#which is. really different from how we do it here in [insert home country]

[deus-ex-mona]

aka i’m still reeling from my trip and it ✨s h o w s✨

[echooefrost]

TGS MEDIEVAL AU :0

Is this Historically accurate? no. Does that matter? no.

Alright, This is gonna be a lot, so thou shalt be warned

In the Au, Robert is a prince and Lanyon Sr. is the King, they rule over a small kindom somewhere in England - name TBA (so not like real monarchies which rule over entire countries etc.) The premise is basically; The Lanyon's personal/private doctor recently passed away so they call in a new doctor/chemist from Scotland - did you guess? yep, It's Jekyll. Hyde exists before Henry/Edward meets Robert (I haven't worked out the exact logistics about it yet, but I will) Jekyll/Hyde are more Chemists/Alchemists than Doctors but they are both still very good doctors regardless (so they don't really wear the 'plague mask' thing) I aged only Jekyll, Hyde and Lanyon down to about their early 20's so it matches around the original timing of when J&H met Robert in TGS. There are other smaller reasons but they aren't to important, all you need to know is that it doesn't really change anything

Lanyon is betrothed to Everly from a neighbouring kingdom -this is where it differs slightly from TGS, it's a political marriage not a lavender marriage. Neither Robert nor Everly are happy about this however, they are both only children in royalty so they don't really have an option.

Hyde is essentially the local gremlin that has in-built eyebags and a sense to sell you things not very discreetly that he probably shouldn't be selling. His Cape is comedically large and has a very extensive collection of illegal powders, drugs, and other nefarious items. Almost everybody knows Hyde becasue at some point they have all needed some rare item from him. - this is where the blackfog comes in (yes it exists!) the Blackfog is basically the same but Hyde really wants to go so he can buy/sell lots of items for his little side-business he has going on, however Lanyon Sr. is opposed to it and it's existence because well... illegal.

*Hyde also goes by: The Spirit of [insert Kingdom's name] at night (soooooo original, ik)

Jekyll stays pretty much the same, He really cares about his reputation so he can move up on the social ladder and create his own Science business at some point, and I mean he doesn't want to make a fool of himself in front of the King of all people, that wouldn't be a very good look, would it?

In this universe, The lodgers are all citizens of the small kingdom and they all sort of have different occupations/roles in the town. They can't all be scientists, but do not fear because they still as equally crazy and chaotic as before. Rachel is the Lanyon's personal chef but she also helps run the bakery in town with Mr. Doddle. Jasper looks after most of the animals and creatures in the kingdom, he used to be a farmer but moved to get away from home. I am yet to work out how Jekyll and Jaspers relationship dynamic stays the same in this universe but I will figure something out.

There is A LOT of Jekyon and Lanyde going on here, so I've got something for everyone, (there may or may not be a masquerade at some point...) and it's not just centred around romance, there is lots of other plot stuff happening so do not fear my ace/aro friends (or just people who aren't a fan of romance)!

That's most of it for now... I'll draw some more stuff at some point and give some extra details, If you have any questions please ask (my asks are open) I'd love to hear from you all!!! Don't be afraid to offer any suggestions or other criticisms. Maybe I'll write a fanfic one day who knows, we will see.

Thanks for listening to my rant (*^▽^*)

*Footnote - I don't think you guys realise how hard it was to make hyde not look like either A.) a fucking elf or B.) Link. Did I succeed? not sure.

[mybelovedintrepidheroes]

things I loved about dungeon meshi:

- the fact that there was very little sexualization of the women in the series. like yes they do be in the nude sometimes but to me it doesn't feel like the artist/writers are drooling and foaming at the mouth wanting to fuck those women idk how to explain sorry

- the fact that there were underpants shots but they were ONLY from Senshi which is pretty funny to me idk I love how they're poking fun at the fan service in most animes.

now don't get me wrong I'm a certified monster fucker I don't mind sexual shit what I DO mind if it's objectifying women that shit doesn't sit right with me and idk in other series I just get the vibe that the creators aren't as confident in their show so they try to get specifically men to watch that series to get horny to? idk what the fuck the deal is with that it just seems like the creators aren't confident that ppl will like the show without the fan service which is a travesty, let's be real. again, I don't mind sex and other stuff in movies/series what I DO mind is if the women aren't doing the shit they're doing on purpose. I h8 pants shots in anime with a burning passion cuz like it's ALWAYS a mistake like idk I think it'd be way more fun if the women actually did that shit on purpose or if the men reacted differently to the fan service bullshit you know?

- Izutsumi is my fave character hands down (I'm also partial to Laios but that was inevitable given the fact that Damien Haas voiced him and yes I did watch it in English sue me) I was really fond of the idea that the barrier/spell also applied to her beast side which was indeed cool as shit I loved that so so much also the fact that she clung to Marcille, there's not a straight way to see that I fear.

- I loved the ingenuity with the creatures, like mollusks inhabiting armor? sign me the fuck up that is fun as hell! insects that look like jewelry & coins? oh that spells certain doom for some ppl! MIMICS ARE ACTUALLY CRUSTACEANS INHABITING FUCKING TREASURE CHESTS!! THAT'S SO FUN! SUCH A COOL IDEA!

- also that body swap episode oh hell yeah!! it was quite fun that Izutsumi got turned into a dog girl (kobold yeah yeah I know) bc there was an uneven amount of ppl, a very fun way of going about it.

- everyone talked completely the same way they usually do EXCEPT FOR Senshi that was so fun, elf senshi my beloved it was incredibly funny to me. also like was it part of the change to have him have flowers float around his face? perhaps idc it was funny as hell.

- the fact that what's his face was happy that his grandpa turned to dust, we love to see it. they've lived so long it could've been easy to make them incredibly afraid of death and almost even resentful but instead he's just like "good for him he got the FUCK outta here"

- deeply liked Kobru I love me a good antagonist <3

- okay hear me out it was deeply understandable that Shiro got annoyed bc laois kept asking abt his home and honestly I'm pretty sure there were some hurtful questions that laois asked and I think it's okay to be mad at and put off by someone who keeps asking questions that amount to "do you do *insert racist stereotype* in your country?" and I get that but also it's super funny that laios kept cockblocking him

I guess the end

what I didn't like about dungeon meshi:

- that season 1 ended

- that idk when the next season will drop

- that the subtitles were unreadable when I tried to watch it subbed bc the color of the subs was the same as the background which isn't helpful at all. like in that opening sequence it would help to make the subs black or some other color so you can actually read wtf is going on.

thanks for reading this have a nice day

[most-annoying-shifter]

Waiting Room Shifting Story 1

My waiting room is an island off the coast of England hidden by a glamour so normal people can't see it. On the island there's a magical well that spits out random people from different realities (scripted to mainly include comfort characters of mine) and a village surrounding it. There's also a lighthouse - I'm one of the lighthouse keepers.

When I shifted I was on a plane to travel across the country lmao and I said a brief prayer to Hermes/asked him to shuffle the songs on my playlist for me before putting on headphones and closing my eyes. I can go into how I shift + deity work in another post if people are interested.

In my waiting room, I was sitting on my desk which is a nice, sleek wooden table overlooking a window that peers across the ocean. Even better than that, a certain purple fox was curled up in my lap (this is Kuya, comfort character from nu: carnival + my s/o. he's the love of my many lives, no joke). Because I love this man/fox yokai and because I was trying to ground myself I deadass sat there patting him and letting him walk across my desk for an hour before standing up and telling him to turn into his human form.

Guess what? His magic was acting up or something because he couldn't turn back. So I scooped him into my arms and walked out of the lighthouse to go find a certain witch hat could help him. On the way out I ran into Kuroh (comfort character from k project and fellow lighthouse keeper) who asked me to come back later and help him with inventory and shit. He deserves an apology because I didn't come back that day 💀💀

It was like a 40 minute walk down to the village and on that walk, Kuya was getting really antsy and pissy. He wanted to wrap around my neck like a scarf of sorts but I didn't want him to do that since there was a high chance he just fell but he apparently didn't like when I protested so he bit me on the EAR. (I'll get him back next time).

Anyhow, we reached the very outskirts of the village (it would've taken another 40 minutes to get to the main area) where there's this neat olden style cottage belonging to the witch Jade (from honkai: star rail. not a comfort character but she's interesting and I didn't expect to see her here lmao). I had to barter with her for what I could trade for a potion to return Kuya to his normal form and after like 3 failed attempts she said she'd make the potion if I did her chores for the rest of the day. Insert a not very fun 6-7 hours of me doing chores. Ugh. She had really fancy silverware too, like spoons dipped in gold leaf. What the flub.

The potion making process was really interesting. I distinctly remember the way it turned from a dull purple to a very sparkly silver. Eventually she was done and said Kuya had to drink two cups of it. Apparently it smelt disgusting to the fox so he protested by scratching and biting at my (fancy) leather shoes. But! He drank all of it eventually <3 When he turned human he was without clothes so Jade gave him a skirt and a pair of lace up boots. I hugged him and kissed him. And then was unabashedly simping over him because it's a shirtless man in a skirt, what other reaction am I supposed to have?

Jade allowed us to stay for dinner (I am like. 99% sure Kuya tricked her into that) and then we set off to get back home to the lighthouse. Technically Kuya isn't a lighthouse keeper and therefore isn't allowed to stay the night, as Kuroh has repeatedly complained to be about, but I couldn't care less and planned to take him back anyway. Unfortunately, we were both very tired and ended up taking a rest on the side of the path in some grass which turned into us falling asleep on the grass lmao.

[curious-about-dramas]

The Heart Killers EP 9 - (text) reaction

I don't know why I get nervous on each new episode. Maybe it's because I feel so much is happening and I have some expectations, but since the show is so different from the novel, who knows what we'll get. And FirstKhaotung, JoongDunk, and P'Jojo always deliver. Also, I cannot wait to listen to First's song.

EDIT: I've finally managed to find some time to post this today, even if my reaction is from Wednesday, so 4 days ago. Adulting sucks.

PART 1 / 4

Seeing Bison breaking down like that in the recap still makes me feel a lot of things. Khaotung's acting skills are always impressive.

Seeing Kant and Bison so open with each other, especially Kant without his usual dark aura, is sooooo beautiful. The freedom the truth brought them is very palpable. I cannot wait for Fadel to get here too.

It's still scary to think that, now that Bison has let his guard down, he's so vulnerable about everything with Kant - and he's making himself more and more vulnerable with every "secret" he's telling Kant. And i'm sure Kant would never willingly betray Bison, but could you imagine if he were forced - like seriously forced in some way? Scary thoughts, go away!

Fun fact - P'Jojo just turned 40! Also, daddy - please no LMAO. LITA anyone?

"I don't want to go anywhere without you anymore. You're my home, Kant." My heart is literally melting, especially as a directioner. Alexa, please play Home by One Direction!

The way Bison is hugging Kant and snuggling on him on that bed, while Kant blissfully closes his eyes - this looks like the wholesomeness that's been missing for them. Very cute, indeed. But also, cannot wait for Fadel to arrive with some drama.

Why so much Christianity in this series though? It is curious, especially coming from such a Buddist country.

Dunk is soooooooo cute. Also, he repaired the car ;) He is Harry Potter after all. Or they could have just stolen/taken a radiator.

Who is that guy though? For a moment there he looked like Phuwin, LOL. Probably Fadel's ex.

Still worried about Kant, eh? Now that's a good friend. "I can't guarantee that." // "Can't you at least lie to make me feel better?" I feel like Fadel is trying to prepare Style for the worst, since he knows his brother.

Of course, ha has to go shopping for clothes. It's important when you're HELD HOSTAGE AT GUNPOINT … well, technically.

"You sure make a lot of requests. You think we're on a road trip or something?" Exactly, Fadel! You have the gun, show him who's the boss around here. (BTW I say this while I also know they WILL go shopping for clothes.)

Aaand he immediately won the argument! Kudos to you, Style.

Oooh, look at Fadel talking big and scary, but also, OMG Joong -- so gorgeous while he looks at Style shopping.

Can you enter a store with a helmet on like that though? I don't think you can here where I live, but maybe in Thailand you can.

Ok, first thing first - Dunk would probably look good wearing anything because that shirt is so not my cup of tea. And second, yeah Fadel, have you been observing him? How do you know about the stripes?

But like, why would anyone want to kill Style? Unless it's still somewhat related to Fadel. So, yeah, they're onto Fadel. Style seems pretty scared of real guns though - not as sure about him secretly being familiar with guns.

"How should we fight him?" (Insert cute keyboard smash, which I cannot replicate) Man, I love that I get them as charaters so much and also that they're so consistent with their personality. They feel like real people. Also, Fadel's face while Style asks that -- he's like, you silly, how on earth could you possibly help in this situation?

And he was hit. Who is it? Who?? F*ck, he escaped. That helmet was on really tight. EDIT: I've seen later people pointing out the spider web tattoo. I don't recall anyone with that tattoo though. Also, tattoos are so prominent in this series, they feel like a character on their own.

Style trying to be strong for Fadel, while bleeding so much. It's kinda surprising how he deals with that wound.

"Someone just landed" … who could that be? Ahaha. My guess is Bison realized immediately who is it, so he's telling Kant to hide for safety. Mmh, ok, maybe not.

Where is their boat, though? Since apparently you can come here only on boat.

Fadel doesn't want Kant anywhere near Style. So protective of you, Fadel. And for the person you will just kill, now that you found Bison.

Oooh, Fadel's only scar. Well, with their job being what it is, I'm sure they had to learn these things. It's not like they can go to a hospital.

He's also holding his hand ……….. yeah.

PART 2 / 4

Fadel looks so angry with himself - because he forgot the extra bullets in the car, because he couldn't protect Style. He's taken the role of big brother for so long, it's an instict by now. And he failed with the one person deep down he never wanted to fail. It's okay, sweetie, Style is big and strong.

"Dead, my ass. Am i looking at a damn ghost, then?" // "Fadewwwww" … so brotherly coded, while also being assassins. I love this.

Bison daring him to kill Style too. Well, it's fair, right?

They're thinking Ruerat, their target? I mean, to them it must make the most sense. Ok, yeah, do make sure. It's important.

Joong and Khaotung as brothers, with Joong as big brother … it feels so real. I love seeing them together. And I know Bison envied Kant's relationship with Babe, but because of the age gap that relationship feels more parent/child while Fadel and Bison are truly brothers. He really has nothing to envy.

Also, Kant and Style's friendship, teasing each other - so cute. "The power of love, alright." Well, he was not wrong.

