffons.”

“How do you know what to give?”

“You feel it. Place your hand on the side.”

Carefully, you lift your hand to the side of the dream pool. You hesitate and look up at Yoongi, eyes wide. He gives you an encouraging nod. You place your hand on the bowl, feeling the warm stone.

A pulse of energy flows through you. You gasp, flinching a little as you feel the basin come alive under your touch. You close your eyes as sensations flood you: hopelessness, stress, exhaustion. Suddenly, Yoongi’s dream makes sense. He instills a sense of peace and serenity at the beach, of hope and wonder with the dolphins, of rest with the cool wind and warm sand.

“Amazing,” you breathe, eyes still closed. “This is wonderful.”

“I’ll do some more. Keep your hand where it is. You’ll feel what it is they feel. Try not to think too hard about anything while you’re connected - let me do the work.”

Watching Yoongi work can happen with your eyes closed, you realize. You lose yourself in time and space. No longer are you in the Dream Tower. Now, Yoongi walks you through the world.

You enter through dreams, feeling sudden sadness or loss, even heartache. Every dream you encounter, there is profound suffering at the beginning. Yoongi gently sends the pain on its way, observes what each dreamer needs, and begins spinning up images. Sounds. Feelings.

Rain falls on your face as you stand over the tops of a misty forest. It’s gentle and cool to the touch, soothing. You smell pine and damp earth, giving you energy. Your toes feel the wet grass beneath you, grounding you and making you feel more centered than you ever have.

Wheat brushes the tips of your fingers. You look out into a sea of gold, healthy crops bending with the wind. An azure sky stretches mile after mile, not a cloud in sight as the sun heats your skin. You smell fresh air and hear the grasshoppers buzz among the fresh stalks of wheat, feeling the reward of growing healthy grain.

A dog runs after a ball. The hills are the brightest shade of green you’ve ever seen, the dog dashing up the hill and barking loudly. You feel laughter bubble up your throat and unfettered joy as thick clouds float by. The dog grabs the ball and runs back, its tail wagging and coat shiny. You feel nostalgic and happy to be reunited with a friend.

Fireflies flicker to life in a forest at night. They alight on the tree branches and your arms, casting gold luminescence on your skin. You marvel at them, spinning in a circle as you look at the dark trees. You smell the maple sap and the bark, you hear the crickets.

It’s just like the woods near your house -

Your house.

A slice of fear goes through you. You remember the darkness of the woods as Nathaniel tried to drown you, the press of his fingers into your skull. The roaring of the flooding water and the burning of your lungs. The fireflies flicker out one by one and the darkness begins to grow. You’re suddenly terrified. Curiosity vanishes and is replaced with deep fear.

You taste stale water in your mouth. You smell the smoke of your burning house. You feel water rushing up to your ankles and inching higher, you hear the screams of Nathaniel’s vitriol, you feel your lungs start to fill, the air stars to leave, the roots of the trees grab at your feet-

A sharp yank pulls you out of the forest. You gasp for air, falling backward off of the dais and onto the floor. Gentle hands cradle your face and you hear a deep voice calling out to you, speaking your name through the dull roar in your ears.

Blinking, you look upward to see Yoongi inches away from your face. His eyes are round and gentle, his hands steady. Warm. He’s so close you can feel his breath on your lips as he leans over you. A strand of dark hair escapes his bun, falling across his forehead and eye. You don’t know why, but you think it looks dashing.

“Hey,” he murmurs, searching your face. “Are you with me?”

“Yeah,” you rasp, lungs heaving. “What happened?”

His thumb brushes back and forth across your cheek as he sighs, but he doesn’t let go of your face. “You thought of the night that I saved you. Your fear was powerful. Raw. As you started to remember things you grew more afraid and you took over the dream.”

You blink once. Twice. Remember the way that the fireflies suddenly flickered out and how the water started to rush in from nowhere. “I did that?”

“I didn’t expect you to be such a natural. I had a feeling but… you caught me by surprise and shoved me out.”

“I can do that?”

“When I’m caught off guard, yes. You took control of creating the dream and turned it into…”

“A nightmare.”

He nods. “It’s my fault. I didn’t think you would think that forest looked the same, but I was wrong. I keep… having oversights. I’m sorry. I’m not good at this.”

“Good at what?”

“Being human.”

Silence suspends between you. You’re sprawled on the floor of the Dream Tower with Yoongi hovering over you. His knees are pressed against your hips and his shirt collar is hanging low as he leans, revealing more skin than you’ve ever seen from him. You don’t dare drop your eyes from his, staring at their dark depths.

The space between you is minimal and neither of you move. You hope he cannot hear the way your heart hammers in your chest or sense the way your body crackles like lightning, sparking at his proximity. The nightmare you made is long forgotten, replaced with his touch, his smell, his closeness.

Yoongi holds your face delicately, like a treasured item. You cannot imagine that he means to hold you so, but the sudden want that licks through you is powerful, your desire for him to hold you like you’re something precious surprising you in its strength.

“You make me want to get better at it.” His voice is soft, barely even a whisper.

“At what?”

A gentle laugh. “Being human. It is unfamiliar, but I wish to know more of what it's like. To have more of the instinct.”

“Why?”

He pauses. “Because I’ve lived for thousands of years, and never really had the chance to try.”

It is a similar sentiment that Taehyung had shared. The thought of Taehyung makes you smile, sitting up suddenly. Yoongi leans back on his haunches quickly, careful not to knock heads. “What?” he asks, noting your sudden excitement.

“Has Taehyung ever taken you to the Desert Rose?”

“No, I can’t say I’ve been interested. Why?”

You grab his hand. You notice the way he seems surprised, but he doesn’t pull away as you scramble to your feet. “You want to see what it’s like to be human. I know a place.”

Yoongi makes a face as he sips the beer Taehyung has thrust into his hands. You and Taehyung laugh, tossing your heads back with it. Yoongi looks unimpressed but continues to drink nonetheless, his dark eyes scanning the crowded bar.

He sticks out like a sore thumb. Eyes are immediately drawn to Yoongi wherever he goes. You think everyone must feel the divinity as he walks by them, his power a magnet for attention. Even sitting at the table with you and Taehyung, tucked near the door, people turn in their seats to get a good look at him or pause when they enter the Desert Rose.

It doesn’t help that he looks beautiful. Air had gotten stuck in your throat when he arrived at the library at the appointed time to meet you and Taehyung to come here. His hair hangs in soft waves around his face, earrings peaking between inky strands when he moves his head. His dark shirt is long-sleeved but unbuttoned at the throat, revealing a strip of pale, smooth skin and his layered necklaces. His eyes are glittering tonight, almost like constellations are held within.

Yoongi is the night. The black pants and black boots paired with the shirt make him look like a dark prince. Perhaps the son of the moon, even. You notice the way the stares turn from curious to hungry, Yoongi lighting a fire among those around him.

Jealousy sours your stomach. You hate that it does, but it’s like a second instinct, some sort of possessive monster rearing its head as you avert your gaze when a beautiful man asks Yoongi if he wants to dance. Yoongi shakes his head, giving a polite smile in return before turning away and chugging more of his drink.

If you didn’t know better, you’d think he was nervous.

“Thousands of years old and a room full of people scares you,” Taehyung teases, confirming your suspicions. Yoongi’s gaze is thin as a razor. “You should get out more. I’ve been telling you that.”

“Eternals don’t make a habit of walking around the human realm. Our presence disturbs the natural chemistry of the world.”

“Then why did you spend so many days in the wood-”

Yoongi kicks Taehyung under the table. He hollers in pain as Yoongi glowers, making you giggle. Though he’s no natural among the crowd, you can see that he’s trying to fit in. He watches the way people slouch in their chair and he imitates it. Drinks more of his beer, not because of the taste but because it's what people do here.

Music thrums in the room. There is a crowd of people clapping their hands and dancing, stomping their feet along to the music. You nervously look at Yoongi throughout the night, trying to see if he’s enjoying himself, wondering what he thinks of the place.

A couple near your table knocks over a pitcher of mead as the man presses the woman into the table in an arduous kiss. You can’t help but watch for a moment, entranced by the way he kisses her as though he’ll die if he doesn’t, as if her lips are the last thing he wants to remember.

Sensing Yoongi’s gaze on you, you glance at him. He stares at you, drinking you in before his eyes drift to the couple you’d been studying. Embarrassment heats your face as you bring your cup to your lips, hiding behind the tankard as you take large gulps of cider.

The cider takes the edge off. It makes you feel warm and loose, though you’re still a little nervous with Yoongi’s quiet countenance sitting beside you.

“Jimin’s here!” you announce excitedly, clapping your hands together when he appears downstairs. Taehyung’s knee bumps into the bottom of the table as he jerks to turn around. “Jimin should meet Yoongi!”

“I would love to.”

Taehyung groans. “No, please.”

“Why not?” Yoongi demands. “Should I not meet the human that brings my friend here most evenings? Should I not meet the friend of my -” Yoongi looks at you and stumbles over his words. “- my friend?”

Friend. You’re not sure if the word fits, exactly. But you don’t know what else it is that Yoongi would call you. Friend implies something beyond acquaintances, which you are sure you are. But it fits like an ill-sized dress, hanging crooked on your frame.

“I don’t want you to scare him off!” Taehyung protests.

Yoongi looks dubious. “Why would I do that?”

“Shut up,” you hiss as Jimin notices you. You lift your hand in an eager wave, beckoning him over. “Yoongi, be nice.”

“I am nice. Do you think I’m not nice?”

Instead of answering him, you get up to greet Jimin warmly with a chaste kiss on the cheek and a brief hug. When you step back, you see Yoongi’s burning gaze, a tick in his jaw as he stares Jimin down, tonguing his cheek. You hiss at Yoongi and snap your finger to signal for him to drop the severe expression.

He looks at you and his features smooth out as he rises to his feet lithely, reaching an arm around you. Yoongi startles you when he places his hand on your mid-back as he leans forward to shake Jimin’s, introducing himself.

The contact is so brief that you wonder if he had done it at all as he sits down. For a moment, you’re the only one standing, staring at Yoongi in confusion as the three men sit. They all look at you expectantly and you plop down suddenly.

“Are you alright?” Jimin asks, mirth evident in his voice.

“Yes,” you answer quickly, still recovering. It felt like a deliberate touch. Firm, but gentle. Polite, but… something. “How are you?”

To your pleasure - and Taehyung’s evident relief - Yoongi and Jimin get along fine. If Jimin is put off by Yoongi’s peculiarity, he doesn’t show it. You wonder if he’s used to being around Taehyung, who has his own strange charm and inhuman energy vibrating around him.

Yoongi says little, but seems comfortable. You watch him as he watches Taehyung, who has stars in his eyes every time he looks at Jimin. He leans closer to Jimin as they mutter about something conspiratorially, giggling behind their hands. Jimin brushes a strand of hair out of Taehyung’s face and the love that blooms in Taehyung’s expression is so evident that you wonder if Jimin knows. He has to know. And he looks like he feels the same.

When Jimin drags Taehyung up to dance, you encourage them, shooing them off toward the growing crowd of people spinning around the room. Tables are shoved out of the way, chairs scraping to make room for the revelers. You move your chair some as your table is pushed, making the beers tilt dangerously.

Yoongi grabs the leg of your chair and pulls it roughly toward him. Before you can say something, someone stumbles where your chair just was, toppling into the table next to you. You look at Yoongi with shock and he winks before returning to lounging in his seat, watching the crowd.

Now that you’re sitting much closer to him, you can smell him. Still, you try to relax, watching as Jimin teaches Taehyung the steps to the dance the crowd is doing.

“Thank you for bringing me here,” Yoongi says over the loud voices. “This is nice. I see why Taehyung likes it.”

“You don’t hate it?” He makes a face and you laugh. “Yoongi, you hate it.”

“It’s a bit loud, but I don’t hate it. I like the quiet. I like… solitude. But not always. This is a good break.”

“So you never just… stroll among the people sometimes?”

“Never had a reason to.”

“But how can you make dreams if you don’t know people?”

“Dreams are inherent to me. They are an instinct. They aren’t born from people. They’re born from something rawer than that. People just happen to dream.”

You hum, not sure that you follow. Silence lulls between you as the song changes. “This place is so different from anywhere I’ve been,” you tell him. “My mother and father would have hated a place like this where people want so freely and people are so… provocative.”

“Life is provocative. So is nature, and magic. And dreams.”

“Is that why you’re a god of desire, too?” He nods once, his eyes on you. “Can you… sense what people innately desire? All the time?”

You don’t ask the real question, which is: Can you tell what I desire when I’m with you? Still, Yoongi shrugs a shoulder. “Snippets. LIke I said, I try not to pry. I don’t think that anyone here needs to be inspired by me to delve into what they want here, that’s for sure.” His eyes darken. “Though perhaps there is one.”

It is not your imagination when he says it. You know that he means you. This you are sure of. You stare at Yoongi, the rest of the room fading away. He stares right back at you, as though willing you to agree, or to deny his claim. Your heart speeds up and you feel the sweat on your neck, the slick on your palms.

“You said you’d help me indulge.” Your voice shakes when you say it. “How… do I do that?”

Yoongi’s mouth kicks up at the side. He leans forward and offers you a hand. When you just stare at it, he laughs. “Dance with me.”

“Dancing? That is indulging?”

“You might be surprised.”

Tension goes taught between you. You feel it sizzling in the air as you stare one another down. Yoongi’s hand remains outstretched, beckoning. Slowly, you put the cup of cider down and slide your hand into his. You’ve done this so many times, letting him lead you somewhere or help you up.

When Yoongi grips your hand and pulls you to your feet, it feels different than all the times before. The soft, gentle Eternal of dreams has melted away and left something sharper. Darker. Edgier. Your heart flutters butterfly-fast as he leads you to where there are people spinning in tight circles on the floor.

Yoongi yanks you toward him, pulling you into his chest. One hand loops over his shoulder, your palm cradling the back of his neck, while the other grips his. His hand goes snuggling around your waist, pulling you firmly to him as he ducks his head toward your ear, voice deep and soft as he whispers, “Follow me.”

You would follow him anywhere, you think. Anywhere at all.

Dancing is not something you ever recall doing. It wasn’t necessary where you grew up. Most of your festivals in town were a reserved affair and you’d never been to any parties or celebrations. Most weddings were stiff and formal, and not for merriment as much as respect.

Now, your world turns into a kaleidoscope of color and laughter. Yoongi spins you around the room, his feet smooth and fast. You stumble to keep up at first, but Yoongi is a confident lead, his steps instructing yours, his hands pulling and guiding you as you go.

Laughter rushes out of you. You cannot help the glee that glitters in your veins. Yoongi’s laughter is like spilled moonlight. You look up at him with a grin, seeing his gummy smile as he dips you suddenly, making you squeal. Your fingers tangle in his shirt. You know he won’t drop you but the exhilaration is in your veins as he lifts you back up, crushing you to him.

Your arms and legs burn with effort as you continue. The song changes and Yoongi lets go and spins you. You go crashing into Taehyung’s arms. He’s a far worse dancer than Yoongi, and the two of you are a mess of tripped feet, trilling laughter and elbows into ribs. He pushes you back to Yoongi’s waiting arms.

It terrifies you how much it feels like home, like a key sliding into a lock. Your arms go around him as his hands squeeze your waist. You come alive where you touch, looking up at him. He watches you, the shadow of his lashes framing delicate eyes. His mouth is red and soft.

Yoongi’s eyes dart down to your mouth. Your breath catches and he moves a little closer, pressing his head to yours, noses brushing. The entire world vanishes and it’s just Yoongi, his lips so close you can almost taste them, his fingers digging into your hips.

Your eyes flutter shut just as someone crashes into you. You scream as you’re knocked hard into Yoongi, the two of you stumbling as he catches you from falling over completely. The crowd goes wild with laughter as a man is sprawled on the ground, laughing and drunk, having lost his balance.

A breathless laugh escapes you as you and Yoongi straighten, separating a little. The moment between you is shattered, clattering away like pieces of broken glass as you catch your breath and gather your wits. You look around, searching for Taehyung only to see him alone at your table, eyes heavy and gaze lingering across the room. You turn to see Jimin leaning on the bar, smiling at something a woman is whispering in his ear.

Glancing back at Taehyung, you see him shove away from the table and storm out the door. Yoongi notices this too, but he’s slow on the uptake, his hand still on your hip. You shake off his hold on you and go after Taehyung, shouting his name.

Taehyung is just outside the Desert Rose, head tilted down and shoulders pulled up tight around his ears. When you touch the small of his back, he flinches, gazing at you with tear-stained eyes and a look so crestfallen you feel your heart crack.

He sniffs. “This is why,” he whispers. “This is why I told you we can never be. Humans and dreams - we aren’t. We don’t match.”

“Taehyung,” you whisper. You don’t know what else to say. You open your arms and he leans into you, folding in half as he sobs, breaking down into your shoulder. You hush him gently, holding him tight and squeezing him, trying to pour your love into him.

Over Taehyung’s shoulder, your gaze settles on Yoongi. He watches the two of you in silence, face impassive. And your heart breaks a little more, realizing the truth of Taehyung’s words.

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spop-romanticizes-abuse · 8 months

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toxic relationships: intentional vs romanticized

i want to talk about what makes a toxic ship intentional and what makes it romanticized, since a lot of spop fans claim that “of course Adora and Catra's relationship is toxic, they were enemies and they had a rough childhood”. however, it's clear that the writers of spop themselves don't consider this relationship toxic, or if they do, they think that the toxicity is sexy or romantic.

for comparison, let's take Jasper and Lapis from Steven Universe. this was a ship that was clearly written to be unhealthy. these were two characters who did not like each other in the slightest, who both had their own share of trauma that they never worked through and decided to form a fusion instead.

Jasper tries to coerce Lapis into forming a fusion with her, in order to help her defeat the Crystal Gems. Lapis is unwilling at first but later, she relents. whether she did this out of fear or because of her own anger towards the Crystal Gems is unclear at first.

Fusions in SU are a good way of visualising the nature of a relationship. if a relationship is healthy and stable, the fusion is stronger and can stay fused for longer periods of time. if the relationship is unhealthy, toxic or unstable, the fusion might break apart easily or have trouble functioning as one body.

fusions aren't strictly a romantic thing either, there had been a couple of platonic fusions in the series too, like Smoky Quartz or Steg. suffice to say, it was just a creative way to explore different dynamics between different people.

as expected, Lapis's and Jasper's fusion was not stable or healthy in the slightest. Malachite was the biggest fusion we had seen at that point in the series, and she looked more monstrous and unhinged than any of the other fusions we had seen prior.

it is at this point that Lapis reveals that she was just trying to keep Steven safe by fusing with Jasper and forcing the fusion to stay underwater with her.

even right after this scene, it's clear that the writers wrote Malachite as an intentional toxic ship because Garnet immediately remarks that those two gems were “not good for each other”.

after an undetermined period of time where Malachite stayed fused, and while Jasper got more and more angry and vengeful, Lapis got more and more exhausted of holding the fusion together; the Crystal Gems finally succeed in making the two unfuse.

there is some nuance to this ship too, because there wasn't just one person at fault. while Jasper was physically stronger than Lapis and she was the one who initially coerced Lapis into fusing with her, Lapis herself admits that she used their relationship to take out all of her anger and frustration. she admits to hurting Jasper in the process.