First on his quest to kiss ALL of GMMTV's actors … well, he almost added Dunk.

Oh, Style, your fond is showing. He's sooooo in love.

Ok, let's be honest. That first punch was at least a little bit deserved.

Oh, Bison's gun is on Fadel, not Style! Do you have a dying wish, Kant?! What are you saying?

I feel like Fadel, asking why should he trust Kant now, is now clawing at straws to find a valid enough reason to not actually have to kill Style. He doesn't want/never wanted to kill Style; Kant maybe, but never Style.

Also, this is the second time Style is crying. And this time is for them - FadelStyle. And he looks really scared here.

So much laundry though … do they really need all that? Aren't they like using 2 beds?

KantBison are sooooo cute together. Some alone time, now that trust is not an issue anymore? I'm just saying. We've had NC scenes for basically all the first episodes and then nothing, especially KantBison.

PART 3 / 4

Oooh, some back story of their early assassin days -- thank you, P'Jojo! I was really curious about this. So, they were only 3.

Training them since young, smart lady. Also, Keen missing a shot, really?! Novel spoiler ahead [in the novel Keen was a sharpshooter basically]

Ok, that shot in the black and white scene was kinda obviously fake, oops.

Well, we kinda knew it was mommy and Keen, but now we definitely know. I do wonder how Keen traced Fadel in that store though. Car maybe?

LOL, the mafia boss lady has to hire someone else to kill her killers. It is funny.

"Maybe the one we hired two years ago." F*ck f*ck f*ck. If this is what i've read someone guessing as the back story of that person (Fadel's ex BEING just another killer hired by mommy dearest) … man, my heart goes to Fadel. No wonder his trust issues.

Well, boss mom sure has some cutting words for Keen.

Oh, calling dad! Such a good son, Style.

"I know you're good at making up stories." // "Kinda sounds like an insult." LOL

Bison wasn't even with them … and he told Style everything that Style already lived through and learned himself about Fadel. Oh, Fadel, love is coming at you, whether you're ready or not. Have fun, sweetie!

Shoot, the car deal! It's finally out -- the whole truth. "What did you just say?" It's better now than later though, Fadel.

Yeah, between the 4 of them Style had it best. He still has his father, his police record is clean, he's so beautiful he could have anything and anyone he wanted. And he still chose Fadel, even after learning about his real job, even on the run from the police, even on the run from who knows who else. I love that Fadel gets to experience this kind of love, especially since his only other real alternative was mommy's "gift".

Also, sort unrelated to current happenings - that mole on Joong's upper shoulder/clavicle is so sexy.

It's the second letter I'm seeing these days in Thai BL. The first one was from Your Sky and I love how it ended between those characters, go AuauSave! What - list of extended family?! LMAO

"Words are cheap. I'm only worth as much as one car to you." I knew the car thing was important! Fadel is sulking so much about being worth just ONE car to Style LOL.

LMAO, oh Style. Why does this - Style forcing Fadel to accept him - remind me of 10 Things I Hate About You? It's been too long since I've seen it. Still, missing accomplished!

"If we weren't fighting, what would you like to do to me?" Style loves being loved by Fadel - see how he's waiting for Fadel to come kiss him? Also seeing JoongDunk kiss with Dunk's hand on Joong's throat and them basically eating each other out feels so familiar and lovely and comforting. They should always be kissing - on screen that is, I'm trying not to be delulu here.

Also, their lips were so pale. I think they were freezing in that water. Yes, I think this part needs to watched twice in a row … for science.

PART 4 / 4

The truth is Fadel and Bison have lived for so long outside of the law, it's no longer natural for them. Of course Bison needs his revenge, his satisfaction over killing the person who killed his parents.

If this were an American TV series, you would know for sure the whole life they're daydreaming about will never happen. The problem is that this drama is so American inspired, oops.

Oh, he's asking about that photo, look at them comunicating … so mature.

"Two-ish years" what?! That's a lot of time. And the 1-million-dollar question - "why did you break up?"

The ex knew about mother, so maybe also Fadel's real job? No, not the job, ok. But if Fadel and this guy were together for a couple of years-ish, then he couldn't have been the one mother and Keen were talking a while back. So, does this mean that the other hired assassin really killed Fadel's ex - well, technically still lover?

Fadel's ex looks and acts like the total opposite of Style - a shy blushing mess, very cute with those dimples, always pending on Fadel's every word. It feels like Fadel was totally a care taker with him. Compare this to Style, who forced his way into Fadel's daily routine; who had basically no-strings-attached sex with Fadel, got punched by him, and still came back for more the next morning; who challenges him regularly; who's so sexy and provocative and he knows it. Literally day and night.

Did Fadel really think he got ghosted after two years?! Seriously? By that kind of person, too? "Maybe he was scared of me, thinking I'd kill him if he broke up with me." LOL, anything to say, Style? Since we're sharing truths tonight apparently. On a more serious note, I think I can understand much better now Fadel in EP4, the morning after. He had done everything in his power to push Style aways from him, including punghing him in the stomach after having sex together. And the next morning Style did not show up, for the first time in who knows how many days. And Fadel kept looking and looking and asking people around. For a moment it felt like he'd accomplished scaring Style. And then came Style, no fear what so ever. Of course, Fadel got scared with how much relief he was feeling ... and had to punish himself and Style.

"Pew, pew, pew!" Local assassin having fun … while also doing theraphy for boyfriend with PTSD. "That's how it sounds when the shooter's cute." You're so freaking cute, Bison!

What's with them going into the water fully clothed, though?

Perfect aim, Style? C'mon! Brothers vs friends, soooooooo cute!

I feel like Style's optimism is catching on Fadel. If only it were that simple, sweetie. I still feel jail is not out of the question.

OMG, Kant that was sooo sneaky of you -- very well scripted, if it was.

Can we just ignore all the other problems and end it all here? "And they lived happily ever after. END"

Oh, this is First's voice, right? His solo song. I also need to listen to that.

And the preview for next week - the brothers want to keep their boyfriends safe until they solve their problems, fair. Is that Bison having trouble with someone, fighting? Shoot, Fadel's angry. And help is needed, ok.

Oh, Joong's song on the outro -- I love that song. Joong sang it live the other day and I've watched the video on twitter like a million times already.

[awanderingcanadian]

Anniversaries of Sorts

As we move towards August, I have several ‘anniversaries’ coming up that bear recognition. I haven’t written for a while, in fact I’ve been absent really for the better part of a year. That’s not to say I haven’t written a ton in my mind, I just haven’t done anything with a keyboard. I don’t know why that is, but maybe it was to do with working through my losses and getting my head back in the right space? Who knows?

Back to the point of this post: August marks some significant anniversaries for me. Ironically, I seem to defining this as ‘before COVID’ and ‘after COVID’. Can you believe that in just 5 months we will be marking the 5th anniversary of the start of the pandemic? Where did those years go? I feel like we lost 3 years of our lives, but my 19 year old niece tells me differently. For her, she was finishing high school, graduating, and starting university: all significant milestones in a young life, but for me, they were the ‘lost years’. Perspective is everything. Again I digress…

August will mark 7 years since we moved to Scotland, and the start of a strange 3 years. Seven years!! It just seems like a few years ago. The plan, for those of you who don’t know or forgot, was that we live 2 years in Scotland, (with me working and Craig retired), then we would travel for a years. With that in mind, we signed a 3 year lease with the Crown, and on June 30, 2017 left our beautiful home for what was to be 3 years of fun and adventure.

Early August of 2017 we made the move. Having being born in Scotland, and having returned many times to see family, I thought I knew how it worked, but I didn’t. We spent the first 10 days chasing our tails: we couldn’t open a bank account without a UK address, we couldn’t get a phone plan without a bank account, and we couldn’t rent a place to live without both of the above. I had to get a National Insurance number, (the equivalent of a SIN or SS number for my North American friends), which ironically was the easiest part as I had a UK birth certificate. Within the first two weeks however, we had it all sorted, and had bought a car, a tv, and countless other items. Our big score was buying an inexpensive blender and getting a voucher for a case of wine for £25! Gosh, those were stressful, but heady days.

August, 2018 I unexpectedly returned to Canada, as Craig was denied a spousal visa. The short story is that the website was misleading, (that’s now been fixed), so we applied incorrectly, and the Home Office wasn’t lenient at all. Craig had to leave in June or be deported. We were the lead story one night on the news. But enough about that. Having no home to return to, we lived in our trailer off an on for months, and wintered in the home of a friend who went to central and South America for 4 months.

August, 2019 found us leaving for 11 months of travel. We booked flights to Heraklion, Greece and rented an apartment for a month, giving me a chance to rest up after leaving my job, and packing all of our belongings yet again. We bought insurance for a 330 day, multi-country trip, and we were off! What could go wrong?? Some of you might remember this time in our recent history…

August 2020 was a wash, nothing doing. August 2021 saw the border with the U.S. open from the Canadian side, but the same Americans who had been clamouring for the border to be open, decided to keep their side closed, (insert eye roll here). August 2022 we returned to Greece, yippee! August, 2023 we stayed home and had lots of people visit us!

But my favourite August anniversary will always be this one.

[dialectical--revolution]

The prison cell was chilled and damp. I couldn't remember what time it was, but I knew it was late.

We had been arrested. Picked up and thrown away for being "different". Sigh. Humans were SO TYPICAL. Anyone who was different was judged, spit on, and tossed aside. It was the typical human experience.

Which is why I always tried to hide my powers from others. Why I always wore contacts when I was around people I didn't know. They disguised my now golden eyes from the judgemental public. People always freaked when they saw my glowing eyes. Luckily, they only changed color when I became overwhelmed with emotion. Emotions like anger and fear.

When my eyes changed color, my powers were active. I became a siren, my sonic scream tearing through the night. People called me blonde siren or “Golden Girl”. Golden Girl was my favorite.

My powers…I never fully understood them. I could burst eardrums and make small objects float; all with the power of sound. I was never good at science, so I had my Auntie Anna explain it all to me. She told me that sound, at certain frequencies could suspend objects in mid-air.

And sound at high enough decibels could kill or harm a person. I remember Auntie Anna thought that was “cool” and “fascinating”. I thought she was weird. I’m sorry; I loved my aunt, but she was a weirdo.

I realized my powers firsthand the night my aunt was attacked. It was a dark night, and the power was out yet again. My Aunt, lacking common sense, decided to venture out in the darkness.

I was watching from above.

I was watching from the top of a factory building. Due to her health issues, I always followed her wherever she went. It was my way of telling her “Thank you” for all the times she was there for me.

The muggers seemed to come out of nowhere. At least, that’s how it seemed to me. It was so dark but they moved so quickly. It was like they were “ninja-fast”. It was when they surrounded her that I came down from above. My eyes were glowing gold and when they called me a “freak”, that’s when I screamed.

The muggers grabbed their ears and fell to the ground. They vomited and then they fell unconscious. Crouching on the ground, I turned to my Aunt. She was unconscious, too.

I touched my ears: no blood. I looked at my Aunt; her ears were bleeding, too. Just like the muggers.

Why was I the only one unaffected? Did it have something to do with my powers?

I had one of my friends help me get her home. Ever since, I was careful not to use my powers around her for fear of hurting her. When she woke up, she was still in shock about how much everything changed. Then she told me she had powers, too. If she concentrated really hard, she could literally disappear.

Like me, she was just a shell of the person she once was.

***

“Do you know how long we’ll be in here?” I asked my Aunt. I was hoping for a rational, calm answer from her. She was silent for a while, then she spoke.

“I don’t know,” she said. She looked up and nodded. “Why don’t you ask him?”

I turned to look at the Military personnel. One in particular stood out: the Major. He looked at us in disgust. He was the one who arrested us. He came to our home and took us in. Sigh. He must have heard about the muggers. Figures. In this new world, it didn’t matter what the situation was. Just being “different” was enough to be taken in.

“Hey, asshole,” I asked him. “When the fuck are we getting out of here?” He looked at us with total and complete disgust. That was typical behavior for people nowadays. They only looked at us when they needed us. We were a rare commodity, one of the chosen few to survive a disaster. We were both feared, and the ones people looked to as a saving grace during the war.

We were a precious commodity, super soldiers. Our country LOVED to insert itself into foreign politics. You know, the kinda stuff that wasn’t our business. Wars, disputes, you name it. We were running out of soldiers; meta-humans were the next choice. People didn’t care much for us, but they needed us.

I hated them for it.

“You’re not getting out of here,” he said with a commanding tone. “We need you for the war. You’re a necessary evil.”

Necessary evil. That’s all we were now. Not people, just machines used for fighting wars. Well, fuck em’.

Fuck em’ all. They were the real monsters, here. Not us.

“If we’re evil, " Auntie Anna began. “Then what does that make you?”

“Yeah,” I countered. “I was wondering…how does someone who is supposed to be saving the human race get to be such an asshole?”

That really pissed him off. He looked right into my soul with a hatred I couldn’t quite place. I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to scream.

I quickly winked at my Auntie. It was my way of letting her know that she needed to cover her ears. I would never forgive myself if she got hurt again.

I let loose a scream. It was somewhere between a moan and a shriek. A banshee; it sounded like a banshee. It rocked through the whole room, knocked “Major Asshole” back up against a wall, and everything went dark.

[that-spider-witch]

On “Dead” Cultures and Closed Spiritual Practices: Why Colonialism Is Still A Problem.

Let me start this by saying that, as far as my knowledge of Paganism and Polytheism as a whole goes, I’m what the internet witch community calls a “Baby Witch”. I’m stating this out of the gate because I know there will be lots of people, including witches who have more experience on the craft than me, who might decide to ignore what I have to say based on that fact alone, stating that I’m not knowledgeable enough to give my opinion about this.

Here’s the kicker: I’m a ‘baby witch’, yes, but I’m also a twenty-six year old Venezuelan woman. I’m an adult. I’m Latina. I’m a Christian-raised Pagan,but I’m also a Latinoamerican woman over all other things including that. I grew up on this culture, these are my roots. It is because of this background than I’m writing this post today.

Looking through the “Paganism” and “Witchcraft” tags of this website, I’ve seen a few posts throwing indigenous deities and spirits’ names around on lists alongside deties of open cultures. Yes, you can know better by doing your own research and not going by what just a random Tumblr user wrote on one post (as I hope its the case with everyone on this website), but the fact that pagan beginners are still getting fed misinformation is still worrisome to me.

There’s nothing like reading a so-called expert putting Ixchen (Maya), Xolotl (Nahuatl) and Papa Legba (Vodou) on the same damn list as Norse, Hellenic and Kemetic deities and tagging it on the tags aimed at beginners who might not know better to truly ruin your morning. I’m not mentioning user names here: If you know then you know.

To quote @the-illuminated-witch on her very good post about Cultural Appropriation: 

“Cultural appropriation is a huge issue in modern witchcraft. When you have witches using white sage to “smudge” their altars, doing meditations to balance their chakras, and calling on Santa Muerte in spells, all without making any effort to understand the cultural roots of those practices, you have a serious problem.

When trying to understand cultural appropriation in witchcraft, it’s important to understand the difference between open and closed magic systems. An open system is one that is open to exchange with outsiders — both sharing ideas/practices and taking in new ones. In terms of religion, spirituality, and witchcraft, a completely open system has no restrictions on who can practice its teachings. A closed system is one that is isolated from outside influences — usually, there is some kind of restriction on who can practice within these systems.”

A counter-argument I’ve seen towards this when someone wants to appropiate indigenous deities and spirits is to use the “dead culture” argument: Extinct cultures are more eligible for use by modern people of all stirpes. It is a dead culture and dead religion. It would be one thing if some part of the culture or religion was still alive, being used by modern descendants, but the culture died out in its entirety and was replaced, right? They were all killed by colonization, they are ancient history now, right?

Example: “If white people are worshipping Egyptian deities now, then why can’t I worship [Insert Aborigen Deity Here]?”

To which I have two things to say:

Ancient Egypt’s culture was open and imperialistic, meaning they wanted their religion to be spread. This is why Kemetism is not Cultural Appropriation, despite what some misinformed people might tell you. Similar arguments can also be made for the Hellenic and the Norse branches of Paganism, both practiced by people who aren’t Greek/Norse.

Who are you to say which cultures are “dead” and which are not?

Religious practices such as Vodou and Santería certainly aren’t dead, not that it keeps some Tumblr users from adding Erzuli as a “goddess” on their Baby Witch post, something that actual Vodou practitioners have warned against.

Indigenous cultures such as the Maya and the Mapuche aren’t dead, despite what the goverment of their countries might tell you. The Mapuche in particular have a rich culture and not one, but two witchcraft branches (The Machi and the Kalku/Calcu). Both are closed pagan practices that the local Catholic Church has continuously failed to assimilate and erase, though sadly not for lack of trying:

“The missionaries who followed the Spanish conquistadors to America incorrectly interpreted the Mapuche beliefs regarding both wekufes and gualichos. They used the word wekufe as a synonym for ideas of the devil, demons, and other evil or diabolical forces. This has caused misunderstanding of the original symbolism and has changed the idea of wekufe right up to the present day, even amongst the Mapuche people.”

For context, the Wefuke are the Calcu’s equivalent of the Familiar, as well as reportedly having more in common with the Fae than with demons anyway.

This and other indigenous religions are Closed because it is wrong for foreigners to just come and take elements from marginalized groups whom are still fighting to survive and that they weren’t born into. To just approppiate those things would be like spitting in their faces, treating them and their culture like a commodity, a shiny thing, a unique thing to be used like paint to spruce up your life or be special.

I know some of you are allergic to the word “Privilege”, but on this situation there really ain’t a better word to explain it. You weren’t born here, you don’t know what it is like, you are only able to see the struggle from an outsider’s point of view.

If a belief or practice is part of a closed system, outsiders should not take part in it. And with how many practices there are out there which are open for people of all races, there is really no excuse for you to do it.

Why Colonization Is Not “Ancient History”

If you have kept reading all this so far, you are probably wondering “Ok, but what does Colonization has to do with any of this?”

The answer? Everything.

With the general context of culture appropriation out of the way, let me tell you about why the whole “dead culture” argument rubs me the wrong way: Here in Venezuela, we have a goddess called Santa Maria de la Onza, or Maria Lionza for short, whom’s idol statue I have been using to illustrate this little rant. If you happen to know any Spanish, you might recognize the name as a derivative of Santa Maria, aka the Virgin Mary, and you are mostly correct: Her true indigenous name is theorized to have been Yara.

And I say “theorized” because it is a subject of hot debate whether she was really ever called that or not: Her original name, the name by which she was adored and worshipped by our ancestors, might have been forever lost to history.

That’s the legacy of colonization for you: Our cultures were stolen from us, and what they couldn’t erase they instead tried to assimilate. Our ancestors were enslaved, their lands and homes stolen, their artwork and literary works destroyed: The Maya and the Aztec Empire were rich in written works of all kinds, ranging from poetry to history records to medicine, and the Spaniards burned 99% of it, on what is probably one of the most tragic examples of book burning in history and one that people rarely ever talk about. 

People couldn’t even worship their own gods or pass their knowledge of them to their children. That’s why Maria Lionza has such a Spanish Catholic-sounding name, and that’s why we can’t even be sure if Yara was her name or not: The Conquistadors couldn’t steal our goddess from us, so they stole her name instead. Catholics really have a thing with trying to assimilate indigenous goddesses with the Virgin Mary, as they tried to do the same with the Pachamama.

On witchy terms, I’d define Maria Lionza as both a deity and a land spirit: Most internet pages explaining her mention the Sorte mountain as her holy place, but it is more along the lines that she is the mountain. 

You’d think that, with Venezuela and other Latinoamerican countries no longer being colonies, we’d be able to worship our own deities including her, right?

As far as a lot of Catholics seem to think and act, apparently we are not.

The Catholics here like to go out of their way to shame us, to call us “cultists”, to ostracize us, with a general call to “refrain from those pagan beliefs” because they go against the Catholic principles. Yes, the goddess with the Catholic-sounding name, a name she happens to share with a Catholic deity, apparently goes “against Catholic principles”. You really can’t make this shit up. (Linked article is in Spanish)

This is just an act of colonization out of many, of not wanting to stop until the culture they want to destroy is gone. Don’t believe for a second that this is really their God’s will or anything like that, they are just trying to finish what years of enslavement and murder couldn’t. They might not be actively killing us anymore, but they still want us dead.

So no, colonization is not some thing that has long passed and now only exist on history textbooks: It is still happening to this day. It is by treating it as old history that they can keep doing it, and it is by pushing the narrative that our indigenous cultures are “dead cultures” that they try to erase our heritage.

Because we are not dead. We are still here, we are alive, we have survived and we’ll keep on surviving, and our gods and goddesses are not yours to take.

¡Chao! 🐈

[vynsvision]

What if MC wasn't a lawyer?

Originally, this was going to be a list for me to have on hand for self-inserts or if I wanted to adjust Rosa for a fic. It become a brainstorming piece about all the alternate versions or jobs/work positions Rosa could have held instead of being a lawyer for Themis Law Firm.

WC: roughly 1.2k

In my daily checking of the "tears of themis" tag (by recent because yeah duh), I read sdaomine's minific au about vilhelm (svart!vyn) kidnapping his enemy's daughter and proposing marriage. And then another post in the tag was maybe about Marius's assistant minific- not sure bc I didnt read it. [edit: did read it later and no it wasn't, but this is now irrelevant.] But, point is, it got my brain going and thinking and I realized each of the boys have like an alternate place for Rosa to have been instead of Artem's subordinate in the Themis Law Firm.

Vyn:

1. A Svart citizen/person of royalty- someone who was/is also of lineage, and they connect that way. Maybe helping him ease the dislike he has of his home country. This person has the money and connections to get answers.

2. Someone Vyn works with or went to school with for Psychology n stuff. Someone who would also work at Giannovyn. Someone who knows how to observe and analyze the effects of the NXX drug, and maybe is sent from like the govt to discover how serious this is and how hard they need to crack down.

Marius:

1. His assistant. Duh. What more do I say. Not sure how they would be relevant to the nxx investigation but whatever.

2. Heir or high up in a competing company, and they personally are into biology and chemistry outside of work bc mc having two degrees or doctorates or whatever would be hot. Or maybe 3 bc they can have one in business, too. Sexy.

Luke:

1. Fellow NSB agent is the obvious piece. It would, of course, change their dynamic drastically, but I just think MC should be allowed to hot as an agent. Maybe they were kept secret and mc is undercover as Artem's subordinate. Anyway.

2. Even better, (or worse, depending) MC was recruited by some other agency/organization and so when they realize they're on competing intelligence sides...... hhhgg.

Now that I think about it, Artem also has an alternate:

1. Simply, instead of working with Themis, MC works for Baldr. Imagine that. Basically the same, but MC might be harder and Artem and them would be enemies to lovers. Sexy.

Darius: (because this is My Post)

1. Fellow detective. Pretty straightforward.

2. Someone who is in witness protection or is currently a Criminal (boss or second-hand) but isn't going to be pulled in because of a Deal that they and Darius make. Hhhhhhh this is self-indulgent but let me live.

Now, to a degree, I understand why MC is a lawyer. Someone has to prosecute (or whatever) the bad guys or the offending party. But if we went with any of these differing routes, here are some ideas-

1. In biology or chemistry, it would be neat to be able to test chemicals n stuff. Like... seeing how one thing reacts to a different thing, and trying to find the right combination.

2. Business... not really sure, but it could open up more characters and arguments/debates/conversations with people who are shady but you can't just pull them into court.

3. Agent stuff... this is obvious but a fight. This is, of course, the most attractive option, because it wouldn't be something you could skip- the cards would change to be able to be applied to weapons, maybe, or if you could have backup. Like "Clash Royale" from Supercell or something. That would be so cool!! This is. The coolest option so far.

4. Baldr option doesn't change this, really. It would still be debates n shit. Which is fine bc it wouldn't be Themis. Maybe we could debate against Artem in public court. Imagine the fics........ *ahem* Anyway!

5. Svart option... this would probably be similar to the business option. Connecting with government contacts and having a wider range of authority would be an attractive feature. Like, being able to meet with a government official, and then stepping out and checking in with a street contact and comparing the information. Maybe thats too agent-y, but I didn't specify what part of the Svart government MC's Svart family would work for/be a part of.

6. Psychology option (like if mc worked at Giannovyn) could be more specific like figuring if someone is lying n stuff? Watching someone speaking and having been told to look for certain tells, and you have to catch them by taping on them in that spot when the tell happens.

7. While an assistant [to Marius] would have access to the same stuff, they would have access to equals in other places. Someone who is overlooked, and would have a better connection with househands or bystanders, yanno? Being able to use the authority of Pax and being the CEO'S assistant, but also being able to meet regular people and being able to relate to them without the intimidating aspect.

8. As for the Darius mention, a fellow detective would be neat because then you can take part in interrogations or investigations- as someone posted the other day as an irl-lawyer-reacts-to-lawyer-otome said in the post, lawyers don't actually partake in the investigation. It just. Doesnt happen. And they're right!! So let me take part in investigating and interrogating and gathering info beside Darius!!!

9. Or as a criminal having connections under the table n shit. This one i mostly explained before but yeah having connections to who's selling what and oh through the grapevine of Crime or homeless or the overlooked, this is the info I got. Mmmmm. Thinking again of fics we won't get bc mhy are cowards

Honestly, the more I think about this, the more I wonder why the Heck MHY didnt choose these options. "For the cards" makes sense, I guess, but when you dont have to pay attention to the debate and they're just there to get resources and not pay attention to your phone... its disappointing. I do like the story finale debates because you have to choose the right evidence that applies, or the "hmm, no, this evidence doesn't match with that evidence" parts in the main episodes of story... (wow, do I just miss the main story?)

I think the cards could apply in different ways and they could really get more player interaction and giving-a-shit. It would be cool to know the stats of cards better, kinda like in Genshin, where you have to build characters a certain way to get the best results, whereas in ToT im pretty sure you just. Level shit up.

These are just my thoughts, but I'd like to hear if anyone has additional ideas or thoughts!

[Note: this was mostly written in descending order, so if I say "theres not much on this thought" in one place and then later elaborate, its because more came to me later for a different spot on this post.] [It was also typed and posted via the mobile app so please bear with me if there are errors... I'm doin my best]

[kenkamishiro]

Lost in Translation: Choujin X chapter 1

Fun fact, I was planning to do fan translations for Choujin X with a scan group until it could get a simulpub release, though I didn’t expect it to get one from the very first chapter lol. I’m happy though since it means everyone can read it right away and it doesn’t mess up my schedule.

So instead I’ll be making comparison notes between the EN and JP text to supplement the official translation. I’m not doing this because the official TL is bad (I actually think it’s pretty solid and I hope it will maintain this quality) but because it’s inevitable for something to be lost in translation, and it’s nice to have that additional context for theory crafting and whatnot.

If you want to read it on Twitter instead, the original thread is here, but this is the proofread and way more detailed version 😄

This translation isn’t wrong, but there’s an emphasis on それ (which is TLed as ‘it’) that connotes a stronger, “other, that thing” feeling that isn’t present here. The general idea behind this sentence is: That [becoming a Choujin] resembles more of a disease [than a transformation].

Ely talks like a tomboy, she uses rougher speech patterns and the pronoun オラ (ora), a derivative of the masculine 'ore'. But it's a bit old-fashioned (eg. すまなんだ) which makes sense considering her upbringing with her grandfather on a farm. Hence her country bumpkin speech pattern in English.

Not sure if I should use Ellie or Ely? Ellie makes more sense based on the kana, but Ishida explicitly called her Ely so I might stick with Ely for now... (also istg that blond guy with the huge chin is a reference, I've seen him somewhere)

Tokio, I know your teacher is annoying, but it's rude to call her that lol. This is basically the oppai equivalent of paisen (senpai backwards, it’s slangier). Similar thing actually happened with Ely describing her dream hubby as Goldilocks instead of blond; ‘kinpatsu’ (blond hair) was inverted to become ‘patsukin’, hence the translation as Goldilocks.

Kurohara Tokio (黒原トキオ) and Higashi Azuma (東��ヅマ). Kurohara is a common surname, means 'black fields'. Tokio is in katakana, so it’s hard to say what kanji it could be. 'Toki' could be 時 (time) or 外喜 (outside + delight). The 'o' can be the common male name suffix 男 (boy).

But when I think of Tokio, I think of TK's song called 'tokio'. You can read the translated lyrics here. If these lyrics end up being relevant to Tokio's character development I will eat my shoe lol.