Lapis also admits that she misses Jasper, a sentiment that Jasper also seems to share as she tracks down Lapis to ask her to fuse with her again, promising that it would be better this time.

this is not uncommon in toxic relationships where the individuals get so used to the toxicity that they feel empty without each other. they would rather be in an unhealthy but familiar relationship than be alone. and this is the first time i've seen this sentiment be portrayed so realistically in a show. the fact that you can get away from someone who hurt you and still miss them and want them back is something that needs to be talked about.

Lapis does eventually reject Jasper's offer, saying that their relationship wasn't healthy. while i do have problems with how they suddenly made Lapis the victim afterwards (and her whole arc as a whole), i still think SU handled this ship really well.

it was an introspect into a toxic relationship, without romanticizing or sexualizing it, and without justifying Lapis's or Jasper's actions, even though they were both sympathetic characters on their own. they do kind of gloss over Lapis's role in this relationship later on, which i wasn't fond of but in the end, they made the right decision to not let this ship be canon.

this is how toxic relationships should be explored in media. without bias, without excusing or justifying a person's actions. whether the ship separates in the end or not is the writer's wish, but the framing is important.

whereas c//a is framed in a way that expects us to sympathize with Catra, to excuse her actions and to root for her to get with Adora. like Malachite, c//a was not healthy for Catra or Adora (although the conflict there was definitely more one-sided) but the writers of spop seems to think that a vague apology is enough for them to get into a stable relationship.

if you frame toxic behaviour as cute or romantic, your audience is going to accept that. fiction does greatly impact reality. and considering that spop is quote-unquote “a kid's show”, they have a responsibility to not send the wrong message to thousands of impressionable children.

this turned into more of an SU analysis than an SPOP critique post lol but since y'all already know why c//a is not like malachite, i trust i don't have to write more about that.

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the-milk-monarch · 9 months

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Hello! I just want ya to know that u are my favorite writer for tdi in all honesty. I love how thought out your work is and how detailed it is. I saw that you wrote for Cody If so, could you possibly write a thing about how they would act if the reader was Chris’s favorite intern, and would sneak free gifts to help them in challenges (not that big just little small things) like a sweater for when they are somewhere cold, or a cookie if chefs cooking was bad. Could they also be confident and funny? (Strong reader supremacy).

I know you have a lot on your plate, it’s ok to deny or take as long as you need. Feel free to use this idea for other charecters :)

I love this gif

☣ Aw that's so sweet to hear, tysm!! I never thought anyone would enjoy my writing so much so that's really lovely to hear 🫶 I try my best to write well thought out stuff bc I honestly enjoy thinking about it lol

[𝙲𝙷𝚁𝙸𝚂'𝚂 𝙵𝙰𝚅𝙾𝚁𝙸𝚃𝙴 𝙸𝙽𝚃𝙴𝚁𝙽 𝚂/𝙾]

[𝙲𝚘𝚍𝚢]

⚠︎ | setting: Total Drama: World Tour

Cody really likes being around you.

You emit energy that just gives him that daily boost.

Whether it's your confidence and lightheartedness or a good joke, he usually has a smile while hanging around you.

He also likes to join in on playing the comedian with you if he feels creative, so you're a fun duo!

He's curious why Chris likes you so much.

I mean, he can see why, you're like, the best person ever to be around, (in his opinion) but still.

And you're kind enough to share anything extra with him!

You got him by a surprise when it first happened, as at the time you were friendly, but only briefly spoke to each other.

Next on the trip list was "Yukon". You knew it was gonna be cold. But being the TV host's favorite intern wasn't that bad, you knew you were probably gonna get decent clothing. As you expected, the temperature was freezing. But of course, Chris couldn't be cold, so he got himself a cozy and stylish jacket. You and Chef also got the blessing of getting something warm to wear, unlike the rest of the campers. You felt some hope after Chris announced that he ordered the jackets for the others, but it quickly washed away when you heard his response to Heather that "they should arrive in six to eight weeks". You sighed, but ultimately you were helpless to do anything. You took a liking to Cody, he was fun to be around and you thought his "tough man" was both entertaining and kinda sweet. I mean, at least he tried, right? You started talking in the short moments when you both had a break and a chance to interact with someone in between the challenges. You never went out of your way to help anyone as it was technically cheating, but you felt like you had to do something when you saw Cody freezing after he fell into the cold water and Sierra had to rescue him. You saw her throw him on the land from the floating ice block, thinking he's somewhat safe now, until you heard the abrupt sound of him hitting the nearby mountains which made you cringe from the secondhand pain. Once the camera focused on the other contestants trying to make it through the challenge, you sneakily approached Cody, who was visibly shaking while laying on his back and processing what just happened. "Oof- Dude, you alright?" You hovered above him with a concerned look on your face. "Y-Y/N?" He managed to stutter out while the cold tried to shut up him up. You offered him a hand so he could get up, to which he accepted with a shaking grip. Without a word, you gave him the only thing you had on you, your jacket. "T-That's for me?" He asked, a bit in disbelief for your kind act. "Of course, I can't let you freeze to death." You quickly explained with a smile on your face. "But what about you?" He questioned once more, seeing as you had nothing else to put on. "Hey, I haven't fallen into the freezing water, did I?" You pointed out, although you appreciated him worrying about you as well. "R-Right." He flashed a shaky smile and extended his hand as you passed him the clothing item. "T-Thank you." He tried to keep his teeth from grinding, which stopped as soon as he put it on. The cold was still biting your ass, but at least you felt good knowing he wasn't about to die anymore. Cody started to feel a bit awkward seeing you start to shake, though. "Hey- now that you're the one being cold, I feel kinda selfish here." He admitted, halfly-joking. You took a second before responding. "Well- There's always an option with huddling for warmth" You responded, also halfly-serious. You didn't mind close contact and free warmth, so you hoped Cody wouldn't either. "Unless you got cold feet." You heard a slight chuckle come out of his lips after your words. "Okay. But only to break the ice." He put on a grin which showed his goofy tooth gap. He was pleasantly surprised with the amount of casualness from you, but also a bit lost on how to act, so he resorted to lightning up the mood as well. You reciprocated the giggle and stepped closer, feeling his body against yours. He hesitated a little, but finally embraced you into his arms. "Don't let Sierra see you though, you might make some enemies with her after that." He warned you only slightly serious about it.

Cody was far more casual and friendly with you after that one kind gesture.

And with time, he began to see you as legit one of the closest people he got to meet on the show.

But the thing that made him enamored in you was when you got to his heart through his stomach.

You knew that the teams had to endure Chef's horrible cooking each time they lost, and you were glad when you didn't have to worry about the food being a probable cause of your death when Chris gave you your share of the meals. So, naturally you also wanted to grant that opportunity to your close acquaintance as well. Per usual, you approached Cody after you had a moment to yourself. "Hey Codemeister, what's up?" He turned his head towards you as he heard the familiar tone of your voice. "Y/N, hey!" His face lighted up and he straightened his back to properly look at you while sitting on the crappy, wooden seat, "Had your dinner already?" You asked casually, sitting next to him. "If that's what you call it- yeah." He cringed at the economy class food. "Why?" "Well, I just had this cookie that i conveniently kept for you, so..." You slightly teased as your hand slowly got the packaged, delicious goods out of your pocket. "What, dude, no way!" He gasped slightly as he saw the cookie in it's glory. "It's mine?" "Yeah." You nodded with a smile, already happy about his excited reaction. "You're amazing!" He attacked you with a hug without thinking twice. You felt Sierra staring daggers at you.

#total drama #total drama x reader #x reader #headcanon #imagine #gn reader #gender neutral reader #cody #td cody #total drama world tour #td cody x reader #ask #request #headcanons #total drama cody x reader #intern reader

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bryce-bucher · 1 year

Text

.50 Caliber 3D Platformer Post #5

(Flashing Lights Warning near the bottom of the post)

UI UI UI UI UI:

I've been working on UI mostly the past couple of weeks. It has been, as usual, both very cool & fun but also hell and evil. To be more specific, I really like designing the visual aspect of UI, but implementing it is always so horribly tedious and boring that it is really hard for me to focus on doing it. Without fail, I always end up getting UI done very slowly because of this. I am really happy with what I've got so far though, and it has brought me one step closer to getting to the point where I can just start hashing out levels.

Making the Health UI:

The health UI was something I was extremely excited about implementing, so I eagerly decided to decide that it was time to make it. Let me step u through the process 4 fun.

For me, it always starts with sketching out something crudely in pen. I've had this sketch done for months now, so it was p cool to see it finally come to life in game.

Next I hopped into blender and began trying to make some kind of cool y2k-era greebled out shape, but making detailed machinery (or details in general) is not my strongsuit, so I ended up with this kinda neat smooth shape that I wasn't entirely happy with. It looked cool, but I really wanted to challenge myself to make something closer to the windows media player skins I was inspired by.

More Specifically, I referenced this Half-Life 2 windows media player skin heavily, and started with a ring that I could build little pieces and wires off of. I hope u can forgive me if I maybe made it too similar lol, but I tried to get creative and put my own spin on it. I think the shapes on the top left are the most similar to my reference, and those are not-so-coincidentally the first bits that I modeled. This is my first time modeling something in this style, and I suspect that I'll get better at it if & when I do it again.

Finally, I slapped some materials on, made a texture for one of the faces I had sketched out, and rendered out a few frames of it gently(ish) flashing. I then went into affinity photo and made little speedometer components to slot into the small circle in the top right and programmed some functionality to it. The plan is to have the face represent the player's current health, so I am going to need to make a few more and then animate it rotating into a different face. But yeah, I am super happy with it, and I think it is lookin p sick!

Other Stuff What I Made:

Other than the health UI, I also added in functionality and UI for completing a level and selecting a level.

I was very much inspired by killer7 for the sequence that plays when you shoot your target, and I am addicted to intense flashing lights, so I included a lot of that. There are already accessibility options to turn that off, so if it's something that could harm u or if you just hate it (coward????!!!11) you can disable them. I've always found intense effects like that very cathartic, so I'm probably gonna include similar visuals in a few different things I make. That being said, I do also always want to make the alternative visuals (when the accessibility options are enabled) to also be cool af and get the point across. The level select screen was also really fun to make, I basically just slapped together some textures of warn-out paper into a little files situation and placed that on top of an abstract background that I made in jwildfire.

Conclusion:

I have honestly really loved working on this so far, but there has been a lot of anxiety about money in my life lately, so I really do hope to get this out in a reasonable time. I feel like I say that a lot about this game, but it is because it's always on my mind unfortunately. I don't want to make it sound like I am making this game entirely for money or w/e though, it is definitely a labor of love. Anyways, I hope to get to a point where I can get some environment art done soon, and I cannot wait to show off whatever this game is gonna look like. Have a nice day every1!

#screenshotsaturday #indiegamedev #gamedev #indiedev #game development #indiegames #y2k #y2k aesthetic #3d platformer #3dplatformer #sniper rifle #windows media player #50 caliber 3d platformer #50 cal

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adriswrld · 1 year

Text

Randy Orton's sister x Alexa Bliss / Charlotte Flair x Reader

request/trope: enemies (on screen)/ friends to lovers (irl) trope with Alexa Bliss

a.n: so this request was messaged to me and they gave a lot of what they wanted for the plot so I will be going off of their request the best I can! Will probably change some stuff so it fits the plot better but that's it!

this came from my wattpad first btw! my wattpad is -adriswrld :)

Y/N hopped off her motorcycle that she just parked next to her brother's car also known as Randy Orton's car. "You know you really need to start using your car. I warned you about how dangerous those things are," Randy scolded, grabbing his suitcase and hers out of the car. She usually couldn't fit her second suitcase on her bike so she had Randy hold onto it. "I heard you the first million times Randal, stop nagging on me," Y/N said in an annoyed tone. Randy rolled his eyes at her using his full name. "I'm just worried about you Y/N. I'm allowed to be after that incident," Randy said and Y/N clenched her jaw hoping he would stop bringing that up to make her feel guilty.

"Yes Randy I got tired, made a mistake hurt someone in the ring but it had nothing to do with a motorcycle or my break up with Ashley. So back off please." Randy sighed and nodded, choosing to let it go for now but it didn't stop his concern for her well being. Now that Ashley would be on the same brand as her then he knew it would be even harder on her. Y/N walked in the building with her suitcases and headed to the locker room. They must've been meeting some of the new girls because tonight was the night of the SmackDown draft. Y/N really hated the drafts because there was an extra amount of people than a normal amount of people for a Smackdown episode.

Y/N chewed on her gum as she entered the locker room, heading straight to her locker and ignoring everyone but they were used to it. "Y/N! Come here I wanna introduce you to someone!" Trinity called over and Y/N let out a sigh before getting up from the bench. "Lexi this is Y/N Orton. Y/N this is Lexi Kaufman aka Alexa Bliss." Trinity introduced. Y/N just a gave an uninterested nod, not bothering to shake Alexa's hand or make any kind of contact. "Hi...yeah I gotta go now," Y/N mumbled before walking out of the locker room without another word. "Oh...uh okay," Alexa mumbled awkwardly. She was aware Y/N wasn't exactly the most social person but she didn't really expect that. Especially since her own crush just treated her like a high school jock would.

"Don't take it personal. She's always like that." Nikki Bella said, patting Alexa's shoulder with a warm smile. "Yeah I didn't, just caught me off guard."

»»────── 𓆩♡𓆪 ──────««

Y/N groaned getting a message to head to Hunter's office. As Hunter was apart of creative he had an idea for Y/N's new storyline as she was finished with her last one. Y/N lost her fued to Becky Lynch for the SmackDown Women's Championship, helping put over the orange haired woman in the process.

Y/N didn't mind helping put over the newer women she just hoped they would put her in a storyline with her brother sooner or later. The least they could do is let her win matches. She was literally an Orton, she shouldn't have to look weak. All they did was show Randy giving her advice in backstage segments or promos.

Y/N walked into the office and sat down on the chair, not even acknowledging Alexa Bliss sitting there as well. "You called me?" Y/N raised a brow, chewing on her new piece of gum. Alexa didn't have to question why Y/N had such a sharp jawline now. "Yes I have a new storyline for you that I think you'll like a lot," Triple H said. Y/N perked up hoping they'd finally pair her with her older brother. "You're gonna finally let me wrestle with my brother?" Y/N asked hopefully and Triple H pursed his lips. "Yes and No," he said, making Y/N slightly frown. "We decided to team you and your brother for the mixed match challenge but that's not gonna be apart of your storyline," Triple H said.

That's when Y/N finally realized Alexa was sitting next to her. "No way. You're gonna team me up with new girl?!" Y/N exclaimed, hating the idea of being in a tag team with anyone. Her brother was the only exception. "Ouch. I'm right here!" Alexa said, offended but still insanely attracted to Y/N when she was mad. "No Y/N we're not teaming you two up. You're actually gonna be fueding. It sets up Alexa's fued with Becky Lynch in the future," Triple H said. Alexa was super excited because she might possibly win her first championship in WWE after this first warm up fued. "Wait, so I'm gonna lose again?" Y/N asked incredulously.

"Yes and No. Neither of you will lose this fued as Alexa will move onto her fued with Becky Lynch for the SmackDown Women's Championship and you will move onto your next fued with Charlotte Flair for the Raw Women's Championship. Alexa will be a heel and you will turn babyface so you both will be on different brands soon. This is just a warm up fued. You get two months to make this fued big or its gonna cost your title shots in the future." Y/N nodded, excited to turn babyface as she had never been one before. She's always played a heel. Alexa was used to the heel role as she played one before in NXT.

Y/N obviously wasn't excited about a fued with her ex girlfriend Charlotte but if it gave her a title then she'd make the most of it. "Also, we're gonna slowly ease you into a tag team but you're still gonna hate each other, you just get along sometimes. It's like a opposite personalities kinda thing," Triple H added. "If it gets me a title shot then I can work with a tag team for now," Y/N said. "Is that all?" Hunter nodded and Y/N walked out without another word. Alexa sighed and she and Triple H began discussing more about her fued and character.

»»────── 𓆩♡𓆪 ──────««

It was the next week and Alexa was in the ring cutting a promo about how excited she was to be apart of the SmackDown brand. That was until she was cut off by Y/N's music and the crowd booed her in which she just ignored them. She wore a white crop top with some jeans and some sneakers, something really basic as she wasn't one for flashy clothing. Plus her character was more of a idgaf kinda character. "Well well well, if it isn't the cheerleader from NXT! Where's your little buddies? They didn't get drafted up with you? Aww," Y/N fake pouted, walking down the ramp.

"What do you want?" Alexa asked, a little taken back by the comments of Y/N. "Oh me? Yeah no I don't really want anything. I'm just here to be here. And sweetheart I've been here wayyy longer than you so I pretty much do whatever I want." Y/N stepped onto the ring apron and stepped into the ring making Alexa back up slightly. "You know for someone who's been here longer you haven't really accomplished much have you?" Alexa asked with a sweet smile. The crowd laughed at her comeback on Y/N who was visibly pissed at her audacity. "I'm a four time Women's Champion. That's more than you've done in your entire career so I'd watch your pretty mouth next time. If you want to be here in my ring and address this crowd then you have to earn it," Y/N stated.

"Okay. Then I'll earn it. Me and you right here, right now!" Alexa challenged. Y/N licked her lips and laughed, stepping back and sliding out of the ring. "Nah," Y/N shrugged, walking back up the ramp without another word. That was only the beginning of what was to come.

»»────── 𓆩♡𓆪 ──────««

(a month later)

Every week Y/N would always throw an insult or push around Alexa and the crowd loved every second of it. They even had a match last week and Y/N came out with the win but Alexa stuck her out of to her out of respect in which Y/N just walked pass her with zero emotion. But today, oh today was a different day. Last week Charlotte Flair had called out Y/N on Monday Night Raw. And obviously Y/N was not gonna let that slide. So she was out there to address the crowd tonight and call out Charlotte Flair who was in the building tonight. Y/N's music hit and she walked out, mic in a hand, glasses over her eyes and a steel chair in hand. Y/N stepped in the ring and set the chair up before taking a seat on it and leaning back.