Higashi means 'east'. Azuma (which can also be romanized as Aduma, it’s a softer ‘zu’ sound which is why Tokio called Azuma ‘Aju’ earlier in the chapter before correcting himself) is an archaic form of ‘east’. So...this guy is literally East East. The Choujin X equivalent of Moon Moon 😂

Someone also informed me that Higashi Azuma is a station in Tokyo, though the kana are slightly different (アヅマ／あづま vs. あずま). They effectively sound the same though nowadays, if I have to be honest. It’s like comparing the difference between 애 and 에 in Korean.

Tbh this is minor, but worth mentioning just cause it changes the meaning a bit. Tokio is saying something more like, “Why are we even talking about this [the roly-polies] again?”

I think I heard people talking about how the official TL doesn’t match the original text, but personally I really like how this was translated! Sis is using the expression  「爪の垢を煎じて飲む」, which literally means “boiling the dirt under someone’s fingernails and drinking it”. By taking the dirt/grime under the fingernails of someone that you admire, and boiling it and drinking it like a tea, you can become more like them.

But because idioms don’t tend to directly translate well between languages, translators often have to adapt it so that the meaning still remains the same. In English the closest idiom we have to this is “rubbing off on someone.” The “holding hands” bit was added to replace the physical aspect of “taking the dirt from someone’s fingernails” and also contribute to Sis’s sassy and very informal way of speaking.

So Sis is saying in JP (ignoring her personal speech style for now):

You should take the dirt from under [Azuma's] fingernails and boil it so you can be more like him.

And now in ENG it becomes:

You guys should hold hands or something, then maybe he’ll rub off on you.

It now sounds natural in English, still carries the same meaning as the original text, and also suits the character’s speech pattern.

Moving on, in that same panel the literal TL of Tokio’s dialogue is, “Policeman Azuma got dispatched again today,” emphasizing Azuma’s heroic deeds along with his family connections to the police. Another thing I want to note is that this is the second time Azuma has been called 偉い (erai) so far - noble, and now great guy. I’ll just dump the general English definition of 偉い from Jisho here so you get the general idea:

Great; excellent; admirable; remarkable; distinguished; important; celebrated; famous; eminent

But you can tell from how people describe Azuma as 偉い that others look up to him, think he’s a great person and Mr. Perfect. Always being placed on a pedestal by others. (What are the odds this will affect his mentality after the Choujin serum?)

The meaning is still pretty much the same, but I’ll offer a slightly different perspective. Sis mentions that if she were Tokio, she’d burst from the [Azuma] complex. (Clearly Tokio and Azuma's relationship is gonna crack at some point)

Tokio mentions an idiom about hawks (taka) before recalling his childhood memory about vultures. Vultures are called 'hagewashi', but in the chapter it mentions they can also be called 'hagetaka' (buzzard/condor, literally bald hawk).

The kids call him names like "Hagetaka Tokio" and "Hageo". But Hagetaka Tokio only really works in JP cause Hagetaka kinda mimics his last name (Buzzard Tokio doesn't give the same vibe). Same with Hageo. Hage-o = Bald-o = Baldy.

I also think Buzzard was chosen over another name for a vulture like Condor because Buzzard can pass off as an insult.

I would have translated this as, “I wanted to be a lion too...” but this is just personal preference.

A continuation of the 「爪の垢を煎じて飲む」 expression Sis used earlier. Without the adapted idiom the exchange goes something like this:

Tokio: My sister said I should bring home the dirt from under your nails. Can I have some?

Azuma: ...huh? What for, that’s scary. No way.

Tokio: I have to boil it and drink it, apparently.

Azuma: Don’t even think about boiling or drinking it.

But since the 「爪の垢を煎じて飲む」 expression was modified to make it sound natural in English, it means this conversation has to be modified too.

JP: My sister said I should bring home the dirt from under your nails. Can I have some?

EN: My sister says we should hold hands...so I can be more like you. What do you think?

The “dirt from under your nails” part got adapted to “holding hands”, hence how the 1st line from Tokio becomes, “My sister says we should hold hands...so I can be more like you.” “Can I have some?” makes no sense now in this context now, so it was changed to “What do you think?” as a question to Azuma to keep the similar conversation flow going.

JP: ...huh? What for, that’s scary. No way.

EN: Huh? What’re you talking about? No thanks.

Azuma’s next line is similar enough to the JP text except for the removal of “scary”. I think the reason it was most likely removed is because leaving it as it is could be constituted as homophobic (2 boys holding hands, absolutely nothing scary about it as bible thumpers would like people to believe).

JP: I have to boil it and drink it, apparently.

EN: She said to hold hands so you’ll rub off on me.

Tokio’s response to that is explaining what he meant by his proposal. In the original text he lays out the latter half of the idiom (he doesn’t even realize it’s an expression, poor boy), and in English he does something similar by going into why his sister said they should hold hands (so Azuma can rub off on Tokio).

JP: Don’t even think about boiling or drinking it.

EN: C’mon. That’s not how things work.

Azuma’s then rebuts Tokio’s proposal as ridiculous. In the original text he drops a typical straight man response (don’t do *insert whatever ridiculous thing the idiot suggested*). But since Tokio’s proposal in English isn’t as preposterous, his rebuttal is toned down in response by telling him not to take it literally.

Ultimately, even though a lot of this dialogue was changed, I still think it was successful in maintaining the original’s intent. Tokio takes his sister’s sarcastic suggestion literally and brings it up to Azuma, who dismisses it as silly. It would be nice if we could keep the expression as it was in Japanese, but in instances like this where it’s played off of in multiple lines, that’s easier said than done.

軟体 isn’t an actual word, it’s made up of the kanji soft + body. So kinda like Elastigirl, but Flexi was chosen instead. It doesn’t sound 100% right, but I don’t think I could come up with anything better.

Replacing the しい in 楽しい with the C plus that elongated pronunciation makes Johnny sound even more like a stereotypical Yankee, which is why he sounds like that in English 😂

Random but I found it interesting how Azuma called Johnny a youkai (妖怪) instead of something like bakemono (化け物) or obake (お化け) since they’re shapeshifting monsters.

Tokio is worried that if he doesn't do something right now, he's going to lose his friendship with Azuma. The sentence is fine as it is though.

Azuma’s line can also be worded as, "No hard feelings, okay?"

Bestial = 獣化 (juuka) = beast+change = beast transformation

That’s it from me, if you have questions about the TL feel free to send an ask or reply to this post, I promise I’ll check my inbox more often this time 😂

[roonilwazlibimagines]

What are some of your scenarios to fall asleep to? 👀

Ahhhh I’m glad you asked !! Also please feel free to share some of yours they can be specific or vague idc I’m in desperate need

I will be going into heavy detail because I can’t help myself I’m sorry and I will put in both normal ones and Harry Potter ones

Also this is just like one big ramble I’m sorry I got too excited I literally turned into that Tik tok sound where it’s like ‘you’re asking me about my theories? I’ve waited years for someone to ask me about my theories’

Update - I think I’m just going to keep updating this as well when I think of new ones because I keep forgetting some

My most recent one is a royalty one where they’re like royalty but in their really prestigious and royal school they were academic rivals and did not get along and after school they like try to go their separate ways until a couple years later their parents force them into an arranged marriage for like the good of the country or whatever I don’t really care!! You can take it wherever you want from there but in case you were interested in mine he fell for her first and kinda gave up on the enemies thing pretty early on but she still made it clear he wasn’t her favourite person and she despised the situation and there is still constant teasing until she meets his sister or friend or whoever who says that they can’t believe how happy he is with them and she feels so bad because she thinks he deserves better and ends up being much meaner to him because she’s an idiot who can’t express her emotions and he gets angry at her because she’s being super mean after they were just starting to get along and they have a big argument and are forced to talk about their feelings and then I can never decide whether they actually like each other when they get married, I feel like either way is fun

I have a thing for royalty so my other one is literally just princess x stable boy and you can honestly take that wherever you want but I will tell you where I took it for some ✨inspiration✨ so I don’t have my drivers license and get really bad driving anxiety so I self projected and made her terrified of riding horses right (I’m so smart I know) and he is like trying to help her ride the horse and feel comfortable and like obviously they end up in love but I created drama because she sneaks out to his birthday party (!!) but his friends don’t like her because they just think she’ll be a snob but he obviously defends her but like it’s a perfect opportunity for a bit of an innocent princess as well

My personal favourite is the two co stars falling in love and like thinking about doing all those stupid interviews from like buzzfeed and all that and I personally love the trying foods from different places thing (like making them try fairy bread - because I’m from Australia and we aren’t that cultured and being mad when they don’t like it because it is my favourite food) and it’s great because i can make the guy any actor I am currently obsessed with 😭 but also like the red carpet opportunities and interviews and fan reactions and it’s very fun also this keeps my brain very busy because I like making it as realistic as possible and figuring out the actors timeline so I can match the story up with it, it’s always really intense, also if you want inspiration for what moving they’re staring in I always go for the live action version of tangled even if I don’t look anything like rapunzel

Another fun one is where one of them is in a band and you have a friend who is dating one of the other members but you don’t like the band and you’re not shy in letting the other members know that and it turns into an enemies to lovers thing but I haven’t really developed it because halfway through I ended up changing it with the fact that they befriend one of the members and like fall for them but the band member like ‘gets around’ and it makes them jealous until they drunkingly confess it made them jealous this one’s a bit of a mess and is tipping into a 2012 wattpad story but it was how I got back into my 5sos phase two years ago because I felt icky about them but I’m still a slut for Calum 😭

Another one I love is moving abroad to study or whatever (idk I just always need a reason to be in America/Uk because there’s no one here in australia) and you make friends with someone who turns out to be related to someone really famous (insert whoever you want) and you meet them and you think they’re the hottest person you’ve ever seen and you get drunk to gain confidence to talk to them and you’re like unashamedly flirting with them and they think it’s cute and you’re funny but the whole little plot twist is that you don’t know they’re famous (famous people love that, trust me, I have about 10 wattpad stories in my library that can prove this) !! And the don’t believe you don’t know they’re famous !! Anyways I took it in a sugar daddy direction but each to their own!

Specifically for Harry Potter though, you ask?

Currently I am obsessed with Regulus Black and for about the past two weeks I’ve been obsessed with the idea of James potter sibling x regulus black enemies to lovers story and then about a week ago I found an actually good wattpad story about it?!?! (I have recommended it here with warnings but I really encourage you to read it if you’re not a minor) but you can also do your own version because I am still doing my own version and will continue to do my own version tonight even if I am obsessed with the wattpad one !! Currently I am up to post Hogwarts and her and regulus are trying to defeat Voldemort and regulus tells her that Peter is going to betray James and so ofc she tells James but James is like ‘how to do you even know this??’ And he is so afraid and gets angry at her and it’s really dramatic and she tells him she’s dating regulus and then he gets super mad at her because she’s dating like one of the most well known and loyal death eaters (even if regulus is sneakily trying to destroy Voldemort) and because he didn’t tell her and it’s very dramatic

My favourite Sirius black idea is also a James potters sibling one, but I never have any good ideas for it and just end up self projecting so if anyone has any ideas, I am begging you, please tell me !!!

My other Sirius black one is one I’ve been working on for like the last 4 years of my life and I probably should write it but who knows, but basically it’s a 10 things I hate about you x Harry Potter story where reader is about a year or so older than the marauders and she is like Kat Stratford (for people who haven’t watched it the best way to describe her is just an angry early 2000s feminist who is like anti dating and fun (kinda)) but she is Lily Evans sister!! And so Lily gets fed up of James constantly asking her out and makes an offhand comment that she’ll date him when her sister goes on a date with someone and James is like really?!? And Lily is like ‘sure’ because she knows her sister will never date anyone at Hogwarts so James tells the marauders and Remus is like ‘if anyone can take her on a date, it’s Sirius’ and Sirius is like ‘no, I’m stupid but not that stupid’ and James is like ‘please I’ll pay you’ and Sirius is easily bribed so he tries to get her to go on a date with him and like she doesn’t until she does and then finds out he only did it because James paid him but then they fall in love? Basically just 10 things I hate about you lol

My next one is with Draco Malfoy and all it is is that reader comes from a pure blood family and they’ve known each other since they were babies and it’s like basically destined they get married but she gets like really upset when he gets the mark which makes for a good cuddling and crying scene and like idk people are probably more creative than me but I just like reimagining scenes from hp but with this new character so like Poa when she gets angry at him about buckbeak or the bathroom scene (maybe she duels Harry?) and she’s so upset about Draco and comforts him, or helping him in sixth year and comforting him or the quidditch scene in the fifth book (weird note, but I’ve always headcannoned that my original character finds out about dumbledores army but doesn’t say anything and like the da knows she knows but she doesn’t tell Draco or maybe Draco finds out and gets angry at her?)

My other one is another Draco malfoy one where James and Lily live and she’s Harry’s younger sister (and Voldemort isn’t a thing) but like there’s still stereotypes and beliefs and such and like it’s obviously enemies to lovers and maybe they get prefect duties together ? (I am a sucker for this trope in Harry Potter) but then when they do date they try to hide it but Harry finds out but doesn’t say anything until they get into a fight at home and he is like ‘well at least I’m not fucking Draco malfoy behind everyone’s back) (in my head they aren’t fucking because they’re still in Hogwarts but you get the idea) and James and Lily are just like ‘WHAT?!’ Like idk I just think it’s funny imagining James and Lily finding out their kid is dating Draco and Lucius and narcissus finding out Draco is dating a potter - so many possibilities!

Update 6.10.21

I also have one for Charlie Weasley !! And basically you’re friends with the twins and like you go your whole Hogwarts life with the biggest crush on Charlie but like he low key doesn’t even know who you are and you want to become a healer and then after Hogwarts there is a position in Romania and you take it because you know Charlie’s there and at first he is like hmmm I think I know you and you explain you’re friends with the twins and obviously he falls in love with you I also took it in a nsfw direction where it’s like major innocence kink because Charlie is just such a dom to me and he like teaches you everything but he makes sure you’re happy and safe and it’s not really like serious sex you’re both just having fun and he kinda introduces you to dom/sub dynamics but you can do whatever is most comfortable

[still-a-morosexual-help]

Yep! Mammon is not perfect, but well, nobody is, so it's fine! We love him as he is 💗💖💗

I like your hc of Mammon reading about human injuries 😍 and probably about first aid as well? Also you explanation about Michael missing brothers as "perfect angels" - I didn't realise it before I had read it here, and now I absolutely agree with you.

(Mild spoilers to S3?) Nearly all of MC's plans in S1 were Mammon ideas. I am very impressed by his abilities and I see it as "his thing". He is full of plans and ideas, and they worked because he knows his brothers very well. It was a bit annoying when in S3 Lord Dia mentioned that the idea to put Luci and Satan into a game belonged to Levi.. really, Levi has a lot of his own achievements, please don't take Mammon's, pretty please 😭

Actually it's a bit upsetting how they ignore Mammon's achievements (not sure if it's a correct word, but oh well..). In S3 Mammon helps MC again in the cafe. He didn't have to, but he agreed because of MC, and his idea was good and it could work. Nonetheless Simeon calls him useless and tells his brothers that cafe's problem is a Mammon's fault (which is absurd and I see Simeon in a different light since then).

***

My MC.. her name is Lira and she is more or less self-insert 😅 She is a wildlife carer, absolutely crazy about birds, loves bats and other animals as well. Mammon's crows are her best friends, and she is mesmerised by his bat wings (ahh I should send you a video of baby flying-fox I raised last year, she was amazing! and her wings were so soft 💗💗💗).

Lira left her family in her home country to go study abroad, so she used to live without them.

She is a "big sister" type, calm, confident, caring and trying to help everyone. Always has some snacks with her in case Beel is hungry, always have some cash in case Mammon doesn't have money for his lunch (like in his homescreen text)), willing to help Luci with his papers, or make him some coffee etc (well, I think it's just a regular MC from the game???). Makes Mammon a bath or makes him breakfast, this sort of things, never says things which may hurt him (I hate some of the game chats because my MC would never tell things like "do you have any good qualities?" even as a joke 😭😭😭). Very protective of animals, kids, Mammon and any others who she has taken under her wing. Extremely loyal to Mammon as her friend and especially as her partner (later). If Luci hangs him again and forbids to take him down, she will just stay there with him damn be any plans, work or lessons.

As soon as she realised that Mammon is bringing her luck in money, she started to plan how to use it to earn more, to save and invest, so they could get rid of Mammon's debts and get a passive income enough to prevent him from making new debts. Would do anything to free Mammon from witches (at least those who are his debt collectors).

Absolutely oblivious when somebody is flirting with her. Thinks they are just being kind or polite. Very surprised to find out about Mammon's feelings, thinks it's just a platonic affection towards "older sister". Determined to keep relationships with Mammon on friendship level as she is too scared to lose him. Not very successful in it after all 😅.

Loves spontaneous events and trips. "Why not??" is our motto).

***

I love your fics, I have read several of them, and they are beautiful. My favorute so far is about bird!Mammon, it feels so genuine and it's sooo about HIM, like, about his personality, idk how to explain. But it is beautiful.

And I am very glad you mention your fics and give links, it's much easier to find them this way!!! thank you!

Yes we do!💕💕

Thank you! I have such clear ideas of what Michael and Raphael will be like built purely from the little snippets of information that OM! has given us and I have such a clear idea of what they look like that even though I'm excited for them to show up it's gonna hurt watching all those existing ideas be smashed🥲

Yes! I was wondering if I remembered it wrong in S3 cause I was sure the game thing in s1 was Mammon's idea? Is it bad that I'm liking the depth they're giving Simeon? Instead of being the pure sweet angel he's got a more cunning/shrewd side and I'm all for it:

1. Stealing and lying to Michael

2. The passive aggressive way he spoke to Diavolo in S2

3. Whatever he did to get demoted

4. The brothers in S3 clarifying that it's not that Simeon is more easy going than the other Seraphim it's just that they're way too intense

5. The way he was such a hardass during the play

Just, Simeon's got secrets and I desperately wanna find out more about them and him

Do you have any pictures or picrews of her?🤩

Yesss pls!! Send me pics of her! I've always wanted to pursue something related to animals and being a wildlife carer was on top of my list but unfortunately there aren't much options for it here and I had to change directions (though I do plan on moving in a couple years to a place where it is possible so fingers crossed?)

She sounds so cool, I'm an absolute mess of a person irl (Whenever I'm writing Mammon, I always draw from some of my own characteristics and responses cause I relate with him way more than I do with MC) so having a big sister friend or mom friend is the best thing ever? Yeah general MC also keeps food for Beel on them and makes lucifer coffee, and let's Mammon borrow money! Right!? That good qualities thing pissed me off so much (and did I write a whole 6k hurt/comfort fic based off that one chat? Yes.*) and at least MC in the main storyline can always be nice to Mammon

Yes!! We definitely need more people to be protective of him and whenever someone mentions that their MC uses the money they gain from Mammon's love to free him from his debt my heart just💝💖💗💓💞💕💟❣❤🧡💛💚💙💙💜🤎🖤🤍

Mammon is just so open about his love for MC, despite how hard he tries to hide it, so imagining exactly how oblivious Lira must be to not get it is hilarious??? When does she realise it? What happens during the opportunity to kiss him on S1?

HIII THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!? I had so much fun writing that I almost wished I could make it into a full fic? BUT one of my first prompts for Mammon & MC was about dragon!Mammon and I loved it so much I ended up writing a 10 chapter outline for it so I figured once I start posting that, it would fill the quota for actual monster Mammon... I'm so glad it felt like him cause I worried without dialogue his characterisation wouldn't fit. Thank you so much for letting me know your thoughts on it!

Okay so I'm gonna take that to heart and add the link to my Mammon x unnamed gender-neutral MC 6.4k hurt/comfort fic based around the "Best Qualities" chat:

* Certified Idiots™

Someone had hurt their First Man and they'd walk through hell to make things right.

[amor-immortalem]

Can I Stay Up Here With You Forever Ch.2

Warning: abuse apologizing, mention of past physical abuse, implied manipulation, abuse minimizing

Taglist: @mediocredetective

Previous

“Here you go Solomon,” Asmo says as they pass the phone to the sorcerer. “Arella says she wants to ask you something. I’ll be back.” And with that the Avatar of Lust took his leave, leaving their older brother with a look of confusion as Solomon moved away from where he literally had the second-born tied down so he couldn’t move. He turned his lapis gaze over to his younger brother who merely shrugged as he went back to chowing down on a bag of crisps he had raided from Purgatory Hall’s pantry.

“Don’t ask me, I don’t know anything,” Beel said with a mouthful of crisps. “I’m going to head home too though. Dinner’s starting soon. Do you want me to try to save you some? It’s Lucifer’s night to cook.”

“Nah... it’ll just go to waste. Lucifer’s still probably mad at me so I doubt he’ll let me inta the house for the rest of the night.” The Avatar of Greed chuckles sadly. “So don’t worry. I’ll see ya tomorrow!”

The Avatar of Gluttony nodded as he left and Mammon impatiently waited for Solomon to come back.

“I’d offer you something to eat or drink but it looks like you’re... a little tied up at the moment.” Simeon tried to break the tension in the room with the unhappy demon.

“Why did ya have ta go ‘n call Arella like that, huh, Simeon?” Mammon asks, eyebrows knit together in frustration. “I told y’all I was fine, my arm was just a bit busted was all. I woulda survived without her knowin’ ‘n now she’s gonna go off the deep end thinkin’ I need ta be saved or some shit like that when I can take care of myself.”

“She loves you, Mammon. All she wants is for you to be happy and safe. You know that.”

“All of ya are makin’ it sound like Lucifer just straight up broke my elbow for shits ‘n giggles when it was an accident. I’m the one who didn’t wait for him ta let go a me before I started pullin’ ta get away, so really it’s my own fault that it’s broken.”

“Yeah, but things like this seem to happen between you and Lucifer a lot- and I mean a lot a lot.”

“Yeah but... he loves me though. He only does things like this because he loves me. I’m his favorite and he just wants me to learn my lesson is all. If I wouldn’t screw up all the time this wouldn’t happen as often- o-or at all even. ‘Sides it ain’t like I’m the only one who ever gets punished. The rest of my brothers all get their punishments too when they screw up. It’s all fair.”

Simeon gave the demon a doubtful look. “You seem to be the only one who gets any physical punishment though...”

“Yeah, but that’s only cuz I’m a blockhead who just doesn’t learn his lesson. I mean the physical stuff only started within the last century- that's when my dear ol’ brother got fed up with wastin’ his breath. You’d think I’d learn by now huh?”

The angel tries to find the words to say what he’s thinking but he can’t, so he just goes about it in a different approach. No wonder Arella worries about him like this. His brother has him completely manipulated into thinking this is acceptable.

“You... you can’t seriously think that, right?” Simeon asks incredulously. “Mammon, this isn’t okay. Regardless of whether your brother actually loves you or not,

“He does,” Mammon interjects.

“He shouldn’t constantly be putting his hands on you for even the slightest of transgressions- especially if it’s due to something you can’t help, like your sin.”

“Of course, it is. C’mon, Simeon, who’re ya kidding? We’re demons! Our morals are different from those of the Celestial Realm or the Human Realm.... That’s just the way things are down here. Do ya gotta like it? No, but y’all gotta accept it.”

“Don’t you think you sound a little... how do I put this... brainwashed?”

“Whaddya mean?”

“Well... I just think maybe you’re so blinded by your love for your brothers that-”

“Hi! I’m back!” Asmo called as they lugged a heavy suitcase behind them. They plopped down on the couch. “Miss me?”

The pair just sort of regarded the strawberry blonde-haired demon as they sat next to their older brother.

“Goin’ somewhere, Asmo?” Mammon asks as he eyes the suitcase, “Wait a minute is that my suitcase?”

“Hm? Oh no, I’m not going anywhere. You are.”

“Huh? I’m not going anywh-”

“Well it was nice talking to you, Arella. I’ll untie him now so you can summon him. We’ll talk in a few weeks, yes?” Solomon promptly reentered the space, “Perfect- oh look Asmo’s back too. I’ll let you go then.” The call ended as Solomon undid the spell binding Mammon to the couch with a wave of his hand.

As Mammon stood, a portal opened up in front of him. “I’m not goin’ through that.”

“And why not?” the angel asks. “I thought you’d be delighted to have the opportunity to go stay with your human for two weeks.”

“Alone. Might I add.” Asmo smirks with a waggle of their brows.

“Shut up, Asmo!” The Avatar of Greed turned a shade of bright red, “Of course, I know we’d be alone! Who else would be there? But....”

“Are you scared Lucifer will be upset that you’re up there without his permission, Mammon?” Simeon asks.

“No! I ain’t scared of Lucifer! What gave you that idea, huh?!”

“You do realize you’re being summoned right? You don’t get much of a choice in that matter. Now, get going before you end up getting pulled through and hurt your arm again.” The sorcerer takes Mammon’s suitcase and tosses it through the portal, leaving the demon to squawk indignantly as he chased after it.

“You suck, Solomon!” Is all that could be heard from the other side of the portal as it started to close and the silver-haired human only rolled his eyes, chuckling amusedly.

“Have fun in the mortal realm, Mammon!”

------------------------------------------------------

The one thing Mammon hates about being summoned is how nearly every time he goes through a portal, he nearly slams into whoever it is that summoned him if they’re standing in his way which is exactly the situation he finds himself in with Arella right now- not a good look for his image, it's very ‘uncool’.

“Hey,” Arella smiles as she wraps her arms around him once they come to a stop.

“Don’t ‘hey’ me. I’m mad at ya.” The demon says with a deep scowl on his face.

“I’m sure you are. How’s your arm feeling? Does it still hurt?”

“I’m fine, Arella. Stop treating me like a kid.”

“Huh?” Arella asks, confused as she removes her arm from around him. “I’m... sorry?”

“Ya should be,” Mammon hums as he turns his back to her. “I told ya everything was fine. Ya didn’t hafta go ‘n do all this. I can take care of myself when it comes to my brothers so I don’t get why you think ya gotta get involved every time I get in a situation with one of ‘em.”

“I just thought... well I guess it doesn’t matter. You’re right.” She walked away headed to where the kitchen was to clean up the mess that had been left from the cup of tea she’d had before all of this.

“Huh? Whaddya mean by that?” The demon followed after her looking to continue their small spat.

“Exactly what it sounds like. You’re right. You can take care of yourself when it comes to your brothers and there really is no need for me to insert myself into the situation but I love you and I hate seeing it happen and not doing anything to defend you so... I’m sorry. If it offends you that much, I won’t do it again.” She says as she washes her cup and the other dishes she had left. “Do you want me to send you home after dinner?”

“I.... no- but not because I don’t want to go back and deal with Lucifer...” The white-haired demon takes a seat at the kitchen island resting his chin on his arms. “I only wanna stay cuz I missed ya...”

“I missed you too...” She rubbed his back as she leaned down to place a kiss on the top of his head. “I’m sorry you feel like I’m treating you like a kid... if you want to stay the whole time you can treat it... like a holiday of sorts.”

“Where are we anyway? I know ya said ya were sellin’ yer old house...but the air smells different. How far away did ya move? Are we still in England?”

“About that...” She looked away sheepishly, “I kind of told you a little white lie... I sold that house about a month or two ago. What I’ve been doing since then is house-hunting and all the things that go with buying a house in another country... We’re in Germany- Berlin, exactly.”

“You lied? Oh, you’re horrible.” The demon feigns a look of hurt as the human laughs. “But seriously, baby, why would ya move so far away?”

She shrugged. “Wanted a change. I can speak German so why not- it's not like I have any family to miss back in England, anyway.”

He nods at that. “So no one knows where we are?”

“Nope,”

“Not even my brothers?”

“Not even your brothers.” She smiled. “I told you: if we wanted to, we could disappear up here and no one would ever know.” She cupped his face in between her hands. “You don’t have to go back home if you don’t want to...”

“I don’t have to decide right now, do I? You won’t leave if I want to go home, right?”

“No, of course not. I wouldn’t ask you to choose between me or the Devildom- there's a lot to give up down there. You can think about it while we’re up here for the next two or three weeks and if you want to go home after then, then I will still be with you, okay? I just want to give you options.”

He nodded as he moved to wrap his arms around her in a tight hug. “Thanks, Doll.”

“Anytime, Baby.” She hummed.

------------------------------------------------------

Next

Find more on my masterlist

[juminsmysticmc]

Hey, it’s me, the one who request the moth headcanon, sorry about the trouble and if it’s okay, instead I would like to see an MC who’s major is digital arts and animation. If not, it’s fine, just have a great day.

RFA + Minor Trio with a Mc who's major is digital arts and animations

Hey! It was no trouble at all! I hope that it’s okay for you tho, I am happy that you could request something different! I hope you enjoy this one too! Have a nice day!

Jumin

Your husband observed you. Ever since he installed a room for you alone in his penthouse, you could finally work from home a bit more.

He hadn’t realized that even before you came into the RFA, he had already worked with you.