Alexa watched backstage with a hitched breath, seeing Y/N in the leaned back position but images in her head that she felt she shouldn't even be imagining. It was obvious Y/N was still getting over her breakup with Ashley. And it's not like Y/N even acknowledged Alexa half the time. They'd cross paths and Y/N wouldn't even look at her, she'd just nod and walk past her. She was starting to wonder if Y/N hated her. "So you're all probably wondering what I'm out here for. Yeah last week I took a nasty bump so you probably think I'm injured but I'm perfectly fine. No no no, I'm out here to address the elephant in the room. Charlotte Flair." Y/N spoke, pulling off her glasses and clipping them on her tank top.

"See Charlotte Flair had no right calling me out on Raw as if I didn't whoop her ass countless times. She really had a lot to say about me. And I really don't know what I did so bad for her to call me some useless bully with no talent. Am I really a bully? I don't think I am. I prefer the term, snake. And I'll admit, I am a snake. I've turned my back on Charlotte several times. It's not my fault she managed to make everything about her. I don't blame Bayley and Sasha for turning on her. They just did what Becky Lynch is scared to do. Charlotte is scared of being alone. You wanna know how I know that?"

"Well I'll tell you anyways. See Charlotte's always been the chosen one. In middle school, in high school, in NXT. Meanwhile women like Bayley, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, Naomi, Tamina, Natalya, Emma, Alicia Fox, and many more couldn't even earn an opportunity to shine because Vincent Kennedy McMahon likes the young pretty blondes on his TV. Charlotte hasn't earned half the things she's been given. Because all the women I just listed, they've beaten her and where is their Championship? Where is my championship?! Charlotte Flair is always gonna be alone because if shes not in the spotlight then nobody can be and shes scared of that. So I'll tell you where my championship is. It's shoved so far up Charlotte's a-" Y/N was cut off by Charlotte's music.

Y/N clenched her jaw and bit her lip in anger. Everyone knew Y/N hated to be cut off. Charlotte walked out, Dana Brooke by her side like always. "Y/N, Y/N, Y/N....why are you so obsessed with me?" Y/N scoffed, watching as Charlotte walked down the ramp, her title around her waist. "I mean it's bad enough you're obsessed with poor little Alexa Bliss. But now you're moving onto me? Is it because i dumped you?" Charlotte laughed. Y/N looked down, still clenching her jaw and she could snap at any moment. "Oh right, I forgot you're still not over that," Charlotte frowned fakly and stepping in the ring.

Y/N still didn't move from her spot on her chair and continued to chew her gum with an annoyed face. "You done?" Y/N asked, raising an annoyed brow. "Hmmmm not really but it's embarrassing to see you not speak so I'll pause just for you," Charlotte hummed. Y/N stood up and kicked the chair the side, "I think you're forgetting that you called me out, you brought my name into your mouth and you showed up on my brand. So I suggest you rethink your decision before I rearrange your face so you won't be Championship material in anyone's eyes," Y/N spat out at Charlotte.

"Oh so you're saying that you're Championship material? You?" Charlotte deadpanned and Y/N nodded with a shrug. "Yeah but I'm not gonna be a cocky bitch like you and remind everyone each week," Y/N said. The crowd laughed and Charlotte clenched her jaw, clearly embarrassed. "I'm done here. I don't have to listen to this," Charlotte said, turning to walk away but Y/N grabbed her wrist. "Yeah well I'm not." Charlotte scoffed and sent a cheap shot to Y/N's face, laying her out so Dana kicked and attacked her.

Charlotte grabbed the chair and went to hit Y/N in the back until, the crowd suddenly burst into loud cheers when the music of Alexa Bliss hit and she ran out to Y/N's defense. Charlotte and Dana slid out immediately noticing Alexa holding a kendo stick in hand. Alexa slid in and shouted some threats at the two before walking over to Y/N who sat in the corner of the ring with a look of surprise. Alexa stuck her hand out to Y/N who looked around at the crowd that began the Daniel Bryan 'YES!" chants. Charlotte and Dana shouted 'no' as they knew if Alexa and Y/N teamed up then it would be the end for them.

Y/N let out a breath and took Alexa's hand, letting Alexa help pull her up and the crowd went nuts for it. Y/N and Alexa walked to the ropes shouting threats back and forth with Dana and Charlotte. Y/N picked up the mic and leaned forward on the ropes, "You and your little protégé versus me and The Goddess on Raw! I'll see you there because the minute I see you next week it's going down!" Y/N threw the mic and her music played all as the crowd cheered and Charlotte and Dana were having a meltdown.

Alexa grinned and hugged Y/N stiffened up out of surprise, that obviously not being scripted so she had no idea how to react. But the crowd was going nuts for it and the reactions were gold. Y/N still with a confused look, put an arm around Alexa's shoulder and it was basically Y/N showing some kind of affection so the crowd loved it. This team was over as hell and Vince McMahon was eating it up.

»»────── 𓆩♡𓆪 ──────««

That's how Y/N and Alexa were told they would now be a tag team until it was time for their title fueds. Basically this storyline got extended way longer than it should've been. Y/N didn't mind because it meant she was getting TV time and a big check. The only downside was that she had to now train with Alexa so they could rehearse their matches together, create a tag team finisher, a gimmick for their selves, and anything that could help with their chemistry. Alexa obviously wasn't complaining about spending time with her. That was until Y/N brought along Randy so now it definitely felt like Alexa was just third wheeling their sister and brother relationship.

Y/N pulled her gym bag on her shoulder and walked into the PC but this time Randy wasn't with her which caught Alexa off guard. "No Randy today?" Alexa asked. She and Y/N still had yet to actually speak a full sentence to each other since Randy basically spoke for Y/N knowing she had no interest in conversation with people she wasn't super familiar with. "Nah he's spending time with the wifey so it's just me. I did actually call a friend to come with but they bailed last minute." Y/N shrugged. Alexa nodded, pretending to be upset about that but she Sasha thrilled to actually sit down and talk with Y/N.

"So I was thinking maybe we can start coming up with our finisher because we have our match in a few days on Raw," Alexa said. Y/N just nodded and slid in the ring to stretch, Alexa following her. "Yeah I was talking to my friend about that and she suggested that maybe we just mix our finisher together instead of creating a whole new one," Y/N mumbled. "That's a great idea. What friend came up with that?" Alexa asked, slighty trying to figure out if it was Charlotte's idea. "My friend Kim, she's in ICW. Don't worry she's married to a man." Alexa's eyes widened, hoping Y/N wasn't onto her.

"What do you mean by that?" Alexa asked, trying to play dumb. "You're obviously wondering if Charlotte was that friend, which she was not. We haven't spoken to each other outside of work in weeks. We don't even speak in general unless we're doing a promo together," Y/N stated. "Oh well I was just curious," Alexa mumbled. "Mhm, sure," Y/N shrugged, not thinking too much of it because she didn't really care. "So I was thinking like maybe I do an RKO, then when they're on the floor you basically do the Twisted Bliss finisher," Y/N explained, standing up and popping her neck.

"Oh yeah I love that idea. Wait you know my finisher name?" Alexa asked. "I watched a few of your matches in NXT so I kinda picked up on your moveset," Y/N shrugged, not seeing it as a big deal but a lot of people would considering she almost never felt the need to watch other people's old matches to study moveset. "Oh okay, thanks," Alexa said, smiling to herself.

»»────── 𓆩♡𓆪 ──────««

Y/N slid in the ring and performed an RKO on Dana Brooke, laying her out so Alexa could perform Twisted Bliss. Alexa performed the finisher and pinned Dana to the three count, making the crowd get on their feet and cheer. Alexa immediately ran and hugged Y/N who once again awkwardly patted Alexa's back. The referee lifted their arms, signifying their win before letting them back down. When they got backstage they were congratulated on their performance and Y/N immediately left to catering where Bayley was holding her phone for her. "Thanks," Y/N said, taking her phone and going to sit on a random stage box.

As she sat down she was approached by Charlotte who sat down next to her. "What do you want Ashley? You dumped me, you left me, you ruined it. I don't need any explanation from you and I sure as hell don't wanna be friends." Before Charlotte could even get a word out, Y/N walked off without even hearing what Charlotte had to say. Charlotte let out a sigh and Alexa walked over to her, "I'm kinda biased because she's my tag partner but I think you should just let her be. She's made it clear she doesn't wanna be friends or get together," Alexa stated, patting Charlotte's shoulder and walking over to Bayley and Sasha.

»»────── 𓆩♡𓆪 ──────««

Three weeks later it was Smackdown and Y/N had a match tonight against Carmella, from what was scheduled but she was cutting a promo in the ring first. "Now three weeks ago myself and my tag partner Alexa Bliss beat Charlotte Flair and Dana Brooke. And for some reason, I thought it was gonna end there. Ya know? But Charlotte just can't accept defeat. Which is why last week she tried to get me alone and twist her way into my mind to turn me against my partner Alexa Bliss. And I don't take kindly to people trying to manipulate me." Y/N said, sitting criss cross in the middle on the ring.

"And so I was wondering how did Charlotte manage to get me alone? If Alexa is with me at all times? And so I asked Alexa where she was and she told me that Carmella and her little friends, locked Alexa in the locker room. And I think we all know by now is that I really don't like when someone messes with the people I care about. So, I challenged Carmella to a match earlier today and I have yet to get my answer so Carmella, if you could come on out here that would be greatly appreciated. And once I'm done with you, I'll put my focus back on Charlotte Flair."

Y/N stood up and looked to the jumbotron with the audience and that's when they suddenly showed Carmella walking into Y/N and Alexa's shared locker room. Alexa immediately looked away from the television and glared at Carmella, "What are you doing in our room?" Carmella chuckled and crossed her arms over her chest, "Relax, I just wanna talk to you. It's about Y/N." Alexa furrowed her brows and crossed her arms, squinting at Carmella in suspicion. "What about her?"

"I really hate to be the bearer of bad news but I think she's thinking about leaving you for Charlotte. I saw them talking last week and they looked really close. I also noticed how Y/N didn't ask you to come out with her, maybe she just doesn't need you anymore so she's to let you down easy," Carmella said with a fake frown. Alexa looked down, not wanting to believe what Carmella was saying but it was hard not to when Y/N was being more distant. "Why should I believe you when you and your little friends locked me in the locker room?" Alexa glared at her, not even caring what Carmella had to say anymore.

"You know what? I don't care. Get out!" Alexa snapped. Carmella clenched her jaw, "Fine, fine you win," She went to turn around, only to sucker punch Alexa in the face. Y/N seen this and immediately went to run out of the ring until Natalya, Lana and Tamina, three of Carmella's lackies, attacked her from behind. As Alexa finally shoved Carmella into the wall, she turned to look at the TV that showed Y/N being attacked. "She's always there for you. Will you be there for her?" Carmella chuckled, getting up and tackling Alexa, both of them going at it until security had to pull them apart.

Y/N tried her best to fight back but only got kicked down each time. That's when the crowd went absolutely insane hearing Charlotte Flairs music. Charlotte ran down the ramp literally in heels and hit Lana with a big boot on the outside. Charlotte slid in the ring but Tamina and Natalya slid out before she could attack. Y/N leaned onto her left shoulder, holding her midsection in pain, thinking Charlotte would now attack her. But instead Charlotte leaned down and comforted her whilst glaring at Lana, Tamina, and Natalya.

Alexa finally managed to pull from the security and run down to the gorilla but when she finally got the stage, nobody was in the ring anymore. The crowd chanted 'CHARLOTTE SAVED HER!' and Alexa's face showed a clear sign of sadness but also a look of jealousy and anger.

Backstage when the segment was finished Alexa found Y/N actually having a conversation with Charlotte. She furrowed her brows in confusion when she noticed Y/N had actually smiled at Charlotte. Y/N never smiled. Alexa sighed and sat down on the stage box, close enough to where she could eavesdrop. "So, do you maybe wanna grab some coffee later? I know a good place nearby," Charlotte said. Y/N hummed in thought, she had planned to do some late night training with Alexa but maybe she could cancel. Alexa wouldn't be that mad would she?

"Uh yeah sure, I gotta cancel training but yeah, I'm down," Y/N said. Alexa gaped in offense and jealousy which she would never admit to.

»»────── 𓆩♡𓆪 ──────««

A few weeks more went on and Y/N and Alexa were one of the most talked about tag teams ever. Y/N and Alexa would be scheduled on both brands, fueding with Charlotte and Dana. When Charlotte had saved Y/N when Alexa wasn't there, that did cause a lot of miscommunication and problems between the two. Charlotte was manipulating Y/N all over again and Alexa was sick of it so last week she challenged Charlotte to a match on Smackdown. Off screen, Y/N had been spending a ton of time with Ashley. Even more than she did with Alexa. But the more Y/N distanced from Alexa, the more she realized how she really felt for her tag partner.

She loved her. And not the best friend type of love...

Y/N was sitting down in her shared locker room with Alexa, eating a piece of pizza when Alexa walked in. "Hey, can we talk?" Alexa asked. Y/N gave her a thumbs up and turned off the television before turning to look at Alexa who had just sat down next to her on the couch. "What's up?" Y/N asked, tossing the pizza on her plate and giving Alexa her full attention. "I was gonna ask why you've been so distant lately? You're always canceling our meet ups and most of the time I find out on Twitter that you basically ditched me for Charlotte," Alexa asked, slighty looking away as she didn't want to fully look at Y/N, scared of her reaction.

"Are you implying something? You do realize I'm not obligated to give you my attention every second, right?" Y/N raised a brow, immediately growing an attitude, but that was all to hide what she really wanted to say. Alexa frowned and squinted her eyes at Y/N, "I didn't say that. I'm just kinda bothered that you're not putting in as much work because you're too busy spending time with Charlotte."

Y/N scoffed and stood up, "No no no, I have been putting in my blood sweat and tears to make this team work. Just because I want to hang out with a friend doesn't mean I don't care about this team! I do care, and I show that every week when I walk down that ramp." Now Alexa had scoffed, "Oh yeah? Are you really that sure you're friends? It seems like way more than that to me." Y/N's eyes widened slightly at the accusation and she rolled her eyes, grabbing her bag and getting ready to leave. She wasn't scheduled for a match, she just had to cut a promo backstage for Alexa's match.

"Uh huh, leave. It's what you seem to do best! I mean you sure had no problem bailing on all our plans for Charlotte. Maybe you should go cry to her," Alexa said, causing Y/N to pause in her steps and shut the door. "You literally have no fucking idea what you're talking about! You wanna know why I pushed you away?! Because, I realized how much I actually like spending time with you. And I realized that I fell in love with you when I promised I wouldn't fall in love ever again. And maybe, just maybe, that scared the shit out of me, so I pushed you away, because I haven't felt this way about anyone since Ashley. So I'm sorry." Y/N stormed out before Alexa could even get a word out.

»»────── 𓆩♡𓆪 ──────««

Y/N walked down the halls, holding her duffle bag on her shoulder and heading down to the parking lot to leave. The show was finished, Alexa won her match but could barely focus on celebrating it because Y/N wasn't by her side. Y/N had powered her phone off as well so she ignored every single call and text she got from Lexi. Y/N cursed under her breath seeing Lexi standing beside her car which was parked right next to Y/N's motorcycle. Y/N immediately tossed her duffle bag on the back, not even sparing Lexi a glance which made her frown. As Y/N goes to hop on her bike, Lexi grabs her arm, stopping her.

"Can we talk in the car?" Lexi asked. Y/N licked her lips and reluctantly agreed after a few seconds of silence. Lexi walked around to the driver's side and Y/N hopped in the passenger seat. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Y/N finally decided to break it. "I meant it, ya know? Every word," she mumbled. Lexi suddenly grabbed Y/N by her jacket and pulled their lips together. It didn't take Y/N long to kiss back with more passion. Lexi pulled away first for breath and leaned her forehead against Y/N's, "I love you too." She mumbled. A smile grew on Y/N's face and she kissed Lexi again, and they pulled away after a few seconds to breath.

"I literally had the biggest crush on you for years, like way before I even met you," Lexi admitted. Y/N chuckled and leaned back in the seat. "If I met you sooner, I can guarantee that I would most definitely had liked you back."

Two days later, Y/N and Lexi both cuddled on Lexi's sofa, binge watching Disney movies.

#alexa bliss #alexa bliss x reader #wwe fanfic #lexi kaufman #lexi cabrera #wwe one shot #wwe x reader #randy orton

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baki-tiene-un-simp · 1 year

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Hi,i know that i literlly made an ask minutes ago but i also wanted to request some other hc involving the prior hc that i just made, those hc where the S/O doesn't make it and dies with musashi and mumon but instead of coming back as a spirit they reicarnate in another realm for example like retsu did in his isekai but they reicarnate in another being that isn't human like a fairy or an angel or even some sort of paranormal entety in that realm and they have some foggy memories of musashi/mumon but they try to and they end up starting to have flashbacks of themselfs with them and they go on a journey to go back to the human realm and do it but they fear that musashi/mumon would find them disgusting or have moved on so they kind of like protect/haunt them to make sure they are ok and slowly reintroduce themselfs, i also wanted to know how they would react with their return (by the way this is all after like 2 years on the human realm wich equats to like 20 years on the other realm but the S/O is imortal and has cool powers) and if they would accepr them back as their companion and would start over or continue and what would change.

Sorry that this ask is so long but i had some sort of creativity boost at liek 5:00 A.M and i can't sleep so... sorry if i told any spoiler about retsu's isekai but that is the best example i can get.

I hope that everything is ok with you and that you have a good day and sleep well, because i can't sleep.

Here are some kisses and bear hugs

I'm not really sure how to develop this without having to properly personify and describe the S/O when we want to know what Mumon and Musashi think, but I tried my best to keep it neutral.

Situation: S/O's Isekai? / Isakai del S/O.

Characters: Mumon Katsuragi and Musashi Miyamoto.

Mumon Katsuragi.

He is restless, that feeling of being watched persists even when he is in the company of others. At first he thought it was his brain's way of processing his grief; he thought that feeling a little paranoid was typical for people who were grieving.

But he just didn't feel human the way he was watching, he wasn't watched by a normal person. It was a heavy and embracing feeling, like a person with overwhelming power.

He is more likely to use amulets to ward off spirits or ghosts, he is exactly that kind of person. He feels a little calmer, but it doesn't last too long.

At first he assumed he was dreaming, it was simply the smartest thing to do in his situation, in the middle of the night a creature materialized next to his bed. His body was bathed in an ethereal light that glowed a luminous gold, giving them an angelic and inhuman appearance that captivated him. Their features were simply familiar, but the sleepy haze that filled his senses made it impossible to recognize that face.

It wasn't until you smiled and leaned in to whisper soft words in his ear that he was able to recognize you, he didn't consider that it was your new identity as an elf, but that you were still just as beautiful as when you left his side.

He wasn't sure if you were a dream or not, but he didn't want to bother corroborating that, he had missed you so much and he would finally be able to see you once again.

The next morning he woke up and almost had a heart attack when he saw you sitting on his couch. Before getting out of bed, he was convinced that it had been a dream.

He is very curious, he wants to know how, why and when you were able to return. He's asking a lot of questions as he holds your hand, he just wants to make sure you're not going anywhere.

I miss you so much, he'll probably be stuck with you for a while, he needs to catch up with your presence again. He's happy.

He likes your new form, it's interesting and very cute, but he still feels a little nostalgic for the person you were before. Technically, the person in front of him is you, and you still have recognizable characteristics, but he still misses seeing your previous version.

He's just in love with you, a lot.

Musashi Miyamoto.

Musashi is strangely distraught lately, something really strange. He felt watched all the time. He could sense something non-human following him everywhere, a dangerously powerful entity that wouldn't leave him alone, but they wouldn't reveal themselves either.

His constant state of wakefulness made him hyperaware of everything around him, he hated the idea of not knowing where the threat was coming from, because it seemed to come from everywhere. All the time.

His desperation reached the point of making him enter a forest in the middle of the night, 3 am, exactly.

He is summoning this mysterious entity to fight him, to come get what they wants and to stop chasing him. His katana drawn and ready to attack whatever moved.

The breeze blows coldly over his skin, Musashi could attribute the shiver that ran through him to the cold of the early morning and not to the figure that materialized in front of his eyes when he decided to blink. It was a figure dressed in a black kimono with gold details, elegant over the zori, offsetting the misaligned obi that camouflaged itself with the anthropomorphic parts that grew from its lower back, two types of fluffy tails that almost looked like a fan from its position.

Miyamoto's hands tightened on the handle of his weapon as the masked creature moved their hand to stop any of his actions, silently asking him not to rush to attack them, he obeyed their request. Mysteriously.

It was not until the entity removed the mask from their face that he was able to observe a more human and comfortable feature for him. His S/O. His posture remained even when his S/O approached, Kitsunes are famous for being mischievous and somewhat malicious, wouldn't this be some kind of joke? That thought faltered in his mind when he saw your smile, it was definitely the same as before.

He's surprised, plus he's overly respectful of you, something about honoring who you are now. He still hesitates a little when you ask him to sit next to you.

He's happy to see you again and doesn't really want an explanation, I mean, he doesn't ask for one. You are a powerful spirit now, plus you make a feeling of respect and admiration grow in him, typical of Japanese folklore and those who know. That's all for him.

He uses very big terms and honorifics on you, it will take him a while to erase the image of mythical respect he has of who you are now.

But you are here, after all, with him. That's more than enough now.

Versión en Español.

Mumon Katsuragi.

Él está inquieto, esa sensación de ser observado persiste aun cuando está en compañía de otros. Al principio pensó que era la forma en que su cerebro procesaba su luto, creyó que sentirse un poco paranoico era algo típico para las personas que guardaban luto.

Pero simplemente no se sentía humana la forma en que era observado, no era observado por una persona normal. Era un sentimiento pesado y abrazador, como de una persona con un poder abrumador.

Es más propenso a usar amuletos para ahuyentar espíritus o fantasmas, él es exactamente esa clase de persona. Se siente un poco más tranquilo, pero no dura demasiado tiempo.

Al principio supuso que estaba soñando, era simplemente lo más inteligente en su situación, en mitad de la noche una criatura se materializó junto a su cama. Su cuerpo estaba bañada de una luz etérea que resplandecía en un dorado luminoso, dándole una apariencia angelical e inhumana que lo cautivo. Sus facciones eran simplemente familiares, pero la bruma soñolienta que inundaba sus sentidos hacía que fuera imposible reconocer aquel rostro.

No fue hasta que sonreíste y te inclinaste para susurrar suaves palabras en su oído que pudo reconocerte, no consideraba que se trataba de tu nueva identidad como elfo, sino que seguías siendo igual de hermoso que cuando te fuiste de su lado.

No estaba seguro de si eras un sueño o no, pero no quiso molestarse en corroborar eso, te había extrañado tanto y por fin podría verte una vez más.

A la mañana siguiente despertó y casi se infarta cuando te vio sentado en su sofá, antes de levantarse de la cama se convenció de que habías sido un sueño.

Es muy curioso, quiere saber como, por qué y cuando pudiste regresar. Está haciendo muchas preguntas mientras toma tu mano, solo quiere asegurarse de que no iras a ningún lado.

Te extraño mucho, probablemente se quede pegado a ti durante un buen rato, necesita ponerse al día con tu presencia otra vez. Está feliz.

Tu nueva forma le gusta, es interesante y muy linda, pero aún se siente un poco nostálgico por la persona que eras antes. Técnicamente, quien está frente a él eres tú y aun conservas características reconocibles, pero aún extraña ver a tu versión anterior.

Él simplemente está enamorado de ti, mucho.

Musashi Miyamoto.

Musashi está extrañamente angustiado, últimamente, algo realmente extraño. Se sentía observado todo el tiempo. Podía sentir algo no humano siguiéndolo a todas partes, una entidad peligrosamente poderosa que no le dejaba solo, pero tampoco se revelaba.

Su estado de vigilia constante lo hizo hiperconsciente de todo su alrededor, odiaba la idea de no saber de donde venía la amenaza, porque parecía venir de todos lados. Todo el tiempo.

Su desesperación llegó hasta el punto de hacerlo adentrarse en un bosque a mitad de la noche, 3 am, exactamente.

Está convocando a esta misteriosa entidad para que pelee contra él, que venga a buscar lo que quiere y que deje de perseguirle. Su catana desenvainada y preparada para atacar a lo que sea que se moviera.

"La brisa sopla fríamente sobre su piel, Musashi podría atribuir el escalofrío que le recorrió al frío de la madrugada y no a la figura que se materializó frente a sus ojos cuando decidió parpadear. Era una figura vestida con un kimono negro con detalles dorados, elegante sobre las zori, contrarrestando el obi desalineado que se camuflajea con las partes antropomórficas que nacían de su espalda baja, dos pareces de colas de esponjosas que casi lucían como un abanico desde su posición.

Las manos de Miyamoto se apretaron sobre el mango de su arma cuando la criatura enmascarada movió su mano para detener cualquiera de sus acciones, pidiéndole silenciosamente que no se apresurara a atacarle, él obedeció su petición. Misteriosamente.

No fue hasta que la entidad retiro la máscara de su rostro que pudo observar un rasgo más humano y más confortable para él. Su difunto S/O. Su postura se mantuvo aun cuando su S/O se acercó, los Kitsunes son famosos por ser traviesos y algo maliciosos, ¿no sería esta alguna broma? Ese pensamiento flaqueó en su mente cuando vio tu sonrisa, definitivamente, era la misma de antes."

Está sorprendido, además de que se muestra demasiado respetuosos contigo, algo sobre honrar lo que eres ahora. Aún duda un poco cuando le pides que se siente a tu lado.

Está feliz de volver a verte y realmente no quiere una explicación, digo, no pregunta por una. Eres un espíritu poderoso ahora, además de que haces que un sentimiento de respeto y admiración crezca en él, propio del folclor japonés y del que sabe. Eso es todo para él.

Usa términos y honoríficos muy grandes contigo, le tomará un tiempo borrar la imagen de respeto mítico que tiene de lo que eres ahora.

Pero estás aquí, a fin de cuentas, con él. Eso es más que suficiente ahora.

#mumon katsuragi #mumon katsuragi baki gaiden yuuenchi #mumon katsuragi x reader #mumon x lector #musashi miyamoto x lector #musashi miyamoto x reader #musashi miyamoto baki #miyamoto musashi #baki the grappler #baki son of ogre #baki dou #baki headcanons

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jae-bummer · 1 year

Text

My Idol 3: Part Ten

My Idol from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

My Idol is a South Korean competitive reality dating game show. It currently airs on Saturday nights on Jae-bummer’s blog. First broadcast in 2016, the show offers the opportunity for a lucky fan to go on seven blind dates with seven idols. The idol plans the date with the show throwing in a specific mission to complete during the day. At the end of the initial dates, the show opens up an audience vote to decide what four idols will move on to the second date.

My Idol 3: The Series

Contrary to what you initially believed, Hyungwon was not the strong, silent type. Oh, he was definitely silent, but that wasn't because he didn't have anything to say. It seemed that he was quiet simply because he knew it was ruffling you.

That was the only thing you could figure, considering he hadn't said much of anything, and you were already ten or fifteen minutes into the date. Standing opposite of each other, you both flipped through the record bins aimlessly. Every other moment, you could feel his stare land on you and remain there until you finally looked up. As soon as your eyes began to scan his face, he would either smile, bite his lip, or a variation of the two. Each time, it made your neck heat with unwarranted self-awareness.

He was toying with you. Knowing the effect he was having only egged him on more.

"I'm starting to get the impression that you enjoy being a bully," you sighed, making sure not to look up as you said it. Being suddenly disinterested would definitely be your method of attack.

"Me?" he chuckled, doing the same. "How so?"

"It seems that you're trying your hardest to fluster me," you hummed, taking a few steps down the aisle.

Following you, you could see out of your peripheral vision that he was smiling. "Is it working?"

"I wouldn't tell you if it was."

Huffing out a laugh through his nose, he continued his idle search through the records. "What would you have me do then?"

"I dunno," you sighed, looking up and crossing your arms. "Woo me?"

"Forgive me," he grinned, looking up as well. "I think flustering you is an important part of the wooing process."

Letting out a strangled laugh, you were instantly warmed at the way he was watching you. Amusement danced in his half-lidded eyes, and he did that smile/lip bite thing again. Your heart could hardly take it.

"Why are we here?" you finally asked.

Tilting his head, he assessed you before responding. "I just discovered this shop recently. It's become one of my favorite places almost as soon as I walked in."

Taking a moment to look around, you began to nod. You hadn't been to a record store in Korea before, but it made sense that a musician would love it. You were surrounded by stacks of vinyl, something vibey pouring out of the speakers, and low enough lighting for your eyes to relax. Glancing up toward the front of the shop, there were incredibly hip people behind the counter either ringing up customers or grooving in their own little world. On the opposite side of the shop, there was a sitting area with several record players set up. Plugged into each were a pair of headphones, so patrons could test out a used vinyl or listen to one they just bought.

"I've taken up DJing," Hyungwon continued. "Which of course, a lot of people have gone digital, but I have a set of old turntables at home that I like to play with. I just love the feel of it, like I'm actually putting my hands on the music to help it along."

Following that same line of thought, you asked. "Do you produce music as well?"

"I do," he nodded. "I like being a part of the creative process. It's nice to listen to a finished song and be able to say I had a part in it."

"Even when you're only adding vocals, you're still taking part," you pointed out.

"Yeah," he hummed. "But I'm thinking more of the construction, or the foundation. I want to put together those pivotal parts that allow the artist to really be able to do their job."

"You sound passionate about it," you smiled.

"I am," he acknowledged. "It's one of those things that just makes me feel...alive. Do you have anything like that?"

Furrowing your brows, you began to think. Sure, you had hobbies that you enjoyed, but did they make you feel alive?

"I think the moments I feel alive aren't doing specific things," you mused. "I think I feel alive around certain people and during certain moments, if that makes sense?"

"Of course it does," he understood immediately. "It's like a moment that seems painted in brighter colors and even looking back on it, you can see it in stunning clarity."

"It's where you break your own fourth wall and say, wow, pay attention to this," you continued, a small spark of happiness lighting in your chest.

"Do you think this date is one of those?" he said quietly, his eyes immediately darting away. For someone who was so confident teasing you earlier, you were surprised with the vulnerability he had let slip through.

Smirking, you moved to stand in his line of sight. "Easily."

Wrinkling his nose and letting his shoulders relax, he exhaled. "I'm sure this whole experience has been full of those moments."

"Sure," you agreed. "But I'd rather pay attention to you right now. We don't have to talk about any of the other dates."

"Good," he smirked. "Because I've avoided watching those episodes."

"Then why bring it up?" you laughed.

"Glutton for punishment, I guess."

"You've found the right program then," you winced.

Speaking of punishment, you saw a flurry of movement near the production crew. As if waiting for the cue, a red envelope had been passed through several PD's hands and was now heading your way.

"How poetic," you groaned. "You guys were just waiting for an opportunity, weren't you?"

Accepting the challenge, you snatched the envelope away and looked toward Hyungwon. "Would you like to do the honors?"

Remaining silent, he reached out his hand. You were grateful as you placed the envelope in his waiting palm. Wasting no time in opening it, he pulled out the cardstock and began to read.

"Test your music skill without playing any music. Get ready for the first My Idol one-versus-one challenge!"

"What?" you croaked. Just when you thought you had this game figured out...

"Each player will be given a whiteboard, where they will then write a numbered list of five of their favorite song titles. Once completed, a PD will read off five situations, ie. Number 1: How did you feel after having a nightmare? The players will then need to answer with whatever song title they wrote down. The player who has a song title that closely answers the question, will get a point. The player with the most points wins and will decide the punishment for the loser."

"This sounds awfully involved," Hyungwon muttered, looking up from the card.

Frowning, you took the whiteboard being handed to you. "So just five random songs?"

The PD standing before you nodded.

"And the song I write down first will answer prompt one?" you clarified. "Then for the second prompt, I answer with the second song I wrote down?"

"Yes," the PD confirmed. "No switching around answers to better fit the situation."

"So it's pure luck then," Hyungwon chuckled bitterly. "Love that."

"At least we're choosing each other's punishments?" you tried to reply cheerfully. "That's a silver lining?"

Hyungwon had already began scribbling down songs. Looking up at you with his marker cap between his lips, he lifted his brows. "Sure."

For whatever reason, the small gesture made your stomach flip. Trying to breath, you reminded yourself that just because he had something occupying his mouth, it didn't ramp up his hot factor.

Who were you kidding? It absolutely did.

For the next five minutes the two of you scribbled on your boards, thought better of things, and erased several of your choices. This continued until you were both satisfied and ready to begin the mission.

"Okay," the PD began. "Song 1 should explain how you would feel after your first kiss."

You looked down to your board, a blush crawling across your face. Not only was the prompt unexpected, but you had a bad feeling that your music choices would not hold up.

Hyungwon, on the other hand, was already grinning. "Alive by The Rose."

"Oh, come on!" you gasped. "There's no way!"

Shuffling over to Hyungwon, the PD glanced over his board. "That's what he wrote."

"He's cheating," you pouted, looking toward the production crew moodily. "You gave him the prompts."

"What's your answer, huh?" Hyungwon prodded.

"Icky," you muttered. "By KARD."

"I'm sorry...what was that?" he asked again, his shit-eating grin growing by the minute.

"ICKY!" you all but yelled.

"The point goes to Hyungwon," the PD chimed.

"I could feel Icky after a kiss!" you shouted. "Just because it's not the ideal outcome doesn't mean it's not worthy of a point!"

The PD began to consult the crew behind her before nodding. "We'll give you a point too, Y/N."

You let out a chirp of satisfaction and stuck your tongue out at Hyungwon. He narrowed his eyes before letting out a chuckle.

"Song 2 should describe how you feel after your first date," the PD continued.

"I'm seeing a theme," you sighed. "Waffle House by the Jonas Brothers."

"What you're saying is I should have taken you out for food then?" Hyungwon smirked. "See You Again by Monsta X."

Your jaw dropped open as you slowly pivoted toward your date. "How in the hell?"

"I had a feeling they'd be relationship related," he hummed. "Context clues, Y/N."

You groaned before looking away. He wasn't wrong.

"Point to Hyungwon," the PD nodded. "Song 3 should explain how you feel when your date formally confesses."

"Too Deep to Turn Back by Daniel Caesar," Hyungwon nodded easily.

"I really feel like I should forfeit," you muttered. "The Loneliest by Maneskin."

"Another point to Hyungwon," the PD sighed. " Song 4 should set the tone if your date wins My Idol."

"Ha!" you gasped. "New Emotions by Infinite!"

Hyungwon frowned before tapping his board. "You Gon' Learn Some Jazz Today by Masego."

"How is that relationship related?" you asked, obnoxiously fluttering your eyelashes.

"I thought maybe one of them would involve a date idea or something. I don't know!" he groaned. "Next one!"

"Point for Y/N," the PD continued. "Lastly, Song 5 should describe how you feel when your date gets eliminated."

"Ouch," Hyungwon muttered. "Can we not foreshadow that? Also, I answered with That's Okay by D.O."

"I should be saying "ouch" then," you laughed. "GRL GVNG by XG."

"Our winner is Hyungwon!" the PD cheered. "You will get to choose Y/N's punishment."

Standing up and taking a bow, your date straightened and turned toward you. He began rubbing his hands mischievously. "Anything?"

"Anything," the PD confirmed.

"Y/N?" Hyungwon smirked, his eyes dancing across your face. "Have you ever been on a motorcycle before?"

This was easily the stupidest thing you had ever done. After your incident with San, you weren't looking to get on the back of any moving transport for a while, but here you were, helmet strapped on your head and internally screaming. There was a My Idol SUV pulled to the right of where Hyungwon's cycle sat, as well as behind it. It was comforting that they were at least trying to handle the safety risks while getting good footage.

"You ready?" Hyungwon asked.

"Are you expecting a "yes"?" you groaned.

"Not really," he chuckled, kicking the motorcycle to life. Instantly circling your arms around his torso, you buried your face into his wide shoulders. You would be madder with him, but he smelled amazing. It was hard to harbor hate when someone wore a scent that made them smell like a spicy Christmas cookie.

"Just trust me!" he said, gently navigating the bike onto the main road.

"You know how many times I've heard that over the course of this competition and then things have gone terribly wrong?" you whined.

You could feel the rumble of Hyungwon's laugh through his body. Patting your hands affectionately, he continued at a quicker speed. Your fingers already ached with the force they were holding on to the front of Hyungwon's hoodie. You knew it had to be uncomfortable for him too, but he didn't say a word.

After what felt like forever, he called your name over his shoulder. He must have felt you shake your head "no" into his back because he began to laugh again. "Y/N, look up!"

"No!" you squeaked, letting your cowardice win.

Taking one of his hands off the handlebars, he stroked the fingers you had tightly clenched near his torso. "I promise it's so worth it."

"Put your hands back where they're supposed to be!" you yelled. "And maybe I'll consider it!"

You felt Hyungwon's hand instantly leave yours. Keeping good on your bargain, you peeked up nervously. During your time in the record store, night had inevitably crept in and turned Seoul dark. All that was left to occupy your vision was the evening sky and the flashes of neon provided by shops you passed.

Focusing on your breathing, you slowly straightened your back, and gave a proper look around. You weren't actually moving as quickly as your closed eyes led you to believe. Hyungwon was driving at a comfortable pace, constantly glancing around the perimeter to make sure there weren't any threats to himself or you. Maybe you shouldn't have been so hesitant to trust him.