Your major, digital arts and animation, was often used for his advertising or other programs.

You often wanted to meet the CEO, but since he always thought that you would be just a gold digger, he always rejected you, just making Jaehee send emails with the things he wanted to have inserted.

Well, today he regretted his choice back then.

Instead, he observed you.

You were working on a new project.

,,How many years did you have to study? I mean, you have so many majors… Design Director, Storyboard Director, I didn’t know, you were multitalented, my love,’’ he praised you.

You even worked a lot with the audio.

You looked up and smiled at your husband.

,,Thank you, my love. I’m trying to make your latest project work. Wanna see?’’ you asked him.

However he knew that your work would be amazing and wanted to have it be a surprise rather than get spoiled.

Zen

Your boyfriend never understood how you could be such a good multitasker.

You could cook, set the table, chat with Jaehee, and even post something on your blog.

But once he saw you at work, he understood.

It had something to do with your job.

You had to work in different kinds of media at the same time.

,,This isn’t just one,’’ you told him and scrolled through your phone.

Your long hair was in your way so you put it away with one hand.

,,I have to work with the sound, video, and stop-motion graphics at the same time. I do this and much more, but I don’t want to annoy you,’’ you laughed as you looked up.

,,You don’t annoy me, Mrs. Director,’’ he laughed and kissed you.

You were even the director of a whole section and helped new students get into the job.

,,Okay, so, see this video?’’ you showed him an animated movie you just got via email.

,,This was made by my students, but she used the wrong program because the audio is slightly separated from the video itself,’’ you told him.

He hadn’t noticed anything at first, but after you told him, he saw it too.

,,And you noticed after a few seconds? You’re amazing!’’ he smiled and looked over your shoulders. You were still cooking.

Yoosung

Your husband wondered why he never saw you or met you since your college wasn’t that far away from his building.

But thank God both of you finally met thanks to the RFA.

He was also amazed by you because you were pretty famous among students.

You even had your own blog and of course you programmed everything yourself.

It looked amazing.

You had every single section working in there, but your point was the digital arts and animation.

,,Did you really have to submit a portfolio to be admitted?’’ he asked you when he read your latest blog.

You nodded at him as you typed something on your keyboard.

,,Mhm, especially to bachelor of fine arts,’’ you told him.

He didn’t quite understand, but he still nodded.

,,I didn’t have to,’’ he mumbled.

,,That’s why it’s written on there. The little word ,,may’’ says that you possibly have to, but not always,’’ you told him, making him sulk.

,,I know what ,,may’’ means… ah, and tell me. What are the admission requirements?’’ he asked you.

You turned your head and looked at him.

,,Can you maybe read the whole post instead of just the keywords? You need to check on the page itself for the requirements. Every university does it differently,’’ you told him and closed the page.

,,Ah. I just wanted to test you,’’ he smiled and looked at you.

He looked so up to you. You always knew what the latest LOLOL update changed in the game. You were amazing...

Jaehee

,,What? You went to Harvard University?’’ Zen asked you. He didn’t know that he was in a group with such an intelligent person and you were even Jaehee’s girlfriend.

You nodded.

,,She’s also very creative. Did you see our advertisement? She did it herself. Pretty amazing, right?!’’ Jaehee said proudly, no one had ever seen her that excited.

You changed her.

You and Jaehee also often went to different festivals to check the latest innovations. It was something even Jaehee was interested in.

And thanks to you, she even understood a few things since you were very good at explaining things.

,,Should we buy this new keyboard? It fits much better than the one you have now in your studio,’’ she told you and admired the keyboard in front of you.

She looked up to you since you were such a hard worker as a owner of a coffee shop and even a designer of word advertisements and 2d animation.

Saeyoung

,,You make pretty good money, huh?’’ he asked you as he looked around.

Your studio just looked so aesthetically pleasing in the middle of Seoul.

You shrugged your shoulders as you kept typing something.

Then you took your pen between your fingers and began to draw something.

You were a storyboard artist.

Saeyoung, your finacé, loved to watch you.

He sometimes even helped you when a program stopped working.

,,Look, which one do you like more?’’ you asked him as you turned your screen towards him to show him a park.

,,Mh, I don’t know. What’s the story? LIke, this one looks cute as if you’re in a fairy tale, but this one looks more realistic,’’ he answered, making you turn the display again.

You nodded and stood up, taking your jacket and facing your fiancé. ,,We are going to the park now,’’ you said and pulled him by the hand.

That’s what he loved about you.

He, too, was someone who would simply do his work, but you wanted to give your best, even at  that moment.

At the end of the day, you however, knew which one you would decide on and you were happy that Saeyoung opened your eyes.

Saeran

,,Mc! It’s so nice to see you here!’’ someone said and hugged you.

Saeran observed the person who was so happy to see you.

Both of you were in a foreign country and people still knew you?

You hugged the person who was apparently named Mira.

,,Saeran, this was my teacher, Mira,’’ you said and told Mira about your boyfriend.

She was so happy to see that you got a boyfriend.

,,Have fun here and go visit Josef! He will be happy to see you!’’ she said, meaning your other teacher.

You took Saeran and with him you walked through every department.

,,They try to motivate you to be creative, get started, start your own company, make your own shows, produce medical videos or animations, and they want you to learn things by doing,’’ you explained.

At some point, you arrived at a place that was lit by lights. Students had pencils in their hands and they began to draw something on their papers. This was something that amazed Saeran.

,,I thought it’s digital art,’’ he whispered.

You nodded. ,,They first try to make you get used to it. When you’re ready, you can move to the digital version,’’ you told him and observed the students.

It was a pretty good day and Saeran also enjoyed seeing you presentate something on a stage about your own work in South Korea.

He was proud of you.

Jihyun

Hand in hand, both of you walked into an institute to talk about digital art.

Jihyun also liked art a lot. However, he was a painter.

But your art was also something beautiful in his eyes.

He once tried it, but failed.

,,I remember back then, I also was unsure if digital art was real art, but after I saw it myself… I’m sorry I was like that back then… so don’t give up if people are the same here as in this art institute,’’ he told you.

You nodded.

Your goal was it to teach digital art in that institute and they first invited you to talk about it.

They first invited you in and then they were ready to listen to you.

,,Thank you for your words,’’ the older man said and nodded.

,,However, digital art is, itself, placed under the larger umbrella term new media art that doesn’t require any effort, Mrs. Kim. Digital art is not considered real art,’’ he said and closed his book with the notes.

,,Why did you invite my wife then?’’ Jihyun asked as you watched your dreams get crushed in front of your eyes.

No one dared to say anything. Were you just the laugh stock? Why did you even make the effort? You were ready to give up when Jihyun began to say something again. ,,I can understand you. At first we thought that digital art was easy. Why should we ask a teacher to teach us? I’m an artist myself and I thought like that too, but here too, just like the art with real pens and colors, you need to start with it gradually. I experienced it myself and I was surprised by how difficult it was. I beg you, try at least once to draw a forest in digital art,’’ Jihyun said, begging the person in front of him.

,,Very well, I have been an artist since my twenties and I am now sixty years old,’’ he laughed and took your tablet, ready to draw.

While he was drawing, you did the same on the second tablet and a bit later you all noticed the difference, making them all apologize to you.

,,I can’t thank you enough,’’ you sobbed as both of you walked out of the room, you overjoyed about the good news.

,,I told you not to give up on them. They were just like me,’’ he laughed and kissed your hand before you could both go and pick up Lucy at Jumin’s penthouse.

Vanderwood

When he first saw your room, not Rika’s, but your own home, he was kind of shocked to know that you were almost like Agent 707.

He quickly noticed that just like him, you loved your profession.

It was something that satisfied you immediately ever since you first learned how things worked.

Indeed, animation was attracting more and more people and you were one of them.

,,Back then, when we lived in Japan, we somehow won a sightseeing trip and I got to see the Ghibli studio. I think that that was the moment I fell in love with it,’’ you told him as he looked around.

,,And then? I mean, Japan is one of the best countries to study animation, right?’’ he asked you. Vanderwood was truly interested in it.

He wanted to know everything about you.

The brown haired man wanted to know what made your eyes shine so brightly and why you were so in love with your job.

,,Uhm, yeah. Spain is the best country to study animation, but I also expected it to be Japan. Back then and still today, living there was too expensive. My parents wanted to move back to Korea and so I went to Spain to study my dream,’’ you laughed.

,,I’m amazed. I expected you to go with your parents,’’ he laughed and observed you.

,,I was amazed by myself too, you know? It was a hard decision, but I never regretted what I did. I could fulfil my dream and it’s my life after all.

And knowing more languages is even better because there are so many more opportunities,’’ you laughed.

,,Please never lock the door in other languages like Agent 707,’’

You laughed at his comment. ,,I won’t… but maybe something animated?’’ you teased him.

MASTERLIST 1

MASTERLIST 2

MASTERLIST 3

17.04.2021// 00:18 MEST

[interact-if]

Taking the spotlight for Day 6... Lucirene!

Lucirene, author of An Angel’s Song

Latino Heritage Month Featured Author

In the forest of Bres an otherworldly sickness corrodes the soil and changes the creatures within. “A parting gift from the fallen angels”  say the citizens of the Hyaku Region and the mark on your hand confirms it.

Though the scent travelling in the air is sweet and enticing everyone knows better than to get closer. But the mark, it pulses, it burns, the pain spreading as fast as the corruption of the forest does.

Your masters are calling, and it seems like this time you cannot escape them.

An Angel’s Song Demo | Author’s Ko-fi | Author’s Patreon | Read more [here]

Tags: dark fantasy, romance

(INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT UNDER THE CUT!)

Q1: So, tell us a little bit about the projects you’re working on!

I have so many, but the only one public is An Angel’s Song. It’s, more than anything, a story about grief, loneliness and overcoming it all while navigating a hostile environment and discovering long lost secrets about the Divine and about the MC’s country. That one is very cathartic for me to make because of the themes, I feel like I’m working through a lot of feelings I didn’t even realize I had by writing it.

The next one is also an IF and it focuses on comedy, adventure and character interaction. It’s supposed to be more lighthearted, more fun, but knowing me… I don’t know if it’ll stay that way. Basically, it goes: A Captain’s boat falls prey to the storms and the strange creatures living under the sea, and they and their crew end up washing ashore an icy, snowy country. I already have the main cast written down and they have so much synergy, it’s amazing.

And the last one I’ll talk about (a traditional novel) actually happens in the same setting as my second IF, but many, many years before, when their local deity/guardian was born. It’s more of a romance-fantasy than anything, a love story between a Goddess and a half-dragon, however it also showcases many of the situations the people had to navigate and face before their country could become the place you’ll see in my second IF.

Q2: What excites you most about using interactive fiction? What are some of the biggest challenges?

What I like most definitely is how much freedom we have as authors. Of course, one is constrained by one’s ability to code but I think, for the most part, we can do so many things, reach an entirely new level of immersion that would not be possible with a regular novel. It’s amazing how sometimes I’m reading something and get so into it, feel so connected to the MC I feel dread when they do, panic when they have to make a choice that will clearly impact a lot of people in their world. With IF you can really feel like you’re part of the story.

Another thing I like is being able to explore other paths with my writing. Like for example, what if the MC had done this instead of that? How would that have affected their relationships, their world state? Writing branches is a lot of work, especially because they could change so many things, but it feels oddly satisfying when you do decide to include them. 

Challenges… Coding, mainly. I feel like a lot of new aspiring IF authors are a bit afraid of coding and I can understand that, especially since, had it not been for the help of the community, I would have taken way longer to actually start using Twine. Hopefully with time for resources come up and it becomes less daunting.

I don’t know if any other author feels the same way but, though I think branching is a blessing, it is also a curse. I can only write the same conversation so many times, I mean I know I’m writing it in different tones and sometimes with different results but it gets frustrating after a while because it feels like you’re stuck, like you’re not progressing at all.

Another one would definitely be finding a balance between reader interaction and just following your vision. Since it’s IF at times I feel like I have to meet a quota of branches or ways in which you can react, sometimes I also find it difficult to make the MC feel like a real person instead of a reader-insert. I’m working on that.

Q3: What has been something in your project you’ve had to do a weird amount of research for?

That’s a difficult one… I don’t know if I would consider it weird but I do tend to investigate a lot about fashion, especially when designing the main outfits of the characters. I spend hours trying to find out what colors were used back then, what they meant, who was allowed to use them. I have this little image with some palettes for kimonos depending on the season.

I also spend too much time coming up with names, especially for places. Like I look up names of places that already exist, what they mean, I try to investigate if the words that I want to use make sense, then I panic because I can’t find anything, but I think that’s usual for writers. I also spent more time than necessary researching for the name of a tree that you will see way later in the book, which no one will probably notice what the name of the tree means or what it symbolizes but it makes me happy.

Honestly, I feel like the amount of research I have had to do has not been particularly weird? If anything at times I think I should research more, even if some aspects of Japanese culture will not apply to Kyou.

Q4: Which of your characters is most like you? How?

The initial version of the MC from An Angel’s Song, which I miss dearly since they had more personality. They were autistic coded too, and I hope some traces of that still remain. Apart from that I feel like all of the characters from the main cast share something with me, even if their experiences are, of course, more dramatic than my own.

A lot of them have issues with a paternal figure or an absent mother, which also resonates with me. Some of Saori’s traits draw inspiration from ways in which I talked or acted before I became a little better at masking, before I became more self-aware. Hazuki being emotional and caring, K being a bit clingy but devoted, Masa having a temper yet loyal, Miwa being friendly but reluctant to open up beyond surface level information. I think those things describe me.

There’s also Rei but I don’t think I’m writing her book anytime soon. She’s someone that’s very family oriented, she’s a bit temperamental but she means well and she’s not afraid to speak her mind. Now that I think about it, maybe Rei is more the person I want to become.

Q5: Does your heritage influence your characters as you create them? (How? Why or why not?)

I’ve been living in Venezuela my whole life so I think so, even if most of the time I don’t even notice it. I believe that this happens especially in regards to relationships because people in Venezuela are very family oriented and also, from what I’ve experienced, they form strong bonds with their neighbors, which creates this strong sense of community —sometimes it goes well, sometimes it doesn’t, but my mom and her friends always make at least some friends in their neighborhoods and they gossip with some coffee about the happenings of the rest—. So when it comes to writing a character it is very important to me to make an emphasis on family relationships because those are a strong part of my culture, of my identity. 