Then again, you were valid in your fear. Things hadn't exactly gone smoothly up until this point.

Coming to a slow stop at a red light, you heard Hyungwon ask relatively quietly over the roar of the engine. "What do you think? Something you could get used to?"

"I may need a lot of exposure therapy," you laughed. "But I think I could."

"Good," Hyungwon hummed. You could hear the smile behind his words. "Because when I win and they start playing "You Gon' Learn Some Jazz Today", we'll be riding my motorcycle into the sunset."

#hyungwon #chae hyungwon #monsta x #monsta x hyungwon #mx hyungwon #hyungwon fluff #hyungwon fanfic #monsta x fluff #monsta x fanfic #my idol 3 #my idol season 3 #bts #skz #stray kids #pentagon #ateez #got7 #svt #seventeen

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witchthewriter · 1 year

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𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒇𝒐𝒓 @staratie.

𝐕𝐈𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

𝑰 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑼𝒃𝒃𝒆! I think you two would work well together because he isn't much like his brothers. Even though he is a skilled warrior and a great leader, he wouldn't make any do anything they didn't want to do. He's softer than the others, and really listens to people. He has wisdom, and intelligence and that's from taking the time to listen to those around him.

𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔

The most open-minded of Ragnar's sons, he's also the most gentle and kind.

You were always close to Hvitserk growing up. You were the same age and basically grew up together. You had always admired Ragnar, even though you barely saw him. But you intently listened to his stories, while Hvitserk would wriggle out of his father's grasp and want to play.

Little did anyone know, that you had a huge crush on your best friend's older brother...for years.

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈

Dance Me To The End Of Love by the Civil Wars

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔

Best Friend’s Brother

“Shut Up” x “Make Me”

"You wear the pants in this relationship" (Said by you to Ubbe) x "oh I wish, I cannot control you at all" (He replies)

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖

He absolutely loves your stubbornness, he thinks it's very endearing. Ubbe likes that you stand your ground, especially with things that matter to you. That's one of the reasons he fell in love with you - your willingness to go against the grain, to stand out if need be. You're a leader in your own right.

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅

Hvitserk! Although you already knew that ... when he realised that his best friend and his older brother had feelings for one another, he was SHOOK. He avoided both of you for a few days to process the information. But after he did, he thought, "yeah...that's actually kinda cool".

𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐍

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

𝑰 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑨𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒖𝒓! Ah, Arthur Pendragon, the Prince and heir to the throne of Camelot. When you first meet him, you think he's an absolute prick. With his arrogance and ... charm. You never thought you would end up with someone like that.

𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔

Arthur is actually very romantic. It was thought that he wasn't, but he just needed to do it for the right person.

He loves taking you on horse rides - he loves watching you atop a horse, with your hair blowing out of your face, the sun shining down upon you. He wishes he could capture this moment forever.

Is actually very protective, and can get jealous easily. He will puff out his chest and pull rank whenever the knights are ogling you.

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈

Say Yes To Heaven by Lana Del Rey

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔

Stoic & Moody (Arthur) x Ray of Motherfcking Sunshine (You)

Brave Warrior x Self-Assured Damsel

Height Difference

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖

Arthur loves your gentle nature but also your practicality. Also the fact that you're just as likely as him to pick up a sword and protect the ones you love.

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅

Morgana! You two were so close. Her only true friend, that she could actually talk to about her magic. Even going so far in your friendship to have matching bracelets.

𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐂

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

𝑰 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑾𝒊𝒍𝒍! Kind-hearted, devoted and loyal, he will do anything for you. He would double-cross anyone if it meant you would be safe. He really loves you, with all of his heart. And I think those are the type of people/characters that you work well with - those that have a lot of love to give.

𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔

Completely and utterly enamoured with you, Will always has you on his mind. He likes to make little trinkets and gifts for you (he's actually very creative).

Isn't afraid of commitment, seriously, he isn't. So it wouldn't take long for him to pop the question. I'm talking like a few months of knowing you.

His pet names for you are, "love," "my heart," "sweetheart," "honey." Everything he says makes sense; none of it is said in jest, because he genuinely means what he says.

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈

ceilings by Lizzie McAlpine

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔

It's Always Been You

Aggressively Supportive & Protective

Malewife x Girlboss

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖

Your sense of adventure! He loves that you have such a desire for exploring and seeing what's out there.

𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅

You got to know Will, through your best friend ... Captain Jack Sparrow. You were apart of his crew for many years. However, you were also marooned on the island with Jack, even though you had nothing to do with the Aztec gold.

#witchthewriter #personal aesthetic #match ups #merlin ships #merlin match ups #merlin pair ups #pirates of the caribbean #pirates of the caribbean pair ups #pirates of the caribbean match ups #vikings #vikings match ups #vikings pair ups #headcanons #relationship tropes #theme song

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claremartinez-ars281-fall2023 · 11 months

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The Gallery (Artist's Statement & Revised Final Proposal). "Light and Shadow"

Artist's Statement:

My photo essay seeks to unveil the soul of artist creations within a gallery using Light and Shadow. Inspired by the American photographer W. Eugene Smith, I tried to capture the essence of the art while still making it my own through the timeless medium of black and white photography and in some cases inverting the shades.

In this series, I explore the subtle nuances of the gallery space, capturing the shadows cast by the artist's creations. Each frame is a choreography of contrasts—bold shadows that become their own image and gentle highlights that reflect into some of the work displayed becoming something present but ephemeral. I hope the absence of color heightens the drama, allowing the viewer to see through my lens what was unnoticed with the naked eye.

Smith's use of light and shadow was my influence. His ability to transform ordinary scenes into poetic narratives resonates with me deeply. I am drawn to the way Smith's photographs convey emotion, not just through the subjects themselves, but through the interplay of light and shadow.

I used Adobe Photoshop to alter the color images that I captured on a ProCamera app As in the hopes of honoring the legacy of W. Eugene Smith. Through my camera App, I aim to tell stories not just of the art on display but of the unseen narratives that unfold in the dance of light and shadow.

Positioned appropriately 6 of the 8 images were chosen to represent the “grey” that is American Democracy.

Real, Peace (American Soldiers wear digital camoflauge), Stars (representing US), hanging tree (representing women who were hung, and African Americans were hung unjustly, elephant (republican icon), chaotic image (democracy chaos).

Revised Proposal

I intended to document the inside of an art studio where students are challenged to create their projects using materials and concepts that they bring to the room. The room morphs from this vacant bare space to a hub of creativity and back to an empty space. In the time between its barren emptiness and the time the artists finalize and present their project there is a lot of activity and much of it is visually poetic. I had to change plans because the room wasn't lit enough to cast the array of shadows needed for my final. New concept involved shooting the effects of light and shadow on an exhibition without using flash.

I attempted to apply the techniques exemplified by American Photographer W. Eugene Smith. Smith, a renowend U.S. photojournalist. Smith is considered to be the most important American photographer in the development of the editorial photo essay. His major photo essays include World War II photographs, the visual stories of an American country doctor and a nurse midwife, and the pollution which damaged the health of the residents of Minamata in Japan. His work was in Black and White. He liked to, in his words, "sink into the background to record the human condition." I think artists have a similar advocation. Some of Smith's photographs are so powerful that they challenged perceptions of history. Artists do it to...and I want to show the space and the process they use.

Outcomes:

8 photos taken in an Art Studio/Gallery at SBU Staller

Series of photo's showing effects of light and shadow in a studio/gallery

4. Methods and Material:

Raw images shot on ProCamera Photo App on I Phone

Photoshop for editing

Student consent for their shadows to be photographed while they create their art /Gallery consent for Exhibits to be photographed

5. References:

Tomoko_Uemura with her mother in bath house, and Tomoko's hand are two examples of how W. Eugene Smith used compelling images, light and shadow to tell the story of the impact of Mercury poisoning in Minamata Japan.

Brick ISO 25, F Stop 1.8, SS 1/29s

Copper ISO 100, F stop 1.8. SS 1/67s

Hanging Tree ISO 20, F Stop 1.8, SS 1/106s

Elephant ISO 400, F Stop 1.8, SS 1/67s

War and Peace ISO 20, F Stop 1.8, SS 1/29s

Globe and Stars ISO 200, F Stop 1.8, SS 1/67s

'Real', ISO 20, F Stop 1.8s, SS 1/67s (Note: Didn't cast shadows, but the lighting created extra boxes that didn't exist in the artist's original work).

Inverse "Faculty Exhibition" ISO 100, F Stop 1.8, SS 1/14s (Note: This work didn't cast shadows, but the lighting created an imprint in the artist's original work creating an illusion that it was intended to be part of the design). Didn’t use as part of exhibition. Just a tribute to the Faculty at SBU whose work I appropriated to create my own narrative about Democracy in America.

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team-jpde · 1 year

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Hello, there, Meinos Kaen here, and today we're starting another weekly blog series. This time I wanted to give back to the game-devving community, especially in these uncertain times.

I've had, over the years, people ask me some specific questions about making games. Thing is I am terrible at answering them on the spot because most of my journey as a game developer hasn't been planned. Much of it has been an ever incremental free-flow, like a snowball of creativity that turned into an avalanche. Or, if you want something less scary, think of a Katamari.

I work through my thoughts much better when I can take a moment to sit, think about stuff, and write it down. It's actually one of my favourite exercises when planning things writing-wise, but that will be for a future post.

In the first chapter of this cook-book, what I wanted to touch upon were the basic ingredients of every good game development meal (yes, we're starting with good, you don't try making hand-made dumplings if you can't boil pasta). Reflecting upon it seven years in, with development for the demo of GalaxiA in the homestretch, I can't think of any that fit better than people and time.

Let's start with time, which is what you must learn to give yourself: you need to give yourself time to learn, you need to give yourself time to review, you need to give yourself time to rest, and you need to give yourself time to do things other than making games, especially if it's still a hobby level.

Most stories about geniuses seem to gloss over the fact that even the greatest of savants need to invest some amount of time to experiment in their eventual field of excellence. You literally cannot know what you're good at if you don't invest time into experimenting, and then perfecting the chosen craft(s).

Once you've discovered your aptitudes, there's then the time needed to realize what you want to make, to find out what –or who- you need to make it, and then the investment into the actual creative process, which includes: trial and error, scrapped prototypes, first drafts, reviews, sudden bursts of inspiration that cause additions or changes...

For an example out of JPDE – Sonata of Fire, Amber was in the first draft only going to an optional route for the player to chance upon. Then, later in development, I decided she would instead be a main secondary character. That meant that I had to make those optional events part of the main story, which translated to rewrites and recodes.

Before even attempting anything game-dev wise, you need to understand that everything takes time. If you're still walking while others are running, it doesn't mean you're a failure: you just need more time to explore your attitudes and develop your skills.

The second main ingredient is people. It may seem obvious –or maybe not, depending on your thoughts about the plague on the creative world that is Generative AI- but no one person can do everything on their own.

Or better, technically you could, but a lot of starting indie devs have to worry about their day jobs, too. Alex Barone and his efforts developing Stardew Valley are incredible, but many people forget that for a large part of development he wasn't earning any money: sustenance for his household was obtained through his wife's job.

I'm not saying that it's bad, just that not everyone can afford to quit their day job to work on their indie passion project. Which means you will have a limited amount of time on your hands during the day. Eventually, in one way or another, you will be forced to rely on other people in the process of making your game.

This can be scary. And I don't mean in an 'omgrealpeopleREEEEEEEEEE' way, but because there's the serious risk of change through interaction. Interacting with other artists influences the creative process, sometimes in unpredictable ways. For people who go in wanting to make their epic idea come to life, the concept of having to sacrifice that purity of vision can be quite a scare.

The benefits though vastly outweigh the risks. I am proud to say that I've been working with most of my current collaborators since the very beginning: that was seven years ago, and in that time we've all grown as artists thanks in no small part to how much we've interacted with each other. Also, since we've been working together for so long, we developed instincts for one another. When you work with other people for long and constantly, the end-result becomes better and comes much faster.

For example, the very first Sprites Artist I've ever worked with is Amaco from AmacoWorks. At first, whenever came time to design a new asset which had no actual visual reference, my tendency was to micromanage, with mixed results. When I tried instead giving him only vague guidelines, the end was much better, because I left him enough space to be creative. And that's how I discovered that Amaco has also some fine instincts as a concept artist.

There's of course nuances and differences between relationships but having people you can rely on and keeping them around in the long term is always a benefit. Whenever you say goodbye to a collaborator, you don't just lose their skill and talent, you also lose that intangible added synergy which you developed over time and that is just yours. Between the two of you.

To conclude, nothing in the world can replace time and people. If you think you can crank out an ultra-masterpiece on your own in record time by using procedural generation, a bunch of store-bought assets and AI 'art', you got reality coming at your face like a truck. So invest your time and cultivate your relationships.

Amazing things will happen.

#jpde #rwby #rwby fan game #videogame development #devblog #visual novel #ruby rose #yang xiao long #pyrrha nikos #titania peach #text #jpdecook #rwby oc #character design #writing

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rjmhereunderprotest · 7 months

Text

There's No Power Greater than X: Rebuilding My Xbox Library

This wasn't the post I intended to come back with, but it's a recent enough experience of my that I felt like documenting. I'm still working on something else that's more substantial but I just feel like talking about this.

Recently, I've been trying to write more Text Let's Plays as a means of keeping myself writing, creatively active and enabling to use my love of gaming to do so. I'd be remiss if I also didn't say I was inspired by a good friend of mine who writes hilarious recreations of his playthroughs. Mostly horror games, he subjects himself to that a lot.

I decided to do the same and my latest choice was to return to my golden age of console game playing. Namely the Original Xbox where I started more regularly playing video games and buying them outright. The reason was simple enough, I played "Halo: Combat Evolved" and I've gotten every Xbox ever since. I've wanted an excuse to revisit the console and this was it. I thought it would be a simple enough process, but it turned out to be... much more complicated.

So this is my short, as possible, look into what started as wanting to replay an old game I loved and share it with my friends online, into a sudden nostalgia trip that reconnected me with some old gaming memories and a desire to rebuild what was once forgotten, my Original Xbox Library.

Dragoons Improvise

I think it's best to start with what game I chose to highlight for the Text LP that started all this, MechAssault.

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One year post its launch, Xbox got an upgrade, Xbox Live which would change online gaming forever, for better and... well, a lot of worse if the screaming racist Twelve-Year-Olds on "Call Of Duty" are any indication. MechAssault was among the first games to be heavily advertised as compatible with the service.

I've never cared about multiplayer to any major extent. I don't have good experience playing with complete strangers online. I'm just not good with social interaction in general and competitive play brings out the worst in me. So, it's just never been something I've been able to stick with. MechAssault appealed to me for only one reason, giant freaking robots! I was casually aware of the BattleTech universe but it was so impenetrable on PC, MechAssault promised an easier way to play around in these cool walking tanks and I had a lot of fun with the game when it first came out.

My choice to play MechAssault for the text Let's Play was easy enough on this grounds, I could even do its sequel right after. But I quickly ran into some complications. First and foremost, I can't play MechAssault on any modern console.

Here's the rub, MechAssault was successful in pushing units, and so was its sequel to a moderate degree, but not enough to continue the franchise. Despite owning the IP and studio in charge of it, Microsoft never released a third game in the MechAssault series for consoles or PC. And even though the game was an Xbox Exclusive, its never been made backwards compatible. Its sequel is, but only for the Xbox 360. So even that has complications.

For some people this is a problem, because they probably chucked the old Xbox out the door a long time ago. Not me, I've of course kept mine. Well, I've kept the replacement I got when the original Xbox we got suffered some sort of power surge that caused its output port for the power cable to melt. After that, the thing just never worked again and any attempt to turn it on makes it start smelling of burning rubber and plastic. Not ideal. Suffice to say, I'm glad I still have the replacement Xbox that has held up much better over the years.

So I have the console I need to play MechAssault, what I don't have is a TV that's really compatible with it. The Original Xbox uses a different AV Input than most modern TVs, known as a composite, something that took me a lot of time to figure out actually. It's entirely different from Component wires and of substantially lower quality.

Here's where the real problem kicks in. While I CAN make the Xbox's composite cords work on a modern Flatscreen, as all I need to do is plug the yellow input into the green component output, that forces me to unplug the Xbox 360's component cords. Which is a pain in the ass to do for my TV, not to mention awkward. I attempted to see if I could finagle things a little. I got myself a composite cord switch box, thinking I could make the issue less of a hassle and maybe even re-hook up my old Playstation 2 console in the process, since it also has a composite cord.

Yeah that didn't work, the switch box is fine... but it doesn't read being plugged into the the green component output so great. There's also another problem associated with the composite cord in general, it needed to be reset constantly. For whatever reason, it doesn't seem to be able to properly register that the green component output is compatible with the yellow composite input. It goes to a blue screen as if the connection has been lost. Replugging it in returns the video, but again, this is a hassle I don't care to deal with constantly.

However, I can at least play the Original Xbox Console so I can still do the Text LP while I wait to figure out a solution to these problems, right? All I had to do was put the MechAssault Game Disc in when I was ready to start my Text LP and we'd be off to the races. Now I hadn't played MechAssault during the time I was waiting because I wanted to come back into the game with fresh eyes, no prior playthrough, no figuring out the controls again, just as blind as I can make it. Surely this is not a recipe for disaster!

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The game won't start. It will not start. I can put it in a dozen different times, close and reclose the disc tray, clean the thing off so there is no fingerprints or whatever. The disc will not play. I try out several other games at this point, concerned this is a console problem. Nope, they all work. They more often than not require me to pull the damn Yellow Video cord out and place back in, but the games all work! After a lot of trial and error and consulting threads online, almost ripping open the old Xbox and even contemplating getting a new one, I come to the very simple obvious conclusion. It's the MechAssault disc! It's borked! Something is wrong with it!

The nearest I can tell, upon closer examination, the inner part of the disc, near the hole, has some damage on it. Damage that is not consistent with other games in my collection. It's been scratched off or something. At some point the game was damaged to an irreparable degree. It can't be played because it can't be read. You cannot believe how absolutely devastating this was.

So where do I go from here? Simple, I take advice from one of the Characters of the MechAssault game itself though. Because the game opens with you crash landing, losing a ton of your mechs and being stuck behind enemy lines with no back up, the first thing your commanding officer tells you is to suck it up, "Dragoons Improvise." And that's what I decide to do.

I find out there is a way to upgrade your Original Xbox, and even your Playstation 2, to Component Compatible cables. You can also make both consoles and the Xbox 360 HD Port compatible, but those ports are being used by other consoles right now so, that's not a viable option at the moment. The point is, I can make all three of these older consoles work with my flatscreen. All I need to do is get some compatible cables for them and I find plenty online for decent prices.

The next step is a decent switch box, and thankfully there are a ton I can use. I'm hopeful it will be more successful this go around at least, the last time I tried something like this the HDMI switcher wasn't compatible with either of my Nintendo Mini Consoles. This one is more analog though and its dealing with component cables, so no digital screw ups. It's also a bit more high end than that one was, so I was more confident it would work especially after checking reviews for the thing.

I pass the time waiting for the items to arrive playing the one Xbox Game that doesn't seem to be affected by the blue screen issue that requires me to unplug and replug the Yellow Video Input from the green component outlet.

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"Heroes of the Pacific" is one of many World War 2 Air Combat games that exist in the ether. It is... average in many respects. It hosts a decent list of planes, but its mechanics aren't the best and frankly "Secret Weapons Over Normandy", which released two years prior, is superior to it in everyway. From the gaming mechanics, the upgrade system for the planes, the plethora of aircraft you can pick and especially the voice acting. HotP has some of the most phoned in voice acting ever, let me tell you. But its at least functional and I managed to beat all of its levels on the highest difficulty setting while playing the thing again. So I feel like I've more than proven my capability in powering through a frankly just okay by even its era's standards.

Once my items arrived, I hooked everything up, switching out cords and fixing up the various systems, a lot of tedious stuff frankly. The end result was excellent though. The switch box worked perfectly. No blue screen when starting up games, no black and white picture, no loss of sound, all the problems I encountered just trying to get the various wires and outputs to work with each other were gone. And now, all my older consoles were hooked up to the same component connection. Everything seemed good to go.

I am now only waiting on one thing, my replacement copy of MechAssault. Which is not as hard to come across as I fear it will be. Sure, it's not on Amazon at a decent price or at all like I hoped... but it is on EBay, in a Platinum case in fact. I'm wary though, I haven't used EBay in a long time. I tried selling stuff there and rarely got any takers. And you're mostly dealing with third party people miles away and not directly with the company itself. It can be a crapshoot. However, I have little choice.

The MechAssault game does arrive though, a little later than I hoped it would, but it does show up and it does work, confirming that my console wasn't at fault. However, this experience sorta sparked something in my mind. I replaced my damaged copy of a game I loved relatively easily and for less than what most games cost today. And in the time waiting for the new copy to come, I was looking more and more into the Original Xbox's library, remembering a bunch of games I had used to play but only ever rented, if at all.

And I thought to myself, why don't I have these games? A lot of them I either enjoyed or were up my alley! Was I still so caught up on renting back in the day I didn't consider just... owning the damn thing?

It wouldn't be the first time I bought an older game for the Original Xbox online long after they stopped making them. In response to my revulsion at what had been done to the Wolfenstein games by Bethesda, destroying the lore of the series and ruining the character of the greatest Nazi-Killing Hero that ever lived, BJ Blakowicz, I had wanted to replay my favorite game of the series, Return to Castle Wolfenstein. But my desktop had given up the ghost and and my laptop is not suitable for gaming off of steam. So I looked to find the console port of the same game and realized it worked on the Xbox 360! Awesome! I could play my favorite game again!

I never considered I could probably find more old games that I loved. I had recently gotten "The Simpsons Game" for the Xbox 360 on Amazon, but the prices on EBay tend to be little less harmful to my wallet. So... why not fill out my library a little while I'm at all this? Watching a bunch of old commercials for the Xbox's life cycle of games sorta convinced me to at least give it a shot. So I started to assemble a list of games I was interested in reconnecting with. A project I called "Rebuilding the Library" concerning all the old games that I felt were missing.

Target Rich Environment

The thing about EBay is that you can find almost anything you want... and that's the problem sometimes. You really have to sort out which things are worth going after in the end and which, honestly are just wastes of your time. Not to mention some thing might not be what you're after and you should really pay attention to what the descriptions and titles say.

Let's just say that a lot of people were selling game cases without the games inside them. Or they were just selling manuals, or they were just selling the game sans all of that. You'd think that last one means you're getting a bargain, nope. Sometimes they can cost just as much as a complete in box entry, at least when you factor in shipping.

That's also what kept me off EBay so much. The sellers can sometimes SEEM like they're giving you a great deal, but their shipping costs can run into insane amounts. I find it hard to believe at times that shipping can honestly cost more than the game you're shipping itself.

Let's be fair, a lot of these people aren't Amazon, they don't have the option to ship for low prices and still make a profit. I just sometimes wonder about the justification for the shipping prices at times. Especially if they offer little benefits for how much they're asking.

Which, I sometimes ended up ignoring through my own ignorance which might have made some of these headaches a little less of one. A number of the sellers offer tracking for your items if you pay more in shipping. I did not see this on my first go around with a lot of these. So I was kinda left in the lurch for a number of them just hoping they'd show up. Most of them did. I probably could've avoided one of problems I encountered had I been more thoughtful about tracking.

I don't think I would've paid more for tracking for most of the items in the end though. I might have just decided to go to Amazon if that was the case as they tend to provide tracking when one of the third-party sellers leaves the shipping up to one of their resource centers. EBay is for when you're trying to get a decent enough bargain after all. That's the whole point of the auction system, which I wasn't using for this to be clear.

I decided early on to not get anything outside of Canada if I could help it. By the end of things I think I ordered something every single province. So I can definitively say my collection is the accumulation of every corner of the Great White North.

However, I quickly decided to be picky about which games I ultimately got. There were some I intended to get from the outset, but others I eventually decided weren't worth the expenditure. These usually fell into a few categories that got them excluded.

First: Too Expensive, at least two of these games were simply asking too much even for me and I found them ultimately in a cheap capacity on steam. As much as I would've wanted to have "Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth" on Xbox, I was able to get it for dirt cheap on steam and it probably works better there anyway. The other is... well it's a bit more adult I think and I don't think I just want that hanging out in the open. Besides the PC version isn't censored.

Second: I already have it on Playstation 2, this is redundant. That's what got Scarface kicked off the list. While I was okay with getting a game I already had on the computer, getting it for a console that, as I explained, I now had access to again as a result of my other purchases, seemed completely pointless. The same was true of another game that I do have for the PC that is simply not good enough on the console anyway.

Third: They're just not well reviewed or interesting. That's what got Predator: Concrete Jungle kicked at least. As much as I love the idea of playing the Predator in any aspect, I remembered too much of not being impressed with the game to buy into it this go around. It also was too expensive. Shadow Ops: Red Mercury just ended up feeling too mediocre to bother with.

Fourth: It belonged to a Genre I wasn't into. Every sport game got knocked off the list more or less as a result. Even the iconic DOA Volleyball game. If I want softcore porn of those characters, I have the internet. I can get that for free.

Fifth: They're available on Xbox's digital store front and there's no sense in wasting money on something I can probably get for cheap and with easier access to later one.

In the end I was looking mainly for inexpensive titles that were iconic, had cult acclaim, I had played before but did not own or at least seemed interesting to me regardless of anything else. Now there was an ultimate to exception to this basic rule of thumb concerning price, but that was only because it was apparent after a while I had no choice. A few of them also came from Amazon when I found them at a more affordable price.

In any case, with my reasoning for what didn't end up in getting picked up I think it's time to get to the point of all this. Keep in mind, a lot of these are of the shooter variety, but they're not all the as atypical as you might think. And even still, I like to think I got a wide range of titles all the same. So let us take a look.

The Haul

Yeah, it's a fair amount. 27 titles, maybe that sounds like a lot, but I got some of these for a bit of a steal honestly. A good number of these have always been on my radar in one form or another. It's just I finally got around to reacquiring them. If you want call some of these impulse buys, I won't dispute it, but they are more or less games I felt I missed or had missed out on. Each of them is a little piece of the history of the Xbox and Gaming overall. So, let's look over them in no particular order.

"Whacked!" was one of two games on my list from the start. One of the first games Xbox used to promote the Live Service. A party game centered around a twisted cartoon world's game show with contestants who centered their personalities around the seven deadly sins. The game is probably most known for Lucy, the lovely lady in blue on the cover who runs around most of the game naked save for censorship bars over her private bits. Yeah she's not in that outfit you see for very long.

Oddly enough though I didn't pick her as my main, my favorite character is a little off to her lower right, Eugene, the green penguin/duck with the goggles and trapper hat. He's a Canadian, he's my favorite color and he's a total nerd. It's like he was made for me. He also represents the Sin of Envy, constantly coveting what others have and secretly hating those who belittle him. Hmm, perhaps I should reconsider why I feel he's so relatable then.

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As you can see in this audition tape that doubled as one of the game's trailers, this game relies heavily on madcap Looney Tunes humor. It's emphasized in a ton of the commercials that would play between rounds of the game show as well as other cutscenes where the characters interact. Whacked!'s gameplay isn't terrible though, it's rather varied from simple death matches to collecting stars, king of the hill and even dodgeball. However, it wasn't well advertised. I only probably ran into it because stuff like this was what I was drawn to. The concept of a Looney Tunes-like world that was centered towards older audiences just intrigued me... oh yeah and Lucy was hot so that's probably what got me to at least rent it out. But I actually enjoyed the humor and the game enough to keep playing it back in the day. It's still popular enough in some circles and it's even backwards compatible with the 360, but it's still a cult hit.

This was the second game that got on my radar. Bloodwake is boat combat based action title. Similar to something like Twisted Metal, but on the water and there's a more involved storyline besides a demolition derby of death. You play as a pirate in a South China Sea-like setting where you are trying to get revenge on the man who sunk your previous ship. No spoilers, but it's your brother because that's how these games go. I played this way back in the day as it was part of the second wave of titles released post the Xbox's launch. It was different and fun to play. I guess it just didn't get the numbers needed for a sequel, if any were planned. But the game showed the power of the Xbox for the time as its water effects were a standout in the graphical department. I got this because it was one of the best early experiences I had with the Xbox that wasn't centered around Halo.

It's a racing game, I'm not big on racing games. I didn't get it for the cars. Hell I didn't even really want this game in general. But I had no choice. I had to get this game in order to buy...

Jet Set Radio Future, in a era where Skateboarding was king on video game consoles, this game dared to focus on rollerblading... and graffiti... and jamming tunes! While I am not the best at extreme sports games, I had enough good memories of briefly playing the demo and a big enough desire to own this damn thing at last that I decided to finally fork in. I would've gotten it on Xbox 360's marketplace... if it hadn't technically been delisted from there. Actually, I think it was the original title anyway, not this game which is its sequel. So... yeah, it is what it is. Hopefully this game isn't too different from some other extreme sports games I played back in the day, but at least now I own it so if the itch to commit vandalism against corporate cops and their tanks hits me, it's right there.

Grand Theft Auto's original console outings always had a problem for me in one area, targeting. I could never make its lock-on system feel comfortable back in the day. When IV came out with a more traditional aiming system, it was far easier to get into. I think, however, I will be able to better adjust this go around. The real reason I got this double pack though is simple enough. Yes, I could get the remaster. Yes they've probably fixed it since its terrible launch. I don't care though, they took out some songs and I want the full V-Rock list when I'm riding around Vice City, plain and simple. Of course this brings us to a bit of a detour.

Well I can't just get these two games and not pick up San Andreas! That makes no sense. I could've gotten the Original Xbox version as well and even played it on my Xbox One. But it just would've downloaded the 360 version anyway from what I hear. So, this is cutting out the middle man in my eyes. Either way, no cuts to the radio's choice of songs. That's alright with me.

These two are the most expensive games on the list by far. Godzilla's fighting games were some of the best kaiju brawling one could find on any console. Destroy All Monsters Melee actually is from the states as I could not find it being sold in Canada anywhere. This thing is just that expensive and that coveted. The box is damaged so that's probably why they cut down the price just a little. As a major Godzilla fan, I was determined to finally own these and given I was already spending a good deal by this point, I just stopped caring and gave in. Whatever. I can finally beat down Gigan as Rodan, that's a win in my book.

By the by, did you know that ATARI logo is sort of a lie? Infrogrames bought the Atari license back in the day. Then they changed their name to Atari! They're still in business today even. But these games have been out of print forever, explaining their high price tag. There's just not many people willing to sell them at this point.

I probably could've gotten the sorta remake/sequel for the 360, two games for the price of one, but everyone only cares about Butcher Bay anyway. Starring Vin Diesel himself as everyone's favorite see in the dark career criminal, Riddick has to escape the absolute worst prison in existence. Playing this game was an experience back in the day in brutality. First person melee fighting is always tricky to pull off, but this game accomplished it. It also helped that it was fairly competent stealth game. I just generally like sneaking up on people neck snap them.

My connection with the game runs deeper than my initial playthrough. You see, the people who made Butcher Bay, some of them went on to found another studio entirely. The studio that made the terrible Wolfenstein reboots. In fact, I recognized their handiwork in the Concentration Camp level. To the point I felt like the game was less Wolfenstein and more just a reskin of this game. Down to the overly flowerly in-game narration. Which is fine for Riddick, just not for Blazkowicz. I think that's why I got the game, to remind myself of when I didn't have bad memories of this sort of playstyle.

I have a lot of 007 games. I just really like me some fun spy action and no one does it better than Bond in my opinion. From Russia With Love was the game that harkened back to classic era of the franchise, with Sean Connery himself! The game even has a jetpack to fly around in! None of the newer games gave you a jetpack! This one had been in my Amazon Wishlist for a while, I just finally decided I had an excuse to get it.

Another Rockstar game, but based on a cult classic film this time. I could've sworn I had this for the Playstation, but it's not on there in any of my memory cards. I might have deleted it or maybe I only ever rented it. I don't know, I could just be mistaken. This one caused me some trouble getting though. The first buyer from Amazon gave me the entirely wrong game! I had to return it to get my money back, which was a pain in the ass to do because of a garbage ass courier service. However, I think it worked it out. This copy came from a nice person off EBay who was trying to pay off some vet bills. That kinda made me happy to know I had helped someone out in the end.

I have the Evil Dead game for modern consoles, but I've always wanted/preferred the single player experience. These two games are highly different from each other in play style, but all I knew was that I wanted to finally play as Ash and kill Deadites without having to do it with other people. As a major fan of the Evil Dead franchise, I couldn't ignore these titles anymore than the Godzilla ones at the end of the day.

This was Free Radical's other less successful game IP besides Timesplitters. Second Sight had you play as amnesiac who wakes up in a research center of some kind with a lot of people want to kill him and psychic powers as his only real defense. It's not their typical run and gun shooter you expect from Free Radical, it's certainly more original. Sadly the game didn't sell well, shame too. You know there was a short period of time when psychic powers were all the rage in gaming mechanics. It looked like it would be the next big thing too.

Now this was a creepy as hell game. You play as a prisoner on death row who unfortunately arrives on the day a hellmouth just opens up under the prison. There's all these crazy cool monsters that are based off of various executions and ways people can die in prison. And there's a morality system that determines what ending you get that reveals how guilty you actually are. It was an awesomely scary game and I'm glad to own it again.

I have a huge affinity towards the Weird West subgenre. Just something about the mix of setting and tropes associated with it works wonders. And getting to fight vampires and other monsters in the wild west is a friggin awesome concept they should honestly do more of. I have no idea why I missed out on playing this game when I enjoyed the demo well enough. Especially knowing this was the start of High Moon Studios, the guys who made my favorite Transformers games. Although hearing it from them, that was sorta the problem. No one wanted to invest in Darkwatch, even after it reviewed well and sold decently. Before you knew it, Activision buys up High Moon, forces them to work on franchise only IPs, the original founders leave and soon after they produce Deadpool, they're all shoved into the CoD mines! Honestly, I'm noticing a pattern with a lot of these games at this point, are you?

Brute Force is a squad-based shooter where you can switch between four characters with unique abilities that are suitable for a variety of encounters and enemies you run into while playing. But the truth is, I played it because it had a crocodile man and I wanted to play as the crocodile man and that's really all that anyone cared about in the end I think. It has a crocodile man.

Mace Griffin is an ex-Space Ranger who was framed for a crime he didn't commit, was dishonorably discharged, imprisoned and when he came out all he could do was find Bounty Hunting work. The game is all about you clearing his name. For me I just felt it was cheap enough to get and, well, I like bounty hunter games. It's a cool enough concept to overcome some average scores. I think it will be fun enough for me at the very least.

I remember when conspiracy theory nonsense was just that, nonsense. Alien abductions and Area 51 used to be quaint little silly things to use in sci-fi. Now conspiracy nuts are considerably more racist and insanely dangerous. Maybe they always were. Area 51 was another of Midway's arcade games they translated to consoles. It used to be a lightgun on-rails shooter about aliens attacking the infamous secret military base. Now it's an FPS about that, but starring David Duchovny. That's right, Fox Mulder himself! I've never been into alien conspiracy garbage, but at least not I can laugh at the concept of Mulder fighting aliens on a fake Moon soundstage. Oh don't worry, we still went to the moon, but what we found there was too terrifying for any human eyes to see so we just faked the broadcast instead. OOOOOoOOOooHhhhhH! Spooky! See? It's dumb but at least it's not bigoted!

I have the two other games in the series, I bought this for completionism sake. We never got to see the end of this series, the proper end, with Bastogne and heading into Germany and all that. Instead Gearbox dumped all their money into Borderlands, left Aliens out to dry and impotently tried to save Duke Nukem. Thanks Randy. Thanks a ton. Oh well, at least now I have every entry in a once promising franchise.

The top-down squad-based strategic stealth game for PCs, becomes the action-stealth FPS game for consoles. I'll sum up why I have this succinctly enough. I enjoy taking down Fascists in video games, simple as that. Let me shoot at Nazis and I'm golden more or less. Not all the time, you need to at least make it fun and good, but killing Nazis is a good baseline.

I actually have this for the PC, but again my Desktop died so this is basically once again trying to play the game again more easily. I know people have a lot of thoughts about depicting this historical event, but for me I just try to view it as game depicting said historical event. No more, no less. It's best not to try and take your politics from video games. Especially when they don't have the time to examine all the complex context surrounding the mission gone wrong in question.

Speaking of controversial sources, Tom Clancy! Look, the guy wrote books to appease a very certain demographic, everyone right of center specifically, but there's no deny that his game studio didn't put out great hits. The Ghost Recon series is one of those and collecting the entire series as it started on consoles was a major goal for me as I've been a fan of the series for a long time. You have your standard locales for our titular Special Forces to visit, Russia, Cuba, North Korea, Kazakhstan, all the good hotspots for bad guys wanting to destroy America. If you want an action thriller movie to play around in, Ghost Recon is always your go to. And with these guys, I now basically have them all.

On the other side of the spectrum, Rainbow Six 3. Ghost Recon deals with special operations behind enemy lines. Rainbow is all about reactive counter-terrorism in mostly urban environments and indoors. Where things are more tense, closer and personal. They're very good tactical squad-based games. I've never been into Rainbow Six as much as Ghost Recon, but it's one of the central pillars of the Tom Clancy gaming library, next to Splinter Cell as the third column. So yeah, I picked it up because I already have all the Splinter Cells for the Xbox, might as well not leave Rainbow out of things.