In An Angel’s Song you have the main cast having issues or conflicting emotions about one or multiple members of their family, which influence their behavior and their outlook on life, but for the most part they are (or will be) able to form similar relationships with people that are not related to them, or to work towards restoring that relationship, transforming it into something healthier. 

In my other books family dynamics are also immensely important. For example, I’m going to mention Rei again because I love her. So, Rei has a sister named Rin, and they are both very close, even if they haven’t spent much time together. Their bond and trust in each other helps them overcome a lot of obstacles and they rely on each other when they need support or encouragement. Rei also has other people that she thinks of as siblings, and restoring that relationship with them is one of her main goals. There’s also this recurring guilt she feels at leaving her birth family and her home to explore, because to her, families are supposed to stay together.

Another aspect that I think influences my writing is religion, even if I wasn’t raised in a particularly religious household nor do I belong to any religion. Religion is a big deal in this country, we have so many events and holidays relating to religious figures. I remember when I was very young I loved going to one of the churches here because the Virgin of that town had a building filled with pretty clothes to dress her with. 

So, in that vein, I try to think about the character’s relationship with religion, do they believe in the Gods? Do they trust them? Do they follow local deities or prefer the main pantheon? How does this religion shape the way people interact with each other and the world? In regards to characters that are Venezuelan or Venezuelan-coded… I do have a few that are Venezuelan, but I don’t think I’m going to be releasing their stories soon, so I’ll keep it quiet for now.

Q6: What is something you love to see in interactive fiction?

People being passionate about their work! This isn’t something exclusive to IF, but it is something that I love seeing. I also like seeing the different ways people innovate within the genre. I feel like sometimes, especially with newer writers, there is this idea that an IF has to subscribe to a specific format and that’s simply not true. If you don’t want to use a stat system you don’t have to, if you want to add combat then go ahead, if you would prefer to write an MC that’s already pretty pre-established (which is something that I personally want to try) then there’s nothing stopping you and I encourage you to give it a go. IF is very versatile and it’s wrong to try and fit authors into a box, especially if they want to bring something new into our little corner of the internet.

Q7: Any advice to give?

In general, I advise people to have fun writing, to not worry so much about how good it is, about if people will like it. Writing, at the end of the day, ends up being a pretty solitary activity and having those thoughts in your head too long will make you spiral. Be kind to yourself, be open to feedback when it comes (and learn to distinguish constructive feedback from destructive feedback) and enjoy the exploration of your world and characters. 

You are not alone in all of this. If you can, join a group of writers you can talk with, exchange ideas, get feedback from or just exchange memes (the ultimate bonding experience). Don’t be afraid, you’re not alone.

[binniesthighs]

call me babydoll | reader x chan

a/n: ahhhhh wow WOW cuties LOL i was not expecting this fic idea to keep me up in my sleep and occupy all my waking thoughts BUT thank you so so  much for you words of support!! hehe well....here we goooo i hope that ya’ll are ready teehee--also tags will be added as they come! You can read part one here

Two 

Pairing: self insert, female reader x bang chan 

Genre: action, mystery and suspense, fluff, smut, angst 

Tags: (of this part) bodyguard au, secret agent au, royal au, moderndayprince!chan, secretagent!reader, secretagent!jeongin, secretagent!jisung, skz side characters, adventure and mystery, action and peril, plot driven, running out of time, slow-ish burn, growing feelings, sexual tension, explicit language, jeongin in this fic is my bb and i will protect him, sexy and smart jeongin tho still hehe 

CWs: mentions of death, people dying/killing, mentions of blood and wounds, mentions of getting drunk, hungover, and vomiting, a bombing. 

Word count: 5.2k 

Parts

ONE | TWO | THREE

The road was long and winding, pitch black, desolate, quiet and foreign. In the backseat of the car, Chan had slumped his head over on Jeongin’s shoulder and bobbed with the motions of the road. His nose would twitch in his sleep, and he would make little grunts of nonsense words. He had worked himself up after the banquet, and actually hadn’t stopped his “love confessions” until you told him to shut up or you would shut him up. 

Your partner’s glasses were illuminated from the screen of his laptop which he tapped quietly away at. You too felt drowsy, but sleep would be for later once you had properly arrived at the safe house, or safe hotel, or safe hole in the ground...whatever it was. 

“You hear anything from Carroll?” You slung your arm over the seat and lowered your voice. 

“Nothing yet.” His eyes flicked around the screen. “It’s almost like it’s too quiet. I’ve already told her that we have the prince and that he’s safe, but..nothing.” 

“You don’t think...they got targeted too?” 

Chan snored lightly on his bodyguard’s shoulder, and he didn’t dare to move an inch. 

“I sure as hell hope not. But...that would explain why things have been so quiet. If this was a larger scale attack...I don’t know what this could mean then.” 

From the darkness of the outside world in the car windows, you passed a forest of pines and oher types of stoic trees making up the mountainside. 

“Well, I think that we should be optimistic for the time being.” 

Jeongin nodded. He looked to be a mess: blood had splattered at his white shirt collar and in specks on his neck. His cracked lenses however, didn’t keep him from his work. He had pulled his tie loosely around his neck, and had also provided his jacket as a pseudo-blanket of sorts for the prince. The prince, had offered his own jacket to you seeing as you only had your dress, but you had been managing just fine. You accepted it, but only because it could soothe his chivalrous ego. He had a hard night already, so you saw it best. 

“Two, where are you taking us?” You called to the mysterious driver. 

Ever since meeting him at the hotel, he had been nearly silent the whole ride. 

The man cleared his throat, “As far away from here as I can. I don’t know of any safe houses so...I’m just trying to remove us.” 

“I can find one for us if Carroll doesn’t get back to me....which she should...” 

Jeongin was not one for speaking of his mother as anything other than his boss. Since he had been assigned to be your partner a few months ago, he had never referred to her as his mother, nor did he ever seem to harbor any emotion for the stern woman. Both of them had been a bit allusive to you, but that was simply how it was in this line of work. You didn’t know things about the people around you, and you didn’t need to ask. You had wondered if he had worried about her, or thought about her when you were on missions. The young man had trained rigorously, and had passed each exam from the academy with flying colors. After considering it for a while, you figured what immense pressure he must've been under: son of the woman in charge, a master at infiltration, espionage, manipulation, cybersecurity, and a million more things; he had to prove himself and more. 

You couldn’t have asked for a better partner, but you almost did wish that you had known more. 

Two fiddled with the radio, settling on a station that played some kind of country-western type music. 

“What’s your specialty Two? How’d you end up a part of this shitshow?” 

The driver laughed, then hummed along with the music for a moment. “This has been my gig for few years, but I’ve never been a part of this unit before. Carroll always saw it best for my services to be used in other places.” 

“You have a specialty?” Jeongin asked while still typing furiously. 

Two scratched the back of his head. “I do a little bit of everything. But...let’s just say that I’m good at making friends. That’s why Carroll likes me.” 

“--You know her personally?” Your partner quipped, but the edge to his voice didn’t sound like judgement, but rather caution. 

“We’ve had a few meetings.” 

“Hm.” 

You kicked off your heals to massage your aching toes. If only they had attacked at a time when you had the proper footwear. 

“You said we could also call you J?” You sprawled over the back seat in an attempt to make yourself more comfortable. Still, the plastic seatbelt buckles poked into your back. 

“Yes. You can call me J.” 

And that was that. No “What’s J stand for”, or “where are you from”, “where’s your home base,” “how did you rank at the academy?” You added questions to the list of things that weren’t allowed as well. 

Jeongin tore off his glasses with an exasperated sigh to rub at his tired eyes. Chan made a happy little noise, presumably because he had found a cozier spot on Jeongin’s shoulder. He had now gotten the chance to sleep off his drunken stupor that may or may not had contributed to his sudden confession, and the reason behind the two pitstops you had taken for him to retch on the side of the road. 

If he was a prince, he might’ve also been one mess of a prince. In all of his grace and confidence, the pleasures that he partook in would often get the best of him at times too. 

You gave up on trying to get some sleep, but rather sat up to watch that paradoxically handsome and misshapen prince. Just like this: sleeping, vulnerable, with some kind of lopsided smirk on his face, he was much less than the regal figure that you had painted him to be in your mind. For maintaining appearances the whole day long, you hadn’t ever really gotten the chance to see him like this before. His façade faded, and you surmised that maybe he really was different from the way that he let on. 

“I’m so fucking tired.” Jeongin yawned. 

“Get some sleep then. I’ll stay up to watch things.” 

“That’s just it. I can’t sleep even if I tried.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Can you pass me some hand sanitizer or something? There’s...blood on my hands.” 

Your partner’s voice cracked slightly. It was then when you realized that this had been the first time that he had fired at real people. 

“I’ve got a water bottle? Is that enough?” 

“Yeah. It’s fine.” 

He splashed the liquids around while wiping his hands away, then flicked the remnants of water away. 

“Something about this doesn’t sit right with me.” 

“How do you mean?” 

Chan’s coat draped over your shoulders, and you pulled it in closer around your arms. The night had been cool, and the AC blasting in the car didn’t make it much better. 

Jeongin licked his lips. “Nothing was supposed to happen tonight. We made sure of it. No one was suspicious, we ran background checks, we checked the whole area...” 

“Hey,” You attempted to turn your tone softer, “We couldn’t have seen it coming. They just rolled up out of nowhere, there was no way that we could’ve stopped it--” 

“--Innocent people died tonight. If they were out for the prince, or maybe they weren’t, why so much collateral damage?” 

“Obviously they don’t care.” 

“Bastards.” Jeongin took the last bits of water to slug. “We’re gonna fucking find out why they did all of this.” 

Two shifted in his seat, “Any word? Hate to mention it, but I’m getting kinda tired. It’s past three already.”  

“Fox?” 

He clicked around, then shook his head. “Still nothing.” 

Chan snorted a bit in his sleep: an action which woke him up. 

“Wha-what? Where are we? Are the there yet? What time is it? Fuck...my head feels like it’s splitting...” 

“We’re finding somewhere, your Highness. We’ll be there soon.” Your partner motioned for you to hand him another water to give to the disorientated prince. 

Chan nodded while he rubbed his temples. “Shit. Please tell me that I just made this all up. That it’s some kind of fucked up nightmare...” 

You threw Chan’s coat back to him. “Unfortunately, no. We’re trying to figure out everything that we can.” 

“Who the hell were those guys?” Water dripped down his neck in a way that you pretended not to notice. “They were wearing crests. I couldn’t tell, but weren’t they red?” 

“Very observant, your Highness. F?” 

The younger man bit his lip, “I’ve already tried finding where the crest is from, but I can’t find anything that resembles it within our database. I was able to see one up close. It looked like a heart or something like that, and a diamond. I’m guessing that it could’ve been maybe a spade? Like the kind that you see on playing cards? Still, since we’ve never seen it before, we can only assume that they must be a new group.” 

Chan nodded, but anyone could tell that the information had flown right over his head. He licked at his wet lips, then sighed. 

“Bee, You okay? Fox? I suppose that I should ask you both.” 

“I’m...fine.” His sudden concern came as a surprise, and your partner looked just as shocked. 

“I-I’m fine too. No holes in me or anything.” Jeongin suppressed a laugh. “But you’re not, your Highness. How much did you have to drink?” 

“Oh...enough. I guess that I lost track at some point. Those kind of things are boring anyway.” 

“Fox? You’ve got that locale?” Two clicked the turn signal. 

“Oh! Yeah, I’ve got one. Sorry, It’s about an hour from here.” 

“Locale?” Chan cocked his head. 

“A safe house. Or something like that. We need to lie low while we wait for instructions.” 

“No one has said anything...? Not even...my father?” 

Jeongin shook his head gravely. “No.” 

The young prince fell silent, and you watched as worry fell over his clouded eyes that were lined with bags. Normally his expression was anything but strained, but in this moment, you saw doubt sweep over him like the darkness on the road ahead. You leaned the farthest you could from your seat to grab at his hand behind you. 

“You’re safe with us. Nothing is going to happen to you.” 

His hand was warm, maybe a little clammy, but it was soft, like that of a prince, naturally. Still, it was strong and veined. Chan’s thumb rubbed soft little circles into your own skin, muttering, “Thank you.” For once, his eyes which would normally devour you like some kind of rare dish held you earnestly. I trust you, they said. 

“Two. Let’s switch.” Jeongin slammed his laptop closed. “I’ve got it from here.” 

━━━━━━━━━▲━━━━━━━━━

The safe house was quiet. As most of them where. It was even a bit stereotypical: a little cottage in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by woods on nearly all sides. It had a little overgrown garden, and a shed that looked like it held either all kinds of gardening equipment, or the real thing that sheds were meant for in your business: ammo. It had a white painted porch with cracking paint, as well as porch swing with rusting chains. In the early morning the windows were are black, but still faintly reflected the massive array of sparking stars above your heads. The only thing less antique about the home was the touch keypad on the front door. It beeped with a little tune, then flashed the insignia of the agency: a ticking clock. 

“Two, can you find a generator or something? Get the electricity up and going?” 

“Can do,” He said, then disappeared. 

Two was mostly a quiet man, a feature that gave you both reasons to trust him and to be suspicious. Besides him being a bit smaller in stature with thin legs and characteristically round cheeks, there was something different about him that you couldn’t place; something unexpected. You wished once again that questions weren’t on the list of things that weren’t allowed. 

“There should be clothes around here somewhere.” Jeongin padded his way through the dark rooms. “You shower first your Highness.” 

Chan tripped over his feet as he spread out his arms to find his way. You giggled lightly at the action. A man really was stripped down of any and all sense of composure when his life had been threatened and he had to have his bodyguards pat his back while he had gotten sick after one too many royal drinks. 

The lights flashed on, flickering at first with the sound of the lightbulbs waking up after a long sleep. The interior design of the place was exactly as you had expected: it was a family home with a fireplace and several chairs and couches covered in dust. Bookshelves were full with the strangest assortment of reading material and board games there held a thin layer of grey dust too. The kitchen was small and cozy: it had all the necessities. A stained glass chandelier hung over the wooden table for eight, and was decorated with glass hummingbirds and pink flowers. In odd corners of the house, children’s toys had been sitting untouched. A family must’ve been living there, and you wondered what must’ve become of them. 

Two returned with spiderwebs caught on his dress coat. “Water should be hot in about thirty minutes or so I think.” 

Your partner crossed the room, raking a hand through his snowy white hair. “I’m gonna try and make the calls again. See if I get anything. If not, we’ll have to...begin Operation Cheshire.” 