Retro-active Final Thoughts

This all started because I just wanted to play one game, but then I guess I realized I wanted to play a lot of games. Games I had missed out on or just plain missed. I haven't had my Original Xbox hooked up in years and I guess prospect of being able to more regularly play it now just hit me hard enough to shake loose whatever else was holding me back from collecting these old favorites and curiosities.

The Xbox in general has been a huge part of my life and I suppose this journey was about making my library of games feel more whole. And the best part is, it's not really over. I still have to play through all these at some point and the prospect of that is exciting all the same. I know it's nostalgia fueled, but I did learn a lot about these games and the console as I looked them up. There was a lot of variety on the old Xbox. Even within a single genre. It's hard to look back to that moment of time and then to now when gaming feels so... different.

I'm not sure if this little expose has truly been as interesting or worthwhile to write as I believe it is. But I'm happy I got my thoughts down on it. And I do hope that, maybe like it did for me, it brought back some memories for you. I don't know if all of these games will hold up as well as I want them too, but it just feels nice to look forward to playing these games again all the same. And I enjoyed hunting for them, even if some aspects of it were frustrating.

Well, that's all for now. Next time I'll probably have something more substantial for you all. Until then, keep on gaming. Whatever console your passion is, I hope it's bringing you hours of fun. Who knows, maybe one day you'll step back into it like I have and discover some things you didn't know you were looking for.

#xbox #video games #retro gaming #collection #nostalgia

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athenathegrace · 9 months

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Becoming Filipino & Digital Storytelling: My Journey and Answers to the Glitch

My digital storytelling journey has finally reached its endpoint - for now, but I'd like to take this opportunity to look back and reflect on things that I really have thought about ever since the start of this course.

My prior knowledge of digital storytelling has made me convinced that my niche and my interests all belong here. This reassured me that by all costs, majoring in creative communication was about telling stories, pushing narratives, and creating striking assemblages that might soon establish a well-deserved place for everyone to see and experience. Digital Storytelling is all about creating, as emphasized, experimenting, and articulating what is above and beyond narrating stories. This isn't very limiting, because really, the sky's the limit, and everything has to move for something to happen.

As for our major project, stretched from midterms to finals, we are tasked to create story assemblages that have three components: Scientific, Social Commentary, and Personal. For our major project, Becoming Filipino was born.

The process of working on it has allowed me to answer the following questions: Why are we here? Why are we doing this? Why did we create this through this? This would ultimately discuss the reasons why Becoming Filipino is what it is today. As the director and an editor of the project, who convinced my fellow groupmates to plan and strategize what we want to do, we are just severely inspired by the events that happened before, happening during, and happening even after today.

The project wasn't a chore to begin with. Conceptualizing what we're aiming for was the first, hence we had a few meetings to really talk about what we want this project to be, and our collective vision for the experiments we're trying to make. We want the viewer to be the center stage of everything, hence the subject of enunciation. Our goal was to attach them wholly to the media content that we wanted to implement via a website, or in our physical experience, in a CTR (Cathode Ray Tube) Television.

We want it to be uncanny, some of our members said. We also want it to be unconventional, and scary, and then we want it to be realistic. Deeply realistic. Relatable to a degree, gaining a feeling that can be horrifying or may shiver down your spine, something that can be replicated by an emotion, or a thought, and something that we always want to remind our audience every day.

We want to lure the viewers first by presenting a facade, something that would eventually tear them apart and make them vulnerable for the first few minutes. Regular viewers might think, that this is just a boring, replicable website, and our team decided on a premise for the project, "Someone should be visiting this site, asking and wanting to get his/her/their Philippine National ID." Ironic, because we want to reiterate the idea that the National ID in the Philippines is horrifyingly delayed, and as I'm writing this now, a lot of Filipinos are still waiting for theirs; some didn't come with an actual ID, but only paper or digitalized. We took advantage of that problem and connected it with the discourse that we're trying to make, eventually creating a fictional agency that mirrored what an agency would look like in the Philippines - left behind, outdated, inaccessible, and poorly made, but then it is heavily idealized by the idea that agencies should have established a smooth connection, especially if these IDs are legalized and implemented by the government.

We want the website to be as authentic and claustrophobic as possible, hence the minimalism and the immediate CTA which is the registration form.

Scientific - Me and You

This is the introductory part of the project, the viewers are required to watch all of the three videos because it is mandated by the website. The first part of the series highly revolves around the scientific aspect of the project - The facts, the numbers, and the pieces of evidence mixed with sarcasm. Me and You highlights Filipino autonomy, and how Filipinos live their lives inside the country. We particularly highlight the notion that gender roles are a big part of society, mostly intertwined with how men and women should do, as reflected by the perceptions of the Global North. We are colonized by Eurocentric views, hence we are not yet fully claimed with Filipino-centered views of how gender should take place, and how we are forced to work in the long run, hence the satirical view of men doing the dirty work, and women just being defenseless as a response, and the hierarchal and structured view of the social classes present and breathing in the Philippines.

The first video is highly patriotic at first, with the visuals of glorifying Filipino clips (recycled and captured by our team) and the static visual elements that symbolize what the narrator is talking about. The feeling is singsong and carefree because we want to make sure that we can brief the viewers first before showing our true colors. We persuade and inform, but at what cost?

Social Commentary - Behind the Smile (Is the Struggle)

One of our members, who is a student activist and is a part of the university's student council, took the part wholly to tell a story of struggle and injustice. The social commentary behind the smile (is a struggle) sums up the atrocities that the Philippine Government failed to protect and serve its people, hence our workers almost embracing the brink of death just to make ends meet.

This is also the part where everything starts to glitch away and analog horror overpowers to send a message to its viewers. What I felt during the editing and drafting of the video was hollowness, not responding and reacting to anything, and ultimately, it felt like I was in any-spaces whatever, frozen on the spot, not knowing that the pictures and the monologue could deeply resonate with its viewers once published and released. We asked the selected students who were recorded in real-time while they were doing the experience, and most were frowned upon in the second part of the series.

The team emphasized the utilization of morbid visuals in the second video because we felt the need to do it to add a degree of guilt and explain the situation of the current working sector in the country. The farmers and factory workers were amongst the most underpaid, considering that their wages were also not livable. Fighting for liveable wages was considered a threat by the state, hence they were also targets for extrajudicial killings in the country.

Personal - Why are you Filipino?

This series is a journey itself that shows a story about us, potential makers and catalysts of change, yet witnessed the atrocities and the dim view of becoming Filipino.

The third and final part of the experience was the title "Why are you Filipino?". Visuals started to drift by and it already felt gloomy because of its VCR overlays and with a hint of uplifting music in the background. "Why are you Filipino" shows the amalgamation of the monsters, the people behind outside and inside the screen; and ourselves, as Filipinos. This focuses on the interactive feature for the viewer as if we're searching for vital and physical biometric identification to complete the process and eventually get the National ID afterward.

What I really want to showcase in the third video is that it really shows how we are boxed with the misfortunes of becoming Filipino. I personally felt such an instance where being a Filipino might be a curse; something that I never wish would have become if I were to be reincarnated in the next life. We are categorized and searched because nothing is peaceful anymore. We have become the monsters ourselves. The need to reflect on the environment we're living in is a must. Our group vehemently wanted to promote havoc in the last part of the series, building angst, and void, and our critical perspective in becoming Filipino.

"We are too conflicted not to recognize ourselves anymore."

The Distribution - Finding for Becoming Filipino's place in the world

Becoming Filipino is published on TikTok, a popular app that showcases different types and categories of videos, and we felt the need to post it there because it can be instantly accessed anywhere and everywhere. Analog Horror is becoming mainstream, with the hashtags #analoghorror and #uncannyvalley having their place in the TikTok horror genre. We took advantage of what we can publish on TikTok, making it an outlet for anything horror and analog-related.

We are grateful that we get to interview and let the experience open to the public, especially with friends and students from the university to pilot test our website, with over 50+ responses and website entries. As we progress, we also want to optimize a much smoother service hence were accepted suggestions on what could make the website run better. The registration form was the main highlight of the website, and the rest is just easter eggs that will potentially be used for future projects, with different narratives (hopefully).

The semiotic stratification was achieved and ended in the distribution phase. I also want this domain to be a documentation for this project, and this project deserves to be seen internationally, captivating reactions of different people and at different times.

Sharing such social awareness in unique storytelling would captivate the viewers' reactions, one that I could vividly remember was when we interviewed a student from the university, who witnessed and experienced the project live. She instantly told us that her experience refreshed her senses and kept her on track to what's happening now, especially when she is still drowning with academic work. This rekindled her commitment to serving the people, a common and similar manifestation from almost everyone we interviewed and shared their thoughts about experiencing the video.

Maybe I was numbed down because I was the one editing all of the good parts (intense parts) of the series, but I also hold the same manifesations as expressed by Paulene Marie Entice, who gruelly participated on the experience. Silence holds a key factor in impacting the series overall, because it just trickles down to the emotional impact and heightens the senses of the viewers, and that would be really seen with their reactions.

A consultation is needed to run down and remove unnecessary parts throughout the process to avoid complaints (and hopefully no one was hurt and too disturbed by the experience as a whole :(( ). But at least, the final product still holds the same value as what we envisioned initially.

This project IS the amalgamation of the real world.

This type of unconventional storytelling can encapsulate what we can envision, and what we envision is that this reality is harsh, except if you want to romanticize it. This project doesn't hold romanticization but instead utilizes a satirical element of horror that might be humorous at first, but then as it progresses, reveals the true horrors of our time today.

Becoming Filipino is hard to look at. Becoming Filipino speaks encapsulated words of awareness. Becoming Filipino wants you to be uncomfortable, uneasy, socially armed, and wary, with the monsters and the environment that we're dealing with every day.

This anthology series is not the last of its kind. This unique, bannered, hidden advocacy for social awareness will not stop even if the course is finished, and hopefully, this will spark more ideas and stories to tell that still center on the point of consciousness.

Becoming Filipino is to tell, and narrate stories of freedom and resistance.

#diary #reflection #narrative #digitalstorytelling #digitalstory #experimentation

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angelo-oteroart · 1 year

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Hey there, stranger!

Welcome to my little corner of the internet. Introductions are always weird and awkward for me, but they're important in getting to know someone, so here goes!

Since this is mostly gonna be an art blog, I think I'll start with why I want to be a pro artist in the first place. Simply put, I want to spend most of my time making art and the only realistic way to do that is to make it into a profession. Despite the frustrations all artists feel, especially Imposter Syndrome, whenever I draw everything feels right in the world even if only temporarily. Making art is how I process my emotions and the world around me.

My earliest influence in art was Anime. Growing up in the Philippines in the late 90s to early 2000s, Anime wasn't as niche as it was in the U.S. and it actually was more common for kids to watch Dragon Ball Z, Yuyu Hakusho, and Naruto than it was to watch Spongebob! Anime fascinated me and got me wanting to draw.

My hometown at the time had no bookstores to buy art books from and the internet wasn't as common yet. One summer while spending time with relatives in Manila and getting ready to immigrate to the US, I had to beg my mom to let me take a summer art class. While in Manila, I also got a book called How to Draw Manga by Katy Coope and some art magazines by local Filipino artists.

Looking back, it wasn't the most impressive or life-changing art book I've read, but for a young version of me, it was the start of a lifelong obsession with learning how to draw.

After moving to the US I continued to watch and love Anime and made fan art of Naruto, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Death Note, Bakuman, and Bleach.

I also remember seeing concept art and illustrations on the cover of Game Informer magazines at my high school's library and being absolutely in awe.

I also discovered illustrations from Magic the Gathering and Dungeons and Dragons. My focus started slowly moving towards a more Western art style. This would eventually lead me to pursue Game Development a few years later.

After graduating college, wrestling with self-doubt, and putting art on the side burner for a few years I finally decided to go all in on improving my art skills back in 2020. Everyone was staying indoors anyway, and what better way for me to keep my sanity than rekindling my love of art?

Since then I went through Drawabox, Proko's figure drawing and anatomy courses on Youtube, got a 3-month subscription to New Master's Academy, joined Ross Draws' Digital Art Bootcamp, and bought tutorials from some of my favorite artists and a handful of art books. And It's been an absolute freaking blast!

At the time of this writing, I'm preparing for my first-ever Artist Alley table at Awesome-Con and I'm pretty nervous but excited! My art style is somewhat of a mix of Anime and Western illustration styles though I'm comfortable fully leaning either way. I still have a lot of stuff I wanna learn and improve on, but I'm enjoying the process and my life a lot more.

For any creative who's reading this and just getting started I want you to know that you're in for a long and tough journey. However, most things that are worth doing will ALWAYS be arduous. You're not alone in your experiences. Please take care of yourself and support each other whenever and however you can.

Until next time and thanks for taking the time to read this! 😊

#anime and manga #artists on tumblr #digital illustration #fanart #positivity #my story #first post #fantasy art

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dustofthedailylife · 2 years

Text

They impulsively kiss you (Part 2)

→ Masterlist 🍁 → Part 1 (Albedo, Ayato, Itto)

Summary: They finally gather the courage to kiss you.

Characters: Diluc, Kaeya, Childe x (gn!) Reader (separate)

Warnings: Fluffy! Mentions and description of injury and blood (Childe). Mentions Childe's real name. Overall the description of the kisses are very detailed.

A/N: Part 2 is finally here and thank you all for your crazy support of Part 1! I'm sorry for the long wait but I think it paid off. I gave this my all! The kisses are even more detailed now and the length of the individual chapters is longer, too. I would absolutely love to hear what you think. My ask box is open, run it in if you need to. And likes, replies and reblogs are as always appreciated ♥ Also - yes I still have creative ammo for a third part! :3

DILUC

You wiped the sweat off your forehead as you set down the basket full of grapes on the table in front of the entrance of the Dawn Winery.

"Our best helper is back with another big basket I see." Adelinde, who stood behind the table, remarked with a content smile while she weighed the basket and scribbled the amount down in her notebook.

The yearly grape harvest had come around and like every year, you and many other Mondstadt citizens had volunteered to help, too. The Winery already employed a lot of staff but during the harvest time most of them were needed for the actual wine making process, so the winery looked for short term workers every year that were in turn rewarded with a precious sum of Mora as payment and for the one who harvested the most grapes during the time, a crate of high quality vintage wine - and who were you to say no to that? Such an opportunity was hard to pass, especially since money didn’t grow on trees and as a self-employed artist it was good to accumulate some savings for bad times.

The "starving artist" unfortunately wasn't just an idiotic romanticized figure in novels, there was a little too much truth to it - you knew as much now. Your monthly income solely depended on the amount of commissions you got, and as a one-man-business there naturally was only a fixed amount of them you could accept at once. Plus, of course, the amount of commissions that came in fluctuated throughout the year. And all that summed up was precisely why you were here every year around the same time and helped out - that and you got to see and talk to the vintner himself a little bit if you got lucky.

You knew Diluc through your line of work, he often commissioned paintings from you when he needed a gift for an important business meeting or various other occasions. In fact he came around for commissions so often during the past six months that you could consider him a regular by now and although thus far, your relationship wasn’t more than just mere business acquaintances, you always found yourself attracted to him and had the strong desire to to get to know him better and get a glimpse of what he hides behind that rather cool and distant demeanor.

"Are you sure you don't want a permanent position as an employee here, dear? I think no one ever manages to harvest as much as you do and you even have an eye for the fruit, always picking the ones with the perfect ripeness."

"Well, I am flattered, Adelinde, but I think I love being an artist too much."

"It's a pity! But Master Diluc really is fond of your art so I’m sure he would be devastated if you stopped painting, he is basically a collector of your work at this point… Oh my, I’m talking too much - It's past noon already, I’m sure you want to take a break for a little while. No one will be able to catch up with the amount you have harvested anyway. I would say the crate of wine is guaranteed again, my dear."

“That’s what I like to hear!” You chuckled before saying your goodbyes and started to head for your usual place for your lunch break down by the lake.

Basically a collector by now, huh? It had just been a brief gossip with Adelinde but that sentence kept on playing on repeat in your head. Was he interested in you, too? No, that would be foolish to assume, he just admired your work, that was all. Right?

When you were strolling down the path and your spot came into view, you were surprised to see that it was already occupied by someone else today. A familiar figure of a man with flaming red hair was sitting under the tree by the lake, his coat evenly spread underneath him and his back was leaning against the bark.

“Fancy seeing you here!” You said and decided to sit down on the grass next to him. “You’re sitting at my lunch spot, I hope you don’t mind if I join you?”

“Not at all.” He responded and gave you a small smile. “How is the harvest going? I can’t help but notice that you help us out every year.”

“It’s going well and it looks like I have the honor of getting a crate of your finest wine this year again.” You said in a singsong voice and smiled at him widely to which he just huffed in response, the corners of his mouth twitching up ever so slightly.

“You know, you could just ask me for wine if you want some.”

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly afford that normally! So working and getting wine as a compensation? Perfection!” You giggled and lay back on the grass, looking up at the clouds, missing the adoring glance he threw your way.

“How are you doing?” He asked after a short silence.

“Huh?” Taken aback by the sudden question you looked back at him. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I’m just asking how you’re faring.”

“I am… good. You know just… living life, doing art.”

“You seem so surprised.” He chuckled at your reaction with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“I guess I just didn’t expect you to ask me that, you always seem so…”

“Distant? Cold?” He asked while looking below himself plucking some blades of grass out of the ground with a pensive expression.

“Yeah… I don’t even mean it in a bad way, you just always seem to maintain a professional distance, I’d say. For example, I couldn’t imagine you hugging or even kissing anyone...” Once you had finished your sentence you leapt up from your lying position, eyes widening in shock about your own words and you got the urge to slap your hands over your mouth. You were talking way out of place and who were you to lecture Diluc Ragnvindr himself about his mannerisms?

“I’m so sorry, please forget what I said, I–”

“Thank you.”

“What?”

“For your honesty. I feel like a lot of people hold themselves back around me out of politeness, but never you.” His crimson eyes met yours and you could see that he wholeheartedly meant what he had said and you felt your cheeks heating up. Before the awkward silence could fester and before you could say anything, he rose back to his feet, brushing some dirt off his clothes and swinging his coat over one shoulder.

“Well, I should get back to work, I have a few important meetings coming up. Thanks for joining me.”

“Of course.”

After helping out a little while longer on the vineyard until the sun was setting, you returned back home. You were still confused about the encounter earlier in the day and wondered why Diluc hadn’t been angry with you. In fact, he seemed more like he was genuinely brooding about what you had said and you couldn’t shake the feeling that you had somehow struck a nerve.