It was the phrase that you had hoped neither you nor your partner would have to say. 

Chan slumped down in one of the upholstered chairs, throwing dust into the air as he did. Compared to the rest of the room, him and his designer clothes seemed comically out of place. “Wha-what’s that?” 

Two pinched between his eyes, and your chest shook with an unsure inhale. 

“It means that we assume the worst. HQ got taken over and we’re all at risk. Information about us could be accessible to anyone. Essentially, we go into sleeper mode until we can reconvene with other agents...if there are any more. We dissapear. Next, we work on getting you back home, no matter what it takes.” 

“HQ?” What are you talking about?” Chan toyed with his diamond set cufflinks. “HQ? Like whoever manages the bodyguards??” 

“Your Highness...” You and your partner exchanged knowing glances. “We’re more than bodyguards.” 

“What?!” 

“We’re operatives. Agents. We work for an intelligence agency that specializes in a bunch of different things...protecting royalty if needed.” 

“What the fuck?! Why didn’t anyone tell me? Chan slapped his leg. “Fuck! No one tells me anything!!! I get that I’m a fucking prince but I’m not fucking useless!” 

The memory of the confidential file reemerged in your memory: the promise that you had made to His Majesty The King after he had requested a “special hire” to watch over his son. The file itself had contained a several thousand words or so that you hadn’t bothered to read, but rather skimmed till you got to the signature part. Carroll had simply nodded before you put your pen to the paper. 

“It was for your saf--” 

“--My father did this, didn’t he? Didn’t he? Some kind of sick way to keep tabs on me? See what I’m doing?? God! The man never trusts me. If the thinks that I’m that much of a disappointment...this is just--” 

“Your Highness, it’s been a long day, you’ve been through a lot, just take a shower and get some rest. Alright? We’ll talk more about this in the morning.” Two stepped forward with his hands folded in front of him. His interjection was unlike his previously quiet presence. 

The prince sighed, tapping his tragically expensive shoe on the hardwood. 

“Fine. We’ll talk about it in the morning.” 

Chan’s eyes grew dark with an authoritative air that you had seen before. His façade had slipped over him like a cloak. He rose, buttoning his jacket, then tweaking his sliver brooches decorating his neck. 

“Fox. Bee. Two. Thank you. Good evening.” 

━━━━━━━━━▲━━━━━━━━━

Chan knew that it was you at the door when you would knock two times, then pause, and knock twice more. In your hands, you held a cup of warm milk. For a prince, even he couldn’t reject the beverage to help him fall asleep at night. You had seen him order it at hotels on more than one occasion. Jeongin had found a nearby store to get food for the morning. The two of you had suddenly found yourselves as now both his bodyguards and his servants. While you waited, you hoped to God that Carroll would compensate you for the extra work. 

The door creaked open, revealing your prince modestly dressed in plaid flannel, hair dripping slightly in wet strands. You had never seen him as simple as this before: no princely persona or cold exterior to upkeep. He looked...normal. 

“What is it Bee?” 

“I thought you might like some...well, this.” You provided him with the cup. “I know that it’s nearly morning, but you should still try to sleep in. We’ll take care of things. 

He took the ceramic mug from your hands, fingers barely brushing against yours for mere moments. 

“Thank you.” He hushed with a thankful smile. “Would you like to come in? We could...just kind of...sit for a minute.” 

Behind him, sun peaked at the horizon, a splitting of red piercing the navy deep of the night. The colors muddled, blurred, a bit like the color of blood fading into the deep fabric of one’s formal wear. It was desolate, but still beautiful. 

“To be honest,” His eyes fell, “I don’t want to be alone right now.” 

You had saved the biggest room for him. It smelled of mothballs and other old things like sheets that had rested in a dark room for much too long. Still, there was a kind of familiarity to it all and the way that the matted rugs and brass vintage lamps lit the room with a soft yellow light. The full sized bed creaked once you had sat down. In his golden halo, Chan’s brown strands appeared to be softer, and not as prim and staged. 

“I’m sorry for snapping earlier. I realized that there are things that are out of my control. You know more than I do, and I accept that. I trust you...a-and Fox.” 

You rubbed your hands into the jeans you had found in the cupboard. They had dirt and grass stains from work in the garden you presumed. 

“It’s okay. I understand that you would be scared. It’s okay to be. I...get scared sometimes too. I know that it might look like it, but I fear...for my life too. So does Jeong--Fox.” 

Chan’s voice cracked. “Is someone out to kill me?” 

You sighed, sensing his hesitation. “I don’t know. But we will know soon.” 

The prince stared down at the white bubbles in his milk, then swirled around the liquid to watch the way that that it moved. 

“I don’t think I’d like to die. Would be pretty unfortunate, don’t you think? I feel like I’ve got so many other things to do. A kingdom to manage, people to govern, much more bottles of Scotch to drink, parties to attend...” 

His eyes met yours, and you could see the very fragility of the life that he spoke of right in them. He was right in that dumb speech of his. He really was just a person. 

“...I like to think that I’ll get married someday to someone that I love. I actually would really like to do that.” He chuckled. “Lame, right? Someone like me who always bounces around. Wouldn’t take me for one?” 

“Mm. No. I think that from what I’ve observed of you, and I’m trained to observe, I think that bouncing around...means you’re looking for the right thing. And, I guess that it’s fun too.” 

Chan chuckled, “You’re good at observing.” 

You paused, remembering Lee Minho from earlier. 

“Were you looking when you were talking to that man at the banquet? He was very handsome.” 

The prince placed the cup down. “He was. I don’t know. He just seemed kind of interesting. The kind of mystery that only a stranger has. I would’ve liked to have talked to him more now that I think about it. Maybe it would’ve been worth my time.” Chan twisted his back to crack it. “I don’t know if you saw but he had some really nice fucking thighs.” 

“Ahhh. Nice thighs. Didn’t know that you cared for that.” 

The two of you laughed together a bit like old friends. It felt nice. 

“...Bee. I should also probably apologize for how I acted back before we got in the car. I was...drunk, scared. I said some things--” 

“--That you were in love with me?” 

“Yeah...that. I realized that...I’ve been...unfair to you. You don’t deserve the ridicule. You’ve only ever been helpful to me and--” 

“--Don’t worry about it. It’s fine.” You shrugged. You had met hundreds of guys like him before, at least you thought. 

Chan sighed as if he was gathering himself. “Bee. I did mean what I said.” 

“What? Ch-your Highness, you don’t mean that.” 

He laughed, “It’s alright. You can call me Chan. And...yes. I did. You’ve got a kind of mystery to you too. Frankly, I can’t stop thinking about it.” 

“This...this is inappropriate.” You shifted, the rising off the bed. Your cheeks warmed, but you couldn’t know why. Maybe he was just too damn charming. But, he was like that with everyone. 

He rose too, hastily following you on your way to the door. “Bee, wait.” 

“Chan, you can’t do this. It makes things...complicated.” 

He advanced, slowly, closing the space between you. “It’s only complicated if you feel the same.” 

“I-I don’t.” 

The prince’s hand carefully rose to cup your face, a gesture so gentle that you shied from the feeling. Even this close still he smelled of white roses. 

“Have you ever heard of conflict of interest?” Your breath hitched. 

Chan grinned, “There you go making this complicated again.” 

A wandering hand of yours acting on its own reached to tug hold of his shirt. 

The prince leaned in closer, nearly close enough to breech the gap between his plush lips and yours. 

“What if I don’t mind making things...” He whispered the word, grazing his mouth over yours, “...complicated?” 

“Ch--” 

He pressed his weight fully into you, a smashing of lips met with incessant heat and your back shoved into the door. His tongue easily twisted around yours, and his soft gasps filled up your mouth. It had taken you a couple seconds to realize what had happened, and to decide what to do with yourself. His mouth was blazing, it was as if he was weaving a spell, or perhaps you had made it up for yourself. He kissed you with vitality; like he had never tasted anything like you before and was starving for you. You realized, perhaps you had wondered what it would’ve felt like. One hand squeezed tighter to his shirt, and you kissed back, meeting his heat. 

Jeongin’s voice called down the hall, “Bee? Bee, are you there?” The sound of your bedroom door shut. 

You pushed Chan off you with flat hands on his chest and an amazed smile on his face. 

“This...this doesn’t mean anything.” You gasped, reaching for the knob after a moments pause. 

Chan snickered, shoving his hands in his pockets. 

“Goodnight your Highness.” 

━━━━━━━━━▲━━━━━━━━━

For a man so young Jeongin liked his coffee black, and drank it like an old man too with his nose buried in a newspaper while it fogged up his glasses--or what was left of them. 

“I finally got correspondence from Carroll this morning. She said that HQ experienced some kind of blackout and all the systems went offline. It wasn’t safe for her to contact us on a regular line. They got everything back up and running and everything seems fine, or so they think.” 

Your partner had already made himself comfortable in a pair of sweatpants and a cotton tee with slippers. You never would’ve guessed that he was a trained assassin on the side. 

Two returned huffing in the door from his morning run. He was one of those people. 

“Any word?” He rubbed his face off with a dishtowel. 

“Disgusting.” You sneered at the crude action. 

“Well, we’ve got thousands of miles between us and the kingdom and what seems like a hell of a lot of guys on our tail, but, after I sent Carroll the info about the red crest, she wants us to do some digging. 

“With the prince in tow?” You lowered your voice lest the sleeping royal heard you. “I don’t think so.” 

“It sounds like she’s convinced that the person behind all of this could be someone who attended the charity ball. And, I don’t really disagree. They must be good at keeping secrets if they evaded us.” 

“Hm. You’re right. A high profile event like that, even though its for a good cause it’s always a competition with those snobs. I just don’t know who could order something so cruel...all those people in the same place...” 

“Since it’s a new group, they must still be underground. So, to see who lives underground, you’ve got to go there yourself to find out. Or, in our case, find someone who knows the rabbit hole.” 

Two grabbed a chair, ruffling his deep brown soaked hair. “What does that mean?” 

Jeongin flipped his laptop around. “This is the man that we need to go see. Codename White Rabbit. Or as he calls himself--” 

“--Bun.” You cut in. “Yeah, I know him.” 

Both of the men chimed, “You do?” 

“Yeah, he’s undercover ops for the agency. He’s sort of a jack of all trades. He owns some kind of front out in Egypt. It’s called The Tea Party. Bar up front, but in the back he provides all kinds of information--for both sides. His cut is that for any information he gives to the agency he gets cash compensation. If anyone would know about anything underground, it would be him. As I’m sure Carroll told you, he’s a stickler for meeting in person. He’s one of us. I think.” 

“You think?” 

“He also does...other deviant things. I heard that these days he’s had a couple dealings in some...substances. Black market stuff. Carroll also provides safety for his business in return for his information.” 

“That...sounds illegal. Immoral even.” Jeongin’s eyes widened upon hearing the news about his mother. 

“You’ve got to pay to play you know.” 

“So Egypt then?” Two wiped off the back of his neck with the dishtowel, stretching out one of his toned arms. “I’ve always wanted to go there.” 

“Oh--one more thing.” Jeongin took a rather long sip from his cup. “The King’s counsel reached out to me too this morning. They asked me if the Prince was safe and where we were. I have them loose details of both. They seemed somewhat relieved.” 

Chan sauntered down the steps with a massive yawn, stretching up his arms and shirt to reveal an inkling of his abs. You also pretended not to notice it. 

“Gooood morning everyone. Fox. Two.” He dished out a wink. “Bee.” 

“Morning your Highness.” Jeongin nodded, and crossed his legs. “Feeling well?” 

“Ahhh much better.” He poured himself a cup of coffee in the kitchen, staring out the little window over the sink, then took an indulgent sip. “It’s peaceful here. I kind of like that.” 

“Your Highness, we’ve received word--” 

Chan rose his hand to shush your partner, then languidly took another sip. “I’m still enjoying my drink F.” 

A light buzzing resonated somewhere in the house, a bit like the sound of a dryer, and the home started vibrating. Your water glass on the table rippled. 

“Two, did you notice if there was anything strange about the house?” 

The buzzing grew nearer. 

Two looked puzzled, “No, why?” 

The vibrating grew more violent, and your glass shuddered off the wooden table, shattering on the ground upon impact. 

Chan squinted out the window, “Is that a--” 

“CHAN GET DOWN!” You shrieked. 

Within milliseconds the whistling of a bomb screeched through the air, then crashed into the rickety ceiling, splintering wood everywhere and demolishing the furniture. 

You had seconds to act while the matte black bomb hissed with a steam releasing from some seam and ticked. You sprinted to grab Chan’s arm as hard as you possibly good, all in a blur, pummeling your bodies against one of the shattered windows, and hurling yourself out to the morning dew. You had no time to see if Jeongin or Two had made their exit, but looked out, towing the prince so hard you must’ve done some damage to his shoulder. You stumbled to your feet, tripping, and grunting until the bomb diffused, and exploded the cottage altogether. You covered Chan’s head and most of his body with your own as a shield and the shards of wood, metal, and brick came flying. 

“Ar-are you okay?” You patted the prince down in his shock, who stared blankly with empty eyes. 

The prince’s flannel had been torn to shreds with glass, and blood oozed onto the fabric on his arms. 

“Yeah...yeah...I’m...fine.” 

“BEE! Y/N!” Jeongin screamed over the flames to find you. 

“OVER HERE!” You bellowed back, and your partner came running with Two behind him with terrible cuts on his face. 

“They knew. They FUCKING knew.” He panted after reaching you. 

“We have to get out of here.” Two gasped, and blood ran down his face, nearly into his eye. “If they know where we are now, they’ll come to check to see if the damage is done. We have to move.”  

The sky filled with an angry smoke, and the once peaceful forest filled with the colors of orange and red. 

“The car?” 

“Broken windows from the blast but I should be able to get it going. There’s spare parts in the shed. And ammo. A fuck ton of it.” 

“We’ll need it.” 

You pulled the prince to his feet as he blinked wildly at you and your team. 

“Fuck.” Was all the could manage. 

In your complete surprise, Chan’s bloodied and cracked hands pulled your face into his, kissing you with lips that tasted of the salt of blood. 

“I fucking love you Bee. I’ve decided.” 

Jeongin’s jaw dropped in the corner of your eye, so you promptly slapped the prince upside the face. 

“You’re in shock. We need to get out of here.” 

A wrinkled smile danced on the royal’s face, and you might’ve thought that it was a bit charming. 

“Admit it. You love me too Bee.” 

~🌹~ 

Bunch of (Ro)ses! 

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