You decided it was best to get your mind off of things for the rest of the day and since you actually had some commissions you needed to get done still, you started getting lost in some painting while the sun sunk further below the horizon and the amber color of the sky soon turned into a night blue. The only noises you could hear were the gentle brush strokes on your canvas, the calming pitter-patter of the rain that had started to fall outside not too long ago, and – a knock on your door.

You snapped out of your creative trance at the sudden noise and wondered who would knock at your door in the dead of the night. When you opened it, you found none other than a very drenched Diluc Ragnvindr standing in front of your door in the rain.

“Master Diluc? What–? Come in, you’re going to get sick!”

“Pardon, I– uhm…”

You looked back at his form as he began to speak, not moving an inch from where he was standing and scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. His hair was sticking to his forehead and he had the same pensive look that he had earlier when you had spoken but there seemed to be some nervousness mixed into it now. He opened and closed his mouth a few times in an attempt to speak, before letting out a huff and smiling to himself, his eyes pointed to the ground.

“Is everything alright?”

“I just… thought about what you’ve said to me earlier and, I’m sorry but, I just can’t seem to get it out of my head.”

“That was incredibly rude of me to say, by Barbatos, I should never have–”

You stopped talking mid-sentence because your train of thought was interrupted by Diluc taking slow steps in your direction, looking you right in the eyes now. He was enamored by your appearance, he always has been. He noticed the little paint speckles on your cheek, giving away that you had been painting, the lively glow in your eyes that made him fall in love with you the moment he first laid his eyes on you and your homely smell that comfortably numbed his senses every time he came in contact with it. You were like an invisible force that kept pulling him in.

He was now standing right in front of you in the entrance of your home. His hands found their way to your hips, squeezing them gently as his eyes darted between your eyes and your lips with a sensual expression. What happened in milliseconds felt like an eternity to you. The touch of his hands made you feel a tingling sensation all over your body, and you could hear the drumming of your heartbeat in your ears.

When you looked him back in his eyes he suddenly lifted one of his hands to your neck and brought his face down to yours, pressing his body flush against yours and uniting your lips into a passionate kiss that made you close your eyes and tumble back a few steps against the wall behind you, gripping his coat for stability. Your senses were so overwhelmed you couldn’t even feel how the water in his clothes seeped into your own, all you could think of was the taste of your shared breaths and how silken his lips felt when slotted against yours.

Diluc, too, only felt the addicting feeling of your soft lips against his, making him completely blind to the world surrounding him, as he was completely lost in you. He had taken interest in you a while ago and your talk earlier that day had been his wake up call - he needed to make a move if he wanted this - if he wanted you. The fact that you thought he seemed distant and cold had bothered him all day since, and he wanted to prove to you that he could be more than that. The feeling of kissing you now and feeling your soft skin under his palm caused a comforting warmth to blossom in his chest. He could feel that the hole in his heart he sought to fill all those years was slowly filling up with a painting of your image.

“Do you still think I seem too distant now?” He whispered against your lips with half-lidded eyes.

Your reply was wordless as you moved your hands to his neck and pulled him in once more to unite your lips. If this is what Diluc Ragnvindr’s love was, you were ready to get drunk on it until the end of time.

KAEYA

"I want you to go to Dragonspine to patrol the eastern area of the mountain, I’ve marked it on your map. There have been reports of unusual activity there and we need some information about what exactly is going on over there. However, stay vigilant, it could very well be that the Fatui are behind it. If that is the case, head right back here and we will discuss how we will progress further."

"Yes, of course, Acting Grandmaster." You exclaimed and bowed your head at the Blonde in front of you.

You'd been called to Jean's office first thing this morning when you had arrived at the Favonius headquarters, and much to your surprise, you were already given such an important and dangerous patrol.

“Excuse me for asking, but am I supposed to go alone?”

“Indeed. Will that be a problem?”

“No… no of course not.”

It had only been about half a year since you had joined the Knights of Favonius and your training was going well, in fact, more than well. You'd been told by multiple other knights that your skills were outstanding and that they'd never seen someone pick up fighting skills as fast as you had. It was of course great to know that all your efforts and training sessions were paying off but to be given the order to go on patrol on Dragonspine, while you were basically still wet behind the ears, felt like it was still a number too big for you. But it wasn’t like you had much of a choice now anyway.

"Great! Make sure to pack accordingly, I'm sure you're well aware of the dangers the mountain harbors?"

"Yes, ma'am."

You bowed down one last time before heading out of the office. The nervousness was basically written all over your face and your stomach felt like it wanted to rid itself of the meal you’d eaten a bit ago. As you headed out of the office and closed the door behind you briefly overheard Lisa, the librarian of the Knights, who had been present during the whole meeting, asking Jean if she really thought you were already fit for patrolling there, which made your heart sink to your stomach even more than it already had.

You slowly made your way to the Recruit’s office, where you and the other recruits had their equipment stored and began making a list of what you had to pack in your head. Your feet suddenly felt as if they were glued to the ground and every step took all your willpower.

There were plenty of stories surrounding Dragonspine and since your childhood days the only thing that always stuck in your memory till this day was to not go there ever, especially not alone.

You opened your locker and grabbed a couple of your belongings that you stuffed in a bag and attached your sword to your belt. What else would you need? A warming bottle wouldn’t be possible since it needs time to be crafted and Starsilver to have it made and you had neither of those.

"What’s up with that frown, sweet pea?" A sultry voice stopped your thoughts that were racing 1000 miles per hour and instead made your heart race at the same pace.

“Captain! I… It’s nothing.” You shook your head and tried to avoid his gaze because his presence had somehow started to make you nervous recently. He leaned on the doorframe close to you with his arms crossed over his chest and followed your every move with his ice-blue eye.

Kaeya had been your mentor ever since your first day here and he was also the one who taught you most of your sword fighting and recently you had noticed that you have started to become uncharacteristically fidgety whenever he was around. Your heart always started racing, your stomach started feeling fuzzy, your palms started sweating and your thoughts became more and more blurry and you felt like you were unable to string words together properly. For the first while you had tried to ignore it and get your act together and thought it would eventually pass but you had to start being honest with yourself, you had begun to develop feelings for him.

It was hard not to, in all honesty. Due to his always flirty behavior he had wrapped you around his little finger faster than the wind could blow through the streets of Mondstadt on a stormy day and you found yourself thinking about him more and more throughout your day.

“Well, in that case we can head off to Dragonspine soon, I hope?”

“We?” You asked flabbergasted. “B-but Jean–”

“Jean told you that you were supposed to go alone. Yeah, I know that already. Lisa told me and since I am coincidentally free, I have made it my task to accompany you.” He smiled at you flirtingly and you swore you were about to pass out on the spot.

“Won’t you get in trouble for leaving your post, though?”

“Ah, well, maybe... but once I can tell everyone that I saved our sweet little recruit from becoming a popsicle I’m sure they will actually thank me. Don’t worry so much about me or I might start thinking you have feelings for me, hm?” He teased and walked away with a big smirk plastered on his face which caused your face to violently heat up. Did he know?

On the evening of the same day when you both had already been wandering around Dragonspine for a couple of hours, the sun was beginning to set on the horizon, engulfing the mountain in an orange light. But with the fading light the mountain also grew even colder than it had already been all day. The wind felt like tiny needles that pierced your skin and your hands and feet began to go numb. It soon became clear that you wouldn’t be able to reach east Dragonspine during the remaining hours of daylight.

“C-C-Can we find some shelter for the night?” You shivered and desperately tried to keep warm.

“What’s wrong? Can’t handle the cold?”

It was truly amazing how unbothered he looked in his regular clothes while you on the other hand were a shivering mess even though you were wearing about seven layers of clothes. But then you shouldn’t be too surprised given that he had a Cryo vision.

You threw him a scolding glance before turning around and walking towards the small hole in the cliff face that you had just spotted. “Over there seems to be a ca-cave, let's take some shelter there.”

The cave had enough space for you both to comfortably lie and sit in. You both set up your camp for the night and sat down next to each other on your sleeping bags. Although you were now shielded from the biting cold of the wind outside you didn't seem to get any warmer. Your fingers were already feeling extremely stiff and neither blowing hot breath on them nor rubbing them together did anything to ease that feeling.

"Could you make a f-fire?" You asked Kaeya with chattering teeth.

“What do you want me to make fire with, sweetie? This?" He sarcastically asked and motioned towards his vision to which you just replied with a roll of your eyes.

"Very f-funny! I know you packed flintstone earlier."

He smirked at you and started to light a little campfire soon after. You scooted closer to it and held your hands up against the crackling flame that dimly engulfed the both of you in a warm orange light. As you rubbed your hands together some more and tried to get the life back into your fingertips, Kaeya watched your every move. How your lips formed a barely noticeable smile due to the warmth and how the light of the fire perfectly framed your face. In his eyes you were so perfect he wanted to scream it off the peak of Dragonspine for the world to hear. When you looked up at him with a content smile, his entire world stopped spinning and all he could think of was you.

He moved a bit closer to you until your shoulders touched and you could feel the body heat he was emanating. He suddenly grabbed your hands and took them into his surprisingly warm ones, squeezed them and blew his warm breath on them in an attempt to help with the cold. He truly wasn't affected by the cold at all. You looked up at him with a mix of disbelief and surprise because of the sudden gesture and your face heated up violently, even more so when you saw the caring look in his eye and the way the corners of his mouth started to shift upwards into a smile.

He slowly inched closer to your face, until you could feel his warm breath ghost over the skin of your lips. He was so close you could smell his cologne. He was looking at your lips with a desire you’ve never seen in his eye before and you noticed that his breathing had become erratic. The moment felt like it lasted an eternity and your heartbeat quickened. You almost didn’t dare to breathe anymore. Your heart was beating so loud in your chest you were sure he must be hearing it.

"What…?" You began to ask but you didn't get far because your words were cut off by his lips that hungrily crashed into yours. He intertwined the fingers of his right hand with yours and cupped your cheek with the other. The time felt like it had stopped at that moment and the cold that had been picking at your skin all day was completely forgotten, in fact, you probably had never felt so warm in your entire life before. You inhaled sharply from the sensation of his lips moving against yours. The endorphins started to rush into your bloodstream, sending your mind into a spiral and making the coil in your stomach burst into a million butterflies as you leaned back into him and returned the kiss.

Kaeya, too, felt the emotions crashing in like a tidal wave. He had imagined this moment for so long already and now that it was finally here it was even better than he could have ever imagined. The way your lips moved against his was addicting and the way they tasted was intoxicating. He wished he could ingrain this feeling into his memory forever.

“You like me!” He cooed and it wasn’t a question, it was a statement.

You could feel him smirk against your lips. But behind his cocky façade you saw that he felt the exact same way about you, the way he had whispered the words just now was another proof of that.

“Shut up and kiss me again, you idiot.”

You didn’t have to tell him twice.

CHILDE

You looked over to the clock on the wall - 10 p.m. it had gotten quite late already. They were supposed to be back by 6 p.m

You were walking nervously up and down in your office, waiting for that familiar sound of the main doors of the headquarters opening.

Today was the day the Harbingers were supposed to get back from some kind of secret mission. So secret in fact, that even you, as their personal physician, could neither know about it, nor travel with them like you usually would. You only hoped everyone was alright.

Actually, if you were being honest to yourself, you only hoped that Childe would be alright. He had been on your mind every single day since their departure two weeks ago and you had started to realize that he might be more to you than just some random guy you had to bandage or patch up occasionally. You knew he had the tendency to rush headfirst into fights at any given opportunity and sometimes, even though it was rare because he was a capable fighter, he overestimated his abilities and ended up getting hurt in some way.

You sat down at your desk antsily, flipping through the pages of some magazine without actually taking in the contents of the pages and bobbing your knee up and down. You thought that if Childe could see you being so worried about him now, he’d probably have a snarky comment to make about it and huffed to yourself. He’d be fine. Right?

Thirty more minutes passed until you heard the front door finally open with a familiar creak. You immediately jumped up from your chair and rushed down the hallway, almost stumbling and kicking over a vase in the process.

“You’re back!”

“We are.” Signora sighed nonchalantly, throwing her cape into the hands of one of the lower ranked Fatui walking by her side and motioned him off without uttering a single word and you wondered why she had to always act so high and mighty.

You quickly began scanning the group but no matter how often you counted, there were only ten of them, not eleven and the one face that was missing – was Childe. At this moment you felt your heart drop to your stomach.

“Where is Childe?” You asked with evident worry in your voice.

“Why? Are you into him or something?” Scaramouche mockingly replied, donning an mischievous grin.

“Scaramouche!” Signora admonished making him just shrug. “Well, doctor, we actually don’t know. He got into a fight on our way back here and told us to go without him and that he’s got our back. Which is actually why we are late - there have been some… unforeseen incidents”

“And you just let him stay there and fight alone? You’re supposed to be the most powerful and highest-ranking Fatui officers!” You almost screamed and felt dread seeping into every fiber of your body at Signora’s reply.

“Don’t worry, he’ll be fine”

“How can you be so sure, Signora? Where was he the last time you saw him?”

“Well, even if I wanted to tell you, I couldn’t do that because then I’d unfortunately have to kill you.”

“Stop this nonsense, he will be fine. He always is.” Dottore chimed into the conversation, flinging his arm around Signora’s shoulder and letting out a mad cackle. “Now, I haven’t had anything for dinner yet and I can become nasty if I don’t so let’s stop dawdling around.”

They started moving down the hallway again, brushing past you now completely ignoring you. They didn’t even seem remotely worried about the fact that they have possibly sent Childe, their own comrade, to his death. Unbelievable, you thought to yourself before heading home even more worried than you had been prior.

It was pitch black and cold outside, thick snowflakes were falling from the sky creating a white blanket that made the world appear muted. The only sound you could hear was the steady crunch of the snow under your feet. Fitting weather for how you were feeling if you were quite honest.

You unlocked the door to your home, wondering if you’d manage to get a minute of sleep tonight, already pondering on how you could make any of the Harbingers tell you the location of Childe’s last whereabouts. They would surely be alarmed as well if he wouldn’t be back by tomorrow morning, right?

Still lost in thought you switched the light on and hung your coat on the coat hanger by the door, carding through your hair with your fingers and exhaling in frustration because you couldn’t get over the reaction of the other Harbingers. How could they care so little? Or were you maybe being too paranoid?

“You’re home late, doc!”

Startled by the sudden voice you dropped the keys you were still holding and flipped around screaming. Your heart was heavily thumping in your chest and your eyes widened in shock until the realization started to seep in.

“Childe? Huh… what? How did you get in here?”

“I picked the lock on your back door.”

“What? Why would you do that?”

“You weren’t home.” He shrugged with a shit-eating grin on his face, leaning against the doorframe leading to your living room.

“That’s not an excuse to break into my house! I was waiting for your return at the headquarters.”

“You were waiting for me?” His grin grew even wider for the flash of a second before he suddenly let out a raspy cough and almost toppled over as his face contorted into a pained grimace.

“Childe?” You panicked and hurried over to him. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing, doc. I’m fine.”

Upon closer inspection you could see that there were big beads of sweat forming on his forehead, making his auburn locks stick to his skin. He was paler than usual as well, his breathing seemed labored and –

Drip. Drip. Drip.

You looked below you and saw thick, red droplets of blood trickling down, staining the carpet crimson. Looking for the source you saw that Childe was holding his side with one hand and a not quite irrelevant amount of blood was oozing from in between his fingers.

“Lie down immediately!”

“I’m fine!”

“You’re literally bleeding!”

“I’ve been through worse.”

“Don’t be so pig headed, do what I say!”

You made him lie down on your sofa and grabbed some medical utensils and helped him remove his shirt to be able to get a look at the wound. It was worse than you had even imagined, the wound was deeper than you thought and was colored in a deep red crimson.

“Shit, this looks bad.” You cussed.

“You should see the other guy.” Childe chuckled and immediately hissed in pain.

“This is not funny, Ajax!”

You had never called him by his real name before and he immediately noticed it as well, effectively shutting him up. He wondered what it had to mean; were you genuinely worried about him? Did you care for him or were you just acting because of the Hippocratic oath you'd sworn?

He closely observed how your eyebrows furrowed as you were cleaning and stitching up his wound when it suddenly struck him, that you were the first person in a long time who he felt safe with and who he could turn to no matter what. Lying on your sofa listening to your concentrated breaths almost made him forget the pain that was shooting through his system.

“Alright, that should do it.” You said, tying a knot after the last stitch “This is going to leave a nasty scar.”

“Just another one to add to the collection.”

He didn’t miss how your eyebrows furrowed further after his statement but you didn’t comment on it. You stood up and grabbed some bandages from your cabinet before sitting down in front of him on your coffee table again.

“Sit up and lift your arms, I need to dress your wound.” You commanded, not missing how his trained pectorals moved when he did as you told him. Curse him for being so distracting by just… existing!

You fixated the bandage, looking up at his ocean-blue eyes, fearing you’d drown in them any second not missing that they looked unfamiliarly lively right now and there was a dust of pink to be seen on his cheeks.

“Sorry for bleeding on your sofa.” He almost whispered.

“Don’t worry about it, a sofa can be replaced but not… you.”

You barely had any chance to finish your sentence when he leaned forward and pressed his slightly parted lips onto yours, putting one of his hands on your waist and the other cupped your cheek, rubbing small circles on your skin with his thumb. You relished in the feeling of his soft lips being pressed onto yours as a thousand fireworks exploded in your mind and your heart felt like it was set on fire and close to combusting.

You instinctively locked your hands behind his neck, gripping on a handful of his locks as if your life depended on it – as if it was the only anchor that kept your heart from sinking into the endless ocean of feelings that crashed over you like a tidal wave.

He moved in a little closer as your lips continued to move in perfect unison only letting out a small groan in pain, but he was not going to let his wound ruin this moment for him now. He’d dreamt of this moment for so long, his heart longed for you, his body craved your touch and his soul yearned to be with you.

“Please stop getting hurt.” You silently begged as your lips parted, looking deep into his cerulean eyes.

“What if I just get hurt to be able to see you again?”

“You don't need to get hurt to be able to see me. You never did.” You could see his lips form into a smirk before they were united with yours once more.

END RAMBLES

Let me know which one was your favorite. I always love interacting with you all! (๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ

Characters I have noted down for a third part so far are Xiao, Thoma and Zhongli (my love) btw.

I ramble way too much in the notes, don't I? Guess that's my brand at this point lol!

Tagging: @x-zho since you asked to be tagged ♥

Maple dividers are mine - do not copy.

#genshin impact #genshin fanfic #diluc x reader #kaeya x reader #childe x reader #tartaglia x reader #genshin x reader #genshin x female reader #genshin x gender neutral reader #genshin fluff #genshin x you #genshin x y/n #genshin drabbles #genshin imagines #genshin scenarios #genshin reader insert #🍁 dust writes

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